USA: Rachel Rojas Named Special Agent in Charge of the Jacksonville Field Office

Director Christopher Wray has named Rachel Rojas as the special agent in charge of the Jacksonville Field Office in Florida. Mrs. Rojas most recently served as a section chief in the Security Division at FBI Headquarters before her promotion in December 2018.

Mrs. Rojas joined the FBI in 1996 as an investigative specialist for the New York Field Office. She became a special agent in 2000 and was assigned to investigate administrative and drug matters in New York. After 9/11, she delved into terrorism financing data and communications tied to the attack.

In 2005, Ms. Rojas was promoted to a supervisory special agent and transferred to the Terrorism Financing Operations Section of the Counterterrorism Division at FBI Headquarters in Washington, D.C. She returned to New York in 2007 to oversee the applicant program, then moved to focus on mortgage and bank fraud. Mrs. Rojas was promoted to assistant special agent in charge of the criminal division in the New York Field Office in 2012, with responsibilities including oversight of complex financial crime threats, public corruption, civil rights, health care fraud, and other issues.

The next year, Mrs. Rojas was named assistant special agent in charge over New Yorks violent criminal threat branch, managing the Safe Streets Gang and Violent Crime Task Forces, bank robberies, fugitives, human trafficking, and other programs. She was promoted to section chief in the Security Division at Headquarters in 2015, where she was responsible for the physical and technical protection of FBI personnel, facilities, information, and operations worldwide.

Mrs. Rojas earned a bachelors degree in communications/journalism from Boston University and a masters in international management/leadership from Manhattanville College.

This story has been published on: 2019-05-16. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Hong Kong: Bill withdrawal impossible: CE

It is not possible for the Government to withdraw the fugitive law amendment bill, Chief Executive Carrie Lam said today.

Speaking to reporters, Mrs Lam said the purpose of the Fugitive Offenders & Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Legislation (Amendment) Bill 2019 is to remove the loopholes in the existing mechanism for surrendering fugitive offenders.

The Chief Executive said it is not possible to withdraw the bill as the work to mend such insufficiencies in the current mechanism is not complete.

Noting that non pro-establishment lawmakers are obstructing the Bills Committee from electing a chairman, Mrs Lam expressed hope they would have a change of heart and allow the bill to be scrutinised.

This story has been published on: 2019-05-16. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Old Town Central in Hong Kong is a tourism hotspot thanks to its various street art. / Courtesy of Hong Kong Tourism Board



By Kang Seung-woo



The Hong Kong Tourism Board has set its sights on female Korean tourists and those seeking to get the most bang for their buck for its summer promotion.





Scott Kwon, regional director of the Hong Kong Tourism Board, speaks during a press conference in Seoul, Wednesday. / Courtesy of Hong Kong Tourism Board
Progressive Conservative support is eroding less than a year after Premier Doug Fords majority victory, a new poll suggests.

The Pollara Strategic Insights survey found 31 per cent of respondents now prefer Andrea Horwaths New Democrats, compared to 30 per cent for Fords Tories and 26 per cent for the Liberals under interim Leader John Fraser. Mike Schreiners Greens have surged to 11 per cent.

Pollara chief strategist Don Guy said a muddled PC agenda and a hyper-partisan legislature have been especially helpful to the Liberals and the Greens.

In last Junes election, the Tories won 40.5 per cent of the vote, the NDP 33.6 per cent, the Liberals 19.6 per cent, and the Greens 4.6 per cent.

The core Ford value-for-money positioning and its no-pain-solutions promise was almost perfect for middle-of-the-road Ontario, Guy said Thursday.

But the Ford reality has unfortunately been a distracted, diffuse agenda that has sucked up much of the governments communications oxygen catering to its base, he said.

As a result, a backlash is gaining momentum, putting newly won seats at risk.

Using an online panel, Pollara surveyed 1,527 Ontario voters between April 28 and May 1. A sample of this size would have a margin of error of 2.5 percentage points, 19 time out of 20.

The poll found 30 per cent of respondents approve of the government, with 64 per cent disapproving and 6 per cent unsure.

Among respondents who voted PC in 2018, just 69 per cent now approve of the Tories, with 29 per cent saying they disapprove and 2 per cent uncertain.

When asked for reasons why they cast ballots for the Tories, 70 per cent said to get rid of the Kathleen Wynne Liberals with 42 per cent citing time for a change, generally and 25 per cent saying they have always voted PC.

Only 21 per cent said it was because they like Doug Ford. Similarly, 21 per cent voted for the Tories for cheaper gasoline prices. Thats slightly behind the 22 per cent who said they voted PC because they oppose the carbon tax.

Only 8 per cent voted Conservative to expand the sale of beer and wine to corner stores, while 4 per cent said it was because Ford was bringing back buck-a-beer pricing.

Five per cent supported the Tories last June because of the promise to build more subways in Toronto

Guy said the April 11 budget  with its controversial cutting of some services despite overall record spending  has not rolled out well for the government.

Ham-handed cuts are crippling the core promise for swing voters  governing for the people, the pollster noted.

As a result, the swing voters who put the PCs in office are hearing only one meta-message from Ford: Hulk Smash. And they are turning away, he said, referring to the motto of Marvels Incredible Hulk.

Pollara found backing for the Tories was down in Toronto, where they sit third behind the New Democrats and Liberals, as well as in Eastern and Northern Ontario.

The governing party is holding steady in the 905 ahead of the Liberals and New Democrats while the NDP leads in Hamilton and Niagara.

In Southwestern Ontario, the Tories narrowly lead the NDP with the Liberals in third.

Pollaras findings echo those in a Corbett Communications poll published last week in the Star. That survey found opposition to changes to education, including larger class sizes and forcing students to take online high school courses.

Robert Benzie is the Star's Queen's Park bureau chief and a reporter covering Ontario politics. Follow him on Twitter: @robertbenzie

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VANCOUVERElsa Wilk loved to travel.

Its part of what drove her to move to Canada from South Africa in 2008. Eleven years later, she embarked on a tour of Alaskas celebrated Misty Fjords with her brother and husband. Due to the remoteness of the area, the fjords are the kind of place travellers go once and remember for a lifetime.

Theyre only accessible by boat or float plane. On Monday, Elsa Wilk, 37, her American husband Ryan Wilk, 39, and her brother Louis Botha, 46, opted to board a sea plane tour led by experienced pilot Randy Sullivan near Ketchikan, Alaska. None of them made it back.

Their plane and a second float plane crashed that afternoon, killing six people. Cassandra Webb, 62, and Simon Bodie, 56, also lost their lives.

Now people who knew the Canadian woman are remembering her as a dedicated and sincere person, committed to her work in the Vancouver tech industry, and passionate about martial arts.

Elsa Wilk, who was originally from Pretoria, South Africa, moved to Canada with her then-husband Ian Brink in 2008.

Read more:

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We both have always had the desire to see the world and travel, Brink told Star Vancouver Wednesday. The couple built their lives in the Vancouver area, and Elsa quickly became dedicated to her work in the citys vibrant tech industry.

She worked in multiple marketing and strategy roles. Her LinkedIn profile shows her most recent role was as the Marketing Director at CryptoKitties, a Vancouver-based blockchain game associated with local tech innovation studio Axiom Zen Inc.

Once she put her mind to something shed be hard pressed to give it up, Brink said. She was a very driven person.

Derek Bolen, a friend and colleague, said Elsa made the time to share her drive and dedication.

I could always rely on her for personal or professional advice and I considered her a close friend, Bolen wrote in a message to Star Vancouver.

That applied outside of work, too. Elsas passion Brink said, was Tae Kwon Do, and she competed in the martial arts.

The pair split in 2012. They got their Canadian citizenship on the same day in 2013, which turned out to be the last time Brink saw her.

Elsa then remarried to an American man named Ryan Wilk, who worked in senior management at Vancouver based NuData, part of the American credit company Mastercard.

Ryan joined NuData in 2014 and quickly became the face of the business across regions, reads an email statement sent to Star Vancouver by Mastercard. He has been a cherished member of the team and will be deeply missed by colleagues right across Mastercard and NuData.

The Wilks, Botha and one other passenger were on board one of two float planes that were carrying cruise ship tourists when they collided mid-air Monday near the southeast Alaska town of Ketchikan, located about 200 kilometres northwest of Prince Rupert, B.C.

Initially, four people were reported dead, with two people missing. The U.S. Coast Guard said the bodies of the two missing people were recovered near the crash site Tuesday night.

Global Affairs Canada says Canadian consular officials in Seattle are in contact with local authorities to gather additional information and provide assistance as needed.

Our thoughts and sympathies are with the family and loved ones of the Canadian citizen who died in Alaska, the department said.

With files from the Canadian Press

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VANCOUVERWhen a British Columbia woman experiencing fever, headaches and weight loss for two months finally went to her doctor, a blood test revealed shed contracted a contagious disease from a dog shed rescued in Mexico.

Dr. Elani Galanis, an epidemiologist and public health physician at the BC Centre for Disease Control, said the case was surprising because the previously healthy middle-aged patient didnt seem to be a candidate for the transmission of brucellosis, which medical literature suggests can afflict people with weakened immune systems, or the very young and elderly.

Up until this adult woman became infected and tested positive we felt like the risk to humans, although possible, was very, very low, said Galanis, who wrote about the anonymous woman in a recent issue of the BC Medical Journal.

The woman worked for an animal-rescue organization that transported dogs to Canada from Mexico and the United States, often driving there to pick up the animals, Galanis said.

On one occasion, she was bringing back a pregnant dog from Mexico and likely came into contact with the animals pregnancy fluids as it spontaneously aborted two stillborn puppies, Galanis said, adding the dog later tested positive for the bacterium brucella canis and the woman was diagnosed after seeking medical treatment last December.

Given the story in other places, like the rest of North America, this hasnt been seen much before, Galanis said of transmission of the disease to humans. Were just starting to see it so I do believe its a true emergence of a new problem.

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For us, the priority will be to ensure that physicians are aware that this is possible, that they ask the question about contact with animals, particularly imported dogs.

Rob Ashburner, a veterinarian and spokesman for the B.C. branch of the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association, said efforts to have stricter regulations on the importation of dogs involving multiple federal agencies have so far been fruitless.

The Canadian Veterinary Medical Association has spent a lot of time trying to get the federal government to put some rules in place where animals imported from other countries should be tested for a bunch of communicable diseases, brucellosis being one of them, he said. Dogs from the warmer climates have all sorts of parasites that we dont have here and they bring them in and affect our population as well.

Plenty of dogs are available for adoption in Canada, Ashburner said, adding rescued animals can be traumatized after long trips and bring with them behavioural problems people may not expect.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency establishes requirements for animals such as dogs coming into the country.

It said dogs that are less than eight months old are inspected by its veterinarians at borders and older dogs are inspected by Canada Border Service Agency officers, who also review the animals certificates, such as those listing any vaccinations.

If the CBSA officer has any concerns, such as the animal showing signs of illness or incomplete/incorrect paperwork, they call a CFIA veterinarian for examination, the agency said in an email.

Ashburner said examinations at the border are not comprehensive and current regulations, requiring just a rabies vaccination, have been in place for decades, long before an increase in the number of pets and rescue-dogs being brought to Canada, sometimes with certificates that are bogus.

In reality, just from personal experience, there are times when what the paperwork says is not true, he said, adding while more dogs are being brought to Canada, there are no national statistics on how many are coming in.

The Public Health Agency of Canada said it acknowledges the global movement of animals, including dogs, can facilitate the spread of diseases that can be passed on to people.

Educating breeders, importers, rescue organizations and Canadians on both the risks and mitigation measures is important to manage this issue, it said in an email.

However, the agency did not respond to questions about whether it plans to consider any policy changes involving potential transmission of diseases to humans.

Emilia Gordon, a veterinarian and senior manger of animal health with the British Columbia branch of the SPCA, said various groups in the province are trying to create standards of practice for rescued animals.

This is really an important issue for Canada, she said. Ive personally seen a number of significant diseases in animals that were rescued from shelters in other countries.

We are increasingly seeing surrender requests for animals who were rescued from other countries and weve actually had to set an entire set of protocols and procedures in place to do risk assessments on these animals as they come in, she said, adding up to five imported animals a week are being brought in to shelters around the province.

The United States, Mexico and south and central America were the major source countries about five years ago but that changed in the last year, with more dogs coming in from elsewhere in the world, including Asia and Morocco, Gordon said.

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For more than two years, Sen. Elizabeth Warren has repeatedly lashed out at Wells Fargo as the bank struggled to regain its footing after admitting to various customer abuses.

On Wednesday, Warren, D-Mass., turned her ire on one of the San Francisco bank's main regulators, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency.

Wells Fargo is conducting a nationwide search for a new chief executive - its third in three years - and Warren wanted to know whether the OCC would exercise its "veto" power over the bank's choice. It would, Joseph Otting, head of the agency, which provides day-to-day oversight of large national banks, told Warren during a Senate Banking Committee hearing.

Things went awry when Warren asked Otting to share the results of the OCC's review of Wells Fargo chief executive candidates. Otting declined, saying it would be confidential and his "prerogative" to keep it that way.

Warren told Otting that the OCC had repeatedly "ducked" its oversight responsibilities.

"No one has been more tougher on Wells Fargo than myself," Otting said. "No one has been more outspoken."

The OCC was also part of a $1 billion settlement with the bank last year and has offered unusual public rebukes of the bank's turnaround efforts. That was apparently not enough for Warren.

"You mean at the OCC? That's a low bar," Warren responded.

Otting said: "I would disagree with that. I find it insulting that you would make that comment."

"Good," Warren said. "People all across this country were scammed and squeezed by Wells Fargo . . . and the OCC never uttered a peep about the executives who were leading this."

The OCC did nothing to stop the bank from naming Tim Sloan, who spent early 30 years at Wells Fargo before being named chief executive in 2016, said Warren, who is running for the Democratic nomination for president. Sloan stepped down earlier this year after being pummeled by lawmakers at a House committee hearing for more than four hours.

"This time you need to show your work . . . so consumers and Congress can hold you responsible, too," Warren said.

Otting told Warren he appreciated her request but did not relent.

The exchange during an otherwise mundane hearing on banking regulation reflect the extreme pressure facing Wells Fargo's next chief executive. The bank, one of the largest in the country, has repeatedly apologized for various misdeeds - from opening millions of fraudulent accounts on behalf of its customers without their consent to mistakenly foreclosing on hundreds of clients and repossessing the cars of thousands of others.

But it has struggled to convince lawmakers and regulators that it has fixed the corporate culture that led to those issues.
Back row, from left, Martijn Sax, General Manager of Le Meridien Seoul; Seol Do-won, adviser at the Korea Chainstores Association; Jackie Son, Senior Manager at Crown Worldwide; H.E. Federico Failla, Italian Ambassador to Korea; Erwan Vilfeu, President of Zuellig Pharma Korea; Weon Hee-soo, CEO of Dabu Holdings; Han Yun-jung, CEO of Hankook Shinyak; Jake Kim, Managing Director of Hana Financial Investment; Hyun Chun-wook, attorney at Kim & Chang; and Bill Miner, Country Chairman of Chevron. Front row, from left, Oh Young-jin, Digital Managing Editor of The Korea Times; Lissa Miner; Kim Young-ho, Chairman of Ilshin Spinning; Choi Jung-wha, President of CICI; Ha Joo-hyun, CEO of NAOS Korea; Baek Seung-ju, KBS announcer; Park Yun-jung, CEO of Mint Tour; Lee Jai-wook, attorney at Yulchon LLC; and Didier Beltosie, President of Cs, at the headquarters of Ilshin Spinning in Yeouido, Seoul. Courtesy of CICI



By Dong Sun-hwa



Mobile phones have replaced the medium as a tool for information, giving mighty power to social media such as YouTube and Instagram that are easily accessible on cellphones.



Hence, "influencers," who boast hundreds of thousands of followers on these channels, have been propelled to stardom. They have established a presence in the marketing world too, with shoppers closely tracing their product reviews before purchasing.



This new trend has affected industries in Korea.



"KBS has been slow in catching up with the fresh trend because it prioritizes neutrality over trendiness as a national broadcaster," Baek Seung-ju, KBS's news presenter said Tuesday, during the Korea CQ Forum of the Corea Image Communication Institute (CICI). "But now it is attempting make a breakthrough by asking news presenters to start their personal broadcasting just like the influencers. Hence, the employees can show off their talents in the various fields they like."



Winds of change also have been blowing through law firms. Unlike their conservative image, some, including Yulchon LLC, have launched YouTube channels in an attempt to get closer to clients.



"The firm asked us to get involved in influencer marketing, so we opened a YouTube channel," said Lee Jai-wook, an attorney at Yulchon.



But some said influencer marketing is not all-powerful.



"Young and digital-oriented people are definitely affected by YouTube, but the customers of premium brands are different," said Ha Joo-hyun, CEO of NAOS Korea. "What they want is unique service and treatment."



Martijn Sax, General Manager of Le Meridien Seoul, and Park Hae-won, President of CHA Bio F&C, underscored the significance of authenticity.



"Some customers do not trust the influencers, knowing many of them are managed by agencies and paid for the advertisements," Park said.



"Influencers need to be authentic, because people believe them," Sax said.



During the meeting, members of CICI, a global cultural promotion advocacy, also shared their thoughts on the "Downscaling Trend of Events," at the Conrad Seoul Hotel. Before the forum, they visited the headquarters of Ilshin Spinning, a cotton yarn production company in Yeouido, Seoul, to appreciate artworks collected by its Chairman Kim Young-ho.





"TBT" by Jean-Michel Basquiat. The work is owned by Ilshin Spinning's Chairman Kim Young-ho. Courtesy of CICI




Europe's biggest insurers are on the hook for as much as $450 million from a pair of airline crashes involving Boeing 737 Max planes.

Munich Re reckons it could pay 150 million euros ($168 million), an estimate that CFO Christoph Jurecka called "very conservative." Swiss Re expects to pay up to $135 million; Hannover Re says it will pay out as much as $56 million. Allianz and Zurich Insurance Group - covering directors and officers' liability - may have to part with a combined $91 million.

For now, the insurers' losses are on paper only. It will be months, if not years, before payouts are made, with Bloomberg Intelligence estimating the bill for settling passengers' claims from the 737 Max crashes in Ethiopia and Indonesia at more than $1 billion. Investigators in multiple countries are looking at why the same model crashed twice within five months. The outcome of those probes will affect how much the insurers pay.

Among some of the world's other major insurers, American International Group, Chubb and Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance declined to comment.

The disasters involving the 737 Max - the latest variant of the world's most widely flown jetliner - are unusual because the aircraft itself is being investigated as the possible culprit. That has put the spotlight on Boeing's insurance cover.

Its policies cover several potential liabilities. For example, Boeing has an airline-manufacturer's liability policy that pays out more for each day the planes stay on the ground, according to two people familiar with the matter. Sixty-five days have passed since March 11, when China's aviation regulator banned flights of 737 Max planes within its territory. Authorities around the world followed China's lead within days.

The manufacturer's liability policy is capped at $500 million, according to the people familiar with the matter. It was arranged by a panel of insurers; one of those - Allianz - said Tuesday that it expects to pay $56 million for losses related to Boeing. Some of the $500 million risk was passed on to reinsurers, which insure risks taken by other insurers.

Boeing doesn't comment on its insurance cover, spokesman Charles Bickers said, adding, "we have been in constant contact with our customers and our focus remains on supporting them during this difficult time. We continue to work with airline customers and regulators to safely return the Max to service."

Swiss Re is among those that covered the manufacturer's liability policy and it is one of several insurers of Ethiopian Airlines. Ethiopian has an airline all-risk policy capped at $330 million, according to one of the people. That policy will pay the $55 million Ethiopian needs to replace its crashed plane, leaving it with $275 million to compensate the passengers' families.

Legal experts agree that the payouts to the passengers' families will probably rise if evidence shows that Boeing knew of flaws with the 737 Max before the crashes in October and March. That question has already prompted investor lawsuits that say the company hid safety risks. If Boeing is shown to have been at fault, its insurers could end up paying even more than the $500 million covered by the manufacturers' liability policy, the person said. The insurers haven't included payouts for Boeing doing something wrong in their estimates because so far nothing has been proved.

"Boeing, Ethiopian Airlines and their insurers will go through a detailed discovery process," a Swiss Re spokeswoman said in an emailed statement. "In parallel, we will support our insureds in managing the impact of this tragic event on the victims and their families."

Where there are lawsuits, there are also delays to payouts. According to Mactavish Group, which advises companies on their insurance cover, the insurers take on average three years to pay for major claims. Its researchers also found that if a claim goes to court in the U.K., the insurers win 70% of the time. They wrote the terms and conditions, after all.

At least one insurer faces only modest losses from the Boeing mess. Zurich Insurance's policy will pay up to $35 million, people familiar with the matter said in March. But it didn't back the airline manufacturer policy.

"Around the Boeing topic, all the significance comes from the loss of the two aircraft, the liability to compensate for the passengers, and the potential liability to compensate for the fact that the fleet is currently grounded," Zurich CFO George Quinn said in an interview. "We are not in those markets."

- - -

With assistance from Bloomberg's Katherine Chiglinsky.
Bill Johnson had just walked up to a room full of lawmakers in Sacramento to explain why he was the right person to lead PG&E Corp. out of bankruptcy. The new chief executive officer's message: I'm the fix-it guy, sent here to seek redemption for California's largest utility.

And then legislators started whispering. Someone handed assembly member Eloise Gomez Reyes a piece of paper. She was the one to publicly break the news to Johnson, who had started his job two weeks ago: State investigators had just found the company's power lines at fault for the Camp Fire that killed 85 people and destroyed an entire town in November. They had sent the findings to county prosecutors, suggesting PG&E may have violated a law.

Johnson looked at her and nodded. "I made the assumption, when I got here, that PG&E equipment caused the fire -- that's the best place to start," he said later in the hearing. "It's a disappointment that this happened. Let's not do it again."

The tense meeting underscored just how much work Johnson has ahead of him in guiding PG&E out of the biggest utility bankruptcy in U.S. history and repairing its relationship with state lawmakers and customers. Shares cratered 30% in the months leading up the the company's Chapter 11 filing in January. Its credit ratings were downgraded to junk, and dozens of lawsuits have been filed. Now that the utility is restructuring, some of the biggest names in distressed debt, including Elliott Management Corp., are piling into its case. California Gov. Gavin Newsom is pressing for a quick exit.

Exactly how Johnson will rescue PG&E from the damages incurred by wildfires that tore through Northern California in 2017 and 2018 remains to be seen. The company has already warned that its liabilities may exceed $30 billion, and the report by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection could open the door to more.

Wearing a blue suit with a matching blue paisley tie on Wednesday, Johnson assured lawmakers in a southern drawl that he would turn the company around. "I'd like to fix it," he said. "If you actually talk to people in the industry, they would say, 'Oh yeah, he's the fix guy.' This is a big fix."

CalFire said Wednesday that power lines owned by PG&E ignited the Camp Fire, the deadliest in California history, while dry brush and strong winds helped it spread quickly. The state forwarded its investigation to the district attorney of Butte County, where the Camp Fire occurred. It's a move the agency typically makes when a company has been found in violation of government regulations.

The finding "certainly was telegraphed -- it's hard to believe that anyone is surprised," Bloomberg Intelligence utilities analyst Kit Konolige said in an interview. "But it is certainly a negative."

Under a legal doctrine known as inverse condemnation, California utilities including PG&E and Edison International may be held responsible for damages from wildfires their equipment causes -- even if they aren't found negligent. The power companies have been fighting to kill this doctrine since a series of wildfires devastated parts of wine country in 2017.

Paul Patterson, a utilities analyst with Glenrock Associates, said CalFire's brief statement on Wednesday failed to answer the most important question: Did PG&E act negligently in maintaining the power line that sparked the fire?

"What's really key is whether or not the company's operation or maintenance of the system was in fact at fault," he said.

The news came just as activist shareholder Appaloosa Management disclosed it had more than doubled its stake in PG&E in the first quarter. The fund now holds about 4.4% of the company's outstanding shares. Baupost Group boosted its holdings by 58% to 24.5 million shares valued at $436.1 million, regulatory filings show.

PG&E had meanwhile already disclosed that a criminal grand jury in Butte County is investigating the Camp Fire and has requested documents related to its operations and maintenance. The company said it's cooperating with prosecutors in collecting physical evidence at the fire site.

Sitting before lawmakers on Wednesday -- with only a prepared statement, a notepad and a pen accompanying him -- Johnson said his goal as CEO is to leave PG&E in better shape than when he arrived. Before joining the company this month, he led the federally owned utility Tennessee Valley Authority for more than six years.

"I believe in redemption," he said. "I want some redemption for PG&E in the hearts and minds of the customers and the people in this building and elsewhere. Earned redemption."

- - -

Bloomberg's Peter Blumberg and Joe Ryan contributed.
The Paris Diversion

By Chris Pavone

Crown, 373 pp. $27

---

In one of many can't-look-away scenes in "The Paris Diversion," a man wearing a suicide vest stops walking through the courtyard of the Louvre when he spots 100 schoolchildren enjoying a day trip. Is this where he'll detonate the vest? Does the suitcase he carries hold a dirty bomb that could spread radiation throughout the museum?

Scenes like this are ubiquitous in thrillers written since 9/11, and Chris Pavone takes advantage of what we now call the new normal in his multilayered fourth novel. The book refers back to his blockbuster 2012 debut, "The Expats," a much-talked-about novel of international intrigue and an imploding marriage. But you need not have read "The Expats" to be immediately captivated by "The Paris Diversion."

Kate Moore, the American at the center of the "The Expats," is now living in Paris with her husband, Dexter, and their two young sons. If you don't know Kate from reading "The Expats," you probably know women like her. She wants it all but can't find a balance. She'd gone from being a Langley analyst/intelligence agent/assassin to a stay-at-home mom in Luxembourg, and she was miserable. It all changes when she discovers that Dexter has moved the family to Europe so he can steal 500 million euros through a cyberhack. She comes back to life mopping up his mess, and for reasons we'll leave unexplained she's now running an off-the-books CIA substation in "The Paris Diversion."

Kate believed she could start over in Paris but realizes she's been fooled "by the delusional charade that she could have everything, that maybe she even deserves everything." Like "The Expats," "The Paris Diversion" is as much the story of a modern woman as it is a globe-hopping thriller. Which leads us back to the suicide bomber. When go-getter Kate hears about the situation at the Louvre, she rushes to the scene thinking she can effect an outcome that will benefit her career. She's not happy, but she's practical.

On the same day, in another part of Paris, American billionaire Hunter Forsyth goes missing hours before he's due to make a major announcement that will make him richer. When Kate discovers he's a man despised by Dexter she worries that maybe Dexter is somehow part of the possible kidnapping. And could the missing CEO and the threat to the Louvre and a handful of other high value targets in Paris be linked? If all this sounds outrageously over-the-top, well, it is. But it worked in "The Expats" and it works here as well. Kate will get to the bottom of it.

The outrageous plot and equally crazy subplots unravel in just one day in Paris. Readers may be scratching their heads as the story's timeline zips from past to present and location to location with no warning and from one slow-to-be-identified character to another. Eventually it melds together.

With the deft hand of someone who understands what drives people to make bad decisions, Pavone delivers mostly selfish and shallow characters who both fascinate and repulse us. Perhaps the only person we feel sorry for is the man in the suicide vest. To reveal any more about other characters or plot points would amount to an avalanche of spoilers, but the novel's message is clear: There's nothing people won't do for money. When the novel's diversion is revealed, you'll understand why Pavone prefaced his novel with a quote from Harry Houdini: "What the eyes see and the ears hear, the mind believes." It may be the most clever plot twist of the year.

---

Memmott, a freelance book critic, lives in Northern Virginia.
Democratic presidential candidates are expressing growing alarm over the escalating confrontation between the U.S. and Iran, and the possibility that it could lead to war.

"It would be an absolute disaster," said Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont. "It would likely make the disaster of the war in Iraq look small and we've got to do everything we can to prevent that from happening."

Sanders said he was trying to rally fellow lawmakers to make it clear to President Donald Trump that he cannot involve the country in a military conflict without authorization.

"The president has to understand that the Constitution mandates that it's Congress that decides when we go into war, not the president alone," Sanders said.

"So we are working now in one way or another to get 51 members of the Senate and hopefully a majority in the House, to say, you know, you don't have the authority. He does not have the authority to go to war in Iran," he added.

This assertion of Congress's war-making authority is being led in the House by Massachusetts Rep. Seth Moulton, a Marine Corps veteran who running for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020. Moulton said the U.S. response this month to perceived threats from Iran is "a massive overreaction," and he introduced a resolution Wednesday that would explicitly require congressional approval "prior to engaging in hostilities within the sovereign country of Iran."

"I'm not standing here saying Iran isn't a threat," Moulton said in a brief interview Thursday. "Iran is a major threat to our national security but we've got to be smart and strategic about how we deal with them."

Another 2020 candidate, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, also signed on to legislation that would prevent government funds from being spent on military action in Iran that hasn't been authorized by Congress.

"We cannot let the Trump Admin drag us into yet another war in the Middle East," Warren said Tuesday on Twitter. "This is exactly why the President doesn't have the constitutional authority to declare war."

Democratic front-runner Joe Biden said Tuesday that he was concerned the Trump administration would instigate a military confrontation. He urged the White House to abide by the 2015 nuclear accord with Iran. Trump withdrew the U.S. from the accord last year.

The former vice president made a number of public appearances over two days in New Hampshire, his first visit to the state as a presidential candidate on Monday and Tuesday. In new data released Sunday from the key primary state of South Carolina, 46% of likely party primary voters say they are supporting Biden. The former Vice President has enjoyed an early surge in the polls since announcing his candidacy.

"The way to prevent Iran from being a nuclear power is to stay in the agreement," Biden told reporters in Concord, New Hampshire. The agreement between the Tehran government and world powers was reached when Biden was Barack Obama's vice president.

Tensions heightened this month after the administration revoked waivers that allowed Iran to continue selling oil to some customers despite American sanctions. The U.S. has ordered its non-emergency government staff to leave Iraq amid fears that the region might be heading toward another conflict.

Yet that possibility doesn't seem to have caught on for many Democratic voters on the campaign trail. At events across New Hampshire this week, Biden and Sen. Kamala Harris of California did not raise the issue.

Harris, however, made clear Wednesday she opposed a course of action that leads to combat.

"We cannot afford to play games with the issue and I don't know what exactly the president has in mind," she said. "There is no question that a first priority has to be to protect our personnel and troops who are in the region, but we cannot go to war with Iran, so we need to work this out."

Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota cited the departure of administration officials with long military experience as a source of her growing disquiet.

"You don't have Mattis there any more and you don't have McMaster there any more and you've got a president that likes to make foreign policy by tweet," she said, referring to former Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and former National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster.

Klobuchar said Trump abandoned U.S. allies by leaving the Iran agreement.

"I truly believe that if we had stayed in that agreement, that this wouldn't be happening right now. He has in many ways brought this on," she said.

Trump, denying reports of "infighting" in his administration over Iran policy, tweeted Wednesday: "I'm sure that Iran will want to talk soon."

Yet critics of his administration said the U.S. wasn't sharing enough clear evidence of Iranian threats and that without better intelligence, the latest buildup was reminiscent of the lead-up to the Iraq war in late 2002, which was based on faulty intelligence. Iranian officials have accused administration hawks of hyping the threat of war.

Not all of the American politicians who spoke of their misgivings over Iran were Democrats.

"The president made it very clear when he was campaigning that he thought the worst foreign policy mistake we've made ever perhaps was going into Iraq," said Republican Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah, who has been both a critic and a supporter of Trump's. "There's no appetite for going into war in the Middle East."

Romney, the Republican presidential nominee in 2012, said the solution to the conflict was to "deter" Iran's activity and threats. "We need to show them that that's not acceptable," Romney said. "Strength deters bad action."

As the U.S. seeks to isolate Iran economically and diplomatically, the country's foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, met with Japanese officials in Tokyo on Thursday, including Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Japan's foreign minister, Taro Kono, strongly urged Iran to abide by the terms of the nuclear agreement and avoid kindling tensions in the Middle East, the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.

Kono pointed out that Japan had supported the agreement, according to the ministry's statement. Last week, Iran warned European nations that it was ready to quit the accord in 60 days if it doesn't start seeing greater economic benefits from the agreement.

American officials reiterated Wednesday that the Trump administration wasn't seeking a war, but that it would hold Iran "accountable" for its actions and those of its proxies. The officials, who asked not to be identified, said the decision to withdraw embassy staff was based on considerations of safety and not meant as political signaling.

Earlier this week, the president rejected a report that his administration was planning for war, but then warned he'd send "a hell of a lot more" than 120,000 troops to the Middle East in the event of hostilities.

"I think it's fake news, OK?" Trump told reporters outside the White House on Tuesday, after being asked about a New York Times report that plans envision sending 120,000 U.S. troops to fight the Islamic Republic.

"Now would I do that? Absolutely," Trump added. "But I have not planned for that. If we did that, we'd send a hell of a lot more troops than that."

- - -

Bloomberg's Ladane Nasseri, Zainab Fattah, Sahil Kapur and Isabel Reynolds contributed.
New York Mayor Bill de Blasio had it all planned out - a stunt inside Trump Tower on Monday, an announcement on ABC's "Good Morning America" on Thursday and, from there, outings in Iowa and South Carolina to begin making his case that he should be elected president.

But a high school junior in St. Louis had other plans, which were set into motion on Wednesday.

Gabe Fleisher, the 17-year-old whose "Wake Up To Politics" newsletter reaches 50,000 people each weekday, was scrolling through a politics blog after school - "I did my homework, too," he maintained - when a small item caught his eye. He paused. It was an announcement from a local wing of the Democratic Party in Sioux City, Iowa, inviting members to see de Blasio on Friday at the mayor's "first stop on his Presidential announcement tour."

The finding threw an elaborately choreographed launch into disarray. The Democrat had been scheduled to lift the curtain on his candidacy on the morning talk show, fending off the press until then.

Gabe posted an image of the notice on Twitter, and, with that, "the cat was out of the bag," he said in an interview Wednesday night, as he finalized an outline for his Thursday morning newsletter. The high school student rises each day at 5:55 a.m. to flesh out the bulletin, whose slogan affirms, "Politics doesn't have to be confusing."

He presses send by 7:30 a.m., before he heads to school.

"I'm Gabe Fleisher, reporting live from WUTP World HQ in my bedroom," the newsletter begins. It then notes the number of days before Iowa's first-in-the-nation caucuses and Election Day 2020. Each edition features a major news item or two, such as the standoff between House Democrats and Attorney General William Barr, followed by a rundown of other noteworthy headlines. Schedules for the White House, Congress, the Supreme Court and the 2020 campaigns round out the report.

Thursday's newsletter, Gabe said, would not revolve around de Blasio, who is joining a field of nearly two dozen Democrats vying for the White House.

"There's not a huge groundswell of people that seem too energized about a de Blasio campaign," he said bluntly. "But it's still early."

Still, his tweet, posted with an eyes emoji at 5:18 p.m. on Wednesday, was of considerable interest to media in New York and nationally. Major outlets scrambled; the New York Daily News alerted readers on social media about 15 minutes later and NBC News followed 10 minutes after that. A Facebook notice from the Woodbury County Democratic Party divulging details of de Blasio's plans - and misspelling his last name in the process - was erased, but the genie couldn't be put back in the bottle.

Meanwhile, Gabe dutifully contacted de Blasio's team and the county Democrats. An aide in Manhattan confirmed to him that the two-term mayor was headed to Iowa this week but would not say whether he was announcing a presidential campaign.

"But then they chose to break the embargo, and the news was everywhere," Gabe said.

As for his own role, he was proud to have shaped how the story unfolded, especially given how much his newsletter typically relies on reporting from other outlets.

"It was exciting to watch it instantly get attention and trigger discussion," said the student, who spent his morning taking a four-hour AP English language and composition test and his evening exchanging emails with aides to the mayor of the nation's largest city.

The scoop marked a milestone for the politics junkie and journalism wunderkind whose newsletter began nearly a decade ago with exactly one reader: his mother.

The floppy-haired teenager first grew interested in politics during the 2008 election, when he was 6 or 7 years old. His father, a rabbi, piled Gabe and his older sister into the car in January 2009 and drove 13 hours to see Barack Obama's first inauguration. Photos of the event rest alongside busts of past presidents, campaign bumper stickers, American flags and a bevy of books in Gabe's bedroom in University City, Mo., a suburb of St. Louis.

As he began to seek out more information about politics and the presidency, he turned to his mother, who works in sales, to share what he had learned. But he always caught her at the wrong time - right when she was leaving the house.

"She said, 'Put it in an email,'" Gabe recalled. "So I did."

He was 9 at the time, and his mother began forwarding his dispatches to others. Soon, they reached a reporter at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, and Gabe landed on the front page of his hometown newspaper on Super Tuesday in 2012.

Over the course of the next five years, his following grew to about 2,000 subscribers, including a number of high-profile figures in media and politics, such as Major Garrett, chief Washington correspondent for CBS News, and Jim VandeHei, an architect of Axios and, before that, Politico. A New York Times profile in 2017 significantly expanded Gabe's readership, raising his count of "subscribers in high places," as he put it. Other opportunities arose, from participating in Princeton University's "Politics & Polls" podcast to appearing on "Full Frontal With Samantha Bee."

Gabe's subscribers will have one fewer email in their inboxes once the school year ends in two weeks and the teenager begins work as a camp counselor in Minnesota.

"I take a break in the summer and try to unplug," he said.

He'll return fresh in the fall, ready to gear up for a challenging campaign. The size of the Democratic field, he said, makes it difficult to give all candidates their due. His solution, which he said other political reporters might seek to emulate, is to "try to go where the news is, to try to cover the candidates when they are making news and not to focus only on the horse race."

As his audience grows, so, too, does his capacity to shape the conventions of political reporting. Gabe plans to pursue journalism as a career - and to "continue the newsletter for as long as I can."

Asked whether the newsletter's inaugural subscriber still studies its contents, Gabe, who maintains a professionalism matching the severity of the political moment, let out a laugh.

"Most days," he said.
EDWARDSVILLE  Madison County officials testified Wednesday before the Illinois House Executive Committee in opposition to several bills they claim would shift political power away from the county.

Both bills originally dealt with entirely different issues, but were amended by Rep. Jay Hoffman, D-Belleville, when they reached the Illinois House. SB 584 originally dealt with the Non-Home Rule Municipal Retailers Occupation Tax Act while SB 1418 was originally about childrens advocacy centers. It is common in the Illinois General Assembly to completely gut and replace bills.

Sen. Rachelle Crowe, D-Glen Carbon, was one of the original co-sponsors of SB 1418 but, on Thursday, was removed as a sponsor of the bill. As of Thursday afternoon neither Crowe or Hoffman replied to requests for comment.

Madison County Board Chairman Kurt Prenzler and Board Member Mike Walters, both Republicans, testified against the bills.

SB 584 would change the Metro East Sanitary Districts board, taking one appointment away from the Madison County Board chairman, currently Prenzler, and giving an automatic appointment to Granite City Mayor Ed Hagnauer. It also would establish a residency requirement for the MESD director and restrict contracts. Current director Steve Adler does not live in the MESD boundaries.

SB 1418 would take one of two Madison County appointments to the Bi-State Development Agency board and give it to St. Clair County.

The MESD board currently has five members, two from St. Clair County and three from Madison County because Madison County has the greater equalized assessment value. The proposed law would strip one of the appointments from Madison County and automatically appoint the mayor of the city with the highest assessed value to the board, currently Granite City.

Prenzler said the Granite City area has adequate representation, including one member living in the city. He also said the change would create a conflict of interest.

The largest vendor of MESD  at more than $1 million per year  is the Granite City Wastewater Treatment Plant, which is owned and operated by the city and its mayor is the chairman of its board, he said.

MESD has undergone a number of changes since Prenzler took office, including replacing the board and the appointment of Adler. The moves have been controversial, in part because of MESDs reputation of political patronage to the Democratic Party.

The amended SB 1418 would give one of the Madison County Bi-State appointments to St. Clair County, citing St. Clair Countys participation in lite rail, or MetroLink.

Walters, who is also a lobbyist for Madison County Transit, spoke against the bill, saying MCT receives approximately $3 million annually in federal funds through Bi-State.

This (board) has been in place since 2004 and isnt broke, so why fix it? he said at the hearing, reiterating it at Wednesdays Madison County Board meeting.

Reach reporter Scott Cousins at 618-208-6447.
SPRINGFIELD  Some provisions recreational marijuana legalization advocates say are the most important facets of their bill faced the stiffest questions at a legislative hearing Wednesday.

Throughout all of the work weve been doing, theres been three real themes that have arisen on why we should be doing this, said state Sen. Heather Steans, Senate Bill 7s sponsor. We want public safety, particularly for our kids; we want social justice; and we want, by getting our policy right, additional revenue for the state.

Deputy Gov. Christian Mitchell said Gov. J.B. Pritzkers office is willing to negotiate the expungement matter as lawmakers questioned the process laid out in the current bill. State Sen. Dale Righter, a Mattoon Republican, questioned why the expungement provision applies to people who faced charges for possessing up to 500 grams of marijuana when the current legislation allows for possession of up to only 30 grams.

Mitchell said that amount was chosen because companies would be manufacturing that much cannabis with intent to deliver while some were sitting in jail for the same offense.

I think the idea here is that those who are convicted of these offenses should not suffer the lifelong consequences of having this criminal record, he said.

Republican Sen. Jason Barickman, of Bloomington, said he preferred an expungement process initiated by a blanket pardon by the governor, rather than passed by the Legislature with the onus on the Illinois State Police to identify individuals eligible for expungement. Mitchell and Barickman disagreed as to whether a criminal record would be expunged as a result of a governors pardon. The two sides agreed to discuss amendments going forward.

Steans said revenue resulting from legalization is expected to reach $500 million annually when the program is fully matured. The fiscal year 2020 revenue estimates would be closer to $56 million, far below the $170 million in Pritzkers January budget proposal. In FY 2021, estimates are for about $140 million.

According to the bill, 35 percent of legalized cannabis revenue would go to the general revenue fund; 25 percent to a Restoring Our Communities Fund to pay for community reinvestment projects in low-income and high-crime communities; 20 percent to a fund to support mental health and substance abuse services at local health departments; 10 percent to the Budget Stabilization Fund to pay the backlog of unpaid bills; 8 percent to the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board to establish a law enforcement grant program; and 2 percent to the Drug Treatment Fund to pay for public education and awareness.

Communities qualifying for Restoring Our Communities funding have not been specifically identified. Barickman said he would like to see communities affected by the opioid epidemic added, but state Sen. Toi Hutchinson, an Olympia Fields Democrat, said funding is rightly allocated to communities impacted by the government-led war on drugs.

Several opponents pointed to public health consequences such as increases in driving under the influence and normalization leading to increased use. Some said legalization will send the message to youth that marijuana use is OK.

Hutchinson said legalization advocates understand there are health consequences but marijuana use is already normalized in movies and television that young people consume every day. Hutchinson said a pretty sturdy public health campaign, which is part of the bill, would better promote accurate information on the health impacts of marijuana.

Mitchell Davis, police chief of Hazel Crest and second vice president of the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police, said marijuana-related driving arrests present challenges for officers, as does the allowance of five home grown plants.

Its impossible for us to regulate that, he said. Home grows take away any controls that you are putting in place for the legal purchase of cannabis.

Davis said this opens the door for cartels and makes it more accessible to minors, even with the specified safety measures in the bill.

Jay Shattuck, representing the Illinois Chamber of Commerce, said the bill should include language protecting employers wishing to enforce marijuana use guidelines such as zero-tolerance policies.
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to the media prior to departing on Marine One from the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, DC, May 14. Trumo will visit South Korea in June for his summit with President Moon Jae-in. AFP



U.S. President Donald Trump will visit South Korea next month for a summit with President Moon Jae-in, both sides announced Wednesday.



Trump's visit will be in conjunction with his travel to Japan to attend the G20 summit slated for June 28-29.



South Korea's presidential office, Cheong Wa Dae, said the two sides have agreed to discuss the detailed schedule through further consultations.



The two leaders plan to discuss ways to establish a permanent peace regime on the Korean Peninsula through the North's complete denuclearization, as well as to strengthen the bilateral alliance, Cheong Wa Dae spokeswoman Ko Min-jung said.



The White House also announced the visit.



"President Trump and President Moon will continue their close coordination on efforts to achieve the final, fully verified denuclearization of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea," White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said in a statement.



"The two leaders will also discuss ways to strengthen the United States?Republic of Korea alliance and the friendship between our two peoples."



South Korea's formal name is the Republic of Korea, while the DPRK is North Korea's official name.



Trump last traveled to South Korea in November 2017 amid heightened tensions over North Korea's tests of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles potentially capable of striking the U.S.



Last year saw a flurry of diplomacy aimed at denuclearizing the North, including three summits between Moon and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and an unprecedented U.S.-North Korea summit between Trump and Kim.



Trump and Kim held a second summit in Vietnam in February to negotiate the North's denuclearization in exchange for sanctions relief.



After that meeting ended without a deal, the two sides have struggled to break the impasse.



Moon traveled to Washington last month to hold talks with Trump and attempt to revive the negotiations.



Tensions have renewed after North Korea fired a series of projectiles, including short-range missiles, into the East Sea on May 4 and 9.



The U.S. announced last week that it has for the first time seized a North Korean cargo vessel suspected of carrying coal exports in violation of U.N. sanctions on the regime. (Yonhap)


EDWARDSVILLE  Multiple charges were filed Thursday against a Granite City man in connection to a March carjacking and burglary starting in Glen Carbon that left one suspect dead and an Illinois State Police officer wounded.

Tony J. Turner, 59, of Granite City, was charged with aggravated vehicular hijacking, a Class X felony; two counts of aggravated vehicular hijacking, Class 1 and Class 2 felonies, respectively; burglary, a Class 3 felony; and conspiracy to commit burglary, a Class 3 felony.

Turner was arrested at his home May 14, and his bail has been set at $750,000. If convicted he faces six to 30 years for the Class X felony, with a possible 15-year enhancement for the use of a firearm.

A second suspect, Billy L. Walker Jr., 53, of Hillsboro, Missouri, was shot and killed in Staunton following a pursuit by a state trooper who suffered a gunshot wound in the hand. The troopers name has not been released.

According to information from the Madison County States Attorneys Office, on March 16 Turner and Walker tried to break into a jewelry counter at the Sams Club store in Glen Carbon. An alarm sounded and the two suspects fled. Walker reportedly fled on foot and fired a gun at a witness who was chasing him before hijacking a vehicle at gunpoint in the PetSmart parking lot.

The trooper responded and pursued the vehicle northbound on Interstate 55, attempting to stop it.

While being pursued by state police and Staunton Police, Walker ran off the road and got stuck in a median at the intersection of Staunton Road and I-55. He then reportedly fled the vehicle, brandishing a handgun and firing at the trooper. The trooper returned fire, striking and killing Walker.

At the time of his death, Walker had outstanding felony warrants for probation violations resulting from weapons offenses and was considered armed and dangerous.

Turner allegedly tried unsuccessfully to carjack two vehicles before taking a third. Using video and witness statements, Glen Carbon police were able to identify Turner, leading to his apprehension.

Police tracked Turner from observing a car that appeared on video at Sams Club. They showed a picture of a red Chevrolet Impala to a woman who is familiar with Turner. She told officers she had seen the Impala at a home in Madison. Police then spotted the Impala, registered to Turner, at the address in Madison.

After Turner gave permission to search the car, officers located a bill in his name at the address in Madison and found clothing believed to match the clothing Turner was wearing during the alleged Sams Club burglary. They also found seven empty buttons, described as capsules, containing a white powder residue.

Among the clothing taken as evidence was a black T-shirt with pink letters stating, You man not like me, but Jesus thinks Im to die for.

Turner has a record dating to 1976, when he was convicted of burglary in St. Louis. He also has convictions for stealing, burglary, attempted burglary, aggravated battery, robbery and resisting arrest.
In honor and remembrance of veterans who have served the United States, multiple Memorial Day services will be held in the community over the next couple weeks.

Events will kick off at 12:30 p.m. Sunday, May 19 at Oaklawn Cemetery, 211 Oaklawn Road, Glen Carbon.

The names of the 41 veterans buried at the cemetery will be read to honor their sacrifice. The American Legion Post 435 and Glen Carbon VFW Post 2222 will provide Honor Guard, Taps and a firing squad to salute those who have fallen.

Local Boy Scouts with be there to place wreaths and provide assistance for the service.

Glen Carbon Mayor Rob Jackstadt will be in attendance to help begin the Memorial Day ceremonies with a speech.

Buck Road Cemetery, located on Route 162 in Maryville, will also be holding a Memorial Day service at 2 p.m. on Sunday.

Retired major from the U.S. Army, David Noble, will honor the veterans by speaking during the event, along with Martha Brockus as the featured soloist, and Marsha Etzkorn will play taps, the Military Medley and special World War I music.

The 201 veterans to have been buried in Buck Road Cemetery will be honored during a reenactment of the Bells of Peace honorarium to World War I. The event was held last year for the hundredth anniversary of the WWI armistice.

Those who attend will receive certificates of participation and poppies.

The next Sunday, everyone is invited to honor veterans with the St. James Cemetery Association.

The service begins at 2 p.m. at St. James Cemetery in Edwardsville.

Sunset Hills Funeral Home, Cemetery and Cremation Services, 50 Fountain Dr., Glen Carbon, will display their annual Salute to Veterans Avenue of Flags at 9 a.m. on Memorial Day, May 27.

Their ceremony begins at noon on the back patio, and Taps will be played at 3 p.m. as the flags are taken down.

Beginning at 9 a.m. is the Glen Carbon VFW Post 2222 and American Legion Post 435 memorial service at the Glen Carbon Veterans Monument.

Continuing the 148-year-old cemeterys 125-year tradition, Woodlawn Cemetery, 1400 St. Louis St., will begin their annual Memorial Day Program at 10 a.m.

The event will open with a patriotic concert put on by the Edwardsville Municipal Band led by James Kerfoot, and Emily Ottwein with sing the national anthem.

Veterans will be honored during a speech which will be given by Kim Johnson, Marine Corps vet and Hospice of Southern Illinois Community and a presentation of the colors, a 21 gun salute and Taps, presented by the American Legion Post 199 and VFW Post 1299.

Rev. Jorian Stith, of Wesley AME Chapel, will begin the ceremony by giving the invocation and he will end the ceremony with a benediction.

Guests are encouraged to bring blankets or lawn chairs to sit on during the celebration.

These Memorial Day events are open to the public.

Reach reporter Breanna Booker at bre.booker@edwpub.net.
WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump, who is refusing to cooperate with more than 20 congressional investigations, instructed current and former aides Wednesday to ignore a House committee's request for documents in the latest act of defiance that has prompted Democrats to declare the nation is facing a constitutional crisis.

But House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., told Democrats in a closed-door caucus meeting Wednesday morning to stick to their policy agenda ahead of the 2020 election rather than initiate impeachment proceedings. And not a single lawmaker challenged her.

The events underscored that Pelosi has managed to hold the line on her no-impeachment stance despite Trump's ongoing resistance and relentless liberal pressure for Democrats to try to oust the Republican president. Most notably, she has quelled an internal clamor and kept even the most vocal impeachment proponents and eager investigators in check along with committee leaders as Democrats increasingly look to the courts to settle the fight between Congress and the chief executive.

In the nearly hourlong, closed-door session heavily focused on health care, Pelosi was the only one to bring up impeachment, acknowledging that some Democrats are complaining.

"Why aren't we impeaching the president?" she said, parroting their words. "Why aren't we impeaching him? They get a little down," she said of frustrated members of her party.

"The point is that we need to show (voters) that we are doing all of these other things that they care about so much," Pelosi said. Not a single lawmaker in the room protested.

In the latest example of the president's resistance, the White House told House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., that it was refusing a broad demand for records and testimony sent to 81 Trump allies and affiliated companies.

In his letter, White House counsel Pat Cipollone repeated a claim the White House and Trump's business have begun making - that Congress is not a law enforcement body and does not have a legitimate purpose to investigate the questions it is pursuing.

Before the White House letter, Nadler seemed to walk a fine line on impeachment during a CNBC interview, saying Trump is making it "increasingly difficult" to avoid it but also arguing that the House is probably not headed in that direction.

"It depends on what comes out," Nadler said. "It depends where the American people are, whether they want to go that way or not. I don't want to make it sound as if we're heading for impeachment. Probably we're not."

Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, said Sunday on ABC's "This Week": "We are already a bitterly divided country, and an impeachment process will divide us further."

Democrats have issued numerous subpoenas in their investigations as they seek documents and witnesses related to Trump's businesses, his tax returns and details on administration policies. The president and senior officials have refused to comply.

Lawmakers are also seeking the unredacted version of special counsel Robert Mueller's report on Russian interference in the 2016 election and the underlying evidence to determine whether they should impeach Trump. But the Justice Department has refused to relinquish much of that information, despite a congressional subpoena.

Democrats' hopes lie in the courts. Nadler told reporters Wednesday that he would issue subpoenas for any information he needs that the White House is blocking - then take the matter to court after a series of contempt votes if the administration refuses.

But House Democratic leaders have yet to schedule a vote for the first package of contempt resolutions, including one for Attorney General William Barr. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., told reporters that a full House vote on Barr's contempt citation, approved by the Judiciary Committee last week, and any others wouldn't occur until next month at the earliest.

That would set up a future lawsuit - perhaps weeks or months later - to enforce the contempt citations in the federal courts.

"This case may take some time, but ultimately I think the courts will . . . rule on behalf of the Congress of the United States and its legitimate constitutional capacity to oversee the executive branch," Hoyer said.

On Tuesday, a federal judge gave Pelosi allies hope that the courts would come to their rescue, expressing skepticism about a Trump move to quash a congressional subpoena and promising to fast-track the case to deliver a quick verdict.

"I would like to thank the president for helping our court case immensely," said Rep. Ted Lieu, a California Democrat on the Judiciary Committee and member of Pelosi's leadership team. Asked whether it was time to impeach Trump, Lieu responded: "Not there yet. I think we would try a court case first."

Ironically, Democratic investigators could benefit from starting impeachment proceedings, legal experts argue, because they would have a greater chance of getting some of the documents.

Democrats' falling in line despite their anger toward the president is yet another reminder of Pelosi's hold on her caucus, power Trump often tells associates he admires. Lawmakers say they either trust her political instincts or are privately afraid of incurring her wrath.

Even the most impassioned impeachment backers such as Reps. Al Green, D-Texas, and Maxine Waters, D-Calif., have declined to organize against or lobby Pelosi to reconsider. Not one has taken her on by name to increase public pressure for impeachment.

"For the speaker, as a leader of the caucus, she has to consider a lot more than I do, and we would expect her to do that - that's why she is the leader and the speaker," said Rep. Val Demings, D-Fla., a former police officer who wants to start impeachment proceedings but had only good things to say about Pelosi's strategy. "And I think she will get to the place, in a very strategic way, that we need her to get to. I trust her judgment."

It's a turnabout for Pelosi. She put down an uprising after the 2018 election as a group of rebels tried to deny her a second stint as speaker. But since then, particularly after Pelosi steered her party through a 35-day government shutdown fight with Trump, rank-and-file members have deferred to her on issues like impeachment.

Only billionaire Democratic donor Tom Steyer has dared to challenge Pelosi directly on impeachment, but even then, he has done so carefully. This week, Steyer name-checked Pelosi on social media and wrote a San Francisco Chronicle op-ed arguing that Democratic leadership was making a mistake by refusing to impeach Trump.

"Speaker Pelosi and conventional wisdom are wrong," Steyer wrote on Facebook on Monday. "Impeachment - in addition to being the right thing to do - is also good politics for Democrats."

Still, even Steyer has refrained from hosting an impeachment town hall in the San Francisco area. His group "Need to Impeach" has hosted town halls in the districts of Democratic chairmen.

Still, not every Democrat is content with Pelosi's strategy.

House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Raul Grijalva, D-Ariz., said "at some point, as every committee gets stonewalled . . . the case for impeachment as a mechanism to get what we need . . . gets stronger and stronger."

Asked if he thinks Pelosi will support impeachment eventually, Grijalva replied: "I think a lot of people are going to have to reconcile themselves to that."

Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., a liberal, said Pelosi has been clear that she needs to see public support for such an effort before she moves ahead, especially with Republicans controlling the Senate and insisting Democrats should stop investigating the president.

"I think she's left the door open, but she's not going to lead an effort which doesn't have the significant majority of the Congress behind it," Khanna said.

Khanna scoffed at the prospect of anyone trying to push Pelosi into it: "People have been betting against Nancy Pelosi on losing the trust of the caucus for 20 years, and they always tend to be wrong.

Democrats, in the meantime, plan to take turns Thursday reading the redacted, 448-page Mueller report.

- - -

The Washington Post's Carol D. Leonnig and Josh Dawsey contributed to this report.
WASHINGTON - The Rev. Jesse Jackson walked past a line of uniformed police officers Wednesday outside the Venezuelan Embassy in Washington to deliver food and water to four activists living inside, part of a new effort to bring supplies to the protesters each day.

As he approached the building, Jackson, 77, carried bags with pink trim, a symbolic nod to the group he had come to support - Code Pink, a left-wing organization known for theatrical and provocative protests.

"They were trying to starve them out," Jackson said after helping to deliver food that the embassy's occupiers hoisted inside with a rope.

The embassy, a red-brick building in the Georgetown neighborhood, has for weeks been the site of a standoff between supporters of besieged Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and backers of Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido. The Guaido supporters outside want the Maduro backers inside to leave the building. The confrontation between activists has become a proxy struggle for control over the South American country's diplomatic mission.

Protests inside and outside of the embassy have gone on for nearly three weeks, after leftist demonstrators from groups including Code Pink began living in the building April 10 at the invitation of Maduro government officials.

But for the past week, pro-Maduro activists have struggled to get food and supplies to their associates inside.

Since April 30, anti-Maduro protesters have patrolled the building's entrances and exits, at times physically blocking attempts to enter or deliver supplies. Each side has accused the other of violence. Police have arrested at least 10 people, many of whom were charged in connection with "throwing missiles" - in many cases, a reference to food items launched past police barricades and the raised hands of Guaido supporters.

Last week, protest organizers said a utility shut off electricity to the building at the direction of Guaido-appointed diplomats recognized by the U.S. government as the rightful emissaries of Venezuela. On Monday, officials posted a notice demanding that the occupiers vacate the embassy.

Jackson said he decided over the weekend to offer aid to the activists inside. He arrived to cheers of "Thank you, Jesse" from Code Pink supporters. The food drop Wednesday was only the beginning, he said.

"We're mobilizing ministers and people around the country to start coming here every day," Jackson said. "We'll have people from the Rainbow Push Coalition here every day until there's a break in the situation."

Matthew Burwick, a pro-Guaido Venezuelan who has demonstrated outside the embassy for weeks, said he followed Jackson to the front of the building, imploring him to "send food to Venezuela" rather than give it to the activists inside the embassy.

"Man, you are supporting a dictator," Burwick said to Jackson.

Then, he grabbed one of the bags.

A brief struggle ensued between Burwick and members of Code Pink. Eventually, Burwick said, police told him to back off.

"Now they have more food, and that means more time enjoying our immunity, inside our embassy," Burwick said later. "It's miserable. I feel miserable."

Pro-Guaido demonstrators expressed frustration at the inaction of police officers, who previously had not allowed anyone from either side to approach the building.

On Tuesday, police issued a warning to the activists via megaphone, saying that those inside must leave "immediately" and that "any person who refuses . . . will be trespassing in violation of federal and District of Columbia laws."

The demonstrators - two women and two men - have remained inside.

The State Department did not respond to a request for comment Wednesday.

"If they say nothing is going in, and no one is going in, then they need to apply that rule equally to everybody," said Anly Renda, a pro-Guaido demonstrator. "If I walk over there right now - to my embassy - I'll get detained. That's not right."
Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP

Amy Poehlers feature directorial debut comes to you this week in very limited release theatrically, but by making a big wave streaming on Netflix. Its a small comedy in scale, but one that packs a big punch with its closely knit cast and dense, humorous dialogue. Some might knock the woman formerly known as Leslie Knope for playing it safe and casting her entire roster of players with lifelong friends, but thats honestly part of the appeal. Wine Country is a great reason to stay in, uncork a chilled Chardonnay, and put your feet up for a girls trip for grownups. Just watch out for the more emotional touches that come along for the ride because six women dont go to Napa for a long weekend to keep things, ahem, bottled up.

Rebecca (Rachel Dratch) is turning 50 and to her friend (Abby Poehler) thats a big deal that deserves to be treated to the pulling-all-the-stops glam weekend that she dreams about for their social group. Recently terminated from her job, Abby uses the trip to cover her own unhappiness. She gets all their old friends from their college waitressing days in Chicago to meet up in Northern California where she pours it all out: fancy house with worldly caretaker (Tina Fey), live-in chef/driver (Jason Schwartzman), edgy tarot card reader (Cherry Jones). Along for the adventure are uptight restaurateur Catherine (Ana Gasteyer), overwrought mom Naomi (Maya Rudolph), aging singleton Val (Paula Pell, 18-year SNL veteran writer), and flaky Jenny (Emily Spivey, pulling double duty as the films screenwriter). Together they relive the glory days when they were young and eager to take on the world.
SPRINGFIELD  Madison County officials testified Wednesday before the House Executive Committee against two amendments proposing the restructuring of the Metro East Sanitary District (MESD) and Bi-State Development Agency boards.

Chairman Kurt Prenzler and County Board member Mike Walters of Godfrey spoke against amendments attached to Senate Bills 584 and 1418, both proposed by State Rep. Jay Hoffman of Belleville.

The amendment to SB 584 would change the structure of the MESD Board of Commissioners, taking away one appointment from Madison County and giving it to the Granite City mayor. Last year, the legislature approved a similar bill, also sponsored by Hoffman, but former Governor Bruce Rauner vetoed it in July.

This time, Hoffman attached the amendment to a bill amending the Non-Home Rule Municipal Retailers Occupation Tax Act. The amendment calls for the reconfiguration of the MESD board as well as eliminating any long-term contracts for its executive director and requiring that the individual live within the district.

Hoffman told the committee there were no representatives of local communities, including the City of Granite City, which is the largest municipality within MESD.

Prenzler disagreed. He said two board members live in Granite City and one in Nameoki Township. He opposes the amendment because it creates a major conflict of interest.

The largest vendor of MESD  at more than $1 million per year  is the Granite City Wastewater Treatment Plant, which is owned and operated by the city and its mayor is the chairman of its board, he said.

Prenzler told the house committee there have been many changes during the past two years at MESD. In 2017, three board members resigned following a major flooding event in the American Bottoms due to heavy rains.

Prenzler said he appointed new board members, who made changes  saving taxpayers money and improving operations.

We recently had a similar event with a lot of rain and there was no flooding, he said. Weve had a great turnaround at MESD.

Prenzler said that from 2008 to 2017, MESD lost $8.5 million but the district is now back in the black.

Under current law, the MESD board consists of three commissioners from Madison County and two from St. Clair County. The county with the greater equalized assessed valuation gets to appoint three board members.

There were about 120 witness slips submitted to the committee opposing the amendment.

Walters spoke against the amendment to SB 1418, which was originally a bill regarding Childrens Advocacy Centers.

Hoffmans amendment takes one Bi-State commissioner from Madison County and gives it to St. Clair County. He said St. Clair County deserves another seat, because it has light rail and a much larger involvement with Bi-State.

Walters, who is also a lobbyist for Madison County Transit, said MCT receives up to $3 million in federal funds annually through Bi-State.

This (board) has been in place since 2004 and isnt broke, so why fix it? he said.
SPRINGFIELD  The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum and the City of Springfield will host the exhibition of American realist Seward Johnsons 31-foot Return Visit sculpture, beginning with a spectacular installation process on May 22.

A crane will lift the two figures, Lincoln and his companion, high into the air before they are set in place and affixed on their base.

The monumental-scale piece is the enlarged version of Johnsons original work commissioned for Gettysburg Plaza in Pennsylvania. The life-scale sculpture stands near the historic Wills House in Gettysburg and depicts President Lincoln gesturing with his famous hat to the bedroom in the Wills House where he finished writing the Gettysburg Address before delivering the speech at the dedication of the Soldiers National Cemetery on Nov. 19, 1863.

Beside him stands a representative modern man holding a gigantic bronze copy of the address in his hands, indicating the words are as valid today as in Lincolns time.

On June 1, 1865, Sen. Charles Sumner referred to the most famous speech ever given by President Lincoln. In his eulogy for the slain president, he called the Gettysburg Address a monumental act and said Lincoln was mistaken that the world will little note, nor long remember what we say here. Rather, the Bostonian remarked, The world noted at once what he said, and will never cease to remember it. The battle itself was less important than the speech.

The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum is home to one of the five copies of the Gettysburg Address written in Lincolns own hand. Its also dedicated to helping ordinary people understand Lincolns extraordinary life and legacy. I think that makes us the perfect place for a sculpture featuring both the speech and Lincoln talking to a citizen, said Alan Lowe, executive director of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum.

The sculpture is being brought to Springfield through a partnership between the presidential library and the Springfield Convention and Visitors Bureau.

What an incredible opportunity to host Seward Johnsons Return Visit monumental Abraham Lincoln statue for two summers. The City of Springfield is beyond thrilled for this opportunity to draw tourists to our city with this unique experience, said Scott Dahl, executive director of Visit Springfield.

The installation of the is planned around 11 a.m. May 22 at the corner of Sixth and Jefferson streets in Springfield.

Johnson has had more than 450 life-size cast bronze figures featured in private collections and museums in the U.S., Canada, Europe and Asia, as well as on public view at prominent locales such as Times Square and Rockefeller Center in New York City, Pacific Place of Hong Kong, Les Halles in Paris and Via Condotti in Rome. His monumental-scale works also have been on view or permanently sited in Australia, Normandy, Brussels, New York City, San Diego, Palm Springs, Washington, D.C., and Rome.

Regionally, people may be most familiar with Johnsons works on display in downtown Chicago on Michigan Avenue. Over the years, these displays included the giant Marilyn Monroe with her skirt blowing aloft, and the farmers with the pitchfork in homage to painter Grant Wood. The Lincoln sculpture has been on view in Chicago and in Troy, Ohio, before most recently travelling to Peoria.

President Lincolns character and accomplishments are imprinted forever on the nation he loved and served so well, Johnson has said. He has been a hero to millions of people and certainly has inspired me throughout my life.

The Seward Johnson Atelier, Inc., was incorporated to promote the appreciation of, and education about, sculpture and public art in general, primarily through the creation, maintenance, sales and public placement of Johnsons artwork. For more details, visit sewardjohnsonatelier.org.

The Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum uses a combination of rigorous scholarship and high-tech showmanship to immerse visitors in the life and times of Lincoln. Visitors can see ghosts come to life on stage, watch TV coverage of the 1860 presidential election, roam through the Lincoln White House, experience booming cannons in a Civil War battle and come face to face with priceless original Lincoln artifacts.

The library holds an unparalleled collection of Lincoln books, documents, photographs, artifacts and art, as well as some 12 million items pertaining to all aspects of Illinois history. For more details, visit PresidentLincoln.illinois.gov or follow the ALPLM on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
President Moon Jae-in shakes hands with U.S. President Donald Trump during an expanded summit with their, at Cheong Wa Dae in November 2017. Yonhap



Allies to discuss measures to ease tension



By Lee Min-hyung



President Moon Jae-in will discuss ways to revive dialogue with North Korea during a summit with U.S. President Donald Trump later next month in Seoul, Cheong Wa Dae said Thursday.



"The two leaders will talk about measures to build a permanent peace here through complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula," Cheong Wa Dae spokeswoman Ko Min-jung told reporters in a media briefing.



The exact timeline for Trump's visit to the South has yet to be decided, with both sides agreeing to confirm a detailed summit schedule after negotiations through diplomatic channels, according to the presidential office.



Expectations are Trump will come to South Korea before or after the G-20 summit in Osaka, which lasts for two days from June 28. The U.S. president will have a summit with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and engage in a series of diplomatic meetings there.



Trump's trip to Seoul comes amid renewed tension on the peninsula, with North Korea showing signs of resuming its military provocations following the failed Hanoi summit between Trump and its leader Kim Jong-un last February.



Pyongyang expressed its willingness for the denuclearization of the peninsula last year and had refrained from staging any military provocations until recently.



But the North resumed its missile tests this month, in an apparent show of force amid the ongoing nuclear disarmament deadlock with the U.S. On May 9, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un watched the test-firing of short-range missiles from the country's eastern coast.



Seoul and Washington, however, did not react sensitively to the provocations, and instead, agreed to cooperate in bringing Pyongyang back to negotiations.



Following the latest missile tests, Trump said he did not consider the move a breach of trust, noting the short-range missiles were "very standard stuff."



Even if the allies are willing to resume talks with the North, skepticism is growing over the latter's sincerity in its pledge for denuclearization.



In addition, Washington and Pyongyang seem unlikely to find a middle ground in their nuclear disarmament talks in the near future, as they remain poles apart in approaches to "complete denuclearization" of the peninsula.



Pre-summit discussion



About a month before Trump's planned visit to Seoul, U.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton will also come to the South to hold talks on countermeasures for the deadlocked nuclear dialogue.



The hawkish security advisor will likely underline his wish to sign a one-shot big deal with the North, rather than making any concessions to the North's demand for a phased approach, such as a partial lifting of sanctions in exchange for step-by-step denuclearization.



He will also call on the South to thoroughly comply with the international sanctions imposed on the North, according to experts.



"Bolton will stress again Seoul should continue to implement the ongoing sanctions," Shin Beom-chul, a senior researcher at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies, said.



"But the thing is that South Korea does not have a clear direction in carrying out nuclear-related North Korea policies," he said. "The government keeps emphasizing the need to continue dialogue with the North, but in terms of how to do so, no clear guidelines have been set."



South Korea wants to keep pushing so-called "good enough deals" with the North to resume the stalled dialogue.



The approach means Washington and Pyongyang need to keep signing agreements if they believe the previous agreement was satisfactory. Seoul thinks this is an ideal approach for complete denuclearization of the North, as it keeps Pyongyang on the dialogue track at the same time.


CARTERVILLE  Nearly 200 people attended the Trauma-Informed System of Care Conference at John A. Logan Colleges main conference center last month.

We wanted those in attendance to develop a better understanding of adverse childhood experiences and how those experiences could impact not only the individual who experienced that trauma but also on the community at multiple levels and I believe we achieved that, said Nicole Tippy with Centerstone.

Partnering with Centerstone were Southern Illinois University (SIU) School of Medicine, Shawnee Health Services, Christopher Rural Health Planning Corporation (CRHPC), Rural Health Inc., Egyptian Public and Mental Health, Poshard Foundation for Abused Children and Health Resources and Services Administration: Behavioral Workforce Education Grant (Trauma Based Behavioral Health Fellowship).

Another important piece of information that we wanted to be delivered was the benefit to our communities for every child-, youth- and family-serving sector to work in unity when addressing mental health concerns, Tippy said. It is so critical that we come together within a system of care to address and treat our community members with the care they deserve and I really feel that the message of that was conveyed at the conference.

Centerstone was awarded a 13-month, $200,000 planning grant from the Illinois Childrens Healthcare Foundation to develop a plan, in collaboration with regional partners, to improve the mental health of children and communities throughout Southern Illinois. As part of the funding, Centerstone has collaborated with community partner groups, parent and youth organizations, parents, youth and more, to create a plan to address mental health issues facing children in Perry, Jackson, Williamson and Franklin counties.

After the 13 months is up in October, the project will evolve into a six-year, larger grant to pilot programming, collaborations and continued work at creating a sustainable system once the grant is over.
President Donald Trump used a ceremony for fallen law enforcement officers on Wednesday to criticize big-city prosecutors he asserts dont go after criminals who pose a severe threat to public safety.

Trump pledged to the families of fallen officers that the country will never, ever leave your side, never disappoint you but went beyond memorializing for much of the annual event.

He singled out prosecutors in Philadelphia and Chicago as being part of a dangerous trend by deciding not to prosecute many criminals who pose a severe threat to public safety and community well-being. He provided scant context for the claim, and prosecutors in those cities did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The president also renewed his calls for changes to the nations immigration laws, citing the shooting death last December of a Northern California police officer, Cpl. Ronil Singh. Trump said the suspect in Singhs killing could have been kept out with border security, with the wall, with whatever the hell it takes. Paulo Virgen Mendoza, suspected of being in the country illegally, has pleaded not guilty in the case.

Trump also made an apparent reference to the case of actor Jussie Smollett, saying that those who file false police reports should face full legal consequences.

The actor was charged with felony disorderly conduct and accused of making a false police report after claiming he was attacked by two masked men who shouted slurs at him and put a noose around his neck. The Cook County states attorneys office abruptly dropped the charges in March.

The White House did not comment on whether Trump was specifically citing the Smollett case.

The 38th annual memorial service honored 228 peace officers who died in the line of duty last year.
The French School of Seoul has been refashioned. Courtesy of David-Pierre Jalicon



By Jung Min-ho





David-Pierre Jalicon
There are different ways to read the resonant phrase the invention of tradition, coined by the great Marxist historian Eric Hobsbawm many years ago. One reading is debunking, skeptical, emphasizing the artificiality of all traditions, the extent to which all cultural narratives flatten or caricature the past.

Another reading is more favorable: It treats the element of invention in cultural traditionalism as a necessary way to bridge the gulf of years and keep the past alive. To invent or reinvent a tradition, in this sense, is not to craft a falsehood; it is to add your own bit of labor to a larger inheritance, which your heirs may renew and reinvent in their own turn.

The second understanding is implicit throughout Michael Brendan Doughertys lovely little book, My Father Left Me Ireland, about his complex relationship with his father and his fathers country. Dougherty was raised by an Irish-American single mother, the son of a far-off Irish father whom he barely saw, and the hole left by paternal absence was filled  through his mothers efforts, then his own  by the attempt to claim an inheritance of Irish culture and language and tradition.

Much of that inheritance is now regarded skeptically in Ireland itself, which in the flush of prosperity has embraced a more technocratic, end-of-history vision of itself  one that regards the old sentimental nationalism with suspicion or embarrassment, the old Catholic religion with anger or contempt. This transformation is the work of Doughertys fathers generation, and the American son frames his book as a series of letters to his father, carrying on a meditative argument for the importance of inheritance, of a healthy nationalism as a spiritual ecology that links the living, the unborn and the dead.

The complication at the heart of this argument, of which Dougherty is well aware, is that he did not really inherit the tradition in this way; he and his mother were reinventors, by necessity, of the Irishness he now seeks to pass down to his children. But something similar was true of the Irish nationalists who fascinate him, the intellectuals and poets associated with the 1916 Easter Rising, who strove not only to free their country politically but also to revive its language and impose a specifically Irish vision on its culture.

Were those men really responding, as the most mystical of them insisted, to the demands of Irelands Gaelic-speaking ghosts? Or were they pilfering the past for usable relics, to invent a tradition that had not heretofore existed?

The answer to both questions could be yes. And that tension and complexity makes Doughertys book important  as a testimony, rather than a mere argument, about whats lacking in late cosmopolitanism, and how a creative traditionalism might occupy the void that darker impulses are currently rushing in to fill.

But it also left me feeling a curious kind of envy for its author  not for his childhood fatherlessness, but for his potent personal connection to a tradition that even in its weakness, its abandonment by many modern Irish, still seems like a potentially coherent national narrative, an integrated thing.

I have some Irish blood and I like the same ballads as Dougherty, but my lineage and loyalties are more purely American, and what a similar creative traditionalism would mean for Americans seems to me about as clear as mud.

Of course we Americans have reinvented our traditions repeatedly over the years  going from a Protestant religious consensus to a Judeo-Christian one, from an Anglo-Saxon settler nation to a 20th-century melting pot.

But since the crackups of the 1960s, and especially lately, we have felt as divided over our national story as the factions of Dreyfus-Affair-era France  with polarized narratives of Who We Are that dont seem reconcilable, with partisan identities overriding communal ties, and without a common understanding of Americanness that doesnt just seem like a thin proceduralism, or the self-serving claims of the white mans past.

Like Dougherty I have young children, and I want to give them a story of America that coheres as an inheritance. But Im not sure what that means, exactly, if Im raising them Catholic in an increasingly post-Protestant or even pantheist America. Or if I want them to honor old ancestors whose commitments our culture now repudiates. Or if I want them to be conservative, in some sense, without being trapped by nostalgia or tempted by the darker side of nationalism. Or if I want them to see their countrys sins clearly  as the left often sees more clearly than the right  without falling prey to the progressive tendency to remember the past only in order to hold it in contempt.

Some of the creative reinvention involved in answering these questions is every fathers task.

But it is also a common task, at which our society is failing. And our collapsing birthrate, our increasing failure to even have children to inherit, feels almost like a judgment on our inability to figure out, in common, what it is that we should wish to have passed down.

Ross Douthat is a columnist for The New York Times.
Job Title: Legal Officer

Organisation: Uganda

Christian University (UCU)

Duty Station: Mukono,

Uganda

About US:

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.

Key Duties and Responsibilities:



Shall be

the chief resident legal counsel to the University and all her Campuses.



Negotiating,

drafting, managing and reviewing of University agreements and contracts. Keeper

of all copies of such documents.



Participate

in the procurement and disposal process of the University and ensuring that the

University procurement and disposal policies are followed and complied with.



Give

guidance during drafting, implementation and reviewing of University policies.



Representing

the University in Courts of law and administrative tribunals as and when



Liaising

with and/or following up University matters that are being handled by the

Universitys External Counsel on behalf of the University.



Giving

advice on a variety of employment related matters e.g. Contracts and grievance

handling procedures.



Giving

technical assistance and direction during disciplinary hearings for both Staff

and Students.



Ensuring

that the University complies with the Legal framework governing universities,

national laws and policies.



Protecting

the University from financial loss resulting from unwarranted litigation.



Attend

to all other duties requiring legal counsel for the good of the University.

Qualifications, Skills and Experience:



The

applicant must hold a Bachelors Degree in Law from a recognized institution of

higher learning and a Post graduate Diploma in Legal Practice. A Law degree

from UCU is added advantage.



Hold a Masters

degree in Law will be an added advantage.



Must be

an Advocate of the High Court with a valid Practicing Certificate.



A

minimum of three (3) years of experience in a similar position in a reputable

organization or busy law firm.



Must be

self motivated.



Must be

a committed Christian and with a demonstrable testimony.

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 Director, Human

Resource & Administration

Uganda Christian

University,

Pilkington Building,

P.O. Box 4, Mukono,

Uganda

Email to:

jobs@ucu.ac.ug

NB: Applications sent online should have all the

attachments as ONE PDF document otherwise they will not be considered.

Deadline: 24th 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: Finance Officer

Organization: United

Nations World Food Programme (WFP)

Duty Station:

Uganda

Grade: SC8

About US:

The UN World Food

Programme (WFP) is the United Nations frontline agency against world hunger. It

is the largest and longest serving humanitarian agency in Uganda. Currently WFP

focuses on three priority areas: Saving lives in Emergencies; Building

Resilience through Predictable Safety Nets; Improving Nutrition &

Mother-and Child Health; and Supporting Small Holder Farmers to Access Markets.

WFP has operations in various parts of the Country.

Job Summary:

The Finance Officer will support the stewardship of WFPs resources, monitoring

budgets, forecasting, reporting on key data and providing basic administrative

and human resource functions that enable effective management of funds, and

ensure assistance to beneficiaries is undertaken in the most efficient and

effective way possible.

Key Duties and Responsibilities:



strategies and major ongoing programmatic initiatives, participating where

appropriate using finance and resource management expertise. Maintain awareness of corporate finance and resource managementstrategies and major ongoing programmatic initiatives, participating whereappropriate using finance and resource management expertise.



processes, aligned with Regional and wider WFP strategy, policies and

processes to meet the food assistance needs of beneficiaries within the

Country. Contribute towards the development of country specific plans andprocesses, aligned with Regional and wider WFP strategy, policies andprocesses to meet the food assistance needs of beneficiaries within theCountry.



accordance with corporate governance requirements, ensuring accuracy,

deadlines, and accounting processes are complied with. Report on key data for financial status and outcomes of projects inaccordance with corporate governance requirements, ensuring accuracy,deadlines, and accounting processes are complied with.



projects according to established corporate procedures and requirements. Monitor budgets, and carry out forecasting for new and ongoingprojects according to established corporate procedures and requirements.



receivables, overall cash management and monthly financial closures on a

regular basis in accordance with corporate requirements. Perform bank reconciliations, disbursements, clearance ofreceivables, overall cash management and monthly financial closures on aregular basis in accordance with corporate requirements.



contractors and following standard processes to provide cost-effective,

quality and timely services to WFP staff. Where necessary, deliver core administrative services, working withcontractors and following standard processes to provide cost-effective,quality and timely services to WFP staff.



staff benefits, recruitment of local staff, and training. Where necessary, undertake basic human resource functions related tostaff benefits, recruitment of local staff, and training.



reporting, providing management with financial, staffing and resource

usage information to enable them to make informed decisions. Collate data and contribute to preparation of accurate and timelyreporting, providing management with financial, staffing and resourceusage information to enable them to make informed decisions.



systems and procedures in order to minimise financial risks, improve the

efficiency and effectiveness of operations, and ensure services are

aligned with business objectives. Track and collate data to support others to improve policies,systems and procedures in order to minimise financial risks, improve theefficiency and effectiveness of operations, and ensure services arealigned with business objectives.



WFP performance, supporting periodic risk and internal control assessments

to identify areas which may present potential audit, compliance or

financial risks. Contribute to the delivery of financial controls and insight intoWFP performance, supporting periodic risk and internal control assessmentsto identify areas which may present potential audit, compliance orfinancial risks.



and supporting them with more complex analysis and queries. Guide and supervise more junior staff, acting as a point of referraland supporting them with more complex analysis and queries.



with other UN agencies, banks and other financial institutions, or other

partners and entities as required. Represent unit/CO at internal meetings, external meetings and eventswith other UN agencies, banks and other financial institutions, or otherpartners and entities as required.



able to quickly respond and deploy food and needed resources to affected

areas at the onset of the crisis. Follow standard emergency preparedness practices to ensure WFP isable to quickly respond and deploy food and needed resources to affectedareas at the onset of the crisis.

Other as required.

Qualifications, Skills and Experience:



(WFP) Finance Officer job placement should hold an Advanced University

degree in Finance, Business Administration, Accounting, or related fields,

or First University degree in the same subject(s) with additional years of

related work experience plus membership in an international recognized

professional accountancy body such as Association of Chartered Certified

Accountants (ACCA), Institute of Certified Public Accounts (ICPA) or

equivalent. The ideal candidate for the United Nations UN World Food Programme(WFP) Finance Officer job placement should hold an Advanced Universitydegree in Finance, Business Administration, Accounting, or related fields,or First University degree in the same subject(s) with additional years ofrelated work experience plus membership in an international recognizedprofessional accountancy body such as Association of Chartered CertifiedAccountants (ACCA), Institute of Certified Public Accounts (ICPA) orequivalent.



language. Intermediate knowledge (level B) of a second official UN

language: Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, Spanish, and/or WFPs working

language, Portuguese. Language: International Professional: Fluency (level C) in Englishlanguage. Intermediate knowledge (level B) of a second official UNlanguage: Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, Spanish, and/or WFPs workinglanguage, Portuguese.



operational level. Has performed basic financial analyses at a national and/oroperational level.

Previous experience in managing financial transactions.



if different. Fluency (level C) in English language and the duty stations language,if different.

Competencies:

Internal Controls & Compliance:

controls to monitor projects and programmes to confirm regulatory

compliance and ensure data integrity. Utilizes understanding of risk management approaches and internalcontrols to monitor projects and programmes to confirm regulatorycompliance and ensure data integrity.

Performance Budgeting, Reporting & Analysis:

support the development of recommendations for senior leadership on

financial and business planning matters in accordance with Value for Money

principles. Analyzes budgets and forecasts tosupport the development of recommendations for senior leadership onfinancial and business planning matters in accordance with Value for Moneyprinciples.

Resources Management (People, time, assets, etc.):

resource usage to anticipate and escalate potential issues to programme

leaders. Monitors trends in staffing andresource usage to anticipate and escalate potential issues to programmeleaders.

Financial Management & Accounting Principles:

accounting principles and practices to ensure compliance with WFP

policies, applicable procedures and accounting standards. Applies knowledge of financial andaccounting principles and practices to ensure compliance with WFPpolicies, applicable procedures and accounting standards.

Supply Chain and Operations Knowledge: Applies working knowledge of WFP

programme and supply chain principles to develop and/or review project

budget plans.

NB: Female

applicants and qualified applicants from developing countries are especially

encouraged to apply

How to Apply:

All candidates who

desire to join the United Nations World Food Programme are encouraged to submit

their applications online at the link below.

Click

Here

Deadline: 26th May 2019

For more of the

latest jobs, please visit https://www.theugandanjobline.com or

find us on our facebook page https://www.facebook.com/UgandanJobline






Job Title: Project

Coordinator  Governance

Organization: Alliance

of Mayors and Municipal Leaders Initiative for Community Action on Health and

HIV at the Local Level (AMICAALL)

Duty Station: Kampala,

Uganda

Reports to:

Programme Manager

About US:

The Alliance of Mayors

and Municipal Leaders Initiative for Community Action on Health and HIV at the

Local Level (AMICAALL) is a continental Association of Urban Local Authorities

(City, Municipalities and Town Councils), Mayors and other Urban Leaders

committed to support sustainable solutions to local urban health challenges.

AMICAALL Uganda is registered and operates as an NGO. The Mission is To

support the building of an effective and coordinated urban health and

HIV&AIDS response. In line with our Strategic Program Priority Area  Leadership,

Policy, Advocacy and Social Mobilization; AMICAALL Uganda has secured funding

from the Democratic Governance Facility (DGF) to implement an 18-months

Strengthening Democratic Governance within Urban Authorities Project.

Job Summary: The Project Coordinator  Governance is

directly responsible for the Coordination, Management and delivery of the

AMICAALL-DGF Strengthening Governance in Urban Authorities Project

objectives. He/She will manage technical tasks of the project including

ensuring planning and implementation of activities, engagement of stakeholders,

beneficiaries and partners. He/She also leads the preparation of quality

programmatic and activity reports and their timely submission to Management and

other relevant partners and stakeholders. The Coordinator will be the Liaison

between the project and other programmes at AMICAALL Uganda as well as between

relevant officials from the DGF and AMICAALL especially on matters of

implementation..

Key Duties and Responsibilities:



implementation of project Develop project implementation plans schedules and coordinateimplementation of project



objectives and activities Engage beneficiaries, stakeholders and partners on project goals,objectives and activities



guidelines Supervise implementation of project activities ensuring adherence toguidelines



in a timely manner Ensure programmatic and activity reports are compiled and submittedin a timely manner

Qualifications, Skills and Experience:



and at least a postgraduate qualification in Administrative Law, urban

governance, research and policy analysis or any other relevant field from

recognized institutions. The ideal candidate must hold a Masters degree in a relevant fieldand at least a postgraduate qualification in Administrative Law, urbangovernance, research and policy analysis or any other relevant field fromrecognized institutions.



programmes/projects implemented by civil Society Organizations, local

governments or governance and Accountability sector. A minimum of five years experience in implementation of governanceprogrammes/projects implemented by civil Society Organizations, localgovernments or governance and Accountability sector.



legislation The applicant should possess competences in local governmentlegislation

Fiscal, Political and Administrative accountability;

Local Government financial planning;

Capacity development approaches

Monitoring and reporting governance programmes

Excellent writing, facilitation, analytical skills.

How to Apply:

All candidates

should deliver their applications via email, registered mail/courier or by hand

in an envelope clearly sealed and labeled with the position you are applying

for. Please ensure you have also enclosed a resume indicating names of 3 recent

professional references and copies of relevant Academic documents/testimonials

to. Originals of testimonials will be required during interviews.

Write to:

The Country

Director,

AMICAALL Uganda

Chapter,

Plot 1658, Clovis

Road,

Kampala, P.O. Box

26323 Kampala, Uganda or

Email to:

procurement@amicaalluganda.org and amicaall@amicaalluganda.org

Deadline: 24th May 2019 by 4pm

For more of the latest

jobs, please visit https://www.theugandanjobline.com or

find us on our facebook page https://www.facebook.com/UgandanJobline






This June 29, 2018, photo shows the United States Forces Korea (USFK)'s Camp Humphreys headquarters in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province. Korea Times file



By Jung Da-min



The United States Forces Korea (USFK) reportedly wants to relocate the South Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command (CFC) to the U.S. Army's Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, instead of the Ministry of National Defense compound in Yongsan, Seoul.



The ministry and CFC said Thursday that discussions are underway on details including the specific timeline for the relocation of CFC, currently headquartered at Yongsan Garrison in Seoul, responding to media reports citing a government source that the U.S. side suggested the Pyeongtaek base as the new location to the South Korean side.



The reports cited the source as saying USFK chief Gen. Robert Abrams, who also leads the CFC and U.N. Command, recently delivered the suggestion to Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo.



The two sides had earlier been discussing the relocation of the CFC to the defense ministry compound, with Abrams visiting the ministry in January to look around the compound buildings.






Job Title: Driver  UNAC

Organization: United

Nations Development Programme (UNDP)

Duty Station: Uganda

About US:

The United Nations

is an impartial and trusted partner in Uganda, supporting the Government to

achieve its development goals. The United Nations Country Team (UNCT), is

comprised of 22 resident and non-resident UN agencies. The UN Resident

Coordinator/UNDP Resident Representative (RC/RR) leads the UNCT and is the

highest representative of UNDP in Uganda. The RC/RR is also the Designated

Official for security for UN Uganda. The Government of

Uganda and the UN have agreed to adopt the Delivering as One (DaO) modality

in Uganda to better adapt UNs support to the national context. Delivering as

One is an initiative by the United Nations aimed at making the UN better

coordinated and more efficient and effective. Within countries the UN aims to

achieve this through having One Leader, One Programme, One Budget, and by

Communicating and Operating as One.

The UNAC offices in

Arua where the Driver would be based, supports the Resident Coordinator in

achieving Delivering as One objectives. In particular, the support

coordination under the United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF)

2016-2020, which outlines partnership between the United Nations (UN) and the

Government of Uganda (GoU).





Job Summary: The Driver would be

working closely with Moroto Head UNAC together with the RCO Finance and

Administrative Associate on Coordination of the transport tasks.

Key Duties and Responsibilities:



driving office vehicles for the transport of authorized personnel and

delivery and collection of mail, documents and other items and b) meeting

official personnel and visitors at the airport, visa and customs

formalities arrangement when required. Ensure provision of reliable and secure driving services by a)driving office vehicles for the transport of authorized personnel anddelivery and collection of mail, documents and other items and b) meetingofficial personnel and visitors at the airport, visa and customsformalities arrangement when required.



maintenance of daily vehicle logs, provision of inputs to preparation of

the vehicle maintenance plans and reports. Ensure cost-savings through proper use of vehicle through accuratemaintenance of daily vehicle logs, provision of inputs to preparation ofthe vehicle maintenance plans and reports.



timely minor repairs, arrangements for major repairs, timely changes of

oil, check of tires, brakes, car washing, etc. Ensure proper day-to-day maintenance of the assigned vehicle throughtimely minor repairs, arrangements for major repairs, timely changes ofoil, check of tires, brakes, car washing, etc.



vehicle insurance, vehicle logs, office directory, map of the

city/country, first aid kit, and necessary spare parts. Ensure availability of all the required documents/supplies includingvehicle insurance, vehicle logs, office directory, map of thecity/country, first aid kit, and necessary spare parts.



are taken in case of involvement in accidents. Ensure that all immediate actions required by rules and regulationsare taken in case of involvement in accidents.

Other tasks as required.

Qualifications, Skills and Experience:



placement should hold an Advanced Level Certificate; mechanical skills are

an advantage The ideal applicant for the United Nations UNDP Driver  UNAC jobplacement should hold an Advanced Level Certificate; mechanical skills arean advantage

Valid driving permit with classes B, CM & DL



organization; A minimum of five years of driving experience in a busyorganization;

Experience with city driving and long distance up-country driving;



skills and demonstrates a client-oriented approach, high sense of

responsibility, courtesy, tact and the ability to work with people of

different national and cultural backgrounds Excellent interpersonal,skills and demonstrates a client-oriented approach, high sense ofresponsibility, courtesy, tact and the ability to work with people ofdifferent national and cultural backgrounds

Competencies

Functional

Competencies:



positive, constructive attitude; Consistently approaches work with professionalism, energy and apositive, constructive attitude;



stakeholders; Demonstrates strong ability to manage relationships with diversestakeholders;



to diverse audiences and stakeholders; Demonstrates excellent oral and written communication skills, adaptingto diverse audiences and stakeholders;

Demonstrates strong planning and organization skills;



regard to assigned tasks; Contributes to teamwork within RCO and displays flexibility withregard to assigned tasks;

Remains calm, in control and good humored even under pressure



view. Responds positively to critical feedback and differing points ofview.

NB: The

United Nations does not charge any application, processing, training,

interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or

recruitment process. Should you receive a solicitation for the payment of a

fee, please disregard it. Furthermore, please note that emblems, logos, names

and addresses are easily copied and reproduced. Therefore, you are advised to

apply particular care when submitting personal information on the web.

How to Apply:

All suitably

qualified and interested candidates who so desire to join the United Nations,

in the aforementioned capacity should endeavor to Apply Online by Clicking on

the link below. Please further review job requirements and if competent Click

Apply Now.

Click

Here

Deadline: 21st 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.

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British luxury car-maker Bentley is celebrating its centenary in style  with seven jewel encrusted anniversary books with a price tag of 200,000 each.

The 100 Carat collectors editions  one published for each Continent and each decorated with 100 carat of diamonds  is part of a wider limited edition run of its tomes each running to more than 800 pages, weighing 30kg, and with gate-fold pages that open out to a span of nearly a meter each - with a combined value of 4.15million.

Spent on a car, the same 200,000 price tag of one diamond edition alone would buy a brand new just launched Bentley Continental GT convertible.

Light reading: The 200,000 Bentley books each weigh in at 30kg - the heaviest book ever produced telling the story of a car brand

Weighing in at 30kg each, Bentley says their Opus volume is the heaviest book ever produced telling the story of an automotive brand'.

Bentley notes: The exquisite 100 Carat edition, offers the ultimate in embellishment and decoration, adorned with 100 carats of diamonds and limited to an exclusive issue of seven  one for each continent.

The Bentley flying wing badge is set in a choice of white gold or platinum to enhance the stunning diamond border.

The diamonds and the design are to reflect the rarity, collectible value and long-term investment that the book embodies,m says the British marque.

The books are created, printed and hand-bound by master binders in England, using leather hides from the same sources as those used in Bentley models.

The Bentley Wings badge that adorns the front cover is an official hand-crafted badge, the same as those used on every Centenary model.

Owners will be able to choose their own Bentley hide colour for the front cover of their edition.

It's called the 100 Carat collectors editions. Just seven will be published - one for each continent and each decorated with 100 carat of diamonds

A full run of lesser expensive books will also be available, each with more than 800 pages that are gate-fold to open out to a span of nearly a meter each

Bentley said: At almost a metre wide when opened and weighing approximately 30 kilos, the Bentley Centenary Opus is much more than a coffee table book. Indeed it is the biggest book ever produced on the story of an automotive brand.

Between the covers the content features never-seen-before imagery, rare historical content and photography exclusive to the Bentley Opus, with special gatefold pages measuring two metres across.

In addition to the 200,000 diamond-decorated books, Bentley is publishing a Mulliner Edition version of 100 copies costing 12,500 each (totalling 1.25million) and a Centenary Edition of 500 copies costing 3,000 each (totalling 1.5million).

Between the covers the content features never-seen-before imagery, rare historical content and photography exclusive to the Bentley Opus

The special gatefold pages can extend to measure two metres across - you'll need a big coffee table if you want one

All of the books, including the Mulliner and Centenary editions will bring the combined value of the special editions to 4.15million

The Mulliner edition includes giant 200-inch by 24-inch Polaroid Portraits to showcase 10 landmark Bentleys and a collection of 56 exclusively commissioned Bentley model watercolours individually painted on silk paper, as well as a sliver of rubber tyre from the 24-hour Le Mans-winning Bentley Speed 8 of 2003 in the clamshell presentation case.

Owners can also have photographs of their own cars included on special bespoke pages, as well as having their names gilded in gold or silver onto the cover of their edition.

Spend the same amount of money on a car and 200,000 would buy you the latest Bentley Continental GT convertible

The books are created, printed and hand-bound by master binders in England, using leather hides from the same sources as those used in Bentley models

The final chapter called The Future is written by Bentley chairman and chief executive Adrian Hallmark

Fashion designer Ralph Lauren has written the introduction to the book covering, over nine chapters, Bentleys founding by engineer Walter Owen W.O Bentley in 1919, through the Le Mans racing Bentley Boys victories of the 1920s, up to the present day and beyond.

The final chapter called The Future is written by Bentley chairman and chief executive Adrian Hallmark, who said: Bentleys customers of the future will value elements such as tradition, heritage and craftsmanship and innovation.

'But above all, I believe they will continue to enjoy the thrill of driving.
My husband and I read a couple of weeks ago that Metro Bank were paying 2 per cent on one-year fixed-rate bonds. This is a much better rate than our respective banks could offer.

A few days ago we each opened an account with Metro, putting in 10,000 each.

We now read Metro are in some trouble and wonder if we should withdraw our money. We are pensioners and can ill afford to lose our nest egg.

We were assured that we would be protected under the FSCS rules up to 85,000. Can you advise? - M.H. via email

Photos circulated on social media this weekend of customers withdrawing money from a number of branches of Metro Bank. The bank blamed 'false rumours' about its financial health

George Nixon, This is Money, replies: Last weekend Metro Bank was forced to reassure customers about the safety of their money, after 'false rumours' about the bank's financial health circulated online.

That coincided with photos posted on social media of customers queuing in various London branches, including in Harrow, leading some to fear Britain was looking at another bank run.

Founded in 2010, Metro Bank isn't old enough to remember Northern Rock, but clearly some of its customers saw the parallels.

The bank's problems go back further than last weekend though. Metro has been mired in controversy over an accounting error since January that saw it underestimate the risk of some of its loans, meaning it needed more capital.

For the last 11 weeks, it has been searching for a 350million cash injection and small business depositors have pulled out 500million since the error was announced.

Metro put out a statement on Sunday after those circulating the rumours called for customers to pull their deposits out.

It said: 'We're aware there were increased queries in some stores about safe deposit boxes following false rumours about Metro Bank on social media and messaging apps. There is no truth to these rumours and we want to reassure our customers that there is no reason to be concerned.

'We're a profitable bank, rated No 1 for personal current account service by the Competition and Markets Authority and committed to serving our 1.7million customer accounts.'

So, what about your savings?

Individual savers, like you and your husband, are covered under the Financial Services Compensation Scheme for personal deposits. Savings are protected up to 85,000 per person, per bank, building society or credit union, while 170,000 is protected in joint accounts. Be aware that come brands share licenses and protection, however.

Savers are compensated if an FSCS-protected bank fails, and Metro is covered by the scheme  which means your money is safe.

If you're really concerned about the health of your savings, then you can close your two fixed-term deposits without loss of interest or any penalty up to 14 days after you've opened them.

As you say you opened the accounts 'a few days ago', you should still be within that timeframe.

Gatehouse Bank and United Trust Bank both pay a 2 per cent one-year fixed-rate on deposits worth 10,000, though both are only available online. You can check the best rates in This is Money's independent best buy savings tables.

However, it's worth pointing out that the reason business depositors have likely pulled their deposits is because they may not necessarily be covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme.

Business deposits are generally protected up to the value of 85,000, but business investment claims are eligible if the business is a small company; less than 10.2million in turnover, a balance sheet total of 5.1million and fewer than 50 employees.
Beleaguered Metro Bank was last night locked in talks with investors as it scrambles to raise 350million.

Shares staged their biggest one-day rally ever yesterday amid rumours a deal would be signed off after the market closed, giving the lender crucial stability after weeks of speculation over its future.

But at the time of going to press, no announcement on fundraising had been made. Sources close to Metro said that a deal is likely by the end of this week.

Metro Bank, founded by American billionaire Vernon Hill (pictured here with wife Shirley), was last night locked in talks with investors as it scrambles to raise 350m

Its shares have plunged since it revealed in January that it had miscalculated the riskiness of some property loans.

It then announced in February that it would raise an extra 350million to fund future growth.

There is no suggestion the bank is in danger of running out of money, and customer deposits of up to 85,000 are legally protected by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme.

Shares rose 15 per cent, or 76p, to 584p yesterday but are down more than 85 per cent from March last year.
The Co-op is launching a digital pharmacy that will let customers manage their NHS prescriptions through a smartphone.

The move is part of ambitious plans to return to healthcare, which boss Steve Murrells will set out at its annual general meeting on Saturday.

The Co-op bailed out of the health market five years ago when it sold its pharmacy business for 620million in the wake of a financial crisis at its banking arm, which is no longer part of the group.

Online pharmacy: Co-op boss Steve Murrells will outline the firm's ambitious plans to return to healthcare at its annual general meeting on Saturday

But it is now venturing back as it seeks to put itself at the centre of Britain's communities.The healthcare app will let users place orders for repeat prescriptions on their phone.

In future, it could also offer patients so-called e-consultations, where they can speak to pharmacists over phones, iPads and other devices, and for a click-and-collect service using the Co-op's vast network of shops.

The technology behind the digital pharmacy was developed by Dimec, a start-up that the group bought last year.

The launch is a key plank of the retailer's strategy to make itself more central to community life, a theme Murrells will stress at the meeting on Saturday.

In a speech referencing the spirit of the Rochdale Pioneers who set up the Co-op in 1844, Murrells will argue that Brexit has 'exposed deep divisions in society' and that more must be done to support communities .

He will say: 'The Co-op was founded in times of similar need 175 years ago by a group of people who cared about their community and wanted to change things for the better.

'They saw the answer in co-operation, bringing people together so everyone could play a part in making things better.

'In today's uncertain world, there's as great a need for co-operation as at any time in our history, so we need to kick-start a new generation of co-operation.'

The return to healthcare comes as other big players move into the digital prescriptions business, including Amazon, Boots and Superdrug. Dimec was acquired through the Co-op Ventures arm in September.

One aim of the digital pharmacy will be to ease pressure on the NHS.

The prescription of medicines is the most common contact that most patients have with the NHS and, after staff costs, is the second-highest area of spending.

Co-op's other businesses span groceries  including the Nisa Local and Costcutter brands  funerals, insurance and legal services.

It has also branched out to become a sponsor of academy schools across the UK, with 20 in its trust so far.

It educates more than 20,000 pupils, including sixth-formers, and has plans to take on another 20 schools over the next three years, potentially doubling its intake.

Pupils are given opportunities to take on apprenticeships with it and this year, for the first time, it is set to offer sixth-formers grants that will allow them to do paid work while studying.

As part of its community support, Murrells is also expected to say the Co-op's schools will make their own halls and other spaces available for public use.

It comes as it rides high on the back of a strong financial performance in 2018.

Co-op boasted group turnover of 10.2billion in the year to January 5, boosted by its takeover of Nisa last spring.
Soldiers demonstrate attack drones carrying explosives at the Republic of Korea Army Intelligence School in Icheon, Gyeonggi Province, Thursday. Yonhap
Barclays and Royal Bank of Scotland are among five banks to have been slapped with a slice of a 930million fine for rigging foreign exchange markets.

The European Commission's investigation revealed that some individual traders in charge of foreign exchange spot trading for 11 currencies on behalf of their banks exchanged sensitive information and trading plans.

Traders involved in the rigging occasionally coordinated trading strategies through online chatrooms, the Commission said.

Most of the traders involved in the chatrooms knew each other on a personal basis, with one chatroom called 'Essex Express 'n the Jimmy' because all the traders except one called 'James' lived in Essex and met on a train to London.

Fined: Barclays and Royal Bank of Scotland are among five banks to have been slapped with a slice of a 930million fine for rigging foreign exchange markets

The competition regulators fined Barclays, RBS, Citigroup, JP Morgan and MUFG Bank, while UBS was not fined as it revealed the existence of the rigging.

In its first decision, related to what was dubbed the 'Three way banana split cartel', the Commission levied a 811million, or around 708million, fine on Barclays, RBS, Citigroup and JP Morgan.

For its second decision, comprising the 'Essex express cartel', the regulator imposed a 257million, or around 224million, fine on Barclays, RBS and MUFG Bank.

Foreign exchange explained Foreign Exchange, or 'Forex', refers to the trading of currencies. When companies exchange large amounts of a certain currency against another, they usually do so through a Forex trader. The main customers of Forex traders include asset managers, pension funds, hedge funds, major companies and other banks. The most liquid and traded currencies worldwide (five of which are used in the European Economic Area) are the Euro, British Pound, Japanese Yen, Swiss Franc, US, Canadian, New Zealand and Australian Dollars, and Danish, Swedish and Norwegian crowns.

The first infringement ran from December 2007 to January 2013, while the second ran from December 2009 to July 2012.

Commissioner Margrethe Vestager said: 'Companies and people depend on banks to exchange money to carry out transactions in foreign countries.

'Foreign exchange spot trading activities are one of the largest markets in the world, worth billions of euros every day.

'Today we have fined Barclays, The Royal Bank of Scotland, Citigroup, JPMorgan and MUFG Bank and these cartel decisions send a clear message that the Commission will not tolerate collusive behaviour in any sector of the financial markets.

'The behaviour of these banks undermined the integrity of the sector at the expense of the European economy and consumers.'

Many of the banks involved had their total fines reduced. The Commissioned said: 'The reductions reflect the timing of their cooperation and the extent to which the evidence they provided helped the Commission to prove the existence of the cartels in which they were involved.'

Shares in Barclays are down 0.24 per cent or 0.39p to 159.61p, while RBS' share price is down 11.11 per cent or 2.55p to 227.65p.

'Essex express': One banking chatroom involved was called 'Essex Express 'n the Jimmy' because all the traders except one called 'James' lived in Essex and met on a train to London
Many people will have at some point walked down a street and thought 'I'd like to live here'. There's often just one small problem, however. None of the houses are for sale.

But a new company that wants to help people buy their dream property - even if it's not up for sale - reckons it has a solution.

Knock for Sale acts as a middle man to connect interested buyers and homeowners, allowing those people to send a card indicating they'd like to buy it to the owners of the property they are interested in, whether or not it's on the market.

Cards cost 5 each and prospective buyers can send multiple cards to different properties to see if the owner is interested in accepting any viewings.

Spotted your dream house but it's not on the market? Knock for Sale allows people to approach properties they like with a card stating their interest

Critics could argue that if homeowners wanted to sell their property, they would advertise it as such.

However, there are three times as many homeowners who might consider selling their property than the number of homes listed on traditional property websites, according to a 2018 survey of 1,000 UK consumers from Knock for Sale.

This chimes with the comments regularly made by property buying agents, who say many of their clients end up purchasing homes that you won't find in an estate agent's listings and are not officially on the market.

Knock for Sale makes its money by charging 5 for each card and does not act as an estate agent in the process.

Co-founders Chris Allen & Kerrie Powell said Knock for Sale's customers have ranged between sending one card to a specific property, to 24 cards to multiple ones in a location

The couple who founded it, Kerrie Powell and Chris Allen, said it is too early to determine whether the site has a high success rate.

So far, the 'knocks' per user have ranged from one (people who have longed to live in one particular house) to 24 (where a specific location would appear to be the driving factor).

Knock for Sale says sellers can either opt to sign up with an estate agent to manage their sale - and should try to negotiate lower fees as they have already found a buyer - or can manage the negotiation process themselves and hand things over to a solicitor when needed.

Obviously, potential buyers could also take matters into their own hands and simply drop a note through someone's door, but Knock for Sale says it adds an extra level of security and professionalism to the process that may encourage potential sellers.

How it works for buyers

Those interested in a property can access the Knock for Sale website and enter the details of the location they wish to send a card to, expressing their interest in it.

Rather than referral fees or commission, the site is funded by the fee for sending a card, which costs 5. The company then donates 5 per cent of its profits to homeless charities.

People who then receive the card are able to respond, free of charge, to the prospective buyers to say whether they are interested or not in selling their home.

The service adds a layer of security to the interaction by giving homeowners the opportunity to connect to potential buyers via its secure messaging system online, without contact details needing to be shared between parties.

This cuts out the immediate need for estate agents and commission which Knock for Sale said averages out at 3,275 per sale  as the average house price in the UK is 230,630, according to the Land Registry and the average estate agent commission is 1.42 per cent.

Many charge more than this, however, with some fees including VAT reaching 2 per cent of a property's price or more. Online flat-fee estate agents typically also charge less.

Knock for Sale allows potential buyers to send a card expressing their interest in a property

What if someone is interested?

If potential sellers are interested, buyers can arrange an initial viewing and, if they like what they see, they can follow this up with more detailed visits.

According to Knock for Sale, this process creates a more personal experience, without the presence of estate agents, where questions can be asked to the homeowner direct.

Then, when, and if, they're ready, buyers can make an offer.

Buyers are advised to talk to their bank or building society if they need a mortgage, appoint a professional surveyor if they want a full structural survey and ask their solicitor or licensed conveyancer to handle the legal details.

How does it work for potential sellers?

If they get a card through the door, sellers can choose to ignore it, or contact the potential buyer and show them round.

If things are successful and an offer is made, it is up to sellers as to whether or not they decide to engage estate agents on their behalf, or continue to take on the bulk of the work by themselves.

However, Knock for Sale advises them to do thorough research first and look into what they would consider for an asking price. Once an offer has been agreed, the procedure is the same as during a traditional transaction.

Knock for Sale recommends sellers engage a chartered surveyor, who can give them an accurate house valuation based on its true market value.

Alternatively, people can get some estate agent valuations. It is also easy to view prices of recently sold local properties online and check what similar properties are for sale for, although bear in mind asking prices are not always what a home gets sold for.

Whether or not you're prepared to accept an offer below the asking price depends on how keen you are to sell.

Sellers who have someone interested in buying their property but still want to put it on the market with an estate agent should inform the agent in writing that they have a private buyer before they sign their contract.

Message: Buyers can start up personal conversations with the sellers if they expressed interest

Then, if the private buyer goes on to buy their home, they shouldn't have to pay the full estate agents commission. Get this in writing though, to make sure you are protected from a claim from an agent for fees.

Whilst Knock for Sale can be a useful tool to connect buyers and sellers, potential sellers have been warned to exercise caution when letting prospective buyers into their home.

The firm has advised people to take a few practical precautions. Before each viewing it has advised sellers to get the name, address and mobile phone number of the potential buyer.

If the buyer calls you, make sure they're not ringing from a number that's withheld. Ask a relative or friend to join you during the viewing, never leave a viewer unattended and hide away your valuables.

Be careful if the viewer requests confidential information such as details of the property's security system and times when no one is at home. It also said to be wary of anyone who makes an offer for your property without a viewing.

'We found our dream home by leafleting properties' Kitchen designer Silvia Clausin has lived in Lewes, Sussex, for seven years and decided to leaflet properties after having no success through other traditional methods. While they used the old-fashioned method of making their own leaflets, had a site like Knock for Sale existed at the time, it could have helped. She said: 'My partner and I didn't suddenly decide to start posting letters through people's doors. We had scoured property websites, estate agents' windows, and we couldn't find anything decent in our budget. Silvia & her partner decided to put leaflets through doors of properties they liked 'We had been living in Lewes for years, just renting, and we knew what areas we liked so we thought there was nothing to lose from guesstimating the prices of a few houses that might be within our budget, and writing notes to the owners.' Silvia wrote a very short paragraph explaining her and her partner's situation. It said they were a young couple looking for their first home and that they loved the area. They added their phone number at the bottom. 'We didn't hand out many flyers but we got phone calls from five different homeowners so it worked. While some were out of our price range, we viewed two and one turned out to be ideal. 'We had a meeting with the owners at the house. They were two sisters whose mum had recently passed away. They'd had the house valued but we did a bit of negotiating and we settled on a slightly lower price. 'I remember having to sell my mother-in-law's house which we did through an estate agent and it was so difficult. They were so aggressive and we didn't enjoy it at all. Having the agent act as an intermediary drew the process out. 'It was so much more civilised to do things without over-eager estate agents that don't care about building a relationship and just see commission. Instead, we got to know the owners and they were happy knowing their mother's house was going to owners who would love and care for it.'

How we came up with the idea for Knock for Sale

Knock for Sale, which was co-founded by husband and wife, Kerrie Powell and Chris Allen, has raised 150,000 during its seed funding round with 75,000 being stumped up by Rupert Hunt, founder of letting website SpareRoom.

The remaining half comes from Felix Milns, founder of Zulufish Residential, and actor and angel investor James Murray.

So how did the duo come up with the idea?

Kerrie said: 'It stemmed from a lively dinner party conversation. Our friend had a seed of an idea, which over time, we morphed into what Knock for Sale is today.

It stemmed from a lively dinner party conversation... and the seed of an idea Kerrie Powell, Knock for Sale founder

'Years before, we had almost sold our one-bed flat to a hopeful buyer who had posted a note through our door just as we were thinking that we might need more space (our son was eight months old at the time).'

Deciding that the process was outdated, the couple looked to starting Knock for Sale.

Powell continued: 'We had confidence in the idea of digitising the age-old process of sending unsolicited letters. We both agreed the prospect of not having to accommodate dozens of viewings or pay any fees or commission to estate agents was really compelling.

'Increasing the number of direct approaches and private sales could oil the wheels of the property market.

Allen added: 'Hand delivering flyers is recommended by plenty of property gurus but one of its pitfalls along with territorial dogs and twitching curtains is that buyers have to be there, and give out their contact information.

'Our service offers a layer of security and convenience for buyers, as well as the opportunity to secure a home that's not on the market.

'And, for homeowners, we offer the possibility of a direct sale without having to pay commissions or fees to estate agents.'
One in three workers aged 45 and over believes their employer discriminates based on age, a new survey reveals.

Bias against older staff can involve blocking their career progression, favouring younger workers, dismissing skills and experience, and overlooking them when offering training opportunities.

Some 73 per cent of workers aged in their 50s and 60s feel they can share invaluable skills, experience and knowledge with colleagues, but 16 per cent say this is not valued by their employer, according to the study by financial services firm Aviva.

Concern among older staff: A third of workers say there is age discrimination in their workplace

The most immediate harm that age discrimination does to older staff is to lower their morale and lessen job satisfaction, but they may also be sidelined and at worst ousted.

Pay rises and therefore pension contributions might be limited in the later years of someone's career, and this can have a knock-on effect on income in retirement.

Aviva's nationwide survey of more than 2,000 employees aged 45-plus found:

* Some 37 per cent of employees feel there is age discrimination in their workplace

* Workers aged 55-59 are most likely to think they face age discrimination

* This falls to just 25 per cent of workers aged 65-plus - perhaps because they are most likely to have avoided it to date

* More than half of workers aged 60-plus are not ready to retire, rising to 61 per cent among those aged 65-plus

Number crunching: Types of age discrimination experienced in the workplace, and proportion of over-45s who face this bias (Source: Aviva)

* Not feeling ready to retire, enjoying their job, and wanting social interaction, are among the reasons for continuing to work (see below for more on older people's attitudes to work)

Aviva also surveyed more than 1,000 employers and found 19 per cent of them were concerned about age discrimination, and around the same proportion were thinking about how they would respond to the challenge of an ageing workforce.

The insurance giant Insurer has itself already piloted a 'mid-life MOT' scheme for 100 staff which covered issues such as skills, money situation, general wellbeing, and plans for later life.

It is now rolling this out to everyone in its workforce aged 45 and over.

The Government recently launched a similar plan to encourage people aged 40 and over do a personal, financial and physical stock-take, and iit is offering a 'toolkit' to employers interested in providing such services to workers.

Self-employed people can also ask for free MOT sessions from the Government-backed Pensions Advisory Service.

There are a record 10million workers aged over 50 at present and this number is expected to rise.

Aviva says that when records were started in 1992, workers aged 50-plus accounted for 21 per cent of UK employees, and this figure has now reached 32 per cent, based on the most recent official labour market statistics.

Attitudes to work: Many people in mid-life and older are resistant to retiring

Lindsey Rix, managing director of savings and retirement at Aviva, said: 'Age should not be a barrier to opportunity  but our findings suggest employees are worried about age discrimination. We want to challenge this concern.

'Evolving social and workplace trends mean we must all be prepared for a more fluid working life. The mid-life population offers invaluable skills and experience that companies are potentially missing out on.

'Companies needs to take action  not doing so risks a punishing labour shortage in the years to come and a huge waste of talent and potential.'

Rix adds: 'Mid-life employees offer a wealth of knowledge, experience and expertise. However, often these employees can feel these valuable attributes are overlooked in favour of youth.

'Far from being on the wind-down stages of their career however, our research shows that the UKs mid-life employees remain enthusiastic and ambitious.

'For many employees that believe there is age discrimination in the workplace, much of this discrimination is seen as an absence of the same career opportunities that are offered to their younger colleagues.

'Mid-life employees eagerness to be afforded the same level of training and progression opportunities as their younger counterparts is a testament to this generations ambition.'

Older workers: There are a record 10million workers aged over 50 at present and this number is expected to rise. Numbers of employees shown are in the thousands - so actually in the millions (Source: Aviva)
Have you ever felt sorry for a homeless person or enjoyed a busker's music enough to want to donate some change but found you're without a penny in your pocket?

You're not alone. With the use of contactless debit cards and digital wallets on the rise, it's increasingly common to find you don't have cash to donate.

According to the UK Payments Markets Summary, just 34 per cent of transactions were made in cash last year and this figure is set to decline even further.

Going cashless may be more convenient for many of us, but the move has left many who rely on cash donations worse off.

Vassiliadis wants to 'twist technology to make everyone equal in a cashless society'

It's this mismatch that Giving Streets founder Dimitris Vassiliadis wants to address.

This is Money met up with him in Amsterdam, where he participated as Englands representative in the global Chivas Venture competition, pitching his business to a panel of judges to try and win his share of $1million (772,215).

What is Giving Streets?

The competition Chivas Venture is an international competition where entrepreneurs making a social and environmental impact are pitted against each other to win a share of $1million (772,215). Prizes are awarded with no strings attached. The competition, which was first launched in 2014, is staggered and the closer competitors get to the final, the bigger the cash prizes they stand to win become. Last year British contestant Cemal Ezel won the competition for social start-up Change Please. The business was awarded $350,000 (270,275.25) in prize money. To find out more about next years competition and to keep abreast of all Chivas Venture news, sign up to the newsletter at chivasventure.com.

The business aims to foster solidarity in a cashless society by enabling spontaneous, instant cashless donations using a combination of smartphones and QR codes.

Vassiliadis says: Were twisting the technology to make everyone equal in this cashless space.

The idea was born from his time working in London where he realised he was never able to give on-the-spot donations to rough sleepers, buskers and charity workers because he relies on Apple Pay or his bank cards to pay for things.

He was moved to do something to help when, after having no change at his disposal, he instead paid for some drinks and food with his card for a homeless person.

I realised how happy and relieved that person was and I also noticed the reaction of people around me and how excited and happy they were from me doing that, he says.

The next morning I spoke to a friend of mine to see if there was a way to make spontaneous donations using the exact technology that is resulting in the lack of cash donations. Thats how Giving Streets was launched.

How does Giving Streets work?

Those wanting to make a digital donation must download the Giving Streets app.

Those living on the street, charity collectors and buskers can apply for a Giving Streets QR code, which they will be given in a non-digital format.

Vassiliadis says: 'The QR Code can be printed as big signpost in front of them to get the attention of the donor and to facilitate very fast and effective scanning.'

Givers then approach the person they want to donate to, scan their QR code using their phone camera through the app, and a donation is made on the spot.

Individuals can then take their code to one of Giving Streets' partner businesses - such as food stores and supermarkets - and redeem the digital donation in exchange for goods. No cash required.

If it is a charity the money collected via QR codes will go direct to their bank accounts.

The Giving Streets app enables the homeless to benefit from digital donations rather than relying on cash

The business makes its money through charging 3 per cent commission on the donations made through the platform.

For larger organisations and charities that want to deploy several charity workers using the code throughout major cities on a regular basis, Giving Streets will offer them a a subscription model.

While the aim is to be profitable, the profits wont be kept or put back into the business: instead, they will be distributed to charities or directly to people in need of support and help.

Vassiliadis explains: Our pledge is to cycle back all our profit to helping other communities.

We want to work on taking people off the streets, providing support - be that mental health, learning a new skill or providing an actual home to stay in - until they get back on their feet.

'We have witnessed in the past few months how anybody can eventually become, for whatever reason, a rough sleeper or homeless.'

According to Vassiliadis, more than 8,000 households in London alone run a very high risk of not making rent.

'The problem is really substantial. We want them to know that we are here for you, you are not invisible to us.

'We are helping you out until the bigger intervention comes into place.

According to the founder of Giving Streets more than 8,000 households in London run a very high risk of not making rent which could mean more people sleeping rough on the streets

What next for Giving Streets?

The app is not yet available, but Vassiliadis is currently piloting the technology and aims to launch the service fully in September this year.

He says: Our goal is to have 530 homeless people and buskers using the QR codes towards end of year, with more than 20 brands enrolled as partners where people can redeem vouchers.

Although the firm didnt make the top five in Chivas Venture, by becoming one of the top 15 finalists he won $20,000 (15,444.30) in prize money.

Were twisting the technology to make everyone equal in this cashless space. - Dimitris Vassiliadis, Giving Streets

We will use [the money] to promote the cause and the application,' explains Vassiliadis. 'Well also go into developing partnerships and app further.

He adds that approximately 50,000 of his own money has been put into the business, but admits that more funding will be needed.

We will be reaching out to raise capital of around $500,000 (386,107.50) to fully launch the platform nationally in the UK and then internationally. Crowdfunding is an option but well be talking to impact investors to help us out.

While his business did not win the ultimate cash prize of $310,000 (239,386.65) he says that simply being a part of the Chivas Venture experience has been invaluable.

It has accelerated us, made us focus and narrow down on activities and scope,' he says.

'It has raised our profile, meaning that following the win [to represent England] in London last December and being part of the Chivas Venture process in the past six months, we have been approached by a lot of people just for being a part of it all.

The biggest takeaway is that we got really inspired through the other 19 companies [that made the top 20] trying to solve all the other problems in the world in different ways to us, but which are also equally important.
MANILA, May 16 (Reuters) - The Philippines is withdrawing top diplomats from Canada after Ottawa missed a deadline to take back 69 shipping containers full of trash, the latest move in a long-running row stoked by threats from Manila's outspoken president.

Last month, President Rodrigo Duterte threatened Canada with war and said he would personally escort the waste containers by sea back to Canada.

"We shall maintain a diminished diplomatic presence in Canada until its garbage is ship-bound there," Philippine Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin said on Twitter on Thursday after the May 15 deadline expired.

Locsin also took issue with Philippine diplomats for not doing enough to ensure Canada took back the trash, accusing them of acting in defiance of their president to preserve friendly relations.

Canada's foreign ministry was not immediately available for comment after office hours. Its embassy in Manila referred Reuters' queries to its foreign ministry.

The volatile 74-year-old Duterte, known for his grandstanding and often hollow threats towards Western powers, has also said he would dump the trash in front of Canada's embassy in Manila.

Canada says the waste, exported to Manila between 2013 and 2014, was a commercial transaction not backed by its government. It has since offered to take it back and the two countries were in the process of arranging the transfer.

The Philippines has made several diplomatic protests to Canada in the wake of a 2016 court ruling that the garbage be returned.

The consignments were labelled as containing plastics to be recycled in the Philippines, but were filled with diapers, newspapers and water bottles instead. (Reporting by Neil Jerome Morales; Additional reporting by David Ljunggren in OTTAWA; Editing by Martin Petty and Clarence Fernandez)
By P.J. Huffstutter

CHICAGO, May 16 (Reuters) - The same week U.S. President Donald Trump announced sweeping increases on tariffs against Chinese goods, Chinese buyers dropped orders for 3,247 metric tonnes of U.S. pork - the biggest cancellation in more than a year, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture data released on Thursday.

The cancellation came during the week ended May 9, a blow to the $6.5 billion export market for American pork, vital to the burgeoning U.S. meat industry.

Prior to the trade war, China and Hong Kong combined were the second largest export market for U.S. pork.

For months, the U.S. farm sector - which has been among the hardest hit by the trade war between the world's two largest economies - has been banking on China increasing its U.S. pork purchases due to African swine fever (ASF).

But the trade war, and China's tariffs against U.S. pork, is showing signs of slowing China's willingness to load up on the meat, say industry analysts.

Earlier this year, China canceled sales of 53 metric tonnes in the week ended Feb. 28, sales of 999 metric tonnes in the week ended March 21, and 214 metric tonnes in the week ended April 18, according to USDA data.

Market analysts said the cancellation news on Thursday weighed on the lean hog futures market.

"It's just disappointing that this trade war could drag on for months and that means more tariffs on pork," said Dennis Smith, commodity broker with Archer Financial Services. "This should not be happening. We should be selling a lot of pork to China, because of ASF."

African swine fever kills almost all pigs infected, though it is not harmful to people. The disease has spread rapidly across China, the world's top pork producer. In neighboring Vietnam the government said it will mobilize its military and police forces to combat an outbreak.

USDA said on Thursday that it will soon begin testing sick and dead pigs for the hog virus that has killed herds across Asia in an effort to minimize devastation if the disease enters the United States. (Reporting by P.J. Huffstutter Editing by Phil Berlowitz)
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Oil States International, Inc. engages in the provision of specialty products and services to drilling, completion, subsea, production, and infrastructure sectors of the oil and gas industry. It operates through the following segments: Well Site Services, Downhole Technologies and Offshore or Manufactured Products. The Well Site Services segment consists of completion and drilling services such equipment and services that are used to drill for, establish, and maintain the flow of oil and natural gas from a well throughout its life cycle focuses on completion-focused equipment and services as well as land drilling services. The Downhole Technologies segment provides oil and gas perforation systems and downhole tools in support of completion, intervention, wireline and abandonment operations. The Offshore or Manufactured Products segment designs, manufactures, and markets capital equipment utilized on floating production systems, subsea pipeline infrastructure, and offshore drilling rigs and vessels, along with short-cycle and other products. The company was founded in July 1995 and is headquartered in Houston, TX.

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The following companies are subsidiares of Harsco: 21st Century Environmental Management of NV LLC, 21st Century Environmental Management of RI LLC, AERC Acquisition Corporation, AES Asset Acquisition Corporation, Accelerated Remediation Kinetics LLC, Advanced Remediation & Disposal Technologies of Delaware LLC, Allied Environmental Group LLC, Allworth LLC, Altek, Altek Europe Holdings Ltd., Altek Europe Limited, Altek LLC, Altek Melting Solutions Limited, AluServ Middle East W.L.L., Alusalt Limited, Assessment & Remedial Design Technologies Inc, Ballagio S.a.r.l., Burlington Environmental LLC, CEHI Acquisition LLC, CEI Holding LLC, Calrissian Holdings LLC, Carteret Asphalt Corporation, Chemical Pollution Control of Florida LLC, Chemical Pollution Control of New York LLC, Chemical Reclamation Services LLC, Clean Earth Dredging Technologies LLC, Clean Earth Environmental Services Inc., Clean Earth Environmental Services Inc., Clean Earth Environmental Solutions Inc., Clean Earth Holdings LLC, Clean Earth Inc., Clean Earth LLC, Clean Earth Mobile Services LLC, Clean Earth Specialty Waste Solutions Inc., Clean Earth of Carteret LLC, Clean Earth of Georgia LLC, Clean Earth of Greater Washington LLC, Clean Earth of Maryland LLC, Clean Earth of Michigan LLC, Clean Earth of New Castle LLC, Clean Earth of North Jersey Inc., Clean Earth of Philadelphia LLC, Clean Earth of Puerto Rico LLC, Clean Earth of Southeast Pennsylvania LLC, Clean Earth of Southern Florida LLC, Clean Earth of West Virginia LLC, Clean Earth of Williamsport LLC, Clean Rock Properties Ltd, Czech Slag- Nova Hut s.r.o., ESOL TOPCO LLC, Environmental Soil Management Inc, Environmental Soil Management of New York LLC, Environmental Solutions (ESOL) Business, Excell Africa Holdings Ltd., Excell Americas Holdings Ltd S.a.r.L., Faber Prest Limited, Gardner Road Oil LLC, GasServ (Netherlands) VII B.V., General Environmental Management of Rancho Cordova LLC, HLWKH 517 Limited, Harsco (Australia) Pty. Limited, Harsco (Beijing) Fertiliser Co. Ltd, Harsco (Gibraltar) Holding Limited, Harsco (Mexico) Holdings B.V., Harsco (Peru) Holdings B.V., Harsco (Tangshan) Metallurgical Materials Technology Co. Ltd, Harsco (Tangshan) Metallurgical Materials Technology Co. Ltd. - GuYe Branch, Harsco (Tangshan) Metallurgical Materials Technology Co. Ltd. - Leting Branch, Harsco (Tangshan) Renewable Resources Development Co. Ltd, Harsco (U.K.) Limited, Harsco (UK) Group Ltd, Harsco (York Place) Limited, Harsco APAC Rail Machinery (Beijing) Co. Ltd., Harsco Americas Investments S.a.r.l., Harsco Belgium SRL, Harsco Brazil Investments SRL, Harsco Canada Corporation Societe Harsco Canada, Harsco Canada General Partner Limited, Harsco Canada Limited Partnership, Harsco Chile Investments SRL, Harsco China Holding Company Limited, Harsco Defense Holding LLC, Harsco Environmental S.R.L., Harsco Europa B.V., Harsco Fairways Partnership, Harsco Finance B.V., Harsco Financial Holdings Inc., Harsco France S.A.S., Harsco Holdings Inc., Harsco India Metals Private Limited, Harsco India Private Ltd., Harsco India Services Private Ltd., Harsco Industrial Grating China Holding Co. Ltd., Harsco Infrastructure B.V., Harsco Infrastructure CZ s.r.o, Harsco Infrastructure Construction Services B.V., Harsco Infrastructure Group Ltd., Harsco Infrastructure Holdings Inc., Harsco Infrastructure Hong Kong Ltd, Harsco Infrastructure Industrial Services B.V., Harsco Infrastructure Services Ltd., Harsco Infrastructure South Africa (Pty.) Ltd., Harsco International Finance S.a.r.l., Harsco Investment Ltd., Harsco Investments Europe B.V., Harsco Leatherhead Limited, Harsco Luxembourg S.a.r.l, Harsco Metals (Ningbo) Pty. Ltd., Harsco Metals (Thailand) Company Ltd., Harsco Metals 373 Ltd, Harsco Metals 385 Ltd, Harsco Metals Argentina S.A., Harsco Metals Australia Holding Investment Co. Pty. Ltd., Harsco Metals Australia Pty. Ltd., Harsco Metals Belgium S.A., Harsco Metals CTS Prestacao de Servicos Tecnicos e Aluguer de Equipamentos LDA Unipessoal, Harsco Metals CZ s.r.o, Harsco Metals Chile S.A., Harsco Metals D.O.O. Smederevo, Harsco Metals Egypt L.L.C., Harsco Metals Emirates Partnership, Harsco Metals Germany GmbH, Harsco Metals Gesmafesa S.A., Harsco Metals Group Limited, Harsco Metals Guatemala S.A., Harsco Metals Holding LLC, Harsco Metals Holdings Limited, Harsco Metals Holland B.V., Harsco Metals Ilanga Pty. Ltd., Harsco Metals Intermetal LLC, Harsco Metals Investment LLC, Harsco Metals Limitada, Harsco Metals Luxembourg S.A., Harsco Metals Luxequip S.A., Harsco Metals Lycrete S.A., Harsco Metals Middle East FZE, Harsco Metals Norway A.S., Harsco Metals Oostelijk Staal International B.V., Harsco Metals Operations LLC, Harsco Metals Peru S.A., Harsco Metals Polska SP Z.O.O., Harsco Metals RSA Africa (Pty.) Ltd., Harsco Metals Reclamet S.A., Harsco Metals SRH Mill Services (Pty.) Ltd., Harsco Metals SRI LLC, Harsco Metals Saudi Arabia Ltd., Harsco Metals Slovensko s.r.o., Harsco Metals South Africa (Pty.) Ltd., Harsco Metals SteelServ (Pty.) Ltd., Harsco Metals Sweden A.B., Harsco Metals Transport B.V., Harsco Metals Turkey Celik Limited Sirkety, Harsco Metals VB LLC, Harsco Metals Zhejiang Co. Ltd., Harsco Metals and Minerals France S.A.S., Harsco Metals de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Harsco Metro Rail LLC, Harsco Mexico Holdings S.A. de C.V., Harsco Minerais Limitada, Harsco Minerali d.o.o., Harsco Minerals Arabia LLC (FZC), Harsco Minerals Deutschland GmbH, Harsco Minerals Europe B.V., Harsco Minerals Technologies LLC, Harsco Minnesota Finance Inc., Harsco Minnesota LLC, Harsco Mole Valley Limited, Harsco Nederland Slag B.V., Harsco Nova Scotia Holding Corporation, Harsco Rail Emirates Maatschap/Societe de Droit Commun, Harsco Rail Europe GmbH, Harsco Rail LLC, Harsco Rail Limited, Harsco Rail Ltda, Harsco Rail Malaysia Sdn Bhd, Harsco Rail Pty. Ltd., Harsco Rail Switzerland GMBH, Harsco Steel Mill Trading Arabia LLC, Harsco Sun Demiryolu Ekipmanlari Uretim Ve Ticaret Limited Sirketi, Harsco Switzerland Holding GmbH, Harsco Technologies LLC, Harsco Technology China Co. Ltd., Harsco Track Machines and Services Private Limited, Heckett Bahna Co. For Industrial Operations S.A.E., Heckett Comercio de Rejeitos Industriais Importacao e Exportacao Ltda, Heckett MultiServ (FS) Pty Ltd, Heckett MultiServ Bahna S.A.E., Heckett MultiServ China B.V., Heckett MultiServ Far East B.V., Heckett Multiserv MV & MS CA, Hunnebeck Group GmbH, Iductelec Limited, Ilserv S.R.L., Luntz Acquisition (Delaware) LLC, MKC Acquisition Corporation, Mastclimbers Ltd, Metal Reclamation SPV (Pty.) Ltd., Minerval Metallurgic Additives B.V., MultiServ (Sweden) AB, MultiServ Finance B.V., MultiServ International B.V., MultiServ Limited, MultiServ Logistics Limited, MultiServ Oy, MultiServ Technologies (South Africa) Pty Ltd, Nortal Limited, Northland Environmental LLC, Nortru LLC, PSC Environmental Services LLC, PSC Recovery Systems LLC, Phillip Reclamation Services Houston LLC, Protran Technology LLC, Real Property Acquisition LLC, Republic Environmental Recycling (New Jersey) LLC, Republic Environmental Systems (PA) LLC, Republic Environmental Systems (Transportation Group) LLC, Rho-Chem LLC, SGB Holdings Limited, SGB Investments Ltd., SGB Scafform Limited, Shanxi TISCO-Harsco Technology Co. Ltd., Short Brothers (Plant) Ltd., Slag Processing Company Egypt (SLAR) S.A.E., Slag Reductie (Pacific) B.V., Slag Reductie Nederland B.V., Solvent Recovery LLC, Tosyali Harsco Geri Kazanim Teknolojileri Anonim Sirketi, and United Retek of Connecticut LLC.
Hypoport SE operates as a technology-based financial service provider in Germany. The company operates through four segments: Credit Platform, Private Clients, Real Estate Platform, and Insurance Platform. It offers EUROPACE marketplace for independent distributors to process their financing transactions with the product suppliers they represent. The company also provides mortgage finance, personal loans, insurance, and current and deposit accounts through distribution channels, including online and branch-based sales. In addition, it offers advice and customized solutions in the areas of financial management, portfolio management, and insurance for business customers; PRoMMiSe, a software that helps banks with the analysis and reporting of securitized or collateralized loan portfolios; Software as a Service for banks and housing companies; and property valuation services, as well as supports issuers with the provision of information technology and a range of services. Further, it develops and operates software solutions for the sale and management of insurance products; operates SMART INSUR, a web-based B2B platform for advice, comparison of tariffs, and the administration of insurance policies; and provides support services to small and medium-sized financial product distributors in relation to the brokerage of insurance policies. The company is headquartered in LAbeck, Germany.

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Prosecutor-General Moon Moo-il speaks during a press conference at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office in Seoul, Thursday. / Yonhap



By Kang Seung-woo



The nation's top prosecutor once again made it clear Thursday that his organization opposes the government's plan to expand the independent investigative authority of the police, saying this went against democratic principles.



But, this time, he unveiled a plan to overhaul the prosecution, highlighted by a reduction in the number of direct investigations it conducts and "redistributing" the right to start probes.



"Within any investigative organization, its power should not be expanded if it is not under the control of checks and balances," Prosecutor-General Moon Moo-il said during a press conference at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office in Seoul.



"The judiciary reform bill, currently on a fast track at the National Assembly, does not abide by the democratic principles of the criminal justice system, and raises concerns over possible failures to protect basic rights."



The press conference came amid escalating tension between the prosecution and police over the government's plan to rearrange investigative rights between the law enforcement agencies by curbing the prosecution's "unhampered" authority.



Late last month, the National Assembly fast-tracked key reform bills, including the one on expanding police authority over investigations. Moon first criticized it May 1 during an overseas trip, and has continued to express his opposition.



If the bill is passed, police would be empowered to open and close investigations without needing approval from prosecutors, which Moon claims would run counter to the democratic principles of checks and balances.



"An investigation is a means to reveal the truth, but on the other hand, it can violate the people's basic rights," he said.



"It is democratic principles that are the priority in improving the criminal justice system."



In the wake of several public statements by Moon, seen as representing the views of his subordinates, Justice Minister Park Sang-ki sent an email to senior prosecutors nationwide, Monday, urging them to refrain from publicly expressing an opinion on judiciary reform. In the email, Park instructed prosecutors not to cite inaccurate information and examples in other countries in their opposition, saying this could mislead the people about the adjustments of investigative powers.



However, Moon struck back at Park.



"What Park said means prosecutors should keep quiet. I think his act was undesirable," he said.



Also, admitting that the prosecution bears much of the responsibility for the ongoing controversy, the prosecutor-general vowed to reform the organization, by changing its procedures to more align them with democratic principles.



"We will seek to redistribute the right to open investigations, and re-open certain cases that were closed by the prosecution," he said.



In response, police criticized Moon, saying that checks and balances between the two agencies can be guaranteed by "adjusting" the investigative power.



"It is against democracy (for prosecutors) to protest publicly against a reform plan that has been fast-tracked just because their opinions were not reflected," an official of the Korean National Police Agency said.



"To accept the democratic principles which Moon cherishes, the prosecution should accept conclusions that were made in accordance with procedural legitimacy."


The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. is an insurance and financial services company. The company provides life insurance, group and employee benefits, automobile and homeowners insurance and business insurance, as well as investment products, annuities, mutual funds, and college savings plans. It operates through the following segments: Commercial Lines, Personal Lines, Property & Casualty Other Operations, Group Benefits and Hartford Funds. The Commercial Lines segment provides workers compensation, property, automobile, liability and umbrella coverage under several different products, primarily throughout the U.S., within its standard commercial lines, which consists of The Hartford's small commercial and middle market lines of business. The Personal Lines segment includes automobile, homeowners and home-based business coverage to individuals across the U.S. The Property & Casualty Other Operations segment includes certain property and casualty operations, currently managed by the company, that have discontinued writing new business and substantially all of the company's asbestos and environmental exposures. The Group Benefits segment offers group life, accident and disabi

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By Park Si-soo







A 4.45-meter minke whale was found dead in waters off South Korea's southern coastal town of Yeosu, police said Thursday.







Korea Coast Guard said the whale was discovered at 4:20 p.m. Wednesday in a fixed shore net 7.4 kilometers west of Yeosu.







The National Institute of Fisheries Science inspected the carcass and found no signs that it had been hunted by fishermen. South Korea bans commercial whaling.







The whale will be auctioned.






Hwang Kyo-ahn, chairman of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party, is doused with water on his way to Gwangju-Songjeong Station while facing fierce public opposition in Gwangju, in this May 3 photo. Yonhap file



By Jung Da-min



Main opposition Liberty Korea Party (LKP) leader Hwang Kyo-ahn plans to visit Gwangju, Saturday, to attend a ceremony marking the 39th anniversary of the Gwangju Democratization Movement, despite risks of a possible clash with citizens there.



The ceremony will be held at the May 18th National Cemetery, attended by about 5,000 people including surviving victims of a military crackdown, families of those who were killed during the incident and civic activists, according to the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs, Thursday.



Hwang has expressed his willingness to attend the ceremony, saying he had been officially invited by the ministry. However, the people of Gwangju have opposed his visit, condemning Hwang for not punishing LKP members who made controversial remarks on the 1980 democratization movement.



Concerns are rising about a possible clash there given strong public antipathy in the city toward the conservative party. Some critics even alleged that Hwang intends to trigger a clash in order to further his political interests.



"I will go my own way," Hwang said Wednesday. "I will keep this position and listen to the people's stories."



Hwang's remarks have created a storm of criticism from other parties as well as local councilors and civic groups in Gwangju, who say Hwang should first resolve the issue of punishing his party members for disparaging people who died in the pro-democracy movement.





LKP urged to expel three lawmakers North Korea's involvement in Gwangju uprising 'fabricated' 'Chun Doo-hwan ordered 1980 massacre shooting' LKP leader humiliated in unwelcome visit to Gwangju "If Hwang wants to attend the ceremony and memorial events, he should first weed out the members of his party who made absurd remarks about the democratization movement, work out specific plans to establish relevant laws to punish such defamation and distortion of history, launch a truth commission into the case with no conditions and apologize sincerely to the people of Gwangju for disparaging the noble spirit and value of the May 18 movement," civic groups in Gwangju, including the May 18 People's Uprising Memorial Committee, said in a recent statement.



Civic groups including the May 18 People's Uprising Memorial Committee hold a press conference at 5.18 Democracy Square in Gwangju, Tuesday, protesting Liberty Korea Party leader Hwang Kyo-ahn's planned visit on Saturday to attend the ceremony marking the 39th anniversary of the Gwangju Democratization Movement. Yonhap

The defamation controversy started in February when some LKP members organized a forum at the National Assembly on the Gwangju uprising echoing far-right claims that the movement was a "riot" involving North Korean military against then-Army General Chun Doo-hwan, who had seized power in a military coup in late 1979.



Rep. Kim Jin-tae, Kim Soon-rye and Lee Jong-myeong of the main opposition party have been at the center of the controversy.



The calls for legal punishment for their distortions and disparagement of the Gwangju Democratization Movement has gained more public support recently, a poll showed Thursday.



This came amid new testimony by Kim Yong-chang, a former intelligence agent for the U.S. military who had been in charge of reporting what he saw and heard during the 1980 Gwangju Uprising. He claimed there had been no involvement of the North Korean army but it was Chun who had ordered the "shooting" at the citizens leading the movement.



In a poll of 501 adults over 19 conducted by Realmeter on Wednesday, 60.6 percent said they support the establishment of relevant laws to punish distortion of the May 18 Movement, while 30.3 percent opposed it.



It has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.4 percentage points with a 95 percent confidence level.



The support rate rose 5.6 percentage points from 55 percent in a Realmeter poll in February, while the opposition rate dropped by 4.4 percentage points from 34.7 percent in the earlier poll.



Support for LKP also dropped by 4.1 percent this week to 30.2 percent, from 34.3 percent last week, another Realmeter poll conducted from May 13 to 15 of 1,502 voters showed Thursday.



The ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) saw a 4.6 percent increase in its support rate, which marked 43.3 percent this week.




NORRISTOWN  A judge has set a January 2020 trial date for a Philadelphia man accused of stabbing a woman outside her Whitemarsh workplace and then driving his three-ton vehicle over her several times, crushing her to death.

Lawrence Maurice Crawley faces a jury trial on Jan. 13 and the trial is expected to last five days, according to a court order filed on Thursday by Montgomery County Judge Thomas C. Branca.

Crawleys trial originally was scheduled to commence in July. However, the judge granted a defense request to continue the trial to a later date, according to the court order.

Additionally, on Thursday, the judge scheduled a hearing on all pretrial motions on Oct. 4.

Crawley, 34, of the 800 block of North 13th Street, Philadelphia, previously pleaded not guilty to charges of first- and third-degree murder, possessing an instrument of crime and possession of a weapon in connection with the alleged 2:27 a.m. Aug. 3, 2018, attack of Angela Maya Stith outside Vector Security along the 5100 block of Campus Drive in Whitemarsh.

If hes convicted of first-degree murder, which is an intentional killing, Crawley faces a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment. Prosecutors are not seeking the death penalty against Crawley.

A conviction of third-degree murder, a killing committed with malice, carries a possible maximum sentence of 20-to-40-years in prison.

Crawley remains in the county jail without bail pending his trial.

District Attorney Kevin R. Steele is handling the prosecution with the assistance of prosecutor Allison Ruth. Crawley is represented by defense lawyer Carrie L. Allman, chief homicide lawyer for the Montgomery County Office of the Public Defender.

Authorities believe Stith, with whom Crawley previously had a relationship, was on a workplace break at the time Crawley showed up on a rear parking lot of the business and the attack was captured by video surveillance cameras.

An autopsy determined Stith, also 33 and of Philadelphia, died from combined blunt and sharp force injuries.

An investigation began when Whitemarsh police responded to Vector Security for a reported stabbing and found Stiths body in the rear parking lot of the business.

Video surveillance showed Stith exiting a rear door at Vector Security about 2:13 a.m. and walking to her Toyota sedan.

The victim is then observed running from her vehicle while being chased by a male suspect, Whitemarsh Detective Stephen Kerns and county Detective William Mitchell alleged in the arrest affidavit, adding Crawley is observed attacking the woman with a stabbing motion.

The video surveillance showed that several of Stiths coworkers appeared on the parking lot and attempted to render aid to her as she lay injured on the ground, a knife protruding from her back, court papers indicate.

A Chevrolet Avalanche SUV is then observed driving over the area of the victim on three occasions while the vehicle circled the parking lot, detectives alleged, adding coworkers witnessed the horrific attack.

Investigators said they found the drivers side window of Stiths sedan had been smashed.

Scene evidence inside the Toyota indicates the victim was initially attacked inside the driver side of the car and escaped through the passenger door. Detectives also located a single knife, a knife handle and hammer at the scene, detectives wrote in the arrest affidavit.

Crawley, according to court documents, spoke by cellphone with a woman after the alleged attack and stated, I stabbed her and then I ran over her with the truck. I am going to kill myself. Crawley allegedly told the woman that voices in his head made him do it, according to the arrest affidavit.

Crawley later called his mother at 2:31 a.m. and told her, Mom, Im sorry I killed her, according to the arrest affidavit.

Authorities alleged Crawley fled the scene in the blue Chevrolet Avalanche SUV and was spotted several hours later by state police traveling on the westbound Pennsylvania Turnpike in Somerset County. As troopers approached the vehicle, Crawley reportedly set himself on fire inside the vehicle and he spent several weeks in hospitals recovering from burns, according to court documents.

The investigation further revealed that on May 23 Crawley was arrested by state police in Montour County following an assault of Stith during which she was strangled, according to the arrest affidavit. On July 18, Crawley pleaded guilty to a charge of simple assault, court papers indicated.
PLYMOUTH  The Plymouth Township Council on Monday recognized Det. Jeffrey McGee for his role in investigating and ultimately helping to indict a serial bank robber.

Det. McGee received a commendation of merit for assisting Philadelphias FBI Violent Crime Task Force in the case of the so-called Straw Hat Bandit, Richard Boyle, of Doylestown, who was convicted in March on 11 counts of bank robbery, weapons offenses and related charges for robbing 11 banks  including one in Plymouth Township  beginning in 2015.

Through his investigation, Det. McGee was able to develop a suspect in the robberies. The evidence he collected eventually led to Boyles federal indictment.

In other business, the Township Council unanimously approved a preliminary final land development plan for Colonial Middle School. Plans call for the construction of a 137,317-square-foot middle school building, on the same property, behind the existing school. Once the new school building is complete, the existing building will be demolished and a new parking lot and playing fields will be constructed on the site of the old school. Council Chairman Marty Higgins said the township has spent quite a bit of time meeting and coordinating with school officials to ensure use of an access road situated on township property. The road would be used primarily for school buses.

In related news, the governing body unanimously awarded a paving and milling overlay bid to Glasgow, Inc. in the amount of $304,400. The company will undertake paving and milling in the neighborhood from Germantown Pike to Township Line Road between Sheffield Drive and Arch Road this summer.

Lastly, the 28th annual Plymouth Township Day will be held on June 1 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at East Plymouth Valley Park, 900 Germantown Pike. The day features food and recreational activities, as well as informational vendors. For more information, visit: https://www.plymouthtownship.org/event/plymouth-township-day-3/.
An assembly line of Renault Samsung's Busan plant / Korea Times file



Renault Samsung Motors Corp. and its labor union said Thursday they have reached a tentative agreement over wages and working conditions, possibly ending their drawn-out labor dispute that was feared to undermine the automaker.

The union said its members will vote on whether to accept the deal on Tuesday.

The company and the union began negotiations in June last year to sign a wage and collective agreement deal.

The company has wanted to maintain a certain output level at the plant by securing export models from its parent company, while the union is more focused on increasing wages and reducing labor intensity.

Renault Samsung workers staged 62 rounds of strikes from October through April 19, resulting in production losses of over 14,320 vehicles. And the company temporarily halted operations at its only plant in Busan, 450 kilometers south of Seoul, several times due to its low utilization rate.

Affected by strikes, Renault Samsung's sales fell 40 percent to 52,930 vehicles in the January-April period from 87,996 units in the same period of last year.

It is urgent for the company and the union to sign a wage and collective agreement deal in order to secure production volume for the SM3 and the XM3 for export to Europe, Renault Samsung Chief Executive Dominique Signora said last month.

"The company has agreed to hold consultations with the union at the union's request when it comes to relocation of workers and outsourcing of the manufacture of vehicles, union spokesman Nam Ki-tae said.

Renault Samsung offered about 12 million won (US$10,000) per worker in bonuses for their contribution to the carmaker's performance in 2018 instead of raising the basic salary, the company said in a statement.

Renault Samsung produces the SM3 compact, the SM5 midsize sedan, the SM6 upper midsize sedan, the SM7 large sedan, the SM3 Z.E. all-electric car and the QM6 SUV. It also produces Nissan Motor Co.'s Rogue SUV on a manufacturing contract. The QM3 compact SUV is built in Spain and shipped to Korea.

Renault S.A. has an 80-percent stake in Renault Samsung. (Yonhap)
WASHINGTON  After years of living in a trailer, Emily Marpe and her young family in 2011 moved into a home in Petersburgh on 2.3 acres with no neighbors in sight, and a view to die for. She named it Cloud Nine.

But within five years the dream house had turned into a nightmare. It started with a notice from the Rensselaer County Health Department that said an unpronounceable chemical with the acronym PFOA had been detected in local drinking water  but at low levels.

Workers tested her water for the chemical, perfluorooctanoic acid. The following week, a health department official called to tell her, You guys better stop brushing your teeth with tap water.

We were living the American dream, Marpe said at a hearing Wednesday of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Environment and Climate Change, chaired by Rep. Paul Tonko, D-Amsterdam. But our bubble was popped in a horrible way.

The presence of PFOA and other chemicals in the class of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) has been front-page news upstate since 2014, when PFOA was discovered in significant quantities in the drinking water of Hoosick Falls, another Rensselaer County community.

In both cases, discharges from substance used at local factories had permeated groundwater supplies. In Hoosick Falls, the plant responsible for the contamination, now owned by Saint Gobain, paid for a filtration system as the village continues to seek a safe future water supply.

But years of back-and-forth over testing results, complicated chemical names, studies of health effects and demands for remediation have obscured the toll on upstate residents having to cope with the day-to-day realities of life with contaminants in their tap water.

As one of six witnesses at the hearing, Marpe put a human face on a crisis that has percolated from upstate and other impact zones such as West Virginia all the way up to Capitol Hill.

In often emotional testimony, she recalled how test results for her home showed PFOA levels of 2,100 parts per trillion. The current federal standard for safe drinking water is 70 ppt  which many scientists and environmental advocates consider far too high.

With her older daughter, Gwen, sitting behind her, Marpe recalled the anxiety that rippled through her while pregnant with her younger daughter, Eliana.

While most expectant mothers are excited to learn their baby's gender, Marpe told the committee, I was just praying for two nostrils and that her eyes would be OK. I didnt want her to have to suffer like others have.

She held up a picture of 10-month-old Eliana, telling lawmakers: Shes beautiful.

Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years.

Chemicals in the PFAS class have been linked in studies to kidney and liver cancer and other diseases. Marpe suffers from thyroid disease, and said her older daughter developed a lump in her breast and regularly sees a pediatric endocrinologist.

The family was forced to sell Cloud Nine. Perhaps ironically, they moved to Hoosick Falls  where at least they could be assured of drinking water purged of contaminants through a filtration system.

No mom should ever have to go through what Ive been through, she said.  ... Congress needs to treat this contamination crisis like a crisis. It needs to end PFAS pollution and clean up PFAS contamination.

Tonko criticized the Trump administrations Environmental Protection Agency for focusing primarily on PFOA and its chemical cousin, PFOS, even though the chemical industry stopped using them years ago. He said the agency needs to address a broader range of PFAS compounds, including the newer substance known as GenX.

We cannot wait for EPA to act, Tonko said. Congress needs to be actively involved to ensure the protection of Americans health.

The hearing scrutinized 13 bills, including one sponsored by freshman Rep. Antonio Delgado, D-Rhinebeck, that would require public reporting on PFAS releases via the EPAs Toxics Release Inventory.

In addition to Tonko, Delgado greeted the Marpes prior to the hearing.
SCHENECTADY  For more than a century, the historic brick building at the corner of Elmer and Eastern avenues served as an elementary school developing young minds.

As part of a 2017 assessment, the school district decided as a cost-saving move to close it down.

A developer is now hoping to convert the multi-story building into about 40 market-rate apartments as part of the transformation along the busy Eastern Avenue corridor.

But before work begins, voters must approve a ballot question authorizing the school district to sell 90 Elmer Avenue for the agreed-to price of $450,000, which Schenectady County Legislature Majority Leader Gary Hughes said is the assessed value of the property.

Sunrise Management and Consulting, the development firm overseeing the project, has a history of remaking old schools and historic buildings, including the Draper Lofts building project in Rotterdam, according to Jesse Holland, its president.

He said renovating older buildings with historic relevance like the former Elmer school brings challenges such as remediating lead paint, asbestos and other potential environmental hazards.

"Those unknowns make the project difficult," Holland said. Still, "we're comfortable dealing in old buildings."

The company is doing its due diligence, and waiting to see what happens with Tuesday's ballot question, he said.

"This is the first step in a long process, but if the voters don't do step one, we can't do all the rest of them," said Holland. "We're hoping to make this happen and not let the neighborhood deteriorate ... but make it a flourishing center."

Besides the proposition, voters will cast ballots on the $202 million 2019-2020 school year budget and fill three school board seats.

If the referendum passes, the firm will then have to appear before the Schenectady Planning Commission for site plan approval, get the finances related to the project together, and confer with state historic agencies.

The building is currently not on the state or national register of historic places but is eligible to be, said Holland.

Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years.

Vote Tuesday Voting in Schenectady is Tuesday from noon to 6 p.m. For information on polling places and election districts, call the Schenectady City School District at 518-370-8100 Ext. 40105. See More Collapse

On its website, the school district says now is the right time to sell the property "because the cost to make the necessary renovations to the building is large and could not be offset by building aid from the state."

It also states that if the public referendum is rejected, the district would be forced to consider other options  including leasing the building to an outside organization.

Hughes said the proposed development is a good project for all involved  the city, school district and neighborhood.

"There's really nothing worse in a neighborhood than a school that's not being used  they just go straight downhill," he said. The building, Hughes added, qualifies for historic tax credits and the developer has promised to maintain its character.

Hughes said the project would bookend all the development projects and improvements occurring along the Eastern Avenue corridor extending from Nott Terrace to Elmer.
It may soon be hit-or-miss for customers craving a late-night Sausage McGriddle or hotcakes at McDonald's.

In an effort to simplify its menu and speed up service, McDonald's is letting individual U.S. franchisees choose which menu items to offer after regular breakfast hours end at 10:30 a.m.

"Giving local restaurants the ability to select the items they serve for their All Day Breakfast menus means an even better, faster experience for customers, day and night," the Chicago-based restaurant chain said in a statement Tuesday.

Launched in 2015, the all-day breakfast offering has been a big hit for McDonald's, bolstering sales and luring more customers to the hamburger giant for Egg McMuffins and sausage burritos throughout the day. But whipping up the full morning menu  with some items more popular than others  may be slowing down and complicating operations for franchisees.

The revamped all-day breakfast will allow local restaurants to simplify their menu and offer only the most popular items after normal breakfast hours.

The change is slated to begin "as early as July," with local franchisees having the option to scale back their breakfast offerings at 10:30 a.m. or 2 p.m. each day.

Darren Tristano, CEO of Foodservice Results, a Chicago-area research and consulting firm, said less may be more in the restaurant industry as more chains trim their menus and move toward specialization.

Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years.

"Restaurants are starting to say we can't just do everything and be everything to everyone; we have to be something to someone," Tristano said Wednesday. "Doing one thing and doing it really well is working."

At the same time, Tristano said all-day breakfast has been a winning strategy for McDonald's, tapping into a broader trend that has seen an increase in restaurant chains featuring eggs in their name and on their menu.

McDonald's has 14,000 locations in the U.S., and 95 percent are independently owned and operated. Operators cannot opt out of all-day breakfast completely, but all can reduce their menu to a select number of items after 10:30 a.m. each day, the company said.
About five years ago, Marty Klein learned a statistic that shocked, saddened and spurred him to action: More than 20 U.S. veterans take their own lives every day.

As a former member of the U.S. Air Force who started to lose his vision while in the service in 1968 and was completely blind within a few years, Klein became convinced that one of the reasons vets, especially disabled vets forced to leave the armed services because of injury, committed suicide was that they were veterans, not still members of the military.

That conviction resulted in "Why Can't We Serve," a documentary Klein directed that he has been screening around the country. It will be shown Sunday at the Woodstock Jewish Congregation in Woodstock, where Klein has lived on and off since 1973.

When he began thinking about the issue, Klein, now 70, remembered the aimlessness, the lack of any purpose, he felt after going blind. Klein, who first enlisted in 1967 and left the Air Force in 1970 as his vision loss worsened, was glad not to have gone to fight in Vietnam. But, he says, "I was still totally lost." He considered suicide: "I had no idea how I was going to live, what I could do, in a life without sight."

Thinking back on those feelings from decades ago, and talking with disabled vets he met through his work as an author and disability activist, Klein grew increasingly angry about the U.S. military's policy of retiring service members with disabilities. While few people with disabilities would be suited to combat positions, Klein believed, many jobs remain in the armed forced for which they are qualified.

"I'd say 50 percent of military jobs these days are on computers," says Klein, who considers it unfair that the military is exempt from the Americans with Disabilities Act requirement that all major businesses, corporations and other nonmilitary branches of the federal government hire people with disabilities. (Overall, more than 15 percent of the federal workforce has disabilities, according to the U.S. Office of Personnel Management.)

Says Klein, "Disabled soldiers who are still high-functioning should have the chance to transition to a noncombat position and continue to serve their country with dignity."

Klein knew the armed services would have to be forced to change.

"I think the policy is what it is because it's always been that way," says Klein. "The military doesn't initiate change, but it accepts change," says Klein, noting that advancements, including racial integration, women in combat roles and LGBT members serving openly have all been adapted to by the military.

In talking with activists and lawyers, Klein saw two ways to initiate such change: a social groundswell fueled by public support, which could be propelled in part by a documentary film, or a lawsuit.

"Litigation would mean a class-action lawsuit that would cost millions of dollars and take many years, and with 22 veterans taking their lives every day, we can't afford the time or money a lawsuit would take," says Klein.

Thus the imperative for "Why Can't We Serve," a 52-minute documentary completed early last year that has since been shown perhaps half a dozen times in various parts of the country, including in Florida. Klein lived in Tallahassee for a decade, starting in 1996, during which time he founded the Disabled Social Hour, established a caregiver's support group and founded a holistic learning center.

Shot by cinematographer Mike Nelson and completed on a budget of about $15,000 raised by Klein, the film interviews people in New York, San Francisco and Chicago, including veterans, disability experts and policymakers, counselors and business owners. "Why Can't We Serve" ends with a song called "A Veteran's Anthem," written by Klein and recorded with professional musicians, including John Sebastian of Lovin' Spoonful.

"My goal is for that song to be played by every radio station in the country on Veterans Day," says Klein. "We have to get the word out, about the song, the film and the issues. It's not an easy process; this isn't a feel-good comedy. But when people come, when they see the movie and understand its message, we get donations. Every time. That tells me we've got to keep going."

sbarnes@timesunion.com  518-454-5489  blog.timesunion.com/tablehopping  @Tablehopping  facebook.com/SteveBarnesFoodCritic
ALBANY  The potential fallout from an Albany County prosecutor's decision to secretly do side work for defense attorney Cheryl Coleman continued Thursday.

Defense attorney Kathryn Conklin-Mabey and her former client, Gavin Thomas, testified before Judge Peter Lynch in a hearing that centered on whether former assistant district attorney Steven Sharp had any improper knowledge or impact on the case through his work with Coleman.

Sharp and Coleman testified last month. Sharp told the court he began working for Coleman in 2014 writing appellate briefs for cases outside Albany County.

Sharp prosecuted Thomas in 2015; he was convicted on three counts of weapons possession and sentenced to 15 years in state prison. Thomas is asking Lynch, who oversaw the case, to set his conviction aside on the grounds that he wasnt aware that Sharp worked for Coleman at the time.

Conklin-Mabey worked for Colemans firm when Thomas hired her in 2015, taking on the case just two weeks before trial after Thomas fired his previous attorney. She also handled his initial appeal.

Questioned by Thomas current appellate attorney, Adam Parisi, Conklin-Mabey said she knew Sharp was working for Coleman when she took on Thomas case, but didnt think it an impact on her own work.

It was not affecting my representation of Mr. Thomas in any way, she said.

Conklin-Mabey also testified that she did not discuss specifics of the case with Coleman, only updated her on when she would not be available to handle other matters due to the trial. She said during the trial, she and Sharp did not get along.

Sharp's former colleague, Assistant District Attorney Emily Schultz, pointed to Conklins testimony to make the case that Sharp was at no point part of Colemans firm or working from her office.

Thomas testified that he fired his former attorney after he failed to bring up issues with a search warrant that Thomas saw in a suppression hearing. He read about Colemans firm in a Times Union article and was sent to Conklin-Mabey.

Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years.

Lynch said Thursday he expects to issue a written decision in the next few weeks.

Sharp resigned from District Attorney David Soares office last August after attorney Matthew Hug revealed the agreement during the appeals process for another case. Sharp has since joined the Albany County Public Defenders office.

Sharp prosecuted cases against Coleman while doing the appellate work, including the trial of Edward "Ted" Mero, who was convicted of the murders of Megan Cunningham and Shelby Countermine; Sharp also prosecuted Michael Chmielewski, who murdered Jacquelyn Porreca during a robbery in the victim's West Albany hair salon in 2015.

The Times Union reported last August that Sharp's work for Coleman included crafting the appeal of Alexander West, the boater convicted of manslaughter in the alcohol-related death of 8-year-old Charlotte McCue in a 2016 boat crash on Lake George.

Sharp also worked on Coleman's appeals for convicted Chenango County killer Ganesh R. Ramsaran, who was found guilty of the 2012 murder of his wife; the appeal of Michael A. Nicholas of Washington County, a felon convicted of selling crack to an informant; and the appeal of ex-Cornell University wrestler Peter J. Mesko, convicted of burglary and sex abuse for attacking a woman at a 2013 house party in Ithaca.
NEW YORK  Files containing information on Albany County District Attorney David Soares, former state Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno and former Gov. Eliot Spitzer were kept in a box in the basement of NXVIM president Nancy Salzman's home, an investigator testified Thursday at the federal trial of Keith Raniere.

The files bearing those prominent names  as well as dossiers on notorious political consultant Roger Stone, U.S. Sen. Charles E. Schumer and Times Union Publisher George Hearst, among others  were discovered during a March 2018 raid on Salzman's home at 3 Oregon Trail in Halfmoon, according to State Police Investigator Charles Fontinelli, who worked on an FBI task force probing NXIVM.

Raniere, known within NXIVM as "Vanguard," is charged with racketeering, sex trafficking and forced labor in a trial in U.S. District Court in Brooklyn.

The investigator's testimony served to introduce evidence of purported bank records NXIVM obtained through a Canadian investigative firm, Canaprobe, that was tasked with collecting data on individuals that federal prosecutors described as "enemies of NXIVM."

The list also included Stephen Herbits, a longtime confidant of the late Seagram's liquor tycoon Edgar Bronfman. The third witness to testify at Raniere's trial, Herbits said Bronfman's daughters, NXIVM insiders Clare and Sara Bronfman, pressured him in 2008 to ask Soares, Spitzer and the attorney general of New Jersey to bring criminal charges against several enemies of NXIVM  a request he refused.

"They were upset that the prosecutors were not prosecuting the people they were targeting," testified Herbits, an attorney who worked for the Seagram's organization for two decades and served as secretary general of the World Jewish Conference.

"They somehow thought I had something to say to an attorney general I've never met," he testified. "I thought the request was inappropriate  and, frankly, preposterous."

Herbits said the Bronfman sisters believed he had major political clout in Washington, D.C. He said that notion was "imaginary," but acknowledged he was on friendly terms with former President Bill Clinton and his wife, Hillary Clinton, who in 2008 was a U.S. senator and presidential candidate.

After he turned the Bronfman sisters down, Herbits said he suspected he himself would end up on their "enemies list." Based on the subsequent testimony of Fontinelli, that's exactly what happened.

Herbits testified that Clare Bronfman, NXIVM's operations director, sent him emails in late 2008 asking him to speak to George Hearst in an effort to win more favorable coverage of NXIVM in the Times Union ahead of a NXIVM-sponsored visit to Albany by the Dalai Lama.

"The Times Union has written many front page articles all supporting those who have damaged us with these criminal acts (Sara and I are to this day owed $2 million)," stated one of the emails. "They have failed to seek any of the facts. ... They have published several articles with fake evidence and have refused to meet with or interview the company's president."

Herbits said he never contacted Hearst.

Earlier Thursday, former NXIVM senior member Mark Vicente completed his five days of testimony by reluctantly admitting he once belonged to another spiritual organization  and believed its leader had been channeling the spirit of an ancient warrior.

Vicente admitted under cross-examination he had belonged to the Ramtha School of Enlightenment between 1994 and 2004. "It was a body of knowledge," Vicente said.

When Raniere's attorney, Marc Agnifilo, began to probe the subject of Ramtha, Vicente said he was not sure how much he could say  an apparent reference to litigation between himself and the group, which is based in the state of Washington.

"Did you believe that (Ramtha founder) J.Z. Knight was channeling a 35,000-year-old warrior?" Agnifilo asked Vicente.

"For a few years," Vicente responded.

Asked if there was any evidence to back that theory up, Vicente replied that "there was evidence" in the form of scientific testing.

He said Ramtha's leader turned on him when he made a documentary, "What the Bleep Do We Know!?," that dealt with group.

Agnifilo grilled Vicente about his efforts to convince India Oxenberg  the daughter of actress Catherine Oxenberg  to leave both NXIVM and a secret "master/slave" sex club within the organization in which women were being branded with Raniere's initials.

Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years.

He asked Vicente about referring to India Oxenberg as a "monster" after visiting her home, and that Vicente believed she had been spying on him for Raniere.

Vicente repeatedly had a foggy memory, answering "I don't recall" to many questions.

Listen to "NXIVM on Trial," a new Times Union podcast devoted to developments in the federal prosecution of NXIVM leader Keith Raniere. Download podcasts on Spotify, Apple, Pocket Casts, and Libsyn. This coverage is supported by

Agnifilo asked Vicente if it is true he went to the Green Mountain Film Festival to confront India Oxenberg, who was there to promote a 2018 documentary about Tourette syndrome called, "My Tourette's" that was produced by NXIVM director of operations Clare Bronfman.

Vicente said he had been deeply concerned about India Oxenberg because "she was still a true believer" in NXIVM, and was in danger.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Lesko objected to the line of questioning. He told the judge outside the presence of the jury that Agnifilo was trying to suggest to the jury that NXIVM and Raniere were involved in "good things" and could possibly help cure Tourette syndrome.

"This is a sideshow," Lesko said.

Agnifilo fired back: "They weren't in NXIVM because they were brainwashed. They were in NXIVM because they believed it did good things."

Agnifilo said Vicente, his wife Bonnie Piesse and a film crew stalked India Oxenberg at a Manhattan restaurant where she worked. The lawyer suggested Vicente was an "agent for the destruction of NXIVM."

Vicente countered that the crew was a block away, and that his wife wanted to speak to India Oxenberg out of concern.

The judge said he was not going to take the issue of curing Tourette syndrome lightly. He barred discussion of it unless the defense brought it up in its case.

"We're not going into it," the judge said. "Tourette is out."

On Friday, prosecutors plan to call Lauren Salzman, Nancy Salzman's daughter and another longtime NXIVM senior member. Mother and daughter both pleaded guilty to felonies in March.
ALBANY  A policy asking attendees of a state commission meeting to pre-register for the public event may violate New York's Open Meetings Law, according to government experts.

Notices for the Public Service Commission's meeting on Thursday in Albany included a warning that 48-hours notice would be required to attend in person. While the policy wasn't enforced, state Committee on Open Government Executive Director Robert J. Freeman said the proposed burden is "unreasonable, ungovernable and unsupportable."

Freeman said members of the public can be required to comply with certain security requirements, such as going through a metal detector or showing identification, when those policies apply to anyone else entering a government building. But he said two-days notice would be an unreasonable requirement.

"The law says the public has the right to attend, listen and observe the performance of public officials," Freeman said.

If the policy was challenged, he said, "I think it would be found by a court to violate the Open Meetings Law."

The policy was not enforced Thursday, with visitors given a badge and allowed into building three on the Empire State Plaza after showing identification.

PSC spokesman James Denn said the notice was part of new procedures to "ensure safe public access" to the building. A notice of the proposed procedure was first included in the preliminary agenda distributed last week, and reiterated in the final agenda released Wednesday.

Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years.

"We intended to help those who wanted to attend today's session to expedite their check-in process by asking them to pre-register with a 48-hour advanced notice," Denn said. "Going forward, we will clarify that pre-registering is not a requirement to attend session or any other public meetings."

Even though visitors were allowed into the meeting without giving advance notice, state Committee on Open Government Assistant Director Kristin O'Neill said the warning might still discourage people from attending.

"I'm a little concerned that it would be seen as a deterrent," O'Neill said.

David.Lombardo@timesunion.com - 518.454.5427 - @poozer87
(State Police photo)

AUSTERLITZ  A Troy man who ignored a traffic stop, sped up through a work zone then failed to make the exit ramp off the Taconic Parkway Wednesday afternoon faces 11 reckless endangerment counts, State Police said.

Troopers said they tried to stop the 2006 Mercury sedan for a traffic violation at about 1:50 p.m. on the Taconic in the Columbia County town of Austerlitz, but the driver took off. The trooper slowed down "in the interest of public safety in a work zone," then saw the car fail to navigate the exit to Route 203.


By Maciej Kisilowski and Wojciech Przybylski





Maciej Kisilowski Wojciech Przybylski
ALBANY  A woman who graduated with honors from SUNY Polytechnic Institute alleges her degree was rescinded by college officials last year after she declined to file a sexual harassment complaint against the school's fallen founder, Alain Kaloyeros.

Patrizia Burinska, 32, who allegedly had a personal relationship with Kaloyeros for a short time about six years ago, contends SUNY officials improperly invalidated her degree last year as they were unsuccessfully pressuring her to file the harassment claim. At the time, Kaloyeros had stepped down and was facing federal criminal charges while also negotiating the terms of his separation from the university.

SUNY faculty members are not prohibited from having personal relationships with students, as long as those students are not in their class or otherwise supervised by that faculty member.

SUNY Poly's decision to rescind the woman's degree took place about 19 months after she had graduated from the college at the top of her class with an interdisciplinary degree in nanotechnology and entrepreneurship.

A federal lawsuit filed recently by Burinska accuses several SUNY officials of revoking that degree based on an "anonymous complaint" and an audit of her coursework that the college said showed she had not met minimum degree requirements. It's unclear why the school waited so long to flag her coursework.

Burinska enrolled in the Colleges of Nanoscale Science and Engineering at the University of Albany in 2012. She later transferred to the newly formed SUNY Poly, which Kaloyeros helped establish. In May 2016, Burinska received her bachelor of science degree and went to work at the sprawling nanotechnology campus on Fuller Road.

Kaloyeros stepped down as president and CEO of SUNY Poly in October 2016, just weeks after his arrest on state and federal bid-rigging charges related to the upstate development scandal, which also saw the arrest of former top gubernatorial aide Joe Percoco. Todd Howe, a longtime friend of Percoco and Gov. Andrew Cuomo who worked as a paid consultant to SUNY Poly, pleaded guilty to multiple felonies in September 2016 and became a key witness for the prosecution.

SUNY officials confronted Burinska in January 2018, as Kaloyeros was preparing for his federal criminal trial.

Kaloyeros was found guilty last July and sentenced in December to more than three years in prison. He remains free on bond while appealing the conviction.

Burinska accused top SUNY officials of informing her of their issues with her academic credits at a meeting  attended by several high-level officials at the school  where they "encouraged (her) to disclose the nature of her alleged relationship with Dr. Kaloyeros and file a sexual harassment complaint against him," the federal civil complaint states.

That first meeting regarding an "academic matter" was requested by Rhonda L. Haines, vice president of human resources and chief diversity officer at SUNY Poly. The college's Title IX coordinator, Katie Tynan-Simon, also attended the meeting and allegedly provided Burinska with materials detailing how to file a harassment or discrimination complaint.

The lawsuit claims Burinska "was targeted and set-up by SUNY Polytechnic and state defendants in an attempt to obtain information from her about the nature of her alleged relationship with Dr. Kaloyeros, and to discredit and bring punitive action against him, by isolating and pressuring plaintiff, and through the unilateral and arbitrary invalidation and revocation of her earned degree."

At a second meeting two days later, Burinska was told she would need to take about two years' worth of additional courses to receive her degree. She immediately consulted an attorney, who contacted Mark J. Lemire, SUNY Poly's legal counsel. Lemire allegedly stated during that conversation that Burinska "was not being victimized because victims cooperate, and (Burinska) was not cooperating with them regarding Dr. Kaloyeros."

Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years.

About a week later, Alain Diebold, an interim dean at SUNY Poly, and Meghan Getman, the school's registrar, confirmed to Burinska that she would need 65 academic credits to get her degree, and that she would need to take those courses in Utica.

"She has due-process rights and they stepped all over them," said Jeffrey P. Mans, Burinska's attorney.

Steve Ference, a spokesman for SUNY Poly, said "an internal review revealed that the (Burinska's) coursework did not meet the requirements of the Nanoscale Science program and the degree was revoked purely based on her failing to meet academic requirements. ... We look forward to the facts coming out in court."

Last year, UAlbany awarded Burinska a bachelor of science degree  summa cum laude  based on her documented coursework at both schools. But Mans said that Burinska has a contractual right to have her degree issued by SUNY Poly, and that's primarily what the federal lawsuit is seeking.

The federal complaint is buttressed by documents that outline how numerous SUNY officials, including Kaloyeros, had guided and sanctioned Burinska's educational path toward receiving her degree from SUNY Poly.

The lawsuit claims SUNY Poly officials never allowed Burinska to see the anonymous complaint or their audit of her coursework. She also was not provided an opportunity to substantiate her work for SUNY Poly. The lawsuit includes copies of her school records, which summarize her coursework and indicate that she received top grades in nearly all of her classes at both colleges.

The civil claim has been filed in U.S. District Court in Albany against the State University of New York, UAlbany, SUNY Poly, and multiple SUNY officials, including SUNY Poly interim President Grace Wang. It seeks unspecified money damages and the restoration of Burinska's SUNY Poly degree.

Kaloyeros declined to comment on the matter.
[May 16, 2019] Affordable Housing Nonprofit Celebrates Ribbon Cutting for New Low-Income Housing

New low-income rental homes for families in Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana, will be available to the community thanks to $1.2 million in Affordable Housing Program (AHP) funds awarded by Synergy (News - Alert) Bank and the Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas. Join Options for Independence, the nonprofit that received the grant, and bank and project representatives at a home dedication and ribbon cutting ceremony at 11:00 a.m. Friday, May 17, 2019. The event will be held at 617 Hobson Street in Houma, the site of the first of 12 homes to be completed. The media is encouraged to attend. Options for Independence, which provides behavioral health services and resources for youth, families and communities, celebrated the initial groundbreaking for home construction in March. AHP funds assist FHLB Dallas members, such as Synergy Bank, in financing the purchase, construction and/or rehabilitation of owner-occupied, rental or transitional housing, as well as housing for homeless individuals in their community. Since the AHP's inception in 1990, FHLB Dallas has awarded more than $278 million in AHP and AHP set-aside programs, such as HELP and SNAP, to assist more than 51,000 households. For more information about the AHP, visit fhlb.com/ahp.







WHAT: Ribbon Cutting and Home Dedication WHEN: 11:00 a.m. Friday, May 17, 2019 WHO: Gordon Dove, President, Terrebonne Parish Consolidated Government Larry Soraparu, Jr., Councilman-at-Large, St. John the Baptist Parish Jerry Ledet, Jr., President and CEO, Synergy Bank Angel Rodrigue, Vice President, Synergy Bank Barry Chauvin, President and CEO, Options for Independence Greg Hettrick, First Vice President, Director of Community Investment, FHLB Dallas WHERE: 617 Hobson Street Houma, Louisiana 70360

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190516005006/en/

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[May 16, 2019] AM Best Removes From Under Review With Negative Implications and Affirms Credit Ratings of Aegis Security Insurance Company

AM Best has removed from under review with negative implications and affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of A- (Excellent) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of "a-" of Aegis Security Insurance Company (Aegis) (Harrisburg, PA). The outlook assigned to these Credit Ratings (ratings) is negative. The rating actions reflect Aegis' balance sheet strength, which AM Best categorizes as very strong, as well as its adequate operating performance, neutral business profile and marginal enterprise risk management. The rating actions also reflect the company's unfavorable trend in balance sheet strength, as well as the pending bifurcation from the current ownership organization, K2 Insurance Services LLC (K2). The assigned negative outlooks reflect the unfavorable trends in balance sheet strength, stemming from elevated growth in recent years. While risk-adjusted capitalization has remained supportive of the very strong assessment, in recent years, the company has experienced rising underwriting leverage ratios due to premium growth outpacing surplus growth. In 2018, the company experienced elevated catastrophe losses from the California wildfires, which were mitigated ultimately by subjugation right sales and capital contributions by the ultimate parent company, K2. While the management team was able to reduce the losses substantially through creative deal sourcing, the large losses following periods of elevated growth bring uncertainty to the future profitability of the business. Operationally, prior to 2018, the company reported four consecutive years of combined ratios below 100% mainly due to net investment income. Management has implemented a number of corrective actions to improve risk managementand underwriting within its book of business. These actions include enhanced modeling, exposure mitigation efforts, new underwriting restrictions and non-renewal of some higher-risk business. In May 2019, the ownership group announced the sale of majority ownership in K2 to Lee Equity Partners. This sale does not include Aegis, which will be spun off under the current owners of Patrick Kilkenny and Endevour Capital. Going forward, Aegis will continue to provide premium capacity at pre-specified levels for K2. AM Best will monitor the company's results closely, and resolution of the negative outlooks is contingent upon the company's ability to demonstrate a reversal of the current balance sheet strength trends, primarily the growth in underwriting leverage ratios.



This press release relates to Credit Ratings that have been published on AM Best's website. For all rating information relating to the release and pertinent disclosures, including details of the office responsible for issuing each of the individual ratings referenced in this release, please see AM Best's Recent Rating Activity web page. For additional information regarding the use and limitations of Credit Rating opinions, please view Understanding Best's Credit Ratings. For information on the proper media use of Best's Credit Ratings and AM Best press releases, please view Guide for Media - Proper Use of Best's Credit Ratings and AM Best Rating Action Press Releases. AM Best is a global rating agency and information provider with a unique focus on the insurance industry. Visit www.ambest.com for more information.

Copyright  2019 by A.M. Best Rating Services, Inc. and/or its affiliates. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190516005989/en/

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[May 16, 2019] BitDeer and Bitmain Join Forces in New Marketing Initiatives

SINGAPORE, May 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- BitDeer.com is excited to announce that the leading computing power-sharing platform is joining forces with China's crypto mining giant Bitmain to forge a strategic brand alliance. The partnership has been kicked off through a series of cross-marketing initiatives with Antminer, BTC.com and AntPool, three of Bitmain's major subsidiary product lines. BTC.com and AntPool became BitDeer.com's debut strategic partners, dedicated to providing transparent, stable and professional mining pool services to BitDeer.com's global users since the platform's official launch last December. Since then, AntPool and BTC.com have become reliable partners for BitDeer.com, offering users the opportunity to participate in the world's largest mining pools. With BitDeer.com, there are no centralized middlemen due to mining payouts being directly provided from the mining pool to the user's own wallet, which differs from many other platforms. BitDeer.com was also the first computing power-sharing platform to offer mining plans deploying Antminer's new ultra-efficient S17 cryptocurrency miners after the hardware was announced. This has led to higher processing power with a reduction in energy consumption and an added value of lowered pricing. Speaking of the new partnership, Celine Lu, founder of BitDeer.com, said: "Closely working together with Bitmain's hardware products has provided majo advantages for BitDeer's computing power-sharing platform, allowing us to expand our integration capabilities and scalability, and provide the greatest value that we can give to all of our users."



"We firmly believe the cooperation between Bitmain and BitDeer is a positive strategy," said Xiaojun Fan, Bitmain's head of APAC sales. "The partnership will greatly increase mining options for our customer base." CEO of BTC.com Zhong Zhuang has said, "The cryptocurrency market continues to develop and gain mainstream acceptance. In the future, more investors and new commercial hardware mining operators will enter into the cryptocurrency mining industry. For these larger mining operations, they have the leverage and capital to achieve economies of scale. However, for small and medium-sized mining users, BitDeer.com's scalable, reliable, worry-free and transparent sharing mining mode will be the best choice to be competitive against the large players."

Another strategic partner, Antpool's co-founder Xin Tian believed the emergence of BitDeer.com has disrupted the traditional status quo of mining operations. "With the energy costs and initial hardware investments greatly reduced, the barrier of entry for mining has been lowered. Any investors or mining enthusiast can quickly participate in mining cryptocurrencies and receive payouts immediately, which will inevitably provide users with a much friendlier user experience with less risk." As a rising star in the field of cryptocurrency mining, BitDeer.com has been gaining prominence with millions of users for over six months and has served more than 200 countries around the world. BitDeer.com has become a leader due to its intuitive user experience, competitive energy sourcing and expert operational management. BitDeer.com's computing power-sharing platform and dedicated mining sharing service provide the best turnkey mining solution for miners of all sizes. Miners can reduce operational overhead and initial investment when working with BitDeer.com due to the economies of scale that BitDeer.com offers. The unprecedented transparency that BitDeer.com provides is unlike other competitors as users are able to see clearly the operations of the machine rental and receive their crypto mining rewards directly from the mining pool to the wallet of their choice. BitDeer.com also maintains world-class professional server operation facilities and the top colocation maintenance teams with strong industry resource integration capabilities. The industry resources allow for BitDeer.com to work with sustainable electricity providers for the lowest prices. By controlling costs through economies of scale, BitDeer.com is able to obtain the lowest pricing on the operational overhead and pass down the savings directly to miners who participate in the mining platform. About BitDeer.com BitDeer.com is the world's leading computing power-sharing platform, enabling global users to mine cryptocurrencies in a transparent, reliable and convenient way. It saves users from the complicated process of purchasing, installing and hosting mining machines. Individual miners can enjoy the service with just one click. For more information, please visit BitDeer.com or connect onFacebook,Twitter,YouTube andVK. Media Contact:

MagicFew

[email protected] Related Images bitmains-head-of-apac-sales.png

Bitmain's Head of APAC Sales Xiaojun Fan with BitDeer's Founder & CEO Celine Lu image2.jpg View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/bitdeer-and-bitmain-join-forces-in-new-marketing-initiatives-300851423.html SOURCE BitDeer.com

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[May 16, 2019] Bluebird Network Celebrates Missouri Network Alliance's 20th Anniversary

Bluebird Network, LLC, a Midwest telecommunications company, announces that it is celebrating its 20th anniversary on May 21, 2019. Missouri Network Alliance (MNA), founded in 1999, joined with Bluebird Media and Illinois Network Alliance in 2011 to form Bluebird Network ("Bluebird"), and in 2014 the Bluebird Underground Data Center was added through acquisition. For over 20 years, Bluebird has been a leading company in the telecommunications industry, offering enhanced broadband capabilities, building long-lasting relationships and serving local business owners, communities and other nationwide carriers. As a result, the company is trusted as a key business enabler by its employees and customers, some for over 18 years. The company has built over 6,500 fiber route miles across its two-decade history, establishing itself as a primary provider of transport and high-speed internet services in the Midwest. Bluebird provides these fiber-based services in urban, rural and underserved areas, connecting rural areas to major cities. Bluebird is currently completing several additional fiber expansions throughout Missouri. Bluebird's unique, dedicated employees deliver world-class services to enterprise, carrier and data center customers through a combination of personalized customer support, the latest technology and a human connection. Bluebird provides the resources needed for businesses and communities to grow and thrive, creating a customized network solution that meets any level of broadband requirements. "Missouri Network Alliance was well down the path of exceeding the charter objectives that were established when the Bluebird merger launched the company onto an amazing growth trajectory that continues today," says Steve Crane, COO of Bluebird. "The unwavering support of our owners, coupled wit a remarkable staff, ensures a bright future for Bluebird as it enters an exciting new chapter of strategic growth that will deepen and expand its presence throughout the region. My personal objective will be to carry on the reputation of excellent customer service and mission-critical reliability that has been our cornerstone from the beginning."



Today, Bluebird provides a range of network services to enterprise, carrier and data center customers, including Wide Area Network Ethernet, Metro Ethernet, Dedicated Internet Access, E-Line Services, Ethernet Virtual Private LAN Service (E-LAN), Mobile Backhaul Transport services and more. Bluebird's fiber optic infrastructure also connects to the Bluebird Underground Data Center, an underground colocation facility located in Springfield, Missouri, that was acquired in 2014. "Over the last two decades, we have been proud to offer carrier-grade, technologically-advanced fiber optic solutions and data services to businesses of all kinds," says Michael Morey, President and CEO of Bluebird Network. "We extend our congratulations to our peers who began with Missouri Network Alliance for their history of standout success and commitment to providing dependable services to communities and businesses, allowing them to grow and thrive."

To learn more about Bluebird Network, please visit bluebirdnetwork.com. About Bluebird Network Bluebird Network, headquartered in Columbia, Missouri, was formed by integrating Bluebird Media, Missouri Network Alliance, and Illinois Network Alliance. In 2014, an underground data center was acquired and created Bluebird Underground, adding a data center facility to the Bluebird suite of services. Today, the network has over 6,500 fiber route miles of high-speed broadband and fiber-optic connections. The Bluebird fiber network also has over 135 Points of Presence (POP) sites spanning the Midwest, including the major cities of Chicago, St. Louis, Kansas City, Springfield and Tulsa. To learn more, please visit bluebirdnetwork.com and follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190516005034/en/

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[May 16, 2019]

Canada and France work with international community to support responsible use of artificial intelligence

International Panel on Artificial Intelligence to foster international collaboration and coordination

PARIS, May 16, 2019 /CNW/ - Realizing the full potential of artificial intelligence (AI) that benefits all citizens requires international collaboration and coordination. Canada and France are working with the international community to create the International Panel on Artificial Intelligence (IPAI) to support and guide the responsible development of artificial intelligence that is grounded in human rights, inclusion, diversity, innovation, and economic growth.

The Panel will be an organization dedicated to artificial intelligence that will bring together many of the greatest global AI experts. It will be a global reference point on AI, fostering international collaboration and coordination on AI policy development.

Today, the Honourable Navdeep Bains, Canada's Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development, together with Cedric O, France's Secretary of State for Digital Affairs, made public the Declaration of the International Panel on Artificial Intelligence for discussions, and announced further details on the organizational structure of the Panel.

The Declaration states that participants in the Panel will commit to the following shared values, including in their development, use and adoption of AI:

Promote and protect a human-centric and ethical approach to AI, grounded in human rights

Support a multistakeholder approach to AI

Stimulate innovation, growth and well-being through AI

Align efforts on AI with the principles of sustainable development and the goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development

Strengthen diversity and inclusion through AI

Foster transparency and openness of AI systems

Foster trust and accountability in AI

Promote and protect democratic values, processes and institutions

Bridge digital divides

Promote international scientific collaboration on AI

Minister Bains and Secretary O announced the Declaration following their participation in the G7 Digital Ministerial meeting. Under the overarching theme of Building Digital Trust Together, ministers reflected on the requirements and values essential in digital innovation and the role that emerging technologies can play in combating inequality.

During the G7 Digital Ministerial meeting, France and Canada received expressions of interest on the IPAI from Germany, Italy, India, Japan, the United Kingdom, New Zealand and the European Union, and will continue discussions with interested participants on the design of the Panel.

The Panel will be formally launched later this year at the Biarritz Summit and will include a steering committee, a secretariat, and working groups, each focused on an identified topic related to AI, such as its technological development or its impacts, including the future of work, as well as the Secretariat. The Panel will also convene an annual conference of international AI experts, called the "Multistakeholder Experts Group Plenary."

Secretary O also announced that France would be hosting a "Global Forum on AI for Humanity" on October 29 and 30 in Paris. This event, aimed at informing possible priority areas of work for the IPAI, will assemble experts and stakeholders from around the world, drawn from the public and private sectors, academic and scientific communities, as well as civil society more broadly.

Quotes

"Today's announcement is an important step toward ensuring that AI advancements reflect Canadians' values. In partnership with France, Canada is leading the broader international AI community through the establishment of the International Panel on Artificial Intelligence that, once launched, will ensure that the economic and social benefits of artificial intelligence are shared by all citizens."







"An international platform will be necessary in order to ensure a sustainable development of artificial intelligence and serve humanity as a whole. France has been working hard with Canada in order to make concrete progress in that direction and to onboard other countries, especially within the G7."

 Cedric O, Secretary of State for Digital Affairs for France

Quick facts

The International Panel on Artificial Intelligence is a key outcome of the Canada-France Statement on Artificial Intelligence announced by the Right Honourable Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada , and Emmanuel Macron, President of the French Republic, prior to the 2018 G7 Summit.

, and Emmanuel Macron, President of the French Republic, prior to the 2018 G7 Summit. As a first step toward establishing IPAI, Prime Minister Trudeau, Minister Bains and France's Secretary of State for Digital Affairs announced the mandate for the International Panel on Artificial Intelligence at the G7 Multistakeholder Conference on AI in December 2018 .

Secretary of State for Digital Affairs announced the mandate for the International Panel on Artificial Intelligence at the G7 Multistakeholder Conference on AI in . Under Canada's 2018 G7 presidency, Canada advanced a common vision on artificial intelligence, which the G7 Innovation Ministers set out in their Statement on Artificial Intelligence and the G7 Leaders also set out in the Charlevoix Common Vision for the Future of Artificial Intelligence.

2018 G7 presidency, advanced a common vision on artificial intelligence, which the G7 Innovation Ministers set out in their Statement on Artificial Intelligence and the G7 Leaders also set out in the Charlevoix Common Vision for the Future of Artificial Intelligence. Canada launched a $125-million Pan-Canadian Artificial Intelligence Strategy to retain and attract top academic talent and to increase the number of post-graduate trainees and researchers studying artificial intelligence and deep learning.

launched a Pan-Canadian Artificial Intelligence Strategy to retain and attract top academic talent and to increase the number of post-graduate trainees and researchers studying artificial intelligence and deep learning. On March 29, 2018 , President Macron presented an ambitious national AI strategy at the "AI for Humanity" summit. This strategy comprises cross-cutting actions (such as research and development training, funding and regulation) as well as specific actions on top priority economic sectors. In total, 1.5 billion of public money will be dedicated to implementing this strategy over 20182022.

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SOURCE Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada


By Donald Kirk





WASHINGTON  The U.S.-China trade war has grave implications for war and peace around the periphery of China, including the Korean Peninsula. In all the yakking on the U.S. news networks, however, you don't hear much about the danger of the whole shebang exploding into a shooting war.



We may not be at the stage of armed conflict but should never forget that some of the bloodiest wars in the last century erupted from disputes over trade. Just look at the outbreak of World War II in the Pacific when the Japanese decided an attack on U.S. bases in Hawaii and the Philippines was the way to counter constraints imposed on trade with Japan, notably the oil needed then as now to fuel the Japanese economy.



China's President Xi Jinping may be quite reluctant to see huge differences over trade boil over into a real war, but it's unlikely he will be inclined to appreciate U.S. concerns, much less make concessions, while embroiled in a bitter trade war. As long as the U.S. and China impose punitive tariffs on each country's products, we can be pretty sure we will begin to feel the impact on potential conflicts and differences and mere shades of emphasis in a score of flashpoints from the Indian Ocean to Northeast Asia and the peninsula.



Take the South China Sea, where U.S. planes and warships regularly defy Chinese calls to stay away from waters, islets and reefs that the Chinese claim as their own. Or consider the straits between Taiwan and the Chinese mainland 110 kilometers away. Bill Clinton, as U.S. president, ordered U.S. warships into the straits in 1996, but China remains committed, rhetorically at least, to recovering the island province. And China goes on pursuing the belt-and-road initiative under which the Chinese have already built a road through the high Himalayas into Pakistan where they are building a port at Gwadar on the Arabian Sea serving both military and commercial aims.



Nowhere is the Chinese response more sensitive than on the Korean Peninsula. The unanimous view among experts on the region is that Chinese pressure on North Korea is absolutely essential if we are ever to expect Kim Jong-un to give up his nuclear program. As Daniel Russel, former U.S. assistant secretary of state for East Asia and the Pacific, put it at a forum that I attended in Washington, "There's no prospect of a happy ending without the cooperation of China."



But how inclined will Xi Jinping really be to prod Kim to get serious about denuclearization while engaging in tit-for-tat recriminations with the U.S. on trade? "The United States has shifted to full-on strategic rivalry," Russel said. "This has at least the potential to derail U.S.-China cooperation."



Not even in the best of times, as Russel noted, has China made North Korea's nuclear program its top priority. "China wants denuclearization as does the U.S.," Russel said, but stability and survival rank well ahead on "China's wish list."



Joseph Yun, former chief U.S. envoy on North Korea, in the same discussion, agreed. "China's ultimate goal is to get the U.S. out of their back door," he said. The Chinese are not expecting U.S. forces to go home any time soon, but they view the American military presence with deep suspicion dating from the Korean War when Chinese troops rescued North Korea from oblivion just as the Americans believed they were winning it all.



Given the historic hostility of the Chinese toward the Americans in Korea, Beijing's approach toward denuclearization is quite different from that of Washington. "Nobody believes North Korea will completely denuclearize before we begin a peace process." Yun said, meaning a step-by-step, action-for-action routine that would definitely include lifting of sanctions as demanded by the North.



And given China's influence as North Korea's only real ally, the source of most of its fuel and half the food it badly needs, Xi Jinping has another reason not to join the U.S. in calling first and foremost for denuclearization. While the trade war rages, Xi has to be happy to see the Americans distracted by a never-ending dispute with his friend Kim Jong-un.



All of which means, when Trump and Xi meet next month at the G20 summit in Osaka, they should have a lot to talk about. North Korea's nuclear program may not be on the formal agenda but will be on everyone's mind however much the assembled potentates wish it would just go away.





Donald Kirk (www.donaldkirk.com,) has been covering confrontation and conflict in Asia for decades.


[May 16, 2019] CleanChoice Energy Announces 20+ Megawatts of New Minnesota Residential Community Solar

MINNEAPOLIS, May 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- CleanChoice Energy, a renewable energy company that empowers people and businesses to cut emissions and live cleaner lives, is opening 20.51 megawatts of community solar capacity available for residential customers. The new capacity is being supplied by fifteen solar farms owned and operated by Altus Power America in Blue Earth, Dakota, Douglas, Goodhue, McLeod, Meeker, Nicollet, Rice, Stearns, Washington, Winona counties and available for subscription to residents of those and the 20 adjacent counties. The capacity represents enough community solar subscription openings for approximately 3,550 Minnesota residents. CleanChoice Energy Community Solar customers have the opportunity to save money on their utility bills with no upfront costs or payments: CleanChoiceEnergy.com/Minnesota. "Community solar rpresents the best opportunity to expand renewable energy in Minnesota. The state is the national leader for community solar, and these new farms mean thousands of additional Minnesota residents can participate in this great program," said Tom Matzzie, CEO of CleanChoice Energy. "Community solar makes it easy for Minnesotans to go solar and save money."



"Altus Power is proud to be a part of the expanding community solar opportunity for Minnesotans," said Gregg Felton, Managing Partner of Altus Power America. "Affordable clean energy is now more accessible than ever before. We are pleased to be working with CleanChoice Energy to bring solar power to the local community." Minnesota community solar customers will sign up for community solar online at CleanChoiceEnergy.com/Minnesota. CleanChoice Energy is the largest community solar provider in Minnesota with more than 85 megawatts of solar capacity.

About CleanChoice Energy

CleanChoice Energy empowers people and businesses to cut emissions, support renewable energy, and live cleaner lives. Founded in 2012, the company has become one of the fastest growing businesses in America, as ranked on the Inc. 500 and Deloitte's Technology Fast 500. CleanChoice Energy is a Certified B Corporation, a member of the American Sustainable Business Council and the U.S. Green Building Council, and is certified with the highest available rating by Green America's Green Business Network. For more information or to become a customer, visit CleanChoiceEnergy.com. View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cleanchoice-energy-announces-20-megawatts-of-new-minnesota-residential-community-solar-300851655.html SOURCE CleanChoice Energy

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[May 16, 2019] Clearwater Highlights Government Clientele Ahead of GFOA Conference

Clearwater is excited to join government professionals from around the country at the 113th annual conference of the Government Finance Officers Association on May 19-22 in Los Angeles. Clearwater employees are participating in sessions, meeting with attendees in the exhibit hall, and connecting with clients throughout the event. With more than 60 government clients representing 22 states, Clearwater's commitment to government investors has grown significantly in recent years. Collaborative client relationships provide Clearwater with a deeper understanding of the challenges faced each day by governments, and the firm's investment in research and development has increased in response to meet those challenges. In the past year, many city governments, including the cities of Grand Rapids and Minneapolis, have moved to Clearwater for investment portfolio aggregation, reconciliation, accounting, and reporting. "After a lengthy RFP process to evaluate investment managers, we determined we needed to have reporting capabilities in our own hands. That is what we get with Clearwater," said John Globensky, Treasurer for the City of Grand Rapids, Michigan. "Our pricing, custody, and investment manager account data is pulled in to the system daily, freeing up time for us to do other value-added work instead of manual data entry. With Clearwater, we are beginning to see major efficiencies that we have struggled to capture in the past." "We chose Clearwater because we wanted to see all of our cash and investment information in one place for reporting, supporting investment decisions and monitoring compliance with our investment policy," said Mik Abeln, Director of Investments, Capital & Debt Management for the City of Minneapolis. "Prior to Clearwater, this was a highly manual and inefficient process, largely dependent on monthly bank statements and summarization on spreadsheets. Now, it's automated and updated daily. And that's the power of Clearwater for governments: aggregating all of those disparate data sources into one spot, instilling the confidence that it's accurate, and providing the ability to report on it."



"We provide a host of core benefits to investment teams at state and local governments," said Scott Erickson, Chief Operations Officer at Clearwater. "We share many values with public institutions, like a commitment to transparency and a mandate to increase efficiency wherever possible. Our team is excited to be at GFOA and to visit with our valued clients." About Clearwater Analytics

Clearwater Analytics is a global SaaS (News - Alert) solution for automated investment data aggregation, reconciliation, accounting, and reporting. Clearwater helps thousands of organizations make the most of their investment portfolio data with a world-class product and client-centric servicing. Each day, the Clearwater solution reports on more than $3 trillion in assets for clients that include AIG, Arch Capital Group, Cisco (News - Alert), City of Albuquerque, City of Minneapolis, City of Newport Beach, City of Grand Rapids, Facebook, J.P. Morgan, Jackson County, Mutual of Omaha, New Mexico Finance Authority, Oracle (News - Alert), Palm Beach County, Selective Insurance Group, Starbucks, 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/20190516005176/en/

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[May 16, 2019] Cradlepoint Announces 2019 First Responder Charities for its FirstConnectTM Program

Cradlepoint, the global leader in cloud-delivered LTE (News - Alert) and 5G ready wireless edge solutions, announced today the first responder charities it is pledging to donate a portion of its 2019 public safety revenues to in January 2020. The charitable contribution is part of Cradlepoint's FirstConnect program, designed to ease the challenges often faced by first responder agencies in purchasing, deploying, and supporting fixed site, in-vehicle, and IoT-based routing solutions for access to FirstNet and other nationwide public safety broadband networks. Cradlepoint's FirstConnect first responder charity contribution is administered under its CradlepointCares community involvement initiative. For 2019, the following charities have been selected based on the importance and relevance of their missions, and their efficiency in minimizing administration costs so that the majority of funds pass to the cause. First Responders Children's Foundation (https://firstresponderkids.org): The First Responders Children's Foundation (FRCF) is committed to ensuring that the children of first responders receive the resources necessary to help them thrive and become the heroes of tomorrow. eary Firefighters Foundation (www.learyfirefighters.org): The Leary Firefighters Foundation (LFF) was founded by actor Denis Leary after the loss of his cousin and a childhood friend in an abandoned warehouse fire. LFF's mission is to provide funding and resources for fire departments to obtain the best available equipment, technology, and training. It is dedicated to helping maintain the highest level of public safety in its communities.



"With over 3,000 first responder agency customers-including police, fire and emergency services in some of the nation's largest cities-we understand the challenges and sacrifices that first responders experience every day and the role technology plays in improving their efficiency and safety," said Todd Krautkremer, chief marketing officer at Cradlepoint. "We feel an obligation to be more than just a solution provider, which is why our mantra is 'we connect and serve those who protect and serve our communities', and why our FirstConnect program includes an annual charitable contribution to first responder causes." FirstConnect Program

Cradlepoint's FirstConnect program eases the challenges often faced by first responder organizations in purchasing, deploying, and supporting new edge routing solutions that take advantage of FirstNet and other nationwide public safety broadband networks. These challenges include finding and applying for grant monies to help fund purchases and referrals to logistical and technical resources for installation of in-vehicle routers, training of IT and operational staff, and priority access to knowledgeable support resources around the clock at a moment's notice. About Cradlepoint Cradlepoint is the global leader in cloud-delivered wireless edge solutions for branch, mobile, and IoT networks. The Cradlepoint Elastic Edge vision-powered by NetCloud services-provides a blueprint for agile, pervasive and software-driven wireless WANs that leverage 4G LTE and 5G services to connect people, places and things everywhere with resiliency, security, and control. More than 25,000 enterprise and government organizations around the world, including 75 percent of the world's top retailers, 50 percent of the Fortune 100, and first responders in 10 of the largest U.S. cities, rely on Cradlepoint to keep critical branches, points of commerce, field forces, vehicles, and IoT devices always connected and protected. Major service providers use Cradlepoint wireless solutions as the foundation for innovative managed network services. Founded in 2006, Cradlepoint is a privately held company headquartered in Boise, Idaho, with a development center in Silicon Valley and international offices in the UK and Australia. Learn more at cradlepoint.com or follow us on Twitter (News - Alert) @cradlepoint. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190516005866/en/

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[May 16, 2019] DIGITALSPEC Recognized Third Year in a Row as One of Virginia's Fastest Growing Companies in 2019 by the VA Chamber of Commerce

FAIRFAX, Va., May 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The Virginia Chamber of Commerce honored DIGITALSPEC, LLC. (DSPEC) at the 2019 Virginia FANTASTIC 50 Awards Banquet held on May 2nd at Westfields Marriott in Chantilly, VA. This prestigious, twenty-fourth annual FANTASTIC 50 event, showcased fifty of the fastest growing companies in Virginia and more than 500 business owners and professionals gathered to celebrate their shared success. As a three-time recipient of this award, DIGITALSPEC continues to stand out as one of Virginia's finest and holds that title with nineteen other Fairfax County, VA companies. Likewise, across Northern Virginia, companies continued their dominance of the Fantastic 50, occupying 38 of the 50 spots on the list. Rankings are based on sales and revenue over a four-year period, and this year DIGITALSPEC placed 21 out of 50 companies as achieving the highest overall growth in VA. "Third time is truly a charm!! To be honored once again, among so many innovative and exceptional companies, is humbling," stated Dr. Charles Dadoo, CEO of DIGITALSPEC. "We will continue to bring exceptional quality and value to our customers and ensure that our commitment to DSPEC's mission is always our highest priority."



DIGITALSPEC was recently awarded a 5-year, $75M Prime Contract with the U.S. Department State providing Enterprise Data Center Services. In the last two years, DIGITALSPEC was also awarded more than $100M in federal contracts and was also ranked as one of America's fastest-growing private companies on the 2018 Inc. 5000 List and was named to Washington Technology's Fast 50 list. DSPEC President, Vishal Dadoo, touched on DSPEC's continuous and prosperous growth, "We are very thankful for the recognition from the VA Chamber. Our pipeline includes several initiatives in 2019 that will expand DSPEC's footprint in the DC, MD, and VA area and we appreciate the VA Chamber of Commerce for this award and recognize the exceptional work they do bringing companies together in Virginia."

About DIGITALSPEC, LLC

DIGITALSPEC, LLC. (DSPEC), a leading information technology and consulting firm, is an SBA-certified 8(a), CMMI Level 3-Compliant, ISO 9001:2015, ISO 20000:2011, ISO 27001:2013 certified corporation founded in 2005 and headquartered in Fairfax, VA, with metropolitan offices in Arlington, VA supporting federal and commercial clients nationally and throughout the greater Washington, DC area. DSPEC's Managing Principals leverage more than 100 years of combined business and IT experience, deep domain expertise, and rich technical knowledge to ensure client satisfaction. Our Federal clients include the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM), Department of State, Department of Commerce, National Background Investigation Bureau (NBIB), Department of Justice (DOJ)/Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), DISA, Department of Defense (DOD)/Washington Headquarters Services (WHS), Missile Defense Agency (MDA), Transportation Security Administration (TSA), Department of Education/Federal Student Aid (FSA), Customs and Border Protection (CBP), U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM) Voice of America's (VOA), and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). For more information, please contact us at 703-626-7445, 443-818-2736 or at [email protected] This press release was issued through 24-7PressRelease.com. For further information, visit http://www.24-7pressrelease.com. View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/digitalspec-recognized-third-year-in-a-row-as-one-of-virginias-fastest-growing-companies-in-2019-by-the-va-chamber-of-commerce-300851378.html SOURCE DIGITALSPEC, LLC

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[May 16, 2019] German Diabetes Clinic Increases Diabetic Retinopathy Screenings From Zero to Thousands After Implementing Eyenuk's EyeArt AI Eye Screening System

Eyenuk Inc., a global artificial intelligence (AI) medical technology and services company and the leader in real-world applications for AI Eye Screening, announced today results of its expansion into Germany. Since adopting the EyeArt AI Eye Screening System in October 2018, Diabetes Center Mergentheim has screened thousands of diabetic patients, identifying approximately 10% with cases of referable diabetic retinopathy (DR). The center is the first dedicated diabetic clinic in Germany to use artificial intelligence for screening of diabetic retinopathy, the leading cause of vision loss in working-age adults.1 The EyeArt AI Eye Screening System makes in-clinic, real-time DR screening possible for any physician, enabling quick and accurate identification of patients with referable DR during a diabetic patient's regular physician visit. Once the patient's fundus images have been captured and submitted to the EyeArt System, the DR screening results are available to view and export to a PDF report in less than 60 seconds. The EyeArt System can free eye care specialists to focus on sight-saving treatment rather than screening for DR. At Diabetes Center Mergentheim, more than 20,000 patients with diabetes are seen each year by diabetes care specialists. Before adopting the EyeArt System, patients would be referred to ophthalmologists outside of the clinic. This process placed undue burden on patients, and often they would never get the necessary screening. "EyeArt AI Eye Screening System is helping us improve diabetic patient care. We can now offer eye screening right in our clinic, without dilation, while reducing wait time for screening and results," said Prof. Dr. med. Thomas Haak, head physician of Diabetes Center Mergentheim and founding member and board director of DiabetesDE. "The accuracy and convenience of the EyeArt System is allowing us to identify and treat DR effectively and quickly. The patients with no referable DR feel good that they can be screened again in a year, and the patients with identified referable DR can feel good that their silently progressing retinopathy has been identified and will be treated before any loss of sight." About 7.5 million people in Germany have diabetes mellitus2, with over 2,500 patients going blind due to diabetic retinopathy each year. German guidelines recommend at-risk patients be screened annually, but this can be difficult with the shortage of eye doctors. By incorporating the EyeArt System into their clinic, Diabetes Center Mergentheim has addressed a serious complication associated with diabetes - the center now screens 10 to 15 patients per day for this vision-threatening condition. "Last year, we began our partnership with Diabetes Center Mergentheim with a great promise, and now it is very gratifying to see the promise turning into real meaningful impact that EyeArt System's adoption is making to the diabetes patients in the Bad Mergentheim community," said Kaushal Solanki, founder and CEO of Eyenuk. "We are now replicating our success to clinics throughout Germany, taking us one more step further in realizing our mission to screen every eye in the world." About Diabetic Retinopathy (DR) DR is a complication of diabetes caused by damage to the blood vessels of the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye (retina). It is a silently progressing disease that at first may cause no symptoms or only mild vision problems. Eventually, it can cause blindness. The condition can develop in anyone who has type 1 or type 2 diabetes.3 It is estimated that one-third of all patients with diabetes will develop DR,4 making it the leading cause of vision loss in working-age adults.5 While DR screening is recommended for all diabetic patients, less than half get screened annually1, even in the developed world. Since diabetic patients outnumber ophthalmologists by 1,130 to 1 in Germany6, there are just not enough eye care specialists to meet the DR screening needs of the growing diabetic population. Even for those receiving an annual screening, ophthalmology appointment wait times for DR screening can be weeks or even months. About the EyeArt AI Eye Screening System The EyeArt AI Eye Screening System is the most extensively validated AI technology for autonomous detection of DR, tested in the real world on more than a half million patient visits globally with over 2 million images collected in real-world clinical environments. The EyeArt System was developed with funding from the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) and is validated by the U.K. National Health Service (NHS). The EyeArt System has CE marking in the European Union and a Health Canada license. In the U.S., the EyeArt System is limited by federal law to investigational use. VIDEO: Learn more about the EyeArt AI Eye Screening System for Diabetic Retinopathy at the Diabetes Center Mergentheim About Eyenuk Inc. Eyenuk Inc. is a global artificial intelligence (AI) medical technology and services company and the leader in real-world AI Eye Screening for autonomous disease detection and AI Predictive Biomarkers for risk assessment and disease surveillance. Eyenuk is on a mission to screen every eye in the world to ensure timely diagnosis of life- and vision-threatening diseases, including diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration, stroke risk, cardiovascular risk and Alzheimer's disease. EyeArt is a registered trademark of Eyenuk Inc. www.eyenuk.com ____________________







1 Prokofyeva E, Zrenner E. Epidemiology of major eye diseases leading to blindness in Europe: a literature review. Ophthalmic Research. 2012;47:171-188. doi: 10.1159/000329603 2 International Diabetes Federation (2017) IDF Diabetes Atlas, 8th edn. http://www.idf.org/diabetesatlas 3 https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/diabetic-retinopathy/symptoms-causes/syc-20371611 4 Yau JW, Rogers SL, Kawasaki R, et al. Global prevalence and major risk factors of diabetic retinopathy. Diabetes Care. 2012;35:556-64. doi: 10.2337/dc11-1909 5 Prokofyeva E, Zrenner E. Epidemiology of major eye diseases leading to blindness in Europe: a literature review. Ophthalmic Research. 2012;47:171-188. doi: 10.1159/000329603 6 http://www.icoph.org/ophthalmologists-worldwide.html

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[May 16, 2019] GSMA Outlines New Developments for MWC19 Shanghai

The GSMA today announced new developments for MWC19 Shanghai, including recently confirmed keynote and 4YFN speakers, Artificial Intelligence Accelerate Programme, leading players showcasing latest mobile technologies at the GSMA Innovation City, Seminars and Forums and newly joined exhibitors, partners and sponsors. Taking place 26 - 28 June 2019 at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre (SNIEC), the GSMA expects more than 60,000 professionals from over 110 countries and territories representing a wide range of industry sectors to attend. "Intelligent Connectivity, encompassing 5G, AI, IoT and Big Data, is paving the way for a new era which is set to impact almost every aspect of our daily lives," said John Hoffman, CEO, GSMA Ltd. "Across MWC19 Shanghai, attendees will have the opportunity to hear from leaders who are driving this innovation globally. They will have access to exciting experiences and discussions through the exhibition and specialised programmes such as Artificial Intelligence Accelerate Programme, Digital Leaders, Women4Tech, 4YFN and more. We look forward once again to welcoming the mobile industry to Shanghai." New Keynote Speakers Confirmed The GSMA announced additional keynote speakers for the MWC19 Shanghai conference programme, including: Yang Jie, Executive Director and Chairman, China Mobile

Jing Ulrich, Managing Director and Vice Chairman of Asia Pacific, JPMorgan Chase & Co.

Cristiano Amon, President, Qualcomm These executives join previously announced speakers including: Hooi Ling Tan, Co-Founder, Grab Group

Mats Granryd, Director General, GSMA

Ken Hu, Deputy Chairman, Huawei

Greg Wyler, Chairman, OneWeb

Sigve Brekke, President and CEO, Telenor (News - Alert) Group

Xu Ziyang, CEO, ZTE For more information on the conference, including the agenda and keynote speakers, visit: www.mwcshanghai.com/conference-programmes/. Headline Speakers at 4 Years From Now (4YFN) Meet the headline speakers taking part in 4YFN's start-up focused conference programme: Cindy Chow, Executive Director, Alibaba Entrepreneurs Fund

Minjun Liang, Venture Partner, ATM Capital

Michelle Wu, Chief Information Officer, General Electric Power

Janet Tang, Chief Strategy Officer, Lenovo (News - Alert) Group

Chad Xu, CEO and Founding Partner, Shenzhen Valley Ventures 4YFN, the GSMA's start-up programme, is extending its investor presence at the event by welcoming on board new Investors Club member Shenzhen Valley Ventures and bringing back long-term partner Cathay Innovation. Community partners Momentum Works, Tusstar and Chinaccelerator will bring innovative and exciting startups to the exhibition floor and the Discovery Area Stage, while Mobile World Capital will bring a delegation of Spanish startups and Sud de France will sponsor an exclusive VIP reception. A custom working lounge provided by Spaces will be open to all visitors. For more information about 4YFN, visit: www.mwcshanghai.com/experiences/4yfn/. First Artificial Intelligence Accelerate Programme at MWC Shanghai New to MWC19 Shanghai, the Artificial Intelligence Accelerate Programme will host a range of activities that bring together stakeholders including policymakers, industry leaders, AI specialists, academia and start-ups, to discuss key policy forumulation, stimulate new innovations and explore how AI can be applied throughout the digital economy. The programme, held from 25-28 June, includes events such as AI in Network Seminar, AI Policy Roundtable, Think AI Summit, AI Trust Panels partnered with Digital Asia Hub - a think tank incubated by Harvard University and a number of workshops. For details about Artificial Intelligence Accelerate Programme, visit: www.mwcshanghai.com/about/get-involved/ai/.



GSMA Innovation City Showcasing Latest Mobile Technologies Located in Hall N5, the GSMA Innovation City will once again put a spotlight on the latest leading mobile products and solutions and how they are positively impacting society and helping to create a better future. The City includes interactive demonstrations by new partners China Mobile Migu and Singtel, who join previously announced companies, including BICS, Huawei, myFC and Shanghai Ratta Smart Technology. The City will also host exhibits from the GSMA's industry programmes including Future Networks, Identity and the Internet of Things. Demonstrations include how blockchain is helping to monetize the value of IoT data, how drones and unmanned boats are supporting environmental monitoring and how China's mobile operators are using mobile authentication to help consumers make daily financial transactions. For more information about the GSMA Innovation City, visit: www.mwcshanghai.com/exhibition/gsma-innovation-city/.

Additional Exhibitors and Sponsors Confirmed for MWC19 Shanghai Taking centre stage in Super Hall N3, leading industry players include China Information and Communication Technologies (CICT), China Mobile, China Telecom, Ericsson (News - Alert), New H3C, Nokia Shanghai Bell and ZTE will feature the application of 5G technology in the intelligent connected era. Newly confirmed exhibitors and sponsors for MWC19 Shanghai include Ericsson as the "Connectivity Event Theme Sponsor", new exhibitors Apigate, Gemalto (News - Alert), FIME, Gosuncn Technology, Intracom Telecom, Korea Information and Technology Industry Association (KICTA), Microsoft China, SI-Tech join previously announced companies including Lenovo, Qualcomm, OPPO, Samsung, vivo, among others. For more information on the exhibition, visit: www.mwcshanghai.com/exhibition/. DISPLAY CHINA 2019 Co-located For Second Year at MWC19 Shanghai DISPLAY CHINA will be a concurrent event with MWC19 Shanghai for the second year in Hall E5 at the SNIEC and will promote the latest flexible and HD displays and future innovative applications. MWC Shanghai attendees holding VIP, Gold, All Exhibition or Press/Analyst passes will have access to Display China 2019. For more information about Display China, visit: www.mwcshanghai.com/exhibition/display-china/. GSMA Forums and Seminars The GSMA will host a range of forums and seminars at MWC19 Shanghai to provide insights and updates on key industry developments. GSMA Future IoT Convention, sponsored by Nokia Shanghai Bell and Sunsea AIoT

4th 5G Spectrum (News - Alert) & Policy Forum, co-hosted by GSA

eSIM Forum, sponsored by Valid

Future Broadband Forum, co-hosted by C114

5G Network Forum For more information on GSMA Forums and Seminars, visit: www.mwcshanghai.com/conference-programmes/forums-seminars/. Register and Get Involved at MWC19 Shanghai Registration to attend MWC19 Shanghai is now open, for information on registration and pass types, please visit: www.mwcshanghai.com/attend/register/ For more information on MWC19 Shanghai, including how to attend, exhibit, partner or sponsor, visit www.mwcshanghai.com. Follow developments and updates on MWC19 Shanghai through our social media channels - follow us on Twitter at @GSMA and use #MWC19, get regular updates through our LinkedIn Showcase Page at www.linkedin.com/showcase/mwcshanghai/, and follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/mwcshanghai. In China, you can follow us on Sina Weibo weibo.com/mwcshanghai or search "GSMA_MWCS" in WeChat. -ENDS- About the GSMA The GSMA represents the interests of mobile operators worldwide, uniting more than 750 operators with nearly 400 companies in the broader mobile ecosystem, including handset and device makers, software companies, equipment providers and internet companies, as well as organisations in adjacent industry sectors. The GSMA also produces the industry-leading MWC events held annually in Barcelona, Los Angeles and Shanghai, as well as the Mobile 360 Series of regional conferences. For more information, please visit the GSMA corporate website at www.gsma.com. Follow the GSMA on Twitter: @GSMA. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190516005325/en/

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[May 16, 2019] HITRUST Supports Texas Legislation on Privacy

HITRUST, a leading data protection standards development and certification organization, supports legislation that would create a council to study privacy laws and how privacy practices for Texas businesses could be strengthened through potential legislation. Representative Giovanni Capriglione's (Southlake) House Bill 4390, passed by the Texas House unanimously on May 7, 2019 and would create the Texas Privacy Protection Advisory Council. The Council would study and evaluate Texas laws and other privacy laws in order to make recommendations to the Texas Legislature on privacy provisions to consider during the 2021 session. The Council would include representatives from the Texas House, Texas Senate, and industry stakeholders. HITRUST applauds Rep. Capriglione's concept of a public-private council to review and make recommendations in this important policy area. Consumer awareness of data protection issues continue to attract scrutiny and Texas businesses must acknowledge and respond to consumer concerns. Ensuring that policy experts and representatives of the businesses who would need to implement any changes work together will allowTexas to address data protection and privacy in an effective, efficient, and practical manner.



"Texas is known as a leader in data privacy and innovation," said Anne Kimbol, HITRUST's Chief Privacy Officer. "We fully support our government partners leveraging the expertise of the private sector to drive privacy and security best practices and further protect Texans with meaningful legislation such as HB 4390." HITRUST is the standard in privacy and security certifications and has unique insight into the privacy practices and challenges facing businesses across industries. As an independent party, HITRUST brings value to public policy discussions, such as HB 4390, and similar legislation in other States.

House Bill 4390 is currently in the Texas Senate. About HITRUST Since it was founded in 2007, HITRUST has championed programs that safeguard sensitive information and manage information risk for global organizations across all industries and throughout the third-party supply chain. In collaboration with privacy, information security and risk management leaders from the public and private sectors, HITRUST develops, maintains and provides broad access to its widely adopted common risk and compliance management frameworks, related assessment and assurance methodologies. HITRUST understands the challenges of assembling and maintaining the many and varied programs needed to manage information risk and compliance. The HITRUST Approach provides organizations a comprehensive information risk management and compliance program to provide an integrated approach that ensures all programs are aligned, maintained and comprehensive to support an organization's information risk management and compliance objectives. For more information, visit www.hitrustalliance.net. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190516005064/en/

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[May 15, 2019] Latham & Watkins Adds Three Prominent Corporate Partners In Tokyo

Group brings formidable M&A and related transactional experience to Latham, further strengthening the firm's practice in Japan and globally. TOKYO, May 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Latham & Watkins is pleased to announce that Ivan Smallwood, Noah Carr, and Stuart Beraha have joined the Tokyo office as partners in the Corporate Department. With the addition of this formidable team, Latham stands poised to capitalize on the strong and growing outbound M&A market in Japan. The group advises Japanese companies and financial investors on outbound M&A, joint ventures, strategic investments, and IP and technology licensing matters. Smallwood and Carr have extensive experience advising Japanese corporates and sponsors on structuring and negotiating outbound acquisitions, investments and divestitures, strategic alliances, and joint venture transactions. They have advised on high profile transactions in the technology, telecommunications, and financial services industries, including acquisitions of and investments into businesses in Japan, China, India, Southeast Asia, and across the United States. Beraha's practice focuses on technology, content, branding, and other intellectual property development, licensing and partnering transactions. He has a strong track record advising Japanese companies on structuring and negotiating joint ventures and strategic alliances; technology, software and content licenses; development and outsourcing agreements; intellectual property components of mergers and acquisitions transactions; and other transactions relating to the transfer of technology and intellectual property. "Ivan, Noah, and Stuart have stellar reputations for handling complex M&A and related transactions and are widely acknowledged as leaders in their respective fields. Their stature in the business community and track record advising major Japanese companies on complex cross-border matters wil bolster our strategic goal of expanding our practice in Japan and across Asia," said Stephen McWilliams, Office Managing Partner of Latham & Watkins in Tokyo. "Each one brings a wonderful mix of experience and talent."



Rich Trobman, Chair and Managing Partner of Latham & Watkins, said: "The Japanese market, with its sophisticated global needs, continues to be very important to our platform. Ivan, Noah, and Stuart are a cohesive team who will add momentum to an already powerful practice, serving leading multinationals to fast-growth startups across the Pacific Rim and around the world, spanning diverse industries from financial services to technology. This is an exciting milestone for Latham." "We're focused on building the absolute best practice globally. You can only do that by having incredible talent on the ground in every major economy. With the addition of Ivan, Noah, and Stuart to our terrific Tokyo-based lawyers, our firm comes one step closer to achieving this goal," added Marc Jaffe, Global Chair of Latham & Watkins' Corporate Department.

Sharon Lau, Global Vice Chair of the firm's Corporate Department, said: "This group has a well-earned reputation for being super-competitive and very entrepreneurial, with a tremendous drive to serve their clients coupled with a positive attitude that supports a culture of teamwork. They will be exceptional colleagues and excellent additions to the practice." Smallwood, Carr, and Beraha join Latham & Watkins from Morrison & Foerster LLP in Tokyo. Smallwood graduated with a BA from the University of California, Berkeley in 1994 and earned a JD from the University of Michigan Law School in 2000. He is a member of the California Bar and a registered foreign lawyer in Japan. Carr graduated with a BA from New York University in 2003 and earned a JD from Columbia Law School in 2008. He is a member of the New York Bar and a registered foreign lawyer in Japan. Beraha graduated with a BA from the University of Michigan in 1990 and earned a JD from New York University Law School in 1993. Early in his career, he clerked for the Honorable Avern Cohn in the Eastern District of Michigan. He is a member of the New York Bar and a registered foreign lawyer in Japan. About Latham & Watkins

Latham & Watkins delivers innovative solutions to complex legal and business challenges around the world. From a global platform, our lawyers advise clients on market-shaping transactions, high-stakes litigation and trials, and sophisticated regulatory matters. Latham is one of the world's largest providers of pro bono services, steadfastly supports initiatives designed to advance diversity within the firm and the legal profession, and is committed to exploring and promoting environmental sustainability. Notes to Editors

Latham & Watkins operates as a limited liability partnership worldwide with affiliated limited liability partnerships conducting the practice in France, Italy, Singapore, and the United Kingdom and as affiliated partnerships conducting the practice in Hong Kong and Japan. Latham & Watkins operates in South Korea as a Foreign Legal Consultant Office. Latham & Watkins works in cooperation with the Law Office of Salman M. Al-Sudairi in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Contacts

Rich Trobman, Chair and Managing Partner +44.20.7710.1180

Stephen McWilliams, Tokyo Office Managing Partner +81.3.6212.7805

Marc Jaffe, Global Chair of the Corporate Department +1.212.906.1281

Sharon Lau, Global Vice Chair of the Corporate Department +65.6437.5464

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[May 16, 2019] Louisiana Governor launches the first ever Cyber Security Education Center in the state with Cybint and BPCC

NEW YORK, May 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Global cyber education leader, Cybint Solutions, and Bossier Parish Community College (BPCC) are once again leading the charge to enhance Louisiana's cybersecurity educational ecosystem, and equip current and future cyber professionals with advanced skills, tools and expertise. In yesterday's ceremony at the Cyber Innovation Center in Bossier City, La., Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards announced the formation of the new Cyber Center Hub of North Louisiana, a collaboration between the state, Cybint, BPCC, Louisiana Tech University, Northwestern State University, Grambling University and Louisiana State University-Shreveport. The Cyber Center, which will be housed on the BPCC campus, will offer Cybint's comprehensive suite of multi-level cyber education and workforce development offerings for cybersecurity professionals and students across Louisiana. Classes will range from cyber literacy for non-technical professionals to advanced, hands-on simulation-labs and a cyber-range environment for those pursuing a cybersecurity career. Cybint and BPCC have enjoyed a longstanding relationship and shared mission to positively influence cyber education in Louisiana. In 2018, the organizations hosted two professional development cyber range competitions and workshops, the initial one for industry partners and the second for academic partners. The overwhelming response was that Cybint provided a comprehensive educational training platform that would benefit both industry and academia.



"Well over a decade ago, the leaders of Northwest Louisiana joined the State of Louisiana in creating the Cyber Innovation Center as an anchor of the 3,000-acre National Cyber Research Park here in Bossier City," Gov. Edwards said. "Today, GDIT employs 800 cybersecurity professionals here because of that effort, we have a major STEM Building serving students and veterans, and shared by Bossier Parish Community College and Louisiana Tech University. We have established an I-20 Cyber Corridor stretching from this cyber hub, and the Global Strike Command of Barksdale Air Force Base, to the Fortune 500 headquarters of CenturyLink in Monroe. Today, we're assembling another strategic asset that will make Louisiana a national and global leader in cybersecurity." "This is an exceptional honor for us," Cybint CEO Roy Zur said. "Our collaboration with BPCC has been impactful and our entire organization has been gratified to see the enthusiasm and passion for cyber learning in this region. We look forward to the next phase."

"From all of our research, we found that Cybint was the premier leader in providing a platform for hands-on cybersecurity education, training, and simulation," said Dr. Rick Bateman, Jr., chancellor of BPCC. "To establish such a partnership with Cybint is a win for everyone involved. Our partnership will have a far-reaching impact that benefits not only our students here at BPCC, but also students, industry partners, and educational institutions across the state of Louisiana." About Bossier Parish Community College

Bossier Parish Community College is a Center of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance (2-Year) by the National Security Agency (NSA) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and was designated this past year as the first Center of Workforce Excellence in Cyber Technology in Louisiana. BPCC offers a number of IT degree options including Cyber Technology, Computer Information Systems, and Systems Administration. For more information about becoming a cyber student or partnering, please contact [email protected] or visit www.bpcc.edu. About Cybint Solutions

Cybint Solutions is a Cyber Education company committed to solving the skills gap and market shortage in cybersecurity through innovative education and training solutions for all levels of expertise. Cybint integrates emerging cyber technologies, hands-on environments and evergreen content into a cutting-edge learning platform for businesses, higher-education institutions, government agencies and regional cyber centers worldwide. With an eye toward preparing the next generation of cyber experts, Cybint creates a deep and powerful global network of cyber knowledge that goes far beyond typical technical expertise. To further address the critical workforce shortage in the industry, Cybint launched the Cyber Talent Network platform which helps match qualified cyber professionals with employers in their region based on the candidates' skills and capabilities. Cybint was founded as a collaboration of military-trained cybersecurity and intelligence experts, industry professionals and well-seasoned educators. View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/louisiana-governor-launches-the-first-ever-cyber-security-education-center-in-the-state-with-cybint-and-bpcc-300851278.html SOURCE Cybint Solutions

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[May 16, 2019] Natixis Report Finds Strong Tailwind for ESG Investing, but Lack of Standards Is Hampering Investor Adoption Rate

More than half (56%) of investors globally, including 61% in the US, believe companies that demonstrate higher integrity will outperform, according to a new report on Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) investment issues released today by Natixis Investment Managers. The finding is important since Natixis also learned that half of investors globally aren't willing to sacrifice returns to achieve sustainability goals. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190516005272/en/ "Today's investors expect the best of both worlds - investments that generate positive performance and also support the values and causes that matter to them - and those two worlds are increasingly merging," said Harald Walkate, Head of Corporate Social Responsibility and ESG for Natixis Investment Managers. "Driven by a genuine convergence of goals, the future of ESG investing is gaining positive attention and popularity across intermediaries. The task now is to further refine the investment processes, develop well-defined metrics and continue to improve transparency." The study is based on surveys Natixis conducted globally with 12,375 financial professionals, individual investors, and institutional investors about the views and issues that drive their decisions on ESG investing. Natixis found that the potential to support personal values while meeting portfolio objectives may be a critical reason why demand for ESG strategies is strong among investors. But the findings also reveal investors' need for clarity on how ESG is implemented - and why. According to the survey: Six in ten (60%) investors globally say they already actively invest with the purpose of making a positive social or environmental impact. A substantially larger number - 76%, including 71% in the US - say it is important to them to be able to invest according to their personal values.

More than half (56%) of investors globally say they actively avoid investing in companies that go against their personal values. However, doubts about whether they have enough information about ESG mean that fewer than half (47%) of investors globally believe their investments can have a positive impact on the world.

Half (56%) of institutional investors believe there is alpha1 to be found in ESG, but lack of track records and difficulty measuring performance are cited as main challenges. Investors know what ESG factors matter to them, but lack tools to measure them When assessing the "E", the "S" and the "G" in "ESG," investors have definite views on what concerns them most. The three main issues for investors globally are pollution (the "E") cited by 52%, human rights (the "S") cited by 54%, and bribery and corruption (the "G") cited by 60%. US investors differ only slightly in their priorities: Human rights (59%) is the most-often cited issue, followed by corruption (57%) and pollution (52%). Climate change, often touted as a top concern for investors, trails as a priority at 45% globally and 41% in the US. However, nearly three in four investors, 73% globally and 71% in the US, say they would purchase a fund if it demonstrated a better carbon footprint, a key goal for climate change. In terms of monitoring the ESG exposures within their portfolios, investors globally say they would take specific actions to align their investments with their values. For example, 44% of investors globally say they would sell stocks in their portfolio involved with weapons manufacturing, tobacco and gambling. One-third (35%) would sell their shares of companies that emit a higher level of pollution than their peers. Finally, 25% would sell shares of companies that lack diversity and/or gender equality in top management positions. US investors are following their global counterparts in some areas (just 34% would sell stocks involved with weapons manufacturing, tobacco and gambling and 21% would sell shares of companies that lack diversity) but are exceeding them in others (38% would sell shares in companies that emit pollutants). Despite positive perceptions and growing demand for investments that reflect their values, Natixis found that investors are not blindly accepting when it comes to ESG investments: Many want more information to support their ESG investment decisions. Only 47% of investors globally, and 50% of those in the US, say they have the information they need to make socially responsible investment decisions. Partly as a result of uncertainties about whether they have enough information about ESG investments, many investors are unsure of how - or whether - they can influence change through their investment decisions. Fewer than half of investors globally believe their investments can have a positive impact on the world, including 44% of US investors. However, Millennials have a more optimistic view, with 56% believing their investments can be a tool for positive change. Financial advisors may be missing an opportunity For financial advisors, closing the information gap could be a significant step to enhancing long-term client relationships. Nine in ten (88%) advisors globally say that the key to their success is their ability to demonstrate value above and beyond asset allocation. Being more attuned to client values could be a clear point of distinction for advisors, and ESG investments are an important way for them to differentiate themselves. But Natixis found the conversation that's happening today could be clearer. Despite the large number of investors who think it is important to align their investments with their values, only 25% of advisors globally, and 28% in the US, believe clients have asked more for ESG investments in the last 12 months. Advisors may be slow to recognize an important investment trend: With investor interest increasing, just 15% of advisors globally, and 17% in the US, think they need to improve their ability to understand and explain ESG to their clients.



While they may feel comfortable with their understanding of ESG, many advisors in the US actually have a limited view of what ESG investing means. When asked to define ESG, a third (33%) say it means negative screening, 20% describe it as incorporating companies' ESG decision-making into the investment process, 19% impact investing and 19% thematic investing. In order to properly advise their clients, financial intermediaries themselves need a better, clearer understanding of ESG. That said, 62% of US advisors currently say they are more likely to recommend ESG products to their clients if there is better data and reporting on these investments. Institutional investors are positive about ESG, but see challenges to adoption

While institutional investors say that aligning organizational values with investments is the most common reason they incorporate ESG factors into their decision-making, values are not the only driver. One in five (20%) institutional investors say that they use ESG investing to generate higher risk-adjusted returns over the long term. Nearly as many (18%) say they already have enjoyed enhanced returns as a result of incorporating ESG into their investing, and 40% are satisfied with their ESG strategy's investment performance. Almost a quarter (23%) already have benefited from increased diversification as a result of ESG. Even more importantly: More than half (56%) believe ESG can mitigate risk going forward, such as loss of assets due to lawsuits, social discord or environmental harm. The best indicators of ESG's growing acceptance among institutional investors: More than half (55%) expect to increase their ESG allocation this year, and 65% think ESG will become an industry standard within the next five years. Although more than half of institutional investors believe there is alpha to be found in ESG, 43% said the lack of well-established track records and difficulty measuring performance are challenges they face. These investors also express concerns about false or exaggerated commitment to ESG-friendly policies - so-called "greenwashing" (40%) and the lack of transparency (37%) in the investing process. Because of this, 36% worry that short-term performance goals and long-term sustainability goals could be in conflict. "Investors have made clear their interest in ESG strategies: Now, the industry has to prove it can deliver across the board - on both values and performance," said Dave Goodsell, Executive Director of Natixis Investment Managers' Center for Investor Insight. "Institutional investors, financial advisors and asset managers will need to work together in a concentrated effort to ensure greater acceptance of ESG investing." Study points to ways to shape long-term acceptance of ESG Natixis found that closing the information gap on what ESG is and how it can be used in investment decision-making is essential to increasing ESG adoption. Based on the study's findings, there are three steps the financial industry can take: 1) Educate investors to better align their assets with their personal values: More education is needed to help investors understand how they can align investment decisions with their values. Not only will financial advisors need to actively listen for how investors voice their preferences and what they want to accomplish with their money, but they also need to engage in better education and training on the specific strategies that help clients realize their goals - be it values alignment, better risk management, influencing corporate behavior or addressing pressing societal issues. 2) Make ESG part of the investment performance discussion: One of the key questions for investors is whether the investments they choose to support their values are actually delivering on that objective. Asset managers who promote ESG investments have a responsibility to report not only on their investment performance but also on how well their funds have actually delivered on advancing ESG goals. 3) Provide clearer definitions of what is meant by ESG: It starts by establishing consistent terminology on ESG. But it also means establishing clear standards and uniform reporting for identifying and measuring the strategies that will help investors achieve specific goals. To download a copy of the full report, titled "Looking for the Best of Both Worlds," visit im.natixis.com/us/research/esg-investing-report-2019. Methodology Natixis Investment Managers surveyed 9,100 individual investors in 23 countries and regions including Asia, EMEA, Latin America, and North America, 2,775 financial professionals in 16 countries and territories in Asia, Continental Europe, Latin America, the United Kingdom and North America, and 500 institutional investors in North America, Latin America, the United Kingdom, Continental Europe, Asia and the Middle East. In the US, Natixis surveyed 750 individual investors and 300 financial advisors. Data for the three surveys were gathered in 2018 by the research firm CoreData. About the Natixis Center for Investor Insight The Center for Investor Insight is dedicated to the analysis and reporting of issues and trends important to investors, financial professionals, money managers, employers, governments and policymakers globally. The Center and its team of independent and affiliated researchers track major developments across the markets, economy, and investing spectrum to understand the attitudes and perceptions influencing the decisions of individual investors, financial professionals, and institutional decision makers. The Center's annual research program began in 2010, and now offers insights into the perceptions and motivations of over 70,000 investors from 31 countries around the globe. About Natixis Investment Managers Natixis Investment Managers serves financial professionals with more insightful ways to construct portfolios. Powered by the expertise of 24 specialized investment managers globally, we apply Active Thinking to deliver proactive solutions that help clients pursue better outcomes in all markets. Natixis Investment Managers ranks among the world's largest asset management firms5 with $960.3 billion / 855.4 billion AUM.6 Headquartered in Paris and Boston, Natixis Investment Managers is a subsidiary of Natixis. Listed on the Paris Stock Exchange, Natixis is a subsidiary of BPCE, the second-largest banking group in France. Natixis Investment Managers' affiliated investment management firms include AEW; Alliance Entreprendre; AlphaSimplex Group; Darius Capital Partners; DNCA Investments;7 Dorval Asset Management; Flexstone Partners; Gateway (News - Alert) Investment Advisers; H2O Asset Management; Harris Associates; Investors Mutual Limited; Loomis, Sayles & Company; McDonnell Investment Management;8 Mirova; MV Credit; Naxicap Partners; Ossiam; Ostrum Asset Management; Seeyond; Seventure Partners; Thematics Asset Management; Vaughan Nelson Investment Management; Vega Investment Managers;9 and WCM Investment Management. Investment solutions are also offered through Natixis Advisors and Dynamic Solutions. Not all offerings available in all jurisdictions. For additional information, please visit Natixis Investment Managers' website at im.natixis.com | LinkedIn (News - Alert): linkedin.com/company/natixis-investment-managers. Natixis Investment Managers' distribution and service groups include Natixis Distribution, L.P., a limited purpose broker-dealer and the distributor of various registered investment companies for which advisory services are provided by affiliated firms of Natixis Investment Managers, and Natixis Investment Managers S.A. (Luxembourg) and its affiliated distribution entities in Europe and Asia. 1 A measure of the difference between a portfolio's actual returns and its expected performance, given its level of systematic market risk. A positive alpha indicates outperformance and negative alpha indicates underperformance relative to the portfolio's level of systematic risk. 2 Natixis Investment Managers, Global Survey of Financial Professionals conducted by CoreData Research in March 2018. Survey included 2,775 financial professionals in 16 countries. 3 Natixis Investment Managers, Global Survey of Individual Investors conducted by CoreData Research, September 2018. Survey included 9,100 investors 25 in countries. 4 Natixis Investment Managers, Global Survey of Institutional Investors conducted by CoreData Research in September and October 2018. Survey included 500 institutional investors in 28 countries. 5 Cerulli Quantitative Update: Global Markets 2018 ranked Natixis Investment Managers as the 16th largest asset manager in the world based on assets under management as of December 31, 2017. 6 Net asset value as of March 31, 2019. Assets under management ("AUM"), as reported, may include notional assets, assets serviced, gross assets, assets of minority-owned affiliated entities and other types of non-regulatory AUM managed or serviced by firms affiliated with Natixis Investment Managers. 7 A brand of DNCA Finance. 8 Natixis Investment Managers, L.P. transferred ownership of McDonnell Investment Management, LLC to Loomis, Sayles & Company, Inc. on January 1, 2019. 9 A wholly-owned subsidiary of Natixis Wealth Management. Risks All investing involves risk, including the risk of loss. Sustainable investing focuses on investments in companies that relate to certain sustainable development themes and demonstrate adherence to environmental, social and governance (ESG) practices; therefore the universe of investments may be limited and investors may not be able to take advantage of the same opportunities or market trends as investors that do not use such criteria. This could have a negative impact on an investor's overall performance depending on whether such investments are in or out of favor. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190516005272/en/

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By Park Moo-jong





It was a cold winter day in February 1990 in the Moscow of the then Soviet Union that I saw people standing in long queues in front of stores, one after another.



I was curious as to why the Moscovites were in such long lines with assorted bags in their hands. (I had a rare chance for a South Korean as a journalist to visit the Soviet Union before the normalization of diplomatic ties between Seoul and Moscow in December that year).



The guide said it was "survival of the fittest." He explained, "The long queues mean that the stores are selling daily necessities, and the people form queues without even knowing what goods are being sold."



The next day, I found a two-story building besieged by youngsters braving the cold. It was the city's first Russian franchised of the U.S.' McDonald's. The scene was quite similar to that in Seoul when residents encircled the first Korean franchise of the American burger joint that opened in Apgujeong in 1988.



Just two weeks ago on May 3, a brand new coffee shop in Seoul was the talk of the town, making headlines in almost all news outlets, and with social media being flooded with photos of and articles about it. It was the opening day of the first Korean Blue Bottle Coffee shop from California, considered a major player in the so-called "third wave of coffee as an artisanal food."



Before its opening at 8 a.m., more than 300 people had lined up in advance, some having been there all night, to be the first to try the coffee. Over 1,000 people were reported to have lined up for approximately three to five hours (according to a Korea Times report).



The people were waiting such a long time just to sip a cup of coffee, with many of them "heavily armed" with masks against fine dust. Were they waiting for something worth waiting for?



Of course, anything worth having in life is worth waiting for. To do the same thing in the same place, people should do it in an organized manner. That's why we think that waiting in queues is essential; otherwise, the place would turn into a mess, especially in crowded areas.



When it comes to standing in long queues for something, many Koreans can recall the scenes of thousands of people forming long lines in front of Seoul Railroad Station to buy tickets for their hometowns and get-togethers with their families and friends during the Chuseok and Lunar New Year holidays.



It may seems boring and a waste of time to wait in queues. However, it saves time because everyone eventually does what they want to at their turn, without wasting time pushing against other people such as those in front of the railroad station as happened in the past.



Such scenes of "survival of the fittest" have entered history after online reservations became the norm starting in the early 1990s. Today standing in long lines for hours to do something is quite different from the past.



The so-called "certification of having been there" has become a popular motive for people to wait in long lines just for a cup of coffee or a bowl of "naengmyeon" (North Korean style cold noodles). Uploading photos of themselves standing in lines on Instagram or YouTube has become the vogue.



For instance, posts on Instagram with the hashtag #BlueBottle numbered more than 160,000 as of Wednesday, and YouTube was also flooded with similar content. Standing in line has itself become a "play" and content.



I do not have the slightest idea of talking down the overall trend; but do have a slight idea of talking down the trend of standing in a queue to sip a cup of coffee  no matter what the brand is  for five hours.



It is hard to understand how "employed" workers can wait to be seated for such a long time in front of famous restaurants for lunch. Of course, the long lines are a sign of the times. The character of consumption rapidly changes to an experience of value from that of need.



People may feel happy about the scarcity by standing in long lines for what they want to do. People, particularly young ones, may feel fortunate in having the time and money to enjoy what they want to do by waiting their turn in long lines.



The Korea Times report ends: "As for the taste of the coffee, well, no one would want to waste hours in line to get a cup of coffee from Blue Bottle. It wasn't worth the fuss."





Park Moo-jong (emjei29@gmail.com) is a standing adviser of The Korea Times. He served as the president-publisher of the nation's first English daily newspaper from 2004 to 2014 after working as a reporter since 1974.






[May 16, 2019] North America $12.26 Bn Automotive Semiconductor Market to 2027 - Increasing Demand for Fully-Autonomous Car is Anticipated to Fuel The Market Growth

DUBLIN, May 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The "North America Automotive Semiconductor Market to 2027 - Regional Analysis and Forecasts by Component; Application; Vehicle Type" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The North America automotive semiconductor market accounted for US$ 7,140.9 Mn in 2017 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 5.5% over the forecast period 2018-2027, to account for US$ 12,267.9 Mn in 2027. Factors including the increase in automotive manufacturing significantly driving the automotive semiconductor market. However, the integration of advanced semiconductors increases the upfront cost of the vehicle in developing regions are impeding market growth. Bolstering Demand for Electric Vehicles is opportunistic for the growth of the market. The automotive industry has experienced the emergence of several new carmakers over the years. The automotive giants are constantly eyeballing on the electric vehicle segment as the section has attracted several customers across North America.



Major players catalyzing the automotive semiconductor market for electric vehicles worldwide include Tesla, BMW, Nissan, Ford, and Volkswagen among others. Electric vehicles consist of several types of semiconductors which enhance the reliability, safety, and performance of the vehicles. As per the International Energy Agency, the global fleet of electric vehicles grew to 3.1 Mn in 2017, marking a 54% growth over the last year.



The electrification of automobiles is ushering the automotive industry and the industries associated with it to a greater extent. The market players are focusing on various initiatives to enhance its reach to rural areas and boost its position in the automotive semiconductor market.



The automotive semiconductor market is fragmented with the presence of several industries and the competitive dynamics in the market is expected to change during the upcoming years. In addition to this, various initiatives are undertaken by the governmental bodies to accelerate the automotive semiconductor market further. For instance, the governments of the US, Canada, and Mexico have taken various measures to promote and attract investments in its automobile component manufacturing industry.



On the basis of component, the microcontroller segment is leading the automotive semiconductor market. However, the memory segment is anticipated to grow at the highest CAGR. The original equipment manufacturers are integrating their vehicles with advanced distributed memory chips with an objective to store several types of data. Varius types of distributed memory in automotive include DRAM, SRAM, FLASH, and ROM among others.







The memory used in automobiles is very similar to that of used in commercial memory or consumer goods memories. These memories also have an error correcting code which enables the memory to gather correct information from the memory access and processes it to store the correct information for future usage. In recent vehicles, the demand for a main centralized processor with a massive memory configuration is soaring, which is helping the memory manufacturers to invest substantial amounts in innovation and development of such memory. Currently, the market players are looking ahead to support automotive semiconductor industry by innovating advanced technological components.



Some of the players present in automotive semiconductor market are NVidia Corporation, Intel Corporation, NXP Semiconductors NV, Infineon Technologies AG, Rohm Semiconductor, Texas Instruments Inc., Renesas Electronics Corporation, Robert Bosch Gmbh, ON Semiconductor Corporation, and STMicroelectronics NV among others.





Key Topics Covered:



1. Introduction



2. Key Takeaways



3. North America Automotive Semiconductor Market Landscape

3.1. Market Overview

3.2. Supply Chain Analysis

3.2.1. Insights On Partnerships Between Electronics Oems And Automotive Companies

3.2.2. Key Developments

3.3. Market Segmentation

3.4. North America Pest Analysis



4. North America Automotive Semiconductor Market - Key Industry Dynamics

4.1. Key Market Drivers

4.1.1. Substantial Growth In Automotive Manufacturing

4.2. Key Market Restraints

4.2.1. Integration Of Advanced Semiconductors Increases The Upfront Cost Of Vehicle

4.3. Key Market Opportunities

4.3.1. Bolstering Demand For Electric Vehicles

4.4. Future Trends

4.4.1. Increasing Demand For Fully-Autonomous Car Is Anticipated To Fuel The Market Growth

4.5. Impact Analysis Of Drivers And Restraints



5. Automotive Semiconductor - North America Market Analysis

5.1. North America Automotive Semiconductor Market Overview

5.2. North America Automotive Semiconductor Market Forecast And Analysis



6. North America Automotive Semiconductor Market Revenue And Forecasts To 2027- Components

6.1. Overview

6.2. North America Automotive Semiconductor Market Breakdown, By Components, 2017 & 2027

6.3. Optical Devices Market

6.4. Sensors & Actuators Market

6.4.1. Overview

6.4.2. North America Automotive Semiconductor Market, By Sensors & Actuators Market Forecasts And Analysis (Us$ Mn)

6.4.2.1. Led Market

6.4.2.2. Image Sensor Market

6.4.2.3. Position Sensor Market

6.4.2.4. Temperature Sensor Market

6.4.2.5. Pressure Sensor Market

6.4.2.6. Other Sensors Market

6.5. Memory Market

6.5.1. Overview

6.5.2. North America Automotive Semiconductor Market, By Memory Market Forecasts And Analysis (Us$ Mn)

6.5.2.1. Dram Market

6.5.2.2. Flash Memory Market

6.6. Mircro-Controllers Market

6.7. Analog Ics Market

6.8. Logic & Discrete Power Devices Market



7. North America Automotive Semiconductor Market Revenue And Forecasts To 2027 - Application

7.1. Overview

7.2. North America Automotive Semiconductor Market Breakdown, By Application, 2017 & 2027

7.3. Advanced Driver Assistance Systems Market

7.4. Body Electronics Market

7.5. Infotainment Market

7.6. Powertrain Market

7.7. Safety System Market



8. North America Automotive Semiconductor Market Revenue And Forecasts To 2027 - Vehicle Type

8.1. Overview

8.2. North America Automotive Semiconductor Market Breakdown, By Vehicle Type, 2017 & 2027

8.3. Passenger Cars Market

8.4. Lightweight Commercial Vehicle (Lcv) Market

8.5. Heavyweight Commercial Vehicle (Hcv) Market



9. North America Automotive Semiconductor Market - Country Analysis

9.1. Overview

9.1.1. North America Automotive Semiconductor Market Breakdown By Key Countries



10. Industry Landscape

10.1. Overview

10.2. Market Initiative

10.3. New Product Development



11. Competitive Landscape

11.1. Competitive Product Mapping



12. North America Automotive Semiconductor Market - Key Company Profiles

NVidia Corporation

Intel Corporation

NXP Semiconductors N.V.

Infineon Technologies AG

Rohm Semiconductor

Texas Instruments Inc.

Renesas Electronics Corporation

Robert Bosch Gmbh

ON Semiconductor Corporation

STMicroelectronics N.V. For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/34tx80



Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research. Media Contact: Laura Wood, Senior Manager

[email protected]



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View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/north-america-12-26-bn-automotive-semiconductor-market-to-2027---increasing-demand-for-fully-autonomous-car-is-anticipated-to-fuel-the-market-growth-300851661.html SOURCE Research and Markets

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[May 15, 2019] Samsung SDI Introduces New ESS Products at 'ees Europe 2019'

Samsung SDI (KRX:006400) launched a variety of products including high-capacity ESS (Energy Storage System) to strengthen its position in the market. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190515006077/en/ Samsung (News - Alert) SDI (KRX:006400) showcased the latest ESS technologies at ees Europe 2019 under the slogan "Energy for the Next" which means preparing the next generation of ESS. The company exhibited its new ESS product E3, an ESS model with energy density enhanced by 20% compared to the previous model. High energy density can achieve space-efficiency because it enables even small-sized ESS to contain a large amount of energy. Designed for utility and commercial, the model can be widely used to supplement uneven energy production of some renewable energy such as solar and wind power or to store cheap, off-peak electricity for peak hours at commercial ESS facilities. On top of that, Samsung SDI drew favorable responses from customers while showcasing full ESS product lineup that reflects cusomer's needs, such as 100Ah cells for ESS and high voltage ESS modules for home. (Photo: Business Wire)



The company showcased the latest ESS technologies at 'ees (electrical energy storage) Europe 2019' held in Munich, Germany for three days from May 15th, under the slogan "Energy for the Next" which means preparing the next generation of ESS.

The ees Europe 2019, which welcomes more than 1,100 ESS companies from 150+ countries, is one of the biggest ESS exhibition in the world. This year, Samsung SDI participated in ees Europe for the sixth time. The company exhibited its new ESS product E3, an ESS model with energy density enhanced by 20% compared to the previous model. High energy density can achieve space-efficiency because it enables even small-sized ESS to contain a large amount of energy. Designed for utility and commercial, the model can be widely used to supplement uneven energy production of some renewable energy such as solar and wind power or to store cheap, off-peak electricity for peak hours at commercial ESS facilities. E3's greatly enhanced energy density is made possible by high energy density cell technology. Samsung SDI improved E3's energy density through the innovation of internal materials without changing the size of embedded battery cells. The design of the rack and module were also optimized to enhance energy density further while maintaining product size. With its higher capacity in the same size as the previous product, it is regarded as an evolved product due to its increased availability and cost-effectiveness in terms of installation and maintenance. This year, Samsung SDI attracted attention with its further improved safety design technology. The company demonstrated its unrivaled safety design capability by meeting the industry's first ESS fire-resistance test standard from Underwriters Laboratories (News - Alert) (UL), a global safety certification company. With this technology, Samsung SDI is set to be a leading company for much safer ESS. On top of that, Samsung SDI drew favorable responses from customers while showcasing full ESS product lineup that reflects customer's needs, such as 100Ah cells for ESS and high voltage ESS modules for home. "We are constantly upgrading our products based on the distinguished technologies," said Jeongwook Kim, Executive Vice President and head of Samsung SDI Strategic Marketing Office. "We will take the lead on the market with improved ESS products." The demand in global ESS market is surging thanks to policies that promote renewable energy. According to the data by SNE Research, a market researcher, the global ESS market is expected to grow by 31 percent per year, from 11.8 gigawatt hours last year to 77.6 gigawatt hours in 2025. [Glossary] ESS (Energy Storage System)

ESS is a system that stores energy. ESS is consist of racks, which are battery modules connected in series. Battery modules are consisting of cells. ESS manufacturers provide various type of products, from cells, modules to racks, in accordance with customer requirements. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190515006077/en/

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[May 16, 2019] ScaleFactor Named to Inc. Magazine's Best Workplaces 2019 List

ScaleFactor, the smart finance and accounting software that enables businesses to operate in real time, today announced it has been named one of Inc. Magazine's Best Workplaces for 2019, the publication's fourth annual ranking list of workplace environments in the private company sector. This prestigious award comes on the heels of the Austin-based startup's launch of its second national office in Denver, Colorado. The Inc. 2019 Best Workplaces list is the result of a comprehensive measurement of private American companies that created exceptional workplaces through vibrant cultures, deep employee engagement, and stellar benefits. Out of nearly 2,000 applicants, Inc. singled out approximately 300 finalists. Companies that prioritize the human elements of the work including employee recognition, performance management, and diversity were identified. "The culture a company creates is crucial to inspire and empower employees to perform their best," said Kurt Ratmann, founder and CEO of ScaleFactor. "Creating a productive work environment that boosts employee morale should be a top priority. When a business provides supportive infrastructure, it fosters a setting that enables employees to feel appreciated and encourages them to professionally succeed."



At ScaleFactor, employee appreciation programs are a core tenet of the company's culture. With over 150 employees thus far and rapid growth plans to continue increasing headcount, the company is currently focused on adding community-minded team members with a passion for technology. "With today's tight labor market, building a great corporate culture is more important than ever," said Inc. Magazine Editor-in-Chief James Ledbetter. "The companies listed on Inc.'s Best Workplaces are setting an example that the whole country can learn from."

For more information about ScaleFactor and their award-winning culture, visit https://scalefactor.com. About Inc. Media Founded in 1979 and acquired in 2005 by Mansueto Ventures, Inc. is the only major brand dedicated exclusively to owners and managers of growing private companies, with the aim to deliver real solutions for today's innovative company builders. Winner of Advertising Age's (News - Alert) "A-list" in January 2015, and a National Magazine Award for General Excellence in both 2014 and 2012, Inc. has a monthly audience reach that's grown from two million in 2010 to more than 20 million today. For more information, visit Inc.com. About ScaleFactor ScaleFactor is on a mission to help small businesses scale faster. By automating complex accounting tasks and translating financial information into usable business insights, ScaleFactor is enabling business owners, managers and entrepreneurs to focus on what they love - running and growing their business. Find out more about how ScaleFactor is solving the problems that businesses face every day at scalefactor.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190516005279/en/

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[May 16, 2019] tastytrade Launches tastyworks Australia, a New Brokerage Firm Providing Direct Access to U.S. Markets for Self-Directed Investors in the Region

tastytrade, Inc., the award-winning, innovative financial media company and parent to financial subsidiaries, announced opening tastyworks Australia, allowing self-directed investors to access the U.S. markets with high-speed executions and low and capped commissions through tastyworks in the U.S. Access to free engaging educational content, that empowers investors, will be provided through tastytrade. Currently tastytrade reaches over 165 countries. Kristi Ross, Co-CEO & President of tastytrade said, "Naming John Ezzy as CEO and Glenn Hall as COO of tastyworks Australia was a natural fit for us. We've known John for over a decade and as a trader in Australia, he understands the needs and challenges of the self-directed investor wanting to access and trade the U.S. markets. John and Glenn have first-hand knowledge of the investing landscape in Australia and the type of limited options that are available. We are thrilled to offer an alternative for investors in Australia and one with low to no fees." Both tastytrade and tastyworks, one of the fastest growing online brokerages, are headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. tastyworks Australia is located in Norwest Business Park, Sydney, NSW, Australia. The tastyworks Australia team is responsible for sharing tastytrade's empowering message which was created by legendary trader Tom Sosnoff, Co-CEO of tastytrade, as well as responsible for sharing tastyworks' product offering to a community that has a strong desire for knowledge, that's ready to learn to trade, or simply make some self-directed investments. "We ar very excited to bring a whole new dimension of investing and trading opportunities for the Australian community," said John Ezzy, CEO of tastyworks Australia. "We want to be a part of their journey especially now that we can deliver a live content offering with in depth research coupled with a full suite of tools and trading technology that brings lower fees, and strong support for the self-directed investor. Australians deserve this, and have been waiting a long time for someone to deliver it. That's where tastyworks Australia will make a difference."



"Expanding to Australia was a natural step as we received a high demand from interested traders. We're ready to deliver exceptional customer service to Australian investors no matter the account size," said Scott Sheridan, CEO of tastyworks. tastyworks is expanding the list of countries from which it can accept account applications. Currently, tastyworks is accepting applications from: Andorra, Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Columbia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, Estonia, Finland, France, French Polynesia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Namibia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, UK, and Uruguay.

Interested traders in tastyworks Australia can visit www.tastyworks.com.au for more information. About tastytrade, Inc. tastytrade is one of the most-watched online financial networks, engaging investors and traders across 165 countries with 8 hours of daily, live, cost-free and commercial free programming with over 100 million hours viewed. tastytrade offers over 50 original segments for new and seasoned veteran traders. tastytrade's data driven research-based content teaches a logical, mechanical approach to investing and identifying opportunities based on probability and volatility. Investors are continually challenged with financial math, humor and new market perspectives. tastytrade is also the parent company to tastyworks, a brokerage firm creating and leading a financial revolution for the do-it-yourself investor and to Quiet Foundation, a data science-driven, fee-free investment advisory service. tastytrade and its companies focus on empowering the individual investor through content, technology and know-how. About tastyworks Based out of Chicago, IL, tastyworks is a brokerage firm, creating and leading a financial revolution for the do-it-yourself investor. The brokerage firm was founded by the same anti-Wall Street team that created thinkorswim in 1999 and tastytrade in 2011. tastyworks supports investors who want to actively manage their own money with a powerful platform, embedded engaging content, and a unique commission structure. tastyworks is a subsidiary of tastytrade. For more information visit www.tastyworks.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190516005158/en/

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[May 16, 2019] Traxon Introduces New Members of the ProPoint Family Designed for Wide Range of Exterior Facades

Traxon Technologies, an Osram business and global leader in dynamic lighting solutions, introduces its latest architectural lighting fixtures, the ProPoint Family of Linear, Vista, Pixel and Sconce fixtures. All four products were developed for building exteriors, and are designed to create excitement by highlighting architectural details. The four new products in the ProPoint Family will be introduced at Lightfair International, May 21-23, 2019, at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia, Penn. Osram will be located at Booth #1701. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190516005528/en/ OSRAM Photo: Clockwise from Top Right: Newly launched ProPoint Vista, ProPoint Linear, ProPoint Sconce, ProPoint Pixel, and previously launched ProPoint Wall Washer. Together with Traxon's ProPoint Washers, the ProPoint Linear, Vista, Pixel and Sconce fixtures create a family of solutions that utilize the same LED chip family to provide consistent color and illumination. The new ProPoint products are available now for lighting designers and architects. The ProPoint Linear brings flexibility to graze lighting aplications with a variety of output, size and color offerings. Its efficient design allows for easy concealed placement, ensuring the architecture remains the focus. Smooth color mixing works seamlessly with other ProPoint family luminaires to deliver limitless possibilities. Available in 1-foot and 4-foot lengths, at 8W or 12W per foot, and comes in three standard finishes: Gray, Black or White.

The ProPoint Vista is Traxon's most powerful Dynamic Lighting luminaire. Available in 200W and 400W sizes, it is ideal for high-rise and tower illumination. Your choice of full color RGBW, Dynamic White, Static White, and Static Color combines with a native 3 degree optic and many spread lens variations for precise lighting control. Available in three standard finishes: Grey, Black or White.

The ProPoint Pixel is a high-brightness, single-pixel luminaire for facade accents, beacon lighting and media applications. RGBW, Dynamic White, and a variety of static colors combine with several diffusion options to create an extensive array of facade lighting possibilities.

The ProPoint Sconce offers a tight, controlled grazing solution to exterior applications where the light source will be visible. The sleek design works in both traditional and contemporary architectural environments. Available in three sizes, with both static white and static color options. The ProPoint Sconce will be on display in the Traxon Suite at LFI. Media may make appointments to see this product at the Suite.



www.osram.us/traxon or stop by Osram Booth #1701 at LFI. For more information about Osram, visit www.osram.com . ABOUT OSRAM

OSRAM, based in Munich, is a leading global high-tech company with a history dating back more than 110 years. Primarily focused on semiconductor-based technologies, our products are used in highly diverse applications ranging from virtual reality to autonomous driving and from smartphones to networked, intelligent lighting solutions in buildings and cities. OSRAM utilizes the infinite possibilities of light to improve the quality of life for individuals and communities. OSRAM's innovations will enable people all over the world not only to see better, but also to communicate, travel, work, and live better. As of the end of fiscal year 2018 (September 30), OSRAM had approximately 26,200 employees worldwide. It generated revenue of more than 3.8 billion from continued operations in fiscal year 2018. The company is listed on the stock exchanges in Frankfurt and Munich (ISIN: DE000LED4000; WKN: LED400; trading symbol: OSR). Additional information can be found at www.osram.com. ABOUT OSRAM SYLVANIA OSRAM SYLVANIA is part of OSRAM Americas, a group of OSRAM companies located in North and South America. As a leader in lighting solutions and services specializing in innovative design and energy-saving technology, the company sells products under the brand names OSRAM, Traxon, ENCELIUM and SYLVANIA. The portfolio ranges from high-tech applications based on semiconductor technology, such as infrared or laser lighting, to smart and connected lighting solutions in buildings and cities. The OSRAM SYLVANIA and OSRAM Americas regional headquarters is located in Wilmington, Massachusetts. For more information, visit www.osram.us or follow us on Facebook (News - Alert) and Twitter. OSRAM is a registered trademark of OSRAM GmbH. ENCELIUM is a registered trademark of OSRAM SYLVANIA Inc. All other trademarks are those of their respective owners. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190516005528/en/

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[May 16, 2019]

VPN.com Brokers Premium Two-Character Domain Name, J8.com

ATLANTA and DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, May 16, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- VPN.com , a leader in exact-match domain name brokerage is pleased to announce another successful transaction. J8.com, a rare two-character domain name, sold for an undisclosed six-figure amount.



Its not often that you hear about a two-character domain name being sold of this caliber or for this price. There are only 1,369 possible combinations for two-character .com domains. We are excited to help another entrepreneur join this elite group of domain owners, explained the VP of Domains at VPN.com, Sharjil Saleem.

The sale represents another milestone for VPN.com. Over the last six months the company has helped dozens of visionaries acquire incredible domains, like J8.com, to build great products on.

This is a great transaction for both sides. Having worked on this deal for some time, it was wonderful to see it close. It would not have been possible without Sharjil and our counterpart. I know they will do wonderful things with J8.com, and like all deals we work on, I certainly look forward to watching, commented Michael Gargiulo, CEO at VPN.com.

Earlier this year, VPN.com successfully brokered the sale of Crete.com for $105,000 (the 3rd largest domain name transaction of 2019 at the time), SEOservice.com for $35,000 (the 32nd largest domain name transaction of 2019 at the time); Detect.com for $57,000 (the 20th largest domain name transaction of 2019 at the time); and facilitated the sales of Tabu.com, Xexe.com, GTA.com, SiteMaps.com and VPNUnlimited.com, all which went for undisclosed amounts.

These domains are just the first batch of many more five, six and seven figure sales on the way from VPN.com. We are working with some of the best domain brokers in the world when it comes to prospecting, negotiating and deal-making. In this market, it is these brokers who get great deals done. If you have premium domains, having an exclusive broker can ensure you are doing more than hopelessly waiting for offers to come in, Gargiulo concluded.



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Manufacture.com

iA.com

San.com









Ter.com

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Alicia.com

Bucket.com

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Bucket.com

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BlockChain.app



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Do you have similar high-quality, exact-match domain names you want to sell? Please submit your domains to: [email protected] and [email protected]

Do you need to buy a premium domain? Please submit your buy requests to: [email protected]

To find a complete list of domain names available for sale by VPN.com, please visit: https://www.vpn.com/domains

To inquire about becoming a domain name broker at VPN.com, please contact: [email protected]

For media and interview inquiries, please email: [email protected] or visit: https://www.vpn.com/press

To learn more about how you can fully protect your brand and internet privacy, please visit: https://www.vpn.com

Follow our CEO on Forbes at: https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/people/michaelgargiulo

About VPN.com

VPN.com helps millions of people find the best VPN for their internet privacy and the best domain name for their brand . VPN.com has bought and sold millions of dollars of domains and has helped tens of millions of people protect their privacy online. VPN.com is the only domain broker in the industry using a $1 million name. Whether you need to buy or sell, let us help you transact your premium domain today at: VPN.com




[May 16, 2019] Water and Sewer Line Protection Program Saves Philadelphia Homeowners $1 Million in First Six Months

Philadelphia officials on Wednesday joined American Water Resources (AWR) representatives to announce that a new water and sewer line protection partnership has already saved Philadelphia homeowners more than $1 million in the first six months of enrollment. The program, a partnership between AWR and the Philadelphia Energy Authority (PEA), an independent creation of City Council, has enrolled more than 57,000 homeowners across the city, allowing them to purchase optional low-cost protection plans for the service lines that extend from city water and sewer mains to the home. The maintenance and repairs of these service lines are the responsibility of the homeowner and are not covered by most homeowners' insurance. Standing alongside homeowners, city officials encouraged Philadelphia residents to take the proactive step of protecting their water and sewer lines to stave off unexpected and unaffordable repair costs. "I am a huge proponent of the American Water Resources water and sewer line protection program. Thousands of 4th District homeowners have taken advantage of the program and will be covered if the unexpected occurs to the lines that serve their home," Councilmember Curtis Jones, Jr., said. "I am thankful to the Philadelphia Energy Authority for coordinating the program. It has been a great success." "As many people are aware, Philadelphia is the poorest large city in the nation. With 26 percent of our population living in poverty, the unfortunate reality is that most residents do not have an emergency reserve for basic, fundamental life expenses like mortgage and utility payments - let alone a fund for unexpected costly home repairs," Councilmember Derek Green (At-Large) said. "The fact that this program, which creates a safety net for homeowners in the event of a broken sewer or water line, now exists is tremendous. I applaud American Water Resources and the Philadelphia Energy Authority on this partnership, for the early success of this program and for their continued efforts to educate our citizens about the benefits." AWR's programs and partnership with the PEA are facilitated in cooperation with the Philadelphia Water, Streets, and Licenses and Inspections (L+I) departments. The water and sewer line programs are available at the low monthly price of 7.98 a month with unlimited protection for covered repairs for both programs. Enrollment in the program comes with 24-hour support, a one-year warranty on covered repairs, and all work performed by an independent local insured contractor provided by AWR.



Philadelphia homeowner Geraldine Robinson said the AWR-PEA partnership helped her parents save thousands of dollars for line repairs, and encouraged all Philadelphia homeowners to take this proactive step toward financial security. "Both my parents and I are customers of American Water Resources, and as caretaker to my parents I recently helped them file a claim at their home in North Philadelphia when they needed their water line repaired. This repair would have cost thousands of dollars and been a huge burden on our family," Robinson said. "American Water Resources lifted this burden by doing what they said they would do: fixing the water line and restoring the street and sidewalk at no additional cost. The city needs more programs like this to keep homeownership affordable for all."

"In Philadelphia, homeowners are responsible for maintaining their water service lines and sewer laterals, which can be costly. The Water Department offers a HELP loan program to customers with exterior home plumbing issues, but our customers have expressed the desire for a proactive protection program that is affordable and that provides peace of mind when a problem occurs," Acting Water Commissioner Sarah Stevenson said. "We are happy to partner with the Philadelphia Energy Authority and American Water Resources on this protection program because it helps to ease the burden on homeowners and allows them to maintain and keep their home plumbing systems in good repair." "The response from Philadelphia homeowners has been remarkable. This program is clearly needed in Philadelphia, where everyone knows someone who has had to pay thousands of dollars to repair a failed water or sewer line," PEA Executive Director Emily Schapira said. "We are proud to offer this low-cost option for homeowners and contribute to energy savings for PWD at the same time." "We are thrilled to be able to provide this important service - and the peace of mind that comes with avoiding unexpected service line repairs - to homeowners across Philadelphia," American Water Resources President Eric Palm added. "In the first six months of our partnership, customers have experienced the value in a service line protection program that goes beyond the limits of standard homeowners' insurance policies. We will continue to expand our relationships in the community and educate homeowners on how they can protect against expensive home repair costs in the event an issue arises." About Philadelphia Energy Authority PEA is an independent municipal authority focused on issues of energy affordability and sustainability for Philadelphia. In early 2016, in partnership with City Council President Darrell Clarke, PEA launched the Philadelphia Energy Campaign, a $1 billion, 10-year investment in energy efficiency and clean energy projects, to help create 10,000 jobs. For more information, visit philaenergy.org. About American Water Resources American Water Resources, a market-based subsidiary of American Water, offers service line protection programs to homeowners in 43 states and Washington, D.C., and currently services nearly 2 million contracts. The company has been providing protection programs for more than 17 years. More than nine out of 10 customers are satisfied and the company holds an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau. American Water Resources also provides its Protection Programs to homeowners through municipal partnerships with the New York City Department of Environmental Protection, Orlando Utilities Commission, Nashville Metro Water Services and others. More information about American Water Resources protection programs is available online at www.AWRUSA.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190516005249/en/

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[May 15, 2019] Marcus Investments to Launch $60MM Retail Focused Real Estate Fund

Marcus Investments announced today that it is formally launching its first real estate fund, Marcus RE Fund I, LP, that will focus on retail power centers in the greater Midwest. The firm seeks to raise $60MM from other family offices, consultants, wealth managers and institutions. Over the past eighteen months, the firm; through its internal real estate division, Berengaria Development, has purchased in excess of 850,000 square feet of power centers totaling more than $125MM. The firm targets properties which are considered "A" locations in "B/B+" markets and have found this approach to be successful. Fundraising has already commenced and is expected to conclude October 1st, 2019. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190515006052/en/ Kohls Grafton, WI (Photo: Business Wire)



Jay Peirick, President of Berengaria, said, "Being able to have a permanent pool of capital where we can be more opportunistic in the space will help us drive better terms and value for our investors. We feel the fund is well-timed given the opportunities we are seeing in the market." About Berengaria, LLC

Berengaria has developed and/or managed more than $500 million of retail developments nationwide since its inception in 2008. The company's team of real estate and retail business experts is seeking to accelerate its growth through its proactive, thoughtful and proven approach, with a focus on acquiring retail centers. Prospective retail opportunities should be sent to the attention of Bob DelGhingaro, Vice President of Operations, at [email protected] or (414) 585-8884. About Marcus Investments, LLC Marcus Investments is a Midwest-based investment firm formed by the Marcus family of Milwaukee to build and grow the next generation of great companies in Wisconsin. The company focuses on long-term value creation and looks to attract like-minded institutions and individuals. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190515006052/en/

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[May 15, 2019] Samsung Display to Expand Its AMOLED Business Into Major IT Markets

Samsung (News - Alert) Display announced today that it plans to expand its production of AMOLED displays for the U.S. on a massive scale beginning this quarter, targeting the premium IT markets. In extending its market leadership for AMOLED displays into strategically-important mass markets beyond smartphones, Samsung Display said it is introducing AMOLED's outstanding benefits to world-class market leaders in the IT industry including top U.S. computer manufacturers. To intensify this global outreach, Samsung Display: just hosted Samsung AMOLED Forum 2019, an in-depth technical seminar for the U.S.-based global computer ecosystem, in Silicon Valley (May 14-15).

has begun presenting AMOLED technologies and 5G integrated solutions to computer OEMs around the world. Samsung Display invited more than a dozen global IT companies with operations in Silicon Valley to the Samsung Device Solutions America headquarters yesterday and today to hear the latest AMOLED advancements applicable to leading-edge IT products. Attendees included world-class corporations in the IT ecosystem, as well as leading IT device manufacturers. Commenting on the Samsung AMOLED Forum 2019, Jeeho Baek, executive vice president of the Mobile Display Sales & Marketing Team at Samsung Display, said, "In the run-up to commercialization of 5G service, this forum holds great significance in the sense that our technical capabilities are being intermingled with ideas from customrs to create new opportunities. Beyond serving as a necessary part of cutting-edge IT devices, our newest AMOLED displays will provide forward-looking customers with solutions that truly optimize the potential for innovation in almost every type of IT form factor."



AMOLED displays are known not only for outstanding color reproduction, but also for properties that enable low power consumption, ultra-slim bezels and especially 'thin-and-light' designs. For example, Samsung Display said that AMOLED panels deliver the best display specifications for notebooks, by enhancing the mobility and seamless streaming capabilities for high-resolution gaming and graphics content.

In presentations here and around the world, the technology giant is also highlighting AMOLED display solutions that have been optimized for cloud and streaming services that speed up the commercialization of 5G technology. Samsung Display said that its latest AMOLED display will allow users to have the most visually-stunning experience in the 5G era with its rapid response rate and exceptionally high frame rate, while delivering unbelievably rich Display HDR (News - Alert) True Black colorization. In addition, the company has revealed a wide range of next-generation products including an unbreakable display, a hologram-projection display, a multi-dimensional light-field display, and sensor-embedded panels, all of which will help users in a new era of multi-purpose, full-screen imagery. Editors' Note: * Active Matrix Organic Light-Emitting Diode (AMOLED) display technology, is frequently referred to simply as OLED. About Samsung Display Samsung Display Co., Ltd. is a global leader in display panel market, with OLED and LCD technologies and products. Employing approximately 70,000 people at nine production facilities and 16 sales offices worldwide, Samsung Display specializes in high-quality displays for consumer, mobile, IT and industrial usage, including those featuring OLED (organic light-emitting diode) and LCD technologies. As a total solution provider, Samsung Display strives to advance the future with next-generation technologies featuring ultra-thin, energy-efficient, flexible, and transparent displays. For more information, please visit www.samsungdisplay.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190515006058/en/

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[May 15, 2019] Guizhou spearheads mobile payment in west China

GUIYANG, China, May 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- As of December 2018, 13 highway toll stations of Guizhou had adopted WeChat payment and about 2,000 of 3,738 highway lanes in Guizhou had installed QR code scanning equipment. "It saves me a lot of time to pay via WeChat without bothering to ask for change when I drive through Guiyang North Toll Station," said a driver surnamed Su in an interview with Huanqiu.com, an official media partner of the 2019 China International Big Data Industry Expo 2019.



However, it has been disclosed by Guizhou Provincial Transportation Department that from the beginning of 2019, WeChat payment will be available at all 441 toll stations on highways in Guizhou. It will only take five seconds to pay via a QR code and pass through the toll station. In the future, mainstream modes of payment such as Alipay and China UnionPay's QuickPass will also be included in the payment system of these toll stations, together with a local mobile payment app.

Besides, by integrating mobile payment into the electronic toll collection (ETC) system, contactless payment will be fully realized in the highway toll stations of Guizhou in the near future, enabling people to pay and pass through the toll gates without stopping their cars. Apart from drivers, mobile payment has also brought convenience to the local administration. A worker at a local toll station told Huanqiu.com that mobile payments have helped them reduce both labor and administrative costs, while saving them from the risk of receiving counterfeit banknotes. At the same time, mobile payments have significantly improved the efficiency of traffic flow in Guizhou, with 10 to 15 seconds reduced during each mobile transaction. It has also been an environmentally-friendly practice for Guizhou to adopt mobile payment methods in highway toll stations, as an average of 0.002 litre of fuel can be saved for each car waiting in line. Photo - https://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20190514/2466087-1 SOURCE Huanqiu.com

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In this March 7 file photo, a logo of Huawei is displayed at a shop in Shenzhen, China's Guangdong province. U.S. President Donald Trump issued an executive order on May 15, apparently aimed at banning equipment from Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei from U.S. networks. AP



U.S. President Donald Trump issued an executive order Wednesday apparently aimed at banning equipment from Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei from U.S. networks.



It declares a national economic emergency that empowers the government to ban the technology and services of ''foreign adversaries'' deemed to pose unacceptable risks to national security _ including from cyberespionage and sabotage. While it doesn't name specific countries or companies, it follows months of U.S. pressure on Huawei. It gives the Department of Commerce 150 days to come up with regulations.



The order addresses U.S. government concerns that equipment from Chinese suppliers could pose an espionage threat to U.S. internet and telecommunications infrastructure. Huawei, the world's biggest supplier of network gear, has been deemed a danger in U.S. national security circles for the better part of a decade. U.S. justice and intelligence officials say Chinese economic espionage and trade secret theft is rampant.



U.S. officials have presented no evidence, however, of any Huawei equipment in the U.S. or elsewhere being compromised by backdoors installed by the manufacturer to facilitate espionage by Beijing. Huawei vehemently denies involvement in Chinese spying.



A senior U.S. administration official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told reporters in a hastily arranged call that that the order was ''company and country agnostic'' and said it would not be retroactive. Officials said ''interim regulations'' were expected before final rules were set but were vague on what that meant.



Washington and Beijing are locked in a trade war that partly reflects a struggle for global economic and technological dominance.



In a statement, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai called the executive order ''a significant step toward securing America's networks.''



''It signals to U.S. friends and allies how far Washington is willing to go to block Huawei,'' said Adam Segal, cybersecurity director at the Council on Foreign Relations. Many in Europe have resisted a fierce U.S. diplomatic campaign to institute a wholesale ban on the Chinese company's equipment in their next-generation 5G wireless networks.



Sen. Mark Warner, vice chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee and a former telecoms executive, called the order ''a needed step'' in a statement endorsing the State Department's contention that Chinese law compels Huawei to act as an agent of the state. He cautioned, however, that its implementation not ''harm or stifle'' legitimate business.



The order's existence in draft form was first reported by The Washington Post last June. Segal said that with U.S.-China trade talks at a standstill, the White House ''felt the time had finally come to pull the trigger.''



It is a ''low cost signal of resolve from the Trump administration,'' Segal said, noting that there is little at stake economically.



All major U.S. wireless carriers and internet providers had already sworn off Chinese-made equipment after a 2012 report by the House Intelligence Committee said Huawei and ZTE, China's No. 2 telecoms equipment company, should be excluded as enablers of Beijing-directed espionage. Last year, Trump signed a bill that barred the U.S. government and its contractors from using equipment from the Chinese suppliers.



The FCC also has a rule in the works that would cut off subsidies for companies that any equipment banned as posing a national security threat. Huawei's handsets are virtually non-existent in the U.S. and last week the FCC rejected a Chinese phone company's bid to provide domestic service .



Only about 2 percent of telecom equipment purchased by North American carriers was Huawei-made in 2017. The domestic economic impact will be restricted mostly to small rural carriers for whom Huawei equipment in particular has been attractive due to its lower costs. That could make it more difficult to expand access to speedy internet in rural areas.



Blair Levin, an adviser to research firm New Street Research and a former FCC official, said the order is likely to widen the digital divide.



Roger Entner, founder of telecom research firm Recon Analytics, tweeted: ''Banning Huawei in the U.S. has the FCC in a conundrum: Low cost Huawei equipment helps to build out broadband in rural America faster.'' He wondered if the FCC would subsidize small rural carriers.



Requests for comment from Huawei and a group representing small carriers, the Competitive Carriers Association, were not immediately returned. Administration officials told reporters they will welcome comments from the telecommunications industry as regulations are set.



They did not say whether subsidies would be considered.



General counsel Carri Bennet of the Rural Wireless Association has said a ban would cost its 15 affected members at least $800 million to redo their networks to strip out Huawei and ZTE equipment. That doesn't include the extra cost of next-generation equipment and upgrades from more expensive Western suppliers.



The association has about 60 members, none with more than 100,000 customers, although many are crucial partners for the nation's four major operators, providing coverage in remote locations through roaming agreements.



Early this year, the Justice Department unsealed criminal charges against Huawei, a top company executive and several subsidiaries, alleging the company stole trade secrets, misled banks about its business and violated U.S. sanctions on Iran. The sweeping indictments accused the company of using extreme efforts to steal trade secrets from American businesses _ including trying to take a piece of a robot from a T-Mobile lab.



The executive charged is Huawei's chief financial officer, Meng Wanzhou, who is also the daughter of the company's founder. She was arrested in Canada last December. The U.S. is seeking to extradite her. (AP)


[May 15, 2019] Bermuda Spotlights Fintech Innovation at Consensus 2019

Bermuda highlighted its world-respected regulatory and legal framework for fintech business, as a delegation of government and industry experts returned for a second year to "Blockchain Week" in New York for Consensus 2019. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190515006089/en/ Bermuda Premier David Burt describes the island's fintech innovations in an interview with Paul Sweeney and Lisa Abramowicz of Bloomberg (News - Alert) Radio during Blockchain Week in New York (Photo: Business Wire) Premier David Burt, accompanied by Finance Minister Curtis Dickinson and Bermuda Business Development Agency CEO Andy Burrows, led a group of regulatory and industry representatives to the annual three-day midtown conference which attracted 4,500 attendees, including major sponsoring companies such as IBM, Deloitte, Microsoft (News - Alert), Citi, RBC and eBay. Along with a business development team from the BDA were Assistant Financial Secretary Stephen Gift, Chief Fintech Advisor to the Premier Denis Pitcher, and fintech experts from the Bermuda Monetary Authority (BMA), Deloitte (News - Alert) Bermuda, PwC Bermuda, and global law firms Appleby, Conyers, and Walkers. "Events like this are important because they bring a lot of the major players from well-established companies that are going to be the largest companies of the future," said the Premier. "It's a long-term investment and it takes time tobuild relationships, but this has given us the opportunity to talk about the innovative work Bermuda has been doing and to raise our jurisdiction's profile in this space. We've had meaningful discussions with companies that want to set up in Bermuda, with those already in the process of setting up, and with some who are investing in companies that want to set up in Bermuda."



Bermuda's fintech environment has evolved substantially since the island sent a delegation to Consensus just one year ago, the Premier noted, with key initial coin offering (ICO) and digital assets business legislation now in place, along with a dedicated fintech unit, regulatory sandbox, and Innovation Hub at the BMA. "That certainty is now paying dividends," he said, "and we are attracting interest from excellent prospects. It bodes well for the future." Bermuda's robust regulation won the spotlight Monday during a Consensus panel that featured the BMA's Senior Advisor for Fintech, Moad Fahmi, along with peers from Japan and Australia. "It was a great opportunity to discuss regulation of digital assets with fellow regulators and industry bodies," said Fahmi. "The digital asset industry is evolving rapidly and moving towards institutionalization-our robust digital asset framework is fit for purpose to welcome entities looking to meet the Bermuda Standard."

Minister Dickinson and Burrows also held a series of meetings outside the conference with institutional investors, family offices, funds and private equity managers, fintech incubators, influencers and investors in technology and digital assets businesses. "We took the opportunity while in New York to meet with leading companies in the wealth management industry to discuss opportunities for their businesses in Bermuda," Dickinson said. "The discussions were fruitful and provided the Bermuda team with valuable insights that can be used as we continue to improve our service offering in our evolving wealth management pillar." "There were many synergies, and underpinning everything is technology, with digital assets now viewed as an asset class driving every industry sector," said Burrows. "Notably, many of our meetings this week were direct offshoots of our BDA industry forum in New York back in March, so the follow-up is underway and the conversations have begun." The Premier met with numerous media, including Reuters (News - Alert), Bloomberg Radio, and Yahoo Finance. He also took part in a video interview with futurist and author David Shrier, an associate professor at Oxford University's Said Business School, who leads Oxford's fintech and blockchain strategy programmes. CONNECTING BUSINESS The BDA encourages direct investment and helps companies start up, re-locate or expand their operations in our premier jurisdiction. An independent, public-private partnership, we connect you to industry professionals, regulatory officials, and key contacts in the Bermuda government to assist domicile decisions. Our goal? To make doing business in Bermuda smooth and beneficial. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190515006089/en/

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[May 15, 2019] SCIKEY Becomes the First to Introduce Crowdsourcing of Job Seeker Resumes With its 'Seller Platform'

PUNE, India, May 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- SCIKEY Talent Commerce platform, an Indo-Finnish venture that had launched its integrated hiring platform a few months back, is now truly crowdsourced with its unique Seller Platform. SCIKEY received its second round of funding early this year from SRKay Consulting Group and has its R&D initiatives being driven from India and Finland. "Seller Platform enables virtually anyone who can contribute job seeker resumes to the integrated database on SCIKEY Talent Commerce platform. We have hundreds of individuals as well as companies who contribute resumes for full time as well as contract jobs posted by the employers hiring on SCIKEY. This has created an opportunity for thousands of people who can contribute and earn from SCIKEY when any of their contributed job seeker resumes get placed with the employers hiring through SCIKEY platform," says Shriram Viswanathan, Co-Founder of SCIKEY. "Our obective is to reduce manual work from recruitment to maximum possible extent using technology and help channelize the energies of HR teams in enhancing the hiring experience that would, in turn, help them build their brands better. Seller Platform ensures complete confidentiality of the sellers and job seekers offering complete transparency through a real-time dashboard where Sellers can view the progress on their contributed resumes. We aim at expanding this network across several countries by next year," says Karunjit Kumar Dhir, Co-Founder, and Head of Global Business Development.



SCIKEY is showcasing its Talent Commerce Platform at SHRM Tech APAC 19, Booth 78 and Start-up Zone in HICC, Hyderabad on 22nd and 23rd May 2019. About SCIKEY

SCIKEY is a new age talent solutions venture, which provides a comprehensive Talent Commerce Platform where human psychology and cutting-edge Technology meet to maximize the potential of talented minds most effectively. SCIKEY has been created to deliver extraordinary outcomes for various talent needs including employee experience management, employee learning & development and employee productivity enhancement through path-breaking MindMatch algorithm. SCIKEY's MindMatch algorithm is focused on disrupting and transforming the way hiring is done globally, using AI & Psychology, adding a completely new dimension of predicting if a certain human behaviour will fit a given job profile. SCIKEY's Global ecosystem owns several IPs in the field of Behaviour Analysis & Prediction. It comprises R&D centres in Europe & India, global R&D Partners, collaborations with global universities and a team of expert researchers & data scientists.

Media Contact :

Ritish Sethi

[email protected]

+91-95522-77722

Head Digital Services

SCIKEY - Venture of SRKay Consulting Group





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[May 15, 2019] Government Chief Information Officer to kick off Cloud Expo Asia, Hong Kong

HONG KONG, May 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- With just one week to go until doors open from 22 - 23 May at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC) for the fourth edition of North Asia's largest technology business event stack, Cloud Expo Asia and its co-located events, have received over 12,000 registrations comprising industry professionals from Estonia, Pakistan, Thailand, Germany, Korea, France and Greater China. At the annual free-to-attend event, attendees will benefit from 128 hours of insightful conference content shared by leading industry experts across 12 theatres on the most pertinent technological issues and strategies in the ever-evolving tech industry. Esteemed Guest-of-Honour, Mr Victor Lam, JP, Government Chief Information Officer of The Government of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, will kick off the event with a welcome address at the Techerati Keynote Theatre on May 22. Throughout the two days, speakers will discuss on topics covering Artificial Intelligence, Cloud Innovations, Big Data, Blockchain, Cloud Management, Cyber Security, Fintech, GDPR, Robotics & Automation and more. With data now being the world's most valuable commodity, the conference agenda will stronly focus on how this invaluable resource can be leveraged, with speakers exploring the topic from various perspectives across the 12 theatres.





Edward Chow, CTO & Founder of PressLogic, will share insights on how PressLogic approaches data, and how its self-developed AI technology works to obtain deeper insights in the ever-changing digital world. With an amazing accumulation of over 8.5 million Facebook & Instagram followers, this session will allow attendees to gain a better understanding of the key to PressLogic's marketing success.



For attendees looking for a full funnel marketing solution to drive sales and conversion, Isaac Tang, Digital Marketing Manager of 100most, will present an engaging conference session at the Business Technology Theatre on the second day. Boasting an extensive 10 years' experience in digital marketing, Isaac will show how companies can integrate creativity with strong data support to convert prospects to customers. "We are delighted to present this wide array of thought leadership and expertise. Attendees will have the opportunity to access some of the industry's best minds in one place across two content-packed days, and we look forward to welcoming everyone to the event this May," said CloserStill Media's Event Director, Candice Wong.

Register for your free pass to visit the event this May: www.cloudexpoasiahk.com/PR3 PR Newswire is the News Release Distribution Partner of Cloud Expo Asia. For more information on the exhibition and conference, visit www.cloudexpoasiahk.com For media enquiries, kindly contact Nic-cole Chia at +65-8138-6336 or [email protected]. About CloserStill Media CloserStill Media specialises in international professional events chiefly in the technology markets, across five global territories. Its portfolio includes some of the UK's fastest-growing and most award-winning events including Cloud Expo Europe and Data Centre World. Having delivered unparalleled quality and relevant audiences for all its exhibitions, CloserStill has been repeatedly recognised as a leading innovator with its teams and international events winning multiple awards in Europe and Asia including Best Marketing Manager - four times in succession - Best Trade Exhibition, Best Launch Exhibition, and Rising Star - two years in succession - among others. For more information, visit www.closerstillmedia.com. SOURCE CloserStill Media

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[May 16, 2019] Dalton Investments Submits Shareholder Proposal to Elect Director to Shinsei Bank Board

Dalton Investments LLC, a registered investment advisor based in Santa Monica, California, announced today the submission of a Shareholder Proposal to elect James Rosenwald, Dalton's Founder, as an Independent Director to the Board of Shinsei Bank. Dalton currently owns more than 6% of the outstanding shares of Shinsei Bank. The proposal will be voted upon at Shinsei's annual meeting, to be held on June 19, 2019. "We are long-term shareholders of Shinsei Bank, and have been patient investors in the stock," said Mr. Rosenwald. "We believe Shinsei Bank needs to strengthen its commitment to building value for all shareholders, especially the taxpayers of Japan, who saved the bank. If elected to the Board, I intend to work every day to enhance the value of the shares. "Our goals are simple: we want to make Shinsei the safest, best-capitalized large bank in Japan, and to ceate a financial foundation that makes possible the repayment of taxpayers in whole and improves return on equity. The best way to accomplish these goals is by selling assets, shrinking the company, and using excess capital to buy back shares.



"While we applaud the recent announcement by the Board to repurchase shares as a good first step, we feel that the stock buyback needs to proceed at a much faster pace if the taxpayer is to be repaid in full. In addition, Shinsei should avoid distracting initiatives such as joint ventures with other banks, namely Suruga, and instead focus first on its own balance sheet. "Until the taxpayer has been repaid, I intend to take a Director's Fee of only one yen per year as I believe this would be the right and honorable policy for non-executive directors. We must work hard to make the taxpayers whole."

About Dalton Investments, LLC Dalton Investments, LLC, is a US-based firm, registered with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission and the Japanese Ministry of Finance. It advises institutional clients in North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific and is headquartered in Santa Monica, California. Several of Dalton's Japanese investment team, based at their office in Tokyo, serve on the boards of publicly-traded firms in Japan as independent directors. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190515006100/en/

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$15M Global Learning XPRIZE Culminates With Two Grand Prize Winners

Today, XPRIZE, the global leader in designing and operating incentive competitions to solve humanity's grand challenges, announced two grand prize winners in the $15M Global Learning XPRIZE. The tie between Kitkit School, from South Korea and the United States, and onebillion, from Kenya and the United Kingdom, was revealed at an awards ceremony hosted at the Google (News - Alert) Spruce Goose Hangar in Playa Vista, where supporters and benefactors including Elon Musk celebrated all five finalist teams for their efforts.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190515006101/en/

Emily Church, executive director of the Global Learning XPRIZE, Dr. Peter H. Diamandis, founder and executive chairman of XPRIZE, Anousheh Ansari, CEO of XPRIZE, and Elon Musk, who provided XPRIZE with the $10M prize purse, present the two grand prize winning teams of the Global Learning XPRIZE, Kitkit School and onebillion, with a $5 million check, each (Courtesy Jesse Grant, Getty).

Launched in 2014, the Global Learning XPRIZE challenged innovators around the globe to develop scalable solutions that enable children to teach themselves basic reading, writing and arithmetic within 15 months. After being selected as finalists, five teams received $1M each and went on to field test their education technology solution in Swahili, reaching nearly 3,000 children across 170 villages in Tanzania. To help ensure anyone, anywhere can iterate, improve upon, and deploy the learning solutions in their own community, all five finalists' software are open source. All five learning programs are currently available in both Swahili and English on GitHub, including instructions on how to localize into other languages.

The competition offered a $10 million grand prize to the team whose solution enabled the greatest proficiency gains in reading, writing and arithmetic in the field test. After reviewing the field test data, an independent panel of judges found indiscernible results between the top two performers, and determined two grand prize winners would split the prize purse, receiving $5M each:

Kitkit School (Berkeley, United States, and Seoul, South Korea) developed a learning program with a game-based core and flexible learning architecture aimed at helping children independently learn, irrespective of their knowledge, skill, and environment.

(Berkeley, United States, and Seoul, South Korea) developed a learning program with a game-based core and flexible learning architecture aimed at helping children independently learn, irrespective of their knowledge, skill, and environment. onebillion (London, United Kingdom, and Nairobi, Kenya) merged numeracy content with new literacy material to offer directed learning and creative activities alongside continuous monitoring to respond to different children's needs.







Before the Global Learning XPRIZE field test, 74% of the participating children were reported as never attending school, 80% reported as never being read to at home, and over 90% of participating children could not read a single world in Swahili. After 15 months of learning on Pixel C tablets donated by Google and preloaded with one of the five finalists' learning software, that number was cut in half. Additionally, in math skills, all five software were equally as effective for girls and boys.

Collectively over the course of the competition, the five finalist teams invested approximately $200M in research, development, and testing for their software, a total that rises to nearly $300M when including all 198 registered teams.

"Education is a fundamental human right, and we are so proud of all the teams and their dedication and hard work to ensure every single child has the opportunity to take learning into their own hands," said Anousheh Ansari, CEO of XPRIZE. "Learning how to read, write and demonstrate basic math are essential building blocks for those who want to live free from poverty and its limitations, and we believe that this competition clearly demonstrated the accelerated learning made possible through the educational applications developed by our teams, and ultimately hope that this movement spurs a revolution in education worldwide."

The grand prize winners and the following finalist teams were chosen from a field of 198 teams from 40 countries:

CCI (New York, United States) developed structured and sequential instructional programs, in addition to a platform seeking to enable non-coders to develop engaging learning content in any language or subject area.

(New York, United States) developed structured and sequential instructional programs, in addition to a platform seeking to enable non-coders to develop engaging learning content in any language or subject area. Chimple (Bangalore, India) created a learning platform aimed at enabling children to learn reading, writing and mathematics on a tablet through more than 60 explorative games and 70 different stories.

(Bangalore, India) created a learning platform aimed at enabling children to learn reading, writing and mathematics on a tablet through more than 60 explorative games and 70 different stories. RoboTutor (Pittsburgh, United States) leveraged Carnegie Mellon's research in reading and math tutors, speech recognition and synthesis, machine learning, educational data mining, cognitive psychology, and human-computer interaction.

"By making each software open source, the Global Learning XPRIZE and the finalist teams are providing an advanced tool that the world can build upon and adapt to needs of their specific community. We believe this is a major advancement for the global movement to transform how we can help to bring quality learning to children anywhere," said Executive Director of the Global Learning XPRIZE Emily Church. "Children everywhere, whether they do not have access to school, have had intermittent access to a classroom, or want to supplement their current education, have the basic human right to learn."

The Global Learning XPRIZE was made possible by the generosity and support of a consortium of benefactors, philanthropists and partners including the United Nations' Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the World Food Programme (WFP), and the Government of Tanzania.

Following the grand prize announcement, XPRIZE is working to secure and load the software onto tablets; localize the software into different languages; and deliver preloaded hardware and charging stations to remote locations so all finalist teams can scale their learning software across the world. The public is invited to sign the pledge to show their support and join the Global Learning XPRIZE community to help provide an education for all children, everywhere.

For more information, visit learning.xprize.org.

About XPRIZE

XPRIZE, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, is the global leader in designing and implementing innovative competition models to solve the world's grandest challenges. Active competitions include the $20M NRG COSIA Carbon XPRIZE, the $10M ANA Avatar XPRIZE, the $7M Shell Ocean Discovery XPRIZE, and the $5M IBM (News - Alert) Watson AI XPRIZE. For more information, visit xprize.org.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190515006101/en/
[May 16, 2019] Wirecard Extends Collaboration With one of Paris' Largest Department Stores Printemps by Boosting WeChat Pay Acceptance

- The wider WeChat Pay integration is part of a larger campaign: sponsored ads, special discounts, and in-app promotions to be offered to Chinese WeChat users - The total transaction volume spent using Chinese payment methods and processed via the Wirecard platform has more than doubled in the last year ASCHHEIM, Germany, May 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Wirecard, the global innovation leader in digital financial technology, and Printemps, a leading French department store, expand their collaboration regarding WeChat Pay acceptance in-store. The Wirecard WeChat Pay solution has been implemented at multiple Printemps locations throughout France. At the fashion, beauty and luxury retailer's flagship store on Boulevard Haussmann in central Paris, a dedicated WeChat Pay campaign has now been launched for the current Chinese peak travel period around the Chinese May holidays. "We are proud to give Chinese tourists yet another reason to visit Printemps Haussmann, a Parisian icon. Upon entering the store and until checkout, they will enjoy a luxurious and modern shopping experience at one of Paris' biggest department stores," commented Laurent Schenten, International Division Director and Customer & Services Director at Printemps. "Wirecard's expertise in the area of digital payments, especially when it comes to Chinese payment methods, has been instrumental in launching the campaign, and we look forward to welcoming even more visitors to our flagship store." The total transaction volume spent using Chinese payment methods and processed via the Wirecard platform has more than doubled in the last year. In department stores, Chinese guests averagely spend around 810 Euro per purchase. The highest single purchase with Chinese payment methods and processed by Wirecard was over 40,000 Euro. Printemps has also seen a very significant digit increase in its total transaction volume with Chinese visitors since the introduction of Chinese payment methods in late 2016.



The latest campaign, which is a joint initiative by Printemps, WeChat Pay and Wirecard, offers the Chinese travelers an optimal shopping experience at the flagship store. A dedicated pop-up campaign area has been set up and furthermore the campaign and Printemps are promoted in the WeChat app in the form of sponsored ads, special discounts, and in-app offers. WeChat boasts over one billion users. In addition to being able to pay with a preferred payment method, which is fast and convenient and offers discounts and optimal exchange rates, quality and price are key factors that influence Chinese tourists' shopping decisions. The collaboration will offer all these benefits to Chinese tourists shopping at Printemps Haussmann during the campaign running until 31 May 2019, which coincides with China's peak international travel season.

"With this exciting campaign with Printemps we have demonstrated that our Chinese mobile payment solutions do not only offer retailers more payment acceptance options, but also targeted marketing and advertising opportunities  all via one platform," added Christian Reindl, EVP Retail & Consumer Goods at Wirecard. "We are excited to launch this campaign with Printemps and show our innovative power in global digital payments, with one of France's most iconic retailers." Wirecard media contact: Wirecard AG

Jana Tilz

Tel.: +49(0)89-4424-1363

Email: [email protected] About Wirecard: Wirecard (GER:WDI) is one of the world's fastest growing digital platforms in the area of financial commerce. We provide both business customers and consumers with a constantly expanding ecosystem of real-time value-added services built around innovative digital payments by using an integrated B2B2C approach. This ecosystem concentrates on the areas payment & risk, retail & transaction banking, loyalty & couponing, data analytics & conversion rate enhancement in all sales channels (online, mobile, ePOS). Wirecard operates regulated financial institutions in several key markets and holds issuing and acquiring licenses from all major payment and card networks. Wirecard AG is listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (DAX and TecDAX, ISIN DE0007472060). Visit us on www.wirecard.com, follow us on Twitter @wirecard and on Facebook @wirecardgroup. Printemps media contact: Printemps

Gilles Desmousseaux

Tel.: +33(0)1-42-82-48-74

Email: [email protected] About Printemps: Founded in 1865 by Jules Jaluzot, Printemps is one of the top French names in fashion, luxury and beauty with 19 department stores in France. With over 2,500 brands and a total surface area of 180,000m, Printemps welcome 60 million visitors to its stores annually, over 20 million of whom visit Printemps Haussmann. Printemps boasts an exceptional cultural and artistic history, and its flagship on Boulevard Haussmann is the best known representation of this heritage. The signature store is a listed building, and has celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2015.

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[May 16, 2019] Takeda and London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Establish "Takeda Chair in Global Child Health"

Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited (TOKYO:4502/NYSE:TAK) ("Takeda") and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) will announce today at the evening reception, hosted by the Embassy of Japan in the United Kingdom, the establishment of the Takeda Chair in Global Child Health, endowed by a 3 million donation by Takeda to LSHTM. The School's first fully endowed corporate chair, it will support vital research into reducing 5.3 million child deaths in low and middle-income countries. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190515006091/en/ Takeda's donation will enable LSHTM to recruit a world-class researcher and educator to join its innovative academic team as the first holder of the Takeda Chair in Global Child Health. This post will play a critical role in consolidating LSHTM's child health research across more than 100 countries, accelerating change for one of the biggest global health challenges, and further strengthening LSHTM's position as a leader in maternal, child and adolescent health. Christophe Weber, President and CEO of Takeda, stated, "Takeda's aim is to thrive at the cutting edge of innovation that helps solve unmet medical needs, both through our own R&D and in collaboration with exceptional partners across the globe. We believe that global health research and the training of new global healthcare professionals are essential to the ongoing translation of science into life-changing therapies for patients. This Chair does both. We are excited to partner with LSHTM, renowned for its pioneering research and uniquely placed to realize the full potential impact of the Chair, and in doing so directly benefitting millions of children and their families." Through its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR (News - Alert)) activities, Takeda has supported health worker training and capacity building, immunization campaigns, health system strengthening and maternal, child and newborn health in the developing world for over a decade. Additionally, Takeda has a long history of supporting child health beyond CSR. For over 70 years, the company has supplied critical vaccines to the children of Japan, and more recently is working to expand impact on global health beyond Japan through a pipeline with the potential to transform the global pictue for several neglected diseases.



More than five million children under the age of five die each year, half of whom die within the neonatal period (birth to one month old), with the next largest number being due to childhood infections such as pneumonia and diarrhea. While the vast majority of these deaths are preventable, key research gaps remain. The Takeda Chair in Global Child Health will enable a 'rising star' to bridge research, public policy, and healthcare delivery by developing thought leadership in child survival and health through innovative research, including vaccines, neonatal care, under-nutrition, and infection diagnostics and treatments. Professor Baron Peter Piot, Director of LSHTM, stated, "We are honored to partner with Takeda to create this Professorial Chair, the first in our School's history to have been fully endowed through corporate support. This donation is incredibly valuable, providing ongoing funding and support for a Professorial Chair in Global Child Health - a pivotal part of our continuing mission to improve health worldwide. We are deeply thankful to Takeda for their generosity as we work together to transform the health of future generations."

Professor Joy Lawn, Director of LSHTM's MARCH Centre (Maternal Adolescent, Reproductive & Child Health Centre), said, "The Takeda Chair will advance the evidence base for child survival and child health around the world, enable innovations and drive an important emphasis on the science and realities of healthcare implementation. This Chair will be instrumental in linking evidence to action, especially in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, where the majority of child deaths occur. We are grateful for Takeda's generous support which will advance child health worldwide, and aligns with the mission of the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and our school's MARCH Centre." International recruitment for the Takeda Chair in Global Child Health will begin in May. Due to the perpetual nature of this endowment, this role will be awarded to generations of academics, enabling the best and brightest academic minds to have the freedom to explore innovative ways to improve global health. About Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited (TOKYO:4502/NYSE:TAK) is a global, values-based, R&D-driven biopharmaceutical leader headquartered in Japan, committed to bringing Better Health and a Brighter Future to patients by translating science into highly-innovative medicines. Takeda focuses its R&D efforts on four therapeutic areas: Oncology, Gastroenterology (GI), Rare Diseases and Neuroscience. We also make targeted R&D investments in Plasma-Derived Therapies and Vaccines. We are focusing on developing highly innovative medicines that contribute to making a difference in people's lives by advancing the frontier of new treatment options and leveraging our enhanced collaborative R&D engine and capabilities to create a robust, modality-diverse pipeline. Our employees are committed to improving quality of life for patients and to working with our partners in health care in approximately 80 countries and regions. For more information, visit https://www.takeda.com About the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine The London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine is a world-leading centre for research and postgraduate education in public and global health, with 4,500 students and more than 3,000 staff working in over 100 countries. LSHTM is one of the highest-rated research institutions in the UK, and among the world's leading schools in public and global health. Our mission is to improve health and health equity in the UK and worldwide; working in partnership to achieve excellence in public and global health research, education and translation of knowledge into policy and practice. For more information, visit www.lshtm.ac.uk and https://march.lshtm.ac.uk/ View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190515006091/en/

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[May 16, 2019] HGC further collaborates with Salesforce and Enxoo to accelerate digital transformation and deliver a better customer experience

HONG KONG, May 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- HGC Global Communications Limited (HGC), a fully-fledged fixed-line operator and ICT service provider with extensive local and international network coverage and infrastructure, today announced its further collaboration with Salesforce, the global leader in Customer Relationship Management (CRM), and Enxoo, a Salesforce Platinum Partner and one of the leading providers of industry cloud solutions for telecommunications, to accelerate its digital transformation and deliver a better customer experience by optimising their interactions and relationships with customers. Additionally, the streamlined customer journey across the sales cycle, product catalogue, pricing tools, quotations and order management will ensure and further accelerate the delivery of an advanced digital customer experience. HGC digital experience fosters deeper customer loyalty The collaboration between HGC, Salesforce and Enxoo offers a rich set of open and modular cross-segmentation tools that will allow HGC to enhance its lead-to-order processes across all customer segments and enable much greater feasibility when responding to fast-changing customer needs, streamlining the provision of solutions for our customers internationally. The powerful Salesforce Einstein Artificial Intelligence platform is embedded across our customer journey. Einstein provides HGC with superior customer insights, access to advanced data analytics and reporting tools. This enables HGC to make proactive decisions to serve customers better and maintain long-term customer loyalty. The open digital platform also allows HGC to use a single ecosystem to gain better visibility over the customer experience during the lead-to-order journey. Extended price quoting and ordering capabilities The HGC-Salesforce-Enxoo collaboration offers omni-channel, configurable product and service catalogues, flexible pricing tools and quoting capabilities as well as the ability to automatically generate and manage customer service orders. HGC can now quickly respond to our customers' requests for prices and quote for complex solutions, providing greater flexibility and facilitating efficient business decisions. With this capability multiple partners and customers can connect directly to access HGC's pricing and sites and even place orders for HGC's products and services. This enables customers to self-service and to automate their procurement and buying processes, as well as providing visibility to their own order status. Collaborating to build comprehensive marketing campaigns The deployment of Salesforce and Enxoo solutions will deepen HGC's digital transformation and enable HGC to deliver connected, personalised and digital customer experiences -- from web content, email and mobile messaging to digital advertising and more. These powerful automated solutions will alo support the creation of highly-targeted marketing and engagement programmes and to generate more meaningful insights about customers, eventually fostering the expansion of HGC's product and service portfolio for our customers.



Jacqueline Teo, Chief Digital Officer of HGC said, "We are passionate in delivering a new level of personalisation, new ways of engagement for our customers, and in supporting our staff to embrace digitalisation. At every step of our digitalisation journey, HGC will strive to optimise our services and solutions and to equip ourselves to meet dynamic market needs in the digital era. In future, we will continue to further expand our ecosystem for much better customer experience." Renzo Taal, Senior Vice President, APAC of Salesforce said, "Our collaboration with HGC on their digital transformation journey is rooted in our unified vision on customer centricity. We are thrilled to be powering the digitisation efforts of HGC and bringing the best customer experience to every one of their customers, truly helping them connect to their customers in a whole new way."

Artur Ostrowski, Chief Commercial Office of Enxoo said, "We are excited to see how Enxoo for Communications helps HGC elevate the customer experience to the new levels and equips the company with the set of tools to make faster and better business decisions supporting dynamic expansion of the operator on the ICT market." About HGC Global Communications Limited HGC Global Communications Limited (HGC) is a leading Hong Kong and international fixed-line operator. The company owns an extensive network and infrastructure in Hong Kong and overseas and provides various kinds of services. It provides telecom infrastructure service to other operators and serves as a service provider to corporate and households. The company provides full-fledged telecom, data centre services, ICT solutions and broadband services for local, overseas, corporate and mass markets. HGC owns and operates an extensive fibre-optic network, five cross-border telecom routes integrated into tier-one telecom operators in mainland China and connects with hundreds of world-class international telecom operators. HGC is one of Hong Kong's largest Wi-Fi service providers, running over 29,000 Wi-Fi hotspots in Hong Kong. The company is committed to further investing and enriching its current infrastructure and, in parallel, adding on top the latest technologies and developing its infrastructure services and solutions. HGC is a portfolio company of I Squared Capital, an independent global infrastructure investment manager focusing on energy, utilities and transport in North America, Europe and selected fast-growing economies. To learn more, please visit HGC's website at: www.hgc.com.hk About Salesforce Salesforce, the global CRM leader, empowers companies to connect with their customers in a whole new way. For more information about Salesforce (NYSE: CRM), visit: www.salesforce.com. Any unreleased services or features referenced in this or other press releases or public statements are not currently available and may not be delivered on time or at all. Customers who purchase Salesforce applications should make their purchase decisions based upon features that are currently available. Salesforce has headquarters in San Francisco, with offices in Europe and Asia, and trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol "CRM." For more information please visit https://www.salesforce.com, or call 1-800-NO-SOFTWARE. About Enxoo Enxoo is a provider of industry cloud solutions which delivers transformational projects to automate and simplify the quote-to-revenue process powered by Salesforce technology. Enxoo is one of the largest and fastest developing independent telco Salesforce partners in Europe. Enxoo solutions are designed to help increase revenue and sales performance efficiency for companies from telecommunications and real estate industries. Enxoo offers also a holistic HR app - Skilo, horizontally suited to every business. Our primary goal is to enable growth of our clients. The great value in perceiving the world from different perspectives we emphasize with our new visual identification. Enxoo is headquartered in Warsaw, Poland, with offices in the Czech Republic, Germany, and the USA. For more information, visit: www.enxoo.com View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/hgc-further-collaborates-with-salesforce-and-enxoo-to-accelerate-digital-transformation-and-deliver-a-better-customer-experience-300851442.html SOURCE HGC Global Communications Limited (HGC)

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[May 16, 2019] Malibu Announces the Return of The Malibu Games for Summer 2019, Continuing Its Digital-first Influencer Approach

LONDON, May 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Malibu is ramping up its influencer programme for the global roll out of The Malibu Games 2019. Bringing together 32 influencers from 9 countries, The Malibu Games is designed to inspire and engage young, fun starters (YFS) across the world as part of its ambition to become a global icon of summer. Now in its second year, the campaign taps into changes in audience behavior and habits; Young adults now look to connect with brands through experience and drink on spontaneous occasions, particularly in summer. Starting in 2018, the content from the inaugural games kick-off event generated 5.4M engagements, 155M video views and 2.1M website visits. Malibu's continued digital-first approach is an investment that works; It keeps them front of mind with young adults and ensures they can connect to their audience in seamless and relevant ways. Through a strategic influencer platform employed through The Malibu Games, Malibu aims to drive fame and reach, ultimately becoming one of the most taked about spirits brands during summer.



Monica Hohle, Malibu Global Marketing Manager explains: "Our digital-first approach combined with influencer collaborations is what keeps Malibu front of mind with young adults. Instead of leading with our liquid's credentials, we target our audience by taking them on a journey, looking for ways to insert Malibu into the experiences they crave and collect. The Malibu Games gives us a way to own a drinking occasion that is both locally and globally relevant." Consumers are given access to The Malibu Games kick-off event via their favorite influencers posting on social media and by following the hashtags #MalibuGames and #BecauseSummer. With content drops throughout the entire summer period, audiences can keep up with the fun by following these episodes on www.maliburumdrinks.com and watching outtakes on Facebook, YouTube and Instagram. By ensuring a more integrated approach, Malibu can deliver content fast and with agility, ensuring it is fresh and relevant.

Kicking off in May over a 3-day period in the Dominican Republic, The 2019 Malibu Games season-long campaign is set to shift brand perception further, focusing on the daytime drinking occasion and the change in consumer behavior towards richer experiences and a more moderate alcohol consumption. Speaking on its aim, the brands Global Marketing Manager Monica Hohle, says: "We're on a mission to become a global icon of summer by creating experiences relevant to our consumers, we're excited to launch The 2019 Malibu Games which is set to inspire our fans and recruit new consumers." Teaser content for The Malibu Games will be released from April 2019 on @maliburum, and consumers can also follow all of the activity from The 2019 Malibu Games event through attendee social channels via 32 individuals from 9 countries, including internet personalities like comedian and model Hannah Stocking, and Latin music sensation Natti Natasha, who between them have a combined Instagram and YouTube following of almost 40 million. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/887818/The_Malibu_Games_Summer_2019.jpg

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/887819/Malibu_Logo.jpg

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[May 16, 2019] Stibo Systems Welcomes Customers, Partners and Industry Thought Leaders to Connect in Copenhagen

Stibo Systems, the only master data management (MDM) company focused on putting Your business first, will welcome more than 350 attendees to its annual customer conference next week - including customers, prospects, partners and thought leaders from diverse industries across the globe. The conference, held at the Tivoli Hotel and Conference Center in Copenhagen, Denmark, offers attendees a unique opportunity to see the latest innovations delivered by Stibo Systems and its growing ecosystem of partners, learn from industry peers how they have elevated the use of data to achieve new levels of business success, and be inspired by some of the brightest minds in the world of MDM. The agenda includes keynotes from several Stibo Systems executives who will outline the company's plans for continued growth and innovation across the seamlessly integrated suite of multidomain MDM solutions, as well as continued innovations in cloud, machine learning and artificial intelligence. Guest keynotes include "Data Whisperer" Scott Taylor, who will challenge attendees to imagine new ways to leverage MDM as a foundation for digital transformation. Renowned speed painter Tim Decker will inspire attendees to use their imagination to collaborate in new ways to drive innovation. And, famed author and entrepreneur Chris Barez-Brown will ignite their passion to be creative leaders within their organization and as data champions within the industry. Stibo Systems customers will also be a vital part of the agenda, leading many of the sessions. In both keynote and breakout presentations, clients will demonstrate how organizations can reduce time to market by up to 80%, lower production costs by as much as 45%, and put many other actions to immediate use to incrase the value of their data with Stibo Systems' MDM solutions.



The conference will give customers an opportunity to meet more than 20 sponsoring partners as the Stibo Systems ecosystems continues to expand quickly. Some of the world's leading companies will be presenting and speaking at Connect, including title sponsor Accenture (News - Alert) as well as CGI, Comma, Tenovos and many others. "Among Stibo Systems' foundational values are a passion for our customers and winning through teamwork, and Connect is the perfect opportunity to put these values into action," said Stibo Systems CEO Niels Stenfeldt. "After closing one of the most successful fiscal years in our 43-year history in terms of customer wins, order intake and other key operational metrics, we look toward continued growth and innovation in the coming year all while focused on putting Your business first. We are excited to have so many of the world's leading companies joining us committed to building a successful future together."

For more information, or to attend Connect, visit our registration page, or go to https://www.stibosystems.com/connect. Also, make plans to visit Connect in Chicago, Oct. 6-9, 2019. Click here for more events where you can find Stibo Systems. Tweet this: @StiboSystems welcomes customers, partners and other industry leaders to #StiboSytemsConnect in Copenhagen, May 19-22. #MasterDataManagement #YourBusinessFirst About Stibo Systems Stibo Systems, the master data management company, is the trusted source of MDM solutions based on a unique business-first, people-centric approach. Our solutions are the driving force behind forward-thinking companies around the world that have unlocked the strategic value of their master data; empowering them to improve the customer experience, drive innovation and growth, and create an essential foundation for digital transformation. Stibo Systems is a privately held subsidiary of the Stibo A/S group, founded in 1794, and is headquartered in Aarhus, Denmark. For more information, visit stibosystems.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190516005232/en/

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Celltrion Chairman Seo Jung-jin speaks during a media conference at Incheon City Hall, Thursday. / Yonhap



By Jun Ji-hye



Celltrion will invest 40 trillion won ($34 billion) by 2030 with the aim of making it a leading global biologics company, Chairman Seo Jung-jin said Thursday.





Of the investment, 25 trillion won will be invested in the firm's core biopharmaceutical business in the western port city of Incheon, he said, noting that this is expected to create 110,000 jobs, directly and indirectly.



Seo made the remarks at a press conference in Incheon where the firm is headquartered.



He said another 5 trillion won will be invested into medicinal chemistry at its facility in Ochang, North Chungcheong Province, while 10 trillion won will be spent on its healthcare platform business.



"Celltrion takes huge responsibility as a company that leads the nation's biopharmaceutical industry," he said. "We will concentrate our efforts on businesses that can contribute to enhancing the competitiveness of the country's healthcare industry."



He said his firm plans to develop more than 20 second-generation biosimilar products in Incheon and expand facilities there to secure production capacity.



The company will work to expand its networks for direct sales worldwide. He said direct sales will be established in Europe by the end of the year; in Asia and South America by the end of 2020; and in the United States and Canada by the end of 2021.



Seo said his firm will also focus on the medical treatment data and artificial intelligence (AI) sectors to develop various platforms that can be utilized in the healthcare business.



Of the 110,000 jobs created, 10,000 will be at Celltrion  2,000 in R&D and 8,000 in production  with the remainder at partner companies.



Celltrion is also pushing to build a "bio valley" in Incheon in cooperation with the city and Samsung BioLogics.



"We have discussed the construction of the bio valley for a long time with Incheon City and Samsung," Seo said.



Incheon is currently carrying out a reclamation project to prepare a site of about 3.31 square kilometers. Seo said that discussions between Samsung BioLogics and the city regarding land purchase is currently underway. He added his firm is also seeking to purchase the land on equal terms.



At the bio valley, Celltrion plans to build its third plant and a large-scale R&D center, while Samsung BioLogics will also build a new factory.


[May 16, 2019] The Rise of ROS: Nearly 55% of total commercial robots shipped in 2024 Will Have at Least One Robot Operating System package Installed

The Robot Operating System (ROS) is a flexible and collaborative open-source framework for building operating systems for robotics. As its adoption continues to grow, ROS is aiming to become the industry standard for robotics middleware. According to ABI Research (News - Alert), a market-foresight advisory firm providing strategic guidance on the most compelling transformative technologies, nearly 55% of total commercial robots shipped in 2024, over 915,000 units, will have at least one ROS package installed, creating a large installed base of ROS-enabled robots. The development of any robotic operating system requires a thorough understanding of systems engineering techniques, knowledge of design goals, and adherence to a rigorous development process. As such, early robotics developers and implementors would struggle to finance such development without investment and support of large academic or corporate entities. The emergence of open-source robotics projects has since enabled robotics developers and implementors to develop proprietary robotics systems based on in-house skills and publicly available robotics middlewares, simulators, libraries, and toolkits. "The success of ROS is due to its wide range of interoperability and compatibility with other open-source projects. ROS 1.0 leverages Orocos for real-time communication and OpenCV for machine vision models," said Lian Jye Su, Principal Analyst of ABI Research. Sensing the needs of the robotics industry, Open Robotics launched ROS 2.0, the successor to ROS 1.0, and incorporated supports for multi-robot systems, real-time communications, non-ideal networks, and computing capabilities. This makes ROS 2.0 not only more user-friendly, robust, and real-time, but also makes it readier to be accepted as an industry standard. "A key example is the launch of Robotics Middleware Framework (RMF) for Healthcare by the Singapore government in partnership with Open Robotics. Using ROS as a common platform, the healthcare institutions in Singapore were able to onboard and integrate various robotics systems based on the same framework thereby extending interoperability to proprietary systms and protocols."



Moving forward, ROS needs to ensure it continues to expand support from OS vendors such as Microsoft (News - Alert), cloud vendors such as Amazon and Google, component vendors such as Robotiq, and system integrators and implementers in order to become a widely accepted industry standard. In the case of RMF, regulatory bodies and policymakers play important roles in the adoption of ROS. That said, this will not spell the end of proprietary robotics systems. "In fact, there will be co-existence of both open-source and closed robotics systems. Aside from niche systems that may be better served by proprietary systems, ROS will serve as the fundamental building block for interoperability, with customization and enhancement introduced on top by different robotics system vendors," added Su. The success of ROS has also driven more investment into hardware related open-source robotics project. In recent years, major industry players like Comau and NVIDIA (News - Alert) have launched ROS-based, open-source robotics hardware platforms. While the platforms are mainly for research and educational purposes, the involvement of major corporations will certainly drive more attention to the open-source community, bringing in more developers and end users.

These findings are from ABI Research's Open-Source Robotics Projects application analysis report. This report is part of the company's Industrial, Collaborative and Commercial Robotics research service, which includes research, data, and Executive Foresights. Based on extensive primary interviews, Application Analysis reports present in-depth analysis on key market trends and factors for a specific technology. About ABI Research ABI Research provides strategic guidance for visionaries needing market foresight on the most compelling transformative technologies, which reshape workforces, identify holes in a market, create new business models and drive new revenue streams. ABI's own research visionaries take stances early on those technologies, publishing groundbreaking studies often years ahead of other technology advisory firms. ABI analysts deliver their conclusions and recommendations in easily and quickly absorbed formats to ensure proper context. Our analysts strategically guide visionaries to take action now and inspire their business to realize a bigger picture. For more information about subscribing to ABI's Research Services as well as Industrial and Custom Solutions, visionaries can contact us at +1.516.624.2500 in the Americas, +44.203.326.0140 in Europe, +65.6592.0290 in Asia-Pacific or visit www.abiresearch.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190516005135/en/

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[May 16, 2019] Streambucks, an Esports Focused Payment Solution Becomes Official Payment Sponsor of EGLX 2019

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, May 16, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- LiteLink Technologies Inc. (LiteLink) (CSE:LLT) (OTC:LLNKF), a leader in logistics, artificial intelligence and digital payment solutions, announces that its wholly-owned subsidiary, uBUCK Technologies SEZC (uBUCK), has signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) with Enthusiast Gaming Holdings Inc. (Enthusiast) (TSXV:EGLX)(OTCQB:EGHIF) to be the official payment sponsor at the Enthusiast Gaming Live Expo, EGLX, in October 2019. Enthusiast is the largest publicly traded video game media and esports company in North America and owns and operates the largest video game expo in Canada (EGLX).

uBUCK has created a leading digital wallet and payments platform that is looking to revolutionize the payment industry. uBUCK is a P2P payment platform offering consumers faster payment options, which are commission-free and highly secure compared to traditional payment methods. Under the LOI, uBUCK will become the official payment sponsor of EGLX which attracted approximately 55,000 attendees in 2018. uBUCKs Stream bucks digital payment solution, specific to the esports industry, will become the official digital wallet and remittance transfer partner for EGLXs tournaments. As part of the sponsorship, uBUCK will facilitate the transfer of the prize funds to the winners of the tournament. The Streambucks app offers users the ability to purchase products with a debit card, transfer payments and make donations to their favourite streamers and gamers. This partnership with Enthusiast Gaming will give uBUCK access to a large and targeted esports audience, making this the perfect opportunity to market our newly created payment solution to what we feel is an ideal demographic, said uBUCK CEO, James Youn. We are confident that Streambucks will be well-received and look forward to playing a key role in the rapidly growing esports industry. uBUCK will also engage Enthusiast to create strategic advertising programs across its digital publisher network, which currently reaches over 75 million monthly visitors, across 85 gaming related websites and an additional 50 million monthly visitors from 900 gaming YouTube channels. uBUCK will access prime esports demographic through Enthuiasts engaged network of gaming enthusiasts to help build brand awareness and promote its platform of payment solutions.



Meir Bulua, CIO of Enthusiast commented, uBUCK provides a faster, safer alternative compared to traditional payment options and will help us streamline our process at EGLX 2019. With the continued growth of EGLX and our events business, including the significant increase in prize pools and donations, we are always looking for ways to increase our efficiencies and provide increased value to our players. We look forward to working with LiteLink and uBUCK at EGLX this year, and to continue improving the overall experience for our attendees, players and sponsors! About Enthusiast Gaming

Founded in 2014, Enthusiast Gaming is the largest vertically integrated video game company and the fastest growing online community of authentic video gamers. Through the Companys unique acquisition strategy, it has a platform of over 80 owned and affiliated websites and currently reaches over 75 million monthly visitors with its unique and curated content and over 50 million YouTube visitors. Enthusiast also owns and operates Canadas largest gaming expo, Enthusiast Gaming Live Expo, EGLX, (eglx.ca) with approximately 55,000 people attending in 2018. For more information on Enthusiast Gaming, please visit www.enthusiastgaming.com .

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 and Streambucks are P2P payment platforms offering consumers, businesses and merchants a fast, commission-free and highly secure alternative to traditional payment methods. uBUCK Cash and Streambucks Cash are stable utility tokens that are backed by the U.S. dollar via pin voucher purchases within the uBUCK Pay app or at participating resellers. Customers may load a uBUCK debit card and make online and offline purchases and send payments around the world for free. About LiteLink Technologies Inc.

LiteLink Technologies Inc. (CSE:LLT) (OTC:LLNKF) 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. 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 . Contact: For further information, contact Bronson Peever at 833-205-6945 ext. 3742 or [email protected] . Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements contained in this press release may constitute forward-looking statements. 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. 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 conditions, governmental and public policy changes, the Companys ability to raise capital on acceptable terms, if at all, the Companys successful development of its products and the integration into its existing products and the commercial acceptance of the Companys products. The forward-looking statements included in this press release represent the Companys 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 Companys views as of any date subsequent to the date of the press release.



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[May 16, 2019] Innovid Named to Inc. Magazine's Best Workplaces of 2019 List

Innovid, the world's leading connected TV and video advertising platform, today announced that it has been named one of Inc. magazine's Best Workplaces of 2019, in its fourth annual ranking of the fast-growing private company sector. The notable list is the result of a wide-ranging and comprehensive measurement of private American companies that have created exceptional workplaces through vibrant cultures, deep employee engagement, and stellar benefits. Collecting data on nearly 2,000 submissions, Inc. singled out 346 finalists. "Innovid has always been a people-first company and we believe that investing in our employees' career development, happiness, and experience is what ultimately drives our success and client satisfaction," said Zvika Netter, CEO and co-founder of Innovid. "In providing a collaborative, diverse, positive, creative environment for our team to thrive, we're able to meet and exceed client expectations. Our industry is in constant flux and our team has such enthusiasm and passion for what they do. I'm in awe and inspired every day by the contributions they bring to our company and the industry as a whole." The Innovid team took part in an employee survey, conducted by Omaha's Quantum (News - Alert) Workplace, on topics including trust, management effectiveness, perks, and confidence in the future. Inc. gathered, analyzed, and audited the data, then ranked employers using a composite score of survey results. All companies had to have a minimum of 10 employees and be U.S.-based, privately held, and independent companies. This year marks tremendous growth for the company, having added more than 60 people in Q1 to their global team to continue their leadership of connected TV. As the connected TV and video advertising industry evolves, the company has maintained focused on hiring team members who share the company's core values of generosity, unbeatable and daring. "With today's tight labor market, building a great corporate culture is more important than ever," says Inc. magazine editor in chief James Ledbetter. "The companies on Inc.'s Best Workplaces list are setting an example that the whole country can learn from." Innovid has received a number of accolades recently for its outstanding workplace culture, including the 2018 Deloitte's Technology Fast 500, Business Insider's "19 Most Interesting Ad-Tech Startups of 2017," Ad Age's "Best Places to Work," Los Angeles Business Journal's "Best Places to Work in Los Angeles," Crain's New York Business' "Best Places to Work" and Inc. magazine's "Best Workplaces of 2016." As the world's premier connected TV and video advertising platform, Innovid is committed to enabling brand marketers and advertisers to better tell their stories and connect with audiences through interactive and personalized video and data-driven creative across platforms.



For more information on Innovid, please visit www.innovid.com, or contact [email protected] to learn more about video advertising solutions. About Innovid

Innovid is the world's leading connected TV and video advertising platform, delivering more video than any company across mobile, desktop, connected TVs, streaming devices and social platforms. Innovid partners with brands, agencies, and publishers to deliver new advertising models that increase engagement and time spent in ways that also provide more value to viewers. Our video platform enables personalization of creative, seamless cross-screen delivery, and holistic measurement to fuel next-generation video experiences and grow revenue. Innovid has offices in New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles, London, Tel Aviv, Sydney, and Singapore. Please visit www.innovid.com for more information. About Inc. Media Founded in 1979 and acquired in 2005 by Mansueto Ventures, Inc. is the only major brand dedicated exclusively to owners and managers of growing private companies, with the aim to deliver real solutions for today's innovative company builders. Winner of Advertising Age (News - Alert)'s "A-List" in January 2015, and a National Magazine Award for General Excellence in both 2014 and 2012, Inc. has a monthly audience reach that's grown from two million in 2010 to more than 20 million today. For more information, visit Inc.com. About Quantum Workplace Quantum Workplace is an HR technology company that serves organizations through employee engagement surveys, action-planning tools, exit surveys, peer-to-peer recognition, performance evaluations, goal tracking, and leadership assessment. For more information, visit QuantumWorkplace.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190516005140/en/

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[May 16, 2019] PAR Technology Subsidiary Announces $8.5 Million U.S. Navy Contract Award at LaMoure, North Dakota

PAR Technology Corporation (NYSE:PAR) today announced that the U.S. Navy has awarded its subsidiary, Rome Research Corporation (RRC), a five-year $8.5 million contract. RRC will provide 24/7/365 operation and maintenance support services at the Naval Computer and Telecommunications Area Master Station Detachment located in LaMoure, North Dakota. Commenting on the award, Matt Cicchinelli, President of PAR's Government Business, stated that, "We are proud that the Navy has selected RRC to continue to support this important mission at NCTAMS Det. LaMoure. RRC's success is only possible through the commitment and expertise of our dedicated employees." ABOUT PAR TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION PAR Technology Corporation (PAR) is a leading global provider of software, systems, and service solutions to the restaurant and retail industries. Today, with 40 years of experience and point of sale systems in nearly 100,000 restaurants and more than 110 countries, PAR is redefining the point of sale through cloud software and bringing technological innovation to all corners of the enterprise. PAR's Government business is a leader in providing computer-based system design, engineering and technical sevices to the Department of Defense and various federal agencies. PAR Technology Corporation's stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol PAR. For more information, visit www.partech.com or connect with PAR on Facebook (News - Alert) at www.facebook.com/parpointofsale or Twitter (News - Alert) at www.twitter.com/Par_tech.





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[May 16, 2019] Former GSA Executive Dennis Groh Joins Granite Government Solutions Team

Granite Telecommunications, LLC, a $1.4 billion provider of communications services to multilocation businesses and government agencies, announced that Dennis ("Denny") Groh has been appointed as executive director of customer excellence. Groh, a former executive for the General Services Administration (GSA (News - Alert)), joins Granite just as the GSA has awarded the company a spot on its Enterprise Infrastructure Solutions (EIS) contract and is about to begin contract solicitations and awards. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190516005241/en/ Dennis Groh has been appointed executive director of customer excellence for Granite Government Solutions. (Photo: Business Wire) "We're thrilled to have someone of Denny's caliber and experience as part of our senior management team for government solutions," said Tim Heaps, general manager, Granite Government Solutions. "With his expertise and leadership and Granite's comprehensive communications solutions, we're well positioned to win business under the EIS contract in 2019." As an EIS prime contract holder, Granite is authorized to compte for contracts from individual agencies to provide them with voice services, virtual private network services, managed network and Ethernet services, among others. Granite already provides voice and data services to various federal, state and governmental agencies as well as private companies, providing a single point of contact for voice and data needs, creating efficiency and saving costs.



Groh's mission is to evangelize Granite's government business growth goals and objectives, including establishing new business alliances, cultivating strategies for establishing partnerships and leading new business expansion projects. He is well-suited for the role with more than 35 years of experience and success in public and private sector organizations. Most recently, Groh was vice president and chief marketing officer for Engineering Services Network (ESN), where he led ESN's growth to $52 million in targeted accounts in the Veterans Administration, U.S. Air Force and U.S. Army. Previously, he held senior-level management posts at STG, Siemens, Computer Sciences Corporation and Boeing (News - Alert) Information Systems. At Boeing, he led the win for the single award billion-dollar Defense Information Systems Network (DISN) Integration Contract.

Before working in the private sector, Groh had a lengthy and highly successful public sector career, which culminated in his appointment as assistant commissioner at GSA, where he was responsible for managing the federal government's $1 billion annual Federal Telecommunications System 2000 (FTS2000) and FTS2001 telecommunications programs supporting more than 150 government agencies around the world. Additionally, his prior senior executive service (SES (News - Alert)) government experience included positions as director of the Defense Information Technology Contracting Organization (DITCO) and director of the Acquisition Management Office at the Defense Information Systems Agency (News - Alert) (DISA), which supports 65 departments and agencies located around the world. About Granite

Granite delivers one-stop communications solutions to multilocation businesses and government agencies throughout the United States and Canada. The $1.4 billion company serves more than two-thirds of the Fortune 100 companies in the United States and has 1.75 million voice and data lines under management. Granite launched in 2002 and grew quickly by helping businesses to simplify sourcing and management of local and long-distance phone services with one point of contact and one invoice for all their office locations nationwide. Granite remains the leader in aggregating Plain Old Telephone Services (POTS) and has extended its core value proposition - "one company, one contact, one bill" - to include a range of advanced business communications services, including Internet access, SD-WAN, wireless WAN, hosted PBX (News - Alert), SIP trunking, mobile voice and data, mobile device management, managed security, network integration and much more. Granite employs more than 2,100 people at its headquarters in Quincy, Mass as well as its government office in McLean, Va., and seven other offices throughout the U.S. For more information, visit www.granitenet.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190516005241/en/

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[May 16, 2019] NetDiligence Announces Keynote for Philadelphia Event

PHILADELPHIA, May 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- NetDiligence, a leading provider of cyber risk readiness and response services, today announced its keynote speaker for Cyber Risk Summit Philadelphia. NetDiligence hosts Cyber Risk Summits in the U.S., Canada, and the U.K., with Philadelphia serving as the company's flagship event. The keynote will be presented during lunch on June 13, 2019 by Chris Rock, CEO of SEIMonster. Chris is an acknowledged expert on hacking who has twice been a featured speaker at DEFCON, one of the world's largest hacker conventions held annually in Las Vegas. An active participant in the cybersecurity industry for over 25 years, Chris's experience includes security positions at four different banks and CEO of a professional hacking company. He is now CEO and co-founder of SIEMonster, which provides scalable network security monitoring and alert solutions for Managed Security Service Providers (MSSPs) and Security Professionals around the world. Chris recently sat down for an interview with NetDiligence on the topic of Cyber Mercenaries and Insurance Risk, which can be read here. Following the keynote address, he will attend a private meet-and-greet with NetDiligence eRiskHub license holders to answer questions they may have on that topic or other aspects of cyber risk. "We are delighted to bing a world-renowned expert like Chris Rock to our conference," said Mark Greisiger, president of NetDiligence. "The cyber insurance community that we support values experts who can forecast the sophisticated threat landscape and they will be in for a treat with Chris Rock!"



NetDiligence's Cyber Risk Summit Philadelphia takes place June 12-14, 2019, at the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown. For more information or to register for the Summit, visit https://netdiligence.com/conferences/cyber-risk-summit-philadelphia-2019. About NetDiligence

NetDiligence specializes in Cyber Risk Readiness & Response services. With more than 15 years of experience in cyber, NetDiligence is an award-winning provider of innovative cyber risk management software and services to the insurance industry, including QuietAudit Cyber Risk Assessments, the eRiskHub cyber risk management portal (https://eriskhub.com), and Breach Plan Connect (https://breachplanconnect.com/) software-as-a-service (SaaS) to help policyholders with data breach response planning. NetDiligence publishes an annual Cyber Claims Study and hosts annual Cyber Risk Conferences in Philadelphia, Santa Monica, Toronto, London and Bermuda. For more information, visit https://netdiligence.com.

Media Contact:

Heather Osborne

Director of Global Events & Programming, NetDiligence

610.896.9715

[email protected] View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/netdiligence-announces-keynote-for-philadelphia-event-300851429.html SOURCE NetDiligence

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[May 16, 2019] HSB Introduces Farm Cyber Insurance

Hartford Steam Boiler (HSB), part of Munich Re, today announced a new HSB Farm Cyber Insurance solution that helps protect farmers and farm technology from hackers, malware and other cyber attacks. "Innovative technologies are being deployed across the farming industry and data and information systems are helping farmers better understand how to maximize efficiency and production," said James Hajjar, who leads the cyber practice for HSB's reinsurance clients. "With this new reliance on digital information and technology comes new digital security exposures." HSB Farm Cyber Insurance protects farmers against cyber attacks involving computers and electronic devices located about the farm premises, including the farm owner's residence. Coverage for commercial farm exposures can include losses due to a data breach, computer attack, cyber extortion, or misdirected payment fraud. Data collected across the farm, from farm machinery to drones, is protected, with coverage for the costs of restoring data and systems in the event of a cyber event, as well as the loss of income. HSB Farm Cyber Insurance also offers coverage for the farm family, including identity theft, online fraud, cyber bullying, and damage from cyber attacks on the family's computer systems and connected home devices. HSB's cyber coverage is available as an endorsement to insurance companies that partner with HSB to offer coverage to their customers. HSB Farm Cyber Insurance also can be bundled with HSB's Farm Equipment Breakdown Insurance, which covers the repair or replacement of farm equipment. Hartford Steam Boiler (HSB), part of Munich Re, is a multi-line speciaty insurer and provider of inspection, risk management and IoT technology services. HSB insurance offerings include equipment breakdown, cyber risk, specialty liability and other coverages. HSB blends its engineering expertise, technology and data to craft inventive insurance and service solutions for existing and emerging risks posed by technological change. Throughout its 150 year history HSB's mission has been to help clients prevent loss, advance sustainable use of energy and build deeper relationships that benefit business, public institutions and consumers. HSB holds A.M. Best Company's highest financial rating, A++ (Superior). For more information, visit www.hsb.com and connect on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.



Munich Re is one of the world's leading providers of reinsurance, primary insurance and insurance-related risk solutions. The group consists of the reinsurance and ERGO business segments, as well as the capital investment company MEAG. Munich Re is globally active and operates in all lines of the insurance business. Since it was founded in 1880, Munich Re has been known for its unrivalled risk-related expertise and its sound financial position. It offers customers financial protection when faced with exceptional levels of damage - from the 1906 San Francisco earthquake to the 2017 Atlantic hurricane season and the California wildfires in 2018. Munich Re possesses outstanding innovative strength, which enables it to also provide coverage for extraordinary risks such as rocket launches, renewable energies, cyber attacks, or pandemics. The company is playing a key role in driving forward the digital transformation of the insurance industry, and in doing so has further expanded its ability to assess risks and the range of services that it offers. Its tailor-made solutions and close proximity to its customers make Munich Re one of the world's most sought-after risk partners for businesses, institutions, and private individuals.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190516005601/en/

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[May 16, 2019] ControlScan Payment Security Experts Recognized for Industry Contributions

ATLANTA, May 16, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ControlScan , a leader in managed security and compliance solutions that help secure networks and protect payment card data, announces that two of its executives have been recognized for their contributions to the payments industry. Chris Bucolo, VP of Market Strategy, has been selected as Presidential Advisor to the Merchant Acquirers Committee (MAC) Board of Directors, while Marc Punzirudu, VP of Security Consulting Services, was recently named to the Electronic Transactions Association (ETA) Forty Under 40 for 2019.

The 2019 ETA Forty Under 40 honorees were selected based on their professional character and the impact they have personally made on the payments industry. Marc Punzirudu has spent his career educating himself and others on payment security and payment card industry (PCI) compliance best practices. Holding certifications and credentials that include PCIP, CRISC, CISA, CISM, CISSP and PCI-QSA, Punzirudu has personally consulted with thousands of businesses to help them achieve PCI compliance and a strengthened security posture. Chris Bucolo is a 30-year veteran of the payments industry and possesses a wealth of knowledge in payment security best practices and merchant relationships. As an ongoing, active participant in MAC comittees since 2012, Bucolo has served in several capacities to ensure that organizational and member needs are fully met. Bucolo will now join the MAC Board of Directors as a Presidential Advisor, assisting in its strategic development moving forward.



At ControlScan, driving customer success is a core value that sometimes involves looking outside ourselves, said Mark Carl, CEO, ControlScan. By actively serving on boards and committees, we not only share our unique expertise and skills, we gain relationships and insights that further enhance our cybersecurity offerings. Both Bucolo and Punzirudu regularly speak at payments and security industry events, and their commentary is featured in various publications as well as the ControlScan blog . For more information about ControlScan, its team of experts, and its managed security and compliance solutions, please visit ControlScan.com .

About ControlScan

ControlScan managed security and compliance solutions help secure IT networks and protect payment card data. Thousands of businesses throughout the U.S. and Canada partner with us for easy, cost-effective access to the expertise, technologies and services that keep cyber criminals and data thieves at bay. With highly credentialed cybersecurity and compliance experts, 24x7 managed detection and response, advanced endpoint protection, managed UTM firewall services, ASV vulnerability scanning, QSA and HIPAA assessments, security penetration testing, PCI compliance programs and more, weve got your back. For more information visit ControlScan.com . A photo accompanying this announcement is available at //www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/1eb90e91-943b-4a64-9ba9-b0ff66b0ae5b Press Contact Stacey Holleran Director, Corporate Communications 678-694-0654 [email protected]

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[May 16, 2019] Tech For A Better World: Global Extreme Tech Challenge? Announced at VivaTech

The Extreme Tech Challenge (XTC), a leading global startup competition, announced a new challenge to bring new technologies and innovations aiming to solve the world's most extreme problems at Viva Technology in Paris, France. The XTC competition, with support from ARM, Cadence, Cisco (News - Alert), Samsung Electronics, Silicon Valley Bank, University of California, and Zoom, will enable entrepreneurs to develop solutions that can have a meaningful impact on our world, network with other startups and investors, while competing for up to $10,000,000 in investments and awards. The XTC competition seeks out the most pioneering entrepreneurs, startups, and industry-leaders to harness the power of technology to make a positive impact on the planet and our global community. Inspired by the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals-including those related to health, education, diversity, poverty, infrastructure, clean water and climate action-the XTC competition aims to create a better, more sustainable future for mankind through the development of impactful technologies. "XTC is a concerted effort by industry-leaders and entrepreneurs to make real progress in solving the world's major challenges," said Young Sohn, President and Chief Strategy Officer, Samsung (News - Alert) Electronics. "Technology can be invented and used to unlock breakthrough innovations in the service of society, and all of us at Samsung are eager to help make their ideas a reality." The XTC competition is open to global submissions for a product or service based on a new or existing technology or an innovative application aimed at the United Nation Sustainable Development Goals. Startups of any size or funding may apply to the XTC competitin.



"Some entrepreneurs want to make their mark on the world-others want to change it," said XTC co-founder and longtime Silicon Valley entrepreneur and investor, Bill Tai. "XTC has fostered some of the most innovative founders and startups over the past five years, and for 2020, XTC has a renewed focus on tackling the most urgent challenges facing our planet." "At Arm, we believe in the power technology has to make a positive and long-lasting impact on the people and areas in most need," said Simon Segars, CEO, Arm. "Working with Samsung to focus XTC on the Global Goals as part of our 2030Vision initiative is a significant step towards harnessing innovation to overcome some of the major challenges our global society faces."

"Technology is transformative-it has the power to shape our world for the better," said Maurice Levy, founder of VivaTech. "XTC and Viva Technology are celebrations of the innovations and innovators who are creating a better, safer, more prosperous future for all." In addition to their product or service, startups participating in the XTC competition will be required to submit a 5-minute video that describes their technology, and the positive impact it will make towards achieving one or several of the UN's Sustainable Development Goals. Early submissions are encouraged to be eligible for partner services and a chance to receive invitations to regional VIP events. The Top 10 Global Finalists will be announced in April 2020, with the three overall winners announced at VivaTech in Paris, France in May 2020. The top three finalists will be awarded a simple agreement for future equity (SAFE) note, with the first-place winner receiving $1,000,000, the second-place winner receiving $250,000, and the third-place winner receiving $100,000. The XTC 2020 international submission platform is now available through the XTC website. See the Official Rules on the extremetechchallenge.org website for all of the XTC competition requirements. About Extreme Tech Challenge Extreme Tech Challenge is a nonprofit public benefit corporation whose mission is to promote education and science by nurturing the global entrepreneurial ecosystem through supporting technologies to address the world's biggest problems. The Extreme Tech Challenge competition brings together startups, businesses, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and world leaders to bring solutions that address the challenges facing humanity and our planet. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190516005196/en/

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[May 16, 2019] Innovation Pharmaceuticals Announces Non-Binding Term Sheet Signed with Global Pharmaceutical Company to Develop and Commercialize Brilacidin for the Treatment of Ulcerative Proctitis/Ulcerative Proctosigmoiditis

BEVERLY, Mass., May 16, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Innovation Pharmaceuticals (OTCQB:IPIX) (the Company), a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company, is pleased to report that the Company has signed a non-binding term sheet with a global pharmaceutical company to develop and commercialize locally-administered Brilacidin (e.g., foam, enema, gel), on a worldwide basis, for the treatment of Ulcerative Proctitis/Ulcerative Proctosigmoiditis.

The non-binding term sheet also includes a Right of First Refusal for rights to Brilacidin for the treatment of more extensive forms of Inflammatory Bowel Disease, such as Ulcerative Colitis and Crohns Disease, and a Right of First Negotiation for rights to Brilacidin in other Gastrointestinal (GI) indications. Completion of the transaction, as specified in the non-binding term sheet, is subject to further negotiation and execution of a definitive agreement. If the definitive agreement is reached and signed, the Company anticipates that it would receive an upfront payment, plus potential additional regulatory and commercial milestone payments, as well as royalties. About Brilacidin for IBD Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) is a hard-to-treat, chronic, autoimmune condition that affects approximately 10 million people worldwide, including 3 million people in the U.S., with 70,000 newly diagnosed cases each year. World IBD Day occurs on May 19, every year, to raise awareness about this common condition. The overall GI market sector is estimated to grow from $35.7 billion in 2015 to $48.4 billion by 2022. Brilacidin is being developed as a novel, non-corticosteroid, non-biologic treatment, with formulation plans including oral tablets for Ulcerative Colitis and Crohns Disease, and foam and/or gel for mild-to-moderate Ulcerative Proctitis/Ulcerative Proctosigmoiditis (UP/UPS), two types of IBD. As released previously, a majority of patients treated with Brilacidin administered via retention enema achieved Clinical Remission (Modified Mayo scoring) in a Phase 2, open-label, Proof-of-Concept (PoC) clinical trial evaluating Brilacidin for UP/UPS. In addition, mucosal healing was evidenced by endoscopic review, an increasingly important measre toward establishing a drugs efficacy. In late 2018, the Company presented a scientific posterBrilacidin for Inflammatory Bowel Disease (available for download here , pdf)at the inaugural IBD Innovate 2018 conference, hosted by the Crohns & Colitis Foundation. Brilacidin may be particularly beneficial in treating IBD due to: 1) its ability to inhibit Phosphodiesterase 4 (PDE4), which is being pursued as a novel therapeutic avenue in IBD; and 2) its potential to compensate for defensin deficiencies that are implicated in the pathogenesis of IBD.



Alerts

Sign-up for Innovation Pharmaceuticals email alerts is available at:

http://www.ipharminc.com/email-alerts/ About Innovation Pharmaceuticals

Innovation Pharmaceuticals Inc. (IPIX) is a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company developing a world-class portfolio of innovative therapies addressing multiple areas of unmet medical need, including inflammatory diseases, cancer, infectious disease, and dermatologic diseases. Brilacidin, a versatile compound with broad therapeutic potential, is in a new chemical class called defensin-mimetics. A Phase 2 trial of Brilacidin as an oral rinse for the prevention of Severe Oral Mucositis (SOM) in patients with Head and Neck Cancer, met its primary and secondary endpoints, including reducing the incidence of SOM. The Company plans to advance Brilacidin oral rinse into Phase 3 development, subject to available financial resources. Positive results were also observed in a Phase 2 Proof-of-Concept trial treating patients locally with Brilacidin for Ulcerative Proctitis/Ulcerative Proctosigmoiditis. A Phase 2b trial of Brilacidin showed a single intravenous dose of the drug delivered comparable outcomes to a seven-day dosing regimen of the FDA-approved blockbuster daptomycin in treating Acute Bacterial Skin and Skin Structure Infections. Kevetrin is a novel anti-cancer drug shown to modulate p53, often referred to as the Guardian Angel Gene due to its crucial role in controlling cell mutations and has successfully completed a Phase 2 trial in ovarian cancer. More information is available on the Company website at www.IPharmInc.com .

Forward-Looking Statements: This press release contains forward-looking statements made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 including statements concerning the future execution of a definitive agreement with a global pharmaceutical company and the anticipated terms thereof, our future drug development plans, other statements regarding future product developments, and markets, including with respect to specific indications, and any other statements which are other than statements of historical fact. These statements involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause the Companys actual results and experience to differ materially from anticipated results and expectations expressed in these forward-looking statements. The Company has in some cases identified forward-looking statements by using words such as anticipates, believes, hopes, estimates, looks, expects, plans, intends, goal, potential, may, suggest, and similar expressions. Among other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in forward-looking statements are the Companys need for, and the availability of, substantial capital in the future to fund its operations and research and development; including the amount and timing of the sale of shares of common stock under securities purchase agreements; the fact that the Companys compounds may not successfully complete pre-clinical or clinical testing, or be granted regulatory approval to be sold and marketed in the United States or elsewhere. A more complete description of these risk factors is included in the Companys filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. You should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to release publicly the results of any revisions to any such forward-looking statements that may be made to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this press release or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events, except as required by applicable law or regulation. INVESTOR AND MEDIA CONTACT

Innovation Pharmaceuticals Inc.

Leo Ehrlich

[email protected]

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By Kim Rahn





A global meeting of airlines will take place in Korea on June 1 to 3.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) and Korean Air said, Thursday, the association's annual general meeting (AGM) and World Air Transport Summit will be held at COEX in southern Seoul with around 1,000 participants from the aviation industry.

It is the first time for the industry's largest event to take place in Korea. "The mass gathering of key officials of global airlines shows Korea's enhanced position in the aviation industry,?said an official of Korean Air, the host airline of the event.

In the meeting executives of airlines, aircraft manufacturers and relevant organizations will discuss economic issues and safety in airline operations as well as form networks.

Experts in the field will hold sessions about expanding infrastructure to cope with the continuously increasing demand for air travel, forecasting future regulations and applying new technologies.

At the opening ceremony of the general meeting, Cho Won-tae, the newly appointed chairman of Hanjin Group, the parent company of Korean Air, will be officially elected as the chairman of the meeting.

The position was initially supposed to be taken by Cho's father, former Hanjin Chairman Cho Yang-ho who had tried for years to host the AGM in Korea. But he passed away suddenly in early April, and his son will assume his place.

The IATA was established in 1945 and counts 287 civil airlines from 120 countries as its members.
[May 16, 2019] Curriculum Associates Named Among the Fastest-Growing and Largest Private Companies in Massachusetts by the Boston Business Journal

NORTH BILLERICA, Mass., May 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The Boston Business Journal announced that Curriculum Associates has been named to their 2019 "Fast 50" list of the Fastest-Growing Private Companies in Massachusetts for the fifth consecutive year. Curriculum Associates was also named to the publication's 2019 list of the 100 largest private companies in Massachusetts for the fourth consecutive year. The Fast 50 winners were selected and ranked based on a formula that counts revenue growth from 2015 to 2018. Approximately 140 privately held companies applied for inclusion by submitting nominations that included financial performance, and the Business Journal's research department and CPA firm Withum, a Fast 50 partner, evaluated the figures provided to determine the rankings. Only those firms with their headquarters in Massachusetts and reported revenue of at least $500,000 in 2015 and $1 million in 2018 were considered. Companies that did not show growth from 2017 to 2018 were excluded. The Boston Business Journal announced the rankings at an awards reception on Wednesday, May 15 at Aloft Hotel Seaport. For 50 years, Curriculum Associates has been on a mission to make classrooms better places for teachers and studets. With a focus on reading and mathematics, the company offers an integrated print and digital solution for K12 diagnostic assessment and K8 instruction, making blended learning a reality in the classroom. Curriculum Associates provides more than 8 million K12 students in all 50 states with the best adaptive assessment and personalized learning materials to prepare them for success. Today, Curriculum Associates is one of the fastest-growing companies in the industry, with revenues quintupling since 2012.



"For half a century, Curriculum Associates has measured success by the impact our programs have on the educators and students we serve," said Rob Waldron, CEO of Curriculum Associates. "This future-focused mindset has driven incredible growth in recent years, and we are thrilled to once again see our dedicated team recognized by the Boston Business Journal." About Curriculum Associates

Founded in 1969, Curriculum Associates, LLC designs research-based print and online instructional materials, screens and assessments, and data management tools. The company's products and outstanding customer service provide teachers and administrators with the resources necessary for teaching diverse student populations and fostering learning for all students.

About the Boston Business Journal

The Boston Business Journal is Greater Boston's leading source of business news, information, and events, reaching readers through the weekly print publication, the website bostonbusinessjournal.com, and email products. The BBJ also prints the annual Book of Liststhe region's top resource for business decision-makers seeking information about potential clients, suppliers, and partners. The Boston Business Journal is published by American City Business Journals, the nation's largest publisher of metropolitan business news. View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/curriculum-associates-named-among-the-fastest-growing-and-largest-private-companies-in-massachusetts-by-the-boston-business-journal-300851696.html SOURCE Curriculum Associates

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[May 16, 2019] Schaeffler Executive to Keynote; Discuss Trends and Industry Changes at Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers Annual Meeting & Exhibition

TROY, Mich., May 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Addressing key trends, changes and challenges facing today's lubrication industry, Schaeffler with share insight into its technical efforts and expertise at The Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers (STLE) Annual Meeting & Exhibition. During the event held in Nashville, Tenn. from May 19 to 23, Schaeffler Americas CTO, Jeff Hemphill, will give the keynote address, while several other company experts will present on technical topics and host an onsite training session. Schaeffler's Hemphill will open the general session on May 20 at 10:30 a.m. with his keynote titled, "Racing into the Future  Impact of Tribology on Electrification." Highlighted with a video segment of Lucas di Grassi, Formula-E Champion driver for Audi Sport Abt Schaeffler, the talk will discuss the benefits of electrification, as well as some of the lessons Schaeffler has learned from its Formula E effort that are helping guide the company's future tribology efforts. "Schaeffler is implementing its 'Mobility for tomorrow' strategy through all of our endeavors, including our work with tribology and lubrication," said Hemphill. "Uniquely, we're using our work in the Formula E industry to drive and test our efforts, which enables us to offer our clients proven insight that can help pave the way for their future electrification efforts." Key Schaeffler experts or their co-authors from the academia will also present during a number of technical sessions, including the following. Tuesday, May 21 Characterization of White Etching Areas in Annealed AISI 52100 Processed by High Pressure Torsion Tests at 9:30 a.m.

New Challenges for Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers From Vehicle Electrification at 2 p.m.

Initiation Mechanism of White Etching Cracks Under the Influence of Electric Current at 4:30 p.m.

Real Scale Test of an Innovative Sensor-Set for Early Risk Detection of White Etching Cracks at a 2.7MW Wind Turbine Gearbox at 5:00 p.m. Wednesday, May 22 Innovation in Testing and Calculation Methods Against Surface Initiated Damage Mechanisms (SID) in Rolling Bearings at 11:00 a.m.

The Evolution of Dark Etching Regions and White Etching Bands in Bearing Steel Due to Rolling Contact Fatigue at 3:30 p.m.

Analysis of Material Defects in Relation to Different Damage Mechanisms at 6:00 p.m. Thursday, May 23 Hoot Noise of Rolling Element Bearings  Are Non-Linear Vibrations the Key Theory? at 8:00 a.m.

Investigations on Cage Dynamics in Rolling Bearings by Test and Simulation at 9:00 a.m.

Method for Calculating the Contact Between Roller End Face and Ring Flange in Multi-Body Simulations at 11:30 a.m.



Tuesday, May 21 at 3:30 p.m. Schaeffler's Daniel Merk , an expert on bearing development, will host the discussion about the influence of electrical current and water intrusion on the failure mode of SID. Schaeffler is also actively supporting the education courses provided by STLE. On Sunday, May 19, Schaeffler's Dr. Hannes Grillenberger, key expert, roller bearing fundamentals, will be holding a training session on dynamic design of rolling element bearings (REB) during the ABMA Rolling Element Bearing Seminar.

On Wednesday, May 22, Schaeffler's Dr. Vasilios Bakolas, principal expert bearings R&D, will lead a training session on the failure analysis of bearings. During the session, participants will learn how to correctly identify and analyze rolling element bearing damage. The Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers (STLE) Annual Meeting & Exhibition is the lubricants industry's most respected venue for technical information, professional development and international networking opportunities. Each year STLE's five-day conference showcases some 500 technical presentations, application-based case studies, best practice reports and discussion panels on technical or market trends. The annual trade show and popular Commercial Marketing Forum spotlight the latest products and services of interest to more than 1,600 lubrication professionals that come from around the world, representing a full range of the industry's most prestigious corporate, government and academic institutions. For more information: https://www.stle.org/annualmeeting About Schaeffler

The Schaeffler Group is a global automotive and industrial supplier. By delivering high-precision components and systems in engine, transmission, and chassis applications, as well as rolling and plain bearing solutions for a large number of industrial applications, the Schaeffler Group is already shaping "Mobility for tomorrow" to a significant degree. The technology company generated sales of approximately 14.2 billion Euros in 2018. With around 92,500 employees, Schaeffler is one of the world's largest family companies and, with approximately 170 locations in over 50 countries, has a worldwide network of manufacturing locations, research and development facilities, and sales companies. With more than 2,400 patent registrations in 2018, Schaeffler is Germany's second most innovative company according to the DPMA (German Patent and Trademark Office). Schaeffler is a recognized development partner for global automakers and suppliers. To serve the North American automotive market, Schaeffler operates development centers in: Troy, Mich.; Fort Mill, S.C.; Wooster, Ohio; and Puebla, Mexico. The company's 600 North American engineers and technicians, who are supported by a team of more than 6,700 global R&D engineers, drive development in the region by utilizing state-of-the-art test and measurement equipment, computational tools and CAD systems. Schaeffler Automotive has headquarters in Fort Mill and manufacturing facilities in: South Carolina; Missouri; Ohio; Ontario, Canada; Puebla and Irapuato, Mexico. For more information, please visit www.schaeffler.us . Follow us on Twitter @schaefflergroup to get all of our latest press releases and news. View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/schaeffler-executive-to-keynote-discuss-trends-and-industry-changes-at-society-of-tribologists-and-lubrication-engineers-annual-meeting--exhibition-300851583.html SOURCE The Schaeffler Group

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[May 16, 2019] Fast-Growing Colorado Software Company Expands Education Partnership to Diversify the Tech Workforce

Cherwell Software, a global leader in service management, announced today that it is expanding its partnership with CodePath.org, a nonprofit increasing diversity in tech by transforming college computer science education for underrepresented minorities and underserved populations. Through the social impact partnership, Cherwell will support CodePath.org's mission through philanthropy, employee giving, and providing internships to graduates of the CodePath.org undergraduate computer science courses. "We are thrilled to continue our support of CodePath.org, which creates more opportunities for a more diverse talent pool in the technology field," said Jean Patrick, chief transformation officer at Cherwell. "The evidence is clear: a more diverse workforce better serves the diverse demographics of customers while filling an increasing skills gap in the technology sector. Michael Ellison and the team at CodePath.org have developed an extraordinary, scalable system for equipping talented individuals from all backgrounds to achieve success in the tech industry." Based in San Francisco, California, CodePath.org collaborates with students and professors to offer in-person, on-campus courses during the academic year, and runs remote-classroom courses during the summer, teaching the technical fundamentals and tools used at the nation's preeminent tech companies. Since 2013, CodePath.org has trained more than 4,000 developers at over 800 technology companies, including Microsoft, Facebook (News - Alert), and Airbnb. As part of Cherwell's growing investment in computer science education, the company will also welcome two CodePath.org interns to its engineering team based in Colorado Springs in summer 2019, the first interns to be placed by the nonprofit in a Colorado company. Additionally, a team of Cherwell employees will play in the Denver Startup Games tournament-style competition on May 18, to raise funds for CodePath.org. The total amount donated will deped on where Cherwell places relative to other competing corporate teams, including Fastly, HomeAdvisor and Zoom. Founder and CEO of CodePath.org, Michael Ellison, will participate with the Cherwell team. Ellison first collaborated with the company at Cherwell's global customer conference in the fall of 2018 to speak about CodePath.org's mission and to announce the partnership.



"We're excited to participate in the Startup Games alongside my friends at Cherwell and, especially, to expand our Colorado presence - providing more opportunity for computer science students to get relevant industry experience and access the region's fast-growing tech sector," Ellison said. "As we grow our programs nationally and even globally, our hope is that relationships like this one with Cherwell will move us closer to eliminating technical educational inequity and enabling more diverse populations to access technical careers." The general public is invited to attend the Denver Startup Games on Saturday, May 18, 2019, at the EXDO event center in Denver, Colorado. Tickets are available for purchase. For more information, visit startupgames.com/denver

Cherwell Software (News - Alert) was established in 2004 to offer technology that helps organizations grow and innovate by automating service workflows. The founders chose four core values - heart, hunger, humility, and honesty - that have defined the company since its inception and also helped to create a culture of service. About CodePath.org: CodePath.org partners with colleges and major tech companies to prepare CS students for careers in technology. CodePath.org supplements university CS programs with industry-trusted curriculum, personalized student support, career preparation and jobs placement to help boost enrollment of underrepresented groups in computer science programs and lower the attrition rate of those groups. CodePath.org runs programming courses at more than 20 universities and has taught more than 1,700 students in the past three years. Please visit https://CodePath.org to learn more about the program and its goals. Startup Games, founded in Austin, Texas in 2012, unites high-growth startup companies (and startups-at-heart) in friendly competition to build great cultures that value giving back to their local communities. The one-day event is currently in Austin, Denver, and Atlanta and consists of 10 games played in bracket-style, heat or free-for-all formats. A 501(c) organization, Startup Games is an initiative of Notley, a platform to energize, enable, and empower purpose-driven people to scale impact. Notley converges profits and purpose to build an ecosystem that creates audacious solutions using knowledge, capital, and collaboration. For more information, visit www.startupgames.com and https://www.notleyventures.com/. About Cherwell Software: Cherwell (@Cherwell) empowers organizations to transform their business through the rapid adoption and easy management of digital services. Cherwell's adaptable platform has enabled thousands of organizations to modernize their business operations with customizable service management, automation, and reporting across the enterprise. For more information, visit: http://www.cherwell.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190516005283/en/

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[May 16, 2019]

Webnames.ca Expands Hosting Services to Offer Managed WordPress Plans

VANCOUVER, May 16, 2019 /CNW/ - Webnames.ca , Canada's original .CA registrar and provider of 100% Canadian hosting solutions, has launched an affordable new line of Managed WordPress Hosting plans. Available now, the new hosting plans include powerful tools like a WordPress website builder and advanced toolkit to support WordPress users across the full lifecycle of their website: design, development, launch, maintenance and growth.

With 15 years of hosting experience, Webnames has extensive expertise supporting WordPress websites and users. Leveraging this experience, the company has designed a powerful, optimized and efficient hosting solution for users of the world's most popular content management platform. With an expert in-house team proactively managing installation, updates, security and support, WordPress users benefit from improved performance and reduced maintenance.

"These new plans are a logical extension of our product lineup said Webnames' CEO Cybele Negris. "With so many of our customers using WordPress, we've implemented numerous WordPress specific features in our shared hosting platform over the past several years, and cultivated a customer support team with significant WordPress expertise. Now we're excited to offer a dedicated WordPress hosting platform that's easy-to-use, fast and fully scalable whether you manage one WordPress website or dozens."







For Canadians looking for a homegrown hosting provider - whether the motivation is stronger privacy regulations, bilingual customer support, or simply a preference for buying Canadian  Webnames' systems, staff and ownership have remained 100% Canadian since its founding in 2000. The company also offers a free, managed hosting migration service to ensure a secure, seamless transition for those wishing to move an existing WordPress website to Webnames' Managed WordPress platform.

To learn more about Webnames.ca Managed WordPress web hosting visit https://www.webnames.ca/hosting/wordpress-hosting .

Connect with Webnames.ca on Twitter and Facebook .

About Webnames.ca - Webnames.ca is Canada's original domain registrar. Canadian owned and operated since 2000, Webnames has two lines of business, Webnames Corporate which specializes in corporate domain management, and Webnames.ca, where Canadians can find the domain names, hosting, professional email and website security tools they need to make a name for themselves online.

SOURCE Webnames.ca
[May 16, 2019] Heritage Parts Announces Exclusive Distribution Agreement with LoggerFlex

FORT WAYNE, Ind., May 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Heritage Parts announced today that it has launched a partnership with LoggerFlex, offering exclusive distribution of the company's smart monitoring devices to US-based chain and institutional accounts and service companies. LoggerFlex, based in Vancouver, British Columbia, manufactures "buns," or data recorder-alarm hybrid systems. These units continually measure environmental parameters, such as temperature or relative humidity (RH), at desired intervals. If the temperature or RH exceed or fall below the desired limit, operators will receive a text message and email notification ? eliminating the need for manual monitoring.

"This partnership is a bit of a departure from our traditional OEM relationships in that we aren't selling a replacement part, but a solution to help foodservice customers better manage refrigeration," said Erik Koenig, VP of strategic marketing & product content with Heritage. "As parts experts, Heritage is looking to offer customers these types of innovative products because we know maximizing the equipment's performance is just as important as maximizing uptime by ensuring the use of 100% Genuine OEM parts." Operated by an ultralong-life battery, the LoggerFlex bun stores all records in its internal memory and uploads them in the cloud-based application. The records are accessible on any platform via web-based application and available to view and download in PDF or Excel formats. "We believe technology shouldmake life easier, not more complicated! Our mission is to make advanced measurement technology easily accessible and simply usable for everyone. We provide smart solutions to make things easier for people in the food industry," said Arash Aharpour, executive director of LoggerFlex.



He continued, "Heritage Parts, with a valuable treasure of experience, deep knowledge about users' requirements and vast network of distribution channels, is the best ally for us to fulfill our mission. The synergy from our alliance could help services and products evolve and thrive in alignment with customers' needs and expectations and increase food safety for everyone." LoggerFlex products can be purchased through Heritage at https://www.heritageparts.com/Manufacturers/loggerflex. For more information on LoggerFlex, visit https://loggerflex.com/.

About Heritage Parts

Founded in 1987, Heritage Parts is North America's leading provider of 100% Genuine OEM replacement parts for commercial and institutional kitchen equipment. The success of the Heritage Parts Expert team sets it apart due to its unmatched customer service and evolution of technology solutions for the foodservice industry. Headquartered in Fort Wayne, Indiana, the company's continued mission is to provide the highest quality personal care ensuring a positive service experience, and to promote OEM partnerships through extension of the OEM's brand and service reach beyond existing networks. For more information, visit https://www.heritageparts.com/. Media Contact

Andrea Simrell

VantagePoint Marketing

[email protected]

864-331-1277 View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/heritage-parts-announces-exclusive-distribution-agreement-with-loggerflex-300851675.html SOURCE Heritage Parts

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[May 16, 2019] SAS Selects Translations.com's GlobalLink Technology to Launch Thai Website

Translations.com, the technology division of TransPerfect, the world's largest provider of language and technology solutions for global business, today announced that it has been selected by SAS (News - Alert) to support the launch of their website, SAS.com, in Thai. A global leader in analytics and software services, SAS is taking significant steps to expand its presence in the Asia-Pacific region, specifically Thailand. It sought a partner who could ensure the messaging and tonality of the SAS brand remained clear and consistent throughout the translated site. By deploying Translations.com's proprietary website localization platform, GlobalLink, SAS was able to achieve its goal. GlobalLink is a modular set of tools specifically designed to manage the complex demands of creating, deploying, and maintaining multilingual content. It drastically reduces the time, effort, and money required throughout the localization process. Over 1,000 of the world's leading organizations currently use GlobalLink solutions to enable them to reach audiences in multiple languages and drive maximum return-on-investment in markets abroad. Sam Chiu, APAC Marketing Director at SAS, commented, "Translations.com delivers high-quality translations, consistently conveys our global messages, and proactively goes above and beyond in delivering their services." Translations.com President and CEO Phil Shawe said, "SAS solutions make it easy for businesses around the world to improve strategies and decision-making using powerful analytics. We are pleased to have been chosen to support the expansion of their multilingual content strategy in the APAC region." About SAS SAS is the leader in analytics. Through innovative software and services, SAS empowers and inspires customers around the world to transform data into intelligence. SAS gives you THE POWER TO KNW.



About Translations.com Translations.com is the world's largest provider of enterprise localization services and technology solutions. From offices in over 90 cities on six continents, Translations.com offers a full range of services in 170+ languages to clients worldwide. More than 5,000 global organizations employ Translations.com's GlobalLink Product Suite to simplify the management of multilingual content. Translations.com is part of the TransPerfect family of companies, with global headquarters in New York and regional headquarters in London and Hong Kong. For more information, please visit www.translations.com.

About TransPerfect TransPerfect is the world's largest provider of language and technology solutions for global business. From offices in over 90 cities on six continents, TransPerfect offers a full range of services in 170+ languages to clients worldwide. More than 5,000 global organizations employ TransPerfect's GlobalLink Product Suite to simplify management of multilingual content. With an unparalleled commitment to quality and client service, TransPerfect is fully ISO 9001 and ISO 17100 certified. TransPerfect has global headquarters in New York, with regional headquarters in London and Hong Kong. For more information, please visit our website at www.transperfect.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190516005712/en/

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[May 16, 2019] D2L RELEASES INDIGO - AND UNLEASHES A NEW CULTURE OF CORPORATE LEARNING

Kitchener, Waterloo, May 16, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --  Global learning technology leader D2L today announced Indigo the latest version of its Brightspace learning platform  which empowers employees to take control of their own learning paths in a competitive global economy. This is a time of widespread disruption across the workforce in every part of the globe  a time when employers need their workforce to upskill to stay competitive, said D2L President and CEO John Baker. This latest release of Brightspace gives employers and employees the tools they need to keep ahead of this disruption and to actualize a learning culture that is critical to todays corporate success. The Indigo release includes the following powerful capabilities for businesses and organizations: FOSTER A CULTURE OF LEARNING Employees will stay motivated by driving their own learning experiences. Its easy and intuitive for them to search, discover and self-enroll in courses that interest them by using the Discover tool in Brightspace.

tool in Brightspace. Learning professionals and managers will be able to deliver modern learning experiences and employee upskilling in Brightspace by using Learning Paths. Group multiple courses into a logical, easy-to-follow path, allowing learners to chart their progress and know what they need to work on next (planned for summer 2019). IMPROVE EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT Employees will enjoy an improved experience when accessing content in Brightspace  including intuitive and clear navigation, full-screen viewing, and progress and completion status  all accessible from any device. Learning professionals can create a space for collaboration by having employees post in the activity feed to ignite conversations and discussion. MOTIVATE EMPLOYEES WITH IMPACTFUL FEEDBACK Managers and learning professionals can provide timely feedback to employees by being able to quickly find and prioritize submissions from one place with Quick Eval .

Specific and relevant feedback is much more meaningful than a general comment. You can use annotations to mark up a document and let your employees know which parts stood out and which parts you have suggestions for.

to mark up a document and let your employees know which parts stood out and which parts you have suggestions for. Another great way to provide feedback is with rubrics  they can be used to show exactly where an employee stands and what the opportunities are to go to the next level. With a new rubrics creation experience, its incredibly easy and intuitive to create a rubric to use for feedback and evaluation.



MAKE DATA-DRIVEN DECISIONS On-demand access to easy-to-understand information gives learning professionals data to make smart decisions about their corporate learning experiences.

Administrators can fuel ROI discussions with data that clearly show how Brightspace is being used with the Adoption Dashboard.

Identify groups of employees and individuals who are doing well or those who are struggling, with the Engagement Dashboard. In addition, Indigo contains a number of other improvements, including the ability to import and play xAPI content, easily download in-line formative feedback as a PDF, restrict courses available for managers to assign to their employees in the Manager Dashboard, and create a more intuitive workflow to assign courses and add employees to Learning Groups.

ABOUT BRIGHTSPACE

Brightspace is a cloud-based learning platform that makes online and blended learning easy, flexible, and smart. Brightspace is a quantum leap beyond traditional Learning Management System (LMS)  it is easy to drag-and-drop content to create engaging courses, supports all mobile devices, has industry-leading up-time, and is built with accessibility in mind for all learners. Plus, Brightspace enables the future of learning with a gaming engine, adaptive learning, video management, intelligent agents, templated interactives for course design, full support for outcomes or competency-based learning, and actionable learning analytics. D2Ls Brightspace was recently named the #1 LMS in Higher Ed by Ovum Research and #1 in Adaptive Learning by eLearning Magazine. In addition, Aragon Research included D2L in its highly coveted Hot Vendors In Learning list. To learn more, visit the Enterprise page on our website. ABOUT D2L D2L believes learning is the foundation upon which all progress and achievement rests. Working closely with organizations globally, D2L has transformed the way millions of people learn online and in the classroom. Learn more about D2L for schools, higher education and businesses at www.D2L.com. D2L PRESS CONTACT Christine DAngela, Director of Awareness, D2L Corporation, [email protected]



Twitter: @D2L  2019 D2L Corporation. The D2L family of companies includes D2L Corporation, D2L Ltd, D2L Australia Pty Ltd, D2L Europe Ltd, D2L Asia Pte Ltd, and D2L Brasil Solucoes de Tecnologia para Educacao Ltda. All D2L marks are trademarks of D2L Corporation. Please visit D2L.com/trademarks for a list of D2L marks.

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[May 16, 2019] SmartDV Reduces Protocol Debug Time with Smart ViPDebug

SAN JOSE, Calif., May 16, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- SmartDV Technologies today unveiled Smart ViPDebug, a protocol debugger that reduces debug time by rapidly identifying violations and reducing the time needed to find the cause of violations through its linked waveform and transaction database views.

Smart ViPDebug will be demonstrated continuously at the 56th Design Automation Conference (DAC) in the SmartDV Booth (#514) June 3 through June 5 at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nev.

Improved system-level verification approaches are fundamental for addressing the complexity of on-chip interfaces and communication protocols, says Deepak Kumar Tala, managing director of SmartDV, the Proven and Trusted choice for Verification intellectual property (IP). A fast, smart, configurable and intuitive protocol debugger will enable verification engineers to work more efficiently, reducing time and effort. Adding Smart to Protocol Debug

System-on-chip (SoC) designs integrate a variety of design IP blocks, each with different interfaces and communication protocols, making the verification of the different blocks and their interactions a challenge. Functionally verifying the communications and protocols both within an SoC and its external interfaces to the system is a major undertaking of time and resources fo verification engineering groups.



Smart ViPDebug reduces the time spent debugging communications protocols during the verification process by rapidly identifying violations. It fully encapsulates protocol specifications by eliminating the need for in-depth protocol knowledge and links a visual waveform display with a transaction log for swift discovery of violations and causes. Smart ViPDebug works across SmartDVs broad portfolio of smart and configurable Verification IP solutions.

Features include a linked waveform viewer and a tabulated transaction view that are searchable and sortable. An error detection mode highlights violations in the waveform display and log file. The mode can be set to show as errors or warnings.



SmartDV at Design Automation Conference

SmartDV will demonstrate Smart ViPDebug and feature its smart Verification IP solutions at DAC in booth #514 Monday, June 3, through Wednesday, June 5, from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. DAC attendees can schedule demonstrations through SmartDVs online scheduler .

Pricing and Availability

Smart ViPDebug will begin shipping in July.

Pricing is available upon request.

About SmartDV

SmartDV Technologies is the Proven and Trusted choice for Verification and Design IP with the best customer service from more than 250 experienced ASIC and SoC design and verification engineers. Its high-quality standard or custom protocol Verification and Design IP is compatible with all verification languages, platforms and methodologies supporting all simulation, emulation and formal verification tools used in a coverage-driven chip design verification flow. The result is Proven and Trusted Verification and Design IP used in hundreds of networking, storage, automotive, bus, MIPI and display chip projects throughout the global electronics industry. SmartDV is headquartered in Bangalore, India, with U.S. headquarters in San Jose, Calif. Visit www.Smart-DV.com to learn more.

Connect with SmartDV at:

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/smartdv-technologies/about/

Twitter: @SmartDV For more information, contact:

Nanette Collins

Public Relations for SmartDV

(617) 437-1822

[email protected]

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[May 16, 2019] ExxonMobil and Employees Donate More Than $1.1 Million to Illinois Colleges and Universities

ExxonMobil and its XTO Energy subsidiary employees, retirees, directors and surviving spouses contributed more than $314,000 to 34 Illinois colleges and universities, the company said today. Those individual donations were matched by nearly $860,000 in unrestricted grants from the ExxonMobil Foundation as part of the foundation's 2018 Educational Matching Gift Program. ExxonMobil's program matches individual donations to accredited colleges and universities in the United States. The American Indian College Fund, Hispanic Scholarship Fund and United Negro College Fund are also eligible to receive donations as part of the matching gift program. While ExxonMobil's grants are unrestricted, colleges and universities are encouraged to designate a portion of the funds they receive to math and science programs supporting student engagement. "Supporting higher education, particularly in the areas of engineering, math and science, is critial in improving individual livelihoods as well as driving broader societal growth," said Kevin Murphy, president of the ExxonMobil Foundation. "We've long supported programs that improve educational outcomes and provide teachers with the tools they need to inspire our next generation of leaders and innovators."



More than 800 accredited colleges and universities in the United States will receive a total of $50.4 million as part of the ExxonMobil Foundation's 2018 Educational Matching Gift Program. Nearly 4,000 ExxonMobil employees and retirees contributed more than $17 million to institutions of higher education in 2018, which will be matched with over $32 million in unrestricted grants from the foundation. ExxonMobil has donated nearly $700 million to American institutions of higher learning since the program began. ExxonMobil and the ExxonMobil Foundation also support programs that encourage students, particularly women and minorities, toward careers in science, technology, engineering and math, as well as teacher training initiatives.

About the ExxonMobil Foundation The ExxonMobil Foundation is the primary philanthropic arm of Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM) in the United States. The foundation and corporation engage in a range of philanthropic activities that advance education, with a focus on math and science in the United States, promote women as catalysts for economic development and combat malaria. In 2018, the ExxonMobil Foundation, together with Exxon Mobil Corporation, its divisions and affiliates, along with employees and retirees, provided more than $211 million in contributions worldwide, of which over $75 million was dedicated to education. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190516005169/en/

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Sproutways to Present Top Cannabis Breeders and Market Leaders on May 18th in Aptos, CA

Sproutways, a B2B platform provider for the cannabis and hemp marketplace, together with the Santa Cruz Center of Botanical Studies, will be holding the California Cannabis Summit 2019 on May 18th at the Seascape Resort in Aptos, California.

Leaders in breeding and genetics, cultivation, research, and business from California's thriving cannabis and hemp market will gather for an exclusive day-long conference. The summit content is organized from seed to retail with experts in each phase of the journey, including finance and legal, providing actionable insights for attendees.

"For too long, cannabis has been part of the underground economy. As state and local regulations evolve to provide a legal framework in which to operate, cannabis supply chain operators need access to pertinent information to help develop the market," said Joseph Sulistyo, CEO and founder of Sproutways. "The time is right for smart B2B platforms that facilitate marketing, brand-building, knowledge-sharing and trusted connections between producers, operators, financiers, and service providers to maximize the cannabis and hemp market opportunity."

The main panel will showcase three legendary breeders: Bodhi Seeds, SnowHigh of Genetix Genius, and Kagyu of Coastal Seed Co., all of whom have curated and developed award-winning cultivars featured at the Emerald Cup, High Times Cannabis Cup, and Santa Cruz Cup. They will join panels of cannabis and hemp industry luminaries including Nikki and Swami of Swami Select, Matt McCain of Recreator, andCraig Nejedly of Satori Movement.







Progressive financial, agricultural, and technology corporations are sponsoring the event, providing a productive environment in which to form new business relationships. Sponsors for the event include:

Event information can be found at https://events.sproutways.com/

About Sproutways

Sproutways is a B2B platform serving the cannabis and hemp market, focused on enabling grower success. Sproutways provides open education, an open marketplace and facilitates open networking to drive out mistrust and inefficiencies while creating value for its members. Founded by respected California cannabis leaders and seasoned marketing and high-tech executives, Sproutway's open framework accelerates overall growth of the fledgling cannabis industry.

Learn more at: https://sproutways.com

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190516005303/en/




By Baek Byung-yeul







Samsung SDI has developed a new system that can store larger amounts of energy, the battery business arm of Samsung Group said Thursday.







The firm showcased the product, the E3, at the Electrical Energy Storage Europe 2019 exhibition in Munich, Germany. The three-day event, which runs through Friday, is Europe's largest energy storage system exhibition, featuring more than 1,100 firms in the industry.







The E3 has 20 percent improved energy density storage compared to previous models, the firm said. As it can supply electric power whenever necessary it will be used in renewable energy systems.







The firm is targeting commercial markets in Europe as the E3 can be used to supplement uneven energy production of from solar and wind power, and store off-peak electricity for peak hours at commercial energy storage facilities.







Samsung SDI said it improved the energy density thanks to its new high energy density cell technology.







"Samsung SDI improved the E3's energy density through use of new internal materials without changing the size of embedded battery cells. The design of the rack and module were also optimized to enhance energy density further while maintaining size," the firm said.







The company plans to expand its market share in the growing energy storage system market with the E3.







"We are constantly upgrading our products based on technology," said Kim Jeong-wook, executive vice president and head of the strategic marketing office of the firm "We will take the lead with improved energy storage systems."


[May 16, 2019] CIMTEC Awarded Factory-Authorized GE Rx7i Repair, Parts and Support Center Designation

CIMTEC Automation, LLC, has been named the Authorized Repair Center for Emerson (News - Alert) Automation's Rx7i product line. Initially introduced as the GE Fanuc/GE IP Rx7i product line in 2005, the Rx7i product family of processors, racks, power supplies and specialty cards was the flagship controller in GE's PAC offering that also includes the popular Rx3i line. The Rx7i authorization is significant for Rx7i users because it establishes a Factory- Authorized Repair, Parts and Support center for this product line that was discontinued in late 2017. CIMTEC will provide Factory-quality Repairs to all Rx7i (IC698 prefix) units including: Original OEM Components used on all repairs

Each unit repaired to Factory standards per original board descriptions, schematics and functional specifications

Each unit tested to Factory Test Specifications

Each unit burned in under full-load conditions to insure Factory-quality performance In addition, all remanufactured Rx7i parts from CIMTEC will be certified to factory standards with the same repair processes listed above and come with a 2-year warranty. This includes all IC698CPE030, IC698CPE040 and IC698PSA350 units. "We are absolutely thrilled to have acquired the Rx7i Repair Authorization from Emerson," said Roy Pelkey, Vice President of CIMTEC's Qualitrol Repair and Support Division. "CIMTEC continues to grow as the top Repair, Parts and Support Center for GE's discontinued products lines. Since 2012, we have been Authorized for the GE 90-70 line, the GE QuickPanel lines, GE Field Control line and now the Rx7i line. Our depth of knowledge, quality workmanship, national support reach and customer-first business culture means that users of any GE Legacy PLC or HMI system will be in the best hands possible when trusting their systems to CIMTEC."



Since 1992, CIMTEC, through its Qualitrol International Repair Division, has supported Legacy GE PLC and HMI lines with unparalleled repair and remanufacturing services. CIMTEC has over 13,000 Legacy GE parts in stock ready to ship anywhere in the world. The company also provides field and phone support for all legacy lines including 90-70, 90-30, Genius (News - Alert) I/O, Field Control and the Rx7i families. About CIMTEC Automation, LLC:

Established in 1987, CIMTEC Automation is a leader in full-service, customized industrial automation services and products. CIMTEC Automation has become one of the industry's largest, most advanced, responsive and trusted automation products and engineering solutions providers for industries including: Automotive, Pharmaceutical, Food and Beverage, Consumer Products, Transportation, Oil and Gas, Utilities, Custom Machine Builders, and the Military. CIMTEC has supplied more than 100,000 control systems and carries an extensive inventory of products and automation parts for controls, robotics, and vision/sensors, such as: Programmable Controllers (PLC), Intelligent Sensors Products, Motion Controller Products, Machine Vision Systems, 3D Inspection Systems, and Robotics. Trained technicians offer wide-ranging expertise from engineering to repair to sales, and are experts in the latest technology, including networking, open architecture, safety, and enterprise systems. Headquartered in Charlotte, NC, CIMTEC has offices in strategic locations throughout North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190516005800/en/

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[May 16, 2019] Shaun Urban Selected by PM360 as One of the Elite 100

FAIRFIELD, N.J., May 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The Inception Company, a technology-driven engagement products and services company, is proud to announce that Shaun Urban, President, has been selected as one of the 2019 PM360 ELITE 100 in the Transformational Leader category. The PM360 ELITE, standing for Exceptional  Leaders  Innovators  Transformers  Entrepreneurs, represent the most influential people in the healthcare industry today. The PM360 editorial staff reviewed more than 500 submissions, and nominees were evaluated and selected based on their accomplishments and the impact of their efforts. A total of 100 winners were selected across 17 categories. Shaun joined The Inception Company in January 2018 as President after 13 years at Ogilvy CommonHealth as a Managing Partner. He saw great potential in a new virtual meeting innovation, Pando, that the company was developing and immediately helped Inception commercialize and launch Pando by further defining the market potential for the technology, building an integrated sales and marketing plan within the Life Sciences market, and establishing a vision for product development, market expansion into other industry verticals, and evolving the business model to a software as a service (SaaS) offering. Shaun brought deep industry expertise, an extensive network of relationships, passion, and tenacity to his role as President, and quickly solidified Inception's core production and meeting services business while catapulting Pando into the market well beyond forecast and expectations. "I am honored to be selected for this prestigious award by PM360," Shaun commented. "It has been an exciting time at The Inception Company, and I am thrilled to be contributing to its success. I am fortunate to enjoy what I do and to work with such talented people and committed clients. It is especially meaningful to be recognized among my peers." "The 100 individuals and teams we selected this year are truly worthy of being called ELITE," says Anna Stashower, CEO and Publisher of PM360. "Each of them is at the forefront of their respective fields and are leading this industry in exciting and new directions. We are beyond excited to celebrate their achievements and provide the industry the chane to get to know them a little better."



The winners were profiled in PM360's May 2019 issue. You can read the profiles online at https://www.pm360online.com/the-2019-pm360-elite-100. Shaun Urban and the rest of the winners will be honored at a celebratory event on Tuesday, July 16th in New York City at the rooftop bar 230 FIFTH. Tickets are available for purchase at www.pm360online.com/elitetickets.

About The Inception Company

The Inception Company is a technology-driven production company that builds engagement products and services to help our clients reach and connect more fully with their stakeholders, including virtual meeting platforms, broadcast, video, and meeting services solutions. Our newest innovation, Pando, was developed in response to clients' needs for a virtual meeting platform that delivers superior engagement and collaboration. Combining a studio crew, 40-foot video wall, in-person moderator or moderators, and seamless onboarding support by live helpdesk staff, Pando is a fully-produced event that delivers the experience and impact of an in-person meeting. Independently held, The Inception Company is headquartered in Fairfield NJ, with additional offices in New York NY, Blue Bell PA, and San Francisco CA. For more information, visit www.pandomeetings.com or www.inceptioncompany.com About PM360

PM360 is the premier, must-read magazine for marketing decision makers in the pharmaceutical, biotech, diagnostics, and medical device industries. Published monthly, PM360 is the only journal that focuses on delivering the full spectrum of practical information necessary for product managers and pharmaceutical marketing professionals to succeed in the complex and highly regulated healthcare environment. The journal's targeted and insightful editorial focuses on issues that directly impact critical decision making, including: Planning and implementation of cutting edge strategies, trends, the latest technological advances, branding/marketing, advertising/promotion, patient/professional education, sales, market research, PR, and leadership. Additionally, the "360" in the title signifies the span of this critical, how-to info with personal and career insights for an enjoyable and thought-provoking read. By providing the full circle of enriching content, PM360 is truly an indispensable tool for busy and productive marketing professionals to stay at the top of their game. Matt Giegerich

CEO

The Inception Company

973-840-1800

[email protected] This release was issued through WebWire(R). For more information visit http://www.webwire.com. View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/shaun-urban-selected-by-pm360-as-one-of-the-elite-100-300851781.html SOURCE The Inception Company

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[May 16, 2019] Keeping Millennials Engaged isn't About Gamerooms and Perks

SAN FRANCISCO, May 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Millennials, both as consumers and as workers, are transforming America. Numbering in excess of 75 million, and all of working age between 22 and 38, Millennials are the largest generation in U.S. history. They are also the dominant employee segment, accounting for 50% of the U.S. workforce by 2020 and 75% by 2030. The growing challenge for employers, however, is that Millennials tend to resign frequently. A Silicon Valley company, Retainable.ai's Millennials Retention Study shows that 62% of working Millennials are constantly open to new job opportunities. More importantly, the study also indicates that only 25% of Millennials are emotionally and behaviorally connected to their job and company. Further, 18% of Millennials are actively disengaged, meaning they are more or less out to do damage to their company. The study, analyzing 30 different data points, reveals that organizations must view Millennials as a high potential flight risk and take specific action to curb their exit. If left unchecked, the projected cost of Millennial turnover to the American economy could exceed $40 billion annually. The following chart illustrates the range of Millennial retention tenure achieved by some of America's leading businesses. Millennial retention success clearly varies with regard to corporate culture, industry segment and age of the organization. Millennials actually take a deep interest in their work, actively look and strive for opportunities to advance, welcome mentoring and espond well when a manager helps develop them. They are also extremely interconnected, immersed in an almost nonstop exchange of digital information as they explore all the operating facets of their current employer or hunt down a new entity that offers the workplace experience they're seeking. Yes, Millennials appreciate a light-hearted workplace and nice perks, but they value more the fact that their time and effort will have meaning, result in a real impact in the marketplace and end with an upward mobility and reward path for themselves.



"Millennials are more inclined to stay put when their employer builds a high-trust environment with clear career advancement paths, competitive fair pay, strong work-life balance, and a positive corporate ethics culture," states Muttalip Olgun, CEO of Retainable. "In particular, our study of several years of employee retention data has led us to understand that Millennials want productive conversations and deeper connections with managers as it relates to their work and how it contributes to the ultimate goals and success of the organization. Having been raised in a face-paced, tech-driven world Millennials are quick learning masters oriented to push limits to achieve more. An employer with different career paths within the organization is an important expectation for Millennials." Millennials want to be engaged and are passionate about their work  and they want these traits to be recognized and rewarded. Managers, therefore, have to set aside outdated concepts of seniority as an absolute and embrace a new definition of the good employee. Once that philosophy is in place then the Millennial perspective and approach to loyalty through development, recognition, and trust  which can add genuine shareholder value, profit, productivity, and welfare  be fully capitalized.

Retainable helps organizations understand how to evaluate and retain their employees on an individual basis in real time. The service calculates employee flight risk and provides recommended actions designed to minimize turnover. For more information about The Retainable Mellennial Retention Study visit or email [email protected]. View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/keeping-millennials-engaged-isnt-about-gamerooms-and-perks-300850400.html SOURCE Retainable

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[May 16, 2019]

NASA Invites Media to Watch Drone Traffic Management Testing

WASHINGTON, May 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- NASA is entering the final stage of testing its Unmanned Aircraft Systems Traffic Management (UTM) platform and invites media to learn more and watch drone demonstrations Tuesday, May 21, in Reno, Nevada.

The agency's research into drone traffic management focuses on operations within a city, at an altitude of 200 feet or higher, and the unique challenges presented when flying in an urban area. Media will have the opportunity to interview NASA leadership and researchers about this important work.

To participate, media must email their name, affiliation and telephone number to Darryl Waller at [email protected] by 2 p.m. PDT, Monday, May 20.







Since 2015, NASA has worked to create a research platform that can manage drone traffic safely. Through a long-standing partnership with the Federal Aviation Administration and help from many industry partners, the goal is to understand how a nationwide system for drones can safely integrate remotely-piloted aircraft into low-altitude airspace.

For more information about UTM, visit:

https://www.nasa.gov/ames/utm

For more information about NASA's aeronautics research, visit:

https://www.nasa.gov/aeroresearch

View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/nasa-invites-media-to-watch-drone-traffic-management-testing-300851825.html

SOURCE NASA
[May 16, 2019] CEO-CMO Summit Vietnam 2019 will take place on May 31

HO CHI MINH CITY, Vietnam, May 17, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- How has the Vietnamese market changed with the trend of global digital racing? What do typical businesses have and will do to lead or catch up with competitors in this "race"? What do business leaders do to not be left behind? The answer will be found at the Vietnam CEO-CMO Summit Vietnam 2019 which will take place on this May 31. The digital "revolution" in Vietnam and noticeable numbers In recent years, Vietnam has become one of the potential markets for businesses with the development of smartphones' platform. A report by the global Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) has shown that the increase in smartphone market penetration and the use of mobile data increasing in both urban and rural areas has "flared up" the budget for advertising on mobile devices in Vietnam. Approximately $77.1 million was spent in 2017, double the figure of $38.5 million in 2016, accounting for about 50-60% of the total budget for digital advertising activities of most major brands. More notably, for about 70% of the population living in rural areas, mobile phones have become a basic communication tool and an integral part of many people's lives and work. However, marketers still face many difficulties in reaching these targets because of the lack of market insight and consumer behaviour. How does members of MMA react to this trend? In the context that the digital "revolution" in the world in general and Vietnam in particular is happening at an extremely fast pace, many businesses have been adjusting their strategies to catch up with the era and consumer's trend. Facebook - one of the board members of Vietnam Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) - has also taken a step forward with many breakthrogh policies.



In the presentation at CEO-CMO Summit Vietnam 2018, Ms. Christy Le, former Facebook Country Director of Vietnam, emphasized: "Data is the tool to connect online users to offline." Up to 90% of consumers shop at real stores, but 60% of them will decide to buy when they see products on the internet. Two online - offline platforms need to be coordinated and connected to effectively reach consumers and attract purchases. And according to her, data is the most effective tool to connect these two platforms. Adtima - another member of the Management Board of MMA Vietnam is also a good example of business innovation to keep up with the digital race. "After the mobile era is the era of artificial intelligence (AI)" is the thought of Mr. Nguyen Anh Tuan, CEO of Adtima, when sharing about the journey and development orientation of technology companies. Based on users' mobile behavior and habits, Adtima has succeeded in building an ecosystem of applications from music, news, chat, finance, ... on mobile platforms.

However, for further development, advanced technologies such as AI need to be applied to connect users to the services and products they care about, towards convenience. He emphasized: "In the near future, Vietnamese people can use Zalo as their virtual assistant, like Safari, Cortana or Google Assistant." Meeting CEO - CMO Vietnam 2019 - opportunity to lead "racing" in the digital field On May 31, 2019, CEO-CMO Summit Vietnam 2019 with the theme "Architect the Future of Marketing" will be organized by MMA with the participation of hundreds of leaders and marketers of large businesses from different industries in Vietnam. In particular, the Summit will include Mr. Antoine De Carbonnel - Chief Commercial Officer of Go Jek will discuss the growth of shared services for developed countries. In addition, guest speakers Mr. Charles Ng - Deputy Enterprise Enterprise AI Appier and Mr. Bui Hai An - 7Eleven Digital Director will also analyze deeply to clarify the new trends in this "revolution" through key topics: How to segment audience and why it is important, CEO Panel - Data and development, the impact of E-business, Direct-to-Consumer approaches- new opportunities for brands, Take advantage of technology to connect the online and offline world, ... This is a valuable opportunity for participants to update the latest knowledge and trends on how to use mobile channel in modern marketing. In addition, joining the CEO-CMO Summit Vietnam 2019, attendees also have the opportunity to network with experts, as well as other marketers from domestic and foreign companies. Since then, individuals and businesses can join an active community, contributing to the development of marketing and mobile technology in Vietnam. The CEO-CMO conference, organized by MMA Vietnam, will take place on May 31, 2019 at Mai House Saigon Hotel (District 3, HCMC). All CEOs and CMOs from businesses and brands are applying digital and mobile in marketing and business management activities as well as are interested in improvements of technologies such as AI, Blockchain, IoT ... are welcomed at the Conference. Register now at https://www.mmaglobal.com/ceosummitvietnam2019 with many attractive offers when registering before May 20, 2019. PR Newswire is the media partner of CEO - CMO VIETNAM 2019. For any questions regarding this release, please contact:

Doan Nguyen Ngoc

+84-915004143

[email protected] Photo - https://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20190515/2467806-1 SOURCE MMA Asia Pacific Limited

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[May 16, 2019] WISeKey and OISTE.ORG invited sustainable communities to cooperate in deploying a new Universal Decentralized Identification (UID) system on the Blockchain to guarantee sustainable peace at The Business for Peace Summit in Oslo

WISeKey and OISTE.ORG invited sustainable communities to cooperate in deploying a new Universal Decentralized Identification (UID) system on the Blockchain to guarantee sustainable peace at The Business for Peace Summit in Oslo Participating NGOs and Sustainable Development Organizations supporting Sustainable Development Goals to receive a free code required to build their own identity registration system and create their own apps based on www.wiseid.com Geneva, Oslo - May 16, 2019  WISeKey International Holding Ltd (WISeKey SIX: WIHN; OTCQX: WIKYY)), a leading Swiss cybersecurity, Blockchain and IoT company, announced today that during the The Business for Peace Summit held in Oslo, Norway on May 15, 2019, invited sustainable communities to cooperate in deploying a new UID system on the Blockchain to guarantee sustainable peace. As a member of The Blockchain Research Institutes (BRI) special category of members, WISeKey is dedicated to pushing Blockchain technology forward. Based in Oslo, Business for Peace is an international foundation that supports local business leaders achieve their purpose on improving society. Its annual Business for Peace Summit brings together business leaders, investors, leaders of Non-Profit Organizations (NGOs), politicians, academics, and civil societies from all over the world to discuss the practical actions needed to make substantial and sustainable business contributions to society. The summit supports the Sustainable Development Goals 2030 Agenda and the Nordic Springboard of the United Nations SDG Impact initiative. The 2019 Business for Peace Summit Navigating in a World of Imbalance together with the SDG Impact Springboard event as a cornerstone, gathered Nordic investor support aiming to build momentum for an upcoming global event in Stockholm. Last year, WISeKey, a pioneer in Digital Identification and Blockchain, unveiled its plan to create Digital Identity Blockchain Platform CertifyID, which is in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals to provide every person on the planet with a Legal Digital Identity by 2030. For years, we have used digital identities to allow people to vote electronically, secure their financial transactions, access their health records and now we are moving towards a universal use of Digital Identities as more than 1.2 billion people in the world are unable to prove their identity and therefore lack access to vital services including healthcare, social protection, education and finance. The majority of people without a digital identity live in Africa and Asia and more than a third are children who are unregistered, said Carlos Moreira, Founder and CEO of WISeKey. WISeKey is pioneering the way Blockchain and Digital Identity disrupt industries and decentralized Trust. At the heart of this industrial platform is the OISTE-WISeKey Cryptographic RoT which has been actively used since 1999 by over 4 billion desktops, browsers, mobile devices, SSL certificates and IoT devices sharing a universal ledger. The OISTE WISeKey Cryptographic RoT is ubiquitous and universal, and a pioneer in the creation of Digital Identities, concluded Mr. Moreira. Blockchain-based solutions aim to override the need for a central authority by distributing information previously held in a centralized repository across a network of participating nodes. While Blockchain is not owned by one individual or organization, anyone with an internet connection (and access, in the case of private Blockchains) can make use of it, help maintain and verify it. When a transaction is made on a Blockchain, it is added to a group of ransactions, known as blocks. Each block of transactions is added to the database in a chronological, immutable chain. Each block is stamped with a unique cryptographic code, which ensures that records are not counterfeited or changed. The Blockchain approach lacks legal validity in most jurisdictions, which only recognize the digital signatures as equally valid that manuscript signatures when generated using traditional PKI technology.



One concrete application on the use of this new Trust protocol is WISeCoin. WISeCoin is a Trusted Distributed Ledger Technology of Identity used to store the identity of objects and peoples and offers connected objects the ability to identify, authenticate and verify each other with a digital certificate. During each interaction, the Blockchain of Identity verifies and validates each digital certificate to secure the interaction. To compensate the use of the platform, a micro service fee is charged through a utility token, called the WISeCoin token. Participant NGOs and Sustainable Development Organizations supporting SDGs and in particular Goal 16: peace, justice, and sustainable institutions aim to promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels. Within this is Goal 16.9, on identity: by 2030, provide legal identity for all, including birth registration will receive at no cost the code required to build their own identity registration system and create their own apps based on www.wiseid.com.

About WISeKey WISeKey (SIX Swiss Exchange: WIHN) is a leading global cybersecurity company currently deploying large scale digital identity ecosystems for people and objects using Blockchain, AI and IoT respecting the Human as the Fulcrum of the Internet. WISeKey Microprocessors Secures the pervasive computing shaping todays Internet of Everything. WISeKey IoT has an install base of over 1.5 billion microchips in virtually all IoT sectors (connected cars, smart cities, drones, agricultural sensors, anti-counterfeiting, smart lighting, servers, computers, mobile phones, crypto tokens etc.). WISeKey is uniquely positioned to be at the edge of IoT as our semiconductors produce a huge amount of Big Data that, when analyzed with Artificial Intelligence (AI), can help industrial applications to predict the failure of their equipment before it happens. Our technology is Trusted by the OISTE/WISeKeys Swiss based cryptographic Root of Trust (RoT) provides secure authentication and identification, in both physical and virtual environments, for the Internet of Things, Blockchain and Artificial Intelligence. The WISeKey RoT serves as a common trust anchor to ensure the integrity of online transactions among objects and between objects and people. For more information, visit www.wisekey.com.



About OISTE.ORG



Founded in Switzerland in 1998, OISTE.ORG was created with the objectives of promoting the use and adoption of international standards to secure electronic transactions, expand the use of digital certification and ensure the interoperability of certification authorities e-transaction systems. The OISTE Foundation is a not for profit organization based in Geneva, Switzerland, regulated by article 80 et seq. of the Swiss Civil Code. OISTE is an organization in special consultative status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations (ECOSOC) and belongs to the Not-for-Profit constituency (NPOC) of the ICANN. http://www.oiste.org/ . Mission: transfer the control and management of technologies dealing with Internet Trust and digital identities to neutral authorities working for the public interest. Vision: an Internet where users engage in online transactions and communications under systems of digital identity management that offer robust protection against fraud and theft, while protecting the fundamental right to privacy. Press contacts: WISeKey International Holding Ltd

Company Contact: Carlos Moreira

Chairman & CEO

Tel: +41 22 594 3000

[email protected] WISeKey Investor Relations (US)

Contact: Lena Cati

The Equity Group Inc.

Tel: +1 212 836-9611

[email protected] Disclaimer:



This communication expressly or implicitly contains certain forward-looking statements concerning WISeKey International Holding Ltd and its business. Such statements involve certain known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which could cause the actual results, financial condition, performance or achievements of WISeKey International Holding Ltd to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. WISeKey International Holding Ltd is providing this communication as of this date and does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements contained herein as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, any securities, and it does not constitute an offering prospectus within the meaning of article 652a or article 1156 of the Swiss Code of Obligations or a listing prospectus within the meaning of the listing rules of the SIX Swiss Exchange. Investors must rely on their own evaluation of WISeKey and its securities, including the merits and risks involved. Nothing contained herein is, or shall be relied on as, a promise or representation as to the future performance of WISeKey.

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[May 16, 2019]

NASA Administrator to Speak at Florida Institute of Technology Event

WASHINGTON, May 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine will deliver remarks and speak to media Thursday, May 23, at Florida Institute of Technology in Melbourne.

The remarks will air live on NASA Television and the agency's website.

Florida Tech is hosting a space technology event to engage students, research faculty, regional institutions and local businesses, and discuss NASA opportunities and America's plan to land astronauts on the Moon in 2024.

Bridenstine will deliver a keynote address from 1 to 2 p.m. EDT in the Hartley Room, on the second floor of the university's Denius Student Center, 144 Florida Tech Drive, Melbourne.

Following his remarks, Bridenstine will be available to answer questions from media at 2:10 p.m. in the Digital Scholarship Lab at the university's Evans Library, 2949 Science Cir., Melbourne. To participate, media must RSVP by 5 p.m. Tuesday, May 21 to Matthew Rydin at [email protected] or 202-603-7522 or Adam Lowenstein at [email protected] or 321-674-8964. If you are not a member of the media, pre-registration with Florida Tech is required to attend the free event.







For more information about Bridenstine, visit:

https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/bridenstine-biography.html

For more information about the May 23 Florida Tech event, visit:

https://newsroom.fit.edu/2019/04/15/florida-tech-to-host-space-technology-day-may-23/

View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/nasa-administrator-to-speak-at-florida-institute-of-technology-event-300851939.html

SOURCE NASA
[May 16, 2019] RainFocus Achieves Exponential Growth in 2019

LEHI, Utah, May 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- RainFocus, the leading Event Marketing Platform, announced today the completion of its 200th large conference, VMware Radio 2019. RainFocus is contracted to complete over 600 conferences by the end of 2019 and has already secured over 1,000 additional conferences for 2020, with an average attendance over 4,000. RainFocus has been rapidly gaining customers since the company's first platform deployment for a global Fortune 50 enterprise conference with 45,000+ attendees. Since then, large event-hosting enterprises, such as Oracle, Cisco, and VMware, have all moved their conference management to the RainFocus Platform. Twenty Fortune 1000 companies have also made the switch by bringing their marquee conference portfolios to the platform. This exponential growth marks the beginning of the end for the antiquated apps that are currently domineering the event management industry, as approximately 100 conferences and events are transitioning to RainFocus every month. "In just over two years, we have seen leading enterprises move their marquee conferences to RainFocus, and we've now begun successfully shifting their portfolio of Tier II and Tier III events to our platform," says Kevin O'Rourke, EVP of Sales. "Our all-in-one platform is built entirely in the cloud, and our clients have seen tremendous gains in team efficiency and event optimization. No longer burdened by the pitfalls of legacy event apps that have been bolted together with little foresight, our clients' evnt teams are now empowered to build personalized event experiences in minutes versus weeks."



RainFocus will soon deliver its 1,000,000th personalized experience. The company has expanded its reach to manage events in over 30 countries and has been recognized as a marketing thought leader among emerging companies. "We have a comprehensive platform built to service all levels of event complexity and phenomenal people that deliver a world-class experience for our clients," says Doug Baird, President. "We continually receive comments from our clients touting how our service team and platform are worlds apart from their previous experiences, empowering them to do more with a fraction of the effort."

"I cannot speak highly enough about the product that the RainFocus team delivers and the professionals behind it," says Patty Townley, Director of Technology for Global Events at VMWare. "This team has saved our company weeks of work while enabling us to deliver a significantly better experience to our attendees." To learn more about what makes RainFocus so appealing to event producers visit: https://www.rainfocus.com/platform/insights/ About RainFocus RainFocus is an event marketing platform that simplifies event management, personalizes experiences and consolidates data for significantly better events. Unlike legacy systems, RainFocus solves for an entire events portfolio from one dashboard and seamlessly integrates it with sales and marketing to drive engagement. The company was founded in 2014 and is headquartered in Lehi, Utah. Learn more at RainFocus.com. Media Contacts RainFocus Brian Gates [email protected] Related Images image1.png View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/rainfocus-achieves-exponential-growth-in-2019-300851909.html SOURCE RainFocus

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[May 16, 2019]

SeeVoov Wins the ITB China 2019 Tourism Innovation Startup Awards

TEL AVIV, Israel, May 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- SeeVoov, one of the most innovative players in the field of travel technology, which has developed a B2B, Video based travel planner, enabling tourism companies to increase revenue via ancillary bookings and user engagement, has been named winner of the ITB China Innovation Startup Awards.

The ITB China Startup Awards recognizes companies that turned dreams and ideas into viable business solutions with outstanding market potential.

The other five finalists alongside SeeVoov were Air Black Box, Nobility Technology Group, the Robins Barrier-free Travel, Pointmark and TravelRight.

The winner was selected by jury of well-known industry professionals from Amadeus, Ctrip, Ping An Ventures, Tongcheng-Elong, KarmYog Education Network and Yuantai Investment Partners Eergreen Fund.







"Wining the ITB China Startup Innovation award is an incredible honor, and a great recognition for the market's need of the SeeVoov platform," says Yosi Golan, Co-Founder & CTO. "Our platform is the world's first full-funnel B2B Video-based travel planner, helping tourism companies increase revenue via ancillary bookings and improved user engagement."

"Within the travel industry there is very little customer loyalty. companies such as airlines, cruise-lines, hotel chains and OTA's are battling over price competitiveness for user attention, and many of them are struggling to create ancillary revenue. SeeVoov has acknowledged the power of video in increasing user purchase intent, and has developed the world's first full-funnel B2B Video-based travel planner, enabling tourism companies to significantly increase ancillary revenue (through hotel booking, flights, attraction tickets, restaurant reservations), as well as provide their users with unique Value Added video entertaining content to enhance their travels. This includes creating up-sales opportunities throughout the entire user funnel, from website/app inspiration, through the booking process, in-flight / cruise, and in-destination."

The awards gala was held on May 16th at The Shanghai World Expo Exhibition and Conference Center.

www.seevoov.com

Contact:

Naama Manova Twito

CMO SeeVoov

[email protected]m

View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/seevoov-wins-the-itb-china-2019-tourism-innovation-startup-awards-300851965.html

SOURCE SeeVoov
[May 16, 2019] Code Pilot Approved as a Microsoft AI Inner Circle Partner

Code Pilot Corp - a leader in AI enablement and acceleration solutions, today announced it was approved by Microsoft (News - Alert) as an AI Inner Circle Partner. Microsoft's AI Inner Circle Partner Program recognizes Microsoft Partners who can transform a customer's business by accelerating the deployment of AI based projects. The AI Inner Circle Partner Program is designed for partners with demonstrated expertise in the area of AI. Code Pilot's reputation as a thought leader and elite group of Applied Data Scientists provides customers with a low-risk method for developing intelligent products on Microsoft Azure, bringing together the joint benefits of Cloud + AI. "Being selected as a Microsoft AI Inner Circle Partner is a huge endorsement of our platform," said David Lemphers, CEO of Code Pilot. "As enterprise organizations look to improve the success of their AI initiatives, we can help them reduce risk and increase ROI by 20% on average." Lindsey Allen, Director of Product Management, Microsoft AI platform said, "Acceptance into the Microsoft AI Inner Circle Partner Program requires demonstrated expertise in AI and is only offered to companies with the proven ability to support Microsoft customes in designing, developing and deploying intelligent solutions. We're pleased to have Code Pilot join this group of Microsoft Partners."



Code Pilot's AI Accelerators Time and skills are the primary factors leading to the failure of enterprise AI initiatives. Code Pilot mitigates these risks by providing customers with a platform for solving business needs faster and without the burden of hiring a dedicated ML team.

Leveraging their extensive experience developing and deploying production grade AI solutions for Fortune 500 customers, Code Pilot's platform ensures customers don't get stuck in the envisioning phase and instead move rapidly to the deployment and operations phase. This is crucial to successful AI-driven business transformation. To learn more, please visit the Microsoft AI Inner Circle Partner Program information page. Follow Code Pilot: LinkedIn & Twitter About Code Pilot Code Pilot is the leading platform provider of intelligent solution accelerators for AI and machine learning. Enterprises worldwide use Code Pilot as their trusted AI partner to accelerate the deployment of AI solutions to transform their business. Led by experts in the data science and machine learning industry with shared experiences at major AI companies like Microsoft, Amazon and Google (News - Alert), Code Pilot continues to innovate and improve how organizations transform through production AI. For more information visit www.mycodepilot.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190516005988/en/

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By Baek Byung-yeul







SK Group is expanding its presence in Southeast Asia, agreeing to purchase a 6.1 percent stake in top Vietnamese company Vingroup for $1 billion, the group said Thursday.







Calling the stake purchase a "strategic partnership," the group said it will seek business opportunities in Vietnam including investing in new businesses, infrastructure development and mergers and acquisitions.







Established in 1993, Vingroup is Vietnam's top-listed private company by market value. It has been leading many industry sectors in Vietnam ranging from real estate development to smartphones and automobiles. Its sales in the first quarter of 2019 was about 1.1 trillion won ($924 million) and it has logged an average annual growth rate of 45.5 percent for the past three years.







SK Group said this is the result of Chairman Chey Tae-won actively trying to gain a foothold there. He had a meeting with Vietnam's Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc twice in 2017 and 2018 to maintain a cooperative relationship and share opinions about solving environmental issues.







SK said the deal was sealed after Cho Dae-sik, chairman of SK SUPEX Council, the group's top decision-making body, had a meeting with Vingroup Chairman Pham Nhat Vuong.







"The investment came after a year after Cho Dae-sik, chairman of SK SUPEX Council  the group's top decision-making body  had a meeting with Vingroup Chairman Pham Nhat Vuong to seek growth opportunities in May 2018," SK Group said.







SK Group has been actively seeking business opportunities in the fast growing Vietnamese market.







In August 2018, the group's five subsidiaries including SK Holding, SK Innovation, SK Telecom, SK E&S and SK hynix established a joint entity  SK South East Asia Investment  and purchased a 9.5 percent stake in Vietnam's second-largest conglomerate, Masan Group, for $470 million.


Molina Healthcare to Host Investor Day Meeting

Molina Healthcare, Inc. (NYSE: MOH) will host an Investor Day meeting at the Park Hyatt New York Hotel in New York City on Thursday, May 30, 2019, from 9:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

Investors can register for the event at molinahealthcare.com/investorday.

The Company will webcast the presentations offered by its management team, which will be followed by question-and-answer sessions. A link to this webcast can be found on the Company's website at < rel="nofollow" rel="nofollow" href="https://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.molinahealthcare.com&esheet=51986231&newsitemid=20190516006011&lan=en-US&anchor=molinahealthcare.com&index=2&md5=cbf56a96939345bd3a053adbca6784a5">molinahealthcare.com. A 30-day online replay of the Investor Day meeting will be available approximately one hour following the conclusion of the live webcast.







About Molina Healthcare

Molina Healthcare, Inc., a FORTUNE 500 company, provides managed health care services under the Medicaid and Medicare programs and through the state insurance marketplaces. Through its locally operated health plans, Molina Healthcare served approximately 3.4 million members as of March 31, 2019. For more information about Molina Healthcare, please visit molinahealthcare.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190516006011/en/
[May 16, 2019] Acoustic Wells wins 2019 MIT $100K Entrepreneurship Competition

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., May 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Acoustic Wells, a startup born in a laboratory at MIT that has created a new internet of things (IoT) control solution for oil wells that optimizes production while drastically reducing methane emissions, beat out seven finalists to win the Robert P. Goldberg $100,000 grand prize at last night's MIT $100K Entrepreneurship Launch Finale held on the MIT campus. Now in its 30th year, the MIT $100K Entrepreneurship Competition is an economic barometer for sectors of innovation that are receiving funding by venture capitalists. To date, the MIT $100K has facilitated the birth of more than 160 companies, which have gone on to raise $1.3 billion in venture capital and build $16 billion in market capitalization. More than 30 MIT $100K startups have been acquired by major companies, such as Oracle, Cisco, 3M, and Merck. Over 4,600 people are currently employed by MIT $100K companies. Recent IPOs include Akamai (AKAM) and Hubspot (HUBS). A major challenge in the operation of oil and gas wells is the ability to monitor the operating conditions and health of pumping equipment without the need for prohibitively expensive equipment or daily inspections. To address this issue, Acoustic Wells has developed a patent-pending, acoustic-based control method that is capable of determining precisely down-hole conditions using a simple and affordable surface sensor. Acoustic Wells' simple plug-and-play hardware processes the data at the edge and seamlessly connects to their cloud platform using long range IoT networks. Artificial intelligence algorithms automatically monitor the pump operation and optimize the production by adjusting the pumping rate while also predicting potential critical failures of the system. Acoustic Wells' founding team members are: Dr. Sebastien Mannai, CEO, MIT PhD 2018 in Aerospace Engineering. He is currently engaged in postdoctoral work on AI signal processing in the Gas Turbine Laboratory of the Aerospace Department at MIT. Dr. Charles-Henri Clerget, COO, who is currently engaged in postdoctoral work in the Earth Resources Laboratory with the Mathematics Department at MIT where he focuses on the big data analysis of drilling operations. Louis Creteur, CTO and an industrial automation solution specialist who currently serves as IoT and Cloud Architect at Leanbox. "We bring cutting edge technology in a simple package to help every oil and gas producer optimize their assets while reducing their emissions," says Dr. Mannai. A panel of judges chose Acoustic Wells based on value creation, value capture, and technological differentiation. Judges included: TJ Parker, Co-Founder & CEO, PillPack; Mira Wilczek, President & CEO, Cogo Labs; Thomas Collet, President, CEO & Director, Phrixus Pharmaceuticals; Tanguy Chau, Venture Investor; and Katie Rae, CEO & Managing Partner, The Engine.



A $10,000 Audience Choice Award was presented to The Read Read, one of the finalist teams. The Read Read has created a patent pending physical device that allows blind and low-vision children to independently learn phonics and braille, and gain early literacy to keep pace with their sighted peers. Users simply touch the braille and large-print letter manipulatives, and get immediate audio feedback. It was developed at the Harvard Innovations Lab, and piloted at the Perkins School for the Blind and the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Six additional finalists included:

AgroBeads are biodegradable spheres made from natural ingredients that hydrate plants according to their needs and support their growth and healthy development. Plants not only grow, but they do it faster, and healthier. AgroBeads does not pollute the environment, improves the chances of germination, and contributes to the development of technologies that impact public health. Mechanodontics is a new method that can be used instead of braces or aligners that moves teeth independently. Placed behind teeth so they cannot be seen, this method considerably shortens treatment time, allows for easier cleaning than traditional braces, and is more comfortable. This technology, which employs state-of-the-art simulations, allows orthodontists to apply the optimal amount of force to each tooth, easily fixing even complicated mal-alignments that are not correctable with aligners. Myco Diagnostics is creating low-cost, robust medical diagnostics, using thermostable binding proteins to capture disease biomarkers from patient samples. They are producing point-of-care assays for the detection of urine-based biomarkers of tuberculosis, allowing them to address patient groups ill-served by traditional TB tests. Posh offers a bot-creation platform using patent-pending technology that makes it easy to tailor a custom chatbot to meet companies' needs. Not only can Posh answer company FAQs, but it can also help a company's customers manage their accounts and convert prospects into sales. Posh does this while interacting with customers via the channels they prefer: across text, voice, social media and the web. Qtech The team's MIT-educated scientists have invented 3D Nano structured air filters that provide 20x filtration performance, 10x lifetime, and are recyclable at an estimated similar cost of a traditional HEPA filter. Filters catch not only flower pollens, but also bacteria and even viruses, and there is no need for replacements in years. Stratagen Bio develops oxygen sensors to enable personalized cancer therapies, addressing the unmet clinical need of identifying low-oxygen treatment resistant tumors. They are enabling physicians to identify which cancer patients require a customized treatment to overcome resistance and improve outcomes and survival. John Harthorne, a founder and former CEO of MassChallenge, served as the keynote speaker. Harthorne's team, Robopsy, won the MIT $100K in 2007. He and Akhil Nigam went on to co-found MassChallenge, a not-for-profit, in 2010. Based on the MIT $100K model, their zero-equity startup accelerator has since gone global and has accelerated 1,975 startups that have raised more than $4.3 billion in funding, generated more than $2.5 billion in revenue, and created more than 121,000 total jobs. Harthorne now serves on MassChallenge's Global Board of Directors. Since its debut as the MIT $10K Entrepreneurship Competition in 1989, it has grown to include three independent contests  Pitch, Accelerate, and Launch  from September through May. Each contest focuses on developing specific founding skills. For each semi-finalist contender, the MIT $100K brings together a network of resources that includes mentorship from venture capitalists, serial entrepreneurs, corporate executives, and attorneys; media exposure; prototyping funds; business plan feedback; and discounted services. Altogether, almost $1M in non-dilutive prize money and other financial resources are awarded to help these new ventures accelerate. For more on the MIT $100K, please visit: www.mit100k.org View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/acoustic-wells-wins-2019-mit-100k-entrepreneurship-competition-300852028.html SOURCE MIT Sloan School of Management

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[May 16, 2019] The global citizen services AI market size is expected to grow from USD 1.5 billion in 2019 to USD 9.7 billion by 2024, at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 46.3%

NEW YORK, May 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) with analytics tools drive the citizen services AI market



Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05775884/?utm_source=PRN





The global citizen services AI market size is expected to grow from USD 1.5 billion in 2019 to USD 9.7 billion by 2024, at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 46.3% during the forecast period. Increased automation and agility, the need for IT modernization in government departments, automation of manual processes to ease pressure and enhance citizen experience, and increased cost savings are the major growth factors for the citizen services AI market. However, citizen data being prone to cyber-attacks and lack of awareness among government agencies about new technologies may restrain the growth of the citizen services AI market.



Machine Learning (ML) helps government agencies to gain insights from large sets of citizen data

ML is an AI application that automates and improves the learning process of systems based on program/algorithm that can access data and use it to train itself with no human intervention.ML allows government agencies to deliver advanced, cost-effective, and better citizen services.



The common applications of ML include advertising, computational finance, predictive maintenance in manufacturing, fraud detection, email spam filtering, text processing, network security threat detection, search recommendations, and video analysis.



Healthcare application segment to grow at the highest rate during the forecast period

Government agencies are keen on leveraging the use of AI for healthcare to control and diagnose diseases, and assist impaired citizens.Government organizations can also use AI to offer high quality healthcare services, and train doctors and nurses in complex procedures.



Several companies offer a range of solutions including automation of medical diagnosis and medical tests, detection and screening of diseases, monitoring equipment, andpredictive healthcare diagnosis and disease prevention. All these initiatives are expected to benefit the citizens and improve the experience for healthcare services.







Asia Pacific (APAC) to grow at the highest rate during the forecast period

APAC is expected to offer significant growth opportunities for citizen services AI vendors during the forecast period.Rapid advancements in emerging technologies, IT infrastructure services, and the Internet of Things (IoT) have led many organizations to adopt citizen services AI services.



Governments, especially those in emerging economies, are undertaking massive technology transformation programs (in digital citizen identity, banking, transportation and social welfare) to increase the penetration of public initiatives across multiple bodies.

In the process of determining and verifying the market size for several segments and subsegments gathered through secondary research, extensive primary interviews were conducted with the key people.





The breakup of the profiles of the primary participants as follows:

 By Company Type: Tier I: 20%, Tier II: 55%, and Tier III: 25%

 By Designation: C-Level: 50%, D-Level: 25%, and Others: 25%

 By Region: North America : 60%, Europe : 20%, APAC: 10%, Latin America : 5%, Middle East & Africa : 5%



The report profiles the following key vendors:

1. AWS (US)

2. Microsoft (US)

3. Accenture (US)

4. Alibaba (China)

5. IBM (US)

6. NVIDIA (US)

7. Intel (US)

8. Tencent (China)

9. Pegasystems (US)

10. Baidu (China)

11. ADDO AI ( Singapore )



Research Coverage

The report segments the global citizen services AI market by application which has been further segmented into traffic and transportation management, healthcare, public safety, utilities, general services.The technology segment covers ML, Natural Language Processing (NLP), image processing, and face recognition.



The report also provides market details in 5 major regions: North America , Europe , APAC, Middle East and Africa (MEA), and Latin America .



Key Benefits of Buying the Report

The report will help the market leaders/new entrants in the citizen services AI market with information on the closest approximations of the revenue numbers for the overall citizen services AI market and the subsegments.The report will help stakeholders understand the competitive landscape and gain more insights to better position their businesses and to plan suitable go-to-market strategies.



The report also helps stakeholders understand the pulse of the market and provides them with information on key market drivers, restraints, challenges, and opportunities.



Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05775884/?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 View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/the-global-citizen-services-ai-market-size-is-expected-to-grow-from-usd-1-5-billion-in-2019-to-usd-9-7-billion-by-2024--at-a-compound-annual-growth-rate-cagr-of-46-3-300852032.html SOURCE Reportlinker

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Texas Pacific Land Trust Sends Letter Requesting Explanations from Dissident Nominee Eric Oliver

Texas Pacific Land Trust (NYSE:TPL) ("TPL" or the "Trust") today sent a letter to dissident nominee Eric L. Oliver, requesting certain information about Mr. Oliver's background, interests and potential conflicts of interests to address serious concerns about his candidacy.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190516006072/en/







The Trust asks Mr. Oliver to reconsider his refusal to complete the standard candidate questionnaire in order to give shareholders the opportunity to make a fully-informed decision in advance of the special meeting to elect TPL's next Trustee. In the letter, the Trust requests a response from Mr. Oliver by 5:00 pm Central Time on May 20, 2019.

The letter to Mr. Oliver follows:

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190516006072/en/
[May 16, 2019] AM Best Affirms Credit Ratings of Third Point Reinsurance Ltd. and Its Subsidiaries; Revises Outlooks to Negative

AM Best has revised the outlooks to negative from stable and affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of A- (Excellent) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Ratings (Long-Term ICR) of "a-" of Third Point Reinsurance Company Ltd. (Bermuda) and Third Point Reinsurance (USA) Ltd. (Bermuda). AM Best also has revised the outlooks to negative from stable and affirmed the Long-Term ICRs of "bbb-" of Third Point Re (USA) Holdings, Inc. (TP USA) (Wilmington, DE) and its ultimate holding company, Third Point Reinsurance Ltd. (TPRE) (Bermuda). Concurrently, AM Best has revised the outlook to negative from stable and affirmed the Long-Term Issue Credit Rating of "bbb-" on the $115 million 7% fixed senior unsecured notes due 2025 of TP USA. The ratings reflect TPRE's balance sheet strength, which AM Best categorizes as very strong, as well as its marginal operating performance, neutral business profile and appropriate enterprise risk management. The negative outlooks reflect AM Best's concern over the company's business profile given its prolonged inability to generate an underwriting profit, which has resulted in an average combined ratio of 105.6% for the five years from 2014 to 2018. Furthermore, recent changes in senior management will need to prove beneficial to TPRE's market profile over the medium to long term. The company will need to enhance its business profile gradually and achieve a core portfolio of business that can deliver a sustainable level of technical profitability going forward. TPRE's risk-adjusted capitalization, as measured by Best's Capital Adequacy Ratio (BCAR), was categorized as strongest as of year-end 2018. Although surplus has trended down over the past five years (2018-2014), AM Best expects the company to continue to run its operations while maintaining the strongest BCAR level. An offsetting factor in AM Best's balance sheet strength assessment is TPRE's high-risk investment appetite, which exposes its capital to potential short-term volatility. However, AM Best believes that the company's investment adviser, Third Point LLC, has begun to take appropriate actions to mitigate this risk and stabilize investment earnings going forward.



TPRE has achieved a level of marginal operating results on average over recent years. The company has not reported an underwriting profit since inception, and its investment results have been volatile and below AM Best's expectations over the cycle. AM Best will continue to monitor the company's underwriting performance closely in future years. TPRE has a diversified reinsurance portfolio that historically focused on quota shares of lines of business with lower volatility. The company recently hired senior underwriters with extensive experience and began expanding into higher margin lines of business, including property catastrophe and specialty reinsurance. TPRE has established strong relationships with reinsurance brokers and progressively grown its business footprint despite challenging market conditions. Additionally, AM Best considers risk management capabilities to be appropriate for TPRE's risk profile.

This press release relates to Credit Ratings that have been published on AM Best's website. For all rating information relating to the release and pertinent disclosures, including details of the office responsible for issuing each of the individual ratings referenced in this release, please see AM Best's Recent Rating Activity web page. For additional information regarding the use and limitations of Credit Rating opinions, please view Understanding Best's Credit Ratings. For information on the proper media use of Best's Credit Ratings and AM Best press releases, please view Guide for Media - Proper Use of Best's Credit Ratings and AM Best Rating Action Press Releases. AM Best is a global rating agency and information provider with a unique focus on the insurance industry. Visit www.ambest.com for more information. Copyright  2019 by A.M. Best Rating Services, Inc. and/or its affiliates. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190516006075/en/

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[May 16, 2019] Webull Financial, the Zero-Commission Broker-Dealer Announces Paper Trading Competition

NEW YORK, May 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Webull Financial LLC, an independent, investor self-directed broker-dealer focused on zero-commission trading and granular market data, announced its first paper trading competition today. What Is Paper Trade? A paper trade is simulated trading which allows investors to practice buying and selling securities without risking real money. While learning, the investor can make paper trades and record them by hand to keep track of their hypothetical trading positions and portfolio. In further realization of one of its core company objectives, which is to democratize trading worldwide, Webull has embarked upon the sponsoring of Paper Trading Competitions, to educate and incentivize the investing public, in particular those persons who may be intimidated by the idea of trading in the stock markets. Benefit of Paper Trading (or "simulated trading") allows investors to practice buying and selling securities in testing new investment strategy before employing that strategy in a live account. Webull's "Paper Trading" competition is designed to adhere to real market rules, so that the user has the opportunity to have as close an experience with reality as possible. The user will have the benefit of improving their financial literacy and the satisfaction of being recognized for their performance with cash and non-cash prizes. The top three traders (3) each day and the top three (3) traders each week will receive monetary prizes. The Paper Trading Competition is a pre-cursor in preparation for a much bigger, real-money trading competition in the second-half of 2019 which is to be announced by Webull in the coming weeks. Terms and Conditions are attached at the end of this document.





About Webull Webull Financial has been in the retail trading space since only May of last year, but they already boast hundreds of thousands of trading accounts. The company's market data app is used globally by over 9 million users for real-time market updates as well as paper trading. Webull's market data platform streamlines the process by the APP user in obtaining the technical and fundamental information needed and the execution of the trade desired. Webull's Market Data platform offers charts with twenty-five (25) indicators with intervals of minute to minute updates. Once users have practiced enough on the paper trading feature of the platform, they can stay logged into Webull to execute on what they learned utilizing with real funds in their Webull Financial account. With the APP's built-in trading platform, users can open account with zero minimums and trade with zero commission. All these features are supported by Webull's Live Help desk, which ensures Webull's customer issues, no matter how big or small, are resolved. Users can reach our customer service representatives through the Live Help button, social media, or email us at [email protected]. To learn more about Webull Financial LLC, the app, or to book an interview, contact Gabriel Cao at 917-267-5556 or email [email protected], or visit the website at www.webull.com Important Disclosures Webull Financial LLC is a broker-dealer registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and is a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) and the Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC). The headquarters of Webull Financial LLC is located at 44 Wall Street, New York, NY, USA. System response and account access times may vary due to a variety of factors, including trading volumes, market conditions, system performance, and other factors. Risk Disclosure: Trading of stocks and all other investment products involves substantial risk of loss and it is not suitable for every investor. The value of stocks may fluctuate and as a result, clients may lose more than their original investment. Free trading of stocks refers to $0 commissions for Webull Financial LLC self-directed individual cash or margin brokerage accounts that trade U.S. listed securities via mobile devices or Web. Relevant SEC & FINRA fees may apply. Download the Webull APP in the Apple App store or Google Android Store for free. To learn more about Webull Financial LLC and its APP, please visit https://www.webull-us.com/introduce?hl=en. For Webull's terms and conditions, please visit: https://www.webull.com/policy. View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/webull-financial-the-zero-commission-broker-dealer-announces-paper-trading-competition-300852110.html SOURCE Webull Financial LLC

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[May 16, 2019] Ever-Growing Complexity of Telecom Fraud and Its Ripple Effect

The misuse and fraudulent abuse of phone networks is a growing worldwide problem that continues to trouble regulators, hit service provider revenues, impact customer service and annoy businesses and consumers alike. The Communications Fraud Control Association (CFCA) reports that phone companies suffered a collective loss to fraudulent activity just shy of $30 billion. On top of that, international subscription revenue fraud (IRSF) has grown six-fold in the last five years. Not surprisingly, it is becoming increasingly difficult for fraud managers to stay on top of the latest fraud techniques and prevent significant losses to their bottom line. A new market brief from industry leading telecommunications partner, iconectiv (News - Alert), highlights proactive measures service providers can use to block unwanted calls and reduce network fraud, including revenue share, subscription, PBX (News - Alert) hacking and Wangiri fraud. The brief outlines best practices for using numbering intelligence to augment existing fraud management systems to outsmart the fraudsters. "Stopping and preventing fraud remains a moving target, and fraud managers must be mindful and vigilant," said Richard Jacowleff (News - Alert), CEO and President, iconectiv. "With fraudsters becoming increasingly sophisticated, security and fraud strategie need to stay several strides ahead of the latest techniques in order to efficiently and effectively block vulnerabilities before attacks happen."



Adding to the complexity, service providers are under pressure to deliver new and innovative services to retain customers and differentiate themselves from competition. While much of the attention is on creating and funding these innovations, what is often overlooked is the fraud and security implications they pose. Each technology and service added means new possibilities for fraudsters to infiltrate a network and new techniques for fraud managers to implement to prevent it from happening. The iconectiv market brief highlights best practices and industry solutions, inspired by TruNumber Protect, which provides authoritative numbering data to enhance existing service provider systems. This process targets suspect incoming calls and is supported by up-to-the minute awareness of attacks and patterns of behavior. Adding TruNumber Protect can also give you the data needed to block whole number ranges and spot patterns that can signify large-scale fraudulent activity.

Learn how to outsmart the fraudsters to safeguard your revenue in iconectiv's market brief. Copies can be downloaded here. About iconectiv iconectiv provides authoritative numbering intelligence to the global communications industry. Our market-leading solutions enable the interconnection of networks, devices and applications for more than two billion people every day who count on a simple, seamless and secure way to access and exchange information. With 30+ years of experience and more than 5K customers worldwide, iconectiv has intimate knowledge of the intricacies and complexities in creating, operating and securing the communications infrastructure for service providers, regulators and enterprises. Our solutions span network and operations management, numbering, registries and fraud prevention. For more information, visit www.iconectiv.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190516006092/en/

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That escalated quickly; Not long after the U.S. and China hoped to reach a new trade agreement, the U.S. made it significantly harder for American businesses to work with companies in China, with special emphasis placed on barring Huawei from doing business in the U.S.

U.S. President Donald Trump issued an executive order declaring a national emergency on May 15 "to deal with the threat posed by the unrestricted acquisition or use in the United States of information and communications technology or services designed, developed, manufactured, or supplied by persons owned by, controlled by, or subject to the jurisdiction or direction of foreign adversaries."

The White House said this executive order was motivated by the belief that "foreign adversaries are increasingly creating and exploiting vulnerabilities in information and communications technology and services" and that "additional steps are required to protect the security, integrity, and reliability of information and communications technology and services provided and used in the United States."

China isn't the only country accused of such activities, but concern about China is particularly high of late. Many countries around the world are treating Chinese companies with more skepticism, and businesses have also feared that equipment made in China might be used to conduct various forms of cyber espionage or attack.

The order follows Trump's decision to increase tariffs on goods originating from China to 25% on May 10, along with opening the possibility of expanding tariffs to more categories of goods. That decision could have a significant effect on American tech companies, from laptop and smartphone makers to AMD and Nvidia, as well as their customers. This sequence of events probably isn't a coincidence.

It's also telling that Trump's order came after trade talks with China failed. More information about what exactly the executive order entails is available via the White House's announcement.

Singling Out Huawei

That announcement didn't specifically mention China or Huawei. But the U.S. Department of Commerce's announcement that it's added Huawei to the Entity List, which means American businesses need a license from the Bureau of Industry and Security to work with the company, made it clear what country the U.S. is most worried about. As the Commerce Department explained in its announcement:

"This action stems from information available to the Department that provides a reasonable basis to conclude that Huawei is engaged in activities that are contrary to U.S. national security or foreign policy interest. This information includes the activities alleged in the Department of Justices public superseding indictment of Huawei, including alleged violations of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), conspiracy to violate IEEPA by providing prohibited financial services to Iran, and obstruction of justice in connection with the investigation of those alleged violations of U.S. sanctions."

This doesn't come as much of a surprise. The U.S. has targeted Huawei for a while now -- here are the highlights:

Huawei has disputed many of those allegations and even claimed that its Constitutional rights were violated by the federal agency equipment ban. But it's faced increasing scrutiny from other countries, too, with some barring its equipment from their 5G networks while others raised question about the security of its products. Now it will find it even harder to do business with American companies.
Jolie Justus believes it's time to change game for developers Hide Transcript Show Transcript FOR DEVELOPERS IN THE CITY. MICHAEL: INCENTIVE REFORM IS EMERGING AS A BIG ISSUE IN THE KANSAS CITY MAYOR'S RACE. THAT IS, MORE REGULATING OF THE TAX BREAKS DEVELOPERS GET FOR BIG PROJECTS. >> IT'S TIME TO HAVE A CONVERSATION ON WHETHER WE NEED A BLANKET, OR A UNIFORM COMMUNITY BENEFITS OR DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT.

Not really . . . But here's a sign that her campaign is working against the perception that she's in the back pocket of the eco-devo community. Take a look:
Street Life Remains Dangerous For Everybody In KCMO

Kansas City police needs public's help in pedestrian struck case KANSAS CITY, MO (KCTV) - Police are asking for the public's assistance for information on a hit and run that killed a man. Kansas City police posted a tweet on Wednesday saying that they needed information on a pedestrian that was hit, and the car then fled the scene.

Police On The Lookout For Creeper Targeting Schools

Mission police warn of suspicious man near elementary school KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The Mission Police Department said Wednesday it will have an increased presence near Rushton Elementary School after a man reportedly followed a child this week, making the child uncomfortable. The child was walking around 4:15 p.m.

Kansas City Standoff Postscript

Police involved in standoff with armed individual barricaded inside a home Police are investigating. The Kansas City Police Department is asking the public to avoid the area near a standoff scene involving an armed individual.Police were originally called to the home in the 10600 block of East 46th Terrace shortly before 11 a.m.

More Indictments After KCMO Murder

Second person charged in killing in Kansas City home KANSAS CITY, MO (AP) - A second woman has been charged in the shooting and stabbing death of a man in a Kansas City home. Jackson County prosecutors announced Tuesday that 41-year-old Stephanie Nance, 41, of Oak Grove, is charged with second-degree murder, kidnapping and two counts of armed criminal action in the killing of 49-year-old Michael Fisher.

Dude Is Allegedly Gross

KC man convicted of stalking women he met at massage parlors; illegally buying guns KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- A Kansas City man faces the possibility of spending decades behind bars after a federal jury found him guilty of stalking women he met at massage parlors and illegally possessing firearms. Robert Gross, 67, faces a possible sentence of up to 55 years in prison without the possibility of parole.

Olathe Police Want Conversation With This Wanted Dude

Wanted: Agostino Wol OLATHE, KS (KCTV) -- Agostino Wol is wanted on a Kansas parole violation warrant for rape. His original offense happened in 2013 in Olathe and involved the sexual assault of a woman. His last known address was in Olathe, but his current location is unknown. He is a registered sex offender in Johnson County, Kansas.

Locals Looking For This Crook

Police seek suspect in Leavenworth bank robbery KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Citizens National Bank in Leavenworth was robbed Wednesday afternoon. The FBI said a lone black male walked into a branch around 2:15 p.m. at 601 Delaware St., brandished a handgun and made a verbal demand for money.

Today's Panic Over Abandoned Gear

KCPD: Nothing suspicious found in backpack left at KCATA KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Kansas City, Missouri, police investigated a suspicious package at the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority building on 18th Street Wednesday morning. The package was a backpack left near KCATA's security stand. Employees called police. The bomb and arson squad also responded and used a robot to shoot a high-velocity water cannon to try to open the bag.

A quick collection of assorted and alleged Kansas City metro misdeeds along with police action reports.Developing . . .
NEW YORK - Bob Bennett wants cities to know that becoming "smart" is a necessity, and he's ready to help them get there. The former chief innovation officer of Kansas City, MO announced this week at Smart Cities New York the launch of a smart city consulting group, B2 Civic Solutions, to help bridge gaps between local governments and private sector companies, and ensure citizen demands are at the center of such collaborations.
Among many greats from 1994, Ive picked up a few obvious choices and a few secret gems. If you see something you like, itll be worth it to have a piece of rare Non-U.S.-spec automotive history.

It is important to note that the 25 year period starts from the date of the vehicles production. You can prove it with the vehicle documentation, first registration document, or by a recognized vehicle historical society that can identify the age of the vehicle.

This law enables us to drive some incredibly cool cars and considering that 2019 is exactly 25 years after 1994, I give you a list of astonishing vehicles you can import from all over the world.

Every year, several awesome 25-year-old cars become eligible for import in the U.S. without regard to whether they comply with the DOT Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS).

1994 Audi RS2 Avant

Made in conjunction with Porsche, the Audi RS2 was one of the first insane Audi wagons that shaped companies future. Not only did Porsche largely redevelop its 2.2-liter turbocharged engine, but the RS2 was fitted with some essential engine internals from the 911 engine. With 315 horsepower and a healthy 302 pound-feet of torque, the Audi RS2 became the first RS and a car that was quicker to 30 mph than the staggering McLaren F1. I am not joking!

Manual?

Of course - a six speed!

Based on top of the Audi 80 Avant architecture, the RS2 actually features brakes and suspension developed by Porsche.

So, not only did it go fast, but it could corner.

While at that, let me tell you that the RS2 can do 62 mph in 5.4 seconds and reach a top speed of 160 mph.

As for that 30 mph surge - it will do it in 1.5 seconds.

Audi produced just over 3,000 of them. You can, and you should buy one. Prepare to churn out $80,000 for a pristine model. One will not come cheap!

1994 Nissan Skyline GT-R R32 V-Spec II

Introduced on February 14, 1994, the Nissan Skyline GT-R V-Spec II was the final evolution of one of the most sought after Japanese vehicles ever produced. Drizzled with a unique body kit and wide 245/45R17 tires (wider than ever), the GT-R R32 V-Spec II was the swan song for the R32 generation. Nissan produced 1,306 units of it, and you are fortunate enough that you could have one for around $40,000. But start your search now as they dont go up for sale that often.

.

The thing with the Skyline GT-R R32 is the fact that it has a 2.6-liter, turbocharged engine that develops 276 horsepower.

Some, however, estimate the real power output at 310 horsepower. It made it quite capable back in the day, and now, after all the Fast and Furious movies and video games, it is as appealing as ever.

1994 Subaru Impreza WRX STI

With an electromechanical locking differential, 2.0-liter turbocharged engine with 276 horsepower, and rally bread chassis, the first Subaru Impreza WRX STI appeared in the first half of 1994. Right now, it is one of the most sought after vehicles from the nineties, and you can finally import it in the country.

It would seem that you can find an excellent example for anywhere in the $15,000 - $20,000 range.

1994 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo II

Along with the Subaru Impreza WRX STi, 1994 gave us yet another astonishing rally bread racer - the Mitsubishi Lancer Evo II. It entered production in December 1993, but the bulk of them was produced in 1994 and 1995.

Considering it was basically a direct competitor to the Impreza; it had a 2.0-liter, turbocharged engine that developed 252 horsepower.

Easily enough for a sprint to 62 mph in 5 seconds. That is the main reason why the Lancer Evo II was such a magnificent performer. It was considerably quicker than any hot hatch, and it could do wonders on a rally stage. On the autobahn, on the other hand, it would go to 140 mph. Kinda great!

A few years back, you could have one for $20k.

1994 Toyota Supra Turbo

In 2019, a Toyota dealership in Chicago bought a clean 1994 Toyota Supra Turbo for $121,000.

Soon after, it listed the car for $500,000. Insane. This all goes to say that the 1994 Toyota Supra Turbo is one of the most valuable Japanese cars ever produced. The reasons are as follows:

Fast and Furious

Fast and Furious

History

It is a genuinely good car

It is quite fast too (0-60 mph in 4.6 seconds and quarter-of-a-mile in 13.1 seconds)

Paul Walker

1994 Toyota Celica GT-Four

Envisioned as the most potent Celica of all time, the Toyota Celica GT-Four ST205 features a 239-horsepower turbocharged engine linked to AWD via an E154F gearbox. Toyota produced 2,500 units of the Celica GT-Four ST205 with only 300 exported to Europe. 2,100 units remained in Japan, so that is the best place to search for them. If you are lucky enough to find one for sale, I believe its price will top $40,000.

As for the performance, the Celica GT-Four can do 62 mph in about 6 seconds and almost reach 150 mph.

While all that sounds cool and nice, the Toyota Celica GT-Four has one more important, well,... benefit. Its rally version had a cheating device that helped its engine produce about 50 horsepower more compared to all other rally cars. In short, Jalopnik explains:

"The brilliant part of Toyotas cheaty turbo was that when the part was removed and inspected, it appeared to be a completely normal, rules-compliant turbo with a restrictor plate. The difference was, though, that when the part was installed, the very act of installation changed the internal geometry of the part."

The device was so sophisticated that when FIA president Max Mosley saw it, he said:

Its the most ingenious thing I have seen in 30 years of motorsport.

1994 Renault Clio Williams

It was so popular that after assembling 3,800 units, Renault had to produce 1,600 more because of the fantastic demand.

The Renault Clio Williams is the starting point of the whole Renault Clio RS legend.

While introduced in 1993, many of the units had been produced and sold in 1994. This is a small car - weighing only 2,163 pounds - that was powered by a 2.0-liter, naturally aspirated engine that developed 148 horsepower and 126 pound-feet of torque.

Its diminutive size and powerful engine made it far quicker compared to standard Euro hatches of the time. After all, it was able to accelerate to 62 mph in 7.6 seconds. Remember, this is 1994, and the Clio Williams is a city car.

1994 Peugeot 106 Rallye

Similar to the Renault Clio Wiliams, the Peugeot 106 Rallye is a small french fearsome snake that weighs only 1,818 pounds.

A 1.6-Liter, naturally aspirated engine that developed 118 horsepower hid under the hood, but far more critical than that is the fact that it has a short five-speed transmission that makes it a perfect sprinter. If you ever wanted a formidable slalom car, this is it.

The best way to recognize the 106 Rallye are the white steel wheels - its a trademark. However, if the Rallye is a bit too raw for you (it was available with a 103 horsepower 1.3-liter also), you can try to find a beautiful example of the 106 GTi. That one is quite an impressive hot hatch too.

1994 Fiat Coupe

Dubbed as the poor mans Ferrari, the 1994 Fiat Coupe was a major refreshment on the market. It looked quite lovely and had a 2.0-liter turbocharged engine up front powering front wheels. I know, thats sad, but this car was well balanced and rather fun.

Although introduced in 1993, Fiat produced almost 18,000 units in 1994 (highest of any year), so you are bound to find one in Italy.

Unfortunately, the 2.0-liter 20-valve engine was not available before 1996, but even the early models had a 2.0-liter, 16-valve, turbocharged engine with 190 horsepower for a 0-60 mph in time in less than 7.5 seconds and a top speed of 140mph. They are quite cheap, actually, but you will have to look hard to find a good one.

1994 McLaren F1 Chassis No. 18

I know that you can import the F1 into the country under the "show car" rule, but I had to include one of the rarest McLaren F1 cars on the planet on this list. Assembled in 1994, the McLaren F1 with a chassis number 18, is finished in dark silver and equipped with the High Downforce Kit right from the factory. It turns out that it is the only HDK McLaren F1 produced. The other HDKs (five or six of them), have been equipped with the kit after the production.

Apart from astounding looks of the High Downforce Kit, which includes that incredible fixed spoiler, the McLaren F1 HDK is more powerful compared to standard models

. Its LM, V-12 developed 680 horsepower and revs to 8500. This car sits in some garage on New Zealand right now.
Budget airlines. affordable carriers. no matter you would like to decision them, these essential airlines are appealing for the foremost basic of reasons: wallet-friendly costs and an improbably intensive and various set of flight routes. But really, does one get what you pay for?

Budget airlines appear to induce a foul rap for therefore several things. several it even, others as a result of folks have either set expectations rivalling that of normal airlines or as a result of, they've did not browse the fine print. Delays appear to rank high on the list of annoyances, however, unless a volcano has simply exploded, matters very isn't thus unhealthy. in step with web site computer network.flightontime.info, much-reviled Ryanair flights solely suffered a median delay of thirteen.

The opposite obvious bugbear is that the extras you have got to pay. You'll get nickel and dimed for food, recreation, and even a blanket. need to select your seat? certain, you'll have to be compelled to pay further...per sector! need to examine in additional than 15kg of luggage? need to buy that flight with a credit card? Yep, you'll have to be compelled to pay further. What? you would like to pee? For a minute there have been plans to form you buy that too. What concerning the landing proximity to the 'actual' town you would like to induce to? ditch it. once a budget airline tells you that it's taking you to a metropolis, it would truly mean that it's taking you to a chemist, from wherever it's a two-hour bus ride to metropolis correct.

Tickets may be low cost. Really, very low cost. Zero-cost fares (plus fees and taxes of course)? It's true! They're increasing routes. And these routes are cheap! Budget airlines are going in long-haul flights and last we tend to check; you'll snag a round-trip ticket from KL to Europe or Australia to LA for US$1000. Expect to pay quite double for an everyday carrier. Regional airports aren't thus unhealthy. Sometimes, a smaller landing field means you'll clear customs and find out faster than you'd at the most landing field. suppose Subang landing field versus Malaysian capital International landing field or Stansted versus Heathrow.

Travel insurance. Get some. make certain your policy covers delays and cancellations. Or prepare to sleep within the landing field if your flight is delayed or off.

See Now: The U.S. had the highest number of Most Wanted properties, dominating the Hotels.com Loved By Guests Awards 2018
Comfortable accommodations, triumph cookery, and interesting destinations - traveling by ocean liner may be a distinctive thanks to travel. once you mix cruising ANd an unbroken destination like an American state, the mixture is even higher. With an ocean liner, you'll be able to explore America's American state in luxury. There's no shortage of things to try and do in the Last Frontier.

Alaska is fifth the dimensions of the whole lower forty-eight states combined, thus exploring the state's high destinations by automotive will take weeks. An ocean liner, however, will journey to scenic icons just like the within Passage, and to remote locations like ice mass Bay.

Celebrity Cruises is one in all the highest cruise lines sailing the Alaskan waters. they need 3 gorgeous ships cruising in Alaska. In fact, they recently completed AN $8M makeover of each the Celebrity Millennium and Celebrity eternity. currently, you'll be able to soak within the Alaskan scenery from their new Rooftop Terrace, or simply relax on your non-public verandah as American state goes by.

Hubbard Ice Mass

The best thanks to seeing the big Hubbard ice mass is by ocean liner. It's settled off the coast of Yakutat some two hundred miles northwest of the capital of Alaska. quite six miles wide and reaching quite forty stories high, Hubbard towers over even the tallest cruise ships. the foremost active tidewater ice mass on the Alaskan coast, you'll be able to typically see the gorgeous blue-colored ice mass birthing within the distance. Wrap yourself in an exceedingly heat blanket, grab a cup of hot cocoa and watch nature's best show from your non-public ocean liner verandah.

Mendenhall Ice Mass

Just a number of miles northwest of the capital of Alaska is that the scenic Mendenhall Glacier. The glacier's classic blue ice travels from the one,500-square mile capital of Alaska Icefield to a tiny low lake. The Mendenhall Glacier traveler Center may be a smart place to be told a lot of regarding this natural beauty. Hike the path to the misty shores of hunk Falls to check a number of this large ice over shut.

Inside Passage

Sailing the within Passage is AN expertise you won't forget. This coastal route stretches from Puget Sound, Washington on the coast of Canadian province so into the Gulf of the American state. It's AN Alaskan route, of sorts, providing a transportation route for ships and boats traveling through a waterway dotted with quite one,000 islands and fjords. From the deck of your ocean liner, you'll see much stunning landscape and life. Pilot whales, orcas, eagles, bear and a lot of square measure are often lynx-eyed.

Denali parkland

Reaching up to twenty,310 feet, Mount McKinley is that the tallest summit in North America. Mount McKinley parkland is quite simply a mountain, though. It's nearly six million acres of the rugged wilderness. Open year spherical, guests will stop at the academic traveler center, go hiking, biking (or winter biking), skiing and a lot of.

See Now: The U.S. had the highest number of Most Wanted properties, dominating the Hotels.com Loved By Guests Awards 2018
In the national capital, young ladies wear crowns of glowing candles. In Moscow, art movement light-weight projections illuminate the Bolshoi Theatre. In the state capital, paper lanterns line pedestrian walkways and courtyards. because the days get shorter and darker, cultures across the hemisphere incorporate light into their rituals, holidays, and ceremonies.

While some festivals, like solstice and Feast of Dedication, area unit celebrated across boundaries, different traditions, just like the national capital light-weight competition and Fete des Lumieres, area unit location-specific. Here is a unit a few the simplest events lighting up the globe later this year.

Holiday Luminaria

On Dec 24 in the state capital, the streets getting ready to traffic. because the sun goes down, the town glows with luminaria lighted consecrated candles within paper baggage weighed down with sand. The tradition dates back many years, predating electricity, once New Mexicans engineered tiny bonfires to light the manner between home and church. throughout the annual Farolito Walk, on Santa Fe's ravine Road, you'll see the charming homespun lanterns on full show as locals socialize and sip chocolate.

Feast of Santa Lucia

December thirteen is a very important day in the Kingdom of Sweden, Norway, Finland, and a few elements of Italy. It's the fete day of Santa Lucia, observance the lifetime of one in all the primary Christian martyrs in history. St Lucia, UN agency was killed by the Romans in 304 metallic elements, is thought because the defender of sight - the name Lucia derives from the Latin word illumination unit, which means 'light'. Today, in Scandinavian countries, every city chooses a missy as a St Lucia substitute. sporting a white dress and a wreath crown with glowing candles, she leads the normal vacation procession that kicks off the Christmas season.

Diwali

The biggest vacation in Bharat, Diwali is that the Hindu competition of lights. Diwali takes its name from the Sanskrit word Deepavali - which means rows of clay lamps a relevance the lights that folks got wind of outside their homes throughout the five-day competition. the vacation centers around the idea of sunshine triumphing over dark and whereas it's Hindu in origin, Diwali is wide celebrated by Jains, Buddhists, and Sikhs, too.

Amsterdam light competition

Winter is long and cold within the Netherlands. Luckily, the national capital light-weight competition, showcasing light-weight style, art, and design, don't simply last for a couple of days: the celebrations begin at the top of November and last through the last week of Gregorian calendar month. Each year, the organizing committee announces an issue and invitations artists from across the world to make and submit relevant works. Ultimately, thirty installations area unit was chosen to illuminate and beautify the town of national capital throughout the wintry event.

See Now: The U.S. had the highest number of Most Wanted properties, dominating the Hotels.com Loved By Guests Awards 2018
(TRAVPR.COM) May 15th, 2019 (Yosemite National Park, CA) - The Yosemite based worker-owned Echo Adventure Cooperative is the latest to announce their B Corporation certification! Certified B Corps include well known California companies like Patagonia and Klean Kanteen that balance purpose and profit. Unlike traditional corporations, Certified B Corporations are legally required to consider the impact of their decisions not only on their shareholders, but also on their stakeholders (e.g., workers, community, guests, and the environment). This focus on stakeholders is incredibly valuable to the small rural communities that surround Yosemite as well as the unique and delicate environments within the National Park.

Certified B Corporations are leaders of a global movement of people using business as a force for good. They meet the highest standards of overall social and environmental performance, transparency and accountability and aspire to use the power of business to solve social and environmental problems. In addition to the growing Yosemite community, there are more than 2,700 Certified B Corporations in over 150 industries and 64 countries with 1 unifying goal  to redefine success in business.

The growing number of Certified B Corporations in the Yosemite region isnt surprising considering the findings in Brands & Stands: Social purpose is the new black , a recent report published by Shelton Group that details the significance of brands taking a stand on social and environmental issues. The report found that 86% of consumers support corporate activism and 64% are likely to buy from such companies. According to the 2015 Nielsens Global Corporate Sustainability Report , 66% of all consumers and 73% of millennials, are willing to spend more on products and services from a sustainable brand.

I don't think we should have choose between exploiting the natural world or sacrificing the American Dream to live and work in this industry. Maybe we just have to change the way we define success Bryant Burnette, Founding Member

In 2016 Echo Adventure Cooperative become the first worker cooperative authorized to lead guided hiking, fly fishing, sightseeing and adaptive adventures in Yosemite National Park; and is now proud to solidify their social and environmental commitment by joining a growing community of Certified B-Corps in the Yosemite region like Evox Television , Rush Creek Lodge Resort and the historic Evergreen Lodge .

To learn more about Echo Adventure Cooperative and the adventurous members leading their sustainable outdoor revolution please visit, call, message or follow!

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The Wall Street Journal calls them "homeless" but they look "landless" to me.

Years ago I bicycled over the Golden Gate Bridge into Sausalito, Mill Valley and Tiburon, and decided that I wanted to live on a boat. In Sausalito. I thought the same thing in Vancouver, where houseboats are intermixed with regular boats. I looked at the houseboat Melissa just wrote about and thought it might be just fine in London too; in all of these places, a houseboat costs a fraction of conventional apartments or houses, even with mooring charges.

San Francisco's Houseboat Influx

But now, in San Francisco Bay, more and more people are living on boats without paying for the marina, just throwing a hook overboard and anchoring. According to Jim Carlton in the Wall Street Journal, it is becoming a serious problem.

The homeless population floating off the coast of wealthy Marin County, just north of San Francisco, has doubled in recent years to about 100, according to authorities. The ragtag collection of some 200 barges, sailboats, and other mostly decrepit vessels in which they live and store their belongings is a sign of an affordable-housing crisis in California that is being felt particularly acutely in the San Francisco Bay Area.

But this would be the Wall Street Journal talking, because they are not "homeless"  their homes just happen to float, and they just happen to be "landless." Some of these undocked floating homes are well-maintained and some are not. Some are doing it as a lifestyle choice, not because they are poor. They are what's known as "anchor-outs" and have been a "tradition since the California Gold Rush."

People who own multi-million dollar properties are furious that they have to look at these boats and barges, complaining that theyre all filthy, because they have no place to bathe.

The Legality of Anchoring Offshore

But anchoring offshore has traditionally been legal. People are trying to clear them out in Florida, where one boater says, If you dont like looking at boats at anchor, buy a house in Arizona and move there. Boats have been anchoring in your backyard for a lot longer than your home has been there. We have rights too.

This is not dissimilar to the Tiny House movement, where laws have been in place to make it illegal to live in trailers or in buildings under certain sizes to keep out the riffraff. The difference is that there are no zoning bylaws on the water, and people have been doing this on boats forever. The biggest problem for tiny home people is that the building isn't tied to land, and in America, land ownership is everything. People living in trailers or boats are not welcome, unless they pay money to park them on somebody else's land.

Back in San Francisco Bay, the surrounding municipalities are trying to do something to clean it up, including some subsidised marina spaces or safer, authorised moorings, so that the boats don't break away or get in the middle of sea lanes. One can see that the boats might be an environmental and health problem if they are dumping their waste into the bay. Perhaps a little bit of regulation is in order.

But then I read the comments (this is the Wall Street Journal after all) where everyone is saying that "liberal values created this mess" and I really, really want to follow my dream and live in a boat in Sausalito, the ugliest boat I can find, and anchor it right off the fanciest house I can find.
editorial@tribune.com

Mumbai, May 15

Top management of lesser-known Darwin Group, which was one of the unsolicited bidders for Jet Airways, today met officials of SBI Caps to discuss its proposal.

The Group has offered Rs 14,000-crore deal to the lenders for acquiring the grounded airline, its CEO Rahul Ganpule said.

Darwin Platform Group of Companies claims it has investments across various sectors, including oil and gas, hospitality and realty, among others. Ganpule said the company had submitted its bid on May 8.

They (SBI Caps) had called us. We wanted to understand the liability and assets of Jet Airways, he told reporters after the meeting.

The consortium of SBI-led seven lenders, which owns 51% in the airline, has offered to sell up to 75% stake in the airline, which stopped flying around mid last month. The ailing carrier owes over Rs 8,000 crore to the lenders.

SBI Caps had early last month invited expressions of interest between April 8 and 12, on behalf of the lenders to sell their stake in the carrier.

It received one solicited bid from the airlines investment partner Etihad Airways, besides two unsolicited on May 10, which was the last date of submission of financial bids.

The bids were examined by the lenders on May 13 and they found Etihads bid conditional. Ganpule said though the Group had done due diligence before submitting the financial bid, it wanted some more financial details that were not publicly available.

He said there is limited information available about the airline in Registrar of Companies and other public sources, and has requested SBI Caps to provide more details about the actual liability of the airline.

The solicited bidders have been given access to the actual information but unsolicited bidders do not have, Ganpule said adding that access to data will only be given after a decision from consortium of lenders, he said.

Ganpule said the Rs 14,000-crore offer made by the Group is to take over the entire liabilities of the grounded airline.

It would be one-time settlement and all the past liabilities (of Jet Airways) would be taken care of. The acquisition will be funded through internal accruals, he said adding SBI Caps has asked the company to provide all the details regarding the funding.

Ganpule also claimed that the company was in touch with Etihad for taking them on board.  PTI

Ready to board
editorial@tribune.com

New Delhi, May 15

Indias export growth slid to a four-month low of 0.64% in April as shipments of engineering goods, gems and jewellery, leather and other products declined, widening the trade deficit to a five-month high, data released on Wednesday showed.

Imports increased by 4.5%, the highest growth in the past six months as crude oil and gold shipments shot up in the month.

Merchandise exports stood at $26 billion in April while imports at $41.4 billion, leading to a trade gap of $15.33 billion, the widest deficit since November 2018, the trade data showed.

The countrys merchandise exports were down because of the negative growth in key sectors such as engineering, gems and jewellery, leather, carpet, plastic, marine products, rice and coffee during the month under review. Previously, exports had recorded a low growth rate of 0.34 per cent in December 2018.

Oil imports grew by 9.26% to $11.38 billion and non-oil imports expanded by 2.78%. Gold imports rose by 54% to $3.97 billion in April.  PTI
editorial@tribune.com

Vijay C Roy

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 15

Blame it on agrarian economy or low awareness, penetration of National Pension System (NPS) in Punjab and Haryana is comparatively lower than other states. In addition to this, lack of sufficient promotion by the government is also responsible for the low penetration of NPS in these two states.

The government-sponsored NPS was launched in January 2004 for government employees. It was opened to all sections of society in 2009. The scheme seeks to inculcate the habit of saving for retirement among the citizens.

A subscriber can contribute regularly in a pension account during his/her working life, withdraw a part of the corpus in a lump sum and use the remaining to buy an annuity to secure a regular income after retirement.

The number of subscribers to the scheme in Punjab, Haryana and J&K is comparatively lower than other states, said Ankit Agarwal, managing director, Alankit Ltd. Compared to these states, NPS penetration is much higher in Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chattishgarh and Maharashtra.

According to the industry, NPS has approximately 14 million subscribers across the country. However, it is difficult to get the data for the northern region, as the subscriber base is very thin. After the introduction of additional tax benefit of Rs 50,000 under Section 80CCD(1b), the number of NPS accounts has increased by 7,000 to 10,000 per month across the country, but not at the same pace in the region. Even the number of total subscribers across the country is inadequate given the number of self-employed people in the region.

Sources said there are many reasons why people are not coming forward to opt for NPS. Firstly, NPS corpus is not completely tax- free on maturity. Secondly, compulsory annuity takes away the investors interest. Thirdly, even if an employee starts contributing, say at an early age of 25, he cant withdraw his contribution till retirement at 60.

While some banks do open a number of NPS accounts every year, but there are certain public sector and private banks which are not doing anything on this front.

To popularise the scheme, bankers said the government should incentivise the banks and broking firms who enroll more people under the scheme. The banks have more lucrative products to offer as compared to NPS. This is the reason many banks are least interested in opening these accounts, said an employee working with a public sector bank.

Industry feels there is insufficient support from the government to popularise the scheme among investors.
editorial@tribune.com

Sandeep Rana

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 15

It is not the alarm clock, but the phone call which makes local MP Kirron Kher wake up in the morning. Busy campaigning these days, Kher said she wished she too had a mother to take care of her as well as her household chores.

Around 6 am, the actress-turned-politicians phone starts vibrating. She starts receiving a number of calls about her days plan and other party activities. I have to manage two offices and two houses in Delhi and Chandigarh. I wish I had a mother or a daughter-in-law to look after all these things, she smiles.

While getting ready, she has to sign cheques or check some documents. While her phone keeps ringing on her table, she has her breakfast, which mostly comprises multi-grain chapati, curd and sabzi.

By this time, her media adviser comes with an updated list of the days events. Around 10.30 am, she leaves from the Sector 7 government residence for her first event, which is a visit to a house in Sector 40. She never misses her morning prayers and these days offers prayers in the car. Her staff members accompanying her sit quietly as she silently prays en route her first public interaction of the day.

In the first half, we mostly keep private meetings with people at their residences. Since people find it difficult to bear with the heat, we keep the schedule of jan sabhas in the evenings, she says.

As she reaches outside a house in Sector 40, people surround her car raising party slogans even before she opens the door of her Mercedes car. As people start clicking her photos and take selfies, she makes her way to the place where she has to address and meet a small group of people.

Accompanied by former BJP MP Satya Pal Jain and former Mayor Davesh Moudgil on the dais, she tells people to vote for a clean and honest government. After her address, she does not disappoint the people waiting to get clicked with her. People, especially women and youth, surround her to get clicked with her.

As she moves forward after entertaining them, a news channel is already waiting for her. They do a 15-minutes interview with her. Following this, her vehicle leaves for the next public interaction at Makhan Shah Lubana Bhawan, Sector 30. There too, a similar buzz is seen among the crowd. After this, she goes to a Sector 15 house of Brahma Kumaris.

Now, she heads back home and has her lunch, which comprises chapati, sabzi and dal. We try that I get one hour in the afternoon. I do not eat outside and have lunch at home as I want to avoid any problem in the middle of intense campaigning, she says.

After her lunch, she meets industry associations and social organisations at her residence and they offer her support. Later in the day, independent candidate Karan Vasudeva assures Kher of his support. Contesting with key as the symbol, Karan says he has been highly inspired by the achievements and vision of PM Narendra Modi at the Centre and Kher in Chandigarh.

Before she can leave for her evening jan sabhas, two media houses are already waiting to interview her. Having taken a deep breath, she invites them inside her drawing room and gives interviews.

And its evening now. Young students and faculty and non-faculty members of the PU are waiting for her scheduled sabha at 5.45 pm. Recalling her college days when she used to study here and would go on gheris, she leaves her car and rides pillion on a Harley Davidson from her house to the PU. As Kher enters the PU gate in front of Sector 15, she is surrounded by photojournalists. Wearing a suit and reflector sunglasses with a helmet, the MP draws the attention of passersby. When in Rome, do as Romans do. She is coming in a young crowd and so she wants to appeal to them, says her aide.

In her address, the former PU student recalls how they used to come on bikes in this open and happy environment. She also remembers having noodles at Ginza Restaurant at the PU. After winning elections, we will sit together there to have a Chinese meal, she tells the crowd.

The BJP leader also slammed the tukde tukde gang. They raised slogans against the country at JNU and some of them have also come to the PU now. So, you have to decide which government you want to choose, the one which enters the terrorists den or the one which talks of removing the Army from Kashmir to give an open invite to the terrorists, she asks.

Later, during her address in Sector 15, she narrates the work she has done for the city. After this, she has her jan sabhas in Kishangarh and Mauli Jagran. She finishes her campaigning around 10 pm. Kher says her address is not prepared and is impromptu. Having reached home, I ask for dinner and sometimes, by the time it is on the table, I doze off, she says.
sanjiv@tribunemail.com

Aman Sood

Tribune News Service

Nabha, May 15

Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh who was here for an election rally in support of his wife and party candidate from Patiala, Preneet Kaur, today hit out at the Modi government for fostering tensions with Pakistan and China, leading to serious problems for the border state of Punjab and posing a grave threat to Indias safety and security.

Moreover, the state Congress was able to sort out differences between Nabha MLA Sadhu Singh Dharamsot and Amloh MLA Kaka Randeep Singh, who has a strong vote base in Nabha, when they both were present at the rally.

Campaign gets major boost

The rally saw Preneets campaign get a major boost with Randeep Singh coming out in unequivocal support for her. I am here to seek support for Capt Amarinder Singh and Rahul Gandhi, said Randeep. Earlier last week, his supporters in Nabha had announced to support Dr Dharamvira Gandhi instead of Preneet Kaur due to indifferent treatment meted out to them by Dharamsot.

Addressing the rally here, the Chief Minister said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his party were on an agenda to escalate tensions at the borders to divert the attention of the people from their failure to implement a single promise in the past five years.

He said with Wagah border closed for trade, Punjabs businessmen were the worst-sufferers. Goods were not going through Wagah, but were being routed through Kandla Port into Karachi, he pointed out, adding that Punjabis were suffering huge losses due to this.

Underlining the importance of Nabha to the progress of Patiala and the state, Amarinder said despite his tight schedule, he had made it a point to visit the city, with which his family always had close relations. The Chief Minister said both cities had grown majorly in the recent years, requiring a lot of development initiatives, which only the Congress could give.

The Modi government was busy dividing the country on religious and caste lines to destroy its strength of secularism and diversity, while people wanted schools, hospitals, etc, he pointed out, urging the people to decide what type of government they wanted. You have to decide who can protect the country and the future of its children, he told the people.

Rajpura MLA slams Dharamvira

Rajpura MLA Hardayal Kambhoj on Wednesday accused the Peoples Democratic Alliance candidate Dr Dharamvira Gandhi of being an Akali agent as he spoke their language.

Kambhoj said in a statement, Gandhi was trying to divert public attention from important issues like drugs. The Congress legislators asked the MP why he had fallen silent on these issues and whether he had forgotten the unprovoked firing on the innocent protestors who were protesting against the sacrilege of the Guru Granth Sahib.

Reacting to it, Dr Gandhi said Amarinder Singh announced a memorial in Bargari for those who lost their lives or injured in the unprovoked police firing in Behbal Kalan and Kotkapura. Instead of a memorial, the family members need justice, he said.
editorial@tribune.com

Chandigarh, May 15

People of this country will make Narendra Modi the Prime Minister again and the BJP will form a government at the Centre after winning over 300 Lok Sabha seats.

This was stated by BJP national spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain during a press conference at Kamalam, the partys office here.

About the TMC, he said, Acts of violence to disrupt BJP president Amit Shahs roadshow in West Bengal was a planned and motivated effort of the TMC. The BJP strongly condemns the incident.

Shahnawaz said a sea of people had gathered for Amit Shahs roadshow and TMC chief Mamta Banerjee could not see the kind of support the BJP was getting in West Bengal. He alleged that the life-threatening attack on BJP supporters was done at the behest of Mamta Banerjee.

Shahnawaz said the Congresss two uncles  Uncle Sam and Mani Uncle  had exposed the dirty philosophy of the party with their statements. Sam Uncle had hurt the sentiments of the Sikhs and Mani Uncle kept praising Pakistan, he added.

Meanwhile, BJP workers held a protest at the party office in Sector 33 today to condemn the attack on Amit Shahs roadshow.  TNS

BJP holds protest in Panchkula

Panchkula: BJP leaders and workers on Wednesady held a dharna at the Sector 7/8 roundabout in protest against an attack on a roadshow led by BJP president Amit Shah in West Bengal on Tuesday evening. Led by state BJP president Subhash Barala, the protesters raised slogans against the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress.

Gian Chand Gupta and Latika Sharma, BJP MLAs from Panchkula and Kalka Assembly segments, respectively, also took part in the dharna. Addressing the protesters, Barala said the TMC was frightened by the increasing popularity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in West Bengal. He said the TMC chief had tried to stop Modi by trying to forge an alliance but their efforts failed and their hopes dashed, which prompted the

West Bengal CM to cross all limitations. He said a fine example of Mamatas frustration was that her government did not give permission

to Modi and Amit Shah to hold rallies in her state. He alleged that the attack on Amit Shahs roadshow was made on her direction. tns
editorial@tribune.com

Sanjay Bumbroo

Tribune News Service

Marrawala (Pinjore), May 15

In a shocking double murder case, a man killed his two stepdaughters by slitting their throats at Marrawala village in Pinjore block of this district in the wee hours of today. He reportedly killed them after they came to know about the molestation of their younger sister by him.

The victims have been identified as Aashia (20) and Shifa (18). The stepfather has been identified as Habib, who fled from the house after committing the crime. His 16-year old youngest stepdaughter not only saved herself but also her younger brother from his attack. She sent her younger brother on the rooftop, while she locked herself in a washroom.

The matter came to light when the mother saw her daughters lying in a pool of blood around 6.30 am and raised the alarm. Hearing her shrieks, her third daughter came out of the bathroom and narrated the whole incident.

People living nearby gathered near the house and informed the police, who reached the spot. SHO of the Pinjore police station Mukesh Kumar informed Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Kamal Deep Goyal, who, along with police officials and an FSL team, arrived at the crime scene.

After taking fingerprints, the bodies of the victims were shifted to the Kalka Civil Hospital for a postmortem. Later, the bodies were handed over to the family.

DCP Kamal Deep said as per preliminary investigation, Habib was a widower and had married the mother of the victims, whose husband had also died around 12 years ago. Habib is a native of Bijnore in Uttar Pradesh and had shifted to Marrawala about three years ago. He used to sell vegetables in a shop adjacent the house where they had shifted three months ago.

The DCP said the financial condition of the family was normal as both victims, Aashia and Shifa, were working in a company at Baddi in Himachal Pradesh and were earning Rs 6,000 to 8,000 per month. He said their mother was also doing stitching and other works and was earning about Rs 7,000 per month. The elder son of the family was working in Mumbai, he said. The DCP said the suspect was having a verbal duel with the family members for the past few days over some issue. The Pinjore police have registered a case under Section 302 of the IPC and under the POCSO Act against the suspect.

Youngest one saves herself, brother

The victims have been identified as Aashia (20) and Shifa (18). The stepfather has been identified as Habib, who fled from the house after committing the crime. His 16-year old youngest stepdaughter not only saved herself but also her younger brother from his attack. She sent her younger brother on the rooftop, while she locked herself in a washroom.
Ashwani Kumar

Ashwani Kumar

Former Union Minister of Law and Justice

As the curtain falls on the fiercely contested elections to the seventeenth Lok Sabha, we must ask ourselves whether this enormous expression of franchise leaves much to celebrate about. The philosophical foundation of a democracy rests on free and fair elections based on the autonomy of choice premised on equality and reason that underpins its moral appeal.

It is assumed that the vote reflects an informed choice about people and policies anchored in reflection, deliberation and debate to secure the greatest happiness of the largest numbers in greater freedom. The debilitating course of the election challenges this foundational assumption.

Given the rancorous, abusive and an almost obscene political discourse anchored in a vicious campaign of calumny, the moral legitimacy of the resultant mandate is suspect.

Nor can we be certain that the world's largest electoral exercise will yield a government equipped to meet daunting challenges, considering the difficulty of forging a broad national consensus on even the most critical issues, given the sharp political and personal animosities.

The authenticity of election results is also in doubt in view of serious apprehensions expressed by the Opposition about an EVM-driven counting process allegedly capable of technical manipulation. The confiscation of thousands of crores worth of unaccounted cash and drugs, the pervasive use of muscle power and organised poll violence in some states mock claims about the purity of the electoral process.

The deluge of trivia, sensationalism and the absurd, the oppression of propaganda and fake news, the routine tarnishing of reputations and the resultant emotional chasm defy the resilience of our democratic process.

Overall, this election has brought out, as never before, the worst in human nature captured, in another context, by German philosopher Schopenhauer as boundless egotism, a fund of hatred, anger, envy, rancour and malice, accumulated like the venom in a serpents tooth.

Respect for consensus discovered through the ballot and entitled to respect even by those not sharing it in the best traditions of parliamentary democracy is now questionable.

The excruciatingly painful spectre of a vitiated electoral process has divided citizens rather than bringing them together in pursuit of a shared future. The legitimacy and moral appeal of an elected government stand shattered.

Fundamental issues that ought to be at the centre of the campaign have been relegated as footnotes. A flawed choice is sought to be imposed on the people between a muscular state presented as a condition of national security equated with nationalism, and governance premised on accountability of dispersed constitutional power, as if the two are mutually exclusive.

Indeed, a liberal democracy alone wedded to constitutionalism and accountable power can ensure bread with dignity to its citizens  the latter as important.

The choice in this election is clearly between freedom and fear, harmony and hatred, inclusion and exclusion, dignity and oppression, justice and injustice. The pressing issues of agrarian distress, rising unemployment, faltering economy, environmental challenges, increasing inequality and heart-rending inequities are the real issues relating to empowerment of the marginalised as a guarantee of freedom and human dignity.

And yet, the focus on this alternative narrative built around the idea of India stands regrettably suborned at the altar of a slur-driven campaign, constantly plummeting in a downward spiral.

A shocked nation is numbed by the insensitivity of its leaders for their disparaging remarks against the living and the dead alike.

This foretells the story of a democracy in decline, a nation drifting from its civilisational moorings into dangerous territory. We know that greatness of a democratic state is not about its muscularity. It is about the human capacity to transcend ourselves, to have imagination and empathy, to live in truth, create beauty and to justice. (Rob Reimen).

The perennial struggle for preservation of the nation's core values is a permanent project that will survive this fractious election and others since the choices are to be made afresh, generation after generation, in an unending journey.

If, as Thomas Mann famously declared, the destiny of men presents its meaning in political terms., the lesson of this election is to rescue our electoral discourse from the depths to which it has fallen, lest the quality of our representative democracy is lost to the mob and transient impulses of the moment.

We cannot allow our democracy to be condemned for the vice of shallowness because its ultimate superiority compared to other forms of government is in its promise to spread to the living the language of integrity and freedom.

The Indian democracy is in need of signposts. It must recognise the limits of populism and accept that the States title to obedience lay, not in the fact of its willing but in the substance of what it chose to will

At a time when democracies are in retreat and patience of the people stretched, India can be a beacon of hope to check the democratic recession. It can do so by embracing and broadening the politics of dignity in which citizens become moral agents of their freedom.

We must define the boundaries of politics to reclaim the nation's moral centre as a condition of national renewal. This election is a window of opportunity for leaders to mobilise the people and themselves to that end. Yes, it is for us to interrogate the current and change the zeitgeist.

Views are personal
G Parthasarathy

G Parthasarathy

Former diplomat

The people of Sri Lanka have shown courage, wisdom and resilience in recovering from the traumatic effects of the brutal ethnic conflict between 1983 and 2010. An estimated 47,000 Tamil civilians, 27,000 LTTE members, 50,000 Sinhala civilians, 23,790 Sri Lankan soldiers and 1,500 members of the Indian Peace Keeping Force laid down their lives during the conflict. The conflict, however, did not affect the lives of Indian Tamils in southern Sri Lanka, whose ancestors had migrated as plantation workers during British rule. There have, however, been recent incidents of religious tensions between the Sinhala Buddhist clergy and radicalised elements in the Muslim minority. Sri Lankas relatively small Christian minority, which is peaceful and relatively affluent, had steered clear of getting drawn into any conflict.

In these circumstances, the world was shocked to learn that in the midst of Easter Sunday church services on April 21, churches in Colombo, Negombo and even the eastern port of Tamil-dominated Batticaloa, were hit by explosions. Three hotels housing a large number of western tourists in Colombo were also targeted. Over 200 people perished. The ISIS soon claimed responsibility for the attack, contradicting President Trumps claims that the outfit had been 100 per cent crushed in Syria. It soon emerged that the mastermind behind the blasts was a rabidly fundamentalist Sri Lankan Tamil, Maulvi Mohammad Zahran Hashim, who was from the town of Kathankudy in the Tamil-dominated eastern province.

Indian Intelligence agencies had provided timely warnings to the Sri Lankan government about an impending terrorist strike by the ISIS. These warnings were not viewed seriously. It is, however, imperative that India keeps in touch discreetly with the Sri Lankan government. We are evidently seeing the beginnings of long-term internal and regional problems and challenges, as ISIS members disperse and regroup after being ousted from Iraq and Syria  like the Al-Qaeda and the Taliban did after American intervention in Afghanistan. As the ISIS targets in Sri Lanka were the countrys peaceful Christian community and western (Christian) tourists, the attacks sent ripples across the western world, as they came soon after the massacre of Muslims in New Zealand during their Sunday prayers.

Sri Lanka's Muslim community, which has done well economically, has lived in peace with both Buddhist Sinhalas and Hindu Tamils. Recent studies, however, indicate that some years before the bombings, sections of Tamil Muslims from the eastern province were getting radicalised in Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries. Zahran Hashim was one of those influenced by radical beliefs and made common cause with Sinhala Muslims, including two sons of a Muslim business tycoon in Colombo, who had been deeply influenced by the ISIS. Both died in suicide blasts, even as the wife of another bomber detonated explosives in a suicide bombing the same day, resulting in the death of three police personnel.

The blasts were thus executed by young radicalised Sri Lankan Muslims, cutting across the ethnic divide. Moreover, there are now signs that an estimated 75-100 Indian Muslims, who were with the ISIS in Syria, have dispersed and chosen escape routes, including through Afghanistan and Pakistan. Hashim has also reportedly established close institutional links with a counterpart group in Coimbatore and people in other parts of Tamil Nadu and Kerala. There are now indications that after being forced out of Iraq and Syria, ISIS fighters have now dispersed across Asia, Africa and even to parts of Europe. While the Osama bin Laden-led Al-Qaeda made it clear that its struggle was against Jews and crusaders, the ISIS targets all non-Muslims, as was evident from its brutal killings of Indians in Iraq. Moreover, the Al-Qaeda operated primarily out of Afghanistan and Pakistan, apart from select Arab countries. Al-Qaedas leadership was predominantly Arab.

The ISIS poses a much more serious challenge to India than the Al-Qaeda ever did, primarily because it has recruited its fighters from countries across Europe, Asia and Africa. President George Bush praised India because not a single Indian joined or backed Al-Qaeda. But things are different with the ISIS, which regards India as a part of the Islamic state of Khorasan. Over 100 Indians are estimated to have joined the ISIS. The reach of the ISIS across India is evident from its links with extremists in Kashmir, apart from those established in the recent past in Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Radicalisation in our southern states poses new and serious challenges. The ISIS also acknowledges its links with associates across Indias maritime frontiers in Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, Myanmar, Indonesia, the Maldives, Saudi Arabia and the UAE. It also has a growing presence in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

India will have to take note of the possibility of the ISIS attempting to take advantage of tensions arising out of the Rohingya crisis. A senior Myanmar official recently revealed that even as the ISIS was losing influence in Iraq and Syria, its supporters were moving into Myanmars Rakhine state, where the Rohingya reside. Malaysias police chief recently noted that the ISIS is shifting its focus to Rakhine and southern Philippines. Many refugees, now in Bangladesh, could well make common cause with the ISIS and members of Pakistan-backed outfits like the Jamat-ul-Mujahideen to destabilise the borders of India, Bangladesh and Myanmar. Pakistan has had an abiding interest in destabilising the Sheikh Hasina government.

Apart from Pakistan-sponsored terrorism, India will now also have to keep a watch on challenges that would arise from the ISIS. Pakistan could be expected to use the challenges posed by the ISIS to absolve itself of responsibility on actions of its jihadis.
rchopra@tribunemail.com

Melbourne, May 16

An India-based sect has won the right to build a spiritual and meditation centre in Swan Valley in Western Australia, ending a five-year legal battle with the local council that banned the construction of places of worship in the rural area.

The State Administration Tribunal passed the order last week allowing the Radha Soami Satsang Beas (RSSB), Australia, to construct a spiritual and meditation centre, The West Australian reported on Thursday.

RSSBs lawyer Tim Houweling said his clients were overwhelmed and excited that their fight to build the centre had come to an end.

There seems to be an unwarranted fear in our community of the establishment of places of worship, he said, adding, I can assure surrounding residents that the RSSB will be great neighbours.

It is not clear to me why places of worship are being singled out in planning, and treated differently from other uses that have greater impact, he said.

Houweling clarified that the tribunal after hearing the evidence had made clear that there is no impact on horticulture or agriculture activity in the Swan Valley Rural zone.

Earlier, the City of Swan voted to change its planning scheme not to allow any more places of worship, including churches, mosques and temples, to be built in the rural, winery region, in order to preserve the agricultural character of the area.

However, the RSSB Australia argued it had met all planning requirements and took its fight to the court.

The Tribunal said the centre would be low impact and would not cause any adverse impact on the traditional agricultural activities in the area.

Council chief executive Mike Foley said the city would not appeal against the decision of the Tribunal.

The decision [to refuse the application] was formed on the basis that the application was not for a traditional activity and was not consistent with the rural character of the locality, he said.

The city accepts the Tribunals decision and will continue to work with the RSSB to ensure the final development is in keeping with the character of the Swan Valley, he said. PTI
editorial@tribune.com

Deepender Deswal

Tribune News Service

Hisar, May 15

The Board of School Education Haryana (BSEH) announced the results of the Class XII examinations on Wednesday, producing the best result in the last five years with the pass percentage of 74.48.

Last year, the pass percentage was 63.84  an improvement of 10.64 percentage points over 2018s result.

As usual, girls have outshone boys; 82.58 per cent of girls have passed the examination. The pass percentage of boys is 68.01.

Jagbir Singh, BSEH chairman, said 1,42,640 students out of 1,91,527 cleared the examination.

There has been a steady rise in the pass percentage over the years. The pass percentage was 64.5 in 2017, 62.4 in 2016 and 53.87 in 2015.

The chairman said rural students had fared better than their urban counterparts with 75.74 per cent of rural students clearing the examination as against 71.83 per cent of urban students.

Government schools produced a better result as compared with private ones as 76.39 per cent government school students passed. The pass percentage of private schools was 72.61.

Deepak of Government Senior Secondary School in Bawani Khera town of Bhiwani district is the overall topper. He secured 99.4 per cent (497 marks out of 500). He scored the perfect 100 in physics, chemistry and Sanskrit. In English, he secured 99 marks and, in mathematics, 98.

Three students have secured the second position with 98.8 per cent (494 marks). They are Shiv Kumar of Jeevan Jyoti Public Senior Secondary School in Palwal; Shivani Vats of SD Memorial Senior Secondary School, Mohna, Faridabad; and Palak of PGSD Senior Secondary School, Hisar.

Tamanna Gupta of Aarohi Modal Senior Secondary School in Kanheri village, Fatehabad district, bagged the third position by securing 98.6 per cent (493 marks).

In the science stream, Deepak has topped. Muskan Bhardwaj of SD Senior Secondary School Chhapar village in Jhajjar district stood second with 98.4 per cent (492 marks). And Gifty of Jeevan Jyoti Senior Secondary School in Mandola village of Rewari district bagged the third position. She secured 98 per cent (490 marks).

In humanities, Shiv Kumar and Shivani Vats are the joint toppers. Mansi of SD Memorial Senior Secondary School, Mohna, Faridabad, and Geeta of Kanya Gurukul Senior Secondary School, Kharal, Jind, secured the second and third positions with 492 and 490 marks, respectively.

In the commerce stream, Palak has bagged the top position, while Tamanna secured the second position. Monika of PGSD Senior Secondary School, Hisar, stood third positions with 98.2 per cent (491 marks).
editorial@tribune.com

Our Correspondent

Palampur, May 15

Smriti Irani, Union Textile Minister, while launching a scathing attack on West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, here today called her anti-national, who had no faith in the democracy and was behaving like a dictator. Smriti said that Mamata even refused to respect the Constitution of India.

Addressing an election rally here this afternoon, Irani condemned the politics of violence, which, she said, was being patronised by Mamata Banerjee in her state. She said law and order situation in the West Bengal had gone beyond the control of the state government. This was evident from the yesterdays incident when TMC workers attacked the roadshow being carried out by BJP president Amit Shah in Kolkata.

She said Mamata had deprived the people of West Bengal of the due share of development from the Union government-funded schemes like medical benefits of up to Rs 5 lakh under the Ayushman Bharat scheme. She said it was on record that the TMC government had withdrawn its consent to the scheme. Likewise, for many other Central schemes, the West Bengal government had not even opted to reply to the letters sent by the Centre.

Irani said the country was safe only in the hands of Narendra Modi under whom the state had scaled new heights in the past five years.

While appreciating the role of Shanta Kumar in taking BJP to new heights in Himachal during his 65-year political stint, she said the party had the highest regard for leaders like Shanta Kumar. Their service to the party could not be forgotten.

Earlier, addressing the election rally, Shanta Kumar said it was his last speech in the election rally as he had already announced retirement from the electoral politics. However, he would continue to serve the people of the state through social service.
rchopra@tribunemail.com

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, May 16

Six militants, including a top Jaish-e-Mohammad commander, as well as two soldiers and a civilian were killed and four others injured in two gunfights between security forces and militants across the Kashmir Valley on Thursday.

In the first gunfight in Dalipora village of Pulwama district, three Jaish militants, including a top commander who had masterminded the 2017 attack on a CRPF camp, a soldier and a civilian were killed, police said.

The gunfight started after a joint team of forces cordoned Dalipora village on receiving inputs about the presence of militants in the area.

In the initial exchange of fire three soldiers and two sons of the house owner were injured. One of the civilians identified as Rayees Dar later succumbed to his injuries, locals said.

Police blamed the militants for the civilian killing.

As the police and security forces were evacuating civilians from the neighbouring area around the target house, the hiding terrorists fired indiscriminately. In the process army jawan Sandeep died, while civilian Rayees Dar also lost his life, a police spokesman said.

He said after the security forces retaliated, three militants, including a Pakistani national, were killed in the encounter.

The three militants were identified as Naseer Pandith of Kareemabad, Pulwama, Umar Mir of Shopian and a Pakistani namely Khalid.

The militants were affiliated to JeM. They were wanted by law for their complicity in a series of terror crimes, including attack on security establishments and civilian atrocities. Several terror crime cases were registered against them, the spokesman said.

Khalid was a top JeM commander and had masterminded the 2017 attack on the CRPF camp in Lethpora in which five personnel were killed, a police source said.

Incriminating material besides the arms and ammunition was recovered from the encounter site, he added.

Authorities have imposed restrictions in Pulwama town. The situation remains tense.

In another gunfight at Handew village of Shopian district, three militants were killed while a soldier was injured. The soldier later succumbed to his injuries.

Police said firing exchanges have stopped but the search operation was under way till the time this report was filed.

"Bodies of the slain militants have been recovered. Their exact identities and group affiliation are being ascertained," police said.

Following specific information about the presence of militants, troops of the army's counter-insurgency Rashtriya Rifles and the Special Operations Group of the state police launched a cordon and search operation in Handew village, but came under fire from the hiding militants and retaliated.

Another gunfight took place in Kandi forest area of Kupwara district. Security forces surrounded the forest area after intelligence inputs about the presence of a group of militants there.

Police said a brief shootout took place in Kandi forest area, but there was no report of any casualty.  With agencies
vinaymishra188@gmail.com

Azhar Qadri

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, May 15

Mainstream politicians in Kashmir, including former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, have been calling for imposing Sharia law to deal with the guilty in the Bandipora rape case, while taking the Jammu and Kashmir Police to task for clashing with those protesting over the rape of a three-year-old.

The minors rape has sparked violent protests across the Valley, and the High Court, taking suo motu cognisance, today asked the police to file a status report on the case by Friday.

The protesters are demanding immediate punishment to the rapist, believed to be the infants neighbour.

The incident took place on Wednesday last week. After three days of low-scale protests, these turned violent on Sunday when hundreds of demonstrators across several districts blocked roads and clashed with the police.

Even as Mufti called for stoning the guilty, others wanted the rapist hanged, while criticising the police.

The right to protest seems to (be) missing in the J&K Police lexicon. An FIR has been filed against persons protesting against the rape of a three-year-old. How insensitive! Imran Raza Ansari of Sajad Lones Peoples Conference said. Lone said he had urged the Governor that protesters should not be dealt with force as the protests were a natural and instinctive outpouring.

Srinagar Mayor Junaid Mattu said the police action was completely unwarranted.
shalender@tribune.com

Actor Anil Kapoor will be felicitated by the Council of European Chambers of Commerce (CEUCC) in India and a European Union delegation as part of the Europe Day celebrations in Mumbai on Friday, an official spokesperson said. The actor will be the chief guest for the celebrations, which will also be attended by EU Ambassador to India Tomasz Kozlowski, EU Member states consuls, and senior representatives from the European and Indian corporate world. Europe Day is celebrated every year on May 9 to mark the formation of the European Union (EU).

Anil Kapoor will be felicitated for his decade-long support to promoting the cause of childrens rights and his collaboration with the EU and Plan India in their girls rights endeavours, said an official.

The event will highlight how Europe has always been a favourite shooting destination for Indian filmmakers for many decades. Bollywood movies have for long been using the picturesque locales of the United Kingdom, France, Spain, Portugal, Switzerland, Italy and now even places like Greece, Hungary, Austria and Romania are gaining popularity for their natural beauty.  IANS
shriaya.dutt@tribuneindia.com

Tribune Web Desk

Chandigarh, May 16

B-town divas Deepika Padukone and Priyanka Chopra Jonas have arrived in France for the Cannes Film Festival 2019.

Pictures went viral the minute the divas were spotted at their hotels.

Deepika flew down from Mumbai and instagrammed a picture of her boarding pass. She wrote: And then this...had to be done!Here we Go Ooops.

She shared another picture of the colourful bouquet she received.

She captioned it: If you know me well, you know I HAVE to post this!, she captioned the second picture.

DP was spotted stepping out of her car outside her hotel in Cannes.

A picture, clicked at the hotel, shows a crowd of people gathered behind a barricade, hoping to catch a glimpse of the stars. Deepika is wearing a white shirt, blue denim pants and denim jacket. She completed her look with red, glossy heels.

On the other hand, Priyanka, instagrammed a video of her fancy 'Chopard' watch and wrote: Its time for Cannes.

She even shared pictures of Princess Diana, Grace Kelly and Sophia Lauren ahead of her Cannes appearance. She was seen at the Nice airport in an all-white outfit, carrying a large bag.

Apart from the two, actress Aishwarya Rai, Kangana Ranaut and Sonam Kapoor are also expected to make an appearance at the festival.

On Wednesday, TV actor Hina Khan walked the red carpet at the screening of the Brazilian drama film Bacurau. She is reportedly at Cannes for the screening of her short film, Lines, which is based on the Kargil War.

Deepika, Sonam and Aishwarya will represent LOreal at the festival.

While Aishwarya and Sonam are veterans when it comes to Cannes red carpet, this will be Deepikas third appearance at the festival.
V Viswanathan

V Viswanathan

Prime MINISTER Modis Main bhi chowkidar campaign to counter Rahul Gandhis Chowkidar chor hai jibe has put all those who take care of security of installations in the spotlight. One is not sure if the offensive or the counteroffensive will actually help the parties electorally or not. But the fact remains that people in charge of security have an unenviable task at hand.

Watchmen and security guards sometimes end up grilling their own CEOs at the gate, mistaking them for strangers, only to learn of their blunder soon. That Manohar Parrikar, late chief minister of Goa, was inadvertently stopped by a chowkidar at a hotel in Goa when he was CM is a popular story.

Those guarding the gates of private colleges, where the management writ runs large, enjoy vast powers, especially when it comes to students. One of their main tasks is to ask students to display their ID cards while they enter and leave the premises. In a private engineering college, I once observed that a group of mischievous students tried to avoid showing the ID cards and dragged the security men into a friendly banter, but the guards did not lower their guard. Finally, the students laughed, pulled out their ID cards like rabbits from a magicians hat and moved away jauntily.

I have heard of a monumental goof-up story in a high security setup. I am not certain if it is apocryphal. The establishment had invited a senior official from another organisation as a delegate for an important meeting. The delegate drove in his car. As part of routine check, his car was stopped at the main gate. A gun-toting guard asked him to open the boot and after clearance, he was allowed to proceed. But there was another gate the delegate had to cross.

At the next gate, the executive was stopped again and was asked to open the cars boot. He did so. This time, the guard who inspected the boot became furious and started grilling him, suspecting him to be a terrorist! Did he notice anything in the boot? Yes. A machine gun! The visiting executive was clueless how the weapon shot itself into the boot.

Within minutes, the guard got a call from his colleague stationed at the main gate. My machine gun is missing. Looks like I placed it in a cars boot while checking and forgot to take it out. Did you by any chance spot it? Oh my God! the other guard rushed to the delegate and apologised for his co-chowkidars lapse and his own indiscretion.

Incompetent security personnel can easily derail a good system while vigilant and efficient chowkidars are a true asset, indeed.
rchopra@tribunemail.com

Pune, May 16

At least 25 people were rescued from a burning residential building here on Thursday, officials said.

The blaze broke out at the building in Joshi Complex, near the Prabhat Talkies in the citys Shanivar Peth area. Thick clouds of white-grey smoke were seen billowing out at around 8.45 am.

Fire brigade and disaster relief teams rushed to site and fighting the thick smoke, managed to bring out the 25 occupants to safety.

Operations are on to ascertain if there were more people still stuck inside the building. The cause of the blaze is not yet known. IANS
rchopra@tribunemail.com

Guwahati, May 16

Three cadres of an outlawed outfit have surrendered before the police in Tinsukia district of Assam, a senior police officer said.

One of them was allegedly involved in the killing of Bhaskar Kalita, the officer-in-charge of Bordumsa Police Station, Director General of Police Kuladhar Saikia told reporters here on Wednesday.

Based on inputs about the ULFA-I men crossing the India-Myanmar border to carry out specific activities in upper Assam, a joint counter-insurgency operation was launched by a team of Assam Police, the Indian Army and the CRPF at Tarani Reserve Forest on Tuesday.

The security forces persuaded the cadres to give up arms and the ULFA (I) personnel surrendered with a huge cache of arms and ammunition, a police officer said.

The weapons and the ammunition which the cadres surrendered include AK-81, AK-56 and HK-33 rifles along with nine magazines, two hand grenades and 425 bullets.

The three insurgents were identified as Bubul Moran alias Tiger Asom, Binanda Dohutia alias Swadesh Asom and Chandrakanta Borgohain alias Tipang Asom, the police said.

The DGP said the Tinsukia Superintendent of Police informed him on Wednesday that Moran was allegedly involved in Kalitas killing in an encounter with the outfit near the Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border on May 4, 2018. PTI
vinaymishra188@gmail.com

New Delhi, May 15

Terming BJP Yuva Morcha leader Priyanka Sharmas arrest for allegedly posting West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjees meme on Facebook prima facie arbitrary, the Supreme Court today pulled up the TMC government for delaying her release.

A Vacation Bench headed by Justice Indira Banerjee, which had ordered her release on Tuesday, threatened to initiate contempt proceedings against the state police after the petitioners counsel submitted that she was not released despite the courts order.

As the West Bengal counsel said she had been released from jail at 9.40 am, the Bench asked, Why 9.40 am today? The order was passed in your presence.  TNS

No apology: Sharma
rchopra@tribunemail.com

New Delhi, May 16

The CBI probe into the Bofors case pertaining to the alleged Rs 64-crore kickbacks in the purchase of the Swedish artillery guns will continue, officials said on Thursday.

In view of certain revelations made by one Michael Hershman, CBI sought the permission of the trial court to conduct further investigation in the Bofors case, CBI spokesperson Nitin Wakankar said.

He said on May 8, 2019, the court had observed that when independent right and power is available with the CBI to further investigate the matter on their own, if in their wisdom it is necessary to do so then, why still such application is being filed in the court.

After obtaining legal opinion, CBI filed an application on May 16, 2019 in the court of CMM, Rouse Avenue Courts, New Delhi, stating that for conducting further investigation under Section 173(8) of CrPC, permission of the court is not mandatorily required by CBI and an intimation to the court in this regard will suffice, he said.

He added that the probe in the Bofors case will continue.

The agencys response came after it withdrew from a Delhi court its application to seek permission to further probe the politically sensitive Rs 64-crore Bofors payoff case.  PTI
monicakchauhan@gmail.com

Lucknow May 16

Rallying behind Mamata Banerjee, BSP supremo Mayawati on Thursday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah of targeting the West Bengal Chief Minister as part of a conspiracy and said it reflected a dangerous attitude.

A day after the Election Commission curtailed campaigning in West Bengal, Mayawati charged that the poll body acted under pressure of the Central Government.

Addressing a press conference here, she said, Everyday we are getting some kind of news from Bengal for which the BJP and RSS are responsible.

As far as election-related violence is concerned there, it can be seen clearly that the BJP and the government led by PM Narendra Modi and his chela (follower) BJP president Amit Shah, under a planned conspiracy, have been targeting the Mamata Banerjee Government, Mayawati said.

During Lok Sabha elections, Mamata and her government are being targeted under a conspiracy to divert peoples attention from failures of the Modi government, the former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister charged.

The manner in which the guru and chela are after the Mamata Banerjee Government is also indicative of a dangerous attitude which is not only wrong but unjustified, she said.

Such a conspiracy to defame Mamata and her government is unbecoming of a PM, she said.

Coming down hard on the poll body, she said, It is unfortunate that the Election Commission acted under pressure of the Centre in curtailing electioneering in West Bengal while the PM could address two rallies today.

It is now clear that under the present Chief Election Commissioner, Lok Sabha elections are not being held in a free and fair manner, Mayawati charged.

The Election Commission curtailed campaigning in West Bengal under pressure of the Central Government, she further charged.

The Election Commission on Wednesday ordered campaigning in nine West Bengal constituencies to end at 10 pm on Thursday, a day before its scheduled deadline, in the wake of violence between BJP and TMC workers in Kolkata.

Deputy Election Commissioner Chandra Bhushan Kumar had said that it was for the first time that such an action has been taken using constitutional powers of the poll panel.

The ECs action came after parts of Kolkata witnessed widespread violence during BJP president Amit Shahs massive road show in the city. A bust of 19th-century Bengali icon Ishwarchandra Vidyasagar was also vandalised during the violence.

The order said it has been brought to the notice of the Commission that there have been growing incidents of disruption and violence during the political campaigns and processions in West Bengal during the ongoing elections.

The EC invoked Article 324 of the Constitution to curtail the campaigning for the last phase of the election on May 19. PTI
The People in Your Neighborhood series shines a spotlight on locals we all wish we knew more about! If you know someone youd like us to profile, e-mail editor@lajollalight.com or call us at (858) 875-5950.

La Jolla resident Verna Griffin-Tabor has dedicated the last 30 years to helping and supporting the survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence. Specifically, she has been the CEO of Center for Community Solutions (CCS) since 1998.

Last year alone, CCS helped more than 21,000 adults and children to heal and address relationship and sexual violence. Founded in 1969, CCS operates the only rape crisis center in the City, and maintains a countywide 24-hour bilingual crisis helpline.

The nonprofit also provides emergency domestic violence shelters, hospital and court accompaniment, as well as legal and counseling services. CCS also works with community groups and schools to provide innovative prevention programs and promote healthy relationships and peaceful neighborhoods.

How did you get involved with CCS?

I started doing this work early, through undergraduate and graduate school. Ive always known this type of violence is preventable, I just felt it in my being. Ive not been harmed by such violence, but have witnessed it through family and community members. I always wanted to do something about it, so Ive been at CCS for 21 years. I was recruited and focused on prevention at the time.

What are the most rewarding and most difficult parts of your job?

The most rewarding is looking at and seeing what can happen in the eyes of survivors: they have every reason to be angry and hurt, but they have courage. They leave and heal and want to come back and make a difference. That is amazing to me because it takes so much courage to heal when the public is blaming the survivor. They have hope and integrity.

The most difficult thing is when the domestic violence perpetrators harm their partner and their children and it leads to loss of life  and knowing there were other options had someone been available. There are times we could have prevented it.

What do you see as best practices for prevention?

You have to do a minimum of three meetings with people if you really want to encourage prevention and early intervention. We are on nine college campuses helping to orient and train incoming freshmen about healthy relationships, bystander intervention, consent, etc. We emphasize bystander intervention because sometimes young people see things happen and are not prepared to intervene or know how to help someone.

The other part is to really debunk some myths about sexual and domestic partner violence: looking at our language and avoiding victim blaming. Language such as what was she wearing? and what was she drinking? have undertones of blame.

We have to talk to young people as soon as theyre old enough to ask about it. We need to take a deeper dive into conversations about consent, respect of body, not having the right to touch someone else.

Do you feel hopeful that things will get better in the wake of the Me Too, Times Up and No More campaigns?

Yes, the lens has shifted and now we are talking about  how it is not part and parcel to be in a certain profession or a certain environment and be assaulted. Before, I would hear stories of actresses, and people would say well, they knew what they were in for when they went to that persons office and its like, no! Nobody has the right to harm anybody. That is not part of any job or any relationship. And to be shamed around being harmed  and the blame we put on people ends up silencing them and creates harm for a long time. Now were seeing more dialogue on these issues.

How do you encourage people to speak out if theyre feeling ashamed?

We emphasize that no one, no matter what, should be harmed. No one should be sexually or physically violated. Under no circumstances is that masculine or feminine to do that to another human being, it just isnt. As we hold folks more accountable, it contributes to the message that no one deserves this.

People also do self-damaging talk when they didnt do anything wrong. They were harmed. When we visit the hospital to meet a rape survivor, we try to lift that veil of shame right away! We tell them they didnt encourage to be harmed and do not deserve to be harmed.

What brought you to La Jolla?

I lived in San Diego for 30 years, but have lived here since 2000. I came from the East Coast. My husband and I were living inland and realized one day that we were living in San Diego and we were nowhere near the water, which is what brought us here, so we found a home in La Jolla.

I love the sense of community here. I love The Village and bumping into my neighbors around town. I love to be outside, so the weather is perfect. This community is very philanthropic and cares about its causes.

 CCSs domestic violence and sexual assault 24-hour crisis line is (888) 385-4657.
rchopra@tribunemail.com

Jhabua, May 16

A government schoolteacher in Madhya Pradeshs Jhabua district has been arrested and remanded to judicial custody by a court here for allegedly directing some students to slap their classmate 168 times for not completing her homework.

Thandla tehsils Judicial Magistrate First Class Jai Patidar on Monday turned down the bail plea of Manoj Verma, 35, additional district prosecution officer Ravi Prakash Rai said.

Verma allegedly directed students to slap the girl, then studying in Class 6 at Jawahar Navodaya School in Thandla town, in January last year, he said.

According to the victims father Shiv Pratap Singh, his daughter did not go to school from January 1 to 10, 2018 as she was unwell.

On January 11, when the girl went to school without completing her homework, Verma told her classmates to slap her as a form of punishment following which 14 girls slapped her two times every day for six days.

Singh lodged a complaint with the school management which constituted a committee to probe the incident.

The panel found the teacher guilty and suspended him, the prosecutor said.

In the meantime, Singh also lodged a complaint with the police against the teacher under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act.

He told the police that his daughter was distressed and fell ill following the incident and had to be admitted to a local hospital. She also refused to go to school.

The teacher was arrested in connection with the offence on Monday and denied bail by the court the same day. PTI
monicakchauhan@gmail.com

Mau (Uttar Pradesh)/ Mandirbazar (WB), May 16

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday promised a grand statue of 19th century reformer Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar at the same spot where his bust was vandalised in Kolkata while West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said Bengal does not need money from the BJP.

Banerjee said the state has enough resources to rebuild the Vidyasagar statue that was vandalised at a Kolkata college following Amit Shahs road show.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Trinamool Congress have been blaming each other for the incident.

Addressing a rally in Mau district in UP, the prime minister said: We saw hooliganism by Trinamool Congress workers again during Amit Shahs road show in Kolkata. They vandalised Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagars statue. Such people should face strong action.

Acknowledging the fact that Vidyasagar has immense emotional value for the people of Bengal, he said: We will install the statue made of panch dhatu (five metals) at the same place where the earlier statue was installed. We are committed to Vidyasagars vision.

Addressing a rally in Mandirbazar, Banerjee said, Modi has promised to rebuild the Vidyasagar statue in Kolkata. Why should we take their (BJPs) money, Bengal has enough resources.

She also attacked the BJP, claiming that vandalising statues was one of its habits and that the party has done so in Tripura as well.

The BJP has destroyed 200-year-old heritage of West Bengal, those supporting the party will not be accepted by the society, she warned.

Hitting out at the saffron party over its social media posts, the Trinamool Congress supremo also said that the BJP had been spreading canards over Facebook and Twitter.

The BJP is trying to instigate people and cause riots with its fake posts on social media, she added.

The Election Commission, which has curtailed campaigning in Bengal, has said it was deeply anguished at the vandalism done to the statue of an icon who, besides his many other achievements as a philosopher, academic educator, writer and philanthropist, worked all his life in the cause of widow remarriage which was un-thought and unheard of in the ultraconservative society in those days.  Agencies
gspannu7@gmail.com

Bhopal/New Delhi, May 16

BJPs Bhopal Lok Sabha candidate and Malegaon blast accused Pragya Singh Thakur on Thursday lauded Mahatma Gandhis assassin Nathuram Godse as a patriot, sparking an outrage from the Opposition with the Congress alleging that insulting martyrs is in the DNA of BJP, which also condemned her remarks.

Nathuram Godse was a deshbhakt (patriot), he is and will remain a deshbhakt. Those calling him a terrorist should instead look at themselves. They will be given a befitting reply in this election, the controversial leader said in Agar Malwa in Madhya Pradesh while attending a road show.

She was replying to a question over actor-politician Kamal Haasans remark that independent Indias first extremist was a Hindu, a reference to Godse.

Her remarks created a major row with the opposition parties attacking her and the BJP with the NCP saying people can now see the real face of the Amit Shah-led party and the Congress demanding an apology from Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The BJP immediately got into damage control and distanced itself from Thakurs statement and asked her to tender a public apology, which the controversial leader did.

We completely disagree with her statement with regard to Mahatma Gandhi. We strongly condemn this statement. The party will seek clarification from her as to why she gave this. It would be proper for her to seek and tender a public apology for her objectionable statement, BJP spokesperson G V L Narasimha Rao said in a statement.

Attacking the BJP and Thakur, Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said, It is clear, the BJP people are the descendants of Godse. BJP people say Godse was a patriot and martyr Hemant Karkare was a traitor. Culture of violence and insulting martyrs is the DNA of the BJP.

Modi-Amit Shah jis favourite BJP leader, Pragya Thakur once again insulted the whole nation by calling Gandhis killer, Nathuram Godse a true patriot, he said in a statement.

Maharashtra NCP chief Jayant Patil tweeted that Nathuram Godse, who has murdered Mahatma Gandhi, is being defended by BJPs candidate Pragya Thakur and is being called a patriot.

People can now see BJPs real face through Sadhvi Pragya, he further said.

BJP leader Hitesh Bajpai, while speaking on her behalf, said that she has apologised for her remark.

Pragyaji has apologised for her statement, Bajpai told PTI.

When asked whether she has apologised to the state BJP chief, Bajpai said, That is not an issue, but she has apologised and took back her statement.

Meanwhile, the Election Commission has asked the state chief electoral officer to submit a factual report by tomorrow about Thakurs remarks.

This is the second time in a month that Pragya Thakur has apologised for a controversial statement made by her.

Last month, she had stoked a controversy when she said that IPS officer Hemant Karkare had died during the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks as she had cursed him for torturing her. Later, she apologised and took back her controversial remark.

Thakur was also temporarily banned from campaigning for her hate remarks.

Condemning her statement, senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh said in Ujjain that praising Godse was not patriotism, but an anti-national act.

Narendra Modi ji, Amit Shah ji and BJP leaders from Madhya Pradesh should apologise to the country. I condemn the words used against the Father of the Nation. Nathuram Godse was a killer and eulogising him is not patriotism, but an anti-national act, the former Madhya Pradesh chief minister told reporters in Ujjain.

Both CPI and CPI (M) also criticised Thakur for her controversial remark.

Its a fact that Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated and the incident was a well-planned one to spread hatred, create fear and to send out a message. This assassination was carried out by Nathuram Godse. If BJP thinks Godse was patriot then what was Mahatma Gandhi? CPI leader D Raja said.

Kamal Haasan, while addressing an election campaign rally at Aravakurichi (Tamil Nadu) on May 12, had said, I am not saying this because this is a Muslim-dominated area, but I am saying this before a statue of Gandhi. Independent Indias first extremist was a Hindu, his name is Nathuram Godse.  PTI
gspannu7@gmail.com

Maharajganj/Ballia (UP), May 16

BJP president Amit Shah on Thursday accused Congress chief Rahul Gandhi of remaining silent after his party leader Mani Shankar Aiyar hurled abuses at Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Addressing a rally in Maharajganj, he termed Aiyar guru ghantal (shrewd).

Mani Shankar Aiyar used abusive words against PM Modi but Rahul baba remained silent, Shah said.

Aiyar had stirred a controversy recently through an article in a newspaper, reminding readers of his neech aadmi comment made against Modi in 2017. He was suspended from the party for his statement.

Can anyone tolerate abusive words against the prime minister, Shah asked voters.

Referring to the Balakot airstrike, the BJP president claimed that while there was excitement in the country and people were distributing sweets, there was mourning at the offices of Rahul Gandhi and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav.

The glow on their faces had vanished as if their own had died, he alleged.

Referring to Zakir Naik, Shah said the controversial Islamic preacher believed that if the Congress or the Mayawati-Akhilesh Yadav alliance came to power he would not be caught.

Zakir Naik, now abroad, has been accused of delivering inflammatory speeches besides money laundering.

Due to his influence, hundreds of people were killed in terror attacks in Sri Lanka. This person is promoting terrorism and inciting people. When someone asked him when would you go to India, he replied, when the Congress comes to power, Shah claimed.

I want to tell him that the BJP is going to form the next government and if you dared to enter the country, you would be brought to book, Shah said.

Shah also claimed that during the 55 years when the Gandhi family called the shots, no initiative was introduced for free medical treatment.

Our Ayushman Bharat scheme has benefitted around 26 lakh people. Our government tried to improve the living standards of 50 crore people of the country, the BJP chief said.

He said the support for the BJP was coming from the hearts of the people.

I have visited many states. Wherever I went, I only heard Modi-Modi. This is not an election slogan. It is coming from the hearts of the people, he said.

The voting in Maharajganj will take place on May 19. The Congress has fielded former journalist Supriya Shrinate against BJPs Pankaj Choudhary.

Later addressing a rally in Ballia, Shah said when soldiers were brutally killed by Pakistan in the previous Manmohan Singh government, which was supported by the SP and the BSP, they did nothing and kept mum.

Our government will not compromise with the security of the country. Omar Abdullah, a friend of Rahul Gandhi, Akhilesh Yadav and Mayawati, is talking of a separate prime minister for Jammu and Kashmir. He wants the states separation from India, Shah said.  PTI
monicakchauhan@gmail.com

Yash Goyal

Our Correspondent

Thanagaji (Alwar), May 16

Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Thursday met a Dalit woman who was allegedly gang-raped in front of her husband in Rajasthan's Alwar district.

After holding a meeting with the victim and her family, Rahul said the victim will get justice and the accused would be punished.

"I have come here not to do any politics, but on an emotional cause, Gandhi told the media after meeting the victim.

"I have been told a few personal things by the victim's family, which I cannot disclose. Serious action will be taken against the culprits, he said.

Gandhi was accompanied by Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, deputy CM Sachin Pilot and Congress national general secretary Avinash Pandey.

He was earlier scheduled to arrive here on Wednesday.

On April 26, six miscreants 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.

An FIR was lodged on May 2 and the accused circulated a video clip of the crime on May 4.

The alleged five accused belongs to Gurjar community and have been identified as Indaraj, Hansraj, Ashok, Mahesh, and Chhote Lal.

The sixth accused Mukesh Gurjar was arrested for uploading the video in WhatsApp groups and making obscene photos and videos viral on social media.
vinaymishra188@gmail.com

New Delhi, May 15

The retirement age of CAPF personnel is set to be fixed at 60 years after the Supreme Court recently dismissed a special leave petition (SLP) filed by the government against the direction of the Delhi High Court to resolve an existing anomaly, official sources said today.

Sources in the security establishment said the Central government has time till May-end to implement the directive of the Delhi High Court and after consultations with all the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs), it is certain that the age of superannuation in all the forces will be made uniform, well before the deadline.

The Supreme Court on May 10 dismissed an SLP filed by the Union government in which the latter had stated that such decisions were not for the courts to decide.

Ankur Chibber, counsel for a retired CAPF official who first petitioned the Delhi High Court over the discrepancy, said as the SLP has been dismissed by the apex court last week, the government will now have to implement the Delhi High Court order by May-end which had said on January 31 that uniformity should be maintained across all ranks and forces when it comes to the age of retirement. Even the 7th pay commission had said so, Chibber said.

The six CAPFs are the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Border Security Force (BSF), Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and the Assam Rifles.

According to the present policy, all personnel in the CISF and the Assam Rifles retire at the age of 60 while in the rest four forces, personnel in the ranks of constable up to commandant (SSP equivalent) retire at 57, while those above them superannuate after attaining 60.  PTI
amansharma@tribunemail.com

Ravi S. Singh

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, May 16

Taiwan is studying the feasibility of promoting investments by its firms in the field of agriculture and food processing in agro products in northern India.

Our teams have made exploratory visits, especially to Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir and met the authorities, including some Chief Ministers, said Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA) chairman James CF Huang here on Thursday.

Talking to the media on the sidelines of the launch of Taiwan Expo-2019, Huang said the teams have given favourable reports on investment opportunities in these states. Taiwan has modern techniques in field of farming of crops.

Headquartered in Taipei, TAITRA is Taiwans foremost trade promoting organisation. Sponsored by the countrys government and the industry organisations, it assists enterprises to expand their global reach.

We will facilitate meeting of investors from both Taiwan and these states. Taiwan is strong in the field of agriculture and food processing technology, Huang said.

He added that there was great scope for cooperation between India and Taiwan is also strong in the field of health-care and tourism sectors. There are scenic destinations in Taiwan. Tourist footfall from both the countries is on the upswing, and there is opportunity for expansion in this sector.

Earlier, addressing the audiences during the launch ceremony, Huang said, This EXPO is all about making connections through our shared values and our appreciation for all things wonderfulIndia is an investment in the future. In Indias quest for economic greatness, Taiwan stands ready to be your best partner.

Ambassador Tin Chung-Kwang said as compared to other countries, Taiwan has been late in the entering the Indian market. He hoped the more companies of both countries will collaborate for mutual benefits. His country wants more Indians and Taiwanese to explore two destinations.

Ten theme pavilions have been set up in the EXPO, including Taiwan Agriculture Pavilion.

Taiwan EXPO has been organised by the Bureau of Foreign Trade of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and TAITRA, in association with Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) and Indian Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO).

The organisers said the amount of potential business worth regarding the event was expected to be USD 150 million.

Among its other highlights, there was separate pavilion which displayed highly advanced and innovative tech products. The featured brands include Accton, ADATA, AIFA, Annies Way, Unite Creative Design and VICTOR.
editorial@tribune.com

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, May 15

Accusing the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress of rioting during his Tuesday roadshow in Kolkata, BJP president Amit Shah on Wednesday alleged that the states ruling party workers were part of a conspiracy to vandalise the statue of Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar.

Stepping up pressure on the West Bengal Government, a group of BJP Rajya Sabha members led by Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar met Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu and submitted a memorandum expressing concern on the violent attack on a member of the Upper House in public and the resulting breach of privilege.

Seeking a report on the violence and arson during Shahs roadshow, Javadekar said: Protection to Rajya Sabha members is the responsibility of the House and its Chairman.

Earlier during his media briefing, Shah had asserted that the gate of the Vidyasagar college was shut till the conclusion of the roadshow, asking who opened the gate and vandalised the statue.

Claiming that the TMC was headed for a resounding defeat in West Bengal, Shah said CM Mamata Banerjee had been rattled with the rise of the BJP in the state. He also showed photographs to allege that TMC workers indulged in stone-pelting and arson, which were aimed at him and it would have been difficult for him to survive the attack but for the protection of the CRPF.

Shah alleged that the EC had been a mute spectator to the attempts of rigging in the state. History-sheeters across the country are put behind bars during elections. Such criminal elements are freely indulging in political violence in the state. Why has the EC not acted against such history-sheeters? he asked.

Questioning the silence of the EC over Banerjees open threat to BJP workers, the BJP chief said the partys campaigners, including UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, had been restrained from campaigning in West Bengal.

Shah said the TMC was contesting on 42 Lok Sabha seats in West Bengal, while the BJP was in the contest on much higher number of seats across the country. If the BJP is indulging in violence, why no such incident takes place in any other part of the country? It just means that the TMC indulges in violence, he said.

He said the party cadres wouldnt be deterred by filing of an FIR against him. Seven BJP workers were killed in the state as part of the TMC-staged political violence. We wouldnt be deterred. People will answer with ballot in the seventh phase, he said.
The San Diego Unified School District (SDUSD) launched its system-wide STEAM Initiative at a series of public schools, and Bird Rock Elementary is the first  and thus far only  La Jolla school to sign on.

The initiative looks to create a Transitional Kindergarten (TK) through 12th Grade pathway of scientific understanding, based on the skills that will be needed when these students leave high school and enter the high-demand, high-skill job market.

Cheryl Hibbeln, director of School Innovation & Integrated Youth Services, explained that SDUSD has been researching how to integrate more Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math (STEAM) lessons at younger levels, which led to the initiative.

In 2014, she explained, SDUSD reached out to its partners in the San Diego workforce and community colleges to prepare a report on the skills needed for the most in-demand jobs. The five sectors that rose to the top of the list were: advanced manufacturing (including engineering), information technology, clean energy, healthcare and life sciences.

We took that research paper and started to align our pathway offerings and courses with those sectors, Hibbeln said.

District STEAM Innovation Manager, Michael Goodbody, then developed a curriculum to be implemented in one-hour lessons, four days a week, to introduce scientific concepts in the youngest grades and build upon them to 12th grade.

A student looks through a microscope at the Bird Rock Elementary STEAM Night. Ashley Mackin-Solomon

Hibbeln added: We were making good gains in the pathways  in the middle schools and we had a good foothold in the high schools, but as we entered TK-5 and started to read the research, we found in United States, less than 20 percent of elementary school-aged kids have science at all in their curriculum. Because of that, there isnt this opportunity for exposure and awareness and getting kids interested in science concepts at young ages.

Further, she said the data suggests the reason there arent more girls or people of color in scientific fields could potentially be due to a lack of exposure to this knowledge as children.

Through the new curriculum, at the Transitional Kindergarten and Kindergarten levels, students learn about living and non-living things, including weather patterns, season, changes over time, forces such as pushes and pulls, how humans impact the environment (for better or worse), and more.

Further, SDUSD developed teacher training programs so new teachers could implement the curriculum as written, and master teachers could bring their expertise to make modifications.

But perhaps most importantly: We want to make sure that work-based learning is part of it, Hibbeln said. The content has to be paired with real-world experiences. For example, in a few units Michael wrote around living things for Transitional Kindergarten, we offered an experience at the zoo to give students a real-world application.

Whats fascinating was that there were kids who had never been to the zoo, and others who had been there a lot. Our eyes were opened to the fact that we, as a District, need to maintain equity lines and close opportunity gaps. Just because a student goes to school in San Diego, doesnt mean they have been to the beach.

The roll-out of the Initiative started with what Hibbeln called the coalition of the willing of schools whose leaders volunteered. We knew we couldnt implement this system-wide, so we started with a pilot of a few schools, she said. The year after, 32 schools were on board.

(Bird Rock principal) Andi Frost said she wanted to be a part of it, which was a huge opportunity for us because she comes from a small science high school and understands what the demands are going to be on her students when they get to high school.

No stranger to STEAM learning, Bird Rock Elementary hosts a STEAM night each year on campus. This years was on May 1.

Frost told La Jolla Light: When I found out about the STEAM pilot initiative I knew that Bird Rock would benefit from the opportunity. The pilot offers strong professional development, incredible Next Generation Science Standards-aligned lessons and resources and materials. Further, weve heard from some of the other schools that implemented the pilot this year. The excitement of teachers in regard to the thinking and the work done by their students suggests great things to come!

Students play with aquatic robots at the Bird Rock Elementary STEAM Night, May 1. Ashley Mackin-Solomon

She added: Weve been saying for many years in education that were preparing our students for a future we dont know yet. For many decades our society evolved at a fairly predictable rate that allowed for small changes and improvements as needed. The tech boom changed this at an incredible rate and created a whole new world of possibility. While we dont know what the future holds, we do know that we need flexible thinkers, problem-solvers, creators, inventors and collaborators.
rchopra@tribunemail.com

Patna, May 16

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has urged people of the Bihar capital to vote for BJP candidate from Patna, Ravi Shankar Prasad, calling him the pairokar (advocate) of the Ram temple.

His achievements as Union minister also included a clampdown on triple talaq and improved connectivity through Digital India, the BJP leader said at an election meeting in the city on Wednesday night.

He is not only the advocate of the Ram temple but also the man responsible for ensuring justice to aadhi aabadi (half the population, a Hindi colloquial used to describe women) by attacking the custom of triple talaq, the UP chief minister said evoking frenzied applause from the crowd.

I am thankful that you waited till so late to hear me. It was important for me to come here since you are going to elect a person who is needed by millions of Ram Bhakts across the country, he said.

Prasad, who is pitted against sitting MP and Congress candidate Shatrughan Sinha, was the counsel for one of the petitioners in the Ayodhya title suit which was decided by the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court in 2010, the appeal against which is pending before the Supreme Court. PTI
vinaymishra188@gmail.com

Ruchika M Khanna & Balwant Garg

Tribune News Service

Bargari (Faridkot), May 15

The Congress today upped the ante against the Shiromani Akali Dal by not just holding an election rally at Bargari, the epicentre of sacrilege politics, but also announcing a memorial in the vicinity as homage to those killed in the 2015 police firing.

Launching a scathing attack on the SAD-BJP that was in power when Punjab was rocked by a series of sacrilege incidents, Punjab CM Capt Amarinder Singh said the memorial would be built soon by his government and a panel of Bargari residents would decide how to build it.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi, who was here to canvass for party candidate Mohammad Sadique, said the Congress would not spare those guilty of committing the heinous crime (Bargari police firing), evoking a thunderous applause.

A memorial gate at Behbal Kalan, where the police opened fire on protesters, killing two Sikh youths, is already under construction.

Capt Amarinder ridiculed former CM Parkash Singh Badal for suggesting that sacrilege was not an issue in these elections. People never have, and never will forget the desecration of their holy scriptures. The Sikhs have not forgotten, in 500 years, the sacrifice of any member of their community. It is shameful that Badal, at the age of 93, has not yet realised this stark truth. During the rule of the Badals, not one or two, but 58 copies of Sri Guru Granth Sahib were desecrated and Gutka Sahib, the Bhagvad Gita, Bible and Quran were burnt or torn, he pointed out.

The CM said the firing could not have taken place without Badals knowledge and he was clearly to blame. When I came to Behbal Kalan in 2015, people told me how the SSP had suddenly arrived and ordered firing at the people. This is not the way such incidents are handled. If firing is at all needed, it is done by a small police unit, accompanied by a magistrate who assesses the situation. They know they have wronged the people and are now running around for votes, he said.

Rahul Gandhi began his speech with Chowkidar chor hai. His focus was primarily on the economic policies of the Modi government. Catering to the largely agrarian audience, he explained in detail how the Nyay scheme would benefit the poor.

He announced that farmers would not be arrested if they defaulted in repaying crop loan to banks. Unlike PM Narendra Modi, who allowed big businessmen to take loans of Rs 5.50 lakh crore and then run away, I will get the money back from them and put it in the bank accounts of poor farmers like you. You will get Rs 72,000 direct income support from us. Modi reneged on his promise to give Rs 15 lakh to each one of you, but I assure you that you will get Rs 72,000 annually, he stressed.

He also promised a separate budget to improve the agrarian economy by creating a chain of cold stores and food processing units.
editorial@tribune.com

Tribune News Service

Barnala, May 15

In a scathing attack over Congress president Rahul Gandhi, Union minister Smriti Irani on Wednesday alleged that he was struggling to save his seat, while the BJP was fighting to save the country from divisive forces.

Irani was in Barnala to attend a rally in support of SAD-BJP candidate Parminder Singh Dhindsa.

Rahul has fled Amethi and filed his nomination from Wayanad. Congress leaders are making big claims to form the government in the Centre, but their scared chief is unsure of his own win from Amethi, Irani said.

She alleged that a Congress leader from Punjab went to Pakistan and hugged their Army chief, while our Prime Minister Narendra Modi had avenged their attack on our security personnel.

The Congress defamed Punjab by labelling the state as a hub of drugs when the SAD-BJP government was in power. But two years after the formation of their government in Punjab, the Congress has nothing concrete to show it has done against drugs, the BJP leader added.
harinder@tribunemail.com

Ravi Dhaliwal

Tribune News Service

Gurdaspur, May 15

Congress candidate for Gurdaspur Sunil Jakhar has evolved a two-pronged strategy to take on BJP rival Sunny Deol after his campaign managers dug up vital data that shows it was the the Jat Sikh votes that helped Partap Singh Bajwa to defeat three-time MP Vinod Khanna in the 2014.

Aware that Deol is a Jat Sikh too, Jakhar has asked all seven Congress MLAs in the constituency to focus on the Kartarpur corridor to garner the support of the 3.5 lakh-strong Jat Sikh voters as well as Mukteshwar caves to win over the Rajputs, who number 1.10 lakh. The caves face the threat of being submerged once the Shahpur Kandi dam lake is constructed. Jakhar has written to Water Resources Minister Nitin Gadkari in this regard.

To the Christians, whose number is 2.5 lakh, he is promising reservation in government jobs in Punjab. The PPCC chief has asked his legislators to seek votes on the developmental works he has initiated since 2017.

I brought the Pepsi bottling plant and the Rs 2,300 crore Shahpur Kandi dam project in Pathankot, a degree college in Kalanaur and two medical colleges. I have taken up the issue of setting up a rail wheel factory, on the pattern of the one established in Bangalore, on panchayat land in Kalanaur. Once this is done, 70% jobs will be reserved for locals. More funds will be given to Batala because the MC has been upgraded to a corporation, he says.
harinder@tribunemail.com

Jupinderjit Singh & Parvesh Sharma

Tribune News Service

Sangrur, May 15

Aa gaya, bai aa gaya. Speakers mounted on an approaching truck announce from a distance causing a hustle and bustle in a crowd gathered at Gharaat village in Dirba on the Sangrur-New Delhi highway. The truck stops near the crowd and here comes AAPs Sangrur LS candidate, Bhagwant Mann, perched atop his SUV.

People rush towards him carrying garlands and eager to shake hands. A youth hands him water in a disposable glass. Look its water, not liquor, he shows to a TV channel reporter accompanying him.

Meanwhile, Mann asks the cavalcade to move on. We have to do 30 villages today, he announces while he greets people on both sides of the highway. Rows of motorcycle-borne youths speed ahead. These are youths from the next village. Other politicians go to the villages, but people take me to their villages. That is the difference. That is their love for me, he tells The Tribune squatting comfortably on a mattress atop his SUV.

But some of these youths are teenagers, who dont even have stubble on their faces. They are not voters. We point out. They would be in 2022, when Punjab chooses new government.

This is Bhagwant Mann 2019 version. He is battling for Lok Sabha re-election with an eye on consolidating his position for 2022 Punjab Assembly elections.

Youths are the harbinger of change. Most of these are unemployed. I am not happy that they are participating in my rally on a working day. They should be employed somewhere or studying, but they dont as they do not see any hope, Mann says.

His cavalcade has reached Khanpur Sekri. Before he gets ready to speak, he asks for a red bull, an energy drink, from his cousin. I consume 10 bottles daily, he reveals. He continues the conversation while greeting his supporters standing on either side of the village lanes or those on roof tops as well.

Asheerwad dena bajurgo, he says to elders. He keeps swinging his arm indicating his symbol, broom (jhaaru). Broom away Akalis and Congress like dust, he roars.

But AAP is not getting much response in the state, we point out. It is, he insists adding: Remember it was Sangrur the epicentre. It was and it will be. The AAP will form government in Punjab in 2022, he reiterates.

As his cavalcade reaches Gujjran village, he jumps down from his SUV and drives a tractor through the village. The act goes live on social media. The crowd cheers when he draws a parallel to his rise and Anil Kapoors Nayak. Remember Nayak? He trounced the mighty chief minister the way we will do.

In the next village, he pillion rides a motorcycle. I have to speed up the cavalcade at times else we wont be able to complete days schedule, he explains the theatrics while climbing back to the rooftop of his car. A woman from a house insists he should step inside to have tea. I need your blessings more, Mann says.

He stops for an impromptu speech at Khanpur Vakiran and invoked the memory of Chhote Sahibzaade. For the first time, Parliament paid homage to the martyrs when I demanded it. No other politician took up the matter earlier.

He moves to the present times by taking on the Congress and Akalis, especially the Badal family. The Badal bahu has 23.5 kg gold jewellery, which would be more than the quantity of wheat in your house today. I wont even have that much cow dung cakes in my house. Applause and laughter follows.

Mann drew similar crowds in 2017 Assembly elections as well. When reminded that it didnt translate into votes, he brushed it aside. We will form the next government. And what about infighting and challenge by Sukhpal Khaira? Khaira has joined those who cant even pronounce his own name properly. He will learn a lesson this election.

Those who were weak or opportunist or could be prevailed upon by rivals have left, but Mann cannot be bought or suppressed, he retorts. Then he asks his supporters to increase volume of the speaker, which blares his theme song all the way: Tere yaar nu dabann nu firde hein, pur dabda kithe aa. Meanwhile, he moves to the next village as motorcycle-borne youths speed ahead.
editorial@tribune.com

Minna Zutshi

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, May 15

Congress president Rahul Gandhi onWednesday promised to revive the small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) in cities like Ludhiana. Without Made in Ludhiana, Indian can never meet the challenge of Made in China, he said.

Rahul slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for ruining the Indian economy. Demonetisation and GST (that he labelled as Gabbar Singh Tax) have weakened the economy, he said, while addressing a gathering at Mullanpur here. He alleged that demonetisation was a ploy to favour the rich and selected few.

Stressing on Nyay scheme, he said it was not only for the poor as it would help jumpstart the businesses and improve the spending power of the lower strata. Following demonetisation, the purchasing capacity has dwindled, factories were shut down and workers laid off. But once Nyay is implemented, the spending power of the people will improve, which in turn will give a boost to the economy.

Rahul alleged that Modi had waived huge loans of Rs 5.55 lakh crore of 15 big business houses. The Congress manifesto clearly mentioned two big challenges in the country  unemployment and farmers miserable condition, he said, adding that employment could be generated only by empowering SMEs.

Accompanied by Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh, partys Punjab affairs incharge Asha Kumari and other party leaders, Rahul appealed to the people to make Congress candidate Ravneet Singh Bittu victorious with a big margin and said Bittu would be given a suitable responsibility in the next UPA government.

Protest at Bargari rally

A group of protesters, led by Sikh radical leader Jaswinder Singh Sahuke, gathered at a chowk near Rahul Gandhis rally venue. They waved black flags at his cavalcade.

They were protesting against the Congress for failing to arrest culprits in sacrilege cases and playing politics over the issue. They alleged that all accused arrested in the sacrilege cases were out on bail.

Congress leaders referred to the place as Bargari Sahib, a clear indication of cementing the sacrilege politics.

Leaders, including ex-minister Lal Singh, MLA Kushaldeep Singh Dhillon and Power Minister Gurpreet Singh Kangar, refered to their opponents as paapi, since they failed to probe the incident and bring the culprits to book.

Rahul Gandhi had the crowds in splits as he said that only the women supporters were cheering for him, so the money under the Nyay scheme would go only in their accounts and men would have to ask them for money.

Since strong winds in the morning blew away the pandal set up for the gathering, the crowd braved the sweltering heat for hours to listen to the leaders.

As soon as Rahul arrived, almost all MLAs and local leaders  Kangar, Rana Gurmit Singh Sodhi, Darshan Singh Brar, Rahul Kuku, Kushaldeep Singh, Surjit Singh Lohgarh, Karan Kaur Brar  were given about a minutes audience with him on stage.

Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singhs son Raninder Singh was also present on the stage and seen managing affairs.

Rahul politicising grave issue: SAD

Bathinda: Former minister Bikram Singh Majithia and DSGMC chief Manjinder Singh Sirsa flayed Congress chief Rahul Gandhi for addressing a rally at Bargari with an aim to draw political mileage out of the serious issue of sacrilege. Harsimrat Badal said, Rahul has not regretted the burning of gurdwaras in 1984 in Delhi. He has not even uttered a word of regret for 80 sacrilege cases that took place in Punjab under the Congress rule in the past two years.
monicakchauhan@gmail.com

Patiala/Dera Bassi

Pitching for a BJP-mukt Bharat to protect the countrys unity and future, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Thursday said UPA-3 would take over the nations reins to prevent its secular fabric from being destroy and to bring it back on the path of development.

The Chief Minister was addressing the Patiala District Bar Association in the Patiala judicial complex, followed by a public rally in Dera Bassi, while interacting informally with mediapersons in various places.

The Bar Association extended its full support of Congress Patiala candidate Preneet Kaur, while thanking the Chief Minister for the development of the judicial complex with its new chambers and providing facilities to the legal fraternity.

Association president Jatinderpal Singh Ghuman, along with VP Shivam Sharma, said Captain Amarinder and Preneet were like family, who had done a lot for the Bar as well as other people of Patiala, which had been completely ignored under the previous regime.

Addressing the Bar, and later at the public rally, Captain Amarinder accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of tinkering with Indias secularism, which was its strength and was now under threat from the BJP.

The country today was passing through grave times and needed change in the interest of its future, and that of its people, who need development, not divisiveness, he added.

Captain Amarinder also lashed out at the Akalis for playing politics of religion to polarise the people for their vested political interests, and blamed them for ruining Punjab in the 10 years of their rule, just as the BJP had ruined the country in the last five years.

The spate of sacrilege cases clearly showed the extent of politicisation of religion under the SAD-BJP government, he added, lashing out at the Akalis for attempting to divide communities with Bargari and other sacrilege incidents.

Later, speaking with journalists, he said people do not favour Modis thinking of breaking the country by communalising it, he said, adding that it was time for a BJP-free India.

BJP had reached the peak of its political success and was now headed for a downfall, he added.

Ups and downs were part of a democratic polity, and the Congress had been down for some time but was now on a rise, said the Chief Minister, asserting that UPA-3 will emerge in response to the mood of the country for change.

Asked about the contest in Gurdaspur, Captain Amarinder said it was not Sunil Jakhar but Sunny Deol who was on a sticky wicket there.

The BJP could not find a suitable local candidate, hence, decided to field Sunny out of sheer desperation, he added.

To another question, he said Chandigarh was and would remain Punjabs capital and Haryana could build its own separate capital city with its own money.

The Chief Minister strongly condemned the politicisation of the defence forces, which had always been non-partisan and secular in character.

Earlier, in Dera Bassi, the Chief Minister said no prime minister had ever taken credit for fighting the enemy on the borders, unlike Modi, who only spoke of I, me and myself. Punjab was proud of the achievements of the Army and Air Force but did not want war as, being a border state, it would be worst sufferer in case of outbreak of hostilities, he added.

At both, the Patiala Bar and Dera Bassi, the Chief Minister said he was fully cognizant of the problems of the peoples problems but was constrained from announcing any relief measure in view of the election code of conduct. He assured the Bar, as well as the people of Dera Bassi, that all their problems would be looked into.

Citing the mismanagement of the previous regime in Punjab, the Chief Minister said his government was facing a fiscal crisis, even as the people of the state were suffering. Emphasising on industrialisation as the only solution to unemployment and economic problems, the Chief Minister said his government would make Patiala an industrial hub and would generate 1 lakh jobs for the youth of Patiala.

The Chief Minister promised development to ensure that the states youth do not leave for better opportunities abroad.

Expressing concern over the farmer suicides, which his government was addressing through its debt waiver scheme, Captain Amarinder the Congress manifesto for the Lok Sabha elections promised full implementation of the Swaminathan Committee report, which was the only long-term solution to the problem.

The Chief Minister flayed the Modi government for destroying the nations economy with demonetization and GST, which was still causing immense problems to Punjab, forcing his government to delay salaries at times.

Describing these polls as decisive for the countrys future, Preneet also underlined the secular strength of India and said the people did not want a government that divides them. Modi was asking for votes not on the basis of his work but in the name of the martyred soldiers, she pointed out, urging the people to vote from the heart, in their own interest and that of the country.

She assured the people of Dera Bassi that all pending development works in the region would be completed in the next three years.

Preneet spoke about the various promises of the Congress led by Rahul Gandhi and assured the people that each one of them would be fulfilled.
monicakchauhan@gmail.com

Melbourne, May 16

Glass found in the Egyptian desert was created by a meteorite impact rather than atmospheric airburst, say scientists, unravelling a nearly 100-year-old mystery.

The findings, published in the journal Geology, have implications for understanding the threat posed by asteroids.

Researchers from Curtin University in Australia examined tiny grains of the mineral zircon in samples of Libyan desert glass, which formed 29 million years ago and is found over several thousand square kilometres in western Egypt.

Nearly pure silica, the canary yellow glass was famously used to make a scarab that is part of King Tut's Pectoral.

Lead author Aaron Cavosie, from Curtin University, said zircons in the glass preserved evidence of the former presence of a high-pressure mineral named reidite, which only forms during a meteorite impact.

"It has been a topic of ongoing debate as to whether the glass formed during meteorite impact, or during an airburst, which happens when asteroids called Near Earth Objects explode and deposit energy in the Earth's atmosphere," Cavosie said.

"Both meteorite impacts and airbursts can cause melting, however, only meteorite impacts create shock waves that form high-pressure minerals, so finding evidence of former reidite confirms it was created as the result of a meteorite impact," he said.

Cavosie said the idea that the glass may have formed during a large atmospheric airburst gained popularity after a dramatic airburst over Russia in 2013, which caused extensive property damage and injury to humans but did not cause surface materials to melt.

"Previous models suggested that Libyan desert glass represented a large, 100-megatonnes (Mt) class airburst, but our results show this is not the case," Cavosie said.

"Meteorite impacts are catastrophic events, but they are not common. Airbursts happen more frequently, but we now know not to expect a Libyan desert glass-forming event in the near future, which is cause for some comfort," he said. PTI
harinder@tribunemail.com

Miami: The Alabama senate has passed the most restrictive abortion Bill in the United States, banning any termination of pregnancy and punishing doctors who perform the procedure with life in prison. The text, which the Republican-led senate sent to Governor Kay Iveys desk for signature into law, does not include exceptions in cases of rape or incest. AFP

FB tightens access to live-streaming of videos

San Francisco: Facebook has announced it is tightening access to live streaming to prevent the rampant sharing of graphic video as took place with the Christchurch massacre. People who have broken certain rules, including those against dangerous organisations and individuals, will be restricted from using the Facebook Live streaming feature. AFP

Floating bar in Caribbean Sea looking for bartender

Kingston: A floating bar in the Caribbean Sea, which is only accessible by a boat, is giving one lucky applicant the opportunity to "pull pints in one of the most Instagrammable drinking spots in the world", the media reported. According to the ad created by UK travel company Virgin Holidays, Floyd's Pelican Bar's owner Floyd Forbes has finally decided to take a break after nearly 18 years, and needs someone to fill in for him this summer, CNN reported on Tuesday. IANS
pardeepdhull@gmail.com

Tokyo, May 16

Iran is showing maximum restraint despite the US withdrawal from a nuclear deal, the countrys Foreign Minister said on Thursday, accusing Washington of an unacceptable escalation in tensions.

The escalation by the United States is unacceptable, Mohammad Javad Zarif said in Tokyo where he is holding talks with Japanese officials.

We exercise maximum restraint... in spite of the fact that the United States withdrew from JCPOA last May, he added, referring to the nuclear deal known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.

He added that Tehran remains committed to the deal, and said continuing assessments showed Iran was in compliance with the multilateral agreement.

Tensions between the United States and Iran were already high after President Donald Trump withdrew from the nuclear deal a year ago.

But they have been ratcheted up significantly in recent weeks amid increased US pressure over alleged threats from Iran.

Earlier this month, Trumps hawkish National Security Advisor John Bolton announced the deployment of the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier strike group and a B-52 bomber force to the Gulf.

Days later, the Pentagon added a Patriot missile defence battery and an amphibious assault ship to the deployment.

And on Wednesday the US ordered the partial evacuation of its Baghdad embassy and consulate in Arbil citing specific threats posed by Iraqi militias alleged controlled by Tehran.  AFP
After two laborious years, Diane Kane held the completed nomination form for adding La Jollas Childrens Pool to the National Register of Historic Places in her hands, minutes before putting it in the mail bound for the State Office of Historic Preservation in Sacramento on May 7.

At 103 pages of findings and photos, she sighed and joked that the project is a masters thesis and she feels free now that its done. This fall is the earliest time Kane could get an answer about whether the 1931 La Jolla landmark will be historically designated, but more likely the decision will come early next year.

Diane Kane proudly holds up her completed, 103-page nomination to list La Jolla Childrens Pool on the National Register of Historic Places. Ashley Mackin-Solomon

The benefit for the Childrens Pool, should it be listed, she said is: It would keep that property looking like we all enjoy it  rather than having to bring everything up to modern code. With the designation, it doesnt mean you cant touch it, it means you have to touch it with care. If a feature needs to undergo construction or renovation, engineers are required to bring it up to code; but if its designated historic, they weigh the safety factors with the historic factors. They try to find a balance between the two, so they maintain the character, but still keep people safe. The thinking is, just because something doesnt meet current code, doesnt mean it is inherently unsafe.

Noting the Childrens Pool is almost 100 years old, Kane opined that some repair work might be in its future, so she began the designation process with the La Jolla Parks & Beaches advisory group as the projects co-sponsor.

La Jolla Parks & Beaches chair Ann Dynes explained: The Childrens Pool is already historic in the minds of the members of La Jolla Parks & Beaches, Inc. We hope that by co-sponsoring this effort, its much-needed repairs will qualify for historic preservation funding, and it will be clear that applicable building standards for those repairs shall respect its historicity. The City Parks & Recreation Department has no funding for what will be expensive repairs to both the retaining wall and the aging breakwater (sea-wall).

A nomination form, essentially, asks two questions of a property: 1) What is it and 2) Why is it historic?

But for Kane and the Childrens Pool, neither proved to be as simple as they seem.

What is it?

Funded by La Jolla benefactress Ellen Browning Scripps, the Childrens Pool was constructed at 850 Coast Blvd. by way of a breakwater and stairs, and opened in 1931 to provide a wave-free shoreline for children experiencing the ocean for the first time.

What people thought originally was that Childrens Pool was just the breakwater and the stairs, she said. The interesting thing is that it is much bigger than anyone realized.

Kanes research involved digging through archives, interviewing locals and reviewing files in the La Jolla Librarys history room.

The real surprise was looking at the engineer (Hiram Savages) drawings and what was on the bluff-top, she said. Childrens Pool technically started on the curb across the street from Casa de Manana and included all the landscaping, what is now the Childrens Pool Plaza; parking, where it is today; a walkway; a ramp to access the top of the breakwater; steps; and mentions of a restroom where the green belvedere is now on the north side of the area.

There are also sea caves in the identified in the drawings that later had to be grouted with concrete so water wouldnt get in and erode the bluffs.

We also included the reef in our report because the breakwater is attached to the reef, Kane said, with the we being she and structural engineer Matt Mangano, because the notes are explicit that Savage is anchoring the breakwater to the reef.

Using a lines-of-force equation, Mangano was able to determine the appropriate amount of the reef to include, to keep the breakwater safe.

All said, according to the report: Natural features within the district boundaries that constitute its setting include: 1) the top and face of the coastal sandstone bluff that encompasses the sea caves, anchors the stairways and supports bluff top improvements; 2) a sandstone reef that anchors the foundations of the engineered breakwater; 3) a small, shallow dredged marine pool between the bluffs and reef; and, 4) a sandy man-made beach.

A year into the process, Kane drafted a version of her findings and put it out for a 30-day review. After the community supplied comments and suggestions, another version was drafted.

Why is it historic?

In the meantime, Kane focused on the second question  why is it historic?  which also proved to be a challenging one to answer.

There are four criteria for historic designation: A) That the property is associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of our history; B) That the property is associated with the lives of significant persons in our past; C) That the property is embody the distinctive characteristics of a type, period or method of construction, or that represent the work of a master, or that possess high artistic values, or that represent a significant and distinguishable entity whose components may lack individual distinction; or D) That the property is has yielded or may be likely to yield, information important in history or prehistory.

Kane found the first three would certainly apply. Criterion A, because of Childrens Pools role in the beach life of La Jolla, Criterion B for its connection to Ellen Browning Scripps, and Criterion C because the esteemed team of William Templeton Johnson and Hiram Savage, and the fact that breakwaters are not very common.

She skipped Criterion A to focus on more concrete options.

When she called the State office of historic preservation for an initial review, the reviewer asked her, regarding Criterion B, Who is Ellen Browning Scripps?

Kane: I said, you mean the fairy godmother of La Jolla?! Saint Ellen? 

And the reviewer looked at Kane and said, What did she do?

Kane explained that Ellen Browning Scripps was a philanthropist who paid for the breakwater wall.

That wont get you on the register, the person told Kane.

So relying on Criterion C, she said they would focus on those that were involved in the design and the fact that similar pools are rare in the United States.

Ellen got the idea for the breakwater from a public bathing pool in Old Lyme England, where she grew up, she said. It was a quaint seaside town for the well-to-do and they had a breakwater similar to this that she knew of growing up. It turns out, Ellen was from the previous century, so by the time we started doing this, people were discovering and creating public swimming pools. So in looking at this project, we had to look at how many of these things do we have?

Kane looking for something to compare the Childrens Pool to, and found Aquatic Park Cove in San Francisco, which has a similar sea-wall to create a man-made cove. Funded by the WPA in the 1930s (around the same time the Childrens Pool was built), the Aquatic Park Historic District is on the National Register, so Kane compared the two features in the report.

Further, in looking at the designers behind Childrens Pool, Kane said Hiram Savage was a hydrological engineer and he designed the Citys water supply and that We would have no water if it werent for Hiram Savage.

Also, William Templeton Johnson designed the simple, concrete stairway. He was the go-to guy for big projects  and was at the top of his career, Kane said. He was doing a lot of Spanish style work, and to me, the stairs design was very Roman. But in the context of the pool, the Childrens Pool was very modern and streamlined for the time. And we dont have a lot of modern stuff from that period.

Going forward

Once the Office of Historic Preservation receives the report, a reviewer will be assigned to it, who will determine whether revisions need to be made or if it will be heard at the State Historic Resources Commission meeting. The Commission will decide whether to forward the report to another board that reviews items for the National Register. At that point, commissioners in Washington will review it and make findings.

La Jolla Historical Society executive director Heath Fox opined that the National Register is a fitting place to list Childrens Pool.
harinder@tribunemail.com

Colombo, May 15

According to Sri Lankan authorities they have arrested 60 persons linked to communal riots as a nationwide curfew was lifted on Wednesday in the island nation, which witnessed Sinhalese mob attacks on Muslim-owned shops and businesses in the aftermath of the deadly Easter blasts.

The government imposed the island-wide curfew on Monday after the violence against the Muslim community, who account for 10 per cent of the countrys population. The curfew was briefly lifted on Tuesday before being reimposed for a second straight night following reports of fresh violence in some parts of the country.

The curfew imposed in the North-western Province and Gampaha Police division was removed at 6 am Wednesday while the curfew in the other areas of the island ended at 4 am, police media spokesmans office stated.

The situation in the province is returning to normalcy, authorities said.

There were no incidents of violence overnight and groups of people responsible for taking part in mob attacks have been arrested, they said.

Thirty-three suspects arrested in connection with the anti-Muslim riots have been remanded and over 60 people have been arrested. The suspects can be sentenced to 10 years in prison under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), police spokesman Ruwan Gunasekara said.

The police media spokesman said illegal activities committed by the persons engaged in violence would be noted in their police certificates.

The academic activities of all schools and all state institutions in the province were resumed on Wednesday, the Wayamba Province Governor Peshala Jayaratne said. 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 258 people and injuring over 500 others.  PTI
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Chiang Mai (Thailand), May 16

A group of women sit around a table making dreamcatchers with colourful bits of yarn, chatting about their families, work and the thick smog enveloping Chiang Mai city in northern Thailand.

Just another workplace scene, except the women are all sex workers who meet their clients at Can Do Bar, which they own as a collective, benefitting from health insurance, fixed hours and time off  which are typically denied to sex workers.

The bar was set up in 2006 by Empower Foundation, a non-profit founded in Bangkoks Patpong red-light district for sex workers who are still stigmatised despite widespread tolerance of Thailands thriving sex industry.

Thousands of Thai and migrant sex workers have learned from Empower to negotiate with bar and massage parlour owners for better conditions, and to lobby the government to decriminalise their work to improve their incomes, safety and well-being.

People say we should stop doing what we do, and sew or bake cookies instead  but why are only those jobs considered appropriate? said Mai Chanta, a 30-something native of Chiang Mai, who has been a sex worker for about eight years.

This is what we choose to do, and we feel a sense of pride and satisfaction that we are just like other workers, said Mai, dressed in a calf-length skirt and a T-shirt that reads United Sex Workers Nations.

Millions of women across the world choose sex work to make an income. Yet only a few countries, including Australia, New Zealand, Germany, the Netherlands, Senegal and Peru, recognise it as legal, leaving prostitutes elsewhere vulnerable to abuse.

In Thailand, where stigma against sex work is deep-rooted as across much of Asia, prostitution is illegal and punishable by a fine of 1,000 baht ($32) and customers who pay for sex with underage workers can be jailed for up to six years.

There are 1,23,530 sex workers in Thailand, according to a 2014 UNAIDS report.

Advocacy groups put the figure at more than twice that number, including tens of thousands of migrants from neighbouring Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam.

Raids

Thailands modern sex industry is believed to have been established with the setting up of Japanese military bases during World War II. It expanded quickly during the Vietnam War, when US troops came to Bangkok for their recreation breaks.

Over the years, the country has come to be known for sex tourism, with large numbers of male visitors frequenting bars, massage parlours and karaoke lounges that have multiplied as tourist numbers soared.

Although prostitution has been illegal since 1960, the law is almost invariably ignored as the lucrative business provides pay-offs to untold numbers of officials and policemen.

But sex workers in Thailand have struggled to grow a movement to demand their human, civil and labour rights, in the same way others did, from Canada to Australia, in the 1970s.

Since a military government took charge in 2014, Thailands ubiquitous brothels have been hit by a spate of police raids as tourism authorities pledged to transform the country into a luxury destination for moneyed tourists.

Increased global efforts to combat trafficking often provide a pretext to crack down on sex workers, human rights groups say.

Raid and rescue operations by the police and charities often use laws related to migrant workers and trafficking to fine, detain, prosecute and deport sex workers, said Liz Hilton at Empower Foundation.

The authorities justify the raids saying there is trafficking, but most sex workers in Thailand are in it because it pays more than many other jobs that are accessible to them, she told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

These women have families to support; legalising sex work would mean they can work with dignity, and without judgment or fear, she said.

The majority of sex workers are women, who can earn between two and 10 times the daily minimum wage  which is 325 baht in Bangkok  according to Empower Foundation.

A government official said the raids are meant to check trafficking of migrants and underage prostitution and that authorities have provided sex workers with health care and vocational training.

We have discussed legalising prostitution, but it is not an option, as we do not want to be seen as encouraging it, said Pornsom Paopramot, inspector general at the social development ministry.

We want to send out the message that sex tourism is not something that we want to be known for. Legalising prostitution will not back that message, she said.

Deviant

Legalising prostitution could reduce the stigma that sex workers are deviant and immoral, improve their work conditions and help combat trafficking, said Borislav Gerasimov, an expert with the Global Alliance Against Traffic in Women (GAATW).

Thailand is a source, transit and destination country for trafficking, with an estimated 6,10,000 people living in conditions of modern slavery, according to the Global Slavery Index 2018 by charity Walk Free Foundation.

The US State Department recognised Thailands significant efforts to eliminate trafficking with a new task force, and more prosecutions and convictions, by upgrading it to Tier 2 in its latest Trafficking in Persons report.

But while human trafficking is prevalent in industries such as fishing, the governments pursuit of sex workers is keeping it from better protecting them, said Anna Olsen at the International Labour Organization (ILO) in Bangkok.

Trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation is a serious issue, but it is distinct from sex work, she said.

The conflation of the two fails to recognise that working in the sex industry is a practical decision for many. The General Election in March saw several LGBT+ candidates promising to decriminalise sex work.

The women at Can Do Bar are hopeful, said Ping Pong, a founder member of Empower Foundation.

When we started, we were told, You are sex workers  you cant get social security, you cant get time off. But we did, she said.

We are not going to sit around waiting for someone else to do things for us. There is a new government now, and we are ready to knock on the new labour ministers door, she said. (Thomson Reuters Foundation)
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Kathmandu, May 16

The main Opposition party in Nepal warned of a strong protest if the federal government went ahead with the discussion in Parliament on the controversial Media Council Bill that aims to curtail press freedom by imposing strict penalty on media outlets.

Nepal on Friday proposed the new media Bill aimed at imposing a hefty fine of up to Rs 1 million on media outlets found guilty of damaging anyones reputation, raising alarm among journalists who say the government seeks to punish the press in the name of regulation.

The new Media Council Bill aims to replace the existing Press Council Act and will have more authority to issue hefty fines and give the government more say in the hiring and firing of the council members.

A meeting of the Nepali Congress parliamentary party chaired by the party chief and former prime minister Sher Bahadur Deuba on Wednesday decided that they would protest on streets if the government forwarded the discussion in the Parliament.

Similarly, the party also demanded that the government put on hold discussions on National Human Rights Commission Bill and National Defence Council Bill as they are also objectionable.

All three bills are against the spirit of the Nepalese Constitution. The government should withdraw them, party chief Bal Krishna Khand told media after the meeting.

If the Bills are forwarded forcefully, the party will go to the street against them, he said.

Meanwhile, the National Human Rights Commission has said that the proposed media Bill is against democratic norms and the freedom of expression enshrined in the Constitution.

Press freedom, human rights and the rule of law are integral part of democracy and an attack on them adversely affects the democratic system the country has established after a long struggle, the human rights watchdog said in a statement.

Earlier, the council could ask for clarification, apology, blacklist certain press organisations, direct to the court for compensation, but now the Bill aims to give the council authority to issue monetary punishment ranging from Rs 25,000 and up to one million.

The provisions in the proposed Bill will also give the council greater power to write to the concerned authority to take action against media organisations if they violate press ethics as defined by the government.

It also proposes punishment for violating the code of conduct which includes suspension of press pass of media persons and downgrading of the classification of print media outlets. PTI
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London, May 16

Britains Prince Harry on Thursday settled for substantial damages and an apology from a news agency that hovered over his home in a helicopter, taking photos directly into his living room and bedroom earlier this year.

Lawyers for the Duke of Sussex told the UK High Court that the photographs showed the Oxfordshire homes interior and very seriously undermined his safety.

The images, which were taken in January and published in UK newspapers and online, showed the living area, dining area and directly into the bedroom.

Justice Warby heard a statement in open court at the Royal Courts of Justice in London in relation to Harrys privacy and data protection complaints and ruled in favour of the royal.

The syndication and publication of the photographs very seriously undermined the safety and security of the Duke and the home to the extent that they are no longer able to live at the property, Barrister Gerrard Tyrrell told the court.

The property had been chosen by the Duke for himself and his wife given the high level of privacy it afforded given its position in a secluded area surrounded by private farmland away from any areas to which photographers have access, he said.

Tyrrell, who read a statement in court on Prince Harrys behalf, said the couple had subsequently felt unable to live at the home near the Cotswolds village of Chipping Norton in Oxfordshire.

The news agency Splash News admitted an error in judgment and apologised to the 34-year-old royal.

We apologise to the Duke and Duchess for the distress we have caused, it said in a statement.

The agency has promised to cease and desist from selling, issuing, publishing or making available the photographs. It also said it will not repeat its conduct by using any aerial means to take photographs or film footage of the Dukes private home, which would infringe privacy or data rights or otherwise be unlawful activity.

Buckingham Palace said Prince Harry acknowledges and welcomes the formal apology from Splash News and Picture Agency.

Prince Harry and 37-year-old Meghan Markle, who recently became parents to new-born son Archie, have since moved into their family home at Frogmore Cottage on Queen Elizabeth IIs Windsor Castle estate.  PTI
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Dubai, May 15

An oil pipeline that runs across Saudi Arabia was hit Tuesday by drones, the Saudi energy minister said, as regional tensions flared just days after what the kingdom called an attack on two of its oil tankers near the Persian Gulf.

While both US President Donald Trump and Irans Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said they were not planning for conflict, the volatility was felt in oil markets with benchmark Brent crude trading over $ 71 a barrel, up more than $ 1 on the day.

The pipeline that runs from the kingdoms oil-rich Eastern Province to a Red Sea port was shut down, but Saudi Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih Al-Falih vowed that the production and export of Saudi oil would not be interrupted.

The Houthis, who are at war with Saudi Arabia, said earlier Tuesday they launched seven drones targeting vital Saudi installations, without elaborating. They later claimed responsibility for the pipeline attack in comments broadcast by Houthi military spokesman Brig Gen Yahya Sari.  AP
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Washington, May 16

President Donald Trump will visit South Korea in June to meet with his counterpart Moon Jae-in over their efforts to persuade North Korea to scrap its nuclear weapons arsenal, the White House has said.

It will be the second meeting between the pair since the collapse of a summit between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Hanoi in February after they failed to reach a deal on denuclearisation.

President Trump and President Moon will continue their close coordination on efforts to achieve the final, fully verified denuclearisation of the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea, the White House said in a statement on Wednesday, using North Koreas official name.

The dovish South Korean president, who has long backed engagement with the nuclear-armed North, brokered the talks process between Trump and Kim, which led to their first landmark summit in Singapore last June.

But security allies Seoul and Washington have at times appeared to diverge on their approach to Pyongyang, and Seouls simultaneous announcement of the visit was noticeably different in its phrasing.

A statement issued by the Souths presidential office said the two leaders will discuss establishing a lasting peace regime through the complete denuclearisation of the Korean peninsularather than the North specifically.

The denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula was the term used in the joint statement signed by Kim and Trump after their first summit in Singapore.

But it is a phrase open to wide interpretation, and the process has become bogged down as the two sides disagree over what it means.

In the past, Pyongyang has argued it must include the removal of Washingtons nuclear umbrella over the South and the 28,500 US troops stationed in the country.

When US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo visited the Norths traditional ally Russia this week, Moscows veteran foreign minister Sergei Lavrov told him: The leadership of DPRK expects certain guarantees of security of their country reciprocated by denuclearization, and that denuclearization should be expanded over the whole of the Korean Peninsula. The White House said Trumps trip to South Korea would combine with his visit to nearby Japan, where he will attend a G20 summit in Osaka on June 28-29.

The Hanoi summit between Trump and Kim broke up after the pair failed to agree on what Pyongyang would be willing to give up in exchange for relief from sanctions imposed over its nuclear and missile programmes.

Since then, Moon has tried to salvage diplomacy between the two mercurial leaders and flew to Washington last month for a brief meeting with Trump.

His attempts have so far proved futile, with Pyongyang raising the pressure earlier this month week by launching short-range missiles in its first such test since November 2017.

North Korea has repeatedly warned that it could take a different approach if Washington did not change its stance on sanctions by the end of this year.

In a move that could further stoke tensions, the US announced the seizure of a North Korean cargo ship for violating international sanctions, which was slammed by Pyongyang as an unlawful and outrageous act.  AFP
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Washington, May 15

The US on Wednesday ordered all non-emergency staff to leave its embassy in Baghdad and consulate in Arbil, as tension esclates between the United States and Iraqs neighbour Iran, prompting Kremlin concern.

Washington has ramped up pressure on Tehran in recent days, accusing Iran of planning unspecified imminent attacks in the region, and bolstering the American military presence in the Gulf.

A State Department advisory announcing the partial embassy closures warned of numerous terrorist and insurgent groups active in Iraq, including anti-US sectarian militias who could threaten US citizens and Western companies throughout Iraq. The US last year shut its consulate in the protest-hit southern Iraqi city of Basra, blaming indirect fire by Iran-backed forces.

Tensions have sharply escalated between arch-rivals Washington and Tehran since US President Donald Trump withdrew last May from the 2015 international Iran nuclear deal which removed sanctions in exchange for curbs on Irans nuclear programme.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo  who has made rolling back Iranian influence in the region a top priority  last week paid a surprise trip to Baghdad in a move to bolster ties with Iraq.

He has declined to go into further detail on the alleged plot, which has been met with skepticism in numerous quarters, including from Democratic lawmakers who fear Trumps administration is seeking to spark a war with Iran.

A State Department spokesman on Wednesday said the departure of non-emergency personnel came in response to the increased threat stream we are seeing in Iraq. The Pentagon has said its deployments were in response to indications of heightened Iranian readiness to conduct offensive operations against US forces and our interests.

But Russia, a major backer of Tehran which has blamed the current crisis on Washingtons decision to pull out of the Iran nuclear deal, expressed concern that tensions keep escalating despite assurances from Pompeo.

So far we notice the continued escalation of tensions around this subject, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, a day after Pompeo met with President Vladimir Putin.We are saddened to see the decisions taken by the Iranian side, Peskov said, while arguing that Washington has been provoking Iran. Ruled by Shiite clerics, Iran has a strong influence in Iraq, especially in the countrys Shiite-majority south. Pompeo told reporters he had made his trip because Iranian forces are escalating their activity and said the threat of attacks was very specific. The top US envoy met with Iraqi President Barham Saleh and Prime Minister Adel Abdel Mahdi, and spoke to them about the importance of Iraq ensuring that its able to adequately protect Americans in their countr. Diplomatic security is a key priority for the United States.

Blasts involving improvised explosive devices (IEDs) occur in many areas of Iraq, including the capital Baghdad, the advisory warned, adding that normal visa services would be suspended. Arbil is the Iraqi Kurdish regional capital, in northern Iraq. National Security Adviser John Bolton warned that Washington would respond with unrelenting force to any attack by Tehran, including by its regional allies.  AFP

Tension after US withdrew from N-deal

Tensions have sharply escalated between arch-rivals Washington and Tehran since US President Donald Trump withdrew last May from the 2015 international Iran nuclear deal which removed sanctions in exchange for curbs on Irans nuclear programme.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who has made rolling back Iranian influence in the region a top priority, last week paid a surprise trip to Baghdad in a move to bolster ties with Iraq.

Even Iran pulls out from some parts of it

Iran has officially ended its compliance with several commitments of the countrys 2015 nuclear deal, the country's atomic energy body said on Wednesday.
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Caracas, May 16

Representatives of Venezuelas government and the opposition have traveled to Norway to discuss potential options following a failed uprising against President Nicolas Maduro, according to four opposition sources familiar with the situation.

The trips suggests the two sides may be seeking a fresh approach after the repeated failure of dialogue between the opposition and the ruling Socialist Party amid a steadily escalating political crisis.

Venezuelan top government officials held talks this year to create a transition government that would not include Maduro, US National Security Advisor John Bolton and others have said.

Those efforts fell apart after opposition calls for Venezuelas military to rise up against Maduro on April 30 failed, according to the opposition sources.

The militarys top brass has since then sworn allegiance to Maduro, who describes the April 30 events as a coup plot.

Opposition leader Juan Guaido in January invoked the constitution to assume the interim presidency, calling Maduros 2018 re-election a fraud. More than 50 nations have recognized Guaido as the countrys legitimate president, though he does not control the military or the basic functions of governance.

Information Minister Jorge Rodriguez and Miranda state Governor Hector Rodriguez of the Socialist Party both traveled to Oslo, according to the sources.

Opposition legislator Stalin Gonzalez, along with political advisers Gerardo Blyde and Fernando Martinez have also gone to Norway, where authorities have been involved in conflict mediation, including assistance with Colombias 2016 peace deal between the government and FARC rebels.

Norways foreign minister said as early as March that it was prepared to act as a mediator or facilitator of talks between the Venezuelan government and the opposition.

No meetings have yet been held, and the parties will meet separately with Norwegian diplomats, one of the sources said.

Maduro, in a speech broadcast on state television on Wednesday evening, said Jorge Rodriguez was completing a very important mission abroad, without giving more details.

Venezuelas information ministry did not reply to a request for comment. The Norwegian foreign ministry was not immediately available for comment.

Reuters was unable to obtain comment from the participants.

It was not immediately evident whether the parties had the full backing of the opposition or of Maduros government.

First Justice, one of the main opposition parties, said on Twitter that none of its members are involved. Reuters
On a recent Wednesday afternoon, once the students from Muirlands Middle School were out of the classroom and on their way home, sixth- grade science teacher Julie Latta took a bucket of dead lab frogs and washed them in preparation for a major scientific experiment the next day.

Were going to dissect frogs tomorrow, she told La Jolla Light. Weve been studying body systems and were building up to a humans. We started with cells and how cells make tissues, and tissues make organs, and organs make systems (like the digestive or endocrine) and those systems work together to create an organism. Weve been working on that and how those systems interact, what the organs do, so this is the culminating activity. Were going to open up the frogs, not to understand the anatomy of a frog, but to understand the anatomy of a human. The students are going to take out every organ in their frog tomorrow and identify it.

In a sing-song way, she described some of the organs the students will find: the spleeeeen and the cute little gallbladder ... there will be the initial ew and yuck, but for some, there will be the ooh and this is cool! 

The frog dissection came just two days after Latta was named a runner-up in San Diego Unified School Districts Teacher of Year recognition program for her thrill of teaching and passion for learning The recognition came May 7.

Her nomination form states: For Julie Latta, the thrill of teaching is understanding how to connect the innate joy children possess to something in the real world that gives them a sense of worthiness and contribution. Because the student population is so diverse, Latta has focused her energies on meeting each student where they are academically and supporting their growth  academically, socially, and emotionally. To ensure no students fell through the cracks, Latta created the TRIAGE program, an intensive, teacher team-based intervention program that helps struggling students. The program was so successful that it has been expanded to seventh- and eighth-grade students as well.

Nominees for Teacher of the Year are first selected by their school sites, and winners and runners-up are selected by a six-member committee comprised of previous District Teachers of the Year. Latta, a married mother of two grown children, lives in Pacific Beach and has been teaching at Muirlands for 18 years.

When I was young, I tried to teach all the kids in my neighborhood, she said. Some people played school, I was really serious about playing school! When I was 10, whatever I was learning, I would go home and bring the little kids in the neighborhood together and try to teach them. I still have that attitude that everyone can learn anything.

However, when it came time to choose a career, Latta went to college to study political science with aspirations of being a White House chief of staff. I thought that teachers were in this little uncool mold; they werent edgy or involved in fun powerful things, she admitted. So I didnt pursue teaching. But then I got a job in the work-study center at my university and I loved it. I got my teaching credential from there.

As for that mold that teachers fit? I learned you can bring you to whatever job you want. You dont have to fit any mold. I pictured me as a teacher wearing polyester skirts with my hair in a bun and sporting a cardigan. I realized I could be whomever I was, in whatever I was doing. That freed me up.

She chose to work with middle-school students because the kids are just so cool and there are no better humans on the planet than 11-year-olds. They are still sweet, and they think you, as an adult, are kind of cool with magic they, too, are going to get one day, but they are also brilliant. You can take a deep dive into something and they will go with you.

And for her students, Latta said, engagement is everything.

My teaching style is that the kids are always doing something. There is never any sit-and-listen, sit-and-watch, sit-and-observe. Theres always some level of engagement. But even if they are just listening, theyre also drawing or taking notes. Its not exciting every minute of the day, but there are a million opportunities for oh wow moments by doing things.

And, similar to the anatomy unit where students are growing their knowledge from the basics, the order in which information is rolled out is important: You have a scaffold in the fundamental learning and you build on that, she explained.

As such, Latta also admits to loving the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) being rolled out by the State, because not only do the standards follow this model, but they aim to create more developed thinkers.

The former standards were more fact based: know this, know that, she said. Well, in a day and age when you have the facts in your pocket, you dont need to carry around facts, you need to carry around knowledge. You need to carry around a fundamental understanding of things so you know where to go next.

Thats what NGSS is about. Its about learning how to think and how to build on an idea.

This past year, the State started mandating that schools begin to implement NGSS, but Latta said the standards have been well-established at Muirlands for the last five years.

With contagious energy, she explained: Science is the most fun topic to teach. It relates to the world. We spent the last four weeks talking about our bodies. Right before that, we did a unit on climates and climate change. We get to talk about the magic of the unseen world of chemistry and how there are all these microscopic fundamental elements that make everything, and how the chemistry of blood is the same as the chemistry of ocean water (there are the same atoms and elements, just in different proportions).

Perhaps more importantly, she said careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) are begging for people and provide a field for students to grow.
Heres a collection curated by The Associated Press entertainment journalists of whats arriving on TV, streaming services and music platforms this week.

Movies

Maggie Gyllenhaals feature directing debut, The Lost Daughter, scintillatingly adapts the 2008 Elena Ferrante novel about maternal ambivalence and a holiday in Greece. The film, which begins streaming Friday on Netflix, stars Olivia Colman as a vacationing professor whose interactions with a boisterous, distracting clan (including a young mother in their midst played by Dakota Johnson), recall her own parenting history, seen in flashbacks with Jessie Buckley.
THE Ministry of Health reported that 30 people succumbed to the Covid-19 virus yesterday. The latest deaths took the death toll this month to 610.

The ministry identified the deceased as seven elderly men, eight elderly women, eight middle-aged men, six middle-aged woman and one young adult woman. T&Ts overall death toll now stands at 2,768. The Ministry said 16 patients had multiple comorbidities. Nine patients had one comorbidity and five patients had no known medical conditions.
Following up on the efforts started earlier this year, the La Jolla Shores Association (LJSA) discussed at its May 8 meeting on the Scripps Institution of Oceanography campus, its continuing push to have the Kellogg Park parking lot gates locked at night, from 10 a.m. to 4 a.m.

The gates were supposed to be locked nightly as of Jan. 1, via metal arms across the entrance to the lot. These gates have signs on both sides indicating the lot is closed at night. District 1 City Council member Barbara Bry dedicated funds for a security service to close the gates for the year 2019. However, residents and board members reported visiting the park several times after 10 p.m. to find the gates unlocked.

As such, at LJSAs last meeting, the board authorized trustee Joe Dicks to request a copy of the contract the City engaged in to see if there are defined terms (including a set time the gates must be locked) that must be adhered to. Securitas is the contractor tasked with locking the gates.

Reading from the contract, Dicks said: Securitas Services (will) provide closing and opening of gates at Kellogg Park parking lot, located at 8400 El Paseo Grande. Close at 10 p.m. Open at 4 a.m. Seven days a week. Then he added, It is unambiguous, it is plain. We ought to get a new proposal because this (company) is not doing its job.

Representing Council member Bry, Mauricio Medina stated that in the proposal, the agreed upon time was between 10 to 11:30 p.m. However, Dicks said, The proposal can say whatever it wants. Its the contract that controls the situation, and the contract says 10 p.m.

LJSA chair Janie Emerson opined: Parks & Rec has said this vendor locks a lot of gates, and decides which ones are locked at 10 p.m. and which ones are locked later. My comment to that is: too bad. 10 oclock is 10 oclock, not 11:30 p.m. This is a security issue; we dont want to have the same problems they have in other beach areas.

Emerson added that she continues to advocate that cars in the lot after 10 p.m. be ticketed, so the word gets out that this is the case.

The board did not take action on the findings, but agreed to continue to meet with appropriate agencies to see what can be done.

Also at LJSA

UCSD plans: Emerson said there is reportedly a proposal to construct another Living Learning Neighborhood on the UC San Diego campus near the campus theaters, which she said was a huge red flag, adding we will fight this tooth and nail.

Without addressing the comment directly, UCSD assistant director of community planning Anu Delouri responded: We can come and make a presentation about our long-range development plan and outline what our plans are  what is planned, why it is planned, where it is planned, what future college is planned or in the planning phase on those parking lots adjacent the theater district.

She promised a good half-hour presentation and agreed to reach out to the appropriate entities for scheduling.

The current Living Learning Neighborhood is under construction on another area of campus, and includes residential, academic and administrative space, retail and parking.

Scooter update: Following the release of the City of San Diegos proposed regulations on electronic scooters, LJSA voted to send a letter to the San Diego City Council, affirming the position that: Scooters be prohibited from all sidewalks (including the La Jolla Shores boardwalk, aka Walter Mink Way); riders must be at least age 18; helmets be required at all times; they be left in designated areas and if not, ticketed and impounded.

A second reading of the proposed regulation will take place this month and if approved will go into effect this summer.

Undergrounding work: A project is coming to La Jolla Shores to take down overhead utility lines and add short green support equipment for SDG&E, AT&T and Spectrum facilities to the ground. A meeting was held in March at the La Jolla Library to inform those who live in the affected area. The meeting should have been held in The Shores, Emerson noted, and requested a full presentation be given at a future LJSA meeting.

To better inform residents, LJSA secretary posted the Citys presentation on the project at: lajollashoresassociation.org

The work was supposed to start in January, but hit a snag, Medina reported. And with the summer construction moratorium approaching (Memorial Day, May 27 to Labor Day, Sept. 2), he added: If they dont start this month, they would start in September. But Im not holding starting before Memorial Day as a likely possibility  that should give the community time to prepare for this.
Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley has designated January 2022 as the point in time for commencement of a policy that would insist that all Government workplaces would require vaccinated workers.

He has seen the reluctance and hesitation of many people both in public and private life who continue to refuse the jabs for several reasons, whether it be scientific or non-scientific, or for religious or personal reasons.
- Herera Corea and Landy Rodriguez were abducted by gunmen on their way to work in Mandera on April 12, 2018

- The two are reportedly being held in a restricted area somewhere in Jubaland, Somalia, where they had been seen alive

- Community elders from Mandera and Bulahawo in Somalia have been negotiating with the kidnappers to free the medics

- The elders are understood to be working in collaboration with the local authorities

It is over a month since two Cuban doctors were abducted in Mandera county by armed men suspected to be members of the al-Shabaab group and efforts by the Kenyan government to rescue them are still ongoing.

Herera Corea and Landy Rodriguez went missing on April 12, 2018, and now it has emerged the two foreign medical practitioners who were among 100 others imported from Cuba are being held by their kidnappers in Somalia.

READ ALSO: Mandera: Two Cuban doctors abducted, police officer guarding them shot dead

Cuban medical practitioners Herera Corea and Landy Rodriguez were abducted in Mandera by suspected al-Shabaab militants on April 12, 2018. Photo: NBC News.

Source: UGC

READ ALSO: Fistula: Mambo 5 muhimu kuhusu ugonjwa wa nasuri

A report by Citizen Digital on Thursday, May 16, indicated the abductors had agreed to release the medics after lengthy negotiations but demanded KSh 150 million as ransom in exchange for Corea and Rodriguez's freedom.

Intelligence sources revealed the doctors were being held in a restricted remote area somewhere in Jubaland, Somalia, where they had been spotted alive.

READ ALSO: Government evacuates Cuban doctors from Wajir, Garissa after colleagues were abducted

The demand for ransom was reportedly communicated through community elders drawn from Mandera, Kenya, and Bulahawo, Somalia, in collaboration with the local authorities.

The elders had been negotiating for release of the medical practitioners for weeks and are expected to continue until the two are freed from the hands of criminals.

READ ALSO: Uhuru finally dispatches Cuban doctors to work in counties

As was earlier reported by TUKO.co.ke, Corea and Rodriguez were heading to work when they were ambushed and their bodyguard, a Kenyan police officer, shot dead by the gun men who bundled the medics onto a waiting Probox car then sped off to Somalia.

Soldiers from the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) were immediately deployed to pursue the kidnappers inside Somalia.

Following the incident, the government decided to evacuate other Cuban doctors who had been posted in Garissa and Wajir counties which are also prone to terrorist attacks.

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.

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Source: TUKO.co.ke
- Kelson Lienga alias Kelvin Lienga was arrested in Kawangware on Wednesday

- The suspect was accused of a plethora of criminal activities including chopping off one of his victim's leg during robbery

- The DCI said he had been on the run since November 2017 when he was sentenced to a 20-year jail term in absentia

- The investigators also established the suspect had links with several other deadly criminal gangs in the country

Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) have arrested a man suspected to have been giving Kenyans sleepless nights as they never knew when he was going rob them next.

The 20-year-old suspect identified as Kelson Lienga alias Kelvin Lienga, has been under the DCI's radar since 2017 during which he has committed a series of robberies with violence in different parts across the country.

READ ALSO: Police officers shoot dead Nairobi's most wanted criminal

In a statement issued on Wednesday, May 15, the DCI said Lienga who has been in the list of the most wanted criminals in Kenya was finally nabbed in Kawangware estate, Nairobi.

"Detectives from the DCI headquarters have today (Wednesday) arrested one of the most wanted suspects in a series of robberies with violence dating back from 2017 to April 2019," the detectives said in a statement.

READ ALSO: Police gun down Nairobis most wanted criminal in ambush attack

The DCI further noted Lienga was using three mobile phone lines which had direct link with several criminal gangs that had been reported in various police stations across the country for various crimes including defilement.

"In November 2017, Kelson Lienga alongside others were sentenced to a 20-year jail term at Kodiaga Prison in Kisumu for the offence of robbery with violence during which they completely chopped off leg of a female victim.

Lienga was, however, sentenced in absentia after he absconded the court on the judgment day and has ever since been on the run. The suspect is helping with information about other gang members as he awaits escort to Western Kenya)," the George Kinoti-led agency said.

READ ALSO: Eastleighs Super Power Gang leader shot dead

Lienga's arrest came months after another dangerous and most wanted thug was gunned down together with his gang members.

The notorious criminals and their leader who was popularly referred to as Kifaru were shot dead as they planned to conduct a robbery at Mowlem Heights Estate in Maili Saba area.

Just like Lienga, Kifaru had been under the radar of the authorities for awhile but his reign of terror eventually ended with death by the bullet after police received a tip-off on the planned robbery.

READ ALSO: Mzungu awaanika peupe vipusa wa Kenya, asema wanalazimisha mahaba

Several other criminals have either been arrested or killed in Nairobi in what now appears like a deliberate and sustained effort to rid the capital city of criminal gangs.

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.

Church of thieves and drug addicts - On Tuko TV

Source: TUKO.co.ke
- An angry Magoha hit out at crtics of the Competency-based Curriculum

- The CS challenged anyone opposing the new system to come up with their own solutions

- The CBC primarily aims at banking on a learner's strengths and interests from a young age

Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha has hit back at critics of the new Competency Based Curriculum (CBC) reiterating that radical changes in the Kenyan educational system were inevitable.

Magoha, while speaking on Wednesday, May 15, during the unveiling of the first national curriculum policy, challenged critics to offer lasting solutions instead of simply criticising the new system.

READ ALSO: Education CS George Magoha suspends setting up of new public universities

A visibly animated Magoha fiercely attacked critics as he asserted that the process to implement the curriculum was already in motion.

If you give birth to a premature child, do you say let the child go back to the womb? You take the child to the incubator and the child grows big and becomes the president of Kenya. Stop this nonsense.

If you have something better, why dont you tell us what it is, or shut up. The God of the poor shall deliver this curriculum to Kenyans irrespective of a few ill guided people who want to take it away from Kenyans," he said.

Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha has challenged anyone with a better curriculum to come forward instead of complaining online. Photo: Nation

Source: UGC

READ ALSO: Education CS George Magoha makes major reshuffle in ministry

TUKO.co.ke has since learnt that the new curriculum which was launched on Wednesday detailed the goals and strategies intended to achieve competency-based education on all levels.

Despite the new system showing some promise, it has come under scrutiny at times, with critics arguing it was only fit for first world nations.

The Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) has been the fiercest critic of the new system and representatives were conspicuously absent during the policy launch on Wednesday.

The fact that the government also planned to introduce an official school uniform for university students sparked outrage online.

However, the governments bigger picture in the system is to provide an educational avenue for individuals to fully exploit subjects and areas they are interested in from a young age.

To achieve this, the curriculum will pay close attention to learners so that their progress can be closely monitored.

Emphasis on continuous assessment is also key in identifying challenges faced by learners in mastering the various skills and it also prepares students for the scathing job market from an early age.

Do you have a hot story or scandal you would like us to publish, please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690 and Telegram: Tuko news

Raila Odinga's die hard fan:

Source: TUKO.co.ke
The 1,909-foot tower of KTUL-Channel 8, east of Coweta, came crashing down because of the ice -- and so did countless tree limbs, on this day 
As if the recent measles outbreaks among unvaccinated youth in the United States wasnt worrisome enough, there are recent reports that older, previously vaccinated adults could possibly contract the disease.

In 2019 alone, from Jan. 1 to May 3, 764 individual cases of measles have been confirmed in 23 states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It is the greatest number of cases reported in the U.S. since 1994 and since measles was declared eliminated in 2000. Colorado, one of the states with reported cases, has the lowest rate of vaccinated kindergartners in the country, according to CU Denver. In January, a Denver adult was reported contagious with the disease after having contracted it traveling abroad.

The CDC advises that children under the age of five and adults over 20 are at a higher risk for health complications from measles, as well as pregnant women, and people with compromised immune systems. The virus is highly contagious and the CDC warns that 90 percent of unvaccinated or not-immune people who come in close contact with someone carrying the virus will get sick.

This latest newsthat previously vaccinated adults can lose their immunity and possibly be vulnerable to contracting the diseasehas set the phone lines ringing at clinics and doctors offices across the country, including the Gunbarrel Medical Center. Adding to the deluge of concerned callers are incomplete news reports advising all adults who were born in the 1960s, 70s or early 80s to go get a booster.

According to some sources at Gunbarrel Family Medicine, its not that simple.

Theres not an unlimited supply of the serum here, said a clinic source, who wished to remain anonymous. I wonder if were doing the same thing with this measles outbreak as when they got a new and improved shingles vaccination. Everybody wanted it, but theres not enough. Now everyones rushing to get an adult measles booster, but theres not always enough.

According to the CDC, those born before 1957 are presumably immune. Back then, almost everyone caught the measles and built a lifetime immunity after enduring the disease. However, two competing vaccines were introduced in the U.S. in 1963, one with a live, weak virus and one with a virus deadened by a preservative chemical. The live vaccine gave longer protection, but made recipients sick. The dead vaccine had no side effects, but didnt offer lasting protection. In 1968, the company that produced the live vaccine developed a much safer and even more effective serum that eventually became the standard. However, the two different vaccines account for the discrepancy in immunities for those born in the three decades following the 1950s.

The first step for any adult born after 1958 and concerned that they may no longer be immune, is to get a titer (TIGHT-er)a lab test that measures existence and level of antibodies to disease in the bloodto determine whether immunity is intact. Most insurance companies dont cover titers, so its an out-of-pocket expense for the patient. The cost averages $75, and results come back in a few days. If a patient is no longer immune, then the clinic will vaccinate if they have enough serum on hand.

However, if you need the vaccine as an adult, be prepared to feel pretty crummy for about a week after receiving the live adult vaccine dose. It affects adults longer and more severely than the doses that children receive.

At press time, media representatives for Boulder Community Health/Gunbarrel Family Medicine had not responded to inquiries about vaccine stores at their clinics.
A Glenpool woman was arrested on a complaint of actual physical control of a vehicle while under the influence after she allegedly got into a dispute at the Office bar in Sand Springs this week.

Officers were called after employees of the bar in the 100 block of N. Main May 12 reported two women assaulted a bartender and left, according to an incident report.

An officer arrived and spoke to the driver of the pickup truck outside, Lindsay Ballard, 37, who said shed just arrived at the bar, according to a report.

An officer noticed the smell of alcohol, asked Ballard about it and Ballard said shed had two beers at another bar before arriving at the Office bar, a report states.

Ballard was arrested on a complaint of actual physical control.

Rachel Snyder 918-581-8315 rachel.snyder@sandspringsleader.com
A woman was arrested this week after she allegedly hit two cars in the Atwoods Plaza shopping center parking lot and tried to leave the scene.

A witness said he was in the Atwoods parking lot shortly before 8 p.m. May 14 and saw a blue minivan behind a Mazda SUV parked in the lot and the van eventually backed into the SUV and proceeded to strike the SUV multiple times, according to an incident report.

The owner of another business in the shopping center told police she heard a crash outside, saw the minivan hit the SUV, back up, hit her parked car, drive forward and hit the SUV again before leaving going west, according to a report.

A man told police he went to the shopping center with his girlfriend in the SUV after his girlfriend had been feuding with the driver of the minivan, Heather Crowson, 38, a report states.

The man told police Crowson and his girlfriend had been talking over social media and agreed to meet at Torchys to settle things, according to a report.

He told police Crowson hit their vehicle several times before she left and he and his girlfriend were taken to a Tulsa hospital for possible injuries, a report states.
The Sand Springs Rotary Club recently awarded scholarships to local students.

This years recipients of the $1,000 scholarships are Eliga Franks, Elizabeth Luttrell, Madison Armbruster and Megan Blair. Sand Springs Rotary Club President Gerrie McClure said a committee goes through applicants and selects the scholarship recipients each year. Mike Baldridge of the Rotary Club said they had more than 65 applications for the scholarships this year.

Were just so proud of you, McClure said of the students.

Luttrell said she plans to use her scholarship when she goes to school at Cowley College, where she has a softball scholarship as well.

Thank you, Im very grateful for this scholarship. It will go to great use as I venture my way up to Ark City, Kansas, she said.

Armbruster said she plans to attend the University of Oklahoma and study meteorology.

I want to thank you for this opportunity, she said. Ill be chasing the tornadoesand dealing with all the weather.

Blair said she plans to attend the University of Oklahoma to study nursing.
Dittus got his early training at Eskimo Joes in Stillwater and became associated as a supporter of local music when he founded Blue Rose Cafe in Brookside in 1991. (He helped open the current Blue Rose Cafe on Riverside Drive but has no connection to it today.) Earlier ventures also included Steamroller Blues & BBQ.

Duane Monks, who has been with Dittus throughout his previous ventures, runs the kitchen.

He did a fabulous job with the menu, Dittus said.

Added Dawn, You wouldnt believe how many dishes we tried to get just what we wanted. Probably hundreds.

Swamp House is open from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. all week. The kitchen closes at 10 p.m.

Were working on a late-night menu, but it isnt ready yet, Dittus said.

The Swamp House is the latest addition to the revitalization of the area, spearheaded by Church Studio owners Teresa Knox and her husband, Ivan Acosta.

The Coffee Blues and Mangos Cuban Cafe opened earlier. Freeway Cafe already was established there.
Annie and Scott Shull, owners of Raptor Ridge Winery in Oregon, will host a four-course dinner at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 21, at Duet Restaurant & Jazz, 108 N. Detroit Ave.

Annie has hosted a handful of Tulsa dinners in past years, but Scott seldom has had an opportunity to get away from the winery.

Scott founded the winery in 1995. He and Annie married in 1998, and she joined as a business partner in 2001.

A few years ago, Raptor Ridge, named after the winerys location in the Chehalem Mountains, was named one of the top three producers of pinot noir in the country by Wine & Spirits magazine.

Raptor Ridge grapes are sourced from select vineyards in the Willamette Valley, plus its own estate, Tuscowallame.

Wines to be served at the Duet dinner include Harbinger Vineyard brut rose, Dragon pinot gris, Tuscowallame Vineyard Estate pinot noir and Estate Vineyard gruner veltliner.

They will be paired with crepes salees, fruit poke tostada, mesquite-smoked duck breast and peppered caramel kiwi tart.

Cost is $45 per person, plus tax and gratuity. Reservations: 918-398-7201.
OKLAHOMA CITY  It isnt easy to find, but a $1.5 million line item for the Tulsa Race Massacre Centennial Commission is tucked into the proposed $8.13 billion general appropriation bill launched into the legislative process late Thursday.

House Appropriations and Budget Chairman Kevin Wallace, R-Wellston, said the funding is part of a $14 million appropriation to the Oklahoma Historical Society. Wallace indicated the commissions money is being routed through OHS because of lawmakers reluctance to directly fund an entity  the commission  whose governing board includes legislators.

The commissions steering committee is chaired by Sen. Kevin Matthews, D-Tulsa. Rep. Regina Goodwin, D-Tulsa, is a commission member.

Wallaces remarks came during questioning about the GA bill  House Bill 2765  by the House Appropriations and Budget Committee.

Committee members had less than an hour to review the bill before it was presented to them for approval, although an outline of the $8.2 billion budget agreement was released Wednesday.
An arrest warrant was issued Wednesday for a Tulsa man who is charged with shooting at a QuikTrip security officer.

The officer was not struck, but the convenience store at 1202 W. 23rd St. was hit at least once.

Police allege that James Casey Bell, 22, fired the shots. Tulsa County prosecutors charged him Wednesday with shooting with intent to kill.

On the night of May 6, Clinton Hunter was working as an armed security officer at the store when a customer warned him of a "rowdy" group of people headed across the parking lot, according to an affidavit.

Hunter opened the door for the four men and two women, then watched them from the back of the store.

One of the men announced that he was going to rob the store and that "security wasn't going to do anything about it," and some of the men stole items from shelves directly in front of Hunter, according to the affidavit.
Terry held various management positions in multiple companies owned by the tribal town, and Anglin was the controller/chief financial officer for its businesses entities.

The business entities focused primarily on federal contract procurement in Alabama, but because the entities are small business with socially and economically disadvantaged owners, most of the businesses received 8a status from the federal Small Business Administration, which allows them to be awarded U.S. government contracts without competition from other bidders.

From 2012 to 2019, Terry is accused of writing checks from tribal town business entities to law firms to pay for his sons legal fees totaling about $124,800; to his son totaling about $71,800; and to a person known to the Grand Jury to remove a lien on a property owned by (his son) for $106,000, according to the indictment.

Terrys son, identified in the indictment only as J.T., was sentenced in the Northern District of Alabama in 2014 on charges of wire fraud, making false statements to the SBA, making false statements to a financial institution and money laundering, the indictment states.
Last year, employees received on average $1,600, Stitt said.

The plan calls for using $20 million for prosecutors offices.

And we are going to be fully funding our district attorneys so they dont have to rely on fines, fees and court costs anymore, Stitt said. This is going to take away any kind of perverse incentive that could contribute to debtors prison.

It also includes $10 million for Smart on Crime programs through the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services; $1.5 million for Women in Recovery, a prison diversion program; and $1.7 million for the increasing demand for mental health services.

The plan calls for two trooper academies, one funded by the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority and one with the funds from the sale of the state airplane, which recently sold for $1.2 million.

The budget calls for $1.7 million to create the Legislative Office of Fiscal Transparency, a key agenda item for Senate Republicans. It also includes $700,000 for more auditors in the State Auditor and Inspectors office.

The budget includes $575 million for the road and bridge program, Stitt said.
Business What is Modulation? Amplitude Modulation (AM),Frequency Modulation (FM),Phase Modulation (PM) | Soukacatv.com

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16.05.2019 10:15:24 - Modulation is the use of one electrical signal to control a primary variable of another. For example, if an audio signal voltage is used to control the amplitude of a carrier signal, the result is amplitude modulation.



(live-PR.com) - Modulation is the use of one electrical signal to control a primary variable of another. For example, if an audio signal voltage is used to control the amplitude of a carrier signal, the result is amplitude modulation.



HDMI Encoder Modulator,16in1 Digital Headend, HD RF Modulator at Soukacatv.com



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It is important that - Modulation is the use of one electrical signal to control a primary variable of another. For example, if an audio signal voltage is used to control the amplitude of a carrier signal, the result is amplitude modulation.HDMI Encoder Modulator,16in1 Digital Headend, HD RF Modulator at Soukacatv.comSKD3013 3 Channel HD Encode ModulatorSKD19 Series 1U Rack 12CH Encode ModulatorIt is important that you do not confuse mixing with modulation. Mixing occurs when two (or more) signals are simply combined in a linear network. Modulation, however, requires one signal to control a variable of another; variables such as the amplitude of an RF signal [amplitude modulation (AM)], the frequency [frequency modulation (FM)], the pulse width [pulse width modulation (PWM)], the phase [phase modulation (PM)], or the pulse code [pulse code modulation (PCM)].



SKD121X Encoding & Multiplexing Modulator



Unfortunately, the electronics industry has traditionally retained many circuit names that are incorrect in this regard. For instance, when you examine the actual circuit operation of many circuits labeled as a mixer/oscillator, you will discover that it is really a modulator/oscillator.



Strictly speaking, when two signals are mixed, they combine without the creation of any additional frequencies. When two signals are modulated, they are said to beat with each other, creating additional frequencies called beat frequencies.



If the two modulated signals are sinusoidal, the beat frequencies will be the sum and the difference of the original frequencies. AM radio broadcast transmissions contain two signals of primary importance to the user: the carrier signal and the audio signal, or the program signal.



The carrier frequency is the frequency to which the radio receiver is tuned for station selection. For example, the AM radio band (also referred to as the medium-wave broadcast band, or simply the broadcast band) is legally designated from 535 to 1605 kHz. If your favorite local radio station broadcasts on 830 kHz, this means that the carrier frequency being used for transmission is 830 kHz. The audio signal, or program, is riding on this carrier frequency.



Figure 1 illustrates an amplitude-modulated wave shape as it would appear when picked up by a radio antenna. Notice that the carrier frequency is much higher than the program signal riding on it. In actuality, there is not a literal program signal on top of the carrier.



When the AM signal was broadcast, the program signal modulated the amplitude, or the level, of the carrier; this process formed an envelope of carrier amplitude, having the same shape as the program signal. The beat frequencies, contained within the AM waveform of Fig. 1, will be the sum and the difference of the carrier and its program signal.





Examples







For example, if the program signal were a constant 5-kHz tone, with a carrier frequency of 600 kHz, the beat frequencies would be 595 kHz (difference frequency) and 605 kHz (sum frequency). In a typical AM broadcast, the program signal will contain vocal and music information, making up a very wide range of frequencies. The highest frequency, of this range of frequencies, will determine the maximum separation of the beat frequencies from the carrier.







For example, if the highest frequency in the program signal was limited to 1 kHz, then the beat frequencies would be 599 and 601 kHz. However, as you can see from the earlier example, when the highest frequency is limited to 5 kHz, the width (or distance from the carrier frequency) increases. The range of beat frequencies above (and below) the carrier frequency are called sidebands. The width of the sidebands is closely monitored at AM broadcast stations because, if they become too wide, they can interfere with adjacent stations.







Frequency modulation (FM) radio signals also have a carrier signal and a program signal. However, the program signal does not ride on the carrier frequency; it is contained within frequency variances modulated into the carrier signal.







Because the program signal is not dependent on carrier amplitudes (as are AM transmissions), FM radio is largely immune to many forms of interference.







Figure 2 illustrates an exaggeration of an FM-modulated waveform.







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.



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Source: electrical-engineering-portal

you do not confuse mixing with modulation. Mixing occurs when two (or more) signals are simply combined in a linear network. Modulation, however, requires one signal to control a variable of another; variables such as the amplitude of an RF signal [amplitude modulation (AM)], the frequency [frequency modulation (FM)], the pulse width [pulse width modulation (PWM)], the phase [phase modulation (PM)], or the pulse code [pulse code modulation (PCM)].SKD121X Encoding & Multiplexing ModulatorUnfortunately, the electronics industry has traditionally retained many circuit names that are incorrect in this regard. For instance, when you examine the actual circuit operation of many circuits labeled as a mixer/oscillator, you will discover that it is really a modulator/oscillator.Strictly speaking, when two signals are mixed, they combine without the creation of any additional frequencies. When two signals are modulated, they are said to beat with each other, creating additional frequencies called beat frequencies.If the two modulated signals are sinusoidal, the beat frequencies will be the sum and the difference of the original frequencies. AM radio broadcast transmissions contain two signals of primary importance to the user: the carrier signal and the audio signal, or the program signal.The carrier frequency is the frequency to which the radio receiver is tuned for station selection. For example, the AM radio band (also referred to as the medium-wave broadcast band, or simply the broadcast band) is legally designated from 535 to 1605 kHz. If your favorite local radio station broadcasts on 830 kHz, this means that the carrier frequency being used for transmission is 830 kHz. The audio signal, or program, is riding on this carrier frequency.Figure 1 illustrates an amplitude-modulated wave shape as it would appear when picked up by a radio antenna. Notice that the carrier frequency is much higher than the program signal riding on it. In actuality, there is not a literal program signal on top of the carrier.When the AM signal was broadcast, the program signal modulated the amplitude, or the level, of the carrier; this process formed an envelope of carrier amplitude, having the same shape as the program signal. The beat frequencies, contained within the AM waveform of Fig. 1, will be the sum and the difference of the carrier and its program signal.ExamplesFor example, if the program signal were a constant 5-kHz tone, with a carrier frequency of 600 kHz, the beat frequencies would be 595 kHz (difference frequency) and 605 kHz (sum frequency). In a typical AM broadcast, the program signal will contain vocal and music information, making up a very wide range of frequencies. The highest frequency, of this range of frequencies, will determine the maximum separation of the beat frequencies from the carrier.For example, if the highest frequency in the program signal was limited to 1 kHz, then the beat frequencies would be 599 and 601 kHz. However, as you can see from the earlier example, when the highest frequency is limited to 5 kHz, the width (or distance from the carrier frequency) increases. The range of beat frequencies above (and below) the carrier frequency are called sidebands. The width of the sidebands is closely monitored at AM broadcast stations because, if they become too wide, they can interfere with adjacent stations.Frequency modulation (FM) radio signals also have a carrier signal and a program signal. However, the program signal does not ride on the carrier frequency; it is contained within frequency variances modulated into the carrier signal.Because the program signal is not dependent on carrier amplitudes (as are AM transmissions), FM radio is largely immune to many forms of interference.Figure 2 illustrates an exaggeration of an FM-modulated waveform.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: electrical-engineering-portal 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





16.05.2019 10:15:24 -

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The International Agency for Research on Cancer in 2015 classified the chemical as probably carcinogenic to humans, however.

The EPA has updated labeling and best practices guidelines for protecting monarchs and other pollinators, however, and thats where Harp comes in.

Her yard is a monarch butterfly way station, and she raises a variety of butterflies that use host plants around her home. She avoids the use of all pesticides and herbicides.

All along that road where they sprayed, milkweed is growing, she said. It kills the milkweed, and it kills the caterpillars. Not only that, but they are coming into bloom, so I explained to the (road crew) that not just monarchs but all pollinators will be hitting those flowers and getting poisoned.

Harp said she complained to the crew and then sent an email to Keith, who contacted her the next morning to say the practice would stop.
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. Emergency officials expect to have the flow rate down to about 80,000 cfs by Friday, ahead of severe weather.

The Tulsa area has maintained about a half-foot below the action stage, 15 feet. The minor flood stage for the river in the Tulsa area is 18 feet.

Part of Muskogee County, along the Arkansas River, has been under a flood warning until further notice, according to the weather service. Low-lying areas, such as Webbers Falls, are of concern to Muskogee County officials.

The only problem we have right now is were really saturated, so water from any new rains will want to run off, Doke said. But when youre running the river at 27 (near Muskogee), ... theres no place for the water to run off to because all the creeks are backed up.

An outlook issued early Wednesday morning forecasts much of Saturdays severe weather, in the form of linear and supercellular storms from Iowa to south Texas producing damaging winds and tornadoes, to occur earlier in the day with the remnants of Fridays system moving east across the state.

Harrison Grimwood 918-581-8369 harrison.grimwood@tulsaworld.com Twitter: @grimwood_hmg Stetson Payne 918-732-8135 stetson.payne@tulsaworld.com Twitter: @stetson__payne
OKLAHOMA CITY  A retroactivity bill considered a key piece of criminal justice reform legislation moved from the House to the Senate on Thursday as lawmakers rush to complete the 2019 session before the Memorial Day weekend.

In its current and presumably final form, much-amended House Bill 1269, by Rep. Jason Dunnington, D-Oklahoma City, allows for an accelerated clemency process for persons convicted of a felony reclassified as a misdemeanor as the result of State Question 780, a criminal justice reform referendum approved by voters in 2016.

The bill also sets out a simplified expungement process for such persons.

Rep. Jon Echols, R-Oklahoma City, who presented the bill, said he knew of no organized opposition to the measure.

Lots of people were against it when it first came up, he said in response to a question from another member. I dont know anybody against it now.
A former Poteau city councilor and a Poteau woman were sentenced on drug conspiracy and methamphetamine distribution charges, the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced Wednesday.

Joe David White, 58, and Laci Marie Fox, 27, both of Poteau, previously entered guilty pleas to an indictment that alleged they possessed 50 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine with intent to distribute and knowingly distributed a "mixture or substance containing methamphetamine" between 2015 and January 2017, according to the news release.

White, a former Poteau City Council member, was sentenced to 151 months in prison and four years of supervised release. Fox, who is also known by the last name Noah, was sentenced to 70 months imprisonment and four years of supervised release, the release states.

Methamphetamine dealers deliver tragedy to communities along with the poison they sell for profit, U.S. Attorney Brian J. Kuester said. The U.S. Attorneys Office is proud to partner with state and local agencies, as we did here, to make a positive impact in Eastern Oklahoma by eliminating a distribution source.

Kelsy Schlotthauer 918-581-8455 kelsy.schlotthauer@tulsaworld.com Twitter: @K_Schlott

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Three people, including a child, are dead and three others are injured after separate crashes in Pawnee County on Wednesday, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol reported.

Two Tulsa women, Tammy Liggins, 50, and Agnes Madden, 78, and a 4-year-old boy were killed in two crashes south of Pawnee.

After midnight early Wednesday, a northbound SUV driven by Kendra Leann Womack, 30, of Oilton went off Oklahoma 18 and struck a tree about nine miles south of Pawnee.

Womack was flown to St. John Medical Center in Tulsa in critical condition, and her 4-year-old passenger, whose name was not released, was pronounced dead at the scene.

The second fatal collision occurred about 10:40 a.m. about two miles south of Pawnee.

A vehicle driven by Rubin Richardson, 58, of Tulsa failed to stop at a stop sign on Oklahoma 18 at U.S. 64 and was stuck by a pickup driving south on U.S. 64.

Richardson was flown to Saint Francis Hospital in Tulsa in stable condition, as was Louella Madden, 57, of Tulsa.

Two other passengers, Liggins and Agnes Madden, were pronounced dead at the scene.
UPDATE: Georgia-Pacific has notified employees at its Muskogee paper plant that they can return to their regular schedules on Monday.

"We shared this news with our employees today," said Tom Strother, the mills public affairs manager.

Below is an earlier story on recovery efforts after an explosion and fire that caused significant damage at the plant on Monday night.

Some Georgia-Pacific employees are returning to the companys Muskogee mill to prepare the paper plant to return to production.

Georgia-Pacific crews also began Wednesday an assessment of the damage to the building where an explosion and fire caused significant damage on Monday night. Hot spots from the fire continued burning throughout Tuesday.

Tom Strother, the mills public affairs manager, said that crews have since been able to access the building at the mill to start evaluating the destruction.

Were going to repair and rebuild, he said. We just dont know what that looks like yet.
OKLAHOMA CITY  Oklahoma City firefighters made a quick rescue Wednesday morning of two window washers who took a wild, glass-smashing ride near the top of the 50-story Devon Tower.

Benny Fulkerson, spokesman for the Oklahoma City Fire Department, said it was a very tense and scary situation before firefighters rescued the workers by lowering ropes from the roof. The window washers secured the ropes to the basket, which stabilized the platform before the men were rescued.

Fulkerson said there was no indication of how the basket became loose. It swung broadly, breaking windows, and glass fell onto Sheridan Avenue, which had to be shut down near the building during the downtown morning rush hour.

City officials said parts of Sheridan and Robinson avenues would remain closed as inspections and repairs to the tower are made. Areas below the part of the building damaged Wednesday are at risk for falling debris. The streets are expected to reopen later this week.

Robert Medley contributed to this story.
I would like to respond to the editorial Yes, you can bring your gun to the zoo, but youll have to keep it under your shirt addressing House Bill 2010.

The editorial board expresses concern about people carrying a gun legally in a zoo park owned or managed by a public trust or nonproft, while suggesting we should show some sense and leave them at home. This makes no sense, most mass shootings occur in gun-free zones.

We continually witness tragedies where guns are banned, and people, by law, are defenseless. In most cases, it takes the arrival of a second gun to end the shooting.

The FBI has admitted the effectiveness of armed civilians responding to mass shooting events. It stands to reason that a criminal seeking to commit evil acts may be deterred if they thought other people were armed.

In 1980, the District of Columbia Court of Appeals ruled that law enforcement officers are under no legal obligation to protect any individual. Personal protection is your responsibility.
The man who helped to end apartheid in South Africa, and saw Trinidad and Tobago as the true rainbow nation, Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu is dead.

South Africa's two Nobel Peace laureates former President Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Tutu visited Trinidad in May 2004
The Club Financial Control Body (CFCB) chief investigator, after having consulted with the other members of the independent investigatory chamber of the CFCB, has decided to refer Manchester City FC to the CFCB adjudicatory chamber following the conclusion of his investigation.

The CFCB investigatory chamber had opened an investigation into Manchester City FC on 7 March 2019 for potential breaches of Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations that were made public in various media outlets.

UEFA will not be making any further comment on the matter until a decision is announced by the CFCB adjudicatory chamber.
President of Moldova Igor Dodon held a phone conversation with President-elect of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky.

The Moldovan president wrote about this on Facebook.

I had a phone conversation with President-elect of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky. I congratulated him on his election as the head of state and wished him success on the responsible post, Dodon wrote.

According to the Moldovan president, bilateral relations in various fields of mutual interest were discussed during the conversation. The interlocutors also agreed to hold a bilateral meeting and discuss topical issues in the near future.

As Ukrinform reported, the Central Election Commission announced the final results of Ukraine's presidential election on April 30. According to the results of the runoff election, Volodymyr Zelensky won the presidential election, as 73.22% of Ukrainian citizens voted for him.

iy
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) sent three trucks carrying humanitarian aid to the temporarily occupied territories of Donbas, according to the press service of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine.

Three trucks from the mission of the International Committee of the Red Cross to the temporarily occupied territories crossed the Novotroitske checkpoint," the report says.

The trucks were carrying 38.2 tonnes of humanitarian cargo consisting of hygiene kits, agricultural equipment and tools, medical supplies and medical equipment for the residents of Donetsk and Luhansk regions. .

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The Japanese Government will allocate USD 2.82 million to meet humanitarian needs, support vulnerable social groups, restore Donbas, and purchase medical equipment for the Defense Ministrys hospital.

Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to Ukraine Takashi Kurai announced this at a press conference on Thursday.

The Japanese Government has decided to provide another tranche of assistance to people who live in eastern Ukraine, he said.

According to the ambassador, Japan has consistently supported Ukraine for a long time. The funds were allocated for the development of infrastructure, transport and health care. The total amount of funding since Ukraines independence is USD 3.1 billion. Since the Revolution of Dignity, we have increased our support. In total, it amounts to USD 1.87 billion, he added.

The ambassador stressed that since 2014 Japan had provided funds to the population of eastern Ukraine. The projects were implemented directly in Donetsk and Luhansk regions in cooperation with the UN and other international organizations. In total, this support amounts to USD 47 million, he recalled.

In turn, Vice Prime Minister - Minister of Regional Development, Construction, Housing and Utilities of Ukraine Hennadiy Zubko thanked international partners for their help. These funds are provided to the Government of Ukraine, but they are directly sent to people in eastern Ukraine, he assured.

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| By Lou Cortina

The University of Maryland, Baltimores (UMB) mission statement encompasses two central themes  to improve the human condition and serve the public good  and the featured speakers at the Universitywide commencement ceremony drove home those points May 16 at Royal Farms Arena.

Keynote speaker Barbara Pierce Bush, the co-founder and board chair of Global Health Corps, a nonprofit committed to global health equity, delivered the first part of the message to the 2,000-plus graduates of UMBs six professional schools and interdisciplinary Graduate School, telling the Class of 2019 to remain engaged in the missions and the values that matter most to us.

Barbara Pierce Bush, co-founder and board chair of the nonprofit Global Health Corps, delivers the keynote speech to the University of Maryland, Baltimore's 2019 graduates at the universitywide commencement ceremony.

Each generation has buzzwords, and for ours, one is the concept of engagement,  said Bush, the daughter of former President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Bush. We may change jobs and cities, but most of us do not change our commitment to our ideals, a truth that is exemplified by the community sitting here today and your commitment to improve the human condition.

Bush was preceded by student remarker Sarah Montague Shepson, MPPA, among the graduates of the Francis King Carey School of Law, who focused her message on the public service side of the UMB ledger. She talked about the late John Dingell, who spent nearly 60 years as a congressman from Michigan and helped to write some of the most significant legislation of his time, including the Civil Rights Act, the Clean Air Act, and the Affordable Care Act.

Most of us could only dream of creating the legacy he left, Shepson said of Dingell, who died in February. And yet, at the end of his life, he still wondered if he had done enough to make a difference. But I imagine Congressman Dingell knew better than anyone that the work in public service is never done, that the truly worthwhile endeavors take years, decades, lifetimes to accomplish. It is all of our jobs to continue improving our collective society.

(Watch a video of the ceremony below and read about Party in the Park).

UMB President Jay A. Perman, MD, presided over the event and opened with an apology, saying a delay to add several more rows of seats on the arena floor was his fault. We decided to move the Universitywide ceremony from Friday afternoon to Thursday morning in hopes of boosting attendance. You exceeded our expectations. So Ill claim this as a problem of success.

In introducing Bush, Perman hailed her work with Global Health Corps and her commitment to fighting health inequities, noting that her success has not gone unnoticed. Newsweek recognized Bush as one of its Women of Impact in 2013, and she won the Skoll Foundations Award for Social Entrepreneurship in 2018.

Ms. Bush has committed her lifes work to improving access to health care in some of the worlds most underserved areas, Perman said. Hers is a passionate  and compelling  voice in the fight to confront the most serious issues of health, poverty, and equity, issues that endanger vulnerable populations at home and abroad.

Bush to Grads: Be Leaders and Make a Difference

Bush related her experience in graduating from Yale University 15 years ago, describing her mindset that day as a sensation I crave and want to experience again and again  that teetering and wonderfully frightening feeling you get right before you jump into something new and unknown. When it feels like anything is possible.

She quoted historian James Truslow Adams, who wrote, There are two educations  one should teach us how to make a living, and the other should teach us how to live.

Today, with your diplomas in hand, you have gone a long way toward completing your first education, Bush said. But the second one, the how to live part, is every bit as important. And in many ways, it is far more challenging.

Bush said her challenge was to make a difference by working to reduce global health inequities under the ideal that health is a human right. At Yale, she changed her major from architecture to humanities after joining her parents on a trip to Uganda to launch the Presidents Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief.

I saw health care workers, families, and communities that believed in a better future and believed that through their work, they could change the future for the better, one person at a time, Bush said. After graduation, instead of designing buildings or furniture or dresses, I was now designing a career in global health and service. And I was living in that feeling of in-between  unsure where my career would go, while knowing service was what motivated me.

She spoke about co-founding Global Health Corps in 2009 and creating a model in which young professionals, working in pairs and from a variety of backgrounds, serve one-year fellowships helping to fill gaps with government health entities or nonprofits in Africa and the United States. The organization boasts more than 1,000 alumni, with more than 90 percent remaining in the global health field. She told stories of three fellows and the impact they are making from Sierra Leone to Malawi to South Africa, providing access to medicine to fight diseases such as Ebola and AIDS.

All of you sitting here today will be leaders like them, in a field of your choosing, Bush said. Every individual talent can be used to make an impact on the world. Because whether the challenge is the water supply in Flint, Mich., or the Zika virus, or Ebola, or something else completely, that challenge is going to be solved not by a smartphone, but by a smart, creative human being that cares.

Shepson, too, urged her fellow graduates to be leaders and to make a difference.

We all have something to contribute, she said. Whats important is that you get started. The good news is, by your work here at UMB, you already have. And today, upon our graduation, I ask you to be courageous in tackling the challenges of our time and to use the skills that you learned here to continue to shape our society for the better.

Honorees and Special Guests Brighten Day

A School of Dentistry graduating student, Marisa Rushing, sang the national anthem to kick off the ceremony. The procession into the arena was led by marshals Robert Beardsley, PhD, MS, of the School of Pharmacy; Jane Lipscomb, PhD, RN, MS, FAAN, retired professor of the School of Nursing and former director of UMBs Center for Community-Based Engagement and Learning; and Jacquelyn L. Fried, retired associate professor and former director, Division of Dental Hygiene, School of Dentistry.

In addition, two notable UMB alumni  Victoria Hale, BSP 83, PhD, and Philip Needleman, PhD 64, MS  received honorary Doctor of Science degrees.

Hale is a School of Pharmacy alumnus, one of its founding pharmapreneurs, and the founder of OneWorld Health, the first nonprofit pharmaceutical company in the United States, and Medicines 360, a pharmaceutical nonprofit dedicated to womens health.

Needleman is a renowned scientist and pharmacologist whose work in the 1990s contributed to the discovery of the anti-inflammatory medicine celecoxib (brand name Celebrex). He earned his PhD in pharmacology from the School of Medicine and is a member of its Scientific Advisory Council.

(Read more about members of the platform party.)

Perman also welcomed a special guest among the platform party, Errol Reese, DDS, former UMB president and former dean of the School of Dentistry. Maryland Secretary of Higher Education James D. Fielder Jr., PhD, was in attendance, too, offering congratulations from Gov. Larry Hogan. And William T. Wood, JD 66, a member of the UMB Foundation Board of Trustees, brought greetings from the University System of Maryland Board of Regents.

In his remarks, Wood also urged the graduates to give back to society  and to consider doing so locally.

I think everyone on this stage will agree that one way to lead a satisfying and meaningful life is to give back your time and talent to help others, he said. And so I have one request for the graduates: Your talent, your energy, your drive, and your leadership can be tremendous assets to the city of Baltimore and this region. As your personal and professional lives advance, consider that a commitment to greater Baltimore can be an enormous benefit to a lot of people.
Two writers, Douglas Adams and John Lloyd, compiled a book called The Meaning of Liff, a list of actions and things that dont have any words to describe them. Basically, the book contains actions that cannot be described with just a single word such as the way a person stands while examining a bookshelf. There are so many actions and feelings for which words do not exist yet. But, there are few words in other languages across the world that describe such instances. We bring to you 15 such foreign words that should definitely have English equivalents.

1. Kalsarikannit: A Finnish word that means relishing a drink, alone in your underwear, with no intention whatsoever of going out.

This word might not paint a picture of a healthy lifestyle, but this Finnish word depicts the perfect weekend for a lot of people. Kalsarikannit is a Finnish word that describes the act of relishing a drink, while just wearing your underwear, and with no intention of stepping outside of your home. Although this might not portray a healthy style of living, it shows that its okay to sometimes not have plans for the weekend. This word is about feeling empowered to do things the way you like it and enjoying your own company without any pretenses, and of course, pants.

Finland has created its own set of emojis making it the first country to do so. These emojis were designed to depict a few hard-to-describe Finnish feelings. Kalsarikannit is one of them. (source)

2. Shemomechama: A Georgian word that literally translates as gulping down the food accidentally while carrying it for someone else!

How many times has that happened with you? Of course! Multiple times! It would have been amazing if the English language had a word for it rather than us concocting a story to explain the scenario of why there is no more food!

According to popular explanations, this happens mostly at the time of Thanksgiving and Christmas. We eat more than we are meant to. Sometimes we gulp down extra food while passing the plate to the next person and all the next person gets is an empty plate. The Georgians call this shemomechama. They must really know the experience to have dedicated a fixed word for it. (source)

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3. Kilig: A word used in the Philippines to describe the weakness in ones knees and feeling of butterflies in ones stomach during romantic encounters.

The Tagalog word kilig refers to the excited feeling one gets during various romantic encounters such as first eye contacts with a crush or a loved one or while watching someone else giving romantic gestures. It also stands for melting of heart, shivers down ones spine, or uncontrollable smiling, all related to romantic encounters. Even though this word is used in the context of Philippine culture, the feeling it describes is universal.

Clifford Sorita, a sociologist defines kilig as the initial attraction that two people witness during the first phase of their relationship. Sorita further adds that at this phase, it is not clear whether the kilig might lead to a deeper connection or love, But there are chances it might. In English, the closest translation that kilig could have is tickled pink. (source)

4. Tingo: A Pascuense word that refers to stealing your neighbors things over a period of time by borrowing them and not giving back after using them.

The Pascuense must be borrowing too many of their neighbors things and not returning them to have come up with the word, tingo, to describe the situation! This word is spoken on the Rapa Nui island, also known as Easter Island. The island houses a population of around 6,000 and is considered Chiles special territory. Pascuenseor is the language prevalent on the island.

Adam Jacot de Boinod has compiled a book of quirky words that are not found in English. His book is called The Meaning of Tingo: and Other Extraordinary Words from Around the World, and this is how the word tingo became famous. The book has words from around 254 languages. (source)

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5. Antier: A Spanish word for the day before yesterday.

Life would be so much easier if English had a word for the day before yesterday. The Spanish have a word for it: antier. It is also known as anteayer and is comprised of ante, which stands for before, and ayer which means yesterday. For example, when someone says in Spanish Llegue a US anteayer, it would roughly translate to I arrived in the US the day before yesterday. But, you wont see this translation in Google Translate as there is no English equivalent for anteayer or antier. (source)

6. Megcsorgetni: A Hungarian word that describes the situation when you call someone and hang up before they pick up, then you wait for them to call you back to make sure theres no expenditure from your side.

Todays calling prices have decreased to a large extent. A few decades back, a 10-minute phone call within the US could cost around $30! Now, we have Skype, and at just $3, we can call anywhere within the US, and also, have unlimited minutes. During such pricey-call times, people used to terminate their calls before the person at the other end could pick up. They did this in the hope that the other person would call them back so they wouldnt have to pay for the call! This must have been done by a lot of people, and the Hungarians decided to assign a word for it! They call it megcsorgetni. (source)

7. Zhaghzhagh: The chattering and jabbering of teeth when you are either cold or angry in the Persian language.

You go out in the cold and your teeth start chattering immediately. The same happens when you are really angry or upset with someone. Although all of us have experienced both of these scenarios, we dont have a word for it in almost any language except Persian. The people of Persia have a word for it: zhaghzhagh. There should definitely be an equivalent in English! (1, 2)

8. Iktsuarpok: In the Inuit language, this word describes the feeling of expectation when youre waiting for someone to show up at your house and you keep going outside to see if theyre there yet!

Its a frustrating feeling! You wait for someone or something to show up, and they are late. You get anxious, and you keep checking again and again if they have arrived. Be it a person or a train, theres always inner anguish associated with waiting. It would make so much sense to have a word to describe that feeling. Although English doesnt have a word for it, Inuit does. They call this anxious feeling of waiting iktsuarpok, and until English has it, we will have to use that! (source)
Distinguished Delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen.

On behalf of UNDP, it is my great pleasure to address the 2019 Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction.

This Global Platform marks a crucial milestone for countries and the international community with less than an year to go until we reach the 2020 deadline of the Sendai Framework Target-E. It also provides a good opportunity to take stock of the progress we have made collectively in implementing other Targets of the Sendai Framework.

The theme of this years Global Platform emphasizes the importance of inclusive societies as a prerequisite for achieving long-term sustainability. The trend of growing inequalities has become a major concern, especially for the poorest and most vulnerable members of our societies. Inequality is also a major driver of risk. Therefore, at UNDP we are committed to strengthening inclusive and gender-sensitive approaches in our development, risk reduction and recovery efforts.

UNDP will also remain at the forefront of risk-informed development. Seeing how the efforts by our programme countries to achieve sustainable development have routinely been hampered by disasters and climate impacts, we now have clear evidence that sustainable development will remain elusive unless resilience and risk reduction considerations are fully integrated in development policy, planning and implementation. This notion is not only embedded in the Sendai Framework, but also in the Sustainable Development Goals, the Paris Agreement, as well as the UN Secretary Generals Prevention Agenda. And I am pleased to see that member states have already made great strides in localizing these goals in their national development agendas.

UNDP looks forward to pursuing joint solutions to key challenges in collaboration with our sister UN agencies, partners, and the stakeholders we engage with at all levels of society. We can deliver these solutions, if we focus on three key obstacles. Firstly, the need to increase the financial basis for disaster risk reduction, which despite impressive progress with innovative financing instruments, has not yet reached the required levels. As the cost of disasters today equals all development cooperation, disaster risk reduction is simply put good economics. Secondly, ensuring that disaster risk reduction is effectively taken into consideration in the discussions on the humanitarian-development-peace nexus. And, finally, linked to this is, the need to address disaster risk reduction in tandem with other types of risks such as climate change, conflicts, and epidemics to reduce impacts on human security, sustainable development and community resilience. This comprehensive approach is also the direction we are getting from the UN Common Guidance on Helping Build Resilient Societies.

Ladies and Gentlemen, UNDP is the largest provider in the UN system of climate change adaptation and mitigation support. We also have a considerable portfolio of DRR and recovery programs, including support to 40 countries to align national and local DRR Strategies with the Sendai Frameworks requirements, and an investment of over $2.2 billion since 2005 in support of both Hyogo and Sendai Framework Priorities for Action. We are also fully committed to the United Nations Plan of Action on Disaster Risk Reduction for Resilience.

While considerable progress has been made, a long road lies ahead. UNDP believes that a collaborative, synergistic and partnership-based approach across countries and development contexts will be essential to translate the vision of Sendai into reality.

Thank you.
When armed men stormed into the remote village in south-west Cameroon, they took Agah Rachels husband, levelled a gun on him and pulled the trigger as she looked on.

As he fell to the ground, the 27-year-old widow knew she had to act fast. She took off with her sons into the surrounding bush with barely enough time to gather any personal belongings.

Frantic to get to safety, she hid out there for days, together with her elder brother and his family. They eventually made it across the border to neighbouring Nigeria.

Every day and every night, Im thinking. Im thinking about the crisis in Cameroon, about my late husband, says Agah.

Violent clashes between Cameroons military and armed separatists have displaced some 437,000 within the countrys borders and forced about 35,000 like Agah to seek safety in Nigeria. The displaced, the majority of whom are women and children, are mostly from English-speaking areas. They face great hardship in both countries.

I dont have any means to cope, I have no source of income.

Having fled with very little, their presence in already impoverished host communities is straining food resources and already limited health, education, water and sanitation facilities in these areas.

UNHCR has launched an urgent appeal to increase support for displaced Cameroonians who have survived nearly two years of ongoing violence. But of the US$184 million required for UNHCRs operations in Cameroon and Nigeria  including US$35.4 million needed urgently for critical life-saving assistance to newly displaced Cameroonians  just four per cent has been raised.

Now living in Adagom refugee settlement, Rachel has found safety but is nagged by constant worry over her childrens future.

For the nine months we have been here, my sons have not gone to school due to the poor school capacity, she says. I dont have any means to cope, I have no source of income.

An Anglophone refugee family from Cameroon wake up outdoors on a mat at the Agadom Refugee Settlement in Ogoja, Nigeria.  UNHCR/Will Swanson

Families wait to be relocated at the Agadom Refugee Settlement in Ogoja, Nigeria.  UNHCR/Will Swanson

"We are safe here, but we are suffering. My child is sick. We need help." Jecinta Iyale, 18, from Akwaya in Cameroon, holds her child at Agadom Refugee Settlement in Ogoja, Nigeria.  UNHCR/Will Swanson

"This is the message I'm giving you people with my tears. Deliver my message that we are suffering." Rachel Agah, a 27-year-old Anglophone refugee from Cameroon sits inside her temporary shelter in the Agadom Refugee Settlement in Ogoja, Nigeria.  UNHCR/Will Swanson

An elderly woman sits in a hall where Anglophone refugees from Cameroon wait to be relocated at the Agadom Refugee Settlement in Ogoja, Nigeria, April 2019.  UNHCR/Will Swanson

Although UNHCR has added extensions to some schools to cater for more students, the numbers are still too high to accommodate them.

Like Rachel, Emmanuel Apusa barely escaped with his life after an attack on his community in Miyerem, close to the border with Nigeria.

They came to our village and started shooting, he recalls. Right now as I speak, there are corpses rotting in the village there.

He arrived in Nigeria after a grueling three-day trek through the bush, with some neighbours who alo managed to escape.

The settlement hosting Emmanuel, one of three refugee sites hosting Cameroonian refugees, has doubled its capacity of 4,000 and currently hosts more than 7,000 refugees. The numbers have further increased as many refugees who previously lived in the host communities have relocated to the settlements since November.

The situation is desperate, says Josiah Flomo, the head of UNHCRs sub-office in Ogoja. Lack of funding is severely limiting our ability to adequately meet the peoples needs in almost all the sectors.

Lack of funding is severely limiting our ability to adequately meet the peoples needs in almost all the sectors.

Flomo adds that pressure on existing facilities including schools, health centers and water points is mounting and current resources are overstretched.

Many of the recent arrivals lack proper shelter. They are accommodated in large reception halls made of plastic sheeting, and even these are full to capacity.

The situation is not easy for us, says Emmanuel. Look at the population here - we cannot sleep inside this hall, so we sleep outside.

See also: Cameroonian refugees flee clashes and find safety in Nigeria

Rachel meanwhile lives in a borrowed tent. However, the conditions are far from ideal as she shares the medium-sized tent with ten people including her own children, her sister-in-law and her children.

I put a piece of cloth on the ground for my kids and my brothers kids to lie down, she explains.

UNHCR is working closely with the Nigerian government to register all new arrivals and provide basic assistance. This includes the harder to reach refugee population living in the host communities in over 47 villages along the border, who make up over 60 per cent of the refugee population.

Access to refugees in these areas is very challenging because of the time it takes to get there and poor road conditions during the rainy season, Flomo explains.

"As long as refugees keep arriving, we will need to take care of them  But we need urgent support."

To ease the strain on resources, UNHCR plans to put up new shelters for the arrivals and decongest Adagom settlement. Refugees are already being relocated from Adagom to another site, Okende. However, there are fears that if the crisis in Cameroon continues, more people will become displaced over the coming months and, with the limited resources, UNHCR will not be able to meet their needs.

As long as refugees keep arriving, we will need to take care of them, adds Flomo. But we need urgent support to help reduce this desperate situation.

For most of the refugees, including Rachel and Emmanuel, the struggle to cope with life in exile will continue.

I am suffering. We are suffering, laments Rachel. Its not easy to leave your country to go and suffer in a different country.
Putin on gas pipelines bypassing Ukraine: Easier to reach agreement with Turkey than EU

11:00, 16.05.19 2446

Earlier, Austria said the country did not intend to leave Russia's Nord Stream-2.
Ukraine sees goods exports grow by 7.4% in Q1

14:40, 16.05.19 1813

The European Union accounts for 42.7% of Ukraine's exports of goods.
Naftogaz to consider expediency of entering foreign borrowing market by September  CEO

14:00, 16.05.19 161

This will depend on the success of the finance ministry's entering the foreign market, which is scheduled for late May  early June, Kobolyev suggests.
The construction of a subway line to the Troieshchyna residential area will be the next step.

Kyiv Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko has said motor traffic on the Podilsko-Voskresensky Bridge will be opened as early as late 2020.

"Our task is to launch motor traffic on the Podilsko-Voskresensky Bridge by the end of next year. The residents of the Troieshchyna residential district are awaiting this," Klitschko told Ukrainian Pryamiy TV Channel.

According to him, the construction of a subway line to Troieshchyna will be the next step.

The City also plans to complete the construction of two new subway stations of the Syretsko-Pecherska subway line, namely the Mostytska and Prospekt Pravdy subway stations, within the next two years.

Read alsoKyiv to get funds from national budget for construction of bridge, subway line

Answering the host's question, Klitschko said construction works at the Shuliavsky overpass were continuing on schedule.

"Construction work at the Shuliavsky overpass is underway in line with the schedule. Our plans are to open motor traffic across the new Shuliavsky overpass by the end of this year," Klitschko said.
Lutsenko, who was elected as an MP in 2014, does not rule returning to parliament once his stint as chief prosecutor ends.

Ukraine's top prosecutor said he does not plan to resign and is ready to work with President-elect Volodymyr Zelensky, who has indicated repeatedly he would replace him as one of his first orders of business after taking power.

Yuriy Lutsenko said he held talks on May 11 with Zelensky, a comedian and political novice who won the election runoff against incumbent Petro Poroshenko in April and is expected to be sworn in this month, Bloomberg reports.

"We know each other well," Lutsenko said Tuesday in an interview at his office in Kyiv. "I had a good two-hour meeting with him. He mainly listened. I'm easy to get on with and I'm ready to work with everyone who works for Ukraine."

Read alsoUkrainian chief prosecutor Lutsenko: No grounds to resign

The prosecutor general's press secretary, Larysa Sargan, noted that the meeting was held at Zelensky's invitation, according to RBC-Ukraine.

The prosecutor's post has become a barometer of Ukraine's commitment to reforms after the 2014 ouster of Russian-backed leader Viktor Yanukovych. Lutsenko, an ally of outgoing President Petro Poroshenko, took up his post in 2016 and has been heavily criticized for not cracking down on crooked officials, while not properly investigating attacks on anti-corruption activists.

He recently came into international spotlight after he said U.S. "officials and citizens of the United States holding different posts in Ukraine" interfered in the 2016 U.S. elections to promote one of the candidates.

Read alsoU.S. Ambassador Yovanovitch's Ukraine reports biased: Lutsenko

By law, the president picks the prosecutor general and parliament must approve the candidate. Lawmakers can also fire prosecutors via no-confidence votes.

Zelensky has not changed his mind and still plans to replace him, Dmytro Razumkov, one of his aides, told Bloomberg by phone. "When it will happen depends on parliament," as Zelensky has several candidates for the job, he said.

Lutsenko, who was elected as a lawmaker in 2014, does not rule returning to parliament once his stint as chief prosecutor ends. "Never say never. I'm not aiming for parliament but I don't rule out that I may be there."
The businessman had been out of the country since 2017.

Businessman Ihor Kolomoisky returned to Ukraine overnight Thursday, May 16.

He has already confirmed the fact to theBabel publication.

When asked what the first thing will be he will do in Ukraine, he said he did not know.

Earlier, Mykhailo Tkach, a journalist with RFE/RL's Skhemy investigative project reported via his Telegram channel that a Privat Group's airplane Reg. No.UR-PRT arrived in Ukraine at 2:30 on May 16.

Later, Tkach added it was Ihor Kolomoisky who was on board the aircraft, according to his sources.

Read alsoKolomoisky on Ukrainian Prosecutor General Lutsenko's possible dismissal: Whom is he bother to?

The businessman earlier said he would return to Ukraine if Volodymyr Zelensky won the presidential election runoff. After Zelensky sealed his victory, Kolomoiksy said he was waiting for the inauguration of the president-elect.

Kolomoisky had been living in Israel, where he moved from Switzerland in the fall of 2018.

The businessman had been out of the country since 2017.
The NABU director says the Bureau never closed criminal cases against the former ecology minister.

Statements coming from the Prosecutor General's Office claiming the National Anti-corruption Bureau closed criminal cases launched against former minister of ecology Mykola Zlochevsky are nothing but "manipulation," according to NABU Director Artem Sytnyk.

The NABU chief says the Bureau never closed criminal cases against the former official, Hromadske reports.

Unfortunately, the Zlochevsky case is yet another manipulation by the Prosecutor Generals Office. That's because in a number of cases involving Zlochevsky which, indeed, had been transferred to NABU, no decisions have ever been taken by detectives on their closure. Now these cases are being investigated, and I cannot predict the consequences of the probe because it depends on the level of cooperation between detectives and prosecutors," said Sytnyk.

Read alsoTop anti-corruption prosecutor in Ukraine says colleagues from NABU too slow in probing defense embezzlement case

Earlier, Prosecutor General of Ukraine Yuriy Lutsenko said that the PGO was trying to "reanimate" the Zlochevsky case, noting that one case concerning the plundering of state resources was transferred to NABU, where, according to head of the Special Anti-corruption Prosecutor's Office, Nazar Kholodnytsky, it was closed as NABU detectives performed no investigative actions.

As reported by UNIAN, in June 2018, the Solomensky District Court of Kyiv resumed the investigation against former Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources, Mykola Zlochevsky. Thus, the court overturned the decision of the Specialized Anti-corruption Prosecutor's Office of August 1, 2017 on the closure of the proceedings.

Zlochevsky fled from Ukraine in late 2014 after the PGO launched a probe into his "illegal enrichment." In January 2015, the PGO put Zlochevsky on wanted list. However, in the fall of 2016, Zlochevsky was taken off the wanted list after the PGO submitted a relevant motion.

In December 2016, reports came claiming Zlochevsky met in Vienna with Ihor Kononenko, an MP from the Petro Poroshenko Bloc, while the latter refuted the allegation.
Of this amount, $50 million is proposed to be sent solely to provide lethal defensive weapons.

The U.S. Congress subcommittee has approved a bill providing for the allocation of $250 million in defense assistance to Ukraine.

"The defense subcommittee of the U.S. House Appropriations Committee has approved a bill on the FY 2020 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The amount of funds proposed for providing security assistance to Ukraine is set at $250 million. Of this amount, $50 million is proposed to be allocated solely on the provision of lethal defensive weapons," the Embassy of Ukraine in the USA wrote on Facebook.

Read alsoUkraine could receive another batch of Javelins  Volker

The document also provides that these funds should also be directed to the implementation of such programs as military personnel training, provision of military hardware and equipment, logistics, and intelligence support of the Ukrainian armed forces.

The document should be approved by the House Appropriations Committee and then passed by the House of Representatives and the Senate, after which it will be handed over to the U.S. president to enact it.
In this case, the parliament chairman will determine the date according to a resolution which will gain most votes.

Deputy Chair of the Verkhovna Rada Oksana Syroid has said the Ukrainian parliament will not support any of the resolutions submitted by different deputies on the inauguration date to have President-elect Volodymyr Zelensky sworn in.

Speaking at an investment conference organized by Concorde Capital in Kyiv, she recalled the vote on the issue should take place on May 16.

"I think none of the resolutions will gain enough votes," Syroid said.

Read alsoG7 ambassadors call on Poroshenko to ensure smooth transition of power

According to her, in this case, the head of parliament will determine the date of inauguration by the resolution, which received the most votes.

Syroid also called disputes over the inauguration date a senseless "fuss" between opposing political forces.

As of today, eight draft resolutions had been registered in parliament with different dates for the newly elected president's swearing-in ceremony. One of them was withdrawn. They propose different dates, namely May 17, May 19, May 20, May 26, and May 28.
The Mejlis Chairman does not rule out that the Russian occupation authorities are preparing new large-scale provocations against the Crimean Tatars.

Chairman of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People, Member of Parliament of Ukraine Refat Chubarov says "police officers" in Russian-occupied Crimea suspect the stepson of the Ukrainian President's envoy for the Crimean Tatar people, Mustafa Dzhemilev, as well as about 10 other local residents of involvement in terrorist activities.

"On May 15, 2019, in Bakhchisaray, Russian occupiers  precinct police officers  raided the houses of Crimean Tatars, interrogating and checking them against their lists.

At the same time, police officer of the 6th residential district Ekaterina Yakhova came to the house of Safinar Dzhemileva, wife of the Crimean Tatar leader Mustafa Dzhemilev. At that time, their adult adopted son Eldar was alone in the house," he wrote on Facebook on May 15.

Read alsoHizb ut-Tahrir case: Russian court extends remand time for Crimean Tatar men

The police officer recorded Eldar's personal data, checking him against a certain list with several dozens of names and stating that all of them, including Eldar, are allegedly involved in terrorist-related activities.

The Mejlis Chairman does not rule out that Russian occupation authorities are preparing new large-scale provocations against the Crimean Tatars.
In addition, Peskov left without an answer the question on whether Russian President Vladimir Putin plans to congratulate Zelensky on taking office.

Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov says Russian representatives have not been invited to attend the inauguration ceremony where President-elect Volodymyr Zelensky will be sworn in.

"At the moment I'm not aware of any plans or ongoing contacts. As far as I know, there have been no invitations at any level," Peskov said, according to an UNIAN correspondent in Russia.

At the same time, he stressed he is not familiar with Ukraine's protocol since in many countries, the inauguration does not imply the presence of foreign guests.

In addition, he did not answer the question on whether Russian President Vladimir Putin plans to congratulate Zelensky in connection with his taking office.

Read alsoZelensky's inauguration to be held May 20

"I cannot answer your question. This is for the Russian president to decide," Peskov said.

As UNIAN earlier reported, the Central Election Commission on April 30 officially declared Zelensky winner of the presidential election.

According to the results of the April 21 runoff, Zelensky was supported by 73.22% of voters, incumbent president Petro Poroshenko was backed by 24.45%.

Ukrainian lawmakers on May 16 decided the inauguration of President-elect Volodymyr Zelensky would be held at 10:00 on May 20.

Under the Law of Ukraine on the Election of the President of Ukraine, the newly elected president shall acquire authority after taking the oath to the Ukrainian people at an official meeting in parliament, after which the CEC shall present him or her with a mandate of the President of Ukraine.
Almost half of those polled want the status of Russia-occupied districts in Donetsk and Luhansk regions to be decided in a national referendum.

Some 75% of Ukrainians believe that President-elect Volodymyr Zelensky should engage in direct dialogue with representatives of the Russian Federation to bring peace back to Donbas, eastern Ukraine.

These are findings of a poll presented by the Social Monitoring Center, the Ukrainian Institute for Social Research named after Oleksandr Yaremenko, and the Rating Sociological Group at a press conference in Kyiv, according to an UNIAN correspondent.

Read alsoZelensky: Minsk process will be rebooted; hostages in Russia, Donbas must return home

Almost half of the respondents (49.2%) believe that the issue of the status of the Russia-occupied districts in Donetsk and Luhansk regions must be decided in a national referendum.

In addition, 65.3% of respondents affirmatively answered the question whether Ukraine should make compromises for the sake of restoring peace and retaking its territory.

"Some 75% believe that the president of Ukraine should enter a direct dialogue with the Russian Federation for the sake of establishing peace in the east of the country: 50.8% answered 'definitely yes' and 'rather yes' was the answer of 24.2%. Some 16% disagree and 9% are undecided," the findings say.

Also, more than half (55.4%) of respondents believe that the president of Ukraine, in order to establish peace in the east of the country, should engage in direct dialogue with "leaders" of the so-called "Donetsk People's Republic" ("DPR") and "Luhansk People's Republic" ("LPR"). Every third respondent (32.7%) disagrees with the statement, the rest (11.9%) hesitate to answer.

What is more, the idea of "Granting these territories a special status that provides for autonomy within Ukraine" as an option for solving the problem of uncontrolled territories of Donetsk and Luhansk region received the highest level of support (39.9%). This option prevails in all regions except the west of Ukraine.

Some 18.5% of those polled agreed with the idea of "Official recognition that these territories cannot be returned to Ukraine in the coming years and their isolation." Somewhat lower support (17.3%) was given to the option "Continuing hostilities aimed at restoring Ukraine's full control over these territories by military means," but it was the most frequent choice of residents in the western part of Ukraine, where 33.7% of those polled would support it.

The Social Monitoring Center, the Oleksandr Yaremenko Ukrainian Institute for Social Research, the Rating Sociological Group conducted a national survey from April 30 to May 10, 2019, in 24 regions of Ukraine and the city of Kyiv. A total of 3,000 respondents were polled. The method of obtaining information is an individual one-on-one interview at the respondent's place of residence. The margin of error is between 1.10% and 1.83%.
The respective petition scored 25,000 votes.

The Ukrainian parliament's committee on human rights, national minorities and interethnic relations has decided to register a draft law on the legalization of the medical use of cannabis; the bill was proposed by non-governmental organizations (NGOs).

The decision was taken unanimously at a committee meeting on May 15, the Ukrayinska Pravda online newspaper said.

Read alsoCocaine seized from vessel at Yuzhny seaport worth over $51 mln (Photo)

Chairman of the committee, member of the Batkivshchyna parliamentary faction Hryhoriy Nemyria noted that it was a precedent when the committee took a decision after it had considered an electronic petition requesting lawmakers to legislatively settle the use of cannabis for science and medicine and thus protect citizens' constitutional rights. The petition gained more than 25,000 votes.

Member of the People's Front parliamentary faction Georgiy Logvinskiy explained that the ad hoc group had supported the initiative of the authors of this petition.

"The ad hoc group's decision that we've passed was the following: we will submit a draft law, which will pass its first reading, we'll adopt it as a basis, we will continue considering ways of further possible developments," he said.

The document whose unofficial name is "the Bill on the Right to Life" is designed to give patients access to cannabinoids.

As was reported, a petition demanding amendments to the legislation so that cannabis could be used for medical and scientific purposes was registered on the parliament's website on January 30. The document scored the required number of votes.

Ukrainian Health Minister Ulana Suprun supported the petition and called for the legalization of medical cannabis.
International Vyshyvanka Day celebrates Ukraine's unique embroidered outfits that have long become one of Ukraine's trademarks.

Vyshyvanka Day was first celebrated in 2006 on the initiative of Lesia Voroniuk, a student at Chernivtsi University.

The idea started off as a student event to honor Ukraine's heritage and promote traditional Ukrainian values and symbols among the youths. To relate to the event, on a particular day, participants were invited to sport vyshyvankas at the university.

The event went viral and rapidly gained recognition across Ukraine, eventually sparking the move to mark Vyshyvanka Day at a national level and beyond, on the third Thursday of May.

On this day, people show off their vyshyvankas at work, in classes and simply in the streets.

Festivals, dance shows, marches, and various art contests are organized in Ukraine and all over the world.

Today, Ukraine's President-elect Volodymyr Zelensky posted on Instagram a selfie showing him sporting a vyshyvanka. The caption to the photo says: "Happy Vyshyvanka Day! Didn't forget my vyshyvanka but forgot to shave! Don't forget to congratulate others."

Read alsoOzzy Osbourne's daughter Kelly impressed by Ukrainian vyshyvanka dress

On the 5th anniversary of the holiday, in 2011, Chernivtsi got into the Guinness Book of Records by the number of people sporting vyshyvankas at a single location. Some 4,000 people gathered in the central square of the city to express their respect for the holiday.

Each region's vyshyvankas have their peculiar symbols and traditional colors used. For example, residents of Poltava region fancy white embroidery, in Bukovyna they tend to go for bright colors, while Ternopil people prefer vyshyvankas with black ornaments.

These days, Ukrainians wear vyshyvankas, as a symbol of their national identity, at many state and religious holidays, political and cultural events, and special family celebrations  baptism ceremonies, weddings, and birthday parties.

Today, artists, athletes, politicians and even Hollywood celebs show increasing interest in Ukrainian vyshyvankas.
He says the ongoing split should be overcome with the help of the Church Council.

Metropolitan of Pereyaslav-Khmelnytsky and Vishnevsky Oleksandr (Drabynko) has explained the reasons for the significant reduction in the number of transitions of religious communities to the newly formed Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU).

"These are the realities of today, and I associate them with the conflict," Drabynko told Hromadske, hinting at the conflict between Filaret, an honorable patriarch of the OCU, and the new church's primate, Metropolitan Epifaniy.

"It is the 'conciliar mind' that should overcome the conflict, or this could be the Council, the inner understanding, which will relieve tensions. But I am convinced head of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine should voice his position and answer certain questions," he said, adding that the move is a must following Filaret's statement published earlier.

As UNIAN reported earlier, on April 27, Patriarch Filaret said he was not satisfied with the OCU's status as a metropolis.

Read alsoTomos of church autocephaly will not be revoked  Poroshenko's adviser

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, using invitation blanks of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyiv Patriarchate, in defiance of the newly-created OCU which received a tomos of autocephaly from the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople.

Only four of 60 clerics invited eventually showed up.

Earlier, Filaret refused to recognize the UOC-KP as "liquidated" as a result of the creation of the OCU.

At the same time, the Ministry of Culture assures that the UOC-KP was dissolved on December 15, 2018, during the Unification Council.
"We seek unity, and we seek to have peace reigning over our church," Epifaniy said.

Metropolitan of Kyiv and all Ukraine, head of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) Epifaniy has said he is ready to listen to the advice of Honorable Patriarch of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine Filaret, but is not going to fulfill his ultimatums.

"In general, I never ignored his opinions, I often spoke with him and I continue to communicate. But it's necessary to understand the format of communication. It's necessary to understand the difference between advice and ultimatums. When talking with Honorable Patriarch Filaret, I repeatedly insisted on this  I am ready to listen to his advice. Because he really has a lot of experience in leading the church for more than half a century. But I am not ready to fulfill certain ultimatums because I am a primate who has been lawfully elected at the Unification Council," Epifaniy said in an interview with BBC News Ukraine.

He said he personally has no right to change decisions taken collectively by the Council.

"Therefore, I listened, I talked, but all this time, to a certain extent, I, as the head of the church, was even humiliated due to pressure and demands incompatible with the charter and the tomos," Epifaniy said.

Read alsoTomos of church autocephaly will not be revoked  Poroshenko's adviser

At the same time, he promised he would do everything possible for the sake of peace and unity in spite of anything.

He also commented on Filaret's requirement to hand over under his control church's internal affairs and deal for foreign affairs only.

"I was elected by a majority vote at the Unification Council and accepted this as a manifestation of God's will, therefore, as a primate, I must adhere to the canonical order, statute, and norms of the tomos. I do not have the right to violate them by satisfying the desires of any bishop of our church. This does not depend on me. As a primate, I have no right to personally change what decisions taken collectively," Epifaniy said.

He also assured there was no split in the OCU, despite the recent harsh statements.

Asked of the possibility of Filaret's excommunication, Epifaniy said: "I wouldn't comment on issues that bring certain dissonance and impose a split. Why should we say "rest" or "excommunication"? This is groundless and destructive."

Read also"Discord gift for Kremlin": Activists rally outside Filaret's residence calling for church unity

"We seek unity, and we seek to have peace reigning over our church," Epifaniy said.

Commenting on Filaret's claim that Epifaniy seems to suit Russia as head of the OCU as there is no criticism coming from Moscow toward him, the Metropolitan said "it is not about me."

"What's Moscow's objective? It's having us lose the tomos [of autocephaly]. Because losing the tomos means losing canonical recognition. It's this canonical recognition which once was the argument of the Russian Orthodox Church that restrained Orthodox believers from shifting toward the Kyiv Patriarchate."

He stressed, "Moscow will never be okay with any of OCU primates because they are not okay with the very fact the canonically-recognized church exists in Ukraine."

"There have been a lot of statements over the past days, but there is no split in the OCU. We respect Honorable Patriarch Filaret, who did much to make the Ukrainian church autocephalous," Epifaniy added.

Read alsoPatriarch Filaret talks of split, schools Metropolitan Epifaniy

As UNIAN reported earlier, on April 27, Patriarch Filaret said he was not satisfied with the OCU's status as a metropolis.

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, using invitation blanks of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyiv Patriarchate, in defiance of the newly-created OCU which received a tomos of autocephaly from the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople.

Only four of 60 clerics invited eventually showed up.

Earlier, Filaret refused to recognize the UOC-KP as "liquidated" as a result of the creation of the OCU.

At the same time, the Ministry of Culture assures that the UOC-KP was dissolved on December 15, 2018, during the Unification Council.
Ukraine Army reported no casualties over the period under review.

Russia's hybrid military forces on May 15 mounted 24 attacks on Ukrainian army positions in Donbas.

"Ukraine Army reported no casualties over the past day. According to intelligence reports, one invader was killed," the press center of Ukraine's Joint Forces Operation said in an update on Facebook as of 07:00 Kyiv time on May 16, 2019.

What is more, Ukrainian troops successfully downed an enemy UAV.

During the period under review, Russian occupation forces opened fire from 120mm and 82mm mortars, weapons installed on infantry fighting vehicles, anti-tank missile systems, grenade launchers of various types, heavy machine guns, and small arms to attack the Ukrainian positions near the towns of Maryinka, Avdiyivka and Schastia, and the villages of Pavlopil, Mykolaivka, Novotroyitske, Novoselivka Druha, Lebedynske, Talakivka, Pisky, Hnutove, Zolote-4, Pivdenne, Novhorodske, and Pishchane.

Read alsoUkraine's former JFO chief says commanders have learned to make well-informed decisions

"From midnight on Thursday, Russia-led forces attacked Ukrainian positions near the villages of Novotroyitske, Bohdanivka and Pavlopil, using grenade launchers of various types and small arms. There were no casualties among the Ukrainian military [on Thursday]," the report said.
Russia-led forces used proscribed weapons, namely 120mm and 82mm mortars.

One Ukrainian soldier was killed in action, another serviceman was wounded in action amid six enemy attacks in Donbas on Thursday, May 16.

"As a result of shelling, one member of the Joint Forces was killed, another defender was wounded," the press center of the Joint Force Operation headquarters said on Facebook in an evening update on May 16.

Read alsoUkraine reports 24 enemy attacks in Donbas warzone in past day

Russia-led forces opened fire on Ukrainian positions, using proscribed 120mm and 82mm mortars, as well as weapons of infantry fighting vehicles, grenade launchers of various systems, large-caliber machine guns and small arms.

Hot spots in the Skhid (East) sector were the villages of Vodiane, Troyitske, Kamyanka, Bohdanivka, and Pavlopil.

The village of Novozvanivka in the Pivnich (North) sector was attacked by infantry fighting vehicles. Illegal armed formations also used grenade launchers to attack Ukrainian positions near the village.

Ukraine's Joint Forces had to fire back. "Information about enemy losses is being verified," the press center said.
Ten of the network's members have been charged with conspiracy to steal online banking credentials and deposits under a U.S. grand jury indictment.

Police in six countries have dismantled a complex cybercrime network that operated from Eastern Europe and fleeced victims  including small businesses and charities  of some $100 million, Europe's police agency said on Thursday.

The GozNym network, led by a man from Tbilisi, Georgia, used phishing emails to infect the computers of more than 41,000 victims with malware. Specialised members of the group in Bulgaria and Ukraine then seized control of victims' online bank accounts and transferred their funds to laundering accounts, Reuters said.

Read alsoTurchynov: All attempts to penetrate electoral bodies' cyberdefenses contained

Ten of the network's members have been charged with conspiracy to steal online banking credentials and deposits under a U.S. grand jury indictment.

"The victims included mom and pop businesses..., law firms, international corporations,...non-profit organizations that worked with disabled children," U.S. Attorney Scott Brady told a news conference in The Hague.

Brady said the collaboration between American, Georgian, Ukrainian, German, Bulgarian and Moldovan law enforcement that was required to dismantle the crime group would prove a "blueprint" for future operations.

GozNym featured the Georgian ringleader, a Russian software developer, encryption experts in Moldova and Kazakhstan, "account takeover specialists" in Bulgaria and Ukraine, as well as assorted spammers, money launderers and "mules" (money carriers).

The defendants allegedly advertised their specialised technical skills and services on underground, Russian-speaking online forums.

The operation against the group began in 2016 with a German-led action in Ukraine that shut down the network's servers.

Its alleged leader is being prosecuted in Georgia. Other prosecutions are underway in Moldova, Ukraine and the U.S.

Five Russians charged in the U.S. indictment, including the man accused of having developed the malware, remain at large, according to Europol.
There was no immediate reaction to the sanctions by either the Kremlin or Chechen officials.

U.S. officials have announced new financial sanctions on a Chechen law enforcement agency linked to a recent "gay purge" that has resulted in dozens of gay and bisexual men being imprisoned, and in some cases, tortured.

The Treasury Department also said in a statement on May 16 that it was sanctioning a top-ranking Chechen for his alleged links to the 2015 assassination of Russian opposition leader Boris Nemtsov, Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) has said.

The individuals targeted were sanctioned under the 2012 Magnitsky Act. That law, and a wider one passed four years later, gives U.S. officials the authority to sanction people and entities for human rights abuses in Russia and around the world.

In a statement, Sigal Mandelker, undersecretary of the Treasury for terrorism and financial intelligence, said the sanctions targeted an agency called the Terek Special Rapid Response Team.

Read alsoRFE/RL: U.S. extends sanctions on Russian prosecutor's son, daughter of late Uzbek president

The Terek unit and its commander Abuzayed Vismuradov have been allegedly linked to the roundup of gay men in Chechnya.

Russian and international activists first warned of what came to be known as the "gay purge" in Chechnya in early 2017.

A second wave of detentions was reported to have occurred in late 2018 and early 2019.

Another Chechen official, Ruslan Geremeyev, was also sanctioned for his alleged role in plotting the killing of Nemtsov, who was gunned down just meters from the Kremlin walls in February 2015.

Geremeyev is a former commander of a notorious Chechen military unit known as Sever, and a close confidant of Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, who has himself been sanctioned under the Magnitsky Act.

There was no immediate reaction to the sanctions by either the Kremlin or Chechen officials.

Three other people hit with sanctions on May 16 were the head of a prison colony in the northern Russian region of Karelia, and a man and a woman implicated in the 2009 death of Sergei Magnitsky, after whom the U.S. law is named.

Magnitsky was a Russian accountant who helped uncover a massive tax fraud that stole $230 million from the Russian Treasury.

He was later jailed by Russian officials, accused of perpetrating the fraud himself, and he died in a Moscow jail after suffering medical problems and mistreatment that rights activists said amounted to torture. After his death, he was put on trial and convicted of the tax fraud.
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Washington : Escalating the bruising trade war with China, President Donald Trump has signed an executive order barring American companies from installing the foreign-made telecom equipment deemed a national security threat, a move apparently aimed at banning Chinese giant Huawei from US networks.



The decision taken on Wednesday risks escalating tensions with China as the world's two largest economies clash over whether Huawei  the world's largest provider of telecommunications equipment  poses a spying risk to Western infrastructure networks. Under the order that will take effect in the coming days, Huawei will need a US government license to buy American technology.

Soon after the executive order - "Securing the Information and Communications Technology and Services Supply Chain" - was signed, the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) of the Department of Commerce announced that it will be adding Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd and its affiliates to its Entity List.



The Department of Commerce alleged that Huawei was engaged in activities that are contrary to US national security or foreign policy interest. As a result, sale or transfer of American technology to a company or person on the Entity List requires a license issued by the BIS, and a license may be denied if the sale or transfer would harm US national security or foreign policy interests. The listing will be effective when published in the Federal Register. PTI
15 May saw a tsunami of demonstrators come out against education cuts and counter-reforms to pensions in Brazil. More than 1.5 million hit the streets of over 200 cities across the country during the national education strike against the latest measures of the Bolsonaro government, which include a 30 percent cut to university budgets. Despite its bravado, the government is weak and divided. The slogan Fora Bolsonaro (Bolsonaro Out) resonated widely. Certainly, Brazil is not in the throes of fascism. Far from it. It is now time to prepare a general strike to bring this government down.

The national education strike, called by the National Confederation of Education Unions (CNTE), the National Union of Students (UNE) and many other organisations of teachers, non-teaching staff and students, was a direct response to the provocative actions of education minister Abraham Weintraub, who announced the university budget cuts, as well as a complete freeze in research grants for graduate students. This was not just a case of a reactionary government carrying out education cuts, which would be bad enough. Weintraub belongs to the olavista wing of the Bolsonaro government, made up of those who support the former disgraced astrologist turned YouTube influencer, Olavo de Carvalho.

Weintraub, who was only appointed at the beginning of April, has presented his attacks on state education as part of a war against cultural Marxism in the universities, and made endless provocative statements against teachers, students and the state education system in general. He started by announcing he would cut the budget of three universities, the University of Brasilia (UnB), the Federal Fluminense University (UFF) and the Bahia Federal University (UFBA), which he accused of not being up to standards and of using resources to organise silly events and pandemonium. A few days later, it became clear that the 30 percent cut affected the whole of the education sector.

A wave of outrage

This triggered a wave of outrage amongst students, lecturers, researchers and others. There were mass assemblies, and already on 8 May there were massive demonstrations in the most-affected universities. 15,000 lecturers and students marched at the UFF in Rio de Janeiro. The mood was very angry and spreading to ever-wider layers. That set the stage for the massive outpour on 15 May.

According to the National Union of Students (UNE), the total number at the demonstrations was 1.5 million. There were huge demonstrations in Brasilia (50,000), Fortaleza in the North East (100,000), Belo Horizonte in the South-Eastern state of Minas Gerais (where the bourgeois media put the figure at 250,000) as well as in Sao Paulo (250,000) and Rio de Janeiro (over 200,000). The movement had a real national spread, covering the 26 states of Brazil.

As an indication of the problems the Bolsonaro government faces in getting its policies through, Weintraub was forced to appear before a control session in parliament. Amongst those who voted for the control session were some parties that support the government. At the session, which took place on the day of the strike, Weintraub attempted to play down the scope of the cuts, explaining that in reality, they amounted to only 3.5 chocolates out of 100. In fact he was talking of the overall budget, rather than the discretionary budget that he has direct control over, which is indeed being cut by 30 percent. During the day, there was confusion as to whether the government had been forced to make a concession, with some members of parliament saying the minister had withdrawn the cuts. In the end, Weintraub said he had convinced Bolsonaro to maintain the cuts. Meanwhile, vice-president Mourao, who is the acting president while Bolsonaro is on an official visit to the US, said that the government had failed in explaining the cuts in education, revealing once again the deep rifts that criss-cross the government, mainly between the olavistas and the generals, including Mourao.

In its usual style, Bolsonaro from the US added fuel to the fire by describing the protesters as useful idiots:

It is natural [that there are protests], most of them are militants. There's nothing in their head. If you ask them how much is seven times eight, they do not know. If you ask them the formula of water, they do not know, they dont know anything. They are useful idiots, imbeciles, who are being used as the maneuvering mass of a smart little minority that makes up the nucleus of many federal universities in Brazil."

The Folha de Sao Paulo carried an article quoting from sources within the military saying that Bolsonaros tactics were reckless. Instead of explaining the cuts in terms of the budgetary needs Bolsonaro prefered to use the cuts as an ideological weapon against the ideological domination of the academic world, complained another article in the Folha, which pointed out that the mobilisation had gone beyond the layers directly involved in the unions and the left, with the participation of many middle-class students, many of whose parents certainly voted Bolsonaro.

Bolsonaro's education cuts have unleashed a massive wave of protest, and his reckless insults towards the protesters have only poured fuel on the flames / Image: fair use

What the most astute sectors of the Brazilian capitalist class are warning is that Bolsonaros brazen tactics threaten to create a proliferation of demonstrations. This is precisely at the time when the focus should be on the pensions reform, so complained sources within the Ministry of Defense to the Folha.

Another bourgeois commentator, Helio Gurovitz, described Bolsonaros attacks as a big mistake and warned on the website of the right-wing Globo media group: Treating the issue as an ideological clash, as the government has done from the outset, shows only ignorance. Added to Bolsonaro's ineptitude for politics, he could seal a fatal sentence for his government.

Failures of Brazilian left

The scope of the mobilisation on 15 May surprised all bourgeois commentators. The Folha de Sao Paulo, one of the main mouthpieces of the capitalist class, headlined: The streets surprise the political world again. Equally stunned were all those in the left who had described Bolsonaros election victory in October as the arrival of fascism. They wrongly interpreted the vote for Bolsonaro as a shift to the right in society, with millions endorsing his reactionary demagogy. They utterly failed to understand the meaning of that election.

Yes, there is no doubt, Bolsonaro is a disgusting reactionary demagogue and his stated views are abhorrent. The fact that he has been elected means that fascist gangs and the state apparatus now feel they can act with even more impunity than before. But his election does not mean that an overwhelming majority of Brazilian society supports him and all of his views, and he certainly has not been able to build an organised mass movement he can use against the working class and the left.

First of all, a large part of his vote was on an anti-establishment basis: a vote against corruption, against insecurity and crime, against the democratic system, which offers millions of Brazilians very little. Of course, this anti-establishment vote has been captured by a reactionary demagogue and that is mainly the responsibility of successive PT governments, which carried out, in the main, the policies required by the ruling class, and in coalition with one of the main capitalist parties. In the face of an anti-establishment surge, the PT decided to fight back with empty appeals to the unity of all democrats (that is, the capitalist parties) and to defend democracy (that is, the status quo that the people had already rejected).

Secondly, Bolsonaro received 57 million votes in the second round, 39 percent of all registered voters. The PT candidate, Haddad received 47 million, 31 percent of the electorate. But to this we have to add 43 million who either abstained, voted blank or spoilt their ballots, a significant 29 percent in a country where voting is compulsory. The main trend in the election was the rejection of the whole of the political system.

The scope of the mobilisation on 15 May surprised all bourgeois commentators, not to mention the leadership of the Brazilian 'left' / Image: Liberdade e Luta

We explained at the time that the Brazilian working class had not been defeated, its forces were intact and that as soon as the government started to implement its economic programme, represented by Chicago-educated finance minister Paulo Guedes, it would be faced by massive resistance. This is what we are starting to see now.

This government is barely five months old and, as well as being riddled by open internal conflict and contradictions between its wings (Bolsonaro and the olavistas, the generals and Guedes), and being marred by corruption scandals, it has already conjured an unprecedented mass movement against it. Quite a feat.

Recent opinion polls show that the government that has suffered the biggest fall in popularity at this point of its mandate since the Collor government in the 1990s, which was removed by a mass movement. In January, just as it took office, 40 percent of the people considered the government good or excellent, while only 20 percent said it was bad or appalling. The most recent poll, carried out at the beginning of May, before the beginning of the current movement, showed that approval for the government had fallen to 35 percent while disapproval had increased to 31 percent.

Even more interesting was the fact that a majority (51 to 44) now reject the pension counter-reform, the key policy the ruling class needs to get from this government and which, of course, was not highlighted during the election campaign.

The education strike on 15 May also included amongst its demands opposition to the pension counter-reform, which will mean workers having to pay higher contributions and having to work longer to get the same pensions as before, which will have a major impact particularly on public-sector workers. This question promises to be a key battle for this government and it is not clear it will be able to get it passed.

The Brazilian working class has not been defeated, its forces are intact, and now that the government is starting to implement its economic programme, it is beginning to face massive resistance / Image: fair use

The problem with those who drew very pessimistic conclusions from the election of Bolsonaro is that their wrong analysis then prevented them from understanding the real mood that was building up. When I attended the national conference of the Esquerda Marxista (the Brazilian section of the IMT) at the end of April, one of the main debates was precisely on the question of the slogan Fora Bolsonaro! (Bolsonaro Out!). As the comrades pointed out: Marxists see a qualitative change in the political situation, where class struggle is raging and social explosions are on the horizon. The base of support of this government has been melting since 1 January, and more and more workers are becoming aware of its reactionary character.

The comrades explained how all the main tendencies in the workers movement and the left were against raising this slogan. The PT argued that as Bolsonaro had been elected democratically he should be allowed to finish his term of office! At the Sao Paulo May Day rally, the PT leader Haddad specifically spoke against raising the slogan on constitutional grounds. Responding to shouts from the crowd of Fora Bolsonaro he replied: We have to be very careful, because the Constitution establishes that impeachment must have a crime of responsibility. It cannot be a slogan. Crime of responsibility is one thing and we must be strictly faithful to the Constitution"

On the other hand, the ultra-lefts, in all of their varieties, refuse to raise this slogan on the grounds that it is premature, and as Bolsonaro got a majority vote by millions of people, we are facing an offensive by neo-fascism, etc. Scandalously, some of these groups are the same that, during the impeachment of Dilma, raised the slogan Fora Todos Eles (Kick Them All Out), de facto siding with the right wing, and see no problem in raising the slogan Fora Maduro for Venezuela, in the midst of an imperialist coup.

Fora Bolsonaro!

At the Esquerda Marxista congress, a comrade from Sao Paulo explained his experiences in the teachers union where he is active. While discussing mobilisations in the education sector, he raised the need to use the slogan Fora Bolsonaro. He was opposed by both the PT and the other left groups represented in the assembly, but when it came to the vote, almost half of the union members present voted in favour.

A comrade from a teachers union in Florianopolis also reported from the school where he works. He started to agitate against the pension reform. Florianopolis is in the Santa Catarina state, where Bolsonaro received over 75 percent of the vote in the second round. The comrade knew that a majority of his work colleagues had voted for him. He offered to use an online calculator to work out what would be the impact of the pension counter-reform for each of them individually. They entered a few basic facts and they got the results. Of course, in all cases they would have to pay more and retire later. As soon as they realised, they were demanding strike action!

The problem is that, instead of carrying out a serious campaign of explanation and mobilisation, the trade union leaders have been dragging their feet. At the time of the election, the leaders of the CUT boasted that they would never recognise the Bolsonaro government, as it was illegitimate. Soon they changed tack. Now their strategy for fighting the pension reform seems to be one of making appeals to members of parliament!

The pensions reform law was accepted for parliamentary discussion on 14 April. The unions then used May Day to announce a joint general strike... on June 14. The date could not be worse. It would be 45 full days later, when the parliamentary procedure would be well underway. The trade union leaders do not see the general strike as part of a plan to defeat the government through mass mobilisation to eventually bring it down, something which is completely possible given the balance of forces, but rather as a way of putting pressure on the members of parliament.

The upsurge of the movement against education cuts, which many have compared to the mass mobilisations in 2013, shows that the terrain is favourable for a mass fight to tear down the government. The concrete demands of each sector (against privatisation, against attacks on womens rights, against cuts in education, against police and army repression, etc.) need to be unified in a joint struggle. Fora Bolsonaro is the slogan that crystallises that strategy, and that is why it was so popular on 15 May everywhere the comrades from the Esquerda Marxista and the Liberdade e Luta youth organisation raised it, through leaflets, placards and from the official speakers stages.

The UNE has already called for another national day of struggle on 30 May, and then there is the general strike against pensions counter-reform on 14 June. The stage is set for further explosions of the class struggle and political polarisation. If the trade union leaders had a clear strategy it would be possible to defeat the reactionary Bolsonaro government through mass action on the streets, posing the question: who rules the country?
Ambassador of Tajikistan Ismatullo Nasredin Wednesday asked the Deputy Chairman Senate Saleem Mandviwalla to help expedite the work on Central Asia-South Asia Power Project (CASA-1000) so that the region could benefit from that project

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 15th May, 2019 ) :Ambassador of Tajikistan Ismatullo Nasredin Wednesday asked the Deputy Chairman Senate Saleem Mandviwalla to help expedite the work on Central Asia-South Asia Power Project (CASA-1000) so that the region could benefit from that project.

Afghanistan had completed work on their side however work on Pakistan's side was slow which should be accelerated, he shared these views in a meeting with Deputy Chairman Senate, who called on him here and exchanged views over trade and other bilateral issues.

Deputy Chairman Senate assured the envoy that the matters would be taken up with the stakeholders concerned for the earliest resolve, a press release said.

Mandviwalla stressed the need for strengthening the Parliamentary relations among the two countries and extended the invitation to the Chairman of Majlisi Milli Majlisi Oli.

The ambassador insisted that Pakistan might attend the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) to be hosted by Tajikistan this summer.

Convenor Pakistan-Tajikistan Parliamentary Friendship Group in Senate, Senator Kulsoom Parveen, who was also present at the meeting, said that their group would visit Tajikistan after Eid.
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UNITED NATIONS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 16th May, 2019) Belgium, Germany and Kuwait, which are engaged in efforts to stabilize the humanitarian situation in Syria, have requested another meeting of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) devoted to the country, which has been in the state of a military conflict for years, a UNSC source told Sputnik.

The previous meeting, initiated by the same states, was held in the closed format last Friday.

"Kuwait, Germany, Belgium, as copenholders of the Syria humanitarian file, have called for an open meeting of the UNSC on the situation in [northwestern] Syria and requested OCHA [United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs] to brief.

This follows up on the consultations they called for last Friday," the source said on Wednesday.

The source added that Indonesia, which presides over the UNSC in May, has not yet announced the date to the future meeting, noting that Friday was considered for it.

Syria has been rocked by the military conflict, which led to displacement and a humanitarian crisis, since 2011.
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Kyrgyzstan will enhance cooperation with China on law enforcement and security, said Kyrgyz President Sooronbay Jeenbekov on Tuesday when meeting with visiting Chinese State Councilor and Minister of Public Security Zhao Kezhi

BISHKEK, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 15th May, 2019 ) :Kyrgyzstan will enhance cooperation with China on law enforcement and security, said Kyrgyz President Sooronbay Jeenbekov on Tuesday when meeting with visiting Chinese State Councilor and Minister of Public Security Zhao Kezhi.

The Kyrgyz president asked Zhao to convey his cordial greetings and sincere wishes to Chinese President Xi Jinping, and congratulated China on the success of the second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation (BRF) held last month in Beijing.

Kyrgyzstan will provide unwavering support for jointly building the Belt and Road, said the president, adding that his country is willing to align its development strategy with that of China, cement bilateral cooperation in areas of law enforcement and security, and work together to crack down on the "three forces" of terrorism, separatism and extremism, in a bid to push forward the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries.

For his part, Zhao conveyed Xi's good wishes to President Jeenbekov, saying that the important consensus on development of China-Kyrgyzstan relations and joint construction of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) reached by President Xi and President Jeenbekov during the second BRF would chart a course for the development of bilateral ties.

China is willing to work with Kyrgyzstan to implement the important consensus reached by the two countries' heads of state, strengthen cooperation with Kyrgyzstan in combating the "three forces," enhance security capacity for the Belt and Road construction, anti-drug and cyber security, and push cooperation between the two sides on law enforcement and security to a higher level, so as to add new impetus to the development of bilateral relations.

Zhao also said that China fully supports Kyrgyzstan in hosting the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Bishkek this year.
Gunmen killed 17 Niger soldiers in an ambush near the border with Mali, a security source said Wednesday, adding 11 were still missing a day later

Niamey, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 15th May, 2019 ) :Gunmen killed 17 Niger soldiers in an ambush near the border with Mali , a security source said Wednesday, adding 11 were still missing a day later.

The attack occurred Tuesday near the village of Tongo Tongo in the western Tillaberi region where four US soldiers and five Niger soldiers were killed in an ambush in 2017, the source told AFP.

"The provisional toll is 17 dead and 11 missing" in what the source described as a "terrorist attack".
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MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 16th May, 2019) Peru is interested in purchasing an additional batch of MiG-29 aircraft from Russia and negotiations on the issue are underway, Anatoly Punchuk, deputy chief of Russia's Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation, told Sputnik.

"The Peruvian Air Force already has MiG-29 jets today, and this equipment is actively used.

The Peruvian military is interested in purchasing additional batch of this type of planes. This issue is a priority on the agenda of the Russian-Peruvian military-technical cooperation. Negotiations on this subject continue," Punchuk said ahead of the opening of the international defense technology exhibition SITDEF Peru 2019.

SITDEF defense exhibition will open in Peru's capital city of Lima on Thursday and will run through Sunday.
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LATAKIA (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 16th May, 2019) The Russian Defense Ministry's center for Syrian reconciliation has delivered humanitarian aid from Mongolia to the most affected areas of the Syrian province of Latakia, Vladimir Ladeynov, a representative of the center, told reporters.

Humanitarian aid was delivered by a Russian Aerospace Forces aircraft.

"We are in the settlement of Zama. The center for reconciliation of opposing sides has delivered essential food and humanitarian aid from the Mongolian People's Republic here," Ladeynov said, adding that that the humanitarian aid included tinned meat, rice, flour, sugar and tea.

According to the Mongolian military, one more humanitarian action could be carried out soon with the assistance of Russia.

Syria has been in a state of civil war since 2011, with the government forces fighting against numerous opposition groups and militant and terrorist organizations. Russia, along with Turkey and Iran, is a guarantor of the ceasefire regime in Syria. Moscow has also been providing humanitarian aid to residents of the crisis-torn country.
Russia's Prosecutor General's Office plans to implement the agreement to sign a cooperation deal with the Croatian Justice Ministry and discuss cooperation issues with Slovenian counterparts, the press office told Sputnik on Thursday

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 16th May, 2019) Russia 's Prosecutor General's Office plans to implement the agreement to sign a cooperation deal with the Croatian Justice Ministry and discuss cooperation issues with Slovenian counterparts, the press office told Sputnik on Thursday.

At his meeting with Croatian Justice Minister Drazen Bosnjakovic during the ongoing St. Petersburg International Legal Forum, Russian Prosecutor General Yury Chaika stressed the need to implement last year's agreement to sign a cooperation deal between the Russian Prosecutor General's Office and the Croatian Justice Ministry, according to the press service.

"I am convinced that the conclusion of this [deal] will become an important step toward strengthening the Russian-Croatian interdepartmental cooperation, aimed at consolidating efforts in fighting organized crime, new challenges and threats," Chaika said as quoted by the press service.

At the talks with Slovenian Justice Minister Andrea Katic, Chaika proposed to address all issues that arise during the cooperation process between the Russian and Slovenian agencies at bilateral consultations involving experts from the Russian Prosecutor General's Office and Slovenian judicial authorities.

The St. Petersburg legal forum opened on Tuesday and will last through Saturday.
The foreign ministers of the member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) are scheduled to meet in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, on May 22 to discuss international cooperation and sign a number of documents, the Kyrgyz Foreign Ministry's press service told Sputnik on Thursday

BISHKEK (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 16th May, 2019) The foreign ministers of the member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization SCO ) and Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) are scheduled to meet in Bishkek Kyrgyzstan , on May 22 to discuss international cooperation and sign a number of documents, the Kyrgyz Foreign Ministry's press service told Sputnik on Thursday.

"The Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the SCO member states and the Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the CSTO member states will take place on May 22 in Bishkek ... A number of important documents are anticipated to be signed," the press office confirmed.

The ministers will also discuss matters relating to international cooperation and the upcoming June summit of the SCO Heads of State Council, the press office said.

Kyrgyzstan assumed the chairmanship in SCO and CSTO in 2019. It has already hosted the summits of the Council of Ministers of Defense and the Committee of Secretaries of the Security Councils, as well as the Second SCO Women's Forum.

Among CSTO's six member states, namely Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan, the former four are also the members of SCO in addition to China, India, and Pakistan.
An orientation programme for 937 Nurse Assistant Clinical (NAC) and Nurse Assistant Preventive (NAP) personnel posted by Ghanas Ministry of Health to the National Catholic Health Service (NCHS) has recently been held at the Holy Spirit Cathedral, in Accra.

Gabriel Ankrah  Accra, Ghana

Importance of Catholic ethos in health institutions

The objective of the training was to enlighten the newly trained professionals on such issues as the Catholic Health network and its Identity and Ethos, Overview of the Christian Health Association of Ghana (CHAG). Other topics concerned expectations of a nurse, personnel and welfare matters.

Mr George A. Adjei, the Director of the Health Directorate of the National Catholic Health Service, urged the new officers to let Catholic identity and values inform their practice.

Enhance the image of the Church

Dr James Duah and Mr Samuel Nugblega, Deputy Executive Director and Technical Advisor of CHAG respectively, explained the operations of Christian Health Association of Ghana and responded to personnel and welfare issues raised by the posted staff.

Other subjects discussed included the Code of the Nursing Profession as well as disciplinary problems that could arise.

Mrs Margaret Louis-Tagbor, Human Resource Officer at the NCHS, admonished the young professionals to serve with dedication and desist from indulging in vices that could dent the image of the Church.

The new staff assumed duty in various Catholic institutions on 1 April 2019.
Sudan generals, protesters in crunch talks on new ruling body (AFP or licensors)

Power-sharing talks in Sudan between the ruling military junta and the leaders of a powerful protest movement collapsed after violent clashes erupted in the capital, Khartoum, for the second time in a week.

By Vatican News

In a last-minute move on Thursday, Sudan's military rulers suspended crucial talks with protesters on installing civilian rule in the country.

They insist more time is needed to finalise the deal as Khartoum's security situation continues to deteriorate.

On Wednesday, army generals and protest leaders announced they had agreed upon a three-year transition period to civilian rule.

They were expected to decide on the make-up of a new body to govern Sudan following the ousting of longtime autocrat President, Omar al-Bashir, last month.

But after at least eight people were reported wounded by gunshots near a sit-in outside the army complex in the capital, Sudan's army ruler announced negotiations would be suspended for 72 hours.

Sudan's opposition alliance described the suspension of talks as a "regrettable" setback to efforts to forge a new democratic era.

Security forces are preparing for more unrest in the capital Khartoum and in other cities.
Vietnam recently issued new updates on labor outsourcing regulations under Decree 29/2019/ND-CP (Decree 29). The new regulation came into effect on May 5 and details guidelines on Clause 3 of Article 54 of the Labor Code regarding outsourcing services, deposit payment and the list of permissible outsourced jobs.

We look at five main highlights of the decree and what changes foreign businesses operating in Vietnam should be aware of.

Labor license period

Under the new decree, a labor license term is valid for 60 months instead of the previous 36-month term. The license can be renewed as many times as desired for another 60 months. The changes bode well for labor outsourcing companies that can now operate without term limitations.

Labor outsourcing period

The new decree removes a 12-month restriction on the outsourcing of an employee. While nothing has been written explicitly regarding long-term outsourcing of employees, the government may scrutinize outsourcing companies, as the purpose of labor outsourcing is to satisfy the temporary shortage of employees in a sector.

Expanded list of jobs

Three new jobs have been added to the 17 jobs that the government permits to be outsourced. The 20 jobs eligible for outsourcing are below.

Labor outsourcing licensing conditions eased

The decree has eased some conditions while applying for a labor outsourcing license. The new regulation only requires two conditions:

An escrow deposit of US$90,000 (VND 2 billion) should be deposited at a local bank or foreign bank branch operating in Vietnam;

An appointment of a legal representatives who meets the following criteria, which Has previously held a managerial position in an enterprise, Does not have a criminal record, and Has at least three years of experience in the labor outsourcing sector.



Better protection for employees

The escrow deposit can be used for salaries and compensation to employees in case of a breach of labor contract by the labor outsourcing company. It can also be used to cover social insurance, health insurance, unemployment insurance or insurance for work related injury or disease.

Labor outsourcing companies are also required to keep the bank deposit certificate up to date under the new regulation. Any change to the name of the company, address, and account number must be informed to the bank along with supporting documents.

In addition, the labor outsourcing companys bank must pay employees directly all benefits such as salaries, allowances and insurance premiums. This minimizes the risk of abuse if the labor outsourcing company were to withdraw from the bank and fail to play employees.
All foreign enterprises seeking to staff operations in Vietnam will find the process regulated by the Vietnamese Labor Code of 2012 (Law No. 10/2012/QH13) and guided by several circulars which have clarified aspects of this legislation. Covering hiring, probationary periods, termination of contracts, and post-employment benefits, the nature of contracts should be studied closely to ascertain the most effective means of onboarding workers as well as ensuring the compliance requirements associated with these contracts.

As per Chapter 3, Article 15 of the Vietnamese Labor Code, the following contract structures are permitted and thus should form the basis for cost and compliance comparisons:

Seasonal or work-specific contracts;

Indefinite-term contracts;

Definite-term contracts; and,

Probationary contracts.

Requisite documentation

Labor contracts are required to outline the following information concerning various aspects of the planned employment. While indefinite, definite, and seasonal labor contracts are required to include all the information outlined above, probationary employment contracts are subject to a reduced list of requirements.

Selecting optimal contract terms

Ranging from under a year to indefinite in length, labor contracts in Vietnam can give employers significant room to maneuver in terms of reduced demand, sudden receipt of large orders, or, as will be discussed further, instances where severance becomes an issue.

Under one year (seasonal contracting)

Contracts under a year in length are reserved for seasonal or task specific employment. While the relatively short periods of time under these contracts can afford a significant degree of maneuverability, there are several limitations that should be noted. First, and foremost, probationary periods  outlined in greater detail below  are currently not permitted for contracts falling under the year mark.

In addition, seasonal contracting is currently restricted for any work that is normally completed under definite or indefinite employment contracts. Exceptions to this include workers filling in for employees contracted under longer labor contracts are indisposed due to pregnancy, military service, sickness, or other temporary leaves of absence.

In the event that the end of a seasonal contract is reached and the employee continues to work for more than 30 days without the introduction of a new labor contract, the worker will be automatically transitioned to a 12 month definite contract.

12 to 36 months (definite term contracting)

Any employer in need of workers for more than a year but on temporary basis, or unsure of their long term needs, will likely find definite term contracts to be an attractive option. Ranging from one to three years, these contracts permit the use of probationary periods but come at the cost of increased contract specificity. For most employers, particularly those hiring skilled workers, definite term contracts are the most effective contract structure that is available in Vietnam.

Similar to seasonal contracts, and in the event that a new contract is not signed within 30 days of the expiry of a definite term contract, the contract of an employee will be automatically upgraded to a definite term employment contract.

It should also be noted that employers may only renew a definite term contract for a particular employee once. Following this renewal, the employee must be hired via an indefinite labor contract as outlined below. The maximum length of time that employers are currently allowed to retain employees on definite term contract is six years.

Indefinite contract terms

As the name suggests, indefinite term employment contracts are effective until the employee or employer decides to terminate the contract. As it becomes more difficult to terminate an underperforming employee on an indefinite term contract, it is generally advisable that employers engage employees on a definite term contract for the first six years and then transition their employees to an indefinite structure following the expiry of the second, and final, definite term contract.

Utilizing probationary periods

Prior to the formal onboarding process, probationary periods provide both employers and potential employees the opportunity to assess their relationship. With reduced contract compliance and compensation requirements on the part of employers, and fewer restrictions surrounding termination of these contracts, the use of probationary periods can be an effective tool to safeguard operations and reduce costs in an environment characterized by an increasingly mobile skilled workforce.

Companies that will primarily benefit from probationary periods are those seeking to employ workers in high-skilled positions. Not only are the skills required for these jobs more subjective and difficult to assess within an interview, the nature of probationary periods permitted for skilled positions have been expanded relative to unskilled positions under current laws.

All employers should note probationary periods and compensation stipulations before utilizing these contracts, as detailed below.

Drafting probation contracts

Under the prevailing labor code of 2012 and subsequent circulars, probationary contracts are subject to a reduced list of information and documentation requirements. The specifics of these requirements can be found above in the chart outlining contract requirements.

Structuring of probation contracts

Probationary periods for a given position are proportional to the education required for the position and range from six to 60 days. These contracts are limited to a one time usage and must be converted to a standard contract of one year or more if both parties wish to continue the relationship beyond the period specified in the probation contract. Existing probationary contract lengths specified under Vietnamese employment law include:

60 days: probationary periods of up to 60 sixty days are reserved for positions that require professional or technical skills that demand a collegiate education or higher.

30 days: probationary periods of up to 30 days may be applied for jobs that require a professional skillset and/or technical qualifications, some of which may require some degree of education to obtain.

Six days: for all other types of employment in Vietnam, including most manual labor and manufacturing, probation is limited to six days.

The distinction between the 30 and 60 day probationary periods is subject to clarification at the circular level and should be monitored closely when drafting contracts. As a matter of compliance, pursuant to Circular No. 05/2015/N-CP, companies will be required to notify those undergoing 30 and 60 day probationary periods of their results three days prior to the conclusion of the probation contract.

Compensation

Compensation for probationary employment is subject to the agreement set out by the parties involved and must be stipulated in the agreement negotiated by the employer and employee. While there is considerable latitude with regard to the amount of compensation that is to be provided for probationary employment, employers are obligated to provide compensation no lower than 85 percent of the going wage applied to the position for which the probation is in preparation.

Hiring through recruiting services

Foreign employers can also use recruiting services to hire Vietnamese workers through reputable sources, but this is pursuant to several qualifications. First of all, only the following foreign offices may be eligible:

Foreign diplomatic missions, consular offices, representative offices of international organizations of the United National system, intergovernmental organizations of regions and sub-regions;

Representative offices of foreign news agencies and foreign broadcasting and television organizations;

International, intergovernmental, and foreign governmental organizations;

Permitted foreign non-governmental organizations; and,

Foreign non-profit representative offices of organizations.

These foreign offices are then only allowed to use recruitment agencies approved by the following government bodies:
Investors are looking ahead to a possible meeting between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping at the G20 next month. (Photo: AFP/Fred Dufour)

After more than doubling tariffs on US$200 billion of Chinese goods last week - sparking retaliation from Beijing - the US president has threatened to hit a further US$300 billion with more levies if he does not get his way in high-stakes talks.

However, in a series of tweets Tuesday, Trump gave markets some hope that a deal between the economic titans will eventually be struck.

"When the time is right we will make a deal with China", he wrote, adding that his "respect and friendship with President Xi (Jinping) is unlimited".

He went on to say: "We can make a deal with China tomorrow, before their companies start leaving so as not to lose USA business" and said it would be "game over" if the Federal Reserve "matched" Chinese support measures.

The remarks, while again accusing China of backsliding in the trade talks, provided some optimism, while weak data out of China on industrial output, retail sales and investment highlighted weakness in the economy but fuelled hopes for growth-boosting measures.

Shanghai ended 1.9 per cent higher and Hong Kong put on 0.5 per cent.

"This sharp slowdown increases the likelihood that we will probably see further attempts by China to help stimulate its economy, as well as raising concerns that any hopes of a Chinese economic rebound helping to prompt a global pickup in economic activity look a little bit forlorn at this point in time," said Michael Hewson, chief market analyst at CMC Markets UK.

Tokyo climbed 0.6 per cent, Sydney rose 0.7 per cent and Seoul added 0.5 per cent. Seoul, Taipei, Wellington, Manila and Mumbai were also well in positive territory but Singapore and Jakarta fell.

In early trade, London was flat, Paris shed 0.4 per cent and Frankfurt fell 0.3 per cent.

'PERIOD OF VOLATILITY'

Both the US and China have said they will resume talks in Beijing but with no date yet set, dealers are looking ahead to a possible meeting between Trump and Xi at the G20 in Japan at the end of June.

"It's just too early to tell if this is a buy (on equity markets), on slightly oversold conditions, or if it's the start of stabilisation," Gina Martin Adams, chief equity strategist at Bloomberg Intelligence, told Bloomberg TV.

"Our working thesis is that we're going to be in for a period of volatility for most of the next month as we await the G20 meeting."

And OANDA senior market analyst Jeffrey Halley warned that "sentiment remains fragile and subject to the whims of trade headlines on either news tickers or social media accounts".

He added that while some gains could be expected "one suspects a lot of money will remain on the sidelines as we await more clarity on the trade situation".

Oil prices dipped in Asian trade on Wednesday following a surprising rise in US crude stockpiles but remain propped up by tensions in the Middle East.

Major producer Saudi Arabia said Tuesday a pumping facility on the Red Sea had been attacked by armed drones, an act claimed by Yemeni rebels.

That came days after sabotage attacks on four ships, including two Saudi Arabian oil tankers, in the United Arab Emirates.

"Trade issues will continue to cap gains in Asia, but if anything, the incidents on opposite sides of Saudi Arabia will bring home how vulnerable the flow of oil is from the Middle East," said Halley.

- Key figures around 0810 GMT -

Tokyo - Nikkei 225: UP 0.6 per cent at 21,188.56 (close)

Hong Kong - Hang Seng: UP 0.5 per cent at 28,268.71 (close)

Shanghai - Composite: UP 1.9 per cent at 2,938.68 (close)

London - FTSE 100: FLAT at 7,243.97

Euro/dollar: UP at US$1.1209 from US$1.1208 at 2040 GMT

Pound/dollar: UP at US$1.2917 from US$1.2907

Dollar/yen: DOWN at 109.53 from 109.62

Oil - West Texas Intermediate: DOWN 60 cents at US$61.18 per barrel

Oil - Brent Crude: DOWN 36 cents at US$71.88 per barrel

New York - Dow: UP 0.8 per cent at 25,532.05 (close)
Decree 155 will cut procedures for private companies to place stronger interest in pharmaceuticals and cosmetics, Photo: Le Toan

The Ministry of Health (MoH) on May 10 held a conference to popularise Circular No.32/2018/TT-BYT on drug registration and materials for drug production, guiding the implementation of Decree No.155/2018/ND-CP, which amends some regulations on the business conditions that pharmaceutical and cosmetics companies faced under the controversial Decree No.54/2017/ND-CP.

Decree 155 has positive changes towards cutting procedures, thus creating favourable conditions for businesses in tenders, drug imports, and others, said Truong Quoc Cuong, Deputy Minister of Health.

One of the important features of Decree 155 is drug registration working towards reducing the time to appraise manufacturing facilities in terms of review, recognition, and appraisal of dossiers. In particular, the time for dossier appraisal will be cut to 40 days, rather than the 60 days stated by Decree 54, and to 20 days for dossier recognition from 30 days as regulated by Decree 54.

Another highlight is the cut in the number of procedures in pharmaceutical imports which had attracted concerns among international companies. In terms of licensing the import of drugs without a circulation registration paper, the new decree requires label models and drug descriptions in the country of manufacturing or country of export, except for cases with a certificate of pharmaceutical product (CPP).

This requirement is simpler than those set out by Decree 54, which asks for label models and descriptions of drugs being actively marketed in the countries producing the CPP, except for cases with the CPP.

Slated to take effect on September 1, the circular will allow businesses to build their future business strategies, especially for tenders of original brand-name drugs of Group 1, thus furthering business partnership with public hospitals.

At present, the demand for original brand-name drugs is growing significantly, driven by increasing treatment demands among locals. With some loosened conditions, multinational corporations (MNCs) may take this chance to step up in the hospital system. However, MNCs are still concerned over issues related to announcement and registration of brand-name drugs. They include EuroChams Pharma Group, which represents the voice of 25 MNCs.

Drug registration in Vietnam has been among the top concerns for international pharmaceutical companies from the EU and the ASEAN for years. Currently in the local pharma market, the main distribution channel is through the hospital system - ethical drugs (ETCs), which account for 70 per cent of total sales volumes, while the rest of the market is in over-the-counter (OTC) drugs.

Foreign players hold the majority of the ETC channel due to ownership of brand-name drugs, which operate in a monopolistic manner and sell at high prices. Even for generic drugs, overseas pharma companies have more advantages than their local rivals, as their products are held in higher esteem than locally-made ones.

In spite of the improvements, industry insiders have raised concerns about the possibilities of stiffening competition in drug tenders. Pressure from a crowded OTC channel has forced an industry-wide shift towards ETCs, which offers the best chance at new growth. Vietnams biggest pharma maker, Hau Giang Pharmaceutical, and the second-biggest publicly-traded drugmaker, Traphaco, are the pioneers in this trend.

In the current landscape, distribution channels are an important and decisive factor for local companies, as the field awaits increased participation from MNCs driven by enforcement of free trade agreements and Vietnams realisation of World Trade Organization commitments.
Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Viet Tien

Vietnam has made big improvements in universal healthcare coverage, but still faces challenges to achieve the targets set for 2030. How important are public-private partnership (PPP) arrangements in this journey?

Last year the healthcare sector made some great achievements, contributing to the increase in access of primary healthcare for rural people. The quality of examinations and treatment were also raised, along with the development of the PPP model, and facilitation of business activities. Also, during 2018, health insurance coverage reached the rate assigned by the National Assembly. Despite this, the sector is facing obstacles in increasing health insurance coverage, primary healthcare, finance capacity, and the general capacity to provide healthcare services.

Over the past four decades, Vietnam has developed a strong grassroots healthcare network. Now, we are developing further in line with Decision No.2348/QD-TTg, approving the scheme for establishment and implementation of such health facilities. The Ministry of Health (MoH) is developing a trial family health programme across 26 communes before expanding nationwide in line with models created elsewhere. The sector is also focusing on taking care of healthy people, and the fight against non-communicable diseases. To deal with these issues, we are calling for the private sector to join the effort to obtain the goal of universal healthcare coverage by 2030  one of the countrys sustainable development goals.

A number of multinational corporations have shown interest in PPP projects. What are the opportunities for them in the coming future?

The Vietnamese government is encouraging the private sector to invest in healthcare. We are encouraging domestic private and foreign investors to fund PPP projects, especially in hospitals, grassroots health centres, and primary healthcare facilities. For example, we are developing a family health model and general clinics.

Under the MoHs health policy reforms, ICT development, infrastructure, medical devices, medicine and vaccine supplies, hi-tech services, and green facilities are among the key reform policies. Therefore, the sector requires partnership from both the private sector and international groups.

At present, development of infrastructure, equipment, and ICT remains weak. Development of smart hospitals, digital health, and smart management still fails to meet the demand. Meanwhile, sufficient supply of pharmaceuticals and vaccines remains a challenge.

We are considering and appraising procedures for some PPP projects in healthcare infrastructure and medical equipment, and we are willing to welcome private investors to join.

PPP developers are awaiting a regulatory framework. When will the long-awaited circular be published?

At present, the sector faces challenges in PPP model implementation because of incomplete legal framework. Vietnam does now have a regulatory framework for PPP investment. It includes Decree No.63/2018/ND-CP on PPP investment, and Decree No.151/2017/ND-CP on management and use of public assets. To facilitate further PPP development, the country needs to have transparent incentives.

We are now completing a circular guiding such ventures in the sector in line with Decree 63, and we expect to complete in the next few months. More importantly, the Ministry of Planning and Investment has announced a draft PPP Law to seek comments in which concerns among domestic and overseas investors are included. Once the law is initiated, it is expected to improve the countrys attractiveness to private investors in healthcare.
Phong Pham

There are many elements that will need to come together to help make this happen  socio, political, and technological. On the technology front there are a number of changes afoot, which will go some way towards helping businesses both better manage this transition and be a critical element in support of it.

Smart city development requires close co-operation, so that organisations of all types and sizes can easily pull their information and operations together. This requires a fully-unified and connected IT infrastructure to support such an ecosystem  and the best way of providing that is in the cloud.

Helping enable this collaboration, as we look towards 2025 and the roadmap to building ASEAN 4.0, is the continued adoption of enterprise cloud infrastructure by companies both large and small. When cloud initially emerged on the scene, it offered many attractive benefits to enterprises.

However, first generation cloud infrastructure was not designed for traditional application architectures. As a result, it did not have the performance, predictability, and availability required and companies hesitated to migrate to the cloud.

New processes

Today it has evolved, and while the cloud migration path is not always simple, requiring planning, organisational buy-in, and a comprehensive technology framework, the second generation of infrastructure makes it easier to get it right. Second generation also provides hybrid cloud environment options ranging from integrated public services, to deployed solutions behind firewalls, something that is critical to business, seeing as cloud and on-premises are expected to co-exist for quite some time.

Increased productivity and efficiency are arguably two of the largest benefits of a connected city. When achieved, it means time and effort can be spent somewhere else, particularly on tasks which require more care, attention, and specialist skills.

In support of this, is the introduction of new adaptive processes. For instance, in transportation, third-party company Bac Ky Logistics has embarked on a project to automate the scheduling of its deliveries, enabling improvements in transparency, speed of service and optimisation of cost with Oracle Transportation Management Cloud and the Internet of Things Fleet Management application. With analytics embedded into the solution, the company expects to visualise its supply chain, logistics, and trade information in real time.

In healthcare, adaptive processes can not only detect when a patient had fallen down, but can predict the likelihood of when it might happen next, allowing clinicians to better diagnose and even personalise treatment plans for patients. And in the workplace, high-performing robots are working alongside the human workforce to free up resources so they can focus on higher value activities.

These actions are achieved, in part, by integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning into the software so that it can take some actions automatically, helping free humans up to focus on more complex issues and tasks. This trend is the start of a move towards a fully self-learning model, and by 2025, we expect adaptive processes to play a vital role in the operations of businesses across every industry.

The other area that smart processes will impact is the user experience, something that is critical to the success of smart cities, making it easy and more pleasurable for citizens, governments, and businesses to interact with each other and the services involved.

AI-driven systems will not just execute relatively straightforward actions, such as booking a rental car for that sales trip. They can also tackle harder tasks that normally require not only time, but also some level of expertise, such as optimising business workflows, reviewing financials for anomalies, or finding expense report violations. Often theres still a human review, but that review can often be done faster, and more accurately, with the AIs assistance in laying all the groundwork.

While some might fear this means the rise of the robots, most AI in action will in fact remain hidden. For customers and employees alike, it will merely usher in a new era of experiences  one characterised by invisible technology, simple interactions, easy engagements, predictive recommendations, and friction-free journeys.

Preparing for security threats

With new dangers emerging everyday, it is hardly a surprise that cybersecurity takes a leading part of any smart city discussion, especially in terms of policy development and capacity building initiatives, and the ASEAN Smart Cities Network meeting was no different.

To help with this ongoing battle, AI will emerge as both the shield and the sword, and it will need to be a part of every organisations security strategy on some level. According to Oracle and KPMGs Cloud Threat Report 2018, the number one challenge to respondents was analysing security event telemetry at scale. And the most effective way to defeat a highly automated network of attackers is for enterprises to turn over the mass analysis of events to intelligent AI and machine learning-driven analysis platforms that span the entire enterprise IT estate.

With broader and more complex IT environments to protect, an ever-expanding network of user-controlled endpoints to keep an eye on, and with the region standing on the verge of Industry 4.0, it is crucial for businesses to be well-equipped with the right tools to fight the cyber war. This is particularly important given that the ASEAN region has seen an increase in cybercrimes in recent years.

Businesses that act now in these three key areas will gain many advantages  a cloud platform for digital business for now and beyond; AI to drive efficiency and productivity and free workers to focus on higher value work; improved and simplified user experiences for customers and employees alike; and a new set of tools to help win the cyber battle.

To some, these technologies might be new but it is a future Oracle has been preparing for years now, and we can assure you of the value and return. It is a vision that will continue to guide our strategy, deepening AI capabilities and offering new solutions to better connect enterprise cloud solutions.

By Phong Pham - Managing director, Oracle Vietnam
PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc attends a meeting themed Science, technology and innovation as a pillar for socio-economic development in Viet Nam in Ha Noi, May 15, 2019 - Photo: VGP/Quang Hieu

PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc made that statement on May 15 at a meeting themed Science, technology and innovation as a pillar for socio-economic development in Vietnam in Hanoi.

At the event, Phuc said that the spending for science and technology in Vietnam only accounts for around 0.44pc of the GDP, lower than the worlds average of 2.23pc (Thailand 0.78pc, Singapore 2.2pc, Malaysia 1.3pc and China 2.1pc).

Enterprises should know that research and development is the shortest way to improve competitiveness and head to more sustainable development, he said.

In the future, Vietnam needs to make a change in terms of strategy to boost research and innovation and develop technology in advantageous areas and sectors, he said, asking ministries and sectors to identify science, technology and innovation as a foundation for fast and sustainable development.

The PM required more effective coordination between the State and society in science and technology development and the internal and external resources in science, technology and innovation.

Ministries and localities must uphold awareness and responsibilities in science and technology development, continue completing the legal framework, policies and mechanisms and create new material for fast, inclusive and sustainable development.

The Ministry of Science and Technology is tasked to consult the Government big issues such as proposing policies encouraging and promoting innovation in the private sector, regarding businesses as the center of the innovation system and enhancing connectivity between domestic and foreign innovation networks.

The Government leader requested to develop national products based on new technology and high-tech to form new and high value sectors and products, especially in fields of Viet Nams advantageous areas such as agriculture, processing industry, information and technology.

Phuc asked for establishing frameworks for measuring and evaluating the effectiveness of the digital economy, operation of science and technology universities, institutes and centers, considering to set up a national database bank on science, technology and innovation.

The PM stressed the need to build policies to attract more foreign and domestic specialists, especially Overseas Vietnamese scientists as well as apply the publicprivate partnership (PPP) model to call on enterprises to join in innovation activities.
Maria Sharapova won the French Open in 2014 and in 2012. (AFP/MIGUEL MEDINA)

Sharapova, 32, a five-time Grand Slam champion, has not played since pulling out of a tournament in her native Russia at the end of January.

"Sometimes the right decisions aren't always the easiest ones," she said in a post on her Instagram account.

"In better news, I have returned to the practice court, and slowly building the strength back in my shoulder," she added with a picture of her lifting the Roland Garros trophy in 2014.

In February the world number 35 said she had undergone a small procedure to fix a long-standing shoulder problem.

The former world number one had missed out on a place in the Australian Open quarter-finals in January.

Sharapova has been struggling back to top fitness since watching from the sidelines during her 15-month doping ban that ended in 2017.

This year's French Open will run from May 26 until Jun 9, with Rafael Nadal and Simona Halep as defending champions.
Lawyers Le Net, Pham Manh Hung, and Hoang Nhu Quynh of LNT & Partners

In recent years, alongside remarkable economic development, Vietnams population has rapidly increased with a widening demand for healthcare services. To solve this urgent problem, the Vietnamese government has accelerated synchronous public and private healthcare development, widely known as the public-private partnership (PPP) model in the healthcare sector.

National healthcare in Vietnam is facing challenges in providing facilities to take care of a growing population. While almost all central hospitals suffer from very high occupancy rates, lower-level hospitals are not chosen as their quality of medical equipment and staff do not earn credibility from Vietnamese patients. On the other hand, standards in privately-funded hospitals are excellent but prices for treatment are significantly higher in comparison to the average income of most Vietnamese people. The PPP health projects are thus expected to help ease the overload suffered by central hospitals, enhance the capability of lower-level hospitals in primary care settings for communities, and offer high-quality services with almost equivalent prices to locals.

The key PPP legislation is Decree No.63/2018/ND-CP on Public Private Partnership issued by the Vietnamese government in May 2018 and coming into effect the following month to replace Decree No.15/2015/ND-CP. Decree 63 indicates that whilst there is improved clarity on some important positions that international PPP investors typically like to see, there remain areas of improvement that will help bring even greater clarity and certainty for international PPP investors, and thus foster a more solid legal and regulatory foundation for the PPP market in Vietnam. However, it is too early to determine whether Decree 63 will enjoy more success than Decree 15 in attracting international PPP investors, especially in healthcare.

Under Decree 63, Article 4.1 clearly states that healthcare is one of the sectors in which the government encourages PPP projects. However, there is no specific higher incentive under Decree 63 for private investors when they invest in such ventures, as compared with other sectors. In terms of process for implementing general PPP projects, Decree 63 waives the requirement for backers to obtain an investment registration certificate for a PPP initiative, which greatly simplifies the procedures to implement them.

From a constitutional perspective, Decree 63 sits below the level of laws in Vietnam. It has been debated that elevating the regulation of PPP into a law would be one of the steps required to help deliver a more workable regulatory regime for international PPP investors in the sector.

The current process for approval of PPP projects under Decree 63 is still complicated. For example, Article 18 of the decree provides that the pre-feasibility study must include an environmental impact assessment. Such assessments must be prepared in accordance with the Law on Environmental Protection 2014 as well as other requirements. Meanwhile for granting the in-principle approval, Article 33, Article 34, and Article 35 of the Law on Investment 2014 do not require a full assessment but a preliminary environmental impact assessment submitted by the investor.

The purpose of the project identification stage is to obtain in-principle approval from the relevant authority to demonstrate that the project meets some basic pre-requisites to be procured using the PPP model. A detailed assessment at a pre-feasibility stage may delay the procurement process and lead to additional costs. Thus, the requirement for an approval process of pre-feasibility studies should be abolished in some specific PPP healthcare projects.

Pursuant to Article 174 and Article 175 of the Law on Land 2013, overseas lenders are not allowed to take mortgages over land use rights and land-attached assets (hereafter referred to as immovable assets). The owner of such immovable assets has the right to mortgage its immovable assets at licensed credit institutions in Vietnam. This requirement has been consistently interpreted by authorities, which prohibits foreign lenders from taking security interests over immovable assets.

This is a critical problem as it limits the project companys ability to raise funds for their projects. Local banks in Vietnam are currently incapable of providing long-term capital required by investors, thus the bankability of such projects will likely depend on international banks. However, these banks would certainly not provide large funds for a company that is not allowed to mortgage land assets in favour of overseas lenders, as real estate is considered to be a highly reliable asset in applying for a secured facility agreement.

Taking security over immovable assets, particularly land, is typically part of the international lenders security package in PPP projects. A simplification of this process would help to reduce the number of contentious issues for lenders and assist the investors in effectively fund mobilisation.

There is no further difference in the incentives of healthcare projects under the PPP model compared with other sectors. Article 59.3 of Decree 63 states Investors and special purpose entities shall be entitled to exemption of land levies for the land allocated by the state, or exemption from land rent during the execution of the project according to land laws. Article 110.1 of the Law on Land 2013 regulates the exemption or reduction of land levies, and that land rental shall comply with investment law.

Article 15 of the Law on Investment 2014 provides that the incentives for any project shall be dependent on business lines, location, employee numbers, investment capital, and hi-tech companies. Thus, these regulations put the central and local authorities into difficulties in identifying cases of exemption or reduction of land levies and land rent for investors in implementing PPP healthcare projects. Therefore, exemption of land levy or land rental, among other wider incentives, for investors who would like to engage in PPP healthcare projects should be supplemented.

Currently, the Vietnamese government has strived to abolish aforementioned existing legal gaps of regulations in Vietnam by preparing a PPP law, and a draft is proposed for submission to the National Assembly this year. With the considerable effort to put forth a clear legal framework and ease risks for investors in the upcoming PPP law, it is possible to expect that Vietnam will achieve success in this area of healthcare in the near future.
People are now gaining access to more innovations involving their daily lives, from air quality monitors to doorbells that can produce images

Late last month, domestic property investor Vinhomes JSC under Vingroup officially launched Vinhomes Smart City in South Tu Liem district of Hanoi.

According to the information released by the company, Vinhomes Smart City will be based on four core pillars, including smart security, smart management, smart community, and smart homes.

Accordingly, the company will build a security network with multi-layered surveillance cameras which integrate Artificial Intelligence (AI).

In addition, intelligent elevator and fire protection systems in the township will help monitor air quality and warn of environmental pollution. Residents will be able to update on traffic status in the wider city and the township via a user-friendly smartphone app.

There will be a centralised operating centre applying AI and the Internet of Things (IoT) technology to monitor, operate, detect and promptly handle problems around the clock. Besides, there will also be Wifi infrastructure throughout Vinhomes Smart City, front door camera, and smart car parks which will offer residents convenience and save time.

Projects using technologies to organise life and architecture should be encouraged. Vinhomes orientation promises to bring a really convenient living environment, Nguyen Quoc Thong, vice chairman of the Vietnam Association of Architects, told VIR.

Elsewhere, architect Tran Huy Anh from the Hanoi Association of Architects highly appreciated the Vinhomes smart city model. Covering 280 hectares with all-inclusive facilities, Vinhomes Smart will be one of the pioneering products synchronously applying technologies in a large space, said Anh.

Before Vinhomes, domestic real estate developers have also developed their projects in a smart way. Dai Phuc Group introduced its smart home model in Van Phuc City project in Thu Duc district of Ho Chi Minh City. In this 189ha project, the group has used some types of smart fire alarm equipment, home management app on mobile phones, or door opening equipment through face recognition.

Meanwhile, in Ecopark, one of the first smart model of urban residential areas in north-eastern of Hanoi invested by Viet Hung Urban Development and Investment JSC, residences can use smartphones to control light system and air conditioning, allocate their Ecobus as well as know the time the bus comes. Besides, the developer is planning to deploy the system of electric vehicles in urban areas to help children go to school and take people to the gym and supermarkets.

Tech for a better life

While smart models are welcomed by domestic real estate investors, smart home models have been deployed by Bkav, a Vietnamese technology group, for a few years and received a warm welcome by both users and architects.

As one of the first customers of Bkav SmartHome, Vietnamese music composer Huy Tuan said, Previously, I didnt trust in technology from Vietnam, especially high-tech products. However, these smart home products proved me wrong, he said.

According to Tuan, all electrical appliances in his house are connected to a network which can be controlled, including lighting, curtains, air conditioning, television, sound and door-locking systems, heater, a front door camera and doorbell, and watering pump.

We can directly control them through control panels attached to the wall or through smartphone, iPad, or a tablet. It is easy to check the house, which makes it quite safe. We can turn on or off the fans or television even from far away, he said.

Meanwhile, Hoang Nguyens smart home at Ecopark, also installed by Bkav SmartHome, is quite different.

When I receive visitors, I only need to tap to activate welcome mode and the lights in the living room will automatically turn on, the curtain fold, the air conditioner turns down, and the music volume lowers, saving me a lot of moving around and pressing buttons, Nguyen said.

According to him, instead of closing the curtains, locking the door, and turning off appliances at bedtime, he simply climbs into bed and taps on the relevant button on his phone or tablet, and the system takes care of everything. When I touch go to bed, it also turns on the security system, so I can totally put my mind at rest.

In Nguyens house, the smart lighting system detects the presence of people and turns the lights on and off accordingly. The lighting is also automatically adjusted according to the owners preferences and settings. For example, in welcome mode all lights are turned on, Nguyen added.

Having had a chance to experience Bkavs smart home solutions, architect Huy Anh said, A Vietnamese enterprise is using its own technologies to help people manage and control everything from anywhere, anytime. Its great.

He added that Bkavs models are still on a small or narrow scale and are applied for individual homes, without making synchronous systems like the model of Vinhomes. Synchronisation will provide products at a more suitable price than individual or small-cluster installations. However, both models make life smarter and better through technology.

Smart future trends

According to German-based market research firm Statista, revenue from the Vietnamese smart home market will reach $83 million in 2019, doubling from the previous year.

Meanwhile, Yoon Young Kim, general director of Schneider Electric in Vietnam, Cambodia and Myanmar, said that using smartphones is increasingly popular in Vietnam, technologies trend to strongly impact peoples life. This change is making household electronics market IoT and digitalised.

The global scale of smart home market is expected to reach nearly $53.45 billion in 2022.

Last August, the Government Office released a decision approving a strategy on sustainable smart city development in Vietnam for the period of 2018-2025 with orientation towards 2030. Accordingly, in the first phase of the strategy, the country will pilot urban areas between 2025 and 2030, after which the model will be replicated in major cities, building out a network linking smart urban areas.

Specifically, the government will support the development of three smart urban areas, and organise investment in infrastructure and the development of applications for smart urban areas utilities.

Furthermore, research and development of applications, technologies and solutions on smart urban planning, intelligent urban management, early warning, and intelligent urban utilities to serve organisations, individuals, and communities in urban areas are also encouraged.
President Donald Trump speaks at the 38th Annual National Peace Officers Memorial Service on the West Lawn of the Capitol Building in Washington, DC. (Photo source AP/Andrew Harnik)

The order signed by Trump prohibits purchase or use of equipment from companies that pose "an unacceptable risk to the national security of the United States or the security and safety of United States persons."

"This administration will do what it takes to keep America safe and prosperous and to protect America from foreign adversaries," White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said.

A senior White House official insisted that no particular country or company was targeted in the "company- and country-agnostic" declaration.

However, the measure - announced just as a US-China trade war deepens - is widely seen as prompted by already deep concerns over an alleged spying threat from Huawei.

US officials have been trying to persuade allies not to allow China a role in building next-generation 5G mobile networks, warning that doing so would result in restrictions on sharing of information with the United States.

US government agencies are already banned from buying equipment from Huawei, a rapidly expanding leader in the 5G technology.

China's government is furious.

"For some time, the United States has abused its national power to deliberately discredit and suppress by any means specific Chinese enterprises, which is neither honorable nor fair," foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said.

"We urge the US side to stop the unreasonable suppression of Chinese enterprises on the pretext of national security and to provide a fair and non-discriminatory environment," the spokesman said.

Earlier, David Wang, executive director of Huawei's board, shrugged off news of the upcoming emergency declaration.

"Our business in the US is not very big. We are a company with global operations, so if there is this or that change in any country, the impact on our global business is very little," he said.

TROJAN HORSE CLAIMS

The US portrayal of Huawei as a national security danger dovetails with Washington's wider complaint that Chinese companies are unfairly protected by the state, making fair trade impossible.

On an even broader scale, the United States and some European allies fear that Chinese economic expansion, particularly in the Belt and Road global infrastructure program, is part of a bid for geopolitical dominance.

Amid those worries, Huawei is portrayed as an especially potent Trojan horse that could leverage its ultra-rapid telecoms technology into a Chinese government spy network reaching deep into American society and business fields.

"Chinese telecom companies like Huawei effectively serve as an intelligence-gathering arm of the Chinese Communist Party," Senator Tom Cotton, from Trump's Republican party, said after Trump's emergency declaration.

"The administration is right to restrict the use of their products."

So far, the US campaign to lobby other countries to turn their backs on Huawei has had mixed results.

Even the British government, one of Washington's closest allies, is mired in debate over whether to follow the US lead or allow Huawei's proven expertise in developing the 5G capacities.

On Tuesday, the chairman of the company, Liang Hua, visited London to insist that Huawei will "commit ourselves, to commit our equipment to meeting the no-spy, no back-door standards."
Mysterious "sabotage attacks" on ships near the Emirati port of Fujairah sparked heightened tensions in the Gulf. (AFP/KARIM SAHIB)

The UAE minister of state for foreign affairs, Anwar Gargash, was speaking after the mysterious sabotage at the weekend of four ships, including two Saudi oil tankers, and after Yemen's Huthi rebels claimed drone attacks on Tuesday that shut down a key Saudi oil pipeline.

"We are very committed to de-escalation, peace and stability," he told journalists at a briefing in Dubai.

He said a multi-country investigation into the sabotage attacks would be concluded within days, adding: "We are not going to jump the gun."

"We need to emphasise caution without throwing accusations," he said. "We have always called for restraint and we will always call for that."

However, he blamed "Iranian behaviour" for tensions in the Gulf region, where Washington has sent an aircraft carrier and B-52 bombers in response to unspecified Iranian threats against American interests.

"It is this behavior that has led to the difficult conditions," Gargash said.

The UAE says three Western countries - the US, France and Norway - would take part in an investigation into the ship attacks, alongside Abu Dhabi and Riyadh.

Gargash was speaking a day after drone strikes hit two pumping stations in neighbouring Saudi Arabia's key east-west pipeline.

The pipeline, with a capacity of five million barrels of crude per day, provides a strategic alternative route for Saudi exports if the Strait of Hormuz at the mouth of the Gulf were to be closed.

Yemen's Huthi rebels claimed responsibility for the strikes and said they were in response to "crimes" committed by Saudi Arabia and its allies during more than four years of war in support of the government.

The UAE is part of a Saudi-led coalition battling the Huthis in Yemen.

"We will retaliate and we will retaliate hard when we see Huthis hitting civilian targets like what happened in Saudi Arabia," Gargash said Wednesday.

OPEC giant Saudi Arabia currently pumps around 10 million barrels per day of which around seven million are exported.

At present, most Saudi exports are loaded onto tankers at terminals on the kingdom's Gulf coast and must pass through the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran has repeatedly threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz in case of a military confrontation with the United States.
Guterres' South Pacific tour includes Fiji, New Zealand and Tuvalu and will highlight the dangers of global warming. (Photo: AFP/Michael Bradley)

Visiting Fiji as part of a South Pacific tour to highlight the dangers of global warming, Guterres said the region was on the front line of climate change.

"Here in the Pacific, sea-level rise in some countries is four times greater than the global average and is an existential threat to some island states," he said.

He said this was despite the fact that the Pacific islands contributed little to global warming and had been among the first nations to minimise their greenhouse gas emissions.

"Your experiences underscore the urgency of the threat," he said. "The Pacific has a unique moral authority to speak out - it is time for the world to listen."

Guterres' visit - which also includes New Zealand, Tuvalu and Vanuatu - will see the UN chief meet locals whose lives have been upended by cyclones, flooding and other extreme weather events linked to climate change.

It comes ahead of the Climate Action Summit in September in New York, billed as a last chance to prevent irreversible climate change.

Members of the Pacific Islands Forum regional grouping commended Guterres for travelling to see "the everyday reality of climate change".

They sent a strong message to the New York conference, warning "we are facing an unprecedented global catastrophe for our blue planet".

"Platitudes and repackaged commitments cannot be the substance of our deliberations," they said in a statement.

"We need transformational change at scale, and courageous leaders prepared to deliver it."

Guterres will address the Fiji parliament on Thursday.
Deputy PM Trinh Dinh Dung (R) and First Counsellor and Deputy Ambassador of France to Vietnam Olivier Sigaud, Hanoi, May 16, 2019  Photo: VGP/Doan Bac

The group consisted of large-scale aviation group such as ADP Group, ACOEM, Brueau Veritas Viet Nam hoping to seek investment opportunities in Vietnam.

Deputy PM Dung welcomed the French business delegation, highlighting the Vietnam-French strategic partnership which has flourished in all fields especially economics, trade, and investment.

So far, French is Vietnams fourth largest trade partner in Europe. In 2018, two-way trade turnover hit US$ 5.1 billion, representing a 10.8% year-on-year increase. Viet Nam pocketed US$ 3.76 billion from shipping goods to the French. Regarding development cooperation, French is also one of the leading ODA providers for Vietnam.

Mr. Dung praised the cooperation among businesses of the two countries. A large number of French businesses have already set footholds in Vietnam in various fields especially aviation infrastructure and service exploitation, and aviation safety. These projects are expected to support Vietnam to modernize infrastructure and benefit French investors.

Regarding remaining projects, the host leader proposed the two sides ensure progress schedules. He proposed ADPi work with the Civil aviation authority of Viet Nam research and adjust planning for the Noi Bai International Airport in order to serve for 60 million guests by 2030 and expand Tan Son Nhat International Airport with a view to reducing traffic congestion and meeting rising transport demands.

In reply, First Counselor and Deputy Ambassador of France to Vietnam Olivier Sigaud said that aviation is an important field in economic and trade ties between Viet Nam and France.

The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam and the Directorate General for Civil Aviation have signed an agreement on technical cooperation. France has cooperated with Vietnam in improving the latters aviation infrastructure and provided human resources training courses for its aviation sector, he added.

French enterprises also said that the two countries hold great potential for cooperation in economics, trade, and investment, particularly in the aviation sector.
Singapore provides a model in which other countries, including Vietnam, can learn from and adapt in order to develop smart cities, Photo: Shutterstock

After an hour-long motorbike ride to cover 10 kilometres from downtown Hanoi to the famous Hadong silk village, James, 35, from the US arrived in no mood for sightseeing, his exuberance having slowly bubbled away in the traffic jams.

The streets were so crowded everywhere. Hundreds of motorbikes and cars are vying to get ahead, cutting each other off at every turn. I got stuck in several places and I wished I could use a mobile app to select the best route to avoid traffic jams like I do in other countries. Hanoi has many beautiful and interesting places, but the traffic problem lessens their attractiveness, he said.

James is not the first traveller, or indeed local, to voice such complaints when visiting Hanoi  and the city is not deaf to these voices.

The problem may be solved in the near future thanks to the citys recent moves to develop into a smart city. After this transformation, travellers and commuters in the city will be able to use mobile apps to select their routes in order to avoid traffic jams. Lamp posts on all streets will be installed with cameras, sending images to the monitoring centre which will automatically regulate traffic.

Moreover, there will be electronic tickets for bus commuters, as well as automatic tolling systems at all build-operate-transfer (BOT) stations and smart car parks.

New action plans

Aligning with the prime ministers recently-approved master plan for Vietnams smart and sustainable city development strategy in the 2018-2025 period, with a vision towards 2030, cities and provinces are actively developing their smart city schemes. Initially, they will apply digital technology in governance, with the e-government being an example, thus creating a platform to develop into a smart city, Vu Tien Loc, chairman of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), told VIR.

Just a few weeks ago, the central city of Danang announced its smart city development scheme, envisioning transforming itself into a smart city in three stages with the total cost of about VND2.1 trillion ($91.3 million).

The scheme identified 17 aspects of ICT application for the purpose under the six pillars of intelligent management, smart economy, smart traffic, intelligent environment, as well as smart life and smart citizens.

Danang followed similar moves by Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. In March 2019, Ho Chi Minh City became the first city in Vietnam to issue a resolution and a scheme on developing itself into a smart city in the 2017-2020 phase, with vision to 2025. Hanoi then followed shortly with Action Plan No.66/KH-UBND for the implementation of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement on Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), with smart city development being a focus.

Looking into the schemes, the cities all aim to apply technology solutions to launch e-government, smart traffic systems, smart power grids, smart water management systems, as well as supervise the environment and manage waste. The plans all align with Vietnams master plan for smart and sustainable city development under which Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and Danang are all set to become central cities by the time the first pilot phase reaches completion in 2030.

Going beyond these three cities, the model will then be replicated in others, thus establishing an affiliate network of smart cities in the northern, central, and southern regions of Vietnam, as well as the Mekong Delta region. To realise this ambition, by 2025 Vietnam is set to implement the first phase of the pilot project on the development of smart cities. During this period, the legal framework will be completed for the pilot development plans, as well as for city management, lighting, transport, water supply and drainage, waste collection and treatment, power and the power grid, natural disaster warning system, and ICT infrastructure.

So far, several other localities, like the northern province of Bac Ninh and the southern province of Binh Duong have also built their own smart city development plans. Currently, more than 30 smart city models are being deployed by Vietnam Posts and Telecommunications Group and Viettel, in combination with the US Microsoft and IBM, and Japans Fujitsu.

Tech giants step up

In response to the concrete strategies and related legislation coming out, tech giants are stepping up their plans to capture opportunities. Last week, a largest-ever delegation of over 50 businesses from Sweden attended the Vietnam-Sweden Business Summit to seek business opportunities in the country, with innovative solutions for smart city development being a focus. Specifically, major fields for sustainable development and innovation, including manufacturing, solutions for consumers, healthcare, and education were under discussion.

Ericsson, ABB, Volvo Buses, Electrolux, and IKEA  all famous Swedish brands with long years of success in Vietnam  showed their ambitions with new plans to support the smart city initiatives of cities and provinces. Ericsson and its local partner Viettel announced 5G on a trial basis last week, with a plan to roll out this network on a large scale from 2020 onwards. It is now in strategic partnerships with mobile operators in the country to continue building out 4G networks. Ericssons ambitions are also evidenced by the mid-April announcement of the Internet of Things Innovation Hub in partnership with the Ministry of Science and Technology, and the Women in ICT Internship programme the corporation has forged with the Hanoi University of Science and Technology. ABB, a technology pioneer in electrification products, robotics and motion, industrial automation and power grids, is also pursuing many smart city projects in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and other cities. Recently, at the announcement of Danangs smart city development scheme, ABB also signed a co-operation agreement with the city to lend its strength to future projects.

Similarly, Dutch investors are working on specific smart city plans for Binh Duong. In particular, Philips plans to install smart lighting equipment, while other companies, including FabMax and NXP, are planning to build front-end chip plants in Ho Chi Minh City and back-end chip plants in Binh Duong.

Companies from Japan, South Korea, the US, and EU countries are also joining the race. Germanys Bosch Vietnam has invested $450,000 in a new centre to study new solutions towards building smart cities and Industry 4.0. We plan to develop Ho Chi Minh City into one of our centres to supply the Internet of Things solutions for Bosch in the Southeast Asian region in the long term, said Guru Mallikarjuna, managing director of Bosch Vietnam.

Industry insiders said that with the cities recent new moves, investors interest will further intensify as they can venture further into public services which no longer exclude private investors. Hanoi has recently announced that the city will reclassify public services to open up more opportunities for private investors to join in these services, thus mobilising financial sources to feed the plan.

In addition, we plan to maximally outsource services related to software as well as infrastructure to technology businesses, from data centres and security services to channel and other services to raise resources and talent to serve our smart city development plan, said Nguyen Duc Chung, Chairman of the Hanoi Peoples Committee.

According to VCCI chairman Loc, to successfully develop a smart city, cities and provinces should look for reliable partners to ensure network security and project feasibility. Thus, they should strike up partnerships with countries which have strong expertise in the field, with Sweden, the US, Japan, Singapore and South Korea being the top suggestions.
King Norodom Sihamoni said during a visit to Beijing that Cambodia is prepared to further support Chinas overseas investment strategy, known as the Belt and Road Initiative, state-owned Chinese media reported Wednesday.

King Norodom Sihamoni is on a three-day visit to Beijing to attend the Conference on Dialogue of Asian Civilizations, which attracted hundreds of attendants from across Asia, including government leaders and heads of state.

He met bilaterally with Chinese President Xi Jinping, during which he said his country stands ready to promote the Belt and Road Initiative with China, Chinese media agency CGTN reported.

In a 2-minute news video published on CGTNs website on May 14, King Sihamoni expressed gratitude for Chinas strong long-term support and Chinese president Xi Jinping reportedly said that China supports Cambodia in following a development pathin line with its national conditions.

BRI is Xi Jinpings signature foreign policy initiative and involves massive strategic investment in businesses and infrastructure across the globe, with an emphasis on developing countries in Asia and along the old Silk Road to Europe.

In recent years, Chinese investment in real estate, tourism and infrastructure in Cambodia has surged, often designated as a part of BRI. Investment has concentrated in the capital Phnom Penh and in the deep-sea port and beach resort of Sihanoukville, both of which have seen a glut of projects.

This has occurred as the Cambodian People Party (CPP) government increasingly turned toward China - and away from Western countries  to gain economic and diplomatic support for its long rule, which it extended last year after the main opposition party was banned from running in 2018 general elections.

Amid an intensifying global rivalry between Washington and Beijing, the United States government and lawmakers have sought to counter Chinas growing economic and military influence. They warned developing countries that BRI is a debt trap laid by Beijing to realize its geopolitical ambitions.

Most recently, House Foreign Affairs Committee Lead Republican Michael McCaul noted that Chinese investment projects have a poor record of respecting workers rights, the environment and the sovereignty of other countries.

He said in a May 7 statement that Chinas Belt and Road Initiative is ensnaring developing nations into Chinese debt traps from which they may never escape. This effort is also leading to a new Chinese adventurism, complete with military outposts and expanded leverage in various countries.

Chheang Vannarith, president of the Asian Vision Institute, a think-tank in Phnom Penh, played down the risks suggested by those in Washington, saying that these were outweighed by the economic opportunities offered to Cambodia by the large Chinese investment under BRI.

He said Cambodia should try to ensure that better quality and transparency in the Chinese investment, while the risk of growing indebtedness to China depends on the negotiation and leadership capacity of Cambodia. [A] debt management strategy should be developed to sustainably and smartly manage debts.
Two representatives of the Coalition of Cambodian Apparel Workers Democratic Union (C.CAWDU) have been held in pre-trial detention in Kandal Provincial Prison since last week after they got involved in a fight with members of a ruling-party affiliated union, according to C.CAWDU.

Choub Chanthy, 30, and Phun Sokha, 34, C.CAWDU representatives in garment factory Quint Major Industrial Co., Ltd. (QMI) in Kandal Province's Ang Snuol district, were arrested on May 7 and charged with intentional violence under the Penal Code, which carries a prison term of one to three years, and a fine of up to $2,500.

Ath Thorn, president of the independent C.CAWDU, told VOA Khmer on Monday that the conflict occurred when workers approached Choub Chanthy and Pun Sokha to ask how they could best demand that the factorys ends its practice of only offering short-term contracts, regardless of how many years the laborers had worked there.

As they met to discuss the workers complaints, three members of the Khmer Union Federation of Workers Spirit (KUFWS), Chaem Neang, Mom Sokear, and Phoeun Sophear, disturbed the gathering and a fight broke out in which all sides were slightly injured, said C.CAWDU in a statement.

Shortly afterward the brawl, military police arrived and arrested four of those involved, they charged Choub Chanthy and Pun Sokha, while releasing two KUFWS members without charge.

The statement stressed that in this case, those who caused troubles were released, and the representatives of C.CAWDU became the victims and were imprisoned.

They should be released on bail immediately because we were not those who caused injuries from the beginning, Ath Thorn told VOA.

His organization called on National Military Police authorities to release the two representatives without charge and to examine the handling of the case by Ang Snuol District Military Police office.

KUFWS President Mom Seak said the judiciary and law enforcement authorities would find out who was responsible based on a video recording of the incident that supposedly was taken.

The C.CAWDU side put the blame (on us) because its their right and freedom. Its up to them to say what they want to say. But we rely in everything on the law, he said, adding, There is evidence to prove [these] red-handed offenses, so the authorities will work accordingly.

KUFWS is seen by independent labor groups as affiliated with the ruling Cambodian People Party (CPP). Mom Seaks Facebook page features a photo of a document showing he is the vice chair of a CPP working group in a district of Prey Veng Province and he is reportedly also an advisor to Minister of Interior Sar Kheng.

Eng Hy, spokesman for the National Military Police, and QMI Company representatives could not be reached for comment on Tuesday.

International labor rights groups and human rights activists have long called for better working conditions of Cambodias large garment workers force and an end to the oppression of independent unions, whose leaders and local representatives regularly face legal threats from authorities.

Ath Thorn and two other union leaders were given a suspended prison sentence in December last year for their alleged role in demonstrations against the contested 2013 general elections results, demonstrations were met with deadly violence by government forces.

Soon after the conviction, Prime Minister Hun Sen addressed a crowd of garment workers during which he told his ministers to ease pressure on the union leaders. The premier has been publicly courting the garment workers ever since the 2013 polls.

Reuters reported in November last year that some 50 other union leaders also faced charges over labor strikes.
The acting head of the Federal Aviation Administration defended the way his agency certifies airline safety after two deadly crashes of the now-grounded Boeing 737 Max jet.

Daniel Elwell called the system in which FAA-approved employees at plane manufacturers inspect the aircraft they built themselves a good system.

But skeptical Democrats on the House Transportation Committee questioned the agencys credibility.

They told Elwell that the closeness between Boeing and the FAA may be one of the reasons it took the agency a relatively long time to ground the Boeing jets.

The public perception is you were in bed with those you were supposed to be regulating, Nevadas Dina Titus said, while committee chairman Peter DeFazio wanted to know How can we have a single point of failure on a modern aircraft?

A Boeing 737 Max crashed off the coast of Indonesia in October and another 737 Max crashed in Ethiopia in March, killing a total of 346 people.

Both planes were equipped with a system designed to push the nose downward to prevent a midair stall.

Faulty sensor readings kept pushing the planes down while the pilots struggled to regain control.

The pilots did not know the planes were equipped with the anti-stall system and their manuals had no explicit information.

Elwell defended the FAAs approval of the system on the Boeing jets, but admitted the system should have been better explained in the pilots operational and flight manuals.

He also faulted Boeing for failing to inform airlines and the FAA that a light that is supposed to flash when there is a faulty reading from the sensors did not work.

But Elwell said pilot error may have also contributed to the Indonesian and Ethiopian disasters.

The Justice Department has opened a criminal investigation of Boeing, and Congress is looking into the relationship between Boeing and federal regulators.

Boeing plans to submit changes to the 737 Max software to the FAA, which will study the new software and carry out tests flights. Boeing will train pilots before allowing the planes to fly again.
The U.S. state of Alabama has passed a law that criminalizes abortion in nearly all cases, including pregnancies resulting from rape or incest. Tough abortion laws were earlier adopted in the states of Ohio, Georgia, Kentucky and Mississippi. A growing number of other states hostile to abortion could follow suit. The trend is raising fears that conservatives will seek to make abortion illegal across the country, forcing women to opt for unsafe methods to end unwanted pregnancies.
Alabama's virtual ban on abortion is the latest and most far-reaching state law seemingly designed to prod the Supreme Court to reconsider a constitutional right it announced 46 years ago in the landmark Roe v. Wade decision.



But Chief Justice John Roberts may prefer a more incremental approach to reining in abortion rights than the frontal attack Alabama's new law or the "fetal heartbeat'' measures enacted by other states present.



The passage of abortion restrictions in Republican-led states and a corresponding push to buttress abortion rights where Democrats are in power stem from the same place: changes in the composition of the high court. The retirement of abortion-rights supporter Justice Anthony Kennedy and the addition of President Donald Trump's appointees, Brett Kavanaugh and Neil Gorsuch, may make the court more willing to cut back on the right to abortion, if not take it away altogether.

Several state restrictions already are pending before the justices, and it seems likely that at least one abortion case will be on the court's calendar next term, with a decision likely in the midst of the 2020 presidential campaign.



Some questions and answers on the legal fight over abortion rights and how the Supreme Court could respond:



How quickly could the Alabama law get to the Supreme Court?

Not that quickly. The law is certain to be challenged in federal court in Alabama and almost surely will be blocked because it plainly conflicts with Supreme Court precedent. Review by the federal appeals court in Atlanta would come next, and only then would the Supreme Court be asked to weigh in. Emergency appeals by either side could put the issue before the justices sooner, but that would not be a full-blown review of the law.



What abortion cases might reach the high court sooner?

Indiana has appealed lower-court rulings blocking provisions prohibiting abortions over race, sex or disability, regulating the burial of fetal remains and requiring a pregnant woman to undergo an ultrasound at least 18 hours before an abortion. The first two of those issues has been pending at the Supreme Court for months with no explanation.

Separately, Roberts and the liberal justices blocked a Louisiana law regulating abortion clinics from taking effect in February, making the chances good that the court will review the law next term and issue a decision by June 2020.



Alabama has appealed a ruling invalidating a law prohibiting the most common method of abortion in the second trimester.



Four other states  Mississippi, Kentucky Ohio and Georgia  enacted laws this year banning abortion once a fetal heartbeat is detected, which can occur as early as the sixth week of pregnancy. None of those laws has yet taken effect, and lawsuits have been filed or are planned to block all of them.

Isn't it risky for abortion-rights advocates to challenge these laws in court?



Abortion-rights activists say they have no alternative but to file lawsuits challenging every tough abortion ban passed.



"Were we not to challenge them, they would go into effect,'' said Jennifer Dalven, director of the ACLU's Reproductive Freedom Project. "There's no strategy of 'Maybe we leave this one and challenge that one.' ''



The ACLU and its allies expect lower-level federal courts to honor Roe by blocking the abortion bans. The ultimate question, Dalven said, is whether the Supreme Court will decide to revisit Roe by agreeing to hear an appeal from one or more of the states whose bans were blocked.



"It would be an extraordinary thing for the Supreme Court to take away an individual constitutional right,'' she said.



Anti-abortion activists hope the high court will be willing to reconsider Roe.



"It is clearer than ever that Roe is far from being settled law in the eyes and hearts of the American people, and this is increasingly reflected in state legislatures,'' said Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the anti-abortion Susan B. Anthony List. "The American people want a fresh debate and a new direction.''

How might changes on the court affect rulings on abortion?



Kennedy's retirement and Kavanaugh's confirmation in October leave the four liberal justices playing defense, or trying to prevent the court from undoing earlier decisions. Kennedy was a key part of the court majority that reaffirmed abortion rights in 1992 in a decision that measures restrictions on abortion by whether they place an "undue burden'' on a woman's right to have one.



The justices don't overturn precedent often, even when it's a decision they disagree with. And when they do, it's usually because an earlier decision is "egregiously wrong,'' as Kavanaugh put it earlier this term.



Justice Stephen Breyer offered the latest recognition of the difficulty his liberal side of the court faces in a dissent in a case unrelated to abortion that the court decided Monday, one in which the five conservatives voted to overturn a 1979 decision.



Breyer, joined by liberal colleagues Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Elena Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor, cited the 1992 abortion decision in Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania v. Casey in a dissent that concluded: "Today's decision can only cause one to wonder which cases the court will overrule next.''



Justice Clarence Thomas is the only member on record as supporting overruling the court's abortion precedents. In his most recent comments on the topic in February, also in a case unrelated to abortion, Thomas likened Roe to the court's 1857 Dred Scott decision, which said African-Americans weren't citizens. Both, he wrote, were "notoriously incorrect.''



Why might Roberts hold the key?



With Kennedy gone, Roberts is now the justice closest to the court's center. The chief justice also has a track record of preferring smaller bites before making significant changes in constitutional law.



"You do see consistently in the chief justice's career a willingness to go incrementally and only decide what the court needs to resolve in the case before it,'' said Michael Moreland, a Villanova University law professor.



Roberts also is aware of the questions the court would face if a conservative majority of justices, all appointed by Republican presidents, were to reverse the abortion decisions, Moreland said.



Still, Roberts has, with one exception, favored abortion restrictions. His provisional vote to block the Louisiana clinic law was the only time he voted in support of abortion rights in more than 13 years on the court.
Former vice president Joe Biden has surged into a big lead among the Democratic presidential contenders for 2020.

The latest polls show Biden with a healthy lead over Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders and the rest of a large, diverse field of Democratic White House hopefuls.

Biden's rise comes in part because many Democrats see him as perhaps the strongest challenger to President Donald Trump next year.

A new Reuters/Ipsos poll of Democratic and independent voters has Biden at 29%, Sanders at 13% and the rest of the field at 6% or below.

A Morning Consult poll this week also found Biden leading with 39% support, followed by Sanders at 19%, California Senator Kamala Harris and Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren, both at 8%; South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg with 6% and former Texas Congressman Beto O'Rourke at 5%.



More than 20 Democrats are now running for president with Montana Governor Steve Bullock and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio the latest to join the field. Bullock announced his candidacy in a campaign video that focused on campaign finance reform and battling Trump. De Blasio released a video early Thursday morning.

Front-runner

Biden took his front-runner presidential campaign into the key early-voting state of New Hampshire this week with a pitch that targeted Trump head-on.

"Let's remember who we are. This is the United States of America. Anything we have set our mind to, we have never failed to accomplish," Biden told voters in Hampton, New Hampshire. "I refuse to postpone any longer the possibilities for this country and we have to end it now, this administration."

Biden has expanded his lead in the polls since he got in to the race last month. In the latest Reuters poll, he went from 24% late last month to 29% Wednesday.

But the 76-year-old Biden faces an energized Democratic field that is not shying away from drawing a contrast with the former vice president by advocating big change with an eye toward the future.

"We need big, systemic change in this country!" Warren said to cheers at a town hall in Ohio.

Warren is one of several women contenders in the Democratic field who hopes to mobilize a key Democratic constituency  female voters.

New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand had the same idea recently during a campaign swing through New Hampshire.

"I know I can win states like Ohio and Pennsylvania and Michigan and Wisconsin, the states we must win to defeat President Trump," Gillibrand said.

Taking on Trump

Biden appears to be surging in the polls because many Democrats think he would be a strong candidate against Trump in next year's presidential election.

"A lot of Democrats think, No. 1, he (Trump) is beatable, and No. 2, the country is in trouble under this person, big time, and that he is debasing a big chunk of the country and that needs to stop, and we need to do the stopping," George Washington University analyst Matt Dallek told VOA recently.

A new Quinnipiac University poll seems to buttress the argument that Biden would give Trump a tough electoral test. The survey found Biden leading Trump by a margin of 53% to 42% in the key swing state of Pennsylvania, a state Trump won against Hillary Clinton in 2016 but which previously had voted Democratic in several recent presidential elections.

Biden has a clear edge in Pennsylvania even though 54% of those surveyed by Quinnipiac said they are better off financially today than they were in 2016. Twenty-one percent in the poll said they were worse off and 22% said their situation is the same.

Danger signs

However, recent polls also suggest some potential weaknesses for Biden. The latest Reuters/Ipsos poll found that the former vice president led in all demographic groups except for millennials (ages 18-37). They slightly preferred Sanders.

A recent Morning Consult/POLITICO survey found 42% of those who took part between the ages of 18 and 29 said they were less likely to support Biden because of his 2002 vote in support of the Iraq War.

Biden has 44 years of government experience behind him as first a senator from Delaware and then as President Barack Obama's vice president.

Biden is quick to remind voters of his tenure with Obama, but his long record of Senate votes could give his Democratic rivals plenty of ammunition to use against him in the upcoming primary debates that begin next month.

It is a challenge that Biden and others with a long Washington record to defend will have to rise to, analyst Dallek said.

"I think that is what makes their path to the White House trickier because there is a lot there that can be attacked. And there are a lot of advantages to being in some ways relatively less seasoned because you are just not as big a target," he said.

Trump watching

Trump appears to be following the Democratic race and did his own take on the battle between Biden and Sanders during his recent rally in Panama City, Florida.

"You have got a choice between 'Sleepy Joe' and 'Crazy Bernie,' and I will take any of them. Let's just pick somebody please and let's start this thing. Let's start it. Pick somebody!" he told the crowd.

Picking a nominee who can take on Trump remains a priority for many Democratic voters. And many of them now believe that defeating the president will be no easy feat, according to Jim Kessler of the center-left policy group Third Way.

"You have to go after this campaign like the president is the favorite because he at least has a 50-50 shot at winning, and I would say probably a little bit greater," Kessler said.

Democratic hopefuls sharpen messages

Some of the Democratic contenders seem to be adjusting their campaign approach in the wake of Biden's polling surge.

Sanders has begun to focus more on his differences with Biden over the Iraq War, trade, the environment and health care.

O'Rourke has decided to step up his national television appearances, shifting away from a focus on local town halls after failing to catch fire in the polls.

And Harris has ramped up her criticism of Trump in recent weeks on the campaign trail, perhaps in response to the perception that Biden is succeeding by targeting the president directly.

Democrats hold their first debates next month but do not actually begin the nominating process until votes in Iowa and New Hampshire next February.

For the moment, though, Biden leads the field and is considered by many party insiders to be the clear front-runner, a status he never attained in his two previous runs for president.
The foreign minister of Burkina Faso called Thursday on the international community to consider creating a counterterrorism coalition, like the ones for Iraq and Afghanistan, to better combat terrorism in Africa's Sahel region.

The region currently has the G5 Sahel Joint Force, which includes troops from Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger. Those troops are tasked with fighting threats from extremist and armed groups.



But in the two years since its creation, the force has faced major delays and obstacles, including the car bombing of its headquarters.



The U.N. says the force is now 75 percent operational, but that equipment and training shortfalls are slowing its progress toward full operational capacity.



The Sahel also has 16,000 U.N. peacekeepers in Mali and 3,000 French troops based in Chad to help restore stability.



But despite the presence of the three forces, Burkina Faso Foreign Minister Alpha Barry told the Security Council the situation caused by terrorism and intercommunal violence was worrisome and deteriorating.

"This threat is gaining ground," he said through an interpreter. "It is no longer contained within the north of Mali, in the Burkina-based Sahel or far from the borders of Mauritania. It is spreading and taking other forms, whose consequences are equally dramatic."

Examples of threat



Barry noted the recent attacks on Christian churches in his country, an attack on Niger's military this week that killed 28 soldiers, and the abduction and rescue operation of four foreign tourists in northern Benin to illustrate the scope of the threat.



The minister said one of the main drivers of insecurity on the continent was the civil war in Libya, which is fueling terrorism and the proliferation of guns.



He said the Sahel nations required greater assistance because the security challenges were likely to be long term.



"Regarding the urgency of the actions to be undertaken, the member states of the G5 Sahel cannot succeed alone," he said. "It is, therefore, time for the international community to consider creating an international coalition to better tackle the phenomenon of terrorism in the G5 Sahel and throughout the rest of the Sahel."

Dozens of countries participated in the Afghanistan and Iraq coalitions. They fought the Taliban in Afghanistan and al-Qaida in Iraq for many years and at the cost of thousands of lives and billions of dollars.
English-speaking Cameroonians, who say they are fed up with an ongoing separatist war, are taking matters into their own hands by arresting and handing over suspected separatist fighters to the military. Some residents also have created militias in their towns and villages as they voice frustration over the war that has killed close to 2,000 people.

In the English-speaking village of Pinyin, a man shouts alongside scores of people who voice jubilation over the arrest of four separatist fighters.

Among the residents is 45-year-old butcher Peter Ndifor, a village self-defense group member. Ndifor says he participated in the arrests because the situation has worsened by the day since the war started in 2017. He says people are dying and businesses are crumbling.

"At first, we used to slaughter about five, six cows a day, but presently now we slaughter just one or two and it does not get finished [we hardly sell all of it] again," he said. "It [The crisis ] has affected my business a lot."

The suspected separatists, armed with locally-made guns, were overpowered by the huge crowd that attacked their hideout. The four men did not shoot, but received severe beatings before they were handed to the military.

Separatists have said on social media that the arrested men are not their fighters. They say the armed men may either have been taking advantage of the fight to kidnap people for ransom or were sent by the government to disguise themselves as fighters in order to attack and give information to the military.

Cameroon's unrest began in 2016 when English-speaking teachers and lawyers protested the growing dominance of the French language in the officially bilingual country.

The government responded with a crackdown and separatists began using weapons against the military, alleging that they were defending their people and fighting for their independence

Last week, attacks on suspected separatist fighters were reported in the English-speaking southwestern towns of Mutengene and Tiko.

Political analyst Gilbert Mbah says many people have voiced irritation with the war because there is no end in sight and conditions are worsening.

"The population is really fed up with it [the crisis]," he said. "Three years is not three days. The economy is really down. Children in the house, no food, no school, everything. I mean, it is really very bad."

Cameroon has been using village militias on its northern border with Nigeria to fight Boko Haram terrorists with the hope the armed locals can prevent further attacks.

Paul Atanga Nji, Cameroon's minister of territorial administration, says the government is relying on such groups to defend their communities from intruders.

"Look at what is happening in the far north region," he said. "The vigilantic [self-defense] groups are very operational because there is that synergy between the vigilantic [self-defense] groups and the forces of law and order. When the suicide bombers are coming, they go and stop them. If we think that only the military can intervene, it becomes very difficult."

The militias live on donations and expect support from the government. This was the case with village militias on Cameroon's border with Nigeria.

Atanga Nji says the population should be watchful and collaborate with them, making sure that people with questionable character do not join them.

Cameroon's English-speaking Northwest and Southwest regions have been wracked with instability since fighting broke out. More than 1,800 people have been killed and a half-million internally displaced, according to the U.N.

A battle between the militias and the fighters in the English-speaking village of Mbot last week left two militias dead. Six suspected separatists also were killed.

The violence has also kept more than 600,000 children out of school and disrupted health care services as well as the economy.
The winners and losers in European Parliament elections next week are likely to be determined in the suburbs of the continent's cities, which are turning into three-way electoral battlegrounds.

The elections are being seen as a moment of truth for an array of anti-migrant nationalist populist parties, which hope to reverse European integration.

Establishment Conservatives are hoping they can shore up their support in the suburbs in the face of strong challenges from left-wing progressives and nationalist populists, who have been campaigning against EU integration and for a "Europe of Fatherlands."

Populists are forecast to make significant gains in the May 23-26 elections and to grab votes from the dominant center-right parties aligned with the European People's Party (EPP).

The election is expected to result in a more divided Parliament with a reduced pro-EU majority. A third of the lawmakers in the 751-seat body could end up being drawn from euroskeptic populist parties, which oppose increasing EU power.

On Thursday, European Commission President Jean Claude Juncker expressed his alarm at the prospect, warning in an interview with the Austrian Der Standard newspaper that the EU could be "incapacitated" as a result. "I see this election as serene and calm, but deeply concerning, because I see the margins of the political spectrum questioning the European project," he said.

In Britain, which will be holding possibly its last election ever for the European Parliament, Nigel Farage's Brexit Party is forecast to win a majority of the British seats, according to polls. In France, Marine Le Pen's Rassemblement National is aiming to repeat its 2014 performance, when it won the most French seats in that year's elections.

Most media attention on the elections has focused on rural and so-called "left-behind" towns and post-industrial regions, where populists fare well and where the fear of migration runs the strongest. Or coverage has focused on the big cities, the cosmopolitan strongholds of centrists and left-wing progressives.

But it is in the suburbs where the most decisive electoral struggle is being waged, say pollsters and analysts. The established parties of the center right have traditionally done well in the suburbs, but in national elections they've seen an erosion of support in recent years.

In last month's Spanish parliamentary elections the center-right vote fragmented in the suburbs of Madrid and other big cities. In the French presidential elections in 2017 Emmanuel Macron's centrist La Republique En Marche had some of its fiercest skirmishes with populists in the Parisian suburbs.

"As so often, Europe's populists have a sense of where the wind is blowing. They cultivate the edge of the cities," Britain's Economist magazine observed.

In the run-up to next week's election, major populist player Matteo Salvini, Italy's deputy prime minister and leader of the far-right Lega party, has focused a lot of his campaigning in suburban Italy. Salvini himself is a child of the Milanese suburbs.

He isn't alone in the top ranks of populist parties in Europe to come from the suburbs. The 23-year-old Jordan Bardella, who Marine Le Pen handpicked to head her party's Euro-election campaign, also comes from suburban France  in his case the Parisian suburb of Seine-Saint-Denis, where he was raised by a single mother.

The shift in suburban political allegiances in Italy is epitomized in Rome's Municipality 5, a suburban district that stretches from the city's ancient wall at Porta Maggiore all the way out to the city's ring road known as the Grande Raccordo Anulare.

Traditionally a working-class district, it has gentrified in parts, and until 2016 was seen as a left-wing stronghold. Since then, though, the left has been pushed back into third place in local elections with Salvini's Lega and its coalition partner, the anti-establishment Five Star Movement battling for the top-spot.

"Twenty-first century European politics has ceased to be about class or the countryside versus cities and urban dwellers. It is now about identity," according to Denis MacShane, a former British Europe minister. With European politics now divided more on socio-cultural lines rather than socio-economic ones, it isn't surprising that the suburbs, which tend to have an older demographic, have become highly competitive electorally, say analysts.

In The Netherlands, the populist radical right Party for Freedom (PVV) fared well in the April 2017 national parliamentary elections in municipalities surrounding the city of Rotterdam, which have seen a decline in young people and a spike in migrants.
More than once in recent years, Kenyan officials have called for the closure of Dadaab refugee camp in eastern Kenya, home to more than 200,000 refugees and asylum seekers, many of whom fled Somalia during or since the 1991 civil war. In February, Kenya's government wrote to the U.N. refugee agency, ordering the camp closed by mid-year.

The fate of thousands of refugees is in limbo.

Mohammed Aden says his parents fled Somalia's Gedo region for Kenya 27 years ago. He was just three years old when they arrived at Dadaab.

Now 30, he says he was able to get an education, good health care, and a family of his own that knows no other home but Dadaab. And constant threats of its closure now gives them sleepless nights.



"We do not have a nice place back in our country," he said. "We have been here for almost 27 years. What we are provided here  the key is education, health, and also water, sanitation, even food  we are provided for by UNHCR. So if we go back, first no education, so when we go back to our country  no life at all there."

Working on 'solutions'



The camp would be closed by the end of August if the Kenyan plan is followed through.

The United Nations refugee agency says it is working with the Kenyan government to provide "solutions."

Speaking to reporters, UNHCR Kenya representative Fathiaa Abdallah noted that Dadaab camp "has been in life since 1992."

"There are generations born in Dadaab and there is a large number of refugees living in Dadaab, more than 280,000," she said. "Therefore we are looking for a solution. Everyone agrees that we should have a solution for that situation. A solution lies in different strategies, one, the voluntary repatriation to Somalia. You know the majority of refugees in Dadaab are from Somalia and that program is ongoing."

Abdallah said relocation of some of the refugees to other parts of Kenya is another option.

"We are hoping to relocate some of the refugees in Dadaab to Kakuma, and again that is something we will not force," she said. "We will talk to them and see who would like to be relocated to Kakuma because we have an office there and we have a program there as well and this is all jointly with the government."

Aden, like some of the refugees VOA spoke to, hopes his family will get resettled to a third country instead of being "plucked" from their "home" to different part of Kenya.



Abdallah says the UNHCR is listening.



"Many of the refugees outside express that they would like to be resettled," she said. "And that is something I said earlier is not in our hands. It is a small number, it takes longer and it is for all vulnerable refugees, but we try our best to address that."

'Unconstitutional' move

In 2016, the Kenyan government said it would close Dadaab, asserting it was there that the 2013 Westgate terror attack was planned.

But in 2017, Kenya's High Court said the move was unconstitutional and a violation of the U.N. Convention on refugees.

After the attack on the Dusit D2 hotel complex in Nairobi in January, there were fresh calls to close Dadaab. Twelve of the suspects linked to the attack were arrested in Dadaab.

For Aden, his request to the Kenyan government is that they hold off closing the camp at least until peace returns to his country.
Spain this week withdrew a frigate assigned to a U.S. navy task force ordered into the Persian Gulf. The decision is widely seen as reflecting persistent fears of Spain's socialist government about getting involved in a possible war with Iran.

The government of Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez made the decision despite the risk of further straining frayed relations with the United States that could endanger major U.S. defense contracts with Spain's expanding naval industry.

Spain's newest Class-100 frigate, the Mendez Nunez, was being showcased with the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier group under a cooperation agreement signed with Washington two years ago. Military relations between the United States and Spain have been governed through bilateral treaties that date back to the Cold War when the Franco government ceded important basing rights to U.S. forces, including the Rota Naval Base in Cadiz.

Spanish Defense Minister Margarita Robles said the abrupt decision to pull out of the U.S. led naval group was made for "technical reasons" over what she said was the "variation" of its original course.

But chief government spokesperson Isabel Celaa this week said the decision was based on "caution and prudence" over what she characterized as the "unpredictability" of U.S. President Donald Trump, who has made no secret the use of U.S. military force remains an option since Tehran announced that it would restart parts of its nuclear program. In announcing the evacuation of non-essential personnel from Iraq Wednesday, U.S. officials said there would be a response if Iran or its proxies target Americans.

The European Union has urged a return to the terms of an international agreement negotiated with Iran four years ago by which Tehran halted development of nuclear weapons in exchange for the suspension of economic sanctions. EU governments, including Spain, have criticized the Trump administration for re-imposing some of the sanctions based on Tehran's continued ballistic missile testing and military meddling in Iraq and Syria.

"Spain cannot accompany unilateral adventures undertaken without international authorization," said a defense analyst for Spain's official news channel RTVE, warning of possible "costs" for Spain if it became "implicated" in military actions against Iran.

The Mendez Nunez was the only European warship sailing with the U.S. force when Washington ordered the Abraham Lincoln and nine U.S. destroyers and missile cruisers into the Persian Gulf. The Spanish frigate is equipped with the AEGIS surface-to-air missile system compatible with the U.S. fleet.

The Spanish frigate remained in the Indian Ocean heading to India's port of Mumbai to await further orders from Madrid, as the U.S. ships sailed through the Straits of Hormuz earlier this week.

In a lead editorial, the conservative newspaper La Razon criticized Spain's government, claiming it was jeopardizing vital military and commercial ties with the United States to appease Iran. U.S. missions to which the Spanish government has assigned Mendez Nunez to have included maneuvers in the south China sea that risked friction with Beijing, according to the newspaper.

"American perceptions that Spain is not a country to be trusted when socialists are in power have received new impulse" said Spain's former ambassador to the United Nations, Inocencio Arias, recalling how the former socialist administration of Rodriguez Zapatero pulled Spanish troops out of Iraq after it had committed them to the U.S.-led multinational force that fought to remove Saddam Hussein in 2003.

Orders to pull Mendez Nunez appear to have come directly from Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez. Neither the U.S. embassy in Madrid nor the Spanish embassy in Washington were informed until after it was announced by the defense minister and communicated to the Pentagon, according to Spanish diplomatic sources.

Foreign Minister Josep Borrel eluded questions from reporters Wednesday, saying he did not wish to be "drawn into a quick sand."

The latest disagreement comes on the heels of other misalignments with the United States over Venezuela, Cuba, and the trade war with China.

Defense analysts question decisions to prioritize EU interests in Iran over lucrative defense contracts with the United States, which is negotiating the purchase of 20 Class-100 frigates being jointly produced by the Spanish ship builder Navantia and General Dynamics.

The United States has maintained official silence on the issue of Spain's decision to withdraw its frigate. But the situation could escalate into an open quarrel if Madrid interferes with U.S. use of its Spanish bases that would be vital in any sustained military operations against Iran.
Multinational companies doing business with Myanmars military have so far shrugged off calls from activists to cut ties despite ongoing efforts to have the countrys top generals prosecuted for genocide.

Even big brand names such as Western Union that stand to suffer reputational damage in the wake of outrage over mass killings in Rakhine state in 2017 have stuck with their military-owned business partners.

But now U.N. investigators are upping the pressure, calling for the countrys military to be totally isolated and promising to probe its sources of funding while nudging states to impose further sanctions.

At a total standstill

Marzuki Darusman, chairperson of the U.N. fact-finding mission that is investigating the 2017 violence, said isolating the military was necessary because Myanmars leadership has done little to address widespread rights abuses around the country.

The situation is at a total standstill, he said at the end of a 10-day visit that included a trip to Bangladesh, where hundreds of thousands of Rohingya are sheltering after fleeing killings and persecution in Myanmar.

The fact-finding mission is now seeking more information on the militarys business ventures in the hopes of helping countries to hit the generals in their pockets.

We will be reporting later in the year on the militarys principal vehicles for funding both itself and its leadership, Chris Sidoti, a human rights lawyer and member of the mission, told VOA.

We anticipate that that report will assist states to impose wider, carefully targeted sanctions against both, Sidoti added.

Corporate backbone of military

Late last year the Burma Campaign UK pressure group published a list of 49 foreign companies it said were doing business with the military or implicated in rights abuses in Myanmar.

The military is believed to draw large amounts of off-the-books funding from two local conglomerates: the Myanmar Economic Corporation (MEC) and Union of Myanmar Economic Holdings (UMEH).

Kyaw Win, executive director of the U.K.-based Burma Human Rights Network, said these companies are the two main backbones for the military.

These two entities are the main reason that the military is standing today, he told VOA.

Western Union uses a local bank that is a subsidiary of UMEH as an agent for its remittance services in Myanmar.

After President Barack Obama lifted U.S. sanctions against Myanmar in 2016, it seemed the chance for public pushback on such deals was low. But since the 2017 killings, Western Union has been accused by Burma Campaign UK of funding genocide.

The company did not respond to a request for comment, but it has previously said its agents undergo rigorous due diligence and that it is fully compliant with applicable sanctions and regulatory requirements.

While the outcry over the 2017 killings has given some investors pause, others have gone ahead with large deals. The Adani Group, an Indian conglomerate, recently signed a $290 million deal to develop a container port with MEC.

The company did not respond to a request for comment but a spokesperson told the Guardian the deal did not violate any sanctions and was not unethical, nor a threat to human rights.

Sidoti says that while companies supporting the military financially arent yet in breach of any sanctions, they still have responsibilities under the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and other international codes.

Other ways to isolate military

Besides sanctions, other tactics to isolate the military such as consumer boycotts, shareholder pressure and even legal challenges should be on the table, he said.

But unlike some activists, the fact-finding mission does not support general sanctions.

The experience with comprehensive sanctions in the 1990s and early 2000s was that they hurt the people of Myanmar without affecting the military leadership, Sidoti said.

China and Russia

One obstacle to isolating the generals could be key allies such as China and Russia, who have made their support for the military clear since the 2017 violence.

But Sidoti believes it is not a given that such support will continue.

We do not dismiss the possibility of China joining international action against the Myanmar military, he said.

Our job, in any event, is not to second guess the responses of particular states but to reach the conclusions that the evidence justifies.

For both Sidoti and activists like Kyaw Win, financial isolation is just one part of a broader strategy; the ultimate goal is to hold perpetrators of violence accountable.

We must never allow these generals to become a role model for other dictators, said Kyaw Win. In the meantime we must focus on their economic interests.
Advocates raised new alarms Thursday about the U.S. government's treatment of migrant families after a 2-year-old Guatemalan child became the fourth minor known to have died after being detained by border agents since December.



"The death of a single child in custody of our government is a horrific tragedy,'' said Jess Morales Rocketto, chair of the advocacy group Families Belong Together. "Four in six months is a clear pattern of willful, callous disregard for children's lives.''



The boy died Tuesday after several weeks in the hospital, American and Guatemalan authorities said. Tekandi Paniagua, Guatemala's consul in Del Rio, Texas, said the boy had a high fever and difficulty breathing, and authorities took him to a children's hospital where he was diagnosed with pneumonia.

Illness reported April 6



U.S. Customs and Border Protection said the boy's mother told Border Patrol agents her son was ill on April 6, three days after they were apprehended near an international bridge in El Paso, Texas.



The agency said the child was taken to a hospital in Horizon City, Texas, that day, and transferred to Providence Children's Hospital in El Paso the next day.



The boy remained hospitalized for about a month before dying Tuesday.



Marisa Limon, deputy director of HOPE Border Institute, a social justice policy group in El Paso, called for more humanitarian involvement in receiving migrants and possibly allowing Red Cross workers to be the first to screen migrants for health concerns.



"If we're ratcheting up our deterrent efforts to these levels, I don't know what the return on investment is if people are still coming and people are still coming and dying on our watch,'' she said.



CBP did not respond Thursday to questions seeking more details about the death.



All four children who have died after being apprehended by the Border Patrol were from Guatemala, which has been ravaged by violence, poverty and drought. More than 114,000 people from Guatemala were apprehended by the Border Patrol between October and April.

Held in Mexico



Many have been detained in Mexico, which has faced pressure from the U.S. government to restrict migration. Mexico's National Immigration Institute said Thursday that a 10-year-old girl died in custody Wednesday night, a day after arriving with her mother at an immigrant detention center in Mexico City.



In early December, Jakelin Caal Maquin, 7, died of a bacterial infection . Felipe Gomez Alonzo, 8, died on Christmas Eve of a flu infection.



Juan de Leon Gutierrez, 16, died on April 30 after officials noticed he was sick at a youth detention facility operated by U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The medical examiner in Corpus Christi, Texas, said Juan had been diagnosed with a rare condition known as Pott's puffy tumor, which can be caused by a severe sinus infection or head trauma.



President Donald Trump's administration has for months warned that the U.S. immigration system was at a "breaking point.'' The administration has asked for $4.5 billion in emergency humanitarian funding and for Congress to change laws that would allow agencies to detain families longer and deport them more quickly.



Many immigration detention facilities are overflowing and unequipped to house families with young children, especially as the numbers of families crossing the U.S.-Mexico border surge to record highs. The Border Patrol made 99,000 apprehensions on the southern border just in April. More than half were parents and children traveling together.



The Guatemalan foreign relations ministry said the family was from the area of Olopa in Chiquimula state, east of Guatemala City. Juan de Leon Gutierrez was from the same state, part of Guatemala's "dry corridor'' where a prolonged drought for nearly two years has led to destroyed crops and malnutrition.

El Paso station



The Border Patrol's challenges are particularly acute in El Paso, at the western edge of Texas and across from Juarez, Mexico.



Felipe Gomez Alonzo, the 8-year-old who died in late December, had been detained with his father for a week before falling sick. CBP acknowledged it transferred Felipe and his father between stations because it didn't have space at the El Paso station. The last place at which Felipe and his father were detained was a highway checkpoint.



After Felipe's death, the Department of Homeland Security announced it would expand medical checks and ensure that all children in Border Patrol custody would receive "a more thorough hands-on assessment at the earliest possible time.''



CBP did not immediately answer questions Thursday about where the 2-year-old child and his mother had been detained before the child fell sick, or whether any signs of illness had been detected before April 6.



In recent weeks, the Border Patrol in El Paso has detained families for hours outside in a parking lot and under an international bridge. Migrant parents complained of having to sleep at that location on the ground outside or in poor conditions in tents.



The agency this month opened a larger, 500-person tent in El Paso as well as in South Texas' Rio Grande Valley.
The heiress of a German biscuit empire has apologized for comments that seemed to downplay the use of forced labor in Nazi Germany.

Verena Bahlsen, who is part owner of her fathers Bahlsen bakery, said she deeply regrets her remarks about the way the company treated those forced to work under Hitlers regime.

It was a mistake to amplify this debate with thoughtless responses. Nothing could be further from my mind than to downplay national socialism or its consequences, Bahlsen said.

She said she recognizes the need to learn more about the companys history.

Bahlsen told Germanys Bild newspaper that the bakery treated forced laborers well during World War II and paid them as much as it paid German workers.

Many of the forced laborers were women from Nazi-occupied Ukraine.

Some in Germany have called for a boycott of Bahlsen products, including the famous Leibniz cookies.

German courts have thrown out compensation claims made by many former laborers because the statute of limitations had run out. But the company voluntarily paid more than $840,000 into a compensation fund in 2000.

Bahlsen was mocked earlier this month when she told a Hamburg business conference that she is happy to be part owner of a company because she wants to make money and buy yachts.
Hong Kong student activist Joshua Wong was sent back to jail Thursday over his role in leading the 2014 pro-democracy street protests.

Wong, along with fellow student activists Nathan Law and Alex Chow, stormed a courtyard on the grounds of the government's headquarters in September of that year, which led to the "Umbrella Revolution" that shut down several major highways for more than two months, demanding fully free elections.

He was sentenced last January to serve three months in jail on a charge of failing to obey a court order to leave a protest camp during the demonstrations. But he was released on bail after only six days so he could appeal the sentence.

In its decision ordering Wong back to jail, the Court of Appeals said any suggestion that he had been excessively punished because of his notoriety was "entirely baseless and misconceived." However, the court reduced his sentence to two months.

Wong, Law and Chow were sentenced in 2016 in a different case related to the protests. They initially received non-custodial sentences, but prosecutors later successfully persuaded the court to impose jail sentences between six to eight months on the trio. They were later released on bail so they could appeal their convictions, which were later overturned.

'One government, two systems'

The Umbrella Movement protests, named after the yellow umbrellas the demonstrators carried as a sign of solidarity, were launched to demand the direct election of the city's top leader after China reneged on promises of universal suffrage by 2017. The protests ended without winning any concessions from the Hong Kong government on their demands.



Hong Kong enjoys a high degree of autonomy under the "one government, two systems" arrangement established when China regained control of the financial hub from Britain in 1997. But political activists and observers say Beijing is slowly tightening its grip on the territory and eroding its basic freedoms.

Before entering the courtroom to hear the verdict, Wong criticized a proposed law that would allow Hong Kong to extradite people to other jurisdictions where it lacks a permanent extradition agreement, including China and Taiwan.
Joyce Huang contributed to this report.

SHENZHEN, CHINA  One day after the United States effectively banned Chinese telecom titan Huawei from building next-generation "5G" mobile networks in the United States, the company warned the move would harm American workers.



"It will do significant harm to the American companies with which Huawei does business," the company said, and "affect tens of thousands of American jobs."

The company added it would quickly "find a resolution" to the ban and work to "mitigate" its impact.

On Wednesday, U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order that bars American companies from using telecommunications equipment made by companies that pose a national security risk.

The order, which declares a national emergency, is the first step toward formalizing a ban on doing business with Huawei. The United States also warned other countries about Huawei's national security risks.

Huawei has been making extraordinary pledges to win over its critics and dispel allegations that it is a security threat. The company has said it will quit its business if forced to spy on its customers and its company chairman Liang Hua has offered to sign "no spy" agreements as well.

WATCH: Huawei Offers to Sign 'No-Spy' Agreements

Speaking through an interpreter during a visit to London, Liang said Huawei is willing "to commit ourselves to making our equipment meet the no-spy, no-backdoors standard."

It is unclear what Liang means by "no-spy, no-backdoors" since Huawei, like all technology companies, requires users to sign agreements acknowledging that the company may share their personal information if required by local authorities.

Most technology companies, such as Google and Facebook, disclose these government information requests in regular public reports. The companies explain when they comply with the government requests and when they challenge them in court.

Sharing data with Beijing?

There is no information about what data Huawei hands over to Beijing authorities. If Chinese officials determine a matter involves "state secrets" or a criminal investigation, officials can legally justify intercepting any communication. Critics say Beijing defines "state secrets" so loosely that it can cover virtually anything.

In his comments to reporters, Liang says Huawei does not act on behalf of China's government in any international market.

According to Reuters, he also denies that China's laws require companies to "collect foreign intelligence for the government or plant back doors for the government." Liang added that Huawei is also committed to following the laws and regulations of every country where it does business.

Independent business or state organ?

Huawei says it has signed 40 contracts to build 5G networks, more than 20 of which are in Europe. It has already shipped 70,000 base stations for installation, all to locations outside of China. Base stations are a key component of the infrastructure needed to build the new network.

Huawei spokesperson Joe Kelly that maintaining the trust of its customers is key to the company's continued success.

"Today, with 4 billion people around the world [using our products], at the scale at which we operate, if we were installing back doors and taking data, our carriers would be aware, they would see it for themselves and then they would stop doing business with us," he said.

In the 5G debate, Huawei has voiced its willingness to stake the company's continued success on its commitment to security.



U.S. officials have suggested that if countries choose to trust Huawei for their 5G network, Washington may reassess sharing information with them.



The executive order that was signed by President Trump on Wednesday not only paves the way for a formal ban on Huawei from building networks in the United States.

According to the Commerce Department, Huawei and 70 other affiliates will be added to what is called an "Entity List," which will make it more difficult for the company and other entities to buy parts and components from U.S. businesses.
VOAs Mohammad Habibzada contributed to this report from Washington.

WASHINGTON  Recent comments by a senior Iranian official about the possibility of deporting Afghan refugees living in the country has drawn widespread criticism from governments and rights groups.

Seyed Abbas Araghchi, Irans deputy foreign minister, said last week that his country would consider asking Afghan refugees to leave Iran if the United States continued to put economic pressure on Tehran.

If U.S. sanctions bring Iran crude exports to zero, it is possible that we ask our Afghan brothers and sisters to leave Iran, Araghchi told Iranian state television.

Afghan officials downplayed Araghchis remarks, however, saying that Afghanistan and Iran have formal agreements on the issue of Afghan refugees living in Iran.

They have not said anything serious, said Sayed Hussain Alemi Balkhi, minister of refugees and repatriation in Afghanistan.

They have said if the [U.S.] sanctions put more economic pressure and their oil sales drop to zero, they might ask the Afghan refugees to leave Iran. But overall it was not that serious, he told VOA in a phone interview from Kabul.

We have several agreements and understandings with Iran, Balkhi said.

He added that there is a joint Afghan-Iranian commission that has worked on an international memorandum of understanding, which included the issue of Afghan refugees in Iran.

Iran will discuss it with us if it is serious about the expelling of Afghan refugees. They will not take such a big measure without discussing it with the Afghan government, Balkhi said.

Rights groups say, according to international law, Iran cannot expel refugees to a place where their lives or freedoms would be in danger.

Reckless statements like that of Deputy Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi represent a disturbing global trend of using people as bargaining chips for political ends, said Anna Shea, a researcher at Amnesty International.

3 million refugees

Iran hosts about 3 million Afghan refugees who have fled violence and war in their country. An estimated 1.5 million to 2 million of those refugees are without legal status, rights groups said.

But refugees without documentation live with the daily threat of deportation to Afghanistan, and they face serious barriers to accessing essential services, such as education and health care, experts said.

The Afghan people living in Iran are human beings with clear rights under national and international law  they are not foreign policy tools to be wielded by government officials, Shea told VOA.

Afghan refugees have often complained about their living conditions in Iran. Some are even sent to fight in Irans proxy war in Syria in support of the Bassar al-Assad regime with the promise that they would be given legal status to live in Iran.

Refugees mistreated

Assif Faizi, an Afghan refugee who lives in Shahr Rey near Tehran, told VOA that Afghans are treated as second-class citizens in the country.

My son faces discrimination every day at school, not only from other students but also from teachers and other school staff, Faizi said.

They just allow us to breathe here. We are ready to leave Iran if we are offered another destination, he told VOA.

For now that destination is not their home country, Afghan officials said.

Based on the current situation, we are not ready to accept all the Afghan refugees from Iran, Afghan Minister Balkhi said.

He added, There are some countries that always support and cooperate with Afghanistan. So, if all refugees are expelled [from Iran] at once, these countries will act accordingly.

Not the first time

Analysts say that Iran has often threatened to deport Afghan refugees, especially when it is under political pressure.

The deportation card is not new, but one of many that the [Iranian] regime has wielded against the population, said Behnam Ben Taleblu, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies in Washington.

Such statements, while aiming to undercut or soften American sanctions, only show the brutality of the Islamic Republic, he told VOA.

Refugee rights groups say Iran has granted the right to attend primary and secondary school to Afghan children, including those without legal status, but as of 2018, only 420,000 were able to actually register.

Iran should be recognized for hosting this population of Afghan women, men and children, Shea of Amnesty International said. Wealthy nations around the world have utterly failed to do their fair share for people who have been forced to flee their homes, and should be doing much more to provide funding, as well as resettlement opportunities.

But she added that past generosity does not absolve Iran of its ongoing obligations as a member of the international community.

Iran also has been receiving funding from the U.N. refugee agency, UNHCR, which has supported Tehrans effort in providing protection and services to Afghan refugees.

Contacted by VOA, UNHCR said it doesnt comment on politically sensitive issues related to refugees.

Turkish concerns

Some experts say that if Iran put pressure on the Afghan refugees to leave the country, Turkey most likely would be their next destination.

Afghan refugees would prefer to seek refuge in Turkey instead of going back to Afghanistan, said Murat Erdogan, director of the Migration and Integration Research Center at Turkish-German University.

In that case, it would pose a greater risk for Turkey since these Afghan refugees will stay in Turkey and only a small group of them might return, he told VOA in a phone interview.

Turkey has been building a security wall along its eastern border with Iran. Turkish officials say some parts of their border with Iran have long been infiltrated by smugglers and human traffickers.

Turkey is already home to nearly 3.5 million Syrian refugees who have settled in the country since the outbreak of Syrias civil war in 2011.

Bargaining chip

Some analysts also charge that Iran might be attempting to use the issue of Afghan refugees living in the country as a bargaining chip to put pressure on the EU to show leniency toward Iran in the face of crippling U.S. sanctions and ongoing tensions between Washington and Tehran.

Iran is threatening Europe by implying that Afghan refugees would be entering Europe through Turkey. I think Iran expects the European Union to show some effort to ease U.S. sanctions, according to Erdogan at Turkish-German University.

Following widespread criticism by rights groups, Araghchi slightly retracted his initial comments, saying his statement had been taken out of context.
Iran's production of oil, its top revenue source, declined to its lowest level in more than five years as the U.S. prepared to unilaterally impose a total ban on Iranian crude exports, a new study shows.

In a monthly report released Wednesday, the International Energy Agency said Iranian oil output was 2.6 million barrels a day in April, down 5% from March's figure of 2.74 million barrels a day. April's oil output figure was Iran's lowest since September 2013.

The Trump administration ended waivers it had granted to eight governments to keep importing Iranian crude earlier this month, requiring them to reduce such imports to zero from May 2 or face sanctions. Washington imposed sanctions on Iran's crude exports last November, seeking to deprive Tehran of vital revenues to sustain what the U.S. says are malign Iranian behaviors.

Iran has vowed to keep exporting oil in defiance of the U.S. sanctions.

The Paris-based IEA, an intergovernmental agency that compiles data on international energy markets and advises governments on energy policy, also said Iranian oil production might shrink further this month to its lowest level in decades, as the U.S. begins enforcing its total ban on Iranian crude exports.

In a publicly available summary of the report, the IEA welcomed what it said were signals from other oil-producing nations that they will "step in to replace Iran's barrels, albeit gradually in response to requests from customers."

"The IEA is reassured to see that the challenges posed by [various global] supply uncertainties are being managed and we hope that major players will continue to work to ensure market stability," the IEA added.

In a Tuesday interview with the Bloomberg news service, Samir Madani, co-founder of oil tanker tracking service TankerTrackers.com, said he had not observed any Iranian oil tankers departing Iran with new crude deliveries this month. But he said that he had spotted one tanker being loaded with crude for apparent storage at an Iranian port.

This article originated in VOA's Persian service.
Hatice Cengiz, the fiancee of Jamal Khashoggi, the journalist slain at a Saudi Arabian consulate in Turkey last year, said Thursday that she could not believe that no one has yet faced serious consequences for the crime.

"I cannot understand that the world still has not done anything about this," Cengiz told a U.S. House of Representatives Foreign Affairs subcommittee, speaking in Turkish through an interpreter.

"I still cannot make human sense of it. I still cannot understand. I still feel that I'll wake up," she said in emotional testimony to a hearing on international press freedom and the dangers of reporting on human rights.

WATCH: Khashoggi Fiancee: Lack of US Stand Endangers Journalists

Cengiz was the last person to see Khashoggi, a U.S. resident and columnist for The Washington Post, before he went into the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul on Oct. 2 to obtain papers for their upcoming marriage.

He never left the building.

The Saudi journalist, a royal insider who became a critic of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, was killed and dismembered inside the consulate by a team of Saudi operatives, provoking international revulsion.

"We still don't know why he was killed. We don't know where his corpse is," Cengiz said. She called for sanctions to punish Saudi Arabia and for Washington to push for the freedom of political prisoners held in the kingdom.

U.S. authorities have concluded that responsibility for Khashoggi's death went to the highest levels of the Saudi government. Riyadh denies the crown prince was involved.

Cengiz said she came to Washington hoping to help provoke a stronger reaction to her fiance's death. She said President Donald Trump invited her to the White House months earlier, but that she had not come then because she was not confident about his response.

"I think we choose between two things ... ," Cengiz told the subcommittee. "We can either go on as if nothing has happened ... or we can act, we can leave aside all interests, international interests and politics, and focus on the values for a better life."

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In the past, Trump has resisted imposing consequences such as strong sanctions. Saudi Arabia is considered an important partner in the Middle East and a counterweight to Iran.

Calling the United States "a fortress" protecting freedom of thought and human rights, Cengiz appealed for justice. "I think it is a test for the United States and I believe it is a test that it can and should pass," she said.
U.S. lawmakers are pushing legislation that would force the State Department to report what it is doing to control the spread of U.S. hacking tools around the world.

A bill passed in a House of Representatives' appropriations subcommittee on Tuesday said Congress is "concerned" about the State Department's ability to supervise U.S. companies that sell offensive cybersecurity products and know-how to other countries.

The proposed legislation, released on Wednesday, would direct the State Department to report to Congress how it decides whether to approve the sale of cyber capabilities abroad and to disclose any action it has taken to punish companies for violating its policies in the past year.

National security experts have grown increasingly concerned about the proliferation of U.S. hacking tools and technology.

The legislation follows a Reuters report in January which showed a U.S. defense contractor provided staff to a United Arab Emirates hacking unit called Project Raven. The UAE program utilized former U.S. intelligence operatives to target militants, human rights activists and journalists.

State Department officials granted permission to the U.S. contractor, Maryland-based CyberPoint International, to assist an Emirate intelligence agency in surveillance operations, but it is unclear how much they knew about its activities in the UAE.

Under U.S. law, companies selling cyber offensive products or services to foreign governments must first obtain permission from the State Department.The new measure was added to a State Department spending bill by Dutch Ruppersberger, a Democrat from Maryland and member of the House Appropriations Committee.

Ruppersberger said in an emailed statement he had been "particularly troubled by recent media reports" about the State Departments approval process for the sale of cyberweapons and services.

CyberPoint's Chief Executive Officer Karl Gumtow did not respond to a request for comment. He previously told Reuters that to his knowledge, CyberPoint employees never conducted hacking operations and always complied with U.S. laws.

The State Department has declined to comment on CyberPoint, but said in an emailed statement on Wednesday that it is "firmly committed to the robust and smart regulation of defense articles and services export" and before granting export licenses it weighs "political, military, economic, human rights, and arms control considerations."

Robert Chesney, a national security law professor at the University of Texas, said the Reuters report raised an alarm over how Washington supervises the export of U.S. cyber capabilities.

"The Project Raven (story) perfectly well documents that there is reason to be concerned and it is Congress' job to get to the bottom of it," he said.

The bill is expected to be voted on by the full appropriations committee in the coming weeks before going onto the full House.
Iran is committed to its obligations under an international nuclear deal despite the U.S. withdrawal from the landmark agreement, its foreign minister said Thursday, calling the reimposition of sanctions by Washington unacceptable.

Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif made the comments in a meeting with his Japanese counterpart in Tokyo as tensions rise in the Middle East, fuelling concerns that the United States and Iran are heading for conflict.

Iran is exercising maximum restraint in spite of the fact the United States withdrew from (the) JCPOA last May, Zarif said at the start of his meeting with Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono.

He was referring to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action signed in 2015 by the United States, Iran and other countries, under which Tehran curbed its uranium enrichment capacity and won sanctions relief in return.

President Donald Trump withdrew the United States from the nuclear deal last year and is ratcheting up sanctions on Iran, aiming to strangle its economy by ending its international sales of crude oil. Japan was a major buyer of Iranian oil for decades before the sanctions.

Oil tanker attacks

An attack on four oil tankers in the Gulf on Sunday, for which no one has claimed responsibility, and Saudi Arabias announcement on Tuesday that armed drones hit two of its oil pumping stations have raised tensions.

The United States withdrew staff from its embassy in Iraq on Wednesday out of apparent concern about perceived threats from Iran, with U.S. sources saying they believe Tehran encouraged the attacks on the oil tankers.

Trump is sending an aircraft carrier group, B-52 bombers and Patriot missiles to the Middle East to counter what the United States calls a heightened threat from Iran to American soldiers and interests in the region.

We believe that escalation by the United States is unacceptable and uncalled for, Zarif told Kono in front of reporters before they met privately.

Nevertheless, Iran has relaxed restrictions on its nuclear program and threatened actions that may breach the nuclear deal, although the initial moves do not appear to violate the agreement.

Japan urges Iran to stay with accord

We are seriously concerned over the situation in the Middle East, Kono told Zarif. I will spare no effort to ease tensions and try to resolve outstanding issues.

Kono said it was essential to maintain the nuclear agreement and urged Iran to keep implementing it, echoing other countries.

Asian shippers and refiners have put ships heading to the Middle East on alert and are expecting a possible rise in marine insurance premiums after recent attacks on Saudi oil tankers and pipeline facilities, industry sources said Tuesday.
VOA Urdu's Ali Rana contributed to this story.

WASHINGTON  Pakistani authorities on Wednesday arrested a senior leader of the Pakistan-based Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) and its affiliated Falah-e-Insaniat (FiF) charity group, which are both U.S.- and U.N.-designated terror organizations.

Abdul Rehman Makki, the Islamist leader, was taken into custody in Punjab province on charges of inciting hatred and using defamatory language against authorities for the recent countrywide crackdown against banned militant organizations.

Makki was reportedly upset over the government's action against religious groups and harshly denounced it in a recent public gathering. He also condemned the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), the global terror watchdog, for putting Pakistan on notice to take measures against terror financing in the country.

During the gathering, he also sought donations from followers for the outlawed JuD terror group.

Militant groups in Pakistan reportedly collect donations under the guise of religion and welfare for the poor, but instead use the money to fund terrorism inside and outside of Pakistan.

Makki is chief of FiF and also monitors JuD's political and international affairs wings. He is believed to be second-in-command after JuD's founder, Hafiz Saeed, who is a U.S.- and U.N.-designated global terrorist.

In 2012, the U.S. Rewards for Justice Program (RFJ), which is sponsored by the U.S. State Department, placed a $2 million bounty on Makki for his alleged terror ties.

'Loud and clear message'

Some experts in Pakistan see Makki's arrest as a big development and call it a message for terror groups in the wake of FATF's growing pressure on the country to take action against terror financing and money laundering.

"This arrest is a message for FATF and international community and a loud and clear message for such organizations operating in Pakistan," Mujahid Hussain, a Pakistan-based political analyst, told VOA.

The Paris-based global terror watchdog placed Pakistan on its gray list last year because of Islamabad's alleged inadequate measures against terror financing and money laundering.

The watchdog is expected to review Pakistan's progress in cracking down on those offenses next month. It is believed that the country might not be able to get off of the list.

"This arrest is an important one as Makki plays an important part for JuD after Hafiz Saeed. He has worked immensely for JuD in the past. JuD's infrastructure was basically formed by Abdul Rehman Makki," Sabookh Syed, a Pakistan-based journalist who follows these developments, told VOA.

Makki is closely related to Saeed, the alleged mastermind of the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks that killed 160 people, including six Americans.

Saeed, himself lives freely in Lahore, despite having a $10 million U.S. bounty on him since 2012.

Crackdown

Pakistan has recently increased its pressure on militant groups operating in the country.

Earlier this week, the government placed 11 organizations on its terror watch list for their alleged ties to JuD and FiF.

Makki was unhappy with the development and criticized the government for its crackdown.

In March, the government went after religious organizations and seized assets of groups placed on the United Nations Security Council's terror watchlist that including JuD and FiF.

The government reportedly took control of properties operated by JuD throughout the country and arrested several of JuD's workers.

Front organization

JuD is believed to be the front organization for Saeed's Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT), a U.S.-designated terror group founded by Saeed in the 1980s with the aim to liberate Indian-administered Kashmir and its eventual merger with Pakistan. Over the years, the group has expanded its operations to Afghanistan.

Pakistan has been under international pressure for its inability to crackdown on Saeed and his JuD and FiF organizations.

Despite being placed on U.S. and U.N. terror lists, the organizations until recently operated freely.
Venise Felizor lay on a mattress in a warehouse-turned-shelter on a hot, sticky afternoon with her 20-month-old son, Wesly, in her arms, the boy coughing and wailing after suffering from diarrhea for days.

Originally from Haiti, they recently appeared in this tiny Panamanian village after a six-day hike through the jungle along the Colombian border, where armed robbers stole her husbands backpack containing the $1,000 that he had saved from two years working in Chile. The thieves raped three women in their group.

"The way was very dangerous," said Felizor, 26. "I thought my son was going to be lost. I saw scenes of death."

Panamanian authorities are struggling to contend with a spike in the number of migrants passing through what is known as the Darien Gap, a roadless, lawless region of tropical isthmus that is one of the most dangerous stretches for people heading north from South America, usually toward the United States or Canada.

Its the biggest migratory crisis Panama has faced since 2015-2016, when about 60,000 people crossed the Darien Gap, an exodus that prompted governments to temporarily close borders in Panama, Costa Rica and Nicaragua. According to the National Border Service of Panama, or Senafront, 7,316 migrants came through the Gap this year as of April 18. Such traffic tends to fall off during the imminent rainy season, but the numbers are still on pace to well exceed the 9,678 who made the passage last year and potentially rival 2015-2016.

In interviews, the migrants say they are fleeing poverty, misery, discrimination, political conflicts, war and extremist violence.

"I think what is happening at the Colombian-Panamanian border is a reflection of what is happening on an international level. ... It is a search for hope, for opportunities, for well-being, for a vital minimum that is not being provided by the state where they come from," said Johanna Fernanda Navas, a researcher on migration and human rights at the Catholic University of Colombia.

Most in the surge in Panama are migrants from Haiti or Cuba, with smaller numbers coming from African nations such as Cameroon and Congo, plus the South Asian countries of India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

Cubans have for years flown to Ecuador to begin their journey, though recently many have begun to opt for abbreviated routes beginning in Panama or Nicaragua. Haitians came to South America years ago following their countrys disastrous 2010 earthquake, more recently deciding to move on when work dried up.

African and Asian migrants tend to arrive by boat or air in Brazil, crossing the Amazon to Peru and turning north through Ecuador to Colombia, where they hire smugglers to shepherd them through the Gap.

"Our jungle is a bad jungle. ... That journey is very dangerous (with) unscrupulous people, 'coyotes,' who guide them through the jungle and abandon them to fate," said Jose Samaniego, eastern brigade chief for Senafront in the town of Meteti, one of the last outposts along the Pan-American Highway before it ends on this side of the Darien Gap.

The Gaps perils are numerous. Tales are common of robberies and sexual assault by marauding bands of armed Colombians and Panamanians, and encounters with the drug trafficking "mules" who walk the same paths as the migrants.

"The jungle aspect of it was so terrible because it was the survival of the fittest, you understand?" said Afolabi Ojo, who fled his home in northern Nigeria after the extremist group Boko Haram killed his entire family. "The environment was so deadly. You can imagine somebody coming from the bush, from the forest."

Dariens rivers can rise suddenly and furiously, and in recent weeks at least 10 migrants were reportedly swept to their deaths. Samaniego said the toll could be higher, but there is no way of knowing given the remote and unforgiving nature of the area.

A Congolese man who gave his name as just Kerlo said a person traveling in his small party drowned.

"We could not even bury him because the current took him away," the man said through tears, pointing at the river.

The International Organization for Migrations Panama branch says migrants who traverse the Darien jungle often arrive "in very bad shape." Senafront says the most common maladies are diarrhea, vomiting, skin inflammation, foot mold and dehydration.

Emerging from the Gap, most migrants pass through the hamlets of Bajo Chiquito or Canaan Membrillo before making their way by foot or by boat along the Chucunaque River to Penitas.

In normal times, Penitas is an indigenous village with fewer than 200 inhabitants who ply the river in narrow wooden skiffs. They have no running water, cellphone coverage, medical clinic or regular transportation.

These days Penitas is overwhelmed by migrants, who sleep on bunk beds and floor mats in the warehouse or outside in tents. They wash clothes in the muddy waters of the Chucunaque, hang things to dry on clothes lines and chain link fencing and relieve themselves in blue portable toilets set up outside the shelter.

Samaniego estimated on a recent day that there were more than 1,500 migrants at the Penitas camp, which was planned to hold only 100 to 200 and just a few months ago was housing around 80 or 90 on a given day.

Nearly 1,200 more were back in Bajo Chiquito, he said, plus about 1,000 who had been bused to a temporary shelter in Chiriqui, near Panamas western border with Costa Rica. The International Organization for Migrants said Costa Rica is allowing 50 to 100 of the migrants to enter each day.

Samaniego acknowledged that this years surge took authorities by surprise. After the migration flows of 2015-2016 fell drastically, Panama closed several camps and left only Penitas in operation. Now officials are scrambling to rehabilitate another shelter at Lajas Blancas where migrants would be in better conditions.

At Penitas, officials vaccinate migrants for measles, tetanus and rubella and are doing background checks as a security measure before transporting them west. The International Organization for Migrants said it is working with immigration authorities and border police to better manage the camp, and with the help of others such as the United Nations to provide beds, mattresses and mosquito nets.

The U.N. Refugee Agencys Panama office said it visited the camp in early May to counsel migrants about applying for asylum and mechanisms for people in need of international protection.

Although most of the immigrants hope to get to North America, some said they were applying for refuge in Panama.

One of them was Lisandra Perez Molina, a 24-year-old from Santa Clara, Cuba. She gave birth April 14 in an indigenous village before arriving in Penitas and a month later was tired of waiting at the crowded shelter.

"What I want is for them to get me out of here," Perez said angrily as the boy slept in diapers inside a tent next to his brother Yusnel, 1.

"My boy has rights here, and we as parents have them, too," Perez said.

She held up the birth certificate inscribed with her Panama-born sons name: Darien.
Saudi Arabias deputy defense minister on Thursday accused Iran of ordering an attack on Saudi oil pumping stations that Yemens Iran-aligned Houthi militia has claimed responsibility for.

The attack proves that these militias are merely a tool that Irans regime uses to implement its expansionist agenda, tweeted Prince Khalid bin Salman, a son of King Salman.

The terrorist acts, ordered by the regime in Tehran, and carried out by the Houthis, are tightening the noose around the ongoing political efforts.

The Houthis, which have been battling a Saudi-led military coalition for four years, said they carried out Tuesdays drone strikes against the East-West pipeline, which caused a fire but Riyadh said did not disrupt output or exports.

The head of the Houthis Supreme Revolutionary Committee denied that Iran directed the strike and said the movement manufactures its drones locally. Tehran also denies providing arms to the Houthis.

We are not agents for anyone, Mohammed Ali al-Houthi told Reuters. We make decisions independently and do not take orders for drones or anything else.

Other Saudi officials fired off similar tweets, ratcheting up pressure on the kingdoms regional arch-enemy amid heightened tension between Washington and Tehran over sanctions and U.S. military presence in the Gulf.

The Houthis are an integral part of the Revolutionary Guard forces of Iran and follow their orders, as proven by them targeting installations in the kingdom, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Adel al-Jubeir tweeted.

The ambassador to Yemen followed up, writing that the Houthis had made Yemen a platform for Iranian terrorism against Yemenis and their interests, and a tool to attack Saudi Arabia.

Air strikes

Saudi Arabias main English newspaper called for surgical strikes against Iran.

Our point of view is that they must be hit hard, said an Arab News editorial. We call for a decisive, punitive reaction to what happened so that Iran knows that every single move they make will have consequences.

The coalition, which receives arms and intelligence from Western nations, carried out air strikes on Thursday in and around Yemens capital Sanaa, which the Houthis control.

The drone attack happened two days after four vessels, including two Saudi oil tankers, were damaged by sabotage off the coast of the United Arab Emirates. The other ships were a Norwegian-registered oil products tanker and a UAE-flagged bunker barge.

The UAE has not blamed anyone for that incident, which is being investigated and from which Iran has distanced itself.

On Wednesday, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash said the UAE would show restraint and was committed to de-escalation. He declined to speculate about who was behind the attack near Fujairah emirate while the investigation was underway and due to be completed within days.

U.S. officials believe Iran encouraged the Houthis or Iraq-based Shiite militias to carry out the attack, two U.S. government sources have said. One source said Washington does not have evidence that Iranian personnel played any direct operational role.

U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres has condemned the attacks and called for maximum restraint by all sides.

The attacks took place against a backdrop of U.S.-Iranian tension following Washingtons decision this month to try to cut Tehrans oil exports to zero and beef up its military presence in the Gulf in response to what it called Iranian threats.

Saudi Arabia and the UAE back the sanctions against Iran, a fellow OPEC producer but regional foe.

Tehran has called the U.S. military presence a target rather than a threat, and said it would not allow its oil exports to be halted.

Irans foreign minister has said extremist individuals in the U.S. government were pursuing dangerous policies and Tehran is not seeking confrontation.

After a meeting on Thursday, Kuwaits parliament chief said ministers had discussed preparations for any potential state of war, and he called the coming period dangerous and uncertain.
The Saudi-led coalition backing Yemen's government carried out a series of airstrikes Thursday in Sanaa that killed at least six people.

The airstrikes hit multiple targets in the city and damaged several houses.

Sanaa has been under the control of Iran-backed Houthi rebels since late 2014, and the airstrikes come days after the Houthis claimed responsibility for drone attacks against an oil pipeline in Saudi Arabia.

The Saudi deputy defense minister, Khalid bin Salman, accused rival Iran of ordering the pipeline attacks and called them "terrorist acts."

The war in Yemen has left tens of thousands of people dead, while pushing the impoverished country to the brink of famine. The United Nations says 24 million people are in need of humanitarian aid.


Sudan's ruling military council has suspended talks with civilian protest leaders on a transitional government after at least eight people were wounded in an apparent clash with security forces in Khartoum on Wednesday.

General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan announced Thursday that negotiations have been suspended for 72 hours in the aftermath of the shooting, which he blamed on protesters who had refused to remove barricades at key roads in the capital city. The barricades were first erected last month at the start of sit-ins that grew from street protests demanding the ouster of longtime dictator Omar al-Bashir.

The military ended Bashir's 30-year rule on April 11, but the sit-ins and barricades have remained, with protesters demanding the military hand over power to a civilian government.

Sudan's Transitional Military Council and the civilian protest leaders had agreed on the main structure of a transitional government before the talks were suspended.

The deal called for a three-year transitional power-sharing agreement including three councils to run the government  sovereign, ministries, and legislative.The opposition Declaration of Freedom and Change Forces would hold two-thirds of the seats in the 300-seat parliament.

But there is no agreement yet on which side  civilians or the military  will have a majority in the ruling sovereign council until elections in 2022.
Arguments, shouting matches, and physical tussles broke out late Wednesday among Sudanese protesters over the positioning of barricades surrounding a sit-in in the capital Khartoum, where thousands of demonstrators have camped since April 6.

The barricades, built from rock and twisted metal, protect the sit-in, which is intended to pressure the leaders of a military coup that ousted long-time dictator Omar al-Bashir on April 11.

The protesters have been demanding coup-leaders, known as the Transitional Military Council, hand over power to a civilian government.

But now the barriers have become the source of disagreement among the protesters and a target of violence.

On Monday night, 77 people were shot at the barricades  with four deaths, doctors said.

Protest leaders blamed Rapid Support Forces, a government-backed militia, for the violence.On Wednesday, eight people were wounded when RSF soldiers sprayed bullets at youth who refused to take down their barricades, protesters and a doctor said.

Also Wednesday, the Sudan Professionals Association, which leads the protest, ordered barricades pulled back to the original limits of the sit-in on April 6 in hopes of preventing further violence.

During the past week, the barricades had pushed west along major streets in downtown Khartoum, approaching the Presidential Palace and closing traffic on two major bridges over the Nile River.

Not all protesters agree with the order to pull back and give up ground, leading to what appears to be the first major disagreement within the months-long protest movement.

"They keep asking us to remove one barricade after another, and eventually it'll reach the sit-in. These people shot at us earlier today. I haven't even broken my [Ramadan] fast today protecting this barricade," said 19-year-old Salah Jelani, who worked at an ice factory before joining the protesters at a barricade near Mek Nir Street.

"Why don't we just let them in if we're going to remove road blocks?" he asked. "That way they can come all the way in and kill us all and the Bashir regime can come back and take power."



Jelani said the roadblocks were especially important because Sudan's army, which protected protesters against attacks by Bashir loyalists last month, would not intervene during the past week, when the RSF attacked.

"We stand with the SPA. We're not against what they say," he said. "But those barricades, we want them because when we were being attacked and went to the army for help, they said they needed orders to intervene. So we need those barricades."

This week's violence overshadowed what appeared to be progress in talks between Sudan's ruling Transitional Military Council and protest leaders over formation of a government.

Talks on hold

Wednesday, the Military Council put the negotiations on indefinite hold. The two sides are at odds over whether civilians or the military should dominate the next government before fresh elections in three years.

Protester Senna Ibrahim Al-Hassan said they shouldn't have to remove roadblocks.

"If the president wants these roadblocks removed, he should give us a civilian government. We deserve a civilian government. We can't just remove the roadblocks and every two days be attacked."

Further up the street, Iman Karoom, a mechanical engineer, said he understands his comrades' concerns.

"These people have seen their brothers standing with them this morning get shot, so it's natural to be against the roadblocks being removed," he said.

But Karoom also expressed confidence that backing down was the right decision.

"Since April 6 we've done everything with instructions from the SPA," he said. "We've managed to get into heavy militarized areas through their instructions and planning, so what we want to do is go as far as we can through their instructions. They've gotten us this far, they're not going to let us down."

RSF militia

Karoom added the bigger problem was the RSF militia, which has a reputation for indiscipline and is accused of committing mass atrocities in Sudan's Darfur region.

They need to be reformed from the core if they're going to be among us," he said. "If not, then move them to the borders where they don't get to interact with the general public."

Ahmed Ali Habok, a communications engineer, voiced another reason for removing the roadblocks.

"It's a good idea for the ones on Mek Nimr Street to be taken down, because Mek Nimr Street provides access to the hospital," he said. "I've got family that needs to use it for the hospital. The barricades are not being taken down completely, but these have been removed for people to be able to move."

Despite the opposition, most barricades beyond the April 6 limits had been dismantled by early Thursday. But protesters warned they could put them back up just as quickly if needed.

Saddiq Ahmed al-Saddiq, a trader, sat on a pile of bricks waiting to remove the barricade.

"We've reached 90% of what we want  there's 10% left," he said. "If we get the 10% we need, fantastic. If not, we will expand the roadblocks again even bigger than before."



With talks on hold and the RSF still in Khartoum, protesters at the downsized sit-in will have to wait and see if their leaders made the right decision.
The Afrobytes and Viva Tech conferences in Paris this week have provided an opportunity to look at the progress that high-tech startups have made in Africa, where fundraising is booming.

According to Partech Africa, a venture capital firm, 146 startups in 19 African countries raised $1.16 billion for African digital entrepreneurs in 2018. Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa received 78% of the total funding, with Egypt close behind.

In French-speaking Africa, Senegal is the leading hub with $22 million raised in four deals. Compared with their Anglophone peers, Africa's Francophone countries operate in smaller markets, and lack capital and mentors.

A key: Seeking advice



Marieme Diop, a venture capital investor at Orange Digital Ventures, said that "unfortunately in Francophone Africa, it is not in our DNA. People who succeed in business or in electing positions do not necessarily reach back to help their peers to show them how to be successful. In the Anglophone world, it is a must for anyone who wants to start something: seeking advice. So the gap is not only financial" between the regions.



Africa is seen by many as the next frontier for venture capital, with its booming population and mobile-first economy. That's why Google, Facebook and PayPal participated in Paris in Afrobytes 2019.



"We do not want people globally to see African high-tech as an exotic stuff," said Afrobytes CEO Ammin Youssouf. "We want to be heard and talk about AI, blockchain, what is happening in Silicon Valley, because it has an impact on us. We already have brilliant minds in Africa, especially in tech, to have those conversations."

Unlike the global trend, where men dominate the high-tech industry, women are leading the movement in Africa.

"Actually, what we see in the statistics is that women's involvement and participation on in the African continent is much higher than what you would find in New York, for example, or San Francisco," said Ben White, chief executive officer of venture capital platform VC4Africa, who has been supporting startups on the continent for more than 10 years. "I think it is an advantage. It also means having women investors who are very sensitive to gender-related questions and can also ensure that the system we are building is inclusive."

Governments' role

Governments in Africa are trying to regulate the activity and even support the sector. Forty Senegalese startups last November secured a total of $2 million in government funding. But some experts say governments lack the skills needed to pick good investments.

Kenza Lahlou, co-founder and managing partner at Outlierz Ventures, said the public sector "should not invest [in startups]. States should build funds of funds. We have that in Morocco in partnership with the World Bank. The government started Innov Invest, to invest in local venture capitalist funds, to lower the risk for local funds."



With a population expected to reach 1.4 billion people by 2021, and a continent that will put about 1 billion smartphones into use within two years, Africa is a promising area for the world's leading high-tech and telecom companies.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the Iran's Writers Association (IWA), a civil society union, has protested the sentencing of three Iranian writers, who received a total of 18 years in prison

IWA condemned the verdict as one "against all writers and everyone struggling for freedom of expression."

Irans Judiciary on Wednesday sentenced Reza Khandan Mahabadi, Baktash Abtin, and Kayvan Bajan to a total of 18 years in jail, the writers' defense lawyers told the press.

Two of the trio, Mahabadi and Abtin were indicted last August based on a complaint made by the Ministry of Intelligence in 2015.

The ministry had accused the writers of "propagating against the regime, and publishing an illegal publication," referring to the union's internal pamphlet.

The Iranian Writers Association in the statement called the accusations "irrelevant" and "baseless," adding that the evidence presented by the complainant against the writers was even more irrelevant.

According to the statement, the writers were asked in their interrogations about the reasons for their membership in the Writers Association and publishing the association's pamphlet.

Among their accusations were paying tribute to deceased poets and writers, the statement said.

The Iranian government does not recognize the Writers Association although it has been active for many decades, campaigning against censorship and in support of freedom of expression.

Iranian authorities have never responded to concerns expressed by international human rights watchdogs about its gross violation of human rights including the rights of Iranian writers and intellectuals.
Shahla Arasteh contributed to this report.

CAPITOL HILL  U.S. President Donald Trump says there is no infighting whatsoever about his Middle East policies and that as tensions with Iran continue, he is sure that Iran will want to talk soon.

Trump responded to reports in the Washington Post and New York Times about clashing opinions between those in his administration who see Iran taking clear steps in preparation to attack U.S. forces, and other officials, including some from European allies, who argue the Iranian moves are defensive precautions in response to U.S. actions toward Iran.

Different opinions are expressed and I make a decisive and final decision, Trump tweeted. All sides, views, and policies are covered.

Trump decided last year to withdraw from an international agreement limiting Irans nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief, and applied fresh actions to cut off Irans oil and banking sectors in an attempt to alter the Iranian governments behavior.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said Thursday that the escalation by the United States is unacceptable and uncomfortable, and that despite the U.S. withdrawal from the nuclear deal, Iran is exercising maximum restraint.

Diplomatic staff pared

The United States has ordered its non-essential employees to leave the countrys embassy in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, and its consulate in Irbil as the Trump administration warned of threats against American forces in the Middle East from Iran or Iranian-backed proxies.

The move sparked sharp reactions on Capitol Hill.

There are only two reasons for ordering their departure: we have credible intelligence that our people are at risk or in preparation for military action in Iran, the Senate Foreign Relations Committees top Democrat, Robert Menendez of New Jersey, said. The Trump administration has not provided any information to this committee on the intelligence behind their decisions or what they plan to do in Iraq or Iran.

Menendez demanded the officials bring panel members up to date on any plans to go to war with Iran.

Committee chairman, Idaho Republican James Risch, said he, personally, has been briefed on the unfolding situation in the Middle East and said a briefing of the full U.S. Senate was in the works.

The United States is not alone in curtailing activities in Iraq. Germany and the Netherlands say they are suspending military training operations in the country, although Berlin said it had no signals of its own that a threat against Western interests in Iraq was imminent. The Dutch government cited an unspecified security threat in curtailing its training operations.

Troops to Iran?

Trump has rejected a report that he is considering sending 120,000 troops to counter Iran but didnt rule out deploying a lot more soldiers in the future.

I think its fake news, Trump said of The New York Times report. Now, would I do that? Absolutely. But we have not planned for that.

The Pentagon has dispatched an aircraft carrier and nuclear-capable bomber planes to the region in the past few days, with a Patriot missile battery and a landing platform dock ship on the way. The Patriot system offers protection from aircraft and missiles, while the LPD carries Marines and the aircraft, hovercraft or boats needed to put them ashore to fight in distant places.

But a major U.S. ally in the region, the United Arab Emirates, says it will show restraint in the face of Iranian aggression.

The United States suspects Iran was behind the sabotage of four foreign vessels Sunday off the UAE coast. Two Saudi oil tankers were among those damaged.

We need to emphasize caution and good judgment, UAE Foreign Affairs Minister Anwar Gargash said Wednesday. It is easy to throw accusations, but it is a difficult situation. There are serious issues and among them is Iranian behavior.

He said the UAE will not publicly speculate who was behind the sabotage while the investigation is under way.

Meanwhile, a senior British officer in the U.S.-led military coalition fighting Islamic State in Syria said Tuesday he has not seen an increased threat to his troops by Iranian-backed forces in Iraq or Syria.

Major General Chris Ghikas statement to reporters contradicts the Trump administration, which has asserted for more than a week that it has detected potential Iranian threats against U.S. forces in the Middle East.

Such assertions face increasingly rigorous scrutiny from lawmakers.

This seems like an escalation with no endgame, Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut said, describing the pressure campaign on Tehran as ham-handed.
Michael Bowman and Shahla Arasteh contributed to this report.

President Donald Trump says he hopes the U.S. is not going to war with Iran amid rising tensions in the Middle East, as an Iran diplomat downplayed such prospects.

"I hope not," Trump said when asked about the possibility of a conflict with Tehran as he began talks with Swiss President Ueli Maurer. The U.S. and Iran do not have diplomatic ties but Switzerland represents U.S. interests in the Middle Eastern country.

White House press secretary Sarah Sanders reiterated to reporters early Thursday that Trump wanted a "behavioral change" from Iran and would oppose any aggressive actions by the Islamic Republic.

WATCH: US Standoff With Iran Conjures Specter of Iraq War

Iran's ambassador to the United Nations, Majid Takht-e-Ravanchi, downplayed that possibility, saying on National Public Radio's Morning Edition Thursday that his country was not interested in escalating regional tensions. "If something goes wrong, everyone loses," he said. But Ravanchi added, "It is our right to be prepared," and "It is our right to defend ourselves."

The diplomat accused the U.S. and regional countries of making "false allegations" about Iran.

A New York Times report, citing three U.S. officials, said Thursday that the White House escalated warnings after reviewing photographs of missiles on small vessels in the Persian Gulf that were installed by Iranian paramilitary forces. The report said the images fueled fears that Iranian forces would fire the missiles at U.S. naval ships.

Trump said Wednesday that there was "no infighting whatsoever" about his Middle East policies and that he was "sure that Iran will want to talk soon."

Those remarks came in response to reports in the Times and The Washington Post about clashing opinions between those in his administration who see Iran preparing to attack U.S. forces, and other officials, including some from European allies, who argue Iran's moves are defensive precautions in response to U.S. actions toward Iran.

Trump decided last year to withdraw from an international agreement limiting Iran's nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief, and applied fresh actions to cut off Iran's oil and banking sectors in an attempt to alter the Iranian government's behavior.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said Thursday that "the escalation by the U.S. is unacceptable and uncomfortable," and that despite the U.S. withdrawal from the nuclear deal, Iran was exercising "maximum restraint."

The U.S. has ordered its non-emergency employees to leave the country's embassy in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, and its consulate in Irbil as the Trump administration warned of threats against American forces in the Middle East from Iran or Iranian-backed proxies.

The move sparked sharp reactions on Capitol Hill.

"There are only two reasons for ordering their departure: We have credible intelligence that our people are at risk or in preparation for military action in Iran," said the Senate Foreign Relations Committee's top Democrat, Robert Menendez of New Jersey. "The Trump administration has not provided any information to this committee on the intelligence behind their decisions or what they plan to do in Iraq or Iran."

Menendez demanded the officials bring panel members up to date on "any plans to go to war with Iran."

Committee Chairman James Risch, an Idaho Republican, said he had been briefed on the unfolding situation in the Middle East and that a briefing of the full Senate was "in the works."

The Pentagon has dispatched an aircraft carrier and nuclear-capable bombers to the region in the past few days, with a Patriot missile battery and a landing platform dock ship on the way. The Patriot system offers protection from aircraft and missiles, while the LPD carries Marines and the aircraft, hovercraft or boats needed to put them ashore to fight in distant places.

But a major U.S. ally in the region, the UAE, said it would show "restraint" in the face of Iranian aggression.

"We need to emphasize caution and good judgment," UAE Foreign Affairs Minister Anwar Gargash said Wednesday. "It is easy to throw accusations, but it is a difficult situation. There are serious issues and among them is Iranian behavior."

British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said his country agreed with the U.S. that Iran poses a heightened threat. His comment Thursday came two days after a senior British officer in the U.S.-led military coalition fighting Islamic State in Syria said he had not seen an increased threat to his troops by Iranian-backed forces in Iraq or Syria.

Maj. Gen. Chris Ghika's statement to reporters contradicted the Trump administration, which has asserted for more than a week that it has detected potential Iranian threats against U.S. forces in the Middle East.
Analysts say Turkey is running out of time to balance its relationship with Russia and the United States as Moscow and Washington step up pressure on Ankara over its pending acquisition of Russian missile defense systems.

The U.S. opposes the missile system transaction, maintaining that Turkey's use of the S-400s would compromise the technology of the F-35 fighter jet, which the U.S. and other NATO allies own. Turkey, also a NATO member, is due to take delivery of the F-35 this year. The U.S. has warned that if the Russian missiles are delivered, Turkey's purchase of the F-35 will be in jeopardy and sanctions will be possible.



Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu has dismissed Washington's concerns. "If these claims by the U.S. were true, S-400s would have already accessed [secrets] to the F-35 [aircraft] technology [as both are deployed] in Syria, the Baltic region and the north," he said Thursday during a visit to Latvia.



According to reports, Washington had requested that Ankara postpone the July delivery of the Russian missiles. However, in what was widely seen as a slap in the face to the United States, Turkish Defense Industries President Ismail Demir suggested the missiles could be delivered as early as next month.

"We are a serious country. Our deal with Russia continues," Demir said to reporters Thursday.

'No such thing as postponing'



Cavusoglu on Wednesday dismissed reports of any delay. "There is no such thing as postponing or canceling at this stage," he said. "It's not on the agenda, either."



Ankara's resistance to Washington coincides with Moscow's agreeing to Turkish requests for creation of a joint working group on the Syrian rebel enclave of Idlib. The working group is seen as giving breathing space to rebels, who have been under sustained Russian and Syrian government bombardment.

The latest assault was the most intense since Ankara and Moscow reached an agreement in September, preventing Syrian forces from overrunning the enclave.



"There are 2 million people in the [Idlib] enclave  jihadis and their families and those Sunni elements who will not make a deal with Damascus," said former senior Turkish diplomat Aydin Selcen.



"Turkey will be determined to avoid this enclave being overrun as those people have nowhere to go but to Turkey," said Selcen, who is a regional analyst.



"Turkey will not want this to happen as it would impose major security and humanitarian problems. While Ankara insists it will not allow this to happen, Moscow could be the key player," he added.

Peace efforts snagged

Russia and Turkey, along with Iran, are working together under the auspices of the so-called Astana Process to end Syria's civil war and secure a long-term peace. Those efforts have hit an impasse with disagreements on the formation of a committee to create a new constitution.



Turkish and U.S. diplomats are continuing their efforts to resolve a key point of tension. The diplomats aim to create a safe zone in Syria to protect Turkey's border from the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia, designated by Ankara as a terrorist organization.



Washington's support of the YPG in the war against the Islamic State group has soured relations with Turkey. The safe zone is seen as a way of putting ties between the two NATO allies back on track.



Expediting the delivery of S-400 missiles is interpreted to mean Moscow seeks to thwart U.S.-Turkish efforts to resolve differences on Syria. Ankara's procurement of the weapons would open the door to wide-ranging and severe U.S. sanctions under the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA), which bans significant Russian military purchases.



"Our understanding is that Ankara has resigned to being sanctioned under CAATSA," said analyst Atilla Yesilada of GlobalSource Partners, a business management consultant in New York.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan "still clings to the hope that a summit with [U.S. President Donald] Trump will allow him to keep the S-400s, with the latter applying only the least damaging articles of CAATSA," he said.

Fundamental differences



Ankara says Erdogan has built a unique working relationship with Trump, and that the problems in bilateral ties are the result of those working around the U.S. leader. However, some analysts suggest that the difficulties between the NATO allies are more fundamental.



"Turkish and U.S. understanding of the world order has been diverging rather than converging," said international relations professor Serhat Guvenc of Istanbul's Kadir Has University. "They view the international developments through a totally different lens. I think the problem is structural rather than conjectural."



Prying Turkey away from its Western partners is a decades-long strategic dream if not the goal of Moscow, but analysts contend that any Russian-Turkish alliance would inevitably fail on historical and regional rivalries, with Syria the likely flash point.



"Unfortunately, Ankara thinks they can play the Russians and Americans against each other. It won't work," said political scientist Cengiz Aktar of Athens University.

"The Russians sooner or later will clear Idlib, which is filled with tens of thousands of terrorists, and this is the first and foremost point of disagreement between Ankara and Moscow," he said.
Ukrainian lawmakers have set May 20 for the inauguration of incoming president Volodymyr Zelenskiy.

A total of 315 lawmakers voted in favor of the date Thursday, while two voted against it.

Earlier in the day, Ukraines parliament rejected proposals to hold the inauguration on May 19, the date Zelenskiy has been pushing forward.

Zelenskiy defeated President Petro Poroshenko in an April 21 runoff election with more than 73 percent of votes. His opponent received less than 25 percent.

The president-elect, who has suggested he might dissolve parliament and call snap elections, has accused lawmakers of deliberately postponing the swearing-in ceremony.

Under Ukraine's constitution, Zelenskiy would have seven days after his inauguration to dissolve the legislature, whose term is set to end in November.

The 41-year-old has vowed to eradicate Ukraine's widespread corruption and end the war with Russia-backed separatists in the country's east that has killed some 13,000 people since April 2014.

A comedian with no political experience, Zelenskiy will also need to deal with Moscow's takeover of Ukraine's Crimean peninsula in March 2014.

In Moscow, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters Thursday that he is not aware of "any plans on possible contacts" between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Zelenskiy after the his inauguration.

Putin has not congratulated Zelenskiy on his election victory.
The list of victims runs the gamut. A small-town Texas church. A Washington, D.C., law firm. A nonprofit organization in Illinois that works with disabled children.

They are among the tens of thousands of businesses and other organizations in North America and Europe that were targeted by an Eastern European cybercrime syndicate in recent years.

The 11 cybercriminals behind the scheme, U.S. and European law enforcement officials announced Thursday, infected more than 41,000 computers with a malware program known as GozNym in an attempt to steal more than $100 million from their bank accounts.

Prosecutors described the network as a highly structured online organized crime network, with each member assigned a special role.

The cybercriminals

Alexander Konovolov oversaw the operation. The 35-year-old Georgian national assembled his team of cybercriminals through underground Russian language criminal forums.

Russian computer programmer Vladimir Gorin was the brains behind GozNym. Four other Russians served in other roles.

A Bulgarian casher was tasked with using login credentials captured by GozNym to illegally transfer funds from the victims bank accounts into accounts controlled by the network.

And Ukrainian Gennady Kapkanov, 36, was an administrator of the Avalanche network, a platform that hosted more than 20 malware campaigns, including GozNym, before it was taken down in late 2016.

Phishing attack

To gain control of their victims computers, the conspirators turned to what is still the most common form of a cyber intrusion: sending phishing emails to unsuspecting employees.

In a phishing attack, a legitimate-looking business email is sent to a company employee with instructions to open a link. Once opened, the link deploys malware such as GozNym, giving the perpetrator access to the information stored on the victims computer.

In many GozNym cases, the emails sent to the victims appeared to contain bills or invoices.

In the case of the Washington, D.C., law firm, on Feb. 16, 2016, the conspirators allegedly sent an email to an employee from Quicken Billpay-center. The employee clicked on the link included in the email, allowing GozNym to be installed on the firms computer network.

With GozNym capturing the firms banking credentials, things were set in motion.

On Feb. 25, Konovolov, the Georgian ringleader, and Krasimir Nikolov, the Bulgarian casher exchanged details of a Massachusetts-registered bank account where they intended to transfer the stolen funds.

That same day, Nikolov, using the law firms stolen banking credentials, attempted to transfer $97,520 from the firms Bank of America account into the account the network controlled in Massachusetts. The transaction resulted in a loss of more than $76,000, prosecutors said.

Pennsylvania indictments

The 11 conspirators were named in a criminal indictment unsealed by prosecutors in the Western District of Pennsylvania, where some of the victims are located. The FBIs Pittsburgh Field Office, which leads many of the bureaus high profile cybercrime investigations, began looking into GozNym two years ago.

The five Russians named in the indictment remain at large. But the six others are in custody in the U.S., Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine.

Nikolov, the Bulgarian account takeover specialist, was arrested by Bulgarian authorities and extradited to the United States in 2016.

Five others are from Georgia, Kazakhstan, Moldova and Ukraine, countries with which the United States doesnt have extradition treaties. To ensure theyre prosecuted in their home countries, U.S. officials said they shared evidence with prosecutors in Georgia, Ukraine and Moldova.

New era of fighting cybercrime

This was something the U.S. had never done before, said Scott W. Brady, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania.

International law enforcement has recognized that the only way to truly disrupt and defeat transnational, anonymized networks is to do so in partnership, Brady said at a press conference at The Hague. The collaborative and simultaneous prosecution of the members of the GozNym criminal conspiracy in four countries represents a paradigm shift in how we investigate and prosecute cybercrime.

The development marks the latest takedown of an organized crime network operating on the internet.

This takedown highlights the importance of collaborating with our international law enforcement partners against this evolution of organized cybercrime, said FBI Pittsburgh Special Agent in Charge Robert Jones.
The United States on Thursday imposed sanctions on a Chechen group and five people, including at least three Russians, over allegations of human rights abuses, including extrajudicial killings and the torture of LGBTI people.

The sanctions against the Terek Special Rapid Response Team in the Chechen Republic and the five were announced by the U.S. Treasury under the Magnitsky Act. They included suspects in the deaths of Russian whistle-blower Sergei Magnitsky and Russian opposition leader Boris Nemtsov.

The 2012 Magnitsky Act is named after the 37-year-old Russian auditor and imposes visa bans and asset freezes on officials linked to his death in prison 2009.

Those targeted on Thursday included Elena Anatolievna Trikulya and Gennady Vyacheslavovich Karlov, members of the Russian state's Investigative Committee, who the U.S. said "participated in efforts to conceal the legal liability for the detention, abuse or death" of Magnitsky.

Abuzayed Vismuradov, commander of the Terek Special Rapid Response Team in Chechnya, was accused of "being responsible for extrajudicial killings, torture or other gross violations of internationally recognized human rights" against those seeking to expose illegal activity by Russian government officials.

Detention, torture

The U.S. Treasury said Vismuradov was in charge of an operation that "illegally detained and tortured individuals on the basis of their actual or perceived LGBTI status."

LGBTI is an acronym for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex.

The Treasury named Sergey Leonidovich Kossiev as being responsible for extrajudicial killings and torture as head of a penal colony in the Republic of Karelia. The fifth person, Ruslan Geremeyev, was accused of acting on behalf of the head of Chechen Republic, Ramzan Kadyrov, in a matter relating to extrajudicial killings and torture.

The Treasury statement said Russian investigators had twice tried to bring charges against Geremeyev as the possible organizer of the 2015 slaying of Nemtsov, but were blocked by the head of the Investigative Committee.

Nemtsov, one of President Vladimir Putin's most vocal critics, was shot and killed near the Kremlin in 2015.

In 2017, a court sentenced a man to 20 years in jail for his murder, but Nemtsov's allies called the investigation a cover-up and said those who ordered the assassination remained at large.

The Russian Embassy in Washington said in a statement that U.S. sanctions under the Magnitsky Act "are at odds with the international law." It said Russia would respond with "reciprocal measures."

The Magnitsky sanctions have been a point of tension between Moscow and Washington, which are far apart on a wide range of global issues and U.S. allegations of Russian interference in U.S. elections.

Pompeo visit

The latest U.S. move followed a frosty visit to Russia this week by U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who said Washington would brook no interference in the 2020 U.S. presidential election and wanted Moscow to take action to show there would be no repeat of its 2016 meddling.

Magnitsky was arrested and died after discovering a $230 million tax fraud scheme, according to U.S. authorities. His supporters say the Russian state killed him by denying him adequate medical care after he was imprisoned on tax evasion charges. The Kremlin denies the allegation.

The Treasury statement said officials in Chechnya had launched a series of purges of people they believed to be LGBTI and several were believed to have died as a result.

"They have rounded up dozens of people on these grounds, some of whom have disappeared, with others returned to their families barely alive from beatings and with their captors outing them to families and encouraging the families to carry out so-called honor killings," the statement said.
The United States has suspended all commercial flights between the U.S. and Venezuela.

Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao says she, along with the secretary of state and homeland security, has determined conditions exist in Venezuela "that threaten the safety or security of passengers, aircraft, or crew."

Many international airlines, including those in the United States, have already stopped flying to and from Venezuela because of the political upheaval.

Opposition leader and self-declared president Juan Guaido is leading a national uprising against President Nicolas Maduro, who he says won another term in a fraudulent election.

But Maduro still has the backing of the military, which is the key to taking or keeping power.

The United States and about 50 other countries recognize Guaido as Venezuela's legitimate president.

Venezuela has put the U.S. at odds with Russia  which has supplied military equipment to the Maduro regime  and Cuba, who the U.S. accuses of placing pro-Maduro troops on the ground in Venezuela.
President Donald Trump has granted a full pardon to Conrad Black, a former newspaper publisher who has written a flattering political biography of Trump.

Black's media empire once included the Chicago Sun-Times and The Daily Telegraph of London. He was convicted of fraud in 2007 and spent three and a half years in prison.

White House press secretary Sarah Sanders says Black "has made tremendous contributions to business, and to political and historical thought.''

In 2018 he published "Donald J. Trump: A President Like No Other.''

Trump has also pardoned Patrick Nolan, a former Republican leader of the California State Assembly. Nolan has been a vocal advocate for criminal justice reform since he spent more than two years in federal prison during the 1990s.
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After Turkish-backed rebels attacked their homes in Afrin, in northwest Syria, Kurdish Christians were forced to flee. They sought refuge in a nearby region, and have built a church to continue their religious life. VOA's Nawruz Rasho reports.
The ongoing trade dispute between the United States and China is having an impact on most farmers across the country. Their corn and soybean crops are subject to tariffs and increasing competition from other suppliers. As VOAs Kane Farabaugh reports, U.S. farmers are concerned about many issues.
Photo: Les Films du Bal/Cinekap/FraKas/Arte France Cinema/Canal Plus internation

One night in Dakar, a teenage girl named Ada sneaks out of the house to meet her boyfriend, Sulieman, at a club. Shes supposed to get married soon, to an older man her parents have chosen for her, and this night might be the last they have together. As Ada waits for Sulieman at the bar, she has an unsettling realization: The club is full of women, and each of them is waiting for a guy, too. The men are all gone. Theyve taken a boat to Spain, and they might not survive the voyage.

That half-empty club is the first indication that Mati Diops Atlantics, which premiered to a lengthy standing ovation at Cannes on Thursday, has something a little more spooky in store than its love-triangle setup might indicate. The second comes at the wedding, which Ada (Mame Bineta Sane) has been forced to go through with, even though her hearts clearly not in it. But on the fateful night, the celebration is interrupted  someones set fire to the marital bed. Examining the scene the next morning, the police find nothing that could have sparked a flame. Then a few of the girls from the club start getting sick, as does one of the detectives. The boys boat turns up in the ocean, capsized. There are supposedly no survivors  but then why did Adas friend say she saw Sulieman hanging around the scene at the wedding?

The answer turns out to be rooted in Islamic folk beliefs, and though Atlantics at times has the vibe of a ghost story, ghosts are the least of Adas problems. Shes trapped in a world created by and for the benefit of rich men, where young brides are forced to undergo virginity tests, cops brush off a case of large-scale wage theft, and a young woman without a husband will be left all alone. In Diops telling, vengeful spirits are far less frightening than the patriarchy.

Throughout, Diop keeps cutting to the waves of the Atlantic, a wide, surging mass that seems to contain all manner of deadly secrets. The ocean is both the escape to a better life and the wall keeping Ada in place. Its a subject the filmmaker explored in her 2009 documentary short of the same name, in which a group of Senegalese men discussed whether or not theyd migrate. Atlantics is Diops first feature; it is also, somewhat depressingly, the first film directed by a black woman to compete in the main lineup at Cannes. But her first time could not have gone any better.

On Thursday at the Lumiere, the crowd started applauding before the end credits had even begun to roll, and did not stop for a long while. Outside afterwards, Sane and the rest of the cast seemed to be instant movie stars. Diop strolled down the Croisette with her mentor, Claire Denis. There wasnt a baton, but there could have been.
Were not impersonators. Were grandkids out there paying respect to our grandparents, said Lynn, speaking from her home in Hurricane Mills, Tennessee. Lynn added that her grandmother helped pick out the songs she sings in concert.

The younger Twitty was only 16 when his grandfather, Poppy, died of an aortic aneurysm at age 59, but has an equally deep song legacy on which to draw: 36 No. 1 hits, most of which are love songs or breakup songs, including Twittys signature Hello Darlin  and Youve Never Been This Far Before.

The two grandchildren have discovered their own performing chemistry in the years theyve toured with their tribute show, performed with a live band, Lynn said.

In addition to her grandmothers feedback, theres the response of Lorettas longtime fans that keep the younger Lynn in the right spirit to perform her music.

I think Ive gotten more confident doing her show. I was timid at the beginning, she said. I still have my own music, but I think these shows are more important to me because of her fans.
To celebrate the 20th anniversary year of the Music Association of Central Texas, the organization plans to throw a street party Sunday with members providing the music.

The Austin Avenue Street Party, held between Seventh and Eighth Streets, will feature six hours of local bands coupled with local artists and craftspeople displaying their works and wares.

We want to make MACT better known to the community, explained MACT president Thomas Top Cat Clark. MACT, composed of area musicians, venue owners and music supporters, provides a way to network and share concerns in the local music business.

Clark said the block of Austin Avenue used in Sundays Street Party was chosen for the number of live music venues that populate that block. Three indoor venues and an outdoor stage will host 20 local bands and musicians.

Art vendors participating in the afternoon party include Black Oak Art, Cade Kegerreis Art, Keep Waco Loud, Mi Pais Artesanias, MC Art Supplies, GiGis Creations, Lil Manta Headscarves, Wacool Caricatures, Fan Addict Waco, Dont Eat Beads, Cabins and Marvin Kegerreis Woodwork.

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The companys Waco fleet will include 50 electric scooters and 50 electric pedal-assist bicycles.

We are really hoping this is going to build a vibrancy around Waco with tourism that you are seeing, Gotcha partner experience manager Clarissa Carr said. This is also great for residents here if they are trying to find a different option from using a car all the time.

After a year of discussions, the Waco City Council has amended ordinances to clear the path for Gotchas rental operation. A one-year contract with the company will leave the option to renew for another year if the deal is beneficial to the city, said Chelsea Phlegar, a senior planner with the Waco Metropolitan Planning Organization.

Everything is still a work in progress, but we expect them to be on the ground in late June, Phlegar said. Right now, the Gotcha team is trying to figure out where parking hubs will be and present a draft to the city to review and have a chance to say Yes, this works, or No, it doesnt work. 
No one knows the need for more CASA volunteers better than Futral. She and her husband, Trent, were foster parents for Child Protective Services for years and never had a CASA volunteer assigned to one of their kids because there were not enough to go around.

The Futrals have since adopted three of those foster children, and now Futral has come full circle to become CASAs executive director.

I was able to turn my passion into my every-day work, basically, Futral said. I see my own kids in the faces of the kids we serve now with CASA, and it is my drive and motivation to recruit more volunteers to serve more kids.

Currently, local CASA volunteers serve about 150 kids in foster care. Volunteers are appointed by the court to become, along with court-appointed attorneys, another advocate for the childs best interests while in foster care, a process that can take from a year to 18 months.

Reunify families

The goal ultimately is to reunify families if possible. That happens in about half of the cases, Futral said. The others often find homes with family members or are adopted.
The deputies carried Randle to the holding cell before returning him to the county jail.

Strother decided to sentence Randle via the countys teleconferencing system, with the judge, prosecutors Amanda Smith and Christi Hunting Horse and Randles attorney, Sandy Gately, speaking from a monitor at the courthouse while Randle was at the jail.

During the sentencing, Randle continued to rail against what he called the unjust criminal justice system. When Strother asked if there were any legal reason why he should not be sentenced, Randle replied, Is there any legal reason why all of you shouldnt be sentenced?

Im happy with the outcome and believe the jurors made a fair decision that will make Waco that much safer, Smith said after the three-day trial. This was one of the most disturbed and least remorseful defendants Ive ever prosecuted. He has no afterthought for the effects his acts of terrorism have on other people.

The store clerk and a witness to the robbery testified that Randle took beer, water, chips and cigarettes from the store, lifted his shirt to show his pistol and told the clerk, If you tell anybody, Ill blow your brains out.
In addition to the Statement on Human Sexuality, Baylors sexual conduct policy states physical sexual intimacy is to be expressed in the context of marital fidelity. The policy refers to the Baptist Faith and Message of 1963, which was amended in 1998 to state Marriage is the uniting of one man and one woman in covenant commitment for a lifetime.

The Baptist document goes on to state A wife is to submit herself graciously to the servant leadership of her husband even as the church willingly submits to the headship of Christ. She, being in the image of God as is her husband and thus equal to him, has the God-given responsibility to respect her husband and to serve as his helper in managing the household and nurturing the next generation.

The bubearsforall.org site states the groups purpose is to ensure that no Baylor student, faculty member, staff member, or alumnus is discriminated against or treated unfairly as a result of sexual orientation or gender identity.
Anyone wanting a shorter, condensed version of Kenneth Hafertepes recently published Historic Homes of Waco, Texas, can get one Thursday evening when the author talks about it in his 6 p.m. lecture at the Mayborn Museum, 1300 S. University Parks Drive.

It is a subject near and dear to Hafertepe, a Baylor University professor of museum studies and an architectural historian who has lived in Waco for 18 years.

His book features photos, histories and architectural descriptions of 120 homes in Waco built between the 1850s and 1940s. He has narrowed that scope to 30 representative homes for his talk, complete with photos and a corresponding At Home in Waco exhibit opening this week at the Mayborn and running through April next year.

Hafertepes book and lecture stretch far wider than the five mansions rescued and maintained by the Historic Waco Foundation, tapping multiple neighborhoods and decades of history.
The day after Scotts death, investigators learned Moody police had taken a report of a stolen SUV matching the description of the SUV caught on camera. The person who reported it stolen told police Stanford had gotten into an argument about money Stanford owed for the SUV, according to the affidavit.

The reporting party informed law enforcement that Mr. Stanford told him that he was going to Waco to get his money, the affidavit states. (Police) learned Mr. Stanford left Moody approximately (9 p.m.) and was accompanied by Hughes.

Stanford had arranged to buy an illegal substance at the University Club Apartments from a former coworker, according to the affidavit. The former coworker and Scott went outside to meet Stanford when he communicated that he had arrived, according to the affidavit.

The coworker noticed that the back windows of the SUV were covered with towels and was hesitant to get inside the vehicle, the affidavit states. PJ making a comment scared money dont make money entered the vehicle.

The back-seat occupant put a gun to Scotts head, and the coworker took off to his apartment and told a friend that they got PJ.
From December 19th through December 26th we will be granting free access as a gift to our readers presented by Bird-Kultgen Ford
Alabamas legislature has voted to ban nearly all abortions of pregnancy, with exceptions only when life or health of the mother is seriously threatened and when the child has a fatal disease. The bill is likely to become law.

This comes on the heels of a series of heartbeat bills in several states designed to protect the prenatal child after a heartbeat is detected  bills that some, including pundit Kirsten Powers, have labeled extreme. In a strict sense, Powers is correct. Given the current U.S. public opinion on abortion, while 7 in 10 support broad restrictions on abortion after 12 weeks, large majorities also support legal access to abortion before that time. Going down to six weeks, or going all the way back to the beginning of pregnancy, is indeed an extreme position.

That doesnt, of course, make it a mistaken position. In the middle of the 18th century, Abraham Lincolns opponents tried to paint him as someone with positions that were extreme at the time  insisting that he secretly supported interracial marriage and African Americans right to vote. I think the current approach of Alabama and other states  although they are to be admired for working for equal protection of the law for all children  is politically mistaken. But that doesnt make them wrong in principle.
Former CEO of Lynch, Jones & Ryan brokerage now works to improve the business district of Fifth Avenue in New York City.
Garbatella kids play hopscotch on the way to school in Rome.

The streets of Garbatella have been decorated with games of hopscotch, known in Italian as il gioco della campana, thanks to an initiative by the local council.

Titled Vado a Scuola Giocando, the project has seen 31 hopscotch patterns stencilled onto streets near schools in the Garbatella district.

The initiative, aimed at the area's youngest school children, precedes World Play Day on 28 May and comes ahead of Garbatella's centenary next February.

Photo Urloweb
Joel Nafuma Refugee Center showcases tastes and sounds of Latin America.

17 May. Rome's Joel Nafuma Refugee Center at the American Episcopal Church of Rome, St Pauls Within the Walls, is holding a Latin American fundraising dinner at 19.30 on Friday 17 May.

The JNRC says it is organising the event to reflect the many Latin Americans it currently serves, refugees and asylum seekers, as well as immigrants learning English, improving their Italian or seeking legal or humanitarian assistance.

The JNRC's chef from Ecuador will first serve a special soup of tuna fish and yuca, named encebollado de pescado, followed by a main course of rice 'Arroz Marinero' with calimari, prawns, maize and peas, with fried plaintain, abundant green salad with potato, carrot and eggs, chilli salsa and a salsa 'boncrina'.

Due to the menu's high seafood/ fish content it is not possible to cater to those who do not eat fish.

Marco Cruz will provide the live Latin American folklore music on guitar and harmonica with a Majagua Band, giving guests the opportunity to dance.

All profits from the charity event will go towards the needs of the guests at the refugee centre.

The donations in aid of JNRC are 20 for adults, 15 students/pensioners and 10 for children under 10. Cash bar.

The event is open to all but guests must reserve their place in advance by emailing events@jnrc.it. For full details see Facebook event page.
The facility in Cumberland, Va., is owned by an Indianapolis-based firm that provides research-related services for the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. (PETA)

Federal officials said records at the facility showed that in a seven-month period, more than 300 puppies died of unknown causes.
The fight over Truvadas price took on new urgency after The Washington Post reported in March that the government had opted not to file an infringement suit to enforce a 2015 patent on Truvada from the CDC. The ability of the drug to prevent HIV infection was discovered in federal primate labs in Atlanta, according to the government.
Record numbers of families from Guatemala and other northern Central American countries are surrendering at the border and seeking asylum, with nearly 100,000 crossing in April, the highest monthly total in a decade. The White House has asked Congress for $4.5 billion in aid and increased enforcement, saying the influx is risking lives, while advocates for immigrants have raised concern about health and safety conditions in cramped federal holding facilities.
Immigrant hopefuls would be deemed eligible and competitive based on the points they accrue through a set of criteria, including educational specialty or degree, age, English proficiency and high-salaried job offer. They would need to show that they like our way of life, a senior official said, and that they are capable of patriotic assimilation. They could demonstrate that quality by passing a civics test much like the kind someone might encounter at a U.S. college.
Or was it a date? Around these parts the line between a date and a job interview can be a fine one. Shannon found Jims questions to be both personal and not  a lot of, Where did you grow up, where did you go to school, where have you worked before?  she said later. I felt like at times I was walking through my resume. She remembers pausing in the middle of an answer, only to have Jim quickly fill the space by asking another question. It made her wonder how deep their conversation would get.
 They dont have to start or finish with anapests: All the lines in Stephens limerick above happen to start with an anapest, which is two weak syllables followed by an accented one  notice that the first boldface word in each line doesnt show up unti the third syllable. But the Empress (as well as OEDILF) does NOT care if all the lines begin with the two weak beats of an anapest, and end with a strong beat. Instead, they can begin with one weak beat, or just come right in on the strong beat. Likewise, at the end of the line, you can add one or more weak beats as part of an extended rhyme (e.g., TALK-ing and WALK-ing; CRED-ible and ED-ible).
The director Edward Zwick recalls a cautionary tale he constructed for himself when was 30, and a newly minted member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. He joined a committee that included lions of cinema  Richard Brooks, John Frankenheimer and Paul Mazursky  who would regale Zwick and fellow newcomer Cameron Crowe with tales of their cinematic exploits. They would tell these great wars stories, like, When Burt Lancaster and I were doing The Train . . .  Zwick recalled during a recent visit to Washington. But I realized at a certain point that none of them were talking about what they were doing, because none of them were working. And they were pissed off. They had been marginalized too soon, and they were angry. Zwick made a vow to himself: I was not going to be that person.
Thats a great goal. But thats not where were at. Were at a place where, whether consciously or subconsciously, likability still matters. So lets at least figure out how to evaluate it better. Lets acknowledge the inherent subjectivity in the question. Whether you find someone likable will depend, after all, on what you personally like. Whether someone seems authentic will depend on their comfort with the setting.
People often ask me if theres one law that might fix all of these problems at once. Unfortunately, no. But a stricter price-disclosure law would address many of them. In Australia, businesses must clearly disclose an all-in price at the beginning of the purchase. Consumers can report violations to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, the countrys consumer-protection and competition agency, which can lead to enforcement action. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission could require an inclusive price, but so far it hasnt.
Trump supported Guaido, so they have to be against him because theyre against Trump, said Fernandes, a political science student at nearby George Washington University. They dont even understand how deep all this is, how far back this all goes. They are using our crisis just to go after Trump.
Shoreline and Bayou Bend boulevards, 7 a.m. May 2. An 8-year-old boy was struck by an SUV as the boy attempted to board a school bus. The boy got up and ran from the scene and was later taken to a pediatric center with serious but non-life-threatening injuries. The driver contacted police and turned himself in. He explained that he drove away from the scene when the child ran off. The 37-year-old Laurel man was charged with failure to remain on the scene of an injury crash. Police ruled the crash pedestrian error as the driver was in a location not required to stop.
Anytime youre dealing with fireworks, I think, you have to be very careful, and a system of setting off the fireworks with that many thousands of people has worked for us pretty well, Bowser said. Were concerned about that. And anytime you move the president, if the president is moving during that time, figuring out how to get people in and out . . . could be problematic.
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These new policies are uneven in their ability to reach those most in need and are often tone deaf to the needs of todays students. The money, in many instances, can only be used for tuition and not for other costs and fees. They are often last-dollar programs, i.e., the aid is offset by other grant funding, such as the federal Pell Grant. Many programs do not cover any tuition if a student opts to attend a four-year institution rather than a two-year institution, and they often have limits on eligibility that exclude older and working students.
In 2016-2017, there were more than three dozen bias incidents that were reported by or took place at Montgomery County schools, mostly involving vandalism with swastikas, racial epithets or other bigoted messages, according to an analysis by The Washington Post.
The incident that led to the trial occurred at about 11:30 p.m. on a Friday in November 2014. Douglas Matthews  then a state corrections officer  was driving home from a meeting at the Prince Hall Masonic Lodge and crashed into two unoccupied parked carswith such force that one of the wheels on his car detached, court records show. Matthews testified he fell asleep at the wheel after working long shifts at two jobs. He had trouble using the brakes, he testified, and continued to drive the remaining few blocks to his home.
Detectives that night arrived at the scene  near the intersection of Piney Branch Road and Flower Avenue, about a mile east of downtown Silver Spring  and spoke with two witnesses, according to a police affidavit filed in court.
Schwartzberg said deals with Schneiders practice were not made until after Schneider joined the board. But Schneider , in a phone interview after this article was initially published online, said the contracts predated his 1992 arrival on the board, although he was not paid for the calls until more recently, in accordance with changing national norms. Schwartzberg could not immediately explain the discrepancy between what Schneider said in the interview and the information he was provided by the hospital. He also did not say whether the deals were competitively bid.
The following information, provided by the Montgomery County Police Department, shows selected offenses reported to police. Crime reports may be based on preliminary information that is subject to change as a result of further investigation.
In 1982, while he was a fellow at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, he and Wilson published an article in the Atlantic magazine under the title Broken Windows. In the article, they contended that urban crime does not develop in a vacuum: It is the result of social neglect and decay, in which small problems can lead to a breakdown of civic life.
When Unita Blackwell became mayor of Mayersville, Miss., many of the towns roughly 500 residents lived in tin-roof shanties with no running water. There was no sewer system, and the streets were unpaved. The year was 1976, but the town carried on much as it had for generations, unnoticed by the world beyond the Mississippi Delta.
This has been one of our protest sites for as many years as I can remember. Its no longer going to be necessary for us to protest in front of our embassy, said Robert Nasser, a Guaido supporter and member of Venezuelan activist group Lucha Democratica. But there is still work to be done. Our voice can still be heard, so were looking at other actors to whom we should direct our protest energy.
Manning was jailed for refusing to testify on March 8. In calling for her release, her lawyers argued that the civil contempt of court statute used to jail her was for coercive purposes, and would not serve its purpose because Manning would never testify. They argued that other prisoners had been released when it was clear that the jailing was not serving its coercive purpose.
Two men who allegedly supplied drugs to a Virginia man who died of an overdose last year were charged with murder Monday, authorities said.

[Federal, state authorities step up fentanyl prosecutions as drug drives spike in overdoses]

Chukukemeka Musa Chukuka, 32, of no fixed address, and Jacob Carl Belotti, 24, of Twin City, Ga., supplied a man on Feb. 24, 2018, with a narcotic thought to be mixed with fentanyl, Prince William County police said in a statement.

The 25-year-old man, Dustin Colburn Lueker of Haymarket, had an adverse reaction to the drug and later died, according to the statement.

On Monday, Chukuka and Belotti were charged with felony murder and distribution of a controlled substance, among other charges, police said. Chukuka is incarcerated in Fairfax on unrelated charges, police said; Belotti, described as a white male, 5-foot-9, 140 pounds with a thin build, short brown hair and blue eyes, remains at large.

The charges come amid an effort by authorities around the country to aggressively prosecute crimes involving fentanyl. Federal prosecutors charged 267 people with fentanyl-related crimes in the 2017 fiscal year, compared with 74 in FY 2016, as The Washington Post reported last year.

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An arrest affidavit filed in court on Thursday says Johnson and Hawkins were arguing over a purple designer bag a witness believed held $100. A witness told police Johnson picked the bag and up and Hawkins tried to get it back.
After the trooper pulled over the driver, the driver exited her vehicle and began walking toward the trooper, according to the statement. The driver refused to comply with the troopers order to return to her vehicle, saying she was an officer with the Prince Georges County Police Department, state police said.
The woman told police that she was a passenger in a vehicle when two masked suspects entered the vehicle and pointed a weapon at her and covered her eyes. They then reportedly drove the woman to an apartment complex in an area unknown to the victim, where an assailant raped her, police said. Detectives are still trying to determine where she was kidnapped and later sexually assaulted.
Arthur Fox, of the Arlington Ridge Civic Association, who has opposed the project on the grounds that it will intensify density and traffic, said Friday that he and his neighbors want an independent cost-benefit analysis of the impacts. Fox also said his group would like to be in on the countys negotiations with Amazon before the cake is pretty much cooked.
In a statement issued Thursday, Purdue said the complaints are part of a continuing effort to try these cases in the court of public opinion rather than the justice system. The states cannot link the conduct alleged to the harm described, and so they have invented stunningly overbroad legal theories, which if adopted by courts, will undermine the bedrock legal principle of causation.
He continued to insist on speeding up construction, blanching at suggestions from aides that it would take many years, according to former administration officials. Trump frequently delved into the minutiae of contracts and suggested that some of his friends in New York would have ideas on how to build it faster, officials said.
The official Korean Central News Agency said an average of 2.1 inches of rain fell in the country in the first five months of this year. It said that is the lowest level since 1982, when North Korea received 2 inches on average in that period.
The court can gut Roe without having to overturn it. For example, the court currently has on its docket at least two cases that would allow it to chip away at existing precedent and give states the green light to impede access to abortion or eliminate it entirely. One case involves the Louisiana law on admitting privileges, which could close at least two of the three clinics in the state. Another case involves an Indiana law that prohibits abortions on the basis of sex, race or disability. Alternatively, the court could invalidate one of the bans on abortions after six weeks, but uphold one of the bans on abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy. Mississippi has enacted both such restrictions.
Intimacy comes quickly and deeply on the trail. Because Mother Nature is entirely indifferent to human suffering, empathy for those around you blossoms. Any human may become a friend, and all humans are equally humble against the uncaring majesty of the natural world. Ive hiked with students and soldiers and acrobats and dropouts and doctors, and there is no difference between us. We eat, hike, sweat, stink the same. We climb the same mountains and we down the same cheap beer and fries in the same irrational quantities.
Apple has a robust argument for why it should remain beyond regulatory reach. Its software runs on less than half of U.S. smartphones and a much smaller share of smartphones worldwide. Opponents say that does not matter because Apple still has a stranglehold on apps that run on its devices. (Plus, iPhone users are much bigger spenders than their Android-customer counterparts.) Figuring out what market a company has a monopoly in, if any, is a difficult enterprise. Figuring out whether that company is unfairly leveraging its role to hurt consumers or snuff out any potential competition can be thornier still. But before this week, it looked as though these fights might never have a chance to occur when it came to tech companies. Now, a battle has begun.
This trend is explainable in part because the science  and therefore the need to act  is increasingly undeniable. But it is also in the long-term interest of major corporations to plan for the inevitable transition to come. Addressing global warming can be an orderly, careful process, or it can be an expensive emergency effort thrown together once the consequences start getting really dire  when time will be short and options few. Business needs and supports predictable and effective climate policies including an economy-wide price on carbon, the group said. That is the right policy. These companies can prove their sincerity by throwing their lobbying power behind it  not just issuing statements.
Look at a map. Iran is nearly four times as big as Iraq and has twice the population. Tehran does not have nuclear weapons  we know that thanks to the nuclear deal the Obama administration negotiated and Trump ripped up  but it does have robust air and naval defenses. As we should know by now, Iranians would likely react to a clash with the United States not by turning on their leaders, however unpopular they might be, but by rallying around the flag.
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) in March shared a video of herself lifting weights in an Iowa gym while wearing a T-shirt that said just trying to get some ranch. That was a reference to a viral moment a month earlier, when Gillibrand had found herself blocking the path of an Iowa City restaurant patron looking for salad dressing. The candidates effort to poke a little fun at herself turned Gillibrand into the subject of mockery on social media, with some Twitter users accusing her of trying too hard to relate to the average American,  Fox News reported.
It wasnt until, as an adult, I traveled to Promontory Summit, Utah, and saw the site of the railroads completion with my own eyes that I realized the true weight of this legacy. The railroad is a complicated affair for Chinese American descendants like me: The greatest U.S. engineering feat of the 19th century may have physically unified the country when it was finished in 1869, but this new network of rail also brought scores of white workers to the West, many of whom grew resentful when they saw Chinese holding down jobs they considered rightfully theirs. Not 15 years after the completion of the railroad, this ire, coupled with a severe economic depression, helped usher in the Chinese Exclusion Act  the countrys first major federal law that limited immigration based on race, class and nationality  setting the tone for future wide-reaching restrictive immigration policies.
Trump and Black also both have a distinctive way of minimizing actions that others might find offensive or outrageous. Black on Wednesday described his own actions in the case that led to his conviction like so: It came to light that some payments from our American to our Canadian company and to certain executives, including me . . . had not been fully authorized.
Carters wife, Rosalynn, was also admitted to the hospital on Wednesday for observation and testing after she felt faint, the Carter Center said, but she left the hospital with the former president this morning.
For the speaker, as a leader of the caucus, she has to consider a lot more than I do, and we would expect her to do that  thats why she is the leader and the speaker, said Rep. Val Demings (D-Fla.), a former police officer who wants to start impeachment proceedings but had only good things to say about Pelosis strategy. And I think she will get to the place, in a very strategic way, that we need her to get to. I trust her judgment.
I remember he had said to me, he took a famous picture of Keith Ellison and I, and he said, Ilhan, you need to run for Congress,  Omar said, referring to the Democrat who previously held her seat. And I said, I cant run for Congress, because the only seat I can run for is occupied by Keith Ellison. And we laughed about that, and I didnt really know that that would be the last time that I would see him.
He proposed a plan this year to expand the citys public insurance option to guarantee health coverage to all New Yorkers, including those without legal authorization to live in the country. He supports legalizing the sale of marijuana in New York City in a way that would position nonwhite communities and residents, including those with past marijuana convictions, to benefit from the new legal industry. In the 2016 presidential campaign, he delayed offering his endorsement to Clinton until October, while calling Sanderss campaign very helpful for this country and for the party.
I will be bound by precedent, including Roe versus Wade, Vitter testified, referring to the 1973 decision legalizing abortion nationwide. She later added: My religious, personal or political beliefs would have to be set aside. It is not something I would aspire to; it would be my duty and my obligation to do so, and I would do so without hesitation.
Republicans are wary of a reprise of 2012, when they lost two key Senate races in Indiana and Missouri after the partys nominees in those states made comments about pregnancies resulting from rape. The debate over the Alabama law also comes at a time when Republicans are looking to make inroads with suburban women, a voting bloc that they lost when Democrats recaptured the House in 2018.
Buttigieg, who has ascended in the polls despite his low national profile as mayor of South Bend, Ind., is the first openly gay person to make a serious run for the presidency. During his stump speeches, he often reflects that its not lost on him that his marriage is possible because of one vote on the Supreme Court.
If anybody wasnt convinced, then certainly what happened over the weekend makes it clear: This is what they are going to do every single time, Jayapal said. They are going to police the words of members, and then they are going to use that as a wedge to try to divide our caucus, and I dont think we should fall for it.
The death toll in the central African country reached 1,136 this week, government officials said. The infection count, meanwhile, has climbed to 1,632  with 88 more suspected, Congos Ministry of Health said. Concerns are growing that the crisis in Congos North Kivu province could become as lethal as West Africas battle against the hemorrhagic fever from 2013 to 2016, which killed 11,310 people across three countries.
Against this backdrop, the formal arrest will almost certainly be interpreted as a political signal, said Julian Ku, a professor of law at Hofstra University. The message is: We are still mad about Meng and Huawei, and we are going to continue with our charges. We are not backing away from this,  he said.
You and the people you help might actually get arrested, you might have your homes searched and your workplaces raided. Maybe a GP will inform the police of your illegal behaviour, or a flatmate  either way you really have to know who you can trust with the information about your medical procedure, if you access pills at home because you cannot travel, the letter said.
Carol F. Rudd, county elections supervisor, declined to comment on the breach but said its important for federal, state and local officials to be able to communicate confidentially. If each agency gets suspicious of the others ability to follow the rules of confidentiality, then those tenuous lines of communication quickly break down, she said in an email. That would set our security capabilities back years and severely compromise our ability to protect our elections. THAT would be a big win for the Russians going into 2020.
During his confirmation hearing last month, Rosen declined to promise Democrats that Congress would receive the redacted portions of special counsel Robert S. Mueller IIIs report cataloguing the findings on Russian interference in the 2016 election and possible obstruction of justice by the president.
Pentagon and intelligence officials said that three distinct Iranian actions have triggered alarms: information suggesting an Iranian threat against U.S. diplomatic facilities in the Iraqi cities of Baghdad and Irbil; U.S. concerns that Iran may be preparing to mount rocket or missile launchers on small ships in the Persian Gulf; and a directive from Khamenei to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and regular Iranian military units that some U.S. officials have interpreted as a potential threat to U.S. military and diplomatic personnel. On Wednesday, the State Department ordered nonessential personnel to leave the U.S. missions in Baghdad and Irbil.
The Justice Department is arguing that its not at issue, at least for the moment. The Sierra Club and the ACLU are nonetheless challenging the legitimacy of the emergency declaration because the administration has identified it as a likely means of obtaining money for the wall. The plaintiffs argue that there is no emergency and no legitimate use of the armed forces for the wall.
To reach this agreement, we have to give the Chavistas, including government officials willing to do this with us, guarantees, Stalin Gonzalez, vice president of the National Assembly, told The Washington Post last week. Guarantees that they wont be persecuted, but also guarantees that they will still be able to have political power in democracy.
China cannot plausibly retaliate against Donald Trump by the dumping of US Treasuries on a grand scale. Any attempt to do so would backfire via multiple channels.

Chinese President Xi Jinping is feeling internal pressure to strike back harder against Donald Trump. Credit:AP

To the extent that this action weakened the overvalued US dollar it would be doing the White House a favour. The Fed could respond with a blast of quantitative easing. This would blanket the Treasury market and prevent yields rising.

Each spasm of Sino-US hostilities leads to a chorus of calls from Chinese nationalists for the State Administration of Foreign Exchange (Safe) to pull the plug on its $US1.12 trillion ($1.6 trillion trillion) holding of US debt. Such a move would supposedly deliver a financial shock and teach Donald Trump a lesson. Global Times editor Hu Xijin has been leading the charge this time. "Many Chinese scholars are discussing the possibility of dumping US Treasuries and how to do it specifically," he tweeted.

If China runs down its $US3.1 trillion stash of foreign reserves it drains liquidity in the process and tightens -internal monetary policy ("sterilisation" is a hard trick to pull off). This would cause an even sharper economic slowdown and compound China's trade recession. Note that retail sales growth in April fell to the lowest since the SARS outbreak in 2003. Manufacturing investment contracted. The fiscal front-loading by local governments in the first quarter is largely exhausted. Buoyant property is the last pillar preventing a double dip in China. Beijing has to be careful. It is short of dollars.
Qantas is holding firm on its decision to bar an acclaimed author's assistance dog from a domestic flight, citing federal aviation regulations.

But award-winning poet Fiona Wright, who was due to attend the NT Writers' Festival this weekend, has labelled the decision "deeply upsetting" and "out and out discrimination". Wright is perhaps best known for her book Small Acts of Disappearance: Essays on Hunger.

Author Fiona Wright has been barred from taking her disability support dog onto a Qantas flight. Credit:Louise Kennerley

"[My dog] is an assistance dog, it's just that their policy doesn't recognise the particular organisation that I'm working with," she said. "She's not an emotional support dog. She's far more qualified than that. In order to start working with mindDog, I needed a letter from my GP, from my psychiatrist ... there was a six week in-home assessment before we got started.

"The onus shouldn't be on the disabled person to prove their disability and prove their disability aid is accessible. I can no longer do my job because I can't get on that plane. I've wanted to go to Alice Springs for a really long time. It's a wonderful festival and a great program I wanted to be a part of."
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has used his final major speech before election day to warn voters about the risk a Labor government poses to Australia, repeating "now is not the time" a dozen times as he urged voters to reject the opposition's "big-spending, big-taxing" agenda.

Pitching his message to a quiet majority that he believes has "no time for Twitter trolling, sit-in protests or any form of political activity", Mr Morrison promised he "will burn" to deliver Australians' aspirations if re-elected.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison at the National Press Club: "Don't let anyone tell you that this election is run and done." Credit:Dominic Lorrimer

"If Australians give me that opportunity on Saturday, they can be absolutely assured that I will burn for you every day, every single day, so you can achieve your ambitions, your aspirations, your desires," he said at the National Press Club in Canberra on Thursday.

Mr Morrison predicted the election would go down to the wire, defying the pollsters and pundits.
A Sydney man has pleaded not guilty to intimidating a reporter and assaulting a photographer after a Fraser Anning press conference.

Max Towns was charged in April after an altercation with a News Corp photographer in Cronulla, where it's alleged his camera equipment knocked to the ground and his shirt was torn.

Max Town leaves the Sutherland Local Court, south of Sydney, on Thursday. Credit:AAP

Towns, 19, on Thursday had his first mention before a registrar at Sutherland Local Court, where his lawyer entered pleas of not guilty to the charges of intimidation and common assault.

Police allege Towns made intimidatory comments to a female journalist and assaulted photographer Dylan Robinson when he tried to intervene.
Australia has reportedly resettled two Rwandan men accused of murdering eight tourists with machetes and axes, possibly as part of the so-called "people swap" deal with the United States brokered under the Coalition government.

The US news outlet Politico has reported that two men - charged with terrorism offences by American prosecutors over the heinous 1999 crimes but never convicted - have been relocated to Australia and accepted as "humanitarian" entrants, or refugees.

Donald Trump and Malcolm Turnbull were involved in a heated phone call about the "dumb deal". Credit:AP

Australian officials have so far refused to confirm or deny the report, with the Department of Home Affairs saying it does not comment on individual cases.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison refused to comment on the specifics but said: "Every single person that comes to Australia under any such arrangements is the subject of both character and security assessments by Australian security agencies and our immigration authorities."
Bob Hawke wanted to see Bill Shorten return Labor to government, but knew he mightnt make it to election day.

In the last days of last year, attending the Woodford Folk Festival that had become his regular December pilgrimage, he said he expected Labor to do well, but warned that his terrible health might mean he wouldnt be around to see it.

Ive had my time, he said, expressing the hope that he might just stick around for a little while.

He was right about time shortening.
Sir,

It would appear that a little bit of fame and notoriety has gone to Fed Smith, QCs head.

I presume we will also have to assume that geography was not one of his better scholastic subjects. Mr. Smith the Commonwealth of the Bahamas may cover some 100,000 sq. miles of sea but the landmass of our 21 larger, populated islands amounts to 4,684 sq. miles; Haiti, on the other hand, has a landmass of some 10,714 sq. miles.

So, no we do not need nor can we handle more migrants to flood our precarious existence. I will also support Minister Turnquests comments that with an unemployment figure around 10% any work these ILLEGAL immigrants take would be stolen from Bahamians born and bred in these islands.

Also one must wonder that with the sheer number of repeat offenders being caught that the living conditions in Haiti cannot be better than those being experienced in our detention camp(?)

I will close with a suggestion that, perhaps, Mr. Smith should consider using his legal education and change sides to help prosecute those evil people preying on these hapless Haitians as mere shipping cargo.

Thank you for your time and space,

George Francis

The views expressed are those of the author, and not necessarily those of Weblog Bahamas (which has no corporate view).
The PM welcomed the Romanian official to Vietnam for the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) conference on promoting economic and social inclusion in Asia and Europe, and for the political consultation with the Vietnamese Foreign Ministry.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc (R) receives Secretary of State at the Romanian Foreign Ministry Monica Gheorghita in Hanoi on May 14th (Photo: VNA)

The Secretary of State said her trip aims to put into details the cooperation agreements and commitments made during the PMs visit to her country.

Romania wishes to foster cooperation with Vietnam not only within the governmental framework but also through business-to-business partnership in various fields, she said, noting that she visited a human resources training centre in Vietnam, and labour is an area in which Romania hopes to enhance bilateral cooperation.

Gheorghita also affirmed Romanias pledge to strongly push for the signing of the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) and Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA).

PM Phuc said to help implement his visits outcomes, the two sides should organise the 16th meeting of the joint committee for economic cooperation as soon as possible, accelerate the signing of framework cooperation documents like the cooperation agreement on crime prevention and control, a cultural cooperation programme for 2019-2021, and an educational cooperation deal.

He spoke highly of the countries close coordination and mutual support in the international arena, especially within the framework of the United Nations and ASEM. He also appreciated Romanian leaders commitment to strongly supporting the signing and ratification of the EVFTA and the EVIPA during the countrys term as EU presidency in the first half of 2019.

The host also asked both sides to soon carry out the deals signed at the business forum held during his trip to Romania so as to bring bilateral trade on par with potential, higher than the USD218 million in 2018./.
WESTPORT  Its a mystery that has intrigued historians for decades and now, after 218 years, has been solved  thanks to staff at the Westport Historical Society.

Ever since his escape from President George Washingtons Mount Vernon plantation in 1797, the final resting place of enslaved cook Hercules has been the subject of speculation among researchers and members of the history community. The last known sighting of the renowned culinary chef was in Manhattan in 1801.

Some historians speculated he had gone to Europe where a presumed portrait of him attributed to Gilbert Stuart hung in a museum in Spain, according to the society, but after that, the trail went cold.

That is, until archives manager and genealogist Sara Krasne got involved.

No one knew what happened to him until two months ago, said Executive Director Ramin Ganeshram, who has spent nearly a decade researching Hercules for a novel about his life. His life and the life of other slave people at the presidents house have been the course of study for decades for historians, but what happened to him was just never discovered until Sara discovered him.

It all started when Ganeshram received a call informing her the Hercules portrait she planned to use as cover art for her book was recently unauthenticated and, in fact, did not depict the chef.

After following a few hunches that ultimately turned out to be dead ends, Ganeshram wondered if there was a simpler approach to finding out what happened to Hercules, and teamed up with Krasne.

Sometimes things are right in front of your eyes, Ganeshram said.

Krasne reasoned that, having run away from his owners, Hercules would not have used Washington as a last name. Instead, she searched on familysearch.org for records of Hercules with the name of his previous owner  John Posey.

And she got a hit.

She found an index record listing a Hercules Posey born in Virginia around the right time period, and later buried in the Second African Burying Ground in New York City. He died in 1812 at 64 years old.

Posey was not a good man, so it didnt make sense for him to use that name because he wouldnt have had any love for the man, Krasne explained. But ... if he needed to hide, he wouldnt have used Washington. The Posey name seemed for me a logical fit because it was something no one would have thought to look under, and obviously no one had for 200 years.

The duo then visited the New York City Municipal Archives, where their theory was confirmed. The physical documents and directories provided additional information about Hercules, including his street address, occupations as a laborer and cook, and cause of death: Consumption.

I was screaming at the top of my lungs, the director said, recalling the moment she realized the importance of their discovery. I called Mount Vernon. ... I called everybody.

Ganeshram considers this the biggest discovery made by the society since its founding in 1889. There is no way to overstate the enormity of this find and the fact that she (Krasne) got it just like that  in days  when people have been looking decades.

This is really unique and pretty awesome, Krasne said.

The two are currently advocating that a memorial plaque be installed by New York City in a public park across the street from Hercules burial site, as the original location is now occupied by two privately-owned buildings.

Back in the day, Krasne said, the Second African Burying Ground had reached capacity, and began burying bodies on the outskirts of the site.

While bodies within the burial ground were later reinterred in a Brooklyn cemetery, those outside the area were left there. Public records and reports indicate Hercules body remains buried under what is now pavement, according to Krasne.

But besides putting one of historys mysteries to bed, Ganeshram and Krasne are hoping their discovery can play a larger role in correcting the public record.

The National Park Service in Philadelphia, which manages the Presidents House site where Hercules lived with Washington, is also changing its interpretation of the chef to indicate he lived out his remaining years as a free man working as a cook in New York, according to the society.

The search to locate Hercules descendants is proving more of a challenge, but, Ganeshram said, If anyone can find them, its Sara.

lteixeira@ctpost.com
STAMFORD  Breno Donatti met his wife just steps away from the Ferguson Library, and hes hoping the site proves fortuitous yet again.

The Stamford resident is opening a new location for his coffee business, Winfield Street Coffee, inside the library this summer. The new shop will replace the recently departed Starbucks, which had been in the spot for 20 years and decided not to renew its lease.

Once open, Winfield Street will be only the second specialty coffee provider in downtown, alongside nearby Lorca.

The Brazilian-born Donatti said he couldnt have found a better home for his new location. The original Winfield Street Coffee shop is located in Croton-on-Hudson, N.Y.

Its an amazing spot, right downtown, with great visibility, he said.

It also is only about four blocks from Donattis Stamford home. Shop-owner wont be the first Stamford job for the UConn-Stamford graduate, however.

He previously worked at the former Sundance Cafe & Wine Bar on Broad Street, a job that brought him into contact with Jeanette Vecchione-Donatti.

On an August day in 2009, she was walking down Broad Street with a friend she was visiting. Donatti, who was returning to the cafe after delivering catering, overheard his future wife tell her friend she didnt like Starbucks.

Sensing an opening, Donatti said, Theres a great coffee shop right across the street.

His pitch worked, as the women went to the cafe, which has since closed. He invited them to come back to see live music at night, and sure enough, they came to that as well.

Donatti ended up with her phone number, and the courtship began.

This August, 10 years after that fateful encounter, Donatti will open his coffee shop mere feet away from where the two first met.

But Donattis love story wasnt the reason Alice Knapp, president of The Ferguson Library, chose his business over other proposals.

In fact, she didnt hear the story until after Winfield was chosen.

The clincher for her was visiting Donattis other business, the Winfield Street Italian Deli in Westport, she said.

The shop in Westport is exquisitely designed, she said. We really felt that Winfield had the right fit in terms of the healthier food and delicious coffee.

The Stamford location will offer North Carolina-based Counter Culture Coffee, and will serve fresh baked goods, sandwiches and salads.

The coffee options include the drip variety to espressos, lattes and cappuccinos, and even the Cuban cortadito, a mixture of espresso with condensed milk.

The new Winfield location in Stamford will also boast a number of creative drink options, such as strawberry oat milk and celery lemonade, as well as multiple juice flavors, including chia seed, elderflower and blood orange.

Food offerings will include bowls featuring Porchetta, salmon or edamame, alongside more standard fare such as an Italian hero and turkey sandwich.

The Stamford location will also serve waffles, but not the typical variety. Donatti said the Belgian waffles at his establishment will be the type from Liege, and not the Brussels style that is most prominent in North America. Liege waffles are smaller and more rounded, generally thicker and contain small clumps of sugar.

Knapp said she hopes the local business will be more involved in library events and an attraction for visitors.

What we really did want was someone who was unique and had a unique perspective, she said.

The new business will be unique in its partnership with Domus, a nonprofit that helps high-risk youth in Stamford.

Mike Duggan, president of Domus, said Knapp put him in touch with Donatti, and there was an instant connection.

Together, they set up a relationship in which Domus youth will work at the coffee shop. Before the store even opens, Domus clients will help build the space, including furniture and cabinetry.

Ive always wanted to have a place where our young people could develop and get skills and get paying jobs, Duggan said.

Donatti said he plans to continue to expand his business, and expects to open a location in Miami. The Stamford store will serve as the model for any new location.

The idea here is to make this my flagship, he said. From the menu to the kitchen layout to the coffee bar layout to the seating, everything will be the flagship.

ignacio.laguarda@

stamfordadvocate.com
KING OF PRUSSIA  The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) has announced that construction will begin Monday, January 3 for the next section of the Route 309 Connector, a five-mile roadway between the Pennsylvania Turnpike interchange in Kulpsville and Route 309 in Hilltown. The first section, along Wambold Road between Sumneytown Pike (Route 63) in Towamencin and Lower Salford to...
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There were two candidates who won their seats in Wokingham Borough Council with ease at the local elections yesterday.

Michael Firmager (Con, Sonning) got more than half of the wards votes and Stephen Conway (Lib Dem, Twyford) received more than two thirds of votes.

The Conservatives have an overall majority and have secured 31 of a possible 54 seats. The Liberal Democrats have 16, Labour have four and the independents have three.

See results for Sonning and Twyford below. Candidates in bold were elected.

Key: Con - Conservative, TBF - The Borough First, Lab - Labour, Lib Dem - Liberal Democrats, OWRA - Old Windsor Residents Association, WWRA - West Windsor Residents Association, UKIP - United Kingdom Independence Party, Ind  Independent, Green  Green Party

SONNING WARD

Michael Firmager, Con - 587

Philippa Hills, Lab - 94

Tom McCann, Lib Dem - 128

Brian OCallaghan, Green  190

TWYFORD WARD

Stephen Conway, Lib Dem  1584

John Jarvis, Con  493

Charles Wickenden, Lab - 94
BISMARCK, N.D. - Attorneys for oil pipeline opponents are fighting a South Dakota sheriff's attempt to be dismissed as a defendant in a lawsuit challenging new state laws that aim to prevent disruptive demonstrations against the Keystone XL pipeline.

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FILE - In this Nov. 11, 2016, file photo, more than 500 clergy from across the country gather for a "Clergy for Standing Rock" march on N.D. Highway 1806 near Cannon Ball, N. D. Attorneys for oil pipeline opponents are fighting an attempt by a South Dakota sheriff to be dismissed from a lawsuit challenging new state laws that aim to prevent disruptive demonstrations against the Keystone XL pipeline similar to those against the Dakota Access oil pipeline in North Dakota. Plaintiffs' attorneys in a lawsuit spearheaded by the American Civil Liberties Union argue Pennington County Sheriff Kevin Thom will be enforcing law that infringes on free speech. Thom's attorneys say he must enforce state laws but isn't responsible for defending them. (Mike McCleary/The Bismarck Tribune via AP)

BISMARCK, N.D. - Attorneys for oil pipeline opponents are fighting a South Dakota sheriff's attempt to be dismissed as a defendant in a lawsuit challenging new state laws that aim to prevent disruptive demonstrations against the Keystone XL pipeline.

Pennington County Sheriff Kevin Thom should remain a defendant in the suit spearheaded by the American Civil Liberties Union because he will be enforcing law that amounts to an unconstitutional infringement on free speech, an attorney for the plaintiffs argued in a Tuesday court filing.

The Republican-backed legislation passed in March allows officials to pursue criminal or civil penalties from demonstrators who engage in "riot boosting," which is defined in part as encouraging violence during a riot.

Supporters of the legislation sought to head off protests of the Keystone XL like those mounted against the Dakota Access oil pipeline in North Dakota in 2016 and 2017. North Dakota spent $38 million on policing those protests, which resulted in 761 arrests over a six-month span.

The ACLU is suing South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg and Thom in federal court on behalf of activists. An attorney for Thom last month asked that the sheriff be dismissed from the lawsuit, saying he must enforce state laws but isn't responsible for defending them. Attorney Rebeca L. Mann also argued that Pennington County shouldn't have to defend state laws that it doesn't have the power to change.

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Plaintiffs' attorney Brendan Johnson countered in Tuesday's court filing that "each time Thom makes a choice about the laws' meaning, as the highest official in the county for that action, he is doing so as a policymaker for Pennington County."

Johnson also argued that Thom must use his own discretion when enforcing the law, making him an "appropriate defendant."

Pennington County is one of eight South Dakota counties along the route of TC Energy's planned Keystone XL pipeline to move Canadian crude through Montana and South Dakota to Nebraska, where it would connect with lines to Gulf Coast refineries. The $8 billion project has the backing of President Donald Trump but is being fought in the courts by opponents.

The ACLU of South Dakota, North Dakota and Wyoming said it named Thom as a defendant in the lawsuit because he's sheriff in the county in which the activists are working. Plaintiffs include the Rapid City-based NDN Collective non-profit, which advocates for indigenous peoples and climate change awareness.

___

Follow Blake Nicholson on Twitter: https://twitter.com/NicholsonBlake
The annual BMO Celebrating Women event in Winnipeg on Tuesday evening honoured three female leaders as part of the banks efforts to encourage the advancement of women.

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The annual BMO Celebrating Women event in Winnipeg on Tuesday evening honoured three female leaders as part of the banks efforts to encourage the advancement of women.

The following honourees were recognized:

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Trailblazer & Innovators  Tara Maltman-Just. She is the award-winning founder and executive clinician of Vitality Integrative Medicine, which got its start in 2013. Maltman-Justs practice combines her training as a pharmacist with integrative medicine and therapeutic planning to deliver in-depth health consultations.

SUPPLIED PHOTO Carmyn Aleshka

Community & Charitable Giving  Carmyn Aleshka. She founded the Upside Down Tree to help smaller charities connect with business expertise, mentorship and networking opportunities. Since 2014, it has raised more than $1.25 million to help Canadian charities. She also founded KidThink Childrens Mental Health Centre, a mental-health treatment centre and outreach program to help children access mental-health treatment across the province.

SUPPLIED PHOTO Ruth Loeppky

Expansion & Growth in Business  Ruth Loeppky. Driven by her determination to continue her husbands legacy and provide for her four children, Loeppky oversees and manages Rolling Prairie Farms Inc., a 3,200-acre mixed grain farm in Niverville. Under her guidance, the farms revenues grew from seven per cent in 2017 to 30 per cent in 2018. The family business recently expanded with the acquisition of an additional 40 acres of land and a grain dryer.

martin.cash@freepress.mb.ca
SAN FRANCISCO - Pacific Gas & Electric Corp. power lines sparked a Northern California blaze that killed 85 people last year, making it the deadliest U.S. wildfire in a century, state fire officials said Wednesday.

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FILE - This Nov. 8, 2018, file photo shows Nurse Cassie Lerossignol hugs as coworker as the Feather River Hospital burns while the Camp Fire rages through Paradise, Calif. California fire authorities say that Pacific Gas and Electric equipment was responsible for the deadliest and most destructive wildfire in state history. Cal Fire said in a press release issued Wednesday, May 15, 2019, that electrical transmission lines in the Pulga area sparked the Nov. 8 fire that wiped out most of the town of Paradise and killed 85 people. (AP Photo/Noah Berger, File)

SAN FRANCISCO - Pacific Gas & Electric Corp. power lines sparked a Northern California blaze that killed 85 people last year, making it the deadliest U.S. wildfire in a century, state fire officials said Wednesday.

Cal Fire said transmission lines owned and operated by the San Francisco-based utility started the Nov. 8 fire that nearly destroyed the town of Paradise in the Sierra Nevada foothills.

The fire wiped out nearly 15,000 homes. Many of those killed were elderly or disabled. The oldest was 99.

"Investigators determined there were violations of law," Cal Fire deputy director Mike Mohler said. He said he hadn't read the report and didn't know the nature of the violations.

Cal Fire did not release its full investigative report, saying it had been forwarded to the Butte County district attorney's office, which is considering criminal charges against the utility.

The investigation also identified a second nearby ignition site involving PG&E's electrical distribution lines that had come into contact with vegetation. The second fire was quickly consumed by the initial fire.

The disclosures came on the same day the utility's new chief executive was testifying before a legislative committee in Sacramento. Bill Johnson told the state Assembly Utilities and Energy Committee he had expected the utility would be blamed for the fire.

"I have made the assumption when I got here that PG&E equipment caused the fire," he said, noting the utility had said that was probable in recent filings. "It's a disappointment that this happened. Let's not do it again."

FILE - In this Nov. 8, 2018 file photo a home burns as the Camp Fire rages through Paradise, Calif. California fire authorities say that Pacific Gas and Electric equipment was responsible for the deadliest and most destructive wildfire in state history. Cal Fire said in a press release issued Wednesday, May 15, 2019, that electrical transmission lines in the Pulga area sparked the Nov. 8 fire that wiped out most of the town of Paradise and killed 85 people. (AP Photo/Noah Berger,File)

Butte County District Attorney Mike Ramsey said in a statement that he is still weighing possible criminal charges against the utility, a decision that could take months. He called Cal Fire's decision to forward its report to Butte County "strictly symbolic." because it has been long known that PG&E's equipment caused the fire.

State fire investigators have determined that PG&E caused 18 wildfires in 2017. They referred 12 for possible criminal prosecution.

Attorney Mike Danko, who represents 2,000 victims of the fire, said he was encouraged by the fact that Cal Fire sent its latest report to the district attorney, which could mean it has evidence that the utility was negligent on safety issues.

"We know from our work that PG&E knew its towers in the area were corroded and were at risk of failing," Danko said.

The utility, which filed for bankruptcy protection in January, said in February it was "probable" that one of its transmission lines sparked the blaze. PG&E has estimated its total liability from the Paradise fire and 2017 wildfires could top $30 billion.

The Paradise fire spread rapidly, burning into the communities of Concow and Magalia and the outskirts of Chico. Authorities said it was like no fire they had seen before. Strong wind gusts blew hot embers a mile or more, creating multiple fires.

"The tinder dry vegetation and red flag conditions consisting of strong winds, low humidity and warm temperatures promoted this fire and caused extreme rates of spread," Cal fire said in its release.

The utility previously acknowledged that the Caribou-Palermo transmission line lost power right before the fire and was later found to be damaged.

Paradise Mayor Jody Jones said she was not surprised to hear Pacific Gas & Electric power lines sparked the blaze that decimated her town and she hopes the findings help the city's legal case against the utility.

"It's nice to have a definite answer," Jones said.

Paradise sued PG&E in January seeking damages for the loss of infrastructure, land, property, trees, public and natural resources, and lost taxpayer resources.

The suit alleges the blaze started when electrical infrastructure owned, operated and maintained by PG&E failed, causing a spark that ignited the blaze.

The suit also alleges that PG&E had planned to de-energize power lines as a precaution against starting a fire but cancelled those plans despite windy conditions.

PG&E has proposed a dramatic expansion of planned electrical outages as part of a wildfire mitigation plan submitted to the California Public Utilities Commission in February. It has also proposed to cover overhead wiring, install more fire-resistant power poles and put some power lines underground.

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The findings Wednesday "certainly brings even greater urgency to our need to inspect, repair, have a power safety shut off plan," Johnson told reporters outside the legislative hearing.

PG&E's bankruptcy reorganization plan is due by the end of May, but it has requested an extension until November.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a Wednesday filing that PG&E shouldn't get an extra six months to reorganize.He said the utility's request continues to show it lacks an urgent focus on improving safety.

Newsom and lawmakers are working on proposals related to utility liability for wildfires that could affect the bankruptcy.

___

Associated Press writers Adam Beam and Kathleen Ronayne in Sacramento, and Paul Elias and Olga R. Rodriguez in San Francisco contributed to this story.
For many prospective homebuyers who want something brand new or need more time to save money, preconstruction condominiums present a tempting opportunity.

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Workers assemble concrete forms at a condo tower under construction, in Vancouver on Friday, Oct. 26, 2018. Preconstruction condominiums present a tempting opportunity for many prospective buyers who want something brand new or need a little more time to save money for the purchase. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

For many prospective homebuyers who want something brand new or need more time to save money, preconstruction condominiums present a tempting opportunity.

But buying a preconstruction condo rather than an existing unit comes with risks, including the rare case of a builder scrapping the project entirely, and experts say there's no way for buyers to fully protect themselves from that worst-case scenario.

"That's sort of the nature of buying a condominium unit from plans," said Denise Lash, the founder of Lash Condo Law in Toronto. "With that comes the risk and there really isn't much you can do."

So far this year, two projects representing 239 condominium units in the Greater Toronto Area have been cancelled, according to data from Urbanation Inc. Between 2016 and 2018, builders scrapped plans for 6,729 units.

There are a number of reasons for which projects fail to materialize, wrote spokeswoman Pauline Lierman in an email, including financing, poor sales or a redesign, such as changing the product from condos to townhouses.

All sale agreements will have a built-in clause that allows a builder to cancel a project under certain circumstances, said Lash.

"They need to have a way out," she said if, for example, the bank suddenly refuses to lend the company the necessary funds. "That's just the way it is."

While purchasers would eventually have their deposits refunded, possibly with some interest, they would find themselves back in the hunt for a condo when prices may be higher and now unaffordable for them, she said.

Lawyer Lisa Laredo always tells her clients to research the builder first, adding most of the big builders that have been around for a long time tend to get the job done.

"Who are you buying it from and what is their track record?" said the real estate, wills and estate lawyer.

Prospective buyers should also look at the way the company will construct the building and unit, she said, including the materials they're using and if they're building to standard or above.

Lash suggests buyers hire a lawyer to look over the sale agreement to avoid some other risks of preconstruction condos.

Contracts may allow the builder to make sweeping changes, she said.

One client of hers purchased a unit that by move-in had been significantly altered. Changes included a balcony that faced the common outdoor area, a new location above the party room and a column in the middle of the living room, Lash said.

"It was all subject to change if you read the documents," she said.

It's possible to add some protections in, like restricting the ability for ceiling height in the unit to be reduced, Lash said.

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Without a lawyer, buyers can also be hit with hefty closing fees, said Laredo, who has seen agreements that include $10,000 to $15,000 in additional costs at closing for things like installing meters or conducting the final inspection.

These aren't hidden costs if someone reads and understands the agreement, but otherwise can be an unwelcome surprise.

"That can be very difficult for a first-time buyer. All those amounts make a difference, especially if they're just trying to get into the market."

It's possible to have the builder agree to cap costs for certain or all categories, said Lash.

"Most projects that I've seen, there's some kind of negotiation on the added cost."

Follow @AleksSagan on Twitter.
TORONTO - The Supreme Cannabis Company Inc. has signed a deal to acquire Blissco Cannabis Corp. in an all-stock deal it valued at $48 million.

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The Supreme Cannabis Company Inc. logo is seen in this undated handout photo. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO, Supreme Cannabis Company Inc. *MANDATORY CREDIT*

TORONTO - The Supreme Cannabis Company Inc. has signed a deal to acquire Blissco Cannabis Corp. in an all-stock deal it valued at $48 million.

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Under the agreement, each Blissco Share will be exchanged for 0.24 of a common share of Supreme Cannabis.

Based in Langley, B.C., Blissco operates a 18,000-square-foot production facility and has been producing cannabis oils since receiving its production license in August 2018.

Blissco CEO Damian Kettlewell will continue to lead Blissco and has committed to remaining employed at Supreme Cannabis as well as retaining at least 75 per cent of his shares for a minimum of two years.

Supreme Cannabis holds a portfolio of cannabis companies, products and brands.

Its shares were up three cents at $1.89 on the Toronto Stock Exchange.

Companies in this story: (TSX:FIRE)
PARIS - Canada intends to introduce a new digital charter to combat hate speech, misinformation and online electoral interference, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told a technology conference in Paris on Thursday.

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Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau delivers a speech at the Viva Technology conference in Paris, Thursday May 16, 2019. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

PARIS - Canada intends to introduce a new digital charter to combat hate speech, misinformation and online electoral interference, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told a technology conference in Paris on Thursday.

Trudeau's announcement, made during a speech at the VivaTech conference, an international summit that brings together startups and technology leaders, was short on specifics as to the charter's contents.

But the prime minister said he's confident the framework his government will propose will restore the faith of citizens while holding online platforms accountable.

"We look forward to working alongside internet companies, but indeed, if they do not choose to act, we will be forced to continue to act in ways that protect Canadians and we will have more to say about the kinds of tools we will be using in the coming weeks and months," Trudeau said. "Canadians expect us to keep them safe, whether it's in real life or online, and we will do just that."

Innovation Minister Navdeep Bains is expected to provide more details at a summit on digital governance in Ottawa in late May.

Social media and combating online extremism were at the top of the agenda as Trudeau finished up his two-day trip to France.

As various countries signed on to the "Christchurch Call" on Wednesday, many social-media companies, including Facebook, Google and Twitter, pledged to step up their efforts to prevent their platforms from being used to spread hatred, help extremist groups organize and broadcast attacks.

In Christchurch, New Zealand, in March, a gunman used Facebook's livestreaming feature to show himself shooting worshippers at a mosque, the beginning of a two-stage attack that ultimately killed 51 people. The video was quickly posted and reposted on numerous other sites.

The man accused in the attacks allegedly posted a long manifesto beforehand, including numerous references to online conspiracy theories and hateful memes.

Some countries, notably the United States, were absent from the summit in Paris, raising concerns about the curtailing of freedom of expression and freedom of the press as reasons not to join the pledge.

But Trudeau told a news conference that many countries supported the global pledge, including host country France, Britain, Australia and Japan. Global co-ordination is a necessary part of combating online extremism, he said, and that's part of the reason he announced Canada's digital charter while abroad.

"We know that we need to move forward in real and tangible ways to make sure that our citizens are kept safe online as well as in real life," Trudeau said.

In addition to a working lunch with French President Emmanuel Macron, Trudeau met with New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern earlier Thursday.

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Ardern praised Canada's efforts, saying it was one thing to offer condolences following the Christchurch mosque attacks, but it was quite another to turn those words into actions in Paris.

Trudeau and Ardern discussed online violence and extremism in their respective countries, but also broached trade and security commitments around the world.

"We are like-minded nations, but we need to make sure we are sending the message that the efforts we are undertaking are all in parallel with also supporting a free, open and secure internet and that those expressions of freedom of speech can live in harmony with what we are trying to do with the work against violent extremism and terrorism," Ardern said.

Following a bilateral meeting and working lunch, Trudeau and Macron spoke to reporters briefly outside the presidential Elysee Palace. The two are expected to meet again in Normandy in a few weeks and later this summer at the G7 meeting in Japan.

Trudeau said he was heartbroken during a visit to Paris's fire-ravaged Notre Dame Cathedral on Wednesday, but was inspired by the work and courage of firefighters who were able to salvage much of the building. He repeated a pledge Wednesday to offer any support needed in the rebuilding of the landmark church  on Wednesday, he offered Canadian steel and softwood lumber to those efforts.

Later Thursday, Trudeau met with Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales, also on the issue of combating online extremism.
WYTHEVILLE, Va. - A Nova Scotia woman survived a knife attack on the Appalachian Trail by playing dead after being beaten and stabbed  and then ran 10 kilometres for help, police in Virginia say.

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WYTHEVILLE, Va. - A Nova Scotia woman survived a knife attack on the Appalachian Trail by playing dead after being beaten and stabbed  and then ran 10 kilometres for help, police in Virginia say.

James Jordan, 30, of West Yarmouth, Mass., is charged with murder and assault with intent to commit murder in the attack, which left an Oklahoma man dead.

Wythe County Chief Deputy Charles Foster says Ronald Sanchez Jr., 43, was found dead early Saturday, about 100 yards from where the suspect was arrested.

Foster did not have the name of the injured woman, but said it was his understanding that she was from Nova Scotia.

He said police in neighbouring counties had received reports of a man chasing hikers on the trail, and that the man was using a trail nickname of "Sovereign."

He said at 2:21 a.m. police were notified by an "international emergency co-ordination centre" that they had received a SOS alarm from a keyholder on the trail.

"He had sent messages stating that there was a male subject who offered him a knife earlier on the trail and was trying to fight him. He also knew this guy as having the nickname of Sovereign," Foster said.

At 3:12 a.m., the Wythe County 911 centre received a call from a woman to say she had been stabbed several times, he said.

"She gave dispatch a clothing description and the actual name of the suspect, which was James Jordan, and that he went by that nickname. She also told us he had a dog with him."

Foster said the woman told the dispatcher that she had been beaten and stabbed, and played dead until her attacker left to go after his dog.

Foster said the injured woman had to run for about 10 kilometres before she found someone to help her.

She was airlifted to Bristol Regional Medical Centre, just across the state line in Tennessee.

Police hiked about eight kilometres into the Jefferson National Forest and found the suspect using the ping from the male victim's SOS call and the location given by the woman.

"A dog came off the ridge which alerted us and we saw a male subject right behind him in a thicket. We took him down at gunpoint and it ended up being our suspect," Foster said.

The FBI has taken over the case, but so far has not released the woman's name.

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Janet Barlow, executive director of Hike Nova Scotia, said she didn't know the identity of the hiker and was shocked to learn of the attack.

She said the trail tends to be quite safe even for people who hike alone.

"Others will hike in pairs, or if they start out alone they'll meet up with a group and they hike together, and it ends up being quite a safe atmosphere. It tends to have quite a strong and supportive community of people who hike together," she said.

According to the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, it is the longest hiking-only footpath in the world, stretching roughly 3,500 kilometres from Georgia to Maine.

More than 3 million people visit the trail every year and over 3,000 people attempt to hike the entire footpath in a single year.

 By Kevin Bissett in Fredericton.
OTTAWA - As Prime Minister Justin Trudeau decries American states for "backsliding" on abortion rights, the Liberal party is using abortion to galvanize its base and help fill its war chest for the upcoming federal election.

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Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks during a news conference at the Canadian embassy in Paris, France Thursday May 16, 2019. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

OTTAWA - As Prime Minister Justin Trudeau decries American states for "backsliding" on abortion rights, the Liberal party is using abortion to galvanize its base and help fill its war chest for the upcoming federal election.

The Liberals issued a fundraising email blast Thursday, raising "alarm" about 12 Conservative MPs who went to an anti-abortion rally on Parliament Hill last week. The email directed supporters to websites for the 12 Liberal riding associations working to unseat the Conservative MPs, whom the party accuses of trying to reopen the abortion debate in Canada.

"While these Conservative MPs have been busy working to roll back women's rights, Justin Trudeau and the Liberal team are focused on making real progress for women and all Canadians," the fundraising email says. "Chip in now to support Justin Trudeau and our the Liberal team to help earn another mandate this fall."

Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer has repeatedly pledged not to reopen the abortion debate in Canada  most recently at the party's policy convention in Halifax last year, where party members narrowly defeated a resolution that proposed to remove any reference to regulating abortion from the party's official policy. In power under prime minister Stephen Harper, the Conservatives did nothing to restrict abortion, despite some efforts by backbenchers to get them to.

The debate about abortion rights has abruptly flared south of the border, thanks to several U.S. states' moves to restrict women's access to abortion services.

On Thursday, Missouri became the latest in a string of Republican-led state governments to pass new abortion restrictions, outlawing abortions after eight weeks of pregnancy.

On Wednesday, Alabama passed an almost total ban, making virtually all abortions illegal even in cases of rape or incest. Mississippi, Georgia, Kentucky and Ohio have also passed so-called "heartbeat bills," which effectively ban abortions after six weeks of pregnancy. The laws are likely bound eventually for the U.S. Supreme Court, where a new conservative majority might be inclined to overturn or drastically diminish the court's landmark abortion-rights precedent set in the Roe v. Wade case in 1973.

Trudeau told reporters in France Thursday he is "deeply disappointed" in these U.S. developments, which he characterized as "backsliding on women's rights."

"We very much regret what is happening, particularly in the United States, where they are moving backwards in terms of defending a women's right to choose," he said.

"As a government, as Canadians, we will always be unequivocal about defending a woman's right to choose, defending women's rights in general."

Trudeau then quickly pivoted, aiming his fire at his domestic Conservative rivals, accusing them of ramping up their efforts at "taking away rights that have been hard-fought over many, many years by generations of women and male allies."

The Liberals have been making a concerted effort over the last week to make political hay over their stance on reproductive rights and how Liberals differ from Conservatives on the issue. The party clearly views this as a motivator for its base, with Trudeau as chief "ally and defender," as he stated in his own comments to media Thursday.

The Liberal party has launched a social-media campaign, asking people to share an image with the slogan "Proudly pro-choice" and asking supporters to enter their names and contact information as a way to help Liberals take a stand for women's rights "regardless of what the Conservatives think or say."

The party's fundraising email also contains whole sections of text also in a letter sent by Gender Equality Minister Maryam Monsef on Wednesday evening to the 12 Conservative MPs who attended the anti-abortion rally in Ottawa last week.

In the letter, Monsef calls on Scheer to defend Canadian women's access to reproductive health services and to work with the Liberal government to protect legal abortion in Canada and across the world.

"Canadians  and Canadian women in particular  deserve to know whether or not the Conservative Party of Canada would take us backwards by restricting or undermining a woman's right to choose," Monsef says in her letter.

Scheer's press secretary Brock Harrison said Thursday Monsef's letter to Conservatives is a show of "desperation as the election gets closer."

"As they know, Mr. Scheer will not reopen this debate as prime minister and will instead focus on issues that unite Canadians."

Advocates on the front lines who have been fighting for women's reproductive rights in Canada have mixed reactions to the use of abortion access as a political strategy.

Joyce Arthur, executive director of the Abortion Rights Coalition of Canada applauded Trudeau and the Liberals for taking a strong stand against politicians who support movements that seek to erode reproductive rights for women in Canada.

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"I think it's fantastic. I don't think it's ever happened before  I've never seen that kind of strategy before and I'm just so glad to see it, because it's so inappropriate for these anti-choice MPs to be going to these marches, and often many of them are speaking at them as well," she said.

"It's just so wrong and they've been doing this for many years... the leaders of the Conservative party should be limiting that activity and I'm glad to see the Liberals are also trying to call them out for it."

But Ottawa-based women's-rights advocate Julie Lalonde says she would rather see the Liberals create better, more equitable access to reproductive justice for Canadian women than use abortion as an issue to score political points.

"This is the same government that didn't hold New Brunswick or P.E.I. to account over their lack of (abortion) access and is now saying, 'How dare Andrew Scheer allow his MPs to attend a march?' " Lalonde said.

"It's a bad look to go to an anti-choice rally, absolutely. But it's also a bad look to call yourself a pro-choice government and not fill these gaps that are really easy to fix and are having a huge impact on people's lives by not being addressed."

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As Manitobas K-12 education review commission nears the end of its public meeting schedule, more than 300 educators and parents squeezed into Winnipegs Caboto Centre on Wednesday night for a 21/2-hour discussion that some said required more time.

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As Manitobas K-12 education review commission nears the end of its public meeting schedule, more than 300 educators and parents squeezed into Winnipegs Caboto Centre on Wednesday night for a 21/2-hour discussion that some said required more time.

The teachers, principals, educational assistants, school trustees and others listed topics they wanted to discuss when registering online for the 10th of 11 such events, which have been held across Manitoba in April and May.

More than 30 of the registrants suggested topics were chosen and placed into break-out sharing circles for discussion.

Their topics included school funding, class sizes, LGBTTQ* education, newcomer services, French immersion and school governance models.

Later in the evening, some of the topics were replaced with other ideas suggested by attendees. Governance was replaced by healthy workplaces in education. Bilingual education was swapped in for amalgamation.

Many of the discussions ultimately circled back to school funding and how the province might develop a more equitable model to distribute money, while keeping some governance control among local school boards.

"I think whatever the model is, it needs to give enough local control... so kids are getting what they need," said Andrew Volk, a principal in the Seven Oaks School Division.

He said schools with higher poverty levels among their student bodies need more funding for food programs and social work, among other investments.

Education consultant and teacher Sandy Turcotte attended the previous K-12 commission meeting at the Caboto Centre last month, where there was a question-and-answer period with commissioner Clayton Manness.

She questioned why the format of Wednesdays event didnt include the same Q-and-A time.

"A sharing circle is lovely, but I think the opportunity to ask questions is vital," Turcotte said.

In an interview, Manness said the commissioners wanted more time to listen to Manitobans.

"We havent even come together as commissioners yet to draw any type of consensus on these issues. We are here as observers and we need time to do that before we can meaningfully answer a lot of these questions," he said.

Avis Glaze, the lead consultant hired by the commission, was also in the room Wednesday.

Glaze is known for lending her advice to the Nova Scotia government last year, which resulted in sweeping changes to that provinces school systems, including amalgamating English-language school boards into one 15-member advisory council.

The Free Press requested an interview with Glaze, which the education commissioners declined without asking the consultant.

Alan Campbell, president of the Manitoba School Boards Association, said he has attended seven of the 10 public consultations, and the mood in each room has been varied  with shades of anger, frustration, worry, fear, anxiety and passion in every meeting.

"Ive watched Glaze take copious notes from countless table conversations that shes been in, as have many of the commissioners," Campbell said.

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"Some of the comments that Ive heard most clearly from the commissioners is that the feedback they receive from these consultations will inform the outcomes of the review. So, if that is accurate, then we have reason for cautious optimism as we move forward."

The final public consultation for the K-12 review commission will be held May 25 from 9 to 11:30 a.m. at R.B. Russell Vocational School.

The commission is also accepting written submissions online, and has so far received more than 500, said commissioner Terry Brown.

The commission has collected more than 5,400 online surveys from Manitobans and more than 900 surveys from teachers.

jessica.botelho@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @_jessbu
BRANDON  Crown and defence counsel are recommending a judge impose a sentence of seven to 10 years on a mother who admitted to killing her two-year-old son in an alcohol-induced rage.

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BRANDON  Crown and defence counsel are recommending a judge impose a sentence of seven to 10 years on a mother who admitted to killing her two-year-old son in an alcohol-induced rage.

"Another young Indigenous person has died too young. His young siblings not only lost a sibling, but are losing the benefit of their mothers company for a number of years. A cycle of despair has perpetuated within the family and the community," Crown attorney Ron Toews told the Brandon Court of Queens Bench on Wednesday.

"A sentence that holds Ms. Brandon accountable for ending the life of her own child can be healing to the community. It shows the community that the lives of their young are of value future generations will judge this generation by how well we defend our children."

Jessica Melissa Brandon, 40, pleaded guilty to manslaughter last September for her involvement in the death of her 28-month-old son, Draze Brandon-Catcheway.

On Wednesday, Brandon apologized to the court and to her family.

"I didnt mean for my choices to get me to where Im standing right now. My family knows who I am as a person, Im a good, caring loving mother," the mother of eight said, wiping tears from her eyes. "I just want to say sorry, sorry to everybody I will get the help that I need."

Early Jan. 31, 2015, Dakota Ojibway Police Service (now Manitoba First Nations Police) went to Waywayseecappo First Nation after receiving a call for a well-being check on Draze. An officer found Brandon standing in the doorway looking distraught, and an unresponsive child was on the couch.

The officer noticed swollen contusions on the left side of the childs forehead and right side of his head, as well as bruises on his right temple, elbow and upper thigh, Toews said.

Draze was taken to hospital in Russell and later transported by STARS air ambulance to the Health Sciences Centre in Winnipeg, where he never regained consciousness.

An autopsy revealed the child had died of an acute blunt-force head injury, with significant hemorrhaging, Toews said.

Brandon changed her story and provided a number of different explanations for the childs injuries, Toews said, telling police the toddler had been jumping on his bed and hit his head, or he was involved in an accident while playing with his siblings.

But on what was to be the first day of her trial in September 2018, Brandon admitted that after being sober for a couple of months, she purchased alcohol on the date in question and took at least five shots of hard alcohol before passing out.

When she woke up, Brandon said she found Draze jumping around and refusing to listen to her, so she "lost her s---," grabbed him and threw him onto the floor, Toews said.

Brandon said she remembered little of what happened, but conceded she struck the toddler multiple times in the head area.

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Since the offence, Toews said Brandon seems to lack the motivation to receive counselling and focuses more on getting prescriptions for managing her anxiety.

Defence lawyer Norm Sims argued Brandon was remorseful for her actions, noting people show remorse in different ways.

"This is a sad case and a sad day A little boy, who was two at the time, died unfortunately at the hands of his mother," Sims said.

"Its also sad that its affected the mothers life and her family, her children (Brandons) life has also been changed forever, and she will continue to relive what happened regardless of what happens here today because she knows that unfortunately, she had a hand in her sons death."

The judge reserved his decision.

 Brandon Sun
A new $5.5-million clinic at Health Sciences Centre that will consolidate kidney-transplant services under one roof is expected to streamline the process for Manitobans waiting for live-saving surgery.

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A new $5.5-million clinic at Health Sciences Centre that will consolidate kidney-transplant services under one roof is expected to streamline the process for Manitobans waiting for live-saving surgery.

The Ambulatory Care Clinic, which was announced Thursday, is expected to open in 2020 and provide pre- and post-surgery treatment. It will increase the number of transplants from about 50 annually to as many as 70.

Two anonymous donors contributed $3 million to the project. The provincial government will cover the remaining $2.5 million.

The clinic should save the health-care system up to $40 million per year, largely in dialysis costs, Health Minister Cameron Friesen told a crowd assembled for the announcement at the third-floor construction site.

"This is very much in line with the model that our government continues to describe, for a more aligned, a more coherent health-care centre," he said. "One that puts the patient at the centre of health care for all Manitobans."

MIKE DEAL / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Dr. David Rush, Medical Director, Adult Renal Transplant Program, HSC Winnipeg during announcement of a new transplant clinic on the third floor of the Health Sciences Centre.

Premier Brian Pallister said one of the clinic's aims is to help decrease transplant wait times, which are among the highest in the country. The Kidney Foundation of Canada lists Manitoba's median wait time in 2016 at 5.7 years.

"We know that we can do more to provide quality care for patients," Pallister said.

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After surviving end-stage kidney failure in 2012 and receiving a live transplant from her sister the following year, Linda Edwards appreciates what she calls life's "simple pleasures" even more.

They include time spent playing with her grand-nephew, long walks with her husband and their dog and feeling great after a workout.

"Theres not a day that goes by where Im not grateful for my post-transplant life," she said.

"And to all those people who walked with me, walked with me through my journey with my transplant and continue to support me to today, they are a fantastic team and I owe them my wonderful life.... Thank you from the bottom of my heart and my kidney."

jessica.botelho@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @_jessbu
OTTAWA  The federal governments proposed support for the newspaper industry is critical to enabling publications to transition to a digital future, a Commons committee heard Wednesday.

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OTTAWA  The federal governments proposed support for the newspaper industry is critical to enabling publications to transition to a digital future, a Commons committee heard Wednesday.

"It will not bail us out; we will have to save ourselves. But the tax credit will preserve our newsrooms in the interim," Bob Cox testified Wednesday on Parliament Hill, on behalf of News Media Canada.

Cox, publisher of the Free Press, addressed the House finance committee as it studies the Trudeau governments spring budget.

Last November, the Liberals outlined $565 million in support for the news industry, through a 25 per cent wage subsidy, a 15 per cent tax credit for subscriptions and a method for news outlets to receive non-profit contributions.

In their March budget, the Liberals said an arms-length panel would determine which agencies would be eligible, though it stated only Canadian firms employing at least two news journalists would qualify.

According to Cox, the funding could enable the Free Press and its sister publications to hire 15 to 20 staff.

Speaking on behalf of News Media Canada, which has lobbied for subsidies, Cox said these measures would allow newspapers to transition to digital outlets without going under.

BORIS MINKEVICH / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES Free Press publisher Bob Cox

He argued theres a real risk Canadas legacy publications will disappear without that help.

A week ago, the industry group released a poll suggesting 88 per cent of Canadians read a newspaper either in print or online each week. The next day, Cox noted, The Globe and Mail announced layoffs would be coming as it tried to cut $10 million from its budget.

Last month, the Brandon-based weekly Westman Journal stopped publishing.

Cox said that when he became an editor at the Free Press some 14 years ago, there were 110 editorial staff; the newspaper now counts 55.

He noted that no journalist in Manitoba regularly covers education, despite the Pallister government restructuring the provinces K-12 system.

Critics have argued the Liberals' support for the news media will pressure journalists to favourably cover them in this falls election. Others are uncomfortable at the public having that perception, questioning whether its accurate.

"Even I cannot get journalists to write what I want, and I sign their paycheques," Cox testified.

"Any legitimate government helping the press is doing so in the interest of democracy, not in the hopes of getting good headlines."

MIKAELA MACKENZIE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS The Winnipeg Free Press newsroom.

NDP finance critic Pierre-Luc Dusseault asked Cox whether the governments five-year period was enough; he responded that a temporary program is best.

"There will be news outlets, newspapers that don't survive, that fail to transition. And you can't give them forever; there has to be a deadline."

Anthony Furey, a columnist for the Postmedia newspaper chain, testified that the changes will undermine credibility in Canadian journalism, but suggested ways of mitigating this if the Liberals proceed.

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He urged Ottawa to have bureaucrats determine eligibility with input from the public, instead of the current plan to have a panel of journalists administer the newspaper cash.

Furey argued that some film grants are generally well administered, whereas the process around arts credits is political and "rife with petty, personal drama."

Earlier, Cox told the committee that publishers were "impatient" to have the government set up its panel to access eligibility for the funding.

MP Michael McLeod, who represents the entire Northwest Territories, asked whether the funding could help Indigenous publications.

Cox said the funding could help keep publications alive like First Nations Voice, which is published in collaboration with the Free Press.

dylan.robertson@freepress.mb.ca
Premier Brian Pallister is defending his handling of a review into how the City of Winnipeg and other Manitoba municipalities approve and inspect construction projects.

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Premier Brian Pallister is defending his handling of a review into how the City of Winnipeg and other Manitoba municipalities approve and inspect construction projects.

Pallister was criticized after it was learned this week that provincial civil servants in the Treasury Board secretariat would be conducting the review, which he had once characterized as an independent process.

On Wednesday, the premier told reporters the review will be carried out by "neutral civil servants" whose job is to analyze financial issues.

"Theyre smart people and good people, and we need to get to the bottom of how we can do a better job of permitting and inspections," he said. "Its been a problem of long standing."

Pallister announced the review at a Manitoba Chambers of Commerce breakfast last month. At the time, Winnipeg Mayor Brian Bowman expressed concern it was merely a "partisan, politically motivated" attack, after months of feuding between the province and city hall.

The Opposition NDP grilled the premier in the legislature Wednesday about his decision to assign government staff to the job.

MIKAELA MACKENZIE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES NDP MLA Andrew Swan: political exercise

The Treasury Board secretariat reports to the provinces finance minister, a cabinet committee and, ultimately, to the premier himself.

NDP MLA Andrew Swan predicted the review would be "nothing but a political exercise," just as Bowman had warned would happen.

The premier responded by saying the Treasury Board is well-equipped to conduct research and analysis on this issue.

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"Theres absolutely no benefit to be derived by sweeping these important issues of permitting and inspections under the carpet," he said in the legislature.

Later, Pallister said the City of Winnipeg is not the only target of the review. Other municipalities can participate as well, he said.

Entities such as Manitoba Hydro and the Office of the Fire Commissioner, which also issue permits and carry out inspections, will be involved in the review.

The premier said the issue is bigger than "workers time off spent at Tim Hortons," a reference to a series of Free Press reports about city inspectors allegedly doing personal errands during work hours and taking extended cigarette and lunch breaks.

"Its a much bigger issue that needs to be addressed  how to make sure that people who want to invest in Manitoba and create opportunities for jobs here have a chance to do it. Thats a big deal and we want to make sure we get it right."

larry.kusch@freepress.mb.ca
BRANDON  Jacqueline White lives in the same small house a young Brandon man left to serve his country 75 years ago. He never returned.

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BRANDON  Jacqueline White lives in the same small house a young Brandon man left to serve his country 75 years ago. He never returned.

On Tuesday, White received a postcard from the Juno Beach Centre Association, telling her a little bit about Walter John Klos, who was born to Joseph and Antonia Klos on July 1, 1917, and died June 6, 1944, during the Juno Beach campaign in northern France.

Walter John Klos, who died on June 6, 1944, lived here.

Klos was a 26-year-old corporal with the Royal Winnipeg Rifles.

"It is really, kind of, a little overwhelming to find out that somebody (who served in the Second World War) actually lived here," said White, who has lived at 206 12th St. N. for about three years.

"This is pretty awesome," she said of the postcard. "You have a connection with someone... I knew what Juno Beach is. I guess it makes you aware that these things really did happen."

The association, which is dedicated to commemorating Canadas role in the Second World War, mailed out postcards to the former homes of soldiers who died in the first five days of the pivotal D-Day invasion, which helped secure victory for the Allies.

The commemorative project is meant to honour the 75th anniversary of D-Day.

Brandon Sun photos Brandon resident Jacqueline White holds a postcard telling her about the young soldier who used to live in her house.

Whites postcard was one of six addressed to Brandon homes.

A few blocks away, at 26 8th St. N., another young man also left his home to serve overseas. Eugene J. Woronchuk, who was 26 and a rifleman with the Royal Winnipeg Rifles, died the same day as Klos.

Now located across from the Western Manitoba Centennial Auditorium, the house at 1925 Princess Ave. was once the home of Hugh Archibald Munroe, a corporal with the Regina Rifle Regiment. Munroe, 24, also died June 6, 1944.

Wilfred Howard Way, a 23-year-old flight lieutenant with the Royal Canadian Air Force, died the next day.

Flanked by a pair of tall trees, his former home at 645 14th St. is undergoing renovations.

Austin Ralph Fuller lived in a modest house at 116 16th St. The 26-year-old lance corporal with the Royal Winnipeg Rifles died June 8, 1944.

Joseph Arthur Elwood Kinnaird was only 22 when he was killed June 8 as well. Kinnaird served as a gunner with the Royal Canadian Artillery after leaving his home at 218 12th St.

An estimated 156,000 British, American and Canadian troops stormed a 75-kilometre stretch of beach in northern France beginning June 6, 1944. The 14,000 Canadian soldiers were assigned to an area dubbed Juno Beach, where they were eventually tasked with reaching a local rail line and beating back the assault from German troops.

The 76-day campaign exacted a high death toll from all countries involved, with 903 Canadians dying in the first five days.

Mike Bechthold, executive director of the Juno Beach Centre Association, told The Canadian Press researchers mined attestation records from the soldiers, preserved in a combination of government archives and genealogy sites.

More than half of the addresses listed on those documents are no longer valid, he said, replaced by new developments or rendered obsolete by changing geographical boundaries.

Valid addresses were found in nearly 400 cases.

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Bechthold, a historian, said the postcards should be seen as the letters the slain soldiers "would have sent home if they could have."

He hopes they will also help Canadians to connect the dots between the increasingly distant past and the lives they lead today.

"Theres history all around us, yet its almost like we walk around with blinders on," he said.

"The people living in these houses... have no concept of what happened there. This is an opportunity to sort of open their eyes and get them attuned to a different wavelength."

 with files from The Canadian Press

 Brandon Sun
The Winnipeg Foundation is seeking to establish three new art installations at The Forks National Historic Site designed to promote reconciliation and to restore the prominence of the region's Indigenous roots.

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The Winnipeg Foundation is seeking to establish three new art installations at The Forks National Historic Site designed to promote reconciliation and to restore the prominence of the region's Indigenous roots.

"We all know that public art speaks to what's important in a city," Foundation chief executive officer Rick Frost said at a press conference Thursday to an audience that included the three Indigenous artists commissioned to create the pieces.

"You go to Washington, D.C., and you see the public art there and you have a sense of where you are. When you come to Winnipeg and you see the public art we're going to have, it's starting to tell the story of who we are."

The Winnipeg Foundation will have the three pieces installed at a cost of $500,000 over the next two years to mark the province's 150th birthday in 2020, and the 150th anniversary of the first federal treaty with Indigenous people in southern Manitoba (Treaty 1) in 2021.

The choice of the setting was equally significant: Niizhoziibean, formerly known as South Point, across from The Forks, is a forested peninsula known for its Indigenous history.

Ojibwa elder Mary Courchene (also the grandmother of one of the selected artists, Jaimie Isaac) invited people to close their eyes as she painted a picture in words of what the peninsula looked like before European contact.

"This place was here. It was vibrant and, this time of year, was always vibrant. All humanity that belonged here were here, all Indigenous people before what it looks like today. It was a place of gathering," Courchene said.

Artists KC Adams, Val Vint and Isaac are connected to the location, having collaborated on a recent $1.2-million sculpture to honour its Indigenous heritage. Unveiled last fall, Niimaamaa was also supported in part by The Winnipeg Foundation.

Artists KC Adams, Val Vint and Jaimie Isaac previously collaborated on the Niimaamaa sculpture. (Mike Deal / Winnipeg Free Press files)

The first of the three new pieces will be installed next year on the central Niizhoziibean pathway. Education is the New Buffalo, created by Vint, is a bison that will rise three-metres high and be constructed from metal replicas that resemble books and videos.

"This is a piece that I believe will affect folks in a positive way and assist in setting the course for a small part of the understanding of the truth that leads us all toward reconciliation," Vint said.

The second piece of is a concrete sculpture by Adams, to be placed near the Canadian Museum for Human Rights in 2021. Friendship depicts the Cree spirit Wesakechak. A deliberately ambiguous piece of art, it portrays first contact and it reflects the mixed history of Indigenous and non-Indigenous relationships in the region.

"We are currently experiencing an exciting and positive resurgence of Indigenous culture, however, it is not without painful reminders of the obstacles we all face," Adams said.

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The third piece of art  The Eight and Final Fire, by Isaac  will rest near the monument to missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls and the Oodena Circle. It will feature eight spherical globes lit internally by solar panels of various colours.

"The Seven Fires prophesies of the Anishinaabe was conceived a very long time ago, and poignantly foretells the coming of the settlers to Turtle Island (North America) and the complexity of the relationships throughout history," Isaac said.

The installation will tell the stories of the seven fires and the prophesy about the eighth that will shape the future, she said.

"What the unveiling of these three pieces today does is continue the history beyond Niizhoziibean," The Forks Foundation executive director Clare MacKay said.

"The public pieces that you shall see here will connect all the way through (The Forks) site to the Canadian Museum for Human Rights... amazing public art created by amazing, kick-ass Indigenous female artists who deserve all the superlatives they've been given."

alexandra.paul@freepress.mb.ca
A century after workers in Winnipeg made history by launching the largest strike Canada has ever seen, the beneficiaries of their courage and sacrifice celebrated the anniversary, dining on beef tenderloin and chocolate truffle torte at a gala event.

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A century after workers in Winnipeg made history by launching the largest strike Canada has ever seen, the beneficiaries of their courage and sacrifice celebrated the anniversary, dining on beef tenderloin and chocolate truffle torte at a gala event.

A crowd of 1,300 union members, leaders and social justice supporters gathered for the Winnipeg General Strike centennial gala dinner, which was presented by the Manitoba Building Trades. For the female president and CEO of one of the provinces largest unions, it was a time to honour the telephone operators  mostly women  who started the Winnipeg General Strike at 7 a.m. on May 15, 1919.

"Its a true celebration of what those women did 100 years ago today," said Michelle Gawronsky who heads the Manitoba Government and General Employees Union. The historical record often doesnt note that women were the vanguard of the strike, followed by more than 30,000 other workers, she said at the gala, where ticket prices ranged from $200 for a "platinum" seat to $100 for retirees and those on fixed incomes.

"Working-class people can afford to be here and deserve a celebration," said Gawronsky. She was getting dressed up and "standing proud" Wednesday night as part of an homage to the telephone operators.

The General Strike of 1919 was one of the most influential strikes in Canadian history, and became the platform for future labour reforms. At the time, there was massive unemployment and inflation and dismal wages and working conditions.

JASON HALSTEAD / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Marianne Hladun, left, Chris Aylward and Sharon DeSouza of PSAC sing along with a rendition of 'Solidarity Forever' at the Winnipeg General Strike Centennial Gala Dinner presented by Manitoba's unions Wednesday evening at the RBC Convention Centre Winnipeg.

Work stopped at the big railway shops and yards across Winnipeg from May 15 to June 25, 1919. All factory production ceased. Winnipeg had no mail, streetcars, taxis, newspapers, telegrams, telephones, gasoline or milk delivery. Most restaurants, retail stores and barber shops closed. Police, firefighters, and employees of the water works shocked and frightened many in Winnipeg by joining the strike.

It ended six weeks later, on Bloody Saturday, when two protesters were killed. The strike did not immediately succeed but the united and empowered workers eventually improved working conditions and pushed for the universal health care and social safety net Canadians benefit from today.

"We have much to celebrate," Lynne Fernandez, a Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives economist said at the gala. "A lot was accomplished but a lot of the same issues are still here," she said.

JASON HALSTEAD / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Hassan Yussuff, president of the Canadian Labour Congress, speaks at the Winnipeg General Strike Centennial Gala Dinner.

Immigrants and Indigenous Canadians are still marginalized and unions are still targets of the powerful, she said. "There are constant attacks against workers," she said. "The provincial government is going after the civil service... It seems we take two steps forward and three steps back," said Fernandez.

Wednesdays gala, which featured a preview performance of Strike! The Musical by Danny Schur and Rainbow Stage, was one of several Manitoba Federation of Labour events to mark the 100th anniversary of the strike.

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Most are free and open to the public, said MFL president Kevin Rebeck. Theyre celebrations as well as reminders, he said.

JASON HALSTEAD / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Historian Sharon Reilly, left, and Kevin Rebeck, president of the Manitoba Federation of Labour, speak at the Winnipeg General Strike Centennial Gala Dinner.

"I think its important to remember our history and remember that when working people stand together, amazing things can happen," said Rebeck, whose federation represents more than 100,000 unionized workers in Manitoba.

"We laid the seeds for improvements on health and safety and employment standards and labour legislation that we all benefit from today and forget how we got there. People dont remember there was a fight to get those rights."

Now those rights are "under attack" from Conservative governments, he said.

"But people are finding as their rights are being stripped away, as theyre watching their emergency rooms close, that maybe this austerity measure and whats good for the elite isnt good for everyone."

carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca
Winona Police Department

Wednesday

2:04 p.m.  Kevin Dale Sultze, 38, Winona, was arrested on an outstanding warrant and cited for fleeing on foot after officers found him hiding in the closet of a Goodview residence. At 12:32 p.m. Wednesday, officers had attempted to stop Sultze at Sixth and Pelzer streets and he escaped on a bike and then on foot, according to the report.

2:58 p.m.  A Winona woman reported the theft of a UPS package containing shoes, a purse and a wallet, valued at $60, from her residence on the 400 block of East Broadway.

8:13 p.m.  Michael John McClatchey, 45, Owatonna, was arrested on suspicion of theft, receiving stolen property and driving after revocation, and William Robert Wheeler, 31, Owatonna, was arrested on suspicion of theft, receiving stolen property and possession of burglary tools after officers pulled them over on Hwy. 61.

McClatchey and Wheeler were pulling a welder trailer which was reported to have been parked at the former K-Mart in Winona and belonged to the company Fuller and Hammer, according to the report. They were also in possession of a round yellow converter, valued at $20, that had also been reported missing, police say.

Thursday

12:23 a.m.  Anthony Xavier Glubka, 23, Winona, was arrested on an outstanding warrant and on suspicion of fifth-degree possession of a controlled substance and third-degree burglary, after officers located him at the downtown McDonalds in possession of items that had been reported stolen from the Washington Crossings leasing office the day prior.

A Samsung tablet, an HP laptop, a gold necklace and a Sentry lockbox were reported stolen from the leasing office on Wednesday morning. When officers found Glubka at McDonalds and he took out the gold necklace, a small baggie containing pills determined to be Alprazolam also fell out, according to the report.

Officers also found a glass pipe. Glubka was arrested on an outstanding warrant from Wisconsin, as well as on suspicion of the possession and burglary charges, and transported to the Winona County Jail.

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A district court judge gave attorneys for the Winona public school district and Save Our Schools 30 days to write their own orders granting or denying summary judgment for a slander-of-title lawsuit the district filed in December.

The suit itself takes issue with a notice of pending litigation filed nearly a year ago by Save Our Schools, which had earlier appealed at the state level the school districts decision to close Rollingstone and Madison elementaries. Three court of appeals judges ruled in favor of the district in May, after which SOS removed the notice from the titles of both buildings.

But school district attorney Joseph Langel alleges the notice was improperly filed at the start and interfered with the districts ability to present the buyers with a clean title. Attorney Michael Bernatz, who represents plaintiff Rollingstone MC Properties, which joined onto the suit after its filing, said his client could not sell the school as fast as he sought to because of the notice.

Judge Matthew Opat on Wednesday gave both attorneys until June 17 to submit their arguments for or against summary judgment  which lets Opat make a decision without holding a full trial  and submit it to the court.

Summary judgment requires that there is no dispute on material facts of the case, which for slander of title consists of the following:

A false statement concerning the real property owned by the plaintiff

The false statement was published to others

The false statement was published maliciously

The publication of the false statement caused the plaintiff loss in the form of special damages

The goal from the beginning for (SOS) was to disrupt or prevent the sale of property, Langel said Wednesday.

He said the notice of lis pendens was a false statement because the filing party must have a property interest in the real estate, not just a general one  an argument SOS attorney Lucas Thompson disputed.

Attorneys also clashed over the malice element. Langel said the two letters he sent the group demanding they remove the notice that did not produce any result were further proof of malicious intent, while Thompson argued his clients had simply acted in good faith, doing what they thought was responsible to make the buildings buyers aware of the open appeal.

This lawsuit is completely unnecessary, Thompson said, noting that the district nor Rollingstone MC Properties owns either building any longer.

Of issue for Opat was the means of collecting payment for damages, since Save Our Schools is an unincorporated association with little collective property.

Langel said should the court rule in the districts favor, he could identify SOS members and seek compensation from them individually. Those damages, the district says, are in the form of legal fees WAPS has incurred during the court battle.

After each party submits their order and memorandum detailing why they believe the material facts of the case are or are not in dispute, Opat will have 90 days to review the motion  extending the matter into the 2019-20 school year.

If summary judgment is denied, the case will go before a jury trial.

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The love affair between President Donald Trump and rural America has always made sense to me.

When I covered the 2016 presidential campaign, Trump often went to remote farm communities where Democrats, and even other Republican candidates, never bothered.

The image of a New York billionaire holding a rally down the street from an Alabama Dollar General might have seemed hilarious to some reporters, but to the farmers and their families at those rallies, a rich, television celebrity coming to their hometown made them feel important and even hopeful that someone like him would value a place like theirs. The details of his policies werent important at those rallies. It was about the way he made them feel.

But that feeling is being tested in ways even American farmers never imagined, despite the fact that Trump, as a candidate, told them exactly what he would do as president when he was elected.

You know, China? he asked a rally in Clear Lakes, Iowa, in 2016. What theyre doing to us in trade is unbelievable. Theyre killing us. Its one of the great thefts in the history of the world.

Even in a state like Iowa, where farmers rely heavily on Chinese markets to buy their crops, the crowd nodded and cheered as Trump promised to make China play by the same rules as America. Everybody has great confidence in me, with China, with all these places. And dont worry about it. Well take great care of the situation.

But since 2016, some of those same farmers have been doing almost nothing but worry. Delivering on his promise to be tough on China, Trump imposed a 25% duty on $50 billion worth of Chinese goods in July of 2018, and later, another 10% tariff on $200 billion more of Chinese products.

China responded in kind with tariffs on peanuts, cotton, sorghum, pecans and a host of other agricultural products. American commodity prices collapsed as demand fell from the country that many American farmers counted as their single largest buyer.

The love affair is over. As talks dragged on in 2018, Trump promised to send subsidies to soybean, dairy and other farmers who were having to store or destroy excess crops without Chinese, Canadian and Mexican markets to sell to. But while farmers were waiting for those checks, disaster struck farms from Florida to North Carolina as Hurricane Michael stripped cotton plants bare and uprooted an entire years harvest in October of last year.

Fires in the west decimated acre after acre in California, while torrential rains inundated Midwestern farms along the Mississippi.

But those struggling farmers are still waiting for disaster aid to help get through the worst of the floods, fires and hurricanes, as an impasse between the Trump administration and Democrats over aid for Puerto Rico has delayed that help to farmers too. With everything they were already dealing with, it wasnt any wonder when the patience in rural America simply ran out last week when news of more Chinese tariffs from Trump broke.

Weve been understanding during this negotiation process, but we cannot withstand another year in which our most important foreign market continues to slip away and soybean prices are 20 to 25%, or even more, below pre-tariff levels, said John Heisdorffer, a soy grower in Keota, Iowa, who chairs the American Soybean Association. 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.

Trump can only hope that the way he makes farmers feel will be more important than the policies he delivered.

Lynn Chrisp, the president of the National Corn Growers Association, echoed the frustration: Farmers have been patient and willing to let negotiations play out, but with each passing day, patience is wearing thin. Agriculture needs certainty, not more tariffs.

A trade war with Americas biggest agricultural buyer? More trade breakdowns with Canada, Europe and Mexico? Lower prices for crops, but higher costs for durable goods like trucks, tractors and aluminum for silos? It cant be what farmers thought they were signing up for in 2016, when rural voters were Trumps most reliable supporters in the election.

A tall order With a red swath from North Carolina to Texas and up through the Midwest to North Dakota and Idaho, Trump won 70% of the vote in counties with no metropolitan or suburban population and often lots and lots of farms.

Some of those states gave the president a massive victory, like Alabama (62%), North Dakota (63%), South Dakota (62%), and Kansas(56%). Even in states where he just cleared 50%, he still won by a solid margin. In Iowa, he won with 51%, but still beat Hillary Clinton by 10 points. In Georgia, Trump won just 50%, but was still 5 points better than the former secretary of State.

Youd think that the pain that farmers have felt since Trump came into office might leave an opening for Democrats to move into in 2020, but theyll have to do more than Clinton did in 2016, when her rural policy pitch mostly ignored crop prices, but focused on environmental sustainability, broadband access and clean energy.

The president clearly knows that hes putting farm country in a terrible bind with more tariffs, so hes got more promises like the ones he made in 2016, including $15 billion in subsidies to somehow replace the Chinese market until a deal is worked out. (Farmers) will 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, he said from the White House Monday.

It seems like a tall order, since planting season has already begun and government checks are famously slow to come. But Trump can only hope that the way he makes farmers feel will be more important than the policies he delivered. It worked once before.

We love our farmers, we take care of our farmers, he said as U.S. markets tumbled. Our farmers will be very well taken care of.

Patricia Murphy covers national politics for The Daily Beast. Previously, she was the Capitol Hill bureau chief for Politics Daily and founder and editor of Citizen Jane Politics. Follow her on Twitter @1PatriciaMurphy.

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Joseph Merle Alt, 83, of Baraboo, was born July 22, 1935, in a log cabin on a farm in Sauk County, to Joseph (Sep) and Edith (Phettyplace) Alt; he passed suddenly on Tuesday, May 14, 2019.

In the beginning of his first grade, it was decided by his parents to use Merle, his middle name, as his primary name. Merle graduated eighth grade from a one-room schoolhouse, then went onto Spring Green High School where he graduated in 1953. He then spent the next 1 years pursuing an agriculture major at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville. From 1955-1957, Merle served our country in the United States Army where he was stationed in Korea.

Upon his return home, he met the love of his life, Dorothy Ann Weidner. The couple wed on Aug. 3, 1959, and had five children. Merle and Dorothy enjoyed traveling to both coasts of the U.S. and to Canada with many great stops along the way.
JUNEAU  A competency evaluation has been ordered for a 49-year-old Beaver Dam woman accused of coercing a teenage boy into a sexual relationship with her.

Jennifer B. Schmidt appeared before Dodge County Circuit Court Judge Joseph Sciascia Thursday and her attorney John Smerlinski brought up concerns about her competency. Sciascia ordered a competency evaluation before further proceedings.

Schmidt is charged with a felony count of sexual assault of a child under 16 and two felony counts of repeated sexual assault of a child. She could face up to 120 years in prison and $300,000 in fines.

According to the criminal complaint, the mother of the victim contacted police May 12 to report that Schmidt was having an inappropriate sexual relationship with her 15-year-old son. The boy told police that Schmidt had asked him to have sex with her and he told her that she was too old. He said he had non-consensual sex with Schmidt after she threatened to kill his sisters unborn child.

Police contacted Schmidt, and according to the complaint, she originally denied having a sexual relationship with the boy, but her story changed a few days later when police spoke to her again.

According to the criminal complaint, Schmidt said the physical relationship began in March and that she knew it was wrong the whole time. Schmidt allegedly told officers that they used condoms and had sex about 10 times in March and three times in April.

Follow Terri Pederson on Twitter @tlp53916 or contact her at 920-356-6760.
Veterans from World War II, Korea, and Vietnam will travel to Washington DC May 18 to visit veteran memorials as part of the Badger Honor Flight.

Badger Honor Flight is a regional affiliate in Wisconsin of the National Honor Flight. Badger Honor Flight provides transportation, shirts, jackets, hats, and meals to veterans on the flight. The flight is free for veterans.

About 90 veterans are scheduled for the day-long trip, which includes stops at the World War II Veterans Memorial, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the Korean War Veterans Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial, the Air Force Memorial, the Marine Memorial, and the changing of the guard at Arlington National Cemetery.

Our mission is to get these WWII, Korean, and Vietnam veterans to have the chance to view the memorials built in their honor, said Tiffany Tobias, volunteer fundraising director for Badger Honor Flights.

Nationally more than 150,000 veterans have participated in honor flights, and in Wisconsin more than 3,000 veterans have participated in the Badger Honor Flight. The Sauk Prairie area, which has 17 veterans scheduled for the May 18 honor flight, has sent 236 veterans on the Washington DC trip.
Morrison woke up but was disoriented. The officer asked if Morrison needed medical attention, with no response. After asking a second time, Morrison responded Yes. Im fine.

The officer saw, in plain view, two small glass jars in the center console of the vehicle. In one of the jars there appeared to be a green leafy substance, which the officer recognized as marijuana. The officer asked Morrison about the substance, with Morrison claiming the substance was CBD that he bought in Portage.

The officer seized the glass jars and performed a field test, which registered as positive for THC. The officer then conducted a full search of the vehicle, where he found a glass pipe, an orange pill bottle with no label containing small oval blue pills later identified as alprazolam, a pill container containing more pills, and a clear glass tube commonly used to snort crushed pills or other drugs.

Morrison claimed the pills were not his, and that his girlfriend uses the car sometimes. The officer asked Morrison if he had a valid prescription, to which Morrison replied that he probably did not.

Morrison is currently out of prison on a cash bond. He is scheduled for an initial appearance June 5 at the Juneau County Justice Center.

Reach Christopher Jardine on Twitter @ChrisJJardine or contact him at 608-432-6591.

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A Wonewoc resident is charged with maintaining a drug trafficking place and child neglect after being arrested April 28.

Jenna L. Bengtson, 37, of Wonewoc face charges of maintaining a drug trafficking place, possession of cocaine, neglecting a child, and possession of drug paraphernalia. She is facing up to three years and six months in prison, a $10,000 fine, or both for the drug trafficking charge, and up to one year in prison, a $5,000 fine, or both for the cocaine charge. The child neglect charge also carries a $10,000 fine or nine months in prison, or both.

According to the criminal complaint:

On April 25, Wonewoc Police conducted a K-9 search at Wonewoc Center Schools as part of routine drug enforcement through the year. Information was gathered from the operation regarding a group of male students using and dealing controlled substances.

On April 26, Union Center Police Chief Chad Rick received information regarding a minor, the child of Jenna Bengston, selling marijuana, dab cartridges, and cocaine. Specific details were given about a smoke room in the basement of a residence on Jackson St. in Wonewoc owned by Bengston.
Americans are being killed. Murdered not for what they have done or being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Slaughtered again and again because, whether Jewish, or black, or simply not "pure" white, they are seen as a pestilence to be purged.

Their murderers are followers of a vile and hateful ideology that meets the FBI definition of terrorism. But some top current and former law enforcement officials say that they are not treated as terrorists, because they are American, and they are white.

But amid the rising number of deadly white supremacist attacks, the officials say that must change. White supremacy must be called terrorism and tackled with the same vigor as ISIS and al Qaeda.

Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance came to that realization while investigating the homicide of a black man in the center of New York City.

66-year-old Timothy Caughman was walking alone in Midtown Manhattan collecting cans to recycle when a man approached from behind. That man plunged a sword through Caughman's chest.

Caughman uttered his last words as he turned toward his killer: "Why are you doing this?"

The man continued to stab him. Caughman bled to death.

The answer to Caughman's question would soon become clear. His killer, James Jackson, had come to New York from Maryland with a plan to start a race war.

This was more than a murder, Vance decided. It was more than a hate crime. It was the targeted killing of a black man with the aspiration of dividing the races to keep killing each other, ending in the death of every black person in the United States and around the world, according to Jackson's manifesto, Vance said.

The case was a seminal one for the district attorney's office and for New York state, where it was the first domestic terrorism conviction of its kind. Vance hopes it sends a message.

"I think we needed to call it what it was," he told CNN.

"This was an act of terrorism," Vance explained. "This exists in our country and it happened here."

It's just that Americans are having a hard time admitting it, he said. It is much easier, Vance continued, for people to call someone a terrorist when they have a different skin color, or don't speak English. But if you are trying to spread fear and wipe out a specific group of people, like Jackson was, then you must call them terrorist, he said. Calling someone a terrorist not only raises the profile of the case but can yield additional charges, and higher sentences.

On the face of it, the killing of Caughman fits into the FBI's category of "domestic terrorism": Perpetrated by individuals and/or groups inspired by or associated with primarily US-based movements that espouse extremist ideologies of a political, religious, social, racial, or environmental nature.

Caughman's murder may not have sparked a national outcry. But it is part of a very public and growing, deadly trend of domestic terror attacks committed largely by white men. From the Charleston church massacre through the killing of a protester in Charlottesville and the shootings at synagogues in Pittsburgh and Poway, far-right extremists are responsible for -- or suspected of - most of the ideological killings in America in the last 10 years, according to data from the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), which tracks extremist activity.

White supremacist murders in the US "more than doubled in 2017," with far-right extremist groups and white supremacists "responsible for 59% of all extremist-related fatalities in the US in 2017," ADL's audit shows. They were responsible for 20% of these fatalities the year before.

Depending on who you ask, white supremacist terrorism is either not a problem, or the biggest threat to American democracy in years, but one that's often ignored.

President Donald Trump has said he does not regard white nationalism as a rising global threat.

When asked in the aftermath of the New Zealand mosque massacres if he saw a worrying rise in white supremacy movements around the world, he replied: "I don't really. I think it's a small group of people that have very, very serious problems, I guess."

Intelligence and law enforcement officials under Trump maintain they work to keep up with all threats, though they often don't single out white supremacism publicly, instead referring to domestic terror as a whole. A Department of Homeland Security (DHS) official said the department has a Center for Faith and Opportunity that works with houses of worship to prepare for acts of terrorism and there are other programs that religious and other communities can use to help protect against hate crimes.

But it's still a mistake not to call out white supremacy, according to the former head of the Countering Violent Extremism Task Force at DHS, George Selim.

"If the same number of Americans had been killed at the hands of an individual that was inspired or directed by a foreign terrorist organization, you can bet this Congress and any administration, irrespective of political party would be reacting much differently," he said.

DHS declined to answer specific questions on this story.

Selim will take his arguments to Congress on Wednesday, when he testifies in front of the House Oversight's Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties. The hearing is titled "Confronting white supremacy: The consequences of inaction."

It's a subject Selim feels he knows too well. During the Bush and Obama administrations, he was often in the room -- whether the Situation Room or the Oval Office -- when key decisions were made about tackling extremism at home.

And as they saw the threat of white supremacists grow, Selim said he worked with colleagues on federal programs, specifically at DHS, that aimed to address and intervene during the radicalization process.

They "were on the cusp" of creating a system to do just that, he said. With bipartisan support, key puzzle pieces were being put in place in the final months of the Obama administration, he said.

And then Trump took office. Selim said during the first seven months of the administration there was a "decimation of the people, resources and prioritization" of those key programs and infrastructure that was aimed at working with law enforcement, counter-messaging, community resilience and engagement and outreach.

He became so frustrated he quit. He saw that the domestic terrorist acts killing Americans were predominantly perpetrated by those with views tied to white nationalism or supremacy, but the new administration had different priorities.

"It's a significant enough [threat] that the federal government needs to devote significantly more people, money and time to both assess and ultimately mitigate," argued Selim, who now leads the education, law enforcement and community security programs for the ADL and oversees the work of the group's Center on Extremism.

'The new normal': Radicalized white men

In some ways, the precursors to the racist murders mirror those before foreign terrorist attacks. The radicalization, specifically online, is similar to those who pledge allegiance to ISIS or al Qaeda, experts say. One of the noticeable differences is these extremists are white.

Timothy Caughman's murderer focused on his hatred for African American men before traveling to New York City and killing him.

In the three weeks before Jackson attacked, he spent huge amounts of his days and nights online studying Nazism and extremism until he was apparently pushed over the edge, Vance said. Interracial dating was an "insurmountable problem," in his mind. He read obsessively about Dylann Roof, who killed nine black worshippers in Charleston in 2015, Vance said.

"The racial world war starts today," Jackson wrote in his manifesto, according to Vance. "Negroes are obviously first on the list for extermination."

The gunman in Charleston and the Pittsburgh and Poway suspects all engaged in hateful speech online before taking their rage and turning it into deadly action.

Officials acknowledge this pattern and it's one reason that Selim believes something can be done to stop these people who are sometimes categorized as untraceable "lone wolves."

Selim also said that, too often, there seems to be a reluctance to name white men as possibly dangerous. And that itself is dangerous because white supremacists and nationalists are a "real and persistent threat," he said.

"As I look forward in the next five to 10 or more years, we need to acclimate ourselves to the new normal, which is increased incidents of domestic extremism, domestic terrorism, anti-Semitism, and all acts of bigotry or Islamophobia, xenophobia that target ethnic and religious minority groups," he said. "Once we understand that that is very likely the new normal, then we can put in place some of the strong infrastructure related to counterterrorism and community resilience that we've already built up and focus it on these new threats that we know we're going to be facing."

With the administration prioritizing other matters, Selim is hoping legislators will hold them accountable and encourage action beyond denunciations of extremist atrocities.

He insists some of the attacks that cost lives are preventable. He advocates for cooperation between law enforcement, social media companies, community leaders and groups like the ADL. And he believes that the initiative he led at the Department of Homeland Security would have borne fruit if funding had been continued.

"The setback won't be able to be measured here and now," Selim said. "I can't tell you that funding of these programs would have prevented Pittsburgh or Poway, but I can say in good conscience that we sure would have stood a better chance at preventing or intervening in incidents like this had funding for these programs continued."

Sending a powerful message

If Selim is hoping Congress will take steps on the identification of dangerous white supremacists, Manhattan DA Vance is hoping the same people will take action on what can be done with suspects once identified.

Many states do not have terrorism laws on the books or prosecute cases the way he did with the murder of Caughman, who called himself a can and bottle recycler and autograph collector on his Twitter account, where he posted a photo of himself waiting to vote in the 2016 election.

But Vance stands by his decision. "It really is no different from him to come up and to seek out to kill black men than a radical Islamist to come to a place to seek out, to kill, men and women who weren't of their faith," Vance said.

And calling it terrorism and getting a life sentence can send a powerful message that white nationalism will not be normalized in New York, Vance said.

He wrote a letter to the House Appropriations Committee urging them to increase federal law enforcement funding. "We can no longer sleep on the danger posed by this country's increasing number of white nationalists. And we cannot continue to treat this type of hate-fueled violence as a lesser form of terrorism, lest we risk normalizing this repulsive behavior and missing opportunities to prevent future attacks."

FBI Assistant Director Michael McGarrity testified to the House Committee on Homeland Security last week that the bureau is doing its part to tackle the issue on a federal level. He shared that the Trump administration has added domestic terrorism to its national security strategy, a first for the country.

"We're highlighting that there is a domestic terrorism threat that is persistent," McGarrity said. "We don't differentiate between a domestic terrorism attack we're trying to stop or an international terrorism attack. It's a terrorism attack we're looking to stop," he said.

But to Selim, the lack of specificity was troubling. He wanted to hear officials say white supremacists. White terror. White nationalist terrorism. To voice what is an unsettling truth -- today's terrorism in the US is most often perpetrated by white Americans who look more like the Founding Fathers than foreign-born jihadis.

Double standards

Outside of perception, the law itself also creates a double standard.

Then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions initially told ABC's "Good Morning America" that the killing of Heather Heyer in Charlottesville met the "definition of domestic terrorism." But James Fields, who drove a car into counter protesters at high speed, wasn't charged with being a terrorist as there is no single crime of domestic terrorism.

Even similar attacks are handled differently depending on the perpetrator in the US. Sayfullo Saipov allegedly rammed a truck along a New York City bike path, killing eight people, three months after Fields' attack.

But Saipov, unlike Fields, was able to be charged with a federal terror offense because of one simple difference -- his alleged allegiance to the foreign ISIS organization.

Another case is the Coast Guard lieutenant currently accused of plotting a domestic terror attack. Prosecutors say he planned to conduct a mass killing of prominent Democratic politicians and members of the news media, including CNN. But without a law saying domestic terrorism is a crime, he can only be charged with lesser offences.

"To illustrate how ridiculous the current situation is, when I was in the FBI investigating people inspired by international terrorist groups like ISIS and al Qaeda, the mere association with those groups was enough to land someone behind bars," said Josh Campbell, CNN law enforcement analyst and former FBI special agent. "Not so with domestic terrorism. Even if someone is politically motivated to cause violence due to their right- or left-wing extremist views, that's not enough to get them off the street. Opponents to such a law claim it might infringe on free speech. The issue appears to be a political third rail that few in Congress actually want to touch."

Campbell said that the FBI Agents Association, a private organization that represents the bureau's approximately 13,000 special agents, has been very vocal about the need for new legislation that would equip law enforcement with the tools needed to stop these threats.

A 'scary' silence

In last week's House hearing, members asked the assembled law enforcement chiefs about the online activity of the alleged Poway shooter, who appears to have posted a manifesto on the 8chan site and been cheered on there, as have white supremacist attackers before him.

Rep. Mike Rogers, the ranking Republican member of the committee, asked intelligence and law enforcement experts from the FBI, Justice Department and DHS how the US can tackle the issue, seeking advice to guide possible legislation.

"Do you have any recommendations about what can be done to address the violent hate speech and incitement of violence found on fringe sites like 8chan and Gab, and that's for any of you," he asked.

He was met with silence.

"Y'all don't have any suggestions for us?" responded the Alabama congressman. "That's scary. We can't make policy without good advisement."

The officials then explained the difficulties in monitoring the forums and balancing free speech. And DHS says they have developed robust partnerships with the tech sector.

But at the root of it all, again, is there's no domestic terrorism statute.

Which is another reason Vance wrote his letter. "I think it's a big problem and we focused so much on Islamic radicalism since 2000, since 9/11, that I think perhaps we've taken our eye off the ball of what is an equally large problem -- and that is those who are being radicalized in our midst," Vance told CNN.

He admits he was himself late to see the issue.

"If the Manhattan district attorney -- I'll profess having more ignorance than I should have had -- but if I'm not paying attention to it, then, probably a lot of people aren't paying attention to it enough also," he said.

He's now set his office on a new course, and hopes more will follow, from the federal level on down, however painful it may be.

"I think as, as white Americans, we may not be as readily willing to identify this group of terrorists that are like us," he said. "And I think that's perhaps a little bit of human nature it's easier to identify the enemy as someone who doesn't look like you or doesn't speak the language, but when it is your neighbor and like people you know, then it's, it's harder to, it's hard to call that out ... and call it terrorism."
The Marquette County University of Wisconsin-Extension will host a free evening of learning about beekeeping at 6 p.m. with registration at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 22 at the Westfield Community Center, 129 E. Third St., Westfield.

Patti and Mark Ingram, members of the East Central Wisconsin Beekeepers Association, will give a general overview of the honey bee and beekeeping and will bring examples of beekeeping equipment and tools of the trade.

Marty Havlovic, emeritus Community Resource Development educator, will also talk about the Nicaragua Bee Project, a local initiative to support families in Nicaragua learning to keep bees. This project brings Wisconsin beekeepers to Nicaragua to train families about beekeeping.

Preregistration is suggested by May 20.

For more information or to register, call 608-297-3141 or bit.ly/2019bees.
The 2017 resolution was passed to allow the county to make a down payment for this software using money from a one-time payment to the county from American Transmission Company for the environmental impact of a high-voltage power line that passes through the county. The resolution specified that the remainder of the software cost would come from borrowing in 2019  the borrowing that the supervisors approved on Wednesday.

Foley also asked why Brandner didnt open the project to bidders, as is the typical practice under the countys procurement policies.

Brandner replied that a company familiar with Motorola equipment is necessary, otherwise the county is opening itself up to technological glitches that may be complicated to repair.

Brandner said the equipment and tower upgrades are expected to start next fall and take about six months to complete.

The county did a similar upgrade in 2011, when the board voted to borrow up to $4.06 million for the project.

The life of the upcoming improvements, Brandner said, is likely to be eight to 10 years.

In response to a question from Leatherberry, Brandner said it could be eight to 10 years before modern digital communication  with satellites and global-positioning systems  would make radio towers obsolete. Companies are not yet getting into public safety communication with that type of equipment, he said.

Follow Lyn Jerde on Twitter @LynJerde or contact her at 608-745-3587.

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Participation and state funding

Participation of breakfast in the state is one of the lowest in the nation at 83%, ranking Wisconsin 50 out of 50 states and the District of Columbia, behind New Jersey. Wollin said The Department of Public Instruction will host a participation workshop for all schools June 19 at Chula Vista in the Wisconsin Dells and is open to all schools in the state to learn how to increase participation in the breakfast program.

Benson said the school district didnt look at the national participation levels, instead focusing on the students within its own buildings.

We know the little bit of research we have done is probably more common sense than anything else that if any of us, children and adults, if we have a little breakfast in our belly to start the day, we are probably likely to be more alert, more attentive to whatever work is in front of us. Benson said.

Gov. Tony Evers 2019-2020 proposed budget increases the amount of state aid to schools participating in the school breakfast program to .15 cents a breakfast, a .07 cent increase. The amount provides an additional $5.6 million over the two year budget to address student hunger.
Thailand's Deputy Prime Minister Prajin Juntong and other officials attend the Smart City Thailand Takeoff event (Photo: www.bangkokpost.com)

Nathporn Chatusripitak, spokesman of Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak, said the cabinet on May 14th approved the draft MoU that is due to be signed by the three parties on May 21st in Beijing.

The CDB is a state-owned bank focusing on providing loans and investment for infrastructure projects and other development ones in China.

It also supports overseas development projects in response to the government policy for sustainable growth and Chinese companies active overseas expansion.

The JBIC is a financial institution aiming to support the development of the Japanese and international economies./.
Aberdeen Global Income Fund, Inc. is a closed-ended fixed income mutual fund launched and managed by Aberdeen Standard Investments (Asia) Limited. It is co-managed by Aberdeen Standard Investments Australia Limited and Aberdeen Asset Managers Limited. The fund invests in fixed income markets across the globe. It primarily invests in fixed-income securities denominated in the Commonwealth currencies and global debt securities. The fund benchmarks the performance of its portfolio against a composite index comprised of 20% Bank of America Merrill Lynch Australian Government Bonds Index, 20% Bank of America Merrill Lynch UK Government Bonds Index, 15% Bank of America Merrill Lynch Canadian Government Bonds Index, 15% Bank of America Merrill Lynch New Zealand Government Bonds Index, and 30% Bank of America Merrill Lynch Global Emerging Markets Index. Aberdeen Global Income Fund, Inc. was formed on June 28, 1991 and is domiciled in the United States.

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Andeavor Logistics LP operates as a diversified midstream company in the United States. The company's Terminalling and Transportation segment comprises the Northwest pipeline system, including a regulated common carrier products pipeline running from Salt Lake City, Utah to Spokane, Washington and a jet fuel pipeline to the Salt Lake City International Airport; a regulated common carrier refined products pipeline system connecting its refinery to its terminals in Anchorage, Alaska; tankage and related equipment at the refinery; and crude oil and refined products terminals and storage facilities in the western, and southwest and midwestern U.S. This segment also consists of marine terminals in California and Washington; a rail-car unloading and petroleum coke handling facilities; marine terminals; a manifest rail facility; an asphalt trucking operation; a petroleum coke handling and storage facility; asphalt terminalling and processing services; and other pipelines, which transport products and crude oil from its refineries to nearby facilities in Salt Lake City and Los Angeles. Its Gathering and Processing segment includes crude oil and natural gas, NGLs, and produced water gathering systems in the Bakken Shale/Williston Basin area of the Bakken Region, the Green River Basin, the Rockies Region, the Permian Basin System, and the Four Corners System, as well as crude trucking operations, and gas processing and fractionation complexes. The company's Wholesale segment consists of bulk petroleum distribution facilities and a fleet of refined product delivery trucks. Tesoro Logistics GP, LLC operates as the general partner of the company. The company was formerly known as Tesoro Logistics LP and changed its name to Andeavor Logistics LP in August 2017. Andeavor Logistics LP was founded in 2010 and is based in Findlay, Ohio.

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The Williams Cos., Inc. operates as an energy infrastructure company, which explores, produces, transports, sells and processes natural gas and petroleum products. It operates through the following segments: Transmission and Gulf of Mexico; Northeast G&P; and West. The Transmission and Gulf of Mexico segment comprises of interstate natural gas pipelines, Transco and Northwest Pipeline, as well as natural gas gathering and processing and crude oil production handling and transportation assets in the Gulf Coast region. The Northeast G&P segment includes midstream gathering, processing, and fractionation businesses in the Marcellus Shale region primarily in Pennsylvania and New York, and the Utica Shale region of eastern Ohio. The West segment consists of gas gathering, processing, and treating operations in the Rocky Mountain region of Colorado and Wyoming, the Barnett Shale region of north-central Texas, the Eagle Ford Shale region of south Texas, the Haynesville Shale region of northwest Louisiana, and the Mid-Continent region which includes the Anadarko, Arkoma, and Permian basins. The company was founded by David Williams and Miller Williams in 1908 and is headquartered in Tulsa,

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Cenovus Energy Inc., together with its subsidiaries, develops, produces, and markets crude oil, natural gas liquids, and natural gas in Canada, the United States and the Asia Pacific region. The company operates through Oil Sands, Conventional, and Refining and Marketing segments. The Oil Sands segment develops and produces bitumen in northeast Alberta. Its bitumen assets include Foster Creek, Christina Lake, and Narrows Lake, as well as other projects in the early stages of development. The Conventional segment holds assets primarily located in Elmworth-Wapiti, Kaybob-Edson, and Clearwater operating areas of British Columbia and Alberta, as well as various interests in natural gas processing facilities. The Refining and Marketing segment transports and sells crude oil, natural gas, and NGLs. This segment owns a 50% ownership in Wood River and Borger refineries located in the United States; and owns and operates a crude-by-rail terminal in Alberta. Cenovus Energy Inc. was founded in 2009 and is headquartered in Calgary, Canada.

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Five Point Holdings LLC engages in the development and design of mixed-use, master-planned communities that combine residential, commercial, retail, educational, and recreational elements with public amenities. It operates through the following segments: Valencia, San Francisco, Great Park, and Commercial. The Valencia segment includes community of Valencia being developed in northern Los Angeles County, California, as well as other land historically owned by FPL, including 16,000 acres in Ventura County, California and approximately 500 acres of remnant commercial, residential and open space land in Los Angeles County. The San Francisco segment involves the Candlestick Point and The San Francisco Shipyard communities located on bay front property in the City of San Francisco, California. The Great Park segment refers to the Great Park neighborhoods being developed adjacent to and around the Orange County Great Park, a metropolitan park under construction in Orange County, California. The Commercial segment consists of the Five Point Gateway Campus, an office and research and development campus within the Great Park Neighborhoods, consisting of four newly constructed buildings. The

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ConocoPhillips engages in the exploration, production, transportation and marketing of crude oil, bitumen, natural gas, natural gas liquids, and liquefied natural gas on a worldwide basis. It operates through the following geographical segments: Alaska; Lower 48; Canada; Europe, Middle East and North Africa; Asia Pacific; and Other International. The Alaska segment primarily explores for produces, transports and markets crude oil, natural gas and natural gas liquids. The Lower 48 segment consists of operations in the U.S. and the Gulf of Mexico. The Canada segment is comprised of oil sands development in the Athabasca Region of northeastern Alberta and a liquids-rich unconventional play in western Canada. The Europe, Middle East and North Africa segment consists of operations and exploration activities in Norway, the United Kingdom and Libya. The Asia Pacific segment has explorations and product operations in China, Indonesia, Malaysia and Australia. The Other International segment handles exploration activities in Columbia and Argentina. The company was founded in 1875 and is headquartered in Houston, TX.

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iShares North American Tech-Software ETF's stock was trading at $211.67 on March 11th, 2020 when Coronavirus reached pandemic status according to the World Health Organization. Since then, IGV shares have increased by 89.0% and is now trading at $400.07.

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The following companies are subsidiares of IDEX: ADS Corp., ADS Environmental Services Pty Limited, ADS Environmental Technologies Inc., ADS LLC, AEGIS Flow Technologies, AEGIS Flow Technologies L.L.C., AWG, AWG Fittings GmbH, Abel Pumps, Advanced Thin Films, Advanced Thin Films Inc., Airtech Group, Akron Brass, Akron Brass Company, Alfa Valvole, Alfa Valvole S.r.l., Band-It Clamps (Asia) Pte. Ltd., Band-It Company Limited, Band-It-IDEX Inc., Banjo Corporation, Banjo Europe S.r.l., BarbIDEX International SRL, CIDRA Precision Services, CVI Laser, CVI Laser LLC, CVI Laser Limited, CVI Melles Griot, Corken Inc., ERC, Eastern Plastics, FAST & Fluid Management S.r.l., FM Delaware Inc., FM Investment Inc., FMD Distribution and Service LLC, FMD Fabrication Services LLC, FTL Seals Technology Limited, Fast & Fluid Management B.V., Fast & Fluid Management Eastern Europe Sp. Z O.O., Fast and Fluid Management Australia Pty. Ltd., Flow Management Devices, Flow Management Devices LLC, Fluid Management Canada Inc., Fluid Management Inc., Fluid Management Operations LLC, Gast Group Ltd, Gast Manufacturing Inc., Godiva Limited, Godiva Products Limited, Hale Products Europe Limited, Hale Products Inc., Hurst Jaws of Life Inc., IDEX Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd., IDEX Dinglee Technology (Tianjin) Co. Ltd., IDEX Europe GmbH, IDEX Health & Science KK, IDEX Health & Science LLC, IDEX Holdings GmbH, IDEX Holdings Inc., IDEX India Private Limited, IDEX Italy S.r.l., IDEX Japan GK, IDEX Korea Ltd, IDEX Leasing GmbH, IDEX MPT Inc., IDEX Mexico S.A. de C.V., IDEX Middle East FZE, IDEX Pump Technologies (Ireland) Limited, IDEX SAS, IDEX Service Corp., IDEX Sourcing Corporation, IDEX Technology (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., IDEX Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd, IDEX UK Investment Ltd, IDEX UK Ltd., IDEX do Brasil Servicos e Vendas Ltda., IETG, Isolation Technologies, KNIGHT LLC, KVT-Koenig Holding Limited, Knight (Canada) Limited, Knight Inc., Knight UK Ltd, LUKAS Hydraulik GmbH, Liquid Controls, Liquid Controls LLC, Matcon, Matcon (R&D) Limited, Matcon Group Limited, Matcon Limited, Melles Griot B.V., Melles Griot GmbH, Microfluidics, Microfluidics International Corporation, Micropump Inc., Nova Technologies, Nova Technologies Corporation, Novotema, Novotema S.p.A, OBL, OBL Srl, Oil & Gas Process Solutions LLC, PP AWG GmbH, PPE International LLC, PPE LLC, Precision Photonics, Precision Polymer Engineering Limited, Project Gold Acquisition Corp., Pulsafeeder Inc., Quadro Engineering Corp., RV Acquisition Corp., Richter Chemie-Technik, Richter Chemie-Technik GmbH, Richter EP (Nanjing) Co. Ltd., Richter Pumps & Valves Inc., Roplan AB, Roplan GmbH, Roplan Holding AB, Roplan Ltd, Roplan Machinery (Ningbo) Co. Ltd., Roplan Machining AB, Roplan Sales (Ningbo) Co. Ltd., Roplan Sales AB, Roplan Sales Inc., Roplan Trading AB, S.A.M.P.I. S.p.A., SFC KOENIG, SFC KOENIG Flow Control (Suzhou) Co. Limited, SFC Koenig AG, SFC Koenig Beteilgungs GmbH, SFC Koenig GmbH, SFC Koenig LLC, Scivex, Seals Limited, Semrock, Steridose Sales AB, The Fitzpatrick Company, Toptech Systems, Toptech Systems Inc., Toptech Systems NV, Trebor International Inc., Velcora, Velcora Holding AB, Vetter GmbH, Viking Pump Inc., Viking Pump of Canada Inc., Warren Rupp Inc., Wright Flow Technologies Limited, XAM Swiss Holding I GmbH, iPEK, iPEK International GmbH, iPEK Spezial TV GmbH, thinXXS Microtechnology, and thinXXS Microtechnology AG.
The following companies are subsidiares of Dover: Accelerated Production Systems, Acme Elevator, Advansor A/S, Advansor Dover International (Poland) sp. z o.o, Advansor Germany GmbH, Alfred Fueling Systems Holdco Ltd., Alfred Fueling Systems Inc., Alfred Fueling Systems Intermediate Holdco Ltd., All-Flo Pump Company, Anman LLC, Anthony Equity Holdings Inc., Anthony Holdings Inc., Anthony Inc., Anthony International, Anthony International Foreign Sales Corp., Anthony International Holding Company, Anthony Mexico Holdings LLC, Anthony North Holdco Inc., Anthony Specialty Glass LLC, Anthony TemperBent GP LLC, Auto Glanz Solutions LLC, Automatik Grundstucksverwaltungs GmbH & Co. KG, Automatik Plastics Machinery (Taiwan) Ltd., BSC Filters Limited, Background2 Limited, Belanger, Belanger Inc., Belvac Middle East FZE, Belvac Production Machinery Inc., Blackmer, BlitzRotary GmbH, Butler Engineering and Marketing S.P.A., CDS Visual, CEP Liquidation LLC, CP Formation LLC, CPC Europe Inc., CPI Products Inc., Caldera, Canada Organization & Development LLC, Chief Automotive Technologies (Shanghai) Trading Company Ltd., Chippewa Square Captive Insurance Company, Colder Products Company, Colder Products Company GmbH, Colder Products Company LTD, Cook Compression BV, Cook Compression LLC, Cook Compression Limited, Cook-MFS Inc., DD1 Inc., DDI Properties Inc., DE-STA-CO Benelux B.V., DE-STA-CO FRANCE, DE-STA-CO Shanghai Co. Ltd., DESTACO UK Limited, DFH Corporation, DFS Netherlands B.V., DSR BZ Holdings LLC, Datamax International Corp, De Sta Co (Asia) Company Limited, De-Sta-Co Cylinders Inc., DeStaCo Europe GmbH, Delaware Capital Formation Inc., Delaware Capital Holdings Inc., Dover (China) Investment Co. Ltd., Dover (Schweiz) Holding GmbH, Dover (Shanghai) Industrial Co. Ltd., Dover (Shenzhen) Industrial Equipment Manufacturing Co. Ltd., Dover (Suzhou) Industrial Equipment Manufacturing Co. Ltd., Dover Asia Trading Private Ltd., Dover Australia Holdings Pty Limited, Dover Business Services EMEA Limited, Dover Business Services LLC, Dover Business Services Philippines Corporation, Dover CLP Formation Limited Partnership, Dover CR spol s r.o., Dover Canada Holdings ULC, Dover Canada Operations ULC, Dover Corporation Regional Headquarters, Dover DEI Services Inc., Dover Denmark Holdings ApS, Dover EMEA FZCO, Dover Energy UK Ltd, Dover Engineered Products Segment Inc., Dover Europe Inc., Dover Europe Sarl, Dover Fluids UK Ltd, Dover France Holdings, Dover France Participations, Dover France Technologies, Dover Fueling Solutions Segment Inc., Dover Fueling Solutions UK Limited, Dover Germany GmbH, Dover Global Holdings LLC, Dover Holdings de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Dover Imaging & Identification Segment Inc., Dover India Pvt. Ltd., Dover Intercompany Services UK Limited, Dover International B.V., Dover International Operations Inc., Dover International Ventures Inc., Dover International Ventures Tunisia S.a.r.l., Dover International ithalat ihracat ve Pazarlama Limited Sirketi, Dover Italy Holdings S.r.l., Dover Luxembourg Finance Sarl, Dover Luxembourg Participations Sarl, Dover Luxembourg S.a.r.l., Dover Luxembourg Services Sarl, Dover Operations South Africa (Pty) Ltd, Dover Overseas Ventures Inc., Dover Pumps & Process Solutions Segment Inc., Dover Refrigeration & Food Equipment Segment Inc., Dover Refrigeration & Food Equipment UK Ltd, Dover Resources International de Mexico S. de R.L. C.V., Dover Solutions Colombia SAS, Dover Southeast Asia (Thailand) Ltd., Dover Spain Holdings S.L., Dover UK Pensions Limited, Dover WSCR Holding LLC, Dover WSCR LLC, Dover do Brasil Ltda., Dow-Key Microwave Corporation, Dresser Wayne Data Technology (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Dresser Wayne Fuel Equipment (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., EOA Systems Inc., Ebs-Ray Holdings Pty Ltd, Ebs-Ray Industries Pty. Ltd., Ebs-Ray Pumps Pty. Ltd., Em-tec, Espy, Ettlinger, Ettlinger Kunststoffmaschinen GmbH, Fairbanks Environmental Limited, Fibrelite Composites Limited, Fibresec Holdings Limited, Fibresec Limited, Finder, GAL LLC, GIIER LLC, Gala Industries, Gala Kunststoff-und Kautschukmaschinen GmbH, Guangdong Tokheim LIYUAN Oil Industry Technology Limited Company, Highland Park Insurance Company, Hill PHOENIX Inc., Hill PHOENIX WIC LLC, Hill Phoenix Costa Rica Sociedad De Responsabilidad Limitada, Hill Phoenix El Salvador Limitada de Capital Variable, Hill Phoenix Guatemala Sociedad Anonima, Hill Phoenix Honduras Sociedad Anonima, Hill Phoenix Nicaragua Sociedad Anonima, Hill Phoenix de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Hiltap Fittings Ltd., Hydro Systems Company, Hydro Systems Europe Ltd., Hydronova Australia-NZ Pty Ltd, Industrial Motion Control LLC, Innovative Control Systems, Innovative Control Systems Inc., Inpro/Seal LLC, JK Group, JK Group S.P.A., JK Group USA Inc., K S Boca Inc., K&L Microwave DR Inc., K&L Microwave Inc., KPS (Beijing) Petroleum Equipment Trading Co Ltd., KPS Fueling Solutions Sdn. Bhd., KPS Hong Kong Holding Limited, KPS UK Limited, KS Formation Inc., KS Liquidation Inc., KSLP Liquidation L.P., Kiian Digital (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Knappco LLC, Knowles Electronics, LIQAL, Liquip, Liquip International Pty Limited, MAAG, MARKEM FZ SA, MARKEM-IMAJE Corporation, MIP Holdings Inc., MS Printing Solutions, MS Printing Solutions S.R.L., Maag Automatik GmbH, Maag Automatik Plastics Machinery (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Maag Gala Inc., Maag Italy S.R.L., Maag Pump Systems, Maag Pump Systems (US) Inc., Maag Pump Systems AG, Maag Reduction Inc., Maag Service (Malaysia) Sdn. Bdn., Maag Systems (Thailand) Limited, Marathon Equipment Company (Delaware), Markem Imaje Center of Competencies Spain S.L.U., Markem-Imaje, Markem-Imaje (China) Co. Limited, Markem-Imaje - Unipessoal Lda, Markem-Imaje A/S, Markem-Imaje AB, Markem-Imaje AG, Markem-Imaje AS, Markem-Imaje B.V., Markem-Imaje CSAT GmbH, Markem-Imaje Co. Ltd., Markem-Imaje GmbH, Markem-Imaje Holding, Markem-Imaje Identificacao de Produtos Ltda., Markem-Imaje Inc., Markem-Imaje India Private Limited, Markem-Imaje Industries, Markem-Imaje Industries Limited, Markem-Imaje KK, Markem-Imaje LLC, Markem-Imaje Limited, Markem-Imaje Limited, Markem-Imaje Ltd., Markem-Imaje N.V., Markem-Imaje Oy, Markem-Imaje Philippines Corporation, Markem-Imaje Pty Ltd, Markem-Imaje S.A., Markem-Imaje S.A. de C.V., Markem-Imaje S.r.l., Markem-Imaje SAS, Markem-Imaje Sdn Bhd, Markem-Imaje Singapore Pte. Ltd., Markem-Imaje Spain S.A.U, Markpoint Holding AB, Midland Manufacturing LLC, Mouvex, Northern Lights (Nevada) Inc., Northern Lights Funding LP, Northern Lights Investments LLC, Nova Controls Inc., OK International, OK International (UK) Ltd., OK International Holdings Inc., OK International Inc., OPW Engineered Systems Inc., OPW Fluid Transfer Group Europe B.V., OPW Fluid Transfer Solutions (Jiang Su) Co. Ltd., OPW Fluids Group Inc., OPW France, OPW Fuel Management Systems Inc., OPW Fueling Components (SuZhou) Co. Ltd., OPW Fueling Components LLC, OPW Iberia Sociedad Limitada, OPW Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., OPW Slovakia s.r.o., OPW Sweden AB, Officine Meccaniche Sirio S.R.L., PDQ Manufacturing, PDQ Manufacturing Inc., PISCES by OPW Inc., PSD Codax Holdings Limited, PSD Codax Limited, PSG (Shanghai) Co. Ltd, PSG (Tianjin) Co. Ltd., PSG California LLC, PSG Germany GmbH, Petro Vend Sp. z o.o., Pike Machine Products Inc., Pole/Zero Acquisition Inc., Precision Brasil Equipamentos E Servicos Para Postos De Combustiveis Ltda., Precision Service - Servicos De Manutencao E Instalacao De Postos De Abastecimento De Combustivel Ltda., Production Control Services, Pump Management Services Co. LLC, RAV Equipos Espana S.L., RAV France, Ravaglioli Deutschland GmbH, Ravaglioli S.P.A., Reduction Engineering GmbH, Revod Corporation, Revod Luxembourg S.a.r.l., Revod SAS, Revod Singapore Holdings Pte. Ltd, Revod Sweden AB, Robohand Inc., Rosario, Rosario Handel B.V., Rotary Lift Consolidated (Haimen) Co. Ltd, SE Liquidation LLC, SWEP Germany GmbH, SWEP Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., SWEP North America Inc., SWEP Slovakia s.r.o., SWEP Technology (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., Seabiscuit Motorsports Inc., Simmons Sirvey Corporation, So. Cal. Soft-Pak, So. Cal. Soft-Pak Incorporated, Solaris Laser, Solaris Laser S.A., Somero Enterprises, Sound Solutions, Space S.R.L., Spirit, Start Italiana Petrol Cihazlari Sanayi Ticaret Anonim Sirketi, Start Italiana S.R.L., Swep Energy Oy, Swep International A.B., Swep Japan K.K., Sys-Tech Solutions, Sys-Tech Solutions Inc., Systech GB Limited, Systech Shanghai Consulting Company Limited, TQC Quantium Quality S.A. de C.V., TTSI III Inc., TWG Canada Consolidated Inc., TXHI LLC, Tartan Textile Services Inc., The Heil Co., Tokheim Belgium, Tokheim China Company Limited, Tokheim GmbH, Tokheim Group, Tokheim Hengshan Technologies (Guangzhou) Co. Ltd., Tokheim Holding B.V., Tokheim India Private Limited, Tokheim Sofitam Applications, Trans - Logistic Group S.R.L., Triton Systems, Tulsa Winch Inc., UPCO Inc., US Synthetic, Unattended Payment Solutions LLC, Unified Brands, Unified Brands Inc., Val TemperBent Glass L.P., Vectron Frequency Devices (Shanghai) Co. Ltd, Vehicle Service Group LLC, Vehicle Service Group UK Limited, Vos Food Store Equipment Ltd., WSCR Corp., Warn Automotive LLC, Warn Industries, Waukesha Bearings, Waukesha Bearings Corporation, Waukesha Bearings Limited, Waukesha Bearings Russia LLC, Wayne Fuel Management UK Ltd., Wayne Fueling Systems, Wayne Fueling Systems (Rus) Limited Liability Company, Wayne Fueling Systems Australia Pty Ltd, Wayne Fueling Systems Canada ULC, Wayne Fueling Systems Deutschland GmbH, Wayne Fueling Systems Italia S.R.L., Wayne Fueling Systems LLC, Wayne Fueling Systems Ltd., Wayne Fueling Systems Sweden AB, Wayne Fueling Systems UK Holdco Ltd., Wayne Industria e Comercio Ltda., WellMark, XanTec Steuerungs- und EDV-Technik GmbH, and em-tec GmbH.
Systemax Inc., through its subsidiaries, operates as a direct marketer of brand name and private label industrial and business equipment and supplies in North America. It sells a range of maintenance, repair, and operation products, including storage and shelving, material handling, janitorial and maintenance products, furniture and office products, workbenches and shop desks, HVAC/R and fans, safety and security products, outdoor and grounds maintenance products, tools and instruments, and office and school supplies. The company also sells plumbing products and pumps, packaging products and supplies, electrical and lighting products, food service products and appliances, raw materials and building supplies, motors and power transmission products, pneumatics and hydraulics, medical and laboratory equipment, metalworking and cutting tools, vehicle maintenance products, and fasteners and hardware. It offers its products under the Global, GlobalIndustrial.com, Nexel Paramount, and Interion brand names. The company offers its products to businesses, educational organizations, and government entities through relationship marketers, catalogs, and e-commerce sites. Systemax Inc. was founded in 1949 and is headquartered in Port Washington, New York.

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iShares Russell Mid-Cap Value ETF's stock was trading at $73.54 on March 11th, 2020 when Coronavirus reached pandemic status according to the World Health Organization. Since then, IWS shares have increased by 63.3% and is now trading at $120.11.

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UBS Group AG is a holding company, which engages in the provision of financial management solutions. It operates through the following segments: Global Wealth Management;; Personal and Corporate Banking; Asset Management; Investment Bank, and Corporate Center. The Global Wealth Management segment advises and offers financial services to wealthy private clients except those served by Wealth Management Americas which include banking and lending, wealth planning, and investment management. The Personal and Corporate segment offers financial products and services to private, corporate, and institutional clients in Switzerland. The Asset Management segment consists of investment management products and services; platform solutions and advisory support to institutions; wholesale intermediaries, and wealth management clients. The Investment Bank segment comprises investment advice, financial solutions, and capital markets access among corporate, institutional, and wealth management clients. The Corporate Center segment is involved in the services, group asset and liability management and non-core and legacy portfolio. The company was founded on June 29, 1998 and is headquartered in Zurich

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Royal Dutch Shell plc operates as an energy and petrochemical company worldwide. The company operates through Integrated Gas, Upstream, Oil Products, Chemicals segments. It explores for and extracts crude oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids; markets and transports oil and gas; produces gas-to-liquids fuels and other products; and operates upstream and midstream infrastructure necessary to deliver gas to market. The company also markets and trades natural gas, liquefied natural gas (LNG), crude oil, electricity, carbon-emission rights; and markets and sells LNG as a fuel for heavy-duty vehicles and marine vessels. In addition, it trades in and refines crude oil and other feed stocks, such as gasoline, diesel, heating oil, aviation fuel, marine fuel, biofuel, lubricants, bitumen, and sulphur; produces and sells petrochemicals for industrial use; and manages oil sands activities. Further, the company produces base chemicals comprising ethylene, propylene, and aromatics, as well as intermediate chemicals, such as styrene monomer, propylene oxide, solvents, detergent alcohols, ethylene oxide, and ethylene glycol. Royal Dutch Shell plc was founded in 1907 and is headquartered in The Hague, the Netherlands.

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SAdzucker AG produces and sells sugar products in Germany, rest of Europe, and internationally. It operates through four segments: Sugar, Special Products, CropEnergies, and Fruit. The Sugar segment produces and sells sugar, sugar specialty products, molasses, and animal feed to food industry, retailers, and agriculture markets, as well as offers by-products of sugar. The Special Products segment produces functional food ingredients, including inulin, oligofructose, Isomalt, and Palatinose, as well as rice starches, rice flours, rice proteins, and wheat proteins for food, animal feed, non-food, and pharmaceutical sectors. This segment also offers frozen and chilled pizzas, frozen pasta dishes and snacks, baguette, and sauces and dressings; starches, sweeteners, animal feed; and portion packed foods and non-food products to hotels, caterers, and restaurants. The CropEnergies segment produces fuel-grade ethanol, rectified spirits, protein-based food and animal feed, and liquid CO2 to oil and pharmaceutical companies, food and animal feed producers, and beverage and cosmetics producers. The Fruit segment produces fruit preparations for the dairy, ice cream, bakery, and food service industry; and fruit juice concentrates, pure juices and purees, fruit wines, natural aromas, and beverage bases for beverage industry. It is also involved in agricultural activities; and cultivation of wheat, sugar beet, corn, chicory, rapeseed, soybean, and other products. The company was founded in 1837 and is headquartered in Mannheim, Germany. SAdzucker AG is a subsidiary of SAddeutsche ZuckerrAbenverwertungs-Genossenschaft eG.

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Thomson Reuters Corporation provides business information services in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Asia Pacific. It operates in five segments: Legal Professionals, Corporates, Tax & Accounting Professionals, Reuters News, and Global Print. The Legal Professionals segment offers research and workflow products focusing on legal research and integrated legal workflow solutions that combine content, tools, and analytics to law firms and governments. The Corporates segment provides a suite of content-enabled technology solutions for legal, tax, regulatory, compliance, and IT professionals. The Tax & Accounting Professionals segment offers research and workflow products focusing on tax offerings and automating tax workflows to tax, accounting, and audit professionals in accounting firms. The Reuters News segment provides business, financial, national, and international news to professionals through desktop terminals, media organizations, and industry events, as well as directly to consumers. The Global Print segment offers legal and tax information primarily in print format to legal and tax professionals, governments, law schools, and corporations. The company was formerly known as The Thomson Corporation and changed its name to Thomson Reuters Corporation in April 2008. The company was founded in 1851 and is headquartered in Toronto, Canada. Thomson Reuters Corporation is a subsidiary of The Woodbridge Company Limited.

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Total Energy Services Inc. provides various products and services to the oil and natural gas industry primarily in Canada, the United States, and Australia. It operates through four segments: Contract Drilling Services, Rentals and Transportation Services, Compression and Process Services and Well Servicing. The Contract Drilling Services segment offers contract drilling services to oil and gas exploration and development companies. As of December 31, 2020, it operated a total fleet of 98 drilling rigs. The Rentals and Transportation Services segment provides drilling, completion and production rental equipment, and oilfield transportation services in western Canada and in the United States. This segment owned and operated a fleet of 87 heavy trucks. The Compression and Process Services segment offers gas compression services; and designs and packages skid style compressors and proprietary trailer-mounted compressors under the NOMAD brand in Canada and the United States, the European Union, Australia, and Mexico. It had 54,800 horsepower of compression in its rental fleet. The Well Servicing segment offers well services. This segment operated a total fleet of 83 well servicing rigs across Western Canada, mid-western United States, and Australia. It has a strategic alliance with Pason Systems Inc. to develop and deploy drilling automation and optimization technologies. The company was founded in 1996 and is headquartered in Calgary, Canada.

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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

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BOONVILLE, N.Y. -- Great American in Boonville is closing.

Store hours will be reduced now through the closing date, which is June 8.

There will also be a 20 percent off sale beginning on May 26.

WKTV asked about plans for the building after the closure and the owners say they do not know.

Owner Lynn Lockwood said in a statement:

It is with great regret that we announce the closing of Boonvilles own Great American. This family-owned and operated grocery store has faithfully served the Boonville area for the past 22+ years and is very grateful to its many loyal customers. With the purchase power of the large corporation competitors versus a small independent coupled with the ever-rising costs of pension, healthcare, and New York State minimum wages, we are no longer able to continue operations. -Lynn Lockwood, Owner, Boonville Great American

Also going on in Boonville, Oneida County Legislators have approved the sale of the 200-year old Hulbert House to Carl Vogel of Carl's Furinture.

And a series of upgrades are coming for Erwin Park including a swimming pool, an amphitheater, larger parking lots, among other improvements.

Village streets Superintendent Eric Salmon hopes to have all of that done within five years.
NEW YORK CITY -- Just before 6:30 Thursday morning, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, threw his hat into the ring for the 2020 Presidential primary election.

Mayor De Blasio will now be joining the nearly two dozen other candidates already vying for the democratic nomination.

The two-term mayor hopes his record of universal pre-kindergarten, raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour and overseeing a drop in crime to an all-time low, will appeal to voters nationwide.

Following this announcement, de Blasio now plans to head out on the campaign trail, making stops in both Iowa and South Carolina.
Utica, N.Y. - A Rome woman pleaded guilty on Wednesday in Oneida County Court to having sex with an underage girl last summer.

Myisha Cummings, 20, was charged with criminal sexual act in January. The alleged incident with a 14-year-old girl happened last summer.

Cummings is scheduled to be sentenced on July 9.

There is no word on the relationship between Cummings and the young girl.
UTICA, N.Y. - The Upstate Jobs Party held a regional policy forum to discuss ways to try and keep young people from leaving the area.

The forum was held at the Clark City Center on Genesee Street Wednesday.

A panel discussion was held on policy issues impacting entrepreneurial growth in Upstate New York.

Among the panelists were, Oneida County Executive Anthony Picente, Utica Mayor Robert Palmieri, and Little Falls Mayor Mark Blask.

Upstate Jobs Party founder Martin Babinec says it takes an entire community to come together to reverse the outflow of our Upstate talent and create jobs for a stronger future.

"Too often times the idea of attracting companies to come in and create jobs is thought of as the only solution," Babinec said. "We in the upstate jobs party believe there are many things that the local community can do to create an environment in which local talent can be involved in both starting and growing companies."

Charles Green, CEO of Assured Information Security in Rome also gave a presentation.
Nearly 100 teen leaders from New York travelled to Virginia to protest against a tobacco giant  and that includes two teens from Dolgeville.

Dakota Jeffers and Phoenix Longway are both freshman, as well as "reality check leaders."

Altria makes the e-cigarette Juul, and in their sign in protest reads, "we will not be fuuled.

It refers to the company blaming fruity flavors for fueling teen vaping, but continues to invest.

The two protested at a shareholder meeting.
Authorities in Virginia wanted to ask James Michael Wright about a missing 25-year-old woman from Tennessee.

But when they spoke with the 23-year-old, he admitted to killing that woman and also confessed to fatally shooting two others who were missing in Tennessee and Georgia, authorities said.

Wright, 23, now faces three charges of capital murder for allegedly killing the three.

The victims were all connected to the James H. Drew carnival. Athina Hopson, 25, and Elizabeth Marie Vanmeter, 22, were employees there; Joslyn Alsup, 17, was the daughter of a carnival worker, authorities said.

"We will pray for the families of the victims and continue to work with law enforcement," carnival staff said in a statement.

Wright did not work for the carnival itself, the carnival said, but he worked occasionally for a livestock show called "Pony Express" that would bring animals to some of the same events.

At the time of the killings, Wright was no longer working with "Pony Express," the carnival said. CNN has reached out to Pony Express for comment.

Sheriff Fred Newman, of Washington County, Virginia, said that the 18-day killing spree only ended because Wright got into a major car crash days after the third woman's death.

"I think it probably did stop him," Commonwealth Attorney Josh Cumbow told CNN affiliate WJHL. "We believe there were three victims in a period of 18 days and once he had the bus crash, that immobilized him, confined him to a wheelchair and it may have saved someone from losing their life."

Newman said he had plans to contact other jurisdictions that hosted the carnival to see if there are other missing persons.

Wright told police that the killings were all accidental, but authorities were skeptical, Newman said.

"We find that hard to believe based on information that we have," Newman said.

Wright is being held without bond in the Southwest Virginia Regional Jail in Abingdon, Virginia, police said. It was not immediately clear if he had an attorney.

Three missing women

The investigation began about two weeks ago, when the Johnson City Tennessee Police Department contacted Washington County Sheriff's Office about interviewing a man in Washington County as part of a missing person case. Athina Hopson, the missing 25-year-old from Tennessee, was last seen with Wright, so the sheriff's office interviewed him, authorities said.

Based on that interview, authorities then got a search warrant for Wright's truck, which had sustained major damage in a crash with a school bus on March 19. Hopson's cell phone was found in the truck, authorities said.

Authorities then obtained and carried out a search warrant for Wright's home on May 9, police said. That same day, he came to the sheriff's office and spoke to Tennessee detectives familiar with the missing persons cases and confessed to killing three women, authorities said.

One victim was identified as Elizabeth Marie Vanmeter, 22, of Carter County, Tennessee. She was killed on or about February 28, and Wright said her death was the result of an argument, according to the sheriff's office.

On or about March 9, Wright allegedly shot and killed Joslyn Alsup, 17, from Cobb County, Georgia. She had been reported missing the day before, authorities said.

Finally, Wright allegedly shot and killed Hopson on or about March 17, authorities said. As he was transporting her in the back of his truck, her body fell out of the truck and rolled down an embankment near a bridge, and he then put her body in the river, authorities said.

Newman said he had plans to contact other jurisdictions that hosted the carnival to see if there are other missing persons.

The bodies of Vanmeter and Alsup were recovered from the properties surrounding Wright's residence, authorities said. One body was found in a shallow grave and another was found near some logs, Newman said. Hopson's body has not yet been found.

The Sheriff's Office said they are only tentatively able to identify the victims based on Wright's statements, but a positive identification will be released based on autopsy records.
LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI)- Julie Pope is planting seeds into the minds of caregivers.

"It's a roller coaster to be honest it's a roller coaster," Nancy Bundy said.

Bundy started her caregiving journey when her father needed help.

"My father was living in Florida and I was the only relative around. I cared for him at home for about 14 months before he passed," Bundy said.

Bundy then moved to Lafayette to care for her younger sister.

"There's lot's of needs of caregivers," Bundy said.

"Caregiving is a very, very, very difficult task,' said Julie Pope, Founder of 'Caregiver Cafe.' "Do not allow yourself to become isolated. These are all points that caregivers need that will help them on their journey."

A journey that Julie Pope wants no one to experience alone.

"It's a safe place to come and hang out with people that are kind of doing the same thing you are," Pope said. "We have the vegas rule here at the Caregiver Cafe so what's said here, stays here."

Pope said Caregiver Cafe is a great opportunity for people to share advice, thoughts and even frustrations.

"People just go into it blinded and so any information is good information," Pope said.

"We put together these seed bins to go on the tables so that people who are sitting around we just have them pull out a seed," Pope said.

The 'seeds' are hand-written positive messages to help inspire caregivers.

"You can't forget to L-O-L. Right? Through everything, find time to L-O-L," Pope said. "The goal for them [caregivers] is that they take away something," Pope said. "That a seed is planted in them that will help them do that job."

"It's a great support system and helps you to keep in the front that you kind of have to take care of yourself before you can take care of someone else," Bundy said.

Because that someone else is counting on them.

"Hopefully some healing takes place and hopefully we plant some seeds for a healthier future." Pope said.

Caregiver Cafe is taking place at the Buttery Shelf in Downtown Lafayette on Main Street.

The free event is scheduled at 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. every Thursday for the rest of May.

Pope said there is a possibility that it could continue throughout the year, but nothing has been finalized yet.
LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) - Fallen members of local law enforcement agencies were honored at a special service Wednesday.

The service is held every year at Columbian Park.

It's part of National Law Enforcement Memorial Day.

The day recognizes the sacrifices officers take to protect their communities across the nation.

The ceremony recognized four fallen officers from LPD, two from the Sherriffs Office and six from the Indiana State Police post.

"It's a very special occasion. We get a chance to revisit every year the sacrifices those that have come before us have made. And in particular, those who have made the ultimate sacrifice, said Lafayette Police Chief Patrick Flannelly.

"It's a really good opportunity to for us to really be thankful for everything that not only the officers have done but their families as well," added Flannelly.
Captain Norman Mainville, an EMT with the Harrisville Fire Department, will receive the 2019 Rhode Island EMS Coordinator of the Year Award, during an awards dinner and ceremony this week.
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The Brazilian state of Pernambuco is in the Northeast region of the country. It covers an area of 98,311 square km making it the countrys 19th largest state by land area. As of 2012, Pernambuco hosts a population of 8,931,028 individuals, making it the 9th most populous Brazilian state.

Capital Of Pernambuco

Recife is the capital of Pernambuco. It has an area of 218 square km and is at an elevation of 10 m above sea level. Recife is at the confluence of two rivers, the Capibaribe and the Beberibe, that both drain into the Atlantic Ocean. Many other rivers flow through the city. These rivers have several islands. Recifes proximity to the equator allows it to have generally warm weather.

Demographics Of Recife

Recife is home to a population of around 1,555,039 individuals, which makes it the 9th most populated city in Brazil. Pardo or Multiracial Brazilians and White Brazilians account for 49.1% and 41.4% of the citys population respectively. The rest of the community comprises of African Brazilians, Asians, and Amerindians. Roman Catholic Christianity is the religion of the majority in Recife.

Economy Of Recife

The fact that Recife hosts two international seaports and an international airport makes the city one of the primary business hubs of the country. One of the ports is in the city itself, and the other is 40 km away to the south. Recife has a large number of industries like petrochemical, electronics, brewing, textiles, chocolate manufacturing, shipbuilding, etc. The city also has a prosperous information technology industry. The Porto Digital area of the city is the hub of this industry. Recife is also one of the biggest logistics hubs in the country.

History Of Recife

Between 1535 and 1537, several inns, warehouses, and fishing hubs were established in the area that is now the modern city of Recife. At that time, the Portuguese had just begun their colonization of the continents northeast coast. Soon, Portuguese fishermen started settling in the area. Sailors also used the harbor as a way station for passing ships. Recife then grew to become the main harbor of the Captaincy of Pernambuco. Sugar cane production boosted the economy of the settlement in the later years. The term Recife was first documented as part of the name for the settlement in 1537. Its advantageous location allowed it to grow fast and over the years, more and more Europeans migrated to Recife and settled there. In the 17th century, Recife became the capital of New Holland established by the Dutch West India Company and it was named Mauritsstad. Later, it became the capital of the Pernambuco state of Brazil.
Located in northeastern Brazil, Maranhao is the countrys eighth most extensive state, covering an area of approximately 331,983 km2. Maranhao has an estimated population of 6,714,314, ranking as Brazil's tenth most populous state. Sao Luis is Maranhaos capital city.

Geography of Maranhao

Large parts of the state are heavily forested and have numerous rivers dissecting these forests. The landscape of the state varies considerably and contains numerous places of great ecological importance, such as the Parnaiba River delta and the dunes of Lencois. The northern part of Maranhao also has a coastline along the Atlantic Ocean.

Capital of Maranhao

Sao Luis occupies an area of 827.141 km2 and has an average elevation of 4 m. Sao Luis is located on Upaon-acu Island, which is located between two estuarine systems that are the bays of Sao Marcos and Sao Jose on the right and left sides, respectively. These bays are extensions of the Atlantic Ocean. Sao Luis experiences a hot, semi-humid tropical climate.

Demographics of Sao Luis

Sao Luis has an estimated population of 1,094,667 and a population density of 1,183.4 persons per square kilometer. The city's population includes population groups with the following ancestry: European (42%), indigenous peoples (39%), and African (19%).

History of Sao Luis

The island on which Sao Luis is located was originally inhabited by the indigenous Tupinamba tribe. French colonialists were the first Europeans to settle on the island in 1612, and quickly established a fort named Saint-Louis de Maragnan. Although the French had ambitious goals for the new settlement, they were soon defeated by Portuguese colonialists, who occupied the island in 1615 and named the settlement Sao Luis. In the centuries that followed, Sao Luis experienced numerous invasions by foreign powers competing for control of the city due to its strategic location near the coast of mainland Brazil. The city's economy also grew during this time, and it became the capital of Maranhao. Today, Sao Luis features one of Latin Americas best-preserved examples of Portuguese colonial architecture.

Economy of Sao Luis

The economy of Sao Luis, as well as the rest of Maranhao, was one of the most prosperous in Brazil until the mid-19th century. In particular, cotton exports were historically the most profitable industry in the state. Cotton produced in the US states of Alabama and Georgia were imported to Sao Luis and then exported to the United Kingdom. During its peak, Sao Luis identified more with European capital cities than with Brazilian cities. However, following the United States Civil War, Maranhao lost much of its control of the cotton trade and its economy began to decline. However, the economy of Sao Luis began to recover in the 1960s and is currently based on industries such as aluminum processing, tourism, and food production. Several major ports are located near the city, such as Port of Ponta da Madeira, which is the worlds second deepest port. Iron ore and other industrial products produced in nearby regions are exported through these ports.
The Russian Far East is the Russian territory between Lake Baikal in Siberia and the Pacific Ocean. It is known as the Far Eastern Federal District. The region borders Mongolia, China, North Korea, and a maritime border with Japan and the United States. Although it is part of Siberia, it is a separate district from the Siberian Federal District. The population of the region is about 6 million, with a majority residing in the southern parts.

Given the size of the territory, the population density translates to one person per square mile, making it one of the most sparsely populated regions in the country. The population of the Far East has declined since the Soviet Union dissolution.

The Biggest Cities in Russias Far East

Vladivostok - 605,000

Vladivostok is the largest city and the capital of the Far Eastern Federal District with a population of about 605,000. The city lies around the Golden Palm Bay close to the border with North Korea and China. Vladivostok is the largest Russian port along the Pacific and base of the Russian Pacific Fleet.

Khabarovsk

Khabarovsk is the second largest city in the Russian Far East with a population of about 578,000. It is the administrative headquarters of Khabarovsk Krai. The city is located 30 miles from the border with China. It served as the capital of the Russian Far East until December 2018 when Vladivostok replaced it.

Ulan-Ude

Ulan-Ude is the capital of the Republic of Buryatia and the third largest city in the Russian Far East with a population of about 404,000. The city is 62 miles southeast of Lake Baikal at the confluence of Selenga and Uda Rivers. It was known as Udinsk (until 1783) and Verkhneudinsk (until 1934).

Chita

Chita is the capital of Zabaykalsky Krai. The city of 325,000 people is at the confluence of the Ingoda and Chita Rivers along the Trans-Siberian Railway. It was known as Chitinsky until 1851 when the settlement received the town status and renamed to Chita. In 1900, the railway line was constructed, and the town became an industrial center and a transportation juncture of Zabaikalye region.

Economic Isolation

The population in Russia's Far East dropped by 14% between 2000 and 2015 as people migrated to developed cities in search of opportunities.
Iceland is an island country covering an area of approximately 40,000 square miles in the North Atlantic Ocean. With a population of about 359,000 inhabitants, Iceland is Europes most sparsely populated country. The majority of the population live in Reykjavik, the countrys largest and capital city. The island of Iceland is geologically and volcanically active whose interior consist of mountains, lava fields, and glaciers. Some of the major industries in Iceland include tourism, fisheries, hydropower generation, agriculture, and manufacturing.

Understanding the Economy of Iceland

Iceland has a small economy that is subject to high volatility. It can be described as a mixed economy with both elements of influence from the government and free trade. In 2011, the countrys GDP was US$ 12 billion, but this had more than doubled by 2017 (US$ 24 billion). From 2008 to 2010, Iceland, like most countries, faced a period of the financial crisis, leading to a decline in GDP and employment rate. However, the tourist book of 2010 helped to reserve this situation. After a period of robust growth, the economy of Iceland is slowing down. Despite the slow growth, the economy is expected to continue growing as more industries emerge in the country.

Tourism Industry

Tourism played a significant role in the revival of Icelands economy, following the global financial crisis of 2008 to 2010. The tourism boom that started in 2010 continued into the following years and accounted for over 10% of the GDP in 2017. The tourism industry has grown considerably in economic significance, and the number of tourists visiting the country has also increased, surpassing the 2 million mark in 2017. This industry is responsible for about 42% of the total export revenue (2017). The majority of the tourists to Iceland (42%) arrive during summer months (June to August) with most tourists drawn from South and Central Europe. The most frequently visited destinations in Iceland include the Capital Region, Strokkur Geyser, Vik, Blue Lagoon, and Skogar. In October 2014, the tourism industry employed about 27,000 people.

Agriculture Industry

For centuries, the leading industries in Iceland were agriculture, forestry, and fishing. In the 19th century, about 80% of the Icelanders depended on agriculture as a source of food and income. However, over the years, there has been a steady decline in the number of people involved in farming to about 5% of the total population. The numbers are expected to continue falling as other industries such as tourism and manufacturing continue to grow. Arable land is a valuable natural resource in Iceland. However, since the countrys terrain is mainly rugged and mountainous, the size of arable land is significantly limited. Only 1.2% of Icelands territory is considered arable land, most of which is confined to the lowland areas. Carrots, potatoes, cabbages, turnips, kale, and bananas are some of the food crops grown in the country. Livestock rearing is increasing rapidly in Iceland, with farmers keeping a wide variety of animals such as goats, sheep, and cattle.

Fishery Industry

Fisheries were once the most crucial part of the economy of Iceland (now replaced by tourism), accounting for about 27% of the GDP in 2011. According to the labor department, the industry accounts for about 5% of the total labor force of which 4,900 are involved in fishing, and another 4,000 are involved in fish processing. However, it is estimated that about 25,000 or 20% of the labor force depends on fisheries and related sectors. Most of the jobs are provided by the companies that manufacture fisheries equipment or companies that are engaged in processing marine products. Importantly, Iceland is one of the biggest fisheries nations in the North East Pacific (second after Norway). The most important species of fish harvested in Iceland is cod, with an average catch of 150,000 tons every year.

Manufacturing Industry

Iceland has a growing manufacturing industry, mainly boosted by the hydropower generation. It has the largest electricity production per capita in the world. The abundant electrical power is as a result of the large scale availability of hydroelectric and geothermal energy sources. Hydropower is the main source of industrial and home electrical supply in the country and has played a significant role in the growth and development of the manufacturing sector. The biggest components of the manufacturing industry are the power-intensive industries which mainly produce export products. The manufacturing industry accounts for 35% of all export goods, a 13% increase from 22% in 1997.

Aluminum Industry

Aluminum smelting is the largest power-intensive industry in Iceland. In 2013, there were three smelting plants in the country, operating at a capacity of 800,000 metric tons per year, making Iceland the 11th largest producer of aluminum in the world. The first plant was is the Rio Tinto Alcan in Straumsvik which has been operating since 1969 and has a capacity of 189,000 metric tons per year. The other plant is operated by Noroural, a subsidiary of Century Aluminum. Another plant is located in Reyoarfjorour and is run by Alco, a US-based aluminum manufacturing company.

Service Industry

Although tourism is the largest service Industry in Iceland, the banking sector also plays a significant role in promoting the countrys economy. The collapse of the banking sector during the global financial crisis led to an unprecedented economic crisis in the country. However, the sector has been completely overhauled with only three major banks currently in operation. The smaller banks have been consolidated or acquired by these bigger banks. The three major commercial banks include Arion Bank, NBI, and Islandsbanki. Since the founding of Iceland Stock Exchange in 1985, the equity markets have also greatly developed.
The Maldives is an island country consisting of over 1,190 coral islands grouped in double chains of 26 atolls. These islands spread over an area of approximately 35,000 square miles, making the Maldives one of the most dispersed countries in the world. Only 198 of the islands are inhabitable. It is also the lowest country in the world, with an average elevation of less than 2.5 meters above sea level. The Maldives, in the past, faced several challenges that affected its growth and development. These challenges included political instability and environmental challenges posed by climate change. The rising sea level has forced the government to declare the Maldives a carbon-neutral country.

According to the World Bank, Maldives has a middle-income economy. Although the Maldives was one of the poorest countries in the world in the 1970s, the government initiated some economic reforms in the 1980s such as lifting import quotas and granting investment opportunities to private sectors. During this period, several industries emerged and the existing ones improved their capacity and productivity.

Tourism

Before the 1970s, Maldives was a relatively unknown tourist destination. Of the over 1,190 coral islands, only about 198 are inhabited while the others are entirely used for economic purposes of which agriculture and tourism are the dominant economic activities. Tourism is the largest industry in the Maldives as it is the major source of foreign earnings and source of employment in the country. The industry accounts for about 39% of the GDP and over 60% of the total foreign earning. Over 90% of the government taxes are drawn from tourism-related taxes and import duties. The first resort was launched in the Maldives in 1972 with the first tourists arriving in the country the same year. From two just two resorts in 1972, the currency has 132 resorts spread across several atolls. From just over 100 visitors in 1972, about 1.5 million tourists visited the country in 2016. Most of the tourists come from China, Germany, and the United Kingdom.

Agriculture

Agriculture is an important sector of the economy, especially for the rural population of the Maldives and also plays an important role in food and nutrition. Agriculture is a primary source of livelihood for about 7,000 farmers and their families. Despite the recent decline in the role of agriculture in the Maldives, the sector accounts for 6% of the total GDP. Agricultural production has been in the increase in recent past and the sector revenue has also increased. Although the coral island lacks adequate arable land, agricultural activities are more important parts of livelihood in over two-thirds of the inhabited islands. In most of these islands, field crops such as watermelons, sweet potatoes, cassavas, chilies, eggplant, cabbage, and papaya are grown all year round.

Fishing

Given the fact that almost the entire territory of Maldives is in the ocean, the fishing industry is a key component of the economy, providing both food and income to most families. In fact, it is the second-largest industry in the country and the nations lifeblood according to President Gayoom. Apart from being an integral part of the economy, fishing is also a recreational activity, attracting hundreds of tourists every year. There are numerous fishing resorts in the Maldives that cater to such recreational activities. The Maldives has abundant fish species including dolphin fish, tuna, barracuda, grouper, and rainbow runner. About 90% of the catch is tuna.

Manufacturing

Maldives has a well-established manufacturing industry that accounts for about 7% of the GDP. The traditional industries consist of handicraft, boat building, and garment production while the modern manufacturing industry is confined to tuna canneries, food production, and PVC pipe production. The scarcity of natural resources in the Maldives has slowed the growth of the manufacturing industry, especially the manufacturing of essentials and consumable goods. Thus, most of these essentially are imported. However, with the thriving fishing and agriculture industries, the manufacturing industry is expected to grow and its contribution to the economy increase.
Malta is an island country in Southern Europe. It is located 50 miles from Italy, 176 miles from Tunisia, and 207 miles from Libya. Malta is among the ten smallest countries in the world with an area of about 120 square miles, but it is the fifth most densely populated state with a population of roughly 475,000.

Malta has a highly industrialized economy; it is recognized as an advanced economy and a high-income country. Malta joined the EU in 2004 and the Eurozone in 2008. The countrys economy is supported by its strategic location in the Mediterranean Sea at the crossroads between the Middle East, North Africa, and Europe. Other economic pillars include the open market economic policies, a multilingual population, a productive labor force, well-developed ICT and finance clusters, and low corporate tax. The economy is highly dependent on manufacturing, foreign trade, financial services, and tourism. The countrys GDP per capita of $30,120 is among the best in the world while the unemployment rate of 5.9% is the sixth-lowest in the EU.

The Biggest Industries In Malta?

Tourism

The tourism sector is among the primary contributors to GDP in Malta. In 2018 a record 2.6 million people visited the country signifying a 14% increase over the previous year. Tourism accounts for 27.1% of the GDP, which is significantly higher compared to 10.3% in Europe and 10.4% of the worlds GDP. The World Travel and Tourism Council reports that local employment in the tourism sector has increased substantially over the past few years. If the positive performance continues, then the sector is projected to contribute 33 percent of the GDP by 2028.

Manufacturing

The manufacturing sector in Malta is a perfect case study of systematic change. In the early days, the sector was locally oriented and revolved around beverage, food, and furniture. After independence and the country established itself as a low-cost manufacturing hub to attract foreign investors. Toy manufacturers, packaging specialists, textile, plastic, and leather companies flocked the country, creating employment for thousands of people. In the early 1990s, engineering and electronic companies set foot in Malta. Manufacturing accounts for 11% of employment and 10% of the GDP with electronics, and food and beverages establishing dominance in the sector. Most manufacturing companies are located in the countrys ten industrial parks where they benefit from the subsidized cost of production, such as cheap electricity and tax incentives on raw materials.

Financial Services

The financial service sector is the fastest growing sector of the Maltese economy. The country is recognized internationally as a world-class center for blue chip banks, investment houses, and fund managers. The sector accounts for 12% of the GDP and employs more than 10,000 people. Malta has a set of comprehensive laws that regulate financial services and provide a favorable regulatory and legal framework for the provision of such services. This indicates the governments commitment to supporting and sustaining development in the sector.

Information Communication And Technology

Malta has achieved considerable progress in developing an ICT oriented society. The European Union ranks the country 12th out of the 28 member states in ICT adoption. It performs much better than the average of the EU in broadband connectivity and internet usage. Malta is the only country in the EU that is entirely covered by an ultra-fast internet network.
Canada Day is a statutory holiday that commemorates the anniversary of the Constitution Act of 1867. The Constitution Act united three separate colonies (Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Canada) into a self-governing dominion known as Canada on July 1, 1867. This is often considered Canada's birthday as it marks the day Canada became a country. Previously known as Dominion Day, this national day was renamed Canada Day in 1982.

Canada Day Celebrations

Under the Canadian Holidays Act, Canada Day is celebrated annually on July 1. If July 1 falls on a weekend, the closest weekday becomes the national holiday (Saturday to Friday and Sunday to Monday). Generally, all businesses and schools are closed for Canada Day. Most communities host various celebrations on Canada Day including various outdoor public events like fireworks, barbecues, festivals, carnivals, parades, free musical concerts, and maritime and air shows among others.

The main celebrations, which are officiated by the Prime Minister and the governor general or a member of the British Royal Family, are held in the nation's capital, Ottawa. These celebrations include cultural displays and huge concerts that are held on Parliament Hill. Other smaller events are held in various parks in Ottawa and around the country.

Celebrating Canada Day Around the World

Most Canadian expatriates organize numerous activities to celebrate this day in the local towns. In China, this national holidays celebrations are held at the Canadian-International School (Beijing) and Bund Beach. Canada Deh is a celebration that is organized by Canadian Expatriates in Hong Kong on June 30 every year.

History of Canada Day

The enactment of the 1867 Constitution Act was celebrated by excursions, fireworks, military displays and the ringing of bells at the St James Cathedral Church on July 1, 1867. This holiday was established on May 15, 1879, as Dominion Day. Initially, Dominion Day was not a dominant holiday in the countrys calendar, and it was only celebrated by the local communities until 1917. The government started orchestrating the Dominion Days celebration in 1958 with Prime Minister Diefenbaker officiating the first national celebration. The holiday was renamed to "Canada Day" on October 27, 1982. However, many politicians and lobby groups have campaigned to have the holiday's name returned to Dominion Day.
Alabama is an American state that is situated in the southeastern parts of the country. Alabama is surrounded by Mississippi, the Gulf of Mexico, Florida, Georgia, and Tennessee. It is the twenty-fourth most populous American state with over 4.8 million residents. Alabama joined the Union in 1819.

When Was Alabama Formed?

The state of Alabama was founded in 1819 with Huntsville serving as its temporary capital (1819-1820). The first European settlement in Alabama was established by the French in 1702 in Old Mobile. The French moved the city to its present site in 1711. Mobile was part of the La Louisiane from 1702 to 1763 before being added to West Florida in 1763 after the British defeated the French in the 7-Years War. La Louisiane was split between Spain and the United States after the American Revolutionary War. The Spanish retained part of Alabama until 1813 when they surrendered to the American forces in Mobile.

A huge percentage of north Alabama was referred to as Yazoo lands before it was added to Georgia in 1767. Mobile and Baldwin counties became part of West Florida in 1810 before being added to the Mississippi Territory. Before Mississippi gaining statehood, the eastern half of Mississippi territory became Alabama territory in 1817. Alabama was admitted into the Union on December 10, 1819.

Geography Of Alabama

About 3.2% of Alabamas terrain is covered by water, while forests occupy 67% of its land. Over two-thirds of its territory is on a gentle plain that descends towards the Mexican Gulf and the Mississippi River. The northern part of the state is mainly mountainous with the Tennessee River creating a huge valley. The 2,413 ft high Mount Cheaha is the highest point in Alabama. Alabama has the most inland waterways in the United States.

Climate

The southern part of Alabama is warmer due to its proximity to the Mexican Gulf while the northern parts of the state are cooler. Alabama has mild winter and warm summer with abundant precipitation all year long. Alabama receives an average of 56 inches of rainfall annually. The region is prone to hurricanes and tropical storms. Even though snow is quite rare in Alabama, various places on the northern side of Montgomery get snow dusting every winter. The lowest temperature ever recorded in Alabama of -33C occurred in New Market in 1966. The highest temperature in the state of 44C was recorded in Centerville in 1925.
The Negev is a rocky desert that is situated in the southern parts of Israel. The Negev occupies over 55% of Israels land area (over 4,700sq miles). It is an inverted-triangular shaped region whose eastern boundary is in the valley of Arabah and western border is contiguous with the Sinai Peninsula. The Negev has various development towns like Mitzpe Ramon, Arad, and Dimon and numerous Bedouin cities. Eilat and the Gulf of Aqaba are situated in the southern end of the Negev. Beersheba is the largest city in the Negev with over 207,551 inhabitants. The first urbanized settlement in the region was built by a combination of the Edomite, Nabataean, Amorite, Amalekite, and the Canaanites groups in 2000 BCE. The desert was added to the present-day territory of Israel on July 10, 1922.

Geography

The Negev is composed of a mixture of rocky, brown dusty mountains that are interrupted by deep craters and wadis. It is a semi-desert and desert area that can be divided into five geographical areas (Arabah Valley, the high plateau, central, western, and the northern Negev). Western Negev has light sandy soil and receives 9.8 inches of rainfall annually. Northern Negev is quite fertile, and it gets 11.8 inches of rainfall every year. The dunes in this rocky desert can reach a maximum height of about 98.4 ft. Central Negev receives annual precipitation of about 7.87 inches. Central Negev has impervious soil that allows low water penetration. The high plateau region experiences extreme temperatures in winter and summer. The valley of Arabah stretches 112 miles from the Dead Sea to Eilat. The soil at Arabah Valley is quite inferior, and nothing can grow there without some special additives and irrigation.

Climate

Negev desert is an arid area which gets very little rain due to its position on the eastern side of the Sahara. Frost and snow are quite rare in the northern parts of Negev. Eilat receives no rain from June to September while Beersheba has three months (June-August) of no rainfall every year. Beersheba receives an average high temperature of 25.7C annually and a record high of 46C. Eilat receives an average high temperature of about 31.5C and a low of approximately 19.4C.

Fauna And Flora

Vegetation in the region is quite sparse with some plants and trees like Retama, Pistacia, and Acacia thriving in the Negev. Doum palm thrives on the southern parts of the desert. The Arabian leopard is an endangered species which can be found in southern parts of the region. The Crocidura Ramona (Negev shrew) is a mammal belonging to the Soricidae family that can only be found in this part of the world. The Testudo werneri (Ramons tortoise) is a critically endangered tortoise species that survive on the sands of central and western Negev.

Demography

Even though Negev desert occupies over 55% of Israels land, it was home to over 630,000 people (8.2% of the population) by 2010. Over 25% of the countrys residents are Bedouins while 75% (470,000) are Jews. Half of the Bedouin population resides in unrecognized villages while the rest live in various towns which the government built for them during the 1960s and 1980s like Rabat.
The Notre Dame Cathedral was destroyed by fire (Source: Xinhua/VNA)

Canada will support the massive reconstruction effort by providing softwood lumber and steel, the PM said, adding, Canada will stand with France and ensure we offer all the support whether its steel or wood or whatever help we can. This is truly a piece not just of French history, but of world history, that needs to be preserved and we will be there to be part of it.

PM Justin Trudeau was in Paris on Wednesday and Thursday to take part in a series of meetings on the fight against extremism and online violence, some two months after an attack at a mosque in Christchurch, New Zealand, left 51 dead.

Not long after arriving in Paris, Trudeau visited Notre Dame alongside the cathedrals rector, Patrick Chauvet, and French Culture Minister Franck Riester.

Earlier, in a letter sent to French President Emmanuel Macron this week, PM Justin Trudeau said Canada was proud to support France in the reconstruction of the iconic monument.

A huge fire engulfed Pariss Notre-Dame, the world-famous, 850-year-old cathedral, damaging much of the structure and causing its iconic spire to fall on April 15th.

The upper parts of the gothic cathedral was engulfed by flames. The 90-metre-high spire parts of the roof completely collapsed, and the fire also spread to the bell towers.

French President Emmanuel Macron promised to rebuild Notre Dame Cathedral and said he was seeking international help to restore the Paris landmark./.
The Coast Guard, partner agencies, and Good Samaritans continue to respond to the report of two aircrafts colliding and are searching for two people in the vicinity of George Inlet near Ketchikan, Alaska, Tuesday.

Ten people were rescued and are receiving medical care. Four people are confirmed deceased. The nationalities of the people from both planes are 14 Americans, one Canadian and one Australian.

Commercial divers dove on the submerged Otter float plane Monday night and located one deceased individual.

The Coast Guard is searching with the cutter Bailey Barco, an Air Station S...
Hyundai Motorsport team director Andrea Adamo admits he has been amazed by Sebastien Loebs contribution to the team since he joined the Korean manufacturer at the start of the current WRC season.

The Frenchman scored his maiden podium in an i20 WRC at last weeks Copec Rally Chile, the fourth of his planned six-rally 2019 programme.

Adamo said: When we announced that Sebastien and Daniel [Elena] would be joining us for this season, lots of people asked me what I was doing and what they would bring?

Now I can tell you they bring motivation to the team. As well, they are bringing hard work and an ability to change and to do things differently.

When you see somebody like them  people who won nine world titles  and they are changing their approach to rallies; watching the videos and learning from the younger guys on how to do this, doing things a different way and doing things they didnt used to do, its impressive.

These guys dont need to do this. Seb could stay at home if he wanted to. But he comes and he does this and my team is so impressed and we are working harder and harder to support these guys. If somebody like Loeb is willing to put himself in doubt and try to improve, we  who have won nothing  have to improve more.

Eighth after the opening stage in Chile, Loeb battled through the field to start Sunday fighting Sebastien Ogier for second. Ultimately, the Citroen driver took the runners-up spot, but there could be no doubting the impact Loeb had.

When I watched the work he was doing at lunchtime on Friday, I was amazed, said Adamo. He was, all the time, watching the onboards and working, working, working. The first day was really difficult, but those guys kept going and what they achieved was a fantastic result.

Loeb is scheduled to make two further appearances for Hyundai this season.

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The international Christchurch call summit held Wednesday in Paris, hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron and New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinta Ardern, marked a further step in the drive by the worlds capitalist governments and the corporate technology giants to censor social media and muzzle rising social opposition in the working class and among young people.

The meeting was held on the sidelines of the G7 summit and attended by seven heads of state, including British Prime Minister Theresa May, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and representatives from Ireland, Jordan, Senegal and Indonesia. Also in attendance was European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker. Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey and Facebooks head of global affairs Nick Clegg, the former British deputy prime minister, also took part, along with representatives from YouTube, Microsoft, Daily Motion, Google and Amazon.

Ardern and Macron announced the meeting last month following the Christchurch terrorist attack by fascist gunman Brenton Tarrant, who slaughtered 51 people at two mosques in the New Zealand city on March 15. The fact that Tarrant live-streamed his heinous crime on social media is being utilized to increase demands for a crackdown on live-streaming and other forms of user content sharing.

While justifying a sweeping assault on free speech under the banner of fighting terrorism, this argument also serves to cover up the responsibility of the political establishments in France, New Zealand and internationally for promoting the climate of anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim chauvinism that led to the attack. It also serves to divert attention from the clear evidence that Australian and New Zealand police agencies took no action against Tarrant despite prior warnings. (See:  New Zealand government bans fascist terrorist Brenton Tarrants manifesto ).

Speaking at a joint press conference with Ardern Wednesday night, Macron declared that what happened in Christchurch was  the transformation of the internet into a machine for insane propaganda in the service of the fracturing of our society in a war of all against all.

The Christchurch call is a vague non-binding pledge for governments and social media corporations to prevent the sharing of terrorist and violent extremist content. Arderns interview with Le Monde the day before the summit made clear that the meeting is only the thin end of the wedge for far broader censorship measures.

Asked by the Le Monde reporter why you have chosen to focus uniquely on violent terrorist content, and not more broadly on hate speech, which also contributes to the drift in social media, Ardern replied that we had to find a point of departure to reach a consensus. She continued: So rather than opening the way for a debate on the risk of restricting freedom of expression, I preferred a point of departure on which we can agree: No one believes that the internet should serve for the spreading of murders.

The real target of this gathering of technology billionaires and the political representatives of the capitalist elite was spelled out more openly last Friday in a French government report, published to coincide with a meeting that day between Macron and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg. The report, which was co-written by former Google France executive Benoit Loutrel, summarizes the results to date of the collaboration of Facebook with the French government, which involves French regulators being provided access to Facebooks censorship offices.

By permitting everyone to publish content and share it with other users, social media networks have revolutionized the media industry and mode of communication, offering to citizens and the civil society the opportunity of direct expression, the report states. Nonetheless, the possibilities provided by social media promote unacceptable abuses on the part of isolated individuals or of organized groups.

The report states that social media has created new forms of social relations, overcoming geographical (and even linguistic, thanks to translation services) constraints  New forms of online organizations of citizens, decentralized communities that are non-material but very real, have emerged for sharing information, as a center of interest or to affiliate around a cause to be defended.

In other words, the development of social media technology has enabled workers and young people to communicate and organize struggles internationally, including the Yellow Vest protests in France against social inequality, the walkouts by teachers in the US, strikes by maquiladora auto parts workers in Mexico, and the recent global strike of Uber drivers. These are part of a growing wave of strikes and protests internationally over the past year that have been organized on social media and outside the control of pro-corporate trade union bureaucracies.

The response of capitalist governments and their subservient corporate-controlled media finds its sharpest expression in the savage persecution of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange in retaliation for doing what genuine journalists are supposed to do: expose the lies and crimes of governments, and the jailing of whistle-blower Chelsea Manning for taking the courageous step of facilitating such public exposures.

The corporate media are viewed with hostility and contempt among the working class and youth. The report noted that a third of French and half of those aged 18-24 inform themselves via social media, and platforms for video sharing make up half the consumption of video information on the Internet.

This is the real reason for the drive by the worlds governments to censor social media. The report states that as a result of this capacity for communication and expression on a large scale, combined with a sentiment of relative anonymity and impunity [i.e., the right to free speech], the social media networks are also places of sharing unacceptable content.

Of course, the report does not discuss who determines what is unacceptablea formula that justifies unlimited censorship by the capitalist state.

It adds that we observe the impact on the social order of false information, unfounded rumors and the actions of individuals pursuing political or financial objectives. It calls for a struggle against content that is damaging for users and for social cohesion.

The claim that social cohesion in France and Europe is being undermined by false information and unfounded rumors, rather than the staggering rise of inequality and poverty and the policies of militarism and austerity of the political establishment, is no less ludicrous than the assertion by the Democratic Party and publications such as the New York Times and Washington Post in the US that the source of growing social opposition is Russian meddling and fake news.

Following the meeting with Macron, Zuckerberg declared in a Facebook post that the companys collaboration with the French government was a model for what Facebook would like to introduce in other countries. This would address how we should handle content that isnt illegal but might cause harm, he wrote, and this is an area where I believe companies should not make these decisions by themselves.
The Congress Party has combined nebulous populist promises of increased social spending with militarist and communalist appeals that echo those of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in its campaign for Indias multiphase national election, which will culminate with the tabulation of votes Thursday, May 23.

Till recently the Indian bourgeoisies preferred party of government, the Congress entered the election campaign in an unprecedentedly weak position. In 2014, after ten years heading a United Progressive Alliance (UPA) coalition government, the Congress suffered far and away its biggest ever electoral defeat, winning just 44 of the 543 Lok Sabha seats and only a 19.5 percent share of the popular vote.

Further humiliating reversals followed in a long series of state assembly elections, despite growing popular disaffection with the BJP. Last December, Congress did wrest control of three Hindi heartland states from the BJP, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Chhattisgarh. But even so, the Congress currently governs, whether solely or in a coalition, just 5 of Indias 29 states, whilst the BJP holds power in 15.

The withering of the Congress popular supportit has been reduced to minor party status in much of north Indiahas been protracted, but nevertheless a defining feature of Indian politics for decades. It is rooted in the failure of the Nehruvian post-independence state-led capitalist development project, which was fraudulently promoted as Congress socialism, and in Congress role in spearheading the Indian bourgeoisies post-1991 drive to forge a new partnership with imperialism.

It was the Narasimha Rao-led minority Congress government (199196) that initiated the drive to transform India into a cheap-labour hub for global capital; and it was the Congress-led UPA government (20042014) that forged a global strategic partnership with US imperialism, while pressing forward with privatization, deregulation and other pro-investor reforms.

In 2014, Narendra Modi and his Hindu supremacist BJP exploited mass anger over the outcome of the UPAs promise of reform with a human facethat is, mass joblessness and crushing poverty for working people, even as the bourgeoisie and its upper middle-class hangers gorged on the fruits of capitalist development

For their part, Indias business houses and corporate media swung four-square behind Narendra Modi and the Hindu supremacist BJP as the best vehicle to ram through further neo-liberal big bang reforms and more aggressively pursue their great-power ambitions on the world stage. Five years on, big business, as demonstrated by its lavish funding of the BJP election campaign, continues to see a Modi-led BJP government as their best bet for a strong government, i.e., a government ready to employ authoritarian methods to impose the dictates of capital.

However, should the BJP falter or its social incendiary communalist and neo-liberal agenda reap a whirlwind of social opposition, the Congress remains far and away the bourgeoisies preferred leader of an alternate right-wing government. A Times of India editorial, published as the election campaign was beginning, appealed to the Congress Party to recognize that it could again become the best instrument for implementing big business neo-liberal agenda.

Hoping to repeat its shock 2004 election victory over Atal Bihari Vajpayees BJP-led government, the Congress is making a calibrated appeal to the palpable mass discontent over unemployment, rural distress and rampant social inequality, with promises of increased social spending.

Not surprisingly, these proposals prove on closer inspection to be largely smoke and mirrors.

Thus the Congress election manifesto headlines that a Congress-led government will create 3.4 million public sector jobs. But in fact the Congress is only committing to fill 400,000 existing central government job vacancies. Most of the remaining 3 million jobs will supposedly be created by the state governments, whom Congress will simply ask to fill their current 2 million job vacancies.

Congress is also pledging to launch a minimum income scheme that it claims will eventually provide up to 72,000 rupees (about US $1,025) annually to the poorest 20 percent of households, to double state health care spending to 3 percent of GDP by 202324, and to raise the allocation for education to 6 percent of the GDP.

However, Congress has scrupulously avoided saying how it will pay for any of this, while trotting out former UPA Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Finance Minister P. Chidambaramkey architects, since 1991, of the Indian ruling elites economic reform programmeto reassure big business that a Congress government will not raise corporate taxes or taxes on the middle class and will be fiscally responsible.

When asked by the Hindu where Congress would find the money to fund its promises, Rahul Gandhi, the latest member of the Nehru-Gandhi political dynasty to serve as Congress Party president, claimed that it would come from the pockets of corrupt business tycoons.

Gandhis promise of an anti-corruption campaign targeting big business only underscores the cynical and fraudulent character of Congress social spending promises. First, Congress is itself integral to the nexus of Indias crony capitalism, having led Indias government for 55 of the past 72 years, including much of the time since New Delhi, in the name of privatization and pro-market reform, began effectively gifting state assets and resources to big business. Second, Gandhis statement only serves to highlight that a Congress government has no intention whatsoever of raising taxes on domestic big business, foreign investors, or the rich.

Alongside these efforts to hoodwink voters, the Congress campaign has been notable for the extent to which it has openly competed with the BJP in making jingoistic and communalist appeals.

The Congress has a long history, dating back to at least its role in implementing the 1947 communal partition of South Asia into a Muslim Pakistan and a predominantly Hindu India, of adapting to and conniving with the Hindu right.

But this has become even more pronounced in recent years. In the run-up to the election, Rahul Gandhi toured temples and Congress conspicuously proclaimed its support for cow protection and joined the BJP in mounting a furor over a Supreme Court order opening a prominent Kerala temple to women. Even the corporate media designated this a  Hindutva [Hindu supremacist] lite campaign.

The Congress hailed the Feb. 26 airstrike Modi ordered on Pakistan, which brought South Asias rival nuclear-armed states the closest to all-out war since 1971, and it subsequently sought to outdo the BJP in singing the praises of Indias military. It has sought to counter Modis attempts to use the airstrikes to burnish his strongman image and castigate Congress for undermining Indias national security, by boasting that the UPA ordered six surgical strikes on Pakistan between 2008 and 2014.

Indeed, just as in its pro-investor economic agenda, so too in its foreign policy, the BJP has only continued down the path blazed by the Congress-led UPA government. This is true of Indias ever deeper integration into the US military-strategic offensive against China and its massive armaments program, which has now given India the fourth largest military budget in the world. It was also the Congress-led UPA that effectively scuttled the 2004 comprehensive peace process with Pakistan following the 2008 Mumbai terrorist attack.

To underscore its commitment to national security, i.e., to the aggressive assertion of the interests of the Indian bourgeoisie against its foreign rivalsprincipally Pakistan and Chinaand the working class and rural toilers, the Congress has issued its own plan on national security. The plan is based on a report, prepared at the Congress request, by a retired Northern Army Commander, Lt. Gen D.S. Hooda, who reputedly directed a 2016 cross-border raid on Pakistan that Modi proclaimed had freed India from the shackles of its strategic restraint policy vis-a-vis Islamabad.

Hoodas report identifies China as Indias principal strategic threat, emphasizes the significance of the Indo-US alliance, cautions against excluding any possibility of dialogue with Pakistan, and urges a gamut of changes aimed at transforming the army, navy and air force into an integrated warfighting force.

Underscoring the Congress national security policys dependence on, and similarity to, Hoodas report, Congress leader P. Chidambaram appeared alongside the general when his report was publicly released last month, declaring: This is the broad outline of the Congresss approach to the issue of national security and what we will do when we are in government.

Indias Grand Old Party is a decrepit, dynastic and largely discredited party. But it remains a mortal enemy of the working class and a ruthless enforcer of the interests of domestic and global capital. In so far as its claims to be a party of the common man or at least a lesser evil retain any popular resonance, this is due primarily to the support it has received from the Stalinist Communist Party of India (Marxist) and its Left Front. For decades, the Stalinists have promoted the Congress as amenable to popular pressure and a secular bulwark against the BJP, and on this basis justified their parliamentary support for the Rao Congress government for a full five years and the UPA government from 2004 to 2008.

Today, under conditions of growing class struggle in India and internationally, the Stalinists are once again trying to muster votes for the Congress. In the name of bringing to power an alternate secular government, they are working to bring to power a right-wing government, most likely Congress-led, that would come into headlong conflict with the working class, while assisting US imperialism in dragging humanity toward a catastrophic world war.
Last Sundays public meeting in London convened by the Socialist Equality Party (SEP) to defend jailed WikiLeaks publisher and journalist Julian Assange and whistleblower Chelsea Manning provoked wide-ranging discussion.

Audience members took to the floor to voice their opposition to the brutal persecution of Assange and Manning, to express their agreement with the platforms speakers, to ask questions and propose further action.

Maxine Walker speaking during the discussion period

Maxine Walker, from the Julian Assange Defence Committee (JADC), told the meeting, Im not a member or connected with the Socialist Equality Party. But I must hand it to them. They are the only left group that Im aware of that has put its heart and soul and resources into this struggle and for that I congratulate them.

She explained that journalist John Pilger had described the uncanny silence surrounding Assange and his potential extradition and treatment. Ive been in various campaigns for decades, and I have never encountered the wall of silence that I have encountered when I have raised this issue, both with people and with organisations. It seems to me its either a wall of silence or a wall of lies.

There are two things we are up against and I have spent sleepless nights trying to understand Why this wall of silence now? Some of the answers have been given, but the thing that finally occurred to me was that what WikiLeaks exposed was just too big.

The fact is the NGOs and the liberals can bear to campaign on one tiny topic, one atrocity, one imprisonment. But what WikiLeaks exposed was an organised, ruthless, systematic war machine and its murders and its renditions and lies and propaganda. It exposed the hundreds of thousands of civilian casualties who no-one thinks about, nobody mentions them. That was what was too big for the liberals and intelligentsia in this country. They couldnt bear it.

Because while they may voice a little opposition, the token opposition we saw on the day Julian Assange was dragged out of the embassy, they want to be comfortable. They want to live comfortably in what I call Winnie the Pooh land. Everything is all right. Were not listening. We cant see. That is how they live with themselves. Our job as a defence committee is to break the silence and to say very clearly to people, Which side are you on? Are you on side of the war machine or of the truth tellers?

Describing the picket held by the JADC at the National Union of Journalists World Press Freedom Day event, Walker explained, they responded with outright hostility to the very thought of mentioning Julian Assange. We have to challenge them. That is why we are breaking the silence. We have to challenge every single thing being done to Julian Assange. His prison conditions have to be challenged. There has never been a bail case that has ended up as a Category A prisoner in isolation. That has never happened. We need some of these tame MPs to at least raise this question in the House of Commons.

Walkers remarks from the floor, especially her scathing attacks on the duplicity of Britains petty-bourgeois liberals and intellectuals, were repeatedly interrupted by applause.

Another audience member observed that the internet is a virtual representation of how power consolidates. Fifteen years ago, we saw a great diversity of sites all over the internet and now everything has consolidated into Amazon, eBay and a few places. Its a digital representation of how power works.

She called on people to get away from these sites like Facebook, eBay and Amazon and look for alternatives, but other audience members were unconvinced, as these platforms are part of everyday life for billions of people.

The Swedish rape allegations against Assange were also discussed. Jerome pointed out that Assange has always maintained he was willing to submit to extradition to Sweden if the Swedish government would guarantee they would not extradite him to the United States. This was being ignored by Labour MPs, including Dianne Abbott, who had called for Assange to be extradited to Sweden if investigations are reopened.

A woman from Oxford congratulated International Youth and Students for Social Equality speaker Alice Summers, who had described the conformist climate on universities cultivated by pseudo-left groups and the National Union of Students. Summers had explained how NUS officials had slandered Assange as a rapist based on their anti-Marxist gender and identity politics. The woman from Oxford said that campus life in her town was absolutely as dead as a door nail, concluding, It would be great to have a speaker on Assange come to Oxford University.

A man in the audience relayed, to applause, that a hoarding in Aldgate East had just been painted with the words Free Julian Assange. We cannot wait for the media. Julian needs our help now. The speaker praised the work of online journalists and bloggers including Caitlin Johnstone and Jimmy Dore, but concluded that change had to happen not just online but on the streets. Julians name has disappeared. Years ago, there was a thing called a D-Notice. They did it during the IRA time when everything was silenced. This is far worse than a D-Notice. A D-notice (Defence and Security Media Advisory Notice) is used by the British state to veto the publication of potentially damaging news stories.

Uli Rippert speaking during the discussion period

A woman from the United States asked Sozialistische Gleichheitspartei (SGP-Socialist Equality Party) national secretary Uli Rippert how many US military bases and personnel were located in Germany. Rippert explained that Germany was still the military platform for the organisation of NATO, and for American forces in the Middle East. While Germany opposed publicly the Iraq War in 2003, that war was launched from German military bases.

He emphasised that the eruption of US militarism was part of an international process: After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Germany came back as an old military power and is trying to organise the European Union from economic unification to military unification.

Germanys opposition to the US is growingthe transatlantic conflict is intensifyingbut there is nothing progressive in that. We cannot base our opposition to American militarism on the German government or the German political parties that sit in the Bundestag. Our opposition to American imperialism is based on the mobilisation of the German, European and American working class against imperialism.

Responding to the discussion, Rippert explained that Assange and Manning would not be freed by appeals to MPs or the establishment parties, Their opposition to Assange is bound up with their support for the war policy which the governments in all countries are following.

If we say, We must get bigger, that means turning to the working class to build our support. That is the big political challenge. It is not to the parliament in Germany or Britain or any other countryIt is to the factories and the universities we have to turn to and mobilise the movement from below on a clear anti-capitalist, socialist and internationalist basis.
Calls for government regulation of the big technology corporations have escalated in Washington and the corporate media following the New York Times May 9 publication of an op-ed by Facebook co-founder Chris Hughes calling for a breakup of the company. These demands are driven not by opposition to monopolies, but by a desire to more effectively censor left-wing oppositional views on the internet.

Hughes, who is reported to have a personal wealth of $430 million, founded Facebook along with current company CEO Mark Zuckerberg and several others in 2004, while they were students at Harvard University. Hughes left the company in 2007 to become a volunteer in the presidential campaign of Barack Obama. He has since bought and sold a majority stake in the New Republic magazine and is currently co-chairman of the Democratic Party think tanks Economic Security Project and The Roosevelt Institute.

In his comment in the New York Times, Hughes argues that his former company has grown too big and too powerful and that the US government needs to break up Facebooks monopoly and regulate the company. A new government agency, Hughes writes, must be empowered by Congress to regulate tech companies

In the course of describing the development of Facebooks dominance of social media markets, Hughes blames Mark Zuckerberg for his unchecked power and staggering influence. Due to the fact that Zuckerberg controls 60 percent of the companys voting shares, Hughes writes, Mark alone can decide how to configure Facebooks algorithms to determine what people see in their News Feeds, what privacy settings they can use and even which messages get delivered.

After writing that Mark is a good and kind person, Hughes says Zuckerbergs influence is far beyond that of anyone else in the private sector or in government, adding that the Facebook CEO controls three core communications platformsFacebook, Instagram and WhatsAppthat billions of people use every day.

A substantial portion of the op-ed deals with the anti-competitive business practices of Facebook over the past decade, tactics used by every monopoly for more than 100 years. According to Hughes, things like duplicating the innovations of competitors and buying startups to kill off ideas that represent potential market threats arose from Mark Zuckerbergs personal ambition for domination, not the objective tendency of capitalism toward market control and absolute dominance.

Hughes also describes the approval by the Federal Trade Commission of Facebooks 2012 acquisition of WhatsApp and Instagram as a mistake, rather than an example of the way powerful financial interests on Wall Street drive government policy. He writes, The companys strategy was to beat every competitor in plain view, and regulators and the government tacitlyand at times explicitlyapproved, as though this is a departure from the norm.

Hughes advocacy of censorship of left-wing views comes out when he deals directly with the question of speech and political expression. He admits that Facebook has unprecedented control over speech, but his criticism is that the company is a poor censor.

He writes, In 2016, they [Facebook] enabled the spread of fringe political views and fake news, which made it easier for Russian actors to manipulate the American electorate. According to Hughes, the presence of left-wing and anti-capitalist political views on Facebook made it easier for Russian meddling in the 2016 elections. This is a new interpretation of the fabricated and unsubstantiated claims by the Democrats that the defeat of Hillary Clinton by Donald Trump was the result of Russian election interference, facilitated by social media.

Hughes goes on to say that Facebook has responded to many of the criticisms of how it manages speech by hiring thousands of contractors to enforce the rules that Mark and senior executives develop. In other words, responsibility for establishing censorship rules and enforcing them on Facebook cannot be entrusted to the management and staff of Facebook and must be turned over to the government.

One revealing comment made by Hughes is that the new strategy of Facebook for more private, encrypted messaging between individuals is aimed at a more friendly oversight from regulators and other industry executives rather than genuine concern for the privacy rights of users. Facebook isnt afraid of a few more rules. Its afraid of an antitrust case, he writes.

In describing an incident that occurred in 2017 during the atrocities against the Muslim Rohingya in Myanmar, Hughes says that Facebook employees intervened to delete sensational messages based on on-the-spot directives from Zuckerberg. Hughes writes that most people would agree with his decision, but its deeply troubling that he made it with no accountability to any independent authority or government.

Hughess program is very clear: censorship is best done by the state, not by private enterprise.

Hughes concludes his op-ed with the proposal that Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp be split into three separate companies and that Facebook be banned from future acquisitions for several years. The separation of the firms would take the form of a spin off of Instagram and WhatsApp into their own publicly traded companies. Current shareholders would continue to own stock in the new businesses, while executives like Zuckerberg would be barred from holding any shares.

Hughess 6,000-word essayreleased along with a slick New York Times five-minute infographic-style videois part of the campaign by the Democratic Party establishment and sections of the intelligence apparatus that are spearheading the anti-Russian witch hunt and the drive for internet censorship, and consider Facebook to be insufficiently aggressive in carrying out the desired crackdown.

As a social media platform that touches one-third of the worlds population and hosts content that is not completely controlled by big business or the state, Facebook has the potential to become an instrument of mass political and organizational opposition within the working class. Already a wave of teachers strikes in the US, the Yellow Vest protests in France and the maquiladora auto parts strikes in Mexico, among other workers struggles, have been organized outside of the control of the pro-corporate unions through social media.

Some leading Democratic Party figures such as Virginia Senator Mark Warner, the vice chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee and vice chair of the Senate Democratic Caucus, have been calling for government regulation of the social media monopolies without demanding their break-up. Warner, who is closely tied into the intelligence and military apparatus, does not want to disturb the intimate connections between the internet and tech giants and the Pentagon and CIA. But since October 2018, he has advocated government intervention for the purpose of combating misinformation, a euphemism for censoring left-wing and oppositional views on social media.

Corporations such as Facebook, Google, Apple, Netflix and Amazon are monopolies that exercise immense power in the interests of their major shareholders, Wall Street and the capitalist state. They should not only be broken up, they should be transformed into publicly owned utilities democratically controlled by the working population. This is the only way that the revolutionary technological developments in communications can he harnessed to benefit the population of the US and the world, rather than being perverted into new means of surveillance and state propaganda.

This requires a political struggle by the working class against private ownership of the powerful media and information technologies spawned by the internet and the political parties and state institutions that uphold the profit system.
An estimated 20 armed Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents conducted a militarized raid on a family home in Chicago last Wednesday, kidnapping a student pastor, her husband and cousin.

Betty Rendon had been preaching at Emaus Lutheran Church in Racine, Wisconsin, for approximately three months while studying for her doctorate degree from the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago when she was snatched by federal agents last week. Rendon had been in the process of applying for asylum for multiple years while in the United States. Her most recent appeal was rejected, but she was still attempting to work her way through the byzantine appeal process.

Originally from Colombia, Rendon had fled following an attack on the school where she had previously worked that left several teachers injured. Upon reaching the United States, Rendons initial appeal for asylum was rejected because federal agents could not locate a police report to verify her claims, despite the attack being well known to people in the village, according to Rendon.

ICE has not released a statement yet detailing why the raid was conducted nor any information as to where Rendon and the rest of her family were being held. It was later discovered by friends and family that Rendon is being held at the Kenosha Detention Facility in Wisconsin some 60 miles north of Chicago.

In an interview with the Racine Journal Times, Stephanie Mitchell, a professor at Carthage College and a parishioner at Emaus, recalled the events leading up to Rendons abduction. Mitchell visited Rendon in the detention facility this past Saturday.

According to Mitchell, ICE officials conducted a traffic stop on the pastors daughter, whose name as yet to be released, while she was driving her five-year-old daughter to school from their home in Chicago. Despite Pastor Rendons daughter being currently eligible for DACA, or Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, she was nevertheless arrested and placed in handcuffs; armed ICE officials then drove her and her daughter, who was born in the US, back to their house.

Mitchell was struck by the size of the militarized force used to kidnap a pastor and her family. This was a carefully planned raid that involved a lot of heavy-duty police force, multiple police vehicles, maybe 20 police officers, all of them armed as though they were invading a space where there was some kind of dangerous criminal, Mitchell continued; instead it was [a Lutheran] pastor and her family going about their ordinary daily business.

Upon arriving at the house, ICE agents engaged Bettys husband Carlos as he was leaving home to go to work. Multiple armed agents descended upon the home with guns drawn and began shouting in English at Carlos. The agents violently shoved Carlos and illegally forced him to open the door to his home. Once the armed thugs forced their way inside, they moved room to room until they located Betty Rendon, still in her pajamas, and arrested her. Agents also kidnapped her adult cousin, Felipe, who was staying as a house guest.

Following her arrest, ICE agents allowed Rendon to make arrangements for her granddaughter to be picked up by her other grandparents as they detained all of the adults in the family. Eventually Rendons daughter was released, as she is legally protected by DACA and should not have been targeted by ICE in the first place. While Rendon was making arrangements for her daughter, she was able to send one text message to her church informing them that she wouldnt be able to preach last Sunday, which was Mothers Day.

According to a Facebook post written on the churchs page, after the agents had arrested all of the adults a celebratory mood overtook them. Apparently the agents hadnt expected to arrest so many people in a single raid. In their jubilation, the agents forgot, or neglected, to secure the Rendons home after abducting them, leaving the doors unlocked and open. A neighbor of the Rendons called the police to file a report upon noticing the home was subsequently ransacked with all items of value reported stolen.

A prayer vigil was organized for Wednesday evening outside the Kenosha Detention Facility to demand the release of Rendon, her husband and cousin. It was attended by members of her church and other community members disgusted by the heavy-handed tactics employed by the American Gestapo.

More than 100 workers, youth, immigrants and community members attended the vigil in support of Betty and her familys liberation. Signs displayed featured slogans such as STOP ICE, No Wall, Who Would Jesus Deport? and finally Abolish ICE.

While the Rendons are currently imprisoned in the unfriendly confines of the Kenosha detention center, hundreds, if not thousands of those seeking asylum in the US are forced to remain outside in the elements with nothing more than a reflective Mylar blanket. Recent photos sent this past weekend to CNN from inside the McAllen, Texas, border station, one of nine stations located in the Rio Grande Valley, show the horrific conditions asylum seekers are made to endure.

The photos depict a scene of chaos and misery: Hundreds of families, including women with young children, are forced to huddle under makeshift tents and sleep on rocks. Forced to live in these conditions, it is hardly surprising that sickness and disease runs rampant throughout the facilities.

The expose of these criminal conditions will be used to further Trumps, the Democrats and the New York Times s humanitarian demand for an additional $4.5 billion in funding to quell the manufactured crisis at the southern border that has been created by the Trump administrations illegal refusal to process asylum claims.
Washington has ratcheted up war tensions in the Persian Gulf with an order to evacuate all non-essential US personnel from its embassy in Baghdad and its consulate in Erbil, the de facto capital of the Iraqi Kurdish region.

A State Department spokesman said the drastic action had been taken in response to the increased threat stream we are seeing in Iraq, but refused to provide any details on the supposed danger.

The US has carried out a massive military buildup in the region on the pretext of a supposed threat from Iran or so-called Iranian proxies among various Shia militia, from those organized in the Popular Mobilization Units (PMU) formed to fight ISIS in Iraq and now integrated into the Iraqi security forces, to those fighting ISIS in Syria, the Hezbollah movement in Lebanon and the Houthi rebels in Yemen.

A State Department spokesman told CNN Wednesday that any attacks by the Iranian regime or its proxies against US interests or citizens will be answered with a swift and decisive US response.

Sources in Baghdad reported that all day Wednesday helicopters were ferrying US personnel from the embassy on the Tigris Riverthe largest such US facility in the worldto a US military base at the Baghdad airport. The last time such an evacuation was ordered was in 2014 after ISIS had captured Mosul, Iraqs second largest city, and appeared poised to march on Baghdad.

In the midst of this dramatic US action, the top British general deployed as part of Operation Inherent Resolve (OIR), the US-dominated intervention in Iraq and Syria, told Pentagon reporters that there was no increased threat to Western forces from Iranian-backed militias.

Theres been no increased threat from Iranian-backed forces in Iraq and Syria, said Maj. Gen. Christopher Ghika, the deputy commander of OIR in charge of intelligence and operations. There are a substantial number of militia groups in Iraq and Syria, and we dont see any increased threat from many of them at this stage. Officially, these militias are on the same side as the US and NATO forces in fighting to defeat ISIS. In reality, the US is keeping 5,000 troops in Iraq and roughly 2,000 in Syria for the purpose of countering Iranian influence in the region.

Ghikas statement undercut the justification being given for the US war buildup, which has seen the deployment off the Iranian coast of a battleship-carrier strike group, led by the USS Abraham Lincoln, and a bomber task force, including nuclear-capable B-52s. This has been followed by the dispatch to the region of the amphibious assault warship USS Arlington carrying US Marines, warplanes and landing craft, as well a Patriot missile battery.

Recent reports reveal that the Pentagon has drawn up battle plans calling for the shipping of as many as 120,000 US troops to the region in apparent preparation for an all-out war with Iran.

The British generals statement provoked a highly unusual rebuke from the US Central Command, which oversees US military operations in the Middle East. A spokesman said that Ghikas comments run counter to the identified credible threats available to intelligence. The statement, once again, failed to provide any details about these threats.

Equally significant was the response of the British Ministry of Defense, which backed up the generals assessment, saying that his comments are based on the day-to-day military operations.

In the absence of any credible threat, the US evacuation from Iraq can have only one of two purposes. Either it is designed to increase tensions in the region and escalate military threats against Iran, or it is part of the preparations for an imminent direct US military assault on Iran, which would likely provoke retaliation by pro-Iranian militia elements inside Iraq.

In either case, the embassy evacuation is another provocative action by a US government that is relentlessly pursuing regime-change in Iran and is prepared to employ any pretext to further this aim.

Among these pretexts are the murky claims of acts of sabotage against four oil tankers off the coast of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) over the weekend. The US corporate media, acting as a pliant propaganda arm of the war build-up, has quoted unnamed US military officials attributing the alleged sabotage to Iran, while providing no evidence whatsoever to support this claim.

Iranian officials have countered that the alleged sabotage is likely the work of those seeking to provoke a US attack on Iran, including both Saudi Arabia and Israel, if not the special forces of the US itself. Foreign Minister Javad Zarif appeared alongside his counterpart in India and told the media that they had discussed the suspicious activities and sabotage that are happening in our region. He added, We had formerly anticipated that they would carry out these sorts of activities to escalate tension.

Tensions have been further escalated after a drone attack on pumping facilities of Saudi Aramco, the state-run energy company of Saudi Arabias ruling monarchy. The Houthi rebels in Yemen took responsibility for the action, which they said was in retaliation for the continuation of the near-genocidal US-backed war waged by Saudi Arabia against Yemen, which has killed some 80,000 civilians and brought 10 million to the brink of starvation.

In recognition of the war threat, Germany, which has 160 soldiers in Iraq, and the Netherlands, which has 169, suspended military training operations, citing the growing regional tensions. Along similar lines, Spain withdrew its frigate from the US carrier strike group dispatched to the Persian Gulf.

Another potential pretext for US military intervention is Irans nuclear program. One year ago, the Trump administration unilaterally tore up the nuclear accord signed in 2015 between Iran and six major powersthe US, China, Russia, Germany, France and the UK.

Iran has complied with a strict regime of restrictions and inspections of its nuclear program, but Washington has nevertheless re-imposed punishing economic sanctions, described by US officials as maximum pressure and tantamount to a state of war. The sanctions are aimed at reducing the countrys oil exports to zero and creating conditions of economic deprivation and chaos to facilitate a regime-change operation.

While the European powersGermany, France and the UKhave formally declared their continued support for the nuclear accord, they have failed to mount any credible challenge to the US sanctions regime, depriving Iran of the promised benefits of the deal in terms of normalization of trade and investment.

In response, Tehran has suspended its commitments to cap production of enriched uranium and heavy water at its Arak facility for 60 days in an attempt to pressure the European powers to make good on their promises to launch an Instrument in Support of Trade Exchanges (INSTEX) to circumvent US sanctions by facilitating non-dollar trade with Iran.

While Irans actions still leave it in compliance with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the nuclear agreement signed by Tehran and the major powers in July 2015, and the Iranian government has consistently denied that it has pursued a nuclear weapon, the changes announced in relation to the nuclear program could be seized upon by Washington to justify a military attack.

Such a war of aggression would not only drag the entire region into a bloody conflict, it could become the antechamber of a third world war involving the US and its nuclear-armed great power rivals, Russia and China.
Statistics released last month point to growing child poverty and deepening social inequality under the Labour-NZ First-Greens coalition government, a right-wing formation installed in October 2017.

During the election campaign, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern falsely promised to address issues like child poverty. The Labour Party highlighted the fact that 40 percent of children in poverty lived in families with working parents. Following the election, New Zealand First leader and Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters spoke similarly about the need to restore capitalisms human face.

A year and a half later, these pledges, which were echoed by a multitude of liberal commentators and pseudo-left groups, have been exposed as a fraud.

The Ardern government has enforced strict Budget Responsibility Rules, keeping major spending at 28 percent of gross domestic product (GDP)lower than the figure for most budgets delivered by the previous National government. Basic services such as health, education and housing remain severely underfunded, while billions of dollars have been thrown at the military, police and prison system.

Last month, government agency Statistics NZ released a report based on face-to-face surveys completed last year with almost 5,500 households, one-third including dependent children. It used a standard benchmark for povertyincomes of less than 50 percent of the median income.

The results were revealing. The agency found that 16 percent, or 183,000 children, lived in households with an income that was less than 50 percent of the median equivalised disposable household income, before housing costs were deducted. After housing costs were taken into account, the figure increased to 23 percent, or 254,000 children, in households with income below 50 percent of the median income.

The agency reported that 13 percent of children live in households suffering from material hardship, meaning they missed out on basic necessities, because of their parents/caregivers low wages or welfare benefits, high housing costs and indebtedness.

Victoria University of Wellington academic Michael Fletcher explained in the Conversation that these children dont have such basic things as two good pairs of shoes. Their families regularly have to cut back on fresh fruit and veggies, put up with feeling cold, and postpone visits to the doctor.

Small increases to welfare benefits and tax credits for some families in 2017 were largely cancelled out by rising rents, which increased 5.2 percent on average in the 12 months to June 2018.

The statistics showing one quarter of children living in poverty are similar to those derived from the 2013 census, when the National Party was in office. Since then there have been many reports of an economic recovery but the benefits have gone entirely to big business at the expense of workers, whose wages have stagnated.

Financial commentator Rod Oram recently wrote that across all industries operating profits grew by 20.1 percent to $13 billion in 2017 compared to 2016. Oram noted that the rewards of this growth have gone almost exclusively to the owners of the assets, to capital rather than labour.

Last month it was reported that New Zealands stock market has risen almost 300 percent since its low point in 2009.

The ever-increasing social inequality makes a mockery of Arderns promise to cut child poverty by half within 10 years. Labours Child Poverty Reduction Act 2018, Ardern claimed, would establish New Zealand as one of the best performing countries for children.

In fact, Statistics NZs survey almost certainly underestimates the extent of poverty. The agency said it had lower response rates from people in low socio-economic areas, which meant these layers of the population were under-represented. It plans to survey 20,000 homes by June with the results to be published next year.

The old, as well as the young, suffer from entrenched poverty.

A 2017 Material Wellbeing of New Zealand Households report said 40 percent of pensioners have no additional income source. In the last five years, there has been an 80 percent increase in hardship grants for food and housing to retirees who are mired in mortgage debt, or are still renting instead of being mortgage-free. In the first three months of 2019, 472,000 one-off hardship grants were paid out, a figure that has more than doubled since 2014.

While feigning concern for those in poverty, Arderns government has rejected even modest reforms. This includes a recommendation this month from its own Welfare Expert Advisory Group for abysmally low welfare benefits to be increased by 47 percent.

The government has also rejected higher taxes on the super-rich and major corporations. Last month it scrapped a proposed capital gains tax on property investors, which had been one of Labours major election promises. Tax-free speculation has contributed to a housing bubble and soaring rents for working families.

Tens of thousands of workers, including teachers, healthcare and transport workers, have taken part in strikes and protests against low wages and run-down public services. Labour has relied on the trade union bureaucracy, which works hand-in-glove with the state and big business, to suppress these struggles and impose sellouts, such as the NZ Nurses Organisations (NZNO) rotten deal to effectively freeze pay for about 30,000 public hospital workers.

The never-ending attacks on living conditions, however, will bring the working class into ever-more direct conflict with the Labour-led government, which is being exposed ever more openly as a government of big business and the rich.
The following is an edited version of the speech delivered by Oscar Grenfell, SEP candidate for the seat of Parramatta, to the partys election meeting in Sydney on May 15.

The social conditions confronting the working class in Parramatta and greater western Sydney underscore the need for the working class to fight for a socialist perspective to refashion society from top to bottom on the basis of social need, not private profit.

Poverty, homelessness, housing stress and unemployment are all permanent and expanding features of social life. The prospect of workers holding a full-time position, with wages decent enough to enjoy a comfortable standard of living, are a thing of the past.

Western Sydney has been at the centre of an onslaught against manufacturing and industrial jobs.

According to Australia Bureau of Statistics figures, in 1981, there were 20,231 manufacturing jobs in Parramatta. In 2011, there were just 9,189, a decline of more than half in 30 years.

Similarly, dramatic falls took place in other working class hubs. In Bankstown, for instance, there were more than 28,000 manufacturing jobs in 1981, in 2011, the figure stood at 12,000.

The sharpest falls in manufacturing occurred between 1981 and 1996. In that period, manufacturing jobs fell by over 43 percent in Parramatta, more than 36 percent in Bankstown, and 35 percent in Auburn.

Oscar Grenfell speaking at the meeting

Definite political forces were responsible: above all, Labor and the unions. Brought to office in 1983, the Labor government of Bob Hawke struck a series of accords with the trade unions and big business. These provided for the deregulation of the economy, the smashing of workers organisations, and the destruction of whole sections of industry.

The program of the Labor government was part of a counter-offensive of the ruling elite internationally, in the aftermath of the mass working class struggles of 1968 to 1975 that were defeated as a result of the betrayals of Stalinism and Social Democracy. It was Hawke, Labor and the unions that imposed an agenda in Australia, similar to the program of the right-wing governments of Margaret Thatcher in Britain and Ronald Reagan in the US.

This program was deepened with the introduction of enterprise bargaining by the Labor government of Paul Keating and the unions in the 1990s. This divided workers up, company by company, tying them directly to the profit demands of their own employers. Since then, there has been an unending series of union-brokered, sell-out deals, providing for the gutting of jobs, wages and working conditions.

Factories that once employed thousands of workers were wound down or shut. Entire industries, including car and steel production and textile manufacturing, have been decimated. This offensive has been deepened since the 2008-09 global financial crisis, with the number of remaining manufacturing jobs plunging by 24 percent in the five years to 2016.

Newspaper headlines this year have touted a reduction in unemployment, including in western Sydney, as proof of Australian capitalisms ongoing strength.

The reality for workers is very different.

A report by the Australia Institutes Centre for Future Work last year found that the proportion of the national workforce in full-time employment with paid leave entitlements had fallen to less than 50 percent, for the first time in history.

Almost 32 percent of workers are part-time. Twenty-five percent are casuals, and at least 10 percent of the workforce are underemployed, i.e., they do not receive as many hours a week as they need. Across the country, the number of casual jobs increased by approximately 40,000 in the two years to 2018.

Throughout working class areas, we have seen the rise and rise of labour hire operators, capitalising on the union-enforced destruction of full-time work and providing cheap casual labour to major corporations.

The practices of such firms expose the fraudulent character of claims that western Sydney is undergoing a new boom in manufacturing.

To much media fanfare, Amazon opened a distribution warehouse near Liverpool in Sydney and another in Melbourne in 2017. Most workers are not employed by the company, but by Adecco, a labour hire firm.

Workers at Amazon are often texted and told that they have a shift, or that they dont, less than 24 hours before it is due to begin.

They are given electronic scanners which direct them to aisles in the facility to collect products. The scanner has a black bar at the bottom of the screen, counting down how much time they have left to reach the next item. If a worker fails to reach the product quickly enough, their pick rate is marked down. Workers who do not meet their targets have reportedly had subsequent shifts cancelled.

A worker told the Sydney Morning Herald last year what the targets meant, You end up not being able to function because youre so nervous and stressed out. Another said workers often did not drink water, or go to the bathroom during shifts, for fear of falling behind. They claimed some workers did not report injuries for fear of losing their job.

The conditions prevailing in the other supposed growth industry, construction, were tragically demonstrated on April 1, when Christopher Cassaniti, an 18-year-old apprentice, was killed on a residential construction site in Macquarie Park. He was crushed to death by scaffolding which collapsed from a height of 15 metres.

Senior officials from the Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining and Energy Union (CFMMEU) declared after the fact that if scaffolding is installed properly, such accidents do not occur. It was a union site, however, and the CFMMEU has not said anything about what it did to ensure safety measures were followed.

We spoke to an 18-year-old worker in the construction industry after the tragic death, who said that he had been involved in an accident last year when an unsecured electrical board fell on him.

He noted that the CFMMEU, the construction firms and government authorities closely collaborate: The union, SafeWork NSW and the companies dont care about workers or their safety. They only come around after something goes wrong, to try to cover themselves.

Cassanitis death was the 35th in the NSW construction industry in the past two years. Under the unions watch, safety violations take place on an industrial scale. After Cassanitis death, the ABC reported that SafeWork NSW issued over 100 breach notices in 2018 over scaffolding faults on construction sites. In total, 1,258 safety breaches were identified. Companies were fined an average of just $265 for each violation.

The assault on full-time work and the gutting of apprenticeships has created a jobs crisis among working class youth, who are deprived of any future. Youth unemployment rates in Parramatta are estimated at over 13 percent.

In Blacktown alone there are an estimated 1,600 teenagers who are not working or studying. Across western Sydney, an estimated 9,000 young adults, between the ages of 20 and 24, are not employed or undertaking any training.

Ariana Kenny, from the Marist180 charity group, told the Daily Telegraph: Economic stresses are strongly linked with the development of mental health issues, as they can lead to social dislocation, anxiety and depression. That in turn puts pressure on local health services that themselves cant cope.

This is just one aspect of the health crisis in western Sydney, caused by the gutting of funding by successive Labor and Coalition governments.

Data released by the Bureau of Health Information last month found that nine of the 10 worst performing emergency departments in the state are in west and south-west Sydney. Each of the nine hospitals received 10 or more red flags, meaning their performance was far below the state average.

At Blacktown and Westmead hospitals, only 41 percent of patients who arrived with urgent, potentially fatal conditions were treated within 15 minutes.

More than half of emergency patients at Blacktown, Bankstown, Liverpool, Nepean, and Westmead hospitals, with less-urgent, but possibly life-threatening health issues, waited more than 30 minutes to receive assistance.

While services and infrastructure have been run down, and wage growth has been suppressed to the lowest level in post-World War Two history, the cost of living is soaring.

Workers have borne the brunt of a speculative property bubble that has been promoted by Labor and Liberal-National governments.

Across the country, over one million households are experiencing mortgage stress, meaning they are struggling to afford their repayments.

Suburbs in western Sydney are among the worst affected, according to figures published by Digital Finance Analytics late last year. In Liverpool and the neighbouring suburb of Chipping Norton there are 7,732 households in stress and 116 at risk of default, and in Campbelltown, 6,781 households are in stress and 110 face the prospect of default.

In other words, broad sections of the working class are on the precipice of a catastrophe. Any unexpected expense, from a car accident to a health crisis or a sudden increase in utility prices, could tip them over the edge.

A report by Western Sydney University academics this year found that homelessness in western Sydney jumped 57 per cent between 2011 and 2016. The rate of growth is faster than in Sydneys central business district.

Labor, the unions and the political establishment as a whole are well aware that the social crisis is generating explosive anger. At Labors national conference last year, Bill Shorten declared that Labors main opponent was distrust and disengagement, scepticism and cynicism, i.e., among workers and young people.

Australian Council of Trade Unions secretary Sally McManus warned of a looming tsunami of social discontent.

To head off the upheavals that are brewing, and to divert workers behind the political establishment, Labor is making a phony populist pitch. If one examines any of their spending promises, it is clear that they are just smoke and mirrors. Almost all of Labors health funding pledges, for instance, are over six years, meaning that its entirely possible not a cent of the money will ever go to a hospital.

The real agenda of a Labor government is demonstrated by Shortens repeated invocation of the legacy of Hawke and Keating. This is a legacy that has devastated the working class. Labor has pledged a four-year budget surplus $17 billion higher than the Coalition, which can only mean sweeping cuts to social spending.

After the election, we can anticipate a period of social and political upheaval. Australia is not exceptional. The mass struggles of the working class that are emerging in Europe and the US will find their expression here, sooner rather than later.

The critical issue is to build a revolutionary leadership in the working class, to guide these struggles and take them forward to fight for a workers government and socialism. That is why we call on all workers and students who want to fight, to join the SEP and build it as that revolutionary leadership.

Authorised by James Cogan for the Socialist Equality Party, Suite 906, 185 Elizabeth Street, Sydney, NSW, 2000.
Alabama Governor Kay Ivey signed into law Wednesday afternoon the most stringent ban on abortion in any state, criminalizing the medical procedure except in cases where the life or health of the mother is in serious danger. An amendment to permit abortion in cases of rape and incest was removed from the bill when it reached the floor of the state Senate on May 9.

The new law imposes a prison term of up to 99 years for any doctor who performs an abortion except to save the life of a pregnant woman. There is a ten-year term for attempting to perform an abortion. While women who receive an abortion are not explicitly criminalized, the law establishes personhood for a fetus from the moment of conception. This opens the door for criminal prosecution for child abuse of pregnant women for any conduct deemed to be potentially damaging to the fetus.

Republican legislators in the state House and state Senate decided to enact the most extreme anti-abortion bill in order to give the US Supreme Court the opportunity to overturn the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, which threw out state laws criminalizing abortion. Rep. Terri Collins, the sponsor of the bill, was quite explicit that the ban on abortion for victims of rape and incest was necessary in order to assert, in the face of expected legal challenges in the federal courts, the principle that a fetus is a living person from the moment of conception, with full constitutional rights.

The Alabama law is an outrageous act of medieval barbarism. Its consequences, should it eventually be upheld by the courts, would be to force women seeking abortion in Alabama into back-alley procedures at greatly increased risk of death or mutilation. This danger will face working class women especially, since wealthier women will be able to travel to other states to have the procedure. This is in a state so impoverished and with such a deficient social infrastructure that more than half of its counties have no obstetricians.

The law is unconstitutional, not merely because it directly contradicts the Roe v. Wade precedent, but because it represents the elevation of a religious doctrine to state policy in violation of the First Amendment ban on the establishment of religion. Alabama legislators were quite explicit about the religious motivation for the law.

Republican Senator Clyde Chambliss, a sponsor of the bill, argued against exceptions for rape and incest, declaring, When God creates the miracle of life inside a womans womb, it is not our place as human beings to extinguish that life. The House sponsor, Terri Collins, said the bill was the outcome of prayer. This directly contradicts the First Amendment, which bans translating into lawimposed on all citizensthe religious prejudices of fundamentalist Protestants or the corrupt Roman Catholic hierarchy.

There is every reason to believe that the five-member ultra-right majority on the US Supreme Court is looking for an opportunity to overturn Roe v. Wade, despite the perfunctory statements made by four of the five during their confirmation hearings that Roe was a settled precedent. Significantly, the high court on Monday went out of its way to overturn a 40-year-old precedent dealing with an obscure issue of state sovereignty, namely, whether states have sovereign immunity from lawsuits by residents of other states.

Justice Stephen Breyer in his dissent said that the five-member right-wing majority was setting a precedent for overturning well-established precedents and warned, Todays decision can only cause one to wonder which cases the Court will overrule next. The unstated reference to the 46-year-old Roe v. Wade decision was understood by all court observers.

There are a multitude of abortion rights cases now in the federal courts, triggered by a wave of restrictive legislation enacted by Republican-controlled state legislatures, mainly in the period since Trump entered the White House and appointed two ferociously anti-abortion justices to the Supreme Court. Neil Gorsuch replaced Antonin Scalia, which did not shift the balance on the court on the issue, but Brett Kavanaugh replaced Anthony Kennedy, who had been the swing vote on numerous abortion rights cases and co-wrote the current controlling decision, Planned Parenthood v. Casey (1992), which represented a restriction on abortion rights but left Roe v. Wade basically intact.

Just since January, four statesGeorgia, Kentucky, Mississippi and Ohiohave enacted fetal heartbeat laws that ban abortion after the sixth week of pregnancy. The sole purpose of these laws is to block the vast majority of abortions, since few women are even certain they are pregnant only six weeks after conception.

One law, introduced in Texas but not yet enacted, goes even further: it would remove the exemption of abortion from the state definition of homicide, making every woman who receives an abortion potentially a candidate for Death Row.

These are not merely state decisions. They have national implications. It cannot be ruled out that state laws criminalizing abortion within a state will be interpreted to criminalize the conduct of a woman who travels outside the state to obtain an abortion, as well as the actions of those who help her. This is the barbaric logic of the position that abortion is murder.

Moreover, there is no reason to believe that the Supreme Court majority will not go beyond merely reversing Roe v. Wade, which would leave abortion policy to the states. Also possible is a sort of Dred Scott decision in the sphere of womens rights, requiring states that recognize abortion rights to enforce the prohibitions enacted by anti-abortion states, just as Trump is seeking to compel sanctuary cities to enforce the most draconian attacks on immigrants and refugees.

Beyond the legal counterrevolution against Roe is the implacable withdrawal of social support for women seeking an abortion. According to the Guttmacher Institute, 90 percent of all US counties have no abortion provider. In seven American states, there is only a single abortion provider in the entire state. Alabama has only three. Even a large, densely populated Midwest state like Ohio has only 10, down from 45 in 1992. Twenty-seven large American cities have no abortion provider.

And abortions are not covered under Medicaid or Obamacarebecause of continuous capitulations by the Democrats on this issue. The result is that for much of the United States, working class women have already been deprived of the right to abortion. They cannot fly to New York, Chicago or Los Angeles to terminate an unwanted pregnancy.

The systematic evisceration of abortion rights across much of the country has attracted only a tiny fraction of the energy, money and media attention devoted to the Democrats reactionary #MeToo campaign, which seeks to improve the fortunes of upper-income womenactors, corporate executives, professorsby removing their male superiors and peers through largely trumped-up allegations of sexual misconduct. The Alyssa Milanos of this world do not care about abortion rights for working class women in Alabama and Georgia. Even with a total US ban, they would always be able to jet off to Toronto or London.

The passage of the Alabama law was greeted with a hypocritical chorus of disapproval by congressional Democrats. Over decades in which the right to abortion has been largely eviscerated, the Democratic Party, always cowering before the Christian right, has done little to defend it.

Nancy Pelosi tweeted this week against this relentless and cruel Republican assault on womens health. But during the 2018 campaign she declared that defense of the right to an abortion was not a litmus test and insisted on backing Democrats in some congressional districts who held equally cruel views.

Bernie Sanders, Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, Kirsten Gillibrand and other presidential candidates also condemned the decision. But none of them have made the defense of abortion rights, particularly in the South and in rural areas, a major feature of their campaigns. This is despite Trumps repeated declarations that he intends to make the overturn of Roe v. Wade a centerpiece of his reelection campaign.

Earlier this year, when Virginia Governor Ralph Northam, a longtime pediatric neurologist, discussed the necessity for late-term abortions in certain exceptionally difficult medical emergencies, he was vilified by the ultra-right media and attacked by both Trump and Vice President Pence. There was no outpouring of support from his fellow Democrats, and when right-wing media then published the governors college yearbook page showing a man in blackface standing next to a person in Klan robes, the Democrats deserted Northam en masse and called for his resignation, even though the attack on him was clearly motivated by his defense of abortion rights.

Now the incessant talk of empowering womenwhich means, of course, bourgeois womenruns into the embarrassing spectacle of Alabamas first female governor, once hailed as a moderating influence on the Republican Party, signing into law the most restrictive anti-woman legislation in recent American history.

The reality is that abortion is a democratic right that is of particular importance to the working class. It is working class women who must make difficult decisions about how and when to have children. They face the greatest danger of becoming pregnant through rape or some other form of abuse. The class divide in American society applies just as forcefully in that sphere as in any other.

Abortion rights, along with all other democratic rights, cannot be defended by relying on or seeking to pressure the Democratic Party. They can be defended only through the struggle, led by the working class, against the capitalist system and all of its political representatives.
Sudans military crackdown on the mass sit-ins in the capital Khartoum demanding the end of military rule, left six dead Monday night, including an army officer.

According to the Central Committee of Sudanese Doctors (CCSD), this brings the number killed in Sudan since the protests started on December 19, bringing down the 30-year-long rule of President Omar al-Bashir on April 11, to nearly 100.

The deputy chief of the Transitional Military Council (TMC), General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, threatened a further crackdown, warning that TMC members are committed to negotiate, but no chaos after today. He repeated his calls for protesters to clear their blockades of the roads and railways.

The violence erupted after the TMCs military leaders, who seized power in a pre-emptive coup against al-Bashir in a bid to head off the mass movement, announced they had reached an agreement with opposition leaders.

The military said they had approved the composition and structure of a transitional joint civilian and military authority that would hold power for three years, after which there would be a transfer of power to a civilian administration. But the TMC is insisting that the armed forces remain in the sovereign [ruling] council.

The announcement follows weeks of on-again off-again talks between the TMC and opposition groups organised under the umbrella of the Forces for the Declaration of Freedom and Change. The latter is a coalition including the Sudanese Professional Association (SPA) that has led strikes, protests and road closures that have rocked the country since last December. Saying that The military council is not serious about handing over power to civilians, the SPA had called for civil disobedience and million-strong marches after the military earlier rejected their plan for a joint civilian-military body.

As well as the mile-wide central Khartoum sit-in and barricades outside the military headquarters, regularly attended by tens of thousands of people, demonstrations and blockades have spread to other parts of the Khartoum-Omdurman conurbation demanding the military step down.

Workers at the Kenana Sugar Company have been on strike for several days, with strikes by other workers in the northern town of Atbara, as well as by nurses and miners. Engineering workers at the Sudanese Electricity Transmission Company joined the protests, after rumours spread that the TMC had ordered electricity cuts to wear out support for the rallies.

According to subsequent announcements, the parliament is to be composed of 300 members, with 67 percent from the Alliance for Freedom and Change and the rest left open for other political parties. The first task would be to end long-running fighting in the east and west of the country.

While it is unclear who was behind Mondays violence, uniformed gunmen opened fire at nightfall, shortly after the end of the days Ramadan fast. This was as the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), headed by TMC deputy chief Dagalo, were patrolling the streets, breaking up protests with tear gas and live ammunition, driving demonstrators from the Mek Nimr bridgethat links North Khartoum with the city centreand trying to dismantle barricades on Nile Street, a main thoroughfare.

Dagalo, a close associate of al-Bashir whose paramilitary force led the suppression of the insurgencies in Darfur and in the east of the country, was one of the military leaders who toppled the president. Widely believed to have plans for the top job, he apparently has the backing of the Gulf Arab monarchies that have pledged US$3 billion to keep Sudan afloat.

The RSF has denied responsibility for starting the violence. Some have blamed al-Bashirs supporters, while the TMC has claimed that lurking groups, unhappy with the agreement on joint military-civilian rule, were behind the attack.

The killings have further heightened tensions, with angry protesters flocking to the sit-in site outside the military headquarters, building new barricades and blocking roads and bridges, and demanding an independent investigation.

The SPA, one of the opposition groups party to the treacherous agreement for joint civilian-military rule with the TMC, called for rallies to complete our revolution and protect it. This is merely an attempt to use the millions of workers and youth to secure their own interests within a capitalist setup, creating a trap that will pave the way for another strongman to take the reins, as Sudans six coups since independence in 1956 demonstrate.

Presenting such an arrangement, in a country dominated by a small, wealthy clique, as a step towards genuine democracy exposes the deep chasm that exists between the Declaration of Freedom and Change Forces, including the SPA, the National Consensus Forces (NCF), Sudan Call, the Unionist Gathering and the Sudanese Communist Party (SCP), and the millions of protesting workers and youth.

Workers and youth came out onto the streets for a fundamental transformation of the entire social order, not a civilian-fronted military regime.

Conscious of what happened to the Egyptian Revolution in 2011-2013, protesters continued the mass rallies in the capital Khartoum in the weeks following the armys ouster of al-Bashir on April 11. This forced the military, within 24 hours of al-Bashirs overthrow, to eject Lieutenant-General Ahmed Awad Ibn Auf, his deputy and replacement, in favour of General Abdel-Fattah Burhan, a slightly less tainted figure.

The TMC sought to further appease the masses by announcing anti-corruption measures, the resignation of some former officials and the dismissal of others, as well as some arrests. It removed al-Bashirs ruling National Congress Party (NCP), which is affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood, from the political scene, in part at least to win support from its Saudi Arabian patron. This incurred the wrath of Turkeys President Erdogan who had forged close economic, political and military relations with al-Bashirs regime.

When the TMCs claims to have arrested al-Bashir were met with scepticism, the Public Prosecutors Office was forced to charge him with money laundering and the possession of large sums of cash and imprison him. More recently, the authorities announced that the former president and others have been charged for inciting and participating in the killing of demonstrators, during a protest in Burri, a neighbourhood in the east of Khartoum.

Protesters have called for an end to Sharia law, opposed foreign interference in Sudanese affairs, including aid from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, which they view as support for the counterrevolution. They are opposed to the decision of the African Union (AU), meeting under the rotating chair of Egypts military dictator General Abdel Fattah el-Sisi in Cairo, to extend its previous 15-day deadline for the TMC to hand over power to civilians, or face suspension from the AU, to three months.

While the Sudanese working class faces a gang-up by the regions elites, fearful of their own working class and poor peasants and the threat they pose to their own shaky regimes, their allies are their class brothers and sisters taking part in the growing wave of strikes and demonstrations across North Africain Algeria, Tunisia and Moroccoand around the world.

The only way they can establish a democratic regime in Sudan is through a struggle led by the working class, independently of all the rotten bourgeois parties, trade unions and pro-capitalist alliances, to take power and expropriate the regimes ill-gotten wealth in the context of a broader international struggle for socialism.
In the first quarter of 2019, more than 5,600 people were deported from Germany. According to warnings from refugee workers, a collective deportation to Afghanistan could take place again next week. The brutal methods used by the police are evident in the recent report of the European Anti-Torture Committee.

The European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) is a body of the Council of Europe composed of elected independent experts, including doctors and lawyers, but also police officers.

In a May 9 report, the committee presents the observations made by three of its staff members during a deportation flight from Munich to Afghanistan on August 14, 2018, involving 46 Afghans between the ages of 18 and 40, of whom 21 had previously been held in detention pending deportation. The charter flight from Munich to Kabul was guarded by more than 100 police officers, i.e., more than two per deported person.

The CPT team observed the arrival and flight preparation at Munich Airport, the boarding process, the six-hour flight and the handover of those affected in Kabul. The methods and processes witnessed are shocking.

The report says, In the course of the return flight on 14 August 2018, coercive measures were applied by the Federal Police to two returnees who attempted to forcefully resist their return. One of the two, who refused to sit on the plane, was particularly mistreated.

As the report describes in officialese, the individual became agitated, started shouting and hitting out in all directions, and attempted to stand up. The two escorts seated on either side of him attempted to keep him seated by holding his arms; they were supported by a back-up team of four escorts, three of whom took up positions behind his seat. One of these escort officers put his arm around the returnees neck from behind and used his other hand to pull the returnees nose upwards thus enabling his colleague to insert a bite protection into the returnees mouth.

Shortly thereafter, another policeman pulled the returnees head down onto an adjacent seat and placing his knee on the returnees head in order to exert pressure and gain compliance while the returnees hands were tied behind his back with a Velcro strap. Another escort officer applied pressure with his thumb to the returnees temple. A second Velcro strap was applied below the returnees knees to tie his legs. A helmet was placed on the returnees head, additional Velcro straps were applied to his arms and legs  A sixth escort officer knelt on the returnees knees and upper legs, using his weight to keep the returnee seated. After some 15 minutes, this sixth escort officer gripped the returnees genitals with his left hand and repeatedly squeezed them for prolonged periods to gain the returnees compliance to calm down.

Violence was also used against a second Afghan man. The report states he had attempted to self-harm and commit suicide on the day of the return operation, by cutting the underside of the left forearm and by swallowing medication. He was treated at a local hospital, whereupon he was handcuffed and dragged off to be deported.

During the transport to the airport, he is said to have attempted to self-harm again, including by re-opening his wounds. During the full physical search in the terminal he became seriously agitated. Further, the wounds on his left forearm had re-opened, requiring the medical doctor to dress them. On arrival in Kabul, he was immobilised and carried out of the aircraft by a team of up to seven escort officers.

As the report shows, deportations are being enforced using major force, coercive measures such as handcuffs, hand and foot restraints and body cuffs. These are people who are obviously already in a terrible mental condition.

The brutal way they are arrested undoubtedly contributes to their trauma. It is common practice for the police to violently drag people out of their beds at night, tear them out of their usual environment and deport them while they are completely unprepared.

The 25 Afghans, who had remained free until their deportation, did not learn about their impending repatriation until the day the police individually apprehended [them] at their places of residence.

The report says, Usually, the pick-up occurred in the early morning and was carried out by one or more police patrols consisting of two police officers. Some returnees told the delegation that they were not given sufficient time to prepare for their removal while others were picked up during the night. For instance, several persons complained that they could not collect all their personal belongings and documents; another person could not inform his employer about his situation.

One of those affected had already received notice of deportation five years earlier, in September 2013. Although his entire life situation had changed since then, he was detained without warning and deported. The report only makes a passing reference to this particularly scandalous case.

Before the flight, the anti-torture committee was also able to witness the preparation, pick-up and transport of six prisoners from the Eichstatt facility in Bavaria. Conditions in this facility, which has only recently been turned into a detention centre, appear to be worse than in prison. As reported, the men there did not even have one hour of outdoor exercise per day. All six Afghans were only informed of their imminent deportation just prior to their departure.

One of the six complained to the committee that he had not been given the opportunity to contact a lawyer throughout his detention, and he had been forbidden to make phone calls at all. Others said that they had no opportunity to inform relatives or others about their arrival in Afghanistan. The Delegation learned from several returnees that they had not been able to access their bank account to collect their savings and had not been informed on how they could subsequently access these funds.

The collection, transportation to Munich, the searches and the hours-long wait can only be described as torture. According to the report, Upon their arrival at Munich Airport, all returnees were initially taken to a secured parking area, where they had to wait for up to several hours inside the transport vehicles, some of them were permanently tied up. Most detainees were not provided with food or water. These were men who had been apprehended in the early morning but had not received any food and water since.

The medical examination is obviously a farce. Theoretically, a person who has a life-threatening or serious illness cannot be deported. Prior to deportation, a medical check-up is required to rule out signs of health problems or risks such as acute injury, contagious disease or suicide risk. As the present cases show, the state authorities simply ignore this.

While an acutely suicidal person was returned to the psychiatric hospital from which she should never have been taken, three more vulnerable people were forced onto the flight. All three were said to have attempted suicide or threatened suicide in the days before or on the day of the deportation.

Another man from the Buren detention centre in North Rhine-Westphalia was considered fit to travel, although he had a compressed fracture of a lumbar vertebra as a result of a fall from a significant height, when he attempted to jump out of the window to escape police at the time of his apprehension. His lumbar vertebra had been provisionally treated in a hospital and he survived the flight only by lying down and in great pain. While his medical record notes he would need a further medical consultation in order to remove the stitches and, later on, the internal treatment, it is doubtful whether this will be possible for him in Afghanistan.

Again, in principle, the authorities are obliged to allow a doctor on the spot check whether those being deported are fit to travel. However, the Commissions findings suggest that there were no independent local physicians on hand and that the areas used for the medical examination were inadequately equipped.

The conditions are said to be not conducive to establishing a proper patient-doctor relationship. The police assigned to the returnees (up to three officers per person!) were present throughout the medical examinations, and the doctors were employees of the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF). The medical examination took place in two areas within the departure hall, which were visually separated from the view of other persons by temporary partition panels. The areas were inadequately equipped: they contained no examination bed or wash basin and only had a chair and a high desk.

It is clear from the report that the deportation practice of the BAMF and the German government is in direct contradiction to United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) guidelines. In particular, UNHCR considers that, given the current security, human rights and humanitarian situation, the possibility for persecuted groups of persons to move to another safe region within Afghanistan (i.e., an internal flight alternative) is generally not available in Kabul.

However, the anti-torture experts are not concerned with condemning the deportations themselves. As they write, the main purpose of their visit was to examine the treatment of foreign nationals during a removal operation by air. Their report is sympathetic and full of understanding for the difficult situation of the German government and the authorities and police. It is extremely reserved and written in an almost servile tone.

The reports authors emphasize several times that the cooperation of the Federal Police and the German authorities was excellent and that the police had treated the returnee professionally and respectfully. Improvements are urged only in very gentle, weak expressions, In a more general perspective, it would be desirable..., etc.

Nowhere does this Anti-Torture Commission use the term torture to refer to processes such as impairing breathing or squeezing the genitals. Nevertheless, the report fills every reader with horror.

The Sozialistische Gleichheitspartei (Socialist Equality Party, SGP) rejects this shameful treatment of refugees with disgust. It concerns people who have come to Germany because they are seeking protection from war and persecution, the products, above all, of Great Power intervention. The methods used today against refugees and immigrants will be used tomorrow against all workers.

The SGP demands the end to deportations and the closure of all deportation and detention centres. In its manifesto for the European electionsAgainst nationalism and war! For socialism!the SGP explains, We defend the right to asylum and the right of all workers to live and work in the country of their choice. The working class cannot allow itself to be divided. To defend their own rights, workers must show solidarity with refugees and carry out a common struggle against exploitation and war.
On May 1, the US Department of Defense sent a letter to the European Union warning that plans for an independent EU army could lead to a collapse in the NATO alliance between the United States and the EU powers. The letter, sent by the US undersecretaries for defense Ellen Lord and Andrea Thompson to EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini, was leaked to the Spanish daily El Pais.

El Pais reported on it on May 13, as US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo arrived uninvited at a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels to demand EU support for US war moves against Iran.

The United States is deeply concerned by the approval of rules for the European Defense Fund and the general conditions of PESCO, the letter states, referring to the EU armys technical name, the Permanent Structured Cooperation. The EU army, the letter added, is leading to a dramatic step back in three decades of growing integration of the trans-Atlantic defense industry. It warned of the danger of unnecessary competition between NATO and the EU.

The very harsh letter, El Pais reported, is full of more or less veiled threats of possible political or commercial retaliation if Brussels maintains its intentions to develop European weapons projects without consulting with outside countries, like the United States.

The Pentagon letter objects to provisions in the European Defense Fund mandating that European firms control the technology employed in European weapons systems, and threatens to take similar measures to exclude European firms from Pentagon weapons contracts. It states, It is clear that similar reciprocally imposed US restrictions would not be welcomed by our European partners and allies, and we would not relish having to consider them in the future.

Referring to the conflicts that erupted when European powers led by Berlin and Paris opposed the illegal 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq, the letter states that the current EU plans could not only hurt the constructive relationship between NATO and the EU, but could also potentially revive the tense discussions that dominated our contacts 15 years ago on European defense initiatives.

The seriousness with which threats of a breakdown of the US-European alliance are taken in ruling circles in Europe was reflected in the publication this week of a study by the International Institute of Strategic Studies (IISS) think tank in London. The report, titled Defending Europe: scenario-based capability requirements for NATOs European members, estimated the costs to Europe to rebuild NATOs military capacity if the United States abandoned the alliance. The document called for a massive $110 billion naval build-up and $357 billion to prepare for war with Russia.

The publication of these documents point to the advanced state of collapse of alliances and arrangements that have governed the international relations of world capitalism for decades. It puts paid to the European imperialist powers attempts to present their plans for a major escalation of their military spending and operations as a supplement intended to aid NATO. The Pentagon views these plans as a threat to develop the EU as a rival to the US-led NATO alliance, founded in 1949 after two world wars between the United States and Germany.

The strategic aims underlying the deployment of US warships and troops for war with Iran, which Washington is justifying with unsubstantiated and non-credible allegations of an Iranian military threat to the United States, go well beyond that oil-rich region. Washington in engaged in a ferocious military campaign not only to defend its fading military hegemony in the Middle East and Eurasia. One of its main aims is to stamp out the danger of a potential challenge from its great power rivals, including its nominal European allies.

The massive military build-up underway in Europe, as the EU powers pour billions of euros into their militaries and wage bloody wars of plunder such as the Franco-German occupation of Mali, underscore the class nature of these conflicts. They are bitter struggles between rival imperialist powers over the spoils to be obtained from the world economy, amid growing working class opposition to war and the austerity measures used to finance the military build-ups.

Washington viewed the temporary alliance between Berlin, Paris and Moscow at the UN in opposition to the illegal 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq, justified by lies about non-existent Iraqi weapons of mass destruction (WMD), as a serious threat. Now that Brexit has deprived London of its ability to veto plans for an EU army on Washingtons behalf, these conflicts have vastly escalated. Under cover of an agreement of all the NATO powers to boost military spending to 2 percent of gross domestic product, strategic and commercial rivalries continue to rise between Washington and the EU powers.

On May 13, US Senators Ted Cruz and Jeanne Shaheen introduced bipartisan legislation to sanction European and Russian firms working on the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline linking Russia and Germany. Using against Europe methods Washington previously used to target Iran and Russia, the bill would ban travel and financial transactions involving employees and physical assets of firms building the pipeline, which Trump denounced last year. Firms targeted could include Germanys BASF, British-Dutch Royal Dutch Shell, and Frances ENGIE.

Tensions are growing as well over EU relations with China, after Italy formally signed in March a memorandum of understanding endorsing Beijings Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), a vast Eurasian infrastructure plan, over US objections. Since then, Washington has threatened Germany and Britain with a suspension of intelligence cooperation for allowing the Chinese firm Huawei to participate in building their telecommunications network.

Bitter conflict has above all been provoked by the US campaign against Iran since the Trump administration withdrew from the 2015 Iran nuclear treaty and reimposed US sanctions, which cut across multi-billion-dollar deals signed in Iran by European oil and industrial firms.

Last week, after visiting Britain to demand Londons support for Washington against Iran, Pompeo abruptly cancelled a visit to Berlin, citing pressing issues, and flying to Baghdad instead. There, he promoted US oil deals and demanded that the Iraqi puppet state set up after the 2003 war protect US interests from alleged Iranian threats. Germanys Suddeutsche Zeitung wrote on Pompeos snub to Berlin that much of that which for a long time was lauded as the German-American friendship now lies in pieces.

Similarly, French President Emmanuel Macron complained of the US torpedoing of the Iranian nuclear deal. At an EU summit last week in Romania, Macron said, Firstly, Iran did not withdraw from this deal. Secondly, if Iran withdraws from this deal, it will be the responsibility of the United States.

And yesterday, Spain withdrew its frigate Mendez Nunez from the US-led naval battle group anchored by the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln, which is sailing to the Persian Gulf to threaten Iran. Spanish Defense Minister Margarita Robles blandly stated: If the North American government intends for the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln to go to a certain zone for a certain mission that it never agreed with Spain, we are provisionally leaving the battle group.

Despite taking a move indicating real fears that the naval battle group will launch military action against Iran, Madrid sought to downplay the decision and mask its significance to the public. Spanish Foreign Minister Josep Borrell said there had been no formal complaint from Madrid to Washington over this event, adding, It is not something to get too worked up about.
Following the abortive coup by self-proclaimed interim president Juan Guaido, a tense standoff has unfolded at the Venezuelan embassy in Washington DC. For over a month, protesters hostile to the illegal US regime change operation in Venezuela have defended the embassy from being taken over by pro-Guaido forces.

The protesters, who call themselves the Embassy Protection Collective, indicate that they were invited by the elected Venezuelan government of Nicolas Maduro. The demonstrators have worked to keep the building occupied around the clock, sleeping on couches or on the floor throughout the night. A rival encampment set up by pro-Guaido demonstrators outside the embassy has taken control of most entrances and prevented food, water, and other supplies from reaching those inside.

The remaining protesters inside the Venezuelan embassy

At the height of the occupation, some 50 protesters lived inside the embassy. Now, only a handful remain as repressive measures against the occupants have intensified. Last Wednesday, the utility company Pepco shut off the buildings electricity, even though the bill had been paid until the end of the month. Water was also shut off inside the embassy last weekend.

A WSWS reporting team traveled to the embassy to speak to individuals occupying the building.

When the water and electricity were cut off, the police department began turning away supporters trying to enter the embassy, including people seeking to bring food and water. Several people were arrested, said one protester who wished to remain anonymous. One woman was arrested for throwing a missile, which was a loaf of bread through a window. Another person delivered food to the embassy doorstep and police came and threw it all in a dumpster.

Speaking of the complicity of the US government, he said, I was there about two weeks ago, when there were about 30 people staying in the embassy. After several weeks of occupying the embassy, supporters of the Venezuelan opposition led by Guaido arrived. They were hostile, aggressive, violent even. The US Secret Service set up barricades and opposition supporters were given prominent places to protest in front of the embassy where pro-Maduro supporters had been.

Paki Wieland, who had been inside the embassy until a few days prior, told the WSWS, The police were supporting the Guaido people. Two Guaido supporters broke into the embassy and when we called the police to remove them they were not arrested. We have camera footage of the Washington DC metro police fraternizing with the opposition supporters.

On Monday, DC police posted an eviction notice at the embassy doors. While many feared that this was the first step toward a forcible removal, police eventually left the embassy after speaking to demonstrators inside. [Guaido-appointed] Ambassadors Vecchio and [Gustavo] Tarre have requested and directed anyone who is present on this property to depart from it immediately, and to not return without these ambassadors express authorization, stated the eviction letter.

Outside the Venezuela embassy

One protester told the WSWS, the lawyer who is staying at the embassy in solidarity with the protesters said that the warrant, which could have been printed on anybodys home computer, was laughable and could not be honored.

On Saturday, Guaido instructed Vecchio to open direct communications with the US aimed towards a possible military coordination in Venezuela. Vecchio is scheduled to hold a meeting with the US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) this weekend to plan how to restore democracyimperialist code for conducting a bloody operation to bring a far-right government to power. On May 9, SOUTHCOM tweeted their willingness to provide support to members of the Venezuelan armed forces that took the correct decision.

The protesters occupying the Venezuelan embassy are aware that its capture would lead to a further ratcheting of tensions. One protester told the WSWS, The people inside the DC embassy are also mindful of the fact that if representatives of the illegitimate Guaido are allowed to take over the embassy, the Maduro government could very well do the same thing to the United States embassy in Caracas, which would potentially ramp up the threat of war.

Paki said, The saber-rattlers in Washington are so geared up for a war, they have sanctions in place, which are a form of economic war. Who benefits from this? Not the Venezuelan people. The oil corporations that want to take the oil do, she said. Its like a parallel to the 2003 Iraq war: bad dictator, build up to war, with the media promoting it. What I want to know is what leverage the US has used to convince the governments that have recognized Guaido to do so. Also, what deals have the multi-national corporations struck with them?

Several demonstrators spoke in defense of Julian Assange, who was himself trapped in an embassy for over seven years for opposing the wars of the US government.

Carlos told the WSWS, I dont agree with [Assanges] extradition to the US. It is an attack not only on Assange but on a free press globally. It is the same principle as with Venezuela. You cant defend US imperialism or Assanges extradition to the United States.

DC police at the embassy

Prince said, Assange is a journalist. Wikileaks is journalism. I am worried about him being steamrolled. I fundamentally agree that it is necessary to protect his rights. There is tremendous hypocrisy by the New York Times. They reported based on what he did, won awards from it, and then they turn around and condemn him.

Paki thanked the WSWS for its opposition to the US-war drive in Venezuela, even though the WSWS does not characterize the current Venezuelan government as socialist. Paki said, We need people like you to report this situation and tell the truth. This is imperialist hypocrisy. It is up to us [in the US] to see that there are limits to it and that this must be stopped.
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Transitioning to the real world is an exciting time for many high school graduates, but it can be an uncertain time for families with disabled children who age-out of support systems theyve grown up with.

A panel of experts in social services for the disabled met at Berlin High School on Wednesday, May 8 to give some guidance to those who are navigating  or who are preparing to navigate  this potenially fraught time.

Berlin Director of Special Education Linda Holian told attendees that its important to start planning for their childrens future as early as possible, noting that many parents in the audience were there for children still in elementary school.

Colleen Masse, a special needs planning attorney with Czepiga Daly Pope & Perri, said fire drill planning is best avoided, using the example of a family trying its best to help their child by saving every dollar for them only to have those assets counted against them when applying for benefits.

They've taken all the holiday gifts and all the birthday gifts and they've got it all in an account because they're saving up for their child. Then their child turns 18 and they've got $10,000 in the bank. They've done such a great job. But they're not eligible for anything because they have $10,000 of assets," she said.

Nancy Ansman, a case manager with the Department of Developmental Services, provided some details on what certain programs require and how the requirements change as a child reaches adulthood.

Drawing on his own experience as a father to a child with down syndrome, Walter Glomb, executive director of the Connecticut Council on Developmental Disabilities, said some of the most important advice he can give a parent is to find experts who can help find little-known programs or fill out time-consuming applications.

Glomb singled out the benefits counselors at the Department of Rehabilitation Services or municipal social services departments as being particularly helpful. They'll sit at their computer and you give them your name and social security number; they've got you on their screen. In 15 minutes they can do stuff, he said.

Sydney Elkin, retired probate judge of West Hartford, said the courts can also be a source of guidance, particularly when it comes to issues of guardianship or conservatorship.

Elkins said that oftentimes parents are urged to seek conservatorship over a disabled child as they approach adulthood, but stressed that thats not the answer for every family.

"It's a balancing act. You're trying to do the best you can under certain circumstances. You don't want to leave adult children who have moderate to severe disabilities hanging in the wind," he said.

Another program attendee, Sally Scheyd, said keeping track of changes in the law, and all the programs available and what they require is a job in and of itself.

Scheyd said she was particularly interested in information about the MedConnect program, which allows disabled individuals to qualify for state health insurance benefits while working. Youre advocating for you child since you find out they have a disability, she said. Youre not given the information, you have to seek out the information, which you dont even know sometimes.

Glomb said he hoped parents would walk away from the forum feeling inspired to push for greater funding for the programs they learned about.

"The amount in that budget is determined by the legislature. They're working on those numbers right now. The appropriation committee just put out their budgets last week on what they expect to have available for the next year," he said. There are lots of organizations around who are down at the capitol organizing folks like you ... there's nothing like having you guys at the capitol in appropriations hearings to make the legislators understand that this money needs to be appropriated.

dleithyessian@record-journal.com

203-317-2317

Twitter: @leith_yessian
Wolf killing prompts call for outfitting permit revocation

Wolf killing prompts call for outfitting permit revocation

JACKSON (WNE)  Animal rights attorneys upset that a wolf was poached in Grand Teton National Park are arguing that a Kelly hunting outfitters permit to guide clients should be revoked.

Humane Society of the United States Managing Attorney Leana Stormont formally requested in a May 9 letter to the Wyoming State Board of Outfitters and Professional Guides that Gros Ventre Wilderness Outfitters owner Brian Taylor lose his license.

First, by illegally killing a wolf in a protected national park, Taylor demonstrated a glaring inability to accurately determine his location and consequently the ownership of the land area in which he and his wife were hunting, Stormont wrote in the letter. Further, it is worth noting that when park rangers were interviewing Taylor, he admitted he was not even aware that it was unlawful to retrieve the illegally killed wolf by dragging the animals body through the national park.

Such woeful ignorance of the law, she wrote, makes it impossible for Taylor, as a licensed outfitter, to uphold the law for himself and for the nonresident hunters who hire him as an outfitter.

Taylor, who could not be reached for this story, is also a board member on the Wyoming Outfitters and Guides Association, an advocacy group. As of early April he had retained his position on the associations board, President Sy Gilliland said, though his standing could hinge on the Board of Outfitters and Professional Guides determination. Thats the subdivision of Wyoming state government that permits hunting outfitters to operate.

The Board of Outfitters and Professional Guides administrator, Amanda McKee, said she received the Humane Societys letter, and in return sent a letter saying that Taylors file was open and the infraction would be reviewed by a committee.



Man accused in overdose death to change plea

GILLETTE (WNE)  The man accused of giving a fatal dose of heroin to a friend and then moving her body to cover up the death will change his plea in the case.

Jacob Walley Wallentine, 27, had been scheduled for a pre-trial hearing Monday with District Judge Michael N. Nick Deegan, but attorneys filed an intent to change his plea instead. A new hearing date hasnt been scheduled yet.

The pre-trial hearing would have been for three cases: charges of manslaughter, delivery of a controlled substance and disposing of a dead body to conceal a felony in the October death of Tamlyn Delgado, along with two separate cases of felony possession of meth.

There was no indication in the court file what plea he intends to make on the charges.

Wallentines attorney had indicated at his arraignment in February on the charges connected to Delgados death that a plea deal was possible.

Delgado, 27, was found dead Oct. 3 in the drivers seat of her car with a tourniquet around her right arm and a syringe in her lap, according to court documents.

An autopsy showed she died of a recreational drug overdose, but the state Division of Criminal Investigation learned from confidential sources that Wallentine had allegedly staged the death scene to avoid criminal charges.



Rawlins student killed in crash

RAWLINS (WNE)  An 18-year-old Rawlins High School student died in a Saturday night crash in Carbon County that left four others injured.

Around 11:40 p.m., Cody Scott lost control of his vehicle after cresting a hill on Ferris Crossing Road, according to a crash summary from the Wyoming Department of Transportation. The Kia went into a skid and off the road, rolling multiple times.

Scott and a passenger were completely ejected from the vehicle, the summary said, adding that none of the people in the Kia were wearing seat belts.

All five occupants were taken to Memorial Hospital of Carbon County for treatment, where Scott died from his injuries.

The state crash summary says speed is being investigated as a possible contributing factor to the crash.



Chase suspect now faces attempted murder charges

CHEYENNE (WNE)  The Casper man accused of shooting at police officers during a high-speed chase in Cheyenne earlier this month now faces attempted murder charges.

Dominique Childers is facing two counts of attempted first-degree murder after the Laramie County District Attorneys Office amended his aggravated assault charges Friday. Prosecutors also added two more counts of felony property destruction.

Childers is now facing two counts of attempted first-degree murder, one count of felony theft related to a stolen car and four counts of felony property destruction in relation to damage done to Cheyenne Police Department and the Veterans Affairs Medical Center property. Hes also facing misdemeanor charges related to eluding and reckless endangering for driving at excessive speed in Cheyenne while discharging a firearm.

Childers was arrested May 3 after leading the Cheyenne Police Department officers and Wyoming Highway Patrol troopers on a high-speed chase that went through downtown Cheyenne.

He was allegedly driving a stolen 2016 Toyota Camry that reached a maximum speed of 115 mph while trying to avoid being pulled over on the interstate.

Childers drove through downtown Cheyenne at speeds close to 65 mph, according to police reports.

Childers reportedly fired at a trooper several times and shot at a police officer, who returned fire, striking Childers twice. No officers were injured, but the defendant was hospitalized for his injuries.

According to court records, about 4.6 grams of methamphetamine was found on Childers, who also had an outstanding felony arrest warrant from Sterling, Colorado. His passenger, Chasity Jacobs, had a warrant for her arrest from Natrona County.



Lincoln County, Westmoreland strike deal for tax payments

AFTON (WNE)  Lincoln County has moved forward with a tax payment agreement with Westmoreland Mining for the companys Kemmerer based operations. The national company declared bankruptcy in 2018.

Speaking by cell phone Monday, Lincoln County Commissioner Kent Connelly said the LLC company operating the mine wanted to work with Lincoln County for past due taxes, despite a court ruling allowing the company to wait until bankruptcy proceedings were complete.

Westmoreland reached out to us, Commissioner Connelly emphasized. There was a $5 million payment due today, (Monday, May 13, 2019). Westmoreland wants to make it right, as much as possible, without impacting cash flow for the company and this is the agreement we have come to.

Under the agreement and according to a legal notice issued from the county, Westmoreland paid $400,000 on Friday, May 10. At the same time on Friday, a contract was established for an additional $2,253,836.84 to be paid to Lincoln County on Monday, May 13. Commissioner Connelly confirmed the payment had been made in the phone conversation with SVI Media late Monday.

The public notice from the county reported, The additional amount owed will be paid in four monthly installments, in the amount of $563,459.21 each.

Both Lincoln County Attorney Spencer Allred and Commissioner Connelly commended Westmoreland for working with the county on the tax payments.

The bankruptcy could prevent Westmoreland from paying anything, but as a show of good faith, [they] want to enter into an agreement with the county, Allred said.
WORLAND  A premiere two-day workshop for professionals who work with children is coming to Worland, thanks to the efforts of the Washakie County Child Protection Team (CPT), part of the Wyoming Department of Family Services.

Bob Vines, Washakie County Attorneys Office Victim/Witness coordinator and member of the CPT, said It is difficult for people in the Big Horn Basin to get quality...
Opening a Hungarian trade representation and consular office in Houston, the foreign minister noted the significance of Prime Minister Orban and US President Trump's recent talks and said that the meeting gave bilateral ties a "new dimension".

Peter Szijjarto added that the new office was the seventh such representation in the US after Washington, New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Miami.

Donald Trump and Viktor Orban reinforced the two countries political alliance at their meeting, but it is important that those ties are not concentrated in one place, Washington, Szijjarto said, adding that it requires a personal presence.

The minister called business ties between the two countries a success story, and said that the US was Hungarys second largest investor, the second largest trading partner outside the EU as well as Hungarys primary export destination.

He noted that among all American states Texas is the third largest trading partner for Hungary, and most US imports come from Texas. Nineteen Texan companies have invested in Hungary, creating a combined 7,100 new jobs, he said.

Texas has a community of 3,000 Hungarians, for whom the new office will facilitate easier communication with Hungary, Szijjarto said.



MTI Photo: KKM
Ranking broadband speeds in 200 countries across multiple 12-month periods, price comparison service cable.co.uk has generated an overall average speed measurement for the globe and gauged how this number changes over time, penzcentrum.hu reported.

Hungary is ranked ninth in the world with a speed of 34.01 Mbps as measured by cable.co.uk, beaten by only one regional peer, Romania.

Perhaps surprising to some, Hungary is ahead of Germany, and even the United States.

The list is topped by Singapore with its vibrant digital economy and infrastructural development, followed by Sweden in second place, focusing on FTTP (fibre to the premises), and Denmark, which provides extremely fast speeds and excellent future-proofing.

In general, the global average speed is rising quickly, penzcentrum.hu noted.

Photo by Host Sorter
More from the organisers: In the afternoon we will run family programs and you will be able to join a cool joint action. As the evening sets in there will be live concerts by Lashe Shave, noAr and Kistehen, and others.



On May 19th, come to Szabadsag Square /Budapest you will:

 celebrate vote counters, the heroes of the elections

 make a colorful move in the form of a joint action

 meet Hungarys coolest social campaigns and communities

 collect the most powerful mobilizing stuff

 dance and sing with our performers: Lashe Shave, noAr and the Kistehen band, and the evening DJs: Zsiga Bernathy, Manakind and Man+Machine

 greet the inhabitants of Bucharest, Paris, Vienna, Warsaw, Stockholm, Berlin, Frankfurt, Milan and dozens of other cities live



Move Europe! is part of the Citizen Participation Week /Europe Goes Local Program series.



To receive the latest news about the event, register here.



During the week preceding the Move Europe! family day on May 19, the program series titled Citizen Participation Week/Europe Goes Local will take place in more than 30 locations across the country.



The message of the series is that local community spaces are the most important part of the European Union, more important than Kossuth Square or Brussels, as we have to take part in decision-making at the local level.



Further information: www.reszvetel.hu



Event organizers and partners: aHang, Civil College Foundation, Menok, Fonix



Parallel events across Europe:

Austria, Sweden (3 locations), Germany, Romania.



The Citizen Participation Week is one of Hungarys largest civil society event series, with hundreds of organizations and institutions raising awareness of the importance of civic participation and local action through local events.



Date and time:

Sunday from 16:00 - 22:00



Venue:

1054 Budapest Szabadsag ter



Source: Events Facebook page
German carmaker Mercedes-Benzs earlier plans to expand its production base in central Hungary, are not at risk, the companys plant in Kecskemet said.

The plant issued a statement after its headquarters in Stuttgart confirmed to Hungarian news portal index.hu that an earlier announced expansion in Kecskemet had been temporarily suspended.

Orsolya Ludvig, the communications director for the Kecskemet plant, told index.hu that a company may modify its plans. The plant said in its statement that a number of developments are taking place at the base in addition to the expansion.

The plant is operating at full capacity and the production timetable is full for next year, too, considering demand for the compact cars the plant makes is growing, it added.

Market demand, technology trends and industry regulations all impact the way in which automotive industry companies develop, thus Mercedes-Benz regularly reviews its product portfolio and strives to achieve a balanced use of capacity in its international production chain, the plant said.

The factory in Kecskemet is an important link in that production chain, it added. Mercedes-Benz has only had good experiences in Hungary and is building on its investment in Kecskemet for the long term, the plant said.



MTI Photo: Ujvari Sandor
Several recent movies have explored the refugee crisis as a deadly proposition, from the documentary Fire at Sea to Mediterranean, both of which focus on dramatic attempts to cross the ocean on rickety boats. The striking distinction of Mati Diops Atlantics is the way it magnifies the experiences of those left behind. Diops gorgeous, mesmerizing feature directorial debut focuses on the experiences of a young woman named Ada (Mama Sane) stuck in repressive circumstances on the coast of Dakar after her boyfriend vanishes en route to Spain. But its less fixated on his departure with other locals than its impact on Ada, and the community around her, as it contends with the eerie specter of the boys who went away.

An actress and filmmaker whose experimental shorts touch on similar themes, Diops first feature doesnt always fit together from a narrative perspective, but it musters such an absorbing vision of an alienated seaside life that not everything needs to add up for the atmosphere to take hold. Atlantics takes the form of a dazzling ghost story in which everyones haunted by the desire to escape.

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But the movie begins as a more grounded love story, with Ada and Souleiman (Ibrahima Traore) roaming around the beach in carefree fashion, even as the young fisherman seems troubled by something he cant quite express. By the next day, Ada figures it out: Souleiman and some of his peers have escaped to sea, following a route to Spain in a rickety pirogue like so many before them, few of them make it across. That leaves Ada forced to contend with an arranged marriage to Omar (Barbara Sylla), a wealthy immigrant who seems to regard her as little more than a prop. But when the wedding is sabotaged after someone sets Omars mattress on fire, Ada begins to suspect that Souleiman has returned in secret.

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Sowhere is he? Struggling with the emptiness in her life and the traditionalist expectations of her Muslim family, Ada enters into a speculative zone as the movie transforms into a lyrical vision of solitude, with the ubiquitous ocean embodying the entire communitys paradox sitting in their backyard  the portal to entire world stares at them, an expansive blue mirror that suggests potential and peril in equal doses.

This is familiar turf for the director, whose short of the same name revolved around men sharing stories of their dramatic trips across the wave, as they discussed the allure of escape in near-spiritual terms. Beyond that  and a fleeting image of the vast ocean glimpsed from above  the feature-length Atlantics applies this notion to more traditional narrative beats, at least at first. As a local detective (Ibrahima Mbaye) begins tracking Ada around town in an attempt to solve the mystery of the blaze, Atlantics seems as though its heading into noir territory.

Then it careens into a far more enticing labyrinth of enigmatic developments, including the possession of several local women by men who died at sea. Though it never becomes a horror movie, this ominous twist transforms the movie into dark poetry that exhumes the psychological duress experienced by Ada and the other women left behind by giving it a literal dimension. Its an ambitious device that manages to inject the drama with an otherworldly urgency.

Diop is a disciple of Claire Denis (as an actress, she appeared in Denis 35 Shots of Rum), and clearly aspires to the visual language at the heart of Denis talents. Atlantics is based in snippets of lonely vistas and dreamlike exchanges loaded with emotional ramifications. Cinematographer Claire Mathon (Stranger By the Lake) bathes scenes in heavy shadows and neon-blue hues that intensify the movies gripping atmosphere as Ada comes to terms with her missing partner and develops a new kind of empowerment with the women around her.

With so much extraordinary imagery at every turn, Atlantics doesnt always fuse its disparate ingredients into a gratifying narrative whole. The detectives investigation has a forced quality at odds with the more introspective moments surrounding it, and Atlantics falls short of finding the payoff that its puzzle of a story hints at from the start. Instead, Diop lingers in a complex mood with the confidence of a purely cinematic storyteller.

As it ventures further along its spellbinding path, Atlantics remains a deeply romantic work that magnetized the fears of people trapped by their surroundings and striving for the companionship that can rescue them from despair. It doesnt quite let them get there, but Diop doesnt strike a hopeless tone the whole way through. Ultimately, Atlantics shows how that even these bleak circumstances can have empowering ramifications for the women trapped by the shore, and why its a portal to a better life even if they stay put.

Grade: B+

Atlantics premiered in Official Competition at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival. It is currently seeking distribution.

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One of the worst fears Game of Thrones fans had going into the final seasons third episode, The Long Night, was that the Army of the Dead attacking Winterfell would include the resurrected zombie versions of such beloved characters as Kristian Nairns Hodor. While the writers fortunately did not go down that painful route, they did once discuss the potential for beloved dead characters to return as white walkers. Vanity Fair has published exclusive storyboards from the shows main storyboard artist, William Simpson, that reveal there was a plan at some point in early development to revive dead characters and have them join the Army of the Dead.

Per Simpsons art, the seventh season premiere Dragonstone was originally set to feature the zombie version of the dead wildling Karsi (Birgitte Hjort Srensen). The character became a fan favorite after her appearance in the battle episode Hardhome, which ended with the Night King resurrecting her as a white walker. Karsi was not seen again, but the show clearly planned to feature her in her undead state when in Dragonstone Bran has a vision of the Army of the Dead walking towards the Wall. The storyboard reveals that white walker giants were also going to be revealed in the same scene, although the show wisely didnt go through with the plan and saved the undead giant reveal for The Last Night.

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As reported by Vanity Fair, The showrunners evidently considered including not only Karsi, but also Kristian Nairns Hodor and more to pepper the Army of the Dead. Hodor is one of the most beloved characters in the Thrones universe and died in the fifth episode of Season 6 after he was viciously attacked by a horde of white walkers. The circumstance of Hodors death made it obvious he would be resurrected at some point but the show never provided an answer. Hodors fate remains unknown, at least as far as the HBO series is concerned.

The majority of Simpsons artwork will be featured in the upcoming book, Game of Thrones: The Storyboards. The behind-the-scenes compilation will be available for purchase May 28, a few weeks after Thrones signs off HBO for good. Other books being released to mark the end of the series include Game of Thrones: The Costumes by Michele Clapton, The Art of Game of Thrones, and The Photography of Game of Thrones by photographer Helen Sloan.

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The capricious ocean is a recurrent, mesmerizing image in Mati Diops feature debut Atlantics, but given its perfidious connotations for the people of Senegal, whove lost so many souls to its depths, the director ensures the rolling waves remain hypnotic rather than beautiful. Its the right decision for this romantic and melancholy film, more apt than some of the flawed narrative choices that frustrate though dont compromise the atmosphere of loss and female solidarity in the story of a young woman whose love has died at sea. Part social commentary, part ghost tale, Atlantics will get a major boost from its Cannes competition slot and could see strong international sales.

While better known as an actress, Diops been steadily making a mark for herself as a director with shorts and the poetic medium-length A Thousand Suns, most of which deal with the complex relationship Senegalese men and women have with their home country. Atlantics is no exception, picking up on issues the director broached in her 2009 short Atlantiques, but rather than continuing to focus on the story of a man who tried to escape economic hardship via a treacherous ocean journey to Spain, she shifts to the women who remain behind. The result offers mixed levels of satisfaction, most successful in capturing the protagonists leap into adulthood and her increasing reliance on the forthright, independent-minded women around her.

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A giant, incongruous Dubai-style tower (nicely computer generated) is near completion on the outskirts of Dakar, built thanks to the backbreaking labor of locals whove not been paid for months. Souleiman (Ibrahima Traore) and his coworkers are fed up, and after work, when he meets his love Ada (Mama Sane), hes clearly holding back from telling her something important. Convinced theyll be seeing each other later that evening, Ada tells him to wait, and instead visits her conservative-minded friend Mariama (Mariama Gassama), who berates her for entertaining thoughts of Souleiman when shes about to be married to well-to-do Omar (Babacar Sylla). Later that evening, Ada sneaks out of her family home and heads to a beachside nightclub, where her friends are in despair: A group of young men, including Souleiman, have just set out for Spain in an open boat, tempting fate like so many others in the hopes of earning a living in Europe.

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Adas illicit relationship with Souleiman makes it impossible to acknowledge her grief publicly, though she cant disguise her disinterest in Omar (their pairing is a major weak plot point given that Diop doesnt bother to explain why the grooms parents would want to align themselves with Adas less economically privileged family). At the wedding, preceded by a captivating scene of female guests arriving at night, their celebratory singing clashing with composer Fatima Al Qadiris markedly warped chords, Mariama tells the clearly depressed Ada that shes seen Souleiman among the crowd; shortly after, while the party is still in swing, the bridal bed is set on fire by an unknown arsonist.

Young investigator Issa (Amadou Mbow) is assigned the case and cracks down hard on Ada, convinced that Souleiman was responsible. The young woman tells him it cant be true, that Souleiman was either at sea or in Spain, but Issa keeps pushing despite a mysterious illness that threatens to put him out of action. Curiously, many of Ada and Diors friends are also feverish, the cause soon made clear when the sick women are seen, milky-eyed, descending on the house of corrupt entrepreneur Mr. NDiaye (Diankou Sembene), the man who failed to pay his workers their wages.

Audiences will be divided as to whether Diop makes a bold or easy choice by moving into ghost territory as the souls of the men drowned at sea possess these womens bodies long enough to demand their back-pay. On the one hand, it gives those left behind a supernatural sense of agency, augmenting the strong-willed streak of independence they exhibited earlier in stark contrast to the hijab-wearing conformist Mariama (its a pity Diop didnt include a hijab-wearing friend among the independent group as well). However, the device also feels a little pat and has difficulty balancing a certain chilling creepiness with a satisfying sense of catharsis. More problematic is the scripts uncertain handling of Issa, conceptually ill-formed and whose position as the only male to become similarly possessed seems designed largely to avoid any same-sex awkwardness towards the end.

After several films and documentaries looking at Senegalese men who make the dangerous Atlantic voyage as refugees (including Moussa Toures The Pirogue), its refreshing to focus on the women left behind, facing lives of painful emotional, not to mention financial, interruption. Diop and co-writer Olivier Demangel work in just enough of the countrys disparate hierarchies to give a greater sense of social context, though Atlantics works best as a romance film given how quickly viewers feel invested in the palpable emotional ties between Ada and Souleiman. A fine director of actors, Diop skillfully selected and guided her largely non-professional cast, drawing out believable three-dimensional performances graced by inner radiance.

The visual palette is largely muted, the oceanfront robed in a hazy light while many other scenes are shot at night, a time when the balance between freedom and danger adds to the inherent tension. The latter quality is further brought out by Fatima Al Qadiris dexterous score, adept at underlining states of mind and melding dissonant strains in appropriately low-key ways.

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Over 240 acts and 450,000 attendees from 100 countries will converge at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway this weekend for Insomniacs 23rd Electric Daisy Carnival, the largest such festival in North America.

A dusk-til-dawn multi-stage music festival, EDC makes money (over $2 billion in economic impact for Las Vegas since 2011) and makes fans happy.

But in a time when streaming services are an increasingly large piece of music industry revenue, hip-hop is the dominant genre in youth culture, and the pop-EDM acts like The Chainsmokers, Zedd, and Marshmello dont speak to a large part of this devoted audience (and arent on the lineup) where does the single genre dance music festival stand?

Also Read: Idris Elba Set to Expand DJ Career at EDC Las Vegas 2019

Before the lasers and confetti cannons go off in Las Vegas, here are the lessons weve already learned that can be exported to the larger music and media industries.

1. Promoters that know their audience can sell a lot of tickets and grow, even as subculture

EDC Las Vegas Fan Arrivals

It is a risky proposition to put festival tickets on sale six months before revealing the lineup, which Insomniac did. Yet, they sold out more general admission tickets (approximately 128,000) and did it quicker than last year. Its notable for the year-over-year growth as hip-hop surged forward as the undisputed prime mover of youth culture. Coachella, which released extra tickets for the second weekend with Kanye Wests Sunday Service, did not sell out.

2. Theres a significant opportunity to promote female producers and artists

Lisbona Sisters DJs

Although the festival audience is split evenly between male and female, the on-stage representation is nowhere close. Last year, with 15 female artists out of about 250 performers, it represented the largest showing to date. (That 15 included a booking fluke  an unknown teenager scheduled for an early main stage spot.) The audience is there for women artists. What label, management company, or entrepreneur is going to put as much effort in to filling this void as others did developing Blackpink? Calling Michelle Pesce, Ana Calderon, and L.A.s Woman collective.

Story continues

Its hard to pinpoint where the breakdown in the supply chain comes from. Insomniac recruits artists from all over the world and in local scenes in the U.S., the gender mix (anecdotally) feels more balanced. Lisbona Sisters (above), Charlotte de Witte, and Amelie Lens are three acts on this bill to keep an eye on.

Also Read: WGA Study Finds Women Make Up Less Than One-Fourth of All TV Showrunners

3. The festival winners are boulders rolling downhill

EDC Las Vegas Fans

As the U.S. festival landscape contracts, recent developments fortify and ratify the two dominant players  Live Nation and AEG  as the establishment winners. In their shadow, the original U.S. festival brand (Woodstock) couldnt even get to an on-sale date this summer before a cancelation announcement.

Insomniac entered a partnership with Live Nation in 2013. Since then, international versions have sprung up in Mexico, India, Japan, and a new EDC Korea this Labor Day weekend. EDCs main competitor, Ultra Music Festival in Miami, had a logistically-disastrous outing in March and just announced it is on the hunt for a new home. Caution, the leaders are pulling away.

4. The Death of Genre is real

EDC Totem: Is this Techno?

One of the all-time great totems. (Created/photograph by reddit user: /u/joshypoo13)

Both the New Yorker and Voxs Switched on Pop podcast have recently chronicled the death of (music) genres in recent weeks, citing the rap-country breakout Old Town Road, body-positive energy blast Lizzo, and the surprising cross-playlist success of home-schooled Billie Eilish. While all electronic music may sound like oontz oontz to the uncalibrated ear, dont tell that to the headliners (fans of EDC). The only thing 238 artists playing here have in common is that none of them have DJ in their name. (There are only 2 DJs out of 240 performers.)

The topic of genre blur leads us to hip-hop at the rave 

5. A$AP Rocky illustrates the death of genre

ASAP Rocky, Laura Dern, Gwendoline Christie

A$AP Rocky, Laura Dern, and Gwendoline Christie/ (Getty Images)

The Good for You rapper popped up out of nowhere with Australian psychedelic band Tame Impala during their headlining set at Coachella last month. Above, he sits front row at a fashion show with Laura Dern and Gwendoline Christie. Now, hes commanding one of the most prime bookings available: 1 a.m. on Saturday night on the multi-media Cosmic Meadow stage. This timeslot leads in to a massive fireworks show that envelopes the performances closing moments. More familiar faces like Illenium and Porter Robinson have previously occupied this choice real estate.

6. The bizarre collaborations are now the new normal

Bill Nye, Pasquale Rotella

Nye and Insomniac founder Pasquale Rotella. (Insomniac)

Dont dismiss Bill Nye the Science Guy hosting the opening ceremony as a pure stunt booking.

Perfectly synchronized beats replicated with studio quality sound at aircraft carrier decibel levels is the pulse of dance music, but also the ultimate convergence of science and sound. Add in large-scale stage production (hauled in by 500 semi trucks) and this festival is arguably an engineering exhibit masquerading as a carnival. So, Nye is actually playing in his own lane. Also, he may be a closeted fan. Last year at a difference festival, Nye produced a cold open video message for a set by Dillon Francis.

7. Festivals still need to sell a non-musical signature

EDC Fireworks 2016

From Lollapaloozas skyscraper backdrop to Bonaroos late-night sets, the successful festivals all have their signature iconography. Here at EDC, its the fireworks. For 10 minutes in the middle of the night, there are 11,600 blasts that span across 1,200 acres of stages, art cars, and rides. The festivals nickname under the electric sky is well earned.

8. Its not just for kids

Silk City Diplo/Mark Ronson

Diplo and Mark Ronson: Before they won a Grammy as Silk City they debuted their project with a surprise artcar performance at 4 a.m. at EDC in 2018. (Instagram/nader-kheirbek)

The average age at the Electric Daisy Carnival is 28. As an 18-and-over festival, it may be hard to see any nods from the time before Nirvana through the sea of very spirited, very costumed, and often emotional Gen-Z fans (especially the trance family).

Yet, theres an undercurrent of discerning clientele here. In parallel to the campgrounds and carnival food, there is helicopter transportation, elevated skydeck bottle service tables, rockstars and mainstream celebrities undercover as guests, VIP risers, and echoes of Hollywood glamour in the most unlikely places: As a former professional party goer, I can attest that the VIP bathrooms here are the same bathroom trailers Im familiar with from the Elton John Oscar Party.

9. Livestream rights are an increasingly significant piece of business for content creators and distributors

EDC 2019 Livestream

EDC 2019 Livestream

A year ago, Beyonces Coachella performance broke livestream records. That Homecoming legend has grown since, with the Netflix documentary, merchandise, and Goldenvoice regurgitating her pyramid set pieces to the fields a year later as instant historical artifacts. People lined up to take pictures. Then this year, YouTube more than doubled the view count to 86 million without her. At YouTubes recent upfront, they touted their rights deal for Lollapalooza alongside shows with Kevin Hart.

Now, if a festival isnt streamed, its automatically second tier. Insomniac has cultivated this space aggressively, streaming more local festivals like HARD Summer and regional ones like EDC Orlando. This weekend, Insomniac and LivexLive will produce four simultaneous channels, show full sets, and start two hours earlier than before.

Also Read: Justin Bieber Partners With YouTube for Project Launching in 2020

10. Location matters

EDC Parade 2016

Even Fyre fraudster Billy McFarland knew this when he touted an exotic island once owned by Pablo Escobar. Only in Vegas would the mayor proclaim a week long celebration for this.

Read original story EDC 2019 Preview: 10 Ways the Vegas Fest Reflects Electronic Musics Current State At TheWrap
Breaking Black is a weekly column focused on emerging black talent.

Girls Trip screenwriter Tracy Y. Oliver got a career by getting mad. Before she became the co-star, writer, and producer on fellow Stanford University alum Issa Raes web series The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl, she watched the 2009 ensemble rom-com Hes Just Not That Into You starring Ginnifer Goodwin, Jennifer Aniston, Jennifer Connelly and Scarlett Johansson. The film was set in Baltimore, which has a population that is 64% black and 30% white.

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That let to a spec script: Marriage Is for White People. She said she wrote it in jest, but it stemmed from a very real response. It had an all-white cast, which made little sense to me, she said. Baltimore is very black, and it felt like an aggressive erasure of people of color. So instead of just being upset about it, I thought, let me write my own ensemble version but will be all people of color.

Since then, Oliver became the first African American woman to write a feature (with co-writer Kenya Barris) that grossed over $100 million domestic with Girls Trip. The films critical and commercial success led to a first-look deal with Topic Studios, and a work calendar that includes a serial adaptation of the 1996 dramedy The First Wives Club, a Clueless remake, and the adaptation of The Sun Is Also a Star, which Warner Bros. releases May 17.

Directed by Ry Russo-Young, and starring Grown-ishs Yara Shahidi and Riverdales Charles Melton, The Sun Is Also a Star marks Olivers first solo feature writing credit, and her second studio release this year, following Universals Little, which she co-wrote with director Tina Gordon.

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Oliver said that while her spec script got Hollywoods attention, she was dismayed to learn that her message seemed to lose something in translation. It helped get me a reputation, although what I discovered from all the meetings I took is that if I wanted to advance, at least at the time, I had to write something white, Oliver said. That was really disheartening because one of the reasons I wanted to even do this was because I wanted to see myself and people I knew, reflected on screen.

That led to the creation of Awkward Black Girl, which later became the precursor to HBOs Insecure. We werent making any money from it, because all of the money being made was reinvested back into the show, Oliver said. So I had to get a real job to be able to do other things that I hoped in the long run would pan out.

Eventually, Marriage Is for White People made its way to Dan Fogelman (This Is Us), with whom Oliver shared a manager at the time. He read it, thought it was hilarious, and then met with me and said that we should figure out a way to work on something, she said. And as soon as Neighbors went to series, he made good on that and hired me.

The short-lived ABC comedy-science fiction series (2012-2014) marked the USC Peter Stark Producing Program graduates first big break. What Dan did for me, honestly, was help me stay on my feet, and validate me as a professional writer while I was still doing Awkward Black Girl, she said.

Since then, Oliver has spent a season on the Starz dramedy Survivors Remorse (2014-2015), where she served as story editor and writer, to her first feature film credit, co-writing Barbershop: The Next Cut (2016) with Barris, followed by Girls Trip, and Little.

Oliver appreciates her success as a writer, which she says is the most powerful industry currency in 2019. Even so, she loathes the process that she calls difficult and thankless.

Its already such an isolated, torturous undertaking, and when you throw in having to meet the demands of producers and directors, we need therapists afterward to work through all the stuff thats in our heads, she said. People dont really know what it means to fill up 120 pages with a story that makes sense, and if they did, I think writers would get more respect, especially in the movie space.

For Oliver, this invisibility translates to a lack of power, control, and income when compared to directors, producers, and stars. Weve got to start demanding equity in our projects, because writers are often the only ones that dont get backend, she said. Although Girls Trip grossed $140 million worldwide, she didnt participate in the windfall and took only a small writers fee.

The deeper I become entrenched in this industry, the more I learn about things that really bother me, she said. So that is why, nowadays, if you want me to put myself through what I call hell, I have to produce and/or direct as well.

When she told Warners that she wanted to be an executive producer on The Sun Is Also a Star, she was surprised and delighted to find that there wasnt pushback. Because its a major studio, having an exec producer credit on the film sends a message to others, Oliver said. And after that, I had a moment when I realized that I really have to start asking for what I want, because I think that is a hang up for a lot of women in the industry, especially women of color  demanding our worth. Men do it all the damn time.

Oliver credits her courage partly to a lifelong love of performance. Theres an amount of fearlessness you have to have in order to get in front of an audience of people you dont know, and be totally vulnerable, she said. I was always that kid with the nerve.

She set her sights on New York Universitys theater program, but her parents werent keen on that. Instead, she attended Stanford with a double major in American studies and drama and created the black theater company Black Stage. As a black woman drama student, I was getting tired of the ways in which I was getting cast, so I took this class called Actors Who Write, Writers Who Act, raised money, and started putting on my own shows, she said. And that was the first time that I was forced to write for myself, which was life changing because that was the first time that I realized I didnt have to rely on someone elses version of me. I could create something and cast myself in it.

With producer credits now on her resume, Oliver is now a director on her upcoming serial adaptation of The First Wives Club;she also serves as executive producer and showrunner.

Taking a page out of Ava DuVernays Queen Sugar playbook, Oliver hired an all-woman directing team for the first season, which is set to premiere on BET in the fall. Under her Tracy Yvonne Prods., she plans to continue down this path by providing opportunities for up-and-coming talent of color across all genders.

Meanwhile, shes cautiously optimistic about being a part of an industry undergoing radical change, creating an environment in which women and people of color are thriving unlike never before.

The whole diversity and inclusive push that were seeing right now, I hope its real, although I often have this feeling that next year wont be like this, Oliver said. I can tell you, compared to five years ago, things are definitely different, and were all really excited. But I dont know how it will be next year or the year after.

On her upcoming slate, she plans to make her feature directorial debut by turning her longstanding love for musical theatre into an original musical. You are the first person Ive talked to about it, and its not something Im ready to reveal all the details on, she said. But what I will say is that the protagonist is half Nigerian/half black American, and Im thrilled to be able to work with choreographers and create a whole spectacle on film. Of everything Im working on, Im most excited about it. Fingers crossed, but were talking about making it this year.

If that doesnt happen within her desired timeframe, Oliver is also shopping horror and action scripts that she plans to direct. Just like Im fluid in front of and behind the camera, not relegating myself to one specific role, Im deliberately not restricting myself to any one genre or style, she said. Theres this expectation that as a black woman, I can only write, direct, or star in certain kinds of projects, but, like most people, I like a lot of different things, and I shouldnt be limited in terms of what I can do as a storyteller, especially as a woman of color.

The Sun Is Also a Star opens in theaters May 17.

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Its easy to see why Susan Sarandon returned to the New York stage for the first time in a decade for Happy Talk, the uneven new dramedy that opened Thursday in a New Group production at Off Broadways Pershing Square Signature Center.Jesse Eisenberg has crafted an old-fashioned star vehicle that centers on Sarandons Lorraine, a suburban New Jersey diva with delusions of grandeur about her long list of community-theater credits and a bitchy wit that cuts everyone around her down to size.That list includes her sad sack of a husband (Daniel Oreskes), who quietly battles MS and depression while reading Civil War books (That is such an old man thing to do); her twentysomething daughter (Tedra Millan), who hasnt contacted her parents in months (Shes probably joined a cult, which would at least provide her with some discipline); and Ljuba (Marin Ireland), the undocumented Serbian woman who moved in six months ago to care for Lorraines ailing, bed-bound (and unseen) mother  who was a terror back in the day. (I can understand you because Ive done a lot of accent work.)Also Read: 'Curse of the Starving Class' Theater Review: Maggie Siff as a Mom Who Looks Out Only for HerselfEisenbergs script is often funny, and he gets much mileage out of Lorraines verbal barbs  as well as Ljubas ability to either misdirect her insults or use her employers vanity to her own advantage. But despite the hard work of a talented cast  Ireland in particular seems to be having a blast  director Scott Elliotts production cant overcome the one-dimensionality of the characters, or the creakiness of the plot.Are we really supposed to swallow that Ronny (Nico Santos, Crazy Rich Asians), a show-tune obsessive who is playing Lt. Cable to Lorraines Bloody Mary in a Jewish Community Center revival of South Pacific, would actually agree to a green-card marriage with Ljuba despite having a long-time partner at home? Or that hed just sit by when Lorraine praises the faux couple with racist shade like, It doesnt even look weird that hes Asian?The late and sudden arrival of Lorraines daughter Jenny, a Chomsky-reading vegan rebel who prefers to be called Darby, brings a welcome ballast of reality to the proceedings. In this short, sharply written scene, we come to understand how both Lorraine and her daughter have overcompensated in seeking to avoid becoming their mothers.Also Read: 'Passage' Theater Review: Provocative Drama Asks If the Cultural Divide Can Ever Be BridgedFor Lorraine, enduring her mothers abuse has forced her to spin every slight in a more positive light. Isnt that just so thoughtful of them to leave me out? she says after learning that the South Pacific cast has been meeting for post-rehearsal drinks without her. They know how seriously I take the show and that Id be absolutely horrified if I knew they were all going out and getting fuddled at some cheap dive!And for Jenny, it means recasting her harpy of a grandmother as a heroine who raged against patriarchal bulls  but failing to make any allowances for her own toxic mother.But just as quickly as Jenny/Darby slips through the sliding-glass doors of Derek McLanes suburban-perfect set, shes gone  and were back to Eisenbergs implausible green-card saga and a final-curtain twist that seems extreme and out of character. Bloody Mary deserves better.Read original story Happy Talk Theater Review: Susan Sarandon Plays a Drama Queen in New Jesse Eisenberg Comedy At TheWrap

Its easy to see why Susan Sarandon returned to the New York stage for the first time in a decade for Happy Talk, the uneven new dramedy that opened Thursday in a New Group production at Off Broadways Pershing Square Signature Center.

Jesse Eisenberg has crafted an old-fashioned star vehicle that centers on Sarandons Lorraine, a suburban New Jersey diva with delusions of grandeur about her long list of community-theater credits and a bitchy wit that cuts everyone around her down to size.

That list includes her sad sack of a husband (Daniel Oreskes), who quietly battles MS and depression while reading Civil War books (That is such an old man thing to do); her twentysomething daughter (Tedra Millan), who hasnt contacted her parents in months (Shes probably joined a cult, which would at least provide her with some discipline); and Ljuba (Marin Ireland), the undocumented Serbian woman who moved in six months ago to care for Lorraines ailing, bed-bound (and unseen) mother  who was a terror back in the day. (I can understand you because Ive done a lot of accent work.)

Also Read: 'Curse of the Starving Class' Theater Review: Maggie Siff as a Mom Who Looks Out Only for Herself

Eisenbergs script is often funny, and he gets much mileage out of Lorraines verbal barbs  as well as Ljubas ability to either misdirect her insults or use her employers vanity to her own advantage. But despite the hard work of a talented cast  Ireland in particular seems to be having a blast  director Scott Elliotts production cant overcome the one-dimensionality of the characters, or the creakiness of the plot.

Are we really supposed to swallow that Ronny (Nico Santos, Crazy Rich Asians), a show-tune obsessive who is playing Lt. Cable to Lorraines Bloody Mary in a Jewish Community Center revival of South Pacific, would actually agree to a green-card marriage with Ljuba despite having a long-time partner at home? Or that hed just sit by when Lorraine praises the faux couple with racist shade like, It doesnt even look weird that hes Asian?

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The late and sudden arrival of Lorraines daughter Jenny, a Chomsky-reading vegan rebel who prefers to be called Darby, brings a welcome ballast of reality to the proceedings. In this short, sharply written scene, we come to understand how both Lorraine and her daughter have overcompensated in seeking to avoid becoming their mothers.

Also Read: 'Passage' Theater Review: Provocative Drama Asks If the Cultural Divide Can Ever Be Bridged

For Lorraine, enduring her mothers abuse has forced her to spin every slight in a more positive light. Isnt that just so thoughtful of them to leave me out? she says after learning that the South Pacific cast has been meeting for post-rehearsal drinks without her. They know how seriously I take the show and that Id be absolutely horrified if I knew they were all going out and getting fuddled at some cheap dive!

And for Jenny, it means recasting her harpy of a grandmother as a heroine who raged against patriarchal bulls  but failing to make any allowances for her own toxic mother.

But just as quickly as Jenny/Darby slips through the sliding-glass doors of Derek McLanes suburban-perfect set, shes gone  and were back to Eisenbergs implausible green-card saga and a final-curtain twist that seems extreme and out of character. Bloody Mary deserves better.

Read original story Happy Talk Theater Review: Susan Sarandon Plays a Drama Queen in New Jesse Eisenberg Comedy At TheWrap
Home Health Aide Accused of Being Serial Killer Who Smothered at Least 12 Elderly Women

Police believe that a 47-year-old Dallas man is a serial killer who has smothered at least twelve elderly women.

Billy Chemirmir was arrested last year and charged with murder in the death of an 81-year-old woman. Police were surveilling Chemirmir when they allegedly saw him toss a jewelry box into the trash outside his apartment complex. The box belonged to Lu Thi Harris, who was later found dead inside her apartment. She had been smothered with a pillow.

At the time, officials said that there might be similar cases in the area.

During a press conference in March 2018, Plano police said they would reinvestigate more than 750 unattended senior deaths dating back to at least 2010. Authorities exhumed at least one body of a suspected victim, WFAA reported.

Police now allege Chemirmir is responsible for at least a dozen deaths, and they also accuse him of attempting to kill two other women  but theyre still searching for additional potential victims.

In addition to Harris death, Chemirmir has been indicted in the deaths of six elderly women in Dallas County, and 5 others in nearby Collin County.

According to court documents first obtained by the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Chemirmir would pose as a caregiver before killing and robbing the women. WFAA reports that scrubs were found in Chemirmirs possession.

 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.

Although police documents claim that Chemirmir would sometimes pose as a nurse, the Star-Telegram reports that Chemirmir isnt a licensed nurse anywhere in the United States. ABC News reports he has worked as a home health care aide.

Chemirmir uses health care experience to his advantage targeting and exploiting seniors, some of the most vulnerable people in our community, Plano Police Chief Gregory W. Rushin told reporters in 2018. This is terribly disturbing.

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Chemirmir, a citizen of Kenya, has lived in the Dallas area for more than a decade. PEOPLE confirms that immigration authorities have placed a jail hold on him.

The news has left many family members of the deceased reeling. Ellen House, the daughter of alleged victim Norma French, described Chemirmir to the Star-Telegram as a very bad, very evil man.

Chemirmirs bond has been set at $9.1 million.

He has pleaded not guilty to the charges against him in Harris death, and his case hasnt yet gone to trial.

He has not entered a plea in the new cases. His public defender did not immediately return PEOPLEs call for comment.

Anyone with information is urged to call 972-941-5785.
RTHK: Popular Thai leader to be barred from parliament

Thailand's Election Commission has recommended the leader of major political party opposed to military rule be barred from taking his seat in the soon-to-be-convened parliament because he is accused of violating electoral rules by holding shares in a media company.

The commission announced on Thursday that it judged Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit of the Future Forward party had violated the law and was passing its findings to the Constitutional Court for a ruling.

Future Forward stressed its opposition to military interference in politics ahead of its surprise third place finish in the March 24 general election.

The military-backed Palang Pracharath party is tipped to lead a government formed in the next few weeks and headed by Prayuth Chan-ocha, who has served as prime minister since seizing power in a 2014 army coup. (AP)

This story has been published on: 2019-05-16. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Chinese President Xi Jinping delivers a speech at the Asian culture carnival, a major event of the ongoing Conference on Dialogue of Asian Civilizations, at the National Stadium in Beijing, capital of China, on May 15, 2019. Xi and his wife Peng Liyuan attended the carnival together with foreign guests on Wednesday evening. (Xinhua/Li Xueren)

BEIJING, May 15 (Xinhua) -- Dazzling dance steps and music from different corners of Asia livened up the National Stadium in Beijing Wednesday evening as a grand carnival was held to celebrate the diversity of Asian civilizations.

Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan attended the carnival, a major event of the ongoing Conference on Dialogue of Asian Civilizations, together with foreign guests.

Wang Huning also attended the event.

In a speech to declare the beginning of the carnival, Xi said Asian cultures demonstrate great richness and vitality thanks to the diversity of Asian civilizations.

"Tonight, the colorful flowers of Asian cultures will blossom in full," he said. "Arts will transcend the boundaries of nations, touch people right in the heart and connect their minds, showing to the world a radiant, dynamic, peaceful and progressive Asia."

Chinese people sincerely hope that Asian countries will help each other and work closely together to advance with the rest of the world, he said.

The same stadium, also known as the Bird's Nest, was the stage of the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics Games in 2008.

Around 30,000 audience from home and abroad watched artists from across Asia perform folk dances, play traditional musical instruments or sing popular songs from their homeland.

Upasana Madan, an Indian dancer, said she felt thrilled to be back on a Chinese stage 18 years after a three-week performing tour in China.

"Everyone is coming and sharing their cultures. We see artists from other countries and understand their cultures through their dance and music," she said. "It is beautiful how this program is bringing all these countries together."

Apanaeva Gyuzel, who led a team of Russian artists to attend the carnival, told Xinhua that she and her fellow artists were honored to present Russian culture at the event and carefully chose a dance that could best showcase the characteristics of Russian people.

"The stage, equipped with the latest visual technologies, is very impressive, and the show is so spectacular. We learned a lot and made many friends," she said. "It is indeed a great journey."

The audience was fascinated by the performances and visual effects of the stage, as many stood up, applauded, and waved glow sticks in their hands, singing and swaying with the music.

"This show brings back memories of the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics. I was overwhelmed tonight," said Tang Yuting, a student from a Beijing college. "The conference is a very good opportunity to promote our own culture and to better understand the outside world."

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Former President Jimmy Carter left the hospital Thursday morning a few days after he fell at his home in Plains, Georgia, and had to undergo surgery on his broken hip.

Carter, 94, will continue to recuperate at home, a spokeswoman said Thursday. He will also receive physical therapy but has no plans to miss his regular Sunday school class at the local Maranatha Baptist Church.

In his tenth decade, Carter still regularly teaches classes there and is scheduled to do so throughout the summer, according to the churchs website.

Former First Lady Rosalynn Carter, the presidents wife, has been at his side following his fall and surgery. She was hospitalized overnight after she felt faint, the Carter spokeswoman said, but left with her husband on Thursday after testing and observation.

Both President and Mrs. Carter extend their thanks to the many people who sent well wishes the past few days, their spokeswoman said.

RELATED: Jimmy Carter Recalls First Date with His Wife  and Telling His Mom He Knew Hed Marry Rosalynn

Carter  the oldest living American president, at 94  fell while he was heading out from his home to go turkey hunting, his spokeswoman said earlier this week. He was treated at a nearby hospital in Americus.

In announcing his latest health obstacle, Carter could not resist a light-hearted tone.

President Carter said his main concern is that turkey season ends this week, and he has not reached his limit, his spokeswoman said. He hopes the State of Georgia will allow him to rollover the unused limit to next year.

Carter has been an avid hunter for years. Most recently he has been hunting with the Jordan family, of Realtree camouflage. Last month Tyler Jordan posted a photo with Carter and a turkey he killed, writing, 94 years old and still bustin beaks! An unforgettable morning in the woods with President Carter at Realtree Farms.

Last week, Jordan shared another photo of Carter in he woods, writing, 39 is back for more  action.

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Jimmy Carter in 2015

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The former president, a winner of the Nobel Peace Prize decades after he left office, has overcome serious health issues before, such as brain and liver cancer in 2015.

He has not retreated from public life and remains a busy traveler, teacher and volunteer.

RELATED: Inside Jimmy Carters Surprisingly Active Life at 94 as He Recovers from Hip Surgery

I stayed busy every year and I intend to stay busy as long as Im physically and mentally able, he told PEOPLE just after his 90th birthday, in 2014. I feel a lot younger  I feel maybe 60, 70.

He never stops, close friend and former White House adviser Gerald Rafshoon previously told PEOPLE of Carter. He was 52 when he became president. He was 56 when he left the presidency, and I remember after the re-election loss he was planning his next stop and he wasnt going to be inactive.
Just before he was set to perform at Rolling Loud Miami last weekend, Kodak Black was arrested on weapons charges. The 21-year-old rapper was scheduled to play a set when federal agents and Miami-Dade police pulled up to the festival. Kodak was arrested last month at the U.S.-Canada border after customs agents allegedly discovered marijuana and a loaded firearm inside his vehicle.

The Blast reports that Kodak was set to make a big donation using the funds he was set to earn for his Rolling Loud set, with a plan to donate the money in memory of a victim of the Parkland school shooting. 18-year-old Meadow Pollack was one the 17 students killed at Stoneman Douglas High School on Feb. 14, 2018, and she was reportedly a huge fan of the Florida rapper. Kodak was supposedly working on coordinating a special night for Pollack's family at Rolling Loud, going as far to invite her brother Hunter into the VIP section for a meet and greet.

Kodak was allegedly planning to give all the money to launch a scholarship fund in memory of Meadow. He was set to make the announcement while he performed onstage, although it all fell apart following his arrest. "Kodak was very disappointed that he couldnt make something he thought was going to be very special happen at Rolling Loud," Kodak's attorney Bradford Cohen said. "We spent weeks trying to coordinate the surprise in Meadow Pollacks memory."

Hunter Pollack previously claimed that he wasn't allowed to give a speech at the 2018 March for Our Lives Rally, stating that his views did not line up with the rest of the crowd when it came to gun control. He was responsible for helping pass the Majory Stoneman Douglas Safety Act, which has resulted in more law enforcement at schools. Pollack had met with Donald Trump and Mike Pence to talk about the bill.
When San Francisco broke heat records in 2017, with 106-degree temperatures in September, psychiatrist Robin Cooper didnt hear until after the fact that one of her patients had been feeling dizzy and feverish. One day, hed fainted in his poorly ventilated workspace. Emergency room doctors had surmised hed had a virus. But Cooper warned him it could actually be a drug shed prescribed him interacting with the extreme heat. Certain antipsychotic medications, often used in treating schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, can impair the bodys ability to cool itself. This is one reason hospitalization rates among schizophrenic patients can spike with the temperature. I told him, you need to know these medications put you at risk during heat waves, Cooper says. He now is armed with that knowledge the next time around.

With temperatures rising globally, there will be increasingly frequent next times. The potential danger of heat-drug interactions is just one reason concern is growing about the impact of climate change on mental health. The fourth federally mandated National Climate Assessment, released in late 2018, lists mental health consequences and stress among the outcomes driven by increased temperatures, extreme weather and sea-level rise. The last two years, the conversation has shifted toward climate change, says Reggie Ferreira, editor of the journal Traumatology and director of Tulane Universitys Disaster Resilience Leadership Academy. We see disaster causing trauma, but climate change is intensifying the disaster. We need to focus on whats intensifying these disasters and get people prepared.

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Mental health professionals have begun to mobilize against the threat. The American Psychiatric Association (APA) has a half-dozen climate changerelated sessions planned for its 2019 annual meeting. The programming is thanks to the efforts of experts like Cooper, an assistant psychiatry professor at University of California, San Francisco, and her colleagues, who organized the Climate Psychiatry Alliance (CPA) in 2017. Were all from different areas of psychiatry, but were all focused on what can we do to address this, says community psychiatrist David Pollack, a CPA founding member and professor emeritus for public policy at Oregon Health and Science University. As were talking about planning for the future in mental health issues, we have to be thinking about climate change.

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The mental health impact of climate change is a one-two punch: There will be increasing anxiety about the future, as well as an increasing number of people undergoing the trauma of climate catastrophes like flooding and hurricanes. As predictions become more dire  in October, the UNs Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change set a 12-year deadline for us to avoid warming the planet a disastrous 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, and just last week the UN reported a million species are now at risk of extinction  more and more people are facing existential distress. In his new book The Uninhabitable Earth, David Wallace-Wells notes that climate anxiety has also been called climate grief and climate depression. While it may seem intuitive that those contemplating the end of the world find themselves despairing, especially when their calls of alarm have gone almost entirely unheeded, it is also a harrowing forecast of what is in store for the rest of the world, as the devastation of climate change slowly reveals itself, he writes.

Climate anxiety is a relatively recent phenomenon, but the concern is spreading. A Yale survey in December found nearly 70 percent of Americans are worried about climate change, 29 percent are very worried  up eight percentage points from just six months earlier  and 51 percent said they felt helpless. Historians will say that groups of people have faced very difficult, tumultuous times, says CPAs Janet Lewis, who has a private practice near Ithaca, New York. But human beings have never faced this before.

The Good Grief Network, a nonprofit for collective mourning, in 2016 launched a 10-step program focused on eco-anxiety and climate grief. In March, a group of birthstrikers in the UK announced they wouldnt have children out of concern for the livability of the planet where theyd be raising them. Coopers patients are fearing for the safety of children theyve already had. One person wanted to flee and go somewhere, but the reality is, there really is no place thats a respite from what is happening, she says.

Perhaps the most striking challenge about mitigating peoples climate anxiety is that the fear is real. Most of the time when were treating anxiety, were treating people who have unrealistic levels of anxiety, Lewis says. Were all in the same boat with this. She and Cooper say its particularly important to validate their patients feelings in these cases, and, as psychotherapists, to come to terms with the reality of climate change themselves. Theres a shared sense of Were in this together, Cooper says. Theres a deep sadness.

According to Lewis, helping people cope with climate anxiety will mean encouraging them to grieve for losses  of ecosystems, of missed chances for society to change course  and acknowledging with them that were entering a turbulent time. Were headed into something new, so we have to kind of parent ourselves in the process and be a bit generous with ourselves, she says. We dont come to terms with difficult info all at once.

Grieving is one thing, but giving up is another. In order to productively be with this information, someone has to feel as though they can do something about it, Lewis says. Shes concerned the deluge of media coverage on the climate has people focusing so much on impending doom that they may become paralyzed, in-denial or cynical. Its easy for someone to think that by giving up theyre being realistic, but thats the opposite of whats true, she says. Giving up is denying the reality of ones own agency and ones ability to affect change. Instead, she wants patients to take action, and to do it with other people. A group can hold that anxiety better, she says. Its too big for an individual to hold on their own.

This doesnt mean climate activism is a cure-all for serious mental distress, though. Cooper has seen people get caught in an anxiety-action cycle by spending too much time immersed in the issue. Challenges to treating this emerging problem remain. This is really a completely new situation that were in, and I think that has to be respected for what it is, Lewis says.

At the APAs meeting later this month, Lewis will co-lead a session that includes mock interviews with sufferers of eco-anxiety, so people can see the issue being talked about in a therapeutic setting. Another APA climate session, chaired by Pollack, is titled Climate Change and Mental Health: Lessons Learned in Puerto Rico. Foundation for Puerto Rico president Annie Mayol has already experienced that impact. When Hurricane Maria struck the island in 2017, Mayol was one of the fortunate ones. Her home was safe, unlike 300,000 others. We had good community and family support, and we got access to power generators, Mayol says. She describes working long days at her community support nonprofit, taking her five-year-old son to work with her as schools remained closed for two months. She was able to take occasional days off, and she relied on early-morning five-mile runs to manage her stress. She worried about her staff, though, helping people affected by the storm. I see my employees feeling it so deep down when theyre in the community helping others that they dont know how to cope with it themselves, she says.

Tulane trauma psychologist Charles Figley coined the phrase compassion fatigue to describe the secondary traumatic stress experienced by people helping survivors of a disaster. He sees a future where well need programs in place to handle more weather events across more communities. If a widespread disaster happens in your area, and you go to the hospital, the people working there have to leave their families to take care of you, Figley says. That works for awhile but not in the long run. We have to have units of people specifically trained to deal with long-term catastrophes  without electricity. We have no choice but to migrate toward attending to these kinds of larger and larger disasters.

In the wakes of natural disasters, rates of PTSD, anxiety, depression, substance abuse and violence increase. Puerto Rico experienced a spike in domestic violence following Maria. Shelter populations doubled, with women and children sleeping in rooms filled with bunk beds, straining the staffs capabilities. Rising temperatures have also correlated with increased rates of interpersonal violence and more ER visits for mental health concerns. A recent study suggested the strain on Indias agricultural sector caused by rising temperatures was responsible for 60,000 farmer suicides over the past three decades. A 2018 Stanford analysis predicted heat alone would contribute to an extra 14,000 suicides in the U.S. and Mexico by 2050.

Climate migration is a lesser-seen issue at this stage, but early research is not encouraging: A Harvard study showed elderly people displaced by Japans 2011 Tsunami were more likely to show signs of dementia than those who were able to remain in their homes; Puerto Ricans displaced by the storm and living in Florida after Maria were substantially more likely to exhibit PTSD symptoms than those who were able to stay on the island.

Experts say we arent prepared for the growing crisis. The mental health system in the U.S. is broken and in times of disaster its even more on the back burner, says Ferreira, the traumatologist. Were much more concerned about bringing back infrastructure than looking at mental health aid. The human element is often forgotten.

Deprioritizing mental health care when its needed most further exacerbates the problem of access surrounding mental health services, especially among racial and ethnic minority populations, which are less likely than whites to receive mental health treatment. Thats in part due to disparities in health insurance rates. In 2017, 19 percent of Hispanics and 11 percent of blacks were uninsured, compared to 7 percent of whites. A lack of diversity and cultural competence in the mental health care field may also be a barrier  as recently as 2015, 86 percent of U.S. psychologists were white. Mental health has a stigma among minority communities, and the access to those services had been a difficulty on the island even before the natural disaster struck, Mayol says.

Ferreira would like to see medical doctors collaborating with social workers on pre-disaster plans for patients. Just knowing where shelters are or who folks can go and see in terms of mental health providers would be beneficial, he says. But its not enough. We need leaders who are educated and can advocate for mental health in a natural disaster situation, he says. He predicts climate research could soon become synonymous with trauma research. Even the way researchers do their jobs will need to adapt and accelerate. We have been working on research methodologies to get data, do an assessment and spit back what this community needs, Figley, the trauma psychologist, says. In the past, every 10 years or so thered be a traumatic event. Now we have them hitting all the time. As a researcher, I need to prepare for multiple events happening simultaneously.

Meanwhile, organizations like the Global Consortium on Climate and Health Education at Columbia Universitys Mailman School of Public Health are trying to get climate change in medical school curricula. CPAs Pollack makes similar efforts at OHSU. Its trying to help provide a coherent set of resources, because we cant get people to be effective healthcare providers if they dont know much about [climate change] and dont see it as an important issue.

Organizations like CPA are also focused on stopping the threat at the source. The group recently led the APA to divest completely from fossil fuels, and theyd like to see the rest of the country follow. This is a health issue, and whether or not its been politicized we have a responsibility to advocate for the health of our patients and the population, and certainly not collude with the denial of science, Lewis says, talking about her willingness to discuss global warming in her practice. She believes humanitys better traits will lead us, in the end. We care about other people, we care about our surroundings, our future and our familys future, she says. Everybody, except for the extreme minority of people who are actual psychopaths, cares.

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Benjamin Konkol has searched tirelessly for his girlfriend, Amanda Eller, since she vanished from a Hawaii nature reserve on Maui over a week ago, he said in a new interview.

Konkol told ABC News he was the last person to see the yoga instructor at their Haiku home on May 8 and reported her missing when she didnt return home from an apparent hike in the Makawao Forest Reserve. Now he fears Eller, 35, may be trapped in the thick forest full of creeks, brush and ravines.

Due to how thick the foliage is, we could have walked past her, for all we know, Konkol told the outlet. She could be unconscious at this point. Calling for her is helpful, it could wake her up, but at the same time its not necessarily a cue that shes not in the area.

Amanda was last seen around 7:30 a.m. that Wednesday and Konkol reported her missing the next day, Maui police said. On the day she was reported missing, police found her white Toyota RAV4 in the parking lot of the reserve around 9:50 a.m., according to the statement.

Hundreds have joined the search for the yoga instructor in the reserve, which has been aided by helicopters, drones, hundreds of on-foot volunteers and tracking dogs, USA Today reported. Konkol and Ellers family have joined Maui Fire and Rescue and the Maui Fire Department to look for her.

RELATED: 35-Year-Old Woman Missing in Hawaii Nature Reserve for 5 Days: We Just Want Our Daughter Back

As soon as they gave me the go-ahead, I went in the woods and I ended up hiking with the cops for a while and then by myself down some streams, basically until my safety was in jeopardy, he told ABC.

Konkol told ABC he has never been considered a suspect in the case and even voluntarily took  and passed  a lie detector test. He noted that he has been cleared of any suspicions. Meanwhile, Maui police have said they do not suspect foul play, according to KITV.

Amanda Eller | Find Amanda Eller/Facebook

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A spokesperson for the family, Sarah Haynes, has said the family does not believe Konkol is involved in Ellers disappearance, and her father, John Eller, previously told PEOPLE, Theres been absolutely zero indication of any foul play or involvement on his part  or anybodys part for that matter.

Maui police did not immediately respond to a request for comment from PEOPLE.

Recently released surveillance footage showed Eller in workout gear heading to the Haiku Post Office the morning she vanished.

Amanda Eller | Find Amanda Eller/Facebook

She was apparently sending a Mothers Day package, according to a Facebook page dedicated to finding Eller. Her family said she may be injured in the forest.

Hope is not lost, Konkol told ABC. Theres still so much of a chance that we can find her.

Amanda is one of the most amazing people I know, he added. Shes radiantly beautiful  driven, successful, intelligent, super kind, loving, just overall wants to live the best life she can live.
Since its launch in May 2016, the Sao Paulo Film Commission (Spcine) has assisted on over 2,700 productions: Features, shorts, TV and TV commercials. Those numbers put the metropolis alongside Mexico City as one of Latin Americas most utilized shooting destinations. It currently hosts more than 1,000 productions per year.

In industry terms the city is well equipped to handle major domestic and international productions, and has become a favorite for Netflix Originals including the Wachowskis Sense8, and Brazils 3% and Most Beautiful Thing. The area boasts 3,000 audiovisual dedicated companies, 1,500 production companies and 70 companies devoted to film and TV sound, image, mixing and soundtrack work.

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Sao Paulo rates as one of Latin Americas most global communities as well, with huge populations of citizens from across the globe that have brought their architecture, food, music and art with them. The diversity of the city allows for Sao Paulo to be used as a stand-in for almost any big city in the world. The city also hosts the worlds largest street Carnaval and LGBT Pride parade, both of which have featured prominently in many major films and series.

Lais Bodanzky, Spcine president  and one of Brazils most prominent women film directors, who made 2017 Berlin competition player Just Like Our Parents  talked with Variety ahead of her trip to Cannes where she will promote the city and its industry to the industry throughout the world.

Can you talk about the major projects which have been backed by Spcine in its first three years?

Brazilian productions of international notoriety which have filmed in Sao Paulo include Netflixs 3%, one of the most watched non-English shows on the platform, and HBOs O Negocio, released simultaneously in 50 countries. The recently launched Netflix Original Most Beautiful Thing  set in 1950s Rio de Janeiro about four friends that opens a Bossa Nova club  filmed most of its scenes in Sao Paulo, including those set in Rio.

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Sao Paulo is attracting global productions too. The Wachowski sisters Sense8 filmed episodes for its final season at the citys LGBT Pride Parade (the worlds largest) in 2016. Last year, the team from Netflixs Black Mirror shot scenes for its upcoming season. And, last March, Keanu Reeves came to Sao Paulo and met with Spcine, the Mayor of the city and the Secretary of Culture and International Relations to negotiate support from the city for filming a new show produced by him.

What advantages does Sao Paulo offer to productions which shoot there? Are there any tax credits or rebates?

As a relatively new film commission, we are still researching the impact of implementing tax credits and tax and cash rebates to productions that come film to Sao Paulo.

But what Sao Paulo already has to offer is a high-quality audiovisual environment with more than 3,000 companies linked to the industry and 1,500 production companies, some of which are specialized in production services for foreign productions, as well as an international infrastructure of restaurants, airports and hotel chains. Spcine also offers a mobile app with more than 400 shoot locations around the city and discounts to film in public locations (from 5% to 95% depending on the type).

What are you doing in Cannes this year?

This week, at the Cannes Film Festival, were initiating a campaign to promote Sao Paulo as the film-friendly city that it is. I will be in Cannes to meet with international companies and institutions to present Sao Paulo as an audiovisual hub to the world. The campaign portrays the diversity of the city of Sao Paulo. The international productions see in Sao Paulo all the cities of the world. This cosmopolitan character is the greatest attraction of the city.

What are the major considerations you are making, your plans, for growing Sao Paolo as a film and TV locale, and as a production hub for Brazilian and international projects?

The first step is to make the city and the work of Spcine better known internationally; to show the world what a great place we have to film, but also our potential as an industry and infrastructure to create, produce and distribute films. Brazil is one of the top cinema consumers in the world and Sao Paulo is bigger than some countries in Europe, so everything that happens here has a wide reach. Brazil also has a government fund ready to finance co-productions, and its a benefit for producers from all over the world. We also want to dialogue with other film commissions and carry out bi-lateral partnerships with other cities.

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Find Out What the Top 10 Sexiest (and 3 Unsexiest) Accents in America Are, According to a Survey

Things arent just bigger in Texas  theyre apparently better too! (Well, at least when it comes it to their accents!)

A recent survey published by travel company Big 7 this week determined what the sexiest accents in the United States were, naming the Lone Star State in the top spot.

Who can resist a slow, Texan drawl? Not us, and not our community, clearly, reads the ranking for Texas, which is also the home state to several stars including Matthew McConaughey, Owen Wilson, Beyonce, and Gary Busey.

The typical Texan accent is a Southern accent with a twist, with strong rs and plenty of Howdys, the ranking continues. Americas sexiest accent? Wed have to agree.

Texas native Matthew McConaughey | Rick Kern/WireImage

RELATED: Kids Are Speaking with British Accents from Watching Too Much Peppa Pig

The rest of the 49 rankings, meanwhile, were voted on by the companys 1.5 million social media followers, with Bostonian coming in at number two, New Yorks fast and hypernasal, yet quite charming accent finishing in third, Maine coming in fourth place and Chicago in fifth.

For sixth place, Mississipis classic Deep South accent took the prize, while Hawaii landed itself in seventh, Philadelphia in eighth, St. Louis in ninth and Californian in tenth.

And dont be confused: New York and Long Island, though part of the same state, are comprised of completely different accents, according to the survey. To prove it, Long Island was listed in dead last for their unsexy twang.

People from Lawnguyland might be a bit upset with being voted as having Americas least sexiest accent. But look, can they really disagree? the description reads.

RELATED VIDEO: Ben Affleck Picks the Best Boston Accent in the Movies (Move Over, Matt Damon)

Similarly, California Valley and Californian finished at different spots, with the valley accent coming in at 46th  just 36 places ahead of Californian, due in part because the accent is often ridiculed.

Meanwhile, following behind Long Island was New Jersey in 49th place (Think cawfee and dropping the Rs, the listing reads) and Minnesotan in 48th.

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Other accents included in the survey rankings were Midwestern, Baltimorese, New Orelans, Charleston, Atlanta, General American and Floridian.

Jersey Shore cast | Kristina Bumphrey/Starpix/REX/Shutterstock

Of course, social media users had a lot of strong opinions to share about the list  many of which were not positive.

One Twitter user joked, anyone who thinks a Boston accent is sexy has one themselves and has also never heard themselves speak apparently.

No American accent is sexy lmao, argued someone else, while another user added, whos out here thinking texas accents are sexy we need to talk.
Washington (AFP) - Amid rising tensions in the Gulf, Iran on Thursday rejected negotiations with the US and said it was showing "maximum restraint" after Washington sent extra military forces to the region against what it claimed was an imminent threat from Tehran.

US officials meanwhile said the deployment of an aircraft carrier strike group and B-52 bombers to the Gulf, one of the world's most strategic waterways, was in reaction to photographs showing that Iran had loaded missiles onto small traditional boats.

In Tokyo for talks with Japanese officials, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif called the US escalation "unacceptable."

There was "no possibility" of negotiations with the United States, he told reporters. "I don't know why President Trump is confident."

"We exercise maximum restraint," he said, despite the Trump administration's unilateral move last year to withdraw from the international agreement on Iran's nuclear program.

On Wednesday, Trump predicted Iran would "soon" want to negotiate, even as the State Department ordered the evacuation of most personnel from the US embassy and consulate in Iraq, fearing an attack by Iranian-directed Shiite militias.

"I'm sure that Iran will want to talk soon," the president tweeted.

- Pressure to justify escalation -

The White House and Pentagon remained under pressure to demonstrate the reason for the huge buildup in forces and heightened rhetoric of the past 11 days.

Two major pro-Iran armed groups in Iraq rejected allegations that they were plotting an attack on US diplomatic installations in the country.

Nasr al-Shomari, a military commander for the Iran-backed Harakat al-Nujaba, told AFP the claim was "a pretext" by Washington to create "an uproar" in Iraq.

US coalition partners in Iraq had suggested earlier this week that the threat level there had not risen significantly, and members of Congress demanded to see the information behind the Trump administration's warlike rhetoric.

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"I think they should tell us what the hell is going on," senior Republican Senator Lindsey Graham told CNN.

A US official said Thursday that Iranian missiles loaded on small, traditional dhow boats in the Gulf were among the new "threats" to US forces and allies in the region.

The official, who asked not to be named, confirmed a New York Times report that US intelligence had aerial photos of the vessels.

"The missiles on civilian boats are a concern," said the official.

- Anti-war Trump? -

The Trump administration meanwhile appeared divided on how hard of a line to take.

The deployment of the USS Abraham Lincoln strike group and the bombers was first announced on May 5 by White House National Security Advisor John Bolton.

The vocal hawk called the move "a clear and unmistakable message to the Iranian regime that any attack on United States interests or on those of our allies will be met with unrelenting force."

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said days later that while the US does not seek a war with Iran, "if American interests are attacked, we will most certainly respond in an appropriate fashion."

But The New York Times reported that Trump himself was not entirely happy with the talk of war and told acting Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan early Thursday that he does not want to a military clash.

Brookings Institution foreign policy analyst Tom Wright said Trump does not agree with Bolton's hard line and advocacy of regime change in Tehran.

"Trump has always distrusted Bolton on military intervention," Wright said.

Intelligence officials were scheduled to brief congressional leaders Thursday on the information they have that spurred the new deployments to the Gulf, after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi warned Trump that the legislature, and not the president, has the constitutional power to declare war.

"I like what I hear from the president, that he has no appetite for this," Pelosi said.

"One of the places that I agree with the president is in both of our opposition to the war in Iraq, and I hope that that same attitude will prevail with (Trump), even though some of his supporters are rattling sabers."
War Veteran Stabbed to Death on Appalachian Trail Was Hiking to Overcome PTSD Veteran Killed on Appalachian Trail Was Hiking to Overcome PTSD

An Army veteran who was murdered Saturday on the Appalachian Trail was hiking in order to overcome his wartime post-traumatic stress, according to family and fellow hikers.

Ronald Sanchez, 43, of Oklahoma, had turned to the trail for therapeutic effect, says former combat medic Sharon MamaGoose Smith, who hikes frequently.

Instead, he lost his life in a senseless violent attack, Smith tells PEOPLE.

Sanchez had suffered bouts of depression and isolation stemming from deployments in Iraq, his sister told CNN. The depression had recently lifted.

He was adventurous and he got out of his shell and we were so proud of that because for a while he was in darkness, Brenda Sanchez Loera said.

The darkness descended anew in a different form on Friday, when Sanchez  whose trail name was Stronghold  encountered a man who had allegedly been menacing hikers since April.

According to an FBI affidavit viewed by PEOPLE, hiker James Louis Jordan, 30, allegedly first approached Sanchez and three other hikers on the trail in Smyth County, Virginia, on Friday evening.

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.

According to the affidavit from FBI Special Agent Micah Childers, Jordan  whose trail name is Sovereign  was acting disturbed and unstable.

Suspect James L. Jordan | AP/REX/Shutterstock

Sanchez and his companions recognized Jordan from social media sites, where other backpackers warned that Jordan allegedly threatened hikers last month in Tennessee.

After encountering Jordan, Sanchez and his companions continued along the trail, making camp for the night in Wythe County, Virginia. There, Jordan again approached the group, allegedly telling them he planned to pour gasoline on their tents and burn them to death, Childers wrote.

Jordan allegedly chased two of the hikers with a knife, Childers wrote, and returned to the camp, where he argued with Sanchez and a woman hiker.

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Jordan, of Massachusetts, allegedly stabbed Sanchez, who fell to the ground. The woman ran, with Jordan chasing. Jordan caught the exhausted woman and allegedly stabbed her until she fell to the ground and played dead, Childers wrote. The wounded woman, whose name has not been released, hiked six miles in order to call 911.

Sanchez, meanwhile, managed to activate an emergency alert on his cell phone before succumbing to his wounds. Early the next morning, sheriffs found his body. They also arrested Jordan. He has since been charged with murder and assault with intent to murder, according to the New York Times and other outlets.

PEOPLE was unable to reach a lawyer for Jordan.

Sanchez family remember him as loving and kindhearted, his sister told CNN. He was always there for me, even though we were miles apart. He was a proud man. He loved people.

The incident has shaken the hiking community, members say.

As a veteran, I am especially saddened that he survived his deployments only to have his life cut short during a journey that was supposed to be cleansing and healing, says Smith, 52. My only hope is that, during his time on trail, he was able to find what he needed and that he was at peace in his heart and mind.
Firefighter shot to death responding to medical call was father of 3 young kids originally appeared on abcnews.go.com

A Wisconsin firefighter who was shot and killed while responding to a medical call Wednesday was the married father of three young children, authorities said.

Firefighter Mitch Lundgaard was a 14-year veteran of the Appleton Fire Department, Appleton Fire Chief Jeremy Hansen said at a press conference Thursday.

Lundgaard died in a local hospital hours after being shot at the Transit Center in Appleton, about 100 miles north of Milwaukee.

Appleton Police Chief Todd Thomas said that Appleton fire and police personnel responded to the bus terminal Wednesday at about 5:30 p.m. to assist a 47-year-old male who was arriving on a bus from out of the area. Initial reports indicated that the man was having a seizure, Thomas said.

After receiving assistance from first responders on the bus, the man left the bus was walking toward the nearby library building when he displayed a handgun and shots were exchanged between him and police, Thomas said. Lundgaard was struck, as was an Appleton police officer and a female bystander.

Police shot the man, who was transported to a local hospital where he died.

The police officer was treated and released from the hospital on Thursday, while the woman was still being hospitalized in stable condition.

(MORE: Puppy trapped under rocks adopted by the firefighter who rescued him)

The Green Bay Police Department is leading the investigation into the incident.

"It was a very quick scene," Meghan Cash of the Appleton Police Department told ABC Green Bay affiliate WBAY. "We had to get people to the hospital quickly."

Tori Mourning, a witness, told WBAY that at first it sounded like a lawnmower backfiring and then "I heard it again -- I looked up because we can see the bus stop from my bedroom window."

"I saw the guy shoot a female, and she went down," Mourning added, "and another shot was fired, and there was another male, and he went down, and then I saw the shooter flee."

Firefighters lined the street overnight as emergency vehicles escorted Lundgaard's body to the Milwaukee County Medical Examiner's Office.

ABC News' Olivia Rubin and Ahmad Hemingway contributed to this report.
Meet the little girl who inspires a small town to wear pink wigs each year originally appeared on goodmorningamerica.com

A little girl from Ashland, Massachusetts has brightened up her school in the pinkest possible way.

It's not just little Ellie Atherton's "sunny personality" as her mom Lindsay Atherton, described the seven-year-old to "Good Morning America," that's colored the small town. It's the pink wigs worn in her honor to bring awareness to alopecia areata, a condition Ellie has.

Wednesday was the second time the annual event was held. Ellie's mom said the hallways at Ellie's school were " a sea of pink."

"Pink wigs, hairspray, hair chalk, bows."

PHOTO: Pink wig day 2019. (Lindsay Atherton)

The night before Ellie's first day of first grade her mom noticed a bald patch about the size of a quarter. Her pediatrician diagnosed it as alopecia areata. Sometimes the condition resolves itself on its own, Atherton said, but Ellie's didn't.

PHOTO: Pink Wig day 2019. (Lindsay Atherton)

She saw a dermatologist, who prescribed a topical treatment. Though there was some hair regrowth, the treatment made Ellie anxious. She was also anxious, her mom said, about the hair that was still falling out.

(More: Incredible nurse births babies for those who cant, delivers them for those who can )

"She'd wake up in the morning and her pillow would be covered in hair," she said. "Or the drain in the shower would have a lot of hair in it."

PHOTO: Pink Wig day 2019. (Lindsay Atherton)

So at the age of six-and-a-half, Ellie made the decision to shave her head. And immediately, her mom said, the little girl felt much better.

(More: Preschool sweethearts reconnect, marry and recreate their 'first date' photo)

"I was in awe of her," Atherton told "GMA." "It's obviously not life-threatening but it is life-changing. When she decided what she wanted to do I was so proud of her. After she shaved her head she said 'this is awesome."'

Just prior to shaving her head, a friend of Ellie's had given her a pink wig, her mom said.

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"She thought it was the greatest thing in the world," she continued. "I posted the photo and one of her kindergarten teachers saw it. She said 'if Ellie's wearing a pink wig we all should.'"

And so the idea of pink wig day was born.

Ellie's mom hopes the pink wigs will help people understand alopecia areata a little better. Often, people assume Ellie has cancer, her mom said. "I want them to know there are other reasons a child might be bald." She suggested CAP Kids and the National Alopecia Areata Foundation as places where people can learn more.

Atherton said the people of Ashland are "exceptionally good" at being there for one another.

"It is so awesome to see that level of support," she said.
State

Myanmar army continue offensive against NSCN (K), NE insurgents

File photo of arms and ammunition seized by Myanmar army during operation against North East insurgents. (CINCDS)

Staff Reporter DIMAPUR, MAY 16 (NPN) | Publish Date: 5/16/2019 11:09:44 AM IST

Myanmar army (or Tatmadaw) Thursday launched a flush-out operation against NSCN (K) near Hoyat village and Laonyu village along India-Myanmar border.

Myanmar army had accused NSCN (K) of breaching the 2012 ceasefire agreement by sheltering leaders and cadres of other rebel outfits of North East India.

According to intelligence sources, the area where the operation was carried out is dominated by the NSCN (K), also known as Konyak region inside Myanmar.

The operation was carried out since morning. Several rounds were fired during the operation. However, due to connectivity issue, no details could be ascertained, sources added. Sources further said that the Myanmar army may have reportedly targeted the Konyak region command of the Aug Yung-led NSCN (K) based on reports of the group sheltering other North East insurgents like ULFA (I), KLO, NDFB etc.

Myanmar army carried out similar operations against North East insurgents, particularly NSCN (K) since January this year.

The Myanmar army had taken control over NSCN (K) headquarters on January 29, 2019.

The army also took over three outposts and dismantled two training camps set by Manipur and Assam insurgent outfits. The Myanmarese army has told these outfits in unequivocal terms that they have to leave Myanmar immediately and if they remain, they will be considered hostiles.
The Note: Biden brings focus to race -- and draws attacks originally appeared on abcnews.go.com

The TAKE with Rick Klein

It's the biggest field of candidates in presidential primary history. But the race can already seem cozy at times.

Former Vice President Joe Biden wrapped up his first campaign visit to New Hampshire of the year, as the clear front-runner in the Democratic field and as its leading target as well.

Biden is now facing down attacks from both President Donald Trump and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. His response to Ocasio-Cortez and her allies was defiant, if bordering on dismissive, as he defended his record on environmental issues.

PHOTO: From left, Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ayanna Pressley and Rashida Tlaib attend a House Oversight and Reform Committee hearing titled 'The Trump Administration's Response to the Drug Crisis, Part II,' on Thursday, May 9, 2019. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call,Inc./Getty Images)

"Everyone should calm down a bit," he said, adding, "she should look at my record."

Biden has now completed his first circuit of early-voting states in a low-key -- for Biden -- way. But he has made enough noise to force resets and recalibrations among even high-profile rivals.

The pre-announcement Biden buzz was about missed moments and confronting a long, and sometimes uncomfortable, history.

Yet a few weeks in, it's clear that Biden upended the race more than almost anyone thought would be possible.

The RUNDOWN with MaryAlice Parks

In Big Sky country, Montana's Democratic Gov. Steve Bullock is quick to talk about his love of the great outdoors and the threat climate change has posed to his state in terms of wildfires and more. But Bullock, so far, stops short of backing the most progressive and fastest-moving climate proposals offered by some of his Democratic rivals.

"I think coal, for the foreseeable future, is going to have a place in our country," he told reporters on the first day of his campaign. "We put somebody on the moon. Why can't we invest in technologies to decarbonize?"

PHOTO: Montana Gov. Steve Bullock, Democratic presidential candidate, officially announces his campaign for president, May 14, 2019, at Helena High School in Helena, Mont. (Thom Bridge/Independent Record via AP)

Like with single-payer health care or abolishing the U.S. Department of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the various proposals to tackle climate change and transition energy production will present a clear contrast between candidates in the crowded Democratic primary field. Progressives like Ocasio-Cortez will continue to force the issue as a potential litmus test.

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Bullock, like other more moderate candidates, argues one of his priorities would be re-joining the Paris Climate Accord, the international agreement that set carbon emission reduction goals signed by President Barack Obama, but reneged on by Trump.

"We need to take significant action immediately to both mitigate the effects of fossil fuels and transition us to carbon neutral energy and that means rejoining the Paris Agreement, aggressive renewable energy and fuel efficiency standards, and significant investments in energy conservation and technology," he said in a statement late Tuesday night.

Bullock did not outright back Ocasio-Cortez's Green New Deal when asked about it Tuesday. In the past, he has suggested the timeframes proposed by other 2020 candidates for transitioning to 100% renewable energy production in the country might be too fast.

The TIP with Will Steakin

Where in the world is Howard Schultz? The former Starbucks CEO has recently stopped making public appearances in key states and has all but disappeared from social media, including no longer running ads on Facebook, where he's promoted the idea that voters "don't have to choose sides to be on our side."

PHOTO: Howard Schultz speaks at a Barnes and Noble bookstore about his new book 'From the Ground Up,' Jan. 28, 2019, in New York City. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

But while the initial media blitz has stalled, those close to the former Starbucks CEO who's been flirting with an independent presidential run since January said "nothing has changed" for the centrist billionaire -- he's just recovering from back surgery.

"He's still actively considering a run," Schultz spokesperson Erin McPike told ABC News.

And regarding Schultz's recent lag in Twitter and Instagram activity, his team said social media is "always an experiment," reassuring he will be "back up soon" spreading his both-parties-are-to-blame message.

THE PLAYLIST

ABC News' "Start Here" podcast. Wednesday morning's episode features ABC News Chief Global Affairs Correspondent Martha Raddatz on President Donald Trump's message to Iran: "This is all about warning Iran to behave." Then ABC News Senior Transportation Correspondent David Kerley previews the House Transportation subcommittee hearing on the grounded Boeing 737 Max. http://apple.co/2HPocUL

ABC News' "Powerhouse Politics" podcast. Following his New York City rally at Washington Square Park on Tuesday, Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang speaks with ABC News Political Director Rick Klein and Senior Congressional Correspondent Mary Bruce on the "Powerhouse Politics" podcast https://apple.co/2Zfz5nD

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW TODAY

President Donald Trump delivers remarks at the 38th Annual National Peace Officers' Memorial Service at 11 a.m. at the U.S. Capitol. He has a closed meeting with the Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in the Oval Office at 2:45 p.m. Trump and first lady Melania Trump host the White House Historical Association Dinner at 7 p.m. Gov. Jay Inslee, D-Wash., will travel to Davenport, Iowa, to meet elected leaders, community members and tour flood-damaged areas. Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., hosts a town hall in New Hampshire where she will discuss topics that include teacher pay and gun control at 9:30 a.m.

Download the ABC News app and select "The Note" as an item of interest to receive it every weekday.
See the moment this 90-year-old meets her 70-year-old daughter for the first time originally appeared on goodmorningamerica.com

She waited 70 years for this moment. And when it came, it was oh-so-sweet.

Elizabeth Pullen of Lafayette, Louisiana, had a daughter when she was 20 years old. It was a secret she kept her entire life. In those days, if a birth mother was going to place her child for adoption, she was not allowed to meet the child.

And so that's why, 70 years later, she was meeting her daughter in a park in Lafayette for the very first time.

The decades-old story began to unravel when Pullen's granddaughter, Wanda Leblanc, took a DNA test. Her closest match, the test said, came from a woman whose name Leblanc had never heard: Lynne Wray.

"I thought maybe she was a cousin. I wasn't placing her as my aunt," Leblanc told "Good Morning America."

PHOTO: Mother and daughter meet for the first time. (Wanda Gale Photography / tt-creative)

Leblanc said she reached out to Wray and found out she was from the same town in North Carolina where Leblanc's family was originally from. "She said her mother told her that her birth mother was part Indian. I had been told all my life my grandmother was part Indian."

Still, Leblanc said, "it was hard to wrap my head around."

Leblanc's mother takes care of her grandmother, and so she drove to her mom's house to start asking questions.

(More: Meet the little girl who inspires a small town to wear pink wigs each year)

"My grandmother answered the door and I told them the story. My mom said 'have her send a photo,'" Leblanc said.

Wray sent a photo and Leblanc said "she looked so much like my family."

Her grandmother, Leblanc said, was "not saying much. Then she went to lie down."

(More: Preschool sweethearts reconnect, marry and recreate their 'first date' photo)

Leblanc left her mother's house and later that day, got a call from her grandmother. "'Lynne is my daughter,' she said. 'Get her on the phone,' she said, 'I've been waiting for 70 years to talk to her.'"

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"My grandmother told me she always thought about Lynne. She would be at a birthday party or walking down the street and wonder if the people she saw could be her," Leblanc said.

The two planned to meet on May 6 in Louisiana. Leblanc, who is a photographer who often captures "first looks" between brides and grooms, thought it would be a perfect way to capture the moment between mom and daughter.

PHOTO: Mother and daughter about to meet for the first time. (Wanda Gale Photography / tt-creative)

There were practical reasons for the "first look" as well as artistic ones. "My grandmother cannot see very well, I wanted to be able to see her face to be close up to her,. If she [Lynne] was coming from across a field, I knew she could not run to her. I thought she might pass out and if she does, Lynne would be there to catch her."

On the ride to the park, the appointed meeting spot, Leblanc said her grandmother went through a series of emotions: perfectly calm, highly anxious, disbelief.

PHOTO: Lynne Wray (left) and Elizabeth Pullen (right) met on May 6, 2019 for the very first time. (Wanda Gale Photography / tt-creative)

"The only way I can describe the moment they met is magical," Leblanc told "GMA." Particularly touching, she said, was how her grandmother touched Lynne's face and played with her hair. "It's only a mother who touches their children like that," she said.

Wray spent eight days with her newfound family in Louisiana. She shared her life story and lots of photos. She had grown up in a loving family who were thrilled for her to have found her birth mom.

PHOTO: Lynne Wray (left) and Elizabeth Pullen (right), who are mother and daughter, met on May 6, 2019 for the very first time. (Wanda Gale Photography / tt-creative)

Wray's adopted mother had not lived to see the moment her daughter was reunited with her birth mom. But according to Leblanc, she would have been thrilled for her daughter.

"Lynne told me that her mom always said 'if you ever meet your birth mom, please thank her for me. She gave me the greatest gift of my life,'" Leblanc said.
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."
The Happiest Place On Earth can also be one of the priciest. How can you visit Orlandos hotspot without breaking the bank? According to Susan Veness, author of Walt Disney World Hacks Disney World vacation.

Before you book your trip, keep an eye out for unique offer codes. These coveted codes may become available to potential guests whove consistently browsed Disneys site, but still havent made the plunge to book. The best way to increase your chances to snag this major deal is to sign up for multiplerealDisney accounts. Through your accounts, frequently check for special offers and explore Disneys official reservation system without booking. That online reluctance may leave enough breadcrumbs for the sites algorithm to score you the code you need to ensure a Disney vacation is within reach.

The Florida sun might be strong, but dont be so quick to pay for bottled water at the park. If you plan ahead and bring reusable water bottles you can take advantage of the propertys many water mains. On really hot days, ice water dispensers are also scattered throughout Disneys property. If you dont have a bottle handy, counter service restaurants are always nearby to offer you a small complimentary cup of ice watereven if you havent purchased anything else.

You dont have to pay full price for your Disney souvenirs. Keep your tight budget in mind, and head to the Character Warehouse, located at the Orlando Vineland Premium Outlets shopping center, just three miles outside of Disney World. You can find authentic Disney merchandise for up to 50% off! A majority of the Mickey merch is from last season, so you may even score discontinued items from previous years. And free Maingate Transportation shuttle bus to the outlets is available at more than forty hotels.

Many traveling mouseketeers dream of spending their vacation in a Deluxe Resort at Disney World, but high ratesstarting around $350 a nightcan sometimes keep these wishes from coming true. For your next getaway, book the majority of your nights at a Value Resort. Save the last day for a final stay at the luxurious Grand Floridian or Polynesian Resortand cross this to-do off your Disney checklist.

Put on those Mickey ears and stroll down Main Street with these money-saving hacks in mind.
Yahoo Life Videos

When it comes to holiday cheer, Kelly Rowland doesn't hang about  and we'd expect nothing less from the star and producer of Lifetime's Merry Liddle Christmas series and one-third of the vocals behind the legendary Destiny's Child album 8 Days of Christmas. "The day after Halloween, literally, my Christmas tree was up," the singer and mom of two tells Yahoo Life in a new video interview. "I do not play Christmas games. I love to feel Christmas  at least for two months, sometimes two and a half months." This holiday season Rowland's plans include making sure families are also feeling the love by partnering with Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) in their mission to provide a "support system" for those with ill or injured children. Launched in 1974, the nonprofit organization runs more than 685 family-centered programs worldwide, including accessible health care outreach and housing for families who need to stay close to a child receiving medical treatment. It's a cause that has been close to Rowland's heart. She first visited Ronald McDonald House locations in the early 00s after appearing with Destiny's Child in a McDonald's campaign.
Photo credit: Christopher Aluka Berry

From ELLE

Alabama Senator Linda Coleman-Madison was one of eight Democrats and only two women in leadership to vote against the state's new abortion law, which essentially outlaws all abortions, no exceptions for rape or incest. Her amendment, which would require the state to provide free prenatal and medical care for mothers who had been denied an abortion by the law, was struck down.

Coleman-Madison spoke with ELLE.com about the controversial decision made by her overwhelmingly male-dominated state legislature after a heated debate on Tuesday, and the dangerous repercussions of the ban, which sets up a challenge to Roe v. Wade that could result in a Supreme Court battle.

When I walked onto the Alabama Senate floor on Tuesday, I felt like the weight of the world was on my shoulders. We were there to debate and vote on HB 314, a ban on abortions even in cases of rape and incest, and I was one of just four women in our 35-member Senate. [Ed. Note: Of those four, one Senator was sick and couldn't vote, two-including Coleman-Madison-voted no, and one abstained.]



I wasn't naive. I knew we were going to have to fight really hard to be heard. My purpose was to debate with everything I had, because I was representing the women who did not have fair representation, who did not have a voice. I was speaking for the women whose decisions about their own bodies were about to be stripped from them.

All 25 of the senators who ended up voting "yes" on the bill were male. I'm angry and I'm mad about the outcome. I'm numb, in a sense, because I can't believe this is happening. It's devastating. How can a man, who doesn't know what it's like to carry a baby, make a decision about a woman's body?

This morning I woke up and I thought to myself, Lord I hope this was a bad dream. But I turned the television on and, no, it wasn't a bad dream. It's very much real.

The state of Alabama ought to be ashamed of herself. - These Alabama state senators spoke up against the abortion ban pic.twitter.com/5DWavptbux - NowThis (@nowthisnews) May 16, 2019

I am personally against abortion, but I'm pro-choice in the sense that I could not or would not impose my will, my desire, or my beliefs on anyone because it is an individual choice. Everybody has to make that personal choice for themselves and certainly that choice is between them and what they believe.

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During the Senate debate, I wanted to get that point across, I wanted to shout, This isn't your body that you're making decisions about! Instead, I made sure the ramifications of the bill were understood, like a likely increase in back alley abortions. The other congressmen remained quiet as I brought up these points. I could tell, as I caught glimpses of several of them, that there was a kind of a shame on their faces. They wouldn't make eye contact with me. It was as if they were saying, You're right, but I have to go with this, because this is what the party's agenda is.

To add insult to injury, our governor signed the bill. I have a lot of respect for Gov. Kay Ivey, but she put politics above the people. I thought she was a person that took the higher ground. But she has shown me that the party comes first, the people come second.

Today, I signed into law the Alabama Human Life Protection Act. To the bills many supporters, this legislation stands as a powerful testament to Alabamians deeply held belief that every life is precious & that every life is a sacred gift from God. https://t.co/DwKJyAjSs8 pic.twitter.com/PIUQip6nmw - Governor Kay Ivey (@GovernorKayIvey) May 15, 2019

People come to this country for freedoms, for rights, and to make their own life choices. In the state of Alabama, we are taking those choice away from you. It's scary, and people should be afraid of this. The abortion ban is designed to challenge Roe v. Wade at the Supreme Court, and if Roe vs. Wade is struck down, this will become the template that every state will follow.

It will be a sad day in America, a sad day in the world, if that happens.

It is time for women rise up, to be heard, to run for office. I mean all women. Married, single, Republicans, Democrats, Independents, Black, White, Asian, Hispanic. Now it's more important than ever for all women to come together. Men are making decisions about our bodies, signing laws that regulate our bodies, and even regulating what happens to our families.

I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired. We have fought these injustices for so long. Let's get this right, America.

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Who'd have thought in 2014 that just five short years later, Keanu Reeves would once again be the star of a new heavily popular action franchise? The John Wick trilogy didn't exactly sneak up on audiences, per se, but its outsized success has to be appreciated.

The latest in the saga is the first to get a sub-title: Parabellum, taken from the Latin phrase "si vis pacem, para bellum," meaning "if you want peace, prepare for war." That's exactly where we left John Wick at the end of Chapter 2, and it's exactly where we find him at the beginning of 3. It's a startling reminder that what's been five years for us has been roughly two weeks for Mr. Wick, who just wanted to avenge his puppy and get his car back. Now, he's being hunted down by every assassin in the greater New York area for breaking one of the sacred rules of the Continental (the hotel of choice for hired killers in Manhattan): Murdering someone on the grounds of the hotel.

Excommunicated with a $14 million bounty on his head, this is as barebones as we've ever seen John Wick reduced. The world-building of the first two films introduced a bunch of cool stuff, from a "sommelier" for guns, to an assassin-exclusive currency of coins, one of which is enough to cover several nights in a luxury suite in the Continental, or a single gin and tonic downstairs at the bar. It seems this "cash only" economy does not offer change. Anyway, John is resourceless, save for the few people in his life willing to do him a favor.

One of those people is Anjelica Huston as The Director, the head of a labyrinthian dance academy and a member of the high tablethe faceless bosses of this worldwide assassin networkand the woman, it seems, responsible for raising and training Wick. She allows him safe passage to Morocco to call in another favor with Sofia (Halle Berry), an assassin with a Wick-level affinity for dogs and the subject of John's "marker," a large circular medal with her bloody thumbprint pressed into the middle, signifying her owing him a favor no matter the cost. That favor involves a lengthy fight scene with several false starts and stops, and no end of dogs snapping at faceless gunmen's crotches.

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As the franchises budget obviously expands, so does the mythology. Laurence Fishburne returns as The Bowery King, an underground crime lord with a network of homeless allies. Ian McShane and Lance Reddick do good work as ever as the manager and concierge of the Continental, respectively. The legendary McShane is not one to rest on his laurels, and gets plenty to do during the film's final, violent third. Joining the cast are Jason Mantzoukas as "The Tick Tock Man," a cool name for a disappointingly thin character. A standout newcomer is Asia Kate Dillon as The Adjudicator, an emissary of the high table tasked with doling out repercussions to those who break (or bend) the rules.

The best role though, save for Wick himself, belongs to Mark Dacascos as Zero. Hes a threatening, brilliant hitman who just so happens to be a John Wick superfan, treating his target with respect and even giddy reverence as he hunts him down. Dacascos finely balances being a credible, frightening killer with some lighter, human elements. After Wick laboriously kills two of Zero's associates, he looks up to see his enemy applauding before giving a big grin and a thumbs-up. This isn't a taunthe's really just happy to be there. "That was a great fight, huh?" he warmly says to our protagonist later, as the two take a quick break from kicking the shit out of each other. Say what you will about hitmen, but these guys love manners and etiquette.

At more than two hours long, Parabellum does drag in places, notably during Wick's jaunt to Casablanca. On either side of that, though, the action sequences are as good as we've come to expect from the franchise and from Reeves himself. The first breathless chase scene involves the creative use of library books as weapons, the back ends of horses aimed like guns and "fired" at antagonists with a swift, violent kick. In case we forgot this film is set in New York, John handily dispatches an attacker with a textbook two-handed axe throw early on.

And what a joy it is to see the 54-year-old Reeves grabbing this exhausting role with both hands. Even with stuntmen to spare, this production and franchise asks a lot of the veteran actor, who not so long ago seemed to be just another fading star. These films and Reeves himself are at their best when they balance on the thin, thin line between the real and the ridiculous, and seem to breathe new life into each other. Parabellum ends with Reeves all but breaking the fourth wall, promising a fourth installment. Since the John Wick franchise long ago established it can do anything it wants, there's no shark to jump, and I'm all in on as many of these as Reeves and co. feel like making.

Originally Appeared on GQ
By John Davison and Mark Hosenball

BAGHDAD/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Helicopters ferried U.S. staff from the American embassy in Baghdad on Wednesday out of apparent concern about perceived threats from Iran, which U.S. sources believe encouraged Sunday's attacks on four oil tankers in the Gulf.

The sabotage of the tankers, for which no one has claimed responsibility, and Saudi Arabia's announcement on Tuesday that armed drones hit two of its oil pumping stations have raised concerns Washington and Tehran may be inching toward conflict.

A U.S. government source said American security experts believe Iran gave its "blessing" to tanker attacks, which hit two Saudi crude oil tankers, a UAE-flagged fuel bunker barge and a Norwegian-registered oil products tanker off Fujeirah near the Strait of Hormuz.

The source said the United States believes Iran's role was one of actively encouraging militants but indicated the United States does not now have evidence that Iranian personnel played any direct operational role.

Iran's Foreign Ministry has called the tanker attacks "worrisome and dreadful" and called for an investigation.

There has been a marked increase in U.S.-Iranian tensions since U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to try to cut off all of Iran's oil exports and to designate its Revolutionary Guards as a "foreign terrorist organization."

Trump, who last year abandoned the 2015 international nuclear accord with Iran, believes the economic pressure will force Tehran to accept more stringent limitations on its nuclear and missile programs as well as on its support for proxies in Iraq, Syria and Yemen.

U.S. SHRINKS DIPLOMATIC PRESENCE

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo made a surprise visit to Baghdad last week after U.S. intelligence showed Iran-backed Shi'ite militias positioning rockets near bases housing U.S. forces, according to two Iraqi security sources.

Pompeo told Iraq's top brass to keep the militias, which are expanding their power in Iraq and now form part of its security apparatus, in check, the sources said. If not, the United States would respond with force.

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Helicopters took off throughout the day from the vast U.S. embassy compound near the Tigris River in Baghdad, carrying non-emergency staff out, according to an Iraqi source and a diplomatic source inside Baghdad's fortified Green Zone.

The Iraqi source said U.S. staff were headed for a military base at Baghdad airport. A U.S. official told Reuters late on Wednesday that the evacuation was complete.

Trump is sending an aircraft carrier group, B-52 bombers and Patriot missiles to the Middle East to counter what the United States calls a heightened threat from Iran to U.S. soldiers and interests in the region.

Iran described the U.S. moves as "psychological warfare", and a British commander cast doubt on U.S. military concerns about threats to its roughly 5,000 soldiers in Iraq, who have been helping Iraqi security forces fight Islamic State.

The U.S. State Department said employees at both the U.S. embassy in Baghdad and its consulate in Erbil, capital of the semi-autonomous Kurdistan region, were being pulled out immediately due to safety concerns.

It was unclear how many were affected, and there was no word on any specific threat. Visa services were suspended at the heavily-fortified U.S. missions.

Germany, which has 160 soldiers in Iraq, and the Netherlands which has 169 military and civilian staff, suspended military training operations, citing regional tensions.

'DANGEROUS SITUATION'

The attack on the tankers near the Strait of Hormuz, through which one fifth of the world's oil consumption flows, appeared designed to test the resolve of the United States and its Sunni Muslim allies without triggering a war, analysts said.

"This is a pin-prick event, a little needle-like jab at the maritime trade going into the Strait of Hormuz," said Gerry Northwood, chairman of risk management and security firm MAST.

Both the United States and Iran have said they do not want war, and Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi said on Tuesday he had indications "things will end well" despite the rhetoric.

Iraq is one of few countries with close ties to both the United States and Iran. It has said it will keep strong ties with Iran, and also with the United States and Arab neighbors, some of whom, such as Saudi Arabia, consider Tehran a rival.

The United States, which had a large troop presence in Iraq from 2003-2011 after invading to topple dictator Saddam Hussein, sent troops back there in 2014 to help fight Islamic State.

Iran has close ties to powerful Iraqi political parties and supports powerful Shi'ite militia groups.

"I think we are now in a quite dangerous situation where a miscalculation by either side could lead us into conflict," U.S. Senator Chris Coons, a Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, told CNN in an interview on Wednesday.

(Reporting by John Davison and Ahmed Rasheed in Baghdad, Raya Jalabi in Erbil and Mark Hosenball in Washington; Additional reporting by Susan Heavey, Makini Brice and Phil Stewart in Washington, Babak Dehghanpisheh in Geneva; Tassilo Hummel and Sabine Siebold in Berlin; and Anthony Deutsch and Toby Sterling in Amsterdam; Writing by Arshad Mohammed; Editing by Grant McCool)
Photo credit: Jemal Countess - Getty Images

From Oprah Magazine

Oprah delivered a keynote speech at a gala hosted to celebrate the new Statue of Liberty Museum in New York on Wednesday.

Before stepping on stage, she said the statue and the museum serve as a reminder that America is "about an ideal, and that ideal is freedom for everybody."

Oprah Winfrey wants less hate, more acceptance.

On Wednesday, the O of O headed to Liberty Island to celebrate the opening of New York Citys new Statue of Liberty Museum, a 26,000-square-foot structure made possible with the fundraising support of fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg. It was just before touring the museum that Oprah stopped and spoke to the press about the significance of the Statue of Liberty-and the place she wants our country to return to.

Its important that we establish that we are a country that has open arms and not closed borders for people. Its important because we let people know why America is what it is. Its about an ideal and that ideal is freedom for everybody, she said, according to the Associated Press.

Given that it was her first visit to the Statue of Liberty, on Instagram, Oprah shared her enthusiasm with Gayle King, Os editor at large, who also admitted she hadnt seen the symbol of freedom so up close. Its pretty emotional when you see her this close for the first time, I gotta say. And what it represents for everybody who has come to this shore, Oprah said. Let freedom ring, yall.

Inside of the Gala to celebrate the museum-where Tony Bennet and Gloria Estefan served as performers-Winfrey was a keynote speaker along with Seth Myers.

Photo credit: Kevin Mazur - Getty Images

A ship would pull toward the harbor, and there she stood. 151-foot tall goddess holding a beacon of light, Oprah said about the symbolism of the statue, according to ABC7-New York.

Let freedom ring for all, indeed.

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Access Hollywood

Jessica Biel is feeling thankful this Christmas. The actress shared two rare family photos on Instagram in honor of Christmas with her husband Justin Timberlake walking outside with their two sons. Thankful for my guysMerry Christmas everybody!! , she captioned the photo which showed them walking from behind outside on a country trail.
National

Priyanka steps down from road show to save man

Priyanka Gandhi road show Varanasi.

Varanasi, May 16 (IANS) | Publish Date: 5/16/2019 11:09:46 AM IST

Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi, during her roadshow in Varanasi on Wednesday evening, saw that a man in the crowd had fallen down. She immediately got down from her truck and offered water to the man who complained of chest pain.

She asked her security personnel to arrange for a car and made sure that he was taken to a nearby hospital. Later, Gandhi continued her road show,

A few days ago, Gandhi had helped a child with tumour to get treatment at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Delhi. The family of the child had contacted Gandhi and had said that they were unable to afford the treatment for their child. Gandhi asked party leader Rajiv Shukla to send the child to AIIMS and her charter plane took the child and her family to Delhi within hours. The child is being treated at AIIMS in Delhi.
By Sarah Marsh HAVANA (Reuters) - Canada's foreign minister addressed Venezuela's crisis on Thursday with her Cuban counterpart during a half-day trip to Havana, according to the government, after the island recently said it was willing to help mediate. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau reached out to Venezuela's longtime ally Cuba two weeks ago on behalf of the Lima Group, a bloc of mostly Latin American countries seeking a peaceful resolution to the Venezuelan standoff. A top Cuban diplomat said subsequently in an interview with Bloomberg that Havana was willing to help, but that leftist ally President Nicolas Maduro would have to be at the table. "Cuba ratifies its willingness to contribute to initiatives that promote respectful dialogue with the government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela," Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez said in a tweet on Thursday after meeting with Canadian counterpart Chrystia Freeland. The two ministers will continue discussions, the Canadian Foreign Ministry said. The Venezuelan opposition has of late rejected negotiations with Maduro, but after a short-lived uprising against Maduro failed earlier this month, the opposition's stance may have softened. "Cuba has a long history of playing a constructive role in settling conflict in which it has a stake - in Angola, Central America, and Colombia," said William LeoGrande, a professor of government at American University. "Cuba wont abandon its ally and wont agree to any solution that the Maduro government opposes, but it may encourage Maduro to be more flexible at the bargaining table," he added. Freeland's Havana visit comes as talks are underway in Norway between Venezuelas government and opponents, according to a government envoy. It also follows U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's recent comments in a CBS television interview saying the Trump administration was working with the Cuban government on Venezuela. Pompeo's remarks surprised many, coming days after U.S. President Donald Trump had threatened to impose a "full and complete embargo" on Cuba if it did not immediately end its military support for Maduro, charges Havana denies. The United States has tightened an already decades-old embargo on Cuba to pressure the government, including allowing lawsuits for property confiscated after the 1959 revolution. Canada, the European Union and other countries have rejected the decision and said they would defend their companies operating on the island. Freeland's visit marks the first by a high-ranking Canadian government official since Trudeau traveled to Havana in November 2016. Freeland visited Canada's embassy, which has been reduced to skeletal staffing levels after an unexplained rash of mysterious illnesses among both Canadian and U.S. diplomats in Cuba over the last few years. (Reporting by Sarah Marsh in Havana; Additional Reporting by David Ljunggren in Ottawa; Editing by James Dalgleish and Lisa Shumaker)
Guatemala City (AFP) - Guatemala's former anti-corruption public prosecutor Thelma Aldana on Thursday abandoned her bid to run in next month's presidential election after she was barred from standing by the country's top court.

Aldana, 63, still had appeal avenues available to her but after initially vowing on Twitter to "continue in the fight to transform this country," her party later said she would abandon the legal challenges to her ban.

The Constitutional Court had rejected an appeal by the small center-left Semilla Movement party against an Electoral Court decision, subsequently upheld by the Supreme Court, to bar Aldana from standing.

She was running third in polls ahead of the June 16 vote.

She had been barred after she was accused in March of the irregular purchase of a building for the public ministry and the creation of fake jobs during her tenure as public prosecutor.

As public prosecutor, Aldana joined the UN-affiliated International Commission Against Impunity in Guatemala in bringing down a deeply ingrained customs bribery structure aimed at avoiding taxes, which in 2015 provoked the resignation and arrest of former president Otto Perez over corruption allegations. He remains in prison.

During her tenure from 2014-18, dozens of senior officials, businessmen, lawmakers and individuals were jailed for alleged acts of corruption.

Aldana said the accusations were aimed at punishing her for fighting corruption in Guatemala.

"It has become clear that the fight against corruption and criminal structures in our country has a high cost for those, like me, who decide to do it," she wrote on Twitter.

Her running mate, Jonathan Menkos, told a press conference that those responsible for corruption in the country were the ones opposed to Aldana's candidacy.

"Of course our aim is to end corruption," he said, adding that the party would now concentrate on winning seats in congress and town halls.

Menkos said Aldana would, for safety reasons, remain in El Salvador, where she has been since March 19, the day before a judge ordered her arrest.
By David Shepardson

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump is expected to sign an executive order this week barring U.S. companies from using telecommunications equipment made by firms posing a national security risk, paving the way for a ban on doing business with China's Huawei, three U.S. officials familiar with the plan told Reuters.

The order, which will not name specific countries or companies, has been under consideration for more than a year but has repeatedly been delayed, the sources said, asking not to be named because the preparations remain confidential. It could be delayed again, they said.

The executive order would invoke the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, which gives the president the authority to regulate commerce in response to a national emergency that threatens the United States. The order will direct the Commerce Department, working with other government agencies, to draw up a plan for enforcement, the sources said.

If signed, the executive order would come at a delicate time in relations between China and the United States as the world's two largest economies ratchet up tariffs in a battle over what U.S. officials call China's unfair trade practices.

Washington believes equipment made by Huawei Technologies Co Ltd, the world's third largest smartphone maker, could be used by the Chinese state to spy. Huawei, which has repeatedly denied the allegations, did not immediately comment.

The White House and Commerce Department declined to comment.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said during a daily briefing in Beijing on Wednesday that the United States had been "abusing its national power" to "deliberately smear" and suppress certain Chinese companies.

"This is not honorable, nor is it just," he said.

"We urge the United States to stop using the excuse of security issues to unreasonably suppress Chinese companies, and provide a fair, just, non-discriminatory environment for Chinese companies carrying out normal investments and operations in the United States."

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The United States has been actively pushing other countries not to use Huawei's equipment in next-generation 5G networks that it calls "untrustworthy." In August, Trump signed a bill that barred the U.S. government itself from using equipment from Huawei and another Chinese provider, ZTE Corp.

In January, U.S. prosecutors charged two Huawei units in Washington state saying they conspired to steal T-Mobile US Inc trade secrets, and also charged Huawei and its chief financial officer with bank and wire fraud on allegations that the company violated sanctions against Iran.

The Federal Communications Commission in April 2018 voted to advance a proposal to bar the use of funds from a $9 billion government fund to buy equipment or services from companies that pose a security threat to U.S. communications networks.

Federal Communications Commission chairman Ajit Pai said last week he was waiting for the Commerce Department to express views on how to "define the list of companies" that would be prohibited under the FCC proposal.

The FCC voted unanimously to deny China Mobile Ltds bid to provide U.S. telecommunications services last week and said it was reviewing similar prior approvals held by China Unicom and China Telecom Corp.

The issue has taken on new urgency as U.S. wireless carriers look for partners as they rollout 5G networks.

While the big wireless companies have already cut ties with Huawei, small rural carriers continue to rely on both Huawei and ZTE switches and other equipment because they tend to be cheaper.

The Rural Wireless Association, which represents carriers with fewer than 100,000 subscribers, estimated that 25 percent of its members had Huawei or ZTE equipment in their networks, it said in an FCC filing in December.

At a hearing Tuesday, U.S. senators raised the alarm about allies using Chinese equipment in 5G networks.

The Wall Street Journal first reported in May 2018 that the executive order was under review. Reuters reported in December that Trump was still considering issuing the order and other media reported in February that the order was imminent.

(Reporting by David Shepardson, additional reporting by Chris Bing and Diane Bartz, Michael Martina in BEIJING; Editing by Sonya Hepinstall and Nick Macfie)
Protestors outside Alabama State House dressed as characters from 'The Handmaid's Tale'. (PA)

Alabama has just passed the most restrictive abortion bill in the US.

It includes a clause which means doctors could be jailed for 99 years for performing an abortion.

The only exceptions allowed are to avoid a serious health risk to the unborn child's mother - such as for ectopic pregnancies - and if the unborn child has a condition that means it would be unlikely to survive childbirth.

This means, Alabama has ruled women who become pregnant by rape or incest are still banned from having terminations.

The ruling has caused widespread backlash in the US and beyond, with many pointing out that the legislators who voted for the bill were all male.

Marjorie Newman-Williams, President of Marie Stopes International US, an organisation providing contraception and safe abortion services, said: The Alabama abortion ban is cruel and unconstitutional.

We hope that it will be blocked by the courts, and were deeply alarmed to see states attempt to punish women for making choices about their own bodies, lives and futures.

However, some campaigners have said British people outraged by the legislation should look closer to home, pointing out that abortion is still illegal.

For anyone horrified by Alabamas proposed abortion ban, or calling it Gilead. Look closer to home! Northern Ireland does not permit abortions even in cases of rape, incest or fatal foetal abnormality. The ONLY exception is endangerment to a womans life.  Helen Lewis (@helenlewis) May 15, 2019

It is only permitted when there is a risk to the life of the mother, or a serious risk to her physical or mental health.

Mara Clarke from the London-based Abortion Support Network, said: We have had a scenario for decades upon decades in which women face the full weight of the law and years of imprisonment if they were to have an abortion in Northern Ireland.

What is going on in Alabama should remind everyone here in the UK as to what is also going on in one part of this state, where women are criminalised and where women are forced to leave home to have abortions in England.

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In Europe there are still a few countries where there are strict laws governing abortion.

Northern Ireland

Pro-choice campaigners say Northern Irish anti-abortion laws are actually stricter than the legislation introduced in Alabama.

At least one woman faces prosecution for procuring abortion pills on the internet for her then 14-year-old daughter who became pregnant through rape.

Andorra

In Andorra, abortion is banned except in cases where it is necessary to save the life of a pregnant woman.

A person who performs an abortion with the consent of a pregnant woman is subject to imprisonment up to four years; if she or he is a medical practitioner and aborted the child for financial profit, the maximum penalty is six years in prison.

Liechtenstein

Abortion in Liechtenstein is illegal in almost all circumstances and is punishable by prison terms for the woman and the physician.

An attempt to legalise it in 2011 was defeated by voters.

Malta

Malta is the only country in the European Union to prohibit abortion entirely.

However, abortions are de facto allowed to save the mother's life.

San Marino

The law in San Marino imposes prison sentences for any woman who procures an abortion, any person who helps her and any person who performs the abortion.

Abortions performed to save the life of the mother are generally permitted by legal principles of necessity, but the law makes no specific exceptions.

The other 23 countries that ban abortions around the world are: Angola, Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Gabon, Guinea-Bissau, Madagascar, Mauritania, Sao Tome & Principe, Senegal, Iraq, Laos, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Palau, Philippines, Tonga, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Suriname.
By Nick Carey (Reuters) - Ford Motor Co plans to start production of new luxury Lincoln models in China for that market as they are launched, starting with the new Corsair later this year, to benefit from lower costs and avoid the risk of tariffs, a top executive said on Monday. "It's a huge, huge opportunity for Lincoln because we see China as Ground Zero for Lincoln given the size of the market and how well the brand has been received," Chief Financial Officer Bob Shanks said at a Goldman Sachs conference in New York. Ford has lower levels of localized production than rivals General Motors Co or Volkswagen AG, who make more vehicles in China for Chinese consumers, benefiting from lower labor and material costs, and avoiding tariffs in the burgeoning trade war between the United States and China. Shanks said all new Lincoln models, with the exception of the Navigator assembled in Louisville, Kentucky, will also be produced in China. He declined to say how much Ford will save through localized production. Ford has been struggling to revive sales in China, the automaker's second biggest market. Ford sales slumped 37 percent in 2018, after a 6 percent decline in 2017. Shanks said that all of the problems the automaker experienced in China last year were related to the Ford brand, not Lincoln, which is popular with Chinese customers. (Reporting By Nick Carey; Editing by David Gregorio)
Through Her Eyes is a weekly show hosted by human rights activist Zainab Salbi that explores contemporary news issues from a female perspective. You can watch the full episode of Through Her Eyes every Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET on Roku.

Former Planned Parenthood president and CEO Cecile Richards has a message for politicians cheering the passage of the Alabama Human Life Protection Act: Women are watching.

This week we watched what happens when government doesnt represent or respond to us, Richards said in a statement to Yahoo News. Twenty-five white men voted to take away the right to safe and legal abortion women have had for more than 40 years. But women are watching. Women are organizing like never before, women are taking action, and women will decide the direction of our country in 2020.

On Wednesday, Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey signed into law the most restrictive abortion bill in the United States. It includes a near total ban on abortions, allows for no exceptions for victims of rape and incest, and would punish doctors who perform the procedure with life in prison.

Richards served as the president and CEO of Planned Parenthood for 12 years before stepping down in 2018. Since then, she has co-founded Supermajority, an organization focused on mobilizing women ahead of the 2020 election, and remains an avid supporter of the pro-choice movement.

On Thursday, Richards joined thousands of women who shared their abortion stories on Twitter using the hashtag #YouKnowMe. I had an abortion, Richards wrote. It was the right decision for me, and it wasnt a hard one. My husband and I were working more than full time and had three kids already. I was fortunate that, at the time, accessing abortion in TX was not the nightmare it is now.

For me, sharing my story has been powerful, she continued. I meet people all the time who tell me it inspired them to talk about their abortions. But the fact is, we shouldn't have to share our most personal experiences simply to try to generate a measure of empathy from politicians.

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In a May 13 interview with the Yahoo News show Through Her Eyes, Richards expressed concern that state legislatures were challenging the legal right to have an abortion, which was established in 1973 through the Supreme Courts decision in Roe v. Wade. Many states now are essentially assuming with the confirmation of Judge Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court that it will be a state-by-state decision whether abortion remains safe and legal in the U.S., she said. And therefore, were seeing states from Alabama to Georgia to Ohio pass laws that essentially completely fly in the face of the Roe decision.

Richards insisted that new state laws with more stringent abortion restrictions will only put more women at risk as they seek abortions through any means necessary. Not only is it a terrible health care policy, it will put women in danger and already does, Richards said. Its not that abortion will go away in the United States. It would simply go underground. It would become illegal again.

Staci Fox, the president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Southeast, has said the organization will take legal action to stop Alabamas new law.
Washingtons fight with Huawei Technologies escalated to a new level Wednesday, after the Department of Commerce moved to ban the telecommunications giant from buying parts and components from U.S. companies.

The dramatic move came hours after President Donald Trump signed an executive order enabling the U.S. to ban telecommunications equipment from foreign adversaries that are increasingly creating and exploiting vulnerabilities in information and communications technology. While the Presidents order did not single out Huawei or China, it follows days of tit-for-tat moves between Washington and Beijing, with both sides raising tariffs in the ongoing trade dispute.

The Chinese company said the latest salvo would limit U.S customers to inferior yet more expensive alternatives, leaving the U.S. lagging behind in 5G deployment in a statement released to Yahoo Finance. It added unreasonable restrictions will infringe upon Huawei's rights and raise other serious legal issues.

The question is, is this the Trump administration now pulling out all the stops in a crucial moment of the trade negotiations in a last ditch effort to get the Chinese side to the table, said Samm Sacks, a Cybersecurity Policy and China Digital Economy Fellow at New America. I suspect not, because what Ive seen from both sides is a determination to dig in. Itll be very difficult to walk this one back.

Commuters walk by the new Huawei P30 smartphone advertisement on display inside a subway station in Beijing Monday, May 13, 2019. China's intensified tariff war with the Trump administration is threatening Beijing's ambition to transform itself into the dominant player in global technology. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

It would hit virtually all of Huaweis products

The Department of Commerce order places Huawei and 70 affiliates on a so-called entity-list, and requires the company to obtain a government license to buy or transfer American technology. The department said it had a reasonable basis to conclude that Huawei is engaged in activities that are contrary to U.S. national security or foreign policy interest, citing its alleged attempt to cover up prohibited financial services activities to Iran, revealed in a 13-count indictment hat was unsealed in January.

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U.S. actions banning Huawei from sourcing U.S. components marks a serious blow to the company, at a time when it is looking to win 5G contracts globally. A company spokesperson said Huawei spent $16 billion on procurement within the U.S. last year, although he didnt specify how significant that amount was, in relation to its parts suppliers globally.

The Commerce Departments order could also hurt U.S. suppliers, including Qualcomm, Broadcom, and Western Digital A similar purchasing ban on Huaweis Chinese rival ZTE, which counts Qualcomm as one of its biggest suppliers, nearly crippled the company last year.

Full implementation of the entity list would not only put Huawei at risk but its network of suppliers around the world, according to Eurasia Group.

The firm would be unable to upgrade software and conduct routine maintenance and hardware replacement, Eurasia Group analysts said in a note. It would hit virtually all of Huaweis products, including high-end smart phones, mobile infrastructure, data centers and cloud services.

The one-two punch Wednesday follows a months long campaign by the U.S. to convince allies to ban Huawei equipment from their 5G infrastructure, on national security concerns. While countries like Australia and New Zealand have followed suit, the Europeans have largely taken a more nuanced approach, choosing to integrate Huawei equipment with additional security measures in place.

Sacks said U.S. actions would lead to a global ripple effect with so many countries relying on Huawei equipment for its mobile infrastructure.

Think about the European companies and networks in Europe that rely on Huawei gear, she said. Huawei is dependent on U.S. components. So if they cant (buy them), this is not just a U.S.-China issue anymore, she said.



Akiko Fujita is an anchor and reporter for Yahoo Finance. Follow her on Twitter at @AkikoFujita

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The prospect of a peaceful resolution of the current tensions between the United States and Iran looked to be receding Thursday after a senior military commander for the Middle Eastern state said Tehran was prepared for a war.

We are on the cusp of a full-scale confrontation with the enemy, said Major General Hossein Salami, who was appointed head of the countrys Revolutionary Guard last month.

This moment in history, because the enemy has stepped into the field of confrontation with us with all the possible capacity, is the most decisive moment of the Islamic revolution.

The situation in the region has been escalating in recent days as the US has sent a carrier group to the Arabian Gulf and has sent B-52 bombers to its air base in Qatar.

The Iranians have been accused of launching attacks against shipping in the Gulf, when two Saudi Arabian oil tankers and a Norwegian flagged ship were damaged over the weekend.

In a sign of a potential split in the Western coalition, a British general serving as number two in the operation in the Gulf told reporters that Iran was not agitating for trouble.

No, there has been no increased threat from Iranian-backed forces in Iraq and Syria, Major General Chris Ghika said at the Pentagon on Tuesday.

However he was swiftly slapped down by the Americans, as US Central Command released a statement saying recent comments from [General Ghika ] run counter to the identified credible threats available to intelligence from US and allies regarding Iranian backed forces in the region.
ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Turkey has lifted a ban on lawyers visiting jailed Kurdish militant leader Abdullah Ocalan, Justice Minister Abdulhamit Gul said on Thursday, two weeks after the first such visit was allowed since 2011. Ocalan is the founder and leader of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militant group and has been imprisoned on an island near Istanbul since he was captured in 1999. A formal lifting the ban on access by Ocalan's lawyers, just a month ahead of a re-run election in Istanbul, could lead to some of his supporters halting hunger strikes that they launched to protest his isolation. "The decisions regarding a ban on visits has been lifted, providing for the possibility of visits," Gul told reporters in comments broadcast on Turkish television. However Ocalan's lawyers said in a statement that despite repeated requests, they have not been granted a meeting with him since they saw him in jail on May 2. He has also not been allowed to see his family, they added. The PKK launched a separatist insurgency in southeast Turkey in 1984 and more than 40,000 people have been killed in the conflict. Turkey, the United States and European Union designate the PKK as a terrorist group. The pro-Kurdish Democratic Peoples' Party (HDP) say some 3,000 people, mostly prison inmates, are on the hunger strike, which was launched by HDP lawmaker Leyla Guven and is to demand regular access to Ocalan by his lawyers and family. It was not immediately clear whether the latest move would lead to an end of the hunger strike. The minister's comments came amid preparations for a re-run of the Istanbul mayoral election next month. In a stinging upset, the opposition narrowly beat the candidate of President Tayyip Erdogan's AK Party in the March 31 vote, but the result was annulled by the country's high election board. KURDISH SUPPORT? Some Turkish commentators have suggested the decision to allow the visit by Ocalan's lawyers was an attempt to win over Kurdish voters. The HDP supported the opposition in the March election and has indicated it will do the same on June 23. Several days after the lawyers' visit on May 2, Ocalan issued a rare statement, in which he said those on hunger strike should not risk their health or lives. The hunger strikers are consuming water, vitamins and sugar. Ocalan, jailed on the island of Imrali, played a significant role in a peace process between Turkish authorities and the PKK. Those talks and a ceasefire broke down in 2015, unleashing some of the worst violence since the insurgency began. Ocalan's statement also called on the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) to resolve problems in Syria without conflict. The PKK leader is revered by the Kurdish YPG militia, which forms the core of the U.S.-backed SDF. Turkey says the YPG and PKK are one and the same and has waged two military incursions in northern Syria against the YPG. (Writing by Ezgi Erkoyun and Daren Butler; Editing by Frances Kerry)
State

State police asked to be on alert

DIMAPUR, MAY 16 (NPN) | Publish Date: 5/16/2019 11:21:34 AM IST

Following the blast at Guwahati on Wednesday evening where at least 12 people were injured, Nagaland deputy chief minister Y. Patton has asked the state Police force to on alert to thwart any untoward incidents.

Patton said police need to remain vigilant and take pre-emptive measures, particularly in public places, to avert any such subversive activities in the State. He also instructed intelligence agencies in the State to remain vigilant, a press note from the DY CM media cell stated.

Meanwhile, Patton condemned the grenade blast that took place on the busy RGB Road in Guwahati on Wednesday. Patton said while the overall law and order situation in the entire Northeast was peaceful, such cowardly acts by some disgruntled elements have spread panic and fear psychosis in the minds of the people.

He urged the law enforcement agencies to bring the perpetrators to book at the earliest and given befitting punishment to them as per relevant sections of the law.

Praying for speedy recovery of those injured in the incident, Patton also expressed deepest condolences to the family members who lost their loved ones in the dastardly and cowardly act.
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP)  A proposal to ban abortions in Louisiana as early as the sixth week of pregnancy continued to speed through the state legislature Wednesday, a day after Alabama lawmakers voted for what could become the nation's most restrictive law against the procedure.

Without objection, the Louisiana House Health and Welfare Committee backed legislation to prohibit abortions when a fetal heartbeat is detected, similar to laws passed in several conservative states that are aimed at challenging the U.S. Supreme Court's 1973 decision that legalized abortion. Louisiana's ban, however, only would take effect if a federal appeals court upholds a similar law in Mississippi.

Louisiana's so-called fetal "heartbeat bill" is sponsored by state Sen. John Milkovich, one of several measures that lawmakers are advancing to add new restrictions on abortion. Senators already have supported the bill, which will next receive full House consideration, one step from final passage. Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards has indicated he will sign the measure if it reaches his desk.

"We believe children are a gift from God," said Milkovich, a Democrat from Keithville. He said his proposal provides that "once a heartbeat is detected, the baby can't be killed."

In Louisiana, Alabama and other conservative states, anti-abortion politicians emboldened by the addition of conservative justices to the U.S. Supreme Court are hoping to ignite legal fights and eventually overturn the landmark Roe v. Wade decision, putting an end to the constitutional right to abortion.

Kentucky, Mississippi, Ohio and Georgia recently approved bans on abortion once a fetal heartbeat is detected. None of those are yet in force.

Opponents said Louisiana's bill would effectively eliminate abortion as an option before many women realize they are pregnant, calling the proposal unconstitutional.

"Louisianans need more health care, free of harassment, not more political posturing," said Amy Irvin, executive director of the New Orleans Abortion Fund, which gives financial help to women who can't afford the procedure.

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About a dozen abortion rights supporters protested outside the House chamber, objecting to the bill's advancement, wearing clothes spattered in fake blood and shouting: "My body! My choice! Don't you silence my voice!" The protest ended a half-hour later, when law enforcement officers took the group away in handcuffs.

The legislation includes an exception from the abortion ban to prevent the pregnant woman's death or "a serious risk of the substantial and irreversible impairment of a major bodily function"  or if the pregnancy is deemed "medically futile."

But it does not include an exception for a pregnancy caused by rape or incest. Irvin called that "a horribly cruel omission."

A doctor who violates the prohibition under the bill could face a prison sentence of up to two years, along with revocation of medical license.

Testifying with Milkovich was Jennifer McCoy, who served prison time for conspiracy to commit arsons at two Virginia abortion clinics.

While House lawmakers advanced that proposal, senators moved ahead with separate proposals to limit where medication-induced abortions can be performed and to toughen records storage requirements for abortion providers.

One bill by Republican Rep. Frank Hoffmann would require medication abortions  administered through pills that induce miscarriage at early stages of pregnancy  to be handled solely at Louisiana's three licensed abortion clinics, said Ellie Schilling, a New Orleans attorney who represents those clinics.

Another piece of legislation from Republican Rep. Raymond Crews would lengthen the time that abortion clinics and doctors who perform the procedure must retain patient records, with detailed requirements and hefty penalties for violations.

The Senate Health and Welfare Committee backed both measures without objection, sending them to the Senate floor for debate. The House already has approved the proposals.

In Alabama, lawmakers gave final approval Tuesday to the nation's most restrictive abortion proposal, which would make performing abortions a felony at any stage of pregnancy with almost no exceptions. The state's governor will now decide whether to sign it into law, which opponents say would draw an immediate legal challenge.

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Senate Bill 184 and House Bills 133 and 484: www.legis.la.gov

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Follow Melinda Deslatte on Twitter at http://twitter.com/melindadeslatte
New York (AFP) - I.M. Pei, the preeminent US architect who forged a distinct brand of modern building design with his sharp lines and stark structures, has died, his sons' architecture firm said Thursday. He was 102 years old.

The Chinese-born Pei was the mastermind behind the bold Louvre pyramid in Paris, the landmark 72-story Bank of China tower in Hong Kong and Athens' Museum of Modern Art, works seen as embracing modernity tempered by a grounding in history.

In his adopted home country the United States, Pei became perhaps best known for his landmark East Building at Washington's National Gallery of Art, deftly melding sharp modern angles with the monumental grandeur the US capital is known for.

"Contemporary architects tend to impose modernity on something. There is a certain concern for history but it is not very deep," Pei told The New York Times in a 2008 interview. "I understand that times have changed, we have evolved. But I don't want to forget the beginning."

"A lasting architecture has to have roots."

Born in China in 1917, banker's son Ieoh Ming Pei came to the US at 17 to study architecture, receiving an undergraduate degree in the field from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1940.

He then enrolled in Harvard University's Graduate School of Design, where he received a masters degree in architecture in 1946. He became a naturalized US citizen in 1954.

His revered projects include the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland, Ohio; the Miho Museum of Shigo, Japan; the Morton Meyerson Symphony Center in Dallas, Texas, and The John F. Kennedy Library in Boston, Massachusetts.

Despite being a confessed Islamic art novice, he was also commissioned to design the Museum of Islamic Art in Doha, Qatar, which opened in 2008.

In 1988, then-French president Francois Mitterrand inducted Pei as a Chevalier in the Legion d'Honneur, later raising him to the rank of Officier when Phase II of the glass-and-stainless steel Grand Louvre pyramid was completed in 1993.

US president George Bush awarded Pei the Medal of Freedom that same year, when he was also elected an Honorary Academician of the Royal Academy of Arts in London.
HOUSTON (AP) -- Advocates raised new alarms Thursday about the U.S. government's treatment of migrant families after a 2-year-old Guatemalan child became the fourth minor known to have died after being detained by border agents since December.

"The death of a single child in custody of our government is a horrific tragedy," said Jess Morales Rocketto, chair of the advocacy group Families Belong Together. "Four in six months is a clear pattern of willful, callous disregard for children's lives."

The boy died Tuesday after several weeks in the hospital, American and Guatemalan authorities said. Tekandi Paniagua, Guatemala's consul in Del Rio, Texas, said the boy had a high fever and difficulty breathing, and authorities took him to a children's hospital where he was diagnosed with pneumonia.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection said the boy's mother told Border Patrol agents her son was ill on April 6, three days after they were apprehended near an international bridge in El Paso, Texas.

The agency said the child was taken to a hospital in Horizon City, Texas, that day, and transferred to Providence Children's Hospital in El Paso the next day.

Marisa Limon, deputy director of HOPE Border Institute, a social justice policy group in El Paso, called for more humanitarian involvement in receiving migrants and possibly allowing Red Cross workers to be the first to screen migrants for health concerns.

"If we're ratcheting up our deterrent efforts to these levels, I don't know what the return on investment is if people are still coming ... and dying on our watch," she said.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection did not respond Thursday to questions seeking more details about the death.

All four children who have died after being apprehended by the Border Patrol were from Guatemala, which is ravaged by violence, poverty, and drought. More than 114,000 people from Guatemala have been apprehended by the Border Patrol between October and April.

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Many have been detained in Mexico, which has faced pressure from the U.S. government to restrict migration. Mexico's National Immigration Institute said Thursday that a 10-year-old girl died in custody Wednesday night, a day after arriving with her mother at an immigrant detention center in Mexico City.

In early December, 7-year-old Jakelin Caal Maquin died of a bacterial infection . Felipe Gomez Alonzo, 8, died on Christmas Eve of a flu infection .

Juan de Leon Gutierrez, 16, died on April 30 after officials noticed he was sick at a youth detention facility operated by U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The medical examiner in Corpus Christi, Texas, said Juan had been diagnosed with a rare condition known as Pott's puffy tumor, which can be caused by a severe sinus infection or head trauma.

President Donald Trump's administration has for months warned that the U.S. immigration system was at a "breaking point." The administration has asked for $4.5 billion in emergency humanitarian funding and for Congress to change laws that would allow agencies to detain families longer and deport them more quickly.

Many immigration detention facilities are overflowing and unequipped to house families with young children, especially as the numbers of families crossing the U.S.-Mexico border surge to record highs. The Border Patrol made 99,000 apprehensions on the southern border just in April. More than half were parents and children traveling together.

The Guatemalan foreign relations ministry said the family was from the area of Olopa in Chiquimula state, east of Guatemala City. Juan de Leon Gutierrez was from the same state, part of Guatemala's "dry corridor" where a prolonged drought for nearly two years has led to destroyed crops and malnutrition.

The Border Patrol's challenges are particularly acute in El Paso, at the western edge of Texas and across from Juarez, Mexico.

Felipe Gomez Alonzo, the 8-year-old who died in late December, had been detained with his father for a week before falling sick. CBP acknowledged it transferred Felipe and his father between stations because it didn't have space at the El Paso station. The last place Felipe and his father were detained was a highway checkpoint.

After Felipe's death, the Department of Homeland Security announced it would expand medical checks and ensure that all children in Border Patrol custody would receive "a more thorough hands-on assessment at the earliest possible time."

CBP did not immediately answer questions Thursday about where the 2-year-old child and his mother had been detained before the child fell sick, or whether the any signs of illness had been detected before April 6.

In recent weeks, the Border Patrol in El Paso has detained families for hours outside in a parking lot and under an international bridge. Migrant parents complained of having to sleep at that location on the ground outside or in poor conditions in tents.

The agency this month opened a larger, 500-person tent in El Paso as well as in South Texas' Rio Grande Valley.

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Associated Press journalists Cedar Attanasio in El Paso, Texas; Sonia Perez D. in Guatemala City; and Christopher Sherman in Mexico City contributed to this report.
Shanghai (AFP) - Seven people were killed on Thursday when the roof of a Shanghai commercial building caved in upon construction workers who were renovating it, the city government said.

The accident occurred at around 11:30 am (0330 GMT) in a central Shanghai neighbourhood, and about 21 people had been pulled out of the debris and rushed to hospital, according to official Xinhua news agency.

A verified social media account run by China's emergency ministry showed pictures of rescue personnel digging bloodied and dust-coated workers out from amid piles of rubble, toppled concrete pillars and shattered wooden beams.

Authorities did not give details on the severity of the injuries suffered by survivors.

Police quickly sealed off the area with a huge security presence, preventing journalists from getting close.

The building had previously been used as a dealership for Mercedes-Benz cars, the fire rescue bureau said.

It was being redeveloped as a mixed-use arts and innovation site, according to Chinese media reports.

A local resident told AFP she was taking a nap when her bed suddenly began shaking, as if an earthquake had struck. She then heard a loud bang.

"I thought it was an explosion at first," said the woman, who declined to give her name or to comment further.

Chinese media reports said the structure was around 3,000 square metres (32,000 square feet) in area. Aerial pictures on social media appeared to indicate that the roof of about half of the building collapsed.

China has seen numerous building collapses in recent years, typically blamed on the country's rapid growth leading to corner-cutting on construction, and the flouting of safety rules.

At least 20 people were killed in 2016 when a series of crudely-constructed multi-storey buildings that were packed with migrant workers collapsed in the eastern city of Wenzhou.
United Nations (United States) (AFP) - The UN envoy for Yemen warned Wednesday that despite a rebel withdrawal from key ports, the country still faced the threat of plunging into all-out war.

"Despite the significance of the last few days, Yemen remains at the crossroads between war and peace," Martin Griffiths told the UN Security Council.

Yemen's government and Huthi rebels must press on with further redeployments of forces and return to the negotiating table for talks on a broader peace settlement, he said.

"There are signs of hope," he added, but there are also "alarming signs" of war.

The envoy delivered the warning after the Huthis pulled out of three Red Sea ports, in line with a ceasefire deal reached in Stockholm in December.

The pullback from Hodeida, Saleef and Ras Issa marked the first concrete step to implement the Stockholm agreement, which was hailed as a breakthrough in efforts to end the war.

The Huthis handed over control of the ports to a "coast guard," but some government officials said these forces were in fact rebel fighters in different uniforms.

- Moving to phase 2-

The pullback from the ports had been delayed over disagreements on the makeup of local security forces that are to be deployed to those facilities.

Griffiths acknowledged that the first phase of the redeployment was incomplete, and that an agreement on the local security forces was still under negotiation.

Despite the complications, Griffiths hailed "a new beginning in Hodeida," saying that "change is now a reality."

Danish General Michael Lollesgaard, who heads a redeployment commission, told reporters by videolink from Hodeida that the Huthi handover of the ports would be verified by all sides at a later stage.

"We are not sidelining the government of Yemen in any way," he said.

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.

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Talks are continuing on the second stage of the redeployment which will see pro-government forces and the Huthis pull back from the city of Hodeida, but Lollesgaard declined to give a timetable for that withdrawal.

"I've stopped making predictions," he said after acknowledging that he had previously underestimated the difficulties involved in reaching a deal.

- Tipping point -

The conflict, which has killed tens of thousands of people, has had a devastating toll on civilians and triggered the world's worst humanitarian crisis, according to the United Nations.

The head of UNICEF, the UN children's agency, said that while a ceasefire was largely holding in Hodeida, fighting was raging "across 30 active conflict zones -- home to nearly 1.2 million children."

"Hospitals, clinics and water systems are in ruins -- with half of the country's hospitals and clinics destroyed," Henrietta Fore told the council.

"We are at a tipping point. If the war continues any longer, the country may move past the point of no return."

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.
Geneva (AFP) - The Red Cross warned Thursday that critical underfunding could force it to cut vital work to rein in the deadly Ebola virus in the Democratic Republic of Congo at a time when case numbers are soaring.

Without more funds, it would need to begin "dramatically" scaling back its operations within two weeks, Emanuele Capobianco, health director of the International Federation of the Red Cross told reporters in Geneva.

The organisation leads efforts to safely bury victims of the disease, which spreads through contact with blood and other bodily fluids.

"The situation is serious," said Capobianco.

More than 1,100 people have died since the central African country last August declared a 10th outbreak of Ebola in 40 years.

A fifth of about 1,700 known and suspected Ebola infections were reported in the past three weeks alone, said Capobianco -- an "alarming" rise.

Yet the Red Cross and Red Crescent organisations have received less than half of the 31.5 million Swiss francs ($31.2 million, 28 million euros) they had requested to fund the Ebola response in DRC and preparedness efforts in neighbouring Burundi, Rwanda, South Sudan and Uganda.

"The scale and quality of activities that will be performed by Red Cross volunteers will dramatically diminish within the next two weeks unless funding is provided," Capobianco said.

The Ebola fightback is also hampered by fighting in the affected regions and attacks on medical teams, as well as locals viewing the international effort at prevention, including burials, with suspicion.

- 'Tipping point' -

The outbreak is the second deadliest outbreak on record after an epidemic in West Africa in 2014-2016 that infected nearly 29,000 people and killed more than 11,300.

A study conducted after that outbreak found that efforts to safely bury highly contagious bodies of those who die from Ebola may have prevented 10,500 cases and decreased the scale of the outbreak by more than third.

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Capobianco said more than 5,000 burials have been conducted since August, about 20 per day on average, adding "the containment of the epidemic depends on this."

But the process is complex and costly.

Each burial costs about $500, covering the participation of a 12-person team, protective suits for them and grieving family members, as well as body bags and coffins.

For now, the outbreak has been contained to North Kivu and Ituri provinces, but "we are at tipping point", warned Capobianco, with growing fears it would spread to other regions or neighbouring countries.
By Darya Korsunskaya SOCHI, Russia (Reuters) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Tuesday it was time for Moscow and Washington to put aside years of mistrust and find a way to work together constructively. Pompeo is in the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi for talks with his Russian counterpart, and later on Tuesday will also hold consultations with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Ties between the two countries have been poisoned by allegations - denied by Moscow - that Russia tried to influence the results of the 2016 U.S. presidential election, and by differences over Venezuela, Iran, Syria and Ukraine. "We see that there are suspicions and prejudices," Lavrov told Pompeo at the start of their talks. "This hinders both your security and our security and causes concern around the world. We think it is time to build a new and more constructive matrix for our relations," Lavrov said. "We are ready to do that if our U.S. colleagues are ready to reciprocate. ...Let's try, and see what happens." Pompeo's visit represents the first high-level contact between Moscow and Washington since U.S. Special Counsel Robert Muller submitted a report examining the nature of Russia's role in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. His inquiry had cast a pall over U.S.-Russian relations, and Russian officials had expressed hope that Washington would have more scope to build friendlier relations with Moscow once it was out of the way. Responding to Lavrov's opening remarks, Pompeo said: "I'm here today because President Trump is committed to improving this relationship. We have differences and each country will protect its own interests, look out for its own interests of its people." "But it's not destined that we're adversaries on all issues and I hope that we can find places where we have a set of overlapping interests and continue to build out strong relationships, at least on those particular issues," Pompeo said. Pompeo identified counter-terrorism and combatting nuclear proliferation as two areas where Moscow and Washington could find common ground. (Additional reporting by Vladimir Soldatkin and Tom Balmforth; Writing by Christian Lowe; Editing by Andrew Osborn)
Sanaa (AFP) - Saudi-led coalition warplanes bombed Yemeni rebel targets including in the capital on Thursday following insurgent drone strikes on a key oil pipeline that Riyadh said were ordered by its arch-rival Tehran.

The new bombardment came after the UN envoy, who has been spearheading efforts to end more than four years of conflict in the Arab world's poorest country, warned against sparking further escalation.

The Saudi deputy defence minister said that Tuesday's attack by Yemeni rebels on a major pipeline in his country was "tightening the noose" around peace efforts.

The Saudi-led coalition, which has been battling the Huthi rebels since March 2015, confirmed that its warplanes were carrying out multiple strikes across rebel-held territory in Yemen.

"We have begun to launch air strikes targeting sites operated by the Huthi militia, including in Sanaa," a coalition official, who declined to be identified, told AFP.

The coalition said it had hit "a number of legitimate military targets" that the rebels used to store munitions.

The rebels' Al-Masirah television said the coalition carried out at least 19 strikes, 11 of them in the capital.

A strike on one Sanaa neighbourhood killed six people and wounded 10, Dr Mokhtar Mohammed of the capital's Republic Hospital said.

Aid group Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said that at least four people were killed and 48 injured in Sanaa in "several airstrikes" by the Saudi-led coalition.

The UN's humanitarian office OCHA later said five children had been killed and 16 more had been wounded in the strikes.

An AFP correspondent saw one residential building that had been reduced to rubble. Residents were using their bare hands in a desperate search for survivors.

"Death to America, death to Israel," they chanted, unsure whether a child they pulled out was still alive.

The rebels said their attack on the Saudi pipeline was a response to "crimes" committed by Riyadh during its bloody air war in Yemen, which has been criticised repeatedly by the United Nations and human rights groups.

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The drone strikes further raised tensions in the region after the mysterious sabotage of several oil tankers and the US deployment of an aircraft carrier strike group and B-52 bombers to the Gulf over alleged threats from Iran.

The speaker of Kuwait's National Assembly said the risk of a war breaking out in the region was high.

"The situation in the region is not reassuring and calls for preparing for all possibilities," Marzuk al-Ghanem told reporters following a closed-door meeting.

- 'Tightening noose' on peace -

An official from state oil giant Aramco told AFP Thursday the pipeline had been reopened and was "fully operational".

Saudi Arabia's deputy defence minister, Khalid bin Salman, earlier accused Iran of ordering the pipeline attack.

"The attack by the Iranian-backed Huthi militias against the two Aramco pumping stations proves that these militias are merely a tool that Iran's regime uses to implement its expansionist agenda in the region," he wrote on Twitter.

Riyadh and its allies intervened in Yemen in 2015 to bolster the government of President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi after the Huthis seized much of the country including the capital Sanaa.

Coalition-backed forces have retaken much of the south but the capital and most of the populous central highlands remain in rebel hands.

- 'Alarming signs' -

A grinding war of attrition has set in, turning third city Taez and the vital Red Sea aid port of Hodeida into key battlegrounds.

In December, UN mediators brokered hard-won truce deals for both cities during talks in Sweden but the hoped-for momentum in talks on a comprehensive peace has failed to materialise.

On Tuesday, UN observers confirmed that rebel fighters had pulled out of three Red Sea ports including Hodeida.

But the next day, three women were killed in clashes in the city, a doctor at Al-Thawra hospital told AFP.

UN envoy Martin Griffiths welcomed the pullback, but warned the Security Council on Wednesday that the risks of a slide back into fighting remained high.

"There are signs of hope," he said, but there are also "alarming signs" of further violence.

More than four years of conflict have triggered what the UN describes as the world's worst humanitarian crisis, with over 24 million people, more than two-thirds of the population, in need of aid.
Sen. Susan Collins, who voted to confirm Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh on the basis of his assurance that he would follow judicial precedent on abortion law, is confident he will keep his word.

Asked Thursday whether she believed that Kavanaugh would join the liberal bloc on the court to strike down Alabamas new law effectively banning abortion altogether, Collins said she was sure he would be guided by the high courts traditional deference to precedents such as the 1973 ruling in Roe v. Wade.

The Alabama law is a terrible law. Its very extreme. it essentially bans all abortions. I cant imagine that any justice could find that to be consistent with the previous precedents, Collins told reporters on Capitol Hill, according to a tweet by CNN correspondent Manu Raju.

Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, arrives for a policy luncheon on Capitol Hill on May 7, 2019. (Photo: Alex Brandon/AP)

Collins, a pro-abortion-rights Republican who drew the ire of abortion-rights supporters for casting a crucial vote to confirm Kavanaugh, also made clear her own opposition to the Alabama law.

Obviously, its not something I would ever vote for, Collins said.

Alabamas law is part of a coordinated strategy by anti-abortion activists to bring cases to the Supreme Court with the express purpose of overturning Roe v. Wade, the landmark ruling that legalized abortion. With Kavanaugh installed on the high court, many conservatives believe, the time is right to bring a case that could overturn Roe.

Associate Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh sits with fellow Supreme Court justices for a group portrait at the Supreme Court Building in Washington in November 2018. (Photo: J. Scott Applewhite/AP)

In a Wednesday statement released after she signed the states abortion restrictions into law, Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey made clear that anti-abortion advocates saw the courts current makeup as an opportunity.

No matter ones personal view on abortion, we can all recognize that, at least for the short term, this bill may similarly be unenforceable. As citizens of this great country, we must always respect the authority of the U.S. Supreme Court even when we disagree with their decisions, Ivey wrote in her statement. Many Americans, myself included, disagreed when Roe v. Wade was handed down in 1973. The sponsors of this bill believe that it is time, once again, for the U.S. Supreme Court to revisit this important matter, and they believe this act may bring about the best opportunity for this to occur.

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Just before she voted to confirm Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court, Collins explained that, in part, she supported his nomination because she believed he would not vote to overturn Roe v. Wade.

... In his testimony, he noted repeatedly that Roe had been upheld by Planned Parenthood v. Casey, describing it as precedent on precedent. Collins said in a speech on the Senate floor. When I asked him would it be sufficient to overturn a long-established precedent if five current justices believed it was wrongly decided, he emphatically said, No.

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Read more from Yahoo News:
SAN SALVADOR (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump will not cut aid to police forces in El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras, his attorney general said on Thursday, softening a previous order to cut foreign assistance to the so-called Northern Triangle nations. William Barr made the announcement during a meeting in El Salvador with his counterparts in the region, during which the four countries signed an agreement aimed at tackling drug trafficking and gangs. The U.S. State Department said in March it would cut aid to El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras after Trump blasted the countries because thousands of their citizens had sought asylum at the border. The tone was different on Thursday. "In the United States, we are very grateful for your efforts, so I am very happy to announce that this close cooperation will continue," Barr said in San Salvador, praising recent progress in the fight against gangs like the MS-13, and adding that Trump supported the announcement. "He gave his backing to me coming here, and that I make clear that we will maintain our commitment" to funding that has supported those police efforts, Barr said. Ahead of the meeting of attorneys general, Honduran and Salvadoran police carried out dozens of arrests, raids and asset seizures against local gang members, drug traffickers and other figures from the criminal underworld. The bulk of migrants apprehended trying to enter the United States illegally come from the three troubled countries. Many migrants making the journey north are seeking to escape the violence and poverty that prevail in their homelands. Barr and his counterparts from El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras signed an agreement to establish information exchange mechanisms in the fight against human trafficking and other crimes. The agreement also aims to set up teams to detect migrant flows and identify key players encouraging the phenomenon. (Reporting by Nelson Rentaria; Editing by Frank Jack Daniel and Peter Cooney)
Oslo (AFP) - Norway confirmed Friday it was trying to mediate a solution to Venezuela's political crisis, after opposition leader Juan Guaido said he sent delegates to Oslo but denied talks were underway with President Nicolas Maduro's government.

The Scandinavian country said in a statement it had had "preliminary contacts with representatives of the main political actors of Venezuela".

These were "part of an exploratory phase, with the aim of contributing to finding a solution to the situation in the country."

"There are some envoys in Norway," Guaido told a rally of his supporters in Caracas on Thursday.

Oslo was trying to bring both sides together, but talks have not taken place, he said.

The mediation bid comes after a months-long power struggle between the National Assembly leader and the socialist president, amid sometimes deadly street clashes.

"There is no negotiation whatsoever," Guaido made clear in comments to reporters. Instead, Norwegian officials were "trying to mediate" with both sides to bring them to the table.

Maduro did not confirm the meetings but later said a close adviser, Communications Minister Jorge Rodriguez, was "on a very important mission for peace in the country ... in Europe" and would return shortly.

Norway's NRK radio and television network, quoting anonymous sources, earlier reported that talks had taken place over "several days" at a secret Oslo location and the delegations were due to return to Caracas on Thursday.

Several South American media outlets also reported talks were held.

- Delegates in Oslo -

Speaking to reporters in Caracas, Guaido confirmed reports that National Assembly vice president Stalin Gonzalez and former lawmaker Gerardo Blyde represented the opposition in Norway.

Media reports said Venezuelan Communications Minister Jorge Rodriguez and the governor of Miranda province Hector Rodriguez represented Maduro's government.

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Guaido insisted the purpose of any negotiations must be the "cessation of the usurpation" by Maduro with a view to establishing a transitional government ahead of "free elections".

US-backed Guaido is recognized by dozens of countries as interim president after dismissing Maduro's presidency as "illegitimate" following his re-election last year in polls widely dismissed as rigged.

Maduro has been shunned by much of the international community for presiding over the country's economic collapse, which has led to shortages of basic goods -- forcing millions to flee -- as well as brutally suppressing dissent.

He retains the backing of major creditors Russia, China and Cuba, as well as the powerful military.

With the military support seen as key, Guaido tried to incite an uprising against Maduro on April 30 but only about 30 members of the armed forces joined him.

The socialist regime has since ramped up pressure on Guaido's allies and supporters, charging 10 lawmakers with treason.

- Dwindling crowds-

Crowds at Guaido's mass weekly protests in Caracas have dwindled in recent weeks, amid growing signs of weariness that despite a raft of international sanctions, Maduro still retains the upper hand.

Guaido said it was the second time Norway had invited representatives of both sides to the country for talks, though he did not elaborate.

Norway, home of the Nobel Peace Prize and the now-defunct Israeli-Palestinian Oslo accords, has a long tradition of playing the role of facilitator in peace processes around the world, including in Colombia between government and FARC leftist rebels in 2016.

Guaido meanwhile also confirmed that his representative in Washington, Carlos Vecchio, would go ahead with a meeting with military planners at the US Southern Command next week.

"On Monday we will have a meeting with Southern Command at the United States' Department of State," he said.

"My impression is that the government is trying to gain time, trying to divide and fracture the opposition," said Benigno Alarcon, conflict resolution expert at the Andros Bello Catholic University in Caracas.

"For the opposition, it means time to reorganize, much like in a war, to check their resources and rethink how they can win."

burs/db/hdy/po/bp
Washington (AFP) - The US believes it is "possible" Turkey will decide against buying a Russian air defense system whose proposed purchase has strained relations between the NATO allies, a top official said on Thursday.

Washington has warned for months that Turkey's adoption of the Russian S-400 missile system would endanger Western defense and jeopardize Ankara's planned purchase of 100 of the US's F-35 stealth fighter jets.

Asked on Thursday if Turkey may ultimately change its mind on the S-400, US Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson replied "it's possible."

"The diplomats are continuing the work on that," she said, reiterating that the S-400 is "incompatible with having the F-35."

The US in April placed a freeze on a joint F-35 manufacturing program with Turkey, and US law furthermore provides for sanctions on any country concluding arms deals with Russian companies.

Two of the planes were delivered to Turkey in June 2018 but remain at a US Air Force base near Phoenix, Arizona, officially so Turkish pilots can train on them.

"We're continuing to train the Turkish pilots at Luke Air Force Base but we don't think that we can deliver those aircraft into a country that has the S-400," Wilson said.

Ankara says it won't reconsider purchasing the S-400 air defense system and that delivery of the first of the equipment may come as soon as June or July.

But Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said last month that Turkey is aware of the US's concerns.

Turkish media has reported that the government is mulling not using the Russian batteries or selling them to a third party in order to resolve the dispute.
Washington (AFP) - President Donald Trump's order of a US military buildup in the Gulf to counter alleged threats by Iran has many worried about a looming war and others skeptical of Washington's motivations.

Here's what has happened:

- What assets has the US deployed? -

On May 5, Trump's hawkish National Security Advisor John Bolton announced the deployment of the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier strike group and a B-52 bomber force to the Gulf.

Days later, the Pentagon added a Patriot missile defense battery and an amphibious assault ship to the deployment

- What is the alleged Iran threat? -

Iran has not made any direct public threats to spark the US deployment. Washington says it acted on intelligence reports of Iranian actions.

Bolton said the aircraft carrier and bomber deployments were "in response to a number of troubling and escalatory indications and warnings."

On Wednesday, the US was more specific, saying there was an "imminent" threat to US personnel in Iraq from Iraqi militias allegedly controlled by Tehran. The US State Department ordered the partial evacuation of the US embassy in Baghdad and the consulate in Arbil in response.

Analysts in Washington suspect that Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps could have been plotting an attack in retaliation for the US declaring it a terrorist organization in April.

Iran subsequently designated all US troops as "terrorists," effectively making them a potential target.

Have there been any incidents?

One. On Monday, Saudi and United Arab Emirates officials said three oil tankers and a barge anchored at Fujairah near the strategically important entrance to the Gulf were damaged in an alleged "sabotage" operation.

But what caused the relatively minor damage to the vessels and who was behind it remains unknown.

- Is the US preparing for war? -

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said it is not. "We fundamentally do not seek a war with Iran," he said Tuesday in Sochi, Russia.

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President Donald Trump tweeted Wednesday that expects the pressure on Iran will bring it to the negotiating table.

"I'm sure that Iran will want to talk soon," he wrote.

At the same time, The New York Times reported last week that Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan presented the White House with a plan for responding to an Iranian attack that involved sending up to 120,000 American troops to the region.

That is not enough to invade Iran but is enough for an attack from outside its borders.

- What do US allies say? -

Washington's European allies have kept their distance, calling for calm and expressing concern over military escalation.

They fear that more pressure on Tehran will compel it to abrogate the international agreement on its nuclear program, the JCPOA, from which Trump withdrew the United States one year ago.

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."

British, Netherlands and German forces in the international coalition against the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria downplayed the immediate threat from Iran.

But Germany and the Netherlands said Wednesday that they were suspending training of soldiers in Iraq due to a "generally heightened" state of alert.

And Spain recalled a frigate accompanying the US carrier task force, explaining that the frigate's mission was not to take part in actual hostilities with Iran.
In the markets, timing is everything. Unfortunately, timing couldnt have been worse for the highly anticipated Uber (NYSE:UBER) initial public offering. The ride-sharing giant went public at the end of a week wherein financial markets tumbled on re-escalating trade tensions between the U.S. and China, on the heels of an unprecedentedly calm and big early 2019 stock market rally, and on the same day that President Donald Trump raised tariffs on $200 billion-plus worth of Chinese goods.

Don't give up on Uber stock due to poor IPO timing

Source: via Uber

The next trading day, China retaliated with its own set of tariffs, and tech stocks had their worst day of the year. Against that dour market backdrop, the Uber IPO was a dud. The IPO price was $45. Two trading days later, Uber stock trades hands around $37.

But investors shouldnt confuse bad timing with a bad company or a bad investment. Uber is a great organization: it enjoys multiple secular-growth tailwinds, has a healthy operating profile, and is only scratching the surface of its long-term potential. Meanwhile, Uber stock now features a pretty cheap valuation with a $62 billion market capitalization. That compares favorably to several analysts estimates of a $120 billion market cap earlier this year.

InvestorPlace - Stock Market News, Stock Advice & Trading Tips

Sure, bad timing killed the Uber IPO and hurt the Uber stock price. But to kill off shares completely? Thats not happening. Instead, powerful long-term growth drivers will propel Uber stock meaningfully from here deep into the future.

As such, post-IPO weakness in the Uber stock price should be seen as an opportunity for long term investors.

Bad Timing Killed the Uber IPO

Ultimately, factors outside of the ride-sharing company killed the Uber IPO. Here are some facts worth noting with respect to the financial-market context surrounding Ubers ill-fated debut:

Heading into the week of the Uber IPO, the S&P 500 had rallied nearly 18% over the course of the first four months of 2019. That rally didnt feature a single drop in excess of 2.5%. As such, stocks had come very far, very fast, and without much volatility. The broad implication was that a big drop was just around the corner.

During the week of the Uber IPO, U.S. and China trade tensions re-escalated after several months of cooling off. Specifically, President Trump accused China of breaking the trade deal, and threatened to raise tariffs on Chinese goods from 10% to 25%. Stocks dropped all week heading into the public offering.

On the same day as the Uber IPO, the U.S. upped its tariffs on Chinese goods from 10% to 25%. Stocks were initially hit hard. When Uber finally started trading, the markets were deep in the red.

In the days after the offering, China retaliated by introducing its own set of tariffs against American goods. The very next trading day, tech stocks proceeded to have their worst day of 2019.

Management couldnt have foreseen all these negative developments; hence, the fallout in the Uber stock price. Nevertheless, the positive read here is that these timing factors are one-off events. They wont repeat and the markets have priced in much of the bad news.

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Broadly, these non-recurring headwinds are moving into the rear-view mirror. As they do, sentiment surrounding Uber stock should change. Thus, what was an IPO dud should turn into a long-term winner.

Bad Timing Wont Kill the Stock

In the long run, strong numbers will ultimately propel Uber stock price significantly higher from where it trades today.

The sharing economy, or more broadly what I call the coordinated economy, is the biggest trend of the century. In a nutshell, technology companies are leveraging the internet to democratize single-supplier ecosystems and turn them into multi-supplier ecosystems. This matches supply with demand, which ultimately produces better consumer outcomes in the form of lower prices and higher conveniences.

Uber is the king of the sharing economy in the transportation sector. The company started the ride-sharing world by leveraging the internet and incentives to turn anyone with a car into a potential paid driver.

Now, they are the king of the multi-billion-dollar ride-sharing world, with a huge moat in the form of a scalable liquidity network. Uber has the most drivers, so they have the lowest fares and wait times. This advantage leads to the most riders, which leads to the highest earnings, incentivizing more drivers to jump onboard. Lather, rinse, repeat.

Dont Ignore the Full Potential

Because of this liquidity network, Uber projects as the leader in the ride-sharing market for a lot longer. Thats a favorable position because this market is just getting started.

Ride-sharing represents, at most, only a few percentage points of global vehicle-miles traveled. Its likely somewhere around 1%, depending on whom you ask. Further, Uber is just scratching the surface of how much value it can extract from this coordinated driver base. Delivering rides is just part one. Delivering food and packages is part two. Uber Air is part three.

In other words, Uber is in the first inning of a massive growth narrative. The company does run huge losses today. But gross margins are positive and moving higher. Thus, scale should drive operating leverage over time, and big losses should one day turn into huge profits.

Net-net, I think Uber can actually be a $100 billion-revenue and $15 billion-profit company one day. Under those assumptions, todays $60 billion market cap for Uber stock seems like a steal. Thats why Im a buyer on post-IPO weakness.

Bottom Line on Uber Stock

Bad timing killed the Uber IPO. But bad timing wont stick around forever, so it wont kill Uber stock. Instead, secular growth tailwinds will ultimately propel Uber stock higher in the long run, making todays post-IPO weakness look more like an opportunity than anything else.

As of this writing, Luke Lango was long UBER.

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The U.S. ordered its non-emergency government employees to leave Iraq, a week after Secretary of State Michael Pompeo made an unannounced visit to discuss what he said was the rising threat from neighboring Iran.

The security alert includes staff at the embassy in Baghdad and the consulate in Erbil, in the majority Kurdish region to the north. A statement attributed the imminent departures to an increased threat stream, without elaborating. The move follows the withdrawal of employees from the U.S. consulate in Basra in September, when the Trump administration pointed the finger at Iran-backed Shiite militias.

After a year of tightening unilateral U.S. sanctions on Tehran, tension has suddenly spiked in the Gulf, where dangers posed to shipping or oil facilities in the worlds largest oil-exporting region have the potential to rattle global markets.

On the first anniversary of President Donald Trumps decision to exit the 2015 nuclear deal, Iran threatened this month to gradually withdraw too. On Tuesday, an Iran-backed Yemeni rebel group attacked oil facilities in Saudi Arabia, forcing it to suspend a key pipeline. That followed a series of unexplained sabotage attacks earlier in the week on commercial vessels heading for the Strait of Hormuz, the global shipping choke-point at the mouth of the Gulf.

The series of events, combined with a Pentagon decision to send an aircraft carrier group to the Middle East to ward off what it called heightened Iranian readiness to attack U.S. interests, has increased concerns of a military confrontation, whether deliberate or otherwise.

On Tuesday, Trump himself broached the subject of war with Iran, denying a report in the New York Times that the U.S. had updated its military planning for Iran, but adding that hed send a hell of a lot more troops than the 120,000 mentioned if needed.

Pompeo canceled a trip to Germany last week in order to make the unannounced visit to Baghdad, where he spoke with Iraqi leaders about an escalating threat from Iran and possible big energy deals to help wean the Iraqi economy away from its neighbor.

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Shiite Muslim Iran has played a prominent role in Iraq since the U.S.-led invasion of 2003 put Iraqs majority Shiite community in power. Tehran supports several powerful Shiite militias in Iraq, including some who played a significant role in the fight against Islamic State.

Trump says Irans missile program and support for militant groups is destabilizing the Mideast region and he has made countering the Islamic Republic a primary focus of his foreign policy, encouraged by Iranian foes led by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Israel.

In recent weeks, the U.S. ratcheted up the pressure on ruling clerics by scrapping waivers that had allowed some countries to carry on importing Iranian crude, and designating the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Irans elite military unit, as a terrorist organization.

The attacks on oil infrastructure further stoked geopolitical uncertainty. While Iran backs the Houthi rebels who said they carried out the drone strikes on Tuesday, no country or group has been assigned direct blame, or taken responsibility, for the reported sabotage on Sunday of four ships, including two Saudi crude tankers, heading for the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran denied any involvement and earlier top officials had alluded to a coming campaign of misinformation. Last month, its foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, warned that the targeting of his nation could take a dangerous turn and trigger a wider crisis.

I dont discount the B Team plotting an accident anywhere in the region, Zarif said in New York, referring to a group of officials including National Security Adviser John Bolton and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman he said were set on changing the regime in Iran.

Zarif visited India this week and traveled to Japan on Wednesday as sanctioned Iran seeks an economic lifeline from Asia.

U.S. officials have said the deployment of the carrier group and B-52 bombers to the Gulf was triggered by the perception of an increased threat against U.S. personnel from Iranian-backed forces in Iraq and Syria.

That assessment was disowned on Tuesday during a Pentagon briefing by the British deputy commander of the international campaign to defeat Islamic State, Major General Christopher Ghika. In an unusual airing of differences, the U.S. Central Command then issued a statement rejecting Ghikas comments as running counter to the identified credible threats available to intelligence.

German officials on Wednesday said the country wasnt aware of a concrete threat or change to the security situation in Iraq.

More must-read stories from Fortune:

These are the U.S. goods affected by the China tariffs

How to invest during a trade war

What would impeachment look like in Trumps America?

Bernie Sanders has a message for Trump on trade

Get up to speed on your morning commute with Fortunes CEO Daily newsletter
New York (AFP) - New York Mayor Bill de Blasio jumped into the crowded White House race Thursday, defying hostile media and dismal polling numbers to cast himself as the Democrats' best chance of unseating "con artist" Donald Trump in 2020.

The 23rd prospective Democratic challenger to Trump, de Blasio kicked off with a frontal attack on the Republican president, dubbing him "Con Don" for claiming he is on the side of working Americans.

"Donald Trump must be stopped," he declared in a video announcing his candidacy. "I know how to take him on."

De Blasio doubled down at a press conference. "He's a con man, and we New Yorkers know a con man when we see one," he said, adding: "we're going to go right at him."

The campaign "is about putting working people first," the mayor said, highlighting his record in America's most populous and diverse city.

Trump responded to the announcement by tweeting a video apparently shot on Air Force One in which he said a De Blasio win would "never happen."

"I wish him luck, but really it would be better off if you got back to New York City and did your job for the little time you have left."

Trump, who is visiting his hometown New York for the first time in months, had earlier in the day skewered De Blasio as "the worst mayor in the US."

"He is a JOKE, but if you like high taxes & crime, he's your man. NYC HATES HIM!" he wrote on Twitter.

De Blasio had been exploring a possible run for months, travelling to early voting states Iowa and South Carolina, both of which he said he would return to in the near future.

His campaign has so far been met with widespread derision, with polls giving former vice president Joe Biden a commanding lead among Democratic contenders, followed by liberal Senator Bernie Sanders.

Democratic polling for de Blasio has been particularly humbling at home.

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An eye-popping 76 percent of New York City voters said de Blasio should not enter the 2020 race, according to a Quinnipiac University poll last month.

Local papers have taunted him for a lack of charisma and Thursday's front page of the New York Post tabloid was particularly scathing: a photo montage of people laughing hysterically above the headline "De Blasio runs for president."

- Perpetual underdog -

De Blasio himself touts a string of accomplishments as mayor: he has introduced free universal pre-kindergarten and paid sick leave, and early this year he rolled out a plan to guarantee health care for all New Yorkers.

"What I bring is absolute total focus on putting people first. I have done it here," said the 58-year-old, who was first elected in 2013 and was comfortably re-elected two years ago.

Yet despite the truism that the job of New York mayor is the second toughest in America after that of president, de Blasio -- sometimes nicknamed "Big Bird" for his lanky, 6-foot, 5-inch (1.97-meter) frame -- is one of the few people openly confident of his presidential chances.

Asked about the numbers during an ABC television interview early Thursday, de Blasio replied: "I think you'll agree that the poll that actually matters is the election."

Several protesters gathered outside the studio during that interview, and New York's Police Benevolent Association released a scathing statement about de Blasio.

"It is laughable that a mayor who has shown no interest in running New York City for six years now says he wants to mismanage the entire country," association president Patrick Lynch said.

De Blasio succeeded billionaire Michael Bloomberg on the promise of reducing the city's glaring inequalities.

Since Trump came to power, de Blasio has denounced the president's hardening of immigration policy and his decision to pull the United States out of the Paris climate accord.

"We must deal with global warming now," de Blasio told ABC's "Good Morning America," pledging support for the Green New Deal, a proposal offered by progressive Democrats that would dramatically shift the United States away from fossil fuels toward renewable energy.

De Blasio is married to Chirlane McCray, an African-American woman who for decades identified as a lesbian.

He remains popular in the black community, but Hispanics are divided and whites mostly view him unfavorably.

Several current and former aides have spoken out in unusually harsh terms about his White House bid.

But the mayor, who likes to cast himself as a perpetual underdog, appears to have brushed off the criticism, confiding recently that the only advice that matters is his wife's.
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Israel and Lebanon both claim some 860 square kilometers (330 square miles) of the Mediterranean Sea. Lebanon hopes to unleash offshore oil and gas production as it grapples with an economic crisis. Washington is mediating between the two countries, which have been officially at war since Israel's creation in 1948.

Speaking to lawmakers after the meeting, Berri described the meeting as "positive" and said it would be followed up. He said things are moving in the right direction because of the Lebanese "unified" position that protects maritime and land borders, according to his remarks published in the state National News Agency.

Lebanese Energy Minister showing gas explorations in what Lebanon refers to as its maritime border (Photo: AP)

Aoun said he informed Satterfield that Lebanon believes demarcating the maritime and land borders reinforces stability in the area and urged Washington to help while respecting his country's frontiers and right to explore for oil and gas.

Berri had told the commander of the U.N. peacekeeping force in Lebanon that the government is ready to establish the maritime border and special economic zone with Israel similar to the one used to demarcate the land border between the two countries after Israel's withdrawal from southern Lebanon in 2000.

Lebanon is expected to begin drilling for oil and gas by the end of the year off the coast north of Beirut, and in the block near the disputed area with Israel a year later. A consortium of French Total, Italian Eni and Russian Novatek will handle exploration there.

A second round of bidding for exploration was approved last month. An agreement over maritime borders would ensure such exploration remains on track.
Iran is committed to its obligations under an international nuclear deal despite the U.S. withdrawal from the landmark agreement, its foreign minister said on Thursday, calling the reimposition of U.S sanctions "unacceptable".

Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif made the comments in a meeting with his Japanese counterpart in Tokyo as tensions rise in the Middle East, fuelling concern that the United States and Iran are heading for conflict.

Iran is exercising "maximum restraint in spite of the fact the United States withdrew from (the) JCPOA last May," Zarif said at the beginning of his meeting with Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono.

He was referring to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action signed in 2015 by the United States, Iran and other countries, under which Iran curbed its uranium enrichment capacity and won sanctions relief in return.
Helicopters ferried U.S. staff from the American embassy in Baghdad on Wednesday out of apparent concern about perceived threats from Iran, which U.S. sources believe encouraged Sunday's attacks on four oil tankers in the Gulf.

The sabotage of the tankers, for which no one has claimed responsibility, and Saudi Arabia's announcement on Tuesday that armed drones hit two of its oil pumping stations have raised concerns Washington and Tehran may be inching toward conflict.

A U.S. government source said American security experts believe Iran gave its "blessing" to tanker attacks, which hit two Saudi crude oil tankers, a UAE-flagged fuel bunker barge and a Norwegian-registered oil products tanker off Fujeirah near the Strait of Hormuz.

The source said the United States believes Iran's role was one of actively encouraging militants but indicated the United States does not now have evidence that Iranian personnel played any direct operational role.

Iran's Foreign Ministry has called the tanker attacks "worrisome and dreadful" and called for an investigation.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu may have to establish an interim coalition of 60 MKs, unnamed Likud officials said Thursday, in light of deadlocked negotiations with Yisrael Beytenu leader Avigdor Lieberman and the clock ticking on his two-week extension to form a new government.

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Approval for a coalition of 60 lawmakers in the 120-strong Knesset would only be possible if Lieberman is absent from the vote to approve the new government. If the former defense minister does attend and votes against the new government, Netanyahu will not get the Knesset's approval. However, he is not likely to do so as he could be blamed for sabotaging a potential rightist government.

Yisrael Beytenu's head Avigdor Lieberman (Photo: Ohad Zwigenberg)

A similar scenario with Lieberman, who is ultimately expected to join the coalition, took place during the last Knesset. In 2015 Netanyahu formed a coalition of 61 MKs, and enlarged it later to 67 when Lieberman and his party joined, following long negotiations over their demands.

Lieberman's current demands from Netanyahu  such as his opposition to the new version of the Haredi draft law, which would exempt most of the ultra-Orthodox public from serving in the IDF  contradict those of other coalitionary partners, especially the ultra-Orthodox parties.

The Yisrael Beytenu chief said he will not be meeting with Netanyahu or his chief coalition negotiator Yariv Levin until his demands are accepted.

However, despite the disagreements between Netanyahu and Lieberman, the Yisrael Beytenu leader said Thursday he would support two controversial bills the prime minister plans to push: the cancellation of a law limiting the number of government ministers, and the so-called Norwegian law, which allows ministers or deputy ministers to resign their Knesset seat, while still holding on to their ministry, so that their seat cam go to the next person on the party list.

Yisrael Beytenu officials said Thursday that Lieberman will support these bills "even if he finds himself in the opposition, as an expression of good will." Lieberman also agreed to support the Likud's candidate for state comptroller, in an attempt to ease tensions over the negotiations.

Netanyahu giving a speech in a memorial event in Atilt on Wednesday (Photo: Sharon Tzur)

Unnamed Likud officials said that Lieberman's behavior puzzled Netanyahu and Levin, and that he seemed to be "looking for an alibi not to be part of the government." However, they added that Lieberman is not likely to join forces with the opposition either, so as not to appear to be hampering a rightist government.

"Those who are hunting for culprits in the event that a rightist coalition is not established should look in the mirror," Lieberman said Wednesday, after the negotiations between him and Netanyahu reached a dead end.

Negotiations with the other five small parties expected to join the coalition have also failed to reach an agreement so far, as the prime minister called their demands "impossible" and "entirely contradictory" in a speech in a memorial event in Atilt on Wednesday.

Netanyahu said that small parties are demanding "four (government) roles for each of their four MKs," and that he "cannot give in to demands that would cause the state budget and economy to collapse."

The United Torah Judaism party postponed its meeting with the negotiating team for a second time this week due to internal differences over the Haredi draft law, and as such there has been no progress regarding which government posts it would receive.

Shas is the only party that currently has an understanding with the Likud Party regarding the future coalition; its leader Aryeh Deri met with Netanyahu in Jerusalem on Wednesday, and officials say that an agreement, including three ministries for the party, is on its way to being signed.
The growing tension between the United States and Iran in recent days might result in Iran-backed organizations, especially Hezbollah, acting against Israel if Tehran deems it suitable for its interests.

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Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah understands the Lebanese public will not forgive him for starting the Third Lebanon War - which would most likely lead to partial destruction of Lebanon - all in the name of Iran.

Nasrallah, however, understands that hed be able to justify such a war if its motivated by seemingly genuine attempts to defend Lebanese national interests. As far as hes concerned there is an interest worth defending, he believes Israel has gas fields that extend into Lebanese territory - fields that are estimated to be worth billions of dollars.

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah (Photo: EPA)

In May 2000, Israel surprised the world by pulling its troops out of southern Lebanon and unilaterally ending an 18-year-old conflict. The Lebanese government refused to cooperate with Israel on the withdrawal, prompting the Jewish state to negotiate with the UN in order to agree upon internationally recognized land borders.

The issue of the maritime border, however, was never fully resolved. Israel and Lebanon each proposed a different system by which the sea border would be determined. The UN refused to solve the issue, effectively creating a maritime space that has remained in dispute ever since.

The dispute was essentially non-existent until Israel began discovering large amounts of natural gas reserves in the disputed waters. Israel issues exploration licenses for waters within the border determined by its system, with Lebanon doing the exact same thing. This creates a dangerous overlap.

Tamar gas field in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Israel (: )

Recently the Lebanese government - quite wisely as far as it's concerned - has chosen another method to establish the maritime border, which the country claims complies with international law. Based on this international system, large parts of the disputed area should be under the Lebanese sovereignty. Israel doesn't have to adhere to Lebanon's rules, especially since the law itself states the border can be debated in light of "historical reasons or special circumstances."

If more large natural gas reserves are discovered in the disputed waters, the conflict over the maritime border will intensify, which is exactly what Nasrallah is waiting for.

The Israeli government have two options: continue to insist on the border determined by its system many years ago or agree with Lebanon and enter an indirect negotiations with the Lebanese government in order to resolve the dispute.

And, in light of the recent escalation between Washington and Tehran, the need for a resolution has become more pressing than ever.
Israeli man who attacked Poland's ambassador to Israel was charged on Tuesday.

The man apparently spat on the envoy and struck his car.
Had it not been for the latest deadly flare-up between Hamas and Gaza, which raised the tension on the southern border even more, Nakba Day would have passed unnoticed for most Israelis. This year, one of the most important dates in the Palestinian calendar overlapped with the Eurovision Song Contest being held in Tel Aviv, making the disparity between the two sides more evident than ever.

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While were broadcasting the hedonistic celebrations live from Tel Aviv, in Gaza, thousands of people were queuing for a chance to get $100 donation from the Qataris in order to break their Ramadan fast with some kind of a meal and feed their families.

When you can't muster any more energy to fight your battles fairly, what you have left is destroying what the other side has. On Wednesdays Nakba Day, the Palestinians marked 71 years since what they call the catastrophe occurred. Right now, the Palestinians are at a low point, the lowest maybe, since 1948.

Young Palestinians protest near the Gaza border (Photo: AFP)

Even before the Trump administration began working on its peace plan (dubbed the deal of the century), before the Palestinians lost a lot of its support in the Arab world and before the results of the Israeli election, they were caught in the midst of intra-Palestinian conflict. It has been 12 years since Hamas took over the Gaza Strip from the Palestinian Authority and created their own two-state solution, except in this case both states are Palestinian.

Those in the West Bank have become quite indifferent to the fate of their brothers and sisters in the Gaza Strip, who over the past year have been staging mass - and sometimes deadly - border demonstrations with a goal to lift the blockade of the coastal enclave. This is the biggest indication yet that the Palestinians have not yet matured for a state of their own. A nation fighting for independence simply cant afford to have such a deep geographical and political divide.

The dwindling support for the Palestinians in the rest of the Arab world is also not something they were prepared for. The response of Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Mohammad bin Salman and Egyptian President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi to the recent Palestinian misfortunes has been quite likewarm, not only because their relations with Israel are more beneficial, but also because the public opinion in the Arab world on the issue of the Israeli-Palestinians conflict has shifted.

For years, the Palestinian issue has been considered sacred and used by local leaders as a diversion during the times of domestic crises. Now, the views on the matter are split, with some believing the Palestinians are the ultimate victim, while others have openly began to call them terrorists.

The only bright spot for the Palestinians recently has been the return of the Israeli-Palestinian debate to the US politics, via the new and vociferous congresspeople from the Democratic Party, whose pro-Palestinian views are becoming aligned more and more with the left-wing in Europe rather than those of their predecessors.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas who has burned every possible bridge with the current US administration, is counting on the American public not to reelect Donald Trump for a second term, which would effectively help swing the pendulum to the other side as far as hes concerned.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas (Photo: Reuters)

In Gaza, there is an entire generation - battered and wasted - that has grown up in an Islamist regime and terrible poverty, in a bubble nobody can escape. The West Banks Millennial generation is in a much better position - educated and connected - but also with very limited opportunities. In both cases, there arent many prospects. Without a clear national strategy and with an aging leadership that isnt going anywhere, young people rely on cliches and slogans, and cling to their dream of one day returning to Palestine. This ideology is being fed to them since infancy and it accompanies them most of their adult lives.

What does this situation say about us? We have a neighbor, who is miserable and desperate, and although Israel has no interest in aggravating the already unbearable situation for the Palestinians, it doesnt intend to make any dramatic moves to improve it either. Abbas, meanwhile, outright rejected the chance to even discuss the Trump administration's

peace plan (contrary to the advise of the Saudis) before having even seen it.

The least that can be done in the meantime is to avoid - at all costs - any further violence that would deteriorate the humanitarian situation even further. If it is impossible to dramatically change the reality, its definitely possible not to make it worse.
A state-aligned Saudi newspaper is calling for "surgical" U.S. strikes in retaliation against alleged threats from Iran.

The Arab News published an editorial in English on Thursday, arguing that after incidents this week against Saudi energy targets, the next logical step "should be surgical strikes."

The editorial says U.S. airstrikes in Syria, when the government there was suspected of using chemical weapons against civilians, "set a precedent."

It added that it's "clear that (U.S.) sanctions are not sending the right message" and that "they must be hit hard," in reference to Iran, without elaborating on what specific targets should be struck.

The newspaper's publisher is the Saudi Research and Marketing Group, a company that had long been chaired by various sons of King Salman until 2014 and is regarded as reflecting official position.
Likud members sent a message to Prime Minister Netanyahu calling for him to revoke the disengagement law from 2005, that enabled the pullback from Gaza and disbanding four settlements in the Northern West Bank.

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Nine members of Likud along with others from the right- wing, toured the site of Homesh, a settlement that was evicted in 2005 as part of the disengagement from Gaza.

Members of Knesset tour evicted settlement Homesh

The group led by Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein, said they will support legislation put forth by the Union of Right-Wing Parties to re-settle the four settlements evicted.

Likud members of Knesset tour Homesh

Yossi Dagan, the Samaria Regional Council, said 30 of the 35 Likud members in the newly elected Knesset, including all Likud ministers, support the legislation so the ball is in Netanyahu's court adding the prime minister should lead the move to re-instate the settlements.

A member of delegation touring Homesh Thursday said the decision to evict the settlers was a terrible mistake. Settlers had to leave their homes in expectation of some imaginary peace. There is no peace and they have lost their homes.

Another member said that Israel is now enjoying international support of its claims of sovereignty over the West Bank.
After Tuesday night's electrifying Eurovision semifinals, performers from 18 countries will grace the stage in Tel Aviv Thursday night for the second half of the semifinals  ahead of Saturday night's grand finale. The event will be broadcast on Kan channel-11 at 10:00 pm.

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Thursday night's event will determine the 26 nations that will perform Saturday night, including host country Israel's contestant Kobi Marimi, to compete for the prize.

Belarus' contestant

British music fans

The high quality of the production earned Israel much praise from Europeans following Tuesday night's event. BBC executives even called their Israeli colleagues to congratulate them.

Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai

Netta Barzilai in the orange carpet

Eurovision Village at Charles Clore Park

The 18 nations performing Thursday include: Armenia, Ireland, Moldova, Switzerland, Latvia, Romani, Denmark, Sweden Austria, Croatia, Malta, Lithuania, Russia, Albania, Norway, Holland, North Macedonia and Azerbaijan.

Aussie spirit

Duncan Laurence of Holland

Israeli fans are not eligible to vote in the second semifinal because they already voted in the first. Fans from Germany, Britain and Italy, that automatically qualify for the final, will vote tonight along with fans from other competing nations.





Music fans

Ayoub, Azar, Refaeli and Tal

Stephane Legar

Musical superstar Madonna landed in Israel Tuesday and surreptitiously went straight to her hotel room. On Wednesday, she showed up at Expo Tel Aviv, the Eurovision venue, for rehearsals. Afterwards, the pop star continued her rehearsal at her Tel Aviv hotel. She is expected to perform Like A Prayer and a selection of songs from her newest album at Saturday night's contest.

Madonna rehearsing

Madonna

The US Embassy in Jerusalem even teased on Facebook that the Eurovision's most anticipated act is by an American: "No offence, Europe, but the performance we anticipate the most at the Tel Aviv Eurovision is by an American artist..."

Everything about the Eurovision is regulated by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and the fact that Madonna has yet to sign a contract with the EBU led to much speculation whether she will be allowed to perform. But it seems that executives of the EBU understand that the issues are merely technical, and Madonna was cleared to perform on a specially designed stage.

Security for the Eurovision

An official of the production company responsible for bringing Madonna to Israel said that the rehearsals were excellent and that they were working on solving whatever points of contention remain ahead of signing a contract with the EBU.

Israeli contestant Kobi Marimi received considerable praise from foreign journalists following the successful rendition of his song, Home, during rehearsals; he is now more optimistic than before. However, Israel is still only ranked 25th in predictions by speculators, but Marimi and his team are confident that they will do better than that.

Kobi Marimi

But it was the Shalva band that stole the show during Wednesday's rehearsals for Thursday's semifinals. The band is comprised of members with special needs and they entered the spotlight with their moving performance in the reality TV singing competition HaKokhav HaBa (Rising Star), which chooses the country's Eurovision contestant.

Shalva band performing at rehearsal

Shalva band was even a favorite to potentially become the Israeli contestants for the Eurovision, but they relinquished that option so as not to have to violate Shabbat. The event's performers invited them to sing A Million Dreams (from the film the Greatest Showman) during tonight's contest.

Excited fan

"We have reached a point where we are satisfied," said soloist Dina Samtah, "we did not imagine that we could make it and still they chose us to convey our message and it is a great honor for us." The band's manager said: "In the past, when we would sing, people would leave the room. Today they stop band members in the street to take pictures and tell them how much they love them. They want to hear us because we are good."
Pakistan's Foreign Ministry has urged the United States and Iran to exercise restraint and resolve their all issues through talks to avoid conflict.

Mohammad Faisal, ministry spokesman, told a news conference Thursday that recent developments in the Persian Gulf region were disturbing and that Washington's move to "deploy aircraft carrier and bombers has added to the tensions and the existing precarious security situation in Middle East."

He said Islamabad expects all sides to show restraint "as a miscalculated move can transmute into a large-scale conflict."

Pakistan has been a key ally of the United States in its war on terror since 2001 and it also enjoys good relations with neighboring Iran.

Pakistan also has close ties with Saudi Arabia and it maintains a balancing act between Riyadh and Tehran.
WASHINGTON- U.S. President Donald Trump has told his acting defense secretary, Patrick Shanahan, he does not want to go to war with Iran, the New York Times reported on Thursday, citing unidentified administration officials.

The Republican president made the comment to Shanahan on Wednesday morning during a White House briefing on rising tensions with Iran, the newspaper said.
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates -- Saudi Arabia accused Tehran of being behind a drone strike that shut down a key oil pipeline in the kingdom, and a newspaper close to the palace called for Washington to launch "surgical" strikes on Iran, raising the specter of escalating tensions as the U.S. boosts its military presence in the Persian Gulf.

Concerns about possible conflict have flared after the U.S. dispatched warships and bombers to the region to counter an alleged but unspecified threat from Iran. There also have been allegations that four oil tankers were sabotaged Sunday off the coast of the United Arab Emirates, and Iran-aligned rebels in Yemen claimed responsibility for Tuesday's attack on the Saudi pipeline.

The fears have grown out of President Donald Trump's decision last year to withdraw the U.S. from the 2015 nuclear accord between Iran and world powers and impose wide-reaching sanctions -- the latest levied as recently as last week -- that have crippled Iran's economy.
By Online Desk

Amazon has courted a controversy yet again by selling doormats with images of Indian deities like Shiva and Ganesha on them.

Twitterati were quick to spot the mats and #BoycottAmazon started trending in no time.

"Really disgusting first our flags and now our God's ND goddesses..... action must be taken against them," tweeted a user.

This is not the first time the global retailer has faced flak for offensive prints on doormats. In 2017, doormats with Indian flags printed on them were spotted on Amazon's Canada website. However, the website was forced to stop the sale of those mats after facing a series of protests from India and Indian-origin Canadians.

External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj had also publicly threatened to rescind visas of Amazon employees if the doormats were not removed from its website.
Physical safety: Marijuana proponents will often say that no one has died from using it. This is not true. In Colorado, traffic deaths involving people who tested positive for marijuana more than doubled between 2013 and 2017. Every 2.5 days, someone dies in Colorado due to a marijuana-related traffic accident. You also may have read in the news about other marijuana-related deaths. Levi Pongi, age 19, died after consuming a marijuana cookie and jumping off a balcony. Marc Bullard, age 23, committed suicide after he began using a concentrated form of marijuana. He had no previous history of depression. These stories reflect data from Colorado showing that the number of youth suicides with marijuana present has tripled in 10 years.

Drug abuse: You will hear marijuana proponents often say that marijuana is not a gateway drug. Research proves this wrong. The American Journal of Psychiatry and the Journal of Addiction Medicine have found that marijuana users are at twice the risk of abusing opioids. Nebraska has been a leader in combating opioid abuse, and legalizing marijuana would be a big step backwards from the great work that has earned Nebraska the distinction of being the least opioid-addicted state in the nation.
Expert Advice with Ken Raiss.

Australia is an entrepreneurial country of more than two million small businesses.

Perhaps its our give it a go attitude that sees so many of us decide to take control of our financial futures.

Of course, without small businesses, our economy wouldnt exist given some 97 per cent of all businesses are classified as ones that employ fewer than 19 staff.

You could be employed in a small business or youre a small business owner yourself.

The thing is, like with any commercial ventures, there are some complexities that arise when you strike out on your own.

One of the main ones is when it comes to asset protection, especially if your business is an industry that has litigation potential.

Owning a home in a trust

I recently helped a client, Greg, who owned a successful construction business.

While lawyers had never darkened his door, he was still concerned about protecting his assets if one day they unfortunately did.

His main problem was that he didnt know how to protect his future family home from litigation without losing the main residence concession for Capital Gains Tax.

You see, owning property in a trust for asset protection purposes will usually mean that you lose its tax-free capital gains status as well as creating land tax implications.

Greg intended to renovate the property, given his building skills, and live there for five or more years.

Given the upgrade that would be completed over that time period, he forecast a capital gain of up to $1 million, but was clearly not keen on handing over $200,000 of his sweat equity to the tax department.

The solution

Given his desire to protect the family home from litigation, buying it in either his or his spouses name was not advisable.

However, there is a way to own a family property in a trust without kissing goodbye to taxation benefits.

Professional property taxation advisors understand the legislation inside and out, which is why I knew of a solution.

So, the first thing we did was to develop a strategy to protect the property if successfully litigated.

This strategy utilised a specifically worded trust with additional documentation to support Gregs requirements.

Of course, without professional assistance, there is no way that Greg would have known that this strategy existed.

Then again, I wouldnt know how to build a house either because I am not a professional in that industry.

And thats why I would use the services of someone like Greg to construct a property  otherwise it would probably look like something a two-year-old made from Lego!

I digress, but Im sure you get my point, which is that using a Main Residence Trust enabled Greg to receive the full benefit of a tax-free future sale of his family home.

He also would not be liable for land tax given the property was classified as his main residence for taxation purposes, while also being in a protected trust environment.

Lessons learned

When Greg came to see me, he was sure there was not much that could be done about his situation because most of the information he found online said so.

However, by seeking professional advice from people who specialise and have a multi-disciplined approach of what you are trying to achieve, we were able to create a successful outcome.

During our time together, we were also able to prepare a strategic plan that looked at a variety of issues  and not just one  because a detailed plan often uncovers more than what was the initially expected.

In Gregs case, we identified his agreement with his partner was not robust enough in the event of one partners death, plus the finance strategy he had adopted did not maximise his interest deductibility on investment debt.

So, it really was a win-win-win situation that ultimately protected his family home from litigation and potentially saved him hundreds of thousands of tax dollars.

What about you?

If youre a business owner, a professional or an established property investor why not have a chat with me about your personal circumstances.

You deserve your own private wealth advisor to create a Strategic Wealth Plan for your personal needs.

Click here now and find out how Metropole Wealth Advisory could help you.

Having a Strategic Wealth Plan means you're more likely to achieve the financial freedom you deserve desire because well help you:

 Define your personal, financial and business goals;

 See whether your goals are realistic, especially for your timeline;

 Measure your progress towards your goals  whether your investments or business is working for you, or if youre working for it;

 Find ways to maximise your wealth creation;

 Identify risks you hadnt thought of.

And the real benefit is youll be able to grow your wealth faster and more safely than the average investor and leave a legacy.

Click here now, find out more about our range of services at Metropole Wealth Advisory and organise a time for my team and I to formulate a Strategic Wealth Plan for you, your family or your business.

..........................................................



Ken Raiss is director of Metropole Wealth Advisory and gives independent expert advice for property investors, professionals and business owners. He is passionate about real estate investing and small business and is a regular commentator for Michael Yardney's Property Update.



To read more articles by Ken Raiss, click here



Disclaimer: while due care is taken, the viewpoints expressed by contributors do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Your Investment Property.
Some property analysts have criticised Coalitions plan to underwrite home loan deposits for first-home buyers and called the scheme ineffective.

The political party announced that it is lowering the required home-loan deposit in line with its commitment to helping first home buyers save for a deposit more quickly. However, only 10,000 Australians will be eligible, according to a report by The New Daily.

Limiting the potential benefit to 10,000 borrowers suggests that the impact of the initiative will minute, according to Brendan Coates, Grattan Institute research fellow.

The problem here is the policy is either too small and ineffective or it is expanded and becomes counterproductive, he told The New Daily. Assuming that every one of those 10,000 people would not have purchased a house otherwise, after a decade you could see home ownership become 1% higher.

Coates said that the scheme is not addressing the core issue. Its trying to help first-home buyers without hurting anyone. But for first-home buyers to win, someone has to lose or prices have to fall, in which case first-home buyers are better off and existing homeowners are worse off, he told The New Daily. Both sides should resist calls to expand this scheme, because the larger it is, the more likely it is to turbocharge house prices.

Most recent data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics show that there has been a drop in first-home buyers entering the market.

The latest data shows a continuation of the decline in the number of first-home buyer loans, down 10% in March on a year ago, Maree Kilroy, an economist at BIS Oxford Economics, told The New Daily. The March result is the fifth consecutive monthly decline in new loans and pulled the 12 months to March 2019 down to 109,030 total loans [-1%year on year]. This means we are slightly
News

Washington, DC - Vice President Mike Pence spoke by phone today with Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau, reaffirming the strong bilateral relationship between the United States and Canada. The two leaders discussed opportunities for strengthening economic cooperation, including passage of the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), and encouraged continued engagement by their trade emissaries.

The Vice President clearly stated the United States support for Canada in opposing Chinas wrongful detention of two Canadian citizens, and discussed shared concerns over Chinas coercive economic actions. Vice President Pence and Prime Minister Trudeau also discussed the crisis in Venezuela, reiterating their commitment to maintain pressure on the regime, and support for the National Assembly, Interim President Juan Guaido, and the international communitys efforts to restore democracy and constitutional order.
Today

Partly cloudy skies early will give way to cloudy skies late. Low 46F. Winds light and variable.

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies early will give way to cloudy skies late. Low 46F. Winds light and variable.

Tomorrow

Considerable clouds early. Some decrease in clouds later in the day. High 63F. Winds WNW at 10 to 20 mph.
By PTI

NEW DELHI: A Delhi court on Thursday allowed former ICICI Bank CEO Chanda Kochhar's brother-in-law Rajiv Kochhar, a suspect in a bank loan fraud and money laundering case, to travel abroad for 10 days.

Special Judge Anju Bajaj Chandna allowed Rajiv to travel to New York on a personal bond of Rs 10 lakh and directed the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to suspend the look out circular (LOC) till then. The court kept his application, seeking cancellation of LOC, for hearing on June 3 after ED's special public prosecutor Nitesh Rana said the agency needed time to file a detailed reply on the issue.

Chanda and her husband Deepak along with Rajiv have been questioned by the ED which is probing the case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

In his application, moved by senior advocate Sidharth Luthra, Rajiv said his "younger son is studying in New York University and has his 'graduating ceremony' on May 21 and 22 in New York, USA. The occasion marks an important and significant day/event in the life of the son and the applicant."

Rajiv, founder of Singapore-based Avista Advisory, informed the court that the CBI has already cancelled the LOC issued against him. He told the court that he has cooperated in the probe and further undertakes to assist the agency in future as and when required.

He further claimed that he and his family were estranged from his brother Deepak and sister-in-law Chanda due to a family fall out because of which the applicant has started his own independent business and has no business or personal connection, of any nature, either with them or any of their companies.

ED registered a criminal case under the PMLA early this year against Chanda, Deepak, Videocon promoter Venugopal Dhoot and others to probe alleged irregularities and corrupt practices in sanctioning Rs 1,875-crore loans by ICICI Bank to the corporate group, the probe agency's advocate A R Aditya said.

The action was based on an FIR registered by the CBI. Rajiv has been questioned by the CBI as well in the same case in the past. He was asked by CBI sleuths about the help he had extended to Videocon in relation to a loan from ICICI Bank, which was part of a Rs 400-billion credit given by a consortium of 20 banks to the group's main promoter, Dhoot.

The searches were conducted at the premises of Chanda, her family and Dhoot in Mumbai and Aurangabad. CBI has named the three as also Dhoot's companies -- Videocon International Electronics Ltd (VIEL) and Videocon Industries Limited (VIL) -- in its case.

It also named Supreme Energy, a company founded by Dhoot, and NuPower Renewables, a company controlled by Deepak, in the FIR. The CBI alleged that Dhoot had invested in Nupower through his firm Supreme Energy in a quid pro quo to loans cleared by ICICI Bank after Chanda took over as the CEO of the bank on May 1, 2009. The ownership of Nupower and Supreme Energy changed hands through a complex web of shared transactions between Deepak and Dhoot, the CBI alleged.

During its preliminary enquiry, the CBI found that six loans worth Rs 1,875 crore were sanctioned to the Videocon Group and companies associated with it between June, 2009 and October, 2011 in alleged violation of laid-down policies of ICICI Bank, which have now become part of the probe. "Existing outstanding in the accounts of these private group companies were adjusted in Rupee Term Loan of Rs 1,730 crore sanctioned by ICICI Bank under refinance of domestic debt under consortium arrangement on April 26, 2012," the CBI had said.

The loans were declared non-performing assets in 2012, causing a loss of Rs 1,730 crore to the bank, it alleged. The ED, the sources said, is also probing at least two other instances of loans given by ICICI Bank (during Chanda Kochhar's tenure) to Gujarat-based pharmaceutical firm Sterling Biotech and to Bhushan Steel group. The agency is investigating these two instances of alleged bank loan fraud under the PMLA.
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In the late 17th century, a young woman and her four brothers were bought by British slave traders and sold to plantation owners in Jamaica but as fate would have it, the young woman is now celebrated as a heroine by Jamaicans.

In 1975, the Jamaican government declared Nanny, a 17th century slave from the Asante Kingdom in the Gold Coast, a national heroine owing to the fact of her fight against white supremacy and slavery in Jamaica.

Nanny is the only woman recognised among the seven national heroes of Jamaica, such a thing as Ghana's so-called Big Six.

Nanny had been taken as a slave along with her four brothers to Jamaica. They toiled on lands, from whose fruits they would not eat.

Nanny and her brothers later escaped from their plantations into the mountains and jungles of Jamaica.

READ ALSO: The strange story of how D.K. Poison loaned money to Ghana but was never paid back

Nanny eventually founded a village in the Blue Mountains, on the Eastern side of Jamaica, which became known as Nanny Town.

According to Faceface2africa.com, by 1720, Nanny had become the leader of this maroon settlement, where she trained her maroon warriors in the art of guerilla warfare due to incessant tension between her people and the British.

As the Maroons grew in their numbers, the British colonial administration became threatened and upon further calls by plantation owners who were losing slaves and crops, British forces attacked jungles in Jamaica.

READ ALSO: Nigerian woman cries out as Germany deports her and 3 kids

Eventually, Nanny was killed in one of the conflicts with the British.

Her brother Cudjoe was then forced to sign a peace treaty with the British which Nanny's people being relocated to a place that would be called New Nanny Town.

Today, Nanny is the only woman whose image graces a currency note, the $500 note specifically, in Jamaica.

The people of Jamaica are grateful for an Asante woman, their ancestor, who was forced to come over lands and seas and contribute to their emancipation.

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A red alert has been issued in Assam's capital city Guwahati as at least 11 people were injured in a grenade blast that took place on Wednesday evening. An anti-talk faction of ULFA led by Paresh Baruah has claimed responsibility for the blast.

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On Wednesday around 8.05 pm unidentified terrorists on a motorcycle, wearing helmets, lobbed a grenade in front of the Central Mall in Zoo Road, just one kilometre away from Dispur. The injured include two Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) jawans and nine local residents.

Five amongst the injured, who are in a critical condition, have been admitted in the Guwahati Medical College Hospital (GMCH) and the rest are in a private hospital.

The suspected ULFA Swadhin Terrorist Organisation has taken the responsibility of this blast. According to an instruction provided to the media, the 'ULFA Swadhin' had targetted the Assam Police, along with the SSB jawans, posted on the check post in front of Central Mall.

Two security personnel of the SSB, 48-year-old Ramesh Lal and 30-year-old Amulya Lalan have been seriously injured. The list of others injured included a child, whose identity is yet to be ascertained.

Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal has condemned the incident, ordering the Director General of Police (DGP) to immediately investigate the matter and arrest the terrorists. Police check posts are always there near the Central Mall for regular checking of vehicles.

Earlier according to reports, two people were said to be killed. However, there has been no casualty yet. The number of injured is likely to shoot up as several people who had suffered minor injuries and gone home later came to hospitals for treatment.
Remember the MeToo movement that hogged the headlines few months ago. It is unfortunate that this issue reached the Honourable Supreme Court recently. We all know it was not for adjudication. It was a complaint against the Honourable Chief Justice of India. Appurtenant to this was also several other not-so-desirable issues tumbling out. This was about a cabal or a cartel which was manipulating the judgements. The fixing of such judgements was not at judicial levels, but at the staff level. The court masters, those who concurrently type the judgements while the same is being dictated were allegedly involved in it. Having said that since this matter is under investigation by a committee I would not like to go into it. But as regards my take on gender harassment at the hands of Chief Justice of India or for that matter any other judge my take is as follows.

My interactions with friend in the bar

I joined the bar recently, in 2018. But I have had my friends, classmates and companions whom I have consulted. They do not believe this. As a man, this Honourable Chief Justice in the opinion of many senior members of the bar, whom I have interacted with, are all unanimous in their opinion is that he could not have done it.

The Chief Justice may be not amenable to the level being branded abrasive or arrogant which is not without reason. Every judge is entitled to be arrogant in a society of names droppers. Any sign of familiarity or proximity with anyone would kick off a plethora of back office lobbying for judgements. That is the way the Delhi's 'janta hai mein kaun hoon', culture works.

Hence, for the purpose of not only being objective in their decision but also look objective, they have to seek isolation and thus they have to behave arrogantly. But apart from this vice of arrogance no senior member of the bar I have interacted with is willing to believe these sexual harassment allegations against the Chief Justice of India.

The matter has not been brought to rest by the findings of the committee of judges. But the damage to the institution had been done. A Chief Justice of India, although magnanimously in order to restore the credibility of the institution, deposed before this committee of three judges, all junior to him in rank. In this context, I did read a statement of the Attorney General that he had suggested an inquiry by a retired judge. But that would have been time consuming. The credibility of the institution was stake and with every passing day it was plummeting. Hence the committee consisting of a majority of female judges was formed to give their findings. The findings did come and we have to respect it.

Defiance of orders regarding listings

Having said that, another important event also happened in the Supreme Court and we can't be oblivious to it. This is regarding the listing of the substantive matter of Rafale and an attendant matter relating to the same. The orders of the bench regarding listing of these two matters were not followed in letter and spirit.

It is the same set of advocates who are involved in arraigning the two matters. It is now evident that with their clout they ensured the defiance of the orders of the bench regarding the listing. Can we see a pattern here? Was it an attempted blackmail to coerce a desired order on merit so that the supplementary matter regarding contempt is adjudicated separately? We need to know the facts. Why this is important is that the coincidence of the matter of Rafale converging with the MeToo campaign.

Convergence of the two cases in timing

We all know that this MeToo campaign began around the same time that the Rafale issue came up. That the Rafale deal was finalised in a summit level meeting between PM and the French head of government is a matter of record. Before such summits, the approach is taken to the Cabinet Committee on Security. The Minister of State for External Affairs has access to this not, which would also contain the details of payload of the aircraft, the capacity of it to escape the radar of a certain range, etc. Hence, the lobbyist first attempted the MeToo campaign which ultimately culminated in the resignation of the Minister of State for External Affairs.

Minister of State for External Affairs

As regards the vulnerability of the Minister of State for External Affairs, I would like to take you to last page of my book 'Myth of Hindu Terror'. The contents of the dossier titled 'Hoax Call' issue is appended there. The matter relates to claim of Pakistan that their President received a call from the Indian External Affairs Minister in the aftermath of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks.

It is indeed a fact that Mr Mukherjee, the then External Affairs Minister, did not make any call. The call was named as a hoax call. Indeed, Pranab Mukherjee rightly conveyed that, "I can only ascribe this to those in Pakistan, who wish to divert attention from the fact that a terrorist group operating from the Pakistani territory, planned and launched a ghastly attack on Mumbai."

The narrative of External Affairs Minister was indeed true. There was an attempt by Pakistan to divert attention from the fact that a terrorist group operating from the Pakistani territory had planned and launched a ghastly attack on Mumbai. Then who made the call. Because there were people in the helm of affairs who were partnering Pakistan in their unholy design regarding 26/11 and the narrative post-event. I have said so in my book. There was a Minister of State for External Affairs (now no longer alive) who had sympathies and close relationship with Pakistani establishment.

It is not this Minister for State for External Affairs who is suspicious of furthering a pro-Pakistan narrative. Take the case of his successor. Shashi Tharoor is facing allegation of involvement in the death of his wife, Sunanda Pushkar. It is all in public knowledge.

The underlying reason for this is also known publicly that it was marital discord. As per the media reports in the days preceding this unfortunate loss of life of Sunanda it was clear that the marital discord was attributed to one Pakistani mediaperson named Mehr Tarar. Who is this Mehr Tarar? Where did she disappear? We don't know. But it has all elements of a honey trap. Whether it was actually one is a matter of surmise which only the intelligence agencies will know. But there are adequate reasons to believe that this was a case of compromise of the sitting Minister of State for External Affairs. But the Pakistanis had succeeded in their ploy.

Minister of State did resign

But whatever the aftermath of the MeToo campaign, it is a fact that it relegated itself from the headlines once MJ Akbar resigned as Minister of State. What really happened several years ago is a matter of adjudication now and the said court will come out with its decision. But the end result is they failed to get access to the required information from the executive arm.

Get the details by all means

Hence they had to train the guns at a new institution. So they targeted the Chief Justice of India, who got seized of the matter by way of the petition reaching his doorstep. I always have held the view that it is the price of the equipment that is at the core of the issue because any expert can reengineer and determine the relative capabilities of the Rafale. The Honourable Supreme Court had gone into all aspects but having a sealed cover report did not help this cabal in knowing the exact price of the equipment.

So, they designed a new strategy. Target the Chief Justice of India himself. Little did they realise that credibility of such an august institution will be compromised. But these people were evidently acting at their Master's Voice.

Identify and bring them to book

Does the nation not need to expose these mischief mongers who are willing to compromise the security of the country, and in the process discredit the Prime Minister, the Chief Justice of India and the security forces, only to enable their masters from the enemy country to recalibrate or upgrade their capabilities to counter the addition strength and capability that India gets by virtue of this acquisition.

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)
New Delhi: A 20-year-old man was arrested by the police after he allegedly killed his step-father following a quarrel with him in Dwarka, officials said Thursday.

The accused - Yogender killed Devender as he suspected that his step-father had bad intensions towards his younger sister, police said.

The incident took place on Wednesday afternoon.

The 45-year-old mother of the accused started living with Devender a year after her husband passed away in 2011.

The woman also has a seven-year-old son from her Devender, a senior police officer said.

"A quarrel broke out between Yogender and his step-father Devender over some issue. When the argument turned ugly, he took out a knife and attacked his step-father," the officer said.

After killing his step-father, Yogender called the police and informed them that he had killed his step-father.

The police thereafter took the accused into custody.

The victim was rushed to a nearby hospital where he was declared brought dead, the officer said.

A case has been registered and the accused has been arrested, he said.

During interrogation, the accused told the police that he suspected that Devender had bad intensions towards his 15-year-old sister, the officer said.

The deceased is a permanent resident of Aligarh and was staying here at Najafgarh, police said, adding that further investigation is underway.
Chinese President Xi Jinping delivers a keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the Conference on Dialogue of Asian Civilizations (CDAC) at the China National Convention Center in Beijing, capital of China, May 15, 2019. (Xinhua/Ju Peng)

BEIJING, May 15 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday attended the opening ceremony of the Conference on Dialogue of Asian Civilizations in Beijing and delivered a keynote speech.

He called for efforts to jointly create a brighter future for civilizations of Asia and the world.

The Chinese president raised a four-point proposal to consolidate the "cultural foundation" of jointly building a community with a shared future for Asia and humanity: treating each other with respect and as equals; appreciating the beauty of all civilizations; adhering to openness, inclusiveness, mutual learning; and keeping pace with the times.

Wang Huning attended the opening ceremony.

Exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations should be conducted in a reciprocal and equal manner, and be diversified and multi-directional, he said. The exchanges should neither be compulsory or forced, nor one-directional.

Xi said in his speech that various civilizations are not destined to clash as long as people were able to appreciate the beauty of all civilizations.

Noting that Chinese civilization is an open system formed during constant exchanges and mutual learning with other civilizations, Xi said China will surely embrace the world with a more open posture and contribute more dynamic civilization achievements to the world in the future.

Foreign guests including Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni, Greek President Prokopis Pavlopoulos, Singaporean President Halimah Yacob, Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, and UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay, spoke at the opening ceremony respectively.

They stressed the need to respect the differences, uniqueness and diversity of civilizations, saying that the so-called clash of civilizations argument is a huge mistake which will damage or even cut off the bridge for civilization exchanges.

The week-long event includes an opening ceremony, panel discussions, an Asian culture carnival and Asian Civilization Week involving more than 110 activities to showcase the diversity and charm of Asian civilizations.

Xi Focus-Quotable Quotes: Highlights of Xi's speech at opening of CDAC

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[ Editor: Zhang Zhou ]
By PTI

BRUSSELS: The EU's powerful anti-trust authority on Thursday fined five major banks -- including Barclays and Citigroup -- for collusion in the massive foreign exchange currency market.

The European Commission fined Barclays, the Royal Bank of Scotland, Citigroup, JPMorgan and Japan's MUFG Bank a total of 1.07 billion euros after finding that traders colluded to fix exchange rates using chat rooms, a statement said.
BHOPAL: A 26-year-old Army clerk, allegedly honey-trapped by Pakistan's notorious spy agency Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), has been arrested for leaking vital military information and espionage charges.

According to reports, an army clerk has been arrested by the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) of the Madhya Pradesh Police for allegedly leaking classified military information to Pakistan's spy agency  ISI.

He was apprehended from Mhow near Indore for his suspected involvement in espionage.

The 26-year-old man, whose identity has not been disclosed due to security reasons, was on the radar of central intelligence agencies and Military Intelligence for quite some time.



Based on the information provided by central intelligence agencies, a team of MP ATS nabbed the clerk from Mhow.

The 26-year-old Army clerk hails from Bihar and is posted in an Army unit in Mhow.

He is believed to have come in contact with a Pakistan-based fake Facebook profile operated by a lady and got lured by her.

Days after they chatted on Facebook, the lady requested the clerk to pass on information pertaining to location, movement and exercises related to Army.

The clerk used to gather information based on his knowledge and used his contacts in the army.

The exchange of information took place through internet-based mobile applications like Facebook and WhatsApp.

The clerk also received money in lieu of his services.

The clerk's suspicious activities soon came to the notice of the intelligence agencies and he was kept under joint physical and electronic surveillance of the agencies including Military Intelligence.

On acquisition of credible evidence after several-months-long intelligence, the individual was apprehended by a team of ATS, MP Police on May 15.

The clerk is being interrogated to ascertain other details pertaining to his association with Pakistani agencies, the magnitude of the information passed, favours received and involvement of others. The agencies are also examining his Facebook profile and his mobile phone for more leads.
An Army jawan - Sepoy Sandeep - was killed in an encounter that broke out between terrorists and security forces on Thursday in Dalipora area of Jammu and Kashmirs Pulwama district.

Sepoy Sandeep, born on July 5, 1991, hailed from Haryanas Rohtak district. He joined the Indian Army at the age of 21 in July 2012. He is survived by his wife Neeru.

In the encounter, one civilian was also killed. Two soldiers and another civilian were injured. The civilian who died was identified as Rayees and the injured is his brother Younis. He was immediately taken to a nearby hospital from where he was referred to Srinagar hospital for specialized treatment.

The encounter took place between terrorists and security forces in the wee hours of Thursday. After security forces retaliated, three terrorists affiliated with Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terror outfit were gunned down.

Police identified the three terrorists as Naseer Pandith of Karmibad Pulwama, Umar Mir of Bethipora Shopian and Khalid Bhai from Pakistan. The Pakistani terrorist, the top commander of JeM Khaled, was the mastermind of 2017 Lethpora CRPF camp attack in which five CRPF personnel were killed. He was carrying a reward of Rs 8 lakh on his head.

A huge quantity of arms and ammunition were also recovered from the encounter site.

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A curfew has been imposed in Pulwama after the incident and the internet connection has also been suspended.

A joint search operation was launched by the 55 Rashtriya Rifles, the Pulwama Special Operations Group (SOG) and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF). The area was cordoned off after a tip was received about the presence of terrorists in the area.
New Delhi: The CBI on Thursday withdrew from a Delhi court its application that had sought permission to further probe the politically sensitive Rs 64-crore Bofors payoff case.

The agency told Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Navin Kumar Kashyap that it wants to withdraw the application filed on February 1, 2018. It had moved the trial court seeking permission for further probe in the matter saying it had come across fresh material and evidence.

The agency on Thursday submitted before the court that decision on further course of action would be taken by it and wanted to withdraw the application for now.

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Taking note of CBI's stand, the judge said: "For the reason best known to the CBI, in case they want to withdraw the application, they have the right as they are the applicants."

The court on December 4, 2018, had questioned as to why the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) required its permission to further probe the matter.

The CBI had also filed an appeal in the Supreme Court on February 2, 2018, against the May 31, 2005 verdict of the Delhi high Court discharging all the accused in the case.

The apex court had on November 2, 2018, dismissed CBI's appeal in which it had sought condonation of the 13-year delay in filing the appeal against the high court judgment.

The apex court had said that it was not convinced with the grounds of the CBI to condone over 4,500 days' delay in filing the appeal.

However, one of the appeals is still alive in the apex court in which CBI is one of the respondents and the top court on November 2, 2018, said that the agency can assist in the matter as respondent.

The apex court said the CBI can raise all grounds in the appeal against the high court verdict filed by advocate Ajay Agrawal who has also challenged the judgement.

Agrawal, who has now become a rebel BJP leader after he was denied Lok Sabha ticket from Rai Bareilly in Uttar Pradesh, in 2005 had challenged the high court verdict after the CBI did not file the appeal in the mandatory 90 days period.

The agency had swung into action for permission for further probe in the case after the Attorney General had orally given it a go-ahead to file the appeal in the case in which it cited the October 2017 interview of private detective Michael Hershman, alleging that the then Rajiv Gandhi government had sabotaged his probe.

Justice R S Sodhi (since retired) of the Delhi High Court had on May 31, 2005, quashed the CBI case in the Bofors pay-off scam.

Before the 2005 verdict of Justice Sodhi, another judge of the Delhi High Court, Justice J D Kapoor (since retired), had on February 4, 2004, exonerated the late prime minister in the case and directed the framing of charge of forgery under section 465 of the IPC against Bofors company.

The Rs 1,437-crore deal between India and Swedish arms manufacturer AB Bofors for the supply of 400 155mm howitzer guns for the Indian Army was entered into on March 24, 1986.

Swedish Radio on April 16, 1987, claimed that the company had paid bribes to top Indian politicians and defence personnel.

The CBI on January 22, 1990, registered the FIR for alleged offences of criminal conspiracy, cheating and forgery under the India Penal Code and other sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act against Martin Ardbo, the then president of AB Bofors, alleged middleman Win Chadda and the Hinduja brothers.

It alleged that certain public servants and private persons in India and abroad had entered into a criminal conspiracy between 1982 and 1987 in pursuance of which the offences of bribery, corruption, cheating and forgery were committed.

The first charge sheet in the case was filed on October 22, 1999, against Chadda, Ottavio Quattrocchi, the then defence secretary S K Bhatnagar, Ardbo and the Bofors company.

A supplementary charge sheet was filed against the Hinduja brothers -- S P Hinduja, G P Hinduja and P P Hinduja -- on October 9, 2000.

A special CBI court in Delhi on March 4, 2011, had discharged Quattrocchi in the case, saying the country could not afford to spend hard-earned money on his extradition which had already cost Rs 250 crore.

Quattrocchi, who had fled from India on July 29-30, 1993, never appeared before any court in India to face prosecution. He passed away on July 13, 2013. The other accused who died are Bhatnagar, Ardbo and Chadda.
China is strengthening its offensive capabilities in areas which are close to India. The Chinese forces have deployed the deadly Diving Eagle Jet UAVs and H-6K bombers at its two airbases. According to the latest report accessed by Zee News, China's People Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) is operating the Divine Eagle Jet UAVs from Malan airbase and H-6K bombers from the Hoping airbase.

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Divine Eagle UAVs are known to be the world largest unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). The length of the Diving Eagle Jet UAV is about 15 metres and its wings size is about 35-45 metres. China claims that these UAVs can also detect stealth fighters like the F-22 and F-35 of the USA.

On the other hand, the deadly H-6 bomber of China's People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) is a variant of the Tupolev TU-16 twin-engine medium-range bomber of the erstwhile Soviet Union. The latest version is the H-6K, which has been designed for long-range attacks and is a strategic bomber. Some reports say it is capable of even attacking the US carrier battle groups having the nuclear-strike capability.

The H-6K bombers on Hoping Airfield of Tibet are just 200 kilometres from the Indian border in Sikkim. The deployment of Divine Eagle Jet UAVs at Malan airfield is also a cause of concern for the Indian security agencies. Malan airfield is located in the Xinjiang Autonomous Region.

"India wants a better relationship with China. Both countries have been engaged in efforts to overcome mutual differences to maintain peace in the region but the way China is engaged in strengthening its defence preparedness from Tibet to Xinjiang is a matter of concern for us," an Indian security establishment officer said.

The report states that People's Liberation of Army (PLA) has taken full control of Hoping Airfield and it has been placed under Western Theater Command (WTC). Hoping Airbase is also known as a Shigatse Airport and is a dual-use military and civilian airport. PLA is also reported to have inducted 155mm calibre vehicle mounted Howitzer in WTC.

There were several intelligence inputs available about PLA's attempt to build permanent hangers at the Hoping airfield so that its fighters and bombings can be protected on the ground during air raids. The 155mm calibre vehicle mounted Howitzers can hit targets 50 kms away with an extended-range projectile. The gun is also capable of firing GPS and laser-guided precision munitions.

The dispute between India and China over Doklam in June-August 2017 may have subsided but China has been constantly engaged in strengthening defence preparedness in the border areas. China's PLA has also built several new military camps in the border areas.

Intelligence inputs also suggest that there is a secret guided missile unit in China's Yuxi about 900 kilometres from Arunachal Pradesh. China has deployed its 622 Missile Brigade in Yuxi equipped with guided missiles. China is also deploying long-range kill missiles at this new base.

China has already strengthened its Western Theater Command against India and with the new revelation about the new Missile Brigade in the South Theater Command, Indian agencies have been busy constantly monitoring the development. Intelligence agencies are also trying to gather more information about the People Liberation Army's Rocket Force (PLA Rocket Force) 622 Missile Brigade.
JAC Class 10th result 2019 | The Jharkhand Academic Council (JAC) is likely to release class 10th result Thursday after 2 pm on its official website at jac.nic.in or jharresults.nic.in. The Jharkhand Board matric exams 2019 were held between February 20 to March 9, 2019.

Here's how to download JAC 10th Result 2019, Jharkhand 10th Result 2019

Step 1: Visit jac.nic.in or jharresults.nic.in or examresults.net or indiaresults.com

Step 2. Click on JAC 10th Result

Step 3. On the new page, enter the required details and hit submit

Step 4. JAC 10th Result 2019 will be displayed on the screen

Candidates are advised to download and take a print out of Jharkhand 10th Result

Nearly 4.5 lakh students took Class 10 board examinations for the 2018-2019 academic batch. In 2018, JAC Matric Result was declared on May 12 and recorded 59.48% pass percentage.

The Jharkhand Academic Council is yet to make an announcement on JAC 12th result for Arts stream students.
Bhaderwah: The killing of a middle-aged man by so-called cow vigilantes, reportedly belonging to far-right Hindu groups, has triggered widespread protest and outrage in Bhaderwah town in Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir, forcing the administration to impose curfew in the picturesque town.

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According to reports, a group of three persons were heading towards their native place, Mohalla Qilla Bhaderwah, at 2 am on Thursday with their cattle, when they reached near village Nalthi. They were fired upon allegedly by cow vigilantes, killing Naeem Ahmed Shah (50) on spot, while two others managed to escape with minor injuries.

The incident triggered widespread protest as people were demanding immediate arrest of the culprits. The police claimed that seven suspects of village Kaathi-Nalthi have been detained. However, the main suspect is absconding and remains to be arrested.

Meanwhile, protestors pelted stones on police station Bhaderwah, demanding that the culprits should be handed over to them. To disperse the mob police fired tear gas shells, which further infuriated the protestors. They vandalised the parked vehicles, burnt a couple of auto rickshaw and a bike at Seri Bazaar, Takia Chowk and Pasri Bus Stand. The administration was forced to impose curfew and Army was also called upon to control the situation.

Seeing the gravity of the matter, DDC Doda Sagar Doifode, SSP Shabir Ahmed Malik and Commander 4 Sector RR Brig NJ Singh are camping at Bhaderwah to access the situation. The DDC Doda appealed people to remain calm and maintain peace as the law will take its own course and all the culprits will be brought to book. As the last reports came in, the clashes between security forces and protesters are still going on at Takiya Chowk.
Heavy security was deployed on Wednesday after railway officials received a letter threatening to blow up seven railway stations in Uttar Pradesh and Delhi in three days. In the letter, railway stations including, old Ghaziabad Railway Station, Meerut, Shamli, and Nizamuddin have been targetted to be blown up within 72 hours.

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An email was also received by the Ghaziabad Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Upendra Agrawal, threatening to blow up the railway stations. The checking in trains and stations have been intensified and security forces patrolling within the railway trains have been advised to remain alert at all times.

Speaking on the matter, Govt Railway Police (GRP) in-charge Ashok Sisodia confirmed that the railway officials received the letter and the GRP was warned by them. Apart from this, SSP Agrawal said that a case has been registered in Shamli for the threatening email. Teams of ATS Cyber Cell and Surveillance are investigating the source of the email.
New Delhi: Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman's MiG-21 Bison squadron has come out with new shoulder patches with titles 'Falcon Slayers' and 'AMRAAM Dodgers' in a tribute to his bravery in shooting down an F-16 jet of Pakistan during an aerial combat on February 27, officials said.

The new patches brought out by the 51 Squadron of IAF depict a MiG21 in the foreground along with a red-coloured F-16 with 'Falcon Slayers' written on top and 'AMRAAM Dodgers' written at the bottom of it.

Any squadron can come out with such shoulder patches to mark its achievements and success stories, the officials said, adding that the Indian Air Force officially does not issue such markings.

A fleet of Pakistani fighter jets had unsuccessfully targeted various military installations in Jammu and Kashmir on February 27, a day after India carried out air strikes on a terrorist training camp deep inside Pakistan's Balakot.

The IAF foiled the Pakistani retaliation, and in the dogfight, Varthaman downed an F-16 fighter jet of the Pakistan Air Force, showing grit, determination and bravery.

Soon after he brought down the F-16, Varthaman was captured by the Pakistani Army as his MiG-21 Bison jet was hit. Varthaman was released on the night of March 1 by Pakistan.

The IAF had said the Pakistani F-16 fighters fired AMRAAM beyond visual range air-to-air missile during the aerial combat.

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.

Varthaman had become the face of the military confrontation between the two countries. Last month, he was shifted out of Srinagar and posted to a frontline air base in the western sector.

The IAF is recommending wartime gallantry medal Vir Chakra to Varthaman.
New Delhi: One terrorist was killed during an encounter between terrorists and security forces in Handew village of Shopian district of Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday. This was the third incident of a gunbattle between terrorists and security forces to be reported in the state today.

"As the cordon was tightened, the militants opened fire, triggering an encounter which is going on. Two to three militants are believed to be trapped inside the cordon," a police officer said.

According to the police, the firing between the two sides has stopped and a cordon and a search operation is currently underway.

Earlier in the day, three Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorists, an Indian Army jawan and a civilian were killed during an encounter in Pulwama. Police said one of the three slain militants was a top commander, identified as Khalid Bhai of Pakistan. He had reportedly masterminded the 2017 attack on the Lethpora CRPF camp in Pulwama district in which five CRPF troopers were killed.

"The slain militants have been identified as two locals, Naseer Pandit and Umar Mir and Pakistani national Khalid Bhai. Khalid was a top JeM commander and had masterminded the 2017 attack on the CRPF camp in Lethpora in which five troopers were killed," a police source said.

The civilian victim was identified as Rayees Ahmad Dar, son of the owner of the house where the militants were hiding. His brother, Muhammad Younis, sustained a gunshot injury.

Giving details of the gunfight, a police statement said: "On a credible input, a cordon and search operation was launched today morning by police and security forces at Dalipora area.

"As police and security forces were evacuating civilians from the neighbourhood around the target house, the hiding terrorists fired indiscriminately. In the process, one Army jawan, Sepoy Sandeep attained martyrdom and one civilian Rayees Dar also lost his life."

Security forces retaliated, killing three militants whose bodies were retrieved from the site, it said.

In another gunfight in Kupwara, a gunfight took place in Kandi forest area today. Security forces surrounded the forest area after intelligence inputs about the presence of a group of militants there.

Police said a brief shootout took place in Kandi forest area, but there was no report of any casualty.
New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday distanced itself from party leader Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur's latest remarks on Mahatma Gandhi's assassin Nathuramm Godse. Condemning Sadhvi Pragya's Godse remarks, Uttar Pradesh media in-charge Lokendra Parashar said the party does not agree with her statement.

Calling her statement 'objectionable', Parashar said the party would summon her and seek clarification from her for her remarks. He added that the world knows that Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi was killed by Godse and hence, Sadhvi must apologise for her remarks.

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BJP leader GVL Narasimha Rao too said that the party does not agree with Sadhvi Pragya's remarks on Godse and hence she should issue an apology for it.

Attacking the saffron party over the controversial statement by its Bhopal Lok Sabha candidate, Congress spokesperson R Surjewala said, "India's soul is under attack by the successors of Godse, the BJP ruling dispensation. BJP leaders are describing the murderer of Father of the Nation as a true nationalist and declaring those who sacrificed their lives for nation like Hemant Karkare as anti-nationals."

Congress leader Digvijaya Singh, who is contesting against Sadhvi Pragya from Bhopal, attacked BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi over her statement and asked them to apologise to the nation. "Modi ji, Amit Shah ji & the state BJP should give their statements & apologize to the nation. I condemn this statement, Nathuram Godse was a killer, glorifying him is not patriotism, it is sedition," news agency ANI quoted him saying.

Sadhvi Pragya Singh today stoked yet another controversy after she hailed Nathuram Godse as a 'deshbhakt' (patriot). "Nathuram Godse was a deshbhakt, is a deshbhakt and will remain a deshbhakt," Pragya said when questioned about actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan's remark that India's first terrorist was a Hindu, referring to Godse.

#WATCH BJP Bhopal Lok Sabha Candidate Pragya Singh Thakur says 'Nathuram Godse was a 'deshbhakt', is a 'deshbhakt' and will remain a 'deshbhakt'. People calling him a terrorist should instead look within, such people will be given a befitting reply in these elections pic.twitter.com/4swldCCaHK  ANI (@ANI) May 16, 2019

She claimed that comments like these by Haasan will dent his electoral prospects. "People calling him a terrorist should instead look within, such people will be given a befitting reply in these elections," she said.

A Malegaon blast case, Sadhvi Pragya is not new to controversial remarks. After being fielded by the BJP in Lok Sabha polls she had said that ATS Hemant Karkare, who was killed in action during the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, died because she had cursed him.

Karkare, former chief of Mumbai's Anti-Terrorism Squad, was probing the Malegaon case. The comments not only earned her criticism from all corners but also got her a notice from the Election Commission forcing her to withdraw her statement.

She was barred from campaigning for three days by the poll body for her comments about Babri Masjid demolition. "I will go to make the Ram Temple. I have said it before and I am not denying it that I had gone there. I have demolished the Babri structure. He is my Ram ji and no one can stop me from making a grand Ram temple. The nation is Ram, Ram is a nation," the newly-minted politician had said.

An FIR was filed against her for her statement on the communally sensitive subject.
By PTI

NEW DELHI: Qatar Airways, which has sought additional seat capacity on temporary basis for its flights from Indian cities to Doha, Thursday said it will "seriously" consider any proposal for partnership from Indian carriers.

The blockade on Qatar and withdrawal of 28 weekly between Doha and cities of New Delhi and Mumbai has increased the pressure on available seat capacity in Qatar-India routes, the airline said.

Jet Airways shut down operations temporarily on April 17 after it ran out of cash. "Qatar Airways is always open for partnership with other airlines, including Indian carriers.We will seriously consider any proposal for partnership from Indian carriers," the airline said in a statement to PTI.

The Gulf carrier has submitted a formal request to the Indian authorities for an additional capacity on a temporary operating permit basis to meet the air traffic demand in Qatar-India routes. The airline asked the civil aviation ministry to favourably consider its request for additional seat capacity "to help evacuate the stranded Indian passengers in Doha".

Airfares have already significantly increased due to the unexpected unavailability of restricted capacity during this summer peak season, it added. The allocated seat capacity in the Qatar-India aviation market has not been increased since 2009. Bilateral air traffic rights are negotiated between the two countries.

According to the airline, the "illegal blockade" imposed on Qatar in June 2017 by the UAE, Saudi, Bahrain, and Egypt has restricted the movement of not only Qataris but also Indian expats living in Qatar. People do not have the flexibility of travelling to nearby airports in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, and Manama, for their travel to India. "This has reduced their options for air connectivity and further increased the pressure on the available seat capacity in Qatar-India routes," the statement said.

"Salt in the wound - Jet Airways' sudden, unexpected, unplanned, and immediate withdrawal of 28 weekly passenger flights during summer peak season between Doha and two Indian cities: New Delhi and Mumbai. All these have resulted not only in lesser available seat capacity but also significantly higher air ticket fares, which is set to continue for at least another three months," the airline said.
KOLKATA: West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee has blamed the Narendra Modi and Amit Shah-powered BJP for vandalising the statue of Pandit Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar.

Vidyasagar's statue was vandalised at a Kolkata college following Amit Shah's roadshow on Wednesday.

While condemning the act, in a strongly-worded Facebook post, the firebrand TMC leader said that ''vandalising the statue may not be viewed as an isolated incident. Incidence of vandalism of statues is not a new phenomenon for BJP.''

Vandalising the statue of Pandit Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar may not be viewed as an isolated incident. Incidence of vandalism of statues is not a new phenomenon for BJP. My latest #Facebook post: https://t.co/8T0K1uER0B  Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) May 16, 2019

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She also blamed the saffron party and its workers of destroying the age-old statues in Tripura immediately after coming to power in 2018.

''They vandalised age-old statues in Tripura immediately after coming to power in 2018. It was a planned operation in Tripura where bulldozers were brought by BJP. This was public property built with govt funds,'' she wrote in the Facebook post.

Giving more examples, Mamata Di, as she is popularly known in West Bengal, wrote.''A statue of BR Ambedkar, founding father of Indian Constitution and a legendary leader of the backward classes, was vandalised in Meerut (UP) again under BJP rule in March last year.''

''The Periyar statue in Vellore was suspected to be broken by a worker of the same party. This serious matter on the demolition of the statue was raised in Parliament in March 2018. Following the embarrassment, the Home Ministry of the present government at the centre had to issue two advisories to all states for taking preventive measures.''

The Trinamool Supremo reiterated that her party believes in conserving the rich cultural and historical heritage of our Bengal.

It is totally against the ''hate philosophy of Modi and Amit Shah,'' her Facebook post said.

Mamata said, ''Entire Bengal is hurt by the act of vandalising the statue of Pandit Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar by outside goons of BJP. Vidyasagar is a great reformer, philosopher, educationist of Bengal whose name is remembered with great dignity and honour everywhere. People of Bengal condemns this heinous act of vandalism by BJP goons.''

Attacking the Narendra Modi-led NDA government, Mamata on Thursday said, ''West Bengal does not need money from the BJP, it has enough resources to rebuild the Vidyasagar statue that was vandalised at a Kolkata college following Amit Shah's roadshow.''

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during a rally in Uttar Pradesh, had promised to install the statue at the same spot where it stood before being desecrated on Tuesday.
New Delhi: BJP Bhopal Lok Sabha candidate Pragya Singh Thakur on Thursday waded into another controversy after she hailed the killer of Mahatma Gandhi as patriotic (deshbhakt). Pragya was responding to Makkal Needhi Maiam chief Kamal Haasan's remarks on Godse, which stirred a controversy.

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"Nathuram Godse was a deshbhakt, is a deshbhakt and will remain a deshbhakt'. People calling him a terrorist should instead look within. Such people will be given a befitting reply in these elections," news agency ANI quoted her saying.

#WATCH BJP Bhopal Lok Sabha Candidate Pragya Singh Thakur says 'Nathuram Godse was a 'deshbhakt', is a 'deshbhakt' and will remain a 'deshbhakt'. People calling him a terrorist should instead look within, such people will be given a befitting reply in these elections pic.twitter.com/4swldCCaHK  ANI (@ANI) May 16, 2019

Actor-turned-politician Haasan, while campaigning for his party cadidate in Aravakurichi Assembly constituency, had asserted that the "first terrorist post-India's independence is a Hindu," in an apparent reference to Mahatma Gandhi's assassin Nathuram Godse. Haasan's remarks sparked a row with political parties like BJP and AIADMK coming down heavily on him. However, he received support from Congress, rationalist outfit Dravidar Kazhagam and AIMIM.

On Wednesday, Haasan said that 'he stands by his remarks as he has only stated facts in his speech'.

Several FIRs were registered against the MNS chief following his remarks. Police in Aravakurichi in Karur district filed the FIR under sections 153A and 295A of the Indian Penal Code which deal with 'outraging religious feelings' and 'promoting enmity between different groups', respectively.

A Karur police release also warned of stringent action against those inciting violence in the name of religion, caste, language and race. In Delhi, two separate cases were filed against Haasan.

On the other hand, Sadhvi Pragya, a Malegaon blast accused, is not new to the controversy. Only last month, she said that ATS Hemant Karkare, who was killed in 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, died because of his 'karma' (fate) and that she had cursed him a month before his death. She received a notice from the polll panel for her statement.

She raked up another controversy after she demanded a ban on burkhas for what she said was for the sake of national security.
Hyderabad: The Congress in Telangana on Wednesday urged the State Chief Electoral Officer to provide details of polling percentage up to 5 pm in four parliamentary constituencies vis--vis Lok Sabha polls in the State held on April 11.

In a letter to the CEO, senior Congress leader and former MLA Marri Shashidhar Reddy sought copies of polling station-wise polling figures up to 5 pm for the four constituencies without further delay.

Suspecting foul play, Reddy earlier sought information on polling details from the Election Commission. He had claimed that there was an unusual increase in the percentage of votes given on polling day and the final figures in the Lok Sabha elections.

Reddy wanted the information to make a study of the polling pattern in four Lok Sabha constituencies of Nizamabad, Secunderabad, Khammam and Chevella, "in view of the overall spike in polling witnessed in the state, after 5 pm on the day of polling."

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Reddy alleged that the CEO "shied away" from making polling station-wise votes polled up to 5 pm.

Citing official information, Reddy had earlier claimed that there was a 5.26 per cent increase in poll percentage from the polling day to the next day.
NEW DELHI: The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Thursday declared polling held on April 11 at five polling stations in Andhra Pradesh and ordered a re-poll on May 19.

In its order, the apex poll panel said that the polling held on April 11 at five polling stations of the Chandragiri Assembly constituency and the Chittoor Parliamentary constituency of Andhra Pradesh have been declared void.

Re-polling will be held in the two constituencies on May 19, the poll panel said.

Election Commission of India declares polls held on 11th April at 5 polling stations of the Chandragiri Assembly constituency and the Chittoor Parliamentary constituency of Andhra Pradesh as void. Re-polls to be held on 19th May. pic.twitter.com/uXsNnzCpMv  ANI (@ANI) May 16, 2019

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In a related development, the poll panel ordered re-poll in three booths in Kasargode and one in Kannur Lok Sabha constituencies in Kerala on May 19.

The order was passed by Kerala's Chief Electoral Officer, Teeka Ram Meena, on Thursday following complaints of bogus voting

This is the first time in Kerala that a re-poll has been ordered on account of bogus voting.

Voting at three polling booths - Number 19, 69 and 70 - in Kaliassery that comes under the Kasargode Lok Sabha constituency, and booth number 166 at Taliparambu in the Kannur constituency will start at 7 AM and end at 6 PM.

The candidates have been allowed time to campaign till Friday evening.

On April 27 TV channels in the state started airing visuals of three women and a man casting votes on more than one occasion at different booths in Kaliassery.

On this, Meena asked the returning officer concerned to submit a report, which found the incident to be true. Soon more reports came in. Meena found that the report of bogus voting in Taliparambu was also true.

Meena than asked the police to register cases against 13 people, found guilty of bogus voting in these polling booths. Those found guilty include workers of the CPI-M and the Indian Union Muslim League.

Welcoming the decision as the first step towards the cleansing of the democratic process, Kasargode Congress candidate Rajmohan Unnithan said, "It will go a long way in eliminating bogus voting, which is rampant in Kasargode."
Kolkata: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday expressed confidence that his party - BJP - will be voted back to power for a second consecutive term at the Centre and the state of West Bengal will play a major role in it. The Prime Minister also regretted that West Bengal, which is very rich in natural resources, has been completely ruined in the past 40 years.

Outlining his vision for the state, the PM said that the state of West Bengal has immense potential and he wants to transform it into a major development hub and as the engine of India's growth.

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The PM made these remarks while talking to Zee News channel Zee 24 Ghanta during which he expressed his views on a wide range of issues.

''I want to thank the people of West Bengal for their immense support to my party during the election campaigning here. While discharging my duties as the PM, I keep travelling to various parts of the country during which I get the opportunity to meet a lot of people. I want to sincerely thank the people of this country for giving me the opportunity to serve them for five years. I have a special connect with West Bengal. I have been associated with the Ram Krishna Mission from an early stage of my life. I want to salute the land of West Bengal,'' the PM said.

Replying to a question on his ongoing war-of-words with West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her party, the PM said, ''Fearing their defeat in the 2019 polls, Mamata Ji and her ministers have lost their mental balance.''

''They (TMC) are hurting their own people. The common man is suffering here because of what is happening in Bengal,'' the PM said while referring to the alleged attack on BJP workers here.

The PM added, ''it all started with the panchayat elections which was marred with incidents of violence. The houses of all non-TMC candidates who won in the panchayat elections were set ablaze by the TMC goons.''

''This dictatorial and anarchist attitude of the Mamata government is a big threat to the democracy in the country,'' the PM said.

In view of 2021 assembly elections in West Bengal, the PM shared his vision for the state and said that he wants to develop it as an ''engine of the country's growth.''

''Where ever you see in the east - West Bengal, Assam, Odisha, Bihar etc  all these states are very rich in natural resources, people here are very intelligent and hard working. However, they still live in acute poverty. A lot needs to be done for them. For the country's all-round development, it is important that the eastern parts of the country are also developed, only then India can become a USD 5 trillion economy. I have a detailed roadmap for eastern India and I see that Kolkata has the potential of becoming the hub of India's growth.''

When asked why is West Bengal so crucial for BJP's victory, the PM said, "the ground is slipping from under the feet of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee whose frustration at the public support for the BJP in the state will help his party form a government with an overwhelming majority.''

''The West Bengal Chief Minister is afraid of the Lok Sabha election results and scared to see her own shadow," PM Modi said.

He also referred to the violence at BJP president Amit Shah`s roadshow in Kolkata during which the bust of social reformer Iswar Chandra Vidyasagar was also desecrated.

"The reason for organised attacks on BJP rallies in West Bengal is your fear. Didi, your nervousness and the public support which BJP is getting in the state has assured me that Bengal will ensure that BJP crosses 300 in these elections," PM Modi said.

"All the surveys are giving BJP a full majority on its own, but Didi after seeing your frustration and the support from the people of Bengal, I`m saying that Bengal will help us win more than 300 seats," he said.

PM Modi also offered condolences to the BJP workers who had lost their lives in poll violence in West Bengal and said he sympathised with those who were injured and added that their sacrifice will result in the Mamata Banerjee and TMC being thrown out of power in the long run.

Attacking the TMC government, PM Modi said, "TMC is anti-democracy and anti-development."

West Bengal will see polling for nine seats of the state`s 42 seats on May 19 in the seventh and final phase of the Lok Sabha elections. The counting of votes will begin on May 23.
Former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir and PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti on Thursday hit out at the BJP and said she takes pride in being termed `anti-national` if a Hindu fanatic Nathuram Godse, who gunned down the father of the nation, is being hailed as a nationalist.

"I take pride in being called an anti-national when a Hindu fanatic who gunned down Gandhi ji is hailed as a nationalist," Mufti wrote on her Twitter handle.

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She also said, "aisi nationalism aur desh bhakti humaray bas ki naheen. Yeh aapko mubarak. (Such kind of nationalism and patriotism are not our cup of tea. Congratulations to you!)."

Mufti's response comes in the wake of BJP`s candidate Pragya Singh Thakur`s remarks terming Nathuram Godse, the man who assassinated Mahatma Gandhi, as a `deshbhakt` (patriot).

Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister and National Conference leader Omar Abdullah also condemned Pragya`s remarks on Godse.

"If the killer of the father of the nation is a patriot does that make Mahatma Gandhi anti-national?" queried Abdullah in his twitter post.

Earlier in the day, when questioned about actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan`s remark that India`s first terrorist was a Hindu (in reference to Godse), Thakur had said, "Nathuram Godse was a `deshbhakt`, is a `deshbhakt` and will remain a `deshbhakt`."

"People calling him a terrorist should instead look within, such people will be given a befitting reply in these elections," she had said.

Haasan, the chief of political outfit Makkal Needhi Maiam, had said, "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."

Soon after her comments stoked controversy, BJP strongly condemned the statement made by Thakur and said she should apologize publicly for terming Mahatma Gandhi`s assassin Nathuram Godse a `true patriot`.

"We completely disagree with the statement made by Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur about the father of the nation Mahatma Gandhi ji. We strongly condemn this particular statement. The party will ask her for clarification, she should apologize publicly for this statement," BJP spokesperson GVL Narasimha Rao had told media.

Meanwhile, Congress leader Digvijaya Singh, who is contesting against Thakur from Bhopal, also sought his opponent`s apology for her remarks. "Modi ji, Amit Shah ji and the state BJP should give their statements and apologize to the nation. I condemn this statement, Nathuram Godse was a killer, glorifying him is not patriotism, it is sedition," he had said.

Thakur, an accused in the Malegaon blast case, is not new to controversial remarks. After being fielded by the BJP in the ongoing Lok Sabha polls, she had said Hemant Karkare, who was killed during the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, died because she had cursed him.
Patna: Named after the ancient Indian city that was the seat of power during the rule of the mighty kingdom of Magadh, the Pataliputra Lok Sabha constituency is witnessing yet another contest between a former loyalist of RJD national president Lalu Prasad and his eldest daughter.

Although Prasad has dominated the political landscape of Bihar for close to three decades, capturing Pataliputra that came into being after the 2018 delimitation has remained a Sisyphean task for the family that controls the RJD.

Altogether 26 candidates are in the fray in the Lok Sabha constituency which comprises six assembly segments. Of these seats, four are held by the Congress-RJD combine while another was won, in the 2015 polls, by the JD (U), which was then an alliance partner but has now realigned with the BJP.

The contest, however, is primarily between Ram Kripal Yadav - the sitting BJP MP and a Union minister - and Misa Bharti who had lost to the former five years ago and has entered the fray again despite being a member of the Rajya Sabha.

The BJP candidate enjoys the support of the JD (U), which won the seat in 2009 and had secured the third position five years later, polling nearly one lakh votes.

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The RJD's prospects are, on the other hand, bolstered with the CPI (ML) Liberation agreeing to support it.

The Left outfit had garnered more than 50,000 votes in 2014 when Misa lost by a margin of just about 40,000 votes.

Moreover, Misa Bharti also hopes to gain sympathy - particularly of the members of the Yadav caste to which she and her rival belong - with her campaign almost entirely focused on her ailing father who is serving sentences in fodder scam cases and has not been able to secure bail, even on health grounds.

Prasad had himself contested from the seat in 2009 but lost by a margin of less than 25,000 votes to his former aide Ranjan Yadav, who was fielded by the JD(U) - the party headed by his arch-rival Nitish Kumar, who had dislodged his wife Rabri Devi from power four years earlier.

The constituency was earlier a part of the now- abolished Patna Lok Sabha seat which Ram Kripal Yadav had wrested for Prasad's RJD in 2004, defeating the sitting BJP MP C P Thakur, who was also a member of the Union cabinet headed by the then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

Despite being seen as a natural claimant for the party ticket from Pataliputra, when it came into being, Yadav withdrew when his mentor expressed the desire to fight from the seat and settle scores with a friend-turned-foe.

Five years later, when Prasad had been debarred from contesting elections on account of conviction in one of the cases, he chose to field his daughter, hoping that it would be okay with Yadav, who had been sent to the Rajya Sabha.

The loyalist, however, felt slighted and quit the party, and the BJP, sensing his personal popularity since his days as the city's deputy mayor, fielded him from his desired seat and rewarded him with a ministerial berth at the Centre.
A delegation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders on Wednesday met Vice President Venkaiah Naidu and submitted a memorandum in connection with the attack on BJP president Amit Shah's roadshow in West Bengal's Kolkata. Taking to Twitter, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman tweeted that the memorandum expressed concern on the violent attack and the resulting breach of privilege.

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The BJP delegation comprised of Union Ministers Nirmala Sitharaman, Prakash Javadekar, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and Vijay Goel, spokespersons Anil Baluni and GVL Narsimha Rao, and Rajya Sabha MP Rakesh Sinha.

On Tuesday, the supporters of both the BJP and Trinamool Congress (TMC) fought pitched battles on the streets of Kolkata during a massive road show by Shah. Though Shah escaped unhurt, he was forced to cut short the road show and had to be escorted to safety by the police.

Parts of the city plunged into a welter of violence after TMC's student wing, allegedly, waved black flags near Vidyasagar college and were also displaying anti-BJP placards. When confronted by BJP supporters, violence erupted and the statue of Bengali writer and philosopher Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar was destroyed. Stones were thrown, lathis were used and several vehicles were set on fire, even as Kolkata Police eventually resorted to lathi charge to restore order.
Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee expressed her gratitude to the Opposition parties for supporting her and speaking out against Election Commission's 'biased' decision to cut short campaigning time in the state.

Thanks and gratitude to Mayawati, Akhilesh Yadav, Congress, Chandrababu Naidu and others for expressing solidarity and support to us and the people of Bengal. EC's biased actions under the directions of the BJP are a direct attack on democracy. People will give a befitting reply, Mamata tweeted on Thursday morning soon after Bahujan Samajwadi Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati charged that the West Bengal chief minister is being targeted as part of a conspiracy to divert attention from failures of the Modi government.

Thanks and gratitude to @Mayawati, @yadavakhilesh, @INCIndia, @ncbn and others for expressing solidarity and support to us and the people of #Bengal. EC's biased actions under the directions of the #BJP are a direct attack on democracy. People will give a befitting reply  Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) May 16, 2019

"EC curtailed campaigning in West Bengal under pressure from the central government," Mamata further said and added that it is clear that under present Chief Election Commissioner, Lok Sabha polls are not being held in a totally free and fair manner.

The poll body on Wednesday night announced to invoke Article 324 to curtail campaigning time in West Bengal by 24 hours in the wake of violence between Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Trinamool Congress (TMC) workers in Kolkata. The election campaign in West Bengal now ends on Thursday night at 10 pm, a day before its scheduled deadline.

"The decision to cut short campaigning time is not an EC decision. It is a BJP decision," Mamata had said at a press conference soon after EC announced the decision.

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"I have never seen an Election Commission like this. They can send me a showcause notice for saying this but I am ready for 50 showcause notices because I have to uphold Bangla honour. They cannot use Article 324 here because there is no law and order problem. It is unethical, unconstitutional. EC has RSS men," she added.

Rallying behind Mamata, Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav said that the EC's decision to call off campaigning in West Bengal is against all norms of democratic fair play and tweeted that he fully supports Mamata in her fight.

The EC's decision to call off campaigning in Bengal is against all norms of democratic fair play. I fully support @MamataOfficial ji in her fight to stop the undemocratic march of the two and a half men who have used and abused every institution of our country for their own gain.  Akhilesh Yadav (@yadavakhilesh) May 15, 2019

Congress too came down heavily on EC and accused it of losing its credibility and independence.

Congress' chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said the order is a "dark spot" on India's democracy.

The time has come to review the process of appointment of Election Commission," he said, calling for a national debate on the issue.

The Congress, a responsible political party, has never cast unwarranted aspersions on the actions of Constitutional bodies, Surjewala said.

"But we are deeply saddened to say that Election Commission of India has completely lost its independence and abdicated its Constitutional integrity," the Congress leader added

Andhra Pradesh CM N Chandrababu Naidu in a series of tweets slammed the EC and BJP.

It is even more disturbing to see conspicuous inaction of the ECI regarding the complaint of 22 political parties of the opposition, to validate EVM counting with the counting of at least 50% VVPAT slips in each assembly constituency.  N Chandrababu Naidu (@ncbn) May 15, 2019

It's high time the ECI acts on the complaints made by opposition parties to restore its credibility and fulfill its constitutional mandate of conducting free and fair elections. The institutional integrity of the ECI & integrity of the democratic process of elections is at stake.  N Chandrababu Naidu (@ncbn) May 15, 2019

BJP and TMC workers had clashed in Kolkata after Amit Shah's roadshow on Tuesday. Acts of violence and arson had been witnessed with both parties blaming each other for it. A statue of Bengali writer and philosopher Ishwarchandra Vidyasagar was also vandalised during the violence
KOLKATA: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's nephew and Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek has threatened to send a legal notice to Prime Minister Narendra Modi over latter's claim that the former was illegally occupying his party office in his constituency.

PM Narendra Modi had on Wednesday accused Abhishek of illegally occupying the building from where he runs his party office.

Abhishek had also reportedly asked PM Modi to apologise within 48 hours failing which, a criminal case will be initiated against him.

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While campaigning in Abhishek's constituency Diamond Harbour, PM Modi had stated that the former has illegally occupied some offices here.

Abhishek, while campaigning for his party in his constituency, told reporters that he will send a legal notice if PM does not apologise.

Abhishek also expressed confidence that after May 23, the key of Prime Minister's residence will be with Mamata Banerjee.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had on Wednesday hit out at Mamata Banerjee for her ''anarchist behaviour'' in the state and said that her nephew Abhishek Banerjee's office will be 'locked' up soon after the results of Lok Sabha polls.

"After election results, Didi`s nephew's office will be locked up. I was told that his office, as per Trinamool Congress (TMC) tradition, was built after occupying the public road. 'Didi,' your party has earned a lot by tolabaaji (extortion), at least do not occupy public roads for the construction of nephew`s office," PM Modi had said at an election rally here.

Abhishek Banerjee is the sitting MP of the Diamond Harbour parliamentary constituency in south 24 Parganas District.
By Express News Service

BENGALURU: A 16-year-old school dropout was assaulted by a group of youngsters in Babusapalya after he refused to join the group for a liquor party. When the teenager turned down their invite, the group went in search of him, assaulted him, locked him in a room and even threatened to kill him. The injured is Keerthi Kumar, a resident of Horamavu. Kumar met one of the accused, Chinni, four months ago through common friends and often met him.

According to the complaint filed by Kumar on May 11, he was home when Chinni called him around 4 pm and asked him to join a party. When Kumar refused, Chinni and his friends went looking for Kumar on their bikes.

Around 4.30pm, the gang saw Kumar near a temple in Babusapalya. One of them attacked Kumar on his head with a knife. Though he was bleeding profusely they took him to a room and assaulted him there, police said.

Kumar told TNIE, One of the attackers was a friend of youth I had fought with four years ago. I suspect this may be the actual reason behind the attack.

The group later dropped him near Babusapalya bus stand. Kumar then got in touch with his friends and went to hospital. Police said a case has been taken up against the gang at Hennur police station against the gang.
Expressing solidarity with West Bengal Chief Mamata Banerjee, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati lashed out at the RSS and the BJP accusing them of orchestrating violence in the state.

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It is clear that PM Modi, Amit Shah and their leaders are targeting Mamata Banerjee, its planned targeting. This is a very dangerous and unjust trend and one which doesn't suit the PM of the country, said Mayawati on Thursday.

The Election Commission has banned campaigning in West Bengal, but from 10 pm today just because PM has two rallies in the day. If they had to ban then why not from today morning? This is unfair and EC is acting under pressure, she added.

In first such action in India's electoral history, the Election Commission on Wednesday ordered campaigning in nine West Bengal constituencies to end at 10 pm on Thursday, a day before its scheduled deadline in the wake of violence between BJP and Trinamool Congress workers in Kolkata. Strongly condemning the act of violence, the EC invoked Article 324 and took the decision to restrict campaigning time in the nine parliamentary seats in West Bengal - Dum Dum, Barasat, Basirhat, Jaynagar, Mathurapur, Jadavpur, Diamond Harbour, South and North Kolkata.

Accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah of carefully planning a strategy to create ruckus in the state, the former UP chief minister said, Bengal has been in the news ever since Lok Sabha poll dates were announced. The RSS and BJP is behind this

The BSP chief claims that all this is to distract voters from Modi's shortcomings.

Banerjee later took to Twitter to thank Mayawati and other Opposition leaders for their support.

Thanks and gratitude to @Mayawati, @yadavakhilesh, @INCIndia, @ncbn and others for expressing solidarity and support to us and the people of #Bengal. EC's biased actions under the directions of the #BJP are a direct attack on democracy. People will give a befitting reply,she tweeted.

Mayawati and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav are slated to address a joint rally in PM Modi's constituency Varanasi on Thursday to seek votes for gathbandhan (alliance) candidate Shalini Yadav.
Patna: Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad Wednesday claimed that neither BJP nor NDA will form the government at the Centre after the Lok Sabha elections.

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Narendra Modi will not become prime minister for second time after the election as a non-NDA, non-BJP government will be formed at the Centre, he claimed.

"We are in the last phase of elections and I can say on the basis of my experience during campaigning across the country that neither BJP nor NDA is going to return to power at the Centre.

"Narendra Modi is also not going to become the prime minster for the second time ... Non-NDA non-BJP government will be installed at the Centre after the Lok Sabha elections," he told reporters here.

Azad said it will be good if there is a consensus on Congress leader's name for heading the government at the Centre after the Lok Sabha election results are out but "we are not going to make it an issue that we (Cong) will not let any other (leader) to become the PM, if it is not offered to us (Cong)."

The Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha said the sole objective of the Congress is to stop the NDA from forming the government at the Centre and installing a non-NDA government.

BJP would be reduced to 125 Lok Sabha seats, he claimed while refusing to divulge as how many seats Congress will win in the elections.

Azad said the BJP has been "thoroughly exposed" after coming to power at the Centre in 2014 as it has followed its ideology of "creating hatred and divide" in the society.

He said the BJP government's policy and principle have been exposed as the party of "capitalists and industrialists".

Azad alleged that the BJP government has followed a "pro-rich" policy.

All the major sections of the society - farmers, youths, women and labourers are a depressed lot today because of the "wrong" policy of the Central government, he said, adding that youths were "promised" 10 crore jobs by Narendra Modi in five years but it instead snatched 4.73 crore jobs due to demonetization and faulty implementation of GST.

Taking a swipe at PM's statement on science related issues, he said that "After seeing the PM's statement relating to science, I think I should commit suicide."

Azad condemned the smashing of the bust of Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, a noted philosopher and a key figure of Bengal Renaissance, during the clash between BJP and TMC supporters during Amit Shah's roadshow in Kolkata on Tuesday and said stern action should be taken against those responsible for it.
Kolkata: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will on Thursday give a final push to election campaigning in West Bengal. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to hold two rallies in Mathurapur and Dum Dum.

PM Modi will reach Mathurapur at around 4.30 pm and his meeting in Dum Dum is scheduled for 6.10 pm.

The election campaign in West Bengal ends on Thursday night, a day before its scheduled deadline in the wake of violence between BJP and Trinamool Congress workers in Kolkata.

TMC and BJP supporters had clashed in Kolkata after Amit Shah's roadshow on Tuesday. Acts of violence and arson had been witnessed with both parties blaming each other for it. A statue of Bengali writer and philosopher Ishwarchandra Vidyasagar was also vandalised during the violence.

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In first such action in India's electoral history, the Election Commission on Wednesday ordered campaigning in nine West Bengal constituencies to end at 10 pm on Thursday.

Strongly condemning the act, the EC invoked Article 324 and took the decision to restrict campaigning time in the nine parliamentary seats in West Bengal - Dum Dum, Barasat, Basirhat, Jaynagar, Mathurapur, Jadavpur, Diamond Harbour, South and North Kolkata.

"This would be the first time when EC has invoked Article 324 in this manner but it may not be the last in cases of repetition of lawlessness and violence which vitiate the conduct of polls in a peaceful and orderly manner," Deputy Election Commissioner Chandra Bhushan Kumar said.

The aforementioned nine constituencies vote on May 19 in the last and final phase of Lok Sabha election 2019.

Some major TMC leaders are in the fray. Party veterans CM Jatua and Sougata Roy are seeking re-election from Mathurapur and Dum Dum, respectively. The two Lok Sabha constituencies where PM Modi will campaign today.

In the previous six phases of election, West Bengal had witnessed several poll-related violence.

Meanwhile, on Thursday, EC also ordered the removal of Principal Secretary (Home) Atri Bhattacharya and Additional Director General, CID, Rajeev Kumar from their postings in West Bengal.
The final phase of Lok Sabha Election 2019 on May 19 will put to test Prime Minister Narendra Modi's fate from Varanasi parliament constituency. In 2014, Modi had swept the poll in this Uttar Pradesh seat with a massive margin of 3.37 lakh votes against his nearest rival, Aam Aadmi Party's Arvind Kejriwal.

The Prime Minister, who has been making emotionally charged up pitches to the voters of Kashi, will be back in the constituency on Thursday evening, May 16, to meet the local Bharatiya Janata Party office bearers. After an overnight halt, he'll continue to campaign across the temple town in a final attempt to woo the voters on last day of electioneering on May 17, ahead the seventh phase of the Lok Sabha poll. The PM will also make a pit stop at the famous Kashi Vishwanath Temple.

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Varanasi, one of the 80 parliamentary constituencies in Uttar Pradesh, will be among the most-watched constituencies on May 23 when the final election results are announced.

The Prime Mminister last visited the holy city on April 26 to file his nomination papers. At the time, he held a mega roadshow, spanning over six kilometres. Top National Democratic Alliance (NDA) allies and North-East Democratic Alliance (NEDA) leaders alongside a slew of BJP leaders descended in the temple town in a show of strength and unity.

Also in the fray from Varanasi are Congress' Ajay Rai and Samajwadi Party's Shalini Yadav. Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi on Wednesday held a mega road show in support of the Congress candidate, following a route similar to that of Modi's road show.

The Assembly Constituencies that fall in Varanasi parliamentary constituency are Rohaniya, Varanasi North, Varanasi South, Varanasi Cantt and Sevapuri.

On May 14, in an video message to the voters of the temple town, Modi described himself as a 'Kashi-vaasi' and sought their blessings to pave the way for his election to Lok Sabha for a second term from the seat.

Varanasi votes on May 19 in the last round of the seven-phase Lok Sabha polling.
Rae Bareli Congress legislator Harchandpur Rakesh Singh has accused party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi of supporting criminals and ignoring honest workers. Revolting against her, Singh alleged that the senior leader is trying to sideline the hard-working party cadres.

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Singh's comments come a day after FIR was registered against his brothers  zila panchayat chairman Avadhesh Pratap Singh and BJP's Dinesh Pratap Singh  in connection with an alleged attack on Rae Bareli MLA Aditi Singh.

The BJP has pitted Dinesh Pratap Singh  a former Congress leader, against Sonia Gandhi in Rae Bareli.

Priyanka Gandhi thinks she can work by creating pressure. She's making wrong accusations on my brother. Priyanka Gandhi has been sheltering criminals for a long time, according to my information. She's behind this entire conspiracy, said Harchandpur Rakesh Singh.

She creates feud among people and goes back to Delhi, following which people keep on fighting amid themselves for the next five years. This is important for us to work. There should be a fair investigation in the matter, he added.
Bhopal; BJP's Bhopal Lok Sabha seat candidate and Malegaon blast accused Pragya Singh Thakur Thursday kicked up a row as she called Mahatma Gandhi's assassin Nathuram Godse a patriot, but apologised for it hours later and withdrew the statement.

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The BJP distanced itself from her statement saying it did not agree with her, as "Mahatma Gandhi's killer cannot be a patriot".

This is the second time in a month that Pragya Singh has apologised for a controversial statement made by her.

Last month, she had stoked a controversy when she said that IPS officer Hemant Karkare had died during the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks as she had "cursed" him for torturing her. She had apologised for the controversial remark later and also retracted that statement.

Talking to a news channel in Agar Malwa in Madhya Pradesh on Thursday afternoon, Thakur said, "Nathuram Godse was a 'deshbhakt' (patriot), he is and will remain a 'deshbhakt'. Those calling him a terrorist should instead look at themselves. They will be given a befitting reply in this election."

She said this in response to a question over actor- turned politician Kamal Haasan's remark that free India's first terrorist was a Hindu", a reference to Nathuram Godse.

Pragya Singh was in Agar Malwa to take part in a road-show of Mahendra Solanki, BJP's candidate from Dewas Lok Sabha seat.

Hours later, her spokesperson and BJP leader Dr Hitesh Bajpai said that she has apologised for her remark.

"Pragyaji has apologised for her statement," Bajpai told PTI.

When asked whether she has apologised to the state BJP president, Rakesh Singh, Bajpai said, "That is not an issue, but she has apologised and took back her statement."

The Madhya Pradesh BJP distanced itself from her statement.

"BJP does not agree with her statement. The party will talk to her under what circumstances she gave the statement. One who killed Mahatma Gandhi can't be a deshbhakt," state BJP media cell in-charge Lokendra Parashar said.

Condemning her statement, senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh said in Ujjain that praising Godse was not patriotism, but an "anti-national" act.

He also demanded an apology from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah over her remarks.

"Narendra Modi ji, Amit Shah ji and BJP leaders from Madhya Pradesh should apologise to the country. I condemn the words used against the Father of the Nation. Nathuram Godse was a killer

and eulogising him is not patriotism, but an anti-national act," the former Madhya Pradesh chief minister told reporters in Ujjain.

Kamal Haasan, while addressing an election campaign rally at Aravakurichi (Tamil Nadu) on May 12, had 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."
New Delhi: The Congress party would get the desired number of seats in the Lok Sabha election and will form the next government, party president Rahul Gandhi said on Thursday. He also stated that his party has been planning to sit with people to understand their issues and will accordingly plan things to ease their burdens.

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Rahul made these remarks during an exclusive interview with Zee News channel Zee 24 Ghanta where he expressed his views on a wide range of issues.

"I get the strength after meeting people and therefore I speak openly and the truth," he said while speaking.

Taking a potshot at PM Narendra Modi, the Gandhi scion said, "I am not Narendra Modi who would say I have understood everything. It would be wrong to say this. Congress is preparing a separate budget for the farmers. In the states where we have our government, we are bringing new laws where farmers won't be sent to jail for failing to repay a loan."

"We want to provide relief to farmers through measures like a waiver of loans in all Congress-ruled states and it will be the priority of our party," he said.

He asserted that PM Narendra Modi has carefully avoided speaking on the issue of corruption during campaign, but we have not allowed him to escape. He claimed that it will be 'bye-bye' for him after May 23.

Asserting that the ruling BJP is headed for a defeat in the Lok Sabha polls, the Rahul expressed confident that Congress will form the government at Centre. "Modi would get a befitting reply from the people who are angry over his failure to fulfil promises made five years ago. Everything will be crystal-clear once the counting of votes take place on May 23," he said.

Rahul also spoke about the infamous 'Sultanpur Samosa' during his conversation and stated that he finds them "delicious." "I like the samosas at Sultanpur. I eat what common people eat," he said.
Kolkata: The Special Protection Group (SPG) has written to West Bengal DGP raising questions regarding PM Narendra Modis security at his proposed public meeting in West Bengals Mathurapur on Thursday afternoon, sources said. The SPG is responsible for PM Modis security.

PM Modi is to hold a public meeting at Mathurapur today at 4:30 pm. However, before him, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee addresses a meeting at the same venue.

The letter mentions that SPG needs time to sanitise the area for the Prime Minister to hold the meeting. Once Mamatas meeting gets over, there will be less time for the group to sanitise the venue for PM Modi.

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Today is the last day of campaigning in West Bengal. The Election Commission on Wednesday ordered to curtail campaign time in the state by 24 hours in the wake of violence after BJP president Amit Shahs roadshow in Kolkata. Several BJP and TMC workers had clashed after the roadshow and a statue of Bengali writer and philosopher Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar was also vandalised during the violence.

On Thursday, apart from Mathurapur, PM Modi is scheduled to hold a public meeting in Dum Dum. Mamata too is making the final pitch at different places on the last day of campaigning.

All the six phases of Lok Sabha election in West Bengal have seen poll-related violence and clashes between BJP and TMC workers.

The seventh and final phase of election is scheduled to take place on May 19. Nine parliamentary seats in West Bengal - Dum Dum, Barasat, Basirhat, Jaynagar, Mathurapur, Jadavpur, Diamond Harbour, South and North Kolkata - are to vote in this phase.

Counting of votes will happen on May 23.
Hitting the campaign trail after a lull of two days, Makkal Needhi Maiam President Kamal Haasan on Wednesday clarified his earlier remarks on Nathuram Godse, while also blaming the media for taking his comments out of context. The actor-turned-politician was campaigning at Thoppur for his partys Aravakurichi assembly bye-poll candidate. Addressing crowds from atop his campaign vehicle, Haasan said, People are getting angry for what I said at Aravakurichi. What I have said is the historical truth. I am not trying to pick a fight with anybody.

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Lashing out at the media he said, Without listening fully to whatever I had spoken, they have used one particular portion and used it against me. I said it only once, but the media picked the wrong portion and cut its head and tail so that it can be twisted in any manner, and they played it hundreds of times. Whatever IPC sections they have booked me on, the media is equally responsible.

Reiterating his partys principles he said, that the party was called Makkal Needhi Maiam (Peoples centre for justice) as everybody should get justice and be able to lead a peaceful life irrespective of caste, creed and religion. He also said that whenever the people have faced injustice he was one among the leaders who had stood up and raised their voice.

Referring to his comments which were perceived to have hurt the sentiments of Hindu believers, he said, They accuse me of hurting Hindus, but back at my home all of them are Hindus. Let alone my case, but my daughter is praying to god. My brother-in-law and their family pray to god, I will not speak in a manner that angers or hurts them.

While he clarified that his comments were taken out of context, Haasan stood his ground on the Godse remark saying, If a historical truth is spoken and it wounds people, we should heal that wound. That's why we are here, being together and co-existing, is the way ahead.

Elaborating on his comments on co-existence over tolerance, Kamal said other religions should not be tolerated but should be wholly accepted. Taking an analogy he said, We can tolerate a headache, but we should wholly accept our brothers.

Clearing the air over the allegations of minority appeasement, the debutant politician said, minorities also come under the population and they are my people, irrespective of the god that they worship. Whoever I go the people are the deity for me, he added.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday demanded strict action against those who vandalised Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar`s bust in Kolkata and accused the Mamata Banerjee government of removing CCTV footage of the incident.

"Vidyasagar ji was a son of not only Bengal but of entire India. By vandalising his statue, the perpetrators have committed an act of sin. I demand strict action against those responsible," he said at an election rally.

"Great reformer Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar`s statue was vandalised which was locked in a room. A CCTV camera is installed in that college. Why is the government removing the evidence from there like it did in the Narda, Sharada (chit fund scam) case. It clearly shows how low Didi (Mamata Banerjee) can stoop to for vote bank," Modi said.

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The bust of Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, the 19th-century social reformer, was vandalised in clashes between BJP and Trinamool Congress workers at the Vidyasagar College during BJP president Amit Shah`s roadshow on Tuesday evening.

In his speech, Modi also asked whether it was a crime to hail Lord Ram in West Bengal and said that his party was the one which raised it at the national level.

He said that the BJP was working to save West Bengal`s culture where the TMC was working in the interest of (Bangladeshi) infiltrators.

"Vidyasagar ji would be watching which party is fighting to save Bengal culture and who is working for the infiltrators," he said.

Modi said that Banerjee does not consider him the prime minister but hails Pakistan PM Imran Khan.

"She does not consider India`s PM her prime minister but she never gets tired of praising the Pakistan PM," he stated.

Continuing his attack on Banerjee, he said: "I was threatened to be sent to jail today morning. I saw yesterday in the media that Didi has threatened to take over the BJP office. Didi is threatening to take over the BJP workers` homes."

He alleged that the TMC government was presenting central schemes as its programmes.

He said: "Mamata Banerjee is putting her sticker on the Centre`s schemes. Sticker didi, you put stickers but at least work for people."

Voting for nine seats of West Bengal will take place in the last phase of the general elections on May 19. Counting of votes will begin on May 23.
C Shivakumar By

Express News Service

CHENNAI: A World Bank team is currently holding talks with officials from Chennai Corporation, Tamil Nadu Housing Board, Slum Clearance board and other departments, for implementing the $500 million Tamil Nadu Housing and Habitat Development for Urban Poor (TNHHUP) project in Chennai, Thiruvallur and Kancheepuram districts.

Official sources told Express that the World Bank team has been conducting a series of meetings since its arrival from May 13, in identifying areas such as private sector participation in affordable housing and formulating the design of Shelter fund under TNHHUP.

This is the Second World Bank Preparation Mission for the project with the earlier team having visited Chennai in December 2018 and interacting with Tamil Nadu Infrastructure Fund Management Corporation and Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority officials.

This time, the focus will be on re-densification, climate and disaster risk assessment for Chennai Metropolitan Area and scope of regional planning exercise for extended Chennai Metropolitan Area.

This comes in the wake of the State government planning to build around 6,877 tenements at Ernavur as an initial part of the project, for people living along the river margin, with World Bank funding assistance.

It is learnt that a total of 40,000 homes for the urban poor will be built under the project.

The value of the entire project is $715 million of which the World Bank will sanction USD 500 million. Thirty per cent of the World Bank funds will be used for building tenements at land belonging to Tamil Nadu Housing Board at Ernavur in Chennai district, Slum Clearance Board sources said. It is learnt that the designs of tenements is being worked out and the plinth area may vary from 360 square feet to 410 square feet. The focus will be on green concept that include natural lighting and green energy.

Sources at TNSCB, which is the nodal agency for implementing the project, said that the objective of the project is to strengthen the institutional performance of Tamil Nadus housing sector and improve housing conditions of eligible low-income households in Chennai.
PUNE: A massive fire broke out at a residential building in Maharashtra's Pune district on Thursday morning.

The fire broke out at the residential building located in Joshi Complex, near the Prabhat Talkies in the city`s Shanivar Peth area.

According to reports, at least 25 people have been rescued safely from the blaze-hit building.

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As the fire spread, thick clouds of white-grey smoke was seen billowing out around 8.45 AM.

Several teams of fire brigade and disaster relief teams were rushed to spot to douse the fire.

The firefighters managed to save at least 25 occupants of the building to safety.

The fire-fighting operation is still underway to ascertain if there were more people still stuck inside the building.

What caused the fire is yet to be ascertained.

(With Agency inputs)
Lost in a jungle without his mobile phone and wallet in the night, a Chinese national was rescued by a policeman, who went beyond his call of duty to reunite the foreigner with his group in Greater Noida despite the language barrier.

The Chinese national has been identified as Xing Fu, who has come here for some work in a mobile manufacturing company but had lost his mobile phone and wallet somewhere, according to the police.

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Xing, who cannot understand Hindi or English, also got separated from his group and lost his way into the jungles earlier in the day, the police said.

Sub-inspector Komal Kuntal, in charge of a police outpost under Kasna station limits, was out on patrol in the area near the Gautam Buddh University around 9.30 pm on Tuesday when he noticed some suspicious movement on a road along a jungle.

"I stopped my vehicle to find out more and there appeared to be a man near some bushes. I asked who it was and the only response I got was 'please help'," Singh told PTI.

"These are perhaps the only two words he knew in English. Nothing in Hindi. I also don't know Chinese. But he appeared really distraught and was profusely perspiring, suggesting he was in trouble. He also signalled that he was very hungry," the SI said.

Kuntal said he gestured the man to come along in his car, tried to explain he was from the police to help him and somehow managed to convince him.

"Soon I called up a personal acquaintance of mine who works in a private agency as a translator, thinking he could help us. Most luckily, he knew Chinese and then I put the call on speaker and got the two talking and my acquaintance interpreted everything to me," Singh said.

Kuntal, in charge of the Army Welfare Housing Organisation (AWHO) police outpost in Greater Noida, said he got to know that Xing was staying in Greenwood Society, Phase 2, which was some six or seven km from the spot where they met.

The two soon reached the society where the policeman located the other members of Xing's group, who too did not know Hindi or English properly but were worried about his disappearance.

"He had midway gestured that he was hungry. I offered food but then he signalled he wanted an ice cream when he saw a cart along the road in the city. We stopped and had ice creams," Kuntal said.

"He had turned very emotional after reuniting with his group. Said thank you in broken Hindi. I was overwhelmed he knew those words, however, broken his language. He thanked the police and hailed India as great," he added.
Looks like Tollywood actor Vishal wants to work at a faster pace. It is said that the actor will begin shooting for the sequel of Thupparivalan, a thriller. This film, will again be directed by Mysskin, and he is planning to film the project in an exotic overseas locations like Turkey, London and various other parts of the world. This film released in Telugu as Detective and was appreciated by many.

The first part was largely based in Chennai. So the second part is said to be made like a thriller that will be shot mostly in foreign locations. Further details on the film will be announced soon. It will go on floors in August, after Vishal completes his on-going commitments.

Meanwhile, Vishal is currently busy with 'Irumbuthirai 2' which will begin once the shoot of his big-budget action entertainer with Sundar C is wrapped up. This yet to be titled film also has Tamannaah Bhatia and Aishwarya Lekshmi in crucial roles.

On the other hand, the actor is also busy with the preparations of his wedding, which is said to take place on October 9. He will be marrying Anisha, a Hyderabad-based girl and the couple got engaged recently at a private ceremony that took place in Hyderabad.
PARIS/SAN FRANCISCO: Facebook announced steps on Wednesday to temporarily block users who break its rules from broadcasting live video, in the wake of an international outcry after a gunman killed 51 people in New Zealand last month and streamed the attack live on his page. The tweaks to Facebook`s rules came as the White House snubbed other world leaders, who met with tech companies in Paris to back a call by New Zealand`s prime minister for stronger measures against social media hate speech.

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Silicon Valley tech giants expressed their support for Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern`s so-called "Christchurch Call," named for the city where the gunman attacked two mosques on March 15 and broadcast his killings live. But Washington declined to send a delegation to the meeting hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron. The White House said it would not endorse Ardern`s initiative, although it supported the broader aims.

Facebook said in a statement it was introducing a "one-strike" policy for use of Facebook Live, a service which lets users broadcast live video. Those who broke the company`s most serious rules anywhere on its site would have their access to make live broadcasts temporarily restricted. The range of offences that would qualify for one-strike suspensions would be broadened.

The company did not specify which offences would result in such a ban or how long suspensions would last, but a spokeswoman said it would not have been possible for the Christchurch shooter to use Facebook Live on his account under the new rules. Facebook has come under intense scrutiny in recent years over hate speech, privacy lapses and its dominant market position in social media. The company is trying to address those concerns while averting more strenuous action from regulators.

Ardern called the changes announced on Wednesday "a good first step to restrict the application being used as a tool for terrorists, and shows the Christchurch Call is being acted on." The company said it plans to extend the restrictions to other areas over coming weeks, beginning with preventing the same people from creating Facebook ads. It also said it would fund research at three universities on techniques to detect manipulated media, which its systems struggled to spot in the aftermath of the attack.

Ardern said the research was welcome and that edited and manipulated videos of the March 15 mosque shootings had been slow to be removed, resulting in many people, including herself, seeing video of the killings played in their Facebook feeds.

WHITE HOUSE "NOT IN A POSITION TO JOIN"

Macron hosted Ardern, British Prime Minister Theresa May, Canada`s Justin Trudeau and other leaders at a summit on Wednesday to support Ardern`s initiative. Signatories would "encourage media outlets to apply ethical standards when depicting terrorist events online, to avoid amplifying terrorist and violent extremist content," although the initiative is non-binding, light on details and leaves countries and companies to decide how to apply guidelines.

Countries including Australia, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, Spain, India and Sweden said they backed it, as did U.S. tech giants Microsoft, Alphabet`s Google and its video platform YouTube and Amazon. But the White House said in a statement the United States was "not currently in a position to join the endorsement," although it added: "we continue to support the overall goals reflected in the call".

In comments made at a joint news conference with Ardern, Macron put a positive spin on the White House response. "We`ll do everything we can so that there is a more concrete and formal commitment, but I consider... the fact that the U.S. administration said it shared the objectives and the common will as a positive element," Macron said.

Brad Smith, the president of Microsoft, said the call was "leading to real action, even if it`s not binding". "The Christchurch Call will be assessed ultimately by the impact it has. And the impact it has will be determined not only by governments but also by tech companies," Smith told Reuters.
New Delhi: The Kolkata Police on Thursday set up a five-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the Vidyasagar statue vandalism incident that took place during a massive roadshow of BJP president Amit Shah in Kolkata on May 14.

The SIT will be headed by Deputy Commissioner of Kolkata Police (North) Debasish Sarkar.

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In the meantime, the Election Commission on Thursday removed two more close aides of Mamata Banerjee with immediate effect. Diamond Harbour SDPO Mithun Kumar Dey and Amherst Street office in-charge Kaushik Das were today relieved by the poll panel over the recent Kolkata violence. ANI quoted a EC official saying that both officers will not be given any election related posts.

The vandalisation of Ishwarchandra Vidyasagar's bust and clashes during BJP chief Amit Shah's roadshow in Kolkata on Tuesday triggered a fierce blame game between the BJP and the Trinamool Congress.

Shah, at a press conference, alleged that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's TMC was involved in vandalising the bust and unleashing violence during his road show as part of a "conspiracy" to blame the BJP.

On its part, the TMC released videos to claim that "BJP goons" damaged the statue of Vidyasagar and said the videos not only established what the saffron party did, but proved that Shah is a "liar" and a "dhokebaaz" (betrayer).

The Election Commission had on Wednesday also ordered the removal of Principal Secretary (Home) Atri Bhattacharya and Kumar from their posts.

Kumar was questioned by the CBI in February this year in connection with its probe into the multi-crore Saradha chit fund case.
Alabama's governor on Wednesday signed a bill to ban nearly all abortions in the state, even in cases of rape and incest, in political conservatives' latest challenge to the landmark 1973 US Supreme Court decision establishing a woman`s right to terminate her pregnancy. US abortion-rights activists had already vowed to go court to block enforcement of the Alabama measure, the strictest anti-abortion law yet enacted by abortion foes aiming to provoke a reconsideration of the Roe v. Wade ruling.

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Governor Kay Ivey, a Republican, signed the measure a day after the Republican-controlled state Senate approved the ban and rejected a provision to allow abortions for women and girls impregnated by rape or incest. "To the bills many supporters, this legislation stands as a powerful testament to Alabamians deeply held belief that every life is precious and that every life is a sacred gift from God," Ivey said in a statement. "To all Alabamians, I assure you that we will continue to follow the rule of law." The law would take effect in six months.

Legislation to restrict abortion rights has been introduced this year in 16 states, four of whose governors have signed bills banning abortion if an embryonic heartbeat can be detected. Planned Parenthood joined the American Civil Liberties Union on Wednesday in filing a legal challenge to Ohio`s recent ban on abortions after six weeks of pregnancy.

The Alabama bill goes further, banning abortions at any time unless the mother`s health is in danger. Those performing abortions would be committing a felony, punishable by up to 99 years in prison. A woman who receives an abortion would not be held criminally liable.

2020 DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATES BLAST MOVE

Most of the Democratic candidates seeking their party`s 2020 nomination to run for the White House condemned the Alabama law, calling it an attack on women`s rights and vowing to fight to uphold legal access to abortion. "The idea that supposed leaders have passed a law that would criminalize a physician for assisting a woman on something that she, in consult with her physician, with her God, with her faith leader, has made the decision to do, that is her body that you would criminalize," US Senator Kamala Harris of California, one of the large field of hopefuls, said at a town hall on Wednesday morning in Nashua, New Hampshire.

Some on Twitter had called on their allies to mail coat hangers to Ivey, as a reminder of the illegal abortion practices common before it was made legal. Christian television broadcaster Pat Robertson, a staunch critic of Roe v. Wade, said the Alabama law "has gone too far." Its an extreme law, and they want to challenge Roe versus Wade. But my humble view is that this is not the case we want to bring to the Supreme Court because I think this one will lose, Robertson said on his program, "The 700 Club."

Anti-abortion advocates are aware that any laws they pass are certain to be challenged. Courts this year have blocked a restrictive Kentucky law and another in Iowa passed last year. But supporters of the Alabama ban said the right to life of the fetus transcended other rights, an idea they would like tested at the Supreme Court.

The high court, now with a majority of conservative justices after Republican President Donald Trump appointed two, could possibly overturn Roe v. Wade. That decision held that the due process clause of the 14th Amendment provides a fundamental right to privacy that protects a woman`s right to abortion.

Roe v. Wade did allow states to place restrictions on the procedure from the time a fetus could viably survive outside the womb, except in cases in which a woman`s health was otherwise at risk. A fetus is generally considered viable at 22 to 24 weeks. A full-term pregnancy typically is about 40 weeks.

Just this year, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi and Ohio enacted statutes outlawing abortion after a doctor can detect an embryonic heartbeat. Opponents call the "heartbeat" legislation a virtual ban because the embryonic cardiac activity can be detected as early as six weeks, before a woman may even be aware she is pregnant.
WASHINGTON: The Trump administration hit Chinese telecoms giant Huawei with severe sanctions on Wednesday, adding another incendiary element to the US-China trade dispute just as Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said he would visit China soon for more talks. The Commerce Department said it was adding Huawei Technologies Co Ltd and 70 affiliates to its "Entity List" - a move that bans the company from acquiring components and technology from US firms without government approval.

Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said in a statement that President Donald Trump backed the decision to "prevent American technology from being used by foreign-owned entities in ways that potentially undermine US national security or foreign policy interests." Trump earlier in the day signed an executive order barring US companies from using telecommunications equipment made by firms deemed to pose a national security risk.

While the order did not specifically name any country or company, US officials have previously labelled Huawei a "threat" and lobbied allies not to use Huawei network equipment in next-generation 5G networks. Speaking at a US Senate Appropriations subcommittee hearing, Mnuchin characterized two days of high-level talks with Chinese officials in Washington last week as constructive.

"My expectation is that we will go to Beijing at some point in the near future to continue those discussions," he said. "There`s still a lot of work to do." He did not say when his China trip might take place. The Trump administration`s rhetoric toward China had cooled in recent days after another round of tit-for-tat tariffs between the world`s two largest economies and a selloff on global stock markets.

On Tuesday, Trump denied talks with China had collapsed and sounded an optimistic note about the chance of a deal, saying he had an "extraordinary" relationship with Chinese President Xi Jinping, whom he plans to meet at a G20 summit in Japan next month. Trump also urged China to buy more US farm products.

US agricultural goods have been targeted by China`s retaliatory tariffs, and American farmers, a key political constituency for Trump, are worried. The US Department of Agriculture has paid $8.52 billion directly to farmers as part of a 2018 aid program designed to offset losses from tariffs imposed by China and other trading partners, a spokesman for the agency said on Wednesday. The Trump administration had pledged up to $12 billion in aid to help offset losses resulting from Chinese tariffs.

TARIFF PAIN

Trump, who has embraced protectionism as part of an "America First" agenda, has railed against what many US and European officials and companies describe as China`s unfair trade practices, including forced technology transfers and intellectual property theft. But trading partners and close allies in Europe, North America and Asia are also in the US administration`s sights.

Mnuchin said the United States was close to resolving a dispute over steel and aluminium tariffs imposed on Canada and Mexico last year as the three countries renegotiated the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer met with Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland in Washington on Wednesday to discuss the tariffs and other issues related to the US-Mexico Canada Agreement (USMCA), which replaced NAFTA. The three countries have not yet ratified the new deal.

After her meeting with Lighthizer, Freeland declined to say whether the two countries were close to a deal. But she told reporters later that ratification of the agreement would be difficult as long as the tariffs remain in place. "When it comes to Canada it has still been the case for us that as long as the tariffs remain in place ratification would be very, very problematic," she said on Capitol Hill.

Jesus Seade, Mexican deputy foreign minister for North America, told Reuters on Wednesday that Mexico was close to resolving its part in the tariffs dispute but wanted Canada to be in a similar position before completing the deal. Three Trump administration officials told Reuters that Trump was expected to delay a decision on imposing tariffs on imported cars and parts by up to six months, avoiding opening yet another front in his global trade battles. The decision to delay was expected to be made on Friday, officials and automakers said.

The tariffs of up to 25 per cent on cars and parts could have a devastating impact on Japan and countries in the European Union, particularly Germany. Global stock markets, which have swooned in the past week over the rising trade tensions, gained ground on Wednesday after the reports of the planned delay.
Mary Ann Majo By

Express News Service

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: With over 23 years of experience in the medical profession and attending over 20,000 surgeries, he deals with each of his new case with the same caution and passion he displayed while attending his first patient. Some call him a miracle man while others say he has got the Midas Touch. Meet Dr Muhammed Nazeer, senior orthopaedic consultant and surgeon at KIMS Hospital, Thiruvananthapuram.

At the end of the day, the biggest asset in my career is the satisfaction I get after helping a patient. That feeling is everything, says Nazeer. Having completed his MBBS from Alappuzha and a diploma from Thiruvananthapuram, he got his MS from Raipur, Fellowship of the Royal Colleges of Surgeons in paediatric, orthopaedic and joint replacement in the UK and training in Switzerland.



Well known for his joint replacement surgeries, Nazeer specialises in paediatric orthopaedics and arthroscopy, and has worked miracles in many cases. He is the reason why many patients can walk again. One of his patients, a daily labourer from Tamil Nadu, was unable to lift weights and perform stressful activities because of his hip issue. After the joint replacement surgery performed by Nazeer, the patient was able to go back to his routine and earn again.

In another case, a woman, who was unable to sit or sleep for 13 years, was able to return to normal life after a joint replacement surgery was performed on her. When asked why orthopaedics, Nazeer says: I have a deep passion towards the subject. I want to be of service to my patients as long as I can.



Nazeer lives in Thiruvananthapuram with his family. His wife is a radiologist, his older son is currently doing a postgraduate course in orthopaedics and his younger son is pursuing his internship in MBBS.
By PTI

NEW DELHI: Left parties Thursday hit out at the BJP over its Bhopal Lok Sabha candidate Pragya Singh Thakur's remark that Mahatma Gandhi's assassin Nathuram Godse was a "patriot", alleging that the saffron party remains inspired by the killers of the Father of the Nation.

Talking to a news channel in Madhya Pradesh earlier in the day, Thakur said, "Nathuram Godse was a desh bhakt (patriot), he is and will remain one. Those calling him a terrorist should introspect. They will be given a befitting reply in this election."

Reacting to her remarks, the Left parties said that facts should always be kept in mind when talking about Godse.

READ | If Nathuram Godse a patriot, is Mahatma Gandhi anti-national: Omar Abdullah

"The truth about where RSS-BJP stands on terror gets clearer all the time. A senior minister in (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi's Cabinet said Godse was not a terrorist, now terror-accused Pragya Thakur calls the murderer of Gandhi ji a 'desh bhakt'.

The BJP remains inspired by the killers of the Mahatma," said CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury.

CPI leader D Raja said that BJP distancing itself from Thakur's comments shows its duplicity.

READ | Pragya Thakur hails Nathuram Godse as patriot, BJP demands apology

He alleged that the party allows its leaders to make all sorts of divisive statements and then conveniently distance itself from it.

"It's a fact that Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated and the incident was a well-planned one to spread hatred, create fear and to send out a message. This assassination was carried out by Nathuram Godse. If the BJP thinks Godse was patriot then what was Mahatma Gandhi?" he asked.
By PTI

NEW DELHI: The CBI Thursday withdrew from a Delhi court its application that had sought permission to further probe the politically sensitive Rs 64-crore Bofors payoff case.

The agency told Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Navin Kumar Kashyap that it wants to withdraw the application filed on February 1, 2018.

It had moved the trial court seeking permission for further probe in the matter saying it had come across fresh material and evidence.

The agency on Thursday submitted before the court that decision on a further course of action would be taken by it and wanted to withdraw the application for now.

Taking note of CBI's stand, the judge said: "For the reason best known to the CBI, in case they want to withdraw the application, they have the right as they are the applicants."

The court on December 4, 2018, had questioned as to why the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) required its permission to further probe the matter.

The CBI had also filed an appeal in the Supreme Court in February 2, 2018, against the May 31, 2005 verdict of the Delhi high Court discharging all the accused in the case.

The apex court had on November 2, 2018, dismissed CBI's appeal in which it had sought condonation of the 13-year delay in filing the appeal against the high court judgment.

The apex court had said that it was not convinced with the grounds of the CBI to condone over 4,500 days' delay in filing the appeal.

However, one of the appeals is still alive in the apex court in which CBI is one of the respondents and the top court on November 2, 2018, said that the agency can assist in the matter as respondent.

The apex court said the CBI can raise all grounds in the appeal against the high court verdict filed by advocate Ajay Agrawal who has also challenged the judgement.

Agrawal, who has now become a rebel BJP leader after he was denied Lok Sabha ticket from Rai Bareilly in Uttar Pradesh, in 2005 had challenged the high court verdict after the CBI did not file the appeal in the mandatory 90 days period.

The agency had swung into action for permission for further probe in the case after the Attorney General had orally given it a go-ahead to file the appeal in the case in which it cited the October 2017 interview of private detective Michael Hershman, alleging that the then Rajiv Gandhi government had sabotaged his probe.

Justice R S Sodhi (since retired) of the Delhi High Court had on May 31, 2005, quashed the CBI case in the Bofors pay-off scam.

Before the 2005 verdict of Justice Sodhi, another judge of the Delhi High Court, Justice J D Kapoor (since retired), had on February 4, 2004, exonerated the late prime minister in the case and directed the framing of charge of forgery under section 465 of the IPC against Bofors company.

The Rs 1,437-crore deal between India and Swedish arms manufacturer AB Bofors for the supply of 400 155mm howitzer guns for the Indian Army was entered into on March 24, 1986.

Swedish Radio on April 16, 1987, claimed that the company had paid bribes to top Indian politicians and defence personnel.

The CBI on January 22, 1990, registered the FIR for alleged offences of criminal conspiracy, cheating and forgery under the India Penal Code and other sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act against Martin Ardbo, the then president of AB Bofors, alleged middleman Win Chadda and the Hinduja brothers.

It alleged that certain public servants and private persons in India and abroad had entered into a criminal conspiracy between 1982 and 1987 in pursuance of which the offences of bribery, corruption, cheating and forgery were committed.

The first charge sheet in the case was filed on October 22, 1999, against Chadda, Ottavio Quattrocchi, the then defence secretary S K Bhatnagar, Ardbo and the Bofors company.

A supplementary charge sheet was filed against the Hinduja brothers -- S P Hinduja, G P Hinduja and P P Hinduja -- on October 9, 2000.

A special CBI court in Delhi on March 4, 2011, had discharged Quattrocchi in the case, saying the country could not afford to spend hard-earned money on his extradition which had already cost Rs 250 crore.

Quattrocchi, who had fled from India on July 29-30, 1993, never appeared before any court in India to face prosecution.

He passed away on July 13, 2013.

The other accused who died are Bhatnagar, Ardbo and Chadda.
G S Vasu and Santwana Bhattacharya By

Express News Service

Rahul Gandhi is evidently aware of the straws in the wind that give a united Opposition the best chance to unseat the incumbent NDA government, if the dice falls right on May 23. Also that he has often been alleged to be isolationist, committed only to the growth of his party, despite the string of alliances he has forged.

The Congress president is, therefore, taking his political refrain to a place that softens those edges, exudes a friendlier vibe and is visibly more amenable to working out a cooperative framework with non-UPA parties.

The entire Opposition is united in the view that Modi must go, he told The New Indian Express in an exclusive interview. Significant words in view of the subtle overtures being made towards his party.

Another subtle departure came in a critique of Prime Minister Narendra Modi: As prime minister, I would never want to be in a situation where I never listen to others, where I only hear my voice. The clearest sign yet of the evolution of his stance towards that question.

Its a day when the stormy weather over northwestern India upset his travel schedules somewhat. Rahul was supposed to fly to Alwar in Rajasthan in the morning to meet the victim of the gangrape, which has spawned a huge controversy - polling was over in Rajasthan on May 6 - but the flight could not take off.

TNIE Editor G S Vasu and Karnataka Resident Editor Santwana Bhattacharya finally caught up with Rahul Gandhi for an onboard conversation on a campaign trip to Amritsar (Punjab is one of the states scheduled to vote on May 19).



FOLLOW OUR FULL ELECTION COVERAGE HERE

Excerpts:

It has been a very long-drawn and hard-fought election. One of the longest ones weve seen. You say that you listen to the voice of the people. What is your biggest takeaway?

My main takeaway is that India is facing a huge crisis and its not a crisis that is going to go away quickly. Its a crisis of unemployment; its an economic crisis and an agrarian crisis. The next government has to dig really deep to put India back on track.

The campaign narrative kept changing over the weeks. You spoke on jobs, Rafale, farm distress, Mr Modi began with national security and down the line it became very personal. You say their approach is one of hatred and yours is of love. But in realpolitik, you need to be hard-nosed, even in alliance-building. Is your nice guy image a drawback?

Look, theres no contradiction. You say one cant use love in politics? Look at the most successful politicians across the world, politicians and statesmen like Mahatma Gandhi, and Nelson Mandela... Youll find that respect for their opponents, compassion and love is what they all channelled successfully. The idea I have to respond to hatred and anger with hatred is a foolish one. When I responded to Mr Modis vitriol with a hug in Parliament, I think that was a genuine statement I made, but politically it was a very powerful statement as well.

Do you expect government formation to be a long-drawn one this time?

I dont think so. I think it will be very quick. There is an undercurrent against the BJP and the PM, and I think that will be very clear on the 23rd of May.

Even assuming the Congress is the single largest party within the opposition, are you willing to do what you did in Karnataka, for the larger interest?

The people of India will decide. They are the masters. What the people say on the 23rd is what I will listen to. Before they speak, it is out of line for me to comment on what the mandate will be. Once the mandate is clear and the numbers are on the table, then we will have a look at the data and decide.

ALSO READ | South India felt the country was being run from Nagpur: Rahul Gandhi

What we are trying to ask is, are you willing to look beyond the Congress or UPA?

Ive answered the question. The answer is that I dont want to distract from the election. My goal is to defeat Mr Narendra Modi, defeat the ideology of the RSS, protect the Constitution and protect the institutions of this country. Im not going to get into any conversation that will distract everyone from that goal. Once that goal is achieved, once the people of India have decided and agreed with our proposition, then your question can be answered. But thats after the 23rd.

Can it be said youre open-minded?

I am very clear, Mr Modi is going to be defeated in these elections. Any conversation we have today is not based on substance, but on hot air. Let the people of India first decide, let them place their view on the table. I respect that view, and once it comes, let us see what it is, and then the conversation that youre talking about can be had.

The 19th is not so far away, and exit polls will come...

I dont believe in exit polls. I believe in the will of the people, and frankly youve asked this question four times now and I will now answer it for the final time. What the people of India say on the 23rd is what I will listen to.

The feedback we get on the NYAY scheme is that perhaps the message has not percolated down the way you would have liked it to....

No, I dont have the same feedback. At all. If there are two ideas that have percolated very deeply into India, they are chowkidar chor hai and NYAY. And those two are related: Chowkidar ne chori ki, aur isliye Congress party yeh NYAY scheme de rahi hai (the chowkidar stole, thats why the Congress is making reparations with NYAY. Id like to say something about NYAY, if I may? Mr Narendra Modi gave Rs 5.55 lakh crore to 15 people through loan writeoffs. Many of those people are absconding; Mr Nirav Modi is outside the country, Mr Vijay Mallya is outside the country ... So you can see where Im going with this. There has been wholesale corruption. Rafale is the tip of the iceberg, its just the symbol. The economy has been very seriously damaged as a result, and needs to be jump-started. The economy needs a direct financial injection and the poor need protection. So NYAY will give money directly to the people and will jump-start the economy. Shopkeepers, small and medium businesses will benefit from NYAY, as will the poorest of the poor.

In 2014, Modi occupied the space vacated by others, the Congress and the rest of the present opposition, and this was largely because of the failures of UPA-II. How will you ensure the UPA will not repeat the same mistakes if you were to form the new government?

Thats a profound question. The whole economic paradigm we are working with started in the 1990s. It was conceptualised towards the end of Mr Rajiv Gandhis term and then Dr Manmohan Singh and Mr (Narasimha) Rao, and that worked brilliantly in the 1990s. It had some problems but it worked reasonably well at the start of this century. During Mr Vajpayees term and then Dr Manmohan Singhjis term, we tweaked it slightly, we added MNREGA to it, but we basically used the same model between 2004-2009. In 2012 we found, when we tried to use that same model again, with some more tweaks, we found that it didnt work. We found ourselves in a serious problem in 2012, where the basic model that we were using was not working.

Though Mr Modi came with a huge mandate, he didnt believe in talking to people or listening to them. He picked up our model, which had failed in 2012, and he attempted to implement it in 2014. This was the best thing that could happen for Congress, and unfortunately, the worst thing that could happen for India. And what we have now seen is five wasted years. What happened with Dr Manmohan Singhji in 2012 is happening to Mr Modi in 2019.

What we are proposing in our manifesto is a completely new model for the economy. Were talking about basic minimum income which is an evolution of the MNREGA scheme; were talking about giving massive support to small and medium businesses, to actually start competing with China when it comes to manufacturing. We are looking in depth at how we can transform agriculture in our country. We desperately need a second green revolution and were thinking about how that could work. We have some of the ideas in place; food processing, cold chains, infrastructure for farmers. But we intend to have a conversation which allows us to fine-tune a new model. We say Oh, India did very successfully from 1990 to 2012. When the next government comes, we want India to say Oh, in 2019 there was a paradigm shift, it isnt the same as in 1990.

Mr Modi was given this massive mandate, and he had a blank cheque. Open. No PM after Mr Rajiv Gandhi had that, and Mr Rajiv Gandhi used his mandate to give us the telecom revolution, he gave us a vision of India in the 21st century with computers being an important part of that vision. Mr Modi had the same opportunity. He had the option of creating a revolutionary government, but he fell on his face. Because of anger. You said to me...hard-nosed...that anger is important. Anger is blindness. Anger blinded Mr Modi. If he had love in his heart when he came in 2014, I guarantee (it would have been different). If Mr Modiji had gone to Dr Manmohan Singhji and said Youre an experienced person, youre a brilliant person, help me. If he had gone to Stalinji, and said you represent the Tamil people, lets talk. Mamataji, you represent Bengal, lets talk, Nitishji you represent Bihar, lets talk. It would not have been so easy to defeat him.

And if he had done that....

Yes! Thats a huge lesson for us. We are not going to be arrogant. Were going to listen to people, were even going to listen to our opposition, because India requires that. The world is a dangerous place now and anybody who loves India has to understand that, and understand Indias role. India can no longer be on the periphery of the global conversation. India has to recognise that if there is a United States and there is a China, were on the same platform. We are going to shape the world, but with humility, not arrogance. Not with anger, but with love.

From your explanation of why you have chosen to contest from Wayanad, am I to assume a Congress-led coalition will look more to the South? Are you willing to work with someone like Mr Jagan Reddy or KCR (Mr Chandrashekar Rao)?

The point is this. India is North-South-East-West-Centre, India is everything. My feeling was that South India felt that Nagpur was running India. I went to Tamil Nadu and I was shocked by the feeling of the Tamil people, with the expression of the Tamil people. I was shocked and I felt it wasnt right. We have to put a message across to South India that youre as much India as North/West/Central/East India. And youre no less and youre voice is going to be heard in Delhi.

What kind of role do you think key players from the South will play? You have an alliance in Tamil Nadu...

Its about voice. Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu were screaming. AP is saying, the PM of India had made a commitment to us about Special Status for Andhra. Manmohanji, on the floor of the House, made that commitment. And its not being upheld? What is going on? You cant play that type of politics. If the PM of India has made a commitment to a state, its not the PM who has made a commitment, but the people of India. You cant tell the people of Andhra, that the commitment of the people of India isnt worth anything. It cant be done. So, its about listening to voice.

Now, there are certain situations where you cant do what has to be done fully, so you engage, you negotiate, you converse, you come up with an acceptable solution. The main point is listening. In India, if you go and listen to someone, and even if you tell them I hear you, but right now its difficult, theyll say very good, thank you, lets talk again. But what Mr Modi has done is, Im not going to listen to any of you, Im just going to listen to the voice in my head.

They asked him who can defeat Mr Narendra Modi and he answers, only Mr Modi can defeat Mr Modi. Youre saying to me that 1.4 billion Indian people cant defeat Mr Modi? Youre living on another planet. Youre somewhere else because the day those 1.4 billion people decide to defeat you, youre done. Its that approach - that I, me, myself, and nobody else - its a tragedy.

Because five years ago, what India needed was a new vision, which we will hopefully put in place in 2019, five years later. Its a tragedy that the PM, because of his personality and his approach, what you call a hard-nosed approach, has wasted five years of India and everyone knows it, the whole world sees it.

To put together a government, alliances are needed. Thats hard-nosed politics. You have alliances in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka, though its a little wobbly there. But not in Telangana and Andhra, the two states that brought the Congress to power for two terms. Are you looking at expanding the UPA?

Ive already answered this question in five or six different ways. The people of India decide on the 23rd, and we will do as the masters say.

Okay, you say NYAY will kick-start demand at the grassroots, and give an impetus to the economy, which is stagnant according to all indicators....

Mr Modis indicators show all is well. Its like in the old days  you could take an Ambassadors speedometer and put it on 120 kmph and it would stay there. The car would actually be going at 60 kmph, but the speedometer shows 120 kmph! The guy at the back saying were travelling at 120 kmph is the PM, everybody else is saying were going at 40 km an hour and the economy is grinding to a halt. Thats the PMs model, whatever he wants to see, the people around him show that to him... Its a lovely place to be.

There is this view that a demand-driven economy without exports picking up will trap India into a middle-income groove?

Why do you say that you cant export what you produce, once you start producing? Theres no contradiction between NYAY and exports. In fact, we would like to promote exports. But we need to get the economic engine going.

You once said that power was poison, do you still have the same view?

Of course, I hold the view, but you have to deal with poison. You have to work with poison, but I said that then also. That it is blinding, that it is poison, that you have to maintain your senses when you come in contact with it.

Does that apply to Mr Modi as well?

Of course, it does. Frankly, I wouldnt have minded a situation where Mr Narendra Modi gave India a direction for five years. I wouldnt have minded, I would have been quite happy with that situation. We would have fought him, probably still defeated him, but I would have liked people to say there was a PM, a Mr Modi, who did a tremendous job, I would have liked that, that would have been a good thing. Even though I dont agree with him ideologically. People say Mr Vajpayee did a good job and thats great.

Do you get a sense that the rest of the opposition shares the same vision as you? That the primary aim is to keep the BJP out of power?

Look, the reason we want to keep the BJP out of power is because they are attacking our institutions, theyre attacking our Constitution. We dont want an India where one organisation called the RSS controls every institution in the country. Theres unanimity across the board as far as the opposition is concerned that nobody wants that, and were not going to let it happen. So yes, there is complete agreement that the BJP needs to be stopped. Now, theres another reason the BJP has to be stopped. Its because their policies are creating a massive disaster in India  notebandi, Gabbar Singh Tax, destruction of the economy. They are also silencing the voice of different people  of the South, of the Dalits, of minorities, the tribals, the weaker sections, the farmers. This is not good for India. So its not just about getting rid of Mr Modi. Its about getting India moving again and getting our economy back on track.

Womens security is a big issue that you and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra often touch upon in your speeches. But in a state ruled by your party, Rajasthan, there has been this horrific case in Alwar....

I have to say that Im happy that our government in Rajasthan is taking action. Theres zero tolerance for crimes such as this.

Theres a law and order issue and a cultural issue. Both have to be looked at. Frankly, the way Indian men treat women is not good enough. The approach of most Indian men towards Indian women leaves a lot to be desired. And we have to change that approach. Women are equal partners here. If you were to ask me, as a man, I think women contribute more than men do. My friends may not agree, but as a person I think they do. I think women have a tremendous role to play in this country.

You talk about an alternative ideology and say this is a battle against Hindutva and the way India is. But you also try to pander to the Hindu ethos by visiting temples....

I dont pander to anyone. I respect all voices. If someone says to me I believe in this type of idea, I am a political leader, I respect that. I have every right to go to any temple, any mosque, any gurudwara, any church, any synagogue that I would like to go to. That is not pandering, it is understanding, it is accepting the spirituality of this country, and submitting to the spirituality and wisdom of our people. Pandering is a wrong word, in fact, I find it offensive. The right words are appreciate and understand.

After this bitter battle, do you think a bipartisan running of the Lok Sabha is possible? And what do you think are the first things that need to be addressed? Kashmir, which has seen a low turnout, is in a very bad situation

Kashmir is being destroyed. We spent nine years building confidence in J&K, we had a strategy and we worked on it. One of the biggest successes of the UPA government was breaking the back of terrorism in Kashmir, and the work that we had done in engaging the people of J&K. The Womens Self Help Groups, industrialists like Ratan Tata being taken to Kashmir, the Udayan programme, Panchayati raj  these strategies broke the back of terror. Mr Modis opportunistic alliance with the PDP imposed probably the biggest strategic loss on our country, just because he wanted to score some political points. Its a tragedy. Were going to have to do that again, were going to have to spend another 10 years building back that confidence, working with the people of J&K, and eliminating the terrorists that Mr Modi has given space to.

Any last comments for our readers?

You started this interview by saying that love is not pragmatic and that you need to be hard-nosed, absolutely not. Though Mr Narendra Modi and his party attacked me viciously, over the last five years, I have not attacked Mr Narendra Modi in the same language, I have not abused his parents or his family. Ive held respect for the PM throughout and love is going to triumph over hatred in this election, and that love is going to continue even after this election.
Prasanta Mazumdar By

Express News Service

GUWAHATI: In less than 24 hours, the police cracked Wednesdays grenade blast case in Guwahati that left 12 people, including two SSB personnel, injured. The police achieved the breakthrough by arresting a TV serial actress and a leader of a faction of insurgent group United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) which is in a peace mode.

40-year-old Jahnabi Saikia, was picked up from her rented accommodation in Panjabari area of the city. She told her interrogators she has two children. The arrested ULFA (pro-talks faction) leader was Pranamoy Rajguru who had joined the rebel group in 1986.

The police said that though Rajgurus faction was negotiating with the Central government, he was actively working for the other faction led by the elusive Paresh Baruah. Last night, we received inputs that three to four people, who were involved in the blast, were staying in a house in Panjabari area. So, we conducted a recce early today after which we arrested Rajguru and Saikia. Guwahati Police Commissioner, Deepak Kumar, said.

He said the police recovered one 9 mm pistol, 25 live cartridges, ULFA pads, bomb-making machines, 20 kg gun powder etc from the house. During interrogation, they told us how the grenade was brought, who had lobbed it, what logistics they received. It was with this that we cracked the case. We have got the details of everyone involved in the incident. Our investigation is on and we will arrest more people, Kumar added.

Following the arrest, Rajguru told journalists that as long as their demands are not fulfilled, such incidents will keep taking place. The explosion on Wednesday was triggered in Zoo Road area of the city by two persons who came riding a two-wheeler.
A car (R) is controlled by a remote operator during a test run in Chongqing, southwest China, May 15, 2019. A remote-controlled car powered by the 5G network completed a test run on Wednesday in Chongqing. During the test run, a remote operator was able to control the car while watching the live feed of road conditions supported by the 5G network. (Xinhua/Liu Chan)

CHONGQING, May 15 (Xinhua) -- A remote-controlled car powered by the 5G network completed a test run on Wednesday in Chongqing, a vehicle-manufacturing powerhouse in southwest China.

During the test run, a remote operator was able to control the car while watching the live feed of road conditions supported by the 5G network.

The car was co-developed by the Chongqing subsidiary of China Telecom, China Automotive Engineering Research Institute Co. Ltd., and Datang Mobile Communications Equipment Co. Ltd.

Tu Lefei, an expert with the Chongqing subsidiary of China Telecom, said the researchers were working to incorporate more functions such as hazard warnings into the car.

Test data showed that the 5G network is able to provide a peak single-user download speed of 1.6 Gbps, nearly 16 times faster than that of 4G services.

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[ Editor: Zhang Zhou ]
Mayank Singh By

Express News Service

NEW DELHI: Within hours of his capture in the Pakistan Occupied territory, Wg. Cdr Abhinandan Varthaman was moved to Rawalpindi from Islamabad by the operatives of Pakistans Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) from the custody of the Pakistan Army.

He was kept in the interrogation cell for two days and was tortured by the ISI.

Wg Cdr Abhinanadan Varthaman was moved to Rawalpindi from Islamabad within four to five hours from the Pakistan Army mess in Islamabad. This was revealed by him during his debriefing, said Ministry sources on condition of anonymity.

On February 26, Wg Cdr Abhinandan Varthaman had chased Pakistan jets that had targeted Indian military installations. In the process, his jet was downed by the air defence guns of Pakistan and he was captured by the Pakistan Army

Sources in the Ministry informed that the ISI tortured him physically and mentally during questioning.

READ HERE | F-16 dogfight: Wing Commander Abhinandans squadron wears Falcon Slayer, 'AMRAAM Dodger' uniform patch

He was put in a room with bright lights and blaring music. At every half-an-hour, a person walked in and thrashed him. Wg Cdr Abhinandan shared this information and much more during the debriefing, the sources said.

Sources also revealed that before Abhinandan was moved to Rawalpindi, he was treated well by the Pakistan Army. He was offered tea at the Army Officers Mess, said the sources.

The video sequence of him enjoying a cup of tea was taken in that Mess.

Abhinandan added that the second video showing him praising the Pakistan Army is fake.

I did not say any such things. It is not my voice and this can be verified by matching it to my voice.

ALSO READ | EC gives PM Modi 6th clean chit for Patan speech invoking IAF pilot Abhinandan

Abhinandan had to undergo an elaborate debriefing in order to follow the laid down exhaustive norms followed to obliterate any security, short term and long term, implications.

He was treated by the Neuro Department for mental trauma and the Opthalmology department after he was handed back to India after spending 58 hours in Pakistan.
Richa Sharma By

Express News Service

SANGRUR/FARIDKOT: If there was a Modi wave across the country in 2014, there was another wave that remained unnoticed till the results were declared  the emergence of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) as a formidable force in Punjab and the party winning four Lok Sabha seats in the state. Five years down the line, people say jhadu ke tinke-tinke ho gaye while referring to several leaders leaving it and forming new political outfits.

Jhadu (broom is AAPs election symbol) ka tinka tinka (broom sticks) alag ho gaya. Jhadu safai karne aaya tha, khud hi saaf ho gaya (They came here to clean the system but got wiped out themselves), says Balbir Singh, 87, a retired Punjab government employee in Fatehgarh Sahib, who had voted for the party in 2014.

FOLLOW OUR FULL ELECTION COVERAGE HERE

People in Punjab remember the emergence of Aam Aadmi Party in the state as an alternative to two traditional parties  Congress and the combine of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and BJP. But the downfall of this new party in Punjabs political map came as quick as its rise.

In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, AAP had won four seats in the Malwa region  Sangrur, Fatehgarh Sahib, Faridkot, and Patiala  securing 24.4% of the total votes polled. But it soon had a fall out with two of the four parliamentarians.

READ HERE | Infighting leaves AAP a pale shadow of self in Punjab

In 2017, during the Punjab Assembly elections, the partys vote share decreased to 23.9% and it only won 20 of the 117 seats even though it was expecting to make significant in-roads.

Two years down the line, seven of the 20 legislators have already left the Aam Aadmi Party.

The entire AAP movement in Punjab has received regular setbacks as many party workers along with leaders have either joined the Congress or SAD in the state or joined new political outfits.

To make matters worse, the rebel AAP leaders are contesting from all 13 constituencies in the state. But what would hurt them the most is the rebel Aam Aadmi Party candidates in four seats that it had won in 2014.

ALSO READ | Kejriwal shown black flags during AAP election campaign in Punjab
By Bloomberg

As Indias massive election enters its final stage, Prime Minister Narendra Modis bid for re-election will turn on the sentiment of the countrys 263 million farmers who support more than half the population. With crop prices depressed and farmers protesting and even committing suicide in their thousands, his ability to keep this vital section of the electorate on board could depend as much on his appeal to their nationalism as on cash handouts.

One of the election pledges that swept Modis BJP to power five years ago was the promise to pay farmers 50% more than their cost of production. But the implementation has been a long time coming - a formal announcement from the government came only in February 2018 - and even then, many farmers complain that authorities arent able to ensure the promised rates.

FOLLOW OUR FULL ELECTION COVERAGE HERE

To win over the disgruntled farmers, Modi announced an annual cash payment of Rs 6000 in three equal installments to as many as 120 million farmers. But it may be the countrys military flare-up with Pakistan that helps buttress the BJPs rural vote.

Modi has given freedom to our commanders in the armed forces to strike the enemy which previous governments never did, said Omparkash, a grain farmer in Baliar Khurd village in the northern state of Haryana, who goes by one name. The government is not able to fulfill all the promises they had made but they are doing a decent job. Nationalism is important for us.

In an escalating series of confrontations with its neighbor, the Indian Air Force launched airstrikes on February 26 to attack in what New Delhi claimed was a terrorist training camp inside Pakistan. Modis government has also systematically appealed to nationalism, especially for the nations Hindu majority, symbolically renaming cities and allocating almost $600 million to a mass Hindu pilgrimage.

ALSO READ: PM Modi should visit farmers instead of attending celebrity weddings, says Tejashwi Yadav

In July, Modis government finally followed up on its previous election promise and announced returns that are at least 50% more than the estimated production cost. Yet, many of the countrys 263 million farmers still arent able to fetch adequate returns. The government purchases about a third of the countrys wheat output and about 40% of the rice crop for food welfare programs, as well as small quantities of other commodities like mustard, corn and pulses.

Delays and problems implementing that program have threatened to erode Modis support this time round.

Pawan Kumar, a farmer in Haryana, made five unsuccessful attempts to register his name to sell his mustard crop at a state-run procurement center, only to be told that the governments web portal wasnt working. As many as 1,600 farmers were deprived of the opportunity to enroll their names in the roster at Rewari grain market in Haryana, according to Narender Yadav, secretary at one of Indias biggest wholesale markets for the oilseed. Kumar, who said before voting last week that he would vote on farm issues, is hoping open-market mustard prices will climb at least 17% to the government-set support levels before he sells.

ALSO READ: PM-KISAN scheme an insult to farmers, says Priyanka Gandhi

Parshuram Yadav, a rice and wheat farmer in Uttar Pradesh, and Dilip Patidar, a wheat and garlic grower in Madhya Pradesh, said they voted for the BJP last time but wont vote for Modis party again on Sunday. Patidar said it costs as much as Rs 30 to grow a kilogram of garlic and he is waiting for prices to rise about 25% to 50 rupees per kilo so he can sell his 8-ton garlic crop.

Anger among farmers was one of the main reasons for the defeat of the incumbent BJP in Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh states in December. Large-scale protests have been held across India. As well as low crop prices, farmers have been hit by the rising cost of fertilizers and diesel.



It is pity that farmers, as producers, are not able to set prices of their crop, said Dharampal Nambardar, a member of political party Swaraj India, which isnt contesting elections but is campaigning against the policies of the BJP. When people in other profession achieve something they are rewarded but, when farmers produce more they are punished as prices fall and there is hardly any support from the government.

Voting has taken place in 484 out of 543 seats in the lower house of parliament and both main political parties have dedicated much of their campaigning to winning over the farm lobby. In addition to the cash payments, Modi has promised to invest 25 trillion rupees ($355 billion) in rural development, while the opposition Congress party has promised nationwide loan waiver and a monthly payment of 6,000 rupees each to nations 50 million poor families.

ALSO READ: BJP busy doing ads as farmers suffer, says Priyanka Gandhi

Abhay Singh, a farmer in Haryana, said last week he wont vote for the BJP as the key issue for him is the guaranteed prices for his crops. We want a government that supports farmers, creates jobs and works toward the countrys development, he said. We want assured crop prices not loan waivers. Elections shouldnt be fought on the basis of the achievements of our armed forces.

As many as 12,602 farmers and agricultural laborers committed suicide in 2015, according to the last available data before the government stopped releasing figures.

In Uttar Pradesh, the countrys most populous state and the top sugarcane grower, farmers are struggling to get paid on time by mills. The states mills owed 89.92 billion rupees ($1.3 billion) to farmers as of March 8.

Despite several promises by the ruling party the farmers are still in distress which erodes the credibility of the prime minister, said Sudhir Panwar, a senior leader of Samajwadi Party, which mainly operates in the state of Uttar Pradesh. The aspirational voters in Uttar Pradesh who voted for BJP in 2014 are with the opposition parties now.

With only a few days left till polls close after six weeks of voting, those economic realities are putting Modis appeal in the nations villages to the test.

Suraj Singh, a farmer in the northern state of Haryana, summed up the conflicting feelings that many farmers feel as they go to vote. He said before voting last week that there should be a permanent solution to farm debts and farmers should have freedom to sell their produce at any price while traders shouldnt be allowed to loot the farmers.

But he added: Our votes will go to the party that secures our country.
Pranab Mondal By

Express News Service

KOLKATA: It is being billed as a fight between a popular doctor  recognised by his work for the poor in the Bengals interiors  and the nephew of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for Diamond Harbour Lok Sabha constituency in South 24-Parganas district.

Though billed as a David versus Goliath battle, the ruling Trinamool is on shaky ground in Diamond Habour, as it was here that it had seen a steep 13% erosion in its vote bank in 2014, while the BJP gained ground.

Mamata is counting on her nephew and sitting MP Abhishek Banerjee to put it past the affable and easily accessible Dr Fuad Halim, a general physician fielded by the CPM, the latters work for the poor in Kolkatas slums and in the Sunderbans make him a strong contender for the seat.

The BJP, too, will be no pushover this time, as the partys vote share has risen to nearly 16% from 2.8% five years ago. The saffron party is banking on a split in the 30% Muslim votes and a consolidation of Hindus in its favour.

Halim is popular with voters and he is well placed to secure a good chunk of Muslim votes. The ruling party, despite its minority appeasement policy, will not be able to open a lead in areas inhabited by Muslims, said a BJP leader in South 24-Parganas district.

BJP has fielded Nilanjan Roy in the area inhabited by fishermen, honey gatherers and daily wage earners. What has put the BJP in a spot, however, is a complaint against Roy under the POCSO Act for allegedly molesting a minor girl during campaigning in April.

FOLLOW OUR FULL ELECTION COVERAGE HERE

The West Bengal Commission for Protection of Child Rights has asked the chief electoral officer to take action in the matter, even as BJP leaders have labelled it as a Trinamool conspiracy.

The Diamond Harbour area was ravaged by Cyclone Aila in 2009. The cyclonic storm left an extensive trail of destruction in the Sunderbans area.

The incursion of water from the sea also rendered vast swathes of land in the area saline, forcing thousands of farmers to migrate to other parts of the state and the country for livelihood.

CPM candidate Halim ensured access to the remote pockets of the area through a social welfare organisation and built a poor-friendly image by providing treatment free of cost to those sick and ailing in the aftermath of the storm. The ruling partys supporters are aware of Halims popular image and they are alleged to have mounted four attacks on him during his campaign. But Halim remains undeterred.

Popular CPM leaders in the area have thrown their weight behind Halim, who has been active in Bengal politics for long. However, his maiden essay in electoral politics ended in defeat in the 2011 Assembly elections when he lost to Trinamools Subrata Mukherjee in Ballygunge constituency by over 41,000 votes.

Halims electoral debut came at a time when the CPM was losing its grip on Bengal. His father Hashim Abdul Halim was the Speaker of the West Bengal Assembly for an unbroken 29 years, till 2011. His grandfather was a councillor in the Kolkata Municipal Corporation under Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. Despite this lineage, Halim is in a tough battle with the chief ministers nephew.

I am not bothered by my rival. I am here to represent the poor. People know me here and I am confident of a win, Halim said.

Trinamool leaders, however, said they would make all effort to secure Banerjees victory. He (Banerjee) is being portrayed as the second-in-command in the party by the chief minister herself. Well not just strive for his victory but also ensure that he wins by a bigger margin than 2014, a Trinamool leader said.

CM Mamata Banerjee took out a padayatra with Abhishek on Tuesday, hours after BJP chief Amit Shah hit out at the aunt-nephew combine at Canning in the Diamond Harbour constituency, saying, Earlier, it was syndicate tax, now it is nephew tax We have to oust this corrupt bua-bhatija (aunt-nephew) government.

Abhishek contested the seat in 2014 after sitting Trinamool MP Somen Mitra defected to Congress.
Rajesh Kumar Thakur By

Express News Service

PATNA: Intensifying the twitter war on JD(U) in particular, leader of opposition of Bihar Assembly and RJD chief Tejashwi Yadav asked chief minister Nitish Kumar to release the party manifesto when the elections are in the last phase.

In a tweet on Thursday, Tejashwi Yadav taunted on Nitish Kumar saying: "Nitish Uncle, at least on the last day of last phase of elections, release your party's manifesto. Do not get scared of BJP, otherwise, the people will say a Bihari chief minister has become so scared of outsiders".

FOLLOW OUR FULL ELECTION COVERAGE HERE

He further asked whether the JD(U) chief is left with any ethics, principle, morality and liberal views or not.

He, while expressing his empathy with Kumar, albeit in a satirical tone, also asked, "what have you made yourself, uncle?"
By Express News Service

SRINAGAR: Three Jaish-e-Mohammad militants including a top Pakistani commander, a soldier and a civilian have been killed in an encounter in south Kashmir's Pulwama district.

A police official said acting on specific inputs, security forces laid siege around Dalipora area of Pulwama in the early hours today to track down a group ofJaish militants hiding there.

He said as troops were conducting searches, they came under heavy fire from militants hiding in a residential house.

The fire was returned by the troops and in the ensuing gunfight, three militants, a soldier Sandeep Kumar and a civilian were killed.

READ: Delhi police nabs absconding Jaish terrorist Abdul Majeed Baba from Srinagar

Two armymen and a civilian were injured in the gunfight and have been hospitalised.

The injured civilian is the brother of the deceased civilian.

One of the slain militants is said to be Pakistani Khalid Bhai, who was a top commander of Jaish.

According to police, Khalid was wanted in the 2017 militant suicide attack on a CRPF camp in Lethpora, Pulwama in which five CRPF men were killed.

Authorities have suspended mobile internet service in the south Kashmir district as a precautionary measure.
Rajesh Kumar Thakur By

Express News Service

PATNA: In a big united show of strength just five days after BJP chief Amit Shah's rally here, Rahul Gandhi begin a road show on Thursday evening amid roses and slogans with a crowd of youth and supporters of Mahagatbandhan on the streets.

No matter how much mud Modi throws on us, we will shower love on him," the Congress chief said to a section of the media here before boarding an open vehicle for the show to campaign for party candidate Shatrughan Sinha contesting from Patna-Sahib Lok Sabha constituency against BJPs Ravi Shankar Prasad. He also added that he was doing politics of love and not that of hatred and animosity unlike BJP leaders.

FOLLOW OUR ELECTION COVERAGE HERE

He began his road show waving continuously with a sign of victory at the large crowd, which had gathered on both sides of the road till the place where it concluded. Women and girls, who were watching the road show from the balconies of their house, were also seen waving at Rahul Gandhi and showering rose petals

on his vehicles at most of the places. This is the real road show in which there is no discrimination on party lines. Even Poonam Sinha wife of Shatrughan Sinha ,who had contested from Lucknow on the ticket of SP, is also getting due place despite of being not in alliance with the Congress party in UP," said Manoj Kumar, a young man supporting the Congress party.

Arvind Kumar Yadav and Mohammad Anwarul, who were shouting slogans and waving the flags with pictures of both Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi, ahead of the main road show vehicle, said, Rahul Gandhis roadshow exhibits, not only strength but also the essence of partys secularistic values, as it starts from a place named after Moniul Haque and ends at T-point at Nala road with the 'T' standing for truth.

ALSO READ| PM doesn't speak in real issues but talks with pride as how he eats mangoes: Rahul

According to inside party sources, more than 100 kg of roses were bought and showered over Rahul throughout the routes, the saw way as it was for Amit Shah during his road show on May 11.

While Shahanwaz Hussian of BJP alleged that the crowd at the road show was managed by allies of Mahagathbandhan, Mritunjay Jha of RJD and Prem Chandra Mishra of Congress said that the crowd was colossal and spontaneous.
By PTI

JAIPUR: Congress president Rahul Gandhi Thursday met a Dalit woman who was allegedly gang-raped in front of her husband in Rajasthan's Alwar district, party sources said.

Gandhi was accompanied by Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, deputy CM Sachin Pilot and Congress national general secretary Avinash Pandey, they said.

"Such things will not be tolerated. The victim will get justice. The moment I got to know about the incident, I called Gehlot ji and told him that I want to come. This is not a political issue for me but an emotional issue," Gandhi told reporters here.

He said, a message should go across the country, not just in Rajasthan that "this will not be tolerated."

Responding to a question about his conversation with the victim's family, Gandhi said, "They spoke about justice. They will get justice and action will be taken against the people involved in the crime."

On charges levelled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi that state government was negligent in the case, he said, "I am not here to do politics over the issue but to meet the family. The family will get 'Nyay' (justice)."

FOLLOW OUR FULL ELECTION COVERAGE HERE

He was earlier scheduled to arrive here Wednesday.

On April 26, six miscreants 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.

An FIR was lodged on May 2 and the accused circulated a video clip of the crime on May 4.

Subsequently, five accused, who allegedly raped the woman, and the one who shot and circulated the video clip, have been arrested.

The incident triggered widespread protests in Alwar, Jaipur, Dausa and nearby areas and a protest march led by BJP's Rajya Sabha MP Kirori Lal Meena had turned violent in Dausa on Tuesday, leaving over half-a-dozen people injured.

Prime Minister Modi, BSP supremo Mayawati and other leaders have condemned the incident.

Hitting out at PM Modi, Chief Minister Gehlot said, "Entire country knows he (Modi) is doing politics. He speaks lie, which is unfortunate. The entire BJP is holding protest, it shows who is indulging in politics."

Clarifying on government action in the gang-rape case, the CM said, "The FIR in the case was lodged on May 2. Charge sheet in the case will be filed in next seven days. For the victim, a job will be managed."

Gehlot announced to divide Alwar into two districts for policing.

"Alwar is a critical district. We have done a study. Crime in the district is more than any other district. Looking into which we have decided to divide the district in two parts for policing," he said.

The accused will get punishment and effective monitoring of the case will be done, he added.

Gehlot said after the incident the state government has decided that a victim woman can lodge a complaint at the SP office if she faces problem at the police station.

In addition, the government is going to appoint a woman nodal officer of deputy SP rank at the district level on the lines of nodal officer to deal with the cases related to atrocities on SC/STs.
By PTI

BJP's Bhopal Lok Sabha seat candidate and Malegaon blast accused Pragya Singh Thakur Thursday kicked up a row as she called Mahatma Gandhi's assassin Nathuram Godse a "patriot", but apologised for it hours later and withdrew the statement.

Talking to a news channel in Agar Malwa in Madhya Pradesh on Thursday afternoon, Thakur said , "Nathuram Godse was a 'deshbhakt' (patriot), he is and will remain a 'deshbhakt'. Those calling him a terrorist should instead look at themselves. They will be given a befitting reply in this election."

She said this in response to a question over actor- turned politician Kamal Haasan's remark that free India's first terrorist was a Hindu", a reference to Nathuram Godse.

She faced severe criticism with leaders across party lines condemning the remarks. The BJP distanced itself from her statement saying it did not agree with her, as "Mahatma Gandhi's killer cannot be a patriot". The party asked her to tender a public apology for the contentious remark.

Hours later, her spokesperson and BJP leader Dr Hitesh Bajpai said that she has apologised for her remark.

"Pragyaji has apologised for her statement," Bajpai told PTI.

When asked whether she has apologised to the state BJP president, Rakesh Singh, Bajpai said, "That is not an issue, but she has apologised and took back her statement."

The Madhya Pradesh BJP distanced itself from her statement.

"BJP does not agree with her statement. The party will talk to her under what circumstances she gave the statement. One who killed Mahatma Gandhi can't be a deshbhakt," state BJP media cell in-charge Lokendra Parashar said.

Condemning her statement, senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh said in Ujjain that praising Godse was not patriotism, but an "anti-national" act.

He also demanded an apology from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah over her remarks.

"Narendra Modi ji, Amit Shah ji and BJP leaders from Madhya Pradesh should apologise to the country. I condemn the words used against the Father of the Nation. Nathuram Godse was a killer and eulogising him is not patriotism, but an anti-national act," the former Madhya Pradesh chief minister told reporters in Ujjain.

This is the second time in a month that Pragya Singh has apologised for a controversial statement made by her.

Last month, she had stoked a controversy when she said that IPS officer Hemant Karkare had died during the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks as she had "cursed" him for torturing her.

She had apologised for the controversial remark later and also retracted that statement.

Kamal Haasan, while addressing an election campaign rally at Aravakurichi (Tamil Nadu) on May 12, had 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.

Also Read - Didn't use the term terrorist for Nathuram Godse: Kamal Haasan

(With Online Desk inputs)
By Express News Service

MUMBAI: In a historic moment, a team of 10 mountaineers from Pune climbed Mt. Kanchenjunga, Indias highest and the worlds third highest peak. The climbers belong to Pune-based group Girirpremi.

Umesh Zirpe, who led the group, communicated the success to the Pune-based members over the phone. All 10 climbers reached the summit on May 15 around 5.30 am, Zirpe said.

Zirpe also led an international expedition of 30 climbers. 21 of those climbers have reached the peak by noon. All the members are expected to reach the peak by evening, said Nachiket Joshi, who had been coordinating with the team from Pune.

The success of this Eco Expedition is crucial, as climbing Kanchenjunga is considered tougher than Mt Everest, Joshi said.
Photo taken on May 14, 2019 shows the first known amber encasing an ancient sea animal called ammonite at the Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (NIGPAS) in Nanjing, east China's Jiangsu Province. 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. (Xinhua/Sun Can)

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.

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[ Editor: WPY ]
By PTI

MAU (Uttar Pradesh): Prime Minister Narendra Modi Thursday said his government was committed towards Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar's vision and promised to install his grand statue at the same spot in Kolkata where it was vandalised by "TMC goondas".

Lashing out at Mamata Banerjee, the prime minister said he was going for a rally in Dum Dum later in the day but was not sure if the West Bengal Chief Minister will allow his helicopter to land.

"We have been witnessing the attitude of didi for long and now the country is also seeing it. Dedicated to the vision of Ishwar Chand Vidyasagar, our government will install a panchdhatu (made up of five metals) statue at the very spot and give a reply to TMC goondas," he said while addressing a poll rally here.

"The statue of Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar was broken by TMC goondas during the road show of BJP President Amit Shah. Those involved in this act should be given strong punishment," the prime minister said.

Kolkata witnessed wide-spread violence during BJP president Shah's massive roadshow on Tuesday.

A bust of 19th century Bengali icon Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar was vandalised during the violence.

Modi charged that "anarchy" was spread by TMC workers during his earlier meetings in West Midnapore and Thakurnagar.

FOLLOW OUR FULL ELECTION COVERAGE HERE

"In Cooch Behar in Bengal where a dais was to be set up for my rally, didi got a grand dais made for her party.

I have been seeing this attitude of didi since long but now the country is seeing it," he said.

"I have a rally in Dum Dum. Let us see if didi allows it. If she has her way she will not allow the helicopter to land, Modi said.

Hitting back at BSP supremo Mayawati, who had attacked him over violence in West Bengal, Modi said, "The manner in which the West Bengal government has been targeting UPiites, Biharis and those from Purvanchal, I thought behenji will give a befitting reply but she is more concerned about power".

Lashing out at the SP-BSP alliance, he said those raising "Modi-hatao slogans are today frustrated. Uttar Pradesh has made their arithmetic all wrong and so their abuses have increased".

"Actually the country has come to know the truth of these mahamilavatis. They all know that Modi hatao was just a slogan but actually their aim is to hide their corruption," he said, adding they somehow want a 'khichdi' and weak government which can be "blackmailed" as per their needs.

"SP-BSP have made an opportunistic alliance. They have struck a deal at the top but on the ground their workers are still attacking each other," he said.

"They are mistaken in thinking that SP and BSP votes will be transferred. They take some castes as their slaves," he said, adding it appears they did not understand the situation in 2014, 2017 polls but will now understand in 2019 that castes should not be treated as a slave.

In the name of castes they gained power and used it for making bungalows and make their relatives 'crorepatis' and 'arabpatis', he charged.

"Be it bua or babua they have distanced themsleves from people, created a tall wall of 'darbaris' and yes men that they cannot see the 'sukh dukh' of the poor," he said.

While accusing the Opposition of creating hurdles in freeing Muslim daughters of the curse of triple talaq, he said, "Your sewak wants to empower daughters".

He said 'mahamilawatis' have fielded a candidate from Ghosi seat who is a rape accused and absconder.

The history of Samajwadi Party, the prime minister said, is known by the people of UP "but behenji, will you seek votes for such a candidate."

"All know what was the situation of betis during the Samajwadi Party rule but behenji your stand on the rape of a dalit daughter in Alwar has brought your behaviour also under the question. The government in Rajasthan is being run with the support of behenji but it tried to keep the rape incident hidden in view of elections. This attitude of behenji shows that for selfish interest anyone can be betrayed," he said.

Stressing that his government was committed to security of women, Modi said it was his government which brought death penalty in rape cases and pressing the button on lotus will mean death penalty for rapists.
Sumi Sukanya dutta By

Express News Service

NEW DELHI: A panel constituted by the University Grants Commission to regulate high fee in private medical colleges in the country has asked deemed institutions offering MBBS degrees for details of total income and expenditure.

The details shared by the deemed medical colleges  there are nearly 60 such institutions with the highest fee structure  will then be assessed by the panel in a meeting next month.

The move is being seen as the first step towards bringing private medical colleges under a fee regulatory framework.

The panel was formed by the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, director R C Deka last year at the behest of the Madras High Court. The Supreme Court, however, had given a stay order on the committee on a petition filed by some private colleges.

The stay was later partially removed and the panel has been asked to prepare its report and recommendations which will then be submitted to the apex court before a final decision is taken.

Sources in the committee told this newspaper that it held its first meeting last month in which representatives of some private institutes were also called to participate and present their views.

There has been a long growing concern about medical education being unaffordable for a large number of students and therefore we need to understand the whole economics behind it before coming up with our suggestions, a source explained. We want to understand how much money do the deemed institutes, which are autonomous and not affiliated to any university, make and how much do they spend on training doctors.

This is the first time a central panel is directly intervening to introduce fee controlling measures in medical colleges.

In June last year, Lucknows Era Medical College had stirred controversy, which had led to social media outrage, after it announced a fee of Rs 1.2 crore for each MBBS seat it offered.

The first-year fee, at Rs 30 lakh, is the highest, and the fifth-year, at Rs 15 lakh, is the least expensive. The exorbitant fee at the college, which was recognised by the Medical Council of India in 2006, prompted several angry responses.

Many, including public health experts and former health bureaucrats, had flagged the issue and said the government is allowing unabashed sale of the seats in a country that is crippled with acute shortage of doctors.
By Online Desk

UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi is reaching out to key opposition leaders seeking their presence at a meeting in New Delhi on May 23, when the results of the Lok Sabha elections will be announced.

The DMK on Thursday confirmed that party president MK Stalin had received an invite for the meeting.

Sonia who has kept a low profile during the election campaign has also written to leaders of other opposition parties including the JD(S), NCP, SP and BSP, NDTV reported.

Sonia has also reportedly asked senior party leaders to reach out to K Chandrashekar Rao of the Telangana Rashtra Samithi, Naveen Patnaik of the BJD and Jaganmohan Reddy of the YSR Congress.

Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad Wednesday claimed that neither BJP nor NDA will form the government at the Centre after the polls.

"We are in the last phase of elections and I can say on the basis of my experience during campaigning across the country that neither BJP nor NDA is going to return to power at the Centre.

"Narendra Modi is also not going to become the prime minster for the second time. Non-NDA, non-BJP government will be installed at the Centre after the Lok Sabha elections," he told mediapersons.

He also said that it would be good if there is a consensus on who will be the Congress' prospective PM candidate after the Lok Sabha election results are out.

"We are not going to make it an issue that we (Congress) will not let any other (leader) to become the PM, if it is not offered to us (Congress)," he further said, hinting at a wider discussion among the opposition parties for the PM-designate.

Sources said that Chandrababu Naidu and Sharad Pawar are likely to attend the meet.

Telangana CM KCR, meanwhile, has already embarked on his 'Third Front' mission, and met Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan and DMK chief MK Stalin reportedly to explore the possibility of creating a 'South Block' at the Centre.

While Vijayan, the only CPM Chief Minister in the country, had a discussion with his Telangana counterpart over a range of issues like contemporary national politics, post-poll political scenarios and possible options after the elections, it is learnt that the Left Front will only take a call on the possible creation of a non-Congress and non-BJP Central government after the results are declared on May 23.

The Left Front wants a secular government at the Centre. Based on the election results, we will take a realistic approach on forming a secular alternative at the Centre after May 23. Any decision on possible alliances will be taken after the results are out, said CPM politburo member S Ramachandran Pillai.

Stalin too, after meeting KCR earlier this week said that there were no chances for a "third front" government post polls.

He also said that Rao did not visit Tamil Nadu for forging alliances.

"He did not come to form alliances. He came to Tamil Nadu to offer prayers in various temples and on that basis, sought an appointment with me for a courtesy call. That is all," he told reporters in Chennai.

His party too reiterated their alliance commitments with Congress.

Interestingly, there are reports of JDS supremo Deve Gowda too starting a mission in the national capital after May 23 to put in place an alliance of regional parties to support Rahul Gandhi for Prime Minister's post.

Immediately after the Lok Sabha election results are announced, my father Deve Gowda will approach leaders of all opposition parties and try to bring consensus on making Congress president Rahul Gandhi the Prime Minister, said his son and Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy.

Making it clear that JDS will fully back the Congress president for the top post, the Karnataka CM seemed confident there is no possibility of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) returning to power.

In the current scenario, it is impossible for the NDA to come back to power at the Centre. Narendra Modis desperation can be seen in his recent statements and the issues that he is taking up. He has lost the appeal that he enjoyed in 2014 and people have now started doubting him. It is more so in North India, Kumaraswamy stressed.

According to sources, Congress does not want a repeat of Goa, where it could not form a government in 2016 and 2019 despite being the largest party in the state assembly.

BJP won that race by forging alliances with smaller parties and independents.

Sources also added that said the Grand Old Party is keen that "no time is wasted" on May 23. So, it wants opposition forces in Delhi to stay prepared.

However, TMC chief Mamata Banerjee, BSP supremo Mayawati and her ally Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav are likely to skip the meet.
By PTI

MANDIRBAZAR: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said Thursday Bengal does not need money from the BJP, it has enough resources to rebuild the Vidyasagar statue that was vandalised at a Kolkata college following Amit Shah's roadshow.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during a rally in Uttar Pradesh, had promised to install the statue at the same spot where it stood before being desecrated on Tuesday.

Addressing a rally here, Banerjee said, "Modi has promised to rebuild the Vidyasagar statue in Kolkata. Why should we take their (BJP's) money, Bengal has enough resources.

READ| Mamata thanks Opposition for support, says EC acting under BJP influence

"She also attacked the BJP, claiming that vandalising statues was one of its habits and that the party has done so in Tripura as well. The BJP has destroyed the 200-year-old heritage of West Bengal, those supporting the party will not be accepted by the society," she warned.

Hitting out at the saffron party over its social media posts, the Trinamool Congress supremo also said that the BJP had been spreading canards over Facebook and Twitter.

"The BJP is trying to instigate people and cause riots with its fake posts on social media," she added.
By PTI

MAHARAJGANJ (UP): Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra Thursday had a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi's claim of a "56-inch chest", asking where his heart lies.

Addressing an election rally here in support of Congress candidate Supriya Shrinate, Priyanka Gandhi asked, "You boasted about your 56-inch chest, but where is your heart?" The Congress leader also questioned claims of nationalism.

"The PM talks about Pakistan while speaking on nationalism. For him, nationalism is all about speaking on the work done to counter Pakistan. Employment and farmer issues are not nationalism to him," she said.

READ | Priyanka Gandhi steps down from roadshow to save man

Priyanka Gandhi accused the prime minister of solely concentrating on marketing strategies and dubbed him "arrogant".

"In the past five years, Modi was seen going to every place across the world, but he never bothered to meet farmers of his own country," she said terming the PM anti-farmer.

She lambasted the government over an initiative it took for farmers.

"They have announced Rs 6,000 per year for farmers under the Kisan Samman scheme. But the scheme is an insult to farmers as a family of five would get just Rs 2 per day," she said.

In comparison, the Congress had announced the Nyuntam Aay Yojana (NYAY) under which Rs 72,000 would be given every year to each poor family, the Congress leader said.

FOLLOW OUR FULL ELECTION COVERAGE HERE

Commenting on the job situation, she said, "Five crore jobs were destroyed in the past five years. As many as 24 lakh posts are lying vacant in government departments while 50 lakh people lost their jobs due to demonetisation."

She promised that the Congress would fill vacant posts in government departments.

"We are confident that after coming to power, the MGNREGA would be strengthened by increasing the labour days from 100 to 150. Labourers would get wages regularly," she added, referring to a rural employment generation scheme.
By PTI

NEW DELHI: The Election Commission took a "judicious" decision to ban campaigning in West Bengal from Thursday night and not morning as it was against abruptly taking away the right of political parties to seek votes but at the same time wanted violence to end ahead of May 19 polls, sources have said.

The Commission has been under attack from political parties for not curtailing campaigning in nine Lok Sabha seats in the state from Thursday morning.

READ | Bengal police trying to wipe out evidence of Vidyasagar statue desecration: Modi

The opposition alleged that it was done to accommodate rallies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the state.

The campaigning in West Bengal ended at 10.00 PM Thursday. It was otherwise to end on Friday evening at 6.00 PM.

"We have a list. There were over 15 political rallies/ roadshows today by various parties and leaders. We could not have abruptly banned it. The idea was not to show our muscle. The idea was also not to muzzle the campaigning. The basic idea was to show that EC has its own ways to contain situations," a functionary explained.

He said a senior leader of a political party has been given the list of rallies in West Bengal on Thursday to drive home the point.

FOLLOW OUR FULL ELECTION COVERAGE HERE

Meanwhile, sources denied reports that EC's special observers had recommended an "immediate ban" on campaigning in West Bengal.

"It is factually incorrect. Their job is to give ground report. How would they know EC was contemplating ban using its constitutional powers," a functionary said.

The EC's action on Wednesday came a day after parts of Kolkata witnessed widespread violence during BJP president Amit Shah's massive road show in the city.

A bust of 19th century Bengali icon Ishwarchandra Vidyasagar was also vandalised during the violence.
By PTI

INDORE: An Army clerk posted at Mhow cantonment area near here was Thursday arrested for allegedly sharing strategic information to a woman, who had honey- trapped him through social media, police said.

The 28-year-old clerk was sharing secret information of strategic importance through social media platforms like Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram with a woman for a long time, a senior police officer told PTI on a condition of anonymity.

The Indian intelligence agencies suspect that the information was reaching Pakistan and for which, money was paid, he said.

The social media accounts of the arrested clerk are being investigated.

An FIR in the case under relevant sections is registered in a police station in Bhopal and an investigation into the matter is underway, the official added.
By PTI

NEW DELHI: Three opposition parties, including the Congress, on Thursday approached the Election Commission over its order curtailing the time period for campaigning in West Bengal, terming it "violative" of the doctrine of level-playing field and urged the poll body to give at least half a day more for electioneering.

A delegation comprising Congress' Abhishek Manu Singhvi and Ahmed Patel, TDP leader C M Ramesh and AAP's Sanjay Singh presented their stand before the EC on the issue.

ALSO READ | Election Commission defends WB campaign ban, says can't allow violence

The opposition parties requested for urgent and necessary review of the order prohibiting election campaigning in West Bengal after 10 pm Thursday, claiming it was violative of the doctrine of level-playing field and Article 14 of the Constitution which provides for equality before the law.

In first such action in India's electoral history, the EC on Wednesday ordered campaigning in nine West Bengal constituencies to end at 10 pm Thursday, a day before its scheduled deadline, in the wake of violence between the BJP and TMC workers in Kolkata on Tuesday.

The EC's action came a day after parts of Kolkata witnessed wide-spread violence during BJP president Amit Shah's massive road show in the city.

A bust of 19th century Bengali icon Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar was vandalised during the violence.

ALSO READ | Extending support to Mamata, Mayawati accuses EC of acting under BJP pressure

In their memorandum to the poll watchdog, the opposition parties said the EC, instead of enforcing a level-playing field, has "arbitrarily" decided to cut off campaigning to the "prejudice" of all other parties.

This, in fact, benefits the BJP which has two rallies scheduled, they said, adding this order of the EC, truncating the campaign period, "fails to meet the standard of reasonableness or even of application of mind".

"We urge that this commission re-considers its decision and penalise the one who propagated the violence and violated its electoral laws in such a blatant manner.Punishing those who are innocent by taking such an arbitrary decision will result in a grotesque precedent being set," the parties said.

Singhvi told reporters outside the EC office, "I would say that if the EC considers the facts presented by us, it can allow campaign for half a day more. The final decision is in their hands. All options are open for us."

FOLLOW OUR FULL ELECTION COVERAGE HERE

The delegation also requested the Election Commission for urgent and necessary directions to election officials to order re-polling in Domariyaganj Lok Sabha constituency in Uttar Pradesh.

They also called for various safeguards for the EVMs to ensure electoral integrity and free and fair elections.

The leaders also raised the issue of "failure" to provide security to MLA Aditi Singh in Rae Bareli.

The Congress on Wednesday condemned the attack on its Rae Bareli legislator Aditi Singh, blaming it on what it called the "hired goons of the BJP" in Uttar Pradesh.
Kaleeswaram Raj By

Simon Rifkind, a well-known American jurist, once said: The courtroom, sooner or later, becomes the image of the judge. It will rise or fall to the level of the judge who presides over it. Therefore, the image of the judge is so fundamental for the institution. In the words of American lawyer and academic Alan Dershowitz, (the) judges are the weakest link in our system, and they are also the most protected.

The country now debates the level of protection that the Chief Justice can have. In the Veeraswami case (1991), the Supreme Court said that the judges are liable to be dealt with just the same way as any other person in respect of criminal offence. But the Veeraswami verdict also held that the consent of the Chief Justice of India (CJI) is required to register a First Information Report (FIR) against a judge of the High Court or the Supreme Court. If the accusation

is against the CJI, permission by any other judge or judges of the Supreme Court is needed.

The apex court is in deep crisis. Rather than the affidavit filed by the woman alleging sexual misconduct, it is the way in which it was dealt with that tarnished the image of the institution. A committee consisting of only judges enquired into the matter as per the in-house procedure evolved by the court. The proceedings were secret and so was the outcome. The reasons for the clean sheet to the CJI still remain unknown.

Equality before law and equal protection of the law are constitutional imperatives as evident from Article 14. Rule of law within the judiciary is a condition precedent for that outside. A constitutional court has to set an example for constitutional morality in every facet of its functioning. It needs to evolve a credible and efficacious method to deal with critical situation that should satisfy the constitutional test and the requirements of natural justice. The in-house mechanism and the Veeraswami methodology are far from satisfactory in this regard.

A few lawyers, however, supported the in-house procedure as one in tune with the law on the point. Because the members of the committee are Supreme Court judges, they say the procedures are fault free and unquestionable. They say that secrecy is the rule and openness is not even the exception. No legal representation; no access to the findings; no questions and no criticism. They presume that the court could act like an imperium in imperio as lamented by

T T Krishnamachari long ago, during the Constituent Assembly debates. They were, no doubt, defending the indefensible. No democracy can sustain itself by converting the public offices into theatres. We need to be wise enough to learn the empirical lessons on the issue, from elsewhere. When Brett Kavanaugh was nominated as an associate judge of the Supreme Court of the US in 2018, allegations of sexual harassment were raised by a woman professor, Christine Blasey Ford. The alleged incident, according to Ford, occurred in 1982 when both of them were studying in high school. After Ford, two other women also raised allegations of sexual misconduct against Kavanaugh. A probe by independent agencies followed, the records of which are in public domain even now. Ultimately, on 6 October 2018, Kavanaughs nomination was confirmed by a thin majority in the Senate.

In an earlier episode, before the US Senate Committee, Anita Hill, a lawyer, publicly deposed about the alleged sexual harassment by Clarence Thomas, whose elevation as a judge of the top court in the US was pending consideration. The complaint was dismissed after an open Senate hearing.

Accusations against sitting judges have occurred in other jurisdictions. Sir Stephen Richards, a judge of the Court of Appeal in the UK, was arrested and prosecuted for the alleged offence of bad conduct with women while travelling in train. In one case he was tried by Westminster Magistrates Court and acquitted. In another case, prosecution was dropped. Samuel Kent, a federal court judge in the US, was accused of sexual misconduct and lying to the investigators. He was convicted. He had to resign after facing an impeachment.

Such incidents had an ostensible effect of enhancing the credibility of the judiciary in these countries. The episodes illustrated that the judges too are governed by the law of the nation.

The in-house procedure in India is not one made by legislation. It is a self-regulatory device adopted by the Supreme Court in 1999. There is no empirical evidence to indicate its capacity to render justice to the aggrieved. No judge in the country was ever subjected to any serious action by such a mechanism, even though there were at least a few accusations.

Who will judge the judges is a fundamental question of Indian democracy. We need to address it. A constitutional mechanism to deal with judicial misbehaviour and the crimes committed by the judges needs to be designed by way of a comprehensive legislation. This needs to be done without compromising judicial independence and also by adhering to the equality principles. The law of the country does not and cannot create immunity to the persons holding high constitutional posts, who actually are the servants of the people and not their masters.

Kaleeswaram Raj

Lawyer practising in the Supreme Court

Email: kaleeswaramraj@gmail.com
G Janardhan Rao By

Express News Service

VISAKHAPATNAM: Four youths from Butchayyapeta mandal in the district, who had gone to Malaysia nine months ago for contract jobs, have been languishing in a room without salary and food. The youths -- Marisa Venku Naidu, Marisa Mahesh, Marisa Srinivasa Rao and Marisa Girish -- all from Rajam village, have been moving heaven and earth to return home. All the four men are in their early 20s.

Speaking to TNIE from Malaysia, Venku Naidu said they were lured by an agent with a promise of providing them employment. The agent allegedly collected `60,000 each from the youths and sent them to Malaysia last September on a tourist visa.

Problems started for them after two months when their local agent Dhana Sekhar refused to pay them salary and took away their passports, Venku said.

Their problems have only aggravated in the last three months as they have no work and money to buy food.

They have been barely surviving on a little bit of money being sent to them by their poor families from Rajam. According to Venku, they hardly get a square meal a day and some times they eat chillies and drink water to suppress gnawing hunger. A distraught Venku told TNIE that they were looking for help to get out of their abject condition.

Venku and their three friends are not alone facing terrible conditions in a foreign country. Holed up in a service apartment room at Batu Caves, there are nine more persons, including four from Kerala, according to Venku.

He said the agent had threatened them and even thrashed them when they asked him to send them back home.

He tore the passports of three of them, he said. They cannot even move out of their rooms for fear of being caught by Malaysia police.Venku said his attempt to come back to India was thwarted when he was caught by police, who let him off after taking away `6,000 from him.

On another occasion, his friend Girish was caught by police when he went out to buy food and he was let off only after he paid `2,000 to them.He said the agent had made false promise to make arrangements for their return journey. He and other members are praying to god for help from the Indian Embassy.

Their parents, who are tenant farmers and farm hands, had great hopes of their children earning some money in Malaysia before returning to the village. However, their dreams are shattered, Nani, a cousin of Venku, said. Venkus father Koteswara Rao is a worried man as both his sons are languishing in Malaysia.

He said he thought his sons, who passed class X, would make some money for their future. Girishs mother stays alone in the village and is anxiously waiting for her sons return.

Nani said he had brought the plight of the Rajam youths to the notice of YSRC leader Gudivada Amarnath, who in turn referred their case to party MP Vijayasai Reddy.Responding to their pleas, Vijayasai Reddy wrote a letter to Union Minister for External Affairs Sushma Swaraj with the details of the four youths stranded in Buta Caves in Selangor in Malaysia. The MP urged the Union minister to help the youths return home.
KATHMNDU, May 16 (Xinhua)--Two Indian climbers died on Mount Kanchenjunga while descending from the summit of the world's third highest mountain, the expedition company officials said here on Thursday.

Director at the Peak Promotion Nepal, the expedition company, Pasang Sherpa told Xinhua that the Indian climbers collapsed at an altitude of 8400 meters while descending from the summit.

"Indian national Biplab Baidya and Kuntal Karna died of altitude sickness while descending from the summit," Sherpa said.

The dead bodies will be airlifted to capital city Kathmandu probably on Friday, he said.

A total of 23 people were in the expedition team when they left for the summit on April 6.

Meanwhile, a national from Chile, Rodrigo Vivanco has gone missing above the Camp IV of Mount Kanchenjunga since Wednesday evening. "We have mobilized a team to rescue Rodrigo who has gone missing above Camp IV on the descent after he reportedly made it to the summit," he said.

Hundreds of foreign climbers attempt to scale high Himalayan peaks during the popular spring climbing season in the Himalayan country that begins in March and ends in May every year.

[ Editor: WPY ]
By Express News Service

MANGALURU: City police have arrested a couple in connection with the recent murder of Shreemathi Shetty, whose body was found chopped in pieces and thrown at different places in the city. The arrested are Johnas Julin Samson (36) and his live-in partner Victoria Mathais (46), residents of Valencia. Police Commissioner Sandeep Patil said Samson had taken a loan of Rs 1 lakh from Shetty, of which he had repaid Rs 40,000. She insisted he repay the rest but he didn't.

On Saturday, when she went to his house to ask for money, he allegedly killed her. Samson than removed all jewellery  a gold chain and eight rings  and disposed of the body the same day after chopping it into pieces. He left his two-wheeler, on which he shifted the body, at a friend's house.

Patil said Samson attempted suicide when cops went to his house on Tuesday to nab him. He was admitted in a hospital. Victoria is accused of being present at the crime scene. Involvement of any other person is being investigated. Samson has a murder case pending against him in South Police Station.
Soumika Das By

Express News Service

BHUBANESWAR: Packed with wind gusting upto 200 km per hour, cyclone Fani tore through everything on its path except the daunting spirit of a Community Radio Jockey near Konark. Unmoved by the raging storm and braving all risks, the woman jockey Rojalin Pradhan sat all through the cyclone in the station and kept broadcasting information on Fani to her listeners.

Even as the cyclonic wind was banging the walls of the radio station at Ichhapur village under Gop limits in Puri district on May 3, she was committed to the cause of keeping the community safe. The day before Fani made landfall near Chilika, Rojalin had to work in night shift. Next morning, she couldnt leave the station of Community Radio Namaskar, close to her house. The other junior staff of the radio werent able to come to work. Cyclone Fani had battered their houses by 9 am.

She informed me that she was all alone. But, she refused to discontinue the service. She felt dissemination of information during the disaster was important, said founder of the community radio, NA Shah Ansari.

Until 9.30 am on May 3, Rojalin was informing the villagers about the updates received from the website of India Meteorological Department (IMD). Till then, the internet services were not affected. However, soon after the connectivity was lost.

She had no access to information. But, common sense was put to use. She stretched her show, catering to people of at least 100 villages, by informing them on how to stay safe during the cyclone. Keeping the predictions about the landfall in mind, she informed about the relatively safer cyclone shelters. Not just that, she was also receiving calls from her listeners who wanted to know the cyclone shelters until the phone lines were snapped.

She ensured that people who are living in vulnerable villages are informed about the fact. She urged them to evacuate the village and shift to cyclone shelters of other villages, added Ansari.

After 11.30 am, the antenna of the radio station broke down. I observed the red signal on my system, which indicated that there was no output. Thereafter, I waited inside the radio centre as wind tore through the area, she said.

Rojalin also runs a woman self-help group in her village. From being a listener of the radio herself to one of the station-in-charges, she has come a long way.
By Express News Service

HYDERABAD: A day after city-based youngster, Sahith Reddy passed away in a road accident in the United States, Karimnagar resident Mohammed Faraz lost his life in an accident between a city bus and a truck in Kuwait.

According to sources, 38-year-old Faraz, who worked as a driver for the Kuwait Public Transport bus service, was killed when the bus he was driving, crashed into a container truck on the fourth ring road in Kuwait on Tuesday evening. The impact was so high that the entirety of the front portion of the bus was smashed in.

According to reports, apart from the one dead, seven other passengers were injured in the incident, of which three are in critical condition. Faraz, who had gone to Kuwait in search of employment five years ago, was from Kisannagar village in Bommakal. Earlier he was working for a private company before joining as a city bus driver.

We came to know about the death only late on Tuesday night. His roommates informed the local police and then informed us, Khaja Zaheeruddin, a cousin of Faraz said. He further added that as of now formalities were being taken up by the authorities.

Zaheeruddin and other family members will now have to take a call whether they want to perform the last rites in Kuwait or arrange for repatriation of Farazs body.

Trapped in Saudi,youth seeks KTRs help

A distraught youth from Sircilla, now living in Saudi Arabia, appealed the TRS working president K T Rama Rao to help with his immediate repatriation. In a video message that has since gone viral on social media, Mohd Sameer has claimed to be cheated by his travel agents while alleging torture by his handlers in Saudi Arabia.

Sameer, a resident of Nandagunda village in Sircilla alleged that his kafeel physically assaulted after he refused to rear sheep, 1,500 km away from the city. He also alleged that a certain travel agent from Nizambad cheated him by promising regular salaried job in Saudi Arabia.

Urging the TRS leader for help, he said, Please take me from here KTR anna. It has been twenty days since I got proper food. In response, Rama Rao tweeted to the Ambassador of India to Saudi Arabia, Ausaf Sayeed requesting him to help with the case

MEA intervenes in domestic abuse case

After a Hyderabadi resident alleged torture and harassment by her husband in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, the Ministry of External Affairs intervened into the matter and urged the countrys foreign ministry to help with the case. Shaema Mansur, a mother of six children and a homemaker, alleged that her husband has threatened to kill her and has refused to give her an exit to go back to India unless she gives him a divorce in writing.

She alleged that her influential husband Mansoor Durrani, who is a religious preacher and a banker by profession, has prevented the local administration from taking any action in her complaints. Hearkening her request Consulate General of India wrote a letter to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Saudi Arabia requesting for help in her case
By PTI

ISLAMABAD: Fifty-two Pakistani immigrants deported by the US have arrived here by a special flight amid tight security, a media report said Thursday.

Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi informed the National Assembly Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs on Tuesday that US authorities detained and prosecuted the Pakistani nationals for immigration violations, criminal conduct and other serious charges.

Dawn newspaper, quoting immigration sources, reported that 53 Pakistanis were scheduled to be deported, but 52 arrived on Wednesday as one person fell sick at the US airport and was not sent back.

US security officials were guarding the Pakistani deportees when they arrived at the Islamabad International Airport.

Soon after landing, they asked the Pakistani authorities to take custody of the deportees who had been arrested by the US police.

The Trump administration recently launched a crackdown on the foreigners who stayed in the US even after the expiry of their visas. The 52 Pakistanis were among those who overstayed in the US, the report said.

A senior official of the Federal Investigation Agency said the deportees were allowed to go after verification of their travel documents.

The official parried a question about the fate of those involved in petty crimes and deported by the US, the report said.

Qureshi had also confirmed that the US denied visas to three senior Pakistani officials following a row between the two countries over deportation of dozens of Pakistanis in America for their visa overstay and other allegations.

The Pakistani officials who faced US visa restrictions are an additional secretary, a joint secretary of the interior ministry and the director general passports, the minister said on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, nine Pakistani illegal immigrants deported from Greece were taken into custody after their arrival at Islamabad International Airport by a separate flight and shifted to the FIA's Anti-Human Trafficking Cell.

The FIA official said the deportees were kept at the cell's jail for further legal proceeding as they had gone to Europe through land route and were later caught by the Greek authorities.

He said that since the nine deportees belonged to Gujrat district in Punjab province, they would be shifted to FIA Gujranwala for further legal proceeding.
By PTI

WASHINGTON: Ravi Bhalla, the first ever Sikh mayor of a city in New Jersey, has been allegedly racially targeted after his photoshopped image as an Arab dictator was published on a local website.

The New Jersey-based website, "Hudson Mile Square View", ran an image of Hoboken Mayor Bhalla that resembled the lead character played by British actor Sacha Baron Cohen in the comedy film "The Dictator".

The photo was part of a story titled, "Ravi Bhalla goes to the mattresses. For his tax increase".

It accused Bhalla of "summoning all the powers" of his office to "reinstitute a tax increase" that was not approved by the city council.

According to the website, Bhalla had proposed a 3 per cent tax increase but the council slashed it to 1 per cent.

The story said now "the pushback from the Mayor's office to take back the tax reduction is underway". Sikh activists denounced the image as racist. Community speaker and activist Simran Jeet Singh tweeted on Tuesday: "Ravi Bhalla is the first-ever turbaned Sikh elected as Mayor in US history."

"He's endured immense racist abuse, from flyers calling him a terrorist to death threats against him and his family. Now, someone is photoshopping Ravi to depict him as a despot. This is racist and wrong."

Audrey Truschke, an assistant professor of history at Rutgers University and author of the book Aurangzeb, too, expressed her solidarity with Bhalla.

She tweeted: "Disagreeing with politics is OK, discrimination and racism is not. Read this thread, and the thread it references at the end, to educate yourself about ongoing prejudice in America. Such hate will cease when we all reject bigotry. Solidarity with @RaviBhalla".

Later on Tuesday night, the website said that the image was submitted by a reader.

The website has earlier also photoshopped his images.

In February 2017, it posted a photo of Bhalla with a "Pinocchio" nose.

Hudson Mile Square View, which calls itself "Hoboken's biggest website covering government, politics and corruption", has been critical of Bhalla right from the beginning of his mayoral term in 2017.

This is not the first time that Bhalla, the first Sikh mayor of Hoboken, has experienced racist attacks over his religion and turban.

Soon after his election in 2017, racist flyers calling him a terrorist were circulated in the city.
By PTI

NEW DELHI: The ongoing trade war between the US and China will help India tap export opportunities in both the countries in areas such as garments, agriculture, automobile and machinery, according to trade experts.

Professor at Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT) Rakesh Mohan Joshi said the US has broadly targeted intermediate components from China, particularly machinery and electronics, whereas China is targeting American automotive and agricultural products including Soybean.

ALSO READ: US-China trade tensions 'threat to the global economy,' says IMF

"These areas offer huge opportunities for India. Strong opportunity is unfolding for India in apparel and readymade garments as after China, India is the only country in the world to match the scale of operations and integrate its supply chain for global customers," Joshi said.

He added that India needs to make use of this opportunity to significantly enhance its exports especially in information and communications technology (ICT) and the automotive sector.

"To effectively harness the emerging opportunities, India needs a carefully crafted strategy and its meticulous implementation at the grass-roots level," he said.

ALSO READ: Trade deal with China still 'possible,' says Donald Trump

Sharing similar views, the Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) said the trade war between the US and China is benefitting India.

FIEO President Ganesh Kumar Gupta said India's exports to the US went up by 11.2 per cent in 2018, while to China it rose 31.4 per cent in the same year.

"China is also more willing than ever before to provide better market access to India on a wide range of agriculture and processed food products.

India would be getting better access to the Chinese market as China would like to prove to its citizen that the tariff war has little or no impact on it," he said.

ALSO READ: Donald Trump's tariffs on China: What are they? How do they work?

The US and China are significantly raising import duties on each others' products. In international commerce parlance, trade war means increasing import duties by trading partners.

Recently, the US increased import duties from 10 per cent to 25 per cent on USD 200 billion worth of Chinese imports.

The US is demanding China to reduce the massive trade deficit which last year climbed to over USD 539 billion.

FIEO Director General Ajay Sahai said it is a "God-sent opportunity" for India to seek huge investments from companies located in China.

"All investments in China with prime focus on the US market may seek relocation and India would definitely be the option. There is a need to move aggressively to woo such investors before they are allured by others," Sahai said.

Assistant Professor and expert on agri economics, Chirala Shankar Rao, said India should work on tapping export opportunities in the agriculture sector in both the countries.

ALSO READ: 'China will be hurt very badly,' Trump warns Xi Jinping against new tariffs

"Indian exporters have all the potential to increase agricultural exports in both these countries," Rao added.

Echoing similar views, Ludhiana-based exporter and FIEO former president S C Ralhan said enormous opportunities are there in the engineering and machinery sector in both the countries and "we have to tap that".

Council for Leather Exports Chairman P R Aqeel Ahmed said the trade war will help India increase footwear exports to the US.

"India's footwear exports to the US currently is about USD 300 million and Chinese exports to the US is USD 11 billion. Even if we get 10 per cent of this, our exports to the US can grow four times," Ahmed said.

India's bilateral trade with China and the US stood at USD 89.71 billion and USD 74.5 billion, respectively, in 2017-18.
By PTI

WASHINGTON: US Navy chief Admiral John Richardson said his recent visit to India was a "critical opportunity" to strengthen ties between the two navies and sharing views on a multilateral approach in maintaining maritime domain awareness in the strategic Indo-Pacific region.

Richardson, who was on a three-day visit to India, met his Indian counterpart Admiral Sunil Lanba and other senior officers and discussed joint exercises between the two navies amid rising Chinese influence in the Indo-Pacific region. We explored ways to make the growing relationship between the US Navy and the Indian Navy "more vibrant", he told reporters here via a conference call from Manila on Thursday. His India trip ended on Tuesday.

Earlier, a US Navy press release quoted him as saying, "This visit provided a critical opportunity to strengthen the partnership between the Indian Navy and the US Navy."

The two heads of navy also discussed the strategic importance of growing the two navies' partnership and the need to focus on information sharing and exchange. They also discussed their shared view on a multilateral approach in maintaining maritime domain awareness in the Indo-Pacific region. "Our mutual commitment and shared vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific enables even more opportunities for the future. We took the opportunity during the visit to discuss specific steps that will set the stage for further cooperation between our two navies," Richardson said.

China has been trying to spread its influence in the resource-rich Indo-Pacific region. To counter Beijing, the US has been pushing for a broader role by India in the strategically important region.

India, the US and several other world powers have been talking about the need to ensure a free, open and thriving Indo-Pacific in the backdrop of China's rising military maneuvering in the region, which is a large swathe of land and sea stretching all the way from the west coast of the US to the shores of east Africa.

Richardson also praised Admiral Lanba's vision and said that the Indian Navy chief, who is retiring later this month, has been a strong advocate for a closer partnership between our two navies, and "we have made significant progress. We took the opportunity during the visit to discuss specific steps that will set the stage for further cooperation between our two navies," he said.

The two sides also shared concerns over the maritime dimension of terrorism and determined to take coordinated steps to combat it. "We (India and the US) have common views in terms of the importance of addressing all measures that we can take to minimize the possibility of terrorism -- whether it comes from land or from sea," Richardson told reporters.

Responding to a question, he said the Communications, Compatibility and Security Agreement (COMCASA) signed between the US and India last year was "the foundational framework agreement that allows us to exchange information".

The US Navy said Richardson also met the US Ambassador of India, Kenneth Juster to discuss how to further strengthen relations between the two countries and navies.

Richardson's visit follows Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's statement that the US was "banding together with like-minded nations like Australia, India, Japan and South Korea to make sure that each Indo-Pacific nation can protect its sovereignty from coercion".
By AFP

SUVA(Fiji): UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres raised concerns Thursday that a concrete dome built last century to contain waste from atomic bomb tests is leaking radioactive material into the Pacific.

Speaking to students in Fiji, Guterres described the structure on Enewetak Atoll in the Marshall Islands as "a kind of coffin" and said it was a legacy of Cold War-era nuclear tests in the Pacific

"The Pacific was victimised in the past as we all know," he said, referring to nuclear explosions carried out by the United States and France in the region.

In the Marshalls, numerous islanders were forcibly evacuated from ancestral lands and resettled, while thousands more were exposed to radioactive fallout.

The island nation was ground zero for 67 American nuclear weapons tests from 1946-58 at Bikini and Enewetak atolls when it was under US administration.

Aerial view of the Runit Dome. The dome is placed

in the crater created by the "Cactus" nuclear weapons

test in 1958.

The tests included the 1954 "Bravo" hydrogen bomb, the most powerful ever detonated by the United States, about 1,000 times bigger than the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima.

Guterres, who is touring the South Pacific to raise awareness of climate change issues, said Pacific Islanders still needed help to deal with the fallout of the nuclear testing.

"The consequences of these have been quite dramatic, in relation to health, in relation to the poisoning of waters in some areas," he said.

"I've just been with the President of the Marshall Islands (Hilda Heine), who is very worried because there is a risk of leaking of radioactive materials that are contained in a kind of coffin in the area."

The "coffin" is a concrete dome, built in the late 1970s on Runit island, part of Enewetak atoll, as a dumping ground for waste from the nuclear tests.

Radioactive soil and ash from the explosions was tipped into a crater and capped with a concrete dome 45 centimetres (18 inches) thick.

However, it was only envisaged as a temporary fix and the bottom of the crater was never lined leading to fears the waste is leaching into the Pacific.

Cracks have also developed in the concrete after decades of exposure and there are concerns it could break apart if hit by a tropical cyclone.

Guterres did not directly address what should be done with the dome but said the Pacific's nuclear history still needed to be addressed.

"A lot needs to be done in relation to the explosions that took place in French Polynesia and the Marshall Islands," he said.

"This is in relation to the health consequences, the impact on communities and other aspects.

"Of course there are questions of compensation and mechanisms to allow these impacts to be minimised."
By Associated Press

President Donald Trump issued an executive order Wednesday apparently aimed at banning equipment from Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei from US networks.

It declares a national economic emergency that empowers the government to ban the technology and services of "foreign adversaries" deemed to pose "unacceptable risks" to national security  including from cyber espionage and sabotage. While it doesn't name specific countries or companies, it follows months of US pressure. It gives the Department of Commerce 150 days to come up with regulations.

In a clear slap at Huawei, the department also put the company and its affiliates on a list that requires them to obtain US government approval to purchase American technology.

Washington and Beijing are locked in a trade war that partly reflects a struggle for global economic and technological dominance, and Wednesday's actions up the ante.

The executive order addresses U.S. government concerns that equipment from Chinese suppliers could pose an espionage threat to U.S. internet and telecommunications infrastructure. Huawei, the world's biggest supplier of network gear, has been deemed a danger in U.S. national security circles for the better part of a decade.

U.S. justice and intelligence officials say Chinese economic espionage and trade secret theft is rampant.

U.S. officials have presented no evidence, however, of any Huawei equipment in the U.S. or elsewhere being compromised by backdoors installed by the manufacturer to facilitate espionage by Beijing. Huawei vehemently denies involvement in Chinese spying.

READ HERE | No crime in Huawei 5G leak as there was no damage to public interest: British Police

A senior U.S. administration official, who was not authorized to speak publicly on the matter and who spoke on condition of anonymity, told reporters in a hastily arranged call that the order was "company and country-agnostic" and that it would not be retroactive. Officials said, "interim regulations" were expected before final rules were set but were vague on what that meant.

In a statement, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai called the executive order "a significant step toward securing America's networks."

"It signals to U.S. friends and allies how far Washington is willing to go to block Huawei," said Adam Segal, cybersecurity director at the Council on Foreign Relations. Many in Europe have resisted a fierce U.S. diplomatic campaign to institute a wholesale ban on the Chinese company's equipment in their next-generation 5G wireless networks.

Democratic Sen. Mark Warner, vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee and a former telecoms executive, called the order "a needed step" in a statement endorsing the State Department's contention that Chinese law compels Huawei to act as an agent of the state. He cautioned, however, that its implementation not "harm or stifle" legitimate business.

ALSO READ | US lobbying against Huawei in India: CEO Jay Chen

The order's existence in draft form was first reported by The Washington Post last June. Segal said that with U.S.-China trade talks at a standstill, the White House "felt the time had finally come to pull the trigger."

It is a "low-cost signal of resolve from the Trump administration," Segal said, noting that there is little at stake economically.

All major U.S. wireless carriers and internet providers had already sworn off Chinese-made equipment after a 2012 report by the House Intelligence Committee said Huawei and ZTE, China's No. 2 telecoms equipment company, should be excluded as enablers of Beijing-directed espionage. Last year, Trump signed a bill that barred the U.S. government and its contractors from using equipment from Chinese suppliers.

The FCC also has a rule in the works that would cut off subsidies for companies that use any equipment banned as posing a national security threat. Huawei's handsets are virtually nonexistent in the U.S., and last week the FCC rejected a Chinese phone company's bid to provide domestic service.

READ HERE | China's Huawei sues US over federal ban on its products

Only about 2 per cent of telecom equipment purchased by North American carriers was Huawei-made in 2017. The domestic economic impact will be restricted mostly to small rural carriers for whom Huawei equipment has been attractive because of its lower costs. That could make it more difficult to expand access to speedy internet in rural areas.

Blair Levin, an adviser to research firm New Street Research and a former FCC official, said the order is likely to widen the digital divide.

Roger Entner, the founder of telecom research firm Recon Analytics, tweeted: "Banning Huawei in the U.S. has the FCC in a conundrum: Low-cost Huawei equipment helps to build out broadband in rural America faster." He wondered if the FCC would subsidize small rural carriers.

Requests for comment from Huawei and a group representing small carriers, the Competitive Carriers Association, were not immediately returned. Administration officials told reporters they will welcome comments from the telecommunications industry as regulations are set.

They did not say whether subsidies would be considered.

ALSO READ | 'China will be hurt very badly': Trump warns Xi Jinping against new tariffs

General Counsel Carri Bennet of the Rural Wireless Association has said a ban would cost its 15 affected members at least $800 million to redo their networks to strip out Huawei and ZTE equipment. That doesn't include the extra cost of next-generation equipment and upgrades from more expensive Western suppliers.

The association has about 60 members, none with more than 100,000 customers, though many are crucial partners for the nation's four major operators, providing coverage in remote locations through roaming agreements.

Early this year, the Justice Department unsealed criminal charges against Huawei, a top company executive and several subsidiaries, alleging the company stole trade secrets, misled banks about its business and violated U.S. sanctions on Iran. The sweeping indictments accused the company of using extreme efforts to steal trade secrets from American businesses  including trying to take a piece of a robot from a T-Mobile lab.

The executive charged is Huawei's chief financial officer, Meng Wanzhou, who is also the daughter of the company's founder. She was arrested in Canada last December. The U.S. is seeking to extradite her.
By PTI

KARACHI: Nine militants were killed, while four Pakistani security forces were injured on Thursday in a counter-terrorism operation in Pakistan's Balochistan province, police said.

Acting on a tip-off about a safe house of militants in Kabo Ko Mehran area of Balochistan's Mastung district, Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) personnel raided the area. "During the raid, there was a heavy exchange of firing between both sides in which nine suspected militants were killed, while four police commandoes were injured," a senior police official said.

A huge cache of ammunition, explosives and weapons were also recovered from the hideout, he said. The raid was part of a clean-up operation launched in the trouble-hit areas of Baluchistan after a spate of terror attacks in the province this month.

Earlier this month, militants killed 14 security personnel in Omara. Similarly, five people, including a Navy personal, were killed when armed militants stormed a five-star hotel in Gwadar town last week.

Security forces shot dead three of the attackers and cleared the hotel after a nearly 12-hours operation. Two days after the attack on the hotel, a roadside bomb hit a police mobile van in Quetta, killing four policemen and injuring nine others.
CANBERRA, May 16 (Xinhua) -- Leaders of Australia's major political parties have made their last pitch to voters ahead of the general election on Saturday.

In his final major speech of the campaign, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison told the National Press Club here on Thursday that "now is not the time" for a change in government.

According to the latest Newspoll, one of the nation's leading opinion polls, released on Sunday night, the opposition Australian Labor Party (ALP) leads the incumbent Liberal-National Party coalition (LNP) 51-49 on two-party preferred terms.

Morrison on Thursday's address stressed that, despite the polls, the election was not "run and done."

"This will be a close election. That is not something, I think, anyone was writing two months ago, six months ago, eight months ago," he said, referring to his party's revival in the polls under his leadership.

"Every single vote that is cast on this Saturday will decide who will lead our country... who will form the government.

"It will determine not just the three years that are in front of us but I believe the next decade that Australia will live in, the next decade of the economy that Australians will live in, and the choices that they will have."

Morrison's final speech echoed the sentiments that he has built his re-election campaign on, promising fiscal stability and significant tax cuts across the board while attacking Shorten's plan to tax the "top end of town."

ALP leader Bill Shorten also delivered his final campaign speech on Thursday.

"Our nation must choose the habits and fears of the past or the demands and opportunities of the future," he said.

"The nation's door to the future stands ajar and we ask the men and women of Australia to vote for change on May 18. We ask you to vote for new ideas, new equality of opportunity."

On Wednesday night, Morrison made his final bid to Chinese voters who will be crucial in marginal electorates in and around Sydney, according to The Sydney Morning Herald.

Speaking in Sydney's Chinatown, Morrison committed to enhancing "relations with China," describing the relationship as "very much co-dependent."

"The linkages go well beyond the economics to the heritage that we share in common and that provides Australia with a unique opportunity to pursue this relationship," he said.

"I know of no community who does not work harder, start more businesses, or apply themselves more to the education of their children."

The Australian Electoral Commission has warned that a record number of early votes could delay counting when polls close on Saturday and make it difficult to declare a winner on election night.

About 3.4 million people had cast their ballots early as of the close of business on Wednesday, more than the 2.98 million pre-poll votes lodged in the 2016 election.

[ Editor: WPY ]
The Chinese economy is developing steadily and China is confident it can withstand any external risks and impacts, Beijing said on Wednesday, amid ongoing trade frictions with Washington.

"The protectionist measures the United States takes will have a certain influence on China's economy, but they can totally be overcome," Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said.

Geng made the remarks after US President Donald Trump claimed that China wants to reach a deal "badly" as it will lose investment due to the tariffs Washington has imposed.

Such notions from the US are groundless and false, Geng said, adding that China's economy has been growing steadily and showing good momentum.

In the first four months of 2019, China's trade has expanded with partners such as the European Union, according to customs. During the period, China's imports and exports grew by 4.3 percent, and trade with the EU increased by more than 11 percent.

"China's trade partners are all over the world," Geng said. "If someone doesn't want to do business with China, naturally there will be others filling the vacancy."

Geng said China understands the concerns expressed by the international community over the latest round of tariffs from both sides. The escalated trade frictions are in no one's interests, he said, and will undermine the global economy.

The US "fired the first shot" of the tariff increase and has been "repeatedly applying maximum pressure", Geng said, while China has acted in self-defense.

Trade relations between China and the US, the two biggest economies, mean a great deal to the rest of the world, the spokesman said, adding that the US should have worked with China to promote the global economy, instead of choosing to unilaterally initiate a trade war.

"We hope the US will listen to the reasonable and just calls from the international community, understand clearly the situation and return to the right track as soon as possible, and work with China for a win-win deal based on mutual respect," Geng said. "This not only benefits the two countries, but also is a common aspiration of the international community," he said.
Judge Roger Webber said surveillance video from the area where Darin Mitchell, 48, of Champaign, was shot on Aug. 23, 2018, showed clearly that Shoen Russell 'initiated the contact that ultimately led to the death of Mr. Mitchell.'
Reporter

Noelle McGee is a Danville-based reporter at The News-Gazette. Her email is nmcgee@news-gazette.com, and you can follow her on Twitter (@n_mcgee).
The US declared a raise of tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese imports from 10 percent to 25 percent when Chinese delegation headed to Washington for the 11th round of high-level economic and trade consultations, triggering a severe setback of the trade talks.

The US even said the tariffs would benefit the country, trying to hide the potential impacts on the US economy. However, the US citizens are not buying this, and made the first voices of opposition.

Last year, The US preached on the trade war, and this year, it is making even more false statements.

It said that China is paying huge tariffs to the US, and these massive payments go directly to the Treasury of the US. In the eyes of some American officials, the raised tariffs are nothing but pennies from heaven. They believe the tariffs will only strike their opponents without hurting themselves. Some people are even making illusions that the US economy is rapidly going towards prosperity because of the tariffs. However, it is just another case of a made-up victory of the US.

According to the National Bureau of Economic Research, the tariffs that the US raised for its trading partners and the other way around have led to a net economic loss of $7.8 billion for the US. The tariffs are costing $68.8 billion for US consumers and producers each year.

The 25 percent tariff on $200 billion worth of Chinese imports, along with existing duties on $50 billion in Chinese shipments and on steel and aluminum, would reduce US employment by 934,000, found a study by the Washington-based consulting firm Trade Partnership.

As the US government ploughed ahead with plans to slap higher tariffs on Chinese goods instead of striking a deal to end the trade war, the US Council for International Business reacted with palpable frustration, said a recent report by Financial Times.

By saying the tariffs would benefit the country, the US is imagining a situation in which it is taking money from the pockets of China like a hot knife through butter. However, the reality is completely different. Due to the limited capability of US importers and retailers to ease the tariff impacts, the raised cost has to be transferred to consumers.

The US government hopes that the enterprises could find other sources of imports, but the latter are just not able to, as the cost-efficient Chinese commodities only come from China.

A study jointly conducted by economists from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Columbia University and Princeton University estimated the tariffs raised costs for US consumers and importers by $4.4 billion a month over the last year. The raised tariffs were not enough to balance the losses of the consumers who bought imported products.

The US is indeed taking the money out of the pockets of its consumers and claiming the money comes from heaven. Is there really anyone buying this?

In todays world, no country is able to act willfully. The US, raising tariffs for other countries, is destined to face counteracts.

Besides, the loss of the US due to the raised tariffs is also obvious. For instance, many American farmers have been experiencing a hard time. 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 the loss caused by the rising cost and reduced export. A lot of US farmers and entrepreneurs said they were not able to make it.

Tariffs Hurt the Heartland, a national campaign comprised of over 150 of Americas largest trade organizations from across retail, tech, manufacturing and agriculture, said in a recent statement that for 10 months, Americans have been paying the full cost of the trade war, not China, and the sudden increase with little notice will only punish US farmers, businesses and consumers. However, US decision-makers are still turning a deaf ear to such voices.

Its clear that the claims supporting the raise of tariffs are nothing but self-deception. By raising tariffs or making threats to resolve the trade friction with China, the US is going on a wrong path, and such attempt would only end up in vain.

If the US is wise enough to secure its own interests, it should choose to meet the Chinese side halfway, and address the trade issue through consultation on the basis of mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit.

(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.)
Reporter

Mary Schenk is a reporter covering police, courts and breaking news at The News-Gazette. Her email is mschenk@news-gazette.com, and you can follow her on Twitter (@schenk).
Reporter/Columnist

Julie Wurth is a reporter covering the University of Illinois at The News-Gazette. Her email is jwurth@news-gazette.com, and you can follow her on Twitter (@jawurth).
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Debra Pressey is a reporter covering health care at The News-Gazette. Her email is dpressey@news-gazette.com, and you can follow her on Twitter (@DLPressey).
Secretary for Food & Health Prof Sophia Chan will meet healthcare professionals in Amsterdam and attend the World Health Organization's (WHO) 72nd World Health Assembly (WHA) in Geneva.

On May 17 and 18, Prof Chan will visit the Netherlands to learn more about the latest developments in primary healthcare services.

She will visit Leiden University Medical Center, a modern university medical centre for research, education and patient care. Its research ranges from pure fundamental medical research to applied clinical research, in particular in the field of public health with an impact on society.

Prof Chan will also tour Buurtzorg Nederland, a healthcare organisation with a nurse-led system that provides community care in the Netherlands.

She will then attend the 72nd WHA on May 20 as a member of the People's Republic of China delegation and exchange views on healthcare-related issues with senior health officials of other member states.

A number of strategic priority matters to be discussed at the meeting include public health preparedness and response, health and environment and climate change, prevention and control of non-communicable diseases, ending tuberculosis and global shortage of and access to medicines and vaccines.

Prof Chan will depart for Amsterdam tomorrow morning and return to Hong Kong on May 23.

Under Secretary for Food & Health Dr Chui Tak-yi will be Acting Secretary during her absence.
China has been a nation of courtesy since ancient times, pursuing the exchanges of reciprocity in diplomacy. Only when peaceful approaches fail in the face of confrontations, will China resorts to strong measures.

The country has responded to the trade frictions with great restraint, and prepared meticulously for talks with the US with utmost sincerity.

The Chinese delegation arrived in Washington for negotiations with the hope of reaching a mutually beneficial agreement on the basis of equality and mutual respect, even after the US imposed additional tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese imports into the US.

After the US imposition of additional tariffs escalated the China-US trade frictions, China had to take countermeasures and decided to raise the rate of additional tariffs on part of US imports. In the meantime, it still hopes that the US could return to the right track of bilateral economic and trade talks, take joints efforts with China and meet the latter halfway, and solve the existing problems through cooperation and negotiations.

A country with integrity behaves nobly. A foreign politician pointed out that China, which keeps its words to other countries, is a civilization of wisdom and a nation that shoulders its responsibilities.

Chinas sincerity and kindness to move forward the negotiations have been seen by all over the last year, and it always keeps promises. Regrettably, the US went back on its words and attempted to make profit from raising unreasonable trade demands and exerting extreme pressure on China. This is nothing but miscalculation.

Chinas forbearance is never weakness and its sincerity is not to be trampled on by the US. China will never make concessions on issues of major concerns or allow its core national interests and interests of its people to be hurt. China is resolute to safeguard its national interests and dignity.

The US is doing nothing but tarnishing its own reputation and image through imposing extreme pressure and proposing unreasonable requirements.

China holds a clear stance on economic and trade frictions that there is no winner in a trade war. China doesnt hope to have a trade war, but is never afraid of fighting against a trade war.

As the Chinese economy and the US economy are deeply integrated, imposing additional tariffs will harm the interests of not only the Chinese people, but also people in the US and people of the world.

Being aware of this point from the very beginning, China treated the US with maximum sincerity, kindness and courtesy. In the meantime, it has been fully prepared for a worsened situation based on its prediction.

The Chinese people dont fight a war without preparation or the confidence to win it. Thinking about worst-case scenarios, they always prepare for the worst and strive for the best.

China has found an important way to make its economic development steady and intensive through stabilizing employment, finance, foreign trade, foreign capital, investment and expectation. Chinese economy enjoys a broad prospect as there is a huge domestic market, and improvement in the competitiveness of products and enterprises as the supply-side structural reform has been further advanced, and enough space for fiscal and monetary policies.

Chinas confidence is indicated by its sincerity for negotiations and comes from its economic resilience. Focusing on its own affairs will enable the country full confidence to cope with any risks and challenges.

Cooperation is the best option for both sides, but principles are need in the cooperation. China will definitely not make concessions on issues of major concerns. The country is always open for negotiations and believes that it shares a wide range of common interests and a broad space for cooperation with the US. It holds that the two countries should seek common ground while putting aside differences and pursue win-win outcomes through cooperation.

Cooperation must be based on sincerity and follow the principle of mutual respect and equality. The US should work together with China to reach an agreement that is equal and mutually beneficial. Only by meeting each other halfway, shelving differences to seek consensus, and solving existing problems rationally and pragmatically, can the two countries make their trade and economic relations deliver more benefits to their people and people of the world.

The US side should be aware that it is impracticable to treat China unfairly and force it to sign an unequal agreement. Its a totally wrong decision for the US.
Ive got collaborations with one of Zimbabwes greatest dancehall musicians and one of our best hip hop musicians ever, so be on the lookout for that, he said without disclosing the artistes as it was meant to be a surprise. Newsday




GOVERNMENT says it will award its workers another pay increase in June as prices of basic commodities continue to skyrocket, eroding the purchasing power of disposable incomes.





Chairperson of the Public Service Commission (PSC) Vincent Hungwe said government was aware of the chaos in the market wrought by the price hikes which are daily eroding the recent salary increments awarded to civil servants.





Revealing that a new proposal to further cushion the workers had been tabled, he said: Since the 1st of April, there has been some changes, some challenges within our economy and we are continuing to engage employees in order to come up with a mid-term adjustment to their salaries sometime in June and July.





In April, government offered civil servants a pay rise, lifting the lowest paid to ZWL$600, which has now been eroded to the equivalent of almost US$100 as the RTGS dollar continues to take a hit on the black market where it is now trading at around ZWL$570 per US$100.





Hungwe said the increase was gifted to the workers by President Emmerson Mnangagwa, without any need to negotiate for it.





We do engage with our employees from time to time and you will recall that at the beginning of the year the President granted civil servants some resources which were not negotiated.

It was the President merely indicating and recognising that there has been some challenges with respect to the economy and the increases in prices, he said.





Subsequent to that we engaged with our employees for purposes of coming up with a cost of living adjustment to the tune of $400 million which became operational from April 1.





Increasingly agitated government employees, especially teachers have been taking government head-on, demanding better working conditions and salaries that can meet their daily basic needs.





Hungwe said the PSC was looking at other ways which are not limited to increasing salaries and allowances for civil servants in order to cushion workers from the harsh economic meltdown.





Over and above salaries and allowances for civil servants, there is always a consistent focus on our part as the employer to ensure that non-monetary benefits continue to be delivered to our employees, he said.





Just watch this space, within the coming two to three months and see the extent to which we would have gone to see that the non-monetary benefits become a reality. All this is intended, of course, to ensure that workers continue to be barricaded against some of the vicissitudes that one finds in the economy.





Meanwhile, Mnangagwa appointed commissions for the Zimbabwe Defence Forces, police and prisons, which will all be chaired by Hungwe.





The commissioners, who were approved a month ago and took oath of office before Mnangagwa, will begin work to improve the conditions of service for soldiers, police and prison officers.
Fairbanks, AK (99707)

Today

Cloudy with rain and snow. High near 35F. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of precip 100%. 5 to 8 inches of snow expected..

Tonight

Rain...mixing with snow overnight. Low near 25F. Winds WSW at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of precip 100%.
Photo taken on April 18, 2019 shows women from Wanshan district, Tongren, southwest Chinas Guizhou province, learn Miao embroidery. To resolve difficulties of women relocated from inhospitable areas in finding jobs, the city organizes them to learn the technique at a Miao embroidery training base in Songtao Miao Ethic Autonomous County, expanding their income channels. (Photo by Long Yuanbin from Peoples Daily Online)

China got off to a good start in employment in the first quarter of 2019, with core employment indicators behaving well.

The country added 3.24 million urban jobs in the first quarter and accomplished 29 percent of this years target, laying a solid foundation for the completion of the annual target.

At the end of the first quarter, Chinas registered urban unemployment rate was 3.67 percent, at a historical low. In March, the countrys surveyed urban unemployment rate was 5.2 percent, a decrease of 0.1 percentage point from the previous month and below the expected target of 5.5 percent.

In March, the overall employment was stable and unemployment rate was reduced as companies started operations after the Spring Festival holiday and job seekers were employed, said Meng Canwen, deputy chief of the population and employment statistics department of the National Bureau of Statistics.

From January to March, 1.17 million laid-off workers were reemployed and 390,000 people with employment difficulties found jobs in urban areas, both exceeding the target numbers.

At the end of March, the total number of rural workers employed away from their homes reached 177 million, an increase of 2.1 million year on year, and over 90 percent of them returned to their posts.

The unemployment rate for the main working-age population aged 25-59 in each month in the first quarter was less than 5 percent.

A steady performance of the macro economy ensures stable employment. Chinas service sector, the main channel for creating jobs, gains great momentum. In the first three months, the proportion of added value of the service sector in GDP grew to 57.3 percent, an increase of 0.6 percentage points year on year.

Data shows that per one million yuan of added value in the tertiary industry creates jobs for 8.1 people, 1.6 people higher than the secondary industry, Meng said, adding that Chinas job-creation capacity has been enhanced.

Robust growth continues in emerging industries, a new force of employment creation. In recent years, new job including drone pilot, digital manager and industrial robot operator have emerged as a result of the booming emerging industries.

Li Geng was immediately hired by a company after obtaining a drone pilot training certificate in this February, and devoted himself to busy spring plowing in March.

I had to work for 4 households a day, and didnt have a day off during the spring plowing season, Li said, adding that spraying drones have become more popular and even green hands like him had to operate the vehicles all by himself.

The central and western regions with large population witness booming economic development.

Zhang Dongmei from Yunxi county, Shiyan, central Chinas Hubei province chose to work near her home at a poverty alleviation workshop established in her village.

I make embroidery work with an annual income of 30,000 yuan, and I can take care of my parents and children, said Zhang.

Full implementation of an employment-first policy guarantees stable employment. Since the second half of last year, China put stable employment first while ensuring a stable financial sector, stable foreign trade, stable foreign investment, stable domestic investment, and stable expectations. A series of measures and policies to ensure stable employment and boost employment had been successively introduced.

This year, for the first time, the country elevated the employment-first policy to the status of a macro policy. These favorable policies have fostered an enabling environment for employment.

Dai Ling works for a textile factory in Changsha, central Chinas Hunan province. At night, she attends a simple programming training organized by the local government.

I didnt expect that I can receive an allowance of more than 1,000 yuan while receiving on-the-job training, Dai said, adding that, an intelligent production line has been put into operation in our factory. As long as I can program, I may become a system operator and my salary will be doubled.

China has intensified efforts to supporting enterprises in stabilizing employment. In the first quarter, it allocated a total of 1.17 billion yuan to 21,000 enterprises to stabilize employment, which benefited 2.83 million workers. The country also granted 420 million yuan to 260,000 employees to upgrade their skills.

China will continue to deepen implementation of the employment-first policy, give greater priority to increasing employment, and implement each and every policy, said Lu Aihong, spokesperson of the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, adding that the country has the confidence to achieve fuller employment and create better quality jobs.
President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday departed the presidential wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja for Saudi Arab...





President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday departed the presidential wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja for Saudi Arabia.





The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the presidential aircraft conveying the president and members of his entourage took-off from the airport at about 11am.





Those at the airport to bid the president farewell included his Chief of Staff, Malam Abba Kyari; Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT); acting Inspector General of Police, Muhammed Adamu and other government officials.





The presidents trip to the Holy Land followed the invitation by King Salman Bin Abdulaziz, the king of Saudi Arabia and Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques.




Eight persons have again been abducted in Kanoma town of the Maru Local Government Area of Zamfara State by unknown gunmen suspected to...

Eight persons have again been abducted in Kanoma town of the Maru Local Government Area of Zamfara State by unknown gunmen suspected to be Fulani.









Narrating the incident, a resident of the town, Alhaji Ibrahim Kanoma said the bandits invaded the town around 1am on Monday and shot sporadically to scare the inhabitants.









Ibrahim disclosed that the bandits abducted 24 persons but later released 16 of them because they looked very wretched and went away with eight.









According to him, after several phone calls, the bandits were demanding the sum of N50m before they could release the victims.









Confirming the incident to one of our correspondents on the telephone, the state Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Mohammed Shehu, said the victims were abducted in Kanoma town around 1am on Monday.









The PPRO said on hearing the attack, the command mobilized a team of policemen to pursue the hoodlums in order to rescue the victims.













Meanwhile, a prominent Islamic scholar, Sheik Ahmad Umar Kanoma has appealed to the relevant authorities to urgently do something to rescue the victims. He also called on the government at all levels to find a lasting solution to the security problem ravaging the state.









Kanoma, who spoke on banditry during the Ramadan lecture, described the insecurity problem in the state as a time bomb.








The senate has passed a bill seeking to make June 12 Democracy Day. The bill seeking to amend the holiday act was passed at the up...





The senate has passed a bill seeking to make June 12 Democracy Day.





The bill seeking to amend the holiday act was passed at the upper legislative chamber after Ahmad Lawan, senate leader, presented a report to his colleagues on Thursday .





The bill, which has only three clauses, was passed after it was put to a voice vote by Ike Ekweremadu, deputy senate president.





Although, the house of representatives passed the bill in December, the legislation was only scheduled for concurrence on Thursday.





The clause which provides for May 29 as democracy day was amended to June 12.





In June, President Muhammadu Buhari declared that the Democracy Day will hold on June 12 of every year.





Buhari made the declaration after the federal government honoured the late Moshood Abiola, presumed winner of the 1993 presidential election.





Abiola was conferred with Grand Commander of the Federal Republic (GCFR) at a grand event at the Aso Rock posthumously.





Buhari also conferred on Babagana Kingibe, Abiolas running mate, Grand Commander of the Niger (GCON)  the second highest honour of the country.




South Africa: Final touches for SA Inauguration

The Inter Ministerial Committee (IMC) on the state of readiness for the Presidential Inauguration says it is putting the final touches in place for the inauguration which is scheduled for 25 May 2019.

The IMC, which is led by the Minister in the Presidency Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, held a briefing on Thursday to outline the final preparations for the inauguration.

For the first time in South African history, the inauguration will be held at Loftus Versfeld Stadium, instead of the traditional venue - the Union Buildings.

We chose the stadium because it is more cost effective compared to using the Union Buildings, which carries high preparation costs in particular the preparation of the Nelson Mandela Amphitheatre. In line with the government austerity measures. We were happy to go with the least costly option.

The other reason for electing the stadium is for the inauguration to be as inclusive as possible by allowing the main events of the inauguration of the President-Elect to take place in one venue, said Dlamini-Zuma.

The inauguration will be held under the theme: "Together celebrating democracy: renewal and growth for a better South Africa."

On 22 May, Parliament will use the first sitting to swear-in members of the sixth parliament and to elect its presiding officers.

Once the MPs are sworn-in, they will elect a President whose inauguration will be on Saturday the 25th of May where we will then inaugurate the countrys sixth democratically elected President of the democratic republic as demanded by the Constitution, said Dlamini-Zuma.

The ceremony will coincide with Africa Day, which marks the establishment of the African Union formerly known as the OAU. Additionally, the inauguration also comes at a time when South Africa celebrates 25 years of Freedom.

Who will attend?



All Heads of State and Governments of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) have been invited to witness this auspicious occasion.

Guests from the continental regional economic blocks, former liberation movements, fraternal countries, the African Union, United Nations, members of the Diplomatic corps and eminent persons and former Presidents of the Republic are expected to grace the inauguration.

Dlamini-Zuma said government limited the invitation to the Heads of State in line with its cost cutting measures.

The cost of hosting the Presidential Inauguration at the stadium will be a R100 million less compared to what has been spent previously, said Dlamini-Zuma.

She said 4 500 guests have been invited from various sectors of society, including parliamentarians, the judiciary, ministers and deputy ministers, premiers, MECs and executive mayors.

We expect close to 32 000 (thirty two thousands) people to come to the stadium. Twenty two thousand of those will be bussed from Gauteng and neighbouring Limpopo, Mpumalanga, North West, Free State provinces and ten thousand of these will be the walk-ins. The total capacity of the stadium is 37 000, said the Minister.

Order of proceedings



The stadium will open from 3am in the morning. The programme will be co-directed by the Speaker of the fifth parliament Baleka Mbete, and the Deputy Secretary General of the majority party in Parliament, Jessie Duarte.

The official programme will kick off at 10:55am with the arrival of the President-Elect, followed by inter-faith prayers led by the Chaplain General.

The President elect will take the oath of office as part of the swearing-in ceremony performed by Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng and then proceed to sign the swearing-in certificate.

Thereafter the President will take up position for the national salute.

After the rendition of the national anthem; the President will continue with his address to the Nation.

The Presidents address will be followed by the massed fly past by the South African Air Force and South African Airways.

Accreditation and park and ride

All the walk-ins for general access to the stadium must be accredited through the accreditation service point at Afrikaans Hoer Seunskool, popularly known as Affies.

This accreditation point will open from 3am and will close at 7am and no one will be allowed into the venue without accreditation.

There will also be a park-and-ride for general access to the stadium from the Tshwane Events Centre to the accreditation centre. The shuttles will commence from 3am to 6:30am.

Dlamini-Zuma encouraged people to arrive at the park and ride early to avoid disappointment.

Information pertaining to road closures is still being finalised as the security team continues to work with relevant stakeholders to minimise the impact on residents and the general public, said the Minister.

The gates of the stadium will be opened at 3am on 25 May 2019.

Disability facilities

According to the IMC, all preparations for the event have made provision for people with disability.

The host broadcaster, SABC, will have the South African Sign Language Interpretation on screen during the broadcast. We also will have sign language interpreters on stage.

The stadium also has adequate ramp access for wheelchairs. In provinces, where live viewings will be taking place, all such arrangements will be put in place as well, said the Minister.

Prohibited goods

Members of the public attending the occasion are advised that alcohol or drugs, firearms or weapons, bottles or cans are prohibited.

Public viewing information

South Africans can also tune in to watch the inauguration at public viewing sites across the nine provinces.

A list and addresses of the viewing sites, with the contact person(s) and the coordinates is available on the government website (www.gov.za\inaguaration 2019).

Proceedings of the inauguration will be livestreamed on the government website: www.gov.za\inauguration2019.

Members of the public can follow the conversation of inauguration and interact on social media via Twitter: @SAgovnews / @GovernmentZA and Facebook: GovernmentZA and South African Government News.

The official Presidential Inauguration hashtag is #SAInauguration19.

More updates can be accessed through a special application that has been developed for the inauguration, details will be made available in due cause.

Government would like to encourage all South Africans to be part of this momentous occasion in our country, said the Minister.  SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2019-05-16. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Photo shows flower beds in Beijing established to celebrate the Conference on Dialogue of Asian Civilizations, May 13, 2019. (Photo by Fan Jiashan/Peoples Daily Online)

I have visited many places in the world. The best thing I wanted to do is to learn about differing civilizations across the five continents, what make them different and unique, how their people think about the world and life and what they hold dear, said Chinese President Xi Jinping when delivering a speech at the headquarters of the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 2014.

His remarks are of huge significance, signaling Chinas sincerity and resolution to promote mutual learning among civilizations, especially when the country is holding the Conference on Dialogue of Asian Civilizations (CDAC).

With concrete practices, President Xi has promoted communication through cultural exchanges, and boosted mutual understanding through communication.

He has left his footprints in Uzbekistans Bukhara, known as a living fossil of Silk Road, Perus National Museum of Archaeology, Anthropology and History, and Strahov Library in the Czech Republic.

Besides, he has given thoughts on world civilizations including the similarities between Chinese Taichi and Indian Yoga, as well as the cultural resonance between Tang Xianzu, a famous Chinese playwright of Ming Dynasty, and Shakespeare.

At the UNESCO headquarters, President Xi comprehensively expounded on what China champions and how China promotes mutual learning between civilizations

Civilizations have come in different colors, and such diversity has made exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations relevant and valuable, he said.

Civilizations are equal, and such equality has made exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations possible; civilizations are inclusive, and such inclusiveness has given exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations the needed drive to move forward, the president noted.

Last year, he charted the course for cultural advances of the major-country diplomacy in the new era at the first Central Conference on Work Relating to Foreign Affairs after the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China.

China should recognize both the general trend of mutual enrichment of different cultures and the reality of encounters between different values and cultures, he said.

As President Xi put in his speech, civilizations have become richer and more colorful with exchanges and mutual learning.

The Chinese civilization, together with the rich and colorful civilizations created by the people of other countries, will provide mankind with the right cultural guidance and strong motivation, he said.

China will continue to make unremitting efforts to promote exchanges and mutual learning between world cultures and enhance mutual understanding and friendship between Chinese people and peoples from other countries.

President Xi announced a series of measures for promoting people-to-people and cultural exchanges between China and the world at the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, China-Latin America and the Caribbean summits, and ministerial meetings of the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum.

Under such guidance from the senior official, China has established high-level mechanisms of people-to-people and cultural exchanges and held diversified cultural activities with multiple countries. The fast-growing people-to-people and cultural exchanges under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative are a great example.

We believe the Belt and Road cooperation promotes exchanges, mutual learning and dialogue among different peoples, cultures and civilizations, said the Joint Communique of the Leaders Roundtable of the 2nd Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation.

The long history of mankind tells us that conflicts and wars often stem from misunderstanding and prejudices, while development and prosperity benefit from exchanges and mutual learning.

As Jurgen Habermas, a well-known German philosopher said that different cultures should transcend the basic value limitations of their traditional forms, respect each other as equal dialogue partners, and eliminate misunderstanding and abandon prejudice in a harmonious and friendly atmosphere.

China has a civilization of more than 5,000 years. It is the spirit of drawing on others and inclusiveness that enabled the Chinese nation to sustain its profound culture and make continuous progress.

China has proved to the world with its own actions that only through mutual learning and exchanges could civilizations sustain vitality, and peaceful and harmonious coexistence of civilizations could be achieved through inclusiveness.

The international community has responded actively to President Xis proposal to hold the CDAC at the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA) held in Shanghai in 2014, and the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference in 2015.

To date, China has partnered with countries both in Asia and the world to hold multiple-tiered and wide-ranging dialogues and cultural activities, creating favorable conditions for the CDAC.

The conference, implementing President Xis proposal, demonstrates China as an advocate and practitioner of mutual learning among civilizations. It will further promote mutual learning among Asian and world civilizations and help them achieve common progress.
Tukur Buratai, chief of army staff, says the threat by the Boko Haram sect is real. Speaking on Wednesday when the chairman hous...





Tukur Buratai, chief of army staff, says the threat by the Boko Haram sect is real.





Speaking on Wednesday when the chairman house of representatives committee on the army visited him in Maiduguri, Borno state, Buratai blamed some politicians for fuelling insecurity.





He said the military has strong evidence that politicians are sponsoring banditry, kidnapping and other criminal activities in the country.





The army chief attributed the security challenges being experienced in the north and other parts of the country to grievances that resulted from the outcome of the 2019 general election.





He said some politicians who were defeated during the elections sponsor criminal activities as a way of exacting their revenge on the nation.





The threat by Boko Haram is quite real, they have been dealt with but they are still much around, Buratai said.





In terms of their various soft target attacks on some military locations, right now Boko Haram terrorists are on the run but because of the resilient nature of terrorism, they are always trying to score points to shows that they are much around.





The myriad of security challenges we are facing right now in the north-west, north-central and other parts of the country, I want to believe and rightly so that it is a fallout of the just concluded general election.





The political class has interest; politicians in particular who saw their defeats as a means to revenge, sponsoring these criminal activities and even the bandits, clashes between the farmers and herders.





There are strong political undertones and strong political influence in these kidnappings. We use this opportunity to call on the chairman house committee on the army to prevail on some of these politicians, to really look at national interest first, before any political or sectional interest.




The World Bank has appointed Muhammad Ali Pate, minister of state for health under former president Goodluck Jonathan, as global direc...





The World Bank has appointed Muhammad Ali Pate, minister of state for health under former president Goodluck Jonathan, as global director for health, nutrition, and population.





Pate was also appointed as director of Global Financing Facility (GFF) of the World Bank Group, which seeks to raise trillions of dollars to ensure the sustainable development goals (SDGs) are achieved before 2030.





Congratulating the health guru on Wednesday, Tedros Ghebreyesus, the director general of the World Health Organisation (WHO), said he looks forward to working closely with Pate.





Congratulations, @muhammadpate, for your confirmation as the @WorldBank s Global Director for Health, Nutrition and Population @WBG_Health and Director for @theGFF. We look forward to working closely with you to achieve, Ghebreyesus tweeted.





In July 2013, Pate resigned as Nigerias minister of state for health to take up the position of Professor in Duke Universitys Global Health Institute, USA.





The medical doctor previously worked as the human development sector coordinator, East Asia, and Pacific Region and senior health specialist, Africa region, for the World Bank Group.





As executive director of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) from 2008 to 2011, Pates goal was to end polio in Nigeria and save millions of children from the deadly disease.




Omoyele Sowore, presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), has come down hard on Shehu Sani, senator-representing Kadu...

Omoyele Sowore, presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), has come down hard on Shehu Sani, senator-representing Kaduna-central, for downplaying the call for a marijuana market in Nigeria.





Rotimi Akeredolu, governor of Ondo, had called on the federal government to encourage the cultivation of medicinal cannabis, particularly in the state.





Akeredolu described Ondo as a hotbed of cannabis cultivation, urging the government to support the growing of medicinal cannabis in large quantity in the state.





Reacting to the governors request, Shehu took to Twitter to say Akeredolu should shift attention to partnering with other states for the production of ginger, beans and yam.







He asked the governor to leave this Indian Hemp matter for now, Abeg.





My Brother Akeredolu,Lagos Partnered with Kebbi for Rice, please partner with Niger for Beans, Kaduna for Ginger or partner with Benue for Yam;Please leave this Indian Hemp matter for now, Abeg, Shehu wrote.

My Brother Akeredolu,Lagos Partnered with Kebbi for Rice,please partner with Niger for Beans,Kaduna for Ginger or partner with Benue for Yam;Please leave this Indian Hemp matter for now,Abeg.  Senator Shehu Sani (@ShehuSani) May 15, 2019

Commenting on his Shehus tweet, Sowore, who is an advocate of the production of marijuana, asked the senator if he is aware that he (Shehu) could benefit from hair products locally made from the cannabis.





I hate to stand between two Nigerian politicians engaging asinine argument but I am disappointed in you for this tweet. Have you ever thought of it that when this idea finally gains legal ground your Afro hair could benefit from a locally produced line of cannabis hair products? Sowore asked.

I hate to stand between two Nigerian politicians engaging asinine argument but I am disappointed in you for this tweet. Have you ever thought of it that when this idea finally gains legal ground your Afro hair could benefit from a locally produced line of cannabis hair products?  Omoyele Sowore (@YeleSowore) May 15, 2019

In the build-up to the presidential poll, Sowore had said Nigeria will export marijuana if he gets elected.





The publisher of Sahara Reporters had argued that people were making billions from the plant while Nigeria was lagging behind.
Representatives take photos at the UNESCO International Water Conference. (Photo by Liu Lingling from Peoples Daily)

The first UNESCO International Water Conference hosted by the Global Energy Interconnection Development and Cooperation Organization (GEIDCO) and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) was held in Paris from May 13 to 14. Ministers from 37 countries, together with over 1,000 experts, scientists and youths from 126 countries gathered to share innovative solutions to problems related to the governance and management of water, a fragile and essential resource.

Access to water is not only a matter of development. Above all, it is a fundamental right and an instrument of peace and security in the world, said Audrey Azoulay, UNESCO Director-General, in her opening remarks. It is our collective responsibility to put in place a responsible management of this common good. This is the very spirit of the conference: to change our way of thinking and adopt a holistic approach for the sustainable management of this universal resource.

At the conference, GEIDCO rolled out two innovative research outcomes to facilitating the efficient development and utilization of African hydropower resources and promoting the energy and power interconnection among Asia, Europe and Africa.

UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay give speech at the UNESCO International Water Conference (Photo by Liu Lingling from Peoples Daily)

In his remarks at the opening ceremony, GEIDCO Chairman Liu Zhenya said that building GEI would transform the energy development pattern and accelerate clean and low-carbon development. GEI has provided not only a fundamental solution to the energy issue, but also a new path to cope with the major challenges facing water resources development and utilization worldwide, including the low exploitation rate of hydropower, shortage of fresh water supply and severe water pollution.

Water is an essential driver of conflict prevention and peace, a prerequisite for any development. Without water, none of the goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development can be achieved, Serigne Mbaye Thiam, Minister of Water and Sanitation of Senegal, stressed.

He also emphasized the need to accelerate international development action to achieve the United Nations sustainable Development Goals.

The conference featured thematic panels on topics on water and technological innovation, water ethics, water and heritage and water and gender.
UNITED NATIONS, May 15 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese envoy on Wednesday called on Yemeni parties to put the interest of the country and the people first, and to keep up effective political dialogue and negotiation.

"China welcomes the recent positive progress in the redeployment of troops," Ma Zhaoxu, China's permanent representative to the United Nations, said at a Security Council meeting on the situation in the Middle East.

According to the UN Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen Martin Griffiths, the Houthi rebel forces have undertaken an initial deployment of forces from the ports of Hodeidah, Salif and Ras Issa, under UN monitoring between May 11 and 14.

The priority at this moment is to carry on the consultation and agree on the implementation of the Hodeidah Agreement and some concrete arrangements, including prisoner exchange, Ma said.

"In the longer term, it is imperative to relaunch political talks to find a durable, holistic solution to the issue of Yemen," he added.

The international community should respect and preserve the sovereignty, independence, unity, and territorial integrity of Yemen, and support efforts to reach a broadly inclusive political solution through dialogue and negotiation on the basis of relevant Security Council resolutions, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) initiative as well as its implementation mechanism, and the outcome document of the national dialogue conference, Ma said.

He also called on the Security Council to "stay united", and to "push forward the implementation of the Stockholm Agreement, respect the positions of the country concerned and other countries in the region, provide political support to the intra-Yemeni dialogue, and play a constructive role there".

Yemen has been in civil war in the past four years, pitting the Houthi rebels against forces loyal to the government of Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi. Saudi Arabia leads a military coalition to support the Hadi government.
China sends twin BeiDou-3 navigation satellites into space on a Long March-3B carrier rocket from Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Xichang, southwest China's Sichuan Province, Oct. 15, 2018. (Photo:Xinhua)

China had 141 registered commercial space companies in 2018, 90 percent of which are private, according to a report, and experts said that private commercial space companies have experienced stable development in recent years but lack more talent.

Of the 141 Chinese commercial space companies, 36 are satellite manufacturers, 22 satellite launching companies, 39 satellite operators and 44 satellite application companies. They cover the industrial chain space, according to a report Futureaerospace, a Chinese industry think tank, released on its WeChat account on Tuesday.

Zeng Zhiyuan, a senior analyst at Futureaerospace, told the Global Times on Wednesday that commercial space companies include private and state-owned ones.

State-owned commercial space companies have been established for more than 10 years. The number of private space companies in China surged in recent years, with 57 established within three years, the report said.

This shows China's policies to encourage private space development are beginning to bear fruit. State-owned commercial space companies have all kinds of products and services in the industrial chain, and private companies are growing fast to supplement them, Zeng said.

Huang Zhicheng, an expert on space technology, told the Global Times on Wednesday that China's private commercial space companies are developing well, but are still at an early stage compared to China's state-owned companies and private companies in the US.

State-owned companies still contribute far more to the commercial space market because the private ones were only recently established and do not have enough talent yet, Huang said.

By 2025, China is expected to have about 3,100 commercial satellites, and the market could be worth 13.6 billion yuan ($1.98 billion).

Among the 39 satellite launches in 2018, 13 were related to commercial activities, which sent 36 satellites into space, according to the Futureaerospace's report.
Note: The following article is taken from the Chinese-language "Commentaries on International Affairs".

The United States raised tariffs on Chinese imports worth 200 billion U.S. dollars from 10 percent to 25 percent when the clock ticked past midnight in Washington D.C. on Friday. Two minutes later, China issued a statement announcing its intention to respond with countermeasures.

It is a shame that the trade conflict between China and the United States has escalated. The United States has chosen to ignore Chinas sincere attitude and actions, and is instead holding fast to its America first mentality, making unreasonable demands and continuing to apply extreme pressure on China during the negotiations. The United States has violated the rules of equality, mutual respect, and shared benefits, which has resulted in a worsening of the conflict.

It takes two to negotiate. China has been fully willing to make its best efforts to resolve this conflict. That requires the United States to do its part as well. After more than a year of negotiations, China has come to understand the American way of doing things. And the United States should have by now developed a good understanding of Chinas principles and its stance, namely that it doesnt want to fight a trade war but wont shy away from one if it is necessary. China is willing to resolve trade issues through cooperation, but its core interests and the fundamental interests of its people must be protected.

The United States has repeatedly increased its tariffs after announcing it was just about to reach an agreement with China, and has violated its international responsibilities within the World Trade Organization. By doing so, it has damaged the interests of both China and the United States, and the broader international trading system. In this, it has faced strong global opposition, including from voices inside the United States. Thomas J. Donohue, the president and CEO of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, has stated that he does not support starting a trade war by increasing tariffs, because tariffs are taxes paid by American families and American businesses - not by foreigners. And Tariffs Hurt the Heartland, a lobby group that represents over 150 American trade committees, has released a statement saying that increasing tariffs will hurt nearly one million jobs across the United States, and that it will only punish U.S farmers, businesses and consumers.

Efforts by the United States to stop China on its path of development by raising tariffs wont work. Over the past year, China has handled trade issues and its economy appropriately, and the confidence of the Chinese people has grown stronger under the pressure. And now that there are more positive signs in the economy that favor China, it will face the trade conflict with even more composure, confidence, and capability. China will keep doing its own business well, pushing for high-quality economic development with more reforms and opening up, and continue to offer the world more opportunities for growth.
A ceramist from Taiwan shows his handiwork at the China International Tea Expo held in Hangzhou, East China's Zhejiang province, May 15, 2019. [Photo/Xinhua]

Taiwan's future lies in national reunification and the well-being of its people in national rejuvenation, a Chinese mainland spokesman said on Wednesday.

Ma Xiaoguang, a spokesman for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, made the remark in response to Foxconn founder and chairman Terry Gou's comments on the 1992 Consensus, which embodies the one-China principle.

Gou, who announced last month that he will enter the Kuomintang primaries and join Taiwan's 2020 leadership election, said the principle should be based on "respective interpretations".

Noting that the mainland and Taiwan both belong to one China, Ma said the principle has clearly defined the nature of cross-Straits relations, which are not state-to-state relations.

It is in the common interests of people from both sides to uphold the principle, to oppose agitation for Taiwan independence, to work for the peaceful development of cross-Straits relations and advance the peaceful reunification of China, he said.

The two sides should work together to resolve differences based on the one-China principle, with responsibility for the Chinese nation and future generations, he added.

Ma also criticized the words and deeds of Democratic Progressive Party officials and secessionists, and added that the mainland will never tolerate or be vague about the issue.

Taiwan leader Tsai Ing-wen has recently made many visits to military camps on the island and has appealed to voters to support Taiwan independence.

Ma said in response: "China's sovereignty and territory brook no division. We firmly oppose any attempt to damage the one-China principle and undermine cross-Straits relations."

"We once again warned the DPP authorities that it is not reliable to bet on foreign forces for Taiwan independence," he added, referring to arms sales by the United States to Taiwan.

The island's authorities have also tried to prevent exchanges between different sides. They amended rules to prevent some officials from the KMT visiting the mainland for talks with the Communist Party of China.

Since 2002, Taiwan's education authority has prevented university students from joining the annual intern program organized by the China Association for Science and Technology.

Ma said exchange programs play an important role in improving cross-Straits relations and enhancing the well-being of compatriots on both sides.

"However, the DPP authorities have used every possible means to obstruct normal exchanges and describe the measures taken by the mainland to do practical things for Taiwan compatriots as a threat to Taiwan," he said.

"Taiwan compatriots will recognize that the DPP is seeking its own selfish interest and the benefits of election at the cost of damaging the essence of cross-Straits relations."
AUSTIN, the United States, May 15 (Xinhua) -- Austin in U.S. state of Texas and Changsha in Hunan Province of China signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on Wednesday, focusing on exchanges and cooperation in science and culture.

At the MOU signing ceremony, Mayor of Austin Steve Adler said, "We are finding that our relationships with other cities that we have MOUs with, and relationships with, are more and more a guiding light in how we do the business of this city."

The mayor said that his city will continue to develop the relationships, "because that's who we are culturally as a city".

Jian Zhu, a senior official of Changsha, capital city of Hunan in central China, said he believed the cooperation between Changsha, one of innovation centers in China, and Austin which is emerging as a southern U.S. innovation center, has a promising future.

"Based on principles of mutual trust and respect, we can develop a win-win situation in scientific and cultural cooperation," Zhu said.

The MOU on cooperative relationship in technological development and cultural innovation was signed at the Austin-Changsha Connection Forum, which was co-hosted by the China Public Policy Center (CPPC) in the University of Texas at Austin and the U.S. China Innovation Alliance (UCIA) as part of 2019 U.S.-China Innovation and Investment Summit (UCIS).

The fourth UCIS, a three-day event, will officially kick off Thursday in Houston, Texas. Changsha participates in this year's summit as the honorary guest city.

David Firestein, founding executive director of the China Public Policy Center, said the center aims at promoting bilateral cooperation at different levels between the United States and China, including economic and investment cooperation as well as cultural exchanges.

Changsha, a city with a history of more than 3,000 years, is the most populous city of Hunan Province with more than 7 million residents.

Austin, the southernmost state capital in the contiguous United States, is the 11th most populous city in the country and the 4th most populous city in Texas. The city is the cultural and economic center of the Austin-Round Rock metropolitan statistical area, which has an estimated population of over 2 million.
Confucius, the great Chinese scholar and philosopher from 551 BC, has had a great influence in many of the cultures around Asia, including my country, South Korea. He said, Is it not a great pleasure to have friends come from afar? In this spirit, I wholeheartedly appreciate the Chinese governments invitation to friends and neighbors around Asia to gather together in good spirits to discuss our common ground and to learn from our diverse cultures and civilizations.

In March 2014, the president of the Peoples Republic of China, His Excellency Xi Jinping, visited UNESCO in Paris. In his speech delivered on that occasion, he underlined the importance of exchanges between diverse civilizations and mutual learning throughout history for human progress and global peace and development.

His message echoed the founding values of UNESCO  the international organization which I am very honored to serve as the chairperson of its Executive Board.

Since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defenses of peace must be constructed. This opening line of the Constitution of UNESCO resonates as powerfully now in the 21st century as it did in 1945, when the organization was created at the aftermath of the devastating world wars.

Oftentimes, when trying to solve global problems in this globalized world, we are drawn to finding solutions through politics, economy or trade. But to find solutions to some of the major global issues, we need to start by addressing the ignorance and prejudice of each other by understanding each others stories. This conference is special because it is providing an opportunity for people from around the world to discuss the diversity of cultures and civilizations. When there is a good understanding of each others stories and identities, respect and trust can be established. And peoples and civilizations will naturally come to learn from each other and cooperate together.

As a career diplomat, having served in different parts of the world, including at the United Nations, I believe strongly that multilateral cooperation is crucial in tackling local, regional and global issues. My experience has shown that the key for the success of international cooperation is dialogue. This requires a curiosity for the other, and a willingness to open up and to listen to the other with real engagement.

UNESCO, as an international organization, is working around the world to provide platforms and space for peoples of different cultures to share each others stories and identities.

One of the major landmark programs is the Routes of Dialogue program that was launched during 1980s. In the past, there were projects on Intercultural dialogue in Central Asia and Iron Roads in Africa. A currently ongoing flagship project is the global Silk Roads project. UNESCO is reviving dialogue along the historical Silk Road, bringing people across countries and continents together through an online platform, generously supported by the Peoples Republic of China and other countries such as Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Germany and Oman. I was also very encouraged when I met dynamic young people from the traditional Silk Road countries gathered together at a UNESCO international youth forum on the theme of Creativity and Heritage along the Silk Road in Changsha, China in May 2018.

Since 1948, UNESCO has reached out to readers around the world about different cultures and different knowledge through a magazine called the Courier. The Chinese characters for Courier signify trusted message. Nelson Mandela recounted that in the solitary confines of his prison cell, he was able to learn about the world and of mankinds common heritage through the UNESCO Courier. It was the only printed material to which he had access, bringing light to the dark prison.

In recent years, due to financial difficulties at UNESCO, the Courier was discontinued. In 2017, thanks to a generous contribution from China, this important source of knowledge and international dialogue has been revived. Chinas support of UNESCOs Courier is a strong demonstration of Chinas commitment to fostering dialogue and exchange amongst the global community through UNESCO.

In March, UNESCO organized a special session on girls and womens education at its headquarters in Paris at which Ms Peng Liyuan, first lady of the Peoples Republic of China, its Special Envoy for the Advancement of Girls and Womens Education, was the guest of honor. I was honored to have met her on this occasion when she demonstrated her unwavering support for the empowerment of girls and women around the world through education.

UNESCOs cultural heritage sites and intangible cultural heritage are powerful mediums for sharing identities among different civilizations, spanning across time and finding common ground through their outstanding universal values. At the end of last year, the Korean form of traditional wrestling ssirum/ssireum was jointly inscribed by the two Koreas onto the Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of UNESCO. It was the result of a fruitful dialogue fostered through UNESCO between the two Koreas. It is also a symbol of determination of the international community to bring about positive contributions to the peace process on the Korean peninsula.

At another level, the Executive Board of UNESCO, consisting of 58 member states, has been very successfully practicing diplomacy through dialogue. Since I have become the chairperson at the end of 2017, the Executive Board has shown its strong resolve to foster international dialogue and cooperation by adopting decisions by consensus on items related to the Middle East, during its past three meetings. As chairperson of the Executive Board of UNESCO, I will do my utmost to continue working for this mutual understanding through dialogue.

Chinas Belt and Road Initiative and Koreas New Southern and Northern Policy all share the same objective of fostering friendship and building trust among neighboring countries through dialogue for mutual cooperation. In that respect, it is important for the international community to work through organizations such as UNESCO to promote understanding of each other through education, science, culture and communication with the aims of building peace in the minds of men.

I look forward to the exchanges and dialogue that will be fostered through the Conference on Dialogue of Asian Civilizations between neighbors and friends of Asia and beyond. The six different forums organized all address very important and pertinent themes of the global interactions of different cultures and civilizations in the 21st century -- diversity of civilizations, governance, tourism and people-to-people exchange, responsibility of youth, global influence of Asian civilizations, and mutual learning among Asian civilizations.

As President Xi Jinping had said in his speech at UNESCO: If there were only one kind of flower in the world, people would find it boring no matter how beautiful it is, it is very commendable that China is organizing this conference, bringing together scholars, policy makers and the international community with different expertise and knowledge to discuss the past and to understand todays issues through the lens of diverse cultures and civilizations.

I believe that the participants of the Conference on Dialogue of Asian Civilizations come from around Asia and the world as good friends to learn from our different cultures and civilizations with the objective of harmonious and respectful co-existence.

(The author is chairperson of the Executive Board of UNESCO and ambassador and permanent delegate of the Republic of Korea to UNESCO.)
A full year has passed since China's second aircraft carrier, or the first domestically made, the Type 001A, conducted its first sea trial, leading analysts to suggest the ship might soon officially join the country's naval service.

Their prediction is based on the experience of the country's first carrier, the Liaoning, which took a little more than a year from its maiden voyage to enlist in the PLA Navy.

As of Monday, lane markings have been painted on the Type 001A's flight deck. It also conducted a replenishment drill within the shipyard with the supply ship Hulunhu in late April, news website wenweipo.com reported on Monday.

The first domestically developed carrier undertook its first sea trial on May 13, 2018. Four others have been conducted over the past year.

The sea trials successfully tested the warship's propulsion system, combat and supply capabilities, China Central Television reported in April.

Chinese military enthusiasts had hoped the second carrier would make it to a maritime parade on April 23 to celebrate the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy's 70th anniversary in Qingdao, East China's Shandong Province. However, it remained in its shipyard in Dalian, Northeast China's Liaoning Province where it continued to be painted.

The interval between the Liaoning's first sea trial and its commissioning to the PLA Navy was a little more than a year, so analysts believe the domestically made carrier will very likely be commissioned within two months, the wenweipo.com report said.

As the commissioning of the Type 001A appears to be on track, military observers are beginning to shift their focus to China's third carrier.

The construction of the second domestically developed aircraft carrier has begun, the PLA Daily reported on April 21. The Xinhua News Agency also reported construction was underway in November 2018.

Reuters reported on May 7 that the third carrier is being constructed at the Jiangnan Shipyard in Shanghai, citing recent satellite images.

Chinese military experts told the Global Times previously that the third carrier will likely be bigger than the previous two and feature a flat deck instead of jump-rack deck. It might also use new technologies including an electromagnetic catapult to launch its aircraft, they said.
As well as Malawi, Egypt is sending aid to Mozambique and Zimbabwe in the wake of Cyclone Idai that battered the three countries in March

Egypt sent a military plane carrying humanitarian aid to cyclone-hit Malawi which landed in the capital Lilongwe Wednesday, the foreign ministry said in a statement.

Cyclone Idai battered the southern part of Malawi in late March, killing 60 people and displacing around 20,000 others. Idai killed more than 1,000 people across Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Malawi.

Egypt's assistance, which includes food and medical supplies, is part of a decision announced by the ministry earlier this month to send emergency aid to the three southern African countries.

Another plane carrying medical supplies will be sent to Malawi Saturday, to help "relieve the conditions of those affected by the cyclone," the ministry added.

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RTHK: Philippines recalls envoy over Canada trash row

The Philippines has recalled its ambassador to Canada, Manila's foreign minister said on Thursday, in an escalation of a festering diplomatic row over tonnes of trash dumped in the Southeast Asian nation.

Ties have been deteriorating since a Canadian company sent around 100 shipping containers that included rotting rubbish wrongly labelled as recyclables to Philippine ports in 2013 and 2014.

Manila set a May 15 deadline for Canada to take the rotting trash back, after President Rodrigo Duterte berated Ottawa over the issue last month.

Canada has since said it is working to arrange for the containers' return, but has not given a timeframe.

In a statement, Ottawa said it is "disappointed" by the recall, but "remains committed to finalising these arrangements for the return of the waste to Canada."

"We will continue to closely engage with the Philippines to ensure a swift resolution of this important issue," it added.

Philippine Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin said letters recalling the ambassador and consuls from Canada have been sent and the diplomats would be in Manila "in a day or so."

"Canada missed the May 15 deadline. And we shall maintain a diminished diplomatic presence in Canada until its garbage is ship-bound there," Locsin wrote on Twitter.

Duterte's spokesman said the move was a warning to Canada that the Philippines was ready to sever ties over the issue.

"The president's position is very clear: take that back otherwise our relations are over," Salvador Panelo told reporters.

The garbage has strained ties, which were already tested after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau questioned Duterte's deadly drug crackdown.

Duterte bristles at any international criticism of his signature policy, which has seen police kill thousands of alleged addicts and pushers since 2016.

Last year he cancelled the Philippine military's US$235 million contract to buy 16 military helicopters from a Canada-based manufacturer after Ottawa put the deal under review because of the president's human rights record.

During a speech in April, Duterte threatened to unilaterally ship the garbage back to Canada, saying "let's fight Canada. I will declare war against them."

Duterte frequently uses coarse language and hyperbole in speeches about opponents.

Following the comments, Canada offered to repatriate the waste and the Philippines said Ottawa would shoulder the expense of disposal.

Manila's Bureau of Customs said last week the Philippines was ready to send back the trash but Canada needed several more weeks to prepare documentation.

Some 69 shipping containers of trash remain after 34 others have already been disposed of in the Philippines, the finance ministry said.

Environmental group Ecowaste Coalition offered support for the diplomatic action, but said the government could do more to combat dumping.

"If the Philippine government really wants to send an unequivocal message... it must move swiftly to ratify the Basel Ban Amendment," the group's national coordinator Aileen Lucero said.

The amendment is intended to protect developing countries from becoming dumping grounds for wealthy nations. (AFP)

This story has been published on: 2019-05-16. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Air forces destroyed 29 hideouts used by "terrorist elements" in operations central and northern Sinai, according to an army statement

Fourty-seven militants and five Egyptian troops were killed during recent raids in the Sinai border region, the army said in a statement Thursday.

Air forces destroyed 29 hideouts used by "terrorist elements" in operations central and northern Sinai, the statement said. Militants killed were found in possession of rifles and improvised explosive devices.

Five army personnel, including two officers and three soldiers, were killed and four others wounded during the fighting, the statement added.

Egyptian security forces launched an extensive security operation in February 2018 to eliminate Islamist militants who have launched violent attacks that mainly targeted police and troops over the past several years.

The statement also said that military engineers in Sinai discovered and destroyed 385 bombs planted to target forces at operation sites. Forces also arrested 158 criminal suspects.

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Reformist Magazine Suspended After Advocating Diplomacy to Ease US-Iran Tensions

05/16/19

Source: Center for Human Rights in Iran

Tehran's Culture and Media Court suspended the reformist weekly magazine "Seda" (The Voice) on May 11, 2019, hours after it had published an article about the possibility of a war with the United States.



"At the crossroads of War and Peace"

Reads the headline on cover of Seda magazine

(Seda magazine on facebook & twitter)

"The suspension of Seda magazine and the arrest of one of its reporters are causes for concern," tweeted prominent reformist Member of Parliament Fatemeh Saeidi. "This is the wrong way to overcome these difficult times."

Ministry officials did not explain why the magazine was ordered to stop operations but the suspension came after the magazine published an article titled "At the crossroads of War and Peace" along with a photo of an American warship on the cover.

State-funded media outlets that maintain close ties to the military and security establishment condemned the article for suggesting that Iran and the US should negotiate to put an end to escalation tensions.

On May 12, a day after the magazine was shut down, security forces raided the home of one its reporters, Ali Malihi, and detained him for questioning. He was released a few hours later.

In May 2010, Malihi was sentenced to four years in prison for his alleged involvement in street protests against the controversial result of Iran's 2009 presidential election. He was released in August 2011 as part of a general amnesty approved by the supreme leader.

Founded in 2014, Seda operates under the direction of Editor-in-Chief Mohammad Javad Rouh, a veteran reformist journalist who was also detained for two weeks in March 2013 while he was running the monthly "Mehrnameh" (Love Journal) magazine.

In October 2016, a Media Tribunal found Seda guilty of "disturbing public opinion" and "insulting the president" in a satirical article it had published titled, "Sleep easy, Robin Hood isn't coming." At the time, the magazine ceased publication until it resurfaced in 2018.
Update: Associated Student victors were announced, Friday, May 17th.

The Shatfords second floor was quiet, the faint buzz of whispered conversations noticeably lower in comparison to the first floor. Sophia Garnica, Samuel Belon, James Reyna, Mia Villamayor, Deyra Ojeda and Alejandro Ortega were chatting in conference room 313, waiting to talk about their slate, Make it Happen.

Slates are formed by individual candidates under the decision to campaign as a group. They come up with names for themselves that reflect their mission.

While introducing themselves, The Make it Happen slate could not stop laughter from punctuating the formalities.

I laugh when its too quiet, its awkward, candidate for Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, Ojeda said.

Her humorous personality embodies what makes this young slate-the majority of which are first-years-so accessible. In spite of their accomplishments to their communities, such as Ortegas sociology research project, the group is down-to-earth.

We want to be transparent, Villamayor stated.

They do this by going to classrooms and sparking conversations with students about what A.S. is and what it does.

We break down the $11 fee and tell students, one dollar goes for student representation, 10 dollars goes to student activities, said Ortega.

In teaching students where their money is going and what it is being used for, they aim to achieve their primary initiative of being student-centered and student-focused.

The PCC community is 60 percent Latinx, and our slate is majority Latinx, said Reyna. We have such a diverse group on this slate in terms of experience, financial means-everything.

Circled around the table, sitting on several more chairs than the small conference room was designed to contain, each member chimes in without pause to contextualize the others explanations. It would have been impossible to guess that they had all met each other only a week prior.

Garnica balances not only her time consuming biology major, but also different groups on campus. She is the current treasurer and ICC representative of the Society for the Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS), where she promotes diversity within the STEM community.

Just the other day, I was a team leader for Tech Savvy, a girls STEM day on campus, Garnica said of her other campus involvement. I helped girls from elementary school and middle school to engage with the STEM field and find inspiration.

As a member of the current ASPCC funding committee, Garnica presently works closely with the Executive Vice President, Dionne Shelton, and so is familiar with the role.

Because the Science Village is on the other side of campus, I feel like not a lot of those students are aware of whats going on, Garnica said.

Garnicas goals are all about keeping the atmosphere of PCC campus life alive and diverse.

Belon, a candidate for Vice President of Sustainability, said that his experiences travelling with volunteer organization AAP were eye opening.

I interned with AAP [in Argentina], went from school to school telling the kids why water is important, Belon said. I would pour water from one water bottle into another, saying look, we dont have water, you are the generation who can make a change.

I learned about the severity of this global issue, and I am inspired to continue the work PCC has done here to become a more sustainable campus, Belon continued.

Belon referenced the new Center for the Arts being deemed LEED gold certified as one of the ways PCC has made changes to become more sustainable.

The Make it Happen slate is young, large and hopeful-not just about the election, but about the future of PCC in general.

Dionne Shelton, Alex Sarkissian and Ryan Tan comprise the Power within Diversity slate.

Our initiative centers around three pillars: accountability, transparency and advocacy, said Sarkissian, who is running for Student Trustee.

This slate is comparably more experienced than Make it Happen, and Sarkissian said they would be leveraging their experiences to successfully serve their student body, should they be elected.

I would be a familiar face, Sarkissian explained, which would make his relationships with administration and other Executive Board members more productive. Also, I have a working relationship with [A.S. Executive Vice President] Dionne, so I would be able to get a lot of stuff done.

Shelton, who is running uncontested for President of Associated Students, argued along similar lines.

I have the advantage of having those relationships already, Shelton said. This makes it easier to get stuff done because more people are willing to work with me. The mission [of the ASPCC Executive Board] this year was to get students more involved. Weve done that. I want to keep that momentum going.

With Sheltons three years of prior experience at PCC as Executive Vice President of ASPCC, ICC representative for and president of Fashion Club, she brings a critical perspective of a returning student that is hard to come by at community college.

Sarkissian talked about leveraging his PR experience as this closing years Vice President of Public Relations. It would bring a unique perspective to the ideas proposed at the Board of Trustees meetings.

PR experience would help with effectively and consciously implementing great plans, Sarkissian said.

We want to show PCC that there is power within diversity not just in race but also gender and age, said Tan, who is running for Vice President of Student Services. Currently, were lacking in TLCas VP for Student Services, I want to elevate on campus events, raise publicity for on-campus resources and [work on] outreach to satellite campuses and clubs.

As president of Circle K, Tan would bring the experience of heavy extracurricular leadership and volunteering to his position.

Power within Diversity also finds its power in experience. Its members boast enough time between them to match or surpass that of most of the other slates. They look toward the next year with the trained eye of veterans honing their craft.

Unlike the candidates covered so far, political science major Lara Horhor is running independently for Vice President of Cultural Diversity. Horhor found that her experience in high school informed her interest in the ASPCC position.

I am running for this position because I came from an all Armenian high school, Horhor said. Everyone was the same, there was no diversity. PCC is so different compared to that.

Horhor hopes to grow ASPCCs connections with various representative groups and clubs on campus.

I want to make clubs like Queer Alliance and Third Wave comfortable to come to meetings, she said.

Horhor joined the committee for cultural diversity during her first semester and liked it a lot.

I can have larger influence with this [A.S.] position [than a club position], Horhor said. I can give more students a voice, rather than one group.

Horhor hopes to bring a fresh experience to the position and energy to balancing diversity on PCCs campus.

Elections are today, Wednesday, May 15 and tomorrow, May 16. Votes can be cast via Lancerpoint.
Mr Isaac Osei, Managing Director of the Tema Oil Refinery(TOR), says the countrys refinery must be allowed to refine portions of Ghanas crude oil for the local market instead of selling all on the international market.



Mr Osei noted that at the moment, Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) sells all of the countrys oil on the international market while TOR shops around for crude oil to refine into finished products for local consumption.



According to him, the situation did not give Ghanaians the confidence and excitement they were supposed to have following Ghanas discovery of oil in commercial quantities.



He said this on the sidelines of the just ended offshore Technology Conference in Houston Texas USA, at a special panel put together by the Ministry of Energy to discuss issues affecting Ghanas Energy Sector.



The people of Ghana would better appreciate the real benefits of the recent discoveries of crude oil in Ghana when a percentage of the locally discovered crude oil were refined by the state owned Tema Oil Refinery.



For many Ghanaians, this is a paradox that government has to resolve. Ghana has discovered crude oil in commercial quantities and this should translate into the state refinery being provided a portion of such crude as its feedstock.



The people of Ghana and government as a whole would benefit a great deal and the governments agenda of Ghana Without Aid would be given additional boost it the right structures are put in place and TOR is made to refine local crude oil from TEN, Jubilee and or Sankofa fields as feed stock, he stated.



He added that TOR had refined TEN crude in the past which gave Ghana good yields in terms of finished products so refining crude oil from Jubilee and Sankofa should not be a problem for the Refinery.



He indicated that TORs boilers were designed to process light sweet crude which is drilled in Ghana.



Mr Osei observed that the good yields from TEN crude coupled with a special financial arrangement that would be put in place to cover such transaction would mean quicker payback period.



The former Ghanas High Commissioner to the United Kingdom and Ambassador to the Republic of Ireland, added that while this would ensure energy product security on the Ghanaian market, it would also boost the confidence of Ghanaians in that the nation was adding value to its own resources.



He however said he was not oblivious of the financial implications of such decisions and recommended that a well-structured financial model should be put in place by government and its strategic partners to support such a move.



Mr Osei stressed that Ghanas energy sector could positively contribute to the governments Ghana Beyound Aid agenda when a strategic synergy was created between the upstream sections.



Touching on the important roles played by both the upstream and downstream sectors, he laid emphasis on how synergies should be created in both the upstream and downstream sections of the Energy sector to ensure product security and value addition.



We cant continue to treat both upstream and downstream as separate entities in our energy sector development. We must create a healthy synergy between the two.



He added that a key factor in insuring this synergy however was training and development which he added that TOR was championing by training several workers of MODEC International.

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.

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Players in Ghanas banking sector have been urged to take steps to restore customers confidence following the collapse of some banks between 2017 and 2018.



The Editor-in-chief of Integrity Magazine Rev. Kennedy Okuson, made the call at a roundtable discussion organised by the Magazine on Tuesday in Accra.



He tasked major players in the financial sector to implement policies that would ensure the growth of the countrys financial services sector.



Delivering a keynote address at the forum held at the Alisa Hotel, Rev Okosun observed that it was about time the banking sector worked to restore the confidence of clients.



The forum was themed: Ensuring Macro Economic stability through effective and trusted banking.



According to Rev Okosun,  for us at Integrity Magazine, whose core business is to inform, educate and entertain, we can only ask questions.



He stated that but we have gone a step further in our quest for answers to create this opportunity as our corporate social responsibility for Banks to come together to brainstorm on steps that can be taken to ensure that they contribute their quota to ensuring macro economic stability by ensuring that they are effective and trusted.



He said this we hope will continue to build confidence of clients in the banks and open avenues for discussions and understanding of the banking reforms and how these will translate into stronger macro economy.



Head of the Banking Supervision at the Bank of Ghana, Osei Gyasi, in his delivery indicated that the clean-up in the banking sector embarked upon by the central bank in 2018 has put the surviving banks in a better shape than they were two years ago.



According to him, banks were now better capitalised with more robust governance structures, portfolios much safer for depositors, broad liquid asset.



He added that the banks have now engaged more qualified personnel to serve on their boards.



Present at the forum were the CEO of the Charted Institute of Bankers, Charles Ofori Aquah, Principal of the National Banking College, Abena Kesewa Brown and Head of Finance at Fidelity Bank, Atta Gyan.

Source: Daily Guide









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Mr. President, I send you warmest greetings from the Holy land of Larabanga, a host to the oldest mosque in Ghana. Your Excellency, ahead of your visit to the Savannah region on 18th-19th May, 2019, let me seize this rare opportunity to welcome you to Gonjaland and the Savannah region.



Mr. President, your visit to Damongo on 19th May, 2019 will be the fourth since you became the president of our dear country. Confessedly, four visits within two years by you to the Jakpa palace and by extension the Gonja kingdom outside an electioneering period is historic and unprecedented. This is a clear proof of your promise in 2016 to make the Jakpa Palace, the seat of Yagbon (Gonja kingdom) your home. You are indeed a politician who walks his talk. Your incessant visits is also a crystal clear indication of your reverence of the culture of the people of Gonja and the respect and love you have for the people of Gonja and Savannah region.





Mr President, I have heard from a grapevine source that as part of your itinerary, you shall cut sod for the construction of the office of the Regional Coordinating Council(RCC) and also present to the council its official vehicles. Indeed, this is the greatest thing ever to have happened to the good people of Gonjaland and Savannah region.



The good people of Gonjaland and Savannah region are very grateful to you for the political will and commitment you demonstrated that saw into fruition the almost four decades dream of having a separate region for the people of Gonjaland. Admittedly, this is a great feat you have chalked. At a point, we had the notion that it will never be a reality especially when our very own after deceiving us to vote for him on that accord but never treated our petition with the urgency it deserved.



Your love for Gonjaland is exceptional. Your assumption to the presidency has taught us that some friendship is better than brotherhood. The Gonja Traditional Council(GTC) was right in honouring you with a chieftaincy title, ''Yenawura wura''( A leader who walks his talk).



Mr. President, I am cocksure that as usual of your visits to Damongo, you will be a guest at the Jakpa Palace which was given a facelift by your boss, J. A Kuffour since its construction in 1943 . Seated with our handsome and full of wisdom King, Yagbonwura Tuntumba Boresa II to welcome you will be two of our great chiefs, Buipewura Mahama Abudulai Jinapor who is serving in your government as a member of the Ghana Prisons Council and Kpembewura Bambanye Ndefuso IV who you have appointed as a board member of the Ghana Energy Commission and Northern Development Authority.



Present will be the Catholic community of the Damongo Diocese to welcome you for the honour you done them by appointing their bishop, His Lordship, Peter Paul Ankyier as the Chairman of the Ghana Prisons Council. The great People of Larabanga will also be present to show their appreciation to you for the historic honour you done them by appointing their son, Alhaji Braimah Adam as a member of the Hajj board.



I also know for sure that your entourage will comprise several of our brothers, sisters, sons and daughters who are serving in very strategic positions of your government: Lawyer Samuel Abu Jinapor(deputy chief of staff), Hon. Abubakari Sadik Boniface( minister of state in the office of the vice president), Dr. Clifford Braimah( Managing Director, GWCL), Albert Kassim Diwura(deputy chief executive secretary, Ghana Export Promotion Authority), Hajia Salamatu Forgor( Ambassador to Namibia), Dr. Sulemana Adam Achanso, (board member, Bui Power Authority) and Hon. Yakubu Zakaria( Board member, Ghana Export promotion Authority).



Your Excellency, your convoy will be triumphantly ushered into the Damongo town by a jubilant and joyful parents who you have removed from them their burden( high school fees) that almost broke their back by absorbing all the fees of their wards at the senior high school level and a cheerful and smiling first and second batch of students who are beneficiaries of your free senior high school policy.



Yenawura wura, you will also be heartily welcomed by students of the first senior high school in Gonjaland, Damongo senior high school which was established by one of the founders of our tradition, Dr. K. A Busia. This school now rob shoulders with giant schools in northern Ghana like Tamale Senior high School Ghana Senior High School, Wa Senior High, Jirapa Senior High and others in terms of infrastructure because your elder brother, J. A. Kuffour chose it among the 31 schools he upgraded into model schools.



This pioneer senior high school in Gonjaland has nurtured, groomed and trained several Gonjalanders who are contributing immensely in their various capacities (academia businesses, politics, civil service etc) to the development of Gonjaland in specific and mother Ghana in general. The likes of Hon. Adam Mutawakilu( Mp, Damongo constituency), Hon. Mahama Shaibu Obey( Mp, Daboya Mankargu), Hon. Abudu Nelson( former Mp, Daboya Mankargu), Saeed Muhazu Jibril( DCE, West Gonja), Dr. Mahama Mustapha( DCE, Central Gonja), Alhaji Limuna Muniru( former Agric minister), Dr. Clifford Braimah( Managing Director, GWCL), Albert Kassim Diwura(deputy chief executive secretary, GEPA), were all trained by this school.



Students of the Health Training School/ Nurses Training School in Damongo which was established in 2006 by J. A Kuffuor will be happy to see you for the smiles you kept on their face and their almost lost dignity of the nursing profession you restored by restoring in full their allowances.



The good people of Savannah region are really grateful to you for the following you have done in just 2 years and some months specifically to draw development to the infant region.





1) Creation of the North East Gonja district



2) Upgrading the East Gonja district to a municipality



3) The creation of the Savannah region



4) The Yapei water extension project



5) Construction of a senior high school in Larabanga



6) Construction of a district hospital at Sawla



7) Construction of a district hospital and accident and emergency centre

8) Inclusion of the construction of the Daboya bridge in phase 3 of the Sinohydro project.



9) Completion of various projects initiated by the previous government for political expediency. You paid off the contractors and the works were completed.

10) Construction of CHPS compound at many communities in the region.

11) Building of the numerous classrooms blocks in the various districts

12) Provision of the numerous mechanised boreholes and water systems

13) Building of 10 seater toilets, 4 in each district



14) Building of two ware houses in Buipe and Bole



15) Distribution of cashew seedlings to farmers freely.



16) GNPC scholarships for 7 Gonjalanders



17) recruiting many Gonjalanders into the various security services, GES and other agencies and departments of gives.



I pray that Allah continue to guide you and give you the strength and wisdom to continue doing your best for Gonjaland and mother Ghana in general. You are indeed the adopted son of Gonjaland. Mr. President, I wish you a safe journey to Gonjaland and say to you Maraaba in advance.







Author

Iddi Osman Kamara

Resident of Larabanga

Damongo Constituency

Savanna Region

















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The National Democratic Congress (NDC) wishes to react officially to the latest report of the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU). The Country Report on Ghana, generated on May 13th 2019, among other things touches on the political and economic outlook, our international relations and fiscal policy regime, and proceeds to make some claims on the 2020 General Election.



As a party that supports research, the NDC welcomes this latest report. As a political party, we respect the EIU as an internationally-reputed policy think-thank which has been noted over the years for political and economic forecasting. However, we wish to state, that the EIUs predictions are not sacrosanct or proven facts. Even though some of their previous predictions have come to pass, they have also gotten it wrong on many occasions. For instance, the EIU predicted a 2008 general election victory for Candidate Nana Akufo-Addo, but Prof. J.E.A Mills of the NDC won that election. They predicted a 2016 US election victory for Hillary Clinton, but Donald Trump won. The EIUs recent prediction of the Nigerian election in favour of the PDPs Atiku equally failed; there are countless other examples.



Having done an objective and dispassionate analysis of the latest EIU report on Ghana, the NDC comes to the obvious conclusion, that the EIU has largely gotten their latest prediction of Ghanas 2020 general election wrong.



KEY ISSUES IN THE REPORT

1. The EIUs prediction on latest Economic Growth in Ghana is based on growth driven predominantly by the Oil and Gas sector. While we have to state that this growth was largely projected to happen due to the huge investments in Ghanas oil sector by the erstwhile Mahama administration, it is worth asking how many Ghanaians are in the oil sector, and how does growth in the Oil and Gas sector impact the lives of Ghanaians. Unlike some industrialized jurisdictions, Ghanas current economic growth which is largely oil-driven, does not reflect in the lives of many Ghanaians.



The fact is that, the economic reality of Ghanaians continues to worsen under President Akufo-Addo. Over the last two (2) years, the living conditions of the vast majority of Ghanaians have deteriorated due to a high and unbearable cost of living occasioned by steep increments in the price of fuel, hefty taxes, and rising food and commodity prices among others. These, coupled with the free fall of the Ghana Cedi, continuous job losses and static incomes of workers continue to worsen the economic plight of Ghanaians. These are the realities Ghanaians see and feel, and these what will largely determine who they vote for in 2020. The NDC contends that the key issue for the Ghanaian voter in 2020, will be whether or not his or her living conditions have improved or deteriorated under the four year reign of President Akufo-Addo, and not based on an oil-driven growth which they cannot see or feel.



2. The latest EIU prediction is again based on the assumption that, it will be difficult for the NDC to market and portray its Presidential Candidate, H.E. John Dramani Mahama as the better custodian of Ghanas economy. This assumption is patently false. The facts show that the record of John Mahama relative to the management of Ghanas economy is far superior to that of our current handlers. John Mahamas unprecedented investments in capital projects which created thousands of sustainable jobs and improved the livelihood of Ghanaians, stand tangibly and visibly like a lighthouse. Posterity has judged John Mahama well, and discerning Ghanaians are yearning for his return. Through effective communication, this story will be told and we are very optimistic that Ghanaians will choose John Mahama over President Akufo-Addo in 2020.



3. It is instructive that, the latest EIU report notes the failed promises of the Akufo-Addo government, especially in relation to job creation and industrialization. They make the point that, the 2020 election will be a close contest if the NDC can capitalize on this fact. In other words, the EIU is saying that the NDC can win the 2020 election if we present ourselves as a better alternative and capitalize on the failed promises of the Akufo-Addo government.



Indeed, the NDC has and will continue to expose the failed promises and deceptions of the NPP government. President Akufo-Addo has flattered to deceived the Ghanaian people on all his major campaign promises such as One Village One Dam, One Million Dollars per Constituency every year, One District One Factory, construction of 350 Senior High Schools from scratch in his first 18 months in power, payment of contractors within first 100 days, and the promise to protect the public purse among others. As a matter of fact, one thing that stood out in the report as the only notable achievement of President Akufo-Addo is his oversized government of 110 ministers (now 122 ministers), who continue to dissipate the scarce resources of this country, while offering very few opportunities to the masses.



4. We further note, that there are several other important issues that the EIU report failed to consider. Key amongst them are the declining investments in capital projects despite huge unprecedented borrowings. The ever-festering culture of corruption and nepotism, as well as the alarming levels of insecurity, lawlessness and impunity we are witnessing under President Akufo-Addo were all not captured by the report. All these critical issues border on the disregard for good governance by the Akufo-Addo government, to which the Ghanaian people will respond by rejecting him.



It is the considered position of the NDC, that inasmuch as the latest report by the EIU appears to be a double-edged sword, the report remotely models the present reality in Ghana. The report failed to take into consideration the real issues that affect Ghanaians, thereby making their prognostication faulty to a large extent. We therefore submit, that the latest prediction by the EIU that it expects Mr. Akufo-Addo and the NPP to secure re-election in 2020 is bound to fail if not reviewed. The NPPs ship is sinking fast, and nothing can save it. Akufo-Addo has failed Ghanaians and will be rejected in 2020.





Signed.

SAMMY GYAMFI

National Communication Officer









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Wilson Dzah, the young man who assaulted Mr. Kwatsikor Ashiagbor a teacher at the Takla Gborgame Evangelical Presbyterian Basic School has been granted police inquiry bail by the Ho Municipal Police Command.



Dzah was arrested on Wednesday, May 08, 2019 for attacking Mr. Ashaigbor on the school compound after he was alleged to have broken into the School's teachers' bungalow.



Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Anthony Danso, of the Ho Municipal Police Command, told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) that, one Agbesi Dzah who is the younger brother of Wilson was also arrested on May 09, 2019 as an accomplice and also granted bail.



He said the police were on the hunt for more suspects believed to be involved in the assault.



Mr. Danso said some community leaders including the complainant, Headmistress of the School had pleaded with the police to be allowed to settle the case at home to "calm nerves" but the police were still investigating the matter.



He said the Assembly member of the area has said he would engage the community elders to handle the case to lessen the tension between the teachers and community members.



Mr. Danso said the suspect and other accomplices if found culpable after investigations would be arraigned.

Source: GNA









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The Eastern Regional Police Command has arrested three persons suspected of defrauding one Mr Michael Asiamah of GhC70,000.00 in Koforidua.



The suspects are Reverend (Rev.) Vivian Adotei, a teacher who resides at Peduase, Bismark Azaglo, a spiritualist who lives at Kwaboata and Emmanuel Asare, a prophet and film producer, also residents at Kitase.



The Eastern Regional Police Public Relations Officer (PRO), Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), Ebenezer Tetteh in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) said during investigations, Rev. Adotei and Azaglo admitted collecting GhC70,000.00 from the victim.



He also said Asare admitted introducing the victim to Rev. Adotei.



DSP Tetteh said the victim was led to Rev. Adotei to invest GhC70,000.00 into spiritual cleansing of an ancient mercury bottle to be sold for GhC200,000,000,000.00 .



Mr Asiamah was promised 30 per cent of the amount to be realized from the sale of the cleansed bottle.



DSP Tetteh said, the victim invested his GhC70,000.00, after being convinced that the bottle which was said to contain mercury could be sold at such high price by one chief tester, Michael Nyarko alleged to be the representative of the company which was interested in the bottle and ready to pay the quoted price of the bottle.



He said after the bottle was cleansed and was being taken to Accra for sale by the victim, Rev. Adotei, Nyarko, Asare and two others, the bottle which was kept in a box allegedly turned into a snake.



DSP Tetteh said, the team had to return and the victim, Mr Asiamah reported the issue to the police.



He said the suspects were arrested and are on police custody to be arraigned.

Source: GNA









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Ekor Odel Ltd, the parent company of Sultan Drinks Ghana on April 19th, 2019 donated anesthesia supplies to Holy Family Hospital at Nkawkaw to fulfill their promise to Ghanaians on the companys commitment to invest in the community they do business.



The chief medical doctor Dr. Isaac Antwi and head of Anesthesia Dr. Ramos Agyarko received the supplies on behalf of the hospital. The companys President, Kwabena Odame offered his appreciation to the medical team for their dedication and contribution to the community they serve.



Ekor Odel LTD is the sole distributor of blackseed sultan drinks in Ghana. Sultan Drinks are manufactured in Austria from natural mineral water and they come in four different flavors with superior natural taste; Sultan Power, Sultan Ice Tea Cola and Orange. The ingredients in sultan drinks are black seed, royal jelly, ginseng, ginger, honey turmeric and cola.



The Sultan Power has black seed, ginseng, royal jelly and natural caffeine with a taste of ginger, mint, and lemon. Sultan Cola is made with natural cola flavors and zero artificial content.



The Sultan Ice Tea has an extraordinary composition of black seed, green tea jasmine, ginseng, honey, natural flavors, and stevia. Sultan Orange has a delightful combination of orange, mandarin, and tumeric

Source: Peacefmonline.com









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Egypt's flagship carrier EgyptAir will receive a third Boeing 787 Dreamliner next month, a source from the company told Ahram Online.

The purchase of the advanced aircraft is part of a $6 billion deal signed by the national carrier in late 2017 to buy 45 new planes to upgrade its fleet, in what was touted as the biggest-ever deal made by the company.

The deal includes buying six new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners. EgyptAir received the first two in March and April.

The new 290-seat plane will be used to operate flights to Shanghai, Tokyo, New York and Bangkok, the source said.

The aircraft maker says this model, which features more electric system architecture, offers exceptional fuel efficiency and faster cruise speed.

EgyptAir has a fleet of 70 long, medium and short haul aircrafts, according to the company's website.

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The Consumer Advocacy Center (CAC) Ghana have filed a suit at the High Court of Ghana to protect the Ghanaian consumer of telephone services, by asking the court to uphold the Ghanaian law on SIM card registration and regulation.



The Center says they have found it necessary to institute this legal step to force the stakeholders in the mobile telephony market to conform to the dictates of LI 2006 and thereby avoid the situation of having improperly registered SIM cards in the industry.



The stakeholders we have dragged to the court are: The National Communications Authority (NCA), the owners and operators of MTN, Vodafone, Airtel Tigo and Glo networks.



Consumers in Ghana are losing millions of Cedis to criminals who have invaded the telephony market via fraudulently acquired SIM cards, which are activated by the network providers to enable the criminals contact and dupe unsuspecting consumers within the market.



In a statement signed by the Director of Corporate Affairs, Benjamin Essuman, he explained that the lives of others are being threatened on a daily basis by criminals with such illegally registered SIM cards without a trace to these criminals.



It is our considered opinion that these criminal activities are possible as a result of violations and sidestepping brought about by the flagrant disregard for LI 2006. We are thereby praying the court to uphold our Ghanaian law and grant our reliefs that have been carefully plotted to guarantee a safe telephone market for consumers and help businesses.









Source: Isaac Kwame Owusu/Peacefmonline.com/[email protected]









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An agreement has been signed between the Ghana Railway Development Authority (GRDA) and China Railway Wuju Group Corporation, also known as China Railway No. 5 Engineering Group Co. Ltd for the continuation of the development of a new Standard Gauge Western line. The US$500 million project will have both passenger and freight services.



Under this agreement, the Manso through Tarkwa to Dunkwa section of the line which is approximately 100km will be developed. . The Kojokrom to Manso section being 22km was awarded to Messers Amandi in 2017 and is presently under construction.



Speaking at the signing ceremony in Beijing, China, the Minister for Railways Development and leader of the Ghanaian delegation, Hon. Joe Ghartey said before the British who colonized the Gold Coast left Ghana in 1957, they handed over a total railway network of 947km. However by 2017 less than 100km of the railway network was operational. This he said shows the state of Ghanas railway system.



Hon. Joe Ghartey indicated that since the creation of the Ministry of Railways Development by President Akufo-Addo in 2017, it has started various works on sections of the railway line.



The Sector Minister urged CRWJ to give off their best in order to attract more opportunities in building Ghanas railway network. Hon. Joe Ghartey further called on CRWJ to do its best to complete the first phase of the project within the one year time frame as indicated in the Agreement.



*The Deputy General Manager of CRWJ Mr. Liu Yong* was grateful for the opportunity. He described the Contract to develop the Manso to Dunkwa section of the Western railway line as their biggest project in Ghana. He assured the delegation that CRWJ will ensure that terms of the Agreement are complied with and fulfilled to the latter. He added that the CRWJ will fully leverage its comprehensive strength and technical advantages to strengthen communication and bilateral ties between CR5 and the Government of Ghana to realize its vision of a modern railway network.



CRWJ has been on the Ghanaian market since 2007. It has six (6) subsidiaries presently conducting businesses in Ghana. They include CR3, CR5, CR7, CR10 and the China Railway Major Bridge Construction Group with over 1,500 local employees.



The CEO of the Ghana Railway Development Authority Mr. Richard Diedong Dombo signed the contract. Present at the signing ceremony were Hon. Joe Ghartey, Mr. Siisi Essuman-Ocran, the Chief Director of the Ministry of Railways Development and Mr. Sylvester Williams a Chief State Attorney at the Attorney Generals office. Also present were Hon. Ebenezer Nartey a Board member of Ghana Railway Company Limited (GRCL), Hon. Laadi Ayii Ayamba and Hon. Suhiyin Wahab Wumbei representatives of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Roads and Transport.



Earlier, the Ghanaian delegation visited CRWJs project site in Beijing. The company is constructing a 174km high-speed rail project, with a design speed of 350kilometers per hour. It will connect Beijing and Zhangjiakou. Part of the project is a 12km underground tunnel which lies 102meters below the historical Great Wall of China. The project is expected to be completed by the end of 2019.

Source: Peacefmonline.com









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The Northern Regional Police Command has released the impounded rosewoods.



It would be recalled that three trucks carrying the rosewoods were impounded by the police in the region.



Police intercepted three trucks loaded with rosewoods from Tumu heading to Tema in Accra.



Ednak Company Limited, 3EL Construction Limited and Salley Delwinde Company Limited are said to be the owners of the rosewoods.



The trucks were escorted to the regional police command for further investigations.



The Northern Regional Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Mohammed Yussif Tanko, who confirmed the incident to DGN Online, said the police invited the Forestry Commission to inspect the rosewoods.



According to DSP Tanko, the Forestry Commission cleared the rosewoods as legal and so the police command requested for a formal written document to that effect.



He indicated that the three trucks have since been handed over to the owners.

Source: Daily Guide









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The security agencies will today meet the leadership of the Christian community to discuss how to enhance security at the various churches in the wake of the terrorism threat alert on the country.



Ahead of the meeting, some churches have begun the process to improve security on their church premises, as well as arm their members with personal security tips.



In interview with the Daily Graphic, the General Secretary of the Ghana Pentecostal and Charismatic Council (GPCC), Rev. Emmanuel Barrigah, confirmed that the council had received an invitation from the National Security for discussions in relation to the terrorism threat alert.



However, he said, the council had already sent notices to their member churches to beef up security and also educate their members to be security conscious, vigilant and watch out for suspicious characters.



Rev. Barrigah said the council would liaise with the security agencies to provide training for church workers.



Some of the churches, on their own, had contacted the police to provide security training for selected members for internal security control to prevent any sudden and surprise attacks.



The Africa Centre for Security and Intelligence Studies (ACSIS) last week issued a security alert that the Salafi Jihadist group based in Burkina Faso had been moving in and out of Ghana through the border with Burkina Faso over the past four months.



The militants are reported to have killed four Burkinabe customs officers at a checkpoint at Nohao, near the Ghana border, and burnt three vehicles in February 2019.



Chief Imam



The National Chief Imam, Sheikh Osman Nuhu Sharubutu, has urged Muslims to report strangers who come into their communities with views that do not conform to the teachings of Islam to the security agencies.



He has also called on leaders of the various Islamic sects to be on the alert and protect non-Islamic public places of worship from attacks from extremist elements who may enter the country to engage in terrorist acts.



In an interview with the Daily Graphic last Tuesday, the National Chief Imams spokesperson, Sheikh Aremeyaw Shaibu, drew the attention of the Muslim community to the teachings of Islam and said the Quran forbade attacks on public places of worship, even in situations of war.



"The position of Islam with regard to attacks on public places of worship is that such places cannot be targeted because they are considered havens of peace and sacred symbols of God," he said.



Therefore, he added, it was wrong and un-Islamic for any person or persons claiming to be Muslims to attack churches or any place where people gathered to worship God.



Reaction



Sheikh Shaibu was reacting to a security alert issued by the Africa Centre for Security and Intelligence Studies (ACISS) to the effect that a Salafi Jihadist group based in Burkina Faso intended to launch attacks on churches in Ghana.



The ACIS claimed, among other things, that the group had been moving in and out of Ghana through the border with Burkina Faso over the past four months.



Sheikh Shaibu buttressed his point with Qur'an 60:8, which states: "Allah does not forbid you from those who do not fight you because of religion and do not expel you from your homes - from being righteous towards them. Indeed, Allah loves those who act justly."



He added that Muslims had no grounds to hate Christians.



He said Quran 49:13 also promoted tolerance among people of different cultures, adding that practitioners of the religion were forbidden from hating people of other cultures.



Qur'an 49:13 states: "O mankind, indeed we have created you from male and female and made you into peoples and tribes that you may know one another. Indeed, the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you. Indeed, Allah is knowing and acquainted."



Sheikh Shaibu said from those two texts, attacks on Christian or Jewish places of worship could not be justified, especially in a country such as Ghana where inter-faith dialogue had been very robust and adherents of both religions had lived in peace with one another for centuries.



Be vigilant



He advised Muslims to be vigilant and cautious and "smoke out" strange elements with strange mindsets within their midst and find out what such elements were engaged in, who accommodated or received them or who their friends were.



"This must be seen as the responsibility of the Muslim to contribute to the general peace and security of the country. We must remember that we have only one Ghana. This is a country where we are able to gather in our mosques and worship without any fear and we would want to continue in the spirit of inter-faith harmony, dialogue and friendship with adherents of other faiths in Ghana, the West African sub-region, Africa and the world," he said.



He urged Muslim parents and organisations to be part of the effort to rid the country of extremist elements.



He acknowledged the fact that due to poverty in the Muslim communities, jihadists might attempt to lure the youth with money to engage in terrorism and urged Muslims in the country to be wary of strangers who might come into their communities bearing gifts.



Sheikh Shaibu assured the security agencies of maximum cooperation to flush out jihadists and extremists from society.



Security beefed up



The Presiding Bishop of the A.M.E. Zion Church of the Western West, Rt Rev. Dela Dogbe, said security at the church was paramount, especially in recent times.



For the A.M.E. Church, he said, the leadership and pastors had, at a conference recently, educated and sensitised members to security tips to equip them with basic security measures.



Rt Rev. Dogbe, who is also the Vice-Chairman of the Christian Council of Ghana (CCG), said some policemen had also offered security training to some of the leadership and pastors.



He added that some of the branches of the church had policemen as security during church service, while other branches also engaged private security to ensure protection.



Vigilance



He urged church members to be conscious of their surroundings, look out for unknown persons who acted strangely and also report suspicious characters to the leadership and security of the church.



He said the CCG had also circulated some security information materials to various platforms to ensure that church leaders became conscious of the security of their churches and their members.



He underscored the need for prayers, while the church became vigilant.



Catholic Bishops



The General Secretary of the Ghana Catholic Bishops Conference (GCBC), Rev. Fr Lazarus Anondee, said the issue of security in the church was discussed at a joint meeting between the CCG and the conference on May 2, 2019.



At that meeting, he said, it was agreed that the issue be taken seriously by all churches and preventive measures, including the training of ushers on security matters, taken to address the threat.



The various Bishops are now operationalising the decision, he stated.



Collective responsibility



The General Overseer of the Global Revival Ministries, Rev. Dr Robert Ampiah-Kwofie, said some workers of his church were being trained on security issues.



He said the church was also collaborating with the Ghana Police Service to come up with ways to improve security in the church.



Trial of faith



A former Presiding Bishop of the Methodist Church and former General Secretary of the CCG, the Most Rev. Dr Aboagye Mensah, said attack on the church was not a new thing in Christianity, since some disciples of Jesus Christ were persecuted for their faith.



He said Christians needed to see those attacks as a test of their faith and a fulfilment of the Word of God that such attacks would happen during the end times.



The threat of terrorism or the attack itself should not deter Christians or shake their faith; they should rather see it as a trial of faith in the Lord. The threat should not also stop people from going to church, he said.



While acknowledging the fact that most of the attacks were executed unawares, hence the need to tighten security, he said Christians should see them as a trial of their faith in God.



Collective responsibility



For his part, a former General Secretary of the CCG, Rev. Dr Opuni Frimpong, said with the current terrorist threat on churches in some West African countries, including Ghana, church leaders must show more concern about the security of their members and facilities.



He said although churches in Ghana had, over the years, enjoyed peace and security from attacks by religious terrorists, the current threat and attacks on churches in neighbouring countries were a wake-up call to the church community.



He suggested that church leaders, ushers, among others, must be trained on some basic skills in security, body language and how to move people to safety, adding that closed-circuit television (CCTV) equipment and other security gadgets must be installed on church premises.



Attention must be paid to sitting arrangements of new members and visitors during church services, with some security arrangements around them until their dedication can be trusted, he stated.



Security is a collective responsibility and, therefore, church leaders and members must demonstrate a serious interest in their own security, he said, adding that the recent terrorist attacks on churches in Sri Lanka, Burkina Faso and so on must set a security strategy agenda for the churches.

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.

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The government has rolled out more programmes in skills training under the second phase of the Ghana Technical, Vocational Education and Training Voucher Project (GTVP).



With the inception of the second phase of the project, which started on November 1, 2018 and ends in October 2021, five new trade areas have been added, namely block-laying, tiling, plumbing, catering, electrical and woodwork, with apprentices under the second phase currently enjoying an allowance for meals and transportation.



Launching the Eastern Regional version of the GTVP, during a visit to the region, the Deputy Minister of Education in charge of Technical, Vocational Education and Training (TVET), Ms Gifty Twum Ampofo, said the government was implementing measures to enhance TVET education and facilitate the acquisition of employable skills by the youth in the country.



She said measures that had been implemented so far included the moving of all TVET institutions under the supervision of the Ministry of Education, with the task to streamline their curricula and improve the co-ordination of their training.



She explained that Cabinet had also approved a five-year strategic plan for the development of TVET, and that measures were in place to construct 21 modern TVET institutions and upgrade 35 existing ones.



Ms Twum Ampofo launched the Ghana TVET Voucher Project in the Eastern Region at the Koforidua Technical University (KTU), after visiting some senior high schools in the region to monitor the progress of the ongoing West African Senior High School Examination (WASSCE).



Project



Started in September, 2017, the Ghana TVET Voucher Project (GTVP) is a project under the Ghanaian-German Financial Cooperation, co-financed by the Government of Ghana (GOG) and BMZ through KFW.



The first phase, operated from last year October to end in February 2020, was funded with a 10 Million Euros grant from KfW and a counterpart contribution of one million Euros from GOG.



The phase two is being funded with a 10 million Euros grant from KfW and counterpart funds of one million Euros from GOG.



The project, which seeks to improve access of 16,000 master craftspersons, their workers and apprentices to further technical and vocation education and training, is being implemented by the Council for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (COTVET) with consultancy services provided by PLANCO, an international firm.



It also seeks to strengthen stakeholders in TVET, such as training institutes, trade associations and the regulatory body (COTVET) and establish a consistent incentive system for vocational training.



The project, as of the end of March 2019, has benefited 5,000 people in the four regions, 454 beneficiaries have completed training and fully verified by the Technical Examination Unit (TEU), while 1,800 are currently undergoing verification and are due to be certified by the second quarter of 2019.



TVET service



Ms Twum Ampofo said the establishment of a TVET service and TVET Councils come with a division of the education service dedicated to the management of technical and vocational education, with its own director.



She added that some technical universities had been equipped with the state-of-the-art laboratories to run engineering programmes.



The project is currently being implemented in the Greater Accra, Volta, Northern and Ashanti regions, with three additional regions: Eastern, Western and Central being rolled onto the project.



She said under the project, beneficiaries would receive competency-based training, which consisted of institutional training by formal training institutions and workplace training under the supervision of a registered Informal Sector Training Provider.



Training



The Executive Director, COTVET, Dr Fred Kyei Asamoah, said under the phase one, people were trained in cosmetology, consumer electronics, automotive repair, welding and garment.



Earlier, the deputy minister visited the Ofori Panin Senior High School (OPASS), W.B.M Zion Senior High School and Koforidua Senior High and Technical School (SECTECH) to encourage candidates writing the ongoing WASSCE, to work hard to emerge victorious in their examination, since the examination formed part of the genesis of their academic life.



She advised the students to do independent work so that at the end of the day your results will prove your worth.

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.

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The Krachiwura, Nana Mprah Besemuna III, has described President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo as a courageous and decisive leader whose name will be engraved in letters of gold in the annals of the Oti Region.



Every sincere citizen of the region, regardless of his or her political affiliation, believes and knows that but for the exceptional courage and tenacity of purpose of the President and the people, the creation of our region would not have been realised, he said.



Nana Besemuna gave the description yesterday at a durbar held in President Akufo-Addos honour at Dambai, the capital of the Oti Region, on day two of the Presidents working visit to the newly created region.



He expressed the appreciation of the chiefs and the people of the region to President Akufo-Addo for fulfilling his 2016 campaign promise to create the region.



We are most grateful to you, and I assure you that your name will be engraved in letters of gold in the annals of the Oti Region, he said to rapturous applause from the large gathering.



As of now, we can only use our mouths to say thank you. Ayekoo! But God Almighty, who rewards hard work, we are sure, will reward you at the appropriate time for your hard work in the Oti Region. We shall never forget you, he added.



Describing the journey for the creation of the region as long and tortuous, the Krachiwura noted that God works through His chosen men and women as vessels of positive change.



Decentralisation



Nana Besemuna expressed the hope that the birth of the region would deepen the decentralisation of governance, with all the related benefits in terms of human and material development.



We are confident that having kept your promises in the past, Your Excellency will ensure that the governance development policy for the new regions, and, for that matter, the Oti Region, to spread development, as well as siting the heads of departments and agencies across the entire region to ensure equity, will be carried out to the letter, he added.



He said as major stakeholders, the chiefs and the people would continue to play a very active and meaningful role in the development of the Oti Region.



President assures



Addressing the durbar, President Akufo-Addo said work on the regional officers was very important, and that he would keep a watch on it to ensure that the government's development programmes were carried out to the benefit of the people.



He assured the people of the equitable allocation of resources to decentralised offices under the Regional Coordinating Council (RCC), explaining that the provision of facilities would not be concentrated in Dambai, the capital, but spread out to cover the entire region for even development.



The President announced that various contracts and financial processes were ongoing, and that by September this year the construction of a bridge over the Oti River would commence.



While congratulating the people of the region for the peaceful manner in which they voted for the creation of the region, President Akufo-Addo indicated that the long struggle of the people to have their separate region, dating as far back as 1954, has finally come to an end and today the Oti Region is a reality".



He expressed his commitment to ensure that all the six new regions received the needed accelerated development for which the people voted.



Other activities



The President, yesterday, also inspected ongoing works on the 50-kilometre Dambai-Nkwanta feeder road being undertaken by M/S City Ghana Construction Company Limited, as well as a site earmarked for the construction of the offices of the RCC.



He also cut the sod for the construction of 16 kilometres of road network within Dambai.



President Akufo-Addo presented eight vehicles to the Oti RCC for its operations.



Bold President



The Minister of Regional Re-organisation and Development, Mr Dan Botwe, recollected the number of times past governments had attempted but could not take the bold decision to create the Oti Region.



That, he explained, was due to the fact that there was always apprehension that any attempt to create the region might create disturbances or even lead to war.



But it took the courage and boldness of President Akufo-Addo to actualise this dream of the people of the Oti Region, he said.



Mr Botwe noted that the creation of the region was not the end, and that there was the need for development, for which he called for the support of all.

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.

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THE CHIEF Justice (CJ), Sophia Akuffo, has warned journalists to stop taking pictures in court during trials.



A statement issued by the Judicial Secretary, Cynthia Pamela A. Addo on behalf of the CJ said failure to comply with this directive will lead to confiscation of offending equipment and other consequences.



It stated that it has come to the notice of Her Ladyship the Chief Justice that certain media houses have displayed pictures of parties in the courtroom on online portals.



According to the statement, other members of the media have been captured by the Courts CCTV camera taking pictures.



It added that these actions by members of the media are clearly contrary to the Chief Justices directives on the use of electronic devices in court.

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.

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Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has commended the National Identification Authority (NIA) for effectively issuing National Identity Cards, popularly called Ghana Card, to Ghanaians in recent times.



The exercise, which began two weeks ago, has been beset with some technical glitches, resulting in long queues in some parts of Accra.



A section of the public has been complaining about the amount of time spent in registering for the card.



Speaking at the National Digital Roadmap Conference in Accra yesterday, the Vice President stressed the need for Ghanaians to bear with workers of the NIA who are undertaking the process.



While he admitted to the teething problems associated with the exercise, he described it as a game-changer for the country.



According to him, the issuance of instant biometric cards has never happened in any part of the world not even in the advanced economies like the United States and United Kingdom.



Ghana is doing this instant issuance of the National ID Card as people come to apply for it and most people dont realise that this is the first time you have this instant issuance of Biometric National ID cards in the world, he said.



Even in those countries, he disclosed that national ID cards- National Insurance, Social Security- are not issued instantly, saying it takes days for them to be posted to applicants.



Dr Bawumia said we wanted to make sure people when they come to apply for the National ID card to a large extent they can receive the cards before they leave the premises, so that we dont have this whole process of people applying and not collecting and so on.



The Vice President said that this has given rise to connectivity problems which has delayed the process.



That notwithstanding, Dr Bawumia said it is very important that we are patient so that we have this chip-embedded biometric card with our pictures on it for transactions later on.



The exercise is expected to come to end in a years time.



On her part, the Minister for Communications, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, whose speech was read on her behalf by her deputy, Nenyi George Andah, reiterated the commitment of the Ministry to the national ICT policy to mainstream ICT in governance and every aspect of the economy under the governments Integrated Infrastructure Development Programme (IIDP) to position the country as a strong regional ICT hub.

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.

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Management of the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) has taken the necessary steps to upgrade its Techiman District Command to the status of a Regional Command.



This was disclosed when the Comptroller-General of Immigration (CGI), Mr. Kwame Asuah Takyi, paid a two-day working visit to the Techiman District Command of the GIS in the newly created Bono East Region.



Mr. Takyi called on the District Commander, Superintendent Michael Brewu Ampofo, to receive first-hand information on the administrative and operational challenges in the region



He later inspected facilities of the command and addressed a durbar of service personnel. He admonished them to exercise a great deal of discipline and good judgment in the discharge of their duties.



He commended the personnel for their dedication to duty despite the challenges they were confronted with, and urged them not to renege on their intelligence-gathering responsibilities.



The CGI assured the service personnel of the commitment of management towards furnishing the command with the necessary resources and logistics that would befit the status of a Regional Command.



Mr. Takyi expressed gratitude to the Municipal Assembly for bequeathing to the service additional offices at both the Techiman and the Kintampo commands.



He ended his working visit to the Bono East Region with a call on a sister security agency, Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS), where he interacted with personnel and advised them to collaborate and support one another towards ensuring security in the region.



Techiman is the capital for the Bono East Region.

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.

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The Chief Executive of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), Hon. Joseph Boahen Aidoo, has officially handed over an ultra-modern solar-powered irrigation system which will enable year-round production of cocoa on a farm and more than double yields.



The irrigation system, which also has a fertilizer dissemination component, is the first of its kind and the first of many to be rolled out across the country. It has been installed on a 30-acre cocoa farm owned by Solomon Tahola at Assin Fosu, in the Assin North Municipality of the Central Region.



Hon. Boahen Aidoo told the farmer to put the irrigation system to good use. It should ensure a continuous harvest of cocoa even during the harmattan season when cocoa yields turn to drop significantly due to the scarcity of water.



Describing the operation of the system, the Deputy Chief Executive in charge of Operations at COCOBOD, Dr Emmanuel Opoku, said the system has a pump that has been designed to draw water from underground to the drip pipes which have been laid out on the farm at the bases of the cocoa trees.



It has a fertigation system also and is entirely powered by solar energy. The solar panels supply power to the pump which in turn draws the water and distributes it straight to the cocoa plants. It has been designed to work for six hours in a day; stating at about 10 am when the sunshine is bright enough to power the pump.



Dr Opoku went on to say that, the system is designed such that when there is no water underground to draw from, the pump stops working but it works so long as there is water and there is energy from the sun".



It is also such that, the very end of the drip pipes has the same water pressure as the beginning so that the water flowing through the irritation system flows evenly to all the plants.



To use the same irrigation system to apply fertilizer to the cocoa trees, the farmer needs only to fill up a chamber attached to the system with the fertilizer and it will flow through the drop pipes to the plants as the pump pumps water to them.



The installation of this new solar-powered irrigation system by COCOBOD onto cocoa farms come at no upfront cost to the farmer. Instead, farmers will be given very flexible payment schedules to pay for the system, although the increase in their yield volumes will be immediate.



The ceremony to hand over the irrigation system took place during the COCOBOD Chief Executives week-long tour of the cocoa-producing regions in Ghana; a tour which began on Monday 13 May and is still ongoing.



Hon. Joseph Boahen Aidoo and other top management executives of COCOBOD have been visiting cocoa farms and farming communities to assess their level of participation in the various farm Productivity Enhancement Programmes (PEP) by COCOBOD.



The tour is also to gathering first-hand knowledge of the challenges facing farmers at different parts of the cocoa-producing areas, and to hold farmer rallies to interact with farmers.

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.

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Cairo has reaffirmed its support for the Libyan National Army (LNA) in its fight to uproot terrorism in Libya and for its contribution to the drive to rebuild legitimacy and promote political solutions to the Libyan crisis that meet the hopes and aspirations of the Libyan people.

Last Thursday, President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi met with LNA Commander Khalifa Haftar at the Ittihadiya Palace. Briefing the press afterwards, Presidential Spokesman Bassam Radi said Haftar had updated President Al-Sisi on the latest developments in Libya and explained efforts to counter foreign interference in Libyas domestic affairs and attempts to smuggle arms and foreign terrorists into Libya.

The meeting, which was also attended by the Director of Egyptian General Intelligence General Abbas Kamel, was the second between Al-Sisi and Haftar since the LNA command launched an operation to take control of Tripoli over a month ago.

In his press statement Radi said President Al-Sisi had expressed Egypts full support for efforts to combat terrorism and extremist groups and militias in order to realise stability and security in Libya, and for the role the Libyan military institution is playing to restore the components of legitimacy and create a climate conducive to facilitating the formulation of political solutions and the conduct of constitutional processes in a manner that meets the aspirations for a safe and dignified life and a better future for our brotherly Libyan people.

President Al-Sisi also lauded the role the Libyan military has played in the drive to end terrorism, extremist groups and militias.

The conflict between the LNA, led by Haftar, and forces fighting for the internationally recognised Government of National Accord (GNA), are now in their sixth week.

The fighting has left more than 400 dead, 2,000 wounded and thousands of families homeless, according to the UN.

Haftar flew to Cairo as Fayez Al-Sarraj, chairman of the Tripoli-based Presidency Council, was meeting with European leaders during a tour to secure support for forces fighting for the GNA.

Al-Sarrajs trip included meetings with Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Theresa May.

Against the backdrop of the standoff between the LNA and the GNA militias on the outskirts of the capital Haftar and Al-Sarraj are lobbying for international backing for their respective positions given developments on the ground have put an end to the UN-sponsored process launched more than a year and a half ago.

That process was due to culminate in a National Conference in Ghadames where Libyan stakeholders were expected to hammer out a new settlement agreement. Initially scheduled for January, the conference was postponed until mid-April and then put on hold indefinitely due to the eruption of hostilities on 4 April.

Cairo sees the LNA as an effective partner in the fight against terrorism and extremist militias and believes it must be a pillar of any new political system that emerges in Libya after the anarchy that has prevailed since the fall of the Gaddafi regime in 2011.

During the past five years Cairo has worked to bolster the LNA and for nearly a year sponsored a series of talks in the hope of reuniting Libyas military.

Positions on Libya have continued to evolve since divisions in the UN Security Council prevented the passing of a resolution condemning the military escalation around Tripoli last month.

Most recently, NATO members and European foreign ministers held separate meetings in Brussels on Monday to discuss developments in Libya.

Both were attended by Ghassan Salame, UN special representative for Libya and head of the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), and Al-Sarraj, chairman of the Presidency Council in Tripoli.

In the meeting with Salame at NATO headquarters, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg 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 in the political process, as called for by the United Nations, according to a press release posted on the NATO website.

The secretary-general further emphasised 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, the press release continued.

Reaffirming NATOs full support of the UN special representatives work to broker a truce and find a political solution to the Libyan crisis, Stoltenberg 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, at the request of the Libyan government and when security conditions allow it.

The EUs Foreign Affairs Council statement on the situation in Libya was more sternly worded. It described the LNA military attack on Tripoli and the subsequent escalation in and around the capital as a threat to international peace and security, adding that it further threatens the stability of Libya.

Reaffirming the EUs commitment to the sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity and national unity of Libya, the statement called on all parties to immediately implement a ceasefire and to engage with the United Nations to ensure a full and comprehensive cessation of hostilities.

[The EU] 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 UN Security Council.

EU foreign ministers stressed that all parties in Libya must protect civilians, including migrants and refugees, by allowing and facilitating a safe, rapid and unimpeded delivery of humanitarian aid and services to all those affected.

They reminded Libyan parties that indiscriminate attacks on densely populated residential areas may amount to war crimes. Those breaching International Humanitarian Law must be held to account.

Reiterating the stance that there is no military solution to the Libyan crisis, the EU urged all parties to re-commit to the UN-facilitated political dialogue and work towards a comprehensive political solution to the crisis in Libya as agreed in Paris in May 2018, in Palermo in November 2018 and in Abu Dhabi in February 2019, in order to pave the way for holding national elections.

It also urged all parties to fully respect the arms embargo and refrain from any actions that could further undermine the UN-facilitated political dialogue.

An element of realism that had been lacking has re-emerged today in the treatment of developments in Libya, Salame said in a press conference in Brussels on the sidelines of the EU foreign ministers meeting.

Describing Libya as both the victim of its neighbours and a danger to them in terms of the flow of illegal migrants and terrorist infiltrations across borders, he stressed that only a return to the negotiating table will solve these problems.

There was some illusion a month ago that the shortest path to a solution is a military one. It is clear today that this is not realistic and the shortest way to get Libya out of the crisis is to sit at the negotiating table, Salame said.

He noted that the current military impasse  the inability of LNA forces to breach the defences pro-NGA forces have created around the capital  was forcing a more realistic assessment of the situation. He cautioned that the current fighting around the capital only increased the risks of illegal migration, displacement and terrorism and stressed that the return to the negotiating table is the real solution, not only to Libyas crisis but also to its neighbours worries.

While regional and international forces agree on the need for hostilities around the Libyan capital to end, the GNA insists any ceasefire be conditional on LNA forces withdrawing to their pre-4 April positions.

The warfare, therefore, could drag on and perhaps escalate unless regional and international mediators can coax the warring parties back to dialogue  an uphill struggle considering the lack of trust between the two sides.

*A version of this article appears in print in the 16 May, 2019 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly under the headline: Backing Libyan legitimacy

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The Ministry of Works and Housing will in the coming weeks begin engagements with communities on blue prints for governments redevelopment projects.



Government is using the project to transform communities like Nima and Maamobi into world-class communities with amenities.



The Minister for Works and Housing, Samuel Atta-Akyea on Tuesday revealed that the redevelopment project will provide the areas with modern housing facilities. But some leaders in the selected communities have expressed worry about lack of proper engagement of stakeholders on the project even though

they support the vision.



The Ministry has however assured that the necessary engagements will be carried out with stakeholders and opinion leaders in the beneficial communities prior to the commencement of the project.



Mr. Atta-Akyea has also assured residents in these communities that developers for the projects will compensate them with a glamorous apartments adding that no resident will be dislodged.



The redevelopment projects are parts of measures by the Akufo-Addo government to tackle and find a resolution to Ghanas housing deficit, which stands at 2 million units.

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.

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Minister of Health, Hon. Kwaku Agyeman-Manu has revealed that the Akufo-Addo Government has recruited over 54,000 health care workers since 2017 to help deliver quality health care in the various health facilities.



Kwaku Agyeman-Manu who disclosed this at the Meet the Press series in Accra said majority of those recruited were outstanding workers from 2012 to 2016 including the private trainees.



Mr. Agyeman-Manu said his Ministry has also launched an electronic platform to facilitate recruitment and placement of staff at health facilities. He explained that the platform will eliminate the traditional system, which delays the recruitment and placement process.



Commenting on the restored allowances for nurses in the various Health Training Institutions, the Minister said, a total of 57,000 trainees are benefiting from the restoration exercise at a cost of GH20,400,000 per month.



100% of total commitment amounting to 210.8M GHC for 2017-2018 academic year has been paid whereas Government has also paid the first seven(7) months of 2018/2019 academic year. 57.8M warrant has been released for the payment of the rest of the month he said.



The Health Minister was hopeful that, the recruited health care workers will help boost the of quality health care delivery in the country.





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.

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An aide to the Chief Executive Officer of the Forestry Commission, Charles Owusu has shared a horrifying experience where he was nearly killed earlier this year.



Charles was speaking on the back of the six students who allegedly murdered the headmaster of the Salvation Army Basic School at Asiakwa in the Eastern Region, George Somuah Bosempem



Speaking to Kwami Sefa Kayi on Peace FM's morning show 'Kokrokoo', Charles said but for the timely intervention of some elders, he would have been dead.



Watch him as he narrates what actually happened to him.





Source: Peacefmonline.com









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On the campaign trail, Malawi's President Peter Mutharika has addressed rumours of his death, the BBC's Emmanuel Igunza reports.



Speaking in Salima, central Malawi, on Wednesday he scoffed at those peddling the stories on social media.



Addressing crowds atop a podium mounted on a police car, Mr Mutharika asked: Does this look like a dead man to you?"



Malawians go to the polls in a general election next Tuesday.



The rumours of his passing followed last weeks abrupt cancellation of several campaign stops that had been planned across the country.



But on Wednesday hundreds met him in Salima as he campaigned for a second term in office.



He has promised to tackle poverty and build more schools across the country.



Mr Mutharika, who came to power in 2014, is facing a tough challenge from both Vice-President Saulos Chilima, who is running for the United Transformation Movement (UTM) and the candidate for the Malawi Congress Party, Lazarus Chakwera.

Source: BBC









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According to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), a total of 29,723 Nigerian immigrants who travelled to the United States of America in 2018 overstayed their visas.



In a new report released by the DHS, the number of Nigerian immigrants who overstayed their non-immigrant tourism/business (B1/B2) visas between October 1, 2017 and September 30, 2018 represents 15.18% of the total 195,785 expected departures.



The DHS described an overstay as a non-immigrant who was lawfully admitted to the U.S. for an authorised period, but remained beyond his or her authorised period of admission. Of the 29,723 culprits who arrived in the North American country through the air or sea port of entry, there's no departure record for 29,004, while 719 left after their visas officially expired.



Nigeria's high overstay rate might not be unconnected to the announcement this week by the U.S. embassy in Nigeria that the visa interview waiver for those renewing visas in the country has been indefinitely suspended.



Before the suspension, Nigerian holders of US visa types B1/B2, F, H, and L could renew their visas online by processing it through DHL using one of several dropbox locations across the country without attending physical interviews.



With the suspension, such people will now have to visit the embassy in Abuja or consulate in Lagos for in-person interviews, a process that's expected to lead to delays in scheduling appointments.









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The Minister for Tourism, Arts and Culture Mrs Barbara Oteng-Gyasi, has urged Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) to effectively promote tourism with a percentage from their common fund to enhance economic growth and employment.



Speaking during the Apasoto Festival at Wassa Damang on Saturday, May 11, Mrs Oteng-Gyasi who doubles as the Member of Parliament (MP) of Prestea Huni-Valley constituency of the Western Region of Ghana said tourism and creative arts have enormous potential of attracting vast investment into the country to drive job creation and enhance the total well-being of the people.



She said the assemblies will be tasked to promote tourism especially the creative arts.



Our various assemblies will be tasked to use a percentage of their common fund to promote tourism especially arts and culture at the district level. This will enhance job creation especially for the youth and generate income at the district level which can be used on a national and local level to improve infrastructures," the sector minister noted.



The festival which also marks the tenth anniversary of the enstoolment of the chief of the area, Nana Amoakwa III was celebrated on the theme Unity, Peace and Development.



The minister said the theme for this year's celebration is an indication of the need to forge ahead in unity and peace as one people with a common destiny.



She reiterated her commitment towards the development of the constituency and outlined a number of projects being undertaken to promote social and economic development in the area and the constituency as a whole.



Some of these projects according to her include construction of Huni-valley to Bogoso road, construction of 3unit classroom block at Koduakrom, construction and rehabilitation of bridges at Domeabra, Esuohyia and Bonsa, the introduction of the Obaapa Micro Loan Scheme which seeks to extend small loans and other basic financial assistance to women that do not have access to capital, introduction of alternative livelihood palm seedling project which will serve as raw materials for oil palm factory as part of governments flagship program 1D1F.



To commemorate the festival celebrations, the MP said, the Damang classroom block and the market will soon see a facelift, urging all residents both local and Diaspora to come on board to make Damang development plan which will soon be outdoored.



President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, who was represented by the Railways Minister, Hon. Joe Ghartey lauded the chiefs and people of Wassa Damang for the peace and stability enjoyed in the area.



He added that the theme for this year's celebration is timely as its geared towards promoting stability and development.



Mr. Ghartey noted that government was working tirelessly to ensure that many of the promises made to the people were fulfilled through the implementation of several initiatives in the area.



Nana Amoakwa III, chief of Wassa Damang, said the role of peace and unity are essential foundations for development.



He lauded government for its contribution towards the development in education, health and sanitation.

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.

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Editor-in-Chief of the New Crusading Guide newspaper, Abdul Malik Kweku Baako Jnr., has asked politicians to dissociate themselves from men of God who feel they are untouchable.



The renowned journalist, speaking to Kwami Sefa Kayi on Peace FM's morning show Kokrokoo, was clearly incensed by the posture, utterances and attitude of some of these men of God.



"And they are saying all sorts of thingsthey say anything, do all sorts of terrible things and we are looking at themnonsense; complete nonsense I am advising the politicians who appear to associate with them directly or indirectlythey should have the courage to distance themselves from the nonsense that they are perpetrating, he stated.



He said a time is coming when some of us will have to start waging a sustained campaign against those particular prophets and church leaders or whoever they are.



We confronted the gun how much more thisI have been observing and looking at the scene and I think it is a dangerous thing. We shouldnt let any of them feel untouchable; never, who gave them immunity? Who are they, what are they? he continued to fume.



At the appropriate time, we will mention them by name; scaremongeringsome say they know where the Takoradi girls are, he added.



Watch his submission below:





Source: Rebecca Addo Tetteh/Peacefmonline.com/[email protected]









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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The Peoples National Convention (PNC) is currently comatose and unable to run effectively as a political party worth its salt.



This is according to its chairman, Bernard Mornah who is blaming the partys leader and former presidential candidate, Dr Edward Mahama who is currently serving in President Akufo Addos government as ambassador at large.



Bernard Mornah lamented how Edward Mahamas acceptance of an appointment to serve in a government the PNC intends to unseat, while he still remains the leader of the party per its own constitution has brought the party to a standstill.



He is the leader of the party. As we speak, that is the constitution of our party, so being the leader of the party, it is obvious that he has taken the party to the NPP, Bernard Mornah said in an exclusive interview with Pulse Ghanas Andreas Kamasah. Here we are, for the past four months we have not been able to hold a meeting. Any time you want to call a meeting, he is on an assignment, and so meetings must be held at the convenience of the ambassador at large, and he has not relinquished his position.



And so, when national chairman organises a meeting, they ask have you informed the leader of the party? So, you ask yourself, how can we flourish as a political party?



Edward Mahama is not the only member of the PNC serving in the NPP government, and it should not be a problem if any Ghanaian, regardless of their political affiliation accepts to serve the nation as the PNC leader and others are doing currently.



However, Bernard Mornah is suspicious that the NPP led by president Akufo Ado is on a mission to deliberately collapse the PNC, by picking key persons from the party to serve in its government, an action he believes makes it difficult for the PNC to run effectively, let alone be in a strong position to unseat the current government in the 2020 elections.



The manner in which our presidential candidate was stolen from us by the NPP subtly is a source of worry to me, and as I said to him in one of our meetings, maybe my failure as chairman is that I did not campaign enough for him to become president whereby he could appoint Akufo Addo as ambassador at large, so I accepted responsibility.



They say he is ambassador at large, my former national chairman, Ahmed Ramadan has been appointed as the first ambassador to the United Arab Emirates, so the man I succeeded has also been consumed by the NPP, and its also obvious that our former national youth organizer has also been taken away as deputy NADMO coordinator, Mornah lamented.



To worsen the PNCs predicament is the fact that, according to Bernard Mornah, they are not able to raise funds to run the party and its internal activities to enable them prepare sufficiently for the next elections, which is just about one and a half year away.



I get up and come to you to say we need support to help us hold internal elections, the first question you will ask is that, how can you be in government and be seeking support from those of us outside of government? Because the leader of your party is in government, and it is appreciated that the spoils of government will get to him, evil or otherwise So, that is a complex for us in raising and mobilizing logistics to be able to carry out party works, he added.



The two major political parties, the New Patriotic party and the National Democratic Congress have been governing Ghana since 1992, and have the financial and logistical muscles to continue doing so, obviously till some unforeseeable miracle happens.



Internal elections and flagbearer



Even with all the wherewithal, the NDC has elected its flagbearer, former president John Dramani Mahama, and are marketing him now, knowing very well that contending with incumbent NPPs candidate is a serious exercise which requires utmost seriousness.



However, the PNC and other minor political parties, including the Convention Peoples Party (CPP), the Progressive Peoples Party (PPP) among others are as usual, delaying only to pretend to be busy when it is left with few months to the elections.



As for the PNC, Bernard Mornah said it is awaiting a report from its congress committee on preparations at the polling station level through to the national executives level, to determine when to hold their regional executives congress hopefully in November this year, and then the national delegates congress will follow early next year to elect the partys flagbearer.



The party is nearly comatose, you call for a meeting and he will tell you sorry I will not be able to make it on this date, lets put it on another date. Sometimes the issues are such that they need to be confronted hotly so that your relevance in the media can be felt. So, you will notice in particular for me that I dont issue statements on behalf of the party, I have found other conduits through which I can express myself publicly. Because if you issue a statement and the ambassador at large comes to say he is not aware of the statement, it puts you in a difficult light.



For instance, the vice president did what he called a townhall meeting parading falsehoodwe needed to respond to him, but you have your leader in government serving its interest. Can you call him to sit on a table lambasting the government for economic performance? So, you see the conflict that we have as a party, obviously everything has come to a standstill, he said.



From this revelation, one can safely predict that the PNC would as usual, not be making any significant impart in the 2020 elections, because electing a flagbearer just some few months to election cannot allow for sufficient marketing of the candidate as well as campaign activities to let the people of Ghana understand their manifesto and why they should choose such a candidate over the incumbent the other contenders.



Until that unlikely miraculous time when the NDC and NPP will be unseated democratically by any other political party to break the back and forth shift of political power, the PNC, CPP, PPP and others will continue to participate in Ghanas elections as if it were a festival in which they come to perform their ceremonial roles, and whether those roles make any impact at the end of the day or not is none of their business.



Bernard Mornahs view on the Akuffo Addo governments performance



While the president Akufo Addo led government is patting itself on the back for creating six new regions, creating temporary jobs for unemployed graduates, improving the countrys Goss Domestic Products among other things, for which some economic analyst, including the international monetary fund have applauded the government, PNC chairman Bernard Mornah has a different view. He believes that the president and his appointees are just throwing dust in the eyes of ignorant Ghanaians, saying it would be difficult to give the government four out of ten for its two-and-a-half-year performance.



It will be difficult to give Nana Akuffo Addo 4 out of ten, and I am being charitable. The president and his vice want us to believe that economics of averages is enough to determine the wellbeing of the people of Ghana



If no other than the IMF and other topnotch economists agree with the government on its claim that it has improved the wellbeing of Ghanaians through favourable policies, then what is the basis for Bernard Mornahs disagreement?



I give you instance of the telecom sector. Glo, Airtel-Tigo, Vodafone, and MTN are all foreign companies, so all the telecom providers in the country, none is own by you so when they make their money it is calculated as part of your GDP, but it is taken away the next moment. What you are confronted with is the GNP which determines what the nationals of your country actually produce. So, if the Americans and other countries are using GDP as a determinant of the health of their economy, you too you come and use GDP?



Go to the oil sector, you own 13% of that oil, and the 87% migrates immediately it is produced. Go to the gold sector, you own less than 5%, so you virtually own nothing. So, to constantly come and tell us that these amount of goods and services have been produced in the country so we are doing well, that is bankruptcy in ideas, because we dont own our economy, he asserted in trying to substantiate his claim that the NPP government has performed abysmally.



The PNC is not the only political party to have punched holes in the NPP administrations performance. The largest opposition NDC is always vehement and quick in marching the government boot for boot, disputing its figures to buttress claims of having bettered the Ghanaian economy among others.



Well, it is the ordinary Ghanaians who are the best judges to decipher the truth between Bernard Mornahs stance on the state of affairs under the NPP regime and the position of the government itself. Whether their economic and social wellbeing are improving or otherwise, it does not lie in the mouth of any politician; they will feel it.

Source: pulse.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.

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Former President John Agyekum Kufuor has observed that the behaviour and actions of some politicians has made the profession not to attract any sense of honour anymore.



He has, therefore, advised politicians to conduct and carry themselves in an honourable manner to erase the perception that anybody seeking to enter into the profession is only aiming to use it for a dubious purpose. Addressing a delegation that paid him a visit at his house in Accra on Monday, the former President said the actions of some politicians had affected the entire profession so much that the title honourable bestowed on politicians had lost its true meaning.



"Anywhere you raise the topic of politics, people raise their eyebrows as if it is a dishonourable thing to be a politician. People think you are going in for some dubious consideration," he said.



Visit



The delegation was made up of the relatives of the eight senior military officers who were executed on June 16 and June 26, 1979 for alleged corruption and embezzlement of public funds. They visited the former President to thank him for the role he played in assisting the families to retrieve the bodies of the executed military men for reburial.



In 2002 when former President Kufuor was in power, he granted permission to the families after they had petitioned him in 2001 to allow them exhume the bodies of the executed military officers for reburial.



This was after former President Kufuor had set up a Reconciliation Commission to ensure peace within the country. The senior military officers, including three of Ghana's former Heads of State, were executed after a military tribunal convicted them for misusing their positions to enrich themselves while in office.



They were a former head of state, Gen. A. A. Afrifa; former foreign affairs minister, Col Roger Felli; a former Head of State, Gen. Ignatius Acheampong; former border guards commander, Maj. Gen. E. K. Utuka.



Other officers executed were a former army commander, Maj. Gen. R. E. A. Kotei; a former air force chief, Air Vice Marshal George Yaw Boakye, and chief of the navy, Real Admiral Joy Amedume.



This year marks the 40th anniversary since their execution.



Protect the profession



Former President Kufuor said, in Ghana, people, including politicians had came to love the honourable title attached to the profession so much that they had forgotten " it is just a service to the nation".



He said the title honourable should come with a meaning and that it was the responsibility of politicians to carry themselves well so that their attitudes would not affect the image of the profession.



Former President Kufuor also attributed the wrong perception around the profession to the way the media sometimes twisted the words of politicians which, he said, made them appear bad to the public.



" Sometimes the way the media twist the words of politicians make it difficult for people to open their doors for them. This also affects the way the profession is seen," he said.



Regarding the visit, the former President said he was not expecting any "thank you message" from the families because he acted in the best interest of the nation.



"Those who were killed served Ghana and died in the course of duty and I thought that they deserved a proper burial," he added.



Spokesperson



The spokesperson of the families, Mrs Linda Brown, who is the daughter of Air Vice Marshal George Boakye, expressed gratitude of the families to former President Kufuor for his role in the whole process of reburial.



She said the families would on June 26, this year, hold a ceremony to mark the 40th anniversary of all the executed military officers.

Source: Graphic Online









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.

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THE NATIONAL Democratic Congress (NDC) appears to be panicking over the Importations of guns into Ghana.



It would be recalled that recently, the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority at the Tema Port intercepted a forty-feet container loaded with guns imported from the United States of America.



A private company, Yardco Ghana Limited, imported the guns into the country and declared them as hunting guns.



NDC in a statement signed by its Director of Communications, Kakra Essamuah, tasked President Akufo-Addo and his administration to track the sale and purchase of the weapons in question and to ensure that they do not end up in the hands of bandits and hoodlums or vigilantes.



It says although police investigations appear to point to the fact that firearms were imported under the license of the Interior Ministry, the NDC is alarmed by Government decision to authorize such importation with the threat of terrorism on our northern frontier, pervasive vigilantism and unmitigated armed robberies across the length and breadth of our country.

Source: Daily Guide









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Bertelsmann booked a 5.4-percent year-on-year sales increase in the first three months, to 4.2 billion euros ($4.7 billion), with a sizeable chunk down to Obama's memoir "Becoming".

The book has now sold more than 10 million copies worldwide.

Bertelsmann said the increased sales represented the "highest first quarter revenues since 2008".

Chief executive Thomas Rabe said the group "looks back on one of its best first quarters in recent years," driven by the success of its digital platforms and book sales.

"The strategic expansion of our high-growth businesses in recent years is increasingly bearing fruit," added Rabe.

Part of Bertelsmann's success is down to publishing arm Penguin Random House, which "delivered a strong bestseller performance" including Obama's book.

But since taking over the family group in 2012, Rabe has also invested more than four billion euros to catch up on the digital market.

Bertelsmann now sells music, online training and multiple specialised magazine titles, as well as owning Europe's largest broadcast group RTL -- which on Thursday also reported glowing results.

The parent company says the future looks rosy in 2019.

"We continue to expect higher revenues and continued high operating profitability for the full year. Our group profit should exceed the billion-euro mark again," predicted chief financial officer Bernd Hirsch.
A former Deputy Minister of Information in the erstwhile John Mahama administration, Felix Kwakye Ofosu says the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) government is interested in engaging in scandal mongering than focusing on its mandate as a government.



He stressed that the Akufo-Addo administration has taken keen interest in denigrating and maligning his predecessor's administration at every given opportunity, neglecting his core responsibility to meeting the expectation of Ghanaians.



Commenting on the Saglemi housing project, former Deputy Minister of Information on Okay FMs 'Ade Akye Abia' morning show said the Housing Minister and the Akufo-Addo government are contradicting themselves in the Saglemi housing project.



He wondered why the sector Minister during his visit to the site last year, showered praises on the contractor undertaking the project and his sudden u-turn.



" . . so on what basis are you turning around to say something untoward has happened with the project within this short period? And on what basis did the sector Minister praise the contractor if all documentations and the work done are wrong, because it is assumed that the Minister will check the documents regarding the project before commending the contractor," he said.



He added that the former Deputy Minister to Samuel Atta-Akyea, Freda Prempeh also on Joy TV said she is pleased with the work of the contractor on the Saglemi housing project.



When you look at the NPP Government led by Nana Akufo-Addo, their behaviour and utterances show that they are not a government who have made their minds that the work which Ghanaians have entrusted into their hands, they will concentrate on it and do it, he asserted.



Everyday, the NPP government led by Nana Akufo-Addo engages in scandal mongering to denigrate and malign others without any cause. One would have expected that this Akufo-Addo led government will ensure the completion of the Saglemi housing project in order to help many Ghanaians to have access to affordable houses, he jabbed.



He reiterated that Akufo-Addo government instead of concentrating on that housing project, rather is going around on baseless issues to tarnish the image of the former administration led by former President John Dramani Mahama.



CONTRACT AGREEMENT



Former Deputy Information Minister said at the latter part of 2012, the government of Ghana received $200 million from a Switzerland bank and the government employed the service of a Brazilian construction company to build the Saglemi housing project.



So the government entered into first phase of agreement after with the company in January 2013 which meant that even though the money is $200 million, the housing project must be done in 4 phases.



The first phase of the housing project should see 1,502 housing units and these houses will either be rented out or sold so that the proceeds will be used for the phase two and again the proceeds from phase two will be used to construct phase three of the housing units and it will continue till we finish all the 4 phases.



The government again in December 2016 had second restated agreement with the constructor to reduce the earlier 1,502 housing units to 1,412.



WORKS AND HOUSING MINISTER COMMENT



But the Works and Housing Minister said the project has stalled over allegations that the country was shortchanged with the provision of less than 1,500 housing units as against the initial agreement of 5000 housing units.



Hon. Samuel Atta-Akyea has however assured that all persons and entities involved in the botched Saglemi housing deal will soon be called out to answer questions on allegations of causing financial loss to the state.

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.

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Member of Parliament for the Ayawaso North Constituency Yussif Issaka Jajah has stated that residents and stakeholders of Nima ought to be briefed about details of the proposed Nima facelift else they will not support the idea.



The MP alleged that the Ministry of Works and Housing did not officially inform the actual residents of the planned re-development.



His comment comes on the back of an announcement by the sector minister, Samuel Atta Akyea, that there are plans in place to transform Nima into a world-class residential district. According to the Minister, they were planning to build affordable housing for the community free of charge.



The Ayawaso North MP says his constituents and other stakeholders have not been formally engaged in the process prior to the announcement by the Minister; hence, it will be difficult for them to agree to the planned facelift.



Speaking on 3FMs Sunrise morning show on Wednesday, the MP said they will only support the initiative if they get information on what the concept entails and what the conditions are.



If I look at it and it will favour, fine. Who will not like to be in a community or constituency which will look like New York, as they mentioned? Who does not want to see his community being upgraded?



Nobody will say no to such a project but we need to know concepts underpinning this project, the conditions attached to it. If it is favourable, why not, we will go for it; but if the conditions and the concept will not favour our people, I dont think the residents will go for it, he said.



He also pointed out that in the similar instance of Kanda, which used to be a part of the Nima community, such upgrade displaced the actual slum dwellers replacing them with middle-income earners dwelling there today.







Source: 3news.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.

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Sudan's military rulers on Thursday suspended crucial talks with protesters on installing civilian rule, insisting more time was needed to finalise the deal as Khartoum's security situation deteriorated.

On Wednesday army generals and protest leaders were expected to decide on the make-up of a new body to govern Sudan for three years, the thorniest issue in instating civilian rule following the ouster of longtime autocrat Omar al-Bashir last month.

But after at least eight people were reported wounded by gunshots near a sit-in outside the army complex in the capital, Sudan's army ruler General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan announced negotiations would be suspended for 72 hours.

Burhan -- the chief of the ruling military council that took power after Bashir was toppled -- left the door open to resume talks but demanded protesters dismantle roadblocks in Khartoum, open bridges and railway lines connecting the capital and "stop provoking security forces".

There were "armed elements among demonstrators who were shooting at security forces", he added.

Earlier on Wednesday, protest leaders told AFP of the ruling military council's decision to suspend talks.

"They asked us to dismantle barricades in parts of the capital," Rashid al-Sayid, a spokesman of the umbrella protest movement the Alliance for Freedom and Change said.

- 'Many assaults on us' -

Roadblocks on key thoroughfares are being used by demonstrators to pressure the generals to transfer power to a civilian administration.

The protest group that spearheaded the campaign against Bashir said the generals wanted the demonstrators to restrict themselves to the sit-in area where thousands have camped for weeks in central Khartoum, demanding civilian rule.

Some roadblocks were later removed after the protest group urged demonstrators to abide by the request, an AFP correspondent reported.

Protester Mohamed expressed disappointment over the suspended negotiations, telling AFP they had "delayed so many times and there have been so many assaults on us".

The protest movement is demanding a civilian-led transition, which the generals have steadfastly resisted since bowing to their demands and toppling longtime autocrat Bashir.

During the first two days of talks the two sides had agreed on an overall civilian structure, including a three-year transitional period for the full transfer of power to a civilian administration.

They had also agreed that parliament be composed of 300 members for the transition, with 67 percent from the alliance and the rest drawn from other political groups.

The composition of the new sovereign council has been the toughest part of the negotiations, with the two sides so far proposing different compositions of the body which is expected to take all key decisions concerning national issues.

The generals want it to be military-led, while the protesters insist on a majority civilian body.

- 'Provoking security forces' -

Earlier General Yasser al-Atta, one of the members of the current ruling military council, had vowed to reach a deal by early Thursday that "meets the people's aspirations".

But in his statement announcing the suspension, chief Burhan said the protesters were "provoking the security forces", referring to reports of clashes between demonstrators and members of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

The RSF had "taken the side of the people's revolution and played an important role in its victory".

Hours before the talks were due to start on Wednesday, the Alliance for Freedom and Change wrote on Facebook that eight people had been wounded by live fire.

A witness told AFP that gunshots had been fired near the sit-in.

The British ambassador to Khartoum said Sudanese security forces had fired at protesters.

"Extremely concerned by use of live ammunition by Sudanese security forces against protesters in Khartoum today, with reports of civilian casualties," Irfan Siddiq wrote on Twitter.

"Military council must act to stop this now. No more excuses."

Security forces were seen chasing protesters in downtown Khartoum and removing some roadblocks, an AFP correspondent said.

Tension had flared since Monday when five protesters and an army officer were killed in shootings near the sit-in.

The new council is expected to form a transitional civilian government, which would then prepare for the first post-Bashir election after the three-year changeover period ends.

Protest leader Khalid Omar Yousef downplayed the role of the proposed ruling council, insisting Sudan would have a powerful cabinet.

"All powers will be in the cabinet's hand, which will be formed by the Alliance for Freedom and Change," he said.

Only the defence and interior ministries would be headed by military figures, he said.

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The American Human Rights Council (AHRC-USA) joins communities across the United States in commemoration of National Police Week, a time the country honors law enforcement officers nationwide who have died in the line of duty. This time of honor began in 1962 when President John F. Kennedy signed the proclamation dedicating May 15 as Peace Officers Memorial Day. The week following or/and close to May 15 is now known as National Police Week.

National Police Week in the month of May is a time for thousands of law enforcement officers, colleagues and family and friends of fallen officers to gather in Washington, DC for national events and in communities across the nation in memory of officers who have given the ultimate sacrifice.

AHRC sincerely appreciates and supports the service and unwavering dedication of our law enforcement communities. Police Officers are an integral component of a healthy and vibrant community. Police Officers work hard to keep citizens safe, even at the risk of their own lives.

AHRC reiterates the obvious to all decent law- abiding citizens and residents of the United States- that police officers are our sons, daughters, sisters, wives, fathers, friends and relatives- and above all our brothers and sisters in humanity. Overwhelmingly, they take the oath to protect us seriously and work tirelessly and honorably, often in very challenging circumstances.

The American Human Rights Council (AHRC-USA) strongly encourages local community members to honor and remember our fallen officers across metro Detroit and the across the nation. Their call to service, as first responders and their ultimate sacrifice is a true testament to their dedication and to their humanity.

It is truly important that we commend and salute the extraordinary service of our officers at all levels in society, stated Imad Hamad, AHRC Executive Director. Their contribution to every communitys safety and well-being is immeasurable, added Mr. Hamad.

National Police Week is truly a time to honor the heroism of our nations fallen officers and support the families, friends and colleagues of these officers, said Dr. Saleh Muslah, AHRC Board President.

For more information on National Police Week, please visit www.policeweek.org
The Dearborn Heights City Council voted to remove attorney client privilege from an email chain that included several points of advice from City Attorney Gary Miotke on May 9.

In the email, Miotke explained why a lawsuit was dismissed for being filed against the Mayor Daniel Paletko without approval of the Council, and several other items from recent weeks that were in his opinion against the City Charter.

Earlier parts of the email chain also included discussion of cancelling a City Council meeting in a manor that, according to Miotke, wasnt in compliance with the City Charter.

The entire email is included below.

Subject: Status of Mandamus Lawsuit and Its Relationship to the Important Announcement Regarding Cancelled April 23, 2019 City Council Meeting

Importance: High

City Council Members:

This email is being sent to you as individual members of your Honorable Body for three (3) reasons: (A) to provide you with an update regarding the Wayne County Circuit Courts decision in the case entitled Dearborn Heights City Council v. Daniel S. Paletko; (B) to explain the meaning of the Courts ruling in this case relative to the advice I previously gave regarding the purported cancellation of the Regular City Council Meeting scheduled for Tuesday, April 23, 2019; and (C) to clarify an Open Meetings Act issue that may be very relevant.

However, in providing this advice, I must emphasize that my client is the City of Dearborn Heights as distinct from the Citys elected officials (such as yourselves), appointed officials, officers, employees, agents, etc. Please keep this in mind in reading this email and in any communications you might have with me concerning it.

Dearborn Heights City Council v. Daniel S. Paletko

This case was filed by the law firm of Ottenwess, Taweel and Schenk, PLC on behalf of the DEARBORN HEIGHTS CITY COUNCIL against DANIEL S. PALETKO, in his official capacity as Mayor for the City of Dearborn Heights. The purpose of the lawsuit was to obtain a type of court order known as a writ of mandamus to compel the Mayor to sign the engagement letter agreement between the law firm of Ottenwess, Taweel, and Schenk, PLC. and an unspecified client. That is, the engagement letter agreement was addressed to the Council Chair and said that the law firm would represent your interests in connection with the Dearborn Heights City Councils legal interests.

On Tuesday, the Court dismissed this case. In doing so, the Court relied on City Charter Section 7.1. This provision states in pertinent part: The official actions of the Council shall be by ordinance or resolution adopted by not less than four (4) members of the Council unless otherwise required by law. Action of the Council by resolution shall be limited to matters required or permitted to be so done by law or relating to the internal affairs or concerns of the City. 

The Court ruled that the Plaintiff in the case had failed to demonstrate that it had standing to file the lawsuit. The Court reasoned that City Charter Section 7.1 required the City Council to approve a resolution authorizing the filing of the lawsuit. Yet, the Court noted, there was no evidence that the City Council had approved such a resolution authorizing the filing of the lawsuit. Since City Charter Section 7.1 required the City Council to approve such a resolution in order for the lawsuit to be the official action of the City Council, the lawsuit was not an official, authorized act of the City Council. Accordingly, the Court ruled that the Plaintiff did not have standing to file the lawsuit, denied the Plaintiffs motion for a writ of mandamus, and dismissed the case without prejudice.

Meaning of Courts Ruling Relative to My Previous Advice Regarding the Purported Cancellation of the April 23, 2019 Meeting

As shown in the below email string, I previously advised the Council Chair (and the rest of the City Council as well as the other elected officials who were copied on the emails) that the purported cancellation of the Regular City Council Meeting scheduled for Tuesday, April 23, 2019 would violate the City Charter. My reasoning was that this action violated Section 6.4 in that it cancels a meeting and thus changes the schedule of meetings set by the City Council itself without an act of comparable dignity by the City Council. In other words, the Regular Meeting scheduled for April 23, 2019 was scheduled for that date based on a duly adopted motion or resolution of the City Council. Thus, it could only be cancelled by a duly adopted motion or resolution of the City Council or a more significant legislative act. The decision of the Council Chair did not constitute such an action.

The basis for my advice on this point stemmed in part from the doctrine of legislative equivalency. This doctrine was explained recently by the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan in the case of Tuscola Wind III, LLC v. Ellington Twp. wherein it stated:

It is axiomatic that an ordinance may not be repealed or amended without action of equal dignity to that required in its enactment. City of Saginaw v. Consumers Power Co., 213 Mich. 460, 469, 182 N.W. 146 (1921). See also Lorencz v. Brookfield Twp., No. 319235, 2015 Mich. App. LEXIS 886, 2015 WL 1931967, at *2 (Mich. Ct. App. Apr. 28, 2015) ([A]n ordinance may only be repealed by an act of equal dignity, which requires the township to repeal by ordinance and not resolution.); Lee v. City of Taylor, 63 Mich. App. 221, 223, 234 N.W.2d 483 (1975) (It is settled that a municipal corporation may only repeal an ordinance by an act of equal dignity and formality.); McCarthy v. Vill. of Marcellus, 32 Mich. App. 679, 688-89, 189 N.W.2d 80 (1971) (An ordinance or resolution cannot be amended, repealed, or suspended by another act by a council of less dignity than the ordinance or resolution itself.); Expiration and suspension, 5 McQuillin Mun. Corp. 15:40 (3d ed.) (A city may suspend an ordinance by ordinance. However, the operation of an ordinance cannot be suspended by the act of municipal officers, even though the suspension is attempted by resolution.). This is the doctrine of legislative equivalency.

Tuscola Wind III, LLC v. Ellington Twp., 2018 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 40735, *19-20, 2018 WL 1291161.

In the Dearborn Heights City Council v. Daniel S. Paletko case, the Court expressly relied on City Charter Section 7.1 which establishes the way in which the City Council must officially exercise its legislative powers. That is, the City Council must do so by adopting ordinances or resolutions by votes of its members conforming to the requirements of Section 7.1. Otherwise, the City Councils actions are not official or valid. Instead, such actions are unauthorized.

Thus, the Courts ruling in the Dearborn Heights City Council v. Daniel S. Paletko case reinforces my advice that the purported cancellation of the Regular City Council Meeting scheduled for Tuesday, April 23, 2019 would violate City Charter Section 6.4. The action of the Council Chair to cancel the meeting could not and did not validly cancel the meeting, since it was not a motion or resolution adopted by the City Council as a body in conformity with City Charter Section 7.1. Nor was it equivalent to such a motion or resolution adopted by the City Council as a body. Regardless, the cancellation decision violated City Charter Section 6.4. Only the attendance of two City Council members at the meeting on Tuesday, April 23, 2019 makes it at least arguable that the City did not violate City Charter Section 6.4.

However, the meaning of the Courts ruling relative to my previous advice is even more significant in light of recent events. Given the Courts ruling, both the purported cancellation of the Regular Meeting of April 23, 2019 and the Dearborn Heights City Council v. Daniel S. Paletko lawsuit were unauthorized actions by at least one member of the City Council that violated City Charter Section 7.1.

Further, the Resolution of the Dearborn Heights City Council To Approve Contract with the Law Firm of Ottenwess, Taweel & Schenk, PLC (hereafter Resolution) also violates City Charter Section 7.1. The Resolution states in relevant part (with emphasis added): That the City Council recognizes that the full scope of the financial review cannot be accomplished within the current budget allocation, and the Council President [sic] is hereby authorized to prioritize scope on behalf of the City Council. Given the Courts ruling, this underlined language in the Resolution violates City Charter Section 7.1 by delegating the official powers of the City Council to the Council President (presumably meaning the Council Chair).

The conclusion that the Resolution violates City Charter Section 7.1 is bolstered by further analysis of the City Charter. Besides the clear language of Section 7.1, the City Charter does not grant the Council Chair the authority to generally make decisions on behalf of the City Council. See City Charter Sections 6.3, 6.9, and 5.4.

Most importantly, the City Charter reserves the power to the City Council itself to conduct investigations. In the Dearborn Heights City Council v. Daniel S. Paletko lawsuit, the Plaintiffs attorneys argued that the financial review was authorized by City Charter Section 6.13. Yet, City Charter Section 6.13 states that the Council  not the Council Chair or anyone else  may conduct such investigations. See City Charter Section 6.13. Thus, only the City Council acting officially as a body pursuant to City Charter Section 7.1 may conduct such investigations.

This is consistent with general principles of law related to legislative powers. In general, legislative power cannot be delegated unless such delegation is expressly authorized by other law. See McQuilln Mun. Corp., Sections 10.40, p. 433 and 13.03.15, p. 762 (3rd Ed.). Plus, [a] municipal council generally acts by vote. See Id. at Section 13.43.10, p. 869.

My sense is that it is possible that some of these unlawful actions stem from an incomplete understanding of the doctrine of separation of powers that causes some members of your Honorable Body to view the City Council as being similar to the executive branch. One member of your Honorable Body commented at a meeting that the City Council is an equal branch of City government to the Mayor. While it is true that the City Council as the legislative branch is equal to the Mayor as the executive branch, it is more accurate to say that the doctrine of separation of powers envisions a government composed of legislative, executive, and judicial branches where each branch has its own powers and mode of operation, and where [o]ne branch is not permitted to encroach on the domain of another. See Blacks Law Dictionary, 5th Edition, p. 1225. In other words, the City Council is not equal to the Mayor because the City Council can do what the Mayor does in the way that the Mayor does it. Instead, the City Council is equal to the Mayor because it has its own domain over certain functions of City government that the Mayor cannot control.

Perhaps an imperfect analogy would be helpful. Imagine that City government is a three leaf clover with each leaf being one of the three primary colors of blue, red, and yellow. Imagine further that each leaf corresponds to one of the three branches of City government, namely legislative, executive, and judicial. While each leaf is clearly equal to any other leaf in the sense that it is a leaf, it is also just as true that the blue leaf is not the same as the red leaf or the yellow leaf. Further, the blue leaf cannot be a red leaf or a yellow leaf given the fact that it is its own most basic color.

The upshot of this is that the City Council is a branch of City government that must act in specific ways in compliance with the law in exercising its powers; and these ways of having to act are not analogous to how the Mayor has to act. While the Mayor can make decisions as an individual, the City Council has to make decisions as a body. While the Mayor can delegate decision-making in certain areas to department heads, the City Council cannot delegate its decision-making to anyone. While the Mayor is not subject to the Open Meetings Act when he meets with department heads to make decisions, the City Council must make all decisions in conformity with the Open Meetings Act.

Furthermore, I must advise your Honorable Body that there can be extremely significant, negative consequences for not acting in compliance with the law in carrying out your duties as City Council members. Those negative consequences extend beyond the fact that you will be violating the City Charter in at least the ways that I have already noted. They also include potential practical consequences, civil legal consequences, under the Open Meetings Act and otherwise, and criminal legal consequences under the Open Meetings Act and otherwise.

To illustrate some of the potential, negative, practical consequences, one needs to do no more than consider the lawsuit entitled Dearborn Heights City Council v. Daniel S. Paletko. The Court ruled that filing the lawsuit was an unauthorized act since the City Council did not authorize It by a vote of its members.

Presumably, the law firm representing the Plaintiff incurred substantial costs and attorney fees. After all, it had to pay a filling fee, went through numerous gyrations trying to schedule and then reschedule the hearing before the Court, and had at least two (and perhaps even three) attorneys present for the hearing for almost three hours.

So who is supposed to pay the law firm for this illegal and unauthorized lawsuit? Since the lawsuit was unauthorized, the City certainly has no obligation to pay any of the costs and the attorney fees for the Plaintiff. Assuming for sake of the argument that the law firm did not commit legal malpractice in advising the Plaintiff to file the lawsuit, the individual or individuals authorizing the lawsuit has or have the legal obligation to pay the law firms costs and attorney fees. This would include any member of the City Council who directed the law firm to file and pursue the lawsuit.

Another example is the proposed Resolution of the Dearborn Heights City Council To Authorize the law firm of Ottenwess, Taweel & Schenk, PLC to File a Complaint for Writ of Mandamus Against Mayor Paletko (hereafter Proposed Resolution). The Proposed Resolution states in pertinent part: That the Council President [sic] is authorized by the City Council to act on its behalf in any other actions required or related to the implementation of this resolution. Besides the fact that this Proposed Resolution violates City Charter Section 7.1 by purporting to presumably delegate authority to the Council Chair that only the City Council itself can exercise, what does the Proposed Resolution mean as a practical matter by using this language? Is the Council Chair authorized to settle any such potential lawsuit on behalf of the City Council? Is she authorized to appropriate funds for costs and attorney fees related to the potential lawsuit? Is she authorized to appeal any adverse decision in the potential lawsuit? Frankly, that I have to ask these questions and that there is no clear answer to them based on the language in the Proposed Resolution is extremely disturbing.

And these types of potential negative, practical consequences can arise in many way other than just financially.

Additionally, negative, civil, legal consequences can also arise under the Open Meetings Act or otherwise. For example, I have already noted that individual City Council members could be personally liable for the cost of the unauthorized and illegal case entitled Dearborn heights City Council v. Daniel S. Paletko.

Yet, in my view, the most relevant civil liability concern is possible violation of the Open Meetings Act. The Act provides for civil actions against public officials who violate it. See MCL 15.271 and MCL 15.273. Substantial damages may also be imposed for intentional violations of it. See MCL 15.273.

Examples of this type of potential liability arise from the Resolution and the Proposed Resolution. Since they grant authority to the Council Chair to make decisions regarding the financial review and the proposed lawsuit that the City Council itself should make, they clearly evade the requirements of the Act. Yet, under the Act, all decisions of the City Council must be made in conformity with Act. See MCL 15.263(2) Thus, by granting the Council Chair the authority to make such decisions despite the fact that City Council members know that such decisions are supposed to be made by them as a body in compliance with the Act, the clear inference is that the City Council members voting in favor of the Resolution or the Proposed Resolution were or will be doing so in order to authorize intentional violations of the Act. Thus, such City Council members are running the risk of having the Acts civil penalties and remedies imposed on them.

Further, public officials who intentionally violate the Act may also be prosecuted criminally. See MCL 15.272. A public official who intentionally violates this act is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not more than $1,000.00. See MCL 15.272(1). A public official who is convicted of intentionally violating a provision of this act for a second time within the same term shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and shall be fined not more than $2,000.00, or imprisoned for not more than 1 year, or both. See MCL 15.272(2).

There are two other types of criminal offenses that may be relevant in the context of public officials performing or not performing their official duties. Given some of the unauthorized and illegal actions that have been taken, I must once again advise you of these offenses, but with greater detail about what they entail.

Willful Neglect of Duty is a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for not more than 1 year or a fine of not more than $1,000. See MCL 750.478. It pertains to public officers or persons holding public trust or employment. See Id. Thus, it may apply to any City official or employees, including members of your Honorable Body or other elected officials.

Still, you should be aware of two things regarding this offense:

(A) A good faith failure to act is unlikely to be viewed as the offense of Willful Neglect of Duty. This is true since the prosecution needs to establish that a defendant had a bad purpose in order to show that a defendant acted willfully. See People v. Medlyn, 215 Mich. App. 338, 344-6 (1996).

(B) There is authority suggesting that public officials and those acting in concert with them can be charged with a conspiracy to commit the offense of Willful Neglect of Duty. See People v. Tenerowicz, 266 Mich. 276, 280-3 (1934).

The other criminal offense that I must again advise you of is Misconduct in Office by a Public Officer. This is a common law felony. The relevant Michigan Municipal League Fact Sheet describes this offense as follows: The offense of misconduct in office includes malfeasance, which is the doing of a wrongful act; misfeasance, which is the doing of a lawful act in a wrongful manner; and nonfeasance which is the failure to perform an act required by the duties of the office. It does not include accts done by officers in good faith or honest mistakes. The crime requires evidence of corrupt intent which does not necessarily mean, however, an intent to profit.

Clarification of Open Meetings Act Issue

At a recent meeting of your Honorable Body, the Mayor accused certain members of your Honorable Body of violating the Open Meetings Act by allegedly meeting at a local restaurant and discussing City business. My recollection is that one member of your Honorable Body indicated that we never have more than three of us together at a time, or words to that effect.

The Open Meetings Act requires that all decisions of a public body must be made at a public meeting conforming to the requirements of the Act. See MCL 15.263(2). The Act also requires that all deliberations of a public body constituting a quorum of its members shall take place at a meeting open to the public except as otherwise provided in the Act. See MCL 15.263(3).

However, using subquorum groups (or even an individual) to avoid the requirements of the Act still violates the Act. For example, the Michigan Supreme Court held that the University of Michigan Board of Regents use of subquorum groups to narrow candidates for the position of president of the University violated the Act regardless of the fact that the Board did not officially vote in these groups. See Booth Newspapers v. University of Mich. Bd. of Regents, 444 Mich 211, 226-9 (1993). The Boards use of these groups still amounted to making decisions under the Act regardless of the Boards characterization of what it did as consensus building. See Id. The subquorum committees round-the-horn decisions and conferences still amounted to making a decision in violation of the Act regardless of the lack of a formal vote. See Id.

Similarly, the Michigan Court of Appeals found that the Wyoming City Council violated the Act where it divided itself into subquorum groups, met for lunch in such groups, and discussed city business to get a non-binding sense of direction. See Booth Newspapers v. Wyoming City Council, 168 Mich App 459, 471-3 (1987). In reaching this decision, the Court of Appeals reasoned:

The OMA defines a meeting as the convening of a public body at which a quorum is present to deliberate or render a decision on public policy. MCL 15.262(b); MSA 4.1800(12)(b). Because neither luncheon meeting, alone, had a quorum, defendant argues that the meetings should be exempt from the OMA. Our primary objective in construing a statute is to ascertain and give effect to legislative intent. Spartan Asphalt Paving Co v Grand Ledge Mobile Home Park, 400 Mich 184; 253 NW2d 646 (1977). Advisory committees of less than a quorum which do not collectively deliberate toward resolution of public business are not within the purview of the act. See OAG, 1977-1978, No 5183 (Pt II, No 25), p 40 (March 8, 1977). However, 3(10) of the OMA, which excludes meetings of a social or chance gathering or a conference not designed to avoid this act from the OMA, evidences a legislative intent that the OMA apply to those meetings designed to avoid the act. To accept the city councils suggestion that a public body can avoid the OMA by deliberately dividing itself into groups of less than a quorum and still deliberate on public policy would circumvent the legislative principles as well as the overall objective of the OMA to promote openness and accountability in government.

In this case, although Halliday testified that he conveyed information at the luncheon meetings on a legal disagreement which he had with the city attorney, it is also clear that he sought a non-binding sense of direction from the individual council members on his negotiating stance. From the record as a whole, we find no error in the trial courts finding that the meetings were designed to avoid the OMA. Compare OAG, 1979-1980, No 5788, p 1015 (September 23, 1980). The portion of the meetings concerning the legal disagreement should have been held in closed session of the entire city council and subject to the courts transcription requirement. Because the portion of the meetings concerning Hallidays negotiating stance related to public policy, rather than legal advice, and the city council has not cited any provision in 8 of the OMA which allows a closed session for this purpose, we find no error in the trial courts finding that the April 13 and 14, 1987, luncheon meetings violated the OMA.

168 Mich App at 472-3.

In light of the above authority, subquorum groups of the City Council may violate the Open Meetings Act if (A) they still result in public policy decisions being made outside of an actual City Council meeting that complies with the Act or (B) they include deliberations on public policy that circumvent the requirements of the Act. Hence, it is not dispositive whether more than three members of your Honorable Body are together at a time.

Final Points

As stated above, in providing this advice, I have been acting on behalf of my client in this matter, namely the City of Dearborn Heights. I have been doing so as distinct from acting on behalf of the Citys elected officials (including yourselves), appointed officials, officers, employees, agents, etc. And once again, I must emphasize that you should please keep this in mind in reading this email and in any communications you might have with me concerning it.

Consistent with my obligations to the City under MRPC 1.13(b) and (c), and given what I have stated above, I am strongly advising you to:

(A) Reconsider the Resolution of the Dearborn Heights City Council To Approve Contract with the Law Firm of Ottenwess, Taweel & Schenk, PLC (hereafter Resolution) such that at a minimum the underlined text in the following quotation from this Resolution is eliminated from it: That the City Council recognizes that the full scope of the financial review cannot be accomplished within the current budget allocation, and the Council President [sic] is hereby authorized to prioritize scope on behalf of the City Council.

(B) Refrain from adopting the proposed Resolution of the Dearborn Heights City Council To Authorize the law firm of Ottenwess, Taweel & Schenk, PLC to File a Complaint for Writ of Mandamus Against Mayor Paletko (hereafter Proposed Resolution), at a minimum, if it contains the following quoted text as currently stated in this Proposed Resolution: That the Council President [sic] is authorized by the City Council to act on its behalf in any other actions required or related to the implementation of this resolution.

(C) Reconsider any actions that were undertaken in violation of the law in ways that are noted in this email, including (without limitation) any possible violations of the Open Meetings Act .

(D) Refrain from any actions that would be undertaken in violation of the law in ways that are noted in this email, including (without limitation) any possible violations of the Open Meetings Act .

If I may be of further assistance regarding this matter, or any other matter, please feel free to contact me at your convenience.
Sudanese protesters voiced regret Thursday at an army decision to suspend crucial talks on installing civilian rule but vowed to press on with a sit-in despite being targeted in fresh violence.

Army generals and protest leaders had been expected to come to an agreement on Wednesday over the make-up of a new body to govern Sudan for three years.

The issue is the thorniest to have come up in ongoing talks on reinstating civilian rule after the generals took over following the ouster of longtime autocratic president Omar al-Bashir last month.

But in the early hours of Thursday, the chief of Sudan's ruling military council, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, announced the talks had been suspended for 72 hours as security in Khartoum had deteriorated.

He demanded that protesters dismantle roadblocks in Khartoum, open bridges and railway lines connecting the capital and "stop provoking security forces".

The Alliance for Freedom and Change, the group that is leading the protest movement and negotiating the transfer of power with the army rulers, called the move "regrettable".

"It ignores the developments achieved in negotiations so far... and the fact that Wednesday's meeting was to finalise the agreement, which would have stopped the escalations such as roadblocks."

The protest movement vowed to press on with the "sit-in outside the army headquarters and across the country".

Several Roadblocks Removed

Protesters said the army aimed to provoke demonstrators.

"They want to provoke the people by delaying the negotiations ... but the negotiations will resume now that the roadblocks have been removed," said Moatassim Sayid, a protester at the sit-in.

On Thursday morning, several roadblocks in downtown Khartoum had been taken down, an AFP correspondent reported, adding that troops from the paramilitary Rapid Support Force (RSF) were deployed in some areas.

Roadblocks on key thoroughfares in the capital are being used by demonstrators to pressure the generals to transfer power to a civilian administration.

The talks began on Monday and achieved significant breakthroughs, but have also been marred by violence that left five protesters and an army major dead and many wounded from gunshots.

Protesters allege that members of RSF were behind the violence.

But Burhan said there were "armed elements among demonstrators who were shooting at security forces."

He defended the paramilitary group, saying "it had taken the side of the people" during the uprising that toppled Bashir on April 11.

The British ambassador to Khartoum said Sudanese security forces had fired at protesters on Wednesday when eight were reported wounded near the sit-in, where thousands remain camped demanding the generals step down.

"Extremely concerned by use of live ammunition by Sudanese security forces against protesters in Khartoum today, with reports of civilian casualties," Irfan Siddiq wrote on Twitter on Wednesday.

"Military council must act to stop this now. No more excuses."

US Blames Generals

Washington blamed the military council for the bloodshed that left six dead on Monday.

"The tragic attacks on protesters ... were clearly the result of the Transitional Military Council trying to impose its will on the protesters by attempting to remove roadblocks," the US embassy said in a statement.

The protest movement said the generals wanted the demonstrators to restrict themselves to the sit-in area.

Protesters are demanding a civilian-led transition, which the generals have steadfastly resisted since bowing to their demands and toppling Bashir.

During the first two days of talks the two sides had agreed on an overall civilian structure, including a three-year transitional period for the full transfer of power to a civilian administration.

They had also agreed that parliament be composed of 300 members for the transition, with around two-thirds from the alliance and the rest drawn from other political groups.

The make-up of the new sovereign council has been the toughest part of the negotiations, with the two sides so far proposing different compositions of the body which is expected to take all key decisions concerning national issues.

The generals want it to be military-led, while the protesters insist on a majority civilian body.

General Yasser al-Atta, one of the members of the current ruling military council, had vowed earlier this week to reach a deal by Thursday that "meets the people's aspirations".

The new council is expected to form a transitional civilian government, which would then prepare for the first post-Bashir election after the three-year changeover period ends.

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UTair bankruptcy case adjourned till June

 RAPSI, Vladimir Burnov

11:59 16/05/2019

MOSCOW, May 16 (RAPSI) - The Commercial Court of Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Area has postponed a bankruptcy case against UTair airline until June 11, according to court records.

In April, the air carrier said that it had cleared off a debt to the Financial Company Flash Light Capital, one of the applicants seeking bankruptcy of UTair.

In March, the court consolidated four bankruptcy petitions filed by the Financial Company Flash Light Capital, Hydropromenergostroy, Inter and Yugan-Union card companies against the airline into a single case.

According to the managing director of Raiffeisen Bank Dmitry Sredin, UTair is expected to complete its continuing debt restructuring by the mid-2019.

The airline reports that it is in a regular dialogue with creditor banks.

UTair is ranked among Top 5 of Russian air carriers.




Suspect in terrorist financing arrested in Moscow

 RAPSI, Vladimir Burnov

12:26 16/05/2019

MOSCOW, May 16 (RAPSI)  A man, who had allegedly transferred about 50 million rubles to militants of the Islamic State terrorist organization banned in Russia, was arrested in Moscow, the Investigative Committees press service reported Thursday.

The arrested man Georgy Guyev is suspected of facilitating a terrorist activity.

According to the investigation, from January 2015 to May 2019, Guyev using bank cards raised funds and provided financial services to the ISIS. In total, he transferred at least 50 million rubles to terrorists, the statement reads.

The Islamic State, an organization which is prohibited in Russia, is currently one of the major threats to global security. Over three years, these terrorists have managed to seize large areas of Iraq and Syria. The organization is also attempting to spread its influence on North Africa  particularly, Libya. The area controlled by ISIS covers up to 90,000 square kilometers.
Police torture victim's mother demands over $230,000 from Russian Interior Ministry

 RAPSI collage

18:00 16/05/2019

MOSCOW, May 16 (RAPSI)  Lemka Doliyeva, the mother of a police torture victim, has filed a 15-million-ruble (over $230,000) compensation claim against the Interior Ministry with a court in Russias Republic of Ingushetia, according to her attorney Andrey Sabinin.

The plaintiffs son Magomed was beaten to death by officers of the Interior Ministry Center for Counteracting Extremism (Center E) in 2016, the lawyer told RAPSI on Thursday.

In July 2018, the Nalchik Garrison Military Court sentenced seven officers of the Center for Counteracting Extremism (Center E) of the Interior Ministrys Directorate for the Republic of Ingushetia and regional Federal Security Service (FSB) directorate, to prison terms ranging from 3 to 10 years.

The law enforcement officers, depending on their individual actions, were earlier charged with murder, robbery, extortion, burglary, theft of documents, forging of documents, and abuse of office using violence leading to grave consequences.

According to investigators, the law enforcement officers used violence against a cashier of a bank and his wife, demanding their victims to confess to organizing and committing a robbery of Rosselkhozbank regional branch in Ingushetia. Investigators found that the victims were harshly beaten with the cashier being at one point asphyxiated, resulting in his death. Investigators believe that the criminals were responsible for numerous other crimes.

The court sentenced the former head of the Centers regional directorate Timur Khamkhoyev to 7 years in a regular penal colony. The Centers employee Alikhan Bekoyev was sentenced to 10 years in a high security penal colony, while his former colleague Andrey Beznosyuk received a 6-year prison term. Yet another officer of the Center Isa Aspiyev was sentenced to 5.5 years in jail.

Ex-FSB employee Mustaf Tsaroyev was sentenced to 5 years in a regular penal colony. Ex-head of a local police station received a 3-year prison term. A former deputy head of the Centers directorate Sergey Khandogin received a 3-year suspended sentence.
Saudi-led coalition warplanes bombed Yemeni rebel targets including in the capital on Thursday following insurgent drone strikes on a key oil pipeline that Riyadh said were ordered by its arch-rival Tehran.

The new bombardment came after the UN envoy, who has been spearheading efforts to end more than four years of conflict in the Arab world's poorest country, warned it still faced the threat of plunging into all-out war.

The Saudi deputy defence minister warned that Tuesday's attack by Yemeni rebels on a major pipeline in the kingdom was "tightening the noose" around peace efforts.

A coalition statement carried by Saudi-owned Al Arabiya TV, said the Sunni Muslim alliance struck military bases and facilities and weapons storage sites with the aim of neutralizing the ability of the Houthi militia to carry out acts of aggression.

The sorties achieved its goals with full precision, the coalition said. It had urged civilians to avoid those targets.

One resident reported a strike near a densely-populated district, where flames and clouds of smoke could be seen. A car was half-buried under rubble and twisted metal on a street lined with bystanders.

There was an air strike near us, in the middle of an area packed with residents between Hael and Raqas (streets), Abdulrazaq Mohammed told Reuters. The explosion was so strong that stones were flying. This is the first time our house shakes so much.

The rebels' Al-Masirahn television said the caolition carried out at least 19 strikes, 11 of them in the capital.

A strike on one Sanaa neighbourhood killed at least six people and wounded 10, Dr Mokhtar Mohammed of the capital's Republic Hospital said.

An AFP correspondent saw one residential building that had been reduced to rubble by an air strike. Residents were using their bare hands in a desperate search for survivors.

The raids began around 8 am (0500 GMT) while many Yemenis were asleep awaiting the end at sunset of the daytime fast observed by Muslims during the holy month of Ramadan, a witness told AFP

"There were many strikes," he added.

Sanaa has been held by the Houthi movement since it ousted the internationally recognized government of Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi from power there in late 2014.

The coalition has previously targeted suspected drone and missile storage sites in the city.

The Houthis said they were responsible for the attack on the Saudi pipeline which did not disrupt oil output or exports, claiming that it was a response to "crimes" committed by Riyadh during its bloody air war in Yemen.

The drone strikes further raised tensions in the region after the mysterious sabotage of several oil tankers and the US deployment of an aircraft carrier strike group and B-52 bombers to the Gulf over alleged threats from Iran.

'Tightening Noose' On Peace

Saudi Arabias deputy defense minister on Thursday accused Iran of ordering Tuesdays armed drone attack on two oil pumping stations in the kingdom.

The terrorist acts, ordered by the regime in Tehran and carried out by the Houthis, are tightening the noose around the ongoing political efforts, Prince Khalid bin Salman tweeted.

Iranian Tools"

"The attack by the Iranian-backed Houthi militias against the two Aramco pumping stations proves that these militias are merely a tool that Iran's regime uses to implement its expansionist agenda in the region," the prince said on Twitter.

The Saudi state minister for foreign affairs, Adel al-Jubeir, charged that the Houthis were "sacrificing the need of the Yemeni people for the benefit of Iran".

The group denies being a puppet of Tehran or receiving arms from Iran, anod says its revolution is against corruption.

The head of the Houthis Supreme Revolutionary Committee, Mohammed Ali al-Houthi, said Iran did not direct the strike and that the movement manufactures its drones locally. Tehran also denies providing the group with arms.

We are not agents of Iran...we took this decision by ourselves, al-Houthi told the BBC. 

The coalition described the drone attack as a war crime.

Key ally the United Arab Emirates warned of reprisals.

"We will retaliate and we will retaliate hard when we see Houthis hitting civilian targets like what happened in Saudi Arabia," the UAE minister of state for foreign affairs, Anwar Gargash, said on Wednesday.

Saudi Arabia and its allies intervened in Yemen when President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadifled into Saudi exile as the rebels closed in on his last refuge in Yemen's second city Aden after sweeping through most of the rest of the country.

The intervention has retaken much of the south but the capital and most of the populous central highlands remain in rebel hands.

'Alarming Signs'

A grinding war of attrition has set in with third city Taiz and the vital Red Sea aid port of Hodeida turned into battlegrounds.

In December, UN mediators brokered hard-won truce deals for both cities during talks in Sweden but the hoped for momentum for talks on a comprehensive peace has failed to materialise.

On Tuesday, UN observers confirmed that rebel fighters had pulled out of Hodeida and two other Red Sea ports, unilaterally carrying out a key redeployment that was supposed to follow the December ceasefire.

UN envoy Martin Griffiths welcomed the pullback, but warned the Security Council on Wednesday that the risks of a slide into all-out war remained high.

"There are signs of hope," he said, but there are also "alarming signs" of war.

The Sanaa air strikes and renewed fighting in Yemens Hodeidah port that breached a UN-sponsored truce in the Red Sea city, could complicate peace efforts to end the four-year war that has killed tens of thousands of people, many of them civilians.

The UN describes the war as the world's worst humanitarian crisis, with 24.1 million -- more than two-thirds of the population -- in need of aid.

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E-voting bill passes its second reading in Russias State Duma

 RAPSI, Vladimir Burnov

17:07 16/05/2019

MOSCOW, May 16 (RAPSI)  The State Duma passed in the second reading on Thursday a bill envisaging test remote voting via electronic communications during the elections to the Moscow parliament.

The Moscow City Duma election will be held on September 8.

Under the draft law, the test voting is to be conducted in one or several city districts. The remote voting would require changes and development of public control over the elections, Alexander Brod, a member of the Presidential Council of Human Rights, said earlier.

Previously, the Central Election Commission (CEC) proposed to ease the procedure governing the elections of municipal lawmakers. As noted by Maxim Grigoryev, a member of the Civic Chamber, the measure will enable small political parties and those outside the Parliament to take a more active stand in the political life in Russia. CEC, Grigoriev pointed out, has also plans to improve the procedures on the participation of observers in the elections.




San Diego, CA -- (ReleaseWire) -- 05/16/2019 --Epilobium Inc., a biotechnology company specializing in products for treating inflammation and a range of other conditions, announced it has begun a partnership with BizIQ, a digital marketing company in Phoenix, Arizona that specializes in providing its services to small business clients across North America.



This new business partnership with BizIQ will provide Epilobium Inc. with a variety of ways to reach out to brand-new audiences and potential customers in its service area and across the nation. BizIQ uses some tried and tested search engine optimization (SEO) strategies in its web marketing efforts that can, for example, help people find reliable sources of information about various anti-inflammatory products. BizIQ also developed a brand-new website for the company, as well as an in-depth content marketing campaign that features two blog posts each month and better overall communication with potential clients throughout the area.



The new website BizIQ created for Epilobium offers relevant, timely and informative content that focuses on issues like hair loss prevention and treatment. All content on the website is the result of work by skilled copywriting professionals. The site also offers multiple channels through which people can quickly contact the firm to learn more about its various products.



"We're thrilled to be taking this next step with our digital marketing to be able to reach out to more people than ever before," said Robert Jacquet, owner of Epilobium Inc. "This is going to be extremely beneficial for us in terms of our ability to communicate with both current and prospective clients. We're excited to see what happens next."



About Epilobium Inc

Founded in 2008, Epilobium Inc. is a natural biotechnology company specializing in cultivating, processing and scientifically optimizing applications of several species of the herbal plant epilobium. For more information, visit http://www.epilobium.com/.



To learn more about BizIQ and its expertise regarding local search engine optimization, or to view its extensive list of service options, please visit http://www.biziq.com/.
Iraq has contingency plans for any stoppage of Iranian gas imports for its power grid but hopes no such disruption will take place, Oil Minister Thamer Ghadhban said on Thursday.

He also said a meeting of OPECs ministerial monitoring committee in Saudi Arabia this weekend would assess member states commitment to a deal reducing oil production and that oil prices and markets were now stable.

Its still too early to predict what will be decided, Ghadhban told a news conference when asked whether the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its oil-producer allies could extend the output cut or boost supplies.

The gathering on Sunday in Jeddah may issue a recommendation ahead of OPECs policymaking meeting with its allies next month in Vienna.

Turkey has asked to buy more Iraqi crude, Ghadhban added, speaking in Baghdad a day after Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi traveled to Turkey to meet President Tayyip Erdogan.

The United States is ramping up sanctions pressure on Iraqs neighbor and ally Iran, especially over oil exports.

Turkey has asked to increase its crude oil imports from Iraq and we have pledged to consider the Turkish request positively, Ghadhban said.

Iraq relies heavily on gas from Iran for its electricity supply, which is stretched during hot summer months.

A lack of electricity was one complaint by protesters in demonstrations that descended into violence in Iraqs oil hub of Basra last year.

Asked how Iraq would react if Iranian gas imports were halted, Ghadhban said: We hope there will be no halt, but we have taken precautionary measures for such a situation.

The United States is urging Baghdad to sign energy deals with US companies, including a share for General Electric of a $14 billion power scheme that Washington says would help wean Iraq off Iranian energy.

Ghadhban said international oil companies were operating as normal. He added that oilfields in the south and north of the country were safe and secure amid increased tensions between Washington and Tehran.

The United States evacuated non-essential staff from its diplomatic missions in Iraq over unspecified threats from Iran on Wednesday.

Sources close to foreign oil companies denied reports they were also evacuating employees on Wednesday.

The Kerbala refinery in southern Iraq will start operating in 2022 with a production capacity of 150,000 barrels per day (bpd), Ghadhban said.

Iraq plans to build a refinery with a capacity of 150,000 bpd near the northern city of Mosul to refine heavy crude from the nearby Nejma and Qayyara oilfields, the minister said.

He was speaking on the sidelines of a signing ceremony for a $400 million investment contract with Iraqs Al-Barham Group Co.

Under the deal, facilities will be built near the Kirkuk refinery to produce 12,000 bpd of high-octane gasoline and 160 tonnes of liquefied petroleum gas per day.

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Randeep Singh Surjewala (file photo) After the Election Commission curtailed campaign timing for the remaining nine Lok Sabha seats in West Bengal by a day due to violence, Congress on Wednesday slammed the poll panel's decision, terming it an "unpardonable betrayal of the Constitution". Party spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said the decision will allow Prime Minister Narendra Modi to campaign on Thursday while meetings of other leaders have been impacted.



He said it was "a shameful fall for a once independent Constitutional Body".



"Today is a dark day in the history of democracy. EC's order on West Bengal negates the due process under Art 14 & 21 and abdicates its Constitutional duty under Art 324 to ensure level playing field. This is an unpardonable betrayal of the Constitution!"



"Over 11 complaints filed with EC against PM Modi & Amit Shah - No action. Violence by BJP and intimidation by Amit Shah - No action. Now, permit Modiji's rallies on 16th & ban all others This is a shameful fall for a once independent constitutional body," Surjewala said in a series of tweets.



The Election Commission on Wednesday took an unprecedented step of curtailing poll campaign in the state by a day as it ordered stoppage of electioneering from 10 pm on Thursday on the remaining 9 Lok Sabha constituencies going to the polls on May 19.



The Election Commission also removed with immediate effect the state's Principal Secretary (Home) Atri Bhattacharya for "having interfered" in the poll process and relieved controversial IPS officer Rajeev Kumar from his post of ADG CID, with orders to report for duty in the Union Home Ministry in New Delhi on Thursday at 10 am.




Egypt is making innovative moves to promote tourism, including by partnering with CNN and co-producing an Italian documentary series on its archaeological treasures

Egypt is making new efforts to promote tourism on the international stage by partnering with the US channel CNN to launch a global tourism campaign and making a series of documentaries on Egypts archaeological wonders with an Italian media group, according to announcements by the Ministry of Tourism.

The CNN campaign will kick off on 22 May with innovative material on contemporary Egypt to attract a global audience on television networks and digital platforms.

To increase engagement with audiences, advertising will be placed adjacent to relevant content such as CNN Travel on digital platforms, using first-party data to reach specific segments and engage with audiences showing interest in editorial content about Egypt, said Rania Al-Mashat, the minister of tourism.

The campaign targets tourists from the European, North American, Asian, African and Middle Eastern markets. The CNN campaign would tap into the high interest in travel amongst CNN audiences, 66 per cent of whom are personally interested in travel, with 50 per cent travelling internationally each year, Al-Mashat said.

Earlier this week, she also announced that Italys biggest commercial broadcaster MediaSet would be launching a new season of documentaries on the secrets of ancient Egypt after the success of a previous season.

The Italian series Freedom Oltre Il Confine (Freedom Beyond Borders) and its presenter Roberto Giacobbo would broadcast documentaries on the wonders of ancient Egyptian civilisation, Al-Mashat said.

The series, entitled Exclusive Permits, will be aired on Italian television. The 13 episodes  the first season contained 12  were shot at archaeological sites unfamiliar to tourists, such as the Osirion, an ancient Egyptian temple located behind the Seti I Temple in Abydos, and the Djoser Step Pyramid where a statuette of Osiris was recently discovered.

Parts of the series were shot inside tombs unearthed in Luxors Draa Abul-Naga Necropolis, as well as in the tomb of Tutankhamuns wet nurse in Saqqara and that of the scribe who drafted the Egypt-Hittite peace treaty between Ramses II and Hittite ruler Hattusilis III.

The programme contains ancient Egyptian scenes that will be aired exclusively on Italian television.

The first season of the series was broadcast between 28 December 2018 and 14 February, with each episode drawing between 1.5 and five million viewers, Rai, the national public broadcasting company of Italy, said.

Promoting Egypt on CNN and Italian television is an excellent step forward, said Hossam Al-Shaer, chairman of the Egyptian Chamber of Tourism Companies. We are now awaiting the launch of a wide-ranging campaign in countries sending tourists to Egypt, such as Germany and the UK.

In her announcement of the partnership with CNN, Al-Mashat said that innovation lies at the heart of the partnership through the use of CNNs sophisticated data capabilities and insight to reach these audiences.

CNN will leverage its unique scale via TV networks as well as precision-targeting across digital and social media to optimise a campaign showing the beauty of Egypt and its culture and people.

However, one tourism marketing expert, who preferred to withhold his name, viewed the CNN campaign differently. He said the global network would not receive attention from audiences, adding that German, Spanish and Italian viewers preferred to watch their local television channels.

He said that CNN viewers in Europe were limited to English-speaking tourists and holidaymakers who wished to follow world news.

The campaign seeks to create a positive image of Egypt through story-telling that focuses on tourist destinations, said Cathy Ibal, vice president of CNN International Commercial, adding that the campaign was expected to be viewed by more than 10 million tourists.

For Mohamed Hassanein, a member of the Egyptian Chamber of Tourism Companies whose company works on tourism from Spain, promoting Egypt abroad will make it easier for private tourism businesses to attract holidaymakers.

In 2018, approximately 11.3 million tourists visited Egypt, spending almost 122 million nights in the country.

The European market was the largest exporter of tourists last year, with seven million vacationers. The Arab market came second with three million tourists. Asia was third with around 700,000 tourists, and the Americas fourth with approximately 500,000.

The promotion campaign has three aspects: branding by destination, based on promoting each tourist destination separately, including Aswan, Luxor, Sharm El-Sheikh and Marsa Alam; a people-to-people scheme; and marketing the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM), which is slated to open in 2020.

The museum inauguration comes amid other events Egypt is preparing for, such as the Africa Cup of Nations taking place next month. The partnership with CNN could not have happened at a better time, with the worlds eyes turning to Egypt for the events.

Hassanein said that promoting Egypts cultural tourism, which focuses on museums and archaeological sites, will impact positively on the overall flow of travellers to Egypt.

Al-Mashat said the first documentary series aired in Italy augured well for the success of the second. She said season two had been shot in Aswan, Abu Simbel, Sohag, Luxor and Giza in April. Modern promotion mechanisms depending on storytelling, location and people had responded to tourists desires for new experiences.

The new promotion strategy will have a positive impression on the targeted audience, said Magdi Sadek, a member of the Egyptian Chamber of Tourism Companies whose company attracts tourists from Italy.

Italian tourists are primarily interested in Egypts beaches and cultural destinations, said Sadek, who confirmed that the number of Italian tourists visiting Egypt in 2018 had increased by 16 per cent on the year before.

The first three months of 2019 had seen a 40 per cent rise in Italian tourists on the same period in 2018, with the influx concentrated in Marsa Alam and Sharm El-Sheikh.

Presenter Giacobbo said the first season of the series on the secrets of ancient Egypt had been a big hit, particularly the parts shot in the Grand Egyptian Museum, which had garnered two million viewers.

Season one documented recent archaeological discoveries in Egypt, such as Mihos tomb in the Saqqara Necropolis and the restoration of Khufus second solar boar. A special episode on the journey of the Holy Family in Egypt was aired at Christmas.

Other episodes included one on the secrets of the Pyramids of Giza, in which famed Egyptologist and former minister of antiquities Zahi Hawass was hosted. Another was on the Battle of Kadesh, which took place before the signing of the first peace treaty in human history between Ramses II and the Hittite emperor.

The final episode of the first season was aired on Valentines Day. It recounted the story of queen Nefertari, who was Ramses IIs favourite wife and to whom he dedicated a temple in Abu Simbel and a private cemetery.

The success of the series had led the Italian Focus channel to broadcast it again.

After developing tourist areas such as in Aswan and linking Hurghada and Luxor, Hassanein said Egypt should hold sound and light shows on the west bank of the Nile at Luxor.

He said it was pivotal to embark on promotion campaigns in traditional markets such as Germany and the UK and new markets such as China and India, while addressing each market according to its targeted travellers, whether they were interested in beaches, cultural or religious tourism.

*A version of this article appears in print in the 16 May, 2019 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly under the headline: Travelling out of the box

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Northbrook, IL -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/16/2019 -- 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.



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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.



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100  Tables



42  Figures



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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.



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Albany, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/16/2019 -- Transparency Market Research provides key insights on the bag-in-box packaging machine market in the report, titled "Global Bag-in-box Packaging Machine Market: Industry Analysis and Opportunity Assessment, 20192027." In terms of value, the global bag-in-box packaging machine market is estimated to register a CAGR of 5.6% during 2019-2027, owing to various factors. In this report TMR delivers detailed insights.



The report includes a market research study on the global bag-in-box packaging machine market, which includes trend analysis and market assessment of filling technologies such as aseptic and non-aseptic.



Automatic bag-in-box packaging machines are linked together with control systems to form a complete line with automation to manufacture bag-in-box containers at a faster rate. Semi-automatic bag-in-box packaging machines are preferred by many bag-in-box manufacturers as they are best suitable for limited production. Bag making machine, bag filler, cartoner, and bag inserters are available in semi-automatic mode.



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By machine type, the bag-in-box packaging machine market is segmented as standalone and integrated. Standalone bag-in-box packaging machines account for the highest share. Standalone are either automatic or semi-automatic machines, which form a bag-in-box packaging machine line without depending on other machinery. An integrated bag-in-box packaging machine consists of a single packaging line, where all operations are linked with simulation software or control systems. The integrated bag-in-box packaging machine system performs all operations such as the forming of the bag, filling, cartoning, case erectors, and bag inserters & sealers.



Europe has the highest wine-drinking population and most of the wine manufacturers are packaging their wines in bag-in-box formats. Bag-in-box packaging formats provide for more diverse choices in terms of price, convenience, and quality than the traditional bottles. The automated bag-in-box packaging machine market in developed in countries such as the US, Germany, France, the UK, and Italy is matured, and is expected to witness low to moderate growth during the forecast period. Automated bag-in-box packaging machines are mostly used for higher production and efficiency. End-uses of bag-in-box packaging machine solutions include food, beverages, industrial products, household products, paints & lubricants, and healthcare & personal care. The semi-automated bag-in-box packaging machine segment is estimated to have accounted for the highest market share in terms of both value and volume in 2018.



The Europe bag-in-box packaging machine market is estimated to register a CAGR of 5.1% during the forecast period. There has been a high demand for automation in bag-in-box packaging machines in order to achieve greater level of functionality, safer handling, and productivity. Machine manufacturers in Europe are focusing on aseptic filling technology in the bag-in-box packaging machine to aid end users with increased shelf life of the product.



Most of the local beverage manufacturers in the parts of Europe use a semi-automatic bag-in-box packaging machine for limited production. The move from semi-automatic bag-in-box packaging machines to fully-automated bag-in-box packaging machine solutions means increased levels of automation such as machine vision, safety control, and even remote monitoring. All these factors are expected to influence the demand for bag-in-box packaging machines in the European region. Pattyn Packaging, a Belgian bag-in-box packaging machine manufacturer balances its performance and cost on the basis of PC control technology. The company manufactures fully automatic bag-in-box packaging machines for the packaging of products including food, oil, grease, and liquid sugar which are packed hygienically using bag-in-box packaging.



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The Asia Pacific bag-in-box packaging machine market signifies the highest CAGR in terms of value. The Asia Pacific bag-in-box packaging machine market is estimated to register a CAGR of 7.0% over the forecast period. The packaging machinery industry in Asia has been rapidly upgrading due to industrialization and urbanization. This has attracted many manufacturers and brand owners to establish their market in the merging countries of Asia such as China, India, and Malaysia. The India bag-in-box packaging machine market is expected to witness the highest growth during the forecast period, owing to the increasing demand for quality products.



The aseptic bag-in-box technology in Asia was developed more than 25 years ago to cater to the needs of the food and beverage industry to provide extended shelf life. Aseptic filling technology secures the transfer of processed ingredients, especially sensitive products with neutral PH areas such as milk. The aseptic packaging business in Asia has increased from 19% to 27% in the past five years. Bag-in-box applications are increasingly including foodservices, restaurants, catering, and coffee dispensing machines. B2B use such as beverage and fruit processing, is the largest segment in the aseptic bag-in-box market.



Key companies functioning in the global bag-in-box packaging machine market are Smurfit Kappa Group, DS Smith Packaging Ltd., Bosch Packaging Technology GmbH, Triangle Package Machinery Co., ABCO Automation, Inc, Rovema GmbH, IC Filling Systems, Sacmi Imola S.C, Voran Maschinen GmbH, TORR Industries, Kreuzmayr Maschinenbau GmbH, Flexifill Ltd, Terlet BV, and Gossamer Packaging Machinery.
Valley Cottage, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/16/2019 -- Bioactive Bone Grafts is specialized reconstruction Martials which are prominently used in various bone reconstruction surgeries. Bone grafts usually comprise products like oesteocounductiove matrix that work as a framework for the growth of new bone fibers, osteoinductive proteins that support mitogenesis of identical bone cells and osteogenic cells which are capable of creating new bone in the appropriate environment. Primary objective behind the utilization of bone graft is to achieve healing from fractures and bone injuries. Bioactive bone grafts are designed to facilitate bone growth with optimized porosity that promotes rapid vascularization, playing an important role in the bone regrowth process by providing nutrients , oxygen, lymph And essential growth elements for bone growth. The bioactive bone grafts are formulated to provide ease in storage and handling. The property of bioactive bone grafts allows the products to be shaped into multiple forms to adopt to various surgical and operative needs. Furthermore, the prefilled syringes of bioactive bone grafts allows rapid and efficient application.



Bioactive Bone Grafts Market: Drivers and Restraints



Bioactive Bone Grafts are among the most preferred choice of bone graft in various bone reconstruction surgeries such as maxillofacial surgical procedures, due to their advantage over other allograft techniques. Increasing number of musculoskeletal disorder and orthopedic procedures which intends the utilization of bioactive bone grafts is anticipated to drive the growth of the bioactive bone grafts market. For example, as per the American academy of orthopedic surgeons (AAOS), nearly 2.8 million musculoskeletal surgical procedures are performed annually in the United States alone. In addition to this approximately 2.1 million orthopedic surgeries are performed every year in the United States involving the use of bone grafts and bioactive bone grafts. Thereby growing adoption of bioactive bone grafts combined with increasing incidence of orthopedic disorders demanding bioactive material is anticipated to boost the growth of bioactive bone grafts market. Furthermore, major key players introducing new products in the bioactive bone grafts segment that will lure additional number end users and thus drives the growth for bioactive bone grafts market. For example, Baxter in September 2018 announced the USFDA clearance of its ALTAPORE Bioactive Bone Grafts specially optimized to enhance bone growth.



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Bioactive Bone Grafts Market: Segmentation



Based on product type, the Bioactive Bone Grafts market is segmented into:



Prefilled



Putty based



others



Based on Application type, the Bioactive Bone Grafts market is segmented into:



Cranio-maxilofacial



Dental



Foot and Ankle



Joint Reconstruction



Others



Based on End User, the Bioactive Bone Grafts market is segmented into:



Hospitals



Clinics



Trauma Center



Emergency Department



Bioactive Bone Grafts Market: Overview



The Bioactive Bone Grafts market is observing a prominent growth globally owing to growing demand for advanced bone growth solutions combined with continuous research and product innovation in orthopedic care. The market for bioactive bone grafts is highly fragmented with presence of major manufacturers like Baxter and DePuy Synthes Companies in the bioactive bone grafts market. The advanced enhancement properties of bioactive bone grafts such as optimized porosity, increased cellular activity and greater volume of new formed bone is expected to offer new growth opportunities for bioactive bone grafts market. Surgical use of bioactive bone grafts in providing added osteoconductive scaffold for new bone growth coupled with enhanced bioactivity in rapid bone growth with calcium phosphate deposition. The primary key players in the bioactive bone growth market is focused on providing advanced bioactive bone growth products and improving clinical outcome. The growing number of geriatric population with arthritis condition and increasing number of accident are anticipated to act as primary driving factor for Bioactive Bone Grafts market.



Bioactive Bone Grafts Market: Region-Wise Overview



The global Bioactive Bone Grafts market is segmented into the following regions - North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Asia-Pacific Excluding China & Japan, China, Japan and the Middle East & Africa. North America is the dominant regional market for Bioactive Bone Grafts due to growing number of geriatric population in the region. In North America, the U.S. is the dominating market due to segregation of Bioactive Bone Grafts manufacturers in the region combined with increasing investment in advanced medical technologies. Europe is anticipated to be second dominating regional market for Bioactive Bone Grafts due to wide availability of bioactive bone grafts and increasing technological advancement in orthopedic technologies in the region. APAC is a fast-growing regional market for Bioactive Bone Grafts due to increasing demand for standard orthopedic care and raising number of orthopedic injuries coupled with rising number of geriatrics in the countries like India and china. Growth in the Latin America and the Middle East and Africa is growing gradually due to progressively increasing healthcare spending.



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Bioactive Bone Grafts Market: Key Participants



Examples of some of the key participants in the Bioactive Bone Grafts market are Baxter International, Inc., DePuy Synthes Companies, Medtronic plc., NuVasive, Inc., Orthofix Holdings, Inc., Stryker Corporation, Wright Medical Technology, Inc., Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc., and Bioventus. Among others.
Sellbyville, DE -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/16/2019 -- Global Market Insights added a report on global Biochemical Sensor Market that provide in-depth information about market overview, top vendors, Key market highlights, product types, market drivers, challenges, trends, industry landscape, size and forecast, five forces analysis, Key leading countries/Region.



Optical sensors have high growth potential in the biochemical sensor market. These sensors are found in energy and utility sector to monitor structures that generate, distribute, and convert electrical power to mechanical forces. Thermal instruments are used in climate control systems of cars to detect changes in the cabin temperature and accordingly adjust the temperature.



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In addition, amperometric biochemical sensors have a high demand for measuring the electronic current resulting owing to enzyme-catalyzed redox reactions. Immuno biosensor devices have demonstrated the use of components in the healthcare industry for the prevention of certain diseases. These devices are inserted in the person's body and when the person is infected with the disease, they combine with the antigen to eliminate the disease. Rising awareness and benefits of the components is driving the biochemical sensor market growth.



Biochemical sensor market has a strong scope of expansion for designing devices that can perform real-time sweat analysis. This process gives valuable information on the dehydration levels and changes in the number of chief ions and biomolecules. Dehydration results in increased efforts and therefore, the exercisers can alter their exercise routine to avoid adverse effects of dehydration. The opportunity of analyzing important parameters of athletes during their performance is driving the growth of biochemical sensor market.



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Europe biochemical sensor market is poised to grow rapidly in the coming years owing to their higher spending capacity. Countries including UK, Germany, and France have been at the forefront of technological advancements and are the early adopters of an advanced system, who are adopting the devices at a faster rate. Consumers in these economies have high disposable incomes owing to which they can spend higher financial amounts on luxury electronics such as wearable health devices. Increasing advancements in warfare techniques have led to high investments in military sectors by these countries, thereby driving the demand of these components.



The key players operating in the biochemical sensor market include Thermo Fisher Scientific Group, GE Healthcare Ltd, Bio-Rad Laboratories Inc., Honeywell International Inc., Polestar Technologies Inc, Abbot Laboratories Corporation, Microchip Technology Inc., Nova Biomedical Corporation, and Universal Biosensor Inc., and others.



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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.
Albany, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/16/2019 -- A concrete saw also known as power cutter, quick cut, slab saw, cut-off saw, road saw, or con saw is an equipment for cutting concrete, tiles, asphalt, brick, masonry, and other hard and solid materials. The concrete saw has a tough diamond circular blade for cutting. Diamond is the hardest substance found on Earth. A magnesium blade guard protects the diamond blade from damage. A concrete saw is generally used for cutting, reshaping, and resizing various hard construction materials such as natural stone, masonry, and reinforced concrete. The concrete saw can be used both for indoor and outdoor applications. In a concrete saw, the cutting operation is performed by the rotation of the diamond blade. The speed of the diamond blade is measured in RPM (Revolutions per Minute).



A concrete saw is used in the construction industry for cutting concrete walls, bricks etc. These saws are used in road construction for perimeter cutting of concrete and asphalt. Concrete saws are used in sewerage work for cutting plastic pipes, concrete, and for metal cutting. Thus, across the globe, rise in both residential and commercial construction is increasing the demand for concrete saws. Concrete saws are also used in pavement laying to cut paving slabs and curbstones to size. Across the world, rise in pavement laying work is increasing the demand for concrete saws. Emerging economies such as Asia Pacific are seeing a rise in construction, both for residential and commercial purposes. Infrastructure construction in Asia Pacific countries such as China and India is increasing the demand for concrete saws in the region.



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By type of power, the global concrete saw market is segmented into gas powered concrete saw, electric concrete saw, and others. The main advantage of electric concrete saw over gas powered concrete saw is that no fumes are generated in electric concrete saws. By type of diamond blade cutting, the global concrete saw market is segmented into dry cutting and wet cutting. Dry cutting concrete saws need sufficient flow of air within the system to avoid overheating of the diamond blade.



In wet cutting concrete saws, during the cutting operation, water is used as a coolant to lower the temperature of the diamond blade. Water coolants also help to lower the dust generated during cutting and ensure smoothness of the cutting operation. By end-use, the concrete saw market is segmented into construction industry including road construction, masonry work, sewage work, and other end-use applications. By distribution channel, the concrete saw market is segmented into online and offline.



In terms of region, the global concrete saw market can be divided into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa, and South America. North America is expected to be a prominent market for concrete saws during the forecast period. The U.S. is expected to account for major share of the market in North America from 2019 to 2027, followed by Canada. Europe constitutes a significant share of the global concrete saw market.



Germany, the U.K., and France are major markets in the region. Asia Pacific is anticipated to be a significant market for concrete saws, with China the dominant market in the region. Japan, South Korea, and India are other major markets for concrete saws in the region. In the Middle East & Africa concrete saw market, GCC is projected to account for major share of the market, followed by South Africa. Brazil is likely to dominate the concrete saw market in South America during the forecast period.



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Major companies operating in the global concrete saw market are Husqvarna Group, Makita Corporation, Hilti Corporation, Andreas Stihl AG & Company KG, Saint-Gobain, Stanley Black & Decker, Inc. (brand DeWalt), MK Diamond Products Inc., Evolution Power Tools Ltd., Koki Holdings Co., Ltd., and Ryobi Ltd. among others.
Sellbyville, DE -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/16/2019 -- Global Market Insights, Inc. provides a detailed overview of edible flakes market with respect to the pivotal drivers influencing the revenue graph of this business sphere. The current trends of market in conjunction with the geographical landscape, demand spectrum, remuneration scale, and growth graph of this vertical have also been included in this report.



Growing urbanization couple with shortage of time are altering people's lifestyle. Presently, a large part of the global population is residing a drift towards processed and ready-to-eat cereals. The above mentioned trends are boosting the demand for the use of edible flakes in breakfast and evening snacks. Furthermore, people shift towards healthier way of life are propelling the edible flakes market in the near future. Significant consumption of edible flakes in Asia Pacific is swelling the entire product market in future owing to the minimal cost and various health benefits offered by the product. However, increasing spending power and rising per capita income is majorly fueling the food and beverage industry in the region, i.e. directly swelling the edible flakes market in the expected timeframe.



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Accessibility of numerous substitute products such as protein bars, yoghurt, fresh fruits, energy drinks, etc. coupled with lactose intolerance in some regions may prove to be an obstacle in the growth of edible flake market in the recent years. Nevertheless, increasing awareness for fitness and healthy eating habits will positively drive the product industry share in the coming timespan.



Based on the product segment, the market is categorized into wheat flakes, rice flakes, flakey oats and few others. Flakey oats is one of the major product as it captures over 20% market share in terms of revenue in 2018. The product is a great source of fiber and is made of oat grains, that is grounded, rolled or steel-cut. The nutritious value of the product will drive its demand in the coming years.



The distribution channel segment is further segregated into online retailers, supermarkets & hypermarkets and convenience stores. Convenience stores apprehends a considerable market share in the forecast period with a CAGR over 8%.



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Based on distribution channel, the market is classified in three categories namely supermarkets & hypermarkets, online retailers and convenience stores. Supermarkets & hypermarkets segment will register a revenue of approximately USD 12 billion by 2025. Online retailers will witness favorable growth trends with a CAGR more than 6%. This segment will gain popularity due to provision of single platform for large number of products along with customer convenience.



Europe will be a major market for edible flakes and is likely to reach over USD 10 billion over the forecast spell. The consumer spending on healthier, and convenient foods grew due to promising economic development over the last few years. For instance, consumers in Germany have a developed preference for products with good health and wellness characteristics.



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Asia Pacific shows prominent future for edible flakes market with a CAGR around 11%. This is all due to the shift in population growth coupled with positive economic trends over the time. Hence, will drive the food and beverage industry leading to rise in global market by 2025.



The major manufacturers of the market are General Mills, Post Holding Company, Nestle S.A., Dr. August Oetker, Kellogg's, Patanjali, H. & J. Bruggen KG, Nature's Path Foods, etc.



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.
Maharashtra, India -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/16/2019 -- Electronic Medical Records Market



The latest market report published by Reports monitors demonstrates that the will showcase a steady CAGR in the coming years. The report 'Electronic Medical Records Market by Component, Type, Application, Vertical, and Region-Global Forecast to 2025' is defined by the presence of some of the leading competitors operating in the market, including the well-established players and new entrants, and the suppliers, manufacturers, vendors, and distributors. Electronic medical record systems are defined as healthcare information tools that captures and records patient data gathered from various authorized clinicians' office under one healthcare organization. These systems enhances workflow efficacy and improves the quality of patient care. Whereas it also provides access to physicians regarding patient information such as lab results, diagnosis and medication.



Experts forecast Electronic Medical Records Market is expected to grow at XX % CAGR during the forecast period 2019-2025. The Electronic Medical Records Market report contains definitions, classifications, applications, and industry chain structure, development trends, competitive landscape analysis, and key regions development and import/export status in Electronic Medical Records Industry.



Manufacturer, Distributor, Downstream Client Companies Data Analysis:

Cerner, McKesson, Medical Information Technology, Epic, NextGenInformation Systems, Greenway Health, GE



Have Questions? Request a sample or make an Inquiry before buying this report by clicking the link below:-https://www.reportsmonitor.com/request_sample/486057



Scope of the Report:

The report is designed to incorporate both qualitative and quantitative aspects of the Electronic Medical Records Market with respect to each of the regions and countries involved in the study. Furthermore, the report also caters the detailed information about the crucial aspects such as major drivers & restraining factors which will define the future growth of the market. Also covered segments company profile, type, and applications.



By the product type, the market is primarily split into

Client Server Setups

Cloud-based Setups

Hybrid Setups



By the end users/application, this report covers the following segments

Hospitals

General Physician Clinics

Specialised Clinics

Ambulatory Surgical Centres



Regions Covered in the Global Electronic Medical Records Market:

The Middle East and Africa (GCC Countries and Egypt)

North America (the United States, Mexico, and Canada)

South America (Brazil etc.)

Europe (Turkey, Germany, Russia UK, Italy, France, etc.)

Asia-Pacific (Vietnam, China, Malaysia, Japan, Philippines, Korea, Thailand, India, Indonesia, and Australia)



The chapter on regional segmentation details the regional aspects of the Electronic Medical Records market. This chapter explains the regulatory framework that is likely to impact the overall market. It highlights the political scenario in the market and the anticipates its influence on the global Electronic Medical Records market.



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The report firstly introduced the Electronic Medical Records basics:

Definitions, segment classifications, outlook and market overview, product specifications, manufacturing processes, company profile analysis, cost structures, raw materials and so on. Moreover, the report introduced new project SWOT analysis, investment feasibility analysis, and investment return analysis.



Some of the major questions are answered:



What are the different types of Electronic Medical Records equipment and products?

What are the market trends and major developments patterns equipment's and products?

Who are the key industry pioneers and what is their overall share in the global Electronic Medical Records market?

What are the multiple used case scenarios considered under various end-users and applications for the market?

What are the different sales, marketing, and distribution channels in the global industry?

The global Electronic Medical Records Market report covers the valuable data useful for the estimation of the market and comprehensive figures of the key players along with their growth estimation in the upcoming period. The report implements various elements to process industry data. The global industry report presents the factors, such as gross margin, consumption, production, export, cost, growth rate, share, size, and capacity utilization, impacting on the global Electronic Medical Records Market.



Avail complete report of this research with TOC and List of Figures at: @

https://www.reportsmonitor.com/report/486057/Electronic-Medical-Records-EMR-Market



Key Points sheathed in the Electronic Medical Records Market Report Coverage:



 Market share assessments for the regional and country level segments

 Market share analysis of the top industry players

 Strategic recommendations for the new entrants

 Market Trends (Drivers, Constraints, Opportunities, Threats, Challenges, Investment Opportunities, and recommendations)

 Strategic recommendations in key business segments based on the market estimations

 Competitive landscaping mapping the key common trends

 Company profiling with detailed strategies, financial and recent developments

 Supply chain trends mapping the latest technological advancement



About Reports Monitor

Reports Monitor.com is a market intelligence and consulting firm with extensive experience and knowledge of the Market Research industry. We work with the aim to reach the highest levels of customer satisfaction. Our representatives strive to understand diverse client requirements and cater to the same as the most innovative and functional solutions.
UK International Trade Secretary Liam Fox is scheduled to visit Egypt on May 27-28, Egypts Ambassador in London Tarek Adel said on Thursday.

Fox is expected to hold several meetings with senior Egyptian officials on boosting bilateral trade and investments, Adel said during a meeting with the UK secretary.

The visit is expected to give further momentum to economic ties between Egypt and the UK and help diversify UK investments in Egypt, tap into new sectors of the Egyptian economy, and increase trade exchange between the two countries, the ambassador added.

Earlier this year, Egypts Minister of Trade and Industry Amr Nassar said that the volume of British investments in the Egyptian market stands at $5.4 billion.

These investments cover 1,567 projects in the sectors of industry, services, construction, tourism, financing, telecommunications and information technology, he added.

The minister's statements came during a meeting with Fox on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in the Swiss Alpine town of Davos in January.

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Albany, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/16/2019 -- Food grade lubricants must perform the same technical functions as conventional lubricants. Additionally, they should resist degradation of food products and exhibit neutral chemical behavior toward food processing equipment and food packaging materials while complying with food/health safety regulations. Food grade lubricants can be derived from petroleum or produced synthetically. Based on base oil, food grade lubricants can be classified into mineral oil based, synthetic oil based, and biobased. Food grade lubricants play an important role in the food industry due to the beneficial properties of aluminum complex thickened grease such as high temperature resistance, water resistance, and chemical inertness toward food processing equipment. Food grade lubricants primarily used in food & beverage, pharmaceutical, and cosmetics industries.



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The three primary types of food grade lubricants are H1 lubricants, H2 lubricants, and H3 soluble oils. H1 lubricants are approved for incidental contact with food in food processing environments. These lubricants are used as anticorrosion protective films for sealing tank closures and as lubricants for equipment parts in situations where the machine part is potentially exposed to food. H2 lubricants are employed in locations that do not carry the possibility of the lubricant or the lubricating part coming into contact with food. H3 soluble oils are applied on hooks, conveying belts, and similar equipment for prevention of corrosion. Special grades include HT1, which are lubricants that are used as heat transfer fluids in locations with food contact possibilities. Significant performance improvements have been carried out in the recently introduced food grade lubricants. These include superior wear protection, and increased thermal and oxidative stability. These food grade lubricants are also accredited with halal and kosher certifications.



NSF International, a public health and safety company, is a global leader in the development of standards, certification of products, and assessment of risks of food grade lubricants. It offers services to manufacturers in more than 80 countries in developing national standards and providing third party conformity assessment. NSF registration is becoming an industrial standard for food grade lubricant manufacturers in many countries. Most countries are not obligated legally to adopt NSF standards; however, manufacturers conform to these to reduce the risk exposure. Global demand for food grade lubricants is rising primarily due to the growth in the global food processing industry and introduction of highly stringent food safety laws. The U.S. has a high number of regulations for food safety and also accounts for large share of the global food grade lubricants market. However, majority of food and beverage companies in the U.S. do not use H1 grade food lubricants or use along with H2 grades in their plants. Increase in awareness about H1 grades through programs conducted by NSF are reversing this trend. Europe is also set to witness growth in the use of food grade lubricants due to the recent enactment of governmental regulations. Economic growth in China and India coupled with lifestyle changes has boosted the demand for processed food products this countries. Awareness about food safety is increasing in China and India due to a series of food contamination scandals. Government regulations regarding food safety are expected to be introduced in these countries in the near future. Thus, China and India are likely to be rapidly growing markets for food grade lubricants over the next decade. Among the grade types, the H1 food grade is expected to acquire significant market share in the near future.



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Key players operating in the food lubricants market are ExxonMobil Corp, Petro-Canada, MDS Europe Ltd, Elba Lubrication Inc, The Dow Chemical Company, The Lubrizol Corporation, Matrix Specialty Lubricants, Bel-Ray Company Llc, SKF Group, and BP p.l.c.
Albany, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/16/2019 -- Looking at the current market trends as well as the promising demand status of the Fuel Dispensers Market, it can be projected that the future years will bring out positive outcomes. This research report added by MRRSE on its online portal delivers clear insight about the changing tendencies across the global Fuel Dispensers Market. Readers can gather prime facets connected to the target market which includes product, end-use and application; assisting them to draw conclusions out of this intelligent research report.



Fuel dispenser also known as a petrol pump or gas pump, is a machinery that pumps gasoline, petrol, diesel, CNG, LPG, and other fuel types into vehicles at the filling station. Filling station is a service station where fuel dispensers are found. Here the fuel dispenser pumps the fuel from underground storage. Fuel dispensers are mainly of two types suction fuel dispensers and submersible fuel dispensers.



These are the different systems based on which fuel dispenser works. In suction type, the dispenser consists of motor and suction system included in their case so that the dispenser works independently. In submersible type, the dispenser do not consist of motor and suction system included in their case so the dispenser cannot work independently.



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The report estimates and forecasts the fuel dispensers market on the global, regional, and country levels. The study provides forecast between 2016 and 2024 based on volume (Units) and revenue (US$ Mn) with 2015 as the base year. The report comprises an exhaustive value chain analysis for each of the product segments. It provides a comprehensive view of the market. Value chain analysis also offers detailed information about value addition at each stage. The study includes drivers and restraints for the fuel dispensers market along with their impact on demand during the forecast period. The study also provides key market indicators affecting the growth of the market. The report analyzes opportunities in the fuel dispensers market on the global and regional level. Drivers, restraints, and opportunities mentioned in the report are justified through quantitative and qualitative data. These have been verified through primary and secondary resources.



The report includes Porter's Five Forces Model to determine the degree of competition in the fuel dispenser market. The report comprises a qualitative write-up on market attractiveness analysis, wherein applications and countries have been analyzed based on attractiveness for each region. Growth rate, market size, raw material availability, profit margin, impact strength, technology, competition, and other factors (such as environmental and legal) have been evaluated in order to derive the general attractiveness of the market. The report comprises price trend analysis for fuel dispenser between 2016 and 2024.



Global Fuel Dispensers Market: Segmentation?



The study provides a comprehensive view of the fuel dispenser market by dividing it on the basis of fuel types and geography segments. The fuel dispensers market has been segmented into petrol, diesel, CNG, compressed hydrogen and others based on fuel type. Fuel type segment have been analyzed based on historic, present, and future trends.



Regional segmentation includes the current and forecast demand for fuel dispensers in North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa (MEA). Additionally, the report comprises country-level analysis in terms of volume and revenue for fuel type segments. Key countries such as the U.S., Germany, France, the U.K., Spain, Italy, India, China, South Africa, Mexico, and Brazil have been included in the study. Market segmentation includes demand for individual fuel types in all the regions and countries.



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The report covers detailed competitive outlook that includes market share and profiles of key players operating in the global market. Key players profiled in the report includes Tokheim Group S.A.S, Piusi S.p.A., Wayne Fueling Systems LLC, Gilbarco Inc. and others. Company profiles include attributes such as company overview, number of employees, brand overview, key competitors, business overview, business strategies, recent/key developments, acquisitions, and financial overview (wherever applicable).



Secondary research sources that were typically referred to include, but were not limited to company websites, financial reports, annual reports, investor presentations, broker reports, and SEC filings. Other sources such as internal and external proprietary databases, statistical databases and market reports, news articles, national government documents, and webcasts specific to companies operating in the market have also been referred for the report.



In-depth interviews and discussions with a wide range of key opinion leaders and industry participants were conducted to compile this research report. Primary research represents the bulk of research efforts, supplemented by extensive secondary research. Key players' product literature, annual reports, press releases, and relevant documents were reviewed for competitive analysis and market understanding. This helped in validating and strengthening secondary research findings. Primary research further helped in developing the analysis team's expertise and market understanding.



The global fuel dispensers market has been segmented as follows:



By Type



Submersible System



Suction System



By Flow Meter



Mechanical



Electronic



By Fuel Type



Petrol



Diesel



CNG



Compressed Hydrogen



Others



By Region



North America



U.S.



Canada



Europe



Germany



France



U.K.



Italy



Spain



Rest of Europe



Asia Pacific



China



India



Japan



ASEAN



Rest of Asia Pacific



Middle East & Africa



GCC



Egypt



South Africa



Rest of Middle East & Africa



Latin America



Brazil



Mexico



Rest of Latin America



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New York, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/16/2019 -- Quantitative evaluations are given for the major market segments, historically and for a five-year horizon. The global scope of the Glazed Bricks market is identified within four major geographical regions with information on regional economics, needs, experience, and proposed projects.



This report studies the GLAZED BRICKS market size (value and volume) by players, regions, product types and end industries, history data 2013-2018 and forecast data 2019-2025; This report also studies the global market competition landscape, market drivers and trends, opportunities and challenges, risks and entry barriers, sales channels, distributors and Porter's Five Forces Analysis.



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The Top key vendors in GLAZED BRICKS Market include are Belden Brick, Glen-Gery, ELGIN BUTLER, Vintage Brick, Pacific Clay Products, Ibstock, Euroa Clay Products, Fireclay Tile, MARCO POLO, Kito, Cimic, Dongpeng



The study explores in details about the recent trend fast gaining momentum in the Glazed Bricks industry due to factors including but not limited to growing customer preference and a sudden rise in their spending capacity. Aspects attributed to the gross margin, profit, supply chain management and product value and their considerable impact on the development of the Glazed Bricks market during the forecast period, 2019 - 2025 is carefully scrutinized during the research.



A high focus is maintained on factors such as demand and supply, production capacity, supply chain management, distribution channel, product application and performance across different countries. The report not only offers hard to find facts about the trends and innovation driving the current and future of GLAZED BRICKS business, but also provides insights into competitive development such as acquisition and mergers, joint ventures, product launches and technology advancements.



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A quick look at the industry trends and opportunities



On the basis of product, this report displays the production, revenue, price, and market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split into

- Small Size

- Medium Size

- Large Size



On the basis of the end users/applications, this report focuses on the status and outlook for major applications/end users, consumption (sales), market share and growth rate for each application, including

- Commercial

- Residential



Region wise performance of the GLAZED BRICKS industry

This report studies the global GLAZED BRICKS market status and forecast, categorizes the global GLAZED BRICKS market size (value & volume) by key players, type, application, and region. This report focuses on the top players in North America, Europe, China, Japan, Southeast Asia India and Other regions (Middle East & Africa, Central & South America).



Estimating the potential size of the Glazed Bricks industry:

Industry experts conducting the study further estimate the potential of the Glazed Bricks industry. Such information is important for firms looking to launch an innovative service or product on the market. Industry experts have measured the total volume of the given market. Researchers have calculated the industry in terms of sales by the competitors and end-user  customers. Data on the entire size of the Glazed Bricks market for a particular product or a service for the forecast period, 2019 to 2025 covered in the report makes it valuable. This information reveals the upper limit of the Glazed Bricks industry for a specific product or service.



Exploring growth rate over a period:

Business owners looking to scale up their business can refer this report that contains data regarding the rise in sales within a given consumer base for the forecast period, 2019 to 2025. Product owners can use this information along with the driving factors such as demographics and revenue generated from other products discussed in the report to get a better analysis of their products and services. Besides, the research analysts have compared the market growth rate with the product sales to enable business owners to determine the success or failure of a specific product or service.



The research provides answers to the following key questions:

- - What is the size of occupied by the prominent leaders for the forecast period, 2019 to 2025? What will be the share and the growth rate of the GLAZED BRICKS market during the forecast period?



- What are the future prospects for the GLAZED BRICKS industry in the coming years?



- Which trends are likely to contribute to the development rate of the industry during the forecast period, 2019 to 2025?



- What are the future prospects of the GLAZED BRICKS industry for the forecast period, 2019 to 2025?



- Which countries are expected to grow at the fastest rate?



- Which factors have attributed to an increased sale worldwide?



- What is the present status of competitive development?



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More related reports:

Floor & Wall Glazed Tiles Market Insights - Global Trends, Analysis and Forecast by 2025

https://www.marketgrowthinsight.com/21595/floor--wall-glazed-tiles-market



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Albany, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/16/2019 -- The global inkjet colorants market was valued at US$ 2.7 Bn in 2017 and is anticipated to expand at a CAGR of more than 6.5% from 2018 to 2026, according to a new report by Transparency Market Research (TMR) titled 'Inkjet Colorants Market  Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast, 20182026.' Inkjet colorants are pigments and dyes used as raw materials to manufacture inkjet inks. Different types of inkjet colorants include organic pigments, inorganic pigments, high-performance pigments, and synthetic pigments and dyes. Pigments and dyes occur naturally in the nature. These can also be synthesized in laboratories.



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Rising Awareness about Benefits of Inkjet Printing Technology to Boost Market



Use of digital printing technology is rising across the globe. Digital printing offers several advantages over analog printing such as low cost, higher customization, mass production, and environmental benefits. Inkjet printing technology is a type of digital printing technology. Hence, the adoption of digital printing technology is expected to boost the adoption of inkjet printing technology. Inkjet printing technology requires inkjet ink; therefore, it requires ink colorants.



Benefits of inkjet printing technology include superior product quality, efficiency, and speed. Inkjet printing technology uses more of water-based ink, which reduces environmental damage caused due to printing. Furthermore, water-based inks add very little weight to the substrate, thereby reducing transport and mailing costs.



Raw Material Prices Greatly Affect Inkjet Colorant Prices



The manufacturing of inkjet colorants requires a wide range of raw materials such as carbon black, treating agents, sodium hydroxide, sodium chloride, and Para Chloro Ortho Nitro Aniline. Inkjet colorant manufacturers depend on outside suppliers to meet their raw material requirements. The availability of raw materials has fluctuated, thus affecting prices of inkjet colorants. This, in turn, affects the prices of inkjet colorants. Inkjet colorant manufacturers such as BASF SE and Clariant Corporation increased prices of their pigments and dyes in 2018 due to the rise in raw material prices. Typically, this price increase lasts for a period of time after which, the prices subside. The cycle of price increase and decrease of inkjet colorants due to raw material supply is likely to continue during the forecast period.



Development of Nanotechnology to Manufacture Inkjet Colorants



Nanotechnology is being developed for a wide range of applications in the printing inks industry, including self-dispersing inkjet pigments. Nanotechnology is expected to provide several benefits such as improving heat resistance of inkjet printing inks, environmental efficiency of inkjet colorants, and to manufacture unusually powerful pigments.



Companies such as China-based Jetcolor and Landa Corporation have started developing technologies to manufacture inkjet colorants and nano-dispersed pigments for high-quality inkjet inks. This trend is expected to continue during the forecast period, as more companies are expected to dedicate resources to nanotechnology related inkjet colorant research.



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Global Inkjet Colorants Market Segmented Based on Product, End-use, and Region



In terms of product, the global inkjet colorants market has been bifurcated into pigments and dyes. The pigments segment accounts for a large share of the market. Pigments have several advantages over dyes. For example, they can be used on a wider range of substrates and last for a long period of time. Pigment-based inkjet inks are waterproof and more resistant to fading as compared to dye-based inkjet inks. Based on end-use, the inkjet colorants market has been segregated into industrial and commercial. The industrial segment holds a major share of the market, primarily due to high manufacturing output of industrial applications that utilize large amounts of inkjet inks. Inkjet printing technology is more efficient and is likely to require less amount of inkjet ink per project, especially for paper-related applications in the commercial segment.



In terms of region, the inkjet colorants market has been segmented 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 a key consumer of inkjet colorants due to the large amount of manufacturing that takes place in the region.



High Level of Competition in Moderately Consolidated Market



Inkjet colorants market is a moderately consolidated with the presence of key multinational players such as Cabot Corporation, BASF SE, Nippon Kayaku Co. Ltd., DIC Corporation, and Clariant International AG. It is also a mature market. Established players make it relatively difficult for new companies to enter the market.



Several big companies in the market adopt strategies such as mergers & acquisitions, new product launches, and capacity expansions to improve their foothold. For example, in April 2015, Clariant International AG's subsidiary Clariant AG Chemicals acquired the carbon black business from LANXESS India Private Limited, which manufactures black pigment preparations. This acquisition is projected to help Clariant AG Chemicals offer products to a larger customer base. In the same year, LANXESS completed the construction of an inorganic pigments plant in Ningbo, China, specifically to produce iron oxide pigments. The total investment at the Ningbo site was around US$ 70 Mn. The site has an annual synthesis capacity of 25,000 metric tons.
Maharashtra, India -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/16/2019 -- Metal Junction Box Market



The Metal Junction Box market Report provide in-depth analysis and the best research of the various market. This is an excellent research study specially compiled to provide latest insights into critical aspects of the Metal Junction Box 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 global Metal Junction Box market is valued at million US$ in 2018 is expected to reach million US$ by the end of 2024, growing at a CAGR of during 2019-2024.



The Major Players Covered in this Report: Altech Corporation, TE Connectivity, Ningbo GZX PV Technology CO LTD, Ningbo Betterbell Photovoltaic Technology Co Ltd, G and N Fortune Limited, B&R Enclosures, Bud Industries, & More.



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Product Type Coverage

Iron Junction Box

Steel Junction Box

Aluminium Junction Box

Others



Application Coverage

Residential

Commercial

Industrial



Global Metal Junction Box Market: Regional Segmentation

For further clarification, analysts have also segmented the market on the basis of geography. This type of segmentation allows the readers to understand the volatile political scenario in varying geographies and their impact on the global Metal Junction Box market. On the basis of geography, the global market for Metal Junction Box has been segmented into:



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)



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1. To gain insightful analyses of the market and have comprehensive understanding of the global Metal Junction Box market and its commercial landscape.

Assess the Metal Junction Box production processes, major issues, and solutions to mitigate the development risk.

2. To understand the most affecting driving and restraining forces in the Metal Junction Box market and its impact in the global market.

Learn about the market strategies that are being adopted by leading respective organizations.

3. To understand the future outlook and prospects for Metal Junction Box market.



The report gives highly importance to following aspects of Global Metal Junction Box Market:



Dominant company/manufacturers profiles including business data, product description, and market share.

Market analysis for past, recent years as well as forecast up to 2024.

Qualitative and quantitative segment-wise evaluation of Metal Junction Box market.

Global market share, sales volume, and CAGR of Metal Junction Box market.

In-depth study of the market in terms of applications, types, and regions.

Market driving factors, contemporary trends, investment opportunities, limitations, strength, challenges of the Metal Junction Box market.

Insightful counsels which helps investors, organisations, and novices to plan their business stratagem and making critical business decisions.

Some of the key questions answered in this report:



Detailed Overview of Metal Junction Box market will help deliver clients and businesses making strategies.

Influencing factors that thriving demand and latest trend running in the market.

What is the market concentration? Is it fragmented or highly concentrated?

What trends, challenges and barriers will impact the development and sizing of Global Metal Junction Box market?

SWOT Analysis of each defined key players along with its profile and Porter's five forces tool mechanism to compliment the same.

What growth momentum or acceleration market carries during the forecast period?

Which region may tap highest market share in coming era?

Which application/end-user category or Product Type may seek incremental growth prospects?

What focused approach and constraints are holding the Metal Junction Box market tight?



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2019-2024 Metal Junction Box market report explains detailed information about market growth trend, analysis of upstream raw materials, downstream demand, and existing market dynamics is carried out. In the end, the report makes some important proposals for a new project of Metal Junction Box market before evaluating its possibility.



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Pune, Maharashtra -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/16/2019 -- Holotomographic imaging is a label-free laser technique of microscopy, which helps observe real-time imaging and the high-quality 3-D refractive index of living cells or tissues. It is widely used in cell biology laboratories for research purposes. Holotomographic imaging products provide high resolution with the help of low laser power that is faster than the normal microscope (in 2D and 3D). These products have a high impact and are cost-effective. Holotomographic imaging products use Optical Diffraction Tomography (ODT), which enables users to observe living cells and tissues. Holotomographic imaging products help in the early diagnosis of all the human infectious diseases. TomoStudio is a software used for the analysis of images on the screens of Holotomographic imaging devices. Holotomographic imaging devices measure the 3-D refractive index tomogram and 3-D fluorescence image of living cells or tissue samples. The key market players are focused on upgrading their products with the integration of advanced technology. These products are available in 3 forms, namely 2-dimensional, 3-dimensional and 4-dimensional image analysis, according their ability to analyse images. Some of the products are Tomocube HT 1, Tomocube HT2 and 3D CELL EXPLORER, among others.



Holotomographic Imaging Market: Drivers and Restraints



Cellular analysis plays an important role in a wide variety of research and diagnostic activities in the life science field as it helps researchers and clinicians understand, diagnose and treat infectious diseases in humans. Holotomographic imaging has combined the methods of holotomography and fluorescence, which results in minimal damage within the living cells. These benefits are driving the demand for holotomographic imaging products. The high demand for holotomographic imaging products by academics and research & development centres is expected to generate significant growth opportunities for the holotomographic imaging market during the forecast period. However, the high cost associated with the holotomographic imaging devices is expected to hamper the revenue growth of the holotomographic imaging market over the forecast period.



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Holotomographic Imaging Market: Segmentation



The global holotomographic imaging market can be segmented on the basis of image analysis, application, end users and geography.



On the basis of image analysis, global market is segmented as:



2-dimensional devices

3-dimensional devices

4-dimensional devices

On the basis of application, global market is segmented as:



Cell biology

Microbiology

Haematology

Oncology

Ophthalmology

Genetic diseases

Others

On the basis of end users, the global market is segmented as:



Cell biology Laboratories

Research and Development Centres

Biotechnology Centres

Academics

Cancer Research Centres

Others

Holotomographic Imaging Market: Overview



Holotomographic imaging aids in the diagnosis and treatment of infectious diseases. Increase in the prevalence of cancer is driving the market. On the basis of image analysis, the 3-dimensional devices segment is dominating the market because high-resolution power lasers are used in these devices. On the basis of application, the oncology segment dominates the holotomographic imaging market because of the increasing prevalence of cancer across the globe. On the basis of end users, cancer research centres are dominating the market due to the increasing focus of research pertaining to oncology treatment, which entails a detailed study of the structure of cancerous cells. Tomocube, Inc. manufactures most of the leading holotomographic imaging products. Moreover, increasing demand for holotomographic imaging products by academic institutes & research laboratories are some of the factors that are expected to boost the market over the forecast period.



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Holotomographic Imaging Market: Regional Outlook



On the basis of geography, the holotomographic imaging market is segmented into seven key regions, which include Latin America, North America, Eastern Europe, Western Europe, Middle East & Africa and Asia Pacific excluding Japan. North America is dominating the global market owing to an increase in the number of clinical trials of holotomographic imaging across the region. Countries in the Asia Pacific except Japan region have the largest number of cancer patients as well as a large geriatric population, which is driving the market in the region. A large number of research centres in Japan are working on cell biology. The market in Latin America & Middle East & Africa regions has been reporting steady growth over the recent years.



Holotomographic Imaging Market: Key Players



Some of the major players in the holotomographic imaging market are EINST Technology Pte Ltd, Tomocube Inc., Nanolive SA and AXT PTY LTD.



The report is a compilation of first-hand information, qualitative and quantitative assessment by industry analysts, inputs from industry experts and industry participants across the value chain. The report provides in-depth analysis of parent market trends, macro-economic indicators and governing factors along with market attractiveness as per segments. The report also maps the qualitative impact of various market factors on market segments and geographies.



The report covers exhaustive analysis on:



Market Segments

Market Dynamics

Market Size

Supply & Demand

Current Trends/Issues/Challenges

Competition & Companies involved

Technology

Value Chain

Regional analysis includes



North America (U.S., Canada)

Latin America (Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Peru, and Rest of Latin America)

Europe [EU -4 (Germany, France, Italy, Spain), BENELUX (Belgium, Netherlands, Luxemburg), NORDIC (Norway, Denmark, Iceland, Sweden), Eastern Europe (Poland, Ukraine, Czech Rep. etc.), Rest of Europe

CIS & Russia

Japan

APEJ (Greater China, India, S. Korea, ASEAN Countries and Rest of APEJ)

Middle East & Africa (GCC Countries, Turkey, Iran, Israel, South Africa, Rest of MEA)

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

Must-have information for market players to sustain and enhance their market footprint



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NOTE - All statements of fact, opinion, or analysis expressed in reports are those of the respective analysts. They do not necessarily reflect formal positions or views of Fact.MR



About Fact.MR

Fact.MR is a fast-growing market research firm that offers the most comprehensive suite of syndicated and customized market research reports. We believe transformative intelligence can educate and inspire businesses to make smarter decisions. We know the limitations of the one-size-fits-all approach; that's why we publish multi-industry global, regional, and country-specific research reports.



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Pune, Maharashtra -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/16/2019 -- Humus Concentrate Market Outlook:



In the field of agriculture, fertilizers and pesticides are the major inputs that are required. The recent decade has shown an immense growth in the fertilizer market. For the past 50 years the chemical fertilizers and pesticides played a major role in the agriculture field, however the chemical fertilizers and pesticides have a very short history in the modern agriculture. In recent years the agrochemicals were used immensely for obtaining higher yield. Extensive application of agrochemicals will definitely lead to poor cropping system and several agricultural issues. Indiscriminate use of the chemical fertilizers result in loss of soil productivity along with some salts that will affect the yield. Bio fertilizers came forward in order to revive the soil health and has become a good supplement for the chemical fertilizers. Bio fertilizers are a renewable source of nutrients which play a vital role in order to maintain the soil fertility and sustainability. Humus is an organic material that is found in the soil of any agricultural land which has the capacity to serve as a soil conditioner. The recent trends in the modern agriculture includes usage of humus concentrate, which consists of natural and organic compounds that are obtained from the soil. There will be a growth in the market for humus concentrate as there is an increasing demand for safe and residue free food.



Reasons for covering this title:



Humus concentrate are environmental friendly bio fertilizers which has ensured sustainable agriculture in the recent decade. The soil already has good amount of humus which is not adequate for the soil fertility. By adding the humus concentrate externally, then the soil will have ample of humus which will result in soil fertility at a faster rate. Humus concentrates are non-toxic, eco-friendly, easy to apply and cost-effective. Humus concentrate have a long term environmental implications, negating the chemical effects. Humus concentrate consist of three main components, i.e., Humin, fulvic acid, humic acid and microorganisms like bacteria, fungi and algae which will help in the nitrogen fixation for the soil. The humic acid content in the humus concentrate are much higher when compared to chicken dung (>5%) and human waste (50%), hence the humic acid also has a natural way of controlling pests. The humus concentrate has satisfied the nutrient requirements for the soil and also resulted in a good amount of crop yield as it has organic compounds which can provide the necessary requirements. Globally, there will be a good market growth for the humus concentrate if the growers start using humus concentrate over other bio fertilizers.



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Global Humus concentrate market: Market Segmentation



On the basis of form, the global Humus concentrate market has been segmented as



Powder

Granules

Liquid

On the basis of end use, the global Humus concentrate market has been segmented as



Horticulture

Landscaping

Soil remediation

On the basis of function, the global Humus concentrate market has been segmented as



Soil structuring

Drought tolerant

pH regulator

Growth promoter

Yield promoter

On the basis of region, the global Humus concentrate market has been segmented as



North America

Europe

MEA

Latin America

APAC

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Global Humus concentrate market: Key players



Some of the key players operating in the global Humus concentrate market are Novihum, Humintech, Humusolver, Fertrell, Ohio Earth food, Sustainable farming, Plasmabiotec, Organic approach, Nature's force organics, AgriEnergy resources, King Humus Plus, Down to Earth all natural fertilizers



In order to cater safe and residue free food, it is necessary to create promotional activities among the growers about the usage of humus concentrate. Creating promotional activities is key for the market growth of humus concentrate. In few places there is less amount of awareness about the benefits of humus concentrate. This can be achieved by targeting the growers who are more specific about their usage of bio fertilizers for their agriculture purposes. There is definitely an expected growth for the humus concentrate market on a global level, provided if the demand for it increases.



Key Developments: Global Humus Concentrate Market



In the year 2018, Humintech joined GreenTech, Amsterdam as a trade partner in order to provide more solution for the horticulture industry. The aim is to provide answer for the question in the innovation for fruits, flowers and vegetables. This can actually enhance the market growth of Humus concentrate.



In the year 2014, Novihum has started a research project in Oman on artificial humus which is about to get established in Oman. This is also a certain approach to increase the market potential of humus concentrate.



Opportunities for market participants in humus concentrate market



The possibility for the growth of humus concentrate in the market is quite high. It has a high potential driven by various factors which can increase the purchase of humus concentrate to a certain level. So there is high market potential for the humus concentrate in the market.



Brief Approach to Research



A modeling-based approach and triangulation methodology will be followed to estimate data covered in this report. A detailed market understanding and assessment of the applications, types, forms, and end uses of the product segments covered in the study is followed by carrying out a demand-side approach to estimate the sales of target product segments, which is then cross-referenced with a supply-side assessment of value generated over a pre-defined period. The statistics and data are collected at a regional level, consolidated and synthesized at a global level to estimate the overall market sizes.



Key Data Points Covered in the Report



Some of the key data points covered in our report include:



An overview of the humus concentrate market, including background and evolution

Macroeconomic factors affecting the humus concentrate market and its potential

Market dynamics, such as drivers, challenges, and trends

Detailed value chain analysis of the humus concentrate market

The cost structure of the products and segments covered in the study

In-depth pricing analysis, by key product segments, regions and by major humus concentrate market participants

Analysis of humus concentrate supply and demand, such as top producing and consuming geographies, imports/exports, and overall trade scenario

Analysis of the humus concentrate market structure, including a tier-wise categorization of key market participants

Competitive landscape of the humus concentrate market, including detailed profiles of the top players in this market



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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/

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Pune, Maharashtra -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/16/2019 -- Marine Scrubber Systems Market  Notable Highlights



Frontline, a leading oil tanker fleet operator, confirmed signing of a MoA (memorandum of agreement) in 2018. This MoA was signed for acquiring nearly 20% of stake in a Singapore-based OEM, Feen Marine Scrubbers. This MoA was aimed at enhancing the production capacities of both the companies via combined expertise.

Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, in 2017, made an official announcement of their joint effort in developing a rectangular marine scrubber of larger dimensions that separates sulfur oxide from the gases discharged by marine diesel engines



The marine scrubber systems market remains a highly competitive landscape, with international players holding a significant pie of the global market share. The top 5 manufacturing companies in the marine scrubber systems market collectively account for nearly 50-60% of the revenue share, driven by robust product portfolios and operational effectiveness. Over the past few years, the marine scrubber systems market has witnessed continual and significant developments by the leading players, which were specifically aimed at amplifying their market sustenance.



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Marine Scrubber Systems Market- Demand for Wet Technology Proliferates, Favourable Usage Characteristics Remain the Key Attraction



Wet technology remains the highly favored technology in the Marine Scrubber Systems market space over the forecast period. The buoyancy of wet marine scrubber systems can be accredited to their high-scale efficiency and provision of using available seawater during maritime journey, which helps in curbing noxious emissions and removing SOx. These characteristics, in turn, foster the popularity of wet technology as a viable proposition for use. Moreover, wet technology is a low cost and an effective technology, which is a key factor enhancing its visibility over other technologies.



Marine Scrubber Systems Market- Demand for Marine Scrubber Systems for Retrofit Applications to Surge



The marine scrubber systems is foreseen to demand from both greenfield (installing marine scrubber systems on new ships) and brownfield (installing marine scrubber systems on pre-existing ships lacking efficient exhaust cleaning systems). However, the demand for marine scrubber systems in retrofit applications is likely to witness exponential growth, owing to federal interventions and amendments. For instance, the IMO Fuel Sulphur Regulation, which is impeding and is scheduled for January 2020, will ask the existing marine vessels to switch to either low sulphur-concentrated fuels or employ marine scrubber systems for cleaning the exhaust frameworks of SOx.



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A substantial cohort of the ship owners have already favored the idea of marine vessels having marine scrubber systems in a bid to comply with the regulations post 2020 deadline. Strong initiatives like the aforementioned are likely to put marine vessels under the pressure to opt for effective exhaust cleansing systems, such as marine scrubber systems.



Marine Scrubber Systems Market- APEJ & Western Europe to Spearhead Demand for Marine Scrubber Systems



APEJ continues to be highly lucrative with prime opportunities for manufacturers of marine scrubber systems, with Western Europe & North America following the suit. Key ASEAN countries such as South Korea, China, India, and others are foreseen to stay the forefront of demand for effective marine scrubber systems, notably from renowned merchants as well as commercial fleets across APEJ region.



Western Europe demonstrates wide-spread presence of leading commercial shipping lines, primarily across the Nordic nations, Greece & other parts, making it a remunerative region for manufacturing companies in the marine scrubber systems market to take into account. APEJ and Western Europe, collectively, are estimated to create an absolute $ opportunity exceeding US$ 6.4 Bn over the forecast timeline.



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Marine Scrubber Systems Market- Additional Questions Answered



How has growth of marine scrubber systems market taken off over the past few years?

Which product type in the marine scrubber systems market continues to outperform other types over the forecast timespan?

What are the few significant macroeconomic factors having profound influences on growth of marine scrubber systems market?
Albany, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/16/2019 -- Global Mushroom Packaging Market: An Overview



The global mushroom packaging market was born out innovation from an innovative company named 'Ecovative Design'. Today, mushroom materials are widely gaining increased attention due to their biodegradable and renewable nature. The mushroom materials are usually growth from fungal mycelium. Additionally, due to their status as low-value non-food agricultural materials, the costs of these materials remains extremely low. This has made way for widespread industrial commercialization. Moreover, mushroom materials are not just running away with packaging products but are used in various applications such as thermal insulation, building materials, protective packaging, and panels.



Manufacturing products in the mushroom packaging market involves using agricultural waste such as cotton hulls, heating and cleaning the materials, and ultimately, inoculating the material to grow fungal mycelium. The considerable long duration of growth for mushroom packaging products is a concern for players in the mushroom packaging market. Currently, the product material takes about five days to grow. However, the growing regulations regarding plastics and ban on single-use plastics in major regions such as Europe are expected to be a boon for the mushroom packaging market.



Mushroom packaging products were developed with an intent to replace plastic packaging options such as polystyrene. These petroleum-based products are increasingly facing scrutiny as petroleum prices come from conflict-ridden and unstable regions, creating uncertainties in the supply chain. Furthermore, plastic products take several years to decompose and some never do so. Hence, cost-efficiency and growing consumer response can drive the mushroom packaging market in the near future.



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Global Mushroom Packaging Market: Notable Developments



IKEA, a major furniture multinational chain has announced the induction of mushroom packaging products to replace its current line of Styrofoam packaging recently. The firm will now use EcoCradle, a biodegradable material for its packaging needs. In its press release, IKEA spokesperson confirmed the cost-efficiency and effectiveness of mushroom packaging. According to news reports, EcoCradle packaging is as durable as plastic. Additionally, it also provides insulation and flame resistance similar to polystyrene. On the other hand, Styrofoam packaging can take centuries to decompose, making it a liability from an environmental related legal perspective.

Maine state government has banned polystyrene food containers. The legislation is expected to result in similar demands in Colorado, Vermont, New Jersey, and Oregon. The action may also make way for a nationwide campaign against Styrofoam, a substance practically impossible to recycle. The ban is expected to force restaurants and grocery stores to search for new options, making way for growth for the mushroom packaging market. According to news reports, restaurants and grocery store owners are still wary of mushroom packaging due to relatively higher costs. However, economies of scale and subsidies from the government could result in more opportunities for players in the mushroom packaging market.

Global Mushroom Packaging Market: Key Trends



The electronics industry is witnessing a tremendous growth, thanks to rising demand for hand-held devices and newly invented wearable gadgets. Moreover, due to the advent of e-commerce, the industry requires innovative packaging solutions. These solutions must embed high fire resistance and insulation properties, something mushroom packaging provide for very well. Moreover, the industry uses high levels of Styrofoam packaging to cushion delicate electronics items and ship them in different regions. Additionally, high margins in electronics can also allow companies to switch to relatively high-priced mushroom packaging products in the near future. Hence, growing scrutiny regarding plastics and growing demand for biodegradable packaging method are expected to result in significant growth for the mushroom packaging products in the near future.



The report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the market. It does so via in-depth qualitative insights, historical data, and verifiable projections about market size. The projections featured in the report have been derived using proven research methodologies and assumptions. By doing so, the research report serves as a repository of analysis and information for every facet of the market, including but not limited to: Regional markets, technology, types, and applications.



The study is a source of reliable data on:



Market segments and sub-segments

Market trends and dynamics

Supply and demand

Market size

Current trends/opportunities/challenges

Competitive landscape

Technological breakthroughs

Value chain and stakeholder analysis

The regional analysis covers:



North America (U.S. and Canada)

Latin America (Mexico, Brazil, Peru, Chile, and others)

Western Europe (Germany, U.K., France, Spain, Italy, Nordic countries, Belgium, Netherlands, and Luxembourg)

Eastern Europe (Poland and Russia)

Asia Pacific (China, India, Japan, ASEAN, Australia, and New Zealand)

Middle East and Africa (GCC, Southern Africa, and North Africa)

The report has been compiled through extensive primary research (through interviews, surveys, and observations of seasoned analysts) and secondary research (which entails reputable paid sources, trade journals, and industry body databases). The report also features a complete qualitative and quantitative assessment by analyzing data gathered from industry analysts and market participants across key points in the industry's value chain.



A separate analysis of prevailing trends in the parent market, macro- and micro-economic indicators, and regulations and mandates is included under the purview of the study. By doing so, the report projects the attractiveness of each major segment over the forecast period.



Highlights of the report:



A complete backdrop analysis, which includes an assessment of the parent market

Important changes in market dynamics

Market segmentation up to the second or third level

Historical, current, and projected size of the market from the standpoint of both value and volume

Reporting and evaluation of recent industry developments

Market shares and strategies of key players

Emerging niche segments and regional markets

An objective assessment of the trajectory of the market

Recommendations to companies for strengthening their foothold in the market
Pune, Maharashtra -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/16/2019 -- Non-invasive Ventilator Market: Introduction



A ventilator is a life-supporting system that is used to inhale oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide from the body. It helps patients breathe easier who are suffering from breathing difficulty. A ventilator is also used during anesthesia, as anesthesia can disrupt the normal breathing functionality, and the ventilator ensures that the normal breathing process is carried out efficiently during surgery. A non-invasive ventilator is used as an airway support, administered through a face mask instead of an endotracheal tube. A non-invasive ventilator supports the patient in breathing without the need for tracheotomy. Non-invasive ventilators are gaining traction nowadays, as there is increasing preference for non-invasive ventilation over invasive ventilation. A non-invasive ventilator supports the patient by delivering the right inspiratory and expiratory pressure to meet the individual's ventilator demands. A non-invasive ventilator is used more frequently and treats a wider range of conditions. Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (CPOD) are mainly treated with these non-invasive ventilators in intensive care units. Other than COPD, conditions such as pneumonia, acute lung injury, asthma, acute respiratory distress syndrome, neuromuscular disease, chest wall disorder, and obesity hypoventilation syndrome are treated with non-invasive ventilators. A non-invasive ventilator is also useful in a homecare setting for the treatment of sleep-related disorders such as sleep apnea.



Non-invasive Ventilator Market: Drivers and Restraints



The growing prevalence of respiratory disorders is expected to be a major factor driving the growth of the non-invasive ventilator market over the forecast period. According to WHO, around 65 million people have moderate to serve chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (CPOD), globally. Various technological advancements in ventilation devices with operating efficiency, and the increasing geriatric population are also impelling the growth of the non-invasive ventilator market. Risk factors such as obesity and diabetes; unhealthy lifestyles such as alcohol consumption and smoking; and irregular sleep patterns that develop into respiratory problems are expected to drive the market of non-invasive ventilators in the near future. The cumulative demand for new technology devices among surgeons is another major factor expected to drive the non-invasive ventilator market. Moreover, the benefits of non-invasive ventilators over invasive ventilators are expected to spur the demand for non-invasive ventilators over the forecast period. However, the high cost of these non-invasive ventilators is expected to hamper the growth of the non-invasive ventilator market. Moreover, the risk of not receiving sufficient ventilation due to an incorrect set-up is expected to restrain the growth of the non-invasive ventilator market.



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Non-invasive Ventilator Market: Segmentation



Tentatively, the global non-invasive ventilator market can be segmented on the basis of product type, end user, and geography.



Based on product type, the global non-invasive ventilator market is segmented as:



Electric

Pneumatic

Elecro-Pneumatic

Based on end user, the global non-invasive ventilator market is segmented as:



Hospitals

Specialty Clinics

Home Care Settings

Ambulatory Surgical Centers

Non-invasive Ventilator Market: Overview



The global market for non-invasive ventilators is expected to witness moderate growth over the forecast period. The electric non-invasive ventilators segment is expected grow at the highest CAGR over the forecast period in the non-invasive ventilator market. The hospitals end user segment is expected to contribute a high share in the global non-invasive ventilator market. Nowadays, non-invasive ventilators are in the high demand among healthcare professionals and patients due to their many benefits.



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Non-invasive Ventilator Market: Regional Outlook



Geographically, the global non-invasive ventilator market is segmented into America, Latin America, Europe, CIS & Russia, Asia Pacific excluding Japan (APEJ), Japan, and the Middle East and Africa (MEA). North America is expected to be a dominant market in the global non-invasive ventilator market, due to the rise in the prevalence of respiratory diseases in the United States. A large number of technology solution providers exist in the market in this region. Europe is expected to have the second-largest share in the global non-invasive ventilator market throughout the forecast period, due to the huge adoption of new technologies among healthcare professionals. The non-invasive ventilator market in Asia Pacific excluding Japan is expected to grow at a significant CAGR, owing to factors such as rising standards of living, lifestyle changes, rise in awareness levels, and focus on healthcare expenditure. Japan is expected to represent a significant share in the global non-invasive ventilator market, due to strong reimbursement policies and the increasing aging population.



Non-invasive Ventilator Market: Key Players



Examples of some of the key players operating in the global non-invasive ventilator market are ResMed Inc., Teleflex Incorporated, Hamilton Bonaduz AG, HEYER Medical AG, Respironics, Inc., Airon Corporation, Fisher & Paykel Healthcare, Magnamed, medin Medical Innovations GmbH, Mindray Medical International Limited, O-Two Medical Technologies Inc., Phoenix Medical Systems Pvt. Ltd., Smiths Medical, Inc., WILAmed GmbH, and others.



The report is a compilation of first-hand information, qualitative and quantitative assessment by industry analysts, and inputs from industry experts and industry participants across the value chain. The report provides in-depth analysis of parent market trends, macro-economic indicators, and governing factors, along with market attractiveness as per segment. The report also maps the qualitative impact of various market factors on market segments and geographies.



The report covers exhaustive analysis on:



Market Segments

Market Dynamics

Market Size

Supply & Demand

Current Trends/Issues/Challenges

Competition & Companies Involved

Technology

Value Chain

Regional analysis includes:



North America (U.S., Canada)

Latin America (Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Peru, Chile, Rest of LATAM)

Europe (Germany, Italy, U.K, Spain, France, Nordic countries, BENELUX, Eastern Europe, Rest of Europe)

CIS & Russia

Japan

Asia Pacific Excluding Japan ( Greater China, India, South Korea, ASEAN Countries, Rest of APEJ)

Middle East and Africa (GCC Countries, Turkey, Iran, Israel, S. Africa, Rest of MEA)

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

Must-have information for market players to sustain and enhance their market footprint



Report Analysis@ https://www.factmr.com/report/2290/non-invasive-ventilator-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.



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RTHK: US$100mn cybercrime gang busted: Europol

US and European police said on Thursday they have smashed a huge international cybercrime network that used Russian malware to steal US$100 million from tens of thousands of victims worldwide.

Prosecutions have been launched in Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine and the United States over the scam, while five Russians charged in the US remain on the run, the EU police agency Europol said.

The "organised crime network behind US$100 million in malware attacks" targeted "more than 41,000 victims, primarily businesses and their financial institutions," Europol said.

The network used GozNym malware across six countries, including Germany and Bulgaria.

Scott Brady, the US Attorney General for the western district of Pennsylvania where the US indictment was unsealed, said the operation was an unprecedented international effort.

"Unsuspecting European and American victims thought they were clicking on a simple invoice, but were instead giving hackers access to their most sensitive information," Brady added.

The five fugitive Russians included the developer of the malware who "oversaw its creation, development, management and leasing to other cybercriminals", Europol said. (AFP)

This story has been published on: 2019-05-16. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
The Cannes film festival opens Tuesday amid a row over its decision to honour the veteran French star Alain Delon who has been accused of being violent towards women.

Women and Hollywood, one of the US lobby groups at the head of the #MeToo movement in the film industry, said the decision to give him an honorary Palme d'Or "sucked".

Last year the festival vowed that there "must be zero tolerance with sexual harassment or abuse of any kind" amid red carpet protests led by Cate Blanchett of more than 80 Hollywood stars and women directors.

An online petition calling for the Delon prize to be stopped branded the 83-year-old actor a "racist, homophobic misogynist".

The row came as the world's biggest film festival opens with one of the starriest line-ups in years. A host of Hollywood big names from Brad Pitt, Leonardo DiCaprio and Bill Murray to Julianne Moore and Elle Fanning are due on the Croisette.

The controversy broke after a new movie by Franco-Tunisian director Abdellatif Kechiche was selected to compete for the top prize despite police investigating him for an alleged sexual assault on a young actress. Kechiche denies the claim.

Women and Hollywood founder Melissa Silverstein tweeted that she was appalled that Cannes was honouring Delon given that he "has publicly admitted to slapping women and he has claimed that being gay is against nature."

- 'Eight broken ribs' -

"He has aligned himself with the racist and anti-Semitic National Front," she added, which was founded by his life-long friend Jean-Marie Le Pen, which has been renamed as the National Rally by his daughter Marine, who now leads the far-right party.

Delon admitted hitting women in November when he was questioned on French television about claims of domestic violence from his estranged son Alain-Fabien Delon.

"If a slap is macho, then I am macho," he said, adding that women had hit him and that he had never "broken" a woman.

His son said the star of such screen classics as "The Leopard", "The Swimming Pool" and "Le Samourai" had beaten his mother, breaking eight of her ribs and her nose twice.

Another son, Anthony Delon, took to Instagram earlier this month to confirm that he was locked in a cage with dogs by his father as a child "to toughen me up".

But Cannes director Thierry Fremaux came to Delon's defence Monday, saying they were honouring his career not his views which the festival did not condone.

"Alain Delon is allowed to think what he likes," he told AFP.

"I think it's important to take a step back. What he's said -- sporadically here and there -- we generalise and blend it all together.

"It's complicated to judge someone through today's lens, and judge things that were said and that happened years ago," Fremaux said, adding: "We're not giving him the Nobel Peace Prize."

- Kechiche denies sex assault -

A petition calling for the honorary Cannes prize to be withheld clocked up nearly 18,000 signatures on the Care2 website.

The festival unveiled a huge poster of a youthful Delon which will be draped above the red carpet on Sunday when he receives the honour.

It pictures the actor in his breakthrough 1960 film, "Purple Noon", where he played a devastatingly handsome serial killer.

Festival director Fremaux refused to be drawn on the case of Kechiche -- who won the Palme d'Or in 2013 with the lesbian love story "Blue Is the Warmest Colour".

A judicial source told AFP they are still investigating a complaint by a 29-year-old actress made against him in October -- although they have yet to interview the director.

The woman said she woke to find him fondling her after a dinner party in Paris in June.

His lawyers said he "categorically denies the veracity of these accusations".

Kechiche, whose four-hour-long new film, "Mektoub, My Love: Intermezzo", is one of 21 movies vying for the Palme d'Or, was accused of harassing his crew on the gruelling shoot of "Blue Is the Warmest Colour".

Its two female stars Lea Seydoux and Adele Exarchopoulos complained about Kechiche's behaviour.

However, Seydoux later said that she was proud of the movie and "I really like him as a director. The way he treats us? So what!"

A host of music as well as screen legends are due in Cannes for the 12-day festival including Bono, Iggy Pop, Selena Gomez and Elton John, who organisers hinted may play before the premiere of his biopic "Rocketman".

Sylvester Stallone will also make an appearance to promote his latest "Rambo" movie.

For more arts and culture news and updates, follow Ahram Online Arts and Culture on Twitter at @AhramOnlineArts and on Facebook at Ahram Online: Arts & Culture

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Pune, Maharashtra -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/16/2019 -- The global demand for oil refining pumps is expected to surpass 3 million tons by 2018 end, according to a latest Fact.MR report on oil refining pumps market. Rising oil and gas production, and increase in petroleum-based power generation are driving oil refining pumps demand. The oil supply has sharply increased from Russia, Middle East, and the US, compensating for fall in oil production in Iran and Venezuela.



The demand for centrifugal pumps is constantly rising in upstream oil and gas industry in multiphase or tri-phase pumping application. With the increasing demand for oil, especially in developing regions, transporting a large amount of liquid has become necessary to ensure operational efficiency. This is driving the demand for centrifugal pumps to transport a significant amount of liquid in a short period.



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APAC to Continue Strong Position in Oil Refining Pumps Market



The Fact.MR study projects that APAC continues to register significant growth in the oil refining pumps market and is likely to account for over 40% of total demand by 2018 end. The positive outlook in the region can be attributed to the growing demand for diesel and gasoline in emerging nations like India and China.



The upgradation of existing oil refineries and robust investment in the construction of new oil refineries is fueling the growth in the oil refining pumps market in the region. Rising oil demand and faced with strict emission regulations, India is also moving towards development of new and modern refineries.



According to the International Energy Agency (IEA's) latest World Outlook Projection, India's refining capacity is likely to grow by two-thirds in the next 25 years. This is expected to make India world's third largest refining center by 2040, following the US and China.



Major oil companies in Southeast Asia are also investing in increasing their refining capacity. Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Thailand are likely to see growth in new refining capacity in the coming years. The development of new and advanced oil refineries in APAC is expected to create growth opportunities for oil refining pumps manufacturers.



Energy Transition Emerging as Serious Challenge for Oil Companies and Oil Exporting Countries



Global oil companies and oil exporting countries are likely to face a challenge with the rise in energy transition. The biggest challenge for oil companies make changes in their business model and integrating low-carbon assets in their portfolios. With the growing trend of renewable energy sources, oil exporting countries with good reserves-to-production ration are facing the risk of loss in export revenues and monetizing their large reserve base.



Penetration of renewables has increased in Europe to meet the energy demand, resulting in reduced oil demand. Moreover, regulation by national governments and European Union is likely to further reduce refined oil demand in the region. Oil refineries in Europe are unable to find buyers, resulting in constant drop in profit margins. Inability to find buyers and drop in profit margins is forcing oil refinery operators to shut down the plants.



Browse Full Report @ https://www.factmr.com/report/2434/oil-refining-pumps-market



More refinery plants shutdown expected in the coming years in Europe is likely to impact the oil refining pumps market in the region. Moreover, key oil companies across various regions are also planning to invest more in low-carbon energy sources with aim to reduce carbon footprints.



The Fact.MR report tracks the oil refining pumps market for the period 2018-2028. According to the report, the oil refining pumps market is expected to reach 2.9% CAGR during 2018-2028.



Table of Contents Covered in this report are:



1. Oil Refining Pumps Market- Executive Summary

1.1. Market Overview

1.2. FMR Analyzed

1.3. Oil Refining Pumps Market Opportunity Assessment

1.3.1. Winning and Losing Components

1.4. Market White Spaces Analysis and Wheel of Fortune Opportunity Analysis



You can Buy This Report from Here @ https://www.factmr.com/checkout/2434/S



2. Global Oil Refining Pumps Market Introduction

2.1. Introduction & Definition

2.2. Market Taxonomy



3. Market Dynamics

3.1. Key Market Trends and Drivers

3.2. Key Challenges



4. Associated Industry Assessment

4.1. Global Pumps Market Overview

4.1.1. Global Pumps Market Analysis (US$ Mn and Units) and Forecast, 2013-2028

4.1.2. Global Pumps Market Analysis and Forecast by Region, 2018 & 2028

4.1.3. Global Pumps Market Analysis and Forecast by Product Type, 2018 & 2028

4.1.3.1. Centrifugal Pumps

4.1.3.2. Reciprocating Pumps

4.1.3.3. Rotary Pumps

4.1.4. Market Attractiveness Analysis by Product Type



5. Key Indicator Assessment

5.1. Supply Chain

5.1.1. Oil Refining Pumps Manufacturers

5.1.2. Pumps Manufacturers

5.1.3. Distributors/Suppliers

5.1.4. End Users

5.2. Cost Structure

5.3. Macro-Economic Factors Influencing Demand



6. Global Oil Refining Pumps Market Analysis (2013-2017) and Forecast (2018-2028)

6.1. Global Market Outlook

6.1.1. Market Value (US$ Mn), Volume (Units) Forecast and Y-o-Y Growth, 2013-2028

6.1.2. Market Absolute $ Opportunity, 2013-2028

And Continue....
Albany, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/15/2019 -- Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Global Multifunctional Composite Materials Market Insights, Forecast to 2025" to its huge collection of research reports. An insight on the important factors and trends influencing the market.



Organizations designers and engineers value composite materials majorly for structural properties including light weight, stiffness, and high strength. These materials are used in various sectors such as electrical, capacitors, batteries, hybrid ground vehicles, automotive, airplanes, energy conversion, and others. With increasing advances in the field of multifunctional composites which provides different properties, it has become beneficial for various industrial sectors. Multifunctional materials and systems have many major functions occurring sequentially in time.



Global Multifunctional Composite Materials market size will increase to xx Million US$ by 2025, from xx Million US$ in 2018, at a CAGR of xx% during the forecast period. In this study, 2018 has been considered as the base year and 2019 to 2025 as the forecast period to estimate the market size for Multifunctional Composite Materials.



Download Exclusive Free Sample Of This Report: https://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=2333846



This report researches the worldwide Multifunctional Composite Materials market size (value, capacity, production and consumption) in key regions like United States, Europe, Asia Pacific (China, Japan) and other regions.

This study categorizes the global Multifunctional Composite Materials breakdown data by manufacturers, region, type and application, also analyzes the market status, market share, growth rate, future trends, market drivers, opportunities and challenges, risks and entry barriers, sales channels, distributors and Porter's Five Forces Analysis.



The following manufacturers are covered in this report:

Hexcel Corporation

Mitsubishi Chemical Holding Corporation

Nippon Graphite Fiber Corporation

SGL Carbon SE

Solvay SA

Teijin Limited

Toray Industries Inc.



Multifunctional Composite Materials Breakdown Data by Type

Carbon Fiber

Fabrics/Reinforcements

Prepregs/Resins

Adhesives

Honeycomb

Other



Multifunctional Composite Materials Breakdown Data by Application

Aerospace Industry

Medical Industry

Machinery Industry

Achitechture Industry

Other



Multifunctional Composite Materials Production Breakdown Data by Region

United States

Europe

China

Japan

Other Regions



Multifunctional Composite Materials Consumption Breakdown Data by Region

North America

United States

Canada

Mexico

Asia-Pacific

China

Japan

South Korea

India

Australia

Indonesia

Thailand

Malaysia

Philippines

Vietnam

Europe

Germany

France

UK

Italy

Russia

Rest of Europe

Central & South America

Brazil

Rest of South America

Middle East & Africa

Turkey

GCC Countries

Egypt

South Africa

Rest of Middle East & Africa



Enquiry For Discount or to Get Customized Report: https://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=E&repid=2333846



The study objectives are:

To analyze and research the global Multifunctional Composite Materials capacity, production, value, consumption, status and forecast;

To focus on the key Multifunctional Composite Materials manufacturers and study the capacity, production, value, market share and development plans in next few years.

To focuses on the global key manufacturers, to define, describe and analyze the market competition landscape, SWOT analysis.

To define, describe and forecast the market by type, application and region.

To analyze the global and key regions market potential and advantage, opportunity and challenge, restraints and risks.

To identify significant trends and factors driving or inhibiting the market growth.

To analyze the opportunities in the market for stakeholders by identifying the high growth segments.

To strategically analyze each submarket with respect to individual growth trend and their contribution to the market.

To analyze competitive developments such as expansions, agreements, new product launches, and acquisitions in the market.

To strategically profile the key players and comprehensively analyze their growth strategies.



In this study, the years considered to estimate the market size of Multifunctional Composite Materials :

History Year: 2014-2018

Base Year: 2018

Estimated Year: 2019

Forecast Year 2019 to 2025



About ResearchMoz

ResearchMoz is the world's fastest growing collection of market research reports worldwide. Our database is composed of current market studies from over 100 featured publishers worldwide. Our market research databases integrate statistics with analysis from global, regional, country and company perspectives. ResearchMoz's service portfolio also includes value-added services such as market research customization, competitive landscaping, and in-depth surveys, delivered by a team of experienced Research Coordinators.



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Pune, Maharashtra -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/16/2019 -- Rotary Trommel Market: Overview



A rotary trommel is a screening machine based on the rotational speed and density of components. The rotary trommel is used to separate different sizes of solids on the basis of their densities. The rotary trommel is used to process raw materials of various industries, such as mineral processing industry, mining industries, solid waste treatment industry, paper industry etc. The wide range of practical applications of the rotary trommel in the end-use industries is expected to increase its demand over the forecast period.



Rotary trommel can raise the potential of the separation process by using centrifugal forces generated by rotations, which can be helpful in many industries for the separation of different size particles from the solid mixture, hence used in the mixed solids separation process. The rotary trommel has used for processing of solid and different density components in different raw material processing industries.



Rotary trommel is used in wastewater and sludge treatment industry, mineral processing industry and chemical industry. The rise in industrial waste treatment and mining and mineral processing industry is likely to expand the market for rotary trommel.



Request Free Sample Report@ https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=S&rep_id=3509



Rotary Trommel Market: Market Dynamics



The increasing demand for the separation of components and materials in the industry eventually leads to the growing demand for rotary trommel in the near future. Rotary trommel acts as an effective tool for separating solids on the basis of density and phase of materials in various industries.



The global industrial waste management industries is expected to drive the market for rotary trommel. Additionally, the centrifugal force-enabled separation processes for different mixtures of solids in various industries across the globe will have a positive impact on the global rotary trommel market. The rising expenditure on the sludge and solid waste treatment is expected to push the demand for rotary trommel.



The rising growth of mineral processing and mining industries across the world is creating the demand for rotary trommel.



Rotary Trommel Market: Market Segmentation



The rotary trommel market has been segmented into different parts based on the product type, application and geography. The rotary trommel is commonly used in various minerals processing industries and industrial waste treatment industries.



Based on product type, the rotary trommel market is segmented into:



Disc Screen

Drum Screen

Vibrating Screen

Based on application, the rotary trommel market is segmented into:



Mineral Processing

Coal Mining

Solid Waste Screening

Paper Industry

Others

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Rotary Trommel Market: Regional Outlook



The rotary trommel market has categorized into seven critical regions: North America, Latin America, Europe, East Asia, South Asia, Oceania and the Middle East and Africa. The rotary trommel market is expected to register healthy growth during the forecast period, as the mineral processing industries are growing across the globe. East Asia and South Asia represent a significantly high market share, and the market for rotary trommel will grow at a significant rate due to the rising solids processing and mineral processing industries. Awareness of the treatment of industrial waste and solid waste to create opportunities for rotary trommel in the near future. China and India's developing market is expected to positively impact the growth of the rotary trommel market due to an increasing biofuel and mineral processing industry and other industrial developments.



Moreover, Europe is a growing market due to the high expenditure on sustainable development and solid waste treatment. The rotary trommel market is steadily increasing with the rising demand for solids separation process across all regions.



Additionally, Middle East & Africa is projected to showcase steady growth in the global rotary trommel market due to the rise in mineral processing industry along with mining industries in the region.



North America is one of the key regions that will generate generous opportunity in the global rotary trommel market over the forecast period due to the rise in mineral processing industries in the region.



Rotary Trommel Market: Key Players



Some of the major players in the rotary trommel market are McLanahan Corporation, General Kinematics Corporation, Westpro Machinery, Gulf-Atlantic Industrial Equipment and Tuffman Equipment, among others.



The research report presents a comprehensive assessment of the rotary trommel market and contains thoughtful insights, facts, historical data and statistically supported and industry-validated market data. It also contains projections using a suitable set of assumptions and methodologies. The research report for rotary trommel provides analysis and information according to market segments such as geographies, product type and application.



The rotary trommel market report covers exhaustive analysis on:



Market Segments

Market Dynamics

Market Size

Supply & Demand

Current Trends/Issues/Challenges

Competition & Companies involved

Technology

Value Chain

The rotary trommel regional analysis includes:



North America (U.S., Canada)

Latin America (Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Peru)

Europe (Germany, Italy, France, U.K, Spain, BENELUX, Nordic, Eastern Europe)

South Asia (India, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Rest of South Asia)

East Asia (China, Japan, South Korea)

Oceania (Australia & New Zealand)

Middle East and Africa (GCC Countries, South Africa, Turkey, Iran, Israel)

The rotary trommel 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 for rotary trommel provides in-depth analysis of parent market trends, macro-economic indicators and governing factors along with market attractiveness as per segments. The rotary trommel market report also maps the qualitative impact of various market factors on market segments and geographies.



The Rotary Trommel Market 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

Must-have information for market players to sustain and enhance their market footprint



Report Analysis@ https://www.factmr.com/report/3509/rotary-trommel-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/

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Sellbyville, DE -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/16/2019 -- The U.S. electronics manufacturing services (EMS) market dominates the global industry; the electronic manufacturing services demand in the country is estimated to exceed USD 70 billion by 2024. The emergence of several manufacturing companies across all industry verticals in the U.S. has increased competition and enforced OEMs to partner with the EMS providers. Additionally, increasing government rules to produce safe and tested electronic products to be used in industrial applications, such as medical devices and automobiles, supports EMS market growth. To save the labor costs involved in manufacturing and logistics operations, OEMs in the U.S. are shifting toward electronics contract services. These factors coupled with the growth in outsourcing activities account for the rapid development in the industry.



Request for Sample Copy of This Report @ https://www.gminsights.com/request-sample/detail/2971



With increasing need for cost-effective production of automobiles and consumer electronics, the electronics manufacturing services (EMS) market has gained enormous momentum over the last twenty years. Consistent rise in the consumption of mobile phones, portable electronics and connected devices overall has helped the growth of several small EMS players to meet the global demand. Vast opportunities in the aerospace, industrial and medical devices segment have also boosted the electronic manufacturing services industry. More recently, the communication and consumer electronics segment have driven EMS providers to pursue key expansion strategies and technological developments.



Electronics manufacturing services (EMS) market is gaining momentum due to an increasing focus on electronic OEMs to enhance the quality of products. The quality of products is the key factor that differentiates the offerings of the company in a highly competitive electronics industry. To ensure the quality, the vendors in the industry are undertaking several testing procedures such as X-ray inspection, in-circuit testing, Automated Optical Inspection (AOI), and shock test. Enhanced capabilities of players in the industry will propel the industry growth.



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The electronics manufacturing services (EMS) market market is expected to grow significantly due to the rapidly-growing consumer electronics sector. In 2016, the consumer electronics industry was valued at USD 1,100 billion. Increasing adoption of smartphones is encouraging the manufacturers to opt for these services to meet the demand-supply gap. Also, technological advancements in consumer electronics such as speakers, smart homes, and other intelligent devices are rapidly increasing the demand for these devices. To enhance productivity, OEMs are outsourcing the electronics manufacturing, thus propelling the electronics manufacturing services (EMS) market.



Automotive electronics manufacturing services (EMS) market will grow at a CAGR of around 5% in the coming years owing to the penetration of electronic devices and components in vehicular systems. Increasing utilization of automotive electronics including electronic systems, sensors, and ECUs in the safety, comfort, and infotainment devices creates a demand for EMS. Auto manufacturers develop contracts with the EMS providers for a continual supply of the electronic components. EMS market players have developed specialized design, manufacture, and diagnostic services for the automotive companies. For instance, Actia Group offers automotive industry-specific services to its vehicle manufacturing customers by supporting the production standards such as ISO TS 16949.



Browse Complete Report Summary @ https://www.gminsights.com/industry-analysis/electronic-manufacturing-services-ems-market



The steady demand for EMS across numerous industrial sectors will thus considerably encourage electronics manufacturing services (EMS) market players to improve their product sales in the future. The development of adequate software solutions and enhanced abilities of EMS companies to expand their product offerings will also help major companies gain competitive benefits. Aided essentially by rapid technological transformations, electronics manufacturing services (EMS) market will surpass revenue collection of USD 650 billion by the end of 2024.



About Global Market Insights:



Global Market Insights, Inc., headquartered in Delaware, U.S., is a global market research and consulting service provider; offering syndicated and custom research reports along with growth consulting services. Our business intelligence and industry research reports offer clients with penetrative insights and actionable market data specially designed and presented to aid strategic decision making. These exhaustive reports are designed via a proprietary research methodology and are available for key industries such as chemicals, advanced materials, technology, renewable energy and biotechnology.
A new study that analyzed dental evolutionary rates in early Neanderthals from Sima de los Huesos, a cave site in Atapuerca Mountains, Spain, found that the teeth of these Middle Pleistocene hominins diverged from the modern human lineage approximately 800,000 years ago, which is much earlier than previously thought.

Modern humans share a common ancestor with Neanderthals, the extinct species that were our closest prehistoric relatives.

However, the details on when and how they diverged are a matter of intense debate within the anthropological community.

Ancient DNA analyses have generally indicated that both lineages diverged around 300,000 to 500,000 years ago, which has strongly influenced the interpretation of the hominin fossil record.

This divergence time, however, is not compatible with the anatomical and genetic Neanderthal similarities observed in the Sima de los Huesos hominins.

Sima de los Huesos hominins are characterized by very small posterior teeth (premolars and molars) that show multiple similarities with classic Neanderthals, said study author Dr. Aida Gomez-Robles, a researcher at University College London and the Natural History Museum, London.

It is likely that the small and Neanderthal-looking teeth of these hominins evolved from the larger and more primitive teeth present in the last common ancestor of Neanderthals and modern humans.

Dental shape has evolved at very similar rates across all hominin species, including those with very expanded and very reduced teeth.

Dr. Gomez-Robles examined the time at which Neanderthals and modern humans should have diverged to make the evolutionary rate of the early Neanderthals from Sima de los Huesos similar to those observed in other hominins.

The scientist used quantitative data to measure the evolution of dental shape across hominin species assuming different divergent times between Neanderthals and modern humans, and accounting for the uncertainty about the evolutionary relationships between different hominin species.

The Sima peoples teeth are very different from those that we would expect to find in their last common ancestral species with modern humans, suggesting that they evolved separately over a long period of time to develop such stark differences.

The study was published in the journal Science Advances.

_____

Aida Gomez-Robles. 2019. Dental evolutionary rates and its implications for the Neanderthalmodern human divergence. Science Advances 5 (5): eaaw1268; doi: 10.1126/sciadv.aaw1268
It took the British filmmaker Guy Ritchie four months and 2,000 auditions to find the perfect actor for the role of Aladdin in his new, live action remake of Disneys 1992 animation: an obscure Canadian Egyptian, 27, named Mena Massoud. The film premiered in France on May and had its Middle East premiere in Jordan on Monday. It will be released in 3D on 24 May.

And one of the best things about it is its star. In his interviews Massoud speaks of a sense of responsibility representing the Middle East in Hollywood, discusses his time at the Ryerson Theatre School and demonstrates charisma and humour. He represents a new generation of Arab immigrants who dared to dream, feeling no pressure to conceal their background or culture, but rather learned to act as mediators, a task that is especially difficult in Hollywood. According to Massoud, speaking (in Arabic) to the BBC Arabic website last week, Maybe after people watch this film they will have more confidence in me playing other important roles and not only roles that tell Arab stories. The most important thing is for actors who look like me to play ordinary roles in Hollywood, to be treated like any other actor.

Asked on the Sway in the Morning show if he ever felt pressure to change his name because You know how sometimes people can judge you by your name, he said, I thought about it for a while when I first got into the industry, but I kind of decided not to and I am glad I did not. Given the rare opportunity to be the star of a big Disney production when his name could only be seen at the end of the credits of a few films and TV series such as Nikita (2011) or Ordinary Days (2017), Massoud does not deny it was a challenge to make it in Hollywood because of his identity. Even the story of Aladdin, which he says he grew up with and dreamt of performing, reflects his life journey immigrating from Cairo to Markham, Ontario when he was three.

Identity is one of the themes of the film, he told Fandango correspondent Nikki Novak. Aladdin is going on a journey to find his identity which is something that I went through and I am still going through. Aladdin looked like me.

But being the most ethnically diverse film Disney has ever made, Aladdin also reflects his beliefs: I am Canadian Egyptian, Naomi Scott is English Indian, Marwan Kenzari is Dutch Tunisian, Navid Negahban is American Iranian. It is an international cast. This is a step forward in the industry. We live in a time where a lot of ethnic groups dont get representation and we have to fight for that. he explains.

But he is also realistic: I hope people see the film and support it and hopefully if it does well, then Hollywood can take a look at that and see that films like this that are led by Middle Easterners or Asians can do well so they say, let us keep making them. It is a business at the end of the day.

Understanding the basics of how the industry works was what Massoud reach the point he is right now. The secret is how hard one can work to meet the demands of the industry. He knew at a very young age that to be an actor was all he wanted. He started acting by doing voices for friends and family to make people laugh, but when he had to choose between to continuing with science as his family wanted and following his dream he decided to drop out of science college after one year to study theater.

Then he started at the bottom of the ladder by playing small roles from 2011 till he responded to the casting call of Aladdin in 2017.

Knowing that the role would require many skills he did not have such as singing, dancing, camel riding and diving did not stop him since he did his best to acquire what training he would need even before real preparations for the film.

Massoud says he learned a lot from Will Smith, who plays the Genie in Aladdin, which also reflects how the young man thinks about his career.

With 30 years in the industry the biggest thing I learned from Smith is to be yourself through the journey, there is nothing exterior able to make you happy in life but youve got to find that from within you. Stay true to yourself and go on this journey.

He also has his own insights: I grew watching Egyptian comedy films by the great Egyptian comedians such as Ismail Yassin and Adel Imam. The way they entertain the audience with not only their words but with their body language and facial expressions is totally different from that of the actors here. I played a lot of comedy roles in American productions. My role in Aladdin is also a comedy role. I believe I play comedy roles with a different taste that I learned from our own cinema and this makes it appealing in a different way, he told the BBC.

One effect Massoud hopes Aladdin will have is to invite more people to see the Middle East from a different angle: This film is inspired a lot by the Middle East. I hope it inspires people to visit the Middle East and see all the beauty that is there, he said on the Live with Kelly and Ryan show.

* A version of this article appears in print in the 16 May 2019 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly under the headline: A present-day Aladdin

For more arts and culture news and updates, follow Ahram Online Arts and Culture on Twitter at @AhramOnlineArts and on Facebook at Ahram Online: Arts & Culture

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More than 20 excursions

A striking destination in the Tlingit village of Hoonah, Icy Strait offers a Native-owned and operated experience featuring more than 20 excursions, including whale-watching, a zip line and ATV and Jeep expeditions.

Built around a restored 1912 Alaska salmon cannery, Icy Strait Point gives visitors easy access to stunning Alaska wilderness and wildlife as well as Native Tlingit hospitality.

After Alaska, the Panama Canal

Norwegian Joy will continue to cruise to Alaska through Oct. 5, before repositioning to Los Angeles for its first Panama Canal sailing to Miami on Oct. 11. In late November the ship will return to the West Coast after a series of Panama Canal-Caribbean cruises from Miami to begin a Mexican Riviera season from Los Angeles until Jan. 17.

Second Icy Strait pier coming in 2020

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings has partnered with Alaska Native-owned Huna Totem Corp. to develop a second cruise pier in Icy Strait Point.

It is scheduled to be completed for the 2020 Alaska season and will be built to accommodate Norwegian Cruise Lines Breakaway Plus ships. The partnership will provide Norwegian and sister brands Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises with preferential berthing rights and allow the company to increase its calls there.

During 2019, in addition to Norwegian Joy, NCLH ships scheduled to visit are Norwegian Jewel, Regatta and Seven Seas Mariner.
When Singapore announced last November that it would be banning the use of open-loop scrubbers from its port waters from 2020 the MPA assured that as a party to MARPOL Annex VI that it would be providing reception facilities for residues generated from scrubbers.

In a circular to the shipping community the MPA said that residues generated from scrubbers would be classified as Toxic Industrial Waste (TIW) under Singapore regulations. As such ships that wanted to dispose of scrubber waste in Singapore would be required to engage a licensed Toxic Industrial Waste Collector (TWIC).

TIWCs can arrange for the residues to be offloaded in packaged form or in intermediate bulk container tanks directly to trucks and MPA licensed harbour craft for ships at berth and at anchorages, respectively, MPA said.

From 1 January 2020 ships operating in Singapore port waters will be required to either burn compliant low sulphur fuel or use closed-loop scrubbers to comply with the IMO 2020 sulphur cap.

Read more: Singapore to ban use of open loop scrubbers in port waters

A list of licensed TWIC contractors in Singapore can be found here
While many fans welcomed the announcement this week of the return of the classic racing circuit to the F1 calender they also bemoaned on social media the poor infrastructure links to the site and the prospect of massive jams that many tens of thousands of fans descending on it would bring.

With Zandvoort being close to the sea public speaker and a former F1 team manager Mark Gallagher, somewhat tongue in cheek suggested on Twitter that there was a Dutch shipbuilder  Damen  that builds landing craft.

As much as this looks like an interesting new line of business for Damen we are not sure it's quite the motorsport's style. But there might be an opportunity for nice modern ferries or luxury yachts  assuming there would be anywhere to berth them.
David Piontkowski appreciates the broader approach to IT candidates at the Velocity Hub.

In the computer lab at the Velocity Hub of the Michigan Cyber Range, the technicians will tell you that you dont have to be a tech nerd to be in cybersecurity.I think a lot of people have this false impression that you have to be really technical and good with computers to get into cybersecurity, says Oakland University (OU) student David Piontkowski.Theres a lot of different domains, he says. Like risk analysis, which is pretty much all math, theres really no computers involved.David Piontkowski was part of the first cohort to go through a 14-week cybersecurity program run out of the Macomb-OU Incubator space in Sterling Heights. The initiative, called Applied Entrepreneurship in Cybersecurity (AEC), provides OU criminal justice students like Piontkowski with IT and cybersecurity courses to better prepare them for their careers.Piontkowski and his peers are a result of an education system striving to fill a significant gap in the workforce. According to a report from CyberSeek, at the start of this year the United States faced a shortfall of nearly 314,000 cybersecurity professionals. Another report in 2018 found that 69 percent of cybersecurity teams were understaffed, and 58 percent were advertising positions. To fill that space, its going to take more than just IT students.Macomb-OU Incubator executive director Larry Herriman says there are also some serious gaps in small-business security that these kind of initiatives can help plug.

We see in many of the small businesses that we work with the entrepreneurs are making apps and they're not typically thinking about writing secure code, Herriman says. They are in a hurry to bring their product to the market and launch their business. This urgency can create a data-security deficiency.

Sam Eid helped develop the IT program at the Velocity Hub in Sterling Heights.

Matthew McMurray (pictured with service dog Cobalt) has been instrumental in getting a veteran program in place.

This was one of the reasons behind the hub at Velocity, built out by a collective of non-profit organizations and students from OU. Courses there focus on the entrepreneurship elements to cybersecurity, and Piontkowski says he enjoyed the broader approach to IT work.That gives participants to the chance to see what they are good at, what they are not good at, and what they like, he says.Piontkowski sees the perfect role for him in the small business world, with the growing need for a jack-of-all-trades in cybersecurity.They cant hire a ton of personnel, he says. And I dont want to work in a corporate environment.Sam Eid is an information technology student at OU and came across the program at Velocity while looking for an internship. He was part of the team who developed the AEC course, and while it still has a few things he would like to tweak, Eid thinks the program will spark a lot of interest.It covers aspects of entrepreneurship, networking, security providers and ethical hacking, Eid says. In the end we want them to think of their own business, to create an idea.Eid hopes to go into cybersecurity in the automotive industry, especially with family members already working in General Motors, and is particularly enjoying the research and ethical hacking skills he is picking up through the lab.The whole point is to try and break into a system, before an attacker does, then you can patch up the vulnerabilities, he says. But to get to that point you have to build up a whole background of knowledge, so I am in that process.Eid believes the hands-on experience that program offers will be the key to getting students interested, and meeting the gap in the cyber security workforcenot just locally, but globally.Especially when you are trying to hack something, he says. Its really engaging and I think theyll like it.For Iraq war veteran Matthew McMurray a career in cybersecurity was ideal. When he returned, injured, he struggled to continue his work in construction andwith the help of US Veterans Affairs (VA)he decided to pursue a degree at OU. In his final year he did an internship with the cyber program and now works as a cyber range administrator for the lab. McMurray has been instrumental in getting a new program off the ground where veterans like himself can learn to be computer support specialists.Theres nothing like it out there, McMurray says. We can take a veteran with no skills and put them into a job as a computer support specialist in only 18 months.

The program goes through OU Professional and Continuing Education, in partnership with a Las Vegas company Cyber World Institute to provide the certificate classes, and has just been officially approved by the VA. Its been 18 months in the making and McMurray says it will provide experiences for people like him, who have graduated with a degree but still need certifications to go into cybersecurity.

Hannah Bowen attended a course at the hub recently with her high school class.

If you have the certificates you can get the job but you dont have a lot of room for growthyoull cap out at a certain pointbut if you have the degree and the certs then the only place you can go is up.McMurray is assisted by Cobalt, his service dog, who sits placidly at his feet while he works. Cobalts company is something McMurray relies on to motivate him and help him focus on his work. They can sense so much, he says. So when I get anxious or angry, he responds.From McMurrays perspective, workplaces that are able to include veterans in cybersecurity will reap huge rewards. He says their discipline, team-player attitude and mission mentality can assist the problem-solving required in the field.Having veterans working with veterans in this type of scenariothey will help each other along the way because if one fails, then you all fail.They are a very reliable asset.

Sterling Heights Stevenson high school senior Hannah Bowen attended a class at the hub recently to expand her general knowledge of computers and to learn about security measures on networks.



Technology is becoming the future, Bowen says. Its important to know how to protect yourself and to grow with it.Bowen and her class visited the range to learn from Herriman, Piontkowski, Eid, McMurray and the rest of their team. One of the highlights is undoubtedly the secure sandbox tool the hub has access to, which provides a way to test out viruses in a safe digital space.

Its a place where you can do dangerous things that you couldnt do on your production system for your business, Herriman says. Its a place where you can test, explore and destroy things in a controlled, digital environment.



You can take a copy of your newly devised app, stick it in the secured sandbox and then run malicious exploits against it to learn potential weaknesses.

Watching the enthusiasm shared between the mentors and the myriad students at the hub, it seems there is, indeed, safety in numbers.
Theres no such thing as parental leave when youre self-employed.

Gateaux Patisserie had been open mere months when co-owner Suendos Beydouns son came into the world. Three weeks later, the now 26-year-old was back at the upscale French tea room she started with her younger sister, located at 1004 South Military in West Dearborn. As a mom, Suendos says her day never ends and always starts. As small business owners, theres something to do for the cafe from the moment she and Sueha wake up and well beyond when they fall asleep.

Thats been crazy to manage, she told me. Gateaux will celebrate its first anniversary May 25th, but the Beydouns arent ready for their grand opening just yet. Theyre in the soft launch phase and are still tweaking things like the tea and pastry menus to get them as close to perfection as possible before their grand opening.

There arent any firm plans for a celebration yet, primarily because its a self-financed family business and there are only so many hours in a day.

The first year is insane, Suendos admits. Its very, very hard to stay optimistic sometimes.



Photo by Timothy J. Seppala.

Suendos was five months pregnant with her second child when she and her sister signed the lease on their 1,500-square-foot space, a stones throw from downtown. Even with her dad handling interior design, husband setting up the supply chain, Sueha splitting operational duties and her mom taking care of pre-planning and organizational tasks, there was still a lot to do. In September 2017, Suendos miscarried, delaying opening by seven months.

This took a lot of detail, she says. It took so much to come up with every single thing you see, that it stressed me out even more. We just wanted to make sure it was worth it.

Suendos became pregnant again, and three months after Gateaux opened her son Noah was born. She initially planned to take seven weeks off, but that didnt work out. While theres no standard maternity leave duration in the U.S., most employers allow for 12 weeks. Suendos took a quarter of that.

Ill come here with my babies and its difficult to get where we want to be as fast as we want to be, she says. But were getting there.

The space itself is bright and tidy with huge front windows and lots of natural light. Gold accents abound, from the rose-encrusted chandelier to the trim on the glass pastry case and accents on each sugar bowl lid. Saucers are a dusty pink and lavender chairs are the primary seating option. The walls split between stark white and pale green. The idea was to make a feminine space that felt equal parts classy and whimsical, and stay true to the Beydouns vision.

We wanted to build a space that we wanted to be in, Suendos says. What do I enjoy? If I was drinking out of a teacup, I want the cutest teacup. If I want to drink coffee, I want the best coffee.

But before you can even take in the sights, youre hit with the aromas coming out of the kitchen. This was intentional. Unlike walking into a donut shop, the scent here is light and airy, not unlike Gateauxs rosewater macarons. Its sweet, but soft, with candles, flowers, and other means complimenting and amplifying the house-made eclairs and tarts. Paired with the French jazz music that plays during the day, its hard not to feel your cares subside even a little once you cross the threshold.

Its something Suendon and Suha, born a year-and-a-half apart to first-generation Lebanese and Palestinian immigrants, have long dreamed about. Theyve lived in Dearborn their entire lives and always wanted to start a local business.



Growing up, their dad worked in telecoms and would often take his family with him to London and Paris when he traveled for business. Those trips left an impression. Paris was designed to be beautiful down to the last detail. For the sisters, it was a stark contrast to home. Rather than another industrial space with a hodgepodge of quirky decor, they wanted a space that felt like stepping into Pierre Hermes renowned macaron shop in Paris.



Suendos Beydoun (left) and her sister Sueha Beydoun (right), owners of Gateaux Patisserie. Photo by Timothy J. Seppala.

The concept, a female-friendly space exclusively serving what youd find in a Parisian tea room  macarons, ispahan cakes, croissant bread pudding, to name a few  took root while the pair were teachers. Suendos double-majored in English and history at Wayne State, while Sueha studied history and education, earning her bachelors in the former just before Gateaux opened last May. But after a year in in the field, their idealism faded and both became frustrated by the realities of the public school system.

Now theyre teaching folks raised on shawarma, subs and hamburgers about tea culture and delicate French confections. That process has had its own set of frustrations, but even in the short span Gateaux (French for cakes) has been open, the Beydouns have seen progress.

The art of being an educator is you have to find a way to teach students in a way theyll understand, Beydoun says.

It could be as simple as teaching customers macarons and macaroons arent the same thing, or that you shouldnt expect Italian specialties like tiramisu and cannoli from a French-style bakery.

By being true to ourselves and our concept, we were able to thrive because people really began to understand it, she says.



Photo by Timothy J. Seppala.

Dont think this means everything is high-brow, though. Suendos is a massive Harry Potter fan and couldnt pass on the opportunity to bring some magic to the rest of us Muggles. Last fall, Gateauxs menu included loose leaf teas based on each Hogwarts house. The Slytherin blend is crisp and minty (a sharp, businessman tea), while Hufflepuff is the soft and calming contrast to Gryffindors spiciness. And, of course, theres butterbeer  albeit one much less sugary than the libation served at Universal Studios Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Orlando.

Theirs is so overpoweringly sweet. It was good, but I got diabetes drinking that, Suendos jokes.

That type of freedom makes all the stress worth it. Ultimately, success for the Beydouns isnt franchising or its goods showing up in Kroger, its doing well enough to establish comfortable lives for themselves, their parents and their children. Its hearing their patio filled with people of all backgrounds speaking all manner of languages in the summer.

The Beydouns see value in supporting their neighbors. Whether thats by sourcing ingredients from places like Westborn Market, paying its ten employees fair wages  kitchen staff starts at $15/hour, front house $10/hour and goes up based on qualifications  or patronizing locally-owned and Middle-Eastern-owned small businesses in Dearborn. People like her and her sister, working through some of the worst life can throw at you to make their backyard a better place.

We want to uplift the community by supporting our own people, she says.
These were people who lived on the Kalamazoo River for centuries before the Europeans came.Then they lived on a small Indian reservation granted to them by the United States government in 1821.In 1827 the reservation was taken back -- land speculators were keenly interested in the area, and in 1830 settler Titus Bronson built his cabin where what would become the city of Kalamazoo. The original people were told to leave, to go west with other tribes to lands known as Kansas and Oklahoma.The people refused.They, the Pottawatomi band of Chief Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish, did what they could to stay in southwest Michigan.If one talks about the people who used to live here, historian David Brose is quick to correct, "They're still here."Brose is co-chair of the Kalamazoo Reservation Public Education Committee. The committee -- which includes the Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish, or Gun Lake Tribe , and representatives of the City of Kalamazoo, Kalamazoo Community Foundation, Arts Council of Greater Kalamazoo, and community volunteers -- is working to make sure residents know the complex history of the band of Pottawatomi who refused to leave their Great Lakes home."We're letting people know that this land had occupants before Titus Bronson. And the people who lived here had a long history. Only the last few years of that history is when they were told they could only have a little piece of this land, and then they were told they couldn't even have that. They resisted that," Brose says."It's our way of showing our honor toward them, for the people who they were, and still are," he says.This effort to educate the public -- which grew out of the removal of the Iannelli fountain in Bronson Park -- is leading to the erecting of at least 24 street signs at the boundaries of the 1821-1827 reservation. Funds are being raised for further informational activities. And the committee is also behind a non-invasive study of the mound in Bronson Park, thought to be created by Pottawatomi. Work on the mound will begin June 17.After workers put up the sign marking the north-west reservation corner at Patterson Street and Riverview Drive April 22, tribe council member Jeff Martin held a short ceremony, tossed sacred tobacco onto the land at the corner. Large semis in the busy noon traffic drowned out his words.It's hard to picture what the area was like when it was Pottawatomi land. Before the reservation, the spot was a place of trading, located at what was considered the head of the Kalamazoo River, where shallow rapids blocked all boats traveling from Lake Michigan, Brose says.There was a trading post and a translator's cabin of Chief Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish's village on the hill overlooking the river, where Riverside Cemetery is now. A trail, fordable over the river rocks when the water was low, went across the Kalamazoo where the Kalamazoo River Valley Trail bridge is now.Parchment resident and Gun Lake tribal citizen Holly Henderson was at the sign-raising. She often bikes the KRVT and has been noting that the return of wildflowers, raptors, and other life along the river makes it easier to picture what it was like for her ancestors. "This is part of a nature trail that my family and my community utilizes all the time. So it would be wonderful to see that significance here," she says of the new signs. "This is a very beautiful, significant area.""Before Western civilization came in, our creation story says we were lowered to this part of the Earth," Martin says. "But why our particular tribe settled on this particular area -- this is where they found food, wild rice, the menomen , hunting, fishing, medicine. Just like today, people viewed water as life, and that's how it was viewed by us a long time ago. It's not just life for the human race, but animals, birds, everyone depends on it."It was the Pottawatomi's land -- not that they possessed it, but that they belonged to it as one belongs to a family. "We were here, but we didn't own it -- our typical way of thinking for natives back in those days was, we don't own the land, we belong to the land," Martin says.Brose holds a University of Michigan doctorate in anthropology and prehistoric anthropology, and worked as various museums' curator and director until he retired.He goes way back in describing what life used to be like in our area."There have been people here for about 12,500 years. Native American ancestors came into the region just as the ice was moving out. They lived an outdoor life in an environment that's quite different than what we see today."Those ancestors hunted mastodons and caribou in spruce pine forests, surrounded by vast wetlands fresh from the melting of ice age glaciers.The people who became known as the Pottawatomi lived in the northern Great Lakes area, and adapted with the warming climate. Around 4,000 years ago they learned agriculture, first growing squash and amaranth, then corn, beans, and tobacco, moved south and eventually settled along the Kalamazoo River.The Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish reservation was a millisecond of their history. "It was only a federally-recognized reservation for six years," Brose says. "The Pottawatomi had been here for hundreds of years before that. It was only as the new federal government -- at that point it was the Northwest Territory -- came into this area after the Revolution, that they began taking the land that had been Native Americans' for thousands of years."The Treaty of Chicago, 1821 took "about 4,000,000 acres of southern Michigan land from the Pottawatomi, the Odawa, and the Ojibwe, and basically paid them nothing. They left them little reservations, each of the chiefs who signed that treaty got a little bit of land.After six years, "the territorial government decided (the Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish reservation) was a little too close to the road that ran between Detroit and Chicago, and in 1827 they basically said we're taking back that land."The process of taking the natives land "was relatively peaceful here," Brose says. "The land around here was taken by --" he pauses for a sardonic chuckle -- "real estate development means, not by violence."Some of the land was sold even while the reservation was still in place -- that's why Whites Road is a bit north of Cork and Parkview. The two roads run along the old Federal survey section line. Land Agent C.C. White bought the rights to land right up to the southern side of the reservation, Brose says."It's more a question of what you'd call today 'gentrification' rather than 'conquest.' Although the Indians were not given any choice."After 1827, they were directed to go to "scattered little homesteads" at what's now the Indiana-Michigan border, Brose says.In 1830, Andrew Jackson signed the Indian Removal Act, leading to the forced migration of most Native Americans east of the Mississippi to the west.Many in Michigan headed west, "many who started on that trip died, many who started turned back and came up to live with the Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish band," Brose says.Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish's people refused to go to Indiana or the Indian Territories. They moved north into the land they were familiar with. In 1838 they settled at the Bradley Indian Mission, about 25 miles north of Kalamazoo, near Gun Lake."The connection to land is something inherent. For indigenous people, they call that 'blood memory,' the true connection to their original habitat," says Phyllis Davis, Gun Lake tribal council member."Going away from that is, in essence, stripping you of yourself. We knew that where we were being taken -- Kansas, Oklahoma -- that wasn't our home. Our chief had decided this is where we're going to stay."Their new home wouldn't be like the Pottawatomi villages of their past, however. They were under the protection of Episcopalian missionaries, sent to Christianize the Pottawatomi. "There were sacrifices that were made by those people who came to stay," Davis says. "That meant adapting to the times, to religious practices and beliefs, and trying to find a way to fit into the community at large that was foreign, but they were willing to do that."Cultural practices and language were almost lost. "Language is the hardest to re-acquire," she says.But the band stayed together and kept their tribal government functioning, though efforts to be federally recognized as sovereign weren't successful until 1999.They are still devoted to the land. The Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish table at Bronson Park's Earth Day celebration April 20 was notable for a large sturgeon model -- the tribe is working to re-introduce the large native fish t o the Kalamazoo River -- and furs from animals harvested in southwest Michigan woods.Michigan's nature is intertwined in their culture. Davis says there has been a resurgence in their tribe of bringing it all back. "Our young people are seeking to know teachings about fire, teachings about water, about funeral practices, understanding songs, feasts and what the sturgeon means in the life of our water and rivers and lakes."Has Kalamazoo done enough to recognize the people who lived here first?"I think cultural awareness and acknowledgment for people who have existed before statehood, is really important to understand," she says. "I think putting that into context for the tribe is really important for our young people to understand. In climates like today, those things have become politicized, those issues."Davis continues, "we're not making demands to have that recognition or acknowledgment, but we feel it is our role to help everyone in the state, in the nation, understand our people who have been here before the states. My ancestors were here, and as a human, I think it's really important for everyone to understand their ancestry, their own history, and their own story, so they know who they are and where they come from, and to be proud of that."All should learn about their families' past, to "understand the sacrifices that happened through the evolution of time," she says."The city of Kalamazoo, I believe, has been very gracious and willing to do those things, and I think we will continue to encourage a way to discover more of what we can do together."I don't want to put people on the spot and say, we require that, because we can't demand that and we're not going to take an adversarial role and say, this is our land, you took our land. We know how those things work."The Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish and the Kalamazoo Reservation Public Education Committee are going beyond the reservation signs. They are raising funds for public sculptures at the old reservation boundaries and at Bronson Park.With an eye towards engaging youth, they have partnered with the Next Exit History app, developed and run by a national team of historians. Users can see historical markers relative to their location around the United States.Tapping the pins on the map of Kalamazoo sends one to videos of Gun Lake elders talking about their history. "Times are changing!" Davis says.The youth of the Gun Lake Tribe are "very engaged," she says, and understand how important it is to "remember a story that your grandma told you about her grandma, and their past and their journey"
Press Release

May 16, 2019 De Lima slams Duterte's vicious remark vs Bohol mayor Opposition Senator Leila M. de Lima has criticized Mr. Duterte for his unrelenting public remarks that undermines women's dignity and promote sexism, misogyny and violence and abuses against them. De Lima, a social justice and human rights champion, made the criticism after Mr. Duterte once again uttered a new sexist remark belittling this time the dignity and rights of incumbent Bohol Mayor Tita Baja-Gallentes. "Yan ang klase ng Pangulo meron tayo ngayon. Saksakan ang kabastusan! Siya ang pinakabalahurang lider sa buong mundo ngayon," she said in a handwritten statement. In a speech last May 8 in Bohol, Duterte said he was captivated by the beauty of Baja-Gallentes and even said that he would hold on to the garter of her underwear to stop her from ever leaving him. He asked Baja-Gallentes if she would want to elope with him: "Can you run away with me? You have children, don't you, mayor? How many children do you have? I have three, four. I have four but they're all grown up already so I don't have a problem there anymore." Even presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo relegated Duterte's recent sexist remark as a mere "joke," saying the President was just trying to be funny because "people are always expecting that he will crack some jokes - pakwela lang yun." Regardless if Mr. Duterte's remark was meant as a joke or not, the lady Senator from Bicol maintained that any disrespectful gender-based remark that incites abuse against women should not be tolerated "Kahiya-hiya! Joke or not, remarks like that are completely loathsome and unacceptable," she added. Since Mr. Duterte assumed presidency in 2016, women human rights defenders including De Lima, and activists in the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community have become vulnerable to harassment and misogynistic attacks and sexual violence. As human rights defender who continues to defy Mr. Duterte even from detention, De Lima has authored and co-authored several bills and resolutions advocating women's rights, including Senate Resolution No. 670 seeking to strengthen compliance in the execution of gender-responsive programs by GAD to bridge the gap between men and women and Senate Bill No. 1438 focusing on the protection of women in state custody.
The New Zealand dollar opened weaker after stronger than expected US data gave the greenback a lift and as trade tensions continue to dampen risk appetite.

The kiwi was trading at 65.37 at 8am in Wellington versus 65.51 late yesterday. The trade-weighted index was at 72.04 from 72.06.

The Philadelphia Fed manufacturing index for May rose to a four-month high of 16.6 after registering 8.5 in April, MarketWatch reported. Economists had expected 10.1. The Commerce Department also reported that groundbreaking on new US homes was higher than expected in April.

"Kiwis demise continued after a small recovery led to a proportionately larger sell-off overnight. Solid US data saw the USD strengthen broadly once again," said ANZ Bank FX/rates strategist Sandeep Parekh.

Trade tensions, however, continue to percolate, in particular after the US Department of Commerce announced it will be adding Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. and its affiliates to the so-called Entitty List, which bars it from acquiring components and technology from U.S. firms without government approval.

"This action stems from information available to the department that provides a reasonable basis to conclude that Huawei is engaged in activities that are contrary to U.S. national security or foreign policy interest," it said.

Domestically, investors will be watching for the Business NZ performance of manufacturing index which could "provide some respite," said Parekh.

The kiwi traded at 51.08 British pence from 50.97 after Prime Minister Theresa May agreed to announce her departure timetable in June, regardless of whether a Brexit deal is reached. "Brace yourselves, volatility is coming," said Parekh.

The kiwi was trading at 94.79 Australian cents from 94.72, at 4.5982 Chinese yuan from 4.5048, at 58.46 euro cents from 58.42, and at 71.77 Japanese yen from 71.69.

(BusinessDesk)

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When Kiwibank CEO Steve Jurkovich stands up to address the Grey Power annual meeting next week, he might want to wear his bulletproof vest.

Thats the advice from national president Mac Welch, reacting to todays announcement from Kiwibank that its axing cheques from March next year. The government-owned bank says cheque volumes have slumped and it would cost it millions of dollars to keep issuing and accepting them. The investment is better spent elsewhere.

Of course Welch is joking about the vest. And Grey Power members won't only be quizzing Jurkovich only about cheques at the AGM - they are also frustrated about the closure of bank branches.

But Welch's comments show the strength of feeling about the disappearance of cheques from the 70-something Grey Power president. He's never made an automatic bank payment in his life - and doesnt want to. And he says his view isnt that uncommon among older people.

Theyve used cheques all their lives. Now people are saying Get a plastic card you hate and use that.

Welch says he and many of his generation dont trust electronic banking. So many older people get conned, so you get suspicious. My wife pays things on the computer and I tell her off.

Kiwibank today announced it will go cheque-free on February 28, 2020, making it the first mainstream New Zealand bank to do so. It wont issue cheque or deposit books after September and it will stop accepting or providing cheques next March.

For the past five years the use of cheques has been steadily declining," Jurkovich says. With less than 1 percent of Kiwibank payments now made by cheque weve come to a tipping point. Weve chosen not to invest in a shrinking service and outdated technology. Instead were moving forward and equipping customers for a world that is increasingly digital.

Jurkovich says only 0.5 percent of the banks one million or so customers - 5,400 people in total - write more than one cheque a month. And thats because digital banking options are easier, faster and cheaper for customers, he says.

In 2010, New Zealanders made 18 transactions by cheque per person; by 2018 that number was less than four.

Jurkovich says Kiwibank will be offering in-branch tech tea sessions - a cup of tea and internet banking training for customers. It has also developed an e-banking module for Digital Inclusion Alliance Aotearoas Stepping UP programme - a community-based digital skills initiative.

Well be getting in touch with all customers that do write cheques, he says.

Meanwhile, the bank is working with large organisations that issue cheques to try and wean them off paper. These include government departments and companies that issue share dividends by cheque, including Vector-linked Entrust, which pays an annual dividend to 300,000 Auckland households, often by cheque.

Hanny Naus is a professional educator at Age Concern, with a focus on elder abuse and neglect. She says she is worried about the most vulnerable group of older people who might not be computer literate, and are housebound, so not able to get out to an education class.

They are vulnerable to abuse if they are relying on family and friends. Paying their bills by cheque is a safeguard. An alternative is having cash in the house, which is also unsafe, Naus says.

We are happy that Kiwibank is being proactive and offering programmes. Its a help, but it wont stop every problem.

Naus says most people are able to learn new digital systems, but it takes time. Kiwibank needs to make sure its support doesnt just happen in the buildup to cheques being stopped but continues afterwards.

And with bank branches closing, the bank needs to make sure its offering real humans to help, not just a machine at the end of an 0800 call.

Grey Powers Welch says its a question of confidence for many older people.

I got my first cheque book when I was 15 and cheques have never let me down. I trust myself with a cheque book, but I dont trust myself with a computer.

Meanwhile, Naus is worried that Age Concern, like many charities, gets a significant proportion of its funding from people writing cheques - often in response to an immediate appeal.

They might hear something on TV or radio, or get something in the post. And theyd write a cheque. But without that, they might just think This is too hard to find their bank account and work out how to make a payment on screen', and they might not go through with it.

Welch, who works from Grey Powers Coromandel branch, says 40 percent of their membership fees are paid by cheque.

He cant understand why its the government-owned bank which is the first cab off the rank going cheque-free.

Why is Kiwibank making the move first? Why doesnt it leave the Aussie banks to do it?

Steve Wiggins is chief executive of Payments NZ, the organisation which manages New Zealands payment clearing systems.

He says hes not surprised at Kiwibanks decision. With the number of cheques in the system going from 53 million in 2013 to 18 million last year, theres a lot of excess capacity - and thats expensive for banks, he says. He compares it with the problems faced by NZ Post.

Its one of those systems where volumes are low and the cost of transactions are high and cross-subsidisation happens. Banks should be looking at how to move to the digital space.

Jurkovich says while Kiwibank is the first of the big five NZ banks to make the move, newer arrivals into the country - the China Construction Bank and the Bank of China, for example - never introduced cheques in the first place.

And cheques are gradually being phased out in some other countries, particularly in Europe.

Dutch banks havent accepted personal cheques since 2001 and in Finland they havent been used since 1993.

Jurkovich is punting his New Zealand banking competitors will follow Kiwibank's lead.

"My view is that over the next 3-5 years we'll end up like Holland and Scandinavia with cheques disappearing from the system because there are much better ways to do it."

(BusinessDesk)

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The New Zealand dollar ended the day little changed after spiking briefly against its Australian counterpart on mixed jobs data there.

The kiwi was trading at 94.72 Australian cents at 5pm in Wellington, from 94.69 at 7:45am, but well down from the days high at 94.92 immediately after the Australian unemployment data was released.

The New Zealand dollar was at 65.51 US cents from 65.59 this morning, while the trade-weighted index was at 72.06 points from 72.13.

The Australian data showed the unemployment rate rose to 5.2 percent in March from 5 percent in February. But there were 28,400 new jobs created, roughly twice the number expected.

The market had been looking to weakness in the data to justify the Reserve Bank of Australia cutting its cash rate.

The Aussie data was, on face value, weak and there was a downward reaction in the Aussie, says Imre Speizer, strategist at Westpac.

Then the analysts opined that, when you look under the bonnet, it was neither weak nor strong, so it didnt really add to the case for an Aussie rate cut, Speizer says.

Within an hour the Australian dollar was back to trading about where it was before the data, he says.

The market remains attuned to further risk of escalation in the ongoing US-China trade war.

The latest move is that the US has added Chinese firm Huawei to its entity list, a move known as the corporate equivalent of the death penalty because it makes it virtually impossible for companies on the list to survive once US firms are discouraged from doing business with them.

The US Commerce Department reached its decision as Huawei is engaged in activities that are contrary to US national security or foreign policy interests.

Local phone company Spark had wanted to use kit from Huawei, the worlds largest telecommunications equipment maker, to build its 5G network but the Government Communications Security Bureau vetoed that on national security grounds.

Earlier today, the Commerce Commission said in a draft report that excluding Huawei from the 5G build risks driving up costs and undermining competition.

The New Zealand dollar was trading at 4.5048 Chinese yuan from 4.5088, at 50.97 British pence from 51.06, at 58.42 euro cents from 58.53, and at 71.69 Japanese yen from 71.84.

The New Zealand two-year swap rate fell to 1.5397 percent from 1.5665 yesterday, while the 10-year swap rate eased to 2.0600 percent from 2.0875.

(BusinessDesk)

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Rangatira Investments plans to increase its holding in research technology business Magritek as it deploys funds from the sale of its interest in smallgoods maker Hellers.

The Wellington-based investment company expects to buy Massey Universitys stake in the company which makes benchtop nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometers for diagnostics, industrial analysis and research.

That will take its stake in the firm, founded by the late Paul Callaghan and now largely based in Germany, to about 25 percent from 18 percent, Rangatira shareholders heard today. The firm initially paid $4 million for a stake in 2013.

Its only a modest investment in terms of Rangatira but we think theres some growth there, chief executive Mark Dossor said.

Rangatira, which trades on the Unlisted exchange, has shareholders funds of more than $250 million. Founded in 1937, it aims to partner with the best business leaders to grow New Zealand businesses and to extend the charitable work of founder John McKenzie.

The company, half-owned by the JR McKenzie Trust, hasnt disclosed how much it sold its controlling stake in Hellers for.

Dossor noted that at one stage Hellers accounted for more than a third of Rangatiras portfolio and delivered average returns of 21 percent for the 15 years it was involved.

Since the sale, Rangatira has put almost $30 million more into listed equity investments, but about 29 percent of its portfolio remains in cash.

Dossor said the company will next month complete a small investment with other partners in a gold kiwifruit development.

But finding suitable private investments to get the cash component of its portfolio down to the targeted 10 percent could take two or three years, he said.

The firms seven private investments  including the Polynesian Spa, Rainbows End theme park, insurer Partners Life and biscuit maker Mrs Higgins  need to be bolstered by probably three or four others that will create value longer-term, he said.

That would take the current value of the private investments from about $105 million now to $175 million over the next three years.

Dossor said the firm wont over-pay for assets but does face increased competition from other funders, including from Australia.

Its ability to invest for 20 years-plus remains an advantage, he said, given most private equity investors are aiming to exit within three to five years and the strain that sort of aggressive approach can put on a business.

Healthcare, logistics, food, financial services and tourism remain favoured sectors.

Within its increased equity holding, Rangitira late last year added a portfolio of energy stocks, including Infratil and some of the major listed generators, for yield. Growth stocks it holds include Mainfreight, Ebos, Auckland Airport and Scales, he said.

Rangatira has also allocated US$5 million to London-based Intermede Investment Partners to invest on its behalf. It also retains direct holdings in international stocks including Reckitt Benckiser, Rio Tinto, BHP Billiton, Shell and BP.

Chair David Pilkington said the firms plan over time is to put all its international equity investments through a fund manager.

We dont see ourselves as stock-pickers.

(BusinessDesk)

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Accounting software company Xero widened its annual loss while growing operating revenue 36 percent and subscriber numbers by 31 percent.

Xero reported a $27.1 million net loss for the 12 months ended March, up from the previous years $24.9 million loss, but said it made a profit of $1.4 million in the second half.

It also had positive free cash inflow for the first time of $6.45 million, 1.2 percent of revenue, in the year compared with a $28.5 million outflow the previous year.

A number of financial metrics point to Xeros improving profitability and increasing cash generation in full-year 2019, the company says in a statement.

Gross margin percentage improved in FY19 by 2.1 percentage points to 83.6 percent, contributing to a 4.4 percentage point increase in ebitda (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation)  excluding impairments  to 16.6 percent due to improving efficiencies in sales, marketing and product design and development costs, the company says.

The net loss for the year is primarily due to impairments taken in the first half.

Ebitda excluding impairments rose 84 percent to $91.8 million in the year.

Average revenue per user rose to $29.25 a month from $29.13 and lifetime value per subscriber rose 3 percent to $2,398.

Subscriber numbers rose to 1.82 million from 1.39 million the previous year. Subscriber numbers in Australia and New Zealand passed a million and were up 22 percent, British subscribers rose 48 percent to 463,000, and North American subscribers rose 48 percent to 195,000  excluding Hubdoc, the increase was 44,000, or 33 percent.

Xero is challenging the US incumbent Intuit which is due to report its third quarter results next week. Intuit had nearly 3.9 million subscribers to its online QuickBooks product at Jan. 31, of which 2.9 million are in the US.

Xero raised US$300 million from convertible notes in October last year, demonstrating investor confidence in the business. Funds raised provide the flexibility to execute acquisitions and investments that will enhance and extend Xeros small business platform and ecosystem, it says.

The company had $121.5 million in cash at March 31, up from $21 million a year earlier.

During the year just gone, it bought Hubdoc, a data capture solution, and Instafile, a British tax filing and compliance tool.

Weve delivered a strong result with a number of major milestones for Xero, including our first positive free cash flow result and the UK adding more than 100,000 new subscribers within a six-month period, says chief executive Steve Vamos.

Another important milestone was the positive bottom line result delivered in the second half, which demonstrates our improving profitability, Vamos says.

As we head into FY20 and beyond, were making great progress towards our strategic priority of driving cloud accounting adoption globally. We have a genuine competitive edge by prioritising investment in growth and partnering closely with accountants and bookkeepers to deliver a human-centred technology experience for small business communities across the world.

The company says it expects free cash flow in the current financial year will be similar as a proportion of revenue as in the year just gone.

Xero shares, which now trade only on ASX although it remains headquartered in New Zealand, closed yesterday at A$54.31, down from their record A$55.98 reached earlier this month and up more than 35 percent on a year ago.

(BusinessDesk)

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"President Donald J. Trump will visit the Republic of Korea to meet with President Moon Jae-in, in conjunction with his travel to the region to attend the G20 Summit in late June," the statement said.

US President Donald Trump will visit South Korea in late June to discuss efforts regarding the complete denuclearisation of North Korea, according to an official White House press release.

Talks between North Korea and the US have been stalled since the Vietnam summit. The two sides reportedly failed to resolve their differences on sanctions waivers, leading to an impasse.

Pyongyang has since launched multiple projectiles on two occasions, in what is being perceived as the reclusive state's frustration over halted talks on the denuclearisation process.

During Trump's visit to South Korea, the two countries will also discuss ways to strengthen the US-South Korea relationship.

The US President's official visit comes shortly after his South Korean counterpart visited the USA last month, where the idea of holding an inter-Korean summit on denuclearisation was proposed.
Campaigning in Thiruparankundram Assembly constituency for his party candidate contesting in May 19 by-election, Haasan said: "In Aravakuruchi I said independent India's first extremist was a Hindu. It is a historical truth."

Chennai: Days after creating a row with his Hindu terrorist remark, Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) founder Kamal Haasan reiterated on Wednesday that independent India's first extremist was a Hindu.

Haasan said some people were getting angry over his remark.

Haasan said all his family members were Hindus and he would not talk in any manner to hurt their feelings.

According to him, people without listening fully to his speech at Aravakurichi were alleging that he was creating enmity amongst communities.

He said truth will always be bitter and that bitterness will turn into medicine.

On Sunday, at the Aravakuruchi Assembly constituency, Haasan, while campaigning for his party candidate, said about the killer of Mahatma Gandhi: "The first extremist of independent India was a Hindu -- Nathuram Godse. It all started from there."

Tamil Nadu Minister for Milk and Dairy Development K.T. Rajenthra Bhalaji said the actor-politician's tongue should be cut.

Meanwhile, Haasan has applied for anticipatory bail in the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court as a case has been registered against him for his Avarakuruchi speech.
Hong Kong: HK, Guangdong conference held

Chief Executive Carrie Lam and Guangdong Governor Ma Xingrui co-chaired the 21st Plenary of the Hong Kong/Guangdong Co-operation Joint Conference in Guangzhou today.

Noting this was the first plenary meeting held after the promulgation of the Outline Development Plan for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, Mrs Lam said she and Mr Ma have set out clear directions and goals on the plans implementation and further collaboration between Hong Kong and Guangdong.

At the meeting, both sides reached consensus on areas of co-operation and signed the 2019 Work Plan of the Framework Agreement on Hong Kong/Guangdong Co-operation.

The work plan covers nine areas, including cross-boundary infrastructure development and clearance facilitation; jointly developing an international innovation and technology hub; fostering co-operation in modern service industries and taking forward exchanges and co-operation in education, talents and youth.

Mrs Lam then presented plaques in recognition of the entrepreneurial bases in the bay area at a presentation ceremony.

In the afternoon, the Chief Executive departed for Foshan where she began her visit to bay area cities.

She first viewed the planning of the neighbouring areas on the Haiyi Bridge and then visited the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Technology Exhibition & Exchange Center.

Mrs Lam also viewed the centres co-working space and chatted with young Hong Kong entrepreneurs there.

She then visited the Xiqiao National Arts Studio to learn about Foshans measures to support the development of the film and television industry and later visited Tingyin Lake to learn more about the city's cultural tourism development.

This story has been published on: 2019-05-16. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
I am faced with two fundamental questions: is abortion murder which is tantamount to infanticide? Is this a criminal issue or a socio-economic issue or both?





by Ruwantissa Abeyratne

Writing from Montreal





They are like pimples on the backside of justice--disposing of the fate of people.

~ Maxim Gorky





Maxim Gorky used the word seat which I replaced with backside. And Gorky referred to teachers.





The issue of abortion has been bifurcated into two polarized camps: the conservative camp which advocates what is called pro life which is against abortion; and the liberal or libertarian camp which insists on pro choice advocating the right of the mother to decide on the fate of the fetus in her womb. This essay is not intended to take sides but is rather aimed at presenting some interesting and perhaps contentious points.





On Tuesday 14 May 2019 The Alabama state legislature  mainly controlled by conservative republicans  approved of a proposal to ban abortion in every circumstance, except in instances when the life of the mother is in jeopardy. CNN reported that the States Governor is expected to sign it into law. CNN goes on to opine that Alabama will become the state with the country's most restrictive abortion law and that the law will spark even more contention in the incendiary debate over the abortion issue.





In 1973 the United States Supreme Court handed down its pro choice decision in the case of Roe v. Wade which conferred upon a mother the right to abort a fetus during the first trimester of the pregnancy, when life of the fetus could not be sustained outside the womb of the mother. More about that later.





I commence this article in a somewhat perplexed state: wondering whether what Winston Churchill said of Russia  that it was a "a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma would apply to the abortion debate: is it a political issue? Or is it a judicial issue? Should it be determined on the views of the scientific and medical professions? Are there socio-economic issues that this issue brings to bear? The abortion debate has been swinging from conservatism to liberalism, ending enigmatically in libertarianism. Everyone has had his or her point of view  particularly women from whose bodies the fetus is expelled. If anyone, they are the people who have a right to express their views on this issue. But then again do they?





Having no strong views on the matter except for an innate curiosity as to what the right thing to do in determining the right to life of a fetus, I am faced with two fundamental questions: is abortion murder which is tantamount to infanticide? Is this a criminal issue or a socio-economic issue or both? There are secondary issues that also emerge. What role should the courts play? Should it be left to the legislature to decide on pro life and pro choice?





Resolving the first is plain and straightforward. Murder is the intentional killing of a human being. In other words, it is the forceful cessation of human life of one by another. In this context, did the fetus expelled from the womb have life and was it extinguished by the abortion process? The second issue - on socio-economic considerations - is somewhat more complex where one wonders whether a parent could dispose of a fetus brought to bear by economic or social compulsion.





The Supreme Court in Roe v. Wade opted to stay neutral on the issue of when life begins and pronounced that the mother should be free to decide. Professor Michael Sandel of Harvard University disagrees and is of the view that neither the government nor the courts should be neutral in this matter which should be determined on grounds of morality and religious tradition. CNN reports the views of Dr. Joseph DeCook, a retired obstetrician-gynecologist and Executive Director of the American Association of Pro-life Obstetricians and Gynecologists, a group of about 2,500 members, has explicitly said that an embryo is a living human being at the moment of fertilization. Doctor DeCook is reported to have said: theres no question at all when human life beginswhen the two sets of chromosomes get together, you have a complete individual. Its the same as you and I but less developed. pregnancy begins when the embryo is implanted on the uterine wall, but were not talking about pregnancy, the question you have to focus on, is when does meaningful, valuable human life begin? Thats with the union of the two sets of chromosomes. You have a complete human being that begins developing.





Abortion presents a curious dimension from a socio-economic perspective as well. Super Freakonomics (Harper Collins:2009), a book written by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner as a sequel to their earlier book Freakanomics (2005) looks at statistics and data in a manner that a conservative mind might not look at and brings to bear statistical anomalies that might get the reader to think from an entirely different perspective. Super Freakonomics shows us the hidden side of things and turns conservative perceptions on their heads.





As to why crime rates plunged in the United States in the nineties, one of the fascinating discussions revolve round the decision of the Supreme Court in Roe v. Wade. The Court, in deciding on a young mothers right to abort her foetus, which was illegal in many States in the United States at that time, considered the detriment that the State would impose upon a pregnant woman by denying her the choice to abort. The result, in the mind of the Supreme Court, was bound to be a distressful life with an infant uncared for, who would grow up in destitution and deprivation. The Court was also mindful of the fact that the mental and physical health of the mother would suffer. The Court recognized the fundamental fact of anthropoid nature  that when a mother does not want a child, she usually has good reason. Therefore, the court gave a pro-choice decision, and accorded to mothers the right to abort their foetus provided they did so under medical and psychiatric care.





The authors record that in the first year after the Roe v. Wade decision, some 750,000 women had had abortions in the United States (representing one abortion for every 4 live births). By 1980 the number of abortions had reached 1.6 million (one for every 2.25 live births). The woman who was most likely to have taken advantage of the Roe v. Wade decision was, according to the authors of Freakonomics, a typically unmarried poor person, and her future child might have been 50 percent likely to have been brought up in poverty with no proper education. He would have been 60 percent more likely than the average child who had only one parent to care for him. All these factors would go to bring about a child who could easily be persuaded to take to crime. It is therefore reflected as an inexorable conclusion that, with the absence of such children, who would have turned out to be criminals, the crime rate would go down in the 1990s which would be the time the children born at the time the Roe v. Wade decision was handed down would have been teenagers.





Of course, these could turn out to be mere assumptions that are at best persuasive. The abortion issue hangs in the balance and what makes the issue a "a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma is the question as to why those responsible for decision making have not considered scientific and medical opinion on when life begins. This makes confusion worse confounded.
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NY Mayor de Blasio joins 2020 race to take on 'Con Don' Trump



New York, May 16 (AFP) May 16, 2019



New York Mayor Bill de Blasio jumped into the crowded White House race Thursday, defying hostile media and dismal polling numbers to cast himself as the Democrats' best chance of unseating "con artist" Donald Trump in 2020.

The 23rd prospective Democratic challenger to Trump, de Blasio kicked off with a frontal attack on the Republican president, dubbing him "Con Don" for claiming he is on the side of working Americans.

"Donald Trump must be stopped," he declared in a video announcing his candidacy. "I know how to take him on."

De Blasio doubled down at a press conference. "He's a con man, and we New Yorkers know a con man when we see one," he said, adding: "we're going to go right at him."

The campaign "is about putting working people first," the mayor said, highlighting his record in America's most populous and diverse city.

Trump, meanwhile, skewered de Blasio in an early morning tweet as "the worst mayor in the US."

"He is a JOKE, but if you like high taxes & crime, he's your man. NYC HATES HIM!"

De Blasio had been exploring a possible run for months, travelling to early voting states Iowa and South Carolina, both of which he said he would return to in the near future.

His campaign has so far been met with widespread derision, with polls giving former vice president Joe Biden a commanding lead among Democratic contenders, followed by liberal Senator Bernie Sanders.

Democratic polling for de Blasio has been particularly humbling at home.

An eye-popping 76 percent of New York City voters said de Blasio should not enter the 2020 race, according to a Quinnipiac University poll last month.

Local papers have taunted him for a lack of charisma and Thursday's front page of the New York Post tabloid was particularly scathing: a photo montage of people laughing hysterically above the headline "De Blasio runs for president."



- Perpetual underdog -



De Blasio himself touts a string of accomplishments as mayor: he has introduced free universal pre-kindergarten and paid sick leave, and early this year he rolled out a plan to guarantee health care for all New Yorkers.

"What I bring is absolute total focus on putting people first. I have done it here," said the 58-year-old, who was first elected in 2013 and was comfortably re-elected two years ago.

Yet despite the truism that the job of New York mayor is the second toughest in America after that of president, de Blasio -- sometimes nicknamed "Big Bird" for his lanky, 6-foot, 5-inch (1.97-meter) frame -- is one of the few people openly confident of his presidential chances.

Asked about the numbers during an ABC television interview early Thursday, de Blasio replied: "I think you'll agree that the poll that actually matters is the election."

Several protesters gathered outside the studio during that interview, and New York's Police Benevolent Association released a scathing statement about de Blasio.

"It is laughable that a mayor who has shown no interest in running New York City for six years now says he wants to mismanage the entire country," association president Patrick Lynch said.

De Blasio succeeded billionaire Michael Bloomberg on the promise of reducing the city's glaring inequalities.

Since Trump came to power, de Blasio has denounced the president's hardening of immigration policy and his decision to pull the United States out of the Paris climate accord.

"We must deal with global warming now," de Blasio told ABC's "Good Morning America," pledging support for the Green New Deal, a proposal offered by progressive Democrats that would dramatically shift the United States away from fossil fuels toward renewable energy.

De Blasio is married to Chirlane McCray, an African-American woman who for decades identified as a lesbian.

He remains popular in the black community, but Hispanics are divided and whites mostly view him unfavorably.

Several current and former aides have spoken out in unusually harsh terms about his White House bid.

But the mayor, who likes to cast himself as a perpetual underdog, appears to have brushed off the criticism, confiding recently that the only advice that matters is his wife's.
Iran showing 'maximum restraint,' US escalation 'unacceptable': Zarif



Tokyo, May 16 (AFP) May 16, 2019



Iran is showing "maximum restraint" despite the US withdrawal from a nuclear deal, the country's foreign minister said Thursday, accusing Washington of an "unacceptable" escalation in tensions.

"The escalation by the United States is unacceptable," Mohammad Javad Zarif said in Tokyo where he is holding talks with Japanese officials.

"We exercise maximum restraint... in spite of the fact that the United States withdrew from JCPOA last May," he added, referring to the nuclear deal known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.

He added that Tehran remains "committed" to the deal, and said continuing assessments showed Iran was in compliance with the multilateral agreement.

Tensions between the United States and Iran were already high after President Donald Trump withdrew from the nuclear deal a year ago.

But they have been ratcheted up significantly in recent weeks amid increased US pressure over alleged threats from Iran.

Earlier this month, Trump's hawkish National Security Advisor John Bolton announced the deployment of the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier strike group and a B-52 bomber force to the Gulf.

Days later, the Pentagon added a Patriot missile defence battery and an amphibious assault ship to the deployment.

And on Wednesday the US ordered the partial evacuation of its Baghdad embassy and consulate in Arbil citing specific threats posed by Iraqi militias alleged controlled by Tehran.
Trump to visit S. Korea for talks on North's nukes: White House



Washington, May 16 (AFP) May 16, 2019



President Donald Trump will visit South Korea in June to meet with his counterpart Moon Jae-in over their efforts to persuade North Korea to scrap its nuclear weapons arsenal, the White House said Wednesday.

It will be the second meeting between the pair since the collapse of a summit between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Hanoi in February after they failed to reach a deal on denuclearisation.

"President Trump and President Moon will continue their close coordination on efforts to achieve the final, fully verified denuclearization of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea," the White House said in a statement, using North Korea's official name.

The dovish South Korean president, who has long backed engagement with the nuclear-armed North, brokered the talks process between Trump and Kim, which led to their first landmark summit in Singapore last June.

But security allies Seoul and Washington have at times appeared to diverge on their approach to Pyongyang, and Seoul's simultaneous announcement of the visit was noticeably different in its phrasing.

A statement issued by the South's presidential office said the two leaders will discuss "establishing a lasting peace regime through the complete denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula" -- rather than the North specifically.

The "denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula" was the term used in the joint statement signed by Kim and Trump after their first summit in Singapore.

But it is a phrase open to wide interpretation, and the process has become bogged down as the two sides disagree over what it means.

In the past, Pyongyang has argued it must include the removal of Washington's nuclear umbrella over the South and the 28,500 US troops stationed in the country.

When US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo visited the North's traditional ally Russia this week, Moscow's veteran foreign minister Sergei Lavrov told him: "The leadership of DPRK expects certain guarantees of security of their country reciprocated by denuclearization, and that denuclearization should be expanded over the whole of the Korean Peninsula."



- G20 -



The White House said Trump's trip to South Korea would combine with his visit to nearby Japan, where he will attend a G20 summit in Osaka on June 28-29.

The Hanoi summit between Trump and Kim broke up after the pair failed to agree on what Pyongyang would be willing to give up in exchange for relief from sanctions imposed over its nuclear and missile programmes.

Since then, Moon has tried to salvage diplomacy between the two mercurial leaders and flew to Washington last month for a brief meeting with Trump.

His attempts have so far proved futile, with Pyongyang raising the pressure earlier this month week by launching short-range missiles in its first such test since November 2017.

North Korea has repeatedly warned that it could take a different approach if Washington did not change its stance on sanctions by the end of this year.

In a move that could further stoke tensions, the US announced the seizure of a North Korean cargo ship for violating international sanctions, which was slammed by Pyongyang as an "unlawful and outrageous act".
Air strikes hit Yemen capital: rebels, witnesses



Sanaa, May 16 (AFP) May 16, 2019



Warplanes struck in and around the rebel-held Yemeni capital Thursday two days after the insurgents claimed drone strikes that shut a key oil pipeline in neighbouring Saudi Arabia, the rebels and witnesses said.

One witness told AFP he heard a loud explosion in the heart of Sanaa.

The rebels' Al-Masirah television blamed "aircraft of the (Saudi-led) aggression".

In an initial tweet, the broadcaster reported six strikes on the Arhab district of Sanaa province. It then reported further strikes, including one in Sanaa itself.

A second witness told AFP that the raids began around 8 am (0500 GMT) while many Yemenis were asleep awaiting the end at sunset of the daytime fast observed by Muslims during the holy month of Ramadan.

"There were many strikes," he added.

On Tuesday, the Huthi rebels claimed responsibility for twin drone strikes on Saudi Arabia's main east-west oil pipeline, saying that they were a response to "crimes" committed by Riyadh during the bloody air war it has led in Yemen since March 2015.

The pipeline, which can carry five million barrels of crude per day, provides a strategic alternative route for Saudi exports if the shipping lane from the Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz is closed.

Iran has repeatedly threatened to close the vital conduit for global oil supplies in case of a military confrontation with the United States.

The Saudi cabinet called on Wednesday for "confronting terrorist entities which carry out such sabotage acts, including the Iran-backed Huthi militias in Yemen."

Key ally the United Arab Emirates echoed the call.

"We will retaliate and we will retaliate hard when we see Huthis hitting civilian targets like what happened in Saudi Arabia," the UAE minister of state for foreign affairs, Anwar Gargash, said on Wednesday.

Saudi Arabia and its allies intervened in Yemen when President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi fled into Saudi exile as the rebels closed in on his last refuge in Yemen's second city Aden after sweeping through most of the rest of the country.

The intervention has retaken much of the south but the capital and most of the populous central highlands remain in rebel hands.
Iran accuses US of 'unacceptable' escalation in tensions



Tokyo, May 16 (AFP) May 16, 2019



Iran Thursday accused the United States of an "unacceptable" escalation of tensions and said Tehran was showing "maximum restraint" despite Washington's withdrawal from a nuclear deal with world powers.

Tensions were already high after President Donald Trump walked away from the accord a year ago.

But they have been ratcheted up significantly in recent weeks with the US deploying an aircraft carrier strike group and B-52 bombers forced to the Gulf over alleged threats from Iran.

"The escalation by the United States is unacceptable," Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said in Tokyo Thursday where he is holding talks with Japanese officials.

"We exercise maximum restraint... in spite of the fact that the United States withdrew from JCPOA last May," he added, referring to the agreement on Tehran's nuclear program known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.

He added that Tehran remains "committed" to the deal, and said continuing assessments showed Iran was in compliance with the multilateral agreement.

Zarif's comments came hours after the US ordered non-emergency staff evacuated from its Baghdad embassy due to an "imminent" threat from Iranian-linked Iraqi militias.

The move added to growing fears that the long-time rivals could be on course for conflict despite both sides stressing they have no desire for war.

Trump, however, predicted Iran would "soon" want to negotiate and denied there was any discord in the White House over moves that critics say could lead to war in the Middle East.

"I'm sure that Iran will want to talk soon," the president tweeted. He also blasted media reports of White House turmoil, saying "there is no infighting whatsoever. Different opinions are expressed and I make a final and decisive decision."

Opponents of Trump say hardliners led by national security advisor John Bolton, who has long advocated toppling the Iranian regime, are pushing the country into war.



- 'Imminent threat' -



Despite international scepticism, the US government has been pointing to increasing threats from Iran, a long-time enemy and also a rival of US allies Israel and Saudi Arabia.

Senior State Department officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the threat came from Iraqi militia "commanded and controlled" by Tehran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

"It is directly linked to Iran, multiple threat streams directly linked to Iran," said one official.

"This is an imminent threat to our personnel," said a second official.

"There is no doubt in my mind that under the circumstances, a partial ordered departure (from the embassy) is a reasonable thing to do."

Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Tuesday insisted the showdown with the United States was a mere test of resolve.

"This face-off is not military because there is not going to be any war. Neither we nor them (the US) seek war," he said.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo echoed that sentiment, saying in Sochi, Russia: "We fundamentally do not seek a war with Iran."

Despite the insistence that neither party wants conflict, world powers have rushed to urge calm and voiced concern over the escalating tensions.

Washington says it has received intelligence on possible attacks by Iranian or Iranian-backed forces, possibly targeting US bases in Iraq or Syria.

But US allies continued to show scepticism over Washington's alarm bells.

Britain's Major General Chris Ghika, a spokesman for Operation Inherent Resolve, the coalition fighting the jihadist Islamic State group, said Tuesday there was no special heightened alert.

After Ghika's comments drew a sharp retort from the US Central Command, Britain's defence ministry said Wednesday they have "long been clear about our concerns over Iran's destabilizing behaviour in the region" -- while still not confirming any new imminent danger.



- Tanker 'attack' -



Some observers speculate Tehran is seeking to retaliate over Washington's decision in April to put Iran's Revolutionary Guards on a terror blacklist -- a move designed to stymie their activities across the Middle East.

But since the first US warning on May 5, the only incident has been a still-mysterious "attack" Monday on tankers anchored off Fujairah, an Emirati port located at the strategically crucial entrance to the Gulf.

One or more vessels incurred light hull damage, but what caused the damage and who was behind it remains unknown.

Separately, a Saudi-led military coalition Thursday carried out strikes against Yemen's rebel-held capital.

The raids came after Yemen's Iran-aligned Huthi rebels claimed responsibility for drone strikes Tuesday which damaged a Saudi oil pipeline.

In the US Congress, Democrats demanded to know why the Trump administration was boosting its Gulf presence and, according to media reports, considering war plans that would involve sending 120,000 US troops to the Middle East if Iran attacks American assets.

"Congress has not authorized war with Iran... If (the administration) were contemplating military action with Iran, it must come to Congress to seek approval," said Senator Bob Menendez, the senior Democrat on the Senate foreign relations panel.
Saudi-led warplanes pound Yemen rebels after pipeline attack



Sanaa, May 16 (AFP) May 16, 2019



Saudi-led coalition warplanes struck Yemeni rebel targets, including in the capital Sanaa, on Thursday two days after the insurgents claimed drone strikes that shut a key oil pipeline in the neighbouring kingdom.

The new bombardment came after the UN envoy, who has been spearheading efforts to end more than four years of conflict in the Arab world's poorest country, warned it still faced the threat of plunging into all-out war.

The Saudi-led coalition, which has been battling the Huthi rebels since March 2015, confirmed that its warplanes were carrying out multiple strikes following twin rebel drone attacks on Saudi Arabia's main east-west pipeline on Tuesday.

"We have begun to launch air strikes targeting sites operated by the Huthi militia, including in Sanaa," a coalition official, who declined to be identified, told AFP.

One witness in the rebel-held capital told AFP he heard a loud explosion in the city centre.

The rebels' Al-Masirah television reported six strikes on the Arhab district of Sanaa province, followed by further strikes, including at least one in Sanaa itself.

A second witness told AFP that the raids began around 8 am (0500 GMT) while many Yemenis were asleep awaiting the end at sunset of the daytime fast observed by Muslims during the holy month of Ramadan.

"There were many strikes," he added.

The rebels said their Tuesday attack on the Saudi pipeline was a response to "crimes" committed by Riyadh during its bloody air war in Yemen, that has been criticised repeatedly by the United Nations and human rights groups.

The pipeline, which can carry five million barrels of crude per day, provides a strategic alternative route for Saudi exports if the shipping lane from the Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz is closed.

Iran, which Arab Gulf states accuse of supporting the Yemeni rebels, has repeatedly threatened to close the vital conduit for global oil supplies in case of a military confrontation with the United States.



- 'Retaliate hard' -



The Saudi cabinet called on Wednesday for "confronting terrorist entities which carry out such sabotage acts, including the Iran-backed Huthi militias in Yemen."

Key ally the United Arab Emirates echoed the call.

"We will retaliate and we will retaliate hard when we see Huthis hitting civilian targets like what happened in Saudi Arabia," the UAE minister of state for foreign affairs, Anwar Gargash, said on Wednesday.

Saudi Arabia and its allies intervened in Yemen when President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi fled into Saudi exile as the rebels closed in on his last refuge in Yemen's second city Aden after sweeping through most of the rest of the country.

The intervention has retaken much of the south but the capital and most of the populous central highlands remain in rebel hands.

A grinding war of attrition has since gripped the country with third city Taez and the vital Red Sea aid port of Hodeida turned into battlegrounds.

In December, UN mediators brokered hard-won truce deals for both cities during talks in Sweden but the hoped for momentum for talks on a comprehensive peace has failed to materialise.

On Tuesday, UN observers confirmed that rebel fighters had pulled out of Hodeida port and two other Red Sea terminals, unilaterally carrying out a key redeployment that was supposed to follow the December ceasefire.



- 'Crossroads' -



UN envoy Martin Griffiths welcomed the pullback, but warned the Security Council on Wednesday that the risks of a slide into all-out war remained high.

"Despite the significance of the last few days, Yemen remains at the crossroads between war and peace," he said.

"There are signs of hope," he added, but there are also "alarming signs" of war.

Griffiths nonetheless hailed "a new beginning in Hodeida," where rebel fighters handed control of the port to coastguards, saying that "change is now a reality."

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.

More than four years of conflict 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.

The head of UNICEF, the UN children's agency, said that while a ceasefire was largely holding in Hodeida, fighting was raging "across 30 active conflict zones -- home to nearly 1.2 million children."

"We are at a tipping point. If the war continues any longer, the country may move past the point of no return," Henrietta Fore told the Security Council.

"Hospitals, clinics and water systems are in ruins -- with half of the country's hospitals and clinics destroyed."
US stealth fighter suffers millions in damage from bird strike



Washington, May 16 (AFP) May 16, 2019



A US F-35 stealth bomber suffered millions of dollars in damage after being hit by a bird during take-off from an air base in Japan, the US Marine Corps said in a statement Wednesday.

"On May 7, 2019 an F-35B with Marine Aircraft Group 12, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing aborted take-off due to a bird strike at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni and safely taxied off the runway," the statement said.

The pilot was not hurt in the incident, it said.

A damage assessment report has not yet been completed but the Marine Corps classified the incident as category "A", meaning the damage bill is expected to exceed $2 million.

Last month an F-16 fighter jet operating in the United States was hit by a hawk, the US Air Force told a military-focused website.

Photos of the April 17 incident showed the mangled remains of a bird in the landing gear of the plane.

The F-35 program was launched in the 1990s and has cost almost $400 billion, making it the most expensive weapons system ever developed by the Pentagon.

The defense department plans to build some 2,500 of the warplanes in the decades to come.

The F-35B is a short take-off and landing variant of the plane, developed for the Marine Corps. Each plane costs $115 million to build.

In April, an F-35A stealth fighter went down off the coast of Japan, sparking a lengthy search by Japanese and American salvage crews.

Some debris was recovered but the pilot's body has not been found and the US Navy announced earlier this month it was calling off the search.
Saudi-led warplanes pound Yemen rebels after pipeline attack



Sanaa, May 16 (AFP) May 16, 2019



Saudi-led coalition warplanes bombed Yemeni rebel targets including in the capital on Thursday following insurgent drone strikes on a key oil pipeline that Riyadh said were ordered by its arch-rival Tehran.

The new bombardment came after the UN envoy, who has been spearheading efforts to end more than four years of conflict in the Arab world's poorest country, warned it still faced the threat of plunging into all-out war.

The Saudi deputy defence minister warned that Tuesday's attack by Yemeni rebels on a major pipeline in the kingdom was "tightening the noose" around peace efforts.

The Saudi-led coalition, which has been battling the Huthi rebels since March 2015, confirmed that its warplanes were carrying out multiple strikes across rebel-held territory.

"We have begun to launch air strikes targeting sites operated by the Huthi militia, including in Sanaa," a coalition official, who declined to be identified, told AFP.

A strike on one Sanaa neighbourhood killed at least six people and wounded 10, Dr Mokhtar Mohammed of the capital's Republic Hospital told AFP.

The coalition carried out 11 strikes on the capital in all, among 19 across rebel-held territory, the rebels' Al-Masirah television reported.

The raids began around 8 am (0500 GMT) while many Yemenis were asleep awaiting the end at sunset of the daytime fast observed by Muslims during the holy month of Ramadan, a witness told AFP

"There were many strikes," he added.

The rebels said their attack on the Saudi pipeline was a response to "crimes" committed by Riyadh during its bloody air war in Yemen, that has been criticised repeatedly by the United Nations and human rights groups.

The drone strikes further raised tensions in the region after the mysterious sabotage of several oil tankers and the US deployment of an aircraft carrier strike group and B-52 bombers to the Gulf over alleged threats from Iran.



- 'Tightening noose' on peace -



Saudi Arabia's deputy defence minister, Khalid bin Salman, charged the pipeline attack was carried out on Iranian orders.

"The attack by the Iranian-backed Huthi militias against the two Aramco pumping stations proves that these militias are merely a tool that Iran's regime uses to implement its expansionist agenda in the region," the prince said on Twitter.

"The terrorist acts, ordered by the regime in Tehran, and carried out by the Huthis, are tightening the noose around the ongoing political efforts."

The Saudi state minister for foreign affairs, Adel al-Jubeir, charged that the Huthis were "sacrificing the need of the Yemeni people for the benefit of Iran".

Key ally the United Arab Emirates warned of reprisals.

"We will retaliate and we will retaliate hard when we see Huthis hitting civilian targets like what happened in Saudi Arabia," the UAE minister of state for foreign affairs, Anwar Gargash, said on Wednesday.

Saudi Arabia and its allies intervened in Yemen when President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi fled into Saudi exile as the rebels closed in on his last refuge in Yemen's second city Aden after sweeping through most of the rest of the country.

The intervention has retaken much of the south but the capital and most of the populous central highlands remain in rebel hands.

A grinding war of attrition has set in with third city Taez and the vital Red Sea aid port of Hodeida turned into battlegrounds.

In December, UN mediators brokered hard-won truce deals for both cities during talks in Sweden but the hoped for momentum for talks on a comprehensive peace has failed to materialise.

On Tuesday, UN observers confirmed that rebel fighters had pulled out of Hodeida port and two other Red Sea terminals, unilaterally carrying out a key redeployment that was supposed to follow the December ceasefire.



- 'Crossroads' -



UN envoy Martin Griffiths welcomed the pullback, but warned the Security Council on Wednesday that the risks of a slide into all-out war remained high.

"There are signs of hope," he said, but there are also "alarming signs" of war.

Griffiths nonetheless hailed "a new beginning in Hodeida," where rebel fighters handed control of the port to coastguards, saying that "change is now a reality."

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.

More than four years of conflict 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.

"We are at a tipping point," warned the head of UN children's agency UNICEF.

"If the war continues any longer, the country may move past the point of no return," Henrietta Fore said.
Iran accuses US of 'unacceptable' escalation in tensions



Tokyo, May 16 (AFP) May 16, 2019



Iran Thursday accused the United States of an "unacceptable" escalation of tensions and said Tehran was showing "maximum restraint" despite Washington's withdrawal from a nuclear deal with world powers.

Tensions were already high after President Donald Trump walked away from the accord a year ago.

But they have been ratcheted up significantly in recent weeks with the US deploying an aircraft carrier strike group and B-52 bombers to the Gulf over alleged threats from Iran.

"The escalation by the United States is unacceptable," Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said in Tokyo Thursday where he is holding talks with Japanese officials.

"We exercise maximum restraint... in spite of the fact that the United States withdrew from JCPOA last May," he added, referring to the agreement on Tehran's nuclear program known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.

He added that Tehran remains "committed" to the deal, and said continuing assessments showed Iran was in compliance with the multilateral agreement.

Zarif's comments came hours after the US ordered non-emergency staff evacuated from its Baghdad embassy due to an "imminent" threat from Iranian-linked Iraqi militias.

The move added to growing fears that the long-time rivals could be on course for conflict despite both sides stressing they have no desire for war.

Trump, however, predicted Iran would "soon" want to negotiate and denied there was any discord in the White House over moves that critics say could lead to war in the Middle East.

"I'm sure that Iran will want to talk soon," the president tweeted. He also blasted media reports of White House turmoil, saying "there is no infighting whatsoever. Different opinions are expressed and I make a final and decisive decision."

Opponents of Trump say hardliners led by national security advisor John Bolton, who has long advocated toppling the Iranian regime, are pushing the country into war.



- 'Imminent threat' -



Despite international scepticism, the US government has been pointing to increasing threats from Iran, a long-time enemy and also a rival of US allies Israel and Saudi Arabia.

Senior State Department officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the threat came from Iraqi militia "commanded and controlled" by Tehran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

"It is directly linked to Iran, multiple threat streams directly linked to Iran," said one official.

"This is an imminent threat to our personnel," said a second official.

"There is no doubt in my mind that under the circumstances, a partial ordered departure (from the embassy) is a reasonable thing to do."

Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Tuesday insisted the showdown with the United States was a mere test of resolve.

"This face-off is not military because there is not going to be any war. Neither we nor them (the US) seek war," he said.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo echoed that sentiment, saying in Sochi, Russia: "We fundamentally do not seek a war with Iran."

Despite the insistence that neither party wants conflict, world powers have rushed to urge calm and voiced concern over the escalating tensions.

Washington says it has received intelligence on possible attacks by Iranian or Iranian-backed forces, possibly targeting US bases in Iraq or Syria.

But US allies continued to show skepticism over Washington's alarm bells.

Britain's Major General Chris Ghika, a spokesman for Operation Inherent Resolve, the coalition fighting the jihadist Islamic State group, said Tuesday there was no special heightened alert.

After Ghika's comments drew a sharp retort from the US Central Command, Britain's defence ministry said Wednesday they have "long been clear about our concerns over Iran's destabilizing behaviour in the region" -- while still not confirming any new imminent danger.



- Tanker 'attack' -



Some observers speculate Tehran is seeking to retaliate over Washington's decision in April to put Iran's Revolutionary Guards on a terror blacklist -- a move designed to stymie their activities across the Middle East.

But since the first US warning on May 5, the only incident has been a still-mysterious "attack" Monday on tankers anchored off Fujairah, an Emirati port located at the strategically crucial entrance to the Gulf.

One or more vessels incurred light hull damage, but what caused the damage and who was behind it remains unknown.

Separately, a Saudi-led military coalition Thursday carried out strikes against Yemen's rebel-held capital.

The raids came after Yemen's Iran-aligned Huthi rebels claimed responsibility for drone strikes Tuesday which damaged a Saudi oil pipeline.

Saudi's deputy defence minister, Khalid bin Salman, Thursday accused Iran of ordering the drone attacks.

The Saudi-led coalition intervened in the war in Yemen in March 2015 to push back an advance by the Huthi rebels.
Marine insurers hold emergency meeting on Gulf security



London, May 16 (AFP) May 16, 2019



Marine insurers in London are holding an extraordinary meeting of a security committee to discuss the situation in the Gulf following attacks on ships off the United Arab Emirates, a spokesman said on Thursday.

The meeting is of the Lloyd's Market Association (LMA) Joint War Committee, which normally gathers on a quarterly basis to assess security risks to shipping around the world.

The LMA represents all underwriting businesses on the centuries-old Lloyd's of London insurance market.

It follows insurgent drone strikes on a key oil pipeline in Saudi Arabia and the mysterious sabotage of four ships, including two Saudi oil tankers, earlier this week.

The attacks have escalated tensions between the US and Iran but industry analysts have questioned the exact circumstances of the ship attacks.

Lloyd's List Intelligence, a business information service, earlier this week said there had been "scant information" about the incident from Saudi authorities.

"Saudi reticence to report the incident accurately within their own media channels and the current failure to provide imagery evidence of the attack raises important questions as to the nature of the attack," maritime security company Dryad Global told clients in a note, Lloyd's List said.
Saudi-led warplanes pound Yemen rebels after pipeline attack



Sanaa, May 16 (AFP) May 16, 2019



Saudi-led coalition warplanes bombed Yemeni rebel targets including in the capital on Thursday following insurgent drone strikes on a key oil pipeline that Riyadh said were ordered by its arch-rival Tehran.

The new bombardment came after the UN envoy, who has been spearheading efforts to end more than four years of conflict in the Arab world's poorest country, warned it still faced the threat of plunging into all-out war.

The Saudi deputy defence minister warned that Tuesday's attack by Yemeni rebels on a major pipeline in the kingdom was "tightening the noose" around peace efforts.

The Saudi-led coalition, which has been battling the Huthi rebels since March 2015, confirmed that its warplanes were carrying out multiple strikes across rebel-held territory.

"We have begun to launch air strikes targeting sites operated by the Huthi militia, including in Sanaa," a coalition official, who declined to be identified, told AFP.

The coalition said it had hit "a number of legitimate military targets" that the rebels used to store munitions.

The rebels' Al-Masirahn television said the caolition carried out at least 19 strikes, 11 of them in the capital.

A strike on one Sanaa neighbourhood killed at least six people and wounded 10, Dr Mokhtar Mohammed of the capital's Republic Hospital said.

An AFP correspondent saw one residential building that had been reduced to rubble by an air strike. Residents were using their bare hands in a desperate search for survivors.

"God is greatest," they shouted as they pulled out a child. "Death to America, death to Israel," they chanted, unsure whether the youngster was alive or dead.

The raids began around 8 am (0500 GMT) while many Yemenis were asleep awaiting the end at sunset of the daytime fast observed by Muslims during the holy month of Ramadan, a witness told AFP

"There were many strikes," he added.

The rebels said their attack on the Saudi pipeline was a response to "crimes" committed by Riyadh during its bloody air war in Yemen, that has been criticised repeatedly by the United Nations and human rights groups.

The drone strikes further raised tensions in the region after the mysterious sabotage of several oil tankers and the US deployment of an aircraft carrier strike group and B-52 bombers to the Gulf over alleged threats from Iran.



- 'Tightening noose' on peace -



Saudi Arabia's deputy defence minister, Khalid bin Salman, charged the pipeline attack was carried out on Iranian orders.

"The attack by the Iranian-backed Huthi militias against the two Aramco pumping stations proves that these militias are merely a tool that Iran's regime uses to implement its expansionist agenda in the region," the prince said on Twitter.

"The terrorist acts, ordered by the regime in Tehran, and carried out by the Huthis, are tightening the noose around the ongoing political efforts."

The Saudi state minister for foreign affairs, Adel al-Jubeir, charged that the Huthis were "sacrificing the need of the Yemeni people for the benefit of Iran".

Key ally the United Arab Emirates warned of reprisals.

"We will retaliate and we will retaliate hard when we see Huthis hitting civilian targets like what happened in Saudi Arabia," the UAE minister of state for foreign affairs, Anwar Gargash, said on Wednesday.

Saudi Arabia and its allies intervened in Yemen when President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi fled into Saudi exile as the rebels closed in on his last refuge in Yemen's second city Aden after sweeping through most of the rest of the country.

The intervention has retaken much of the south but the capital and most of the populous central highlands remain in rebel hands.



- 'Alarming signs' -



A grinding war of attrition has set in with third city Taez and the vital Red Sea aid port of Hodeida turned into battlegrounds.

In December, UN mediators brokered hard-won truce deals for both cities during talks in Sweden but the hoped for momentum for talks on a comprehensive peace has failed to materialise.

On Tuesday, UN observers confirmed that rebel fighters had pulled out of Hodeida and two other Red Sea ports, unilaterally carrying out a key redeployment that was supposed to follow the December ceasefire.

UN envoy Martin Griffiths welcomed the pullback, but warned the Security Council on Wednesday that the risks of a slide into all-out war remained high.

"There are signs of hope," he said, but there are also "alarming signs" of war.

More than four years of conflict have 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.
Iran's Zarif says 'no possibility' of talks with US: Kyodo



Tokyo, May 16 (AFP) May 16, 2019



Iran's foreign minister said Thursday there is "no possibility" of negotiations with the United States to reduce spiralling tensions, Japan's Kyodo news agency reported.

"No, there is no possibility for negotiations," the news agency cited Mohammad Javad Zarif as telling reporters in Tokyo, where he is meeting with Japanese officials.

Kyodo said the comment was in response to a question on whether he would be open to bilateral talks with Washington aimed at easing tensions.

It did not immediately carry additional comments from Zarif, but public broadcaster NHK also quoted the foreign minister as describing US pressure on Iran as an "act of suicide".

Zarif also reportedly dismissed US President Donald Trump's assertion in a tweet that Iran would soon seek negotiations.

"I don't know why President Trump is confident, but it's totally wrong," NHK quoted Zarif as saying.

The quotes on NHK were published in Japanese, and it was not immediately clear whether they were translated from English or Farsi.

The top Iranian diplomat, who met with Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Thursday, earlier accused Washington of an "unacceptable" escalation in tensions, and said Tehran was showing "maximum restraint".

Washington withdrew a year ago from a nuclear deal with Tehran and re-imposed sanctions, prompting a deterioration in relations.

But the crisis has deepened in recent week, with the US deploying an aircraft carrier strike group and B-52 bomber to the Gulf over alleged threats from Iran.
Two pro-Iran Iraqi armed groups reject US claim of threat



Baghdad, May 16 (AFP) May 16, 2019



Two key pro-Iran Iraqi armed groups Thursday rejected a US claim of an "imminent" threat against American personnel that prompted Washington to order the evacuation of some staff from its Baghdad embassy.

Nasr al-Shomari, a military commander for the Iran-backed Harakat al-Nujaba, told AFP the claim was "a pretext" by Washington to create "an uproar" in Iraq.

A leader of the pro-Iran Asaib Ahl al-Haq group, Layth al-Azari, said the allegations were part of a "psychological war" by the United States.

The two groups are key factions within the Shiite-dominated Hashed al-Shaabi organisation which played a key role in the battle to defeat the Islamic State jihadist group in Iraq.

On Wednesday the United States ordered the evacuation of non-emergency staff from its Baghdad embassy, citing an "imminent" threat from Iranian-linked armed groups in Iraq.

It came as tensions soared in the region amid a stand-off between Washington and Tehran.

The evacuation order, also covering the US consulate in Arbil, came 10 days after the Pentagon deployed an aircraft carrier task force and B-52 bombers to the Gulf to fend off an unspecified alleged plot by Tehran to attack US forces or allies.

Senior US State Department officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the threat came from Iraqi militia "commanded and controlled" by Tehran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

"It is directly linked to Iran, multiple threat streams directly linked to Iran," said one official.

"This is an imminent threat to our personnel," said a second official.

But Shomari dismissed the allegations, telling AFP the United States "is trying to create an uproar in Iraq and in the region under any pretext".

"If we put out a statement concerning the United States, they consider it a threat, but if the United States carries out an attack, isn't that a threat?," he added.

Azari echoed his remarks, saying the US claim and its recent action in the region "are a provocation aimed at escalating a psychological war" due to the prevailing tensions with Iran.

Shiite-majority Iraq has been under pressure from the US to limit its ties with neighbouring Iran, particularly after Washington last year withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal with Tehran and hit it with sanctions.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Thursday accused the United States of an "unacceptable" escalation of tensions.

Zarif, who is in Japan and is set to visit China on Friday, said Iran was exercising "maximum restraint".
Saudi-led warplanes pound Yemen rebels after pipeline attack



Sanaa, May 16 (AFP) May 16, 2019



Saudi-led coalition warplanes bombed Yemeni rebel targets including in the capital on Thursday following insurgent drone strikes on a key oil pipeline that Riyadh said were ordered by its arch-rival Tehran.

The new bombardment came after the UN envoy, who has been spearheading efforts to end more than four years of conflict in the Arab world's poorest country, warned Yemen still faced the threat of plunging into all-out war.

The Saudi deputy defence minister said that Tuesday's attack by Yemeni rebels on a major pipeline in his country was "tightening the noose" around peace efforts.

The Saudi-led coalition, which has been battling the Huthi rebels since March 2015, confirmed that its warplanes were carrying out multiple strikes across rebel-held territory in Yemen.

"We have begun to launch air strikes targeting sites operated by the Huthi militia, including in Sanaa," a coalition official, who declined to be identified, told AFP.

The coalition said it had hit "a number of legitimate military targets" that the rebels used to store munitions.

The rebels' Al-Masirah television said the coalition carried out at least 19 strikes, 11 of them in the capital.

A strike on one Sanaa neighbourhood killed six people and wounded 10, Dr Mokhtar Mohammed of the capital's Republic Hospital said.

Aid group Doctors Without Borders said that at least four people were killed and 48 injured in Sanaa in "several airstrikes" by the Saudi-led coalition.

An AFP correspondent saw one residential building that had been reduced to rubble by an air strike. Residents were using their bare hands in a desperate search for survivors.

"God is greatest," they shouted as they pulled out a child. "Death to America, death to Israel," they chanted, unsure whether the youngster was alive or dead.

The rebels said their attack on the Saudi pipeline was a response to "crimes" committed by Riyadh during its bloody air war in Yemen, which has been criticised repeatedly by the United Nations and human rights groups.

The drone strikes further raised tensions in the region after the mysterious sabotage of several oil tankers and the US deployment of an aircraft carrier strike group and B-52 bombers to the Gulf over alleged threats from Iran.

The speaker of Kuwait's National Assembly said the risk of a war breaking out in the region was high.

"Chances are high, and things are not going the way we hoped for," Marzuk al-Ghanem told reporters following a closed-door meeting.

"The situation in the region is not reassuring and calls for preparing for all possibilities."



- 'Tightening noose' on peace -



Saudi Arabia's deputy defence minister, Khalid bin Salman, charged the pipeline attack was carried out on Iranian orders.

"The attack by the Iranian-backed Huthi militias against the two Aramco pumping stations proves that these militias are merely a tool that Iran's regime uses to implement its expansionist agenda in the region," the prince said on Twitter.

"The terrorist acts, ordered by the regime in Tehran, and carried out by the Huthis, are tightening the noose around the ongoing political efforts."

The Saudi state minister for foreign affairs, Adel al-Jubeir, charged that the Huthis were "sacrificing the need of the Yemeni people for the benefit of Iran".

Saudi Arabia and its allies intervened in Yemen when President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi fled into Saudi exile as the rebels closed in on his last refuge in Yemen's second city Aden after sweeping through most of the rest of the country.



- 'Alarming signs' -



A grinding war of attrition has set in with third city Taez and the vital Red Sea aid port of Hodeida turned into battlegrounds.

In December, UN mediators brokered hard-won truce deals for both cities during talks in Sweden but the hoped for momentum for talks on a comprehensive peace has failed to materialise.

Three women were killed in clashes Wednesday in Hodeida, a doctor at Al-Thawra hospital told AFP.

On Tuesday, UN observers confirmed that rebel fighters had pulled out of three Red Sea ports including Hodeida.

UN envoy Martin Griffiths welcomed the pullback, but warned the Security Council on Wednesday that the risks of a slide into all-out war remained high.

"There are signs of hope," he said, but there are also "alarming signs" of war.

More than four years of conflict have 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.
Iran accuses US of 'unacceptable' escalation in tensions



Tokyo, May 16 (AFP) May 16, 2019



Iran accused the United States Thursday of an "unacceptable" escalation of tensions and said Tehran was showing "maximum restraint" despite Washington's withdrawal from a nuclear deal with world powers.

Tensions were already high after President Donald Trump walked away a year ago from the accord which eased international sanctions in return for curbs on Iran's nuclear program.

But strains have ratcheted up with the US deploying an aircraft carrier group and B-52 bombers to the Gulf over alleged threats from Iran.

"The escalation by the United States is unacceptable," Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said in Tokyo, where he is holding talks with Japanese officials.

"We exercise maximum restraint... in spite of the fact that the United States withdrew from JCPOA last May," Zarif said earlier, referring to the agreement on Tehran's nuclear program known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.

He added that Tehran remains "committed" to the deal, and said continuing assessments showed Iran was in compliance with the multilateral agreement.

Later, Zarif told reporters there was "no possibility" of negotiations with the United States to reduce spiralling tensions, describing US pressure as an "act of suicide".

Zarif's comments came after the US on Wednesday ordered non-emergency staff evacuated from its Baghdad embassy due to an "imminent" threat from Iranian-linked Iraqi militias.

Two major pro-Iran armed groups in Iraq rejected suggestions the embassy personnel were at risk.

Nasr al-Shomari, a military commander for the Iran-backed Harakat al-Nujaba, told AFP the claim was "a pretext" by Washington to create "an uproar" in Iraq.

But the move added to growing fears that the long-time rivals could be on course for conflict despite both sides stressing they have no desire for war.

Trump, however, predicted Iran would "soon" want to negotiate and denied there was any discord in the White House over moves that critics say could lead to war in the Middle East.

"I'm sure that Iran will want to talk soon," the president tweeted.

He also blasted media reports of White House turmoil over Iran, saying "there is no infighting whatsoever. Different opinions are expressed and I make a final and decisive decision."

Zarif late Thursday dismissed Trump's prediction of talks, telling reporters: "I don't know why President Trump is confident."

Opponents of Trump say hardliners led by national security advisor John Bolton, who has long advocated toppling the Iranian regime, are pushing the country into war.

According to Iranian state media, Zarif is set to visit China on Friday for discussions on "regional and international issues" including the 2015 nuclear deal with global powers.



- 'Imminent threat' -



Despite international scepticism, the US government has been pointing to increasing threats from Iran, a long-time enemy and also a rival of US allies Israel and Saudi Arabia.

Senior State Department officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the threat came from Iraqi militia "commanded and controlled" by Tehran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

"It is directly linked to Iran, multiple threat streams directly linked to Iran," said one official.

"This is an imminent threat to our personnel," said a second official.

Washington says it has received intelligence on possible attacks by Iranian or Iranian-backed forces, possibly targeting US bases in Iraq or Syria.

Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, on Tuesday insisted the showdown with the United States was a mere test of resolve.

"This face-off is not military because there is not going to be any war. Neither we nor them (the US) seek war," he said.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo echoed that sentiment, saying in Sochi, Russia: "We fundamentally do not seek a war with Iran."

World powers have rushed to urge calm and US allies continued to show skepticism over Washington's alarm bells.

Britain's Major General Chris Ghika, a spokesman for Operation Inherent Resolve, the coalition fighting the jihadist Islamic State group, said Tuesday there was no special heightened alert.

After Ghika's comments drew a sharp retort from the US Central Command, Britain's defence ministry said Wednesday they have "long been clear about our concerns over Iran's destabilizing behaviour in the region" -- while still not confirming any new imminent danger.

Some observers speculate Tehran is seeking to retaliate over Washington's decision in April to put Iran's Revolutionary Guards on a terrorism blacklist -- a move designed to stymie their activities across the Middle East.

But since the first US warning on May 5, the only incident has been a still-mysterious "attack" Monday on tankers anchored off Fujairah, an Emirati port located at the strategically crucial entrance to the Gulf.

One or more vessels incurred light hull damage, but what caused the damage and who was behind it remains unknown.
Iran accuses US of 'unacceptable' escalation in tensions



Tokyo, May 16 (AFP) May 16, 2019



Iran accused the United States Thursday of an "unacceptable" escalation of tensions and said Tehran was showing "maximum restraint" despite Washington's withdrawal from a nuclear deal with world powers.

Tensions were already high after President Donald Trump walked away a year ago from the accord, which eased international sanctions in return for curbs on Iran's nuclear program.

But tensions have ratcheted up, with the US deploying an aircraft carrier group and B-52 bombers to the Gulf over alleged threats from Iran.

"The escalation by the United States is unacceptable," Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said in Tokyo, where he is holding talks with Japanese officials.

"We exercise maximum restraint... in spite of the fact that the United States withdrew from JCPOA last May," Zarif said earlier, referring to the agreement on Tehran's nuclear program, which is known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.

He added that Tehran remains "committed" to the deal, and said continuing assessments showed Iran was in compliance with the multilateral agreement.

Later, Zarif told reporters there was "no possibility" of negotiations with the United States to reduce spiralling tensions, describing US pressure as an "act of suicide".

Zarif's comments came after the US on Wednesday ordered non-emergency staff evacuated from its Baghdad embassy due to an alleged "imminent" threat from Iranian-linked Iraqi militias.

Two major pro-Iran armed groups in Iraq rejected suggestions the embassy personnel were at risk.

Nasr al-Shomari, a military commander for the Iran-backed Harakat al-Nujaba, told AFP the claim was "a pretext" by Washington to create "an uproar" in Iraq.

But the move added to growing fears that the long-time rivals could be on course for conflict despite both sides stressing they have no desire for war.

Trump, however, predicted Iran would "soon" want to negotiate.

"I'm sure that Iran will want to talk soon," the president tweeted.

He also blasted media reports of White House turmoil over Iran, saying "there is no infighting whatsoever. Different opinions are expressed and I make a final and decisive decision."

Zarif late Thursday dismissed Trump's prediction of talks, telling reporters: "I don't know why President Trump is confident."

Opponents of Trump say hardliners led by national security advisor John Bolton, who has long advocated toppling the Iranian government, are pushing the country into war.

According to Iranian state media, Zarif is set to visit China on Friday for discussions on "regional and international issues" including the 2015 nuclear deal with global powers.



- 'Imminent threat' -



Despite international scepticism, the US government has been pointing to increasing threats from Iran, a long-time enemy and also a rival of US allies Israel and Saudi Arabia.

Senior State Department officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the threat came from Iraqi militia "commanded and controlled" by Tehran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

"It is directly linked to Iran, multiple threat streams directly linked to Iran," said one official.

"This is an imminent threat to our personnel," said a second official.

Washington says it has received intelligence on possible attacks by Iranian or Iranian-backed forces, possibly targeting US bases in Iraq or Syria.

Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, on Tuesday insisted the showdown with the United States was a mere test of resolve.

"This face-off is not military because there is not going to be any war. Neither we nor them (the US) seek war," he said.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo echoed that sentiment, saying in Sochi, Russia: "We fundamentally do not seek a war with Iran."

World powers have rushed to urge calm and US allies continued to show scepticism over Washington's alarm bells.

But UK Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said he had recently met with Pompeo and shared "the same assessment of the heightened threat posed by Iran".

"As always we work closely with the US," he tweeted.

Britain's defence ministry meanwhile said Wednesday that they have "long been clear about our concerns over Iran's destabilizing behaviour in the region" -- while still not confirming any new imminent danger.

Some observers speculate Tehran is seeking to retaliate over Washington's decision in April to put Iran's Revolutionary Guards on a terrorism blacklist -- a move designed to stymie their activities across the Middle East.

But since the first US warning on May 5, the only incident has been a still-mysterious "attack" Monday on tankers anchored off Fujairah, an Emirati port located at the strategically crucial entrance to the Gulf.

One or more vessels incurred light hull damage, but what caused the damage and who was behind it remains unknown.
Sweden to host international meeting on IS tribunal



Stockholm, May 16 (AFP) May 16, 2019



Sweden will host an international meeting on June 3 aimed at setting up a tribunal to judge militants who fought with the Islamic State group in Syria and Iraq, the government said Thursday.

The tribunal would preferably be set up somewhere in the Middle East, Sweden's Minister for Home Affairs Mikael Damberg told AFP.

He said he believed a tribunal based closer to the region would have an easier time processing cases and securing convictions than countries such as Sweden and Britain.

"A regional mechanism would be closer to both evidence and witness testimony, which could increase the number of convictions," Damberg said.

Damberg said several countries were looking into the matter, and therefore the Swedish government believed the time was right to host a meeting of experts and state officials to exchange knowledge and gauge whether it would be possible to move forward jointly.

Damberg said the Netherlands, Britain, France and Belgium all planned to attend the Stockholm meeting.

The specific type of crimes the tribunal could pursue would be left up to the attending parties to discuss, and Sweden had actively chosen not to present its own model at this stage, Damberg said.

He conceded that the creation of a tribunal was still far off and the road ahead would be complex.

He noted that normally, a legal mechanism would be developed with the affected country -- but a cooperation with the Syrian regime appeared out of the question.

"Neither Sweden nor any country I've spoken with have any interest in having a collaboration with the Assad regime. That makes the situation more complicated," Damberg said.
Top US lawmakers to be briefed on escalating Iran tensions



Washington, May 16 (AFP) May 16, 2019



US congressional leaders will receive a classified briefing from intelligence officials Thursday on apparent military threats from Iran amid rapidly escalating tensions between Washington and the Islamic republic.

But House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she wanted the entire Congress to be briefed by next week ahead of a week-long recess so that all lawmakers can be brought up to speed on any new intelligence developments before debating any next steps.

"We're hoping that for sure that before the break we will have a classified briefing on the Middle East, on Iran before the full House of Representatives," Pelosi told reporters.

It was not immediately clear who would conduct the briefing later Thursday, expected to include Pelosi, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer, and the four top leaders of the House and Senate intelligence committees.

The United States on Wednesday ordered non-emergency staff evacuated from its Baghdad embassy due to an "imminent" threat from Iranian-linked Iraqi militias, a move that prompted concern on Capitol Hill.

Strains have ratcheted up with the US deploying an aircraft carrier group and B-52 bombers to the Gulf, and Iran denouncing what it sees as "unacceptable" provocations by Washington.

World powers have rushed to urge calm and US allies continued to show skepticism over Washington's alarm bells.

Opponents of President Donald Trump say hardliners led by national security advisor John Bolton, who has long advocated toppling the Iranian regime, are pushing the country into war.

Pelosi issued her own warning, saying Congress, not the president, has the constitutional power to declare war, and she was quick to note Trump's repeated opposition to the US military intervention in Iraq.

"I like what I hear from the president, that he has no appetite for this," she said.

"One of the places that I agree with the president is in both of our opposition to the war in Iraq, and I hope that that same attitude will prevail with (Trump), even though some of his supporters are rattling sabers."
Washington says 'possible' Ankara will reject Russian missiles



Washington, May 16 (AFP) May 16, 2019



The US believes it is "possible" Turkey will decide against buying a Russian air defense system whose proposed purchase has strained relations between the NATO allies, a top official said on Thursday.

Washington has warned for months that Turkey's adoption of the Russian S-400 missile system would endanger Western defense and jeopardize Ankara's planned purchase of 100 of the US's F-35 stealth fighter jets.

Asked on Thursday if Turkey may ultimately change its mind on the S-400, deputy US defense secretary Heather Wilson replied "it's possible."

"The diplomats are continuing the work on that," she said, reiterating that the S-400 is "incompatible with having the F-35."

The US in April placed a freeze on a joint F-35 manufacturing program with Turkey, and US law furthermore provides for sanctions on any country concluding arms deals with Russian companies.

Two of the planes were delivered to Turkey in June 2018 but remain at a US Air Force base near Phoenix, Arizona, officially so Turkish pilots can train on them.

"We're continuing to train the Turkish pilots at Luke Air Force Base but we don't think that we can deliver those aircraft into a country that has the S-400," Wilson said.

Ankara says it won't reconsider purchasing the S-400 air defense system and that delivery of the first of the equipment may come as soon as June or July.

But Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said last month that Turkey is aware of the US's concerns.

Turkish media has reported that the government is mulling not using the Russian batteries or selling them to a third party in order to resolve the dispute.
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Inflamed hatred and contributed to attacks on Muslims





by Latheef Farook





Sri Lankas mainstream media has traditionally been indifferent towards Muslim issues. On international affairs the local mainstream media has been depending on the western media which remains integral part of US-European and Israeli war machines destroying Muslim countries.

Thus the local media has been brainwashed to think on the lines of western media propaganda. This was clearly demonstrated in the coverage of Easter Sunday bombings and massacres.





The coverage blatantly provoked non-Muslims against the Muslim community. Country is passing through the worst ever political and economic crisis and in the midst came the Easter Sunday carnage due to the failure of President Maithripala Sirisena,Prime Minister Ranil Wickremasinghe and the intelligence agents to prevent it for reasons better known to the three.









Therefore this is the time that the islands mainstream media need to make its contribution to help bring the chaotic situation under control. Instead, mainstream media went into full swing demonizing Islam and describing every Muslim a terrorist inflaming hatred towards Muslims.





The islands Muslim and Christian communities were living in peace and harmony. There was no conflict between them. However the two communities, both minorities, were subjected to periodic violent attacks on them by Sinhala racists, for no valid reason, often with government patronage.

This was the reason why, even today, no Muslim could understand why these lunatics who call themselves Muslims bombed churches, hotels and killed innocent people.





Meanwhile many speculate that it is highly unlikely that these few bombers got the capacity to commit such a sophisticated attack within 20 minutes. The carnage began at 8.45 and was completed at 9.05 .Thus within 20 minutes everything changed in the country Leader of the House Minister Lakshman Kiriella said this cannot be done without foreign involvement.





Many suspect that the carnage has all the hallmarks of US intelligence CIA and Israelis killing machine Mossads hand as it happened in the case of the 9/11 bombing of the World Trade Centre in New York .Though Al Qaeda was accused of bombing WTC, later it was proved that it was the joint work of US intelligence and Mossad to justify the invasion and destruction of Afghanistan.





This disaster was exploited by US-Europe and Israel to associate violence with Islam and started using the slogan Islamic terrorism. Western media went to town selling this deceptive slogan.





According to The Island newspaper on Wednesday 15 May 2019 Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith had said that the Easter Sunday attacks were the work some misguided local youths used by an international group to carry out multiple attacks. He also said ISIS is part of US war program. He explained, how united States manipulate and create wars only to sell weapons, destabilize and loot countries





Here in the island too many suspect that Easter Sunday bombings were the work of United States and Israel as destabilizing the island is of great benefit to them in the context of the rivalry between China and the US European-Israel -Indian axis.





The slogan Islamic terrorism was exploited by the local media mercenaries .They brought this slogan in full swing in the wake of Easter Sunday massacre to sow hatred towards Muslims in the island





As part of this conspiracy mainstream media started accusing ISIS of involvement in the Easter Sunday attacks not realizing that the ISIS is a US-Israeli creation to justify their wars on Muslim countries.





I wrote an article on 3 January 2015, explaining in detail how US equipped, Mossed trained and Saudi funded ISIS was established during the destruction of Syria to demonize Islam and divide Middle East into small states to ensure Israels supremacy in the region.

I sent the article to local media. However none published it. Today this very same ISIS is accused of involvement in the Easter Sunday bombings in Sri Lanka.





President Sirisena could have acted swiftly to curtail this hate campaign in the media against Muslims. However he had failed to do so. After all it was under his watchful eyes Muslims were attacked in Gintota, Ampara, Digana, Akurana and the surrounding areas in March 2018 and the perpetrators taken to custody are yet to be brought to book.





Studying the coverage of the Easter Sunday massacre one was compelled to conclude that the islands media was briefed and prepared in advance by powerful forces which were behind the carnage to demonize Muslims as violent people.





Meanwhile the Easter Sunday massacre was reported to have been committed by a handful of people. The question is what the entire community has got to do with these individuals. Why bring their religion Islam into this carnage? Why unleash violence against Muslim community which has already suffered immense due to racist politics since independence in 1948.





However no local media raised any such question. This was expected from the time former President Mahinda Rajapaksa and the present President Sirisena wide opened the country for Israel after which violent attacks on Muslims began on a hitherto unknown scale.





This is the sickening state of affairs under Maithri-Ranil government which ended up as disaster for the country in general and Muslim in particular.





Shameful state of affairs of the media coverage made The Sri Lanka Press Institute (SLPI) and the Free Media Movement (FMM) to organize a panel discussion on Reporting Sensitive Incidents on Friday May 3.





A press release from the SLPI stated that the speakers shared their views on the need for responsible journalism during the prevailing situation in the country and emphasized on the importance of balanced and ethical reporting, and the need to avoid a competitive attitude to release news, while reporting accurately. It was noted that this was very sensitive a time as there are communities which are impacted, victimized and made vulnerable by the recent events





However today the media had done tremendous damage to sow hatred towards Muslims. For three long weeks after the carnage Muslim houses and business establishments were emptied of their even kitchen knives under search operations using emergency regulations. Once Muslims were disarmed organized racist thugs unleashed violence against Muslims since Monday 13 May. According to unconfirmed reports around 35 Muslim villages were destroyed in the Kurunegala district.





Gangsters set fire to houses, mosques, business establishments, factories and other such places aimed at crippling Muslim economy during curfew hours. This was done under the watchful eyes and the cooperation of security forces.





They started attacking from Chilaw and North Western province before spreading to Gampaha and Kurunegala districts. This is the Holy Month of Ramadan and the fasting Muslims were forced to flee to nearby jungles and paddy fields to protect themselves. Muslims all over the island were collecting food aid to meet the immediate demands of these victims.





However the shameful state of affairs was such that the media which continued to highlight the findings of even kitchen knives from Muslim houses for three to four days failed to produce pictures of burning mosques, Muslim houses, business establishments and the like. Even pictures of mob and police dragging a battered Muslim man in the street and burning Muslim villages, were of no news value to the bankrupt local media.





The irony is that these shameful crimes were reported to have committed under the watchful eyes of security forces during curfew hours in the country. This was the disgraceful and disgusting state of affairs of the islands mainstream media which has sold its soul to local racists, regional and western war mongers.





Knowing very well the security situation and the plight of the unarmed and innocent Muslim community, President Sirisena left the island to China on the same day to attend the Asian Civilization dialogue Conference in Beijing. Violence against Muslims began the day President left for China.





Will the country be same again?





Will the traditionally peaceful Muslims who have lost faith in the government and the forces will be peaceful again? However, Sri Lanka will not be the same country as it was on 20 April 2019.
A Black May might have been avoided, but 2019 has seven more months left to go. Sri Lankas fate lies in balance. Ten years after the end of the last war, will we be plunged into a new religious  war?

***





by Tisaranee Gunasekara





And even here

Lies the other shore

Waiting to be reached.

Tagore (My Reminiscences)





The blue, red, yellow, orange and white lights are on, as are the makeshift stalls selling lanterns. Yet few pause to see, haggle, buy. Vesak, so near chronologically, had never seemed so far away spiritually.

After the Easter Sunday Massacre, fears were raised about Vesak too being turned into a bloody spectacle by the IS, working through its local adherents. As it turned out, neither the IS nor its local adherents were necessary to turn Vesak into a season of violence. The Sinhalese managed the task on their own.





The outburst of anti-Muslims violence began on 12th Sunday in Chilaw (the inciting incident seemingly was a Facebook post by a Muslim trader with deficient English and a cavalier attitude towards punctuation; it was translated into Sinhala by a Sinhalese whose knowledge of English was even poorer). Within hours, the violence spread to other parts of the North Western Province and to Gampaha district. Undeterred by the curfew or the presence of the security forces, the mobs attacked and burnt, as they did in Digana in 2018, Aluthgama in 2014 and nationally during Black July.

As of now, the worse of the violence seems over. Even so, this is only a reprieve. If the perpetrators of this weeks riots are not brought before the law, fast, a new outburst is bound to follow.

The main suspects of the Digana anti-Muslim violence (including Amth Weerasinghe of the Mahason Balakaya) were arrested, and remanded. But they were never charged, despite the presence of ample evidence in the public domain. Three days after the anti-constitutional coup of October 26th, they were enlarged on bail. Afterwards, Amith Weerasinghe tried to ignite other religious flares. For instance, earlier this year, he attempted to fire up Buddhists by shouting about a Hindu takeover of the Sri Pada

th Saturday in Digana was banned by the courts. Responding to the ban, the Mahason Balakaya leader made no secret about his future plans. Im asking the leaders of this country, if in future a ten thousand Amith Weerasinghes are created can you issue ten thousand banning orders? If fifty thousand, sixty thousand monks of this country get on to the road, what will you do? ( The Mahason Balakaya and other Sinhala-Buddhist fanatics happily returned to the anti-Muslim groove after the Easter Sunday Massacre. A demonstration against Islamic terrorism planned for 11Saturday in Digana was banned by the courts. Responding to the ban, the Mahason Balakaya leader made no secret about his future plans. Im asking the leaders of this country, if in future a ten thousand Amith Weerasinghes are created can you issue ten thousand banning orders? If fifty thousand, sixty thousand monks of this country get on to the road, what will you do? ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZE6RmimOSk ).

His threat turned into an actuality in less than 48 hours.

Had this man, and his cohorts, been charged, tried and convicted, perhaps this weeks violence might not have happened. When perpetrators of mob-violence go unpunished, it opens the door to Ochlocracy.

Speaker Karu Jayasuriya stated, There is no difference whatsoever between those extremist traitors and suicide bombers killing children. He was right. This weeks rioters are terrorists too and the government must treat them as such. If the government fails to act with speed and firmness, if it allows the incendiaries to walk, again, another outburst of violence would be unavoidable.

A Black May might have been avoided, but 2019 has seven more months left to go. Sri Lankas fate lies in balance. Ten years after the end of the last war, will we be plunged into a new religious  war?





The not-so-new Spectre

Ethnic-overdetermination was the term used by Dr. Newton Gunasinghe to describe the new divide in Sri Lanka in the aftermath of Black July. Using an Althusserian concept, he argued that in both Sinhala and Tamil societies, the ethnic factor had come to the fore, submerging class contradictions. The subsequent years were to prove him right.

Today, Sri Lanka is facing an even greater danger, that of religious-overdetermination. If the government fails to rein in forces of religious extremism on all sides, the dream of a Lankan nation will be replaced by the nightmarish reality of a country plagued by violent religious fissures. Religious identity will trump every other alignment, starting with our common humanity.

Interestingly, the first signs of a nascent religious overdetermination appeared during the long interregnum created by the third and final peace process. During the 2002-2005 period, Catholics, including Sinhala Catholics, were turned into the new enemy. The conversion of Buddhists into Christianity was depicted as an even greater danger than Eelam. The old crimes of Portuguese colonists gained a new immediacy in the extremist Sinhala-Buddhist discourse. The demand for an anti-conversion bill began to dominate the political debate.

The anti-Catholic hysteria reached its moral nadir when Soma Thero died suddenly during a visit to Russia. Catholics were accused of murdering the monk, as a part of a Western conspiracy to take over Sri Lanka. Churches were attacked by the dozen. The hysteria was such that the government was forced to appoint a commission to investigate the monks demise. The anti-Catholic fires were stoked by the newly formed Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) to gain a considerable chunk of the electoral pie at the 2004 parliamentary polls.

The anti-Catholic hysteria vanished as suddenly as it began when the de facto Fourth Eelam War commenced. Tamils replaced Christians once again as the main enemy.

During the initial post-war years, Sinhala-Buddhist extremists targeted not Muslims but Christians. The newly minted BBS put forward five demands at its inaugural convention at the BMICH in July 2012. None of them made specific mention of Muslims. The resolutions demanded an end to family planning among Sinhalese, amending the current (Roman, Dutch and British inspired) laws to protect Buddhists, opposition to a political solution to the ethnic problem, implementing the recommendation of the Buddhasasana Commission Report of 1959 and appointing a regulatory authority to supervise Buddhist books (The Island  29.7.2012). There was no halal demand or burqa hysteria.

Just six months later, it all changed. In January 2013, the BBS launched its anti-halal campaign. Suddenly the Muslims were the new enemy, their way of life an existential threat to everyone else.

After the Easter Sunday Massacre, many Muslim leaders came forward to denounce the carnage and the suicide bombers in unequivocal terms. And in a gesture that spoke louder than multiples tomes full of words, Lankan Islamic leaders refused to accept the bodies of the suicide bombers, thereby denying the killers a religious burial. Their purpose was to demonstrate their abhorrence towards suicide bombing and to send a clear warning to the entire Muslims community that such violence in the name of faith was unacceptable.

The leading Buddhist monks are yet to take a similar stand. They didnt do it during Black July or the previous attacks on Tamils. They didnt do so during Aluthgama and Digana anti-Muslim outbursts. They are still not doing it.

How hard is it to say that violence has no place in Buddhism? How hard is it to point out that no monk can advocate violence and remain a true disciple of the Buddha? How hard it is to denounce the rioting as anti-Buddhist, a disgrace to one of the greatest proponents of non-violence the world has ever known? How hard is it to tell the rioters not to desecrate Vesak with their violent orgy? How hard is it to say, Not in our name, never in our name?

Post-East Sunday Massacre, many have accused Muslims of insularity. Yet when Muslim progressives tried to lessen that insularity by abolishing such egregious practices as child marriage, they found themselves alone and defenceless. The other communities ignored their struggle, while the craven government abandoned them to the fury of their own fundamentalists. (Rajan Hooles Sri Lankas Easter Tragedy through the Eyes of Dissent in The Colombo Telegraph deals with this aspect at length).

In another inane and deadly repetition of the past, democratic Muslim leaders are being equated with the IS terrorists. This was exactly what happened with the Tamils; we found democratic Tamil leaders too much and got Vellupillai Pirapaharan in their stead.

The Sirisena-Wickremesinghe administration had a rare window of opportunity to work with moderates and progressives of all communities to isolate and weaken the hardliners, the radicals, the fundamentalists. The government missed that opportunity. The tragedy and the danger of today stem from that unforgivable failure.





A different path?

Sri Lanka had a secular constitution up to 1972. It was changed by a supposedly left government for no reason other than political expediency.

There was no popular demand in the 1970s to change the secular nature of the constitution, to give a special place to Buddhism. For the majority of people, economic considerations were paramount. Yet the United Front government, and specifically Dr. Colvin R de Silva, took that fateful step, thereby creating a new minefield for Sri Lanka.

After Easter Sunday Massacre, there are demands for reforms in Muslim society. But for these reforms to be implemented successfully, without further alienating a large swathe of ordinary Muslims, they must come as a part of a general political and societal transformation. Sri Lanka as a whole needs to move away from religious politics to non-religious politics. Political leaders and religious leaders must begin to focus on their separate spheres, ending the deadly practice of fusing the two for personal and parochial gains.

Secularism is often misconceived as being anti-religious. It is not. Secularism stands for the separation of religious institutions and state institutions, for freedom of religion and for equality for all faiths and none. Secularism is also denigrated as a Western fashion. But two of historys greatest secular rulers came from the Orient, from India: Akbar the Great, and Maharaja Ranjith Singh, known to posterity as the Lion of Punjab. They both successfully led multi-religious empires by adopting policies of religious neutrality.

Extremism is fuelled by ignorance. In Sri Lanka, every religious community has ghettoised itself. We interact less with each other and know less about each other than we did fifty years ago. This separation starts at school and continues right to the grave. We boast that Sri Lanka is home to four great religions, but our children are not taught even the basics of other religions. We know next to nothing of each others history. This ignorance provides a fertile ground for extremists of all varieties. It makes the task of demonising and dehumanising the religious Other easier.

How much would a non-Muslim child know about the contributions made by Islamic scholars, philosophers and scientists to our common civilisation? How much would even a Muslim child, exposed only to Salafi influences, know about those contributions? Hasnt that ignorance enabled the creation of a dangerously false stereotype, Islam and Muslims as joyless religious fanatics?

Eric Hobsbawm uses a phrase from Karl Kraus to define religious fundamentalists, calling them the symptoms of the disease of which they purport to be the cure (The Age of Extremes). The solution to religious fantaticism is not to enhance the marriage between politics and religion but to lessen those bonds.

The 17th Century French Philosopher Pierre Bayle in his Historical and Critical Dictionary pointed out that given the bloody history of religious conflict and persecution, it is impossible to conclude that there is a correlation between religious faith and moral conduct. If the gory events of the last month proved anything, it did the correctness of Bayles argument. Absolute, uncritical, unquestioning faith in any creed, religious or political, paves the way to inhumanity and barbarity. Suicide killers or rioters are not born; they are made by a belief that killing the religious other is either no sin or opens a quick root to heaven.
It is a dangerous sign for Bangladesh, for, in London, Tarique is full time guided by the Pakistan Inter-Service Intelligence (ISI), and some of the BNP leaders are not happy with this as they said this type of dependency on ISI is not good for their party politics.





by Swadesh Roy





Tarique Rahman, son of Khaleda Zia, the leader of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) is now in exile in London. He received two punishments from the apex court of Bangladesh. In a money laundering case, he got seven years jail, and in the dangerous 21 August case, which was also an attempt to murder case of Sheikh Hasina, he got lifetime jail. Although Tarique is a convicted person, his party made him the acting chairman after his mother had been arrested, who got seven years jail in a corruption case and ten years Jail in another corruption case in 2018.





Being an acting president, Tarique decided that his party would participate in the general election of Bangladesh on 30 January 2018. Tarique spoke to all the party members who were willing to participate in the election as a candidate of BNP after making the decision.





He selected many new candidates, but who were selected as a candidate for being the member of the Parliament they were not the real replacement in their area's main leaders. But many sources said that whom Tarique thought fought against the present government strongly last ten years, he rewarded them nominating as a candidate of BNP. On the other hand, some of the senior leaders opined differently saying that Tarique selected those people who were condemned as a terrorist in their locality.





However, BNP could not achieve a good result in the last election, and they rejected the election result. Even they declared that they would not join the parliament. According to the constitution of Bangladesh, Parliament members have to take oath within ninety days from the commencement day of the first session of the parliament, following this, last 29th April was the last date for the member of the parliament for oath taking. The country saw four parliament members out of six members of BNP took the oath (one of their Parliament members took oath earlier), and the general secretary of their party suddenly arranged a press conference at their partys president office at Gulshan area in Dhaka. In that press conference, the general secretary of their party Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said that it was the decision of Tarique Zia, so the parliament members of his party had taken oath.





Though the general secretary said, according to the decision of Mr. Rahman they had taken the oath, the panorama behind the curtain was totally different. Tarique had to decide that for saving his party from a split; otherwise, the elected parliament members would claim themselves as the main BNP. Besides, in the third week of the April, a series of meetings were held at Tarique's house in London where some intellectuals of BNP sat with Tarique and tried to convince him that in this present situation of Bangladesh, there are no other ways without joining parliament. Even then, before joining parliament, BNP leaders sat a series of meeting with many foreign diplomats who are working in Bangladesh. They also suggested BNP to join the parliament. Even, one diplomat said, in his country, if any party gets only one sit, they also join in the parliament.





However, joining in the parliament was a big setback for the BNP, for they rejected the election but now they are in the parliament. Anyway, their party secretary said that they made mistake by saying earlier that they would not join in the parliament. But in the whole process, Tarique did not discuss anything with any of his party standing committee members whether all of his parties senior and important persons are the members of the standing committee. They are feeling insulted now. That is why, none of the members of the standing committee joined the standing committee's meeting of the first week of May. The meeting was therefore postponed. Some of the standing committee's members passed the remark in personal discussion that why they would join in the party activities. It is a total insult to them as the party members were going to join in the parliament but they had to know it from the television screen. The day before the oath-taking day, Tarique talked to the parliament members over Skype but never thought of discussing the matter with the senior leaders.





In spite of that, a close source of Tarique Rahman said that Tarique does not bother the senior leaders, including his mother. He is thinking and working totally different way. He is trying to take the whole control of the party in his own hand and going to organize a new generation party. To this end, Tarique is talking through Skype with the grass root level leaders every day and night. His plan is that he will organize the party by the new generation from Union Parisad (first unit of the local government in Bangladesh). He wants to organize all the local unit of leadership within this year; after this, in the next year, Tarique will go for his party conference and he hopes that from that conference he will be the chairman of the party and his `yes man' will be the general secretary.





It is a dangerous sign for Bangladesh, for, in London, Tarique is full time guided by the Pakistan Inter-Service Intelligence (ISI), and some of the BNP leaders are not happy with this as they said this type of dependency on ISI is not good for their party politics. Moreover, they think that last ten years they made more mistakes due to the guidance of the ISI. Actually, if Tarique becomes successful to organize in his own way, it will be almost a terrorist organization and within very soon this organization will be a threat for the internal security of Bangladesh, even for India. Because, Tarique is not only the close guy of ISI, he is also connected with IS and terrorist Don Dawood Ibrahim. When his mother was in power, he had a de facto powerhouse.





Then he had engaged the state machinery with arms smuggling, drug smuggling even the human trafficking. Not only that he helped to build up training center in Bangladesh for the IS and Indian dissident group but also in his protection, Zawahiri, the second man of Laden came to Bangladesh. One terrorist, Mufti Hannan, died by gallows for a terrorist attack case, confessed that Tarique had called him in his office and gave him grenade to assassinate Sheikh Hasina. Even, some sources said, one of the Pakistani guys involved in Bombay Taj Hotel attack now close to Tarique. To sum it up, If Tarique becomes successful to form an organization in Bangladesh in his own way, it will, surely, be a threat for the internal security of India and Bangladesh. On the other hand, without his party workers, Tarique will get many Rohingya boys for his terrorist activities and it is true huge numbers of Rohingyas are now out of their camp.





Swadesh Roy, Executive Editor. The Daily Janakantha, Dhaka, Bangladesh. He is a highest state award winning journalist and can be reached at swadeshroy@gmail.com
GENEVA, May 15 (Xinhua) -- Nuclear deterrence targeted against non-nuclear-weapon states is a manifestation of hegemonism and power politics, said Chinese Ambassador for Disarmament Affairs Li Song at the ongoing Conference on Disarmament here in Geneva.

He made the remarks on Tuesday during the second part of the 2019 session of the Conference on Disarmament, when discussions were held in an informal setting on the question of nuclear deterrence. The session will conclude on June 28.

Li pointed out that the nuclear deterrence policy based on the first use of nuclear weapons is itself one of the greatest threats to international peace and security.

"The ghost of the Cold War mentality is still in the genes of some major power when contemplating its national security strategy. The pursuit of unilateralism, hyping up of major power competition and geopolitical rivalry, and the search for overwhelming military advantage by the relevant country have continued to worsen the international security environment," he noted.

During the session, the ambassador reiterated China's nuclear strategy and its position on nuclear disarmament.

China staunchly pursues a nuclear strategy of self-defense, he said, adding that what makes China's nuclear strategy unique from those of other nuclear-weapon states is that China was compelled to develop nuclear weapons at a particular time during the Cold War, in order to deter the nuclear threat, break the nuclear monopoly and prevent nuclear war.

"It developed nuclear weapons not for the purpose of threatening other countries. China takes no part in nuclear arms races of any kind, provides no nuclear umbrella for other countries, and does not deploy nuclear weapons in other countries," Li noted.

According to the Chinese ambassador, during the time when it has possessed nuclear weapons, China has unswervingly upheld its unconditional commitments of "non-first-use of nuclear weapons" and "no use or threat to use nuclear weapons against non-nuclear-weapon states or nuclear-weapon-free zones," and these commitments will not change in the future.

China has been actively committed to promoting dialogue among the five nuclear-weapon States on nuclear doctrines and policies, and believes that all parties should have an objective assessment of each other's strategic intentions, respect each other's security concerns, exercise proper management of differences, prevent accidents and crises resulting from strategic miscalculation, and avoid major power competition becoming self-fulfilling prophecy.

He called on nuclear-weapon states to abandon the Cold War mentality and zero-sum thinking, renounce nuclear deterrence polices with preemptive nuclear strike at its core, restrain the impulse to engage in a nuclear arms race, diminish the role of nuclear weapons in national security doctrines, and make joint efforts to maintain international and regional strategic balance and stability.

With regard to the issue of so-called "China's participation in the U.S.-Russia nuclear disarmament process", Li said China does not intend and does not see any necessity to join bilateral talks between the U.S. and Russia on nuclear disarmament.

"Following a national defense policy that is defensive in nature, China maintains a reasonable and moderate national defense input. Its nuclear force is always kept at the minimum level required by national security needs, which is totally not at the same level with that of the U.S. and Russia," he explained.

"The U.S. and Russia, as countries possessing the largest nuclear arsenals, should in accordance with the long-standing consensus of the international community, fulfill their special and primary responsibility for nuclear disarmament and should continue to make drastic and substantive reductions in their nuclear arsenals," he said, adding that this would create necessary conditions or environment for other nuclear-weapon states to join in multilateral nuclear disarmament process.
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File photo shows Defense forces of the Korean Peoples Army conduct firepower strike drill.

By Du Chaoping

On May 9, the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPRK) launched missiles with a range of nearly 500 kilometers in its second test within one week. On the same day, the United States announced the seizure of a DPRK cargo ship in violation of international sanctions. This announcement marked the continued escalation of the Trump administrations pressure on the DPRK. The door for dialogue is still open, but no one wants to take action first. A new round of games has cast a shadow over the current situation.

DPRK launched missiles to express apparent dissatisfaction

Following the missile firing drill by the Korean Peoples Army on May 4, Kim Jong-un continued to oversee his defense forces in the forefront area and on the western front to conduct fire-fighting drill on May 9, using ballistic missiles, large-caliber rockets and self-propelled artillery, in order to test the rapid response capability of these front-line troops. During the exercise, the troops launched two unidentified flying objects, of which the ROK military monitored the flight distances were about 420 kilometers and 270 kilometers respectively. The next day, ROK confirmed that it was a short-range ballistic missile with a range much longer than the one launched on May 4.

The maximum range of 420 kilometers is close to the US-defined mid-range missile limit of 500 kilometers. According to the western media, the missile launched by the DPRK is a modified version of KN-02, which made a debut at the military parade to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the founding of the Korean Peoples Army in 2018. Because the shape and design concept are similar to the Russian Iskander short-range ballistic missile, it is also known as the DPRKs version of Iskander.

The Foreign Ministry of DPRK said that the test was for self-defense purposes, neither against any party nor exacerbating regional tensions. However, it cant be a simple purpose for DPRK to test missiles continuously one year and a half after last time.

The ROK Defense Ministry pointed out that one of the DPRKs aims was to press ROK and the US to change their attitude. The BBC disclosed that Kim Jong-un was being careful to avoid testing medium-range missiles and intercontinental missiles as promised at the first Trump-Kim summit, but no commitment was made for testing any short-range ballistic missile with a range of less than 500 kilometers. In this sense, the DPRK has expresses its apparent dissatisfaction cautiously.

US announced the seizure of a DPRKs ship to fight back

The US counterattacked by announcing the detaining of the DPRKs cargo ship, known as the Wise Honest. The US Department of Justice announced on May 9 local time that the US seized one DPRK cargo ship after it illegally transported coal from DPRK in violation of US and United Nations sanctions.

The Wise Honest is reportedly the DPRKs second largest bulk carrier, loaded about 25,000 tons of coal worth of $3 million (about 20.16 million RMB Yuan) from Nampo Port in March 2018. It was intercepted and detained by Indonesia in early April 2018. New York federal court documents show that the cargo ship and other DPRKs ships were transporting coal in violation of the UN Security Council sanction. The Security Council passed relevant resolutions in 2017 to ban the DPRK from exporting coal. After months of US negotiation with international agencies, the ship was transferred to American Samoa.

The US has seized the vessel for a long time, but it was announced on the day of the missile launch with the obvious intention to exert pressure. Earlier, the United States sued DPRK personnel and businesses on the grounds of violating sanctions, but it was the first time to detain a ship.

Retired US Army Special Forces colonel Maxwell believes that the DPRK economy can afford the loss of a ship and its cargo. But the key issue is the timing of the seizure announcement and the message it sends to Kim Jong-un. That is, we can track your ship arrangements, we can seize it under international law, and so we can put even more pressure on you. He added.

The future of dialogue is still uncertain

Both the United States and the ROK regard DPRKs missile launches as gestures of dissatisfaction. On the day of the missile launch, Steve Biegun, the US State Departments Special Representative for the DPRK Policy, arrived in the ROK. He said that the door to returning for negotiations was still open during the meeting with ROKs Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha on May 10. US President Trump also said that the relationship with DPRK continues to be maintained...I know they want to negotiate, they are discussing negotiations, but I dont think they are ready to negotiate.

The DPRK repeatedly conducted the missiles tests but was carefully not to break through the red line of the US-defined range. The US repeatedly pressurized on the DPRK, but it does not want to give up its diplomatic efforts. There is room for both sides. However, provocations do nothing to help resolve disputes. Once a misjudgment occurs, all the previous efforts may be lost in vain.

All parties should cherish the hard-won peace on the Peninsula at the moment.
Fearful customers sensitive to size and scope of a data breach while angry customers are not

BINGHAMTON, N.Y. - Customers who feel afraid in the wake of a data breach care more about the size and scope of the breach than do angry customers, according to research from Binghamton University, State University of New York.

The findings also extend to the stock market, where a company's stock price can be influenced by the size of the breach when the news coverage emphasizes fear, rather than anger.

"The emotions of fear and anger will elicit different reactions," said Subimal Chatterjee, distinguished professor in marketing at Binghamton University's School of Management. "In the wake of a data breach, we wanted to explore those different reactions and see if people acted to protect themselves or directed feelings toward those responsible."

Chatterjee partnered with faculty across multiple disciplines within the School of Management. Working with Sumantra Sarkar, assistant professor of management information systems, Cihan Uzmanoglu, assistant professor of finance, and Xiang Gao, a Binghamton University PhD alumnus now at the Paseka School of Business at Minnesota State University, the group conducted three studies to get to their findings.

"So much business is now conducted online, and while that provides many conveniences, it opens up new threats. Data breaches are constantly in the news, and the scope of some of these breaches are huge," Sarkar said. "When you hear that millions of people may be impacted, how do you react?"

Two of the studies surveyed how consumers reacted to the scope of a data breach. They found that only the customers who felt fear after a breach were sensitive to the size and scope of the breach, while scope didn't matter to angry consumers.

"Fearful consumers were sensitive to knowing, for example, if the breach only affected 100 customers or 10 million customers, and we found that the larger the scope, the larger the reaction," said Chatterjee. "Meanwhile, angry consumers didn't care if it was 10 customers or 10 million customers. Their focus wasn't on the scope. They were directing their focus and anger on the perpetrator."

The findings suggest that among consumers who are fearful, the larger the breach the more likely they are to think that they are at risk. And the threat becomes more vivid to them as the scope of the breach increases.

"Consumers may often find themselves imaging the worst-case scenario when these large-scale data breaches happen. Is my information safe? Is my credit card information being used by the hackers? These images will help determine whether they'll ever make a purchase from that company again," said Chatterjee.

A third study examined 12,000 news stories about data breaches. Testing for keywords that suggested either a fearful or angry response in the coverage, the researchers then compared the findings to stock prices for affected companies at the time of the coverage.

They found that the stock market reacts similarly to how consumers react: Fear makes the stock market sensitive to the scope of a data breach, while anger makes the stock market insensitive to the scope of a data breach.

"The intuition is that changes in stock prices should reveal the underlying consumer reactions to news of data breaches," said Uzmanoglu. "Using this approach, we show that data breaches that affect more customers are associated with more negative stock returns, and that this effect primarily comes from data breaches that trigger emotions of fear rather than anger."

Easing fears in the wake of a data breach should be a priority, the researchers said.

"From day one, you need to let your customers know that you are on top of this and move to ease those fears they may have. You don't want them picturing that worst-case scenario," said Chatterjee.

Researchers say this could mean clarifying your company's disaster recovery plans, training customers on the basics of data security, or offering free services such as credit monitoring or fraud protection services.

The researchers also recommend being extra careful about how you communicate the scope of the data breach, as fearful customers will be very sensitive to the size of breaches.

"If you have 500 million customers that were affected by a breach, but it only represents around 16 percent of your customer base, you may want to focus on that smaller number in your communications to minimize the threat to fearful customers," Chatterjee said.

###

The paper, "Reacting to the scope of a data breach: The differential role of fear and anger," was published in the Journal of Business Research.

This story has been published on: 2019-05-16. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo arrived in the Black Sea city of Sochi to meet with President Vladimir Putin on May 14. According to President Putins foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov, the two sides had a good substantive dialogue and pushed for a communications channel to improve Russia-U.S. relations.Ushakov emphasized that there was no breakthrough in Russia-U.S. relations, but the US showed a pragmatic attitude.

Moscow has always hoped to ease Russia-US standoff. As for Washington, it has an additional consideration for improving U.S.-Russia relations: it hopes to divide China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of cooperation and transform Russia from a rival into a strategic lever to squeeze out China.

Beijings attitude is frank: it is happy to see the US and Russia improve their relations. China has shown a high degree of confidence in the all-round development of China-Russia relations, while Russia is wary of Washingtons provocation of China-Russia relations.The US had intended to take China into the U.S.-Russia arms control negotiation, but Russia publicly expressed a cold attitude.

Since early 1970s, the US has joined forces with China to resist the Soviet Union. Today, China is regarded as the number one strategic opponent by the American political elites. In turn, it seems logical and coherent vice versa. In fact, there are policy makers who do think that way in Washington.

However, they do know that there is little chance of doing it. Instead, they settle for the second option: to ease U.S.-Russia relations and strategically change the direction of Moscows anxiety, pushing the latter to pay more attention to its differences with China.

What we would like to point out in this article is that the Trump administration has too many unrealistic ideas. For example, maximum pressure could force major countries such as China to bow their heads? Putting up a smiley face to Moscow could reset the long-term strategic pattern formed among China, Russia and the US? We cant help doubting if Washingtons policy circle is being managed by a bunch of amateurs who are making decisions based on the instinct distorted by selfishness.

The relations between Russia and the US should have been improved long time ago, which has been fueled largely by the irrational tensions caused by the radical policy of Washington. However, the current improvement in Russia-US relations is rather superficial, only being changed from glare to mutual kindness. The US is far from being psychologically prepared to fully restore relations with Russia, which is confined to President Trumps personal will. The US is far from forming such strategic consensus.

The US still regards Russias huge nuclear arsenal as a major concern and is trying to establish an overwhelming military advantage over Russia. The US has not yet got rid of the idea of NATOs eastward expansion, continuing to strengthen the anti-Russian countries in Eastern Europe as its new strategic grounds. On specific issues such as Ukraine, Syria, Venezuela and Iran, the two powers positions are still at odds. In addition, the US still maintains many sanctions against Russia. Trumps desire to lift them will be fiercely opposed by the domestic establishment, which is almost inoperable as the 2020 presidential election approaches.

China and the Soviet Union were in a state of confrontation in the 1970s. China felt a grave military threat from the Soviet Union and therefore joined forces with the U.S. due to huge common interests. Facing the threat from the Soviet Union, the differences between China and the U.S. appeared to be much smaller. In addition, there was a great disparity in strength between China and the U.S., for which the US did not have to guard against China. The situation is very different from that between todays US and Russia. Therefore, the US was later able to accept the conditions of breaking diplomatic relations with Taiwan. However, for now, the US is unable to withdraw from Ukraine and agree to resume Moscows influence on the Baltic countries and other former Soviet Union countries, or even the former Warsaw Pact countries.

In addition to these external factors, China-Russia relations have formed strategic stability. The relations between the two countries have begun to strengthen when the relationship between Russia and the West was good during the Yeltsin era. Most of its ties have endogenous tenacity, regardless of the pressure from the US and the West. The strategic concept of the two countries and the policy orientation of focusing on development are very close. This is an equal partnership between two major powers. The friendly cooperation between China and Russia is beneficial without harm, which has promoted the long-term stability of the long borders between the two countries and increased their respective strategic initiatives in the world. Neither side will harm the China-Russia relations in order to please third parties.

In conclusion, Beijing is truly happy to see the improvement of U.S.-Russia relations and we are very confident when we say this.

Disclaimer: This article is originally published on Global Times, and is translated from Chinese into English and edited by the China Military Online. The information, ideas or opinions appearing in this article do not reflect the views of eng.chinamil.com.cn.
Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin on Wednesday played down suspicions that South Korea is about to join the U.S.-led missile defense program by the back door.

Kim told reporters South Korea "clearly will not participate in the U.S. missile defense program." He said the military is not currently considering purchase of SM-3 or THAAD interceptor missiles that form the core of the program.

The SM-3 can destroy North Korean ballistic missiles at an altitude of 150 km and the THAAD at a lower altitude of 100 km.

This contradicts confusing signals sent by Defense Ministry officials this week. On Monday, a senior ministry official said that the military is "considering whether the SM-3 is necessary for the South Korean air missile defense system," and a ministry spokesman on Tuesday hinted at purchase of THAAD missiles, saying the SM-3 missile does not fit Seoul's strategy of "low-altitude defense."
The United States on Wednesday ordered its non-emergency employees to leave Iraq, as American lawmakers worried openly about a potential march to war with Iran.

The drawdown of personnel at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad and America's consulate in Irbil came as the Trump administration warned of potential threats against American forces in the Middle East from Iran or Iranian-backed proxies.

"This threat stream, let me tell you, is real," said a senior State Department official on Wednesday. "This is an imminent threat to our personnel." "I've seen all the intelligence because I have people on the ground. I have political officers in Syria, I have people going in and out of Iraq working with our military there. So I'm concerned, as it is all of us," added that official.

Another senior State Department official said the threats were "directly linked to Iran -- multiple threat streams directly linked to Iran."

The move sparked sharp reactions on Capitol Hill. "There are only two reasons for ordering their departure: We have credible intelligence that our people are at risk, or in preparation for military action in Iran," the Senate Foreign Relations Committee's top Democrat, Robert Menendez of New Jersey, said. "The Trump administration has not provided any information to this committee on the intelligence behind their decisions or what they plan to do in Iraq or Iran."

Menendez demanded the Trump administration bring the panel's members up to date on "any plans to go to war with Iran."

A senior State Department official said the Trump administration was not aiming to launch a war with Iran. "I would say every single contact I have had with the most senior people in the U.S. government indicates that there is absolutely no desire or interest in a military conflict with anybody," he said.

Responding to top European Union officials' concerns about whether the U.S. may be stumbling into war, a State Department official said Washington was asking its European allies to help to calm the situation, a message requested by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in his recent meetings with foreign ministers from Britain, France, and Germany.

"We asked them to use their influence with the Iranian regime to explain that they need to de-escalate. That's the message, that was the request," said a senior State Department official.

On Capitol Hill, Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman James Risch of Idaho said he'd been briefed on the unfolding situation in the Middle East and that a briefing of the full Senate was "in the works."


A group of President Donald Trump's fellow Republicans in Congress introduced legislation on Tuesday intended to prohibit anyone employed or sponsored by the Chinese military from receiving student or research visas to the United States.

The bill would require the U.S. government to create a list of scientific and engineering institutions affiliated with the Chinese People's Liberation Army, and prohibit anyone employed or sponsored by those institutions from receiving the visas.

The bill was introduced as the United States and China have escalated a trade war following difficult negotiations last week.
Editorial MediaTympo Mexico City / 25.12.2021 13:46:24 No doubt about it Christmas This is one of the most anticipated dates in the world, so Athletes are no exception from celebrating it, So some of them They shared on social media
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This year's first heat advisory was issued for Gwangju on Wednesday, the earliest on record.

The Korea Meteorological Administration issued the advisory at 3 p.m. as temperatures hit 33 degrees Celsius and were expected to remain above that level for the next two days.

The highest temperature was measured at 33.1 degrees in Pungam-dong, Gwangju. Elsewhere temperatures climbed to 30 degrees.


Photo12 Archive/Alamy

This Saturday, Lady Gabriella Windsor  a member of the Kent branch of the British royal family  will marry her fiance, Thomas Kingston, in Windsor. To get ready for the big day, weve got a look today at all of the royal brides from the Kent family.

Prince George, Duke of Kent and Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark on their wedding day, 1934 (Photo12 Archive/Alamy)

Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark

The Kent branch of the Windsor family was officially founded in October 1934, when King George V granted his fourth son, Prince George, the title of Duke of Kent ahead of his upcoming royal wedding. The bride was also royal: Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark, the daughter of Prince and Princess Nicholas of Greece. Marinas mother, Elena, was a member of the Romanov clan; she was the only daughter of the famous Grand Duchess Vladimir. George and Marina were second cousins through their shared great-grandparents, King Christian IX and Queen Louise of Denmark.

The glamorous couple married on November 29, 1934, in a pair of ceremonies: an Anglican wedding at Westminster Abbey, followed by a Greek Orthodox ceremony at Buckingham Palace. Marina honored her mothers Russian imperial heritage by wearing the Vladimir Fringe Tiara with her veil and gown. (More on the tiaras history here.) She also wore one of her wedding gifts, a spectacular 36-stone diamond collet necklace, a gift from her new father-in-law. Marinas wedding gifts included numerous pieces of jewelry. She also received a similar diamond fringe tiara of her own as a wedding present: the Kent City of London Fringe Tiara. (Learn about that tiara here.)

George and Marina settled down at their Buckinghamshire country home, Coppins, which George inherited from his aunt, the late Princess Victoria. They had three children  Prince Edward, Princess Alexandra, and Prince Michael  before Georges untimely death in a military plane crash in Scotland in 1942. Their six-year-old son, Prince Edward, succeeded his father as Duke of Kent.

Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and Katharine Worsley on their wedding day, June 1961 (CENTRAL PRESS PHOTO LTD/AFP/Getty Images)

Katharine Worsley

Nearly three decades after his parents wedding, Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, became the next member of the Kent family to marry. His engagement to Katharine Worsley, the daughter of a wealthy Yorkshire baronet, was announced in March 1961 by his mother via the press office at Kensington Palace. Through her private secretary, Marina noted that she was naturally delighted by the news of her elder sons engagement.

Edward and Katharine married in a televised ceremony on June 8, 1961, at York Minster, in the first royal wedding held in the cathedral for more than six hundred years. Prince Michael of Kent was his brothers best man, while Princess Anne served as a bridesmaid. (Another notable name among the bridesmaids: Jane Spencer, an elder sister of the future Diana, Princess of Wales, who was born three weeks after this wedding. Edward is Janes godfather.) Edwards extensive royal heritage meant that, along with numerous members of the British royal family, the guest list included royals from Denmark, Germany, Greece, Norway, the Netherlands, Romania, Spain, and Yugoslavia. Katharine wore a dress designed by John Cavanagh, and her veil was secured by a diamond bandeau from the collection of the late Queen Mary. (More on that tiara here!)

After their royal wedding, the Duke of Kent and the new Duchess of Kent moved into his childhood home, Coppins, while his mother (from then on called Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent) remained in her apartments at Kensington Palace. Edward and Katharine are still married today, with three surviving children: the Earl of St. Andrews, Lady Helen Taylor, and Lord Nicholas Windsor.

The Hon. Angus Ogilvy and Princess Alexandra of Kent on their wedding day, April 1963 (PA Images/Alamy)

Princess Alexandra of Kent

Two years later, the Kent family gathered again for another royal wedding. This time, the bride was George and Marinas only daughter, Princess Alexandra of Kent. Her engagement to the Hon. Angus Ogilvy, the second son of the 12th Earl of Airlie, was announced by the Kensington Palace press office in December 1962.

Alexandra and Angus were married at Westminster Abbey on April 24, 1963. The ceremony was shown on television, with an estimated audience of 200 million watching the broadcast. Alexandras elder brother, the Duke of Kent, stepped in to escort her down the aisle. Princess Anne again served as one of the bridesmaid; also included in the bridesmaid roster was Archduchess Elisabeth of Austria, one of Alexandras cousins. Alexandras royal connections brought a flood of royalty to England for the celebrations. One British paper noted that half the Almanach de Gotha danced along with nearly 2,000 other guests  at the most splendid ball Windsor Castle had seen since the days of the young Queen Victoria, while at the wedding ceremony itself there must have been more royal blood flanking the nave than Westminster Abbey had seen for years. Like her sister-in-law, Alexandras gown was made by John Cavanagh. She borrowed the Kent City of London Fringe Tiara from her mother, Princess Marina, to secure her veil. (More on the tiara here!)

While the wedding reinforced Alexandras impressive royal heritage, Angus declined the offer of an earldom from the Queen (who had reportedly been encouraged to make the offer by Princess Marina). They raised two children, James and Marina Ogilvy, at Thatched House Lodge in Richmond Park. Angus passed away in 2004, but Alexandra is still a working member of the royal family today.

Prince Michael of Kent and Baroness Marie Christine von Reibnitz after their civil wedding ceremony, June 1978 (PA Images/Alamy)

Baroness Marie Christine von Reibnitz

George and Marinas youngest son, Prince Michael of Kent, surprised the establishment in May 1978, when he announced that he had given up his place in the line of succession to marry Austrian-born Baroness Marie Christine von Reibnitz, a Roman Catholic divorcee. Papers reported that the two had been romantically involved for two years, following an initial meeting at the home of Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester. At the time, Prince Michael was 16th in line to the throne. At a press conference announcing their engagement, he told reporters, It doesnt make any difference to me. I am so far away from it. The engagement came just as the divorce of the Queens sister, Princess Margaret, was being finalized.

Though the engagement came in a time of family turmoil, the Queen gave the couple her permission to marry. Even so, their religious differences posed problems. Marie Christines previous marriage had been annulled by the Catholic church (three weeks before her royal engagement was announced), but papers revealed that she was petitioning Pope Paul VI to allow her to marry Prince Michael in a Catholic ceremony but raise any future children as members of the Church of England. That dispensation was not granted. Ultimately, the couples wedding took place outside of both the church and the country. They married in a civil ceremony in Viennas town hall on June 30, 1978. Several members of the royal family, including Princess Anne and Lord Mountbatten, attended. Michaels brother and sister, the Duke of Kent (with his daughter, Lady Helen) and Princess Alexandra (with her husband, Angus Ogilvy), were also among the royal guests.

Prince Michael of Kent and Baroness Marie Christine von Reibnitz at their wedding ball, June 1978 (Trinity Mirror/Mirrorpix/Alamy)

The civil ceremony was followed by a white-tie wedding reception at Schwarzenberg Palace in Vienna. The new Princess Michael of Kent wore her late mother-in-laws Kent City of London Fringe Tiara for the ball. (More on the tiaras history here.) Her earrings also came from Princess Marinas collection; the diamond drops in the center of the earrings can be swapped out for sapphires.

After returning from their honeymoon, Prince and Princess Michael settled in a grace and favour apartment at Kensington Palace. There they raised two children, Lord Frederick Windsor and Lady Gabriella Windsor, both of whom were raised Anglican. In 1983, Pope John Paul II reversed the earlier papal decision regarding a dispensation for the couples marriage, and they subsequently had a private Catholic wedding ceremony in London. In 2015, Prince Michaels place in the line of succession was restored, following the implementation of the new Succession to the Crown Act.

Sylvana Tomaselli

The first member of the next generation of the Kent family to marry was the Duke and Duchess of Kents elder son, George Windsor, the Earl of St. Andrews. Like his uncle, Prince Michael, Georges chosen bride was a Roman Catholic divorcee. Sylvana Tomaselli, an academic specializing in eighteenth-century political theory, was born in Canada. She was briefly married to a fellow academic, but had been divorced for six years before her engagement to Lord St. Andrews was announced in July 1987. They shared a home together in Cambridge, where he was studying for a post-graduate degree and she was working as a research fellow.

The couple received the Queens consent to marry, and on January 9, 1988, they wed quietly in a registry office in Scotland. Because he married a Catholic, Lord St. Andrews gave up his place in the line of succession; at the time of the wedding, he was 17th in line to the throne. The new Countess of St. Andrews wore a royal blue ensemble with a matching hat for the ceremony. Several members of the Kent family were in attendance, including the Duke and Duchess of Kent, Lady Helen Windsor and Lord Nicholas Windsor, Prince and Princess Michael of Kent, and Princess Alexandra. A wedding luncheon followed at the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the Queens official residence in Edinburgh.

After their wedding, Lord St. Andrews embarked on a diplomatic career, while Lady St. Andrews continued work as an academic. The couple have three children: Lord Downpatrick, Lady Marina Windsor, and Lady Amelia Windsor.

James Ogilvy and Julia Rawlinson on their wedding day, July 1988 (Rebecca Naden/PA Images/Alamy)

Julia Rawlinson

A few months later, Princess Alexandras son became the next Kent family member to marry. In February 1988, the family announced the engagement of James Ogilvy to Julia Rawlinson. The couple met while studying art history at the University of St. Andrews.

The couple married on July 30, 1988, at St. Mary the Virgin in Saffron Walden, one of the largest parish churches in Essex. The Queen, who is one of Jamess godparents, attended the ceremony, as did Princess Margaret, Princess Diana, and the Earl of Wessex. Jamess cousin, Lady Gabriella Windsor, served as one of Julias bridesmaids.

James and Julia Ogilvy remain married today. They have two children, Flora and Alexander, and they can occasionally be spotted accompanying his mother to royal events.

Paul Mowatt and Marina Ogilvy on their wedding day, February 1990 (Martin Keene/PA Images/Alamy)

Marina Ogilvy

The next Kent family marriage garnered much more public attention. In October 1989, Princess Alexandras daughter, Marina Ogilvy, made a surprising public announcement to a British tabloid newspaper: she was expecting a baby with her boyfriend, Paul Mowatt, and she had written to the Queen for support after her parents had cut off her allowance. Alexandra and Angus Ogilvy released a statement through the palace in response, explaining that they were concerned at the number of inaccuracies in Marinas statement, and stressing that Marina was always welcome at home. Marina argued that her parents wanted her either to terminate the pregnancy or to marry Paul right away, while the couple preferred to wait until after their child had been born to marry.

By January 1990, the family had reached some resolution to their conflict, helped along by a strategic intervention by the Queen. Princess Alexandras private secretary confirmed to the press that Marina and Paul would be marrying shortly at a local registry office. The wedding actually took place on February 2, 1990, at St. Andrews Church near the Ogilvy home in Surrey. Angus Ogilvy escorted his daughter down the aisle, but Marina chose to buck tradition by wearing a black dress with a red jacket and black hat for the ceremony. She also reportedly skipped the champagne reception that her parents had arranged after the wedding.

Paul and Marinas baby, Zenouska Mowatt, was born in May 1990. She was followed three years later by a younger brother, Christian Mowatt. Paul and Marina announced their separation in 1996 and divorced the following year.

Timothy Taylor and Lady Helen Windsor on their wedding day, July 1992 (John Stillwell/PA Images/Alamy)

Lady Helen Windsor

The next set of Kent nuptials was a bit more conventional. The Duke and Duchess of Kent announced the engagement of their daughter, Lady Helen Windsor, to Timothy Taylor in January 1992. The couple shared a love of art: she was the director of a London art gallery, and he was an art dealer. The couple requested the Queens permission to marry during the Christmas festivities of the previous month, and she reportedly replied that she was delighted to give them her blessing.

After one initial hiccup  the leaking of the couples wedding registry list to the Evening Standard  the proceedings went off without a hitch. The wedding, which took place on July 1992, was a traditional affair at St. Georges Chapel, Windsor Castle, and most of the royal family were in attendance. Lady Helen wore an elaborate silk gown made by Catherine Walker, who took inspiration from the architecture of St. Georges in the design of the dress. Helen also wore a pearl and diamond fringe tiara loaned by her mother, the Duchess of Kent. (Many think this tiara is a remodeled version of the Duchesss own wedding tiara.) The newspapers reported that the couple seemed extremely happy, as did their families. As rumors of marital unhappiness within the Windsors intensified, however, the press zeroed in on the absence of the Duchess of York and the distance between the Prince and Princess of Wales.

Tim and Lady Helen remain married today, with four children: Columbus, Cassius, Eloise, and Estella.

Lord Nicholas Windsor with his wife, Paola, and their two eldest children, August 2011 (Andreas Rentz/Getty Images)

Paola Doimi de Lupis

When Lord Nicholas Windsor, the younger son of the Duke and Duchess of Kent, became engaged in 2006, there was no question about his claim to the throne; he had already relinquished that position when he had converted to Catholicism in 2001. Following his engagement to Paola Doimi de Lupis (sometimes called Paola de Frankopan) in July 2006, he received the Queens consent for his marriage.

The couple wed in a civil ceremony in a London registry office on October 19, 2006. But the bigger, and to them, the more important, ceremony was their religious wedding at the Vatican on November 4, 2006. The wedding was the first marriage of a member of the British royal family to take place there since the Reformation. Paola wore a gown by Valentino, but chose to follow an ancient tradition by wearing no jewelry at all. The ceremony was attended by the grooms parents, the Duke and Duchess of Kent, as well as his siblings, Lord St. Andrews and Lady Helen Taylor. The couple received the blessing of Pope Benedict XVI ahead of their nuptials. One friend of the couple told the press, Their faith is central to their marriage. To have the ceremony in the Eternal City has meant so much to both of them. Indeed, Lady Nicholas Windsor wrote an article about her wedding for Vogue in 2011. (You can read the piece, which includes wedding pictures, here.)

Since their marriage, the couple have welcomed three sons: Albert Windsor, Leopold Windsor, and Louis Windsor.

Lord Frederick Windsor and Sophie Winkelman on their wedding day, September 2009 (John Stillwell/WPA Pool/Getty Images)

Sophie Winkleman

The most recent Kent family wedding took place almost a decade ago. Lord Frederick Windsor, the son of Prince and Princess Michael of Kent, became engaged to actress Sophie Winkleman on Valentines Day in 2009.

The couples marriage took place on September 12, 2009, in the Chapel Royal at Hampton Court Palace. The bride wore a silk gown and a sparkling headpiece rather than a family tiara. The Queen, who was at Balmoral, did not attend; Princess Eugenie of York was one of the most senior royal guests. The Kent family was well represented, with the Duke and Duchess of Kent, Princess Alexandra, and Prince and Princess Michael all in attendance. Eloise Taylor (daughter of Lady Helen Taylor) serving as a bridesmaid and the grooms sister, Lady Gabriella Windsor, doing one of the readings during the service. A champagne reception followed in the palaces famous Great Hall.

Sophie has continued to work as an actress throughout her marriage, while Lord Frederick is a financial analyst. The couple have two daughters, Maud Windsor and Isabella Windsor.

Lady Gabriella Windsor and her fiance, Thomas Kingston, May 2017 (JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP/Getty Images)

Lady Gabriella Windsor

On Saturday, Lady Gabriella Windsor will become the most recent member of the Kent family to marry. She is presently 52nd in line to the throne, and she has worked as a journalist and a brand director. Her engagement to Thomas Kingston was announced by Buckingham Palace in September 2018.

The wedding is scheduled to take place at St. Georges Chapel on May 18. The ceremony will be private, with a reception following at Frogmore House. The Queen is expected to attend.

What jewels do you think well see on Lady Gabriella this weekend? Will she be the third Kent bride to wear the City of London Fringe Tiara?
Local activists and community activists are celebrating the MTAs decision to retain at least some local service on the M14 A and D lines through the Lower East Side. The transit authority had proposed the elimination of numerous stops, including along Grand Street, to accommodate express bus service. This week, officials backed away from an earlier version of the plan in the face of intense community opposition.

The MTA expects to launch 14th Street Select Bus Service next month in an effort to alleviate impacts of the L Train slowdown. As the Daily News reported, The MTA said the proposed route will include 68 stops, leaving a total reduction of 16 from the 84 stops on the current M14 A and D routes Earlier iterations of the MTAs plan included fewer stops, but elected officials and community groups pushed for more to be maintained in order to better service elderly and disabled commuters.

An MTA spokesperson said, We arrived at this final compromise plan through close consultation with residents, community groups, advocates and elected officials. Once the new route is implemented we will actively monitor it to ensure it is providing the best possible service for our customers, seeking to balance convenience and increased speed, which is desperately needed along this line.

We rallied, petitioned and organized and we won! The M14 Grand Street stops were restored. I want to thank everyone-especially the seniors-who marched, went to meetings and raised their voices to show @MTA the importance of an accessible bus system for all NYers. #SaveM14Service pic.twitter.com/3Oy0pMxnaH  Margaret S. Chin (@CM_MargaretChin) May 15, 2019

The new M14 SBS plan will ensure faster service while providing better access for many of our NORCs, but @MTA and @NYC_DOT must do more to provide safe transit options for our seniors and NYCHA residents. Read my full statement below. pic.twitter.com/R7LdpkIXCw  Carlina Rivera  (@CarlinaRivera) May 15, 2019

After weeks of pressure from the SALT team & other local community groups, the MTA presented a revised plan for the M14 bus that preserves local service along the route. Thanks to all who participated & helped our #LES voices be heard & secured a huge victory for our community! pic.twitter.com/NdCfqy7sFJ  Manny Cantor Center (@MannyCantorNYC) May 15, 2019
U.S. experts are calling for the missile defense systems of South Korea and the U.S. to be integrated in response to the missiles North Korea has tested recently, according to VOA on Tuesday.

David Maxwell at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies told VOA, "This is why we need an integrated system that is multi-layer, because no one defense system defends against all missiles. All the capabilities have to be integrated and brought to bear to defeat the missile threat."

But South Korea has already promised China in talks about the stationing of a Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense battery from the U.S. here that it will not join the U.S. anti-missile shield.

"We could have integrated into the U.S. missile defense system years ago and they have not," said Prof. Bruce Bechtol of Angelo State University, formerly of the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency. "Kill Chain is not what it should be. What the South Koreans need to do is integrate into the U.S. system, and they need to do it tomorrow."
One poetry collection published to some fanfare last year boasts about the North's intercontinental ballistic missiles and claims it has a hydrogen bomb, while denouncing the U.S. and South Korea as "dogs."

Music is largely derivative and focused on yowling about the greatness of the regime, and even poetry, traditionally a quieter form of expression, is mostly alarming propaganda.

The arts continue to languish in North Korea, which has little to offer except horrific monumental statuary and queasy mass games in which thousands of performers are press-ganged into hopping about in unison and waving colored flags.

The publication is a depressing display of how all individual expression in the North is stifled, at least in the public realm, and only the worst hacks rise to the top.

Kang Dong-wan of Donga University, the director of the Busan Hanawon that helps North Korean defectors settle in South Korea, unveiled the 190-page volume containing around 130 poems on Wednesday.

It was published by Kumsong Youth Publishing House, which oversees ideological education of North Korean students. Despite the dismal quality of the literary efforts, the South Korean government has banned its dissemination here under the decades-old National Security Law, and Kang got his copy from his own source.

The volume brims with references to the North's long-range missiles and nuclear weapons that can "obliterate the U.S." It also shows that the regime's anti-American and anti-South Korean rhetoric is much more pronounced in forums that are unlikely to reach an international audience.

Even as North Korea refrained from too blatantly criticizing the U.S., the poems are often mere litanies of abuse. One poem refers to President Moon Jae-in as a "lapdog of the U.S." even though Kim held three summits with the South Korean leader last year.

Kang said, "We need to pay attention to the fact that such a book was published last year, when inter-Korean and U.S.-North Korean relations appeared to have improved. We need to find out what the regime is really thinking even if it is smiling on the outside."

One researcher at a state-run think tank here said, "Kumsong Youth Publishing House is vetted by the Workers Party's propaganda department and its books reflect the policies of leader Kim Jong-un."
In the jungles we start

Years later, we with Samuel and Nathan helped Rafe Adler in his attempt to find the lost treasure from the $400 million robbery of the Ganges and Sawai and conducted by Captain Henry Avery. To continue the search, they needed access to the old fort in the Panamanian prison, where Joseph Burns, a member of Averys team, spent the last days of his life.



With the help of Vargass bribed guard, the trio gains access to the fortress. Nathan tells the others that Vargas, after reading a letter belonging to Drake Jr., has learned about the treasure they are hunting for and now demands some of the booty.



Sam, Nate, and Rafe head to the laundry to inspect the cross Nate found in Burns prison cell. The cross is not with the image of Christ, but has a resemblance to the crucified prudent robber behind him, the Holy Dismas. Sam recalls that in Scotland there is St. Dismass Cathedral right next to Averys last haven. They are about to leave, but they are surrounded by a gang of prisoners, with the leader of which Nathan had a fight a little earlier. The trio had to fight until Vargas rescued them and took them to his office. Vargas first pointed his weapon at them and demanded an explanation. He was very unhappy that Nate had lied to him that he had found nothing so as not to take him for granted. Adler persuaded him to lower his weapon, and they tried to reach an agreement. In a rage, Vargas decided to ask for half of the prey. Despite this, Rafe managed to persuade him to reduce the share to a quarter of the amount, saying that he himself would never find the treasure alone. Vargas agreed, albeit reluctantly. But Rafe had other plans: Adler decided to stab him with a knife. Before his death, Vargas manages to shoot at the ceiling, thus warning the nearby guards.



Sam and the others immediately begin to implement their escape plan, but with the guards ready to fight. As soon as they reached the wall separating them from freedom, the pipe collapsed under Nates weight as he climbed up, separating Sam from the others. Elder Drake has no choice but to jump up and grab Nathans arm. As Nate pulled him to the top, three consecutive bullets hit Sam in the back. Shocked by what was happening, Nate watched as Samuel coughed up blood before the fall, which apparently caused his death. Nathan, convinced by Rafe that he cant save his brother, leaves prison with a heavy heart. Despite the fact that 15 years have passed, he knocks on Nathans door at his work, and tells about what happened to him in prison.

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MBABANE  The Prevention of Organised Crime Act (POCA) of 2018 has been put under the spotlight.



Shiselweni II Constituency Headman Bhekithemba Bhembe, whose motor vehicle has been seized by the State over suspicions that it was used for the transportation of drugs, wants the operation of the POCA to be suspended as a whole.



Bhembe, whose property was seized on strength of the Act, said the court ought to give Parliament an opportunity to amend it within a period of 12 months.

The politician has filed an application at the High Court for an order declaring the entire POCA as inconsistent with the Constitution in so far as it gives the director of public prosecutions (DPP) the right to move a civil application before court, as a result, taking away the powers of the attorney general.



He said the POCA could not lawfully confer additional powers to the DPP in addition to those outlined in the Constitution by a simple majority of the houses of Parliament sitting separately.



The POCA, therefore, having been passed by a simple majority of Parliament sitting separately, cannot impliedly amend the Constitution either by reducing, modifying, altering, redefining the contents of the right and or creating exceptions to the right of the application, he said.



Conflict



Bhembe also wants the court to declare section 42 and 43 of the POCA to be unconstitutional for being in conflict with the Constitution in as far as it authorises the denial of the right to be heard.

He said the above sections authorise that a final order be issued against the party without service of the process and dispenses with the need to cite the interested persons.



As a result, according to Bhembe, Sections 42 and 43 of the Act should be set aside and the entire POCA be declared as unconstitutional in that the sections allegedly tamper with the right of property owners to be heard before their items are seized.



The veracity of these allegations is still to be tested in court and the respondents (DPP and AG) are still to file responding papers.

He submitted that to obtain the orders for the seizure of the property ex parte (without their knowledge) yet the persons are known, deprived the suspects of the right to defend their property.



Bhembe submitted that Section 21 of the Constitution creates no exception to the right to be heard before a final adverse decision is issued in civil matters.

He said he would argue when the matter is heard that the right to be heard had been made to be absolute in civil matters in terms of Section 21 of the Constitution and that ex parte applications which have an adverse effect on proprietary interests of other persons are unconstitutional and are not a recognised exception.



The moving of applications ex parte under Section 42 of the POCA has been wrongly made to be the rule instead of being an exception and same is in direct conflict with the letter and spirit of Section 21 of the Constitution and is thereby unconstitutional for seeking to create new exceptions of the Constitution indirectly and without following the prescribed procedure, he told the court.



Seizure



The High Court issued an order for the seizure of Bhembes motor vehicle, a Toyota Hilux registered DSD 800 AS, which was abandoned at a homestead at Mshololo, while its driver, Fana Maseko, was pursued by members of the Umbutfo Eswatini Defence Force. A consignment of dagga weighing 510kg of dagga with a street value of about E500 000 was found in the vehicle.



In his application before court, Bhembe prayed for an order that the vehicle be excluded from the preservation order that was issued by the court on April 18, 2019.

He argued that the issue of the car should be declared to have been dealt with since the Nhlangano Magistrates Court had issued an order on April 15, 2019 dealing with the same matter to finality and the conditions under which it was attached served the same purpose as the POCA.



The motor vehicle was released to his possession by the magistrate under strict conditions before the State obtained the order at the High Court for its seizure. Bhembe wants the court to declare the issue of the vehicle as having been dealt with.



Bhembe further prayed for an order that the registrar of the High Court should give the Speaker in Parliament a copy of either the judgment or order of the court as soon as it is issued or delivered in this matter.



Bhembe is represented by Professor Msibi of Dlamini Kunene Associated.

The constituency headman argued that offences related to dagga are not included in the schedule of offences in which the POCA has jurisdiction.



He said even if the DPP had a reason to believe that the motor vehicle could have been used as an instrumentality of an offence, the legislation allegedly does not include dagga possession and or related offences. The matter is pending in court.
His Majesty King Mswati III posing with the Kings Birthday Resource Mobilisation Committee, displaying the E6.8 million cheque reflecting part of the money that was donated by emaSwati for the recent Kings Birthday celebration.

MBABANE - Emaswati really love the King. This was evident when they contributed over E7 million for the recent Kings birthday celebrations held at Buhleni Royal Residence last month.



The collaboration of companies and individual businesspeople saved the countrys budget as the event did not require any extra cash.

This was confirmed by the Chairman of the Kings Birthday Resource Mobilisation Committee, Phil Mnisi, after the presentation of gifts to His Majesty at Lozitha Palace last night.



The gifts included furniture, cooking utensils, fruits and vegetables, cattle, portraits and clothes.

More in tomorrows publication.
MBABANE There is a stand-off between the police and Private Investigator Hunter Shongwe over a suspect who was allegedly trafficked to South Africa.



The suspect, who was allegedly taken back to SA by Shongwe, is wanted in connection with goods worth E1.2 million that he allegedly sold.



This was a commodity which was supposed to be transported to Mozambique by the suspect who was employed by Komati Mine in South Africa.

It has been alleged that a confrontation between Shongwe and police officers ensued at the Ngwenya Border Gate as he (Shongwe) refused to hand over the suspect to the cops.



In a recording which is in this newspapers possession, a senior police officer is heard describing how the suspect, who was in the company of the private investigator, allegedly illegally crossed at the border on May 7, 2019.

The officer alleged that while trying to cross, the suspect was red flagged by the systems and the immigration officers after which police officers took him in for questioning.



The officer alleged that Shongwe immediately followed and forcefully took the suspect from police custody, demanding that they produce a warrant of his arrest.

When we tried following Shongwe, he disappeared with the suspect and it is not known how they managed to cross over to the South African side, he alleged.



However, the officer said they crossed to the SA side where they found Shongwe in the company of some people.

According to the officer, when they questioned Shongwe, the private investigator claimed ignorance of the suspect. We had to use force to get Shongwe talking on where the suspect had disappeared to, related the officer in the recording.



Recording



He alleged, in the recording, that they had to take Shongwe with them to the Eswatini side where they logged into their systems and discovered that the suspect was wanted at the police headquarters.



While they were still interrogating Shongwe, the senior police officer said a Caucasian man, who had earlier been in the company of the private investigator, approached them.



The man briefly talked to Shongwe before he surrendered a travel document supposedly belonging to the suspect, the officer claimed in the recording.

The officer said they engaged with Shongwe at length, explaining that he had committed a crime by illegally facilitating the crossing of a suspect to the neighbouring country.



In an interview with this newspaper yesterday, Shongwe confirmed having been at the border on the day in question.

However, he claimed his presence was never to commit a crime but to assist the suspect hand himself over to the SA police.



Shongwe confirmed that the suspect was wanted by SA police in connection with a crime he allegedly committed while employed at Komati Mine.

He admitted to have facilitated the crossing of the suspect, who was later handed over to the police in SA.

This, he claimed, was after he had received a request from the SA police to assist them.



The PI said he visited the suspect and advised him to surrender himself to the SA police in connection of the crime as he was wanted.

Shongwe alleged that the local police had failed to assist their SA counterparts with the arrest of the suspect.



I refused that local police arrest him at the border as they had not followed the procedures of handing over someone who was wanted in SA, he said.

Shongwe said police at the border had no warrant of arrest and had not followed the procedures of the treaty signed by the two countries of surrendering a suspect who was wanted by SA police.
LOBAMBA - Judges and magistrates should undergo breath tests before they preside over matters.

This was the strong view of Mangcongco Member of Parliament (MP) Oneboy Zikalala.



MP Zikalala said some of the judgments issued by judicial officers left a lot to be desired and he wondered if there was an instrument to check if they were sober or not when they presided over matters.



This transpired yesterday during the sitting of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) where the Judiciary, represented by the Registrar of the Supreme Court, Lungile Msimango, appeared.



The crux of the matter was that the courts had a lot of cases which had not been heard dating back to 10 years ago.

The PAC was particularly concerned about the fact that about 47 civil servants were currently on suspension with full pay amounting to E16 million which was a cost to government for employees who were getting paid without doing any work.



It was at this point that the Mangcongco MP asked why the courts did not have any backlogs on cases involving drink-driving offences.

Why do you expedite them so quickly and instead of making these cases drag for years, you are the ones who quickly let these people get off the hook? asked MP Zikalala.



In response, Msimango tried to state that the reason that they had a backlog on other cases, especially at the magistrates courts was that the magistrates also had to visit circuit courts in the various regions of the country.

However, Zikalala said it was unfortunate that at the moment, there were about 47 civil servants who were being paid while on suspension and their matters were not being heard.



He said this had cost government a loss of about E16 million in salaries and over E500 000 in housing allowances.

Is there an instrument to check the judge or magistrate himself if he is sober or not because sometimes they really give the wrong rulings? asked Zikalala.

He was supported by Chairperson of the PAC, MP Phila Buthelezi, who asked why drink-drivers seemed to get special treatment.



MP Zikalala asked why drink-driving cases did not drag for years, particularly because there was not much money involved in their prosecution.

As if on a roll, the Mangcongco MP submitted that alcohol or hangover symptoms seemed to also spill into the Masters Office as the service was also wanting.



He said civil servants at the Masters Office were also very rude, particularly at the Manzini Branch.



Hangovers



It is like they come to work with hangovers (baneli bhabhalazi) because they are very rude, said Zikalala.

He said the government officers made fools out of people who had come for genuine assistance.



On the drink-driving cases, the MP wondered who was present to supervise the judicial officers to ensure that they were not intoxicated when they heard matters, especially since some of them were on duty very early in the morning.



In defence of the Judiciary, High Court Registrar Siphiwo Masuku said for example in 2018, they had asked for more posts of judicial officers to preside over cases, especially in the magistrates courts. Masuku said, however in 2018, they were given only three posts for magistrates.



For example, in the criminal department, we had matters that dated back to 2001, but now we are happy to announce that the backlog only starts in 2012, said Masuku.



She said similarly with civil matters, the cases only dated back to 2009.

Masuku said the challenge was that even though acting judges were hired to minimise the backlog, the judicial officers did not have support staff in the form of secretaries, clerks or interpreters. On the issue of drink-driving, the law is strict that such matters should be heard within 48 hours and it is not like we are giving them special treatment, said Masuku.



However, MP Zikalala was adamant that drink-driving suspects really received special treatment when government should be concentrating on more serious issues which cost government financial losses.



MP Zikalala said he was deeply concerned if the judges themselves were sober.

He again brought up the subject when the Auditor General revealed that about E834 000 worth of cheques from the Guardian Fund under the Masters Office had not been claimed until they expired

.

Work



He claimed that this was because the officers at the Masters office went to work with hangovers.

This was particularly after an accounts officer at the office of the Master gave an excuse that some of the beneficiaries did not claim the money because they feared that they would be haunted by the deceased owners of the estates.



Others do not claim the money because they fear that batopokelwa (they will be haunted) by the deceased, said the accounts officer.

MP Zikalala said the Masters Office should engage in means like radio announcements to try and trace beneficiaries instead of allowing cheques to go unclaimed for over a year.



The Judiciary said it was looking at means of trying to send the money to beneficiaries through banks instead of issuing cheques.
By Yanet Medina*

The olive eyes of Shaista peep between the bandages covering her burnt body, for she, like so many other Afghan women from the city of Herat, decided to escape her life by way of fire.

Shaista arrived at the hospital burning between wisps of hair and fabric, and her 19-year-old body is now a landscape of lava.

Tears seep between the gauze and the passageways of her blistered skin. Compassion is the closest thing to love that she will experience, and the hands of the man who changed her bandages are amongst the few that didnt strike her.

She set herself on fire for a crime she didnt commit, one that doesnt exist, or one that everyone else appears to see except her. Her crime was being born a woman.

According to Oxfam, 8 out of every 10 Afghan women suffer either physical, sexual or psychological violence.

In 2015, the Independent Afghan Commission for Human Rights registered 5,132 gender crimes and between April and June 2016 the Ministry of Womens Affairs reported 600, but many go unreported.

The women who go to the police are at risk of being raped before being returned to their families. Those who escape for more than 48 hours face accusations of adultery, the punishment for which is either facial mutilation or death. Passed between relatives, offered to others to pay debts or settle disputes, raped and subjected to acid attacks in the streets; these women lose their mental stability and take their own lives in the most brutal way.

They usually come from lower social groups and as they dont have access to guns or money to buy barbiturates, they drink rat poison, hang themselves, jump into rivers or set themselves on fire.

Although the families declare a domestic accident, it is easy to identify a suicide, as the majority are aged between 14-21 years old and are soaked in kerosene, when in fact most people use firewood or gas to do the cooking at home.

85% of Afghan women are unable to read or write and thus out of ignorance believe that they will die quickly. But instead they suffer for days before dying. Many pour boiling oil over themselves or drizzle it over their abdomen in order to raise attention to their plight, but sometimes the flames envelop them.

One of the most influential thinkers and leading Afghan practitioners in the field, Dr. Djawed Sangdel says: Education is a key. This country needs a thorough horizontalisation of education for all.

80% of those who arrive in hospital perish because of a lack of means to treat them, and if they do survive, they suffer lifelong consequences, for it is difficult to follow a course of treatment whilst carrying water and looking after numerous children.

Almost 40 years of war brought with it misery, poor health and lack of governance, under which the patriarchal system flourished; a system which made Afghanistan an open-air prison for women, causing them irreparable psychological damage.

The countrys laws tolerate tribal codes and 60% of girls under the age of 15 are forced to marry men double their age, according to the Revolutionary Association of Women in Afghanistan.

Studies from the UN Fund for the Development of Women reveal that the majority of widows sell their bodies or turn to begging in order to survive, and 65% of them see suicide as the only solution to their misery.

Herat, once known as the Pearl of Khorasan, is today a ghost town, with a horizon dotted with adobe houses, obsolete war munitions and faces hidden from the world behind the grille of a burka.

After a week in hospital, Shaistas mother-in-law escaped with her to hide her at home, as her son simply didnt deserve the shame of a suicidal wife.

Almost a month after the fire, she returned with wounds all over her body and without any feeling in her arms due to large necrotic areas. She did, however, survive  one of lifes cruel jokes.

Now with the same fears as before, scars from the fire on her skin and with only one arm to carry her daughter, Shaista is back in the place that she so wanted to flee.

* Yanet Medina Navarro (1990) Cuban journalist and writer based in Belgium. She graduated from Communication Faculty, University of Havana, and is a former reporter at Radio Reloj, Prensa Latina News Agency & Radio Nederland Wereldomroep.





The views expressed in this article are the author\s own and do not necessarily reflect The Times Of Earth\s editorial policy.
The head of the World Food Programme visited Seoul and met on Monday with President Moon Jae-in as well as the unification and foreign ministers to appeal for food aid for North Korea. Last week Moon said in a TV interview just a few days after North Korea's latest missile provocations that he would "seek the support and opinion" of the South Korean public before deciding on any food aid for the North.

But it looks like he is not seeking them very hard and practically falling over himself to throw whatever aid he can at the North. Yet former U.S. Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley said Tuesday that she does not think this may be the right time to provide food aid to the North, and according to Daily NK, which has tracked rice prices in North Korea for some time, the price of 1 kg of the staple actually fell from around W5,000 in November last year to around W4,000 last month (US$1=W1,190).

Right now, two thirds of North Korea's population buy rice from open-air markets rather than getting them from rations. If the rice shortage was that severe, prices would have shot up. If there is a shortage, it is only in rations for the North's venal elite. At any rate, North Korea has ungraciously denounced the South's food aid plans as "empty talk" and "trivial bartering." That is hardly the behavior of a country in dire need.

The U.S. said it does not exactly oppose humanitarian aid to the North, but also questions whether there is a true food shortage there. Food is not covered by international sanctions, so the regime could perfectly easily buy it abroad instead of frittering money away on missile launches. When North Korea fired its latest missiles, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the North could use that money to care for its people. And Haley said she fears Kim Jong-un may use any money he saves from getting free food aid to build more nuclear weapons. That is exactly what he has in mind.


Bahrain is planning to set up a new entity that will provide information about the property market in kingdom, said a report.



It will provide real estate statistics and information and supply investors and developers with accurate data which will enable them to take adequate decisions, reported BNA.



The project was unveiled during the regular meeting of Real Estate Regulatory Authority (Rera) held under the leadership of Survey and Land Registration Bureau (SLRB) president and Rera chairman Shaikh Salman bin Abdulla bin Hamad Al Khalifa.



The planned unit would provide useful information for businessmen and developers as part of efforts to encourage investments and pump capitals in the real estate sector, a key pillar of the national economy, said Shaikh Salman.



During the meeting, Rera officials discussed ways to boost the real estate sector to achieve competitiveness and sustainability, in line with the royal directives of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa.



The meeting lauded the policies of HRH Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al-Khalifa to apply modern procedures and and enhance administrative performance, said the BNA report.



It also paid tribute to HRH Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Prime Minister, it added.
Finland-based Griffin Refineries said it is set to start work on the UAE's first state-of-the-art waste fuel plant, Emirates RDF, located in the the northern emirate of Umm Al Quwain following the financial close of the project.



Emirates RDF is a joint-venture between UAE-based contractors Besix and TG Eco holding together with Griffin Refineries.



The project is a public-private-partnership being set up on a build-operate-transfer (BOT) model with a 15-year post-construction operational phase, said the statement from Finnish group.



Once the plant gets operational in September next year, it will receive 1,000 tonne of municipal waste per day from approximately 550,000 residents living in the emirates of Umm Al Quwain and Ajman.



The waste will then be converted into an alternative energy source called refuse derived fuel (RDF), which will be used as a fuel in cement factories instead of coal. It simultaneously results in a diversion of at least 90 per cent of household waste from landfill, it added.



Nico de Koning, the project manager of Besix Concessions and Assets Middle East and General Manager of Emirates RDF: "We are happy to be able to develop this strategic project for waste management in the Northern Emirates."



"Emirates RDF contributes to the UAE strategic objective of landfill diversion of least 75 per cent by 2021 and it helps cement plants in decreasing their use of fossil fuels," he added.-TradeArabia News Service
Pet care market sees robust growth

From:ChinaDaily | 2019-05-16 07:16

Demand is booming for facilities and services to protect the well-being of country's four-legged friends

Owning a pet can be a joyful and rewarding experience, but it also involves worry and responsibility. And nothing upsets pet owners more than seeing their beloved companions suffering from sickness.

Increasing awareness of the health and well-being of pets among Chinese owners has seen the pet clinic market boom at an unprecedented rate, particularly in the past five years.

Liu Lang, president of the Beijing Small Animal Veterinary Association and a senior vet for more than 30 years, said as money from the private sector floods into the industry, the country is seeing more and more pet clinics.

"Currently, there are 12,000 pet hospitals in China and more than 10 percent are chains from established brands," he said. "Also, there are more students choosing small animal treatment as a career."

He said there are about 1,600 students graduating with degrees in veterinary medicine every year, and those pursuing careers in pet clinics have gone from less than 10 percent a few years ago to about 40 percent today.

But many owners are experiencing difficulties finding the right vets and clinics in a young market, more so in lower-tier cities. Common concerns include the qualifications of vets, nontransparent charging and the lack of regulation.

An industry report by Goumin.com, one of the biggest online communities for pet owners in China, said there were 91.5 million pet dogs and cats in China in 2018 and the market value of the pet industry reached 170.8 billion yuan ($24.84 billion). Some 47.1 percent of owners expressed frustration at the lack of medical services for pets, the report said.

"Almost every residential area comes with a pet care center, mainly for washing and styling," said Wang Yayun, a 50-year-old pet owner in Zhejiang province. "The one near me has a clinic in the pet beauty shop, and the doctor is a retired livestock vet. He is perfectly good at sterilization, but when it comes to serious illness, I won't send my dogs there."

The lack of regulation and industry standards have led to problems, and Liu said that was due to the short history of the Chinese pet clinic business.

"People in China didn't really have pet dogs three decades ago, except foreign ambassadors and important figures; ordinary people were not allowed to keep pet dogs." he said. "It only started in the 1980s when China was doing business with the Soviet Union, and people started to smuggle pet dogs into the country. It was a legally gray area back then, but it did get the industry going."

"In the 2000s, the industry entered a development phase, and people started to think about the medical equipment and treatment market," he added. "But it was only in the last 15 years when investment started to go into the business, and now we are seeing fast growth."

According to Goumin's report, the market value of the pet industry in China will reach 188.5 billion yuan in 2020 with an average annual growth rate of 30.9 percent from 2010 to 2020.

As people become more willing to spend on their pets, the market is expanding to include not just clinics but also facilities and services such as magnetic resonance imaging and beds for worried owners so they can stay overnight with their pets.

Dong Yi, CEO of Puppy Town Animal Hospital, a pet chain founded in 1999 in Beijing, has witnessed the industry boom firsthand.

"The pet industry was on the rise (between 2014 and 2016), and our future was coming," Dong said. "During this period the most routine work was to meet investors and to assess the future market demand, competition and how to survive."

With the money injected into the hospital, Puppy Town started to grow rapidly, from a small brand owning three clinics in 2013 to having more than 137 clinics in 2018 and 1,200 staff members. It also started to take a more professional approach and set up medical centers to target 12 categories of pet diseases.

As the market for professional pet care matures, the demand for machinery and medical equipment grows too, which is good news for manufacturers of medical equipment.

"The veterinary industry was growing quickly and Fuji has seen 40 percent average annual growth in its relative business in China," said Zhao Yanfeng, sales director of in vitro diagnostic and new products department of Fujifilm (China) Investment. Fujifilm entered the Chinese veterinary market in 2014.

"Fujifilm's medical equipment was mainly installed in pet clinics, and the number has grown tenfold since 2014," Zhao said.

Sun Yanzheng, a senior veterinary doctor at the Veterinary Teaching Hospital of China Agricultural University, said the value of the market related to dogs was about 105 billion yuan in 2018, with medicines accounting for 5.3 percent, and medical services accounting for 15.1 percent.

"Medical services account for about 50 percent of the entire pet industry in the United States, and only 20 percent in China," said Sun. "But our growth is far faster than the US, as the US has maintained a 4 to 5 percent annual growth rate in the last decade, but in China, the pace of growth will be more than 15 percent."
Salini Impregilo, a specialist in the construction and civil engineering business, has won a contract worth 530 million ($594 million) for a key part of the new Orient Express high-speed railway in Turkey between Istanbul and the border with Bulgaria.



The contract to build a 153-km section of the rail network is the latest acknowledgement of the Italian groups global leadership in the construction of major high-speed railways that contribute to the sustainable development of urban and extra-urban mobility, said a statement from Salini Impregilo.



The line will belong to the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) that connects member countries of the European Union.



It will be a part of the Orient/East-Med Corridor, which connects Central Europe with ports of the North, Baltic, Black and Mediterranean seas, it stated.



The project, overseen by the Directorate General of Turkish State Railways, will reduce travel times, increase safety and contribute to the development of the region, it added.



Salini Impregilo said the latest contract will link the Halkali station to that of Kapikule with a double track that will supplant the existing single track. It will be for trains that can travel at speeds of up to 200 km per hour.



The contract includes electrification, signalling and other auxiliary civil works related to that section of the line. The choice of the best technological solution among 10 alternative projects was made based on a cost-benefit index. The contract also guarantees the immediate availability of machines to move 80 million cubic metres of earth, it added.



After working a year on the project, Salini Impregilo will lead with a 50.01% stake in a joint-venture with Kolin Insaat Turizm Sanayi ve Ticaret A.S., a leading Turkish builder with which the Group completed the reconstruction of the Kosekoy-Gebze section of a high-speed railway in 2011 for the Ministry of Transport, Maritime Affairs and Communications.



Salini Impregilo is working with it on other large infrastructure projects in the Gulf.



Set to last four years, it is receiving financing in euros from the European Union via the European Investment Bank, guaranteeing a reduction in the risk profile while setting the entire production chain at the highest contractual standards and guarantees requested by international organizations, it added.-TradeArabia News Service
The World Health Organisation (WHO) said it will honour the Premier for his visionary leadership that has made Bahrains health services a role model for other countries.



HRH Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa will become the first world leader to be bestowed such an honour by the UNs health watchdog.



He will be honoured at a ceremony at the UN Palace in Geneva on Monday in the presence of heads of states and governments as well as health ministers from the WHOs 194 member states.



WHO chief Dr Tidros Adhanom Gibressus has also invited the Premier to attend the 72nd World Health Assembly.



HRH Prince Khalifa was chosen by the WHO for the honour after a careful follow-up of the progress of the health sector in Bahrain, which deserves to be a role model for other countries of the world, stated Dr Gibressus in his invitation.



The honour reflects the WHOs recognition of the role that the Premier has played in activating WHOs efforts aimed at achieving its objectives, missions and functions, including providing leadership on issues critical to health; establishing partnerships that require joint action and norm-setting, promotion and monitoring of their implementation; building sustainable institutional capacity, monitoring health status and assessing health trends, it added.-TradeArabia News Service
Aster DM Healthcare, a top healthcare service provider in the GCC, has strengthened its offering in primary and secondary care services in Oman with the opening of its third hospital in the Sultanate.



Aster Al Raffah Hospitals & Clinics are now serving patients with its newest 22-bed Aster Hospital located in Ibri.



The inauguration of the new facility was officiated by Sheikh/ Khalaf Salim Abdullah Alishaqi, Wali of Ibri and Alisha Moopen, executive director & CEO of Aster and Medcare Hospitals & Clinics- GCC, in the presence of officials from various ministries, public authorities, staff of Aster Al Raffah Hospitals & Clinics and the residents of Ibri.



Dr Azad Moopen, founder chairman and managing director of Aster DM Healthcare said, Sultanate of Oman is top on our strategic plans. We already have two hospitals at Muscat and Sohar with six clinics in Oman. The inauguration of the new facility in Ibri reaffirms our commitment to the people of Oman to cater to the growing needs of the population while making quality healthcare easily available and more accessible for people.



Alisha Moopen said, The inauguration of Aster Hospital, Ibri is a testament of our effort to make healthcare closer to the people we serve. With three hospitals and six clinics in Oman; we are the second largest private player in Oman and we take great pride in being the most preferred and trusted healthcare player which brings the global experts from our 2000+ doctors across Aster available to our Oman patients so that one can see the best expert for all scenarios.



Aster Hospital offers a comprehensive range of primary and secondary healthcare services. Conveniently located in Ibri, opposite grand hypermarket, the new facility will function 24/7 to accommodate requirements of all customers requiring healthcare services.



The hospital boasts of highly qualified and skilled doctors and offers specialty services in anaesthesiology, critical care medicine, dermatology, orthopaedics, dentistry, ENT, gastroenterology, general surgery, internal medicine, urology, paediatrics, obstetrics & gynaecology and Visa Medical.



Aster Al Raffah Clinics are currently operational at Amerat, Al Khoud, Ruwi, Liwa, Sohar and Maabela. The other 2 Aster Al Raffah Hospitals, operate in Sohar and Ghubra (Muscat).  TradeArabia News Service
London-based Feed Algae plans to invest RO167.5 million ($440 million) to develop one of the worlds largest algae farms in Omans Sharqiyah Governorate, said a report.



The initiative will enable Omans entry into the booming multibillion dollar global algae farming industry, added the Oman Daily Observer report.



Feed Algaes investment will help set up a mega algae cultivation project capable of producing a world-scale 100,000 tonnes of algae per annum, it said.



Omans authorities, led by the Implementation Support & Follow-up Unit (ISFU)  a task force operating under the auspices of the Diwan of Royal Court  have been assisting the investor in securing suitable land and other approvals for the landmark project.



When fully rolled out, the Al Sharqiyah Algae Farm will rank among the largest in the world, said ISFU in a report on various initiatives and projects currently under implementation in support of Omans economic diversification. The first harvest of algae is slated during 2022, it stated.



Omans arid environment and climate conditions are conducive to the cultivation of high quality algae, which is an increasingly important source of biofuels, nutrients, proteins and other valuable ingredients.



The global algae farming industry is projected to be worth around $48 billion over the next five years, says ISFU, citing the growing demand for this environmentally-friendly and cost-competitive natural resource.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) could contribute up to $15.7 trillion to the global economy in 2030, more than the current output of China and India combined, said professional services firm PwC in a new report.



Of this, $6.6 trillion is likely to come from increased productivity and $9.1 trillion is likely to come from benefits to consumers.



The annual growth in the contribution of AI is expected to range between 20-34 per cent per year across the Middle East, with the fastest growth in the Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Egypt.



To meet the demand for having a global platform gathering world class technology experts, the Saudi Emerging Technologies Forum will take place from 11-13 of November 2019 in Kempinski Hotel in Riyadh to be the first conference in the Kingdom to address the deployment of emerging technologies and the 2030 plan for digital transformation plans that willpower cities and economies of the 4th Industrial Revolution.



The forum is a mega event that will gather over 500 government officials and senior level executives, more than 50 speakers, leading 12 panel discussions with the participation of 900 attendees, 60 exhibitors, 12 Certified Technical Workshops, 30 Proof of Concepts & Live Demo Sessions, and a dedicated focus day for IIOT. Furthermore, 10 pioneers in innovation will be celebrated with Awards of Excellence in recognition of their efforts on digitization.



PwCs report estimated that the Middle East is expected to accrue 2 per cent of the total global benefits of AI in 2030. This is equivalent to $320 billion where the largest gains are expected to accrue to Saudi Arabia as AI is expected to contribute over $135.2 billion in 2030 to the economy, equivalent to 12.4 per cent of GDP. In relative terms the UAE is expected to see the largest impact of close to 14 per cent of 2030 GDP. AI contribution in Egypt is expected to reach $42.7 billion in 2030, equivalent to 7.7 per cent of the Egyptian GDP.



The $135billion investment plan in digital transformation set by Vision 2030 will transform the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia into the global epicentre of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and supercharge the Saudi economy as global powerhouse in the digital age. As the 4thlargest economy in the world with $684b GDP in 2018, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is currently diversifying the economy by achieving digital transformation across public and private sectors in order to create a vibrant society, a thriving economy and an ambitious nation.



The forum will be chaired by Majed Alshodari, CISO at the ACIG group, and the forum will feature 10 exclusive certified workshops on the latest applications of IoT, IIoT, AI implementation for 2030 vision, Data science, Cyber security, Enterprise Architecture, Cloudification, Blockchain for government services, AR/VR, RPA implementation, Deep learning (DL), Machine learning (ML) and Coding 4.0.





Mohammed Mahnashi, Information Security advisor of the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said: "Saudi Arabia, the heart of the Arab and Islamic worlds, the investment powerhouse, and the hub connecting three continents, on those three pillars the Saudi Vision 2030 relay on an ambitious yet achievable blueprint reflects our countrys strengths and capabilities and depends on the technology to achieve the vision goals. I believe that The Saudi Emerging Technologies Forum is a key event to attend, to listen and discuss with experts in Saudi National Transformation program."



Exclusively at the event, Dr Khaled Abusalem, chairman of UAV & Robotics Standards Committee in Saudi Aramco will be presenting about the Fourth Industrial Revolution Center in Dahran, the first center of its kind in the world inaugurated in March 2019, which will help the companys operational performance to enable greater efficiencies and significant cost savings, and help further strengthen Aramcos global leadership in the oil and gas industry.  TradeArabia News Service


The newly built Radisson Residences Vadistanbul in Turkey welcomed its first guests on May 6, marking its official opening.



Close to the newly opened Radisson Blu Hotel, Vadistanbul, the residence is a state-of-the-art project offering guests superb accommodation for short- and long-term stays in the heart of Istanbul.



Michel Stalport, area senior vice president Eastern Europe, Russia and Turkey, said: We are delighted to bring yet another stunning property to Istanbul  and, with this newly built property, we further strengthen our position as the leading international hotel group in Turkey. This is a one-of-a-kind residence that will provide guests with memorable moments in the heart of Istanbul. We would like to thank once again our existing partner at Vadistanbul as we proudly introduce this complimentary offering to such a unique destination.



The property consists of 169 modern apartments, split equally between one- and two-bedroom apartments  as well as two unique four-bedroom apartments. The hotel property also offers a well-equipped gym and a Spa, including a swimming pool to accommodate both short- and long-term stays.



The residence has opened next to the newly opened 193-room Radisson Blu Hotel, Vadistanbul. Both properties are located in Vadistanbul, a new residential district in the north of the European side of Istanbul. With its proximity to Maslak, one of Istanbuls main business districts, the residence is expected to attract both business travellers and leisure guests seeking stylish accommodation in a central location.



Vadistanbul is a modern and dynamic residential project that includes a specially developed monorail system with a direct connection to the metro network. The Radisson Residences Vadistanbul property is situated on the boulevard of Vadistanbul that will also be home to a fourth-generation shopping mall, 270 retail outlets and offices for 20,000 people.



The residence is approximately 20 minutes drive from the new Istanbul Airport, and only 400m from the nearest exit of the Trans-European Motorway (E80), linking the hotel to both the existing and the upcoming airport. - TradeArabia News Service
The XIV Forum of Artistic and Scientific Intelligentsia of the CIS countries kicked off in Ashgabat as part of Turkmenistans chairmanship in the CIS. The forum brought together about 200 delegates from the CIS countries, including prominent public figures, renowned artists, scientists, heads of cultural institutions, scientific and educational centers and the mass media representatives. Among them are people who are well-known in the CIS countries, such as Special Representative of the President of the Russian Federation for International Cultural Cooperation Mikhail Shvydkoy; Chairman of the Board of the CIS Interstate Fund for Humanitarian Cooperation Polad Bulbul-Ogly; Cultural Advisor to the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Tolstoy, who is a great-great-grandson of Lev Tolstoy; Russian writer Sergey Shargunov; Executive Director of the CIS Interstate Fund for Humanitarian Cooperation Anatoly Iksanov and many others.

The forum is held under the theme Common humanitarian space of the CIS: dialogue in the sphere of culture, science, education. The forum aims to discuss plans for cooperation in the humanitarian sphere and identify priority areas for partnership in the CIS space.

The welcoming messages to the forum participants from President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov and President of Russia Vladimir Putin were red out at the beginning of the forum.

In his message, the Turkmen leader emphasized that the current international forum has an important role to play in enhancing friendly relations and sharing experiences, further developing the traditionally positive cooperation and learning of the successes achieved in the humanitarian sphere.

In his greetings, the President of Russia noted that the forum of representatives of artistic and scientific intelligentsia of the CIS countries is held in hospitable Ashgabat in the year of Turkmenistans chairmanship in the CIS. Humanitarian cooperation is traditionally one of the most important areas of partnership in the CIS. It is no coincidence that the annual forums that provide a platform for a face-to-face dialogue between representatives of the scientific and expert circles, youth and student organizations, workers of education, culture and art, play such a prominent role in the public life of our countries, the Russian leaders message reads.

Speaking at the plenary session, the forum participants noted that friendly and trusting relations between the CIS countries are the treasure of not only the CIS countries but the whole of Eurasia. In particular, they stressed that development of humanitarian partnership in the CIS is an important factor of stability and security in the continent, influencing the global agenda.

According to the Chairman of the CIS Executive Committee, CIS Executive Secretary Sergey Lebedev, the forum steadily strengthens its role and authority year after year, being a key event in the humanitarian life of the CIS, while face-to-face contacts between the workers of science, art and education contributes to the development of the cultural dialogue.

In his turn, Special Representative of the Russian President for International Cultural Cooperation Mikhail Shvydkoy expressed his gratitude to President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov for his caring attitude to the Forum of Artistic and Scientific Intelligentsia of the CIS countries and for the great organization of work ensured by the Government of Turkmenistan.

Speaking about the upcoming panel discussion on the topic Turkmenistan - the Heart of the Great Silk Road, Mikhail Shvydkoy noted that nations that were once linked by this path geographically have a common future now.

Then, there was held a ceremony to award winners of the interstate prize Stars of the CIS for their achievements in science and education, culture and art. The 2018 prize winners included People's Artist of Azerbaijan, artistic director and chief conductor of U.Hajibeyli State Symphony Orchestra of Azerbaijan Rauf Abdullayev; People's Artist of Armenia Robert Elibekyan; Belarusian scientists Peter Vityaz, Alexander Ilyuschenko and Mikhail Andreyev; Kazakhstans poet Yesengali Raushanov; Kyrgyzstans writer Mar Baidzhiev; Rector of the Moldavian State Medical and Pharmaceutical University Ion Ababiy; Associate Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, President of the Russian National Research Center Kurchatov Institute Mikhail Kovalchuk; Chief Research Officer of the Agency for Nuclear and Radiation Safety of the Tajik Academy of Sciences Ulmas Mirsaidov; as well as a representative of Turkmenistan, People's Artist, professor at the Turkmen National Conservatoire Atageldy Garyagdyev.

Then, the plenary session continued with the statements by the heads of delegations of the CIS countries, followed by the briefing for press by members of the Forum Presidium and winners of the 2018 interstate prize Stars of the CIS.

In the afternoon, the International University for the Humanities and Development hosted a panel discussion on the topic Turkmenistan - the Heart of the Great Silk Road as part of the XIV Forum of Artistic and Scientific Intelligentsia of the CIS. The forum participants discussed the significance of the Great Silk Road phenomenon as a factor of connecting the peoples and cultures of the Eurasian continent, as well as Turkmenistans contribution to this process.

As part of this panel, there was held a presentation of the city of Shymkent (Republic of Kazakhstan) as the cultural capital of the CIS in 2020. In the evening, the forum participants watched the play Melody of Dutar staged by the Main Drama Theater of Turkmenistan on the book Music of the World, Music of Friendship and Brotherhood by President Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov.

On the second day, the forum participants continue working in the thematic sections.

 TURKMENISTAN.RU, 2021
Top Nordic investors will pilot new SDG-enabling tools



OsloUnited Nations Development Programme Administrator Achim Steiner called on business leaders and investors to scale up efforts to advance the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), saying private sector engagement is vital to achieving the global targets.

More needs to be done to create the transformational and systemic changes that achieving the SDGs will require, Steiner said. We need the union among business, society, and government. The truth is we cannot succeed in isolation of each other.

Global poverty has fallen by more than one third since 1990, and many more people have access to education, health care, and opportunities. But conflict and climate change have worsened hunger and forced displacement, with 68.5 million people now displaced worldwide. More than 2 billion people still lack basic sanitation, and land degradation threatens the livelihoods of more than 1 billion people.

Governments must act to strengthen enabling environments, reduce investment risks, and require transparency and disclosure of impacts on sustainable development, but without the engagement of the private sector, the SDGs are unattainable, Steiner said.

A new enabling initiative

Steiner met here with leading Nordic investment firms EQT, Summa Equity, and LGT at the Business for Peace Summit to launch the Nordic Springboard of UNDPs SDG Impact initiative. SDG Impact aims to enable private sector investment in advancing the Global Goals by providing investors and businesses with tools, training, data, and market intelligence to support and certify their contributions toward achieving the 17 globally agreed targets.

In partnership with the Impact Management Project, SDG Impact is devising global standards, metrics, and opportunity maps for investors and businesses to measure impact toward achieving the SDGs and creating an SDG Impact Seal to certify adherence to agreed standards. Nordic investors will pilot these SDG-enabling standards through UNDP and the Business for Peace Foundation.

Anna Ryott, Chair of Summa Equity, is among 10 recently announced business and investment leaders named to the SDG Impact Steering Group, which will hold its inaugural meeting in New York on 20 June.

The business and economic case

The private sector generates 60 percent of gross domestic product, 90 percent of jobs and 80 percent of capital flows in the average developing country, providing innovation and generating much-needed tax revenue. But private investment in developing economies remains low, with the worlds 47 least developed countries receiving just 2 percent of foreign direct investment in 2017, or US$26 million.

Research has consistently shown, further, a strong business case for private sector engagement in achieving the SDGs17 specific, time-bound targets aimed not simply at halting or mitigating threats to people and planet but at creating a better world for all.

Developing products and services for underserved markets leads to new customers, jobs, and market opportunities while companies that use resources more efficiently will save money and those that treat workers equally and fairly will improve their reputation and be able to tap the widest possible labor and customer pools.

This September, Heads of State and Governments will gather at UN Headquarters for an SDG Summit for the first time since all 193 UN Member States agreed to the 17 targets in 2015 and committed to achieving them by 2030.

According to the OECD, official development assistance (ODA) was US$146.6 billion in 2017. By comparison, foreign direct investment (FDI) flows to developing economies totaled US$671 billion in the same year, quadruple the figure for official aid.

The Business Commission on Sustainable Development at Davos estimated last year, further, that up to US$12 trillion in new economic opportunities could be generated through investments in areas such as agriculture, cities, energy, and health.
Malawi poll 'will be rigging-free'

Addis Ababa, May 16 (UNI) Malawis electoral commission has begun distributing ballot materials to polling stations ahead of next Tuesdays presidential and parliamentary elections.

The BBC News report said the materials will be moved from the capital, Lilongwe, to more than 5,000 polling stations across the country.

The commission says slightly more than six million people have registered for the vote. The process will use a mix of manual and electronic methods.
Scientists develop technology to capture tumor cells

Athens, Ga. - Instead of searching for a needle in a haystack, what if you were able to sweep the entire haystack to one side, leaving only the needle behind? That's the strategy researchers in the University of Georgia College of Engineering followed in developing a new microfluidic device that separates elusive circulating tumor cells (CTCs) from a sample of whole blood.

CTCs break away from cancerous tumors and flow through the bloodstream, potentially leading to new metastatic tumors. The isolation of CTCs from the blood provides a minimally invasive alternative for basic understanding, diagnosis and prognosis of metastatic cancer. But most studies are limited by technical challenges in capturing intact and viable CTCs with minimal contamination.

"A typical sample of 7 to 10 milliliters of blood may contain only a few CTCs," said Leidong Mao, a professor in UGA's School of Electrical and Computer Engineering and the project's principal investigator. "They're hiding in whole blood with millions of white blood cells. It's a challenge to get our hands on enough CTCs so scientists can study them and understand them."

Circulating tumor cells are also difficult to isolate because within a sample of a few hundred CTCs, the individual cells may present many characteristics. Some resemble skin cells while others resemble muscle cells. They can also vary greatly in size.

"People often compare finding CTCs to finding a needle in a haystack," said Mao. "But sometimes the needle isn't even a needle."

To more quickly and efficiently isolate these rare cells for analysis, Mao and his team have created a new microfluidic chip that captures nearly every CTC in a sample of blood - more than 99% - a considerably higher percentage than most existing technologies.

The team calls its novel approach to CTC detection "integrated ferrohydrodynamic cell separation," or iFCS. They outline their findings in a study published in the Royal Society of Chemistry's Lab on a Chip.

The new device could be "transformative" in the treatment of breast cancer, according to Melissa Davis, an assistant professor of cell and developmental biology at Weill Cornell Medicine and a collaborator on the project.

"Physicians can only treat what they can detect," Davis said. "We often can't detect certain subtypes of CTCs, but with the iFCS device we will capture all the subtypes of CTCs and even determine which subtypes are the most informative concerning relapse and disease progression."

Davis believes the device may ultimately allow physicians to gauge a patient's response to specific treatments much earlier than is currently possible.

While most efforts to capture circulating tumor cells focus on identifying and isolating the few CTCs lurking in a blood sample, the iFCS takes a completely different approach by eliminating everything in the sample that's not a circulating tumor cell.

The device, about the size of a USB drive, works by funneling blood through channels smaller in diameter than a human hair. To prepare blood for analysis, the team adds micron-sized magnetic beads to the samples. The white blood cells in the sample attach themselves to these beads. As blood flows through the device, magnets on the top and bottom of the chip draw the white blood cells and their magnetic beads down a specific channel while the circulating tumor cells continue into another channel.

The device combines three steps in one microfluidic chip, another advance over existing technologies that require separate devices for various steps in the process.

"The first step is a filter that removes large debris in the blood," said Yang Liu, a doctoral student in UGA's department of chemistry and the paper's co-lead author. "The second part depletes extra magnetic beads and the majority of the white blood cells. The third part is designed to focus remaining white blood cells to the middle of channel and to push CTCs to the side walls."

Wujun Zhao is the paper's other lead author. Zhao, a postdoctoral scholar at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, worked on the project while completing his doctorate in chemistry at UGA.

"The success of our integrated device is that it has the capability to enrich almost all CTCs regardless of their size profile or antigen expression," said Zhao. "Our findings have the potential to provide the cancer research community with key information that may be missed by current protein-based or size-based enrichment technologies."

The researchers say their next steps include automating the iFCS and making it more user-friendly for clinical settings. They also need to put the device through its paces in patient trials. Mao and his colleagues hope additional collaborators will join them and lend their expertise to the project.

###

In addition to Weill Cornell Medicine, researchers and physicians at the Henry Ford Health System in Detroit, University Cancer and Blood Center in Athens, and UGA's Clinical and Translational Research Unit served as clinical collaborators on the project. The team also included researchers from the UGA College of Veterinary Medicine, the Augusta University-University of Georgia Medical Partnership, and UGA's department of genetics.

The project was supported by grants from the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health.

This story has been published on: 2019-05-16. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Fast internet service, lower rates coming

From:ChinaDaily | 2019-05-16 09:00

China will extend 1,000Mb broadband connections to more than 300 cities and cut average service rates by 15 percent for small and midsized enterprises this year, under a decision released on Wednesday following a State Council executive meeting chaired by Premier Li Keqiang on Tuesday.

The effort is expected to boost domestic demand, stabilize employment and benefit individuals.

It was pointed out at the meeting that faster and cheaper internet service will not only provide convenience and other benefits to individuals and companies but will also help boost effective investment and employment while harnessing the digital economy to drive China's economic and social development.

"We need to upgrade our internet services. This is a key measure to boost consumption that meets the needs of our mass of cellphone users," Li said.

Attendees at the Tuesday meeting decided that by the end of this year, fiber-to-the-home, or FTTH, ports will represent no less than 90 percent of all broadband ports, and 1,000Mb broadband will be extended to more than 300 cities.

Base stations for mobile internet will be upgraded. The goal is to raise the speed of both fixedline and mobile internet services to 1,000Mb.

Broadband networks will cover 97 percent of primary and middle schools nationwide this year, and dedicated internet services will be made available over time to hospitals and medical consortiums above county level.

"The industrial internet, education and medical care are our priorities in upgrading internet services to boost industrial development, to improve people's access to quality medical resources and to promote fairness in education," Li said.

Basic telecommunication service providers will be encouraged to lower prices. The goal is to cut the average broadband service rate for small and midsized enterprises by 15 percent, the average rate for mobile internet services by no less than 20 percent and roaming charges for internet traffic between the mainland and Hong Kong and Macao by 30 percent by the end of this year.

A "floor-price" rate will be set for low-income and elderly populations.

Basic telecommunication service providers will be urged to ensure that cellphone users nationwide can switch service carriers without changing phone numbers by the end of November this year, and any extra term required for this service will be looked into.

The companies will also be urged to straighten out their service packages to trim the packages available by 15 percent this year.

"There is huge consumer demand for internet services in our country. We must encourage fair competition and ensure that our measures to lower internet service charges are fully delivered as part of the effort to improve people's lives," Li said.
Need active cooperation between India and Indonesia in education sector : Indonesia Consul Gen.

Hyderabad, May 16 (UNI) Consul General, Republic of Indonesia in Mumbai Mr Ade Sukendar, on Thursday stressed on the need for active cooperation between India and Indonesia in education sector.

Mr Sukendar accompanied by a nine-member official delegation has called on English and Foreign languages University (EFLU) Vice-Chancellor E Suresh Kumar, here.

During the visit, he reiterated that his visit to EFL University will enhance specialised teacher training programmes, proficiency training for diplomats, and further enrich cultural relations.
(May 16, 2019) -- Each May and December, thousands of Roadrunners, along with their families and friends, gather in downtown San Antonio at the Alamodome for UTSA Commencement ceremonies. As they celebrate earning their degrees, these graduates are participating in a number of special traditions tied to the momentous occasion.

There are many traditions involving the accessories students wear as they cross the stage. The stoles and cords draped over students' shoulders have special meanings. Stoles are the colored sashes that students wear draped over their shoulders. Stoles represent involvement in different activities at UTSA. For example, student-athletes are given stoles to wear. Honors College students receive special stoles at the Stole and Laurel Ceremony, which takes place before Commencement. Students can also purchase a Stole of Gratitude, which they can present after the ceremony as a show of gratitude to someone whose support helped the student reach this milestone. Commencement cords, ropes draped over the gowns, also have special meanings. Gold honors cords are given out to Cum Laude, Magna Cum Laude, and Summa Cum Laude students. Students who have served on active duty in the military are eligible to wear red, white and blue Veterans Honors Cords.

>> Discover more information about UTSA Commencement including where to take the best photos in your cap and gown.

There are also traditions related to the caps students wear to Commencement. For undergraduates, the tassel is worn on the right side of the cap until the end of the ceremony, when students are instructed to move the tassels to the left side. Masters and Doctoral graduates keep their tassels to the left for the whole ceremony. Guests attending the ceremony will notice that many of the mortarboards students wear are brightly decorated. UTSA students have embraced the tradition of decorating their mortarboards with art and special messages to help them stand out in the crowd. Another group of students with attention-grabbing headwear at the commencement ceremony are those getting degrees in Construction Science and Management; they wear special orange hard hats.

While most students cross the stage wearing the recommended dark shoes, a select few will be wearing the orange feet of Rowdy the Roadrunner. Students who served as mascots during their time at UTSA get to wear the feet at Commencement.

Another unique tradition involves the UTSA class rings that many graduates wear. All UTSA rings spend a night at the Alamo to connect them to the history of San Antonio.

Since UTSAs first commencement ceremony in May of 1976, mariachis have performed to help give the ceremony a celebratory feel. The ceremonies have been held at the Alamodome since 2013, and since then pyrotechnics and streamers have also been part of the show. These traditions help to celebrate all the accomplishments of the graduating Roadrunners.
Expanded UW Program Celebrates 150th Anniversary of Powells Launch in Green River

Several activities are scheduled May 22-24 to note the 150th anniversary of explorer John Wesley Powells expedition down the Green and Colorado rivers from Green River in the Wyoming Territory.

The celebration notes Powells pioneering expedition, which launched May 24, 1869. Events will focus on the expeditions impacts on the Wests development, and contemplate the future of the Colorado River Basin and its communities.

Parts of the two-day event are an expansion of the University of Wyomings popular Saturday University program that features UW faculty and guest lecturers discussing timely topics.

All events later this month are sponsored by Sesquicentennial Colorado River Exploring Expedition (SCREE), UWs Saturday University program, Wyoming History Day, the city of Green River and the Sweetwater County Historical Museum.

Saturday University lectures are Wednesday and Thursday afternoon, and Thursday evening.

The highlight of the week is SCREE, which will embark on a 70-day rafting trip to commemorate Powells famous expedition. Read more here.

The three-day celebrations events will take place at the Expedition Island Pavilion. The schedule of events is:

Wednesday, May 22

-- 5:30 p.m.: Opening reception and light dinner.

-- 6-7:15 p.m.: John Wesley Powell and the Future of the Colorado Catastropolis? Dan McCool, University of Utah Department of Political Science professor emeritus.

McCool says social institutions provide order and stability, and they adapt well when only slow, incremental and linear change takes place.

But, what happens to them when faced with sudden, dramatic change? The Colorado River Basin is facing just such a crisis as climate change brings further drought to its headwaters, reducing rainfall and snowfall, McCool says. Will this change result in a catastropolis -- the sudden decline of cities due to severe water shortages? Or, can our governing institutions develop new ways of allocating and paying for water?

McCool will suggest how citizens might accomplish that goal and avoid a catastropolis.

Thursday, May 23

-- 8:30-11:30 a.m.: Cleanup of the Green River.

-- 11:30 a.m.: Lunch at Expedition Island Pavilion after river cleanup.

-- Noon-1 p.m.: Powells Grand Canyon: A Centennial Perspective, Jason Robison, UW College of Law associate professor.

Robison says 2019 is a rich year, marking not only the 1869 Powell Expedition's sesquicentennial, but also Grand Canyon National Park's centennial.

Alongside Powell's naming of it, what other milestones fall within the Grand Canyon's history, and what light do they shed on how environmental and natural resources laws shape Western landscapes? he asks.

Robison will offer a centennial perspective in his discussion.

-- 1-2 p.m.: The Artwork of SCREE, Patrick Kikut, UW Department of Visual and Literary Arts associate lecturer.

In his talk, Kikut will discuss his approach to art making and his role as lead artist in SCREE; the important role Tomas Moran's oil paintings and engravings had in helping John Wesley Powell "sell" his vision of the West to Congress; and SCREE artists role in dialogue and questions surrounding the Colorado River Basin.

The Colorado is a wet river in a dry landscape, and therein lies the difficulty and the opportunity, Kikut says. Art communicates that. SCREE is an art experience, as exhibits of recent works in four museums along the route make clear.

Kikut will introduce the artworks and discuss the impetus for their creation.

-- 4-5 p.m.: USGS National Youth and Education in Science Program, YES! Eleanor Snow, National Youth and Education in Science Program manager and office of Science Quality and Integrity for the U.S. Geological Survey, and John Kilpatrick, director of the Wyoming-Montana Water Science Center.

Thursday, May 23, Evening Program

-- 5 p.m.: Doors open for a light dinner before the evenings discussions.

-- 5:45-6:30 p.m.: An Introduction to SCREE -- The Sesquicentennial Colorado River Exploring Expedition, Thomas Minckley, UW Department of Geography associate professor.

Minckley will discuss the 150th anniversary expedition down the Green and Colorado rivers as it relates to the legacy of John Wesley Powell, the history of the basin and a look to the future in this region.

Minckley also will discuss the landscapes of sacrifice and conflict that define the arid West today.

-- 6:30-8:30 p.m.: John Wesley Powell & the Colorado River Basin's Past, Present and Future. Panel of experts from universities in Colorado, Utah and Wyoming.

Friday, May 24

-- 8-9 a.m.: Launch of the SCREE trip, preceded by a light breakfast.

-- 10 a.m.-4 p.m.: Family art, nature and history activities. Food and beverage vendors will be on-site.

-- 10 a.m.: Journey into the Great Unknown, documentary screening.

-- 1 p.m.: Lost Canyons of the Green River, presentation by Roy Webb.

-- 3:30 p.m.: Disneys Ten Who Dared film screening.
UW Restarts Career Technical Teacher Education Program

A program to train career technical education teachers for Wyoming high schools is being revived, following action by the University of Wyoming Board of Trustees.

The board voted today (Thursday) to restart admissions in the UW Career Technical Teacher Education (CTE) Program, which had been eliminated due to budget reductions in 2017. The action maintains the program for two years, during which time a task force will work to re-envision the CTE degree in collaboration with Wyoming community colleges and other key education stakeholders.

The programs persistently low enrollments, averaging 2.5 graduates per year over a decade, required us to act when the university was called upon to reduce its biennial budget by $42 million in 2016, College of Education Dean Ray Reutzel says. Since that time, legislators, school districts and other constituents have made it clear just how important it is for us to graduate career technical educators, and we are responding accordingly.

The College of Education aims to develop and propose a newly revised, broadened and distance-delivered Career Technical Teacher Education Program as a 3+1 degree program in consultation with community colleges, the Wyoming Professional Teaching Standards Board (PTSB), the Wyoming Department of Education and the Wyoming School University Partnership. The newly developed program will have to be reviewed and approved by the PTSB for initial licensure, and also approved through UWs new degree approval process by no later than May 2021, so it can be ready to admit students statewide by fall 2021.
Wyoming Business Tips for May 20-26

A weekly look at issues facing Wyoming business owners and entrepreneurs from the Wyoming Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Network, a collection of business assistance programs at the University of Wyoming.

By Sarah Hamlin, regional director, Wyoming SBDC Network

More than 8.5 million people visited Wyoming as overnight guests last year, resulting in $3.5 billion being spent in our local communities. As we head into the summer, it is time to take stock of your local online presence.

Google reports that well over half of its searches originate with mobile devices. Furthermore, 72 percent of these searches are visited by folks who are within five miles of your location and within 24 hours of the search.

Having no, little or incorrect information about your business online makes it very difficult for visitors to stop and shop with you. So, here are five ways you can boost your businesss online presence:

-- Get listed. Head over to Google My Business and check to see how Google has your business listed. If your business information is not correct (or not there), then you should claim or create your listing. Get Your Business Online is a free directory listing with Google that will get your physical location on the map (with a red dot). Additionally, Google can do things like add pictures, ask for reviews and correct the map if your location has changed. Make sure to include your hours of operation. Google likes this, and so do your customers! Other online search engines and websites -- like Bing, Yahoo and Yelp -- also have similar processes to claim your business.

-- Make sure your website is mobile friendly. If you aren't sure about your websites mobile friendliness, Google also offers an online tool that will check it for you. The Wyoming SBDC Network also can provide you with a no-cost website analysis. Google and other search engines are giving preference to websites that are easy to view on a mobile device, so this is important. Additionally, make sure your phone number is listed on every page of your website as 61 percent of the people who are searching for your business on a mobile device are trying to call you. Make it easy.

-- Capture customers who "search online, buy in store. Purchasing behavior is interesting these days. We are finding that more customers are doing research online before they make their local purchase decision. As such, make sure you have your products or services listed on your website. This doesn't have to be everything you offer. What are your 10 most popular or most-asked-for items? List them. Are you a restaurant or cafe? Make sure to include your menu on www.allmenus.com or www.singleplatform.com so they are searchable, too.

-- Ask for reviews. It seems that Google is using reviews as a way to better understand your business. The best way to get good reviews is to ask for them. Remember, the happiest your customers are going to be with you is when they are paying for your goods or services. Don't forget to ask for that review. Don't worry about getting a less-than-positive review (three stars or less). The best way to deal with these reviews is to acknowledge them and then ask that person to call or email you to talk more. Your prospective customers know that not everyone will like your business all of the time. Thats OK. They want to see how you respond to complaints.

-- Join your local chamber of commerce. Thats right. Don't underestimate the value of your local chamber. Not only do they provide great community networking opportunities for our business communities, it seems like Google is valuing chambers as being nonbiased places to find out if you are a real business. Even better than being a chamber member, make sure that your website is hyperlinked from the chamber website to your website.

If you need assistance with any of these steps, contact your local Wyoming SBDC Network adviser today for no-cost, confidential advising at www.wyomingsbdc.org. In addition to expediting your Google listing approval, we also can review your businesss website and social media profiles.

The Wyoming SBDC Network offers business expertise to help Wyoming residents think about, launch, grow, reinvent or exit their business. The Wyoming SBDC Network is hosted by UW with state funds from the Wyoming Business Council and funded, in part, through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration.

To ask a question, call 1-800-348-5194, email wsbdc@uwyo.edu, or write 1000 E. University Ave., Dept. 3922, Laramie, WY, 82071-3922.
Advanced radar to serve capital's new airport

From:ChinaDaily | 2019-05-16 08:54

China's civil aviation authorities are always keen to improve the punctuality of airlines, especially when passengers' fury sometimes erupts over delays caused by inaccurate weather forecasts.

The latest solution is an advanced radar that designers say will substantially boost airport managers' capability to accurately forecast and handle weather conditions.

Beijing Daxing International Airport, the capital's new air hub, will be China's first airport to use the solid-state, dual polarization millimeter wave radar. The system was developed by researchers at the Beijing Institute of Radio Measurement, part of the China Aerospace Science and Industry Corp Second Academy.

The equipment is capable of highly accurate observations of clouds, fog, snow and rain within a radius of 60 kilometers from the airport. It will enable the airport to know more details about cloud conditions, the institute said in a statement.

Zhou Tingting, chief designer of the radar, explained that clouds are one of the major factors that affect airport operations. Radar equipment currently in use at domestic airports is mainly based on laser or optical methods to detect and analyze cloud conditions.

"Laser and optical devices are not able to penetrate clouds and thus are incapable of letting us know more about the cloud, such as its moisture content and layers. So airport operators often have to postpone flights based on inaccurate forecasts," he said. "Our millimeter wave radar, by contrast, can look deep into a cloud, measure its speed and display a much larger scanning range. All of these advantages will allow the user to establish a three-dimensional cloud map and know clearly whether flights will be affected in advance."

Before being deployed at the airport, the new radar system had been used by meteorological bureaus and port authorities, Zhou said.

Located at the junction of Beijing's Daxing district and Langfang, a city in neighboring Hebei province, Beijing Daxing International Airport is scheduled for completion on June 30 and is set to open on Sept 30. It is tasked with meeting the country's rapidly rising demand for air travel and mitigating the flight pressure at Beijing Capital International Airport, which has been running at full capacity for years. More than 50 airlines around the world have shown interest in operating flights at the new airport.
City universities to offer AI majors

From:Shine | 2019-05-15 22:29

Two universities in the city will welcome the first batch of undergraduates majoring in artificial intelligence in September.

Shanghai Jiao Tong and Tongjiare among35 universities nationwide approved by the Ministry of Education to set up four-year AI majors amid the countrys drive to build a strong AI talent pool.

Tongji plans to admit about 30 students for the new major this year while Shanghai Jiao Tong has not yet revealed numbers.

We began to cultivate AI-related talent in 2016 and now AI will officially be the 10th major offered in our school, Su Yuezeng, dean of Jiao Tong's School of Electronic Information and Electrical Engineering.

We are confident that with our strength in AI-related disciplines, such as computer science, control science and engineering, information and communication engineering, we will make our contribution to the cultivation of top-notch talent in AI research and cross-border application, he said.

Susaid the AI industry in Shanghai is poised to grow with about a third of related professionals in the country gathering in the city.

There are more than 1,000 companies with AI being their core business and more than 3,000 others related to AI, while the industrial scale is estimated to be over 70 billion yuan(US$10 billion), he said. All these would also facilitate AI education in Shanghai.

As AI is a major featuring interdisciplinary research, both universities said they would not only teach basic disciplines such as math and computer science, but also biology, medicine, automobiles and the environment, among other courses.

At Shanghai Jiao Tong University, tailed instruction will be provided for students by teachers from home and abroad. It will also invite experts at enterprises to deliver lectures about industrial frontiers for students and cooperate with enterprises to offer internships or training in application.

At Tongji University, all students will learn general courses in the first year and those qualified by certain requirements will be selected for the AI major in the second year, according to Yin Xuefeng, vice dean of its School of Electronics andInformationEngineering.

Yin said the university is still improving its AI curriculum.

Last year, the Ministry of Education issued an action plan to promote AI education in universities. Under the plan, universities will improve AI discipline and make breakthroughs in basic theories and key technology research by 2020. Chinese universities will become core forces for building major global AI innovation centers by 2030.

The plan calls for integration of AI with other disciplines, so the AI + X interdisciplinary approach is encouraged and it is expected to set up 100 majors that combine AI and other subjects by 2020.
Statistical analysis of fossil data shows that it is unlikely that Australopithecus sediba, a nearly 2-million-year-old apelike fossil from South Africa, is the direct ancestor of Homo, the genus to which modern-day humans belong. The research by paleontologists from the University of Chicago, published in Science Advances, concludes by suggesting that Australopithecus afarensis, of the famous Lucy skeleton, is still the most likely ancestor to the genus Homo.

The first A. sediba fossils were unearthed near Johannesburg in 2008. Hundreds of fragments of the species have since been discovered, all dating to roughly 2 million years ago. The oldest known Homo fossil, the jawbone of an as yet unnamed species found in Ethiopia, is 2.8 million years old, predating A. sediba by 800,000 years.

Despite this timeline, the researchers who discovered A. sediba have claimed that it is an ancestral species to Homo. While it is possible that A. sediba (the hypothesized ancestor) could have postdated earliest Homo (the hypothesized descendant) by 800,000 years, the new analysis indicates that the probability of finding this chronological pattern is highly unlikely.

The studys lead author, Andrew Du, Ph.D., who will join the faculty at Colorado State University after concluding his postdoctoral research in the lab of Zeray Alemseged, Ph.D., the Donald N. Pritzker Professor of Organismal and Biology and Anatomy at UChicago, said:

It is definitely possible for an ancestors fossil to postdate a descendants by a large amount of time. We thought we would take it one step further to ask how likely it is to happen, and our models show that the probability is next to zero.

Du and Alemseged also reviewed the scientific literature for other hypothesized ancestor-descendant relationships between two hominin species. Of the 28 instances they found, only one first-discovered fossil of a descendant was older than its proposed ancestor, a pair of Homo species separated by 100,000 years, far less than the 800,000 years separating A. sediba and earliest Homo. For context, the average lifespan of any hominin species is about 1 million years. Du said:

Again, we see that its possible for an ancestors fossil to postdate its descendants, but 800,000 years is quite a long time.

Alemseged and Du maintain that Australopithecus afarensis is a better candidate for the direct ancestor of Homo for a number of reasons. A. afarensis fossils have been dated up to 3 million years old, nearing the age of the first Homo jaw. Lucy and her counterparts, including Selam, the fossil of an A. afarensis child that Alemseged discovered in 2000, were found in Ethiopia, just miles from where the Homo jaw was discovered.

The jaws features also resemble those of A. afarensis closely enough that one could make the case it was a direct descendant. Alemseged said:

Given the timing, geography, and morphology, these three pieces of evidence make us think afarensis is a better candidate than sediba. One can disagree about morphology and the different features of a fossil, but the level of confidence we can put in the mathematical and statistical analyses of the chronological data in this paper makes our argument a very strong one.

Provided by: Matt Wood, University of Chicago Medicine [Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.]

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University Extends International Network

The University of Gibraltar has signed an agreement with US-based educational institution, Broward College.

The agreement is intended to create a clear pathway for students of Broward College to transfer to, and complete, their undergraduate degrees at the University of Gibraltar. The agreement was signed during an event which saw the University host 80 delegates from international education institutions for an afternoon of lectures and networking. The event included a presentation about the University and a tour of the Europa Point Campus.

While the agreement aims to facilitate the transfer of students to University of Gibraltar programmes, students must have met the entry criteria and have earned credits that are considered acceptable in accordance with the Universitys Code of Practice for Credit Transfer and Recognition of Prior Learning. Professor Catherine Bachleda, Vice Chancellor (Ag) at the University of Gibraltar said It has been a pleasure to host colleagues from so many other academic institutions today. The agreement with Broward College not only provides international students the opportunity to continue their studies with the University of Gibraltar, it further expands our network on a global level.

For his part, the Minister for the University, The Hon. Gilbert Licudi spoke about the global nature of education, Ever since we started the process of establishing the University of Gibraltar we discovered that education is truly global. Working with other educational institutions in the areas of student exchanges, academic collaborations and exchange of knowledge is of crucial importance. The agreement signed today between the University of Gibraltar and Broward College will benefit both institutions and will further cement Gibraltars place as a provider of quality education which is recognised internationally.

Broward College is a leader in international education. In addition to enhancing student diversity at Broward College through international student recruitment initiatives, the College provides students who live outside of the United States opportunities to live and study at American colleges and universities through its international education partnering network. Speaking at the press conference, the President of Broward College, Gregory Adam Haile, Esq. said We look forward to collaborating with the University of Gibraltar, which is uniquely positioned to provide our students a global experience. Partnerships such as the one we are establishing today allow us to create educational opportunities for those who would otherwise not have them.

The one-day event at the Universitys Europa Point Campus formed part of the Broward International Conference which took place in Marbella with the aim of providing a forum for partners to share best practices and ideas.
At the invitation of the Oceania Customs Organisation (OCO), WCO Deputy Secretary General Mr. Ricardo Trevino Chapa attended its 21st Annual Conference, held in Saipan, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), from 13 to 16 May 2019.

The opening ceremony was chaired by Mr. Ralph Torres, Governor of CNMI. The event was attended by representatives from Oceanias Customs authorities and various stakeholders of the Pacific Islands, including international organizations, security authorities and local governmental representatives.

In his keynote address, Deputy Secretary General Trevino Chapa referred to the WCO continuously developing international standards, fostering cooperation and delivering capacity building. He invited the representatives of the different Island States that have not yet become Members of the WCO to do so, and benefit from the tools and instruments that the Organization can provide. Additionally, Mr. Trevino Chapa highlighted the work that is being achieved at the WCO regarding Small Island Economies (SIEs), mentioning new guidelines that focus mainly on identifying SIEs unique strengths, challenges and specificities, and providing tailor-made capacity building support to enhance trade competitiveness, improve border procedures and increase connectivity with the global economy. Technical assistance can also be provided to SIEs with a view to the implementation of various WCO conventions and standards, such as the Revised Kyoto Convention (RKC), the Harmonized System (HS) Convention and the SAFE Framework of Standards, as well as the World Trade Organization (WTO) Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA).

The Deputy Secretary General also participated in a panel discussion on trade facilitation during which he spoke about the different WCO tools and instruments, such as:

the RKC, which is undergoing a comprehensive review process and will soon be updated,

the Harmonized System (HS), around which discussions have been opened to decide whether it is feasible and timely to initiate a complete review and modernization of this tool,

the Framework of Standards on E-Commerce, which will be discussed during the next Council sessions, and

the SAFE Framework of Standards, that covers some of the best practices in coordinated border management and the use of advance information procedures, as well as the Single Window and the WCOs Data Model solution.

During the event, an official ceremony was organized in which the Deputy Secretary General received letters of accession to the RKC from the Cook Islands and Tuvalu. With these two new accessions the RKC has now reached 118 Contracting Parties, maintaining its place as the flagship instrument on Customs procedures.
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By West Kentucky Star Staff

May. 16, 2019 | PADUCAH

By West Kentucky Star Staff May. 16, 2019 | 05:02 PM | PADUCAH

A Kevil man appeared in court Thursday on an animal abuse charge.



According to the McCracken County District Court Clerk, Jayce Bryant entered a not guilty plea to a charge of torture of a dog or cat resulting in serious injury. A preliminary hearing was set for May 28.



Bryant was arrested by McCracken Sheriff's Deputies on May 2 after an investigation into how a black lab and great dane mix puppy, approximately 6-9 months old, was found earlier that week with tape around its mouth. A veterinarian told investigators the puppy suffered serious physical injury because its muzzle was taped shut for an extended period of time. The dog's back legs had also been taped together, but it had managed to free itself.



Information from witnesses led to Bryant, and he reportedly admitted that he had taped up the dog because it had bitten him. He told police he intended to remove the tape while dumping the dog in another neighborhood, but it ran away.



Prior to his arrest, Bryant was an employee at McCracken County Jail. He was fired immediately by Jailer David Knight.
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By West Kentucky Star Staff

May. 15, 2019 | PADUCAH; UNION CITY

By West Kentucky Star Staff May. 15, 2019 | 02:36 PM | PADUCAH; UNION CITY

One person is in jail and another is being sought in connection to last month's armed robbery of Huck's convenience store on Benton Road.



Store employees told deputies on April 17 that two men entered the store early that morning wearing masks that partially concealed their faces, and demanded money from the cash registers. One suspect reportedly fired a handgun inside the store while making demands. Witnesses say the men also took a wallet belonging to a customer in the store.



On May 2, Union City Police contacted the McCracken County Sheriff's Department because they were investigating a similar crime and the two robberies might be connected. Detectives identified two men as suspects: 28-year-old Keith Milton Patterson of Westport, Tennessee, and 42-year-old Stephen Joshua Rogers of Huntingdon, Tennessee.



Rogers was arrested in Tennessee on Monday, while Union City Police and Carroll County Sheriff's Detectives searched Patterson's home. They say evidence was found related to both robberies, along with evidence of methamphetamine use.



McCracken County Sheriff's Detectives went to the Obion County Jail and interviewed Rogers on Tuesday, and say he admitted to his involvement in the Paducah robbery. Police in Tennessee are still looking for Patterson.



Warrants were issued on Wednesday charging Rogers and Patterson with two counts of 1st degree robbery. Patterson was also charged with possession of a handgun by a convicted felon.



Anyone with information on Patterson's whereabouts should contact their local law enforcement agency.



Sheriff Matt Carter praised the cooperation of agencies in both states during the investigation.



Carter said, "It is also a continual reminder of how illegal drugs, especially methamphetamine, have a direct correlation to many other crimes as proven true in this case pursuant to the investigation. Vigorous drug enforcement efforts will continue to be one of our top priorities as I believe it prevents crimes, helps those addicted, and hold those accountable that choose to prey on the addicted by trafficking this poison."
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By West Kentucky Star Staff

May. 16, 2019 | BALLARD COUNTY

By West Kentucky Star Staff May. 16, 2019 | 09:04 AM | BALLARD COUNTY

A former Ballard County Sheriff's Deputy has been charged with theft and official misconduct, after an investigation into money missing from a traffic stop.



Ballard County Sheriff Ronnie Giles said in a press release Thursday morning that an investigation began Monday into money that had come up missing after a traffic stop. Giles said he reviewed body camera footage, and was able to verify there was money in the vehicle at the time of the stop, and that it came up missing before the stop was concluded.



Giles said the only two people who had access to the vehicle after the suspect was taken into custody were a full time deputy and Special Deputy Derek Turner. Giles asked the McCracken County Sheriff's Department to investigate the matter. Following their investigation, Turner was arrested on charges of theft by unlawful taking under $500 and second degree official misconduct.



Turner was booked into the McCracken County Jail.



"As the sheriff of Ballard County I hold my deputies and department to a high standard of professionalism and moral conduct. Actions like this will not be tolerated and will be dealt with accordingly, regardless of who it is. The people of Ballard County deserve that. Derek Turner has been removed from the special deputy roster and can no longer act in any official capacity of my office." Giles said.
By West Kentucky Star Staff May. 15, 2019 | 06:44 PM | GRAVES COUNTY

Matthew Madding will lead the Graves County School District as superintendent, beginning July 1.

The Graves County Board of Education voted to hire Madding during a special, called meeting Wednesday afternoon. Madding thanked the Board for giving him this opportunity and promised to give it his very best.

At the end of the day, all great teachers get into education because they want to have that impact on young people's lives, Madding said. I'm honored and humbled that the Board has given me this opportunity to have such a large scope of impact on the students of Graves County.

Madding graduated as valedictorian of the Graves High Class of 2002. He then earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Kentucky, majoring in mathematics education. He taught math at Graves High from 2006-11. He earned a master's degree in secondary education at Murray State University, while teaching. Then, he earned a master's degree in administration through Northern Kentucky University.

He was hired as principal at Farmington Elementary School and served in that role for the 2011-12 school year. He then was appointed interim principal at Graves High for 2012-13 year. At the end of that school year, he was hired as principal, serving in that role for the past six years.

Kim Dublin retires June 30, after serving six years as superintendent and her entire 31-year career in the school district.
Attorney General's Office to help register contractors in Mayfield
By The Associated Press May. 16, 2019 | 05:54 AM | JEFFERSON CITY

Missouri's Republican-led Senate has now passed a bill to ban abortions at eight weeks of pregnancy.

Senators approved the legislation 24-10 early Thursday with just hours left before a Friday deadline to pass bills. It needs at least one more vote of approval in the GOP-led House before it can go to Republican Gov. Mike Parson, who voiced support for it on Wednesday.

Parson called on state senators to take action, joining a movement of GOP-dominated state legislatures emboldened by the possibility that a more conservative Supreme Court could overturn its landmark ruling legalizing the procedure. Their vote came only hours after Alabama's governor signed the most stringent abortion ban in the nation on Wednesday, making performing an abortion a felony in nearly all cases.

The Missouri proposal includes exceptions for medical emergencies, but not for pregnancies caused by rape or incest. Doctors would face five to 15 years in prison for violating the eight-week cutoff. Women who receive abortions at eight weeks or later into a pregnancy wouldn't be prosecuted.

Outnumbered Senate Democrats launched into an attack on the bill before Republican supporters had a chance to bring it up for debate on the Senate floor.

"So much of this bill is just shaming women into some kind of complacency that says we are vessels of pregnancy rather than understanding that women's lives all hold different stories," St. Louis-area Democratic Sen. Jill Schupp told colleagues. "We cannot paint with a broad brush and interfere by putting a law forward that tells them what they can and cannot do."

Missouri is among a growing number of states where abortion opponents are working with renewed enthusiasm following President Donald Trump's appointment of more conservative high court justices. Kentucky, Mississippi, Ohio and Georgia have approved bans on abortion once fetal cardiac activity can be detected , which can occur in about the sixth week of pregnancy. Similar restrictions in North Dakota and Iowa have been struck down in court.

Supporters say the Alabama bill is intentionally designed to conflict with the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion nationally in hopes of sparking a court case that might prompt the justices to revisit abortion rights.

Missouri's bill also includes an outright ban on abortions except in cases of medical emergencies. But unlike Alabama's, it would kick in only if Roe v. Wade is overturned.

If courts don't allow Missouri's proposed eight-week ban to take effect, it includes a ladder of less-restrictive time limits ranging from 14 to 20 weeks. Roe v. Wade legalized abortion up until viability, usually at 22 to 24 weeks.

"This is not a piece of legislation that is designed for a challenge," Missouri's Republican House Speaker Elijah Haahr said. "This is the type of legislation that is designed to withstand a challenge and to actually save lives in our state."

Other provisions in the wide-ranging abortion bill include a ban on abortions based solely on race, sex or a "prenatal diagnosis, test, or screening indicating Down Syndrome or the potential of Down Syndrome."

The bill would also require that both parents be notified for a minor to get an abortion, with exceptions. A change made after hours of late-night negotiations means written notification is only required if the second parent has joint legal or physical custody of the minor.

Current law requires written consent from only one parent.
By The Associated Press May. 15, 2019 | 08:55 PM | FRANKFORT

Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin's administration hasn't built enough "comfort level" among lawmakers to get his pension-relief proposal through the Republican-led House in a potential special legislative session, the House speaker said Wednesday.

Speaker David Osborne said discussions continue in an effort to "try to get those votes" for Bevin's plan, which aims to provide relief to some state-funded agencies struggling with surging retirement payments. The proposal would replace a pension measure vetoed by the governor in April after lawmakers had ended this year's regular legislative session.

"As of right now, I don't believe that there is a comfort level that the necessary votes are there to pass that particular proposal," Osborne told reporters.

Bevin sent a letter to lawmakers last week urging them to "do the financially responsible thing" as he sought support for his struggling proposal. Members of Bevin's team have met with lawmakers to try to build support for the measure in a special session the governor wants to call. Bevin is grappling with the politically treacherous issue as he seeks reelection this year.

Legislative leaders have said it's up to Bevin to line up support for his pension proposal.

"It's my understanding that they are closer to that point," Senate President Robert Stivers said as he and Osborne spoke with reporters at the state Capitol.

Regional universities as well as county health departments, rape crisis centers and many other quasi-governmental agencies face ballooning pension costs on July 1 unless action is taken.

State leaders worry that inaction would strain the state's quasi-public agencies and lead to some bankruptcies, elimination of staff and loss of critical services for Kentuckians.

Bevin's plan has been endorsed by regional university presidents and picked up support from some representatives of local health departments, mental health centers and other agencies.

His proposal allows the agencies to stay with the Kentucky Retirement Systems at full cost, leave the retirement system by paying a lump sum equal to future projected benefits payments or buy their way out in installment payments over 30 years. It extends a freeze on pension costs for another year for the regional universities and quasi-public agencies.

Lawmakers are expressing various concerns about the proposal, the House and Senate leaders said.

"Some people are for it as it stands; some people don't think that it goes far enough; other people think it's too harsh," Stivers said.

House Minority Floor Leader Rocky Adkins said his fellow House Democrats don't support Bevin's proposal. Democrats believe the governor's plan would violate the "inviolable contract," language in state law that guarantees employees get the benefits promised when hired, he said.

Adkins called for a freeze on pension contribution rates for regional universities and quasi-public agencies while lawmakers work on a pension proposal next year. He called it a "common sense" approach that could be accomplished quickly in a special session.

"You give the relief where the relief is needed," said Adkins, who is running for governor.

Bevin said in his recent letter to lawmakers that he opposes merely freezing those pension contribution rates, saying "the days of kicking the pension can down the road" are over.

Another question is how many votes Bevin's proposal would need to pass in a special session.

Adkins said the measure would need at least 60 votes in the 100-member House because it's an appropriations bill. Such bills require a higher threshold of support in each legislative chamber in odd-numbered years. Osborne said the bill would need 51 votes to pass.

Without getting 60 votes, the measure would likely draw a court challenge, Adkins said.
Chinese President Xi Jinping delivers a keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the Conference on Dialogue of Asian Civilizations (CDAC) at the China National Convention Center in Beijing, capital of China, May 15, 2019. [Xinhua/Ju Peng]

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday attended the opening ceremony of the Conference on Dialogue of Asian Civilizations in Beijing and delivered a keynote speech.

He called for efforts to jointly create a brighter future for civilizations of Asia and the world.

The Chinese president raised a four-point proposal to consolidate the "cultural foundation" of jointly building a community with a shared future for Asia and humanity: treating each other with respect and as equals; appreciating the beauty of all civilizations; adhering to openness, inclusiveness, mutual learning; and keeping pace with the times.

Wang Huning attended the opening ceremony.

Exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations should be conducted in a reciprocal and equal manner, and be diversified and multi-directional, he said. The exchanges should neither be compulsory or forced, nor one-directional.

Xi said in his speech that various civilizations are not destined to clash as long as people were able to appreciate the beauty of all civilizations.

Noting that Chinese civilization is an open system formed during constant exchanges and mutual learning with other civilizations, Xi said China will surely embrace the world with a more open posture and contribute more dynamic civilization achievements to the world in the future.

Foreign guests including Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni, Greek President Prokopis Pavlopoulos, Singaporean President Halimah Yacob, Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, and UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay, spoke at the opening ceremony respectively.

They stressed the need to respect the differences, uniqueness and diversity of civilizations, saying that the so-called clash of civilizations argument is a huge mistake which will damage or even cut off the bridge for civilization exchanges.

The week-long event includes an opening ceremony, panel discussions, an Asian culture carnival and Asian Civilization Week involving more than 110 activities to showcase the diversity and charm of Asian civilizations.
A wedding dress is exhibited at a museum of broken relationships in Taiyuan, capital of North China's Shanxi province. [Photo/sxrb.com]

Just 20 days after the opening of a museum of broken relationships in Taiyuan, capital of North China's Shanxi Province, its owner joked that it was turning into a blind date site, thecover.cn reported.

Since it opened to the public on April 25, the museum has received 500 visitors every day, aged between 16 and 25.

The number of its exhibits, ranging from train tickets and an unfinished self-knitted sweater to a wedding dress and a tie with a lipstick mark, has increased by threefold to more than 200. All the objects are left behind from breakups and donated by the public.

People seem to find closure for a broken relationship by donating souvenirs from former lover, Kang Shidong, owner of the museum, told Shanxi's news portal sxrb.com. He said a young man brought a bracelet and spent a whole afternoon writing a note, elaborating his love story.

Besides closure, what surprises Kang is that some visitors fell in love after coming across each other at the museum. "As far as I know, some have entered romantic relationships," said Kang. "I'm happy to see that. The purpose of establishing such a museum is for people to say goodbye to their old relationship and stride into a new one."

The idea of setting up such a museum came to Kang when he visited a museum of broken relationships in Chengdu, capital of Southwest China's Sichuan province, with two friends in January. They thought it would be a good thing for Taiyuan to have a place for people to bury souvenirs from a failed relationship.

They acted fast and opened the museum after three months' preparation.

The world's first museum of broken relationships was founded in Croatia in 2006 by two artists, who ended their four-year relationship and got the idea of setting up a museum to house their leftover personal items.

China has several museums of broken relationships now, in Nanjing, Chengdu, Xi'an, Wuhan, Beijing, Chongqing, Jinan, Harbin, Changsha, Guangzhou and Changchun.
Committee calls for health board update on work to reduce GP shortages in Wrexham

This article is old - Published: Thursday, May 16th, 2019

Calls for information on what is being done to resolve GP shortages in Wrexham and further afield have been made by councillors.

Members of the councils safeguarding, communities and wellbeing scrutiny committee had been set to discuss the issue at their meeting with the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board at their meeting in January 2020.

However councillors yesterday called for the item to be brought forward due the situation seemingly getting worse locally.

Cllr I David Bithell said: We all have concerns over GP issues in Wrexham.

Would it be advisable to bring the meeting forward to this year? It feels a long way away considering the amount of people who are waiting for GP appointments in Wrexham.

The comments were echoed by Cllr Brian Cameron who said that GP shortages and issues with patients booking appointments was getting worse.

He said: Back in 2012/2013 when I raised it, it was was in relation to the closure of the surgery in Hightown.

Ever since it has been on every single Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board (BCUHB) meeting and it doesnt seem to be getting any better, in fact it is getting worse  a lot worse.

I think it is time that we should have some results.

However there were questions over what new information could be expected during such a meeting, with the committee reminded that they debated the issue at length with health board representatives earlier this year.

During Januarys meeting it was revealed that on average there is 2000 patients per the equivalent of a whole time GP in Wrexham  which is one of the highest in the UK.

At the time reassurances were offered that work is being done to recruit more GPs to Wrexham and across north east Wales.

But Cllr Bithell said that things had deteriorated further since the January meeting, with Cllr Cameron calling for the scheduled meeting in October to discuss mental health services to be extended to allow for a debate on GP shortages and recruitment.

Cllr Beverley Parry-Jones also asked if it would be possible for more information to be brought to the October meeting to discuss what contingency plans are in place to deal with winter pressures on the local health service.

It was agreed that the committee request to extend the October meeting to allow for an update on GP shortages in Wrexham.

Since the meeting at the start of the year it has been announced that Alyn Family Doctors, who operate health centres in three villages were once again looking to

In more positive news locally, it was recently confirmed that three surgeries under the management of BCUHB would be handed over to Dr Karen Sankey and Dr Gayle Knights of the community interest company (CIC), the Community Care Collaborative.

Over the next few months ownership of the three practices will be transferred to the Community Care Collaborative, starting with Hillcrest in July.

This will be followed by Forge Road in September and Borras Park in November.

Patients registered at these practices do not need to take any action.

The health board will be working with the Dr Sankey and Dr Knights to complete the contractual arrangements over the coming months.
Mix up sees some Welsh taxpayers charged Scottish income tax rate

This article is old - Published: Thursday, May 16th, 2019

Some workers in Wales have been paying Scottish rates on income tax after the wrong code was applied in a mix up by HMRC.

Welsh rates of income tax (WRIT) were introduced on 6 April this year, with income tax payers in Wales assigned with a C tax code.

However taxpayers living in Wales have received a Scottish S code and, as a result, have paid Scottish rates of income tax in April.

HMRC is unable to confirm the full extent of the error at this time or the total number of taxpayers affected.

For those organisations that have been affected, taxpayers will have over or underpaid tax by relatively small amounts the Welsh Government has said.

Rebecca Evans AM, Minister for Finance said: I have spoken to HMRC officials and have asked for further details on the cause of the issue, its extent and the numbers of taxpayers affected and sought assurances on the action being taken to rectify the problem.

Jim Harra, the Second Permanent Secretary at HMRC has today written to me to confirm HMRCs response and plans for correcting and monitoring the situation looking ahead.

HMRC will be able to undertake a comprehensive check in early June at which point an assessment of the full extent of the issue will be made.

Where there is a discrepancy between the correct C code issued by HMRC and the code applied by the employer, the tax code will be re-issued by HMRC to the employer. A second check will take place in September to help prevent any persistent errors in C code allocation.

Since this error has come to light, HMRC has been working with the affected organisations to rectify the issue. HMRC has confirmed that the error will be resolved ahead of the processing of the payrolls for May, with any over or underpayments incorrectly applied in April being rectified at that point.

As a result, there will be no substantial under or over payment of tax by any individuals.

Any errors in the amount of tax paid will be resolved through HMRCs standard tax reconciliation process for PAYE, and no action will need to be taken by Welsh taxpayers.

Chair of the National Assemblys Finance Committee, Llyr Gruffydd AM, said: HMRCs admission is deeply disappointing as this Committee was repeatedly given assurances that mistakes like this would not happen.

We raised concerns about the flagging process for identifying Welsh taxpayers during our inquiries into fiscal devolution and the Welsh Governments draft budget.

On each occasion we were told the matter was in hand and the lessons from the devolution of income tax powers to Scotland, where there were similar issues, had been soundly learned and would be put into effect.

We are seeking an immediate explanation of how this has happened and will be asking representatives from HMRC to appear before this Committee in the near future.

A statement from the HMRC said: We have been made aware of an error in the application of new income tax codes for Welsh taxpayers by some employers which has meant some taxpayers paid the incorrect amount of tax in April.

It is the responsibility of the employer to apply the tax codes provided by HMRC and we are working closely with the employers affected and providing support as they investigate and correct the problem.
Wrexham councillor renews calls to ban use of weedkiller amid cancer link fears

This article is old - Published: Friday, May 17th, 2019

A local councillor has called for glyphosate-based weedkillers which have been linked to cases of cancer to be banned in Wales.

Councillor Ronnie Prince has lobbied Wrexham Council to end its use of products such as Roundup for more than a year after he witnessed it being sprayed on grass verges in Caia Park.

Successful legal action has been taken against German pharmaceutical giants Bayer as recently as this week following its takeover of the herbicides producer Monsanto.

On Tuesday a United States jury awarded a couple who said Roundup was responsible for their cancer more than $2bn (1.5bn) in damages.

A scientific study published earlier this year also found that people with high exposures to some popular pesticides have a 41 per cent increased risk of developing non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

Cllr Prince has now taken his fight to the Welsh Government and demanded a moratorium on the use of weedkillers containing glyphosate until their safety is proven.

He said: In light of the continued controversy of a common weedkiller being linked to cancer in humans, wouldnt it be prudent of the Welsh Government to err on the side of caution over the safety of our citizens and instigate a moratorium over its use until its proven safe or otherwise?

Ive previously asked Wrexham Council to have a moratorium over the use of this product.

The council stated that the Welsh Government policy was that this weedkiller is safe to use.

I was informed that this guidance was sent out to all 22 local authorities.

After seeing continued headlines saying Common weedkiller glyphosate increases cancer risk by 41 per cent study says and US jury awarded $2bn damages in Roundup weedkiller cancer claim, people are really shocked and concerned to have this weedkiller sprayed around their communities and understandably so.

Wrexham Council is one of a number of local authorities in Wales which uses a herbicide containing glyphosate to tackle weeds.

While it has resisted Cllr Princes calls for an outright ban in the past, the council has sought to limit the amount sprayed, particularly in areas around playgrounds and schools.

Extra training has also been given to staff in the build up to the summer to protect peoples health.

But a Welsh Government spokesperson said there was no evidence to support a moratorium.

All pesticide products available in the UK have to meet strict regulatory standards to ensure they do not pose a threat to human or animal health and the environment, the spokesperson said.

At the end of 2017 the EU re-approved the continuing use of glyphosate for a period of five years, until 2022.

Reviews of the scientific data by the European Food Safety Authority and the European Chemicals Agency have found no safety concerns that would prevent continuing approval.

By Liam Randall  BBC Local Democracy Reporter (more here on the LDR scheme).
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-15 19:55:47|Editor: ZX

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Vehicles are seen on Rod al-Farag Axis Bridge in Cairo, Egypt, on May 15, 2019. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi attended on Wednesday the opening of Rod al-Farag Axis Bridge, the widest suspension bridge in the world, state-run Nile TV reported. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa)

CAIRO, May 15 (Xinhua) -- Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi attended on Wednesday the opening of Rod al-Farag Axis Bridge, the widest suspension bridge in the world, state-run Nile TV reported.

"Egypt is seeking to carry out public projects in the shortest possible time to save money and effort," al-Sisi said in his address at the inauguration ceremony.

The construction of the bridge was implemented by the Armed Forces Engineering Authority (AFEA) in cooperation with a number of national companies.

"The basic cost of this project reached 170 billion Egyptian pounds (9.94 billion U.S. dollars)," said Ihab Alphar, chairman of the AFEA.

However, if this project was to be implemented at the present time, it would cost about 23 billion dollars given the variation in the value of the Egyptian pound, he added.

"The bridge that links areas in northern and eastern Cairo with western Cairo is meant to streamline traffic and reduce commuting time," the AFEA chairman noted.

Divided into five parts, the Rod al-Farag Axis Bridge is 16.7 km long with some 4,000 engineers, technicians, and workers participating in its construction.

Mohamed Mohsen Salah, board chairman of Arab Contractors Company, said the mega projects in Egypt over the past five years have helped secure millions of jobs and lay out a new development map for the country.

The axis bridge, which passes over the Nile River, enters Guinness World Records for being the widest flyover in the world at a width of 64.7 meters, said Talal Omar, regional director for the Guinness World Records in the Middle East and North Africa region.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-15 20:31:27|Editor: xuxin

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KIGALI, May 15 (Xinhua) -- The Rwandan government has signed an agreement with the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) and the African Union to host the second Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF2020) slated for September next year.

The agreement was signed Tuesday in the Rwandan capital city Kigali on the sidelines of the four-day Transform Africa Summit, Afreximbank said in a statement received here on Wednesday.

The trade fair is scheduled to take place in Kigali on Sept. 1-7, 2020, organized by Afreximbank in collaboration with the African Union, according to the statement.

The second Intra-African Trade Fair will target the execution of Intra-African trade deals worth more than 40 billion U.S. dollars, said Benedict Oramah, Afreximbank's president, at the signing ceremony.

The organizers target to attract more than 1,000 exhibitors and host over 10,000 buyers and conference participants from over 50 countries, said Oramah.

The trade fair was a platform for sharing trade information, which brought together buyers and sellers and created access to financing for businesses, said Albert Muchanga, Commissioner for Trade and Industry of the African Union.

The first Intra-African Trade Fair was held in Egyptian capital Cairo in 2018.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-16 03:47:04|Editor: ZX

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People attend the Estonian language dictation program of the Tallinn Day festivities in Tallinn, Estonia, on May 15, 2019. A series of events focusing on the Estonian language, as well as a book market, concerts and classic film screenings marked Tallinn Day here on Wednesday. (Xinhua/Guo Chunju)

TALLINN, May 15 (Xinhua) -- A series of events focusing on the Estonian language, as well as a book market, concerts and classic film screenings marked Tallinn Day here on Wednesday.

The annual celebrations this year were dedicated to the Year of the Estonian Language. The events attracted a record of 1,780 registered participants in the dictation and language learning program in the city center.

Addressing a ceremony at the Town Hall, Estonian Prime Minister Juri Ratas called on the audience to value the Tallinn's history and achievements, and think about the future and the different possibilities accompanying it on this special day.

Tallinn Mayor Mihhail Kolvart officially opened the Tallinn Day festivities, stressing the important role the Estonian language plays in the country's culture.

Tiit Terik, chairman of the City Council of Tallinn, visited the first baby born on Tallinn Day and sent congratulations to the boy's parents, as per Tallinn Day tradition.

Kolvart and Terik both attended the Estonian language dictation program along with other city officials and civil participants, young and old alike.

Kolvart told Xinhua that "Language is an important part of culture, and culture is the base of a nation and the state," adding that "I believe that if we know more about different languages and cultures, it enables us to know more about our own culture and language."

Describing Beijing, the capital of China, as "not only a good partner but also a good friend of the city of Tallinn," Kolvart recalled that the two cities have organized several events jointly in Tallinn, and said he expected this relationship to evolve in the future.

"Cooperation between cultures give us new knowledge, new decisions and develops all the world's civilizations, because, unfortunately, if we don't have cooperation and understanding, sometimes that means conflicts," Kolvart said.

Tallinn Day falls on May 15. The name Tallinn in Estonian -- taani linn -- means "Danish Town." In the 13th and 14th centuries, northern Estonia was under Danish rule.
A combination of file photos show Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) and his Ukrainian counterpart Petro Poroshenko.

MOSCOW, May 15 (Xinhua) -- Russia may take steps in response to new sanctions imposed by Ukraine on Russian goods, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Wednesday.

"We need to remember that the previous decisions of the Russian side were provoked by the Ukrainian authorities," Peskov told reporters, when asked how Moscow would react to Kiev's sanctions. He did not elaborate.

Earlier on Wednesday, the Ukrainian government approved a ban on imports of Russian cement and plywood, a statement on the Ukrainian Ministry of Economic Development and Trade's website said.

The ministry estimated the value of Russian cement imports last year at around 17 million U.S. dollars and that of plywood imports at around 19.7 million dollars.

In another statement, the ministry said the Ukrainian government had approved imposing a special duty on all goods originating from Russia except coal, coke, gasoline, liquefied petroleum gas and pharmaceuticals from Aug. 1.

These steps were taken in response to the "aggressive and discriminatory" actions by Russia against Ukrainian goods imports, the Ukrainian ministry said.

Last year, Russia slapped economic sanctions against some 600 Ukrainian individuals, including senior officials and business tycoons, freezing their assets in Russia and banning the withdrawal of their capital from Russia.

It also imposed a ban on imports of various items, including foodstuffs and beverages, machinery and equipment, construction materials, furniture and household appliances.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-16 04:57:40|Editor: xuxin

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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (R) and Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi attend a welcome ceremony at the Presidential Palace in Ankara, Turkey, on May 15, 2019. Turkey and Iraq signed a mutually beneficial deal to strengthen military and security cooperation, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday. (Xinhua/Mustafa Kaya)

ANKARA, May 15 (Xinhua) -- Turkey and Iraq signed a mutually beneficial deal to strengthen military and security cooperation, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday.

After meeting with visiting Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi, Erdogan told reporters that they agreed on fighting against terrorism, reconstruction works in Iraq and next steps to enhance cooperation between the two neighboring countries.

Erdogan said the defense ministers and intelligence chiefs of the two countries will meet soon to discuss further details of the agreements.

The two leaders also highlighted the repairing of an oil pipeline from northern Iraq to Turkey, which was damaged during the Islamic State group's presence in Iraq.

Turkish-Iraqi relations have recently gained new development with high-level visits. In January, Iraqi President Barham Salih visited Turkey and held talks with Erdogan, agreeing on enhancing cooperation in all fields.
U.S. President Donald Trump (R) and South Korean President Moon Jae-in gesture after signing a trade agreement at a bilateral meeting in New York on Sept. 24, 2018, a day before the start of the General Debate of the 73rd session of the UN General Assembly. (AFP Photo)

WASHINGTON, May 15 (Xinhua) -- The White House said here on Wednesday that U.S. President Donald Trump will visit South Korea to promote bilateral ties in June.

In a statement, the White House said that "President Donald J. Trump will visit the Republic of Korea to meet with President Moon Jae-in, in conjunction with his travel to the region to attend the G20 Summit in late June."

Trump and Moon "will continue their close coordination on efforts to achieve the final, fully verified denuclearization" of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), the statement read.

The two leaders will also discuss ways to strengthen the bilateral alliance and the friendship between the two peoples, the White House said.

The White House said in April that Trump and his wife Melania will travel to Japan at the end of May as the country's first state guests to meet the newly enthroned emperor.

During Moon's recent visit to the White House in April, Trump said that the sanctions on the DPRK would remain in place, but he deemed it unnecessary to further increase them.

He also said that it was possible for him to hold a third meeting with top DPRK leader Kim Jong Un.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-16 08:54:52|Editor: Liangyu

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Sabur Sanzhar reads at a library of Beijing University of Chinese Medicine in Beijing, capital of China, May 14, 2019. Sabur Sanzhar, a post-graduate from Kazakhstan, is in his second year studying traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) theories at Beijing University of Chinese Medicine (BUCM). He chose this programme because he wanted to work as a TCM course instructor after graduation and promote TCM among the Kazakhs. In summer 2018, Sanzhar had an opportunity to visit the Kolsay Lakes National Park, a renowned scenic area in Kazakhstan. The tranquility of the lake surface served as a source of photographic inspiration and reminded Sanzhar of a Chinese naturalist philosophy which encourages people to live by Natures rules while remaining close ties with it. One of the photos taken by Sanzhar during his trip to the Kolsay Lakes National Park is displayed at the photographic exhibition "Diversity of Asian Civilizations in Youth Eyes", held on the sidelines of the Conference on Dialogue of Asian Civilizations (CDAC). In Sanzhars view, both the Chinese and the Kazakh cultures are peace-oriented. There exists an assortment of Asian cultures which share rich historical connections despite their varying origins. And exchanges between cultures will eventually foster common development and progress of different regions. (Xinhua/Chen Yehua)
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-16 07:59:02|Editor: Yamei

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KHARTOUM, May 16 (Xinhua) -- Sudan's Transitional Military Council (TMC) on Thursday announced suspension of talks with the major opposition forces for 72 hours.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-16 10:15:07|Editor: ZX

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OTTAWA, May 15 (Xinhua) -- Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland announced Wednesday that she will have a working visit to Cuba on Thursday.

Freeland will meet with her Cuban counterpart Bruno Eduardo Rodriguez Parrilla to discuss the deteriorating situation in Venezuela and the U.S. decision to activate Title III of the Helms-Burton Act to reinforce sanctions on Cuba.

"It is of critical importance that our two countries meet to discuss the economic, political and humanitarian crisis in Venezuela and the work we can undertake together to address it," she said.

"I also look forward to discussing how we can work together to defend Canadians conducting legitimate trade and investment in Cuba in light of the United States ending the suspension of Title III of the Helms-Burton Act," said the Canadian minister.

U.S. President Donald Trump has signaled he will enforce a long-dormant part of the U.S. trade embargo against Cuba, known as Title III of the Helms-Burton Act, which is considered to seriously threaten foreign investment by Canadian and European companies in Cuba.

Canada is member of the Lima Group of countries that opposes Maduro's presidency and has recognized opposition leader Juan Guaido as the country's legitimate leader.

By enforcing Title III of the embargo, Cuban Americans and other U.S. citizens will be able to file lawsuits in U.S. federal court against businesses that operate on property the Cuban government appropriated after the 1959 revolution. Title III has never been fully enforced since the law was passed in 1996.

The move could spell trouble for major Canadian companies that operate in Cuba, including the Montreal-based National Bank of Canada, which operates a branch in Havana focused on trade financing, and Toronto-based resource company Sherritt International, according to CBC.
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Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-16 10:40:16|Editor: ZX

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CANBERRA, May 16 (Xinhua) -- With the polling day of Australia's federal election approaching, many people chose to vote before May 18.

Christine Mason, 67, voted on Tuesday in Belconnon of the Australian Capital Territory, because she would be away and look after her father during the weekend.

Talking about her top interest while making her choice, she said "it is time for Australia to take a stronger sense on climate change."

Mason worked in the Australian Bureau of Statistics before her retirement and she also talked about overseas aid. "I feel strongly that people who are more vulnerable need help from Australia," she said.

Jude Fry also cast her vote on the day. The 54-year-old worked in a school and education was important for her. "Especially for the under-privileged," she said.

Jarrod Hyde, 24, was a bar tender. He said the government cut the penalty rate, which was "probably not a smart choice." "Penalty rates are in place because they understood that Saturday and Sunday are holidays and most people would take off," he said. "It was like a kick in the teeth, having your government say that we don't value that much."

He also put immigration as priority while making decision. "To me it seems like we always welcome people to this country, giving people a fresh beginning. That definitely reflected how I voted," he said.

According to the Australian Electoral Commission, early voting for the federal election commenced from April 29. As of March 31, the country, with a population of about 25 million, has more than 16 million electors on the roll.

Paul Thompson, 66, was a volunteer at the Belconnon voting center. "To me my personal concern is about homelessness and affordable housing, because I work for social welfare. So I want to see government care about people," he said.

With introduction of candidates seen everywhere in Canberra, volunteers like Thompson were making last-minute attempt to gain support from voters for different parties.

On Wednesday, Albert White was handing out flyer of candidate introduction outside the Old Parliament House at the center of Canberra.

"The top priority is climate change and wage justice," the 74-year-old retired nurse said.

"We have the situation where the rich is becoming richer while the poor people, the ordinary people have had no pay raise for about six or seven years. Australians need wage raises and they need it now," White said.

Another volunteer, 64-year-old Yvette Gilroy, had different preference.

"My main concern is we have a sensible policy agenda which is practical and actually maintaining economic health in the nation," she said. "The prerequisite is maintaining economic stability and strength."

She thought the last government had an uphill battle to pay off the debt by predecessors. Self employed with a small business, she said "They (the last government) have very good policy for promoting small business."

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, leader of the Liberal National Party Coalition (LNP), has built his re-election campaign on a message of economic stability, promising fiscal responsibility that will deliver the first budget surplus in a decade and make way for tax cuts across the board.

Australian Labor Party leader Bill Shorten has, by contrast, made election pledges worth 60 billion Australian dollars (41.5 billion U.S. dollars) that he plans to fund by taxing the wealthy, especially the well-off retired.

Climate policy is another significant point of difference between the two major parties, with the LNP failing to announce an alternative plan beyond Australia's existing international emissions reduction targets.

According to the latest Newspoll, one of the nation's leading opinion polls, released on Sunday night, Labor leads the LNP 51-49 on two-party preferred terms. The LNP has been slowly making up ground on the Labor in opinion polls, coming back from a 56-44 deficit when Malcolm Turnbull was deposed as prime minister and Morrison installed as his successor in August 2018.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-16 10:40:18|Editor: Liangyu

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BEIJING, May 16 (Xinhua) -- China's Yutu-2, the first rover on the far side of the moon, has found materials from deep inside the moon that could help unravel the mystery of the lunar mantle composition and the formation and evolution of the moon and the earth.

Using data obtained by the visible and near infrared spectrometer installed on Yutu-2, a research team led by Li Chunlai, of the National Astronomical Observatories of China under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, found that the lunar soil in the landing area of the Chang'e-4 probe contains olivine and pyroxene which came from the lunar mantle deep inside the moon.

After Chang'e-4 successfully landed on the Von Karman Crater in the South Pole-Aitken Basin on Jan. 3 this year, the Yutu-2 rover obtained good quality spectral data at two sites.

"The data, unlike that obtained by Yutu on the near side of the moon, gave us a pleasant surprise," said Li.

Analysis showed the lunar soil in the landing area contains a large amount of olivine, low-calcium pyroxene and a small amount of high-calcium pyroxene, which are very likely from the lunar mantle, Li said.

The first important scientific discovery of the Chang'e-4 probe since it made the first-ever soft landing on the far side of the moon was published online in the latest issue of the academic journal Nature.
Aung Khant Zaw plays with his pet iguana in Yangon, Myanmar, May 12, 2019. (Xinhua/U Aung)

by Khin Zar Thwe

YANGON, May 15 (Xinhua) -- Aung Khant Zaw, a Yangon-based exotic animal lover, has been keeping reptiles as pets for about five years in Myanmar.

His interest in reptiles began in 2015 with a pair of geckos, the first of many that would join his every-expanding reptile collection.

Now, his reptile craze has far surpassed a pair of geckos and includes more than 50 different kinds of reptiles, especially species of lizard, including iguanas, bearded dragons, skinks and chameleons.

"Most of the reptiles in my collection I bought myself from foreign countries. Sometimes, I just need to contact my friends who are breeders overseas and have farms there," Aung Kant Zaw told Xinhua.

His collection comprises a wide range of reptile species, spanning herbivores, carnivores, insectivores and omnivores, from iguanas, to Peter's banded skinks and Argus monitor lizards of different sizes.

Aung Kant Zaw's "pet" collection also included tarantulas, Indian star and leopard tortoises and ball pythons.

Aung Khant Zaw plays with his pet chameleon in Yangon, Myanmar, May 12, 2019. (Xinhua/U Aung)

There are some disagreements, however, about whether keeping reptiles and exotic animals as pets is legal in Myanmar.

The Yangon City Development Committee (YCDC) says on their official website that licenses to keep dogs and cats can be applied for by the owners at the Veterinary and Slaughter Houses Department, but does not mention about those for keeping reptiles.

The department itself opted not to comment on the matter.

Keeping reptiles as pets is not only risky, but expensive, with prices starting at 30,000 kyats (20 U.S. dollars) to over ten million kyats (6,667 U.S. dollars), based on their qualities.

"Actually, I love giant lizards, but it's impossible to keep them. Instead, I came to love dinosaur-like reptiles like iguanas and bearded dragons," he said.

Aung Khant Zaw, 26, is now preparing to run his own exotic pet shop, which has been his childhood dream.

"Being a pet shop owner is what I've been dreaming of since my childhood days. Now, I'm preparing to apply for a license for my shop," he said.

"I just want to provide a place which can offer one-stop services to other reptile lovers like me. At my shop everything from the reptiles themselves to their accessories will be available," the young man added.

Aung Khant Zaw plays with his pet bearded dragons in Yangon, Myanmar, May 12, 2019. (Xinhua/U Aung)

As the reptiles in his collection come from different habitats, with some originally from rainforests, deserts and other environments, he has to keep them housed at different humidities.

Before buying a reptile, he has to study about its habitat and behavior to create a proper habitat terrarium to meet its environmental needs, such as temperature, humidity and light.

Low numbers of vets specializing in reptiles is another challenge for him. "I, myself, have become a 'vet' for my pets by treating them after acquiring the necessary information from books," he said.

The exotic animal lover explained that the pros of keeping reptiles in Myanmar is that the temperature is suitable for their needs and some species of reptile can even be kept at room temperature.

His love of animals does not end here as breeding endangered species to prevent them from extinction is another part of his dream.

"I would like to search for rare or endangered species and breed them before they become extinct. Every animal is needed in our ecosystem, even ants," Aung Khant Zaw said.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-16 11:05:29|Editor: ZX

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CANBERRA, May 16 (Xinhua) -- Australia's leading suicide advocacy group has called on the nation's next government to establish a federal minister for suicide prevention.

Suicide Prevention Australia on Thursday released its plan to reduce the number of Australians taking their lives, including establishing the new ministerial portfolio, a National Suicide Prevention Office.

Eight Australians take their lives every day on average according to a report released by the Community Council for Australia (CCA) in May. The suicide rate for indigenous Australians is twice as high as that of the non-indigenous population.

Nieves Murray, Suicide Prevention Australia chief executive, told News Corp Australia that the organization also wants workers at Centrelink - Australia's welfare agency, financial advisers and community housing workers trained to identify people at risk of taking their own lives.

"Suicide prevention is complex and it needs to be addressed as a whole-of-government issue because it's more than a health issue," she said.

"For example in a community where there is a downturn in heavy industry, one of the first touch points for someone experiencing a suicidal crisis is not the hospital system or the doctor," she said.

"It could be Centrelink but their personnel are not trained to ask the questions or help people experiencing suicidal ideation," she added.

In 2017, 3,128 people died from intentional self-harm rising 9.1 percent from 2,866 in 2016, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

Intentional self-harm was the 13th leading cause of death in Australia in 2017, up from 15th the previous year.

According to CCA, 75 percent of suicides of Australians aged over 17 were male.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-16 11:25:45|Editor: Liangyu

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BEIJING, May 16 (Xinhua) -- China's Yutu-2, the first rover on the far side of the moon, has found materials from deep inside the moon that could help unravel the mystery of the lunar mantle composition and the formation and evolution of the moon and the earth.

Using data obtained by the visible and near infrared spectrometer installed on Yutu-2, a research team led by Li Chunlai, with the National Astronomical Observatories of China under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, found that the lunar soil in the landing area of the Chang'e-4 probe contains olivine and pyroxene which came from the lunar mantle deep inside the moon.

The first important scientific discovery of the Chang'e-4 probe since it made the first-ever soft landing on the far side of the moon was published online in the latest issue of the academic journal Nature.

The moon comprises a core, mantle and crust, like the earth. With the evolution of lunar magma, the light plagioclase rose to the upper layer to form the lunar crust, while the heavier olivine and pyroxene sank to form the lunar mantle, Li said.

"But since the lunar crust is very thick, and there has been no volcanic activity and plate movement on the moon for billions of years, it's hard to find materials from the lunar mantle on the surface," Li said.

The composition of the lunar mantle has long been the subject of theory. Neither the lunar samples from missions by the United States and Soviet Union, nor the remote sensing probes orbiting the moon have provided direct evidence of the accurate composition of the lunar mantle.

Chinese scientists focused on a special area on the far side of the moon -- the South Pole-Aitken (SPA) Basin, which was formed by a celestial collision over 4 billion years ago. With a diameter of 2,500 km and a depth of about 13 km, the basin is the oldest and largest impact crater on the moon.

After Chang'e-4 successfully landed on the Von Karman Crater in SPA Basin on Jan. 3 this year, the Yutu-2 rover obtained good quality spectral data at two sites.

"The data, unlike that obtained by Yutu on the near side of the moon, gave us a pleasant surprise," said Li.

Analysis showed the lunar soil in the landing area contains a large amount of olivine, low-calcium pyroxene and a small amount of high-calcium pyroxene, which are very likely from the lunar mantle, Li said.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-16 13:31:40|Editor: ZX

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KABUL, May 16 (Xinhua) -- Up to six militants, including a key Taliban commander, have been killed following an anti-terrorism operation in Afghanistan's northern province of Balkh, Afghan Ministry of Interior Affairs said Thursday.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-16 13:46:48|Editor: ZX

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VIENTIANE, May 16 (Xinhua) -- The amount of electricity imported by Laos is likely to drop in 2019 as the country witnesses a surge in electricity generation, local daily Vientiane Times reported on Thursday.

In 2018, Laos spent 15.4 million U.S. dollars on electricity imports, less than the 18 million U.S. dollars spent in 2017, according to the Lao Ministry of Industry and Commerce.

In 2019, Laos plans to spend about 12.1 million U.S. dollars on electricity imports, mostly from China and Vietnam.

The Lao ministry said that about 88.5 million U.S. dollars was spent on electricity imports in 2015, which plummeted to 50.6 million U.S. dollars in 2016.

However, the value of electricity exported, mainly to Thailand, soared from 600 million U.S. dollars in 2015 to 1.4 billion U.S. dollars in 2018, making it Laos' top export earner.

The country's target is to earn about 1,328 million U.S. dollars from electricity exports this year. Electricity is the key sector expected to drive the growth of the economy, according to the report.

Under this plan, Laos expects to export 14,800 MW of electricity annually to neighboring countries by 2025.

According to the Lao Ministry of Energy and Mines, Laos has operational power plants with a total installed capacity of 7,207 MW and electricity generation of 37,366 GWh per year.

At present, 95 percent of households nationwide in Laos have permanent access to electricity, the report said.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-16 13:51:51|Editor: ZX

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KABUL, May 16 (Xinhua) -- Up to six militants, including a key Taliban commander, have been killed following an anti-terrorism operation in Afghanistan's northern province of Balkh, the Afghan Ministry of Interior Affairs said Thursday.

"Afghan National Defense and Security Forces launched the anti-terrorism raid in surrounding areas of Balkh district, Balkh province. The security forces received hostile fire and returned fire, killing six Taliban terrorists," the ministry said in a statement.

Among those killed was Mullah shader, a most-wanted Taliban commander in Balkh, the statement said, without mentioning the exact time of the operation.

"A Taliban outfit member named Mohammad Sarwar was arrested and eight villages were cleared of the militants during the raid," the statement added.

The targeted terrorist group was involved in organizing and conducting several terrorist attacks in Balkh.

The relatively peaceful province has been the scene of clashes between security forces and Taliban militants since early this year.

The security force also destroyed a militant's vehicle and three motorcycles, according to the statement.

The Taliban militant group has not made a comment on the report yet.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-16 13:51:52|Editor: ZX

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MANILA, May 16 (Xinhua) -- The Philippines government withdrew its diplomats in Canada and will "maintain a diminished diplomatic presence in Canada" until the North American country collects the garbage it shipped to the Philippines six years ago, Philippine Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin tweeted on Thursday.

Locsin's series of tweets came as Canada missed the deadline to retrieve tons of garbage it dumped to the Philippines back in 2013 and 2014.

Locsin said recall letters were sent to the Philippine ambassador and consuls in the country's mission in Canada at midnight Wednesday night.

"Canada missed the May 15 deadline. And we shall maintain a diminished diplomatic presence in Canada until its garbage is ship bound there," Locsin said.

In another tweet, he added, "To our posts in Canada: You have your orders. You are recalled. Get the next flight out."

The Canadian Embassy in Manila has yet to issue a statement on Manila's latest move.

Canada exported 103 shipping containers of garbage to the Philippines between 2013 and 2014. Only 69 shipping containers remained of the 103. Thirty-four of the containers were already disposed.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte accused the northern American country of failing to take action on the waste issue and threatened to ship the waste back to Canada.

Duterte even threatened to go to war against Canada over the trash issue. "(Let's fight Canada.) We'll declare war against them, (we can handle them. I'll return the trash. Just wait and see)," he said on April 23.

Canada, through its embassy in the Philippines, issued a statement the next day saying it is working with the Philippines to resolve the issue.

"Canada is strongly committed to collaborating with the government of the Philippines to resolve this issue and is aware of the court decision ordering the importer to ship the material back to Canada," said the Canadian embassy in a statement on April 24.

It added that "a joint technical working group, consisting of officials from both countries, is examining the full spectrum of issues related to the removal of the waste with a view to a timely resolution."

Last week, Duterte gave Canada until May 15 to remove the rotting garbage. But Canada missed the deadline.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-16 13:56:57|Editor: ZX

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RIO DE JANEIRO, May 15 (Xinhua) -- Former Brazilian President Michel Temer was released from preventive arrest on Wednesday and will await trial for corruption in freedom.

Temer turned himself to the police last week amid an investigation into corruption and was kept at the headquarters of the Military Police of Sao Paulo State.

The preventive arrest aimed to ensure that the former president would not escape or interfere with justice.

On Tuesday, the Sixth Panel of Brazil's Superior Court of Justice (STJ) granted him temporary release after Temer and others being charged presented an appeal.

The STJ ruled that there was no evidence of ongoing illegal activities and that the pretrial detainment was not justified.

The former president is accused of heading a several-year-long corruption scheme related to the construction of nuclear power plant Angra 3 in Angra dos Reis, Rio de Janeiro state.

Though released, Temer has to follow some rules: he must surrender his passport to the authorities, and cannot change his addresses, leave the country, or contact other accused people in the same investigation process.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-16 14:12:03|Editor: Liangyu

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BEIJING, May 16 (Xinhua) -- President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory letter to the International Conference on Artificial Intelligence and Education, which opened in Beijing on Thursday.

Noting that artificial intelligence (AI) is an important driving force to lead the new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation, Xi said it is an important mission for education to foster ranks of high-level personnel in this regard who have both creative capabilities and teamwork spirit.

He also noted that China pays high attention to the impact of AI on education and has been making vigorous efforts to promote further integration of AI and education.

Xi said China is willing to work with other countries around the world in discussing frontier issues about AI as well as ideas and measures for education development and innovation against the background of AI's rapid development.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-16 14:17:12|Editor: Li Xia

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General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee (CPVCC) and President Nguyen Phu Trong (2nd R) addresses the opening ceremony of the CPVCC's 10th meeting in Hanoi, Vietnam, May 16, 2019. The 12th Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee (CPVCC) convened its 10th meeting in Hanoi on Thursday, discussing draft documents to be submitted to the 13th National Party Congress, slated for early 2021. (Xinhua/VNA)

HANOI, May 16 (Xinhua) -- The 12th Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee (CPVCC) convened its 10th meeting in Hanoi on Thursday, discussing draft documents to be submitted to the 13th National Party Congress, slated for early 2021.

Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc chaired the opening session as assigned by General Secretary of the CPVCC and President Nguyen Phu Trong, Vietnam News Agency reported.

The documents under consideration include a draft political report, a draft report on the 10-year implementation of the 2011 Platform, one on the implementation of the socioeconomic development strategy for 2011-2020, and another on party building and the execution of the party's statutes.

In his opening speech, Trong emphasized that this meeting's agenda is crucial to the completion of the 12th CPVCC's political tasks and preparations for the documents to be submitted to the 13th national congress.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-16 14:22:15|Editor: Liangyu

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SALT LAKE CITY, the United States, May 15 (Xinhua) -- The western U.S. state of Utah wants its relationship with China to be a powerful example of successful cooperation for the rest of the nation, a former state House speaker has said.

Through cooperation, Utah and China can get things done faster, Greg Hughes told Xinhua in a recent interview.

"China does everything faster. I mean you build cities in a blink. You build rail lines. You build roads," he said. "We have to catch up and speed up, but we can do those together and I think that powerful example will spread."

Other states, he added, will see what Utah and China are doing and want to follow suit, because they will want to make sure that they are part of the kind of success Utah and China are realizing.

Hughes has been a House member of Utah for over a decade and served as the House speaker between 2015 and 2018, during which he visited China under a decade-old, sub-national exchange mechanism, part of the long, friendly history between China and Utah.

China's development left on him a deep impression. "My jaw dropped," he recalled. "There is an economic growth that I don't think people in the United States realize unless they've had the chance to be in China."

China now is one of Utah's most important trading partners. Utah's trade with China totaled about 4 billion U.S. dollars in 2018, and Chinese tourists bring more than 140 million dollars into Utah's economy each year, according to World Trade Center Utah.

Speaking of the ongoing trade tensions between the United States and China, Hughes said there is apprehension in the state's business community and recent moves by Washington make it harder for some companies.

However, Hughes said he feels positive about the long-term prospect. "We hope that very soon we're going to see barriers lowered so that both the United States and China will be able to trade with one another more than we are right now," he added.

Utah has seen its ties with China, which have gone much beyond economic and trade cooperation, as an indispensable part of its growth for now and in the future, state officials and entrepreneurs have said.

"Really for Utah, we need partners in China. We understand the global supply chain is the future of all of our economy. Your economy, our economy, all depends on that global supply chain," Hughes stressed.

"In Utah, we're more hopeful than we're fearful, but we really do need to see our countries come together," he noted. "When voices of fear turn countries away from each other, ... you will have people in Utah say: That's not our enemy. That's our friend. We need each other."
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-16 14:37:21|Editor: Liangyu

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THE HAGUE, May 15 (Xinhua) -- Dutch King Willem-Alexander said on Wednesday that the Netherlands highly values the development of its relations with China and will work to promote the steady and solid development of bilateral relations.

The Dutch King made this remarks when accepting credentials presented by Xu Hong, newly-appointed ambassador of China who arrived in the Netherlands on Friday.

The Chinese diplomat said that in recent years, President Xi Jinping and King Willem-Alexander have exchanged historical visits, defining the new positioning of an open and pragmatic partnership for comprehensive cooperation between the two countries.

The relations between the two countries maintain a high-level development, he said.

Xu said he will work together with the Dutch side to promote new progresses for the Sino-Dutch relations in a bid to benefit the two peoples.

Following President Xi's visit to the Netherlands in 2014, the Dutch royal couple had their first state visit to China in October 2015. In February 2018, the Dutch royal couple paid a working visit to China.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-16 14:42:25|Editor: ZX

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QALAT, Afghanistan, May 16 (Xinhua) -- Five security forces and 10 Taliban militants have been killed in fresh clashes in Afghanistan's southern province of Zabul overnight, a local official said Thursday.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-16 15:28:01|Editor: mingmei

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by Edna Alcantara and Wu Hao

MEXICO CITY, May 15 (Xinhua) -- The performance of the Chinese economy has been "very surprising" and exceeds expectations, a well-known Mexican economist has said in a recent interview with Xinhua.

China's gross domestic product (GDP) growth in the first quarter this year, twice the rate of other world economies according to him, signals the great dynamism and potential of China's economy, said Enrique Dussel, coordinator of the China-Mexico Studies Center at the National Autonomous University of Mexico.

According to the National Bureau of Statistics of China (NBS), China's GDP grew 6.4 percent year on year in the first quarter of the year.

The economist highlighted the constant efforts of the Asian country to deepen its reform and opening-up.

"China has been a dynamic market. In the last five years, or the last 10 years, the rate of increase of Chinese imports has been spectacular," he said.

Worldwide companies from all sectors, including small and medium-sized enterprises, seek to have a greater presence in China eyeing opportunities and potential of the country's consumer market, Dussel said.

Consumption has been playing an increasingly important role in the Chinese economy, contributing 76.2 percent to GDP growth in 2018, according to data from the NBS.

Despite a "very high grade of uncertainty" due to growing unilateralism and protectionism, China continues driving economic growth globally, said Dussel.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-16 15:48:21|Editor: xuxin

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SANAA, May 16 (Xinhua) -- At least six family members were killed in an airstrike by the Saudi Arabia-led coalition that hit a house in the Yemeni capital Sanaa on Thursday morning, witnesses said.

"A father, mother and their four children were killed after the coalition airstrike hit the family house this morning," a witness named Amat al-Malik Abdullah told Xinhua.

The house is located in the Rabat neighbourhood at the center of Sanaa.

All houses in the neighbourhood were badly damaged. Rescuers said they were still searching for possible survivors from under the rubble.

Earlier Thursday, the Saudi-led coalition announced the launch of a military operation against Houthi targets in Yemen, Al Arabiya TV reported.

The operation came after the Houthi rebels launched armed drone attacks on Tuesday against two Saudi oil pump stations, causing limited fire and damages.

The collation's spokesperson Turki al-Malki said that the operation aimed to neutralize the ability of the Houthi militia to carry out "acts of aggression."

The Saudi-led coalition has been intervening in the civil war in Yemen since 2015 to fight the Houthi rebels who seized Yemen's northern provinces, including the capital of Sanaa.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-16 16:08:36|Editor: xuxin

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TASHKENT, May 16 (Xinhua) -- Uzbekistan's President Shavkat Mirziyoyev signed a decree on Thursday designating the Navoi region as a free economic zone (FEZ) for innovative, high-tech, export-oriented and import-substituting industries for the period up to Jan. 1, 2030, with the possibility of further extension.

The Navoi FEZ is located in a mineral resources-rich region, now equipped with advanced logistics facilities and other necessary infrastructure.

Enterprises operating there will be able to enjoy a range of favorable policies, including exemptions of land, income and property taxes of legal entities, single tax payments for micro-firms and small enterprises, and customs payments (except for customs clearance fees).

President Mirziyoyev has been carrying out a series of economic reforms to make the Central Asian country attractive to foreign investors since he came to power in 2016.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-16 16:13:43|Editor: mingmei

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SHANGHAI, May 16 (Xinhua) -- Israel's Ministry of Tourism of signed an agreement with China's online travel operator Ctrip during an ongoing tourism exhibition (ITB China) to strengthen tourism in the Chinese market.

More cooperation will be carried out between the two sides, mainly in terms of itineraries, big data and marketing to attract Chinese travelers, particularly young people to Israel, according to the agreement.

Some 55,000 Chinese visited Israel during the first four months of 2019, marking a 70 percent increase year on year, according to the data released by the Ministry of Tourism of Israel.

In 2018, 105,000 Chinese visited Israel, which is over a 100 percent increase from 2015.

Israel has launched a series of measures to promote tourism in China, including developing travel products with diversified themes, increasing direct flights between the two countries and providing more convenient visa policies.

Israel has also upgraded Chinese cuisine in local restaurants and hotels, set up Chinese signs in its main sites and resorts, provided Chinese-language maps, and trained more Chinese-speaking guides.

ITB China, a professional exhibition focusing on travel and tourism industry, is annually held in Shanghai. This year, 800 exhibitors from 84 countries and regions attended the exhibition lasting from May 15 to 17.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-16 16:18:51|Editor: xuxin

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TEHRAN, May 16 (Xinhua) -- The United States will fail to crush Iranian resistance by imposing maximum pressure, the chief commander of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) was quoted as saying Thursday.

"This is the most decisive moment for the Islamic revolution, because the enemy has come to the battlefield with all of its capacities at its disposal," the Press TV quoted Major General Hossein Salami as saying during a meeting with IRGC officers on Wednesday.

Iran is "on the verge of a full-scale confrontation" with the enemies, who are trying to crush the Iranian nation's resistance through the "strategy of maximum pressure and by using all of their capacities," Salami said.

However, despite their ostentatious appearance, Iranian enemies are suffering from "osteoporosis" and they will fail once again to achieve their objective against Iran, Salami added.

On Wednesday, Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Amir Hatami said that the Islamic republic is at the highest level of preparedness to counter any military threat against the country.

However, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei have ruled out the possibility of a war between Tehran and Washington, despite the rising tensions that have fueled worries about an armed conflict between the two rivals.

The U.S. has recently been ramping up pressure on Iran to force it to return to the negotiation table, by designating the IRGC as a terror group, imposing a total ban on Iranian oil exports, and building up its military presence in the Gulf.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-16 16:44:06|Editor: Li Xia

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Smoke rises after an airstrike hit by the Saudi Arabia-led coalition in Sanaa, capital of Yemen, on May 16, 2019. The Saudi Arabia-led coalition launched airstrikes on Houthi rebels' targets in the Yemeni capital Sanaa on Thursday morning, causing civilian casualties and damages, authorities and local residents said. At least six family members were killed when a coalition airstrike hit a house in the center of Sanaa, the rebel-controlled Health Ministry said in a statement. (Xinhua/Mohamed al-Azaki)

SANAA, May 16 (Xinhua) -- The Saudi Arabia-led coalition launched airstrikes on Houthi rebels' targets in the Yemeni capital Sanaa on Thursday morning, causing civilian casualties and damages, authorities and local residents said.

At least six-member family were killed when a coalition airstrike hit a house in the center of Sanaa, the rebel-controlled Health Ministry said in a statement.

More than 30 others were wounded in the airstrike, it said, adding that the death toll could rise as many injured remain in critical condition.

Witnesses said that the six family members were killed when an airstrike hit their house in the Rabat neighbourhood in central Sanaa.

"A father, mother and their four children were killed after the coalition airstrike hit the family house this morning," a witness named Amat al-Malik Abdullah told Xinhua.

Houthi TV al-Masirah also reported that one of the airstrikes hit a house near a school, causing unknown casualties.

All houses in the neighbourhood were badly damaged. Rescuers said they were still searching for possible survivors from under the rubble.

The airstrikes targeted four military sites near the densely populated neighbourhoods at the center of Sanaa. Dozens of houses near the rebel-controlled Information Ministry were slightly damaged, local residents said.

The al-Masirah TV added that eight other airstrikes targeted three military camps in the Arhab district, about 20 km north of Sanaa.

The airstrikes came two days after the Iran-allied Houthi rebels claimed responsibility for the drone attacks on two Saudi Arabian oil pumping stations and other oil facilities.

The coalition's spokesperson Turki al-Malki on Thursday announced the launch of the air operation against Houthi targets, saying it aimed to neutralize the ability of the Houthi militia to carry out "acts of aggression."

He said that the coalition airstrikes targeted Houthi ammunition warehouses and military posts in the Mountain of Attan in Sanaa.

"The operation conforms to international laws. We have taken all the (required) measures to protect civilians," al-Malki said, while urging civilians to stay away from the targeted locations.

Al-Malki accused the Houthi rebels of turning Sanaa International Airport into a military barricade to launch drones and carry out terror operations that threaten regional and international security.

He said that such practices were a clear and blatant violation of international and humanitarian laws.

The fighting between the Houthis and the Yemeni government supported by the Saudi-led coalition has also escalated in other parts of Yemen, particularly in the southern province of al-Dhalea and the northern border province of Saada.

Saudi Arabia has been leading a Sunni Arab military coalition against the Yemeni Shiite Houthi rebels in Yemen since March 2015 to support the internationally-recognized government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi after the rebels forced him into exile and seized much of Yemen's north, including Sanaa.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-16 16:54:19|Editor: mingmei

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TAIYUAN, May 16 (Xinhua) -- A court in north China's Shanxi Province has sentenced seven gang members to prison for their roles in a drug-dealing case involving more than 600 kg of caffeine.

The key figure of the gang, surnamed Ning, was sentenced to 20 years in prison and fined 300,000 yuan (about 44,118 U.S. dollars), according to a court in Shanxi's Jishan County. Ning has been jailed for drug-related crimes before.

Ning's main accomplice, surnamed Huang, was sentenced to 15 years in prison and fined 100,000 yuan.

The five other gang members have received sentences ranging from one month and 10 days to six years. Six members of the gang are related.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-16 16:54:23|Editor: xuxin

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TOKYO, May 16 (Xinhua) -- Japan on Thursday expressed its concern over mounting tensions in the Persian Gulf related to hostilities between the United States and Iran over an international nuclear agreement.

At the outset of a meeting with visiting Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said the issue has become increasingly tenser.

"We are concerned that the situation in the Middle East is getting extremely tense," Abe was quoted as saying at the start of their talks, adding that Japan wanted to continue to maintain and develop amicable ties with Iran.

Zarif, for his part, said that the two countries are very important partners and have traditionally had friendly ties. He said it was necessary due to the current situation to discuss with Abe a number of relevant issues.

Abe, meanwhile, said that it was his hope that Iran would stick to an international nuclear accord inked in 2015, to which Zarif said that Iran's countermeasures do not run contrary to the framework of the pact.

Zarif's visit to Tokyo came following the United States sending a carrier strike force and B-52 bombers to the Gulf after Iran said it plans to keep more enriched uranium than is permitted under the pact.

In response, Iran said that it would suspend some of its commitments under the deal, of which the United States pulled out of in 2018.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-16 16:59:25|Editor: mingmei

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TIANJIN, May 16 (Xinhua) -- President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory letter to the Third World Intelligence Congress, which opened in northern China's Tianjin municipality Thursday.

In the letter, Xi expressed his sincere welcome to renowned international entrepreneurs, industry leaders and Turing Award winners who attended the congress.

Noting that artificial intelligence (AI) is casting significant and far-reaching impacts on economic development, social progress and global governance, Xi said China attaches high importance to innovative development and takes new-generation AI as the driving force for scientific and technological development, industrial optimization and upgrading, as well as increasing productivity, striving to achieve high-quality development.

Xi expressed hope that participants of the congress could further exchanges, enhance consensus and step up cooperation to promote the healthy development of the new-generation AI.

Having read out Xi's letter at the opening ceremony, Li Hongzhong, secretary of the Tianjin Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China, said Tianjin would embrace a new era of intelligence, create a new intelligence-based economy, step up cooperation with other countries in the field of AI and speed up building "intelligent Tianjin."

The congress will last until Sunday.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-16 18:30:15|Editor: xuxin

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ULAN BATOR, May 16 (Xinhua) -- Mongolia's gross domestic product (GDP) expanded 8.6 percent year-on-year in the first quarter of 2019, data released by the country's National Statistical Office (NSA) revealed on Thursday.

It was the strongest GDP growth rate since the third quarter of 2014 when the figure stood at 9.1 percent, it showed.

The Asian country's GDP totaled 3.5 trillion Mongolian tugriks (1.3 billion U.S. dollars) in the January-March period and the growth was mainly attributed to a significant increase in commodity exports and higher commodity prices on the international market, according to the NSA.

Mongolia's GDP grew 6.9 percent year-on-year in 2018 thanks to steady commodity exports, a recovery in direct foreign investment, improved business sentiment and the government's economic adjustment program.

The World Bank has predicted that Mongolia's economy would grow by 7.2 percent in 2019 and 6.9 percent in 2020.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-16 18:40:27|Editor: mingmei

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SHANGHAI, May 16 (Xinhua) -- A total of 17 workers have been rescued after a factory wall collapsed in Shanghai on Thursday, authorities said.

The wall fell at 11:20 a.m. Thursday on Zhaohua Road in Shanghai's Changning District, trapping an unspecified number of people at the site, according to the municipal bureau of emergency management. The rescued workers were rushed to hospital for treatment.

The accident happened when the factory building was being demolished.

The rescue continues.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-16 18:40:32|Editor: mingmei

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BEIJING, May 16 (Xinhua) -- President Xi Jinping on Thursday met here with representatives attending a ceremony commending role models with disabilities and people who have made outstanding contributions in helping the disabled.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, encouraged the representatives to make continued efforts to achieve new accomplishments in supporting China's disabled people.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-16 18:40:35|Editor: Li Xia

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Capt. Myat Moe Aung speaks during an interview in Yangon, Myanmar, May 15, 2019. Myanmar's State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi honored the pilot and crew of state-run Myanmar National Airlines (MNA) for a safe landing on Thursday after front landing gear failure. Capt. Myat Moe Aung and his crew were conferred with certificates by Union Minister U Min Thu of Union Government Office, on behalf of State Aung San Suu Kyi, as well as by the Ministry of Transport and Communications. (Xinhua/Haymhan Aung)

NAY PYI TAW, May 16 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar's State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi honored the pilot and crew of state-run Myanmar National Airlines (MNA) for a safe landing on Thursday after front landing gear failure.

Capt. Myat Moe Aung and his crew were conferred with certificates by Union Minister U Min Thu of Union Government Office, on behalf of State Aung San Suu Kyi, as well as by the Ministry of Transport and Communications.

Myat Moe Aung and his crew were praised at the event for their teamwork which managed to safely carry out emergency landing amid technical fault.

"It was tough for me at that moment as I had to try the utmost for the less damage and I really appreciate each and every passenger for their cooperation in such emergent situation," Myat Moe Aung told Xinhua.

On last Sunday morning, an Embraer 190 Model MNA airliner with flight No. UB-103 made an emergency landing at Mandalay's Tada-U International Airport on its way from Yangon to Mandalay, the second largest city in the central part, touching down safely using only its rear wheels as its front landing gear failed to deploy.

All 82 passengers and seven crew members were safe after the attempt.

The accident caused panic among passengers who were safely evacuated after the plane rolled for about 1.5 km on the runway and stopped.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-16 18:40:38|Editor: xuxin

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PARIS, May 16 (Xinhua) -- French police have detained a man related to the Strasbourg shooting last December in which five people were killed, a local media report said Wednesday.

The 32-year-old suspect was arrested in the eastern city of Alsace in an investigation into how the shooter, Cherif Chekatt, obtained his weapon, the BFMTV news channel reported.

On Tuesday, three men and two women aged 23 to 46 were arrested in Strasbourg and surrounding areas for helping the shooter to obtain the firearm used in his attack.

Chekatt, a 29-year-old Strasbourg native, opened fire several times and stabbed people at a Christmas market in Strasbourg in December 2018. He was killed by police after they had hunted him down two days after the attack.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-16 18:45:41|Editor: xuxin

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ANKARA, May 16 (Xinhua) -- Turkey on Thursday slammed Greece for acquitting nine members of the outlawed Revolutionary People's Liberation Party-Front (DHKP-C) who were accused of attempting to assassinate Turkey's president.

"The Greek court's decision clearly disrupts the efforts on counter-terrorism in Europe," Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman Hami Aksoy said in a written statement.

He expressed the concern that Greece "has become a safe haven for terrorist organizations."

The Athens court on Wednesday cleared the nine Turkish citizens of terrorism charges. They were arrested by Greek police in 2017 over suspicion of attempting to assassinate Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The arrests followed a major anti-terrorism police operation days before Erdogan's visit to Athens in December 2017, Greek media reported.

Turkey has long been asking Greece to extradite the nine suspects after issuing arrest warrants against them.

The DHKP-C, listed as a terrorist group by Turkey, the United States and the European Union, has been blamed for a string of attacks in Turkey, including a suicide bombing on the U.S. embassy in Ankara in 2013.
Study finds 24 percent of West Antarctic ice is now unstable

WASHINGTON--In only 25 years, ocean melting has caused ice thinning to spread across West Antarctica so rapidly that a quarter of its glacier ice is now affected, according to a new study.

Scientists at the Centre for Polar Observation and Modelling (CPOM), based at the University of Leeds in the United Kingdom, have combined 25 years of European Space Agency satellite altimeter measurements and a model of Antarctica's regional climate to track changes in snow and ice cover across the continent.

A new study in the AGU journal Geophysical Research Letters finds Antarctica's ice sheet has thinned by up to 122 meters in places, with the most rapid changes occurring in West Antarctica where ocean melting has triggered glacier imbalance.

This means the affected glaciers are unstable as they are losing more mass through melting and iceberg calving than they are gaining through snowfall.

The research team found the pattern of glacier thinning has not been static over time. Since 1992, the thinning has spread across 24 percent of West Antarctica and over the majority of its largest ice streams - the Pine Island and Thwaites Glaciers - which are now losing ice five times faster than they were at the start of the survey.

The study used over 800 million measurements of the Antarctic ice sheet height recorded by the ERS-1, ERS-2, Envisat, and CryoSat-2 satellite altimeter missions between 1992 and 2017 and simulations of snowfall over the same period produced by the RACMO regional climate model.

Together, these measurements allow changes in the ice sheet height to be separated into those due to weather patterns, such as less snowfall, and those due to longer term changes in climate, such as increasing ocean temperatures that eat away ice.

"In parts of Antarctica, the ice sheet has thinned by extraordinary amounts, and so we set out to show how much was due to changes in climate and how much was due to weather," said Andy Shepherd, a polar scientist at the University of Leeds, director of CPOM and lead author of the new study.

To do this, the team compared the measured surface height change to the simulated changes in snowfall, and where the discrepancy was greater they attributed its origin to glacier imbalance.

They found that fluctuations in snowfall tend to drive small changes in height over large areas for a few years at a time, but the most pronounced changes in ice thickness are signals of glacier imbalance that have persisted for decades.

"Knowing how much snow has fallen has really helped us to detect the underlying change in glacier ice within the satellite record," Shepherd said. "We can see clearly now that a wave of thinning has spread rapidly across some of Antarctica's most vulnerable glaciers, and their losses are driving up sea levels around the planet.

Altogether, ice losses from East and West Antarctica have contributed 4.6 millimeters to global sea level rise since 1992, according to the study.

"This is an important demonstration of how satellite missions can help us to understand how our planet is changing," said Marcus Engdahl, an Earth observation scientist at the European Space Agency and co-author of the new study. "The polar regions are hostile environments and are extremely difficult to access from the ground. Because of this, the view from space is an essential tool for tracking the effects of climate change."

###

Founded in 1919, AGU is a not-for-profit scientific society dedicated to advancing Earth and space science for the benefit of humanity. We support 60,000 members, who reside in 135 countries, as well as our broader community, through high-quality scholarly publications, dynamic meetings, our dedication to science policy and science communications, and our commitment to building a diverse and inclusive workforce, as well as many other innovative programs. AGU is home to the award-winning news publication Eos, the Thriving Earth Exchange, where scientists and community leaders work together to tackle local issues, and a headquarters building that represents Washington, D.C.'s first net zero energy commercial renovation. We are celebrating our Centennial in 2019. #AGU100

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Notes for Journalists

This paper is freely available through June 30. Journalists and public information officers (PIOs) can download a PDF copy of the article by clicking on this link:

https:/ / agupubs. onlinelibrary. wiley. com/ doi/ pdf/ 10. 1029/ 2019GL082182

Multimedia accompanying this press release can be downloaded at the following link:

https:/ / aguorg. sharepoint. com/ :f:/ s/ newsroom/ Ev-FolVlRCRDsTHyaiAYaWgB4WEqqohtr7J7qBCHuivzSA?e= ae7GbI

Journalists and PIOs may also request a copy of the final paper by emailing Lauren Lipuma at llipuma@agu.org. Please provide your name, the name of your publication, and your phone number.

Neither this paper nor this press release is under embargo.

Paper Title

"Trends in Antarctic Ice Sheet Elevation and Mass"

Authors

Andrew Shepherd: Centre of Polar Observation and Modeling, School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds, United Kingdom;

Lin Gilbert: Mullard Space Science Laboratory, Department of Space & Climate Physics, University College London, United Kingdom;

Alan S. Muir: Mullard Space Science Laboratory, Department of Space & Climate Physics, University College London, UK; and Centre for Polar Observation and Modeling, Department of Earth Sciences, University College London, United Kingdom;

Hannes Konrad, Malcolm McMillan, Thomas Slater, Kate H. Briggs, Aud V. Sundal, Anna E. Hogg: Centre of Polar Observation and Modeling, School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds, United Kingdom;

Marcus Engdahl: ESA-ESRIN, Rome, Italy.

AGU press contact:

Lauren Lipuma

+1 (202) 777-7396 (GMT-4)

llipuma@agu.org

University of Leeds press contact:

Anna Harrison

+44 (0)113 34 34196 (GMT+1)

a.harrison@leeds.ac.uk

Contact information for the researchers:

Andy Shepherd, University of Leeds (GMT+1)

a.shepherd@leeds.ac.uk

This story has been published on: 2019-05-16. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-16 18:45:45|Editor: mingmei

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SHIJIAZHUANG, May 16 (Xinhua) -- The first fishing ban has began in Baiyangdian Lake in Xiongan New Area in north China's Hebei Province, in an effort to protect fishery resources and biodiversity.

The fishing ban started Thursday and will be effective until July 31, according to the agriculture and rural affairs bureau of Anxin county in Xiongan.

Authorities with the bureau will take measures to ensure that the ban is strictly implemented.

In April 2017, China announced the establishment of the Xiongan New Area, which is about 100 km southwest of Beijing and spans three counties in Hebei.

Ecological restoration in Baiyangdian Lake, the largest wetland ecosystem in northern China, has been reinforced since Xiongan New Area was set up.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-16 18:50:47|Editor: xuxin

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NAIROBI, May 16 (Xinhua) -- Kenyan police said Thursday they are interrogating 22 Ethiopian nationals who were arrested while being smuggled through Nairobi.

Director of Criminal Investigations George Kinoti said the victims were intercepted on Wednesday afternoon by police officers from Special Crimes Prevention Unit as they were being driven in two vehicles.

Kinoti said two prime human smugglers were also arrested in the operation along Thika super highway headed for Tanzania.

"This is big business for smugglers or traffickers and must be stopped as it is criminal," said Kinoti, noting that the aliens told police they were headed for South Africa for greener pastures.

The suspects said they had paid to be transported through Moyale border in northern Kenya to Tanzania where they would connect to South Africa.

The Kenyan authorities have blamed the vastness of the region for the runaway influx of foreigners into Kenya through Moyale on Kenya-Ethiopia borders and the porous border with Somalia

Several aliens who find their way into the Kenyan police cells have tripled in the past few days over stretching the capacity of the cells in the East African nation.

But refugee rights organizations and aid agencies have blamed poverty in Africa for the rising cases of human trafficking.

They said that the huge supply of labor both skilled and unskilled makes them vulnerable to criminal syndicates.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-16 18:55:53|Editor: xuxin

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SUVA, May 16 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres stressed on Thursday the need of sound legislative frameworks and legislative bodies to ensure effective climate action.

"To ensure effective climate action, we require sound legislative frameworks, as well as legislative bodies that can support and push government policies and actions everywhere," Guterres told Fiji's parliament.

He praised Fiji for playing an important role in the fight against climate change, saying that Fijians have been at the forefront of international action and advocacy on climate and the sea.

The UN chief said that the island nation is setting an example for the world as Fiji was the first small island state to hold the presidency of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

"Under your presidency, you shared with the world the Pacific concept of talanoa, the process of inclusive, participatory and transparent dialogue that takes in the private sector, civil society, academia, media and others," Guterres said.

In October 2017, Guterres said that Fiji became the first emerging market to issue a sovereign green bond. This was in addition to an Environment and Climate Adaptation Levy which launched a rural electrification program to reduce emissions from diesel generators.

Fiji has officially launched an important new initiative to develop finance and insurance products for vulnerable and low-income households in Fiji and other Pacific island countries, he said, adding that Fiji has also shown leadership in addressing issues of human mobility and climate change, with respect for human rights.

The UN chief also held a bilateral meeting on Thursday with Fijian Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama.

Guterres, who arrived here on Tuesday night, will leave Fiji on Friday for Tuvalu and Vanuatu to complete his first ever trip to the Pacific region as the UN chief.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-16 19:06:05|Editor: xuxin

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MADRID, May 16 (Xinhua) -- A former leader of armed Basque separatist militant group ETA has been arrested in France, the Spanish Interior Ministry confirmed on Thursday.

Jose Antonio Urrutikoetxea Bengoetxea, also known as Josu Ternera, 69, who has spent 17 years on the run, was arrested "in the early hours of the morning in Sallanches in the French Alps," said the ministry in a communique.

It is reported that Ternera was arrested on his way to a hospital appointment, and that he is seriously ill.

The man, regarded as one of the ETA's most symbolic leaders, had been missing since 2002, although he was one of the ETA members who announced a communique of the group's final dissolution in 2018.

The announcement said the ETA had "completely dismantled all of its structures," and that it would "no longer express political positions, promote initiatives or interact with other actors."

It ended a 50-year violent campaign for the independence of the Basque region straddling Spain and France. The decades-long armed violence claimed over 850 lives.

Ternera had been imprisoned in both Spain and France in 1989 and 2000 respectively, but went missing in 2002 when he was summoned to appear in court on charges of a 1987 car bombing of a police barracks in the central Spanish city of Zaragoza, which killed 11 people, including five children.

Following his disappearance, an international arrest warrant was issued for Ternera and Interpol listed him among the most wanted fugitives.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-16 19:11:09|Editor: xuxin

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NAIROBI, May 16 (Xinhua) -- Kenya plans to sell 2 million bags of maize from the strategic food reserve in order to cushion consumers against escalating food prices, the government said on Thursday.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Irrigation said in a notice published in the Daily Nation said that those eligible to purchase the maize include registered millers, posho millers as well as schools and other institutions.

"The prices for grades fit for human and animal consumption will be 2,300 shillings (23 U.S. dollars) and 14 dollars per 90 kg bag respectively, subject to availability of stocks," the ministry said.

According to government data, Kenya's consumption stood at 52 million bags of the staple crop in 2018 against a production of 46 million bags.

Most of the deficit was bridged through imports from Tanzania and Uganda, which like Kenya are members of the East African Community trading bloc.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-16 19:11:13|Editor: xuxin

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CAIRO, May 16 (Xinhua) -- At least 47 militants were killed in security raids on their strongholds in North and Central Sinai in the past few days, the Egyptian army said Thursday.

The air force destroyed 29 hideouts, 97 cars, and several explosive devices that the militants prepared for attacking the security forces, the army said in a statement.

Some 158 criminal and wanted elements were arrested during the raids, it added.

During the shoot-outs, two officers and three soldiers were killed and four security men were wounded, the statement added.

Egypt has been suffering a wave of terrorist attacks that have killed hundreds of policemen and soldiers following the military removal of former Islamist President Mohamed Morsi in July 2013.

The terror attacks had been centered in the restive North Sinai before spreading to several provinces including the capital Cairo and starting to target the Coptic minority via church bombings.

Most of the attacks were claimed by the so-called Wilayat Sinai, a Sinai-based militant group affiliated with the Islamic State.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-16 19:11:15|Editor: mingmei

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LONDON, May 16 (Xinhua) -- China is very successful in the digital economy, and more and more partnerships between European and Chinese companies will be seen in digital industry, Cecilia Bonefeld-Dahl, director general of DIGITALEUROPE has told Xinhua in a recent interview.

DIGITALEUROPE is the European organization that represents the digital technology industry whose members include 67 major technology companies and 40 national trade associations. Its corporate members include not only European companies such as Nokia, Siemens and Ericsson, but also Chinese companies like Huawei and Lenovo.

"For Europe, China has always been a very important partner, a trading partner. We are very interested in the dialogue (between Europe and China) on digital policies and digital trade in general," said Bonefeld-Dahl.

She regarded partnership rather than competition as the necessity of the digital businesses. A lot of digital giants cooperate in different ways, she said, adding "it's really becoming like a partnership between many of the businesses."

Bonefeld-Dahl told Xinhua that they have planned a trip to China in July, visiting Shenzhen where they would see the headquarter of Huawei, their member, and Beijing where they would meet the digital agencies of the government.

"Many of the European companies, as our members, also have very big markets and develop rapidly in China, so we will also visit them the same way," she noted.

China has pledged to do more to attract foreign investment and promote global cooperation, and Bonefeld-Dahl believed these moves are "very positive steps".

"The different areas that were restricted to only Chinese companies before are gradually opening up. And I know China now is also planning on doing even more. This is of course a very positive development...There is no doubt that in the global economy, China is a very important player," she said.

Regarding the development of digital technologies such as 5G and artificial intelligence (AI), Bonefeld-Dahl pointed out that, although different approaches would be applied by Europe and China, they could find a common framework through dialogue.

She believed that China and the U.S. have taken the lead in AI whereas Europe should wake up to seize the opportunity.

"AI is much more used in China, and scalability is one of the things that China has...But we have highly skilled talents in university on artificial intelligence in Europe," she explained.

Bonefeld-Dahl noted that China also has a huge e-commerce market and is "very positive" to partner with other World Trade Organization (WTO) members to initiate negotiations on trade-related aspects of electronic commerce.

"E-commerce is still a rising economy, and we have to find a common trade network in the future," she told Xinhua. "It's very positive that China is also engaging in those talks even though it has a huge market that no one could compete with."

"We have Huawei and Lenovo as our members, but we don't have many other Chinese corporate members right now." Bonefeld-Dahl believed that as China becomes a more and more important player in the world digital economy, there would be more Chinese companies to become their members.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-16 19:21:21|Editor: mingmei

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TIANJIN, May 16 (Xinhua) -- A major conference that opened Thursday for artificial intelligence (AI) researchers, tech industry leaders and policy-makers highlighted opportunities in the sector and the need for better governance.

The third World Intelligence Congress, a four-day conference held in north China's Tianjin Municipality, gathered more than 1,400 participants from over 40 countries and regions, according to the organizer.

It includes forums, exhibitions, and competitions for unmanned cars and drones. The Tianjin municipal government, Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST), and National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) are among the event organizers.

"AI is projected to drive global GDP gains of over 15.7 trillion U.S. dollars by 2030," said Lin Nianxiu, deputy director of NDRC, at the opening ceremony. "AI changes the future and creates it at the same time."

The opportunities of AI have lured tech companies such as Huawei, Alibaba, and General Electric, as well as research institutions and universities to the conference.

In 2017, the State Council issued a plan for new generation AI. The plan said the AI industry should become a major new growth engine.

Over the years, China has applied AI in multiple fields including city planning, smart transport, social governance, health, agriculture, and national security.

The country's high-tech big names are leading investments in these fields, with Baidu in automated driving, Alibaba in AI cities, Tencent in medicine and health, and iFlytek in intelligent voices. Some are already eyeing returns.

"With the increasing presence of AI in people's lives, I think we have entered a time that companies can cash in on the AI technology in 2019," said Liu Qingfeng, Chairman of voice-recognition giant iFlytek.

In March, the company's AI-powered machine ranked top in the SQuAD natural language comprehension challenge and outperformed humans.

China's investment in AI has been steadily increasing in recent years. In 2017, China's AI enterprises represented 70 percent of the global AI investment and 31 percent of global AI investment transactions, according to China AI Development Report 2018 by a think tank at Tsinghua University.

With the influx of capital and rapid development of the sector, many are concerned about its social effects.

During the conference, Ryu Shionoya, chairman of Artificial Intelligence and Future Socioeconomic Strategy Headquarters of Japan, stressed AI ethics and social principles for AI such as being human-centric, privacy and security for building an "AI-ready society."

In April, the European Union published a set of guidelines on how companies and governments should develop ethical applications of artificial intelligence.

Wan Gang, chairman of the China Association for Science and Technology and former Minister of Science and Technology, said China was in the early stage of AI moral and ethics studies, but an AI design plan based on Chinese culture should be explored.

Wang Zhigang, head of MOST, urged participants to keep a "rational attitude and cautiously positive view" towards the wave of AI developments, citing social ethics and social governance as posing potential challenges.

In March, MOST set up a committee for AI governance. The committee is drafting a governance code for AI, which shall be released soon, Wang said.

"China will enhance international cooperation on AI governance such as AI laws and regulations and international rules to jointly deal with common challenges," Wang said.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-16 19:56:50|Editor: mingmei

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SHANGHAI, May 16 (Xinhua) -- ICBC-AXA Life, partly owned by French insurance giant AXA, on Thursday opened its wholly-owned asset management subsidiary in Shanghai.

The subsidiary, with a registered capital of 100 million yuan (14.5 million U.S. dollars), was the first insurance asset management joint venture that won regulatory approval for establishment after China announced further opening up of the insurance industry in April 2018.

The firm will manage both Renminbi and foreign currency funds of clients and its own, and improve investment management and risk control to build itself into a top-class insurance asset management company in China, said Ma Jian, chairman of ICBC-AXA Life.

The company will also use insurance funds to support key industries, key construction projects, the Belt and Road Initiative and the country's regional development strategies.

ICBC-AXA Life was set up by the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, AXA and China Minmetals Corp. in 2012 with a registered capital of 12.5 billion yuan. It raked in a premium income of 31 billion yuan in the first quarter of the year, a seven year record-high. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-16 19:56:51|Editor: mingmei

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by Xinhua writer Lu Jiafei

BEIJING, May 16 (Xinhua) -- The White House on Wednesday issued an executive order to ban foreign-made telecommunications equipment which Washington deemed as "posing an unacceptable risk."

The order did not single out any country or company, but after a fierce, protracted global pressure campaign to edge Chinese telecom giant Huawei out of the 5G market, the U.S. aim is clear.

Also on Wednesday, the U.S. Commerce Department said it put Huawei and its affiliates on an "Entity List", which would restrict the sale or transfer of U.S. technologies to the company.

Rather than be willing to engage in constructive competition, Washington has made the unfortunate choice of unfairly cracking down on a law-abiding foreign company in the hopes of maintaining its leading position in cutting-edge technology.

It is a wake-up call for the international community, because unless Washington gets rid of its zero-sum and protectionist mindset, anyone could be the next victim of its bullying tactics.

Though Washington has for long professed to care about cybersecurity in justifying its swipe at Huawei, the irony should not be lost on its neighbors in the global community. After all, it is the U.S. government that has been exposed as compelling U.S. tech companies to spy on its own citizens under the PRISM project since 2007.

Despite unprecedented cybersecurity scrutiny imposed on Huawei, no evidence has ever been found that the Chinese company has engaged in cyber surveillance. Even U.S. officials have to admit that their accusation is based on hypothesis only.

No wonder Washington faces resistance from its traditional allies despite its aggressive campaign to pressure, scold and even threaten them over future cooperation with Huawei.

In response to Washington's latest move, Huawei said in a statement that it is "ready and willing to engage with the U.S. government and come up with effective measures to ensure product security."

Unfortunately, the reconciliatory remarks are sure to fall on deaf ears if Washington continues to "bully" a Chinese company that is challenging U.S. peers in developing 5G technology.

U.S. President Donald Trump has on many occasions insisted that his country must "win" in the current 5G competition.

To gain an upper hand, Washington has showed its readiness to unfairly beat down a foreign competitor, an approach everyone has to be on guard against.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-16 20:01:54|Editor: Lu Hui

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Juba, May 16 (Xinhua) -- South Sudan said Thursday it has dismissed 40 diplomats for neglect of duty and absenteeism without official approval from the foreign ministry.

Baak Valentino Akol, foreign ministry undersecretary, said in a circular released that the sacked diplomats failed to heed to the foreign ministry's repeated calls for them to report to their work stations before the 45 days ultimatum elapsed.

The circular dated May 15 was addressed to all heads of South Sudan diplomatic missions announcing termination of service of the affected diplomats.

"We are writing to announce that the diplomats named below are truly and lawfully dismissed and terminated from the diplomatic service of the Republic of South Sudan effective from May 13 2019," the circular reads.

"Absence from work for consecutive 45 days without permission shall be considered resignation," it added, quoting the diplomatic and consular service Act 2011.

Akol also ordered the dismissed diplomats to return their diplomatic passports, including passports held by their spouses and children to the nearest South Sudan embassy/mission.

South Sudan in 2016 downsized the number of diplomats across its embassies/missions due to economic crunch caused by the five years conflict that broke out in December 2013.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-16 20:01:57|Editor: Lu Hui

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BRUSSELS, May 16 (Xinhua) -- The European Investment Bank (EIB) gave its approval in principle on Thursday to help finance Europe's first home-grown gigafactory for lithium-ion battery cells, Northvolt Ett, in Sweden.

The batteries from Northvolt Ett's batteries are used in automotive, grid storage, and industrial and portable applications. Ramping up to full capacity, Northvolt Ett will produce 32 GWh of battery capacity per year.

"The development of a competitive and green battery value chain within Europe can not only cut greenhouse gas emissions by decarbonising power generation and transport, but can also help protect millions of well paid jobs in European industries in the face of increasing global competition," said EIB vice-president Andrew McDowell.

According to him, the 350-million-euro loan to Northvolt approved in-principle on Thursday "is the largest ever direct EIB financing approval for battery technology, and we look forward to working with Northvolt over the coming months to finalise contracts."

Once the loan agreement is in place, the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI) -- the main pillar of the Investment Plan for Europe -- will contribute to the project's financing.

The Investment Plan for Europe is one of the European Commission's top priorities. It focuses on boosting investment to generate jobs and growth by making smarter use of new and existing financial resources, removing obstacles to investment, and providing visibility and technical assistance to investment projects.

As of April 2019, the Plan had mobilised almost 393 billion euros (440.45 billion U.S. dollars) of additional investment, including 10.7 billion euros in Sweden. The plan currently supports 945,000 small and medium-sized businesses across Europe. (1 euro = 1.12 U.S. dollar)
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-16 20:12:05|Editor: mingmei

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SHANGHAI, May 16 (Xinhua) -- Microsoft Corporation has established an Artificial Intelligence and Internet of Things Insider Lab in Shanghai to aid digital transformation across industries.

Located in a 2,800-square-meter building in the Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park of the Pudong New Area, the lab, which began operation Wednesday, is established in partnership with the state-run Zhangjiang Group. It is the fourth and also the largest such lab run by Microsoft around the world.

Microsoft said the lab provides "all-around support" for enterprises inside and taps into the Internet of Things and AI technologies to fuel the digital transformation taking place across industries, including manufacturing, retail, healthcare, finance and urban construction.

Thirty Chinese and foreign businesses have been selected out of some 300 applicants as the first batch of "enterprises of empowerment" in the lab. They include both start-ups, among which 21 are based in Shanghai, and multinational corporations, such as ABB Engineering (Shanghai) Ltd. and Pan Asia Technical Automotive Center Co., Ltd.

The lab will provide support for the enterprises in the next three to six months, offering hardware and software resources, cloud service and access to the Microsoft ecosystem, according to Microsoft.

"The combination and application of AI and Internet of Things technologies are becoming the latest trends leading global digital transformation," Alain Crozier, Microsoft corporate vice president, chairman and CEO of Greater China Region, said at a launch ceremony held Wednesday.

"A survey indicates that global Internet of Things business will exceed 255 billion U.S. dollars in 2022, and China will occupy nearly a quarter of it, which means a market with huge potentials," he said, adding that the lab aims to help enterprises "win market opportunities brought by the technology innovations."

The three other Microsoft AI & IoT Insider Labs are located in Redmond of Washington, Shenzhen of China and Munich of Germany.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-16 20:22:11|Editor: xuxin

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RIYADH, May 16 (Xinhua) -- Saudi Arabian Vice Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman on Thursday accused Iran of ordering the recent drone attacks on Saudi pipeline facilities launched by Yemen's Houthi rebels.

"The terrorist acts, ordered by the regime in Tehran, and carried out by the Houthis, are tightening the noose around the ongoing political efforts," the minister said in a tweet on his official Twitter account.

He said the attacks prove that the Houthi militias "are merely a tool that Iran's regime uses to implement its expansionist agenda in the region, and not to protect the people of Yemen as the Houthis falsely claim."

Saudi Arabia announced on Tuesday that two Aramco pumping stations on its main oil pipeline were attacked by armed drones, causing a limited fire and damages.

The Houthi rebels in Yemen later claimed responsibilities for the attacks, which they said were launched in retaliation against the Saudi-led coalition airstrikes on its targets.

In response, the Saudi-led coalition launched on Thursday airstrikes against Houthi military targets in Sanaa, the Yemeni capital.

Saudi Arabia has been leading a Sunni Arab military coalition against the Shiite Houthi rebels in Yemen since March 2015 to support the internationally-recognized government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi after the rebels forced him into exile and seized much of Yemen's north, including Sanaa.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-16 20:37:24|Editor: xuxin

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BANGKOK, May 16 (Xinhua) -- Thailand's Future Forward Party leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit on Thursday held a press conference to offer himself the post of prime minister.

Thanathorn, in the party's headquarters in Bangkok, assured that he was ready to become the head of a coalition government following the March 24 election.

Thanathorn noted that many people have been confused and desperate to see some positive changes in post-election politics.

The Future Forward Party leader confirmed that he has held talks with the leaders of some other parties.

Earlier, Thailand's Election Commission (EC) urged the Constitutional Court to judge if Thanathorn had been disqualified as an electoral candidate due to the disputable possession of a little-known media firm's shares.

If found guilty as ruled by the court in support of the EC petition, the Future Forward Party leader's electoral candidacy would be disqualified in retroactive fashion, thus losing his MP status.

"If the party got dissolved, I wouldn't want to work in a profit-seeking industry anymore. I have had enough. I would work in a social enterprise, perhaps", Thanathorn said at an event held on Wednesday night.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-16 20:42:31|Editor: xuxin

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MADRID, May 16 (Xinhua) -- The Iberian Brown bear, one of the symbolic animals of Spanish wildlife and a distant cousin of China's giant panda, is making a comeback in northern Spain after being on the verge of extinction.

This year, the first pair of cubs to be seen in 15 years were spotted by close-circuit TV cameras in the region of Alto Pallars in the Pyrenees mountains which separate Spain from France.

"You can see that they seem to be two brothers playing in the snow and we think they are the first cubs to be born in the last 15 years," Santiago Palazon, head biologist at the Biodiversity and Animal Protection Service of Catalan regional government, told Xinhua.

Palazon said that the discovery of the cubs was "tremendously positive" in the battle to save the animals, which were on the point of disappearing from Spanish woods in the late 1980's and 1990's.

"They are still in danger of extinction, but the population is recovering slowly thanks to greater awareness of them and the reintroduction of animals (from elsewhere)," he added.

The biologist said brown bears live in two regions of Spain: Cantabria and Asturias, and the Pyrenees.

"The numbers dropped to around 80 in Asturias and Cantabria, an all-time low, while there were just four or five remaining in the Pyrenees," said Palazon. "It was a critical situation."

The Spanish government reacted in time and introduced measures to protect the bears, such as the creation of protected reserves for the animals.

"It was also very important that society became aware of the problem," said Palazon, adding that bears were brought in from Slovenia and that "without those bears, there wouldn't be any left now in Spain."

Currently there are thought to be 40 or 50 of these animals living in the Pyrenees, while around 300 roam through the woods in Cantabria and Asturias.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-16 20:47:33|Editor: xuxin

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by Burak Akinci

ANKARA, May 16 (Xinhua) -- Illegal treasure hunting has become a real menace in recent years to Turkey's vast archeological assets and poses a serious problem for the country's cultural and historical heritage, experts said.

"There is a serious degradation in Turkey's cultural assets caused by illegal treasure hunters in the past few years especially," Soner Atesogullari, head of Turkey's Archeologists Association, told Xinhua.

"Every single year, archeological artifacts recovered in thousands of illegal excavations by treasure hunters are damaged and sold to domestic or foreign buyers," he said, putting the number of such hunters at "thousands."

"Trove hunting must be banned in Turkey," Atesogullari added.

Treasure hunters in Turkey have even organized under an association, drawing the ire of the archaeology community which warned the move could speed up the plundering of ancient heritage.

The Anatolia Treasure Hunters Training and Research Association, which was established recently, stresses in its charter that it was founded to educate, train and gather people who are interested in treasure hunting while raising awareness.

Archaeologists, however, doubt the true intentions of the new association.

"We find it strange that an association could be founded by the approval of the state, although it would work to damage the cultural heritage of Anatolia with illegal excavations," Atesogullari said.

Archeologists believe that the main aim of the organization is to sell metal detectors, a lucrative business across Turkey. They call on authorities to control and prohibit such transactions and enforce severe legal punishments.

A Xinhua reporter called a telephone number in Istanbul listed on the Internet to inquire on metal detectors, pretending to be a beginner in treasure hunting in pursuit of gold and silver in central Anatolia, where has a rich oenological history.

The answerer guaranteed that "if you are looking for any kind of buried precious metals, I can provide you with the adequate detector," asking up to 10,000 Turkish liras (1,650 U.S. dollars) for the machine.

In fact, Turkey issues licenses for treasure hunting, but under the current regulation, the person who is granted such a license is only authorized do so in specific locations in limited time.

The Ankara-based Safeguarding Archeological Assets of Turkey (SARAT) explained that "people everywhere are fascinated by treasures and treasure hunting."

"So, licenses can be seen as an attempt to bring this desire under control by allowing people to hunt treasures under regulation," SARAT said.

A treasure hunter can receive 50 percent of the treasure if it is found on state-owned land. If it is found on private land, the private owner will receive 10 percent and the treasure hunter receive 40 percent, while the remaining goes to the state.

But only a fraction of trove hunters are licensed.

"Treasure hunting is a plague for our history. It's a disease that should be rapidly and vehemently eradicated in order to preserve our cultural geography from devastation," Turkish historian Ilber Ortayli wrote in a column of the Hurriyet daily.

He warned citizens, as well as local and central government authorities, to be alert on those people "who lurk and do business in small towns of Anatolia which harbor the most precious objects of the world."

Turkish police arrest hundreds of illegal treasure hunters each year in Turkey.

In March, an ancient mosaic bearing geometrical patterns and ancient letters was unearthed during an illegal excavation in Turkey's northwestern Canakkale province.

Officials were expected to conduct a rescue operation in the area to protect the precious mosaic and find out its exact origin, the Sabah daily reported.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-16 20:57:47|Editor: Liangyu

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Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, meets with representatives attending a ceremony commending role models with disabilities and people who have made outstanding contributions in helping the disabled, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, May 16, 2019. Premier Li Keqiang and Wang Huning, a member of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee, both members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, also met with the representatives. (Xinhua/Li Xueren)

BEIJING, May 16 (Xinhua) -- President Xi Jinping on Thursday met here with representatives attending a ceremony commending role models with disabilities and people who have made outstanding contributions in helping the disabled.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, congratulated the representatives on their commendations and encouraged them to make continued efforts to achieve new accomplishments in supporting China's disabled.

Xi shook hands with the representatives, asked them about their work and lives, and took a group photo with them.

Premier Li Keqiang and Wang Huning, a member of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee, both members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, also met with the representatives.

In a speech delivered at the ceremony, state Councilor Wang Yong called for improved mechanisms and efficient measures for disability support.

He demanded efforts to enable more people with disabilities to live better lives and to lift impoverished people with disabilities in rural areas out of poverty.

Wang also called for concrete measures to guarantee equal rights for the disabled.

People with disabilities should learn from the role models to carry forward the spirit of self-reliance, he said.

A total of 167 role models with disabilities, 100 outstanding units and 100 outstanding individuals of disability support, 100 disability support centers, as well as 33 model workers of disabled persons' federations were commended at the ceremony.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-16 21:02:59|Editor: mingmei

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ACCRA, May 16 (Xinhua) -- As part of activities to enhance the friendly relations between Ghana and China, the Confucius Institute at the University of Ghana on Thursday started a Chinese language course for officials of the Ghana Customs.

More than 100 officials drawn from of the Kotoka International Airport will undergo a 12-hour per week studies over the next eight weeks under the full sponsorship of the Confucius Institute.

Chu Beijuan, Chinese director of the Confucius Institute in Ghana, said at the opening ceremony of the program that more Chinese nationals are coming to Ghana to do business with Ghanaians.

"So your learning of Chinese language will help us communicate well with each other and promote friendship between us," Chu told the officials.

She said the preparedness of the Confucius Institute will make the teaching and learning of the Chinese language flexible for the interest of all sectors in Ghana.

"And this Chinese language course will help Customs better interact with the ever-increasing Chinese business partners, tourists and strategic development partners coming to Ghana," said Isaac Crentsil, Commissioner for Ghana Customs.

Cheng Mingjin, chief of Consular and Visa section of the Chinese embassy in Ghana, said Language bridges the gap between people, and binds different groups of people together.

"This program opens a small window for you to showcase your friendliness and hospitality," said Cheng.

One of the beneficiaries, Edem Onyekuba, chief revenue officer of Customs, said that the opportunity to learn Chinese will enhance the work of Customs in dealing with Chinese travelers who visit Ghana annually.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-16 21:28:14|Editor: xuxin

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TIRANA, May 16 (Xinhua) -- Albania paid tribute on Thursday to the second member of the Armed Forces, Major Klodian Tanushi, who died from serious injuries sustained in the explosion of a wartime mine on May 6 while participating in a NATO-led mission in Latvia.

The Albanian Council of Ministers declared Thursday a national day of mourning in honor of Major Tanushi. The national flag was lowered to half-staff in all public and state institutions to pay homage to the victim.

Defense Minister Olta Xhacka proclaimed Tanushi "Martyr of the Homeland," fallen in the line of duty.

"With gratitude and respect, I paid tribute to Major Tanushi for his sublime sacrifice and the precious contribution given, for the patriotism, the bravery and the high sense of responsibility that he testified over 20 years in the Armed Forces, as well as during the mission of the Albanian contingent in Latvia," Albanian President Ilir Meta wrote on Facebook after attending the ceremony.

The body of Major Tanushi will be taken to his final resting place at the National Martyrs' Cemetery in Tirana.

Tanushi, 39, father of three children, passed away in a hospital in Latvia four days after the mine explosion, which caused multiple injuries.

Alongside Major Tanushi, the explosion on May 6 also took the life of First Lieutenant Zarife Hasanaj. Her body was repatriated on May 9, and a national day of mourning was declared in her honor on May 10.

Some 20 members of the Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) contingent of the Albanian Armed Forces are in Latvia to dismantle land mines left over from World War Two as part of NATO's Enhanced Forward Presence mission.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-16 22:28:47|Editor: Liangyu

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A Chinese chef prepares cold dishes of Sichuan Cuisine at "Confucius Institute Banquet -- A Taste of Sichuan" in Dublin, Ireland, May 15, 2019. (Xinhua/Liu Xiaoming)

by Zhang Qi

DUBLIN, May 16 (Xinhua) -- A special banquet to promote China's food culture was hosted by the Confucius Institute at the University College Dublin (UCD) here on Wednesday night, attracting nearly one hundred local Chinese food afficionados.

Former Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny, China's new Ambassador to Ireland He Xiangdong, the Secretary General of Ireland's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Niall Burgess, and UCD President Prof. Andrew J. Deeks attended the banquet, alongside invited guests.

The event dubbed "Confucius Institute Banquet -- A Taste of Sichuan", gave participants a rare chance to enjoy authentic Sichuan-style dishes prepared by seven master chefs coming from Sichuan Tourism University (STU) in southwest China.

The dishes included two starters, four main courses and two Chinese-style desserts, followed by tea exclusively from the mountains of Sichuan province. On-the-spot bilingual introduction was provided by a food culture professor from the STU.

"To meet the tastes of the Irish people, we have replaced chicken with locally sourced scallops in creating a new dish based on the famous Sichuan Kung Pao Chicken dish, and used the same locally sourced codfish to replace pork in making a new creation based on the Fish-Flavoured Shredded Pork dish," said Prof. Du Li from the STU.

Hu Jinxiang, a master chef of Sichuan cuisine who is also good at making dough figurines, the art of which has been proclaimed intangible cultural heritage in China, demonstrated his skills in dough sculpturing and sugar painting, which elicited significant interest from the guests.

Jointly organized by UCD's Confucius Institute and STU, the banquet feasted the guests with beautifully prepared, delicious Sichuan dishes while providing them a chance to learn how to prepare such dishes and hear the stories behind them.

"The banquet has also enabled the guests to know a bit more about the Chinese history and culture apart from enjoying the Chinese food," said Prof. Liming Wang, director of UCD Confucius Institute, who represents the Irish side of the institute, which was jointly launched by the Chinese and Irish governments in collaboration with UCD and the Beijing-based Renmin University of China in 2006.

"By holding the inaugural Confucius Institute Banquet, we intend to build it into a brand in promoting the Chinese culinary culture in Ireland by introducing more varieties of Chinese cuisine in the future so as to expand the ways to promote cultural exchanges between the two countries," said Wang.

In his opening remarks, Prof. Deeks said that the banquet is the first of its kind held at the UCD Confucius Institute, which is the only purpose-built such institute in the world.

UCD's is one of the earliest Confucius Institutes established in the world. It was recognized as one of the model institutes by the relevant Chinese authorities due to its outstanding contributions to the promotion of cultural exchanges between China and Ireland.

Currently, there are three Confucius Institutes in Ireland. The other two are located in Cork in the south and in Galway in the west.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-16 22:28:51|Editor: mingmei

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CHICAGO, May 16 (Xinhua) -- U.S. bullying will not work on China and a win-win solution is needed to end their trade tensions, an expert on U.S.-China ties has said.

"Be clear: the American farmers, manufacturers and consumers are paying the price" of Washington's trade war, said Tom Watkins, an advisor to the Michigan-China Innovation Center, in a recent interview with Xinhua.

The United States increased the additional tariffs on 200 billion U.S. dollars' worth of Chinese goods from 10 percent to 25 percent on Friday, and has threatened to raise tariffs on more Chinese imports.

In response, China has announced that it will raise additional tariffs on a range of U.S. imports from June 1, and "will fight to the end."

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang pointed out Wednesday that it is the United States that started the trade disputes, and what China has done so far is purely self-defense to safeguard its legitimate rights and interests as well as to uphold multilateralism and the free trade system.

The approach of trying to embarrass, bully and intimidate China is not going to be a winning strategy for the United States in the long run, Watkins said.

He expressed the hope that the United States and China could reach a win-win compromise before more harm is done to the American people.

"It is important to all a win-win solution is found soon," Watkins said, adding that the only way forward is a win-win deal for both sides to move forward.

"U.S. companies made an economic and business decision to play by China's rules to have access to China's market of 1.4 billion consumers. CEOs and shareholders got rich doing so," he said.

The United States needs to understand that its greatest fear should not be China's success but its failure, Watkins said, because "when China stumbles, the world will tumble."

The U.S.-China relationship remains the most important bilateral relationship in the world today, Watkins said. "How we resolve this immediate dispute will impact the people of America, China and all of humanity."
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-16 22:33:57|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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NAIROBI, May 16 (Xinhua) -- Kenya said Thursday it will later this year launch a big data platform on agriculture which will carry all available information on the sector.

Boniface Akuku, director of information and communication technology at Kenya Agriculture and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO), said that the platform will have data on farmers, stakeholders, weather, agricultural research development, production, yield and market.

Akuku noted that the platform that will be hosted in Nairobi will generate data for use by policy makers, researchers, extension services, stakeholders and farmers.

"We need quality data to help make sound decisions especially in agriculture so as to help the country become food secure," he said while addressing a national conference on agricultural public private policy in Nairobi.

The official said that the data will be availed to users through the internet, interactive voice systems, short message services, mobile applications, television, radio and bulletins.

"We hope the big data will help us solve challenges such as climate change and other production constraints that affects agriculture sector," Akuku added.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-16 22:34:00|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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MOSCOW, May 16 (Xinhua) -- The Russian Federal Security Service said Thursday it had detained in Moscow a Russian national suspected of raising and transferring at least 50 million rubles (775,000 U.S. dollars) to Islamic State (IS) terrorists in Syria since 2015.

"The collected funds were cashed and used for plotting and committing terrorist activities," it said in a statement.

During a search of the detainee's residence, law enforcement officers seized a significant number of bank cards and mobile phones with instructions from IS coordinators, along with extremist literature.

Authorities said an investigation remains ongoing.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-16 22:39:02|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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WINDHOEK, May 16 (Xinhua) -- Namibia Breast Milk Bank (NBMB) spokesperson Birgit Mayer Thursday called on nursing mothers in the southwestern African nation to come forth and support the initiative and donate breast milk.

The bank screens, collects, processes and distributes breast milk to feed premature babies in cases when parent mothers cannot produce enough of their own breast milk, Mayer said.

Mayer said this on the occasion of a donation of 2,500 feeding bottles, from the largest private Namibian company group, the Ohlthaver & List Group.

"Natural breast milk is far healthier for babies than the formula milk, and contributes significantly to their physical and mental development," she said.

According to Mayer, many premature babies end up in unfortunate situations where they do not have direct access to breast milk, especially if their mother passed away after giving birth, or are simply unable to breastfeed due to health reasons.

"Premature babies weighing 1.5 kg and below are more prone to infections and are more protected when receiving breast milk," she added.

Mayer said in order to qualify as a beneficiary of the donor breast milk, babies should weigh 1.5 kg or less, and also if their mothers are not self-sufficient in terms of providing breast milk.

The NBMB became officially operational since April 2018. From April 2018 until April 2019 the NBMB has given pasteurized breast milk to approximately 100 babies of which about 60 are state referrals and the rest from the private sector.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-16 22:39:06|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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HARBIN, May 16 (Xinhua) -- Wang Erzhi, a former provincial political advisor in northeast China's Jilin Province, stood trial for taking bribes at the Intermediate People's Court of Harbin in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province Thursday.

Wang was a former vice chairman of the Jilin Provincial Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.

According to the indictment, Wang used his various positions between 2001 and 2018 in Jilin to help others obtain projects, and in return, he illegally accepted money and goods worth over 50.72 million yuan (7.38 million U.S. dollars) through other people.

In his final statement, Wang pleaded guilty and expressed remorse.

The trial was attended by more than 50 people including legislators, political advisors, press and members of the public.

The verdict will be announced in due course.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-16 22:54:18|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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ADDIS ABABA, May 16 (Xinhua) -- The Ethiopian government on Thursday disclosed that some 45 camps that have been hosting Internally Displaced People (IDP) were closed as part of the ongoing national repatriation efforts.

The recently terminated 45 IDP camps had been housing more than 66,000 ethnic-conflict affected people, who left their homes following a recent ethnic conflict along the border of Ethiopia's largest Oromia region and Benishangul Gumuz region, state-affiliated Fana Broadcasting Corporate (FBC) quoted Oromia region officials as saying on Thursday.

Last week, the Ethiopian government disclosed the voluntary return of some 870,000 IDPs to their areas of origin in different parts of the East African country.

The nationwide repatriation efforts began last month as part of a strategic plan that aimed to address internal displacement across the country.

According to figures from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affair (UNOCHA), there are close to 2.4 million internally displaced people in Ethiopia, many of whom left their homes due to recurrent conflicts.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-16 22:54:20|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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JAKARTA, May 16 (Xinhua) -- The Indonesian government planned to allocate some 30.6 trillion rupiah (about 2.1 billion U.S. dollars) to finance the capital city relocation project, seeking partnership with state-run firms and the private sector to carry out the project, Indonesian Development Planning Minister Bambang Brodjonegoro said here on Thursday.

The planned allocation would be from the state budget, and the capital relocation construction process is expected to complete within five years, the minister said.

"It means that state budget would allocate some six trillion rupiah (about 415.2 million U.S. dollars) each year to finance projects for the new capital city," Bambang said.

The government planned to seek partnership with state-run firms and the private sector to get the remaining funds to finance the capital relocation, he said. Projects related to the capital relocation may totally require some 466 trillion rupiah (about 32.2 billion U.S. dollars), reports said.

The minister said funds from the state budget would be allocated to finance land procurement, green public space and the construction of the presidential palace and headquarters of police and military.

The total areas required for the new capital city is estimated to reach 40,000 hectares, he added.

Projects financed by non-state budget allocation are education facilities, housing for civil servants, police and military personnel, among others, Brodjonegoro said.

Indonesian President Joko Widodo has affirmed relocation of the capital city to a place outside the heavily-populated Java last month.

The president has considered Kutai Kartanegara regency or Gunung Mas regency respectively in East and Central Kalimantan provinces as the new capital city, after visiting the places earlier this month.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-16 22:59:25|Editor: Li Xia

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People transfer the body of a suspected terrorist to a hospital in Quetta, southwest Pakistan, May 16, 2019. At least nine terrorists were killed and four policemen injured in an operation by Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) of local police in Pakistan's southwest Balochistan province on Thursday, local media reported. (Xinhua/Irfan)

ISLAMABAD, May 16 (Xinhua) -- At least nine terrorists were killed and four policemen injured in an operation by counter-terrorism department (CTD) of police in Pakistan's southwest Balochistan province on Thursday, local reports said.

The operation was carried out on an intelligence tip-off regarding presence of suspected militants in a compound being used as terrorists' camp in Mustang district of the province, ARY News reported.

The militants opened fire at the police when the raid was conducted, triggering a shoot-out, which resulted in the fatalities of the terrorists.

Police also recovered a cache of arms and ammunition from the hideout of the militants, the CTD was quoted as having said.

The identities of the killed militants have not been revealed yet.

Operation against insurgents has been intensified in Balochistan in the wake of the recent surge of terrorist activities in the country.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-16 22:59:27|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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BERLIN, May 16 (Xinhua) -- In the wake of a major robbery of several million euros from a safe deposit box in a Commerzbank branch in Munich, the Munich Public Prosecutor's Office is investigating several suspects, the authority announced on Thursday.

The suspects are in pre-trial custody and the investigations are still ongoing, said a spokesperson for the prosecutor's office.

According to a report by the German newspaper Tz, a gang, supported by a bank employee, is said to have stolen 4.62 million euros (5.17 million U.S. dollars) from the locker of a Commerzbank customer.

The Public Prosecutor's Office has not yet provided any information on the identity of the suspects.

The robbery was confirmed by a Commerzbank spokesperson, from whose branch on Munich's Promenadeplatz the money had been stolen.

The German bank's spokesperson did not specify the amount of money stolen, saying only that customers could freely dispose of their locker with PIN and card, and it was therefore uncertain how much cash was in the locker.

The incident may have been a targeted attack against one bank customer, as the perpetrators had left the other lockers untouched, the Commerzbank spokesperson suggested.

According to the Tz report, the robbery took place sometime between December 2017 and March 2018.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-16 23:04:29|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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HARBIN, May 16 (Xinhua) -- Major soybean growers in China are on an expansion mode to achieve a fast growth in domestic supply of high-quality soybean produce this year, while cutting the country's dependence on imports.

The seeding for soybeans is going on in north China's Heilongjiang and Jilin provinces, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, and the central province of Henan, with an estimated planting expansion rate of over 10 percent this year.

China's soybean imports declined for the first time in seven years, according to the China Agricultural Sector Development Report 2019 released on Monday. The import volume was 88.03 million tonnes last year, down by 7.9 percent year on year.

Soybean futures at the Chicago Board of Trade closed Monday at the lowest level in more than 10 years, as traders showed increasing concerns about the escalating trade friction between the United States and China.

China announced Monday that it will raise the rate of additional tariffs imposed on some of the imported U.S. products from June 1. This decision came after the U.S. move to increase tariffs on 200 billion dollars worth of Chinese goods from 10 percent to 25 percent as of May 10.

FARMERS' ENTHUSIASM

In Heilongjiang Province, which yields half of China's soybean output, farmer Fu Zhengwu is planting soybean seeds provided by the Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology, affiliated to the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Fu said he planted 267 hectares of the soybean breed last year, which contains high-protein levels.

Li Yanhua, a researcher of the institute, said the new soybean breeds such as Dongsheng No. 7 and No. 17 were developed by the institute last year. They have become hotly sought after, as some farmers tasted the sweet harvest last year.

The provincial department of agriculture and rural affairs estimated that the soybean planting area will increase by over 10 percent this year, from last year's 3.6 million hectares. Many soybean plantation fields in the province are managed by large cooperatives for mechanic farming.

Neighboring Inner Mongolia has planned to add 133,333 hectares of soybean plantation area this year to make a total of 1.2 million hectares. With the popularity of drop irrigation, the average soybean yield in the arid region reached 4,366.5 kg per hectare in 2018, up from a record high of 3,765 kg per hectare set in 2005.

In eastern China's Shandong Province, the provincial academy of Agricultural Sciences has also been involved in breeding new soybean varieties with advantages of anti-water-logging and resistance to the cotton bollworm, factors that would deter farmers from cultivating soybeans.

"The new breed can ensure a stable yield of 3,000 kg per hectare, which has aroused farmers' interests in soybean production," said Yang Wujie, an official from the provincial department of agriculture and rural affairs.

In eastern China's Jiangsu Province, farmers will plant soybeans after harvesting wheat around the end of May.

Cai Weiquan, a rural cooperative manager in Huai'an City, said farmers have high expectations about the future value of soybeans in the market. The cooperative will satisfy the growing soybean demand this year.

Zhao Jinming, deputy head of the National Soybean Improvement Center, said Jiangsu has been a national pilot in interplanting soybean and wheat, promoting the technology of no-tillage mechanization of wheat stubble to improve farming efficiency.
In this file photo, an Iraqi woman gets an injection at the "Barbie Clinic" in Baghdad on June 2, 2015, in a sign that cosmetic surgeries are becoming more popular in Iraq that has long been plagued by extremism and terrroism. (Reuters photo)

BAGHDAD, May 16 (Xinhua) -- It might be strange to hear that cosmetic surgeries are on the rise in a country like Iraq, which has been plagued by extremism and terrorism for many years.

But it is true that more and more Iraqis nowadays undergo such surgeries not only to improve their own appearance, but also manifest their defiance of religious extremism.

"I am a woman and my appearance is a big priority to me, so I always follow the latest news about cosmetic surgeries and beauty industry," Sawsan Jabbar, a government employee in her 40s, told Xinhua.

"I have undergone several cosmetic surgeries, and I don't want to go into details. But my goal definitely is to get a charming look," she said.

Jabbar believed that Iraq's openness to the world, modern communication technologies and the return to stability, especially after the defeat of Islamic State (IS) militants, have encouraged many Iraqis to undergo cosmetic surgeries such as face-lift, lip augmentation and hair transplantation.

In the years after the U.S.-led invasion into Iraq in 2003, cosmetic and plastic surgeries were mainly conducted to repair the wounds and damages to the body or appearance caused by violence and wars.

But in recent years, as the country has stabilized, cosmetic or plastic surgeries are offered by many beauty centers and clinics that have sprung up across the Iraqi cities, most notably in Baghdad.

A lot of advertising institutions promote beauty services and treatment in Iraq. Some Iraqis even receive hair transplants, skin whitening and reduction of age spots, cosmetic dentistry, as well as minor surgeries such as Botox and stem cell injections.

Abdullah Mohammed, 21, underwent a few cosmetic surgeries on his face and body to erase some birth defects.

"I used to feel sad every time when I looked into the mirror, and I was embarrassed to step out of the house. Then I noticed an advertisement post on Facebook about cosmetic surgeries for cases like mine," he said.

He later visited a clinic just to found out that many others have received cosmetic treatment there, which encouraged him to get such surgeries.

"I feel normal now and I'm no longer shy to meet people," Mohammed said, adding that the surgeries boosted his self-confidence.

In this photo taken on May 5, Abbas al-Sahan, a plastic surgeon and director of the al-Wasity Hospital in Baghdad, talked to Xinhua reporters in an interview. (Khalil Dawood/Xinhua)

Abbas al-Sahan, a plastic surgeon and director of al-Wasity Hospital in Baghdad, told Xinhua that cosmetic surgeries are now becoming more popular in Iraq due to the social need.

One of the main factors behind the proliferation of cosmetic surgeries was the relative retreat of extremism and terrorism, particularly after the victory over the IS group in late 2017, al-Sahan said.

He also believed that the rising popularity of cosmetic surgeries in Iraq is due to their impact in "the psychological aspect as some men and women are seeking social acceptance and self-confidence."

In some cases, good-looking is a requirement for getting good jobs, he said.

For many women, one of the main reasons for doing cosmetic surgery is the desire to increase prospects for a good marriage, al-Sahan explained.

Rhinoplasty, Botox, liposuction, breast augmentation, eyelid tightening, face-lift and ear malformations are among the popular cosmetic surgeries in Iraq, he said.

He revealed that a large percentage of his patients are men.

The cost of cosmetic or plastic surgeries in Iraq is much lower than in European countries, giving the customers another reason to choose the Iraqi beauty centers for such surgeries.

In this photo taken on May 5 stands the al-Wasity Hospital in Baghdad, which performs cosmetic surgeries for Iraqis who seek to improve their own looks. (Khalil Dawood/Xinhua)

However, al-Sahan recommended the patients make sure to go to a cosmetic center with good reputation that is operated by experienced specialists, to avoid any potential negative repercussions and side effects.

But, al-Sahan admitted that rich Iraqis still prefer to travel abroad for cosmetic surgeries, as the confidence in Iraqi beauty clinics remains relatively low.

As result of the remarkable improvement in security situation following the anti-IS victory in Iraq, many beauty centers and plastic surgery hospitals have opened their doors in Baghdad and other Iraqi cities.

However, such surgeries, which offend the religious extremists who tried to force their hegemony over the Iraqi society in the past years, have not gone without price.

Last year, the mysterious deaths of two Iraqi beauticians in their homes in Baghdad, including Rafif al-Yaseri, owner of the Barbie Clinic, and Rasha al-Hassan, owner of the Viola beauty center, raised questions about a systematic targeting of beauticians by extremists.

In a tweet commenting on al-Hassan's death, Iraqi lawmaker Faiq al-Sheikh Ali accused the extremists of aiming at the beauty centers after murdering many pilots, doctors, university professors and others.

Ali denounced the extremists as "enemies of beauty, life haters, and killers of creativity."
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-16 23:24:53|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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BEIJING, May 16 (Xinhua) -- The International Center for Theoretical Physics Asia-Pacific (ICTP-AP) has been launched in Beijing, capital of China, according to China Science Daily on Thursday.

The ICTP-AP will be a talent training base and international academic exchange center with global vision, Xie Xincheng, the vice president of the National Science Foundation of China (NSFC), told the newspaper. He believes the ICTP-AP will support young scholars and develop regional cooperative research.

"The world's science and technology progress has been speeding up," said physicist Yang Zhenning, a 1957 Nobel Prize winner known as Chen-Ning Franklin Yang in the west. He added that the ICTP-AP will keep the Asia-Pacific fully participating in the fast progress.

The ICTP-AP, jointly built by Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), NSFC and ICTP, will operate in affiliation to the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (UCAS).

Wu Yueliang, vice-president of UCAS, said the ICTP-AP will help the future education better serve the global sustainable development by conducting basic science research, innovation and application.

A total of 140,000 scholars and researchers have visited the ICTP since it was established in Italy in 1964, said Quevedo Fernando, director of the ICTP.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-16 23:29:56|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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DAR ES SALAAM, May 16 (Xinhua) -- A senior Tanzanian government official told parliament on Thursday that plans were afoot to inspect all constructed irrigation projects in the nation.

Omary Mgumba, the Deputy Minister for Agriculture, said the move was aimed at establishing whether construction of the irrigation projects meet required standards.

"The inspection of irrigation projects constructed across the country is aimed at assessing their standard and whether funds released by the government for their construction were spent accordingly," Mgumba told the House in the capital Dodoma.

On Tuesday, Tanzanian Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa suspended seven directors of irrigation from the Tanzania Commission for Irrigation for negligence.

Majaliwa directed the Controller and Auditor General to launch an investigation into the conduct of the suspended directors.

"We will not have mercy on anybody who is implicated in negligence and embezzlement of public funds," he told a meeting with directors of the commission held in Dodoma.

Majaliwa said the suspension of the directors followed reports of corruption, office abuse and embezzlement of public funds for implementation of irrigation projects.

"Directors implicated in sabotaging irrigation projects will face the full force of the law," warned Majaliwa.

He said the Tanzania Commission for Irrigation has failed to oversee 10 irrigation projects in the nation, frustrating efforts by the government aimed at improving irrigation farming.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-16 23:50:11|Editor: huaxia

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DAR ES SALAAM, May 16 (Xinhua) -- The African Development Bank (AfDB) on Thursday commended Tanzanian President John Magufuli for overseeing bold economic reforms in the east African nation.

A statement issued by the Directorate of Presidential Communication at State House in the commercial capital Dar es Salaam said the commendation was made by AfDB President Akinwumi Adesina during talks with Magufuli.

The statement said Adesina described Tanzania's steady economic growth of an annual average of 7 percent as one of the fastest growing economies in the world.

The AfDB chief also praised Magufuli for what he termed as exemplary leadership and safeguarding the welfare and interest of his people, according to the statement.

The statement added that Adesina paid tribute to President Magufuli for forging ahead cordial relations with his neighboring countries including Uganda.

He said Tanzania's mutual relations with Uganda culminated into the signing of an agreement on the construction of the multi-million U.S. dollar crude oil pipeline from the port of Tanga in Tanzania to Hoima in Uganda covering 1,443 km in collaboration with the private sector.

On development projects, Adesina said the AfDB has so far funded various projects in the country valued at 4.55 trillion Tanzanian shillings (about 1.98 billion U.S. dollars).

The AfDB recently approved funding for the construction of a 110-km outer ring road and the construction of an international airport in the capital Dodoma.

In addition, said the statement, Adesina commended Magufuli for the construction of the standards gauge railway.

For his part, Magufuli thanked the AfDB for agreeing to support the implementation of other infrastructure projects, including roads and power generation in northwestern Tanzania and expansion of the bus rapid transit ystem in Dar es Salaam. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-17 00:10:37|Editor: Liangyu

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Photo taken on May 16, 2019 shows giant panda Xiao Liwu at the Qingchengshan Base of the China Conservation and Research Center for Giant Pandas in Dujiangyan, southwest China's Sichuan Province. Two giant pandas have returned to China after staying in the United States for years. Twenty-seven-year-old female giant panda Bai Yun and its son, six-year-old Xiao Liwu, arrived in Sichuan Province on Thursday, after the San Diego Zoo's conservation loan agreement with China ended. (Xinhua/Xue Yubin)

CHENGDU, May 16 (Xinhua) -- Two giant pandas have returned to China after staying in the United States for years.

Twenty-seven-year-old female giant panda Bai Yun and her son, six-year-old Xiao Liwu, arrived in southwest China's Sichuan Province Thursday, after the San Diego Zoo's conservation loan agreement with China ended.

FUZZY CHARM

As the first panda on loan, Bai Yun arrived at the San Diego Zoo in 1996. The cuddly panda soon became an iconic image of the zoo and one of the most popular animals. The name of her son, Xiao Liwu, means Little Gift.

On Thursday morning, the pandas arrived at the Dujiangyan Base of the China Conservation and Research Center for Giant Pandas. Experts examined the pandas and said the chubby bears' conditions were good.

"They will be under quarantine for a month to help them adapt to the conditions in China," said Zou Wenyong, with the center.

A welcoming ceremony was held at the base at 3:30 p.m. Zhang Haiqing, deputy director of the center, presented an award to the San Diego Zoo for its protection of the pandas, while Shawn Dixon, with the San Diego Zoo, dedicated a book featuring joint research efforts to the center.

Last month, the San Diego Zoo held a three-week farewell event for the two giant pandas. Around 1,000 Americans lined up at the zoo to say goodbye to the pandas, according to Dixon.

GLOBAL COOPERATION

The China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda has conducted scientific research cooperation with the San Diego Zoo for 23 years with fruitful results in the protection, breeding, disease control of giant pandas and related public education.

After Baiyun and Xiaoliwu's return, the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda has welcomed 17 returnee giant pandas, said Zhang Zhizhong with the center.

Zhang added that the center has launched giant panda research programs in cooperation with 16 zoos in 14 countries and regions, serving as the world's largest platform for the scientific research of giant pandas.

In 1980, the Chinese government cooperated with the World Wide Fund for Nature to establish the "China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda" (CCRCGP) to save the endangered pandas. The center aimed at raising the number of pandas by captive-breeding programs, but its ultimate goal was to return them to the wild.

Giant pandas are one of the world's most endangered species. Fewer than 2,000 pandas live in the wild, mostly in the provinces of Sichuan and Shaanxi. There were 375 giant pandas in captivity at the end of 2013, about 200 of them at the CCRCGP.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-17 00:15:48|Editor: huaxia

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LUSAKA, May 16 (Xinhua) -- Zambian President Edgar Lungu on Thursday said the southern African nation appreciated the warm and cordial bilateral relations that have existed with Ireland over the years.

The Zambian leader said when Kevin Kelly, a special envoy to Ireland's Prime Minister, Leo Varadkar, called on him at State House that his government appreciated the bilateral ties that have existed especially in the health and education sectors.

He said the two countries have cooperated well towards enhancing the education and health sectors, adding that schools and colleges have been major beneficiaries.

Zambia, he said, was looking for increased cooperation with Ireland in various sectors of the economy.

On his part, the Irish envoy commended Zambia for having a strong record in peace building and for being a beacon of peace and freedom in Africa. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-17 00:15:49|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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BERLIN, May 16 (Xinhua) -- German Chancellor Angela Merkel emphasized that she felt an increased sense of responsibility for Europe during an interview with the German newspaper Sueddeutsche Zeitung on Thursday.

"Many people, including myself, are worried about Europe. This gives me an even greater sense of responsibility to take care of the fate of this Europe of ours together with others," said Merkel.

Merkel's comments fueled speculation about a possible move for the German Chancellor to an important post in the European Union (EU) in the near future.

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker recently made it clear that he thought it conceivable that Merkel could assume a role at European level after her time as Chancellor.

"I cannot imagine at all that Angela Merkel would disappear into oblivion," Juncker told the Funke Media Group at the end of April. With a view to a possible EU office for Merkel, Juncker added that "she would be highly qualified."

On Thursday, the German Chancellor also discussed her good relationship with French President Emmanuel Macron.

Although Merkel admitted differences of opinion with Macron during the interview, she felt that their relationship was unchanged.

"Of course, we are wrestling with each other. There are differences in mentality between us and differences in our understanding of roles," she noted.

Similarly, on Wednesday evening, the French President said with regard to Germany that he believed "in fruitful confrontation, in other words, proposing to test one's partner."

Speaking in Paris, Macron said "we must be able to accept momentary differences of opinion, not be in complete agreement on everything."

In her interview with the German newspaper Thursday, Merkel emphasized that Germany and France nonetheless "naturally" agreed on the broader lines and always found compromises.

"In this way we are doing a lot for Europe, even today," the German Chancellor said about her relationship with Macron.

Merkel rejected the accusation that, in comparison to Macron, she provided less impetus for European policy, saying that together, they "always find a middle ground."

As an example, Merkel cited the "enormous progress" in Germany's and France's common defense policy.

Back in November, France and Germany announced they would develop a fighter plane and a tank together.

"It is a great mutual compliment and a sign of trust if one relies more on each other in defense policy," Merkel said.

Looking back at the past five years, she described "Britain's decision to withdraw from the EU" as the most important turning point for Europe.

Merkel also referred to the euro crisis and refugee crisis as major challenges but defended her response to them.

"If we had not acted or had acted completely differently in the euro crisis and the refugee crisis, I think the consequences would have been much worse than some problems today," Merkel said.

These decisions were not made on the drawing board, but were "answers to real life". In particular, "when almost 70 million people worldwide are fleeing, it was understandable that Europe had to deal with at least a million of them," stressed Merkel.

The German Chancellor said she understood that this could lead to "social controversies" but that they needed to be dealt with.

Overall, Merkel emphasized that there was "no doubt that Europe must reposition itself in a changed world."

Looking ahead, she warned that "if Europe could no longer be founded on a future-oriented foundation, the work for peace would also be in danger more quickly than one would think."

For Merkel, the "material foundations" of Germany and Europe are essential because without them, "we will neither be able to meet our social nor our ecological demands, nor will we be able to help other states."
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-17 00:21:00|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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ADDIS ABABA, May 16 (Xinhua) -- United Nations on Thursday vowed to support the Ethiopian government's efforts through strategic planning and expertise, mainly in the financial and digitalization endeavors.

The statement was made by Queen Maxima of the Netherlands, who is also the UN Secretary-General's Special Advocate for Inclusive Finance for Development, during her meeting with Ethiopia's Minister of Finance Ahmed Shade on Thursday.

"During the discussion, Queen Maxima vowed to support the Ethiopian government through strategic planning, mainly by assigning qualified financial and planning experts," the Ethiopian Ministry of Finance said in a statement on Thursday.

The queen, who is currently in Ethiopia as part of a three-day visit that aimed to promote access to financial services in the East African country, envisaged to promote digital applications in Ethiopia's financial services, as well as the development of digital national identification (ID) system.

On Wednesday, Maxima, during her meeting with the Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, also stressed that "the timing of the changes taking place in the country are crucial."

"She lauded the changes in liberalization and privatization of various sectors, particularly telecom as impressive in facilitating financial inclusion," the Ethiopian Prime Minister's office said in a statement late Wednesday.

Ahmed shared key priorities of the Ethiopian government "in laying the critical foundation for structural changes to enable technology enhance inclusive financing," the statement read.

Maxima reiterated the UN's continued support to the Ethiopian government's efforts towards digitalization.

Maxima, who also met with Ethiopia's Minister of Innovation and Technology Getahun Mekuria as part of her ongoing visit to Ethiopia, stressed the UN's readiness to provide technical, knowledge, as well as advisory support.

Maxima, expressing her concern regarding internet speed and information security, also urged the Ethiopian government to give particular emphasis to rural communities, according to the Ethiopian Ministry of Innovation and Technology.

The Netherlands queen has been the UN Secretary-General's Special Advocate for Inclusive Finance for Development since 2009.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-17 00:26:03|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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ABUJA, May 16 (Xinhua) -- The Lake Chad Basin is no longer a safe haven for terror group Boko Haram, as joint military efforts by countries in the region have yielded good results so far, Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari said on Thursday.

"We have led vigorous military campaigns against the terrorists by re-organizing the multinational joint task force which had dislodged them," Buhari, represented by Nigeria's minister of interior Abdulrahman Dambazzau, said at the closing of the 16th Annual General Meeting of West African Police Chiefs Committee and Meeting of the Forum of Ministers in charge of Security in Abuja.

He said in the past four years, Nigeria, working with regional and international allies, had taken drastic measures and spared no effort in the fight against Boko Haram.

The Nigerian president urged the regional security chiefs to share their experiences, re-assess and harmonize crime control and operations in their various countries to see the end of the terror group.

He said the insecurity posed by corruption, terrorism, communal clashes, and kidnap for ransom, organized crimes, among others, were some vices threatening the region's peace, progress, integration, and development.

Buhari attributed the vulnerability of the region to criminal activities and other threats to peace and security to the vast borders and proximity to the Sahel.

Countries in attendance at the Abuja meeting included Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Benin, Cote d'Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo.

The three-day meeting was aimed at addressing transnational crimes, especially terrorism, violent extremism, kidnapping, illicit circulation of small arms and light weapons, human trafficking, maritime security, herders and farmers' conflict, among others.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-17 00:26:11|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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WASHINGTON, May 16 (Xinhua) -- Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter was released from hospital Thursday after receiving a surgery on a broken hip earlier this week.

"President Carter was released from Phoebe Sumter Medical Center today and will continue to recuperate at home," according to a statement issued by The Carter Center, a non-profit organization that the former president founded in 1982.

"He will undergo physical therapy, as part of his recovery from hip replacement surgery," the statement said.

It added that Carter's wife, Rosalynn, felt faint and was admitted overnight to the hospital for observation and testing before leaving the hospital with the her husband Thursday morning.

Carter, 94, fell and broke his hip at his home in Plains, southeastern state of Georgia, Monday morning, while leaving to go turkey hunting.

The longest-living U.S. president, Carter served for one term between 1977 and 1981, overseeing the normalization of diplomatic ties between the United States and China 40 years ago.

The Georgia Democrat was diagnosed in 2015 with melanoma of brain and liver. He said months later that an MRI scan showed that his cancer was gone after treatment.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-17 00:31:17|Editor: huaxia

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PARIS, May 16 (Xinhua) -- French shares edged up on Thursday, with the benchmark Paris CAC 40 up 1.37 percent, or 73.85 points,to close at 5,448.11 points.

Of the 40 selected large companies, 32 gained in the day.

European software company Dassault Systemes advanced 3.35 percent, French multinational company which supplies industrial gases and services to various industries, Air Liquide rose 2.78 percent. French multinational information technology consulting corporation Cap Gemini rose 2.59 percent.

French tire manufacturer Michelin (CGDE) lost 0.93 percent. French multinational automobile manufacturer Renault lost 1.12 percent and French multinational automotive supplier Valeo, went down by 2.71 percent. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-17 00:31:19|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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PHNOM PENH, May 16 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia exported 95,066 metric tons of milled rice to China in the first four months of 2019, a 66-percent increase over the same period last year, showed an official report released on Thursday.

China is still the top buyer of Cambodian rice during the January-April period this year, said the report of the Secretariat of One Window Service for Rice Export, adding that export to China accounted for 44.5 percent of the country's total rice export.

It said the Southeast Asian country exported a total of 213,763 tons of rice to 46 countries and regions in the first four months of this year, up 8.3 percent over the same period last year.

The report noted that the kingdom exported 65,552 tons of rice to the European markets during the period, down 34 percent because, in January, the European Union imposed duties for three years on rice importing from Cambodia in a bid to curb a surge in rice imports from the kingdom and to protect European producers.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-17 00:31:21|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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DAMASCUS, May 16 (Xinhua) -- A total of 112 air bombardments targeted rebel positions in northern Syria on Thursday, a war monitor reported.

The airstrikes targeted areas in the countryside of the provinces of Hama and Idlib, as well as part of Latakia Province, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

The London-based watchdog said the Syrian army has captured 16 villages in the northern countryside of Hama since the beginning of the campaign last month.

The Syrian government said the campaign came in response to the rebels' attacks and infiltration attempts into Syrian military sites in the region.

Idlib, the last major rebel stronghold in Syria, is controlled by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the umbrella group of the al-Qaida-linked Nusra Front.

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| 2019-05-17 00:51:31|Editor: Liangyu

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Chinese Ambassador to Romania Jiang Yu (3rd R) cuts ribbon to open the China-Romania Agricultural Science and Technology Park in Bucharest, capital of Romania, May 16, 2019. (Xinhua/Chen Jin)

BUCHAREST, May 16 (Xinhua) -- The first China-Romania Agricultural Science and Technology Park was inaugurated Thursday in the University of Agronomic Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Bucharest, marking the beginning of bilateral substantive cooperation in modern agriculture.

"The inauguration of the Agricultural Science and Technology Park is a continuation of the long-term bilateral cooperation in science and technology, and a new platform for the exchange of experience and to the promotion of bilateral friendly relations," Nicolae Hurduc, minister of Research and Innovation of Romania, told the opening ceremony, stressing that cooperation with China in the field of science and technology is of strategic importance for Romania.

Chinese Ambassador to Romania Jiang Yu, in her speech, spoke highly of the achievements of the cooperation between the Romanian university and the Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development in Agriculture of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences.

"Science, technology and innovation cooperation is an important part of the relationship between the two countries, and exchanges in agriculture have always been the key part of this cooperation," Jiang said, hoping that the SCI&TEC park will face the international advanced agricultural science and the major needs of the agricultural and rural development of the two countries, and work together in the areas of facility agriculture and green sustainable agriculture, so as to produce pragmatic results that benefit agricultural producers.

She also urged both partner to turn the park to a center of bilateral agricultural science and technology innovation, a center of knowledge information exchange and a cluster of professional talents.

Rector of the University of Agronomic Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Bucharest Sorin Mihai Campeanu and Director of the Chinese Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development in Agriculture Zhang Yanqing also attended the ceremony.

The SCI&TEC park includes an intelligent LED plant factory and a light simplified energy-saving solar greenhouses. The plant factory, which uses LED energy-saving light source, stereoscopic cultivation with nutrient solution and intelligent control technology, covers an area of 50 square meters and a cultivated area of 150 square meters, yielding an annual output of 4,000 kg of leaf vegetables.

The 500-square-meters solar greenhouse cultivates an area of 350 square meters and produces annually over 8,000 kg of tomato and other fruits or vegetables, by adopting light simplified structure, active heat storage-release system, spray cooling, embedded soil-less cultivation, water and fertilizer integration technology.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-17 01:06:42|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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UNITED NATIONS, May 16 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese envoy on Thursday called on the international community to take integrated approaches to support countries in the Sahel region.

"The situation in the Sahel region is stable as a whole concurrent with multiple challenges," Ma Zhaoxu, China's permanent representative to the UN, told the Security Council.

To attain stability and development in the Sahel, the international community needs to take integrated approaches, work from multiple angles, and continue to support countries of the region, especially to support the Group of Five for the Sahel (G-5 Sahel) in addressing regional security challenges in an autonomous manner, he said.

The priority is advancing the political settlement of regional hotspot issues, the Chinese envoy said.

In order to attain peace and stability in the Sahel, it is imperative to push forward the peace process in the related countries, said Ma, adding that military means alone cannot solve security issues.

It is essential to continue supporting the relevant parties in Mali in carrying out inclusive dialogue and consultation, and accelerate the implementation of the Malian peace and security reconciliation agreement, he said.

It is imperative to pay attention to tackling problems beyond the region such as the Libyan crisis, so as to mitigate their negative impact on the Sahel region, he added.

The Sahel region stretches across the south-central part of Northern Africa between the Atlantic Ocean and the Red Sea, touching multiple countries.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-17 01:21:50|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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TUNIS, May 16 (Xinhua) -- Tunisia is a key element in strengthening stability in the region, visiting Commander of the U.S. Africa Command Thomas D. Waldhauser said in a meeting with Tunisian Defense Minister Abdelkarim Zbidi on Thursday.

The two officials examined various aspects of military cooperation and development between the two countries, said a ministry statement.

The meeting focused on border security, fighting against terrorism and organized crime, as well as strengthening the operational capabilities of the Tunisian military institution, particularly in the field of training and intelligence, the statement added.

Zbidi called on the United States to continue supporting Tunisia in its efforts against terrorism.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-17 01:21:52|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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ALGIERS, May 16 (Xinhua) -- Algeria's former senior officials were summoned on Thursday by court over a corruption case in which the businessman Ali Haddad was jailed last month.

Abdelmalek Sellal and Ahmed Ouyahia, former prime ministers, and Abelkader Zoukh, former governor of the province of Algiers, are currently at the court of Sidi Mhamed as part of the investigation into Haddad's case, state-run ENTV channel reported.

About 60 others, including former ministers, are also under investigation over the case.

They are suspected of "wasting public funds and illegally granting privileges" to businessmen.

Haddad was the chief of Algerian Employers Forum before being sacked by the members of the cartel in March.

He was put in custody with other prominent businessmen including the billionaire Issad Rebrab, and three brothers of the Kouninef family.

These investigations came after the Algerian Army Chief of Staff Ahmed Gaid Salah urged judges to probe financial corruption cases that affected the people's funds over the previous years.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-17 01:26:54|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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TEHRAN, May 16 (Xinhua) -- Iran has developed a firewall to fend off malicious computer worm of Stuxnet which might be used to attack Iran's sensitive industrial facilities, an Iranian minister said Thursday.

The firewall has been successfully tested on industrial automation systems, Mohammad Javad Azari Jahromi, Iranian minister of Information and Communications Technology, was quoted as saying by Press TV.

It "practically neutralizes sabotage against industrial facilities," he noted.

Iran has been accusing Israel of targeting its nuclear and communications facilities by Stuxnet over the past years.

In November 2018, Iran said it had thwarted Israeli cyber attacks against the country's communications infrastructure.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-17 02:17:11|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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ISLAMABAD, May 16 (Xinhua) -- The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is a living example of the deep-rooted friendship between the two countries and Pakistan is fully determined to ensure the security of the project, Pakistani military spokesperson said on Thursday.

Major General Asif Ghafoor, director general of Pakistani army's media wing, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), made the remarks while talking to Chinese media here.

Talking about the security measures taken by the army to protect the CPEC, the ISPR chief said that the Pakistani military has raised a whole division-sized force to ensure the security of the CPEC, and they are planning to deploy another division for this purpose.

Ghafoor said that his country faced a very challenging war against terrorism during the last two decades, and now the security situation is under control.

Talking about the CPEC's role in the country, the officer said that economic prosperity brought by the CPEC will fail the motives of terrorists as with the success of CPEC, more employment and business opportunities will be unveiled and with more economic opportunities coming in, people's lifestyle will improve and inimical elements will fail gradually.

"The security condition of Balochistan got better since the launch of the CPEC in Balochistan, now there is better infrastructure, many Chinese projects are underway there, and with every coming day, security, development and investment situation will get better in the province. Today's Gwadar is not what it used to be two years ago and in the future it will be on par with ports of developed countries," he said.

Briefing about the investment opportunities in Pakistan, Ghafoor said that Pakistan is doing its best to create an environment where investors can come and do their business as the security situation has been greatly improved.

Though there are a few sporadic terrorist incidents, but investors should not be discouraged from these rare attacks and keep their trust intact in peace, Ghafoor noted.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-17 02:32:21|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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TEHRAN, May 16 (Xinhua) -- Senior Iranian officials have ruled out the likelihood of any negotiations with the United States under the sanction pressures.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Thursday called the U.S. government a "bully" one trying to force all other countries to do something "illegal," according to Press TV.

"This is the first time in history that a bully is telling everybody else, including the important countries, that I'm going to punish you if you observe something that I do not like," he said.

There is not any prospect of negotiation with the United States, Zarif noted.

The Iranian foreign minister referred to the U.S. sanction pressures against the Islamic republic as "economic terrorism, pure and simple."

He also criticized the European signatories of the Iranian nuclear deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), for what he called "not fully implementing their commitments."

Iran has urged the European countries to secure Iran's economic interests pertaining to the JCPOA following the U.S. withdrawal from the accord in May last year.

"While supporting the JCPOA verbally, Europe unfortunately has not been able to take any action," Zarif said.

On Tuesday, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei also ruled out any talks with the U.S. government over the disputed issues.

The United States wanted Iran to negotiate over its "defensive weapon" and to reduce the range of its missiles, while urging Iran to talk over its regional strategy, the Iranian leader was quoted as saying by the leader's official website.

"Therefore, the talks (over these issues) are basically wrong," Khamenei said, stressing that "talks with Washington, particularly with the current U.S. government, is poisonous."

U.S. President Donald Trump pulled Washington out the Iranian international nuclear deal in May last year and reimposed energy and financial sanctions against the Islamic republic.

Washington seeks to seal a new nuclear deal with Iran, to further curb Iran's nuclear program, stop Iran ballistic missile development and halt Iran's push for influence in the region.

"Iranians' ultimate option is to resist the U.S. pressures, and in this confrontations, Americans will have to retreat," Khamenei added.

However, the Iranian leader ruled out the possibility of war between Tehran and Washington despite tensions.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-17 04:13:16|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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BERLIN, May 16 (Xinhua) -- Harald Krueger, chief executive officer (CEO) of the German luxury car maker BMW, faced a tough audience of shareholders at BMW's Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Munich on Thursday.

"Currently, only bad news comes from BMW," said Janne Werning from the German fund company Union Investment at the AGM.

Last week, the German car manufacturer reported its first loss in a decade in the main automotive division of BMW in the first quarter of 2019.

The German car maker's operating profits (EBIT) fell by 78 percent to 589 million euros (658.5 million U.S. dollars) in Q1 of 2019, compared to 2.7 billion euros in Q1 of 2018.

BMW's profit margin in the automotive business has been below the company's target value of 8 percent for months.

Although the Munich carmaker sold more cars last year than in the previous year, profit before taxes fell to 9.8 billion euros and are expected to fall below 8.9 billion euros this year.

Daniela Bergdolt, vice president of Germany's leading association for private investors (DSW), said that "I am not satisfied with BMW".

In addition, during the course of the year, shares of BMW had lost 25 percent of their value. BMW announced to lower dividends to 3.50 euros per share from 4 euros of the previous year.

BMW CEO Krueger whose contract is up for renewal in May next year sought to reassure shareholders.

"We are continuing our successful development. We have made a good start to the year in terms of sales. We delivered more vehicles than ever before in a first quarter," Krueger said.

Last month, however, BMW issued a profit warning after European antitrust authorities said their "preliminary view" following a two-year investigation was that BMW and four other German carmakers had colluded to delay the introduction of clean emissions technology.

For this reason, the German car manufacturer had booked a provision of 1.4 billion euros in the first quarter of 2019.

Regarding the ongoing investigations by the European Commission, BMW CEO Krueger said "our position is clear: the accusations made by the EU Commission are unjustified".

"We therefore defend ourselves with all legal means, if necessary," Krueger said on Thursday at the AGM in Munich.

While Volkswagen, Daimler and Audi were investing in electric cars "at full speed, BMW is traveling in Munich with the handbrake on," Union Investment fund manager Werning complained ahead of the AGM.

Answering calls for more commitment to electric cars, Krueger said that "technological openness is crucial in order to be able to flexibly meet the various customer requirements".

Nonetheless, by the end of next year, the BMW Group is planning to launch more than 10 new all-electric and plug-in hybrid car models.

By 2025, this number should rise to at least 25 electrified models, half of which will be fully electric, according to the German car maker.

"Our market is global and we want to inspire people all over the world with our products -- not patronize them," said Krueger at the annual assembly.

Werning criticized that BMW had no clear offer for environmentally minded customers "who want to set a visible sign for climate protection by purchasing a new-design electric car in the next two years".
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-17 04:18:22|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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BEIRUT, May 16 (Xinhua) -- Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri said on Thursday that Lebanon will not be able to end its economic crisis without implementing structural reforms, a statement issued by the prime minister's office said.

Implementation of structural reforms will allow Lebanon to benefit from 12 U.S. billion dollars pledged in loans and donations by the CEDRE international conference organized by France in 2018.

"We need the 12 million dollars offered by CEDRE to start with the needed projects and create 30,000 to 50,000 job opportunities per year for the youth and save our economy," Hariri said.

Earlier in the day, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said France is committed to supporting Lebanon if the country shows serious commitment to implement CEDRE reforms.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-17 04:48:38|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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HELSINKI, May 16 (Xinhua) -- The future position of Russia in the 47-nation Council of Europe (CoE) is being discussed Thursday and Friday in Helsinki as the CoE foreign ministers convene.

Russia has not been paying its membership dues to the CoE since summer 2017. Russia suspended payments in the wake of the decision by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) earlier to cancel the voting rights of Russia. It was done as a protest against Russian actions in Crimea and Eastern Ukraine. Russia has described the actions by the PACE as unlawful.

Finland has worked for a solution that Russia would remain in the CoE. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who will be present at the CoE foreign ministers meeting in Helsinki, said earlier this week that a draft solution was prepared for the meeting of foreign ministers.

Russia's news agency TASS reported on Thursday that besides talks with the CoE Secretary General Thorbjorn Jagland, Lavrov would meet several European top diplomats on the sidelines of the meeting in Helsinki.

The meeting at the Finlandia Hall in Helsinki also marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of the CoE. In his opening address, Finnish President Sauli Niinisto said the CoE is going through "deepest political, economic and institutional crisis in its history".

Niinisto said a strong Europe is needed perhaps more than ever during the past 70 years. He continued that "a strong Europe needs the Council of Europe".

Finnish Foreign Minister Timo Soini said that the core values of the CoE are not enjoying the same appreciation as they have before. Soini said, however, that he believes that "with hard work and the desire to cooperate" the CoE will overcome the difficulties and continue work "united and strong".

Thirty of the 47 member countries are represented in Helsinki at the foreign minister level. Deliberations at the Finlandia Hall take place behind closed doors.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin has cancelled his participation. Finnish media quoted Ukrainian news service Jevropeiska Pravda as saying that the decision not to arrive was associated to the speculation that measures against Russia "would be considered to be eased".
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-17 05:08:48|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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WARSAW, May 16 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese Embassy in Warsaw opened its doors to Poles on Thursday, to celebrate both the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China and 70 years of Chinese-Polish diplomatic relations.

Visitors to the embassy, including diplomats, students of Sinology, Polish employees of Chinese companies and school children, were welcomed with various Chinese cultural activities, such as Chinese Kung-Fu dance performance, Chinese music quintet concert, movie showings, calligraphy and color-clay workshops.

Among the open day guests were students, including some who are planning study in China in the near future.

"I'm heading out to China for an exchange program soon, so when a friend told me about the open day, I wanted to come to see what I can learn about the country beforehand," Szymon Gachowski, one of the open day guests, told Xinhua.

"There are very few opportunities to learn Chinese at an advanced level in Warsaw and to practice the language, so I welcome the chance to participate in this event," said Adriana, who's in her third year of Sinology at Warsaw University and is also heading to China to study soon.

The quiz about China also attracted many participators.

"I very much enjoyed it -- especially the quiz about Chinese culture," Paulina Plecinska, a Polish employee of Bank of China, told Xinhua while her smiling colleagues pointed out that she had actually won the quiz.

Welcoming the hundreds of visitors to the embassy, Chinese Ambassador to Poland Liu Guangyuan spoke about the "good momentum of China-Poland relations".

"Today's gathering of old and new friends alike makes me feel the friendship between our two great peoples," said Ambassador Liu in his speech on Thursday.

"From the beginning of this century, Chinese-Polish cooperation in various fields has continued to deepen," the ambassador said, adding that "Under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative and '16+1' cooperation we have made significant progress in cooperation in various fields."
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-17 05:13:50|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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UNITED NATIONS, May 16 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations on Thursday voiced concern over the relapse of situation in Sudan between the ruling Transitional Military Council (TMC) and leaders of a protest movement.

Asked about the situation in Sudan, Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, said: "I think it's important that the authorities prioritize dialogue in order to settle the differences that may exist and that any form of violence should be avoided that could undermine the safety and security of all citizens, as well as the stability of the country."

He added that it is important that people's rights to demonstrate peacefully should be fully respected.

"We've seen the pictures, we've seen the reports of the violence," he told a regular press briefing.

In a statement made by Dujarric on Wednesday, Guterres commended the progress in the negotiations in Sudan, and the secretary-general urged the parties to maintain "the positive momentum" and reach agreement on the remaining issues of power-sharing.

TMC Chairman Abdel-Fattah Al-Burhan on Thursday announced the suspension of the talks for 72 hours after violent clashes between security officials and protesters in the capital city of Khartoum, and set several conditions for the resumption of talks.

On Wednesday, the TMC and the opposition Freedom and Change Alliance agreed on powers of the sovereignty council, the council of ministers and the legislative council. The two sides also agreed that the transitional period duration would be three years, with the first six months to be allotted for achieving peace all over Sudan.

The TMC is tasked with running the country's affairs following the ouster of former President Omar al-Bashir.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-17 05:18:58|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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RIYADH, May 16 (Xinhua) -- The Saudi-led coalition involved in the war in Yemen announced on Thursday the investigation of its airstrikes against Houthi military targets in Sanna, Saudi Press Agency reported.

Turki al-Maliki, spokesman of the coalition, said in a statement that the findings related to a military operation conducted on Thursday in Yemen's capital Sanaa were referred to the Joint Incident Assessment Team for probing the possibility of accidental civilian casualties.

He said all required documents were referred to the team.

The spokesman asserted the coalition's commitment to the international law and the protocols of the military operations to ensure the highest level of responsibility and transparency.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-17 05:24:00|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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U.S. President Donald Trump (L) welcomes President of the Swiss Confederation Ueli Maurer at the White House in Washington D.C., the United States, on May 16, 2019. (Xinhua/Ting Shen)

WASHINGTON, May 16 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday held back from further escalating tension with Iran.

When asked by a reporter at the White House on Thursday morning about whether the United States was going to war with Iran, Trump replied "I hope not."

Washington has piled up military pressure on Tehran over the past week by intensifying deployment including an aircraft carrier group to the Middle East following U.S. intelligence information revealing "an escalating of threatening actions" from Iran.

U.S. hawks on Iran, led by National Security Adviser John Bolton, have reportedly advocated to confront Iran while Trump himself has showed restraint on further escalating the situation.

Trump told his acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan on Wednesday that he does not want to go to war with Iran, reported The New York Times on Thursday, citing several anonymous administration officials.

Also on Thursday, Trump met with Swiss Confederation President Ueli Maurer at the White House, whose country acts as a protecting power for the United States in Iran as the diplomatic ties between Washington and Tehran were cut off decades ago.

Their meeting has been seen by U.S. media as a sign that Trump was likely to seek dialogue with Tehran.

Trump and Maurer discussed "a range of international issues" during their talks, including the crises in the Middle East and in Venezuela, according to a White House statement released after the meeting.

However, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Thursday called the U.S. government a "bully" trying to force all other countries to do something "illegal," according to Press TV.

There is not any prospect of negotiation with the United States, Zarif noted.

Over the recent weeks, Washington has ratcheted up pressure against Tehran with a series of sanctions, designations and military threats, following Washington's year-long campaign against Iran after U.S. exit from the landmark Iran nuclear deal in May last year.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-17 05:39:11|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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THE HAGUE, May 16 (Xinhua) -- Dutch politician Sybrand Buma announced on Thursday his decision to quit as Christian Democrats (CDA) leader to become mayor of the Frisian city Leeuwarden in the north of the Netherlands.

"I am very honored by the nomination to be the mayor of Leeuwarden," Buma stated. "As a born and raised Frisian, I feel at home there. I am fully committed to all residents."

Buma, 53 years old, succeeds Labor (PvdA) member Ferd Crone, who leaves for the Senate in The Hague.

Buma has been a member of the national House of Representatives in The Hague for the CDA since 2002, and has served as party leader since 2012. The CDA, part of the current government coalition with the rightist liberals VVD, leftist liberals D66 and the small Christian party ChristenUnie, will now have to look for a new party leader.

Looking at his family history, the move to become a mayor in the province of Friesland is no surprise. Sybrand van Haersma Buma, which is his full name, is the son of Bernard van Haersma Buma, who was the mayor of Workum and of Sneek. His grandfather was the mayor of Stavoren.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-17 06:04:32|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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AMMAN, May 16 (Xinhua) -- A meeting between Yemen's warring parties on Hodeidah Ports and Stockholm Agreement concluded in Jordan's capital Amman on Thursday.

The UN-brokered meeting was held from May 14 to 16 to discuss the economic terms of the Stockholm Agreement.

Earlier in the day, a statement by the UN envoy for Yemen office indicated that the discussions between the two sides were honest and constructive.

The UN envoy will continue communication with parties concerned to hold discussions and meetings to implement the Stockholm Agreement, the statement said.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-17 06:04:33|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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BAGHDAD, May 16 (Xinhua) -- Iraqi Airways will resume flights to neighboring Syria on Saturday after more than eight years of suspension, a spokesman said Thursday.

Iraqi Airways will operate its first flight on May 18 to the Syrian capital of Damascus, with an official delegation on board to inaugurate the resumption of operations of Iraqi aircraft on the Baghdad-Damascus route after eight years, Iraqi Airways spokesman Layth al-Rubaie told Xinhua.

"There will be one flight per week as a start, but the flights can be increased as needed," al-Rubaie said.

The Baghdad-Damascus air route is vital to both countries because there is a large community of Iraqis in Syria, in addition to the large volume of trade between the two countries, he noted.

Iraqi Airways suspended flights to Syria since the Syrian conflict erupted in March 2011 in which anti-government demonstrations ignited a bloody civil war that killed hundreds of thousands of people.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-17 06:19:40|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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UNITED NATIONS, May 16 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations on Thursday called for "maximum restraint" from all parties amid heightened tensions between Iran and the United States and in the Gulf region.

"We are very concerned about the volatility of the situation. We call on everyone to exercise maximum restraint, prevent any escalation of and heightening of tensions," Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, told reporters.

"The situation ... is already fairly volatile and we are concerned by the rhetoric that we have been hearing," he told a regular press briefing.

Guterres is following the situation very closely and contacts have been made, said Dujarric.

"We are following the situation. Our message, and the secretary-general's general message, is one of restraint, both in terms of actions and in terms of rhetoric. These are situations where actions and rhetoric can be misinterpreted and can lead to catastrophic actions. It's very, very important that we see restraint both in terms of the rhetoric and in terms of the action."

He said the secretary-general's good offices remain available at request. "But through the contacts that we have, we remain very much involved and are following the situation very closely."

The United States has ramped up pressure on Iran, by designating Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps as a terror group, imposing a total ban on Iranian oil exports, and building up its military presence in the Gulf.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-17 06:34:43|Editor: xuxin

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Charles Foster, board of director of U.S.-China Innovation Alliance (UCIA), recieves an interview with Xinhua in Houston, Texas, the United States, on May 16, 2019. The fourth U.S.-China Innovation and Investment Summit kicked off Thursday in Houston, the U.S. state of Texas, bringing a new wave of technology and innovation investment to the city. (Xinhua/Liu Liwei)

HOUSTON, May 16 (Xinhua) -- U.S.-China Innovation and Investment Summit (UCIS) serves as a platform to demonstrate the importance of U.S.-China relations, Charles Foster, board of director of U.S.-China Innovation Alliance (UCIA), said Thursday.

The fourth U.S.-China Innovation and Investment Summit kicked off Thursday in Houston, the U.S. state of Texas, bringing a new wave of technology and innovation investment to the city.

Jointly hosted by China Science & Technology Exchange Center (CSTEC) and UCIA, the summit attracts around 300 participants from China and the United States, including entrepreneurs and investors, to meet face-to-face in Houston.

In an interview with Xinhua, Foster said the timing of the summit is crucial as government officials and businessmen can express their views on U.S.-China relations.

"I'm pleased that it's going on particularly at this time because we're going through an uncertain period in U.S.-China relations," he said. "And because of that, I think it's even more important that all of us speak out and continue to demonstrate in various ways how important this relationship is."

Being a member of the group welcoming Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping's visit in Houston in 1979, Foster strongly believed that the friendship between the United Stats and China will continue to grow.

"It is so important that both of our great countries work together collaboratively for the world economy and for world peace," He added.

The two-day conference will feature a range of events, including "INNOSTARS" preliminary competitions, innovation forums, B2B matchmaking as well as company exhibits.

The meeting will not only enable Chinese entrepreneurs to learn about the development of science and technology in the United States, but also allow for one-to-one communications with American companies. It will also showcase the advantages of different places and cities in China, providing new opportunities for international investment and cooperation.

The meeting covers four areas in science, health and technological innovations, including advanced manufacturing, biopharma and digital health & diagnosis, information and communication technology, as well as energy.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-17 06:44:47|Editor: Li Xia

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U.S. President Donald Trump speaks regarding immigration reform at the White House in Washington D.C., the United States, on May 16, 2019. Donald Trump unveiled a plan on Thursday to reform the nation's immigration system, intended to favor high-skilled immigrants and restrict family-based migration. (Xinhua/Ting Shen)

WASHINGTON, May 16 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump unveiled a plan on Thursday to reform the nation's immigration system, intended to favor high-skilled immigrants and restrict family-based migration.

Speaking at the White House, Trump said that his plan aims to create a "fair, modern and lawful system of immigration for the United States."

"The biggest change we make is to increase the proportion of highly skilled immigration from 12 percent to 57 percent, and we'd like to even see if we can go higher," Trump said. "This will bring us in line with other countries and make us globally competitive."

"We cherish the open door that we want to create for our country. But a big proportion of those immigrants must come in through merit and skill," said the president, noting that immigrants, under the plan, will also be "required to learn English and to pass a civics exam prior to admission."

According to the White House, the proposal would tighten family-based migration to focus on allowing nuclear families who migrate to the United States, rather than extended family members.

Currently, about two-thirds of the 1.1 million people allowed to migrate to the nation each year are given green cards granting permanent residency because of family ties.

Trump's plan, which does not add protections to Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival recipients, is expected to draw little support from Democrats who have railed against the administration's lack of support for so-called "Dreamers," who were brought to the United States as children by undocumented parents.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi slammed the proposal as "condescending," signaling that Democrats would not support legislation that does not include a pathway to citizenship.

"They say family is without merit -- are they saying most of the people that come to the United States in the history of our country are without merit, because they don't have an engineering degree," Pelosi asked at her weekly press conference on Thursday.

The speaker also told reporters that Democrats have yet to receive a formal briefing on the administration's plan.

The effort, championed by Trump's son-in-law and senior adviser, Jared Kushner, also focuses on beefing up border security.

Trump has claimed that the nation is being overrun by migrants and asylum seekers and sought to build a wall along the southern border with Mexico by declaring a national emergency so as to bypass Congress and unlock billions of U.S. dollars in funding.

The president traveled to New York City for a private fundraiser Thursday afternoon.
Manchester City a invins-o cu 6 la 3 pe Leicester

Manchester City isi continua golurile prolifice si gasesc noi modalitati de a castiga meciuri de fotbal in acest sezon, de data aceasta cu 6 la 3 in fata lui Leicester City. Dupa ce au maturat fara mila cu Leeds United, apoi au marcat patru goluri fara ca macar sa joace bine la Newcastle, aici au trebuit [citeste mai departe]
Stiri pe aceeasi tema

- Romania's contribution to the European Union budget will be 12.878 billion lei in 2022, and will increase to 13.126 billion lei in 2023 and 13.376 billion lei in 2024, according to the draft on the Fiscal Budget Strategy for the period 2022-2024, published on the website of the Finance Ministry (MF)

- Primarul municipiului Cluj-Napoca, Emil Boc, afirma, joi, ca Romania nu ar trebui sa ia masuri de relaxare inainte de sarbatori, intrucat in Europa este un tsunami care vine catre noi, iar pandemia nu a trecut. Daca am fi suficient de rationali, asta nu ar trebui sa se intample acum in Romania,

- Primarul municipiului Cluj-Napoca, Emil Boc, a afirmat, joi, ca Romania nu ar trebui sa ia masuri de relaxare inainte de sarbatori, intrucat in Europa este un tsunami care vine catre noi, iar pandemia nu a trecut. Daca ma uit in Europa, imi dau seama ca la orizont este unun tsunami, este un val

- Romania's National Committee for Emergency Situations (CNSU) approved on Monday evening a series of rules for the quarantine of persons arriving in Romania, applicable December 10, 2021, 24:00hrs through January 8, 2022, 24:00hrs, agerpres reports. A 14-day quarantine is established at home, at a

- National chairman of the Social Democratic Party (PSD) Marcel Ciolacu confirmed on Thursday having signed a political agreement among PSD, the National Liberal Party (PNL), the Hungarian Democratic Union of Romania (UDMR) and the national minority MPs, saying that he was "firmly convinced" that this

- Romania supports the Republic of Moldova on the "irreversible" path to getting a place among the members of the European Union, said the chairman of the European Affairs Committee of the Chamber of Deputies, Stefan Musoiu, who is paying a working visit to Chisinau. "The visit is an opportunity to

- Romanias designated Prime Minister Dacian Ciolos failed to win a parliamentary vote of confidence for his minority government, as widely expected on Wednesday, prolonging a political stalemate at a time of rising COVID-19 infections, according to Reuters. Romania, one of the European Unions poorest

- The chairman of the Social Democratic Party (PSD), Marcel Ciolacu, reiterated on Monday evening, at private broadcaster Romania TV, that his party will not support a minority government, believing the solution to be a technocratic government until early elections. He added that, in his opinion,
Filaret's attempt to enlist the support of the hierarchs of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine was unsuccessful

Open source

The attempt of Filaret, head of Ukraines Orthodox Church of Kyiv Patriarchate (UOC-KP), to enlist the support of the hierarchs of Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) in order to convene the Local Council was unsuccessful.

On May 14 in the Volodymyr Cathedral, solemn prayer service was conducted to honor the day of the memory of Martyr Macarius; this event could start the revival of the power of the Kyiv Patriarchate, but only four OCU representatives came to Filaret, and only two of them had the right to vote. And this amount is clearly not enough to begin the process of amending the Statute of the chain-setting report, proposed by Filaret.

But the head of the UOC-KP is not going to give up his plans and continues to form the front of his supporters within the OCU.

The prayer celebration in honor of the Holy Martyr Macarius is one of the most important holidays for the Kyiv Patriarchate and its main church, Volodymyr Cathedral, where the relics of the martyr are kept. From year to year on this day, solemn services are ruled personally by UOC-KP patriarch Filaret. This year, Kyiv Patriarchate has sent invitations for 60 OCU bishops to hold a joint divine service at Volodymyr Cathedral. Only four of them responded. Two of them are important churchmen in OCU.

First is Archbishop of Simferopol and Crimea Klyment (Kusch), who now heads the parishes in Kherson. Another one is Metropolitan Joasaph (Shybaev), whose parish is in the Russian Belgorod. Peter, Vicar of Joasaph, was also present there, as well as another bishop, Adrian (Staryna), who governs the branch in Noginsk near Moscow.

This event was originally supposed to be a kind of review of strength, where Filaret himself could see his support.

Those who were going to appear at this invitation were openly called separatists.

All the bishops understand that Filaret wants to restore the liquidated UOC (KP). They also understand that the restoration of the UOC (KP) is a split of the OCU. Therefore, only conscious separatists would arrive at the invitation of the honorary patriarch. Adrian Kulik-Bogdan, OCU Bishop, wrote on his Facebook page on May 8 (later, however, he deleted this message).

However, the tradition of publicizing this position served a disservice to the OCU itself. Some OCU representatives positively perceive Filarets ideas, but they are afraid to state this openly.

The low public support of Filaret by OCU Bishops does not mean support of Epifaniy. OCU patriarchs are more oriented on Constantinople, not on Epifaniy, they want to have an opportunity to travel to Greece, Mount Athos, political scientist Ruslan Bortnyk assures.

There are quite a few bishops of OCU, who want to create a truly independent local church, whose rights would be broader than the Metropolitan Constantinople Patriarchate established in Ukraine, the main apologist of which is Patriarch Filaret.

The changes to the OCU statutes proposed by Patriarch Filaret concern the autonomy of the newly established church. According to Filaret, this should be a church, which would not dependent on Constantinople. But such provisions are in direct contradiction with the text of Tomos, and, therefore, jeopardize its action. The Patriarchate of Constantinople has repeatedly demonstrated that Tomos could be easily taken away. One of the latest examples  last fall, the Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate abolished the Archdiocese of Russian Orthodox churches in Europe, abolishing Patriarchal Tomos of 1999.

In Ukraine, the events are developing according to the Bulgarian scenario. In 1945, the Bulgarian Orthodox Church received Tomos and the status of a metropolis, and after a few years declared itself patriarchy, after which Constantinople withdrew Tomos.

Therefore, supporters of the OCU believe that the actions of Filaret might provoke a complication of the relationship between their newly established church and Constantinople.

But let us return to the dispositions of forces in the command post and the control system. So, according to the information of Strana.ua, the OCU hierarchs, loyal to him, can support Filarets proposals until the end of May.

The next important date is May 25, the day of the memory of Saint Epiphanius, in whose honor the head of the PCU, Metropolitan Epifaniy, was tonsured as a monk. On this day, a large number of OCU Bishops will flock to Kyiv, who might initiate the holding of the Council and there declare their claims to change the Charter in the direction of expanding the authority of the church.

In order to rewrite the OCU Statute, Filaret might find an ally in the person of Metropolitan Mykhail Lutsky (Zinkevich), who withdrew his candidacy during the election of the OCU head in December last year at the request of President Poroshenko and Filaret. Although Mykhail did not serve with Filaret in the Volodymyr Cathedral, he shares his position on changing the order of appointment of the members of the Synod of the OCU.

The Charter states that there are three members of the Synod. Filaret believes that there should be 12 of them, for the rest of the bishops to leave the opportunity to be alternately temporary members of the Synod. Mykhail himself believes that he should be a member of the Synod, according to the principle of seniority ordination, but when the first Synod passed, he was not even invited there, which is why he harbored a grudge.

On the other hand, active supporters of Epifaniy can crush the rebels of Filaret. However, even without Filaret, there is a lot of disagreement between OCU and Constantinople.

According to sources of Strana.ua in the church circles, Constantinople is dissatisfied with at least two points.

First, Ukraine has not yet transferred the foreign parishes of the UOC-KP to the administration of Constantinople (the bishops of the foreign parishes, including the three who responded to the invitation of Filaret, do not agree with these agreements and do not wish to go under the authority of the Patriarch of Constantinople Bartholomew).

Secondly, Constantinople opposed the adoption of laws in Ukraine that provoke religious strife. Including against the law, which obliges the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church to be renamed the Russian Orthodox Church in Ukraine (OCU itself believes there are no grounds for renaming and this requirement is disputed in the courts).

Another thing is that in this situation the echoes of Filarets revolt can finally bury the plans of the OUC to receive recognition in world Orthodoxy.

Filaret can potentially reestablish the Kyiv Patriarchate, it will be a serious problem for the OUC, political analyst Ruslan Bortnik believes. Even if Bartholomew doesnt recall Tomos, its still difficult for the OCU to be recognized in the world Orthodoxy.

In any case, the contradictions within the OCU raise the question of the transition from the UOC under the banners of the new parishes. And earlier, this process was carried out mainly under pressure from the authorities. And at the end of the election campaign, when it Poroshenkos defeat became obvious, everything has stopped. Under the conditions of the actual split within the new church, there is no need to think about its further expansion (especially, under conditions of neutrality of President Zelensky).

Read the original text at Strana.ua.
Open source

The Sixth Administrative Court of Appeal renounced the appeal of the National Bank of Ukraine on the recognition that its orders to audit PrivatBank were unlawful. If you decipher this decision in simple language, the court for some reason decided that the National Bank did not have the right to check PrivatBank. That is, Kolomoisky and the company do not argue with what was done in the bank.



They only say that the National Bank did not have the right to catch them by the hand. And the court agrees with them. And it recognizes the direct duty of the National Bank as illegal. But the NBU is the regulator, and checking the banks is its direct duty.



Now, there is only one step left until the recognition of the illegal nationalization of PrivatBank. Kolomoisky pulled the trigger and put it to the head of Ukraine. So now its really easier to negotiate.



What is the direct consequence of such a decision? At this point, theres no such consequence. The key business is not yet being considered. And for the time being, there is still hope that Kolomoisky is simply preparing a negotiating position in this way. What is also unpleasant and threatens bad consequences, but, firstly, it will not have such a destructive effect, and secondly, it will be sometime afterward. In the future. Not tomorrow. Out of the blue.



What will happen if the decision on the illegality of Privatbank nationalization comes into force? For this, we now need only the decision on the appeal from some unknown judge. This has already been discussed and negotiated. On the one hand, this will mean the liquidation of PrivatBank with the corresponding losses for the clients of a financial institution.
Since we are going in line with the Ukraine-EU Association Agreement, the state should have all the financial information regarding its citizens

Open source

Danyil Getmantsev, the head of the economic block of Zelenskys team, began to open the veil over the economic policies of the newly elected president. And one of the points is the universal declaration of income of Ukrainians.

Since we are going in line with the Ukraine-EU Association Agreement, the state should have all the financial information regarding its citizens in order to make the payment of taxes transparent and inevitable.

And besides, it will be possible to see which support a person receives from the local authorities and the state in the form of vouchers, travel, etc. That is, it will be possible to make a balance between each person and the budgets of all levels.

But there is one catch... In order to reach a working universal declaration of income and expenditure, we need to go a long way. Imagine that we have passed an appropriate law that will oblige every citizen and provide for large fines for failure to file a declaration. In this period, 15 million Ukrainians would fill in their declarations.

The main question is how many people live in our country? We have got used to the number of 42 million population, which is long gone. In 2020, the State Statistics Service will hold the first census since 2001.

Most likely, we will receive data on 32-36 million citizens of all age categories - from newborns to pensioners. The processing of census data will continue for a long time, and we can get complete reliable information on each citizen only in 2021.

I want to remind you that when the conquerors came to our land, or representatives of the Moscow kingdom came, the first thing they did was a census of the population, houses, and cattle.

Now, each state and municipal structure relies on its own database: the Pension Fund, the State Statistics Service, the State Border Service, the Ministry of Justice, the Social Security Service, the Central Election Commission. But the last elections have demonstrated that there were almost no ghost voters in the voter register, still many real ones could not find themselves on the voters lists.

That is, a complete picture could be obtained only after a nationwide population census and the subsequent comparison of data with each state structure that records the individual actions of citizens. That is, in 2022.

When processing data on the population of the country, it is necessary to provide separate conditions for those citizens of Ukraine who permanently reside in the occupied territories of Crimea, Donbas, and Luhansk region and do not have the ability and need to declare their property, incomes, and expenses. And it is also a difficult task to separate such citizens. I will designate the complexity of filling out declarations and many slippery moments. As a person who has been filling out a declaration for several years, I can say that it is not easy, even if you work with legal documents every day.

Summing up everything, I will say that universal declaring is a task that could be started to be implemented in some 3-4 years. Today it is just impossible.

Read the original text on Facebook.

This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or 112.International and its owners.
Kostyantyn Yeliseev confirmed this to the press soon after the information had appeared on May 16

Kostyantyn Yeliseev, the deputy head of the Administration of President of Ukraine confirmed the information about his resignation. The official said this while on air of one of Ukrainian TV channels, Interfax-Ukraine news agency reported.

'Yes, that's correct. Today [May 16], when the date of the inauguration was announced, I handed the President my resignation letter', Yeliseev said.

'I'm a supporter of this good European custom; when a new team comes to power, we never grab by our seats, calmly delegating our duties (...). I'm even ready to delegate my priorities that one should focus on - for my successor, whose name I still don't know, regrettably', he added.

Yeliseev also explained that by leaving the office, he would like to clear the area for the new team.

Kostyantyn Yeliseev was appointed Deputy Head of the Administration in July 2015. The expert on foreign affairs policy, he previously served as Ukraine's Ambassador in the EU.
The German Chancellor is ready to discuss it with Ukraines president

Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel stated that the European Commission would not be able to block the construction of Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, as DW reported.

The project is almost approved, she stated.

At the same time, she recognized that the new gas directive of the EU provides the possibility to protest the construction of the gas pipeline.

The key moment in the construction of the second gas pipeline on the bottom of the Baltic Sea, according to Merkel, is the Ukrainian issue.

Ukraine should remain to be the transit country, despite the Nord Stream, the chancellor emphasized and promised to discuss this issue with Volodymyr Zelensky after his inauguration.

Ukraine is adamantly opposed to the construction by calling it politically motivated and suggesting the EU to create a consortium with the involvement of European companies to manage the existing more efficient transportation route through Ukraine. A number of EU countries have expressed their disagreement with the Nord Stream 2 project in particular Poland and Lithuania.

As it was reported, the European Parliament has adopted the renewed gas directive (EU law), which spreads the rules of the gas market of the EU on the pipelines laid from the non-EU countries.
Alejandro Alvargonzalez will also join Kyiv-hosted event timed to the Alliance's 70th jubilee

NATO will send Alejandro Alvargonzalez, its Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs and Security Policy to represent the Alliance during the inauguration of Volodymyr Zelensky. The president-elect is to be inaugurated at the session hall of the Ukrainian Parliament on May 20.

Interfax-Ukraine news agency reported that May 16, referring to the HQ of the Alliance.

'While staying in Kyiv, Alvargonzalez will also participate in the event timed to the 70th anniversary of NATO', the representative of the Alliance told the news agency.

The inauguration ceremony will begin at 10 a.m. Kyiv time. 315 MPs supported the respective bill, with 226 necessary to pass.

Zelensky and his team insisted on May 19, but that draft document was rejected.
Oleg Mayboroda was released from custody immediately; previously, National Anti-Corruption Bureau agents took him in, but the court found there was a power abuse case in this particular action

Open source

Shevchenkivsky district court in Kyiv recognized that Oleg Mayboroda, the Ukrbud Development company's CEO was detained illegally. Oleg Tatarov, the lawyer reported that as quoted by 112.ua.

Mayboroda was detained on May 14, as the National Anti-Corruption Bureau looked into the embezzlement case; Mayboroda was among the suspects, along with Yuriy Allerov, who was recently fired from the office of Commander of the National Guard of Ukraine.

The court found that there was a power abuse case in Mayboroda's detention procedure and ruled to release him.

The official's lawyers said they would soon file the appeal, stating that the NABU committed several service crimes; he was held in detention for two days, the detectives did not show him any documents from the court, confirming that it chose a pre-trial restriction measure, and the very procedure of detention was illegal. Besides, the lawyers said, the NABU detectives tried to interfere with the court's working procedure, asking to recall the judge without any certain reason for that.

As for Allerov, suspected in embezzling state funds during the procurement of new houses for the Ukrainian military, the investigation will be asking the court to detain him and set the bailout of UAH 10,000,000 (roughly, USD 370,000).
The developers said they would prosecute those involved in the release of the presentation

NASA

A Russian website published the classified information about satellites, the very existence of which was kept in secret. Meduza news agency reported that with the reference to RIA Novosti.

A presentation was made public; it included the list of satellites' names, launch times and the number of devices launched, as well as the data on research and construction works and enterprises involved in the development.

According to Sergei Likhonosov, Saturn company's Chief Constructor of Li-ion batteries, the man who designed certain parts of the satellites, the information was disclosed for a narrow circle of experts at a conference in Krasnodar, Russia in February 2019. 'This should not have become a matter of public knowledge', he said.

Saturn claimed they would prosecute those involved in the release of the presentation.

In February, Russia launched EgyptSat-A satellite, experiencing some trouble during the launch.

In early 2019, Russia lost the satellite for early warning of the missile attack; the device named Kosmos-2430 was launched in 2007.
The tradition to mark the day of Ukrainian national embroidered clothes has appeared relatively recently but now the entire world celebrates it; In 10 years it became popular not only in Ukraine but in many countries of the world

Vyshyvanka Day Promum

The Day of Vyshyvanka, which this year falls on May 16, has one distinct feature. Every year, its scale increases, and it attracts more and more people not only in Ukraine but also in different countries of the world.

And on the day of the holiday, we can see a lot of people dressed in embroidered clothes in quite different places: on the street, in transport, at work.

This does not unexpected or unusual anymore since Vyshyvanka Day has firmly rooted in the cultural life of our country. And this is how it happened...

When is Vyshyvanka Day marked?

Open source

The World Vyshyvanka Day does not have a fixed date, it is celebrated annually on the third Thursday of May. Thursday was not chosen randomly. Its founders insisted that the holiday falls on a working day, instead of the day off.

Before this day, the Grand Lent, Easter, May 1, 8 and 9 are also over so all attention is focused solely on the embroidery. And the warm weather, which usually comes in mid-May is a big plus too: you can dress up in vyshyvanka without any fears to catch a cold.

How is Vyshyvanka Day originated?

This holiday is young because it appeared relatively recently - in 2006. Its founder is the student of the Chernivtsi National University Lesya Voroniuk.

Open source

It was she, who proposed her classmates and students to choose a day and put on vyshyvankas. She was inspired, by the way, by another student Ihor Zhytariuk, who regularly came to classes in the embroidered clothes.

At first, Lesya's initiative was picked up by several students and teachers, but during the next few years, the festival gained all-Ukrainian scale, the diaspora and supporters of Ukraine joined in as well. In general, the initiative is supported in at least 60 countries around the world.

Idea of Vyshyvanka Day

The purpose of the holiday is to preserve and popularize folk traditions of creating and wearing embroidered Ukrainian clothes. It does not have any obligatory requirements, except for putting on the vyshyvanka. However, annually the number of events timed to this day is growing.

How is Vyshyvanka Day celebrated?

A lot of events related to Ukrainian culture and vyshyvankas take place on this day in Ukraine and in a number of other states.

Among them are concerts, marches, lecture halls, exhibitions, and flash mobs.

For example, in 2011 the largest number of people wearing vyshyvanka in one place were recorded. 4,000 people gathered on the central square in Chernivtsi city in the embroidered clothes.

Open source

In 2012, a tradition appeared to give the embroidered shirts to newborns in maternity hospitals. The action has received the name Newborns in vyshyvanka.

Open source

In 2013, in Chernivtsi city, 680 people in national clothes formed a mass "live" coat of arms sized 34X8 m.

Open source

Celebration in the city lasted all day long. At the charity fair of sweets, 600 dollars were gathered and given later to the children with oncological diseases.

In 2015, the action Give vyshyvanka to the defender appeared joined by 38 countries of the world. Several hundred shirts were handed over to the Anti-Terrorist Operation fighters in the Donbas area.

Open source

Events planned for Vyshyvanka Day 2019

A large-scale embroidery show called Vyshyvanka Day will be held in Kyiv.

In Lviv, for the fourth time, there will be a big Vyshyvanka Festival, which will begin with a solemn mass procession.

In Zaporizhia there will be a colorful parade of Vyshyvanka, and in Kharkiv they are going to put a record on the mass performance of Hopak dance. It is expected that it will be performed simultaneously by more than 400 people. In total, more than 2,000 people are to take part in the event.

Day of Vyshyvanka will also be celebrated in Poltava, Zhytomyr, Dnipro and many other cities of Ukraine.
The law No. 2704-VIII on the provision of the functioning of the Ukrainian language as a state one was published in the parliamentary official outlet Voice of Ukraine.

Earlier, President Poroshenko and Verkhovna Rada Spokesperson Andriy Parubiy signed the document.

Verkhovna Rada unblocked signing of the law No. 5670-d on the provision of the functioning of the Ukrainian language as a state language.

On May 10, the District Administrative Court of Kyiv received a lawsuit from the "Institute of Legal Policy and Social Protection named after Iryna Berezhna," in which they are asked to ban Andriy Parubiy from signing the law on language. Parubiy himself considers it an attempt of the pro-Russian revenge.

This act, which aims for the total Ukrainization, does not contradict only point 11 of the Minsk measures, which provides the right for the language self-determination but it also contradicts the international law and human rights commitments of Ukraine, including within the OSCE, Balakin said.
The regulator intends to resort to a repeat procedure if the court decides to cancel the 2016 decision on nationalization

First Deputy of National Bank Kateryna Rozhkova Reuters

The National Bank of Ukraine is ready to nationalize PrivatBank a second time. This was stated by First Deputy of National Bank Kateryna Rozhkova in an interview with Reuters.

Rozhkovas determination to keep PrivatBank in state hands for now may reassure foreign creditors and investors, who worry that legal wrangling over PrivatBank threatens Ukraines financial stability.

The authorities have been locked in a protracted battle with the former main owner of PrivatBank, Ihor Kolomoisky, one of Ukraines richest men, who says his bank was nationalized without justification. He has challenged the decision in court.

Rozhkova said overturning the nationalization would derail Ukraines $3.9 billion program with the International Monetary Fund and rock investor confidence.

Ratings agency Moodys said last month that overturning the decision would hit Ukraines credit rating.

It would also pose a challenge for incoming President Volodymyr Zelensky, who has longstanding business ties with Kolomoisky but who has dismissed suggestions that he would return PrivatBank to Kolomoisky or offer him state compensation.

Rozhkova said reversing the nationalization would reverse the mechanism by which the state handed the bank around 5.88 billion dollars to rescue it from insolvency.

Then the bank will be left without capital. We, as a regulator of the financial sector, will make a decision in accordance with the law: Article 56 of the law tells us that we must declare such a bank insolvent, she said.

As it was reported earlier, the court merged five Kolomoyskys lawsuits against Ukraine's National Bank, PrivatBank.

The Prosecutor General Office launched an investigation on alleged pressure put by President Poroshenko on judges of PrivatBank case.

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.
As it is impossible to cure and examine him in Lefortovo prison, Ukrainian sailor was taken to the hospital

Vasyl Soroka, detained Ukrainian sailor 24tv.ua

Ukrainian POW Vasyl Soroka was hospitalized as there are no proper conditions for his treatment in prison, as sailors lawyer Sergiy Badamshyn reported on his Facebook page.

As it is impossible to cure and examine him in Lefortovo prison, in April we have raised the question on additional postoperative examination and rehabilitation under the supervision of the doctor who operated Vasyl. Investigators promised that after the holidays that will organize examination. They kept their word, the message reads.

As it was reported, the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea will announce the decision on the case of three ships of the Ukrainian Navy and 24 sailors approximately on May 25.

In November 2018, the coast guard ships of the Russian Navy attacked the ships of the Ukrainian Navy, which have been carrying out a scheduled transition from Odesa port to Mariupol port in the Sea of Azov. Ukrainian ships were rejected passage via the Kerch Strait, Russian coast guards opened aimed fire on them.

All 24 sailors on board were captured and delivered to Moscow  21 of them were delivered to Lefortovo remand center, the rest came to the hospital of Matrosskaya Tishina prison.

Related video:
The committee decided to create a working group and involve the representatives of the other specialized committees. The group will have to develop draft law on regulation of usage of medical cannabis

Open source

Ukraines parliamentary committee on human rights supported the petition on legalization of medical cannabis, as Hromadske reported.

The committee decided to create a working group and involve the representatives of the other specialized committees. The group will have to develop a draft law on the regulation of usage of medical cannabis.

Besides, the committee decided to appeal to the Cabinet of Minister asking to remove cannabis from the list of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances, and precursors.

It was noted that the representatives of NGOs, including Nina Reznichenko from Athena. Women against cancer were present at the meeting. Reznichenko said medical cannabis is required for patients with cancer to alleviate pain.

Over 55 women of our community died over the past two years. At least eight of them illegally used medicine with medical cannabis and survived this way. They were forced into the illegal business, she told.

Ukrainian MP Georgiy Logvinsky stressed that the committee was ready to protect unpopular thinks as well.
Thank's for the fish. -- Douglas Adams

Come back again sometime. Thank you for visiting.
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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.
As part of its RESILIENCIA! The Experience of Jewish Communities in Spain and the Americas festival, the National Hispanic Cultural Center (1701 Fourth Street SW) is hosting several nights of documentary film screenings this coming week. On Saturday, May 18 at 3pm theres a lecture on Women of Valor in the NHCCs Bank of America Theater. Following the lecture at 6:30pm you can watch Challah Rising in the Desert, an evocative documentary celebrating the history, influences and people of New Mexicos Jewish Community. Thats followed by a Q&A with the films director, Isaac Artenstein, and producer Paula Amar Schwartz. Tickets are $25 for the lecture and film. On Tuesday, May 21 theres a double-feature of short documentaries starting at 7pm. Persecuted and Saved chronicles the 5,000 to 7,000 Jews who managed to reach the Spanish border, fleeing Europe by crossing the Lleida Pyrenees. Your Wishes in Heaven looks at the life of Rachey Muyal, an 87-year-old descendent of Sephardim expelled from Spain in 1492, as she delivers a handwritten letter to the tombs of Catholic monarchs in Grenada, forgiving those responsible for the ancient expulsion. Director Miguel Angel Nieto Solis is on hand for a post-film Q&A. Tickets are $15 for both films. Finally, on Thursday, May 23 theres a round table discussion about Spains relationship with the State of Israel and the efforts of Instituto Cervantes to promote and preserve Jewish culture. Thats followed by the documentary The Caborca Jew: A Mexican Story. Inspired by the narrators own grandfather, the film tells the story of a Polish immigrant trying to get into the US who inadvertently finds himself the only Jew in the small, heavily Catholic town of Caborca, Mexico. For a complete schedule of other events at RESILIENCIA!including concerts, lectures, discussion and exhibitsgo to nhccnm.org/events.
PLEASE NOTE!

Due to the March 23, 2020 NM DOH Public Health Order, These Event Listings Are Not Accurate!

All non-essential businesses are closed, public gatherings are prohibited!

(One day some of these events will be rescheduled or will resume, but they are not happening now!)
Longtime British actor Ralph Fiennes returns to his occasional hobby of directing (the 2011 Shakespeare adaptation Coriolanus, the 2013 Charles Dickens biopic The Invisible Woman) with The White Crow. This evocative biopic relates the true story of Russian ballet star Rudolf Nureyevs defection to the West. Inspired by Julie Cavanaghs book Rudolf Nureyev: The Life, the film is a dutiful if long-winded attempt to sum up the stars time on Earth and his dramatic decision to abandon his homeland at the height of the Cold War.

Both the films director and its screenwriter (David Hare, who penned The Hours and The Reader) seem drawn to the passionate artistic world that surrounded the iconic Mr. Nureyev. Their film dwells as much on his onstage art as the circumstances of his life. Things begin, chronologically enough, as the future star is born on a train bound for Siberia in 1938. Sadly, the preternaturally talented Mr. Nureyev is born into a Union of Soviet Socialist Republics that is largely shut off from the rest of the world. Any work he does in the world of ballet will be done for the glory of the USSR and not for international fame. Thats a situation that cant sit well with an artist of Nureyevs temperament.

At a skosh over two hours, The White Crow leaps around a great deal in time and place and tone. Nureyev has barely been born and were already spinning off to 1961 Paris. There, a young Rudi (skilled Ukranian dancer/first-time actor Oleg Ivenko) ignores his government handlers in order to sneak out and experience the City of Lights firsthand. As punishment for his night of freedom, hes not allowed to dance with the Kirov Ballet on opening night.

Roll back the clock six years for the next sequence and we learn a bit about a Nureyevs growing skill and blossoming ego. The teenage dancer, joining the ballet world late, is taken under the wing of legendary teacher Alexander Pushkin (Fiennes, stepping in front of the camera as well). Almost instantly, Pushkin moves Nureyev into his cramped Soviet apartment. There, the young dancer crosses paths with Pushkins wife (Chulpan Khamatova), who takes a rather personal interest in the dark-eyed lad. (She wont be the last, either.)

The film shoots each of its three major timelines in a different visual style. (Colors get brighter the closer we are to the current 1961 segments.) Its a quick cue to audiences on where we are in the story, making it easy enough to separate the timelines. But the constant jumping through decades doesnt add much drama or context to the story. Its like reading a biography that someone dropped on the ground, forcing them to reassemble the chapters in random order.

The White Crow doesnt go to any great lengths to make us sympathetic to its subject. Thats fine. Plenty of historical figures were, in fact, jerks. Here, Nureyev is paintedquite accurately, one assumesas a haughty, self-centered virtuoso who thinks himself above mere talentless mortals. Frequent cutaways to his impoverished childhood prove he came from humble circumstances, but dont improve our sympathies any. The choppiness of the narrative also takes some of the wind out of the films time-tangled narrative sails.

The climax of Nureyevs story is, of course, his dramatic defection to the West. But theres little sense of momentum leading up to it, thanks to the jumpy timeline. The climactic defection/asylum sequence, set at Paris Le Bourget airport, is lensed like a 70s political thriller and shows off Fiennes cinematic skills to gripping effect. But the whys and wherefores behind the defection feel slippery and under-elucidated. And our general lack of sympathy for the main character tends to undercut our stake in the outcome.

The films many, all-too-brief ballet sequences are impressive. Ivenko, a noted soloist himself, clearly has the skill to embody Nureyevs physicality and stage presence. His background in ballet allows Fiennes to present the films dance sequences uncut and without doubles. Its a bit like watching a martial arts movie with Jackie Chan. The stunt work, so to speak, is real. And it helps give the film a verisimilitude it wouldnt have with a non-dancing actor in the lead role.

The White Crow is an elegant and energetic portrait of an artist, well staged and shot in brief snippets. But there are just so many snippets to absorb here. The jarringly fractured storytelling, the aggressively choppy editing and the generally unlikable subject keep the film from adding up to much more than the sum of its parts.
PRINT | EMAIL | PERMALINK Weekly Specials Destination: Santa Fe Travel is good for the soul. Getting out of your home and comfort zone and into the world at large will help expand your horizons and give you something new to carry with you. This week, we challenge you to take a trip up to Santa Fe and try out one of these cool events theyre holding up there. Heck, you could even take the Rail Runner and save yourself the effort of driving too far.

Community Feast Nothing says community better than a potluck. Do you make the best potato salad? Everyone says that, but lets be real; it cant be that extraordinary. But you might meet someone who can help you up your A game on the potluck field at Feast Dinner: Santa Fe! This community potluck is happening on Friday, May 17 at 6:30pm (at a location being announced soon) and is meant to offer a place to share personal experiences and discuss life goals with others over a great meal. So, come with your best dish and make it a real feast. Its not a competition, but who doesnt want to bring the best food to a potluck? More information can be found at feastongood.com.

Time for Tea ArtfulTea (101 W. Marcy St.) is hosting a traditional Japanese matcha tea class on Thursday, May 16. Starting at 11am and going til noon, this $20 class will acquaint you with all the intricacies of a traditional Japanese tea ceremony featuring matcha. The tea itself will even be whisked and served using traditional Japanese implements, so if youre a sucker for tradition and tea, this event is made for you. To learn more or get tickets, feel free to visit their website at artfultea.com and get all the information you need. View in Alibi calendar

Dont Wine About It There could be no cooler title than nationally recognized wine and cheese educator. Writer Adam Centamore gets to wear that title proudly, as hell be teaching a class on how to think about flavors and combinations in regard to both at Wine and Cheese Tasting with Adam Centamore at Herve Wine Bar (139 W. San Francisco St.), on May 16 from 6pm until 8pm. Tickets are $75. For more information on how to attend, you can visit the Herve Wine Bar Facebook event to get a ticket through universal.com. View in Alibi calendar
Newscity

Feds Leave 100 Migrants at Bus Station

Last week Border Patrol officers dropped off around 100 asylum-seeking migrants at a private bus station in Las Cruces, despite a request from the city to halt the practice.

Las Cruces Sun News reports that the city of Las Cruces asked Border Patrol to stop dropping asylum-seekers on its streets for the time being, because the city's shelters are reportedly straining to keep up with the needs of migrants who have already been left there since mid-April. In response, Border Patrol agents dropped off around 100 people in two groups at a privately owned bus station operated by El Paso-Los Angeles Limousine Express Inc. instead of leaving them at a county- or city-sponsored facility.

The migrants are in the country legally while their cases are being processed. To be considered an asylum-seeker, they must have a host family or sponsor where they can live until they receive an immigration hearing. Many of the asylum-seekers do not have the means to afford lodging and food as they wait to travel to their sponsors, and Las Cruces officials say the city's shelters are at capacity.

Most asylum-seekers move on within 24 hours of being dropped off by Border Patrol, but the reportedly low availability of bus and air transit is making it difficult for some to find transportation in a timely manner.
Dateline: Kentucky

A teen who was banned from school for refusing the chickenpox vaccination came down with chickenpox. According to NBC News, an outbreak of chickenpox at Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Assumption Academy in Walton, Ky., led the state health department to ban all unvaccinated students from attending school in an effort to curb the spread of the infectious disease. One unvaccinated student, 18-year-old Jerome Kunkel, reportedly filed a lawsuit against the Northern Kentucky Health Department, claiming religious discrimination and demanding that he be allowed to return to school. Kunkel's mother signed a form objecting to the chickenpox vaccine, or varicella, on religious grounds. Some Catholics reportedly oppose the use of varicella because it was originally developed using the cell lines of two aborted fetuses. A judge ruled in favor of the health department, however, and Kunkel was told to stay away from the school. Nevertheless, the senior came down with the disease last week. Kunkel's attorney told reporters that the family does not regret their decision to opt out of receiving the vaccination. School officials say Kunkel can return to school when all of his lesions have scabbed over. He will be returning to class for the first time since March 15. Now that he has been exposed to chickenpox, he will be immune to the disease for the rest of his life.

Dateline: Texas

The world's first community made entirely of 3D-printed materials will be unveiled this summer in an impoverished area of Latin America. Austin-based nonprofit New Story shared a video last week that demonstrates its plans to build a community of more than 50 houses in an undisclosed rural area of Latin America. The video depicts a computer animation of the Vulcan II, New Storys 33-by-11-foot 3D printer, creating the frame of a house and then going on to build an entire row of homes. According to Fast Company, the company created the printer after developing a more efficient process to build homes in Haiti following the 2010 earthquake. Realizing the traditional construction process was an impediment, the nonprofit began working with 3D printing company Icon in 2017 to invent the oversized printer with large-scale construction capabilities. The Vulcan II can allegedly finish a house's walls and floors in a day or less. The home's roof, windows and utilities can be completed the next day. Its inventors say the printer can be transported to remote locations and used outside continuously for months or years. The team reportedly printed a successful test home in Austin in 2018. New Story was originally planning to build its 3D-printed neighborhood in El Salvador but has since been accepting proposals from other communities. While the company has not divulged the location of the proposed site, they say the homes will serve a community that currently has substandard housing through their jobs at a local factory. The final cost of the homes has not been revealed either, but New Story says they will be cheaper than the low-cost traditional homes it builds now, which cost around $7,000. The new homeowners will pay for them via an interest-free loan that will be paid with a monthly fee based on income. That money will go into a fund for community improvements.

Dateline: Australia

Weeks after the release of a new $50 note, Australian authorities were alerted to a typo that had been printed on its face multiple times. Last week the Reserve Bank of Australia confirmed that a block of microscopic text featured on the note included a misspelling of the word responsibility. According to ABC News in Australia, the word was printed without the third i, and reads responsibilty. The mistake was repeated a total of three times. The text can be found on the note above the shoulder of a depiction of Edith Cowan, the first Australian woman to serve as a member of Parliament. The text is taken from a speech given by Cowan to the Parliament of Western Australia in 1921. It is included as a security precaution to protect against counterfeiting and can only be seen with the assistance of a magnifying glass. The RBA said it is aware of the mistake and will be correcting the issue on the next print run. It is unclear if they were notified about the issue prior to the publication of an Instagram post by Australian radio station Triple M that showed a magnified image of the text. The image was reportedly sent in to the station by a listener.

Dateline: India

An idol that was stolen from a temple more than 100 years ago has been returned in the hope that it will end a family curse. The Times of India reports that a 700-year-old idol of the goddess Dhroupathi Amman that went missing from a temple in Madurai in 1915 was found hidden in the wall of an old house. It is believed that a former priest at the temple, Karuppasamy, stole the relic after a dispute with another priest. The matter was raised last year when Karuppasamy's grandson Murugesan told temple priests that as a child, he had seen his grandfather and father offering worship to a wall in their home. He said he believed that the wrath of the goddess had led to the deaths of many of his relatives and was the cause of his own ill health. After consulting with the current owners of Murugesan's childhood home, police from the Idol Wing were given permission to break down the wall that Murugesan had indicated and found the idol.
Preventive measures can reduce foot parasite in children, study says

Tungiasis is a neglected tropical disease caused by penetrated sand fleas which burrow into the skin of the feet. Public health policies such as sealing house and classroom floors and daily feet washing with soap could cut the number of tungiasis cases in school-aged children, researchers now report in PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases.

Tungiasis affects millions of people in South America, the Caribbean and sub-Saharan Africa. The sand fleas responsible for tungiasis rapidly grow once in a human host, causing immense itching, inflammation, pain and debilitation. There are currently no good treatment methods available in affected areas, and people often use non-sterile methods to attempt to remove the fleas themselves, causing more damage. Awareness of tungiasis has been growing in East Africa in recent years, but data on epidemiological characteristics are scarce.

In the new work, a group of scientists from KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Kenya, the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe), Charite University of Medicine, Berlin and Dabaso Tujengane Kenya, examined the feet of 1,829 students of all age groups from 5 schools in coastal Kenya. In one subset of participants, observations were repeated after a school holiday. Structured interviews were conducted with 707 students to get data on household infrastructure, behavior and socio-economic status.

The overall prevalence of tungiasis was 48%, with boys between the ages of 10 and 14 years most at risk and factors related to socio-economic status positively associated with disease risk. Children returned from their school holiday with higher rates of infection. The data suggested that mild to moderate tungiasis could be reduced by a third, and severe tungiasis by more than half, if homes had sealed floors, while roughly a seventh of the cases could be prevented by sealing classroom floors and another fifth by using soap for daily feet washing.

"Observations from our study suggest that up to 70% of tungiasis cases may be prevented through simple prevention methods," Dr. Lynne Elson the lead author says, "There is a clear role for public health workers to expand the WASH policy to include washing of feet with soap in school-aged children to fight tungiasis and to raise awareness of the importance of sealed floors."

###

In your coverage please use this URL to provide access to the freely available paper: http://journals. plos. org/ plosntds/ article?id= 10. 1371/ journal. pntd. 0007326

Citation: Elson L, Wiese S, Feldmeier H, Fillinger U (2019) Prevalence, intensity and risk factors of tungiasis in Kilifi County, Kenya II: Results from a school-based observational study. PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases 13(5): e0007326. https:/ / doi. org/ 10. 1371/ journal. pntd. 0007326

Funding: The study was supported by German Doctors e.V., Bonn, Germany through a grant to HF. https:/ / www. german-doctors. de/ de/ The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.

Competing Interests: The authors declare that no competing interests exist.

This story has been published on: 2019-05-16. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
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South Africa: MPs, executive urged to put SA first

Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng has urged incoming members of Parliament (MPs), Provincial Legislatures (MPLs) and the executive to work towards undoing the injustices of the past and not seek self-preservation.

Mogoeng made the remark on Wednesday during the receipt of the list of 830 names that will be sworn into office in the different legislatures across the country on 22 May. Upon receipt, Mogoeng handed over the lists to the acting secretary of Parliament, Penelope Tyawa.

I can only hope that none of those to whom oaths will be administered will see that exercise as just one of those inconvenient processes have to go through, itching to occupy an office, he said.

During the handover, the IEC revealed that the list of 400 elected MPs and 430 elected MPLs was drawn from the national, regional and provincial candidate lists submitted by contesting political parties as part of the election timetable in March 2019.

The country, Mogoeng said, needed a parliament and legislatures that hold the executive accountable and an executive that carries out its constitutional and statutory responsibilities.

South Africans, the Chief Justice added, should be on high alert in the quest to hold public officer bearers to account.

They must be more vigilant than ever before to expose manipulation of functionaries in state institutions to get us out of these problems of which we find ourselves trapped in. If there is one thing we must be alert to, it is that power is dangerous. Once you have it, it pushes you to control everybody else as you please, he said.

He added that it is of cardinal importance that the unresolved issues that constitute an integral part of the injustices of the past be recognised at all times and receive urgent attention.

We over celebrate the power we have. We are too protective of our positions and some, possibly, get tempted to use state resources for purposes they were never intended for. Lets sharpen our focus on what matters the most, he said.

Injustice is unsustainable, he said, adding that should it be left lingering on, you defer the hopes encapsulated in the preamble of our constitution at the risk of allowing a crisis to come into being.

Swearing in of MPs

During the event, the Chief Justice announced that the swearing in of MPs would take place on 22 May. At the same sitting, the Speaker of Parliament and President would also be elected.

According to the Constitution, these representatives must be sworn into office by taking an oath or affirmation before the Chief Justice. The first sitting of Parliament must take place at a date and time determined by the Chief Justice but not more than 14 days after the announcement of the results of an election.

Handing over the lists, IEC chairperson Glen Mashinini said the demographic statistics for the representatives show an improvement in gender representivity from the 2014 elections.

Of the 400 MPs, 45.25% are women compared to 42% in 2014. The provincial legislature with the best gender representivity is Mpumalanga where half of the members will be women.

The provincial legislature with the lowest gender representivity is the Western Cape where just 35.71% of representatives are women, he said.

The average age of the Members of Parliament is 50-years-old  the same as the average age in 2014.

The oldest Member of Parliament will be the Honourable leader of the Inkatha Freedom Party, Dr Mangosothu Buthelezi, at 90-years-old. The youngest Member of Parliament will be 23-year-old Sibongiseni Ngcobo of the Democratic Alliance.

Karabo Khakhau, 21, will be the youngest member of a provincial legislature, in the Free State.  SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2019-05-16. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
David Tran/iStock(NEW YORK) -- Facebook officials, who have admitted their systems failed to prevent the broadcast of the New Zealand mosque massacre on their platform, have announced a new policy for livestreaming.



"We will now apply a one strike policy to [Facebook] Live, in connection with a broader range of offenses," Facebook's vice president of integrity, Guy Rosen, wrote in a post on the company's site late Tuesday. "From now on, anyone who violates our most serious policies will be restricted from using Live for set periods of time  for example 30 days  starting on their first offense."



Previously, the company took down posts that violated community standards. If a user continued to post content that violated the standards, Facebook temporarily blocked the user's account, removing the ability to broadcast live. More extreme posters  of terror propaganda or violations of children  would be banned altogether, Rosen wrote.



But now, violators are penalized starting with their first offense.



"For instance, someone who shares a link to a statement from a terrorist group with no context will now be immediately blocked from using Live for a set period of time," Rosen said, adding that the company will also work to ban those users from placing ads in the coming weeks.



The move was praised by cybersecurity experts who often critique social media platforms for lack of action regarding hate speech.



"Its a positive step toward curbing abuse of live streaming, and Facebook has been taking real steps on curbing hate content over the last few months," Chad Loder, CEO and founder of cybersecurity firm Habitu8, told ABC News.



The video of the Christchurch mass shooting, in which 51 people at two mosques were killed, was viewed at least 200 times live, Facebook said shortly after the attacks.



"This particular video did not trigger our automatic detection systems," Rosen wrote in the days following the attacks. The video was then viewed about 4,000 times before being taken down. The video and images of the attack were disseminated across all major social media platforms, including Twitter and YouTube.



In the 24 hours after the attacks, Facebook removed at least 1.2 million videos of the massacre as they were uploaded, but before they were viewed, according to Rosen.

"Approximately 300,000 additional copies were removed after they were posted," Rosen wrote.



Part of the difficulty in detecting violent content is that videos are edited, making them harder to spot. The company said it would devote $7.5 million to partner with the University of Maryland, Cornell University and the University of California, Berkeley, to research better ways to "detect manipulated media across images, video and audio" and distinguish unwitting posters from those deliberately trying to manipulate content.



"This work will be critical for our broader efforts against manipulated media, including deepfakes (videos intentionally manipulated to depict events that never occurred). We hope it will also help us to more effectively fight organized bad actors who try to outwit our systems as we saw happen after the Christchurch attack," Rosen said.



Facebook officials announced the change as New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and French President Emmanuel Macron met Wednesday on the sidelines of the G-7 gathering in Paris. The two leaders were signing the "Christchurch Call," a demand for the world's tech giants to take action to stop extremism on their platforms.



The U.S. declined to sign the international accord.



"While the United States is not currently in a position to join the endorsement, we continue to support the overall goals reflected in the Call," Trump Administration officials said in a statement. "The best tool to defeat terrorist speech is productive speech, and thus we emphasize the importance of promoting credible, alternative narratives as the primary means by which we can defeat terrorist messaging."



Copyright  2019, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
00:00 | Ayacucho (Ayacucho region), May. 16.









The archaeological site considered the capital of this complex and well-organized pre-Hispanic civilization (600 AD-1,200 AD) is located 25 km northeast of Andean Ayacucho City.





According to Jose Ochatoma, archaeologist at San Cristobal de Huamanga University and lead researcher at Wari complex , the images on the 45 restored ceramics reveal the origin of Wari is linked to Nazca and Huarpa cultures.









The figures representations of coastal animals and marine products (seaweed, fish, octopus), similar to those found in the iconography of Nazca culture indicate that such civilization influenced the origin of Wari. The ceramics belong to diverse stages of Wari's cultural development.





"Research shows that Wari is not the result of simultaneous influences of Nazca and Tiahuanaco cultures, as previously thought. Nazca's decisive influence came first and Tiahuanaco's followed, when Wari experienced its greatest development," he noted.









Ochatoma explained the restoration of these recently uncovered artifacts part of the conservation and enhancement process of Wari's cultural heritage demands plenty of time and dedication since there are pieces of different sizes.





"The studies conducted reveal that ceramics used to be destroyed as part of Wari rituals. In some cases, archaeologists found the stones used to break the pots and other ceramic pieces. Therefore, it is very difficult to restore the ceramics to their original state," he pointed out.









Ochatoma said that, in addition to pottery, several stages of cultural development are present in the sequence and superposition of the constructions found at the excavations





As for Huarpa the preceding culture of Wari the archaeologist affirmed very little is known about this civilization.





"New research has shown that there is evidence of a very dense Huarpa occupation before the Wari urban occupation," he expressed.





(END) LZD/RMB

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A set of ceramic pieces unearthed at Wari archaeological complex in Ayacucho reveals valuable information about the origin of Wari civilization the first imperial State of Peru that served as the basis for the Inca Empire development.Publicado: 16/5/2019
" " This giraffe has the same skin condition as Michael Jackson. New Scientist/YouTube

A leopard can't change its spots, but it sure seems like a giraffe can. And this has scientists scratching their heads over a color-changing Rothschild's giraffe roaming a nature reserve in Kenya.

Over time, the male giraffe's skin has been slowly losing its pigment. What began as a few white patches has spread to become an increasingly white coat covering at least one-third of the animal's body.

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The metamorphosis wasn't obvious at first. The Rothschild's giraffe already is known for its distinctive "stockings," a term used to describe cream-colored legs devoid of any markings. It's one of the most immediate ways to tell the subspecies apart from relatives of the eight other sub-species to which a giraffe can belong  Nubian, reticulated, Kordofan, Maasai, South African, West African and Rhodesian  that have tell-tale marking that reveal their family groups.

In 2009, when Zoe Muller, a wildlife biologist and founder of the research and conservation group Rothschild's Giraffe Project, began photographing the male giraffe, nothing appeared amiss. Soon after snapping the first photos of the animal, however, a few white spots appeared on the giraffe's coat. Muller continue to document the giraffe, taking more than 430 photographs of it over the past seven years.

The white patches on the giraffe's coat continued to spread, something that had never before been documented, Muller told New Scientist in an interview. Her findings were published in the May 2016 issue of the African Journal of Ecology.

Initially, Muller wondered if a skin condition was to blame for the giraffe's faded appearance. She noticed the animal spent an excessive amount of time standing in large bushes and using the branches to scratch his head and neck, which is where the color fade first became obvious. If an infection were to blame, it could spell disaster for the Rothschild's giraffe population, which is at a critical level  fewer than 1,100 Rothchild's giraffes live in the wild.

It was eventually determined the giraffe had a skin condition known as vitiligo that causes skin to lose its pigment. Although it hadn't been recorded in giraffes before Muller's discovery, vitiligo does affect other species of hoofed mammals, ranging from buffalo to Arabian horses. It's also the same skin-lightening condition experienced by the late Michael Jackson.

For the Rothschild's giraffe, a life without spots to use as camouflage would be a short one. The inability to effectively hide from predators would be clear disadvantage. Luckily for this increasingly white giraffe, Muller said there are rarely predators in the Kenyan nature reserve it calls home.

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Now That's Interesting Colors fade all the time. The dyes used in fabric, for example, have chemical bonds that absorb light. When ultraviolet rays hit a dye with chemical bonds prone to light absorption, the fading can be quite dramatic in a process is called photodegradation.
YEREVAN, MAY 16, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan on May 16 met with the leaders of a number of major Chinese companies - Ganergy Heavy Industry Group, Hajer, Zheng Yi and MZTL, the Armenian PMs Office told Armenpress.

During the meeting the prospects and opportunities of implementing various investment programs in Armenia were discussed.

PM Pashinyan expressed satisfaction over the results of his working visit to China and stated that they must discuss in the future the actions which will contribute to boosting the bilateral economic ties. I am very happy to discuss with you your interests and proposals. Today major changes are taking place in Armenia, systematic corruption and economic monopolies no longer exist in our country. Our actions are directed for creating equal conditions for the economic entities and making the business environment more attractive, Nikol Pashinyan said, adding that taking into account the high level of political dialogue with China, favorable conditions have been created in Armenia for the Chinese investments.

In their turn the Ganergy Heavy Industry Group representatives introduced their activities and stated that they are interested in conducting an activity in Armenias industry, finance and investment areas.

The representatives of the company of Zheng Yi noted that they are ready to import Armenian brandy, wine, reprocessed agricultural goods to China, as well as make investments in Armenia by creating an industrial zone.

MZTL company leaders also expressed their readiness to establish a production of elevators in Armenia. For this purpose the company is ready to transport a small group of elevators to Armenia aimed at assessing their efficiency.

The PM proposes the company representatives to discuss the future cooperation steps with the responsible officials of the Armenian government, as well as the prospects of activities of the Chinese companies in the Meghri free economic zone. He said the Armenian government views the construction of North-South highway as a communication and transportation corridor and is happy that the Chinese government is interested in cooperation aimed at implementing this project.

At the end of his visit the Armenian PM gave interviews to the leading Chinese news agency Xinhua and CCTV.

Before leaving for Yerevan Pashinyan also visited the Armenian Embassy in China.

The Armenian PMs working visit to China is over.

Edited and translated by AnetaHarutyunyan
YEREVAN, MAY 16, ARMENPRESS. President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian signed a number of laws adopted by the Parliament, including the law on changing the composition of the government, the Presidential Office told Armenpress.

The laws concern making amendments and changes in the Law on Advertisement, Composition and Activity of the Government, Public Service, Code of Administrative Offenses and etc.

The Armenian Parliament on May 8 completely adopted the bill on changing the governments composition. 79 MPs voted in favor of the bill, 41 voted against and 1 MP abstained.

According to the law, the government will consist of the following ministries:

Ministry of foreign affairs

Ministry of defense

Ministry of emergency situations

Ministry of justice

Ministry of labor and social affairs

Ministry of education, science and culture

Ministry of nature protection

Ministry of healthcare

Ministry of finance

Ministry of economy

Ministry of territorial administration and infrastructures

Ministry of high technological industry

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan
YEREVAN, MAY 16, ARMENPRESS. President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian met with President of Kazakhstan Kasim-Zhomart Tokaev during his working visit in Nur-Sultan, the Armenian Presidents Office told Armenpress.

During the meeting the Kazakh President thanked President Armen Sarkissian for accepting the invitation to participate in the 12th annual economic forum which this year is being held under the name Inspiring Growth: People, Cities, Economies.

Undoubtedly, your participation will make the economic forum more significant. Our countries have friendly and partnering relations, and our first President Nursultan Nazarbayev stands in the origins of this cooperation. He was always paying great attention to the development of cooperation with Armenia, and today we can confidently state that the relations between our countries are on good basis. We are closely cooperating also within the frames of regional and international organizations, such as the UN and CSTO, the Kazakh President said.

In his turn President Sarkissian thanked for the invitation and stated that he is happy to be in the capital of friendly Kazakhstan, Nur-Sultan, which is named after the first president Nursultan Nazarbayev who had a great contribution to the development of the country and the Armenian-Kazakh relations.

Our two peoples communicate with each other for centuries. The relations between our states historically have firm roots and are a vivid example of friendship and cooperation. We live in the 21st century which will be greatly different from the 20th century. And in this regard I think that the partnership between Armenia and Kazakhstan can move further both in the economic field, by covering new technologies, as well as in the cultural sector, the Armenian President said.

The two Presidents also touched upon the bilateral and multilateral cooperation issues, within the frames of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) and CSTO. They highlighted deepening the partnership in commercial, cultural and humanitarian areas.

The Presidents specifically highlighted the role of Kazakhstans Armenian community in terms of preserving and developing the friendly relations between the two countries. The Kazakh President praised the Armenian community, stating that they are worthy citizens of Kazakhstan and bring their contribution to the countrys socio-economic development.

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan




Kativ/iStock(WASHINGTON) -- Harriet Tubman, noted abolitionist and celebrated Civil War spy, might be closer to getting on the $20 bill if renewed congressional efforts are successful.



Rep. John Katko, R-N.Y., made the case to use the image of the woman who helped hundreds of slaves escape to freedom via the "Underground Railroad" rather than that of former President Andrew Jackson, who owned slaves and who supported policies that led to the forcible removal of Native Americans from their homes.



Katko on Tuesday highlighted the importance of the Harriet Tubman Tribute Act.



"It should not even be an issue, in my mind," he told WKRN-TV. "When the Trump administration came in, it fell by the wayside."



Former Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew announced plans for Tubman to replace President Jackson on the $20 bill in 2016 as part of an effort to get more women on U.S. currency. The plan was set to go into effect in 2020.



However, the Trump administration has held off on implementing the plan. At a 2016 town hall on NBC's The Today Show, President Donald Trump called the move "pure political correctness" and suggested putting Tubman on the $2 bill.



In 2017, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin told CNBC, "Ultimately, we will be looking at this issue. It's not something I'm focused on at the moment."



Katko and Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md., reintroduced the Harriet Tubman Tribute Act this February after the initial bill died in committee in 2017.

In a press release earlier this year, Cummings said, "Placing Harriet Tubman on our U.S. currency would be a fitting tribute to a woman who fought to make the values enshrined in our Constitution a reality for all Americans."



Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., introduced the measure in the Senate this March and the bill is before the Financial Services Committee in the House.



Tubman was born into slavery on a Maryland plantation in 1822 as Araminta Ross and changed her name after marrying her first husband. She escaped slavery in 1849, and, as a key figure in the Underground Railroad, returned to the South at least 13 times to help free others.



During the Civil War she was a nurse and a spy for the Union Army. After the war, she petitioned the government to have her widow's pension increased given her additional wartime service.



In 1899, 34 years after the end of the war, Congress passed a bill raising her pension to $20 a month.



Copyright  2019, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
YEREVAN, MAY 16, ARMENPRESS. The inter-agency commission of the government has developed a program for the reduction of number of unemployed people in Armenia, Deputy Prime Minister Tigran Avinyan said during todays Cabinet meeting, adding that as of late 2018 unemployment comprises nearly 20% in Armenia.

Our inter-agency commission has developed a program which is based on three pillars. The first one is the development of human capital, the second one  promotion of employment, and the third one are institutional reforms. Very concrete targets and deadlines will be set for these three directions, Avinyan said.

The deputy PM tasked to set the deadline before June 15.

The actions to be taken are completely ready. We just need to set the concrete targets, in other words, the concrete number results which are expected from each action, and the timetable through which we must move on, the deputy PM said.

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan
YEREVAN, MAY 16, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian government approved the 2019-2023 Action Plan.

During todays Cabinet session, some of the ministers presented proposals to make technical changes in the Action Plan.

Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan proposed to provide a week for correcting the technical issues.

All presented proposals are acceptable. I suggest giving a week for summing up the final editorial works, because there are neither debating nor content-related issues, these are just technical issues, he said.

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan
YEREVAN, MAY 16, ARMENPRESS. The working visit of Secretary of the Security Council of Armenia Armen Grigoryan to the United States has kicked off, his Office told Armenpress.

Armen Grigoryan met with US Presidents special advisor Fiona Hill in the White House.

The Secretary of the Security Council of Armenia highlighted the role of the US as an OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair country in the peaceful settlement process of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict.

In her turn presidential advisor Fiona Hill attached importance to expanding the Armenian-American partnership at different levels.

During the meeting the sides discussed the Armenian-American relations agenda and the possibilities of investments and financial support.

They attached importance to the US support to the ongoing democratic processes and police reforms in Armenia.

The sides once again highlighted the importance of solving the Karabakh conflict through peaceful means.

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan
YEREVAN, MAY 16, ARMENPRESS. Armenian Ambassador to Georgia Ruben Sadoyan met with Vice Speaker of Parliament, co-chair of the Armenia-Georgia parliamentary friendship group George Volski, the Armenian foreign ministry told Armenpress.

During the meeting the Armenian Ambassador said the inter-parliamentary cooperation is at a high level, at the same time emphasizing the importance of close cooperation of the Armenia-Georgia parliamentary friendship group.

The sides discussed the prospects of expanding the inter-parliamentary cooperation between Armenia and Georgia, exchanged views on the new friendship group formed in the Armenian Parliament, as well as the upcoming visit of the Speaker of Parliament of Georgia to Armenia.

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan
YEREVAN, MAY 16, ARMENPRESS. The Government of Armenia has approved the bill on ratifying the Convention on ruling out double taxation of income and property and avoiding tax evasion between Armenia and Denmark.

The bill was presented at the Cabinet meeting today by Finance Minister Atom Janjughazyan.

We plan to forward the legislative initiative to the Constitutional Court to determine the constitutionality of the obligations stipulated in the international treaty, and then in case of a positive conclusion it will be sent to parliament for ratification, he said.

Janjughazyan noted that Armenia has similar agreements already with 46 countries.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan
YEREVAN, MAY 16, ARMENPRESS. President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian participated in the opening ceremony of the 12th annual economic forum in the capital of Kazakhstan Nur-Sultan on May 16, the Presidential Office told Armenpress.

This year the forum is being held under the name Inspiring Growth: People, Cities, Economies.

The forum is attended by current and former leaders of states, governments, international organizations, business leaders, economists who are discussing the global economic trends and structural changes.

The Armenian President was among the keynote speakers of the forum.

In his remarks President Sarkissian thanked the Kazakh President for inviting to take part in the forum and talked about the importance of having a vision. Everything starts from the vision, the dream. I remember very well the early 90s when I visited here for the first time: it was a small city in the center of Kazakhstan. It reminded more a beautiful area, than a city. But there was a dream, a vision which was created and implemented by President Nazarbayev. Just few decades have passed. Look what happened to that dream and the vision. Now we are in a wonderful city  Nur-Sultan, which in some sense is the heart of Europe. Everything, really, starts from the vision, he said.

According to the Armenian President, one of the visions relates to in which world we want to live in the coming 20-30 years. Whether we want to live in a world that is divided, where there are more Berlin walls, or in a world that is really global? We are already a globally integrated world from where there is no path back. And this started not 20 years, but 100 years ago when the first Silk Roads have been constructed.

What is our vision for the next 20-30 years? In order to think about that, we need to go back for 20-30 years and see where we were. Whether you had the small devices which today govern our whole life, starting from family photos up to the whole information and financial analysis? But what will happen 20-30 years later, when we will apply artificial intelligence which will completely change, for example, our healthcare. Where we will be, when the communication will be completely different, with a higher quality, when all industrial products will be connected with artificial intelligence and management of great information? Whether we will afraid of this? The answer is the following  no. Because, in fact, these are great advantages. They will not reduce the number of jobs in the world, quite the contrary, will drastically increase them. This is a new era. This is a world which we must welcome. Whether we are ready for that? I am not sure for 100%. Can we be ready for that? Yes, I am sure for 100%. We should start to be ready and focus on education, preparing our kids to the next stage of the real 21st century, the President said.

According to him, information and high technological companies, which are concentrated on artificial intelligence, rather than those dealing with natural resources, are becoming a locomotive in the 21st century. This change is based on two factors. The first one is the person. In other words, an innovative person will be on the origins of the change, who has the tools of the 4th industrial revolution. These tools enable each individual to be creative, even being at home. And this will drastically change our approach to the business, will change how we will bring our contribution to the economy. An individual can carry out a creative work even at home or in a cafe through startups.

Look how the current giant companies have been created  in the garage, cafe, thanks to the dreams and qualified innovations of individuals. In other words, the driving force in the 21st century is the innovative and creative work.

The second factor is the 4th industrial revolution, but here I will insist that there is another revolution as well. We are moving towards the revolutionary evolution. Changes will not take place in 30 years. The world will change every day, and we must be ready for that, the Armenian President added.

Talking about the place of Armenia in the global world, he noted: I am looking at the future of my country and people with positive developments and vision. Our small state, the Republic of Armenia, is the home of the global nation because there are as many Armenians in our country as in Russia, Los Angeles is the largest Armenian-populated city after Yerevan, millions of Armenians live in France, they are spread from Singapore to Argentina. Therefore, we have a small state, but we are a global nation. We are part of the 21st century, integrated globally. And I encourage all to do the same, be globally integrated, creative and resilient towards changes. As this world is going to change every day, we should be ready for that. Everything starts from the young generation and education. Everything starts from the vision.

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan
YEREVAN, MAY 16, ARMENPRESS. President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian met with Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Christine Lagarde within the framework of the 12th annual economic forum in Nur-Sultan, the capital of Kazakhstan, the Presidential Office told Armenpress.

President Sarkissian highly appreciated Armenias cooperation with the leading international financial institution.

The sides exchanged views on the opportunities to expand the partnership and highlighted the existing great potential.

Armen Sarkissian said Armenia has a developed banking and financial system and talked about the idea of making Armenia a financial center and the opportunities to implement that which will enable to make the country not only more attractive, but also to provide more qualified and effective services.

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan
YEREVAN, MAY 16, ARMENPRESS. President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian met with Prime Minister of Georgia Mamuka Bakhtadze on the sidelines of his working visit in Kazakhstan, the Presidential Office told Armenpress.

President Sarkissian and PM Bakhtadze exchanged views on the current agenda of the Armenian-Georgian relations and highlighted the importance of further deepening the effective cooperation.

The sides agreed that the mutual partnership in all spheres, starting from culture to science, latest technologies, energy, infrastructures, tourism, has a huge potential, and the two countries should do everything to have deeper and mutually beneficial collaboration.

President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian arrived in Kazakhstan to participate in the annual economic forum in Nur-Sultan.

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan
YEREVAN, MAY 16, ARMENPRESS. The delegations of the Parliament of Armenia will pay working visits to Poland during 2019, Polish Ambassador to Armenia Pawel Cieplak said in response to ARMENPRESS question.

In recent days we receive information that chairman of the Armenian parliamentary standing committee on foreign affairs Ruben Rubinyan will depart for Poland on a working visit on July 2-4. We have also invited the members of the Armenia-Poland inter-parliamentary group. We remember very well how the Armenian Parliament received our delegation last year, the Ambassador said.

Pawel Cieplak added that the Polish side is also thinking about the meetings at an inter-governmental format.

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan
YEREVAN, MAY 16, ARMENPRESS. President of Artsakh Bako Sahakyan and ex-President Arkadi Ghukasyan arrived in the Yerevan court where former President of Armenia Robert Kocharyan is on trial.

They reaffirmed their personal guarantees presented for Kocharyans release.

The guarantee letter reads: Taking into account the contribution of First President of Artsakh and Second President of Armenia Robert Kocharyan to the development of the two Armenian republics, his great investment in the Artsakh war and the Armenian army-building, we guarantee that in case of stopping Robert Kocharyans detention, the latter will demonstrate a proper behavior, will not hinder the investigation of the case, will not avoid appearing to the body conducting the criminal proceedings and will not take an action that is unauthorized by the Criminal Code. We guarantee his appearance in court during the whole trial and implementation of judicial duties, therefore we ask to replace the current detention with a precautionary measure not linked with detention.
Facebook has been used to hold the former Health Minister Puka Temu to account for the medicine shortages in the country.

Facebook has become the most important tool that provides the verification for so called infrastructure projects that MPs claim have been completed but have not.

LAE - The reason why politicians are afraid of Facebook is because it has done more in the last 10 years to hold them to account than mainstream media outlets.

It has been used to correct misconceptions that Tuition Fee Free money has been going to schools. Teachers from remote schools who have not been paid for months sent their details using the social media network for verification.

With crowd-sourced information from Facebook, Papua New Guineans have been able to see the problems in health, education and the economy.

Dr Sam Yokopua and Dr Glen Mola, two of the most senior doctors in the country, use Facebook to highlight the most critical shortages affecting Port Moresby General Hospital.

Is it fake news? No.

In case you have not noticed, thousands of Papua New Guineans use Facebook for business transactions. Thats where they make their money. Large businesses use Facebook as a way to reach out to their customers.

How do you plan to compensate for the 12 month disconnection with their customer base?

Banning Facebook will be a huge embarrassment for the country that hosted APEC. The high ideals of digital connectivity and digital inclusiveness will be thrown out of the window.

A lot of governments want to ban Facebook. But it really has not worked.

China, North Korea and Iran are on the list. While Iran has a ban on Facebook, people, including the Iranian President, Hassan Rouhani, use Twitter as an alternative. Point is you cant get away from social media.

There is a general agreement that there are a lot of people who use Facebook to spread fake news.

They should be investigated and prosecuted using the cybercrime act if law enforcement has the capacity to do it.

But to ban Facebook has wide-ranging implications including direct government interference on the freedom of speech of Papua New Guineans and their right to hold their leaders to account.

The best things to do are:
Its release will put further pressure on Mr O'Neill who is clinging to power amid growing opposition to his leadership and is preparing to face a no confidence vote when parliament returns on 28 May.

The Australian Financial Review has obtained a copy of the report, completed in December last year, but only handed to the speaker of parliament earlier this month. It has not yet been tabled in parliament.

The 332-page report compiled by the Ombudsman Commission of PNG outlines a series of possible legal and governance breaches by prime minister Peter O'Neill and is set to refocus attention on the role of UBS in providing the loan.

SYDNEY - A $1.24 billion (K2.9 billion) loan arranged by UBS Australia for the government of Papua New Guinea may have breached 15 laws, according to the watchdog in Port Moresby, which labelled the deal "highly inappropriate" and "speculative".

Oil Search's Peter Botten and Peter O'Neill - "The deal to purchase the Oil Search shares was irregular," says the PNG Ombudsman, and the loan that enabled it was "highly inappropriate and speculative"

The UBS loan was used by the PNG government to buy a 10% in Oil Search, which in turn used the money to buy into the Elk Antelope gas field that is being developed by France's Total.

"The buying of shares in a speculative market by the government using huge loans from a financial institution is highly inappropriate," the Ombudsman said.

It made adverse findings against the prime minister, two former ministers and a handful of senior bureaucrats.

The Ombudsman said the deal to purchase the Oil Search shares was "irregular" due to the lack of consultation with state agencies and the bypassing of parliamentary approval.

The report finds the K2.9 billion loan, extended in March 2014, should have been approved by parliament and may also have breached PNG's responsible lending laws and its overseas borrowing provisions.

The report lists a total of 15 laws potentially broken in the course of obtaining of the loan.

PNG is estimated to have lost K1 billion kina on the deal after being forced to sell out of Oil Search in September 2017, as the company's share price fell amid a broader slump in commodity prices.

UBS is believed to have made K280 million in fees and interest payments from the deal, which is now also under scrutiny from the Swiss regulator.

UBS declined to comment.

The PNG Ombudsman declined to verify the "final report" obtained by the Financial Review, but confirmed it had been delivered to the speaker of parliament. Metadata from the file shows the document was created in the Ombudsman's office.

Among dozens of other adverse findings, the report reveals the lawyer who witnessed the loan agreement was not a registered solicitor, potentially "rendering the entire contract documents questionable, wrong and improper".

It says less than two months after the deal was announced, lawyers acting for UBS wrote to the PNG government advising that if payments relating to the loan were not made the entire country could be in default.

That would have given UBS the right to sell the Oil Search shares and charge interest on the unpaid amount, while also threatening other loans extended to PNG.

The report points out then Treasurer Don Polye, who refused to sign off on the deal and ultimately resigned in protest, was not involved in the negotiations with Oil Search and UBS on the purchase and funding of the shares.

Mr Polye highlighted several issues, according to the report, including that it required parliamentary approval as it would push borrowings above the country's ceiling.

In a response to the Ombudsman's provisional findings, which was included in the final report, Mr O'Neill denied any wrongdoing and said the investigation was "fatally flawed".

The report detailed the circumstances surrounding the decision to purchase shares in Oil Search and for UBS to provide the funding for the transaction.

On 23 February 2014, Oil Search managing director Peter Botten met Mr ONeill and acting treasury secretary Dario Vele and an agreement was struck to purchase shares in the company.

Two days later, UBS wrote to Mr Vele to outline the terms of engagement to act as sole advisor and arranger for the investment in Oil Search and related refinancing of a maturing loan provided by the Abu Dhabi sovereign fund.

UBS had been chosen ahead of several other banks to manage the refinancing of the loan.

On 26 February 2014, the prime minister wrote to Mr Botten to inform him of his willingness to purchase shares in the company.

The following day, Mr ONeill wrote to UBS managing director Guy Fowler regarding its proposal to provide funding for the state in connection with the purchase of the Oil Search shares. That same day Mr Vele received a commitment letter from UBS.

Mr Botten announced his intention to step down as Oil Search managing director last week after nearly 25 years in charge of the company. Mr Fowler has announced his retirement from UBS.
Californian cafe chain Klatch Coffee is touting it as the 'world's most expensive coffee' at $110 a cup. (Photo: AP)

How much are you willing to pay for coffee?

Some budget-conscious coffee lovers might turn their nose up at anything costing more than $3.50.

But one Californian cafe is asking for US $75, or roughly $110, for what its calling the worlds most expensive cuppa, as reported in Associated Press.

Why is it so expensive?

The beans are award-winning, said Bo Thiara, the owner of Klatch Coffees San Francisco branch.

Klatch Coffee owner Bo Thiara. (Photo: AP)

The coffee uses the Elida Natural Geisha coffee bean that sold for an eye-watering US $803 (AU $1,160) per pound at an auction after it won the Best of Panama coffee competition, which Thiara said was the coffee equivalent of the Oscars.

The high quality and limited quantity of the coffee bean saw it top last years winning beans that went for US $601 (AU $870) a pound.

Of the 45kg of beans that was available for purchase, Klatch bought 4.5 kilograms, making it the only North American cafe chain to have it, with the rest going to Japan, China and Taiwan.

Klatch Coffee owner Bo Thiara shows a package of Elida Natural Geisha coffee. (Photo: AP)

Nabbing the coffee would have set Klatch back $11,613 and would produce about 80 cups of coffee.

It means Klatch will only be making $880, which would actually see the cafe chain bank a net loss.

So $110 per cup isnt starting to look so expensive anymore.

And its still cheaper than a $150-a-cup brew in Melbourne that made headlines in October last year.

Whats it like, and is it any good?

Thiara told AP the coffee is a rare variety of Arabica hailing from Panama with a floral, tea-like flavour reminiscent of jasmine and berries.

And its already got glowing reviews, according to some patrons that tried some free samples at Klatchs San Francisco branch on Wednesday.

An espresso using Elida Natural Geisha coffee beans. (Photo: AP)

San Francisco resident Lauren Svensson said the coffee was very different from any other shed ever had.

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My mind was a little blown about the fact that a US $75 cup of coffee even exists  but it was shockingly good, she said.

Her friend Charlie Shinhaseni also seemed to enjoy it despite himself.

When I first looked at it, I thought it would be hyper pretentious, and I would think of all the different notes for the coffee, but I was too busy enjoying it, he said.

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Update your WhatsApp app. (Photos: Getty)

Popular messaging app WhatsApp has this week sounded the alarm on spyware being installed on peoples devices without them knowing.

Hackers exploited a vulnerability that allowed them to remotely install Israeli-made surveillance software into an unknown number of victims phones by calling them through the apps call function, as first reported in the Financial Times.

WhatsApp  which is used by 1.5 billion people monthly  said it has since fixed the vulnerability, but there are still steps you can take to protect yourself.

And it doesnt take much: simply update your WhatsApp app if you havent done so since Tuesday.

Out of an abundance of caution, today we are encouraging users to update WhatsApp and, as always, keep their mobile OS updated, to receive the latest security protections, WhatsApp said in a statement to Buzzfeed News.

WhatsApp says the attack has all the hallmarks of a private company reportedly that works with governments to deliver spyware. It also says its notified US law enforcement. pic.twitter.com/03TjLZWUw6  Ryan Mac (@RMac18) May 14, 2019

The simple fix

If youre on an iPhone or iOS device, just head to your App store and hit Update next to WhatsApp Messenger.

If you have an Android, go to your Play Store and tap Update.

The update screen for Apple (left) and Android users (right). (Source: Yahoo Finance)

Users who find the app has already automatically updated may see an Open button instead.

Updating your software is important because the updates close up vulnerabilities in your apps and operating systems that cyber criminals can use to gain access to your devices, Stay Smart Online said.

Typically attackers exploit vulnerabilities in order to perform other malicious actions, such as stealing or corrupting information, installing malware or stopping the affected system from working correctly.

People should automatically update their apps when they become available, Stay Smart Online encouraged.

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Automatic updates minimise the risk of delaying or forgetting to apply an update, and limit the chance that cybercriminals will gain access to your devices and sensitive personal and financial data.

Earlier this year, Stay Smart Online warned Aussies against a hack that allowed cyber criminals to gain access to the devices of users who had not changed their default PIN codes.

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By Tracy Rucinski

DENVER (Reuters) - Boeing Co made mistakes with its 737 MAX planes that need to be addressed, Southwest Airlines Co Chief Executive Officer Gary Kelly told shareholders on Wednesday, but he said he is still hopeful that the jets grounded after two crashes will return to service in the U.S. summer.

Southwest, which only flies 737s and is the world's largest MAX operator, has bet its growth strategy on the fuel-efficient, longer-range MAX, which was grounded worldwide in March following two deadly crashes, one in Indonesia and one in Ethiopia.

As a result, Southwest has canceled 160 daily flights through Aug. 5, hitting revenue and costs, and putting its growth plans on hold. The low-cost carrier launched service to Hawaii earlier this year but has had to defer flying there from San Diego and Sacramento because of the MAX groundings.

"Boeing made some mistakes ... they need to address those mistakes," Kelly said at the company's annual shareholders meeting in Denver, where Southwest has expanded faster than any other city.

Asked by a shareholder whether he was seeking compensation from Boeing, Kelly said: "No one is happy with the situation. All of our growth is with the MAX."

A handful among about 40 shareholders questioned Kelly about the airline's heavy MAX exposure. The MAX jets represent less than 5 percent of Southwest's fleet of about 750, but the airline has at least 249 more on order.

Southwest is scheduling flights on the MAX as of Aug. 6, but it is still unclear whether regulators will clear it to fly by then. They were grounded following an Ethiopian Airlines accident just five months after a similar Lion Air crash, killing a combined 346 people.

During a call with investors last month, Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg said he knows "we have some work to do to earn and re-earn the trust of our customers and the flying public in particular."

The Federal Aviation Administration's acting chief, Dan Elwell, told lawmakers on Wednesday he expects Boeing to submit a software fix soon, a key step to flying the planes again.

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Asked by a reporter if he would fly on the first MAX flight, Kelly said: "I'd love to." But he said Southwest would not fly the jets until he and regulators were fully confident in their safety.

A Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Wednesday showed that U.S. fliers still consider ticket price the most important factor when choosing a flight. Southwest remained the most popular airline, with 21% of respondents picking it as their preferred carrier, up from 19% in a similar Reuters/Ipsos poll that ran in June 2017.

Shareholders of Southwest, whose stock is flat over the past year, rejected a motion to split Kelly's dual role as CEO and chairman of the board at the annual meeting.

(Reporting by Tracy Rucinski in Denver; Editing by Matthew Lewis, Leslie Adler and Grant McCool)
James Charles has been escorted through Brisbane Airport in his first public sighting since losing millions of followers. Photo: Backgrid Australia

YouTube beauty vlogger James Charles, has been seen for the first time since he was engulfed in scandal and lost more than three million followers.

The 19-year-old was spotted walking through Brisbane International Airport, escorted by staff, earlier this week.

Wearing a sweatshirt emboldened with the word sisters - a term he affectionately uses to refer to his fans - James was flanked by three female airline staff who were closely followed by his entourage.

While James appeared serious and moved swiftly through the terminal, awaiting photographers fired questions his way in a bid for clarity on the accusations he has faced over the past week.

Do you sexually harass straight men James? asked one snapper, before adding if his tour, where he was meeting and greeting fans, was going to continue.

However, he remained silent throughout the exchange, leaving the teary-eyed apology video he posted at the weekend as his only response.

He was believed to be LA-bound.

James' online feud was with his former friend and mentor, YouTuber Tati Westbrook. Photo: YouTube

The controversy began when James ex-friend and mentor Tati Westbrook released an explosive 41-minute video where she accused him of trick(ing) straight men into thinking they're gay'.

In the days since, several high profile men, including travel influencer Jay Alvarrez, have come forwards and shared screenshots showing messages allegedly sent from James account.

Travel influencer Jay Alvarrez claims he was referred to as 'daddy' in an unsolicited string of messages from James who also called him hot. Photo: Instagram

Widespread backlash followed news of the alleged indiscretions raised by Tati, and saw many of James teenage followers turn on him in the form of YouTube unfollows.

He broke the record for most fans to unsubscribe in a single day - a mammoth 1.26 million - with his total loss now surpassing more than three-million.

However, this is far from James first career misstep, having previously conjured up controversy for making light of the Ebola epidemic and allegedly editing the post that first made him famous.

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Kim Kardashian will release her KKW Beauty Mrs. West makeup collection on Friday. Photo: Instagram/Kim Kardashian

Shes the queen of reinventing herself, going from Paris Hiltons best friend to the star of her own reality show and now the owner of her own beauty line.

However, it seems not even Kim Kardashian is exempt from making a few mistakes of her own, with her latest eyeshadow palette having one very noticeable spelling fail on it.

The 37-year-old mum-of-fours KKW Beauty Mrs West makeup collection is due to launch this Friday, five years after she tied the knot to husband Kanye West.

The whole line is in celebration of the Keeping Up With The Kardashians stars day, with fans able to recreate Kims famous makeup look from her Italian wedding using a range of eyeshadow colours and lipsticks.

However, when Kim turned the palette around on her Instagram stories, there's an obvious spelling mistake. Photo: Instagram/Kim Kardashian

Last night, Kim gave fans a preview of the colours that are included in the eyeshadow palette, with one of the shades called PLEEESE MARRY ME!!!.

Thats the exact way that Kanye had it spelt out on the jumbotron when we got married in the field in San Francisco, Kim told her fans on Instagram.

However, Kim and Kanye famously got engaged in the AT&T Park in San Francisco (and married at the historic Forte di Belvedere in Florence) and photos from the night show the pair standing in front of the jumbatron, which actually read: PLEEEASE MARRY ME!!!.

Here's Kim and Kanye standing in front of the jumbotron in the AT&T Park in San Francisco. Photo: Instagram

Awkward! It seems someone didnt do their research.

Kim went on to explain the meaning behind the other shades, with Field of Dreams relating to the AT&T Park in San Francisco and Etched In Stone inspired by a stone table at their wedding where all of their guests names were etched into it.

MAY 24 was the date they got married and then MRS. WEST and JUST MARRIED are pretty self-explanatory.

The rest of the collection is made up of a nude lipstick Kim wore on her wedding day, a matching lip liner, a nude gloss, a champagne highlighter and a pink blusher.

Its been a busy few weeks for Kim, who also welcomed her fourth child into the world last weekend, via surrogate.

Story continues

Hes here and hes perfect!, Kim simply Tweeted to her 60 million followers.

The reality star is also mum to daughters, North and Chicago, and son, Saint.

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Animal activists urged Kenya Thursday to ban the slaughter of donkeys for use in Chinese medicine, a practice which has soared in recent years and decimated African populations of the animal. Donkey skins are exported to China to make a traditional medicine known as ejiao, which is believed to improve blood circulation, slow ageing, and boost libido and fertility. It was once the preserve of emperors but is now highly sought after by a burgeoning middle-class. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) told AFP an investigation inside Kenyan slaughterhouses showed animals being cruelly beaten by workers, or dead after long truck journeys from neighbouring countries. "PETA is calling for Kenya to join many other African nations in banning the slaughter of donkeys. There is simply no need for this cruelty, (the medicine) is not even something that has been shown to be effective," said spokeswoman Ashley Fruno. China is increasingly looking to Africa to satisfy demand as its own donkey population has nearly halved in recent years. Several African countries have banned the export of donkey skins and closed Chinese-owned slaughterhouses, meaning thousands of the animals are now trucked long distances into Kenya from countries such as Ethiopia and Uganda. "There are virtually no laws against the abuse of animals on farms or in slaughterhouses in Kenya, so none of the violence captured in the footage is punishable from a legal standpoint," PETA said in a statement. Kenya's Principal Secretary for Livestock Harry Kimutai told AFP he had taken note of the report and "we wish to request PETA to provide us with details for us to take action. "We take issues of animal welfare seriously. We shall also carry out investigations to confirm the allegations and take appropriate action." - Skinned alive - Alex Mayers of the UK-based animal welfare organisation The Donkey Sanctuary said stories about the trade first began emerging in 2016, with tales of people waking up in the morning to find all of their donkeys had been stolen in the night, often skinned a short distance away. "It started to happen across all corners of Africa, then even wider to Brazil, Peru, Pakistan, all over we were seeing the same photos, the same stories." An investigation by the body in 2017 found the donkey skin trade was inhumane and "completely unsustainable", he said. As the main export is the skin, "it doesn't really matter if a donkey is beaten or bruised by the time it is slaughtered, there is no incentive at all to keep donkeys in good welfare," said Mayers. In Tanzania, there had been cases of slaughterhouse workers using sledgehammers to kill donkeys, he added. "We've seen cases in Botswana where donkeys have been rounded up and machine-gunned. In South Africa slaughter operators have admitted using hammers to kill the donkeys, or... skinning them alive." Mayers said the unprecedented movement of donkeys for slaughter was also being linked to disease spread, with Nigeria and Senegal having registered their first-ever outbreaks of equine flu this year. In East Africa, there were an estimated 2.4 million donkeys, and between Kenya's four slaughterhouses and illegal traders, an estimated 2,000 donkeys were killed daily, he added. - Disappearing donkeys - If this continues, donkeys in the region could be wiped out in four years, said Mayers, adding donkeys were not like cows or goats that can be intensively bred. Highly susceptible to stress, they do not do well in large groups and have a long gestation period of 12 months. "The harder you try to reproduce them, the less successful it's likely to be, which is why China has not managed to sustain its own population." Another Equine charity, Brooke, said it had noted 60 incidents of donkeys being stolen from Kenyan homes per week, at huge economic loss to their owners. "Donkeys are not only key in helping with household tasks?, ?they also enable owners and their families to make a living through a variety of commercial activities, for instance transport or agriculture," spokeswoman Megan Sheraton told AFP. A 2015 study by Brooke estimated the economic value of a donkey in Kenya at up to $2,200 (1,900 euros) per year. Donkey skins are used to make a traditional medicine known as ejiao, which is believed to improve blood circulation Activists say there have been cases in Botswana of donkeys being rounded up and machine-gunned Several African countries have banned the export of donkey skins and closed Chinese-owned slaughterhouses A 2015 study by Brooke estimated the economic value of a donkey at up to $2,200 (1,900 euros) annually in Kenya
Relatives of a jailed woman are questioning how she became pregnant in prison, believing she may have been drugged then raped.

Despite being incarcerated for the past 17 months, Latoni Daniel, 26, is set to give birth to her first child this month, according to Alabama new outlet Al.com.

The inmate became pregnant while at a Coosa County jail in Rockford, Alabama but she says she has no memory of having sex while in prison.

Latoni Daniel, 26, has become pregnant despite spending the past 17 months in jail. Source: Facebook, Coosa County Jail

Attorney Mickey McDermott said he believes his client was raped while taking sedatives prescribed to treat seizures.

However, Daniel's brother, Terrell Ransaw, says the US National Guard veteran didn't have seizures before she was jailed.

It had to happen at night when she was unconscious after she took her medicine, because thats when they gave her her medicine  at night, he told CBS.

Shes giving birth to a child she didnt plan to have. Nobody asks to be raped or drugged.

Just because a person is locked up doesnt mean theyre a bad person or did the crime you say they did.

County District Attorney Jeff Willis says Daniel's pregnancy was under investigation.

Daniel is accused of being the getaway driver in a fatal shooting and is charged with capital murder.

She was transferred to another jail once her pregnancy was revealed.

with AP

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A man police want to speak to over the shooting of Daniel O'Shea was captured on CCTV walking away from the Melbourne park where the 41-year-old's body was found.

Police have released images and footage of the man carrying a red and white Coles reusable shopping bag after Mr O'Shea was found dead at Fawkner Park in South Yarra on April 26.

It is believed he was shot and killed some time about 7.40pm.

The man was wearing a vibrant green hat and carrying a Coles shopping bag as he walked through South Yarra. Source: Victoria Police

Two guns were found about 50 metres from his body.

Detectives have conducted an extensive canvas for CCTV footage throughout the area and have been able to obtain vision of a man they are looking to identify as part of their investigations.

A man dressed in black wearing a green cap was caught on multiple CCTV cameras calmly walking east from Fawkner Park along Toorak Rd, according to police.

Homicide Squad officer-in-charge Detective Inspector Andrew Stamper said there was no doubt there were people in the community who can help solve this investigation.

Daniel O'Shea was shot dead in South Yarra in April. Source: Victoria Police

Someone out there knows exactly who this man is, he said.

They know who he is, why he was there and what connection he has to our victim.

What we need from those people is a name.

I understand that there are people, especially those with connections in the criminal underworld, who feel they dont want to get involved in these incidents.

But regardless of the circumstances, someone has been murdered. We have a mother who has lost a son, people have lost a partner or a friend.

Anyone who saw the man, who was wearing a distinctive green cap, walking in the area on the night is also asked to come forward.

Anyone with any information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333.

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Josu Ternera, who was arrested Thursday in France after more than 16 years on the run, is one of the most influential leaders of the former Basque separatist group ETA who oversaw deadly attacks as well as secret talks with Madrid. He recorded the "final declaration" that in May 2018 announced the dissolution of ETA, which is blamed for the deaths of at least 853 people in its four-decade campaign of violence for an independent Basque homeland in northern Spain and southwestern France. Born in 1950 in the village of Ugao near Bilbao, the northern Basque region's largest city, Ternera joined ETA in the late 1960s at the end of Francisco Franco's dictatorship. He reportedly took part in the theft of explosives used in a 1973 Madrid car bombing which killed Franco?s prime minister and heir apparent Luis Carrero Blanco. He quickly rose through the ranks to become ETA's leader in the late 1970s. "He was a hugely important person in ETA," said Florencio Dominguez, head of the Memorial Centre for Victims of Terrorism in Spain's Basque Country and author of a book on Ternera. Gorka Landaburu, a journalist who lost his thumb and was left blind in one eye after an ETA letter bomb detonated in his home in 2001, said Ternera "was the grandfather of the organisation" who remained respected due to his track record even after more radical members abandoned him in the 2000s. "He was one of the heads of ETA when its deadliest attacks were carried out during the 1980s," he added. Ternera is thought to have instigated ETA's 1980s strategy of combining car bomb attacks with assassinations by shooting. Arrested in 1989 in southwestern France, he was sentenced to 10 years in jail for criminal association. "I was, I am and I always will be a member of ETA. I am proud to be so. I have fought in the ranks of ETA since my youth, from the moment I became conscious of the repression against my culture, my country and my language," he said during his trial. - Madrid 'intermediary' - In 1998 while still in jail he was elected regional lawmaker for a radical Basque nationalist grouping that included Herri Batasuna, considered ETA's political arm. After his release from jail in 2000, he "became more political" and "served as a bridge" between the armed wing of the Basque separatist movement and its political wing, said Jose Luis Orella, a history professor at Madrid's CEU Universidad San Pablo. "His prestige and his weight within the terrorist organisation gave him a leading role within the leftist Basque separatist movement and made him one of the best intermediaries for the Spanish government," he added. Spanish authorities had been trying to track down Ternera since 2002, linking him to an attack on a police barracks in the northern city of Zaragoza in 1987 which left 11 people dead, including five children. According to Spain's National Court, he is wanted for alleged involvement in the police barracks attack and the murder of a director of French tyre company Michelin in Spain, among other cases. Ternera played a key role in secret talks held in Switzerland and in Norway beginning in 2005 with emissaries of the Socialist government of former prime minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero which ended in failure. In 2006 he was sidelined by more radical ETA members. Jesus Eguiguren, the former head of the Basque Socialist party who took part in the secret talks with ETA, said that despite this demotion Ternera played a "key role" in the end of ETA. "He showed that he really wanted to end terrorism," Eguiguren added. Ternera joined ETA in the late 1960s at the end of Francisco Franco's dictatorship
A woman has been caught on camera taking a child from a McDonald's restaurant, moments before witnesses stopped her from driving away with the little boy.

Police released terrifying security camera footage of the attempted kidnapping incident. The short clip begins with the woman approaching the child, who appeared to be unsupervised, inside the fast food store.

She then picked up the young boy, slinging him on her hip, before she walked out of the Los Angeles restaurant.

A woman is caught on camera taking a child from a McDonald's restaurant. Source: LAPD

Police said the woman attempted to get into a parked vehicle with the four-year-old child, but was stopped by a witness.

The intervention caused the suspect to let the child go as she ran away from the scene, police said.

Los Angeles Police Department detectives released the CCTV on Wednesday in their appeal to identify the woman.

They said she was caught on camera taking a child from the McDonald's restaurant at 1310 East Olympic Boulevard, in LA, on Tuesday, about 3.15pm.

Detectives are working to determine if the attempted kidnapping is linked to a similar incident at about 11.15am on Wednesday, where a woman tried to snatch another four-year-old boy, also in LA.

The woman is seen carrying the boy out of the Los Angeles McDonald's restaurant. Source: LAPD

The suspect in the second incident approached the child, pulled his hand and attempted to walk away with him, according to police.

They said the boy was walking alongside a family member when the woman tried to take him, but was stopped by a witness, and ran off.

The suspect is described as a 25 to 30-year-old black or Hispanic woman with black hair. She has a possible scar or birthmark on her forehead, a tattoo above her left breast and other tattoos on her upper back and left shoulder.

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A journalist was murdered in a resort town on Mexico's Caribbean coast after receiving threats, authorities said Thursday, the fifth reporter slain this year in one of the most dangerous countries for the press. Crime reporter Francisco Romero, who was enrolled in the Mexican government's protection program for journalists and human rights activists, was found dead in a pool of blood in his hometown of Playa del Carmen, according to prosecutors in the eastern state of Quintana Roo and AFP reporters at the scene. "The state prosecutor's office has opened a homicide investigation," it said in a statement. "The victim had filed a complaint on April 12 over threats he had received." Romero ran a Facebook-based news site called "Ocurrio Aqui" (It Happened Here) that covers local politics and crime and has more than 17,000 followers. He also worked for one of the state's leading newspapers, Quintana Roo Hoy. "He was an independent reporter, and had been under the protection program for journalists since 2018," said Balbina Flores, Mexico director for watchdog group Reporters Without Borders. The government program provides different kinds of protection to threatened journalists and human rights activists, ranging from panic buttons to home surveillance to bodyguards. Flores said Romero had been enrolled in it after the murder last year of one of his collaborators, fellow Playa del Carmen journalist Ruben Pat. Four journalists have now been murdered in the state of Quintana Roo in the past year, and five across Mexico so far this year. Mexico is one of the most dangerous countries in the world for journalists: more than 100 have been murdered here since 2000, amid a wave of violence linked to drug trafficking and political corruption. The vast majority of those killings remain unpunished. Reporters Without Borders ranks the country as the third most dangerous in the world for the press, after war-torn Afghanistan and Syria. Mexican journalists in Veracruz protest on March 22, 2018 following the murder of their colleague Leobardo Vazquez Atzin, who was gunned down in the state plagued by drug cartel violence
Millions of birds are being vacuumed up and killed during nocturnal suction olive harvesting in Spain and Portugal.

In Spain, 2.6 million birds die every year from being vacuumed, and in Portugal, 96,000 birds die per year.

Birds from northern Europe winter in these countries, and are at risk while roosting at night, according to BirdGuides.

The noise and light of the machines dazzle the birds, which are sucked into suction olive harvesting machines and killed.

The olive trees are harvested at night when birds are roosting in them. Source: Getty

Olives are vacuumed at night when its cool, to preserve their flavour.

Some local governments have already stopped the practice, but countries such as Italy and Portugal have not taken action

Domingos Leitao of the Portuguese Society for the Study of Birds (SPEA), said: They should not be subject to disturbance in the rest period.

If the birds in one row of olive trees are frightened, they fly to another; the Birds Directive says that they should not be disturbed during the rest period.

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One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has taken a vicious swipe at Today Show host Deborah Knight in retaliation to claims her party has plummeted in the polls.

Senator Hanson hit back live on air on Thursday morning, telling the Nine presenter she was responsible for the Today Shows dwindling audience numbers in response to being told One Nations Newspoll ratings had collapsed to just four per cent.

The One Nation leader initially appeared calm and collective, informing Knight that she had taken the party from 1.3 per cent in 2016 to 6.6 per cent, before unleashing on the presenter.

Pauline Hanson hit back over suggestions One Nation's ratings had dropped. Source: 9News

I've actually gone up since the last election, unlike your show, Deb, since you have taken over you have actually gone down in viewership, she quipped.

Ooh, youre having a go, Knight responds before Ms Hansons rant continues, asking if previous Today Show host Karl Stefanovic should be brought back in her place.

So should you hand over your job or should we bring Karl back? Well should we bring Karl back? she asks, as the discussion escalates.

Deborah Knight tried to reason with Ms Hanson over her outburst. Source: 9News

You have a go at me about this all the time about the polls, going down in the polls.

She went on to point out that at the previous election her party claimed two seats in the Senate despite previous low ratings in the polls.

Appearing shocked, Knight reminded Ms Hanson it was her job to ask you questions as a journalist.

After stating earlier in the interview that One Nations ratings were on a par with Clive Palmers party, Knight tried to shift the attention to Mr Palmers recent trip to Fiji just days before the election.

As the feisty interview neared its end, Knight tried to make amends for the bad blood, telling Senator Hanson she was the most popular choice in a recent Triple M poll about which politician Australians would most like to go for a beer with.

It is nice to know people want to have a beer with me because I'm one of the guys out there  I'm an Aussie who feels so disheartened with what is happening to my country, Ms Hanson said.

Story continues

It was the second on-screen blow up in as many days ahead of Saturdays election, after Studio 10s Kerrie-Ann Kennerley attacked Bill Shorten and the Labor Party during the show.

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US police on Thursday evicted the last of a group of protestors who have been occupying the Venezuelan embassy in Washington in support of President Nicolas Maduro, ending a weeks-long standoff. "The liberation of our embassy came about thanks to the struggle of the Venezuelan diaspora," said Carlos Vecchio, envoy for opposition leader Juan Guaido, who declared himself interim president earlier this year in a power play against Maduro. "With sacrifice they held the grounds against all adversity," said Vecchio on Twitter. Police and firefighting vehicles were seen inside the grounds of the diplomatic mission in the US capital, which was taken over last month by a number of left-wing and pacifist activists protesting Guaido's bid to push Maduro from power. In Caracas, Maduro condemned the eviction, saying it was done "in a brutal way" with commando-style forces. Maduro said he had ordered beefed up security around the US Embassy in Caracas in line with what he called strict observance of international law. "We are going to protect it even more, because Venezuela does comply with international law," Maduro said in a televised speech. Venezuela broke off relations with the US after President Donald Trump said he recognized Guaido as acting president. The most high-profile of the groups behind the Washington occupation, CODEPINK, denounced what it called the "illegal entry and arrest at DC Venezuela Embassy." It promised to "keep fighting to protect the embassy from illegal takeover by Guaido forces." "All four of the peace activists who have been inside the embassy have now been arrested," said Mara Verheyden-Hilliard, a lawyer representing the protesters. Guaido has been recognized as leader of the crisis-stricken country by some 50 states, including the United States. For more than a month, an unclear number of Americans belonging to a group calling itself the Embassy Protection Collective had been living in the embassy, with the consent of the Maduro government. The American squatters, whose numbers dwindled to just four people this week after police warned they would enter the building by force, aimed to block the entry of the Guaido delegation to the embassy. A group of Venezuelans had gathered outside the cordoned-off embassy building Thursday and were chanting slogans such as "Viva Venezuela." "I came to see the results of 14 days of our community action, of staying in our embassy to reclaim what belongs to us," said Roberto Nasser, a 56-year-old Venezuelan, who had been spending up to 16 hours a day standing outside the building. He and other Venezuelan residents of the capital had camped outside the embassy and tried to prevent any supplies from being delivered to the squatters inside. Pro-Maduro supporters and activists occupying the Venezuelan embassy in Washington, pictured a day a before the building was cleared by police
A Queensland man jailed for plotting a terror attack has had his prison term extended over the assault of a prison officer in a disturbance sparked by a halal meal.

Agim Kruezi, 26, didn't commit the assault.

But he pleaded guilty in Brisbane District Court to unlawful assembly after his fellow inmate Kane Alan Smith seriously assaulted the officer in a dispute over whether his meal was halal.

Kruezi, who last year admitted preparing for incursion into a foreign state and preparing or planning for a terrorist act, was on remand for those charges when he committed the offence.

The pair were sitting together when Smith threw the meal on the ground and said, "f*** this shit".

Agim Kruezi was arrested in September 2014 for planning a terror attack. Source: Nine News

An officer took him to an airlock before Smith lashed out as another officer tried to restrain him.

A struggle ensued and the officer received a minor injury to his hand.

Outside the airlock, prisoners in the meal area were directed to an exercise yard but a group instead gathered to egg Smith on.

Kruezi, a maximum security inmate, was charged after repeatedly ignoring staff directions to move away from the airlock and kicking at its door.

Another prisoner then assaulted an officer, sparking a melee in which a further 22 officers were deployed, with six sustaining injuries.

"It is not alleged that Agim Kruezi assaulted anyone, but his defiant presence and his encouragement to Smith at the outset made him an accessory to the unlawful assembly," Judge Leanne Clare said in sentencing.

"Defiance and incitement in a prison is an attack on the security of a prison and the people in it.

"Such conduct threatens the safety of officers and the safety of other prisoners."

Agim Kruezi plotted a domestic terror plot

Kruezi and Smith, in jail for burglary and violence offences, appeared shackled in court on Thursday where they had minor increases to their sentences.

Kruezi, from Logan, was jailed for 17 years last year, with a non-parole period of 13 years, for plotting to use improvised explosives in a domestic terror plot and trying to travel to Syria to fight.

Story continues

He was stopped by Customs officers in March 2014 while attempting to fly to Syria to fight with al-Qaeda affiliate Jabhat al-Nusra.

With his passport cancelled, he turned his attention to an attack on home soil and months later, he obtained materials to build Molotov cocktails before his arrest in September 2014.

Another four months added on

On Thursday, he received a further four months' jail, with all but one month suspended.

Smith, 24, received an additional 10 days having already served more than 200 days in custody over the assault.

He had acknowledged he had "completely overreacted" to ongoing issues about the provision of halal food in the prison, according to his defence barrister Catherine Morgan.

Ms Morgan said Smith had found comfort and peace in his religion.
A womans confusion over an arrow printed on the ceiling of her hotel room in Indonesia has sparked discussion online about what the mysterious symbol could be.

The woman, who was staying at Grand Barong Resort in Bali, posted a picture of the symbol on Facebook.

What is this? the woman wrote.

Its been stressing us out for weeks.

Another woman added she was wondering the same thing. She had been staying in the same hotel.

A woman was perplexed by this arrow on the ceiling of her hotel room at Grand Barong Resort in Bali. Source: Facebook

One man jokingly suggested the arrow is pointing to the swimming pool.

But it turns out its of much higher significance - particularly to people of the Islamic faith.

One man pointed it out and explained the arrow is actually a Qibla pointer.

Nothing you should worry about, the man added.

The hotel confirmed this too adding theres one in every room.

Qibla is the direction Muslims face during ritual prayer. It points towards the city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia.

According to a census conducted in 2010, 87.2 per cent of Indonesias population identifies as Muslim.

A Qibla compass on a smartphone which shows the direction to Mecca. Source: Getty Images

Said Kanawati of the Australian New Muslims Association told Yahoo News Australia hes not aware of many hotels in Australia having Qibla pointers.

To be frank - its quite primitive, Mr Kanawati said.

These days you can just use your iPhone. There are apps which now show you which direction to pray.

He added Muslims pray five times a day.

Grand Barong Resort in Bali said it has Qibla pointers in every room. According a census in 2010, 87.2 per cent of Indonesia's population identify as Muslim. Source: Grand Barong Resort

In 2010, a cleric from the Indonesian Ulema Council realised Indonesian Muslims had been praying in the wrong direction after the council made a mistake.

Ma'ruf Amin, from the council, said Muslims were facing towards Somalia and Kenya instead of Mecca.

However, he added all prayers were still heard as God understands that humans make mistakes.

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U.S. Rep. John Katko is partnering with an Oregon Democrat to push for the creation of a federal trust fund to support water infrastructure projects across the country.

Katko, R-Camillus, is the original cosponsor of a bill introduced by U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenauer to establish the fund that would help states repair and upgrade drinking water systems. The fund would be supported by an optional labeling program for businesses.

Businesses that could join the voluntary program include producers of water-based beverages, pharmaceuticals and "products disposed of in wastewater." If companies participate in the program, there would be a 3-cent fee for each labeled unit.

Half of the trust fund would be given to local governments through the Clean Water State Revolving Fund for wastewater treatment projects. The remaining 50 percent would support projects to ensure drinking water meets federal standards.

Katko thinks the bill could help municipalities, such as Auburn and Skaneateles, affected by harmful algal blooms in central New York. The blooms have been found on Owasco and Skaneateles lakes in the past.

"While we have worked to monitor and address these threats, it remains essential that communities nationwide have access to clean drinking water. This begins by addressing outdated water infrastructure," Katko said in a statement."

There is a nationwide need for water infrastructure repairs and upgrades. It will cost nearly $14 billion annually over the next 20 years to make the necessary improvements. But Blumenauer and Katko noted that federal funding for water infrastructure projects has averaged less than $1.5 billion a year since 2011.

A 2017 report card issued by the American Society of Civil Engineers gave a D-plus grade to the United States' wastewater infrastructure and a D for drinking water.

"By finally establishing a dedicated source of funding for water infrastructure investments, the Water Infrastructure Trust Fund Act will improve public health, create family wage jobs and reduce pollution in communities across the country," Blumenauer said.

Online producer Robert Harding can be reached at (315) 282-2220 or robert.harding@lee.net. Follow him on Twitter @robertharding.

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A New Yorker and two others have been confirmed to serve on the International Joint Commission, a bi-national panel responsible for overseeing shared boundary waterways between the U.S. and Canada.

Former state Assemblymember Jane Corwin, a western New York Republican, will be sworn in as U.S. section chair of the six-member commission. Rob Sisson, of Michigan, and Lance Yohe, of North Dakota, will join her on the commission.

The Senate confirmed the nominations by unanimous consent Thursday.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called the confirmations of Corwin, Sisson and Yohe "a major step in the right direction" as New York prepares for flooding along Lake Ontario.

"With Lake Ontario's high water levels continuing to rise and a repeat of 2017's historic Lake Ontario flooding looking more possible by the day, ensuring that the International Joint Commission  which plays a paramount role in setting Lake Ontario's water levels  is fully staffed and fully functional couldn't be more important," Schumer, D-N.Y., said.

President Donald Trump first nominated Corwin, Sisson and Yohe in August 2018, but the Senate didn't vote to confirm them before the end of the year. Trump renominated the trio earlier this year.

State and local elected officials in New York, especially those who represent communities along Lake Ontario, urged the Senate to confirm the nominees. Gov. Andrew Cuomo was among those who believed the U.S. needed new commissioners on the IJC.

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee advanced the nominations in April, which allowed for the full Senate to vote on the nominations.

Corwin, Sisson and Yohe will join the commission at a turbulent time for the U.S.-Canadian agency. There has been criticism of the IJC for its handling of Lake Ontario water levels, the flooding that occurred in 2017 and the high water levels present this year.

Much of the criticism has targeted Plan 2014, a regulatory guide adopted by the IJC in 2016 to manage Lake Ontario and St. Lawrence River water levels. While the IJC says heavy rainfall has caused the rising water levels, Cuomo, U.S. Rep. John Katko and some other elected officials believe Plan 2014 is the culprit.

Corwin is familiar with Plan 2014 from her time as an Assemblymember representing a western New York district that included some towns along Lake Ontario. She told The Citizen in August 2018 that withdrawing from Plan 2014 may not be possible, but she would seek a reevaluation of the regulations.

As the incoming section chair, Corwin will succeed Lana Pollack. Pollack was appointed chair by then-President Barack Obama in 2010. Rich Moy, the other U.S. commissioner remaining on the panel, was also an Obama nominee. He will depart now that Sisson and Yohe have been confirmed.

Online producer Robert Harding can be reached at (315) 282-2220 or robert.harding@lee.net. Follow him on Twitter @robertharding.

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The Cayuga Museum of History & Art has long touted the role of its property in the history of film, and now, the Auburn historic site has a few partners to help in that mission.

Along with the George Eastman Museum in Rochester and the Wharton Studio Museum in Ithaca, the Cayuga Museum is part of the new Finger Lakes Film Trail. The new collaborative venture will highlight regional contributions to motion picture history  like Theodore Case's development of sound-on-film technology in Auburn  said Kirsten Wise, the Cayuga Museum's executive director.

"We have a great story to tell," she said. "When we can connect ourselves with one of the mega museums like the Eastman, it's a great opportunity."

If you go WHAT: Finger Lakes Film Trail screening of "Within Our Gates" and discussion with film historian and author Dr. Barbara Tepa Lupack WHEN: 2 p.m. Sunday, May 19 WHERE: Cayuga Museum Carriage House Theater, 203 Genesee St., Auburn COST: General admission $7, members and students $5 INFO: Visit cayugamuseum.org or call (315) 253-8051

Sunday, the Auburn museum will be the site of the trail's second event when it screens Oscar Micheaux's 1920 silent film "Within Our Gates." Often considered a response to D.W. Griffith's "Birth of a Nation" five years earlier, Micheaux's race film examines the violence of white supremacy during the Jim Crow era. It is the oldest known surviving film by a black director.

Taking place along with the screening will be a discussion led by film historian and author Dr. Barbara Tepa Lupack. Though she doesn't work for any of its three sites, it was Lupack who wrote the application for the Humanities New York grant that partially supports the Finger Lakes Film Trail, Wise said, and helped develop the trail as well.

"This is a great way to do something here that I don't think has been done before," Wise said of the screening and Lupack's talk.

Along with programming like Sunday's and more hands-on educational events in the future, the trail will also provide a marketing tool for its member sites, Wise said. She's already seen that benefit firsthand, she continued, when attendees she met at the first trail event at the Eastman museum subsequently made the one-hour trip to Auburn to see the Case Research Laboratory. The trail is currently developing a passport program, which will encourage such visitors to complete the three-stop itinerary by offering them merchandise or other incentives.

Wise, who became executive director of the Cayuga Museum at the beginning of the year, is also overseeing the redevelopment of the laboratory into a world-class film exhibit. That work will continue with the commissioning of drawings by a preservation architect, which will be supported by a $53,700 state grant awarded to the museum in December. Meanwhile, it continues to pursue plans to create an arts campus with neighbor the Schweinfurth Art Center. So the trail comes to the Cayuga Museum during an exciting transition, Wise said.

"It's perfect timing," she said. "We're very, very excited about this."

Lake Life Editor David Wilcox can be reached at (315) 282-2245 or david.wilcox@lee.net. Follow him on Twitter @drwilcox.

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AURELIUS  At the first public presentation of the draft update to the Owasco Lake watershed rules and regulations Wednesday, questions from residents focused largely on provisions regarding nutrients, waivers, and enforcement.

Prompted largely by the increase in harmful algal blooms on the lake, the Cayuga County Department of Planning and Economic Development in 2017 began working with the Owasco Lake Watershed Management Council to update enforceable rules for the lake for the first time since the 1980s.

Staff from the department as well as an array of other county, state, municipal or other agencies, a steering committee and stakeholder groups developed a draft of the rules that were publicly released this March.

Held at the Cayuga-Onondaga BOCES, the meeting Wednesday was the first open to the full public following several previous meetings with stakeholder groups and municipal leaders.

Comments from the meeting, as well as from the stakeholder meetings and those submitted online, will be collected into a separate document submitted to leaders at the town of Owasco and city of Auburn when they, as the purveyors of municipal water, are asked to vote in favor of requesting the state change public health law to reflect the new rules.

The presentation from staff was divided into several sections based on the content of the rules, after which audience members were encourage to raise questions or suggestions.

One of the most discussed topics focused on the process of approving waivers for the regulations, including who issues them, why they're used, and who will enforce them and the regulations in general.

According to Nick Colas, a certified planner with the county, waiver applications would be reviewed by an inspector from the Watershed Inspection and Protection Division and the Watershed Inspection Committee.

Auburn City Councilor Terry Cuddy questioned if waivers granted for farms in deference to their existing nutrient management plans  which contain specific guidelines on things such as fertilizer application rates and more  would become "de facto" rules and regulations.

Colas noted Cuddy's suggestion, and said waivers are meant to be granted only if applicants can prove a specific rule is not necessary to protect the lake or if an existing practice accomplishes it just as well.

Regarding a question on the timeline of violation enforcement, county Director of Environmental Health Eileen O'Connor said the process would go through the county Board of Health.

O'Connor said that approximately 95% of violations are corrected quickly enough that they don't require a board hearing, while even more are usually corrected after that stage.

In the rare instance where violations are still not addressed, violators still have to be afforded full due process, including taking grievances to court, in order to protect their rights, O'Connor said.

Auburn resident Patty Beer asked why septic systems that didn't meet certain criteria would be given a five-year period to be addressed rather than being handled through the waivers.

"Our lake can't handle five more years of this stuff," Beer said.

Several audience members asked how the necessary communication between groups like the inspection program, towns and villages, highway departments, construction applicants and more, would be accomplished.

County Planning and Economic Development Director Steve Lynch replied by acknowledging that education and outreach would be a "major component" of the process moving forward, and one that all the groups involved would be contributing to.

On nutrient management, given that one of the rules could limit times when farmers can apply manure during winter, Aurelius farmer Jon Patterson asked if the town of Owasco and city of Auburn would support farmers building more manure storage facilities that such a limit would necessitate.

In addition to the discussion period, all attendees were given comment cards and asked to provide detailed, concrete suggestions for changes or additions to the plan, which can also be submitted online.

A second public meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Thursday in the Moravia High School Auditorium.

Staff writer Ryan Franklin can be reached at (315) 282-2252 or ryan.franklin@lee.net. Follow him on Twitter @RyanNYFranklin

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I write in strong support of candidates Brianne Neabel and Danielle Wood for election to the Auburn school board. As a former board member (10 years), veteran (Vietnam, 1967-68), and grandfather (four grandsons in elementary school), I firmly believe that the board needs the perspective of young parents, especially moms.

I have known Danielle for many years in her roles at the Auburn Y. I respect and admire Brianne as an Army wife and St. Bonnie's grad. Both now manage small businesses of their own. Their backgrounds and energetic participation in our community make them well qualified for the school board.
Jake Hoyungowa saw life through a lens.

He had a crazy work ethic, better than anyone else Ive ever met, Cecil Patrick Tso says.

Tso met Hoyungowa in 2014, when Hoyungowas production company Paper Rocket Productions taught workshops on the Navajo reservation. He says after that, he and Hoyungowa become good friends. Admitting he was a bit intimated by the filmmaker at first because he seemed stoic and quiet, Tso says, after getting to know Hoyungowa, he came to love his wit and work ethic.

He was always taking on new projects and always getting them done. The way his mind was, he was just really artistic. Just the way he saw everything, his view on life, its very cinematic, Tso says.

On the morning of May 10 Hoyungowa was struck by an eastbound train in Flagstaff. He was pronounced dead at the scene near West Route 66 and Beaver Street. Hoyungowa was 29.

From Munqapi, Arizona, and of Dine and Hopi decent, much of Hoyungowas video and photographic works focused on Indigenous rights and life on Dinetah (Dine Land-Nation) and Hopitutskwa (Hopi Land-Nation). As a boy, his family relocated to Flagstaff where Hoyungowa attended Thomas Elementary, Mount Elden Middle School and, eventually, Coconino High School.

Deidra Peaches met Hoyungowa when she was 12, a young burgeoning filmmaker herself. The two, along with Donavan Seschillie, began making low-budget films, shorts and documentaries, doing anything they could to sustain their craft.

When we were trying to cultivate this dream of filmmaking we worked as janitors. We were saving up for cameras, we were saving up for equipment, we were saving up for a dream and to show people what it is to tell your story, Peaches says.

In 2011, their film The Rocket Boy was one of 81 short films to have been selected and premiered at the prestigious Sundance Film Festival. Paper Rocket Productions was formed shortly after the premier. Later, in 2016, the production company took to South Dakota where they hosted media workshops and covered the Dakota Access Pipeline protests at the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation.

By empowering the youth and empowering people who have these stories, were going to be on the right track, Hoyungowa said in an interview with NAZ Today in 2016. And with Paper Rocket Productions, thats what were dedicated to, to tell stories from multiple Indigenous perspectives.

[Hoyungowa] put his soul into everything he made. He was a very strong individual that believed so much in his Hopi culture, Peaches says, emphasizing Hoyungowas focus on Indigenous issues. Theres no one else thats going to tell our story. Its up to us. Its up to the next generation. Its up to the filmmakers. Its up everyone to be able to cultivate those ideas and work together and share those perspectives. Theres a lot of injustices happening in our communities, theres a lot of hurt thats happening, theres a lot of dysfunction thats imposed upon us from systems that we dont even believe in ourselves as Indigenous people.

Hoyungowas eye for cinema extended into northern Arizonas music scene as well, where he lent his directing and cinematography chops to produce many music videos including Sihasins Strong Together, CoCecs Dopamine, Donivan Berubes So Much for No Mountain and more. He also served as contributing photographer for the Grand Canyon Trust, and a video consultant at Tolani Lake Enterprises.

Prolific and profound, to say Hoyungowas work touched Flagstaffs cultural heart would be an understatement. He was widely regarded as both a visionary and a friend.

In Navajo theres a word for grandpa called acheii. I used to say hes like acheii because he was wise and knowing, really smart and [had] a lot of perspective on a lot of things, Tso says. He was like an old soul, really wise. But then he would tease you and roast you, so he was like a young grandpa.

Jake was my first everything, Peaches says. Thats a part of me thats gone. Thats a part of me thats not there and I have to believe that hes in the clouds, that hes raindrops. Hes the sun. Hes everything.

The Hive, 2 S. Beaver St., is hosting Hepwesa Benefit, a concert for Jake Hoyungowa, on Sunday, May 19, with performances by DJ Beeso, Cecil Tso, Mictv, Justin Moody and Them Savages. Show begins at 7 p.m. and donations are encouraged.

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I began writing this column about a year ago. Now, this will be my last entry, and Bailey Helton, editor-in-chief for The Lumberjack, will be the new College Chronicles columnist.

One of my last adventures while I still live in Flagstaff will be to go home to San Diego for a quick trip to show my friend California. Hes from England, so this will be a good opportunity for him to see more than just Arizona. My other friend is also coming alongjust for the ride.

Im excited for my friends to see my hometown and to show them new places. Well be hitting all the popular places and putting our feet in the sand. As a recent college graduate, I think it is so important to take the timeif you have itto travel, hang out with friends and just enjoy doing nothing.

During college, everything is so go go go. Papers, tests, class and work. After you graduate, and you have some time, you can just relax in the time between graduation and starting a full-time job.

For me and countless others, this is the case. It feels strange to have nothing to do since most college graduates always had at least one thing on their to-do list, but it is important to realize it is OK to take the time to fully relax. Its OK to take the time to do nothing and not feel guilty. While cleaning and packing my things to move out, I will also be reading books, watching Netflix and working outall the things I didnt quite have time for while finishing up college.

One of my favorite quotes, which is also a motto for my life, is from Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again. Its at the beginning of the movie, and the main character says, Life is short. The world is wide. Lets make some memories. Then, she goes off to France and Greece. I love the movie because shes not afraid to do life the normal way. She takes risks and moves to other places fearlessly.

I dont have any plans to go abroad in the coming weeks, but it is a simple quote that can be applied to almost anything, not just to traveling. I like this quote because it reminds me that time is limited. It pushes me to make my desires and passions a priority, instead of just saying, Ill do it later, or, Ill finally do it when I have money.

Ive always said that I want to go to Greece for my honeymoon, but once I heard this quote, I thought, why wait? If I have the means to go somewhere abroad, why not go to Greece first?

If my friend wants to experience San Diego and we have the means to go, why not? Life is short, the world is wide and we can make some memories.

I know my friends dont want to end up old and regret not doing the things they wanted to do. In my life, I have already looked back at college and regretted not doing some things. In the next chapter, I want to have little to no regrets.

Some people may say this is unrealistic, but Ive heard stories of people that make it work. Im a hopeful person and feel like I can make the time to follow my desires with or without a job. Like I said in my last column, I am a person who thinks I can have both and not have to choose.

Its been great writing these columns and serving the Flag Live! community. Thank you for reading.

Ariel Cianfarano is the circulation director of The Lumberjack, Northern Arizona University's student newspaper. College Chronicles aims to connect Flag Live! readers to various aspects of campus life.

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The horn sounds different every time, just a little more aggressive and desperate. As the train barrels down the tracks, 100 tons, 500 hundred tons, 6,000 tons of rolling metal and steel, I imagine theres very little else for an engineer to do besides wail on the horn as hard as they can.

Friday, May 10, at 4:26 a.m., I was awakened by such a sound. Later at work I learned local filmmaker Jake Hoyungowa was struck by an eastbound train that morning. He was pronounced dead at the scene near West Route 66 and Beaver Street. (Read more about Hoyungowas life on page 18.)

Much of Flagstaffs history revolves around the construction of the transcontinental railroad. Since its arrival at Old Town Spring on Aug. 1, 1882, the train has been romanticized as a charming aesthetic to our little mountain town. I see children waving to conductors, dazzled by the immense machinery at work, tourists with their cameras looking for the right angles, spectators taking selfies, giving the pull-the-horn signal to the engineer inside the passing train.

Even I was moved by the train. I still am, still amazed by the hulking invention that united the country, Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific. Where I live, I hear and feel the train dozens of times a day, in my apartment, as Im walking around downtown, as Im drinking coffee, talking to people about how the train took their friend.

In high school I used to take the Amtrak from Maricopa to Los Angeles to visit my dad. The train always left around midnight, and I could never fall asleep. Instead, Id head to the observation car and wait for sunrise. High school, for many kids, is full of transitions, many of which can be hard, as it was for me. My family fractured and half of us relocated from California to Arizona. Id always felt a little in-betweenbetween identities as a Mexican-American child who didnt speak Spanish but was just a little too brown for white eyes, between homes in two neighboring states. Home was no longer the waves of the Pacific and it certainly wasnt in the deserts of the Southwest. Home was sunrise from an observation car, drinking coffee and writing nonsense as I rolled along the in-between.

When I decided to attend Northern Arizona University, I was delighted to discover Flagstaffs history with the train. Through the railroad and through Flagstaff, people travel to the Grand Canyon, the Petrified Forest and the Painted Desert, as well as to Hopi and Navajo reservations. Its been a source of inspiration, innovation and connection, but the longer I live here, the more I think about death when the train comes a rollin.

In late 2017, two houseless individuals, Anthony Ortiz and Sheldon Negale, were struck and killed by the train within a few days of each other. The former individual, Ortiz, I came to know through my capstone project at NAU that focused on houselessness in Flagstaff. Almost a year later, Coconino Community College graduate Jason Wygle lost his life when he attempted to touch an oncoming train. NBC news reported that train-related deaths peaked in 2017. According to a safety report released by the Federal Rail Administration, 888 people died due to train-related incidents last year, and 575 of them were considered trespassers.

Sometimes when I am waiting at the crossing gates while a train blows past, I close my eyes and let the sounds consume me: the screeching of the metal wheels spinning against the track, the rushing wind past the bounding machine. Lost inside the noise, I used to think of nothing and simply float among the sensation. When the train would pass, thered be a still silence, as if the world stopped moving. Then the crossing gates would rise and the world would move on as though nothing had happened.

When I close my eyes now I think of Ortiz and Negale and Wygle. Hoyungowa, unfortunately, too. I think of the sound I used to meditate, the same sound that signaled the end of their lives with one horrific moment. And when the crossing gates rise, the world will move on again.

Gabriel Granillo is a staff writer for Flagstaff Live! and the Arizona Daily Sun.

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In 2010, Arizona passed Proposition 203, that declared that state law would distinguish between the medical and non-medical uses of marijuana and established as public policy that patients suffering from certain medical conditions would not face state criminal prosecution for treating their condition with the medicines of the marijuana plant. Proposition 203 became law as the Arizona Medical Marijuana Act (AMMA).

The Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) then developed Arizonas first ever medical marijuana program. ADHS issued medical cards to qualified patients who had received a recommendation from a doctor that the use of marijuana would be beneficial in treating their debilitating conditions and illnesses. The medical card authorizes patients to possess and consume marijuana. ADHS also created a statewide process for dispensing marijuana to patients using state licensed dispensaries in each county.

ADHS recognized the need for patients to be able to consume marijuana in a variety of ways depending upon their debilitating condition or illness. This included licensing dispensaries to create edible and other plant forms of marijuana. ADHS recognized many patients, with the most serious conditions, would not want to smoke the marijuana. ADHS also recognized that many patients, under the age of 18, should not smoke marijuana.

From 2010 until 2018 Arizonas medical marijuana program authorized the possession and use of many non-smoking forms of marijuana. In 2018 an appeals court in Phoenix considered a case from Yavapai County where a qualified patient, Rodney Jones, was charged with possessing .05 grams of hashish. Mr. Jones was convicted of possessing a narcotic drug and sentenced to 2.5 years in prison despite having lawfully purchased the hashish from a dispensary. The appeals court upheld Jones conviction and ruled that medical marijuana patients can only smoke or eat marijuana.

While the decision was welcomed by the anti-marijuana forces in the state, it was met with disbelief and opposition by ADHS and many health professionals who understand the medicinal benefits of marijuana.

Jones appealed the decision to the Arizona Supreme Court and on March 19, 2019 the Court heard arguments from lawyers for both sides. A decision is expected within the next month. Anti-marijuana forces in some counties have seized the opportunity and have begun arresting and jailing patients for the possession of any form of marijuana other than in plant form. Coconino, Yavapai and Maricopa Counties have been arresting patients who possess any non-plant form of marijuana despite it having been purchased legally from a dispensary.

Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery admitted this week his office was wrong to arrest patients before the Supreme Court decides the issue. He further announced that he will take no further action against patients until the final decision is made. Yavapai County has also stopped arresting patients.

The crack down on patients in Coconino County occurred without providing the patients with any advanced notice and continues to date. Now, while patients can lawfully purchase non-plant forms of marijuana in this county, they can be arrested for possessing their non-plant form of medicine. This anti-patient policy is especially alarming given that Coconino Countys voters voted overwhelmingly in favor of medical marijuana in 2010.

The recent anti-patient actions of Coconino County are wrong and ignore the express intent of the voters. The positions taken by our County and City Attorneys, like the positions of the anti-vaccine and anti-climate change forces, are contrary to the findings of most scientists who have studied these issues. Finally, the actions of our police and prosecutors violate the federal and state constitutional rights of Arizonas patients. This violation of rights will likely lead the County and City to be sued for violating patients civil rights.

If Coconino County officials wont listen to the voters, they should at least stop their assault on our patients until this issue has been decided by Arizonas highest court.

Lee Phillips is an attorney certified by the State Bar of Arizona as a criminal law specialist.

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Farmer-owned dairy cooperative Dale Farm is to supply Greggs with cheddar cheese for its entire UK estate.

Under the three-year deal, Dale Farm will supply its cheddar cheese, which is made in Northern Ireland, for use in Greggs range of sandwiches.

It will also supply cheeses for Greggs pizzas, which have helped drive a 15% year-on-year hike in sales for the food-to-go business this year.

We are looking forward to working with Dale Farm, whose excellent reputation for product quality, provenance and sustainability make this a strategic choice for Greggs, as we remain committed to offering good, honest food that our customers can trust, said Greggs procurement head Alan Honeyman.

Cheese has been driving growth for Dale Farm in recent years, and the Greggs contract is the latest of several major cheese supply partnerships, said the company.

The contract is proof of the excellence of our product and a significant development for our cheese business, added Dale Farm group commercial director Stephen Cameron.

Having the trust of a major food-on-the-go retailer such as Greggs is also testament to the high quality of milk used to make our cheese, which comes into Dale Farm through our network of 1,300 hard-working dairy farmers across the UK.
Weird and Wonderful Above Oregon Coast, Portland: Milky Way Gone, Meteors

Published 05/16/2019 at 5:53 AM PDT

By Oregon Coast Beach Connection staff





(Oregon Coast)  Some weird and wonderful things are in the sky above the Oregon coast right about now  as well as the rest of the state, such as Portland, Eugene, Bend and so on. (Above: top of Cape Foulweather, Depoe Bay, with the Milky Way still around).

Look for some decent meteor shower action just before dawn, but you may also be looking and finding something glaringly missing.

Where is the Milky Way? You may be wondering that as you wander the nocturnal beaches of locales like Brookings, Seaside, Newport or maybe even the Washington coast. According to OMSI astronomer Jim Todd, the Milky Way will be missing in May.

At our mid northern latitudes during the month of May, the great band of stars known as the Milky Way simply vanishes from the evening sky, Todd said. On May evenings, the disk of our Milky Way galaxy lies flat, nearly parallel to the plane of your horizon.

The Milky Way  from our perspective  is lying on its side and has dipped itself below the horizon. Todd said the equator of the rest of our home galaxy  stars, nebulae, black holes and all  are circling the rim of what we see as the horizon of Earth. Whats called the North Galactic Pole is standing high overhead in the constellation Coma Berenices, or Berenice's Hair.

In this direction, where the glare and the dust of the Milky Way are minimal, the sky beckons you to look at the deep-sky objects beyond the Milky Way, Todd said.

Todd said if you were standing on a world near that North Galactic Pole, you would see our sun and the solar system revolve clockwise around the center of the galaxy  otherwise known as the nucleus of our galaxy. The galactic plane is the area where the majority of the mass of the galaxy resides, within that disc-shaped field of stars that are thicker, which is what we see and culturally recognize as the galaxy. Technically, just about all the stars we see are the galaxy, actually.

The directions perpendicular to the galactic plane point to the galactic poles, Todd said. Most often, in actual usage, the terms galactic plane and galactic poles are used to refer specifically to the plane and poles of the Milky Way."

Unfortunately, we cant see other galaxies from here without extremely high powered optics. It was less than 100 years ago that Earth people realized there were other galaxies beyond this one.

Luckily, as it gets later in May, the Milky Way returns closer and closer to midnight. Even now, you can see it in the wee hours of the night - a perfect stay-in-one-spot exploration when the bars get out. By early June it shows up before midnight again.

Now, from the vantage of places like Portland or the Oregon coast, May brings our home galaxy to a weird spot just below where we can see it. Todd said this means were halfway between the March equinox and the June solstice.

It's easy to imagine that the hoarfrost of winter is giving way to the fireflies of summer, Todd said.

There are some meteors to look for around the state, although they will be sporadic, with one publication predicting only two or three per hour in the evening hours. However, closer to dawn, with the Oregon coast being right around the 45th parallel, scientists say the early morning hours  close to dawn  should yield as much as 11 per hour for a little while. The Eta Aquarids reached their peak in Oregon and along the coast on May 5 and 6, but they linger through May 28.

The 45th parallel runs right through an area just north of Salem and very close to Neskowin.

Th Eta Aquarids are named for the Aquarius constellation, the point in the sky from which they may seem to emerge. This is called the radiant. They come from the remnants of Halleys Comet, which Earth passes through twice a year. It will happen again in October, creating the Orionid meteor showers. Oregon Coast Lodgings for this event - Where to eat - Maps - Virtual Tours





















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Beatrice Fire and Rescue is saying farewell to its deputy fire chief, who is leaving the department after nearly 20 years of service.

Jake Carrel is leaving Beatrice Fire and Rescue to take a position as the fire chief at Kaukauna Wis. later this month.

Carrel is a 1999 graduate of Beatrice High School and has spent the entirety of his 19-year career with Beatrice Fire and Rescue, where his father, John, also worked for nearly 40 years before retiring in 2014.

Carrel said Kaukauna is his wifes hometown, which prompted the move for the couple and their three children.

I wasnt out looking for employment elsewhere, he recalled. This job just happened to come up and I was fortunate enough to be offered the position. Its a great opportunity. The area up there is experiencing some good growth. Its a young, active community with a well-supported fire department, similar in a lot of ways to here.

Friday will be Carrels last day with Beatrice Fire and Rescue.

Reflecting on his career in Beatrice, some calls have stuck with Carrel for years. Like a 14-car pileup on Highway 4 on Valentines Day in 2010 that left several people injured.

The whiteout conditions were a challenge, but there were no major injuries, he said.

Fires, medical calls, car crashes and more. In the last 19 years Carrel has responded to all kinds of situations. But through them all, its the people by his side who made the biggest impact.

A lot of the folks here Ive worked with the majority of my career, he said. Thats tough to walk away from. My biggest memories are working with the crews and the relationships built over the years Beatrice is very fortunate to have the department that we have in town that a lot of communities our size dont have.

Call volume has steadily increased over Carrels 19 years with the department. He said technology has also improved, resulting in much better patient care.

From someones living room were able to transmit 12 lead data straight to Lincoln hospital (catheterization labs) where cardiologists can see that essentially instantly and help determine the care that patients given, Carrel said. Thats technology we use regularly. Thats huge.

While in Beatrice, Carrel also started a side business allowing pager calls to be transmitted to responders' phones, initially via text message and now via a phone app.

The Page My Cell app has added users, and is used across the state.

It started over six years ago, he recalled. That particular program was designed for Beatrice Fire and Rescue. Now its grown to over 10,000 users in Nebraska. Its neat to see as it continues to grow.

Carrel added he doesnt regret leaving before hell get to work in the new fire station planned for Beatrice, saying the project is in good hands with the department. The station will be built using funds from a voter-approved sales tax increase last November, an indication of the level of support Carrel said the town has shown Beatrice Fire and Rescue.

The really nice thing about working here is that the community support is awesome, as youve seen with the passing of the sales tax in November, he said. The city has treated us well over the years in maintaining what we have, and thats going to be further enhanced with the new fire station. Ive never questioned the support in the community.

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For instance, in 2016, 78 women applied to fill just four openings at Hannahs House, a sober home on the South Side run by nonprofit CLDI, the group previously told The Billings Gazette.

Kenzie House can accommodate 12 women, with no more than two to a bedroom.

Each resident pays $420 a month for rent, utilities and basic house supplies like toilet paper. The fee also covers urinalysis testing, which Keith and Jordan conduct regularly.

Like many sober homes, Kenzie House has a zero-tolerance policy for alcohol or drug use. Keith says the strictness is necessary to promote sobriety.

If we have that here  I mean, even somebody just having dilated pupils can trigger somebody, Keith said. "We have to protect the rest of the women in the house."

Kenzie House permits only adults to live on-site, but the women can host their children for visits during daytime hours. Most women currently living at Kenzie House have children, Keith said.

'The most important piece'
The 15-year-old girl killed Saturday night by a single gunshot wound was identified Tuesday morning by the Yellowstone County Coroner's Office as Tionna Rowland of Billings.

The Billings Police Department has continued investigating Rowland's death after she was fatally shot at around 7:30 p.m. at an address on Stella Street, a part of the Cherry Creek Estates mobile home park in the Heights.

"The investigation is ongoing, and there have been no charges or arrests made," BPD Lt. Brandon Wooley said in an email to The Gazette early Monday evening, in which he referred to Rowland's death as a tragedy. "There is still more to be done before we can come to conclusions regarding the nature of death."

In a press release sent out on Tuesday afternoon Wooley said no further details could be released due to "the on-going nature of the investigation and the involvement of juveniles."

Saturday night, BPD Sgt. Nate West had said there was no current threat to public safety and that detectives were on scene. No other injuries were reported, he said.
CASPER, Wyo.  A Casper-based probation officer sent nude photos to a woman he supervised, a federal lawsuit filed Tuesday afternoon alleges.

Jaret Maul, who worked in the Casper probation office of the Wyoming Department of Corrections, also told the woman about explicit, sexual acts he wished and intended to do to her, according to the lawsuit. The civil claim alleges Maul violated the womans constitutional rights, including her Eighth Amendment protection against cruel and unusual punishment.

In a case like this, its really hard to come forward, Ian Sandefer, who filed the lawsuit on behalf of Kalee Blazek, said. My client is stepping forward to make sure this type of conduct doesnt happen again.

The lawsuit does not name Mauls employer as a defendant.

A corrections department spokesman said Wednesday morning that Maul no longer works for the agency. The spokesman, Mark Horan, cited privacy of personnel records and a lack of personal knowledge in declining to say why Maul left the agencys employ.
Shifting gears to polysilicon, Daines said, "U.S. polysilicon has long been targeted by retaliatory tariffs by China ... these tariffs are threatening hundreds of high-wage manufacturing jobs at REC Silicon in Butte Montana. It's critical that REC Silicon" and other silicon manufacturers "are able to compete on a truly level playing field.

"Secretary Mnuchin, is removing these tariffs on polysilicon a high priority for you, and will you work to make sure they stay on the agenda as negotiations with China continue?" Daines asked.

"Yes, I can assure you they are," Mnuchin said.

As a group, Republican senators have become increasingly distressed by Trump's trade actions and their potential political consequences. Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa, which has felt the result of tariffs sorely, openly criticized Trump Tuesday, accusing him of not being responsive to concerns about the escalation of the trade war. The Washington Post on Tuesday quoted Grassley as saying of Trump," "I'm not sure if you talk to him face to face, he hears everything you say."

While Daines did not take the same tone in his largely collegial exchange with Mnuchin, he did emphasize that "we need results and we need them soon."
Preventing Montanas youth from dying by suicide should and must be a priority, yet in America nothing sets off an ideological divide like the mention of guns. However, it is meaningless to talk about suicide without discussing suicide means.

Montana is persistently in the top three states in the U.S. in terms of youth dying by suicide and overwhelmingly, the means youth use to kill themselves is firearms. In Montana, 63% of youth suicides are by firearms (compared to 39% nationally). Girls ages 10 to 18 years old kill themselves using firearms 6 times the rate of girls in the rest of the country.

Using firearms as a means is significant because people are far more likely to die from a suicide attempt than if they were to use other means. Eighty-six percent of suicide attempts using firearms result in death, compared to 66 percent by drowning, 61 percent by suffocation and 35 percent by jumping. The means by which someone attempts suicide matters. People who survive suicide are unlikely to attempt it again. Among those who have attempted suicide, approximately 7% eventually die by suicide, approximately 23% reattempt but do not die, and 70% have no further attempts.
Robert J. (Bob) Gregoryk, our beloved brother, uncle, and friend, died peacefully with his family by his side on March 26, 2019, at the Cleveland Clinic Hospital in Weston, Fla., where he lived. He had battled polycystic kidney disease for years, a battle that included a kidney transplant and dialysis.

Bob was born to John and Mary (Cervenka) Gregoryk on April 17, 1949, in Bismarck. He grew up in Wilton, where he attended school until 1967. Bob enlisted in the U.S. Army, serving in Vietnam from Nov. 29, 1969, to Oct. 4, 1970. After receiving an honorable discharge in 1972, he returned to Wilton where he farmed for a time with his father and brothers.

Bob moved to the Chicago area where he owned a painting business for many years. Later, he went to work for American Airlines and was stationed in Raleigh, N.C., and then in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., until he retired. Bob met the many challenges of his kidney disease with humor and unwavering optimism. Never indulging in self-pity, he considered himself blessed.

With a passion for music, Bob had a large record collection that he enjoyed, as well as a keen interest in cars, especially his Ford Mustang. He loved his family and enjoyed spending time with them.

He is survived by sisters, Joan Gregoryk, D.C., Carol Brooke, Phoenix, Mary OHara, Reno, Nev., Helen (Brad) Bergman, Minot, Jackie (Tracey) Aronson, Crary, Corinne (Wayne) Schell, Green Valley, Ariz., Susan (Ralph) Beardsworth, Florida, Linda (Mike) Vig, Bismarck; one brother, Jon (Karen) Gregoryk, Charles Town, W.Va, as well as many nephews and nieces.

He was preceded in death by his parents, John and Mary Gregoryk; stepmother, Frances Bohl Gregoryk Bartole; and siblings, Bernadine Gregoryk, Janet Gregoryk, Peggy Bohl Ulmen and Tom Bohl.

Bob will be honored at a military memorial and committal service at noon Friday, May 17, 2019, at the North Dakota Veterans Cemetery in Mandan. Friends and family are invited to a reception following the service at the home of Mike and Linda Vig in Bismarck to share food, fellowship, and fond memories.
FARGO  Six years ago, North Dakota tested the boundaries of Roe v. Wade by passing a law that would ban abortions if a heartbeat could be detected  the first of its kind in the country.

The law was overturned in federal court, but that has not stopped other states from passing similar or more restrictive legislation. On Wednesday, Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey signed a bill making it illegal for doctors to perform abortions with few exceptions, including when a mothers health would be at serious risk, and Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp signed a heartbeat bill last week similar to North Dakotas.

There are many North Dakotans who would like to see a challenge to Roe v. Wade, the landmark Supreme Court decision that made it unconstitutional to ban abortions, said Robert Wood, a University of North Dakota political science professor.

The state laws passed recently would have to be challenged and make their way up through the courts, which could take years. However, a more conservative Supreme Court likely is driving hope that Roe v. Wade could be overturned, prompting states to test the theory by passing restrictive abortion laws, Wood said.

Theres been a movement growing for a long time, and they have always been blocked by Roe v. Wade, he said. I think what youre seeing is a renewed vigor because weve seen the balance of power on the Supreme Court shift.

The news of Alabamas bill was welcomed by Thomas Reagan and his son, Benjamin, who stood quietly Wednesday morning on the sidewalk outside the Red River Womens Clinic in Fargo. They try to come as often as possible to join a group that protests once a week at North Dakotas lone clinic that offers abortions.

I think we are going in the right direction anytime human life is protected, said Thomas Reagan, of rural Wahpeton. I think North Dakota has done a good job at that.

Amy Jacobson, state director for Planned Parenthood in North Dakota, was shocked by Alabama's legislation, saying it is one of the most extreme bills weve ever seen.

It is quite frightening to see this very extreme and aggressive movement in some of the state legislatures, she said, adding that most Americans and North Dakotans dont support criminalizing abortion for extreme cases like rape or incest.

North Dakota is no stranger to anti-abortion legislation. In 2013, then-Gov. Jack Dalrymple signed the heartbeat bill, calling it a legitimate attempt by a state legislature to discover the boundaries of Roe v. Wade.

The Supreme Court refused in 2016 to hear an appeal by North Dakota Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem to overturn the U.S. 8th Circuit Court of Appeals opinion saying the state's law was unconstitutional. The state had to pay $245,000 to the Red River Womens Clinic and accumulated $325,948 in legal costs.

By a two-thirds majority, North Dakotans also voted down a measure that would have added language to the state constitution protecting life at any stage of development.

This year, the state Legislature passed bills making it illegal to perform a dismemberment abortion in the second trimester. That is contingent on an amendment to the U.S. Constitution or an upper court ruling that returns the power to decide the legality of abortion to the states.

Another bill passed requires clinics to provide information that drug-induced abortions can be reversed. Though, there is no scientific evidence to back the claim, said Ann Burnett, director of women and gender studies at North Dakota State University.

States have been chipping away at Roe v. Wade bit by bit, but Burnett called Alabamas bill a big step that likely would be found unconstitutional.

Even if it is upheld, it wouldnt prevent abortions, she said. Research shows women seeking abortions likely would go to another state or have them performed illegally in dangerous settings, she said.

Thomas Reagan said a person's right to choice should be respected but not at the expense of another persons rights. The child should have the choice to live, he said.

The movement for anti-abortion legislation may have been triggered by some states passing legislation to guarantee abortion rights, said Medora Nagle, executive director for North Dakota Right to Life.

Any and all pro-life legislation is going to help us as a country  state by state or as a whole, she said. I dont really think Roe v. Wade will be overturned anytime in the near future, so I think right now we have to do what we can in our own individual states.

Jacobson said she believes states will continue to pass restrictive abortion laws. "But ultimately voters are going to be the ones who are going to be unseating those legislators and changing the tone of our legislative makeup so we are no longer so hostile toward women, she said.

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FERTILE, Minn.  Corey Hanson farms about 800 acres with his family in a town 13 miles southwest of Fertile, Minn., in Norman County, where hes president of the County Soybean and Corn Growers Board. Not only does Hanson also serve in the Minnesota Soybean Growers Association, but hes a grower of the crop in addition to corn and wheat.

Its easy to conclude Hanson cares about soybeans.

Its been kind of a trying year, he said Wednesday. The ground out is still wet and Hanson said farmers are hoping for more warm and windy days to dry the soil.

But weather isnt the only thing that has Hanson and other Midwestern farmers worried  on Wednesday, the Washington Post reported President Donald Trump has indicated to several members of his administration he doesn't plan to back down from a U.S. trade war with China.

Trump announced last week the U.S. was raising tariffs on $200 billion in Chinese goods because he was displeased with the way negotiations were going. China then announced plans to impose tariffs of up to 25% on $60 billion of U.S. products this summer.

Nancy Johnson, director of the North Dakota Soybean Growers Association, said most North Dakota soybeans end up in China because the state doesn't have a huge local need for the crop. Traditionally soybeans have proven to be easy and profitable, Johnson said, but with Chinese tariffs from last year still in place on billions of dollars in U.S. products, farmers are still struggling to sell and move their product.

Most soybeans are usually out of North Dakota by mid-March, months ago, Johnson said.

We know that there are a lot of soybeans still on the farm, she said. Were trying to get a sense of, What does having lots of soybeans mean? Because thats not one of the statistics thats captured by the USDA, because typically there arent any.

On Saturday, U.S. Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., told reporters he was pushing the Trump administration to provide more funding to assist farmers throughout the negotiation process.

Were working with the administration (on) other assistance for our farmers while these negotiations are going on, Hoeven said after recalling a form of assistance the administration sent out last year in the form of market facilitation payments.

Hoeven said the U.S. has received in tariffs far more than we need to fund agricultural assistance. The first market facilitation payment from to farmers last year was around $12 billion. Hoeven expects the upcoming payment to be in the same range, if not more.

I really think we are making progress, Hoeven said. China not only has trade barriers, but they steal our technology. They infringe on our copyright, trademarks, theyre stealing our technology. We cant allow that. They have to trade on a fair basis.

North Dakota Farmers Union President Mark Watne said hes less optimistic, as his group also urges the Trump administration to provide more financial assistance to affected farmers.

This is out of our control, Watne said. This is a scenario where our administration and the government is creating a trade war  Our chapter filings on bankruptcy are up. Our members are calling me, saying theyre losing money and they dont know if theyre going to continue. I have some people call saying theyre quitting.

Pete Hanebutt, director of public policy for the North Dakota Farm Bureau, said so far the most panic he sees is from outside media.

I think we all fall prey to hearing reports and news from the east coast, Hanebutt said. You keep hearing negativity from the Washington press, and the east coast, and it seems to heighten the anxiety of the crisis. But common sense folks in our part of the Midwest tend to take a chill pill and look at the long term nature of it, and realize that in the long run there are always ebbs and flows in markets. This could just be a temporary ebb in the market.

In East Grand Forks, Minn., Matthew Krueger, operations manager at K&D Krueger Farms & Sons, said he has noticed more product in the bin than is usual at this time of the year.

Krueger grows soybeans for seeds, which are then sold to soybean farmers who grow the product and send it to the elevator.

Weve seen a huge change in terms of how the demand of soybeans for this current year, actually, Krueger said. Whats going to make me lose the least amount of money, because a lot of farmers are going into the year not expecting to make a lot by the end of the day.

"It sucks, but its where were at.

Krueger also grows corn, wheat and sugar beets, the latter of which mostly goes to American Crystal Sugar.

Though he knows where most of his beets end up, Krueger said his main responsibility is just growing and trusting what happens next.

As a farmer, were always eternally optimistic that things will turn around. Im a farmer. Ill raise the crop, Ill do what I do very well at, and I trust the people that know trade to get things sorted out that way.

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After almost twenty years in Rome, Ive learned not to insist too much on the Vatican reading the USA with any kind of accuracy, so I usually dont feel the need to comment on every little misunderstanding coming from the Roman Curia. It would take up way too much time and make me grumpier than I already am.

But there are times when something must be said. August, for example, when youre one of the few non-tourists around and nothing else is happening. Or yesterday, when this Crux piece reported that a Top Vatican official says Americans misunderstand the popes social agenda.

If the author had gone out of her way to contact an American economist in Rome who used to work in the office Cardinal Turkson heads and now works for an institute devoted to the economic education of religious leaders, heres what he would have said.

I know and like Cardinal Turkson very much. Unlike the average Curial official, he has first-hand experience of the United States both personally and professionally. He can attest to the great diversity of views among Americans. When he says many accuse [the pope] of being socialist or communist, however, he is surely exaggerating. It would have been helpful if he identified who these many (or more likely, some or few) are.

Such rhetoric aside, other remarks made at the Vatican press conference revealed more serious misunderstandings about the market economy which, if put into practice, would do real harm to those who are already poor and vulnerable to abuses of power.

Cardinal Turkson says Americans confuse the social economy with socialism. Again, it would be nice to know who actually does this. All economies are, by definition, social; there is no market where an individual can buy and sell with himself. The theoretical contrast is between free and planned economies, with actual ones falling somewhere along the continuum between them.

Socialism or the completely planned economy of communism requires the public ownership of the means of production, i.e., no private property. No pope, including Pope Francis, has ever recommended socialism, let alone communism; some, such as Popes Leo XIII, Pius XI and St. John Paul II, have actually condemned them.

The cardinal unfortunately reverts to a simplistic caricature of Adam Smiths invisible hand, contrasting it with the visible hand of an economy which is able to serve all members of the community well. (He could have also recalled Leos warning about the rough hand of the State.) Smiths point was that demanding people to ignore their self-interest, as moralists are wont to do, is unrealistic and socially destructive, encouraging hypocrisy rather than virtue. As a modern, Smith thought it better to lower the bar of morality a bit and achieve better results.

Contra Smith, it is simply utopian to expect a new economy (designed, implemented and regulated by whom?) to solve the problem of human nature or what Christians normally refer to as sin. It is fully understandable and deeply Christian to say we will not rest until our economic and social system no longer produces even a single victim, a single person cast aside. We must also be aware of the tendency of such noble visions to go awry. Aiming to fix the human problem, totalitarian systems eventually result in umitigated tragedy and disaster.

I can only hope that the young economists and entrepreneurs who are invited to the Economy of Francesco event in Assisi next March have more common sense and a better understanding of how markets function. Maybe some real Americans will be asked to attend.

(Photo credit: Wikicommons by Francesco Gabrielli)
Matthew Harvey Sanders, a former seminarian turned successful technology and communications entrepreneur, has sought to fuse deep theological and moral convictions with his natural talent and contagious pioneering spirit. His brain child: Humanity 2.0, a self-described human progress accelerator showcased last May 9 at a forum held inside Vatican walls.

According to Sanderss web site, Humanity 2.0 is built on Thomas Aquinass precepts for human salvation, namely, that we ought to believe, desire and actually commit to what our Christian conscience commands us to do. The projects specific mission is to identify impediments to human progress and work collaboratively across [multiple] sectors to remove them by sourcing and scaling bold and innovative solutions.

Sanders began his ambitious project over one year ago, but last Fridays meeting was its international launch. Humanity 2.0 attracted the creativity and moral conscience of business executives, entrepreneurs and academics in order to give them space to pitch solutions to global social health, economic, and moral concerns. Listening and critiquing them were religious leaders, public sector officials, journalists and think tank representatives.

No doubt Sanders worked hard to realize a coup of business, academic, ecclesial and public sector leadership all under one Vatican roof. It was a feat not easily achieved while at the same time balancing harmonious agreement and vigorous disagreement from among the over 150 creative and concerned minds. Nevertheless, Sanders remained positive and expressed his confidence that human beings can unite under the umbrella of effective care and solidarity when left free to do what they should and can creatively achieve.

If history has taught us anything, its that humans rarely rise to the occasion unless theyre inspired by what should be and this is why Humanity 2.0 is committed to articulating a common vision, Sanders said. The crux of our strategy is to focus on what we can do together, not what we cant.

The entire morning of the forum was dedicated to the Humanity 2.0 Lab, a vision for research centers to be set up in cities with international commercial, cultural and moral influence, including Rome where the pope is considered to have the greatest soft power. The Humanity 2.0 Lab would gather and share data on scientific, economic and health-related issues in order to coalesce the brightest minds to cooperate on providing optimal solutions to shared human crises.

The CEO of the Humanity 2.0 Lab, Morad Fareed, presented his plan for centers focusing on maternal health impact. Fareed is the founder Square Roots, a discovery company that focuses on improving pregnancy health by connecting the dots of existing care models to human needs. He also co-founded Delos, a global wellness enterprise guided by the mission to serve as the worlds leading catalyst for enhanced health and well-being in the environments where we live, work, sleep and play.

His maternal health labs would work to amalgamate and analyze data and then offer tool-kits of preventative medicine and self-care for carrying babies to full term. Fareed said that optimizing pregnancy is critical to ensuring human flourishing and that if we dont act, we are limiting the potential of the next generation.

The forums afternoon mainly focused on the moral vision and ethical debate surrounding human flourishing and decision making in business. Fr. Ezra Sullivan, OP, a Dominican theologian at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas, evaluated the various levels of human happiness, while clearly stating that without some basic level of health and well-being, as defined by Maslows hierarchy of needs, flourishing is simply not possible.

Sullivan also demonstrated how there may arise confusing and conflicting metrics of happiness, as when European Nordic countries are said to be the most happy but also have the highest suicide rates, a correlation many do not naturally expect. Hence, even while material needs are being met by a supposedly well-organized societies, they are not the only measure of human fulfillment. Most fundamentally, said Sullivan, the needs of our intellectual and spiritual dimensions must also be cared for and respected by the global community.

After Sullivans speech, a School of Business Ethics supported by the Pontifical Lateran University as well as professors from Harvard and Wharton business schools was proposed by Fr. Philip Larrey. Larry is the Laterans professor of logic, author of Connected World, and chairman of Humanity 2.0.

Larrey said while we live in a corporate world guided by good governance, tightly enforced legal compliance and superior codes of conduct, we too often breach solid moral infrastructure in place at successful businesses. The problem is not just that the human species is fallen to original sin and thus prone to evil.

Most business persons I meet are actually very impressive moral persons yet need better judgement and moral mentoring to sort through dilemmas brought on by the naturally complex transactions they must discern in market exchange economies, Larrey said.

Larrey said his vision for a School of Business in Rome would provide diplomas and certificates via intensive seminars with executives and entrepreneurs to raise their level of critical thinking without producing cookie cutter or Vatican imprimatur solutions to business ethics and by welcoming much more international case studies in collaboration with the worlds best business schools.

The closing session was dedicated to emerging technology for the common good. Sanders reminded the audience that Humanity 2.0 implies that the human species has moved beyond its primitive 1.0 version, when human society used to be made of rival and ultimately disconnected tribal communities.

Todays 2.0 humanity, Sanders said, is made of connected communities, essentially one tribe which should be able to easily communicate and collaborate with the aid of modern technologies and act in coordinated, creative solidarity for the achievement of goods necessary for human flourishing.

This is exactly what Pope Francis has called for, as noted in an excellent Crux article on the event, when he urged faithful last November 2018 to strive for free and far-sighted entrepreneurship and a solidarity approach for achieving just solutions to humanitys greatest present-day and future challenges.

(Photo and featured image credit: Humanity 2.0 logo used with permission from Matthew Harvey Sanders. Top photo courtesy of Michael Severance).
What do President Donald J. Trump and Ronald Sullivan, a professor at Harvard Law School, have in common? At first glance, nothing. However, a careful reading of recent news reveals that these two men were victims of a political trend that has engulfed American society and has been turning the land of freedom into a grotesque experiment of authoritarianism.

Let us start with Sullivan. A black law professor occupying a senior position in one of the most prestigious law schools in the United States, he saw his life turned upside down when he agreed to defend the infamous Harvey Weinstein. You read it right! Sullivan decided to be a lawyer for the alleged criminal who triggered the #MeToo movement. Such action could not go unpunished on one of Americas most progressive campuses. Last week, due to the mobilization of snowflake students seeking safe spaces, Sullivan lost his post of residential dean  he was the first black to occupy such position.

In the Roman legal tradition  one of the pillars of Western civilization  the figure of the lawyer could never be mistaken by that of the defendant. In many Latin American dictatorships, lawyers defended communist terrorists and political prisoners without being victims of state persecution. In 2019, a bunch of Harvard students decided that it did not matter.

Lawyer Sullivan has been punished for being a lawyer.

Alan Dershowitz  who taught at the same university  said that McCarthyism had come to Harvard. Hes wrong. Joe McCarthy was a patriot who fought the well-documented infiltration of communist agents into the American government. The Harvard students are a bunch of hysterical teenagers, political fanatics in search of a cause, pyromaniacs eager to set fire to anyone who does not pray according to the politically correct creed. Things are indeed worse, but it is all quiet on the Harvard front.

The issue involving Trump is better known, but more complicated. After two years of a criminal investigation that would make Comrade Beria proud, Robert Mueller found nothing, strictly nothing.

Mueller was appointed to decide whether to indict the president or not. He had only two options and ended up creating a third one entirely fanciful. To make matters worse, Mueller decided to throw a tantrum on Attorney General William Barr about the disclosure of the criminal investigation report. One report, by the way, that is a shame due to the lack of rigor in its conclusions. However, Mueller could not leave empty handed the very media that since 2016 has been falsely spreading the lie that the president of the United States is an agent of Vladimir Putin. So, as his last act before leaving the stage, Bob Mueller advanced a bogus theory of obstruction of justice, which in its bottom line implies that any action that defendants make that do not please prosecutors and investigators is obstruction of justice  even complaining about the investigation itself.

Many prosecutors nowadays are behaving like Hollywood divas, 21th-century prima donnas. They do not see themselves as law enforcement agents  abide by the rule of law , but as vigilantes.

And no, that is not Stalins Russia, it is America 2019.

These two cases are not an exception. For decades, an erosion of the rule of law has been orchestrated by bureaucrats, politicians, and interest groups who, through a spurious association, have expanded the power of the federal government and, consequently, their control as well.

Lawrence Strattons The Tyranny of Good Intentions (2000) widely praised by Alan Dershowitz and Milton Friedman  gives a proper dimension of how prosecutors and bureaucrats abuse the law to oppress citizens without power  and resources  to defend themselves. Strattons book last edition is from 2008, but any careful observer of American political life can conclude that, ten years later, the situation is much worse.

This uncontrolled expansion of state power has been the most outstanding feature of the western world since at least the beginning of the last century as states historian Robert Higgs. This trend worsened in the 1960s considerably, when the ever-growing public administration decided to adopt a philosophy of its own, aiming to justify its existence and to ensure that the process of bureaucracies expansion of power vis-a-vis the citizens individual freedoms would never be in jeopardy. This ideology is political correctness, which since the 1960s began to monopolize the political debate in the United States and, at the end of the Cold War, became the dominant ideology.

Not so much Roosevelts New Deal, but Lyndon Johnsons Great Society and its ideological dimension, which empowered the federal bureaucracy to fight prejudice. And what is prejudice? As well as hate speech, prejudice is any thought or act that runs counter to the ruling classs desire for power. The Frankfurt Schools politically correct ideology and the tendency of bureaucracies to never stop expanding have led to a more or less official policy that all those who do not follow in line with the ruling class need to be re-educated.

Republicans and Democrats alike have been accomplices of the transformation of America into a vast mental gulag, in which all dissenting thinking must be corrected, and all dissatisfied should bend to the knees before the enlightened elite. As Democrats push the country even further to the left, Republicans not only accept it but also promote a foreign policy based on the same principles. In other words, Democrats rule as Jacobins in internal affairs and Republicans, when they can, spread this ideology across the world.

In part, the hatred of the elites towards Trump is nurtured by his refusal to weaponize the American government as an agent of Jacobinism as known as neoconservatism.

Left-wingers such as Gabriel Kolko, William Appleman Williams, and Nomi Prins, and libertarians such as Murray Rothbard and Higgs agree that what drove the process of concentration of power in the federal bureaucracy was precisely the idea of transforming the United States into an imperial power. As Trump campaigned to throw away the ruling elites imperialist goals, he became the first existential threat the establishment had to deal with since the re-election of Richard Nixon in 1972. And, therefore, someone needed to tear him apart.

The illegal activities of the FBI, CIA, NSA, et tutti quanti, on the one hand, and the hysterics of the #MeToo movement, on the other, represent two faces of the same problems: the rise of an authoritarian regime which, contrary to Fascism, promises to crush freedom in the name of love, of humanity and of everything that is good. The Conservatives have slept for too long, and it is likely that the tipping point has already been reached. The profound transformations that have annihilated the old constitutional order seem to me all but reversible.

Homepage picture: WikiCommons.
Cheetahs are listed as endangered under the U.S. Endangered Species Act, with just 7,100 animals remaining in the wild. Photo by Alamy

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By Kitty Block and Sara Amundson

The cheetah, an animal capable of top speeds of 75 miles per hour, is racing toward extinction, with just 7,100 animals left in the wild. Recently, in another expression of the callous disregard trophy hunters show for the worlds most endangered and at-risk animals, an American who killed a cheetah in Namibia has applied to import trophy parts from his kill into the United States.

If approved, it would be the first time on record that the U.S. government would have authorized the import of a cheetah trophy under the U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA). This could set a terrible precedent and very possibly encourage more trophy hunters to go after cheetahs, exacerbating their tragic fate.

We recently learned that another American has also applied to import the trophy of a black rhino, also killed in Namibia. There are now just 5,500 black rhinos remaining in the wild.

It defies understanding that our government would even allow trophy hunters to apply for permits to import animals fast disappearing from earth and protected under the ESA. Both black rhinos and cheetahs are listed as endangered under ESA and can only be imported if the FWS finds that hunting the animal would enhance the survival of the species. A trophy hunter killing an animal for thrills and bragging rights clearly does not meet that standard.

Sadly, in recent years, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, instead of doing its job of protecting animals listed under the ESA, has enabled an escalation of attacks against them. Beginning in 2017, the FWS reversed more enlightened policies, making it easier for American trophy hunters to import trophies of endangered and threatened animals. The agency also established the International Wildlife Conservation Council, a body stocked with trophy hunters and firearms dealers, tasked to advise on federal wildlife policy decisions  a decision weve challenged in court. And last year, the FWS proposed changes to weaken the ESA, which is the bedrock law that protects endangered and threatened animal species and their habitats. Those harmful changes could be finalized any day now.

Late last year, despite our objections, the U.S Fish and Wildlife Service granted an import permit to an American hunter who paid $400,000 to kill a 35-year-old male black rhino in Namibia in 2017.

Scientists warn that at the rate black rhinos and cheetahs are disappearing, they could be lost forever. Like rhinos, cheetahs face a number of threats, including massive habitat loss and degradation. These distinctive, spotted animals, known as the fastest land mammals, have already lost 91% of their historic range and 77% of their remaining habitat is not in protected areas, leaving them open to attack. Cheetahs also become victims of retaliation killings by humans due to conflict with livestock and game farmers, and trafficking of live cheetahs for the illegal pet trade. The last thing they need is to be shot for fun by a trophy hunter.

For trophy hunters, the rarer the animal, the more valuable the trophy is, and the greater the prestige and thrill of killing it. But most Americans know better and oppose trophy hunting, as weve seen from the backlash against trophy hunters that usually follows when they post their conquests on social media. With so few cheetahs and black rhinos left in the world, every animal counts. Please join us and urge the FWS to do the right thing by rejecting these two applications.

Sara Amundson is president of the Humane Society Legislative Fund.

Oppose the import of cheetah and black rhino hunting trophies
Mississippi has launched the nations first state-run teacher residency program to tackle two problems: a growing number of unfilled teaching positions in the state, and a lack of diverse teachers in the profession.

In most teacher residency programs, universities partner with local school districts to provide long-term student teaching in exchange for teachers agreeing to work in the district for a period of time. Research has shown that residencies are more likely to produce teachers of color, and graduates from these programs are more likely to stay in the classroom for longer than other new teachers.

See also: Can Teacher Residencies Help With Shortages?

Typically, the work is done on a local level. Sometimes, states will offer grants to universities and districts to establish a residency program. (For example, Californias state budget granted $75 million for competitive grants for districts to establish teacher residency programs for the preparation of special education, STEM, and bilingual teachers.)

But in Mississippi, the state education department will be the first to actually operate a residency program, with support from the National Center for Teacher Residencies. (The work is funded by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, which gave a $4.1 million grant to the Mississippi Department of Education and a nearly $650,000 grant to the NCTR.)

It shows a really significant commitment to teacher quality from the state on down, said Anissa Listak, the founder and CEO of the NCTR. Youve got the state, to the district, to the university, on down to teachers and students in classrooms. That kind of vertical alignment between practice and policy isnt something weve seen before in this intentional way.

Starting off, the state will run the program in four high-needs school districts, and three colleges or universities (the names of which will be released this summer). The first 35 residents will be trained next school year, and another 35 will come on board the following school year. For the first round of residents, Mississippi received about 360 applications, most of whom are nonwhite.

The residents do not have to pay tuition, and they will receive stipends while working in schools. (Their mentor teachers will also receive stipends.) After completing the program, the residents will receive a masters degree and a job in one of the partner school districts. The goal is to slowly scale up the program, and train 500 residents over the first five years.

One of the challenges that weve seen [is] a decline in the number of folks who are onboarding in traditional pathways to become a teacher, said Phelton Moss, the director of educator talent, acquisition, and effectiveness for the state. For our residency program, we have a lot of folks who already have a [bachelors] degree and want a masters, and well pay for that for them.

See also: Universities Revamping Teacher Prep to Provide More Hands-On Training

Mississippi had about 2,100 unfilled teaching positions at the start of this school year, Listak said. And between 2011 and 2018, the number of new teaching licenses granted in the state was down 50 percent.

The Learning Policy Institute studied 50 residency programs in 2015-16 and found that 82 percent of graduates were still teaching four years later, 10 percentage points higher than other new teachers.

Advocates for residencies attribute the high retention rate to a solid preparation, compared to other programs. Residents teach alongside highly qualified mentor teachers for at least a year. Thats compared to traditional teacher-prep programs that generally require only about 15 weeks of student teaching. And alternative programs like Teach for America place teachers in the classroom after about five to seven weeks of fast-track training.

Importing teachers and importing prep has not worked really well, Listak said, adding that the residency model of preparation is still relatively new. It is a long game. These institutions of higher ed are going to have to make some shifts, and thats going to take a while. This is a new way of thinking about prep for a lot of institutions there.

Also, the states goal is to increase the number of diverse teachers to 32 percent of the workforce by 2025, Moss said. Currently, 27 percent of Mississippi teachers are nonwhite.

About 70 percent of the first cohort of residents are teachers of color, and most are women. The Kellogg grant is also funding a full-time recruiter for male educators of color, who are particularly underrepresented in the teaching profession. (Across the country, only 2 percent of teachers are black men .)

Moss said ultimately, he hopes the department will put out a strong model for how this can work, and then school districts can work with their own local teacher-prep programs to create local partnerships.

Our hope and our ask is that our districts can become innovative and work with their teacher-prep programs [in a way thats] unique to their context, he said.

It also remains to be seen whether the state can fund this work without relying on philanthropy once the grant runs out, Listak said..

Three to five years from now, well have a really good sense of whether or not this is a pilot that can be adapted in other states, she said.

Image by Getty
'If you suspect political bias caused such an action to be taken against you, share your story with President Trump.'

The administration of Donald Trump, the complete nut who is still inexplicably President of the United States, will now increase pressure on Facebook/Instagram and Twitter to mend their purported anti-Trump political bias.

How will they do this?

Trump's White House is asking patriotic Americans to report to the White House any instances they encounter of social media critical of Trump, or instances where online speech by Trump followers is moderated or blocked.

Here's the official tweet, from earlier today, Wednesday May 15.

The Trump Administration is fighting for free speech online. No matter your views, if you suspect political bias has caused you to be censored or silenced online, we want to hear about it! https://t.co/9lc0cqUhuf pic.twitter.com/J8ICbx42dz  The White House (@WhiteHouse) May 15, 2019

No, this is real. There is now literally a White House form for reporting potential censorship of political views held by Trump supporters. This isn't a joke, but it's not for what they're saying it's for.

"Too many Americans have seen their accounts suspended, banned, or fraudulently reported for unclear 'violations' of user policies," according to the form, posted by the official White House Twitter account on Wednesday.

"No matter your views, if you suspect political bias caused such an action to be taken against you, share your story with President Trump."

This is, of course, garbage.

And the public form they tweeted for reporting cases of "bias" asks users for their full names and citizenship status.

From the Bloomberg report:

The form unveiled Wednesday asks for information on users  including their citizenship or residency status, email address and whether they're over 18  then allows them to report on Facebook, its Instagram photo-sharing site, Twitter, YouTube or other sites. It then asks for links to accounts and relevant tweets, as well as what action was taken and screenshots of notifications. "We enforce the Twitter Rules impartially for all users, regardless of their background or political affiliation," a Twitter spokesperson said in a statement. "We are constantly working to improve our systems and will continue to be transparent in our efforts." Representatives of Facebook and Google's YouTube video-sharing site didn't immediately respond to requests for comment.

White House Urges Reporting of 'Political Bias' by Social Media [bloomberg.com]

More from Twitter, below.

Who needs Cambridge Analytica when folks can willingly hand out personal info https://t.co/L0JaBrEBAL  Ryan Mac (@RMac18) May 15, 2019

Really epic user agreement too. https://t.co/RDqgsOtXDA

Pretty shocking this email collection for fundraising gets to be a .gov

I mean, if you're still capable of being shocked. which nah.  Quentin Hardy (@qhardy) May 15, 2019

The thing about the Trump Facebook bias survey is it's just going to be used to assemble a voter file, which Trump will then pay Facebook millions of dollars to target with ads about how biased Facebook is.  Kevin Roose (@kevinroose) May 15, 2019

This is not necessarily a bad strategy, fwiw! If anything it means that "tech is biased" is probably outperforming other messages the WH is A/B testing for 2020, which is mildly interesting.  Kevin Roose (@kevinroose) May 15, 2019

I can't see this being abused in any way, shape or form. (Though it does have a "prove you're not a robot" question.) It's really childish, and basically an excuse to get people to sign up to get emails hassling them to donate to Trump. A palace run by bitter children. https://t.co/3zz5SrwPHO  Charles Arthur (@charlesarthur) May 15, 2019

?The White House just launched a tool for people to report if they feel they were censored by social platforms.

"No matter your views, if you suspect political bias caused such an action to be taken against you, share your story with President Trump."https://t.co/pJ0jcrRBds  Sara Fischer (@sarafischer) May 15, 2019

This AM: Trump WH won't sign international call to action against online extremism citing free speech concerns: https://t.co/tZvOhVIZJs This PM: Trump embarks on campaign to collect stories of tech bias, days after threatening to regulate social media https://t.co/uksBn88g0X  Tony Romm (@TonyRomm) May 15, 2019

Not only has this point been proven false over and over again, it has zero bearing on what private companies decide to do about their rules and enforcement. Even if these companies decided to kick everyone who subscribed to one ideology off, its their call.https://t.co/WQVYjcbJAY  Sleeping Giants (@slpng_giants) May 15, 2019

The online form lists Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube and an option for other social media accounts. pic.twitter.com/g225HOnFN9  Queenie Wong (@QWongSJ) May 15, 2019
California bans eating roadkill in part because it's viewed as a temptation for poachers to disguise their kills as road accidents; but that means a lot of game goes to waste (at least 20,000 deer alone are hit by Californians every year  some researchers put the number at 80,000), and the animals involved are left to die slow deaths by the roadside.



Under the new proposed rules (which have faced no meaningful opposition are are headed towards adoption), motorists would be allowed to bring home large animals (deer, elk and wild pigs) that had been struck by vehicles; they would be allowed to kill the animals first if they were wounded and dying.





This would only be allowed on state highways and secondary roads (not interstates).

I once heard the short story writer Howard Waldrop give a workshop on how to survive on a short-story writer's wages of less than $10,000/year and the top of his list was moving to Florida, buying a chest freezer, and collecting roadkill.

Proponents insist wildlife law enforcement will be able to tell if an animal has been hit by a car. And there are simpler methods of poaching that don't involve reporting an illegal kill to the state. A legislative analysis of the bill notes that while the state's Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment has rarely exercised its authority for wild game, "if the consumption of road kill becomes widespread, there may well be an important assessment role for it to protect public health." Another concern: that the law will incentivize some drivers totake aim. Supporters say any grocery savings would almost certainly be offset by the cost of replacing a windshield or removing dents from a car hood. Plus, there's the question of synchronizing roadkill and reaper. As Servheen from Idaho, says, "That's going to be quite a meeting of the minds, so to speak."

Eating Roadkill Is Illegal in California. But That May Change [Ben Christopher/CALmatters]
Facebook announced today that is has banned an Israeli firm that ran a foreign psyops campaign to disrupt election results in various countries.

Facebook claims to have canceled dozens of accounts engaged in spreading disinformation, they said Thursday.

Some of the newly banned accounts are said to be linked to the Archimedes Group, a Tel Aviv-based consulting firm that claims to be able to "change reality."

The Archimedes website shows that its CEO is the former director of the European Friends of Israel lobbying group, a former political adviser in Israel's parliament, and an ex-intelligence agent for the Israeli air force.

Archimedes advertises itself online as a consulting firm for presidential election campaigns.

From the Associated Press:
This week's Christchurch Call event in Paris brought together politicians, tech execs and civil society to discuss means of "countering violent extremism" online; it was convened by New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern in the wake of the deadly white supremacist terror killings in Christchurch last March.



My Electronic Frontier Foundation colleague Jillian C York was there as part of the civil society delegation, and her report on the event highlights some of the genuinely positive outcomes from the event (a commitment to "strengthening the resilience and inclusiveness of our societies" and a mandate for tech companies to be transparent in their content moderation); as well as some of the not-so-good conclusions (a lack of distinction drawn between services like Facebook and infrastructure like DNS when it comes to conscripting companies to reduce violent extremism).





Most disturbing, though, was a commitment to requiring algorithmic filters of human expression, something hinted at in the terrible, hastily enacted Australian bill passed in response to the terrorist attack. The use of filters to curb bad speech has gained widespread acceptance in policy circles in the past 12 months, despite the near-total consensus among technologists and computer scientists that this will not work and will have ugly consequences for both human speech and competition.



* The Call asks companies to take "transparent, specific measures" to prevent the upload of terrorist and violent extremist content and prevent its dissemination "in a manner consistent with human rights and fundamental freedoms." But as numerous civil society organizations pointed out in the May 14 meeting, upload filters are inherently inconsistent with fundamental freedoms. Moreover, driving content underground may do little to prevent attacks and can even impede efforts to do so by making the perpetrators more difficult to identify. * We also have grave concerns about how "terrorism" and "violent extremism" are defined, by whom. Companies regularly use blunt measures to determine what constitutes terrorism, while a variety of governmentsincluding Call signatories Jordan and Spainhave used anti-terror measures to silence speech.

The Christchurch Call: The Good, the Not-So-Good, and the Ugly [Jillian C York/EFF Deeplinks]
Ransomware has been around since the late 1980s, but it got a massive shot in the arm when leaked NSA cyberweapons were merged with existing strains of ransomware, with new payment mechanisms that used cryptocurrencies, leading to multiple ransomware epidemics that locked up businesses, hospitals, schools, and more (and then there are the state-level cyberattacks that pretend to be ransomware).

The boom in ransomware infections is also a boom for companies that provide services to the infected. A lot of these companies are in the business of taking your money, sending some Bitcoin to your attackers, then holding your hand as you use the codes the attackers provide to get your files back (assuming the malware performs according to spec and that the ransomware attackers don't just run off with your dough).

But not everyone wants to pay ransom! There are ethical and political reasons to avoid paying ransom, and the more money ransomware attracts, the more clever programmers will throw themselves at the project of making ransomware even more virulent and widespread.





Some companies advertised that they could decrypt your locked-up files without paying the ransom, using proprietary methods they'd developed in house to undo the attackers' encryption. This isn't outside the realm of possibility (programmers make mistakes) but it's still a bit of a stretch (well-implemented encryption is extremely robust).

Propublica's Renee Dudley and Jeff Kao provide a deep investigative look at two of these "don't pay ransom" companies, Proven Data and MonsterCloud, and reveal that these companies made false representations and had no ability to decrypt their customers' files. Instead, they simply paid the ransoms and deceived their customers about their activities. The reps the customers dealt with turn out to be pseudonymous fake people, and the marketing endorsements on these companies' sites are also almost certainly fabricated.

Update: MonsterCloud disputes that it tells customers that it can decrypt files without paying ransom. In contrast to this dispute, Propublica cites credible independent researchers who documented these claims being made by MonsterCloud.

Proven Data not only paid ransoms, they effectively became confederates of the ransomware criminals, creating long-term, professional relationships with them that allowed them to negotiate for extra time on their customers' behalf. What's more the criminals began to refer their victims to the companies, advising the victims that if they couldn't figure out how to pay ransom or needed to be convinced that the threat was real, that they should pay these companies for their professional services.

Propublica quotes on-the-record whistleblowers, the executives at the companies, and their customers, and paint a picture of companies that engaged in blatant misrepresentation to the detriment of their customers, peddling lies and snake-oil to people who'd already been victimized. Meanwhile, public records show that the founders of these companies got ridiculously rich, buying multiple luxury homes and luxury cars. These founders deny that they told customers that their data could be decrypted without paying, but their own websites make these claims in plain language.

The grift encompasses people like former FBI director and Mueller crony John Pistole, who produced a still-available promo for MonsterCloud in which he falsely states that "MonsterCloud's proprietary technology and expertise protects their professional reputations and organizational integrity" and that this allows customers to recover their data without paying ransom  a claim Pistole admits he knows is false.





Meanwhile, Propublica traces some of the money that the anti-ransomware companies quietly paid to criminals ended up violating US sanctions against Iran.



The firms eagerly agreed to help. "They all claimed to be able to decrypt ransomware families that definitely weren't decryptable and didn't mention that they paid the ransom," Wosar said. "Quite the contrary actually. They all seemed very proud not to pay ransomers." Soon, the email accounts that he'd set up for the imaginary attacker began receiving emails from anonymous addresses offering to pay the ransom, he said. He traced the requests to the data recovery firms, including MonsterCloud and Proven Data. "The victims are getting taken advantage of twice," he said. Proven Data's Congionti and MonsterCloud's Pinhasi both said they could not recall this particular case. "If someone is saying that we promised up front that we would be able to decrypt their files, I am certain that this is inaccurate," Pinhasi said.

The Trade Secret [Renee Dudley and Jeff Kao/Propublica]





(via /.)
Gucci's new $800 'Indy Full Turban' was not a good idea.

"As a Sikh, I see this as a huge sign of disrespect and disregard toward Sikhism," an observer tweeted about images of a thin white guy model strutting down the catwalk with the Gucci "Indy Turban" on.

The turban is styled to look like to the headwear that followers of the Sikh faith wear.

"The Sikh Turban is not a hot new accessory for white models but an article of faith for practising Sikhs," Harjinder Singh Kukreja tweeted.



"Your models have used Turbans as 'hats' whereas practising Sikhs tie them neatly fold-by-fold," @SinghLions continued. "Using fake Sikhs/Turbans is worse than selling fake Gucci products."

The elite Italian designers were dragged on social media in 2018 for not at least sticking that bright blue turban on a South Asian model.

But Gucci don't care, and so in May 2019, this week, they started selling this crap online at Nordstrom.

From Allyson Chiu, reporting for the Washington Post:

But the initial backlash apparently had little effect, as keen-eyed social media users discovered this week that Gucci's "Indy Full Turban"  described as a "gorgeously crafted turban" that is "ready to turn heads while keeping you in comfort as well as trademark style"  was being sold by Nordstrom for a reported price of nearly $800. The revelation has since prompted Sikhs and other critics to come after Gucci again, accusing the brand of trivializing an article of faith whose wearers often face discrimination and are attacked for expressing their religious identity. By late Wednesday, the turban's listing on Nordstrom's website was marked as sold out and its $790 price tag was no longer visible. The department store and Gucci did not respond to requests for comment.

Nordstrom and Gucci did not respond to requests for comment.

Yep. They're that dumb.

Yo.. @gucci  I mess with you guys but this isn't a good look for you could you not find a brown model? pic.twitter.com/INqxwrfB0t  Avan Jogia (@AvanJogia) February 22, 2018

My blood is boiling right now. As a Sikh, I see this as a huge sign of disrespect and disregard towards Sikhism. It isn't hard to educate yourself on the significance of a turban. This isn't a mere fashion accessory! Thank you Avan for speaking out on this  jaz  (@desiavan) February 22, 2018

This is beyond aggravating. Did someone at @gucci even bother to figure out what a dastaar (turban) means to Sikhs? Did it cross your minds to consider the history behind our identity? My people are discriminated against, even killed, for wearing a turban. pic.twitter.com/G62edSmjhf  Aasees Kaur (@SouthernSikh) May 14, 2019
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by Staff reporter

In an incident that shocked Beatrice villagers, a 27-year-old Harare fishmonger was attacked and killed by a crocodile before his body was discovered with his private parts missing.Paul Nyamhanza, of Hopley in Harare, was attacked by the reptile in the company of his younger brother Jeremiah (19) while casting fishing nets at Elladale Farm Dam in Beatrice.His body was recovered by Zimparks rangers with his manhood missing.Mashonaland East provincial police spokesperson Inspector Tendai Mwanza confirmed the incident and urged members of the public to stay away from crocodile-infested water bodies."I confirm the death of a man from Hopley in Harare, who was attacked by a crocodile at a dam in Beatrice. The deceased was in the company of another adult man casting their fishing nets when he was attacked by the reptile," he said.Jeremiah escaped unhurt and reported the matter to Zimparks rangers.
News / National

by Staff reporter

The challenge on the appointment of Prosecutor General (PG) Kumbirai Hodzi, which was set to commence yesterday at the Constitutional Court (ConCourt), failed to materialise after it emerged that the court papers filed by the applicant, Harare lawyer Joshua Chirambwe, were not paginated.Chirambwe's lawyer, Advocate Thabani Mpofu told the ConCourt bench headed by Justice Paddington Garwe that his client's papers had not been well-presented, meaning that the matter could not proceed.In the application, President Emmerson Mnangagwa, the Judicial Services Commission (JSC), Chief Justice Luke Malaba, Justice minister Ziyambi Ziyambi and Hodzi are cited as respondents.In his founding affidavit, Chirambwe claims Hodzi is not fit for the top prosecutorial job, adding that his appointment, which was marred by controversy, must, therefore, be declared null and void. He claims Hodzi dismally failed during interviews that were conducted to fill the post that had been left vacant after Advocate Ray Goba was fired."The interviews were conducted in full public glare and the fact that fifth respondent (Hodzi) had a torrid time is known to all who cared to follow that process. To me, it was clear that he had shown that he was clearly disqualified from being appointed to the position of Prosecutor-General. It was there for all to see. The commissioners scored him so badly (that) at the end of the day, he sat at the bottom of the pile. He was clearly and effectively out of the reckoning," Chirambwe said."For the good of my country, I celebrated. I felt so good that the Constitution had come up with this transparent process. The President could not, in terms of the Constitution, appoint a person ill-suited for the job simply because he liked him. I thought we had turned a corner. I legitimately expected that at the end of it all, cream would rise to the top and merit rewarded."Hodzi was one of the several candidates who took part in public interviews last year when the country did not have a substantive PG following the resignation of Goba.Some of the candidates who participated in the interviews were Calvin Mantsebo, Tinomudaishe Chinyoka, Misheck Hogwe, Jessie Majome, Justice Maphios Cheda, Wendy Chingeya, Florence Ziyambi, Edios Marondedza and Noria Mashumba with Mantsebo, Chinyoka and Hogwe, emerging the top three.
News / National

by Staff reporter

A SENIOR Harare prosecutor was arrested yesterday on criminal abuse of office charges after he allegedly consented to the release of a passport belonging to former Cabinet minister Ignatius Chombo, who is facing several corruption allegations.Tapiwa Kasema was not asked to plead when he appeared before magistrate Vongai Muchuchuti-Guwuriro, who remanded him to June 5 on $150 bail.Kasema was arrested by officers from the CID Commercial Crime Division and his docket was being handled by the Anti-Corruption Special Unit department.There was drama when Kasema arrived at the Harare Magistrates' Court for vetting and the prosecutors in charge referred back the docket to Prosecutor-General Kumbirai Hodzi.The docket was finally vetted by Tabani Mpofu (not MDC leader Nelson Chamisa's lawyer) and Justin Uladi.It is the State's case that on May 10, Chombo, who is facing criminal abuse of office and fraud charges, was appearing in court 6 at Harare Magistrates' Courts for routine remand for CRB's 11633/17, CRB12182/17 and CRB2254/18.The State alleges that Chombo made an application for the temporary release of his passport on record CRB11633/17, which was being handled by the accused.Despite the fact that Kasema knew that Chombo's passport was being held in respect of the other two records which he (Kasema) was not handling, the State avers that he acted contrary and inconsistently to his duties by consenting to the release of the passport only on record CRB11633/17.The prosecution further declared that Kasema showed some element of favour to Chombo.After the court released Chombo's passport, State security agents confiscated it at Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport at the weekend as the former minister was about to travel out of the country on medical grounds.Moses Mapanga appeared for the State.
News / National

by Staff reporter

President Emmerson Mnangagwa's government has launched a fresh crackdown against all powerful people stand accused of amassing wealth irregularly.It is reported that a comprehensive list of targeted political and business elites has already been put together, which will result in some of the bigwigs being charged if they fail to proffer a sound explanation as to how they acquired their wealth.Zinara's acting chief executive officer Ms Mathlene Mujokoro and audit manager Mr Shadreck Matengabadza have resigned, while 19 employees have been arrested for fraud cases involving more than US$210 000, as the dragnet on corporate malfeasance closes in on corrupt officials.More arrests are expected as investigations continue.Zimbabwe Consolidated Diamond Company (ZCDC) chief executive Morris Bekezela Mpofu was picked up for questioning by the police, while finance director Charles Gambe was arrested for criminal abuse of office after he allegedly bought 1 200 bags of cement at Lafarge Cement for personal use using employer's account.In 2018, President Mnangagwa's the then advisor Christopher Mutsvangwa launched an astonishing attack against Zanu-PF benefactor Kudakwashe Tagwirei.Mutsvangwa also revealed that Tagwirei was being given preferential treatment in the allocation of foreign currency for the importation of fuel, which he said had created a monopoly in the fuel industry.The war veterans' leader and one of the president's top allies' outbursts came amid reports that relations between Mnangagwa and Chiwenga had become sour.Tagwirei, who owns Sakunda and has several controversial deals with the government, was thrust into the vortex of the infighting last week after Zanu-PF apologist William Mutumanje, aka Acie Lumumba, claimed he was at the centre of a fuel cartel that included top Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) officials.Mnangagwa didn't know the extent of corruption in the country until he took up the highest office in the land.Speaking in a televised interview aired by the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) on the eve of the country's Independence Day celebrations on April 18, he conceded that his anti-graft fight has not been successful."Corruption is deep rooted. I thought by making a pronouncement that let us fight corruption' it will go away. No. It's not like that. To fight corruption, you need the police to investigate but there are elements of corruption in the police."Once you get past the corruption in the police, the National Prosecution Authority has to prosecute, but there are also elements of corruption in the NPA."Then the case must go to court and there are also elements that are corrupt in the judiciary. So the fight is so wide and deep," he said.Zimbabwe ranked 160th out of 175 countries according to the 2018 Corruption Perceptions Index reported by Transparency International.Mnangagwa expressed frustration at the "slow" pace courts were dealing with corruption cases.In his first few months after dethroning Mugabe in November 2017, Mnangagwa released a list of people and companies that allegedly externalised US$827m. However, the list was criticised for allegedly leaving out the "big fish" involved in corruption.To date, no one has been successfully prosecuted.
News / National

by Mandla Ndlovu

The attack of firebrand Ntabazinduna Chief Felix Nhlanhlayamangwe Ndiweni by state agents has united the people of Matabeleland to spend with one voice.In the recent past there has been sharp division in the various groups and individuals who represent Matabeleland region in various spheres.The Dumiso Dabengwa led ZAPU issued a statement on Wednesday saying, "The events of the past week have brought out one chilling aspect of this State capture. The sustained attacks on the person and office of the Ndiweni Chieftainship have brought to the fore just how vindictive ZANU is if you do not toe their line. It is no secret that ZANU through the Government has captured most chiefs and village heads through their tried and tested method of patronage and handouts."ZANU is a criminal organization built on a foundation of lies, conspiracy, treachery and a network of bought puppets masquerading as all sorts of officials. These officials are found on all strata of society from the ZANU Ward Committee Chair, Youth League, Women's League, Army, Police, Media, Judiciary, the Civil Service right up to the Cabinet and I daresay the Presidency."Mthwakazi National Party President SV Mabhena said, "We call upon the Zimbabwe regime to stop ots march against Chief Ndiweni. We want to put it clear before our oppressors that a people who have lost their fear can never be reinjected with fear and that destiny can be delayed but can never be denied."Other organizations who condemned the attack include MLF, Matabeleland Collective, MHRM,Dumuso Dabengwa Foundation,MRP among others.Artistes including Babongile Sikhonjwa and Lwazi Skuza took to social media to express their solidarity to Chief Ndiweni.Prominent activist Josphat Mzaca Ngulube has called for a Chief Ndiweni solidarity march on Friday.
News / National

by Mandla Ndlovu

Former Deputy Finance Minister Terence Mukupe is appalled by the austerity for prosperity program that is being implemented by Minister of Finance Mthuli Ncube.Mukupe says the policy is one sided and it is making the poor become more poorer."Varume the one sided austerity program is failing, "Mukupe said. "Protect the majority of Zimbabweans living in humiliating poverty by developing social protection systems that enable them to live with dignity! It's treasonous what's going on with the forex rate and consumer prices! VaChinamasa."Norton Member of Parliament and former ZANU PF Centrzl Committee member Temba Mliswa said Mthuli Ncube was incapacitated to deliver because he was not a member of Politiburo and he has to report to ZANU PF structures."Naturally as ZANUPF is the ruling party he'd report to Chinamasa as the Sec for Finance & former Minister of Finance. You then have Dr. Mangudya at the RBZ who's on the ground and probably understands the situation better"Then again you have some politicians who've disregarded the rule of law and are corrupt. In view of this what can we really expect Mthuli Ncube to do? He represents us well but aren't the stacks against him? Doesn't not being a member of the Politburo hamper his decision making capacity? Do they support him?"
Opinion / Columnist

A fuel crisis is any significant bottleneck in the supply of energy resources to an economy. it often refers to one of the energy sources used at a certain time and place, in particular those used as fuel in vehicles and in most industrial areas. Fuel reflects the economic life of a nation. Nations have become dependant on fuel. For transport for lighting for any aspect of life. Any service delivery has an important reliance on fuel.Industrial development and population growth have led to a surge in the global demand for energy in recent years. So the opposite is very true. Failure to produce or supply fuel destroys the economy. The chain of events from this shortage is catastrophic.In a very first reshuffle after elections in Zimbabwe the president touched the area which was a thorn in Zimbabwe's economic and daily life. He dealt with the Energy ministry to try and re introduce sanity in the economy. Its no longer a bread and butter issue. It is now petrol and diesel issue. The fuel situation and the falling value of the U.S. dollar, dwindling oil reserves, and corruption in the local oil industry has crippled fuel supplies in Zimbabwe.The availability of fuel within the Zimbabwe is generally a reliable service. Yet there have been examples in recent years where there have been brief disruptions to the supply on a regional and national basis, affecting both individuals and businesses.There could be disruption to the fuel supply for a number of different reasons. This could include a shortage of supply, a technical problem with a part of the fuel infrastructure, industrial action, or public protest. If there was a shortage, emergency and public essential services could be disrupted. Businesses should factor fuel shortages into their Business Continuity Management plan as it could cause major disruption for any service.Every aspect of recovery now depends on the acrobatics to be played by Fortune Chasi. Zimbabwe hopes that their economic fortunes will be turned by Fortune in the name of Chasi. For sanity and confidence to return we do not need the name Fortune but we need Fortune Chasi to deal with Unscrupulous fuel attendants and dealers who have compounded a critical fuel supply situation that was caused by limited foreign currency reserves in the first place, Fuel dealers and their service station employees have been conniving not to release all the fuel they get to the motoring public in order to sell it either to friends or to extort bribes from desperate motorists or to sell it on the black market at inflated prices through third parties. Despite that this has been known no meaningful arrests have been made. The little crimes left un attended becomes a cancer. They affect the nation to the core. Any blind eye turned to the grassroots corruption costs the nation big time.Amounts far higher than the technically required tank reserves are kept either for prepaid customers, US dollar buyers only or foreign embassies, This arrangement has created class differences segregation and indeed fuelled corruption. Failure to nip the problem in the bud has caused untold suffering. Ministers have ignored these problems and caused public problems. It will be in the interest of all that the new minister attends to this from the ground by setting up fuel police and inspectors to deal with this problem. Because action has not been taken against service stations and dealers Motorists are prepared to pay a few extra dollars cash to fill their vehicle tanks. This then makes the syndicate bigger than the problem. Cleaning the rot from this level is a starting point.The severe fuel shortages have had far-reaching knock-on effects, including a rise in food prices, driven by higher transport costs and currency depreciation in the country.90 percent of Zimbabwean working class spend at least half their income on food, so there's limited ability to cope with these price hikes.As frustration over the state's inability to solve the shortages mounts, so does discussion of who or what is to blame. Chasi should not leg it the Gumbo style but must come out clear and grab the bull by its horns. There should be no sacred cows in cleaning this industry Time to accuse Western nations of "economic warfare", is gone. We do not need to lie to ourselves. We must clearly go for the rot. Things on the ground tend to point to a combination of economic malfunction, corruption, and Western sanctions.Over the past years it has rarely been easy for Zimbabwe to get the fuel that powers electricity plants, factories, hospitals, gas stoves, without rationing. A Zimbabwean will say "our days are drained by hours upon hours of waiting we wait for fuel distribution vehicles to pass by our neighbourhood so that we buy a few litres, enough to keep the engine on. But still you sleep nights and days in a queue.But in the last few months, the fuel shortages and related price hikes in parts of the country have become unusually severe.Even members of parliament, who have some leeway to discuss economic issues, complained about the fuel crisis in their. Parliamentarians mostly blamed Western sanctions, but some also condemned corrupt officials  without naming names. This is where Chasi must start from.We are now witnessing massive Industry collapse, new sanctions which we are imposing on ourselves.The Country has suffered under embargoes much of what remained collapsed in subsequent years due to looting, and a breakdown in maintenance. This is what ED is trying to fix but the fuel shortage is the greatest down fall.All eyes are not on Mthuli but on Chasi. Can his name be of any help or is it his attention to work. the main factor behind the recent shortages,is foreign currency. FUEL IS NOT a foreign currency source it actually spends it. However it is important to take into account that demand for energy and oil products has been high because of the rejuvenation of industry and the availability of cars.The oil and gas shortages have hit both individuals and the wider economy.Zimbabwe is not getting oil on credit, the state gains from sales to citizens even when prices are subsidised but in our case we are running a loss as a state. That makes oil an important revenue source, which is not generating revenue in Zimbabwe.We must reject the suggestion that sanctions are responsible for civilian suffering."It's a much broader political economy that has caused those fuel shortages, or that determines who is having shortages and who doesn't"There are people in Zimbabwe who have got plenty of access to what they need", Chasi can only control what he can control and the rest is a commitment from the heart of the nation.We should not take every opportunity to paint the picture that the EU and the West' is responsible for the suffering of the Zimbabwean people. We have senior corrupt members responsible.The government also ended a decades-old state monopoly on fuel but it did not help.Fuel needs will soon be sorted as Fortune Mukoma Chasi spins the wand.oil and gas shortages are unlikely to go away any time soon. But ED Has pointed the nation in the right direction by reshuffling albeit a bit late.Vazet2000@yahoo.co.uk
(Bloomberg) -- Vertex Venture Holdings Ltd. raised $230 million in the first close of its fourth Southeast Asian fund to back technology startups across the region and India.

The Singapore-based venture capital arm of Temasek Holdings Pte plans to finalize the funding in the next few months, which could take it above the first close, said Chua Kee Lock, managing partner of Vertex Ventures Southeast Asia and India. Most of the investors in its third fund, including Cathay Financial Holding Co., have backed the new one.

After the success of its bet on ride-hailing app Grab, now Southeast Asias most valuable startup, Vertex plans to continue backing early-stage technology for financial services, enterprise and consumers in the region. The net internal rate of return of its third Southeast Asian and Indian fund, which started in 2016, was 45.2% as of December, according to a presentation to investors.

Our investors have shown confidence in us by participating in the first closing, which hit the initial target of the fund, Chua said. The reality is that there are some concerns about the trade war and valuations and the fundraising environment is getting harder.

Earlier Vertex investments include online shopping store FirstCry.com; InstaReM, a cross-border digital payments startup; Validus, an online financing marketplace; and Binance Asia, a cryptocurrency exchange platform.

The VC firm got its start three decades ago and Chua joined as chief executive officer of Vertex Venture Holdings in 2008 and expanded it into a global operation with $2.5 billion under management as of October. Today, it manages portfolios in China, Israel, India, Southeast Asia and the U.S.

The new fund comes amid a flurry of fundraising activities in the region. Jungle Ventures is currently raising a $200 million fund, while Golden Gate Ventures has teamed up with South Koreas Hanwha Asset Management to raise a $200 million fund.

To contact the reporter on this story: Yoolim Lee in Singapore at yoolim@bloomberg.net

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To contact the editors responsible for this story: Edwin Chan at echan273@bloomberg.net, Robert Fenner, Peter Elstrom

For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com

2019 Bloomberg L.P.
Burke/Triolo Productions/ThinkstockMaddie & Tae discuss their new EP, One Heart to Another, on Thursday's episode of Pickler & Ben. Check your local listings to see when the syndicated show airs in your area.

The self-titled debut album from former Nashville actress Clare Bowen is set to be released July 12. She kicks off her summer tour July 29 at New York City's City Winery.

You can check out Cam's new acoustic video for "So Long" on YouTube. The stripped-down version of her collaboration with electronic producer/DJ Diplo was shot at The Cave Studio in Nashville.

If you missed Filmore doing his debut single, "Slower," on the Today show, you can check out the Missouri native's performance online.

Copyright  2019, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
Man ejected from Atlantic Gold public meeting shocked by 'violence'

St Barbara Ltd., an Australian gold producer, has agreed to purchase Atlantic Gold.

Vancouver-based Atlantic Gold is operating and developing open pit gold mines in Nova Scotia.

St Barbara offered $2.90 a share for Atlantic Gold in the $722-million deal, according to media releases.

Atlantic Gold said its board unanimously approved the offer.

Atlantic Gold began producing last year at the Touquoy site at Moose River Gold Mines, about 40 kilometres inland from Sheet Harbour, N.S.

Three more sites  Beaver Dam, Cochrane Hill and Fifteen Mile Stream  are in development nearby and will start producing in 2021-2022, pending environmental assessments.

Atlantic Gold was also actively exploring additional deposits in Nova Scotia.

Last month, Eastern Shore residents protested Atlantic Gold's proposed Cochrane Hill mine near Melrose, N.S., raising concerns about the mine's potential impact on the watershed, at-risk species and tourism industry.

The projects are expected to create hundreds of jobs, but will only span about six years.

St Barbara operates an underground gold mine in Australia and an open pit mine in Papua New Guinea.

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FILE - In this Friday, April 26, 2019 file photo, Red Bull's Max Verstappen of the Netherlands gestures before the first free practice at the Baku Formula One city circuit, in Baku, Azerbaijan. The Dutch Grand Prix will return to the Formula One calendar in 2020 for the first time since 1985. (AP Photo/Sergei Grits, File)

ZANDVOORT, Netherlands (AP)  The Dutch Grand Prix will return to the Formula One calendar next year for the first time since 1985.

The Zandvoort track on the Dutch coast, which hosted 30 F1 races from 1952-85, will be rebuilt in the coming months to host the race.

It's not clear when the race would slot into the already packed calendar, which also has a new race in Vietnam confirmed for 2020, but F1 organizers said Zandvoort will host races until at least 2022.

Red Bull driver Max Verstappen, who is Dutch, is in third place in the F1 standings and has a large and devoted fan base in the Netherlands.

"With the popularity of Max Verstappen I'm sure there will be a huge number of fans in attendance," FIA president Jean Todt said. "There is now a lot of preparation needed to bring the circuit up to the required safety standards to host a Formula One race."

The last driver to win an F1 race at the Zandvoort track was Niki Lauda, then a driver for McLaren and now the non-executive chairman of the Mercedes team.

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More AP sports: https://apnews.com/apf-sports and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
WASHINGTON (AP)  International worries that the Trump administration is sliding toward war with Iran flared into the open Tuesday amid skepticism about its claims that the Islamic Republic poses a growing threat to the U.S. and its allies in the Persian Gulf and beyond .

The U.S. military rebutted doubts expressed by a British general about such a threat. President Donald Trump denied a report that the administration has updated plans to send more than 100,000 troops to counter Iran if necessary. But Trump then stirred the controversy further by saying: "Would I do that? Absolutely."

The general's remarks exposed international skepticism over the American military build-up in the Middle East, a legacy of the 2003 invasion of Iraq that was predicated on false intelligence. U.S. officials have not publicly provided any evidence to back up claims of an increased Iranian threat amid other signs of allied unease.

As tensions in the region started to surge, British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said his nation was worried about the risk of accidental conflict "with an escalation that is unintended really on either side." Then on Tuesday, Spain temporarily pulled one of its frigates from the U.S.-led combat fleet heading toward the Strait of Hormuz. That was followed by the unusual public challenge to the Trump administration by the general.

"No, there's been no increased threat from Iranian-backed forces in Iraq and Syria," said Maj. Gen. Chris Ghika, a senior officer in the U.S.-backed coalition fighting the Islamic State group. Ghika, speaking in a video conference from coalition headquarters in Baghdad, told reporters at the Pentagon that the coalition monitors the presence of Iranian-backed forces "along with a whole range of others because that's the environment we're in."

But he added, "There are a substantial number of militia groups in Iraq and Syria, and we don't see any increased threat from any of them at this stage."

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Late in the day, in a rare public rebuttal of an allied military officer, U.S. Central Command said Ghika's remarks "run counter to the identified credible threats" from Iranian-backed forces in the Mideast. In a written statement, Central Command said the coalition in Baghdad has increased the alert level for all service members in Iraq and Syria.

"As a result, (the coalition) is now at a high level of alert as we continue to closely monitor credible and possibly imminent threats to U.S. forces in Iraq," the statement said.

At the White House, Trump, who has repeatedly argued for avoiding long-term conflicts in the Mideast, discounted a New York Times report that the U.S. has updated plans that could send up to 120,000 troops to counter Iran if it attacked American forces.

"Would I do that? Absolutely," he told reporters. "But we have not planned for that. Hopefully we're not going to have to plan for that. If we did that, we'd send a hell of a lot more troops than that."

Reinforcing Trump's denial, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said at a joint news conference in Sochi with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, "We fundamentally do not seek war with Iran."

A Trump administration official said a recent small meeting of national security officials was not focused on a military response to Iran, but instead concentrated on a range of other policy options, including diplomacy and economic sanctions. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations.

Lavrov said Pompeo told him that a potential deployment of 120,000 U.S. troops to the Mideast was only a "rumor." Lavrov said the international community needs to focus on diplomacy with Iran, including on the potentially explosive issue of Iran's nuclear program, which is constrained by a U.S.-brokered deal in 2015 that Trump has abandoned.

U.S. Iran envoy Brian Hook told reporters traveling with Pompeo in Brussels that the secretary of state shared intelligence on Iran with allies since "Europe shares our concerns about stability in the Gulf and the Middle East." What the Europeans do not share, however, is Washington's more aggressive approach to Iran.

"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.

"What we need is a period of calm to make sure that everyone understands what the other side is thinking," Hunt said.

Last week, U.S. officials said they had detected signs of Iranian preparations for potential attacks on U.S. forces and interests in the Mideast, but Washington has not spelled out that threat.

The U.S. has about 5,000 troops in Iraq and about 2,000 in Syria as part of the coalition campaign to defeat the Islamic State group there. It also has long had a variety of air and naval forces stationed in Bahrain, Qatar and elsewhere in the Gulf, partly to support military operations against IS and partly as a counter to Iranian influence.

Gen. Ghika's comments came amid dramatically heightened tensions in the Middle East. The U.S. in recent days has ordered the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier strike group to the Gulf region, plus four B-52 bombers. It also is moving a Patriot air-defense missile battery to an undisclosed country in the area. As of Tuesday, the Lincoln and its strike group had passed through the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait in the Red Sea, but officials would not disclose their exact location.

Tensions rose another notch with reports Sunday that four commercial vessels anchored off the United Arab Emirates had been damaged by sabotage.

A U.S. military team was sent to the UAE to investigate, and one U.S. official said the initial assessment is that each ship has a 5- to 10-foot hole in it, near or just below the water line. The official, who was not authorized to publicly discuss details of the investigation, said the early interpretation is that the holes were caused by explosive charges.

The official on Tuesday acknowledged seeing some photographs of the damage to the ships, but those images have not been made public. The official also said that the team is continuing to conduct forensic testing on the ship damage and that U.S. leaders are still awaiting the final report. The team's initial assessment is that the damage was done by Iranian or Iranian-backed proxies, but they are still going through the evidence and have not yet reached a final conclusion, the official said.

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AP Diplomatic Writer Matthew Lee and AP writer Zeke Miller contributed to this report.
The Menomonie Police Department has identified the victim of a Tuesday night motorcycle crash as Levi Collin Benson, 40.

Benson was not wearing a helmet at the time of the accident, the department said in a news release Thursday.

Benson was found pronounced dead Tuesday at the site of a single-vehicle motorcycle crash in the 1900 block of Dairyland Road at 9:55 p.m. Tuesday.

Speed and alcohol were possible factors in the crash.

The department and the Menomonie Fire Department responded to the crash. The department and the Wisconsin State Patrol are investigating the accident.

The department wrote in the release Thursday: Our sincere condolences go out to the family of Levi Benson.

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Republicans on the Legislatures budget-writing committee voted for more money for the Wisconsin Technical College System but not as much as what Democrats and the colleges requested.

The $25 million in new funding approved by the Joint Finance Committee was more than the $18 million Democratic Gov. Tony Evers initially proposed in his 2019-21 budget plan.

On Wednesday, Evers requested that lawmakers tack an additional $18 million onto the budget to fully fund the colleges request because Wisconsin is set to collect $753 million more in tax revenue than previously estimated, according to an analysis by the nonpartisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau released Wednesday.

The Democratic proposal failed on a party-line vote.

Democrats argued fully funding the technical colleges in this budget cycle would begin to make up for deep cuts made during former Republican Gov. Scott Walkers tenure.

In the 2011-13 budget biennium, lawmakers cut 30 percent of state money from the technical colleges, from $119 million to $83.5 million. In the three budget cycles since then, the colleges received one 6% funding increase, or about $5 million.

Rep. Evan Goyke, D-Milwaukee, said the data show the damage and cuts that have been done.

Republicans agreed with Democrats on the valuable role technical colleges serve in training the states workers and the success those colleges have had in graduation and job placement rates.

But fully funding the agencys request would not be fiscally responsible when other agency requests are also taken into account, they said.

There is a balance to be had, said Rep. Shannon Zimmerman, R-River Falls. And there is a responsibility that we have to not go to that well too often or in too great of a way because the harm can be irreparable.

The $25 million boost passed 11-4, also on party lines.

Technical colleges spokesman Conor Smyth said the money would allow colleges to address local needs they have identified, such as adding course sections for high-demand programs such as nursing or creating new curriculum and programming in response to local employers needs.

Madison Area Technical College President Jack Daniels said in an interview that the money will help MATC expand dual-credit course offerings for high school students to earn college credit and increase capacity for high-demand apprenticeship programs, such as construction, electrical and plumbing.

He also said some of the money will go toward student support services, such as advising and counseling, which can be particularly helpful for communities in south Madison where access has been traditionally limited.

What are we going to provide so those student are retained and stay in those programs? Daniels said. Thats what those wraparound services will do.

The request still requires approval from the full Legislature and Evers. If enacted on time, the budget will take effect July 1.

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Were not short of a few here

On the prickle farm here, we are not short of a few kangaroos.

When I walk or drive down the paddock its not hard to count between 30 and 40 of the hopping marsupials.

When they see me, they head toward the fences and I try not to scare them because fences damaged by fleeing roos are time consuming to repair.

Mostly, roos go under fences but when frightened, the big ones go over, the medium sized ones try to go through and the little ones generally go under. Its the middle-sized ones which do the most damage.

I dont mind a few running around and when the Danish mother of our son-in-law came to visit, she was enthralled with them.

Theres nothing similar in Denmark.

Permanent water

Now on the prickle farm we have no permanent water; we rely on run-off into dams and they usually stand the test. Not so this year, several are dry  understandable in the conditions but it has me wondering, what would the roos do if the dams dry up?

Theres a creek over the hill about 10km, it usually has good water but at present, it too is dry.

So I went to the fire wardens map I have just as an interest to see where the closest permanent water not made by humans and it turns out to be 20km north.

If it wasnt for mans intervention, where would the kangaroos get a drink?

I love reading history

The land we live on was settled in 1840 by the Leslie Brothers, their main station at Canning Downs is 25km north of us.

The settlers had trouble with dingoes, eagles and some of the indigenous people taking their sheep but their diaries made little mention of the hopping marsupials.

Im not saying there were none, there were plenty but only where they could get water every day.

During a wet time, theyd have spread out across the countryside but dry times saw them back near the permanent water.

So how many were there and how many now?

Australiadidnt have much water away from the coastal rivers  look at recent television coverage of the Darling River - however, as man moved in, he made permanent water and the kangaroos followed.

We built dams, we put weirs in the creeks and rivers, we dug bores and put up windmills to pump water into troughs, bores into the Great Artesian Basin didnt need pumps, it poured out over the land and farmers made bore-drains to take water all across their land and, of course, the kangaroos not only found good water, the bore drains provided excellent feed.

In 2017, there was estimated to be 50 million kangaroos in Australia, a number which goes up and down depending on conditions but this is the largest number ever recorded, said to have increased by six million in two years and to have doubled in the previous six years.

Back in 2009, there were estimated to be 27 million 'roos.

Do we have more roos now than when white man first arrived? Undoubtedly.

In fact, kangaroos are the most numerous of all large wild land animals on earth and now we have kangaroos where they were never meant to be.

Drought

The figures quoted by authorities show how, during a decent drought, Kangaroo numbers can drop Australia-wide by 20 million.

Twenty million? Almost the entire population of humans in this country.

Im sure when God created our world, He never meant for animals to suffer by dying in droughts.

"If you don't cull the kangaroos or don't reduce their populations in some way, then you're going to lose a lot of other biodiversity," Professor Davis Paton of the University of Adelaide told Australia's ABC News.

We brought water to inland Australia and now we reap the consequences.

John Skinner is a retired journalist who has written nine biographies on famous campdrafting competitors. He was an Australian infantry soldier wounded in Vietnam, served six years as a Police Officer, was CEO of the then Australian Rough Riders Assn (Pro-Rodeo based in Warwick, Qld). He and his wife Marion retired to a small farm 25km south of Warwick 20 years ago. They have three children and now seven grandchildren.
Photo - Joan Tronson in the Land Army 1943 - telling others of the Lord

Reverend Dr David Smethurst is in his 70s and for many years has developed several international missional identities all of which are faith financed based.

One of these is associated with Eastern Europes Baltic States where he has several major orphanages which the various States recognize and support by having such children sent to these faith based aid-houses.

Another are his well established trusted links with the military in those States where he is invited to evangelise and preach and run seminars and engender workshops .

Another is as an international evangelist and preacher - England, Africa, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Zimbawe, South Africa, USA . plus plus plus

In one of our many conversations over the years, succession plans have come up, and David Smethurst has affirmed that the Lord has raised him up in these specific areas of ministry.

In other words what happens when he is called home to Glory is out of his orbit, the Lord will undoubtedly raise-up someone else and inevitably, things will be done differently, new sources of resources will be found - it is in the Lords hands.

Reverend Simon Manchester

In 2002 at an Around the Tables missions gathering in Sydney, the North Sydney St Thomas Anglican Senior Minister Reverend Simon Manchester spoke and his focus was on the Lords trust in you at this time to fulfill His purposes.

At another time and place, possibly long after each of us have gone, the Lord will continue to raise up others  not to follow in your footsteps like a pet on a lead, rather something new and fresh and challenging and exciting in that time and era.

The Lord has no grand-children in ministry / ministries. The Lord has given you as an individual missional causes and objectives and outreaches - this is unique to you, your personality, your character, it cannot be passed on. Our calling in ministry is to focus on today.

Photo - Seymour and Joan Tronson 1947 marriage  raised a family in the Lord

Fear of the future

Reading Harry Richardsons article in the Pickering Post titled Islam will only be defeated  by Islam - makes some foucs points in a similar vein to the above.

Islam he points out grows through violent conquest as we saw with ISIS. He says there may be long periods where Islam is relatively peaceful and occurs when Islam is not powerful. That is the Islam we have since the end of WWII until very recent times. He points out Muslims have converted to other religions or abandoned it.

Richardson states that Islam is indefensible in rationale debate. When debate occurs Muslims over and over again are shattered. They are raised to believe they must never question. When Islam is shown to be little more than a self serving bandit creed, those with an education lose Islam incredibly quickly.

We have already seen this where Muslims become free to pursue life, love and happiness in this life rather than the next. What stands in the way, Richardson says are our own leaders who pretend cultural relativism (are cultures are equal). Our leaders insist on flooding the West with such to enrich and strengthen diversity.

Islam, he says is a supremacist ideology, oppressing women and non-believers. Its hallmarks are slavery, violence, theft, murder and cultural destruction  extremist Islam will only expose the hypocrisy of its own dogma. Both Islam and moral relativism need throwing in the dustbin and relearn the importance of western culture and values.

This illustrates freedom, economic prosperity and the subjugation of our leaders to the we the people  until then, young Muslim men and their victims will die by acts of violence. Young Christian girls and non-Muslin girls will continue to be trafficked as sex slaves. The West will continue to experience Jihadist campaigns of mass murder. Until such thinkers in the West rise up and force from power these relativists, Richardson noted.

Photo - Walter and Jesse Tronson 1909 wedding in the Christian tradition of the era

All three

What do all these three (above) reflect.

First, The Lord trusts each one of us, especially in Christian leadership roles to joyfully accept His Grace and leave the future to the One who knows best.

Second, each us has a uniqueness that no one else can copy or should copy. Rejoice in the Lords blessing in ministry and leave it to the Lord.

Third, Richardson points out Christianity has been around for a long time. Nazism lasted for a few years but its moral vacuum saw it destroyed. Russias communism similarly, it died from within. So too he believes will Islam. ISIS is an example of this, there comes a time when ..

Photo - Joan Tronson in the Land Army 1943 - picking fruit as was her evangelistic custom

Dr Mark Tronson is a Baptist minister (retired) who served as the Australian cricket team chaplain for 17 years (2000 ret) and established Life After Cricket in 2001. He was recognised by the Olympic Ministry Medal in 2009 presented by Carl Lewis Olympian of the Century. He mentors young writers and has written 24 books, and enjoys writing. He is married to Delma, with four adult children and grand-children. Dr Tronson writes a daily article for Christian Today Australia (since 2008) and in November 2016 established Christian Today New Zealand.

Mark Tronson's archive of articles can be viewed at http://www.pressserviceinternational.org/mark-tronson.html
Photo - Akhiser, Turkey

There is an increase in the incidents where citizens take matters into their own hands if they are physically threatened.

News reports and evidence show that this has been occurring since 9/11 when the brave passengers on the hijacked plane headed for the White House overpowered the hijackers and crashed the plane in a field in Pennsylvania even though they realised they would also die in the crash.

It is amazing that this brave act was facilitated by modern electronic communications, because family members had texted and called some of the passengers on the plane on their mobile phones, telling them of the planes that had already hit the World Trade Centre and the Pentagon. They knew that they were saving many lives by being vigilantes in that situation.

Since then, there have been many other reports in the international news, and this probably only represents the tip of the iceberg. It is because of those incidents, too, that most airlines now have plain-clothes security guards on international (and some domestic) flights.

There was the infamous 'shoe bomber' who tried (unsuccessfully) to ignite a bomb in his shoe, and was dis-enabled by passengers and crew. This man was an Anglo-Saxon Englishman, and no 'racial profiling' in the world would have indicated he was a risk on an aeroplane!

There have also been incidents of individuals of all races becoming violent due to illness, stress or alcohol, and being restrained by other passengers some involving Australian sportsmen behaving abominably towards other passengers. In former days, this would have been tolerated but complained about: today, the passengers and crew take it into their own hands to restrain anyone who is violent or suspicious in the name of safety for everyone else.

This reminds me of the story in the Book of Nehemiah 4: 17-18 where the people rebuilding city walls were instructed to carry their swords, in order to protect themselves from any attackers from outside the city.

Photo - Hierapolis, Turkey

Retribution attacks

Since the death of Osama Bin Laden, the world has understandably become more aware of possible retribution attacks by his ideological supporters. Whether it is journalists looking for stories, or whether there has been more vigilantism, it is impossible to know.

One involved the suspicious behaviour of a passenger with a Yemeni passport (but that was not known at the time) who was seen rushing for an airline door during a flight, and was detained by passengers and crew members. He was handcuffed.

What is happening? Whenever there is something significantly suspicious or seemingly untoward going-down, citizens are taking matters into their own hands, with or without the authorities being complicit, to ensure their own safely and the security of others.

Even closer to home, there have been reported incidents where people have thought that vigilantism was necessary. For example, you may recall 72-year-old AFL legend Ron Barassi tackled the man who was striking a young woman in a Melbourne city street.

However it is sometimes not a good idea to intervene; a couple of years ago in a similar incident, a Dutch tourist died while protecting another woman who was being attacked. Commentator Andrew Bolt was attacked on a Melbourne street in daylight and he fought back with the cowards running away.

In Sydney recently, three family members held down a home invader until police arrived. Yet recently, when a young man tried to stop his friends fighting on a suburban railway station, two of them fell onto the tracks and one of them died. This is reminiscent of the character Mercutio in the Shakespeare play 'Romeo and Juliet', who died when trying to stop a fight between Romeo and Juliet's cousin. This fictional incident led to the famous quote 'A plague on both your houses!'

Photo - Ephesus, Turkey

Woken up private citizens

I surmise that recent world events have 'woken up' private citizens as to the danger they and their fellow-citizens may find themselves in, and have alerted people to be more pro-active in defending themselves (and those they see weaker than themselves) more than in recent decades. Many of these actions have been seen as good and heroic, for the benefit of society as a whole

However, whenever this vigilantism is practised, there are dangers that there will be an over-reaction. The atmosphere can have a multiplier effect, where everyone becomes suspicious of everyone else. As two of the incidents above show, there can be personal danger as well. Moreover, in America where guns are more available, this can have even more disastrous results. Melbourne has many African young people rampant on the streets (unless you talk to the governing politicians who say  no, no, no, no  they are young people without jobs or purpose)  will we see a vigilantism response when it completely gets out of hand.

Australians need to be alert, and to take their duties as good citizens seriously as Nehemiah suggests, but to be aware when they may in fact be either putting themselves or others in more danger, or when they may be over-reacting due to prejudice - without evidence that the situation is in fact out of hand.

Photo - Apollos, Turkey

Dr Mark Tronson is a Baptist minister (retired) who served as the Australian cricket team chaplain for 17 years (2000 ret) and established Life After Cricket in 2001. He was recognised by the Olympic Ministry Medal in 2009 presented by Carl Lewis Olympian of the Century. He mentors young writers and has written 24 books, and enjoys writing. He is married to Delma, with four adult children and grand-children. Dr Tronson writes a daily article for Christian Today Australia (since 2008) and in November 2016 established Christian Today New Zealand.

Mark Tronson's archive of articles can be viewed at http://www.pressserviceinternational.org/mark-tronson.html
Former Gov. David Paterson has a new gig, and according to him, its one that has been a lifelong mission. Paterson, who is completely blind in his left eye and legally blind in his right eye, is now consulting for AudioEye, a company that offers tools to make websites more accessible to people with disabilities, including vision impairment, epilepsy and autism. New York, in particular, has seen a rise in the number of lawsuits claiming that companies with inaccessible websites are violating the terms of the Americans with Disabilities Act. AudioEye is a platform to help websites cater their accessibility offerings to those with a range of disabilities, not just a single tool like a screen reader that can read text to those with vision impairments.

City & State spoke with Paterson about the next frontier in digital accessibility, how the state Legislature can help and his advice to the states new Democratic majority. The responses have been edited for length and clarity.

What does it mean for a website to be fully accessible?

I define a difference between accessibility and usability. Accessibility means, for instance, if you have a Kindle, it can read to you, as opposed to you reading print. But the Kindle has never been particularly usable because you have to see to turn it on. As I found out  which is when my Kindle got hurled out my window  if you stop reading and go to the kitchen or something and come back, itll take you 45 minutes to get back to where you were.

How did accessibility offerings change when the Americans with Disabilities Act became law in 1990?

The interesting thing about the Americans with Disabilities Act is the speed with which the real estate industry and the construction industry adapted to providing accessibility in buildings to the disabled. When women got the right to vote years ago, they didnt really get to exercise it for a long time. And even after the federal Civil Rights Act or the Brown v. Board of Education decision, we still had school districts and areas not in compliance 35 to 40 years later. But a very good campaign was waged to the point that as soon as maybe five to 10 years after the (ADA) was signed, if you wanted to build a building and you told a construction company, Oh, forget the disabled accessibility, were not going to do that, dont build any ramps, if they sue us well deal with it, you couldnt even find a construction company to build a building because everybody knew that lawsuits might be coming. Theres been tremendous strides in that area.

Have we seen those same strides with digital accessibility?

In the digital corollaries  the websites, the mobile sites, the mobile utilities  that kind of rigor has not been extended to those areas. Even right now, on the United States governments websites, there are only two that are really functioning, and they are the Social Security Administration and the Federal Communications Commission. One of the worst is the Department of Education, which is of course one of the real needs of people with disabilities. Both of them were corrected by AudioEye in the last few years.

What is it about AudioEye that stands out to you as a platform that makes accessibility work?

Basically what theyve done is extend it beyond just blind people, to people with epilepsy, for instance. Websites that have a lot of activity, where there are always flashing picture of ads coming in or content thats not related to what youre looking at, or even sometimes just lights going off and on  AudioEye has been able to put snippets of code on the websites that signal to the screen reader that the person who is coming to the website is either blind or has epilepsy, for instance, that the format would be related to the disability, which is groundbreaking.

New York has seen a surge in lawsuits over website accessibility. Are companies just stalling on offering more accommodations?

Sometimes, try though you may  and in government we learn this all the time  but you just didnt think about this particular circumstance that might come up after you have introduced a new product or sometimes a new law has a flaw in it and youve got to go back and fix it. Society has always been sort of slow to make those changes.

Whats been your experience with those slow changes?

Amazon, when I was consulting for another agency, we told them in 2007 that the Kindle didnt work. They did nothing about it. It was kind of like, Look, we did what we did. Get a relative to turn it on for you. I mean, that was their attitude. And by the way, I was for Amazon coming to New York, that wouldve been great for the state. But on another level, I thought they were almost abusive in the way they treated us. We were just trying to tell them, Look, youre advertising that this solves a problem, and youre sitting there, and you know that it doesnt.

State Sen. Diane Savino floated the idea of legislation to curb these lawsuits as well as regulations to ensure that companies follow clear requirements for digital accessibility. Can the state Legislature help in this effort?

The Legislature is late to the dance because I was talking about this when I was governor, and not getting that much cooperation. So Im glad that theyve finally realized that this is the case. But with or without the Legislature, this is federal law. And Section 508 of the Americans with Disability (Act) is a section that the case law has now confirmed includes digital activity and electronic activity as well as (the) construction and renovation of buildings.

Do you think that legislation requiring more accessible accommodations would be supported in todays Legislature?

I think that the Democrats were always more interested in doing it than the Republicans, who tended to be sympathetic to the plight of a lot of the owners of these companies. But I think that at this point, the data is so convincing that even the Republicans will see that theyll be doing these companies a favor. Theyll make money off of this.

There is a kind of untapped market here, right?

Blind people are far more apt to order things online  if they can get online  than the average public. Ive been around a long time, and most places I go in New York, people kind of know me as soon as I come in. But I still, when I walk into a store and theyre kind of looking at me, I still get a feeling of anxiety that I have to ask, Will somebody help me? Im not exactly sure what theyre going to say. Whereas I can go online at home, Im anonymous, they send (a package) to my building, my doorman brings it up to me, and I have no problem.

And what about from Gov. Andrew Cuomo?

Gov. Cuomo has been an advocate. This is not a subject that Ive talked to him about for a number of years, so I cant say that I know specifically what hes done, but I just know that conversations that Ive had with him over the years  we dont have to worry about Gov. Cuomo. Hes an advocate.

How do you think Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Democrats are dealing with the new balance in the state Legislature?

Democrats controlled both houses in 2009 and 2010, and that didnt work out very well for them. And Republicans controlled both houses in the United States Congress between 2016 and 2018, and that didnt work out very well for them. So theres got to be an understanding that even though you have a majority, youve got to find a way to be reaching out to the entire population. Unfortunately, when one party emerges as the winner and has both houses, they can tend to be a little too extreme. I think what theyve got to work on are some major pieces of legislation that never got passed because they didnt have the votes in those days, but also a decorum that still represents the whole state.

Why do you think were seeing a rift within the Democratic Party between progressive insurgents and the partys old guard?

Its politics. Even when you have total control, it may be uniformity, but its not necessarily unity. People still have individual interests. They had an Independent Democratic Conference when they thought that was the cool thing to do. They were suspicious of what the leaders were doing. But after a while, they were getting to the point where they were shown more favor (by Republicans) than the Democratic minority. So we went out and hired this great consultant who helped organize the 2018 campaign. His name is Donald Trump. Just the mention of his name, and people got wiped out. And now we have a different system. What Im hoping is that in the new system, they dont repeat the mistakes of the past. Just because youre in power, doesnt mean you have to wield it with an iron hand.
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Medicinal cannabis got several hours of legislative debate Wednesday evening before moving off the agenda, most likely for the rest of this waning session.

"Honestly, this was my colleagues' chance to do something, and I was giving them the decision on whether they wanted to take action or not," said Lincoln Sen. Anna Wishart, who introduced the legalization bill (LB110).

Wishart worked with a number of groups in the past few months to improve the bill, she said. Two of the changes she made in compromise were to eliminate the ability for patients to grow plants at their home, and to prohibit smoking the drug.

She said she was open to addressing people's concerns.

"We're crafting this together," she said. "This is a group project."

Wishart said she recognized that in order to get something through the Legislature you have to listen to a diversity of voices and adopt solutions for their concerns. She did that on a number of fronts.

In her opening, Wishart said cannabis has been used medicinally by humans for thousands of years. She introduced the bill, she said, on behalf of Nebraskans who have reached out to her in favor of cannabis reform. They included people who were old, young and middle-aged, who lived in urban and rural parts of the state.

On Wednesday night, several families who have lobbied for legalization for a number of years, were watching the debate.

Sen. Lynne Walz read testimony from one the moms who was present and watching from the balcony, Crista Eggers of Omaha, whose son Colton, 4, has severe, intractable epilepsy. She has epilepsy, herself, that caused uncontrolled seizures, despite every medication treatment and surgical option available.

"The pain of now watching my child go through this is almost unbearable," she said. "I would describe (his grand mal seizures) as the most terrifying things you will ever see."

Ten medications he has been on do nothing but cause a long list of side effects, she said.

"Please fight alongside of us, not against us," Eggers said in her testimony on the bill. "Colton's life and thousands of others depend on it."

Wishart said she considers the amended version of the bill to be one of the best public health models for medicinal cannabis in the country.

Sen. Sue Crawford of Bellevue attempted to amend the bill further by prohibiting legalization of edible cannabis products, such as candies and cookies, that children would be enticed to eat. Wishart said she would have supported that, too.

But there were too many senators who just couldn't join her.

Sen. Matt Williams of Gothenburg said senators need to separate fact from fiction in making their decisions on the bill, and look for proven processes.

"My constituents are dead set against this," he said.

During debate, opponents brought up the lack of approval by the federal Food and Drug Administration, the dangers when users of the drug drive impaired, and the medical and mental health dangers they have read or heard about with the drug.

In the past couple of weeks, including Wednesday afternoon, groups have shown up in the Capitol rotunda to oppose legalizing marijuana, no matter for what purpose. Some have come to support the bill. One of those groups, Moms Against Marijuana, brought a doctor who moved to Nebraska from Colorado, where the drug is legal both for recreational and medicinal purposes, to speak to senators and others gathered.

Dr. Monica Oldenburg, an anesthesiologist who practices in Lincoln, said use of the drug in Colorado wasn't widespread for the first five years it was legal. But in 2009, when dispensaries became commonplace, she began seeing in her medical practice more patients who were using it, saying it helped them sleep or helped their asthma.

Oldenburg said that when recreational marijuana was approved in 2012, most doctors were neutral.

"But then the tsunami hit. Overnight it seemed like a quarter of my patients were daily users," she said.

She went on to say it changed not only her practice of medicine but her home life. So she and her husband quit their jobs and uprooted six angry kids and moved to Nebraska. Now she is trying to ensure it isn't legalized here.

Gov. Pete Ricketts also opposes the bill, and wrote a column about it last week.

"Once the marijuana industry puts roots down here, Nebraska will be under pressure to legalize recreational use," Ricketts said.

Wishart had given the bill less than a 30 percent chance of getting through the Legislature. She and Lincoln Sen. Adam Morfeld have already begun gathering signatures on a petition initiative to go on the 2020 general election ballot, and she gives that an 80 percent chance of passing. If it does pass by a vote of the people, it would have far fewer controls.

Morfeld also said this was the Legislature's last chance to pass a reasonable and narrowly tailored medical cannabis law. The polling he has seen -- at least three polls -- is off the charts in support of legalization, he said.

If the senators do nothing, Wishart said, they are sticking their heads in the sand, understanding that people in the state are consuming cannabis illicitly.

"But we are preventing them from actually working with a health care professional to do it the right way and the healthy way," she said.

Reach the writer at 402-473-7228 or jyoung@journalstar.com. On Twitter @LJSLegislature.

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The Legislature's Revenue Committee on Thursday sent to the floor a proposal to exempt 50 percent of military retirement benefits from the state income tax, a change that would reduce state revenue by an estimated $12 million in fiscal 2020-2021.

The bill (LB153) was introduced by Sen. Tom Brewer of Gordon at the request of Gov. Pete Ricketts.

The legislation would affect more than 13,000 military retirees in Nebraska.

"We want to make Nebraska the most veteran-friendly state in the country and encourage our heroes to stay in our state and move here," the governor said in announcing his support for the proposal earlier this year.

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The members of Sons of Serendip are no strangers to Nebraska despite being based on the East Coast.

The quartet got a good piece of advice a few years ago when their Nebraska audience made a dining recommendation to them after they announced they had tried Taco Johns for the first time during a tour stop that brought them through the Cornhusker state.

We (had been) looking forward to trying Taco Johns for the first time because we didnt have that from where were from, recalled lead vocalist Micah Christian, a native of Randolph, Massachusetts. Someone said, youve got to try Runza, youve got to try Runza. So the next day we tried Runza.

A classical crossover ensemble made of tenor, harp, cello and piano/keyboard, Sons of Serendip has made a name for itself thanks to Christians angelic vocals combined with the expert musicianship of his bandmates, Kendall Ramseur (cellist), Cordaro Rodriguez (pianist) and Mason Morton (harpist). The group seamlessly blends elements of all sorts of music into a kind that is unequivocally its own.

And theyre bringing their uplifting signature sound to town for a 7:30 p.m. Saturday, May 25, concert at the Nantkes Performing Arts Center, 2200 26th St. in Columbus.

We always hope for an engaging audience and Nebraska has done that every single time. Weve met so many wonderful people  everybody weve met has been so nice. The audiences weve performed for have been some of the best, Christian said of the groups Nebraska concerts in the past.

The local show will serve as the 2018-2019 season finale for the (Columbus) Friends of Music.

Were just thrilled to have them, Friends Of Music President Mike Moser said, noting SOS experience performing on television and touring all over the place. It will be a great show.

Sons of Serendip is perhaps best known for becoming a finalist during season nine of NBCs Americas Got Talent, and then reappearing earlier this year on the spinoff, AGT: The Champions. The latter program's format is similar to that of the main edition but features a variety of winners, finalists and other successful or notable participants from the American and other international editions of the Got Talent franchise.

Christian said he and his bandmates heard about the spinoff show last year and werent necessarily expecting an invitation due to the abundant amount of acts to choose from. So, he said, it was wonderful to have a chance to return to the show and perform for the judges and America.

We were very grateful, he said. We were really honored to go back on stage and show how weve grown  It felt like a family reunion. We reconnected with a lot of the (shows) producers and got a chance to see some of the acts we admired through the history of AGT.

The group got its big break on the show initially during a 2014 episode, performing a soulful and rousing rendition of Somewhere Only We Know that received rave reviews from the judges and viewers.

Making that performance even more special was the fact it was only the second time Sons of Serendip had performed together for an audience. None of them had been looking to form a group until they collectively decided to make a spur-of-the-moment decision to audition for the NBC reality series as a unit. As their name implies, a series of serendipitous events brought them together (Sons of Serendip took their name from a 12th-century Persian tale, The Three Princes of Serendip, which is believed to be the origin of the word serendipity.).

We all had our own separate journeys we were on and we kind of expected that to be the path we would follow, Christian said of the group, which is made of two former teachers, a former music instructor and former attorney. We did not expect this at all.

Ramseur and Rodriguez grew up in North Carolina together, forming a friendship and bond over music. Years later, they reconnected at Boston University in graduate school, where they also met fellow BU students Christian and Morton.

All four men went through their own trials and tribulations that inspired them to join forces and take on an audition for the NBC show about a year-and-a-half after Christian graduated. They had a feeling they had discovered something special, but it was still just a decision they made on a whim and not something they were necessarily banking on.

We didnt know what to expect. We just put together a video and got a call back to audition in front of the judges, Christian recalled. We prepared very well  we rehearsed a lot, we did our best to prepare. The next thing we know we are in the finals. We were like, how the heck did this happen?

Sons of Serendip finished fourth overall out of 10,000 or so acts in season nine, and despite not being crowned champion, the four men walked away with what Christian called priceless memories. Morton, in particular, has at least one good one involving judge and supermodel Heidi Klum.

A highlight was the kiss on the cheek Mason got from Heidi Klum, Christian said, with a laugh.

He said they didnt get a lot of time with the judges on the show besides the audition, but he noted they came across comedian/co-judge Howie Mandel backstage a few times and that he was extremely friendly.

In the years since their first run on AGT, Sons of Serendip has found tremendous success touring the world and releasing three albums to date along the way. Its still very surreal for the musicians.

For us, this experience has been unique because we are getting to go out to parts of the country we would never otherwise see, and were meeting people we would otherwise never get a chance to meet, Christian said. Weve seen some incredible sunrises and sunsets and so much beauty of the country. Weve met some wonderful people  It has been a real blessing.

The band is known for its mix of original songs combined with rearranged covers that take on a life of their own in that they sound nothing like their original counterparts. Carry On Wayward Son by Kansas, Never Can Say Goodbye by The Jackson 5, Yesterday by The Beatles and Leonard Cohens Hallelujah are among the many that have received the SOS treatment.

What we do as a core is we try to create beautiful music. That means rearranging a song or reinterpreting it so in a way the audience feels theyre hearing it for the first time again, Christian said, noting nobody expects to hear a harp or cello on the Kansas hit. I feel we try to add a little more extra beauty. Even with our original material, were trying to create things that are beautiful and make people feel good.

Christian said all four members push and challenge one another when it comes to their music, which is why it continues to work. Theyre able to do that because their friendship with one another is the foundation of the group, a benefit of not being manufactured post-formation. That, and perhaps shared musical influences like Yanni and Hans Zimmer.

They can expect to hear a lot of songs they know, and maybe some songs they may not know, some original material. There will be storytelling, Christian said of their upcoming Columbus concert. We try to create a full experience for the audience. Were creating a moment together. Every concert we experience always feels fresh.

Tickets are $25 apiece, though people can also purchase a $50 season pass for the 2019-2020 season made of five shows and get free admission to the Sons of Serendip concert, Moser noted. Tickets/season passes can be purchased online at the organizations website (concertassociation.net/columbusne/index.cfm), by caling 402-270-2255 or visiting Columbus Music, 2514 13th St.

As for dinner the night of the show for the guys of Sons of Serendip, it will more than likely be the Nebraska staple theyve come to enjoy.

We loved it, Christian said of Runza. So since then, every time were in Nebraska we have to get Runza.

Matt Lindberg is the managing editor of The Columbus Telegram. Reach him via email at matt.lindberg@lee.net.

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Farmer and cattleman Bill Lehr is no stranger to extreme quantities of water. Actually, he experienced his first flood in 1947 when he was just a 6-year-old child living at his parents rural Columbus home.

Now, the 77-year-old man owns that same land in the southwest portion of town. And though there have been plenty of good years, there have also been some tough ones. Prior to Marchs natural disaster, there was the historic flooding of 1993 that ripped through his more than 200 acres and left massive amounts of damage in its wake.

Blizzards, hail, plenty of water - he has seen it all, but nothing compares to the most recent tragedy that left Lehr and so many other producers in Platte County grasping for straws regarding how to piece their lives  and livelihoods  back together.

Ive been telling people that this wasnt a flood, this was a tsunami, Lehr said on Thursday while navigating his red pickup truck around his battered property.

Lehr, the owner of the Lehr Inc., mans about 4,000 head of cattle. The majority of his herd is stationed west of Duncan, but approximately 130 cows and 130 calves living on the rural Columbus property were either killed or not recovered.

It washed out two feeding lines, washed out towers and damaged the wells, said Bills son, Jeff Lehr, of the damage caused to the Columbus property. About 40 acres is completely covered in sand.

As a result, Jeff and his dad wont be planting any corn this spring. The majority of that harvest, Jeff said, goes toward feeding their herd. Currently, lengths of fence all around the property are being installed and repaired. Multiple-feet-deep sinkholes and washouts are still visible all over the property two months out from the flooding. One of his storage sheds has an approximately 20-foot tree running right through an exposed side.

Lehr noted that he hasnt worked directly with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) because the majority of the damage he sustained was to his farm grounds  FEMA individual assistance covers home and business damages. Jeff noted, however, that he filed paperwork with the Farm Service Agency to hopefully secure some dollars to aid with the clean-up process.

So far, I havent seen nothing, Jeff said. Basically you just had to sign up, and I dont know if they have actually come out with what they are going to do or not  You know how that paperwork is.

Not more than a few miles down the road from the Lehr farm sits the T-Bone Truck Stop, which is owned and operated by another Lehr, Bills son, Lance. His business, he said, has been out of operation since Wednesday, March 13, when flood waters really started picking up.

Lance is currently in the process of rewiring his entire facility  it cant open until that is complete. He estimated that there is $500,000 - $700,000 in damage to his property that will need addressing before his business can operate the way it did pre-flood.

Truthfully, there is no real option, Lance said of a viable solution to receiving aid. FEMA would offer you some sort of loan, but I have a local bank that I can already achieve that with. You are already established at your local bank, so why fill out two-days-worth of paperwork to get money from a different direction?"

Ironically, Lance acquired the T-Bone Truck Stop after its previous owner was unable to  or chose not to  pump a sizable amount of money into restoring it following the 1993 flooding fiasco. After sitting vacant for about five years, Lance secured the purchase in 1998.

While the damage is no doubt severe, Lances proactive approach did save him some money in the days leading up the flooding. He salvaged all of the fuel from his numerous pumps and transported it into several empty trailers positioned on higher ground.

With all hes faced, Lance has kept a surprisingly positive outlook. He has kept busy and been able to stay afloat through his other business venture, a fuel-delivery company that transports the substance around an approximately 60-mile radius.

It honestly hasnt been as bad as youd think, just been writing a whole lot of checks, he said.   I do want to say, though, that I am very appreciative to the City of Columbus for all of their help with processing permits in a timely fashion that is allowing us to rebuild.

Although there are still leaps and bounds to be made with getting the truck stop functional, it will undoubtedly take even longer for Bill Lehrs land to recover. Many thoughts have crossed his mind during the seven weeks that have passed since the waters ran wild around his property.

He said he wishes the Loup River would have been dredged in the years leading up the disaster so that maybe not so much sand, silt and debris would have washed across producers land. He has some frustrations and qualms with how the assistance process is going for his friends struggling around him. He wonders if anything could have been done to diminish the after-effects of the flood.

Living in the floodplain, and with his background dealing with Nebraska and its propensity for inclement weather, Lehr noted that he knew sooner or later another flood would bring people in the state to their knees.

He just didnt know it would be like this.

Think of the worst, and then just take it times 10, he said.

Sam Pimper is the news editor of The Columbus Telegram. Reach him via email at sam.pimper@lee.net.

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Harriet A. Schupbach

Age 82

Harriet A. Schupbach, 82, of Lincoln, formerly of Crete, passed away on May 10, 2019.

A Celebration of Life service will be held at 11 a.m. on Friday, May 17, at United Church of Christ, First Congregational in Crete. Visitation will be from 6-8 p.m. on Thursday, May 16 at the church.
BELLEFONTE, Pa.  A judge is letting another former Penn State fraternity member serve his sentence on home confinement instead of in jail in the 2017 death of a pledge.

Former Beta Theta Pi member Luke Visser was resentenced Wednesday to 45 days of home confinement and six months of probation, instead of two months to six months in jail.

Centre County Judge Brian Marshall resentenced two other former Beta Theta Pi members last month, changing their jail sentences to home confinement.

Visser pleaded guilty to hazing charges surrounding the 2017 death of sophomore engineering major Tim Piazza of New Jersey.

Twenty-eight members of the now-shuttered fraternity have faced charges. Most pleaded guilty to hazing- and alcohol-related counts and received probation and community service.

The case prompted Pennsylvania to rewrite its anti-hazing law.

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One of the hardest lessons for young, idealistic and educated people to learn when they come to Washington  and some never learn it  is that nobody is running things. Sure, they know how to hold a press conference or write a law or conduct a study. But no person or group of people has the power to impose their will on society. There are just too many chefs making the soup.

In other words, people have the power to try stuff in the same way generals have the authority to send troops into battle, but as Gen. James Mattis likes to say, The enemy gets a vote. And in politics and public policy, the enemy isnt merely the opposing party or hostile voters, but life  that vast realm of existence governed as much by Murphys Law as Washingtons laws. Facts are stubborn things. The world is complicated.

After Barack Obama got his stimulus passed on the promise that there were millions of shovel-ready jobs, the stimulation never quite materialized as planned, and the shovels tended to stay in the shed. Obama later insisted that the theory behind the stimulus was right, but the problem is that spending it out takes a long time, because theres really nothing  theres no such thing as shovel-ready projects.

This is a hard lesson for people who put immense faith in government to do big, important things. The technocratic New Dealers were sure they were smart enough to allocate resources better than the market. To that end, in 1933, when millions of Americans were going hungry, the government slaughtered some 6 million pigs and threw away the meat in an effort to drive up pork prices. Secretary of Agriculture Henry A. Wallace was convinced America was on the verge of creating a new society.

Only the merest quarter-turn of the heart separates us from a material abundance beyond the fondest dream of anyone present, he told a crowd in Des Moines, Iowa. All we had to do was resist the urge to act like dogs returning to the vomit of capitalism.

Capitalism nauseates because we come into this world with programming for a Stone Age conception of clan life as economist Michael Munger puts it. Our brains are wired to expect someone to be in charge. When bad things happen, it must be because someone intended it. We get angry at perceived slights, inconveniences and tragedies, and our anger needs a target.

This wiring was perfectly adapted for a zero-sum world where resources were finite and political and economic transactions were essentially face-to-face and communal. But in a world where the price of a bag of rice from India is influenced by political turmoil in Indonesia and heavy rains in Arkansas, never mind the overproduction of potatoes (a substitute for expensive rice) in Russia or the Netherlands, blaming your local grocer for charging an extra 50 cents is silly. But its still natural.

When gas prices are too high, many politicians blame oil companies for gouging. When prices are low, these same politicians insist that oil companies shouldnt drill, build pipelines or open new refineries. That one result is correlated to the other is irrelevant to the need to aim anger at someone.

The need to blame is a core driver of conspiratorial thinking. When bad things happen, we look for beneficiaries and then reason backwards that they must have been responsible.

MSNBCs Chris Hayes recently floated the idea on Twitter that Obamas failure to goose the economy was a conspiracy. The excuses big business offered for low investment or wage growth were proven wrong by todays economic boom, Hayes argued (with varying degrees of plausibility). But then he added, ... an even less charitable interpretation: they didnt get it wrong at all. They didnt want full employment, they didnt want wage growth and empowered workers and they certainly didnt want that happening under a Democratic president.

The idea that tens of thousands of businesses chose to needlessly keep wages low  or even go out of business  lest they lend aid and comfort to Obama is preposterous. Because what is true of politicians is also true of everybody else. No one is really in charge of anything, except for a few things in front of their noses and in their heads, and even then control is often an illusion.

Theres nobody behind the curtain pulling the strings. Were all on the stage together, playing our parts.

You can write to Jonah Goldberg by e-mail at goldbergcolumn@gmail.com, or via Twitter @JonahNRO.

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Dear Editor:

I am running for Hampden Township Commissioner because local government matters. Decisions made locally impact downstream and upwind. Local governments must communicate with residents and other municipalities while working with regional and state leaders to build safe and sustainable plans for the future.

In short, it matters.

I seek your support on May 21 (whether Democrat, Republican, third party, or independent) for Hampden Township Commissioner as I look to become more involved in the community where my wife and I are raising our three children. I believe active civic engagement strengthens our increasingly diverse community, for the benefit of all, regardless of age, color, creed, disability, gender, gender identity, national origin, race, religion, sex, or sexual orientation.

As a lifelong Pennsylvania resident, I lived and worked in the field of education on both sides of the Susquehanna River since 1996. First as a science teacher, then civil servant, and now as an administrator, I have academic, professional, and community experiences that will serve our community well as I continue listening and learning to support a safe and sustainable plan for the future. In addition to my professional experience, I have held leadership positions in church, with Boy Scouts, Jackson Township Sewer Authority, and Pennsylvania Special Olympics. Academically, I studied education (PSU), science (RPI), administration (McDaniel and Immaculata), and school business leadership (Wilkes).

Thank you for your interest in our communitys election process.

Ryan E. Argot

Candidate for Hampden Township Commissioner

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Dear Editor:

As a native of Cumberland County, I know what it means to live, work and enjoy life here in our beautiful environs. Cumberland County is my home. Born in Carlisle, I grew up in a family of seven in rural Monroe Township. My childhood was filled with strawberry picking, spring sheep shearing and running through the green expanse of cornfields that surrounded our home.

After graduating from Cumberland Valley High School, I headed off to Penn State to earn my degrees in fine arts and womens studies. Following college, my art career took me to Ireland, to the bucolic countryside outside Burlington, Vermont, and to the vibrant cities of New York and Washington, DC.

Yet after living and working outside of Pennsylvania, I felt called back to Monroe Township because I yearned to return to my roots. My husband and I moved into an old farmhouse in the historic village of Churchtown near Boiling Springs to enjoy the quiet, charming respite that our regions small towns offer.

While the beauty and charm of Cumberland County remains, I am concerned that the growth and rate of changes in our county over the last number of years now threaten what we hold most dear. When droves of mammoth warehouses are drowning out our green open spaces, built on speculation to cover over our precious farmland, the urgency to save what assets we have left has become acute. With some of the most pristine farmland in the world, breathtaking historic homes and majestic mountain vistas of the Appalachians, our glorious Cumberland Valley region deserves our protection.

As Cumberland County Commissioner, you can count on me to be a trusted advocate with real perspective for preserving our environmental resources and paying reverence to what makes our region an enjoyable and healthy place to live.

Kate McGraw is a candidate for Cumberland County Commissioner.

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Question: Regarding my posts about the terrible perversion of Torah and halacha that Rav Shmuel Kaminetsky has engineered with his prod...

Important!! email - yadmoshe@gmail.com
The last two weeks of session have arrived, and my colleagues and I were focused on passing the states operating budget before last Friday's deadline. We were able to accomplish this and the series of House bills that make up the Fiscal Year 2020 Budget received their final vote on the Senate floor in the wee hours of Friday morning.

A lesser known element of the legislative process, but equally important, are Conference Committees. Both the House of Representatives and the Senate must pass identical versions of legislation before it can reach the governors desk. If a piece of legislation is changed in any way in the other chamber it must go back to the originating chamber to be voted on again. If the changes are not approved, then the bill goes to a Conference Committee to work out the differences.

Members of these conference committees include the Senate and House handler of the bill and Senate and House members appointed by the Speaker and President Pro Tem. The committee meets to discuss the merits of the bill and the proposed changes. This allows members of both chambers to reach a compromise and to pass the best possible version of the legislation. It is truly a collaborative effort, and I look forward to discussing some of my Senate bills in a conference committee with the hopes that we will pass the legislation before the end of the 2019 legislative session.

I always appreciate hearing your opinions and concerns regarding your state government. Please feel free to contact me in Jefferson City at 573-751-4008. You may write me at Gary Romine, Missouri Senate, State Capitol, Jefferson City, MO 65101; or email me at gary.romine@senate.mo.gov. For more information, please visit my official Senate webpage at www.senate.mo.gov/romine.

Sen. Gary Romine, a Republican from Farmington, represents the 3rd District in the Missouri Senate.

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The Missouri Legislature has taken another step toward making broadband internet accessible to all Missourians. In early May, the legislature finalized the annual state budget, which included a $5 million appropriation for the newly-created Rural Broadband Development Fund. Governor Parson supports improved broadband access and is expected to sign it into law.

Missouri has lagged far behind where it should be in broadband access. As recently as last year, Missouri was ranked 42nd in the nation in broadband connectivity. Over one million Missourians do not have access to high-speed internet. The only states with more citizens lacking internet access are California and Texas, each of which has many times Missouri's population.

Missouri Farm Bureau, University of Missouri Extension, the Missouri Department of Agriculture and Missouri Department of Natural Resources have been working with legislators and the state government for several years to make broadband more accessible to rural Missourians. In 2017 the group brought together over 100 stakeholders from private industry, all levels of government, and advocacy groups for a summit to discuss ways to improve access for unserved and underserved areas.

The consensus from this summit was that Missouri needed a more organized approach to its broadband deployment. Several other states have done this with great success. The coalition called on the governor to establish an office to coordinate broadband deployment, which he did in 2018.

This new Office of Broadband, housed within the Department of Economic Development, is preparing an action plan for Missouris broadband deployment efforts. It is also working with the telecommunications industry and the federal government to modernize mapping of Missouris current broadband assets. We need to have a good understanding of what we have before we spend money to fill in the gaps.

Last legislative session, MOFB and other organizations worked with the state legislature to create the Rural Broadband Development Fund. This fund did not see any appropriations in 2018 but will receive the $5 million amount from the 2019 budget. The fund will issue grants to assist broadband deployment projects in unserved or underserved areas of Missouri. No grant can provide more than half of a projects total cost. Therefore, the grants issued with this years appropriation will be able to fund at least $10 million worth of projects.

The day before the state budget vote, the U.S. House of Representatives also approved broadband legislation. The Advancing Critical Connectivity Expands Service, Small Businesses Resources, Opportunities, Access, and Data Based on Assessed Need and Demand (ACCESS BROADBAND) Act, H.R. 1328, passed by voice vote. This mouthful of a bill would establish a federal Office of Internet Connectivity to coordinate efforts much like the state Office of Broadband.

These efforts, combined with many others on both the state and federal levels, will help our rural areas get connected and boost economic opportunities. We need to continue to press for all Missourians to have access to fast, reliable internet. The modern world demands it.

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The East Missouri Action Agency will be providing a summer food service program to youth of the area throughout the summer.

The program will be serving free lunches for youth Monday through Friday at four different locations.

The summer food service program is available to all children up to the age of 18, as well as disabled adults aged 18 to 21 who are enrolled in a public or private school during the regular school year.

Lunch will be served from noon to 1 p.m. at Columbia Park, located at Strauss Drive and Main Street in Park Hills.

Lunch also will be served from 11:30 a.m. to noon at Desloge City Park, South Parkside and West Walnut streets in Desloge.

And lunch will be provided from 1:30 to 2 p.m. at Bonne Terre City Park, North Long Street and West DeSoto Road in Bonne Terre.

Breakfast and lunch will be provided at Upward Bound at the Mineral Area College North College Center, 5270 Flat River Road in Park Hills. Breakfast will be served from 7:50 to 8:20 a.m., with lunch from 12:05 to 12:30 p.m.

The program will run from June 3 through July 26 at Desloge and Bonne Terre city parks. It will run from June 3 through July 6 at Upward Bound, and from June 3 through July 19 at Columbia Park.

Meals will not be available at any of the four sites on July 4 due to the Independence Day holiday.

There is no fee or registration required. Students can just show up at these locations during meal times.

Bobby Radford is a reporter for the Daily Journal. He can be reached at 573-518-3628, or at bradford@dailyjournalonline.com.

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Jesse Miller and Natasja Haffner have been named valedictorian and salutatorian, respectively, of the 2019 Farmington High School Senior Class and will graduate with 229 of their fellow students during commencement exercises to be held at 2 p.m. Sunday in the Farmington Civic Center.

The daughter of Rodney and Susie Miller of Farmington, Miller finished her school career with a 6.05 GPA, earning her the honor of class valedictorian.

Offering some practical advice for incoming freshman, Miller said, Always put school first and then your extracurricular and social life, because in the long run school is what really matters. Dont take your senior year for granted ... it flies by.

Miller was a member of student council for four years and played on the varsity volleyball team. She took part in HOSA, a medical sciences club and in her junior and senior years was a member of the National Honor Society.

I received a lot of awards in volleyball, she said. I was All-District; First Team All-Conference three times; and Academic All-State four times. I was a two-time Dream Team member, B104 Athlete of the Week and Parkland Health Mart Athlete of the Week.

Miller received the Deans Scholarship, Work Experience Scholarship, Farmington Education Foundation Scholarship and First State Student Bankers Scholarship.

I am going to Indiana University to major in biology, she said. I got direct admission to their arts and sciences. I am going to be a part of their rowing team. After attending Indiana, I plan on medical school somewhere.

Natasja Haffner, the daughter of Richard Haffner of Farmington and Pamela Haffner of Bonne Terre, finished her school career with a 5.8 GPA, earning her the honor of salutatorian.

Haffner offered similar advice for incoming freshman, saying, "I would agree with Jesse about putting school first, but not to the point that you stress yourself out."

Haffner participated in cross-country track and National Honor Society.

My greatest award was from cross country," she said. "I received the Prefontaine Award for giving it your all."

Haffner received an Elks Lodge scholarship and will be attending Missouri State UniversityColumbia.

Im thinking about social work, but Im not sure yet, she said.

According to Haffner, she plans on relaxing some before starting college, while Miller is going to continue working at a local bank with the exception of taking time off to go on an Alaskan cruise with her mother and aunt.

Farmington High School Principal Dr. Jamie LaMonds offered high praise for the two graduates.

We are very proud of Jesse and Natasja, she said. They are both outstanding young ladies who worked hard to accomplish what they have. FHS is proud to celebrate them at our upcoming graduating ceremony.

According to the graduation program, the Farmington High School Band under the direction of Matt Kasper will play Pomp and Circumstance while the students enter the civic center.

Following the entrance, the Star Spangled Banner will be performed by the FHS Band under the direction of Elliot Naes. The FHS AFJROTC Color Guard will present the colors.

Student Council President Elizabeth Felker will give the welcome and military recognition, followed by the Armed Forces Salute performed by the FHS Band under the direction of Mari Porter.

Recognition of Mineral Area College graduates will be by Diana Stuart, MAC's dean of Arts and Sciences.

Senior Class President Kody Winch will give the senior challenge, followed by the junior response by Junior Class President Blaine Worley.

The A Cappella Choir directed by Claire Naes will perform the senior song The Lonesome Road."

This year's guest speaker will be David Buerck.

Assistant Principal Roy Northern will present the Knight of the Year Award and LaMonds will present the top 10 students, as well as the valedictorian and salutatorian.

Board of Education President Howard Hoehn and Vice President Dolores Howard will present the diplomas and A+ medals.

The school song will be led by Claire Naes, accompanied by the FHS Band.

LaMonds will confer the degrees and the FHS Band, directed by Matt Kasper, will perform the recessional.

Mark Marberry is a reporter for the Farmington Press and Daily Journal. He can be reached at 573-518-3629, or at mmarberry@farmingtonpressonline.com.

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Three additional filings have been entered in the case involving members of the Terre Du Lac Association's Board of Directors. The filings included a motion for sanctions, bond increase, and a counterclaim.

The filings were pertaining to a Temporary Restraining Order granted on May 3 against board members Cary Combs and Gary Keithley, which removed the two from the board pending a final hearing and subsequent judgment.

An evidentiary hearing was scheduled for last Thursday but was continued to allow for the respondent's attorney to take depositions of the TRO petitioners Herman Reisner and Michael Tilley.

On Tuesday attorney for respondents Combs and Keithley, R. Scott Reid, entered a motion for sanctions which stated that Tilley submitted a false affidavit and made misleading statements in order to obtain the restraining order granted May 3.

According to the motion, in Tilleys sworn affidavit it stated that Combs and a third party appeared at the association business office on or before April 29 and locked themselves inside the room where financial records are kept.

Tilley's affidavit goes on to claim that while Combs and a third party were locked inside the room they refused to allow access to any other board members, association members and an association law enforcement officer, according to the motion.

In the deposition held Thursday, the motion states, Tilley reportedly admitted to these statements being false.

In February, a petition was compiled to oust three members of the associations board of directors. As a result, Board President Dave Ruble along with board members Bob Brown and Keithley were placed on a recall ballot where it was to be decided by voters if the board members should retain their seats. The ballots were counted in March and the three held onto their positions.

Brown resigned his position on the board in March and Ruble resigned in April. Both members reportedly resigned for reasons unrelated to association matters.

According to the motion for sanctions, Tilley's affidavit claimed that Keithley used association money and resources to draft and issue a letter to 3,000 voting members of the Terre du Lac Association urging them to keep Ruble, Brown and Keithley in office. The motion states that Tilley admitted during the deposition that he had no information that this in fact occurred.

It was claimed in the motion that Tilley made statements in an effort to create the appearance that the board members had resigned in disgrace while failing to mention that Brown resigned for medical reasons and Ruble resigned following a medical diagnosis that a family member received which will leave him with insufficient time to attend to the business of the association.

Lastly stated in this motion is that Combs and Keithley have been damaged as a result of the petitioners' misrepresentations and false statements and asks the court to order sanctions against the petitioners in a fair and reasonable amount to compensate the respondents for their damages and to deter petitioners and others from engaging in similar conduct.

In another Tuesday filing on behalf of Combs and Keithley, a motion to increase bond was submitted to the court.

Contained in the original restraining order the court set an injunction bond in the amount of $150. An Injunction Bond is a type of surety court bond that guarantees that the petitioner will pay court fees, costs, and damages sustained by the respondents if the court decides the restraining order, or temporary injunction, should not have been granted.

Courts are authorized, upon a motion, to increase the amount of the initial injunction bond in order to ensure the bond is set at a sufficient amount to cover respondents' damages including attorney fees.

In the bond increase motion it stated that good cause exists for this court to increase petitioners injunction bond to $30,000 in order to recover respondents damages, improper pay to the association employees, court costs, and court reporter cost for depositions.

A counterclaim was also filed Tuesday on behalf of the respondents. This counterclaim asks that Tilley be removed from the association board.

The claim alleges that Tilley engaged in fraudulent or dishonest conduct and/or gross abuse of authority or discretion with respect to the association and has violated his duties set forth by law.

The counterclaim contains five allegations of misconduct by Tilley.

First, the claim alleges that Tilley allowed association employees, using association equipment and fuel, to mow property owned by Terre du Lac Utility Corporation Inc. and that Tilley owns 50 percent of this corporation.

Secondly, the claim alleges that Tilley allowed paid association employees to perform testing and maintenance on his utility companys fire hydrants located in the Terre Du Lac development, and that under the Missouri Public Service Commission rules and regulations the utility company is solely responsible for performing such work.

Next, the claim states that Tilley, having failed to get enough votes to remove Combs and Keithley in the recall election, filed the present "frivolous" lawsuit to remove them from the association board.

The motion states that Tilley made false and misleading statements and caused the court to enter orders to the detriment of the association membership at large and will ultimately result in the membership being forced to pay the respondents legal expenses and court costs.

Further, the claim alleges that Tilley abused his power and authority as a board member and president of the association by making payment arrangements to pay $100 per month on a $1,700 bill to his utility company to repair road cuts made for his company. The claim also states that Tilley did not seek or obtain board approval for such payments, but rather made the arrangements directly with the general manager of the association.

Lastly, an allegation was made in the claim that Tilley violated the courts order by reviewing and accepting bids for construction projects and approving raises to association employees, despite the fact that the board did not have a quorum present under its bylaws and that it was the order of the court that the petitioners authority is limited to actions required to ensure the essential functions of the association, such as payroll obligations.

These are motions and counterclaims that have been filed but not heard or ruled on by the court. An evidentiary hearing for this ongoing case is set for May 23 before Judge Joe Goff Jr.

Bobby Radford is a reporter for the Daily Journal. He can be reached at 573-518-3628, or at bradford@dailyjournalonline.com.

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DEAR ABBY: My longtime friend of 30 years, "Charlotte," lives across the country. I have just learned that her husband, "Harold," is transgender and is now transitioning to become "Helen."

When they come, they always stay with us for several days because they can't afford a hotel. My husband is now very uncomfortable with them staying here or being seen out in public with them. Is there a way to tell Charlotte to come alone and still save the friendship? Or should I let them come and deal with my husband's feelings, which I think are unjust? -- UNJUST IN THE WEST

DEAR UNJUST: Talk to your husband and explain that he doesn't have to socialize more than he is comfortable with if your friends visit. If he still refuses, why don't you and he visit THEM this year? You could stay in a hotel while you adjust to the adjustment Harold is making.

I assume that your husband and Harold were friendly before. Perhaps if he and Harold have a chance to talk, your husband can get past his discomfort. It could be a valuable learning experience for him. Your support at this time would be a tremendous gift to this couple.

DEAR ABBY: My 22-year-old sister is unhealthily fixated on a particular cable TV channel. She will only watch this channel and is obsessed with the love stories and relationship movies. This goes far beyond a simple "like" for something, and I'm afraid she's using it as a way to avoid developing real relationships. She has few friends and has never been in a relationship. I have tried to get her to stop watching it, but it never ends well. How can I help her move away from the television set and into the real world? -- FANTASY VS. REALITY IN FLORIDA

DEAR F. VS. R.: Watching romantic movies with guaranteed happy endings (if only life were really like that!) is your sister's "safe" way of vicariously enjoying idealized relationships. Continue encouraging her to take some risk and join the real world by inviting her to join you in social groups. But until she realizes for herself that she needs to do it, it won't happen. Counseling could help her, but she won't accept it until she admits to herself that she needs help to develop the social skills she lacks and is willing to reach out for it.

DEAR ABBY: I have been dating my boyfriend for six months, and in many ways he's a great guy. One thing that irks me, though, is his tardiness.

This man can't show up on time to save his life. I have arrived at his house for a date only to find he has not even arrived at his own home yet. He is usually 30-plus minutes late for our get-togethers.

I have brought this up many times, and at this point I feel like a nag, but it's SO disrespectful and rude to treat others this way. I'm annoyed to the point that I may break up with him for this reason only. Is my reaction well-founded? -- EARLY IN OREGON

DEAR EARLY: Your boyfriend is either extremely disorganized or just plain rude. If he hasn't been able to change his pattern in six months, he isn't likely to do it. You can, however, change the way you react to it.

Because you know he runs late, make your plans accordingly so you won't be kept waiting. However, if you can't do that, then rather than let it continue to stress you out, end the romance.

DEAR ABBY: How old does a child have to be before she is able to choose a relative to live with? I'm the one my granddaughter wants to stay with. Her home life is in turmoil because of her parents' nasty divorce.

Ever since her mother (my daughter) found out my granddaughter wants to live with me, she has forbidden her to talk to me, and me to contact her. Her mother is depressed and angry, but won't seek counseling. She doesn't talk to me unless it's to say ugly things.

My granddaughter said her mother never smiles anymore. We are very close and this hurts my heart. She's a good girl and should be able to be happy.

We live several hours away, and are more than willing to have her. She already has a room here, and our home is never happier than when she's visiting.

We haven't spoken to her in months, and we really miss her. Her younger sibling gets most of the positive attention, while she receives mostly negative attention. I have seen this happen many times. She tries so hard to please her mom. I don't know what to do to help her. -- HEARTBROKEN IN OKLAHOMA

DEAR HEARTBROKEN: It would have been helpful if you had mentioned why your daughter is angry with you and is preventing your grandchild from contacting you and vice versa. If she's in such bad shape that it is negatively affecting your granddaughter, your questions should be addressed to a lawyer.

If your granddaughter is in her teens, she might be considered mature enough to ask to live with a relative other than her mother. If not, and her mother's hostility is affecting her schoolwork, a trusted teacher or counselor at school might be able to see she gets the emotional support she needs.

DEAR ABBY: My husband is very outgoing. He loves chatting on the phone for hours, and talks with all the neighbors up and down the street. He's retired, so it's fine -- up to a point.

We have a set time for dinner, which is 6:30, and he knows it. Invariably he'll be on the phone or up the street when it's close to dinner. I always remind him 10 to 15 minutes ahead, which gives him time to be here to eat, but he'll keep chatting until he's anywhere from 15 minutes to half an hour late to dinner.

I put time and effort into preparing my meals. I grow my own vegetables and think of creative things to fix. He always comments how great the meals are, so it's not that he doesn't like my food. If it's not eaten promptly, it's overcooked/mushy/wilted, etc., so I go ahead and eat if he's not here. I'd like him to be with me when I sit down at the table.

I feel it's incredibly rude for him to be late. When I tell him that, he laughs like it's a big joke. Short of treating him like a 2-year-old and throwing his food away if he doesn't show up on time, I'm not sure what to do. Can you help? -- FED UP IN NAPA, CALIF.

DEAR FED UP: I can't force your husband to the dinner table and neither can you. To toss his dinner into the garbage would be too overtly hostile and a waste of food. Try this: Tell him dinner time is 6:30, but prepare the food as if it's for 6:45 or 7.

DEAR ABBY: I'm a 16-year-old girl who has started college early. I love my classes, and I'm glad to be here. The problem is, the dating culture here is huge. People go on dates all the time.

I have been asked out several times, and I feel comfortable going, but I feel dishonest when I don't tell them that I'm 16. However, if I'm upfront about my age, the offer usually gets rescinded, and it becomes incredibly awkward. How can I have a fun college dating experience while still being truthful about my age? -- COLLEGE STUDENT IN UTAH

DEAR COLLEGE STUDENT: The age of consent for a girl in Utah is 16. For a young man, it is 18. You shouldn't jump the gun and announce your age before getting to know someone. If you are asked, of course you shouldn't lie about it. However, I see no reason to volunteer the information when you are asked for a date.

DEAR ABBY: I am a 32-year-old late-deafened adult. I have been deaf in my right ear my whole life, but lost my hearing in my left ear after a tumor was removed when I was 27.

I guess they are right when they say we are never fully prepared to lose things we have taken for granted for so long. I still have trouble communicating with people. I have taken a few sign language classes and four lip-reading classes, but I often feel like I'm no longer part of normal society.

My question is, shouldn't I have adjusted by now regarding how people see me, since I have been without hearing for so long? -- HEARING IMPAIRED

DEAR HEARING IMPAIRED: I have been told that the most isolating disability is being unable to hear. Please do not burden yourself by feeling you "should" have adjusted faster than you have. There is no set timetable for adjusting to any disability.

Because you feel stuck in the process, the Hearing Loss Association of America (hearingloss.org) may be helpful because it sponsors support groups in many states. Please check it out.

DEAR ABBY: Do you think it is fair for me to do all the housework AND pick up dog doo-doo just because I moved into my sister's house with her and her family? They have five dogs and four cats. No one else bothers to do it. I do it to lessen the smell. When I try to say something, they say I am "causing problems." I don't have any animals of my own. -- POOPER SCOOPER

DEAR P.S.: I agree that the task of picking up after an animal -- let alone nine of them -- isn't something most people look forward to. However, if you are living rent-free with your sister's family, perhaps you should consider your chores to be your contribution to the household.

P.S. Because you mentioned that no one else cleans up the animal messes, consider finding more hygienic living arrangements as soon as it's feasible.

DEAR ABBY: I am a 47-year-old professional man who loves children, but never had any of my own. Consequently, I have never had to contend with the considerable cost of raising children. Many of my friends are parents, and I feel the urge to buy their kids nice presents I know they want, or that I never received when I was a child, e.g., a wonderful bike or train set.

What's the protocol for giving an expensive gift (e.g., a saxophone that can cost $1,000) to non-related children without creating awkwardness or obligation? Naturally, I would always check with the parents first. (All of us are white-collar executives and employed, but no one is "filthy rich.") -- GIFT GIVER IN OAKLAND, CALIF.

DEAR GIFT GIVER: The protocol is the one you are already observing, which is to have a conversation with the parents before buying expensive gifts for their children. And when you do, make clear that it is not your wish to cause awkwardness or a sense of obligation.

DEAR ABBY: My brother-in-law found out I smoke marijuana. I have a medical card and some mental disabilities. Marijuana helps with my anxiety.

Although we live near each other, my in-laws now say they don't want me in their homes. The stress this has put on my husband is unfair. His brother obviously has a problem with me.

I never discuss marijuana with anyone and don't carry it around with me. I use it only in the privacy of my home. How should I expect my husband to handle holidays or even regular get-togethers? I really need help. -- UNFAIR IN NEVADA

DEAR UNFAIR: Medical and recreational marijuana are legal for adults in the state of Nevada. I wish you had mentioned how your brother-in-law learned you are using it. That it is being used as an excuse to isolate you is cruel.

How your husband chooses to handle further contact -- or lack of it -- with his relatives will be his personal decision. Not knowing how close they have been, I can't guess what his next step should be -- except to point out that his first loyalty should be to you.

DEAR ABBY: I'm married to a beautiful woman, "Suzonne." We are bodybuilders and into fitness, so we are both quite muscular.

Recently, my wife cut her hair short. It's a great look for her, and we both love the style. Unfortunately, some people have begun calling her "sir" at work and when she's out and about. Suzonne waits tables a couple of nights a week for extra income. Some of the customers have gone so far as to keep calling her "sir" after she has told them that she's female.

This infuriates me because it's so disrespectful. I know it hurts my wife's feelings, although she has been super strong about it. It's plain when you look at Suzonne that she is a beautiful woman.

How can she nip this in the bud before it starts to make her feel bad? I feel a strong need to defend her, and I don't want to get into a physical altercation with anyone over it. -- HURT FEELINGS IN FLORIDA

DEAR HURT FEELINGS: Because your wife has a muscular build and a short haircut, it's possible some of the individuals who call her "sir" are making an honest mistake. However, for someone to persist after being informed that she is a woman is extremely rude. (It makes me wonder if the offender has a warped sense of humor or is threatened by her muscular appearance.)

When it happens at work, Suzonne should ask her manager how the situation should be handled rather than allow it to continue. But under no circumstances should you get into a physical altercation because of it. Instead, on the home front, continue to reassure your wife that she's beautiful.

DEAR ABBY: My husband refuses to memorize my cellphone number. He says as long as it's in his phone he doesn't need to. I feel he should know it so if he loses the phone or the battery goes dead, I can be reached. What do you think? -- LOGICAL IN KANSAS

DEAR LOGICAL: Experience is the best teacher. I think you should stop arguing with your husband and let him suffer the consequences. An option might be for him to jot the number on a small piece of paper and keep it in his wallet.

DEAR ABBY: My wife passed away two years ago at age 40 after a long bout with cancer. We had three children, ages 7 to 12. I am 44 and engaged now to a wonderful woman. We are planning to have a small wedding with fewer than 50 guests.

While the kids and I are doing well, my late wife's mother, "Karen," is still grieving. She has a forceful personality and can be quite pushy. She lives nearby.

We have not finalized the arrangements or sent out invitations. Karen has been asking if she and my former father-in-law are invited, but we haven't answered her yet. She says she's hurt because she feels we don't want her there.

Is it proper etiquette to invite the parents of a deceased spouse to a remarriage? The only people she would know aside from us would be my parents, who need to bond with my fiancee's family who are coming from out of town. The kids seem to not care either way. If it were me, I'd feel awkward being there. Help! -- LOOKING TO THE FUTURE IN ILLINOIS

DEAR LOOKING: Although your late wife is gone, her parents are still your children's grandparents and therefore should be treated as part of your family. While you might feel awkward if you were in their position, consider how hurt they will be if they are not included on the guest list. The decision whether to attend should be theirs to make.

Welcome them and treat them with kindness. A wife can be "replaced," but a daughter cannot, which is why Karen is still grieving even though you have gone on with your life.

DEAR ABBY: I need advice on how to deal with a friend/neighbor's messy, unkempt backyard. We are getting ready to put our house on the market, and I'm concerned their yard may be a deterrent to potential buyers. Their pool looks like a swamp, and various pieces of lawn furniture are strewn about the yard. Tables are turned upside down and random items are thrown about.

They are friends of ours, but I have no clue how to broach such a sensitive topic without upsetting them. Please help. -- LIVING NEXT TO A SWAMP

DEAR LIVING: Because those neighbors are friends, I assume they are aware that you are selling your home. If you live in an area that's prone to any dangerous mosquito-borne viruses, you would be doing them a favor to point out that their pool equipment needs fixing because still water makes an excellent breeding place for mosquitoes.

As to the state of their yard, your real estate agent may have some suggestions about how to handle that. If you and your spouse volunteer to help your neighbors make it more attractive, they might be receptive. However, if they refuse and you live in a community with a neighborhood association that regulates how properties must look in order to preserve their value, consider bringing this to its attention.

DEAR ABBY: My boyfriend, "Hal," and I have been dating for a year and a half, living together for six months. I'm afraid he feels emasculated. Because I make more money than he does, a lot of the responsibility for paying the bills lands on me. We try to split things down the middle, but recent complications with his job have meant it doesn't always work out that way.

I love Hal. I know he's the one I want to spend the rest of my life with. I don't want money to be a dividing force, but I don't know what to say to make him feel better. This has been the elephant in the room for some time.

Hal helps out with cooking and housework, and because of that, I don't mind putting a little more into the bills. I do not want this to be an issue further down the road. Any advice is appreciated. -- STUCK ON THIS IN VIRGINIA

DEAR STUCK: The problem with elephants in the room is, the longer they are ignored, the larger the herd becomes. It's amazing that two important subjects -- sex and finances -- are such touchy ones to discuss.

Choose a time when you and Hal are relaxed, and then bring up your concerns. Tell him how much you appreciate him in your life and the efforts he makes to make life easier for you, and that you don't want money issues to cause problems between the two of you. He may need to hear you say it. Then encourage him to express his feelings the way you have.

Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Contact Dear Abby at www.DearAbby.com or P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069

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Pakistan: Two months ban on fishing likely by month-end

May 16,2019 | Source: Business Recorder

The Sindh government is set to place a two-month ban on hunt of fish and shrimp during June and July to help improve fisheries stocks in the country's seas, official said on Tuesday. Talking to Business Recorder, officials said that a notification to execute the ban will come out mostly likely by the end of this month. "It is must," the officials talked about the ban that will help keep the seas calm from fishing during the high-tide season, which is also believed to be a breeding period for shrimps.



The officials said that ban is needed to continue to help improve the existing stocks of fisheries since the country's seafood export is falling. According to Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, the country's seafood export has declined to $293.887 million in July-Mar 2018-19, which down by 7 percent.



Fall in seafood export now stands at $21.727 million in July-Mar 2018-19 from $315.614 million in July-Mar 2017-18. In term of quantity, seafood export plunged by 5.07 percent or 6989 metric tons to 130,830 metric tons in July-Mar 2018-19 from 137,819 metric tons in July-Mar 2017-18. In Mar 2019, Pakistan faced a fall in seafood export by 11 percent or $5.502 million to $45.895 million from $51.397 million in Mar 2018. Export volume of seafood slumped by 16 percent or 3876 metric tons to 20,412 metric tons in Mar 2019 from 24,288 metric tons in Mar 2018.

 Business Recorder, 2019
Odisha: Boats and Nets Gone, Fani-Hit Fishermen Left High And Dry

by Punya Prava Rath

Sunamohi was in a pensive mood, watching his elderly father-in-law putting up a polythene over a bamboo structure near Satapada in Puri district, even as six other members of his family sat on a heap of debris that was once their house at Panda Pokhari, a fishermens hamlet on the banks of Lake Chilika. A half-constructed pucca house adjacent to their mud hut saved them from the copious rain and windstorm that Cyclone Fani unleashed on May 3. It lasted for four hours  from 8.30am to 12.30pm. The ward member had asked us to shift to the cyclone shelter. My father-in-law cannot walk properly. So we decided to stay put, said Sunamohi. The pucca house belongs to my brother-in-law, who stays in Delhi. We ran inside with a few utensils and clothes and as time passed the lake in our backyard began to rise. There were snakes slithering in the water.



The family members spent that night out in the open, as they felt unsafe in the half-constructed house with a chapped roof. We have got the polythene and are trying to prepare a small covering over our head, said Sunamohis mother-in-law Satyabhama Behera. The family lost all their boats, fishing nets and belongings in the cyclone. And similar is the fate of the 300 families residing in the hamlet.



Back in Satpada, which lay deserted after the storm ripped through the region, the story is no different. The boats were thrown miles away, some still stuck to trees. According to Deba Jena of Alapatana, only 10 per cent of the boats survived the onslaught. The fishermen had dug up sand using JCB machines and put the boats there to protect them from the strong winds. The storm surge was such that they were thrown off and completely destroyed. Heaps of broken boats was what the fishermen returned to. Some are also missing, he said. Amiya Kumar Dalei, who works for OTDC, put the number of damaged boats to 3,000. Around 1,400 of them were used to ferry tourists, he said, pointing at the half-broken 50-odd boats on the bank. Fani has hit the fishermen community, residing in Alapatana, Berhampura, Balabhadrapur and Mahisa, hard.



Krutidas Dalei of Satpada Primary Mastyajibi Samanaya Samiti pegged the loss suffered by fishermen of Balabhadrapur at Rs 5 crore. We have lost boats and nets. The machines used to propel the boats too have been damaged. We never expected a storm of this intensity. Now, we are left with almost nothing, as the houses have also been destroyed. Half of the fishermen population will find it difficult to start all over again, he said. He said officials from the fisheries department had come to assess the damage. They assured help for our damaged boats, but said nothing about the nets, he said. Describing the natures fury, Yatrinivas manager Braja Mohan Kar pointed at a mangled ceiling fan and broken glasses of the government guesthouse. All five government boats were also damaged, he said.



Sources in the fisheries and animal resources department said 6,300 boats and 7,240 nets were damaged in the severe cyclonic storm. Penthakata in Puri was the worst-hit with loss estimated at 70 per cent. Similarly, 65.92 hectare of fish pond and 0.5 hectares of fish seed pond have been damaged, the sources said. The Odisha government has announced financial assistance of Rs 12,000 per hectare to fish farmers. However, there has been no official announcement regarding compensation for boats and nets. According to Chilika Development Authoritys official website, Chilika lake has 132 fishing villages with a total population of over 0.15 million, not including the surrounding area which has about 273 villages. About 30% (46,500) of the fishing village population are active fishermen, although many others depend indirectly on fisheries.
US President Donald Trump has called for any person convicted of killing a police officer to be quickly executed.





Donald Trump has called for the death penalty for those convicted of killing a police officer.





Speaking at a ceremony for fallen law enforcement officers at the National Peace Officers Memorial Service in Washington on Wednesday, the US President said he wanted quick capital punishment for anyone found guilty of the crime.





The ambushes and attacks on our police must end, and they must end right now, Mr Trump said to applause.





We believe that criminals who murder police officers should immediately, but with trial, get the death penalty. But quickly. The trial should go fast. Its got to be fair, but its got to go fast.





The death penalty is a punishment in 30 US states. A total of 25 death-row inmates were executed in America in 2018. Lethal injection is the main method of execution. However, some states, including Virginia, South Carolina and Arkansas, can still use the electric chair to kill a prisoner if they elect that method over lethal injection.





Tennessee is the only state that can legally sentence an inmate to die by electric chair without the prisoners consent; two people were executed in this way in 2018.





Mr Trump also criticised big-city prosecutors he asserted didnt go after criminals who posed a severe threat to public safety. He pledged to the families of fallen officers the country would never, ever leave your side, never disappoint you but went beyond memorialising for much of the annual event.





He singled out prosecutors in Philadelphia and Chicago as being part of a dangerous trend by deciding not to prosecute many criminals who pose a severe threat to public safety and community well being.





He provided scant context for the claim, and prosecutors in those cities did not immediately respond to requests for comment.





The President also renewed his calls for changes to the nations immigration laws, citing the shooting death last December of a Northern California police officer, Cpl Ronil Singh.





Mr Trump said the suspect in Officer Singhs killing could have been kept out with border security, with the wall, with whatever the hell it takes.





Paulo Virgen Mendoza, suspected of being in the country illegally, has pleaded not guilty in the case.





Mr Trump also made an apparent reference to the case of actor Jussie Smollett, saying those who file false police reports should face full legal consequences.





The Empire star was charged with felony disorderly conduct and accused of making a false police report after claiming he was attacked by two masked men who shouted slurs at him and put a noose around his neck. The Cook County states attorneys office abruptly dropped the charges in March.





The White House did not comment on whether Mr Trump was specifically citing the Smollett case.





The 38th annual memorial service honoured 228 peace officers who died in the line of duty last year.

 | 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



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"One is absolutely sickened, not by the crimes that the wicked have committed,

but by the punishments that the good have inflicted." -- Oscar Wilde
He had loyally served in the police force for 10 years but was dishonorably discharged last December, not for accepting bribes or disobeying his superiors but because of his sexual orientation.





The 29-year-old brigadier, identified as TT, is a homosexual, which he had kept a secret for years until he was ambushed by fellow officers while on a date with his partner on Valentine's Day.





TT, an officer at the Semarang Police in Central Java, said that he was nothing but a victim of discriminatory policy and vowed to fight for his rights with the help of local lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) advocacy groups.





Serving people and the community as a police officer for the last 10 years is my pride. I have given my best and have not made any mistakes during my service all these years. And they fired me like this, for something private that doesnt harm others. Im very disappointed, he told The Jakarta Post over the phone on Wednesday.





Dishonorably discharged





TTs case is in many ways unique. While anti-LGBT sentiment has intensified for years in Indonesia, activists say he might be the first police officer to be fired for being gay. Moreover, he is the first to challenge the unfair decision without having to deny his sexual identity.





His story began in December last year when he was informed by his friends who attended a ceremony to which he was not invited that he had been dismissed. It was not until February that he received an official letter of termination.





The letter, which was acquired by the Post, said TT was dishonorably discharged from his police unit because he had violated a National Police chief regulation on the professions code of ethics.





Sr. Comr. Agoes Soejadi Soepraptono, the head of the human resources department at the Central Java Police, signed the letter on Dec. 27.





According to the letter, TT violated articles 7 and 11 of the regulation. The two articles state that police officers must protect the image and reputation of the police and also obey the values of morality, religion, law, politeness and local wisdoms.





TT told the Post he was disappointed that his private life was the reason for his dismissal from the police.





This is me. And I understand that for some people they see it [being gay] as a flaw. I dont want them to feel uncomfortable around me that is why Ive kept everything private for years. No one knows about it, not even my family []





They said Ive tarnished the polices reputation but the police are the ones who spread the news to everyone. Now everyone knows, my colleagues and family all know about it now, he said.





Treated like a criminal





His sexual identity was revealed on Feb. 14, 2017 when TT celebrated Valentines Day at a restaurant in Kudus, Central Java with his partner. After they finished their meal, TT headed to his car to go home. He was shocked when nine armed police officers suddenly approached him.





I was treated like a criminal. They told me I was involved in blackmail, but I denied it because I hadnt done anything wrong and they didnt have an arrest warrant. But they still forced me to go to the Kudus Police station. They also made my partner to go with me. In those 12 hours of questioning, I later found out that they wanted to ask about my sexual orientation. So, I told them the truth, TT said.





Central Java Police spokesperson Sr. Comr. Agus Triatmaja confirmed that TT had been dismissed after an internal investigation and hearings.





We have rejected his request to appeal, Agus told the Post.





National Police spokesman Brig. Gen. Dedi Prasetyo justified the Central Java Polices decision, saying: Homosexuality is still taboo [in our society]. A police officer must not have any divergent sexual orientation.





'A violation of the principle of non-discrimination'





Accompanied by the Legal Aid Institute for Society (LBHM), TT filed a lawsuit against the Central Java Police with the Semarang State Administrative Court (PTUN Semarang) on March 26.





Maruf Bajammal, a lawyer with the LBHM who accompanied TT, said they had also filed a report on alleged human rights violations in TTs case with the National Human Rights Commission on April 10, hoping that the commission would also actively monitor this case.





We believe he is not a deviant and from a human rights perspective, his termination, which was simply based on his sexual orientation, is a violation of the principle of non-discrimination, as guaranteed by the 1945 Constitution, The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the Human Rights Law and a National Police chief regulation, Maruf said.





Sociologist and gay rights activist Dede Oetomo said what the police did to TT was disappointing and would naturally spark fear in the LGBT community, especially those who served in the armed forces.





However, he added that TTs effort to stand up for his rights would bring positivity to his community. As far as I know, this is the first time a victim of sexual orientation discrimination has fought back in Indonesia. This is very brave of him and it will have a role in changing society. LGBT people, the community and activists will be inspired to trust the legal process and see that theres an opportunity to fight back.





TT said he still wanted to be a police officer. He said: Its my passion. If they give me permission to serve, I will continue this path. [] Whatever the courts decision may be, I want people to see the injustice that I [and the LGBT community] have experienced. We have the same right to love and to live. We do not do harm to anyone. [] Police are supposed to bring justice and protect people. But how can they do that when they wrong one of their own?

George Clooney says Indonesia and Malaysia could go the way of Brunei in regards to LGBT rights

Gather round, citizens. Global superstar George Clooney, 90s heart-throb, 2000s serious movie star, and 2010s husband of human rights lawyer Amal Clooney, has done that thing that we seriously love  hes gone and mentioned Indonesia and Malaysia on one of his celebrity talk show interviews.





Not just any talk show, mind you, but Ellen, the globally broadcast phenomenon slash midday mana when youre sat at home on a Tuesday trying to sweat out your flu/hangover.





Only, hes not telling TVs most generous host about the great time he had in Langkawi, or about an orangutan conservation he just built. Nope  he singled out both Malaysia and Indonesia for our similarities to neighboring Brunei, which recently introduced harsh punishments as part of their Sharia law roll-out before backtracking on them.





OK, recap: A couple of months ago when Sharia punishments came into effect in the Sultanate of Brunei, many members of the international community were alarmed to hear that, among the punishments that would now be meted out, was the stoning to death of homosexuals.





For the record, being a homosexual in Indonesia is not illegal except in Aceh  the only province given special autonomy to enact sharia-based laws  although that might have been where Brunei got their ideas from.





Many Hollywood elites were appalled to find out that the owner of beloved haunts that include the Beverly Hills Hotel in Los Angeles, and the Dorchester in London was none other than the man behind the stoning laws himself, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei. They called for a boycotting of his hotels and businesses.





The way you make it difficult is by boycotting his hotels. That doesnt matter so much to a rich guy, you cant shame the bad guys, but you can shame the people who do business with them, Clooney said on the show.





And when the banks and financial institutions started saying well, we are out of the Brunei business, then he backed off, and changed and said put a moratorium on it, the actor told fellow boycotter Ellen (and, in effect  hundreds of millions of viewers across the world).





Things took a turn for the interesting when Clooney claimed that, while shaming was ineffective in passive-aggressively making countries change their policies, Hollywood-powered boycotts did work and showed their celebrity embargo mattered.





He went on:





 it sends a warning shot over to countries like Indonesia and Malaysia who also are considering these laws, that the business people, the big banks, those guys are going to say dont even get into that business, so thats the reason you do it.





Right. George. Jorge. Sit down. Can we talk?





While Indonesia is the worlds largest Muslim nation, actually implementing the death penalty for being homosexual has never seriously been considered by the government.





We are certainly guilty of failing our LGBTQ+ community, and this is something that this publication talks about at least once a month, usually appalled, and always disappointed. However, were a long way from stoning anyone to death. Geez.

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"One is absolutely sickened, not by the crimes that the wicked have committed,

but by the punishments that the good have inflicted." -- Oscar Wilde
Kate Hope Day had just had her first child and had recently moved to Corvallis, so maybe it was inevitable that the questions would work their way into her sleep-deprived mind: How did I get here? Were there other possibilities? What would have happened if something had turned out differently?

"That had me definitely thinking about those 'what if' questions," said Day, the author of a new novel, "If, Then." In the novel, Day's first, four characters grapple with the idea of "counterfactuals," those "if, then" statements such as the one that a character in the novel (a new mother) ponders: "If I'd remembered to pack my birth control pills on our camping trip to the Redwoods, Leah wouldn't exist."

In the world of "If, Then," those counterfactuals take on a life of their own for four characters who begin to see themselves in parallel realities. For example, Cass, the new mother, starts to catch glimpses of herself pregnant again  even as she's on the brink of returning to the project that could define her academic career. The visions begin benignly enough, but eventually they take a darker turn.

The novel has found an audience  and it's caught the attention of Hollywood. Heyday Films, the company that produced the "Harry Potter" movies, has optioned the book and is considering a television adaptation.

Day will talk about the novel at a Monday night event at the Corvallis-Benton County Public Library. (See the related story for details about that event.)

The 41-year-old Day would seem to have the ideal background to pull off the high-wire act of "If, Then," which she describes as a literary novel with its toes dipped into the pool of speculative fiction. In graduate school at the University of Pittsburgh, she participated in an interdisciplinary program that included studies of philosophy and the history of science. In that program, she came across the work of philosopher David Lewis, who wrote a book called "Counterfactuals." (A quote from the book, "I believe, and so do you, that things could have been different in countless ways," serves as the epigraph for "If, Then.")

But Day also has studied (and taught) Victorian-era novels, and it's easy to see how those might have influenced "If, Then": In those novels, she said, "there's a strong sense that the story is going somewhere, but there's also a sense that the characters have strong interior lives."

And that describes the key characters in "If, Then:" Ginny is a surgeon whose work often takes her away from her family, including her husband, Mark, a wildlife scientist. Samara is a young woman mourning the death of her mother; the mother died on an operating room table, despite the best efforts of surgeon Ginny.

The fourth key character, Cass, is the one most like Day  which could explain why Day said she was the hardest character in the book to write. In part, that's because Cass is a more internal character than, say, Mark, who has more physical action in the novel.

But Day joked about another possible reason: "Also, I think you just get sick of yourself."

The action takes place in a small town called Clearing, Oregon  an amalgam of various Oregon locations, including Corvallis, that Day loves. For example, Clearing has a Linus Pauling Middle School, just like Corvallis. But Corvallis does not have a Niels Bohr Elementary School.

Nor is Corvallis nestled against what appears to be a dormant volcano, the way that Clearing is in "If, Then."

The complicated plotting involved in "If, Then," with its main characters and their alternative timelines, provided a challenge for Day: "I had a lot of plot charts," she said. "At one point, I had a Google calendar for all these characters. ... Many hours were spent keeping track of who's doing what at any given time."

But the work paid off: Day landed an agent, Brettne Bloom, and the book sold to Random House in just a couple of days, part of a two-book deal.

Of course, that speed belies the work that Day put into the novel: That newborn son who prompted the initial wave of questions? He's 9 now. (Day said she was working on the book in earnest for five or six years.) Day and her husband, Kevin, have another son now as well, who's 5.

That second novel is a different experience for Day, in part because she's working against a deadline. The manuscript is usually close at hand so she can pull it out and work on it when she gets a spare moment  waiting for a son to wrap up an after-school activity, perhaps.

"A novel is a big thing, and you work on it for a couple of years," she said. "To keep it in your mind and alive is half the battle, because it can die."

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Maestro Marlan Carlson of the Corvallis-OSU Symphony Orchestra continues his relentless march through the massive symphonic output of Gustav Mahler.

Monday at the LaSells Stewart Center, the orchestra takes on Mahlers 9th, the last symphony he finished before dying of heart problems at the age of 50 in 1911. Mahler also left an unfinished 10th.

Carlson will cram more than 110 players onto the stage in an 85- to 90-minute no-intermission show that requires phalanxes of horns, flute and piccolo, bassoon and contra bassoon.

The 9th will be the seventh Mahler symphony that Carlson has mounted, with six of them since 2011 (the 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 6th and 7th). In fact, more than 25 orchestra players have been with Carlson for the past six (see information box for the list). Carlson, who has led the orchestra for 34 seasons and has been teaching at OSU for 50 years, also conducted Mahlers 1st back in the 1980s.

Carlson said it would have been impossible to do the 9th earlier.

Its the culmination of Mahlers symphonic output, said Carlson, who spent 16 to 18 months studying the score. Its a compilation of everything that has come before. Im so glad we did not tackle the 9th until now. We just didnt have that understanding of the Mahler experience.

The 9th, which did not makes its debut until 1912, after Mahler had died, is a complicated, unorthodox piece. Its first and fourth movements are massive, more than 25 minutes apiece, and Mahler goes counter to symphonic tradition by writing them for slower tempos than the peppier second and third movements.

Its also a symphony in which each movement is played in a different key, which Carlson says poses challenges for his players.

You can be in one key and three measures later were in a different key, Carlson said. Where is our tonal center of gravity? You really have to struggle where players are in terms of tonality.

Carlson then moves from his desk to the piano in his Community Hall (formerly Benton Hall) office and demonstrates how one of the familiar themes of the piece is repeated, but at different tempos.

Mahler also was known for putting precise notations on the scores that established how he wanted players to approach the music. Carlson showed a multipage list that includes translations of the Mahler directives from the original German. At times in the 9th players are urged to play with the utmost intensity or with the utmost violence.

This is the most modern music of all his symphonies, Carlson said. Some call it his death symphony. His beloved daughter has died. He has received the diagnosis of the heart trouble that will eventually kill him. But we were also coming to the end of an era.

The musical currents were changing rapidly. Mahler had a sixth sense that the world he had known was coming to an end. The end of the Hapsburg empire and czarist Russia. He sensed an underlying tension that was going to shatter the world he knew.

But he also knew that death is part of the nature of things. That is the cycle of life. And this symphony is in no way a lamentation."

Contact reporter James Day at jim.day@gazettetimes.com or 541-758-9542. Follow at Twitter.com/jameshday or gazettetimes.com/blogs/jim-day.

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SALEM  Oregonians are in line for a big personal income tax credit, in the form of Oregon's unique kicker rebate, when they file their taxes in 2020.

Thats because the state has collected far more money over the past two years than was expected, state economists Mark McMullen and Josh Lehner said Wednesday. Personal income tax collections during the first quarter of the year were the highest on record.

In most states, any extra revenue goes to the state legislature to spend. But because Oregon law requires the state to kick much of its unanticipated money back to taxpayers, the state gets to keep only a portion.

Relative to our counterparts in other states, this is a difficult day for us, McMullen said. This has been a really nationwide phenomenon in terms of the revenue surge, but to all our counterparts, that's a happy story.  Unfortunately, with our unique kicker law, that's not the case.

If the state collects 2% more in personal income taxes than what state economists predicted two years ago, it triggers the kicker rebate, which means that extra money goes back to Oregonians instead of being spent by the state government. The state smashed through that threshold by more than $1 billion.

Oregon taxpayers will get back about $1.4 billion, nearly double what economists predicted just a few months ago.

That would be the largest kicker in state history, according to McMullen, dwarfing the $463 million kicker that taxpayers got back in 2018.

Right now, McMullen said, it looks like the median kicker rebate will be about $338. For the state's top earners, it will be close to $14,000.

Republicans leapt to the defense of the kicker, warning Democrats against dipping into it.

This constitutionally mandated check on excessive taxation must be honored and not raided for pet projects or to grow the bureaucracy in Salem, said House Minority Leader Carl Wilson, R-Grants Pass, in a statement.

This is the last revenue forecast before the June 30 deadline for lawmakers to pass a state budget. It's important because it tells lawmakers how much money they can spend in the next two years.

Legislative budget-writers have to produce a balanced budget that doesn't spend more money than the state takes in.

This will be the forecast that sets the stage for the budget for '19 (to) '21, said Chris Allanach, legislative revenue officer.

On Wednesday, key Senate Democrats signaled they will take a measured approach to what Sen. Mark Hass, D-Beaverton, described as a historic windfall.

It should go to one of the education stability fund, rainy day fund, PERS fund  whatever one of those long-term funds, Hass said. I think we're going to sock it away.

Senate Majority Leader Ginny Burdick, D-Portland, and Sen. Chuck Riley, D-Hillsboro, said the economic good times won't last.

Todays forecast is great news regarding the budget situation, but history shows us that the spike will not last, Burdick said in a statement, adding, We must continue preparing our state to weather an inevitable economic downturn, and we need to be doing that while times are good.

Riley remarked, We all know there's going to be, eventually  hopefully not soon  a downturn. And we're going to need those reserves. So I think everything we can get, we should put in reserves  everything that we hadn't planned on.

On the other side of the Capitol and in the governor's office, leading Democrats expressed openness to spending part of the windfall on other priorities, such as affordable housing.

Gov. Kate Brown said the revenue boost presents a unique opportunity to protect Oregons future. She suggested using a substantial amount of the money to pay down Oregon's public pension debt while also investing in housing, financial aid for college students, Oregon's troubled foster care system and the Oregon State Police.

We need to approach these unexpected resources prudently, House Speaker Tina Kotek, D-Portland, said in a brief statement. Any use of one-time funds should be focused on areas of significant need, such as housing and pension debts.

House Republicans credited President Donald Trump and a package of tax reforms a Republican-controlled Congress passed in 2017 for the stronger-than-expected revenue forecast.

Senate Republicans criticized Democrats for voting to levy a gross-receipts tax on businesses, which would collect well over $1 billion per year, days before state economists rolled out the rosier-than-expected report.

This serves as another example of the majority party continuing to tax hardworking Oregonians to fill the pockets of big government, Senate Minority Leader Herman Baertschiger, Jr., R-Grants Pass, said in a statement.

The money from the new tax on businesses would be earmarked for education. Collections would be offset somewhat by cuts to Oregon's personal income tax rates and a proposed expansion of the earned income tax credit.

Baertschiger and his entire caucus opposed House Bill 3427, which creates the tax and allocates money for education. It passed the Senate on Monday, and Brown is expected to sign it into law in the coming days.

Separately, K-12 education will also get a boost because corporate income tax collections have been higher than what economists expected. Under state law, that $616 million surplus gets kicked directly into the state school fund, which distributes state money to Oregons local K-12 schools.

Sen. Brian Boquist, R-Dallas, moved to have the Senate revoke its approval of HB 3427 on Wednesday, arguing that the revenue forecast shows the state already has enough money and the new tax is unnecessary. The motion failed.

Reporter Mark Miller works for the Oregon Capital Bureau, a collaboration of EO Media, the Salem Reporter and Pamplin Media Group.

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ALBANY POLICE

Funny money  Scott Justin Kotara, 30, was arrested Tuesday and charged with first-degree forgery after attempting to pass a fake $100 bill at a business in the 2000 block of 14th Avenue.

LINN COUNTY SHERIFF

Itsy-bitsy spider  7:21 a.m. Tuesday, 39000 block Golden Valley Drive, Lebanon. A 17-year-old driver lost control of her vehicle while attempting to remove a spider from it. The vehicle struck a small tree.

Menacing  6:43 p.m. Tuesday, 3600 block Railroad Street, Albany. Jacob Earl Busch, 35, was taken into custody and charged with menacing, unlawful use of a weapon, possession of methamphetamine and giving false information to a police officer. He was lodged at the Linn County Jail.

SWEET HOME POLICE

Fraud  2:30 p.m. Tuesday, 1000 block Third Avenue. A caller reported that someone had used his identity to open a Verizon account.

Contact Linn County reporter Alex Paul at 541-812-6114.

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Here's a little lesson from Oregon history that may be worth keeping in mind over the next few months.

Oregon state economists said Wednesday that they expect a record-setting $1.4 billion "kicker" tax rebate next year, as state revenues continue to exceed the estimates that were made two years ago.

The previous record for a kicker rebate was $1.1 billion, which was issued in 2007  right before the Great Recession.

Now, with many economists suggesting that another economic downturn is looming, possibly as early as next year, legislators should keep that history in mind as they try to determine what to do with this unexpected windfall.

Already, there are signs of a possible economic slowdown, the state economists said: Personal income has declined by about 1%, said economist Mark McMullen. And the economists predicted Wednesday that the state treasury will receive $108 million less in taxes and other general fund revenue than previously expected in the 2019-2021 budget cycle, an early sign that the state's economic growth is beginning to cool off.

Oregon's unique tax kicker is triggered whenever tax revenues for a two-year budget cycle come in more than 2% above economists' predictions made at the start of the budget cycle. That's right: The kicker hinges on estimates that were made nearly two years ago, which is just one of the weird things about this oddball tax policy. (The final amount of the kicker won't be locked in until the August revenue forecast.)

A corporate tax kicker of about $616 million also is expected, but Oregon voters approved a measure in 2012 that siphons that money to K-12 schools. Combined with the passage this week of that $1-billion-a-year gross receipts tax on some Oregon businesses, this likely is the best week for the state's K-12 schools in many years.

To be sure, the unexpectedly robust revenue numbers aren't bad news: Consider that Oregon's current two-year state budget, which expires at the end of June, is about $22.5 billion. According to the latest forecast, lawmakers likely will end that cycle with about $870 million more in the general fund than economists had predicted just three months ago. And the state's rainy day funds and other reserve accounts will have an unprecedented $3.5 billion in hand, a nice hedge against a downturn, if (when) it emerges.

Nevertheless, you couldn't blame budget writers for taking a look at that $1.4 billion kicker and wondering if there might be some other uses for it. It could go, say, to higher education, which was left out of that billion-dollar windfall that's going to K-12 schools. Or maybe it could go into efforts to pay down the state's $27 billion unfunded liability for its public pension system.

But here's the deal: The kicker is enshrined in the state's constitution, and its defenders say it's just about the last remaining brake on state spending. Now, it's possible for lawmakers to take back some of the kicker by passing a law that retroactively adjusts the revenue forecast  but that requires a two-thirds majority in each chamber, which probably puts that out of reach this session.

And the optics, as politicians like to say, aren't great: The same week that you pass a billion-dollar tax increase on businesses, some of which certainly will be passed along to residents, you move to strip the kicker, which will give the median taxpayer earning $36,000 a $330 tax credit next year? And this comes in a session during which you've already taken away $108 million from the kicker in an earlier legislative maneuver? That doesn't look good.

Maybe there will come a time when lawmakers can build a case that is compelling enough to convince residents to overhaul the kicker. It's not out of the question, but it'll be a hard lift. And now isn't the time to do it. (mm)

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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




Yesterday the big news was that Alabama Republicans had passed a total, punitive-- and unconstitutional-- ban on all abortions in their state. The worst DCCC chair ever, the odious Blue Dog from northwest Illinois, Cheri Bustos, thought that would be a good day to announce that she's hosting a fundraiser for Congress' most anti-Choice Democrat, fellow Blue Dog, Dan Lipinski. That's the invitation above. Please do not call Jeff Larivee at 202-821-5203.

Lipinski is utterly out of step with the values and goals of the Democratic Party. He has a long ugly record opposing equality for the LGBTQ community, opposing Choice, opposing sane, common sense gun safety laws, opposing immigrants, opposing healthcare, opposing shoring up Social Security... and supporting a right-wing agenda dictated by the corporate PACs who have underwritten his political career. But none of that is stopping Bustos, another right-of-center Blue Dog, sitting in a safely blue, gerrymandered seat that she always falsely claims that only she could have won. She also claims-- falsely-- that the reason she has been trying to stop primaries is to protect a shaky Democratic majority. The majority is far from shaky and she has never been able to explain how protecting a fake Democrat like Lipinski-- in a district with a D+6 PVI, where Obama won both times and where even Hillary was able to beat Trump 55.2% to 39.9%. Legitimate Republicans don't even bother to run in IL-03. In 2018 the Republican Party had nothing to offer by an avowed Nazi, Arthur Jones. Any Democrat could have beaten him with both hands tied behind their back and Lipinski scored a 73.8% to 26.2% win. Maybe Bustos should be using her time and resources to help defend seats where Republicans actually could win. But, no, Lipinski is exactly her kind of candidate.





There are still politically involved Democrats-- liberals even-- who have been so brainwashed by the establishment that they actually believe the DCCC is their friend or ally or something. This is the stinking heap of garbage who DCCC Chairwoman Cheri Bustos-- rapidly making herself into the next Debbie Wasserman Schultz-- is raising campaign cash for:

Data For Progress explained another way how Last year, Marie Newman was about to beat him when Mark Penn and his wife, Nancy Jacobson, laundered nearly a million dollars from wealthy Republicans -- like the Murdoch family-- and other conservatives to fund a last minute smear campaign against Marie so they could save Lipinski's scrawny neck. Earlier this week Sean McElwee'sexplained another way how it was Republicans who delivered Lipinski his narrow win in 2018. "There's no party registration in Illinois, meaning that primaries are open to any registered voter. This often leads to strategic voting, where Republican partisans vote in Democratic primaries and vice versa. Despite having no party registration, we can still get a good sense of whether someone is a Republican based on their primary voting history... [T]here were about 5,000 frequent Republican primary voters in the 2018 Democratic primary, about 5 percent of the electorate... [which] would entirely account for Lipinskis narrow win margin."

The DCCC, under the leadership of Cheri Bustos, has implemented a new blunt force policy to box out primary challengers. Theyve told every vendor who wants to work with them they if theyre involved in a primary challenge, theyll get blacklisted by the DCCC and wont be eligible for any contracts from the DCCC. In addition to the damage this may do to any primary challengers, its a threat that requires the DCCC to be less effective at the job theyre supposed to be doing if they ever want to act on it. If the DCCC opts to not use a vendor they otherwise would have used, theyre either paying their new vendor more or giving the contract to one they believe to be worse.



Our analysis of FEC records shows something disturbing: it appears the blacklist is designed specifically to protect Dan Lipinski.



2020 may seem like an odd time to roll out this tactic. In 2018, only two primary challengers beat an incumbent Democrat in Congress, which is a pretty normal level. In 2016 it was 3, in 2014 it was 1, and in 2012 it was 2. The answer may lie in not in either challenger who succeeded, but one who didnt: Marie Newman. Newmans race was the marquee incumbent challenge in early 2018 before Lipinskis Republican-aided win.



In 2018, there were a handful of primary candidates. Weve searched through their financial records, and we its clear that if this ban had been in place in 2018, it would have affected Newman the most. Outside of IL-03, the blacklist would have affected three polls and a couple thousand in travel arrangements. Newman, however, would have seen roughly $132,000 in campaign investments become endangered. She employed 270 Strategies, a digital media shop, The Sexton Group, a consulting firm, and Normington, Petts & Associates, her pollster. All three also worked for the DCCC, who obviously stands as a larger client with more work to send their way.



Marie Newman is running against Dan Lipinski again this cycle. Cheri Bustos, who made the decision, is one of only two Democrats to donate to Lipinski in 2018 (in 2018, the DCCC chose not to endorse Lipinski and several Democrats outright endorsed against him). The other Democrat to donate to her this year, Henry Cuellar, has been a vocal supporter of the policy. In the race for DCCC chair, Lipinski very actively backed Bustos as DCCC chair.



January and February of 2019 saw the entry of multiple incumbent challengers who could reasonably be using traditional vendors: Kai Kahele in HI-02, Rishi Kumar in CA-18, Cristina Duran in CO-01, and Mohammad Dar in MA-08. Marie Newman started taking steps towards running in March. Two weeks after she did, The DCCC Blacklist was announced. Since then, its been a serious body blow to Newmans campaign. Shes already had four resignations out of fear of the DCCC, and more firms simply refuse to work with her.



Newman has refused to back down in the face of the policy. Shes gone to the press about her experiences as an enemy of the DCCC, and hasnt let up on her criticisms of Lipinskis ongoing anti-gay politics. Progressives have rallied behind her, donating. In the four days after she talked about how the blacklist had affected her campaign, she received $45 thousand in small dollar donations. The next week, a coalition of five pro-choice progressive groups endorsed her in unison: Planned Parenthood, NARAL, PCCC, EMILYs List, and MoveOn.



A final note: one defense of the blacklist that keeps popping up is that it encourages members to pay their DCCC dues. Lipinski publicly refuses to pay dues.



The DCCC is blacklisting progressive vendors to protect an anti-choice, anti-LGBT, anti-ACA man who won re-election due to Republicans.

Lipinski isn't even the worst of the Blue Dogs. Henry Cuellar's primary opponent will soon announce. And Republican-turned-Blue Dog Tom O'Halleran (AZ) already has a stupendous opponent in progressive former Flagstaff City Councilwoman Eva Putzova.
Standoff at the Venezuelan embassy in Washington, D.C. (Photo Ann Wright)

This is US military policy, being carried out unlawfully on US soil. The DC police and Mayor Bowser's administration are siding with the right-wingers, who are acting unlawfully and with excessive force.

RJ Eskow via RJ Eskow via Twitter

BREAKING NEWS: Police arrested the 4 people remaining in the Venezuela Embassy as part of the #EmbassyProtectionCollective . Total violation of Vienna Conventions. Shameful!!! May 16, 2019





This is illegal under international law! BREAKING: authorities just taped this trespassing notice onto the Venezuelan embassy. It orders all those inside to leave immediately and threatens arrest to those who refuse to comply with orders.This is illegal under international law! pic.twitter.com/Xdlgk29Zot May 13, 2019

This is the 34th day of our living in the Venezuelan embassy in Washington, DC. We are prepared to stay another 34 days, or however long is needed to resolve the embassy dispute in a peaceful way consistent with international law...Before doing so, we reiterate that our collective is one of independent people and organizations not affiliated with any government. While we are all US citizens, we are not agents of the United States. While we are here with permission of the Venezuelan government, we are not their agents or representatives... The exit from the embassy that best resolves issues to the benefit of the United States and Venezuela is a mutual Protecting Power Agreement. The United States wants a Protecting Power for its embassy in Caracas. Venezuela wants a Protecting Power for its embassy in DC.



The Embassy Protectors will not barricade ourselves, or hide in the embassy in the event of an unlawful entry by police. We will gather together and peacefully assert our rights to remain in the building and uphold international law. Any order to vacate based on a request by coup conspirators that lack governing authority will not be a lawful order. The coup has failed multiple times in Venezuela. The elected government is recognized by the Venezuelan courts under Venezuelan law and by the United Nations under international law. An order by the US-appointed coup plotters would not be legal... Such an entry would put embassies around the world and in the United States at risk. We are concerned about US embassies and personnel around the world if the Vienna Convention is violated at this embassy. It would set a dangerous precedent that would likely be used against US embassies... If an illegal eviction and unlawful arrests are made, we will hold all decision-makers in the chain of command and all officers who enforce unlawful orders accountable... There is no need for the United States and Venezuela to be enemies. Resolving this embassy dispute diplomatically should lead to negotiations over other issues between the nations.

The undersigned write to condemn the violations of law which are occurring at the Venezuelan Embassy in Washington D.C. and to demand immediate action be taken. Prior to April 25, 2019, a group of peace activists were invited to the Embassy by the government of Venezuelarecognized as such by the United Nationsand continue to be lawfully on the premises.



Nonetheless, the United States government, through various law enforcement agencies, have condoned and protected violent opponents in support of an attempted siege of the Embassy. In so doing, the U.S. government is creating a dangerous precedent for diplomatic relations with all nations. These actions are not only illegal, but they put embassies around the world at risk. [...]



The contempt shown by the Trump Administration for these principles and for international law puts at risk the entire system of diplomatic relations which could have a reverberating effect in nations throughout the world.



The undersigned demand that the United States immediately cease its ongoing state-sponsored assault and illegal intervention in Venezuela and against its government, which continues to be recognized by the United Nations and the majority of the world. We demand that local and federal law enforcement immediately refrain from exposing the peaceful invitees and their supporters inside and outside the Embassy to harm in violation of their fundamental human rights.

The last Embassy Protectors have been arrested and removed. It has begun.news of something going on at the Venezuelan Embassy in Washington, D.C, but since none of the usual media outlets are covering it, it may not have made much of an impression and the detail may be a bit of a mystery to most people.In a nutshell, here's what's happened to date: The Trump administration attempted to spark a coup in Venezuela against the corrupt, but legitimately elected president Nicolas Maduro using opposition politician Juan Guaido as its agent of change.For more on the background of U.S.-Venezuelan relations and the current crisis, see " Venezuela and Binary Choice " and this timeline via Code Pink . Venezuela has oil, of course, a whole lot of it, and the U.S. has John Bolton in charge of foreign policy. The coup failed , however, leaving Maduro still in office and still in charge of the government. On April 10, prior to the failed coup, the Maduro government, fearing a takeover of their D.C. embassy by pro-Guaido opponents and/orbacked by the U.S., invited members of the anti-war group Code Pink into the D.C. embassy as guests. They have been there ever since. The U.S. government, which still considers the Maduro government illegitimate, responded by cutting off electricity, food and water to the embassy, creating a standoff and an embassy under siege  in Georgetown.things stood until May 13, when the D.C. police taped "trespass notices," with no signature or letterhead, to the doors of the embassy and prepared to enter by force. (Consider for a moment what would, could, and will happen to U.S. embassies elsewhere in the world  starting with the embassy in Venezuela  if Bolton, Trump and the U.S. government are allowed to set invasion of foreign embassies as a precedent.)Police did enter the embassy, but what happened next will surprise you. I'll turn the rest of the narrative over to Medea Benjamin and Ann Wright of Code Pink (emphasis mine). For the outcome, stay tuned.An extraordinary set of events has been unfolding at the Venezuela Embassy in Washington DC, ever since the Embassy Protection Collective began living at the embassy with the permission of the elected government of Venezuela on April 10 to protect it from an illegal takeover by Venezuelas opposition. The actions of the police on the evening of May 13 added a new level of drama.Since the cutting off of electricity, food and water inside the embassy has not been enough to force the collective to leave, late Tuesday afternoon, the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Police handed out a trespassing notice that was printed without letterhead or signature from any U.S. government official.The notice said that the Trump administration recognizes Venezuela opposition leader Juan Guaido as the head of the government of Venezuela and that the Guaido-appointed ambassador to the United States, Carlos Vecchio, and his appointed ambassador to the Organization of American States (OAS), Gustavo Tarre, were to determine who is allowed into the Embassy. Those not authorized by the ambassadors were to be considered trespassers. Those inside the building were requested to depart the building.The police taped the notice to the doors all around the Embassy and later called in the fire department to cut the lock and chain that had been on the front door of the Embassy since diplomatic relations were broken between Venezuela and the United States on January 23.Adding to the drama, supporters of both sides began to gather. The pro-Guaido forces, who had erected tents around the perimeter of the embassy and had set up a long-term encampment to oppose the collective inside the building, were ordered to take down their encampment. It seemed as though this was part of moving them from outside the embassy to the inside.Two hours later, some members of the collective inside the embassy voluntarily left to reduce the load on food and water, and four members refused to obey what they considered an illegal order to vacate the premises. The crowd waited in anticipation of the police going inside and physically removing, and arresting, the remaining collective members. The pro-Guaido forces were jubilant, crying tic-toc, tic-toc as they were counting down the minutes before their victory., their lawyer Mara Verheyden-Hilliard and the DC police. The discussion focused on the reason collective members were in the Embassy in the first placeby turning over the diplomatic premises to a coup government.Collective members reminded police officers thatAfter two hours, instead of arresting the collective, police turned around, locked the door behind them, posted guards and said they would ask their superiors how to handle the situation. The crowd was stunned that the State Department and DC police, after having over a month to organize the eviction, had begun this operation without a full plan to include arrests warrants in case the Collective members did not vacate the building voluntarily.Kevin Zeese, a Collective member, wrote a statement concerning the status of the Collective and the Embassy:We anticipate that the Trump administration will go to court today, May 14 to request an official U.S.-government order to remove the Collective members from the Venezuelan Embassy.Members of the National Lawyers Guild wrote a statement challenging the Trump administrations handing over of diplomatic facilities to unlawful persons:As this saga of the future of the Venezuela Embassy in Georgetown continues to unfold, history will record this as a key turning point in U.S.-Venezuela relations, U.S. violation of a key tenet of international law and most of all, as a heroic example of US citizens doing everything in their power--including going without food, water and electricity and facing daily assaults by the oppositionto try to stop a US-orchestrated coup.

Labels: Code Pink, coup, DC, Gaius Publius, John Bolton, Thomas Neuburger, Trump, Venezuela
By Minh Son May 16, 2019 | 05:26 am PT

SK Group now owns a 6.15 percent stake in Vingroup. Photo by Reuters/Kim Hong-Ji

South Korean conglomerate SK Group has spent $1 billion to acquire stake in Vietnams largest private conglomerate Vingroup.

By purchasing 205.7 million shares at the price of VND113,000 ($4.85) each, SK has secured a 6.15 percent stake in the Vietnamese company.

Vingroup in March sought its shareholders vote on a plan to raise at least VND25 trillion ($1.08 billion) through a private placement to foreign investors.

It planned to use VND10 trillion ($432.3 million) of the proceeds to restructure its debts, VND6 trillion ($259.4 million) to invest in its auto company VinFast, technology firm VinTech and smartphone maker Vinsmart.

Vingroup is Vietnams largest listed company by market capitalization and is worth VND368 trillion ($15.8 billlion).

SK is among the largest conglomerates in South Korea with businesses in telecommunications, technology, electronics, logistics and service.

Last year, it had a revenue of $132 billion, with total asset worth $184 billion.

In September, SK Group acquired a 9.5 percent stake in Vietnams diversified business Masan Group for $470 million.
Most textile workers want to retire early due to heavy work pressure. Photo by Reuters

Textile companies have rejected the proposal to raise employees retirement ages, saying most women workers suffer from huge workloads.

The government is drafting a bill to raise the retirement age by two years for men to 62 and by five years for women to 60.

But textile firms firmly oppose this proposal. Bui Duc Thinh, chairman of Song Hong Garment JSC, said at a recent forum that an increase of five years would cause too much stress for female textile workers, who work up to 10 hours a day in a job that requires intense focus.

Many women workers in fact want to retire at 45, so the existing retirement age of 55 is already unreasonable, he said. "Some even bribe doctors to have medical grounds for early retirement."

A representative of the Vietnam Leather, Footwear and Handbag Association (LEFASO) said women textile workers tend to retire at 35-40 and use their retirement benefits to open their own small business like a garment or barber shop. "Most of them quit before 50."

Truong Van Cam, general secretary of the Vietnam Textile and Apparel Association, said the retirement age should be increased first for administrative jobs, while in manufacturing it could come in the next five or 10 years.

Dao Thi Thu Huyen of the Japanese Business Association in Vietnam (JBAV) said Vietnams life expectancy is 10 years less than Japans, but both countries have the same retirement age of 60.

"Vietnams population is young, so we should give the younger generations the opportunity to work. The retirement age should be raised only for senior positions."

The proposal to increase the retirement age stems from the fact that social insurance funds are limited, Pham Minh Huan, former Deputy Minister of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs, said.

Vietnams retirement and social benefit funds are forecast to face shortfalls from 2023, and the government will be required to subsidize the pension system from 2034, according to the International Labor Organization.
The central province of Khanh Hoa just became the latest locality to be infected with African swine fever in Vietnam. Photo by Shutterstock/Dusan Petkovic

Khanh Hoa, home to the popular beach town Nha Trang, has become the latest province in Vietnam to report African swine fever.

The disease was detected in pigs reared by eight households in three communes in Dien Khanh District, the central provinces Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, said Wednesday.

Forty four animals were culled, and local authorities said they are closely monitoring the situation.

Four temporary animal checkpoints have been established in Dien Khanh to prevent pigs from coming in or leaving the district.

African swine fever has been detected in at least 30 cities and provinces in Vietnam, and more than 1.2 million pigs have died or been culled, 4 percent of the countrys total number, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

If the disease spreads to large farms, there would be "extremely catastrophic consequences," Nguyen Xuan Cuong, the agriculture minister, said.

The deployment of troops to combat the diseases spread is being considered, he added.

African swine fever, which infects all pig species through bodily fluids such as blood and mucus and causes hemorrhagic fever, was first detected in Vietnam in February. It has since spread to all regions of the country.

It reached the southern region in early May, infecting pigs in two farms in Dong Nai Province, home to the nations largest pig herd and a major source of pork supply to neighboring Ho Chi Minh City.

Just last weekend an outbreak was detected in Binh Phuoc Province, next door to Dong Nai.

Vietnam has the worlds seventh largest pig population and is the sixth largest pork producer, according to the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

Some 70 percent of meat products in Vietnam are from pigs, with over 10,000 farms and 2.5 million households raising the animal for food.

There is no cure for African swine fever, though humans are not affected by it.

The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in March advised Vietnam to declare the swine fever outbreak a national emergency.

Twenty countries and territories have reported outbreaks since 2017 and over one million pigs have been put down, according to the World Organization for Animal Health. Vietnam is the third country in Asia to be hit after China and Mongolia.
A street vendor sells branches of peach blossom, one of the most popular Tet decorations in northern Vietnam, on a Hanoi street ahead of the 2019 Tet in January. Photo by VnExpress/Ngoc Thanh

Vietnam should not have more than seven days holidays for the Lunar New Year if businesses are not to stagnate, economists said.

The government is drafting an amendment to the Labor Law, which includes changes to Tet, the biggest and most important holiday in the Vietnamese calendar, when people reunite with their family to celebrate the new lunar year.

Economist Ngo Tri Long suggested the break should be five or seven days at most.

"A long break would allow people to reboot but at the same time, it would cause the economy to stagnate."

For new year celebrations, many countries only have one or two days of holidays, he said.

For many years now Tet holidays in Vietnam have ranged for seven to nine days. For the 2019 Tet, government offices and state-owned companies were away from work for nine days from February 2 to 10, including two weekends.

Le Dang Doanh, former head of the Central Institute for Economic Management, too said the Tet break should not be longer than seven days so that businesses would not be much affected.

Many Japanese-owned companies in Vietnam complain that the Tet break is way too long and their deliveries are delayed, he said.

Besides, workers take more days off after the holidays without notice, and there are times when the companies have to cancel export orders because they cannot finish them in time, he said.

Nguyen Van Binh, deputy head of the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairss legal office, said it is a constant grievance that the Tet break is far too long.

There are two options proposed for amending the Labor Law and authorities are soliciting public opinion on them.

Both limit the Tet holidays to five days, with the difference being while one offers to compensate workers with holidays on other days if a weekend is involved, meaning people can have seven days off, the other does not.

Khuat Thu Hong, head of the Institute for Social Development Studies, said a long Tet holiday has its weak and strong points.

"With a long break, migrant workers in big cities would have the chance to enjoy their homecoming but that also mean they will need a certain period to get back to the normal working pace later, not to mention the long break means more parties, more drinking, which would result in waste, violence and accidents."

However, a long Tet break would stimulate the demand for tourism, she said.
Some of eight tons of pangolin scales seized in Hai Phong in March 2019. Photo courtesy of Hai Phong Customs Department

An 8-ton shipment of pangolin scales was seized at the northern Hai Phong port in March, the citys customs department said this week.

The contraband shipment was transported by Mia Schulte ship from Africa to the port on March 22. Hai Phong customs officials began inspecting the container on March 25, and only announced the investigation results on Wednesday.

The scales were packed in 311 bags in a 20-feet container. The recipient was a Hanoi-based business.

Dr. Dang Tat The of Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources, a wildlife expert, said that this was the largest seizure of pangolin scales ever in Vietnam.

Pangolin trafficking is not rare in Vietnam, where it is legally protected and categorized as endangered.

The shy, tiny creature, which resembles a scaly anteater, is the world's most heavily trafficked mammal despite bans. Pangolins are hunted in Vietnam and its neighborhood for their meat and the alleged medicinal properties of their scales.

A December 2017 study by wildlife trade monitoring group Traffic and Australias University of Adelaide found that of the 10 countries and territories with the largest number of trafficking incidents, seven are in Asia  China, Vietnam, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Thailand, Laos, and Indonesia.
A worker installs a solar panel on the roof of the Nam Tu Liem Power Company in Hanoi. Photo obtained by VnExpress

Hanoi has begun to pay consumers who produce rooftop solar power and send back to the grid.

The Hanoi Power Corporation has begun net metering and is issuing registration forms to consumers seeking to sell solar power to it.

In Saigon, which began net metering on Wednesday, at least 49 household and business consumers have signed contracts in the central Districts 1 and 3 at a feed-in tariff of 9.35 cents per kilowatt-hour for 20 years.

That translates into VND2,086 per kWh for those who linked up before January 1, 2018, and were waiting for the word, and VND2,134 for those who linked this year.

From 2020 onwards the price will be fixed annually based on the exchange rate.

Nguyen Tan Hung, chairman of the HCMC Power Corporation, told VnExpress last year that rooftop solar panels can be an effective power solution for most households, but factors like weather and location have to be taken into consideration.

Vietnam relies largely on hydropower and thermal power for its electricity needs, but its hydropower potential is almost fully exploited and oil and gas reserves are running low. Their environmental impacts have also been a concern.

The national electricity development plan envisages power generation reaching 130,000 MW in 2030 from 47,000 MW currently, meaning 83,000 MW would need to be added along with the requisite distribution infrastructure.

The development of clean energy will be crucial as Vietnam is expected to grow at 6.5  7.5 percent a year on average.
Le Hai Duong (L) and Pham Van Liem have been arrested for running a drug ring distributing meth from Ho Chi Minh City to the nearby Vung Tau. Photo by VnExpress/Quang Binh

Police in the southern beach town Vung Tau have arrested six drug dealers running a methamphetamine ring from its neighbor Ho Chi Minh City.

The police said Tuesday that they had arrested Le Hai Duong, the leader of a meth ring based in the city as well as five other members of the gang.

According to the police, Duong, 38, had been sentenced to eight years in prison for drug dealing back in 2011.

When he was released in 2017, Duong moved to HCMC and set up the new ring to trade in meth.

He usually stayed off stage to run the ring and let Pham Van Liem, 42, a HCMC resident, engage in transactions with distributors in Vung Tau.

Liem was caught more than one month ago when distributing half a kilo (1.1 pounds) of meth in Vung Tau.

As Duong could not trust other members of the ring, he showed up to trade the drug himself and was arrested on April 10 while carrying 130 grams of meth in HCMCs Tan Binh District.

Continuing their investigation, the police arrested Hang Thi Tuyet Lan, 29, owner of a hotel who received meth from Duong, and her three employees, Ngo Van Quang, Lam Chi Yen, and Pham Van Chung.

Vietnamese authorities deal with around 20,000 cases involving drugs every year and arrest around 30,000 people. The country has some 250,000 registered addicts, but actual figures could be much higher.

Heroin has long been the common drug in Vietnam, mostly among older men, but the use of synthetic drugs like meth is on the rise especially among a growing class of hard-partying youth.

Drug trafficking and abuse have been happening despite Vietnam having some of the toughest laws against them. Those convicted of possessing or smuggling more than 600 grams of heroin or cocaine or more than 2.5 kg of methamphetamine could face the death penalty. The production or sale of 100 grams of heroin or 300 grams of other illegal narcotics is also punishable by death.
Tet passed recently, and Vietnamese holidays always make me think about what it means to be Vietnamese, or not Vietnamese.

Viet Thanh Nguyen

Im less interested in the question itself, because theres no good answer to the question, and more interested in what it implies. The question implies that there is such a thing as Vietnameseness, and that we can define it with a list of things: youre Vietnamese if you can tell the difference between good pho and bad pho, youre Vietnamese if you have a favorite brand of fish sauce, youre Vietnamese if you get teary at the sound of a Khanh Ly song, youre Vietnamese if you know who Modern Talking is, youre Vietnamese if... the list can go on. The question of what it means to be Vietnamese is only interesting to me because of the reason why I, or we, or anyone, might ask that question.

I am always getting asked a variation of that question. I went to this Tet party last month, and chatted with a young Vietnamese scholar recently arrived from Vietnam. We had been speaking for a minute or so, in English, when she said, "Youre not Vietnamese, are you?" This reminded me of the time I had dinner with a group of Vietnamese studies specialists and this young Vietnamese doctoral student, recently from Vietnam, said to me after a minute of conversation (in English), "Theres not much about you thats still Vietnamese, is there?" This reminded me of the many times I had been to Vietnam where people would say (after a few words in Vietnamese from me), "Your Vietnamese is so good!" This means that they thought I was not Vietnamese, since no one would compliment a Vietnamese person on his Vietnamese. I thought, this is what it must be like to be a white person in Vietnam who breaks out her or his Vietnamese. People treat you so nicely just for being able to say "Please take me to Cho Ben Thanh*."

Whenever this happened, which was at least once a week, it would always remind me of those days in San Jose when I was a kid, in the 1980s, when my parents forced me to attend Vietnamese Catholic Sunday school. I barely spoke any Vietnamese back then, and in that time, in that place, you could not be Vietnamese if you did not speak Vietnamese. It was in the Vietnamese Catholic church, and in Vietnamese language classes, that I first developed my distaste for authenticity. Perhaps it was the pressure of being outsiders, refugees, newcomers to an American life they felt to be strange and one that they had not truly chosen that drove the Vietnamese I knew to define being Vietnamese narrowly. Their Vietnamese identity and culture was like an asteroid from a foreign planet that had come crashing to the American earth, and they would do everything they could to preserve it. So they had their rituals and festivals and masses and schools, where the prescriptions for being Vietnamese were very clear. If you felt included in that world, it was home.

A woman carries bowls of Vietnamese chicken noodle soup pho at a restaurant in Hanoi, Vietnam. Photo by Reuters/Kham

Home was a comforting place, where people always welcomed you, made sure you had enough to eat, knew how to say your name. Home was also the place where people knew you enough to put you in your place, dislike you, hate you, have enough of you, take out their frustrations and rage on you. My parents lived and worked in the Vietnamese world, and the people they were most afraid of were other Vietnamese people. This was the other side of authenticity, the fact that if you knew what it meant to be really Vietnamese, then you also knew where the soft spots and deep hurt were as well. No one knows how to cut you down like another Vietnamese person, wholl do it with a smile. No surprise that in the 1980s in San Jose, the crime Vietnamese people spoke most often of was the home invasion, when Vietnamese youth invaded the homes of people who looked just like them. The youth knew what hour of the day to come, who to torture, where to find the gold and cash. Was it my imagination, or was this just a repetition of the war, these kids who did the same things the older generation did in Vietnam. I remembered how, in the second grade, circa 1979, the Vietnamese kids of my San Jose school had already formed gangs and fought each other over territory in the schoolyard. The Vietnamese people had brought their home with them, and home was a civil war, imposed on us by white people who were happy to watch us fight each other. At least in Vietnam, we fought white people too. Was it my imagination, or in America, did the Vietnamese go out of their way to make white people feel at home whenever they encountered them.

I was never so glad as I was on the day I finally left home. It would take me two decades before I could come back to San Jose without feeling that I was being suffocated by the closeness of those walls of home. Strange, I felt freer going to Vietnam than I did to San Jose. Not that Vietnam doesnt have its own basket case of problems, but its not my basket case. I didnt go to Vietnam with any expectation that I would suddenly feel at home, 100 percent Vietnamese, ready to kiss the soil of the motherland. I expected to feel like a foreigner, and that was what I was. The only problem was that the Vietnamese, once they knew who I was, expected me to feel and behave like a native, except when it came to financial matters, when they expected me to behave like a foreigner.

But this was all a long time ago. Wasnt it? Nowadays the Vietnamese are redefining authenticity, since anything a Vietnamese person does in Vietnam must be authentically Vietnamese. The rich Vietnamese are so rich theyre doing whatever rich people are doing everywhere, finding new and creative and absurd ways to spend their money, like the $37 bowl of pho or a Lamborghini on the streets of Saigon, where you cant drive faster than 30 miles per hour. Come to think of it, you cant drive anywhere in Vietnam faster than 30 miles per hour. So if this is alien and foreign behavior in Vietnam, its still Vietnamese behavior. Meanwhile, in the USA, theres a whole new generation of Vietnamese Americans. Some of them want to do culture shows and preserve Vietnamese culture. Some people need to know what their culture is and find it reassuring to rehearse the motions, or to treat culture as if it is something found in a museum, static and unchanging.

But do contemporary Americans feel the need to prove their American culture by periodically wearing powdered wigs and tricorn hats and owning slaves? We think we have moved beyond all of that as Americans and are perfectly happy to think that James Franco represents American culture to the world today. But I havent been to a Vietnamese culture show in 10 years and Im curious to see whether todays American-born students are still doing fan dances and candle dances dressed in peasant clothes, which is what my generation did, most of whom had never had their bare feet in a rice paddy. When I was growing up in San Jose in the hard eighties, I had no idea what a rice paddy might really be like. My idea of Vietnamese culture was that we were a very smart and resourceful people who knew how to both work for cash under the table while collecting welfare and food stamps. Id like to see a culture show about that.

Nowadays there are some in the new generation who dont speak any Vietnamese, who dont care what white people think, and who may not really care that much about being Vietnamese either. Sometimes I run across them in person or see them do their thing from a distance, like Tila Tequila. She doesnt proclaim her Vietnamese identity, but she is Vietnamese (of a certain kind) in the way she behaves. Ive seen many like her in Saigon and San Jose, eager to move on up and look good while theyre doing it. Mostly I assume there are many, many more diverse Vietnamese I will never meet because I wouldnt have a reason totheyre not doing anything "Vietnamese." More power to them. They are Vietnamese and theyre not Vietnamese all at the same time. What they do is Vietnamese and not Vietnamese all at the same time. The ability not to be forced by someones question about your authenticity into making an either/or answeryes, I am Vietnamese, or no, I am not Vietnamesewhich is to give in to the whole weight of someone elses expectations around being "Vietnamese." So the next time someone asks me if Im really Vietnamese, Im going to say "yes and no," and then I will wait for them to ask me another question.

*Editor's note: Cho Ben Thanh, or Ben Thanh Market, is one of the main icons of Ho Chi Minh City and a big tourist attraction.

*Viet Thanh Nguyen is a University Professor, Aerol Arnold Chair of English, and Professor of English, American Studies and Ethnicity, and Comparative Literature at the University of Southern California. His novel "The Sympathizer" is a New York Times best seller and won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. The opinions expressed are his own, first published on DiaCritics.org in March 2011.
Nguyen Ngoc Hien was cleaning a vacated apartment in Binh Thanh District when he found $7,400.

Hien reported his finding and requested assistance in finding the owner.

On Wednesday, the 26-year-old man and the buildings management board returned the money to Artern of Ukraine, a tenant whod just vacated the apartment.

Nguyen Ngoc Hien returns money he found when cleaning up an apartment in HCMC to the building's managers. Photo by VnExpress/Huy Doan

Hien said that when he was very surprised when he found the cash. He had never seen so much money before. Then he thought that the rightful owner would be very upset on losing it.

He lives with his mother in a small house in the same district. Currently, they are all cleaning staff in the apartment building.

Vietnam's average income was around $2,500 in 2018.
Vietnam has proposed an amicable settlement after 29 Vietnamese fishermen were caught in Malaysian waters last Saturday.

Malaysian maritime authorities seized two Vietnamese fishing vessels and detained 29 fishermen off the northern coastal city of Kuching in Sarawak State, accusing the Vietnamese fishers of encroachment and illegal fishing.

"The fishers are now held in custody for investigation and will stand trial under Malaysian law.

"They are all in stable condition and the embassy has suggested that Malaysian authorities settle the incident satisfactorily and treat them humanely," the Vietnamese Embassy in Malaysia has said in a statement.

The embassy said it will continue to follow the case and coordinate with relative agencies to take necessary and timely measures to protect the legal rights and benefits of the arrested fishermen.

The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA), which arrested the Vietnamese fishers, said the latter were fishing illegally when a patrol ship found them, and they failed to produce a permit or valid personal documents.

The MMEA also seized three tons of fish and fishing equipment worth RM2 million ($480,000) from the two vessels.

Malaysias Fisheries Act levies a fine not exceeding RM1 million for the skipper and not exceeding RM100,000 for each crew member or a jail term not exceeding two years for harmful alteration of fish habitat.

There has been no information released about when the trial will be held.

This is the fourth time a foreign vessel has been seized for illegal fishing in Malaysian waters this year and all of them have been Vietnamese.
The brand-new, modern luxury cruise ship Indochine Cruise offers a unique experience in exploring world natural heritage Ha Long and Lan Ha bays.

The northeast of Vietnam will, at the end of May 2019, host a cruise encapsulating luxury and colonial charm: the Indochine Cruise.

This five-star vessel is one of the achievements of Indochina Sails, a long established cruise operator with over 20 years of experience in Ha Long Bay.

At the end of this month, the Indochine Cruise will set sail into a new land. Lan Ha Bay is located just to the south of Ha Long Bay, and is altogether calmer and uncrowded, without nature being constantly disturbed by the roar of boat engines.

The timeless experience of a cruise in Ha Lan Bay.

Here, smooth waterways cut between beautiful limestone mountains, each topped with a forest of green trees and standing strikingly over fishing villages and caves. It is in this paradise that Indochine will find its home.

Comfort is a critical element for every discovery, and this is something the cabins of the Indochine Cruise offer in abundance. Its 43 stylish rooms across four different options range from the 32 square meter Junior Suite Cabin to the 80 sq.m Presidential Suite.

Each cabin is dressed gracefully in light colors and contrasted with burnished wooden furnishing, striking a balance that breathes luxury with a colonial tinge. The elegance of the tiles and marble floors of the en suite bathrooms is matched by the natural scenes viewable from the balconies and wall-length windows.

Inviting facilities in the Indochine Cruise.

The Indochine Cruise features two spacious restaurants. The artistic flourishes at the Tonkin Restaurant and golden tones of the An Nam Restaurant reflect the vibrant style of the food served there. Both restaurants provide delicious a la carte and buffet options alongside constant views of the outstanding landscapes outside.

The rear of the third floor is reserved for possibly the height of luxury on the Indochine Cruise, the lounge and Jacuzzi plunge pool. The dark chic and floral patterns here create an exclusive atmosphere topped with premium comfort, while the large hot tub outside provides scintillating relaxation.

A room with landscape view.

Relaxation continues both below the lounge, in the fully equipped spa center, and above, across the sprawling sundeck and international bar. From the comfort of either the massage table or a sun lounger, guests can lie back in style and let the aura of Ha Long - Lan Ha Bay wash calmly over them.

For more information, please contact Indochine Cruise, 27A6 Dam Trau, Hai Ba Trung Dist, Hanoi. Hotline: +84 98 204 2426.

Across the tranquil bay guests are transported to different worlds of natural and architectural wonders. In the Dark and Bright Caves, Three Peach Islet and Ong Cam Bay, guests will be able to kayak and recline on golden sands, absorbing the nature around them as they do so. They also have chance to visit the island village of Viet Hai and the floating village of Van Boi.

Guests on a charter cruise can book a floating bar excursion and a romantic dinner in a candlelit cave. The true beauty of Halong - Lan Ha Bay shines through in these peaceful and intimate settings.
US navy chief does not want China tensions to 'boil over'

Richardson said Washington will continue such operations which are aimed at ensuring freedom of navigation. Photo by AFP/Roslan Rahman

The U.S. navy chief said Wednesday he did not want maritime tensions with China to "boil over," a week after Washington's latest challenge to Beijing's territorial claims in contested waters.

Beijing said last week two American warships sailed near disputed islands in the South China Sea without permission, prompting the Chinese Navy to ask them to leave.

The ships entered waters adjacent to Gaven and Chigua reefs in the Spratly Islands, which Beijing calls Nansha, on May 6, China's foreign ministry said.

Speaking on the sidelines of a maritime security conference in Singapore, Admiral John Richardson said Washington will continue such operations which are aimed at ensuring freedom of navigation.

The U.S. will however ensure that communications with Beijing remain open to prevent any untoward incidents, he added.

"I really value the channel of communication that I have with Shen Jinlong," he told reporters, referring to his Chinese counterpart.

"We just recently visited China, we had a chance to get to know each other, understand each other more thoroughly.

"We can continue to advocate that while we may not see things the same in all parts of the world, we've got to work through those differences in a way that doesn't boil over into conflict."

The U.S. Navy regularly conducts freedom of navigation operations to challenge Beijing's vast claims in the sea, often angering China.

After last week's sail-by, a foreign ministry spokesman said "the Chinese side expresses strong dissatisfaction and resolute opposition" to the U.S. action.

But Richardson insisted the patrols were routine.

"We haven't done anything increasingly provocative or anything else that we would not do anywhere else in the world," he said.

Beijing has built artificial islands and military installations in the South ChinaSea, including on the Spratlys.

China claims nearly all of the sea, but Taiwan, the Philippines, Brunei, and Malaysia all claim parts of it. Vietnam, which calls the waters the East Sea, has repeatedly asserted its sovereignty over the waters.
The U.S. Department of States Rewards for Justice Program is offering a reward of up to $10 million for information leading to the disruption of the financial mechanisms of the global terrorist organization Lebanese Hezbollah.

Based in Lebanon, Hezbollah receives weapons, training, and funding from Iran, which the Secretary of State designated as a state sponsor of terrorism in 1984. Hezbollah generates about a billion dollars a year from a combination of direct financial support from Iran, international businesses and investments, donor networks, and money laundering activities.

The reward could be paid for information leading to the identification and disruption of Hezbollahs sources of revenue or its key financial facilitators, including major donors; financial institutions facilitating its transactions; businesses or investments owned or controlled by Hezbollah; front companies engaged in international procurement of dual-use technology on Hezbollahs behalf; and criminal schemes involving Hezbollah members or supporters which benefit the terrorist organization.

In addition to Hezbollahs global financial networks, the Rewards for Justice Program is highlighting three individuals as examples of the type of key Hezbollah financiers or facilitators about whom it seeks information. They are Adham Tabaja; Mohammad Ibrahim Bassi; and Ali Youssef Charara. Each has previously been designated by the U.S. Treasury Department as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist.

Since its inception in 1984, the Rewards for Justice Program has paid in excess of one hundred and fifty million dollars to more than one hundred people who provided actionable information that helped bring terrorists to justice or prevented acts of international terrorism.

If anyone has information on Hezbollah financial networks please contact the Rewards for Justice office via the website at www.rewardsforjustice.net; email: LH@rewardsforjustice.net; phone in North America: at 1-800-877-3927; or mail: Rewards for Justice, Washington, D.C. 20520-0303 USA. Individuals may also contact the Regional Security Officer at the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate.

All information will be kept strictly confidential.
Ireland has successfully advanced the transformation of its energy sector, led primarily by the power sector. In 2017, about a quarter of the country's total power generation came from wind power, the third highest share among all 30 IEA member countries, according to the latest review of Ireland's energy policies by the International Energy Agency.

The Irish electricity system can already accommodate up to 65% of variable wind and solar generation, without risking security of supply. This is one of the highest shares globally, and a testimony to the country's innovation and research capacity.

Ireland's overall energy system remains heavily reliant on fossil fuels, and with energy consumption projected to rise with population growth, Ireland will need to meet its future energy needs through low-carbon and energy efficient solutions in order to keep carbon emissions in check. Ireland is not on course to meet its emissions reduction and renewable energy targets for 2020, which means that reaching its 2030 targets is also in question.

"Ireland has become a world leader in system integration of renewables thanks in large part to strong policies and commitment to innovation" said Paul Simons, IEA Deputy Executive Director, who presented the report in Ireland. "Building on this success, we advise the government to urgently implement additional measures and monitor their progress to get the country back on track to meet its long-term climate targets."

Efforts to manage emissions could include building on the success of its broad set of existing energy efficiency policies and the many new policies that have come into force since 2017, supported by a substantial increase in funding. Ireland's commitment to efficiency is highlighted by its decision to host the IEA's 4th Annual Global Conference on Energy Efficiency in Dublin in June 2019.

Decarbonising heating in buildings is a particular challenge for Ireland because of a highly dispersed population living in single-family dwellings, which, compared to other IEA countries, still feature a high share of individual oil-heating systems. As Ireland has already achieved significant reductions in energy intensity, attention should now shift to switching from fossil fuels towards more renewable energy sources in heat production.

Since January 2019, all new buildings must install renewable energy systems to ensure that the expansion of the building stock does not lock-in carbon fuel consumption. Decarbonising heat in the existing building stock is more challenging; especially in the rental sector. In its report, the IEA recommends a two pronged strategy: complementing attractive financial incentives for landlords along with the introduction of minimum energy efficiency standards where needed.

Moving towards a low-carbon energy system will also ease concerns over Ireland's security of supply, given its limited domestic hydrocarbon resources and geography that makes a full integration into larger European energy markets challenging.

Ireland is one of the few countries that taxes all carbon fuels, an effective instrument for reducing demand and enhancing energy efficiency. But the carbon tax rate has not changed since 2014 and, with rising living standards, its impact on customer behaviour is weakening. The IEA encourages the Irish government to introduce an automatic upward adjustment of the tax when pre-set emission targets are not met.

Read the full press release.

Source: Ireland Energy Agency
Atlantic Power Corporation (NYSE: AT) (TSX: ATP) ("Atlantic Power" or the "Company") announced today (5/15) that it has executed an agreement to acquire, for $20 million, the equity ownership interests held by AltaGas Power Holdings (U.S.) Inc. ("AltaGas") in two contracted biomass plants in North Carolina and Michigan. The acquisition is subject to the approval of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and customary third-party consents. Closing is expected by mid-2019. The purchase will be funded from the Company's discretionary cash.

Craven County Wood Energy is a 48 megawatt (MW) biomass plant in North Carolina that has been in service since October 1990. Atlantic Power will acquire a 50% interest in the plant from AltaGas. The remaining 50% interest is held by CMS Energy. Craven County has a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with Duke Energy Carolinas that runs through December 2027. The plant burns wood waste, including wood chips, poultry litter, forestry residues, mill waste, bark and sawdust.

Grayling Generating Station is a 37 MW biomass plant in Michigan that has been in service since June 1992. Atlantic Power will acquire a 30% interest in the plant from AltaGas. The remaining interests are held by Fortistar (20%) and CMS Energy (50%). Grayling has a PPA with Consumers Energy, the utility subsidiary of CMS Energy, which runs through December 2027. The plant burns wood waste from local mills, forestry residues, mill waste and bark.

Both plants are operated by an affiliate of CMS Energy. There is no project-level debt at either plant.

"Since last summer, we have announced the acquisitions of five plants - Craven County and Grayling; the remaining ownership interests in the Koma Kulshan hydro facility, which we acquired in July; and the Allendale and Dorchester biomass plants in South Carolina, on which we expect to close later this year. The PPAs for these acquired plants run through December 2027, March 2037 and October 2043, respectively," said James J. Moore, Jr., President and CEO of Atlantic Power. "The acquisitions represent a meaningful addition to the level and length of our existing contracted cash flows, and we estimate they will contribute Project Adjusted EBITDA of $8 million to $10 million annually on average through the date of the first PPA expiration.1 We acquired the five plants at what we consider to be attractive prices."

Mr. Moore continued, "As a result of the strengthening of our balance sheet (with more than $1 billion of debt reduction since 2014), reduction in interest and overhead costs (more than $100 million in recurring annual cost savings) and ample liquidity (approximately $198 million at March 31, 2019), we have been able to continue with debt reduction, repurchases of common and preferred shares under our normal course issuer bid and the acquisition of contracted plants that add to our cash flow. We remain focused on cash flow and intrinsic value per share in making these capital allocation decisions."

About Atlantic Power

Atlantic Power is an independent power producer that owns power generation assets in nine states in the United States and two provinces in Canada. The generation projects sell electricity and steam to investment-grade utilities and other creditworthy large customers predominantly under long-term PPAs that have expiration dates ranging from 2019 to 2037. The Company seeks to minimize its exposure to commodity prices through provisions in the contracts, fuel supply agreements and hedging arrangements. The projects are diversified by geography, fuel type, technology, dispatch profile and offtaker (customer). The majority of the projects in operation are 100% owned and directly operated and maintained by the Company. The Company has expertise in operating most fuel types, including gas, hydro, and biomass, and it owns a 40% interest in one coal project.

Atlantic Power's shares trade on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol AT and on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol ATP. For more information, please visit the Company's website at www.atlanticpower.com or contact:

Atlantic Power Corporation

Investor Relations

(617) 977-2700

info@atlanticpower.com

Copies of the Company's financial data and other publicly filed documents are available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com or on EDGAR at www.sec.gov/edgar.shtml under "Atlantic Power Corporation" or on the Company's website.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

To the extent any statements made in this news release contain information that is not historical, these statements are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and forward-looking information under Canadian securities law (collectively, "forward-looking statements").

Certain statements in this news release may constitute "forward-looking statements", which reflect the expectations of management regarding the future growth, results of operations, performance and business prospects and opportunities of the Company and its projects. These statements, which are based on certain assumptions and describe the Company's future plans, strategies and expectations, can generally be identified by the use of the words "may," "will," "should," "project," "continue," "believe," "intend," "anticipate," "expect" or similar expressions that are predictions of or indicate future events or trends and which do not relate solely to present or historical matters. Examples of such statements in this press release include, but are not limited, to statements with respect to the following:

the Company's view that the five acquired plants represent a meaningful addition to the level and length of existing contracted cash flows;

the Company's estimate that the five acquired plants will contribute approximately $8 million to $10 million of Project Adjusted EBITDA annually on average through the expiration of the first PPA;

the Company's view that the acquisitions were done at attractive prices; and

the Company's view that it is able to continue with debt reduction, repurchases of common and preferred shares under its normal course issuer bid, and acquisitions.

Forward-looking statements involve significant risks and uncertainties, should not be read as guarantees of future performance or results, and will not necessarily be accurate indications of whether or not or the times at or by which such performance or results will be achieved. Please refer to the factors discussed under "Risk Factors" and "Forward-Looking Information" in the Company's periodic reports as filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") from time to time for a detailed discussion of the risks and uncertainties affecting the Company. Although the forward-looking statements contained in this news release are based upon what are believed to be reasonable assumptions, investors cannot be assured that actual results will be consistent with these forward-looking statements, and the differences may be material. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release and, except as expressly required by applicable law, the Company assumes no obligation to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances.

1 The Company has not provided guidance for Project income or Net income on a Project basis because of the difficulty of making accurate forecasts and projections without unreasonable efforts with respect to certain highly variable components of these comparable GAAP metrics, including changes in the fair value of derivative instruments and foreign exchange gains or losses.
ExxonMobil's program matches individual donations to accredited colleges and universities in the United States. The American Indian College Fund, Hispanic Scholarship Fund and United Negro College Fund are also eligible to receive donations as part of the matching gift program. While ExxonMobil's grants are unrestricted, colleges and universities are encouraged to designate a portion of the funds they receive to math and science programs supporting student engagement.

"Supporting higher education, particularly in the areas of engineering, math and science, is critical in improving individual livelihoods as well as driving broader societal growth," said Kevin Murphy, president of the ExxonMobil Foundation. "We've long supported programs that improve educational outcomes and provide teachers with the tools they need to inspire our next generation of leaders and innovators."

More than 800 accredited colleges and universities in the United States will receive a total of $50.4 million as part of the ExxonMobil Foundation's 2018 Educational Matching Gift Program. Nearly 4,000 ExxonMobil employees and retirees contributed more than $17 million to institutions of higher education in 2018, which will be matched with over $32 million in unrestricted grants from the foundation. ExxonMobil has donated nearly $700 million to American institutions of higher learning since the program began.

ExxonMobil and the ExxonMobil Foundation also support programs that encourage students, particularly women and minorities, toward careers in science, technology, engineering and math, as well as teacher training initiatives.

About the ExxonMobil Foundation

The ExxonMobil Foundation is the primary philanthropic arm of Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM) in the United States. The foundation and corporation engage in a range of philanthropic activities that advance education, with a focus on math and science in the United States, promote women as catalysts for economic development and combat malaria. In 2018, the ExxonMobil Foundation, together with Exxon Mobil Corporation, its divisions and affiliates, along with employees and retirees, provided more than $211 million in contributions worldwide, of which over $75 million was dedicated to education.
"New York is making nation-leading investments in renewable energy resources that support our rapidly growing clean energy economy and provide businesses and residents with cleaner, more cost-effective energy," Governor Cuomo said. "This project exemplifies our efforts to support solar projects across the state that deliver meaningful environmental benefits, while spurring economic growth that will serve New Yorkers for generations to come."

"This significant solar project by Anheuser-Busch and AES Distributed Energy will use renewable energy sources and help reduce greenhouse gas emissions," said Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul, who made today's announcement. "The investment, as part of NY-Sun, continues our efforts to attract and spur cutting-edge projects that save consumers money and advances New York's nation-leading clean energy goals. The solar facility helps to protect the environment, creating job opportunities and growing the economy of Central New York."

The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), through the NY-Sun program, provided over $1.1 million in support for the array which is comprised of more than 8,300 solar panels - making it Anheuser-Busch's largest off-site installation to date in the United States. Located six miles from the company's Baldwinsville brewery, the 2.76 megawatt array will produce over 3 million kilowatt-hours annually, the equivalent of providing enough to brew 3 million cases of beverages annually.

The solar array is owned and operated by AES Distributed Energy, Inc. and was developed to support Anheuser-Busch's ambitious goal to purchase 100 percent of its electricity from renewable sources by 2025.

Anheuser-Busch already secures 50 percent of its purchased electricity from wind power, which is more than the amount of electricity required to brew Budweiser beer in the U.S. each year.

NY-Sun is Governor Cuomo's $1 billion initiative to advance the scale-up of solar and move the state closer to having a sustainable, self-sufficient solar industry. Since 2011, solar in New York has increased more than 1,500 percent and leveraged nearly $3.5 billion in private investments. These investments have supported nearly 12,000 people engaged in solar jobs across state. Businesses interested in learning more about solar energy can visit the NY-Sun website.

Alicia Barton, President and CEO, NYSERDA said, "Governor Cuomo has made private-public partnerships the hallmark of the state's holistic approach to planning for the future and a critical part of New York becoming one of the fastest growing solar markets in the nation. We are excited to partner with AES Distributed Energy and Anheuser-Busch on their environmental stewardship through this project and their commitment to reducing emissions through renewable energy resources like solar."

Woody Rubin, President of AES Distributed Energy, said, "We applaud the State of New York for their leadership role in transitioning to renewables and Anheuser-Busch for their commitment to purchasing 100% renewable electricity. We are proud to support New York and Anheuser-Busch make progress towards meeting their objectives and accelerating a greener energy future with the Baldwinsville project."

Ingrid De Ryck, VP Procurement and Sustainability at Anheuser-Busch, said, "Our commitment to our communities and our environment go hand in hand. With this solar project, we are proud to continue investing in renewable energy in a community that our employees call home, bringing our sustainability goals to life right in our own backyard."

Senator Robert E. Antonacci said, "The completed 2.76 Megawatt Baldwinsville Solar project is a great asset to the region. Anheuser-Busch's Baldwinsville Budweiser brewery is leading us into the future and with this project comes great potential to generate economic growth and community development."

Assemblyman William B. Magnarelli said, "Investing in renewable sources of energy for the future of the State of New York is a priority for both Governor Cuomo and the NYS Assembly. The completion of this 2.76 megawatt solar project which will serve the Anheuser-Busch facility in Baldwinsville is a huge step toward our goal to reduce carbon emissions and provide electricity from renewable sources like solar energy. This investment by Anheuser-Busch and the State will provide multiple environmental and economic benefits for many years to come."

Assemblyman Will Barclay said, "I'm pleased Anheuser-Busch can take advantage of incentives being offered to businesses that help provide more renewable energy such as solar. Hopefully this project will help offset energy costs for the plant."

New York State's Green New Deal

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo's Green New Deal, the nation's leading clean energy and jobs agenda, will aggressively put New York State on a path to economy-wide carbon neutrality This initiative will provide for a just transition to clean energy, spurring the growth of the green economy and mandating New York's power be 100 percent clean and carbon-free by 2040, one of the most aggressive goals in the U.S. The cornerstone of this newly proposed mandate is a significant increase of New York's successful Clean Energy Standard to 70 percent renewable electricity by 2030. As part of the unprecedented ramp-up of renewable energy, New York has already invested $2.9 billion into 46 large-scale renewable projects across the state as it significantly increases its clean energy targets, such as: quadrupling New York's offshore wind target to a nation-leading 9,000 megawatts by 2035; doubling distributed solar deployment to 6,000 megawatts by 2025; and deploying 3,000 megawatts of energy storage by 2030. To support this ambitious work, NY Green Bank intends to use its expertise in overcoming financing gaps to foster greater environmental impacts per public dollar by raising over $1 billion in third party funds to expand climate financing availability across New York and the rest of North America.

Accelerating CNY Rising

Today's announcement complements "Central NY Rising," the region's comprehensive blueprint to generate robust economic growth and community development. The State has already invested more than $5.6 billion in the region since 2012 to lay the groundwork for the plan - capitalizing on global market opportunities, strengthening entrepreneurship and creating an inclusive economy. Today, unemployment is down to the lowest levels since before the Great Recession; personal and corporate income taxes are down; and businesses are choosing places like Syracuse, Oswego and Auburn as a destination to grow and invest in.

Now, the region is accelerating Central NY Rising with a $500 million State investment through the Upstate Revitalization Initiative, announced by Governor Cuomo in December 2015. The State's $500 million investment will incentivize private business to invest well over $2.5 billion - and the region's plan, as submitted, projects up to 5,900 new jobs. More information is available at https://esd.ny.gov/central-ny-rising-uri.
ELKO  Great Basin College estimates it will award 608 degrees and certificates to the class of 2019 on Saturday, up from 517 degrees and certificates awarded last year.

The Elko commencement ceremony will begin at 10 a.m. May 18 in the Elko Convention Center.

Winnemucca and Pahrump campuses will hold their own commencement ceremonies while other award ceremonies began earlier this week. Some students will have received dual credit and will be receiving a certificate and a degree, or multiple degrees.

Of the degrees and certificates to be awarded, 24 of the graduates are from Battle Mountain; 30 from Ely; 71 from Pahrump; 92 from Winnemucca; 256 from Elko and surrounding areas, and 39 from out of state.

Two students will receive a post-baccalaureate certification in education. In addition, 15 students will receive an Alternative Route to Licensure certification.

Thirteen high school students from Elko, Ely, and Battle Mountain, Pahrump and Winnemucca are among those who will graduate their associate degrees.

GBC graduates the first biological sciences class

The GBC 2019 commencement marks the first year GBC will award its first Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences degrees.

Seven graduates will receive one of GBCs newest bachelors degrees, which went live in 2016.

Eight students will also receive GBCs first awarded Associate of Science in Biological Sciences degree.

The degree program has provided countless opportunities to rural Nevada undergraduates that they did not have before its establishment, including upper-division level course offerings and pre-requisites to enter professional programs for medical schools, dental schools and many other professional health programs.

Graduates are also filling job vacancies in the community that were historically once hard to fill.

The accomplishments and aspirations of the first graduating class are not small, and they put the bar high for future graduating classes, said David Freistroffer, GBC biology program adviser and instructor.

Kammy Kinkade, 19 B.S., Krystianna Kellum,19 B.S., Daniel Hassett, 19 A.S., and Sandra Solis, 19 A.S., are all sitting for the Medical College Admission, or MCAT, this summer. Pahrump graduate Lindsay Browning, 19 B.S., is also exploring options for graduate school.

Smokey Chrisman, 19 B.S. is fielding offers to work in plant genetics.

Mercedes Hartman, 19 B.S. is working for a nonprofit this summer to improve Lahottan Cutthroat Trout habitat and plans to apply to veterinary school next year.

Sam Rice, 19 B.S., recently accepted a position as Park Ranger for Big Bend of the Colorado State Park.

Cheryl Ward, 18 B.S., would like to obtain teaching credentials in sciences and math. Once her daughter graduates high school, she plans to move to the West Coast to study for a masters degree in Marine Ecology.

Susi Conteras, 19 A.S., is joining the United States Navy

Lindsay Gowin, 19 A.S., Alexis Sanchez ,19 A.S., Alex Wooster, 19 A.S. and Tanner Yaunik are all continuing their education.

Veronica Ruiz, 19 A.S., is transferring to pursue pre-health professional school.

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The next Pony Express station we come to when traveling east along the Fort Churchill Road from Millers Station is really the site of two stations serving the same general area. The first one, established in 1860, was Bucklands Station. At that time, Fort Churchill did not exist. It was not until the summer of 1861, after the Pyramid Lake Indian Wars, that Fort Churchill was constructed to provide a military presence to protect the citizens of the Nevada Territory from hostile Indian attacks.

Samuel S. Buckland, originally from Ohio, established a ranch near the Carson River about 30 miles east of Dayton along the Overland Route to California. Buckland and James O. Williams had been partners in several ventures before coming to Nevada and when they arrived here, they both established stations on the Overland Stage route. Buckland built a log cabin and a saloon on his ranch which became known as Bucklands Station. The stage company kept horses at the station and Buckland furnished livestock, hay, whiskey and other essentials to emigrants, ranchers and travelers.

Samuel Buckland constructed the first bridge across the Carson River adjacent to his station. This was the only toll bridge east of Carson Valley to provide a crossing on the river. In March, 1860, Bolivar Roberts of the Pony Express made arrangements with Samuel Buckland to use his good-sized cabin as a Pony Express Station. Buckland was too busy with other affairs to become the station keeper, so the position was taken by W.C. Marley. The place served as a rider-relay, or home station, until Fort Churchill was established in the summer of 1860.

During the short time between March and July 1860, several memorable events took place at Bucklands Station. Robert Pony Bob Haslam regularly made his run from Fridays Station at Lake Tahoe to Bucklands Station, a distance of about 75 miles. A few days later he would make the return trip. On May 10, 1860, Pony Bob completed his regular run from Fridays to Bucklands, where he expected his relief rider would be waiting.

The rider, Johnson Richardson, had heard of Indian troubles east of Bucklands, including the massacre at Williams Station, and refused to take his turn carrying the mail. The station manager offered Haslam extra money to continue the route, which he gladly accepted. Pony Bob rode all the way to Smith Creek, then after resting nine hours, he made the return trip to Fridays, making the longest run in Pony Express history.

While Pony Bob was making his famous longest ride on May 11, the quickly formed militia from Carson, Dayton and Virginia City stopped and stayed at Bucklands on their way to avenge the attack of Williams Station. When they continued on their way, they took the Pony Express horses with them.

Four days later, the badly beaten survivors of the first battle of the Pyramid Lake Indian War straggled back to Bucklands Station. Among the surviving volunteers was John Snowshoe Thompson. Of the 105 volunteers who participated in the campaign, 76 were killed, including their unofficial leader, Major William Ormsby. This was the most serious Indian battle in the history of Nevada.

The Pyramid Lake Indian wars and repeated attacks on Pony Express stations and riders across the territory caused a disruption in regular mail service by the Pony Express for the remainder of May 1860 until July when service once again resumed. Fort Churchill was established during the summer of 1860 to provide some protection along the route and a military presence to deter hostilities.

Once Fort Churchill was established, the Pony Express station was moved about one mile west of Bucklands to the fort headquarters. Samuel Buckland continued to operate his station and raise livestock, hay and other crops for the Pony Express and the Overland Stage Company.

Dayton author and historian Dennis Cassinelli can be contacted on his blog at denniscassinelli.com. All Dennis books sold through this publication will be at a discount plus $3 for each shipment for postage and packaging.

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ELKO  A Utah man was booked into Elko County Jail on half a million dollars bail on charges of sexually assaulting a child eight years ago at a West Wendover hotel.

Gerald W. Bates, 33, of Salt Lake City was arrested Thursday on a felony warrant in the case, which dates back to February 2011.

A West Wendover police detective investigated the report of a sexual assault on a girl younger than 16. DNA was collected and analyzed by the FBI. It was found to be associated with Bates; however, a reference sample from Bates was necessary to make any conclusions about the source of the DNA, the detective wrote.

A sample was obtained through a search warrant in 2017, after which the FBI confirmed a match.

Bates also admitted to having sexual intercourse with the girl, according to the detective.

He faces charges of sexual assault against a child younger than 16 or, in the alternative, statutory sexual seduction, according to a complaint filed in September 2018.

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ELKO  Local teacher and suicide prevention advocate Lynette Vega will be the guest speaker at the May 21 meeting of Elko Democrats.

Vega was motivated to become an advocate after the death of her daughter in 2008. After years of facilitating Survivors of Suicide Loss groups, she recently co-founded Zero Suicides Elko County. The group focuses on increasing community awareness of suicide, and supports suicide prevention.

The meeting begins at 6 p.m. at the Northeastern Nevada Regional Hospital conference room, and the public is invited to attend.

There have been 13 suicides locally since January, Vega said this week. Statistics show that both Elko County and Nevada have much higher suicide rates than most other parts of the United States. The new Zero Suicides group hopes to decrease the number of local suicide deaths significantly.

People need to know that it is OK to ask for help, said Vega. People need to know that there are resources available for those contemplating suicide, and for those seeking to help family members or friends.

Vega worked for the Elko County School District for 18 years teaching life skills, and, in addition to her advocacy work, teaches reading and writing at the charter school.

The Elko Dems meet the third Tuesday of each month at the NNRH conference room at 6 p.m. For more information, contact elkodems@gmail.org, www.elkodems.org, or www.facebook.com/elkocountydems.

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My son David has bipolar disorder and is learning disabled. When he was 23, I brought him to a Clark County School District administrative office to get a document he needed to apply for services available to those with developmental disabilities. The document would prove he had attended school but didnt graduate.

When he got to the counter, David asked for a paper showing he attended school. Thats the way someone who is learning disabled speaks. But for the school district clerk he was talking to, it wasnt good enough. She said CCSD didnt have such a document, and she rudely and dismissively turned him away.

I intervened, explaining that David has an illness that limits his communication skills and that he needed a certificate of attendance for his Social Security disability application. She looked at me like I was wasting her time. We dont maintain those records, she said. I asked to speak to her supervisor.

Within a few minutes, we had the document we needed.

This was not an isolated incident. I have been repeatedly forced to serve as an advocate for my son so he can get the public records he needs to survive.

Under a bill now being considered in the Nevada Legislature, the Clark County School District clerk would have been required by law to help. Senate Bill 287, sponsored by Sen. David Parks, also would establish penalties against agencies that willfully refuse to release public documents and would limit the fees they can charge the public to provide copies of the records taxpayers rightfully own.

Parents of children with mental illnesses or developmental disabilities face many obstacles caring for their loved ones. Accessing public records should not be one of those obstacles. But when my son asked for a simple document that would provide him with access to food and shelter, the CCSD clerk he spoke with couldnt be bothered to help.

If David was on his own or had a parent who was unable to challenge a decision made in a public office, he probably would be living on the streets or in a jail cell. Access to public records has allowed David to live independently, not struggle to provide for his basic needs.

In addition to being Davids mom, I am a history professor and the President of the League of Women Voters of Nevada. We are a proud member of Right to Know Nevada, a large coalition of organizations supporting SB287. The League has always championed government transparency as a vital component of civic engagement, so our support of Sen. Parks legislation is a no-brainer.

As a history professor, I can attest to the necessity of reviewing original records. If we cant evaluate our public agencies by reviewing the records that document their actions and processes, we will be unable to hold them accountable.

But I also agreed to support SB287 because of my personal experiences with my own son. When we think of public records laws, we often imagine news organizations requesting documents that uncover corruption or abuse. But how often do we think about the people who suffer from mental illness and developmental disabilities who need public records, but cant get them because they are unable to appropriately communicate their needs? Without help from government employees who can navigate the system, they are left to fend for themselves.

It would be nice if every public official in Nevada were endowed with the empathy that makes that kind of help routine. But that isnt the case. SB287 would provide the enforcement mechanism necessary to remind recalcitrant bureaucrats that public records belong to all of us, and that they must help requestors get the documents they need. In some cases, it can mean the difference between access to food and shelter or a life on the streets.

Sondra Cosgrove is a professor of history at the College of Southern Nevada. She also began a term as president of the League of Women Voters of Nevada in July 2017.

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CARSON CITY  Nevada Attorney General Aaron D. Ford joined a coalition of attorneys general Wednesday in filing an amicus brief in Zzyym v. Pompeo to defend the rights of gender non-binary individuals.

Under current federal policy, individuals who are neither male nor female (non-binary individuals) face a threat that their U.S. passport applications will be denied. In the brief filed with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit, the attorneys general assert that individuals deserve full legal recognition of their accurate gender identity on passports provided by the U.S. State Department.

Passports are an identification document, and should reflect how individuals self-identify, especially in Nevada where residents can already obtain non-gender specific drivers licenses, said Ford. With this brief, were urging the Court to both see and respect all individuals, regardless of whether they identify as male, female or non-binary.

The case of Zzyym v. Pompeo centers around an individual who, in accordance with their gender identity, requested a passport with an X as the marker for the sex field of their passport instead of an M for male or an F for female. Zzyym is both intersex (ambiguous sex characteristics) and non-binary (self-identifies as neither male nor female).

Despite providing the Department with documentation on their intersex status, the Department told Zzyym to choose either the male or female designation and subsequently rejected Zzyyms application for failing to complete the sex field accordingly. The denial in the Zzyym case was solely due to the applicants non-binary gendera sex designation that has been legally recognized in multiple jurisdictions across the U.S. and globally.

The X designation conforms to the standard for individuals with an unspecified gender set by the International Civil Aviation Organization, a specialized agency within the United Nations that, among other things, establishes norms for passport specifications.

In September 2018, the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado found that the Departments gender policy was arbitrary and capricious, and that the passport application denial was in excess of the Departments statutory authority. The federal government appealed the decision and it is now before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit.

In addition to Nevada, the following states participated in this brief: California, Colorado, Maine, Minnesota, New Jersey, Oregon, Vermont and Washington.

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Two nuns at the Villa Santa Teresa residence in Avila. Marcos Lema

A yellow-and-green plain surrounds Gotarrendura, a village in the Spanish province of Avila that is home to 161 inhabitants. This year, spring has brought with it two notable rises: the temperatures on local thermometers, and the number of votes that right-wing parties received at the recent general election. The former is thanks to an early summer, which will boost the energy generated by the solar panels that are to be found all around. The latter appears to be the result of a reform to Spains electoral law  passed in December  that allows people with learning disabilities to vote for the first time. People like the residents of Villa Santa Teresa, a home for women run by nuns from the Lady of Sorrows order.

Its an open secret that they manipulated the girls in the center

Local woman from Gotarrrendura

According to the local municipal census, more women than men live in the village: 107 compared to 54. Despite this fact, the far-right party Vox won the April 28 elections there with 50 votes  despite the emerging groups controversial stance on a number of issues related to feminism. The electoral census has risen sharply in relative terms thanks to the residents of Villa Santa Teresa, which is home to 59 women aged between 29 and 79. The number of votes received by the right has also gone up by the same proportion.

During the run-up to the polls, the nuns at the home reportedly organized a course to explain to their residents the proposals of each candidate, giving them envelopes and ballot papers. Three of the nuns accompanied the women to vote, according to local sources.

Around 100,000 people with mental disabilities were able to vote in the April 28 election thanks to the change in the law. In this village of 149 possible voters, the reform allowed 14 residents of the home to register. Whats more, another 14 were encouraged to come with them to vote, half of whom had abstained in prior occasions  their level of disability did not prevent them from voting. If the result seen at the general elections were to be repeated at the upcoming municipal polls, a Vox candidate would become mayor, beating out the current group in power, the Popular Party (PP). Vox, however, will not be running in Gotarrendura at the upcoming May 26 local elections.

The sisters gave us voting slips and told us not to say anything

Resident of Villa Santa Teresa

The April 28 vote saw 15 more people on the Gotarrendura census, 14 of them women with learning disabilities. In total, there were 25 more votes cast than at the last general election  21 of which correspond to the residence. The rise in votes for the PP and Vox (25) coincides with the rise in voters. This bloc now has 86 votes compared to 61 last time around, leaving 24 for the remaining parties (previously 23).

The nuns at the Villa Santa Teresa residence had prepared everything ahead of the elections. While some of the women there dance to reggaeton music in the courtyard, one of the residents tells journalists about their first experience of voting. The sisters gave us voting slips and told us not to say anything. Her colleagues agree and, amid giggles, say that they voted for Jesus Christ. The majority of the women say that they admire Vox leader Santiago Abascal.

The management at the residence denies having supplied the women with their voting slips. But Valeriano de Juan, who was the head of the local voting station, confirms the version offered by the residents: They all came with their ballot papers ready.

The April 28 vote saw 15 more people on the Gotarrendura census, 14 of them women with learning disabilities

The mayor of the village, Yolanda de Juan (PP), attributes the victory of Vox to the new voters. A local woman offers her take on the situation: Its an open secret that they manipulated the girls at the center.

Another resident explains that the nuns gave them a workshop with political guidelines. Despite the denials of the management of the residence, she is categorical. They gave us practical talks about the parties: who is against the Church and who is in favor of abortion or euthanasia.

In the village where, according to tradition, Saint Teresa was born, the so-called miracle took place when everyone else was in Mass. The people staffing the voting station were the only ones to see the arrival of the residents of Villa Santa Teresa and the nuns. In just half an hour, the ballot boxes were full of votes.

English version by Simon Hunter.
Josu Ternera in 2001, when he was a candidate for the Basque party Euskal Herritarrok. EFE

A historic leader of the Basque terrorist group ETA who had been on the run for 17 years has been arrested in France, police sources have told EL PAIS.

The arrest was made early Thursday morning in Sallanches, in the French Alps, in a joint operation between French and Spanish law enforcement.

Jose Antonio Urrutikoetxea, 68, better known as Josu Ternera, lent his voice to an announcement made in May 2018 confirming that ETA had dismantled all of its remaining structures. The group had ended its decades-long campaign of violence six and a half years earlier, after killing over 800 people.

French-Spanish cooperation has proven its efficiency once more. The Civil Guard and French Intelligence Service DGSI have my appreciation, tweeted acting Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez. Today, more than ever, I send a hug to all the victims of terrorism.

Urrutikoetxea had been a member of ETA for 50 years, holding strategic positions throughout the period and participating in attacks like the one against the Zaragoza Civil Guard barracks in December 1987, which killed 11 people, including five children.

Just a few months earlier, in June 1987, ETA had perpetrated a bomb attack against an Hipercor retail store in Barcelona, killing 21 people and injuring 45. Urrutikoetxea was one of ETAs top leaders at the time. In May 1991, ETA attacked the Civil Guard barracks in Vic,killing 10 people, five of them minors.

Urrutikoetxea joined ETA in 1968, the year that the group committed its first crime: the assassination of a Civil Guard officer named Jose Antonio Pardines. Two years later he fled to France for the first time. The death of the leader Txomin Iturbe in 1987 gave him full authority, and the group went on to commit some of its deadliest attacks. But two years later he was arrested in France and sentenced to a 10-year prison term in 1990. He served the first six years in France, then was extradited to Spain.

The ETA attack against Civil Guard barracks in Vic in May 1991. Pere Tordera

Urrutikoetxea then entered politics, securing a seat in the Basque parliament in 1998 and 2001. During that time, he represented the radical leftist party Euskal Herritarrok as a member of the parliaments Human Rights Committee, a fact that was considered a serious offense against the victims of ETA terrorism.

He went missing in 2002, when he received a court summons to make a statement regarding his role in the Zaragoza attack. Despite living in hiding, Urrutikoetxea participated in talks with the Socialist administration of Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero in 2006, when ETA was in the middle of an internal power struggle that was ultimately won by the hardliners Francisco Javier Lopez Pena, better known as Thierry, and Miguel Garikoitz Aspiazu Rubina, aka Txeroki. Urrutikoetxea was pushed away from the leadership, but regained prominence when the group first announced its plans for dissolution in 2011.

A Spanish court wants to try Urrutikoetxea for crimes against humanity, a legal concept that was introduced in the countrys penal code in October 2004. Three other ETA members were charged with this crime in 2015, but have not been tried as they are serving prison sentences in France.

English version by Susana Urra.
Miquel Iceta in the Catalan parliament. ALBERT GARCIA

The Catalan parliament on Thursday voted against the designation of Miquel Iceta, a veteran leader of the Catalan Socialist Party (PSC), as a senator. There were 25 votes in favor, 65 against and 39 abstentions.

To veto Miquel Iceta is to place hurdles in the way of a political way out

PSC spokeswoman Eva Granados

The Catalan separatist parties Junts per Catalunya (Together for Catalonia), Catalan Republican Left (ERC) and the far-left anti-capitalist CUP party had announced ahead of the session that they would vote against Iceta.

The move means that he will be unable to take up a seat in the Spanish Senate or be appointed speaker of the upper house, thwarting the plans laid out by acting Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, whose Socialist Party (PSOE) won the most votes at the general election of April 28.

Sanchez had warned on Wednesday that to block Icetas designation would represent a veto on social harmony, mutual understanding and dialogue.

Ahead of the vote on Thursday, Iceta insisted that the only way out we have is dialogue, negotiation and dealmaking.

But separatist parties on Thursday voted against him, while the right-of-center Popular Party (PP) and Ciudadanos (Citizens) abstained. The move is unprecedented, as until now these appointments had been little more than a formality. The Catalan parliament had appointed senators on 29 occasions before, and every time the vote had simply ratified the parties top choices.

This will not work just because there is a Catalan speaker in the Senate

Sergi Sabria, ERC

What reason is there to veto Miquel Iceta? said PSC spokeswoman Eva Granados. Nobody had ever been vetoed before, not even Albiol (PP) or Roldan (Ciudadanos). If you voted for them, what sudden motive is there now? To veto Miquel Iceta is to place hurdles in the way of a political way out.

Separatist parties argue that Iceta and his party supported the application of Article 155 of the Constitution, which temporarily suspended regional powers following the unilateral independence declaration of October 2017. Sergi Sabria of the Catalan Republican Left also accused the central government of electioneering ahead of the local, regional and European elections of May 26.

After all these shameful months we have learned that we will only make progress when sincere dialogue replaces electioneering. This will not work just because there is a Catalan speaker in the Senate, or because the airport gets a name change, said Sabria, in reference to the Cabinet decision to rename Barcelona-El Prat airport after Josep Tarradellas, a Catalan politician who was exiled under dictator Francisco Franco. A no was inevitable, and it was loud and clear.

English version by Susana Urra.
The negotiation between Ukraine and Russia in relation to the new contract on gas transit could resume only after the inauguration of Volodymyr Zelensky and his talk with Russian President Vladimir Putin, and maybe this will happen in June, Chairman of the Executive Board of NJSC Naftogaz Ukrainy Andriy Kobolev said at the Ukraine: Game of Thrones: Final Season? international investment conference in Kyiv on Thursday.

"The party officially announced that it will speak only after the new president takes office and a conversation between Zelensky and Putin takes place. We are waiting for this event. I think, perhaps, these negotiations will resume in June," Kobolev said.

According to Kobolev, Germany's influence on the results of the negotiations will be key, as the country directly influences the launch of Nord Stream 2, as well as further steps of the United States regarding sanctions against the Russian Federation, and Naftogaz's ability to continue suing Gazprom for compensation of $12 billion in case of not signing a new transit contract.
Naftogaz eurobonds could be issued by September, waiting for Ukraine to enter market late May-early June  Naftogaz chief

Chairman of the Executive Board of NJSC Naftogaz Ukrainy Andriy Kobolev has said that eurobonds could be issued by September and expressed the hope that the entry to the market could happen at the end of May, he said at the Ukraine: Game of Thrones: Final Season? international investment conference organized by Concorde Capital in Kyiv on Thursday.

"Maybe, we will consider the feasibility of this entry closer to September," he said.

Kobolev added that now the "window" for the placement of eurobonds for Naftogaz has closed.

According to him, the decision of Naftogaz to issue eurobonds will also depend on the success of entering the Ukrainian market, which is expected late May or early June this year.
the mission of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) next week will start working in Ukraine to assess the implementation of the Stand-By Arrangement (SBA) and hold consultations on the IV article of the IMF regulations.

IMF Resident Representative in Ukraine Goesta Ljungman told reporters on the sidelines of the Ukraine: Game of Thrones: Final Season? international investment conference organized by Concorde Capital in Kyiv on Thursday, the mission will arrive in Kyiv next Tuesday and plans to work in Ukraine for two weeks.

He said that among the key issues is the adoption of the new law on responsibility for illegal enrichment, as the previous law was abolished by the Constitutional Court in February 2019.
Ukrainian President-elect Volodymyr Zelensky will make his first decisions, including those regarding talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), once he has formed his team, Zelensky's adviser and former Finance Minister Oleksandr Danyliuk said.

"We will try to form the team as soon as possible... Talks can't start without the team," Danyliuk said at the conference titled "Ukraine: Game of Thrones. Final Season?" and held by Concord Capital in Kyiv on Thursday.

"This is not the time to ask for a new program," Danyliuk said.

The Constitutional Court's decision to repeal the Criminal Code's article on illegal enrichment could be the biggest obstacle to Ukraine's reception of another disbursement from the IMF, Danyliuk said, adding that the parliament was ready to adopt a new law penalizing illegal enrichment.

"I'm sure that it [parliament] will fix the situation. They're facing an election... If they don't, they'll have to tell their voters that they're okay with the Constitutional Court's ruling that ended the crackdown on corruption in the country," Danyliuk said.

He also said that Zelensky's team would be formed soon after the inauguration and hailed the decision of parliament to schedule the inauguration for May 20.

"The decision has been made; we'll be working on the 20th," Danyliuk said.

Danyliuk later told Interfax-Ukraine that he was not considering participating in the parliamentary election campaign.

As regards the establishment of the Holos Party by Svyatoslav Vakarchuk and his plans to take part in the elections, Danyliuk expressed readiness to form a parliamentary coalition with everyone who shares the principles of the Zelensky team.
Russia's Gazprom has a technical capability of halting the use of the Ukrainian gas transmission system (GTS) even if the construction of the alternative route Nord Stream 2 is not completed, Chairman of the Executive Board of NJSC Naftogaz Ukrainy Andriy Kobolev said at the Ukraine: Game of Thrones: Final Season? international investment conference organized by Cocorde Capital in Kyiv on Thursday.

According to our estimates, the Russian side has the technical capability not to use gas transit viaUk next year, even if Nord Stream 2 is not built. At the same time, it can fulfill the minimum volumes of gas supplies to European consumers under the existing contracts of Gazprom. Deficit of gas supply in this situation is approximately 5 billion cubic meters. These calculations coincide with the calculations of several large international institutions," he said.

Kobolev said that at present, Gazprom supplies gas to Europe on an accelerated basis, which creates additional resource reserves, which currently hit a record.

"I think that these additional reserves are being created to cover this deficit. Therefore, in my opinion, which is also shared by our European partners, the likelihood that on January 1, 2020 we will receive a complete cessation of transit, as it was in January 2009 is quite high," Kobolev said.
Adviser of President-elect Volodymyr Zelensky and former Finance Minister Oleksandr Danyliuk has said that the fate of PrivatBank (Kyiv) without quick judicial reform is vague.

"The only solution is to reform the judicial system. It needs to be done very quickly and not to be afraid of it. If this does not happen, it is not clear how the situation will develop in PrivatBank," he said at the conference Ukraine: Game of Thrones. Final Season? organized by Concorde Capital in Kyiv on Thursday.

Danyliuk also said that the reform of the judicial system and law enforcement agencies is a priority for the Zelensky team, while the team sees the possibility of implementing economic reforms after the parliamentary elections.

In turn, Resident Representative of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in Ukraine Goesta Ljungman expressed the opinion that the return of PrivatBank to private ownership will lead to the destabilization of the macrofinancial situation in the country.

He said that it would be incredible if denationalization of PrivatBank takes place, as the return of PrivatBank to private ownership will destabilize the economy of Ukraine.
The panel of judges of the cassation business court, which is part of the Supreme Court of Ukraine, has dismissed an appeal on a point of law of the Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine in the case seeking to collect a fine of UAH 1.3 billion from PJSC Ukrtatnafta, PJSC Galychyna oil refining complex and four more companies for collusion at crude oil and gas condensate auctions in March-July 2015.

According to data in the unified register of court rulings, in particular, according to a court ruling dated May 8, the panel concluded that during the investigation the committee did not study factors affecting the behavior of bidders, such as the price of oil and petroleum products as of the date of the auction, the price of oil and petroleum products on the global market, its fluctuations and fluctuations of the national currency.

In addition, the committee did not investigate the issue of the need of Galychyna oil refining complex for crude oil at the time of bidding, as well as the volume of purchases and terms of payment. Also, according to the panel of judges, the committee did not substantiate the relationship between the participants in the auctions.

"The appeal of the committee shall not be upheld, and the appealed decisions and rulings of previous judicial instances are unchanged due to the failure to prove the proper grounds for their revocation," the court said.

As reported, in August 2017, the Kyiv business court overturned the decisions of the Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine to collect fines in the amount of UAH 1.003 billion from PJSC Ukrtatnafta, UAH 326.929 million from Galychyna oil refining complex and UAH 41.744 million from another four companies for concerted actions at auctions for the sale of crude oil and gas condensate in March-July 2015. Later, this decision of the court of lower instance was upheld by the Kyiv business court of appeals.
Russia-led forces mounted 24 attacks on positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in Donbas, eastern Ukraine, on Wednesday, May 15, the press center of the Joint Forces Operation (JFO) Headquarters has said.

"On May 15, armed formations of the Russian Federation violated the ceasefire 24 times. They used proscribed weapons  120mm and 82mm mortars in nine instances. There were no Joint Forces casualties," the JFO HQ said on Facebook in its morning update on May 16.

Hot spots in the Skhid (East) sector were the towns of Maryinka and Avdiyivka, as well as the villages of Pavlopil, Mykolaivka, Novotroyitske, Novoselivka Druha, Lebedynske, Talakivka, Pisky, and Hnutove.

The enemy also attacked Ukrainian army positions in the Pivnich (North) sector, namely the villages of Zolote-4, Pivdenne, Novhorodske, Pishchane, and Shchastia.

According to Ukrainian intelligence reports, one enemy fighter was killed and one enemy drone was destroyed.

"Since the beginning of Thursday, the enemy has already mounted three attacks on our positions in the Skhid sector. In particular, they used 82mm mortars, grenade launchers and small arms near the village of Novotroyitske; anti-tank grenade launchers and small arms near the village of Bohdanivka, grenade launchers near the village of Pavlopil," the JFO HQ said.

No Ukrainian army casualties have been reported since Thursday midnight.
The National Anti-corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) could not have influenced the 2016 U.S. presidential elections and accusations that it could are part of a political game, NABU Director Artem Sytnyk has said.

"Our position is consistent starting in 2016, when these accusations first were heard. NABU could not have meddled in the U.S. elections in any way. Therefore, these accusations are part of a political game," he told journalists in Kyiv.

Sytnyk said that, unfortunately, Ukraine's Prosecutor General Yuriy Lutsenko is playing a role in this game.

At a briefing on May 14, Lutsenko said actions by NABU Director Sytnyk to meddle in the American elections constituted at least a violation of political ethics. "Despite a special warning from his procedural leader, who is Nazar Kholodnytsky (head of the Special Anti-corruption Prosecutor's Office, SAPO),  despite legal requirements and elementary political ethics, Sytnyk then, during the middle of September 2016, told American media that [Paul] Manafort's name was on the lists of the so-called 'black ledger' of the Party of Regions. He did this knowing that Manafort's signature was not there," Lutsenko told journalists.

As reported, during the television program Pravo na Vladu (Right to Power) aired by the 1+1 television channel on March 15, 2019, Lutsenko said he had received a statement from non-aligned Member of Parliament of Ukraine Boryslav Rozenblat, who alleged that Sytnyk had transferred "black ledger" documents to the United States to support Hilary Clinton, a rival candidate to Donald Trump in the 2016 U.S. presidential elections. Lutsenko said Ukraine's State Bureau of Investigations (SBI) would investigate.

On March 22, NABU said its agents had not gathered or transferred any evidence of wrongdoing involving Trump's ex-campaign manager Paul Manafort to anyone. NABU refuted Lutsenko's assertion about the possible influence (by NABU) on the U.S. presidential elections, calling it absurd.

In turn, Ukraine's Specialized Anti-corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO) head Nazar Kholodnytsky said, "If he (Sytnyk) really saw himself as a geopolitical figure and helped Hillary, then it is necessary to draw conclusions. This is wrong ... I met with him [Sytnyk] in 2016 and talked with him at a conference in Panama. He also told me he wanted to help Hillary. He didn't answer when I asked him where he was and where Hillary was."

The leak of the records kept by the Party of Regions was a reason for Manafort's dismissal as Trump's campaign manager and became one of the key accusations in the investigation of collusion [between Trump campaign officials] with Russia. The case has been under investigation for the last two years.

According to The New York Times newspaper, Manafort's name is mentioned 22 times in the "black ledger," which indicates $12.7 million was paid to him from 2007 to 2012.

Kyiv's Pechersky district court on April 8, 2019, ordered a technical computer examination and analysis of audio records, on which a person with a voice resembling Sytnyk's is heard talking about his role during the 2016 U.S. presidential election.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has congratulated Ukrainian citizens on the Embroidery Day.

"Happy Vyshyvanka Day! This week, we welcomed our Ukrainian Parliamentary interns to the Hill. Keep up the hard work, and have a great summer!" he wrote on Twitter on Thursday.

He also published his photo on the social network together with a group of young people in embroidered shirts, as well as with Ambassador of Ukraine to Canada Andriy Shevchenko.
The Holy Synod of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) will take place on May 24, OCU Primate and Metropolitan of Kyiv and all-Ukraine Epiphanius has said.

"We plan told hold a meeting of the Holy Synod on May 24," he said in an interview with the Ukrainian bureau of the British Broadcasting Service (BBC) published on Thursday.

Epiphanius said general matters concerning the OCU would be discussed at the meeting. He did not rule out that "an appraisal of actions, which have taken place before the meeting" could be discussed.

The metropolitan also said the process of parishes changing their denomination to the OCU had slowed after the presidential elections.

"After the elections, we see that the process of transition has indeed slowed a bit, but I believe that over time it will be pick up again, because there are many parishes that are waiting, which are determined and will gradually move and join our church," he said.

Epiphanius denied accusations made by Honorary Patriarch of Kyiv and All-Rus-Ukraine Filaret against him, namely that he is not an independent figure, adding that he spoke about them with Filaret.

"I said that I, as a primate, I cannot make all decisions alone. On December 15, at the Unification Council, we laid out a different model of church leadership. I alone, as a primate, have no right to change the charter. I don't have rights to violate the canonical order," he said.

Epiphanius said gossip about taking control of the Kyiv Patriarchal See or Kyiv-based St. Volodymyr's Cathedral from Filaret was inappropriate.

"Don't listen to gossip. No one is trying to take away anything. During the meeting of the Holy Synod, this was my clear position: we do not just leave St. Volodymyr's Cathedral and the residence on Pushkinska Street to the Patriarch, but we leave the management of the parishes in Kyiv in place. The diocese and all that now is part of the diocese of the city of Kyiv, except for St. Michael's Golden-domed Cathedral where I serve. Talking about taking away something does not correspond with reality," he said.
President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko is hopeful that the West will increase sanctions against Russia and appreciates the support of the European Union and the United States for Ukraine.

"First of all, Putin cannot believe that the European Union can keep unity and solidarity with Ukraine for such a long time," Poroshenko said in an interview with POLITICO, the presidential press service reported on Wednesday evening.

"He [Putin] cannot imagine that it would happen for five years. And for this situation, I want to thank the European Union, and especially thanks to Chancellor [of Germany Angela] Merkel, to the French presidents, both [Francois] Hollande and [Emmanuel] Macron. I want to thank [Chairman of the European Union] Donald Tusk, who played an enormous role. I want to thank [Chairman of the European Commission] Jean-Claude Juncker. I want to thank the leaders of the European Union who even in this situation can deliver these results, demonstrating the values of the European Union are much more important than the money Putin proposed to cancel the sanctions," the president stressed.

Poroshenko expressed belief that sanctions are the motivation for Putin to sit at the negotiating table. "Were sanctions effective? Definitely, yes," he stressed.

According to the president, during the period of sanctions, the country-aggressor had suffered significant losses, which had severely affected its economy. "Russia lost $150 billion because of the sanctions and lost 10 percent of GDP because of the sanctions, and lost 10 years of development in the most sensitive sectors of the Russian economy because of the sanctions," he said.

"What is the positive for Europe? Russia starts to spend significantly less on the military complex because of the sanctions. And despite all of the disputes, Europe together with the United States, together with all G7 nations, keep the unity at least on the Ukrainian question. But I want to sanction more. If Russia makes an aggression in neutral waters of the Black Sea against our military vessel, there should be a punishment because this is an act of aggression," Poroshenko emphasized.

According to him, additional sanctions could have been related to the banking sector or the dual purpose commodities.
Almost half of Ukrainians would vote in referendum for Ukraine's accession to NATO, 57% for EU membership  survey

KYIV. May 16 (Interfax-Ukraine)  Some 48.9% of Ukrainians would support Ukraine joining NATO in a referendum, while 57% would support joining the European Union. These are the results of a joint survey conducted by the Social Monitoring center, Oleksandr Yaremenko Ukrainian Institute of Social Research and Sociological Group Rating.

Results of the survey presented at the Kyiv-based Interfax-Ukraine news agency on Thursday show that if a referendum were held on joining the European Union or resuming pragmatic relations with Russia and other members of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), 57% would vote for Ukraine joining the EU, 19.3% for resuming relations with Russia and CIS, while 13.6% would not take part. Some 10% had difficulty answering the question.

If a referendum on Ukraine joining NATO or strengthening its non-aligned status were held, 48.9% would vote for joining NATO, 23.2% for non-aligned status, while 16% would not vote. Some 11% had difficulty answering the question.

In addition, 43% of respondents said Ukraine's future course of development is European integration and growing closer to the EU, 12.3% of those polled are for restoring and expanding economic and cultural ties with Russia, and 37.8% for developing and implementing programs for Ukraine's economic and cultural development that will use domestic opportunities and resources. Some 6.8% of respondents had difficulty answering the question.

The study was conducted from April 30 through May 10 in 24 Ukrainian regions and in Kyiv. Some 3,000 persons took part. The standard margin of error does not exceed 1.83%.
KYIV. May 16 (Interfax-Ukraine)  The Servant of the People, the Opposition Platform For Life, the Bloc of Petro Poroshenko (BPP) "Solidarity" and the Batkivschyna Party surpass the five-percent barrier for parliamentary elections, according to results from a joint survey conducted by the Social Monitoring center, Oleksandr Yaremenko Ukrainian Institute for Social Research, and Sociological Group Rating.

Survey results show that 29.5% of respondents (among those who have decided and say they will vote  39.9%) support the Servant of the People, followed by the Opposition Platform  For Life with 8.1% (10.9%), the BPP "Solidarity" with 7.8% (10.6%), and Batkivschyna with 6.7% (9.1%).

Some 3.8% of all respondents (5.1% of those who have decided) will support ex-SBU State Security Service chief Ihor Smeshko's Strength and Honor Party, followed by Civil Position with 3.7% (5%), the Opposition Bloc  Party of Peace and Development with 2.6% (3.5%), Oleh Liashko's Radical Party with 2.4% (3.3%), the Svoboda Party with 1.8% (2.4%), and Andriy Sadovy's Samopomich Party with 1.5% (2.0%).

The party of Sviatoslav Vakarchuk would receive 0.7% of votes from respondents (0.9% of those who have decided). The remaining parties received less than 0.5% support from those polled.

In response to the question, "What party will you vote for if the one you have chosen is not in the list?" 9.4% chose the Servant of the People, 4.5% for the Opposition Platform  For Life and Strength and Honor each, 4.4% for Batkivschyna and Civil Position each, 3.4% for Oleh Liashko's Radical Party, 2.6% for Samopomich, 2.5% for Sviatoslav Vakarchuk's party, 2.2% for the BPP "Solidarity". Less than 2% said they would vote for other parties.

Some 29.7% said they were positive about the idea of Batkivschyna uniting with the Servant of the People, while 49.2% responded negatively and 21.1% had difficulty answering the question.

Some 17.8% said they were positive about the idea of Batkivschyna uniting with the Opposition Platform  For Life, with 57.4% responding negatively and 24.9% having difficulty answering the question.

Some 28% said they were positive about the idea that the Servant of the People and the Opposition Platform  For Life could unite, while 49.4% responded negatively and 22.5% had difficulty answering the question.

Some 27.7% favor the Opposition Platform  For Life uniting with the Opposition Bloc  Party of Peace and Development, with 44.6% taking the opposite view and 27.7% having difficulty answering the question.

Some 35.3% favor Civil Position united with Samopomich, with 35% holding a negative view and 29.8% having difficulty answering the question.

Some 22.9% favor Vakarchuk's party uniting with Vitali Klitschko's UDAR Party, while 44.4% were negative and 32.6% have difficulty answering the question.

Some 49.3% of those polled said they would definitely vote in the parliamentary elections if they were held the nearest Sunday, 29.9% said probably yes, 8.8% would definitely not take part and 5.5% would probably not vote. Some 6.4% had difficulty answering the question.

The survey was conducted from April 30 through May 10 in 24 regions of Ukraine and Kyiv. Some 3,000 persons were polled. The margin of error of the survey does not exceed 1.83%.
The 8th International Conference UKRCEMFOR 2019. Cement industry. Best Practices. Prospects for Development will be held on May 28-29, 2019 in Kyiv

The 8th International Conference UKRCEMFOR 2019. Cement industry. Best Practices. Prospects for Development with a focus on highlighting the important aspects of cement industry will take place on May 28-29, 2019 in the Champions Hall of the Olimpiyskiy NSC in Kyiv. Conference Organizer: UKRCEMENT Association of Cement Producers of Ukraine. Partners: Ivano-Frankivskcement, CRH, Dyckerhoff-Buzzi, Heidelberg, Eurocement, DALGAKIRAN COMPRESSOR UKRAINE, FLSmidth and industrial construction group KOVALSKA.

Conference is the largest cement industry event in Ukraine which biennially brings together about 300 high-ranking delegates of companies and organizations from more than 10 countries.

ement industry remains a solid, stable and growing part of the national economy. Represented by 4 large international groups - CRH, Dyckerhoff-Buzzi, Heidelberg, Eurocement, and a strong Ukrainian company Ivano-Frankivskcement, the local cement industry is well balanced and grows sustainably for the third consecutive year.

UKRCEMFOR 2019 for the 8th time will become a unique communication platform with owners and managers of all cement companies of Ukraine, cement consumers, manufacturers of concrete and concrete mixtures, manufacturers of impurities in concrete, construction companies, trading companies, manufacturers of equipment for cement production, suppliers of services and materials, scientists, Ukrainian and international experts in the fields of economy, ecology, technology and quality, banks and funds investing in cement industry and construction, public sector.

Topics for discussion during the Conference:

- Current state and development trends of the cement industry: technology, equipment, and logistics

- Energy efficiency and ecology. Alternative fuels

- Cement-concrete technology and equipment in highways construction

- Standards and regulations in cement industry

- Quality and safety of construction materials

- Concrete, concrete products and equipment. City architecture and urban spaces

These and other topics to be discussed at the UKRCEMFOR 2019 between a solid body of delegates from within the industry, and panels of Ukrainian and international experts in economy, ecology, technologies and quality, as well as banking and finance.

Among the companies that have already confirmed their participation are: Thyssenkrupp Industrial Solutions AG, MC Bauchemie Ukraine, AUMUND Fordertechnik GmbH, GEOCON GmbH & Co. KG, Compressors International LLC, Schenck Process Ukraine, Schenck UK, Promtekhservis Ltd., Dalgakiran compressor Ukraine, Refratechnik Cement GmbH, IZOMAR-POLREF and others.

General Media Partners: TV Channel - PRYAMIY, Information Agency Interfax Ukraine, KORRESPONDENT magazine.

Media Partners: DENGI magazine, Prof Build, Cement International, Cement and its application magazine, ECOBUSINESS. Ecology of Enterprises, International Cement Review, Aspects of Construction, Commercial Property, Inventor and Rationalizer, Building Magazine, Concrete&Asphalt, Capital Construction, Construction Expert Newspaper, Build Portal, ProfiDOM, Industry in Focus, Gazeta.ua and Obozrevatel, Kiyv Post, National Industrial Portal.

Supported by: American Chamber of Commerce Ukraine, European Business Association, Ukraine International Chamber of Commerce, German-Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Confederation of builders of Ukraine, CEO URE CLUB, Taxpayers Association of Ukraine, The British Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce, Polish-Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce, Ukrainian Logistics Alliance.

Conference venue: the Champions Hall of the Olimpiyskiy NSC in Kyiv (Velyka Vasylkivska str. 55)

Participation is possible for TOP managers only. Registration is available till 12.00 PM May 26, 2019.

Online registration, agenda and other information are available at the Conference webpage: http://ukrcemfor.com/en

For embassies and media  free of charge (after confirmation). Participation is available for C-suite level representatives only.

Media accreditation by tel +38 044 383-07-22, +38 067 930-06-69, pradvice@ukr.net (contact person: Mila Shykota)
The consensus was reached by Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh and Malaysian Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah during their talks in Hanoi on May 16.

The two sides were resolved to work together in order to remove difficulties facing their businesses and create favourable conditions for them to cooperate, especially in such potential areas as urban development, renewable energy, electronic production, electricity, and agro-forestry-fishery.

Minh spoke highly of collaboration in national defence and security between the two countries over the years, particularly experience sharing and exchanges between army and security forces.

They concurred to push ahead with the establishment of mechanisms and the signing of new cooperation documents in national defence and security, as well as law enforcement.

The officials discussed measures to enhance partnerships in other spheres, such as education-training, employment, transport, information-communications, culture-tourism, maritime affairs, and fisheries.

Saifuddin affirmed that Malaysia attaches great importance to promoting affiliation with Vietnam across various industries, and that the Malaysian Ministry of Foreign Affairs will partner with its Vietnamese counterpart to swiftly build an action programme on implementing the strategic partnership for the upcoming period; address obstacles to the bilateral cooperation; and create favourable conditions for Vietnamese citizens to live, study, and work in the country in line with law.

The officials rejoiced at the comprehensive and sustainable development of the bilateral friendship and cooperation in recent times.

They consented to increase all-level delegation exchanges via the channels of the Party, State, Government, and National Assembly, as well as people-to-people exchange.

The two sides will maintain and effectively implement bilateral cooperation mechanisms, especially the Joint Committee on Economic, Scientific, and Technical Cooperation chaired by the two foreign ministers.

Regarding regional and international issues of shared concern, they agreed to intensify consultations and coordination in matters relating to regional security and strategy.

Vietnam and Malaysia agreed to join hands with other members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to strengthen the intra-bloc solidarity, successfully realise the ASEAN Community Vision 2025, and enhance the 10-member groups central role in the regional architecture.

They agreed to further their close cooperation and coordination at other multilateral forums, especially the United Nations, the World Trade Organisation (WTO), the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum, and Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM).

At the same time, they consented to promote regional economic connectivity through agreements to which both are members, like the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and negotiations on the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement.

Malaysia pledged to support Vietnam in successfully assuming the ASEAN Chairmanship in 2020 and the countrys bid to run for a non-permanent seat at the UN Security Council for the 2020-2021 term.

Meanwhile, Vietnam vowed to closely coordinate with and back Malaysia in hosting the APEC Year 2020.

The officials reiterated their consistent stance on the East Sea issue and the principle of peacefully settling conflicts in line with international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

They also stressed the need to increase trust and the significance of non-militarisation and exercise of self-restraint in activities that may complicate the situation and escalate tensions in the East Sea.

The ministers reaffirmed their support for the full and effective implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) and will push ahead with negotiations to reach an effective and practical Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC).

During the talks, Minh expressed his hope that the Malaysian foreign ministers first ever visit to Vietnam will contribute significantly to consolidating and strengthening the strategic partnership between the two countries.
Dallas County Jail(DALLAS) -- The health care worker who prompted the investigation of hundreds of deaths of elderly patients has been charged with 11 more murders.



Billy Chemirmir, 46, was already being held on a charge of murdering a woman in March 2018, but he is now facing 12 counts of murder as well as a handful of attempted murder charges.



Chemirmir worked as a home health care aide in a number of cities in north Texas.



All of the women were killed by being smothered with a pillow, according to Dallas ABC affiliate WFAA-TV.



Chemirmir was indicted on six new murders in Dallas County this week, according to jail records.



The health care worker has now been charged with killing Phyllis Payne, 91, on May 14, 2016; Phoebe Perry, 94, on June 5, 2016; Norma French, 85, on Oct. 8, 2016; Doris Gleason, 92, on Oct. 29, 2016; Rosemary Curtis, 76, on Jan. 17, 2018; and Mary Brooks on Jan. 31, 2018.



He was already charged with the murder of Lu Thi Harris, 81, in Dallas County last year.



Chemirmir was also charged with five murders in Collin County, a northeast suburb of Dallas, including Plano, on Tuesday, according to jail records.



The details of those murders have not been released.



Chemirmir is also being held on three attempted murder charges in Dallas County and two attempted murder charges in Collin County.



He is being held in Dallas County jail on $9.1 million bond.



He also has an immigration hold against him filed in Dallas County. Chemirmir is a citizen of Kenya, WFAA reported.



When Chemirmir's alleged murder of Harris was announced last year, Dallas Police Department Executive Assistant Chief of Police David Pughes said his department would look into at least 750 similar cases to determine if Chemirmir was involved.

"It will be a monumental task," Pughes said at a press conference in March 2018. "But were up for the challenge and were gonna make sure we check each and every case."



Chemirmir was arrested last March on an outstanding warrant, but police officers also observed him throwing a jewelry box into a dumpster in Plano, and traced the valuables to the home of Harris. Inside, she was found dead from smothering, police said.



Copyright  2019, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
Iranian hardliner journalists and analysts have been suggesting this week that Iran should attack Saudi and UAE interests in the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea, attributing the UAE and Saudi attacks to "Islamic Resistance".

The sinister suggestions were made as international media were bubbling with the news of mysterious attacks on shipping in the Persian Gulf region.

Sa'dullah Zarei, a hardliner analysts wrote in an article for the Kayhan newspaper, affiliated with the office of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, on Monday 13 May that Iran should "impose a cost on the United States so that America's economic war would not be unilateral" any longer.

In the Kayhan article, Zarei wrote that Iran has three different capabilities it can use in its confrontation with the United States: "economic attack, military attack and psychological warfare."

He then opined that Iran is in a better position "to strike America on the economic ground" and suggested that "Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates depend on the United States" for their security and at the same time, they are acting as "oil reservoirs" for America.

Both of those countries, wrote Zarei, depend on two things: "Oil and spectacular buildings with glass facades on the coasts of the Gulf and the Red Sea," alluding to their vulnerabilities.

The analyst asked why Iran allows those two countries to run their economic affairs and trade in a normal fashion while Iran is suffering from the impact of sanctions. Instead, he suggested, "Iran should give hard blows to these two countries' capability to export their oil," reminding that oil is the lifeline of Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

Zarei added that attacks on the two countries can take place in the Indian Ocean or the Red Sea, adding that not only such measures will not lead to a war, because the United States will not rush to defend them, but the attacks can prompt Saudi Arabia and the UAE leaders to make peace with Iran as they are not capable of confronting Iran militarily.

Meanwhile, other hardliner Iranian journalists were suggesting the same kind of threats, occasionally even more transparently.

On May 12, Amin Arabshahi, the bureau chief of IRGC-linked news agency Tasnim in Mashad wrote in a tweet that the blasts in Fujairah were carried out by "Islamic Resistance guys", the jargon Iran uses to allude to militant Lebanese, Palestinian and Iraqi militia.

Arabshahi later deleted the tweet and references to his job in his profile, but Twitter users captured both before he deleted the gaffe.

Also on May 14, Hamed Rahimpour, the editor of the International Newsdesk of hardline daily Khorassan, wrote in a tweet: "All of our options are on the table," adding that the ports of Yanbu in Saudi Arabia, and Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates, "Have been hit."

Unlike Arabshahi, Rahimpour not only has not deleted his tweet and profile, but added more hardline tweets reflecting the same line of thought. He names Yanba, Fujairah and Golan as theaters for the war against Iran.

Whether these bold expressions are the result of surging satisfaction at the attacks on tankers near UAE and oil installations in Saudi Arabia, or are deliberate signalling of Tehrans ability to wreak havoc, is hard to tell. But this kind of boastfulness is not going to help Irans case in deflecting possible accusations of responsibility in dangerous provocations.
Baku, Azerbaijan, May 16

Trend:

Over the past 24 hours, Armenian armed forces have violated the ceasefire along the line of contact between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops 25 times, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said on May 16, Trend reports.

The Armenian armed forces were using heavy machine guns.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.
Baku, Azerbaijan, May 16

Trend:

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has signed an order regarding measures to continue the construction of Guba-Gonagkend road in Guba district.

Under the presidential order, 20,000,000 manats will be allocated to the Azerbaijan Highway State Agency for continuing the construction of the road connecting 66 residential areas with a total population of 68,000 people.
Baku, Azerbaijan, May 16

By Leman Zeynalova  Trend:

Deputy Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan Mahmud Mammadguliyev will take part in the Ministerial Meeting of the Council of Europe to be held in Helsinki, May 16-17, spokesperson for Azerbaijans Foreign Ministry Leyla Abdullayeva told Trend.

The Ministers for Foreign Affairs of the Council of Europes 47 member States will hold their annual meeting on 16 and 17 May 2019 in Helsinki (Finland).

On this occasion, the Ministers will be invited to take key decisions for the future of the Organisation which is currently facing a number of challenges. They will hold discussions on the basis of a report by Council of Europe Secretary General Thorbjrn Jagland on future challenges and reinforcing the Council of Europe. The draft agenda of the meeting also includes other items such as the role of the Organisation in solving conflicts and crises in Europe, securing the long-term effectiveness of the system of the European Convention on Human Rights and co-operation between the Council of Europe and the European Union.

At the end of the ministerial session (17 May), chaired by Finnish Minister for Foreign Affairs Timo Soini, Finland will hand over the Presidency of the Committee of Ministers to France. The French Secretary of State for European Affairs, Amelie de Montchalin, will present the priorities of her countrys Presidency.

On 16 May, a ceremony will be organised to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Council of Europe. In this context, a celebratory treaty event will also be held to allow governments to sign and ratify a number of Council of Europe conventions.

Follow the author on Twitter: @Lyaman_Zeyn
Baku, Azerbaijan, May 16

Trend:

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has received a delegation led by President of the Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic Radek Vondracek, Trend reports referring to the Azerbaijani presidential press-service on May 16.

The president noted that bilateral relations between Azerbaijan and the Czech Republic are developing successfully and described the level of the political ties as good.

Recalling the visit of the President of the Czech Republic to Azerbaijan, President Aliyev said that the expansion of interparliamentary ties contributes to the development of the relations.

The president underlined good prospects for the economic cooperation and pointed out that members of the Government of the Czech Republic made successful visits to Azerbaijan.

President Aliyev stressed the necessity of enhancing relations in economic, trade and investment spheres. President Aliyev expressed confidence that the visit of the delegation led by President of the Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic Radek Vondracek to Azerbaijan would be fruitful and contribute to the strengthening of the bilateral ties.

President of the Chamber of Deputies Radek Vondracek extended greetings of President of the Czech Republic Milos Zeman to President Aliyev.

Saying that the large Czech delegation visits Azerbaijan, Vondracek mentioned that the there is Czech-Azerbaijani interparliamentary friendship group representing various parties at the Parliament of the Czech Republic.

He underlined that the main goal of the visit of the delegation to Azerbaijan is to contribute to the development of very good relations between the two countries.

Vondracek praised ongoing drastic reforms in various areas in Azerbaijan and said that Czech investors show great interest in Azerbaijan.

They hailed the successful development of relations between Azerbaijan and the Czech Republic both in the bilateral format and within the European Union and emphasized the importance of intensifying the work of the joint intergovernmental commission.

The president thanked for President Milos Zeman`s greetings and asked Vondracek to extend his greetings to the president of the Czech Republic.
Baku, Azerbaijan, May 16

Trend:

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has sent a congratulatory letter to King of Norway Harald V.

On my own behalf and on behalf of the people of Azerbaijan, I am delighted to congratulate you and all the people of your country on the occasion of the Constitution Day of the Kingdom of Norway, Ilham Aliyev said in his letter.

On this joyful day, I wish you the best of health and happiness, and the friendly people of Norway lasting peace and prosperity.
Baku, Azerbaijan, May 16

Trend:

The fourth meeting of the US-Azerbaijan Economic Partnership Commission will be held in Baku on May 17, Trend reports referring to the Azerbaijani Finance Ministry on May 16.

The delegation headed by US First Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Trade Policy and Negotiations in the Bureau of Economic Affairs Peter Haas will arrive in Baku to participate in the meeting.

The agenda includes the issues on the development and strengthening of trade relations between the two countries, bilateral investment opportunities, and economic reforms being carried out in Azerbaijan.

At the meeting, the prospects for cooperation in the fields of tourism, taxes, customs, agriculture, food security, labor, intellectual property and other spheres will be considered.

The current economic partnership between Azerbaijan and the US, the work carried out after the third meeting of the commission and prospects for the expansion of the ties between the two countries will be also discussed.
Baku, Azerbaijan, May 15

By Elnur Baghishov - Trend:

This Iranian year (started on March 21, 2019), Iran exported goods worth $965 million to Iraq, Chairman of Iran-Iraq Chamber of Commerce Hamid Hosseini said, Trend reports citing ISNA.

He made the announcement while speaking at the signing ceremony of an agreement between the Iran-Iraq Chamber of Commerce and Export Guarantee Fund of Iran (EGFI). He said that Iran was exporting goods worth $20 million daily to Iraq.

In the first month of this Iranian year, Iranian businessmen exported goods worth about $380 million to Iraq, he noted. In the second month, Iran exported goods worth about $550 million.

The agreement signed between the Iran-Iraq Chamber of Commerce and EGFI aims to address Iranian exporters problems and to create more opportunities for them.
Baku, Azerbaijan, May 16

By Matanat Nasibova - Trend:

Azerbaijans Agency for the Development of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) plans to open 20-25 representative offices in the country's regions by the end of 2019, the Agency's Chairman of the Board Orkhan Mammaov told Trend.

"Every month we open new offices of 'Friend of SMEs' and currently, their number has reached 12. In the future, we plan to bring this figure to 60. We expect that the network of 'Friend of SMEs' will purposefully expand and cover all regions of the country," Mammadov said.

He also noted that the opening of the first House of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) in Baku is planned to be realized by the end of 2019. According to the agency's Chairman, this will be an "open platform" operating in the one-stop shop mode with the aim of providing various kinds of services to entrepreneurs, including consulting.

The main goal of creating the House SMEs is to ensure efficiency, transparency and optimal access of businesses to financial resources.

The Agency for the Development of SMEs of Azerbaijan was established on the basis of the decree on improvement of management in the field of SMEs signed by President Ilham Aliyev in December 2017.

The task of the agency is to ensure the consistency of reforms, as well as the improvement of the business regulation system and the application of effective coordination, enhancing the role and competitiveness of small and medium-sized businesses in the countrys economy, and the compliance of the management system of this sphere with modern requirements.

As a single structure with special powers, through the Houses of SMEs, the agency will organize, coordinate, evaluate and regulate the services rendered by state agencies and organizations in this area.

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Follow the author on Twitter: @MatanatNasibova
Baku, Azerbaijan, May 16

By Leman Zeynalova  Trend:

Estonia and Azerbaijan may discuss possibilities for broader co-op in ports industry, Urmas Reinsalu, the Foreign Minister of Estonia, said in an exclusive interview with Trend.

Additional cooperation in the ports industry has possibilities that can be beneficial to both countries. Pre-negotiations and meetings have been held, and in case of additional mutual interest, it will be addressed during the next Intergovernmental Commission meeting held in Estonia later in 2019, he said.

Further, he touched upon the prospects for developing cooperation between Azerbaijan and Estonia in the sphere of tourism.

Overall tourism numbers still have some potential for growth and we should do more to introduce our countries to each other. The Estonian travel agency Germalo is organising regular tours to Azerbaijan. The number of visas to visit Estonia has remained the same in the last couple of years. More people-to-people contacts as well as culture and business ties can all help to attract tourists, said Reinsalu.

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Follow the author on Twitter: @Lyaman_Zeyn
Baku, Azerbaijan, May 16

By Rufiz Hafizoglu - Trend:

In January-April 2019, Azerbaijani citizens purchased 374 real estate properties in Turkey, which is 117 real estate properties more than in the same period last year, Trend reports with reference to the Turkish Statistical Institute.

In April 2019, Azerbaijani citizens bought 87 real estate properties in Turkey, which is 19 more properties more than in April 2018.

In April 2019, a total of 84,400 real estate properties were sold in Turkey, which is 18.1 percent more compared to the same month of 2018.

During the reporting period, 15,400 real estate properties were sold in Istanbul, 7,500 real estate properties in Ankara, and 4,700 real estate properties in Izmir.

The remaining 56,800 real estate properties account for other cities of Turkey, the report said.

In April 2019, 3,700 real estate properties were sold to foreigners in Turkey, which is 82.1 percent more compared to the same period in 2018.

In April 2019, Iraqi citizens purchased 533 real estate properties in Turkey, Iranian citizens - 322 real estate properties, Kuwaiti citizens - 202 and Russian citizens - 202 real estate properties.

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Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu
Baku, Azerbaijan, May 16

By Aysham Rustamova  Trend:

Azerbaijan will export manhole covers and steel pipes to Qatar, Bahadir Musayev, director of sales and marketing department of Azertexnolayn LLC operating in the Sumgait Chemical Industrial Park, told Trend on May 16.

The company is negotiating with Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan to find the new markets for export of goods, he added. We continue to export products, mainly manhole covers, to Russia and Georgia. The export volumes reached about 500,000 manats in January-April.

Qatar also shows interest in our products and we continue to hold the negotiations on this issue, he said. The negotiations are also underway with Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan for the sale of manhole covers and steel pipes."

Azertexnolayn takes part in the international tenders, he said. We follow the announcements of tenders in various countries. We participate in tenders in Russia and Georgia. We expect the production volume to increase by late 2019. Our goal is to increase the sales volume up to $200,000 per month."

Azertexnolayn specializes in the production of a wide range of metal products, including steel pipes, stainless steel fences, water well covers, drainage grids and park benches.
Baku, Azerbaijan, May 16

By Matanat Nasibova - Trend:

Azerbaijan is inviting Czech companies to create joint ventures in the fields of agriculture, industry and energy, Azerbaijans Deputy Economy Minister Rufat Mammadov said at the Azerbaijani-Czech Business Forum in Baku on May 16, Trend reports.

There are great opportunities for creating joint ventures between the countries, the Deputy Minister added.

Mammadov noted that 26 companies with Czech capital operate in Azerbaijan. Companies from the Czech Republic invested $33.5 million in Azerbaijans economy, while Azerbaijani investments in the Czech Republic amounted to $50 million.

Czech companies took part in the implementation of projects worth a total of $2.8 billion in Azerbaijan, he said. More than 30 documents were signed between our countries in various areas, including investment promotion, avoidance of double taxation, and in various segments of trade and economy.

The volume of trade between the countries exceeded $1 billion in 2018, which is 57 percent more than in 2017, he added. The Deputy Minister noted that more than 88 percent of trade of the Czech Republic with the countries of the South Caucasus accounts for Azerbaijan.

Mammadov noted that Azerbaijan considers the Czech Republic as one of the most promising partners in Europe and expects further expansion and strengthening of relations in many areas of bilateral cooperation.
Details added (first version posted on 16:48)

Baku, Azerbaijan, May 16

By Matanat Nasibova - Trend:

Azerbaijan is inviting Czech companies to create joint ventures in the fields of agriculture, industry and energy, Azerbaijans Deputy Economy Minister Rufat Mammadov said at the Azerbaijani-Czech Business Forum in Baku on May 16, Trend reports.

There are great opportunities for creating joint ventures between the countries, the Deputy Minister added.

Mammadov noted that 26 companies with Czech capital operate in Azerbaijan. Companies from the Czech Republic invested $33.5 million in Azerbaijans economy, while Azerbaijani investments in the Czech Republic amounted to $50 million.

Czech companies took part in the implementation of projects worth a total of $2.8 billion in Azerbaijan, he said. More than 30 documents were signed between our countries in various areas, including investment promotion, avoidance of double taxation, and in various segments of trade and economy.

The volume of trade between the countries exceeded $1 billion in 2018, which is 57 percent more than in 2017, he added. The Deputy Minister noted that more than 88 percent of trade of the Czech Republic with the countries of the South Caucasus accounts for Azerbaijan.

Mammadov noted that Azerbaijan considers the Czech Republic as one of the most promising partners in Europe and expects further expansion and strengthening of relations in many areas of bilateral cooperation.
Baku, Azerbaijan, May 16

By Nargiz Sadikhova - Trend:

Kazakhstan and Germany plan to strengthen the bilateral cooperation, Bolat Nussupov, the Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Germany said, Trend reports via KazInform.

He made the remarks within the framework of 26th meeting of Berlin Eurasian Club, which took place in Nur-Sultan (former Astana) on May 15, 2019.

Todays meeting coincides with the creation of Astana International Finance Center of Kazakhstan in Nur-Sultan. The center is to become the finance hub for investor companies from Central Asia, Eurasian Economic Union, Middle East, Western China and Europe, said Nussupov.

The ambassador also expressed his confidence that this event will provide an additional impetus to development of mutually beneficial partnership.

Overall, today we can talk about a completely new level of bilateral relation. In my opinion we will develop the potential that we possess now and actively implement it in certain projects. The Road Map that is being developed at the moment will help us to do so. The Road Map of the new stage of countries cooperation is to be implemented very soon, he said.

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Follow the author on twitter: @nargiz_sadikh
Baku, Azerbaijan, May 16

By Matanat Nasibova  Trend:

The Czech Republic considers the expansion of trade and economic cooperation with Azerbaijan a priority of its economic policy, President of the Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic Radek Vondracek said at the Azerbaijani-Czech Business Forum in Baku, Trend reports on May 16.

The Czech Republic intends to further strengthen the partnership relations between the countries, he added. Vondracek stressed the need to expand trade relations in various sectors of the economy.

"Today, the trade turnover between the two countries mainly accounts for the purchase of Azerbaijani oil and oil products, he said. Meanwhile, the Czech Republic is ready to export various Czech products to Azerbaijan. The special attention in the trade turnover is currently paid to the development of cooperation in the oil sector, resulting in an imbalance in bilateral trade."

He stressed that the Czech oil refineries are capable to refine Azerbaijani oil and presently, more than 33 percent of the entire refining process account for Azerbaijani oil.

"The Czech Republic, as one of the EU most developed countries, intends to cooperate with Azerbaijan in the field of oil and oil products refining for the long term and offers to expand bilateral cooperation in other spheres," Vondracek added.
Baku, Azerbaijan, May 16

By Leman Zeynalova  Trend:

Completions' Engineering Manager at BP Ann Davies will take up her duties as the company's country manager for Georgia from July 2019, BP Azerbaijan told Trend.

Moreover, BP has named Joe Murphy as its new country head for Turkey, according to BP Turkey.

Reportedly, Murphys role will include supporting the implementation of BP's strategy while overseeing government relations and external affairs on behalf of all BP businesses in the country.

Moreover, he will continue with his current responsibilities as vice president of the Southern Corridor project, which envisages transportation of Azerbaijani gas to Europe.

Murphy has worked in Azerbaijan, Egypt, Vietnam, the US, Qatar and the UK.

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Follow the author on Twitter: @Lyaman_Zeyn
Baku, Azerbaijan, May 16

By Leman Zeynalova  Trend:

Groundbreaking ceremony for the Interconnector Greece-Bulgaria (IGB) will be held May 22 in Bulgarias Kirkovo village, Trend reports citing Bulgarian Energy Ministry.

Reportedly, Bulgarias Prime Minister Boyko Borissov and Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras will attend the ceremony.

The interconnector between the two countries is one of the priority projects for security and competitiveness of the energy market in the European Union. The project is also extremely important in terms of ensuring diversification of gas supplies to Bulgaria and the Southeast Europe region, said the ministry.

IGB is a gas pipeline, which will allow Bulgaria to receive Azerbaijani gas, in particular, the gas produced from Azerbaijan's Shah Deniz 2 gas and condensate field. IGB is expected to be connected to TAP via which gas from the Shah Deniz field will be delivered to the European markets.

The initial capacity of IGB will be 3 billion cubic meters of gas.

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Follow the author on Twitter: @Lyaman_Zeyn
Baku, Azerbaijan, May 16

Trend:

There are no prerequisites for changing the rate of manat in Azerbaijan, First Deputy Chairman of the Central Bank of Azerbaijan (CBA) Alim Guliyev told reporters at the FINTEX Summit, which is held on the topic "New trends in banking and the payment ecosystem: innovative solutions, financial technologies and security" in Baku, Trend reports.

"Today, there are all economic grounds for the stability of the manat. Our foreign exchange reserves and the situation in international commodity markets allow us to ensure macroeconomic stability, and there is every reason to maintain the manat rate at a stable level," Guliyev said.
Baku, Azerbaijan, May 16

By Kheyraddin Nasirzade  Trend:

The Azerbaijani Ministry of Finance has so far allocated 430.6 million manats to pay compensation on problem loans to individuals, spokesman for the ministry Mais Piriyev told Trend on May 16.

On May 8-14, upon the appeal of the Financial Market Supervisory Authority of Azerbaijan (FIMSA), the Finance Ministry transferred 53.5 million manats and 26.3 million manats in two tranches to the banks' correspondent accounts at the Central Bank to implement Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyevs decree, he added.

"Taking into account the Finance Ministrys first tranche worth 350.8 million manats for paying compensation, the amount of funds transferred so far to the correspondent accounts of the postal operator and banks, including those which are being liquidated, reached 430.6 million manats," Piriyev said.

The process of paying compensation on problem loans to individuals started in Azerbaijan on April 22, 2019. The payments are made through branches of banks and Azerpost postal operator. As expected, 602,347 people will receive compensation. The compensation is planned to be fully paid till late May 2019.

Earlier, President Aliyev signed a decree on additional measures in connection with solving the issue of the individuals problem loans. The decree envisages the payment of compensation to citizens whose loan burden increased as a result of the devaluation of the manat in February and December 2015.

According to the decree, opportunities are created for restructuring both US dollar loans and manat loans with a delay of more than 360 days on concessional terms. If the amount of compensation exceeds 500 manats, these funds will be transferred to the account of the individual; otherwise, the payment will be made via money transfer.

The corresponding plastic cards to be received by individuals are issued free of charge for a period of one year. Banks and postal operator are not entitled to charge fees for issuing or conducting operations with these cards or for making money transfers.

(1.7 AZN = 1 USD on May 16)

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Follow the author on Twitter: @1nasirzade
Baku, Azerbaijan, May 16

Trend:

The use of financial technologies will be expanded in Azerbaijan, reads the relevant memorandum signed at the Financial Technology (FINTEX) Summit, which is being held on the topic "New trends in banking and the payment ecosystem: innovative solutions, financial technologies and security" in Baku on May 16, Trend reports.

The document was signed by Minister of Transport, Communications and High Technologies of Azerbaijan Ramin Guluzade, First Deputy Chairman of the Central Bank of Azerbaijan Alim Guliyev, Chairman of the Association of Banks of Azerbaijan Zakir Nuriyev, Acting Chairman of the Executive Board of the Financial Market Supervisory Authority of the country Ibrahim Alishov and Executive Director of the national Center for Analysis of Economic Reforms and Communications Vusal Gasimli.

The memorandum provides for the exchange of information on the provision of financial services, the exchange of experience and support for the introduction of financial technologies.

The Financial Technology Summit is conducted within the "Week of financial and digital technologies" in Baku. About 100 representatives of international organizations and leading companies from the US, CIS, Europe, Japan, India and many other countries are taking part in the event.

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Follow the author on Twitter: @IsrafilbekovaS
Details added (first version posted at 11:12).

Baku, Azerbaijan, May 16

Trend:

The use of financial technologies will be expanded in Azerbaijan, reads the relevant memorandum signed at the Financial Technology (FINTEX) Summit, which is being held on the topic "New trends in banking and the payment ecosystem: innovative solutions, financial technologies and security" in Baku on May 16, Trend reports.

The document was signed by Minister of Transport, Communications and High Technologies of Azerbaijan Ramin Guluzade, First Deputy Chairman of the Central Bank of Azerbaijan Alim Guliyev, Chairman of the Association of Banks of Azerbaijan Zakir Nuriyev, Acting Chairman of the Executive Board of the Financial Market Supervisory Authority of the country Ibrahim Alishov and Executive Director of the national Center for Analysis of Economic Reforms and Communications Vusal Gasimli.

The memorandum provides for the exchange of information on the provision of financial services, the exchange of experience and support for the introduction of financial technologies.

The Financial Technology Summit is conducted within the "Week of financial and digital technologies" in Baku. About 100 representatives of international organizations and leading companies from the US, CIS, Europe, Japan, India and many other countries are taking part in the event.

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Follow the author on Twitter: @IsrafilbekovaS
Baku, Azerbaijan, May 16

By Kheyraddin Nasirzade - Trend:

Azerbaijan has assumed the role of the main banking and financial center in the region, Chairman of Azerbaijan Banks Association (ABA) Zakir Nuriev said at at the Financial Technology (FINTEX) Summit, which is being held on the topic "New trends in banking and the payment ecosystem: innovative solutions, fintechs and security" in Baku on May 16, Trend reports.

In his words, one of the main drivers to ensure stability and introduction of innovative technologies in the finance and banking sectors is strengthening of the work on the digitalization of these sectors for the intensive development of the cashless economy of Azerbaijan as a whole.

The decree on solving the problem loans of individuals, signed by President Ilham Aliyev, has provided a transition to a new stage of stable development in the sectors of finance and banking.

The main priorities, according to Nuriyev, are to work to expand the possibilities for effective lending to the real sector.

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Follow the author on Twitter: @1nasirzade
Baku, Azerbaijan, May 16

By Kheyraddin Nasirzade  Trend:

The Azerbaijani banks issued the loans worth 1.7 billion manats in January-March 2019, Acting Chairman of the Executive Board of the Financial Market Supervisory Authority of Azerbaijan (FIMSA) Ibrahim Alishov said, Trend reports.

Alishov made the remarks at the Finance and Technology (FINTEX) Summit entitled "New trends in banking and payment ecosystem: innovative solutions, financial technologies and security" in Baku on May 16.

This is quite a big figure, he said, stressing an improvement in the situation and a decrease in dollarization in the market.

While speaking about support provided by FIMSA, Alishov said that since the beginning of its activity, FIMSA has made capital injections worth more than 1.8 billion manats, including 120 million manats for the first three months of 2019.

Alishov also stressed that the adequacy of capital of the banking sector exceeds the regulatory indicators and has reached 20.2 percent, which can be considered an indicator of the sustainability of the sector.

According to FIMSA, the loan portfolio of the banks in the country reached 12.7 billion manats as of April 1, 2019 .

FINTEX Summit is being held within the "Week of financial and digital technologies" in Baku. About 100 representatives of international organizations and leading companies from the US, CIS, Europe, Japan, India and other countries are taking part in the event.

(1.7 AZN = 1 USD on May 16)
Baku, Azerbaijan, May 16

By Sara Israfilbayova - Trend:

The creation of an ASAN Finance website in Azerbaijan will help reduce user costs by 4.3 times, and all the services will be done six times faster, head of the Strategic Development and Communications Department of Azerbaijans E-Government Development Center Soltan Bayramov said, Trend reports.

He was speaking at the FINTEX (Finance and Technology) Summit May 16 titled New Trends in the Banking and Payment Ecosystem: Innovative Solutions, Financial Technologies and Security.

Bayramov said that the creation of an ASAN Finance website contributes to minimizing paperwork.

He noted that financial organizations will be able to get the necessary information about the place of work, citizens incomes and other details for seconds using a TIN (Taxpayer Identification Number) code and thus save time.

"Already 25 financial institutions have joined us, the other 25 are at the beginning of the integration process," he said.

ASAN Finance is a unified electronic space for financial services, which will allow providing access of financial organizations to state information reserves and systems.

The platform will accelerate the development of digital banking in Azerbaijan. Citizens, in turn, will get round-the-clock access to banking services. In general, the speed of consideration of applications for banking and insurance services will accelerate.

The Financial Technology Summit is conducted within the "Week of financial and digital technologies" in Baku. About 100 representatives of international organizations and leading companies from the US, CIS, Europe, Japan, India and many other countries are taking part in the event.

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Baku, Azerbaijan, May 16

By Sara Israfilbayova, Kheyraddin Nasirzade - Trend:

The turnover of Azerbaijans national payment system ((Real Time Gross Settlement System (AZIPS) and Low Value Payments Clearing and Settlement System (LVPCSS))) over the past three years increased by 73 percent and amounted to 174 billion manats, said Kamala Gurbanova, director of the payment systems and settlements department of the Central Bank of Azerbaijan (CBA), Trend reports.

She was speaking in Baku at the Fintex (Finance and Technology) Summit May 16 titled New Trends in the Banking and Payment Ecosystem: Innovative Solutions, Financial Technologies and Security.

She said that over the past three years there has been an increase in all types of cashless payments in Azerbaijan.

Gurbanova noted that the State Program for the Expansion of Digital Payments in Azerbaijan in 2018-2020, signed by President Ilham Aliyev, includes four areas, 16 priorities and more than 60 measures.

The CBA plans to launch an instant payment system under the state program by the end of 2019, she added.

She said that at first it is planned to launch a system of settlement between individuals, and in 2020 - between legal entities.
Baku, Azerbaijan, May 16

By Kheyraddin Nasirzade  Trend:

Opening a bank account online without leaving home will become possible in Azerbaijan in the near future, said Tamerlan Rustamov, Head of Financial Markets Infrastructure Supervision Division at Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FIMSA), Trend reports.

He was speaking at the FINTEX (Finance and Technology) Summit titled New Trends in the Banking and Payment Ecosystem: Innovative Solutions, Financial Technologies and Security in Baku.

Rustamov noted that in this connection FIMSA is negotiating with the Central Bank of Azerbaijan (CBA): "This procedure includes 3 main goals - transformation, inclusiveness, and competition."

He added that individuals will be able to open a bank account in several ways.

"The first approach consists of opening a bank account using bank software," he said.

Another approach, according to Rustamov, consists of opening bank accounts via a video link.

The Financial Technology Summit is conducted within the "Week of financial and digital technologies" in Baku. About 100 representatives of international organizations and leading companies from the US, CIS, Europe, Japan, India and many other countries are taking part in the event.
Baku, Azerbaijan, May 16

By Kheyraddin Nasirzade  Trend:

Azerbaijan is exemplary in effective implementation of payment solutions, technology and innovation development, head of the Visa key product department in the CIS and South-Eastern Europe Cristina Doros said, Trend reports.

Dorosh made the remarks at the FINTEX Summit on "New trends in banking and payment ecosystem: innovative solutions, financial technologies and security" in Baku on May 16.

The most innovative Visa solutions, such as contactless payments, launched in 2014, were implemented in Azerbaijan, she added.

Dorosh stressed the governments big support for the development of non-cash payments, which are priorities in Azerbaijan.

The full-scale reforms being carried out in Azerbaijan are yielding the results, she said. In the recent Doing Business report, Azerbaijan improved its positions by 32 spots, ranking 25th in the rating. This testifies to the efforts and important work being carried out in Azerbaijan.

Dorosh added that Visa together with its partners will continue to develop new technologies and help implement them in Azerbaijan.

Baku hosts the "Week of financial and digital technologies". Finance and Technology Summit (Fintex Summit) is being held this week. About 100 representatives of international organizations and influential companies from the US, CIS, Europe, Japan, India and others are taking part in the event.
Baku, Azerbaijan, May 16

By Samir Ali - Trend:

A forum on management and innovations will be held in Baku on May 21 under the slogan Good governance, innovations and transparency, Trend reports May 16.

The event will be organized by the National Confederation of Entrepreneurs (Employers) Organizations of Azerbaijan (ASK) and the countrys leading companies.

As part of the forum, two panel meetings on management and innovation topics are planned to be held, which will be addressed by local and foreign experts.

Heads of organizations and enterprises, entrepreneurs, management consultants, persons preparing for leadership positions can participate in the forum.

Along with private companies, up to 200 delegates, including official representatives of the relevant government agencies, will attend the forum.

The forum aims to support the development of management in Azerbaijan, the introduction of innovations in the field of management, discussion of issues related to the management system.
Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, May 16

By Huseyn Hasanov  Trend:

The US Embassy in Ashgabat informs all US citizens about heightened tension in the region, Trend reports referring to the website of the embassy.

"The US Embassy in Ashgabat advises all U.S. citizens of heightened tensions in the region. US citizens are strongly encouraged to maintain a high level of vigilance and to practice good situational awareness," the message says.

Turkmenistan shares land borders with Kazakhstan, Iran, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan and maritime borders with Azerbaijan, Russia, Kazakhstan and Iran.

Since 1995, Turkmenistan follows the status of positive neutrality and defense sufficiency. The country is not a member of any military-political blocs.
Tehran, Iran, May 16

Trend:

The international community must commit itself to normalizing economic relations with Iran, in order to maintain JCPOA, Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said.

Zarif, who travelled to Tokyo, referred to his meeting with his Japanese counterpart, saying that the two sides discussed the current situation in the region, the US actions, and the way to protect the JCPOA if the international community is reluctant to maintain it, Trend reports citing Foreign Ministry`s Telegram Channel.

The Japanese foreign minister, Taro Kono said he is committed to JCPOA and Japan is interested in continuing its diplomatic efforts to reduce tensions in the region, Zarif said.

Zarif emphasized that in this meeting, he explained the methods of reducing tensions in the region and stopping the US war-like efforts, and that the Islamic Republic of Iran is not seeking conflict in the region, but has always defended its interests with full power and will continue to do so.

Zarif went on to emphasize that if the international community is to maintain JCPOA, it must be committed to the normalization of economic relations with Iran.
Japan would like to maintain, and develop, its traditionally friendly ties with Iran, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Thursday, reports Trend citing to Reuters

At the start of a meeting in the Japanese capital, Abe also told Zarif that he was concerned about growing tension in the Middle East.

U.S. President Donald Trump has ratcheted up sanctions on Iran since the United States withdrew a year ago from a 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and global powers by which Tehran curbed uranium enrichment capacity in return for sanctions relief.
Chinas Foreign Ministry said on Thursday that two detained Canadian citizens, Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor, have been formally arrested, reports Trend with reference to Reuters

Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said Kovrig was arrested on charges of gathering state secrets and Spavor on charges of stealing secrets for overseas forces.

China hopes that Canada will not interfere, Lu told a daily news briefing.
Airbus Chief Executive Guillaume Faury warned on Thursday that any further escalation of trade tensions would damage aerospace companies globally, including arch-rival Boeing, reports Trend citing to Reuters

The United States has threatened to impose tariffs on a range of European Union goods in a transatlantic row over mutual claims of unfair support for both Airbus and Boeing.

Trade tensions are lose-lose tensions, Faury told reporters on a visit to London.

He said Airbus was using the delay in Britains withdrawal from the European Union to prepare for all scenarios and reiterated that a no-deal Brexit would be the worst outcome.

He also warned of legal action against Germany over a ban on defense exports to Saudi Arabia that has disrupted the implementation of a border security contract with the kingdom.
German food delivery company Delivery Hero on Thursday announced an investment in biodegradable packaging manufacturer Bio-Lutions as governments and companies around the world seek to reduce plastic waste, reports Trend with reference to Reuters

Hamburg-based company Bio-Lutions International AG produces disposable tableware products that are compostable and biodegradable, according to its website.

Improving the way to package delivered food sustainably with the help of Bio-Lutions will allow us to help reduce our carbon footprint, Delivery Hero CEO Niklas Oestberg said in a statement.

Delivery Hero and Bio-Lutions did not disclose terms of the deal.

Legislators from U.S. cities have banned plastic straws, while single-use plastic items such as straws, forks and knives will be banned in the European Union by 2021.
Germanys Angela Merkel said on Thursday she would be unavailable for any further political office after serving out her fourth term as chancellor, dismissing speculation that she could take a big European Union job in Brussels, reports Trend citing to Reuters

I am not available for any further political office, regardless of where it is - including in Europe, Merkel told a joint news conference with Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte.

Speculation about Merkels future swirled in Berlin after she told Thursdays edition of the Sueddeutsche newspaper: Many people are concerned about Europe  including myself. This means I feel even more duty-bound to join others in making sure that Europe has a future.

She made clear at the news conference that she saw it as her responsibility to promote Europe in her job as chancellor rather than in a future position.

Merkel - Europes longest-serving leader - announced last October that her fourth term as chancellor would be her last and that she would not seek any political post after her term ends, beginning a stage-managed gradual exit from politics.

In December, she then handed over the leadership of her Christian Democratic Union (CDU) to heir apparent Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer.

Kramp-Karrenbauer, sometimes dubbed mini-Merkel, said in comments published earlier this week that she had no ambition to succeed Merkel as chancellor until 2021, which is when the current German legislative term is due to run until.

The chancellor and the government are elected for a full term and citizens are right to expect that they take this mandate seriously, Kramp-Karrenbauer told the Welt am Sonntag newspaper in an interview.

Speaking for myself, I can rule out that I am working in my own interest for a change.
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will visit Berlin on May 31, after he canceled a trip to the German capital earlier this month, reports Trend citing to Reuters

It cited German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas as announcing the date to a meeting of the foreign affairs committee in parliament.

The State Department did not immediately return a request for comment. A spokesman for the German Foreign Ministry declined to comment, saying that dates would be announced at short notice.

The U.S. administration had cited international security issues as the reason for Pompeo cancelling his trip to Berlin, which was originally scheduled for May 7. Pompeo went to Baghdad to meet with Iraqi leaders instead.

Pompeo had been due to meet Chancellor Angela Merkel and Maas during that visit.
Eight Syrians were killed in the shelling conducted by militants in the Aleppo region, another ten civilians were wounded, Major General Viktor Kupchishin, chief of the Russian center for reconciliation of conflicting sides in Syria, told reporters on Wednesday, Trend reports citing TASS.

"Eight Syrians, including two children, were killed in shelling on Al-Nayrab, Aleppo province, while ten more civilians were wounded," he said at a briefing.

Kupchishin added that in the past day the militants had shelled ten inhabited localities in the regions of Latakia, Hama and Aleppo.

In the past 24 hours, the Russian center for reconciliation of conflicting sides carried out two humanitarian missions in Zama, Latakia province and Ard al-Djabourin, Homs province.

The Russian reconciliation center continues to fulfill assigned tasks after the completion of the military campaign in Syria. The centers officers regularly travel around the country's liberated areas to assess the humanitarian situation. The main efforts of the Russian military are now focused on assistance to the refugees returning to their homes and evacuation of civilians from de-escalation zones.
Chinese company Huawei launched its 5G smartphone here on Thursday, as mobile network operators are preparing to switch on 5G network in parts of Britain, Trend reported citing Xinhua.

The HUAWEI Mate 20 X (5G) is the latest Huawei smartphone that introduces consumers to 5G with a premium experience comprising high-speed connectivity, flagship performance, large display, reliable battery life and more.

Huawei's 5G smartphone harnesses a wide spectrum of patented technologies to support standalone (SA) and non-standalone (NSA) 5G networking modes, as well as multiple generations of network technology, according to the company.

The Huawei Mate 20 X (5G) will be available in Britain from June.

The launch of Huawei's 5G smartphone comes as operators in Britain are preparing to switch on their 5G networks in coming months.

Vodafone announced on Tuesday that its 5G service will be available in seven major cities across Britain in July, and it will go live in 12 other cities by the end of 2019. The operator will offer 5G smartphone products from Samsung and China's Huawei and Xiaomi.

Global 5G smartphone shipments are expected to surge to 120 million devices in 2020, according to IHS Markit forecasts, a London-based global information provider.
Sudan's Transitional Military Council (TMC) on Thursday announced suspension of talks with the major opposition forces for 72 hours, Trend reports citing Xinhua.

"We have decided to suspend the negotiation for 72 hours until a climate is prepared for the talks," said TMC Chairman Abdel-Fattah Al-Burhan in a statement broadcast live by official Sudan TV early Thursday.

Al-Burhan set conditions for resuming the negotiation, including removing the barricades put by protesters outside their sit-in area, opening the railway line and stopping media escalation as well as harassment against regular forces.

He accused armed elements of infiltrating the sit-in area and targeting the armed forces and the rapid support forces.

He further warned against the country's sliding into chaos and security disorder.

On Wednesday, the TMC and the opposition Freedom and Change Alliance agreed on powers of the sovereignty council, the council of ministers and the legislative council.

The two sides have also agreed that the transitional period duration would be three years, with the first six months to be allotted for achieving peace all over Sudan.

They further agreed that legislative council is to be comprised of 300 members, 67 percent of which from the Freedom and Change Alliance and the rest from the other political forces.

The TMC is tasked with running the country's affairs following the ouster of former President Omar al-Bashir.
Tens of thousands of protesters gathered in cities across Brazil on Wednesday to rally against education spending freezes made by Jair Bolsonaros government as part of a wider government effort to reduce spending, Trend reports citing Sputnik.

On Wednesday Brazils National Student Union called for protests against what it called spending cuts after the Education Ministry said it was freezing nearly a quarter of discretionary spending - $1.85 billion.

Marches took place in over 200 cities, according to a count by the Globo TV network, gathering reportedly 150,000 across the country. In the capital Brasilia, some 7,000 students and university professors marched to Congress, carrying signs against the cuts. One said: Education is not an expense, it is an investment. Another read: Without investment, there is no knowledge.

Our message to Bolsonaro is that society will not accept these cuts of 30 percent, said Luis Antonio Pasquetti, head of the National University of Brasilias teacher union.

The marches were mostly peaceful, however, in Rio de Janeiro a march turned violent when protesters allegedly set a bus on fire and started shooting fireworks at police officers who had to use tear gas bombs and rubber bullets to break a crowd up. There is still no information on the number of injuries during the protests.
Hundreds of inmates in a prison for drug convicts in North Sumatra province's regency of Langkat managed to escape on Thursday following a riot incited by a conflict between wardens and the inmates, Trend reported citing Xinhua.

"That's true according to information that we received so far," Spokesman of Legal and Human Rights Ministry Provincial Office Josua Ginting said in the province capital of Medan later in the day.

He said hundreds of inmates escaped, but the exact number has yet to be determined as an investigation is underway.

"Hundreds of drug convicts took advantage of the chaotic situation," the spokesman quoted in local media said.

The riot was incited by furious inmates to respond to the questioning process against a convict who was found stashing methamphetamine in the prison.

The prison wardens were reportedly hit the inmate during the process as he resisted being questioned.

According to reports, the inmates briefly controlled the prison during the riot. A group of inmates broke down the main gate and got away, reports said.

Arson on several facilities and vehicles in the prison also occurred during the riot.

There were 1,634 drug convicts in the prison when the riot took place at noon, reports said.

Authorities have called the families of the escaped drug convicts to report whenever the escaped inmates returned home.

Provincial police and troops have been deployed to the prison to restore order.
Baku, Azerbaijan, May 16

By Rufiz Hafizoglu  Trend:

Control over S-400 anti-aircraft missile systems, which Ankara intends to acquire from Russia, will be under the exclusive jurisdiction of Turkey, said Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, Trend reports referring to the Turkish media.

According to Cavusoglu, this air defense system cannot, and will not, be integrated into the defense system of NATO.

The Foreign Minister noted that Turkey once again offers the US to create a committee to check the S-400.

It was reported earlier that the Russian S-400 systems can be installed in southern and western Turkey.

According to preliminary data, they can be installed in the west of Turkey and in the provinces on the Aegean Sea, as well as on the border with Syria in Hatay Province.

On April 11, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said that specialists from the US and NATO could come to Turkey to make sure that Russian S-400 air defense systems do not pose a threat to NATO. "Although the US urges Turkey to abandon the purchase of Russian S-400 air defense missile systems, it does not guarantee that it will sell us Patriot air defense systems," Mevlut Cavusoglu said.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had said that Turkey may receive the S-400 missile systems earlier than scheduled. According to the President, it was expected that Turkey would receive the first supplies of S-400 missile systems in July 2019.

He noted that despite appeals from the US, Turkey will not abandon the purchase of the S-400.

Initial reports of negotiations between Russia and Turkey on the supply of S-400 surfaced in November 2016.

The signing of a contract was confirmed by the Russian side on September 12, 2017. Turkish National Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said that the S-400 air defense systems would be deployed from October 2019.

The supply of the S-400 air defense systems to Ankara cost $2.5 billion, head of the Rostec state corporation Sergey Chemezov said in December 2017.

Turkey is the first country, a NATO member to receive the S-400 air defense systems from Russia.
The Indian Air Force MiG-21 Bison Squadron No. 51 has come up with new shoulder patches with title 'Falcon Slayers' to commemorate the shooting down of Pakistan Air Force (PAF) in Jammu and Kashmir on February 27 this year and shot down a F-16 aircraft. Adopting the name Falcon Slayers, the squadron has got special uniform patches made to commemorate the aerial fight. The F-16 that Abhinandan shot down has been named by its maker as the Falcon.

also read: Diesel rose by 5 paise in Delhi, petrol remained steady at Rs. 71.18/litre

Abhinandan was stationed at Srinagar airbase with his squadron No. 51, when PAF F-16 jets intruded Indian air space in retaliation to Balakot airstrike by the IAF a day earlier. He engaged in a dogfight with a vastly superior F-16 jet and shot it down. In the process, his plane also crashed and he was captured by Pakistani forces and released a couple of days later. Since the episode, Abhinandan has been officially moved from No. 51 Squadron to No. 23 Squadron (Panthers).

IAF spokesperson Group Captain Anupam Bannerjee said it was common for squadron pilots to wear patches. Patches instill a sense of pride in not only the present generation of pilots but also the future ones. It gives a sense of achievement to the pilot, he said. Adopting the name Falcon Slayers, the squadron has got special uniform patches made to commemorate the aerial fight. The F-16 that Abhinandan shot down has been named by its maker as the Falcon.

The No 51 Squadron patch depicts a MIG-21 Bison in the foreground and a red-colored F-16 in the background under crosshairs with 'AMRAAM Dodger' written on the top and Falcon Slayer inscribed at the bottom.

also read: Rahul Gandhi drives tractor in Punjab as Amarinder Singh sits beside him, watch video here
Tungiasis is a neglected tropical disease caused by penetrated sand fleas which burrow into the skin of the feet. Public health policies such as sealing house and classroom floors and daily feet washing with soap could cut the number of tungiasis cases in school-aged children, researchers now report in PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases.

Tungiasis affects millions of people in South America, the Caribbean and sub-Saharan Africa. The sand fleas responsible for tungiasis rapidly grow once in a human host, causing immense itching, inflammation, pain and debilitation. There are currently no good treatment methods available in affected areas, and people often use non-sterile methods to attempt to remove the fleas themselves, causing more damage. Awareness of tungiasis has been growing in East Africa in recent years, but data on epidemiological characteristics are scarce.

In the new work, a group of scientists from KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Kenya, the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe), Charite University of Medicine, Berlin and Dabaso Tujengane Kenya, examined the feet of 1,829 students of all age groups from 5 schools in coastal Kenya. In one subset of participants, observations were repeated after a school holiday. Structured interviews were conducted with 707 students to get data on household infrastructure, behavior and socio-economic status.

The overall prevalence of tungiasis was 48%, with boys between the ages of 10 and 14 years most at risk and factors related to socio-economic status positively associated with disease risk. Children returned from their school holiday with higher rates of infection. The data suggested that mild to moderate tungiasis could be reduced by a third, and severe tungiasis by more than half, if homes had sealed floors, while roughly a seventh of the cases could be prevented by sealing classroom floors and another fifth by using soap for daily feet washing.

"Observations from our study suggest that up to 70% of tungiasis cases may be prevented through simple prevention methods," Dr. Lynne Elson the lead author says, "There is a clear role for public health workers to expand the WASH policy to include washing of feet with soap in school-aged children to fight tungiasis and to raise awareness of the importance of sealed floors."

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In your coverage please use this URL to provide access to the freely available paper: http://journals.plos.org/plosntds/article?id=10.1371/journal.pntd.0007326

Citation: Elson L, Wiese S, Feldmeier H, Fillinger U (2019) Prevalence, intensity and risk factors of tungiasis in Kilifi County, Kenya II: Results from a school-based observational study. PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases 13(5): e0007326. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0007326

Funding: The study was supported by German Doctors e.V., Bonn, Germany through a grant to HF. https://www.german-doctors.de/de/ The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.

Competing Interests: The authors declare that no competing interests exist.
As go drug sales (and prices), so go the fortunes of drug distributors like Pennsylvania-based AmerisourceBergen, which acts as a middleman, delivering medicines from manufacturers to pharmacies and hospitals. AmerisourceBergens revenues climbed 9.7% in 2018 thanks to overall market growth and brisk sales of expensive cancer drugs. The companys acquisition of wholesaler H.D. Smithcompleted in January of 2018and the performance of its joint venture with Profarma in Brazil also boosted revenues, as did AmerisourceBergens veterinary medicine business. The company is facing issues involving its drug compounding subsidiary PharMEDium and, like its competitors, AmerisourceBergen is under scrutiny for its alleged role in the nations opioid crisis.

Key Metrics & Financials (Last Fiscal Year)

Company Facts

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Creates a $1.3 billion premier power conversion company with global presence and scale across critical technologies and markets.

Expands AEs addressable market by 3x through the addition of new growth verticals.

Targets annualized synergies of over $20 million in 18-24 months and over $40 million long-term.

Expected to be immediately accretive to non-GAAP EPS and to accelerate projected earnings growth.

FORT COLLINS, Colo., May 15, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Advanced Energy Industries, Inc. (AEIS), a global leader in highly engineered, precision power conversion, measurement and control solutions, today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire the Embedded Power business of Artesyn Embedded Technologies, Inc. (Artesyn EP) from Platinum Equity. The total consideration for this transaction will be approximately $400 million.

Artesyn EP is one of the worlds largest providers of highly engineered, application-specific power supplies for demanding applications. As a trusted technology partner to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), it serves multiple attractive growth markets, including hyperscale data centers, telecom infrastructure in next generation 5G networks, embedded industrial power applications and medical power for diagnostic and treatment applications.

We are excited by this highly strategic acquisition of Artesyn EP, transforming Advanced Energy into a highly diversified, pure-play power house with a global platform for accelerated earnings growth, said Yuval Wasserman, president and CEO of Advanced Energy.

Compelling Strategic Benefits:

Creates a premier global power conversion company with enabling critical power technologies and over $1.3 billion in annual revenue, based on 2018 combined historical results.

Triples AEs addressable market to $7.5 billion by adding new attractive growth verticals in hyperscale data center, 5G wireless, industrial and medical technologies.

Strong strategic fit with complementary technologies, product portfolios and core competencies in highly engineered, application-specific power solutions for key OEMs in demanding applications.

Broadens and diversifies Advanced Energy into multiple, stable growth verticals and customers.

Accelerates earnings growth with over $20 million of expected annualized synergies, driving projected earnings accretion of over $0.80 per share in 18-24 months and targeting to reach long-term accretion of over $1.50 per share, on a non-GAAP basis.

Creates significant financial value with a purchase price of approximately 5x synergy-adjusted EBITDA, with a path to future margin expansion, additional cost savings and de-levering to create long-term shareholder value.

Artesyn EP fits perfectly into our diversification strategy by adding a broad set of new growth verticals, industry leading power technologies, deep customer relationships and a world-class team. AEs semiconductor customers will also benefit from the expanded capabilities, broadened product offerings and increased stability and scale. With the anticipated immediate accretion and future synergies of this acquisition, we are positioning AE for accelerated profitable and sustainable growth, added Wasserman.

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We believe our Embedded Power business will substantially benefit from the combination with Advanced Energy, said Jay Geldmacher, CEO of Artesyn Embedded Technologies. Together with AE, we form a consolidated platform with a synergistic and complementary product portfolio, which expands our industrial business into semiconductor markets and provides our existing customers access to new technologies. Our combined core competencies, innovation and operational infrastructure can generate profitable growth, creating value for all stakeholders.

Terms of Agreements

Under the terms of the Share Purchase Agreement, based on a total base purchase price of $400 million, Advanced Energy will pay approximately $364 million in cash and assume approximately $36 million of liabilities for Artesyn EP, subject to final adjustments to the valuation of such liabilities and adjustments to reflect working capital as of the closing. AE expects to finance the transaction through a combination of existing cash and $350 million of debt supported by commitments from its lenders.

The transaction only involves Artesyns Embedded Power business, which includes the Artesyn and Astec brands. Artesyns Embedded Computing and Consumer Products businesses are not included in this transaction. Artesyn EP is a leading global supplier and manufacturer of highly engineered power conversion products, including AC-DC power supplies, DC input devices and board mounted DC-DC modules. The Artesyn and Astec brands are well-known as two of the worlds leading brands in power conversion products.

Timing and Approvals

The transaction has been approved by the Board of Directors of Advanced Energy. The transaction, which is expected to close during the second half of 2019, is subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions, including receipt of international regulatory approvals and completion of certain carve out activities involving Artesyns Embedded Computing and Consumer Products businesses.

Advisors

Advanced Energy is advised in the transaction by Evercore as exclusive financial advisor and Foley & Lardner LLP as legal counsel. JP Morgan is serving as primary financial advisor to Artesyn. Morgan Stanley is also providing financial advisory services to Artesyn on the transaction. Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP and Baker & McKenzie LLP are serving as legal counsel to Artesyn. The transaction will be supported by committed financing led by Bank of America, HSBC USA, Bank of the West BNP Paribas and Citibank.

Conference Call and Webcast Information

Management will host a conference call on Wednesday, May 15, 2019 at 8:00 a.m. Eastern Time. Additional information regarding the financial performance of Artesyn EP and forward-looking expectations will be provided during this call. Domestic callers may access this conference call by dialing (855) 232-8958. International callers may access the call by dialing +1 (315) 625-6980. Participants will need to provide the operator with the Conference ID Number 5476057, which has been reserved for this call. A webcast will be available on the companys Investor Relations web page at ir.advanced-energy.com.

About Advanced Energy

Advanced Energy (AEIS) is a global leader in the design and manufacturing of highly engineered, precision power conversion, measurement and control solutions for mission-critical applications and processes. AEs power solutions enable customer innovation in complex semiconductor and industrial manufacturing applications. With engineering know-how and responsive service and support around the globe, the company builds collaborative partnerships to meet technology advances, propel growth for its customers and innovate the future of power. Advanced Energy has devoted more than three decades to perfecting power for its global customers and is headquartered in Fort Collins, Colorado, USA. For more information, visit www.advancedenergy.com.

Advanced Energy | Precision. Power. Performance.

About Artesyns Embedded Power business

Artesyn's Embedded Power business is one of the world's largest and most successful power supply companies. The company's extensive standard AC-DC product portfolio covers a power range of 3 watts to 24 kilowatts and includes a wide range of configurations and customizable solutions. Widely acknowledged as an industry leader in distributed power applications, Artesyn produces an exceptionally wide range of DC-DC power conversion products. Headquartered in Tempe, Arizona, Artesyns Embedded Power business has approximately 9,500 employees across multiple engineering design centers, manufacturing facilities, and global sales and support offices worldwide. For more information, visit www.artesyn.com/power.

For more information, contact:

Brian Smith

Advanced Energy Industries, Inc.

+1 (970) 407-6555

ir@aei.com

Non-GAAP and Adjusted Financial Measures

Advanced Energys non-GAAP measures exclude the impact of non-cash related charges such as stock-based compensation and amortization of intangible assets, as well as discontinued operations, minority interest, and non-recurring items such as acquisition-related costs and restructuring expenses. The non-GAAP measures are not in accordance with, or an alternative for, similar measures calculated under generally accepted accounting principles and may be different from non-GAAP measures used by other companies. In addition, these non-GAAP measures are not based on any comprehensive set of accounting rules or principles. Advanced Energy believes that these non-GAAP measures provide useful information to management and investors to evaluate business performance without the impacts of certain non-cash charges and other charges which are not part of the companys usual operations. The company uses these non-GAAP measures to assess performance against business objectives, make business decisions, develop budgets, forecast future periods, assess trends and evaluate financial impacts of various scenarios. In addition, management's incentive plans include these non-GAAP measures as criteria for achievements. Additionally, the company believes that these non-GAAP measures, in combination with its financial results calculated in accordance with GAAP, provide investors with additional perspective. While some of the excluded items may be incurred and reflected in the companys GAAP financial results in the foreseeable future, the company believes that the items excluded from certain non-GAAP measures do not accurately reflect the underlying performance of its continuing operations for the period in which they are incurred. The use of non-GAAP measures has limitations in that such measures do not reflect all of the amounts associated with the companys results of operations as determined in accordance with GAAP, and these measures should only be used to evaluate the companys results of operations in conjunction with the corresponding GAAP measures. Please refer to the Form 8-K regarding this release furnished today to the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Artesyn EPs adjusted financial measures, including Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted Operating Income and Adjusted Operating Margins, exclude the impact of non-cash related charges such as amortization of intangible assets, as well as restructuring expenses, one-time optimization and integration expenses, other income and deductions, management fees to private equity owners of Artesyn, and other non-cash charges. Advanced Energy and Artesyn believe that Artesyn EP's adjusted financial measures are relevant and useful information for the companies and investors to evaluate Artesyn EPs past performance and enterprise value, without the impacts of certain non-cash charges and other charges which are not part of the companys usual operations. Expected synergies and projected earnings accretion stated above are projections based on combination of Advanced Energys non-GAAP financial measures and Artesyn EPs adjusted financial measures. Neither Advanced Energy nor Artesyn has begun a reconciliation of Artesyn EPs adjusted financial measures to Advanced Energys non-GAAP measures, and therefore cannot quantify the differences, which may be material. In addition, Advanced Energy will account for the acquisition under the purchase method of accounting, which could result in a new valuation for the assets and liabilities of Artesyn EP. Advanced Energy will not be preparing any pro forma information for the acquisition and financing until the reconciliation and valuation estimates have been prepared.

Forward-looking Language

Statements in this press release regarding the proposed transaction between Advanced Energy, Artesyn Embedded Technologies, Inc. (Artesyn) and its owners , the expected timetable for completing the transaction, future financial and operating results, benefits and synergies of the transaction, future opportunities for the combined company and any other statements about Advanced Energys or Artesyns managements' future expectations, beliefs, goals, plans, aspirations or prospects constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Any statements that are not statements of historical fact (including statements containing the words "will," "projects," "intends," "believes," "plans," "anticipates," "expects," "estimates," "forecasts," "continues" and similar expressions) should also be considered to be forward-looking statements. There are a number of important factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements, including: (1) the ability to consummate the transaction; (2) the ability of the owners of Artesyn to successfully complete the business division reorganization whereby Artesyns Embedded Computing and Consumer businesses would be divested into two new separate companies; (3) risks that the conditions to the closing of the transaction are not satisfied, including the risk that required approvals for the transaction from governmental authorities are not obtained; (4) litigation relating to the transaction; (5) the ability of Advanced Energy to successfully integrate Artesyn's operations and employees; (6) the risks that the transition services and interim contract manufacturing arrangements among the parties operate as planned; (7) unexpected costs, charges or expenses resulting from the transaction; (8) risks that the proposed transaction disrupts the current plans and operations of Advanced Energy and Artesyn; (9) the ability to realize the projected revenue, addressable market, synergy, earnings, EPS, margin expansion, cost savings and de-levering estimates and goals as described above and in the investor presentation; (10) competition from larger and more established companies in Artesyns markets; (11) Advanced Energy s ability to successfully grow Artesyn's business; (12) potential adverse reactions (including customer reaction) or changes to business relationships resulting from the announcement or completion of the transaction; (13) the availability and terms of the financing to be incurred in connection with the transaction; (14) the retention of key employees; (15) legislative, regulatory, tariff and economic developments, including changing business conditions in the industrial power supply industry overall and the economy in general as well as financial performance and expectations of Advanced Energys and Artesyns existing and prospective customers, and the other factors described in Advanced Energys Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018 and its most recent quarterly report filed with the SEC. Advanced Energy disclaims any intention or obligation to update any forward-looking statements as a result of developments occurring after the date of this press release.
Berlin, May 16 (Reuters) - Rows between France and Germany over the common arms export licensing rules they are trying to develop are likely to delay until after the Paris Air Show the concrete launch of a joint Franco-German warplane programme, an Airbus official said.

Alexander Reinhardt, Airbus's representative in Berlin said that it and partner Dassault had hoped to sign contracts at June's aviation trade show in Le Bourget that would unlock more than a hundred million euros in development funds.

"But that is unlikely to happen, because we in Germany just need too much time for this process" of agreeing common arms export rules, he said in Berlin on Thursday.

Germany is at odds with Britain and France, Europe's other main arms exporters over Berlin's strict position on arms exports, which has forced manufacturers across the continent to freeze sales to major buyers like Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates over human rights concerns.

The contracts that had been scheduled for signing in Paris would have unlocked funds for developing a demonstrator aircraft - a proof-of-concept vehicle that would pave the way for a full prototype.

Reinhardt said that there had been no progress on agreeing common export rules despite months of talks between France and Germany. The talks are open-ended.

"So far we have seen no progress, and our partners are deeply, deeply frustrated," he added. (Reportering by Sabine Siebold and Alistair Smout, writing by Thomas Escritt, editing by Alexandra Hudson)
Alphabet GOOGL executives covered almost all product categories and privacy initiatives at its annual I/O event. These updates, regulatory developments and music subscription growth numbers made headlines last week. Here are a few details-

Regulatory

First up is the new copyright directive from the EU that makes video sharing platforms like YouTube liable for hosting copyrighted material without a license. YouTube already has broad licenses with a large number of rights holders but it may need to further broaden those licenses and introduce additional filters so copyrighted material cant be overused by creators. Theres a lot of criticism of the new policy that member states of the EU have two years to frame laws on.

Creators have trepidations about YouTube filters but think/hope the vaguely worded policy may not actually go into effect in its current form. Since the EU is looking for harmonized implementation and some countries (Italy, Sweden, Finland, Poland, The Netherlands and Luxembourg) are against the directive, this will be difficult but maybe not impossible to achieve.

Experts believe that it puts that much more power in the hands of tech giants because they are the ones with the funds to ensure their compliance. So the attempt to make the tech giants pay more to creators may actually backfire by pushing out smaller players.

After studying the Android antitrust issue since last year, the Competition Commission of India (CCI) started a formal inquiry into the matter in April. Details are scarce since the probe order isnt public but people familiar with the matter have said that the case will gain strength from the antitrust findings in Europe (where the company was fined $5 billion). Alphabet has promised to defend itself and work with the Indian authority to prove how Android has promoted competition and not stifled it.

In an attempt to curb the proliferation of fake news, the Singapore parliament has passed the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act. The new law will require online media platforms to correct or take down content after being notified by the government, failing which persons responsible can be imprisoned for up to 10 years or fined up to S$1 million ($735). As may be expected, tech companies like Facebook FB, Alphabet and Twitter TWTR are objecting. Journalists and activists, that have as often as not been involved in mischief-making, are also objecting.

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I/O

Privacy

Google said it was doing much in terms of privacy, primarily as it relates to Chrome. So users will now be equipped with information on how cookies are tracking them across the web and choose the ones they want to clear. They might for instance was to clear the ones that track them while retaining those that help them stay logged on to sites or personalize website settings.

It also intends to prevent browser fingerprinting (a method of tracking through the browser in relatively unobtrusive ways).

Industry players and marketers are playing it by ear mainly because most of these changes are still a work in progress and also because the final thing might not be something to cheer at after all. Some think Google might give its own tracking preference while blocking the rest (though Google has promised it wont do this), others are relieved this will take time to implement as they work to reduce dependence on cookies.

Google also mentioned other measures that will improve privacy. For example, some AI capabilities like facial recognition and voice search are increasingly taking place on devices rather than in the cloud. It is also introducing controls that allow people to manage which apps can access location data.

Hardware

Google launched two cheaper Pixel models.

The Android 9.0 based Pixel 3a, made from polycarbonate, has a 2210x1080 resolution 5.6-inch screen, weighs 147 gms, 64GB internal storage (no 128 GB version and no option for external storage), single 8MP front camera and 12.2MP rear camera, a Qualcomm Snapdragon, 670 processor, 4GB RAM, Bluetooth 5.0 at $399.

The larger Android 9.0 based Pixel 3a XL, has a 2,140x1,080 resolution 6.0-inch OLED display and otherwise similar specs. It costs $479.

Reviews indicate that the company was able to cut the cost of the original Pixel 3 with this launch, while sacrificing the materials used but keeping the look sleek and attractive and not impacting experience much. Missing are wireless charging, water resistance, Gorilla Glass and a wide-angle selfie camera. They fall in the same category as OnePlus, Motorola and Xiaomi in the midrange market.

The company is doing away replacing works with Nest with works with Assistant for a select few apps so Assistant can play a bigger role in the connected home.

Assistant

Expanded App Actions now offer shortcuts for health, finance, food and ridesharing; upgrades aimed at the smart home helping gadgets respond sooner and more reliably will be available in June with early partners being Philips, LIFX, TP-Link and Wemo; ability to build games for smart displays like the Google Home Hub is here.

Qualcomm QCOM showcased an Assistant-based Bluetooth earbud reference design that should soon see a flood of the dvices from a large number of hardware makers. The two buds are connected to each other with a neckband to cut down on the additional cost of a Bluetooth chip, battery and other components. In order to save battery life, Assistant isnt always on, but has to be activated by the push of a button.

Apples AAPL Siri-powered AirPod is more expensive but the buds are independent and Siri is always on. Qualcomm has a similar deal with Amazon AMZN for its Alexa-powered AirPods.

Google also added a personal references capability that gives you more reason to share personal information regarding your relationships with people, so you can use more natural language commands for Assistant. As an example the executive showcasing the ability asked Assistant about the weather at his moms place and how to get there and the time it would take. Assistant was able to answer all the questions by referencing Maps. Of course, users can edit or delete all the shared info through a You tab within the Assistant settings menu.

Auto

There are a couple of stories here, the first one being a revamp of Android Auto, announced at I/O. It makes the user interface easier, reflecting the same setup as on Android phones, so users dont have to learn another system. As soon as you connect your phone to the car, it opens maps, while continuing to play your media, then allows easy access to apps with a single button, a shortcut widget to help you switch between apps and a notification bell that opens up notifications you see for yourself or have Assistant to read out to you.

Theres also a status bar at the top showing the time, battery and connection status, just as in your phone. The whole experience overall is smoother.

CEO John Krafcik of Alphabets autonomous car unit Waymo announced that its paid service in the Phoenix area has now crossed a 1,000. He also announced an agreement with Lyft to allow some users to hail Waymos through the Lyft app. This is a very small test phase that currently includes safety drivers. Presumably, it will have learnt enough to run without the drivers by the time it has more cars ready to take to the roads.

Healthcare

Among the AI developments announced at the I/O conference, Google said that its AI can now detect subtle lesions from computed tomography (CT) scans a year before human doctors, thereby increasing survival rate of lung cancer patients by up to 40%.

Separately, Alphabets venture capital unit GV led a $58.5 million series A funding round to launch a biotech startup called Verve. The startup will be researching gene editing therapies initially focused on treating coronary artery disease in adults. The therapy is years from release and the funds will be used for early testing in animals. There is currently no approval for gene editing therapies because of their possibly permanent harmful side effects, so this is likely a particularly long project.

Music Subscription

The Recording Industry Association of Americas (RIAA) 2018 annual report says that the market had a good year, growing 11.9% to $9.8 billion. It shows an increase of around 5X in paid music subscriptions from 10.8 million in 2015 to 50.2 million in 2018 (42.2% last year alone). Streaming has obviously been very positive for the industry, constituting 75% of all music consumption formats.

Googles YouTube has been around for a long time, but it earlier preferred an ad supported business. The current demand for ad-free music and the need to diversify beyond its ad-based business led the company to launch a paid service. That service, earlier called Google Play Music, is now being morphed into YouTube Music and according to the RIAA, pulling in 15-16 million subscribers. It obviously still has a long way to go: Spotify SPOT has 100 million and Apple 50 million.

Google refuted the number and the fact that its been seeing slower growth than the others, saying that combined YouTube Premium and YouTube Music are up 60% from last year.

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Jeff Koons's 1986 sculpture of a 41-inch tall, stainless steel rabbit sold for $91,075,000 on Wednesday night at Christie's, setting a new auction record for a living artist.

Koons isn't new to this record, which he previously set when his "Balloon Dog (Orange)" went for $58.4 million in 2013 (David Hockney's "Portrait of an Artist [Pool with Two Figures]" sold for $90.3 million last November and knocked him out).

The Wall Street Journal reports that bidding started at $40 million, "but a quartet of bidders chased after it, with dealer Bob Mnuchin winning it for $80 million." Add on those pesky Christies fees and that's a cool $91 million. The WSJ notes that "Mr. Mnuchin, whose son is Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, sat in a trench coat in the middle of the auction salesroom and at one point bid with two fingers aloft like rabbit ears. He was cradling a phone with his other hand and bid for a client."

The seller was the family of the late Conde Nast publisher S.I. Newhouse. The piece was expected to go for $50 to $70 million.

The art world has questioned Koons's work for years. Upon the 2014 Koons retrospective at the Whitney Museum, Jed Perl wrote in the New York Review of Books, "Koons is a recycler and regurgitator of the obvious, which he proceeds to aggrandize in the most obvious way imaginable, by producing oversized versions of cheap stuff in extremely expensive materials." He reduced his work to: "overblown souvenirs... for the superrich."

"Critics pointed out that the 'Rabbit' sculpture elegantly and enigmatically alludes to earlier pieces by such artists as Constantin Brancusi, Marcel Duchamp and Andy Warhol," the NY Times explained yesterday, adding a quote from art dealer Jeffrey Deitch: "I always thought it would be in the pantheon. It was instantly embraced by artists and cultural critics, and its kept its resonance for all these years."

The day before, another art world auction record was shattered: One of Claude Monet's "Haystacks" paintings, Meules, was sold for $110.7 million at Sotheby's, setting a new record for Impressionist art.

The painting is one of 25 in a series and only one of eight in private collections. Sotheby's rhapsodized, "The unique perspective, dynamic composition, and vibrant paint palette sets Meules apart, even in a series as celebrated as Haystacks. Strong diagonal lines (one from the rightward-facing perspective, the other from slanted beams of sunlight) meet at the center of the work, grounding the layers of elaborate brushstrokes and guiding the viewer's gaze across the canvas. The result is a captivating landscape that emanates a sense of profound harmony and well-being."

It was originally bought for $2.5 million in 1986; a lawyer for the seller told Art News, "Its a true masterpiece, and in the Impressionist market, Monet talks."
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - May 16, 2019) - Asterion Cannabis Inc. (P.ASTR) ("Asterion" or the "Company"), announces that it will be attending the Cowen Toronto Cannabis Summit on May 22, 2019 held at The Westin Harbour Castle, Toronto, Canada. Mr. Stephen Van Deventer, Asterion's Chairman and CEO, has been invited to sit as one of three panelists on the Emerging Cannabis Companies Panel, to discuss Asterion's domestic and international opportunities.

Mr. Stephen Van Deventer commented, "I am pleased to be representing Asterion as part of the Emerging Cannabis Companies panel, along with representatives of Pyxus International, Inc. and Sundial Growers Inc. Asterion looks forward to participating in interesting discussions about opportunities and trends in this evolving cannabis market space."

Founded in 1918, Cowen, Inc. is headquartered in New York and has offices worldwide. Cowen hosts 10-15 major industry-specific conferences annually attracting top institutional investors and leading companies in multiple sectors, including health care and technology.

About Asterion

Asterion is a Canadian medicinal cannabis company with operations in Australia, specializing in medical cannabis and is focused on becoming an industry leader in next-generation cannabis products. The Company is focused on the future of precision agriculture and aims to produce the highest quality of genetically uniform cannabis strains, at an affordable price.

The Company is led by a team of highly experienced executives with over 120 years of combined experience in medical cannabis, renewable energy, capital markets, and other highly relevant sectors across North America, Oceania, Europe, Africa and Asia.

On Behalf of the Board of Directors

"Stephen Van Deventer"

Chairman & Chief Executive Officer

For further information, please contact:

Deanna Kress

+1-778-999-6063

info@asterioncannabis.com

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Forward-Looking Statements:

This news release contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information (collectively, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian and U.S. securities legislation, including the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Other than statements of historical fact, all statements included in this news release, including, without limitation, statements regarding the Company's anticipated business plans and prospects of success in executing its plans, 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. Various risks and uncertainties could cause actual results to differ materially from Asterion's expectations. Other factors such as general economic, market or business conditions, future prices of cannabis, changes in the financial markets and in the demand and market price for cannabis, or changes in laws, regulations and policies affecting the biotechnology or cannabis industry, and delays in obtaining governmental and regulatory approvals, may also adversely affect the future results or performance of the Company. Readers are cautioned that forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance or events and, accordingly, are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements due to the inherent uncertainty of such statements.

Corporate Logo

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/44835
Who Was Aunt Ida? and Other Odd Facts About Social Security

If you dare, look closely at the section of your pay stub where your hard-earned money has been deducted. Do you see abbreviations like FICA, OASDI or SS? They refer to the piece going to Social Security.

In 2019, American workers will hand over as much as 6.2% of their pay to support the Social Security system. If youre self-employed, you'll pay up to 12.4% of what you earn.

It's all of the bargain for receiving money from Social Security in retirement.

1. Social Security benefits = Mexican economy

Grigorev Mikhail / Shutterstock

The amount paid out by Social Security each year is close to the size of the Mexican economy.

The amount of money doled out by Social Security in a single year is almost equivalent to the size of Mexicos economy. You don't believe it?

In 2019, the gross domestic product of Mexico is forecast to exceed $1.2 trillion, according to the International Monetary Fund.

Social Security's trustees say about 64 million Americans will collect more than $1 trillion in benefits from the U.S. retirement program this year.

2. Social Security isn't broke (yet)

I MAKE PHOTO 17 / Shutterstock

Social Security isn't broke but is running out of money.

You may have heard that Social Security is broke. Not quite: The program was running a $2.89 trillion surplus in 2018, the trustees report.

However, those reserves are expected to dwindle so that by 2034, benefits will have to be cut by about 25%.

Democrats want to address that by raising Social Security taxes on higher earners. Republicans want to make seniors wait longer to receive higher benefit amounts and face deep cuts if they claim benefits early.

3. Social Security isnt just for Grandma

Robert Kneschke / Shutterstock

Kids can get Social Security, too.

In 2017, 4.2 million children 18 and under got their own Social Security payments as dependents of deceased, disabled or retired workers, the federal Social Security Administration says.

The average monthly benefit? Around $620.

Social Security says the money helps provide for the family so the kids can finish high school.

4. The 20-something who made Social Security history

Everett Historical / Shutterstock

Clerks sent the first recorded Social Security card to a young man named John David Sweeney Jr. in 1936.

A guy named John David Sweeney Jr. is the first American recorded as having a Social Security card.

He was 23 when he received his card with number 055-09-0001 from the Social Security Administration in 1936.

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However, the agency today has no idea who got the very first Social Security card. That would have had the lowest possible number: 001-01-0001.

5. Uncle Sam 'borrows' from Social Security

Kim Reinick / Shutterstock

The government uses Social Security money through the trust fund's investments in Treasury bonds.

Another rumor that makes the rounds is that the government "raids" your Social Security money to pay its bills.

That's a little extreme, though Uncle Sam does borrow from the trust fund, in a way.

Here's how it works: The rules require that Social Security surpluses be invested in Treasury bonds  in other words, government debt used to pay for other things.

6. 'Aunt Ida' got the first regular Social Security check

NotarYES / Shutterstock

A retiree known as "Aunt Ida" got less than $25 in the first monthly Social Security check ever issued.

The first monthly Social Security check was for $22.54.

That's the same as about $414 today  still a paltry sum.

Ida May Fuller of Brattleboro, Vermont, called Aunt Ida by friends and relatives, received the check in early 1940, several weeks after she retired as a legal secretary.

7. It doesnt necessarily mean financial security

wavebreakmedia / Shutterstock

It's very difficult to live on Social Security.

Social Security wont make you rich. In fact, don't expect to live off of it, though many people try.

If you had toiled your entire life and scraped by on average earnings, then left the workforce in 2018 at age 65, Social Security would now be replacing just a measly 39% of your previous pay, according to the nonpartisan Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

To get by, you'll need money from a 401(k) or IRA  and other savings and investments.

8. Social Security numbers arent recycled

romeovip_md / Shutterstock

The Social Security system will eventually run out of number combinations.

When you die, your Social Security number goes to the grave with you. Its never reused.

Since 1936, the federal government has cranked out more than 453 million of the nine-figure identifiers. Most of us will be in our graves by the time Social Security runs out of numbers and needs to come up with a Plan B.

You'll want to have a backup plan, too, because Social Security only goes so far in retirement. You might start by opening a savings account.
The true heft of the cannabis drinks market remains to be seen. (Press Association)

Aurora Cannabis Inc. (ACB.TO) is second guessing the infused beverage trend that whipped up unprecedented investor enthusiasm for the sector last year.

Speaking on a conference call following the companys fiscal third quarter earnings released after the closing bell on Tuesday, chief executive officer Terry Booth questioned demand for pot-powered beverages.

The proven market is certainly not in beverage, he told analysts on Wednesday. There are not going to be any cannabis bars like there are alcohol bars any time soon.

Edmonton-based Auroras chief rival, Canopy Growth Corp. (WEED.TO), sparked a pot stock frenzy in the wake of the companys blockbuster deal with Corona beer-maker Constellation Brands Inc. (STZ) last summer. Other cannabis producers are teaming up with beverage alcohol players, including HEXO Corp. (HEXO.TO) and Molson Coors Canada Inc. (TPX-B.TO), and more recently Moosehead Breweries and Sproutly Canada Inc. (SPR.CN).

Aurora and The Coca-Cola Co. (KO) were in serious talks to develop cannabis beverages, BNN Bloomberg reported in September. No collaboration has been announced. Coca-Cola said it has no interest in marijuana or cannabis, but is closely watching the growth of non-psychoactive CBD as an ingredient.

The true heft of the cannabis drinks market remains to be seen.

Data from BDS Analytics shows cannabis-infused beverages amount to less than 0.5 per cent of sales in the U.S. legal pot market. Canaccord Genuity Group Inc. released figures suggesting pot beverages could be worth US$600 million by 2022.

Last year, Molson Coors chief executive Mark R. Hunter suggested Canadas cannabis market could be worth somewhere between $7 billion and $10 billion, with about 20 to 30 per cent of that coming from cannabis-infused, non-alcoholic beverages. He said that values the beverage segment at about $1.5 billion.

Booth predicts government restrictions on marketing will be a major challenge for companies looking to grow a customer base for a product that is unfamiliar to the vast majority of consumers.

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He added the physical effect of a psychoactive drink could be a problem as well.

The more you have, the less you want in a very short amount of time, once it starts taking effect, Booth said.

If we are leaning towards any beverage, it would be on the wellness side. We think there is a tremendous market potential there. On the intoxication side of the fence with respect to cannabis drinks, the market is just not there. Its not proven to be a popular item anywhere.

Chief corporate officer Cam Battley told analysts that while he doesnt want to sound too negative on beverages, they should expect Aurora to prioritize vape, edibles like chocolates and mints, cosmetics, and soft gels.

Products such as infused beverages are also under development. But considering the anticipated relatively low market share of these products, we are not rushing this, he said.

Aurora reported a $158-million loss on net revenue of $65 million, compared with a loss of $238 million on revenue of $54 million in the prior quarter.

Analysts had expected a net loss of $52.6 million on net revenue of $77 million in the quarter ended March 31, according to Thomson Reuters Eikon.

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RISHON LEZION, Israel, May 16, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- B.O.S Better Online Solutions Ltd. ("BOS" or the "Company") (BOSC), a leading Israeli provider of RFID and Mobile solutions and a global provider of Supply Chain solutions to enterprises, announced today that it has entered into and closed a securities purchase agreement with several investors for the sale of 400,000 ordinary shares at a price of $2.50 per share, resulting in gross proceeds of $1 million.



In addition, the Company agreed to issue to the investors 240,000 warrants with an exercise price of $3.30 per ordinary share. The warrants shall be exercisable for 3.5 years and shall be subject to a three-year vesting period as follows: one third of the warrants shall vest annually (upon the lapse of 12 months, 24 months and 36 months from issuance), provided that on the applicable vesting date the investor did not sell any of the Ordinary Shares purchased on the private placement. Vesting of all of the warrants shall be accelerated in the event that any one or more shareholders acting together acquire a block of 40% of the Companys issued and outstanding share capital.

The ordinary shares shall be subject to a contractual six-month lock-up from the closing date, following which the Company shall file a registration statement in respect of the ordinary shares (including the shares underlying the warrants). In connection with the offering, the Company shall pay standard fees to a placement agent.

Eyal Cohen, Co-CEO & CFO at BOS, commented: "The net proceeds from the offering will provide growth capital following the acquisition of Imdecols business, that is scheduled to close by June 1, 2019. In particular, the proceeds will be used to increase Imdecol's production capabilities, to relocate Imdecol to BOS' facilities and for international marketing of Imdecol's industrial robotics. We do not expect to raise additional equity in either 2019 or 2020, except if may be required for the purpose of effecting another business acquisition.

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The securities offered and sold by BOS in the private placement are not registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) 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 these securities, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to the registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction.

About BOS

B.O.S. Better Online Solutions Ltd. (BOSC) is a leading Israeli provider of RFID and Mobile solutions and a global provider of Supply Chain solutions to enterprises. BOS' RFID and Mobile division offers both turnkey integration services as well as stand-alone products, including best-of-breed RFID and AIDC hardware and communications equipment, BOS middleware and industry-specific software applications. The Company's Supply Chain division provides electronic components consolidation services to the aerospace, defense, medical and telecommunications industries as well as to enterprise customers worldwide. For more information, please visit: www.boscorporate.com.

For more information:

International



John Nesbett/Jennifer Belodeau

IMS Investor Relations

(203) 972-9200

jnesbett@institutionalms.com Company Contact



Eyal Cohen, Co-CEO & CFO

BOS

+972-542525925

eyalc@boscom.com

Safe Harbor Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

The forward-looking statements contained herein reflect management's current views with respect to future events and financial performance. These forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements, all of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond the control of BOS. These risk factors and uncertainties include, amongst others, the dependency of sales being generated from one or few major customers, the uncertainty of BOS being able to maintain current gross profit margins, inability to keep up or ahead of technology and to succeed in a highly competitive industry, inability to maintain marketing and distribution arrangements and to expand our overseas markets, uncertainty with respect to the prospects of legal claims against BOS, the effect of exchange rate fluctuations, general worldwide economic conditions and continued availability of financing for working capital purposes and to refinance outstanding indebtedness; risks associated with completing and successfully integrating an acquisition with BOSs existing business; and additional risks and uncertainties detailed in BOS' periodic reports and registration statements filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. BOS undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any such forward-looking statements to reflect any change in its expectations or in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statements may be based, or that may affect the likelihood that actual results will differ from those set forth in the forward-looking statements.
Billionaire Warren Buffett is arguably the greatest investor of all time. Given his investing acumen and track record, millions of investors watch how Buffett and his investing lieutenants allocate Berkshire Hathaway's capital every quarter. Any meaningful buy or sell could affect sentiment in the short term, and potentially cause other investors who respect Buffett to do the same. With that said, let's analyze Buffett and his lieutenant's capital allocation moves in the first quarter now that the latest 13F data for Berkshire Hathaway is out.

Our research has shown that hedge funds' small-cap stock picks managed to beat the market by double digits annually between 1999 and 2016, but the margin of outperformance has been declining in recent years. Nevertheless, we were still able to identify in advance a select group of hedge fund holdings that outperformed the market by 32 percentage points since May 2014 through March 12, 2019 (see the details here). We were also able to identify in advance a select group of hedge fund holdings that underperformed the market by 10 percentage points annually between 2006 and 2017. Interestingly the margin of underperformance of these stocks has been increasing in recent years. Investors who are long the market and short these stocks would have returned more than 27% annually between 2015 and 2017. We have been tracking and sharing the list of these stocks since February 2017 in our quarterly newsletter.

Warren Buffett and Billionaires

Berkshire added 5.375 million shares of Delta Air Lines, Inc. (NYSE:DAL) in Q1, bringing the airline's total holding in Berkshire Hathaway's portfolio to 70.9 million shares at the end of March. Delta Airlines currently trades for a forward P/E of 7.6 and has risen 10.3% year to date. The stock is somewhat dependent on oil prices, which are still rather low, and the U.S. economy, which is strong. Analysts have an average price target of $66.4 per share.

Buffett likes his banks, and PNC Financial Services Group Inc. (NYSE:PNC) is no exception. Berkshire Hathaway inched up its position in PNC by 4% in the first quarter by adding 407,992 shares, bringing Buffett's company's total in PNC to 8.67 million shares, worth over $1 billion at the end of March. Many investors think U.S. banks will be relatively unaffected fundamentally from the U.S. China trade war, which is certainly good for PNC shareholders.

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Buffett's fund cut its holdings in Phillips 66 (NYSE:PSX) by more than half, selling 6.343 million shares in Q1. At the end of March, Berkshire Hathaway reported a position of 5.55 million shares, worth slightly over half a billion dollars at the time. Phillips 66 shares haven't done well over the last four quarters, falling 26.2%. They trade for 8 times forward earnings estimates.

While Buffett may have added Delta, Berkshire went the other way with Southwest Airlines Co. (NYSE:LUV). Buffett's fund trimmed its holdings in the low cost airline by 2%, selling 1.198 million shares, in Q1 to end March with a holding of 53.64 million shares. That position was still worth a cool $2.784 billion at the end of March. Like Delta, Southwest Airlines benefits from the strong economy, and would benefit in the long run if oil prices remain low. According to a recent study, Southwest Airlines leads all airlines in 'brand intimacy', which is potentially good for repeat customers. Analysts have an average price target of $59.53 per share.

Buffett's biggest sell was in Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE:WFC), where his fund sold 16.965 million shares in Q1. Nevertheless, Wells Fargo is such a big component of the Berkshire Hathaway portfolio (accounting for around 10% of Buffett's 13F equity porfolio) that Buffett's company still reported owning 409.8 million shares at the end of March, worth $19.8 billion. Wells Fargo shares yield around 4% in terms of the annual dividend if share prices stay around the same level. Although Wells Fargo's latest earnings report wasn't as great as that of other banks, Buffett seems to be a long term shareholder, and the stock can potentially bounce back.

Disclosure:None
SPINRAZA becomes the first therapy recommended in the United Kingdom for 5q spinal muscular atrophy to treat all age groups, including patients who are pre-symptomatic

More than 7,500 individuals have been treated with SPINRAZA worldwide in over 40 countries across the Expanded Access Program, clinical trials and post-marketing setting*

Therapy is supported by a comprehensive clinical data set including new data on the longer-term durability and safety profile presented at the American Academy of Neurology Annual meeting

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., May 14, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Biogen Inc. (BIIB) today announced that The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) in the United Kingdom has recommended funding for SPINRAZA (nusinersen) on the National Health Service (NHS). The positive recommendation is for the treatment of infants, children and adults with 5q spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), including pre-symptomatic and symptomatic SMA Types 1, 2 and 3. SMA is a rare, debilitating and life-threatening disease that results in severe, progressive muscular atrophy and weakness.

We applaud the decision by NICE to recommend funding for SPINRAZA in the United Kingdom. This is a momentous occasion for patients and their families and the result of a strong collaboration between Biogen, NICE, NHS and the SMA community, said Chirfi Guindo, Executive Vice President, Global Product Strategy and Commercialization at Biogen. We are committed to working with authorities to find solutions to fund innovation and provide broad patient access through value-based contracting programs and by enabling governments to leverage savings created by our biosimilars portfolio.

Established in 1999, NICE provides advice and standards on value in healthcare to the NHS. The NICE recommendation was based on the comprehensive set of data for nusinersen highlighting its clinically meaningful benefits for individuals in all age groups with SMA. New data on the efficacy and safety of nusinersen was presented at the 71st Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Neurology in Philadelphia (May 4-10). SPINRAZA is an antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) that targets the underlying cause of the disease in order to increase production of full-length survival motor neuron protein.

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The decision builds on Biogens commitment to find solutions to provide broad access to innovative therapies by collaborating closely with governments and communities around the world on new business models. In Europe, a key component of that work is Biogens portfolio of biosimilars  biologic medicines that are similar to currently available biologic therapies known as originators. Biosimilar products benefit patients and are strategically important as Biogen works with payers and health systems globally with the goal of creating room in healthcare budgets to provide access for patients to innovative therapies. In Europe, approximately 145,000 patients have been treated with a Biogen biosimilar and, based on internal estimates, Biogen expects the uptake to contribute an estimated healthcare savings of up to 1.8 billion euros in 2019.

About SPINRAZA (nusinersen)1-4

SPINRAZA is the first approved medicine for the treatment of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) and is currently available in more than 40 countries. As of March 31, 2019, more than 7,500 individuals with SMA are being treated with SPINRAZA worldwide, based on patients across the post-marketing setting, Expanded Access Program (EAP) and clinical trial participants.

SPINRAZA is an antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) developed using Ionis proprietary antisense technology that is designed to treat the root cause of SMA. SPINRAZA alters the splicing of SMN2 pre-mRNA in order to increase production of full-length spinal motor neuron (SMN) protein. ASOs are short synthetic strings of nucleotides designed to selectively bind to target RNA and regulate gene expression. Through use of this technology, SPINRAZA has been shown to increase the amount of full-length SMN protein in individuals with SMA. SPINRAZA is administered via intrathecal injection, which delivers therapies directly into the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) around the spinal cord, where motor neurons degenerate in individuals with SMA due to insufficient levels of SMN protein.

In the clinical trial program, SPINRAZA demonstrated a favorable benefit-risk profile. The most common adverse reactions that occurred in the SPINRAZA group were respiratory infection and constipation. Serious adverse reactions of atelectasis were more frequent in SPINRAZA-treated patients. Coagulation abnormalities and thrombocytopenia, including acute severe thrombocytopenia, have been observed after administration of some ASOs. Individuals may be at increased risk of bleeding complications. Renal toxicity has been observed after administration of some ASOs. SPINRAZA is present in and excreted by the kidney.

Biogen licensed the global rights to develop, manufacture and commercialize SPINRAZA from Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (IONS), a leader in antisense therapeutics. Biogen and Ionis conducted an innovative clinical development program, the largest of its kind in SMA, that moved SPINRAZA from its first dose in humans in 2011 to its first regulatory approval in five years.

About SMA2,5

SMA is a rare, genetic, neuromuscular disease that is characterized by loss of motor neurons in the spinal cord and lower brain stem, resulting in severe and progressive muscle atrophy and weakness. About 1 in 10,000 live births have a diagnosis of SMA. Ultimately, individuals with SMA can lose the ability to walk and have difficulty performing the basic functions of life, such as breathing and swallowing, which results in significant healthcare intervention and caregiver assistance. Left untreated, the majority of infants with the most severe form of the disease (SMA Type 1) do not live beyond their second birthday without respiratory intervention. People with childhood or adult onset SMA (Type 2 or 3) produce greater amounts of SMN protein resulting in less severe, but still life-altering forms of the disease.

Due to a deletion of, or mutation in, the SMN1 gene, people with SMA do not produce enough SMN protein, which is critical for the maintenance of motor neurons. The severity of SMA correlates with the amount of SMN protein an individual has. People with SMA Type 1, the form that requires the most intensive and supportive care, produce very little SMN protein and do not achieve the ability to sit without support or typically live beyond two years without respiratory support. People with SMA Type 2 and Type 3 produce greater amounts of SMN protein and have less severe, but still life-altering forms of SMA.

About Biogen

At Biogen, our mission is clear: we are pioneers in neuroscience. Biogen discovers, develops and delivers worldwide innovative therapies for people living with serious neurological and neurodegenerative diseases as well as related therapeutic adjacencies. One of the worlds first global biotechnology companies, Biogen was founded in 1978 by Charles Weissmann, Heinz Schaller, Kenneth Murray and Nobel Prize winners Walter Gilbert and Phillip Sharp, and today has the leading portfolio of medicines to treat multiple sclerosis, has introduced the first and only approved treatment for spinal muscular atrophy and is focused on advancing neuroscience research programs in multiple sclerosis and neuroimmunology, Alzheimers disease and dementia, movement disorders, neuromuscular disorders, acute neurology, neurocognitive disorders, pain and ophthalmology. Biogen also commercializes biosimilars of advanced biologics.

We routinely post information that may be important to investors on our website at www.biogen.com . To learn more, please visit www.biogen.com and follow us on social media  Twitter , LinkedIn , Facebook , YouTube .

Biogen Safe Harbor

This news release contains forward-looking statements, including statements made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, about the potential benefits, safety and efficacy of SPINRAZA; the results of certain real-world data; the status of current regulatory filings; and the potential of our commercial business, including SPINRAZA and our biosimilars portfolio. These statements may be identified by words such as aim, anticipate, believe, could, estimate, expect, forecast, goal, intend, may, plan, possible, potential, will, would and other words and terms of similar meaning. Drug development and commercialization involve a high degree of risk, and only a small number of research and development programs result in commercialization of a product. Results in early stage clinical trials may not be indicative of full results or results from later stage or larger scale clinical trials and do not ensure regulatory approval. You should not place undue reliance on these statements or the scientific data presented.

These statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those reflected in such statements, including without limitation uncertainty of success in commercialization of SPINRAZA, which may be impacted by, among other things, the level of preparedness of healthcare providers to treat patients, difficulties in obtaining or changes in the availability of reimbursement for SPINRAZA, the effectiveness of sales and marketing efforts, problems with the manufacturing process for SPINRAZA, the occurrence of adverse safety events and/or unexpected concerns that may arise from additional data or analysis; failure to obtain regulatory approvals in other jurisdictions; risks of unexpected costs or delays; failure to protect and enforce our data, intellectual property and other proprietary rights and uncertainties relating to intellectual property claims and challenges; risks related to our dependence on third parties for the development and commercialization of biosimilars; risks of legal actions, regulatory scrutiny or other challenges to biosimilars; product liability claims; and third party collaboration risks. The foregoing sets forth many, but not all, of the factors that could cause actual results to differ from our expectations in any forward-looking statement. Investors should consider this cautionary statement, as well as the risk factors identified in our most recent annual or quarterly report and in other reports we have filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These statements are based on our current beliefs and expectations and speak only as of the date of this news release. We do not undertake any obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise.

Reference:

* As of March 31, 2019, more than 7,500 individuals with SMA are being treated with SPINRAZA worldwide, based on patients across the post-marketing setting, Expanded Access Program (EAP) and clinical trial participants.

1. Hua Y, Sahashi K, Hung G, Rigo F, Passini MA, Bennett CF, Krainer AR. Antisense correction of SMN2 splicing in the CNS rescues necrosis in a type III SMA mouse model. Genes Dev. 2010 Aug 1; 24(15):16344-44.

2. Finkel R, Chiriboga C, Vajsar J, et al. Treatment of infantile-onset spinal muscular atrophy with nusinersen: a phase 2, open-label, dose-escalation study. Lancet. 2016;388(10063):3017-3026.

3. Evers MM, Toonen LJ, van Roon-Mom WM. Antisense oligonucleotides in therapy for neurodegenerative disorders. Adv Drug Deliv Rev. 2015;87:90-103.

4. Lunn MR, Wang CH. Spinal muscular atrophy. Lancet. 2008;371(9630):2120-2133.

5. Darras B, Markowitz J, Monani U, De Vivo D. Chapter 8 - Spinal Muscular Atrophies. In: Vivo BTD, ed. Neuromuscular Disorders of Infancy, Childhood, and Adolescence (Second Edition). San Diego: Academic Press; 2015:117-145.
Planning a picnic in the park this weekend? Do your kids make mud pies in the tree pits at your local playground?

Well, brace yourself for one more thing to worry about, because Gothamist/WNYC has tested the soil in three New York City parks and found lead levels that exceed the current EPA and New York State standard of 400 parts per million (ppm). In comparison, California's standard is 80 ppm, while others suggest a limit of 150 ppmby this yardstick, our greenspaces fail miserably.



(Clarisa Diaz, WNYC. Data analysis by Christopher Werth.)

In Astoria Park, which is intersected by both the RFK and Hell Gate bridges (think decades of leaded gas fumes and loads of heavy-duty lead paint), the average lead level was 136 ppm. Seventy-four percent of our samples exceed the California standard, while one from a playground in the park measured at 328 ppm.



(Clarisa Diaz, WNYC. Data analysis by Christopher Werth.)

In Prospect Park, which has been around since the 1860s, average lead levels were 140 ppm. Our highest single sample came from the lawn around the Prospect Park Bandshell at 543 ppm.



(Clarisa Diaz, WNYC. Data analysis by Christopher Werth.)

McCarren Park is another storyGreenpoint and Williamsburg were once filled with heavy industry, and in fact, there used to be a lead paint factory right next to the park on North 12th Street and Bedford Avenue. The average lead level in the area we tested was 201 ppm.

All of our samples in this area failed the California test.

Still, the lead levels Gothamist/WNYC found in parks were low compared to soil in private yards tested by Urban Soils Lab at Brooklyn College, which had levels from 400 ppm to a shocking 9,000 ppm.



Franziska Landes, Ph.D. candidate at Columbia University whos conducted her own research on soil lead in North Brooklyn, holds a core sample of soil taken from a backyard in New York. Core samples are used to study contamination. (Clarissa Sosin for WNYC)

City leaders have been divided on what to do about soil contamination. Last year, Queens councilman Costa Constantinides introduced a bill that would require the Parks Department to test the soil in NYC parks. Under this bill, they would need to make these test results available to the public, and then remediate areas with high levels. But the citys health commissioner, Oxiris Barbot, has been opposed.

"Soil is not, I repeat not, a significant source of lead exposure for children in New York City," Barbot told the City Council at a hearing last fall, although research in other cities such as Detroit, New Orleans and Los Angeles have shown soil to be linked with elevated lead levels in children.

In an interview, Barbot said there are some very simple measures parents can take to reduce exposure. For example, the most common advice that everybody's mother gives them when they're out playing in a playground is 'Wash your hands.'"

For more on these test results, head to WNYC.

Christopher Werth is a senior editor in WNYCs Narrative Unit. You can follow him on Twitter at @c_werth.
By Sijia Jiang and Michael Martina

HONG KONG/BEIJING (Reuters) - The latest U.S. broadside against Huawei that puts the Chinese firm on an exports blacklist threatens to rattle the global tech supply chain, linked closely to the $105 billion business of the world's top supplier of telecoms network equipment.

The Trump administration has said it would add Huawei Technologies and 70 affiliates to its "Entity List" - a move that will likely ban the firm from acquiring U.S. components and technology without government approval, adding another incendiary element to the U.S.-China trade war.

The ban is not yet effective.

A similar U.S. ban on China's ZTE Corp had almost crippled business for the smaller Huawei rival early last year before the curb was lifted.

Such sanctions on Huawei are, however, likely to have ramifications beyond the company itself, analysts said.

It would disrupt Huawei's business at a minimum and all but put it out of business in an extreme, while its U.S. suppliers would also be hit, they said.

Out of $70 billion Huawei spent for component procurement in 2018, some $11 billion went to U.S. firms including Qualcomm, Intel Corp and Micron Technology Inc, and they could see that revenue disappear.

On the other hand, U.S. companies like Apple face the risk of severe retaliation from China, a key market.

"This is going to be very messy," a China-based source at a U.S. tech company said.

It will be tough for Huawei too, the person said, noting none of its U.S. suppliers "can be replaced by Chinese ones, not within a few years, at least. By then, they are already dead".

Revenue for the company, also the world's second-biggest maker of smartphones, touched 721 billion yuan ($105 billion) last year, eight times ZTE's and half the annual sales of South Korea's Samsung Electronics Co.

But its business has come under pressure over the past year given mounting international scrutiny, led by U.S. allegations that its equipment could be used by Beijing for spying, a concern the company has said is unfounded.

Huawei's American suppliers: https://fingfx.thomsonreuters.com/gfx/editorcharts/USA-CHINA-HUAWEI/0H001GSE93H2/index.html

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STOCKPILING

A range of Asian and European suppliers would also be hurt if Huawei was forced to curb production, while telecom carriers that rely on Huawei, and have largely resisted U.S. calls to bar the company, would be left scrambling just as countries race to roll out next-generation 5G mobile networks.

"Huawei being unable to manufacture network servers, for example, because they can't get key U.S. components would mean they also stop buying parts from other countries altogether," said an executive at a Huawei chip supplier.

"They can relatively better manage component sourcing for mobile phones because they have their own component businesses for smartphones. But server and network, it's a different story," the executive said.

According to brokerage Jefferies, the sanctions would mean a "nightmare for China's 5G" too. The country, which is targeting a nationwide rollout next year, will very likely slow down its 5G push as a result, it added.

However, industry participants pointed out that Huawei had been stockpiling components such as chips to ease disruptions.

Its initial target was to build inventories of six to nine months, and it has recently been raised to 12 and, in some cases, 24 months, Jefferies said.

Shares in Huawei suppliers fell across in Asia on the news of the U.S. blacklist.

South Korea's Samsung dropped 2.4%, SK Hynix fell 3.5%, while China's Luxshare Precision Industry fell as much as 6.1%. Shares in ZTE also tumbled.

Huawei has said it is "ready and willing to engage with the U.S. government and come up with effective measures to ensure product security".

Its rotating Chairman Eric Xu also told Reuters in a recent interview that "in case of unforeseen events ... we definitely have our contingency plan. What we have prepared has already been used in some of our products in the Chinese market".

Huawei has spearheaded China's campaign to develop its own high-end technologies to reduce reliance on imports and such efforts have taken on urgency after U.S. sanctions on ZTE.

The ZTE case led to some "benefits" and "external pressures have developed into internal drivers" in China, said Wan Gang, vice chairman of China's parliamentary advisory body.

TRADE TALKS

The pain for Huawei's supply chain would be redoubled if the trade war put a damper on the Chinese technology industry.

"The bigger concern would be U.S. allies that used to buy Huawei's components may not continue businesses with Huawei, because of fear of possibly upsetting the United States," said Doh Hyun-woo, an analyst at NH Investment & Securities in Seoul.

The Trump administration's rhetoric toward China had cooled in recent days after another round of tariffs between the world's top two economies and a selloff on global stock markets.

Tensions escalated on Wednesday after U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order barring American companies from using telecommunications equipment made by firms deemed to pose a national security risk.

While the president's order did not specifically name any country or company, U.S. officials have previously labeled Huawei a "threat".

"The U.S. seems to have already decided to nail Huawei down," said the China-based U.S. tech company source.

"The problem is that because there doesn't seem to be a prospect for a trade deal in the near future, the U.S. has expedited the process of killing Huawei."

(Story refiled to amend headline)

(Reporting by Sijia Jiang in Hong Kong, Josh Horwitz in Shanghai, Ju-min Park and Heekyong Yang in Seoul, Michael Martina and Cate Cadell in Beijing, Makiko Yamazaki in Tokyo; Writing Miyoung Kim; Editing by Himani Sarkar)
U.S. aviation regulators expect to receive Boeings proposed software fix for the grounded 737 Max as soon as next week and will then begin a review that will include test flights and input from a technical advisory board.

We will not allow the 737 Max to fly in the U.S. unless it is absolutely safe to do so, Daniel Elwell, acting administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration, told lawmakers Wednesday without offering an estimate for how long the review would take.

A technical advisory board named by the agency will provide a third set of eyes, and its recommendations will directly affect the timing of the grounded Maxs return to service, Elwell said at a hearing in Washington.

Boeing is also working on a service bulletin describing the flight control system revisions, Elwell told the House aviation subcommittee at a hearing on the status of Boeings best-selling jet, which has been grounded since March after two crashes in a five-month span.

The FAA has come under fire for approving a feature known as the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System, or MCAS, and for giving the planemaker too much authority to oversee itself. After a sensor on 737 Max jets in Indonesia and Ethiopia malfunctioned, MCAS continually pushed down the aircraft nose until pilots lost control. Boeing is redesigning the system to make it less prone to operate in error.

Sensor Failure

Lawmakers grilled Elwell during the hearing, quizzing him about the certification process that allowed the plane to fly. His counterpart at the National Transportation Safety Board also appeared at the hearing.

Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Peter DeFazio, an Oregon Democrat, complained that Boeing hasnt turned over any records sought by House investigators.

DeFazio said he was disappointed that a single sensors failure had led to the crashes. We shouldnt have to be here today, DeFazio said.

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Asked for comment on DeFazios statement regarding records, Boeing spokesman Charles Bickers said, Boeing continues to support the ongoing accident investigations and is committed to working closely with Members of Congress, their staff, and relevant officials. Safety is our top priority when we design, build, deliver, and maintain Boeing aircraft.

Elwell said the agency was directly involved in approving the flight-control system, participating in a test flight of the system that drove down the nose in the two accidents.

The FAAs acting chief criticized Boeing for not disclosing to the FAA or to airlines for more than a year that a 737 Max display supposed to show whether a sensor was malfunctioning wasnt working.

I think thats an issue, sir, Elwell said under questioning by DeFazio. It shouldnt take a year for us to find out.

While Elwood expressed frustration with Boeings tardy disclosure, he said the so-called angle-of-attack sensor disagree light was advisory on the 737 and useful for maintenance teamsbut wouldnt have made a difference in either crash. The alert lights up when twin vanes that measure a planes nose against the air stream provide divergent readings to flight control computers.

They Deserve Answers

DeFazio said the committee is still in the early stages of its review of how the plane was certified by FAA. But the tragedies are shocking, including for families of victims, he said.

They deserve answers and accountability, as does the general flying public, DeFazio said.

The highest ranking Republican on the committee, Representative Sam Graves of Missouri, urged caution before blaming Boeing for the accidents. In his opening statement, he listed what he called multiple errors by pilots and airline maintenance workers in the accidents that he said should be considered along with Boeings design.

To focus on one single factor misses the forest for the trees, Graves said.

The FAA is hosting a meeting of foreign aviation regulators May 23 in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and Elwell said part of the purpose was to repair what he called a perception that there is a crisis of confidence in the agencys leadership.

Regulator Meeting

Because so many nations grounded the 737 Max in March before FAA felt it had enough data to do so, Elwell said the aviation system wasnt as collaborative as it had historically been. The FAA plans at the meeting to discuss what it knows about the efforts to fix the plane and the steps it plans to take before approving it for flight.

The NTSB is assisting Ethiopian and Indonesian authorities in their investigations of the two crashes, Chairman Robert Sumwalt testified.

The 737 Max, Boeings best-selling aircraft, was grounded on March 13 after it became clear that an Ethiopian Airlines crash three days earlier had similar underlying causes to a Lion Air crash on Oct. 29 near Jakarta.

MCAS was added to the 737 Max to make it less likely to enter an aerodynamic stall. It automatically commands a relatively modest dive if it senses a planes nose has gotten too high. In the accidents, it repeatedly pushed down the nose despite efforts by the pilots to counter it. The crashes killed 346 people.

Senate Hearing

At a separate hearing Wednesday, senators pressed the nominee to become FAA administrator, Stephen Dickson, on whether the agency needs to change procedures that led to certification of the 737 Max. Several lawmakers focused on the use of aircraft manufacturers employees to sign off on designs.

Whatever corrective actions need to be taken or process changes need to be put in place, I can guarantee you that those will be accomplished, Dickson said.

He also said its very important not to jump to conclusions.

Working with the private sector with the proper controls and protocols is going to allow the regulator to be much more effective and add a lot more safety value that just throwing extra resources at it, Dickson said.
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. "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)
A City Council bill aiming to ban fur in New York City has prompted an impassioned debate concerning animal rights, the erosion of small businesses, and the preservation of cultural traditions.

In late March, City Council Speaker Corey Johnson sponsored a bill that would ban the sale of new furs. Buying used furs, as well as furs for religious customs, would still be permissible under the measurebut offenders would be fined $500 for their first violation, and $1500 for subsequent offenses. "As an animal lover, I truly think it is cruel to kill an animal for the sole purpose of people wearing a fur coat," Johnson said in a statement. "There is really no need for this. In a progressive city like ours, we need to take steps to protect animals."

Along with another bill that Linda Rosenthal recently introduced in the New York State Assembly, which proposes a statewide ban on the "manufacture, sale, display for sale, [and] trade" of fur products, the City Council bill is explicitly meant to curb animal cruelty. Activists say that animals typically killed for their fur (such as foxes) are exposed to inhumane conditions, from traps that mutilate them to being kept in small cages until they are eventually electrocuted or gassed.

The proposal has been criticized by some who say the ban discriminates against the Black community. "Opponents of fur do not understand its importance in the black community," wrote Reverend Dr. Johnnie Green, the Senior Pastor at Harlem's Mount Neboh Baptist Church, in an open letter addressed to Johnson. "They do not understand that we have a long history of wearing furs passed down through our families for generations. They do not understand the role of fur as a symbol of achievement in society for our disadvantaged group. Our ability to wear fur historically has been a sign that we have finally become a part of New York society, something we were prevented from being a part of for hundreds of years." Hasidic leaders have also spoken out against the ban, citing the use of fur hats on the Sabbath.

Hundreds of people opposed to the bill gathered in front of City Hall Wednesday in advance of a City Council hearing, warning that the bill would kill thousands of local jobs and put numerous small companies out of business.

When my father came to the United States from Nazi-occupied Greece, he dreamed of a better life for his family," Nick Pologeorgis, the owner of Pologeorgis Furs, told Gothamist in an email. "Over 50 years later and our family business has grown into a thriving enterprise providing for our employees and their families. From my factory employees to the people I buy lining supplies from, a fur ban would have devastating effects; and would only be the start."

safaree speaking out against the fur ban  pic.twitter.com/R3p8So3dwj  doreen st. felix (@dstfelix) May 15, 2019

Safaree Samuels, the rapper and star of Love & Hip Hop, joined the protest, telling the NY Times, My stylist let me know about it and I was like, a fur ban in New York City? How could they do that in one of the fashion capitals, if not the fashion capital, of the world?"

But animal rights advocatesincluding Project Runway's Tim Gunnhold that the process of obtaining said furs is inhumane.

"The fashion business has a troubling history with animals, but it is quickly evolving, Gunn testified at the hearing. Big-name fashion empires including DKNY and Gucci have moved away from using fur in recent years. A handful of cities on the west coast, including San Francisco and Los Angeles, have instituted similar bans on fur sales as well.

According to FurNYC, New York City is the largest retail market for fur in the United States. Fur has long been central to the city's cultural and economic fabric. A section of midtown Manhattan known as the Fur District once had dozens of sellers hawking furs (some buildings in the area pay homage to animals central to the fur business). And as the New York Times notes, the city's official seal features beavers, whose pelts helped spur the early fur trade.

It remains to be seen how the rest of City Council feels about the bill. The same goes for Mayor and now-presidential hopeful Bill de Blasio. I am humanly sympathetic to folks in that industry because it is a loss of jobs, de Blasio has said in the past. I dont belittle the concern. If something happens here, there has to be some sense of how to phase it in in a way that really does try to protect some jobs.

However, the mayor added that he agrees with "the impulse of that legislation."
A Huawei logo is seen at an exhibition during the World Intelligence Congress in Tianjin A Huawei logo is seen at an exhibition during the World Intelligence Congress in Tianjin, China May 16, 2019. REUTERS/Jason Lee

By Diane Bartz and Yawen Chen

WASHINGTON/BEIJING (Reuters) - A U.S. bid to block China's Huawei Technologies from buying vital American technology threw into question prospects for sales at some of the largest tech companies and drew a sharp rebuke from Beijing, further ratcheting up tensions over trade.

Shares of Huawei's U.S. suppliers fell on fears the Chinese firm would be forced to stop buying American chips, software and other components after the Trump administration banned it from buying U.S. technology without special approval.

Huawei, the world's biggest telecoms equipment maker, said that losing access to U.S. suppliers "will do significant economic harm to the American companies" and affect "tens of thousands of American jobs."

"Huawei will seek remedies immediately and find a resolution to this matter," the company said in a statement.

The U.S. crackdown, announced on Wednesday, was the latest shot fired in a U.S.-China trade war that is rattling financial markets and threatening to derail a slowing global economy.

Trade talks had looked close to collapsing in the past week after a dispute over Chinese changes to a draft text prompted the United States to hike tariffs on Chinese goods and Beijing to retaliate with higher duties on U.S. products.

Chinese Commerce Ministry spokesman Gao Feng said the United States should avoid further damaging relations between the world's two largest economies, and accused Washington of "trade protectionism."

"China will take all the necessary measures to resolutely safeguard the legitimate rights of Chinese firms," Gao told reporters.

The Foreign Ministry also announced the formal arrest of two Canadian citizens who were detained shortly after Canada arrested Huawei Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou in December.

Meng faces extradition to the United States on charges that she conspired to defraud global banks about Huawei's relationship with a company operating in Iran. She and the company deny the charges.

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While China has made no specific link between the detentions of the two men and Meng's arrest, experts and former diplomats say they have no doubt it is using their cases to pressure Canada.

ECONOMIC FALLOUT

The U.S. Commerce Department said on Wednesday it was adding Huawei and 70 affiliates to its "Entity List," which bars them from buying components and technology from U.S. firms without government approval. It later revised the number of affiliates down to 68.

The order includes non-U.S. Huawei affiliates in Canada, Japan, Brazil, the UK and Singapore. Requests for approvals for transactions will be reviewed under a "policy of presumption of denial," which suggests obtaining permission will be very difficult.

Huawei was the world's third largest purchaser of semiconductors last year, accounting for 4.4% of global market share, behind only Samsung Electronics Co Ltd and Apple Inc, according to Gartner, a research firm.

U.S. lawmakers have long feared that the firm's equipment could be used to spy on Americans, and Democrats and Republicans lined up in support of the Trump administration's move.

But leading analysts downgraded their assessments for several U.S. microchip companies on Thursday.

Susquehanna Financial Group analyst Christopher Rolland, who said he believed Huawei had built up a one-to-two-year supply of U.S. components, cut price targets on several microchip companies, including Xilinx Inc. Shares of Xilinx closed down 7.3 percent while those of rival chipmaker Qualcomm Inc fell 4 percent.

TARIFFS

As negotiations toward resolving the trade war stalled last week, the United States ramped up the pressure by raising tariffs on a list of $200 billion worth of Chinese imports to 25% from 10%, prompting China to retaliate with higher duties on a revised list of $60 billion worth of U.S. products.

President Donald Trump, who has embraced protectionism and accused China of engaging in unfair trade practices, has threatened to put 25% tariffs on a further $300 billion worth of Chinese goods.

Walmart Inc said prices for shoppers would rise because of higher tariffs on Chinese goods even as the world's largest retailer reported on Thursday its best comparable sales growth for the first quarter in nine years.

Chief Financial Officer Brett Biggs told Reuters the company would seek to ease the pain, in part by trying to buy from different countries.

With few options left for levying its own tariffs, China could opt for other ways to pressure the United States, including blocking corporate mergers and other deals.

"There's other things they can do, and M&A would certainly be one thing," said Stacy Rasgon, an analyst with Bernstein.

The United States wants to see significant changes in China's approach to intellectual property rights and state subsidies as part of any trade deal, and Beijing is insisting that all tariffs be eliminated.

The two sides are also at odds over how much more U.S. goods China would buy and how "balanced" the text of the draft trade agreement would be, Chinese state media said.

Edward Alden, senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, said the Huawei case was a significant complication to the resolution of the trade dispute.

"Every step by the United States makes it much harder for the Chinese not to push back," he told reporters and analysts.

(Reporting by Yawen Chen and Se Young Lee and Diane Bartz; Additional reporting by David Shepardson and Andrea Shalal in Washington, Stephen Nellis and Noel Randewich in San Francisco and Arjun Panchadar in Bengaluru; Writing by Chris Sanders, Paul Simao and Sonya Hepinstall; Editing by Peter Cooney)
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - May 16, 2019) - Vapen MJ Ventures Corporation (CSE: VAPN) is one of the latest new listing on the Canadian Securities Exchange. The company, through its wholly-owned subsidiaries, operates as an agricultural technology, services and property management company.

For more information, please view the InvestmentPitch Media "video" which provides additional information on the company. If this link is not enabled, please visit www.InvestmentPitch.com and enter "Vapen" in the search box.





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Vapen MJ currently provides these management and marketing services in the State of Arizona with expansion plans through acquisitions and partnerships worldwide. Arizona is the third largest medical marijuana market in the US with recreational expected to pass in 2020.

It utilizes a full vertical integration business model to oversee and execute all aspects of cultivation, extraction, manufacturing, retail dispensary, and wholesale distribution of high margin Cannabis THC and Hemp CBD products.

The company, through subsidiaries, leases an approximately 28,000-square-foot space in Phoenix, Arizona, which is used for cultivation, product drying, product processing, product packaging and infusion into edible products.

The company is the exclusive provider to a non-profit company known as the Herbal Wellness Center, which holds dispensary, cultivation, and extraction licenses in Arizona to cultivate, extract and sell medical marijuana and related products to holders of medical marijuana cards, with approximately 48,000 patients in their system and approximately 65 wholesale dispensary clients. Herbal Wellness leases a 2,000 square-foot retail building from Vapen MJ, the maximum allowed in Phoenix, for housing its dispensary.

Vapen MJ is on a significant revenue and profitability growth trend having generated over US$18 million in gross revenues with EBITDA in excess of US$6 million in its latest fiscal calendar year.

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Thai Nguyen, founder and CEO, stated: "We are very excited to be listed on the CSE and begin our journey to build a world class international operation that will work with licensed cannabis facilities to produce the highest quality products on a consistent basis. Our listing on the CSE is the beginning of a new era for Vapen MJ as we have focused on perfecting the basics for the last 6 years and are excited for our aggressive expansion plans."

The company plans to raise up to $4 million by way of a non-brokered private placement of up to 4 million shares priced at $1.00. The net proceeds will be used for equipment, business development and general working capital purposes.

For more information please visit the company's website at www.VapenMJ.com, contact Bob Brilon, President and CFO, at 602-620-9725 or by email at investors@VapenMJ.com

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After just three days of witness testimony, prosecutors in the disciplinary trial of police officer Daniel Pantaleo have rested their case.

The prosecutions last witness was a veteran city pathologist who examined Eric Garners body and testified Wednesday that a police chokehold and takedown set off the chain of events that led to the 43-year-old, unarmed mans death.

The altercation happened nearly five years ago on Staten Island, when Pantaleo and other officersolice were trying to arrest Garner for allegedly selling untaxed cigarettes. Graphic cell phone video of Garners final moments sparked a sustained outrage and became a rallying cry for the Black Lives Matter movement.

Dr. Floriana Persechino, a senior forensic pathologist in the office of the Chief Medical Examiner, said the chokehold compressed Garners airway, making it difficult for him to breathe and possibly triggering an asthma attack.

She also blamed his death on chest compression and the position police held him inface down on the sidewalk while they handcuffed his hands behind his back. Persechino said Garners poor health were contributing factors.

She said she examined the body for many hours after the confrontation that touched off nationwide protests against police brutality.

Pantaleos attorneys have blamed the death on Garners health issues, including chronic asthma, high blood pressure and obesity. But Persechino, watching the video from the witness stand in a trial room at police headquarters, identified what Pantaleo did as a chokehold and called it an initial, significant factor in a cascade of events that killed him.

The medical testimony is considered crucial to proving whether Pantaleos actions rise to the level of criminal attempted assault. Pantaleos lawyers plan to call their own expert witnesses to refute the results of the autopsy later in the trial.

Garners mother, Gwen Carr, sat in the front row of the tense trial room while the doctor testified. Carr was surrounded by the mothers of other men who died in confrontations with police. She left when the judge warned that the autopsy photos would be explicit.

Stuart London challenged Persechino and got her to acknowledge that Pantaleo did not die of a chokehold in and of itself. He also questioned why there was no damage to Garners trachea, larynx or a bone called the hyoid.

Persechino said that its not uncommon for the hyoid bone to stay intact and said the fat around Garners neck may have allowed a degree protection. She did find significant hemorrhaging around the muscles of Garners neck.

Thursday, the defense plans to call several police officers to testify.

Cindy Rodriguez is an investigative reporter for New York Public Radio. You can follow her on Twitter at @cynrod.
By Terje Solsvik and Victoria Klesty

OSLO (Reuters) - Equinor is investigating an oil spill at its Statfjord field in the North Sea, although the Norwegian company said on Wednesday the incident had not disrupted production.

Loading was stopped and loading systems at the field were shut down after oil was spotted nearby and systems were mobilised to deal with such a situation, Equinor said.

"In connection with loading oil from buoy to shuttle tanker on the North Sea Statfjord field, oil was observed on the sea surface early this morning," Equinor said.

The buoy is located two kilometres from the nearest Statfjord platform so oil production is continuing as normal, Equinor spokesman Morten Eek said.

"We are always treating situations when we observe oil on the sea seriously ... It's still too early to say the extent of this leakage," Eek said.

Statfjord, which opened in 1979, is among the oldest fields still producing in the North Sea, and Equinor has said the first of its three platforms is due to close in 2022.

"In compliance with regular procedures Equinor's emergency response organisation was quickly mobilised, and the authorities were notified," Equinor said.

Statfjord is operated by state-controlled Equinor with a 44.3 percent stake, while ExxonMobil holds 21.4 percent and the rest is held by two units of Spirit Energy, data from Norway's Petroleum Directorate shows.

(Reporting by Terje Solsvik and Victoria Klesty; editing by Jason Neely, Jane Merriman and Alexander Smith)
Ronen Tivony/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images(WASHINGTON) -- Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, a Democratic candidate for president, announced the second leg of his sweeping plan to marshal the resources of the federal government to fight climate change on Thursday: a $9 trillion investment in jobs, clean energy, and modern infrastructure.



The proposal, which the campaign is dubbing the "Evergreen Economy Plan," pours a roughly $300 billion yearly investment into "American industries and manufacturing, infrastructure, skilled labor, and new technology deployment," and would create roughly eight million new jobs over 10 years, according to a memo released Thursday by Inslee's campaign.



Inslee plans to further detail his plan at a Thursday morning press conference at a water treatment facility in southwest Washington, D.C.



The governor's announcement follows the release of the first part of his plan to combat climate change, which set 100 percent clean standards for electricity, new vehicles and new buildings in the United States. It also comes the week after Inslee signed into a law a package of bills in his own state to rid Washington's electric grid of fossil-fuel-generated power by 2045, cementing the state's status as a national leader in the clean power movement.



Among the ideas outlined in Inslee's massive plan: a $90 billion "Green Bank" to support clean energy deployment; a Next Generation Rural Electrification Initiative; doubling the investment in public transit and dramatically expanding electric car-charging infrastructure; launch a Clean Water for All Initiative to close the $82 billion annual funding gap in critical drinking water, stormwater and wastewater infrastructure and other investments in clean manufacturing jobs and scientific research related to climate change.



In total, the plan outlines 28 policy initiatives that span a vast array of issues from affordable housing to workers' rights, to a revitalization of urban communities and communities of color, who Inslee's campaign says have had to bear the brunt of climate change's more recent effects.



As the first leg of his plan did, Inslee's announcement garnered praise from activists and experts in the climate field, and comes as the issue continues to move to the forefront of Democratic voters' minds in the early stages of the primary.



"Young people, activists and science are all challenging our leaders to rise to meet the defining issue of our time: climate change," said Julian Brave Noisecat, the director of Green New Deal Strategy, Data for Progress. "Gov. Inslee is doing us all a service by showing how we can meet that challenge -- and transform it into an opportunity. We can act on climate, create millions of good green jobs and fulfill the promise of a free and just democracy -- and Inslee has the plans to get us there."



"The Inslee Evergreen Economy Plan is just what we need. It is not only vital for our environment, but it is a recipe for more affordable housing and vibrant communities, good-paying jobs, corporate and municipal accountability, and global leadership for the United States," University of California, Berkeley professor Daniel Kammen, a former Science Envoy at the State Department, said in a statement praising the proposal.



Inslee's rollout keeps climate change at the center of his campaign, which is still struggling to gain nationwide momentum and secure one of the 20 spots on the stage of the first Democratic debates next month.



Thus far, Inslee and former Texas Congressman Beto O'Rourke are the only two presidential candidates to outline detailed policy proposals to combat climate change.



O'Rourke's plan, which he released last month during a campaign swing through California, calls for an initial $1.5 trillion federal investment to "transform" the nation's infrastructure "and empower our people and communities to lead the climate fight," which would then "mobilize" $5 trillion total, according to his campaign.

Copyright  2019, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
By Christoph Steitz, Arno Schuetze and Tom Kackenhoff FRANKFURT/DUESSELDORF (Reuters) - Finland's Kone is assessing the viability of a bid for Thyssenkrupp's 14 billion euro ($15.7 billion) elevators division even as the German conglomerate pursues plans to list it, four people familiar with the matter said. Thyssenkrupp last week ditched a plan to spin off its capital goods business after months of shareholder criticism, and opted instead to list elevators, its most profitable division, to raise badly needed cash. The sources said it was not clear if Kone could fund an all-cash bid and whether or not the deal would face significant anti-trust hurdles similar to Thyssenkrupp's failed steel joint venture with Tata Steel. This is why Thyssenkrupp's management prefers the option of an initial public offering, the sources added. "What the company needs is guaranteed proceeds. The IPO is a safe option. Other options are subject to execution risk," a person familiar with the matter said. Analysts at Barclays said although the merger would be likely to face opposition from Thyssenkrupp's labor representatives, a deal with Kone would result in 3-4 billion euros of synergies attributable to the German firm. "Why give away half the synergies which could be extracted from a potential elevator merger with an IPO of 50% of ET?," the bank said in a note. Thyssenkrupp has also said that it is open to partnerships in its other businesses. People close to the matter said that previous talks with gases group Linde over a merger of engineering activities could be revived. Thyssenkrupp boss Guido Kerkhoff, who is under pressure to deliver after the botched overhaul, hopes an IPO of a minority stake in the elevators business would repair the group's stretched balance sheet. But Kone, whose top investor Antti Herlin approached Thyssenkrupp in 2016 over an elevator merger, is willing to do a deal and is working with Bank of America to explore options, three people familiar with the matter said. "It's only natural that Kone is looking at its possibilities now that Thyssenkrupp has signaled a willingness to pull out partly," one of the people said. The people said a Kone bid was doable if it was shares and cash. "We've been saying for years that consolidation would make sense in our industry and our thinking hasn't changed," a spokeswoman for Kone said, declining to comment further. Thyssenkrupp has not given a timeframe for the listing, only saying it wants to be market ready in the next financial year which starts in October. One source said a flotation in the second quarter of 2020 was not unrealistic. The sources also said that Switzerland's Schindler, controlled by the Schindler and Bonnard families, is expected to review its own options regarding the elevators business. Schindler, which does not have a big M&A track record, may face larger antitrust hurdles in a potential deal, one of the people said, citing greater geographic overlap with Thyssenkrupp than Kone. Possible deals for other Thyssenkrupp activities include tie-ups for the steering business in its automotive division or a merger of Industrial Solutions, which builds plants and industrial sites, with Linde, the sources said. "Thyssen and Linde held talks on a combination of their engineering businesses about two years ago, but those did not reap any results," one of the people said, adding that talks may be revived at a later stage. The people said that because Linde is also seen as a seller this might allow both groups to deconsolidate the business, possibly by bringing in a private equity investor. A spokesman for Thyssenkrupp referred to comments by CEO Kerkhoff who said that the IPO was aimed at strengthening the group's balance sheet. He declined to comment on Linde. Schindler, Linde and Bank of America declined to comment. In the second quarter, sales at the elevators business rose by 6.6 percent to 1.87 billion euros, but its adjusted operating margin fell by a percentage point to 10.6 percent, hurt by higher material prices. ($1 = 0.8931 euros) (Additional reporting by Edward Taylor in Frankfurt, Joern Poltz in Munich, Anne Kauranen in Oslo and John Miller in Zurich; Editing by Tom Sims and Jane Merriman)
(Bloomberg) -- Facebook Inc.s most senior executive in Europe refuted claims that the social network should be split into separate businesses, saying a company shouldnt be broken up just because its popular.

The social-media giant has also been under intense pressure from privacy advocates, lawmakers, rivals, and members of the public, to better protect its users personal information, and do more to prevent the spread of hate speech, political disinformation and terror content on its platform.

"I dont know why a company should be broken up because its popular," Nicola Mendelsohn, vice president for the EMEA region, said in a Bloomberg Television interview Thursday. "If you look weve made huge investments in the area of safety, in the area of privacy and election interference."

Her comments follow opinions voiced by Chris Hughes, one of Facebooks founders, who said last week that breaking up the company would help rein in its dominance. U.S. presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren has expressed similar feelings.

Facebook Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg has publicly agreed his company needs to improve, and that he wants the company to become a more private place for friends to talk and share.

But Zuckerberg has repeatedly refused to appear in front of lawmakers in the U.K., who have demanded he give evidence as part of a parliamentary inquiry into fake news. Mendelsohn said Thursday the CEO had not changed his stance.

"Mark has been asked to come here," she said, "but has no plans to."

Facebook has also seen no evidence of its platform being used to interfere with the upcoming European elections. "We havent seen signs specifically of interference," Mendelsohn said.

To contact the reporters on this story: Nate Lanxon in London at nlanxon@bloomberg.net;Francine Lacqua in London at flacqua@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Giles Turner at gturner35@bloomberg.net, Jillian Ward

For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com

2019 Bloomberg L.P.
By Mathieu Rosemain and Katie Paul

PARIS/SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Facebook announced steps on Wednesday to temporarily block users who break its rules from broadcasting live video, in the wake of an international outcry after a gunman killed 51 people in New Zealand last month and streamed the attack live on his page.

The tweaks to Facebook's rules came as the White House snubbed other world leaders, who met with tech companies in Paris to back a call by New Zealand's prime minister for stronger measures against social media hate speech.

Silicon Valley tech giants expressed their support for Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern's so-called "Christchurch Call," named for the city where the gunman attacked two mosques on March 15 and broadcast his killings live.

But Washington declined to send a delegation to the meeting hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron. The White House said it would not endorse Ardern's initiative, although it supported the broader aims.

Facebook said in a statement it was introducing a "one-strike" policy for use of Facebook Live, a service which lets users broadcast live video. Those who broke the company's most serious rules anywhere on its site would have their access to make live broadcasts temporarily restricted.

The range of offences that would qualify for one-strike suspensions would be broadened.

The company did not specify which offences would result in such a ban or how long suspensions would last, but a spokeswoman said it would not have been possible for the Christchurch shooter to use Facebook Live on his account under the new rules.

Facebook has come under intense scrutiny in recent years over hate speech, privacy lapses and its dominant market position in social media. The company is trying to address those concerns while averting more strenuous action from regulators.

Ardern called the changes announced on Wednesday "a good first step to restrict the application being used as a tool for terrorists, and shows the Christchurch Call is being acted on."

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The company said it plans to extend the restrictions to other areas over coming weeks, beginning with preventing the same people from creating Facebook ads. It also said it would fund research at three universities on techniques to detect manipulated media, which its systems struggled to spot in the aftermath of the attack.

Ardern said the research was welcome and that edited and manipulated videos of the March 15 mosque shootings had been slow to be removed, resulting in many people, including herself, seeing video of the killings played in their Facebook feeds.

WHITE HOUSE "NOT IN A POSITION TO JOIN"

Macron hosted Ardern, British Prime Minister Theresa May, Canada's Justin Trudeau and other leaders at a summit on Wednesday to support Ardern's initiative.

Signatories would "encourage media outlets to apply ethical standards when depicting terrorist events online, to avoid amplifying terrorist and violent extremist content," although the initiative is non-binding, light on details and leaves countries and companies to decide how to apply guidelines.

Countries including Australia, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, Spain, India and Sweden said they backed it, as did U.S. tech giants Microsoft, Alphabet's Google and its video platform YouTube and Amazon.

But the White House said in a statement the United States was "not currently in a position to join the endorsement," although it added: "we continue to support the overall goals reflected in the call".

In comments made at a joint news conference with Ardern, Macron put a positive spin on the White House response.

"We'll do everything we can so that there is a more concrete and formal commitment, but I consider... the fact that the U.S. administration said it shared the objectives and the common will as a positive element," Macron said.

Brad Smith, the president of Microsoft, said the call was "leading to real action, even if it's not binding".

"The Christchurch Call will be assessed ultimately by the impact it has. And the impact it has will be determined not only by governments but also by tech companies," Smith told Reuters.

(Reporting by Katie Paul and Mathieu Rosemain; additional reporting by Charlotte Greenfield in WELLINGTON; Gwenaelle Barzic and Jean-Baptiste Vey in PARIS; Editing by Peter Graff)
TORONTO, May 15, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- On-demand food delivery service, foodora has partnered with the LCBO to bring same-day alcohol delivery to Ottawa. Starting today, the partnership will pilot on-demand delivery in Canadas capital city, with the goal to eventually roll it out to other markets.



In April 2019, foodora expanded its platform to include the Ottawa market, signing on more than 85 restaurants in preparation for its launch with the LCBO. Alongside its restaurant offerings and leveraging its existing rider framework of bikes and cars, foodoras partnership with the LCBO offers its on-the-go customers more convenience at their fingertips and a responsible delivery option.

Canadians are steadily becoming mobile-first consumers who are searching for ways to be more efficient, and foodora is a piece of this evolution, said David Albert, managing director, foodora Canada. Our first-of-its-kind partnership with the LCBO means were enhancing the overall foodora experience, offering greater convenience and increased accessibility for our new and existing foodora customers.

Users can scroll through the LCBO menu  a curated list of popular wine, beer and cider, coolers and liquor  on the foodora website, or iOS and Android apps. On average, customers can expect a 35-minute delivery window after placing their order from one of three participating LCBO stores (275 Rideau St., 222 Richmond Rd. and 22 Isabella St.).

We are committed to meeting our customers where, when and how they want to shop with us and are excited to partner with foodora to launch On-Demand Delivery, said George Soleas, president & CEO, LCBO. This pilot speaks directly to the LCBOs mission to responsibly deliver more access, convenience and choice to our customers. We are confident it will be met with great success and look forward to future expansion.

In 2018, foodora launched alcohol delivery in Vancouver, partnering with liquor stores and craft beer breweries around the city. Teaming up with the LCBO is foodoras latest effort to expand its multi-vertical strategy in Canada, with sights set on grocery, pharmacy and beyond.

Story continues

foodoras riders in Ottawa are Smart Serve-certified to responsibly deliver alcohol to customers ages 19 and over. They will strictly follow the LCBOs challenge & refusal mandate, where alcohol sales are prevented to minors, intoxicated adults, and those who appear to be purchasing alcohol for either of those individuals. If the recipient fails to produce valid ID, appears to be intoxicated, or attempts to purchase for a minor or impaired individual, the delivery will be cancelled, and a $20 restocking fee will be applied.

On-demand LCBO delivery is available exclusively through foodora on Monday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., with a $4 flat delivery fee, as per AGCO guidelines. The LCBO delivery radius covers downtown Ottawa; users can check the foodora app or website to see if they fall within the delivery zone.

foodora

foodora is dedicated to bringing Canadian food lovers their favourite meals from a curated list of local restaurants. Since 2015, the on-demand food delivery service has grown to more than 3,000 partner restaurants in 10 cities across Canada. Belonging to Delivery Hero, a worldwide leader of the food delivery industry, foodora is a sustainably focused company that strives to reduce its carbon footprint through its use of bikes and its commitment to reducing single-use plastic. For more information, visit http://www.foodora.ca .

Contact Information

Sadie Weinstein

PR + influencer marketing specialist, foodora Canada

sadie.weinstein@foodora.ca

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/46e6c14a-b163-45df-bacd-dc80fa211d8d




* Rouhani criticised for response to U.S. squeeze on economy

* Regional tensions fuel concern over escalation

By Babak Dehghanpisheh

GENEVA, May 16 (Reuters) - Growing U.S. pressure on Iran has weakened pragmatic President Hassan Rouhani and made his hardline rivals more assertive at home and abroad, recent developments show.

When he succeeded firebrand leader Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in 2013, Rouhani was seen as an establishment figure who would do little to end Iran's long standoff with the West. Two years later, his administration signed the nuclear deal with six world powers that spurred hopes for wider political change.

Rouhani's authority is now waning: his brother, a key adviser on the 2015 deal, has been sentenced to jail on unspecified corruption charges, a hardline rival heads the judiciary and his government is under fire for responding too softly to U.S. President Donald Trump's sanctions squeeze.

Trump has said lifting sanctions in return for curbs on Iran's nuclear programme did not stop Tehran meddling in neighbouring states or developing ballistic missile capabilities and Rouhani's outreach to the West was a fig leaf.

Yet the U.S. pullout from the nuclear deal a year ago and subsequent attempts to end Iran's oil exports have led to a sharp increase in regional tension: the U.S. military said on Tuesday it was braced for "possibly imminent threats to U.S. forces" from Iran-backed forces in neighbouring Iraq.

Rouhani has urged opposing factions to work together and noted limits on his power in a country where an elected government operates under clerical rule and alongside powerful security forces and an influential judiciary.

"How much authority the government has in the areas that are being questioned must be examined," the presidency's website quoted Rouhani as saying on Saturday, an apparent attempt to fend off public anger at plummeting living standards.

Ebrahim Raisi, who became head of the judiciary in March and is a contender to succeed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, retorted that all branches of government had sufficient authority to carry out their duties.

Story continues

Local media interpreted the statement as a direct rebuke from Raisi, who ran against Rouhani in the 2017 presidential election.

On May 4, Rouhani's brother Hossein Fereydoun was sentenced to prison. The judiciary has not given details of the charges against him and attempts by Reuters to seek comment were unsuccessful. The judiciary has said it has no political motivation for the cases it tries.

"OFFENSIVENESS AND ARROGANCE"

Rouhani has two years until his term ends, but if he is seen by Iranians as responsible for their problems, his successor is more likely to take a hard line with the West, some analysts say.

 couldn't ask for a better ally than the Trump administration, said Ali Vaez, director of the Iran project at the Crisis Group.

When Rouhani announced last week that Iran would roll back some of its commitments under the international nuclear deal a year after Trump withdrew, the hardline daily Kayhan newspaper called the move "late and minimal".

"If Mr. Rouhani's government had reacted reciprocally from the beginning to the broken promises of America and Europe, they (the Americans and Europeans) would not have reached this level of offensiveness and arrogance," an article in the newspaper said on Thursday.

Restrictions on social media, championed by hardline officials and clerics, are putting further political pressure on Rouhani, who promised in his 2017 and 2013 election campaigns to lift such curbs.

Telegram, a messaging app popular in Iran, was banned last year. Twitter is also banned and hardliners have set their sights on Instagram, used by some 24 million Iranians.

In his comments on Saturday, Rouhani said the government does not have full authority over the cyberspace, underlining the limits to his powers.

He and other officials, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, have active Twitter accounts despite the ban.

Last month, Instagram shut down several accounts under the names of Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards, the country's most powerful military and economic force, after Washington declared the Guards a foreign terrorist organization.

Some lawmakers are now seeking a complete ban on Instagram, one of the few social media platforms yet to be blocked.

Javad Javidnia, the deputy in charge of cyberspace affairs at the prosecutor general's office in Tehran, said last month Instagram would be blocked unless the government found an effective way to monitor its content, Fars news agency said.

Telecoms Minister Mohammad Javad Azari-Jahromi told Reuters in an interview last month that he used social media actively, including Twitter, and wanted fewer restrictions. But he said filtering usually takes place with a judicial decree.

"Ayatollah Raisi has recently started his work in this area and we will have to see what his view will be," he said.

"FILL THE EMPTY SPOT"

The Guards have used authorities response to heavy flooding in March to criticise the government and promote their effectiveness.

A video of the head of the Guards ground forces lambasting the government after visiting a flood-stricken area in western Iran in early April was widely circulated on social media.

"There are a lot of problems. There is no management. No government official has the courage to go there," Brigadier General Mohammad Pakpour said in the video. "It's horrible."

Hardline news sites posted pictures of members of the Guards helping remote villages, with their uniforms covered in mud.

Iran's Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh, a Rouhani ally who has tried to attract investment, has been accused by hardline politicians of giving away the nation's wealth and criticised for not doing more to bypass sanctions.

The Guards have developed expertise in bypassing sanctions through years of experience and are now eyeing opportunities arising from the new U.S. economic restrictions.

Khatam al Anbia, the Guards huge engineering and construction arm controls over 800 affiliated companies worth billions of dollars. Its head, Saeed Mohammad, said at an oil and gas exhibition in Tehran on May 2 that the firm has the ability to develop a phase of South Pars, the world's largest gas field, according to the Iranian Students' News Agency.

"Our goal is to fill the empty spot left by foreign companies," he said. (Reporting By Babak Dehghanpisheh in Geneva; additional reporting by Bozorgmehr Sharefedin in London and the Dubai newsroom; editing by Philippa Fletcher)
The central banks behind two major Asian economies are partnering on a central bank digital currency. | Source: Shutterstock

By CCN: In an attempt to spur collaboration between both regulatory bodies in Fintech and intriguingly a central bank digital currency, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) and the Bank of Thailand (BOT) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).

The MOU, which was signed in Basel on Monday enables both regulators to work together on joint innovation projects, as well as share information, experience and referrals regarding disruptive Fintech businesses.

Central Bank Digital Currency

One key area of collaboration which both parties look forward to working on is a joint project on the issuance of Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC). While both countries already have individual extensive research and projects on CBDC  Project Lionrock for HKMA and Project Inthanon for BOT  the hope is that the joint effort and information sharing under the partnership will produce better results.

Project Inthanon which aimed at developing a prototype CBDC alongside R3 and Wipro has already partnered successfully with almost ten commercial banks who now use it for decentralized interbank settlement. HKMAs Project Lionrock, whose goal was to test how well CBDC will fare on a Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT), was carried out alongside the R3 consortium, three-note issuing banks in Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Interbank Clearing Limited. Both projects have had remarkable success and according to the regulators, a joint operation between the projects is currently under consideration.

According to the official announcement by HKMA, the MOU will take move existing partnership between HKMA and BOT to the next level. Explaining what this entails, an excerpt from the announcement reads:

The signing of this MoU not only demonstrates our mutual interests in developing collaborative Fintech initiatives, but also underlines our ongoing efforts in cross-border collaboration between central banks in promoting innovation and enhancing experience sharing. The HKMA looks forward to working together with BOT and seeing the positive outcome from our joint effort.

Story continues

Common Goals, Strange Bedfellows

While the partnership makes sense on a technical level, some believe that this does not mean that the Thai government is actually willing to embrace decentralisation, but is rather only looking to explore Fintech innovation within a narrowly defined set of criteria. Quoted in the announcement, BOT Governor Veerathai Santiprabhob alluded to the allure of fintech innovation. He said:

Read the full story on CCN.com.
TOKYO, May 16 (Reuters) - Iran remains committed to its obligations under a multilateral nuclear deal despite the United States' withdrawal from the landmark agreement last year, its foreign minister said on Thursday, calling the U.S. escalation of sanctions "unacceptable".

"We exercise maximum restraint in spite of the fact the United States withdrew from JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action) last May," Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif told his Japanese counterpart, Taro Kono, at the start of their meeting in Tokyo. JCPOA is commonly referred to as the Iran nuclear deal.

President Donald Trump has ratcheted up sanctions on Iran since he withdrew the United States from a 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and global powers under which Tehran curbed its uranium enrichment capacity, and won sanctions relief in return. (Reporting by Kiyoshi Takenaka Editing by Chang-Ran Kim)
FILE - in this Thursday, Jan. 12, 2017 file photo, laborers walk in the Nihran Bin Omar field north near Basra, Iraq. Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi said Tuesday, May 7, 2019 that he has instructed Iraq's Oil Ministry to finalize an agreement with global energy giants ExxonMobil and PetroChina to lead a $53 billion megaproject to boost oil production. (AP Photo/Nabil al-Jurani, File)

BAGHDAD (AP)  Iraq is planning a $53 billion megaproject with global energy giants ExxonMobil and PetroChina to use seawater from the Persian Gulf to boost oil production, Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi announced Tuesday.

The 30-year project would boost output from Iraq's southern oil fields, and includes designs to capture natural gas, which is currently lost to flaring, for production, Abdel-Mahdi said at a press conference.

"This is an enormous project and will produce tens of thousands of jobs," Abdel-Mahdi said. The government projects Iraq will capture $400 billion in revenues over the life of the investment, the prime minister said.

Iraq is producing oil at record levels, but officials are targeting even higher output to meet budget projections and finance reconstruction projects following 16 years of war.

Output averaged 4.5 million barrels per day in March, second only to Saudi Arabia in OPEC, according to data from the global oil consortium.

Water injection is key to boosting production from oil fields around Basra, in south Iraq, as decades of extraction have sapped the subterranean pressures that push crude naturally toward the surface.

Water can be pumped into hydrocarbon formations to make up for the falling pressure and force oil to the surface, but the process is highly energy-intensive to clean, deoxygenate, and nearly desalinate the seawater before injection.

Last week, Abdel-Mahdi, in Berlin, announced that Iraq had agreed to a $14 billion "roadmap" with German industrial giant Siemens to rebuild the country's crumbling electricity sector.

Linking the two announcements on Tuesday, the prime minister said ramping up power generation through electricity sector investment would be vital to the success of the oil fields megaproject.

The prime minister said his Cabinet has instructed Iraq's Oil Ministry to finalize an arrangement with ExxonMobil and PetroChina. He said the "principles" of an agreement have already been reached.
Jeff Bezos says dad emigrated from Cuba alone at 16: 'His grit, determination, optimism are inspiring'

Today, Mike Bezos is the father of the richest man in the world , Jeff Bezos. But in 1962 , Mike Bezos came to America from Cuba wearing a jacket his mother had hand-stitched from cleaning rags. He was a teenager traveling by himself and he spoke almost no English.

"When he came here from Cuba at 16, not only was he all alone, but he only spoke Spanish. His grit, determination, and optimism are inspiring," Bezos tweeted about his father Wednesday.

TWEET grit

Mike Bezos was joined by his son Wednesday night at a gala recognize the new Statue of Liberty Museum at Ellis Island in New York City  stars from Jeff Bezos to Oprah Winfrey and Hillary Clinton were in attendance. The Bezos Family was one of the donors to the museum, which officially opened Thursday.

Though Mike Bezos is not Jeff's biological father, he raised him. Jeffrey Preston Jorgensen was born to 17-year-old high school student Jacklyn Gise on Jan. 12, 1964 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Though his biological parents married, Jeff's biological father did not stay in the picture long. Gise divorced Jorgensen in 1965, and in 1968 married Mike Bezos.

In a video he tweeted Thursday, Jeff Bezos, who is currently worth $117 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index , commends his father's bravery.

TWEET video

In the video, Jeff Bezos says he has "a hard time even imagining" arriving in a new country with no family. He says his father's parents sent him because under Cuba's then-leader Fidel Castro, "they felt like they had to, to protect him."

"My parents were not allowed to go into the airport with me, so they dropped me off," says Mike Bezos in the video, a more complete version of which is available on Amazon . "I got on an airplane and landed in Miami 45 minutes later."

Mike Bezos says he could only bring with him three pairs of pants, three shirts, three pairs of underwear and one pair of shoes.

And then there was his coat.

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"His mom imagined America must be super cold. So she made him something special for his journey, which we still have," Jeff Bezos says in the video.

"Out of those cleaning rags and knitting materials, she made  with the help of my sister  she made a coat," says Mike. "In her mind, I needed a heavy coat."

TY TWEET

Bezos' father first stayed in Camp Matecumbe, a refugee camp in Florida, for three weeks. He was later sent to Wilmington, Delaware to attend high school, where he got a scholarship to go to college in Albuquerque.

"I had very little idea at that time where Albuquerque was," Mike says. That is where he met Gise and her son Jeff.

"It is truly unbelievable. I look back on my life and I had lived the American Dream 30 years ago," Mike Bezos says. "It is really just out of this world."

See also:

How Amazon founder Jeff Bezos went from the son of a teen mom to the world's richest person

The majority of billionaires in the world are self-made

Amazon's Jeff Bezos: Why success depends on not being efficient sometimes

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Langley BC Cannabis Ltd. is currently in the early stages of its application to become a medical cannabis producer under Health Canadas Cannabis Act

LANGLEY, British Columbia, May 15, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Langley BC Cannabis Ltd. (the Company) a prospective licensed cannabis cultivator under the Cannabis Act, is seeking to raise $5 Million in gross proceeds through the sale of 10,000,000 shares at $0.50 per share. This first round of financing is open to the Canadian market and will go to fund the facility purchase and construction retrofitting of their phase 1 facility, located in Langley British Columbia. Negotiations for the purchase of the Phase 1 facility are currently in their final phase.



Co-Founder and CEO of the company, Dion Tarbaj stated, We are very pleased to be opening up this first round of financing to investors. With this funding in place, we will be able to begin construction on our phase 1 facility and move forward with our goal to receive a cultivation license from Health Canada.

This Phase 1 facility will be one of three initial planned expansions of Langley BC Cannabis LTD. facilities. With Phase 2 already in the planning stages, The Company aims to have both facilities licensed and operational by the end of 2021. Phase 1 is estimated to produce an estimated 4,500kg of dried cannabis in its first year with further expansion of that capacity in following fiscal years.

About the Company:

Langley BC Cannabis is an early stage cannabis cultivator applicant under Health Canadas Cannabis Act based in Langley BC, Canada. They have submitted their application to Health Canada and await the approval of Health Canada to begin cultivation of their first crop. The Company plans to produce high quality medical grade cannabis that will be affordable and accessible to all Canadians.

Media Contact:

Dion Tarbaj, Chief Executive Officer

Langley BC Cannabis Ltd.

2nd Floor, 8661 201 Street

Langley, BC, V2Y 0G9

Email: dion@langleymj.com

Website: https://langleymj.com

Phone: +1-866-274-9286




A big rally in the stock market enabled Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRK-A) (NYSE: BRK-B) to report a big surge in net income in Q1. The quarter was still pretty good even after adjusting for that boost from its stock portfolio. In this Industry Focus: Energy clip, host Nick Sciple and Fool.com contributor Matt DiLallo discuss:

The strong showing of Berkshire's railroad.

The solid results in the utilities and energy segment.

The benefits of Berkshire Hathaway's diversification.

To catch full episodes of all The Motley Fool's free podcasts, check out our podcast center. A full transcript follows the video.

More From The Motley Fool

This video was recorded on May 9, 2019.

Nick Sciple: All right, Matt, now I want to talk a little bit about Berkshire's earnings. First off, the numbers. When you see this net income number off the top, it's really eye-popping. $21.7 billion. But you need to take a little bit of that with a grain of salt. $15.1 billion of that is just mark-to-market on the equity portfolio. The S&P was up 13% during the first quarter. Obviously, that provided a whole lot of ballast for Berkshire's equity portfolio. When you back out to the core business, you're looking at about $6.6 billion in net income. A lot of cash, but not quite what you're going to see from that headline number.

As you dig into Berkshire's actual operating businesses, Matt, what stood out to you from this report? What's going on in that part of Berkshire's universe?

Matt DiLallo: I really liked the railroad earnings. Pre-tax earnings were up 10% to $1.7 billion. They benefited from higher rates per car and fuel surcharges. That big boost came even though there was really bad weather during the winter and flooding in the Midwest. That hurt volumes, but they made all that up on pricing. Lots of other railroads do the same thing. Tennessee and Wyoming, they reported really strong earnings, even though there was all this flooding and stuff.

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The big things were industrial and consumers -- your oil, your construction materials. That painted a really strong economy. The weaknesses were in coal and agriculture. It was really good. It shows that that investment in Burlington Northern is really paying off.

Sciple: Yeah. Those railroads fit what Warren Buffett has done in the past. Used to always invest in newspapers, those are little monopolies. You look at a railroad, we've talked about with pipelines before, those are little monopolies, too. You control those routes. They're not building a lot of new railroads these days. When folks need to move things around, they have to go to Berkshire or these other folks. When the economy is doing well, it really works out for these railroads. We've talked in the past too about pipeline constraints as well taking away oil from some of these plays. Railroads are a good substitute for that. That explains some of where you might see that strong performance in that part of the business.

Their utilities and energy also had a pretty good quarter as well. What did you see from that part of Berkshire's operating businesses?

DiLallo: Utilities earnings pre-tax is up 11% to like $500 million. That was pretty good. But it was interesting. There's a lot of mixed results. They own several utilities. MidAmerican's probably their most famous one. Earnings there doubled. But a lot of the other ones are up or down. That just shows the diversification of Buffett's energy portfolio. He had some other energy businesses. He has pipelines, and he has investments in renewables and regulated electricity transmission. Those were down there, they reported a loss. The diversification really helped him. He had some really good assets out there. Those are performing well and they're offsetting some weak areas.

Sciple: Yeah. Again, that's what you get from Berkshire, this super-diversified industrial conglomerate in areas where regardless how the economy is performing, some part of that business is going to be doing well.

Matthew DiLallo owns shares of Berkshire Hathaway (B shares). Nick Sciple has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Berkshire Hathaway (B shares). The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
SettleMint secures grants and proof of concept opportunity with its revolutionary blockchain-based enterprise technology software, Mint

SALT LAKE CITY, May 15, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Medici Ventures , the wholly-owned blockchain subsidiary of Overstock.com, Inc. (OSTK), announces that its Belgium and Dubai-based keiretsu company, SettleMint , has opened 2019 with three major successes related to its leading blockchain enterprise technology solution, Mint .

In January, SettleMint was selected as a recipient of the Horizon 2020 SME Instrument Phase II Grant, amounting to 1.8 million. SettleMint was also chosen to deliver a Proof of Concept for blockchain applications in securities services to Standard Chartered , a leading international bank focused on helping people and companies prosper across Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. In April, SettleMint was awarded a 1.591 million Research & Development grant from VLAIO to further develop its core technology, the distributed middleware Mint.

SettleMint was one of the first blockchain technology companies to have products in production, rather than hyping promises and potential, said Medici Ventures President Jonathan Johnson. Its no surprise SettleMint has started out 2019 by receiving prestigious grants and by partnering with a global banking leader on a meaningful proof of concept project. In Mint, SettleMint has created a versatile toolbox that allows enterprise developers to quickly build and integrate new blockchain-based apps and functionalities in a matter of weeks, not years.

Horizon 2020 SME Instrument Phase II Grant

SettleMint was chosen to receive over 1.8 million as part of the Horizon 2020 SME Instrument Phase II Grant, as announced by the company on January 15, 2019. The company was chosen for the prestigious grant based in part on its revolutionary blockchain enterprise technology software product, Mint.

Mint is a middleware that allows companies to overcome the current shortage of blockchain developers by enabling enterprise developers to work in the language they are used to while integrating blockchain technologies into existing tech stacks. The software allows for the development of blockchain technologies within industries such as financial services, retail, capital markets, banking, and more, at a fraction of the time and at considerably lower cost.

Story continues

The Horizon 2020 SME Instrument Phase II Grant will support SettleMint in accelerating the commercialization of Mint in Europe and the Middle East, as well as the companys expansion into at least two new markets in 2019.

We are thrilled to receive the support of the European Commission to further accelerate growth in our core markets. In combination with our ongoing series A round, the grant provides an even stronger foundation for our continued growth, said Matthew Van Niekerk, CEO and co-founder of SettleMint.

SettleMint was one of only two blockchain-based companies chosen from the pool of applicants during a selective screening process that included hundreds of top European technology companies.

Standard Chartered Proof of Concept

Standard Chartered, with its APAC operations headquartered in Singapore, has awarded SettleMint a Proof of Concept to test the companys blockchain enterprise technology solution, Mint, for production readiness ahead of a potential full-production rollout as announced by the company on January 15, 2019.

As part of the proof of concept, Mint will be used by Standard Chartered to tokenize several types of securities, communicate with digital asset exchanges and execute transactions for these assets using smart contracts.



Mint, which is designed to be implemented seamlessly into enterprise systems in any market, drastically shortens client transaction cycles by allowing for transactions to be settled in seconds rather than in days.

A number of Mints proprietary technologies will be utilized to fulfil the Proof of Concepts requirements, including TokenMint for asset tokenization, Marketplaces for the trading engine, and its native second layer scaling solution for near instantaneous settlement of transactions.

VLAIO Grant

VLAIO , the Flanders organization for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, awarded SettleMint a 1.591 million Research & Development grant. The grant will be used to further the development of Mint, SettleMints core technology enabling any company to quickly integrate blockchain technology into existing applications.

Mint is designed to allow non-blockchain experts to rapidly create and implement reliable and intelligible blockchain-based applications throughout business domains, enabling them to become accountable blockchain developers.

About SettleMint



SettleMint is a leading supplier of Blockchain middleware solutions. Headquartered in Leuven, Belgium, with offices in Dubai and soon Singapore, SettleMint is a fast-growing company with clients worldwide. SettleMint licenses a suite of blockchain based solutions which can be customised to meet the needs of specific client use cases. Its core product, Mint, is a blockchain agnostic middleware solution supporting the most stable blockchain technologies, thereby minimizing risk for obsolescence and vendor lock-in for clients. Mint enables clients to deploy blockchain technologies in a matter of days or weeks instead of months or years. Using the API layer of Mint, clients are able to program in their native language, bypassing the need to become an expert in blockchain protocols. SettleMint makes it easy to integrate blockchain technologies.

About Overstock.com

Overstock.com, Inc Common Shares (OSTK) / Series A Preferred (Medici Ventures tZERO platform: OSTKP) / Series B Preferred (OSTBP) is an online retailer and technology company based in Salt Lake City, Utah. Its leading e-commerce website sells a broad range of new products at low prices, including furniture , decor , rugs , bedding , home improvement , and more. The online shopping site, which is visited by nearly 40 million customers a month, also features a marketplace providing customers access to millions of products from third-party sellers. Overstock was the first major retailer to accept cryptocurrency in 2014, and in the same year founded Medici Ventures, its wholly-owned subsidiary developing and accelerating blockchain technologies to democratize capital, eliminate middlemen, and re-humanize commerce. Overstock regularly posts information about the company and other related matters on the Newsroom and Investor Relations pages on its website, Overstock.com .

O, Overstock.com, O.com, Club O, Main Street Revolution, and Worldstock are registered trademarks of Overstock.com, Inc. O.biz and Space Shift are also trademarks of Overstock.com, Inc. Other service marks, trademarks and trade names which may be referred to herein are the property of their respective owners.

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Such forward-looking statements include all statements other than statements of historical fact. Additional information regarding factors that could materially affect results and the accuracy of the forward-looking statements contained herein may be found in the Company's Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2019, which was filed with the SEC on May 9, 2019, and any subsequent filings with the SEC.

SOURCE: Overstock.com, Inc.

Media Contact:

pr@overstock.com

Investor Contact:

ir@overstock.com
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BERLIN, May 16 (Reuters) - Germany's Angela Merkel said on Thursday she would be unavailable for any further political office after serving out her fourth term as chancellor, dismissing speculation that she could take a big European Union job in Brussels.

"I am not available for any further political office, regardless of where it is - including in Europe," Merkel told a joint news conference with Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte.

(Writing by Paul Carrel Editing by Michelle Martin)
(Bloomberg) -- Elon Musks SpaceX has made a business out of launching satellites for commercial customers, NASA and the U.S. military.

On Thursday evening, the company will launch orbital objects of its own in a key step toward creating a space-based constellation that beams broadband to underserved areas across the globe. Its a bet Musk is making along with fellow billionaire Jeff Bezos on bringing in revenue as an internet provider from outer space. Musk founded SpaceX in 2002 with a goal of colonizing Mars.

In a phone call with journalists, Musk sounded cautious but excited. Its possible that some of these satellites may not work, said Musk. I do believe we will be successful, but it is far from a sure thing.

The first 60 operational satellites for SpaceXs project, called Starlink, are slated to launch aboard one of the companys Falcon 9 rockets at around 10:30 p.m. local time Thursday from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, after wind conditions caused a 24-hour delay to the original schedule. After the launch and payload deployment, SpaceX will attempt to land the Falcon 9s first stage on a drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean.

Roughly one hour and two minutes after liftoff, the Starlink satellites will begin deploying at an altitude of about 273 miles (440 kilometers) above Earth, SpaceX said in a press kit, then use onboard propulsion to reach an operational altitude of 550 km. Each satellite is equipped with a navigation system that allows SpaceX to precisely position the satellites, track orbiting debris and avoid collisions.

Musk said SpaceX plans to launch roughly 60 satellites at a time as it builds out its constellation. Noting it is a multi-billion dollar endeavor, he said that SpaceX has enough capital for the time being. At this point, it looks like we have sufficient capital to get to an operational level, but, of course, if things go wrong and there are unexpected issues, we will need to raise more capital in that situation.

Story continues

About 4 billion people -- the vast majority of whom are in Africa and Southeast Asia -- arent online and lack affordable, reliable access to the internet. Even in the U.S., a quarter of Americans in rural areas say access to high-speed internet is a major problem, according to a Pew Research Center survey conducted in 2018.

Starlink will afford broadband data access to the disconnected 4 billion much sooner than most would forecast, Steve Jurvetson, a longtime SpaceX director, tweeted Sunday.

The Federal Communications Commission initially authorized SpaceX to launch and operate a constellation of 4,425 non-geostationary orbit satellites in March of last year, then approved an additional 7,518 in November. SpaceXs plan for roughly 12,000 satellites far exceeds the 1,957 satellites orbiting the Earth now, according to a tally by the Union of Concerned Scientists.

Musk, SpaceXs chief executive officer, first announced his satellite plans in 2015 when the company opened an engineering campus near Seattle. He said the system would cost $10 billion to $15 billion to create -- maybe more -- but that it would bring significant revenue to SpaceX once developed and ultimately help fund a city on Mars.

We see this as a way for SpaceX to generate revenue that can be used to develop more advanced rockets and spaceships, Musk said Wednesday. This is a key stepping stone on the way toward establishing a self-sustaining city on Mars and a base on the moon. We can use the revenue from Starlink to fund Starship.

Hes far from alone in seeing dollar signs pushing a satellite-based internet service. Others with similar ambitions include Amazon.com Inc.s Bezos, who runs rival rocket company Blue Origin LLC; Canadas Telesat, and Virginia-based OneWeb Satellites, which has backing from SoftBank Group Corp.

When MIT Technology Review reported on Amazons project last month, Musk tweeted that Bezos was a copycat.

SpaceX launched a pair of Starlink demonstration satellites in February of last year. Four months later, Musk flew to Seattle to visit the team leading the project and fired at least seven people within hours, Reuters reported, citing two unidentified employees. The dismissals followed disagreements between Musk and others over the pace at which the satellites were being developed and tested, the news service said in October.

One of those ousted was Rajeev Badyal, who had joined SpaceX from Microsoft Corp. in 2014 and was vice president of satellites. Last month, CNBC reported that Badyal is now leading Amazons Project Kuiper, which plans to put more than 3,000 satellites in low Earth orbit. The Starlink team is now led by Mark Juncosa, SpaceXs VP of vehicle engineering and an eight-year veteran of the company.

Each company has to launch a certain number of satellites to provide commercial services, said Tom Stroup, president of the Satellite Industry Association in Washington. He noted there are already companies, including Iridium Communications Inc., SES SA, Viasat Inc., Inmarsat Plc and Hughes Network Systems LLC that are currently providing global broadband services from space.

Getting tens, hundreds, or thousands of satellites into space and operational is no small feat, he said.

(Updates timing details for launch starting in second paragraph.)

To contact the reporter on this story: Dana Hull in San Francisco at dhull12@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Craig Trudell at ctrudell1@bloomberg.net, Chester Dawson

For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com

2019 Bloomberg L.P.
Natalie Portman used to think about herself as a vegan and, separately, as someone who advocates for womens rights. Not anymore.

Only after I became active in womens issues did I realize that my veganism was related to those very issues, Portman told 16,000 students at WE Day California, a celebrity-packed celebration of youth activism Thursday at the Forum in Los Angeles. Dairy and eggs dont just come from cows and chickens, they come from female cows and female chickens. Were exploiting female bodies and abusing the magic of female animals to create eggs and milk.

Portman, whos been a vegetarian since she was 9 and a vegan for about eight years, continued: Mothers are separated from children to create milk. Animals are sick and in crowded, prison-like conditions to make dairy and eggs. It doesnt take a lot to draw the line from how we treat animals to how we treat humans.

Natalie Portman speaks onstage at WE Day California on April 25, 2019, at the Forum in L.A. (Photo: Jesse Grant/Getty Images for WE Day)

The Annihilation star said she initially became a vegetarian because she related to animals as a kid. She went completely vegan because she learned it would be good for the planet, a way that she as an individual could make an impact.

Eat how you believe, Portman advised the students, who all earned their ticket to the show by making a difference in their communities. She told them not to let naysayers get in the way.

So now lots of people make fun of vegans, right? Lots of people make fun of anybody who cares about anything deeply, right? Portman asked. Im sure many of you have encountered that kind of commentary, too. But Im here to say, it is always a great thing to care. And its the most beautiful thing to care, to have your heart open so much that someone elses pain feels like your own, to care so much that youll spend your time making sure that change happens, and thats why you are all here today. Whether its environmental issues, animal rights, womens rights, equality, never be afraid to show how much you care.

Highlights from WE Day California will air Aug. 9 at 8 p.m. on ABC.

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VANCOUVER, British Columbia, May 15, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- NeutriSci International Inc. (the Company or NeutriSci) (TSX-V: NU, OTCQB: NRXCF, FRANKFURT: 1N9) the innovator and pioneer behind neuenergy, and Thai Freeze Dry Co. Ltd. (TFD) are pleased to announce they have entered into a Letter of Intent (LOI) to develop and sell a line of products that incorporate both companies IP and technology for enhancing palatability and bioavailability of beneficial molecules including, but not limited to, cannabinoids, into NeutriScis existing and pipeline product formats.



The pilot formulation development and testing program to be conducted under this LOI shall focus on creation of test formulations of NeutriScis patented technology tablets to be modified through incorporation of TFDs proprietary technology together with cannabinoids and other ingredients under TFDs umbrella of products. Testing will be conducted at TFDs facilities in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

For the past 15 years, TFD has been developing a disruptive technology that could have a strong impact on traditional herbal medicine, food, beverage, supplement and cosmetic industries including but not limited to the cannabis industry. Along the way, they have achieved FDA approval for their factory and all of their products, GMP Certification, Halal approval and USA FDA approval as a food factory.

TFDs Cellular Fraction-Line (CFL) technology delivers products with sustained cellular integrity, high bioactivity as well as high bio-availability. Potentiated cannabis powder combines the fresh whole leaf powder derived from TFDs CFL technology with the highly concentrated extract to bring together the high levels of targeted active compounds with the natural synergy of whole-leaf powder.

In this way, TFD approaches the holy grail - cannabis in its natural state - its fresh form - displaying the medicinal bioactivity of the cannabis plant as it grows in nature. Thanks to CFL, customers are getting everything from the whole plant except for water, including compounds that we may not yet have discovered.



NeutriScis Cryolisation process is used to prepare oral dosage forms comprising cannabinoid and stilbenoid compounds which improve the dissolution rate and bioavailability of cannabinoid compounds.



Preliminary research data indicate that cannabinoid and stilbenoid formulations prepared using the Cryolisation process increase absorption rates of cannabinoid compounds 4-5 times over consumption of cannabinoid compounds alone. The tested formulations appear to increase the amount of active ingredient the body can absorb while simultaneously increasing the rate of absorption with THC and CBD detected in the bloodstream.



NeutriScis Cryolisation technology may provide an opportunity for manufacturers of cannabinoid-infused products to use less active ingredient while still achieving the desired results, thus lowering cost of manufacturing, thereby increasing margins.



Dan Foxman, CEO of Thai Freeze Dry, stated, The list of formulations using cannabis as the catalyst ingredient in combination with other Thai medicinal herbs has huge potential. Our concept of "potentiated" herbs that combine the unnaturally high levels of active compounds achieved by extraction, with our whole-food herbal powders that contain all the co-factors that allow the active compounds to function optimally with our body's adaptive systems, has the potential to have a strong impact on the entire nutraceutical industry.



Mr. Foxman continued, NeutriScis technology could be a perfect fit for us to create several new products, not only for the cannabis industry. We are looking forward to advance this collaboration as quickly as possible.



Glen Rehman, CEO of NeutriSci International said, Apart from the booming cannabis side of things, Thai Freeze Dry is producing some very interesting herb products, such as black rice powder, which demonstrates appetite satisfying properties. Thai Freeze Drys sprouted black rice powder tells your body that you are full and no longer hungry. Combined with our technology, we will explore the opportunity to develop a sublingual black rice powder tablet for the weight loss market which is now worth $72.7 billion(1) in the US alone.



(1) source: www.webwire.com/ViewPressRel.asp?aId=236237



About Thai Freeze Dry



Thai Freeze Dry (TFD), headquartered in Chiang Mai, produces 35 FDA approved herbal powders and 10 herbal formulations using its proprietary Cellular Fraction-Line Technology with additional products pending approval. This advanced and progressive process allows Thai Freeze Dry to maintain the medicinal bioactivity of a live plant while providing the safety of a stable commodity. It provides highly bioactive, stable, bio-available and concentrated products.

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For the past 15 years, TFD has been processing Thai herbs and botanicals of the highest quality under GMP conditions. The most popular product to date is sprouted black rice powder which is rich in antioxidants and a natural detoxifier.

TFD is also in a unique position to create synergistic formulations combining Thailands traditional medicinal herbs with cannabis in a variety of formulations, each of which addresses specific conditions. It can produce high-value products from the leaves, roots, seeds, and the water removed from the cannabis plant, all of which are presently under-used or not used at all. TFD owns a minority stake in Thai Cannabis Corp. ( www.thaicannabiscorporation.com ) and has the first call to all their processing.



For more information, please visit: www.thaifreezedry.com



About NeutriSci International



NeutriSci specializes in the innovation, production and formulation of nutraceutical products. Established in 2009, NeutriScis is building sustainable sales models with Convenience, Chain Drug, and Mass Market and Supermarket retailers for neuenergy, the Companys natural energy and focus supplement that has at its core, the beneficial effects of blueberries.



Neuenergy contains a unique patented combination of blueberry extract (pterostilbene) and naturally derived caffeine, and is a revolutionary energy tab designed to deliver enhanced focus and mental clarity with no sugar, no calories and no crash associated with typical energy products. To find out more about neuenergy, please visit www.getneuenergy.com .



NeutriSci has also developed chewable and sublingual cannabis edibles. nu.thc as well as nu.cbd are healthy and sugar-free cannabinoid tablets that offer a metered dose of THC/CBD, combined with the increased bioavailability and powerful antioxidant properties of pterostilbene, the best out of blueberries. nu.thc & nu.cbd tablets will be initially sold in California, USA, in collaboration with Nutritional High International Inc.



For more information, please visit: www.neutrisci.com .



Contacts:

Glen Rehman

CEO of NeutriSci International Inc.

Tel: (403) 264-6320

Email: info@neutrisci.com

Dan Foxman

CEO of Thai Freeze Dry Co. Ltd.

Phone: (66) 081 764 4324

Email: daniel.f@thaifreezedry.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.



Forward-Looking Statements



This news release may include forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties. All statements within, other than statements of historical fact, are to be considered forward looking. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those in forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include market prices, exploitation and exploration successes, continued availability of capital and financing, and general economic, market or business conditions. There can be no assurances that such statements will prove accurate and, therefore, readers are advised to rely on their own evaluation of such uncertainties. We do not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statements except as required under the applicable laws.

Statements in this press release have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Products or ingredients are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
RENO, Nev., May 16, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Nevada Exploration Inc. (NGE or the Company) (TSX-V: NGE; OTCQB: NVDEF) is pleased to present the results from its recently-completed 4,000-metre core drilling program at its South Grass Valley Project (the Project), where, as previously announced, the Company has discovered a large mineralized Carlin-type hydrothermal system, successfully achieving the objective of the Phase 1 drilling program.



By integrating the geologic logging and assay results from the eight, wide-spaced, Phase 1 core holes with the Companys other geophysical and geochemical datasets, NGE has: (1) confirmed the presence of the critical components required to host a Carlin-type gold deposit (CTGD); (2) confirmed that the scale of the geologic system is consistent with that required to host a significant deposit; (3) built a geologic model to guide continued exploration at this otherwise blind, covered target; and (4) designed a program for the next stage of exploration at what NGE considers to be one of the most important projects in Nevada in terms of its potential to host a major new CTGD.

Wade Hodges, NGEs CEO, discusses the results of the program: If we look at the major Carlin-type systems in Nevada  company-making assets such as Goldstrike, Turquoise Ridge, and Cortez Hills  these deposits are the product of critical geologic components, or building blocks, coming together at the same place at the same time, namely: the right bedrock needs to have been in contact with the right faults and structures that have been used to transport the right hydrothermal fluids that have contained the right concentrations of gold - which in these Carlin-type systems is also found along with a characteristic suite of pathfinder elements.

Based on this known architecture, if there is a large CTGD at South Grass Valley, we would expect massive volumes of characteristic lower-plate limestone bedrock, within a structurally complex setting, showing evidence of intense hydrothermal alteration, and containing enriched concentrations of gold and associated pathfinders. Establishing that these critical components are present together at South Grass Valley, and importantly that each exists at a scale consistent with those same features responsible for Nevadas major CTGDs, was the specific objective of the program; and as weve announced, this is exactly what weve found.

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We have literally uncovered a brand-new, potential Carlin-type district, and as the first exploration company to enter this search space, we believe we have the best opportunity of making a significant discovery here. Having successfully achieved our objective for our Phase 1 program, our job now turns to domaining the Project into smaller, discrete targets and identifying which of these targets provides the best geologic architecture to support higher-grade gold mineralization. Driven by the logging and analyses of the more than 2,500 core samples collected during Phase 1 drilling, we have decoded the bedrock layer cake at the Project, and have integrated this new information with the geophysics, mapping, groundwater, and soil sampling to build a geologic model for the Project including, importantly, structural geology, to drive our next phase of exploration.

With the clear and specific goal of giving us the best information to ultimately select the best targets for follow-up infill drilling, our plan for the coming months is to improve and expand our data coverage at what are now the edges of our geologic model, beyond the limits of the Phase 1 drill holes, by collecting additional step-out core drilling, Scorpion drilling, and soil samples. We believe our progress to date is a good example of how to systematically and responsibly de-risk a covered exploration project, and we look forward to continuing to advance one of Nevadas largest new Carlin-type projects.

PROJECT LOCATION AND HISTORY

NGEs South Grass Valley Project is a covered (blind) gold exploration project located approximately 50 kilometres south-southwest of the Cortez complex operated by Nevada Gold Mines (Barrick Gold Corp. and Newmont Mining Corp. JV), within the specific region of north-central Nevada known to host world-class CTGDs. NGE originally identified and staked the Project based on elevated concentrations of gold and CTGD pathfinder elements in groundwater that the Company discovered during a generative basin-scale hydrogeochemistry-supported exploration program. Since acquiring the Project, NGE has completed: an in-fill borehole groundwater sampling program, detailed air magnetic and gravity geophysics surveys, a soil geochemistry sampling program, and most recently, a Phase 1 core drilling program.

PHASE 1 DRILLING OBJECTIVE

The Companys objective for its Phase 1 core drilling program was to confirm whether the enriched gold and CTGD pathfinders in groundwater at the Project are associated with a mineralized hydrothermal system of a size comparable to those responsible for 5 to 10 million-ounce CTGDs in Nevada. Specifically, the Phase 1 program was designed to test for the presence of significant volumes of hydrothermally-altered lower-plate bedrock containing enriched CTGD pathfinder element concentrations above the thresholds used to define the geochemical footprints in bedrock (halos) surrounding large known CTGDs, such as Cortez Hills at the north end of the valley, based on the latest research from the Mineral Deposit Research Unit (MDRU) at the University of British Columbia.

SCOPE OF PROGRAM

To accomplish this objective NGE completed eight wide-spaced core holes, with an average depth of 500 metres, clustered in three fences spaced approximately 1,200 metres apart, together covering an area of the Project measuring approximately 3,000 metres N-S by 800 metres E-W. This wide hole spacing was selected based on the size of the CTGD pathfinder element footprints surrounding the gold mineralization at the CTGDs studied by MDRU. With a total of 4,000 metres of drilling, resulting in 2,500 core samples, the Phase 1 drilling has provided suitable data coverage to test the area drilled for the presence of a large CTGD footprint, as well as provided important geologic information about the Project as a whole.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/ee1b7d25-b2df-4ad4-9e41-f90eca2c4ec9

RESULTS

To accompany the discussion below, complete down-hole strip logs, including: lithology, structure, alteration, and assay results for gold plus the CTGD pathfinders, as well as core photos, for the eight Phase 1 drill holes are available in the Project datafile available at: www.nevadaexploration.com/_resources/May_16_2019_South_Grass_Valley_Data_Package.pdf .

(a) Lithology

One of the characteristic traits of CTGDs is that they are hosted within a sequence of carbonate bedrock units, referred to as lower plate, that are well suited to react with Carlin-type hydrothermal fluids.

With the exception of the first hole, all of the drill holes encountered a sequence of predominantly limestone and mudstone beneath 94m to 219m of gravel cover, which continued to the bottoms of the holes (248m to 647m). These drill holes provided a representative sample of bedrock to establish the major lithologic units at the Project. Through detailed logging of the drill samples and an extensive review of their geochemistry, combined with conodont-derived age dates and geologic mapping of nearby bedrock exposures, NGE has constructed a stratigraphic section, which places the bedrock at the Project into the regional context of lower-plate units that host the gold mineralization at Nevadas major CTGDs.

In detail, the lithologic units encountered by the Phase 1 drilling represent a transitional zone of alternating beds of mudstone and limestone of varying thickness (e.g. whispy calcareous mudstone and silty limestone) that began (closest to the top of holes) in the lower units of the Silurian-aged (420Mya) Roberts Mountain formation, and continued down through Ordovician- and Cambrian-aged (up to 540Mya) Hanson Creek, Antelope Valley, Goodwin, Hales, and Tybo formations. At the southwestern edge of the Phase 1 drill holes, a granitic stock of presumed Jurassic age (168-158Mya) intrudes the Paleozoic stratigraphy, which is considered favorable for CTGD exploration as the contrasting rock properties between similar Jurassic to Cretaceous granitic intrusions at major CTGDs, such as Getchell and Cortez Hills, provided important structural contrasts (relative to the adjacent lower-plate rocks) that are inferred to have enhanced the mineralization. The drilling also intersected younger volcanic units, likely representing Eocene through Oligocene (40-25Mya) volcanism, that covered areas of the Paleozoic bedrock, and which provide helpful markers to establish the relative timing of reactivated and post-mineral structures.

In all, the Phase 1 drill holes have confirmed that the Project contains a thick sequence of favourable lower-plate bedrock across a wide area, which based on the combined interpretation of the drilling and geophysics, likely continues well beyond this initial area of investigation, as well as at depth.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/499e0e27-4301-4edd-9eed-e183b7d782a7

(b) Structure

For large CTGDs to form within favourable lower-plate host rocks, these bedrock units need to be proximal to major structural features (e.g. faults and thrusts) that can act as primary conduits (a plumbing system) to allow mineralized hydrothermal fluids to rise from depth to where they can exploit zones of secondary permeability, which can be enhanced by processes such as structural damage and chemical alteration.

Based on the detailed stratigraphic section discussed above, the relationship of bedrock units between drill holes shows major stratigraphic offsets marking high-angle faults, as well as overlapping and repeating stratigraphic sequences suggestive of folding and major thrust faulting. When combined with the air magnetic geophysics, gravity geophysics, and range-front mapping, these now-confirmed major structures improve and build confidence in the Companys structural geologic interpretations and projections. The results highlight a dominant series of parallel, NNW-SSE, high-angle structures that break the bedrock up into discrete blocks that have been vertically shuffled, potentially preserving prospective bedrock units higher in the stratigraphy, which also highlight pre-existing structures often important for hydrothermal fluid flow. The NNW-SSE structural fabric is cross-cut by a later series of parallel SW-NE structures that dip steeply to the NW and appear to drop consecutive blocks down towards the northwest, which further segment the bedrock into smaller blocks. Both the NNW-SSE and SW-NE structures are associated with significant damage zones in the surrounding bedrock and deep oxidation.

These major fault, thrust, and damage-zone features highlight a structural complexity that is typical of CTGDs, and that is well suited to having provided the necessary primary fluid pathways and secondary permeability to transport potentially mineralized hydrothermal fluids into thick sections of favourable lower-plate bedrock at the Project.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/020fb6cd-3591-4d7f-aff1-bc45a7755954

(c) Alteration



When fluid pathways and bedrock units have been subject to hydrothermal fluid flow (i.e. when the plumbing has been turned on), this process alters the surrounding bedrock, with different types and temperatures of hydrothermal fluids generating different styles of alteration.

The Phase 1 drilling shows widespread, intense alteration in the form of decalcification, argilization, and silicification across all of the seven drill holes that encountered lower-plate bedrock. The variability in the intensity of alteration suggests two separate zones of more focused fluid flow, an upper and a lower zone, with the lower zone exhibiting notable increases in both silicification and secondary pyrite. The drilling also encountered broad zones of syn-cataclastic dissolution breccias, which also represent favourable host units for CTGD mineralization.

The extensive and intense alteration seen across the Project confirms that massive volumes of favourable bedrock at the Project were subject to significant and long-lived hydrothermal fluid flow, consistent with the scale of alteration associated with Nevadas large CTGDs.

(d) Geochemistry

The overarching discriminator for whether or not a hydrothermal system has the potential to create a CTGD when presented with the right geologic setting is whether or not the fluids carry a sufficient mineral budget that can then be concentrated. In addition to gold, the mineralization at large CTGDs in Nevada is also closely associated with a characteristic suite of pathfinder elements: As, Hg, Sb, and Tl, each of which generally continue to travel further than the gold into the surrounding bedrock, effectively increasing the size of the mineralized footprint of the deposit.

Of the seven drill holes that intersected lower-plate bedrock, the hydrothermal alteration in all seven holes was associated with thick (in most holes >200 metre) intervals of anomalous and highly-anomalous CTGD pathfinder elements, including more focused enrichment associated with local structures and fractures. Specifically, the concentrations of As, Hg, Sb, and Tl within the massive zones of alteration encountered in these seven drill holes exceed the MDRU exploration thresholds for defining CTGD footprints, and are coincident with thick intervals of low-level gold, which should be expected if these wide-spaced drill holes have intersected the footprint of a large deposit.

The absolute concentrations, as well as the total budgets, of CTGD pathfinder elements throughout significant volumes of hydrothermally-altered lower-plate bedrock confirm the fluids that were active at the Project contained the characteristic mineral budget associated with large CTGDs.

DISCUSSION

The Company believes the Phase 1 results suggest the drill holes hit the margins of a large new Carlin-type hydrothermal systems with significant potential to host CTGD mineralization. As is typical at CTGDs, the dominant controls for mineralization at the Project appear to be structural features. The alteration, pathfinder geochemistry, and gold concentrations are most intense within damage zones localized along the primary NNW-SSE structures and potential thrust features. Modelling these alteration and geochemistry contrasts provides evidence for the timing of the different structures relative to the mineralizing event(s), and helps prioritize which structures are most important in guiding the next phases of exploration.

By integrating the improved structural interpretation with the detailed stratigraphic section, the Projects geologic model is resolving into smaller geologic domains, or blocks of bedrock, defined by similar structural and geologic conditions. By normalizing the geology within the domains, NGE is examining the geochemistry and alteration features within each domain as potential vectors towards mineralization. At this time, while the drill hole coverage at the Project remains limited and wide spaced, the results suggest two centres of mineralization, one to the north close to Goodwin Butte, and another further to the south, closer to the southern fence of Phase 1 drill holes. Within these two centres, where nearby drill holes have intersected similar lithological and structural domains, the alteration and geochemistry also suggest a potential source direction for the hydrothermal fluids in these areas of the Project as coming from the east, at depth.

Having confirmed that the large area covered by the Phase 1 drill holes contains the required geologic features to host a significant CTGD, NGE looks forward to collecting additional drill samples to improve the data density, and to using its updated geologic model to continue to vector towards structural zones associated with the highest concentrations of CTGD pathfinders and gold, and towards places where these mineralized structures intersect especially-favourable host units. These features will define which domains provide the best targets to test for higher-grade mineralization with infill drilling.

In addition to advancing the targets identified within the Phase 1 drilling area, the Company also believes there is significant potential to identify additional high-priority targets by stepping out and extending its data coverage across the district-scale Project. The characteristic CTGD geologic setting (host rocks, structures, alteration, and geochemistry) remains open in almost all directions, including at depth, which parallels the results of NGEs hydrogeochemistry program, which shows the plume of enriched gold and CTGD pathfinders in groundwater at the Project extends beyond the limits of Phase 1 drill holes.

In light of the variability in gold-in-groundwater concentrations related to differences in sampling depths versus bedrock depths (particularly in areas where shallow groundwater samples were collected over deeper bedrock), the Company has added a second medium of geochemical data to compliment the hydrogeochemistry: mercury soil sampling. As the most volatile of the CTGD pathfinders, mercury is the most easily transported vertically (in vapour phase); and because of its vertical mobility, testing for mercury in soils is a logical tool to help guide CTGD exploration at covered targets. As described in the Companys news release dated January 30, 2019, the results of NGEs initial soil mercury program show a distinct zone of anomalous mercury in soils that extends NNW from the area evaluated by the Phase 1 drilling. This mercury-in-soil anomaly is coincident with the projected extension of the structurally-complex package of hydrothermally-altered lower-plate host rocks based on the results of the Phase 1 drilling, which in addition to the hydrogeochemistry data, provides a third, separate line of evidence to support the potential NNW extension of the mineralized Carlin-type system.

SUMMER 2019 FIELD PROGRAM

As described above, using the stratigraphic section and updated structural geology based on the Phase 1 drilling, NGE has built a geologic model to drive the next phases of exploration at the Project. This model domains the Project into smaller target areas, and also suggests significant potential to identify additional targets beyond the area of the Phase 1 drill holes. Building on these results to date, NGEs objectives for its 2019 field program at South Grass Valley are to: (1) complete a number of additional core holes to add stratigraphic and geologic information beyond the limits of the Phase 1 drill holes; and (2) acquire additional Scorpion drilling and soil geochemistry samples across the Project to select and prioritize targets for later, detailed in-fill core drilling.

To provide a representative sample of the bedrock units beneath the coincident gold-in-groundwater and mercury-in-soil anomaly located along the projected NNW extension of the features seen in the Phase 1 drilling, NGE plans to complete one or more relatively deep orientation core holes about 600 metres north of the northern-most Phase 1 drill holes. Specifically, NGE will use this information to test whether or not the massive volumes of hydrothermally-altered lower-plate bedrock containing CTGD pathfinders exceeding the MDRU exploration thresholds seen in the Phase 1 drilling extend this far to the north.

Subject to updates to the geologic model based on new information, NGE expects to also complete another one or more relatively deep orientation core holes to the east of the Phase 1 drill holes to test for increasing CTGD pathfinder concentrations, which would be expected if one of the sources of hydrothermal fluid flow at the Project is indeed from the east at depth, as the results from the Phase 1 drilling suggest.

To provide more-detailed 3D geochemistry data across the Project, NGE plans to complete a series of Scorpion drill holes both within and beyond the area of the Phase 1 drilling. In addition to being important controls for mineralization, structural features also provide pathways for gold and CTGD pathfinders to migrate upwards into the nearby cover material. By using the Scorpion drill rig to sample the groundwater and cover material above and proximal to major structural features, NGE expects to test for increases in gold and CTDG pathfinders to select and prioritize targets for infill core drilling. When NGEs Scorpion drill rig moved to South Grass Valley it was challenged by the specific drilling conditions and depths at the Project. During the past year, NGE has worked with industry experts to complete modifications to the Scorpion drill rig to improve its capabilities. The Company looks forward to field-testing the latest modifications with the goal of adding relatively low-cost geochemistry information to maximize the value of significantly-more-expensive core drill holes.

Continuing on the success of the Companys initial soil mercury program in complementing its hydrogeochemistry data to domain and focus exploration based directly on concentrations of gold and CTGD pathfinders, NGE plans to significantly increase its soil mercury sample coverage. NGE has begun a follow-up sampling program to: (1) infill the existing sample lines by reducing line spacings from 400 metres to 200 metres  consistent with the sampling strategy used to define the soil-mercury anomaly over Cortez Hills; and (2) expand sample coverage to the north and south, along the projected extension of the favourable geologic features seen in the Phase 1 drilling in order to add geochemistry data in places where the depth to bedrock is so deep that NGEs shallow groundwater samples may not provide as-representative information about the underlying bedrock, as well as in places where NGE has limited groundwater sample coverage due to deeper groundwater depths.

In terms of timing: NGEs drilling contractor expects to mobilize a core drill rig to the Project and begin drilling within the next two weeks; the soil mercury sampling program is now in progress; and NGE is aiming to begin the first Scorpion drill shift in June.

As NGE continues to advance the Project, per NI 43-101, 2.3(2), the Company must remind its stakeholders that the Project remains an exploration target for which the potential quantity and grade of any mineral resource is still conceptual in nature. There has been insufficient exploration to define a mineral resource, and it is uncertain if further exploration will result in the target being delineated as a mineral resource.

About Nevada Exploration Inc.

NGE is an exploration company advancing a portfolio of new district-scale gold exploration projects along Nevadas Battle Mountain-Eureka (Cortez) Trend. NGE is led by an experienced management team that has been involved in several significant discoveries in Nevada, including the discovery of Lone Tree and Rabbit Creek (part of the Twin Creeks Mine). NGEs team has spent the last decade integrating the use of hydrogeochemistry with conventional exploration tools to develop a Nevada-specific regional-scale geochemistry exploration program.

With new proprietary technology, NGE has completed the worlds largest groundwater sampling program for gold exploration, collecting approximately 6,000 samples to evaluate Nevadas covered basins for new gold exploration targets. To advance follow-up targets, NGE has overcome the high drilling costs that have previously prohibited the wide-spread use of drilling as a prospecting tool by developing its Scorpion drill rig, a small-footprint, truck-mounted, small-diameter RC drill rig specifically tailored to the drilling conditions in Nevadas basins (analogous to RAB drilling in other parts of the world).

By integrating hydrogeochemistry and early-stage low-cost drilling with conventional exploration methods, NGE is overcoming the challenges and radically reducing the costs of exploring in Nevadas covered basins, and is taking significant steps to open this important new search space up for district-scale exploration.

For further information, please contact:

Nevada Exploration Inc.

Email: info@nevadaexploration.com

Telephone: +1 (604) 601 2006

Website: www.nevadaexploration.com

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Wade A. Hodges, CEO & Director, Nevada Exploration Inc., is the Qualified Person, as defined in National Instrument 43-101, and has prepared the technical and scientific information contained in this News Release.

Cautionary Statement on Forward-Looking Information:

This news release contains forward-looking information and forward-looking statements (collectively, forward-looking information) within the meaning of applicable securities laws, including, without limitation, expectations, beliefs, plans, and objectives regarding projects, potential transactions, and ventures discussed in this release.

In connection with the forward-looking information contained in this news release, the Company has made numerous assumptions, regarding, among other things, the assumption the Company will continue as a going concern and will continue to be able to access the capital required to advance its projects and continue operations. While the Company considers these assumptions to be reasonable, these assumptions are inherently subject to significant uncertainties and contingencies.

In addition, there are known and unknown risk factors which could cause the Companys 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. Among the important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements are the risks inherent in mineral exploration, the need to obtain additional financing, environmental permits, the availability of needed personnel and equipment for exploration and development, fluctuations in the price of minerals, and general economic conditions.

A more complete discussion of the risks and uncertainties facing the Company is disclosed in the Companys continuous disclosure filings with Canadian securities regulatory authorities at www.sedar.com. 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.
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) -- The bodies of two more people have been found after small sightseeing planes crashed in Alaska, the Coast Guard says.

Coast Guard Lt. Brian Dykens said six people have died in the collision Monday afternoon near Ketchikan, a popular destination for cruise ships in Alaska. Dykens said his agency and the Ketchikan Volunteer Rescue Squad found the two bodies near the crash site of the smaller plane involved in the collision, a single-engine de Havilland DHC-2 Beaver.

Ten people, all Americans, were injured, with three of them released from a hospital Tuesday. The missing passengers were from Canada and Australia, Princess Cruises said.

The Royal Princess, which can carry up to 3,600 people, was among four city-sized cruise ships in the tiny coastal community on Monday.

During port stops, visitors can shop in tourist stores or take part in several excursions, such as visiting an Alaska Native village, tour the backcountry, or visit a raptor center.

Another popular trip is flightseeing in Misty Fjords National Monument. Visitors marvel at the lakes, snowcapped peaks and glacier valleys in the wilderness area. Trips cost about $260 each.

The larger plane, a de Havilland Otter DHC-3 with 10 passengers and the pilot, was returning from Misty Fjords when it collided with a smaller sightseeing plane, a de Havilland DHC-2 Beaver carrying four passengers from the same cruise ship and a pilot.

The cause of the crash in relatively good weather, high overcast skies with light southeast winds was not known. The crash occurred about 8 miles (13 kilometers) from Ketchikan, near George Inlet. The planes came down about a mile and a half apart with some of the debris field on land.

The Otter, operated by Taquan Air, was initially traveling at an altitude of about 3,800 feet (1,158 meters), according to Peter Knudson, a spokesman for the National Transportation Safety Board, whose investigators arrived in Ketchikan Tuesday afternoon. He said the Otter had descended to an altitude of around 3,300 feet (over 1,000 meters) when it collided with the Beaver as both headed to Ketchikan.

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The smaller plane was partially submerged in the shore of George Inlet after the single-engine plane overturned and hit some trees before crashing, according to Coast Guard Lt. Brian Dykens. The larger Otter landed in water and sank, he said.

Three of the four who died were among the five people aboard the Beaver, according to Coast Guard Lt. Brian Dykens. Princess Cruises in its release said two passengers and the pilot were among those killed in this plane.

Canadian officials said Tuesday that one of its citizens was among the dead. Global Affairs Canada expressed condolences but did not identify the person because of privacy reasons.

The smaller plane, which operated independently and not as an official excursion flight booked through the cruise ship, was owned by Mountain Air Service of Ketchikan, which didn't immediately return a call Tuesday.

The Beaver appears to have broken apart in midair, according to Jerry Kiffer, duty incident commander of the Ketchikan Volunteer Rescue Squad. He said the plane's tail and section of the fuselage were 900 feet (275 meters) from the aircraft's floats, which landed near shore.

After the crash, the 10 injured people were initially taken to a hospital in Ketchikan. Four patients were later transferred to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, suffering various broken bones, spokeswoman Susan Gregg said.

Three survivors were released from PeaceHealth Ketchikan Medical Center in Ketchikan on Tuesday. Hospital spokeswoman Marty West says the remaining three are in fair condition.

Last summer, all 11 on board another Taquan Air flight survived when the 72-year-old pilot confused snow on a mountain with a body of water and crashed on a rocky mountainside on Prince of Wales Island near the southern tip of the Alaska Peninsula.

A pilot and eight cruise ship passengers died June 25, 2015, when a de Havilland DHC-3 Otter operated by Promech Air Inc. crashed into mountainous terrain about 24 miles (38 kilometers) from Ketchikan, also as it was returning from Misty Fjords.

The NTSB later determined that pilot error, the company's culture and lack of a formal safety program were among the causes of that crash. Taquan Air purchased the assets of Promech a year after the crash, and currently employs three pilots who worked for Promech, a company spokeswoman said.

The Royal Princess left Vancouver, British Columbia, on May 11 and was scheduled to arrive in Anchorage on Saturday.

"We are extending our full support to the investigating authorities as well as the traveling companions of the guests involved," the company said in a statement.

___

Associated Press journalists Martha Bellisle in Seattle, Rob Gillies in Toronto and Michelle A. Monroe in Phoenix contributed to this report.
Appoints Jennifer Kosharek as Interim CFO

PLANO, Texas, May 16, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Nuvectra Corporation (NVTR), a neurostimulation medical device company, today announced that Walter Z. Berger has resigned as Nuvectras Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer to pursue another business opportunity, effective May 24, 2019. The Board of Directors accepted Mr. Bergers resignation and has appointed Ms. Jennifer Kosharek, the Companys current Vice President, Controller and Principal Accounting Officer, as interim Chief Financial Officer as it initiates a search for a successor. Mr. Bergers departure is not based on any disagreement with the Company's accounting principles or practices, internal controls or financial statement disclosures.

Dr. Fred Parks, Nuvectras Chief Executive Officer, commented, On behalf of the Board of Directors and the leadership team, I would like to thank Walter for his significant contributions to the Company. During his tenure, Walter was instrumental in building the Companys corporate and commercial infrastructure, strengthening our balance sheet and driving strategic initiatives. I wish him the best of luck in his future endeavors and look forward to continuing to work with Jennifer to ensure a seamless transition.

Mr. Berger added, It has been a privilege to work with the entire Nuvectra team to position the Company for growth. Since the spinout of the Company, we have made great strides in the field of neurostimulation as we developed and commercialized Algovita. I believe the Company is positioned to continue to execute on its growth initiatives and create shareholder value.

Ms. Kosharek joined Nuvectra in January 2016 as Executive Director, Corporate Controller, and was appointed Vice President, Controller and Principal Accounting Officer, in June 2018. Ms. Kosharek has led the Companys external financial reporting, corporate accounting, corporate internal controls, shared services, payroll and tax functions. Ms. Kosharek has held various finance and leadership positions and has more than 15 years of audit and accounting experience, including 7 years of public company accounting experience. Prior to joining Nuvectra, Ms. Kosharek was the Corporate Controller and subsequently served as the Chief Financial Officer and Vice President of Finance at Interphase Corporation from 2011 to 2015. Preceding her position at Interphase, Ms. Kosharek served as Senior Accountant  External Reporting and later as Accounting Manager at Sabre Holding from 2008 to 2011. She began her career at Grant Thornton, LLP. Ms. Kosharek is a Certified Public Accountant and holds a Masters of Public Accountancy from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.

Story continues

The Board of Directors has initiated a search to identify a permanent Chief Financial Officer.

About Nuvectra Corporation

Nuvectra is a neurostimulation company committed to helping physicians improve the lives of people with chronic conditions. The Algovita Spinal Cord Stimulation (SCS) System is our first commercial offering and is CE marked and FDA approved for the treatment of chronic intractable pain of the trunk and/or limbs. Our innovative technology platform also has capabilities under development to support other indications such as sacral neuromodulation (SNM) for the treatment of overactive bladder, and deep brain stimulation (DBS) for the treatment of Parkinsons Disease. Visit the Nuvectra website at www.nuvectramed.com .

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains "forward-looking statements," including statements we make regarding the outlook for Nuvectra as an independent publicly-traded company. Forward-looking statements are based only on our current beliefs, expectations and assumptions regarding the future of our business, future plans and strategies, projections, anticipated events and trends, the economy and other future conditions, and therefore they are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict and may be outside of our control. Our actual performance may differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements. Therefore, you should not rely on any of these forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statement made by us is based only on information currently available to us and speaks only as of the date on which it is made. Important factors that could cause our actual results to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements include: (i) our ability to successfully commercialize Algovita and to develop, complete and commercialize enhancements or improvements to Algovita; (ii) our ability to successfully compete with our current SCS competitors and the ability of our U.S. sales representatives to successfully establish market share and acceptance of Algovita, (iii) the uncertainty and timing of obtaining regulatory approvals in the United States and Europe for our Virtis SNM system, (iv) our ability to successfully launch and commercialize the Virtis SNM system if and when it receives regulatory approval (v) our ability to demonstrate the features, perceived benefits and capabilities of Algovita to physicians and patients in competition with similar products already well established and sold in the SCS market; (vi) our ability to anticipate and satisfy customer needs and preferences and to develop, introduce and commercialize new products or advancements and improvements to Algovita in order to successfully meet our customers expectations; (vii) the outcome of our development plans for our neurostimulation technology platform, including our ability to identify additional indications or conditions for which we may develop neurostimulation medical devices or therapies and seek regulatory approval thereof; (viii) our ability to identify business development and growth opportunities and to successfully execute on our strategy, including our ability to seek and develop strategic partnerships with third parties to, among other things, fund clinical and development costs for new product offerings; (ix) the performance by our development partners, including Aleva Neurotherapeutics, S.A., of their obligations under their agreements with us; (x) the scope of protection for our intellectual property rights covering Algovita and other products using our neurostimulation technology platform, along with any product enhancements or improvements; (xi) our ability to successfully build, attract and maintain an effective commercial infrastructure and qualified sales force in the United States; (xii) our compliance with all regulatory and legal requirements regarding implantable medical devices and interactions with healthcare professionals; (xiii) our reliance on each of Integer, our exclusive and sole manufacturer and supplier of parts and components for Algovita, and Minnetronix, Inc., our sole-source supplier of external peripheral devices; (xiv) any supplier shortages related to Algovita or its components and any manufacturing disruptions which may impact our inventory supply as we expand our business; (xv) any product recalls, or the receipt of any warning letters, mandatory corrections or fines from any governmental or regulatory agency; (xvi) our ability to satisfy the conditions and covenants of our Credit Facility; and (xvii) our ability to raise capital should it become necessary to do so, through another public offering of our common stock, private equity or debt financings, strategic partnerships, or other sources. Please see the section entitled Risk Factors in Nuvectras Annual Report on Form 10-K and in our other quarterly and periodic filings for a description of these and other risks and uncertainties. We undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether written or oral, that may be made from time to time, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise.

Company Contact:

Nuvectra Corporation

Jennifer Kosharek

(214) 474-3107

jkosharek@nuvectramed.com

Investor Contact:

The Ruth Group



Tram Bui

(646) 536-7035

investors@nuvectramed.com
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Thursday morning via a YouTube video that he is jumping in to the 2020 presidential race, making him the 23rd Democratic candidate of note in a crowded field of hundreds.

In his first post-announcement interview, the mayor told ABCs Good Morning America that will push issues of concern to working people and he touted his administrations work with providing mental health care, paid sick leave and pre kindergarten for all.

Working Americans deserve better and I know we can do it because Ive done it he said.

De Blasio, flanked by New Yorks first lady, Chirlane McCray, suggested President Trump is a con artist who has pretended that he supports the needs of working Americans.

I call him Con Don,  de Blasio said. Hes trying to convince working Americans hes on their side. Its been a lie from day one.

In response to questions about his unimpressive poll numbers, the mayor said he took 73% of the vote in his first election for New York City mayor and 67% of the vote in his reelection. I think youd agree that the poll that actually matters is the election, he said. Its not where you start, its where you end.

Today I am proud to announce my candidacy for president of the United States of America, because it's time to finally put working people first.https://t.co/p7LYipgAPg



Join me: https://t.co/sjKUWB2LwR #BdB2020  Bill de Blasio (@BilldeBlasio) May 16, 2019

As de Blasio gave his interview, protesters from the New York City Housing Authority  the citys troubled public housing agency  and from the Police Benevolent Association  the citys police union  parked themselves outside the networks studios in Times Square. News editorials and New Yorkers on social media have suggested de Blasio should work on troubles in his own city rather than focus on the White House.

Story continues

After the morning interview, de Blasio was scheduled to deliver remarks at the Statue of Liberty Museum. Following that, he will head to the crucial primary state of Iowa, where he was scheduled to speak at a fundraising dinner hosted by the Woodbury County Democratic Party.

The announcement places de Blasio among a sea of Democrats clamoring for the chance to challenge President Trump. He will face an uphill battle with early polls generating low numbers for him.

The progressive Democrat who turned 58 last week is known for opposing Trumps anti-immigration measures. De Blasios second mayoral term is set to conclude at the end of 2021.

The development ends months of speculation since the Mayor de Blasio first said he would not rule out a campaign.

Im not sure what lane de Blasio expects to occupy, Patrick Murray, director of the Monmouth University Polling Institute, told Fortune. He is better known than many other candidates who have been running since the beginning of the year, but most of them are generally well-liked by the Democratic electorate. De Blasio stands out mainly for the relatively high number of primary voters who say they dont like him.

Another political observer who has written about de Blasio said it is not unusual for him to act against advice.

Its not out of character for him to do something that kind of defies the pundits and is unexpected, said Professor Joseph Viteritti, chair of the Urban Policy and Planning Department at Hunter College and author of The Pragmatist: Bill de Blasios Quest to Save the Soul of New York.

Thats pretty much the way hes run his career going back to the time he ran for  City Council but even School Board in Brooklyn, Viteritti said in an interview with Fortune.

The professor added, He obviously feels that what hes done in New York has relevance for a national agenda for the Democratic party, which is still trying to define itself in terms of its priorities.

In his favor, de Blasio runs a city of 8.6 million enjoying lowered unemployment and declining crime. But on the negative side, people in the political arena describe him as arrogant, and polls have been lukewarm. A Quinnipiac University poll released last month found that 76% of New Yorkers felt that de Blasio should not run for president. Polls by the Monmouth College Polling Institute gave de Blasio a 1% national rating among all candidates in March, 0% in Iowa last month and 1% in New Hampshire this month.

Then, theres the stiff competition. De Blasio will face off against former Vice President Joe Biden, a centrist who is emerging in polls as the clear Democratic frontrunner, along with U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris of California, and U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts. He would become the second mayor to enter the race, after Pete Buttigieg of South Bend, Indiana.

There have been signs for awhile that de Blasio was headed in the direction of a White House run. In April, his communications director, Mike Casca, transferred over to work at the de Blasios Fairness Political Action Committee, launched last summer. Earlier this month, his intergovernmental affairs director, Jon Paul Lupo, took vacation time to work on a campaign, according to multiple reports.

In recent months, de Blasio has traveled to Iowa, South Carolina and Nevada-early primary states-and his Fairness PAC has raised more than $470,000, according to Federal Election Commission records.

De Blasio was born in Manhattan, raised in Cambridge, Mass., earned an undergraduate degree at New York University and a masters degree in international and public affairs at Columbia University. He volunteered in Nicaragua, worked on the campaign of David Dinkins, New Yorks first and only black mayor, and served as regional director of the Department of Housing and Urban Development under now Gov. Andrew Cuomo. In New York, hes served on the school board, the city council and as the public advocate.

Whatever happens with de Blasios campaign, one piece of truth is that he runs the most populous city in the country, and the 27th most populous in the world. It stands to reason that he would play some role in the 2020 race in some form or fashion, Viteritti said. Hes going to have something to say one way or the other, and he should, the professor said. Its not unusual for New York City mayors to stick their noses into national politics.

More must-read stories from Fortune:

Why 2020 Democratic presidential candidates are flocking to Fox News

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Get up to speed on your morning commute with Fortunes CEO Daily newsletter
By Barani Krishnan

Investing.com - Never mind that nearly six million barrels of crude piled up in U.S. storage last week, or that the International Energy Agency still thinks there's an oversupply despite six months of OPEC cuts.

The Saudis are accusing the Iranians of being the unseen hands in this week's sabotage of the kingdom's oil industry, and that's all that seemed to be needed to give crude a third-straight day of gains.

West Texas Intermediate futures, the benchmark for U.S. crude, were up 99 cents, or 1.6%, at $63.01 per barrel by 1:00 PM ET (17:00 GMT).

London Brent futures, the global benchmark for oil, rose by $1.17, or 1.6%, to $72.94.

With Thursday's run-up, WTI is headed for a 2% gain on the week. But as of Thursday, it was down 1.5% for the month, accounting for losses since the start of May. Year to date, the U.S. crude benchmark shows a 39% gain.

Brent has risen as much as 4% on the week before gains were trimmed. Month to date, it has gained almost 2%, while for the year it is up around 36%.

Thursday's price surge came after Saudi Arabia accused Iran of ordering this weeks attack by Yemeni rebels on a key oil pipeline, stoking concerns that the worlds largest oil-producing region is edging toward another war. Earlier on Sunday, the Saudis said two of their oil tankers were damaged in attacks carried out on the vessels while they were on the Persian Gulf.

Iran, under U.S. sanctions that prevent its oil from being sold anywhere in the world, has warned the other oil producers in the Middle East as well as the United States in recent weeks of "consequences" for their actions, prompting Washington to move a warship and bombers to the region.

Saudi Prince Khalid Bin Salman, the vice minister for defense and brother of the kingdoms de facto ruler Mohammed bin Salman, said on Twitter that Tuesdays drone attack, claimed by Iran-backed Houthis, had undermined political efforts to ease tensions in Yemen.

Story continues

Geopolitical tensions in the Persian Gulf can often cause oil prices to rise very quickly as they raise fears about the security of crude supplies coming out of the region, which supplies about half of the world's oil needs.

While oil bulls cheered Thursday's rally, other market participants questioned the legitimacy of Saudi Arabia's charges against Iran. The kingdom has so far not produced any independently-verifiable proof of Tehran's culpability in the sabotage of its oil facilities, although the Houthi rebels, who are known supporters of Tehran, claimed responsibility for the pipeline attack.

Arab News, in an editorial, called for Iran to be punished, saying "it should not get away with any more intimidation, or be allowed to threaten global stability".

The Saudi attempts to link Iran to the attacks, an outcome the oil market had anticipated all week, comes before a preliminary OPEC meeting on Sunday where the cartel will discuss supply-demand and whether to recommend further production cuts at its more important June 25 meeting. Despite their enmity, the Saudis and Iranians are both key members of OPEC, along with Venezuela, which is also under U.S. sanctions.

"The next OPEC meeting is anyway going to be very complicated as we dont see how Iran and Venezuela will vote in favor of a supply increase by Saudi Arabia and the UAE in order to replace their restricted exports due to U.S. sanctions," said Olivier Jakob, founder of PetroMatrix, a Zug, Switzerland-based oil consultancy.

Then, there is the question also how well-balanced oil supplies are now.

U.S. crude stockpiles rose by 5.4 million barrels last week, the U.S. government announced on Wednesday, surprising a market expecting a decline instead of 800,000 barrels. In the previous week, crude inventories fell by almost 4 million barrels.

The Paris-based IEA said due to weakened demand, the global oil market was in a surplus of about 700,000 barrels in the first quarter despite WTI and Brent gaining about 30% in prices.

Combined with the worsening U.S.-China trade war and its impact on the global economy, the oil market is sending mixed signals, the IEA said.

"Weaker demand combined with supply outages and slowing but still significant production growth  it paints a confusing picture in which the market is tightening, but not overly so," said Nick Cunningham, commentator at Oilprice.com, which covers energy news.

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(Adds comment from German Foreign Ministry and U.S. State Department, context)

BERLIN, May 16 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will visit Berlin on May 31, after he cancelled a trip to the German capital earlier this month, newspaper Tagesspiegel said on Thursday.

It cited German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas as announcing the date to a meeting of the foreign affairs committee in parliament.

The State Department did not immediately return a request for comment. A spokesman for the German Foreign Ministry declined to comment, saying that dates would be announced at short notice.

The U.S. administration had cited "international security issues" as the reason for Pompeo cancelling his trip to Berlin, which was originally scheduled for May 7. Pompeo went to Baghdad to meet with Iraqi leaders instead.

Pompeo had been due to meet Chancellor Angela Merkel and Maas during that visit.

(Reporting by Riham Alkousaa, Sabine Siebold and Tassilo Hummel in Berlin and Doina Chiacu in Washington Editing by Michelle Martin)
Hyundai Merchant Marine started off 2019 much as it ended 2018, racking up losses.

Despite a first quarter gain in volume that boosted revenue, fuel prices and finance costs from the Korean company's debt load continue to weigh on results.

The last of South Korea's container line operators, Hyundai Merchant Marine reported a first quarter loss of $159 million, based on average Korean won-to-U.S. dollar exchange rates during the respective period. The year earlier quarter saw a slightly wider loss of $164 million.

The losses add to an estimated $2.8 billion in losses the company has reported since 2015.

Revenue was up almost 13 percent for the period reaching $1.1 billion. The gain came thanks to higher volumes, which were up 11 percent to 1.087 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU) during the quarter.

But operational costs were still too high. Hyundai Merchant Marine reported a $94 million operating loss for the first quarter, compared to a $159 million operating loss in the year earlier period.

Hyundai Merchant Marine blamed the first quarter losses on high fuel costs, with prices rising 13 percent to $423 per metric ton.

Hyundai Merchant Marine said it expects bunker surcharges to help mitigate some of the higher fuel costs associated with the International Maritime Organization's 2020 low-sulfur mandate. But Hyundai said it also plans to meet the IMO 2020 rule through installing scrubbers on many of its vessels."

The weak results also stem from the "continuous U.S.-China trade conflict is also one of key factors obstructing the recovery of the market." Likewise, the addition of new players in the trans-Pacific market means "intensified competition in the Asia-North America trade lane."

According to the Freightos Baltic Index, container shipping rates across the major trade lanes of Asia-to-Europe and Asia-to-North America West Coast dropped during the first quarter. (SONAR: FBX.CNER, FBX.CNAW)

Along with those factors. the company's financing costs are another big hurdle to profitability. Interest costs doubled to $90 million for the quarter.

Story continues

The costs stem from the massive debt load the company is under. In addition to $923 million in long-term maturing this year, Hyundai Merchant Marine has another $2.26 billion in long-term finance lease liabilities on its balance sheet.

About $883 million of that debt burden stems from the sale of bonds last year to its largest shareholder Korea Development Bank. The financing aimed to help Hyundai Merchant Marine pay for 12 container ships of 23,000 twenty-foot equivalent (TEUs) in capacity by 2020.

It is also scheduled to receive another eight container ships of 14,000 TEU capacity each.

The carrier was optimistic that rates would improve in the second and third quarter. But it also said risks from higher oil prices and trade disputes will continue to weigh on ocean carrier results.

Fuel costs are "expected to increase due to the U.S. sanctions against Iran, OPEC agreeing to cut oil production and increased demand of low-sulfur fuel oil," Hyundai Merchant Marine said. "Uncertainty over the cargo volumes will continue due to the concerns on a global economic slowdown, Brexit and the U.S.-China trade conflict."

At least the Russians are making money in shipping

Sovcomflot reports better first quarter results for crude and product tankers. (MarineLink)

Japanese carrier demonstrates LNG fueling

NYK and several utilities show off use of truck to fuel LNG-powered tugboat. (MarineLink)

Container ship lessor plans $1 billion in refinancing

Seaspan will repay 12 different loan facilities and be choose ships for collateral. (TradeWinds)

Cosco Shipping Ports takes hold in Peru port

China's largest ports operator seals deal for equity stake in Chancay. (Hellenic Shipping News)

Image sourced from Pixabay

See more from Benzinga

 2019 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
MAYFIELD VILLAGE, OHIO - May 15, 2019 -- On May 10, 2019, the Board of Directors of The Progressive Corporation (PGR) declared a $0.10 per common share dividend, payable July 15, 2019, to shareholders of record at the close of business on July 5, 2019 (ex-dividend date of July 3, 2019). The Board also renewed the Company`s authorization to repurchase up to 25 million of its common shares. This authorization, which does not have an expiration date, replaced the prior authorization, which was terminated.

The Company today reported the following results for April 2019:

(millions, except per share amounts and ratios; unaudited) April April Change 2019 2018 Net premiums written $ 3,669.8 $ 3,226.9 14 % Net premiums earned $ 3,348.3 $ 2,882.9 16 % Net income attributable to Progressive $ 487.8 $ 260.6 87 % Per share available to common shareholders $ 0.83 $ 0.44 88 % Total pretax net realized gains (losses) on securities $ 131.6 $ (6.6) NM Combined ratio 87.4 89.9 (2.5) pts. Average diluted equivalent common shares 586.7 585.8 0 %

NM= Not Meaningful





(thousands; unaudited) April April 2019 2018 Change Policies in Force Agency - auto 6,687.2 6,014.3 11 % Direct - auto 7,427.8 6,506.7 14 % Total personal auto 14,115.0 12,521.0 13 % Total special lines 4,444.2 4,318.5 3 % Total Personal Lines 18,559.2 16,839.5 10 % Total Commercial Lines 721.7 667.4 8 % Property business 2,024.8 1,688.6 20 %





About Progressive

The Progressive Group of Insurance Companies makes it easy to understand, buy and use auto insurance. Progressive offers choices so consumers can reach us whenever, wherever and however it`s most convenient - online at progressive.com, by phone at 1-800-PROGRESSIVE, on a mobile device or in-person with a local agent.



Progressive provides insurance for personal and commercial autos and trucks, motorcycles, boats, recreational vehicles, and homes. Home insurance is underwritten by select carriers, including American Strategic Insurance Corp. and subsidiaries (ASI), our majority owned subsidiaries.



Progressive is the third largest auto insurer in the country; a leading seller of motorcycle and commercial auto insurance; and through ASI, one of the top 15 homeowners insurance carriers.



Founded in 1937, Progressive continues its long history of offering shopping tools and services that save customers time and money, like Name Your Price, Snapshot, and HomeQuote Explorer.



The Common Shares of The Progressive Corporation, the Mayfield Village, Ohio-based holding company, trade publicly at NYSE:PGR.







Company Contact:

Julia Hornack

(440) 395-2164



The Progressive Corporation

6300 Wilson Mills Road

Mayfield Village, Ohio 44143

http://www.progressive.com



To view the complete release, click the attachment below.

Progressive April 2019 Complete Earnings Release







This announcement is distributed by West Corporation on behalf of West Corporation clients.



The issuer of this announcement warrants that they are solely responsible for the content, accuracy and originality of the information contained therein.

Source: The Progressive Corporation via GlobeNewswire

HUG#2244418


The U.S. may be nearing an agreement with Mexico and Canada to roll back tariffs on steel and aluminum imports, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin told a Senate subcommittee Wednesday, according to The Wall Street Journal.

On another front, Mnuchin said negotiators are likely to travel to China soon to continue trade negotiations, the newspaper said.

President Donald Trump has instructed trade advisers to find a solution to the matter, the cabninet member said.

The Trump administration imposed tariffs on steel (25 percent) and aluminum (10 percent) from most countries around the world last year.

Morgan Stanley estimates that Trump's tariffs on steel, aluminum, washing machines and solar panels, as of March 2018, covered 4.1 percent of U.S. imports.

Canadian Finance Minister Bill Morneau told The New York Times last month that levies could jeopardize Canada's ratification of the revised version of the North American Free Trade Agreement.

Chrystia Freeland, Canada's foreign minister, is expected to meet Wednesday with Trump's top trade negotiator Robert Lighthizer, the Times said.

Related Links:

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China's Foreign Ministry Responds To US Tariffs

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By Shradha Singh

May 15 (Reuters) - Restaurant Brands International Inc said on Wednesday it plans to expand all three of its brands to more than 40,000 restaurants globally, a 54% jump, over the next decade.

Big fast food chains, including McDonald's Corp and Kentucky Fried Chicken(KFC)-owner Yum Brands Inc, have been aggressively expanding their international operations to counter slowing growth in the United States.

Toronto-based Restaurant Brands, the owner of Burger King, Tim Hortons and Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, has been looking to boost its businesses by deploying various initiatives that range from app-based ordering to loyalty programs for its customers.

The company, which held its first ever investor day on Wednesday, did not immediately respond to a request for investment details of its expansion program.

Restaurant Brands, which has been hit by a slowdown at its three iconic brands, hopes to grow its coffee, burger and chicken markets by 5% to 6% annually over the next five years.

Last month, the company reported a 0.6 percent drop in comparable sales at Tim Hortons for the quarter ended March 31, while same-store sales at Burger King grew 2.2 percent, less than 3.8 percent a year earlier.

The announcement of the ambitious expansion plan comes just months after Jose Cil took the helm at the company, after having headed its Burger King unit.

Rival Yum Brands opened 372 new KFC outlets in 46 countries in the first quarter ended March, while McDonald's plans on opening roughly 1,200 restaurants worldwide this year

Tim Hortons, Restaurant Brands' coffee chain, also said it would introduce three new sandwiches using the vegan burger maker Beyond Meat Inc's plant-based sausages as demand for vegan alternatives grows in the country.

Shares of Restaurant Brands, which have risen nearly 26% this year, were up marginally at C$89.91 on the Toronto Stock Exchange in afternoon trade. (Reporting by Shradha Singh in Bengaluru; Editing by Shailesh Kuber)
* Saudi-led coalition aims to neutralise Houthi armed capabilities

* Air strikes follow drone attacks on Saudi oil installations

* Riyadh accuses Iran of ordering drone attacks, Houthis deny that

* Sanaa resident says raid hit houses, Houthis report six dead

* Coalition says "precision" strikes targeted military sites (Adds statements from coalition, UN)

By Abdulrahman Al-Ansi

SANAA, May 16 (Reuters) - The Saudi-led military coalition in Yemen carried out several air strikes on the Houthi-held capital Sanaa on Thursday after the Iranian-aligned movement claimed responsibility for drone attacks on Saudi oil installations.

The Sanaa strikes targeted nine military sites in and around the city, residents said, with humanitarian agencies reporting a number of casualties.

Rubble filled a populated street lined by mud-brick houses, a Reuters journalist on the scene said. A crowd of men lifted the body of a women, wrapped in a white shroud, into an ambulance.

Houthi-run Masirah television quoted the Houthi health ministry as saying six civilians, including four children, had been killed and 60 wounded, including two Russian women working in the health sector.

Medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres said two hospitals it supports in Sanaa took in 48 injured and four dead people as a result of the strikes. Preliminary reports indicated five children were among those killed, the U.N. humanitarian coordinator in Yemen said.

A coalition statement carried by Saudi-owned Al Arabiya TV, said the Sunni Muslim alliance struck military bases and facilities and weapons storage sites with the aim of "neutralising the ability of the Houthi militia to carry out acts of aggression".

"The sorties achieved its goals with full precision," the coalition said. It had urged civilians to avoid those targets.

A later statement said "the possibility of an accident" had been referred to a body set up by the coalition to investigate claims.

One resident reported a strike near a densely-populated district, where flames and clouds of smoke could be seen. A car was half-buried under rubble and twisted metal on a street lined with bystanders.

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"There was an air strike near us, in the middle of an area packed with residents between Hael and Raqas (streets)," Abdulrazaq Mohammed told Reuters. "The explosion was so strong that stones were flying. This is the first time our house shakes so much."

Sanaa has been held by the Houthi movement since it ousted the internationally recognised government of Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi from power there in late 2014. The coalition has previously targeted suspected drone and missile storage sites in the city.

"IRANIAN TOOLS"

Saudi Arabia's deputy defence minister on Thursday accused Iran of ordering Tuesday's armed drone attack on two oil pumping stations in the kingdom.

"The terrorist acts, ordered by the regime in Tehran and carried out by the Houthis, are tightening the noose around the ongoing political efforts," Prince Khalid bin Salman tweeted.

The Houthis said they were responsible for the attack, which did not disrupt oil output or exports. The group denies being a puppet of Tehran or receiving arms from Iran, and says its revolution is against corruption.

The head of the Houthis' Supreme Revolutionary Committee denied that Iran directed the strike and said the movement manufactures its drones locally. Tehran also denies providing arms to the Houthis.

"We are not agents for anyone," Mohammed Ali al-Houthi told Reuters. "We make decisions independently and do not take orders for drones or anything else."

The coalition described the drone attack as a "war crime".

The United Arab Emirates said on Wednesday that the Western-backed coalition, of which it is a main member, would "retaliate hard" for any Houthi attacks on coalition targets.

The Sanaa air strikes and renewed fighting in Yemen's Hodeidah port that breached a U.N.-sponsored truce in the Red Sea city, could complicate peace efforts to end the four-year war that has killed tens of thousands of people, many of them civilians, and pushed the country to the brink of famine.

The coalition, which receives arms and intelligence from Western nations, intervened in Yemen in 2015 to try to restore Hadi's Aden-based government.

The warring parties agreed last December at U.N.-sponsored peace talks on a ceasefire and troop withdrawal deal in Hodeidah, a lifeline for millions of Yemenis that became the focus of the war last year.

The pact, the first major breakthrough in over four years, stalled for months amid deep suspicion among all parties, but special envoy Martin Griffiths secured some progress when the Houthis started withdrawing from three ports last Saturday.

Pro-coalition troops are expected to pull back as well under the deal once the two sides work out details for a broader phase two redeployment in Hodeidah, the main entry point for Yemen's commercial and aid imports and the Houthis' key supply line. (Reporting by Mohammed Ghobari in Aden, Reuters team in Sanaa and Asma Alsharif and Lisa Barrington in Dubai; Writing by Ghaida Ghantous; editing by Angus MacSwan and Toby Chopra)
Singapore Telecommunications on Wednesday posted its smallest annual net profit in 16 years partly due to the intense competition faced by its regional associates in India and Indonesia.

Singtel, Southeast Asia's largest telecom operator, reported a net profit of S$773 million ($565 million) for the quarter ended March, almost flat versus the year-ago period.

Singapore Telecommunications STEL-SG on Wednesday posted its smallest annual net profit in 16 years  but the big drag on earnings came from Indonesia and India , according to its CEO.

Singtel, Southeast Asia largest telecom operator, reported a net profit of S$773 million ($565 million) for the quarter ended March, almost flat versus the year-ago period. Its underlying net profit, which excludes exceptional items, fell 15 percent to S$697 million.

Singtel Group CEO Chua Sock Koong told CNBC's "Street Signs" that fourth-quarter trends were "definitely more encouraging" than the full-year numbers.

"If you look at the fourth-quarter numbers, you see very strong pickup and, in fact, topline revenue growth is about 6% on constant currency terms," she said. "You've seen good growth coming through consumer businesses both in Singapore and Australia."

Chua also told CNBC that Singtel's digital business showed "very strong topline growth" but its earnings were weighed down by India and Indonesia.

"Intense competition has affected the markets in India and Indonesia this past year," Chua said in a separate statement.

The company continued to be optimistic about the growth potential of its associates' markets, she added.

"We will accelerate our digitalisation efforts to drive better customer experience and improve productivity and cost structure by transforming our processes," she said.

The company reported net profit of S$3.1 billion for the year ended March versus S$5.47 billion a year ago, which had included a divestment gain from the listing of its broadband unit NetLink NBN Trust.

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Analysts had an average estimate of S$3.08 billion for the full-year net profit, according to Refinitiv data, which showed the results marked Singtel's lowest headline profit since its 2003 fiscal year.

Underlying net profit for the year fell 21 percent to S$2.83 billion.

The group's consolidated revenue is expected to grow by a mid-single digit and its consolidated earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) is forecast to be stable for the year ending March 2020.





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SpaceXs Falcon 9 rocket sits on its launch pad at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, in preparation for the launch of 60 Starlink broadband data satellites. (SpaceX Photo)

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk says the launch of 60 Starlink satellites is aimed at spreading fundamental goodness in the form of high-speed internet access for the billions of people who currently dont have it.

The first full stack of Starlink satellites is packed in the nose cone of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. Liftoff from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida was originally scheduled for Wednesday night, but had to be called off with less than 15 minutes left on the countdown clock due to unacceptable upper-level winds.

SpaceX announced another postponement today In a tweet. Standing down to update satellite software and triple-check everything again, SpaceX said. Always want to do everything we can on the ground to maximize mission success.

Update: The next attempt is planned for a 90-minute launch window beginning at 10:30 p.m. ET (7:30 p.m. PT) May 23.

At roughly 18.5 tons, the total payload mass for this launch will set a record for a SpaceX liftoff, Musk said during a pre-launch teleconference with reporters.

The first-stage booster for this launch was previously used for the Telstar 18 Vantage satellite launch last September and the Iridium 8 satellite launch in January. Minutes after launch, the booster is due to separate and land itself on a drone ship called Of Course I Still Love You, stationed in the Atlantic Ocean.

Starting about an hour after launch, the 500-pound, flat-panel satellites will be spun into low Earth orbit like playing cards spread out on a table.

The satellites were built at SpaceXs development facility in Redmond, Wash. Eventually, the Redmond factory could be turning out more than 1,000 satellites over the course of a year, Musk said.

This was one of the hardest engineering projects Ive ever seen done, and its been executed really well. Musk said. I think it is important to acknowledge that there is a lot of new technology here. So its possible that some of these satellites may not work. In fact, theres a small possibility that all of the satellites will not work.

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The payoff? The goal of the Starlink system is to provide high-bandwidth, low-latency connectivity, ideally throughout the world, Musk said. Although he didnt name a price, Musk said he expected Starlink eventually to provide a competitive option for the estimated 4 billion people around the world who cant afford or cant get access to broadband internet service.

Theres a lot of, like, fundamental goodness about Starlink, he said.

But theres also, like, a revenue model: Musk estimated that once Starlink is fully up and running, it could generate $30 billion or more in annual revenue for SpaceX.

We see this as a way forward to generate revenue that can be used to develop more advanced rockets and spaceships, he said. And that, we think, is a key steppingstone on the way toward establishing a self-sustaining city on Mars and a base on the moon.

The income from Starlink is meant to help fund advanced development of Starship, the super-heavy-lift launch system that Musk intends to use to send a million settlers to Mars in the decades ahead. The first prototypes of the Starship system are already taking shape at SpaceXs facilities in Texas and Florida.

Theres lots to be done before Musks city on Mars gets built. This first launch is primarily aimed at demonstrating the technology for what could eventually amount to as many as 11,000 satellites in low Earth orbit.

Musk said only about 400 satellites would be required to build up a useful satellite constellation, which translates into about six launches after this missions scheduled deployment. Mark Juncosa, vice president of vehicle engineering at SpaceX, said another six launches would provide good coverage over the United States. An additional six to 12 launches would raise the satellite tally high enough to cover the world.

Within a year and a half, maybe two years, SpaceX will probably have more satellites in orbit than all other satellites combined, Musk said.

More satellites will make for better service, but Musk said one does not need anywhere around 10,000 satellites. He said SpaceX cited the 11,000-satellite figure in its filings with the Federal Communications Commission just to set a maximum for the Starlink system.

SpaceX launched two prototype Starlink satellites in February 2018. Since then, there have been big changes in the design of the satellites  and in the leadership of SpaceXs satellite team in Redmond.

Last month, SpaceX finally received FCC clearance for service using satellites that fly as low as 342 miles (550 kilometers), but the company will require additional sign-offs from international agencies for service outside the U.S.

Each satellite is equipped with a krypton ion drive for maneuvering in orbit, as well as phased-array antennas for transferring data to and from the ground. Musk said the signal latency would be less than 20 milliseconds, which compares favorably to cable connections.

These first satellites arent equipped with laser systems to communicate with each other in space. Instead, theyll use a ground bounce trick to relay signals between satellites via SpaceXs gateways. Itll be working pretty much like an intersat link, Musk said. The lasers will come later.

Musk said each batch of 60 satellites represents about a terabits worth of useful connectivity  that is, a trillion bits of data. If you add up all the solar panels on the system, its actually more solar power than the International Space Station, he said.

The satellites will upload NORAD data about other objects in space, and tweak their trajectories accordingly to avoid orbital collisions. Their orbits are designed to maximize the chance that theyll descend and burn themselves up at the end of their useful lives, with 5 percent or less of their mass surviving atmospheric re-entry.

On the ground, SpaceX plans to set up six satellite gateways, including installations in Redmond and North Bend, Wash. Theres also a telemetry, tracking and command station planned in Brewster, Wash.

SpaceX has also filed an application with the FCC to deploy up to a million user terminals. What does the Starlink user terminal look like? Musk said. It basically looks like a small- to medium-sized pizza. Its basically a flat disk, but unlike, say, a DirecTV satellite dish, which has to point in a specific direction  you can basically put it at almost any angle that is reasonably pointed at the sky.

Musk said SpaceX hasnt yet tried to sign up customers, but were definitely interested in having those discussions. Advance sales efforts, perhaps focusing on telecom partners, are likely to begin late this year or early next year, Musk said.

Starlink isnt the only game in town: There are at least a half-dozen other ventures angling for a piece of the broadband constellation market, including OneWeb, Amazon, Telesat, LeoSat Enterprises, Boeing and Facebook.

Musk welcomes the competition. My guess is there will probably be at least one other low-Earth-orbit constellation, he said. But hes trying to avoid obsessing over his rivals. For example, he declined one reporters invitation to comment on Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos plans for a satellite constellation known as Project Kuiper.

With respect to potentially competing satellite systems, Musk said, we just want to stay focused on Starlink.

This report was originally published on May 15 and has been updated with tonights launch postponement.

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COLOMBO, May 16 (Reuters) - Sri Lankan shares rose on Thursday, snapping their 10-session losing streak to recover from its lowest close in nearly seven years as investors bought beaten down shares. ** The rupee edged higher for the second session after four straight days of losses, but traders said sectarian violence was still denting investor sentiment. Most investors have shied away from the market since the April 21 bombings that killed more than 250 people in coordinated attacks on churches and luxury hotels. Islamic State claimed responsibility. ** The International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Tuesday approved the disbursal of a $164 million tranche of a loan programme, bringing the total disbursed to more than $1.16 billion. ** Sri Lanka's budget and current account deficits could widen more than forecast because of the Easter Sunday bombings but the island's economy should still grow 3.5% this year, as previously expected, the IMF added on Thursday. ** Sri Lanka's economic growth is expected to slump to its lowest in nearly two decades this year, a Reuters poll showed last week. Tourism, foreign investment and overall business activity have all dropped after the bombings. ** The benchmark stock index ended 1 % firmer on Thursday at 5,251.79, edging up from its lowest close since Aug. 30, 2012, which it hit on Wednesday. ** Turnover was 552.4 million rupees ($3.14 million), less than this year's daily average of around 555.8 million rupees. Last year's daily average was 834 million rupees. ** Foreign investors sold a net 358 million rupees worth of shares on Thursday, extending the year to date net foreign outflow to 4.7 billion rupees worth of equities. ** The rupee closed slightly firmer on dollar-selling by exporters and banks. ** The rupee gained 0.2% to close at 175.90/176.10 per dollar, compared with Wednesday's close of 176.20/40, market sources said. ** Analysts expect the currency to weaken as money flows out of stocks and government securities. ** The rupee gained 0.6% last week and is up 3.8% for the year. Exporters had converted dollars as investor confidence stabilised after a $1 billion sovereign bond was repaid in mid-January. ** The rupee dropped 16% in 2018 and was one of the worst-performing currencies in Asia. ** Foreign investors sold a net 10.8 billion rupees worth of government securities in the week ended May 8, extending net foreign outflow to 20.8 billion rupees so far this year, central bank data showed. ** Investor sentiment was damaged at the end of last year when President Maithripala Sirisena abruptly removed Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and then dissolved parliament. A court later ruled the move unconstitutional, but the political turmoil led to credit rating downgrades and an outflow of foreign funds. ** For a report on global markets, click ** For a report on major currencies, click ($1 = 175.9000 Sri Lankan rupees) (Reporting by Ranga Sirilal and Shihar Aneez, editing by Deepa Babington)
ZURICH, May 16 (Reuters) - The Swiss government will split off its purchase of new fighter jets from its order of new surface-to-air defences, it said on Thursday, setting a budget of 6 billion Swiss francs ($5.96 billion) for the jets alone.

The neutral Alpine country had previously agreed to spend up to 8 billion francs for a combined package under its Air2030 programme, but has now divided the plan so that voters could decide separately on buying new jets in a likely referendum.

European aerospace group Airbus, France's Dassault , Sweden's Saab, and Boeing and Lockheed Martin from the United States submitted bids in January to replace the ageing Swiss fighter fleet.

Switzerland's stable of Boeing McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C and D Hornets and Northrop F-5 Tigers is scheduled to be retired within years. Airbus's Eurofighter, Boeing's F/A-18 Super Hornet, Dassault's Rafale, F-35As made by Lockheed Martin and Saab's Gripen E are in the running.

"It is clear to the government that public expectations to decide on the procurement by referendum pertain only to the fighter jets," the cabinet said while asking the defence ministry to draw up a plan for this by early September.

The two weapons systems remain interlinked, however, so the deals should proceed in parallel, it added. It also decided that offset deals should cover 60 percent of the purchase amount rather than 100 percent as first planned.

Assessments of the aircraft will continue through 2020 before the government decided on a replacement, with new jets to be delivered by 2025.

Defence procurement agency Armasuisse asked manufacturers to submit pricing for 30 or 40 planes, including logistics and guided missiles, among other criteria for the bids.

Switzerland, which last fought a short war in 1847, has struggled in the past to convince citizens to back a deal for new fighters. In 2014, around 52 percent voted against a 3.5 billion franc plan to buy 22 Gripen fighter jets from Saab.

($1 = 1.0075 Swiss francs) (Reporting by Michael Shields; editing by Brenna Hughes Neghaiwi)
HOUSTON, May 15, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Targa Resources Partners LP (Targa Resources Partners or the Partnership) (NYSE:NGLS PR A) announced its monthly distribution on the Partnerships 9.00% Series A Fixed-to-Floating Rate Cumulative Redeemable Perpetual Preferred Units ("Series A Preferred Units") for May 2019.



Targa Resources Partners LP announced today that the board of directors of its general partner has declared a monthly cash distribution of 18.75 per Series A Preferred Unit, or $2.25 per Series A Preferred Unit on an annualized basis, for May 2019. This cash distribution will be paid June 17, 2019 on all outstanding Series A Preferred Units to holders of record as of the close of business on May 31, 2019.

About Targa Resources Partners LP

Targa Resources Partners LP is a Delaware limited partnership formed in October 2006 by its parent, Targa Resources Corp. (TRC or the Company), to own, operate, acquire and develop a diversified portfolio of complementary midstream energy assets. On February 17, 2016 TRC completed the acquisition of all outstanding common units of the Partnership. Targa Resources Corp. is a leading provider of midstream services and is one of the largest independent midstream energy companies in North America. Targa owns, operates, acquires, and develops a diversified portfolio of complementary midstream energy assets. The Company is primarily engaged in the business of: gathering, compressing, treating, processing, transporting and selling natural gas; storing, fractionating, treating, transporting, and selling natural gas liquids (NGL(s)) and NGL products, including services to LPG exporters; gathering, storing, terminaling, and selling crude oil; and storing, terminaling, and selling refined petroleum products.

The principal executive offices of Targa Resources Partners LP are located at 811 Louisiana, Suite 2100, Houston, TX 77002 and their telephone number is 713-584-1000.

For more information, please visit our website at www.targaresources.com.

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Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements in this release are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. All statements, other than statements of historical facts, included in this release that address activities, events or developments that the Partnership expects, believes or anticipates will or may occur in the future, are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements rely on a number of assumptions concerning future events and are subject to a number of uncertainties, factors and risks, many of which are outside the Partnerships control, which could cause results to differ materially from those expected by management of the Partnership. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, weather, political, economic and market conditions, including a decline in the price and market demand for natural gas, natural gas liquids and crude oil, the timing and success of business development efforts; and other uncertainties. These and other applicable uncertainties, factors and risks are described more fully in the Partnership's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K. The Partnership does not undertake an obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

This release is intended to be a qualified notice under Treasury Regulation Section 1.1446-4(b). Brokers and nominees should treat one hundred percent (100.0%) of Targa Resources Partners LPs distributions to foreign investors as being attributable to income that is effectively connected with a United States trade or business. Accordingly, Targa Resources Partners LPs distributions to foreign investors are subject to federal income tax withholding at the highest applicable effective tax rate.

Contact the Company's investor relations department by email at InvestorRelations@targaresources.com or by phone at (713) 584-1133.

Sanjay Lad

Senior Director, Finance & Investor Relations

Jennifer Kneale

Chief Financial Officer
In the past five trading days, the initial gains witnessed by telecom stocks were offset by subsequent decline as tariff war escalated with both the United States and China refusing to cede any ground. As the equity markets reeled under the likelihood of higher tariffs on additional Chinese imports and retaliatory measures from the communist nation, telecom stocks mirrored the broader market sentiments with uncertainty creeping in the sector.



Last-ditch attempts at trade negotiations between the U.S. treasury secretary Steven Mnuchin and trade representative Robert Lighthizer with a Chinese delegation led by vice premier Liu He failed to evoke favorable response from either side. As the bilateral trade talks fell flat, the Trump administration went ahead with its decision to increase tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese imports from 10% to 25%. This triggered retaliatory tariffs from China on U.S. imports worth $60 billion as it vouched to trade fire with fire. Tariffs ranging from 5-25% on 5,140 U.S. products are likely to take effect from June. Trump is also considering additional tariffs on remaining $325 billion worth of imports from China to rake in more revenues.



Meanwhile, the U.S. President has signed a long-awaited executive order to declare national emergency. Although the order was company and country agnostic, it effectively barred U.S. firms from either buying or selling any telecom equipment to firms like Huawei that are deemed to pose national security risks, virtually crippling its operations. The directive invoked the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, which bestowed the President with the authority to regulate commerce in view of the national emergency that threatened the country. The U.S. Commerce Department immediately added Huawei along with 70 of its affiliates to the Entity List  a list of entities that are ineligible to receive any item without the government approval. This is likely to act as a death knell for Huawei as it largely depends on U.S. firms for raw material supplies. Moreover, it garners significant revenues from the American shores by selling its finished products in the vast rural markets due to its low price. Whether the strategic move is aimed at seeking favorable trade concessions from China or preventing any further retaliatory tariffs from the communist nation remains to be seen.



Regarding company-specific news, quarterly earnings, divestment and patent validation primarily took the center stage over the past five trading days.



Recap of the Weeks Most Important Stories



1. Ubiquiti Networks, Inc. UBNT reported healthy third-quarter fiscal 2019 results with year-over-year increase in revenues and adjusted earnings. Both the bottom line and the top line surpassed the respective Zacks Consensus Estimate.



Non-GAAP net income came in at $88.9 million or $1.26 per share compared with $76 million or 98 cents per share, a year ago. The bottom line beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 20 cents. Quarterly revenues increased 13.8% year over year to $284.9 million, primarily driven by higher sales at Enterprise Technology business. The top line surpassed the consensus estimate of $257 million. (Read more: Ubiquiti Tops Q3 Earnings & Revenue Estimates, Up Y/Y)



2. CommScope Holding Company, Inc. COMM reported mixed first-quarter 2019 results wherein both adjusted earnings and revenues surpassed the respective Zacks Consensus Estimate, but decreased year over year.



Non-GAAP adjusted earnings came in at 48 cents per share compared with 49 cents per share in the prior-year quarter. The bottom line exceeded the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 44 cents. Quarterly net sales decreased 1.9% year over year to $1,099.5 million as growth in the United States was more than offset by decline in sales in the Asia-Pacific region and EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa). The top line, however, beat the consensus estimate of $1,076 million. (Read more: CommScope Beats Q1 Earnings & Revenue Estimates)



3. TELUS Corporation TU reported solid first-quarter 2019 financial results with healthy performance across its wireless and wireline businesses. Both the top line and the bottom line increased year over year.



Adjusted net income was C$453 million or C$0.75 per share ($340.7 million or 56 cents) compared with C$435 million or C$0.73 per share in the year-ago quarter. The bottom line beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by a penny. Quarterly operating revenues increased 3.8% year over year to C$3,506 million ($2,636.7 million), driven by higher wireless and wireline data services revenue growth. The top line, however, lagged the consensus estimate of $2,641 million. (Read more: TELUS Q1 Earnings Beat Estimates, Revenues Increase Y/Y)



4. In a concerted effort to reduce its huge debt burden, Vodafone Group Plc VOD recently inked a definitive agreement to divest its New Zealand business to a global consortium of investors, subject to mandatory regulatory approvals.



Vodafone has agreed to offload its New Zealand operations for NZ$3.4 billion ($2.23 billion) to a joint venture comprising New Zealand-based Infratil Ltd and Canada's Brookfield Asset Management. At the same time, the company has decided to reduce its quarterly dividend payout to create sufficient financial headroom and focus more on the core European markets. Vodafone intends to reduce its quarterly dividend to 9 eurocents per share, representing a 40% year-over-year decrease. (Read more: Vodafone Sells New Zealand Unit, Cuts Dividend to Trim Debt)



5. Motorola Solutions, Inc. MSI has announced that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has upheld the validity of two of its patents that were challenged by Hytera Communications Corporation Limited.



In its ruling, the Patent Trial and Appeal Board validated Motorolas U.S. Patent number 8,116,284 and 6,591,111, which relate to its time-division multiple access and group radio communication system technology, respectively. The favorable decision underscored the strength of Motorolas IP rights and its relentless pursuit to protect its patents from any infringements and copyright violations. (Read more: Motorola Patents Validated by US Patent & Trademark Office)



Price Performance



The following table shows the price movement of some of the major telecom stocks over the past week and during the past six months.

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In the past five trading days, Sprint Corporation was the biggest gainer with its share price increasing 7.4% while Juniper Networks was the sole decliner with its stock down 3.7%.



Over the past six months, Qualcomm has been the best performer with its stock appreciating 36.4%, while Juniper was the biggest decliner with its shares falling 9.1%.



Over the past six months, the Zacks Telecommunications Services industry has recorded average decline of 4.4% while the S&P 500 rallied 5.7%.





Whats Next in the Telecom Space?



In addition to product launches and deployment of 5G technologies, all eyes will remain glued to how the United States and China respond to the tariff war.



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CommScope Holding Company, Inc. (COMM) : Free Stock Analysis Report



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Multilevel marketing is better known by the companies and products and uncomfortable/ annoying pitches associated with it -- think Herbalife (NYSE: HLF) and Tupperware (NYSE: TUP), among other things. Are they a scam? Does anyone actually make money selling supplements and tchotchkes to their family, friends, friends of friends of friends, etc.?

On this week's episode of Industry Focus: Consumer Goods, host Dylan Lewis and Motley Fool analyst Dan Kline explore the industry. Find out what precious little we know from company reports and external studies, how most MLMs create deeply flawed incentives for their distributors, why most people won't have much success selling these goods as a sideline, some advice and red flags for would-be distributors, and much more.

To catch full episodes of all The Motley Fool's free podcasts, check out our podcast center. A full transcript follows the video.

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This video was recorded on May 14, 2019.

Dylan Lewis: Welcome to Industry Focus, the podcast that dives into a different sector of the stock market every day. It's Tuesday, May 14th, and we're talking about MLMs. I'm your host, Dylan Lewis, and I've got fool.com's Dan Kline with me on Skype. Dan, what's going on?

Dan Kline: Not too much here in West Palm Beach. We moved from summer to super summer, where it's impossible to go outside unless you're going to the beach or the pool.

Lewis: [laughs] Here in D.C., we haven't decided whether we're in spring, summer, or fall, it seems. We've been dealing with a ton of rain. It's been pretty dreary here, Dan.

Kline: It's actually rained a lot here, too. We have these weird things where, I was in the pool, it's raining, there's not a cloud in the sky. I get out of the pool, it's torrential. By the time I get three floors down on the elevator back to my condo, it's perfectly nice again. [laughs]

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Lewis: I've got family that lives on the Gulf side of Florida. And they say, if it's raining and you don't like it, just wait 20 minutes.

Kline: Yeah, that's often how it is.

Lewis: Well, Dan, I'm having you on today because I wanted to do a show on maybe a concept that some people are a little familiar with, the idea of a sin stock. This is something that is often applied to the tobacco, alcohol, gambling field where you have companies that are putting stuff out that people may have some moral objections to and they don't want to put their investing dollars behind. I want to enter a different category of company to the sin stock consideration. I have some objections to what is going on in the MLM or multilevel marketing space. You know a little bit about this, and I wanted to bring you on to talk about it.

Kline: Yeah, absolutely! Multilevel marketing is something we've all probably been exposed to. If you've ever been to one of those parties where there's games and then at the end of it, they're trying to show you a bunch of merchandise and sell you stuff -- maybe it's Tupperware, sadly adult toys has been a popular one, maybe it's nutritional items. It's a business model that works based on commission salespeople, nonsalaried salespeople, getting paid based on how much they sell and recruiting new people into the organization, to create a pyramid -- we'll delve deeper into the word pyramid later -- where the person at the top gets a cut from everyone from the bottom. You only make money if you're selling, but the company makes money in a variety of different ways. Sometimes you pay joining fees, sometimes you have to buy product, sometimes you have to buy kits for these parties. And it's really a very appealing idea to people because it's owning your own business; but there are a lot of caveats to that.

Lewis: Yeah. Importantly, you can also make money once you have people underneath you, aka downlines, who are buying product to sell to the general public theoretically. This is very often referred to as direct selling, social selling, network marketing. There are a lot of different names for it. They all broadly fall under the multilevel marketing umbrella, though.

One of the first things that you immediately hear people ask when you're talking to MLMs is, "Are MLMs a scam?"

Kline: Scam is a tough word. It can be a scam, but sometimes it isn't. It's really just, are you good at selling? If you're someone who's very comfortable starting with your friends and family, and not only having them over or going to their house and selling them stuff, stuff they may need and stuff they may not need, but also willing to recruit people into that, and then continually develop a new market -- let's pretend I'm selling nutritional supplements. I could call all my friends and have an event. Maybe the first week, I do really well. How long is it until I've exhausted not just my friends, but my friends of friends of friends? So it's not a scam, but it's often presented as the way it works for the top 1%. The videos show people on yachts, driving fancy cars, being flown into conventions, all sorts of exciting stuff, rah rah. The reality is, that is possible, but it's not likely for most people. And honestly, it's the same if you went to any sales job where you're being paid by commission. If you're a newspaper salesperson and you're not good at selling, you're probably not going to succeed in sales. Multilevel marketing companies, it's much more complicated because you're not getting leads, you have to do every piece of the business yourself, and in many cases, you have to explain a product that isn't necessarily something people want, even if it is something that would be useful to them.

Lewis: And there are some telltale signs of MLMs that are more in the scam category. I think ultimately, you want to look at the stuff that you're selling and its utility. There are some MLMs where you're truly selling a good product, it's something that is useful, it's something that people want; it's in the kitchenware space -- Tupperware is a great example of that. People legitimately want it. There are some other ones, where you're in the supplement game, nutritional stuff. And there are some dubious claims about what the product is capable of doing. I think that's a red flag.

Kline: Absolutely! You want to sell things that people would have bought otherwise, or that would replace other expenses for them; not things that you have to put a hard sell on. The other major red flag is: do you have to fill your garage with a lot of inventory? If you constantly have to buy merchandise to maintain your discount or meet a status, that's not a great sign. You want to be in a situation where, if this is something for you, you have to order a minimal amount of product or test kits or samples, where you can show it to people and then take orders. That puts the risk back on the company; as opposed to, if you have to buy a whole bunch of stuff that's not returnable, all of a sudden, what does the company care if you sell it or not? You've already bought a bunch of stuff. You might continue to buy it just to meet your status level and stay where you are. So you really want to monitor how much money you have to put out in order to go into this type of business.

Lewis: Right. The common criticism of MLMs is that many of them operate seemingly like a closed system, which is an economic term that basically explains how the people that are the end customers of a product are within an organization, not the general population. Rather than products funneling from the company to the distributors out to John Q. Public, they wind up going from the company to the distributors and then sitting there. If the bulk of the sales are happening because of that, and the company doesn't really seem to care where the product goes once it goes to the distributor, another red flag.

Kline: Right. The biggest goal of the company should be growing its audience with the public, not growing its distributor base to continue selling to distributors, that you can't make money if this doesn't go beyond your immediate circle. One of the things you want to think about is, is the public aware of this product? Has there been some advertising or some marketing? Does the company have a robust social media that isn't just you? Or is the entire sales proposition for this recruiting new salespeople?

Lewis: Right. That's the telltale sign that you might want to give it a harder look. I think this is something that people are increasingly encountering, because a lot of these MLMs are telling people, "Post on social media, get it out there and tell your friends and family about it, and become an evangelist for this brand." Not only are people seeing it on social media, it's showing up more and more because it's a pretty big chunk of economic activity. Looking at some data from the Direct Selling Association, in 2017, direct selling made up just about $35 billion in retail sales. There were 18.6 million Americans involved in direct selling activity in one way or another. Both those numbers, slightly down from 2016, but still pretty big, Dan.

Kline: It's really obvious why this has an appeal. Pretend you're a stay-at-home parent. You used to work, you're used to making money. This is something you could in theory do very part-time. You might spend an hour a day organizing an event, hold the event one or two nights a month. In theory, the money comes in. The problem is, the reality for most people is that, a) they're bugging their friends by inviting them to a party to come over and buy stuff that they may not want; and, when they exhaust their immediate contacts, all of the reasons you're not at work in the first place come into play. If you're a stay-at-home parent looking for a side hustle, are you really meeting a lot of new people so you can continue to grow your business? That's a real big challenge. Are you the type of person who walks up to a stranger and says, "Hey, would you like to set up a party so I could sell meal plans or nutritional supplements or Tupperware or whatever it is to your friends?" That's not an easy thing to do. But, wow, owning a business and making your own money, I can see why people go for that.

Lewis: Yeah. And early on with a lot of these organizations, there is quite a bit of fertile ground. If there are not a lot of people out selling a specific kind of product, and you enter the market as a salesperson, it's going to be a lot easier for you to sell that product. If you're instead the tenth person in a relatively small town, or smaller area that is trying to sell something, well, that market's going to be saturated already.

Kline: Yeah. You also have to believe in what you're selling. I had a friend who sold children's books through a multilevel marketing company. They were good books. She liked the books. She actually did a really good job selling them. She'd been a teacher, so she had a very broad network. And for a number of years, she made a nice side income. The problem is, at some point, her kids aged out, and then it became harder to meet people and continue to grow that business. You really have to think about what your addressable audience is, and how you're going to deal with the fact that your next-door neighbor could become a distributor, too, and all of a sudden, you're competing for the same people.

Lewis: Right. And a lot of people are incentivized to bring more people into the fold.

Kline: Which actually creates more competition. If I'm selling something, and I recruit you to it -- obviously, we know lots of different people, but we also know a lot of the same people. We'd both be approaching people and saying, "Hey, want to come to a party to buy whatever it is?" And at some point, the audience has either bought everything they want, they've sat through all the courtesy parties they want to, and there does become consumer fatigue. And then there's fights over the reorders -- it's a very competitive thing where you're also building your own competition as you grow your network.

Lewis: Yeah. As these get larger and larger, it gets harder and harder. For these more established ones, it's very difficult for new salespeople to make meaningful amounts of money. John M. Taylor, a researcher over at the Consumer Awareness Institute, spent years studying MLMs. He has a report, The Case [for and] against Multilevel Marketing available on the Federal Trade Commission's website. From it, of the 350 MLMs I've analyzed for which a complete compensation plan was available, 100% of them are recruitment-driven and top-weighted. In other words, the vast majority of commissions paid by MLM companies go to a tiny percentage of to TOPPS -- top-of-the-pyramid promoters -- at the expense of a revolving door of recruits, 99% of whom lose money. That losing money comes when you factor in all the expenses that go into running a business like this. Not only do you have product, but you have whatever you're going to be putting out for these parties, whether it's food, alcohol, flyers, you're going to be creating a website, all this kind of stuff. When all of that starts to add up, at slim margins on some of these products, it becomes very hard to make a meaningful amount of money.

Kline: What this shows is that it is possible for the top 1% to make money. Generally, that involves recruiting a lot of people under you. But sometimes it is just being a really good salesperson. It's not impossible. But it's improbable. If you find yourself needing a side hustle, and you're a salesman in your day-to-day job or have a history of being able to do cold-calling and sales, well, this might be better than other side hustles for you. But if you've never sold before -- and trust me, I have sold, it is a difficult, difficult thing to do -- think about how willing you are to ask your friends and family, and then strangers, to spend money. It's easier to do that if you believe in the product. It's also hard to do that when you know that someone is maybe spending money they can't afford, or maybe the product isn't quite a perfect fit for them. You really have to think about your willingness to be competitive and be a salesperson. That's not for everyone.

Lewis: Alright, Dan, we're going to pull some stats from a few major MLMs just to give a sense of what the numbers look like and the earnings that people have on them, one of the main reasons why I have an objection to this industry.

Alright, Dan, we have that big industry number from the researcher, but I want to get into what some of these companies put out in terms of estimated compensation. I think that it is perhaps even more telling than the broad-stroke number that we just threw out there.

Kline: Yeah, and I think it's important as we bring up specific company names to note that it's hard to find these statistics for specific companies. We're not calling out these couple of companies just because we're deciding to pick on them. We're calling them out because they're actually sharing their information and putting it out there, and they're in line with the broader numbers we saw on the research you cited earlier.

Lewis: Right. The first one we're going to talk about is Herbalife. This is a company that sells nutritional products. It has been in the news a ton recently. [laughs] The hedge fund managers Bill Ackman and Carl Icahn have just been duking it out for quite some time on this company. It's been a controversial name, Dan.

Kline: Yeah. Bill Ackman basically said, "This is going to go to zero." He doesn't believe in the business model. He felt it was a scam. Carl Icahn said, "No, this is a legitimate multilevel marketing company selling a legitimate product." The reality is, it didn't go to zero. The stock has been doing reasonably well. But, when you dig into the numbers, they do show what we were talking about before -- only 14% of its members, its salespeople, its reps, whatever you want to call them, made any money. Half of those made less than $245. Only 10% made more than $4,350. That's maybe a little bit better than the 1% model. But if you look at people who are actually making a living, it's probably a very tiny percent of those 1%. So, yes, you can make money selling this, but clearly, the path with Herbalife to make money is very, very difficult for most people.

Lewis: Yeah, Dan. Those numbers that you cited were from 2016, the company's statement of average gross compensation. To give you a sense of how big their distributor base is, that is over 400,000 people we're talking about. When you talk about over 80% of U.S. membership not receiving any earnings, that's several hundred thousand people that didn't receive any earnings. This isn't some small operation.

Kline: Right. And those are people who are buying in. The company's revenue is coming from its rep base. It's not coming from sales to the public. Now, that's something they've tried to work on. They acknowledge that it's not how they want it to be. But that's the plain reality of what they're doing. And it's matched by the next company we're going to talk about, Tupperware. You know what Tupperware is. Dylan, we often talk about our age difference. But even being younger than me, you're familiar with Tupperware, I assume?

Lewis: Yes. Tupperware transcends, Dan. It is one of those names that just has become the default for an entire category.

Kline: I feel like it had its heyday maybe the '80s, maybe even the '70s. But it's still around. Tupperware kind of created the model of having a party, where you play games, there's free prizes, and then at the end of the night, someone takes orders. The positive about Tupperware is, it's a very good product. It's a top-of-class product. Everyone probably has some in their house. If they don't, they have a poor knockoff, and they should get some Tupperware. We're not against it.

But the reality is, you pay $99 to join and you get a 25% discount. In theory, if you're buying a whole bunch of Tupperware because you just got married or bought a house or whatever it is, you might actually come out ahead just on your own purchases. But a 2016 income distribution statement from the company said that 96.9% of all participants made less than $500 from August 2015 through May 2016. That's with over 35,000 distributors. Again, a very small percentage are making any real money.

Now, some of those people might have just spent the $99 to sell a little bit to friends and family and buy themselves. Clearly, not all of them have tried to make this a side hustle or a business. For some of them, it might just be a discount plan. But if you think you're going to start selling Tupperware and turn it into a meaningful business, the numbers are very much against you.

Lewis: Yeah. There's this common line in MLM parlance where they say that a large portion of the distributors are hobbyists that enjoy getting discounts on the products they'd be buying anyways. I'm going to quote directly from a piece of Herbalife literature. "Most people join only to receive a discount on Herbalife products and do not participate in the business," talking about their distributors. I take some exception to that because I think the way that these are generally pitched is: "This is a business opportunity. This is a way for you to quit your job. You can have some fancy car in your driveway and tell your boss, 'I'm done.'" That's kind of at odds with that. But, that's how they talk about some of those numbers. And I think that's true to some extent. I don't think it's true for thousands of people.

Kline: Yeah. It does feel like they should separate those businesses. If they want to offer a membership program where you have the right to sell to friends and families and you get a discount, you should be opting into that program, and not the overall model of, "This is going to be something you do," even if it was only so they could honestly say what their salesforce is, versus what their membership is. I'm a member of Costco. I could in theory become a business. If you have a selling license -- it varies in every state what you need -- you could go to Costco and buy a case of Coca-Cola or a box of Milky Ways and resell them and make a profit compared to what they charge for one individual can of soda in most places. But most people aren't joining Costco for that reason. In the case of Herbalife or Tupperware, I think it's fair to say that the vast majority start out thinking it's going to be a business for them.

Lewis: Yeah. And so that we're not just picking on some publicly traded companies, Rodan + Fields, the skincare company, had over 400,000 enrolled consultants in 2018. Over 200,000 of them received payment, about 54%, in at least one month for sales that occurred during 2018. Of the people that did receive income from Rodan + Fields, half earned less than $600. Again, those numbers that we threw out there, broad strokes, they seem to jibe more or less with what we're seeing from these companies specifically, Dan.

Kline: Yeah. And we're seeing the same thing over and over. Part of your research was looking at Berkshire Hathaway, Warren Buffett's Pampered Chef company, a company using this model, and how they present the business to the public. There's no one more reputable than Warren Buffett. But, Pampered Chef is using marketing materials like: "See what you can earn! Your earning potential is endless!" And they show charts and graphics about how you could make all sorts of money. The reality is -- and we keep saying this -- you could make all sorts of money; technically, that ability is part of the program. But the reality, and we see it company after company, public or private, is that you're not going to make that kind of money. And if you're happy just making a little bit and bringing some of these products -- because you really love Pampered Chef and you want your friends and family to have it or use it yourself -- you really have to think about what you're getting out of it and what the company's getting out of it.

Lewis: Yeah. Just to put some numbers to what you're talking about with Pampered Chef, they estimate that at three to six hours per week, you could be pulling in an average monthly income of between $611; for eight to 15 hours per week, you'd be pulling in $1,400 to $18,000 in average monthly income, [laughs] a far cry from what we're seeing from some other vendors. When we talk Pampered Chef, it's impossible for us to look at those numbers and then look at the actuals, because in doing research for this show, I couldn't find a disclosure of income summary for the Pampered Chef sellers. My hunch, though, is that it's pretty in line with what we've seen with these other folks.

Kline: I think that's a red flag. If you've decided, "Hey, I'm great at sales! I want to be in this type of business," I think you want to look for companies that disclose numbers. The reality is, the vast majority of them don't. They're more than willing to show you best-case scenario, but they're not willing to say, "Over 90% of people don't make meaningful money," or in some cases, "99% of people don't make meaningful money." Really ask those questions. If you're being recruited by a company to do this, or you're in discussions on it, push back and say, "Hey, beyond these three people who've done really well, what does the average person make in their first year?" Not their first month, which is going to be easy, but the first year, where it's going to start to get hard.

Lewis: Yeah. And I don't disagree with you, Dan. I think that they're definitely are people in the MLM industry that make a considerable amount of money. You think about the structure and how you are receiving commissions on the people below you who are placing orders, ultimately, to sell stuff. Yeah, if you get enough people in your downline, it totally makes sense that you're pulling in some serious money. I think, though, that MLMs tend to be very top-heavy in their compensation, and a lot of the wealth that's being generated for those folks comes from people that are being pitched the idea that, "You can start your own business, and it doesn't cost all that much!" I have a problem with that, as an investor.

Kline: Yeah. I think it's fair to say they're only showing you the rosy side of it. And that's true of anything. If you're looking at a franchise, if you're going to open a convenience store, they're not going to show you the three people that failed, where it didn't work out well. They're going to present, "The average person makes this, here's what their investment pays off." In this case, I think it's hard to ignore that chances are, you will be paying them money and not getting anything in return. Again, that's fabulous if all you want is a discount and to play around with doing a little sales. But before you think this is a way to make a living, realize that this is a very difficult side hustle. This is not, "I drive someone from here to there and get $X." This is, you only get paid if you sell; and in many cases, you have upfront costs that are somewhat significant.

Lewis: Yeah. It's a lot to work through. Listeners, if you're interested in more on the MLM space, John Oliver has done a remarkable 30-minute breakdown of MLMs and the industry. I would also highly recommend you check out the podcast The Dream. It covers the history of the industry, gives a look at the culture and how it impacts a lot of the people that do become distributors. If you want more on this discussion, those folks have done an incredible job of painting a picture of what the industry looks like.

Dan, anything else before I let you go today?

Kline: Well, Dylan, now is when I tell you I'm leaving in order to start -- no, just kidding. [laughs] Yeah, all I want to tell people here is, don't get sucked into the dream. If you want to build a business, do your homework. Talk to other people who do this. Find something that isn't just what the company is feeding you. If you do all that homework, and talk to lots of people in lots of different areas, and believe you can make money selling Tupperware or knives or whatever it happens to be, then go for it, give it a shot. But be very skeptical. Don't just pay your money on the idea that you'll have financial independence.

Lewis: Yeah. I'd say, hunt for the numbers, and know yourself. If you're someone who is not a natural salesperson, perhaps you're not going to become one overnight just because you have this inventory on hand to sell. You have to know what your strengths are and play to them.

Kline: Yeah, and you have to think about your comfort level talking to strangers. I mean, asking for a sale is hard to do for a trained salesman. If your training comes from watching some videos online or reading some training materials, you have to think twice before getting into this type of business.

Lewis: Sage advice! Thanks for hopping on the show today, Dan!

Kline: Thanks for having me!

Lewis: Listeners, that does it for this episode of Industry Focus. If you have any questions or you want to reach out and say hey, you can shoot us an email over at industryfocus@fool.com, or you can tweet us @MFIndustryFocus. If you want more of our stuff, subscribe on iTunes, or you can catch the videos from this podcast over on YouTube. As always, people on the program may own companies discussed on the show, and The Motley Fool may have formal recommendations for or against stocks mentioned, so don't buy or sell anything based solely on what you hear. Thanks to Austin Morgan for all his work behind the glass! For Dan Kline, I'm Dylan Lewis. Thanks for listening and Fool on!

Daniel B. Kline has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. Dylan Lewis has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Berkshire Hathaway (B shares). The Motley Fool recommends Costco Wholesale. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
The Federal Railroad Administration announced Thursday that it terminated a nearly $929 million grant to the California High-Speed Rail Authority as part of a 2010 agreement.

In a release, the FRA said the California agency "repeatedly failed to comply with the terms of the FY10 agreement and has failed to make reasonable progress on the project."

At the same time, the federal agency said, "California has abandoned its original vision of a high-speed passenger rail service connecting San Francisco and Los Angeles, which was essential to its applications for FRA grant funding."

"The Trump administration's action is illegal and a direct assault on California, our green infrastructure, and the thousands of Central Valley workers who are building this project," California Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a statement.

LOS ANGELES  The Federal Railroad Administration announced Thursday that it terminated a nearly $929 million grant to the California High-Sped Rail Authority as part of a 2010 agreement.

In a release, the FRA  part of the U.S. Department of Transportation  said California's rail authority "repeatedly failed to comply with the terms of the FY10 agreement and has failed to make reasonable progress on the project. Additionally, California has abandoned its original vision of a high-speed passenger rail service connecting San Francisco and Los Angeles, which was essential to its applications for FRA grant funding."

In addition, the FRA said it "continues to consider all options regarding the return of $2.5 billion in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds awarded to CHSRA."

In February, President Donald Trump called for California to return $3.5 billion in federal funds for the high-speed rail line planned between the San Francisco and Los Angeles. The DOT followed by announcing its intention to cancel $929 million in grant funds awarded previously but not yet paid out.

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Trump's call for the return of money followed Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom at his first state of the state address on Feb. 12 announcing a reeling in of the state's high-speed rail project , saying the current plan "would cost too much and take too long." He added, "There simply isn't a path to get from Sacramento to San Diego, let alone from San Francisco to LA."

"The Trump administration's action is illegal and a direct assault on California, our green infrastructure, and the thousands of Central Valley workers who are building this project," Newsom said in a statement Thursday.

The governor added, "Just as we have seen from the Trump administration's attacks on our clean air standards, our immigrant communities and in countless other areas, the Trump administration is trying to exact political retribution on our state."

Construction is underway on the first leg of the bullet train, a 119-mile section in the state's Central Valley. More than $6 billion has already been spent on the California high-speed rail project.

Back in 2008, California voters approved Proposition 1A , authorizing nearly $10 billion in bond money for the construction of the high-speed rail system. Since the vote, though, the project been plagued by delays and cost overruns.





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(Bloomberg) -- The Trump administration is pulling out the big guns in its push to slow Chinas rise, with potentially devastating consequences for the rest of the world.

The White House on Wednesday initiated a two-pronged assault on China: barring companies deemed a national security threat from selling to the U.S., and threatening to blacklist Huawei Technologies Co. from buying essential components. If it follows through, the move could cripple Chinas largest technology company, depress the business of American chip giants from Qualcomm Inc. to Micron Technology Inc., and potentially disrupt the rollout of critical 5G wireless networks around the world.

The Trump administration action is a grave escalation with China, Eurasia Group analysts Paul Triolo, Michael Hirson and Jeffrey Wright wrote in a note. If fully implemented, the blacklist would put at risk both the company itself and the networks of Huawei customers around the world, as the firm would be unable to upgrade software and conduct routine maintenance and hardware replacement.

The threat is likely to elevate fears in Beijing that President Donald Trumps broader goal is to contain China, leading to a protracted cold war between the worlds biggest economies. In addition to a trade fight that has rattled global markets for months, the U.S. has pressured both allies and foes to avoid using Huawei for 5G networks that will form the backbone of the modern economy.

This decision is in no ones interest, Huawei said in an emailed response. It will do significant economic harm to the American companies with which Huawei does business, affect tens of thousands of American jobs, and disrupt the current collaboration and mutual trust that exist on the global supply chain.

The Chinese company will try to take action to mitigate the impact of the incident and seek remedies to resolve the matter, it said.

The U.S. notified the Chinese embassy in Washington about the Huawei action shortly before the announcement Wednesday, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross told Bloomberg TV Thursday. While Huawei wasnt part of U.S.-China trade talks, the U.S. hopes that negotiations between the two nations will mitigate the kind of behavior the U.S. is punishing Huawei for, Ross said.

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@Huawei 5G, RIP. Thanks for playing, U.S. Senator Tom Cotton, a Republican from Arkansas, wrote on Twitter.

U.S. suppliers to Huawei including Lumentum Holdings Inc. and Qualcomm Inc. are indicated to open lower in pre-market trading, after shares in Asian suppliers including Sunny Optical Technology Group and AAC Technologies Holdings Inc. dropped as much as 5% on Thursday.

In Europe, STMicroelectronics NV fell, while Huawei competitor Nokia Oyj gained 2%. Huawei has said it devotes about a third of its budget -- some $11 billion annually -- to the acquisition of American components. It counts 33 U.S. companies among its top 92 suppliers.

The negative impact on the global 5G market will be significant, said Charlie Dai, a Beijing-based analyst at Forrester Research, nothing that Huawei is one of the market leaders globally. Nokia and Cisco could address the gap to some extent, but the overall adoption will be slowed down, which eventually will be harmful to telco carriers and consumers around the world.

The Commerce Department said Wednesday it will soon put Huawei on an Entity List -- meaning any U.S. company will need a special license to sell products to the worlds largest networking gear maker. Since American companies dominate semiconductors, that could smother Huaweis production of everything from 5G base stations to mobile phones. It may not even be able to use Googles Android, the most popular operating system globally for smartphones. A similar move last year against ZTE Corp. -- Chinas second-biggest telecom equipment company -- nearly forced the company out of business.

"This could potentially lead to Huaweis destruction, said Scott Kennedy, a China expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. You cant underestimate the significance. Its their most important company and threatening it in this way will generate a massive public response as well as from the Chinese government. The bilateral trade talks were on thin ice and this could derail them entirely.

At the heart of Trumps concerted campaign is suspicion that Huawei aids Beijing in espionage while spearheading Chinas ambitions of becoming a technology superpower. The Justice Department also accuses it of willfully violating sanctions on Iran, and last year engineered the arrest of the eldest daughter of Huaweis billionaire founder.

Huawei, which has denied those allegations, said Thursday it was ready and willing to engage with the U.S. to ensure product security. Restricting it from doing business will only serve to limit the U.S. to inferior yet more expensive alternatives, it said in a statement.

Chinas government said it will take all necessary measures to defend its companies.

We resolutely object to any country, based on their own laws, unilaterally sanctioning Chinese entities, Ministry of Commerce spokesman Gao Feng said at a regularly scheduled briefing in Beijing Thursday. We also object to the generalization of the national security concept and abuse of export control methods.

The lack of alternatives is one reason that its far from certain the U.S. will make good on its threat to cut off Huawei. Observers for months had been dismissing the possibility, in part because it would hurt some of Americas largest tech corporations. The Trump administration has also been pressuring allies to bar Huawei equipment from their communications networks for security reasons. But the U.S. effort had largely failed, as even the U.K. declined to join the American call for a boycott.

If the U.S. handicaps Huawei by cutting off suppliers, countries and telecom carriers around the world that are already spending billions to build 5G networks may have to resort to pricier equipment from Nokia Oyj and Ericsson AB. Tying up a chunk of the worlds 5G gear supply would slow the build-out of a technology that underpins future services from self-driving cars to smart homes and advanced medicine.

Huawei appears to have anticipated this possibility. Its been developing and designing its own chips for years, which it now uses in many of its own smartphones. Its reportedly even developing its own operating software to run phones and servers.

For now, though, it remains heavily reliant on American technology.

Huaweis base station, smartphone, server and maritime cable businesses simply cannot run without Qualcomm baseband and processor chips. There are alternatives -- but from American peers such as Intel Corp., Micron and Broadcom Corp.

It also depends on smaller American suppliers in key areas: Lumentum Holdings Inc. for optical cable; Amphenol for fiber-optic connectors; Inphi Corp. for analog chips; Qorvo Inc. and Analog Devices Inc. for radio-frequency semiconductors in both 4G and 5G; and Western Digital Corp. for storage. Texas Instruments Inc. supplies it with digital signal processing chips. Huawei even uses Oracle Corp. software in products sold to state-owned companies.

ZTE provides a roadmap for what may happen next. Huaweis much smaller rival in 2017 ran afoul of the Commerce Department for violating the same Iranian sanctions, and then lying about it. The subsequent ban on American exports pushed the company to the brink of extinction, before Trump intervened as part of trade negotiations with Beijing.

A blanket ban would hurt not just U.S. companies, but also alienate American allies around the world. Many have resisted Washingtons attempts to steer them away from Huawei, for reasons ranging from economics to just the simple fact that the Shenzhen-based companys 5G technology is for now considered superior.

Thats why some observers, including the Eurasia Group, argue that the White House is unlikely to bring the full force of a blacklist to bear. Instead, it argued, the Trump administration is likely to issue export licenses to all of its American companies while retaining the option in future to pull them if needed.

Roger Sheng at market research firm Gartner Inc. draws parallels with the Chinese fable of the Monkey King, whose powers are constrained by a magic circlet that his handler constricts -- painfully -- when the deity misbehaves.

The U.S. is putting a circlet around the head of Huawei, said Sheng, who is based in Shanghai. The impact goes well beyond its 5G ambitions because without American suppliers like Qualcomm and Marvell, it cant even maintain normal operations.

(Updates with Ross interview in seventh paragraph.)

--With assistance from Debby Wu, Dandan Li, Philip J. Heijmans, Miao Han and James Mayger.

To contact Bloomberg News staff for this story: Gao Yuan in Beijing at ygao199@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Peter Elstrom at pelstrom@bloomberg.net, Laurie Asseo

For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com

2019 Bloomberg L.P.
(Bloomberg) -- Donald Trump ratcheted up his battle with China for dominance of 5G technology networks, moving to curb Huawei Technologies Co.s access to the U.S. market and American suppliers.

The U.S. president signed an order Wednesday thats expected to restrict Huawei and fellow Chinese telecommunications company ZTE Corp. from selling their equipment in the U.S. Shortly afterward, the Department of Commerce said it had put Huawei on a blacklist that could forbid it from doing business with American companies.

The pair of actions risk aggravating Beijing as the American president seeks to pressure Chinas leaders into agreeing to a wide-ranging trade deal. Trump has threatened to impose tariffs on almost all imports from the worlds No. 2 economy after last week hiking duties on some $200 billion in Chinese products.

In the executive order, which didnt name any countries or companies, Trump declared a national emergency relating to threats against information and communications technology and services. The Commerce Departments move to put Huawei on its Entity List means U.S. companies will need a special license to sell products to the Chinese company. A similar move against ZTE last year nearly forced the company to shut down before Trump intervened and a deal was reached.

Barring Huawei from buying American components could deal the Chinese giant a severe blow, and potentially impede the global roll-out of the fifth generation networks that are expected to support everything from autonomous cars to smart homes.

The impact is well-beyond its 5G ambitions because without these American suppliers like Qualcomm and Marvell, it cant even keep a normal operation, said Roger Sheng, a China-based analyst with Gartner Inc. One question remains unanswered though, is how strict will the U.S. execute the ban.

The administration has for months mounted an international campaign pinpointing Huawei as a security risk. U.S. prosecutors have indicted the company on charges of trade-secret theft and had Canada arrest a key executive on sanctions charges. Diplomats pressing allies to bar Huawei from 5G networks have said the company is subject to Chinese law that demands cooperation with security services, raising the specter of espionage. Huawei leaders have insisted their company operates independently of the Chinese government and that its products arent used for spying.

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Shares in the Chinese companys Asian suppliers, including Sunny Optical Technology Group and AAC Technologies Holdings Inc., tanked Thursday. Huawei is estimated to devote almost a fifth of its spending to American companies from Micron Technology Inc. to Qualcomm Inc. Blocking that supply not only threatens to wallop those U.S. suppliers business, it could also impede Huawei from making everything from smartphones to networking gear. If that happens, countries and telecoms carriers around the world that are already shelling out billions to build 5G networks may have to rely on equipment from Nokia Oyj and Ericsson AB.

Restricting Huawei from doing business in the U.S. will only serve to limit the U.S. to inferior yet more expensive alternatives, the Shenzhen-based company said in a statement in response to Trumps actions on Thursday.

Commerce Role

The executive order doesnt outright ban U.S. sales by the companies, but would give greater authority to the Commerce Department to review products and purchases by firms connected to adversarial countries, including China. Commerce, in conjunction with national security agencies, is expected to determine whos considered an adversary as part of regulations to be written in the next 150 days.

Technology or services designed, developed, manufactured or supplied by companies subject to the jurisdiction of U.S. rivals, augments the ability of foreign adversaries to create and exploit vulnerabilities in information and communications technology and services, with potentially catastrophic effects, the order says.

Trade talks between the U.S. and China are teetering after Beijing reneged on tentative agreements, according to the president and American officials. An administration official said Tuesday that the order on telecommunications technology is unrelated to the recent escalation of the trade conflict.

The officials asked not to be identified discussing the order because it concerns national security.

The Commerce Departments blacklisting of Huawei isnt effective until its listed in the Federal Register. The department didnt say when that would occur.

Both Huawei and ZTE have also been targeted by the U.S. for alleged schemes to dodge American sanctions on Iran. Canadian authorities last December arrested Huaweis Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou at the request of the U.S., which seeks her extradition over allegations of violating Iran sanctions.

Meng, the daughter of Huaweis founder, remains under house arrest in Vancouver while the legal proceedings unfold. China formally arrested two Canadians detained for months, the Globe & Mail reported Thursday, adding to tensions between the two countries.

International Campaign

The administration has urged allies to analyze risk before buying gear, Robert Strayer, deputy assistant secretary for cyber policy at the State Department, told the Senate Judiciary Committee at a hearing on Tuesday.

We are concerned that China could compel actions by network vendors to act against the interests of U.S. citizens and citizens of other countries around the world, Strayer said.The U.S. says Chinese law compels Huawei to cooperate with Beijings espionage agencies. U.S. officials say Huawei can build vulnerabilities, or backdoors, into equipment.

Last week, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission barred China Mobile Ltd. from the U.S. market over national security concerns and said it was opening a review of other Chinese companies.

The administration official said Wednesday that the Commerce Department was expected to take as long as six months to fashion an approach to the order, so there might not be an immediate effect. The government may eventually prohibit products from specific companies or countries as Commerce carries out Trumps order.

The U.S. has sought without much success to persuade other governments to exclude equipment made by Huawei from super-fast 5G mobile networks that will connect billions of devices.

At least one prominent Democrat praised Trumps decision. This is a needed step, and reflects the reality that Huawei and ZTE represent a threat to the security of U.S. and allied communications networks, Senator Mark Warner of Virginia, the vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said in a statement.

(Updates with report of arrest of Canadians.)

To contact the reporters on this story: Margaret Talev in Washington at mtalev@bloomberg.net;Todd Shields in Washington at tshields3@bloomberg.net;Shawn Donnan in Washington at sdonnan@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Alex Wayne at awayne3@bloomberg.net, Joshua Gallu, Edwin Chan

For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com

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(Bloomberg) -- When Yu Sasamoto joined Twitter Inc. as head of Japan in 2014, he looked at the revenue figures for the country and thought, "This is a little bit small."

Before coming to the company, Sasamoto had worked as an executive at MTV and Microsoft. It was in 2011, when Japan suffered a huge earthquake, that he really started paying more attention to the company. Twitter was one of the only ways he and many others could communicate amid mass confusion and damaged infrastructure, and afterward, Twitters popularity grew. So it was a surprise when he learned that revenue was lagging other countries.

In 2014, Twitter started letting advertisers promote mobile apps that encouraged users to download or open mobile apps directly from a tweet, and the company started to see revenue accelerate. And in November 2016, Twitter hit a big milestone: 40 million people, about one-third of Japans population, were logging onto the site at least once every month.

Now, five years after Sasamoto joined, Japan is Twitter's second-largest market, and it raked in $136 million in revenue from the region in the first quarter. Its the most popular western social media platform, ahead of Facebook Inc. and Instagram. (Line, a direct messaging app, is also huge in Japan.) As Twitters user base has stagnated in the U.S., increasing advertising dollars from Japan has propped up Twitters total revenue.

In the U.S., Twitter has been dogged by the perception that its a non-intuitive platform, more suited for public figures, entertainers, and journalists. But in Japan, it has mass appeal.

Japanese businesses often create Twitter accounts before making their official websites; students use the service to chat with friends and follow their favorite bands; Anime-fans post their Twitter handles with QR codes on business cards that they exchange at events; and Japanese monks use it to post videos.

We came into the market at the right time, Sasamoto said. Twitter started as a lifeline and morphed into the culture.

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Twitter fills a void in Japan, allowing people to be more outspoken. Japanese people tend to not feel comfortable expressing feelings or opinions in public," said Kiyo Yamauchi, who leads user research for Twitter in Japan. Unlike Facebook, Twitter doesnt require people to use their real names. A lot of Japanese consumers sign up with user names that correspond with a specific interest. This enables people to connect with others who are interested the same niche subject.

It also helps to explain why there are a disproportionate number of anonymous accounts, as well as users with multiple accounts in Japan, according to Kayvon Beykpour, Twitter's head of product. He says having different profiles allows people to express different parts of their personality. It's common for a Japanese user to have, say, one account for following KPop, another for professional conversations, and another for engaging in sports. Advertisers love that they can easily target people based on their specific interests.

The companys Japanese market has long helped direct the companys product strategy, Beykpour said. Japanese users were hitting the like button as a way to save tweets to read later, but said that they didnt want those tweets publicly displayed on their profiles. That led Twitter to create a bookmarking feature for users to privately save tweets to read later.

About three years ago, Twitter changed how it displayed tweets. Instead of displaying a stream of tweets in reverse chronological order, Twitter changed the timeline to show users the most relevant tweets first, hoping to simplify the experience for those who didnt want to sift through a flood of tweets in real time. While the change sparked outrage across the twitterverse, Beykpour said people were especially mad in Japan. We have one time zone, unlike larger countries, so even a TV program would be an event, Yamauchi added. Everyone is watching at the same time and commenting. At the end of last year, Twitter rolled out a feature that let users easily switch back and forth between a curated and unfiltered timeline. However, its ubiquity in Japan has also led to the proliferation of toxic content. Critics say Twitter has failed to adequately curb abuse in Japan  where it serves as a breeding ground for bullying, pedophilia, stalking, and suicide groups  and point to several high-profile examples. In 2017, a suspect dubbed the "Twitter killer" used his account to get in touch with people who wanted to commit suicide. The man was arrested after the discovery of nine dismembered bodies at his residence. That same year, a volunteer group called Tokyo No Hate protested in front of Twitters Japan headquarters, distributing printouts of hateful tweets that have targeted minority groups to highlight the everyday harassment that people face.

The scrutiny in Japan reflects the calls for change in the U.S., where the company and its social media counterparts have been under fire from consumers and lawmakers for allowing foreign election interference, hateful posts and fake news to run rampant. In recent years, Chief Executive Officer Jack Dorsey has emphasized that Twitters priority is to clean up the service and rid it of harmful content. Having long been criticized for relying on users to report abuse, the company recently said some 38 percent of abusive content is now being found through technology and flagged for human review, up from none last year.

In an email, a spokeswoman for Twitter said she wouldnt comment on individual cases, but that keeping people safe on Twitter is our top priority.

--With assistance from Yuji Nakamura.

To contact the author of this story: Selina Wang in San Francisco at swang533@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Emily Biuso at ebiuso@bloomberg.net, Andrew Pollack

For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com

2019 Bloomberg L.P.
ABC News(WASHINGTON) -- In a not-so-subtle jab at Democratic front runner Joe Biden, Sen. Kamala Harris on Wednesday slammed recent talk that she would be a great running mate -- for the former vice president.



"Sure, if people want to speculate about running mates, I encourage that. Because I think Joe Biden would be a great running mate,' Harris, herself a 2020 candidate, said.



"As vice president, he's proven he knows how to do the job, and there are certainly a lot of other candidates that would make for me a very viable and interesting vice president," she told reporters after a campaign event in New Hampshire.



On Tuesday, Biden, responding to a similar reporter question about a running mate, said, in part, "I wouldn't hesitate to pick a woman if that person is the most qualified person available."



Other Democratic men running have said they, too, would consider picking a woman.



Later, a member of the Harris team told ABC News: You dont run for second place. We announced we are running for POTUS. This ... reflects that.

Copyright  2019, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
(Adds inflows into U.S.-based government-Treasury bond funds; table) By Jennifer Ablan May 16 (Reuters) - Investors rattled by lingering trade tensions between the United States and China pulled $12.27 billion from U.S.-based equity funds in the week ended Wednesday, according to data released by Refinitiv's Lipper research service on Thursday.

It was the category's fourth consecutive week of outflows, Lipper data showed. Investors sought shelter from plummeting equity markets earlier in the week and moved money into money market and Treasury funds.

U.S.-based money market funds attracted $14.49 billion in the week ended Wednesday, their fourth consecutive week of inflows, Lipper said. U.S.-based government-Treasury bond funds attracted $1.55 billion in the week ended Wednesday, Lipper said.

On Monday, the S&P 500 suffered its steepest drop since early January, after Beijing said it would raise tariffs on American-made goods in retaliation for a similar move from the United States. Stocks have since rebounded from that plunge but there are signs that investors continue to worry about the costs of the prolonged trade dispute.

Pat Keon, senior research analyst at Lipper, noted that for the second week in a row equity, equity exchange-traded funds (ETFs) had net outflows right around $10 billion.

"This represents the 2nd and 3rd highest of the year for the group and highest since January 30 with investors withdrawing about $14.6 billion," Keon said.

For the last two weeks, the SPDR S&P 500 ETF has accounted for over half of the total weekly net outflows for equity ETFs, Keon said.

"This coupled with the large net inflows into money markets over the last two weeks indicates to me that there is a lot of uncertainty in the market, driven mainly by the U.S-China trade tensions," he said.

High-yield "junk" bond funds correlate more with equity than they do with investment-grade taxable debt, Keon noted. U.S.-based high-yield funds posted $2.57 billion in cash withdrawals in the week ended Wednesday, their second straight week of outflows.

Story continues

"Not surprising to see the large net outflows from them as it aligns with market performance and the negative flows from equity funds," Keon said.

"The high-yield results were the main reason that taxable bond mutual funds suffered a weekly net outflow this week of $263 million, which broke a streak of 17 straight weekly net inflows," he added.

The following is a broad breakdown of the flows for the week, including mutual funds and exchange-traded funds: Sector Flow Chg % Assets Count ($Bil) Assets ($Bil) All Equity Funds -12.271 -0.17 7,108.393 11,798 Domestic Equities -9.501 -0.19 5,074.720 8,386 Non-Domestic Equities -2.769 -0.13 2,033.673 3,412 All Taxable Bond Funds 0.434 0.02 2,868.079 5,815 All Money Market Funds 14.489 0.49 2,975.044 1,004 All Municipal Bond 1.272 0.28 463.544 1,336 Funds (Reporting by Jennifer Ablan Editing by James Dalgleish and Alistair Bell)
(Bloomberg) -- U.S. and European law enforcement officials on Thursday said they had dismantled a global organized cybercrime network, which used malware to steal banking login details in an attempt to pocket about $100 million from thousands of businesses.

A federal grand jury in Pittsburgh charged ten members of the network, and other criminal prosecutions have begun in Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine, the European Unions agency for law enforcement cooperation Europol said in a statement. Five Russian nationals charged in the indictment are on the run, the agency said, including the developer of the malware.

In what Europol called a "highly specialized and international criminal network," the members -- spread across Georgia, Moldova, Bulgaria, Ukraine, and Russia -- sent spear-phishing emails to infect computers with malware, dubbed GozNym, designed to capture login details. That allowed the members to steal money from the bank accounts and launder the funds using U.S. and foreign bank accounts.

"It was truly the scope of this organization that made this campaign so dangerous," Scott W. Brady, U.S. attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania, said at a press conference at Europols headquarters in the Hague.

The cyber investigative team at the Federal Bureau Investigations Pittsburgh field office initiated the investigation, which accelerated in 2016 after officials took down the Avalanche network. That network provided online hosting services to dozens of some of the largest malware campaigns, including GozNym.

"We identified over 41,000 victims, unsuspecting citizens of European and North American countries who thought they were clicking on a simple invoice as part of their business," Brady said."Instead, they were giving hackers access to their most personal and sensitive information." He said targeted businesses included law firms, mom-and-pop businesses, international corporations and non-profit organizations.

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The network formed after members each advertised their technical skills and services on underground, Russian-speaking online forums and were then recruited by the groups leader, who controlled more than 41,000 computers infected with the GozNym malware. The accomplices used encryption techniques so the malware could avoid detection by antivirus tools and protective software, Europol said.

Once infected, money was then wired to other accounts or withdrawn from ATMs in order to be distributed to members of the network. Officials from Bulgaria, Germany, Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine and the U.S. coordinated searches and shared evidence to track down the alleged criminals.

In a house search in Ukraine, one of the accused individuals resisted arrest by opening fire on officials, Ukraines first Deputy Prosecutor Dmytro Storozhuk said at the press conference, adding that no one was injured during the operation.

The wider investigation was also supported by Europol and Eurojust, the EUs judicial cooperation unit.

(Updates with quotes, background from law enforcement officials.)

To contact the reporter on this story: Natalia Drozdiak in Brussels at ndrozdiak1@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Giles Turner at gturner35@bloomberg.net, Nate Lanxon

For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com

2019 Bloomberg L.P.
By Rania El Gamal and Aziz El Yaakoubi

DUBAI (Reuters) - The United Arab Emirates will show restraint after attacks on oil tankers off its coast and is committed to de-escalation during a "difficult situation" caused by Iranian behavior in the region, a senior official said on Wednesday.

Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash said he would not speculate about who was behind Sunday's sabotage acts on four vessels, including two Saudi tankers, near Fujairah emirate while an investigation was under way and due to be completed within days.

"We need to emphasize caution and good judgment. It is easy to throw accusations but it is a difficult situation, there are serious issues and among them is Iranian behavior," he said, mentioning concern about Iran's missiles and regional policy.

We will actually with our partners also be deliberate in considering our response, what to do about it, how to deal with it," he said, adding the United States and France were helping with the probe.

France has a naval base in Abu Dhabi.

A UAE official had told Reuters that Saudi Arabia and Norway were also involved. A Norwegian-registered oil products tanker was among the vessels hit, along with a UAE fuel bunker barge.

Iran has distanced itself from the attack off Fujairah, one of the world's largest bunkering hubs lying just outside the Strait of Hormuz. U.S. officials believe Iran encouraged Yemen's Houthi group or Iraq-based Shi'ite militias to carry out the attack, two U.S. government sources said on Wednesday.

Gargash said the attack took place in UAE territorial waters but declined to comment on whether the OPEC producer and regional trading hub was beefing up security after the incident.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, in comments after talks with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahayan, said the most populous country in the Arab world regarded Gulf security as part of its own security.

"The president expressed Egypt's full solidarity with the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia in confronting all attempts to undermine the security and stability of the two sisterly countries," Sisi spokesman Bassam Rady said in a statement.

Story continues

SANCTIONS ARE 'BITING'

Saudi Arabia shared the concerns of its fellow Sunni Muslim ally that Shi'ite Iran has for a long time been undermining stability in the region, Gargash said, and the U.S. commitment to its allies in the region is "very strong".

"U.S. sanctions on Iran are biting, and biting in a very effective way," Gargash said.

The attacks took place against a backdrop of U.S.-Iranian tension following Washingtons decision this month to try to cut Irans oil exports to zero and beef up its military presence in the Gulf in response to what it said were Iranian threats.

Saudi Arabia and the UAE back the sanctions against 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 shortage in oil supply.

Tehran has called the U.S. military presence "a target" rather than a threat, and said it would not allow its oil exports to be halted.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has said that extremist individuals in the U.S. government were pursuing dangerous policies and that Tehran is not seeking confrontation.

On Iran, it doesnt really help to hear Foreign Minister Zarif trying to offer a moderate voice with regards to Irans intentions," Gargash said. "We have been bullied by Iran, we have seen aggressive Iranian actions in the region. So his words are very hollow in that sense.

(Reporting by Rania El Gamal and Aziz El Yaakoubi; Additional reporting by Writing by Ghaida Ghantous; Editing by Toby Chopra and Peter Cooney)
Kateryna Rozhkova, Deputy Governor of Ukraine's Central Bank, speaks during an interview in Kiev, Ukraine May 14, 2019. Picture taken May 14, 2019. REUTERS/Sergiy Karazy

By Natalia Zinets

KIEV (Reuters) - The central bank would push to nationalise PrivatBank a second time if a court ruled to annul a 2016 decision to take Ukraine's largest lender into state ownership, a top central bank official told Reuters.

First Deputy Central Bank Governor Kateryna Rozhkova's determination to keep PrivatBank in state hands for now may reassure foreign creditors and investors, who worry that legal wrangling over PrivatBank threatens Ukraine's financial stability.

The authorities have been locked in a protracted battle with the former main owner of PrivatBank, Ihor Kolomoisky, one of Ukraine's richest men, who says his bank was nationalised without justification. He has challenged the decision in court.

Rozhkova said overturning the nationalisation would derail Ukraine's $3.9 billion programme with the International Monetary Fund and rock investor confidence.

Ratings agency Moody's said last month that overturning the decision would hit Ukraine's credit rating.

It would also pose a challenge for incoming President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who has longstanding business ties with Kolomoisky but who has dismissed suggestions that he would return PrivatBank to Kolomoisky or offer him state compensation.

Rozhkova said reversing the nationalisation would reverse the mechanism by which the state handed the bank 155 billion hryvnia ($5.88 billion) to rescue it from insolvency.

"Then the bank will be left without capital. We, as a regulator of the financial sector, will make a decision in accordance with the law: Article 56 of the law tells us that we must declare such a bank insolvent," she said in an interview.

This would mean either liquidating the bank or taking it back into state ownership, she said, adding that returning it to state hands would be preferable given its role in the economy.

PrivatBank is Ukraine's biggest lender and has the most depositors, about 20 million by Rozhkova's estimate, in a nation of 42 million.

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Rozhkova said the PrivatBank issue would likely top the agenda when an International Monetary Fund mission visits Kiev next week. Ukraine hopes to secure IMF aid worth $1.3 billion after the visit.

A Kiev court ruled in favour of Kolomoisky in April by declaring that the nationalisation process had been illegal. The central bank is appealing the decision in a higher court.

Kolomoisky disputes the central bank's assessment of PrivatBank's finances in 2016 and described as "nonsense" findings by a report commissioned by the central bank saying PrivatBank was used for large-scale fraud and money-laundering.

Asked whether he wanted to regain control over PrivatBank or be paid compensation, Kolomoisky told Reuters in April he would negotiate with the government. "I could sue for damages, or we will try to reach some sort of agreement," he said.

Rozhkova said overturning the nationalisation would undermine the central bank's independence and encourage owners of other banks declared insolvent to challenge the regulator.

"If today we destroy the independence of the National Bank as an institution, in the end it will have a negative impact on all investors, and international donors and international organisations will stop cooperating," she said.

Ukraine strengthened the central bank's powers in 2015 as a condition of aid from the IMF, which has supported the government through conflict, a recession and a currency crash since Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014.

The incoming president said after meeting banks on Tuesday he aimed to maintain financial stability by cooperating with the IMF and maintaining the central bank's independence.

Kolomoisky declined comment. A government spokesman did not immediately provide comment.

($1 = 26.3400 hryvnias)

(Writing by Matthias Williams; Editing by Edmund Blair)
DALLAS, May 15, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Veritex Holdings, Inc. (VBTX) (Veritex or the "Company), the parent holding company of Veritex Community Bank, today announced that Veritex Community Bank completed the sale of its leased branch located in the Austin, Texas area on May 10, 2019 to Keystone Bank, N.A. The transaction also included the sale of an estimated $54.1 million of loans at par and $51.5 million of deposits at a 7.7% purchase premium.



After the sale of the Austin branch, Veritex will operate 28 branches and one mortgage office in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, thirteen branches in the Houston metropolitan area and one branch in Louisville, Kentucky. Veritex Community Bank is a Texas state chartered bank regulated by the Texas Department of Banking and the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. The forward-looking statements include statements regarding Veritex's projected plans and objectives. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by words such as believe, expect, anticipate, intend, target, estimate, continue, positions, prospects or potential, by future conditional verbs such as will, would, should, could or may, or by variations of such words or by similar expressions. These forward-looking statements are subject to numerous assumptions, risks and uncertainties which change over time. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made and Veritex assumes no duty to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise.

Source: Veritex Holdings, Inc.

Media Contact:

LaVonda Renfro

972-349-6200

lrenfro@veritexbank.com



Investor Relations:

Susan Caudle

972-349-6200

scaudle@veritexbank.com
LONDON, May 16 (Reuters) - Angola's preliminary loading programme for July emerged on Thursday, indicating a rise of one cargo compared to June, for which a few cargoes still remain. High price offers are expected, given global tightness in physical markets and a broad gap in heavier grades.

ANGOLA

* July exports are set to be 44 cargoes, a recovery to just below normal levels after maintenance on two key streams pushed June's preliminary programme to near 10-year lows, although they rebounded to 43 cargoes in the final programme.

* Term allocations are set to emerge early next week.

* 2-3 Angolan cargoes remain for June loading, after key buyer China finished its purchases early for the month and European customers have been reluctant to meet high prices.

* Asian demand may be weighed down by a widening of the Brent-Dubai spread (DUB-EFS-1M) to $3.10 -- the highest since October -- as well as steep backwardation, with the front-month Brent futures spread closing at nearly 90 cents on Wednesday. (LCOc1-LCOc2).

* Most traders believe China has few alternatives for Angola's heavier oil grades, which are scarce in the global market because of U.S. sanctions on Iran and Venezuela.

NIGERIA

* A slightly larger-than-normal overhang of around 20 cargoes remain for June loading, with July programmes expected sometime next week.

* The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) said on Wednesday that U.S. imports from Nigeria fell by 351,000 bpd in the week to May 10, to 95,000 bpd, while imports from Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Brazil and Colombia rose.

* Stocks had increased on the U.S. Gulf Coast, while U.S. West Coast oil imports climbed 238,000 bpd to 1.37 million bpd. Atlantic coast imports also rose.

* European demand for Nigerian crude is seen to be especially high given reduced exports of competing grades from Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan, though purchases of such varieties closer to home proceed on a different timescale than for West African oil.

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* But higher exports of U.S. oil are predicted to somewhat dampen European demand for Nigerian crude in the near future.

* Energy majors were heard to be ratcheting up offers for West African grades, with Nigerian Qua Iboe being offered at an all-time high of $2.70, but buyers said prices were too high.

TENDERS

* India's IOC has two buy tenders for crude loading July 7-16 and June 22 to July 1, closing on Thursday.

RELATED NEWS

* Asian shippers and refiners have put ships heading to the Middle East on alert and are expecting a possible rise in marine insurance premiums after recent attacks on Saudi oil tankers and pipeline facilities, industry sources said.

* U.S. crude oil stockpiles rose unexpectedly last week, climbing to their highest since 2017 amid a release from the national emergency reserve, while gasoline inventories decreased more than forecast, the Energy Information Administration said on Wednesday. (Reporting by Noah Browning; Editing by Kirsten Donovan) ))
Troubles seem to be continuing for Wells Fargo WFC with regard to finding its next CEO. At a Senate Banking Committee hearing, the Comptroller of the Currency Joseph Otting stated that the regulator will be reviewing the banks pick for its CEO.



The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency will be using special powers that are reserved for financially troubled lenders to review proposed candidates. Nonetheless, the regulator, at present, has no plans to make the findings from the review public.



This development will likely to further complicate the matter as the bank is already facing a number of problems in finding replacement for former CEO Tom Sloan, who abruptly resigned in March. He became the second CEO to leave Wells Fargo since the sales practice scandal was revealed in September 2016. (Read more: Wells Fargo CEO Sloan Announces Plan to Step Down)



Though the bank has hired an executive search firm for finding the next CEO, the search is getting hampered by limitations on pay, per a Reuters report.



Notably, the banks CEO pay package is at the bottom of the pack when compared with other U.S. big banks. Last year, Sloans pay package was $18.4 million compared with $31 million for JPMorgan's JPM Jamie Dimon, $26.5 million for Bank of America's BAC Brian Moynihan and $24 million for Citigroup's C Michael Corbat.



Well Fargo is looking for an outsider (preferably from outside the banking sector) as the company is facing heavy criticism for top managements failure to turn things around. However, stringent regulatory and congressional scrutiny of the new CEO is likely to narrow down the number of candidates.



Additionally, the next CEO will be required to work for turning around the companys fortune and name, which nosedived following the sales and subsequent auto lending scandals. Further, the Federal Reserve has placed a cap on its asset size until regulators are satisfied with the companys progress on corporate governance issues.



Currently, the companys general counsel C. Allen Parker is acting as the interim CEO. Notably, during first-quarter 2019 earnings conference call, Parker commented that new CEO will likely be appointed by 2020.



Over the past year, shares of Wells Fargo have lost 15.4% compared with industrys decline of 9.4%.





Story continues





Currently, Wells Fargo carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.



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This article is written for those who want to get better at using price to earnings ratios (P/E ratios). We'll show how you can use Luks Group (Vietnam Holdings) Company Limited's (HKG:366) P/E ratio to inform your assessment of the investment opportunity. Luks Group (Vietnam Holdings) has a P/E ratio of 6.45, based on the last twelve months. In other words, at today's prices, investors are paying HK$6.45 for every HK$1 in prior year profit.

Want to participate in a short research study? Help shape the future of investing tools and you could win a $250 gift card!

Check out our latest analysis for Luks Group (Vietnam Holdings)

How Do I Calculate A Price To Earnings Ratio?

The formula for price to earnings is:

Price to Earnings Ratio = Share Price  Earnings per Share (EPS)

Or for Luks Group (Vietnam Holdings):

P/E of 6.45 = HK$1.84  HK$0.29 (Based on the trailing twelve months to December 2018.)

Is A High Price-to-Earnings Ratio Good?

A higher P/E ratio means that buyers have to pay a higher price for each HK$1 the company has earned over the last year. 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. When earnings grow, the 'E' increases, over time. That means unless the share price increases, the P/E will reduce in a few years. Then, a lower P/E should attract more buyers, pushing the share price up.

In the last year, Luks Group (Vietnam Holdings) grew EPS like Taylor Swift grew her fan base back in 2010; the 53% gain was both fast and well deserved. And earnings per share have improved by 17% annually, over the last three years. So you might say it really deserves to have an above-average P/E ratio.

How Does Luks Group (Vietnam Holdings)'s P/E Ratio Compare To Its Peers?

One good way to get a quick read on what market participants expect of a company is to look at its P/E ratio. You can see in the image below that the average P/E (6.1) for companies in the basic materials industry is roughly the same as Luks Group (Vietnam Holdings)'s P/E.

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SEHK:366 Price Estimation Relative to Market, May 16th 2019

Luks Group (Vietnam Holdings)'s P/E tells us that market participants think its prospects are roughly in line with its industry. So if Luks Group (Vietnam Holdings) actually outperforms its peers going forward, that should be a positive for the share price. Checking factors such as the tenure of the board and management could help you form your own view on if that will happen.

Remember: P/E Ratios Don't Consider The Balance Sheet

Don't forget that the P/E ratio considers market capitalization. Thus, the metric does not reflect cash or debt held by the company. The exact same company would hypothetically deserve a higher P/E ratio if it had a strong balance sheet, than if it had a weak one with lots of debt, because a cashed up company can spend on growth.

Such spending might be good or bad, overall, but the key point here is that you need to look at debt to understand the P/E ratio in context.

Luks Group (Vietnam Holdings)'s Balance Sheet

Luks Group (Vietnam Holdings) has net cash of HK$220m. This is fairly high at 24% of its market capitalization. That might mean balance sheet strength is important to the business, but should also help push the P/E a bit higher than it would otherwise be.

The Verdict On Luks Group (Vietnam Holdings)'s P/E Ratio

Luks Group (Vietnam Holdings) trades on a P/E ratio of 6.5, which is below the HK market average of 11.3. The net cash position gives plenty of options to the business, and the recent improvement in EPS is good to see. The below average P/E ratio suggests that market participants don't believe the strong growth will continue.

Investors have an opportunity when market expectations about a stock are wrong. 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.' We don't have analyst forecasts, but shareholders might want to examine this detailed historical graph of earnings, revenue and cash flow.

You might be able to find a better buy than Luks Group (Vietnam Holdings). 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).

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.
If you have a graduating senior in your life, you've probably scrounging for the perfect gift, and in your hectic Googling you may have come across the term money lei. Now, most of us are aware of what a lei is  a garland of flowers worn around the neck, found in many Polynesian cultures and often associated with Hawaii  but what is a money lei? It's exactly what it sounds like: a lei made of money instead of fresh flowers.

Lei have a longstanding history that dates back thousands of years, and are much more than the necklace tourists receive when deplaning in Hawaii. In fact, they were brought to the island by voyagers coming from Tahiti, and have deep roots in Polynesian culture. We spoke to Jackie Lee, a native Hawaiian with deep roots in the culture, about the significance of lei (there is no "s" in the Hawaiian language, so lei is both the singular and plural) in her life, the meaning of the money lei, and the tradition of lei at graduation ceremonies.

"Lei can be made with all sorts of things (bones, flowers, shells, etc)," Lee explains, "and were used as peace offerings between tribes as well as for decoration and ceremonies. Over time, superstitions around lei have evolved as well. For instance, [it's been said that] when giving a lei to a pregnant woman, one must cut the lei so that it drapes down from her shoulders rather than hang around her neck like a necklace. If it hangs around her neck like a necklace, the umbilical cord could choke the fetus."

Lei are also often used at graduation ceremonies and celebrations, and it's common to see graduating seniors covered in lei made of candy, flowers, and money. Lee, for example, had her family and friends help her carry all her lei at her college graduation because she had more than could fit around her neck. And this is where the tradition of money lei originates, now used far and beyond Hawaii and Polynesian culture.

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What makes money lei so special is "the incredible amount of time they take to make," says Lee. "Most of the money lei I received were made of individually folded dollar bills strung together to make a garland. Each dollar bill was folded into the shape of a frog with a quarter tucked inside  this represents a Chinese Fortune Frog (these lei were given to me by the Chinese side of my family). They represent good luck, wealth, and prosperity and are said to ward off evil spirits."

Money lei are incredibly intricate pieces of art, and their significance comes from the time put into their creation. "I don't think that haole people [non-Hawaiian people, usually white] understand just how important lei culture is at all." Lee tells us, "I believe that the process of creating money lei is incredibly important, a huge part of what makes them special. Most haole lei-givers on the mainland probably buy lei on Etsy or something."

Lee says that simply buying money lei, then, defeats the purpose of the gesture. If you are planning to use lei in your graduation ceremony or as a gift for your graduating senior, take the time to make a lei by hand, or at least purchase a lei from a Hawaiian or Polynesian seller to give back to the culture that so created this rich, meaningful tradition.

Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?

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WISeKey, WISeCoin AG and SUNx - Strong Universal Network - sign a partnership agreement to develop a Blockchain Center of Excellence in Brussels and accelerate Climate Friendly Travel



Geneva, Brussels - May 3, 2019  WISeKey International Holding Ltd (WISeKey ) (WIHN.SW), a leading global cybersecurity, Blockchain and IoT company, WISeCoin AG and the SUNx - Strong Universal Network, announced today a partnership to jointly develop a special purpose Blockchain Center of Excellence in Brussels focusing on the development of standards and technologies to accelerate Climate Friendly Travel.

WISeKey Blockchain technology developed by WISeCoin creates a trusted decentralized and highly efficient way to record carbon emissions using digital identities on the blockchain. Recording all CO2 emissions that occur globally and requiring emissions contributors to offset them by purchasing and revoking the corresponding amount of tokenized digital certificates eliminates the need for taxation. Furthermore, companies that have developed technologies that remove CO2 from the atmosphere will be able to register their impact on the blockchain and trigger the new emission of digital certificate tokens that will allow them to further invest in the technology. With this model it will be possible to generate new emission certificates, called WISeTravel Carbon Offset Tokens. In the case of shortfalls, the travel industry will invest into WISeTravel Carbon Offset Tokens in order to fulfill their requirements.

Professor Geoffrey Lipman co-founder of SUNx said: We are delighted to cooperate with WISeKey by using state-of-the-art technology to bring a new Blockchain and Identity capacity to the world's largest challenge, Climate Change Resilience, and one of the world's largest industries, - travel and tourism. The SUNx Plan for our Kids climate friendly travel program calls for 100,000 STRONG Climate Champions by 2030 in all UN States. Through this collaboration we will be in a better position to deliver Climate Friendly Travel - measured, green, 2050 proofed, and meet the Paris Agreement Carbon targets."



These technologies will help galvanize regional, national, and local stakeholders to develop their own climate change programs using blockchain technologies  for air, oceans, land, cities, industries, rural communities, indigenous people etc. Each with their own vision of priorities and goals. The partnership ultimately aims at transforming overall production, consumption, and investment and better align them with the 2030 The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the 2050 Climate transformation.

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Carlos Moreira, Founder and CEO of WISeKey said: One of SDGs goals that stands out from the rest and is fundamentally existential, is climate change. Simply put, life on our planet is threatened, and without immediate, concrete actions the consequences will be irreversible - future generations will either freeze or fry and the intensifying consequences of extreme climate will continue to severely aggravate many of the other SDG challenges. Our special purpose Travel & Tourism Industry Blockchain Center of Excellence in Brussels will not only develop and deploy groundbreaking products and solutions for the industry and consumers but also harness the power of technologies to act as a catalyst of change and climate transformation.

The Paris Agreement, with its 2050 national carbon reduction targets must be fully implemented and intensified every 5 years. In 2017, the worlds largest industrial activity, Travel & Tourism, formally embraced the SDGs, engaging public, private and civil society stakeholders in an International Year of Sustainable Development. Rightly so, to become a real force for good, we must be up with the mainstream curve on building sustainability into all growth and development aspirations. The main challenge remains how to keep Climate Resilience front and center when travel and tourism continues to massively grow.

The Blockchain Center of Excellence in Brussels will be fully interoperable with WISeKeys network of Blockchain Centers of Excellence in India, Canada, China, Buenos Aires, Malaysia, Mauritius and Rwanda with new centers planned in the MEA region, including two in Saudi Arabia. All these centers will be interconnected with its 3 main hubs: Geneva, Toronto and Beijing, a Trust Triangle operating under a Common Trust Protocol, using WISeKeys PKI hardened Blockchain technology, bringing trust and security, while maintaining the core Blockchain values of transparency, auditability, and traceability. WISeKeys implemented and integrated PKI solution is complementary to any Blockchain platform, where it can assist with developing a better trust model for use within a distributed system and create a universal Trust Protocol for the Web 2.0.

Like all other Blockchain Centers of Excellence, the new center in Brussels will assist local Blockchain startups to promote their technologies internationally, facilitate the rapid adaptation and on-boarding of Blockchain-based solutions, foster stronger collaboration between the public, private and academic sectors and cooperate to ensure that the latest technological standards are made available in a safe and trusted manner.

About SUNx - Strong Universal Network -

SUNx - Strong Universal Network - is a new system for Tourism destinations and stakeholders to build Climate Resilience in line with the targets of the Paris Agreement through Climate Friendly Travel. It is managed by the Belgian-based not-for-profit Green Growth & Travelism Institute (GGTI). The 2015 Paris Accords and SDGs launched, a 3-decade, low carbon transformation, recognizing Climate Change is existential. This is the rationale for SUNx  the Strong Universal Network. Under the initial guidance of our friend and mentor, the late Maurice Strong - sustainable development pioneer, we are creating a Plan For Our Kids a global Training and Lifetime Learning program to create a movement of 100,000 STRONG Climate Champions by 2030. They will advance Climate Friendly Travel ~ measured: green: 2050 proof ~ to support the Paris Accords & SDG13, underpinned by our technology Portal and network of cloud-connected centres. This will help bring Travel & Tourism into the New Climate Economy.

About WISeCoin

WISeCoin AG was formally established in August 2018 in Zug Switzerland. It manages all Blockchain initiatives and operations of WISeKey to pave the way for the daily use of 4th Industrial Revolution technologies. WISeCoin AG benefits from the WISeKey architecture as the first and only vertically integrated platform combining proprietary cybersecurity software and secure microcontrollers designed to protect connected devices against evolving cyber threats. WISeCoin is a Trusted Distributed Ledger Technology of Identity to store objects and people's identity. It offers connected objects the ability to identify, authenticate and verify each other with a digital certificate. For each interaction, the Blockchain of Identity will verify the validity of each digital certificate to secure the interaction. To compensate the use of the platform, a micro service fee is charged through a utility token, called the WISeCoin token.

About WISeKey

WISeKey (SIX Swiss Exchange: WIHN) is a leading global cybersecurity company currently deploying large scale digital identity ecosystems for people and objects using Blockchain, AI and IoT respecting the Human as the Fulcrum of the Internet. WISeKey Microprocessors Secures the pervasive computing shaping todays Internet of Everything. WISeKey IoT has an install base of over 1.5 billion microchips in virtually all IoT sectors (connected cars, smart cities, drones, agricultural sensors, anti-counterfeiting, smart lighting, servers, computers, mobile phones, crypto tokens etc.). WISeKey is uniquely positioned to be at the edge of IoT as our semiconductors produce a huge amount of Big Data that, when analyzed with Artificial Intelligence (AI), can help industrial applications to predict the failure of their equipment before it happens.

Our technology is Trusted by the OISTE/WISeKeys Swiss based cryptographic Root of Trust (RoT) provides secure authentication and identification, in both physical and virtual environments, for the Internet of Things, Blockchain and Artificial Intelligence. The WISeKey RoT serves as a common trust anchor to ensure the integrity of online transactions among objects and between objects and people. For more information, visit www.wisekey.com.

Press and investor contacts

WISeKey

Company Contact:

Carlos Moreira

Chairman & CEO

Tel: +41 22 594 3000

info@wisekey.com WISeKey Investor Relations (US)

Contact:

Lena Cati

The Equity Group Inc.

Tel: +1 212 836-9611

lcati@equityny.com

Disclaimer:

This communication expressly or implicitly contains certain forward-looking statements concerning WISeKey International Holding Ltd and its business. Such statements involve certain known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which could cause the actual results, financial condition, performance or achievements of WISeKey International Holding Ltd to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. WISeKey International Holding Ltd is providing this communication as of this date and does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements contained herein as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

This press release does not constitute an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, any securities, and it does not constitute an offering prospectus within the meaning of article 652a or article 1156 of the Swiss Code of Obligations or a listing prospectus within the meaning of the listing rules of the SIX Swiss Exchange. Investors must rely on their own evaluation of WISeKey and its securities, including the merits and risks involved. Nothing contained herein is or shall be relied on as, a promise or representation as to the future performance of WISeKey.
(Adds CFO comments, details on users, share repurchase plan)

By Tova Cohen

TEL AVIV, May 16 (Reuters) - Wix.com, which helps small businesses build and operate websites, raised its 2019 revenue forecast after first-quarter sales beat estimates as more users converted to paid subscriptions.

The company reported on Thursday quarterly net profit of 3 cents a share excluding one-time items, compared with a loss of 6 cents a year earlier. Revenue grew 27 percent to $174.3 million.

Analysts had forecast an adjusted profit of 5 cents a share on revenue of $173 million, according to I/B/E/S data from Refinitiv.

Israel-based Wix offers free basic features for setting up websites, but users must pay for extra services such as shopping carts, individual web addresses and site traffic analysis.

"Our strong top line growth highlights the early success of our strategy to increase collections per subscription," Chief Financial Officer Lior Shemesh said. "We are raising our outlook for revenue and collections to reflect these early successes."

Shemesh told Reuters that more customers than expected had switched to two-year subscriptions from one-year packages.

Wix raised its 2019 revenue forecast to $758-$763 million from a previous forecast of $755-$761 million, now predicting a 26% increase from 2018. Analysts were forecasting revenue of $760 million.

For the second quarter it estimates revenue of $182-$184 million, up 25-26 percent from a year earlier.

The company has 148 million registered users. During the quarter it added 180,000 paid users to reach 4.2 million premium customers, up 21% from a year earlier.

Wix is investing in a new customer support product, which it said is helping it to upgrade users to paid services and will bear fruit next year.

Agents now provide round-the-clock assistance globally, helping subscribers finalise their websites while also selling them new products.

Wix said it expects this investment will drive incremental collections growth of 5% in 2020, or three times the investment.

The company plans in the coming days to seek court approval in Israel to re-authorize its repurchase up to $100 million of its ordinary shares, on a phased basis. (Reporting by Tova Cohen; Editing by Steven Scheer and Jan Harvey)
In 2008 Guangyuan Wang was appointed CEO of China Tontine Wines Group Limited (HKG:389). This analysis aims first to contrast CEO compensation with other companies that have similar market capitalization. After that, we will consider the growth in the business. Third, we'll reflect on the total return to shareholders over three years, as a second measure of business performance. This process should give us an idea about how appropriately the CEO is paid.

Want to participate in a short research study? Help shape the future of investing tools and you could win a $250 gift card!

See our latest analysis for China Tontine Wines Group

How Does Guangyuan Wang's Compensation Compare With Similar Sized Companies?

At the time of writing our data says that China Tontine Wines Group Limited has a market cap of HK$266m, and is paying total annual CEO compensation of CN1.6m. (This number is for the twelve months until December 2017). Notably, the salary of CN1.6m is the vast majority of the CEO compensation. We took a group of companies with market capitalizations below CN1.4b, and calculated the median CEO total compensation to be CN1.3m.

So Guangyuan Wang 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 a visual representation of the CEO compensation at China Tontine Wines Group, below.

SEHK:389 CEO Compensation, May 16th 2019

Is China Tontine Wines Group Limited Growing?

China Tontine Wines Group Limited has increased its earnings per share (EPS) by an average of 6.7% a year, over the last three years (using a line of best fit). It achieved revenue growth of 9.7% over the last year.

I'm not particularly impressed by the revenue growth, but it is good to see modest EPS growth. Considering these factors I'd say performance has been pretty decent, though not amazing. Although we don't have analyst forecasts, shareholders might want to examine this detailed historical graph of earnings, revenue and cash flow.

Story continues

Has China Tontine Wines Group Limited Been A Good Investment?

With a three year total loss of 53%, China Tontine Wines Group Limited would certainly have some dissatisfied shareholders. So shareholders would probably think the company shouldn't be too generous with CEO compensation.

In Summary...

Remuneration for Guangyuan Wang is close enough to the median pay for a CEO of a similar sized company .

The per share growth could be better, in our view. And shareholder returns have been disappointing over the last three years. So suffice it to say we don't think the compensation is modest. So you may want to check if insiders are buying China Tontine Wines Group shares with their own money (free access).

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.
For Immediate Release

Chicago, IL May 16, 2019  Zacks.com announces the list of stocks featured in the Analyst Blog. Every day the Zacks Equity Research analysts discuss the latest news and events impacting stocks and the financial markets. Stocks recently featured in the blog include: Bonanza Creek Energy, Inc. BCEI, Oasis Midstream Partners LP OMP, Forum Energy Technologies, Inc. FET, Enterprise Products Partners L.P. EPD and Independence Contract Drilling, Inc. ICD.

Here are highlights from Wednesdays Analyst Blog:

5 Top Oil Stocks to Buy as Middle East Tensions Escalate

Crude prices settled higher on May 14 following an attack on the facilities of a state-owned oil company in Saudi Arabia. Tensions in the region have flared up ever since relations between Washington and Teheran took a turn for the worse. With a large chunk of the worlds oil supply passing through the region, supply bottlenecks are likely to worsen in the near term.

Prices declined during the early hours of May 15 but Middle East tensions continued to support gains. Meanwhile, OPEC has said that oil demand will exceed expectations as supplies from rival producers decline. Also, market watchers believe that a U.S.-China trade deal is still possible, which will likely bolster demand for crude. This is why it makes sense to pick up select oil stocks.

Saudi Arabia Attacks Boost Prices

On Tuesday, WTI crude increased 1.2% or 74 cents to settle at $61.78 a barrel. Additionally, Brent futures gained 1.4% or $1.01 to end at $71.24 a barrel. The immediate trigger for these gains heightened tensions in the Middle East. According to Riyadh, Yemeni Houthi rebels attacked facilities of state-owned oil major Aramco early on the morning of May 15.

This attack comes a couple of days after four oil tankers were damaged off the coast of the United Arab Emirates. According to Emirate authorities, this was an attack of sabotage. American security agencies think that elements which are allied or closely working with Irans government have caused these attacks. On their part, Iranian authorities have denied such claims.

Story continues

Tensions between the United States and Iran have heightened ever since the Trump administration toughened its sanctions against Teheran. This has hurt Irans oil exports and reduced global crude supplies substantially. Nearly 20% of global crude supplies move through the Strait of Hormuz in the Middle East to consumers across the world.

Trade Deal Hopes, Higher Demand to Boost Prices

Market watchers are still hoping for a U.S.-China trade deal. Both sides have intermittently made encouraging noises, allowing investors to hold out hope for a mutually acceptable solution to the long-running trade dispute. In fact, analysts think that the pain caused by the conflict will force both sides to seal a deal.

Additionally, OPEC said on May 14 that demand for crude would defy estimates in 2019. Supplies from rivals of the oil cartel, such as Americas shale producers, hint at tighter global supplies. The situation will worsen if OPEC refused to raise production further. U.S. sanctions against Iran and Venezuela are already weighing on global crude supplies.

Our Choices

Following Tuesdays attacks, the situation in the Middle East remains tense. The primary trigger for these disturbances is the Trump administrations decision to tighten sanctions against Iran. Similar sanctions against Venezuela have also tightened global crude supplies.

Meanwhile, OPEC expects crude demand to exceed expectations this year. Also, market watchers continue to believe that the United States and China will conclude a trade agreement. Adding oil stocks to your portfolio looks prudent. However, picking winning stocks may be difficult.

This is where our VGM Score comes in. Here V stands for Value, G for Growth and M for Momentum and the score is a weighted combination of these three scores. Such a score allows you to eliminate the negative aspects of stocks and select winners. However, it is important to keep in mind that each Style Score will carry a different weight while arriving at a VGM Score.

We have narrowed down our search to the following stocks, each of which has a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) and a good VGM Score. You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Bonanza Creek Energy, Inc. is engaged in the acquisition, exploration and development of onshore oil and natural gas properties in the United States.

Bonanza Creek Energy has a VGM Score of A. The companys expected earnings growth for the current year is 30.4%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current year has improved by 26.4% over the last 30 days.

Oasis Midstream Partners LP is a master limited partnership company which owns, develops, operate and acquires a diversified portfolio of midstream assets primarily in North America.

Oasis Midstream Partners has a VGM Score of A. The companys projected growth rate for the current year is 62.1%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current year has improved by 2.5% over the last 30 days.

Forum Energy Technologies, Inc. is a designer, manufacturer and distributor of products to the oil and natural gas industry.

Forum Energy Technologies has a VGM Score of A. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current year has improved by 43.8% over the last 30 days.

Enterprise Products Partners L.P. is among the leading midstream energy players in North America.

Enterprise Products Partners has a VGM Score of B. The companys expected earnings growth for the current year is 7.3%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current year has improved by 4.4% over the last 30 days.

Independence Contract Drilling, Inc. provides land drilling services for oil and natural gas producers primarily in the United States.

Independence Contract Drilling has a VGM Score of B. The companys expected earnings growth for the current year is more than 100%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current year has improved by 17.4% over the last 30 days.

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Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Inherent in any investment is the potential for loss. This material is being provided for informational purposes only and nothing herein constitutes investment, legal, accounting or tax advice, or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold a security. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. It should not be assumed that any investments in securities, companies, sectors or markets identified and described were or will be profitable. All information is current as of the date of herein and is subject to change without notice. Any views or opinions expressed may not reflect those of the firm as a whole. Zacks Investment Research does not engage in investment banking, market making or asset management activities of any securities. These returns are from hypothetical portfolios consisting of stocks with Zacks Rank = 1 that were rebalanced monthly with zero transaction costs. These are not the returns of actual portfolios of stocks. The S&P 500 is an unmanaged index. Visit https://www.zacks.com/performance for information about the performance numbers displayed in this press release



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Enterprise Products Partners L.P. (EPD) : Free Stock Analysis Report



Forum Energy Technologies, Inc. (FET) : Free Stock Analysis Report



Independence Contract Drilling, Inc. (ICD) : Free Stock Analysis Report



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Oasis Midstream Partners LP (OMP) : Free Stock Analysis Report



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I have known that distinct smell of marijuana ever since I was in middle school. The year was 1975, and I was spending the night at my very popular older brothers house (known for his infamous parties). I happened upon that plate beneath to sofa that contained, among other things, a pack of funny little thin papers, little round seeds, some weird green-brown stuff, and a cigarette lighter. It didnt take long to put the pieces togetherliterally.

Thats how I knew something was in the air on December 6, 2012, the date that the glorious evergreen state of Washington became the first state in the union to legalize the recreational use of marijuana. I was at work in Human Resources, and I could have sworn the smell of marijuana permeated the air. Surely it was the product of an overactive imagination but it wasnt. I followed my nose and was led to a gathering of employees in one of the designated smoking areas on campus; and there they were, blazing, hitting the hay, tokingthey were smoking weed like there was already a shortage. Clearly, I needed to take another stab at our new policy on marijuana.

Had I missed something?

Best Practices for Employers



Through that experience, I learned that because marijuana use remains a gray area of the law, it is critical that employers communicate their marijuana policies clearly. My employees believed that because the recreational use of marijuana was now legal in our state, they were free to use it without consequence. This incident highlighted the need for a second review of our workplace policy around marijuana use and the consequences of violating that policy. Seven years later, marijuana is legalized for recreational use in 10 states, and for medical use in a total of 34 states including the District of Columbia. legalization efforts have increased, leaving HR leaders in a precarious position when considering how to best maintain productivity, and more importantly, the safety of our employees in the workplace amid surging marijuana use. Marijuana, unlike other drugs, lives in that gray area between legal and illegal that makes it different than other impairing substances.

NOTE: Marijuana is illegal at the federal level in the United States. Federal requirements for drug-free workplaces still require that employees test negative for marijuana along with other illegal drugs.

Even though more states have legalized marijuana for recreational purposes, most of them allow employers to enforce zero-tolerance drug policies and fire employees for off-duty use. Only one state so far, Maine, protects off-duty recreational marijuana use.

Safety First



Workplace safety and productivity remain the top priority for all employers and marijuana impairment can adversely impact both. Employers have the right to restrict marijuana use to the extent permitted by law. At the very least, your policies must prohibit marijuana use in the workplace as well as marijuana impairment during work hours or in the workplace. If you have chosen to continue to test for marijuana, be aware that there are some states where medical marijuana users receive protection from workplace discipline, you may want to consider requiring employees to verify their medical marijuana authorization to a Medical Review Officer or some other form of neutral verification. You should also make sure your managers are trained to identify marijuana impairment and have a process for what to do when an employee is suspected of impairment on the job. Policies should prohibit any marijuana use by employees in safety-sensitive positions.

Additionally, If you operate in states where medical marijuana is legal, be sure that your policies address processes for employees requesting related accommodations.

Not All Marijuana Laws Are Created Equal.

Know the laws of your state: 33 states have legalized medicinal marijuana, while another ten states (plus the District of Columbia) have legalized recreational marijuana, with others likely to follow suit in 2019.

In some states, employers are not required to accommodate medical or recreational marijuana use in the workplace. Employers may terminate employees who test positive for marijuana, even for off-duty use with a valid medical marijuana card. In others, the law states that employers may not discriminate against applicants or employees based on specific jobs; and in some, the law states that employers may not discriminate against medical marijuana users based on their status as registered cardholders or for testing positive for marijuana on a drug test. That is unless it would cause the employer to lose money or other licensing-related benefits under federal law and in that case, employers may take adverse action against employees who use, possess, or are impaired by marijuana on company property or during work hours.

If you find that your guidelines and policies require some tweaking, know that the legalization of marijuana is still relatively new and becoming more pervasive across the country, and that whats illegal in your state today, may not be tomorrow. Know the laws, stay engaged with your HR leaders in understanding the latest legislative guidelines, and if you find yourself having to consider the role of marijuana in and outside of your workplace, dont trip, this is happening!
My Journey as a Foster and Adoptive Parent.... 12 kids in 12 years.
It took another two-hour debate to get the mainline budget bill to final reading, but Nebraska legislators got through step two of passing a budget Wednesday evening.

Senators voted 40-7 to advance the bill, and it could be subject to extended debate again on final reading.

Wednesday's debate started with an amendment by Sen. Robert Clements of Elmwood to eliminate a study of long-term care needs in the state that would provide a strategy for maintaining nursing homes and ensure access to care for the increasing numbers of aging Nebraskans.

That study, which Clements said was unnecessary and didn't belong in the budget, would cost $175,000, of which half would be covered by federal funds.

Sen. Steve Erdman, who is on the Appropriations Committee, said he supported the Clements amendment and that he believed the expenditure was slipped into the budget, a budget that he does not support because it would result in too much spending.

The $9.3 billion state budget represents a 2.9% average two-year increase in spending.

Sen. Kate Bolz, vice chairman of the Appropriations Committee, defended the study, saying it is "very different" from a long-term care redesign study by the Department of Health and Human Services, and could be complementary. It would not add administrative burdens to the department, she said, and was not slipped into the budget, as Erdman had said.

"We are being very transparent," she said, with a hearing, committee discussion and a committee vote.

The Clements amendment failed on a 28-21 vote.

No amendments were discussed about lowering the appropriation for the University of Nebraska or state colleges. But five amendments are still pending on the bill and could be brought up during final reading.

Reach the writer at 402-473-7228 or jyoung@journalstar.com. On Twitter @LJSLegislature.

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The Legislature was assured Thursday of another opportunity for property tax relief debate when Sen. Tom Briese of Albion filed proposed amendments to a pending tax bill that's positioned at the second stage of floor consideration.

That removed the urgency of attempting to assure Speaker Jim Scheer of Norfolk that the comprehensive tax reform bill (LB289), which already has received three hours of floor debate, can command sufficient support to break through a filibuster if the proposal is returned to the agenda.

Briese's proposal, offered as an amendment to a bill (LB183) that would make an adjustment in the valuation of agricultural land, offers a scaled-down version of the committee's bill, relying on elimination of 28 sales tax exemptions to provide revenue to fund property tax reductions.

The alternative plan would offer about $100 million in additional property tax relief on top of the $51 million proposed by Gov. Pete Ricketts and already endorsed by the Legislature.

That compares to the $372 million package proposed in the more ambitious committee plan, which includes $171.5 million from a proposed sales tax increase and $27 million from a cigarette tax hike.

Briese's amendment would eliminate the politically charged half-cent increase in the state sales tax rate and a boost in cigarette taxes.

Briese, who is a member of the Revenue Committee, emphasized that he continues to support the committee bill and offered the amended proposal simply as a backup plan.

"LB289 is still the goal," he said.

Revenue Committee Chairwoman Lou Ann Linehan said she would continue to try to get the committee plan returned to the agenda for another round of consideration in the waning days of the 2019 legislative session and acknowledged that Briese's action will give supporters "time to work people" and seek their support.

But the clock is ticking: Speaker Scheer announced Thursday that the Legislature will compete its work and adjourn for the year on May 31, ending the session four working days earlier than anticipated.

Shadowing the legislative property tax debate is an initiative petition drive to place a constitutional amendment on the 2020 general election ballot that would provide a state income tax credit for 35 percent of local property taxes paid.

Voter approval of that proposal would trigger substantial increases in state tax rates or deep cuts in spending for state programs and services, or both.

If the Legislature fails to take action this year, senators would have another opportunity in 2020 before voters would go to the polls in November.

The Revenue Committee's tax proposal, authored by Sen. Mike Groene of North Platte in conjunction with Linehan and revised by the full committee, addresses both tax reform and school funding reform while delivering property tax relief.

The backup alternative held in reserve by Briese focuses on property tax reduction.

But that would set the stage for education funding reform, he said.

"It puts us on a path toward a needed modernization of our tax code by expanding our sales tax base to reflect the realities of today's economy," Briese said.

"By placing the revenue into the property tax credit fund, it provides direct property tax relief."

His amendment also would adjust the earned income tax credit to protect lower-income Nebraskans from the "impacts of sales tax base expansion," Briese said.

Among sales tax exemptions that would be eliminated: candy, soft drinks, bottled water, motor vehicle repair and a host of services.

Reach the writer at 402-473-7248 or dwalton@journalstar.com. On Twitter @LJSDon.

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Bethsaida Ramos worked quietly as she drew balloons on a card set to go to a child with cancer in Mexico.

The card-making endeavor is part of a project in which Linden Elementary first-graders have been collecting plastic bottle caps.

A local family then takes the caps to Mexico where they are recycled with the proceeds used to help young cancer patients.

Now, local students and their teachers are capping off their wildly successful lid-collecting project. Community members have until Monday to submit the last of their collected lids.

As of Wednesday, students had collected 47 plastic totes full of bottle caps  and that was before they planned to meet in a weekly activity called, Community, in the school gym. During Community time, students dump the lids into a large plastic tote.

First-grade teacher Angela Willnerd said the project began last year after the Fremont Public Schools district challenged instructors to take on a project they were passionate about.

She and fellow first-grade teachers Heather Kroeger and Brandi Donahue formed a Kindness Crew.

Each month, all three classes of first-graders (57 students) conduct a project for the school, each other or the community.

The lid project started in October after Willnerd learned that a family of one of her students was collecting bottle caps.

Willnerd thought that would make a good schoolwide project so letters were sent home with every student, asking for bottle caps. People from the community began bringing them also.

The lids have come from pop, water, Gatorade and milk bottles.

At the beginning, we would fill about two to three totes per month, Willnerd said.

A story about the cap-collecting project appeared in the Fremont Tribune in February.

After the community became involved  after the news story  then we began to fill seven to 11 totes per month, she said.

People dropped off lids with para professionals or teachers or brought them to the office. Willnerd got lids from people in other school buildings.

The response was astounding.

I was shocked and the family was shocked as well, she said, smiling. When I began this I didnt think we would ever get to that point, but its been a really exciting adventure.

Willnerd said the family already has taken a load to Mexico during spring break.

They took about a third of the collected caps  about 662 pounds.

And the family still has a lot of lids at home.

They plan to travel back there at the end of May, Willnerd said.

The family will take as many of the bottle caps as they can during that trip and intend to keep taking lids every time they return to Mexico.

Willnerd said the caps go to Iluminando Corazones A Ninos Con Cancer, an organization that helps children with cancer in Mexico.

A spokesperson for the groups Facebook page said the caps are taken to a recycler and the money received helps the neediest of 64 cancer patients ages, 4-12. Funds are used to help provide food, bus tickets and medicine for the children, living in Reynosa, and receiving chemotherapy at hospitals in Monterrey and Victoria.

The spokesperson said in February that a pound of caps equals 13 cents.

First-grader Halle Haftings-Dougherty has enjoyed the project.

The most fun part about it is when you get to dump the lids in the container and I like when you get to collect them and bring them here. Its so much fun, she said.

Besides collecting lids, Lindens first-graders are making cards for each of the cancer patients.

The students are writing a message in Spanish inside the cards so the cancer patients will be able to read them.

Willnerd smiled again as she watched students carefully copying the Spanish words projected onto a dry erase board in the classroom and then drawing pictures on their cards.

I think the best part is seeing how excited the kids are to help others, Willnerd said.

Bethsaida appeared to enjoy making a card, which included a bright orange and yellow balloon with a smiley face, a girl and a boy standing on green hills and a red sun in a deep blue sky.

She also wrote the word hola, which means hello in Spanish on the cards cover.

How does Bethsaida hope the child getting her card will feel?

Happy, she said.

Willnerd said school wont do this project next year. Anyone who wants to keep collecting lids after the Monday deadline can search for the Iluminando Corazones A Ninos Con Cancer Facebook page and see if theres a way they can send them.

In the meantime, students will look forward to Community time to see how many more lids will be collected.

And down the hall from Willnerds room, a sign on Donahues classroom door might sum up what the students have been trying to do.

The sign says: Be a rainbow in someone elses cloud.

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The Fremont City Council approved a $1 million grant to the Greater Fremont Development Council (GFDC) for the creation of a housing fund designed to spur low to moderate income housing development in the community.

The $1 million grant comes out the citys Local Option Economic Development (LB840) fund and will be used by the GFDC to establish a new local fund under its current Dodge County Investment Fund (DCIF) program to help provide gap financing and grants to developers, contractors, and homeowners for the development of low to moderate income housing projects.

We are just requesting so that we can provide an opportunity for a remedy of the lack of housing stock that we have now which has been exacerbated by the flood and the additional growth that we have and will see in the community, GFDC Director Garry Clark said.

According to Clark, while the DCIF is restricted to workforce housing development in Dodge County, the creation of a new subsidiary fund will allow flexibility to focus on spurring the development of low to moderate income housing projects needed more than ever following historic flooding in March.

The Department of Economic Development has certain stipulations on how you use those (DCIF) funds, and it also stipulates the range of funding which excludes low to moderate income housing, he said. This opportunity for a subsidiary fund without those regulations gives us a lot more room to help developers that want to do projects in the low to moderate income price range.

While the original application presented to the Fremont City Council included language that would extend the new housing funds reach to include Fremont and surrounding areas, several council members showed concern about the fund being used for projects outside of Fremont due to the request for funds from LB840 which is funded through sales tax within Fremont.

As a result, the council voted to amend the original application and resolution to ensure that the fund can only be used for a project within Fremont and a two-mile extraterritorial jurisdiction which includes the Village of Inglewood.

One potential project that could receive funding from the new housing fund is a proposed renovation to the 505 Building in Downtown Fremont.

According to Clark, the proposed 505 Building project is not directly linked to GFDCs application and request for the $1 million grant, it does represent an example of a project that could apply for money from the new fund.

This is not directly tied to the application we have today, but it is a prime example of an option of trying to cut down on needed housing, he said. Right now the 505 Project would be an applicant like any other applicant.

The proposed project included in GFDCs application would rehabilitate the long-derelict 505 Building to create 24 apartment units and commercial space on the first floor.

According to information provided in GFDCs application, in partnership with RMD Consulting, LLC the local organization is moving into the final stages of an application to the Nebraska Affordable Housing Trust Fund.

GFDCs application to the Nebraska Affordable Housing Trust Fund is for $600,000 to support the proposed 505 Building project which has a total cost estimated at $3,603,000.

As an applicant to this state fund, GFDC could utilize a portion of the requested LB840 funds to create instant housing and economic momentum in a space that has been dormant for decades, states GFDCs application for the LB840 funds. This provides us with an initial project to help impact the balance of units needed in the affordable housing range.

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Health officials urge city denizens to be cautious about the water they drink

Water from all sourcesincluding bottled water, the well and from tankersin the house of a patient was recently found to have been infected with coliform and E. coli, which has raised concerns among health experts about the quality of drinking water in the city.
The Dodge County Emergency Management office will be conducting training for the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) throughout the month of June.

CERT is a program thats aimed at enhancing individual and family emergency preparedness, according to a press release provided by Dodge County Emergency Manager Tom Smith. It enables members of the community to get involved in responding to emergency situations.

The CERT program teaches members of the community lifesaving skills to be better prepared to assist during emergencies and disasters. CERT members often assist local government by responding during disaster situations when conventional emergency services are overwhelmed.

While the program is particularly relevant now, in the wake of Marchs historic floods, Smith says it applies to disaster recovery in general.

Its neighbors helping neighbors, Smith said of the program.

The Dodge County training sessions will occur at the Nebraska Extension Office at 1206 W. 23rd St, at 7 p.m. They take place every Thursday throughout the month of June at 7 p.m.

The first session will occur at 7 p.m. June 6. It is free and open to the public. For more information about the CERT Program, contact the Dodge County Emergency Management Office at (402) 727-2785.

The CERT program has two goals, according to information provided by Smith.

First, it aims to provide the basis for training individual emergency preparedness and to develop an organized team as a resource for public safety agencies.

Second, it aims to promote individual and community preparedness by enhancing the ability of the community to effectively recover from the devastating effects of a disaster.

The fundamental responsibility for emergency preparedness lies with every individual, says a press release provided by Smith.

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KANDAHAR, Afghanistan -- John Bass, the U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan, says that despite some progress in negotiations between the U.S. government and the hard-line Islamist Taliban movement, the insurgents have yet to seriously engage with Kabul or Afghan society.

RFE/RL: How do you see the progress with the Taliban after the conclusion of the most recent round of talks in the Qatari capital, Doha?



John Bass: Last week, Ambassador [Zalmay] Khalilzad finished another week of discussions with representatives of the Taliban. He made a little bit of progress on a couple of the issues related to satisfying our concerns about Afghanistan being a source of threats and terrorism against the United States and against any other country in the future.

But, unfortunately, we didnt make much progress on some other aspects. There has not been progress to address the Afghan peoples desire, which we very much support, to see a reduction in violence or a cease-fire. And we have yet to see the Taliban seriously engage and sit with the Afghan government and the wider society to address those issues that only Afghans can decide among themselves.

RFE/RL: The United States appears to be attempting to reduce its spending and personnel in Afghanistan. What kind of agreements would Washington honor after a possible peace deal, specifically regarding security and economic assistance?

John Bass: First, we hope to enjoy a strong relationship between the government of Afghanistan and the United States and the people of the two countries after the conflict is settled and peace returns to Afghanistan. We have done an awful lot together and helped many people in this country to live lives of peace and dignity even in the middle of the conflict. We have helped to grow the economy and create opportunity for many Afghans to gain an education and learn important skills that help them contribute to the future growth of the country.

We would like to continue that work but, of course, how much of that work we can do beyond humanitarian assistance will depend very much on the terms of the settlement and the willingness of the Taliban to rejoin society and live in an Afghan society that is part of the larger community of nations that respect each others sovereignty and work together to ensure they do not pose threats to each other.

RFE/RL: What would the United States expect, specifically from the Taliban, to continue its humanitarian and economic assistance? How do you expect to preserve the human rights, women rights, civil society organizations and lasting security?

John Bass: Let me first say these are central questions in any discussion  between the government and the people of Afghanistan on the one hand and the Taliban on the other. We believe strongly that a durable settlement to the conflict  one that endures well past a signature on a piece of paper  is a settlement that is arrived at among Afghans. It is more important what Afghans think about these issues than what the U.S. government thinks.

However, we do have strong views. If a future Afghanistan wants to continue to receive support from the U.S. government, it will need to meet international standards for basic human rights and legal protections. And importantly, maintain a commitment to the principle of equality before the law and the rule of law.

I know from discussions with many of my fellow ambassadors that many other governments feel equally strongly about the importance of a future Afghan government protecting basic rights. They will make decisions of their future support for Afghanistan depending on whether those rights are protected and respected.

RFE/RL: What kind of support is the United States prepared to offer for the scheduled Afghan presidential elections this year? Do you see the Afghan electoral commission as capable of adhering to international standards?

John Bass: The United States has strongly supported elections in Afghanistan since 2001. We are prepared to provide considerable financial support and some technical advice to the conduct of the upcoming presidential elections. We have seen some decisions by the electoral commission that indicate the probability of elections occurring on time in September is increasing.

But there is still a lot that the electoral commission, the relevant ministries that support the electoral commission, the candidates and parties, and the wider society have to do to make sure elections can occur. There is no extra time in a very demanding calendar. It is well past time for everyone who wants to see an election occur on time to focus on achieving the best possible election.
Classes ended for the 2018-2019 school year Wednesday at Colorado College.

But the campus continues to sizzle with activity, in preparation for the arrival of a one-name celebrity many students cant believe they get to meet: Oprah, this years commencement speaker.

Outside cement scrubbed, check. Building windows washed, check. Metal fencing erected, check. Plastic chairs set up: 5,100. Standing room overflow: 800 spaces.

Freshman Lauren Hough wasnt lucky enough to score a coveted ticket to Sundays graduation, which begins at 8:30 a.m. on the campus north of downtown Colorado Springs.

But Hough did jump up on the stage that workers assembled this week and thought to herself, Im walking and standing in the same place Oprah will walk and stand.

Shes definitely a black feminist icon, Hough said. I think its awesome shes coming to a place like this.

Freshman Lia Musante also wishes she could attend the ceremony.

Itd be cool to see her.

Oprah Winfrey is big on social media, including Twitter, where Musante has followed her because she admires her work as an actress, activist and philanthropist.

Thats the reason Winfrey is imparting wisdom to the Class of 2019. A graduate of The Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls, in a South African village, Henley on Klip, will receive a bachelors degree from Colorado College on Sunday.

Winfrey started her school in 2007 as a gift to former President Nelson Mandela to provide education and care to underprivileged, traumatized girls and help them break the cycle of poverty.

Winfrey was in the audience for CCs 2017 graduation for the same reason: to support one of her former students advancing in life.

When CC President Jill Tiefenthaler found out that Winfrey again would be in the audience this year, she invited her to speak, said campus spokeswoman Leslie Weddell.

Although the topic of Winfreys speech is unknown  her people told Weddell she was still writing it last week  its likely to fit with the Class of 2019 motto, as uttered by Black Panther Party activist Angela Davis: You have to act as if it were possible to radically transform the world. And you have to do it all the time.

Winfrey is appearing for free, like other CC commencement speakers including Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day OConnor in 1982, film producer and director Sydney Pollack in 1990 and Secretary of Defense Dick Cheney in 1991.

Winfrey is the first nonalum to deliver the annual address since 2013, when Marian Wright Edelman, founder and president of the Childrens Defense Fund, took the podium.

Invitees are those who will inspire students, Weddell said.

We look for interesting people who have interesting things to say to our graduating class, she said. Speakers have come from a variety of fields; weve had politicians, journalists, authors and scientists, among others.

Senior Johnathon Williams, a film major from Middlesex, Va., is an Oprah fan.

With tickets required and all the hubbub, Its going to have a different vibe, he said of this years graduation. Itll be phenomenal to hear someone speak whos given her life to other people and worked for change.

I think the world needs that. Theres a lot of bad things going on right now.

The event is not open to the public, and attendees must have a ticket. Graduating students were allotted eight tickets for family and friends.

That makes Winfreys appearance positive and negative, said CC senior Josh Lauer, of Colorado Springs.

While its cool Oprah is coming to talk and definitely an honor to be a part of this graduating class, I have 15 family members who want to come, and only eight tickets, he said. Its made getting tickets for everyone difficult.

Weddell said the college is trying to accommodate as many students as possible, giving extra tickets to those who request it and asking students who dont need eight to pass on their leftovers.

The event also will be live-streamed at www.coloradocollege.edu/live.

Lauer saw Oprah when she was in the audience two years ago. He was in the audience, too, watching his brother receive his degree.

As for this year, Ive no doubt itll be memorable.

Changing the traditional day of graduation from its usual Monday to a Sunday was not done to accommodate Winfrey, Weddell said. That move had been planned for years, she said, to make it more convenient for guests.

Oprahs arrival is not as big of a deal for some students. Jake Golbus, a senior political science major from Northbrook, Ill., hasnt paid much attention to Oprahs work.

CC is trying to be a premier institution and compete with big schools, he said. I think this (Winfreys presence) is part of that.

For senior Ethan Moore, who came to CC from Rochester, Minn., to earn a biochemistry degree, Its definitely the most famous person Ive ever been in the presence of.

Winfrey seems to speak to all generations.

Not everybody gets to meet Oprah, Moore said. But, he added, I think my mom is more excited than I am.

Some of the nearly 590 graduating seniors wonder if theyll get to shake Winfreys hand, or hug her as their name is announced, cheers arise and they walk across the stage to have their degrees conferred.

Thats unknown.

Some have joked that perhaps Winfrey will give everyone in the audience a car, like she did on her television program in 2004, in what became known as the most epic talk show moment ever.

Thats not likely.

In keeping with tradition, Winfrey will receive an honorary degree from CC.
EDITOR'S NOTE: On April 25, 1967, Colorado became the first state to allow abortion for reasons other than rape or an imminent threat to a woman's health. The bill passed a Republican-controlled Legislature with bipartisan support and was signed into law by Republican Gov. John Love despite strong objections from many constituents.

On the 50th anniversary (April 25, 2017) of the bill becoming law, the AP is republished a version of its story.

___

April 25, 1967

Gov. John A. Love said his decision to sign a bill liberalizing Colorado's abortion laws was "one of the more important and difficult decisions of my experience in office."

The governor said before signing the bill Tuesday his mail ran to about 5,000 letters and telegrams  "about 2,600 against and about 2,400 for the bill."

Love said "the bill itself is completely permissive, not requiring any hospital, doctor, nurse, potential mother or any other person to act in any way to terminate a pregnancy at any time."

Catholics Opposed

Leonard Carlin, president of the Catholic Lawyers Guild of Denver which opposed the bill, said he was disappointed, but not surprised.

"My impression," Carlin said, "was that he (Love) was one of the most enthusiastic supporters of the bill."

Dr. Dana McLean Greeley, Unitarian Church leader, telegraphed Love, "We believe this bill, setting forth certain conditions for the interruption of pregnancy will be a landmark in American legislation."

Dr. Greeley is president of the Unitarian Universalist Association, the national organization of the Unitarian Church, which is beginning its National Assembly in Denver Saturday. Colorado's seven Unitarian ministers also signed.

Consent of Board

Love said the new law requires that abortions be performed only in accredited hospitals and that each operation must have the unanimous consent of a special three-man board of physicians.

"I am certain that the operation provided for will occur only in hospitals, subject to a severe test of accreditation, which will successfully prevent anything approaching abortion clinics," Love said.

"The fear that some have that Colorado will become an 'abortion Mecca' if this bill becomes law does not seem to me well founded."

Love said "the use or abuse of the bill will continue to be of great interest and concern to me. If we find defects or omissions or if abuses do, indeed, occur, we shall be the first to seek changes."

Contains Safeguards

He said, "I believe that the bill as written contains safeguards and is designed to do something about areas of suffering and abuse which have been of concern to a great many people for a great period of time.

"I have confidence that our licensed physicians, acting as a three-man board, and with the protection of the law, will act responsibly to prevent possible abuses," the governor said.

Colorado law previously allowed abortions only in cases presenting a severe threat to the physical health of the mother or in pregnancies resulting from forcible rape.

The new law permits the ending of pregnancies presenting a severe threat to the health  mental or physical  of the mother. It allows the termination of pregnancies resulting from incest or from any of the classifications of rape  including statutory rape.

Abortions also will be permitted under the new law in pregnancies likely to result in a deformed or retarded child.
Bill Mecham took a 100-yard walk from his secluded home in northeast Utah to the family mailbox, where a life-altering envelope awaited. It was Aug. 10, 1942, when he opened his draft notice.

He had spent 20 years savoring peaceful solitude near Kings Peak, Utahs tallest mountain. His family lived on a 15-acre ranch, their closest neighbors a half-mile away. He seldom strayed more than a few miles from his home.

He knew, as he read his draft notice, his life would transform.

Yeah, he says laughing at his kitchen table. I had a good idea. I knew I was going to be shot at.

He was right about that. He spent World War II as a B-24 gunner and flight engineer in the 449th Bomb Group. He flew, he says, 30 bombing missions over Italy and Germany and 20 covert missions to aid the French Underground.

Hes 98 but looks closer to 75. He retains most of his hair. He doesnt need a hearing aid. He wears a black leather coat that looks fresh off the sales rack. It is not. He purchased the coat in New Jersey in September 1944, a few days after he returned from overseas service.

On this morning, he sits in his home near Academy Boulevard and Carefree Circle, slowly eating a late breakfast of bran flakes, grapes and a banana.

Ive taken care of myself, he says. I eat right. Always have. Never smoked. Never drank.

He pauses.

Well, I took a few tastes of alcohol and wondered why people would drink something like that.

He talks for 45 minutes, mostly about his service during World War II. He served 30 years in the Army Air Corps and Air Force, retiring as a chief master sergeant, but the first years are the ones that blaze in his memory.

What a way to spend your life, he says. You cant call it your own. Its hard to explain. Youre fighting for your country.

Mecham declines to take a romantic view of war. He talks of many friends he lost. He talks of freezing temperatures in the B-24. He laments civilians in Germany who perished in bombings.

A few years ago, he examined notes kept throughout his life and wrote a detailed memoir with a focus on his role in WWII.

After hits occur in residential areas pangs of compassion and emotion seem to engulf me. So many innocent human beings killed without valid reasoning. Why would a loving heavenly Father let this disastrous conflict and the Holocaust . . . happen? he writes.

In his memoir, Mecham examines how the terrors of war overwhelmed the emotions of even the calmest men. As flight engineer, Mecham performed exhaustive examinations of his B-24 before and after bombing missions. After returning from a harrowing mission, Mecham counted 176 bullet holes.

Even to the most placid and bravest of men it was a nerve-racking gut wrenching and terrifying experience, he writes of bombing missions. Fear is the opposite of faith, but fear need not control us. If you face fear directly you can do it with faith not fear  The real courage is not the swaggering fearlessness but the stumbling of those who know theyre terrified but who go ahead anyway.

Hes a man of deep faith. He was ordained an elder and, later, a high priest in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. His faith and his gratitude were deepened by his hours of fear while serving his country. All the death and sacrifice he saw in WWII, he says, inspired him to relish just being alive.

He didnt want to leave his family ranch in Utah. He wanted to stay home, savor the vacant beauty. He planned to attend college to study engineering, a plan that never took shape because of the war.

He knew he would survive. He cant quite explain why he knew.

He just knew.
Fort Carson troops and an army of reenactors on Saturday will introduce the public to the role soldiers from the post's 4th Infantry Division played in the liberation of Europe 75 years ago.

The event wraps up the Pikes Peak region's Armed Forces Week festivities and comes ahead of the anniversary of the June 6, 1944, invasion of France that led to the downfall of Hitler's Germany. Called Living History Day, it offers a mix of World War II and modern military gear along with soldiers and history buffs to explain it all.

Joe Berg, who runs the Fort Carson museum just outside the post's main gate said that even as America fights through 17 consecutive years of warfare, World War II still draws a crowd.

"World War II was a time when there was much less ambiguity," he said.

Fort Carson has held history events for the past six years, but Saturday's event, which runs from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., is the largest by far.

The field at Nelson Boulevard and Highway 115 will be filled with tanks, trucks and howitzers. Four dozen reenactors dressed in World War II regalia will be joined by dozens of soldiers from the post for a series of demonstrations.

Among the highlights, Berg said, are a stop by one of the post's massive CH-47 Chinook helicopters and a demonstration of the skills possessed by military working dogs.

The reenactors will portray American troops in the run-up to D-Day as an allied army massed in England in the days and weeks before they stormed the beaches at Normandy.

The 4th Infantry Division survived June 6, 1944, when a few leaders took advantage of what some saw as bad luck.

Navigational errors that morning put the division's troops on the wrong stretch of beach, but the cane-wielding middle-aged leader on the beach, Brig. Gen. Theodore Roosevelt Jr., told his troops to push on.

"The war starts here," he famously told his soldiers.

But Roosevelt, son of the Rough Rider president, also understood his troops had landed on a beach far less dangerous than the one they had planned to hit. The lack of German opposition made the 4th Infantry Division the only unit among the allies that landed its entire complement on the first day.

The division's soldiers fought their way into Germany by war's end. They later fought in Vietnam and Iraq. Today the division has soldiers on patrol in Afghanistan.

In addition to the history lesson, Saturday's event also offers a way for the community to gain an understanding of Fort Carson without having to tangle with the post's tight security.

The whole event takes place outside the post's guarded gates and has the most family-friendly admission price: free.
A special operations pilot at the Air Force Academy is accused of rape, rape of a child and three counts of sexual abuse of a child, the school said Thursday.

Maj. Travis J. Burns will appear in military court Monday for an Article 32 hearing, which is similar to a civilian grand jury proceeding, an academy news release says. The primary role of the hearing is to determine if probable cause exists to support the charge and its specifications.

A preliminary hearing officer presides over the hearing and submits a report of the proceedings with recommendations to the special court-martial convening authority  in this case, the commandant of cadets. The commandant will decide whether to dismiss the case, recommend that it be referred to a general court-martial or dispose of the case through other disciplinary or administrative action, the release says.

The child involved in the alleged rape and repeated sexual abuses was under the age of 12, Burns charge sheet shows. Those alleged crimes happened in 2017 and 2018 in Colorado Springs.

An earlier rape is alleged to have occurred in December 2013 near Clovis, N.M., and involved a woman.

Burns is assigned to Cadet Squadron 23 at the academy, military records show. His title is chief of plans and programs.

Special operations airmen are tasked with being mentally tougher, physically stronger, and ardently committed to serving our country and protecting our freedom, the Air Forces website says. A job for the best of the best, this elite team of heroes goes where others wont because they are trained and ready to do what others cant.

Burns joined the Air Force on June 28, 2005. He has received awards including the Meritorious Service Medal, the Air Force Achievement Medal, the Air Force Commendation Medal, the Aerial Achievement Medal and the Joint Service Achievement Medal.
Know thy self

Oftentimes, in our quest to be globally informed, we tend to forget the local history and practices
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:
Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold called Thursday for a boycott of Alabama and said she wont be sending her staff there for election training in the wake of the states adoption of a strict anti-abortion law.

This restrictive law, which does not even allow exceptions for incest and rape, is appalling, Griswold said in a statement. We should not spend Colorado state resources in a state that restricts womens basic rights to health care. I call on other state and local leaders in Colorado and across the country to join me in this boycott.

The announcement only applies to Griswolds staff, not other state employees.

On Wednesday, Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey, a Republican, signed the nations strictest abortion law, which makes performing an abortion a felony in nearly all cases, punishable by up to life in prison, and with no exceptions for rape and incest, The Associated Press reports.

The law is likely to eventually make its way to the U.S. Supreme Court, where abortion opponents hope the Roe v. Wade ruling establishing abortion rights nationwide will be overturned after the appointment of two conservative justices nominated by President Donald Trump.

Griswolds staff didnt plan to travel to Alabama this year for annual training for election administrators this week at Auburn University, said Serena Woods, communications director for the Secretary of States Office.

Colorados secretary of state staff goes every year, but it so happens that a lot of people will be able to get certification at other training events, including one scheduled next month in Denver.

The secretary is concerned about these restrictive laws popping up as it relates to the work we do here. Its a step we can take at the Colorado Department of State, she added.

In its statement, Griswolds office said that Colorado Department of State employees regularly travel to Auburn to attend the Certified Election Registration Administrator (CERA) training and certification. This training is hosted by the Election Center (also known as the National Association of Election Officials), a nonprofit organization aligned with Colorados values of fair, accessible, and equitable elections.

Griswold, in the statement, said that until the laws of Alabama allow for safe and legal access to health care for women, we call on the Election Center to move the location of its trainings from Alabama. I will not authorize the spending of state resources on travel to Alabama for this training or any other purpose. This is one action that I can take in response to this egregious law against women.

Other Colorado Democrats joined Griswold in denouncing the Alabama law.

I am supportive of the secretary of states decision to stop staff travel to Alabama, State Treasurer Dave Young said in a statement.

The law passed this week in Alabama is a blatant attack on womens rights. At this time the Treasury does not have any ties in Alabama or any staff travel planned to the state. If Treasury staff is presented with the opportunity to travel to Alabama we will certainly consider a boycott as an option.

A spokesman for Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser said that the Department of Law he oversees doesnt have state business in Alabama.

The Department is not considering a policy to restrict travel to Alabama, added Lawrence Pacheco, director of communications for the Colorado Attorney Generals Office.

A spokeswoman for Gov. Jared Polis called the Alabama law an existential threat to our personal freedom and said the governor would veto similar legislation if it were passed in Colorado, but stopped short of embracing the boycott urged by Griswold.

Alabamas rolling back of a womans right to choose is an existential threat to our personal freedom, Polis Press Secretary Shelby Wieman said in a statement.

The governor will always defend a womans right to make her own health care decisions. If at any time during his governorship a bill like this came to his desk, he would veto it.

Yesterday, Alabama. Today, Missouri! tweeted U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette, referring to a similar bill making its way through the Missouri Legislature.

Added DeGette, a co-chair of the Congressional Pro-Choice Caucus: The fight to protect womens rights has just taken on an even greater sense of urgency. Women have a constitutional right to make choices over their own bodies, & were going to fight relentlessly to protect that right.

Former Republican Secretary of State Wayne Williams, however, questioned whether his successors boycott amounted to much more than bluster.

Theres very little need for anyone at the present time to go to Auburn, because were doing a lot of election training here in the state, which minimizes the need for travel, he said in an interview.

The fact that no one was scheduled to go to Alabama tells me this is more a political statement than it is an office-related issue. The office should be concentrating on issues connected to Colorado elections and business filings, he said.

Colorado was on the receiving end of widespread travel boycotts in 1993 after state voters passed Amendment 2, which banned laws protecting gay and lesbian residents based on their sexual orientation.

I would argue that we very much disagree with the amendment that was passed by the voters of Colorado. As do other mayors. As do other Americans, a spokesman for then-New York Mayor David Dinkins said at the time after the U.S. Conference of Mayors voted to move its annual conference from Colorado Springs to New York to protest the amendment.

The amendment was overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court in a landmark 1996 case.
Police are searching for an arsonist who set fire to an acquaintance's home south of downtown Colorado Springs on Thursday night.

The arsonist arrived at the house in the 900 block of South Cascade Avenue just after 8:30 p.m. looking for an item that the person living there claimed to not have. The culprit then set an object on fire at the back door and threatened to burn down the house, police said.

Before the flames spread, the arsonist ran from the property and has not been found.

The fire mildly damaged the home, police said.
A reputed gang member who pulled a gun in jest later killed a man for being angry about it, prosecutors told a jury Thursday as his murder trial neared its conclusion.

Davin Let Loose Carrera, 32, executed Michael DeWayne Booker, 28, as tensions boiled over, firing a round meant to splinter inside the body for maximum damage, prosecutors said during closing arguments.

Carrera fired into his chest to allow the family to have an open casket, Carrera allegedly told a fellow jail inmate, according to prosecutor Shelby Crow, who called it the only measure of mercy in the case.

His attorneys argued Carrera is a patsy, a convenient fall guy in a dispute involving gang-affiliated witnesses who lied to police out of loyalty to the real killer, whom they identified as the prosecutions chief witness and is now in hiding.

That man was initially arrested in the killing, but prosecutors later dropped charges against him in exchange for his cooperation against Carrera, whom the witness claims is an influential and deadly gang member.

The shooting occurred after 3 a.m. Aug. 16 in the 2100 block of Roundtop Drive in northeast Colorado Springs, and most players, except for Booker, were gang affiliates.

Earlier that night, authorities alleged, Booker and at least two others were in car parked in a garage at a mans home and snorting cocaine together when Carrera walked up and surprised them with a pistol, feigning a robbery.

When Booker realized he was the target of a grim joke, he lashed out, angering Carrera. The two quarreled back and forth for the rest of the night, leading to a deadly showdown in which authorities say Carrera fired a single round at the unarmed Booker.

The round splintered into at least six fragments that pierced Bookers heart and kidney along with a network of fatal wounds through his abdomen. The ammunition is legal to purchase and own in Colorado, though not by Carrera, a repeat felon who was barred from possessing weapons. According to court records, his criminal history includes a 2006 conviction for aggravated robbery, for which he was sentenced to eight years, and a 2012 conviction for an attempted escape, which led to a four-year prison sentence.

A chief witness against Carrera is Justin Smith, who lived on the street where the killing occurred and who befriended Booker at a construction job site.

Smith was initially arrested on suspicion of second-degree murder, when police say he refused to answer questions about what happened. Later, he agreed to cooperate and implicated Carrera, whom he feared might target his wife and children.

Smith now lives out of state, authorities said, without disclosing his whereabouts.

Public defender Jared Grabski accused Smith of committing the murder, saying he was angry that Booker had been using methamphetamine in his bathroom while his children were home. Grabski suggested a second witness also lied to protect Smith.

The panel began deliberating shortly before lunch, on the eighth day of trial.

If convicted of the top charge, first-degree murder, Carrera will receive an automatic life sentence to prison without the chance of parole.
One person was killed in a shooting northwest of downtown Colorado Springs Thursday night, police said.

Investigators provided no other information about the incident other than it happened at West Monument Street and North Walnut Street.

Police told Gazette news partner KKTV that more details would be released Thursday morning.
CASTLE ROCK  Through tears, Mike Shallenberger, an engineering teacher at STEM School Highlands Ranch, laid graduation cords on Kendrick Castillos casket Wednesday at the front of Cherry Hills Community Church. The 18-year-old Castillo was to be the first recipient of the schools Technology Student Association honor society, Shallenberger said.

Castillo, who was slain in the May 7 school shooting, also had been chosen to receive the engineering departments annual award, which is given to someone who not only loves engineering, but who will go out of their way to help others learn to love engineering, Shallenberger said.

We look for the people who are our go-to people, he said. We look for someone who will stay after class, who will go the extra mile and will put in the extra effort. We look for somebody who embodies the STEM character traits that we want to model and pass on to others.

During the memorial, his father, teachers and classmates shared memories of the teenager, who is credited along with two other students with helping thwart the attack by charging at one of the shooters when he entered a classroom. Authorities said an armed security guard restrained the second shooter.

Its no secret to us that Kendrick did what he had to do, said his father, John Castillo. Weve said that over and over. But you really have to understand who Kendrick was to understand why he had to do that. 

He was compassionate. If you were walking down the street or something and you stumbled, hed walk over to make sure you were OK. We all have the ability to be a little bit like Kendrick. Its all inside of us.

In a Facebook post announcing the service for Castillo, the church used his photo with John 15:13 from the Bible: Greater love has no one than this: to lay down ones life for ones friends.

Jordon Monk said his friendship with Castillo began their freshman year at STEM, when it became clear that Castillo already knew everything he was supposed to learn that semester in an engines class.

When the students were told to partner up, I already knew who the best option was, Monk said. Our friendship started purely out of survival instincts  I wanted an A in that class, and Id found the best way to do so.

However, after one class period, I, like many others, knew there was something special about him. I had figured wed get along just fine as lab partners, but I had no idea hed have such a profound impact on my life.

They went on to become best friends. When they werent in class, they were tinkering in Castillos backyard, Monk said.

Theres a tremendous amount of stories that I could share, some of which I probably shouldnt, Monk said. Theres thousands of one-liners we would use to no end, hundreds of dollars spent at Chick-fil-A and a couple of pairs of matching socks. But for now, all of that will remain unspoken and cherished as memories.

In the spring of 2015, when Castillo was in eighth grade, his family decided he would attend high school at STEM.

He was so excited to be attending a school that would continue to develop his love and passion for science and technology, said Charlene Molis, former principal of Notre Dame Parish School, which Castillo attended from preschool through eighth grade.

Kendrick had his faith as his foundation, he used his God-given talents to do good, he was service-minded and he treated others with love and respect, she said. Truly, he was the epitome of a young Christian man. ... Kendrick was an inspiration to everyone lucky enough to know him, and I even know, is still inspiring us with his acts of selfless courage.

Dan DeMey, pastor of Shine Church in Castle Rock, said he knows many are grieving the loss of Castillo and asking, Why?

My heart today and I know the heart of the family is that we would move away from the Why? question, because to be quite honest with you, if you stay asking Why? I dont know if you truly ever get the answers that you need, DeMey said.

So I want to transition from Why?  Why did this happen? Why Kendrick? Why do we have a family that is sitting here at a funeral for their son? In the improper order. Its not the right order, and I totally understand that. But we need to move away from the Why? question, and we move to the What? What do we do now that this has happened? What do we do to help support this family? What relationships do we have in our lives that we need to get right? What are the things that we can do because this has taken place?

John Castillo said he knows his son would want him to have the strength to help everybody heal, because he knows theres not anything I can do for him now other than reach out to his friends to help comfort them. The community, along with his family, has a lot of healing to do, he said.

We love our community  we are a family of three and the little dog, but you know, I feel the love of thousands, Castillo said. Im going to have my moments that Im going to be sad  I know my wife is  but because of our beautiful human being that we had in this world, were going to get through it. I think that he would want me to continue his charge of going out and meeting people and telling them who he was, and then also, being sure that as we walk through life, were becoming better people ourselves.

To watch the service in full, visit livestream.com/accounts/817378/events/ 8680861/videos/191301731.
Boreal toads were listed as endangered in 1993, their decline primarily attributed to a skin fungus called amphibian chytrid fungus. Colorado Parks and Wildlife biologists recently announced "very promising" results when they tested the preliminary effects of an experimental antifungal bacterial wash on the toads.
Darchula connected to national grid, eight more rural districts to go

With Khalanga, headquarters of Darchula district in far western Nepal, connected to the national grid, only eight out of the countrys 77 districts remain to be hooked up to the power transmission network.
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As the Hungarians moved west, they settled in the most logical place  what is known as the Carpathian (or Pannonian) Basin. The basin provides ample agricultural land, and it is defensible as its surrounded by mountains. To the east are the Ukrainian Carpathian Mountains; north is the Slovakian Tatras chain. To the southwest lie the Balkan Mountains; to the southeast, the Carpathians extend into Romania. These mountains, which today extend across state boundaries, form a chain of mountain ranges that ring the Carpathian Basin.

Hungarys security relies on controlling these mountains; with a hold on the Carpathians, Hungary would have an almost impregnable fortress enclosing a rich valley. At times, the Hungarians have controlled a great portion of the mountains. That required having dominion over portions of present-day Slovakia, western Ukraine and northern Romania. Today, Hungary does not control any of these regions.

This is because of two key security challenges. First, Turkeys imperative is to control the Balkans, and the Ottomans systematically pushed up through the region by building alliances through the Balkan Mountains and taking naval action in the Adriatic Sea. Second, Hungary is exposed to the west  the only side not fully enclosed by mountains. It is vulnerable to powers that can land forces at ports like Trieste and move in from the west.

If it cannot control the Carpathians, Hungary has two strategies to choose from. One option is to embed itself in a larger force and seek to benefit from that relationship, as it has done with the Ottomans, Habsburgs, Soviets and now the European Union. Alternatively, Hungary can make ever-shifting alliances with more powerful nations to avoid occupation. Neither of these strategies has worked particularly well.

Hungarys vulnerabilities and strategic imperatives have played out on the world stage over the centuries. Its vulnerability was on display in the 16th century, when the Ottoman Empire cut through the Balkan Mountains, broke into the Carpathian Basin  at which point Hungary was indefensible  and took Budapest. The Ottomans then swung toward Vienna, where they were decisively defeated by the Habsburgs in the late 17th century. The Habsburgs, in turn, took control of the Carpathian Basin and mountains around it. In the mid-19th century, Hungary made political arrangements with the Austrians, which included control of the Carpathian Mountains, and the Austro-Hungarian Empire was born.

Hungarys strategy of embedding itself with and manipulating another powerful state failed when that state went to war and lost. After World War I, it was treated by the Allies as an enemy combatant (which it was). Its territory was divided up, and it lost the Carpathians and a substantial portion of its citizenry in the process. Between 1920 and the fall of the Habsburg Empire, Hungary made a series of alliances with various nations in the region, seeking to use whatever the current international political landscape might have been to protect itself. This, too, was unsuccessful  Hungary ended up occupied by Soviet troops.

Hungarys primary geopolitical imperative is to regain the Carpathians, not so much to reclaim its lost citizens but to regain its protective barrier. Thats a tall order. Its only hope is the disintegration of Ukraine; in the latters weakness, Hungary could reclaim the Ukrainian Carpathians. In Romania and Slovakia, it would need an uprising of ethnic Hungarians or a state weakness it could exploit to reclaim their portions of the Carpathians. For the moment, at least, Hungary will have to share the Carpathian Basin.

The United States and Australia have inherent geopolitical strengths. Hungary has an inherent geopolitical weakness. The essential defenses of the Carpathian Basin, the mountains, are out of reach. For at least the past five centuries, they have been controlled by other countries. They are the only solution for Hungary, but a persistently elusive one. So how does Hungary survive? Why isnt it absorbed into other nations, as has repeatedly happened to other countries in Europe? With its geopolitical weakness, why does it exist? The answer seems to lie in the topic we began with: community. Community, which may appear distinct from geopolitics, is in fact central to it.

Next week, then, we will look at Australia, the United States and Hungary through the prism of community.
Grand Old Partisan honors Levi Morton, born in Vermont this day of 1824. After training as a business clerk, the young man relocated to Manhattan and became a successful investment banker. In 1878, he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives.

Merely two years later, James Garfield, looking for a running mate from New York, offered him the vice presidential nomination. Morton turned him down, instead being named ambassador to France. So, when Garfield was assassinated, not Morton but another New Yorker, Chester Arthur, became President.

While in Paris, Morton was given the honor of placing the first rivet during construction of the Statue of Liberty. Returned from France, he won the vice presidency as Benjamin Harrison's running mate. In 1894, Republicans elected him Governor of New York.

His residence in Washington, DC is now the Hungarian Embassy.

Here is a Video Version of this article on YouTube: https://youtu.be/Q30ep12kptM

Michael Zak is author of Back to Basics for the Republican Party, a history of GOP civil rights achievement.

Each day, Michael Zak's grandoldpartisan YouTube channel and Grand Old Partisan blog celebrate more than sixteen decades of Republican heritage. And, see Speech Raves for audience feedback from his presentations in thirty-one states so far.

He also wrote the 2005 Republican Freedom Calendar.

Clarence Thomas cited Back to Basics for the Republican Party in a Supreme Court decision.

Buy the book at Amazon

See www.youtube.com/q?v=IzxKCiXc5Qc for a brief video of a Texas Republican praising Back to Basics for the Republican Party.

"This is the most amazing book about politics that I have ever read. The Overview should be required reading for anyone with even a minor interest in government. The remainder is an enthralling history lesson that I will never forget. For years, we have all been misled about the true nature of the GOP. This is the real deal! Read it and be proud!"

"Michael Zak wrote the definitive history of the GOP."

"Back to Basics for the Republican Party is the most significant contribution to the Republican Party in the last twenty years apart from Ronald Reagan."

"Back to Basics for the Republican Party is more important to our party now than ever before."

and

"one of the best books I ever read"
Police officers, sheriff's deputies, state troopers and Canadian police came together Wednesday in front of Montana's Capitol building in Helena to honor officers who have died in the line of duty.

More than 100 people attended the 58th National Peace Officers' Memorial Day ceremony, which was preceded by a parade of law enforcement vehicles through downtown Helena. Attendees heard speeches from Helena Mayor Wilmot Collins, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme, interim Helena Police Chief Steve Hagen and Lewis and Clark County Sheriff Leo Dutton.

Peace Officers' Memorial Day was instituted in 1961 by President John F. Kennedy to remember law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty. The event is held in different locations around Montana each year, with Bozeman and Havre being the last two host cities.

Since 1889, 129 law enforcement officers in Montana and three in Lewis and Clark County have died in the line of duty.

"As a profession, we gather to give thanks to those who have laid down their life in order to keep the peace of this great state and nation," Dutton said. "We are honored to have this remembrance in Helena today."

Hagen agreed.

"We're very proud to have it in Helena," he said.

Hagen said he is thankful Helena has lost only one law enforcement officer in the last 100 years.

"We're very lucky," he said.

The event was particularly meaningful for Broadwater County Sheriff Wynn Meehan. On May 16, 2017, Broadwater County Deputy Mason Moore was shot and killed on Highway 287 just outside of Three Forks. The suspects had anti-law enforcement views and were determined to go on what prosecutors deemed a "suicide mission" that ended after a high-speed chase through several counties.

"It's a wound that's not healed," Meehan said. "This just brings it up."

The Montana Legislature recently passed House Bill 156, which will designate a stretch of Highway 287 to Mason Moore. A sign designating the Mason Moore Memorial Highway will be unveiled Thursday at mile marker 109, which is where he was killed.

"I hope we'll put it to bed," Meehan said.

Moore was the last Montana law enforcement officer killed in the line of duty. Wade Palmer, a Missoula-based Highway Patrol trooper who was shot earlier this year, is currently recovering from his injuries.

Wednesday's speakers thanked the gathered law enforcement officers for their work and reminded listeners that their job is neither easy nor safe.

"We do thank the citizens who we swore an oath to protect and serve," Dutton said.

Editor's Note: A previous version of this story misidentified the agency that the Canadian police were representing. The story has been updated.

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Seven Democratic presidential candidates gathered on national television early in the 1988 campaign to debate each other.

The field of candidates, derided by Republicans as the Seven Dwarfs, pales in comparison to the 24 Democratic candidates who have  at last count  declared their candidacy for president.

The seven Democrats on the stage in 1988 represented an unprecedented number of candidates vying in a presidential primary. Now, 17 of the 24 declared Democratic presidential candidates have currently met the standards set by the Democratic National Committee to qualify for participation in this election cycles debates.

And in 2016 the GOP used two debate stages to accommodate the 17 declared candidates.

I study political parties and their role in electoral politics. And I believe the rise in the number of presidential candidates in recent years results from divisions within the party coalitions and from easier access to vital campaign resources  money and media  that were not present in previous election cycles.

The old way

Political parties are not monolithic organizations. Parties consist of a network of groups with different policy interests who work together.

For example, within the Democratic Party there are labor organizations, environmentalists and civil rights groups, each with different priorities. Each group would ideally prefer a candidate who will champion their ideas and strongly support their policy preferences.

But a primary filled with many candidates who attack one another risks harming the eventual nominees standing with voters.

Likewise, these divisive primaries may cause supporters of a candidate who fails to win the nomination to withhold their support of the nominee.

So to avoid the problems created by a divisive primary, these groups must coordinate behind a single candidate who may not be everyones  or anyones  first choice.

This requires the groups within the party to compromise, subordinating their groups interests in favor of a win for the party.

In previous election cycles, where the average number of candidates who declared their candidacy and campaigned actively through the first primaries and caucuses was much smaller, these groups have worked together effectively to stand behind one candidate.

Money, media and staff

As my research shows, unified parties are able to discourage candidates from running or encourage them to drop out.

They do this by making it difficult for the candidates they dont prefer to acquire the vital electoral resources that are necessary to win the nomination: media coverage, campaign funds and quality campaign staff.

Donors, staff and the media take cues from party elites about which candidates are the partys choice. They are less likely to support, work for or cover those lacking the partys support.

Reforms to the presidential nomination process in the early 1970s took choosing a nominee out of smoke-filled back rooms. But parties have continued to influence the outcome through their control of the money and other campaign resources necessary to win the nomination.

While these resources are available in abundance within the party network, they were previously harder to find outside of that network. In previous years, candidates who realized it would be hard to amass the necessary resources through party support ultimately declined to run or dropped out quickly, resulting in much smaller presidential fields.

Declining party influence

In recent years, things have changed.

Parties may still have the ability to push a candidate through the nomination when they are united. But I believe party unification and power over electoral resources has also declined in these four areas:

1. Media control

In the past, candidates were reliant on the media to publicize their candidacy and get their message to voters. Party leaders and elites consistently have better connections with the media establishment and use those connections to promote preferred candidates.

But todays media environment allows candidates to bring their message directly to voters. Social media bypasses reporters and editors and those who have connections to them so more candidates have easier access to this key campaign resource.

2. Candidate ambitions

Before, running for president was almost entirely about advancing ones political career. As Paul Tsongas, the former senator and presidential candidate, once said, When you get to the Senate, half the people around you are running for president. You see them and you think you are just as good as they are  So you start to think about running yourself.

Now, a run for higher office can be a means to other opportunities outside of politics. Republican Sen. Rick Santorum, a presidential candidate in 2016 and 2012, became a pundit on CNN. Another candidate, the GOPs 2008 vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin, ended up with a show on cable news.

While parties still pressure candidates to withdraw, candidates may be less responsive than in the past. Thats because they care less about the desires of party elites since they may not be as interested in a career in party politics.

3. Fundraising

Changes in campaign finance have also helped candidates find sufficient money outside of the party network to launch their campaign.

The rise of super PACs and other independent political entities has allowed candidates to gain access to large sums of money from a small number of donors. Campaign finance rules previously encouraged candidates to rely on a larger base of wealthy donors  many of whom took cues from party elites.

At the same time, the internet and social media have also expanded the role of small donors who are not traditionally involved in party politics. Small dollar donations have taken a more important role in campaign funding.

4. Party disunity

Lastly, party coalitions have also become more divided.

Divisions within the Republican Party coalition became more evident during the Tea Party movement. Similar ideological divisions have emerged in the last two election cycles between Democratic Party leaders and the more liberal wing of the Democratic Party. The rise of differences and divisions within the parties makes it harder for the groups within the party network to coordinate on a single candidate.

Here to stay

While the number of candidates running for president in 2020 may be unprecedented, a crowded debate stage is unlikely to be a strange sight in the future.

The divisions within parties and the availability of money and media coverage outside of the traditional party network mean that potential candidates will continue to see  and take  opportunities where previously they did not.

___

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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Anup Ojha is a reporter for The Kathmandu Post primarily covering social issues and human interest stories. Before moving to the social beat, Ojha covered arts and culture for the Post for four years.
A state court has resolved the dispute about who owns Billings largest-ever house, and its owners are planning to list it for sale.

The title to a 26,000-square-foot mansion on the citys far West End was transferred to Wyoming company Three Blind Mice in a May 9 ruling in Yellowstone County District Court.

We are making present plans to list the house with a Realtor and sell it, said Three Blind Mice attorney Randy Nelson.

Larry Price, who is awaiting sentencing on federal fraud charges, signed over the Billings property to Three Blind Mice in a quitclaim deed a year ago, but later asserted he still owned it.

Prices argument was based in part on a claim he had not willingly signed the deed. He said hed been threatened: Nelson, the companys attorney, told him he would go to the FBI if Price didnt follow through on a deal to repay his clients.

The argument failed with District Court Judge Rod Souza, who found Price signed the deed before Nelson spoke to him.

One cannot be defrauded, unduly influenced or under duress by something occurring after the fact, Souza wrote in his order.

Nelson had argued as much, saying Wednesday that Price was attempting to travel through a wormhole back in time.

The judge also found the attorneys threat to talk to law enforcement did not cross the line.

Mention of criminal and civil remedies to precipitate a last attempt at settlement is not duress, Souza wrote.

Price had made multiple indications in court that the Billings mansion no longer belonged to him.

Aside from the quitclaim deed, he also agreed to forfeit the property in an agreement with federal prosecutors in December.

And in 2018 in Virginia, Price told a federal judge hed made the mansion available to help pay off Three Blind Mice, noting he owed the company $11 million.

Prices attorneys, Carey Matovich and Ryan Gustafson, declined to comment on the ruling.

Three Blind Mice is a Wyoming limited liability company and non-regulated lender whose sole business venture was a $7.5 million loan to Price. Its members are Stephen Casher, a Billings venture capitalist, and two Wyoming doctors, Robert Schlidt and Raoul Jourbran.

Three Blind Mice went after Price when he failed to repay the multi-million dollar loan.

Two other local entities, P&H Trucking and MY Co., had sought to intervene in the lawsuit against Price over the mansion but were denied.

The judge said the two companies had not satisfied the necessary legal elements. The two companies claim $6.2 million in loans that Price has failed to repay.

A call to Harlan Krogh, the attorney representing P&H and MY Co., was not returned Wednesday.

Three Blind Mice is last in line to receive payment from any sale of the mansion. After a federal tax lien, county property taxes and debts to local builders are satisfied, Three Blind Mice is entitled to half of the proceeds, according to an agreement with federal prosecutors.

Speaking Wednesday, the company attorney said he wouldnt guess what happens if Realtors arent able to land a proper buyer.

I cant speculate about what the end game would be if we arent satisfied with the offers, Nelson said.

Price has estimated the mansion to be worth as much as $20 million, but the Montana Department of Revenue gives it a market value of $10.5 million.

Price is set to be sentenced in October on federal charges of wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering and lying to federal investigators.

Under the terms of a plea agreement with the Montana U.S. Attorneys Office, Price is obligated to pay more than $20 million in restitution for financial activity that defrauded three companies.

Price has not filed for bankruptcy.

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Two years to the day after Broadwater County deputy Mason Moore was shot and killed on Highway 287, his family and Sheriff Wynn Meehan unveiled a sign dedicating that stretch of road to his memory.

About 100 people showed up Thursday at mile marker 109, just south of I-90 and the Wheat Montana store, which is where Marshall and Lloyd Barrus allegedly fired on and killed Mason Moore in the line of duty in 2017.

"It's a little tough," Meehan said, wiping away tears. "We probably should have picked a different day."

He pointed to a place directly in front of the sign. "That's where his car was sitting."

"It's a little tough," Meehan repeated. "It's something you don't forget."

After Mason Moore was killed, the Barruses led a 184-mile, high-speed pursuit on I-90 that ended in a shootout with law enforcement, the death of Marshall Barrus, and the arrest of Lloyd Barrus. Lloyd Barrus is awaiting trial on charges of deliberate homicide, attempted deliberate homicide, assault on a peace officer and unlawful possession of a firearm.

Standing behind a small podium, Meehan told the crowd that two years earlier, it was a very different scene.

"It's hard to stand here and not remember," he said.

Jodi Moore, Mason's widow, and their two sons, Chase and Cole, helped Meehan cut duct tape off a blue shroud covering the sign naming the Mason Moore Memorial Highway.

"I feel a mixture of emotions," Jodi Moore said. "It's painful, it hurts, missing Mason, but I'm grateful for this."

Jodi Moore thanked the gathered crowd for the time and effort it took to be at the event, especially focusing on the Broadwater County Sheriff's Office.

"I'm not the only one hurting," she said.

The Three Forks community designated this past week as "Mason Moore Week" in honor of the fallen deputy.

Jodi Moore expressed her frustration that Lloyd Barrus still has not been tried in the death of her husband.

"It is not acceptable and is disgusting to me," she said. "I go through periods of being angry, and go through periods where it's just hard to get out of bed."

Montana Rep. Julie Dooling called Thursday a "bittersweet day."

"May you find comfort in the the memories of this man," Dooling said.

Curtis Crow, Jodi and Mason's pastor, gave the final benediction.

"This day for me is extraordinarily hard," Crow said. "My friend, my brother gave his life to protect me, to protect us."

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Although Dan and Farris Wilks have lost three times in court in an attempt to unseat the senior water right on Flatwillow Creek, the Texas-based landowners have another tactic to ensure their NBar Ranch receives water.

Wilks Ranch Montana Ltd has applied with the state to divert water from Durfee Creek from Nov. 1 through June 30 at a flow rate of 4 cubic feet per second, and a volume up to 151.4 acre-feet, and store the water in an off-stream reservoir, according to an application filed with the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation. The reservoir has a capacity of 114 acre feet of water. An acre foot is the amount of water it takes to cover one acre in one foot of water.

After the water is stored, it is proposed to be released or pumped from the reservoir and used for irrigation purposes during the period April 15 to Oct. 15, according to the application.

Durfee Creek is a tributary to Flatwillow Creek in Fergus County.

Because Flatwillow Creek is considered by the state to be chronically de-watered, and because of other existing water rights along the stream, DNRC has proposed to place conditions and limits on the issuance of the Permit that would restrict the periods when water could be appropriated (including the period of appropriation and minimum stream flow conditions), so that other water users and instream flows would not be negatively impacted.

Wilks Ranch was also proposing to divert three springs  about 50 acre feet of water  on Hackshaw Creek in Fergus County but the proposal was withdrawn. According to the DNRCs 2018 environmental assessment, No significant impacts to adjacent surface water flows are anticipated despite the depletions of 115 gallons per minute from Flatwillow Creek because the diversion works are already in place.

The project is generally located about 16 miles southwest of Grass Range.

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Montana Governor Steve Bullock becomes Mr. 22 in the race for the Democratic presidential sweepstakes. Since hell be spending most of his time out of state, he should do the honorable thing and immediately resign as governor. A politician cannot serve two masters, so he should put down his veto pen and chase his folly. Resign now, governor. Let the rest of us get on with taking care of the Treasure State.
AUGUSTA- Crested by limestone reefs of the Rocky Mountain Front, the gates of the Sun River Wildlife Management Area flew open at noon Wednesday and a wave of antler pickers poured through.

At the main gate, a 300-vehicle procession that stretched for nearly a mile snaked its way along. From a separate gate, a mix of sprinters and hikers dashed off. And a venerable stampede of horses glided through a depression and onto the open hillside. Augusta-area Game Warden Brady Murphy glanced in his rearview mirror long enough to make sure horse wrecks were at a minimum before flooring his pickup to the north.

While the vast majority attending the annual antler hunt happily abide by the noon start, multiple reports began trickling in of early trespassers, and Murphy was on his way to investigate.

Our main job up here today is to make sure nobody ruins it for everybody else, he said of those not following the rules.

Murphy spends considerable time keeping the wildlife management area free of people before it opens May 15. The area exists primarily for elk winter range, and as winter turns to spring, Sun River is where the animals often drop their antlers. With antlers both valuable and collectible, the hunt is a major holiday for many and an obsession for others.

Reports of the early trespassers quickly turned to detailed descriptions as Murphy and other wardens zeroed in. Soon, a call came over the radio that Game Warden Ezra Schwalm had two suspects in sight.

Murphy pulled up and he and Schwalm approached two men from Choteau. At 12:15 p.m. they were more than a mile and a half into the wildlife management area, including over several steep hills and ridges. Their story of not having a watch, and FWP Regional Investigator Bryan Golie seeing them inside the management areas borders nearly an hour earlier, earned them two citations.

For those who do follow the rules, Murphy and the other wardens enjoy stopping to chat, offer congratulations and receive a few reports of people and wildlife.

"That is the fun part of this," he said.

For Chester Game Warden Willie Miller, his first time at Sun River was worth the trip to come down and assist.

It was a madhouse, he said. Ive always wanted to see it, and maybe Ill have to come back next year.

Even with the late snow, many of the larger bulls had never made it to the wildlife management area from the adjoining national forest, said Mark Schlepp, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks central region wildlife management area manager.

Each wildlife management area has a unique purpose, and the opener is used primarily to keep it quiet so that animals arent unduly stressed, he said. We also use the start to keep it as much of a level playing field as possible; to give everyone a chance to find a horn.

Wildlife managers also see the management area as important in providing wintering elk a place away from neighboring ranches. The antler hunt acts as a tool as well, with a big flush of people moving elk out in the spring and into the backcountry, he added.

This year was Schlepps 28th at Sun River. In that time he has seen the antler hunt evolve. FWP used to open the gates at midnight and a dedicated few would venture out with spotlights in search of antlers. The probability of someone getting hurt or running into a grizzly bear led managers to think better of a nighttime start, and now the noon opener has become standard.

Antler hunting also has become far more popular.

I think that really started when there started to be a monetary value to antlers, that purpose of finding an antler to sell, Schlepp said. Its also really evolved from a simple recreation thing to do to a big public event. A lot of gates will swing open at noon today.

Among those finding a trove of antlers was Matt Sweeney from Columbia Falls. For the second year in a row, his Subaru occupied the first spot in line, which required him to park about a month ahead of time.

Im just addicted, he said. It seriously is an addiction, lots of people might sell them, but we just pile them up in our house and look at them. Maybe someday Ill sell some and retire.

Also finding a few shed antlers were Wes Yoder from Colorado and Aaron Helmuth from Ohio. The duo had only heard about the Sun River a few hours before the opener and decided on a whim to come up and check it out.

I love shed hunting and seeing new county  Gods country, Yoder said.

Reporter Tom Kuglin can be reached at 447-4076 @IR_TomKuglin

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Most elk hunters know the feeling of seeking but not finding their quarry.

Liz Bradley doesnt take such failures lightly. As the Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks biologist overseeing elk populations in west-central Montana she gets to count them by air every spring. The North Hills-Evaro herd that wanders north of Missoula usually has about 300 members.

The spring green up pulls the elk out into the open where theyre easy to count, Bradley said. I did my first survey in April, and the count was really low  lower than expected. So I flew it a second time a week later and got the same thing. Thats how I double-check myself, and its not an area where its easy for elk to hide.

Bradley counted 146 elk in the North Hills-Evaro herd. Thats about half what was counted last year. The herd has a population objective of 300, and FWP Region 2 has spent years trying to get down to that goal through liberal hunting opportunities.

We dont think what were seeing can be attributed to just harvest, Bradley said. Its more likely displacement, although were not seeing them in adjacent hunting districts. We dont know where they went. Thats the mystery.

The rugged country that includes the Rattlesnake Wilderness Area and National Recreation Area has a full contingent of carnivores  including black bears, wolves, mountain lions and grizzly bears  as well as human hunters. But Bradley hasnt seen evidence of unusual predator activity in the region.

The area also endured a rough winter, with an arctic outbreak in late March hitting elk and deer just as their energy reserves were lowest. Bradleys flight records show low calf recruitment  the number of young surviving their first year to augment the adult population. And she's still waiting to see if this years group of pregnant cows came through the cold well enough to give birth. Bradley said that could be a problem for elk herds throughout west-central Montana this year.

The North Hills-Evaro population decline is doubly puzzling because the Mount Jumbo elk herd to the east appears unfazed. While the two herds somewhat overlap in their summer ranges, about 100 routinely winter on Mount Jumbo and the Woods Gulch area northeast of Missoula.

Our high count this winter was 83 from our elk spotters, which is consistent from what weve seen in the past, said Missoula City conservation lands manager Morgan Valliant. We normally never see them all on the mountain at once. But we didnt get any reports of out-of-the-norm predator activity either.

Residents in Missoulas Grant Creek and Butler Creek neighborhoods north of the valley often see the North Hills-Evaro herd grazing the open meadows. The area is a mix of private ranches, public land and swaths of habitat protected by conservation easements.

Ive seen it when the herd is pushing 600 up there, said Missoula elk hunter Paul Queneau. Theres a lot of protected winter range next to 60,000 acres of wilderness complex with superb summer range. Youd think if the North Hills herd was getting knocked down, the Jumbo herd should have been knocked too.

For years FWP has tried to keep the herd close to its 300-animal objective to reduce pressure on pastures and livestock operations. Thats included special permit drawings, over-the-counter cow tags usable on private land and late-season hunts.

Bradley will spend the next couple of weeks sifting her flight data for clues to where the missing North Hills-Evaro elk went before deciding what to do. Options include reducing or eliminating the extra season days or limiting the cow quotas while keeping opportunities to shoot bulls available. Any proposal would go through a public comment period before a vote by the state Fish and Wildlife Commission.

Weve been trying to figure out a way to keep harvest on that population, Bradley said. Its a challenging place to get a harvest because the elk are on private land a lot. And theyve trended toward going up, not down, for a lot of years. This is an interesting shift, and I dont think what were seeing can be attributed to just harvest.

Those changes and other matters affecting landowners, hunters, and elk watchers will be discussed during the annual meeting of the North Hills-Evaro Elk Working Group at 7 p.m. on May 29 in the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife & Parks meeting room, 3201 Spurgin Road.

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A Dogs Journey

A Dogs Journey, the third in a trilogy of films adapted from W. Bruce Camerons novels, offers up an interesting, complex story into which we can sink our teeth. Directed by Emmy-winning TV director Gail Mancuso, written by Purpose vets Cameron, Maya Forbes, Cathryn Michon, and Wallace Wolodarsky, A Dogs Journey has the emotional bite to match its somewhat hokey bark.

Both A Dogs Purpose and A Dogs Journey are metaphysical and philosophical films that purport the theory that the same dog spirit has been reincarnated again and again into different canine forms over its owners lifetime, always trying to make it back home. Its a fantastical idea, and all rather Buddhist for a film that traffics in heartland family values nostalgia cheerleading. But its a fantasy dog lovers want to believe.

Bailey, the St. Bernard from A Dogs Purpose, reappears as a kindly older dog in Journey, the beloved pet of Ethan (Dennis Quaid) and Hannah (Marg Helgenberger). Bailey bonds with Ethan and Hannahs toddler granddaughter, CJ (Emma Volk), while their daughter-in-law Gloria (Betty Gilpin) grieves the death of CJs father in a car wreck. A selfish and vain woman, she impulsively leaves the family farm with her daughter, denying the grandparents any chance of seeing her again while tossing off vague accusations about CJs fathers life insurance policy.

Losing a beloved dog is a part of pet ownership, and as Ethan says goodbye to his friend Bailey for the final time, he implores the dog to find and protect CJ in his next lives, because shell need it. CJ grows up a lonely, sad girl (Abby Ryder Fortson and Kathryn Prescott), but Bailey finds her again and again, as a beagle named Molly, a mastiff named Big Dog and finally, a Yorkie named Max, who has the greatest influence on CJs life, and helps her to believe in the magic of the animals spirit.

Its about halfway through the film when one realizes how much deeper Mancuso and team are going with this dogs journey. This isnt all romps in the tall grass and stories of puppy heroism or feats of strength  its about family trauma, death, domestic abuse, neglectful parenting, addiction and life-threatening illness. Its about how dogs can fill the hole in your heart that a person might leave.

The whole schtick of these movies is the treat-motivated, not-quite-getting-it doggie voice-over, performed by Josh Gad, and it lightens the film. But going dark and emotional makes the film work better than the prior two.

(PG, 2 of 4 stars, 1 hr. 48 min.)

 Katie Walsh, Tribune News Service

The Sun is Also a Star

The sick teen genre is a well of deep potential with its heightened stakes and ticking clock. And in the structural sense, The Sun is Also a Star is also a sick teen movie  without sickness. But the stakes are high and the clock is ticking  on a mandatory deportation from the United States.

Yara Shahidi (of black-ish and grown-ish) stars as Natasha, the daughter of Jamaican immigrants but a New Yorker through and through. The day before her family is set to be deported back to Jamaica, she makes a last-ditch attempt to change their fate by pleading their case to an immigration lawyer. Shes spotted in Grand Central Station by Daniel (Riverdale star Charles Melton), who notices shes staring at the starry ceiling, and he interprets her Deus Ex Machina jacket as a sign. Daniel is a poet, a dreamer and believer in destiny, and he takes off after her. First he saves her from a speeding BMW in Chinatown, then persuades the science-driven Natasha to spend some time doing the 36 Questions love study from the New York Times. Give me a day, he says, and youll fall in love with me.

Easy for the easy-on-the-eyes Melton to say! Shahidi and Melton both possess an otherworldly kind of beauty, and combined with director Ry Russo-Youngs lush, rhythmic cinematic style, you could just watch them bop around the city for hours, all shiny hair and plush lips. But then, they open their mouths and the spell is broken. The dialogue (the script is by Tracy Oliver) just grinds things to a halt, with speeches that are a bit too on the nose, and too-grand declarations of love. Then again, all those things seem so profound and meaningful at that age.

As pretty as Shahidi and Melton are, they just dont share a palpable chemistry. Shahidi is undoubtedly a star, and while Melton is charming and gorgeous with a goofy puppy-dog energy, the more dramatic moments demonstrate the upper limitations of his range. Shahidis few short scenes with immigration lawyer John Leguizamo are far more riveting.

. When youre looking at the world through love-colored glasses, destiny doesnt seem so far-fetched, and Russo-Young offers up a glimpse.

(PG-13, 2 of 4 stars, 1 hr. 40 min.)

 Katie Walsh, Tribune News Service

'John Wick: Chapter 3  Parabellum'

Chad Stahelski's "John Wick" has quickly spouted into a three-and-counting series, the latest of which is "John Wick: Chapter 3  Parabellum." What was once a taut, minimalist action movie with an appeal predicated on low-expectations and leanness has grown into a franchise with a typically overcooked subtitle and de-rigueur world-building.

"Parabellum" finds Stahelski, Reeves' former stunt double who has directed all three films, moving further beyond Wick's hardboiled origins and into a more extravagant action thriller. In its ever-expanding fictional realm, "Parabellum" isn't so dissimilar from a superhero movie, only one with way more blood, a much higher body count and, yes, righteously better action scenes.

It starts right where we left off with Reeves' uber-hitman. He's on the run in New York having violated the fiercely enforced rules of the High Table, an international assassin's guild that sets combat protocol for a vast criminal netherworld, including that no "business" should be conducted in the Continental, the Manhattan hotel presided over with panache by its manager, Winston (Ian McShane).

Ruthless as the world of John Wick is, it's a rigidly ordered one, full of slavish fidelity to a warrior code that's part samurai, part magician. There's a $14 million bounty on Wick's head, just posted by the High Table, which has begun a soon-to-conclude countdown to make Wick "excommunicado." For every other bounty hunter, it's open-season on John Wick. And in these films, one lurks down every alley; the ratio of regular person to hitman is, like, 2 to 1.

With pursuers all around, Wick stealthily seeks out old associates for help, including Anjelica Huston, as a kind of ballet-and-wrestling instructor, and Halle Berry, who has a fiefdom in Casablanca and a few lethal dogs that severely test the bounds of "good boy." He appeals to them on the basis of old bonds that, he hopes, supersede the decrees of the High Table.

Most come to the "John Wick" films for the hyperkinetic videogame action sequences. With a seamless mix of CGI and stunt work, Stahelski fluidly choreographs ballets of bullets and endless violent encounters across a grim cityscape. In some sequences, the action is clever, stylish and syncopated with the camera in motion.

There is no doubt that these sequences are quite easily, in form and execution, a cut above what most any other action film is currently doing. But "Parabellum" often squanders its finesse by resorting, countless times, to execution-like killings. As the body count swells, the relentless sound of gun blasts, and the occasional knife stuck in a skull, begins to pulverize. Fans will surely eat it all up, but the "John Wick" films have nothing to say about gun violence despite its absurd abundance.

(R, 3 of 4 stars, 2 hr. 11 min.)

 Jake Coyle, Associated Press

The Hustle

Con artists working the Riviera: Is there a comic premise more old-fashioned yet strangely hardy than that old thing?

Certainly it has possibilities, even in 2019, which explains The Hustle. Its a remake of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (1988), with Steve Martin, Michael Caine and Glenne Headly, which in turn was a remake of the 1964 romantic farce Bedtime Story starring David Niven, Marlon Brando and Shirley Jones. Now we have Anne Hathaway and Rebel Wilson doing the uptown/downtown act in a female-driven reboot.

The mark this time is a young, Zuckerbergian tech millionaire (Alex Sharp). The Hustle invents some new elements while relying heavily on set-ups from the earlier pictures. The primary screenwriter, Jac Schauffer, has every right to work her version the way she likes, and the way the projects initiator, producer and co-star Wilson, likes it.

Well, its a dud. Nothing quite clicks. Premise: Australian con artist Penny (Wilson), the lowbrow, meets posh Josephine (Hathaway), the highbrow, on a train chugging along the Mediterranean. The seaside paradise of (fictional) Beaumont-sur-mer is Josephines territory. Penny wants in on the action; Josephine agrees to take her on as a partner, under the skeptical eye of a local police inspector (Ingrid Oliver) in cahoots with Josephine.

The fun is in the ridiculous impersonations and accents, or should be. Yet Hathaway and Wilson never get a performance rhythm going. The whole movie looks cheap. The cost-efficient island of Mallorca, off the coast of Spain, substitutes for the actual Riviera, and you wouldnt notice or care about the secondhand quality of The Hustle, or its reliance on the same hermetic casino or villa interiors, if Addison and company developed any energy in their masquerades.

(PG-13, 1  of 4 stars, 1 hr. 34 min.)

 Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune

Poms

The elevator pitch for Poms had to have been: Its Bring It On in an old folks home! because thats exactly what it is. The brilliant 2000 cheerleading comedy is the gift that keeps on giving (to the tune of, count em, five sequels), so it makes sense to try and re-create that magic by mapping the formula onto something like a Diane Keaton vehicle. But while Poms ekes out a few authentically moving moments, it lacks the acidic wittiness of Jessica Bendingers script, which was the essential quality that made Bring it On such a winner.

Its a formulaic piece, relying heavily on the fish-out-of-water tale of Bring it On, as well as Diane Keatons erudite and frazzled star persona. Keaton stars as Martha, a single, childless woman in her 70s who moves from New York City to a Georgia senior living community. She has a dire cancer diagnosis shes decided to ignore, as well as a repressed dream of cheerleading, symbolized by the high school uniform shes held onto for all these years.

The cranky, isolationist Martha meets her match in her bubbly and outgoing neighbor Sheryl (Jacki Weaver), who is so persistent in her companionship that Martha simply succumbs. Peer pressured to join a club by septuagenarian mean girl Vicki (Celia Weston  the only performer to nail the necessary wackiness yet with wit), Martha convinces Sheryl and a few other women to join her in a cheerleading club. Training montages, interpersonal feuds and viral videos ensue as they chase their dream of competing in a prestigious cheer competition.

The story and plotting are thin and merely serviceable at best, and it often feels like the film has barely been written. We know almost nothing about Martha aside from her prickly personality and secret illness. So its hard to follow her emotional transitions, which turn on a dime and feel unearned. Much like a cheerleading routine, the story hits every expected beat, but it rings hollow.

(PG-13, 2 of 4 stars, 1 hr. 31 min.)

 Katie Walsh, Tribune News Service

Tolkien

What would J.R.R. Tolkien have made of Tolkien, the touching, polished, impeccably well-behaved new movie about his early life? The authors estate has already weighed in, distancing itself from a project that moved ahead without its participation or approval. Watching the movie myself, I couldnt shake the feeling that Tolkien would have disliked it intensely, which doesnt mean we should necessarily feel the same: Quite a few people would reject their own biopics on principle, no matter how smartly and sensitively done they were.

The story, toggling between Tolkiens bookish boyhood and his nightmarish experience as a World War I soldier, evinces a genuine reverence for its subject, his courage and his boundless imagination.

But that imagination is what is most conspicuously lacking in Tolkien, which too often falls back into a pose of intellectual and aesthetic timidity. Presenting itself as a kind of origin story for The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, it assumes, not unreasonably, that the viewer will have a passing familiarity with those works (or at least seen the movies). And while it isnt until the very end that we see Tolkien setting pen to paper, the fantasy-literary significance of everything that happens to him has been ponderously determined in advance, ensuring that each moment and encounter will have some future Middle-earth equivalent.

Some of this is only to be expected. As a young boy (played by Harry Gilby) living in the English village of Sarehole, Ronald inherits a natural love for fantasy from his widowed mother, Mabel (Laura Donnelly), who tells him and his younger brother thrilling stories of dragons and warfare. Later, after Mabel succumbs to an illness, the boys are sent to live and study in Birmingham, where Tolkien meets the three classmates  Christopher Wiseman (Ty Tennant), Robert Gilson (Albie Marber) and Geoffrey Smith (Adam Bregman)  who will become his closest friends and provide the moving inspiration for his Fellowship of the Ring.

But the outside world, with its stern headmasters and unsympathetic parents, proves less hospitable to their aspirations and desires.

Tolkien is structured around a tedious framing device, in which the horrors of one of World War Is bloodiest battles manifest themselves, in Tolkiens shellshocked hallucinations, as the evil hooded Nazgul and fire-breathing dragons that will later populate his fiction. And its this reductive visual gimmickry, this use of fantastical iconography as dramatic shorthand, that I suspect Tolkien would have most fervently rejected.

It would be unfair to expect any movie, even one that ran hours longer than this ones 112 minutes, to capture the inventiveness and ardor of Tolkiens command of language, his gift for dreaming up new words and new worlds. What Tolkien offers instead is a picturesque, amber-soaked balm for armchair Anglophiles: the manners and mores, the crisp witticisms and stirring, stiff-upper-lip sentiments. These pleasures arent negligible. But neither are they a substitute for a genuinely cinematic window into a genius mind.

(PG-13, 2 of 4 stars, 1 hr. 52 min.)

 Justin Chang, Los Angeles Times

The Chaperone

"The Chaperone" doesn't need one. Well-behaved and genteel from the get-go, it has its pleasures, but being wild and crazy is not one of them.

This is more than a little ironic, because one of the film's protagonists is the real-life Louise Brooks (played here by Haley Lu Richardson), an actress best known for 1929's provocative "Pandora's Box" and someone whose incendiary screen presence and free-spirited life gave decorum-seekers fits.

The guiding spirit here, however, is not that G.W. Pabst silent classic but the blockbuster television series "Downton Abbey," which supplied "Chaperone" with both its writer (Julian Fellowes) and director (Michael Engler) as well as the person who got it going.

That would be producer and star Elizabeth McGovern, who came across the 2012 Laura Moriarty novel that the film is adapted from when she was hired as its audio book reader and recognized it as something she could both act in and help create.

The film's earnest focus, as the title indicates, is on the emotional trajectory of another, not necessarily fascinating woman, the fictional Norma Carlisle (McGovern).

It is the conceit of "The Chaperone" that Norma and Louise, different though they are, have an influence on each other's lives. There are small surprises along the way (references to the constricting nature of corsets not among them) but everything plays out pretty much as expected. Self-actualization may be essential for people, but it doesn't always make for the best of drama.

(Not rated, 3 of 4 stars, 1 hr. 48 min.)

 Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times

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DECATUR  Looking at plans for his daughter's new school building, Rob Cook saw reason to be impressed.

"The Montessori program is one of the reasons we stay in this area and don't move elsewhere," said Cook, whose daughter Maia is in second grade at Garfield Montessori School. "Now it will be even better with the new facility."

Maia and her fellow students will move into the renovated Thomas Jefferson Middle School next year, part of a wide-ranging $55 million facilities plan designed by Decatur School District leaders. On Wednesday, Cook was among parents, teachers and community members who turned out to an open house at Hope Academy to review designs and talk with representatives from BLDD Architects, the firm spearheading the plan.

The facilities plan, known as the BOLD Plan (Building better Opportunities for Learning in Decatur), began earlier this year and involves the consolidation of several schools, renovation of facilities and the decommissioning of other campuses. By its conclusion in 2021, it will reduce district buildings from 22 to 17.

The BOLD plan is an extension of the district's five-year strategic plan. The plan includes five major goals, each with several action items, but the overall aim is to make DPS a "destination district."

Among components of the facilities plan:

In August, students from Thomas Jefferson will join those in Stephen Decatur Middle School, which will be renovated;

Stevenson, Baum and Oak Grove students will move to Parsons, Muffley and Franklin respectively after additions to those buildings;

Johns Hill Magnet School will get a new building;

Durfee Magnet School will close and the students will go to other buildings;

the Montessori schools, Garfield and Enterprise, will combine at Thomas Jefferson after it's been renovated to accommodate them;

French Academy will move to Enterprise School's building; Dennis School will be expanded to two buildings, moving part of its program into French Academy's present building;

air conditioning will be installed in all the buildings that lack it;

Harris School will become the alternative education center and those students will move to Hope Academy.

Evyonne Hawkins, a trustee for the Decatur Public Schools Foundation, participated in the strategic plan and said she is excited to see a portion of the plan become a reality, but she has a few points of concern.

Hawkins was among several who highlighted needs of elementary school band students at the renovated buildings, Muffley, Parsons and Franklin.

"The band students in the elementary schools need a place to practice," she said. "They are right there in the hallway as soon as you walk in. They need a home."

Sam Johnson, BLDD principal, spoke about creating spaces for band and choir students at the Decatur Board of Education meeting Tuesday and said the architects will make it a priority.

Julie Boeckenstedt, an elementary substitute teacher, spoke with Johnson about her concerns with the construction of the elementary schools, specifically bathroom placement.

"Bathrooms especially for the younger kids and the Life Skills (students) is a major concern. When they have to go they have to go and you really can't wait," Boeckenstedt said. "Sam and the BLDD staff were so willing to hear me out and they thanked me for coming and for telling them what I thought could be a problem."

Johnson asked attendees to draw their ideas for the elementary schools on dry-erase boards he provided with current blueprints. He also provided 3D print versions of the building additions so that residents could envision them.

"We are pretty much working with a blank canvas when it comes to the elementary project," Johnson said. "We will be presenting a more final version in August and any outside input will help us put that together."

At another station in the gym, BLDD licensed architect Kim Kurtenbach presented designs of what will be the updated interior structure of Thomas Jefferson Middle School when the two Montessori programs occupy it in the 2020-2021 school year. The facility will allow the district's Montessori programs to almost double in size, with access to 112,000 square feet.

"The nature of Montessori programs calls for children to do everything in the classrooms from learning, to eating lunch, to group work," said Mary Anderson, principal of Garfield. "They do everything in their own spaces so to have the extra room will be incredible."

Kurtenbach's presentation came equipped with a virtual reality tour of the space.

"The virtual reality tour gives you a great idea of the flow of the space," she said. "There are multiple classrooms with large doors that open up into other rooms so teachers will have so endless options on how to utilize the space."

The district and BLDD will host a second open house at Hope Academy from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday.

"We look forward to hearing everyone's input," Johnson said. "It is necessary for this project to be successful."

Contact Analisa Trofimuk at (217) 421-7985. Follow her on Twitter: @AnalisaTro

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SPRINGFIELD  Illinois food stamp recipients who are elderly, disabled or homeless could soon use their benefits to eat at restaurants.

The Restaurant Meals Program bill, which is awaiting a state Senate vote after approval by the House in late March, aims to add Illinois to a short list of states that have opted into a federal program that allows certain people to redeem food stamps at participating restaurants.

Restaurants, which must offer discounted menus to be eligible, can voluntarily apply to participate and are not required to enroll.

Currently, recipients of the government's Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, can only use benefits to buy groceries at retailers. They cannot use them for dine-in meals or to buy hot food sold at grocery stores.

That's challenging for homeless people without access to cooking supplies or storage space, as well as for some elderly or disabled people who may not be able to cook safely in their kitchens, said Niya Kelly, state legislative director at the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless.

Though soup kitchens and other providers offer free hot meals, they have limited hours and variety so people with certain allergies or nighttime school or work hours can't always rely on them, Kelly said. As a result, she said, many people make do with a bag of chips.

In addition to making it easier for people to grab a meal, giving SNAP recipients access to restaurants offers them an opportunity to be part of the wider community.

"There's a certain dignity of being able to sit down somewhere knowing you bought your food and having that space to be able to do that," said Kelly, whose organization led the legislative effort alongside the Heartland Alliance and the Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture, which funds and runs SNAP, has since 1977 allowed states to make restaurants available to food stamp recipients who are aged 60 and over, have proof of disability or have a homeless certification letter from a shelter or other provider.

Currently Arizona, 11 counties in California and one county in Rhode Island participate in the program. Other states have participated in the past but eliminated it. Michigan, for example, eliminated its program in 2013 due to concerns about lack of nutritional options at restaurants and fraud at some locations, according to Bob Wheaton, spokesman for the Michigan Department of Health & Human Services. Illinois has never participated before.

The bill directs Illinois' Department of Human Services, which administers SNAP in the state, to implement the restaurant program no later than January 1, 2020. Though legislation is not required for the agency to opt in, it protects the move from being easily reversed by future administrations, advocates say.

About 1.8 million people across 900,000 households in Illinois receive SNAP, according to the state. The restaurant program would affect a fraction of them; 14 percent of SNAP households include someone who is disabled, 10 percent contain someone who is elderly and less than one percent include someone who is homeless, and many of those categories overlap, Kelly said.

In Arizona, Subway, Jack in the Box and Carl's Jr. are among the restaurants that have opted to accept SNAP, according to that state's Department of Economic Security.

Illinois educators call for schools to be part of capital bill SPRINGFIELD  Educators added their voices Tuesday to the chorus calling for a new public works construction program in Illinois.

But Rep. Sonya Harper, D-Chicago, chief sponsor of Illinois' bill, said she expects few fast food chains locally to be interested in participating.

Instead, she is focused on people being able to use their benefits to buy prepared food from the hot bars at grocery stores, where they already are accustomed to shopping.

Harper -- who said she herself used SNAP for about two years when she struggled to find a job after dropping out of law school because she was pregnant -- said she knows from experience how frustrating it is to not be able to grab a plate of fried chicken and mac and cheese from a store's prepared food section.

"It makes your life easier," she said.

The Illinois House voted 75-18 in favor of the bill. Those who voted against it mostly wanted to limit restaurant access to eligible individuals rather than their entire households, as the bill provides, said Kelly of the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless.

There are no intentions to expand the program to the SNAP population broadly, Kelly said.

Some of the debate around making restaurants eligible for SNAP involves concerns that people will use their benefits on greasy fast food. But people who live in poverty are known to budget carefully. And, Kelly said, "it is not our responsibility or our job to judge how folks survive."

The Senate is expected to vote this week or next.

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Courtesy Sangamon Valley Collection, Lincoln Library A 1930s family gathering at 1611 East Jackson St. after the funeral of Thomas Artis, patriarch of the Artis family.

A. Morris Williams came to Springfield as a 23-year-old cobbler in 1902. Within five years he had obtained a law degree, which he put to use helping fellow African-Americans file retribution claims against the City of Springfield after the 1908 Race Riots. A pioneer in the black real estate business, he was responsible for the construction of many houses and civic buildings in Springfield, and he also organized the Enterprise Bank, the second black-owned bank in Illinois. The house where he lived from 1918 until his death in 1936 is still standing on South Walnut Avenue.



Williamss story is just one of a multitude of significant African-American people and places highlighted in a newly completed report of a year-long architectural survey of the citys east side.

Courtesy Sangamon Valley Collection, Lincoln Library

Produced by Floyd Mansberger and Christopher Stratton at Fever River Research, with assistance from the Springfield and Central Illinois African American History Museum, the report brings to light a wealth of information on the history of African-Americans in Springfield as well as surviving physical structures connected to that history.The report is the culmination of an architectural survey of Springfields Central East neighborhood initiated at the behest of the Springfield Historic Sites Commission and administered by the citys Office of Planning and Economic Development as part of an effort to study African-American life in Springfield. The surveys goal was to inventory and research historic properties and to identify potential candidates for local landmark and National Register of Historic Places designations.Because the National Register nominations require the survey of a specific geographic region, Fever River chose the focus area as the more than 500 acres on the east side of the city bounded by Madison Street and Clear Lake Avenue on the north, 19th and Wirt Streets on the east, South Grand Avenue and Brown Streets on the south, and 10th Street on the west, historically perceived as the heart of Springfields African-American community. Within that area, Fever River documented more than 800 buildings, completed detailed survey forms for 105 buildings, and identified 37 buildings of particular architectural and historical significance.More than just an architectural record of the survey area, the report draws on maps, historic newspaper accounts, city directories, census information and oral histories to paint a portrait of the rich and dynamic social and cultural history of African-American life in Springfield, which in turn provides important context for the evolution of the east side neighborhood.African-Americans have been present in Springfield since the towns founding in the 1820s. Indeed, two of the four founders of Springfield (John Taylor and Thomas Cox) owned slaves. Census records indicate that, despite the challenges posed by anti-black bias and restrictive black laws, the black population of Springfield grew to 166 in 1840 (including six slaves); 171 in 1850, and 234 in 1860. The African-American community, though small, was dynamic and engaged. Springfields first black church, the Zion Missionary Baptist Church, was organized in 1838; its minister, John Livingston, was the first black ordained minister in Illinois. Springfield sent African-American delegates to the First Convention of Colored Citizens of the State of Illinois in 1853. By the late 1850s, African-Americans had annual parades and celebrations honoring the anniversary of the 1834 emancipation of slaves in the West Indies.Building on Richard Harts groundbreaking research on the pre-Civil War African-American population in Springfield, the Fever River report shows that Springfields residential character was integrated in the years before the Civil War: There was no obvious segregation of black housing from white-occupied residences. While most residences with black heads of households were located north of Washington Street, they were located in neighborhoods alongside the homes of native-born whites and European immigrants.The African-American population of Springfield grew from 203 to 808 persons between 1860 and 1870. Many new arrivals to Springfield were former slaves who were drawn to the city by its association with Abraham Lincoln. Although housing was still integrated, many African-Americans chose to reside on the citys near north side, which was now home to two black congregations, the African Methodist Evangelical Church on Fourth Street north of Madison and the Colored Baptist Church on the corner of Carpenter and Eighth.The latter place often served as the organization point for the Emancipation Day celebrations staged by Springfields African-American community beginning in the late 1860s. Held on Sept. 22, the anniversary of Lincolns issuing of the Emancipation Proclamation, these celebrations saw hundreds if not thousands of participants parade to Lincolns home to pay their respects, then listen to speeches by prominent citizens, both black and white.Reconstruction ended in 1877, when the United States pulled federal troops from the South. Without a federal presence to enforce civil rights for African-Americans, southern governments began passing legislation limiting the rights of black citizens. As the 19th century came to a close, Southern blacks saw their rights to vote, serve on juries and enjoy equal access to public places stripped away by harsh Jim Crow laws. Springfield was not immune to anti-black bias. Fever Rivers report notes that although not codified by law, segregationist practices were tacitly practiced and accepted in Illinois, including Springfield.Despite the challenges of Jim Crow, however, the late 19th century saw Springfields African-American population expand to more than 2,000 people. Its community, which embodied values of empowerment and self-help, become even more influential and engaged. In 1898, local social activist Eva Monroe established the Lincoln Colored Home for the care of black orphans and the elderly (see side bar p.13). In 1901, the Ambidexter Institute opened as a vocational school for black youth, patterned after Booker T. Washingtons Tuskegee Institute.African-Americans established a vibrant business community in Springfield during the Jim Crow era. Prominent black businessmen included A. Morris Williams, an attorney and real estate developer; Charles Gibbs, an attorney and philanthropist; Oscar Birdsong, a carpenter/builder and Elmer Lee Rogers, the founder and editor of two black newspapers.By the end of the 19th century, distinct black neighborhoods had developed in Springfield. The primary black commercial area was concentrated along Washington Street between Seventh and Tenth streets. This area was known as the Levee district, contemporary slang for the party district in reference to the social gatherings that took place in this area of town.The majority of black residences were on the citys near north side, east of Ninth Street and north of Madison. By the late 19th century, the character of the area changed into something of a red light district where gambling dens, brothels and saloons were concentrated. This area came to be known known as the Badlands, a racist term which referred both to the illicit activities that took place there and the large numbers of poor African-Americans who resided there.The Levee District and the Badlands were both targeted during the Springfield Race Riot of 1908, when an armed mob tore through the city bent on destroying black-owned homes and businesses as retribution for an alleged assault on a white woman by a black man. Despite the efforts of the citys firefighters (including representatives from Engine House Number 5, the citys first black fire company), dozens of black homes and businesses were burned in the melee. The Journal of Aug. 15, 1908, reported, The entire district between Mason and Jefferson Streets and Ninth and Eleventh Streets, covering four square blocks, was wiped out.The National Association for the Advacement of Colored People was formed in 1909 as a direct response to the Springfield Race Riot. Unfortunately, however, race relations in Springfield worsened during the 1910s and 1920s, as whites doubled down on maintaining their existing power structure.One way that racism manifested itself was in the increasing segregation of African-American businesses and residences to the east side of Springfield. Prior to the Civil War, east side neighborhoods represented a mix of ethnicities and economic classes. Beginning in the 1870s, a pattern developed whereby affluent white families would move to new neighborhoods, and the older houses they left behind were broken into multifamily housing and occupied by working class and African-American families.Racist housing policies and racial bias kept black families from moving into new or predominately white neighborhoods. Some new developments used protective covenants in their sales contracts which prohibited the properties from being sold to black residents. Other neighborhoods rebelled when black families tried to move in. When James B. Osby, a successful black real estate agent, bought the house at 1024 South Sixth Street in 1921, the neighbors responded with a storm of protest, according to the Journal. Of course we could not consider having colored people live in this neighborhood. Having the property owned by them is bad enough, one resident was quoted as saying.Urban renewal efforts drastically changed the character of the east side in the mid-20th century. In 1940, an eight-block section of the city bound by Eleventh, Fifteenth, Madison and Reynolds streets was demolished to make way for the John Hay Homes public housing project. The goal of this project was to provide affordable housing to the poor in compliance with the 1937 Public Housing Act, while at the same time removing blighted older houses from the landscape. While the Hay Homes did meet these goals, they also resulted in the large-scale displacement of African-American residents in that area. Most of the occupants of the demolished houses were African-American, yet only about 10% of the new Hay Homes were open to African-American residents. Similarly, urban renewal of Washington Street east of Seventh Street in 1966 destroyed what was, in essence, the heart of the black communitys business district and social center.Today the east side project area investigated by Fever River is a mixed residential and commercial neighborhood which displays a wide variety of late 19th and early 20th century building types and architectural styles. Within that area, the report documented more than 800 buildings, completed detailed survey forms for 105 buildings, and identified 37 buildings of particular architectural and historical significance. Yet all of the buildings, individually and as a whole, paint a picture of the evolution of a vibrant African-American community with roots reaching back to the towns founding. The completion of the Fever River report provides an important resource for future work to document, preserve and interpret black history in Springfield.





More than 200 people gathered at the Lincoln Library on April 24 to kick off the #ThankYouMsEva project honoring the human services contributions of Eva Monroe, manager of the Lincoln Colored Home for more than 30 years.

From 1901 until 1954, the building at 1310 East Adams Street was home to Firehouse Number 5, the only firehouse in Springfield where African-Americans were permitted to serve. When the firehouse first opened, it had a stable downstairs for the horses still used to pull the fire wagons.The firefighters who worked there faced discriminatory treatment. They were given equipment that had been cast off by white fire departments. They were ordered to stay and clean up after fires were put out. Their only white colleagues were either supervisors or firefighters who had been transferred there as punishment.In spite of their secondhand equipment, Firehouse No. 5 was known as one of the best in the city. Firefighters from this station were called out during the Springfield Race Riot of 1908. They did their best to put out the fires set in black-owned residences and places of business, despite mobs cutting their firehoses.In 1954, Firehouse No. 5 moved to a new building at 18th and Clay. In 1970, the old building was purchased by the Prince Hall Masons, a black fraternal organization, for use as their Central Lodge Number 3. Coincidentally, an early principal master of that lodge, William Donnegan, was one of the lynching victims of the 1908 race riot.Since acquiring the home, the Prince Hall Masons have rehabbed it for use as a lodge, replaced the HVAC system, stabilized the structure, added space for a fellowship hall and undertaken necessary repairs to the flooring. Their next goal is to restore the buildings original facade to take it back to its early 20th century appearance. The Masons are hopeful that funds for the facade will be included in the states next capital bill.Once the facade is finished, the Masons hope to have the city designate the building as a historic landmark. Their goal is to create a small museum within the site to display memorabilia from black firefighters.Ken Page, past Worshipful Master of the Prince Hall Masons, wants people to know that the building is available for the community to use.Its a living site. Theres still work to be done, but it is available to the community. Its important to us that it will be available to young people as a permanent part of the history of Springfield, he said.Those wishing to support the restoration of Firehouse Number 5 can contact Ken Page at Kenpage1@comcast.net -Erika Holst





The large brick building at 427 S. 12th St. served as the site of Sangamon Countys first orphanage for African-American children from 1904-1933. The Lincolns Colored Old Folks and Orphans Home was founded in 1898 by Eva Carroll Monroe, who was so moved by the condition of Springfields black poor that she cared for three orphans and two elderly women in her own apartment. Aware that Springfields existing orphanages only took white children, Eva and her sister, Olive, raised $125 to purchase an old house at 427 S. 12th, which they opened to African-Americans in need.Initially, Monroe kept the house going through force of will alone, traveling around the state to ask for donations of straw, coal and furniture. She also received support from the Springfield Colored Womens Club, which held fundraisers to keep the home supplied with money, medicine and necessities.Monroes fundraising efforts soon caught the attention of wealthy widow Mary Lawrence (mother of Susan Lawrence Dana). Lawrence paid off the buildings mortgage, then helped underwrite efforts to raze the old building and construct a new, red brick house on the property. Construction was completed in 1904, and for the next 29 years the home housed as many as 60 orphans and elderly women.Eva Monroe was a pioneer in the field of human services, leading the way for child welfare and services for the elderly, said Gina Lathan, president of Route History. She exemplified the core tenets of social work and human services.The Lincoln Colored Home closed in 1933, when the national mood moved away from institutionalized care and towards foster care for orphaned children. The house was sold at auction in 1944, though the new owner allowed Monroe to continue living there until her death in 1950. The house changed hands several times in subsequent years.Today the Lincoln Colored Home site remains in private hands. Its owners would like to see it restored and used as a museum and community center, but funding remains an issue. Recent work by Springfield High Schools 4-H Spark Tank Club, led by students Zaire Harris and Jesse Harris, has been instrumental in raising awareness and funds for the site. Today the Lincoln Colored Home is a designated a historic landmark by the Springfield City Council and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.This year Route History launched a public campaign called the #ThankYouMsEva project to raise awareness of Eva Monroes contributions to Springfield history and the field of social work. Theres been a lot of conversation around the building, but not so much about the person in the building, Lathan said. The project kicked off with an event at Lincoln Library which drew more than 200 people. Future events are being planned in Chicago and in southern Illinois.To support the #ThankYouMsEva project, buy t-shirts at the Route History headquarters at 737 E. Cook St. after May 20. Proceeds will go to supporting local youth education projects in Monroes memory. Erika HolstBuilt as a residence for Judge John Wycliffe Taylor in 1857-58, the house at 902 S. 12th St. played an important role in Springfields African-American history from 1901 to 1908, when it served as the site of the Ambidexter Industrial and Normal Institute. Modeled on Booker T. Washingtons Tuskegee Institute, the Ambidexter Institutes goal was to provide African-Americans education and training in the skilled trades. The curriculum included classes in domestic science, millinery, dressmaking, plumbing, painting, carpentry, bricklaying, shoemaking and general mechanics, as well as music and elocution. A shortage of funds caused the Institute to close its doors in 1908.By 1982, the house had fallen into severe disrepair. Upon learning that the house was slated for demolition, Jerry Jacobson of Save Old Springfield stepped in, acquired the property, and put more than $50,000 of his own money into its restoration. In an attempt to raise awareness about its significance and its dire condition, Jacobson brought the Taylor House to the attention of Landmarks Illinois, which put it on its annual list of the states 10 most endangered structures in 2004.Ultimately it became clear to Jacobson that he did not have the resources to restore the house alone. In 2013, with the support of local preservationists, historians and neighborhood residents, Jacobson transferred the house to The Springfield Project, a nonprofit organization that empowers Springfields underserved and minority populations to identify and solve neighborhood problems through collaboration and partnership with various stakeholders.The Springfield Project has a vision of redeveloping a 49-block area of Springfields east side, bounded by South Grand Avenue, MLK Jr. Boulevard, Cook Street and 11th Street, which the organization calls the Neighborhood of Hope.The idea is that the Taylor House could be kind of a community center for an entire redeveloped neighborhood on the near east side, said Sue Massie of Massie, Massie and Associates, who has been instrumental in efforts to save the building.The Springfield Project has invested considerable time and resources into improvements to the Taylor House, including removal of old vinyl siding and removal of two later additions. Still, it is facing an uphill battle. Massie notes that redevelopment of that area of town has not gotten the attention or support it has needed to get off the ground. Meanwhile, the house still requires work, and the projected costs are rising.I think weve lost a little bit of opportunity by letting time go by, Massie said. Still, The Springfield Project has talked to contractors and gotten estimates on the work needed. Wed be ready to go if we got an infusion of a little money. Erika HolstTo learn more about how you can help the Taylor Home, contact The Springfield Project at 217-753-3551 or emailinfo@thespringfieldproject.org.
ICYMI: Here are our top stories from Thursday, May 16

Here are some of the top stories from The Kathmandu Post (May 16, 2019).
Reporter and historian Taylor Pensoneau on writing fiction: If you dont like a character, you can kill her off.

Taylor Pensoneaus name is familiar in these environs. Hes known for his long affiliation with the St. Louis Post-Dispatch writing about Illinois politics, his influential role with the Illinois Coal Association and his books about former governors and southern Illinois gangsters. Hes the author and contributing author of seven nonfiction books. His most recent book, Falling Star, is his second venture into the world of fiction. The first was The Summer of 50. Pensoneau says there is freedom and power in writing fiction. You can create characters and let your imagination run wild, says Pensoneau. If you dont like a character, you can kill him or her off. Theres a tremendous amount of power that you dont have when writing a biography about someone, especially a person who is still alive.Falling Star is an enjoyable read. Pensoneau draws on his life experiences, weaves an interesting story and interjects names, places and circumstances that are familiar to those of us from central Illinois. Jake Brosky is an investigative reporter for the St. Louis World. Brosky is one of the best in the business and cunningly masterful at getting people to reveal things when they dont know how they will be used. Broskys investigative reporting, coupled with his reliable instincts, have helped land many of his stories on the front page of the World. Never mind that he cant write very wella rewrite man at the paper takes the results of his sleuthing and transforms them into must-read stories.It is the early 1950s. Enter a Hollywood starlet, one now fading from the limelight. Brosky follows a tip for an opportunity to meet the famous woman  Clarissa Monnet. But, by the time he arrives, shes gone. A few pieces of paper left behind provide clues for Brosky to pursue. Someone ends up dead, strangled and dumped in the Mississippi River. Is there a connection? Brosky doesnt believe in coincidences. He is determined to find Clarissa Monnet and learn more about her. Why was she in a womens shelter in St. Louis, and why did she leave suddenly under mysterious circumstances? What secrets does she hold? Brosky travels to Los Angeles, following one lead after another that ultimately takes him to her hometown in Illinois.An Illinois governor with aspirations for the presidency, leading businessmen who ensure political coffers are flush with cash for elections, powerful members of the mob from Chicago and Los Angeles, high society women manipulating others around them, high school friends and foes and a likeable lieutenant governor in line to be governor are just some of the characters providing intrigue.People long haunted by deeply hidden secrets from their past are on edge as news of the exploits gets closer to the front page. A stately mansion on Wiggins Avenue in Springfield, the popular Ariston Cafe in Litchfield, the governors office on the second floor of the Illinois Capitol and the Eads Bridge are just some of the familiar places peppered through the story.Characters in this web become more and more entwined. In the final pages of the novel, Brosky is following yet another lead. He hopes this will result in another revealing front page story related to the famous Hollywood star who hails from Illinois and whose real name is not Clarissa Monnet. I suspect we havent heard the last from Jake Brosky.Taylor Pensoneau wrote about Illinois politics and politicians for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch for many years, covering five Illinois governors. Fresh out of college with a degree in journalism from the University of Missouri, he was hired by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch in June 1962 and spent three years in general reporting. He moved to Springfield in 1965 when the Post-Dispatch reactivated its bureau in the Statehouse press room. Pensoneau calls that time the golden era in the Statehouse press room when reporters were engaged in hard-hitting news and investigations. He says elected officials in Illinois were subject to tough investigative reporting years before the Watergate scandal in Washington, D.C.After a 16-year career with the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Pensoneau moved to the Illinois Coal Association. He represented the Illinois coal industry and continued an active presence at the Capitol interacting with elected officials. He served as president of the Illinois Coal Association, retiring in 2003.The story line for Falling Star has been in the back of his mind for many years. He started writing it while on vacation in Key West, Florida, in the spring of 2004 but got interrupted by other books. An experience he had as a teenager inspired him to incorporate a water tower into the story. Clearly Jake Brosky with the St. Louis World is inspired by his own experiences as a reporter for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The falling star Clarissa Monnet was also inspired by a true story. In early 1964 Pensoneau got a call from a man who ran a shelter for abused women in St. Louis. He told Pensoneau a Hollywood actress was in a back room, and if Pensoneau came over he could try to get a story from her. By the time Pensoneau arrived, she was gone. Pensoneau was familiar with the actress, who became famous during the silent film era. That missed opportunity always stuck with him, and 55 years later the Hollywood actress was the inspiration for the central figure in his second novel. For years the working title for his book was The Elusive Dame, but eventually he settled on Falling Star.The book was released May 5. It is available from Downstate Publications at 427 Lexington Court, New Berlin 62670 or by calling 217-488-7709.
Banh Xeo- Crispy Vietnamese Crepes

I jump on my bike and head to my neighborhood grocery store, a five-minute ride from my apartment. On the way I make a quick stop at Lang Bakery for a banh mi sandwich and a cup of Vietnamese iced coffee. I then cross the street and enter Super Cao Nguyen, a Vietnamese grocery store the size of Springfields Meijer. Inside its entrance vendors are selling street food from carts. The markets aisles brim with fresh shrimp, baguettes, sticky rice baskets, seaweed, quail eggs and rice. You can even find duck balut (eggs with partially developed embryos). In the back a hand-lettered sign lets you choose from 12 different ways to get your fish, beginning with Head On, Gut Out, Fin Off.



Im not in Southeast Asia. Im in the Southwest United States. Im living next to Oklahoma Citys Asian District, a vibrant community full of restaurants, markets and nightlife, all adorned with distinctive Asian signage. Within the 10-block radius surrounding my grocery store I can choose from over 30 restaurants serving pho, Vietnams iconic soup.

When I accepted a job in Oklahoma City I envisioned moving to the Wild West. Indeed Oklahoma has the largest Native American population of any state in the U.S. However Oklahoma City doesnt look too much different than Springfield  just bigger and more prosperous. What really surprised me was the extent of the Vietnamese presence. Of major U.S. cities, only San Jose, Honolulu, Oakland and Houston have a larger per capita population of Vietnamese Americans than Oklahoma City. The Vietnamese began arriving in Oklahoma 40 years ago and their culture has been preserved through their food.Vietnamese cuisine is very light, nutritious, dairy-free, and characterized by the extensive use of fresh herbs. A good example is the popular street food dish banh xeo. Meaning sizzling cake, the name refers to the sound this crepes batter makes when poured into a hot pan. They are traditionally served with a filling of shrimp or pork and bean sprouts and are eaten by tearing them into pieces and wrapping in lettuce leaves, garnishing with fresh herbs and dipping into a spicy sauce.Crispy Vietnamese crepes with shrimp and bean sproutsMakes 4 crepesIngredientsFor the crepes:1  c. rice flour1 c. coconut milk c. water1 tsp. turmeric tsp. kosher or sea salt tsp. curry powderThinly sliced green parts of 3 scallionsVegetable oilFor the filling: lb. shelled deveined shrimp, halved if largeThinly sliced white parts of 3 scallions1 tsp. minced garlicFreshly ground pepper to taste1 T. fish sauce1 T. light brown sugar lb. oyster mushrooms or button mushrooms2 T. vegetable oil2 cups fresh bean sproutsFor the dipping sauce:3 Thai chilies or one Serrano or Jalapeno chili, thinly sliced1 tsp. minced garlic3 T. light brown sugar2 T. lime juice4 T. fish sauce c. warm water1 T. grated carrotFor serving:Soft lettuce leaves, such as leaf lettuce, Boston or bibbThai basil, cilantro, and mint leavesVietnamese dipping saucePreparationCombine the dry ingredients for the crepes, and stir to combine. Add the coconut milk and water and whisk until completely mixed. Stir in the scallion greens and let stand at least 30 minutes, or refrigerate for up to 2 days. Before using, whisk again to mix completely.While the batter rests, make the dipping sauce. Combine the chilies, garlic, brown sugar, lime juice, fish sauce, water and carrot in a jar or bowl and stir or shake until the sugar is dissolved. Taste the dipping sauce. You may want to add more fish sauce, lime juice or sugar or reduce the strength of the sauce with a little additional water.To make the filling: mix together the scallions, garlic, pepper, fish sauce, light brown sugar. Then gently stir in the shrimp. Let stand for about 15 minutes.Tear the oyster mushrooms into shreds, or thinly slice the button mushrooms. Heat the tablespoon of oil in a large skillet or wok over high heat and when hot add the mushrooms. Stir-fry until the mushrooms are lightly browned and cooked through. Set aside. Add additional tablespoon oil to pan and stir-fry the shrimp until they are just cooked through, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat, add back the mushrooms and set aside.With the bean sprouts and the mushroom/shrimp mixture close at hand, place a 10-inch nonstick skillet over high heat and add a tablespoon of oil. Stir the crepe batter well, and when the oil is very hot, pour in  c. of the batter. Swirl the pan to coat the bottom of the pan evenly. Immediately sprinkle a small handful (about 1/3 c.) of bean sprouts evenly over half the batter and then quickly spread about a  of the mushroom/shrimp mixture evenly over the sprouts. Cover the pan and cook for 3-4 minutes or until the sprouts have softened slightly and the edges of the crepe are browned. The batter should be just set, still soft but not liquid on the surface. Lift a corner of the crepe up and check the bottom. It should be browned and crispy. Flip the half of the crepe that has no filling over onto the other side, remove the pan from the heat, cover, and let stand for about 2 minutes. Slide onto a plate and serve immediately, with the lettuce, herbs and dipping sauce. Repeat with the remaining batter and filling.
If Gov. J.B. Pritzker and lawmakers who back legal pot have to wait until next year, it will be their own fault. And we might be better off.With less than a month left in the legislative session, Pritzker unveiled a trial balloon, a bill most everyone acknowledges needs tweaks. Tweakers likely will start by eliminating home grow, given neither cops nor weed companies like the idea of just anyone producing pot.In theory, this should be an easy issue, one that could have been dispensed with early on. Polls show that most Americans believe marijuana should be legal. Pritzker says that legalization is about social equity, but thats politics talking. Its about money  from aspirin to heroin, selling drugs always has been about money, and marijuana is no different.Colorado and Washington, the states with the most experience doing this, keep it simple. Both states have among the highest pot taxes in the nation. Neither state charges much to set up a pot business. In Washington, the application fee for a license to grow or sell pot costs $250, with the annual license fee set at less than $1,500. Fees are higher in Colorado, but still nowhere near fees contained in Pritzkers bill.The free market is a beautiful thing, as residents of Washington and Colorado can attest. In both states, per-capita tax revenue from pot surpassed $40 last year, highest in the nation. The Illinois weed market is bigger, if only because more people live here. With a 26.25 percent excise tax, the state would collect $505 million a year, according to a 2018 report from the Illinois Economic Policy Institute, which noted that other estimates have ranged from $350 million to $700 million. But taxes under the Pritzker plan would be lower than in the study.With taxes based on potency, Illinois would collect less than half what Washington does from an ounce of bud  the retail tax here would range from 10 to 25 percent, with a 7 percent wholesale levy. Illinois would charge fees into the six figures for cultivation and retail licenses and use scoring systems to determine which applicants would get a limited number of permits. Nine state agencies would have a hand in regulating and taxing pot. There would be an incubator program for pot businesses that might otherwise not be able to afford startup costs, echoing Pritzkers founding of 1871, the Chicago high-tech incubator, before he became governor.If you like committees and annual reports, youll love Pritzkers 522-page bill, which creates the Adult Use Cannabis Health Advisory Committee, a 25-member body that would include, among others, an ob-gyn, a representative of an organization focusing on cannabis-related policy, whatever that is, and a representative of an organization focusing on the civil liberties of individuals who reside in Illinois, which Im guessing would be the ACLU. The state would establish a second board to divvy up millions of pot dollars in disadvantaged communities deemed to have suffered from the war on drugs. The Department of Agriculture, the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation and Illinois State Police each would issue annual reports.After the state pays expenses, less than half of pot taxes would go to the general fund and paying overdue bills. Competing interests would be addressed, with a quarter of collections allocated for social and economic development programs in communities deemed to have suffered from the war on drugs and eight percent reserved for the Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board, which trains cops to fight the drug war.Perhaps more than any other state where pot is legal, Illinois would rely on regulations and high fees to limit the number of marijuana businesses in what could prove one of the nations largest markets. That doesnt seem right, unless youre a nationwide cannabis company, and theyve been flocking here. Why not set low fees and let capitalism take its course, with a residency requirement for license holders so that money spent in Illinois stays in Illinois? That would preclude out-of-state profiteers, but Washington state does exactly that while raking in green.There are other issues in Pritzkers bill, notably mass expungement of marijuana convictions, including misdemeanors and felonies involving possession of up to a pound. While House Speaker Michael Madigan, D-All Powerful, has noted misgivings, this seems fair and, certainly in the case of misdemeanors, doable. It is also, the wise guys say, crucial: Without expungement, Pritzker doesnt have the votes.Fine. But expungement neednt hinge on creating a market rigged in favor of corporations that can afford lobbyists. Legislators should pass expungement provisions and legalize pot while theyre at it, then demand a better regulatory bill, one that contains rosier prospects for taxpayers and isnt predicated on the notion that you already must be rich to make money in the marijuana business. Vermont has done the marijuana two-step, with legislators last year legalizing weed while failing to adopt a regulatory system, which theyre working on now. Yes, legal pot would be a good thing, but we can do better than this, and if it takes another year, so be it.
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. Pritzkers graduated income tax proposal, they appear to believe that Pritzkers proposed tax rates arent high enough.



Yingling and Carroll are both demanding significant property tax relief. In Illinois, Yingling wrote in the 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 didnt mention school spending in his letter to the Tribune, but thats by far the largest item in the local levies. And thats 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 wouldve driven up property taxes much higher than they already were.But unless a solution to this mess involves a Bruce Rauner-style elimination of collective bargaining rights for unions, or drastic cuts to school classrooms and to municipal operations (which both Yingling and Carroll would oppose), combined with a wholesale elimination of state mandates and sweeping forced district consolidations, then lowering property taxes right away will require lots more money from the state. And state money doesnt grow on trees like it does at the federal level.Sen. Don Harmon (D-Oak Park) has been working on this issue for years and told me that significant state-funded property tax relief would cost about 7 to 8 billion dollars every year. That means almost quadrupling Pritzkers proposed $3.4 billion tax hike on upper-income Illinoisans. Or, if the flat tax was kept in place, it would require at least a couple of percentage points added to the current income tax rate, taking it to almost 7% for everybody.Yingling, however, voted against the 2017 income tax increase which ended the states two-year budget impasse. Carroll was not yet appointed to his seat when that bill became law over Rauners veto.Property taxes have been a major issue in this state since the 1980s, when the share of the states funding of schools started sliding downward and local property taxes started shooting up. A half a point was added to the income tax in 1989 as a sort of welcoming present to newly elected Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley. Half of the increase went to schools and the other half went to local governments.But that money eventually got rolled back into GRF and the state did things like cap suburban property tax increases, which, as homeowners in Yinglings Lake County will certainly attest, obviously didnt work as advertised.Nobody can read anyones mind, but Yinglings 2017 income tax hike vote probably explains a lot more about his current refusal to support the graduated tax than his stated concerns about property taxes. He perpetually votes like a vulnerable targeted member, even though his district is now pretty safely Democratic. And Carroll has a whole lot of high-income constituents in his even more Democratic Northbrook-area district who likely arent pleased with the prospect of paying more money to the state.The fact that neither legislator bothered to give the governors office a courtesy heads-up on their intentions to publicly oppose the plan also speaks volumes.If these two seriously want to significantly reduce property taxes, then they should introduce a bill to actually do it - and to pay for it. Otherwise, theyre just grandstanding and forcing everyone else do the heavy lifting.
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Kathmandu metropolis and federal government agency spar over building codes

Amid a raging dispute between the Kathmandu Metropolitan City and the Kathmandu Valley Development Authority over the building standards, the metropolis has claimed that 80 percent of the houses in Kathmandu may have to be brought down if it were to follow the building regulations set by the federal government.
* "Most Popular Intellectual Property Law Blawg" of all time according to Justia rankings , December 2021.

* "Most Popular Copyright Blawg" of all time according to Justia rankings , December 2021.

* PermaKat Eleonora Rosati listed as one of the World Intellectual Property Review's "Influential Women in IP" of 2020.

* PermaKat Eleonora Rosati listed as one of the Managing Intellectual Property magazine's "Fifty Most Influential People" of 2018.

* IPKat founder and Blogmeister Emeritus Jeremy Phillips listed as one of the Managing Intellectual Property magazine's "Fifty Most Influential People" of 2005, 2011, 2013, and 2014.

* Recommended by the European Patent Office as reading material for candidates for the European Qualifying Examinations, 2013.

* Listed as "Top Legal Blog" in The Times Online, March 2011.

2010 ABA Journal 100. * One of the only two non-US blogs listed in the Blawg100.

* Court Reporter Top Copyright Blog award winner, November 2010.

* Number 1 in the 2010 Top Copyright Blog list compiled by the Copyright Litigation Blog, July 2010.

* Selected by the United States Library of Congress for inclusion in its historic collections of Internet materials related to Legal Blawgs as of 2010.

* Top Patent Blog poll 2009: 3rd out of 50 in the "Favourite Patent Blog" poll and 2nd out of 50 in the "Most-read" poll.

Blog of the Year, 20 August 2008. * ComputerWeekly IT Law and Governance, 20 August 2008.
CHARLESTON -- A plan the Charleston school board approved Wednesday is designed to help students with goal-setting and other character traits.

That was how district Assistant Superintendent Kristen Holly described the "Leader in Me" program based on the book "The 7 Habitats of Highly Effective People."

She told the board that the initiative is the "final piece of the puzzle" toward a more independent approach to teaching students, not only subject matters but such things as social skills.

It will go along with the competency-based education program the district is implementing, a method that emphasizes allowing students to work toward skill levels, she said.

"This prepares students for competency-based," Holly said. "It prepares them for setting goals and becoming independent leaders."

As with the competency-based education method, district administrators and teachers learned about "Leader in Me" by visiting other schools using the approach, Holly also told the board.

She said they were impressed by how articulate students were, including those in younger grades, and by similar characteristics they'd developed.

"Each student is taught to find their own leadership skills," Holly said. "It has a lot of potential."

Implementing the program will mean some teachers will have to travel for training, but they'll be able in turn to train others in the district, she also said. "Every adult" who has contact with students will take part, she explained.

The need for some of the social skill education is apparent, Holly added, as "everyone's been saying we need it." District staff have reported that some students are lacking in the area and down the road that could impede them in their careers, she said.

The estimated cost of the training, materials and other expenses is about $100,000 but district federal funds should cover the cost, Holly said.

Nonetheless, she told the board that there's an invitation for business partnerships that could contribute to the funding.

The board's vote approving the program was 7-0 and it will be put in place starting with the 2019-20 school year.

In other votes Wednesday, the board set student fees for the coming school year. They included an increase in school meal prices but a decrease in student activity fees and others.

The fee per activity will decrease and there will also be a return to a cap on the maximum amount any one family will have to pay, district Assistant Superintendent Chad Burgett said.

The per-family cap was eliminated as part of budget cuts about five years ago, but the district's financial situation now can allow it to return, he said.

"It's providing some respite," Burgett said.

He also said the 10-cent increase in meal prices is based on federal guidelines.

The board also approved a new contract for fuel for the district's school bus transportation provider, Illinois Central School Bus Co.

The low bid was just more than $2.34 per gallon from Effingham Equity Inc., the previous supplier.

Illinois Central School Bus Inc. the bus the district uses, bills the district each month for the fuel it uses for transportation services for the district.

Contact Dave Fopay at (217) 238-6858. Follow him on Twitter: @FopayDave

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Blue Blood Brewing, which moved its brewing operation to the site of Robber's Cave and opened a restaurant there three years ago, has closed.

Owner Brian Podwinski could not be reached for comment Thursday afternoon, but a posting on the company's Facebook page confirmed the closing.

"This is Blue Blood Brewing Companys Last Call. While weve been working toward a sale of the brewery for the past few weeks, our landlord has unexpectedly shut our doors," the post said.

"We sincerely apologize to our employees who have not been given sufficient opportunity to look for new employment as we had planned while negotiating through the sale. We thank you, Lincoln, for eight years of friendship and support, and encourage you to visit your local taprooms and support your neighborhood businesses."

Robbers Cave LLC had started foreclosure proceedings against the brewery earlier this year after it defaulted on its lease payments, but a court hearing scheduled last month was postponed, and a court filing said the parties had agreed to a settlement.

Late Wednesday, however, a document filed in Lancaster County District Court said Blue Blood had "confessed judgment" in favor of Robbers Cave LLC.
Another company has announced plans to relocate its offices to the new Olsson Building South in the West Haymarket.

Financial services firm D.A. Davidson & Co. said this week it plans to consolidate its three Lincoln offices into one on the fourth floor of the new building at 115 S. Canopy St., which is scheduled to open early next year.

Montana-based D.A. Davidson has had an office in Lincoln since 2005 and expanded here more than three years ago when it bought Smith Hayes Financial. Trevor Kula, co-director of the company's Nebraska branches, said the new space will give it "additional room in enhanced facilities for working with our clients, plus the capacity to continue our growth.

D.A. Davidson is the second company to announce plans to occupy Olsson's new building. Accounting firm Lutz said last week it will move into an 8,500-square-foot space on the second floor in January.

D.A. Davidson said it will start moving into the building in August.

What's going up in Lincoln

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NEW YORK  Faced with the Trump administration's 25% tariff on imports from China, Ruth Rau is looking to other countries to manufacture baby and toddler toys.

"No one domestically can produce the quality we want, and with the cost of shipping and the proposed new regulations, it's not going to be cost-effective to produce them in China either," says Rau, owner of Mouse Loves Pig.

The 25% tariffs President Donald Trump has imposed on thousands of Chinese-made products have small business owners trying to determine how or whether they can limit the damage to profits from import duties. Many owners will see if they can pass on the added expense to customers. Some, like Rau, are considering getting products manufactured in countries where the U.S. isn't waging a trade war, but that's an expensive alternative that takes time to work out. Others want to find U.S. suppliers, but depending on the product it may be impossible or not much of a money-saver.

Trump raised the tariffs to 25% from a previously imposed 10% last Friday after China refused to meet U.S. demands; trade talks between the countries broke up soon after.
Opening

BUDDY. This touching Dutch documentary looks at six service dogs and the people they're paired with, following them from their bedrooms and kitchens to the grocery store, hospital and even a heavy metal festival. Not Rated. (Ross) Grade: A

A DOG'S JOURNEY. The weepy, formulaic sequel to "A Dog's Purpose" is a must-see for dog lovers as it follows the pooch Bailey through several lives as he struggles to fulfill the mandate laid on him by his "boy," Ethan, now an aging grandfather PG-13. (Grand, East Park, SouthPointe) Grade: B-

JOHN WICK: CHAPTER THREE - PARABELLUM. The third installment of the John Wick series follows its formula too closely, with a brooding performance from Reeves, two acts of adrenaline and originality and a final, dull, violent slog. R. (Grand, East Park, SouthPointe) Grade: C+
The Nebraska Legislature will finish up its work early this session and adjourn sine die on May 31, Speaker Jim Scheer announced Thursday morning.

That would be Day 86 in a 90-day session, four days early.

In addition, the two days after Memorial Day will be recess days. Then May 30, senators will be required only to check in and register their presence.

Next week, senators will debate the last number of priority bills on first and second reading, Scheer said, with the possibility of Tuesday and Wednesday being days senators may meet later into the evening. The final reading for the state budget also will be debated next week.

Scheer said senators have done a lot of hard work this year. "And you have done a great job," he told them.

He said he wanted the new senators, especially, to realize that next year is a short session, with only 60 days to do what was accomplished in 86 days this session.

"The short session is a completely different session," he said. "Be prepared for a number, if not an extensive number, of late nights in order to facilitate all the priority bills. "
Two bills that would exact penalties on people who distribute or threaten to send out sexually explicit images or video of people without their permission  sometimes called revenge porn  advanced from a first round of debate Thursday.

There wasn't much debate, mainly explanations of what the bills would do in terms of criminal and civil actions for the person making the threats and trying to harm others by distributing the photos and videos to the internet or friends, employers or family of the victim.

Lincoln Sen. Adam Morfeld introduced a bill (LB630) that, as amended, would create two new offenses of distributing a private image of another person's intimate area or engaged in sexually explicit conduct, and threatening to distribute such an image with the intent to intimidate, threaten or harass a person.

Offenses would also include doing so to extort something of value from a person.

Morfeld said the purpose of the bill was to ensure that bad actors are punished for committing revenge porn.
Musahar families denied access to water after an intercaste marriage dispute

In what could be a case of caste discrimination and aversion to intercaste marriage, the family and relatives of Sani Rishidev of Sakhma Tol in Budhiganga Rural Municipality-2, Morang, have been barred from using a water source in their own settlement
Joshua Kandler told the jury he was giving a 16-year-old girl educational sessions on sex and that she had made up stories about him sexually abusing her.

In closing arguments, Deputy Lancaster County Attorney Charles Byrd called it "manipulation and coercion at its finest."

In the end, the jury found Kandler, 42, guilty of first-degree sexual assault, child abuse and another sex crime.

Lincoln police arrested him on Feb. 1, 2018, after Kandler confirmed portions of the girl's statement that he was educating her on sexuality. She said over a nine-month period in 2017 they had engaged in multiple sexual acts.

According to the affidavit for his arrest, Kandler denied they had sexual contact, but admitted in a police interrogation that he had shown the girl pornography when she came to him with questions, exposed himself to her to identify his body parts and had her expose herself to identify hers and introduced her to sex toys, explaining how to use them.

Kandler denied in the interview and on the witness stand that he had sexual contact with her.
"It helps us come to the most logical conclusion about the drugs that are causing the impairment," he said.

While the number of alcohol-impaired driving offenses has dropped each year over the past decade, down from roughly 14,000 in 2008 to fewer than 6,900 in 2017, according to the Nebraska Commission on Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice, the share of suspected drugged drivers has risen.

About 10 percent of all impaired driving arrests last year involved drugs, according to the patrol, the first year in which the two offenses were recorded separately.

Denton said the increase in drugged driving may be attributed to a better understanding among officers of how various intoxicants affect a driver's physical and mental state.

"A drugged driver used to be more of a unique situation," he said. "The good news overall is the overall number of impaired drivers has gone down."

He said better education, citizen engagement, expanded ride-share options and social awareness have helped cut down on the number of impaired driving arrests, as well as "a higher degree of responsibility" by Nebraskans.

"We're fortunate to live in Nebraska," Denton said. "From a law enforcement standpoint, we have huge support and a great amount of respect, and we interact with a very reasonable population, which makes our job so much easier."

Reach the writer at 402-473-7120 or cdunker@journalstar.com. On Twitter @ChrisDunkerLJS.

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Lincoln Police Officer Chassidy Jackson-Goodwin and her 20-year-old daughter Jaida were surprised with a vacation trip when they made a second appearance on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show."

The episode aired Thursday.

Guest host, actress and comedian Melissa McCarthy told Jackson-Goodwin and her daughter on the show that they were being given a six-night vacation at Scrub Island Resort, Spa and Marina courtesy of the British Virgin Islands Tourism Board.

Last year, McCarthy and DeGeneres surprised Jackson-Goodwin, a single mother, with $75,000 to help make her dream of finishing her bachelor's degree a reality. She had previously taken out $17,000 in loans to pay for her daughter's college education and had never finished her own criminal justice degree. In 1998 she earned an associate's degree from Metro Community College.

Jackson-Goodwin is now finishing her junior year at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, where her 20-year-old daughter graduated from two weeks ago.
Crews have restored another lane of travel on flood-ravaged Iowa 2 east of Nebraska City.

A single lane is now open in each direction, improving the traffic flow along the primary route for Lincoln residents heading to and from the Kansas City area.

Speed limits through sections of Iowa 2, however, are posted at 25 mph, as vehicles must traverse a unique, temporary solution that involves permeable rock laid on top of the existing highway surface, with concrete barriers holding the rock in place.

The area remains susceptible to flooding, officials said, noting that the highway may close again or traffic patterns may be adjusted with short notice.

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"You don't have to be the hero."

That, John Castillo told NBC News last week, is something he had advised his 18-year-old son, Kendrick. If ever a shooter invades your school, son, don't try to confront him, don't take the risk. But Castillo said Kendrick had other ideas, telling his dad that he would not hesitate to defend other people's lives.

As the world now knows, Kendrick was as good as his word. When two of the latest in this country's seemingly endless line of armed maniacs descended upon the STEM Schools 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 should've 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-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.
Many will be reincarcerated  and Nebraskas prisons are already on a path to dangerous overcrowding. Their families will struggle to escape poverty. Children with incarcerated parents will face increased health risks related to stress and trauma and become more likely to get into trouble with the law.

Beyond all these arguments, offering second chances to people who have paid their debt to society is simply the right thing to do. As a Christian, I believe God offers new beginnings. If I make a poor decision, I hope for a chance to make it right and start over, and I can in good conscience offer no less to others.

Becoming a society of second chances wont happen overnight. Its not enough to simply overlook the gap in someones employment history.

We need prisons to be places that facilitate true life transformation and equip people with marketable skills. We need workplaces and human resource departments to adopt second chances as part of their corporate philosophy. People with a criminal record need fair opportunities to access housing near their jobs. Faith communities need to learn how to support and encourage returning citizens and hold them accountable.
- Omaha World-Herald

Tariffs' pain not going anywhere

It is anyone's guess whether President Donald Trump's latest bluster on tariffs will produce favorable long-term results. For now, it's a signal the president's grievances against China won't be resolved until it learns to play by the rules and stop stealing technology, manipulating its currency and negotiating trade deals fairly and honestly.

Here in farm country, it seems farmers and ranchers are being punished worse than China. Having lost access to some of their best trading partners, U.S. farmers certainly have become the pawns in the trade battle.

Crop and livestock producers have seen profits decline and, in some cases, disappear as the trade war drags on. Ag commodity prices are tanking. It will remain difficult to be optimistic about the economy in farm states until farmers and ranchers again can market their meat and grain competitively around the globe.
YORKVILLE  The Racine County Board on Tuesday night overwhelmingly passed the resolution authorizing methods including eminent domain to acquire land for widening a 2.8-mile stretch of Highway KR.

The 19-2 vote largely puts an end to months of back-and-forth between Mount Pleasant and Somers residents and Racine and Kenosha counties. Kenosha County passed its own resolution with a 14-7 vote on April 16. Both counties resolutions will now go to the state Department of Administration for final approval.

The project, funded by $59 million from the state Department of Transportation for design and construction, will widen the road from two to four lanes from 400 feet east of Highway H to just east of Old Green Bay Road while adding a 30- to 36-feet raised median, overpasses for the Union Pacific and Canadian Pacific railroads, a multiuse path, a turn lane and wider shoulders.

Land-acquisition costs will be taken on by the counties. Racine Countys land costs are estimated at $2.5 million, split between 2019 and 2020 with a further $125,000 for compensable utility costs.

About two dozen property owners on both sides of the highway stand to lose land to the revamped roadway, and five structures in Mount Pleasant are set to be torn down to make way for the Canadian Pacific Railroad overpass. The plat approved by the County Board calls for the acquisition of 18.25 acres of land.

Dissent

County supervisors Fabi Maldonado and Melissa Kaprelian-Becker, both of Racine, voted against the Racine County resolution.

Maldonado said he was hesitant to vote against it because he saw the value in the proposed improvements, but is also sensitive to eminent-domain issues because his family lost property to the process.

Kaprelian-Becker expressed concern that the expanded roadway would lead to environmental issues, especially in the Pike River, but said she was fully in support of the improvements.

Some residents in the project area took issue over the past several months with the size and scope of the project, and also voiced concerns that the speed limit will not be lowered from 45 mph to 35 mph.

A consistent group of locals from both Mount Pleasant and Somers  at times numbering more than 100  showed up to Racine and Kenosha county meetings to speak against the plans in the past few months, but only a few attended Tuesday nights meeting.

Many of our group are not here, said Leslie Maj, one of the most vocal Mount Pleasant residents from the affected area of KR. They are disheartened and frustrated.

Maj left before the vote took place, saying the resolution was practically guaranteed to pass.

Proponents of the widening say the expanded road would allow faster travel from Interstate 94 to Racine and Kenosha while improving safety. The affected stretch of road has a crash rate above the statewide safety threshold, and traffic in the area is expected to double from 9,000 to 9,500 cars daily to 19,000 to 20,000 daily by 2042, according to the DOT.

The DOT made some compromises with residents, including making the median 30 feet instead of 36 feet in certain sections, adding a two-way left turn lane in front of some houses and relocating a portion of the multiuse path on the north side of the road to go behind residences to cut down on the right-of-way required from those houses yards.

Racine County Executive Jonathan Delagrave said he was happy to see that the DOT was willing to bend somewhat on its design.

Local road expansion is one of the hardest things that we do as local government, he said.

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Julie Bennett/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) -- Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey signed the state's controversial abortion ban into law, though it is expected to face near-immediate legal challenges.



The ban makes it a felony for doctors in the state to perform abortions in all cases, with the only exception being when the life of the mother is threatened.



The law, which was passed by the state's Senate on Tuesday, does not include exceptions in cases of rape or incest.



The original sponsor of the bill when it was in the state's House of Representatives previously said that supporters of the bill expect it to be challenged in the courts, but also hope that happens. Rep. Terri Collins told ABC News that they wrote the bill with the hopes that it will be picked up by the Supreme Court and allow for the landmark federal ruling in Roe v. Wade, which allowed for legal abortions, to be overturned.



In her statement announcing her decision to sign the bill, Ivey points to the fact that the bill "was approved by overwhelming majorities in both chambers" of the state's legislature.



"Many Americans, myself included, disagreed when Roe v. Wade was handed down in 1973. The sponsors of this bill believe that it is time, once again, for the U.S. Supreme Court to revisit this important matter, and they believe this act may bring about the best opportunity for this to occur. I want to commend the bill sponsors, Rep. Terri Collins and Sen. Clyde Chambliss, for their strong leadership on this important issue," Ivey said in her statement.



According to data compiled by the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University, Alabama ranks 47th in terms of female representation, with 15.7% women in their state legislature on the whole.



There are four women in the 35 seats in the state Senate and 18 women in the 105 seats in the House of Representatives.



There have been threats of legal challenges by civil rights groups already. The ACLU of Alabama issued a tweet on Tuesday night, after the state's Senate vote and before the governor signing it into law, saying that they and the national ACLU as well as Planned Parenthood Federation of America "will file a lawsuit to stop this unconstitutional ban."



"Planned Parenthood is ready to fight it in the courts," Dr. Leana Wen, the president of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, said on a call with reporters Wednesday morning.



Separate from any delays prompted from legal challenges, it will take at least six months for the law to go into effect.



Alabama is just the latest state to put an abortion restriction into law, following Georgia's governor recently signing a so-called "heartbeat" bill into law, making it illegal to have an abortion after a fetal heartbeat is detected which can come as early as six weeks into a pregnancy.

Copyright  2019, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
National Human Rights Commission objects to Media Council Bill

The National Human Rights Commission has taken serious exception to an amendment Bill to revise the Press Council Act, saying the proposed law is against democratic norms and the freedom of expression that is ensured by the Constitution of Nepal.
WATERFORD  A 43-year-old man now faces felony charges five months after the Racine County Sheriffs Office announced he had been arrested under suspicion of sexually assaulting a teen girl multiple times.

The man  Jesse Michael Koller, of the 200 block of West Main Street in the Village of Waterford  allegedly admitted to the assaults in private Instagram messages he thought he was sending to the girls account, but was actually communicating with a Racine County Sheriffs investigator.

According to a criminal complaint:

Starting approximately four years ago, Koller allegedly began making advances toward the girl, starting on social media before beginning physical contact, the Sheriffs Office reported.

He later reportedly provided alcoholic drinks to the girl and some of her friends on several occasions over the past two years. Koller allegedly began sending sexually explicit messages to the teen, insulting her on social media, and also asking her to call him Dad, even though the two had no relation.

Koller allegedly started touching the girl inappropriately, exposing his genitals to her, and requesting sexual favors after providing alcoholic drinks and/or marijuana on multiple occasions.

Koller reportedly exposed himself on at least 10 separate occasions over the course of four years.

He faces one felony charge for child enticement, four felony exposing intimate parts charges, one fourth-degree sexual assault charge and two charges for misdemeanor sexual intercourse with a child.

In 2016, Koller pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct with domestic abuse assessments.

After an initial appearance in court Thursday, Kollers cash bond was set at $100,000, according to online records. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday at the Racine County Law Enforcement Center, 717 Wisconsin Ave.

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KENOSHA  A Chicago man has been charged with sexually assaulting a woman at the Kenosha Metra station.

Kenosha Police were called to the station, 1103 54th St., at 9:30 a.m. Monday for a report of a sexual assault. They found a 30-year-old woman sitting on a bench crying to a point of gagging while two other women stood by.

One of the other women had called 911, and the second woman told police she had information about the suspect.

The victim told the officer she had been raped.

Alvin E. Linton III, 32, of Chicago, was charged Tuesday in Kenosha County Circuit Court with second-degree sexual assault and strangulation in connection with the attack. He is being held on $75,000 bond.

According to the criminal complaint, the victim told the officer she was walking through the area when a man  a stranger  asked if he could use her phone.

She said she allowed him to use the phone, and while he was speaking to someone, he asked the woman to help him up the stairs to the train platform because he felt dizzy.

The woman agreed.

While (she) was helping him up the stairs, (the woman) stated the man took off his red shirt and wrapped it around her neck. He then pulled the shirt tight against her neck, constricting her breathing and making her unable to yell for help.

The woman told police the man pushed her down on the stairs and sexually assaulted her.

The woman told police she was able to pull away from being choked but the man then put his hand over her mouth. She bit him, and he told her to be quiet before walking away, according to the complaint.

Security video from the station shows the woman helping Linton up the stairs about halfway before disappearing from camera view. Ten to 15 seconds later, according to the complaint, Linton walks back into camera view carrying a red shirt. About 10 to 15 seconds after he leaves, the woman is seen walking down the stairs crying.

One of the women at the train station told police she had been on the phone with Linton. She said while on the phone with him she could hear a woman saying, Why are you doing this? and I tried to help you.

She said she rushed to the train station to find out what was going on. When she arrived, she found the woman crying, the complaint states.

About 40 minutes after the assault was reported, a woman called police to say she had just dropped off Linton near a bus stop and gave police the location.

Linton was taken into custody there.

He told police he had not done anything wrong and consented to a DNA swab.
RACINE  Its the end of an era for the lakefront branch of the Racine Family YMCA  at least for now.

On Wednesday, YMCA CEO Jeff Collen shared a letter sent to members on April 30 which announced that the YMCA agreed in principle to sell the lakefront building, 725 Lake Ave., with the goal that we can be built back into the new building.

However, the YMCA will still provide a Downtown place for members to exercise. In the letter, Collen stated that the Y has decided to lease space in Downtown at 141 Main St., which will be called the Riverside Branch, to continue health and fitness programs there when the lakefront branch closes at the end of June.

We will maintain this lease agreement until we are able to finalize the future of our plans Downtown, Collen wrote.

He said the official decision to close the Downtown YMCA came shortly after its board meeting in February.

Were excited well be in a new space that well lease Downtown so well be able to continue to serve our members, continue to serve the Downtown community in that new small health and wellness space, Collen said. So its not like were abandoning anything, were still Downtown, were there for people.

The letter also states that members are welcome to visit the Sealed Air Branch, 8501 Campus Drive, in Mount Pleasant, which has a full facility with a gym; running track; wellness center; aerobic, spin and yoga studios; swimming pools; a hot tub and steam room.

While these decisions are never easy, the primary goal of the YMCA has always been to ensure that we have a continued presence in Downtown Racine, the letter reads. Though our current Downtown building has served us well over the years, the buildings systems are too costly to repair which led us to the decision to discontinue operating it at the end of June and to sell the building and try to work to create a new and more modern facility.

Redevelopment project

The building site is to be developed by West Allis-based Cardinal Capital Management and Kenosha-based LandQuest working together. They would raze the old YMCA there, build a new one and lease it back to the YMCA, along with likely building some housing with the project.

The sale has not yet closed, and Collen said the firms are still working out the details.

Those are the same two developers working to build two adjacent housing projects on the former Ajax industrial site in Uptown.

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RACINE  Racine County veterans and their families and friends will once again have the opportunity to visit a traveling half-scale replica of the Vietnam Memorial today through Monday at Pritchard Park.

According to the Moving Wall website, the wall was created after veteran John DeVitt went to the dedication of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., in 1982. He was so moved that Devitt vowed to share that experience with those who did not have the opportunity to go to Washington.

The Moving Wall was built by Vietnam veteran volunteers and went on display for the first time in Tyler, Texas, in October 1984. For the past 35 years, between April and November, two structures of The Moving Wall travel the country.

Vietnam Veterans Chapter 767 of Racine hosted the wall in 2005 and 2015. Although it is typically a 10-year wait to host the wall again, The Moving Walls custodians were so impressed with the presentation and response in Racine that they requested that the chapter host it again for their 35th anniversary this year.

Pat Adams, who is coordinating The Moving Wall event for the third time, said Moving Wall custodians were impressed with the way Chapter 767 organized and displayed the wall and the response from the community, of course, Adams said.

In 2005 and 2015, Adams said, approximately 30,000 attendees came to view the wall each time. Racine is very veteran-oriented, which is a wonderful thing, Adams said.

The Moving Wall will be available for viewing at Pritchard Park, 2800 Ohio St., starting at noon today. It will be available to see around the clock until 3:30 p.m. Monday, when it will be taken down and moved to Greenfield.

Adams said the reason Chapter 767 got involved with the event was because of a belief that children are not being taught in school about the Vietnam War in the same way they are learning about other wars. The kids are not made aware of what this war was about, Adams said. We teach the kids about the war and the effect of the war on the community.

Events planned

On Friday, a Ride to the Wall is planned. Motorcycles will begin staging at 3 p.m. at The Nash, 522 Sixth St., and depart from there at 4 p.m. Also at 4 p.m., a concert featuring the Belle City Brassworks will begin at Pritchard Park.

During the opening ceremony, which is scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. Friday, the names of the 47 Racine County Vietnam veterans who lost their lives in the war will be read. Adams said 35 of the lives lost will be represented; however, anyone with a relationship with the remaining 12 may place a rose during the opening ceremony. For more information on rose-laying ceremony, call Don Heck at 262-639-2124.

On Saturday, Quilts of Honor of Southeast Wisconsin will present handmade quilts to veterans at noon. A Mass is also set for 4:30 p.m. at the small pavilion.

On Sunday, a nondenominational sunrise service is scheduled to be held at 9 a.m. A concert featuring Gilmore Fine Arts Choir is also planned for noon, followed by closing ceremonies at 1 p.m.

Adams said the event is still desperately in need of volunteers, as volunteers are needed to staff The Moving Wall 24 hours a day. For volunteer information or opportunities, call Ellen Myers at 262-638-8705 to sign up. For more information, contact Adams at 262-634-6859.

Donations can be sent to: Moving Wall 2019, P.O. Box 081036, Racine WI 53408-1036. Donations are tax-deductible.

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KENOSHA  Exactly one week after student pastor Betty Rendon and her husband Carlos were arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials, a group of about 170 people held a prayer vigil Wednesday evening outside of the Kenosha County Detention Center.

Rendon, who is from Colombia, was a minister at Emaus Evangelical Lutheran Church in Racine at the time. She was arrested at her home in the Chicagoland area on May 8.

The details of Rendons arrest have shocked many people in the immigrant and religious communities.

According to Stephanie Mitchell, a parishioner at Emaus and a professor at Carthage College, the ICE officers originally handcuffed Rendons daughter Paula Hincapie, a recipient of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) after being brought here by her parents from Colombia.

Hincapie was allegedly taking her 5-year-old daughter to school at the time of the arrest, and ICE agents drove her car back to the house to arrest Rendon, her husband Carlos and one other person.

According to Nicole Alberico, an ICE spokeswoman, both Rendon and Hincapie were ordered removed by a federal immigration judge on May 22, 2008. On June 1, 2009, the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) upheld the immigration judges removal order for Ms. Rendon-Madrid and Ms. Hincapie-Rendon.

Rendon is still in ICE custody at the Kenosha County Detention Center, 4777 88th Ave.

Hincapie was let go and was told to report to ICE offices in Chicago on Wednesday morning. She went there believing she might be deported to Colombia, her birthplace, some vigil attendees said.

Instead of getting rearrested and deported she was released from supervision and given assurance that as a DACA recipient she will not be targeted for deportation, Mitchell said. So what I want us to realize tonight is: What youre doing is really important.

Alberico confirmed that Hincapie's order of supervision was cancelled.

They just dont care

Christine Neumann-Ortiz, executive director for Voces de La Frontera, an immigrant activist group based in Milwaukee, went with Hincapie to the ICE offices in Chicago on Wednesday.

In this operation, they were going after the entire household including a DACA recipient, who is supposed to be free from the threat of deportation, Neumann-Ortiz said. This is an attack not just on a family, but its an attack on a religious leader and an attack on a DACA recipient, and that elevates it and gives us an opportunity to push back hard.

Neumann-Ortiz said this case was an urban operation intended to terrorize immigrant families.

They dont care that its a DACA recipient, they dont care that this is a pastor, they obviously dont care if people are loved members of the community, Neumann-Ortiz said. They just dont care.

The Journal Times has reached out to ICE for further clarification but as of Wednesday evening had not received further comment.

Vigil held

Many people at Wednesdays prayer vigil, organized by the Racine Interfaith Coalition, held signs in support of Rendon.

The Rev. Prentiss Robbins Jr., a community organizer for RIC, thanked the people from different religious backgrounds that have shown their support.

Justice does not start until we start standing up for what we believe is right, Robbins said. We are standing united. We can no longer let these things continue.  People are walking in and out of peoples life, and they just disappear, and nobody says anything about it.

Bishop Paul Erickson of the Greater Milwaukee Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America thanked people for coming to the vigil to gather in prayer filled with anger, filled with concern, filled with love.

No person is illegal; no person deserves the cruel and vindictive treatment that she and her family have endured, Erickson said. No person should be treated like a political pawn in an immigration debate that has reached absurd and vile depths.

Masters of divinity degree

Erickson told The Journal Times that Rendon had received a masters of divinity degree in 2013 from the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago, and those studies began in 2008.

Rendon came to the United States several years prior to that and, according to Erickson, has worked for the church for most of her adult life, both in her native Colombia and in the United States. She has been accepted to begin a Doctor of Ministry in Preaching program at Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago and was scheduled to begin this fall.

We are not a people who turn our backs on immigrants and refugees, because immigrants and refugees make up the very core of who we are as Americans, Erickson said. This is not who we are as Christians.

This story has been updated to reflect that Hincapie's order of supervision was cancelled.

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MADISON Members of the conservative-backed majority on the Wisconsin Supreme Court pummeled attorneys for the plaintiffs Wednesday in a major case challenging laws passed during a lame-duck session in December that strip power from the governor and attorney general.

Liberal-backed members of the states highest court signaled agreement with those challenging the laws passed by the Republican-controlled Legislature in a case that could have significant implications for the balance of power in state government.

Rulings from lower courts in the case brought by the League of Women Voters, Disability Rights Wisconsin, Black Leaders Organizing for Communities and other liberal groups, have thrown state government into disarray in recent months. The state Supreme Court is likely to decide the case by the end of June.

The case focuses on the legitimacy of the extraordinary session Republicans convened to pass their controversial legislation after Republican Gov. Scott Walker lost his re-election bid in November but before his successor, Democratic Gov. Tony Evers, was sworn in.The plaintiffs argue extraordinary sessions, in which lawmakers call themselves into action outside of a regular session, are invalid and not sanctioned by law or the state Constitution.

But the Legislature, which intervened in the case, argues the extraordinary session is clearly lawful, in part because the Legislature is in continuous session and does not need outside permission to call an extraordinary session. The attorney for the Legislature, Misha Tseytlin  who previously served as the states solicitor general, an office the lame-duck laws eliminated  previously said that if courts ruled in favor of the plaintiffs, it could call decades worth of other laws adopted in past extraordinary sessions into question, creating a rolling disaster.

Such actions include establishing the constitutional terms of district attorneys and sheriffs and, as a result, criminal convictions they have won. They also include public funding for Milwaukees Fiserv Forum  the Milwaukee Bucks home arena and the site hosting the Democratic National Convention in 2020  which was approved in an extraordinary session.

The 2018 lame-duck laws, which received national attention and outcry from Democrats, limit Attorney General Josh Kauls ability to control the states participation in lawsuits, target Evers power to run the states economic-development agency and limit early voting hours.

A divided state Supreme Court in April granted the plaintiffs request to take up the case and circumvent a state appellate court, signalling the high courts interest in quickly adjudicating the case. Dane County Circuit Judge Richard Niess in March had agreed with the plaintiffs and blocked enforcement of the laws, allowing Evers to rescind 15 Walker board appointments the Senate had confirmed during the lame-duck session. A state Appeals Court eventually stayed Niess decision, and the Supreme Court later restored the 15 Walker appointments.

While the effect of Niess ruling was stayed, another Dane County judge in a separate case brought by unions against the lame-duck laws suspended several of their provisions, and that decision remains in effect.

Conservatives skeptical

In oral arguments Wednesday, three of the four conservative-backed justices  Chief Justice Patience Roggensack, Rebecca Bradley and Dan Kelly  grilled Jeff Mandell, the attorney for the plaintiffs, prodding him to answer how the Legislature does not have the authority to meet when it wants, one of the central questions of the case.

Dont you find it extraordinary that nobody has raised this issue before this court in over four decades? Bradley asked before Mandell began his opening argument.

Roggensack questioned Mandell about the constitutionality of the Legislatures ability to meet as it wants, suggesting the state Constitution affords the Legislature the authority to make its own rules for when it meets.

After Mandell told the chief justice he didnt understand her question, Roggensack replied, I dont understand you either, so were on the same page.

Kelly criticized the plaintiffs central argument that the Constitution bars the Legislature from meeting at a time not provided by law.

There are no laws that provide for floor periods, either, Kelly said. Has the Legislature not been acting constitutionally in anything its done?

Liberals weigh in

Two of the liberal-backed justices on the court, Ann Walsh Bradley and Rebecca Dallet, welcomed the plaintiffs argument the Legislature did not convene legally because no law existed giving them such authority. Dallet contended the only law that governs when the Legislature may meet refers to regular sessions, not extraordinary sessions.

Where is the law that tells us you can call this extraordinary session? Dallet said. And if you wanted such a law, why cant the Legislature pass one?

The fourth conservative-backed justice, Annette Ziegler, and the third liberal-backed justice on the court who is retiring at the end of the term, Justice Shirley Abrahamson, did not ask questions.

After oral arguments ended, Abrahamson, the states first woman Supreme Court justice, was honored by her colleagues with a standing ovation for her record 43 years serving on the court.

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MADISON  Wisconsin is one of five states suing OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma for damages and to halt alleged deceptive marketing of the widely prescribed opioid painkiller, Attorney General Josh Kaul announced Thursday.

The states court complaint alleges Purdue Pharma and its former president, Richard Sackler, broke state laws by making false and deceptive claims regarding opioids, including OxyContin.

That included a public bid to downplay the risks of opioid use, including the risk of addiction and the risk of overdose, to boost sales of the drug, according to the complaint. It seeks financial damages from the company as well as a halt to the alleged deceptive practices.

Purdue strongly denied the allegations in a statement, saying it will fight them.

Kaul said the suit emphasizes that the nations opioid crisis was not inevitable but in part a function of the companys deception.

The allegation is that Purdue, in part at the direction of Richard Sackler, sought to change the public perception of opioids, Kaul said. The goal of that was to sell more OxyContin and ultimately more opioids.

According to the Wisconsin Department of Justice, Sackler is alleged to have said, at the OxyContin launch party, that the launch of OxyContin tablets will be followed by a blizzard of prescriptions that will bury the competition. The prescription blizzard will be so deep, dense and white.

The suit was to be filed in Dane County Circuit Court. Separate suits also were filed in Iowa, Kansas, West Virginia and Maryland.

Kaul said the suit alleges the deceptive practices were aimed not only at consumers, but at doctors and other health providers.

It alleges the company pushed an unfounded concept called pseudo-addiction, that people who appeared to suffer withdrawal symptoms from opioids simply needed more pills to treat pain, Kaul said.

Purdue attempted to change the understanding of the medical community as to the risks of prescribing opioids. And the effects of that are clear  the number of opioid prescriptions over the last 20 years increased dramatically, Kaul said.

Company responds

Purdue Pharma said in a statement responding to the states lawsuits that it will continue to defend itself against these misleading attacks.

The company pointed to a recent decision by a North Dakota court to dismiss claims filed against Purdue by the North Dakota attorney general.

These complaints are part of a continuing effort to try these cases in the court of public opinion rather than the justice system, the Purdue statement said.

The suit is not the first against opioid makers in Wisconsin. Dozens of counties, including Dane County, previously sued makers including Purdue for downplaying addiction risks.

The company and three of its executives also were ordered in 2007 to pay a $635 million fine  then one of the largest pharmaceutical settlements in U.S. history  for misleading the public about the addiction risks of opioids.

During the 2018 campaign in which he defeated his GOP predecessor Brad Schimel, Kaul said the attorney general needed to boost efforts to respond to the opioid crisis  in part by holding the pharmaceutical companies accountable for their role.

The allegation is that Purdue, in part at the direction of Richard Sackler, sought to change the public perception of opioids. The goal of that was to sell more OxyContin and ultimately more opioids. Josh Kaul, Wisconsin attorney general

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MADISON  State lawmakers will have hundreds of millions more in tax revenue to work with as they wrap up work on the next state budget, according to an updated analysis by the nonpartisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau.

The analysis shows the state is set to collect $753 million more in tax revenue than previously estimated  most of it during the current fiscal year  prompting Gov. Tony Evers to pay off debt and call for small additional investments in education and worker training and transferring the rest to the states rainy-day fund.

Evers said in a statement he will pay down $53 million in state debt, potentially saving $70 million total including interest payments. He also wants to request an additional $15 million for worker training, $18 million for the Wisconsin Technical Colleges System and transfer the rest to the states budget stabilization, or rainy day fund. State law requires at least half of unanticipated tax collections this year be transferred to the rainy day fund, in this case $291 million.

Department of Revenue Secretary Peter Barca said the higher-than-expected revenue is largely due to businesses shifting their income across fiscal years in response to the federal tax law changes.

This shifting of revenue, as opposed to an increase in economic activity is the driving force behind the large corporate tax collections; other states have had similar increases, Barca wrote in a memo to Evers.

Republican leaders appear to be split over how to use the newfound one-time revenue.

GOP views differ

Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, in a statement said members of his caucus are interested in floating a new tax cut, growing the states rainy day fund or paying down debt.

Now is not the time to go on a spending spree with one-time revenues, Vos said. We refuse to spend in a way that we cant afford.

Meanwhile, Joint Finance Committee co-chair Rep. John Nygren, R-Marinette, told reporters he wants to put the entire amount into the rainy day fund in case of a future economic recession.

Its not fun, but its the reasonable and responsible thing to do, Nygren said.

But Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald, R-Juneau, suggested Republicans in his chamber may be more open to using at least some of the funds for investments in infrastructure.

We find ourselves in a great position to cut taxes, make smart investments in infrastructure, and maintain a strong closing balance, Fitzgerald said in a statement.

Fitzgerald told reporters he might also support a bill that would prevent half of the excess revenue from going into the rainy day fund, and instead use it for the projects he named or as a cushion in case the state gives out more tax refunds than anticipated.

Republicans framed the influx of one-time revenue as a sign of good fiscal management and a growing economy, but the DORs memo as well as the LFB analysis attribute most of the projected revenue influx to changes in the federal and state tax code.

Meanwhile, Democrats blamed Republicans for mismanaging the states finances over the past eight years and praised Evers for looking out for the states best interest with the debt payment.

Republicans chose to rack up debt on the states credit card and favor corporate tax breaks over investing in the people of Wisconsin, Assembly Minority Leader Gordon Hintz, D-Oshkosh, said in a statement. Its refreshing to see a governor act in the long-term best interest of our state.

The fiscal bureau estimates general fund tax collections will be $592 million higher than previously projected in the current fiscal year, $68 million higher next year and $93 million in the year that begins July 1, 2020. Altogether the total increase represents a 1.5% increase in general fund taxes collected over that period.

The infusion of $291 million into the states emergency fund would increase the total to $616.5 million, or about 3.6% of the states total net spending in the 2018-19 fiscal year.

The state is projected to end the current fiscal year with $929 million in its general fund balance, which is separate from the rainy day fund.

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H.R. 5 is up for a vote this week in the U.S. House of Representatives. Please contact your rep and voice your opinion on this matter.

H.R. 5 is a bill that pushes the LGBT agenda on all people and targets Christianity in every area of life  including the church. There will be an increase of instances where Christians and others will be punished unless they violate their beliefs in order to comply with such a law. And that is just the beginning of unconstitutional chaos in America.

This bill destroys bathroom privacy. It would welcome both genders into every bathroom in America. It directs religious K through 12 schools and daycare centers to force children to obey adults who show up at work one day as a man and the next day as a woman. These children are at a highly impressionable age. When kindergartners have seen such events in the past, many have gone home shaking and crying, worried that they could wake up with a different gender.

And, this bill gags counselors from giving professional help to those facing unwanted same-sex desires or actions. It even criminalizes those who share their own story of finding freedom in Christ from homosexuality in a book or speaking engagement. This bill literally sets the stage for banning the Bible, which offers the power to free those wanting to turn away from homosexual conduct. And there is no religious exemption to this bill! More info on this bill is available at LC.org.

Robert Blaski

Racine

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Ncell launches Travellers SIM

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The following accidents were reported by the Vernon County Sheriffs Department for the week ending May 13.

5/7 A school bus, driven by Charles Groves, De Soto, turned onto Birch Street, in the village of Stoddard. As the school bus turned, the handicap door swung open, and struck the rear end of a legally parked pickup truck. The pickup was owned by Michael Young, Stoddard. The bus had a total of 12 occupants. No injuries were reported.

5/9 Callahan Mayer, Viroqua, was traveling westbound on Cherry Grove Road, in the town of Viroqua. Mayer traveled over a light knoll, and left the roadway. Mayer was able to get back onto the road, over corrected, and left the roadway again. Mayer struck a wooden fence post. No injuries were reported. The vehicle received functional damage.

5/12 David Penchi, De Soto, was traveling eastbound on State Hwy. 82, in the town of Sterling. Penchi stated a deer ran in front of him, and he swerved to avoid striking the deer. Penchis vehicle traveled off the roadway, and came to a rest in the ditch. Penchi did not report any injuries. The vehicle was towed due to disabling damage.

5/13 There were seven reportable car/deer crashes: Andy Burke, Viroqua, on State Hwy. 56, town of Jefferson; John Kinsman, La Valle, on State Hwy. 33, town of Hillsboro; Ryan Nigh, Viroqua, on County Road N, town of Sterling; Bradd Bohland, Stoddard, on State Hwy, 56, town of Jefferson; Ryan Hooverson, Westby, on U.S. Hwy. 14, town of Hamburg; Sophia Tubbin, Viroqua, on U.S. Hwy. 14, town of Franklin; Dustin Swiggum, Ontario, on State Hwy. 27, town of Christiana.

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A man is in custody after authorities say he led officers on a high-speed chase in a stolen car in Monroe County.

A deputy attempted to stop a 2008 GMC Acadia traveling about 120 mph at about 2:30 a.m. Thursday near mile marker 25 on Interstate 90, according to the Monroe County Sheriffs Office. The driver of the vehicle refused to pull over, and the officer pursued the vehicle eastbound on I-90. The SUV exited at mile marker 28, crossed Hwy. 16, and then returned to eastbound I-90. Authorities say the drivers speed was again clocked at over 100 mph.

Spike strips were deployed by a Tomah police officer, and the SUV eventually slowed before driving off the road at mile marker 40, where it struck an fence. The vehicle then caught fire, and two dogs fled the vehicle.

The driver, whose name has not yet been released, had to be physically removed from the SUV by officers before it became engulfed in flames. He was taken into custody and transported to Mayo Clinic Health Care in Sparta.

The dogs were located and taken to the Monroe County Animal Shelter.

Authorities said the SUV had been reported stolen from Colorado.

Assisting the sheriffs department were the Sparta Police Department, Tomah Police Department, Wisconsin State Patrol, Oakdale Fire Department, Oakdale First Responders, Tomah Area Ambulance Service and the Monroe County 911 Communications Center.

The matter remains under investigation by the Monroe County Sheriffs Office.

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Lysistrata, the character from the Aristophanes play of the same name, declared a sex strike to try to stop a devastating war in ancient Greece.

Alyssa Milano, the actress and political activist, declared a sex strike to try to stop Georgia from protecting unborn children in the womb.

The state just passed and signed into law a so-called heartbeat bill to outlaw abortion after a fetal heartbeat is detectable. This led Milano to conclude that women cant risk pregnancy until further notice, and must stop having sex, at least stop having sex with cis men.

Its apparently never occurred to Milano that women, not just cis men, support pro-life legislation, and that unborn babies are both boys and girls.

In her fictional cause, Lysistrata had mercy and humanity on her side. Milano has neither, although her lack of seriousness makes her a perfect spokesperson for the backlash against the Georgia bill.

It is one of a spate of heartbeat bills around the nation that are sure to get enjoined in the courts, but have highlighted the hysterical opposition to the idea that a tiny human being with a heartbeat should be afforded protection under the law.

Georgia has come under Hollywood pressure, and not just from the latter-day Lysistrata. Fifty actors and actresses signed an open letter against the law several weeks before it passed.

The missive included the condescending line that these worthies find Georgias restaurants and hotels to be comfortable and of a high quality. The states determination to protect the unborn, on the other hand, is completely unacceptable. The signatories thundered that should the heartbeat law pass, we will do everything in our power to move our industry to a safer state for women.

Its always amusing to get a lecture about the interests of women from representatives of an industry that produced and shielded so many predatory creeps for so long, but Hollywood hasnt let its own sins stop its nonstop hectoring of everyone else.

The left-wing trope online  repeated by multiple news outlets  is that the Georgia bill would give women life in prison if they have an abortion. This is a stupid lie.

The relevant section of Georgia abortion law makes it clear that it applies to third parties, and has been interpreted as such by the Georgia courts. Nor does it call for life imprisonment of anyone.

The common arguments against restrictions on abortion are that they infringe on womens health and bodies. But the vast majority of abortions are made out of discretionary choice, not medical necessity. And the heartbeat bills underline how another body is involved in the equation.

An appendix or a kidney doesnt have its own separate heartbeat. The pro-abortion case is that a fetus is a blob of cells of no account  with a heartbeat. That the fetus is a non-human being  with a heartbeat. That the fetus isnt truly alive  but has a heartbeat.

The heartbeat bills, even if blocked by the courts, have an educative effect. Most people dont realize how soon a fetal heartbeat begins  around six weeks into a pregnancy. The pro-life bumper sticker Abortion Stops a Beating Heart isnt just a slogan, but a fact.

As a pro-life tactic to get a test case in front of the Supreme Court to reconsider Roe v. Wade, the heartbeat bills may be lacking. Chief Justice John Roberts is cautious and unlikely to use a sweeping piece of pro-life legislation to overturn Roe, if he is inclined that way at all.

But the heartbeat bills show, despite the Supreme Courts effort to stifle it, that the debate over abortion policy in the United States is still very real.

The pro-life movement has survived setbacks in the Supreme Court, the disdain of the countrys cultural elite and predictions of its inevitable demise.

Somehow, it will survive Alyssa Milanos sex strike as well.

Syndicated columnist Rich Lowry can be reached at comments.lowry@nationalreview.com.

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I would like to thank the school district of Holmen, Morris Snuggerud American Legion Post 284, Holmen VFW Post 7908 and all the sponsors and volunteers for bringing the Vietnam Memorial Moving Wall to our area.

They did an outstanding job and the display was awesome and accented with all of the American Flags.

It succeeded in honoring the men and women who gave the ultimate sacrifice for our country.

I was very pleased to see so many young families turn out to view the wall and learn about the history of what our county was involved in 50 years ago.

Congratulations for a job very well done.

Paul Schultz, Alma

Paul Schultz of Alma was part of the 9th Infantry Division 101st Airborne from March 1970 to May 1971.

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Nepal has committed to One-China policy, and yet, violations continue

Two controversial incidents in the past week have once again stoked discussion about the One-China policy, Nepals stated position on its northern neighbour, and why this gets violated repeatedly.
A RALLY FOR PEACE & JUSTICE FOR SLAIN USC STUDENT

On the eve of Mothers Day, a rally cry for help was held at the intersection of Adams Blvd. and Mable Ave. in South L.A., where University of Southern California (USC) senior student/artist Victor McElhaney was robbed and killed just two months ago. Mass supporters came out to ask support from the community finding Victors at large killers. Led by Los Angeles City Councilman Curren Price and Oak- land City Councilwoman Lynette Gibson McElhaney, Victors mother, the rally appealed to community members to speak out and help bring to justice the killers of the young student who gave so much to the world and had so much more to give.

We are standing in the very space that my son took his last breath, said Councilwoman McElhaney to supporters congregated around the speakers. Also, USC students carried paintings of their lost classmate and other rally-goers wore black t-shirts with Victors image painted next to the words, Heal, Love, Hope, Life.

The councilwoman has spent years advocating for parents of slain children on the inner-city streets of Oakland. But when she shouted for justice on May 11, it was for her son. Victor! He was my baby! Someone killed my baby! she screamed to the crowd. LAPD representatives also asked the South L.A. community for help in identifying three suspects, described as male Hispanics in their early 20s, who fled the scene in a black four-door sedan.

Victor was assaulted while venturing about a mile east off-campus with fellow USC students. He was robbed at gunpoint Just after midnight, on Sunday, March 10, in a parking lot and the prominent senior never returned to campus; he was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital at 11:00 a.m. later that morning. Since the murder, there have been no arrests. To ignite interest in resolving the murder, McElhaneys family staged the rally in the same parking lot car stall where his fellow student and friend held him as he died. According to Councilwoman McElhaney, the rally and canvassing action was organized by the Oakland-based victims advocacy organization Soldiers Against Violence Everywhere (SAVE), USCs Brothers Breaking B.R.E.A.D, the Black Student Assembly with support from Councilmember Price, Supervisor Mark Ridley Thomas, the USC Latinx Student Assembly, GRYD and LA Street Poets. Victors mother opened with the plea, Our intention is to lift up love  we intend to lift up the Love Life Culture. So, let it love reign, let healing rein. Fused with the live djembe drumming, Victors father, Clarence McElhaney, led a libation ceremony to honor his son and past victims of gun-violence on the streets of the inner-city. As he poured water unto a yellow flower on the parking lot, where his son died, he spoke about the victims of gun-violence. We want to recognize and respect that these people, through no fault of their own, were living life as we all try to do, but were taken out too early, he said.

Victors parents recently participated in his commencement at USC, where he was posthumously given a Bachelors of Arts degree in music with an emphasis on jazz from the Thornton School of Music.

Price added that the gathering was held to bring a clear message. We are committed to finding these killers and bringing them to justice. We are not going to tolerate folks terrorizing our neighborhood!

A fellow student spoke out. He wasnt just fighting for change for Black people, he was fighting for change for all people. He showed me freedom. He showed me how to be creative. He showed me that its okay that youre still discovering yourself, she said.

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Addressing a culture of youth who show a disregard for life, Councilwoman McElhaney noted, Weve got some men out there who dont know the value of their own lives. And they are young from what Im told. They have taken a gun and they have taken my babys life.

And they need to be brought in to account for that action, so they can be restored to their own humanity. They dont need to be at large where they can do harm to another mothers child and children. Those who love them, need to help us make the community safe again, she said.

Los Angeles County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas also called for bringing the suspects to justice. Its better that you bring them in because we will find them, one way or another. We will not rest until the matter is appropriately dissolved and the perpetrators are brought to justice, he said. The least we can do as a city and a county is to make sure justice is done. We owe this to this family. Nothing else is going to be acceptable until we resolve this!

Councilwoman McElhaney encouraged the rally supporters to disperse, pass out fliers and spread the word around the neighborhood. Rally supporters chanted from the sidewalk and gathered around the intersection of Maple Ave. and Adams Blvd., where they distributed information, held up signs, and used bullhorns to draw attention to the unsolved murder. We gotta stop the silence to stop the violence. Say something, say something! they shouted.

Man, we need people to come forward, but people are afraid, especially with police presence. Were just trying to go through life like you guys and we need your help, said another USC student.

Slain rapper Nispey Hussles mother, Angelique Smith, who attended the rally remarked, Our sons were beautiful, kind, loving, compassionate, progressive, fearless Black men, who stood true in solidarity for deliberation, of not just their race of Black people but for all people.

Embracing Councilwoman McElhaney, Smith lamented, I feel their passing has created a paradigm shift in thinking, and there is more light in peoples hearts and in their minds because of the light they gave.

Theresa Butler of Oakland, a co-founder of Soldiers Against Violence Everywhere (SAVE), was Victors Sunday school teacher and family friend. Victor is like my son  my nephew. So, of course I am here, she said. Butler said SAVE brought people out from Oakland to lend support. We are happy to be a part of this process here to bring justice to Victor and canvasing the neighborhood and letting them know that enough is enough. We are not going to take this anymore.

Victors friends and family set up a sacred shrine in his name. Councilwoman McElhaney banded the group into a circle where they chanted, sang, and prayed.

Victors friend, Mike, led a call and response. We have a duty to fight for freedom! It is our duty to win! We must love and protect each other! We have nothing to lose but out chains! I believe  I will win! they yelled.

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Chiming in, Councilwoman McElhaney shouted, What do we want? Peace! When do we want it? Now! Say his name! Victor! Somebody killed my baby and they are still out there!

Police are requesting those with information contact (213) 486-6890 or anonymously We Tip Crime Stoppers (800) 222-8477 or online at lacrimestoppers.org.

* This story has been updated with no information and images.

Additional Photos E. Mesiyah McGinnis / Sentinel

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Call 2 Worship  May 16

COGIC Southern California First Jurisdiction Business & Professional Women present their annual BPW Phenomenal Womens Personal Development Conference on May 18, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel, 6161 Centinela Ave., in Culver City. The theme is Gods Unlimited Power Unleashed in the Lives of [email protected] L.A. Superior Court Judge Patricia J. Titus will be the keynote speaker. Bishop Joe L. Ealy and U.S. District Court Judge Andre Birotte, Jr. will be honored. The donation is $40. Call (323) 293-7737 for details.

Crenshaw United Methodist Church holds the Save our Sons Prison Ministry meeting on May 19, at 2:30 p.m., at 3740 Don Felipe Dr., in Los Angeles, said Pastor Royce Porter, Sr. The topic will be My Story: 20 Years in Prison. A former inmate will discuss life before conviction, strategies for success on parole and integrating back into society. Call (323) 292-0141 for information.

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Park Hills Community Church plans the 32nd annual Womens Day service on May 19, at 11 a.m., at 5247 Overdale Dr., in Los Angeles, said Pastor Lawrence Dove. The theme is Mighty Women of God, Chosen for Service based on John 15:16. Elder Reva Turner, Lessie Avent and Mary Lou Reeves will be honored for their outstanding contributions to the church. Valerie Johnson is the Womens Ministries president and First Lady Yolanda Dove is the program chair. Visit parkhillsrca.org for details.

L.A. Department of Recreation and Parks and several city, county and community groups host Senior Fraud Awareness Day on May 22, from 9:30 a.m. to 12 p.m., at the Felicia Mahood Senior Center, 11338 Santa Monica Blvd., in Los Angeles. The free event features informational booths, musical performances and refreshments.

Grace United Methodist Church plans a Karaoke Fundraiser on May 25, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., at 4112 W. Slauson Ave., in Los Angeles, said Pastor Cedric Bridgeforth. The program, open to all ages, will feature Stan the Prayed-Up Man, music, line dancing, games and refreshments. The donation is $10 for adults and $5 for youth. On June 29, the Back-to-Church Comedy Show takes place at 5 p.m. Lester Barrie and Friends will perform along with professional comedians. All ages are welcome. The donation is $20. To learn more about both events, call (323) 294-6653 or visit graceumcla.com.

Brookins-Kirkland Community AME Church observes Annual Lay Day on May 26, at 9 a.m., at 3719 W. Slauson Blvd., in Los Angeles, said Pastor Mary S. Minor. The BKCAME Lay Organization will participate as worship leaders. Lay President Tamika Jones will be the speaker. To learn more, call (323) 296-5610.

Church of God Pentecostal salutes Bishop Johnny Young and Dr. Brenda Davis-Young on May 19, at 10:15 a.m., at 733 S. Grevillea Ave., in Inglewood. The celebration will include a tribute for Bishop Youngs 68th birthday on May 15. For information, call Kathy Givens at (310) 419-7335.

Pilgrims Hope Bible Church celebrates the 3rd Pastoral Anniversary of the Rev. Dr. T. Delbert and First Lady Jasmine Robinson May 26, at 5 p.m., at 7016 S. Compton Ave., in Los Angeles. The theme is A Church Connected to its Covering based on 2 Samuel 5:1 and 1 Chronicles 11:1. Bishop Milton M. White, pastor of Victory Full Gospel Baptist Church in Pasadena, will be the guest preacher. Elder Evelyn Worline and Brother Jerol Crawford are the anniversary co-chairs. To learn more, call (323) 581-7672.

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Vermont Slauson Economic Development Corporation and the County of Los Angeles present Contracting/Procurement Workshop on May 28, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., at the Nate Holden Performing Arts Center, 4708 W. Washington Blvd., in Los Angeles. Representatives from the countys Internal Services and Public Works Departments will discuss how to register businesses, become a certified vendor, contracting opportunities and strategies to win bids. To RSVP, call Erika Jackson at (323) 753-2335.
One Stop Service Centre to cut hassles for investors

The One Stop Service Centre, which the government promised to set up during the Nepal Investment Summit in March, opened on Wednesday.
Counseling Center in Watts Provides Accessible, Affordable Therapy for All

Marianne Diazs 20-year counseling career began after a stint in jail for a gang-related arrest. At the time, she was hard and angry and she says the world made her that way.

I just kind of grew into this gang thing. I tell everybody, it was a persona, I wasnt really that person, but it helped keep me from getting hurt emotionally. So, I became a very good gang member, I was good at my craft which meant I had to go to prison, says Diaz, 60, a Los Angeles native.

The higher learning system of the streets ultimately led Diaz to jail. The higher I rose in the prison system, the more important I would be out in the hood, says Diaz.

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As she finished up her four-year sentence, an unlikely mentor extended a hand. It was the sheriff from the gang-unit who arrested her.

Hed always be like, Youre going to be somebody. And Im going to be here if you need me, and I thought, why the heck would I ever call you again? says Diaz.

When she got out of prison, the officer helped her get a job at a non-profit group for youth gang services. In the interview, the officer told the hiring manager, If she doesnt become the best counselor you have here, I will turn in my badge. 20 years later and Diaz is the Director of Outreach Services at the Southern California Counseling Center, or SCCC, in Watts.

SCCC-Watts, on Central near 108th, opened up in March 2018 after Diaz pushed for a permanent home for the center. It is situated on the campus of one its partners, Watts Labor Community Action Committee, also known as WLCAC. SCCC was founded in 1966 by psychologist Hans Hoffman and psychiatrist Dr. Ben Weininger. Their mission was to create accessible and affordable counseling and mental health services as they saw mental health to be right not a privilege.

They believed that people could be supported by people and that it didnt require extensive schooling or licensing. He felt that if properly trained, people can sit with people and the humanity would take over says Diaz. People just need to be heard, and seen and validated.

Diaz says that initially, the center was run by a wealthier class of liberal White people. Most were paraprofessionals  homemakers, retirees and other occupations  that trained and volunteered as counselors in the center. Today, it is a premiere location for marriage and family therapy training as well as trauma training and domestic violence training. The site is government mandated and probation approved. While a majority of the counselors at the center are working towards a license, there are still several counselors who for whatever reason cannot get licensed including Diaz, whose past felonies prevent her from obtaining professional certification.

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Thats something the center understands, says Diaz. Certain communities and populations with less resources, in order to survive may get caught up in certain things. The systemic piece of a lot of things that are attainable to some, are not attainable to others if you have a few bumps in the road.

This is why Diaz was brought on to the team at SCCC. The center saw a need to diversify their counseling team and center their practices more deeply in the community it serves. Diazs past and her experience in the community qualify her beyond the counseling and therapy training she has had over her 20 years as a counselor.

While it is not a requirement that the person you sit with is a person of color, it does make you more comfortable, says Diaz. You dont have to explain the experience of being judged by your appearance, your historical context. You just dont have to explain it.

At SCCC-Watts, Diaz says about 99 percent of the clients are government mandated, meaning they are required by the court to complete counseling and therapy. The campus offers required sessions for anger management, parenting counseling, family counseling and couples counseling. There are six men groups, yoga-based stress management and one-on-one counseling provided from a diverse staff which Diaz says is predominantly people of color.

Counseling is not a White thing, people of color have held counsel for years. We have been meeting in groups, churches and everything, talking to each other, hearing each other and supporting each other, says Diaz.

Although a majority of the services offered at SCCC are required by the court, the center is open to anyone and everyone who wants care and they offer sliding scale for as low as 10 dollars per session. As mental health awareness increases along with conversations about how communities can heal from mental trauma, so is a need for accessibility and inclusivity.

We need to change the ideas about therapy, says Diaz. We need to change the ideas about how its delivered, we need to change ideas about who goes to counseling.

To learn more about the services at SCCC-Watts go to sccc-la.org or call 323-556-2358.
Everytable Fights Against Food Injustice in Underserved Communities

Equality, thats the promise at the healthy food company Everytable since its launch by founders Sam Polk, a former hedge fund trader and David Foster, a former private equity professional.

This month, the Sentinel met with Everytable Chef Zach Thomas for an exclusive tour of the kitchen to witness the love and colorful flavors that go into each dish. The Sentinel also spoke with Chef Zach about the companys inspiration behind the ingredients and spices used in the dishes as well as the human right of affordable healthy food for people of color.

Everytable co-founder, Polk, was motivated to start the healthy food company after the release of the 2012 documentary, A Place at the Table by directors Lori Silverbush and Kristi Jacobson.

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Since its inception, Everytable has been able to fulfill its promise of [making] nutritious, fresh food affordable and accessible to all by pricing its meals based on the areas it serves.

At Everytable, the menu consists of a variety of salads, grain bowls, hot plates, and desserts. Some of their most popular items is the gluten free Jamaican jerk chicken, the trap kitchen curry chicken, kale chicken Caesar salad, and their Thai noodle salad.

The newest edition on the menu is the gluten free and vegan free curry lentil soup with black lentils, sweet potatoes, Spanish onions topped with fresh cilantro.

My favorite menu item is the Trap Kitchen Curry Chicken because it reminds me of my childhood, Chef Zach.

Its something near and dear to me. My mom is Jamaican and she would always make Caribbean food for my brother and I growing up. It was a really seamless collaboration with the Trap Kitchen guys as well.

According to Chef Zach, the food is inspired by the city of Los Angeles.

Every bowl is inspired by flavors of L.A. and the flavors that we love. We have our Latin inspired bowls like our puebla chicken tinga.

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[Then] you have Caribbean stuff like our Jamaican jerk chicken, and there are some every day staples like the kale Caesar salad, said Chef Zach.

Then we have some really interesting seasonal things like our winter inspired cobb salad with butternut squash, blue cheese and winter greens. So [our menu] kind of expands the range from Americana to all kinds of cultural enclaves that we draw inspiration from. So its really us being inspired by what the market wants. Its really inspiring to be able to deliver the full breadth and rainbow of flavors here.

Once the food is prepped in the kitchen, it is packaged, sent out, and sold at Everytables grab-and-go storefronts at fast food prices.

The company is continuing to redefine the food landscape with its innovative business model with its introduction of the Everytable SmartFridge.

The smartfridge was designed with employees in mind to provide them with effortless access to fresh food without leaving the office with the swipe of a credit card.

Employees swipe a credit card to open the fridge, and are charged for whatever they take out. We manage the inventory virtually and know exactly when to restock items, so there is no work on your end, read the companys website.

Currently the following companies are using Everytable SmartFridges: Kaiser Permanente, Fashion Nova, TOMS, Saatchi & Saatchi, and CTRL Collective just to name a few.

To date, Everytable has eight locations including USC, Downtown L.A., Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza, Cal State LA, Santa Monica, Compton, Brentwood, and Watts as well as 40 smart fridges in the Los Angeles area.

Recently, Everytable made the decision to tap into the subscription service market.

Now Everytable customers have the option of getting their favorite and the newest dishes from the companys rotating menu of over 22 healthy meals delivered right to their doorsteps or at a local store every week starting at $2.99!

We decided to launch a subscription service to make our meals even more accessible and convenient for underserved communities, said Polk.

For a nominal delivery fee, our made-from-scratch meals are delivered directly to our customers and priced the same as meals at our restaurants, and thats between $5-$8 in areas that lack health food options.

Whats next for Everytable? Expansion of course. According to the companys website, for each Everytable meal purchased, the proceeds go toward opening up a new location in food desert areas to fight against food injustice and bring affordable healthy meals to people of all ages, ethnicities, and class.

Everyone can sit at the same table. Everyone can have access to the same quality of food and everyone can enjoy a healthy meal every day at their dinner table or at our table which is the Everytable. Everytable speaks to the whole ethos of the company which is making good, healthy, food, accessible for everyone, said Chef Zach.

To find an Everytable storefront near you or to sign-up for the companys subscription service please visit www.everytable.com and follow they on Facebook at Everytable and on Instagram and Twitter @foreverytable.
FAME Church Celebrates 147 years

First AME Church of Los Angeles, the citys oldest church founded by African Americans, will celebrate its 147th Anniversary on Sunday, May 19. Former members and friends have been invited to attend this homecoming celebration.

Pastor J. Edgar Boyd announced that the preachers for the day will be the Rev. Dwaine A. Jackson, pastor of Bryant Temple AME Church, at the 7:45 a.m. service and Bishop Clement W. Fugh, presiding prelate of the AME Churchs Fifth Episcopal District, at the 9:55 a.m. service.

The Rev. Dr. Mary S. Minor, pastor of Brookins-Kirkland Community AME Church and a former FAME associate minister, will bring the message at 12 p.m.

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The public is invited to attend all services. The church is located at 2270 S. Harvard Blvd., in Los Angeles.

Biddy Mason, a former slave, founded FAME Church. Over the years, the congregation has grown to include several dozen ministries that reach people throughout the Los Angeles metropolitan area. Additionally, FAME Assistance Corporation, the non-profit arm organized after the 1992 civil unrest, continues to provide housing and much-needed services to community residents.
From Homeless to Manhattan School of Music, Pianist Elijah Stevens Shares Inspiring Story

Elijah Stevens musical ability began to develop while he was in the 7th grade after he was introduced to the piano by his church in Freeport, Bahamas, which also paid for his music lessons.

Prior to receiving music lessons, Stevens aspired to be a chef and had dreams of going to culinary school however, after he started taking piano lessons, all of that changed.

After I received my first keyboard, I spent countless hours practicing even during break and lunch periods. Sometimes I wouldnt even eat because I would be so excited about practicing and playing the songs, said Stevens.

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I decided that I wanted to be a musician because I just fell in love with [the piano]. Once I heard some of the classical pieces on my keyboard, it touched me and I just felt so connected to this music. There would be songs by Beethoven, Bach, Mozart and I would just hear it and it would do something to me and I would push myself to learn the songs. So from that time, I knew that this was something that I really wanted to do and something that I really wanted to pursue.

Stevens performed his first recital in the 9thgrade at Woods Music Academy, where he won student of the year after completing only one year of music lessons. He was then awarded a scholarship to continue studying at the school for another year free of charge.

I remember getting all of the hand claps after my first recital. Before my teacher brought me on she said, prepare yourself because you are about to be amazed by this talented young man who has only been taking lessons for over a year. Since that time, it just felt like I belonged on the stage performing said Stevens.

After graduating from high school, Stevens attended and graduated in 2017, from the historical Black college Bethune-Cookman University in Daytona Beach, Florida.

While he was in school completing his undergraduate degree, Stevens learned of Russian pianist Olga Kern.

My teacher is the one who introduced me to her, she told me to look her up on YouTube and I saw her rendition of Rachmaninovs third piano concerto, Rachmaninov is a Russian pianist and composer, said Stevens.

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She was playing a song by him at the 2001 Van Cliburn competition so I went on there and I listened to her and watched her perform and I was blown away. She gave so much passion and so much fire. It took my breath away and I became such a fan, she became my biggest idol.

Later, Stevens found out that Kern would be teaching at the private music conservatory, Manhattan School of Music (MSM). From then on, he set his sights on MSM and studying with the renowned pianist.

In December 2017, Stevens attempted to apply to MSM however, he did not have enough money to pay the application fee needed to complete the application. Although he completed all of the necessary paperwork, the school refused to view all prescreening videos unless the fee had been paid. Later Stevens decided to send videos of his performance to the department chairman of the school.

The chairman told me, I really enjoyed your playing and anything that I or the school can do to support you we would. I just went off of that and I went with a spirit of not taking no for an answer, said Stevens.

Soon after, Stevens made the decision to pack up his bags and leave his life behind in Florida and drove 16 hours to NYC to pursue his dream of becoming a classical pianist.

I drove 16 hours only on the strength and grace of God because I am not a long distance driver at all, said Stevens.

After arriving at MSM, Stevens spoke to the dean of enrollment who informed him that the school would be unable to accept him due to the fact that it would break all of their rules and regulations.

According to Stevens, there were only four people who could approve of the decision to accept him into the school on these grounds. The dean of students, the dean of enrollment, and the president of the school voted yes however the last person voted no and told Stevens that he would have to wait for the next audition.

Once Stevens received the news, he hurried to his car where he sobbed.

It felt like all of my dreams just died and like I had taken a huge risk to come to the school, hoping that they would see my passion for music and for the school and be willing to at least give me an audition to see if they would be willing to accept me into the school. It just really destroyed me in a lot of ways he said.

Homeless & Hopeless

Stevens explained to the Sentinel that it wasnt his first time taking a risk.

The first major risk I took is when I left the Bahamas after being denied from six scholarships, I decided that I wanted to study in the U.S. even though my family told me that I should work, stay home, and attend a local college. I told them that wasnt an option for me because I had seen a lot of my friends try to take that route and something would keep them home and something would keep them from their dreams, he said.

So I remember from that day my mother telling me, dont ever let anyone tell you that you cannot do something, not even me. So from that day everything I took on, I did with that kind of faith and that kind of bold and aggressively thinking.

Instead of traveling back to Florida, the now 22-year-old made the decision to stay in NYC which was no easy task. Most of his nights were spent sleeping in his car.

I didnt have the strength in me to drive back, I just could not imagine going back to the life I had before especially after detaching from everyone and everything that I was saying I was going to do. It was just too embarrassing for me, too humiliating for me to take, said Stevens who vowed never to audition or take that type of risk again.

Eventually Stevens ended up in a shelter and later lost his car because he couldnt keep up with the payments, and was unable to find employment.

In October 2018, Stevens began working at Keiko Studio Music Academy in Queens, New York which gave him enough money to start picking up piano lessons to prepare him for his audition. Stevens also found a graduate from MSM who studied with Kern. Stevens shared his story as well as videos of himself playing the piano with the student. The student offered to help Stevens prepare for the next round of auditions at MSM which took his skills to new heights.

During this time, Stevens applied to Columbia University an ivy league, Hunter College, and reapplied to MSM where he finally received an invitation for a live audition.

After seven months of homelessness and an audition at MSM, Stevens received the news of a lifetime, he had been accepted into MSM, Columbia, and Hunter College.

When I saw the [MSM] decision, I almost couldnt breathe for a moment. I was shaking, I was so blown away and I just started to cry because I could remember all the hurt and the pain, the embarrassment, and how badly I wanted it with every fiber of my being, said Stevens.

There were people who told me that I wouldnt get accepted into the school. People who told me that I should just do something else because I wasnt going to make it as a classical pianist and its like to achieve something like this against all the odds, and all the people who told me things and abandoned me when I needed them This is mind blowing!

After graduating from MSM, Stevens has plans of traveling the world and performing as a classical pianist as well as teaching at a top conservatory, and opening his own festivals, competitions, summer camps, and workshops. Later, Stevens hopes to open up his own performing arts school and establish scholarships and foundations.

Although Stevens has been accepted into the institution, he needs to raise $250,000 to study at the schools dual degree program (one in piano performance and the other in music and music education) which will allow him to obtain two masters degrees in a three-year period.

To date Stevens has raised $2,055 on his GoFundMe Page.

With school starting in just three months, Stevens is hopeful he will reach his goal! For more information on Stevens story or to donate please visit www.gofundme.com/help-elijah-study-at-his-dream-school and follow him on Instagram at Bookof_Elijah.
Gov. Says No More Tax on Diapers and Tampons, Period

Could it get anymore California?

Probably not. At the governors unveiling Thursday of his sweeping $213 billion revised budget for the 2019  2020 fiscal year  and at an event Tuesday leading up to it  a few things we know about the Golden States reputation came to life  the social progressivism, optimism about the future, and even Tinseltowns cinematic flair.

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Yes, it got a little Hollywood upstate in Sacramento Tuesday. A stage decorated with props  jumbo boxes of pampers and tampons  helped Gov. Gavin Newsom tell the story of his plan to eliminate sales taxes on diapers and other menstrual products over the next two years; the policy would be subject to renewal by the legislature after that.

Estimated at a $35-million-a-year loss in revenue for the state and close to an additional $20 million for local governments annually, the proposal is part of the governors parents agenda for women, children and families built into the first budget proposal of his four-year tenure.

If the legislature approves, the tax exemption will include other feminine hygiene products like sanitary napkins, menstrual sponges and menstrual cups.

Flanked on stage by six members of the California Womens Legislative Caucus at the State Capitol, the governor sounded confident.

We can afford it and it is the right thing to do, Gov. Newsom said. Theres a deep agenda here and I hope youre hearing it. An agenda of affordability, an agenda on the cost crisis and an agenda to support parents.

In the spirit of the event, the press release the Governors office sent to the media used the gender-neutral title first partner to refer to his wife Jennifer Siebel Newsom who joined him on stage with the womens caucus.

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Nothing is more important than our childrens futures, Siebel Newsom said. We are fighting for a future where our daughters will be valued equally to our sons, a California where every single child, no matter the ZIP Code or the family that theyre born into will have the best possible start in life.

The governor, who referred to himself as a feminist, is making budget proposals long-fought for by women activists across the state and in the legislature. Some included in the budget are a $1,000 in earned income tax credit for families with children under 6 years old; a $134 million expansion of child care programs partially funded by tax revenue from legalized marijuana; an infusion of $54 million into the states childrens public assistance program, CalWORKS, to be administered by counties; and an extension of paid family leave from six to eight weeks.

Even with the hundreds of billions of dollars in spending the governor has budgeted for the next year, California is still in great financial shape. The countrys most populous state, and the 5th largest economy in the world, has stockpiled some $21 billion in its budget surplus.

Yet Newsom is doing some budget resiliency planning for hard times ahead. He said a recession that could amount to as much as a $70 million drop in revenue is inevitable. So he is taking steps to shore up the states reserves with a $16.5 billion investment in the states rainy day fund and another $400 million deposit into an education reserve fund.

A number of proposals could directly impact Black Californians, particularly those living in hard-to-count census tracts around the Bay Area, Los Angeles and the Inland Valley where there are larger numbers of African Americans, higher concentrations of poverty, and rapid gentrification that is making most of those areas unaffordable for long-time residents. There is a loan repayments deal amounting to $90 million for teachers in science, math and special education and another $120 million for medical professionals who work in areas of the state with critical needs. The governor is also proposing $40 million for public colleges and universities to help students who are homeless students. To help renters facing eviction, there is a line item for $20 million.

When the budget comes before the legislature, Assemblymember Reggie Jones-Sawyer (D- Los Angeles), who is African American, is expected to push for $100 million for youth programs designed to deter children under 18 from getting involved in crimes that could get them arrested or sent to prison.

The governors budget also slates $150 million more in community grants geared towards helping the homeless with housing and other services.

The proposed budget also lives up to the perception that California is a maverick when it comes to progressive public policy. There is a provision in it to extend state medical insurance to undocumented immigrants under 26 who qualify.

Not everyone is applauding the hefty tax cuts the governor wants for California.

Piecemeal carve-outs in the states already convoluted tax scheme are irresponsible, not to mention an inefficient way to help people who are struggling to get by, the Los Angeles Times board wrote in an editorial. Does the duchess of Sussex really need a tax break on nappies for Archie when shes in town? Of course not. But she will get one, along with all other consumers  rich and poor alike  and as a result, state and local governments will have about $55 million a year less to spend on programs and services.

Gov. Newsom says he wants legislators to be proud of the stances they take when debating or voting on his budget.

Im absolutely open to argument, he told lawmakers at the close of his press conference Thursday. If you have better ideas, bring them on. Lets get something good done that represents the best of this state.

Lawmakers have until June 15 to pass the budget. The governor is expected to sign on June 31st before it goes into effect July 1.
Living Word Conference Emphasizes Unlimited Power of God

The Living Word Conference 2019 promises to explain how the unlimited power of God can work miracles in your life.

Love Peace and Happiness Family Christian Fellowship Church will host the annual symposium starting Monday, June 3, and continuing through Sunday, June 9, in their edifice located at 4951 S. Figueroa St., in Los Angeles, said Bishop Leon Martin. The theme is Nothing is Impossible.

This conference will be like none other, as it will not be a traditional conference. Rather, it will be an anointed and glorious time of fellowship as the spirit of God flows and rejuvenate the body of Christ, explained Martin. An invitation is extended to everyone to be a part of this spirit-filled occasion that is guaranteed to revive your spirit. Each night, the living word of God will be poured forth.

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The program features nightly workshops at 6 p.m., followed by worship at 7:15 p.m. The speakers include Pastor Donell Givens, Pastor Isaac Thompson, Pastor Lonnie Hogan of Sunset Baptist Church, Bishop Richard Sanders of Mount Pilgrim Baptist Church of Compton, Pastor LaSharee Knox of Greater New Light Baptist Church, Evangelist Audrey Williams and Evangelist John Black.

Dr. Arthur Wooten of Friendship Christian Fellowship Church of God in Christ in Riverside will preach at the closing service on June 9. Also, musical guests will perform throughout the conference along with the Love, Peace and Happiness Mass Choir.

We invite you to be our special guests and hear what the Lord has for you and the change that He is ready to make in your life. We look to see you and your families there, added Martin.

For more information, call (800) 757-6552 or visit lphfamily.org.
Members of Congress Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Assist with Transition in Child Welfare Funding

This week, Rep. Karen Bass (D-Calif.), co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on Foster Youth, along with colleagues in both the House of Representatives and the Senate, introduced the Family First Transition and Support Act of 2019, which would provide resources and funding flexibility for state and tribal child welfare systems to implement the Family First Prevention Services Act (Family First)  a landmark piece of legislation signed into law in 2018 designed to transform the way the federal government funds child welfare services.

Across the nation, child welfare agencies are in crisis due to a lack of resources and high numbers of children entering the foster care system, many of whom are in need of behavioral and mental health services largely attributable to traumatic childhood experiences. For decades, most federal child welfare funding became available to states only after children were removed from their families. Family First changes that by funding services that keep children safe, and whenever possible, keep them in the care of their families by allowing states and tribes to use federal dollars for certain services that prevent the child from entering foster care. Services include substance-use disorder treatment, mental health care, and in-home parenting skills. States need additional resources to ensure a seamless transition to Family First so that all children and families can maximize the laws full potential.

The Family First Transition and Support Act of 2019, which would enhance support for parents and relatives who are struggling to care for their children, was introduced by Representative Bass along with Representatives Don Bacon (R-Neb.), Brenda Lawrence (D-Mich.), Jim Langevin (D-RI), Deb Haaland (D- New Mex.) and Senators Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-New York).

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Far too often, Congress passes landmark legislation without supplemental funding to ensure effective implementation, said Congressmember Bass. Without this piece of legislation that we introduced today, the benefits expected from the bipartisan Family First Prevention Services Act will either not be fully realized or not realized in a timely way. There are too many families and children who are relying on us to get this right. I urge my colleagues to act with the same alacrity we did to get Family First passed so that we as a body can ensure that we are doing our best for those in our child welfare system.

One of my priorities after the FFPSA was signed into law, was to ensure proper implementation of the provisions in the bill, said Congressman Bacon, co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on Foster Youth. This includes a smooth transition for providers and state agencies, and fixes to any unintended consequences due to the roll-out. The Family First Transition and Support Act would ensure these concerns are met, and I am happy to co-lead this important legislation.

The Family First Prevention Services Act, passed last year by Congress, was a bipartisan, transformative law reforming our child welfare system, said Rep. Lawrence, co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on Foster Youth. I am so pleased to join my colleagues to introduce the Family First Transition and Support Act that will provide access, funding, and resources to aid the most vulnerable families across this country and ensure that FFPSA is fully implemented.

Congress passed the bipartisan Family First Prevention Services Act last year with the intention of improving our nations child welfare system by prioritizing prevention services. Unfortunately, states continue to lack adequate resources to transition to this model, said Congressman Langevin, co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on Foster Youth. This important legislation will provide states the support they need to care for our most vulnerable youth and fully realize the benefits of Family First. As a co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on Foster Youth, Im proud to work with Congressmember Karen Bass on these efforts.

Every child deserves a safe and loving home. As we know well in my state of New Mexico, which is ranked at the bottom of the list for child wellbeing, too often children dont have the home environment they need to thrive, said Congresswoman Deb Haaland, vice chair on Families and Children Living in Poverty. Much of this can be addressed by ensuring state and tribal child welfare systems have the resources to support families and help them build safe homes so our children can thrive. This bill puts families first so we can prevent the adverse and traumatic events that put our kids at risk.

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The Family First Transition and Support Act would:

 Eliminate the outdated Federal Title IV-E foster eligibility requirements for foster family homes tied to the 1996 Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) law, commonly referred to as the look back, which limits Federal foster care and family support to only those children removed from very low-income families;

 Expand funding for kinship support services, including childcare, transportation, and legal services to ensure families have access to services that meet their needs and keep children safe in their homes;

 Provide states and tribes with more time to develop the research base for prevention programs they want to use by delaying the FFPSA 50 percent well-supported requirement;

Enhance funding for caseworker training and development;

 Provide additional funds for State-directed research to develop interventions to meet Family First evidenced-based requirements, strengthen families, improve service delivery for youth victims of trafficking, and reduce inter-generational poverty;

 Boost funding for Regional Partnership Grants to allow more local and regional groups to address parental substance use and child well-being;

 Enhance funding for the child welfare Court Improvement Program and Tribal Court Improvement Program;

 Provide new time-limited resources to support quality foster parent recruitment and retention;

 Provide short-term Federal support to help States meet Family First licensing and accreditation standards for quality residential treatment programs and therapeutic foster care settings; and

 Provide additional resources and improvements for tribal child welfare programs.

To read the full bill click here.
Ninety-Three Stars Shine Brightly During LMUs 28th Annual Kente Graduation Celebration

On Friday, May 10th, it was unusually cloudy across the city of Los Angeles. However, inside the Tabernacle at Faithful Central Bible Church in Inglewood, it was festive and bright, as ninety-three stars from across the United States were acknowledged during Loyola Marymount Universitys annual Kente Graduation Celebration.

Founded by Dr. Cheryl Grills, Professor of Psychology, in 1991, Kente Graduation is a Rite of Passage within LMUs Black Community that celebrates the personal and academic achievements of students (graduate and undergraduate) of African descent and marks their transition from college life to adulthood.

Grills, LMUs first Black, female professor to be awarded tenure, shared that, Our Kente Graduation is grounded in our cultural values, traditions, and priorities.

It is designed so that we define ourselves, acknowledge the past, celebrate our students accomplishments, and collectively  as a community  commit to the ongoing struggle for equity, our humanity, and the valuing of Black lives.

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While Kente Graduation is a long-standing tradition, each year, the celebration is reflective of the graduating class being celebrated-from the selection of specific Adinkra symbols, to the colors utilized, to the format of the actual ceremony, itself. Fridays celebration began with an electrifying spoken word performance by graduating seniors, Kaelyn Sablan-Wilson, Harold Lloyd, and Makeen Yasar.

Said Yasar, For me, Kente Graduation was my crowning moment at LMU. The ceremony was my rite of passage, the passing of the torch, and an affirmation of my experience in LMUs Black Community. There was so much love, soul, and power in that space. It was  without a doubt  the highlight of my college career.

Keynote speaker and distinguished LMU and Harvard Alumna, Nicole Powell, spoke about the importance of boldly stepping forward and taking advantage of the opportunities that accompany the attainment of a college degree, while also considering those, who have not been given the same opportunity.

Elaborating on Powells words of wisdom, Dr. Grills, stressed the importance of the ceremony and the values that have been imparted upon the graduates  but also the tremendous responsibilities that they must now embrace as they enter a world that truly needs them.

After the graduates had publicly accepted their responsibilities, an African name was bestowed upon each student, as well as a list containing readings from the canon of literature by Black authors, and various gifts. Next, Dr. Stefan Bradley, chair of the department of African American Studies, and Dr. Bryant Keith Alexander, Dean of the College of Communication and Fine Arts, placed ornate, colorful stoles around the shoulders of each graduate. Hand-made each year by a master Kente Weaver in Accra, Ghana and brought to Los Angeles, the stoles, themselves, are symbolic of each students uniqueness, but also their secure place within LMUs Black Family.

Bradley later commented that, The Kente ceremony is beautiful in the sense that it challenges our graduates to recognize that they are part of a legacy of Black excellence and calls on them to think in terms of the collective. It reminds them that what they have achieved is not for their individual aggrandizement, but for the greater good of the larger Black Community.

Once students had received their stoles, various graduates, faculty and staff members were presented with awards. Winners included, Bradley Thomas (Kente Valedictorian), Dr. Barbara Lang (African American Studies), Darlene Wilson (Financial Aid), JaTaileasha Jones (Office of Admissions), and Elmo Johnson (Conference & Event Services) for their outstanding overall impact on the Black Community. Meanwhile, Dr. Marne Campbell (African American Studies) and Lisha Maddox (First Year Experience) won awards for Outstanding Faculty and Staff, respectively. Rounding-out the award winners were Graduating Seniors, Megan Castillo, Vandalena Mahoney, and Kaelyn Sabal-Wilson (Founders of #BlackAtLMU). Following the ceremony, Castillo commented on the days significance. Kente Graduation is sacred; an intimate ceremony for friends and family, as well as LMU faculty, staff, and administrators to come together and celebrate the success of the Black Community. It was truly a special day; one I will never forget.

Dr. Nathan Sessoms, Director of the campus Office of Black Student Services, served as the events emcee and added that, Kente Graduation is the biggest and best day of the year within LMUs Black Community! As Faculty, Staff, and Administrators, weve had the privilege of working with these brilliant, young people for up to four years, and we trust that this has been significant time of growth for each of them. We, now, return them to their families, home communities or, perhaps, new communities to do the outstanding work for which theyve been sufficiently prepared. A wealth of new opportunities awaits them!
Rep. Maxine Waters Receives an Honorary Doctorate of Laws Degree from the University of the District of Columbia

On Saturday, May 11, U.S. Congresswoman Maxine Waters (CA-43)  the first woman and first African American to chair the powerful U.S. House Committee on Financial Services  and civil rights icon and leader, Reverend Jesse L. Jackson, Sr., received Honorary Doctorate of Laws degrees from the University of the District of Columbia (UDC). Rep. Waters also delivered a keynote address to more than 900 graduates during UDCs 2019 University of the District of Columbia (UDC) Commencement Convocation.

It is a distinct honor to be invited to join the president, board, faculty, and staff of UDC as we celebrate the achievements of the Class of 2019, said Congresswoman Maxine Waters. For more than a century, UDC has transformed the lives of its students by providing the educational and vocational training that both traditional and non-traditional students need to lead successful lives and careers. I am pleased to accept an Honorary Doctorate of Laws degree from this historic institution, and I join the entire local community in applauding the 2019 graduates.

Congresswoman Maxine Waters has emerged as one of the strongest legislators, community organizers, and champions for women, children, seniors, veterans, people of color, and the poor. She was elected in November 2018 to her fifteenth term in the U.S. House of Representatives where she proudly represents Californias diverse and dynamic 43rd Congressional District. With more than 20 years of experience and expertise on financial services issues, Congresswoman Waters recently made history as the first woman and first African American to hold the Chairs gavel of the House Financial Services Committee, where she leads the Democratic Caucus in the effort to pass meaningful legislation to protect consumers and safeguard the economy.

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In a statement to the Washington Post, UDC President Ronald Mason Jr. praised Waters as an advocate for marginalized and disadvantaged people her entire life.

The University of the District of Columbia was established in 1851, is a historically black university, and is the only public university in the nations capital. The university offers 81 undergraduate and graduate academic degrees with the mission of producing lifelong learners who are transformative leaders in the workforce, government, nonprofit sectors and beyond.
Rightfully Remembering Min. Malcolm: Valuing our Lives, Work and Struggle

If we are to rightfully remember Min. Malcolm, we must seriously grasp and practice what he so meticulously taught us about valuing our lives, our work and our struggle. Here I use grasp to mean take in hand and heart his legacy, study and understand it, and hold it firmly as a valuable heritage and framework for continuing forward. Whether it is on his day of birth or his day of sacrifice and martyrdom, or any other day of the year, remembering and honoring him must offer some meaningful expression and evidence that his life and teachings help shape how we live our lives, do our work and wage our struggles to be ourselves, free ourselves, develop ourselves and come into the fullness of ourselves.

So, our ceremonies and rituals of remembrance, of raising and praising his name and drawing lessons from his life, work and struggle are all good. But in the final analysis, Min. Malcolm would ask how does it translate into a meaningful and transformative practice? That is to say, how does it help inspire, anchor, orient and expand what we think, feel, say and do? In other words, how does our honoring him reflect and reaffirm that we use his life lessons to bring out the best of who we are and must become and continue to be as persons and a people?

In his famous eulogy for Min. Malcolm, the esteemed activist actor, Ossie Davis, tells us that in honoring him, we honor the best in ourselves. And this honoring of him, must be thru emulating him in the way he lived his life, did his work and waged the struggles of life and liberation. It is what we see as best in him that we must raise up, praise and pursue. For that which is the best in him is the best in us in capacity and potential, perhaps in lesser measure, but in no less value or meaning.

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For we all have inherent, transcendent, equal and inalienable worthiness, and we bring to the world our own unique gifts, talents, capacities and potentials. And we must, Minister Malcolm teaches us, strive mightily to fully realize them and use them to bring good in the world as both persons and a people. This is the meaning of his teaching that a race of people is like an individual . . .; until it uses its own talent, takes pride in its own history, expresses its own culture, (and) affirms its own selfhood, it can never fulfill itself.

Indeed, this means that we must think in new, liberated and liberating ways about how we live our lives, do our work and wage our struggle. For as Min. Malcolm taught, the logic of the oppressed cannot be the logic of the oppressor, if they want liberation. And if we want to live good, meaningful and expansive lives, liberation and the liberation struggle as well as the practice of freedom on every level must be at the center of what we consider important and urgent. Here he teaches us that it is in the knowledge, embrace and practice of the best of our culture and history that we affirm our selfhood and fully realize the best of ourselves.

Min. Malcolm wants us to see our lives as sacred, endowed by the Creator with a nature that leads toward righteousness, but which must be fully realized and reaffirmed in our daily striving and struggle to practice the good and to be caring, just, truthful and upright in our relations with each other. He wants us to recognize (and respect) each other as brothers and sisters, and to self-consciously stop and avoid injury and injustice to ourselves and each other. For we, like other humans, intentionally and unintentionally, sometimes and too often in the context of our oppression, injure and act unjustly toward each other thru physical violence and the psychological violence of disrespect and degradation. But here again we must resist, resist emulating our oppressor and struggle to prefigure in our daily lives the good world we want, work and struggle for.

Also, Malcolm taught, we injure ourselves and each other by bad habits that harm or destroy our health and by negative practices which make us unworthy in relationships of love, work and struggle. And again, given the shared nature of our lives, work and struggle, even if it seems persons are only injuring themselves, in a larger sense, they are injuring us also, causing suffering in the community, and weakening its capacity for the life it must live, the work it must do and the struggle it must wage. Seba Malcolm, as a communitarian moral teacher, i.e., one who always places what we do in the context of community and its affect on the community, in addition argues that we are also greatly unjust and injurious to ourselves when we are unjust and injurious to each other. For we are linked in community and shared humanity with each other.

It is worth noting that Malcolm argues that failing to work and contribute to the best of our ability is an injustice and injury to oneself and also to the community. He calls such half-stepping and being trifling sinning against oneself, against our personal and collective self. Thus, he says, idleness and laziness (are) among the Black mans greatest sins against himself. Indeed, he says, Heaven requires hard work. Here he speaks not only of heaven related to the promise of the good in the afterlife, but of that also which promises a good life in the here-and-now, free from the hell of oppression in its various evil and earthy forms.

Seba Malcolm, then, is not offering any narrow notion of personal purging and self-strengthening but wants us to link all we do to a more expansive concept of our identity, purpose and direction as a world historical people, self-consciously and actively committed to freedom, justice, physical, psychological and material well-being, peace, reciprocal respect and caring and other shared goods in the world. Thus, our beloved teacher Malcolm wants us to struggle to end human suffering and oppression and to honor our history and culture of struggle and of being a moral and social vanguard in the world. And he wants us to free ourselves from any of the varied vices, values and practices which diminish or undermine our capacity to develop our full potential, exercise our capacities in the work and struggle for liberation, human flourishing and ultimately the well-being of the world.

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Finally, Seba Malcolm, El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz, wants us to live, work and struggle for liberation and the good in unity and harmony, born of knowledge, understanding, love and patience. He says we must constantly study and learn each other, even when we think we already know each other as persons and a people. Often, he says, we injure ourselves and each other and are unable to unite and act for common good out of lack of knowledge or light as he calls it. We need enlightenment concerning the whole world he teaches. But especially, We need more light about each other. For Light creates understanding; understanding creates love; love creates patience; and patience creates unity. And thru this unity a united front can be brought about with which we can confront our oppressor, end our oppression and contribute definitively to ending oppression in the world.

Min. Malcolm X, then, wants us to take our lives, work and struggle seriously. He sees us in world-encompassing ways and wants us to do likewise. Indeed, Seba Malcolm assures us we are a key part of the global struggle for freedom and justice in the world. And thus, he tells and teaches us that What we do here in regaining our self-respect, our manhood (and womanhood), our dignity and freedom helps all people everywhere who are fighting against oppression and also contributes significantly to opening up a new history and horizon of possibilities for humankind.

Dr.MaulanaKarenga,ProfessorandChairofAfricanaStudies,CaliforniaStateUniversity-Long Beach; Executive Director, AfricanAmerican CulturalCenter(Us);CreatorofKwanzaa;and authorofKwanzaa: ACelebrationofFamily,CommunityandCultureandIntroduction to BlackStudies,4thEdition, www.OfficialKwanzaaWebsite.org; www.MaulanaKarenga.org.
Prithvi Man Shrestha is a political reporter for The Kathmandu Post, covering the governance-related issues including corruption and irregularities in the government machinery. Before joining The Kathmandu Post in 2009, he worked at nepalnews.com and Rising Nepal primarily covering the issues of political and economic affairs for three years.
Sen. Kamala Harris Gives Props to Black Press at 75th Anniversary of San Francisco Sun-Reporter

Amelia Ashley Ward, Publisher of the Sun Reporter stands with Sen. Kamala Harris and San Francisco Mayor London Breed at the 75th Anniversary of the Sun Reporter May 9, 2019. (Photo By Alain McLaughlin)

Throughout the course of our history, there have been many moments in time where truth must be spoken. Truth that oftentimes make people uncomfortable, but truth that must be acknowledged so people can be seen and be heard, said Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA), who announced her bid to run for President of the United States in late January.

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Truth must be spoken from a voice that is trusted, she continued. And we know therefore the value, significance and need for the Black press in America.

Harris, who was born in Oakland and served as California Attorney General from 2011 to 2017, was speaking at the 75th anniversary of the San Francisco Sun-Reporter, the citys oldest African-American newspaper.

More than 800 people, including San Francisco first African American woman mayor London Breed, attended the event. Several leaders and journalists from the states Black and ethnic media  including the Sun-Reporters current publisher, Amelia Ashley Ward  were also on hand to celebrate the legacy and contribution of the paper at the Hyatt Regency Hotel downtown San Francisco.

The Sun-Reporter was founded in 1944 at a time when Blacks migrated in large numbers to major cities in the north and west to escape Jim Crow laws in the south and seek better employment opportunities.

Many African-Americans came to San Francisco and other parts of the Bay Area during that time to work at World War II military shipyard.

Like many historically Black dailies and weeklies across California and the rest of the country, the Sun-Reporter became a social and political advocate for African Americans on issues like civil rights, discrimination, housing and education as well as a vital source of information at a time when there was little media coverage of Blacks in the mass media.

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The Sun-Reporter is an example of the significance of the Black press in America, Harris said. There are issues that are unique to the Black community, and until we have true diversity in the press, we must rely on papers like the Sun-Reporter.

Carlton B. Goodlett, a physician and activist who once ran for Governor of California and served as editor of Howard Universitys Hillltop newspaper, acquired his first publication, The Sun newspaper, through a poker game, according to the Sun-Reporters website. The publication, as we know it today, was born out of a merger between the Sun newspaper, which Goodlett owned, and another African-American publication, the Reporter, which was edited and published by his close friend, Thomas C. Fleming.

Goodlett served as publisher of the paper until shortly before his death in 1997. Since then, Ward, a former reporter and photojournalist who started her career as an intern at the Sun-Reporter, has run the publication guided by the wisdom and vision of its founder.

Harris says when she decided to run for San Francisco District Attorney in November 2002, no one believed in her candidacy except Ward.

There were many, many  friends and those who were not friends  who said it can not be done. Wait your turn. They are not ready for you, said Harris. But one voice spoke loudly and said, I know it is your time, Kamala, and I will have your back. And that was Amelia Ashley-Ward.

Harris also used the opportunity to talk about the climate of hatred and bigotry prevalent across the country right now, and tell the audience that the majority of Americans have more in common with each other than the things that separate us.

She also shared policy specifics about some of the things she would prioritize if she is elected President of the United States next fall. They included mandating the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms to require dealers who sell more than five guns a year to do background checks and a $13,500 annual federal investment to increase each teachers salary.

To achieve those things, Harris said, Americans must have honest conversations about problems the country is facing.

We must speak truth each and every day, she said. We must fight for the best that we can be.
Youre Rich!! Youre Wealthy!!

Did you receive your Mothers Day call or visit last week? Mothers Day got started with people like Anna Jarvis. Its sometimes taken for granted. I bet you had a wonderful day and appropriately celebrated as a fantastic person. Mothers have raised their healthy children are Wise, Rich and Wealthy. We could talk about mothers forever, recounting the innumerable benefits of having a mother, good one or not so good one. Even non-biological mothers, one acting as mother, aunt, grandmother, father, friend and more are irreplaceable. The imagery of or its reality. Mothers are great! The attachment of children and other family members to mothers

Theres nothing like mother love. Mothers Day has been used to launch political and feminist causes. In 1968, Coretta Scott King, wife of Martin Luther King Jr., used Mothers Day to host a march in support of underprivileged women and children. In the 1970s, womens groups used the holiday as a time to highlight the need for equal rights. Its observed differently worldwide. Without mothers, who would be our childrens first teachers? Anna Jarvis in 1908 created The American incarnation of Mothers Day and it became an official U.S. holiday in 1914. Jarvis later denounced the holidays commercialization and spent the latter part of her life trying to remove it from the calendar. Celebrations of mothers trace back to ancient Greeks and Romans; festivals honoring goddesses, Rhea and Cybele. The modern precedent for Mothers Day is the early Christian festival: Mothering Sunday. Once a major tradition in the United Kingdom and parts of Europe, this celebration fell on the fourth Sunday in Lent and was originally seen as a time when the faithful would return to their mother churchthe main church in the vicinity of their homefor a special service. The origins of Mothers Day as celebrated in the United States date back to the 19th century. In the years before the Civil War, Ann Reeves Jarvis of West Virginia helped start Mothers Day Work Clubs, later became a unifying force in a region of the country still divided over the Civil War. In 1868 organized Mothers Friendship Day. In 1870 Howe wrote the Mothers Day Proclamation, a call to action to unite in promoting world peace. In 1873 Howe campaigned for a Mothers Peace Day. The Mothering Sunday tradition shifted into a more secular holiday, children buying presents for their mothers, which eventually faded in popularity before merging with the American Mothers Day in the 1930s & 1940s. The official Mothers Day holiday was in 1900s as a result of the efforts of Anna Jarvis.

Following her mothers 1905 death, Anna Jarvis conceived of Mothers Day as a way of honoring the sacrifices mothers made for their children. In May 1908 she organized the first official Mothers Day celebration at a Methodist church in Grafton, West Virginia.

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Jeanette Grattan Parker is Founder/Superintendent Todays Fresh Start Charter Schools with S.T.E.A.M. Academy www.todaysfreshstart.org; https://www.historyA.com/topics/holidays/mothers-day
YWCA Los Angeles Honors Phenomenal Women

Over 400 guests gathered at the Omni Hotel in Downtown Los Angeles May 9, for the 2019 YWCA Phenomenal Woman Awards Luncheon, where they honored woman of the year Maria Salinas, the first female president and CEO of the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce. A three course meal was served to the crowd as they were educated on the many accomplishments of the organization. Event guests included Heather Hutt, Christine Devine, and Nury Martinez.

Salinas accepted her award with a heartfelt thank you to Faye Washington who is the YWCA president and CEO. In turn, Washington gave her heartfelt thanks to the guests as well as all of the people who help make the YWCAs work possible. None of it, not the workforce development programs, the youth services, child development, sexual assault prevention, would be possible without the help of those volunteer, sponsor and donate, Washington said.

Im so proud of everyone here today, she told the crowd.

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Without you, we couldnt do this. With you, we dont fight alone. Our theme today is a change is gonna come and a change is going to come. In order for us to survive, a change must come.

In todays environment, I dont care what city youre in, what club you belong to, what grocery store you shop, the tenor of the conversation has change. We cant have a conversation now, without talking about someone getting shot or someone getting sexually harassed

Honoree Salinas also thanked the crowd.

You are all part of the important mission of empowering women, she said during her acceptance speech.

When I think of leaders and I think of empowerment, there is no better example than Faye Washington.

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Salinas went on the tell the story of how Washington helped and encouraged as she struggled in the beginning of career as the first female president and CEO of the Greater Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce..

The late LAUSD Superintendent, Dr. Michelle King was also honored during the ceremony via a slide show of her life.

Rounding out the ceremony was the recognition of all the phenomenal women who have helped make all of YWCAGLAs programs possible. Those included the women of: SoCal Gas, SC Edison, US Bank, CIT OneWest Bank, Toyota and Union Bank.

The YWCA is dedicated to eliminating racism, empowering women and promoting peace, justice, freedom, and dignity for all.

As a YWCA, we advocate for justice and dignity for all people. For over a century, the YWCA Greater Los Angeles has provided housing and supportive services. YWCA GLA is pioneering a model of community centers and housing  co-created with diverse stakeholders  to transform lives, build self-reliance and, ultimately, strengthen communities, according to their mission statement.

Our participants come from different walks of life, socio-economic backgrounds, age groups, genders, ethnic backgrounds and religious faiths. We serve anyone and everyone who knocks on our doors and needs help. We strive to stand ready to serve wherever and whoever they are.

According to organization officials:

-80% of the over 1200 students to enroll in Job Corps annually increased their vocational skill level and entered the workforce; these students received twelve months of support after exiting Job Corps; six months after being hired, these individuals increased their earnings by 7%

-The majority of Middle School students in YWCA After School programs increased their academic performance in Math and English Language Arts; they reported having a relationship with a positive caring adult and attributed that to YWCA staff

-Almost 1,000 children receive care from the YWCA annually; the majority of these families participating in YWCA Child Care receive care free of charge

-Every year, hundreds of seniors receive quality care and participate in tailored activities at the YWCA West Los Angeles Program Center; the majority of these individuals live alone and depend on the YWCA for a myriad of services

-Hundreds of individuals have attended YWCA financial literacy workshops; of the attenders, over 95% say they increased basic financial literacy skills necessary to gain self-sufficiency
Wednesday, May 15, 2019



If We Hold On Together by Riza Nugraha

Wanasaba, in Indonesia's East Lombok, is called a "motherless village." As the BBC reports, many young mothers travel abroad to work, leaving their children in the care of other family members.

Then women head to Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, and Singapore. They work as domestic helpers and nannies, earning far more than they could in Indonesia.

All the moms who work overseas do so because it affords the opportunity to provide for their children. But the work comes at a price.

Maintaining relationships with the children left behind can be difficult. One child interviewed did not see her mother at all from the age of 1 until she nearly finished primary school. Additional stress can occur when moms return with "souvenir children" from relationships (consensual and not).

-KitJ

https://lawprofessors.typepad.com/immigration/2019/05/indonesia-where-moms-go-abroad-to-work-leaving-kids-behind.html
Thursday, May 16, 2019

The Virginia State Bar Disciplinary Board accepted an agreed 90 day suspension for an attorney's stipulated misconduct in a patent matter.

The client had a domestic patent for a helix tool locking system and sought international protection

In order to receive international protection for this patent while maintaining the United States priority date, the client had to file an international application, or Patent Cooperation Treaty ("PCT") application, by October 7, 2016. Although Respondent attempted to contact the client prior to the deadline, the client did not notify Respondent that he wanted to file the PCT application until after the October 7, 2016 deadline. The PCT application was filed on October 13, 2016.

Although the PCT application was filed six days late, the PCT division provides a mechanism by which an applicant can restore the priority date by paying a fee and asserting that the late filing was unintentional. Respondent submitted a request for restoration of the right to claim the United States priority date, which the PCT division granted.

Eighteen months after filing the PCT application, the application had to be filed with the European Patent Office ("EP0"). The EPO filing was completed on a timely basis.

Dr. Jurgen Kritzenberger, Respondent's European associate, advised Respondent to submit a letter to the EPO to explain why the PCT application was filed late.

On April 24, 2018, Respondent submitted a Request for Restoration of Priority Date to Dr. Kritzenberger to file with the EPO. To explain the late filing, Respondent said that the filing was late because of a "singular mistake of the Attorney of record." He said that the mistake was "inexplicable" because he "remember[ ed] receiving instructions to file the PCT International application before the deadline." These assertions were untrue because the client did not instruct Respondent to file the PCT application until after the deadline had passed.

On July 26, 2018, the EPO responded to Respondent's April 24 request. The EPO requested that, within two months, Respondent provide evidence of the monitoring system he has in place to avoid missing deadlines.

On September 21, 2018, Respondent prepared a letter to the EPO, purportedly from his firm's then-office manager and docket clerk Jennifer Kreamer. In the letter, Respondent wrote that his client had left timely instructions to file the PCT application on Respondent's voicemail and that Respondent had not received it, despite due care. These statements were untrue, because the client did not instruct Respondent to file the PCT application until after the deadline.

Respondent forged Ms. Kreamer's signature to the September 21 letter and then notarized the forged signature in his capacity as a notary public. By notarizing the signature, Respondent affirmed that Ms. Kreamer had sworn to its contents and signed it in Respondent's presence.

Respondent sent the September 21 letter to Dr. Kritzenberger; however, it was never filed because Dr. Kritzenberger said edits were needed.

On September 24, 2018, Respondent prepared a second letter to the EPO, also purportedly from Ms. Kreamer. The second letter provided more details regarding Ms. Kreamer's actions regarding the PCT application. Like the September 21 letter, the September 24 letter contained misstatements of fact regarding what had occurred with regard to this client's PCT application. For example, the letter stated that Ms. Kreamer received timely instructions from the client to file the PCT application and she placed the file on Respondent's desk so that he could proceed with the application. The letter went on to state that Ms. Kreamer was out of the office on the due date and when she followed up with Respondent after returning to the office, she became aware that the deadline had been missed.

Respondent forged Ms. Kreamer's signature to the September 24 letter and then notarized the forged signature. By notarizing the signature, Respondent affirmed that Ms. Kreamer had sworn to its contents and signed it in Respondent's presence. Respondent sent the September 24 letter to Dr. Kritzenberger for the purpose of filing it with the EPO. Dr. Krizenberger filed the September 24 letter with the EPO.

Although Ms. Kreamer was not in the office on September 21, 2018, she was in the office on September 24, 2018. The response to the EPO was not due until September 26, 2018, so she was available to sign a letter describing the law firm's docketing practices had she been asked to do so. However, Ms. Kreamer would not have signed the September 21 and 24 letters as written because they contained material misrepresentations.

Ms. Kreamer was unaware that her name had been used in either of these letters until September 25, 2018, when she saw a copy of the September 24 letter left on the printer.

After discovering the September 24 letter, Ms. Kreamer met with Respondent's law partners. They asked her to provide a history of the case. While preparing this history Ms. Kreamer discovered the September 21 letter also bearing her name.

Ms. Kreamer and Respondent's law partners confronted Respondent, and he admitted what he had done. Respondent, on his own accord, withdrew the September 24 letter

bearing Ms. Kreamer' s name and his request for restoration of priority date. Respondent advised the client that he withdrew the request for restoration because he had signed Ms. Kreamer's name and it was "not proper for [him] to sign her name."

Respondent represented to the bar that the client was not harmed by the withdrawal of the request for restoration of priority date. Respondent did not bill the client for preparing the requests for restoration of priority date described herein.

(Mike Frisch)

https://lawprofessors.typepad.com/legal_profession/2019/05/a-subcommittee-of-the-virginia-state-bar-disciplinary-board-accepted-an-agreed-90-day-suspension-for-an-attorneys-stipulated.html
Thursday, May 16, 2019

The number of people getting married aged 65 and over rose by 46% between 2004 and 2004 according to the latest Office for National Statistics marriage data. During that same time period, older divorces were also on the rise. 92% of those that were getting married over the age of 65 had already been married once before, either being widows/widowers or divorcees.

Even so, people are waiting until their thirties to get married for the first time. During that time, even before their first go around, brides and grooms may have already accumulated enough assets to call for a prenuptial agreement to safeguard their possessions. Sarah Balfour, a partner at Irwin Mitchell who spoke at the Later Life Planning Conference in London last month, says she had seen a considerable increase in the demand for prenuptial and occasionally for postnuptial agreements to assign assets after marriage. One of the largest areas concerns second- or third-generation wealth. Grandparents ask their grandchildren to enter into a pre-nup." In the United Kingdom, prenuptial agreements do not carry statutory weight so it is questionable whether they would survive a divorce.

The Supreme Court in the UK said in a landmark case in 2010 that if the evidence was strong, prenuptial agreements could have decisive or compelling weight. Lawyers and legal scholars perceive the case as test of whether certain prenuptial agreements will stand up in court in England and Wales. But to have any true weight, they must be fair to all parties involved.

See Lindsay Cook, Has Granny Signed a Pre-Nup?, Financial Times, May 15, 2019.

Special thanks to Joel C. Dobris (Professor of Law, UC Davis School of Law) for bringing this article to my attention.

https://lawprofessors.typepad.com/trusts_estates_prof/2019/05/has-granny-signed-a-pre-nup.html
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So the good news is that Sonys impressive new phone with a big, wide, high-res display is coming to the United States in July. The less good news is that while the Sony Xperia 1 has top-tier specs, it also has a top-tier price.

Sony says the smartphone will sell for $950 when it goes on sale at Amazon, Best Buy, B&H, and Focus Camera.

Thats not exactly a shocking price. Over the past few years weve seen the prices of flagship phones creep upward, and Sonys never been particularly competitive when it comes to pricing for its high-end phones. But its still likely to limit the appeal of this otherwise interesting smartphone.

If you need a refresher, here are some of the Xperia 1s key specs:

6.5 inch, 3840 x 1644 pixel HDR OLED display with a 21:9 aspect ratio

Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 processor

6GB of RAM

128GB of storage

Triple 12MP rear cameras (primary + wide-angle + 2x zoom)

8MP front camera

Side fingerprint sensor

802.11ac WiFi

Bluetooth 5.0

GSM & CDMA network support (for Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, and Sprint)

NFC

Stereo speakers and Dolby Atmos sound

IP65/68 rated

3,300 mAh battery

The phone supports slow motion video recording at 960 frames per second and it can shoot 4K HDR video as well.
Task force recommends university officials be picked on merit basis

A government task force has recommended that officials in universities be appointed on merit basis after proper evaluation of different leadership qualities, which, if implemented, will ensure a major departure from the long-standing practice of political appointments.
Two Indian climbers killed, one Chilean missing on Kanchenjunga

Two Indian climbers died on Mount Kanchenjunga, the third highest peak in the world, on Wednesday night.
Earlier Wednesday, a handful of marijuana opponents held banners in the Capitol Rotunda to protest any legalization of cannabis in the state.

Margaret Wall of Lincoln said she and the other protesters were not part of any formal group. Rather, they are concerned about Nebraska following the path of other states in legalizing hemp, then medical marijuana and ultimately recreational marijuana.

Wall called herself a pot refugee, who moved to Nebraska because it is one of three states that do not allow any use of cannabis, the type of plant that includes both hemp and its intoxicating cousin, marijuana.

Opinions varied just as broadly inside the legislative chamber as senators took up a long-awaited debate on LB 110 Wednesday evening. The bill would allow Nebraskans with certain medical conditions to use cannabis for treatment.

The conditions would have to be among those listed in the bill and be certified every 90 days by medical professionals. Among those conditions is severe or chronic pain lasting longer than three months that is not adequately managed by non-opioid medications; post-traumatic stress disorder, where at least one other treatment failed; and terminal illnesses in which a patient had less than a year to live.
Were just looking for a path forward, he said. Im not sure weve hit it yet.

Time is running out on the 2019 session. The speaker of the Legislature, Sen. Jim Scheer of Norfolk, says hes looking at ending the session earlier than the anticipated end date of June 6. That would give any property tax relief plan less time to be debated and passed, as well as overcome an expected veto from Gov. Pete Ricketts, who is opposed to removing tax exemptions on pop, candy and other items as proposed by lawmakers.

Because LB 289 failed to advance after three hours of debate, under the speakers rules, a sponsor would have to demonstrate support from 33 of the 49 state senators for the bill, or an amendment, to revive the issue for debate.

On Monday, one of the main sponsors of LB 289, Sen. Lou Ann Linehan of Elkhorn, was urging her colleagues to register their support. But during debate on a different bill, Linehan gave a pretty dismal assessment of its chances: Nobody loves (LB 289). I actually dont love it.

But later, she said LB 289 still has a better chance of passing than the new plan because it solves the two problems facing the state: high property taxes and the shortage of state aid to K-12 schools.
The day of the fire was Donnie Hendricks last workday before he was to undergo back surgery two days later.

He suffered from a host of medical problems  high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes, among others  but his most painful problem was chronic low back pain from a previous spinal fusion surgery.

Fellow bus drivers said they saw Hendricks walk with a cane at work and before boarding the bus.

Kathleen Hendricks said he used a cane and, for longer distances, a walker. And he was comfortable sitting, especially in the bus seat, which was higher up, she told investigators.

The principal and one of the drivers advised that they knew if an emergency occurred that the  driver would be unlikely to be able to self-extricate, according to an investigators report.

However, the family denies that the drivers back problems affected his ability to operate a motor vehicle. The drivers deteriorating physical condition was noted by several co-workers and the principal of the local high school.
Aisha Sultan Aisha Sultan is home and family editor for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Follow Aisha Sultan 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

Theres no reason to be shocked by the extremists in Alabama who would force a girl raped by her father to bear his child. This is the holy war theyve been waiting for. And this is the endgame that all religious zealots seek  the ability to control the most intimate, the most brutal, the most private decision a woman can ever face.

Since Jan. 22, 1973, when the Supreme Court ruled that restrictive state regulation of abortion is unconstitutional, the anti-abortion warriors have plotted for ways to upend it. And now, Donald Trump, of all people, has delivered their moment. They needed judges who share their view of America as a theocracy, in which their interpretation of Gods will supersedes all others.

White, conservative Republican men can finally decide for all the women what God says about when life begins. The 22 white Republican men in Alabamas state Senate know better than any woman what God wants, and theyre ready to jail any doctor who defies them.

This week they passed legislation banning abortions at every stage of pregnancy, including for victims of rape and incest, and criminalizing the procedure for doctors. A woman, Gov. Kay Ivey, signed their legislation into law Wednesday.
Specifically, the measure would require providers to check for a fetal heartbeat before performing abortions or pay a $1,000 fine and face a potential loss or revocation of a physicians medical license.

The provision is similar to heartbeat laws put on the books in Mississippi, Kentucky, Ohio and Georgia that ban abortion once a fetal heartbeat is detected. That can occur in about the sixth week of pregnancy.

Kentuckys six-week ban was challenged after it was signed in March, and a federal judge temporarily blocked it. Similar versions of the law have been struck down in North Dakota and Iowa.

If the heartbeat provision is struck down, the bill calls for abortions at the pain capable gestational age, or about 20 weeks after fertilization, to be prohibited.

The Missouri proposal also includes a requirement that both parents be notified if a minor seeks an abortion. And, Republicans tacked on a provision barring abortions from being performed solely because the fetus has Down syndrome.
The Hong Kong billionaire known as the King of Toys says he was asleep at 8 a.m. on a Sunday morning two years ago when Roy Cho Kwai-chee showed up at his gated three-story town house. Cho, a doctor who ran a chain of health-care clinics, had brought his wife and elderly parents along, and he was crying. He said he needed money. A lot of money.

The billionaire, Francis Choi Chee-ming, had a lot of money. He controls the worlds largest toy manufacturer, churning out Transformers and My Little Ponys for companies such as Hasbro Inc. and Mattel Inc. Hes worth USD4.8 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, making him one of the richest men in Hong Kong.

Twelve years before that Sunday morning, Choi became an investor in Chos company, Town Health International Medical Group Ltd. Over the years, he had loaned the doctor money  a few million dollars here and there  but this time was different, Choi recalls. A network of as many as 40 companies linked to Cho was crashing down. He needed HKD2 billion ($255 million) to save it.

The collapse of Chos network would lead to one of Hong Kongs most spectacular stock implosions and is now part of the biggest investigation of market malfeasance in the citys history, an effort to expose and shut down what the regulator has called nefarious networks. These are groups of public companies, licensed dealers and other financial firms that enrich themselves at the expense of unsuspecting investors, Securities and Futures Commission enforcement head Thomas Atkinson said in an October speech revealing plans for criminal and civil action against about 60 companies and individuals. Their activities, Atkinson said, are having a deleterious effect on our markets.

Cho, the 55-year-old doctor-turned-financier, was at the center of one of these networks, according to company filings, lawsuits and people with knowledge of its operations. Cho-connected companies, which included businesses as diverse as finance, LED lighting and education, allegedly bought and sold each others shares to artificially pump up prices while diverting millions of dollars of investors money into their own pockets, principals of one of the companies say in lawsuits. Cho used the company, insurance and securities brokerage Convoy Global Holdings Ltd., to make margin loans to other businesses connected to him by directing confidants at the firm through a secret email account even though he didnt own a controlling stake, according to the lawsuits filed against Cho by Convoys new management.

The Cho network is now linked to tens of millions of dollars in unpaid loans, the suspension of trading in at least $22 billion worth of shares in Cho-related companies, numerous lawsuits and 13 arrests  with more likely to come. Cho, who hasnt been charged with any crimes, declined through a lawyer to discuss any issues under investigation or litigation. Filings Cho made in response to the lawsuits arent public.

The unraveling of Chos network also led to a falling out with Choi. When I saw all his family members in my house that early, I was a little bit scared, Choi, 72, recalls, sitting on a plush white sofa in his office at Early Light International Ltd., which is decorated with jade and wood carvings, a 30-foot fish tank and a photo of Choi with Donald Trump at the Daytona 500 racetrack in 1999. But when Choi asked Cho what he needed the money for, he wouldnt tell me.

Brought together by a common cold

Cho was born in India, where his father was a successful businessman, but the family fled amid anti-Chinese sentiment in the 1960s, when Cho was a child. They lost everything, eventually settling in public housing in Hong Kongs New Territories, according to local newspaper accounts. Cho did well academically and went to Hong Kong Universitys medical school.

In 1989, with several fellow graduates, he created Town Health, which would become the largest private health-care provider in Hong Kong. Eleven years later the company went public on the Hong Kong exchanges secondary board, the Growth Enterprise Market. Town Health raised HKD38 million with the backing of Hong Kongs richest man, Li Ka-shing, who had taken a large stake before the initial public offering. Private clinics were novel in Hong Kong, where the public medical system left by the British colonial government was the norm. Cho built a reputation as a charming, friendly clinician with superior doctor-patient skills, friends and associates say.

A common cold brought Cho and Choi together in 2005. Choi had walked into Chos clinic seeking medical advice. The two men recognized each other from social events and started chatting. Suddenly, he was like a friend, recalls Choi.

One of Town Healths partners was pulling out, Cho told Choi that day. Did Choi want to take his place? Cho said the investment would be structured as a partnership, in which Choi would put in HKD44 million and front another HKD44 million for Chos share. Choi, who regularly lends money for investment opportunities, says he insisted it be structured 50.1% for Cho and 49.9% for him. I said, You control it. You do everything. I dont want to do anything.

The Cho and Choi families became close. With Choi holding a large stake in Town Health, he became a deputy chairman and nonexecutive director. His daughter Crystal, a Boston College-educated accountant whod been running her family companys property unit, joined Town Health, too  first as head of corporate finance, then rising to chairman the following year. Shares in the company soared on the news, and all seemed well. But the share price started bouncing up and down without reason, enough to make Choi suspicious. I asked why a stock like this is going up and down, Choi says. He said, Its the funds. Fund managers do this.

Town Health graduated to the main board of the stock exchange in August 2008, just before the global financial crisis that would tank Hong Kong stocks and crush Town Healths shares to one-fifth of their IPO price. They bumped along at that level for the next five years, until 2013, when Cho turned himself into a financier.

It isnt clear how or why he got the idea, but people familiar with his businesses say thats when Cho started taking stakes in multiple companies and funds and gained control or influence over many more in which he had no disclosed stake.

Pulling the strings

Most of the Cho-connected companies had nothing to do with medicine, yet many operated out of Town Health headquarters, a six-story building opposite a Coca-Cola plant in an industrial area in the New Territories, according to a former employee who asked not to be identified because of the ongoing investigation. Some shared the same directors. Executives would come seeking instructions from Cho, lining up every day, the person says, ticking off a list with his fingers.

An education business in which Cho didnt have a disclosed stake kept an 80-square-foot dedicated room, half the size of a parking space, inside Town Healths office, the person says. Chos influence wasnt visible through public filings, and he wanted to keep it secret as his companies continued to make more acquisitions and spread the network wider, the person says. He describes Cho as the real boss.

Other companies in the building included Hanergy Thin Film Power Group Ltd., run by a co-founder of Town Health, and Jun Yang Solar Power Investments Ltd., which Town Health acquired when it was a garment manufacturer with a different name in China. Jun Yang Solar provided millions of dollars of loans to Hanergy by holding the stock of its Beijing-based parent  a practice known as share pledging, which has been linked to other market price collapses in Hong Kong  company filings show. Hanergy in turn invested in Jun Yang Solar, which later changed its name to Power Financial Group Ltd. That company was an investor in Town Health and at least two other Cho-linked stocks.

One of the biggest companies connected to Cho, and one that lawsuits allege was used for illegal activities, is Convoy. Town Health began buying a 25% stake in 2013. Although never a controlling shareholder, Cho placed confidants throughout the firm, set up a secret email address and negotiated on Convoys behalf with potential investors, according to the lawsuit brought by Convoys current executives.

Convoys regulatory licenses enabled its staff to trade securities, sponsor IPOs and lend money to investors on margin, all powers Cho used to make money for himself, the suit alleges. In one case, Cho used money from a HKD1.57 billion investment into Convoy in 2015 by the family that controls Fubon Financial Holding Co., Taiwans second-largest bank, and diverted it for the personal benefit of people inside his network, according to the lawsuit. Members of the Tsai family declined to comment.

The lawsuit says the Tsais wanted to bring in former Citigroup Inc. Chief Executive Officer Sanford Weill as a co-investor, but Cho rejected the idea. Instead, he found supposedly independent investors who bought HKD1.4 billion in new Convoy shares. The new investors turned out to be a close relative of Chos, the owner of the firm that handles Town Healths public relations and units of several public companies, according to the lawsuit.

Its a crazy town

Cho then directed Convoy to lend more than HKD1 billion to companies and people associated with him, including using margin financing, on uncommercial, irrational, and/or seriously disadvantageous terms, a related lawsuit alleges. Cho also arranged for Convoy to invest HKD375 million in money lender First Credit Finance Group Ltd., pushing up the stock 260% in 2016, while people close to Cho, including his relative, offloaded their stakes, the suit says, basing its claims on research compiled by an outside investigations firm. First Credit didnt respond to requests for comment.

Cho also had Convoy pay a business owned by him a monthly stipend of HKD100,000 for consulting services that had no discernible purpose or benefit to Convoy, and then later had Convoy purchase the firm for about HKD90 million without telling the stock exchange, breaching disclosure rules on related-party transactions, the suit alleges. The companys current executives declined to comment.

Its this mix of practices  nondisclosure, cross-holding, name changing, shape-shifting and share pledging  that the regulator has called nefarious, without singling out any specific companies. Because these entities coordinate their activities behind opaque networks of apparently legitimate entities, the SFCs Atkinson said, they are literally hiding in plain sight.

It was Hong Kong activist investor David Webb who helped light a fire under the regulator. In May 2017 the self-described computer geek published a diagram of 50 stocks to avoid. It looked like a spider web, and he called it the Enigma Network. One nexus was Convoy.

Webb, 53, came to Hong Kong in 1991 after graduating from Oxford University. He worked as a banker and started managing his own portfolio later that decade, launching webb-site.com to shed light on the suspicious behavior he had noticed in the citys markets. Over the years, Webb amassed a fortune of at least $170 million by investing in stocks while also calling for tougher regulation and more transparency.

Webb first warned about Cho after Town Health went public in 2000. A British Virgin Islands-registered business headed by one of the companys founders hadnt disclosed its interests in the IPO prospectus. They were revealed only when Town Health bought that firm with half of the IPO proceeds a month later, leading Webb to conclude that he wouldnt touch this company through three pairs of latex gloves. Town Healths share price fell 51% by year-end from its post-

IPO high after soaring 220% in its first week.

The publication of the Enigma Network 17 years later set the stage for a wider crash. Town Health shares fell 54% and Convoys 47%. It also embarrassed regulators, who by all accounts hadnt kept up with developments. Investors are largely reliant on the regulators to do anything at all, says Webb, and often they do too little, too late.

While Hong Kong stock markets have long had a reputation for shady dealings, nefarious networks have ratcheted things up a level, causing some meteoric share rises and spectacular plunges in recent years. Its not uncommon for shares in Hong Kongs lightly traded small-cap stocks to rise by thousands of percentage points, like a construction company that soared 9,800% in 2016, only to see $1.4 billion vaporize in a single day.

Yet many Hong Kong investors dont care much about the risks, regarding the market like a casino where you might strike it rich. Theyre happy to throw money at the market and stir-fry stocks, as the terms for invest and trade shares mean in Cantonese.

Some 60% of adults in Hong Kong trade stocks, foreign currency or other financial instruments, one of the highest rates in the world, and 41% of them are looking for quick profits yet lack the research and analysis to invest wisely, according to a 2017 study by the regulator.

They dont really care what the fundamentals are, just that 7 cents is cheaper than $70, and theyre looking for a bargain, says Wayne Yu, a finance professor at City University of Hong Kong, explaining the affinity for small-cap stocks among people who trade tips over dim sum and watch morning TV call-in shows touting stocks of the day. Its a crazy town. People lose money left and right.

Rooting out misconduct

After the SFC started investigating Webbs Enigma Network, top officials promised to root out misconduct. We found that these networks were gaming the system in a number of ways, from share warehousing and the use of nominees to disguise actual control, to selling assets at absurd discounts or extreme overvaluations to divert public shareholders wealth into private hands, leaving investors high and dry, Ashley Alder, the agencys CEO, said in a November speech. He cited Hanergy as one target. The regulator and the Hong Kong exchange declined requests for further information.

It was the market crash following the publication of Webbs Enigma Network that brought a distraught Cho to the toy magnates door that Sunday morning in 2017, begging for HK$2 billion.

Choi had loaned HKD300 million to Cho the previous year, around the time that shares of LED lamp maker Tech Pro Technology Development Ltd. fell 94% following a report by a U.S. short seller. At least one company connected to Cho, the firm that became Power Financial, held a 4% stake in Tech Pro, and Cho took a heavy hit, according to a fund manager familiar with Chos dealings who requested anonymity. That money hadnt been repaid, Choi says. Nor had the original HKD44 million loan to finance Chos stake in Town Health. Tech Pro didnt respond to requests for comment.

Choi says he met some friends for lunch the day after Chos appeal and was stunned when they told him it was common knowledge that he owned 30 or 40 companies with Cho. Choi told his friends he didnt. He just let people have an idea that I am the moneyman at the back, to help him, Choi says. He used my name to help his deals.

The billionaire refused to bail out Cho again. Before, he used to have a very smiling face, very gentle, says Choi, whos suing Cho for nonpayment. But after that morning, he was very quiet. He never smiled.

Not long after backers failed to rescue him, Cho fled to Australia. He left behind his aging parents, wife and four children, including two toddlers. Choi says he arranged for others to help them financially, then sent Cho a letter urging him not to renege on his obligations in Hong Kong. When Cho returned months later, investigators from the citys anti- corruption agency questioned him for about nine hours, Choi says. A spokesman for the agency said it couldnt comment about individual cases or ongoing investigations.

Cho resigned from Town Health last year, though he still holds a large stake in what remains the biggest private health-care network in Hong Kong, with more than 100 clinics. Its largest shareholder is state-owned China Life Insurance Co., which purchased a 24% stake in 2015 to facilitate a move into high-end health care on the mainland. Crystal Choi, who declined to comment, remains chairman and executive director. Sheridan Prasso & Benjamin Robertson, MDT/Bloomberg
A top U.S. admiral said yesterday the Navy has not stepped up maritime patrols to challenge Chinas sweeping territorial claims in the South China Sea but is maintaining a consistent presence in the disputed waters.

Chief of Naval Operations Adm. John Richardson, addressing an international security conference in Singapore, sought to reassure regional partners, some of whom have opposing claims in the waters but benefit from good relations with China on other fronts.

Ive done the analysis so that I can state with confidence that our level of operations, our presence there, has been consistent over the decades, Richardson said. Theres nothing that has spiked recently.

The International Maritime Security Conference was attended by representatives from 33 navies, including 16 navy chiefs. A Chinese delegate was also present.

The U.S. Navy maneuvers in the South China Sea, so-called freedom of navigation operations, are by design non- provocative, non-escalatory. Theyre just challenging excessive maritime claims in a very consistent basis, Richardson told the conference.

China has built military installations on seven man-made islands in the crucial waterways it claims on historical grounds. The other claimants, most notably the Philippines and Vietnam, have protested Chinas behavior but they also maintain good relations with Beijing.

Richardson said routine freedom of navigation operations will proceed with transparency, consistency and predictability.

They usually involve a U.S. vessel sailing within an islands coastal waters without prior notification and draw sharp rebukes from China, which claims the South China Sea virtually in its entirety.

This is not a zero-sum game. There is tremendous prosperity to be gained out there for all, and so well strive to do so in a way that everyone can grow, Richardson said.

Meanwhile, U.S. and Philippine coast guard ships conducted a joint exercise in the South China Sea.

Capt. John Driscoll, commanding officer of the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Bertholf, told reporters during a port call in Manila that two Chinese coast guard ships were spotted in the vicinity of the exercise.

China is building naval vessels at a rate outpacing its rivals, including the U.S, and its missile destroyers and nuclear attack submarines are equipped with increasingly lethal weaponry. Its first domestically built aircraft carrier is set to enter service, with more believed to be in the works.

Richardson said China appears to be early in the process of constructing and operating aircraft carriers, but the U.S. is watching it very closely.

I just have a great deal of respect for how fast things can happen when it comes to China, he said.

He also pushed for strengthening partnerships with regional navies through exercises, information sharing and cooperative agreements. Annabelle Liang, Singapore, AP
The University of Macau (UM) has announced that they will be offering a 1+3 PhD program with Imperial College London (ICL). The plan was secured with the signing of a memorandum of understanding. According to the plan, UM will recommend high-caliber post-graduate students who, if accepted by the ICL, will take a one-year Master of Science (MSc) program with the ICL and then a PhD at the UM. The announcement did not mention which faculty or specialization would be eligible for this collaboration. Additionally, the university promoted the UM Macao Talent Program, launched last year to encourage high-caliber students to remain at UM for further academic pursuits.

Lam Kam Seng made president of Urban Renewal Company

The government will be injecting funds to set up a company that focuses on urban renewal. Lam Kam Seng, who already holds five either consultative or managerial positions in various quasi-government bodies, has been appointed by the Chief Executive to be the head of the new company. Pursuant to the charter of the company, Lam will have a three-year term, unless otherwise decided by the Board of Directors. A known business figure, Lam is also a member of the Executive Council and the Trust Council of the Macau Foundation, president of the University Council of the University of Macau, and vice-president of the World Trade Centre Co. Ltd. and the Science and Technology Committee.

Macau Customs to start smart law enforcement

Macau Customs will introduce new technology to assist with their work, including non-intrusive inspection systems at border checkpoints, a smart system to oversee the marine territory, and a heat detection system that can monitor the 85-square-kilometer marine territory of Macau with cameras installed at around 10 coastal points. The system will start operation at the end of this year. Moreover, Macau Customs has so far this year recruited 130 officers. They are expected to be ready in the second half of 2020. Within three years, the Macau Customs expects to achieve its headcount target of 1,660 officers.
1. Yes. The economy is strong and unemployment low. Thats a good basis for a solid year.

2. Yes. Health experts are getting a handle on COVID. 2022 should be a better year.

3. No. If any large-scale COV ID-related shutdowns take place, it will hit the nation hard.

4. No. Inflation is still too much of a wild card. It could really cause a drag on the economy.

5. Unsure. There are too many variables at play to predict with any degree of certainty.

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The lawyers for defendant Scott Chiang, who was this week found guilty of unlawful assembly a second time by the Court of First Appeal, have described his most recent court session as a violation of the fundamental right of defense, of the concept of the rule of law, and of the Basic Law and the principle of one country, two systems enshrined within.

Last year, Chiang and democrat lawmaker Sulu Sou were found guilty of the crime of unlawful assembly, even as they had been brought to Macaus first court on charges of the more serious offence of aggravated disobedience.

There were many unorthodox aspects to the initial ruling of the Court of First Instance, according to lawyers familiar with the case. Accordingly, Chiang filed an appeal to the Court of Second Instance, which sided with the defendant and ordered that the case be re-trialed.

However, contrary to his expectations, Chiang was not afforded the chance to reexamine the facts or witnesses involved in his sentencing during the April 30 retrial session. Hence the session became merely an opportunity for the Court of First Instance to review its earlier ruling, which it ultimately came to agree with.

Now Scott Chiang and lawyers Pedro Leal and Jorge Menezes are appealing both the guilty sentencing of the most recent session on April 30, as well as the process by which the re-trial was conducted.

According to the 117-article appeal reviewed by the Times, by failing to give the accused the right to be heard, the Court of First Instance has both violated the defendants right to defense, as well as Law No. 9/1999, which stipulates Macau courts duty to comply with decisions rendered on appeal by higher courts.

Since there has been a change in the type of crime, which relates to all the facts and the entire production of evidence [ the court] should have annulled the previous hearing [ and] ordered the April 2019 hearing to start afresh, argues the defendants lawyers.

Moreover, the lawyers argue that no effective evidence was used against Chiang to reach the verdict. According to the law, the evidence produced in the initial trial had an effectiveness lifetime of just 60 days, but since the retrial was held almost one year later, the evidence produced at the 2018 hearing had lost its effectiveness. As such, Leal and Menezes argue that the accused must be acquitted and the 2019 hearing should be annulled.
They are strikingly young, but emphatic that they should not be considered newcomers. Rather, they are claiming the mantle of Old Europe at its most traditional.

Several of this years far-right candidates in Europe are well under 30  as are some of their most ardent supporters. In Belgium, the telegenic Dries Van Langenhove, who is among the top picks on the list for the far-right party Vlaams Belang, is 26.

In France, the head of the National Rally slate for the upcoming European elections is 23 and has been a card-carrying party member since the age of 16.

In Denmark, the lead candidate from the Danish Peoples Party is a 29-year-old who is already a veteran campaigner.

And in Spain, the chief spokesman for the Vox party is 27 and was elected to parliament last month.

These candidates are part of a growing attempt by Europes far-right parties to gear their anti-migration, Euroskeptic message to the young, with everything from beer nights for adults and bouncy castles for kids to an outsized presence on social media, the Associated Press has found.

Young European voters are responding with a rightward shift faster and farther than their elders  as illustrated by voting results or party rolls from Italy, France, Spain and Austria. The trend could have major implications for this months elections , which decide the makeup of the European Parliament as well as some national governments, as in Belgium.

The far right has made a very explicit effort to pander to younger audiences. Theyve essentially rebranded themselves, said Julia Ebner, a researcher with the Institute for Strategic Dialogue , a left-leaning think tank. Far-right political parties have been most active in engaging with social media users.

The far right has succeeded at picking up on existing grievances and fears among young people and at using their language and cultural reference points, she said.

Its a significant change from where the far right found itself in Europes postwar era: identified with the Nazis and a Holocaust that killed 6 million Jews, marginalized by governments and eclipsed by a unifying Europe. Opponents say todays far-right candidates have given new window-dressing to old racist beliefs and an implicit call for violence, pushing a pro-Christian, anti-Islam ideology that Belgiums security services describe as extreme right in a white collar. Only now theyre appealing to a demographic with no memories of where extremist beliefs once led the continent  to a world war that left almost all of Europe in rubble.

Every country defines and measures its young voters slightly differently. But the trend is unmistakable.

Across Europe, the right has gained ground with the electorate in general, but its strength among young voters who traditionally lean left has come as a surprise, according to poll estimates. In Italy, 17 percent of voters aged 18 to 34 voted for the League in 2018, compared to just 5 percent in 2013. In Austria , 30 percent of the youngest voters chose the Freedom Party in 2017, up from 22 percent in 2013, making it the most popular party among those ages 16 to 29. And in Germany , the AfDs gains were notable while support from the youngest voters for the Green Party barely changed. Frances vote showed similar trends.

Belgiums Van Langenhove has 31,000 Instagram followers and a strong presence on social media. Until recently isolated as racist by the rest of the political spectrum, the Flemish independence party Vlaams Belang whose slate he leads in Flemish Brabant has a handful of seats in the parliament and a plan to more than double that.

Van Langenhove is also the leader of Schild en Vrienden, a Flemish nationalist movement known for anti-immigration stunts and named in Belgiums annual report last year on extremist groups as national security concerns. The report did not accuse the group of violence but noted that the movement deserves our attention.

On a recent spring holiday in a historic park, Van Langenhoves larger-than-life photo was plastered across the Vlaams Belang campaign vans. They were parked alongside the cars of thousands of party supporters and their children, who split their time between anti-immigration speeches inside and an outside festival that included face-painting, bouncy castles and a stand for the book The Kidnapping of Europe.

Louis Beernaert, 27, has been coming to Vlaams Belang meetings with his father and sister since he was a child. Now his sisters husband and their toddler have joined also. They were all in favor of the partys new faces, which include its 32-year-old president, Tom Van Grieken.

It needed to get younger, Beernaert said. Their ideas are the same, but they say them in a less radical way.

Van Langenhove, who holds his torso like a boxer, posed for selfies and chatted with party leaders sometimes decades his senior without a flicker of deference.

He avoids direct discussion of race in favor of what he calls identity. But he routinely posts on social media about replacement, a term used by white supremacists in the U.S. and Europe for the idea that European populations are being culturally and ethnically replaced by minorities. Our People First is the Vlaams Belang slogan.

Even though migration to Europe has slowed to a trickle, the continent is still grappling with the after-effects of the hundreds of thousands of people who arrived in the past few years alone. Belgiums foreign-born population went from just under 12 percent to nearly 17 percent between 2006 and 2017, not including people who slipped in illegally. In France, asylum requests last year topped out at 123,625  an increase of 23 percent from 2017, when they had already risen 17 percent.

In repeated surveys of young Europeans, including one released this month by the TUI Foundation, migration and asylum are described as Europes most pressing issue. The environment comes in a distant second.

Vlaams Belangs decision to name Van Langenhove came after the Belgian network VRT linked him to racist and sexist messages in closed chat rooms. He dismissed the show as a smear, but it prompted protests at the Ghent campus where he was studying law and got him banned briefly. Later, he was suspended from Facebook for content that violated the social networks terms of service. He is now more circumspect online and in front of the camera.

Everything is on the table right now, its an all-in game. And thats why more young people are taking the risk of associating themselves with right wing nationalist groups and organizations, he told The Associated Press. Young people are right in the middle of the problems. Older people, they move to the countryside, they move to areas where theres not a lot of foreigners. But young people have to move to the cities for their jobs, for their education.

Jobs are a sore point, with youth unemployment at around 15 percent in Belgium, just above the European Union average, and 20 percent in France. Vlaams Belang is hoping its message of economic protectionism will help the party, which has forged links in France with Marine Le Pens National Rally party as well as the loose far-right alliance that includes Italys League, Austrias Freedom Party, Britains UKIP, the German far-right AfD and the Danish Peoples Party.

In March, the young far-right leaders from all those parties and more gathered in Rome, where a 23-year-old raised by a single mother in a suburban Paris housing project was one of the stars. Jordan Bardellas brief speech to a young audience hit many of the same notes as Jean-Marie Le Pens from decades ago.

Another challenge of our generation will be immigration. Confronted with the demographic bomb that is Africa, it is the survival of our peoples, our civilizations, our Christian roots that is at stake today, the National Rally candidate tweeted on March 29 .

Marine Le Pen re-branded her fathers far-right National Front party as the National Rally after losing the presidency to Emmanuel Macron in 2017. Despite the loss, she made important inroads among young French voters over her previous attempt in 2012, easily outstripping all the traditional parties in polling among the young as well as the far-left candidate. She clearly took something away from the experience. The head of her party list this year is Bardella, an acolyte who joined the National Front at age 16 and swiftly rose to lead its youth movement and that of its successor.

Bardella is nearly as explicit as Van Langenhove about the young leading the way against waves of mass migration and rules from Brussels. While Van Langenhove used a medieval Flemish castle in an elaborate stunt against pro-migrant activists, Bardella uses Old France as his backdrop  casks of Cognac, golden fields, even the classic French comic book characters Asterix and Obelix . He is growing increasingly confident about campaigning on his own, especially with recent stumbles by Macrons party.

The generation that is committed to nationalist political movements today is the generation that tomorrow will be called upon to lead Europe, Bardella told The Associated Press.

That is exactly what Pawel Zerka fears. A researcher with the left-leaning European Council on Foreign Relations, he said the mainstream parties have barely made an effort to appeal to younger voters, seeing them as a lost cause because so few actually turn out.

So many young voters across Europe dont believe the future will be better than today and they believe the past was better than today, he said, citing repeated surveys. The current European Union or the (mainstream) parties dont offer a credible or attractive vision for the future for the young.

The far right is stepping in. In Denmark, Peter Kofod, 29, has risen steadily since his first election in 2014 to city council. The following year, he became chairman of the youth wing of the anti-immigrant, populist Danish Peoples Party, which drew votes from a fifth of young voters.

In Spain, Voxs gains have come at the expense of traditional conservatives, who were slow to counter the upstart partys rise among the young. Its events include the popular Pints for Spain evenings at bars, nightclubs and cafes, where no one over 25 is allowed through the door.

Under Manuel Mariscal, the 27-year-old Vox spokesman and a newly elected lawmaker, the main Instagram channel has more than 300,000 followers, more than half of them younger than 34. A lot of its outreach happens on WhatsApp, where Voxs Madrid youth operation has nearly 1,750 active members.

A young kid who is highly motivated is capable of convincing many others. He talks to friends, he debates constantly with others, with family, that enthusiasm is contagious, said Luis Felipe Ulecia, the 24-year-old vice secretary for youth. A bracelet with the Spanish flag around his left wrist, he spoke to AP at a working-class bar in northern Madrid about the partys effort to recruit among the young.

Although the party has a tiny footprint in Spain  elections in April made it the No. 5 political party in the parliaments lower house  its already influencing the political debate on migration or the countrys territorial unity. Still, Voxs vote total was far lower than its social media following would indicate.

This shows a possible ceiling for the ability of far-right groups to translate likes to votes, according to Manuel Mostaza Barrios, an analyst at the Madrid-based Atrevia consulting group.

As he put it: The candidates most followed on social media arent necessarily those that get the most votes.
The president of the Macau Lawyers Association (AAM), Jorge Neto Valente, thinks that is too early to debate the possibility of the Macau government preparing a bill that, similar to the one being prepared in Hong Kong, would grant extradition rights over fugitives residing in other parts of the greater China region.

Questioned by the media on the topic, Neto Valente said, [for the time being] we have no knowledge about any bill being prepared. Until this moment, as far as I know, the government of Macau has not disclosed any text of a possible agreement [among the several parties that could give a green light to the bill].

I think we are all, including the government, waiting to see what happens in Hong Kong, where the situation is not simple [to solve].

The only thing I saw in the media was actually an interesting reaction from the Taiwan side in which they said that is not enough for Hong Kong to decide [whether] they deliver or not deliver [fugitives] because this demands a position from [the] Taiwan side and apparently Taiwan is not interested [in collaborating on such a topic].

Focusing on the Macau side, Neto Valente said, What is certain is in Macau we havent yet discussed such topic and so I think it is a bit too early to have any official position.

Regarding a possible advance in reaching an agreement between the extradition of fugitives between Portugal and Macau, arising from the visit to Portugal of the Chief Executive and the Secretary for Administration and Justice, Sonia Chan, Neto Valente said, This might be a false issue, first because the number of existing cases is very low and then because there is a matter that even the Secretary already clarified, [that is] the Portuguese nationals would never be extradited to Macau or somewhere else and because on these [matters] there is always a need for reciprocity, Macau would never extradite any Macau resident who is not a Portuguese [national] to Portugal.

The president of AAM also noted that in case something comes from the government on the topic, the Association should be heard during the process. However, that does not mean that they will accept our opinions  and they often dont, he cautioned.
Analysts are not expecting much from gaming revenue growth this month after gloomy April disappointed amid soaring visitation in the special administration region.

Bank of America Merrill Lynch this week issued a note suggesting Macaus VIP segment remains weak, but that the strong visitation would aid earnings in the core mass segment.

Meanwhile, Citigroup yesterday affirmed its MOP25 billion gross gaming revenue forecast for the month. Citing sector sources, the broker estimated that casino revenues reached MOP11.7 billion for the first 13 days of May, with a daily run rate of MOP775 million in the past week. Extrapolated to the month-end, the daily run rate suggests a target of between MOP25 and MOP26 billion. However, considering macroeconomic volatility, the firm holds the gross gaming revenue forecast unchanged.

Analysts at Nomura appear to agree, forecasting flat revenue growth in May. They suggest that monthly year-on-year comparisons during the second half of 2019 will provide a clearer picture of the state of Macau gaming than the ups and downs of the first half.

Macau recorded 10.36 million tourist arrivals during the first quarter of 2019, about 21.2% more than in the same quarter a year earlier, with the bulk of the increase carried by same-day visitors.

However, even the rapid rise in visitors was unable to overturn a 0.5% year-on-year contraction for the worlds largest gambling hub. That casts doubt on the overall ability of Macau to translate soaring visitor growth into gaming revenue growth.

Gross gaming revenue dipped 8.3% year-on-year in April  its worst month of the year to date  even as visitors soared as much as 40 percent over the Easter holiday period.

Tourist arrivals appear to be holding strong in May, according to official data provided by the Public Security Police Force. Thirty-seven percent more visitors were recorded at Macaus border checkpoints during this years Labor Day holiday weekend, while the three-day holiday period for Buddhas Birthday saw 48 percent more tourists come to the SAR compared with the equivalent period in 2018.
A German probe looking at Deutsche Bank AG prompted by the Panama Papers brought a wave of raids by Frankfurt prosecutors targeting eight wealthy individuals who may have hidden money in offshore companies.

The suspects homes were raided yesterday as were the offices of more than 20 banks, tax advisers and asset-management companies in an investigation into tax evasion. The prosecutors in Frankfurt didnt identify the banks, people or companies concerned. Once the raids are completed, they said, more information will be disclosed.

The case is related to searches of Deutsche Bank in November. That probe, looking into money-laundering allegations against bank employees, stems from the 2016 disclosures known as the Panama Papers and focuses on a former unit in the British Virgin Islands that processed 311 million euros in 2016 alone. Yesterdays raids are now targeting the clients who enlisted help from the BVI unit to set up offshore companies.

Deutsche Bank is one of the 11 lenders visited by investigators with a search warrant, according to a person familiar with the situation who declined to be identified because the case is still private.

The investigations are not directed against Deutsche Bank, Christian Streckert, a spokesman for the Frankfurt-based lender, said in a statement. Deutsche Bank is cooperating with the public prosecutors office and voluntarily gives all documents requested. A search of the banks business premises has therefore not taken place.

The six asset management companies are based in Hamburg. There are also four tax advisers caught up in the probe.

The homes of the rich clients are in the German cities of Bad Toelz, Erkrath, Hamburg, Konz, Simmerath and on Sylt, an island in the North Sea. Karin Matussek, Bloomberg
The Cultural Affairs Bureau and the Cultural Industries Fund of the Macau SAR Government are jointly hosting the Macao Creative Pavilion at the 15th China (Shenzhen) International Cultural Industries Fair (ICIF), starting today and running until May 20. The aim of the pavilion, according to the two government entities, is to promote the creative and culinary culture of Macau.

The pavilion, themed Macao creativity: gastronomy and community creativity, is located in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area Cultural Industries Hall with a total area of 180 square meters.

According to the Cultural Affairs Bureau, the Macao Creative Pavilion, modelled on the Macao Light Festival, reflects the glamor of the city and the distinctive appeal of the various cultural and creative entities.

The pavilion uses a house-shaped timber structure to separate itself as a distinct cultural and creative factory for viewers to enjoy. On the wall are a variety of hand-drawn designs related to Macaus cultural and creative industries, such as creative gastronomy and handicrafts.

Participating in the fair this year are seven cultural and creative companies which have revamped their branding under the support of the Special Subsidy Program for the Cultural and Creative Community launched by the Cultural Industries Fund. The companies, namely Tai Long Fong Casa de Cha, U Bo Wo Chinese Herbal Tea, Veng Heng Cheong Joss- stick Shop, Restaurant Fok Lam Seng, Dumpling Town, Golden Mix Dessert and San Song Song Pork Ball, will promote culinary culture and distinctive local flavors of Macau through the ICIF platform.
A decision by the director of the Government Information Bureau (GCS) to prevent online media Macau Concealers from accessing a media-only government information portal has been overturned by the Chief Executive, the Chinese-language media outlet reported yesterday.

The portal concerned is called GovInfo Hub, which is an information pool available only to registered media outlets. It is the channel through which the government releases statements and other information for distribution to the press. Not all information on the portal is shared with the public.

According to Macau Concealers, the media outlet applied to GCS on August 28 last year for access to the website. As the website is open to all registered media outlets, Macau Concealers considered itself eligible as it already fulfilled that basic criteria, as recognized by the government.

However, its application was denied on November 9. The director of GCS, Chan Chi Ping, said that the Bureau had made the decision because of a need to prioritize outlets regularly covering current affairs. The Bureau also recommended Macau Concealers rely instead on the GCS website, which is publicly accessible, as opposed to the portal.

In the eight months that followed, Macau Concealers filed an objection with the GCS head, which was later rejected. It then filed an appeal to the Chief Executive, who supervises the GCS, claiming that the decision violated both the Basic Law and other laws, including the freedom of the press.

Eventually, the Chief Executive revoked the decision close to a deadline that would have led to a tacit denial. Staff reporter
The opening of Sands Macao on May 18, 2004, marked the beginning of an era of transformation for Macaus tourism industry  a period that has witnessed enormous growth in the SAR and for Sands China Ltd.

Fifteen years later, the companys first property continues to welcome millions of guests through its doors each year, and has since been joined by four integrated resorts on the Cotai Strip. Together, they have recorded 700 million visits to date, while setting ever-higher standards of service excellence in a city that is establishing itself as a world centre of tourism and leisure  a city primed to be a key player in the development of the Greater Bay Area.

To mark this decade-and-a-half milestone, this is the fourth in a five-part look at Sands Macao and Sands China Ltd. Today we look at the companys efforts to support the growth of Macaos local SME suppliers, including those in creative industries.

Missed Part 3? Read it online at macaudailytimes.com.mo

Since its arrival in the city, Sands China Ltd. has established itself as a significant supporter of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Macau, including those is artistic fields.

Our procurement with local suppliers in 2018 amounted to MOP 10.8 billion, which is 77 percent of our total procurement. Meanwhile, 19 percent of our total procurement amount was with small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs) based in Macau, said Dr. Wilfred Wong, president of Sands China Ltd.

Sands China has forged long-standing partnerships with Macau businesses. Wa Toc Engineering Co. Ltd. is the current contractor for repair and maintenance of air-conditioning and ventilation facilities for Sands China. Their partnership started 11 years ago, but General Manager Mr. Wong Chan Pui, who currently oversees more than 40,000 units of air-circulation systems across all Sands China properties, initially worked as a fourth-level subcontractor on Sands Chinas construction projects.

These partnerships are not simply longstanding, but are also very beneficial to the SMMEs themselves. Mr. Lei Iong Fai, managing director of Kin Nam Hong Co. Ltd., a local wholesaler of vegetables, attributes the growth of company to the amount Sands China purchases from him: Our collaboration started in 2004, before Sands Macao even opened, Mr. Lei said. At that time, we only had one truck and six employees. Now we have eight [refrigerated] trucks [and one regular one] and 40 employees. We also were the first [local] SMME [in this industry] to own a refrigerated truck. Sands Chinas high procurement standards, such as requiring suppliers to use refrigerated trucks in order to keep produce cold and fresh, helps raise standards for local suppliers like Kin Nam Hong. Moreover, Mr. Lei praised Sands China for its punctual settlement of bills, and attributes this consistency as being a key factor in facilitating his companys development.

Indeed, cash flow is crucial to all businesses, something which Sands China understands when dealing with its suppliers. Many of the SMMEs the Times interviewed complimented Sands China on its punctual payments.

Sands China also values collaborating with Macaus older enterprises. Long Tin Group, a local seller of Chinese cured and barbecued meats, who started doing business in Macau in 1964, began working with Sands China in 2004. Chao Pak Kei, a supplier of disposable utensils, is a third-generation establishment which has operated within Macau for over 60 years. For 15 years, they have been working with Sands China.

While older enterprises are often associated with outdated facilities and management practices, neither the managing director of Long Tin, Alan Mok, or the managing director of Chao Pak Kei, Stephen Chow, feel this is an accurate representation of their companies. Sands Chinas stringent commitment to world-class quality and safety standards has ensured that both companies are at the forefront of quality and safety procedures, which has been of significant benefit to them in their business dealings outside of Sands China.

Chao Pak Kei has begun supplying eco-friendly disposables because Sands China has turned to FSC-certified paper napkins from Germany, due to its commitment to the environment (FSC is an international non-profit organization promoting responsible management of forests). Sands China has also begun using a new type of eco-friendly bio-degradable cup, which has in turn meant that Chao Pak Kei can feel secure in becoming an environmentally responsible company. Mr. Chow noted, We wouldnt dare try [such a product innovation] if we didnt have the support from large enterprises like Sands China.

Long Tin established their first food processing plant in 2005  one year after starting their collaboration with Sands China. Setting up the plant meant that, we were required to constantly improve our business, according to Mr. Mok. Since then, the company has taken advantage of Sands Chinas local supplier initiatives like F.I.T. (Financial Support, Invitational Matching, and Training and Development), having attended the Sands Procurement Academy, which trains local suppliers in the industrys best practices and helps prepare them for working with large international enterprises like Sands China.

Sands Chinas support of local SMMEs also includes helping nurture talented individuals in the creative industries.

The company has worked with local filmmakers to produce promotional material, commissioning an emerging local film company, Common Production, to produce Sands Macaos 15th anniversary celebratory video. This is

particularly noteworthy because Common Production is a youth enterprise, meaning it was founded, is owned, and is operated by young Macao entrepreneurs. Jackie Wong, the companys executive director, voiced his appreciation for Sands China, as working together has enabled him to improve his companys hardware and software, adding that our collaboration with Sands China has opened a lot of doors. Other enterprises told us that they were convinced of our quality after seeing our productions for Sands China.

Dr. Wong echoed Mr. Wongs comment by stating that local SMEs do not necessarily do business with us onlyIf they provide quality products, we do refer them to our overseas sister properties, too. Indeed, at Sands Chinas SME Open Day last month, procurement executives from Las Vegas Sands and Singapores Marina Bay Sands were present and were introduced to local SMEs. While there is undoubtedly a benefit to doing business with local enterprises, Sands China seeks to not simply forge business partnerships, but to facilitate the thriving of Macaos various local SMMEs, including those in creative industries. The future can only hold new and exciting ways for the company to fulfil its goal.

Dont miss the final part in this series in tomorrows paper
Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa said yesterday (Macau time) that his countrys relationship with China is an important element of its national policy. During his meeting with Macau Chief Executive Chui Sai On, Costa said that the recent mutual visits by the presidents of the two countries have consolidated bilateral relations.

Costa spoke highly of the Greater Bay Area development project, stressing that the infrastructure improvements will strongly promote the areas further development. Costa said that Macau has played a very important and special role in enhancing Portugal-China relations.

He expressed hope that Portugal and Macau will maintain unique friendly relations in several fields, such as judicial assistance and youth entrepreneurship.

Costa said that he was glad to see the successful development of Macau since its establishment 20 years ago. He praised Macau for its efforts and contributions in promoting the relationship between China and Portugal, as well as other Portuguese- speaking countries.

Chui, who is on a nine-day visit to Portugal, said that Macau will continue to serve as the service platform of commercial and trade cooperation for China and the Portuguese-speaking countries.

For his part, Chui encouraged Macau students studying in Portugal to make good use of the opportunity to gain further knowledge from overseas study and deepen their professional skills.

Chui made the comments during a dinner hosted for approximately 200 Portugal- based students from Macau, according to a statement from the Government Information Bureau. Six of the students shared their experiences of life studying in Portugal, gave their views on the possibility of pursuing a further academic qualification and talked about their career prospects in Macau.

Chui encouraged the students to return to Macau after their studies, bringing their knowledge and experience to both public departments and judicial bodies. He said that legal professionals played an important role in society and that their opinions and decision can have major a major influence on society.

Chui said that the existence of different legal systems within the Greater Bay Area presented huge challenges for a coordinated development model for the nine cities in Guangdong and the two Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and Macau. It was not an easy task to create a mechanism to facilitate integration within the Greater Bay Area, he stated.

Also during the visit, Portugal and Macau agreed to strengthen economic cooperation and promote mutual investments in order to maintain the sustainable growth of the two economies.

Earlier, the Macau SAR government and the Portuguese Ministry of Economy signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in the fields of tourism, education, training and research, with the aim of promoting the joint development of training courses and joint degree programs. MDT/Agencies
President Donald Trump plans in coming days to sign an executive order that would prohibit American firms from using gear made by foreign telecommunications companies that pose a security threat, according to an administration official.

The official, who was granted anonymity to discuss a sensitive issue, said yesterday [local time] that the order was not meant to single out any country or company. U.S. officials have said that equipment made by Huawei Technologies Co.., a Chinese telecommunications firm, could be used to spy on behalf of the Beijing government. Huawei has denied the allegations.

The official also said that the order has nothing to do with the recent escalation of the trade conflict with China.

In January, the administration was preparing the action, which could significantly restrict Chinese state-owned telecom companies from operating in the U.S. over national security concerns, people familiar with the matter said at the time.

The order, as it was conceived earlier this year, would not outright ban U.S. sales by the companies, but would give greater authority to the Commerce Department to review products and purchases by firms connected to adversarial countries, including China, one of the people said.

Chinas Foreign Ministry accused the U.S. of deliberately discrediting Chinese companies.

This is neither graceful nor fair, ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said at a news briefing in Beijing. We urge the U.S. to stop citing security concerns as an excuse to unreasonably suppress Chinese companies and provide a fair and equitable and non-discriminatory environment for Chinese companies to operate in the U.S.

Huawei is pushing to take a global leadership position in 5G technology, but many American officials suspect the companys products could be used by Beijing to spy on Western governments and companies. Both Huawei and ZTE Corp. have also been targeted by the U.S. for alleged schemes to dodge American sanctions on Iran.

Canadian authorities last December arrested Huaweis Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou at the request of the U.S., which seeks her extradition over allegations of violating Iran sanctions.

Ren Zhengfei, the companys founder and Mengs father, has denied espionage allegations and a link to Chinas government. Meng remains under house arrest in Vancouver while the legal proceedings unfold.

The administration official said the Commerce Department was expected to take as long as six months to fashion an approach to the order, so there might not be an immediate effect. And the order might eventually name specific companies or countries as Commerce carries out the process.

The U.S. has been trying without success to persuade other governments to exclude equipment made by Huawei from super-fast 5G mobile networks that will connect billions of devices.

The administration has been urging allies to analyze risk before buying gear, Robert Strayer, deputy assistant secretary for cyber policy at the State Department, told the Senate Judiciary Committee at a hearing.

We are concerned that China could compel actions by network vendors to act against the interests of U.S. citizens and citizens of other countries around the world, Strayer said.

The U.S. says Chinese law compels Huawei to cooperate with Beijings espionage agencies. U.S. officials said Huawei can build vulnerabilities, or backdoors, into equipment.

Last week, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission barred China Mobile Ltd. from the U.S. market over national security concerns and said it was opening a review of other Chinese companies. Margaret Talev, Bloomberg
For the 45th year, the Madison YWCA will honor local Women of Distinction.

The leadership awards are for women who embody the YWCAs mission to eliminate racism and empower women, and also demonstrate community involvement, leadership and character, said Jay Young, marketing and development manager for the YWCA Madison.

A luncheon and award presentation celebrating the honorees will take place Thursday, May 30, at the Monona Terrace Community and Convention Center, 1 John Nolen Dr., from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The theme of this years event is legacy, YWCA Madison CEO Vanessa McDowell said in a press release.

We have built a rich legacy of Women of Distinction over these 45 years and want to honor that  Legacy is about passing the baton to the next generation. We hope to continue to inspire the next generation with those generations that have come before, McDowell said.

To promote that legacy theme, the YWCA is asking women of distinction honorees to bring a younger woman to the luncheon with them. Thats meant to encourage mentorship and highlight a conversation around paying it forward, Young said.
"This is an issue that is a 72-county issue," Evers said. "It is especially in situations like this where we have people who are seeking life-saving medical treatment or care (who) instead find themselves in a compromised position because of the actions of others. (The) people we are trying to get justice for today were just trying to get the medication they need... without increased risk of addiction or abuse."

In its latest suit, Wisconsin is seeking three things: civil penalties, monetary damages and an order to halt unlawful practices when it comes to marketing and prescribing the drug. Kaul stopped short of saying the suit, if successful, would ban the prescription of opoids, acknowledging that in some medical situations they can be necessary.

Wisconsin is still a part of a multi-state investigation, a private, non-judicial process where states are trying to get money from several pharmaceutical companies that have made and marketed opioids, including Purdue.
In February of this year, Tommy Stauffer of Vitruvian Farms in McFarland went to meet with UW Health. Vitruvian had been selling salad greens, tomatoes and microgreens to the hospitals cafeterias for more than three years.

We met with the whole chef team, said Stauffer, who runs Vitruvian with Shawn Kuhn. They reaffirmed to me they were going to be keeping us on board, buying the same stuff. They talked about expanding a few things they were not getting locally.

A few weeks later, Stauffer got a brief letter from a University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics Authority employee hed never met. A decision has been made to move this business to another vendor, it said. The termination date was 30 days later.

On Instagram (@uwhealtheats) and Facebook, the culinary team showcased mushrooms from a farm in Waunakee and beef from Boscobel. In summer 2016, a weekly farmers market popped up outside the Wisconsin Institutes for Medical Research. Purchasing data compiled in 2018 won the hospitals a Circle of Excellence in Food Award from PracticeGreenHealth, an industry organization dedicated to environmental sustainability in health care.

Yet this past winter, many of the small scale, local producers praised by UW Health in recent years received letters like the one Stauffer got. In the Four Lakes Cafe at University Hospital, a silhouette of Wisconsin under the words Made Locally, Served Here has been wiped clean of farm names and cheesemakers.

When an institution the size of UW Health stops buying from a small producer, it affects not only that smaller companys bottom line. It also impacts these producers visibility to a local audience with a vested interest in healthy food. Many of those partnerships came about under the leadership of Ellen Ritter, UW Healths executive chef, who left the company at the end of 2018 and has not been replaced.

People love to know where their food comes from and making that connection, Ritter said. The biggest piece was the economic impact on the farmers and the community.

Megan Waltz, director of culinary services and clinical nutrition at UW Health, said its list of farms is ever evolving. Waltz cited efficiency, cost savings and a new accounting system as reasons to shift back to broadline distributors like Sysco (which UW had used all along, in addition to smaller farms). The promotional push now is around antibiotic free meats, sourced primarily through Sysco and UW Provisions.

You only have so much money, Waltz said. In a healthcare institution you have a variety of needs. If youre spending more money on food, thats less money for the latest machine for patients.

UW Health has a net revenue of $2.9 billion. Its food budget was around $10 million in 2018. Last year, Vitruvian saw $36,000 in sales from UW Health. The relationship was important enough to Vitruvian that Stauffer offered UW a discounted rate for an event held on their farm.

When I got that stock letter I was so frustrated, Stauffer said. Its one thing for them to say were cutting costs everywhere. Its another thing to not have their chef even call me when weve developed this relationship.

Small farms, big buys

UW Health serves about 2.5 million meals per year to employees, patients and their families. Changes on the culinary side first made headlines when, in 2015, it stopped selling sugary drinks.

The kitchen got rid of fryers and revamped the salad bar, sprucing up options with local kale and greens, putting the cost of a plant-based lunch below a burger. Salad sales nearly doubled in two years. By February 2017, Nancy Stohs reported in the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel that UW Healths culinary services bought directly from 50-60 small Wisconsin farms.

Then last year, Culinary Services cut $2.1 million (about 20 percent) from its food budget. One producer that dropped in the first wave of cuts was SuperCharge! Foods, which had been making prepackaged grab-and-go salads and growing microgreens for the salad bar.

Jamaal Stricklin said purchases from UW Health had a real impact on his companys bottom line.

Were pretty small. A couple thousand dollars a month is a big deal for us, said Stricklin, SuperCharges director of sales. SuperCharge!, like Vitruvian, hopes to work with UW again. The microgreens producer has yet to replace the lost revenue.

I dont want to close that door, Stricklin said. I need to make sure I dont burn bridges.

Belle Pleva at Paleo Mama had been supplying UW Health with cheesecakes, granola, candied pecans and cheddar crisps at about $600 to $1,000 a month for more than three years. She got her termination letter on March 11.

Paleo Mama has been adding stores every month, so it wont be a huge financial hit. But for Pleva, selling to UW Health was a boon to visibility for her gluten-free, keto-friendly snacks.

A lot of customers have come to me and told me they found our products there, Pleva said. We did reach a lot of people and had the potential to continue to reach more. Its frustrating and sad they decided to make these cuts and eliminate all these local products.

Waltz attributed recent changes to a need for greater efficiency. Shed hoped to get Paleo Mama snacks through L&L Foods, a distributor in Verona. (Pleva said she does not work with a distributor).

We like purchasing through local farms but we have challenges with that because of volume, Waltz said. We have limited loading dock space. If you have 40 small farms delivering to a loading dock where they are also delivering medical supplies, we have to be mindful of that.

A partnership with UW Health gave Underground Meats the incentive it needed to develop deli-style salamis and deli meats to fit into UWs program. Jonny Hunter, founder and co-owner of Underground, said Meats was able to hit the same price point as the product they were using, sourced through Neesvigs. (UW Health now stocks Applegate Farms, available from Sysco.)

It was a good amount, $700 to $1,500 a week, in deli meats and sausage crumble, Hunter said. They would use it for sandwiches, for pizza and the salad bar. We knew we could do this type of product, and she (Ritter) gave us the quantity that they would use.

Undergrounds products appeared in UW Healths cafeterias in March 2017. In April of this year, they got a termination letter. Hunter, like Pleva, was less concerned about losing business and more disappointed in the larger changes at UW.

It was really exciting the way they were doing it, as a big institutional buyer, Hunter said. It was something I thought could be a model for other companies, other institutions in this area. You can work with small producers, you can support your local economy.

We were trying to create a local food system, Ritter said. Any time you can eliminate the middleman you put more money in pockets.

Hunter said it felt like they were helping each other out.

She was using the size and the customer base of UW Health to support the local food economy and build something that could be modeled elsewhere, Hunter said. It adds strength to our local food systems and farmers capacity, their durability to survive.

If UW Health does source locally, Waltz wants it to be through distributors, the way most food-related institutions and restaurants work.

Distributors take 10-20 percent on top of already discounted wholesale prices, so its not a one-to-one financial swap with direct distribution. But when a company like Cadence Cold Brew partners with a broadline, they get greater reach around and outside the state.

Compared to the direct relationships Ritter and her team cultivated, this kind of system has layers of processing.

Wisconsin Innovation Kitchen makes applesauce from Wisconsin apples, and Sysco distributes it to UW Health. JRS County Acres buys cage free brown eggs from Amish farms and packs them for distribution by Fifth Season Cooperative in Viroqua. Fifth Season, in turn, is distributed by Sysco. Every business takes a cut.

An important customer

More than a decade after the first big boom of the farm to table movement, its unusual for large institutions to commit to the kind of sourcing UW Health was trying to do. Ritter had insisted it was complicated, but possible.

Some of the attrition has been to changes on the farms themselves  Peacefully Organic Produce is no longer producing. Twisted Oak founder Heather Oppor said it was difficult to turn a profit on antibiotic-free, free-range pork without selling the whole animal. Twisted Oak made its last deliveries last fall.

UW still works with some local bakeries, among them Greenbush Bakery, Just Bakery and Fosdal Bakery in Stoughton. And some farm relationships developed during the years of focus on local sourcing have remained.

Rufus Haucke at Keewaydin Farms, a certified organic CSA farm in Viola, dropped off his first UW Health order of 2019 on Wednesday. In the past, UW Health has purchased cabbage and kale, cherry tomatoes and rhubarb from Keewaydin. It has been a steady buyer for the past two years, he said ($7,000 in 2018, $5,000 the year before).

Ive been in the business long enough to know that in these institutions, its how much the director is involved and passionate about the purchasing, Haucke said. Our sales have gone up in the last two years and we talked about them going up again. They have been an important customer.

Mark Bearce founded Kettle Range Meats, an aggregator of beef from about 50 Wisconsin farms, after the closure of Black Earth Meats. In summer 2016 he worked with Ritter on a purchasing plan for UW Health that kept in mind both cost constraints and whole animal butchery.

When we started the program, they were interested in finding a way to optimize their purchasing to use whole animals as much as possible, Bearce said. People get used to being able to order 200 cases of rib-eye steaks without thinking about how many animals need to be sacrificed and processed to get 200 cases of steaks.

UW was conscious of the fact when they ordered large quantities they werent using the whole animal, he said. We tried to optimize how the animal got used, to minimize number that needed to be processed to meet the hospitals needs.

Bearce and others working in local food systems recognize why its hard for schools, large companies and hospitals to work with small farms.

One of the problems is finding a way to meet the needs of bigger customers on a regular basis at the prices that they need, he said. Kettle Range fills that gap by consolidating and wholesaling to make it easier.

Becker Family Farms has been selling to UW Health for a couple of years, having worked with St. Marys Hospital before that. Matt Beckers Lodi farm is not certified organic, so it was hard to break into the community supported agriculture market. He decided to focus on grocery accounts like Woodmans, Hy-Vee and Piggly Wiggly, Capitol Lakes retirement community, and several restaurants.

For wholesale you need to move more product to make it profitable, Becker said.

In January and February of this year when UW Health was paring down the farms it worked with, Becker said they upped their commitment to him. Hes happy about this  its more profitable for a farm to sell directly to an institution than to a wholesale market, he said.

That helps us, he said. We know that if were able to plant certain amount of tomatoes or broccoli, we can say youre willing to commit to 100 pounds of tomatoes every week. At UW, instead of wholesale, we can get a similar or little better price than what Sysco would charge.

Waltz said UW Health wants its food environments to support the wellness of its employees and staff, to model behaviors were asking them to do outside our building.

You teach people how to eat within a budget, Waltz said. Its a balance of the choices youre making and we balance that every day. We try to best support local farms, best support peoples health and wellness and well being, have healthy foods available, fresh foods. But we also need to work within a budget.

Haucke at Keewaydin Farms is glad to work with institutions when he can, for as long as he can. He said UW Health has been an easy and enjoyable partner.

Institutions would have a greater impact on our business if they put more of their purchasing power behind us, Haucke said. Were bringing in a pittance compared to what they do serve. Im happy to get any sort of business I get.
On May 9, the Republican chairs of the Wisconsin Legislature's Joint Finance Committee  Rep. John Nygren, R-Marinette, and Sen. Alberta Hills, R-River Hills  at the direction of GOP legislative leaders, Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, and Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald, R-Juneau, led the 12 Republican members of the committee in removing nonpartisan redistricting reform from Gov. Tony Evers' 2019-21 budget proposal. The four Democratic members of the Joint Finance Committee opposed this misguided and hyper-partisan action. Sen. Darling was ill and not present for the vote but approved this action.

In doing so, Republican leaders are saying they will continue to utilize unlimited Wisconsin taxpayer dollars to defend the most partisan gerrymandered voting maps in the nation. Since 2011, this policy has resulted in close to $4 million of state taxpayer money spent to devise  and defend in court  among the most indefensible voting maps in the nation.

Evers inserted in his budget proposal the nonpartisan redistricting reform proposal that Common Cause in Wisconsin has championed, and which has united pro-reform legislators and citizen reformers since 2013. The model is based on Iowa's redistricting process, adopted by a Republican-controlled legislature and Republican governor in 1980.
From December 19th through December 26th we will be granting free access as a gift to our readers presented by SSM Health
Telling Medina-Lopez that the state had given him a break, Crawford agreed to impose seven years of probation as recommended by Assistant District Attorney William Brown and Erik Colque, who represented Medina-Lopez. She agreed with Brown, though, to add a year in jail as a condition of probation. She said he may serve it in the Columbia County Jail.

Medina-Lopez will be listed on the state Sex Offender Registry while he is on probation.

Brown said time in jail would impress upon Medina-Lopez the seriousness of what he did, and would hopefully keep him from doing it again. He also asked for severe restrictions on Medina-Lopezs access to the internet. Before the internet, Brown said, men with a sexual interest in children would find victims by hanging around outside middle schools in a white van, handing out candy.

(The internet) is the white van handing out candy of this age, Brown said.

None of the girls was in court Thursday, but one wrote in a victim impact statement that after Medina-Lopez touched her at school, she had trouble focusing in school and sleeping, but resists getting therapy because shes uncomfortable talking about the situation.
The complaint alleged that throughout the 2004-2005 school year Vazquez repeatedly stared at girls breasts in class, touched students in ways that made them uncomfortable, played an R-rated movie with a scene of a woman having an orgasm, and asked girls to babysit in his house.

According to the Title IX complaint, Vazquez made repeated and inappropriate references to his personal sexual exploits, including visits to topless bars, and including references to his personal experiences watching women in pornographic situations.

The Madison School Board approved firing Vazquez in 2006 after a yearlong independent investigation into the sexual harassment complaint. Then-Superintendent Art Rainwater said, My decision is that the complaint is substantiated, upon recommending Vazquez be fired.

The termination decision was upheld by an arbitrator  though it was not due to the sexual harassment complaint, but rather Vazquezs failure to disclose two drunken driving convictions and a reckless driving conviction as part of his employment application. The arbitrator said the district failed to prove its claim that Vazquez was unfit to teach because he posed a danger to students.
We will not compromise when it comes to safety and security, she said.

Wisconsin Republican Party spokesman Charles Nichols called the additional security Barnes is receiving appalling and said he was misusing taxpayer money to use the State Patrol as his own personal chauffeur service.

Wisconsins Dignitary Protection Unit, which is part of the State Patrol, provides security to the governor, his family and staff. It also provides security to other elected officials, including the lieutenant governor and those visiting Wisconsin on official business, as directed by the State Patrol superintendent.

The records provided run from Dec. 28, 10 days before Barnes was sworn into office, through March 1.

The records show that Barnes had protection for seven days when he had no official events, based on the WisPolitics.com review. Three of those days were Sundays, when the only entry on Barnes calendar was church. Another day, a Saturday, all Barnes had listed was a 30-minute phone interview.

On one of the Sundays, Barnes received 18 hours of protection when he attended church with Evers in Milwaukee and then came to Madison six hours later.
Wisconsin is one of five states suing OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma for damages and to halt alleged deceptive marketing of the widely prescribed opioid painkiller, Attorney General Josh Kaul announced Thursday.

The states court complaint alleges Purdue Pharma and its former president, Richard Sackler, broke state laws by making false and deceptive claims regarding opioids, including OxyContin.

That included a public bid to downplay the risks of opioid use, including the risk of addiction and the risk of overdose, to boost sales of the drug, according to the complaint. It seeks financial damages from the company as well as a halt to the alleged deceptive practices.

Purdue strongly denied the allegations in a statement, saying it will fight them.

Kaul said the suit emphasizes that the nations opioid crisis was not inevitable but in part a function of the companys deception.

The allegation is that Purdue, in part at the direction of Richard Sackler, sought to change the public perception of opioids, Kaul said. The goal of that was to sell more OxyContin and ultimately more opioids.
Wisconsin will cover weight-loss surgery for state employees who qualify, joining most states in providing such coverage, the board overseeing state worker health benefits decided this week.

Coverage for bariatric surgery and other weight loss services for state workers and dependents who have a body mass index of 35 or greater will begin next year, after the Group Insurance Board approved the benefit Wednesday.

Health plans can authorize coverage for bariatric surgery and other services for people with lower BMIs if it meets the plans medical policy and is medically necessary, the insurance board said.

The benefit changes were recommended by the state Department of Employee Trust Funds, based on feedback from participants, constituent groups and health plans, according to an ETF statement. The insurance board also reviewed new reports from ETF for monitoring program outcomes and health plan performance.
TWIN FALLS  For the 19th year, individuals and organizations active in promoting community health were honored Wednesday afternoon.

The South Central Public Health District held the annual Health Heroes ceremony at their office to recognize those who go above and beyond the call of duty, said Pam Jones, a board member from Camas County.

Volunteers and professionals alike are considered partners in improving health and awareness in the eight-county area covered by the district, Jones said.

Twenty nominations were made for the awards, from which the four recipients were selected.

Preston Gonzales, 17, a senior at Kimberly High School, received a service coin, plaque and gift basket as the Youth under 18 Health Hero. For his senior project, he partnered with the health district to convince Kimberly school officials that vaping should be part of the school and district drug policy. In addition to having No Smoking or Vaping signs made, Gonzales was also invited by the American Cancer Society to speak with Idaho legislators in Boise about teen e-cigarette use.

The Adult Professional Health Hero Award recipient was Guillermo Garcia. The school resource officer for Horizon and Jefferson Elementary Schools as well as Jerome High School, Garcia addressed speeding issues near the schools. He worked with students and staff to raise funds and install radar speed signs at the high school, and provide Stop the Bleed kits in all district buildings.

Garcia explained the purpose of the Stop the Bleed kits during the ceremony, in light of recent and periodic school shooting incidents. The kits allow students and staff to assist the injured until law enforcement and medical personnel can reach them.

The Twin Falls Youth Council was honored as an organization during the Health Heroes ceremony. Youngsters in grades 9-12 make up the council, which chose teen suicide prevention and awareness as a community service project this year. The Color Run they have organized to bring awareness of the issue takes place Saturday along Canyon Rim Trail.

Adult volunteer Michael Howell of Twin Falls spoke emotionally after receiving his award. After sustaining a serious brain injury in 2008, he eventually partnered with the College of Southern Idaho to create the Traumatic Brain Injury Support Group in 2017. In the quest to provide resources for those suffering from seizures, memory loss, emotional and financial problems and other issues, Howell has assisted people from as far as Pocatello and Boise.

We couldnt do what we do without the help of the public, said Linda Montgomery, South Central Public Health District board chairwoman. The Health Heroes Awards keep the public aware of the good work continuing in the district.

We take pride in what theyre doing, Lincoln County Commissioner Roy Hubert said. We want to show our appreciation.

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CALDWELL  Police on Wednesday night arrested Brian Leigh Dripps Sr. on a warrant of first-degree murder in perpetration of a rape in connection with the 1996 killing of Idaho Falls resident Angie Dodge.

Dripps, 53, was arrested and booked into the Canyon County jail about 6:45 p.m., and at 9 p.m., Idaho Falls Police announced it had a new development in the Dodge case.

Canyon County Magistrate Judge David Eames presided over Dripps initial hearing at 1:30 p.m. Thursday. Dripps also faces a rape charge. He will be transported to Bonneville County and held without bail.

Defense attorney Josh Taylor requested in court that Eames listen to a bond argument, because Dripps had medical problems and needed pain management that he was unsure the jail could handle.

Eames denied the request and did not hear Taylors argument for bond, stating it was Bonneville Countys case.

Dodge was stabbed to death and her throat slit after being raped in her Idaho Falls apartment in June 1996.

Caldwell Police Lt. Alan Seevers told the Statesman that Dripps arrest stems from an Idaho Falls Police Department case and he could not comment, only saying that Caldwell police picked up Dripps and took him to county jail.

If convicted of the charge, Dripps could face a punishment of up to life in prison or the death penalty.

Angie Dodges ongoing case

The unsolved murder of 18-year-old Angie Raye Dodge has been an ongoing case in Bonneville County for decades, even after police arrested Christopher Tapp.

Defense attorneys claim Idaho Falls Police detectives coerced a confession from Tapp, whose DNA never matched the DNA found at the scene of Dodges murder. Tapp spent 20 years in prison before he was freed with the help of the Idaho Innocence Project.

After several appeals, an agreement was reached in which Tapps conviction for aiding and abetting murder would stay on his record, but his conviction for aiding and abetting rape would be dropped, and he would be released from prison. Dodges family members have publicly said they do not believe Tapp is responsible for her death.

Who is Brian Dripps Sr.?

Dripps, of Caldwell, has no major criminal history in Idaho. He has a misdemeanor conviction for drug possession in 2002 in Adams County and several driving infractions. In 1989, he was convicted of driving under the influence in Canyon County. In 1991, he was convicted of another DUI in Canyon County. In 1996, the same year Dodge was killed, Dripps then-wife, Nycole Sept, filed for divorce in Bonneville County. The divorce didnt finalize until 1999.

They have three children together. When the Idaho Statesman reached out to Sept on Thursday morning, she was unaware of Dripps arrest. The news came as a shock.

I had two more children with him after he murdered her? she asked after she had been told that Dripps had been charged as a suspect in connection with the 1996 killing.

Sept confirmed that Dripps was living in Idaho Falls in 1996, the same year she was pregnant with her first child and tried to leave him. She said she left him because he was using drugs, acknowledging that they both were drug users, and he was violent.

I was afraid of him, especially when he was doing drugs, Sept said.

Sept and Dripps got back together after the birth of their first child. They moved to California, had two more children, and then moved back to Caldwell, where she says Dripps mother lived.

Sept lost custody of her children when they divorced, and she hasnt spoken to Dripps in 17 years. Today, Sept lives in Dyer, Nevada, with her current husband.

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BOISE  Ten members of the Aryan Knights, an Idaho-based white supremacist prison gang formed in the 1990s, have been indicted on racketeering charges, and four of them also were charged with attempted murder in aid of racketeering, United State attorney Bart Davis announced at a press conference Thursday afternoon.

Nine of the 10 people were already in the Idaho Department of Corrections custody.

The investigation took place over three years, FBI Resident Agent Doug Hart said at the press conference. The conspiracy to commit racketeering is believed to have started around January 2000.

The Aryan Knights have approximately 165 members in IDOC custody and 100 who have been released from custody, officials said. Individuals hoping to join the gang must commit two acts of violence prior to being initiated, according to Davis.

The Aryan Knights was founded to organize criminal activity among white inmates, Davis said. The AKs have white supremacist and white separatist ideologies.

In the indictment, racketeering refers to the smuggling of illegal drugs, and generating revenue and laundering the proceeds. The group also increased its reputation for violence within IDOC through repeated acts of violence, according to a statement provided at the press conference.

The nine men charged with conspiracy to participate in a racketeering enterprise are:

James Ramsey, 38

Christopher Foss, 30

Harlan Hale, 53

Steven Bowman, 36

Jeremy Brown, 40

Nicholas Sites, 34

Buck Pickens, 30

Lucas Johnson, 30

Michael McNabb, 34

Ramsey and Hale were also charged with attempted murder and assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering, stemming from a 2016 incident in which an Aryan Knights member was stabbed after coming into conflict with Ramsey, who was the leader of the gang at the time.

Mark Woodland, 48, and Bowman were charged with attempted murder and assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering for an incident in which a member of a rival gang was stabbed.

Attempted murder in aid of racketeering carries up to a 10-year sentence, while assault with a deadly weapon in aid of racketeering carries up to 20 years, according to the indictment.

Ramsey, Foss, Hale, Bowman, Sites, Pickens and Johnson face life in prison on their racketeering charges. Brown and McNabb face 20 years.

This case exemplifies and reinforces the FBIs commitment to combat gangs and organized crime regardless of where that activity is found, Hart said.

Gov. Brad Little released a statement on the indictments:

The indictment of this prison gang is a welcome step for Idaho citizens as well as our correctional officers and prisoners. The indictment signals the weakening of a criminal enterprise that spreads hatred and crime throughout our communities and threatens the safety of our citizens. ... I commend the collaboration between the Idaho Department of Correction and local and federal law enforcement partners to bring forward this indictment of members of an organized crime organization.

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TWIN FALLS  Police found a BB gun at Canyon Ridge High School during lunchtime Thursday.

Police were responding to a report of a reckless driver who may have had a handgun, said Lt. John Wilson of the Twin Falls Police Department.

A realistic looking BB gun was found in a car in the Canyon Ridge High School parking lot, Wilson said.

The school was not placed on lockdown and is proceeding as normal, Twin Falls School District spokeswoman Eva Craner said.

There is no threat to any students at this time, stated an email from the school district to parents.

Classes were cancelled at Twin Falls High School last week over a report that students had threatened to bring guns to campus. A police investigation found the report was wrong and no threat had been made against the school.

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Editors note: This column ran October 11, 2012, in the Times-News and at Magicvalley.com.

History is full of myths and conspiracy theories  and one of these myths pulled into town on the rails and never left.

Shakespearean actor and Confederate secret agent John Wilkes Booth shot President Abraham Lincoln in 1865 at Fords Theatre in Washington, D.C.

Most historians  but not all  agree that Booth was tracked down and killed two weeks later in a barn in Virginia. Booths body was buried in Green Mount Cemetery in Baltimore.

Others say that government agents killed the wrong man in Garretts barn.

Rumors of his escape from the barn began to circulate even before Booths body was cold. Some say the body was hastily buried to cover up the governments mistake.

Nearly 40 years later, a man claiming to be John Wilkes Booth committed suicide in Enid, Okla.

This isnt the story youll find in textbooks, said Valerie Bowen, director of the Cassia County Historical Museum in Burley.

The man claiming to be Booth turned out to be a drifter who called himself David E. George. George bore a striking resemblance to Booth and could spout Shakespeare at the drop of a hat.

Some folks in Enid took Georges confession seriously. An undertaker embalmed the body, fully expecting that someone from the government or Booths family would claim it.

But the body  which eventually became mummified  remained unclaimed until an old friend came for it.

The friend, Finis L. Bates, had heard Georges story before. Twenty years after Lincolns assassination, George (who then went by the name John St. Helen) was ill and thought that he would soon be dead. George confessed to Bates, who was a lawyer.

After George recovered, Bates notified the government of St. Helens confession, but no one seemed interested.

After hearing of Georges suicide and mummification, Bates asked a judge in Oklahoma for the body. The judge agreed, thinking that Bates would give his friend a decent burial.

Instead, Bates wrote a book called The Escape and Suicide of John Wilkes Booth  Written for the Correction of History and put the mummy on tour. They say that the mummy made more money on tour than John Wilkes Booth ever did as an actor.

Eventually, the mummy  affectionately known as John  was leased to William Evans, the Carnival King of the Southwest. Evans paid a $40,000 bond, plus a fee of more than $2,000 a year, to display John what he called the greatest freak-animal show in the country.

After a train wreck destroyed his carnival business, Evans traveled from town to town in a luxury Pullman rail car, charging folks a fee to see the mummified body of John Wilkes Booth in a coffin.

Evans later retired and moved John and the Pullman car to a small potato farm in Declo. He eventually left town with the mummy, but Evans left the Pullman car where it sat.

Evans Pullman car has come a long way, Bowen said. Since it was sold, the rail car has been used as a barber shop, a residence and a pig pen.

The rail car was moved from Declo to the Cassia County Historical Museum in Burley a few decades ago, where it was cleaned up and remains on display.

Its not the plush private car it used to be, Bowen said, but its not a pig pen anymore.

The mummy was last seen publicly in 1976 before it was sold to a private collector.

Mychel Matthews reports on rural issues for the Times-News. The Hidden History feature runs every Thursday in the Times-News and at Magicvalley.com. If you have a question about something that may have historical significance, email Matthews at mmatthews@magicvalley.com.

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Chris McGrath/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) -- The fiancee of slain Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi, Hatice Cengiz, testified on Capitol Hill Thursday, in an effort to shed a light on the importance of a free press and the dangers facing those who report on human rights violations.



"Jamal's killing was a violation of the most basic, universal human right: the right to live," Cengiz said in written testimony. "What happened to him is part of a global pattern of journalists and those who speak and write freely being killed. Escaping abroad in search of safe harbor is no longer a guarantee of protection."



"Only by holding those responsible to account can we ensure that this does not happen again," Cengiz added. She asked Congress to initiate an international investigation into her fiance's murder.



Khashoggi was a high-profile critic of the Saudi government, especially Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman. Khashoggi lived in the United States and often criticized Saudi Arabia's human rights record in his columns for the Washington Post. His last column for the paper was titled "What the Arab world needs most is free expression."



Khashoggi had traveled to the Saudi consulate in Istanbul to obtain paperwork required to marry Cengiz in late September 2018. He was told to come back, and returned on Oct. 2, while Cengiz waited outside. Khashoggi never re-emerged from the consulate.



"If someone had told me seven months ago I would come here without Jamal, to ask about justice for him, I would not believe it," Cengiz said at the hearing. "I still can't understand the world hasn't done anything about this."



The grieving fiancee criticized both sides of the aisle for a lack of accountability.



"In the first days after the event, President Trump invited me to the White House. In those days I thought U.S. values would help solve this. In the early days President Trump said this would be so. Ms. Pelosi talked about how unacceptable this was, but eight months later nothing has been done and that is why I'm here today," Cengiz said, citing House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.



"Unfortunately the current administration has not been a forceful advocate of press freedom," said Joel Simon, executive director of the Committee to Protect Journalists, another witness at the hearing. Simon noted that 54 journalists were killed in 2018, 13 of whom reported on human rights.



"The way in which he [Khashoggi] was murdered, the brutality, the fact that it was exercised extra-territorially ... the fact that those who carried it out have not been held responsible ... sends a terrible message to tyrants and dictators all over the world, that they can engage in this behavior ... and they will not face the consequences," Simon said.



On Capitol Hill, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have blasted the Trump administration for continuing to defend the Saudi government in the wake of the killing, but have imposed little real punishment on the kingdom. Members of Congress have pressed for more briefings about what actually happened to Khashoggi, and the Senate unanimously passed a resolution in late 2018 saying the crown prince was responsible for Khashoggi's killing.



Congress also passed a resolution to pull U.S. military support from the Saudi-led conflict in Yemen, a measure widely seen as a rebuke of the Trump administration's pro-Saudi stance. President Donald Trump vetoed the resolution.



The killing was a brutal end to a blossoming love story. Cengiz and Khashoggi met at a conference in Istanbul in May 2018. Cengiz was attending as a researcher and asked to interview Khashoggi, a prominent dissident.



"I was really honored and proud when this powerful, great journalist and author got into contact with a researcher like me and agreed to do the interview, and immediately a warm dialogue started between us immediately got started," Cengiz told ABC News's Ian Pannell during her first American television appearance.



"He is a very respectful, very modest and very sincere person -- very far from being arrogant and disdainful," she said. "He has a big heart."



When he proposed, she said she readily accepted.



"I was honored," she said. "Besides the feelings of love and respect, I felt honored. I could name it as a heightened sense of self-confidence. I mean, I felt so lucky and I felt so wonderful."



Cengiz testified Thursday about the experience of preparing for a life together in Washington, recounting visiting museums with Khashoggi, who told her the nation's captial was "beautiful."



"I was happier than I had ever been in my life," Cengiz said of her time in Washington. "Seven months later, to be here as a witness to a very important tragedy is actually a trauma to me."



That trauma began on Oct. 2, that fateful day at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. While Cengiz waited for word of her fiance's whereabouts, she said she tried to maintain hope that he was alive. Only when she heard reports that a planeload of Saudis had arrived in Istanbul the morning Khashoggi disappeared and left that evening, did Cengiz begin to fear the worst.



"I didnt want to believe," she said. "That was the first day I said to myself perhaps there could be a tragedy. I wanted to believe that he was alive until the end."



Khashoggi was also a father of four.The Washington Post recently reported that Khashoggi's two sons and two daughters received million-dollar homes in Saudi Arabia and large monthly payments as a form of compensation for the killing of their father.



The Post reported that the payments are aimed to ensure the Khashoggi family refrain from criticism of the Kingdom in public statements. They have done so, and Khashoggi's son Salah subsequently tweeted a statement saying "acts of generosity" from the Saudi rules "come from the high moral grounds they possess, not admission of guilt or scandal."



In retaliation for the murder, the Trump administration has sanctioned 17 Saudi officials and issued visa bans or revocations for them and four others to date, all of whom have been implicated by the Saudi government itself. The kingdom says that the murder plot was a rogue operation ordered by the deputy intelligence chief and with no knowledge of the crown prince.



"We know that the crown prince did not order this. We know that this was a rogue operation," Saudi Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Adel al Jubeir has said. "These things happen. Mistakes happen."



Trump issued a statement in November that said the crown prince's role may never be known, and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and other top administration officials have said there is no "direct evidence" or "smoking gun" implicating the crown prince, who is next in line and considered the real power behind his father King Salman's throne.

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JEROME  The county has heard and seen mixed reactions to its new shooting restrictions enacted May 1 at Snake River Canyons Park.

One sign notifying shooters of the new restrictions was shot and another ran over soon after they were installed along Shoshone Falls Road, just north of the Snake River Canyon.

But for the most part, reactions to the county restricting shooting in the west end of the park have been positive, Jerome County Commissioner Charlie Howell said.

A new sign showing the restricted and nonrestricted areas will go up later this week, Howell said, which should eliminate some of the confusion  and hostility  over the shooting boundaries.

Its easy to figure out, Snake River Canyons Park board member Stan Mai said May 13.

Shooters can still shoot east of the 700 East road, Mai said, excluding privately owned property at Shoshone Falls and Devils Corral. The shooting restrictions reach west from 700 East to several miles west of U.S. 93.

Jerome County has also restricted shooting on state endowment ground owned by the Idaho Department of Lands, also shown on the map.

Howell and other commissioners  past and current  have long been concerned about the safety of all recreators in the park, which has had various names over the years.

The restrictions will allow everyone to enjoy the park in safety, Howell said.

Former Commissioner Roger Morley, also a Canyons Park board member, said a dedicated shooting range north of Interstate 84 is in the works.

When we can shoot safely, then everyone will be safe, Morley said.

County commissioners also face another issue in the park: The desert land north of the river has been used as dumping grounds for decades.

Trash breeds trash, Mai said. If the desert looks like a garbage dump, people will continue to use it as a garbage dump.

To amplify the problem, he said, some shooters bring in old televisions and other pieces of furniture to shoot, then leave the mess.

The big problem is someone takes a TV out and shoots it to pieces, Mai said. Spent shotgun shells cover the desert.

At one time, folks were encouraged to use desert land  and the Snake River and Rock Creek canyons  prior to the establishment of landfills.

But in recent years, the tide has turned.

Organized groups of ATV riders, outdoor enthusiasts and BASE jumpers volunteer once a year to clean up the park and nearby canyons. This years cleanup begins at 8 a.m. Saturday.

Weve got ourselves a park! Morley said. Its been a long process, but all the sudden within the last year, we got the right people to make something happen.

The vision of the park is endless, Howell said.

To me, thats what it is all about  preserving the park for people to use as an undeveloped natural area.

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Marian Posey grew up northeast of Jerome and, even as a child, paid particular attention to the many rock structures that surrounded her home. As an architectural historian, she later took on the enormous task of surveying and inventorying the many rock structures in Lincoln and Jerome counties for the Idaho State Historical Society.

Poseys work eventually resulted in the Lava Structures in South Central Idaho, a multi-property thematic group listed in 1983 on the National Register of Historic Places, the official list of the nations historic places worthy of preservation.

But Poseys work was not exhaustive.

Many of the Magic Valleys rock structures  from homes to fences and barns  have yet to be nominated for the National Register, said Dan Everhart, outreach historian with the state historical societys Historic Preservation Office.

These basalt  or lava rock  structures are somewhat unique to south-central Idaho, the nearly 90-year-old Posey said. Only so many rock buildings were constructed before other, less labor-intensive modern materials replaced rock as a primary building material.

Some rock buildings  depending on the mortar used to bond the rocks  have fallen down over the years. Others have been razed to make room for modern buildings.

But many rock structures here are well-preserved and still in use: Mountain View Barn, Commercial Creamery and Eden City Hall, for example. These buildings have carved a unique niche in local history. May is Archaeology and Historic Preservation Month, set aside to advocate for the preservation of significant old buildings. Preservationists say many more buildings could  and should  be listed.

No quarries needed

While much of the earths basalt occurs well below the crust, the geological forces that formed Idahos Snake River Plain millions of years ago left outcroppings of basalt  sometimes called blowouts  at the surface.

Shawn Willsey, geology professor at the College of Southern Idaho, described the abundance of lava rock across south-central Idaho.

The desert we see today is what the pioneers saw then, Willsey told the Times-News.

Many assume that rocks used to build the structures were dug from a quarry, but, while some rocks were gathered from temporary quarries such as railroad beds, basement excavations and road construction projects, most were commonly quarried from nearby outcroppings.

Rocks from a common source were preferred because of their similar texture and color, Posey said.

In her National Register nomination of the structures, Posey quoted Gerald Francis Loughlin, who served as junior geologist with the U.S. Geological Survey in Idaho. Loughlin was later named chief geologist of the USGS.

It has been most economical for users of this stone to open temporary quarries within reach of the point of use, he wrote in a USGS pamphlet in 1913. The basalt rocks are so common in the region, they have usually been taken from the nearest handy source...

Weighing in at up to 188 pounds per square foot  or 11 square feet to the ton  the closer the rocks to the building site, the better. Most rocks used in construction were sourced within a few miles of their destination, Posey said. Rock materials were delivered to building sites by horse-drawn wagons or skids.

Farmers still pick rock from their fields and deposit it in unfarmable corners or on patches of scabland where erosion has stripped the soil from the bedrock. Builders today use lava rock for accents and landscaping, but find rock too costly to use structurally.

Shaping the rock

Posey scoured newspapers, listened to recorded oral histories and interviewed geologists and old-timers to gather information about the rock structures and the men who built them.

Local residents are so accustomed to seeing lava rock structures that they have difficulty locating them precisely, Posey noted in the nomination. For many, the rock barns, homes and schoolhouses were just part of the landscape.

Posey discovered that many farmers built their own barns and outbuildings from stone, crudely fitting together pieces of indigenous rubble using mud to bind them.

Others took great pride in how the finished structure looked by carefully shaping and fitting the pieces of rocks together with mortar. These master masons scoffed at the mud masons whose buildings would not stand the test of time, Posey said.

As more details emerged from obscurity, the names of several stonemasons surfaced, she said. Howell Trevor Pugh was considered the master stonemason in Jerome County.

Pugh was a trained stonemason from Wales whose skills with a hammer and chisel popularized the rock residences in Jerome. He is credited with building about two dozen of the countys rock structures listed on the National Register.

One of the finest examples of Pughs workmanship is the 1917 Frank J. Brick house at 300 N. Fillmore St. in Jerome, Posey said, pointing out a nearly horizontal slope  called a watershed  along the front wall of the home to drain rainwater away from the foundation of the house.

Its a charming little home, she said.

Pugh could eye a piece of basalt and find just the right spot to hit. While building The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints now-demolished meeting house in Jerome, Pugh marked the rocks with chalk and his laborers shaped the stones into 18-inch building blocks, Posey said.

Pugh began construction of the church building in 1922 with a large rock pile in the middle of North Lincoln Avenue. Members of the church removed the rock from the new street in exchange for property to build their church. The building was razed in 2003, but objections from the public saved Pughs rock wall between Fourth and Fifth avenues on North Lincoln.

Often, Pugh would construct double rock walls  with an insulating layer of air in between  and fancy brickwork around the doors and windows. Pugh tied the two walls together with a 40-inch stone that spanned both walls. Because of the weight of the basalt, rock buildings were limited to two stories in height; third stories were finished with lumber or light-weight brick, Posey said.

Between the rocks, stonemasons squeezed out linear protrusions of mortar, a common trick employed to enhance the appearance of rectangular rocks when working with irregular stone.

The Mountain View Barn, still standing after all these years

Basalt was not the first choice of many builders, Posey said. Most considered the volcanic rock suitable only for building footings and side walls but not for the whole building.

After Pugh built a demonstration dairy barn between the now-defunct towns of Barrymore and Falls City, however, more builders began using the volcanic rock.

Jacob B. Van Wagener, a railroad investor from Pittsburg, contracted Pugh to build a dairy barn on his property, Mountain View Ranch, where he raised and milked American Guernseys.

Van Wagener built the 40-by-110 rock barn into the bank of a hill on his ranch. The landmark barn, now a restaurant and events center at U.S. Highway 93 and 300 South, is owned by Nina and John Hollifield.

Folks come to the barn for its unique charm, Nina Hollifield said. A new building wouldnt draw such a crowd.

Everhart agrees. Historic buildings are a tangible element of our history and they tie us to our place, he said. They speak to us in a way that new buildings fail to do.

Why preserve?

Everhart would be a proponent of historic preservation even if it wasnt his profession.

I firmly believe that historic places are a public good in the same way as clean air and clean water are good for the community as a whole, he said.

There is hard evidence that substantiates that historic preservation provides economic benefits to the community.

The triple bottom line, Everhart says, is that preservation contains a strong element of sustainability. Historic preservation does not require the use of new resources, he said.

These structures showcase historic elements that are exclusive to individual communities. We shouldnt be throwing buildings in the landfill, Everhart said. Their loss is a detriment (not only to the environment), but also to our collective experience.

They tell their own unique story, he said. They root the community to its history.

But their value is more than monetary, according to Everhart. It is both spiritual and emotional.

We need to be better about stewarding these places so that they maintain their value, he said.

A creamery that spans generations

Earl Gilmartin splits his time between his family business and his family history.

Gilmartin often can be found in the Idaho Room at the Twin Falls Public Library and local historical museums, piecing together his late grandfathers story. Gilmartin joined his grandfathers company, Commercial Creamery  in the defunct Jerome Cooperative Creamerys former building  as a chemical engineer in 1982.

The architect in Gilmartin became fascinated with the companys three historic rock buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Lava Structures in South Central Idaho thematic group.

I do like the unique look of the basalt lava rock structures, he said.

The Jerome Co-op expanded its business from a dairymens co-op in 1915 to the largest cheese manufacturer west of the Mississippi River in the late 1940s.

Gilmartins grandfather, Earl Gilmartin Sr., purchased Commercial Creamery, based in Spokane, Washington, in the early 1950s. Gilmartins father, Earl Bud Gilmartin Jr., purchased the Jerome Co-op building complex in 1978 and expanded Commercial Creamerys operation into Idaho.

The businesss finished products have changed over the years.

Today, we bring in tankers of cream, and truckloads of butter and cheese, he said. Dried cheese, dried cream, and dried butter are what we make all our finished blends with.

Commercial Creamery in Jerome broke ground last year on a $7 million expansion, including a new dryer and warehouse to create a variety of ingredients needed to produce baked goods, snack seasonings, dips, dressings, sauces and soups.

The cheese powders are the lions share of the business, Gilmartin said.

Gilmartin credits two men  H.T. Pugh and Paul Kartzke  with the construction of the three historic rock buildings that Commercial Creamery now owns. Kartzke, an early builder contracted to build the original creamery, and Pugh teamed up to construct the only industrial rock building in Jerome to later be listed on the National Register.

The creamery serves as a prime example of how a historic building can be preserved while still functioning; the companys 1915, 1924 and 1933 rock buildings are still used today.

Gilmartin is semi-retired, while two of his brothers are fully retired. His sons Brad and William are managers at the business and his brother Michael is president.

Gilmartin has studied the buildings and can trace the evolution of the business by looking at the details revealed in the rock walls; every addition, every repair is plainly displayed in the rock.

I think I have a scan of every photo ever taken of the buildings, Gilmartin said.

Each building was constructed during a different period.

You can actually see the differences in style and method, Posey said.

The 1924 creamery building is one of the double-walled rock buildings Pugh designed, Gilmartin said. With such careful construction, he expects his historic buildings to last many more years.

Lava Structures in South Central Idaho

Posey surveyed 400 rock structures in the late 1970s for the lava rock thematic group. But some of the structures  being less than 50 years old  were age-ineligible at the time.

That may have been the case with Eden City Hall, built in 1941. Posey included the building in her survey work but didnt include the 24-by-36 structure in the nomination.

Its really a nice little building, she recently told the Times-News.

As the early and late lava rock sites are further evaluated and as they become age-eligible for National Register listing, they may be nominated as additions to the thematic group, she wrote nearly 40 years ago in the nomination form.

Edens City Hall is approaching 80 years old and could be reconsidered for listing in the thematic group, Everhart said.

I would also point out that the 1983 nomination was not exhaustive, Everhart said. I imagine there are quite a few other lava rock structures ... that were not listed.

Authorized by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the National Park Services National Register of Historic Places is part of a national program to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate, and protect Americas historic and archaeological resources, the National Registers website says.

Making the list

The process to get a property listed on the National Register of Historic Places is lengthy. Posey worked on nominations for several years, physically measuring the structures, documenting their conditions and researching the historical significance of each.

She eventually nominated 101 properties in the multiple resource area of Jerome and Lincoln counties. In 1983, the National Park Service signed off on each of the chosen properties. Of those, only a handful of owners declined the listing.

Since then, the State Historic Preservation Office no longer has a program specifically for such nominations, Everhart said. The bulk of the states preservation work is now done by the 37 certified local governments or CLGs  city and county boards endowed with the ability to represent local governments at the state and federal levels  through the National Park Service and the state historical society.

Local governments do the legwork for grants and nominations for the National Register, and, in the case of a city or county that includes a nationally listed historic district, have regulatory authority in that district. But professional preservationists, such as sisters Elizabeth Jacox and Barbara Perry Bauer of TAG Historical Research and Consulting, now perform the physical survey and inventory work for many governments.

Funding usually comes in the form of a matching grant, meaning a grant from the park service administered through the state historical society requires a matching donation of time or funding from the local government or other sponsors. This year, the state historical society plans to distribute $77,000 to winners among the $180,000 grant applications.

The funds funneled through the local governments are not generated through federal taxes. Instead, the funding comes from federal revenues produced by offshore oil leases.

From preservation to posterity

In todays world, historic preservation is low on many folks priority list  less than a third of Idahos counties have historic preservation commissions. But many historians make a living from their preservation work.

As time goes by, a growing number of buildings, once ineligible for a National Register listing, are now eligible. Whether these historic buildings, such as Eden City Hall, get listed in the future greatly depends on the vitality of local preservation programs, Jacox said.

Although Jerome County provides some support to the private nonprofit Jerome County Historical Society, which includes the groups historical museum, military museum and I-FARM (Idaho Farm and Ranch Museum), the county commission has never entertained the idea of creating a historic preservation commission, County Commissioner Charlie Howell said.

Speaking for myself, I would have no objection to something like that, Howell said, referencing the commissions general support of all things historic.

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September 27, 1983May 1, 2019

On Wednesday, May 1st, 2019, Sergeant Benjamin Casey Hunt, loving husband and father, passed away at the age of 35. Benjamin was born on September 27, 1983 in Twin Falls, ID to Lori Smith and Kenneth Hunt.

He Joined the Army on January 3, 2008. His eleven year military career was marked with achievement and overseas activity. SGT Hunt deployed to Haiti in 2010 under Operation Unified Response and Iraq in 2011 under Operation New Dawn.

On March 19, 2011 he married Crystal Mae Grabowski. Benjamins greatest accomplishment is his son Benjamin Marcus Hunt.

Benjamin had a love for new experiences. Between the Army and traveling with his family he was able to parachute into the deserts of Egypt and visit the pyramids. He was able to assist the locals of Haiti after the 2010 earthquakes.

As a husband and father he traveled with his family across the United States and cruised to the Bahamas and Mexico. Benjamin had a passion for vehicles and loved his Jeep. Ben was an avid listener of music; he enjoyed a variety ranging from Johnny Cash to Sublime. He was known for him infectious smile, had an amazing ability to make people laugh. Benjamin possessed a great sense of humor and quick wit. Ben loved his large dogshis great dane and mastiff. He had a huge heart and always did his best to help anyone in need. Always putting others needs before his own.

Benjamin was preceded in death by this adored Grandfather Darrel Smith.

He is survived by his wife Crystal and their unborn child. His son Benjamin, Grandmother Arlene Smith, adopted mother Renee Portrey, biological parents Lori and Kenneth, many siblings, several cousins, nieces, and nephews.

A memorial service for Sergeant Benjamin Casey Hunt will be 10 a.m., Friday May 17, 2019 at Crawford-Bowers Funeral Home in Killeen, Texas.
TWIN FALLS  The Twin Falls chapter of the Idaho Writers League will meet from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday at Valley Vista Village meeting room, 653 Rose St. N., Twin Falls. All persons interested in writing are invited.

There is no admittance fee. Membership dues are $25 per calendar year. Membership allows an author to enter the writing contests and receive information regarding them and for attending conferences at a reduced rate.
Congratulations to all students across Idaho who recently graduated from University or any workforce training program! In my district, students from the University of Idaho graduated just last weekend. Your hard work and dedication to advancing your education is one of the most invaluable resources to our state. The education that you have received represents your future prosperity and the state of Idahos as well. Oftentimes, people forget the importance of training graduates to our overall prosperity and you dont get the recognition you deserve.

All of these recent graduates will (I hope) spend time celebrating what is likely one of the biggest achievements of their lifetime. Shortly after, they will make their way into the job market. And, once they successfully find a job, we will all benefit from their newfound knowledge and experience.

The only way we can advance economic prosperity in Idaho is with an educated workforce. We need workers who can compete on a national and international level. Idaho cannot have the most groundbreaking ideas made with the most innovative technology if we do not have a trained, educated workforce. Only with that foundation will companies expand their operations in Idaho or want to move operations here. Employers of the 21st century depend on the productivity and creativity of a highly-skilled talent pool.

When we have more companies, we have even more jobs. When we have a lot of jobs that need to be filled, wages increase for the average Idahoan. Increases in wages allow people across the state to buy homes, spend money on local products, invest in businesses, and more. When a state has trained, educated employees available, the state has a really good shot at a stable, flourishing economy. This is especially true in Idaho where there are so many opportunities for improvement. For example, there are currently around 7,000 unfilled STEM jobs in Idaho which amounts to $450 million in unclaimed wages and $24 million in state tax revenue.

Unfortunately, we need a do a much better job of making this happen. Our Go On rate (the number of students going from high school to a two or four-year college) is only 44.6% and has remained that low for several years. Last year, the National Student Clearinghouse Research did a nationwide study on college graduation rates. Idaho was fourth from the bottom with only 50.7% of students obtaining a degree after entering college. Idaho students arent lazy, unmotivated, or unwilling to finish their college or training programs. Idahoans simply arent starting college. When they do, too many are not finishing. The big reason: student loan debt. Its just too expensive. The average student loan debt for Idaho graduates is about $27,000  the third highest among 13 Western States. Given Idahos nationally low wages and income levels, you can see why many students dont want to take on that kind of burden. Instead, unfortunately, our sons and daughters are taking their degrees and leaving the state for better, higher-paying opportunities.

During the Great Recession, funding to keep our students in college or training programs plummeted and has never fully recovered. Meanwhile, tuition in Idaho has increased by 40% over the last ten years. These dueling statistics are exasperating a problem that is leaving many Idaho communities with fewer opportunities, less talent, and an uncertain future.

We need our students to get an education that fuels prosperity, stability and security for our families.

And yet, we have not worked to ensure that happens. We must find a way. Graduation days should mark the beginning of new lives for Idahos students in the Gem State, and not the start of an exodus to other parts of the country where opportunities are more plentiful.

Our future depends on it.

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JEROME  Snake River Canyons Park is a gem in the community, offering numerous recreational opportunities adjacent to the Magic Valleys treasured natural resource  the Snake River. Each year in the spring for the past 20 years, several organizations have joined forces to clean up the area and its adjacent lands, easily accessible for users from Twin Falls and Jerome counties.

The north rim area is popular for shooting, all-terrain vehicle touring and biking. It is also open to horses, walking, mountain biking and grazing.

This year, on Saturday, volunteers and organizers will gather just north of the Perrine Bridge east of U.S. Highway 93 to tackle the chore of removing illegally dumped trash, including household garbage, yard waste, used appliances, construction waste, shells and dead animals that collect each year in the area.

The event is coordinated by the Snake River Canyons Park Board and the Southern Off-Road Association, and co-sponsored by The Bureau of Land Management Twin Falls District staff, Jerome County and the Magic Valley ATV Riders.

Additional sponsors for the cleanup event include Koto Brewing Co., Twin Falls Sandwich Co., Treasure Valley Coffee and PSI Environmental Systems.

Board member and former officer Greg Moore of the Southern Idaho Off-Road Association has enjoyed a long history of teaming up with the Magic Valley ATV Riders.

Ever since I can remember, we have partnered to provide the major muscle for this cleanup, Moore told the Times-News in an email.

The off-road association is dedicated to keeping public lands open, he said.

S.I.O.R.A is made up of just 22 members, according to Moore, while the Magic Valley ATV Riders boasts nearly 170 members, some of which are family memberships, according to its president, Kent Oliver.

The club originally organized the cleanup to show the BLM that they were good stewards of public lands.

At the time there was rumor of closing this area to all traffic because of the dumping, Moore wrote. Our group didnt want that to happen because the area is an important resource to all off-roaders.

Moores organization has been a stronghold since the inception of the community-based cleanup effort.

In the beginning, over 100 tons of trash was removed from the area, he said.

The last few years thankfully the tonnage has been only around 10-12 tons, he said. The shooting areas contributed a good deal of the weight.

The cleanup helps us build a good rapport with the BLM and the Jerome commissioners to keep our public lands open to all, Moore said. Its never been as important to me as it is now that I am an officer on the Canyons Park board.

S.I.O.R.A.s members uses the park land to test vehicles and rock crawling skills, according to Moore.

Back in the day

Stan Mai, public lands director for the Magic Valley ATV Riders, is native to the area. Formerly president of the club, he now sits alongside Moore on the Snake River Canyons Park board.

I was born and raised here, Mai said. I grew up in Filer and I have been going out to the area for 50 years. I hate to see it become a trash dump. Theres a lot of history involved in this area. To walk out there and see it turn into a dump grounds really bothers me.

But when Mai was growing up, there were no landfills in the area.

They used to tell us to bring trash to the BLM, Mai said. We had no landfills when I was a kid in the 40s, 50s and 60s.

We used to hunt rock chucks out there back in the 70s and we wouldnt see anybody out there.

But as the population has grown, so has the trash. And when the dump started charging a fee to collect household trash and appliances, people reverted to dumping in the desert, Mai said.

It wasnt until 1994 that the Milner Butte Landfill  managed by the Southern Idaho Regional Solid Waste District  was made operational by a federal mandate.

Early cleanups were disheartening.

We used to get cars and appliances like refrigerators, Mai said. We could furnish a whole house with it.

But Snake River Canyons Park is vastly different than when Mai was young and is now a managed recreation area.

And as of May 1, shooting is restricted west of 700 East. Mai hopes the cleanup will provide the club the chance to convey the new regulations to participants and spread the word this way.

We are trying to educate the public on this, Mai said. We are moving it to one side of the park to try to make it safe for everyone.

Last year, he recalled, it took a whole truck to clear one spot.

Its an effort to make the area better for everyone so they can recreate and not just see trash, he said.

Trash is like cancer. If you get a little bit, people think they can dump there because someone else does. If we can keep it cleaned up, hopefully, it doesnt keep growing on itself.

The cleanup is truly a community effort.

Without the support of donations from many Magic Valley businesses, Jerome County Commissioners, the Magic Valley ATV Riders, and the BLM providing equipment and training on how to handle hazardous materials and insuring participants, this event would have disappeared many years ago, Moore wrote.

So grab a shovel and dig out your best pair of work gloves for Saturdays event because it takes a village to clean up a beloved park.

Trash is like cancer. If you get a little bit, people think can dump there because someone else does. If we can keep it cleaned up, hopefully it doesnt keep growing on itself. Stan Mai, public lands director for Magic Valley ATV Riders and former club president; board member of Snake River Canyons Park Board This clean up provides a good reminder that this area is the peoples park and we want to keep it safe and clean in its natural state for all to enjoy. Charlie Howell, Jerome County Commissioner

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RUPERT  During the fall of 2018, Fish and Game Conservation Officer John Beer investigated a report about two Minidoka County men who had illegally harvested a large sturgeon. The men saw it while fishing on the south side spillway of the Minidoka Dam. They loaded the huge fish into the trunk of a Dodge Intrepid and left the area. The fish was approximately 5 feet long, with the age and weight unknown.

White sturgeon is a highly regulated species in Idaho; there is no legal harvest. State law allows for catch-and-release fishing in much of the state. The fish are prohibited from being taken out of the water. White sturgeon is a very slow-growing species, and illegal removal can greatly impact sport fishery for all Idaho anglers.

In October 2018, illegal possession of sturgeon charges were filed in Minidoka County court. Both men pleaded guilty to charges and were sentenced in April.

Michael Dewhirst of Rupert pleaded guilty to possession of a sturgeon during a closed season. He was sentenced to 180 days suspended jail time, a fine of $150, court costs of $165, 12 months probation and ordered to pay $250 in restitution to the state of Idaho for the sturgeon.

Anthony Eaton of Heyburn pled guilty to aiding in the commission of a misdemeanor. He was sentenced to 68 days suspended jail time and court costs of $165.

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Just a few minutes drive from Boise, tucked near Lucky Peak, lies a relic of Idahos past. Once a gold mine owned by a prominent Boise businessman, the site is now a destination for hikers seeking a little solitude and a taste of history.

Information on Adelmann Mine  named for owner and Boise businessman Richard C. Adelmann  is sparse. Hiking website AllTrails labels the trek Alderman Mine, but there are no on-trail markers or signs to assure you that youre headed in the right direction.

But the hike, which comes in around 5 miles round trip, is a moderate one if you know where to start.

A steep ascent and scenic views of the Boise mountains

The unofficial trailhead to Adelmann Mine is at the Boise River Wildlife Management Area headquarters off of Idaho 21. The entirety of the hike is on land owned by the Bureau of Land Management, though Idaho Fish and Game manages the area, which serves as a critical wintering range for mule deer and other wildlife.

Krista Biorn, a wildlife biologist who manages the Boise River WMA, advises hikers to park outside the gate that leads to the headquarters to avoid having their vehicles locked inside. From the gate, head west across the property and past the WMA buildings to follow the dirt road back into the hills.

The first mile of the hike is a cinch. It follows a packed-dirt service road, with open meadows on each side.

Theres one unpleasant bit  the WMA is home to a roadkill pit where Idaho Fish and Game leaves animal remains to decompose or else be cleaned up by predators. The trail passes that pit around the 1-mile mark, so if youre squeamish, be prepared.

The smell wasnt too bad on a cool May evening when I hit the trail, but as the days start to get hotter (and during midday) the smell may get stronger. Its a small site, so it doesnt take long to get upwind of the odor.

About a mile up the trail, there is a creek. In 2016, a wildfire tore through the WMA, burning nearly 5,000 acres and leaving skeletons of trees that form an eerily beautiful archway that frames the stream as you follow it back into the hills.

Here is where the difficult terrain begins. The pathway narrows to a single track littered with loose rocks. Be sure to wear shoes with good tread  there is even more gravel near the mine.

The next mile of the trail features a background of beautiful wildflowers on the ascent of a fairly punishing uphill stretch. Youll gain about 1,300 feet in elevation from the trailhead to the mine itself, and the bulk of that rise occurs over the second mile. The lupine, phlox and arrowleaf balsamroot are a welcome distraction from the wave of hills youll have to summit.

Once you hit those higher elevations, youll start to see native plants and shrubs, Biorn said. Its a pretty spectacular spot for native vegetation.

With about a half-mile remaining, youll crest a hill and glimpse the old mine outbuilding. From here, the trail starts to even out in elevation, but watch your step  theres a steep cliff to the right and loose rocks on the trail, which becomes a bit more narrow.

Approaching the outbuilding, the old mineshaft is on the left. Rocks have caved in and blocked off the shaft, but the metal rails that once connected the mine and outbuilding remain embedded in the trail.

Up ahead you pass a corrugated metal warehouse, cross a small stream and arrive on the gravelly strip of trail that meets the top of the outbuilding. (Neither the outbuilding nor the mineshaft is in use anymore, and the land they sit on is BLM-owned. I stuck to the trails and avoided any other buildings, including the nearby warehouse, in case they overlapped on private land.) A wood plank leads into the top of the building, though the wood is clearly very old, so I wouldnt walk on it.

A steep, gravelly, overgrown footpath leads to the bottom of the structure, where youll find old mining tools and equipment left behind when operations ceased in the mid-1900s. Some of the equipment and walls are already marred by graffiti, so be careful to avoid further disturbing the site.

Seeing the old mine up close is certainly the big draw for this trail, but the nature views from the top are just as breathtaking. From 5,000 feet up, you get an unobscured view of the rolling Boise Mountains and the snowcapped peaks beyond.

If youre looking for some solitude near the city, this trail is a great option. I encountered only one other person on the trail on a weekday afternoon.

Plan to take about 3 hours round trip from the trailhead  thatll give you plenty of time to take in the sights at the top of the hill. Biorn said access is limited from October to the beginning of May to protect wildlife wintering there, so plan to make this a spring or summer trip.

History of the mine

The history of the Adelmann mine is murky.

Unfortunately, mining records are not very consistent, said Angie Davis, a library assistant with the Idaho State Historical Society.

Davis was able to trace mines in the Lucky Peak area to the Adelmann family, for whom a Downtown Boise building is still named. Richard C. Adelmann was a saloon keeper, architect and miner, according to historian Arthur Hart. He owned the Adelmann group of mines in the Black Hornet District.

Its not clear exactly when the structure now referred to as Adelmann Mine was built. Old geology and mineral records show mining activity in the area dating back to 1903. Similar records list Adelmann Mine as a gold mine that also yielded silver, lead, pyrite and quartz.

The Black Hornet mines were never as fruitful as those in other parts of the state.

The mines were discovered and worked from underground in the late 1800s and early 1900s with intermittent development work and very little production since then to about World War II, said Virginia S. Gillerman, a research geologist with the Idaho Geological Survey. Production overall was modest to low.

Today, wildlife biologist Biorn said, private owners still have a claim on the area and mine it by hand for gold.

Getting there

From Interstate 84, take Exit 57 toward Idaho City on Idaho 21. Head north on Idaho 21 for 10.3 miles. Hilltop Station on your left serves as a half-mile warning. Turn left toward the Boise River Wildlife Management Area offices. There are about four parking spaces outside the gate.

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Credit: CC0 Public Domain

More than 20 million newborns in 2015one in sevencame into the world weighing too little, according to a global assessment of birthweight, published Thursday.

Over 90 percent of babies tipping the scale at less than 2.5 kilos (5.5 pounds) when born were in low- and middle-income countries, researchers reported in The Lancet Global Health.

Worldwide, just under 15 percent of 2015 newborns in the 148 countries canvassed had low birthweight, varying between 2.4 percent in Sweden and nearly 28 percent in Bangladesh.

That's down from a global average of 17.5 percent in 2000.

But meeting the World Health Organization target of cutting low birthweight 30 percent between 2012 and 2025 "will require more than doubling the pace of progress," said lead author Hannah Blencowe, a professor at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine.

In sub-Saharan Africa, the number of low birthweight live births actually increased from 2000 to 2015, from 4.4 to 5 million.

Southern Asia is estimated to have had 9.8 million in 2015, nearly half the world total.

Weighing less than 2.5 kilos at birth is closely linked to high rates of neonatal mortality and ill health later in life: more than 80 percent of the world's 2.5 newborns who die every year are low birthweight.

Underweight newborns who survive also have a greater risk of stunting as well as developmental and health problems, including diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

"National governments are doing too little to reduce low birthweight," Blencowe said in a statement.

Undernourished mothers

"To meet the global nutrition target of a 30 percent reduction by 2025 will require more than doubling the pace of progress."

The reasons for low birthweight are very different in poor and rich regions.

In South Asia and parts of sub-Saharan Africa, a large percentage of underweight babies are born at term but are stunted because their mothers were undernourished.

In North America and Europe, a higher share of low birthweight babies are preemies.

Adolescent pregnancies, a high prevalence of infection, high levels of fertility treatment, and a high rate of caesarean sectionsespecially in the United States and Brazilcan all be factors, the study found.

An international team of researchers analysed national government databases to estimate the prevalence of low birthweight in 148 nations from 2000 to 2015.

Overall, the study took into account 281 million births. Several countriesincluding Indiawere not included for lack of data.

"Every newborn must be weighed, yet worldwide we don't have a record for the birthweight of nearly one third of all newborns," said co-author Julia Krasevec, a statistics and monitoring specialist at UNICEF.

Besides Sweden, other countries with relatively few low birthweight babies included Finland (4.1 percent), Iceland (4.2) Serbia (4.5), Norway (4.5), Albania (4.6), China (5), Croatia (5.1) and Cuba (5.3).

Many large advanced economies fell in the 6-8 percent range, including France, the United States, Britain and Germany, Mexico and Brazil.

Five countries, including Bangladesh, had low birthweight rates above 20 percent: Comoros, Guinea-Bissau, Nepal, and the Philippines.

Explore further Birthweight and early pregnancy body mass index may risk pregnancy complications

 2019 AFP
Credit: CC0 Public Domain

Blood tests that track the amount of tumor DNA canafter only one month of drug therapydetect how well treatment is working in patients with skin cancer, a new study finds.

Led by researchers from NYU School of Medicine and Perlmutter Cancer Center, the study takes advantage of the nature of cancer cells, which die and are replaced by new cells continuously as part of aggressive cancer growth. Tumor cells burst as they die, spilling their DNA into the bloodstream, where it can be measured by tests, enabling improved diagnosis and better targeting of treatment based on each individual tumor's DNA.

For the new study, researchers traced circulating tumor DNA or ctDNA for the cancer gene BRAF, a gene that plays a key role in many melanomas, the most deadly form of skin cancer. In the United States, more than 7,200 individuals are expected to die from metastatic melanoma in 2019, with BRAF mutations playing a role in nearly half of such diagnoses, according to the Skin Cancer Foundation.

"Our study offers firm evidence that tracking this genetic information may be helpful in identifying patients whose cancers shrink and who survive longer as a result of a particular drug regimen," says senior study investigator David Polsky, MD, Ph.D., the Alfred W. Kopf, MD, Professor of Dermatologic Oncology at NYU Langone Health.

For the study, being presented at the 2019 American Society of Clinical Oncology annual meeting on June 1 in Chicago, researchers analyzed blood samples from 345 male and female patients with stage III or IV melanoma, which had already spread from the skin to other organs, and who had BRAF mutations.

These patients could not be treated surgically and were part of a larger group of patients participating in a clinical trial of the drugs dabrafenib and trametinib, designed to target BRAF-mutated cancers.

Among the study's key findings was that the tumor's BRAF mutation could be detected by the new blood test in 93 percent of the patients before treatment started. In addition, the research team found that BRAF ctDNA levels were no longer detectable after one month of therapy in the 40 percent of patients who had a positive clinical outcome after targeted therapy (as measured by an average survival time of 28 months). By contrast, the 60 percent of patients who did not respond as well still had detectable ctDNA levels, and survived for an average of just 14 months.

Polsky and his colleagues say this test appears to be more revealing than the current standard test, which measures lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), an enzyme often elevated by melanoma, because fluctuations in LDH often do not accurately predict treatment success or failure.

The typical method of identifying disease progression for these melanoma patients is through CT scans every three months, but Polsky says the blood test in the current study, noted as the largest BRAF detection rate in patients' blood to date, suggests it may be helpful to doctors because these tests can be done more frequently and efficiently, and results could be available within a few days.

"If further testing proves successful, monitoring blood samples for BRAF could give us an early indication of whether or not we need to adjust a patient's treatment plan," says Polsky, dermatologist and director of the pigmented lesion service at NYU Langone.

Researchers next plan to test the efficacy of monitoring patient blood samples over longer periods of time, such as several months. They also hope to open a clinical trial to determine whether treatment decisions based on these test results improves patient survival.

Explore further Blood test that monitors dead cancer cell DNA better at tracking spread of melanoma

More information: This presentation at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, Abstract #259011, is titled: Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) kinetics to predict survival in patients with unresectable or metastatic melanoma treated with dabrafenib (D) or D + trametinib (T). The study will be presented in the Clinical Science Symposium: Next-Generation Therapeutics and Biomarkers in Melanoma session on Saturday, June 1, 2019, from 3PM to 4:30 PM CDT.
Credit: CC0 Public Domain

The rate of bowel cancerotherwise known as colorectal cancer or CRCis rising among adults aged 20-49 in Europe, suggests research published online in the journal Gut today.

Rates rose most steeply among the youngest age group (20-29 years), and the authors warn that if the trend continues, screening guidelines may need to be reconsidered.

Rates tend to be lower among people over 50, but the opposite is true among younger adults in North America, Australia and China, say the researchers.

And in the US, the increase in new cases among people aged 20-40 has prompted The American Cancer Society to recommend lowering the age at which to start screening to 45.

Over the past decade, the number of new cases of bowel cancer has risen in most European countries, but the situation on rates among younger adults is unclear.

So to shed some light on European trends, a team of researchers analysed data from national and regional cancer registries on the number of new cases and deaths related to bowel cancer between 1990 and 2016.

They used data from 143.7 million people aged 20-49 years from 20 countries, including Germany, Sweden, the UK and the Netherlands.

Between 1990 and 2016, a total of 187,918 people were diagnosed with bowel cancer and there was a steeper rise in the number of new cases in more recent years.

Among 20-29 year olds, bowel cancer incidence rose from 0.8 to 2.3 cases per 100,000 people between 1990 and 2016, and the sharpest rise was between 2004 and 2016 at 7.9% per year.

For the 30-39 year olds group, the incidence increased less steeply than the younger age group, at an average of 4.9% per year from 2005 to 2016.

Finally, among the 40-49 years age group, the bowel cancer rates fell by 0.8% between 1990-2004, but then increased slightly by 1.6% per year from 2004 to 2016.

New cases of bowel cancer rose significantly among people aged 20-39 in 12 countries, namely, Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, the UK, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Ireland, France, Denmark, Czech Republic and Poland. But Italy showed a decrease in the number of cases.

In eight countriesthe UK, Greenland, Sweden, Slovenia, Germany, Finland, Denmark and the Netherlandsthe number of cases rose significantly among 40-49 year olds, but rates fell significantly in the Czech Republic in more recent years (1997-2015).

The number of deaths from bowel cancer did not significantly change among the youngest adults (20-29 years), but fell by 1.1% per year between 1990 and 2016 in the 30-39 age group and by 2.4% per year between 1990 and 2009 among those aged 40-49 years.

This is an observational study, and as such, cannot establish cause. Moreover, the authors highlight some limitations, including the fact that the quality of data varied between countries and in some cases was only available for a limited number of regions.

Several factors may be behind these trends, including the rise in obesity, and lifestyle factors such as lack of physical activity, alcohol intake and smoking, they write.

Bowel cancer in young adults is "in part due to hereditary cancer syndromes, but most cases are sporadic," they add.

They say that it is too early to use their findings to support lowering the screening age to 45 in Europe, but if the trend continues, screening guidelines may need to be reconsidered.

They conclude: "Until the underlying cause of this trend is identified, it would be [a good idea] to raise clinicians' awareness and identify factors possibly associated with this trend."

More information: Increasing Incidence of colorectal cancer in young adults in Europe over the last 25 years, Gut (2019). Journal information: Gut Increasing Incidence of colorectal cancer in young adults in Europe over the last 25 years,(2019). DOI: 10.1136/gutjnl-2018-317592
Less chemotherapy is as effective at controlling disease for elderly or frail patients with advanced cancer of the stomach or oesophagus (food pipe), and leads to fewer side effects such as diarrhoea and lethargy. These are the results of a Cancer Research UK funded study, presented prior to the ASCO conference today.

Results from the GO2 trial could change the standard of care for patients who can't have full dose chemotherapy due to their age, frailty or medical fitness.

The study, which ran at hospitals all over the UK, coordinated from the University of Leeds, involved 514 people with stomach or oesophageal cancer. Their average age was 76 and the oldest was 96 years old. All were either frail, elderly or medically unfit, and for those reasons would be unlikely to tolerate full-strength treatment, which involves three chemotherapy drugs.

Patients went through a careful medical assessment, then went onto chemotherapy with just two drugs and were allocated at random to receive them at either full-strength, medium-dose or low-dose. They were then carefully monitored to see how well the cancer was controlled, whether they had symptoms and side-effects, whether they felt their treatment was worthwhile, and what overall effect it had on their quality of life.

The researchers reported that the medium and lower doses of chemotherapy were as effective as the full-strength dose for controlling the cancer. But when the researchers looked at the overall effect of treatment, including quality of life, they reported that it was the lowest dose treatment that came out best.

Around 15,800 people in the UK are diagnosed with stomach and oesophageal cancers every year. Almost half (45%) of these people are 75 and over. By 2035, this proportion is projected to rise to 55%, because of the UK's ageing population. This study, is one of few phase III trials in the country that seek to address how to best care for and treat this increasing population of elderly or frail cancer patients.

These findings also open up the possibility of more older and frail patients being able to take part in clinical trials.

Professor Charles Swanton, Cancer Research UK's chief clinician, said: "These valuable results reduce fears that giving a lower dose chemotherapy regimen is inferior and could make a huge difference for patients with stomach or oesophageal cancer who can't tolerate intensive courses of treatment.

"Older or frail patients are often not considered for new drug trials or standard of care therapy as they're less able to tolerate combination chemotherapy. These trials are critical to provide much needed evidence on the effectiveness of new therapies and combination approaches, helping us develop new treatments for this growing group of patients."

The researchers also assessed whether there were differences for the patients in the study who were under 75, or less frail, who might be expected to benefit from stronger treatment; but will be reporting that the lowest dose treatment gave the best results for them as well.

Professor Matt Seymour, co-chief investigator at the University of Leeds and Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust said: "When we're treating people who are elderly or frail, we are especially conscious that treatment can have harmful as well as beneficial effects. Doctors often prescribe reduced doses of drugs, or sometimes no chemotherapy at all, based on their clinical experience, but until now there has been little hard evidence to help them in those decisions. Our results provide that evidence, so doctors can confidently give people a lower dose of chemotherapy, sparing them side effects without worrying that it's compromising their chance of survival.

"We hope this approach can be applied in other disease types so that more work can be done to improve both survival and quality of life for elderly and frail patients."

Liz Chipchase, from Cambridge, was diagnosed with oesophageal cancer in 2017 at 69 years old. She had two non-invasive surgeries under sedation to remove the cancerous cells and didn't require any additional treatment.

She said: "When I was diagnosed with oesophageal cancer, I was lucky that it was caught early enough that I didn't need chemotherapy. I was offered the choice between two different surgeries, giving me the opportunity to select the treatment I thought was best for me.

"Trials like this are important to empower people with choices that give them control over how they're treatedsomething I was fortunate to have. Any research that can help improve the quality of life for other patients is essential, so it's great to see results like these doing exactly that."

Dr. Peter Hall, co-chief investigator from the Cancer Research UK Edinburgh Centre, said: "Increasingly we're realising it's not just age that affects how well someone can tolerate their treatment and we need to do more work to understand how other conditions or aspects of frailty might play a role.

"We should now look beyond chemotherapies, at some of the newer targeted therapies or immunotherapies to understand how we can tailor different treatments to patients based on their individual circumstance."

Explore further Mapping oesophageal cancer genes leads to new drug targets
The app eAsthma Tracker detects early warning signs of a child's severe asthma so that parents and doctors can adjust care to prevent an asthma attack. Credit: Bryan Stone

An app that allows parents and doctors to monitor a child's asthma has a big impact on managing the disease. When families monitored symptoms with eAsthma Tracker and adjusted care accordingly, children had better asthma control and made fewer visits to the emergency department. Using the app also meant that children missed fewer days of school and parents took fewer days off work, improving quality of life. Results of the study were published online in the journal Pediatrics.

"It's exciting to see that using an effective app can not only help improve the lives of children with asthma and their parents, but also allow their providers to give optimal care," says the study's lead author and University of Utah Health professor of pediatrics Flory Nkoy, MD, MS, MPH. He and his team created the app and carried out the research along with collaborators at Intermountain Healthcare and Parent Partners in Salt Lake City.

Despite effective treatments, keeping asthma in check can be particularly tricky. An attack can come seemingly without warning and up to 40 percent of children hospitalized with asthma wind up back in the hospital within a year. A major contributing factor is that signs that precede an attack often go unnoticed.

Scientists and physicians at U of U Health designed eAsthma Tracker as a way to continually monitor a child's disease. Asthma care is typically reactive, focusing on treating recurrent attacks, says the study's senior author and U of U Health hospitalist Bryan Stone, MD, MS. While most children with asthma show signs days to weeks before an attack, parents can easily miss these changes. eAsthma Tracker allows for monitoring at home, opening an opportunity to observe worsening signs and intervene in time to prevent a flare-up.

A unique feature of the app is that it sends parents and doctors data in real-time, and triggers an automated alert when a child's asthma is acting up. When that happens, the app prompts parents to make an appointment with the child's doctor. A doctor receiving an alert may decide to proactively call parents to determine how to address the issue.

"Parents love the idea that they can see how their child is doing and that their doctor is on the other end of the app and working with them," says Stone.

The app eAsthma Tracker detects early warning signs of a child's severe asthma so that parents and doctors can adjust care to prevent an asthma attack. Credit: Bryan Stone

Families who use eAsthma Tracker fill out a brief weekly online survey based on a standard assessment called the Asthma Control Test. The app assigns a score reflecting whether asthma is impeding the child's daily activities and how often they're using medication to control symptoms. It then issues recommendations dependent on being categorized as severe (red zone), under control (green zone) or approaching severe (yellow zone).

More than 300 children and parents at 11 clinics throughout Utah enrolled in the study designed to determine whether the app improved patient outcomes. Researchers found that children who used the app:

improved their asthma control

made significantly fewer visits to the emergency department and hospital

significantly reduced oral steroid use (a surrogate measure for asthma attacks),

missed 60% fewer days of school, and

had an improved quality of life.

In addition, their parents missed 70% fewer days of work.

Three months after starting to use the app, children and parents showed improvements in all measurements, and the benefits persisted 12 months later.

The investigators also compared outcomes from children who used eAsthma Tracker with outcomes from children who did not use the app. Results from this part of the study showed that children who used the app:

made 60% fewer visits to the emergency department and hospital, and

had a 35% reduced use of oral steroids.

The main limitation of the study was the lack of a control group pulled from the same clinics that study participants were recruited from. Although design of this part of the research was not optimal, the reasoning behind the omission was intentional. Based on promising results from a pilot investigation, the parent and community stakeholders that helped design the research recommended against withholding the app from willing participants.

Nkoy and Stone are now working with the university's Center for Technology & Venture Commercialization to conduct market validation and develop a commercialization strategy to expand to other hospital systems.

Explore further Confidence in asthma inhaler technique doesn't match actual skills

More information: Flory L. Nkoy et al, Ambulatory Management of Childhood Asthma Using a Novel Self-management Application, Pediatrics (2019). Journal information: Pediatrics Flory L. Nkoy et al, Ambulatory Management of Childhood Asthma Using a Novel Self-management Application,(2019). DOI: 10.1542/peds.2018-1711
The Unspeakable Mind: Stories of Trauma and Healing from the Frontlines of PTSD Science by Shaili Jain, M.D.

Shaili Jain, a Stanford psychiatrist, discusses the explosion of knowledge about post-traumatic stress disorder and the condition's widespread impact. PTSD is the subject of her new book, The Unspeakable Mind.

Shaili Jain, MD, clinical associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the School of Medicine, has cared for thousands of trauma survivors over nearly two decades. A specialist in treating post-traumatic stress disorder, Jain has been part of an explosion in knowledge about the condition's biology, possible treatments and even prevention.

So it frustrates her when she encounters ignorance about PTSD, especially because she believes it stands in the way of people getting therapy for it. Though it's widely considered incurable, PTSD is treatable and, in some cases, can be prevented, said Jain, who is also medical director for integrated care at the Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System. In many cases, people with the disorder are unaware they have the condition, as are their friends and family, she said. PTSD is widely known for causing nightmares, flashbacks and extreme startle reactions, but the disorder has other, more subtle, symptoms: It mutes feelings of happiness, often leads sufferers to social withdrawal and can result in damaging cellular changes that pass from parent to child.

Spurred to clear up misconceptions about PTSD, Jain has written her first book, The Unspeakable Mind: Stories of Trauma and Healing From the Frontlines of PTSD Science. It's a portrait of the conditionits history, biology, treatment and repercussions for societywritten to be accessible to the general public.

Science writer Rosanne Spector spoke with Jain about PTSD, how she came to write about it and why it matters. She also covered the topic in this 1:2:1 podcast.

1. Why did you write a book about PTSD for the general public?

Jain: In my mind, it was just begging for explanation. If you look at the statistics, it's such a pressing public health concern. At any given moment more than 6 million people in the United States are suffering from PTSD.

PTSD can result after many traumas. Rape, family violence, being robbed at gunpoint, escaping a major fire or car accident and being a refugee are just some examples. Higher rates of PTSD are found in military personnel, but they are also found in police officers, firefighters and low-income women and teenagers who live in high-crime, inner-city areas. The term PTSD has become part of our modern vernacular, especially since 9/11, but as a PTSD specialist, I see that the condition is often misunderstood. Meanwhile, there has been a huge growth in the science of PTSD over the past 20 years. I wanted to share all of this with the general reader so that we could elevate our understanding of it and the way we talk about it.

2. With so much research on the condition, what has been learned about treating people with PTSD?

Jain: We've made really good progress in understanding the talk therapies that work for PTSD. One key ingredient is exposure. People with PTSD avoid talking about the trauma, but PTSD thrives when they don't speak outbecause then the trauma takes on a life of its own in their minds. Part of undoing that is for them to talk about the traumatalk about it again and again and again. It sounds daunting, but under the care of a skilled mental health clinician it can be done.

Let's take an example of somebody who survived an explosion in a busy marketplace. Part of the reason they don't want to talk about the explosion is the minute their mind starts to go there, they can feel their heart racing. They can feel their blood pressure going up. They can feel the panic setting in. They start to relive that day.

The idea behind the therapy is that by careful telling and retelling of that event, or through exercises, such as exposing yourself to similar situations, like a busy marketplace, you're habituating your body to that physiological response. Over time, it goes down.

Medications also help many people with PTSD. The best evidence that we have is for SSRIs or SNRIs. They're commonly known as antidepressants, but they are also effective for PTSD. About 60 percent of sufferers will have a good response, so for now medications alone are not the answer for everyone.

3. How did PTSD come to be recognized by the psychiatry establishment and why do you think it took so long?

Jain: PTSD has been documented since ancient times, but it's been this elusive, slippery diagnosis. I think part of the reason it went unrecognized for so long is a resistance to acknowledge that a social reality can actually change someone's biology.

Every time there's a war, there's an interest in PTSD. During World War I, shell shock was the term that was used. After the war, the interest waned again. Then in the 1970s, there was a lot of advocacy for Vietnam-era veterans and, because of women's rights groups efforts, a lot of advocacy for women who were in violent relationships or were the survivors of sexual assault. All this advocacy led to the realization that, "Hey, this is something. We need to give it a name. We need to recognize it." It pushed it over the edge. It was accepted into the 1980 version of the psychiatric bible of diagnosis, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.

Even after that, some within the field were still skeptical. And though by now an amazing amount of studies have been done to validate PTSD, there's still some denial of its existence. To me it sounds bizarre, but it's the nature of the illness. The same way individuals can deny trauma, I think whole societies can deny it as well.

4. You've said that PTSD can be inherited. How is that possible?

Jain: Although, by definition, PTSD is linked to an external traumatic event, research has shown that the condition is highly heritable. There is evidence to suggest that epigenetic changes can occur in a man's sperm or a woman's eggs because of psychological trauma. These changes are then transmitted to their future children and leave them vulnerable because of altered neurons, neuroanatomy and genes. So the children of traumatized parents are at risk, even though they may never have been exposed to a traumatic event themselves.

5. Aside from preventing violence, is there any way to prevent PTSD?

Jain: Yes. We can perform targeted interventions in what is known as "the golden hours"that window between trauma exposure and the onset of PTSDwhere we have a chance to set people on a pathway toward recovery. For example, one study of motor-vehicle crash survivors found that playing the computer game Tetris for 20 minutes while still in the emergency department lessened intrusive memories about the accident the following week. Other studies have shown that treatment with the stress hormone cortisol can help.

We can also make PTSD care more accessible, acceptable and available to sufferers so it does not become a chronic problem.

Explore further Anti-stress brain chemical is related to PTSD resilience after trauma
Tungiasis is a neglected tropical disease caused by penetrated sand fleas which burrow into the skin of the feet. Public health policies such as sealing house and classroom floors and daily feet washing with soap could cut the number of tungiasis cases in school-aged children, researchers now report in PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases.

Tungiasis affects millions of people in South America, the Caribbean and sub-Saharan Africa. The sand fleas responsible for tungiasis rapidly grow once in a human host, causing immense itching, inflammation, pain and debilitation. There are currently no good treatment methods available in affected areas, and people often use non-sterile methods to attempt to remove the fleas themselves, causing more damage. Awareness of tungiasis has been growing in East Africa in recent years, but data on epidemiological characteristics are scarce.

In the new work, a group of scientists from KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Kenya, the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe), Charite University of Medicine, Berlin and Dabaso Tujengane Kenya, examined the feet of 1,829 students of all age groups from 5 schools in coastal Kenya. In one subset of participants, observations were repeated after a school holiday. Structured interviews were conducted with 707 students to get data on household infrastructure, behavior and socio-economic status.

The overall prevalence of tungiasis was 48%, with boys between the ages of 10 and 14 years most at risk and factors related to socio-economic status positively associated with disease risk. Children returned from their school holiday with higher rates of infection. The data suggested that mild to moderate tungiasis could be reduced by a third, and severe tungiasis by more than half, if homes had sealed floors, while roughly a seventh of the cases could be prevented by sealing classroom floors and another fifth by using soap for daily feet washing.

"Observations from our study suggest that up to 70% of tungiasis cases may be prevented through simple prevention methods," Dr. Lynne Elson the lead author says, "There is a clear role for public health workers to expand the WASH policy to include washing of feet with soap in school-aged children to fight tungiasis and to raise awareness of the importance of sealed floors."

Explore further What happens when sand fleas burrow in your skin?

More information: Elson L, Wiese S, Feldmeier H, Fillinger U (2019) Prevalence, intensity and risk factors of tungiasis in Kilifi County, Kenya II: Results from a school-based observational study. PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases 13(5): e0007326. Journal information: PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases Elson L, Wiese S, Feldmeier H, Fillinger U (2019) Prevalence, intensity and risk factors of tungiasis in Kilifi County, Kenya II: Results from a school-based observational study.13(5): e0007326. doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0007326
Credit: Roman Samborskyi/Shutterstock

Health stories are prolific in the news. Each year, thousands of articles are published claiming to have the latest compelling evidence on how we should eat, drink, exercise, sleep, and which medications we should or shouldn't be taking  among a host of other things.

Not only is there a deluge of information, it is also often conflicting. Reports on statin use, for example, have stated there are associations between taking them and living longer, ageing faster, reduced stroke risk and increased diabetes risk.

Every day, these reports are read and shared by millions, potentially influencing our decisions and behaviour  but how do we know that the evidence we're relying on is strong enough? Writers need easy ways to communicate the strength of evidence without reducing interest or readability. But that can sometimes mean the public is over or undersold its relevance.

For our latest research, we wanted to find a way to help writers accurately communicate research evidence, without diminishing reader interest in the claims. To do this, we teamed up with nine UK press offices, from journals, universities and funders, to run a randomised trial with health-related press releases.

We focused on press releases because they play a crucial role in science news. When the latest research is published, a press release is used to summarise the study's most "newsworthy" results. The press release is then sent to journalists who use the material to write the news.

Previous research has shown that there is a close correspondence between the content of the press release and the news articles that follow  journalists have little time and tight word limits, so aren't always able to build a more in-depth piece.

Mays and mights

The first aim of our work was to improve the alignment of news claims with the underlying evidence by focusing on the wording of press releases. In the intervention arm of the study, we reserved strong language, such as "causes," "affects" and "boosts," for strong causal evidence from trials and experiments.

In observational research, cause and effect is difficult to determine due to uncontrolled variables. For example, an association may exist between ice cream sales and water consumption  not because one causes the other, but because they both increase in sunny weather. So for this type of research we opted for weaker language, such as "may cause," and "could affect," in the releases. This distinction is not only easily understood by those who know the convention, but crucially also meaningful to all readers whether or not they have heard of correlations or clinical trials.

We found that the strength with which claims are made in press releases generally carries through into the news. Importantly, there was no detrimental effect on the likelihood of a story making it into the news if the language was softer. Whether or not a press release was picked up did not depend on the strength of the causal claims. When headlines and claims were softer in press releases, they were generally softer in news  despite the received wisdom that news is not interested in "mays" and "mights."

The second aim of our research was to make sure that stories included explicit caveats  such as "this research was observational and cannot show cause and effect"  when needed. Our results showed that these caveats were more likely to appear in the news when they were present in the press release.

A story on liver health and smoking published on MailOnline, for example, used a quote from the press release to state, "Dr. Brown stressed this was an observational study and cannot say whether giving up smoking led to a reduction in drinking or vice versa." The caveats did not appear to reduce news uptake, and were even associated with more news coverage  a result that matches parallel research showing that caveats do not reduce reader interest.

Most of these findings are based on observational analyses, and although we cannot show the direct effect of press release content on the news, we do know that journalists read press releases before writing the news. We also cannot show how such news content would affect public health. But our findings suggest that there could be a simple way to communicate the strength of evidence to the public without affecting uptake.

Causal inference is just one element of evidence strength, but there are many others that could, and should, be communicated to readers. For example, findings from larger studies repeated over a long period of time are more robust than those from small, single studies. Although the reporting of evidence strength in the media is only one factor in how people make health-related decisions, we believe that providing more easily decoded news is a step in the right direction.

Explore further Most exaggeration in health news is already present in academic press releases

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
Dr. Chanita Hughes-Halbert of the Medical University of South Carolina and Hollings Cancer Center studies social determinants of health and health disparities. Credit: Sarah Pack, Medical University of South Carolina

We fare better during health challenges when we have a little help from our friends, family and community. And perhaps an assist from artificial intelligence.

Researchers at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) trained natural language processing (NLP) software to look for mentions of social isolation in clinical notes in the electronic health record (EHR). NLP is a type of artificial intelligence that tries to make human language "readable" to computers. Once trained by the MUSC team, NLP identified socially isolated patients with 90 percent accuracy. The findings are reported in BioMed Central Medical Informatics and Decision Making.

Social isolation is one of the "social determinants of health," aspects of a person's life that affect well-being and health. Other examples of social determinants are income, education, race, and marital status. These social determinants have been shown in clinical trials to affect health outcomes as much as usual suspects such as blood pressure and diabetes.

"We know from careful evidence that social determinants are important to health care and health outcomes," says Chanita Hughes-Halbert, Ph.D., senior author on the article.

"Social isolation is a really important social determinant because it reflects the extent to which people perceive they have a high level of connectedness and support."

Hughes-Halbert is professor of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences at MUSC. She also directs a center funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) focused on precision medicine and minority men's health at MUSC Hollings Cancer Center.

"The mission of our center is to identify the ways in which social, clinical, psychological and behavioral data and genomic information interact with each other to lead to disease risk and affect how men respond to treatment options," explains Hughes-Halbert.

"As part of that, we're really interested in the role that social determinants play."

Like many teams using artificial intelligence to unlock the insights embedded in the EHR, the MUSC team paired a subject matter expert, Hughes-Halbert, and a bioinformatics team.

The bioinformatics team was led by Leslie Lenert, M.D., MS, Chief Research Information Officer for MUSC and director of MUSC's Biomedical Informatics Center (BMIC). Other team members included Vivienne Zhu, M.D., M.S., first author of the article, and Jihad Obeid, M.D, both of BMIC, and Brian Bunnell, Ph.D., of the Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences.

The team came together to find a way to help physicians provide care informed by an awareness of their patients' social determinants of health, including social isolation.

The National Academy of Medicine has called for physicians to document social determinants in the EHR. However, busy physicians do not always have the time to do so. Even when they do, the current EHR has no place to enter information on a number of the social determinants as coded data. At best, physicians can mention a discussion with a patient about social isolation in their clinical notes.

"When people go to the doctor, they do talk about social isolation and other determinants of health. But you won't find that in the coded data," explains Zhu.

Dr. Leslie Lenert (left), the Chief Research Information Officer for the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) and director of MUSC's Biomedical Informatics Center (BMIC), and Dr. VIvienne Zhu (right), also of BMIC. Credit: Sarah Pack, Medical University of South Carolina

"You have to look at the clinical notesthat's where the information is embedded."

It would take a human many months to sort through the notes looking for mentions of social isolation. In contrast, the NLP software combed through the 55, 516 clinical notes comprising 150,990 documents from 3138 prostate cancer patients in the training data set in just eight seconds.

"There were I don't know how many hundreds of thousands of documents in this prostate cancer data set," explains Lenert.

"It's too many for a human being to read through to do the abstractions, but it's relatively easy for a computer."

Once trained, NLP was able to analyze a new set of documents from 1057 patients and identify patients who were socially isolated with 90 percent accuracy.

"It's pretty darned accurate," says Lenert. "It performed well, but the problem remains that some physicians do not comment on these issues and so don't leave a trail for NLP to follow."

Artificial intelligence could help here too. Lenert and the bioinformatics team hope that they can use another type of artificial intelligence known as machine learning to identify which clinical and other traits characterize socially isolated patients. Machine learning could then search for patients with that constellation of traits in the EHR. It would be able to identify socially isolated patients even when the physician made no explicit mention of social isolation in the clinical notes.

Future studies will be needed to develop and test Interventions for socially isolated patients. For now, these patients can be referred for hospital- and community-based support services.

The NLP strategy developed by the MUSC team can be applied to other social determinants of health, particularly those that cannot be entered as coded data, and to other diseases. The team is already using NLP to identify patients with financial insecurity and alcohol abuse.

MUSC owes its expertise in NLP in part to the NIH-funded South Carolina Clinical & Translational (SCTR) Institute. SCTR is a Clinical and Translational Science Award hub housed at MUSC.

"The general expertise in NLP, the infrastructure for the access to the notes, and some of the support for the software comes through SCTR," says Lenert.

In a sense, NLP can help physicians "listen" to their patients better, understand their health challenges in the broader context of their lives, and provide more informed and nuanced care.

"Sometimes physicians focus excessively on the 'medical' problems and don't pay enough attention to the context that people live in and the social aspects that influence their health," says Lenert.

"Our study once again highlights the importance of knowing this information in order to provide patients our very best care."

Explore further Researchers find screenings for social determinants of health need to be tailored to clinics

More information: Vivienne J Zhu et al, Automatically identifying social isolation from clinical narratives for patients with prostate Cancer, BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making (2019). Journal information: BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making Vivienne J Zhu et al, Automatically identifying social isolation from clinical narratives for patients with prostate Cancer,(2019). DOI: 10.1186/s12911-019-0795-y
Men are more likely than women to develop unstable plaques in their neck arteries, a dangerous condition that can lead to strokes, according to new research that also identified a helpful warning sign for rupture-prone plaques in women.

The preliminary study, presented Thursday at the American Heart Association's Vascular Discovery Scientific Sessions, sought to identify sex-specific markers of plaque instability in patients with severe carotid atherosclerosis, or fatty deposits in the neck arteries that supply blood to the brain.

Carotid atherosclerosis causes at least 15% to 20% of ischemic strokes, the most common type of stroke in which blood flow to the brain has been blocked. Unstable plaques in the neck arteries are more likely than stable plaques to break free, impede blood flow and cause a stroke.

While more men have strokes than women, women have a greater chance of dying after a stroke, although it's not entirely clear why.

"There's been a lack of representation of women in studying cardiovascular risk, which has led women to be underdiagnosed and undertreated," said the study's lead author, Karina Gasbarrino, a researcher who recently completed her Ph.D. at McGill University in Montreal. "Therefore, we wanted to understand the biological differences between men and women in developing atherosclerosis so that we can then implement better clinical guidelines."

The researchers examined both plaques and blood samples from people who underwent surgical procedures that remove plaques from the carotid arteries.

The study found the odds of men having unstable plaques was 2.67 times that of women. Yet among those women, researchers found a relatively easy way to find out which women had potentially dangerous unstable plaque: They tended to have a lower ratio of adiponectin, a protein hormone secreted by fat tissue that may have beneficial effects on vascular health.

"This marker may be useful clinically to identify women with these unstable plaque features so we can give them the proper treatment that they need," said the study's senior investigator, Dr. Stella Daskalopoulou, an associate professor of medicine at McGill University.

Dr. Dorothea Altschul, a vascular neurology specialist who performs carotid procedures, said a single blood test may not necessarily provide a complete picture and having confirmatory blood samples at multiple other time points would strengthen the findings.

"As a clinician who has to make decisions on who gets these carotid endarterectomies, I would very much welcome a test that tells me there's something unstable, and you should definitely have surgery right away," said Altschul, who was not involved in the study.

However, she said the study was limited by not looking at when the specimens were collected.

"Hormone levels are very volatile and can change throughout the day, so I think you should test on multiple timelines so you don't come to the wrong conclusion," said Altschul, a neurosurgeon and researcher in Ridgewood, New Jersey.

Still, she applauded the study for delving into the differences between men and women when it comes to vascular health.

"We're always lumping men and women together, so this study was a nice attempt to find out whether there are inherent differences in the expression of atherosclerotic disease," Altschul said. "I'd like to see more gender-separated research like this in the future."

The study's results underscore the need for doctors to stop taking a "one size fits all" approach to treating unstable plaque, Daskalopoulou said.

"It shows that we have to sensitize doctors and make them more aware that the physiology of men and women are not the same," she said.

Daskalopoulou called for more research to help pinpoint the exact causes of unstable plaques.

"We still need a panel of markers to identify dangerous plaques before they rupture and give you a stroke," she said. "If we do this, we can save many lives."

American Heart Association News covers heart and brain health. Not all views expressed in this story reflect the official position of the American Heart Association. Copyright is owned or held by the American Heart Association, Inc., and all rights are reserved. If you have questions or comments about this story, please email editor@heart.org.
A colorized, transmission electron micrograph showing a swine influenza virus particles (blue) attached to and budding off a cell (orange). Credit: NIAID

The ever-changing "head" of an influenza virus protein has an unexpected Achilles heel, report scientists funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), one of the National Institutes of Health. The team discovered and characterized the structure of a naturally occurring human antibody that recognizes and disrupts a portion of the hemagglutinin (HA) protein that the virus uses to enter and infect cells. The investigators determined that the antibody, FluA-20, binds tightly to an area on the globular head of the HA protein that is only very briefly accessible to antibody attack. The site was not expected to be vulnerable to such a strike.

James E. Crowe, Jr., M.D., of Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, and Ian A. Wilson, D. Phil., of The Scripps Research Institute, San Diego, California, led the team. They isolated FluA-20 antibody from a person who had received many influenza immunizations. In a series of experiments, they showed that FluA-20 can "reach into" an otherwise inaccessible part of the three-part HA trimer molecule and cause it to fall apart, thus preventing the spread of virus from cell to cell.

This discovery came as a surprise because this region of trimeric HA was thought to be stable and inaccessible to antibodies. Moreover, this regionunlike the rest of HA's headvaries little from strain to strain. In theory, antibody-based therapeutics directed at that precise region would be effective against many strains of influenza A virus. Similarly, vaccines designed to elicit antibodies against this target might provide long-lasting protection against any influenza strain, potentially eliminating the need for annual seasonal influenza vaccination.

In mouse studies, FluA-20 prevented infection or illness when the animals were exposed to four different influenza A viral subtypes that cause disease in humans. Two viruses used in the experiments, H1N1 and H5N1, are Group 1 influenza subtypes, while the two others, H3N2 and H7N9, are members of Group 2. Current influenza vaccines must contain viral components from both subtypes to elicit matching antibodies. A single vaccine able to generate potent antibodies against members of both groups could provide broad multi-year protection against influenza.

Explore further Designing antibodies to fight the flu

More information: S Bangaru et al. A site of vulnerability on the influenza virus hemagglutinin head domain trimer interface. Cell, Journal information: Cell S Bangaru et al. A site of vulnerability on the influenza virus hemagglutinin head domain trimer interface. DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2019.04.011 (2019).
Credit: CC0 Public Domain

Your mother was right: Broccoli is good for you. Long associated with decreased risk of cancer, broccoli and other cruciferous vegetablesthe family of plants that also includes cauliflower, cabbage, collard greens, Brussels sprouts and kalecontain a molecule that inactivates a gene known to play a role in a variety of common human cancers. In a new paper published today in Science, researchers, led by Pier Paolo Pandolfi, MD, Ph.D., Director of the Cancer Center and Cancer Research Institute at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, demonstrate that targeting the gene, known as WWP1, with the ingredient found in broccoli suppressed tumor growth in cancer-prone lab animals.

"We found a new important player that drives a pathway critical to the development of cancer, an enzyme that can be inhibited with a natural compound found in broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables," said Pandolfi. "This pathway emerges not only as a regulator for tumor growth control, but also as an Achilles' heel we can target with therapeutic options."

A well-known and potent tumor suppressive gene, PTEN is one of the most frequently mutated, deleted, down-regulated or silenced tumor suppressor genes in human cancers. Certain inherited PTEN mutations can cause syndromes characterized by cancer susceptibility and developmental defects. But because complete loss of the gene triggers an irreversible and potent failsafe mechanism that halts proliferation of cancer cells, both copies of the gene (humans have two copies of each gene; one from each parent) are rarely affected. Instead, tumor cells exhibit lower levels of PTEN, raising the question whether restoring PTEN activity to normal levels in the cancer setting can unleash the gene's tumor suppressive activity.

To find out, Pandolfi and colleagues identified the molecules and compounds regulating PTEN function and activation. Carrying out a series of experiments in cancer prone mice and human cells, the team revealed that a gene called WWP1which is also known to play a role in the development of cancerproduces an enzyme that inhibits PTEN's tumor suppressive activity. How to disable this PTEN kryptonite? By analyzing the enzyme's physical shape, the research team's chemists recognized that a small moleculeformally named indole-3-carbinol (I3C), an ingredient in broccoli and its relativescould be the key to quelling the cancer causing effects of WWP1.

When Pandolfi and colleagues tested this idea by administering I3C to cancer prone lab animals, the scientists found that the naturally occurring ingredient in broccoli inactivated WWP1, releasing the brakes on the PTEN's tumor suppressive power.

But don't head to the farmer's market just yet; first author Yu-Ru Lee, Ph.D., a member of the Pandolfi lab, notes you'd have to eat nearly 6 pounds of Brussels sprouts a dayand uncooked ones at thatto reap their potential anti-cancer benefit. That's why the Pandolfi team is seeking other ways to leverage this new knowledge. The team plans to further study the function of WWP1 with the ultimate goal of developing more potent WWP1 inhibitors.

"Either genetic or pharmacological inactivation of WWP1 with either CRISPR technology or I3C could restore PTEN function and further unleash its tumor suppressive activity," said Pandolfi. "These findings pave the way toward a long-sought tumor suppressor reactivation approach to cancer treatment."

Explore further New insights into the regulation of PTEN tumor suppression function

More information: "Reactivation of PTEN tumor suppressor for cancer treatment through inhibition of a MYC-WWP1 inhibitory pathway" Science (2019). Journal information: Science "Reactivation of PTEN tumor suppressor for cancer treatment through inhibition of a MYC-WWP1 inhibitory pathway"(2019). science.sciencemag.org/cgi/doi  1126/science.aau0159
Credit: University of Leeds

Researchers at the University of Leeds are developing a cheaper and safer way of making the polio vaccine.

The pioneering work is featured in the latest MadeAtUni campaign, a celebration of the pioneering research taking place in UK universities.

The focus of the campaign is scientists involved in health research and innovation.

The Leeds team, from the Faculty of Biological Sciences, has shown that the polio vaccine can be manufactured from harmless virus-like particles, doing away with the need to use a live virus which carries the risk of the virus escaping.

Professor Nicola Stonehouse, who is leading the project with Professor Dave Rowlands, said:

"Virus-like particles are proteins that stimulate the body's immune system in the same way as a virus  in effect, they trick the body into thinking they are the virus.

"Scientists have recognised the possibility that they could be used instead of a live virus in vaccine production but the problem is that some can be unstable.

"At Leeds, we have successfully developed a process which involves engineering polio virus-like particles in yeast  and the next stage is to see if we can make this work on an industrial scale.

"If we can, polio virus-like particles will become attractive to the pharmaceutical industry as a safer alternative to using a live virus."

New approach to eradicate polio

Polio is a devastating disease. It can leave people permanently paralysed, with one in 10 dying as a result of the paralysis. There is no-known cure for polio.

Through successful vaccination programmes, it has been eradicated from many countries although it is still endemic in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Nigeria.

Since the 1960s, success in controlling the disease has been largely attributable to the oral polio vaccine which is made up of a live but weakened virus. It is cheap to make and easy to administer: people just swallow it.

However, the genetic code in the live virus is prone to mutation. In extremely rare casesaround one in 2.7 million cases  this mutation can result in people who have been vaccinated contracting the disease. They then risk infecting close contacts.

The computer screen shows polio virus-like particles created in the laboratory. Credit: University of Leeds

There is also a small group of people with deficient immune systems who do not clear the virus after immunisation and they too are a potential source of infection.

For that reason, some public health campaigns have switched to a vaccine using an inactivated virus which is given by injection.

Although the virus is inactivated when the vaccine is given, the manufacturing stage uses a large quantity of live virus. As well as creating a biosecurity risk, it also means that it is expensive to manufacture.

Progress has been made in eradicating the disease but health experts say immunisation programmes will have to continue to keep on top of outbreaks that may happen as a result of a vaccine-derived virus.

The development of virus-like particles is seen as a safer route to vaccine development.

Research could be applied to other vaccines

The work at the University of Leeds has been funded by the World Health Organisation and involves the National Institute for Biological Standards and Control, the Universities of Oxford and Reading, the Pirbright Institute, the John Innes Centre and the University of Florida.

Professor Stonehouse believes virus-like particles will have a role in vaccine production beyond polio.

She said: "There is a real need to increase the production of vaccines and to conduct research into creating new ones, not only for humans but also to protect livestock."

The Nation's Lifesavers campaign has been organised by Universities UK, the umbrella group representing the sector.

Professor Dame Janet Beer, President of Universities UK, said: "Every day, up and down the country, universities are aworking on innovations to transform and save lives.

"Research taking place in universities is finding solutions to so many of the health and wellbeing issues we care about and the causes that matter.

"By proudly working in partnership with charities, the NHS and healthcare organisations, universities are responsible for some of our biggest health breakthroughs and in revolutionising the delivery of care. "

One of Professor Stonehouse's former Ph.D. students, Dr. Oluwapelumi Adeyemi, is hoping the research at Leeds will one day allow him to investigate vaccines for some of the diseases in his home country, Nigeria, including Lassa fever  a category 4 pathogen requiring very strict bio-security.

He is now a research visitor, using the techniques he learned at Leeds in his molecular biology laboratory at the University of Ilorin, in Nigeria.

Explore further UN: 2 polio cases in Mozambique caused by virus from vaccine
This Feb. 19, 2013, file photo shows OxyContin pills arranged for a photo at a pharmacy, in Montpelier, Vt. Five state attorneys general announced lawsuits Thursday, May 16, 2019, seeking to hold the drug industry responsible for an opioid addiction crisis that has become the biggest cause of accidental deaths across the country and in many states. The new filings in Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, West Virginia and Wisconsin mean 45 states have now taken legal action in recent years against Purdue Pharma, the maker of OxyContin. Some of the states are also suing Richard Sackler, a former president and member of the family that owns the Connecticut-based firm. (AP Photo/Toby Talbot, File)

Five more state attorneys general announced legal filings Thursday seeking to hold the company that makes OxyContin responsible for an opioid addiction crisis that's now the leading cause of accidental deaths across the country and in many states.

The company, Connecticut-based Purdue Pharma, blasted the claims, saying they're based on "stunningly overbroad legal theories, which if adopted by courts, will undermine the bedrock legal principle of causation."

The new filings in Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, West Virginia and Wisconsin mean 45 states have now taken legal action in recent years against Purdue. Michigan announced last week that it's looking for law firms to help it sue the industry, too. And Idaho sent notices to lawyers for Purdue and the family that owns it last week that the state intends to file an administrative action.

All the new filings but the one in Kansas also named Richard Sackler, a former company president and a member of the family that owns Purdue, as a defendant. Maryland named other members of the Sackler family in its administrative action.

Some states have also sued other drugmakers or distributors.

"There's far too much senseless death in West Virginia and many ruined lives," that state's Attorney General Patrick Morrisey said Thursday. "We cannot and will not tolerate companies that allegedly use false and misleading information to deceive medical personnel and patients."

States' suits are among the highest-profile claims in flood of litigation over the crisis. Opioids, including prescription painkillers and related drugs such as heroin and fentanyl, were involved in nearly 48,000 deaths in the U.S. in 2017more than AIDS killed at the peak of that epidemic and more than auto accidents kill annually. The death toll since 2000 is 391,000.

The states and about 2,000 local and tribal governments that have sued assert that Purdue and other companies downplayed the addiction dangers of the drugs and used sales representatives to encourage doctors to prescribe even more of them.

But the legal cases are complicated. Purdue notes that the majority of the recent deaths are linked to heroin or fentanylnot prescription drugs. States say most users, though, start with prescription pills, whether prescribed or diverted.

A North Dakota judge last week dismissed all of that state's claims against Purdue, perhaps the company's biggest court win. In a written ruling that the state says it will appeal, Judge James Hill questioned the idea of blaming a company that makes a legal product for the deaths. "Purdue cannot control how doctors prescribe its products and it certainly cannot control how individual patients use and respond to its products," the judge wrote, "regardless of any warning or instruction Purdue may give."

A Purdue lawyer, Mark Cheffo, said he's hoping other judges will reach similar conclusions as they delve into the cases.

All the state governments' cases except one are working their way through state courts. Alabama's case is among about 1,500 in federal court and being overseen by one federal judge based in Cleveland. He has rejected arguments to dismiss the suits and has scheduled an initial trial in October for the claims of two Ohio counties.

The looming trial could put pressure on Purdue and other companies to settle the casessomething the judge has said he wants to see.

In March, Purdue and the Sackler family settled with Oklahoma for $270 million. Purdue also settled with Kentucky in 2015 for $24 million. Some other companies have entered deals with states in the last few years, including drug distribution firms that have agreed to pay West Virginia a total of $84 million.

Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro, one of the leaders of a multistate investigation of the opioid crisis, announced a lawsuit earlier this week against Purdue, saying the company wasn't working in good faith on a settlement. Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller also said lack of progress in talks was a factor in filing a lawsuit now. "There was a hope that the negotiations would yield a settlement for all the states," he said. "And may still."

Cheffo, the Purdue lawyer, disputed that in a phone interview Thursday. "While we recognize the complication of a resolution process involving so many different parties and interests and certainly cannot get into the details of them, we remain optimistic and believe that both sides are participating in good faith in an effort to try to reach some resolution that is in the best interests of the parties and the public health."

A lawyer representing members of the Sackler family has said the family would also like to settle.

For some states, there's a political element in deciding to join the litigation now.

Wisconsin didn't sue earlier because Republican Attorney General Brad Schimel opted to join a multistate investigation instead. Schimel argued that it would be a faster way to hold them accountable. But Schimel was defeated in November by Democrat Josh Kaul, who campaigned on a platform that included filing opioid lawsuits.

Explore further Maker of OxyContin gets hit with another state lawsuit

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A guide to some of the arts and cultural events happening around Missoula this week.

Missoula art, history at a scenic winery

(Friday, May 17)

The Historical Museum at Fort Missoula is bringing a fundraiser up to Ten Spoon Winery in the Rattlesnake for a special fundraiser. For "Hello to Old Missoula: Missoula's History Through Art," the museum picked 17 local artists and assigned each a decade, starting in the middle of the 1800s, to depict.

The news release teased items like this: "Did you know there was a Poor Farm in the Rattlesnake from 1880s-1930s? Ever wonder what it might have been like to live here during the Glacial Lake Missoula era? Or to drive the Strip during the 70s? How about the work involved with making the Big Ditch in 1905?"

There's a silent auction of all the art, and poll to vote on your favorite piece, which Ten Spoon will use as a label. There will be live music from Malarkey, plus food and wine.

The cover is $8 or $15 for a couple. Museum members and kids under 12 get in free. It runs from 5:30-9 p.m.

One Night Underground Art Show

(Friday, May 17)

Experimental art and music will take over a space at Bob's Sew and Vac for one night only.

The work ranges from the brightly colored, pop-inspired art of April Werle to the skateboard photography of Harrison Gayton. The full list is Max Konapatske, Lillian Nelson, Bob Werle, Alex Lee, Paul Rolfes, Solveig Gasner, Charlie Lynch and Tanya Yarrow.

The musicians are on the free/noise end of the spectrum: Powerplant and Justin Matousek.

The show runs from 6-9 p.m. at the shop, located at 120 W. Broadway.

'The Things'

(Friday, May 17)

The dance/performance art duo Arts & Above are bringing back their original show, "The Things," to the renovated MASC Studio.

Creators/performers Kate Jordan and Bruno Augusto recruited Susan Gilmore to design costumes and Katie Thompson to design lights on the show, which they first performed two years ago.

In a news release, they described it as "a provocative piece performed as a duet with bright green milk crate props which are configured and repositioned in various combinations during the 50-minute production. It asks the audience to contemplate the objects and thoughts which we may collect, build, destroy, hoard, choose to use in different ways. It asks how much is enough? Too much? Isolating? Liberating? Intended to evoke curiosity and questioning, more than answers or opinions."

The show is at 8 p.m. at the MASC Studio, 1200 Shakespeare St. Tickets are $12 for adults and children are free.

Brand new work from a Pulitzer winner

(Saturday, May 18)

The Montana Repertory Theatre has teamed up with Martyna Majok to workshop a new play. After a week of work, Missoula residents can get a sneak peak (via a staged reading) of Majok's "Sanctuary City." Last year, Majok won the Pultizer Prize for Drama for "Cost of Living."

The Pulitzer site called it "an honest, original work that invites audiences to examine diverse perceptions of privilege and human connection through two pairs of mismatched individuals: a former trucker and his recently paralyzed ex-wife, and an arrogant young man with cerebral palsy and his new caregiver."

The reading is at 7:30 p.m. in the Masquer Theatre in the PAR/TV Building at the University of Montana.

Cigarette Girls' Sunday Nightcap

(Sunday, May 19)

Missoula's resident burlesque troupe close out the week with dance, comedy and music at their regular Top Hat gig, dubbed the "Sunday Nightcap." Doors open at 7 p.m. and the show starts at 8. Cover is $5. 21 and up only.

Virginia Reeves' 'powerful' new novel

(Monday and Tuesday, May 20-21)

Helena novelist Virginia Reeves made the "long list" for the Booker Prize with her last novel, "Work Like Any Other." Her follow-up, "The Behavior of Love," is set at an institution for the developmentally disabled in Boulder, Montana, in the 1970s, concerning a psychologist, his wife and a patient with whom he becomes too close. Publishers Weekly said, "Readers who enjoy complex depictions of the lingering commitments of relationships will be swept away by Reevess crisp, powerful novel."

She has two readings coming up. She'll head to Hamilton on Monday, May 20, for an event at Chapter One book store at 6 p.m. Then on Tuesday, she'll be in Missoula for a reading at Fact & Fiction starting at 7 p.m.

Megan McNamer's 'Home Everywhere'

(Thursday, May 23)

Missoula novelist Megan McNamer's new book, "Home Everywhere," casts a wide net, as "a random collection of tourists embarks on a 10-day budget trip to parts unknown," according to the Fact & Fiction website. The San Francisco Review of Books said that McNamer "views contemporary life as we are living it and sheds light on the expectations of being here and not there and how dreams and desires sought in strange places are more confined to home than we realize. She is writing about us and we need to heed her words. More wisdom from an enlightened author."

She'll have a reading at 7 p.m. at Fact & Fiction, 220 N. Higgins Ave.

Cohesion Dance Project

(Thursday, May 23)

This Helena troupe promises an "evening of art inspiring art" with its latest show, "Resonance."

The list of different art involved is impressive: not only Helena and Missoula dancers, but kinetic metal sculptures by Richard Swanson, words from poet Tyler Knott Gregson, projectsion by Matt Plaumann, and original choreography by troupe members Amber Moon Peterson, Julynn Wilderson, and Tanya W. Call.

The Missoula stop is at 7:30 p.m. at the Dennison Theatre at the University of Montana. Tickets are $22 general admission and $18 for students. They're available at griztix.com

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Closure

DRAGON HOLLOW PLAY AREA closed for refurbishment and expansion through May 24.

Government

TARGET RANGE SCHOOL Board works session, 10:30 a.m., Room 243, 4095 South Ave. W.

MISSOULA REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY, noon, Hal Fraser Conference Room, 140 W. Pine St.

MISSOULA COUNTY PARKS and Trails Advisory Board, meet 1:30 p.m. at 127 E. Main St.; drive Hellgate Lions Park, 1305 Haaglund Drive.

MISSOULA COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS' Board of Trustees special meeting (seat new trustees/board reorganization), 5:45 p.m., Business Building Boardroom, 915 South Ave. W. Agenda available at mcpsmt.org.

Public Events

TAPROOM DIALOGUE: "It Takes a Village," a community conversation on mental health, 6 p.m., Imagine Nation Brewing Co., 1151 W. Broadway. Panel includes Mayor John Engen, Dr. Blair Davison, Judge Brenda Desmond, author Ashly Ananda.

NORTH VALLEY PUBLIC LIBRARY, Stevensville, 777-5061: Art Club for ages 5-18, 4 p.m.; "Alzheimer's: Know the 10 Warning Signs," 5:30 p.m.

YOGA FOR PARKINSON'S every Thursday, 10:30-11:30 a.m., Salvation Army Building, 335 S. Russell. No registration required. Call 531-7110.

MISSOULA PUBLIC LIBRARY, 301 E. Main St., 721-2665 or missoulapubliclibrary.org: open hours in the MakerSpace, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. and 2-6 p.m.; Tiny Tales, ages birth-3, large meeting room, 10:30 a.m.; "Searching the Library," noon, registration required; LEGO Club, ages 12 and under, 3:30- 5 p.m.; Frenchtown Branch Library Book Club, 5:45 p.m.

BITTERROOT PUBLIC LIBRARY, Hamilton, 363-1670: Music and Movement, noon.

Organizations

GRIZZLY COUNTRY Rug Hookers, 12:30-4 p.m., Goin' Quilting, 425 N. Fifth St. W. Suite 4. Call 728-4375.

MISSOULA SENIOR CITIZEN'S CENTER, 705 S. Higgins Ave., 543-7154, missoulaseniorcenter.org: Gentle yoga for all ages, 9 a.m., $4; bingo, 6:30-8:30 p.m. (doors pen 5 p.m.), $18 for 10 sheets.

AL-ANON: Keep It Simple Family Group, 5:30 p.m., St. Paul Lutheran Church, 202 Brooks St. Men Do Al-Anon, 7 p.m., University Center Room 216, UM. The Legacy AFG, 7:30 p.m., First Presbyterian Church, 235 S. Fifth W. Alateen, 7:30 p.m. First Presbyterian Church. Stevensville Al-Anon, 7:30 p.m., Independent Living Center, 57 Main St. Expect a Miracle, 5:30 p.m., Sunburst Mental Health, 109 First Ave., St. Ignatius. Call 1-888-425-2666 or visit mt.al-anon-alateen.org.

AA MEETINGS Call 888-607-2000 or visit aa-montana.org. Early Sunrise Group Discussion (C/H), 6:30 a.m., Unity Church, 546 South Ave. W. (side entrance, basement); Early Birds Discussion (C/H), 7 a.m., Polson Alano Club, 8 Third Ave. W.; Sunrise Group Discussion (C/H), 8 a.m., Unity Church, 546 South Ave. W.; Sober Steppers Beginners (O/H), 10 a.m., Polson Alano Club, 8 Third Ave. W.; High Noon Group Discussion (O), noon, First United Methodist Church, 300 E. Main St.; Thompson Falls Group (O), noon, behind Bear Muscle Fitness, 107 Spruce St.; Attitude Adjustment (O/H), noon, Polson Alano Club, 8 Third Ave. W.; Pathway to Serenity Discussion (O), 3:30 p.m., Clark Fork West Church, 34 St. Regis Ave., St. Regis; Downtowners Discussion (O/H), 5:30 p.m., Fourth D Alano Club, 1500 W. Broadway; Silvertip Group Discussion (C), 6:30 p.m., Immanuel Lutheran Church, 830 South Ave. W.; Big Book Study Group (O/H), 7 p.m., Polson Alano Club, 8 Third Ave. W.; Do It Sober Discussion (O/H), 7 p.m., St. Luke's Conference Room, 107 Sixth Ave. SW, Ronan; The Blackfoot River Group, 7 p.m., Out Savior Lutheran Church, 8985 Highway 200, Bonner; Solution Group Discussion (C/H/B), 7:30 p.m., First Presbyterian Church, 201 S. Fifth St. W.; Plains Group Big Book Study (O), 7:30 p.m., Plains United Methodist Church, 206 Meany St.; Not a Glum Lot (O), 7:30 p.m., Thompson Falls Community Church, 306 Church St.; Missoula Group Beginner's, (O/H), 8 p.m., 112 N. Pattee St. (Front Street entrance); Young Guns in Sobriety Literature Study (O), 10 p.m., First Presbyterian Church, 201 S. Fifth St. W.

ADULT ASPERGER'S support group, open meeting for those with Asperger's as well as their family and friends, 4:30-6 p.m., University Center, Room 215, UM. Contact Monique Casbeer at 721-3947 or Cindy Bacon Janego at cjanego@communitymed.org for more information.

NAMI MISSOULA free weekly meeting, 10 a.m.-noon, Providence Center Room 103. Open to anyone affected by mental illness (including family members) or interested in learning more about NAMI. Call 880-1013.

NAMI CONNECTION Support Group for adults with mental illness, 1:30-3 p.m., 202 Brooks St., Room 210. Call 880-1013.

DUPLICATE BRIDGE beginner-intermediate game, 6 p.m., 2825 Stockyard Road, Suite I-3. Visit missoulabridge.org.

Coming soon

ACADEMY AND ROTC DAYS, Saturday, May 18, 9:30-11:30 a.m., Missoula Armed Forces Reserve Center, 9283 Running West Road. Representatives from all branches of the armed services available. Call 406-257-3360.

CHILD CARE RESOURCES' training "The Balancing Act of In-Home Child Care," 9 a.m.-1 p.m., Saturday, May 18. $22. Register at 728-6446 or childcareresources.org/events.

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A Missoula County District Court jury took a single day to find Caressa Hardy guilty in the killings of two men outside Frenchtown in 2013.

As he had through most of the trial, Hardy remained impassive as the verdict was read at 5:30 Thursday evening. The jury had gone into deliberations six hours earlier following seven days of testimony.

Hardy's attorneys declined to comment immediately after the verdict. Prosecutors also declined comment.

The conviction brings some margin of certainty to the families of Thomas Korjack, 62, and Robert Orozco, 37. The bodies of the two men were never officially recovered and no death certificates were ever issued.

But Missoula Deputy County Attorney Brian Lowney told jurors in closing arguments Thursday morning that the case against Hardy was still sound, considering the sudden silence in phone records among the former housemates; Korjacks wealth, which he had broken the law to protect, left behind; the .45-caliber bullet found in the room where the alleged killings took place; the rank smell neighbors recalled shortly after the two men disappeared; the bone fragments found in the fire pit on Hardys property and the trace of blood on a TV in the home found to match Korjacks DNA.

Just like anyone they had lives, people that loved them, people that hoped to see them again, Lowney said. The defendant not only killed these men, he tried to erase them from the face of the earth.

Hardy faced two counts of deliberate homicide for allegedly shooting Orozco and Korjack, who Hardy worried would cut him off financially from the life they shared in Frenchtown after moving there from Wyoming in 2012. Investigators believe he burned the bodies in the fire pit and held captive the only person who claimed witnessing the murders: Karen Hardy, his former partner and mother of his children.

Jurors also weighed  and found Hardy guilty of  two counts of solicitation for murder filed against Hardy after his former cellmates said he sought out inmates to kill Karen Hardy after his arrest on the homicide charges.

Hardys defense presented at trial is that the two men werent killed or torched but simply fled, perhaps to Costa Rica; Korjack to avoid a second tax evasion prosecution and Orozco to escape unpaid child support obligations.

No one reported either man killed, let alone missing, until Karen Hardy walked into an eastern Montana police station more than three years later to tell her story. Korjacks family had largely abandoned him after his first stint of incarceration and most of those who testified about Orozco werent particularly interested in hearing from a walk-out father, anyway.

They were flawed people, Lowney told the jury. But they were people just like anybody else.

Britt Cotter, Hardys lead defense attorney, said those flaws highlighted the motives the two men had to leave and get off the grid. Karen Hardy, he recalled, couldnt testify as to what years her children were born, or what year the alleged killings took place.

He spent considerable time in closing arguments highlighting the witnesses, or lack thereof, related to the solicitation charges. Two inmates who testified had been convicted of lying to the police before, and its plausible either one was looking for a better deal in their own cases, he said.

Thats not good enough, Cotter said. Thats not proof beyond a reasonable doubt.

Hardy, once known as Glenn Dibley, was transitioning to a woman when he was arrested in July 2017. Attorneys and witnesses used the pronouns "he" and "him" when referring to Hardy throughout the trial.

The trial was a rendering of the four lives in a home in the hills outside Frenchtown from Wyoming, where they had formed something of a non-traditional family after converging from wildly different backgrounds. Karen Hardy first met the defendant in California in the 1990s after her then-husband left her on the side of the highway as a result of an argument. They quickly fell in love, had three children and eventually moved to Wyoming around the same time Hardy began transitioning to a woman.

Hardy didn't just transition to a different gender identity, but began taking on Karen Hardy's own identity, she surmised in testimony last week. His makeup, his hair, his clothes all soon mirrored her own. When Glenn Dibley changed his name to Caressa Karen Jill Hardy, it wasn't far from her full name, Karen Jill Hardy.

In Wyoming the pair met up with Korjack, a wealthy engineer who Karen Hardy considered a father figure and like a grandfather to her children. They also met Orozco, who Karen Hardy said she fell in love with "at first sight."

In 2012, Korjack fronted the money to purchase the home on Pond Road, although Caressa Hardy, on paper and in person, maintained the appearance as its owner. Neighbors testified last week that they saw the group coming and going from the house in early 2013. After March of that year, however, Hardy was the only presence around the property.

The dissolution seemed to stem from an incident after Korjack, Orozco and Karen Hardy came back to the Pond Road home to find Hardy in his bedroom with another man. Hardy's being transgender hadn't bothered Korjack, Karen Hardy testified, but "he was against (Hardy) being homosexual," she said. "It made him very angry, and it changed the way he treated him."

The halt of activity on the victims' phone and bank records presented at trial suggest the killings took place on March 27, 2013. Karen Hardy said she was holding her 4-month-old son in the basement bedroom while she, Korjack and Orozco were talking about looking for another property in North Dakota and changing the name on the deed of the Frenchtown property.

"He must have been listening at the door," she said of Hardy.

Hardy entered and briefly argued with Korjack, Karen Hardy said, before pulling a pistol from his pink bathrobe and firing upon Korjack, then Orozco, putting one round in the drywall and another through the window in the process.

Huddled in the corner clutching her baby, Karen Hardy said she pleaded for her life.

"I was cowering and he was punching me and kicking me and calling me a slut and a whore," she said. "He was telling me it was my fault.  I begged him, 'Please don't kill me or the kill the children,' and it's like he snapped out of something. His demeanor just changed. And he said, 'I would never kill the children.'"

Each of their children has been taken into state custody, either in Montana, Wyoming or California.

A sentencing date was not set Thursday evening after the verdict was read.

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From recommendations for elementary attendance boundary changes to a proposed overhaul of the math curriculum to the approval of a new superintendent contract, the Missoula County Public Schools Board of Trustees had an eventful meeting this week.

Tuesday's meeting, which ran three hours, packed in a number of important topics in addition to regular orders of business.

Boundary changes

Members of the elementary attendance boundary study committee made their final recommendations for changes to the board on Tuesday, following a long process of reviewing current boundaries that included 32 public meetings.

The committee, made up of parents representing each of the nine elementary schools and staff representing different student stakeholder groups, reviewed student data, a demographic study and population forecast, and community feedback to come up with the recommendations in collaboration with WGM Group.

The recommendations made Tuesday to trustees, detailed on a map, included specific boundary adjustments, policies for grandfathering current students, and future considerations for boundary changes.

The proposed changes to elementary attendance boundaries seek to reduce overcrowding at four of the nine MCPS elementary schools (Jeannette Rankin, Lewis and Clark, Paxson and Rattlesnake) that are at or over capacity for student enrollment.

The boundary study examined ways to redistribute elementary students and reduce the need to level students, or send them to schools outside their designated area because their neighborhood school is at capacity.

The recommended boundary adjustments primarily address the south side of Missoula, which Superintendent Mark Thane said was the area of the greatest concern to the district.

Change Area 23, on the south side of town between Jeannette Rankin and Chief Charlo, extends the Chief Charlo boundary farther west on Miller Creek road. Committee member Hannah Stone said the change was generally accepted through public comment.

Change Area 28 would extend a portion of the Russell boundary farther along West 39th Street. Stone said the public generally supported the change, although there was a lot of concern over the safety of crossing Russell.

The committee also recommended Area 29, which would extend the Chief Charlo boundary north and send a portion of Jeannette Rankin students to Chief Charlo.

Additionally, the committee recommended that Area 26, near Chief Charlo and zoned for multi-family residential development, be considered as an addition to Chief Charlo once Rimel Road is connected to Hillview Way.

The committee also presented two other changes to the board for consideration, although they did not include them as formal recommendations because of various concerns and public opposition. The committee was also hesitant to recommend the options due to the middle and high school boundary studies slated for next year.

In hindsight, we would have kept the consideration of middle schools in the decision-making process, and as the middle school committee meets next year, wed like them to consider thinking about high school attendance boundary issues when they are looking at the middle schools, committee member Mandy Snook said.

One of the potential areas for change, Area 14, would move a portion of Lewis and Clark students to Paxson. However, Paxson is one of the four elementary schools that is already at capacity.

Change Area 22, which would move 100 Paxson students to Franklin, is also up for consideration in some form. The specific boundary presented to the board is subject to change based on various issues, as well as public opposition that was expressed during a limited feedback window since WGM group presented the option for the first time on April 4.

Area 22 has issues with walkability, since it would require students to cross a section of Russell Street that is currently under construction. There was also concern about overloading Franklin by placing more than 100 new students in the school in a short period of time.

The change would also affect middle school enrollment because the students in Area 22 who currently attend Paxson and filter into Washington Middle School, could switch middle schools, although Washington is beginning to develop an extension of the Spanish immersion program offered at Paxson.

Ultimately, the committee recommended that Change Area 14 or some version of that makes sense, said Stone. But that necessitates some version of Change Area 22 and there was not a consensus that that change area should be recommended to the board, so those two areas were considerations for you all but not necessarily a recommendation from our committee.

Although the district does not currently need a tenth elementary school based on population and enrollment forecasts, the committee also discussed the option of reopening Mount Jumbo School if there were enough students.

MCPS spokeswoman Hatton Littman said the committee recommended that the board consider reopening Mount Jumbo if there are at least 200 elementary students residing in its boundary area in East Missoula, and if a compatible use partner is found to co-occupy the building.

In addition, the committee recommended policies to grandfather students who are currently registered in their school for six years, until June 2025, including kindergarten students registered by June 11, 2019.

The committee also recommended that any siblings who are not currently school age will be accepted for attendance at the same school with their sibling through the 2024-25 school year.

The committee asked trustees to review the recommendations, which will be open for public comment until the June 11 board meeting, where the committee will ask trustees to vote to approve the finalized options.

More information can be found on the districts website at mcpsmt.org/elementaryschoolboundarystudy.

New math curriculum

Since 2018, a task force dedicated to reviewing the districts math curriculum has worked to identify gaps and areas for improvement.

As a result of the process, the math curriculum task force presented their interest in adopting new curriculum, which would consist of Ready Classroom and iReady for grades K-5, and Carnegie and Mathia for grades 6-12.

The task force consulted every math teacher in each of the districts schools and asked what their priorities were and examined how those priorities aligned with the Common Core standards.

The task force also asked teachers what materials they were using and found that teachers did not have consistent materials that met students' needs.

Elise Guest, MCPS executive director of teaching and learning, said the district has not updated math materials since Common Core was adopted in 2009.

Right now we have math materials in our classrooms that are not even aligned to the standards that were asking them to teach, Guest said.

Guest said the district aims to adopt a curriculum that is guaranteed and viable. Guaranteed meaning that no matter what school, every student has equal opportunity to learn with the same materials, and viable meaning its feasible to teach within the time constraints of a school year.

The implementation of the materials for grades 6-12 is recommended for the fall of 2019, while the implementation of the K-5 materials is recommended for the fall of 2020.

The task force will ask trustees to vote on the adoption of the new curriculum at the June 11 school board meeting.

New superintendent contract

Trustees also approved a three-year contract with Rob Watson to serve as the superintendent of Missoula County Public Schools.

It is my sincere privilege to accept the position of superintendent of Missoula County Public Schools, Watson said, now superintendent of Bozeman public schools.

As an experienced Montana educator, I believe I can provide support, knowledge, guidance and passion to help MCPS continue their great work as well as move the district to the next level of excellence, Watson said.

Watson will take over as superintendent on July 1, 2019, following Thanes retirement.

The districts next regular board meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Tuesday, May 28.

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Calling new regulations on electronic bikes and scooters not cooked enough, Missoulas Public Works Committee sent two proposed ordinances back to staff Wednesday for more work.

Part of the hesitancy for committee members, who all are City Council members, involved allowing some e-bikes and e-scooters that can attain speeds faster than 20 mph to travel on paths and sidewalks shared with pedestrians and non-motorized bikes and scooters.

As I look into the future, it sort of begs the question that if we go down this path allowing essentially motorized vehicles on commuter trails well have to contemplate a third class of infrastructure  automobiles, bicycle/pedestrian, and another class, said committee member John DiBari. I get the point that we are trying to increase our (mode of traveling) supply and be more environmentally sensitive, but when you look at a spin-off like the batteries and building more infrastructure, I wonder how much of a wash that is.

I dont think  this is cooked enough to handle the nuances that come with it.

Ben Weiss, the citys bike and pedestrian program manager, told the committee that those mixed uses would be addressed when the Parks and Recreation Department comes before them in the next few months with revisions to its regulations on shared trails.

That prompted committee chair Jordan Hess to ask to see both revisions at the same time.

The proposed regulations include allowing e-bikes and e-scooters to operate anywhere the city allows bicycles to be ridden, including on roadways, designated bike lanes, sidewalks, and paved shared use paths, unless otherwise prohibited.

Councilors also are considering revisions to current non-motorized bike ordinances to better comply with state laws.

The committee is considering the two ordinances in anticipation of increased use of e-bikes and e-scooters, especially by commercial ride-sharing rental companies. Two companies met with city and University of Montana representatives in the past year to discuss providing bike-sharing services for commuters.

While neither of those bike share and scooter share projects have moved forward, some Missoula residents have purchased their own electronically propelled devices, and the city is trying to craft regulations to cover them.

Weiss proposes the city define three classes of electrically assisted bikes based on them having fully operable pedals and an electric motor of less than 750 watts. Class 1 has a motor that provides aid only when the rider is pedaling and is limited to 20 mph. Class 2 doesnt need to be pedaled but doesnt allow the motor to propel the bike faster than 20 mph. Class 3 is similar to Class 1, but can reach up to 28 mph.

DiBari wants to prohibit the Class 2 and 3 on some city trails, paths and sidewalks.

An electrically assisted scooter is meant to be stood upon, has an electric motor of less than 300 watts and goes only 15 mph, according to the proposed definition. The motor also stops functioning when the brakes are applied.

Weiss noted that e-bikes and e-scooters can replace cars, are a good way for visitors to see the city, and their convenience can benefit occasional riders. The downside, he said is some bikes are bulky and heavy, they might not be available where people use them, riders need to bring their own helmets, and Montanas changing weather can catch riders in the rain.

Committee member Julie Merritt added that the e-bikes also can take up already cluttered real estate, especially on downtown sidewalks.

Keith Matthaes, a long-time Missoula resident who winters in San Diego, said hes experienced blocked sidewalks in that city, and that they pose safety hazards to both riders and pedestrians.

They just need a credit card or smart phone (to rent an e-bike or e-scooter), and dont know how to operate them, Matthaes said. Theyre riding them like they stole them, and nothing can keep them off of them if theyre drunk.

I bike everywhere and its totally changed the atmosphere down there.

Weiss said commercial operators would have someone on 24-hour call to handle problems with e-bikes and scooters, and that local agencies can enforce laws involving problem riders. He added that the city would collect fees from e-bike and e-scooter companies on a quarterly basis, as well as during the annual permitting process. In addition, the ordinance could require users to view safety videos before riding the electronic devices.

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Miss Montanas adventure to Normandy didn't start Thursday, and with the weather outlook it may be a few days before it does.

Still, Eric Komberec, project director and co-pilot, said they'll try again Friday morning.

The airplane itself was "pretty well ready" on Thursday, but there were some odds and ends to finish up, Bryan Douglass, logistics director, said earlier in the day.

Weve got to pack, and we have a little weather looking at us, so our crews trying to decide when were going to leave and make smart decisions, Douglass said.

The final call on departure time is left up to chief pilot Jeff Whitesell, chief mechanic Randy Schonemann and Komberec, as representative of the family that owns the plane.

"They dont need another person weighing in on it. Theyre all very competent and represent a ton of experience," Douglass said.

All three men and several others were busy at various tasks on and around the airplane, which was backed into the museum that has been its home since 2001. A steady stream of onlookers walked into the hangar, hoping to give Miss Montana a warm sendoff.

When the Douglas DC-3/C-47 does leave the Missoula airport, its scheduled to head in hops across the country to Oxford, Connecticut, where some but not all of the other 14 warbirds in the D-Day Squadron are gathering. On Saturday morning they'll fly in formation down the Hudson River and around the Statue of Liberty and the lead planes will start early Sunday on their overseas flight to England.

Even if we left today, I dont think wed make it to the New York flyover unless we flew straight across, Douglass said.

The National Weather Service forecast indicated the potential of severe thunderstorms across southern Montana will dissipate by Friday morning. General thunderstorm activity is possible throughout the day.

Organizers have said the ultimate target date is June 2 to be in England to practice formation flying with the three dozen or so Dakotas taking part in Daks Over Normandy on June 5.

Douglass said the D-Day Squadron wont be flying across the North Atlantic together anyway. Stops along the Blue Spruce Route used by American aircraft in World War II are scheduled for Goose Bay, Newfoundland; Narsarsuaq, Greenland; Reykjavik, Iceland, and Prestwick, Scotland. The final leg is to the Duxford Aerodrome north of London.

Itll be probably in ones and twos," Douglass said. "Probably the crucial jump is from Goose Bay (Newfoundland) to Greenland to Iceland. Goose Bay is notorious for bad weather, changing weather, and its got pretty small ramp space and limited fueling capacity. So you put all that together and you dont want 10 planes coming in there and taking all day to fill them.

Youre talking about an hour, hour and a half cycle time to fill a plane, so it wouldnt make sense if everybody gets there and weather rolls in.

Douglass said the D-Day Squadron has smart people working on the logistics, including a Coast Guard helicopter pilot from Kodiak, Alaska. He's familiar with military planning logistics in Arctic-type conditions.

Theyre saying were going to wait for a good weather window and then well start launching (from Connecticut), said Douglass. Itll probably be two planes at first light and they get to Greenland and fill up in a couple of hours and launch, and then have another pair, so you dont have people backing up in Narsarsuaq (Greenland).

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The double homicide trial that began last week in Missoula County District Court is nearing its end after the defense rested its case on Wednesday, but not before defendant Caressa Hardy tried removing his lead attorney as counsel.

Caressa Hardy, 51 when he was arrested in July 2017, is charged with two counts of deliberate homicide for allegedly killing Thomas Korjack and Robert Orozco four years earlier, and two counts of solicitation for murder for allegedly trying to seek out inmates to kill the key witness in the case.

The Wednesday morning tangle at the defense table, before the jury was let into the courtroom, stemmed from one of the solicitation charges, and the witnesses who testified about it.

"I insist that John Braunreiter be called as a witness," Hardy told the judge Wednesday, referring to one of Hardy's fellow inmates in the Missoula County Detention Center.

Braunreiter was not called to testify. Instead, prosecutors called another inmate who said he heard Hardy offer Braunreiter $20,000 to kill the only person who reported being in the room when Hardy allegedly shot Korjack and Orozco.

Britt Cotter, lead defense attorney in Hardy's case, flatly declined to call Braunreiter, who had written in two different letters to attorneys that Hardy had indeed solicited him to kill Karen Hardy, the defendant's former partner, mother of their three children and key witness in the case.

Braunreiter was reportedly not called to testify because in those same letters he vowed to use the witness stand as a soapbox to talk about his perceived injustices in his own case. Hardy said Braunreiter had since flipped his account of Hardy's alleged solicitation since it was clear prosecutors would not offer Braunreiter any concessions in his own case in exchange for his testimony in Hardy's.

"If we call him as a witness those letters are going to be used," Cotter said. "That's why I don't think it's in your best interest for us to call him."

Judge James Wheelis told Hardy he would rely on Cotter's judgement regarding Braunreiter.

"OK, then I'd like to have Mr. Cotter removed for ineffective counsel," Hardy told Wheelis. "I could go pro se and represent myself. I studied law for 23 years. I'm just not a member of the same club you are, the bar association."

Wheelis wouldn't have it. Since the start of trial, Cotter has lobbed a notable number of objections at testimony in the last seven days and gone to extensive lengths to poke holes in the prosecution's case, even calling for sanctions Tuesday against a detective who had not disclosed making a call to Idaho prosecutors on one inmate's behalf for providing information on the alleged solicitations.

(Detective Jared Cochran testified Tuesday that the call, in which Cochran said he did no more than indicate the inmate had cooperated with police, seemed to bear no significance in the inmate's Idaho case. Wheelis denied the request for a sanction.)

"I've frankly never seen a defense counsel, including myself, work so hard," Wheelis told Hardy. "He's obviously got your interest at heart and mind. The decision is really his."

"So it's his case, not my case?" Hardy snapped back.

"It's your case," Wheelis said.

"Then I should be able to defend myself with the truth," Hardy contended. "It's curious that many facts and truth are not allowed in this courtroom. It's almost appearing to be a court of injustice."

Hardy had been testy Wednesday morning with the judge and the rigidity of the judicial process. In an apparent effort to flex his commitment to judicial order, Hardy claimed the flags in the courtroom were only there "because I ordered it" under a different judge, and "they haven't been here for three and a half years."

Wheelis, once a full-time Missoula judge who came out of retirement in 2017, quashed that notion. "I think they've been here for years," he said.

After the "court of injustice" comment, Hardy didn't argue further to take on the rest of the case himself. Nor did he testify.

The only witness the defense called Wednesday morning was Curtis Alexander, a former cellmate of Anton Orth, who testified earlier this week about Hardy's proposition to Braunreiter. Alexander said Orth had become known in the jail pod for snooping through other inmates' paperwork, scheming ways to leverage a better deal in his case.

Much of Alexander's testimony was shot down by Missoula County prosecutor Brian Lowney, however. Alexander had never seen Orth and Hardy interact, and never directly saw Orth taking paperwork from any other inmates.

Hardy's defense has argued that Korjack and Orozco weren't killed but simply fled the country, Korjack to avoid taxes and Orozco escaping considerable child support payments.

Bone fragments found at a burn site on the property they all shared have never been positively identified.

Prosecutors believe Hardy killed Korjack, a wealthy engineer who was bankrolling the lives of Hardy, Orozco and Karen Hardy, and Orozco because Korjack was going to cut Hardy off financially.

Hardy, once known as Glenn Dibley, was transitioning to a woman when he was arrested in July 2017. Attorneys and witnesses have used the pronouns "he" and "him" when referring to Hardy.

Closing arguments are set for Thursday morning at 9 a.m. in Missoula District Court.

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The Missoula Police Department has issued a warning about an unknown driver of a red Cadillac impersonating a police cruiser after the motorist attempted to pull over a marked police vehicle.

According to the announcement posted on MPDs Facebook page, the Cadillac with flashing red lights on its dashboard followed Officer Chris Kaneff near the Russell Street Bridge Wednesday. The vehicle disappeared before Kaneff could turn his cruiser around.

MPD said people should be aware that the department has no red Cadillac in its fleet, and law enforcement vehicles typically display blue and red, or just blue flashing lights.

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A U.S. district magistrate in Missoula ordered a New York man  charged with lying to federal agents about planning to join ISIS and carry out terrorist acts  to remain in custody until his trial.

At a hearing Wednesday, U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeremiah C. Lynch said Fabjan Alameti, an Albanian national with U.S. citizenship, posed too great a threat to the community to be allowed to return to his mothers apartment in the Bronx.

All I have to go on are the statements that you made. And they caution me not to release you, Lynch said.

Assistant Federal Defender John Rhodes, representing Alameti, said the comments recorded by authorities, however graphic, were protected under the First Amendment. According to Rhodes, there is no indication that Almeti hurt anyone in the past, and he had no criminal record prior to the charges.

FBI agents arrested Alameti, 21, at a gun range in Bozeman April 3 after monitoring him since 2017. According to charging documents, he told a federal informant in January that he planned to join ISIS in Syria. He also said via an online messenger in February that he wanted to carry out an attack on U.S. soil.

I will stand over them while I pierce their bodies with hollow points, Alameti told the informant.

Lynch cited this statement in his decision.

Prosecutors also charged Alameti with possessing a firearm while using marijuana. At his arraignment May 6, he pleaded not guilty to both felony charges.

At the detention hearing, Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Starnes called an FBI special agent to testify. According to Agent Ingrid Nelson, the FBI launched an initial investigation of Alameti in late 2017, which was closed. Agents reopened the case in May 2018, after he started liking and sharing ISIS videos on Facebook, she said.

Nelson, who has spent the past five years working counter-terrorism for the FBI, said Alameti remained under constant surveillance after leaving March 14 on a bus to Bozeman. She could not say why he made the move to Bozeman.

While in Bozeman, Alameti checked into a motel where staff soon removed him for smoking marijuana in his room. After moving to a hostel, Nelson said, EMTs had to take him to a hospital for alcohol poisoning. Police confiscated his possessions, which included an airsoft rifle.

After leaving the hospital, Alameti agreed to an interview with the FBI March 25, according to charging documents. He denied ever wanting to fight for ISIS, harm U.S. citizens, fight the U.S. military or having any contacts overseas. Agents released him after he gave them permission to download the contents of his cell phone.

Agent Nelson said the FBI observed Alameti smoking marijuana constantly in the weeks leading to his arrest, and placed him in custody as soon as he held a rifle at the gun range.

In his request to have Alameti stay with his mother in New York, Rhodes said both charges carried little weight. Despite showing support for ISIS online and purchasing pellet guns, he never owned a real firearm during the FBI investigation, nor did he inflict any actual harm on anyone.

Lynch opposed the request, while also saying that it is not illegal to express support for any organization. He said Alametis statements may be protected by the First Amendment, but their nature and seriousness force him to keep Alameti in custody in the interest of public safety.

The court has set Alametis trial for June 24. Until then, he will remain in Missoula County jail.

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By Ritah Kemigisa.

Patrick Kasaija, the suspected Susan Magara Killer who was yesterday deported from South Africa is currently detained at the Special investigations department (SID) in Kireka.

The police spokesperson for Kampala Metropolitan area Patrick Onyango says he has been allowed to access his lawyers and arrangements to interview him and also investigate his defense in the alleged murder are already in place.

He says the case file will be forwarded to the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for perusal and probable sanctioning thereafter.

Kasaija commonly known as Pato was yesterday extradited from South Africa by the South African Police service through the help of the Interpol police in Pretoria.

Kasaija is accused of masterminding and receiving a ransom of 700 million Shillings from the Kidnap of Susan Magara.

She was kidnapped on February 7, 2018 and was killed after three weeks.

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A black bear spotted in the Laurel area Wednesday morning was legally killed on private property by a hunter, according to Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks.

The bear was seen in a tree near Seitz Ronan Road, said Bob Gibson, an FWP information specialist. That area is along the eastern part of Laurel roughly at 80th Street West.

The Yellowstone County Sheriff's Office reported on Facebook early Wednesday that the bear was originally seen in the Pheasant Brook subdivision walking along a ditch. The animal ran once it encountered deputies, according to the sheriff's office post, which went online about 7 a.m.

Speaking at about 10 a.m., Gibson said the cinnamon or "color phase" black bear had been legally shot on private property outside city limits. The general spring black bear hunting season began April 15 and ends May 31, he said.

The bear was a male, estimated to be about 3 years old and between 100 and 120 pounds.

This may be the first time this spring FWP has been contacted about a bear sighting in the Billings area, Gibson said, adding it makes sense based on the animals' known behaviors and habits.

"This is about the time of year they start showing up. They're awake now and running around looking for food and starting to spread out from den sites," Gibson said. "What are they doing? Trolling for chow."

Listing examples of reported bear sightings in the Billings area in recent years, Gibson said the animals have been observed around Bench Boulevard and Governors Boulevard in the Heights and in Emerald Hills in Lockwood.

Gibson encouraged people to remove or secure bear attractants in order to avoid encountering the animals. That includes securing garbage and bird feeders and keeping pet and livestock food locked up so that it isn't easily accessible to roaming bears.

"If they move through and there's no chow, they won't stick around," he said, adding that recently used grills can also be bear attractants. "You'd be surprised the number of people that fry up hamburgers, close the grill, leave it on the deck, and the next morning there's a bear around."

The black bear population in the area numbers in the hundreds. Speaking in 2017 about black bear behavior after a bear had eaten pet goats and garbage in a south Billings neighborhood, FWP biologist Shawn Stewart said there were roughly 500 black bears in the Beartooth Mountains and about another 100 in the Pryor Mountains outside the Crow Reservation.

Stewart said at the time that when bears "depredate," or eat livestock, they are always euthanized, because the animals show a strong ability to remember where food sources can be found. In other instances, like when a bear consumes garbage, relocation is a possible alternative to euthanizing the animal.

When hunters harvest black bears in Montana they are required to report it to Montana FWP. Gibson said he believed FWP intended to take samples from the animal to get information about its health.

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BIG ARM  When Lori Lundeen arrived at her property here earlier this week, she found her path blocked.

In April, Lundeen broke ground for a 60-lot RV park overlooking Flathead Lake. Several trucks, excavators and backhoes were working to get the first phase ready by July. But on Monday, employees from the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes Tribal Land Department gated off the access road she and the construction team had used.

I showed up at my construction site, Wild Horse RV Resort, and found them putting posts in and a 16-foot gate, she said.

The Lake County approval process had Lundeen convinced that the routes leading into the resort were county rights-of-way. But the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes maintained that they werent, and this week took action to close them off  much to Lundeens chagrin.

I just cant believe I wouldnt have access, she remarked Monday, after both county and tribal police officers had arrived on the scene. The county officer had instructions to open the gate. But the tribal officer had been directed to close it by 5 p.m.

This altercation capped more than a year of confusion between Lake County and the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes over access to the resort. Lundeens proposed access routes called for motorists to take Big Arms Seventh Street south from U.S. 93, then turn west and enter the resort through some combination of E Street and the not-yet-built F and H Streets.

Big Arm sits in both Lake County and the tribes Flathead Indian Reservation. Land use within this dual jurisdiction is governed by a complex thicket of laws, administrative actions and court rulings dating back to the reservations 1855 establishment. In recent years, the county commissioners and tribal government have differed over property taxes, density guidelines and, now, this dirt road in Big Arm.

When the Lake County Planning Board took up Lundeens proposal in April 2018, Janet Camel  a member of both that board and the tribes' economic development planning director  questioned the countys authority over the access roads. The Planning Board nonetheless approved the proposal, and the Lake County Commissioners granted conditional approval the next month.

That document stated that prior to final plat approval, legality of the proposed access to the subdivision through the Big Arm Townsite will be investigated by Planning Staff and the applicant to confirm that Lake County considers the access to be legal.

The tribes continued to question that legality. In an Aug. 2 letter to the County Commissioners, Tribal Council Chairman Ron Trahan wrote that a large portion of the route you authorized is entirely surrounded by Tribal land held in trust for the tribes by the United States (federal government). We see no evidence that the County has completed steps to create, build or maintain the proposed route as a public road prior to your instant action.

Citing a series of laws beginning with the 1904 Flathead Allotment Act, Trahan argued that Lake County lacked jurisdictional authority over Lundeens proposed access route. He suggested resolving these questions in an amicable manner, in part because it would shield Lake County from the legal liability that could arise from improperly granted access, and invited the commissioners to make their case at a Tribal Council meeting.

But the commissioners and tribal council exchanged little information on the matter, said County Commissioner Gale Decker. We never had any communication with them other than the letter that we got from them, he said. As far as any kind of a phone call or a sit-down meeting, weve never had any kind of conversation with them on the issue.

Their concerns remained in January, when Lundeen sought the countys permission to modify the side streets that the access route would use. Trahan wrote to county planning director Jacob Feistner, reiterating the tribes stance. On Jan. 31, the Lake County Commissioners nonetheless approved the amendment.

They didnt just change the streets. They also struck a sentence, added after the conditional approval, which said, Lake County shall be held harmless in the event that the primary and secondary access roads are found not to provide legal access to the Wild Horse RV Resort Subdivision.

Possibly by that time we had enough information from Wally (Congdon, the Lake County attorney) where we were comfortable in our position that we had jurisdiction over the roads and we didnt (need to) have that hold harmless agreement put into the subdivision agreements, explained Decker as his colleague, Commissioner Dave Stipe, concurred.

Through months of legal research, Congdon had compiled several other documents spanning a 116-year period from 1855 to 1971 that he said established Lake Countys authority over the roads.

My impression is that both the Commissioners and Wally are confident in the Countys ownership of the platted roadways in the Big Arm townsite, Feistner wrote in a Feb. 21 email to Lundeens planner, Marc Carstens, explaining the decision.

In Lundeens eyes, she was clear to proceed. It all showed I had free legal accesses, and I would not have moved forward with this if I did not have access, she said.

But the tribes still saw otherwise  as Chris Hanley learned firsthand Monday morning.

The supervisor with Sandry Construction had been overseeing the project. About 10 a.m. this morning, I got a call from one of the trucks saying, Weve got a problem here, he told the Missoulian.

Tribal Lands staff, with council approval, installed a metal gate across E street. The situation soon deteriorated. By 4 p.m., both a Flathead Tribal Police Officer and a Lake County Sheriffs Deputy had arrived on scene  with exact opposite instructions concerning the gate.

Ive gone through every hoop, every hurdle, Lundeen lamented. I just showed up and theyre locking me out.

Weve done a few jobs over the years (in) Polson and surrounding areas, said Hanley. Ive never seen anything like this happen.

In the end, the gate was closed. Tribal spokesperson Rob McDonald noted that the gate did not entirely block access to the property. Lundeen said she was looking at alternative routes but hadn't yet found one that would work.

In the meantime, a project she valued at $725,000 is paused."

On Tuesday the Bureau of Indian Affairs sent Sandry Construction a formal notice of trespass, informing the firm that it was using a tribal tract without a right of way, and that it would soon be assessed for damages.

Im just putting everything on hold, Lundeen said. She had been aiming to complete the first, 12-lot phase, double-chip seal E Street, and open for business July 1, and had already put the lots on the market. But now, she said, Im just telling them everything is on hold.

And the legal stances are still at odds. Its the tribes contention that the county has not shown evidence of perfecting title of right-of-way on the proposed streets, said McDonald. While Lundeen felt that she had completed all necessary steps, McDonald noted that she had been made aware of the tribes' concerns at that April 2018 meeting, and had never requested a right-of-way from their government.

Lake County hasn't budged, either. I dont think weve changed our position, said Decker, who said that the county commissioners had a duty to protect citizens concerns in public-access issues. It looks like this is going to head to litigation of some kind, so then well turn it over to the lawyers.

The Tribal Council resolution that approved installation of the gate also stated that a quiet title and restraining order will be pursued in district court. Nothing had been filed as of Wednesday morning.

Lundeen, for her part, said that in striking that hold-harmless agreement, the county was taking the responsibility for granting the access, and they are now accountable for granting the access.

At the same time, she said, Im all about working it out and not getting lawyers involved.

Itll all work out, she predicted. Things always have a way of working out.

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Last Sunday (Mothers Day), there was news article in the Billings Gazette from the Associated Press about the growing tensions between Iran and the U.S. and its allies. Our Navy and Air Force are now deployed in the Persian Gulf region.

I love journalists but not unlike the flawed logic of the current administration that stirred the glowing embers of Irans nuclear programs and consequential sanctions, a thought-free journalist felt compelled to mention the name, rank, location, home town and photo of the operations specialist doing their job on a carrier.

Newsflash: there are terrorists in the Mid-East and wackos in the U.S.! This stupid act blew my Military Police-trained mind! Safety and security of our overseas deployed military personnel, and their families back home should be our No. 1 top priority.

Our current administration, as well as much of the rest of the right-wing autocracies in this neurotic world, need to get a better grip on reality and sensibility.

The Cold War aint over, folks, and never will be over until all the worlds nuclear weapons are neutered.

Lynn Leroy Arney,

Absarokee

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There was something different about Anaconda Junior/Senior High School on Tuesday night.

Dozens of people snaked down the Main Street sidewalk in a single-file line that stretched about a block.

Some were teachers, some were students and some were family members or friends  but they all were gathered for Anaconda public schools first-ever district-wide family night.

As the line made its way into the high school, district family engagement coordinator Stacy Caissey smiled, waved and greeted most people who passed her by name. Caissey helps organizes other Anaconda schools' own family nights, but this was the first all-school, all-district family night shed coordinated.

Its the first one ever, which is fantastic, Caissey said, looking down the street at the line of people. This is exactly what I wanted. I could cry right now Im so excited.

According to Caissey, the goal of this inaugural district family night was to help the entire community honor the public schools teachers and to recognize the work of district students. The event also aimed to strengthen trust among students, parents and teachers, which Caissey said she feels is important for student success.

The districts three schools are only blocks a part. We want these kids to know that they are safe and supported at any of the schools no matter how old they are, Caissey said. If the kids can feel they are cared for at an early age, maybe they can get all the way through high school.

And events like this that can get kids excited about going through Anaconda public schools are a good place to start in improving Anaconda's high school dropout rate, Caissey said.

Inside of the high school Tuesday, pre-K through 12th-grade projects hung on the walls of most hallways. The whole building was packed, and there were even lines to get up and down the stairwells as families worked to complete a scavenger-like bingo sheet that could win them prizes, including a family pass to the Ridge Waters waterpark in Butte.

In the cafeteria, public health department and alcohol awareness information was laid out on tables across from where people were enjoying hot dogs and beverages.

High school senior Elizabeth Benjamin, 17, said she came to the event with her mom to just hang out.

I think this is cool because it gives teachers a chance to talk with parents, Benjamin said of the all-school family night.

Justin Barnes, district superintendent, said seeing older students like Benjamin and younger students like those from the preschool program, along with all of the teachers in between, was also a gratifying experience.

And he said he and his colleagues are working to put on other, similar events to bring the Anaconda community together.

Like Caissey, Barnes noted that events like this can inspire student success, and acknowledged that the district has had a pretty high high school dropout rate in recent years. But Barnes beleives he and his colleagues are taking the steps necessary to build more community trust and to keep kids in school.

I really think were doing the right things, its just a slow process, Barnes said.

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Law enforcement officers and members of the public  many of them wearing blue roses  gathered at the Old Montana Prison in Deer Lodge Wednesday afternoon to honor peace officers who died in the line of duty and to express gratitude for all officers who serve the public every day.

Pastor Rob Nedbalek noted that he was thankful that there was no inductee into the Law Enforcement Memorial Hall of Honor this year, as no officers were killed in the line of duty in Montana in 2018.

But Nedbalek also acknowledged that Montana law enforcement has not gone unscathed of late, offering a prayer for the recovery of Montana Highway Patrol Trooper Wade Palmer who was seriously injured on March 15, when he was shot several times while responding to a call.

Jodi Moore, the widow of Broadwater Deputy Sheriff Mason Moore, recalled her painful memory of May 16, 2017, when she was awakened at 4:30 a.m. by a knock on her door. Thinking her husband had forgotten his key she looked out the window, saw officers and the Sheriff and knew something terrible had happened, she told attendees of Wednesday's ceremony.

The hardest thing Ive ever done was two hours later when I woke the children and told them that Daddy is with God and would not be coming home," Moore said.

Tearing up, she added, It is a painful memory, and I dont want any other wife, mother, child or friend to have to go through it.

People often ask, How are you doing?" she continued. "I tell them OK, but the truth is I am not OK. I am heartbroken, devastated, sad, and it is an open wound. I am angry that law enforcement officers do not have the support, the financial means and equipment to keep them safe, and I will continue to fight for this for him (Mason), in order to protect fellow officers and future officers.

Moore continued, I am so appreciative of the honor, respect and love shown our family. The people of Montana have shown us what love looks like. Thank you for all your love and support.

The Powell County High School select choir sang Amazing Grace as storm clouds gathered. Following the benediction, the Deer Lodge Veterans Honor Guard fired a 21-gun salute, taps echoed in the courtyard and the flag was lowered to half-mast.

When the ceremony was over, officers and other attendees walked to the Law Enforcement Memorial where Moore placed her husbands portrait on the Wall of Honor, joining 128 other Montana peace officers who died in the line of duty.

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A man known to carry a semi-automatic rifle around Butte admitted Thursday to making threatening phone calls to a Montana television station after it reported that his actions prompted a school lockdown.

Andrew Alan James, 22, pleaded guilty to reduced misdemeanor charges of privacy in communications, and District Court Judge Kurt Krueger gave him a one-year deferred sentence. If he abides by all probation terms, the convictions can be erased.

If he doesnt, Krueger told him, You can go to jail for that whole year.

Walter Hennessey, Jamess public defender, said his client had received mental health counseling since making the phone calls in March 2018.

He is a very soft-spoken young man and very personable, Hennessey, with James standing by his side, told Krueger. He realizes he made a grievous error here.

About two-and-a-half months after his arrest, James wrote a letter from jail to The Montana Standard saying he was sorry and never meant to intimidate anyone.

He also said he had spent 75 days in jail at that point  more time than many violent criminals and/or dangerous drug dealers  just for swearing during a phone call and acting out of character. He was later released while his case was still pending.

James was known by police for openly carrying firearms, often an AR-15 and shotgun, on his way to an open area near Montana Tech and Big Butte, or the Big M, where shooting was then allowed. He sometimes wore a sign with a message about the Second Amendment. There was nothing illegal about any of that, police said.

But police say James prompted a brief lockdown at Kennedy Elementary School on March 2, 2018, when someone saw him walking by with a gun and phoned police.

After NBC Montana reported on the lockdown, James called its Bozeman station claiming the story was inaccurate, prosecutors say. A station manager said he used obscenities over the phone and "was abusive and threatening toward her and other staff." Police say he had made similar phone calls to the school.

He was charged with four counts of privacy in communication  two misdemeanors and two felonies. The crime is defined as using obscene or profane language through an electronic device to threaten, intimidate, or harass someone.

But in a plea agreement, the felonies were dropped and James only pleaded guilty to the misdemeanors.

Prosecutor Mike Clague said James did not have a prior criminal record and had voluntarily sought counseling.

Hennessey said James has since moved to Great Falls but was working construction this summer in Anaconda.

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A Butte woman convicted of stealing more than $27,000 from her 72-year-old mother when she was fighting cancer could have her suspended sentence revoked and be sent to prison for allegedly violating its terms.

Thats definitely a possibility at this point, Kelli Fivey, lead prosecutor in the case, said Wednesday.

Since receiving a 10-year suspended sentence in November, prosecutors and probation officials say Marissa Monet Curnow, now Marissa Hansen, 41, admitted in February to using methamphetamine and heroin.

She was also arrested on April 27 for possessing a controlled stimulant and syringes. Prosecutors have charged her with felony possession of dangerous drugs and misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia, though the new case has yet to reach District Court.

Authorities also say Hansen has made no effort to start paying $27,198 in restitution to her mother, a requirement of her suspended sentence.

Hansen appeared before District Judge Robert Whelan on Wednesday and denied violations of her suspend sentence. He set an Aug. 21 hearing to consider evidence of the violations and if he finds them valid, he could send her to the Montana Womens Prison or to the Department of Corrections for placement elsewhere.

In November, District Judge Mike Salvagni called Hansen despicable for stealing more than $27,000 from her own mother. He rejected prosecutors recommendations for a six-year suspended sentence and gave her 10 years suspended instead.

Salvagni said then that if her suspended sentence was revoked, Its not going to be six years in prison, its going to be 10 years in prison.

She stole from her mother to feed her (drug) addiction and support her gambling addiction, Salvagni said then to Hansen, whose mother was sitting in the courtroom. There is absolutely no excuse for the defendants behavior.

Hansen was supposed to be taking care of her mother, Salvagni said, but instead was stealing her money, depriving her of basic needs like food, and leaving the mortgage and other bills unpaid.

Hansen had pleaded guilty to exploitation of an elderly person, a felony in Montana that carries a possible 10-year prison term and $10,000 fine.

The mother told police in October 2017 that Hansen and her husband had power of attorney over her because she had been sick, according to prosecutors. Police learned later that she was a widow, had cancer, and was showing signs of dementia.

She said her daughter was using her debit card and, instead of paying her bills with the money, was using it all for herself. The daughter had drug and gambling problems, she said.

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By Ruth Anderah.

A 21 year old man has been convicted and sentenced to five hours of community service over a theft of a mobile phone.

This after Briton Kasasira a resident of Masajja in Kampala pleaded guilty of stealing a Samsung J5 phone worth 650,000 shillings.

While sentencing him, Buganda road court grade one magistrate Robert Mukanza ruled that the suspect is a first time offender who did not waste courts time and seemed remorseful.

He has now been ordered to clean Buganda road court offices for five hours, failure to do so serves 6 months imprisonment in Luzira prison.

Prosecution states that on January 28th 2019, the convict robed the said phone from a one Hafiswa Husina while at Market Street Kampala central in Kampala district.
Some may argue after the school shootings in Colorado recently, it's not the right time to talk about guns in school.

But as school shootings seem to become more and more common, we can't wait for the right time because we don't believe there will be a time when talking about guns and schools won't be fraught with controversy.

The Legislature had sent a bill to Gov. Steve Bullock's desk that would have allowed marshals with minimal training to pack heat in schools.

This was the epitome of a problem in search of a solution.

More guns in school just ensure there are more guns in school. It doesn't ensure safety.

More guns in school just provide more opportunities for guns to be fired, fall into the wrong hands or someone to be killed because by mistake.

Some studies suggest that less than 20 percent of trained law enforcement officials can hit a target when firing in a stressful active-shooter situation. How much less accurate would a "school marshal" be if they didn't have nearly the training or experience?

We believe that schools across Montana should continue to consider improved safety measures because our state is by no means immune to the violence that other rural areas have seen at school. However, if Montana wants armed guards in its schools, we'd suggest we already have the system in place via school resource officers.

The barrier to that is cost and time: Training and paying for school resource officers is expensive. But, if school safety really is an issue, then isn't it worth whatever cost to do it correctly?

It seems like some lawmakers want the guns in school, but they don't want to pay the professional training that goes along with it. And if that's the case, then Montana is cheaping out, and making our kids vulnerable.

It's important to note that while the Republican-led Legislature got behind the bill, important law enforcement groups did not. If the people we train and trust with our lives everyday cannot support it, then we shouldn't either. Let the people trained to have the guns, keep the guns. The solution is simple, if we want more trained police officers, let's hire them.

This seems to be more political show than go, so to speak. Most people don't want someone whose only qualification is a series of training sessions carrying around a gun near or by their most precious asset, their children.

Bullock was right to veto the bill. Let's hope that as more and more violence happens, the urge to just add more guns to the mix doesn't grow more and more loud. We have to realize that adding more guns, no matter what that circumstances, will only increase the chance of a firearm being used -- and in a tight, closed space like a school, chocked full of school-aged children.

In many ways, this conversation mirrors the larger gun debate in America. We keep on trying to either legislate guns in or out of situations, all the while refusing to look at the common denominator -- and it has nothing to do with bullets, caliber or model. Instead, the common link seems to be mental illness. Let's face it: It's easy to regulate guns, or arm people trying to be the next John Wayne of the elementary school. Instead, imagine what could be gained by identifying those struggling and getting help.

Unfortunately that solution, while by no means novel, is rarely explored because of the high cost. But in more humane, enlightened world, we would come to recognize the school isn't the problem and neither are the guns. It's a broken system that cannot or will not recognize the great need for mental help and then act to intervene.

Putting more guns in more schools with less training seems to be a recipe for another tragedy.

The Billings Gazette

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Montana Governor Steve Bullock becomes Mr. 22 in the race for the Democratic presidential sweepstakes. Since hell be spending most of his time out of state, he should do the honorable thing and immediately resign as governor. A politician cannot serve two masters, so he should put down his veto pen and chase his folly. Resign now, Governor. Let the rest of us get on with taking care of the Treasure State.
Donald Trump ratcheted up his battle with China for dominance of 5G technology networks, moving to curb Huawei Technologies Co.s access to the U.S. market and American suppliers.

The U.S. president signed an order Wednesday thats expected to restrict Huawei and fellow Chinese telecommunications company ZTE Corp. from selling their equipment in the U.S. Shortly afterward, the Department of Commerce said it had put Huawei on a blacklist that could forbid it from doing business with American companies.

The pair of actions risk aggravating Beijing as the American president seeks to pressure Chinas leaders into agreeing to a wide-ranging trade deal. Trump has threatened to impose tariffs on almost all imports from the worlds No. 2 economy after last week hiking duties on some $200 billion in Chinese products.

In the executive order, which didnt name any countries or companies, Trump declared a national emergency relating to threats against information and communications technology and services. The Commerce Departments move to put Huawei on its Entity List means U.S. companies will need a special license to sell products to the Chinese company. A similar move against ZTE last year nearly forced the company to shut down before Trump intervened and a deal was reached.

Barring Huawei from buying American components could deal the Chinese giant a severe blow, and potentially impede the global roll-out of the fifth generation networks that are expected to support everything from autonomous cars to smart homes.

The impact is well-beyond its 5G ambitions because without these American suppliers like Qualcomm and Marvell, it cant even keep a normal operation, said Roger Sheng, a China-based analyst with Gartner Inc. One question remains unanswered though, is how strict will the U.S. execute the ban.

The administration has for months mounted an international campaign pinpointing Huawei as a security risk. U.S. prosecutors have indicted the company on charges of trade-secret theft and had Canada arrest a key executive on sanctions charges. Diplomats pressing allies to bar Huawei from 5G networks have said the company is subject to Chinese law that demands cooperation with security services, raising the specter of espionage. Huawei leaders have insisted their company operates independently of the Chinese government and that its products arent used for spying.

Shares in the Chinese companys Asian suppliers, including Sunny Optical Technology Group and AAC Technologies Holdings Inc., tanked Thursday. Huawei is estimated to devote almost a fifth of its spending to American companies from Micron Technology Inc. to Qualcomm Inc. Blocking that supply not only threatens to wallop those U.S. suppliers business, it could also impede Huawei from making everything from smartphones to networking gear. If that happens, countries and telecoms carriers around the world that are already shelling out billions to build 5G networks may have to rely on equipment from Nokia Oyj and Ericsson AB.

Restricting Huawei from doing business in the U.S. will only serve to limit the U.S. to inferior yet more expensive alternatives, the Shenzhen-based company said in a statement in response to Trumps actions on Thursday.

Commerce Role

The executive order doesnt outright ban U.S. sales by the companies, but would give greater authority to the Commerce Department to review products and purchases by firms connected to adversarial countries, including China. Commerce, in conjunction with national security agencies, is expected to determine whos considered an adversary as part of regulations to be written in the next 150 days.

Technology or services designed, developed, manufactured or supplied by companies subject to the jurisdiction of U.S. rivals, augments the ability of foreign adversaries to create and exploit vulnerabilities in information and communications technology and services, with potentially catastrophic effects, the order says.

Trade talks between the U.S. and China are teetering after Beijing reneged on tentative agreements, according to the president and American officials. An administration official said Tuesday that the order on telecommunications technology is unrelated to the recent escalation of the trade conflict.

The officials asked not to be identified discussing the order because it concerns national security.

The Commerce Departments blacklisting of Huawei isnt effective until its listed in the Federal Register. The department didnt say when that would occur.

Both Huawei and ZTE have also been targeted by the U.S. for alleged schemes to dodge American sanctions on Iran. Canadian authorities last December arrested Huaweis Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou at the request of the U.S., which seeks her extradition over allegations of violating Iran sanctions.

Meng, the daughter of Huaweis founder, remains under house arrest in Vancouver while the legal proceedings unfold.

International Campaign

The administration has urged allies to analyze risk before buying gear, Robert Strayer, deputy assistant secretary for cyber policy at the State Department, told the Senate Judiciary Committee at a hearing on Tuesday.

We are concerned that China could compel actions by network vendors to act against the interests of U.S. citizens and citizens of other countries around the world, Strayer said.The U.S. says Chinese law compels Huawei to cooperate with Beijings espionage agencies. U.S. officials say Huawei can build vulnerabilities, or backdoors, into equipment.

Last week, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission barred China Mobile Ltd. from the U.S. market over national security concerns and said it was opening a review of other Chinese companies.

The administration official said Wednesday that the Commerce Department was expected to take as long as six months to fashion an approach to the order, so there might not be an immediate effect. The government may eventually prohibit products from specific companies or countries as Commerce carries out Trumps order.

The U.S. has sought without much success to persuade other governments to exclude equipment made by Huawei from super-fast 5G mobile networks that will connect billions of devices.

At least one prominent Democrat praised Trumps decision. This is a needed step, and reflects the reality that Huawei and ZTE represent a threat to the security of U.S. and allied communications networks, Senator Mark Warner of Virginia, the vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said in a statement.
Here are five of the stories Jesse Duarte most enjoyed telling in 2021, from the history of Vasconi's Pharmacy to an elderly woman who spearhe
Butte County District Attorney Michael Ramsey said Wednesday he is continuing an investigation into whether PG&E or any of its personnel have any criminal liability in the deadly 2018 Camp Fire.

The statement came in the wake of Cal Fires announcement that it has determined the fire was caused by PG&E electrical transmission lines in the Sierra foothills in eastern Butte County.

The state agency said the fire was promoted by tinder-dry vegetation, strong winds and hot and dry weather. The fire swept southwest through the county and killed 85 people, burned 153,336 acres, destroyed 18,804 structures and leveled most of the city of Paradise.

Cal Fire said it is referring its report to the Butte County district attorney.

Ramsey said in his statement that his office and the California attorney generals office have already been investigating the fire since November.

The district attorney said the investigation could take weeks or months longer and said he wont comment further until it is completed. The full Cal Fire report will be confidential until a final decision is made on whether to file criminal charges, he said.

PG&E Co. said in a statement that it accepts Cal Fires conclusion on the cause of the fire and said it is fully cooperating with all ongoing investigations.

The utility is currently in a Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceeding, which enables it to suspend its debts and potential lawsuit liability while it develops a financial reorganization plan.

The Butte County district attorney previously conducted a misdemeanor criminal probe of the smaller 2017 Honey Fire in that county, which burned 150 acres. No one was injured. PG&E reached a $1.5 million settlement with the district attorney in that case.

But U.S. District Judge William Alsup of San Francisco concluded in January that the utility violated its probation in a federal criminal pipeline safety case by failing to tell its probation officer about the settlement.

On Monday, Alsup signed an order requiring the PG&E board of directors and senior managers to visit Paradise by July 15 as the utilitys sentence for the probation violation.

He also ordered the utility leaders to visit San Bruno, the site of a fatal PG&E natural gas pipeline explosion in 2010, and to establish a board committee to monitor wildfire prevention efforts.
From December 19th through December 26th we will be granting free access as a gift to our readers presented by Napa County Farm Bureau
WASHINGTONThe Trump administration on Thursday followed through with its plan to pull more than $900 million in federal funds from Californias beleaguered high-speed rail project.

The U.S. Department of Transportation said California officials failed to make reasonable progress and had not met federal requirements for the project. The decision is consistent with President Donald Trumps penchant for sparring with leaders of the liberal-leaning state.

After Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom in February proposed reducing the scope of the rail project, Trump tweeted that the project was a green disaster that wasted many billions of dollars.

They owe the Federal Government three and a half-billion dollars, Trump tweeted.

In addition to revoking the federal governments agreement to contribute $929 million to the project, the administration on Thursday said it continues to consider all options regarding the return of $2.5 billion in stimulus funds.

California officials have previously said Trumps move to pull federal funding from the project was political retribution against the state opposition to Trumps promised border wall.

In February, Trump tweeted: California, the state that has wasted billions of dollars on their out of control Fast Train, with no hope of completion, seems in charge of efforts by a number of states to oppose the wall.

In a March 4 letter, Brian Kelly, CEO of the California High-Speed Rail Authority, had called on the Trump administration to rethink its plan to cancel the more than $900 million, saying the clawback of federal funds would be disastrous policy.

Its hard to imagine how your agencyor the taxpayersmight benefit from partially constructed assets sitting stranded in the Central Valley of California . . . one of the nations most economically distressed regions, Kelly wrote. This infrastructure legacy would forever be a travesty.

Kelly said that far from abandoning a transformative vision, Newsom was seeking a pragmatic approach to using the funding now committed to this project to get high-speed trains on the ground in California as soon as possible. That means first finishing an early high-speed rail link between Merced and Bakersfield in the central valley, continuing regional projects in the north and south of the state, and securing environmental clearances for segments from San Francisco to Los Angeles/Anaheim, Kelly said.

But on Thursday, a statement from the Federal Railroad Administration said California has abandoned its original vision of a high-speed passenger rail service connecting San Francisco and Los Angeles, which was essential to its applications for federal grant funding.

In a letter to California officials, FRA Administrator Ronald Batory wrote that the state had originally proposed an 800-mile, statewide system with speeds up to 220 miles per hour connecting the Bay Area, the Central Valley, Sacramento, and Southern California.

Batory said the first phase, as described by California rail officials when they applied for federal funds, involved the construction of approximately 520 miles between San Francisco and Anaheim, connecting two metropolitan regions and more than 25 million people.

That dramatically reduced scope . . . is simply not consistent with what California originally promised, Batory said.

A Newsom spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
By Moses Kyeyune.

The Speaker of Parliament, Rebecca Kadaga has challenged the government to ring-fence exportation of labour to eligible government agencies and not the private sector.

This, she said, is the only way out to curb the rising cases of human trafficking.

Kadaga has been officiating at a workshop on modern slavery at Golden Tulip Hotel, in Kampala.

The remarks by the speaker come amidst public unrest and concerns of rights abuse suffered by Ugandan domestic workers, especially those in Oman, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates.

The workshop that pulled different stakeholders was meant to deliberate on proposals to be contained on the Anti-Slavery Bill 2018.

The private members bill is moved by Soroti Municipality MP, Herbert Ariko (FDC) with the aim of creating a regulatory mechanism on Labour Export.

The Speaker also says she is displeased with government officials including ministers who own labour export companies and that this is a threat to regulatory frameworks.
SAN FRANCISCO  California fire officials said Wednesday that Pacific Gas & Electric Corp. power lines sparked a Northern California blaze that killed 85 people, making it the deadliest U.S. wildfire in a century.

Cal Fire said transmission lines owned and operated by the San Francisco-based utility started the Nov. 8 fire in the Pulga area that nearly destroyed the town of Paradise in the Sierra Nevada foothills.

The fire wiped out nearly 15,000 homes. Many of those killed were elderly or disabled. The oldest was 99.

The investigation also identified a second nearby ignition site involving PG&Es electrical distribution lines that had come into contact with vegetation. The second fire was quickly consumed by the initial fire.

The disclosure came on the same day the utilitys new chief executive was testifying before a legislative committee in Sacramento. Bill Johnson told the state Assembly Utilities and Energy Committee he had expected the utility would be blamed for the fire.

I have made the assumption when I got here that PG&E equipment caused the fire, he said, noting the utility had said that was probable in recent filings. Its a disappointment that this happened. Lets not do it again.

Cal Fire did not release its full investigative report, saying it had been forwarded to the Butte County district attorneys office, which is considering filing criminal charges against the utility.

The utility, which filed for bankruptcy protection in January, said in February it was probable that one of its transmission lines sparked the blaze. PG&E has estimated its total liability from the Paradise fire and 2017 wildfires could top $30 billion.

The fire spread rapidly, burning into the communities of Concow and Magalia and the outskirts of east Chico. Authorities said it was like no fire they had seen before. Strong wind gusts blew hot embers a mile or more, creating multiple fires.

The utility previously acknowledged that the Caribou-Palermo transmission line lost power right before the fire and was later found to be damaged.

Paradise Mayor Jody Jones said Wednesday she was not surprised to hear Pacific Gas & Electric power lines sparked the blaze that decimated her town and she hopes the findings help the citys legal case against the utility.

Its nice to have a definite answer, Jones said.

Paradise sued PG&E in January seeking damages for the loss of infrastructure, land, property, trees, public and natural resources, and lost taxpayer resources.

The suit alleges the blaze started when electrical infrastructure owned, operated and maintained by PG&E failed, causing a spark that ignited the blaze.

The suit also alleges that PG&E had planned to de-energize power lines as a precaution against starting a fire but canceled those plans despite windy conditions.

PG&Es bankruptcy reorganization plan is due by the end of May, but it has requested an extension until November.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a Wednesday filing that PG&E shouldnt get an extra six months to reorganize. He said the utilitys request continues to show it lacks an urgent focus on improving safety.

Newsom and lawmakers are working on proposals related to utility liability for wildfires that could affect the bankruptcy.

Associated Press writers Kathleen Ronayne in Sacramento and Olga R. Rodriquez in San Francisco contributed to this story.
A month ago, I declared that President Donald Trumps trade war against China looked like it might be winding down. I was wrong.

Instead of capitulating in exchange for some agricultural purchases and other minor concessions, Trump is doubling down. Hes raising tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese imports from 10 percent to 25 percent, and imposing new tariffs on almost all of the remaining $325 billion or so.

China this week said it would retaliate and starting next month would impose tariffs on $60 billion of U.S. goods. This is the biggest trade war in modern American history.

There were several reasons it looked as if Trump might back off.

First, its very hard to verify whether Chinese theft of intellectual property  one of the biggest and most justified complaints from the U.S. side  is still happening. Even if Chinese companies and the Chinese military were to stop appropriating the fruits of U.S. research and development, they would still be able to make some progress by cleverly reverse-engineering American-made products, raising accusations of continued espionage.

A similar enforceability problem applies to Chinese non-tariff trade barriers. For example, Chinese local governments quietly and unofficially helping Chinese companies outcompete American companies in the domestic market. So even if China acceded to U.S. demands, ensuring compliance would be hard. The difficulty of establishing a credible enforcement mechanism is probably a big reason trade talks have broken down.

Second, the trade war has cost the U.S. Economists have shown that the actual burden of tariffs has fallen mostly on American consumers  in other words, the prices consumers pay for imported goods has risen, while the prices Chinese sellers receive hasnt changed much. And higher prices on capital goods and intermediate goods is raising expenses for U.S. manufacturers, making them less competitive. Meanwhile, Chinese retaliation has hurt U.S. farmers.

So with victory hard to verify and losses mounting, it looked like there was little reason to continue the trade war. Yet Trump is doubling down. Why?

Trump may be calculating that the strong U.S. economy and resilient stock markets mean that there is little downside to continuing the trade war. Despite higher import prices, real wages have generally continued to rise at a modest rate.

The economy also continues to add jobs at a strong pace, despite a historically low unemployment rate:

Meanwhile, U.S. stock markets are not all that much below record highs, having largely recovered from a tumble in late 2018. Chinas announcement of retaliatory tariffs has put a modest dent in equity markets, though that may well be temporary:

With the economy doing well enough for many Americans not to notice the pinch from the trade war, losses on the U.S. side have been concentrated among farmers. And it seems that Trump is betting that a combination of government payouts and cultural affinity will mean few farmers desert him at the ballot box.

Meanwhile, the trade war appears to be hurting Chinas economy. Its hard to isolate the affect of the dispute from other factors, like Chinese government attempts to crack down on the shadow-banking system. But the International Monetary Fund forecasts that the immediate blow from the trade war is hitting China much harder:

Chinese exports, fixed-asset investment, consumption and industrial production may already have taken a hit. In the long term, both U.S. tariffs and Chinese retaliation may deter multinational companies from producing goods in China; some already are blaming the trade war for a slowdown in foreign direct investment. And by forcing China to shift from exports to investment in order to sustain growth, the trade war might push the country toward a less productive growth model.

There may be a grim sort of logic to this approach. So far, Chinas ascent in the 21st century has looked unstoppable, as it gobbled up one manufacturing industry after another, shouldered the U.S. aside as the worlds biggest exporter, and became the beating heart of an East Asian economic supercluster. In addition to threatening to relegate North America to the global economys periphery, this trend directly imperils U.S. military dominance, as economic and technological supremacy tends to translate into military supremacy.

If Trump wants to slow Chinas ascent as a superpower, a trade war might be an effective way to do it. If the harm to the U.S. is modest and the costs for China are severe and lasting, Trump might conclude that the former are acceptable losses. Geopolitical primacy, not maximum prosperity for Americans, might be the presidents true objective.

Its also possible, of course, that the trade war is a purely populist endeavor, and that maintaining tariffs is simply a way for Trump to look tough. If he calculates that there is less to be gained from striking a deal than from continuing the tariffs, or if weakening China really is the goal, then this could be just the opening rounds of a long and grinding trade war.

Noah Smith is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist. He was an assistant professor of finance at Stony Brook University, and he blogs at Noahpinion.
At a meeting with journalists in New York last month, Iran's top diplomat presented a mnemonic for what he saw afflicting his nation. Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif decried the "four Bs," a group of men who, in Zarif's view, were perfidiously steering the United States toward war with Iran.

These were Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, United Arab Emirates crown prince and de facto ruler Mohamed bin Zayed, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and White House national security adviser John Bolton. The first two, Sunni Arab royals, see Iran as a regional nemesis; the latter two have made no secret of their hostility to diplomacy with Tehran and their desire, instead, for regime change there.

Zarif stressed that he believed that these four men were at odds with President Donald Trump, a leader averse to military entanglements in the Middle East and somebody who, left to his own devices, would happily cut a new deal with the Islamic republic rather than try to squeeze it into submission. But if the Iranian foreign minister genuinely thought Trump would tack a different direction a few weeks ago, he may think otherwise now.

On Monday, the New York Times reported that acting defense secretary Patrick Shanahan last week presented an updated military plan that included the possible deployment of 120,000 U.S. troops in the Middle East, which could theoretically form the logistical springboard for a ground invasion of Iran. Shanahan did so on the apparent request of Bolton, who not long before issued a video of himself announcing the arrival of a U.S. carrier group in the region in response to supposed new threats from Iran and its militant proxies in Iraq, Yemen and elsewhere.

"The high-level review of the Pentagon's plans was presented during a meeting about broader Iran policy," noted the Times. "It was held days after what the Trump administration described, without evidence, as new intelligence indicating that Iran was mobilizing proxy groups in Iraq and Syria to attack American forces."

The following day, Trump scoffed at the report but didn't deny that he would entertain such a commitment. "It's fake news, OK?" he told reporters. "Now, would I do that? Absolutely. But we have not planned for that. Hopefully we're not going to have to plan for that. And if we did that, we'd send a hell of a lot more troops" than the 120,000 figure floated by the Times.

As my colleague Adam Taylor wrote, American military planners are well aware of the colossal risks of conflict with Iran. But that doesn't mean American political leadership will steer the country away from a confrontational course. As with Venezuela and North Korea, Trump appears to have let Bolton take the lead on Iran, with potentially dangerous consequences.

The Trump administration's "maximum pressure" campaign on the Iranian regime seeks to choke off Iran's oil exports and coerce the regime to change its policies in the region. (Experts warn that sanctions are only galvanizing nationalist sentiment among Iranians.) In response, after a year of reckoning with the United States' reimposed sanctions, the Iranian government resumed a number of its nuclear activities previously curtailed by the nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers - an agreement that Trump, spurred by Bolton, opted to reject.

Tensions spiked after alleged attacks over the weekend on four oil tankers off the coast of the United Arab Emirates, which an anonymous U.S. official linked to Iran. On Tuesday, Saudi authorities said that armed drones flown by Iranian-backed Yemeni rebels hit two pumping stations on a major Saudi oil pipeline. Iranian officials denied culpability for the tanker attacks and claimed that they were being wrongly framed for sabotage. The Trump administration has long pointed to the "destabilizing" behavior of Iran and its militant allies in the region; analysts now fear that the guardrails that once kept a dangerous escalation at bay have fallen to the wayside.

"The sense of foreboding is tangible, the threats from both sides are no longer rhetorical," wrote the New Yorker's Robin Wright. "Before the nuclear-deal negotiations began, in 2013, Washington was consumed with hyped talk of the United States or its allies bombing Iran. If the nuclear deal formally dies, talk of military confrontation may again fill both capitals-even if neither country wants it."

In an interview with CNN, Majid Takht-Ravanchi, Iran's ambassador to the United Nations, suggested that the talk of new U.S. troop deployments to the Middle East was "psychological warfare" and then echoed Zarif's talking point. "Nobody is going to have benefit from such a conflict in our region, except for a few, some people in Washington and some countries in our neighborhood," Ravanchi said.

For now, the Trump administration insists that it doesn't want a fight. "We fundamentally do not seek war with Iran," Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on the sidelines of meetings with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Tuesday. "We have also made clear to the Iranians that if American interests are attacked we will most certainly respond in the appropriate fashion."

But the White House's moves have clearly irked allies in Europe and elsewhere, if not the "four Bs" identified by Zarif. On Monday, Pompeo unsuccessfully crashed a gathering of European foreign ministers, hoping to gin up a united front on Iran. He came away with little to show for it. Federica Mogherini, the European Union's foreign policy chief, cautioned that rather than "maximum pressure" on Iran, "the most responsible attitude to take should be that of maximum restraint and avoiding any escalation on the military side."

On Tuesday, Spanish authorities announced that they were withdrawing a frigate from a U.S.-led naval group in the Persian Gulf because Madrid wanted no part in an explicitly anti-Iran mission. "The U.S. government has taken a decision outside of the framework of what had been agreed with the Spanish navy," acting defense minister Margarita Robles told reporters in Brussels. On the same day, a leading British military officer in the anti-Islamic State coalition said there was "no increased threat from Iranian-backed forces in Iraq and Syria," according to the Guardian, seemingly contradicting the recent messaging from American civilian and military officials.

For some analysts, the lessons of the 2003 invasion of Iraq - which saw Bolton and other U.S. officials twist intelligence to justify war - have gone unheeded.

"I really cannot believe that we failed to learn anything from the first decade of this century," Elise Jordan, a former official in the George W. Bush White House, said during an appearance on MSNBC. "And we are actually considering escalating with Iran in a war that would further destabilize the region and unleash God knows what in terms of chaos in a very troubled region already."

Ishaan Tharoor writes about foreign affairs for The Washington Post. He previously was a senior editor and correspondent at Time magazine, based first in Hong Kong and later in New York.
I discovered my passion for the wines of Portugal in the late 1970s when my thirst to learn more about wine and its treasured history began in earnest. A friend introduced me to 1963 Grahams Vintage Port and that prompted my appreciation of something truly different to collect, enjoy and share with friends.

During the ensuing years, I expanded my love of Port by enjoying the cask- aged Tawnys, especially those 10-, 20-, and 30-year olds (White Ports, 40-Year Tawnys and Colheitas came later). But it wasnt until the mid-2000s that I discovered the ever-expanding selection of Portugals dry table wines that emanate from virtually every corner of this complex wine-producing country.

Portugal, on the western face of the Iberian Peninsula, is Europes most westerly country. And the DOC (Denominacao de Origem Controlada) of Colares, close to Lisbon, is the continents most westerly vineyard area, as well as one of its most unique with windswept vineyards of sand and bush trained vines.

Due to the Peninsulas relative geographic isolation from Europe, the grape varietals found in Portugal are unique and the descendants of wild grapes that once grew in the region. They are part of the Vitis Sylvestris family that is considered the ancestor of Vitis Vinifera (Cabernet, Chardonnay, Sangiovese, etc.) found elsewhere in Europe and now adopted internationally. Portugal is home to many of the most diverse vineyard locations, more than 250 native varietals and more indigenous grapes per square kilometer than any other wine producing country.

Just one-quarter the size of California, Portugal is 350 miles long but boasts 1,115 miles of coastline with inlets and bays providing an interwoven pattern of distinctive viticultural landscapes, each speaking to their individuality by varying climatic conditions, soil types and varietal composition. Its only land neighbor is Spain, which surrounds the country to the north and east with warmer continental climates, while the Atlantic Ocean lies to the west and south providing strong cooling influences along the coastline and a Mediterranean climate in the south.

Last month, I was invited to revisit the Wines of Portugal trade tasting in San Francisco, hosted by ViniPortugal for an intensive day of tasting 200 or so offerings from more than 30 producers. The wines ranged from sparkling to dry white, rose and red along with a variety of sweet and fortified examples. My highlight of the day was a three-part series of educational seminars conducted by Eugenio Jardim (retired sommelier and now U.S. Ambassador for Wines of Portugal) who partnered with Napa-based wine educator Gillian Balance MS.

Each seminar focused on a specific category (dry-white, dry-red and a variety of sweet wines) and began with an in depth presentation by Eugenio as an overview of Portugals wine-making history, growing areas and a multitude of personal insights.

Next came a representative tasting lead by Gillian of specific wines to highlight the differences found by area, varietal and style within the category. All producers presented at the seminars were also featured at the grand tasting, inviting a further exploration of their wines.

Each time I visit the wines of Portugal, either through tastings or during my travels there, I learn something new. Portugal is a complex web of individual expressions of terroir and second only to Italy with the number of indigenous varietals grown in its 31 DOCs, 14 VRs (Vinho Regional or IGT) and other non-classified areas.

During the three seminars/tastings conducted by Eugenio and Gillian, we were taken on a virtual vinous journey to many of these areas from Vinho Verde in the north through the Douro (the worlds first officially demarcated wine growing region in 1754) to Lisboa and Setubal, then inland to the Dao, Alentejo and more. Portuguese winemakers are primarily known for their skills in blending with some wines created in the winery and others as field blends, such as the Vinhas Velhas with interplanted vineyards of 40 or more indigenous varietals and vines 45 years and older.

Each wine presented during the seminars was an individual expression of its varietal blend and origin. Here are just a few of my standouts. In the dry-white category, the 2018 Casa Americo Quinta do Vale is an intriguing blend containing the most interesting Encruzado from the isolated (completely surrounded by four mountain ranges) Dao region. The warmer continental climate brought out the richness of melon and pitted fruit while maintaining refreshing aciditya benchmark of Portuguese whites.

The dry-red category was a bounty of riches. My discovery was the 2016 Niepoort Charme from the cooler part of the Douro and a vineyard boasting some of the worlds oldest vines. The nature of Charme was Burgundian in style as expressed by its pale crimson hue, inviting nose and elegance on the palate with strong notes of strawberry and sweet tannins. Although somewhat atypical of Douro reds, this wine was a true standout and possibly a preview of whats to come in the category.

In the Portuguese Sweet Decadence seminar, we were treated to a Kopke 10-Year White Port, a 1997 Ramos Pinto Vintage Port and two expressions of Moscatel. My discovery pick was the Jose Maria da Fonseca Alambre 20 Anos Moscatel de Setubal. From Setubals cooler Atlantic proximity this wine displayed notes of cola, candy and honey beautifully balanced by bright acidity culminating in a rich silky mouthfeel. The youngest fruit in the blend is from 20-year old vines and the oldest date to 1911.

And no tasting of Portuguese wines would be complete without a venture to the newest declared vintage of Port. I had the opportunity to taste the Symington Family Estates Smith Woodhouse and Cockburns Vintage Ports from the heralded 2016 vintage. Both were outstanding and an impressive indication of what we can look forward to from 2016.

After 2,000 years of grape growing and winemaking history, Portugal is embarking on a new trailblazing path in the world of fine wine that is best summed up by Eugenio as, A breath of fresh air in a world bored with homogeneity.

Share your experiences with other readers by commenting on this article with an email to me at allenbalik@savorlifethroughwine.com. Allen Balik, a Napa resident, has been a wine collector, consultant, author, fundraiser and enthusiast for more than 35 years.
The 2015 Jordan Winery Cabernet Sauvignon was released on May 1. Releasing a new vintage each year will always excite customers. But the release of the 2015 Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon was more than just the release of the new vintage. The release of the 2015 Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon has been a dream of the winemaking team for 15 years and it has finally come to life.

Established in 1972, Jordan Winery was inspired by Bordeaux. Founders Tom and Sally Jordan were Francophiles and were inspired to create a Bordeaux-style Cabernet Sauvignon in California. Located in Sonomas Alexander Valley, the Jordan chateau sits on 1,200 acres of rolling hills and as you drive up the long driveway, both the landscape and the architecture will make you think for a moment that you are in Bordeaux.

While Jordan Winery is not in Bordeaux, they use Bordeaux as a model. They aim to make balanced wines with bright acidity and low alcohol. To demonstrate the synergy, as well as to introduce the 2015, Jordan hosted a comparison tasting of three decades of Jordan Winery Cabernet Sauvignon and Pichon-Baron from Bordeaux.

1995 vintage We began the tasting with the 1995 Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon and the 1995 Pichon Baron. With almost 25 years of age on them, both wines showed beautifully. The 1995 Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon, a blend of 86 percent Cabernet Sauvignon and 12 percent Merlot, was made in two-thirds French oak and one-third American oak. It showed notes of black cherry and cassis with a hint of cedar. Similarly, the 1995 Pichon Baron had notes of black fruit and cassis with spice character. While the Jordan Cabernet still maintained a bit more structure, the two wines still showed fruit character after all this time.

2005 vintage

The 2005 vintage marks the year that second-generation vintner John Jordan took over from his parents. He brought a new energy to the winery and along with winemaker Rob Davis, who has crafted every vintage of Jordan since 1976, they looked to see what they could do better. Instead of focusing exclusively on estate fruit, they began playing with fruit sourced from the Alexander Valley.

The 2005 Jordan, a blend of 76 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, 19 percent Merlot and 5 percent Petit Verdot, the wine was aged in two-thirds French oak and one-third American oak. The wine has concentrated aromas of currant, dried cherry and blackberry with an herbaceous note. In comparison, the 2005 Jordan in magnum has more mountain fruits and bell pepper notes and the tannins are more integrated. The 2005 Jordan is bolder with a richer, more acidic palate than the 2005 Pichon Baron, a gorgeous wine with cassis and brown spice notes and bright sandy tannins that settle on the mid-palate.

In addition to the 2005 Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2005 Jordan Super Blend was a bit more of an experiment. The wine was made in 100 percent French oak and fruit was sourced from local vineyards. The result is a wine that more closely reflected the 2005 Pichon Baron. The herbaceous notes are gone, and the wine has more grippy, drying tannins and a sweetness comes through from the oak. Even with almost 15 years of age, the wine is still rather tight with time to age.

2015 vintage

In 2006, Maggie Kruse joined Jordan Winery, becoming associate winemaker in 2009. On an oak buying trip in 2010, Maggie and Rob Davis went to a forest in France to look at trees. They had lunch with the man who would be cutting down their tree that day. He climbed up the tree with a chainsaw around his waist to take off branches. Maggie described the intense emotion of watching a 200-year-old oak tree come down and then smelling the freshly felled tree. She and Rob knew that this is what they needed in their wine.

The idea of shifting to 100 percent French oak would be a departure from Jordans typical style, which included American oak. It would be a big decision, as well as a costly one, to shift and over the next years, Maggie and Rob tried different combinations. In 2014, they put together a tasting with various percentages of French and American oak for John Jordan to taste. The American oak was overpowering in the evaluations and after tasting a two-thirds/one-third combination, a three quarters/one quarter combination and a 100 percent French oak option, the final choice was 100 percent French oak.

The 2015 Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon, released on May 1, was made from 100 percent French oak, of which 40 percent is new oak. The 2015 Jordan is elegant with aromas of red plum, black cherries, cranberries, pomegranate and a hint of graphite. The wine has a silky texture and delicate tannins. Of all the Jordan wines we tasted, the 2015 was the most similar to the 2015 Pichon Baron, which has sweet notes of red plum, cassis and tobacco with grippy tannins.

The release of the 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon sets a new path for Jordan Winery as from this point forward, the intention is for Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon to be made exclusively with French oak.

Allison Levine is owner of Please The Palate, a marketing and event-planning agency. A freelance writer, she contributes to numerous publications while eating and drinking her way around the world. Allison is also the host of the wine podcast Wine Soundtrack USA. Contact her at allison@pleasethepalate.com.
The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of Assam police seized a consignment of over 2,100 illegal Burmese cigarettes brought in to Guwahati recently.

Additional Director General of Police (CID) LR Bishnoi said this on Thursday.

The consignment valued at Rs. 4,30,000 was brought by one Md. Abdul Wahid, a native of Manipur, to be circulated across Assam and other parts of the region, said Bishnoi.

Based on inputs that an illegal consignment was brought to the city, we raided a house in Guwahatis Panjabari area and seized the huge consignment. We have also arrested one Md. Abdul Wahid, said Bishnoi.

Bishnoi expressed concern over growing cases of Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act in the city and said 450 cases under the Act have been registered in Assam in 2018.

The accused has already confessed that he had brought such cigarettes to Guwahati three to four times in the past. These consignments are brought by road from Myanmar to Dimapur through Mizoram and then to Guwahati, he said.

Bishnoi further said the CID alone has seized over 30 lakh psychotropic tablets, over 1.25 lakh cough syrups, 7 kgs of heroine and 11,000 kgs of cannabis from different areas of the state in 2018.

The profit margin is very high in this illegal trade and hence people take it up. Md. Abdul Wahid confessed that his cut for the consignment was Rs. 90,000. Cost of one kg of heroine is Rs. 1 crore. So, one can well imagine the money involved in the illegal drugs trade, Bishnoi added.
Peskov labels topic of NATO's security guarantees as 'a matter of life and death' for Russia

Armenian political party: Artsakh can never be a part of Azerbaijan, no govt can subordinate will of people

Armenia PM responds to criticism from Karabakh officials in regard to his statements

Armenia and Karabakh Ombudspersons issue statement on Nikol Pashinyan's statements

Karabakh President responds to Armenia PM Nikol Pashinyan

Taliban advise US to not interfere in Afghanistan's domestic affairs

Karabakh Parliament Speaker: We are in a sad situation, sirs

Armenia opposition MP: Nikol stole from Karabakh-Armenians their small homeland, did he steal their dignity too?

2 more persons die of coronavirus in Karabakh

Armenia opposition MP on Pashinyan's recent statements on Artsakh and Karabakh legislature's upcoming session

Turkish drone strikes Kurds' Kobani in Syria - mass media

Karabakh Parliament to convene special session for adoption of statement

102 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Stoltenberg wishes to convene session of NATO-Russia Council on Jan. 12 - mass media

2 earthquakes hit coasts of Kamchatka Peninsula in one hour

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
Huawei, the largest manufacturer of telecommunications equipment from China, said that unreasonable US restrictive measures against the company would not help Washington to gain security and become stronger, America would have to use more expensive and less quality alternative equipment, Tech Chrunch reported.

Earlier, the US Department of Commerce announced that it intends to blacklist Huawei. The company will be blacklisted along with 70 of its units for activities contrary to US national security.

Restricting Huawei from doing business in the U.S. will not make the U.S. more secure or stronger; instead, this will only serve to limit the U.S. to inferior yet more expensive alternatives, leaving the U.S. lagging behind in 5G deployment, and eventually harming the interests of U.S. companies and consumers, Huawei said in the statement.

In addition, the Chinese company said the U.S.s unreasonable restrictions will infringe upon Huaweis rights and raise other serious legal issues, though it did not spell out what those rights and legal concerns are.

Huawei nevertheless expressed its willingness to maintain contact with the US government to ensure the security of its products.

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday signed a decree announcing the national emergency regime amid threats to information technology. The Secretary of Commerce is charged with banning transactions that create an unacceptable risk to US national security or the safety of US residents.

Specific countries and companies are not mentioned in the decree, however, it is believed that it is directed primarily against China and Huawei and ZTE. Earlier, US said it would impede the use of Huawei equipment when creating new-generation 5G cellular networks both in the US and in other countries.
YEREVAN.  The consideration of the substantiation of the pretrial measure of remanding Armenias second President Robert Kocharyan in custody is being examined Thursday, at the capital city Yerevan Court of General Jurisdiction, for the fourth day.

At the previous preliminary hearing on Wednesday, Kocharyans legal defenders continued to present their position on the aforesaid pretrial measure that has been imposed on the second President, and they motioned that he be released from custody.

Before preparing the criminal case involving Kocharyan for trial, the court has to decide whether to commute, overturn, or sustain the court ruling on remanding the second President in custody.

Robert Kocharyan is charged with breaching the constitutional order of Armeniaand in connection with the tragic events that occurred in Yerevan, in March 2008and, by using his official position, taking a particularly large bribe.

On March 1 and 2, 2008 the then authorities of Armenia used force against the opposition members who were rallying in downtown 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.
The UN has called on the world community to take active measures to reduce the threat of natural disasters.

As noted in a UN Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR) report released on Wednesday in Geneva, the risks become systematic: one disaster can quickly lead to another due to the complexity of the global economy and the close interaction of man and nature, and this requires strategies to prevent them.

"Extreme changes in planetary and socioecological systems are happening now; we no longer have the luxury of procrastination," china.org reported quoting Mami Mizutori, the UN Secretary-General special representative for Disaster Risk Reduction. "If we continue living in this way, engaging with each other and the planet in the way we do, then our very survival is in doubt," she said.

Pressure on ecosystems

UNISDR noted that economic models that are not based on the principles of sustainable development pose great dangers.

According to experts, growth of the population and the level of consumption have, as never before, a strong pressure on world ecosystems.

There is also a growing potential of situations when one natural disaster aggravates the consequences of another. This happens, for example, when heavy rains lead to landslides and mudslides following forest fires that have erupted after a long drought, experts noted. Humanity faces not only well-known, but also new risks, UNISDR warns .

This is a situation where extreme weather events lead to technological accidents, and this turns into serious problems for business, experts explain.

The authors of the report also draw attention to serious inequalities in the distribution of burden between low and high income countries. According to them, the poorest countries suffer the worst disasters. Human losses and material damage relative to gross domestic product tend to be higher in countries with the least capacity to respond to disasters.

Experts urge governments to actively implement the 2015 Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction.
The head of the Transitional Military Council of Sudan said it was decided to suspend talks with the opposition for three days and dismantle all the barricades built by the protesters, Xinhuanet reported.

"We have decided to suspend the negotiation for 72 hours until a climate is prepared for the talks," said TMC Chairman Abdel-Fattah Al-Burhan in a statement broadcast live by official Sudan TV early Thursday.

On Monday evening, armed people, dressed in the uniform of the rapid reaction forces, broke into the square near the complex of buildings of the Sudanese Defense Ministry in Khartoum. According to witnesses, they opened fire on demonstrators stationed in the square. The Sudanese Transitional Military Council accused third forces of attacking demonstrators in the capitals square and trying to wreck an agreement on the structure of power with the opposition. It is reported that six people died as a result of the shooting.

The military coup took place in Sudan on April 11 amid the four-month popular protests. President Omar al-Bashir was removed from power, and later imprisoned. The transitional military council formed by the army took control of the government, and announced its intention to transfer the leadership to the elected authorities within two years. However, popular protests, despite the promises of the military, do not subside. The protesters demand the immediate formation of a civil governing body and the transfer of all powers to it.
YEREVAN  The opposing demonstrations by the supporters of Armenias second President Robert Kocharyan and by the pro-government supporters resumed Thursday outside the capital city Yerevan Court of General Jurisdiction.

A large number of police forces are patrolling outside this court. They are overseeing the law and order, and asking the protesters not to curse at each other and not to exacerbate the situation.

As reported earlier, the consideration of the substantiation of the pretrial measure of remanding Robert Kocharyan in custody is being examined Thursday, at the aforementioned court, for the fourth day.

At the previous preliminary hearing on Wednesday, Kocharyans legal defenders continued to present their argument regarding the abovementioned pretrial measure that has been imposed on the second President, and they motioned that he be released from custody.

Before preparing the criminal case involving Kocharyan for trial, the court has to decide whether to commute, overturn, or sustain the court ruling on remanding him in custody.

Robert Kocharyan is charged with breaching the constitutional order of Armeniaand in connection with the tragic events that occurred in Yerevan, in March 2008and, by using his official position, taking a particularly large bribe.

On March 1 and 2, 2008 the then authorities of Armenia used force against the opposition members who were rallying in downtown 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.  There are people that you have to say 15 times to in order to enter [into their heads]. All the same; it doesnt enter. The second President of Armenia, Robert Kocharyan, on Thursday stated this in court, and responding to the courts remark that his legal defenders were repeating their arguments.

Aram Orbelyan, one of Kocharyans attorneys, presented to the court their arguments for releasing Kocharyan from custody. Orbelyan once again stressed that after being released from custody in the past, Kocharyan had not obstructed the investigation of the criminal case he is involved in. The attorney added that after Robert Kocharyan was released earlier, he could have easily left Armenia, but did not do so.

The court, however, remarked that Kocharyans legal defender Hayk Alumyan had already stated all this.

Robert Kocharyan, in turn, responded to the court by noting that they have to repeat.

There are people that you have to say 15 times to in order to enter [into their heads], the second President said. [But] all the same; it doesnt enter.

Attorney Orbelyan motioned that Robert Kocharyan be release from custody.

As reported earlier, the consideration of the substantiation of the pretrial measure of remanding Armenias second President Robert Kocharyan in custody is being examined Thursday, at the capital city Yerevan Court of General Jurisdiction court, for the fourth day.

Before preparing the criminal case involving Kocharyan for trial, the court has to decide whether to commute, overturn, or sustain the court ruling on remanding him in custody.

Robert Kocharyan is charged with breaching the constitutional order of Armeniaand in connection with the tragic events that occurred in Yerevan, in March 2008and, by using his official position, taking a particularly large bribe.

On March 1 and 2, 2008 the then authorities of Armenia used force against the opposition members who were rallying in downtown 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.  Artsakh Republic (Nagorno-Karabakh Republic) President Bako Sahakyan and second President Arkadi Ghukasyan, who on Tuesday personally pledged for the release of Armenias second President Robert Kocharyan, on Thursday will arrive in the capital city Yerevan Court of General Jurisdiction, at 5pm.

Aram Orbelyan, one of Kocharyans legal defenders, noted about this during the courts consideration of the substantiation of the pretrial measure of remanding him in custody.

The court had stated the guarantors attendance to the respective court hearing was mandatory so that their consequent rights can be explained to them. In addition, if the defendant does not show proper conduct if released from custody, the guarantor for this person bears accountability in terms of being brought to criminal account.

As reported earlier, the consideration of the substantiation of the pretrial measure of remanding Armenias second President Robert Kocharyan in custody is being examined Thursday, Yerevan Court of General Jurisdiction court, for the fourth day.

Before preparing the criminal case involving Kocharyan for trial, the court has to decide whether to commute, overturn, or sustain the court ruling on remanding him in custody.

Robert Kocharyan is charged with breaching the constitutional order of Armeniaand in connection with the tragic events that occurred in Yerevan, in March 2008and, by using his official position, taking a particularly large bribe.

On March 1 and 2, 2008 the then authorities of Armenia used force against the opposition members who were rallying in downtown 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.
bigtunaonline/iStock(WASHINGTON) -- President Donald Trump's administration launched a new tool for reporting alleged political bias on Wednesday in the wake of controversial bans targeting high-profile Republican personalities on social media.



The tool will allow members of the public to report possible political censorship on Facebook, Twitter and Google's YouTube, platforms that the president has often accused of silencing right-wing voices.



"SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS should advance FREEDOM OF SPEECH," according to the form, which the White Houses official Twitter account posted on Wednesday. "Yet too many Americans have seen their accounts suspended, banned, or fraudulently reported for unclear 'violations' of user policies."



The administration called the form an example of how it's "fighting for free speech online."



"No matter your views, if you suspect political bias caused such an action to be taken against you, share your story with President Trump," the website said.



The form urges users to post screenshots to back up claims of political bias and it also asks for the respondent's first and last name, zip code, phone number and their citizenship of residency status.



Once they provide the required information, the tool asks them to explain what happened to their social media account and whether or not a particular post was targeted.

The Trump Administration is fighting for free speech online.



No matter your views, if you suspect political bias has caused you to be censored or silenced online, we want to hear about it! https://t.co/9lc0cqUhuf pic.twitter.com/J8ICbx42dz  The White House (@WhiteHouse) May 15, 2019

Republicans on Capitol Hill have spent more than a year holding hearings over what they claim is bias against conservative news and viewpoints, even suggesting the censorship of some political speech raises antitrust issues. But tech companies say it's not about political speech, but rather speech that incites violence or hate.



One business and technology expert called the new tool a sign of how free speech is being politicized.



"It's troubling on on all sides when a functional, important underpinning of our society is being is being utilized for political gains," Robert Foehl, a business law and ethics professor at Ohio University College of Business, told ABC News. "We're in a time right now where I think it's vitally important for our citizens to understand the importance of freedom of speech."



He said the tool could definitely help to ensure freedom of speech as media outlets step up efforts to monitor potentially dangerous content.



The roll out came just hours after Facebook, Twitter and Google joined with world leaders in France to sign the so-called Christchurch Call -- a global accord that aims to curb online hate speech and violent extremism in the wake of the deadly mosque shootings in New Zealand.



French President Emmanuel Macron and New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, were joined by leaders from the U.K., Canada, Jordan, Indonesia and others on Wednesday to sign the agreement.



The Trump administration balked at the agreement, citing freedom of speech protections, but it said it agreed in principle.



The United States is not currently in a position to join the endorsement," a White House spokesperson said in a statement Wednesday. "The best tool to defeat terrorist speech is productive speech."



Michael Beckerman, president of the Internet Association, a trade organization that represents most of the biggest technology companies, including Facebook, Google and Twitter, said it wouldnt be good business for online platforms to censor users based on political ideologies.



"IA member company platforms dont have a political ideology or political bias, and it would make no business sense for companies to stifle the speech of half -- or any significant portion -- their customers," Beckerman said in a statement. "The success and growth of internet companies depends upon a broad user base regardless of party affiliation or political perspectives."



President Barack Obama's administration ignited controversy nearly a decade ago when it when it encouraged people to flag misleading messages about the president's health care reform plan.



Macon Phillips, Obamas former director of digital strategy, said it's ironic to see Trump deploy the same tactics that Republicans criticized during the previous administration.



"It's just a cynical way of using the same tools we try to use, but just like I don't know much about all," Phillips told ABC News. "Their digital strategy is about distraction from the issues that people care about."



Phillips, who currently serves as chief digital officer at anti-poverty nonprofit CARE USA, said the Trump administration doesn't seem to have much of a digital strategy beyond the president's Twitter account. He said the new forum could be used as a tool to sow more distrust and confusion online.



"A good digital program involves empathy and curiosity and interest in your audience, and I don't think the Trump administration is doing anything from that standpoint," he said.



"If Trump had something to say, you know, about constructive positive things, he would," Phillips added. "Instead, he focuses on a digital push right now to sow more doubt and division and distract from some really really difficult truths that he needs to grapple with."



Copyright  2019, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
At the invitation of President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, President of the Republic of Armenia Armen Sarkissian participated today in the opening of the 12th Astana Economic Forum in Nur-Sultan, reports the official website of the Staff of the President of Armenia.

The forum has gathered the current and former heads of states, governments and international organizations, business leaders and economists who are discussing the global trends in economy and the global structural changes.

The keynote speakers of the forums plenary session were the leaders of Armenia, Kazakhstan and Georgia, the Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund, the first Deputy Prime Minister of China and others.

Expressing gratitude to the President of Kazakhstan for the invitation, President Sarkissian particularly talked about the importance of having a vision. Everything starts from a vision, a dream. I remember the first time I visited Astana in the early 1990s. It was a small city in the heart of Kazakhstan. However, President Nazarbayev had a dream and a vision, and he turned it into a reality. Everything truly starts from a vision.

According to the President, one of the visions is what kind of a world we want to see in 20-30 years from now. What is our vision for the next 20-30 years? To think about that, we need to go back 20-30 years and see where we were. We didnt have the small devices that control our lives, starting from family photos and ending with all the information in the world. What will happen 20-30 years from now when we apply artificial intelligence that will completely change, say, our healthcare? Where will we be when communication will be with higher quality and when all industries will be linked to artificial intelligence and management of big data? Are we going to be afraid of that? The answer is no because these are actually great advantages. This is a new era and a world that we must receive with open arms. Are we ready for it? Im not 100% sure. Can we become ready for it? I am 100% sure. We need to start getting ready for it and focus on education, preparing our children for the next phase of the real 21st century, President Sarkissian highlighted.

According to him, companies involved in the information and high technologies sector that are focused on artificial intelligence are becoming the locomotive in the 21st century, not companies dealing with natural resources. There are two factors underlying this change. The first factor is man, who has the tools that will help man make the fourth industrial revolution and will allow anyone to be creative, even by staying at home. The second factor is the fourth industrial revolution, but in this case, I will insist that there is another revolution. We are moving towards revolutionary evolution. Changes wont take place in the court of thirty years. The world will change every day, and we need to be ready for this, the President added.

Talking about Armenias place in the global world, he stated the following: I am positive about the future of my country and people. Our small country, that is, the Republic of Armenia, is the home of all Armenians around the world. We have a small country, but we are a nation of people scattered across the globe. We are a part of the 21st century and are globally integrated. I encourage everyone to be globally integrated, creative and resistant to changes. Since this world is going to be changing every day, we need to be ready for this. Everything starts from the young generation and education. Everything starts from the vision.
Nearly 50 years after the Supreme Courts landmark Roe v. Wade decision affirmed the legality of a womans right to have an abortion under the Fourteenth Amendment, Alabama Republican Governor Kay Ivey has signed into law the nations most restrictive anti-abortion bill, making it a felony to perform the procedure in nearly all cases.

The near-total abortion ban, known as the Human Life Protection Act, prohibits abortion or attempted abortion in Alabama, except in cases where abortion is necessary in order to prevent a serious health risk to the unborn childs mother. There is no exception for pregnancies resulting from rape and incest.

Women who have abortions will not be prosecuted under the law, but physicians could be charged with a felony and face up to 99 years in prison for performing the procedure.

Abortion rights advocates have reacted with outrage, promising to challenge the measure in the courts.

The Alabama bill is the latest in a flurry of anti-abortion legislation in other states that is ultimately aimed at gutting Roe v. Wade now that a more conservative U.S. Supreme Court is in place, legal experts say.

Kentucky, Mississippi, Ohio, and Georgia recently approved bans on abortion once a fetal heartbeat is detected, passing so-called heartbeat bills. But the Alabama bill bans abortion almost outright.

Clearly the sponsors of these abortion bans have become emboldened by the new conservative majority on the Supreme Court, said Caroline Mala Corbin, a professor of law at the University of Miami School of Law. While [recently retired Justice Anthony] Kennedy was also generally conservative, he sided with the liberals in refusing to eliminate womens constitutional right to abortion. Justice Kennedy was replaced by [Brett] Kavanaugh, who probably does not share Justice Kennedys reluctance.

During his confirmation hearing, Kavanaugh said he considers Roe v. Wade as important precedent of the Supreme Court that has been reaffirmed many times. But his dissenting opinion in a case in which the Washington, D.C. Circuit allowed a 17-year-old to end her pregnancy has raised questions about his stance on abortion.

Claire Oueslati-Porter, a senior lecturer in the UM College of Arts and Sciences Gender and Sexuality Studies program, said the Alabama bill signed into law on Wednesday could actually be detrimental to women because it does not allow for exceptions in cases of rape and incest.

This communicates a message to people that they cannot have bodily autonomy at a time in their lives where re-establishing control over their bodies is vital to healing the trauma of sexual violence. We have only to look to the examples of countries that have enacted similar policies to see the disastrous outcomes of abortion bans even in the case of rape and incest, said Oueslati-Porter, noting the recent case of an 11-year-old girl who was forced to give birth to her rapists baby after authorities in Argentina refused to allow her an abortion. The girl had become pregnant after her grandmothers 65-year-old partner raped her.

Corbin and Oueslati-Porter weigh in on some of the other important issues related to the Alabama abortion law:

Why did the sponsors of this bill draft such extreme legislation? Is it their intent to take down Roe v. Wade?

It is currently unconstitutional to ban abortion before viability, which occurs at around 24-28 weeks pregnancy. Therefore, any law that bans abortion earlier unquestionably violates the constitution, and lower courts will strike these bans down. Every state passing these bans hopes that the Supreme Court will use their law to overrule Roe v. Wade.

 Caroline Mala Corbin, professor in the University of Miami School of Law

How will opponents of the Alabama law and bills passed in other states restricting abortion attempt to stop such laws, and whats the likelihood that one of these cases makes it to the Supreme Court?

Defenders of womens reproductive autonomy will challenge each of these bans, as they have challenged every restriction on abortion passed since womens right to abortion was first recognized. As far as the bans go, they should succeed. The Supreme Court will take up one of these cases if four members of the court are so inclined.

 Caroline Mala Corbin, professor in the University of Miami School of Law

How dangerous is this bill? Could it result in a return to unsafe, backstreet abortions of the kind that were performed before Roe v. Wade?

The bill (and others like it) is dangerous in several ways. We know that people do not stop having abortions when abortion becomes illegal. People who need abortions will seek the procedure out in a context of illegality. For people with wealth, there will be good options, including traveling (in secret if necessary) to a place where abortion is safe and legal to obtain the procedure. For people without disposable funds to take a trip to a location that allows safe and legal abortion, it is a much more dangerous reality.

 Claire Oueslati-Porter, senior lecturer in Gender and Sexuality Studies

Could it result in the return of backstreet abortions of the kind that were performed before Roe v. Wade?

Illegal abortions are unregulated, and while some good people will be among those willing to face 99 years in prison for providing abortions, nefarious individuals will also provide abortions. As was the case before the legalization of abortion in the U.S., there was an underground market for abortions that was often extremely expensive and unsafe. Working-class and low-income communities in Alabama will be hit hardest by this bill. It is also worth considering that Alabama is among the poorest places in the U.S. and has some of the poorest sub-regions in the industrialized world. The violence of that poverty is exacerbated when people cannot access safe and legal abortion.

Claire Oueslati-Porter, senior lecturer in Gender and Sexuality Studies
Sustaining the law school mission  Jake Yates, who earned his degree from the SIU School of Law this spring, provided more than 680 hours of pro bono work in 15 months working for Land of Lincoln Legal Aid in Carbondale. (Photo by Russell Bailey)

SIU graduate exemplifies law schools mission of public service

by Pete Rosenbery

CARBONDALE, Ill.  The opportunity to help others was among the reasons that Jake Yates opted to go to law school.

Yates, who earned his juris doctorate May 10 from the SIU School of Law certainly met, and exceeded, that expectation while at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. Yates exemplified the schools standard of serving the public good with 683.6 hours of self-reported pro bono work for Land of Lincoln Legal Aid in Carbondale over a 15-month period between January 2018 and April 2019.

The experience of assisting people in need of legal help was rewarding, said Yates, 27, the son of Sue and Mark Yates of Bonne Terre, Missouri.

I found it very fascinating, he said. You get to see people from all different walks of life. And you can see how you helped in their lives and how hopefully better their lives are.

Honored at commencement ceremonies

Yates was recognized at commencement exercises for accumulating the highest pro bono hours among the 76 Class of 2019 graduates. Records dating back to 2015 show Yates ranks second among graduating students in pro bono hours.

He earned his bachelors degree in criminology from the University of Missouri-St. Louis in 2014. Yates said he knew he wanted to continue on with graduate school and took a couple of years to evaluate everything to see what was best for him.

He came to the law school in August 2016 and chose SIU because it was close to home and the small setting really won me over. Yates is staying in Southern Illinois as he prepares for the Missouri Bar Exam this summer, but will move back to his hometown afterward.

Hes unsure what type of law he wants to practice but his favorite areas were employment law, bankruptcy and criminal procedure.

Involved in a variety of legal work

Yates came to Land of Lincoln on the recommendation of a friend, said Sandi Gordon, a staff attorney who supervised Yates work. In addition to learning office procedures, Yates conducted client interviews, worked on motions and case preparation. He was involved with cases dealing with debt collections, bankruptcies, case expungements and assisting in student loan cases.

The pro bono accomplishment is something Yates said he didnt think about. He worked an average of 15 to 20 hours a week during each of his last three semesters in law school, along with 30 to 35 hours a week in summer 2018 while taking two weeks off for vacation.

After earning his Illinois Student Practice License, or 711 License last summer, Yates represented clients in court under the supervision of a licensed attorney. One of the harder things was to get up and figure out what to say to the judge and make sure everything is in order, he said.

It was a great learning experience, Yates said. Its something I cannot ever lose.

Experiential learning was a benefit

The internship aided Yates classroom work. He was able to increase his knowledge in areas including legal research and writing, expungements, and memo drafting.

The pro bono experience and the variety of internships and externships that students can be involved with allow students to see what the practice of law is like in a very condensed setting, and allows them to explore career interests, Mike Ruiz, assistant dean for career services and special projects, said. Ruiz oversees the law schools pro bono requirement program.

Students gain appreciation for people in need of help

Gordon likes that law students who work there gain an appreciation for the plight and special issues that many people face. Yates had a good relationship with clients, including one who was wondering where Yates had gone to once his pro bono work was complete, she said.

Yates was very dedicated to helping the indigent. It was very rewarding to see, she added.

With the varied clients and cases Yates was involved with, Gordon said she is confident that Yates will continue to work hard as he starts his career.

Im confident that he will be successful in his legal practice, she said. He received a lot of experience and made an effort to learn. He will be able to dedicate that type of energy and effort in his career.

Commitment to serve the public good

Established in the public interest in 1973 to serve the public good, the law school was the first in Illinois to include pro bono work as part of a graduation requirement. Students must complete 35 hours of approved pro bono work that is law-related, uncompensated, supervised by an attorney, and not for academic credit.

Yates is now one of 4,570 graduates of the law school, which held its first commencement in 1976.

Although pro bono work by licensed attorneys is strongly encouraged, Illinois does not have a pro bono requirement, according to the Illinois Bar Association. The pro bono work by students gets them out into the community, strengthening their skills and building resumes, Ruiz said.

Yates took advantage of that in a special way, Ruiz said. Hes clearly committed to serving the public good. You put that number of hours in for something that you are not getting credit or pay it shows that you are dedicated to something more than yourself.
SIUs Leadership Development Program wins 2019 Delyte Morris Award

by Christi Mathis

CARBONDALE, Ill.  The Leadership Development Program (LDP), a unique Southern Illinois University Carbondale registered student organization, has earned the 2019 Delyte Morris Award for Community Service Excellence. The award is presented annually to the student or student organization that best demonstrates excellence and commitment to community service.

Named in honor Delyte Morris, the late SIU president who believed that service is an integral part of higher education, the winner is chosen from nominations submitted by community partners that SIU students assist in some way.

Commitment honored

These students are the embodiment of caring and professionalism, Courtney Haddick, Carbondale New School office operations/board of directors member, wrote in nominating the LDP for the award.

They are thoughtful and clear communicators who work together to identify problems, create solutions and enact change, Haddick added. Each student we have had the pleasure of working with has been kind, considerate and an example of what we want our students to become in the future. They have wonderful attention to detail and the ability to see the larger problem at the same time.

Bruce DeRuntz, director of the LDP and a professor with the SIU technology degree program, said he and the organizations members were honored to learn they were chosen for the award.

It is wonderful to see the students in the LDP recognized for their hard work, DeRuntz said. They devote many, many hours throughout the year to several service projects in the community while juggling classes and schoolwork. They lead their own teams and are in charge of their own projects.

SIUs Center for Service-Learning and Volunteerism coordinates the presentation of the Delyte Morris Award for Community Service Excellence.

Helped in many ways

The LDPs members have given of their time and energy at Carbondale New School in numerous ways, facilitating small and large projects since 2017. These projects, typically requiring 100 hours or more to complete, have involved not only manual labor, but also extensive planning and organization.

The SIU student volunteers have undertaken landscaping projects, including weeding and trimming trees on the playground and at the certified nature classroom to enhance its appearance and visibility and improve student safety.

They also cleaned and organized the schools furnace room, which serves as the buildings storage area, streamlined and inventoried the tools and resources and painted the cafeteria, hallways and restrooms.

Most importantly, all of these changes are motivating to our students, staff and parents, improving morale, pride and the efforts of all of our stakeholders, Haddick wrote.

Diverse volunteerism

LDPs commitment to volunteerism extends well beyond the Carbondale New School, and the focus on service is what the group is all about, according to DeRuntz.

Being part of the LDP requires determination, teamwork, leadership skills and a commitment to helping others, he said. We are able to make a big impact with only 30 members because we have hard-working students on board. We look for students who are committed to excellence, able to face diversity and have a GPA of at least 3.0.

The LDP worked throughout the year with service sites including the Science Center, Red Cross Blood Drive, the Eurma C. Hayes Center, the Womens Center, and the United Methodist Camp. The Salukis have done landscaping, prepared cabins, helped evaluate vehicles during a free automobile check-up event and so much more.

We are often asked how we get students to commit to 6 a.m. meetings, weekend community service projects, team workouts and more, DeRuntz said. Our answer is that our students wouldnt have it any other way, and in fact, are thriving.

All S.T.E.M.

Virtually all students in the LDP program are science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) majors. They primarily get involved as sophomores or juniors.

Madeleine Meyer, a May automotive technology graduate from St. Louis, is one of the LDP members and the co-chair of the Women in Automotive Transportation Technology (WATT) student organization.

The skills I learned while in the LDP helped shape me into a leader and a professional, she said. The support I received from the staff and other students was unparalleled. We were involved in service projects with many non-profit organizations. I am grateful to the LDP; I am who I am today because of the program.

She said that initially, the thought of 6 a.m. meetings was daunting but she quickly realized that the big commitment helped set us up for success.

Meyer had a job waiting for her at Subaru upon graduation.

The Leadership Development Program is an asset to the Southern Illinois community and an exceptional opportunity for SIU Carbondale students who are motivated to gain work skills, Haddick said. She also praised DeRuntz for his leadership and mentoring with the LDP.

Members recognized

The award-winning 2019 LDP members, listed by hometown along with year and major, are:

Benton

Carterville

Kayla Stuthers, junior, microbiology

Chicago Heights

Christopher

Zachary Boehl, sophomore, mechanical engineering

Downs

Gannon Patrick Druessel, junior, physiology

Brock Ward, freshman, mechanical engineering

Elk Grove Village

Steven Bartoszewski, junior, automotive technology

Huntley

Dan Finnamore, junior, industrial management and applied engineering

Mahomet

AJ Ross, junior, automotive technology

New Athens

Madison Wilderman, junior, mathematics

Newton

Devon Cantrell, sophomore, electrical engineering

Peoria

Ruben Moro Roman, junior, mechanical engineering

Pinckneyville

Breanna Whitley, senior, plant biology

Ruma

Sidney

Robert Alexander Lozar-McDonald, graduate student, industrial management and applied engineering

Skokie

Sparta

Olivia Paige Hood, junior, physics

Washington

Tyler Harrell, junior, electrical engineering technology

Watseka

Jeremy Love, May graduate, information systems technologies

Missouri

Fenton

Connor Eigelberger, junior, mechanical engineering

St. Louis

Madeleine Meyer, May graduate, automotive technology

Wentzville

Jessica Higginbotham, May graduate, biological sciences

Brazil

Rio Claro, Sao Paulo

Joao Vitor Bacco Facciotti, May industrial management and applied engineering

Diogo Seixas, May MBA

India

Hyderabad

Abhishek Chitti, May mechanical engineering

Nikhila Induru, graduate student in electrical and computer engineering,

Success draws sponsors

DeRuntz notes that the LDP is one of the most successful programs of its kind in the nation and that success has drawn a number of well-known companies as sponsors, including Advanced Technology Services Inc. (ATS), The Boeing Company, Conseco Group, Magna International/Nascote Industries Inc., Nucor, Spartan Light Metal Products, Southern Illinois Healthcare, Shawnee Health Services, Jabil Packaging Solutions, Hella Electronics and Illinois Manufacturing Extension Center.

The program is also supported by the National Science Foundation, which awarded SIU a $1 million grant to expand the program into the four STEM colleges from its origins in the College of Engineering, and the George A. Bates Memorial Foundation.

To learn more
3760 Bird Road. | Photos: Zumper

Curious just how far your dollar goes in Coral Way?

According to Walk Score, this Miami neighborhood is very walkable, is relatively bikeable and offers many nearby public transportation options. Data from rental site Zumper shows that the median rent for a one bedroom in Coral Way is currently hovering around $1,660.

So, what might you expect to find if you don't want to spend more than $1,800 / month on rent? Read on for a roundup of the latest rental offerings, via Zumper. (Note: prices and availability are subject to change.)

Hoodline offers data-driven analysis of local happenings and trends across cities. Links included in this article may earn Hoodline a commission on clicks and transactions.

2665 S.W. 37th Ave., #802

Listed at $1,800/month, this 802-square-foot one-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment is located at 2665 S.W. 37th Ave., #802.

In the apartment, you can expect a breakfast bar, in-unit laundry and a walk-in closet. The building offers assigned parking, on-site management and a swimming pool. Animals are not allowed. There's no leasing fee required for this rental.

(Check out the complete listing here.)

3760 Bird Road

Next, there's this studio located at 3760 Bird Road. It's listed for $1,795/month for its 502 square feet of space.

In the apartment, there are stainless steel appliances, stone countertops and in-unit laundry. Building amenities include a swimming pool, a fitness center and garage parking. If you've got a pet, you'll be happy to learn that cats and dogs are welcome. The rental doesn't require a leasing fee.

(See the complete listing here.)

2400 S.W. Third Ave., #604

Here's a one-bedroom, one-bathroom condo at 2400 S.W. Third Ave., #604 that's going for $1,750/month.

Inside, you'll get a walk-in closet, stainless steel appliances and spacious closets. The building boasts storage space. Neither cats nor dogs are welcome. Future tenants needn't worry about a leasing fee.

Story continues

(See the full listing here.)

1627 S.W. 37th Ave., #1102

Located at 1627 S.W. 37th Ave., #1102, here's a one-bedroom, one-and-a-half-bathroom condo that's also listed for $1,750/month.

In the unit, you can anticipate a dishwasher, a balcony and in-unit laundry. The building offers assigned parking, a swimming pool and a fitness center. Pets are not welcome. Future tenants needn't worry about a leasing fee.

(Take a gander at the complete listing here.)

2263 S.W. 37th Ave.

Listed at $1,725/month, this 566-square-foot one-bedroom, one-bathroom is located at 2263 S.W. 37th Ave.

Inside, you can anticipate a granite countertops, tile floors and in-unit laundry. When it comes to building amenities, expect secured entry, garage parking and a swimming pool. Cats and dogs are not welcome.

(Check out the complete listing here.)

This story was created automatically using local real estate data, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback.
(Updates to add company comment)

MUMBAI, May 16 (Reuters) - Amazon.com faced a social media backlash in India on Thursday after toilet seat covers and other items emblazoned with images of Hindu gods were spotted on its website.

Thousands of Twitter users backed a call for a boycott of the U.S. retailer, making #BoycottAmazon India's top trending topic on Twitter. Some tagged Indian Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj, urging her to take action against the company.

Amazon, the world's biggest online retailer, said it was removing the products from its online store.

"All sellers must follow our selling guidelines and those who do not will be subject to action including potential removal of their account," the company said in a statement.

The episode is reminiscent of an incident in 2017 when the Indian government took Amazon to task after its Canadian website was spotted selling doormats resembling India's flag.

Swaraj at the time threatened to rescind visas of Amazon employees if the doormats were not removed from its site.

Reuters found several listings of toilet seat covers, yoga mats, sneakers, rugs and other items depicting Hindu gods, or sacred Hindu symbols, on Amazon's U.S. website.

Some of the items were no longer available for purchase.

"Until you hit these Hinduphobics Business hard they will keep on insulting your gods, your beliefs & your entire civilization," tweeted Sumit Kandel, whose profile describes him as a film trade analyst. (Reporting by Sankalp Phartiyal; Editing by Mark Potter and Susan Fenton)
(Updates with background)

By Bill Trott

May 16 (Reuters) - I.M. Pei, whose modern designs and high-profile projects made him one of the best-known and most prolific architects of the 20th century, has died, the New York Times reported on Thursday. He was 102.

Pei, whose portfolio included a controversial renovation of Paris' Louvre Museum and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, died overnight, his son Chien Chung Pei told the newspaper.

Ieoh Ming Pei, the son of a prominent banker in China, left his homeland in 1935, moving to the United States and studying architecture at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University. After teaching and working for the U.S. government, he went to work for a New York developer in 1948 and started his own firm in 1955.

The museums, municipal buildings, hotels, schools and other structures that Pei built around the world showed precision geometry and an abstract quality with a reverence for light. They were composed of stone, steel and glass and, as with the Louvre, he often worked glass pyramids into his projects.

The Louvre, parts of which date to the 12th century, proved to be Pei's most controversial work, starting with the fact that he was not French. After being chosen for the job by President Francois Mitterrand amid much secrecy, Pei began by making a four-month study of the museum and French history.

He created a futuristic 70-foot-tall (21-m) steel-framed, glass-walled pyramid as a grand entrance for the museum with three smaller pyramids nearby. It was a striking contrast to the existing Louvre structures in classic French style and was reviled by many French.

A French newspaper described Pei's pyramids as "an annex to Disneyland" while an environmental group said they belonged in a desert.

Pei said the Louvre was undoubtedly the most difficult job of his career. When it opened in 1993 he said he had wanted to create a modern space that did not detract from the traditional part of the museum.

Story continues

"Contemporary architects tend to impose modernity on something," he said in an New York Times interview in 2008. "There is a certain concern for history but it's not very deep. I understand that time has changed, we have evolved. But I don't want to forget the beginning. A lasting architecture has to have roots."

Other notable Pei projects include the John F. Kennedy Library in Dorchester, Massachusetts, the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado, the East Wing of the National Gallery of Art in Washington and the Dallas City Hall.

When Pei won the international Pritzker Architecture Prize in 1983, he used the $100,000 award to start a program for aspiring Chinese architects to study in the United States.

Even though he formally retired from his firm in 1990, Pei was still taking on projects in his late 80s, such as museums in Luxembourg, Qatar and his ancestral home of Suzhou.

Pei, a slight man who wore round, owl-ish glasses, became a U.S. citizen in 1955. He was married to Eileen Loo from 1942 until her death in 2014. They had four children, two of whom became architects.

(Additional reporting by Brendan O'Brien in Chicago; Editing by Diane Craft and Cynthia Osterman)
(Adds details, shares; Compares with estimates)

May 16 (Reuters) - Chinese search engine operator Baidu Inc on Thursday reported lower-than-expected first-quarter earnings and forecast quarterly revenue below estimates, sending its shares down 8% in extended trading.

Revenue from its online marketing services business, a major contributor to overall sales, rose nearly 3% to 17.66 billion yuan ($2.57 billion), but missed estimates of $2.66 billion, according to research firm FactSet.

"Despite government policies to improve the market condition for SMEs, we anticipate online marketing in the near term to face a challenging environment," Chief Financial Officer Herman Yu said.

Baidu forecast second-quarter revenue of 25.1 billion yuan to 26.6 billion yuan, while analysts had expected 29.30 billion yuan, according to IBES data from Refinitiv.

The company reported a net loss attributable to shareholders of 327 million yuan ($47.51 million) in the first quarter ended March 31, compared with net income of 6.69 billion yuan a year earlier.

Excluding items, the company earned 2.77 yuan per American depositary share, falling short of estimates of 2.89 yuan per ADS.

Total revenue rose 15.4% to 24.12 billion yuan ($3.50 billion). Analysts on average had expected the company to report revenue of 24.16 billion yuan, according to IBES data from Refinitiv. ($1 = 6.8832 Chinese yuan renminbi) (Reporting by Akanksha Rana in Bengaluru and Josh Horwitz in Shanghai; Editing by Anil D'Silva)
(Adds claim of responsibility from Islamic State, background)

NIAMEY, May 16 (Reuters) - Islamic State's West African branch on Thursday claimed responsibility for an ambush that killed 28 soldiers this week in Niger, as the militant groups seek to establish roots in the impoverished Sahel region.

Tuesday's ambush occurred near the town of Tongo Tongo, where fighters from an Islamic State affiliate killed four U.S. special forces and four Nigerien soldiers in an ambush in October 2017.

Government soldiers were pursuing gunmen who had earlier attacked a high security prison, when one of their vehicles rode over a mine and they came under fire, government spokesman Abdourahamane Zakaria told Reuters.

The claim of responsibility was translated into English and published on the SITE Intelligence website.

Islamist militants loyal to Adnan Abu Waleed al-Sahrawi, the leader of Islamic State in the Greater Sahara, operate along Mali's border with Burkina Faso and Niger, in the vicinity of Tuesday's attack.

The other regional group claiming allegiance to Islamic State -- IS West Africa Province or ISWAP -- is based more than 1,000 miles away, in southeast Niger.

The attack, one of the deadliest against the military in Niger's west in recent years, marks a major setback for military operations trying to restore order in a region plagued by jihadist groups and allied criminal gangs.

Despite years of heavy deployments of French, U.S. and U.N. forces, Africa's Sahel region remains a tinderbox of Islamist fighters, ethnic militias and criminal smuggling rackets.

The border areas where Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali meet are especially dangerous and violence is worsening across the region. Gunmen suspected to be Islamists killed at least 10 in apparently sectarian attacks on churches in neighboring Burkina Faso this week. (Reporting by Moussa Aksar in Niamey Additional reporting by Hesham Hajali in Cairo Writing by Tim Cocks and Edward McAllister Editing by Gareth Jones and Catherine Evans)
* Long-term ETA leader fugitive from justice since 2002

* Convicted of belonging to terrorist group

* Wanted in Spain over 1987 Zaragoza bombing, which killed 11

* Ternera announced dissolution of Basque group in 2018 (Adds comment from French prosecutor's office source, details throughout)

MADRID/SALLANCHES, May 16 (Reuters) - ETA kingpin Josu Ternera, described by Spain as the Basque separatist group's most wanted fugitive, was arrested in France on Thursday after more than 16 years in hiding from authorities in both countries.

Ternera was a long-time leader of a group estimated to have killed more than 850 people during a 50-year guerrilla campaign aimed at creating a Basque state in northern Spain and southwest France. He announced its dissolution in 2018.

Spain wants to try Ternera over accusations that he ordered the bombing of a Civil Guard barracks in the city of Zaragoza in 1987 that killed 11 people including six children.

The 69-year old was arrested in the French Alps on a separate warrant from a Paris court that sentenced him in absentia in 2017 to eight years in prison for membership of a terrorist group, a French judicial source said.

He had been on the run since 2002 when, while he was serving as a lawmaker in the Basque regional parliament, Spain's supreme court issued an international arrest warrant against him over the 1987 attack.

The Association of the Basque Country Victims of Terrorism said it wanted Ternera to be tried for all his alleged crimes.

"Today we start on a path to dignity," Covite president Consuelo Ordonez tweeted.

Pilar Vallarin, who lost a brother and niece in the Zaragoza bombing, told Basque Radio SER Euskadi: "We've lived for 31 years knowing that this guy is free and at ease."

TAKEN TO HOSPITAL

Spain's acting interior minister, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, said France should allow Spain to try Ternera, whose real name is Jose Antonio Urrutikoetxea, before he served his French sentence.

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He also said that, as a Spanish citizen, Ternera could ask to serve his sentence in Spain.

Ternera was arrested in a joint Franco-Spanish operation in the town of Sallanches and, after asking for a doctor, was taken to hospital, a source in the French prosecutor's office said. The Spanish news site El Pais said he had been on his way to receive cancer treatment when he was detained.

French media said it was likely Ternera would be taken to appear before a judge in the nearby town of Bonneville. A Reuters photographer saw a man, cuffed and hooded, being led out of the courthouse by plain-clothed police wearing balaclavas, to be driven away in an unmarked police car under escort.

Spain's Interior Ministry said Ternera had been living nearby in Saint-Gervais-les-Bains, close to France's border with Italy and Switzerland.

"Franco-Spanish cooperation has once again demonstrated its effectiveness," Spain's acting prime minister, Pedro Sanchez, said in a statement.

ETA (Euskadi Ta Askatasuna, or Basque Country and Freedom) declared a ceasefire in 2011 and handed over weapons in April 2017, bringing Western Europe's last major armed insurgency to a close. Ternera announced a year ago that it had dismantled all its structures. (Reporting by Sabela Ojea, Andres Gonzalez, Andrei Khalip, Sam Edwards; Emmanuel Jarry, Richard Lough in Paris; Denis Balibouse in Sallanches; Writing by Ingrid Melander; Editing by Kevin Liffey)
(Adds details of fresh clashes, casualties)

By Fayaz Bukhari

SRINAGAR, May 16 (Reuters) - Indian troops and separatist militants clashed in Indian-controlled Kashmir on Thursday and nine people were killed, officials said, the latest casualties in a new phase of violence in the 30-year insurgency.

In one of the deadliest clashes since the Feb. 14 suicide bomb attack in the valley, three Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) militants, including a Pakistani commander, two members of the local Hizbul Mujahideen, two Indian soldiers and two civilians were killed.

Tension in Muslim-majority Kashmir has been high since the suicide bomb attack by the Pakistan-based JeM militant group killed at least 40 Indian paramilitary police.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave troops a "free hand" to respond to the attack, and near-daily searches in villages in Kashmir since then have often triggered violent confrontations, with civilians caught in crossfire to the alarm of rights groups.

Modi's tough response to the bomb attack, which included an air strike against what India said was a militant camp in Pakistan, is believed to have given his party a boost in a general election that began on April 11 and ends on May 19.

JEM leaders were killed in a gun battle in Dalipora, a village in south Kashmir, where clashes began between the militant group and Indian soldiers in the early hours, while Hizbul Mujahideen militants were killed in a separate clash in the Handew area of south Kashmir's Shopian district.

ROCKS AND TEARGAS

Villagers said a civilian, who they identified as Rayees Ahmad Dar, 32, was killed after Indian soldiers sent him to search a house where militants were believed to be hiding. Villagers in the area have complained before about the army using civilians in searches.

A police spokesman said Dar was killed in indiscriminate firing by the militants and denied he had been sent on a search.

After the clash, villagers threw rocks at security forces, who responded with teargas, while lawyers in the state's high court went on strike in protest over Dar's death.

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Police said seven people had been arrested and a curfew imposed on a town in the region after a Muslim man transporting horses was shot dead, allegedly by a Hindu group wanting to protect the rights of cows, which they consider sacred.

Yasir Hussain told Reuters he was one of three men confronted overnight by the group on the outskirts of Bhaderwah.

"They alleged that we are cow smugglers, but I directed my torch towards the horses," he said. "They fired at us and we fled."

Kashmir is at the heart of decades of hostility between India and Pakistan. The nuclear-armed neighbors both claim it in full but rule it in part.

The rivals have fought three wars since independence, two of them over the Himalayan region, and came close to another after the February bomb attack.

Separatist militants, who India says are backed by Pakistan, have been fighting Indian security forces since 1989. Pakistan denies supporting the insurgents.

"Even in the holy month of Ramadan there is no let up in killings and bloodshed in Kashmir as civilians, armed youth or even Indian forces are getting killed, Kashmir's main separatist political group, the Joint Resistance Leadership, said in a statement. It called for a general strike in Kashmir on Friday. (Reporting by Fayaz Bukhari Writing by Alasdair Pal; Editing by Janet Lawrence)
(Adds additional orders from judge for release of transcripts, paragraphs 1-2,)

By Nathan Layne

May 16 (Reuters) - Former U.S. national security adviser Michael Flynn gave Special Counsel Robert Mueller information about attempts by people tied to the Trump administration and Congress to obstruct the Russia investigation, court documents released on Thursday showed.

The documents revealed for the first time sections that had originally been blacked out before last month's release of Mueller's report on his probe into Russia's meddling in the 2016 election. The new disclosures were made at prosecutors' request.

Flynn "informed the government of multiple instances, both before and after his guilty plea, where either he or his attorneys received communications from persons connected to the Administration or Congress that could have affected both his willingness to cooperate and the completeness of that cooperation," Mueller wrote in a memo originally submitted ahead of Flynn's planned sentencing on Dec. 18, 2018.

"The defendant even provided a voicemail recording of one such communication. In some instances, the SCO was unaware of the outreach until being alerted to it by the defendant," he wrote, using the acronym for the Special Counsel's Office.

U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan, who is overseeing Flynn's case, further ordered the government to disclose transcripts of the voicemail recording and of Flynn's conversations with Russian officials by May 31, and an unredacted version of the sections of Mueller's report relating to Flynn.

Flynn pleaded guilty to lying to FBI agents about his December 2016 conversations with Sergei Kislyak, then Russias ambassador in Washington, about U.S. sanctions imposed on Moscow by the administration of Trumps Democratic predecessor Barack Obama. The conversations took place between Trump's November election victory and his inauguration in January 2017.

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Flynn had been scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 18 but the judge fiercely criticized the retired U.S. Army lieutenant general for his actions and delayed his sentencing until after he had finished helping prosecutors with other probes.

Mueller has asked for the judge not to sentence Flynn to prison given his substantial cooperation.

Flynn is still cooperating with prosecutors in the Eastern District of Virginia against his former business partner, Bijan Rafiekian, who was indicted on allegations of unregistered lobbying on behalf of Turkey. Rafiekian has pleaded not guilty and will take his case to a trial scheduled to begin in July.

Mueller completed his investigation in March. While he did not find that there was a conspiracy between Moscow and the Trump campaign to influence the 2016 election, his report describes multiple actions Trump took to try to impede the investigation. The report stopped short of declaring Trump had committed a crime. (Reporting by Nathan Layne in New York Editing by James Dalgleish and Paul Tait)
(Corrects the source in paragraphs 9, 10, 12, 13 making clear that Subir Gokarn's and Mahinda Siriwardana's views reflect Sri Lanka's and are not the IMF's official position)

By Shihar Aneez

COLOMBO, May 16 (Reuters) - The International Monetary Fund said on Thursday it was holding its forecast for Sri Lanka's 2019 economic growth at 3.5% in spite of devastating Easter bombings, saying it was too early to assess financial damage.

The April 21 bombings, which killed more than 250 people in churches and hotels and were claimed by Islamic State, have scared tourists away and soured business sentiment on the island.

Sri Lanka's economy, which depends on tourism, garment manufacturing, tea exports and remittances, was already at a low point before the bombings.

The economy grew 3.2% last year, the weakest in 17 years, as a weeks-long political crisis and monetary policy tightenings sapped business confidence and cooled investment.

A Reuters poll of 10 analysts predicted last week that growth could slide to just 2.5% this year following the attacks.

But the IMF said it was maintaining its growth projection due a lack of new official data and clear information to assess the impact on growth of the Easter bombings.

"It will be speculative for us to revise our growth projection at this juncture," Manuela Goretti, the IMF's mission chief for Sri Lanka, said in a teleconference with journalists in the capital Colombo.

"So we maintain our growth projection for 2019 at 3.5% with the gradual improvement in the medium term at 5%."

Subir Gokarn, the executive director for Sri Lanka, India, Bhutan and Bangladesh at the IMF, and his alternate, Mahinda Siriwardana, said in an earlier report that Sri Lanka's budget and current account deficits could widen more than expected because of the bombings.

The IMF said in an emailed statement on Friday that the views of the executive director for Sri Lanka represent the country's authorities and are different from the fund's official position.

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Previously, the IMF said it expected that this year's fiscal deficit would fall to 4.5% of gross domestic product (GDP) from last year's 5.3%, and the current account deficit to 2.8% from 3.2% in 2018.

Gokarn and Siriwardana did not provide fresh estimates, but said normalcy had largely returned to the island, thanks to government measures including the implementation of an emergency law.

"Authorities expect to get through this incident expeditiously, putting the country back on track to benefit from improving economic fundamentals," the directors said.

In March, the Fund agreed to extend a $1.5 billion loan facility to Sri Lanka for an extra year, following the country's seven-week political crisis last year.

On Tuesday, the lender approved disbursal of a $164 million tranche, bringing the total disbursed to more than $1.16 billion.

The loan is crucial for Sri Lanka to secure more attractive borrowing terms. (Reporting by Shihar Aneez Writing by Alexandra Ulmer Editing by Richard Borsuk and Frances Kerry)
* Iranian foreign minister says renewed sanctions 'unacceptable'

* Iran exercising 'maximum restraint' after US left nuclear deal

* Trump took U.S. out of deal, renewed sanctions

* Attacks on tankers raise concerns; US staff removed from Iraq

* US sends carrier group to Middle East to counter threats (Updates throughout with quotes from Zarif and Kono, background; adds bullet points)

TOKYO, May 16 (Reuters) - Iran is committed to its obligations under an international nuclear deal despite the U.S. withdrawal from the landmark agreement, its foreign minister said on Thursday, calling the reimposition of sanctions by Washington "unacceptable."

Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif made the comments in a meeting with his Japanese counterpart in Tokyo as tensions rise in the Middle East, fueling concerns that the United States and Iran are heading for conflict.

Iran is exercising "maximum restraint in spite of the fact the United States withdrew from (the) JCPOA last May," Zarif said at the start of his meeting with Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono.

He was referring to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action signed in 2015 by the United States, Iran and other countries, under which Tehran curbed its uranium enrichment capacity and won sanctions relief in return.

President Donald Trump withdrew the United States from the nuclear deal last year and is ratcheting up sanctions on Iran, aiming to strangle its economy by ending its international sales of crude oil. Japan was a major buyer of Iranian oil for decades before the sanctions.

An attack on four oil tankers in the Gulf on Sunday, for which no one has claimed responsibility, and Saudi Arabia's announcement on Tuesday that armed drones hit two of its oil pumping stations have raised tensions.

The United States withdrew staff from its embassy in Iraq on Wednesday out of apparent concern about perceived threats from Iran, with U.S. sources saying they believe Tehran encouraged the attacks on the oil tankers.

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Trump is sending an aircraft carrier group, B-52 bombers and Patriot missiles to the Middle East to counter what the United States calls a heightened threat from Iran to American soldiers and interests in the region.

"We believe that escalation by the United States is unacceptable and uncalled for," Zarif told Kono in front of reporters before they met privately.

Nevertheless, Iran has relaxed restrictions on its nuclear program and threatened actions that may breach the nuclear deal, although the initial moves do not appear to violate the agreement.

"We are seriously concerned over the situation in the Middle East," Kono told Zarif. "I will spare no effort to ease tensions and try to resolve outstanding issues."

Kono said it was essential to maintain the nuclear agreement and urged Iran to keep implementing it, echoing other countries.

Asian shippers and refiners have put ships heading to the Middle East on alert and are expecting a possible rise in marine insurance premiums after recent attacks on Saudi oil tankers and pipeline facilities, industry sources said on Tuesday. (Reporting by Kiyoshi Takenaka Writing by Aaron Sheldrick Editing by Chang-Ran Kim and Paul Tait)
(Updates with news conference)

THE HAGUE, May 16 (Reuters) - Police in six countries have dismantled a complex cybercrime network that operated from Eastern Europe and fleeced victims - including small businesses and charities - of some $100 million, Europe's police agency said on Thursday.

The GozNym network, led by a man from Tbilisi, Georgia, used phishing emails to infect the computers of more than 41,000 victims with malware. Specialized members of the group in Bulgaria and Ukraine then seized control of victims' online bank accounts and tranferred their funds to laundering accounts.

Ten of the network's members have been charged with conspiracy to steal online banking credentials and deposits under a U.S. grand jury indictment.

"The victims included mom and pop busineses..., law firms, international corporations,...non-profit organizations that worked with disabled children," U.S. Attorney Scott Brady told a news conference in The Hague.

Brady said the collaboration between American, Georgian, Ukrainian, German, Bulgarian and Moldovan law enforcement that was required to dismantle the crime group would prove a "blueprint" for future operations.

GozNym featured the Georgian ringleader, a Russian software developer, encryption experts in Moldova and Kazakhstan, "account takeover specialists" in Bulgaria and Ukraine, as well as assorted spammers, money launderers and "mules" (money carriers).

The defendants allegedly advertised their specialized technical skills and services on underground, Russian-speaking online forums.

The operation against the group began in 2016 with a German-led action in Ukraine that shut down the networks servers.

Its alleged leader is being prosecuted in Georgia. Other prosecutions are underway in Moldova, Ukraine and the U.S.

Five Russians charged in the U.S. indictment, including the man accused of having developed the malware, remain at large, according to Europol.

(Reporting by Anthony Deutsch Editing by Mark Heinrich)
* Deputy defense minister calls Yemen's Houthis an Iranian "tool"

* Iran-aligned Houthis claimed attack, deny Tehran had a role

* Drone strike came two days after attack on ships off UAE coast

* FACTBOX-Hormuz: the world's top oil artery (Adds Houthi comment, Kuwaiti official, newspaper editorial)

By Stephen Kalin and Asma Alsharif

RIYADH, May 16 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia's deputy defense minister on Thursday accused Iran of ordering an attack on Saudi oil pumping stations that Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi militia has claimed responsibility for.

The attack "proves that these militias are merely a tool that Iran's regime uses to implement its expansionist agenda," tweeted Prince Khalid bin Salman, a son of King Salman.

"The terrorist acts, ordered by the regime in Tehran, and carried out by the Houthis, are tightening the noose around the ongoing political efforts."

The Houthis, which have been battling a Saudi-led military coalition for four years, said they carried out Tuesday's drone strikes against the East-West pipeline, which caused a fire but Riyadh said did not disrupt output or exports.

The head of the Houthis' Supreme Revolutionary Committee denied that Iran directed the strike and said the movement manufactures its drones locally. Tehran also denies providing arms to the Houthis.

"We are not agents for anyone," Mohammed Ali al-Houthi told Reuters. "We make decisions independently and do not take orders for drones or anything else."

Other Saudi officials fired off similar tweets, ratcheting up pressure on the kingdom's regional arch-enemy amid heightened tension between Washington and Tehran over sanctions and U.S. military presence in the Gulf.

"The Houthis are an integral part of the Revolutionary Guard forces of Iran and follow their orders, as proven by them targeting installations in the kingdom," Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Adel al-Jubeir tweeted.

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The ambassador to Yemen followed up, writing that the Houthis had "made Yemen a platform for Iranian terrorism against Yemenis and their interests, and a tool to attack Saudi Arabia."

AIR STRIKES

Saudi Arabia's main English newspaper called for "surgical strikes" against Iran.

"Our point of view is that they must be hit hard," said an Arab News editorial. "We call for a decisive, punitive reaction to what happened so that Iran knows that every single move they make will have consequences."

The coalition, which receives arms and intelligence from Western nations, carried out air strikes on Thursday in and around Yemen's capital Sanaa, which the Houthis control.

The drone attack happened two days after four vessels, including two Saudi oil tankers, were damaged by sabotage off the coast of the United Arab Emirates. The other ships were a Norwegian-registered oil products tanker and a UAE-flagged bunker barge.

The UAE has not blamed anyone for that incident, which is being investigated and from which Iran has distanced itself.

On Wednesday, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash said the UAE would show restraint and was committed to de-escalation. He declined to speculate about who was behind the attack near Fujairah emirate while the investigation was underway and due to be completed within days.

U.S. officials believe Iran encouraged the Houthis or Iraq-based Shi'ite militias to carry out the attack, two U.S. government sources have said. One source said Washington does not have evidence that Iranian personnel played any direct operational role.

U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres has condemned the attacks and called for "maximum restraint" by all sides.

The attacks took place against a backdrop of U.S.-Iranian tension following Washingtons decision this month to try to cut Tehran's oil exports to zero and beef up its military presence in the Gulf in response to what it called Iranian threats.

Saudi Arabia and the UAE back the sanctions against Iran, a fellow OPEC producer but regional foe.

Tehran has called the U.S. military presence "a target" rather than a threat, and said it would not allow its oil exports to be halted.

Iran's foreign minister has said extremist individuals in the U.S. government were pursuing dangerous policies and Tehran is not seeking confrontation.

After a meeting on Thursday, Kuwait's parliament chief said ministers had discussed preparations for any potential state of war, and he called the coming period "dangerous" and "uncertain."

(Additional reporting by Asma Alsharif, Lisa Barrington and Aziz El Yaakoubi in Dubai and Ahmed Hegagy in Kuwait; Writing by Ghaida Ghantous; Editing by Gareth Jones, John Stonestreet, William Maclean)
* Saudi-led coalition aims to neutralize Houthi armed capabilities

* Air strikes follow drone attacks on Saudi oil installations

* Riyadh accuses Iran of ordering drone attacks, Houthis deny that

* Sanaa resident says raid hit houses, Houthis report six dead

* Coalition says "precision" strikes targeted military sites (Adds Iran reaction)

By Abdulrahman Al-Ansi

SANAA, May 16 (Reuters) - The Saudi-led military coalition in Yemen carried out several air strikes on the Houthi-held capital Sanaa on Thursday after the Iranian-aligned movement claimed responsibility for drone attacks on Saudi oil installations.

The Sanaa strikes targeted nine military sites in and around the city, residents said, with humanitarian agencies reporting a number of casualties.

Rubble filled a populated street lined by mud-brick houses, a Reuters journalist on the scene said. A crowd of men lifted the body of a women, wrapped in a white shroud, into an ambulance.

Houthi-run Masirah television quoted the Houthi health ministry as saying six civilians, including four children, had been killed and 60 wounded, including two Russian women working in the health sector.

Medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres said two hospitals it supports in Sanaa took in 48 injured and four dead people as a result of the strikes. Preliminary reports indicated five children were among those killed, the U.N. humanitarian coordinator in Yemen said.

A coalition statement carried by Saudi-owned Al Arabiya TV, said the Sunni Muslim alliance struck military bases and facilities and weapons storage sites with the aim of "neutralizing the ability of the Houthi militia to carry out acts of aggression."

"The sorties achieved its goals with full precision," the coalition said. It had urged civilians to avoid those targets.

A later statement said "the possibility of an accident" had been referred to a body set up by the coalition to investigate claims.

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One resident reported a strike near a densely-populated district, where flames and clouds of smoke could be seen. A car was half-buried under rubble and twisted metal on a street lined with bystanders.

"There was an air strike near us, in the middle of an area packed with residents between Hael and Raqas (streets)," Abdulrazaq Mohammed told Reuters. "The explosion was so strong that stones were flying. This is the first time our house shakes so much."

Sanaa has been held by the Houthi movement since it ousted the internationally recognized government of Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi from power there in late 2014. The coalition has previously targeted suspected drone and missile storage sites in the city.

Iran's Foreign Ministry condemned the strikes and called on international and human rights bodies "to act according to their responsibility to prevent the repetition of these crimes," the state news agency IRNA reported.

"IRANIAN TOOLS"

Saudi Arabia's deputy defense minister on Thursday accused Iran of ordering Tuesday's armed drone attack on two oil pumping stations in the kingdom.

"The terrorist acts, ordered by the regime in Tehran and carried out by the Houthis, are tightening the noose around the ongoing political efforts," Prince Khalid bin Salman tweeted.

The Houthis said they were responsible for the attack, which did not disrupt oil output or exports. The group denies being a puppet of Tehran or receiving arms from Iran, and says its revolution is against corruption.

The head of the Houthis' Supreme Revolutionary Committee denied that Iran directed the strike and said the movement manufactures its drones locally. Tehran also denies providing arms to the Houthis.

"We are not agents for anyone," Mohammed Ali al-Houthi told Reuters. "We make decisions independently and do not take orders for drones or anything else."

The coalition described the drone attack as a "war crime."

The United Arab Emirates said on Wednesday that the Western-backed coalition, of which it is a main member, would "retaliate hard" for any Houthi attacks on coalition targets.

The Sanaa air strikes and renewed fighting in Yemen's Hodeidah port that breached a U.N.-sponsored truce in the Red Sea city, could complicate peace efforts to end the four-year war that has killed tens of thousands of people, many of them civilians, and pushed the country to the brink of famine.

The coalition, which receives arms and intelligence from Western nations, intervened in Yemen in 2015 to try to restore Hadi's Aden-based government.

The warring parties agreed last December at U.N.-sponsored peace talks on a ceasefire and troop withdrawal deal in Hodeidah, a lifeline for millions of Yemenis that became the focus of the war last year.

The pact, the first major breakthrough in over four years, stalled for months amid deep suspicion among all parties, but special envoy Martin Griffiths secured some progress when the Houthis started withdrawing from three ports last Saturday.

Pro-coalition troops are expected to pull back as well under the deal once the two sides work out details for a broader phase two redeployment in Hodeidah, the main entry point for Yemen's commercial and aid imports and the Houthis' key supply line. (Reporting by Mohammed Ghobari in Aden, Reuters team in Sanaa and Asma Alsharif and Lisa Barrington in Dubai, additional reporting by Dubai newsroom; Writing by Ghaida Ghantous; editing by Angus MacSwan, Toby Chopra and Michael Perry)
(Adds quotes)

By Nadine Awadalla

KHARTOUM, May 16 (Reuters) - Sudan's opposition alliance said on Thursday the ruling military council's 72-hour suspension of talks with protesters was a "regrettable" setback to efforts to forge a new democratic era following the overthrow of veteran leader Omar al-Bashir.

Describing protesters as "increasingly angry," the alliance issued its condemnation after some of the worst violence in weeks in central Khartoum.

On Wednesday at least nine people were wounded by troops firing live ammunition to clear demonstrators. On Monday, at least four people were killed when security forces tried to clear some protest sites - the first deaths linked to the Khartoum upheaval in several weeks.

In a televised speech, the head of Sudan's Transitional Military Council (TMC), Lieutenant General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan said the council had decided to suspend talks for 72 hours "until a suitable atmosphere is created to complete an agreement."

Burhan said protesters were disrupting life in the capital by blocking roads outside a protest zone agreed upon with the military.

Protesters in recent days have sought to expand their presence beyond a sit-in outside the defense ministry that remains the center of opposition demonstrations.

On Thursday, Reuters witnessed protesters near Khartoum University manning a road block on Nile Street, a major avenue running south of the Blue Nile that is outside of the zone.

The opposition alliance, known as the Declaration of Freedom and Change Forces (DFCF), said that the military council's suspension of talks ignored demonstrators' feelings.

"The suspension of negotiations is regrettable...and ignores the reality of the revolutionaries who are increasingly angry as a result of the bloodshed and the souls that we lost," the alliance said in a statement.

MONTHS OF DEMONSTRATIONS

It promised to maintain sit-in protests outside the Defence Ministry and across the country.

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The sit-in, the culmination of months of demonstrations against Bashir's three-decade rule, was not halted after the army removed him from power on April 11 as the opposition demands that the military hand over power to civilians.

The violence has cast a shadow on talks that had appeared on course to reach a deal on forming a joint military-civilian body to run the country for a three-year transition period until presidential elections.

In Nile Street, some protesters said they thought they should go back to blocking a smaller area, which includes the space outside of the defense ministry compound, where the sit-in started on April 6.

"In my opinion the barriers on Nile Street are unnecessary," said 27-year-old Yousef, a doctor, who gave only his first name.

"But some of the guys feel that if we break them down that means we are retreating which means... the old regime, or the "shadow regiments" or whatever, will expand into our areas and put pressure on us."

Another protester, Rayan al-Hadi, 25, said she would follow the instructions of protest leaders if they decided that barriers should be taken down. But she was personally in favor of keeping up the barriers on Nile Street.

"When we closed the street, we had a certain vision for escalation and we dont want to relinquish it," Hadi said.

"The people are divided, for and against removing the barriers."

Instability in Sudan, one of the largest countries in Africa, would threaten the security and stability of a volatile region that includes the Horn of Africa, Libya and Egypt, the most populous country in the Arab world. (Reporting by Nadine Awadalla in Khartoum and Mohamed El-Sherif in Cairo; Writing by Lena Masri, Editing by Angus MacSwan, William Maclean)
(Adds background, more quotes from White House statement)

WASHINGTON, May 15 (Reuters) - President Donald Trump on Wednesday signed a full pardon for former media mogul Conrad Black, who was convicted in 2007 of fraud and obstruction of justice and spent 3-1/2 years in prison.

Black, 74, a Canadian-born British citizen, once ran an international newspaper empire that included the Chicago Sun-Times, Britain's Daily Telegraph and the Jerusalem Post.

"Lord Black's case has attracted broad support from many high-profile individuals who have vigorously vouched for his exceptional character," the White House said in a statement announcing the pardon.

It said Black had made "tremendous contributions to business," had written books on history and served as a tutor while in prison.

"In light of these facts, Mr. Black is entirely deserving of this Grant of Executive Clemency," the White House said.

The office of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau declined to comment.

Black, who has called Trump a friend, published a book last year praising him, titled "Donald J. Trump: A President Like No Other."

Black was found guilty in the United States in 2007 of scheming to siphon off millions of dollars from the sale of newspapers owned by Hollinger Inc, where he was chief executive and chairman.

Two of his three fraud convictions were later voided, and his sentence was shortened. He was released from a Florida prison in May 2012 and deported from the United States.

In 2013, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission banned Black from acting as a director of a U.S. company and ordered him to pay $4.1 million in restitution.

Canada's Ontario Securities Commission ruled in 2015 that Black could no longer hold executive positions at listed companies or investment funds. (Reporting by Eric Beech; Additional reporting by David Ljunggren in Ottawa; Editing by Sandra Maler and Peter Cooney)
(Adds comment from California governor Gavin Newsom, background, paragraphs 3, 6-7)

By Steve Gorman and Daniel Trotta

May 15 (Reuters) - Alabama's governor signed a bill on Wednesday to ban nearly all abortions in the state, even in cases of rape and incest, in the latest challenge by conservatives to the landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision establishing a woman's right to terminate her pregnancy.

U.S. abortion rights activists had already vowed to go to court to block enforcement of the Alabama measure, the strictest anti-abortion law yet enacted with the intention of provoking reconsideration of the 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling.

That effort has thrust the emotional debate over abortion back to the forefront of national politics in the run-up to the 2020 U.S. presidential elections.

Governor Kay Ivey, a Republican, signed the measure a day after the Republican-controlled state Senate approved the ban and rejected a Democratic-backed amendment to allow abortions for women and girls impregnated by rape or incest.

"To the bills many supporters, this legislation stands as a powerful testament to Alabamians deeply held belief that every life is precious and that every life is a sacred gift from God," Ivey said in a statement.

Abortion supporters across the country condemned the bill as part of a Republican-backed assault on the rights of women to control their own bodies.

"This is the war on women," said California Governor Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, "It's in full swing, and it's decades in the making."

The Alabama law would take effect in six months.

Legislation to restrict abortion rights has been introduced this year in 16 states, four of whose governors have signed bills banning abortion if an embryonic heartbeat can be detected.

Planned Parenthood joined the American Civil Liberties Union on Wednesday in filing a legal challenge to Ohio's recent ban on abortions after six weeks of pregnancy.

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The Alabama bill goes further, banning abortions at any time, unless the mother's health is in danger. Those performing abortions would be committing a felony, punishable by up to 99 years in prison. A woman who receives an abortion would not be held criminally liable.

'GONE TOO FAR'

Most of the Democratic candidates seeking their party's 2020 nomination to run for the White House condemned the Alabama law, calling it an attack on women's rights and vowing to fight to uphold legal access to abortion.

"The idea that supposed leaders have passed a law that would criminalize a physician for assisting a woman on something that she, in consult with her physician, with her God, with her faith leader, has made the decision to do, that is her body that you would criminalize," U.S. Senator Kamala Harris of California, one of the large field of hopefuls, said at a town hall on Wednesday morning in Nashua, New Hampshire.

Some on Twitter had called on their allies to mail coat hangers to Ivey, as a reminder of the illegal abortion practices common before it was made legal.

Christian television broadcaster Pat Robertson, a staunch critic of Roe v. Wade, said the Alabama law "has gone too far."

"Its an extreme law, and they want to challenge Roe versus Wade. But my humble view is that this is not the case we want to bring to the Supreme Court because I think this one will lose," Robertson said on his program, "The 700 Club."

Anti-abortion advocates are aware that any laws they pass are certain to be challenged. Courts this year have blocked a restrictive Kentucky law and another in Iowa passed last year.

But supporters of the Alabama ban said the right to life of the fetus transcended other rights, an idea they would like tested at the Supreme Court.

The highest U.S. court, now with a majority of conservative justices after Republican President Donald Trump appointed two, could possibly overturn Roe v. Wade. That decision held that the due process clause of the 14th Amendment provides a fundamental right to privacy that protects a woman's right to abortion.

Roe v. Wade did allow states to place restrictions on the procedure from the time a fetus could viably survive outside the womb, except in cases in which a woman's health was otherwise at risk. A fetus is generally considered viable at 22 to 24 weeks. A full-term pregnancy typically is about 40 weeks.

Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi and Ohio enacted statutes this year outlawing abortion after a doctor can detect an embryonic heartbeat.

Opponents call the "heartbeat" legislation a virtual ban because embryonic cardiac activity can be detected as early as six weeks, before a woman may even be aware she is pregnant.

(Reporting by Steve Gorman in Los Angeles and Daniel Trotta in New York Additional reporting by Barbara Goldberg in New York, Ginger Gibson in Washington, and Alex Dobuzinskis in Los Angeles Writing by Scott Malone Editing by Jonathan Oatis, Lisa Shumaker and Paul Tait)
(Adds donation rules)

By Ginger Gibson

WASHINGTON, May 16 (Reuters) - U.S. Vice President Mike Pence is the beneficiary of a legal defense fund set up to aid in expenses related to the 2016 election, according to disclosures the vice president made public on Thursday.

The fund has $25 in it, according to the disclosure.

To donate to the fund, supporters will have to complete a series of certifications, including that Pence himself did not solicit the contribution, according to a White House official.

Donors will also have to verify that they are American citizens, they are not a lobbyist and the money is from their personal wealth, not a corporation, the official said.

Additionally, federal employees, federal government contractors and registered agents for a foreign government will also be prohibited from donating.

Federal ethics laws that prohibit accepting excessive gifts have made it difficult for officials to raise money for defense funds. Past presidents, including President Bill Clinton, have formed legal defense funds, avoiding rules by disclosing individual donors and prohibiting contributions from lobbyists.

President Donald Trump's 2016 campaign has been the subject of intense scrutiny after critics said those close to the president colluded with Russian operatives to influence the outcome of the election.

Special Counsel Robert Mueller released a report in April that determined there was not enough evidence to charge Trump or those near him with criminal conspiracy related to collusion.

The investigation saw dozens of Trump campaign employees and associates called before investigators, a grand jury and congressional panels. Obtaining private attorneys to assist in the interviews has caused some to rack up large legal bills.

The vice president is required to file an annual personal financial disclosure that details income and liabilities.

New to the report this year was the defense fund, named the MRP Legal Expense Trust Fund.

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According to a footnote, James D. Atterholt of Florida created the fund on Dec. 10, 2018 to make payments "in connection with the 2016 presidential election and related matters."

The $25 payment to the fund was made to establish the trust, the footnote said.

"The Trust had no other assets, received no other contributions, and produced no income during the reporting period," the footnote said. (Reporting by Ginger Gibson Editing by James Dalgleish)
(Adds details)

LONDON, May 16 (Reuters) - Prince Harry, Britain's Duke of Sussex, has accepted substantial damages and an apology from a news agency which took photographs of his home from the air, Buckingham Palace said on Thursday.

Harry's lawyer said Splash News and Picture Agency had chartered a helicopter in January to take photos and film the private home of Harry and his wife Meghan, a former American actress, in Oxfordshire, central England.

"The syndication and publication of the photographs very seriously undermined the safety and security of the Duke and the home to the extent that they are no longer able to live at the property," the lawyer said in a court statement.

"The property had been chosen by the Duke for himself and his wife given the high level of privacy it afforded, given its position in a secluded area surrounded by private farmland away from any areas to which photographers have access."

Harry, Queen Elizabeths grandson, and Meghan, have a strained relationship with the press and after the birth of their first child earlier this month avoided posing for the traditional photo outside the hospital.

This did not go down well with some of the British media, which lamented the decision as a departure from more than 40 years of tradition.

Harry has never made a secret of his dislike of the media since his mother Princess Diana was killed in a crash in 1997 as her car sped away from chasing photographers. (Reporting by Andrew MacAskill; editing by Stephen Addison)
(Adds comment from senior U.S. administration official)

By Tom Miles and Mayela Armas

GENEVA/CARACAS, May 16 (Reuters) - Talks are underway in Norway between Venezuela's government and "democratic" opponents, an envoy said on Thursday, in a possible search for a mediated solution after the opposition's failure to spark a military uprising against President Nicolas Maduro.

"Yes, there are talks between the Bolivarian government and the democratic sectors of the opposition," Venezuela's ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, Jorge Valero, told reporters, denouncing U.S. interference.

Calling Maduro a dictator, U.S. President Donald Trump has tightened sanctions against his government and spearheaded international recognition of opposition leader Juan Guaido, who in January invoked the constitution to assume the interim presidency.

A senior U.S. administration official, who asked not to be named, said the only topic for discussion in talks should be Maduro's departure and a transition to a new democratically elected government.

"Maduro's illegitimate regime is hoping to stall for time to reestablish its hold on the country, exactly as it did during the 2017 Santo Domingo dialog," the official said, referring to earlier failed talks.

Guaido, who denounces Maduro's 2018 re-election as fraudulent, called for Venezuela's military to rise up on April 30, but his push quickly petered out and the military's top brass has since then sworn allegiance to Maduro.

Maduro calls Guaido a U.S. puppet who is trying to foment a coup.

Venezuelan Information Minister Jorge Rodriguez and Miranda state governor Hector Rodriguez of the ruling Socialist Party both traveled to Oslo, according to opposition sources. Opposition legislator Stalin Gonzalez and political advisers have also gone, they said.

Norway's Foreign Ministry said its norm was not to comment on possible roles in ongoing or potential peace talks. "We strongly encourage the parties to find a political and peaceful solution in order to avoid further escalation," a ministry spokeswoman said.

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Norway has a tradition of conflict mediation, including assistance with Colombia's 2016 peace deal between the government and FARC rebels.

When asked about the talks in Norway, U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters in New York: "We're very much aware of what is going on and very much supportive of this process."

Guaido, in a speech on Thursday, confirmed opposition envoys were in Norway, which was mediating between both sides, but said they would not get involved in a "false negotiation that does not lead to the end of the usurpation."

Many Venezuelan opposition supporters are skeptical about mediation talks, given that past rounds have failed, divided the opposition and, in their view, merely bought time for Maduro to consolidate power and quell street protests.

Guaido said he would meet later on Thursday with participants in a diplomatic effort between European and Latin American countries, known as the International Contact Group on Venezuela (ICG), which aims to negotiate an end to the crisis.

European Union Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Maja Kocijancic said the ICG had a sent a political mission to Venezuela to meet with "all national relevant actors." (Reporting by Tom Miles in Geneva, Gwladys Fouche in Oslo, Michelle Nichols at the United Nations, Mayela Armas and Corina Pons in Caracas, and Roberta Rampton in Washington; Editing by James Dalgleish and Rosalba O'Brien)
(Adds Breakingviews link)

By Nandita Bose

May 16 (Reuters) - Walmart Inc said on Thursday that prices for shoppers will rise due to higher tariffs on goods from China as the world's largest retailer reported its best comparable sales growth for the first quarter in nine years.

Bentonville, Arkansas-based Walmart called out the impact of tariffs on consumers after Macy's Inc delivered a similar warning on Wednesday. The department store chain's Chief Executive Jeff Gennette said tariffs on Chinese imports are hitting its furniture business and warned investors that additional levies would leave its clothing and accessory categories vulnerable.

U.S. President Donald Trump increased tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese imports to 25% from 10% last week. The move is widely expected to raise prices on thousands of products including clothing, furniture and electronics. China retaliated on Monday, though on a smaller scale.

Walmart Chief Financial Officer Brett Biggs said in an interview that higher tariffs will result in increased prices for consumers. He said the company will seek to ease the pain, in part by trying to obtain products from different countries and working with suppliers' "costs structures to manage higher tariffs."

Moody's analyst Charlie O'Shea said the potential impact on Walmart and its shoppers from tariffs is limited by its food business. Its grocery operation, which includes fresh food, contributes roughly 56 percent to overall revenue.

"We believe Walmart has the wherewithal both financially and via its vendor relationships to minimize the impact on both itself and its shopping base," he said.

Walmart U.S. Chief Executive Officer Greg Foran said on a conference call the company will maintain its "low-price leadership" and "manage costs on an item-by-item basis." But that position has been threatened, in part, by rising competition from discount chains like Aldi.

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Also, Walmart's vendors have started to raise prices, among them Del Monte Foods, which supplies fresh and packaged goods to Walmart, including mandarin oranges imported from China. Prices will go up again with tariffs rising.

"Its not just tariffs. Transportation costs are up, labor costs are up. Its an inflationary environment," Del Monte CEO Greg Longstreet told Reuters on the sidelines of a conference. "A lot of that's going to have to be passed on. The consumer is going to have to pay more for a lot of critical goods."

Walmart shares, which have gained 7% so far this year, closed up 1.4% at $101.31.

NO SIGNS OF SPENDING SLOWDOWN

Walmart CFO Biggs said the retailer has not seen signs of a slowdown in consumer spending.

Investors and analysts expect U.S. spending to slow this year against a backdrop of rising debt, tariffs and economic uncertainty.

U.S. retail sales unexpectedly fell in April as households cut back on purchases of vehicles and a range of other goods, reflecting a slowdown in economic growth after a temporary boost from exports and inventories in the first quarter.

Earlier this week, Walmart stepped up its online battle with Amazon.com Inc by offering one-day delivery in some markets without a shipping fee, weeks after Amazon announced a similar plan.

Walmart said it will cost the company less than for two-day shipping since orders will come straight from warehouses closer to the customer and arrive in a single box rather than multiple packages.

Sales at Walmart's U.S. stores open at least a year rose 3.4%, excluding fuel, in the quarter ended April 30. Analysts estimated growth of 3.1%, according to IBES data from Refinitiv.

Walmart has recorded over four straight years of sales growth, unmatched by any retailer.

Adjusted earnings per share increased to $1.13 per share, beating expectations of $1.02 per share.

But profits remained under pressure as more revenue was generated by lower-margin online sales and as e-commerce investments rose.

Operating income fell 4.1% to $4.9 billion, in part because of Walmart's purchase of Indian e-commerce startup Flipkart last year.

In the United States, the largest piece of Walmarts business, operating income grew 5.5% as some transportation costs eased.

Online sales rose 37%, slowing from the previous quarter's 43% increase but stronger than online sales growth at most of its brick-and-mortar rivals. The company has forecast a 35% increase in online sales this year.

Total revenue was up 1% at $123.9 billion but lower than analysts' estimates of $125.03 billion, dragged down by the currency impact and lower international sales. Excluding currency, revenue was up 2.5% at $125.8 billion.

On Tuesday, Walmart said it was considering a stock market listing for its British supermarket arm Asda, whose attempt to combine with rival J Sainsbury Plc was blocked by UK regulators last month.

(Reporting by Nandita Bose in Washington; Additional reporting by Rod Nickel; Editing by Jeffrey Benkoe and Dan Grebler)
(Corrects de Blasio's age to 58 from 57 in second paragraph)

By Joseph Ax

NEW YORK, May 16 (Reuters) - New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio entered the crowded 2020 presidential race on Thursday, arguing that his record of progressive accomplishments in the country's biggest city positioned him as the perfect foil to President Donald Trump.

De Blasio, 58, launched his candidacy with the central campaign message, "Working People First," becoming the 24th Democrat seeking to take on Trump in the election next year.

In a video released on Thursday, de Blasio returned to the theme of income inequality that had animated his first mayoral campaign in 2013, when he emerged as a leading voice for the burgeoning left wing that has since reshaped his party.

"People in every part of this country feel stuck or even like they're going backwards," he said in the video. "But the rich got richer."

The mayor, who is barred from seeking a third four-year term in 2021, has struggled to build a national profile, eclipsed in the national consciousness by progressive U.S. Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, who are now his rivals for the presidency.

He is scheduled to travel this weekend to Iowa and South Carolina, which host key early nominating contests, to begin campaigning.

De Blasio emphasized a list of progressive wins under his leadership, including universal pre-kindergarten, a $15 minimum wage and paid sick leave, all in a city that has a bigger population, more than 8 million, than most U.S. states.

He also promised to stand up to fellow New Yorker, Trump.

"Don't back down in the face of a bully," he said. "Confront him and take him on."

In typical fashion, Trump hit back on Twitter on Thursday, calling de Blasio "the worst mayor in the U.S."

"He is a JOKE, but if you like high taxes & crime, he's your man," Trump said in a tweet. "NYC HATES HIM!"

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De Blasio is the third New York City mayor in a row to flirt with a presidential bid.

Former Republican Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who left office in 2001 and is Trump's personal lawyer and close confidant, ran unsuccessfully for president in 2008.

Former Mayor Michael Bloomberg has seriously considered running several times, both as an independent and a Democrat. In March, the billionaire announced he would not seek the White House and would, instead, use his fortune to launch an effort against climate change.

BLASE ABOUT DE BLASIO

Most New Yorkers appear unenthusiastic about de Blasio's presidential aspirations. A Quinnipiac University poll in April found more than three-quarters of New Yorkers did not feel he should make a White House bid.

Indeed, de Blasio faces an uphill battle to stand out among two dozen Democratic contenders, including former Vice President Joe Biden and a long list of experienced politicians.

Like Biden, de Blasio is a white heterosexual man running in a party that values diversity in its candidates.

But he has consistently polled better among African-Americans in New York, and he is married to a black woman, Chirlane McCray, a poet and activist who describes her sexual orientation as fluid.

His popularity took a hit after a federal investigation found the mayor made inquiries to city agencies on behalf of donors, though it cleared him of criminal wrongdoing. De Blasio has denied misconduct, saying he acted appropriately at all times.

De Blasio has sharply criticized Trump on issues like climate change, immigration and policing. On Monday, he held a news conference inside Trump Tower to call on the Trump Organization to meet newly enacted emissions standards in their skyscrapers, or face significant fines.

The event drew insults on Twitter from Trump's two oldest sons, Eric and Donald Jr., who run the family company.

(Reporting by Joseph Ax Editing by Scott Malone and Bernadette Baum)
* PM did not set out firm departure date in talks with party

* May to try fourth attempt to get her Brexit agreement approved

* Will agree exit timetable after vote on deal (Adds report on talks to end, paragraph 11)

By Kylie MacLellan and Elizabeth Piper

LONDON, May 16 (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Theresa May will set out a timetable for her departure in early June after the latest attempt to get her Brexit deal approved by parliament, the chairman of a powerful Conservative committee said on Thursday.

Three years after Britain voted to leave the European Union, there is little clarity over when, how and even whether Brexit will happen, prompting some in her party to call for a new approach to the country's biggest policy shift in more than 40 years.

May has promised to step down after her Brexit deal is approved by lawmakers. But many in her party want her to set out clearly when she will quit if the agreement is rejected for a fourth time, and others are demanding her immediate departure.

"The prime minister is determined to secure our departure from the European Union," Graham Brady, chair of the 1922 Committee that can make or break party leaders, said following a meeting between his committee's executive and May in parliament which he described as a "very frank exchange."

The government has said lawmakers will be able to debate and vote on the Withdrawal Agreement Bill, the legislation required to enact May's Brexit deal, in the week starting June 3.

"We have agreed that she and I will meet following the second reading of the Bill to agree a timetable for the election of a new leader," Brady said, adding that the conversation would take place whether the bill was passed or not.

May, who became prime minister in the chaos that followed the 2016 referendum when Britons voted 52% to 48% to leave the EU, survived a no-confidence vote of her Conservative lawmakers in December.

Under current party rules, she cannot be challenged again for a year, but some on Brady's committee had pushed for those rules to be changed in order to try to force her out earlier if she refused to set out a clear departure date.

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Boris Johnson, the face of the campaign for Britain to leave the European Union, said he would stand as a candidate to replace May as Conservative leader.

"FURTHER PROCRASTINATION"

May's Brexit deal has been rejected three times by parliament, and weeks of talks with the opposition Labour Party, the idea of which was deeply unpopular with many Conservatives, have failed to find a consensus on the way forward.

A BBC reporter said on Thursday those talks were due to be called off soon after the ruling Conservatives gave up on any hope of a resolution.

Mired in Brexit deadlock and forced to delay Britain's March 29 exit from the EU, May's Conservatives suffered major losses in local elections this month and are trailing in opinion polls before May 23 European Parliament elections.

With Labour and Brexit-supporting rebels in the Conservatives planning to vote against her deal, it is unlikely to be approved as things stand.

Pro-Brexit Conservative lawmakers were unimpressed with May's failure to set a firm date to quit. One, who declined to be named, described it as "yet further procrastination which is causing appalling damage to the Conservative Party."

Another, Andrew Bridgen, said May was "an increasingly beleaguered and isolated prime minister who is desperate to salvage something from her premiership and is prepared to drive through an agreement that would fatally hamstring any future prime minister in negotiations with the EU." (Additional reporting by Kate Holton and Guy Faulconbridge, Editing by Hugh Lawson and James Dalgleish)
(Recasts)

By James Pomfret

HONG KONG, May 16 (Reuters) - Hong Kong's Court of Appeal sent a young leader of the Chinese-ruled city's 2014 "Umbrella" pro-democracy street protests back to jail on Thursday for contempt of court, ruling out any motive other than ensuring a "deterrent sentence."

Joshua Wong, 22, was sentenced to three months in jail in January last year for disobeying a court order and not leaving a protest zone during the rallies that blocked major roads in the Chinese-ruled city for nearly three months.

The Court of Appeal upheld the conviction but reduced his jail sentence to two months, citing his young age as a reason. He had earlier served six days before being released pending the appeal.

Wong, then just 17, was at the forefront of the broad civil disobedience movement that presented Chinas Communist Party rulers in Beijing with one of their biggest political challenges in decades, accused by many of interference in Hong Kong's affairs.

"It is an affront to the court and must be met with a deterrent sentence," the three judges said in a written summary.

"Any suggestion that he is punished because of his status or notoriety as a committed social activist or any other reason, whatever it might be, is entirely baseless and misconceived."

As guards led Wong away, he shouted: "Everyone keep going!" Dozens of supporters in the public gallery cheered back in response.

Dozens more had gathered outside the court building, some waving yellow umbrellas - the symbol of the 2014 protests.

Both Wong and his supporters also called for the scrapping of Hong Kong government proposals to remove long-standing blocks on extraditing wanted suspects from Hong Kong to countries with which the city has no extradition agreements - including mainland China.

"Even though they can lock up our bodies, they can't lock up our minds," Wong said as he entered court to hear the verdict.

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Britain returned Hong Kong to Chinese rule in 1997 with a guarantee of wide-ranging freedoms, including an independent judiciary and freedom of speech, but critics accuse Beijing of increasing pressure on the freewheeling global financial hub.

Wong's sentence comes as concerns widen over the extradition amendments, uniting some opposition, business and legal groups as well as Western governments.

More street protests are expected in coming weeks, with some seeing the extradition plans as the latest sign of Beijing's interference. China's main representative "Liaison Office" in Hong Kong said in a statement on Wednesday that the extradition law was urgently needed and had a sound legal foundation.

In a related case in February last year, Hong Kongs highest court freed Wong and two other leaders in a stark reversal of an earlier jail sentence, but warned against future acts of dissent. (Reporting by James Pomfret, Greg Torode and Shellin Li; Editing by Nick Macfie)
* Insists she will quit politics after 4th term as chancellor

* Merkel says she wants "good, functional Europe"

* Eurosceptics hope for strong gains at May 23-26 elections (Adds detail, background)

By Paul Carrel and Michelle Martin

BERLIN, May 16 (Reuters) - Germany's Angela Merkel reaffirmed on Thursday that she would leave politics after serving out her fourth term as chancellor, dismissing speculation that she could take a big European Union job in Brussels.

"I am not available for any further political office, regardless of where it is - including in Europe," the 64-year-old Merkel told a joint news conference with visiting Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte.

Speculation about Merkel's future swirled in Berlin after she told Thursday's edition of the Sueddeutsche newspaper: "Many people are concerned about Europe  including myself. This means I feel even more duty-bound to join others in making sure that Europe has a future."

She made clear at the news conference that she saw it as her responsibility in her role as chancellor to promote a "good, functional Europe given the situation we have and the polarization."

Anti-establishment, eurosceptic parties around the bloc see the May 23-26 European Parliament elections as a potentially defining moment and hope that a strong showing will bolster their efforts to slow European integration and return more power to national capitals.

Merkel has loomed large on the European stage since 2005, helping guide the EU through the euro zone crisis and opening Germany's doors to migrants fleeing war in the Middle East in 2015, a move that still divides the bloc and Germany.

Europe's longest-serving leader, Merkel announced last October that her fourth term as chancellor would be her last and that she would not seek any political post after her term ends, beginning a stage-managed gradual exit from politics.

In December, she then handed over the leadership of her Christian Democratic Union (CDU) to heir apparent Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer.

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Earlier this week, Merkel said politicians should not hang on in office "until nobody wants to see you anymore."

Kramp-Karrenbauer, sometimes dubbed "mini-Merkel," said in comments published earlier this week that she had no ambition to succeed Merkel as chancellor until 2021, which is when the current German legislative term is due to expire.

"The chancellor and the government are elected for a full term and citizens are right to expect that they take this mandate seriously," Kramp-Karrenbauer told the Welt am Sonntag newspaper in an interview.

"Speaking for myself, I can rule out that I am working in my own interest for a change."

When Merkel came into office in 2005, George W. Bush was U.S. president, Jacques Chirac was in the Elysee Palace in Paris and Tony Blair was British prime minister.

(Writing by Paul Carrel Editing by Michelle Martin and Mark Heinrich)
(Adds detail from JPMorgan report)

MEXICO CITY, May 16 (Reuters) - Mexico's president on Thursday said his country had received $10 billion in foreign direct investment (FDI) during the first quarter of 2019, seeking to allay doubts about his economic management and concerns over the risk of a ratings downgrade.

Preliminary data published by the economy ministry showed FDI was $10.16 billion in the January-March period, up 7% from a comparable estimate for the same quarter last year.

The ministry published the estimate shortly after President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador revealed the investment figure during his regular morning news conference to underline that the Mexican economy and its finances were in "good health."

The veteran leftist, who assumed the presidency in December, had been asked for his opinion on a recent report by investment bank JPMorgan that Mexico faces a significant risk of a downgrade to its creditworthiness in the coming months.

Published Monday, the report on Latin America titled "Time to Take Profits on Mexico," said there was "over a 50 percent probability" that Mexico's sovereign rating would be downgraded at least one notch by at least one rating agency in 2019.

JPMorgan highlighted several risk factors for the Mexican economy, making particular note of the health of state oil company Pemex, which is carrying $106 billion in financial debt.

Last week, Lopez Obrador said Pemex would take charge of the planned construction of what would be Mexico's biggest refinery, amid warnings from analysts that the facility would be costly and did not make economic sense.

Mexico's economy has been sluggish, contracting 0.2 percent during the first quarter from the October-December period, according to preliminary data.

Still, Lopez Obrador said investors had faith in Mexico and that rating agencies were free to make their decisions.

This week, the government presented a package of measures aimed at shoring up Pemex, though doubts persist about the company's financial position.

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Lopez Obrador noted the government had decided not to use a stabilization fund to support Pemex. The fund, he added, contained around 300 billion pesos ($15.73 billion).

The president also stressed that he would hold down Mexico's debt during his administration, which ends in 2024.

"The debt won't increase in real terms," he said, "and not just this year, in the whole six-year term." ($1 = 19.0682 Mexican pesos) (Reporting by Dave Graham; Additional reporting by Noe Torres Editing by David Gregorio and Bernadette Baum)
Consider this fact: Just 500 companiesthe ones on this years Fortune 500 list, to be preciseproduced enough revenue last year to equal two-thirds of the entire economic output of the United States. Think about that a minute: just 500 companies.

These same American businesses sold an astounding $13.7 trillion worth of goods and services, a record sum whether you measure it in nominal dollars or adjusted for inflation. But focus in on the numbers and youll discover something yet more remarkable: that just a tenth of these companies account for nearly half (48%) of that total revenue. Sharpen your microscope a bit more, and youll see that profits among the group are more concentrated stillwith a mere 40 companies responsible for 52% of the combined earnings. Twenty-seven of these household names earned at least $10 billion in their most recent fiscal year. Six, moreover, are as rich as mighty nations, with at least $1 trillion in assets on their balance sheets.

Each year, it seems, Americas biggest companies look more and more like a set of matryoshka dolls; companies that a generation ago would have been seen as corporate titans now appear as if they could be swallowed up as midday snacks by the real behemoths. Thats one of the takeaways from this years Fortune 500 rankingthe 65th running of the list: The big are getting bigger, and the rich are getting richer. And, as Erika Fry explores in an opening essay, there are a host of reasons whyfrom the rise of corporate ecosystems, to the increasing competitive need for scale, to the power-concentrating effect of data and information technology.

This same broad narrative of American business winds through the thousands of data points weve curatedwith some abandon, it would seemin 45 pages of tables and charts. But perhaps more telling are the implications of that story linewhich emerge in each of the features in this issue. Both AT&T and CVS have remade themselves into information-age colossi. The reinvented Ma Bell, writes Fortunes Geoff Colvin, is counting on massive scale and reach to overcome the effects of old-economy gravity. (It isnt exactly working.) CVS, for its part, has combined with Aetna to become the health industrys biggest platypus: a drugstore-insurer-pharmacy benefit manager-walk-in clinic. As Shawn Tully reports, investors arent buying this one either.

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The prize of size is driving Occidental Petroleum (No. 167 on the list) to buy Anadarko (No. 237), so it can outcompete Chevron (No. 11) in the oil-rich Permian Basin (read Jen Wieczners timely story). And its driving Wayfair into a wild, loss-leading gambit for e-commerce domination  in the very old-world realm of couches and cabinets. Whats Wayfair spending so ferociously on? Well, says Jeffrey OBrien, the companys 2,300 in-house data geeks should give you a hint.

Data, of course, may help a company get to the top. But it may not be enough to keep it there. Thats anotherand far more importantlesson from this years Fortune 500.

Consider the emperor of data itself, Alphabet, which in just 14 years on the Fortune 500 has leaped from the No. 353 spot (in its erstwhile Google identity) to No. 15 today. But as Beth Kowitt reports in Inside Googles Civil War, the search giant is going through the kind of growing pains that could only occur in the modern corporate era: The companys highly skilled and in-demand workforcewho have been the engine of its historic growthare now vocally challenging the strategy set by management.

Our incredibly talented art, photo, and graphics team helped realize this unfolding story of American businessa tale told in the grandness of the forest and the specificity of each treein a series of magazine covers. They include the cover we ultimately ran, created by Fortunes information graphics editor Nicolas Rapp, which reveals in 500 gleaming golden circles a sphere encompassing the whole.

Nicolas Rapp

Art director Josue Evilla commissioned the stylized radio tower illustration by Tavis Coburn, which captures the venerable history and outsize ambition of AT&T. To highlight Jens story on Occidental Petroleum, creative director Peter Herbert worked with Liverpool-based illustrator Justin Metz to produce the stunning, twisting gasoline pump shown below.

Tavis Coburn

Justin Metz

Karol Gadzala, based in Hamburg, produced the vivid colorscape to showcase Alphabet. And director of photography Mia Diehl commissioned our striking cover of CVS, styled and shot by husband-and-wife duo The Voorhes, as well as our Wayfair cover. In the last, photographer Stephen Lewis and stylist Michele Faro assembled a melange of dollhouse furniture into a 500 that looks oddly modern and uncomfortable.

Karol Gadzala

The Voorhes

Stephen Lewis; Prop styling by Michele Faro

Each of these images, we believe, tells more than the tale of one company. Each offers a snapshot of the whole. Just as every good story does.

A version of this article appears in the June 2019 issue of Fortune with the headline The Prize of Size.

More must-read stories from Fortune:

The 2019 Fortune 500: See the full list

Why the giants among this years Fortune 500 should intimidate you

What the Fortune 500 would look like as a microbiome

The Occidental-Anadarko merger reveals the crude truth about oil prices

Its all clicking for Wayfair, a Fortune 500 newcomer

Get up to speed on your morning commute with Fortunes CEO Daily newsletter.
Washington (AFP) - How many is too many?

New York Mayor Bill de Blasio on Thursday became the 23rd person to jump into the race for the Democratic presidential nomination, setting up a longshot campaign that faces stiff competition from within the party.

His entry came two days after Montana Governor Steve Bullock, a Democrat with strong party crossover appeal in a traditionally Republican-leaning state, launched his bid for the nomination and the right to challenge President Donald Trump.

In late April former vice president Joe Biden went all in, becoming the best-known star in a constellation of 2020 Democrats, the largest and most diverse presidential pool in modern history.

It includes six women, seven sitting US senators, three current or former governors, three African Americans and a young gay mayor.

Here are the party's main presidential contenders.

- Bill de Blasio -

The mayor of the largest US city frames himself as a perpetual underdog who has managed a string of accomplishments in New York: he has introduced free universal pre-kindergarten and paid sick leave, and rolled out a plan this year to guarantee health care for all residents.

He kicked off his campaign with a frontal attack on Trump, dubbing him "Con Don" for claiming he is on the side of blue-collar workers.

The lanky 58-year-old has denounced the Republican president's hardening of immigration policy and his decision to pull the United States out of the Paris climate accord.

But there appears to be little appetite in the Big Apple for a de Blasio campaign. An eye-popping 76 percent of New York City voters said he should not enter the 2020 race, according to a Quinnipiac University poll last month.

- Joe Biden -

Biden, who served eight years as Barack Obama's vice president, has cemented his frontrunner status. The RealClearPolitics poll aggregate shows him with 39.8 percent support, doubling up on second place Senator Bernie Sanders at 16.3 percent.

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With a combination of experience, widespread popularity and recognition, and a knack for connecting with voters, Biden, 76, is expected to draw substantial support in blue-collar Midwestern states that propelled Trump to the presidency in 2016.

- Beto O'Rourke -

During a frenetic, if failed, campaign for US Senate last year in Texas, the 46-year-old O'Rourke used his youth, energy and camera-friendly charisma to become a media darling while setting fundraising records and drawing support from celebrities.

Despite a reputation forged in his three terms in Congress as a pragmatic centrist, O'Rourke launched his campaign in Iowa on a decidedly left-leaning platform, calling for health and immigration reform, a higher minimum wage and an all-out battle to curb climate change.

- Bernie Sanders -

The 77-year-old Sanders, a self-described democratic socialist, was an outsider when the 2016 Democratic primaries began.

But he gave favorite Hillary Clinton a run for her money with his calls for a "political revolution."

Sanders is now a 2020 heavyweight. He has won passionate support among young liberals with his calls for universal health care, a $15 minimum wage and free public university education.

- Kirsten Gillibrand -

The New York senator and fierce Trump critic had made a name campaigning against sexual abuse, especially in the military, even before the #MeToo movement gained national prominence.

Gillibrand, 52, is making gender and women's issues a hallmark of her campaign. On Thursday she stood "shoulder to shoulder" with women in Georgia after laws severely restricting abortion were signed into law in multiple US states.

- Elizabeth Warren -

At 69, the US Senate's consumer protection champion from Massachusetts is on the party's left flank. She built her reputation by holding Wall Street accountable for its missteps.

Warren is considered to have one of the best campaign organizations of any Democrat, and she consistently lays out more policy platform specifics than her rivals.

- Cory Booker -

The US senator from New Jersey, 50, began his career as a community activist and rose to prominence as mayor of Newark, New Jersey.

Often compared to Obama, Booker has promised to work to unite a divided America.

A talented orator, Booker is unmarried and would be the first bachelor president in 160 years.

- Kamala Harris -

The barrier-breaking senator from California, who aspires to be the nation's first black female president, was a district attorney in San Francisco before serving as California's attorney general.

Harris, 54, has a reputation for tough, pointed questioning of Senate hearing witnesses, such as Attorney General Bill Barr last month.

- Pete Buttigieg -

The 37-year-old South Bend, Indiana, mayor joined the race with a resolutely future-looking and optimistic message to counter Trump's darker vision.

A Rhodes Scholar and military veteran, Buttigieg would be the first openly gay prominent presidential nominee of either major party.

- Other candidates -

Also in the race are Senator Michael Bennet of Colorado; Montana Governor Steve Bullock; former San Antonio mayor Julian Castro; Maryland ex-congressman John Delaney; Hawaii congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard; Colorado ex-governor John Hickenlooper; Washington Governor Jay Inslee; Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar; Miramar, Florida Mayor Wayne Messam; Massachusetts congressman Seth Moulton; Ohio congressman Tim Ryan; California congressman Eric Swalwell; self-help author Marianne Williamson; and technology executive Andrew Yang.
South Florida Sun Sentinel

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. The Holbrook family of Michigan stepped off Royal Caribbeans Odyssey of the Seas frustrated and angry after the cruise ship they were on returned to Port Everglades from its eight-night voyage. Christopher Holbrook, 49, tested positive for COVID-19 while aboard and spent Christmas Eve and Christmas Day in his room in isolation. It was the worst Christmas, Holbrook said ...
Three decades ago, audiences fell in love with the iconic characters played by Sally Field, Dolly Parton, Shirley MacLaine, Daryl Hannah, Olympia Dukakis, and Julia Roberts in Steel Magnolias. But if theres one thing more iconic than the flicks six leading ladies, its the charming Southern town where where the funny and heartwarming story played out.

Today, fans can visit the real-life house of Shelby (Roberts) and her mother, M'Lynn (Field), in Natchitoches, Louisiana. The historic house at 320 Jefferson Street was originally built in the 1800s by two Italian architects, Trizini and Soldini. It was initially intended to be a store, and reportedly served as a Confederate hospital during the Civil War. In the early 1900s, Jackson L. Bryan had the house moved away from the busy street to its current location. In the 1940s, it was sold to Herman Taylor, and the four-story home was still owned by the Taylor family when it became famous in the 1989 film.

Architecturally, its an incredible house, current owner Dan Dyess tells Architectural Digest. The bricks in the columns were specially made for the house, shipped from France, and are pie-shaped. Yes, theyre round, not square. Also, we still have the original marble mantels on the fireplace. We did everything we could to preserve the original house and how it appeared in the movie, too.

While fans began driving by and snapping photos in front of the famous property soon after the film's release, they have been able to spend the night since 2014. Thats the year the property was turned into a charming bed-and-breakfast that serves a full breakfast along with true Southern hospitality.

Now, the 5,900-square-foot abode features six bedrooms and baths, original wood floors, and a grand staircase for visitors to enjoy. The home is furnished with crystal chandeliers, marble mantels over eight gas-lit fireplaces, reads the website. And many of the original antiques have decorated the home for years. Theres also an 800-square-foot guesthouse, and stunning landscaping complete with oak trees and, of course, magnolias.

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The owners clearly play up the connection to the movie, calling their B&B the Steel Magnolia House. There is also a pink room called the Shelby Room based on Julia Robertss character. (Its a nod to her famous line that pink is her "signature color.")

We tried to keep as much as we could from the movie, says Dyess. We kept things from the film like the kitchen cabinets, flooring, and even the kitchen table. People are always so happy they have access to the home now, and theres certainly been growing interest with the 30th anniversary coming up.

Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest
Warren Buffetts conglomerate slips a spot on the Fortune 500 for the second year in a row, as relatively flat revenue growth (2.4%) puts its total sales behind those of Apple, which also happens to be Berkshires largest stock holding. While new accounting rules have created wild swings in Berkshires bottom line that have little to do with its long-term profitability, there was one serious dent: The company booked a $3 billion loss on its investment in Kraft Heinz, thanks to the ketchup makers massive write-down of its namesake cheese and Oscar Mayer deli meats brands. Meanwhile, Buffett handed over more responsibility to two potential successors, Ajit Jain (who now oversees the insurance business) and Gregory Abel (in charge of the rest of operations).

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It was a year of empire building and then consolidation at whats left of the old Ma Bell. CEO Randall Stephenson finally got regulators to sign off on his $104 billion acquisition (including debt) of Time Warner in June, despite President Trumps objections. The dealadding a movie studio plus the cable programming empire that includes CNN and HBOhelped boost AT&Ts revenue by 6% to $171 billion for the year. But continued customer losses from Stephensons last acquisition, DirecTV, and the heavy debt load hurt the bottom line and net income declined 34% to $19 billion. The companys stock price dropped 27% for the year. Now the challenge is stemming the loss of satellite cord cutters while meshing the clashing cultures in the media and telecommunications sides of the business. Perhaps AT&Ts new super-fast 5G wireless network will come to the rescue. A slow rollout in parts of 12 cities at the end of 2018 should accelerate in 2019 and reach nationwide coverage within a few years.

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By Ginger Gibson

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The move by states like Alabama, Georgia and Ohio to impose drastic restrictions on abortion could bolster Republicans' support from religious voters wary of President Donald Trump but risks alienating moderates, political experts said on Wednesday.

Ahead of the 2020 election, when Democrats will try to parlay support among women voters to oust Trump from office, the issue of abortion is already featuring prominently in many Democratic candidates' case to voters.

Most of the Democrats seeking the party's presidential nomination blasted the Alabama measure, which was signed into law by Governor Kay Ivey on Wednesday. The strictest U.S. abortion law, it bans nearly all abortions in the state, even in cases of rape and incest.

"This is risky for Republicans and could benefit Democrats," said Joshua Wilson, a political science professor at the University of Denver who has written two books about the politics of abortion.

Democrats have spent years arguing that Republicans are pursuing a "war on women," trying to turn that fear into electoral support.

Republicans have rallied their base by promising to roll back the legalization of abortion, building on strident opposition to abortion among evangelicals and the religious right.

Democrats took control of the U.S. House of Representatives in the 2018 midterm elections in a landslide fueled largely by strong support from women in suburban districts.

"Republicans lost 2018 because of a record-breaking gap among women, and now theyre doubling down on that problem and pouring gasoline on the fire," said Democratic strategist Jesse Ferguson, who worked for Hillary Clintons 2016 presidential campaign and on previous campaigns for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.

The new hard-line abortion laws could bring some benefits to Republicans, however, said Andrew Lewis, a political science professor at the University of Cincinnati, who wrote a book about conservative Christian politics and abortion.

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Trump's appointment of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court to replace Anthony Kennedy last year has created a conservative court that many activists believe may make overturning the 1973 landmark abortion ruling in Roe v. Wade a reality.

"I expect that these strict restrictions on abortion will shore up any potential cracks in conservative Christian support for the Trump campaign," Lewis said. "The momentum around conservative Supreme Court appointments and state-level abortion restrictions will justify why many have supported Trump."

The change in the court may be motivating Republicans to push through the bills more than electoral politics, said Claire McKinney, a professor of government and gender, sexuality and womens studies at William & Mary College.

Abortion foes say the various bills are intended to draw legal challenges, in hopes that a case will land before the Supreme Court.

"This moment in abortion politics is unprecedented," McKinney said. "I would speculate that these policies risk larger turnout in favor of Democratic candidates for the majority of Americans who do not support criminalizing abortion."

While there are strident opinions on both side of the abortion debate, most people operate in a "mushy middle," the University of Denver's Wilson said. They disapprove of abortion, but do not think it should be illegal.

Those are the voters Republicans stand to lose by passing laws that legitimately endanger abortion rights, Wilson said.

"If Democrats can really capitalize on that," he said, "they could mobilize moderates against the Republicans."

(Reporting by Ginger Gibson; Editing by Colleen Jenkins and Leslie Adler)
WASHINGTON  Tensions have been mounting at the Venezuelan Embassy in Washington, D.C., where liberal activists from the group CODEPINK have occupied the building for the past month. On Thursday morning, things finally came to a head when law enforcement personnel entered the embassy to arrest and remove the activists.

In a press release, CODEPINK said that their activists were charged with "interference with certain protective functions." The Department of Justice could not confirm these charges.

Activists have been occupying the embassy since April 10, but only four activists remained in the embassy after a Monday notice from American officials to leave the premises.

The four-story building has been vacant since the beginning of this year, when President Donald Trump recognized opposition leader Juan Guaido as the legitimate president of Venezuela, instead of the current Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro.

Embassy occupation: Liberal activists occupy Venezuelan embassy in Washington to oppose Trump policy

American withdrawal: US announces withdrawal of last of its embassy personnel from Venezuela

According to a State Department spokesperson, the Guaido government asked the U.S. to remove the protestors from the embassy, so American law enforcement personnel cleared the embassy.

Federal agents walk out of the Venezuelan Embassy after arresting pro Nicolas Maduro supporters during a eviction from the Venezuelan Embassy in Washington, Thursday, May 16, 2019. . (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

In a statement, CODEPINK denounced the arrests and slammed the Guaido government.

This struggle is far from over. We will continue to fight to stop this embassy from being handed over by the Guaido supporters, said CODEPINK Codirector Medea Benjamin.

The activists believe that giving the Guaido government control over the embassy could endanger the American Embassy in Venezuela, and had refused to leave until a diplomatic solution could be worked out between the Trump administration and the Maduro government. The State Department withdrew all of its remaining personnel from Venezuela in March.

Carlos Vecchio, the Guaido government's ambassador to the United States, was thankful for the removal of the protestors.

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Thanks to the government of the U.S., the State Department and law enforcement agencies for their support to enforce the laws and international treaties," he wrote in a statement "The usurpation stopped. We keep advancing."

The Trump administration does not consider the Maduro government to be legitimate, and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has highlighted alleged rights abuses and economic mismanagement under Maduro.

On April 30, Guaido led an effort to oust Maduro, but the uprising failed after the countrys military sided with Maduro instead of the opposition.

At the time, Pompeo told Fox Business that military action is possible by the U.S. government to assist Guaido. Reuters reported yesterday evening that representatives of the Maduro and Guaido governments are currently meeting in Norway to discuss a negotiated solution to the crisis.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Activists arrested in Venezuelan embassy in Washington after a monthlong occupation
Animal activists urged Kenya Thursday to ban the slaughter of donkeys for use in Chinese medicine, a practice which has soared in recent years and decimated African populations of the animal.

Donkey skins are exported to China to make a traditional medicine known as ejiao, which is believed to improve blood circulation, slow ageing, and boost libido and fertility.

It was once the preserve of emperors but is now highly sought after by a burgeoning middle-class.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) told AFP an investigation inside Kenyan slaughterhouses showed animals being cruelly beaten by workers, or dead after long truck journeys from neighbouring countries.

"PETA is calling for Kenya to join many other African nations in banning the slaughter of donkeys. There is simply no need for this cruelty, (the medicine) is not even something that has been shown to be effective," said spokeswoman Ashley Fruno.

China is increasingly looking to Africa to satisfy demand as its own donkey population has nearly halved in recent years.

Several African countries have banned the export of donkey skins and closed Chinese-owned slaughterhouses, meaning thousands of the animals are now trucked long distances into Kenya from countries such as Ethiopia and Uganda.

"There are virtually no laws against the abuse of animals on farms or in slaughterhouses in Kenya, so none of the violence captured in the footage is punishable from a legal standpoint," PETA said in a statement.

Kenya's Principal Secretary for Livestock Harry Kimutai told AFP he had taken note of the report and "we wish to request PETA to provide us with details for us to take action.

"We take issues of animal welfare seriously. We shall also carry out investigations to confirm the allegations and take appropriate action."

- Skinned alive -

Alex Mayers of the UK-based animal welfare organisation The Donkey Sanctuary said stories about the trade first began emerging in 2016, with tales of people waking up in the morning to find all of their donkeys had been stolen in the night, often skinned a short distance away.

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"It started to happen across all corners of Africa, then even wider to Brazil, Peru, Pakistan, all over we were seeing the same photos, the same stories."

An investigation by the body in 2017 found the donkey skin trade was inhumane and "completely unsustainable", he said.

As the main export is the skin, "it doesn't really matter if a donkey is beaten or bruised by the time it is slaughtered, there is no incentive at all to keep donkeys in good welfare," said Mayers.

In Tanzania, there had been cases of slaughterhouse workers using sledgehammers to kill donkeys, he added.

"We've seen cases in Botswana where donkeys have been rounded up and machine-gunned. In South Africa slaughter operators have admitted using hammers to kill the donkeys, or... skinning them alive."

Mayers said the unprecedented movement of donkeys for slaughter was also being linked to disease spread, with Nigeria and Senegal having registered their first-ever outbreaks of equine flu this year.

In East Africa, there were an estimated 2.4 million donkeys, and between Kenya's four slaughterhouses and illegal traders, an estimated 2,000 donkeys were killed daily, he added.

- Disappearing donkeys -

If this continues, donkeys in the region could be wiped out in four years, said Mayers, adding donkeys were not like cows or goats that can be intensively bred.

Highly susceptible to stress, they do not do well in large groups and have a long gestation period of 12 months.

"The harder you try to reproduce them, the less successful it's likely to be, which is why China has not managed to sustain its own population."

Another Equine charity, Brooke, said it had noted 60 incidents of donkeys being stolen from Kenyan homes per week, at huge economic loss to their owners.

"Donkeys are not only key in helping with household tasks , they also enable owners and their families to make a living through a variety of commercial activities, for instance transport or agriculture," spokeswoman Megan Sheraton told AFP.

A 2015 study by Brooke estimated the economic value of a donkey in Kenya at up to $2,200 (1,900 euros) per year.
Some have more dollars than sense, they say, so even companies that have no revenue, no profit, and a record of falling short, can easily find investors. And in their study titled Who Falls Prey to the Wolf of Wall Street?' Leuz et. al. found that it is 'quite common' for investors to lose money by buying into 'pump and dump' schemes.

If, on the other hand, you like companies that have revenue, and even earn profits, then you may well be interested in Gujarat Apollo Industries (NSE:GUJAPOLLO). While that doesn't make the shares worth buying at any price, you can't deny that successful capitalism requires profit, eventually. Conversely, a loss-making company is yet to prove itself with profit, and eventually the sweet milk of external capital may run sour.

Want to participate in a short research study? Help shape the future of investing tools and you could win a $250 gift card!

View our latest analysis for Gujarat Apollo Industries

Gujarat Apollo Industries's Improving Profits

Even modest earnings per share growth (EPS) can create meaningful value, when it is sustained reliably from year to year. So EPS growth can certainly encourage an investor to take note of a stock. Over twelve months, Gujarat Apollo Industries increased its EPS from 22.90 to 24.23. That amounts to a small improvement of 5.8%. We should also note that the company has boosted EPS by buying back shares, showing the strength of its balance sheet.

I like to take a look at earnings before interest and (EBIT) tax margins, as well as revenue growth, to get another take on the quality of the company's growth. Gujarat Apollo Industries reported flat revenue and EBIT margins over the last year. That's not bad, but it doesn't point to ongoing future growth, either.

You can take a look at the company's revenue and earnings growth trend, in the chart below. Click on the chart to see the exact numbers.

NSEI:GUJAPOLLO Income Statement, May 16th 2019

Since Gujarat Apollo Industries is no giant, with a market capitalization of 1.8b, so you should definitely check its cash and debt before getting too excited about its prospects.

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Are Gujarat Apollo Industries Insiders Aligned With All Shareholders?

Many consider high insider ownership to be a strong sign of alignment between the leaders of a company and the ordinary shareholders. So we're pleased to report that Gujarat Apollo Industries insiders own a meaningful share of the business. In fact, they own 65% of the company, so they will share in the same delights and challenges experienced by the ordinary shareholders. This makes me think they will be incentivised to plan for the long term - something I like to see. In terms of absolute value, insiders have 1.2b invested in the business, using the current share price. That should be more than enough to keep them focussed on creating shareholder value!

It's good to see that insiders are invested in the company, but are remuneration levels reasonable? A brief analysis of the CEO compensation suggests they are. For companies with market capitalizations under 14b, like Gujarat Apollo Industries, the median CEO pay is around 1.3m.

The CEO of Gujarat Apollo Industries was paid just 916k in total compensation for the year ending March 2018. This could be considered a token amount, and indicates that the company does not need to use payment to motivate the CEO - that is often a good sign. 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. It can also be a sign of a culture of integrity, in a broader sense.

Does Gujarat Apollo Industries Deserve A Spot On Your Watchlist?

One important encouraging feature of Gujarat Apollo Industries is that it is growing profits. The fact that EPS is growing is a genuine positive for Gujarat Apollo Industries, but the pretty picture gets better than that. With a meaningful level of insider ownership, and reasonable CEO pay, a reasonable mind might conclude that this is one stock worth watching. Of course, just because Gujarat Apollo Industries is growing does not mean it is undervalued. If you're wondering about the valuation, check out this gauge of its price-to-earnings ratio, as compared to its industry.

You can invest in any company you want. But if you prefer to focus on stocks that have demonstrated insider buying, here is a list of companies with insider buying in the last three months.

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.
Election officials in Afghanistan should do more to ensure delayed presidential polls can take place in September, the US embassy in Kabul said Thursday.

The election was initially slated for April 20, but as the date drew close it grew obvious that overwhelmed poll officials were unprepared -- owing to them still tallying results from a nationwide parliamentary ballot in October.

Amid the push to finalise those results, officials first delayed the presidential election until July 20, and then again to September 28. Final results were only announced this week.

In a statement, the US embassy urged the Independent Election Commission and Afghan authorities "do their part to take the decisions and actions necessary to give the Afghan people their voice at the ballot box this year."

Among its recommendations, the embassy said the election commission should present a clear plan and budget request, as well as hire and train sufficient staff to complete voter registration and preparations.

"The Afghan people deserve the opportunity to choose their next leadership through transparent elections in September," the statement read.

"We are prepared to continue supporting this process."

The embassy statement comes after Alice Wells, the principal deputy assistant secretary of state for South and Central Asian affairs, met with Afghan leaders in Kabul this week, when she stressed the importance of holding the September election.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani's term technically expires May 22, and his opponents have said his administration should make way for a caretaker government until presidential elections can be held.

The supreme court however has said he can remain in power until the next election.

The delayed elections come as the United States tries to negotiate a peace deal with the Taliban, and some had speculated the polls were being deliberately stalled to create more space for those talks.

Negotiations however appear to be making slow progress, with the two sides at loggerheads over several key issues.
AFP's fact-check service debunks misinformation spread online. As India holds the world's biggest election, social media is awash with disinformation and fake news. Here are some of our recent fact-checks:

1.Home truth?

After India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi returned to his home state to cast his vote, a widely-shared photograph purported to show a portrait of one of his political rivals hanging on the wall in his mother's living room. The claim was false: the image had been doctored from an original with the rival's portrait superimposed over a religious Hindu picture.

2.Double date

An image appeared online which appeared to show opposition leader Rahul Gandhi eating biryani with Imran Khan, the Prime Minister of arch-rival Pakistan. A very similar image purportedly showed Prime Minister Modi eating with Khan. Both the misleading images were actually doctored from an original 2015 photograph which showed the Pakistani leader and his then-wife Reham Khan eating at a function.

3. Made-up Modi

Multiple Facebook posts shared footage they claimed showed Modi having his makeup done by his personal makeup artist -- who earned $114,000 per month. The footage was actually taken from a 2016 promotional video by waxworks museum Madame Tussauds showing Modi being measured by a team for his wax replica statue.

4. Rohingya violence?

One video shared thousands of times claimed to show Rohingya refugees harassing workers from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) during a rally in the state of West Bengal. But the footage was actually from the state of Gujarat, at the other end of the country, and showed locals protesting a BJP motorbike rally ahead of state elections in 2017.

5. Drunk and disorderly

Footage of opposition politician Priyanka Gandhi in the middle of a crowd has been used repeatedly in posts which make different misleading claims about what it shows. Some posts claim the footage showed Gandhi drunk and disorderly, other posts said it showed her being attacked for insulting the Prime Minister, still more posts suggested it showed her elbowing "poor" people when she thought she was unobserved. All of the claims are false: the footage actually shows Gandhi reacting to being jostled during a anti-sexual assault rally in Delhi in 2018.

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6. Pakistan flag myths

A video of a rally for India's main opposition party, the Indian National Congress, was shared on Facebook and YouTube alongside claims it showed someone waving the national flag of arch-rival Pakistan. But the flag in fact is that of an Indian political party, the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), which shares the same green and white colours.

1) http://u.afp.com/ModiMum

2) http://u.afp.com/DoctoredKhan and http://u.afp.com/PMsEat

3) http://u.afp.com/ModiMakeup

4) http://u.afp.com/NotRohingya

5) http://u.afp.com/PriyankaVid

6) http://u.afp.com/Pakflagrally
Air Canada (AC.TO) is in talks to buy airline and travel tour operator Transat A.T. Inc. (TRZ.TO) for about $520 million, a deal that was viewed positively by many analysts and sent shares of both companies soaring.

Canadas largest airline said in a statement released Thursday morning that it was interested in purchasing all outstanding shares of Transat for $13 per share, a 23 per cent premium on its closing price Wednesday. In a separate statement Transat said it has agreed to a 30-day period of negotiations with Air Canada, but that there is no assurance that a definitive agreement will be reached.

Transats chief executive Jean-Marc Eustache said that the announcement was good news for the company.

This is an opportunity to team up with a great company that knows and understands our industry and has had undisputable success in the travel business, he said in a news release.

This represents the best prospect for not only maintaining, but growing over the long term the business and jobs that Transat has been developing in Quebec and elsewhere for more than 30 years.

Air Canada chief executive Calin Rovinescu said the combination of the two brands would create a global leader in leisure, tourism and travel.

The acquisition presents a unique opportunity to compete with the very best in the world when it comes to leisure travel, Rovinescu said in a statement.

Transat shares closed Thursday at $12.00 in Toronto, an increase of 13.42 per cent. Air Canada reached an all-time high of 40.40, a jump of 3.91 per cent.

TRZ.TO

While the deal has not been finalized and would still require regulatory and shareholder approval, analysts have viewed the potential transaction as positive for both companies.

Walter Spracklin, an analyst at RBC Capital Markets, said the deal was not overly surprising but unexpected nonetheless. He wrote in a note to clients Thursday that he viewed the deal favourably because it will improve Air Canadas position in a highly competitive leisure market, as well as increase scale for Air Canada Vacations, the airlines travel tour business. It would also give Air Canada access to Air Transats fleet of Airbus A321s at a time when aircraft capacity is strained due to the grounding of the Boeing 737 Max 8.

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AltaCorp Capital analyst Chris Murray said the potential transaction is positive for Air Canada and Transat, which had specifically been looking to diversify its operations in recent years.

The core of Transats business has historically been about packaged travel. When you see the disintermediation of that whole space by the internet, as well as a number of new competitors in the business like WestJet and Sunwing, the marketplace has changed, AltaCorp Capital analyst Chris Murray said in an interview.

Theyve been trying to figure out various strategic options for the last few years so I think this is a good outcome for everybody.

Competition questions the biggest hurdle

Transat had announced last month that it had held preliminary talks about a potential sale of the business with more than one party, which sent the companys stock skyrocketing. The announcement, and now the potential Air Canada deal, comes as the company undergoes a transformation that includes the launch of a new hotel division.

But what Air Canada wants to do with Transats hotel division remains to be seen. Spracklin said that Air Canadas management team indicated that it has not come to a decision on Transats hotel operations.

Transat has agreed to limit any undertakings and expenses relating to a hotel strategy during this period, he said. We believe this reflects the possibility that Air Canada may seek to exit this aspect of Transats operations in the deal is successful.

In addition to the due diligence review Air Canada will be undertaking over the next few days, analysts expect the deal will be subject to regulatory and shareholder approvals as well as a competition bureau review.

Competition is going to likely be the biggest piece of the regulatory hurdle here, Murray said, adding that Air Canada will likely argue that the deal will help the airline expand its offerings to passengers by growing its route network.

The other piece of it will be that there are still other competitors in the marketplace, such as WestJet and Sunwing, Murray said.

I think the competition bureau review will be fulsome and complete, but I believe ultimately manageable.

The potential takeover comes just a few days after it was announced that Onex Corp. is buying WestJet Airlines Ltd. for $5 billion and taking Canadas second-biggest airline private.
Sanaa (AFP) - Warplanes struck in and around the rebel-held Yemeni capital Thursday two days after the insurgents claimed drone strikes that shut a key oil pipeline in neighbouring Saudi Arabia, the rebels and witnesses said.

One witness told AFP he heard a loud explosion in the heart of Sanaa.

The rebels' Al-Masirah television blamed "aircraft of the (Saudi-led) aggression".

In an initial tweet, the broadcaster reported six strikes on the Arhab district of Sanaa province. It then reported further strikes, including one in Sanaa itself.

A second witness told AFP that the raids began around 8 am (0500 GMT) while many Yemenis were asleep awaiting the end at sunset of the daytime fast observed by Muslims during the holy month of Ramadan.

"There were many strikes," he added.

On Tuesday, the Huthi rebels claimed responsibility for twin drone strikes on Saudi Arabia's main east-west oil pipeline, saying that they were a response to "crimes" committed by Riyadh during the bloody air war it has led in Yemen since March 2015.

The pipeline, which can carry five million barrels of crude per day, provides a strategic alternative route for Saudi exports if the shipping lane from the Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz is closed.

Iran has repeatedly threatened to close the vital conduit for global oil supplies in case of a military confrontation with the United States.

The Saudi cabinet called on Wednesday for "confronting terrorist entities which carry out such sabotage acts, including the Iran-backed Huthi militias in Yemen."

Key ally the United Arab Emirates echoed the call.

"We will retaliate and we will retaliate hard when we see Huthis hitting civilian targets like what happened in Saudi Arabia," the UAE minister of state for foreign affairs, Anwar Gargash, said on Wednesday.

Saudi Arabia and its allies intervened in Yemen when President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi fled into Saudi exile as the rebels closed in on his last refuge in Yemen's second city Aden after sweeping through most of the rest of the country.

The intervention has retaken much of the south but the capital and most of the populous central highlands remain in rebel hands.
By Alistair Smout

LONDON (Reuters) - Airbus Chief Executive Guillaume Faury warned on Thursday any further escalation of trade tensions would damage aerospace firms globally, including the European planemaker's U.S. rival Boeing.

The United States and the EU have each threatened to impose billions of dollars of tit-for-tat tariffs on planes, tractors and food in the nearly 15-year trans-Atlantic dispute at the World Trade Organization over subsidies to Airbus and Boeing.

"The trade tensions that we see, we believe they are lose-lose tensions," Faury told reporters on a visit to London.

Boeing on Wednesday urged the U.S. government, which has the first crack at imposing any tariffs since its WTO process is running several months ahead of the EU's, to restrict reprisals to European aircraft to avoid harming American manufacturers.

But Faury said it would be impossible for such firms to insulate themselves from the worsening trade climate, which has also led to a tariff war between the United States and China.

"These tensions, and the trade situation, are not supportive to any of the players in aerospace," he said.

"We don't think we'll be losing more than the other guys in that situation, but we think it should be resolved in one way or another that enables global businesses like aviation to continue to grow," Faury said.

The new Airbus CEO, who stepped up from its planemaking division a month ago, repeated warnings over the impact of Britain's European Union exit, while using softer language than predecessor Tom Enders who had threatened to quit the UK.

Airbus, which makes wings in Britain and employs 14,000 people across the country, is using the delay in Brexit to "prepare for all scenarios," Faury said, adding that a no-deal Brexit remained on the table, even if less likely.

"Things have basically not changed, and therefore they are worsening. This long-lasting lack of clarity is ... a distraction," he said.

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"The UK is really a place where we are part of the ecosystem. Our plants and our sites in the UK are very competitive. We would like this to continue, whatever happens."

ARMS EXPORT ROW

Faury also warned of legal action against Germany over a ban on defence exports to Saudi Arabia. The ban has threatened a long-delayed border security contract with the kingdom, prompting Airbus to take financial charges.

Germany went alone with a ban in October after the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Istanbul, irritating other European arms exporters including France, where Airbus is based.

"It's very important to have clarity on what the rules will be, and how partners understand they can trust Germany as a partner," Faury said.

The row comes as France and Germany study a new combat jet, in which Airbus is the industrial partner on the German side.

Chancellor Angela Merkel on Wednesday said Germanys restrictive guidelines could leave its partners in despair and it would have to be more ready to compromise to be considered as a partner.

Faury again dismissed any boost to Airbus from the crisis facing Boeing over its grounded 737 MAX after two crashes.

"Safety is paramount to this industry, so we don't see anything positive on the current situation. We think trust of the passengers and people in aviation is very important when it comes to growth," he said.

European strategists have said Airbus has little long-term interest in destabilising the 737 MAX and triggering a costly new race to develop new models, and is worried about the impact of the crisis on certification rules. But day-to-day competition remains fierce and U.S. industry sources have accused Airbus of trying to poach buyers who have yet to finalise MAX deals.

Faury said jet demand remained stronger than Airbus - which has limited short-term spare capacity - could meet alone.

(Story refiled to add dropped word in paragraph 17)

(Reporting by Alistair Smout; Editing by Tim Hepher/Sudip Kar-Gupta/Alexander Smith)
The text of Alabamas controversial new abortion ban bill explicitly compares the procedure to the Holocaust  a move that has prompted outrage from Jewish activists and abortion rights groups.

The bill was approved in the Alabama Senate on Tuesday night, with 25 state senators voting in favour and just six voting against. It would make performing an abortion at any stage of a pregnancy a felony, punishable by up to 99 years or life in prison for the provider.

There is one exception to the ban, and that comes when a womans health would be at serious risk if the abortion were not performed.

The text of the legislation  which does not have exceptions for rape or incest  explicitly compares abortion since the landmark passage of Roe v Wade to the slaughter of Jews during the Second World War.

It reads: It is estimated that 6,000,000 Jewish people were murdered in German concentration camps during World War II; 3,000,000 people were executed by Joseph Stalin's regime in Soviet gulags; 2,500,000 people were murdered during the Chinese Great Leap Forward in 1958; 1,500,000 to 3,000,000 people were murdered by the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia during the 1970s; and approximately 1,000,000 people were murdered during the Rwandan genocide in 1994.

All of these are widely acknowledged to have been crimes against humanity. By comparison, more than 50 million babies have been aborted in the United States since the Roe decision in 1973, more than three times the number who were killed in German death camps, Chinese purges, Stalin's gulags, Cambodian killing fields, and the Rwandan genocide combined.

Elisabeth Smith, chief counsel for state policy at the Guttmacher Institute, a reproductive health research group that estimates there have been more than 50 million abortions performed between 1973 and 2011, decried the text of the bill in a statement.

It's outrageously offensive to callously use the memory of the men, women, and children who lost their lives in the [H]olocaust and other genocides to argue against women's right to self-determination, Ms Smith told CBS News in an email.

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She continued: The anti-abortion movement relies on hyperbole, ad hominem attacks, and medically inaccurate language to manipulate the emotions of the public.

Jake Hyman, a spokesperson with the Anti-Defamation League, an anti-hate Jewish group, said that comparing abortion to the Holocaust breaks boundaries on decency.

It belittles the memory of six million Jews and millions of others who were murdered at the hands of the Nazis and misappropriates a profoundly tragic historical event for political purposes, he said.

Alabama is one of several states across the US seek to introduce new legislation to impose restrictions on the abortion.

Last week, Georgia governor Brian Kemp signed a heartbeat abortion bill into law, giving the state the power to sentence women to life in prison if they terminate their pregnancies after six weeks.

Senators in Missouri are set to consider one of the countrys most restrictive abortion bans this week, which would effectively outlaw almost all abortions past eight weeks.

Meanwhile, Michigans Republican-led legislature is set to vote on whether to outlaw a common second-trimester abortion procedure.
An Alabama senator is being praised for her tough questioning of a Republican colleague over the states law banning nearly all abortions.

Speaking ahead of the chambers vote, Democrat Vivian Davis Figures raised the issue of victims of rape and incest being banned from having a termination.

Ms Davis Figures grilled Republican senator Clyde Chambliss, who is one of the co-sponsors behind the abortion bill.

Do you know what its like to be raped? she asked, to which Mr Chambliss replied, No maam I dont.

She followed with: Do you know what its like to have a relative commit incest on you?

On me? No maam, Chambliss responded.

Yes you. Okay so thats one of those traumas that a person experiences just like that child experienced and to take that choice away from that person who had such a traumatic act committed against them, to be left with the residue of that person if you will, to have to bring that child into this world and be reminded of that every single day.

The video has since been widely shared, with many people on social media thanking the senator for her defence of women's right to choose.

Ms Davis Figures is one of four women elected to serve in the 35-member chamber. She introduced an amendment to criminalise vasectomies, but was defeated 21 to 5.

Since then, Alabama Governor Kay Ivey has signed the abortion ban bill, in the latest move towards overturning Roe v Wade.

Pro-choice activists vow to block the enforcement of the Alabama bill, which would be America's strictest anti-abortion law.

Governor Ivey, an anti-abortion Republican, said in a statement: To the bill's many supporters, this legislation stands as a powerful testament to Alabamians deeply held belief that every life is precious and that every life is a sacred gift from God.

To all Alabamians, I assure you that we will continue to follow the rule of law.
The state of Alabama has now passed the nations most restrictive abortion law  one with no exceptions for survivors of sexual assault or any medical need less dire than immediate death or substantial physical impairment or any fetal anomalies that arent lethal. Six months from now, when the law goes into effect, a doctor who terminates a pregnancy at any point after conception could face up to 99 years in prison.

This new law, which Republican Governor Kay Ivey signed on Wednesday, comes directly on the heals of a series of states passing similarly restrictive heartbeat bans (bills that make abortion illegal after a fetal pole shows cardiac activity, usually one to two weeks after the point at which a pregnant person has missed a period). Given that many women dont even know they are pregnant at this point in gestation, these bills, signed into law in Kentucky, Mississippi, Ohio and most recently Georgia, are also essentially total abortion bans too and also contain very limited exceptions.

Today, I signed into law the Alabama Human Life Protection Act. To the bills many supporters, this legislation stands as a powerful testament to Alabamians deeply held belief that every life is precious & that every life is a sacred gift from God. https://t.co/DwKJyAjSs8 pic.twitter.com/PIUQip6nmw  Governor Kay Ivey (@GovernorKayIvey) May 15, 2019

The continuing escalation of legislative extremism combined with the whirlwind of states introducing even more bills have many Americans either convinced that abortion is already illegal in certain states or frantically planning for a not-too-distant future where abortion means traveling across multiple states for legal care or hiding a pregnancy from the public and then aborting in secret and risking jail. The years 2020 and beyond could look alarmingly like 1972  and very few are eager to head so far back in time.

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But for this very moment, even though the Alabama law is indeed extreme and an indication of how far anti-abortion opponents are willing to take things when they are in power, nothing has changed, and nothing will change anytime soon. Like the series of so-called heartbeat bans that passed before it, the near-total abortion ban in Alabama will never go into effect as long as Roe v. Wade continues to be the law of the land. Because of Roes precedent, a state cannot ban abortion outright prior to the point of viability  a time when a fetus is likely to survive outside the womb with medical support, which is currently viewed as being around 24 weeks gestation. Banning it in the first trimester has never been upheld by a federal or state Supreme Court, despite efforts in North Dakota, Arkansas, Iowa, Kentucky and Mississippi so far. While some appeals continue to work their way through the court system, these laws remain enjoined and abortion is still legal in those states.

While abortion opponents would obviously love to see these bans enforced immediately, thats not their real goal: What they really want is for Court to take up a case that will allow it to revisit Roe and overturn it, letting each state decide on its own whether abortion is legal. If the Supreme Court is ready to do that  and a recent ruling from the Court shows that it has very little issue tossing decades of precedent aside  then it doesnt really matter that Alabama has passed a complete and total ban. Any one of the existing cases pending Supreme Court review would act just as easily as a vehicle for the Court to overturn Roe.

And while the reversal of Roe is often discussed by pro-choice advocates as a doomsday scenario, theres actually a chance that the Supreme Court chooses not to overturn it at all but still produces disastrous outcomes. That is where the proliferation of so-called heartbeat laws comes into play. As the state of Mississippi has made clear in their arguments supporting the ban, they believe that a heartbeat should be viewed as a new way to declare an embryo or fetus viable, rather than survival outside the womb. As opposed to a vague and constantly shifting concept of viability, detection of a fetal heartbeat is an objective milestone, and also an extremely accurate indicator of the likelihood a fetus will survive until birth, the Mississippi Attorney General wrote in the states legal defense. A federal court will hear those arguments on May 21.

If conservative lawyers can get the Supreme Court to agree that a cardiac activity should replace the traditional definition of viability, and that banning abortion from that point is not a violation of Roe, that could then allow the states that have passed heartbeat bans to essentially block all access to abortion without officially overturning Roe, with even more states likely to follow close behind. The effect would be nearly identical to a reversal of Roe without actually upending precedent at all.

Even with all of these alarm bells ringing, there is some optimism in the fact that the Supreme Court has chosen not to take up any abortion-restriction cases yet, despite the fact that there are already four major abortion cases waiting in the wings for their review. It could be because of a reticence to overturn settled precedent. Or it could be a more cynical, politically motivated desire to not make any big decisions that could potentially influence the 2020 presidential election  as Whole Womens Health v. Hellerstedt seemed to in 2016 when a summer ruling upholding abortion rights motivated social conservatives to vote for President Trump in droves in order to fill more court seats.

Until they do take up a case and theoretically rule that states can decide for themselves whether to allow a person to terminate a pregnancy legally, abortion is available in every state  yes, including Alabama. Its available even now that the bill has been signed into law, and it will be available for the six months that follow until it goes into effect. It will even be available after that, because there is no doubt that the bill is a direct violation of Roe and cannot be upheld in court as constitutional.

Abortion is still legal in every state in America, and it will be for the immediate future. And if there is any silver lining, it is the fact that while these extreme abortion bans are being passed, they continue to be blocked in the lower courts, making them ineffective at stopping any legal abortions today. While conservative states are trying hard to force the Supreme Court to take up Roe, they have quieted their efforts on bills that were actually more likely to be upheld by judges  bills that imposed mandatory waiting periods or unnecessary restrictions that clinics struggled to comply with, like demanding that clinics have hallways of a certain width or physicians with local admitting privileges. When clinics cant fulfill these requirements, they sometimes close as a result. And when that happens, patients have to travel farther or wait longer for an appointment, often finding that abortion is technically legal but functionally inaccessible to them.

Abortion is still legal, and until the Supreme Court rules otherwise, those who support that right need to work on keeping it as accessible as possible. Donate to clinics and funds on the ground and legal groups that will challenge these laws, work with political groups that will lobby against these bills and for new legislation that will reverse this trend. Demand that candidates address this issue if they want your vote, and invest your money or time in organizations that work to get out the vote and especially that fight voter suppression. And educate yourself  about who has abortions and why, the difficulties of accessing clinics, the undeniable safety of early abortion (especially when compared to giving birth) and the way the right uses false claims of born alive infants or fetal pain to work toward a total abortion ban that will put womens lives in danger.

The end of Roe v. Wade isnt quite here yet, but that doesnt mean we can afford to be complacent. We must use todays energy to minimize the damage when and if it comes.
Alabama has introduced a law banning almost all abortions in the state, setting up a direct challenge to the landmark US Supreme Court ruling which gave women a constitutional right to end a pregnancy.

The legislation makes abortion illegal at every stage of pregnancy, including in cases involving rape or incest, unless a woman's life is at risk.

Doctors who defy the ban to perform the procedure would face prosecution and up to 99 years in prison if convicted. However women who receive abortions would not be held criminally liable.

The bill was approved by Alabama's state senate on Tuesday and signed into law by the state's Republican governor, Kay Ivey last night, making it America's strictest abortion law.

It reflects a growing push by Republican-controlled states to trigger legal challenges which could lead to the Supreme Court reconsidering its 1973 Roe v Wade ruling which legalised abortion nationwide.

The move creates a near-total ban on the termination of pregnancy - even in cases of rape and incest Credit: SAUL LOEB/AFP

Since the start of this year, 16 states have introduced legislation to curb abortion rights, including four which have passed laws banning abortion if an embryonic heartbeat can be detected.

That includes Georgia, where Republican Governor Brian Kemp signed the state's controversial heartbeat bill into law on Tuesday.

Opponents call the "heartbeat" legislation a virtual ban because embryonic cardiac activity can be detected as early as six weeks, before a woman may be aware she is pregnant.

Senator Linda Coleman-Madison speaks during the state Senate vote Credit: CHRISTOPHER ALUKA BERRY/ REUTERS

The Alabama bill goes even further - banning abortions altogether, except when necessary to save a woman's life.

Its authors have made clear that they do not expect the law to pass unchallenged, but introduced the legislation as part of a broader strategy by pro-life activists to push the issue before America's highest court, which now has a conservative majority.

Abortion opponents believe the Supreme Court is more open to banning abortion than it has been in decades after President Donald Trump, who has vowed to only appoint pro-life justices, nominated Brett Kavanaugh to the nine-judge bench last year.

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The president also vowed to veto any legislation passed by the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives that weakens the drive to prevent abortion access during an address at an anti-abortion march in January.

Representative Terri Collins, who sponsored the Alabama bill, said after Tuesday's vote: "This bill is about challenging Roe v Wade and protecting the lives of the unborn, because an unborn baby is a person who deserves love and protection".

That challenge appears to have begun already, with the American Civil Liberties Union, the largest human rights advocacy organisation in the country, promising on Wednesday to file a lawsuit "to stop this unconstitutional ban and protect every womans right to make her own choice about her healthcare".

Today is a dark day for women in Alabama, said Staci Fox, the president of Planned Parenthood Southeast. Lets be clear this is the most egregious attack on access to safe and legal abortion since Roe and we will fight back.

The case is unlikely to be heard by the Supreme Court before 2020, making it a key issue in the presidential campaign.

A number of Democratic candidates came out against Alabama's bill, including front runners Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren.

This ban is dangerous and exceptionally crueland the bills authors want to use it to overturn Roe v. Wade. I've lived in that America and let me tell you: We are not going backnot now, not ever. We will fight this. And we will win. https://t.co/WNlr7Ys73q  Elizabeth Warren (@ewarren) May 15, 2019

"This ban is dangerous and exceptionally cruel - and the bills authors want to use it to overturn Roe v. Wade," Mrs Warren tweeted. "I've lived in that America and let me tell you: We are not going back - not now, not ever."

Mr Biden said Republicans were ushering in laws that "should be declared unconstitutional", saying in a tweet: "Roe v Wade is settled law and should not be overturned. This choice should remain between a woman and her doctor."

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WASHINGTON  Alabama Democratic Sen. Doug Jones, who is up for re-election next year, slammed his states new restrictive abortion law Thursday, calling it unconstitutional" and irresponsible and saying it shines a negative spotlight on his home state.

This bill, frankly, is shameful. It is callous, Jones told reporters in a phone call. We need to call this bill what it is. We need to call it what Pat Robertson said it is  extreme. It is the most extreme abortion ban in the country.

Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey signed a bill into law Wednesday that would criminalize abortion in nearly all cases. It would only allow exceptions if the mothers physical or mental health is in jeopardy. Proponents said the aim to challenge Roe v. Wade, the 1973 U.S. Supreme Court decision that struck down state bans on abortion in the first trimester of pregnancy.

Jones said hes deeply disappointed with the extreme bill, which he said uses rape and incest victims as "political pawns.

Abortion laws across the country: Where is abortion legal? Everywhere. But ...

The law, the most restrictive in the country, puts Alabama in the national spotlight again.

Jones' Senate race garnered national attention in 2017 when he pulled off an upset against Republican Roy Moore to win a special election for the seat. Alabama hadnt sent a Democrat to the Senate in about 25 years. He is one of two Democrats in Alabamas nine-member congressional delegation.

Jones, a Democrat in a red state, is expected to be in a competitive race in 2020. Opponents are expected to focus on his record in the Senate. Community groups say they are also carefully monitoring his record.

Jones was not alone Thursday in criticizing Alabamas new law. House Democrats also took aim.

Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California called it a heartbreaking and unconstitutional assault on basic reproductive freedoms I dont want to be a fear monger, but I do believe theyre trying to go on a path that will totally dismantle Roe v. Wade and we have to be vigilant and express our concerns on this.

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Even some Republicans, who oppose abortion, said the Alabama law goes too far.

Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy of California said he has defended his pro-life position, but believes there are exceptions including rape, incest, or life of the mother. Thats exactly what Republicans have voted on in this House, he said.

Republicans in Congress have attempted to move multiple pieces of legislation that would restrict access to abortions, though none have gone as far as the Alabama law. Last year, House Republicans passed a bill that would ban abortion after 20 weeks. The bill failed in the Senate. This year, House Republicans, now in the minority, have failed more than a dozen times to amend various pieces of unrelated legislation with an anti-abortion provision.

Jones said there is little Congress can do to undo the Alabama law and he does not expect lawmakers to try.

This is a very polarizing issue up here, he said.

Jones said he expects other groups to challenge the law in the courts. That fight, he said, will cost Alabama taxpayers millions.

I really hope that our state legislature stops playing politics and starts focusing on policies that absolutely strengthen family, he said.

Jones said there should be more of a focus on health care issues for children and women. He noted that Alabama has one of the highest infant mortality rates in the country and a growing maternal mortality rate.

That is being overlooked and overshadowed by what has happened in the last couple of weeks," he said.

Contributing: Eliza Collins, Maureen Groppe and Brian Lyman of the Montgomery Advertiser ###

Women dressed as handmaids protest against a near-total abortion ban outside the Alabama State House in Montgomery, Ala., on April 17, 2019.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Alabama Democratic Sen. Doug Jones calls state's new restrictive abortion law 'shameful'
By Brendan O'Brien

May 16 (Reuters) - An Alabama man who was convicted, along with his friend, of killing his friend's father, the father's fiancee and her two children after a dispute over the use of a pickup truck is scheduled to be executed on Thursday.

Michael Samra, 42, is scheduled to be put to death by lethal injection at 6 p.m. (2300 GMT) at the William C. Holman Correctional Facility in Atmore, Alabama.

Samra was convicted in 1998 of four counts of murder and sentenced to die. Samra and his friend Mark Duke were accused of killing Mark's father, Randy, along with Randy's fiancee, Dedra Hunt, and her daughters who were 6 and 7 years old.

Samra, Duke and two of their friends were accused of planning to kill the four after Duke got into a heated argument with his father about the use of Randy's truck.

Prosecutors said Samra and Duke went on March 23, 1997, to Duke's house in Pelham, Alabama, where they shot and killed his father and Hunt and used a kitchen knife to slit the throats of the two girls.

David Collums and Michael Ellison, the two friends, pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting the killers. They were sentenced to 16 years in prison and were released from prison in 2013, local media reported.

Duke was sentenced to death in 1999. His sentence was changed to life in prison without parole because he was 16 at the time of the murders, local media reported.

Samra, who was 19 at the time of the killings, asked the U.S. Supreme Court this week to halt his execution because of his age when the crimes were committed. The court denied the request.

Samra and convicted killer Donnie Johnson, who is scheduled to be executed in Tennessee on Thursday, would be the sixth and seventh inmates executed in the United States in 2019, according to the Death Penalty Information Center, an organization that tracks executions in the United States. (Reporting by Brendan O'Brien in Chicago; Editing by Peter Cooney)
By Steve Gorman and Daniel Trotta

(Reuters) - Alabama's governor signed a bill on Wednesday to ban nearly all abortions in the state, even in cases of rape and incest, in the latest challenge by conservatives to the landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision establishing a woman's right to terminate her pregnancy.

U.S. abortion rights activists had already vowed to go to court to block enforcement of the Alabama measure, the strictest anti-abortion law yet enacted with the intention of provoking reconsideration of the 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling.

That effort has thrust the emotional debate over abortion back to the forefront of national politics in the run-up to the 2020 U.S. presidential elections.

Governor Kay Ivey, a Republican, signed the measure a day after the Republican-controlled state Senate approved the ban and rejected a Democratic-backed amendment to allow abortions for women and girls impregnated by rape or incest.

"To the bills many supporters, this legislation stands as a powerful testament to Alabamians deeply held belief that every life is precious and that every life is a sacred gift from God," Ivey said in a statement.

Abortion supporters across the country condemned the bill as part of a Republican-backed assault on the rights of women to control their own bodies.

"This is the war on women," said California Governor Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, "It's in full swing, and it's decades in the making."

The Alabama law would take effect in six months.

Legislation to restrict abortion rights has been introduced this year in 16 states, four of whose governors have signed bills banning abortion if an embryonic heartbeat can be detected.

Planned Parenthood joined the American Civil Liberties Union on Wednesday in filing a legal challenge to Ohio's recent ban on abortions after six weeks of pregnancy.

The Alabama bill goes further, banning abortions at any time, unless the mother's health is in danger. Those performing abortions would be committing a felony, punishable by up to 99 years in prison. A woman who receives an abortion would not be held criminally liable.

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'GONE TOO FAR'

Most of the Democratic candidates seeking their party's 2020 nomination to run for the White House condemned the Alabama law, calling it an attack on women's rights and vowing to fight to uphold legal access to abortion.

"The idea that supposed leaders have passed a law that would criminalize a physician for assisting a woman on something that she, in consult with her physician, with her God, with her faith leader, has made the decision to do, that is her body that you would criminalize," U.S. Senator Kamala Harris of California, one of the large field of hopefuls, said at a town hall on Wednesday morning in Nashua, New Hampshire.

Some on Twitter had called on their allies to mail coat hangers to Ivey, as a reminder of the illegal abortion practices common before it was made legal.

Christian television broadcaster Pat Robertson, a staunch critic of Roe v. Wade, said the Alabama law "has gone too far."

"Its an extreme law, and they want to challenge Roe versus Wade. But my humble view is that this is not the case we want to bring to the Supreme Court because I think this one will lose," Robertson said on his program, "The 700 Club."

Anti-abortion advocates are aware that any laws they pass are certain to be challenged. Courts this year have blocked a restrictive Kentucky law and another in Iowa passed last year.

But supporters of the Alabama ban said the right to life of the fetus transcended other rights, an idea they would like tested at the Supreme Court.

The highest U.S. court, now with a majority of conservative justices after Republican President Donald Trump appointed two, could possibly overturn Roe v. Wade. That decision held that the due process clause of the 14th Amendment provides a fundamental right to privacy that protects a woman's right to abortion.

Roe v. Wade did allow states to place restrictions on the procedure from the time a fetus could viably survive outside the womb, except in cases in which a woman's health was otherwise at risk. A fetus is generally considered viable at 22 to 24 weeks. A full-term pregnancy typically is about 40 weeks.

Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi and Ohio enacted statutes this year outlawing abortion after a doctor can detect an embryonic heartbeat.

Opponents call the "heartbeat" legislation a virtual ban because embryonic cardiac activity can be detected as early as six weeks, before a woman may even be aware she is pregnant.

(Reporting by Steve Gorman in Los Angeles and Daniel Trotta in New York; Additional reporting by Barbara Goldberg in New York, Ginger Gibson in Washington, and Alex Dobuzinskis in Los Angeles; Writing by Scott Malone; Editing by Jonathan Oatis, Lisa Shumaker and Paul Tait)
An international rights group Thursday expressed alarm over the Sri Lanka army's decision to reinstate an intelligence officer accused of high-profile attacks against journalists, including the assassination of a senior editor.

The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) said reinstating major Prabath Bulathwatte created new threats for the media in Sri Lanka, which is currently under a state of emergency following the Easter terror attacks.

Bulathwatte was arrested in 2017 in connection with a string of attacks against journalists during the former regime of strongman president Mahinda Rajapakse and is currently on bail.

One of the attacks was against editor Lasantha Wickrematunge, who was stabbed to death by members of a military intelligence unit in January 2009. Court records have named Bulathwatte as the key suspect.

But army chief Mahesh Senanayake last week told a local television network that Bulathwatte had been reinstated to boost the battle against local jihadists following the April 21 bombings in which 258 people died.

The CPJ's Asia Program Coordinator Steven Butler said reinstating Bulathwatte within the intelligence setup would create "new threats to journalists in Sri Lanka, who are not safe to do their jobs".

"Promoting to active duty an intelligence officer who has been implicated in the killing of one journalist and the torture of two others severely undermines Sri Lanka's claim that it is fighting impunity for crimes against journalists," he said.

Senanayake told reporters in Colombo on Thursday that Bulathwatte had been taken back "for a specific task," and would not work with the military intelligence unit.

He added that Bulathwatte would not have the ability to influence witnesses in the ongoing investigation into Wickrematunge's murder.

"I give the assurance now as army commander that Major Bulathwatte or any other officer...will not have those powers or any extra powers against anyone," Senanayake said.

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At the same time, the army chief sought to downplay Bulathwatte's personal responsibility for Wickrematunge's killing.

"If a soldier has done something wrong, it is the people who have given the orders (who should be held responsible)," Senanayake said.

"So I request kindly all of you to go and find out who gave the order to him."

- Graft accusations -

Wickrematunge had accused defence secretary Gotabhaya Rajapakse, brother of the former president, of taking kickbacks in arms purchases, including a deal to buy used MiG jet fighters, and was due to testify against him in court when he was killed.

Sri Lanka's war-time military commander Sarath Fonseka has also accused Gotabhaya of running a secret unit used to target journalists and dissidents, including Wickrematunge.

Gotabhaya, who is a US citizen, has denied involvement, but faces civil action in the United States, where a case has been filed by the slain editor's daughter Ahimsa.

Mahinda Rajapakse, president from 2005-15, and several members of his family are under investigation for alleged large-scale fraud and murder during his presidency.

All deny any wrongdoing and in turn accuse the current government of a political vendetta.
Chinese e-commerce leader Alibaba on Wednesday announced revenue for the latest quarter that beat analyst estimates, indicating that the Sino-US trade tiff and a slowing domestic economy were having little impact on the bottom line.

Revenue for the January-March period rose 51 percent year on year to 93.5 billion yuan ($13.6 billion), a company statement said, outpacing an average analyst estimate of 91.7 billion yuan compiled by Bloomberg News.

Net profit was 25.8 billion yuan, up more than three-fold compared to the same period a year earlier.

Revenue in the Hangzhou-based company's core e-commerce segment, which accounts for the vast majority of its business, jumped 54 percent, while the smaller but fast-growing cloud computing unit surged 76 percent.

"Our cloud and data technology and tremendous traction in new retail have enabled us to continuously transform the way businesses operate in China and other emerging markets, which will contribute to our long-term growth," Chief Executive Officer Daniel Zhang said in the statement.

Alibaba has been pouring money into what it calls "new retail", which optimises in-store sales and service using data culled online.

Alibaba dominates China's rapidly expanding consumer culture and its corporate results are typically closely watched for any signs that a Chinese economic deceleration and the US-China trade tensions were turning off shoppers.

Earlier on Wednesday, Hong Kong-listed Chinese social media and gaming giant Tencent announced that its quarterly profit also beat expectations.

Tencent said its commercial-payment services and digital content business lines helped offset a government crackdown on its cash-cow gaming segment.

Alibaba was on Tuesday named the world's most valuable retail brand outside the US, according to rankings by global marketing and communications group WPP and research and consulting firm Kantar.

Their report put Alibaba ahead of McDonald's, Home Depot, Nike and Louis Vuitton, and it was the only Asian brand in the top 10.

It put Alibaba's brand value at $131.2 billion in 2018, up 48 percent on the previous year.

Companies like Alibaba are at the nexus of a national economic strategy to encourage more domestic consumer spending and thereby lessen the reliance on fickle foreign demand for Chinese exports.
MUMBAI (Reuters) - Amazon.com faced a social media backlash in India on Thursday after toilet seat covers and other items emblazoned with images of Hindu gods were spotted on its website. Thousands of Twitter users backed a call for a boycott of the U.S. retailer, making #BoycottAmazon India's top trending topic on Twitter. Some tagged Indian Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj, urging her to take action against the company. Amazon, the world's biggest online retailer, said it was removing the products from its online store. "All sellers must follow our selling guidelines and those who do not will be subject to action including potential removal of their account," the company said in a statement. The episode is reminiscent of an incident in 2017 when the Indian government took Amazon to task after its Canadian website was spotted selling doormats resembling India's flag. Swaraj at the time threatened to rescind visas of Amazon employees if the doormats were not removed from its site. Reuters found several listings of toilet seat covers, yoga mats, sneakers, rugs and other items depicting Hindu gods, or sacred Hindu symbols, on Amazon's U.S. website. Some of the items were no longer available for purchase. "Until you hit these Hinduphobics Business hard they will keep on insulting your gods, your beliefs & your entire civilization," tweeted Sumit Kandel, whose profile describes him as a film trade analyst. (Reporting by Sankalp Phartiyal; Editing by Mark Potter and Susan Fenton)
* Ruling parties facing off at May 26 EU election

* Rising tensions have roiled markets

* Sources say government unlikely to fall after vote

* More powers for north is looming test for coalition unity

By Gavin Jones and Angelo Amante

ROME, May 16 (Reuters) - Italy's ruling parties intend to relaunch their coalition after next week's European elections, sources from both parties say, but it may not be easy after attacking each other for weeks during a bitter campaign.

Tensions between the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement and the right-wing League were expected ahead of the May 26 ballot, as the traditional rivals which formed a government last June compete with each other for votes and coalition dominance.

But the intensity of hostilities has taken observers by surprise, fueled speculation about a government collapse and upset financial markets which fear fresh political uncertainty in the euro zone's third-largest economy.

5-Star leader Luigi Di Maio and League chief Matteo Salvini, previously known and even mocked for their cozy relationship, have sparred daily on a raft of issues including law-and-order, corruption, immigration and public finances.

Salvini repeatedly attacks Rome's "incompetent" municipal government, run by 5-Star, while Di Maio called the League chief "irresponsible" after he suggested Italy should raise its already huge public debt to try to create jobs.

Each party accuses the other of disloyalty and plotting to sink the government, yet speaking off the record, senior sources from both say that even though relations have soured, they can be repaired after the vote.

"For politicians elections have the same function as gates do between dogs: they bark furiously at each other but when you open the gate they just smell each others' bottoms and it all ends there," said a prominent League lawmaker.

Another League official dismissed reports Salvini could trigger early elections to run in alliance with his traditional partner, former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi. "We certainly don't want to re-propose solutions from the past," he said.

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A 5-Star source said much of the coalition infighting was pre-election "theatrics" and it was hard to see any alternative to a 5-Star/League government.

Nonetheless, it will not be easy to resume government activity which has virtually stopped ahead of the election, and there are plenty of hurdles ahead.

"The problem is that nearly everything is improvised, there is no planning beyond a few weeks," lamented a 5-Star member of government.

5-STAR RISK

Much will depend on the election result. Recent polls suggest the League will be clearly the largest party, leap-frogging 5-Star, which got almost twice as many votes in March 2018's general election.

Most surveys before a polling blackout began last week suggested the League would win slightly more than 30% of the vote, about 10 points ahead of 5-Star. But the gap had narrowed over the previous fortnight.

Probably the most dangerous outcome for government stability would be a debacle for 5-Star, which could fuel internal opposition to Di Maio.

"If we get much below 20% a lot of people in the party will say our alliance with the League is destroying us and we should return to opposition to regroup," a third 5-Star source said.

An early flashpoint for the government could come on May 30, just a few days after the election, when a Genoa court will issue a verdict on Edoardo Rixi, a deputy transport minister from the League who is accused of stealing public funds.

Another League junior minister, Armando Siri, was sacked at 5-Star's insistence earlier this month after he was put under investigation for corruption, worsening relations between them.

Salvini has said he would not use a strong showing at the election to push for greater clout for his party in the cabinet, yet key jobs are up for grabs and he and Di Maio may struggle to find mutually acceptable candidates.

The most important will be Italy's appointee to the new European Commission. Salvini has said he wants someone in a weighty economic role and is sure to push for a figure close to the League if he comes out top at the election.

The leaders will also need to find a new European Affairs minister to replace economist Paolo Savona, who quit in February to head market watchdog Consob. Since then, Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte has been doing the job on a temporary basis.

On the policy front, the thorniest issue will probably be the League's insistence on greater powers for the northern regions of Lombardy and Veneto, two League strongholds where referendums on local autonomy were held and won in 2017.

The League accuses 5-Star of dragging its feet in respecting the referendum results, and two League officials said if this continues after the election it is the one issue over which the government could fall.

The 5-Star Movement is strongest in Italy's poorer south, and it fears that giving northern regions greater autonomy over areas such as infrastructure and education will erode its support and widen an already-gaping north-south divide. (Additional reporting by Giselda Vagnoni, Writing by Gavin Jones, Editing by Catherine Evans)
Naples (Italy) (AFP) - The removal of a protest banner against Italian far-right leader and Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini has sparked hundreds of copycat protests around the country.

The explosion in the number of banners being hung from balconies comes as the social-media obsessed anti-immigrant leader is frantically campaigning ahead of next week's European parliamentary elections.

The previously sporadic protests became a wave after authorities in northern city Bergamo on Monday asked fire fighters to remove a banner reading "You're not welcome."

The move in broad daylight was filmed and went viral, prompting more than 200 similar protests ahead of a Salvini election rally in the central city of Campobasso on Wednesday.

On Thursday, banners in southern city Naples greeted Salvini, who is also interior minister, ahead of a security meeting there.

"Salvini go home!", "Naples doesn't want you!", "No to the minister of hate", read some of the banners hanging from the city's famed balconies.

Salvini often derided southern Italians before his northern-separatist party became a national entity.

"The bumpkins don't forget!" read another banner, using a derogatory Italian word that Salvini previously used against southerners.

"When are you going to work?" asked other banners, after Italian daily La Repubblica revealed this week that Salvini had spent just 17 full days at his ministry so far this year.

Other banners goaded the nationalist about the 49 million euros of misspent public money that his party is supposed to pay back in instalments, or the Zorro toy Salvini revealed this week was stolen from him as a child.

"Some of the banners make me laugh," Salvini said on social media on Wednesday.

"I'll buy a coffee for the most ironic one," he said, while criticising the 126 graffiti authorities have counted calling for him to be killed since the start of the year.
BOKRIJK, Belgium (AP)  They are strikingly young, but emphatic that they should not be considered newcomers. Rather, they are claiming the mantle of Old Europe at its most traditional.

Several of this year's far-right candidates in Europe are well under the age of 30  just like some of their most ardent supporters. In Belgium, the telegenic Dries Van Langenhove, who is among the top picks on the list for the far-right party Vlaams Belang, is 26. In France, the head of the far-right National Rally slate for the upcoming European Parliament elections is 23 and has been a card-carrying party member since the age of 16. In Denmark, the lead candidate from the Danish People's Party is a 29-year-old who is already a veteran campaigner. And in Spain, the chief spokesman for the Vox party is 27 and was elected to parliament last month.

These candidates are part of a growing attempt by Europe's far-right parties to gear their anti-migration, euroskeptic message to the young, with everything from beer nights for adults and bouncy castles for kids to an outsized presence on social media, the Associated Press has found. Young European voters are responding with a rightward shift sometimes faster and farther than their elders  as illustrated by voting results or party rolls from Italy, France, Spain and Austria.

The trend could have major implications for this month's elections , which decide the makeup of the European Parliament as well as some national governments, as in Belgium.

"The far right has made a very explicit effort to pander to younger audiences. They've essentially rebranded themselves," said Julia Ebner, a researcher with the Institute for Strategic Dialogue , a left-leaning think tank. "Far-right political parties have been most active in engaging with social media users."

The far right has also succeeded at picking up on existing grievances and fears among young people and at using their language and cultural reference points, she said.

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It's a significant change from where the far right found itself in Europe's postwar era: identified with the Nazis and a Holocaust that killed 6 million Jews, marginalized by governments and eclipsed by a unifying Europe.

Opponents say today's far-right candidates have given new window-dressing to old racist beliefs and an implicit call for violence, pushing a pro-Christian, anti-Islam ideology that Belgium's security services describe as "extreme right in a white collar." Only now they're appealing to a demographic with no memories of where extremist beliefs once led the continent: to a world war that left almost all of Europe in rubble.

Every country defines and measures its young voters slightly differently. But the trend is unmistakable.

Across Europe, the right has gained ground with the electorate in general, but its strength among young voters, who traditionally lean left, has come as a surprise, according to poll estimates. In Italy, 17% of voters aged 18 to 34 voted for the League party in 2018, compared to just 5% in 2013. In Austria , 30% of the youngest voters chose the Freedom Party in 2017, up from 22% in 2013, making it the most popular party among those ages 16 to 29. And in Germany , the AfD's gains were notable while support from the youngest voters for the Green Party barely changed. France's vote showed similar trends.

Belgium's Van Langenhove has 31,000 Instagram followers and a strong presence on social media. Until recently isolated as racist by the rest of the political spectrum, the Flemish independence party Vlaams Belang whose slate he leads in Flemish Brabant has a handful of seats in the parliament and a plan to more than double that.

Van Langenhove is also the leader of Schild en Vrienden, a Flemish nationalist movement known for anti-immigration stunts and named in Belgium's annual report last year on extremist groups that are national security concerns. The report did not accuse the group of violence but noted the movement "deserves our attention."

On a recent spring holiday in a historic park, Van Langenhove's larger-than-life photo was plastered across the Vlaams Belang campaign vans. They were parked alongside the cars of thousands of party supporters and their children, who split their time between anti-immigration speeches inside and an outside festival that included face-painting, bouncy castles and a stand for the book "The Kidnapping of Europe."

Louis Beernaert, 27, has been coming to Vlaams Belang meetings with his father and sister since he was a child. Now his sister's husband and their toddler have joined also. They were all in favor of the party's new faces, which include its 32-year-old president, Tom Van Grieken.

"It needed to get younger," Beernaert said. "Their ideas are the same, but they say them in a less radical way."

Van Langenhove, who holds his torso like a boxer, posed for selfies and chatted with party leaders sometimes decades his senior without a flicker of deference.

He avoids direct discussion of race in favor of what he calls identity. But he routinely posts on social media about "replacement," a term used by white supremacists in the U.S. and Europe for the idea that European populations are being culturally and ethnically replaced by minorities. "Our People First" is the Vlaams Belang slogan.

Even though migration to Europe has slowed to a trickle, the continent is still grappling with the after-effects of the hundreds of thousands who arrived in the past few years alone. Belgium's foreign-born population went from just under 12% to nearly 17% between 2006 and 2017, not including people who slipped in illegally. In France, asylum requests last year topped out at 123,625  an increase of 23% from 2017, when they had already risen 17%.

In repeated surveys of young Europeans, including one released this month by the TUI Foundation, migration and asylum are described as Europe's most pressing issue. The environment comes in a distant second.

Vlaams Belang's decision to name Van Langenhove came after the Belgian network VRT linked him to racist and sexist messages in closed chat rooms. He dismissed the show as a "smear," but it prompted protests at the Ghent campus where he was studying law and got him banned briefly. Later, he was suspended from Facebook for content that violated the social network's terms of service. He is now more circumspect online and in front of the camera.

"Everything is on the table right now, it's an all-in game. And that's why more young people are taking the risk of associating themselves with right wing nationalist groups and organizations," he told the AP. "Young people are right in the middle of the problems. Older people, they move to the countryside, they move to areas where there's not a lot of foreigners. But young people have to move to the cities for their jobs, for their education."

Jobs are a sore point, with youth unemployment at around 15% in Belgium, just above the European Union average, and 20% in France. Vlaams Belang is hoping its message of economic protectionism will help the party, which has forged links in France with Marine Le Pen's far-right National Rally party as well as the loose far-right alliance that includes Italy's League, Austria's Freedom Party, Britain's UKIP, the German far-right AfD and the Danish People's Party.

Opponents, exemplified by centrist French President Emmanuel Macron, say the nationalists offer nothing in return for all they reject.

In an open letter to Europe in March, Macron called nationalism "the trap that threatens the whole of Europe: the anger-mongers, backed by fake news, promise anything and everything."

That month, young far-right leaders from all those parties and more gathered in Rome, where a 23-year-old raised by a single mother in a suburban Paris housing project was one of the stars. Jordan Bardella's brief speech to a young audience hit many of the same notes as Jean-Marie Le Pen's from decades ago.

"Another challenge of our generation will be immigration. Confronted with the demographic bomb that is Africa, it is the survival of our peoples, our civilizations, our Christian roots that is at stake today," the National Rally candidate tweeted on March 29 .

Marine Le Pen re-branded her father's National Front party as the National Rally after losing the French presidency to Macron in 2017. Despite the loss, she made important inroads among young French voters, easily outstripping all the traditional parties in polling among the young as well as the far-left candidate. She clearly took something away from the experience. The head of her party list this year is Bardella, who joined the National Front at age 16 and swiftly rose to lead its youth movement and that of its successor.

Bardella is nearly as explicit as Van Langenhove about the young leading the way against waves of alleged mass migration and rules from the EU in Brussels.

While Van Langenhove used a medieval Flemish castle in an elaborate stunt against pro-migrant activists, Bardella uses Old France as his backdrop  casks of Cognac, golden fields, even the classic French comic book characters Asterix and Obelix . He is growing increasingly confident about campaigning on his own, especially with recent stumbles by Macron's party.

"The generation that is committed to nationalist political movements today is the generation that tomorrow will be called upon to lead Europe," Bardella told the AP.

That is exactly what Pawel Zerka fears. A researcher with the left-leaning European Council on Foreign Relations, he said the mainstream parties have barely made an effort to appeal to younger voters, seeing them as a lost cause because so few actually turn out to vote.

"So many young voters across Europe don't believe the future will be better than today and they believe the past was better than today," he said, citing repeated surveys. "The current European Union or the (mainstream) parties don't offer a credible or attractive vision for the future for the young."

So the far right is stepping in. In Denmark, Peter Kofod, 29, has risen steadily since his first election in 2014 to city council. The following year, he became chairman of the youth wing of the anti-immigrant, populist Danish People's Party, which drew votes from a fifth of young voters.

In Spain, Vox's gains have come at the expense of traditional conservatives, who were slow to counter the upstart far-right party's rise among the young. Its events include popular "Pints for Spain" evenings at bars, nightclubs and cafes, where no one over 25 is allowed in.

Under Manuel Mariscal, the 27-year-old Vox spokesman and a newly elected lawmaker, the party's main Instagram channel has more than 300,000 followers, more than half of them younger than 34. A lot of its outreach happens on WhatsApp, where Vox's Madrid youth operation has nearly 1,750 active members.

"A young kid who is highly motivated is capable of convincing many others. He talks to friends, he debates constantly with others, with family, that enthusiasm is contagious," said Luis Felipe Ulecia, the 24-year-old vice secretary for youth. A bracelet with the Spanish flag around his left wrist, he spoke to AP at a working-class bar in Madrid about the party's efforts to recruit the young.

"We are not looking for high-and-mighty young leaders ... they need to be street-smart. They need to know about Spain's countryside. And they need to have been to the poligonos," he said, in reference to factory hubs outside the cities.

He later led a small outing of well-dressed young supporters in unfriendly territory in Barcelona, handing out pamphlets and at one point carefully confronting leftist activists.

Although the party has a small footprint in Spain  elections in April made it the No. 5 political party in the parliament's lower house  it's already influencing political debates on migration and the country's territorial unity. Still, Vox's vote total was far lower than its social media following would indicate.

This shows a possible ceiling for the ability of far-right groups to translate likes into votes, according to Manuel Mostaza Barrios, an analyst at the Madrid-based Atrevia consulting group.

As he put it: "The candidates most followed on social media aren't necessarily those that get the most votes."

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Aritz Parra contributed from Madrid, along with Elaine Ganley in Paris, Jan M. Olsen in Copenhagen, David Rising and Frank Jordans in Berlin, and Raf Casert in Brussels.

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HIGHLANDS RANCH, Colo.  Thousands gathered at a Colorado church Wednesday to celebrate the life of Kendrick Castillo.

The 18-year-old was just days away from graduating from STEM School Highlands Ranch when two shooters entered his classroom on May 7.

Castillo didnt hesitate.

He tackled one of the gunmen, losing his life while trying to save those of his classmates.

Castillo, along with classmates Brendan Bialy and Joshua Jones, is credited with helping minimize the bloodshed of the shooting that injured seven students. Castillo was the only fatality.

At a memorial for Castillo held at Cherry Hills Community Church in Highlands Ranch, his father, John Castillo, said it was no surprise to him and his wife, Maria, that their son acted as he did on May 7, when he and two classmates disarmed one of the suspects. He urged those in attendance to be more like his son and put love and compassion for others first.

This undated photo provided by Rachel Short shows Kendrick Castillo, who was killed during a shooting at the STEM School Highlands Ranch on May 7, 2019, in Highlands Ranch, Colo.

We love our community, Castillo said. Were a family of three and a little dog, but you know, I feel the love of thousands.

Speaker after speaker praised the young man, focusing on his character and the accomplishments of his short life. References to the shooting were few, including one by Dakota Mann, who was on the school robotics team with Castillo.

He died for us. Now its time for us to live for him, Mann said.

A procession featuring more than 600 Jeeps  Castillo was a Jeep and off-road vehicle enthusiast  began around 12:15 p.m.

As attendees streamed into the church, volunteers passed out tissues.

Pastor Dan DeMay said people often ask why when terrible things happen.

The truth is, many times the question of why is often unresolved, DeMay said.

The better question to ask, he said, is what next?

Castillo would have wanted everyone to move forward in love, kindness, respect and generosity, a number of speakers said.

John Castillo said at the service he knew his son was a gift and a hero, even before he died saving others.

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Castillo said we can all learn to make time for people  that we should never be too busy to put something on hold for a little bit to love others.

We can all be a little like Kendrick, Castillo said. Theres risk in love. He knew that.

Thousands stood in the church to applaud the teen's father as he walked off the stage, the clapping punctuated by sniffles in the audience.

Charlene Molis was Kendrick Castillos principal from preschool to eighth grade at Notre Dame Catholic School. During the service, she said that even as a young child Castillo had a heart for helping others.

She recounted a time when, on the first day of preschool, he saw a classmate crying.

Castillo wasted no time moving to comfort the boy. He walked over, put his arm around him and told him it would be OK.

More: Kendrick Castillo, hero killed in Colo. school shooting, told his dad he would act if confronted with a gunman

Dakota Mann is a STEM alum and is a systems engineer at Lockheed Martin and a design and fabrication mentor for Team Impulse, a robotics team Castillo was part of. As a mentor, he worked closely with Castillo.

Everyone was drawn to him, Mann said. He was my friend.

Mann knew Castillo for about four years, he said. Mann was a senior when Castillo was a freshman.

Castillo loved robotics. He spent much of his time at STEM School Highlands Ranch learning and mentoring other kids, Mann said.

Thats why a line of robots from various Colorado FIRST Robotics teams lined the walkway into the church.

We asked if we could do something like a procession you might do for like a fallen officer or soldier because the effect was so profound, Mann said.

As folks walked in, they stopped to look at the robots, many decorated with signs bearing Castillos name.

Julia Beller, 17, stood on the sidewalk outside the church before the procession began. She goes to Valor Christian High School, just across the street. Beller said she and some fellow students wanted to come out to stand with Castillos family and classmates. In her own small way, she said, she wanted to do what she could to show the love of God.

Sometimes its about just being there, Beller said.

The shooting feels close to home, Beller said.

STEM School Highlands Ranch is just about 4 miles away from Valor. Its also about 4 miles away from Arapahoe High School, where a shooting took place in 2013. There have also been several student suicides in the Denver area, she said, including at Valor.

The school is also just about 8 miles away from Columbine High School, where 20 years ago two shooters killed 12 students and a teacher.

I just keep telling my mom, were like sitting ducks, Beller said. Whos next? But this is normal for us now.

Contributing: The Associated Press

This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: 'Now its time for us to live for him': Thousands remember Colorado school shooting victim
On April 25, two men from the Norwegian Police Security Service knocked on Iyad el-Baghdadis door in the capital, Oslo. The bearded, bespectacled activist is sometimes confused with his political opposite, the ISIS leader of the same name. (His Twitter page announces, Not that Baghdadi.) But the men at the door were there for a different kind of danger. The officers flashed their badges and got to the point: Baghdadis life, they told him, could be at risk. They urged him to come with them right away.

Followed by a second team watching for tails, Baghdadi was driven by the officers to a safe location with an electronically shielded room where the agents told the longtime democracy activist what was going on. In recent months, Baghdadi has continued the fight begun by Jamal Khashoggi, the Saudi journalist and Washington Post columnist who was killed and dismembered on Oct. 2 by a hit team from Riyadh. Now the CIA had warned the Norwegians that Baghdadi was in danger, he and officials in Norway and the U.S. tell TIME. Saudi Arabia wants to stop my work, even if they need to get physical to do it, Baghdadi says.

He is not alone. In recent weeks, U.S. intelligence and law-enforcement officials have sent out similar warnings to Arab activists in Canada and the U.S., two people who received them and other sources familiar with the matter tell TIME. Dissidents based in Europe, the Middle East and North America are nervously exchanging warnings about hacking attemptsand worse. A troubling picture has emerged: eight months after Khashoggis death, the fight for political free speech he championed against the autocratic Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman rages on.

The fight is about more than just a group of exiled dissidents standing up against one Middle Eastern tyrant. Some experts in national security view the unfolding battle as part of a larger, defining war of our time: the contest for control of information. Whats happening in Saudi Arabia today is seen by an increasing number of governments around the world as a road map for how the future will look, says Bill Marczak of Citizen Lab, a cybersecurity and human-rights investigative project at the University of Toronto.

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Iyad Baghdadi From asylum in Norway, the Arab sping activist presses on with projects to undo autocrats malign influence in both social and traditional media | Ole Berg-RustenAFP/Getty Images

That helps explain why the Saudi threats have drawn the attention of international authorities. The U.N. official charged with investigating and reporting extrajudicial executions, Agnes Callamard, has called for urgent action to protect the safety of individuals she says are directly threatened by Riyadh. I have sent appeals to two governments regarding information I had received of credible threats against individuals in their jurisdictions, Callamard tells TIME, asking them to take all necessary steps to protect them and their families. Callamard says she wants all governments to be on the lookout for similar, unreported threats. In the U.S., House Intelligence Committee chairman Adam Schiff tells TIME his committee is investigating the latest Saudi threats and will consider what actions the U.S. should take in response.

The new threats illuminate Khashoggis extraordinary legacy. He started his dissident effort hesitantly, a review of text messages and other communications made available to TIME reveals. By the fall of 2018, when he traveled to the Saudi consulate in Istanbul to make arrangements for his upcoming marriage, Khashoggi was discreetly but deeply involved in projects involving a loose network of pro-democracy and human-rights activists around the globe, including Baghdadi and others.

It was in Istanbul that the Saudi death squad lay in wait, but if Khashoggis horrific murder was intended to cow other activists, it had the opposite effect. The attention that was given to Jamals case definitely reignited the hope for a lot of Arab dissidents to just be more active, in general, said Mohamed Soltan, an Egyptian-American human-rights activist and a Khashoggi friend who spent nearly two years in a Cairo prison. It gave people so much more courage to be more outspoken.

The dissidents projects have endeavored to reclaim social mediaespecially Twitter, the most influential public forum in the Saudi political universeas an open space for political dissent. Authoritarians like the crown prince fight back with electronic surveillance and domination of social media. Experts at detecting spyware infections in mobile phones report a new wave of suspicious occurrences among Saudi activists that are not easily explained other than by the presence of hacking or surveillance, says Marczak, who works with Saudi dissidents.

Authorities now worry that MBS, as the crown prince is known, is stepping up his counterattack, despite the U.S. having publicly judged him as almost certainly responsible for Khashoggis death. A similar warning to the one given Baghdadi was passed through the Canadian Security Intelligence Service to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police regarding the Saudi dissident Omar Abdulaziz, who worked with Khashoggi, three sources familiar with the episode tell TIME. Abdulaziz says he has been instructed not to discuss his situation, but that he recently began taking security precautions.

Omar Abdulaziz The Saudi dissident, who has asylum in Canada, joined forces with Khashoggi to undermine Saudi digitial surveillance and harassment, especially on Twitter | Franois OllivierThe Washington Post/Getty Images

Baghdadi says he was warned his family was in danger as well. It seems that I am physically safe in Norway but that I am vulnerable if I travel, says Baghdadi. My family resides in Malaysia; they are refugees, my parents and sister. They said dont go there. Dont travel outside the E.U. And tell them to get out immediately.

Khashoggi, for his part, saw it coming. The message is clear, he wrote in one of his final columns on the Saudi tyrant. No independent voice or counter-opinion will be allowed.

Few would have guessed, when Khashoggi arrived in Washington in June 2017, that the war would reach this point. Khashoggi didnt fit the stereotype of a high-living Saudi expatriate. His only new blazer was from Mens Wearhouse (he declined the deep discount for the second one that came with it). He lugged around a thermos for his strong, home-brewed coffee and waited a year to buy a car. He worked from his condo in a nondescript Virginia suburb he had taken a shine to a decade earlier when he was a spokesperson for the Saudi embassy.

Even in exile, Khashoggi remained an establishment figure. He had left Saudi Arabia abruptly, after a critical jab at the Riyadh government for its embrace of Donald Trump cost him his column at the pan-Arab newspaper Al-Hayat. But he was not in the business of defying the royal court. He told friends that his plan was to stick to the sidelines, writing policy stories about the region as a fellow at the Wilson Center in Washington. But the fellowship fell through after a visa complication, and there was no plan B. Need a job, Khashoggi messaged longtime friend Maggie Mitchell Salem, a former U.S. Foreign Service officer. I might start writing.

What followed, in the final 15 months of his life, were dramatic changes, both in the journalist and in the Saudi establishment he had carefully challenged but always served. The changes in attitude were recorded almost in real time in some 4,000 WhatsApp text messages shared with TIME by Salem, a friend of 15 years. The texts track Khashoggis initial reluctance to assume the role of dissenter; his growing determination to speak out on behalf of fellow Saudis; and a queasy knowledge of the growing risk to his family, if not to himself. God have mercy on my kids, its a turning point for me, he typed on Sept. 17, 2017, after the Post said it would run his first column.

Having navigated the House of Saud his entire career, Khashoggi began his self-imposed exile assuming that constructive criticism remained the best, if not only, way of coaxing change. At first, he obeyed the governments order to stay off Twitter. Attacking MBS personally would brand him a dissident and outsider, rendering him less influential. I dont want to appear like Im picking on him, Khashoggi argued in one text. Later he added, Its a balancing act.

It wasnt easy. On Nov. 4, 2017, he was headed to the Kennedy Center to see The Book of Mormon when he heard the crown prince was rounding up senior government officials and princes. Skipping play, have to write something, he messaged hastily, its a seismic event for Saudi. But after composing a sharply critical column, he then tweeted apparent support for the crackdown. He conceded that MBSs justice is selective, but as a realest [sic] I accept it.

The nuance was wasted on MBS. Beginning in March 2018, the crown prince would spend weeks touring the U.S. in a charm offensive meant to rebrand the desert kingdom as a startup worthy of Western investment. But to Saudis, he showed an iron fist, jailing scores of advocates and independent thinkers, including female activists who supported his most famous reform, allowing Saudi women to drive.

The kingdom policed Twitter with a particular zeal. The platform is the closest thing the kingdom has to a town square, and bin Salman was determined to control it as the state had long controlled newspapers and television. His government employed an army of trolls to shout down dissident voices. Long before his name surfaced in connection with Khashoggis death, on the receiving end of phone calls from his killers, the crown princes media enforcer, Saud al-Qahtani, issued public threats against Twitter dissenters: Add every name you think should be added to #The_Black_List using the hashtag, he tweeted. We will filter them and track them starting now.

Khashoggi had a Twitter following of 1.7 million, and by early 2018 he was increasingly critical of MBS. The combination triggered a torrent of retorts from what Khashoggi and others viewed as state-controlled troll farms. I hate them for doing this, he wrote to Salem, but, its ok. There came a point, however, when it was no longer O.K. Im losing hope, he wrote in a June 26 message. Hes getting uglier. On Aug. 6 he confided to Salem that because of Arab tyranny thats spreading Im willing to go [a] step beyond.

By then, Khashoggi was working with both Abdulaziz and Baghdadi. The activists saw Khashoggi as a game changer. Abdulaziz, 28, had been a critic of the Saudi government since his college days in Montreal, where he took to YouTube and Twitter to weigh in on the Arab Spring. He says the Saudi government revoked his scholarship, and in 2014 Canada gave him political asylum. A McKinsey & Co. report judged his Twitter account one of the three most influential in forming opinion of a Saudi public policy.

That made him a target. His Twitter account, like Khashoggis, was attacked by the swarming trolls and bots that served to undermine both their message and their morale. Their solution was to create a swarm of their own: the Bees Army. It is an army, a peaceful one in the social media to counter the Saudi trolls and the propaganda, Abdulaziz says. The effort involved sending foreign SIM cards to Saudi dissidents to thwart tracking.

It was only one of the projects Khashoggi embraced in the spring and summer of 2018. Making the rounds of dissenting voices in the Arab world, the journalist managed to overcome his reputation as an establishment loyalist. He spent hours one on one, often over tea or a cigar, discussing how to win back the public square. Among those he met with in this period was Baghdadi.

Palestinian by birth, Baghdadi had become a major figure in the Arab Spring, finding asylum in Norway after being expelled from the UAE, a Saudi ally. With Khashoggi and a third person who has recently been warned of a Saudi threat, but who has asked to remain anonymous because of safety concerns, Baghdadi began work on an institute devoted to monitoring and exposing the abuse of social media, especially Twitter, by repressive Arab governments. The institute, the Kawaakibi Foundation, is named for a 19th century Arab free-speech advocate. Baghdadi also founded ArabTyrantManual.com, an investigative outlet.

Khashoggi brought gravitas to dissident circles. He also brought the promise of funds, through connections he had made over decades. People trusted him, says Soltan, the Egyptian human-rights advocate. He could reach former VPs and Prime Ministers and current Foreign Ministers with a phone call, Soltan says, and that was huge.

The growing network posed a problem for the Saudi regime, and it took steps to fight back, the dissidents say. On June 28, a notification popped up on a phone owned by Abdulaziz, purporting to alert him to a package delivery. The link embedded in the pop-up led to a domain that would insert spyware called Pegasus, a product of the Israeli company NSO Group, which sells surveillance software to governments, including the Saudis, according to Abdulaziz, a lawsuit he and others filed against NSO and an analysis by Citizen Lab.

Abdulaziz went public with this hacking news in August, warning his confederates that the Saudis might know what the dissidents were doing. God help us, Khashoggi replied, according to Abdulaziz. In the weeks after, however, Khashoggi continued work on the projects. He got a visa to visit Abdulaziz in Montreal and made plans to meet Baghdadi at a conference in New York. On Sept. 7, Khashoggi sent word that he could not make it. He would go to Istanbul instead. Citizen Lab published a report on the Abdulaziz hack on Oct. 1, the day before Khashoggi was killed.

Khashoggis murder backfired on the Saudis. In a matter of hours, MBS went from smiling reformer to pariah. Baghdadi and Abdulaziz recommitted to their work, becoming prominent backers of a boycott of the Saudi Davos in the Desert conference scheduled just days after Khashoggis murder. But activists everywhere were energized. They came together after his death, Abdulaziz says. The Saudi embassy did not return multiple calls requesting comment for this story.

Baghdadi took on new projects. He worked with investigators hired by Amazon billionaire Jeff Bezos, who owns the Washington Post, to uncover what they allege was the hacking of Bezos mobile phone by the Saudis, according to Bezos lead investigator, Gavin de Becker. Its not [just] that I was outspoken against MBS, Baghdadi says.

But the fight for political free speech is as important as any battle in the larger war. We are working on taking away his primary propaganda weapon, Baghdadi says of MBS. The challenge, of course, is that the crown prince has other weapons too, and appears willing to use them. That was the judgment of the CIA, which has a duty to warn targets of violence when it comes across information indicating harm may come to them.

For Baghdadis part, the first warning came months earlier. He says it was in October that he heard from someone in the Saudi government, who wanted to pass on information he had learned in the palace. He says, Listen, Baghdadi recalls, theyre preparing the list of people who are affecting MBSs reputation in the global sphere, in the English-language media. And youre near the top of the list.
"Unconstitutional." "A utter disgrace." "It's time to fight like hell."

2020 Democratic presidential candidates are hitting back hard against Alabama's near-total abortion ban, which was signed into law by Gov. Kay Ivey on Wednesday. Several of the White House hopefuls are pointing to the need for better health care and to defend the Supreme Court's precedent set forth in Roe v. Wade.

Their comments come after a number of states passed similarly restrictive abortion laws as part of a broader push by anti-abortion activists. The Alabama measure is one of the most restrictive in the U.S., and will ban abortions in almost all cases except where a woman's health is in danger.

Several other states  Kentucky, Georgia, Mississippi, and Ohio  have all passed laws this year banning abortion once a fetal heartbeat is detected, which can occur before many women know they're pregnant.

More: Alabama governor signs near-total abortion ban into law

President Donald Trump has yet to comment on the recent bills being passed by state lawmakers. However, he has repeatedly made misleading comment's on Democrats' stance on abortion during recent rallies.

Democrats are aggressively pushing late-term abortion allowing children to be ripped from their mothers womb, right up until the moment of birth," he said earlier this month at a rally at Panama City Beach, Fla. "The baby is born and you wrap the baby beautifully and you talk to the mother about the possible execution of the baby."

However, few babies are born alive  143 between 2003 to 2014  after a failed abortion, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In addition, the CDC reported that just 1.3% of abortions take place after 21 weeks, which often involve either severe fetal anomalies or conditions that endanger the mother.

Here's where the presidential candidates stand:

Kirsten Gillibrand

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., denounced the new Alabama law, saying that women deserve better.

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"Women are half of this country, and they deserve a hell of a lot better than this," she tweeted, linking to an article about Ivey signing the bill into law.

Ahead of the Tuesday vote in the state's legislature, she repeatedly tweeted against the Alabama bill, adding that the legislation and laws in other states like it are a "ruthless, coordinated assault on reproductive rights."

"Alabama just passed a near-total ban on abortion. No exceptions for rape or incest. Doctors could face 99 years in prison for providing abortions," she tweeted after the bill passed Tuesday. "This is a war on women, and it is time to fight like hell."

She will be in Atlanta, Ga., Thursday to headline a group of women protesting that state's "heartbeat" law, which was passed before Alabama's new law. It will be the first time she is visiting the state since launching her presidential campaign.

"The onslaught of abortion bans passing in statesas recently as in Alabamas legislature last nightrepresents the greatest threat to reproductive freedom in our lifetimes," Gillibrand wrote in a tweet about her visit to Georgia. "We need to fight back, hard, on the frontlines."

More: Planned Parenthood readies challenge to near-total abortion ban in Alabama

She added that "too many male politicians" are leading the conversation on what women can do with their own bodies, and that while in Atlanta, she wants to "hear from the people most directly affected by abortion bans like Georgia's."

During several TV interviews, Gillibrand blamed the president and Republican lawmakers who want "to overturn precedent." She added that if president, she would only nominate Supreme Court justices that will uphold Roe v. Wade.

"We used to believe in precedent in this country, but under President Trump, he is trying to upend the entire court system, appointing radical judges like Gorsuch and Kavanaugh," she said during an interview on MSNBC. "Justices who intend to overturn a decided precedent that the United States and people of this country support."

Kamala Harris

Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., denounced the recent spate of restrictive bills as an attack on women's health care, and said she "will not stand for it."

"We must say loud and clear that women's health care is under attack. We will not stand for it and we wont go down without a fight. Too much is at stake," she tweeted after Ivey signed the Alabama bill.

Earlier on Wednesday during a rally in Nashua, N.H., Harris said that the decision a woman makes is up to her and those whom she confides in. She later told reporters that women will die because of these new laws.

"We will not stand for it," she said. "Supposed leaders have passed a law that would criminalize a physician for assisting a woman on something that she'd consult with her physician, with her God, with her faith leader -- has made a decision to do, that it's her body."

Amy Klobuchar

Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., tweeted after the Alabama bill was passed Tuesday in the legislature that it's "unconstitutional."

"This bill in Alabama is effectively a ban on abortion. This is wrong. This is unconstitutional," she tweeted.

More: How does Alabama's near-total abortion ban bill compare to Georgia's 'fetal heartbeat' law?

Elizabeth Warren

Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., is ready to fight.

The Massachusetts senator called Alabama's law "dangerous and exceptionally cruel" and tweeted Wednesday evening that "Women across the country are watching and we will fight back."

In a video posted on Twitter, the 2020 hopeful also called out Trump for "stacking the courts" with judges who are trying to ban abortion.

"Republican men are on the march to overturn Roe v. Wade, and with Donald Trump stacking the courts in favor of judges who are opposed to abortion, that could be a real possibility," she said.

"Women across this country are scared. Women are angry. If you support women, now is the time to make that known," she concluded in her video.

Joe Biden

Former Vice President Joe Biden denounced the Alabama law, and other's like it, saying they are unconstitutional.

"Republicans in AL, FL, GA, and OH are ushering in laws that clearly violate Roe v Wade and they should be declared unconstitutional. Roe v Wade is settled law and should not be overturned. This choice should remain between a woman and her doctor," Biden tweeted.

Bernie Sanders

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., said Alabama's law "disrespects the fundamental right a woman has to make decisions about her own body."

"The governor of Alabama just signed a near-total ban on abortion. What an utter disgrace," the senator tweeted after Ivey signed the bill into law.

In addition, Sanders sent an email to supporters directing them to a link to help fundraise for several abortion rights groups.

The Vermont senator also pushed one of his main policy initiatives: Medicare-for-all. He said that abortion is health care and that passing universal health care will "be guaranteeing a womans right to control her own body by covering comprehensive reproductive care, including abortion."

More: Trump fact check: Babies executed after failed abortions. He's oversimplifying, AP finds

Pete Buttigieg

South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg denounced the law as "ignoring science" and "punishing women."

"The Alabama legislature is ignoring science, criminalizing abortion, and punishing women. Instead, the government's role should be to make sure all women have access to comprehensive affordable care, and that includes safe and legal abortion," he tweeted.

Cory Booker

Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., announced shortly after the Alabama bill was approved by state lawmakers that he "will fight in solidarity with women to make sure rights guaranteed by Roe v. Wade will not be threatened by those who have no business making laws about their bodies."

He later tweeted women shouldn't have to fight for their reproductive rights alone.

"Men, it's on us to speak out too. It's on us to take action," he tweeted. "Not because women are our mothers, wives, daughters. Because women are people. And all people deserve to control their own bodies."

In addition, he also tweeted a link to help raise money for several reproductive rights groups, including Planned Parenthood.

Julian Castro

Former San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro called Alabama's new law an "all-out attack" on women's right to health care.

"Alabama just signed into law the most extreme abortion ban since Roe v. Wade in a blatant attempt to overturn the Supreme Court decision. It's an all-out attack on women's fundamental right to health care," he tweeted following Ivey signing the law. "I stand with women, and with the doctors who provide them care."

On Tuesday evening, Castro tweeted that it was time to speak out against the "appalling" measure.

"We must defeat this unconstitutional and shameless attempt to strip women of their right to make health care choices," he tweeted.

Beto O'Rourke

Former Rep. Beto O'Rourke, D-Texas, late Tuesday evening called Alabama's legislation "a radical attack on women across Alabama and America."

"We won't back down when it comes to fully protecting Roe v. Wade, fighting dangerous efforts to roll back reproductive health care and defending a womans right to access an abortion," he tweeted.

The Texas Democrat also tweeted a link to help raise money for abortion rights organizations, saying that "we will fight these dangerous efforts with everything weve got in legislatures across the country, in the courts, and at the ballot box."

Contributing: Associated Press

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'An utter disgrace': 2020 Democrats denounce Alabama's near-total abortion ban
By Lucila Sigal

BUENOS AIRES, May 16 (Reuters) - An Argentine documentary, set for its premiere at Cannes on Saturday, is taking on the highly-charged topic of abortion, an issue that has polarized the South American nation and sparked mass protests by people on both sides of the debate.

The film, "Que Sea Ley" - which translates as "Let It Be Law" - follows the battle to pass a bill legalizing abortion which gained widespread support but was rejected by the country's Senate last year.

Current Argentine law only permits abortions in cases of rape, or if the mother's health is at risk.

"It makes me ashamed that the law does not exist," the film's director Juan Solanas, told Reuters in a telephone interview from the Cannes Film Festival on the French Riviera, where he will be joined for the showing by 20 Argentine women pushing for legalized abortions.

"Women are dying in Latin America every day. There are 300 million women (in Latin America) who do not have access to abortion," Solanas said

Members of the National Campaign for the Right to Legal, Safe and Free Abortion will present a modified version of the bill to Congress on May 28, when another wave of protests is expected on the streets of the capital city of Buenos Aires.

The film's premiere at Cannes coincides with a fresh round of debate in the United States as several states take measures to clamp down on abortion, including Alabama where the governor signed a bill on Wednesday to ban nearly all abortions, even in cases of rape and incest.

Solanas, the son of renowned Argentine filmmaker Fernando "Pino" Solanas, said he was personally firmly on one side of the debate and admitted his biggest challenge was balancing points of view from the bill's supporters and opponents.

Supporters of a woman's right to choose identify themselves at regular street protests with green handkerchiefs, while those who are against abortion carry blue handkerchiefs.

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Solanas, who lived for decades in Paris after his family fled the dictatorship in Argentina in the 1970s, said when he started filming protests linked to the bill he did not know the project would morph into a full-length documentary.

The director, who now lives in neighboring Uruguay, went on to interview hundreds of women in Buenos Aires and other parts of Argentina, the home country of Pope Francis.

"Que Sea Ley" is not Solanas' first time tackling the issue of abortion. He is also known for his 2005 fiction film "Nordeste," which includes a scene showing the film's lead actor having an abortion procedure on screen.

"I am an atheist, but I say that if God exists, then it would be green," Solanas said, referring to the colored handkerchiefs carried by those who support legalizing abortion.

(Reporting by Lucila Sigal; writing by Cassandra Garrison; Editing by Adam Jourdan and Diane Craft)
Army veteran Mike Laureano didnt stop saving lives when he got out of the Delaware National Guard. Thanks to a decision to sign up for Be The Match, hes the reason a seven-year-old in Utah is here today.

The twenty-nine-year-old recalls, I was going to class, and there was a table set up for Be The Match. I walked by, and they said, Hey come over here,' so I walked over. They were looking for donors. I knew nothing about the organization prior.

After a quick cheek swab, Laureano continued on to his class at Wilmington University.

The expectation was one out of every four hundred individuals is actually a match. In my mind, I pretty much just thought that if I did happen to match somebody, it was meant to be.

Sure enough, in 2015, he got the call confirming it was meant to be. Laureano was a perfect match for a little girl with leukemia.

Adriana Aviles hadnt been responding to treatment. A bone marrow donation was her only hope.

Her mother Jessica remembers being terrified, It's just hard because you're so scared and fearful because it's your baby.

When the Aviles family got the call, they were overwhelmed with relief and happiness and forever thankful to their hero. Jessica wanted to meet the man who saved her babys life.

U.S. laws require that donors and recipients have no communication before the transplant day. During the first year after transplant, its possible to send cards and letters back and forth, as long as it is kept anonymous. After the first year post-transplant, if both donor and recipient agree, names and contact information can be shared.

Laureano said, I woke up one morning about two years after surgery, I had a Facebook message from Adrianas mom, You dont know me but if this is you, I just want to share that this is the little girl you saved two years ago.' I pushed my wife and said, 'Look at this!' I always wanted to meet them.

Laureano got that chance during a cross-country road trip. Watch the video above to see the emotional moment Aviles gets to thank her hero in person.

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Click here for more information on Be The Match.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Army veteran meets the little girl he saved with his bone marrow donation
Paris (AFP) - Here are the five works by living artists that have fetched the highest sums at auction, with Jeff Koons' "Rabbit" breaking the record in New York on Wednesday.

- 'Rabbit', Jeff Koons -

The stainless steel casting of an inflatable rabbit fetched a record price for a living artist of $91.1 million at Christie's on Wednesday.

Created in 1986 and measuring 1.04 metres (41 inches) in height, it is among the best-known works of 64-year-old Koons.

The piece was auctioned from the collection of deceased publishing mogul S.I. Newhouse, whose empire included Conde Nast, which published magazines like Vogue, The New Yorker and Vanity Fair.

Christie's in New York set the record for the most expensive work of art known to have been sold with the sale in 2017 of Leonardo de Vinci's "Salvator Mundi" for $450 million.

- 'Portrait of an Artist', David Hockney -

The previous record was for David Hockney's "Portrait of an Artist (Pool with Two Figures)", which fetched $90.3 million at Christie's in New York in 2018.

Completed in 1972, the colourful oil painting shows a smartly dressed man standing on the edge of the pool and looking pensively at another figure swimming under water toward him.

Called by Christie's "one of the great masterpieces of the modern era", it was snapped up after more than nine minutes of bidding.

One of Hockney's most celebrated works, it has featured on the cover of a number of monographs about the 81-year-old artist.

He was the top-selling living artist in 2018, with auction turnover for the year reaching $206 million, according to Artprice, global specialists in art market data.

This is ahead of German Gerhard Richter ($143 million) and Chinese Cui Ruzhuo ($124 million).

- 'Balloon Dog (Orange)' Jeff Koons -

In 2013 another Koons sculpture, "Balloon Dog (Orange)" made history for the sale of a work by a living artist by fetching $58.4 million at Christie's, New York.

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At three metres high, it is one of five different-coloured sculptures of dogs that appear to be made from balloons released over 1994 to 2000 and have become icons of contemporary art.

Auction sales of Koons' work in 2018 amounted to $38 million, according to Artprice, putting him at 14th in the ranking of living artists behind US painters George Condo ($63 million) and Jasper Johns ($58 million).

- 'Abstraktes Bild', Gerhard Richter -

The fourth biggest sale is of German painter Gerhard Richter's oil-on-canvas "Abstraktes Bild" number 599, which sold for $46 million in 2015 at Sotheby's in London.

The 87-year-old, one of the top abstract and photorealistic artists of his generation, had completed the work of bold strokes in 1986.

A large piece at roughly 300cm x 250cm, it sold in 1999 for $607,500.

In 2012 British guitarist Eric Clapton sold another piece in the "Abstraktes Bild" series for around $34 million, more than 10 times what he paid for it in 2001.

- 'The Grand Snowing Mountains', Cui Ruzhuo -

This vast ink-on-paper by one of Chinese greatest artists, 75-year-old Cui Ruzhuo, sold for $39.6 million at the Hong Kong Poly Auction in 2016.

Completed in 2013, the multi-pannelled mountain scene measures more than 800cm x 300cm.
By Lewis Krauskopf

NEW YORK (Reuters) - World stock markets were buoyed by deal-making news and solid earnings from Dow components Cisco and Walmart on Thursday while strong economic data pushed U.S. bond yields higher even as investors struggled to make sense of the latest developments in global trade relations.

A spike in U.S.-China tensions over import tariffs has convulsed markets recently as investors seek to parse statements from government leaders to gauge the direction of negotiations.

News that U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to delay auto tariffs appeared to improve the trade tone on Wednesday, but later in the day the Trump administration hit Chinese telecoms giant Huawei with severe sanctions.

The overall market sentiment got pretty negative the last couple of days," said Keith Lerner, chief market strategist at SunTrust Advisory Services in Atlanta. "And I think it was just a set-up where we had a little bit of good news that has gone a long way, at least for today.

It makes sense that you are having a little bit of reprieve today based on a little better economic data and a little bit better earnings data which is drawing the attention away from China, which is still a big uncertainty right now, Lerner said.

Wall Street's main indexes ended solidly positive but below their session highs. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 214.66 points, or 0.84%, to 25,862.68, the S&P 500 gained 25.36 points, or 0.89%, to 2,876.32 and the Nasdaq Composite added 75.90 points, or 0.97%, to 7,898.05.

Shares of Cisco Systems and Walmart both gave boosts to the S&P 500 and the Dow after their respective earnings reports. Cisco shares rose 6.7% and Walmart rose 1.4%.

The Philadelphia semiconductor index fell 1.7% following the Huawei news.

The pan-European STOXX 600 index rose 1.27%.

Germany's DAX jumped 1.7%, fueled by news of corporate deals. Thyssenkrupp shares rose 9.4% after Reuters reported Finnish company Kone is assessing a bid for the German conglomerate's elevators division.

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MSCI's gauge of stocks across the globe gained 0.58%.

U.S. homebuilding increased more than expected in April and activity in the prior month was stronger than initially thought. In a separate report, the number of Americans filing applications for unemployment benefits fell more than expected last week.

U.S. Treasury yields rose following the strong economic data.

Benchmark 10-year notes last fell 6/32 in price to yield 2.398%, from 2.379% late on Wednesday.

"I'm a little surprised that with stocks so strong, the yields aren't even higher because this doesn't seem to be that big of a move in the scheme of things," said Lou Brien, market strategist at DRW Trading.

The U.S. dollar rose against a basket of currencies as investors focused on trade war tensions, while the euro was hurt by concerns about next weeks European parliamentary elections.

The dollar index rose 0.26%, with the euro down 0.21% to $1.1176.

Oil prices jumped as tensions in the Middle East grew, with a Saudi-led coalition launching air strikes in Yemen in retaliation for recent attacks on its crude infrastructure.

U.S. crude rose 1.4% to settle at $62.87 a barrel, while Brent settled at $72.62 a barrel, up 1.2%.

(Graphic: World FX rates in 2019 - http://tmsnrt.rs/2egbfVh)

(Additional reporting by Karen Brettell and Kate Duguid in New York; editing by Dan Grebler and James Dalgleish)
WASHINGTON  President Donald Trump had a pithy response Thursday to what has become a pressing question around the world: Is his administration marching the United States into a war with Iran?

"I hope not," the president told reporters at the White House.

The three-word response was the latest case of the president adopting a wait-and-see stance amid heightened tensions between the U.S. and Iran. The Trump administration deployed an aircraft carrier ahead of schedule and B-52 bombers to the Persian Gulf to counter what the administration has described as threats from Tehran.

Yet Trump has struggled to present a unified message on Iran. On the one hand the administration has sought to tamp down talk of a military confrontation with the country. On the other, Trump has said he would "absolutely" send ground troops to the region if needed.

Trump and his aides have downplayed the prospects of military action with Iran in recent days. That includes a Wednesday tweet in which the president raised the prospect of diplomatic negotiations with the countrys leaders.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Asked if U.S. is going to war with Iran, President Donald Trump responds: 'I hope not'
By Colin Packham

SYDNEY, May 17 (Reuters) - Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison is on course for defeat at this weekend's national election, a political poll showed on Friday, as campaigning ahead of the ballot was overshadowed by the death one of the country's most beloved former leaders.

An Ipsos poll for the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age newspapers shows Australia's Labor ahead of Morrison's coalition government by a margin of 51-49 on a two-party preferred basis where votes are distributed until a winner is declared.

The Ipsos findings echo similar polls as Morrison fails to woo voters with a campaign centered on his government's projection to deliver Australia's first budget surplus in more than 10 years.

Labor, which lost the last two elections in 2013 and 2016, has promised to match the government's 2019-20 surplus and then deliver a bigger surplus in 2020-21.

Should the opposition Labor party win, Australia will likely have its seventh prime minister since 2010.

While campaigning continues ahead of polls opening on Saturday, Morrison's last-minute pitch to voters has largely been overshadowed by the death of former prime minister Bob Hawke.

Hawke, a transformative and charismatic left-wing lawmaker with the character of a lovable rogue, who served as Australian prime minister from 1983 to 1991, died aged 89 at his Sydney home on Thursday, his family said.

Both Morrison and Labor leader Bill Shorten praised Hawke on Friday.

"He was a man of enormous intellectual capability," Morrison told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

"But he could combine that with his deep appreciation of the character, of love of life for every Australian. That's why he, I think, will be remembered so fondly." (Reporting by Colin Packham Editing by James Dalgleish)
* Rural party under pressure in heartland as drought bites

* Climate, water among issues driving voters to independents

* Bookmakers' odds show strongholds at risk

By Tom Westbrook

MILDURA, Australia, May 16 (Reuters) - A conservative stronghold for a century, Australia's hinterland is now cracking like the drought-parched earth, voters say, with once-safe districts in jeopardy ahead of Saturday's election.

Driven by anger on issues from climate change to water allocation, the splintering presents a problem for the governing conservative coalition that normally considers itself secure in rural areas but is trailing in national opinion polls.

In Mildura, a city of 30,000 people on the edge of the outback and part of the safest of 16 electorates held by the coalition's junior partner, the farmer-based National Party, nobody can recall it ever needing to campaign so hard.

"If you just look at the distribution of posters, they're up everywhere," Stefano de Pieri, a politician-turned-chef who has run a restaurant there for almost 30 years, told Reuters from his kitchen by a bend in the Murray River.

Mildura was one of five constituencies to spurn the Nationals at state polls in November and March, its disillusionment stoked by a deepening drought and a feeling the 99-year-old party of "the bush" was taking voters for granted.

"There is a sense of Mildura wanting to go through a political renewal," de Pieri added, a contrast from previous years, when the Nationals were seen as sure-fire winners.

In the agricultural heartland beyond, the mood is similar.

"Everyone I've talked to is not going to vote National Party," said Leonard Vallance, the livestock president of the Victorian Farmers' Federation.

"They need a good shake and I think they'll get it," Vallance said by telephone from his farm south of Mildura where he grows wheat and barley.

"I will be lodging a protest vote. It definitely will not be Liberal Party or National Party or Labor Party."

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INDEPENDENTS' DAY

Seat-by-seat polling is tricky in vast and varied electorates sprawling over cropland, grazing runs, orchards and family farms.

But nationwide surveys put the opposition Labor Party ahead, and bookmakers suggest contests are tight in Mallee, which takes in Mildura, and in similar seats nearby, are tight.

The coalition holds 73 of the 151 seats in Australia's lower house, and Labor 69, with 76 needed to govern.

Betting markets suggest the Nationals will retain Mallee with a reduced margin but the coalition could lose the neighboring electorate of Farrer for the first time since it was established in 1949.

Few independent candidates are likely to back the Labor Party into power because social conservatism runs deep in their constituencies, but they have said the Nationals' policies on mining, climate change and water are inadequate.

Party leader Michael McCormack said contests could be hard-fought when the incumbent was stepping down, as in Mallee, where the MP resigned after a sex scandal.

"Nationals never take for granted the voters of the Mallee," he said in comments emailed to Reuters, adding that the party was responding to voter concerns with steps such as a re-examination of the region's water allocation plan.

"The Nationals'...grassroots structure ensures we can allocate resources where needed to run seat-by-seat campaigns."

But spending to shore up safe districts saps funds for other contests in an election where the government must win additional seats to keep power.

"Even if they don't lose the seat they've lost resources elsewhere, which might contribute to a loss elsewhere, so it is very significant," said Dominic O'Sullivan, a political science professor at Charles Sturt University in Canberra, the capital.

"It also shows the Nationals are perhaps not as well in touch with their communities as they once were," he said.

The party has struggled in recent years to parlay its status in the ruling coalition to win benefits for farmers, he added.

DRIEST CONDITIONS

With swathes of the countryside gripped by the driest conditions in 100 years, voters feel they need a strong voice more than ever.

After Australia's hottest summer on record, the drying-up of the Darling River, which winds through 1,500 km (900 miles) of outback, over grazing country and irrigating crops from cotton to grapes, has stirred discontent.

Many feel National Party support for a water allocation plan that drained reservoirs upriver in flood years has worsened the drought, prompting protests.

"People here deal with water. Water is their livelihood," said Lance Tumes, who runs a hardware store and petrol station on the banks of the Darling where it meets the Murray River just outside Mildura.

"I think the Nationals have just treated them like mugs, and I think they've had enough," he said. (Reporting by Tom Westbrook; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)
By Colin Packham and Jonathan Barrett SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australia's political leaders on Thursday made their last big pitch to voters ahead of a May 18 election, with the death of Bob Hawke, the opposition Labor party's longest-serving prime minister likely to loom over the political scene in coming days. The hugely popular Hawke, 89, died on Thursday and was hailed by Labor leader Bill Shorten for his role in advancing opportunities for education among the working class. "With his passing, the labour movement salutes our greatest son," Shorten said in a statement. Prime Minister Scott Morrison said that Hawke "had a unique ability to speak to all Australians and will be greatly missed." Labor is on track to end six years of conservative rule although re-election prospects for Morrison have been lifted by tightening polls after early fears he would lose decisively. Memories of the popular politician's famous moments, however, are likely to dominate media over the next few days and may give Labor a boost in the final days of the campaign. In contrasting campaigns, Shorten offered voters an egalitarian dream and reform agenda, saying "It's Time" for a change, while Morrison warned a change to Labor would risk the nation's long-held economic prosperity. An Essential Poll for the Guardian newspaper on Thursday showed Labor ahead of Morrison's coalition government by a margin of 51.5-48.5 on a two-party preferred basis where votes are distributed until a winner is declared. Both Morrison and Shorten have campaigned relentlessly since the election was called last month, squeezing in trips to the outback north and island south, along with obligatory big city tours. On Thursday, Morrison delivered his last major campaign speech in Canberra, while Shorten gave his in Sydney. They urged voters to see Saturday's ballot as essentially a fight between Morrison's aspirations and Shorten's reforms. "I will burn for you every day, every single day, so you can achieve your ambitions, your aspirations, your desires. That is what's at the top of my agenda," said Morrison. While Morrison promised stability, Shorten promised "real change", reducing inequality through tax reform, higher wages and better public infrastructure. "Our political opponents stand where they always have stood - against change, against progress, and are servants to the same vested interests - the big banks and big business," Shorten said. PROMISE ON CLIMATE Climate change policy has consistently polled as one of the most significant issues this election, prompting a movement in marginal seats to remove government hard-right politicians who champion coal-fired power. "I promise that we will send a message to the world, that when it comes to climate change Australia is back in the fight," said Shorten. "We will take this emergency seriously, and we will not just leave it to other countries or to the next generation." If Labor wins, it plans to cut carbon emissions by 45% from 2005 levels by 2030 and reach 50% renewable power by 2030. Morrison's coalition has committed to a 26 percent reduction in emissions by 2030 under the Paris Accord, but some in his government question the need for that and the coalition remains staunchly in favor of coal-fired power. Morrison's Liberal-led coalition and center-left Labor are vying for a majority share of 151 lower house seats to form government. There are also 76 Senate spots which determine how difficult it will be for the next government to enact policy. While Morrison, who took over as prime minister last year amid party infighting, has kept the government within reach of an election upset, his path to victory remains narrow. "Realistically, Morrison will require everything to go right," said Chris Salisbury, professor of political science at the University of Queensland. "He will need a number of surprising results, and the polls show this is unlikely." ECONOMIC FIGHT Morrison has tied his campaign to economic management, after announcing in April the government would deliver the first surplus in more than a decade. But the promise of economic stability has been partially undermined by stagnant wage rises, high costs of living and falling house prices. Shortly before Morrison delivered his Canberra speech, the unemployment rate rose to the highest in eight months. Labor, a party with deep ties to the union movement, has promised to abolish several property and share investment tax concessions primarily aimed at the wealthy. It has been able pledge bigger budget surpluses, while also ramping up spending on health and education, which directly challenges the government's re-election platform. (Reporting by Colin Packham and Jonathan Barrett in SYDNEY; Additional reporting by Melanie Burton in MELBOURNE; Editing by Michael Perry, Robert Birsel)
A brash, self-promoting billionaire with political ambition and a string of controversies in his wake, Clive Palmer not only sounds like Australia's answer to Donald Trump, that is exactly who he is modelling himself on.

The businessman has adopted the slogan "Make Australia Great" for his United Australia Party, repeatedly bashed China and is positioning himself as an upstart outsider ahead of the country's parliamentary election on Saturday.

A key difference between the two populists is that the now-US president campaigned with the backing of a mainstream political party, whereas Palmer has entered the electoral race on his own terms.

Australian politics is traditionally dominated by two major political forces: the conservative Liberal-National coalition and the centre-left Labor Party.

Palmer is giving them a run for their money, literally.

The mining magnate claims to be spending about Aus$60 million on election advertising -- more than the two major parties combined -- running primetime TV ads, plastering his face on bright yellow billboards across the country, and sending unsolicited text messages to voters.

His party has entered candidates in all of the 151 lower house seats, although at least one was sacked after peddling 9/11 conspiracy theories. Palmer started in the property business but made his fortune in Australia's booming resources sector and is now worth an estimated Aus$2.6 billion, according to Forbes magazine.

The 65-year-old is currently building a modern-day replica of the Titanic, which he plans to put in service on the same route as the doomed original vessel.

He has been embroiled in a series of high-profile legal battles, including with a Chinese state-owned company and workers at one of his own mines, who have not been fully paid.

No stranger to Australian politics, Palmer was elected to the House of Representatives in 2013 on a wafer-thin margin of 53 votes.

Three of his party's candidates also won Senate seats, but the alliance quickly crumbled and Palmer served just three years in Parliament -- during which he was criticised for failing to show up regularly -- before declaring he was retiring from politics.

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- Political rebirth -

Despite only reviving the party in October 2018 he has displayed a Trump-style skill for hype, recently releasing a statement that claimed UAP "will win government".

So will Australian voters follow their American cousins and pull the lever for a maverick billionaire?

Analysts say the party is not in serious contention to win even a single seat in the House of Representatives, where a party must gain 76 seats to form a government.

Palmer himself stands a fair chance of being elected to the Senate, or upper house -- though many observers are questioning why he is spending so much money to do so.

His voting record may provide a clue: It shows only a few issues piqued his interest -- mining, renewable energy and carbon tax legislation -- subjects that hew closely to his business interests.

Paul Williams, an elections researcher at Griffith University, said there was "no doubt" that Palmer was keen to advocate for big business and speculated that he may also have missed being in the political limelight.

Palmer is betting that many Australians are fed up with the major parties and looking for a viable alternative.

Professor John Wanna, a public policy expert at Australian National University, said that UAPs populist policies -- which include tax cuts, pension increases and a more compassionate approach to asylum seekers -- do not fit neatly on either the left or the right of the political spectrum.

"All the people he's got to stand are either business associates or friends of business associates, there's no unifying ideology," he told AFP.

"They just don't like the big parties -- that's the main rallying call of Palmer."

That stance may prove popular, but the comparisons to Trump may ultimately limit Palmer's appeal.

While early opinion polls showed support for Palmer -- who has been photographed holidaying in the Pacific island nation of Fiji just days before the election -- that appears to have tailed off as election day nears.

Palmer's "blunt and clumsy" Trump-style messaging had brought him into the national discourse, Williams said, but its failure to evolve as the campaign progressed had cost him votes.

"Australians are well versed in Trumpian rhetoric, and they don't like that Americanisation," he said.
Vienna (AFP) - The Austrian government Thursday warned internet users to shun an online cow-kissing challenge, calling it a "dangerous nuisance".

A Swiss app called Castl launched the #KuhKussChallenge ("Cow Kiss Challenge") on Wednesday, encouraging users in Switzerland and other German-speaking countries to kiss cows -- "with or without tongues" -- to raise money for charity.

But Austrian Agriculture Minister Elisabeth Koestinger branded the challenge a "dangerous nuisance" in a statement on Thursday.

"Pastures and meadows are not petting zoos -- actions like these could have serious consequences," she added, pointing out that cows could become aggressive when defending their calves.

Balancing the activities of tourists and cattle farmers is a sensitive topic in Austria's mountain regions, with both being key pillars of the region's economy.

In February, a court in the Tyrol region caused uproar after ordering a farmer to pay 490,000 euros ($555,000) in compensation to the widower of a woman who was trampled to death by a herd of his cows in 2014.

The farmer is appealing the verdict and is being supported by Austria's farmers' federation, which has warned of the "end of our mountain pastures" if the verdict is allowed to stand.

The government has tried to prevent such incidents by publishing a "code of conduct" for mountain walkers and hikers, advising them to avoid herds of cows wherever possible.

"Actions like this challenge fly in the face of our efforts to promote co-existence on the pastures. I simply can't understand it," said Koestinger.
VIENNA, May 16 (Reuters) - The organization representing Austria's Muslims said on Thursday it would ask the Constitutional Court to reverse a ban on headscarves in primary schools a day after it was passed in parliament.

There were an estimated 700,000 Muslims living in Austria in 2017, or roughly 8 percent of the population, partly an outgrowth of the many Turks who came to Austria to work in the 1960s and 1970s and stayed on.

Lawmakers from Austria's two ruling parties - Chancellor Sebastian Kurz's conservatives and the far-right Freedom Party - approved a bill including the headscarf measure late on Wednesday.

"The ban on headscarves in primary schools will only lead to segregation and discrimination of Muslim girls," the Islamic Faith Community in Austria, a government-recognized body, said in a statement. "We will ... bring this discriminatory law before the Constitutional Court."

Many Muslims believe their religion requires girls to wear a headscarf from puberty. Headscarves are not usually worn before then. The primary school ban will apply to girls up to around the age of 10.

The Freedom Party is outspokenly anti-Islam, while Kurz has said he wants to prevent Muslim "parallel societies" emerging that would be at odds with the mainly Catholic country's values.

Both have taken a hard line on immigration, pledging to prevent any repeat of the influx of 2015, when Austria took in roughly 1 percent of its population in asylum seekers during the European migration crisis, including many from the Middle East.

The government announced its plans for the ban in April of last year. It also wants to ban headscarves in kindergartens, but as these are run by Austrian provinces the move will require changing the constitution, for which a two-thirds majority in the lower house of parliament is needed.

The ban in primary school was passed by a simple majority short of two-thirds.

The previous coalition of Social Democrats and Kurz's conservatives passed a law banning face coverings including Muslim full-face veils in public spaces, but women and girls are free to wear regular hijab.

It considered banning teachers from wearing headscarves but that plan was dropped after a debate over religious symbols in schools such as the Catholic crosses that still hang on many classroom walls.

(Reporting by Francois Murphy Editing by Mark Heinrich)
Barclays Bank in London. Photo: Ian West/PA Wire

Barclays (BARC.L), Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS), Citigroup (C), and JPMorgan (JPM) are among several banks that have been fined 1.07bn (935m) by the European Commission for colluding on currency foreign exchange trading strategies.

At 311m, Citigroups fine was the largest, followed by fines of 249m for RBS, 229m for JPMorgan, and 210m for Barclays. Japans MUFG Bank was fined almost 70m.

An investigation by the commission found that some individual traders in the banks  who were meant to be direct competitors  exchanged sensitive information and trading plans and occasionally coordinated their trading strategies in chatrooms.

In the chatrooms, the traders rigged the market by exchanging commercially sensitive information in relation to outstanding customer orders and the prices applicable to specific transactions, among other details.

These information exchanges enabled them to make informed market decisions on whether to sell or buy the currencies they had in their portfolios and when, the commission said.

Most of the traders involved knew each other on a personal basis, the commission noted. One chatroom was called the Essex Express n the Jimmy because all but one of the traders, James, lived in Essex and met on a train to London.

Other chatroom names included the Three way banana split and Two and a half men.

The traders had extensive conversations on Bloomberg terminal chatrooms for the whole working day, the commission found.

The commission found that this amounted to collusive behaviour and was thus illegal, since transactions are supposed to be executed on the same day and at the prevailing exchange rate.

Billions of euros worth of foreign exchange spot trades, which see two parties agree to buy one currency against another currency for a given price, happen every day.

The fines were made following two separate rulings by the commission. UBS, which also participated in the collusive behaviour, was not fined because it revealed the existence of the cartels to the commission.

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Today we have fined Barclays, The Royal Bank of Scotland, Citigroup, JPMorgan and MUFG Bank and these cartel decisions send a clear message that the Commission will not tolerate collusive behaviour in any sector of the financial markets, competition commissioner Margrethe Vestager said in a statement.

The behaviour of these banks undermined the integrity of the sector at the expense of the European economy and consumers.

Because Barclays, RBS, Citigroup, and JPMorgan all received reduced fines for their cooperation with the investigation, they will not be able to appeal the commissions ruling.
If Attorney General William Barr is worried about being held in contempt of Congress, he didnt show it Wednesday.

At an event outside the West Front of the Capitol honouring slain law enforcement officers, Barr approached House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who last week joked about locking up members of the Trump administration in a jail down in the basement of the Capitol.

According to a person who witnessed the exchange, Mr Barr shook Ms Pelosis hand and said loudly, Madam Speaker, did you bring your handcuffs?

Ms Pelosi smiled and responded that the House sergeant at arms was present should it be necessary to arrest anyone, the person said, adding that Mr Barr chuckled and walked away.

A Justice Department spokeswoman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The exchange comes amid escalating tensions between the Trump administration and Democratic lawmakers over investigations on issues including Russian election interference, the presidents financial records and his financial separation policy. Democrats have accused the Trump administration of stonewalling their requests.

Last week, the House Judiciary Committee voted along party lines to hold Barr in contempt of Congress for not providing the full, un-redacted report from special counsel Robert Muller into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said Wednesday that the House would likely vote on that citation next month. If the chamber votes in favour, then lawmakers will have to decide whether to try to compel Barr with fines, the courts or the prospect of jail time.

At a Washington Post Live event last week, Ms Pelosi joked about locking up administration officials for not complying with subpoenas  even though no jail or detention area has existed on the Capitol grounds since 1877.

Let me just say that we do have a jail down in the basement of the Capitol, Ms Pelosi said to laughter. But if we were arresting all of the people in the administration, we would have an overcrowded jail situation, and Im not for that.

The Washington Post
Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE: BDX) had a tough second fiscal quarter. Some of it was expected: There was a difficult comparison given a couple of one-time factors that benefited the year-ago quarter. Some of it wasn't all that important: Distributors adjusted their inventories, which lowered sales in the quarter, though demand is what's important in the long term. And some of it could be a bigger deal: The Food and Drug Administration warned about the long-term effects of a class of products that the company has exposure to.

Fortunately, the second half of the fiscal year should be easier, with growth in adjusted earnings far outpacing revenue growth -- the medical device company looks to continue cutting costs as it enters its second year after the acquisition of C.R. Bard.

BD results: The raw numbers

Metric Q2 2019 Q2 2018 Year-Over-Year Change Revenue $4.195 billion $4.222 billion (0.6%) Income from operations $136 million $186 million (26.9%) Earnings per share (EPS) ($0.07) ($0.19) N/A Adjusted EPS $2.59 $2.65 (2.3%)

Data source: Becton, Dickinson.

What happened with BD this quarter?

Changes in currencies affected the top line. Revenue was up 3.4% year over year on a comparable currency-neutral basis.

The medical segment saw growth of 0.4%, or 3.8% on a comparable currency-neutral basis. The medical management solutions, diabetes care, and pharmaceutical systems businesses are growing well, but the segment was negatively affected by distributors adjusting inventory levels.

Revenue from the life sciences segment dropped 4.2%, although on a comparable currency-neutral basis it was up 2.7%. The slow growth was expected given the strong flu season in the year-ago quarter.

The interventional segment saw revenue increase 1.1%, or 3.5% on a comparable currency-neutral basis. The segment also had a tough comparison to the year-ago quarter, when there was a bolus of sales that were pushed from the first to second fiscal quarter of 2018, because of disruptions caused by Hurricane Maria. Peripheral intervention, which treats things such as end-stage renal disease, was the star of the segment with revenue up 3.8%.

In mid March, the FDA warned about potential increases in long-term mortality in patients treated with balloons and stents coated with paclitaxel. Becton Dickinson sells Lutonix drug-coated balloons (DCBs), which were affected by the warning. Given the late-quarter news, it didn't have a major effect on the quarter, but will affect subsequent quarters.

Doctor talking to a patient in front of a window

Image source: Getty Images.

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What management had to say

Chairman and CEO Vincent Forlenza talked about future cost synergies from the Bard integration, as the company works on saving $300 million over three years:

As we look out into 2020, we would be looking at more of the operational kind of synergies like plants and distribution centers and that kind of thing. So, we're right on track where we expected to be from a cost standpoint. The same is true on the revenue synergies; as we said, we invested to get some revenue synergies.

Forlenza also talked about the new BD FACSDuet flow-cytometry system used for diagnostic testing:

The BD FACSDuet system raises the bar on flow-cytometry automation, offering a fully integrated sample-to-answer solution with the BD FACSLyric clinical flow cytometer. This is a new fully automated sample preparation instrument; [it] enables clinical laboratories to improve their efficiency by reducing errors and limiting the manual user interactions required to run assays on the BD FACSLyric. We also started shipping the new 12-color FACSLyric, further enhancing the capabilities of this platform

Looking forward

Management is sticking with its 2019 revenue guidance of 5% to 6% on a comparable, currency-neutral basis. That factors in expected lower sales of DCBs, so the low end of guidance seems like a reasonable assumption. On a reported basis, revenue growth was ratcheted down, but that was just due to changes in currency exchange rates, which are out of the company's control.

The DCBs will affect the bottom line, though, and management now thinks adjusted diluted EPS will fall between $11.65 and $11.75; that's growth of around 12% on a currency-neutral basis, down from previous guidance of growth in the 13% to 14% range. Nevertheless, 12% is still solid earnings growth, boosted by cost savings.

More From The Motley Fool

Brian Orelli has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends Becton Dickinson. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Nearly three decades after the Supreme Court declared it had settled the national abortion debate with its Casey decree upholding Roe v. Wade, tens of millions of Americans stubbornly continue to believe that each human being is endowed with the unalienable right to life at her creation, not her birth.

This month, elected representatives in several states have acted upon this foundational belief: The Michigan senate passed a bill to protect unborn children from second-trimester dismemberment abortions; Georgia outlawed abortion once a babys heartbeat is detected (about four weeks after conception); and Alabama enacted a law to protect the lives of almost all unborn children once pregnancy is detected (about two weeks after conception).

Federal courts, following existing Supreme Court precedent, will certainly strike down the laws in Georgia and Alabama. But the Supreme Court should not continue to hold that state laws regulating abortion are unconstitutional, for the two simple reasons identified by Justice Scalia in his Casey dissent: (1) the Constitution says nothing about protecting a right to abortion and (2) American society had long permitted states to ban or otherwise regulate it.

Todays Supreme Court should acknowledge that it failed to settle the national debate on abortion. It should restore the right of the American people to enact laws protecting the lives of human beings who havent been born. It should finally act on the conclusion of Justice Scalias Casey dissent: We should get out of this area, where we have no right to be, and where we do neither ourselves nor the country any good by remaining.

All Americans who support the Constitution and the rule of law should favor dismantling an unjust and unconstitutional legal regime that imposes a policy of abortion-on-demand in all 50 states. The ultimate goal of all pro-life Americans goes beyond overturning Roe and Casey and merely returning the question to the states, of course: We work toward a society in which every child is protected by law and welcomed in life.

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Lawmakers in both Georgia and Alabama were acting upon this sound principle, but because lives are at stake, sound principles and pure motives arent all that matter. Pro-life Americans should think long and hard about whether their righteous impatience is leading them to make imprudent mistakes that will ultimately set back the cause of protecting life.

The abolitionist zeal on display in Alabama in particular runs the risk of making the ultimate extinction of abortion less likely. No, contrary to some false reporting in the media, neither Alabamas nor Georgias law would punish women who obtain abortions. (And Alabamas law permits abortion in three circumstances: When a mothers physical health is endangered; when an unborn child suffers from an anomaly that would cause its death shortly after birth; and when a psychiatrist certifies that the mother would likely commit suicide or kill her child without an abortion.) But unlike Georgias law, Alabama excluded a rape exception.

We have a good sense of what happens when the national debate focuses on banning abortion in this rare circumstance that accounts for less than 1 percent of abortions. In 2011 voters in Mississippi defeated an abortion ban that lacked this exception by 16 percentage points. In Alabama, laws cant be repealed via a voter-driven referendum, but pro-life lawmakers should care about how their actions affect the cause of protecting life throughout the country. Nationwide, more than 75 percent of Americans think abortion should be legal early in pregnancy when the pregnancy was the result of rape. Public opinion cannot be ignored in a democratic republic, and it would be a grave error to insist that no lives should be saved until all lives can be saved.

This is an important question of tactics. It should not obscure the Supreme Courts duty here, which is to allow states to practice democracy.

More from National Review
A healthcare worker has been charged with the murder of 12 elderly women by smothering, and is being investigated for any potential links to 1,000 more unexplained deaths.

Billy Chemirmir, 45, of Texas is accused of murdering multiple elderly women who lived in Dallas and Collins counties with a pillow, and subsequently robbing them.

In March of 2018, Mr Chemirmir was charged with capital murder in the death of an 81-year-old woman, Lu Thi Harris, leading to his arrest.

Mr Chemirmir has also been accused of two counts of attempted capital murder for attacking two women. One of the two women, a 93 year-old who was a resident of the Parkview Elderly Assisted Living facility in Frisco, Texas, had reported the incident to police.

She described how a well-dressed man had knocked on her door, claiming to be a maintenance worker. When she responded that she did not require any work done, he forced his way inside and "knocked her from her walker to the floor", as reported by Dallas News.

Mr Chemirmir worked as a nurse in his native country of Kenya, but appears to not have been legally working in healthcare in the US. Court records indicate that Mr Chemirmir posed as an employee at the Edgemere Retirement Community in Dallas under the alias Benjamin Koitaba.

Plano Police Chief Gregory W. Rushin said Mr Chemirmir used health care experience to his advantage, targeting and exploiting seniors, something Mr Rushin called disturbing.

Authorities plan to review the unattended deaths of hundreds of elderly women in the area, including those who were previously thought to have died from natural causes to investigate any potential ties to Mr Chemirmir.

Recently, the accused killer has been newly indicted in six deaths of elderly women from 2016 to 2018: Phyllis Payne, aged 91, Phoebe Perry, aged 94, Norma French, aged 85, Doris Gleason, aged 92, Rosemary Curtis, aged 96, and Mary Brooks, 87. He has also been charged with five other murders, of which the victims have yet to be named.

Mr Chemirmir is currently being held in the Dallas County Jail, where hes been since March of 2018. His bond currently set at more than $9m.
For his first two weeks in Brazils Congress in February, David Miranda, 34, was too scared to take the microphone. Far-right firebrand Jair Bolsonaro, known for homophobic and racist outbursts and policy pledges had just assumed the presidency. Violence against LGBTQ people in Brazil was at near-record levels. Miranda, a gay black man, was feeling the pressure. I was shaking, he tells TIME. That place is not built for people like us.

Miranda, who grew up in the mostly black Rio de Janeiro favela of Jacarezinho, stands out among Brazils members of congressthree-quarters of whom are white, compared with just 44% of the broader population. Mirandas mother died when he was five and he moved in with his aunt before leaving home at 13, wanting to get to know the world. He worked shining shoes and cleaning buildings for six years.

His life changed, he says, one day in 2005, when he was playing volleyball on Ipanema beach and accidentally knocked over an American tourists drink. That tourist was attorney Glenn Greenwald, better known today for his journalism. Miranda and Greenwald got to talking, fell in love and moved in together after just five days. Weve been together constantly since, Miranda says. Greenwald, now 52, helped support Miranda going back to school. In 2014 he graduated from ESPM, a publicity and marketing school in Rio de Janeiro. Miranda splits his time between Brasilia and his home in Rio with Greenwald, their two adopted sons, aged 9 and 11, and 25 rescue dogs.

David Miranda at his home in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, April 27, 2019. | Gui Christ for TIME

Miranda first got involved with politics in 2013, when he, Greenwald and a team at The Guardian worked with National Security Agency whistleblower Edward Snowden to publish evidence of mass surveillance programs by the U.S. and the U.K. British police arrested Miranda as he was changing planes at Heathrow Airport en route to Rio and he was held for nine hours under the U.K.s terrorism act. After that I was forced onto the front line, he says. Miranda started participating in domestic politics. In 2015, he helped open a youth club, where teenagers could hold movie nights, organize protests, and discuss issues like racism and womens rights.

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In 2016, he was elected to Rio de Janeiros city government. He and fellow Socialism and Liberty Party (PSOL) member Marielle Francoa black, gay, single motherbecame the first out LGBTQ councillors in the citys history. The two also became close friends, helping each other pass progressive reforms such as Mirandas law allowing transgender people to use their preferred name on city government documents. Miranda had been planning to spend the weekend with Franco, he says, when the 38-year-old activist and her driver were shot and killed last March. They were on the way home from an event where Franco, had delivered a speech about black womens empowerment.

Francos death sent shockwaves through Brazilian politics and through the LGBTQ community, sparking protests in cities around the world. A year after her death, investigators finally arrested two former police officers they believe shot Franco. But for Miranda, its not enough to know who pulled the trigger. We need to know who ordered her death. He and other activists believe she was assassinated because she spoke out against paramilitary gangs that use violence and extortion to control some Rio neighborhoods, and, Miranda says, do the bidding of officials and politicians. Miranda says he doesnt trust the police to catch whoever ordered the killing and has appealed to the Organization of American States and the U.N., who have both pressured the Brazilian government to do more.

People always say Marielle became much more influential in her death, but if she was alive today I assure you she would be just as great, Miranda says. She had such a bright future. I need to take everything she did and keep going forward.

Despite his determination to change things, Mirandas entrance into Congress was bittersweet. He took over a seat after his friend Jean Wyllys, another black and out member of PSOL, decided to flee the country in January after receiving death threats. Miranda had run on the same party list as Wyllys in 2018 and was elected in a kind of under-study system. Since taking over, he says he has also received hundreds of death threats, which he reported to the police. He has hired security for his family.

But hes also received thousands of messages of support from underrepresented communities in need of protection in todays Brazil. Bolsonaro won Octobers election having declared himself a proud homophobe, insisted women dont deserve to be paid as much as men, promised to scrap legal and cultural protections for minorities, and praised police brutality in favelas. So many LGBT families who want to adopt kids are coming to me. Theyre [looking for a way] to rush the process because theyre afraid that Bolsonaro, with a pen and a piece of paper, could revoke these rights that weve fought for.

When Miranda finally grabbed the microphone on the floor of the lower house on Feb. 27, he called out his fellow Congressmen for forgetting the poorest Brazilians, and criticized Bolsonaros government for failing to end the endemic corruption he had railed against on the campaign trail. Miranda plans to work on programs to keep a check on corruption, and on ways to stop police violence and protect the salaries of working class people. His first project is a bill to create compulsory education on LGBTQ issues for teachers and politicians. But he adds, I want to be a tool for democracy. People who dont have a voice should use me for whatever cause they want.

Bolsonaros win, he says, wasnt all bad for Brazil. People are really paying attention to politics now, and thats something money cant buy, he says. He compares Brazils renewed interest in social issues to the rise in the U.S. of progressive candidates like Alexandria Ocasio Cortez in the midterm elections under President Donald Trump.

Miranda believes Bolsonaros conservative ideas dont necessarily have broader support in Brazilian society, arguing the politicians success owed more to his drive against corruption in the aftermath of the worlds largest government graft investigation in Brazil. What he represents, in a way, is hope for change. Mirandas daunting task is to shape that drive for change into something that doesnt hurt vulnerable Brazilians.

Correction, May 16 The original version of this story misstated the name of David Mirandas colleague who left his seat in Brazils congress. It is Jean Wyllys, not Jean Wylls.
Blink Charging Co. (BLNK) came out with a quarterly loss of $0.08 per share versus the Zacks Consensus Estimate of a loss of $0.13. This compares to loss of $2.58 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-recurring items.

This quarterly report represents an earnings surprise of 38.46%. A quarter ago, it was expected that this company would post a loss of $0.13 per share when it actually produced a loss of $0.08, delivering a surprise of 38.46%.

Over the last four quarters, the company has surpassed consensus EPS estimates two times.

Blink Charging Co.Which belongs to the Zacks Electronics - Miscellaneous Services industry, posted revenues of $0.58 million for the quarter ended March 2019, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 5.41%. This compares to year-ago revenues of $0.60 million. The company has topped consensus revenue estimates just once over the last four quarters.

The sustainability of the stock's immediate price movement based on the recently-released numbers and future earnings expectations will mostly depend on management's commentary on the earnings call.

Blink Charging Co. Shares have added about 61.6% since the beginning of the year versus the S&P 500's gain of 13.1%.

What's Next for Blink Charging Co.

While Blink Charging Co. Has outperformed the market so far this year, the question that comes to investors' minds is: what's next for the stock?

There are no easy answers to this key question, but one reliable measure that can help investors address this is the company's earnings outlook. Not only does this include current consensus earnings expectations for the coming quarter(s), but also how these expectations have changed lately.

Empirical research shows a strong correlation between near-term stock movements and trends in earnings estimate revisions. Investors can track such revisions by themselves or rely on a tried-and-tested rating tool like the Zacks Rank, which has an impressive track record of harnessing the power of earnings estimate revisions.

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Ahead of this earnings release, the estimate revisions trend for Blink Charging Co. Was favorable. While the magnitude and direction of estimate revisions could change following the company's just-released earnings report, the current status translates into a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) for the stock. So, the shares are expected to outperform the market in the near future. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

It will be interesting to see how estimates for the coming quarters and current fiscal year change in the days ahead. The current consensus EPS estimate is -$0.13 on $0.71 million in revenues for the coming quarter and -$0.45 on $3.79 million in revenues for the current fiscal year.

Investors should be mindful of the fact that the outlook for the industry can have a material impact on the performance of the stock as well. In terms of the Zacks Industry Rank, Electronics - Miscellaneous Services is currently in the bottom 22% of the 250 plus Zacks industries. Our research shows that the top 50% of the Zacks-ranked industries outperform the bottom 50% by a factor of more than 2 to 1.



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CHICAGO (AP)  A Chicago woman who sold baby clothes to a pregnant woman and lured her back to her house with an offer of more clothing has been charged with murder after allegedly strangling the woman with a cord and cutting the infant from her womb, police said Thursday.

Clarisa Figueroa, 46, apparently wanted to raise another child two years after her adult son died of natural causes, investigators said.

"Words cannot express how disgusting and thoroughly disturbing these allegations are," Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson told reporters at a news conference to announce the murder charges against Figueroa and her 24-year-old daughter, Desiree Figueroa. The mother's boyfriend, 40-year-old Piotr Bobak, was charged with concealment of a homicide.

The charges come three weeks after 19-year-old Marlen Ochoa-Lopez disappeared and a day after her body was discovered in a garbage can in the backyard of Figueroa's home on the city's Southwest Side, about 4 miles from her own home.

According to police, the young woman drove from her high school to Figueroa's home in response to an offer of free clothes that Figueroa had posted on Facebook. When she arrived, police said, she was strangled and the baby cut from her body.

A few hours later, Figueroa frantically called 911, claiming that her newborn baby was not breathing. When first responders arrived, the child was blue. They tried to resuscitate the infant and transported the boy to a nearby hospital, where police said he remained in grave condition and was not expected to survive.

Police did not connect the woman's disappearance and the 911 call about the baby until May 7, when friends of Ochoa-Lopez directed detectives to her social media account, which showed she had communicated with Figueroa in a Facebook group for expectant mothers.

At the same time, Clarisa Figueroa had started a GoFundMe campaign for the funeral of what she said was her dying baby, said Sara Walker, a spokeswoman for Ochoa-Lopez's family.

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Police then conducted DNA tests, which showed that Ochoa-Lopez and her husband, Yiovanni Lopez, were actually his parents, Walker said.

When police arrived to question Figueroa, her daughter told them that her mother was in the hospital with some kind of leg injury, before adding that she had just delivered a baby, said Brendan Deenihan, deputy chief of detectives.

"She told an extremely odd story," and officers "kind of knew where this is headed," Deenihan said.

Police then searched the neighborhood and found Ochoa-Lopez's car a few blocks away. On Tuesday, they returned with a search warrant, finding cleaning supplies as well as evidence of blood in the hallway and in the bathroom. They later found the body in a trash can behind the house and recovered surveillance video that showed Ochoa-Lopez's vehicle driving through the neighborhood on the day they believed she was killed, authorities said.

Ochoa-Lopez's family had been looking for her since her disappearance on April 23, organizing search parties and holding news conferences as they pushed police for updates in the investigation.

Her father, Arnulfo Ochoa, said relatives were grateful to have found her. Now they want justice. The family was also bracing for the baby's death, while still hoping for a miracle.

"We plead to God that he gives us our child because that is a blessing that my wife left for us," Yiovanni Lopez told reporters through a Spanish interpreter outside the county morgue where his wife's body was taken.

The three suspects were scheduled to appear Friday in bond court.

___

Associated Press videojournalist Noreen Nasir contributed to this report.
New York (AFP) - Boeing said Thursday that it completed its software update on the 737 MAX after two deadly crashes resulted in a global grounding of the aircraft.

The proposed fix, which addresses a problem with a flight handling system thought to be a factor in both crashes, must now win approval from US and international regulators before the planes can return to service.

US airlines have targeted August as the date they expect to resume flying on the 737 MAX.

But Boeing's announcement -- which lifted shares of the embattled company -- comes only a week before the US Federal Aviation Administration is set to brief its international peers among civil aviation regulators on its process for allowing the planes to fly again.

"This is an important milestone but it's only one step," said Scott Hamilton of aviation consultancy Leeham. "Getting this software package today, one week ahead of the FAA-hosted global regulator meeting, doesn't leave a lot of time for the FAA to decide."

Boeing said it has flown 737 MAX with updated software for the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System, thought to be a factor in both crashes, for more than 360 hours on 207 flights.

"With safety as our clear priority, we have completed all of the engineering test flights for the software update and are preparing for the final certification flight," said Chief Executive Dennis Muilenburg said in a statement.

"The accidents have only intensified our commitment to our values, including safety, quality and integrity, because we know lives depend on what we do."

Boeing is providing additional information to the FAA in anticipation of a certification test flight, a key step in winning regulatory approval, the company said.

In both the Lion Air and Ethiopian Airlines crashes, the MCAS pointed the plane sharply downward based on a faulty sensor reading, hindering pilot control after takeoff, according to preliminary crash investigations.

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- Heavy scrutiny -

There are powerful commercial drivers for the 737 MAX to resume service as soon as possible but Boeing's standing has been tarnished by unflattering details that have surfaced in media reports and could potentially extend the regulatory process.

These include revelations that Boeing was aware of a problem with a signal connected to the MCAS for more than a year before it told the FAA and that Boeing executives rebuffed American Airlines pilots who sought a more aggressive response to the MCAS problems at a meeting shortly after the Lion Air crash.

At a congressional hearing on Wednesday, Acting FAA Administrator Daniel Elwell criticized Boeing for not informing the agency more quickly of problems and said the FAA would permit the 737 MAX to resume flights "only when the FAA's analysis of the facts and technical data indicate that it is safe to do so."

Both Boeing and airlines expect to do a lot of marketing to reassure the flying public. Nearly half of 1,700 fliers questioned in a recent survey said they would wait a year after the 737 MAX's return to fly the plane, according to Barclays.

The FAA has called a May 23 meeting of international civil aviation regulators in Texas to discuss the FAA's process for clearing the 737 MAX to resume service.

Elwell told the congressional panel that he hopes the gathering builds support for international bodies to approve the 737 MAX soon after the United States gives it the green light.

Boeing's announcement boosted shares 2.4 percent to $353.81. The halt to the 737 MAX has dented Boeing's revenues and clouded the company's earnings outlook.
Paris (AFP) - Retired sprint superstar Usain Bolt's attempt to lend his famous name to an electric scooter has hit the skids -- another company is already using the name in Paris, it emerged Thursday.

The firm won a French court order seen by AFP to prevent the multiple Olympic champion from using its Bolt tag for Bolt Mobility, the US company the athlete represents.

No sooner had Bolt on Wednesday announced plans to have 450 scooters emblazoned with his name deployed on the streets of Paris over the coming days than the court banned the move.

The ruling said Bolt was not allowed to promote or provide transport services after the rival firm took the matter to court.

"We have been using the name Bolt since we launched our electric scooters in Paris in September 2018 and we carried out a 'rebranding' on a global scale last March. Our brand is protected in all our markets and in 54 countries" in all, a spokesman said.

"Bolt Mobility is an American enterprise and we do not intend to establish ourselves in the United States. We therefore invite Bolt Mobility to clarify this situation which is liable to sow confusion among our clients and users in France," the French Bolt spokesman said.

Bolt's attempted entry into the market had already come at a delicate time after Paris authorities warned operators of the thousands of electric scooters that have inundated the city to keep them off pavements or face a temporary ban.

On Monday, the ten competitors who have launched services in Paris all signed a "code of good conduct" with the mayor's office, which says the city is now "saturated" with some 15,000 of devices.

That is forecast to grow to some 40,000 by year-end.

Those flouting the rules face 135 euro ($160) fines for traffic violations or 35 euros for illegal parking.

Bolt, 32, had denied he was too late out of the blocks, saying his brand had worked with the Paris authorities.

"We took our time to do the right thing and talk to authorities and get everything right to be sure that when we launch everything is perfect," said the 32-year-old Jamaican 100 metres and 200m world record holder of Bolt Mobility, which he had co-founded.
hermosawave/iStock(NEW YORK) -- Russian hackers were able to infiltrate the voter databases of two Florida counties ahead of the 2016 presidential election, though there's no evidence any of the data was tampered with, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Tuesday.



DeSantis was among the Florida officials who demanded an FBI briefing on the alleged hacks, after a line in special counsel Robert Mueller's report on Russian interference mentioned that Russian military intelligence hackers were able to "gain access to the network of at least one Florida county government" through a spearphishing campaign.



"There was no manipulation or anything but there was voter data that was able to be [had]. Now that voter data I think was public anyways, nevertheless those were intrusions," DeSantis said at a press conference Tuesday after being briefed by federal authorities Friday.



DeSantis declined to name the counties, citing a non-disclosure agreement with the FBI. The FBI previously declined to comment on the Florida breaches and its response.



After the 2016 election, U.S. officials said that Russian hackers likely targeted systems in all 50 states -- what some compared to rattling door handles -- and said that some were able to get through, though officials did not say exactly where the intrusions took place. The Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. intelligence community said there was no evidence that any votes or vote tallies were manipulated.



Illinois was previously identified as another victim of an alleged Russian voter registration data hack, in which the personal information of 500,000 voters was believed to have been stolen. Voter registration systems are separate from the machines actually used to vote, which are generally not connected to the internet.



Since the 2016 election, security officials and experts said the U.S. has made significant progress in protecting the voting process, but there's much more work to be done before Americans cast their ballots in 2020.



"There's a lot of things that keep me up at night," a DHS official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, told ABC News last month. "What could our adversaries do? What could they do to undermine our democratic system?... I'll certainly be nervous but confident in the lines of communication we have and the steps that we've taken."

Copyright  2019, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
London (AFP) - Britain's Boris Johnson confirmed Thursday he will seek to become prime minister when Theresa May quits, reports said, as she promised to set out a departure timetable early next month.

"Of course I'm going to go for it," the former foreign minister, ex-mayor of London and leading Brexit campaigner told a business event in Manchester, northwest England, the BBC and Sky News reported.

The decision comes as little surprise as Johnson, one of Britain's most identifiable politicians known simply as "Boris", has long been known to covet the top job.

But it effectively fires the starting gun on a race that already has more than a dozen runners and riders -- even though there is no official vacancy.

May has promised to step down once the first stage of Britain's exit from the European Union is secured, but this has been put in doubt by repeated Brexit delays.

At a meeting of senior members of her Conservative party on Thursday, May resisted growing demands to set out a detailed plan for her departure right now.

But Graham Brady, the chairman of the 1922 Committee of Conservative MPs, said May would do this after a parliamentary vote in the week beginning June 3 on legislation to approve her EU divorce deal.

"We have agreed that she and I will meet following the second reading (first vote) of the bill to agree a timetable for the election of a new leader of the Conservative and Unionist Party," he said.

Many of May's ministers and senior lawmakers are already making moves for the leadership, holding photo opportunities and giving wide-ranging speeches that go well beyond their official briefs.

Johnson, who botched his chance to run against May when she took office after the 2016 referendum, has long been assumed to be a candidate but has recently kept out the limelight.

Known abroad for his gaffes and accused of misleading voters over Brexit, he is nonetheless loved by many ordinary members of the ruling Conservative party, who will have a say in their new leader.

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Johnson quit as foreign minister last year over the government's Brexit strategy and has been an outspoken critic of the divorce deal May struck with Brussels last November.

The deal has been rejected three times by the House of Commons, forcing May to delay Brexit twice.

She announced this week she would put it to MPs for a fourth time in early June, in the form of a vote on the Withdrawal Agreement Bill.

May hopes the bill could be passed by July, allowing Britain to leave the EU at the end of that month, and is expected to step down at that point.

If the plan is rejected again next month, however, few expect her to hold on that long.
Mylo Frylett's family were told he would have died if he hadn't been wearing the bag on his back (SWNS)

A young boy's life was saved by his bag after he was run over on the way to school.

Mylo Fryett, 11, was thrown into the air and landed on the car's windscreen after he was hit at around 8.30am on Monday.

He was rushed to hospital where doctors found he had a fractured leg, a possible broken elbow, torn spleen and a suspected torn bladder.

But his family were told he would have died if he hadn't have had the bag on his back - which contained a metal cookery tin, lunch box and school books.

Mylo is expected to stay in hospital for around six weeks (SWNS)

The boys grandfather Mark Harvey, 54, said: The police said Mylo only survived because he was wearing a rucksack which was full.

He landed on his back and his head banged against the windscreen so its surprising he doesnt have any neck or head injuries.

Grandmother Michelle Harvey, 52, said Mylo was wearing headphones while walking to school which meant he couldn't hear oncoming cars.

She said:He had a cookery tin in there which was completely squashed. And his lunch box which was in there as well was in pieces.

He had a lynx can in his pocket, which was crushed as well - we said he is lucky that didn't explode.

Read more on Yahoo News UK

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The bag took all the impact. The car broke the top of his leg, and his leg took some of the impact as well.

Police and paramedics attended the scene in Braintree, Essex and Mylo was swiftly taken off to Broomfield Hospital, in Essex for emergency surgery.

Mrs Harvey said the boy had urgent surgery on the top of his leg to get it pinned back together as it was "absolutely shattered" from taking "a lot of the impact".

Mylo is expected to stay in hospital for around six weeks and his mum-of-three Francess Fryett, 29, said the hospital have ordered him a wheel chair.

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She said: I am so grateful her is alive. He is going to be in hospital for a while now. They can't get his pain under control.

The bag that saved the 11-year-old boy's life (SWNS)

Both grandparents and mum have praised a number of students, believed to be from the Alec Hunter Academy, who ran to Mylos aid after the collision.

Mark added: One of them ran over and sat with him and held his head until the ambulance arrived.

They were brilliant and I think the school is going to give them a commendation for it.

The crash was no-ones fault and it could have been a lot worse.

Francess is now trying to raise as much awareness to warn children the dangers of wearing headphones whilst walking.

(SWNS)

She said: I push parents to make sure there children are alert while crossing road and not wearing headphones. I would like to thank everyone for support and help.

Cressing Road was closed to traffic throughout the morning to allow police and paramedics to work at the scene. An air ambulance was also called in to assist.

A spokesman for Essex Police said: We were called to reports of a collision involving a grey Ford Focus and a pedestrian on Cressing Road, Braintree, shortly before 8.30am on Monday, May 13.

Officers and paramedics arrived and a 11-year-old boy was taken to hospital with non-life-changing injuries.

The road was re-opened after it was temporarily closed. No arrests have been made.

---Watch the latest videos from Yahoo UK---
By Andrew MacAskill LONDON (Reuters) - Boris Johnson, the face of the campaign for Britain to leave the European Union, said on Thursday he will be standing as a candidate to replace Prime Minister Theresa May as Conservative leader. May will set out a timetable for her departure in early June after the latest attempt to get her Brexit deal approved by parliament, meaning a leadership contest is likely to take place during the summer. "I am going for it, of course, I am going for it," Johnson told the BBC. "I don't think that is any particular secret to anybody." The winner of the leadership contest will automatically become prime minister and will take control of the Brexit process, which has plunged Britain into its worst political crisis since World War Two. Johnson was widely expected to run for the Conservative leadership in the aftermath of the Brexit vote in 2016 but his campaign collapsed before he announced he was standing when an ally withdrew support amid claims he could not unite the party. Two weeks later he was made foreign minister, but resigned from the cabinet last July in protest at May's handling of the exit negotiations. Johnson has been one of May's most outspoken critics over Brexit and supports leaving the EU without a deal, a scenario the government's own economic forecasts have warned would leave the British economy 8 percent smaller by 2035. The former Mayor of London was widely expected to run and set out his pitch to the Conservative membership in a speech at the party's annual conference last October. Betting odds indicate he is the leading candidate to replace May and has a 28 percent chance of being the next prime minister. If Johnson became prime minister it would cap an eventful career for the man invariably referred to simply as Boris, known in Britain and beyond for his clownish persona and disheveled mop of blond hair. He has a long record of gaffes and scandals. As foreign minister, he compared the French president to a World War Two guard administering punishment beatings and was caught on camera reciting a colonial-era poem in a sacred temple in Myanmar. Several senior Conservatives are expected to enter the contest for the leadership. The international development minister Rory Stewart and former work and pensions minister Esther McVey have announced they will run and leader of the House of Commons Andrea Leadsom has said she is "considering" standing. Other possible contenders include former and current members of the cabinet, including environment minister Michael Gove, the interior minister Sajid Javid and foreign minister Jeremy Hunt. (Editing by Stephen Addison/Guy Faulconbridge)
By Andrew MacAskill LONDON (Reuters) - The British government will renationalize the management of probation services in England and Wales five years after a heavily criticized program of privatization was deemed to have put members of the public at risk. The supervision of about 200,000 low and medium-risk offenders will be removed from part-private companies and taken over by the government when the current contracts end in December 2020, said Justice Minister David Gauke.The existing model was intended to drive down re-offending levels when it was introduced but the chief inspector of probation, described the system last month as being "irredeemably flawed". The probation watchdog had previously found thousands of offenders were being managed by a brief phone call once every six weeks. Some prisoners were being given tents on their release from jails, an inquiry into homelessness published in March found. "Delivering a stronger probation system, which commands the confidence of the courts and better protects the public, is a pillar of our reforms to focus on rehabilitation and cut reoffending," Gauke said. The U-turn marks a fresh embarrassment for Transport Minister Chris Grayling, who introduced the shake-up when he was justice secretary and has been dubbed "Failing Grayling" by the British press. In his current job, Grayling awarded a 14 million pound ($18 million) contract for companies to ferry in essential supplies to Britain in the event of a no-deal Brexit to a company that owned no boats. The decision to partially privatize the probation service was heavily criticized at the time. Companies including France's Sodexo, the United States' MTCnovo and British firms Working Links and Interserve have been given contracts to oversee probation services. The government has already announced it would abolish the use of handing out of new contracts to private companies to run government projects after reviews revealed little evidence of financial benefits. It has also moved to strip some companies of their contracts because of poor performance or due to financial trouble. Last month, the government announced it was taking over the running of a Birmingham prison from private operator after inmate violence made it unmanageable. Last year the collapse of Carillion, one of the biggest beneficiaries of such privatization contracts, forced the government to step in to guarantee services ranging from school meals to roadworks that the company had previously provided. A few months later, it renationalized the rail route between London and Edinburgh, taking back the line from a private company after it over-estimated profits. (Reporting By Andrew MacAskill; editing by John Stonestreet)
LONDON, May 16 (Reuters) - Britain's Labour Party will vote against the Withdrawal Agreement Bill if there is no deal between the government and the opposition party, its Brexit spokesman Keir Starmer said on Thursday.

After failing to get parliament's approval three times for Prime Minister Theresa May's Brexit deal, the government will now put the bill, legislation which will enact that deal, before parliament for a vote in early June.

"I want to make it clear that Labour opposes the idea of passing the Withdrawal Agreement Bill without an agreed deal ... and Labour will vote against a second reading on that basis," Starmer told parliament. (Reporting by Kylie MacLellan, writing by Elizabeth Piper)
London (AFP) - Burberry, the luxury British fashion house, announced Thursday a rise in annual net profit on lower restructuring costs -- but its share price frayed on sluggish Asian sales, notably in China.

Profit after tax jumped 15.6 percent to 339.3 million ($437 million, 390 million euros) in the 12 months to the end of March, the company known for its trademark check pattern said in an earnings statement.

Total revenues dipped to 2.72 billion compared with Burberry's 2017/18 financial year.

Chief executive Marco Gobbetti said the latest results showed the group had made "excellent progress in the first year" of a transformation plan.

But sales in key market China delivered only low single-digit percentage growth.

Burberry's share price was down almost four percent at 18.45 in London morning trades, topping the fallers board on the capital's benchmark FTSE 100 index, which was down slightly.

"Today's full-year results from the luxury goods group were seen as disappointing with weaker sales growth, especially in its key growth markets," noted analyst Ian Forrest at trading firm The Share Centre.

Investors shrugged off news of a 150-million share buyback and a dividend increase.

Gobbetti, who took the helm in 2017, is shaking up the brand with a strategy overhaul that aims to add even more luxury to the fashion house's products, which include its famous trench coat.

The fashion house on Thursday noted that it expected a boost from debut collections from new chief creative officer Riccardo Tisci, whose appointment was one of Gobbetti's first moves.

"Riccardo Tisci's first collections arrived in stores at the end of February and the initial reaction from customers is very encouraging," added Gobbetti.

"The implementation of our plan is on track, we are energised by the early results and we confirm our outlook for full-year 2020."

The group aims to achieve 120 million of cost savings in its 2019/2020 fiscal year.
United Nations (United States) (AFP) - Still reeling from shock attacks on churches, Burkina Faso appealed to world powers on Thursday to form an international coalition to help the Sahel region fight jihadists.

"The struggle against terrorism in the Sahel is a struggle for the survival of the states of the Sahel," Burkina Faso's Foreign Minister Alpha Barry told the UN Security Council.

The council was meeting to discuss the rise in attacks in the Sahel, where Burkina Faso and four other countries, known as the G5, have established a regional force to try to beat back the insurgents.

The foreign minister argued that the threat from extremists in the Sahel should be tackled with same determination shown by world powers in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"It is time for the international community to consider creating an international coalition that would tackle terrorism on the territories of the G5 and in the entire Sahel," he said.

The council has been divided on how to support the G5 countries, with France leading calls for UN funding for the regional force, a move opposed by the United States.

The G5 countries Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger, are spending a large part of their budgets -- 18 to 32 percent -- on security, said Barry.

The foreign minister said addressing the threat from extremists was a "major emergency to prevent a collapse of our states and avert generalized chaos on our continent, which would have multiple repercussions for the rest of the world."

A priest and five parishioners were killed during mass services in northern Burkina Faso on Sunday, and four Catholics were gunned down during a religious procession on Monday.

More than 300 people have died this year in inter-communal violence, according to the foreign minister.

Barry also urged the council to come up with a united position on how to address the fighting in Libya, which he described as the main destabilizing factor in the region.
By Robin Emmott, Alissa de Carbonnel and Conor Humphries

BRUSSELS/DUBLIN (Reuters) - The European Union has launched a coordinated fight against fake news ahead of this month's European Parliament elections, but officials acknowledge there are limits to what can be achieved against a danger barely recognised a few years ago.

The risk is "very high", said Lutz Guellner, one of the EU's top officials in charge of the anti-disinformation campaign. "Just look at the past, the U.S. elections, what happened in France, Germany."

By funding fact-checking organisations, building up an in-house unit to counter disinformation from Russia, and enlisting Facebook, Google, Twitter and others, Brussels hopes to shield the 427 million people eligible to vote for the 751-seat EU chamber on May 23-26.

Facebook opened a fake news war room in late April, later showing journalists around the Dublin facility, but security experts say that may be too late to uproot the seeds of doubt planted by malign campaigns to undermine one of the world's biggest elections.

EU officials say they cannot quantify the impact of their efforts. They suffer from limited funding and institutional restraints, and are only just coming to terms with the scale of the problem. "The EU can't have a Ministry of Truth," said one senior EU official.

Despite the pan-European nature of the risks, the vote is held as separate elections in each of the 28 EU countries, some of which have been slow to put in place safeguards.

EU governments and NATO allies say Russia is targeting elections to undermine Western democracy. Moscow denies that.

In a case that forced EU officials to pay attention to the real-world impact of fake news, a story in 2016 about a Russian-German girl reportedly raped by Arab migrants sparked a media storm until Germany's intelligence service established it as a Russian attempt to manipulate German public opinion.

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WHO SET FIRE TO NOTRE DAME?

By alerting people to examples of disinformation, the EU, like other Western governments, hopes to "inoculate" citizens against fake news, according to Heidi Tworek, a expert on information warfare at the University of British Columbia.

"Potentially we will be able to win, but not yet, because we have neglected this for so long," Lithuania's Foreign Minister Linas Linkevicius told Reuters.

Because May's elections are likely to produce a fragmented parliament, with anti-establishment parties doing well, EU officials are anxious about "bad actors" disrupting debate. Turnout for European Parliament elections is traditionally low, making it easier for far-right and far-left groups to focus on voters favouring extremist parties via social media.

Russian media in Europe, while not successful in reaching the broader public, provides a platform for anti-EU populists. Following a fire at Paris' Notre Dame cathedral in April, Russian media outlets in Europe blamed Islamist militants and Ukraine's pro-Western government.

Fact-checkers in Germany called out a fake news article circulated on Facebook about Frans Timmermans, the Socialists' top candidate in the European elections. The report falsely claimed he wanted "mass immigration of Muslim men to Europe".

"NON-RAPID" EU ALERT SYSTEM

By threatening regulation, the EU has persuaded Google and Facebook to verify election advertising on its sites, while the companies, along with Twitter and Firefox web-browser Mozilla have agreed to submit monthly reports as part of an EU code of practice.

Google said that in February it detected almost 21,000 EU-based Google Ads accounts that violated its new rules and sought to mislead or scam users, including 4,200 in Italy alone,

Last week, Facebook took down numerous Italian accounts. Facebook's fact-checking operation is working with 21 partners in 14 European languages. When a story is flagged as false, it is downgraded on the social network's news feed and pages that repeatedly share fake news can be blocked.

But the company says such efforts have their limits. "There's so much shared on Facebook every day that it won't be possible to fact check every single piece," said Antonia Woodford, Facebook's product manager.

In some EU nations, such as Hungary, there are no fact-checkers, and groups partnered with Facebook complain about the lack of data on the impact of their work, particularly as fake news spreads quickly across different platforms and countries.

"It does move pretty quickly," said Phil Chetwynd, global editor in chief at Agence France-Presse, which is partnered with Facebook. "In most of the locations where we have put fact-checkers, we have been surprised by the scale of what we have been discovering."

The older generation is particularly vulnerable, with people over 55 most likely to spread fake news because they grew up with the printed word and assume published information to be bona fide, EU officials say.

Many EU governments have yet to set up their own disinformation monitoring command posts. A much vaunted EU 'Rapid Alert System' meant to bring national specialists together to fight disinformation is barely used. "It's a non-rapid, non-alert, non-system," an EU official said.

However, the EU hopes that a collective effort will at least raise the costs for anyone trying to interfere. "If someone wants to do it, it will still be possible," said Heli Tiirmaa-Klaar, Estonia's ambassador at large for cyber security.

(Writing by Robin Emmott; Editing by Giles Elgood)
CHICAGO  Democratic presidential candidates took aim at President Donald Trump Thursday, blasting the president and his national security team for recklessly escalating tensions with Iran.

South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg, a former Navy officer who served in Afghanistan, offered perhaps the sharpest criticism among the crowded field of 2020 candidates about the Trump administrations increasingly tough talk against Iran.

"This is not a game. This is not a show, Buttigieg said during a speech before the City Club of Chicago. Weve got to make sure that security decisions are not made based on politics but are the right decision"

Democratic presidential candidate and South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg speaks to an overflow crowd during a luncheon hosted by the City Club of Chicago on May 16, 2019.

In Washington, Trump offered a pithy response when asked on Thursday by reporters about whether the administration is on the path to war with Iran.

I hope not, Trump told reporters at the White House.

Iran escalation: Asked if U.S. is going to war with Iran, President Donald Trump responds: 'I hope not'

Tensions have been building since the administration this month revoked waivers that allowed Iran to sell oil to some customers despite American sanctions. This week the U.S. ordered its non-emergency government staff to leave Iraq amid fears that the region might be heading toward another conflict.

The Trump administration also has deployed an aircraft carrier ahead of schedule and B-52 bombers to the Persian Gulf to counter what the administration has described as threats from Tehran.

On Wednesday, Trump appeared to try to tamp down concerns about possible military action by taking to Twitter to raise the possibility of diplomatic negotiations with Irans leaders.

Still, Buttigieg said after his Chicago speech that it was important for Congress to get on the record in formally expressing their opposition to military action against Iran. He said he remains concerned about the situation escalating, even as Trump has toned down the saber rattling.

The relationship between what the president says and what the president does has always been suspect, Buttigieg said. This is something that should be taken extremely seriously, and its why I hope and pray there are enough people in Congress to recognize that if there was ever a moment to stop Congress abandonment of its own war powers and get on the record on this issue, it is now.

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Rep. Seth Moulton, another Democratic presidential hopeful and former Marine infantry officer who served in the Iraq war, slammed Trump and his national security advisers as chicken hawks in an MSNBC interview. Moulton on Wednesday introduced a resolution that would strip the president of his authority to engage in military action without prior Congressional approval.

During his time in Iraq, Moulton and troops under his charge battled with Iranian-backed militias that led a bloody insurgency against U.S. troops in Baghdad and huge swaths of southern Iraq more than a decade ago.

I fought Iranians in Najaf, Moulton said referring to the southern Iraqi city. We won. Id fight them again if necessary. But this is not necessary. This is chicken hawks trying to drag us into a war with Iran just like they did 15 years ago in Iraq. This is why we need to make national security front and center at the Democratic debates.

Former Vice President Joe Biden, the frontrunner in the crowded Democratic field, earlier this week suggested that Trumps original mistake was abandoning a nuclear agreement brokered between the U.S. and allies during the Obama administration.

"The way to prevent Iran from being a nuclear power is to stay in the agreement," Biden told reporters during a campaign stop in Concord, N.H.

Buttigieg saying he found it particularly perplexing that Trump has relied on White House National Security Adviser John Bolton, who helped the George W. Bush administration build its case for 2003 invasion of Iraq.

Bolton earlier this month in announcing the deployment of the U.S. aircraft carrier and B-52 bombers to the region said the Trump administration is not seeking war with the Iranian regime, but we are fully prepared to respond to any attack.

I would also say personnel is policy, and a lot of this energy for conflict is coming from the national security adviser, Buttigieg said. I remain mystified that anyone that had that big of a hand propelling us into the Iraq war is allowed anywhere near the situation room.

Maryland Rep. John Delaney, another Democratic presidential contender, made similar criticism.

Many of the same individuals that pushed America towards the destructive and costly regime change conflict with Iraq are now beating the drums of regime change and conflict with Iran," Delaney said. "This behavior is reckless and irresponsible.

Mayor Pete's debt: Pete Buttigieg made $75K on his book deal, but owes much more in student loans, disclosure finds

Pentagon revolving door: Drain the swamp? Warren says it's time to stem Pentagon-to-lobbying revolving door

Like what youre reading? Download the USA TODAY app for more

Contributing: John Fritze, Michael Collins and David Jackson

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Buttigieg blasts Trump Iran escalation: 'This is not a game. This is not a show.'
Pico Far East Holdings Limited (HKG:752), which is in the media business, and is based in Hong Kong, saw significant share price movement during recent months on the SEHK, rising to highs of HK$3.31 and falling to the lows of HK$2.53. Some share price movements can give investors a better opportunity to enter into the stock, and potentially buy at a lower price. A question to answer is whether Pico Far East Holdings's current trading price of HK$2.57 reflective of the actual value of the small-cap? Or is it currently undervalued, providing us with the opportunity to buy? Lets take a look at Pico Far East Holdingss outlook and value based on the most recent financial data to see if there are any catalysts for a price change.

Want to participate in a short research study? Help shape the future of investing tools and you could win a $250 gift card!

Check out our latest analysis for Pico Far East Holdings

What's the opportunity in Pico Far East Holdings?

The stock seems fairly valued at the moment according to my relative valuation model. Ive used the price-to-earnings ratio in this instance because theres not enough visibility to forecast its cash flows. The stocks ratio of 11.68x is currently trading slightly below its industry peers ratio of 14.96x, which means if you buy Pico Far East Holdings today, youd be paying a reasonable price for it. And if you believe Pico Far East Holdings should be trading in this range, then there isnt much room for the share price grow beyond where its currently trading. So, is there another chance to buy low in the future? Given that Pico Far East Holdingss share is fairly volatile (i.e. its price movements are magnified relative to the rest of the market) this could mean the price can sink lower, giving us an opportunity to buy later on. This is based on its high beta, which is a good indicator for share price volatility.

Can we expect growth from Pico Far East Holdings?

SEHK:752 Past and Future Earnings, May 16th 2019

Investors looking for growth in their portfolio may want to consider the prospects of a company before buying its shares. Buying a great company with a robust outlook at a cheap price is always a good investment, so lets also take a look at the company's future expectations. Pico Far East Holdingss earnings over the next few years are expected to increase by 32%, indicating a highly optimistic future ahead. This should lead to more robust cash flows, feeding into a higher share value.

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What this means for you:

Are you a shareholder? It seems like the market has already priced in 752s positive outlook, with shares trading around its fair value. However, there are also other important factors which we havent considered today, such as the financial strength of the company. Have these factors changed since the last time you looked at 752? Will you have enough conviction to buy should the price fluctuate below the true value?

Are you a potential investor? If youve been keeping tabs on 752, now may not be the most advantageous time to buy, given it is trading around its fair value. However, the positive outlook is encouraging for 752, which means its worth further examining other factors such as the strength of its balance sheet, in order to take advantage of the next price drop.

Price is just the tip of the iceberg. Dig deeper into what truly matters  the fundamentals  before you make a decision on Pico Far East Holdings. You can find everything you need to know about Pico Far East Holdings in the latest infographic research report. If you are no longer interested in Pico Far East Holdings, you can use our free platform to see my list of over 50 other stocks with a high growth potential.

We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material.



If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. Thank you for reading.
How far off is Concho Resources Inc. (NYSE:CXO) from its intrinsic value? Using the most recent financial data, we'll take a look at whether the stock is fairly priced by estimating the company's future cash flows and discounting them to their present value. This is done using the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model. Don't get put off by the jargon, the math behind it is actually quite straightforward.

We generally believe that a company's value is the present value of all of the cash it will generate in the future. However, a DCF is just one valuation metric among many, and it is not without flaws. If you want to learn more about discounted cash flow, the rationale behind this calculation can be read in detail in the Simply Wall St analysis model.

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View our latest analysis for Concho Resources

Step by step through the calculation

We are going to use a two-stage DCF model, which, as the name states, takes into account two stages of growth. The first stage is generally a higher growth period which levels off heading towards the terminal value, captured in the second 'steady growth' period. To start off with, we need to estimate the next ten years of cash flows. Where possible we use analyst estimates, but when these aren't available we extrapolate the previous free cash flow (FCF) from the last estimate or reported value. We assume companies with shrinking free cash flow 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:

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10-year free cash flow (FCF) forecast

2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 Levered FCF ($, Millions) $349.60 $1.02k $1.30k $1.43k $1.54k $1.63k $1.72k $1.79k $1.86k $1.93k Growth Rate Estimate Source Analyst x9 Analyst x11 Analyst x3 Analyst x1 Est @ 7.67% Est @ 6.19% Est @ 5.15% Est @ 4.43% Est @ 3.92% Est @ 3.56% Present Value ($, Millions) Discounted @ 8.89% $321.05 $857.95 $1.00k $1.02k $1.01k $980.13 $946.49 $907.68 $866.22 $823.82

Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF)= $8.73b

"Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St

The second stage is also known as Terminal Value, this is the business's cash flow after the first stage. The Gordon Growth formula is used to calculate Terminal Value at a future annual growth rate equal to the 10-year government bond rate of 2.7%. We discount the terminal cash flows to today's value at a cost of equity of 8.9%.

Terminal Value (TV) = FCF 2029  (1 + g)  (r  g) = US$1.9b  (1 + 2.7%)  (8.9%  2.7%) = US$32b

Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV) = TV / (1 + r)10 = $US$32b  ( 1 + 8.9%)10 = $13.74b

The total value is the sum of cash flows for the next ten years plus the discounted terminal value, which results in the Total Equity Value, which in this case is $22.47b. In the final step we divide the equity value by the number of shares outstanding. This results in an intrinsic value estimate of $112.81. Compared to the current share price of $113.28, the company appears around fair value at the time of writing. Valuations are imprecise instruments though, rather like a telescope - move a few degrees and end up in a different galaxy. Do keep this in mind.

NYSE:CXO Intrinsic value, May 16th 2019

The assumptions

Now the most important inputs to a discounted cash flow are the discount rate, and of course, the actual cash flows. If you don't agree with these result, have a go at the calculation yourself and play with the assumptions. 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 Concho Resources 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 8.9%, which is based on a levered beta of 1.034. 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:

Whilst important, DCF calculation shouldnt be the only metric you look at when researching a company. The DCF model is not a perfect stock valuation tool. Rather it should be seen as a guide to "what assumptions need to be true for this stock to be under/overvalued?" If a company grows at a different rate, or if its cost of equity or risk free rate changes sharply, the output can look very different. For Concho Resources, There are three additional aspects you should further examine:

Financial Health: Does CXO 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 CXO'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 CXO? Explore our interactive list of high quality stocks to get an idea of what else is out there you may be missing!

PS. The Simply Wall St app conducts a discounted cash flow valuation for every stock on the NYSE every day. If you want to find the calculation for other stocks 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.
Cannes (France) (AFP) - French people backing the "yellow vest" movement are only waking up to injustice and police violence that minorities have been calling out for decades, the director of an explosive new film at Cannes said Thursday.

Ladj Ly, who drew comparisons to Spike Lee at the world's top film festival, said President Emmanuel Macron should watch his searing debut feature "Les Miserables" if he wants to understand the wave of anger that has shaken France since November.

"The 'yellow vests' have been in the streets for six months demanding their rights be recognised," the 39-year-old filmmaker told AFP.

"But we've been the yellow vests for 20 years, staking a claim to our own rights while we face police brutality and get shot with stun grenades."

"Les Miserables" tells the story of three policemen tasked with patrolling one of the deprived suburban high rise estate that ring Paris.

The movie takes a unflinching look at mounting rage in largely black and Arab communities over police harassment, failing schools and meagre job prospects.

It is one of 21 pictures vying for the Palme d'Or top prize against competition from the likes of Quentin Tarantino, Terrence Malick, Ken Loach and Pedro Almodovar.

Ly focuses on the seething Clichy-sous-Bois suburb that hit the headlines in October 2005 when two teenagers died while fleeing the police in an area home to many impoverished immigrants.

Their deaths touched off riots that engulfed the housing estates and spread through the country in a three-week crisis that made headlines worldwide.

- 'Stand up in revolt' -

The fast-paced film takes its title, but not its plot, from Victor Hugo's 1862 novel, which was set in part in the same Montfermeil district where Ly grew up and set his own story.

The themes he tackles in "Les Miserables" were both inherently French and depressingly universal, he said.

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"Down-and-out areas exist all over the place -- in Brazil, everywhere" he told a news conference after its warmly received red carpet premiere.

"Towards the end of the film, these kids really stand up in revolt against teachers, police, the drug dealers. They start destroying things -- I don't know if it's the right reaction but they don't know what else to do."

Ly has said he admires Spike Lee for spotlighting racism and inequality in US society with his films but is frustrated how few black filmmakers are working in France.

"There are doors which do not open to those from a certain social class," said Ly, who has started a tuition-free programme for young filmmakers.

- 'Starting life with a handicap' -

Weekly and often violent protests by the yellow vests have rocked the Macron government over the last six months.

Macron has offered 5.0 billion euros ($5.6 billion) in tax cuts to those whose wages are at the low end of the scale in response to the demonstrations.

While Ly pointed out that similar calls from suburban residents had gone unheeded for decades, he had not given up.

"Growing up in these neighbourhoods, it's like starting out life with a handicap," he said.

Ly, who has criticised social welfare cuts under Macron, quipped that he'd be happy to arrange a screening of "Les Miserables" at the Elysee Palace for the president.

"If you're willing to welcome us, we'll come," he said.
Caleb Pelletier posted a Facebook live video of him burning the Nazi flag. (Credit: Facebook/Caleb Pelletier)

A Nazi flag flew high above a residence in a small village in Canada, and hung heavy over concerned community members. It would be the second time a Nazi flag had been flown in Canada this year.

When it appeared as though authorities werent going to take action, a man took it upon himself to take the flag and burn it.

In a Facebook video on May 11, Caleb Pelletier, who goes by Caleb Beaudin on Facebook, live streamed himself holding the burning the Nazi flag that had plagued the small community.

Im real and Im not fake, Pelletier said in the video, his face obscured by a Confederate flag  which he had also removed from the house  tied around his face. Here it is, watch this bitch burn.

Pelletier then holds down the flag on the ground while others light it on fire. Stop racism, this s*** aint cool, he says. It has to end now and not later.

Yahoo Lifestyle has reached out to the man who posted the video and will update the story with his response.

According to the mayor of Kelliher, a village located in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan, the Nazi flag and an American Confederate flag were mounted on an old television receiver tower attached to a residence in the community on the evening of May 9. It received immediate backlash from local community members and Canadians across the nation, as images of the flag spread like wildfire on social media.

Although flying the racist symbol is not illegal, local authorities went to speak with the home owners to express the complaints and concerns raised by community members. The home owner and the occupant were also told that it was not illegal to fly these flags and that the [Royal Canadian Mounted Police] was not acting in an enforcement roll, but rather as a voice for the community, reads a statement from local authorities obtained by Yahoo Lifestyle.

According to Saskatchewan law enforcement, the man at the residence  who is a 34-year-old living in his grandfathers house, according to the Huffington Post Canada  verbally agreed to remove the flags. Officers were confident the matter was in the process of being resolved without further incident.

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However, local authorities were not the only ones to raise concerns to the resident. The villages mayor, Darcy King, took it upon himself to address the culprit behind the flag.

"It's this no-brainer kid  34-years old and never grew up," Darcy King told the Huffington Post Canada on May 10. "I contacted his parents ... and they didn't know it was happening. He's living in his grandpa's house and, as soon as it quits raining, he's going to take it down."

The Kelliher Mayors Office has not responded to Yahoo Lifestyles requests for comment.

While the local government and authorities believed the issue was resolved, Pelletier told local station CTV Regina that he decided to take down the Nazi and Confederate flags himself after it became clear that authorities werent going to.

In a Facebook post that has since been deleted, Pelletier shared a picture of the Nazi flag and the accompanying Confederate flag, and read, Racism is alive and well in this area. This is what white privilege looks like."

While many have praised Pelletier online for taking action, local authorities are investigating this latest development and will be meeting with the occupant of the home.

Below the Facebook live video he posted, Pelletier explained that he took matters into his own hands for First Nation kids, the descendants of the original inhabitants of Canada. Considering the amount of First Nation kids that attended that school in that town, I did it for not only them but for us and First Nation people and our people before us man, Pelletier commented.

Read more from Yahoo Lifestyle:

 Video captures woman punching man who went on racist tirade at sushi restaurant on Mother's Day

 Students' racist promposal sign sparks outrage after surfacing on social media: 'Condemn this'

 Viral video shows student threatening black students with lynching

Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day.
By Nia Williams

CALGARY, Alberta, May 16 (Reuters) - The premier of Canada's main crude-producing province Alberta on Thursday welcomed a Senate committee vote recommending the federal government does not proceed with a bill enacting an oil tanker moratorium along British Columbia's northern coast.

The committee voted on Wednesday night against Bill C-48, which would ban oil tankers from docking on that stretch of coast. Six senators were in favor of the legislation and six against, and under Senate committee rules a tied vote counts as a rejection.

Bill C-48 will now return to the Senate chamber where legislators will vote on whether to accept or reject the committee's recommendation. It could still be passed into law.

Alberta's government opposes C-48 because it shuts down the possibility of shipping crude by pipeline from Alberta to a northern British Columbia port for export to overseas markets. Premier Jason Kenney urged the Senate to vote against the bill.

"All we want ... is the right to be able sell our resources at a fair price. That means coastal pipelines and that means Bill C-48 must die in the Senate," he told reporters.

Alberta is home to Canada's vast oil sands but its heavy crude trades at a discount to U.S. oil because of congestion on export pipelines. New pipeline project have been delayed for years by regulatory hold-ups and environmental opposition.

Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau promised an oil tanker moratorium to protect the delicate coastal ecosystem as part of his election campaign in 2015 and Bill C-48 has already passed the House of Commons.

There are currently no oil export ports on British Columbia's northern coast but such infrastructure was a major part of Enbridge Inc's proposed Northern Gateway project, which was rejected by the Liberal government in 2016.

Oil tankers still transport crude south from Alaska along that coastline.

Critics of Bill C-48 say it would cement some of the difficulties landlocked Alberta faces in getting its crude to international markets.

"I agree that the sensitive coastal areas of northern B.C. deserve and demand environmental protection. I didn't think C-48 did the job," said independent Senator Paula Simons from Alberta, who voted against the bill.

The vote was slammed by supporters of the tanker moratorium, including Elizabeth May, leader of the Green Party of Canada. "Unelected senators are now seeking the defeat of a bill supported by elected Members of the House," she said. (Reporting by Nia Williams Editing by Marguerita Choy)
The stars gave us an eyeful once again on Wednesday, May 15, as they climbed the stairs leading up to the Palais des Festivals in Cannes, France for the screening of "Les Miserables." Alessandra Ambrosio, Amber Heard and Nadine Leopold went for the wow effect, while Ludivine Sagnier, Carla Bruni, and Elle Fanning opted for ultra-glam looks. No 'Notes on Camp' were read on this second day of Cannes Festival, which tends to eschew big declarations in favor of understatement -- and that oh-so-French flair for elegance. Here are some of the best looks from the festival's second red carpet.
What happened?

Theresa May has promised to set a date for her departure as leader of the Conservatives in three weeks time. The PM will agree to a definitive timetable after MPs vote on the Withdrawal Agreement Bill  the legal mechanism to enact her deal with the EU  in the first week of June. It follows a meeting between the PM and an influential group of backbench Tory MPs, where she was urged to firm up the guarantee she made in December that she would step aside for the second phase of the Brexit negotiations.

Has anyone got what they wanted?

Not really. Mrs May wants to stay in post until she has got her Brexit deal signed off by MPs, which she has failed to do three times. Since the last vote there is little sign she has won over any of her critics. Tory Brexiteers havent got their wish either. They have been placing more and more pressure on Mrs May to step aside immediately, a fate she avoided once again today.

Whos going to take over?

Boris Johnson confirmed politics worst-kept secret today by announcing his plan to stand as Conservative Leader. Other Tories who have thrown their hat in the ring for the next leadership contest include Leader of the House of Commons Andrea Leadsom, International Development Secretary Rory Stewart and former Work and Pensions Secretary Esther McVey.

Read more

Theresa May agrees to set timetable for departure from Downing Street (PA Ready News)

There are herds of Tory leadership candidates  but not a principle in sight (The Independent)

Boris Johnson confirms he will stand as next Conservative Party leader (Yahoo News UK)

A restaurant diner was accidentally served a 4,500 bottle of wine after a staff member picked up the wrong bottle. Hawksmoor Manchester shared the gaffe in a tweet on Thursday, revealing a customer had accidentally been given a bottle of Chateau le Pin Pomerol 2001, one of the worlds most expensive and exclusive red wines. How much you would pay for a bottle of wine? Read the full story (Yahoo News UK) and have your say below:

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Nurse reveals moment London Bridge attacker stabbed her

An off-duty nurse was stabbed in the neck by an evil terrorist after she rushed in to help a victim of the London Bridge attack, an inquest has heard. Waiter Alexandre Pigeard was repeatedly stabbed by one of the attackers on June 3, 2017. Helen Kennett told the inquest she saw his gushing neck wound and offered to help, but he told her to run. Instead she confronted his attacker, saying: Whats wrong with you? The knifeman replied: No, whats wrong with you? then allegedly plunged a 12in blade into her neck. Read the full story here (The Guardian)

Father died after getting trapped in cinema footrest

A cinema-goer died after his neck became trapped in an electronic footrest as he searched for his keys and phone under his seat, an inquest has heard. Ateeq Rafiq was with his wife when he became trapped by the gold class cinema seat at Birminghams Star City complex in March last year. His widow, Ayesha Sardar, said she sought help from Vue Cinema staff, who spent up to 15 minutes attempting to lift the footrest, but to no avail. Read the full story here (HuffPost)





The most expensive work by a living artist has been broken. Rabbit by Jeff Koons sold for a whopping 70.9m at Christies in New York. It beats the previous record set by British artist David Hockney in November last year.

2.6 million

Millions of songbirds are vacuumed out of trees and killed each year during the nocturnal Mediterranean olive harvest, researchers have warned. Birds from northern Europe winter in these countries, and are at risk while roosting at night. In Andalusia in Spain, 2.6 million birds are killed by harvesting tractors every winter. Olives are vacuumed at night when its cool, to preserve their flavour. Read the full story here (The Independent)
Washington (AFP) - Former US military intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning was ordered back to jail on Thursday for refusing to testify before a grand jury believed to be investigating WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.

Andy Stepanian, a spokesman for Manning's legal team, said she had been remanded in custody by Judge Anthony Trenga for contempt of court after again refusing to provide testimony.

Manning, who spent seven years in military prisons for leaking US secrets to WikiLeaks in 2010 and then two more months in an Alexandria, Virginia, jail this year on contempt charges, had said before the hearing that she would again refuse to testify.

"I'm not going to comply with this grand jury," she told journalists outside the Alexandria courthouse before the hearing.

According to The Washington Post, US District Court Judge Trenga sent Manning back to jail.

He ordered a fine of $500 a day if she does not testify within 30 days, raising that to $1,000 a day if she does not testify within 60 days.

The newspaper quoted Manning as saying "the government cannot build a prison bad enough, cannot create a system worse than the idea that I would ever change my principles.

"I would rather starve to death than to change my opinions in this regard," she said. "I mean that quite literally."

The judge, the Post said, responded by telling Manning "There's nothing dishonorable in discharging your responsibility as a US citizen."

Manning has accused the government of seeking to revive her original court martial case, saying prosecutors were unhappy over her 2017 pardon by president Barack Obama.

"The goal here is really to relitigate the court martial," Manning said before the hearing. "They didn't like the outcome -- I got out."

Manning, 31, was called early this year to testify to a grand jury -- a panel investigating major crimes that operates in secrecy -- about her work with Assange and WikiLeaks nine years ago.

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She said the government was abusing the grand jury process and refused to testify, saying she had answered all the questions years before anyway.

A judge found her in contempt and on March 8 she was jailed indefinitely.

She was released last week when the grand jury's mandate expired, and was called to testify before a new one on Thursday which she said was seeking answers to the same set of questions.

While she was not at liberty to discuss the specifics of the investigation, she indicated that it also was a probe of Assange and WikiLeaks' actions in 2010.

The US Justice Department has asked Britain to extradite Assange to stand trial in the United States for "conspiracy" for advising Manning on breaking into a restricted US government computer.

Assange, now committed to a British prison for a year and also facing an extradition effort from Sweden, asserts that he is a journalist with the right to publish purloined secrets.

Manning, a transgender woman whom supporters call a whistleblower, said the new grand jury case is meaningless since the Justice Department already unveiled its charges against Assange.

"The case doesn't make sense, it's very bananas," she said.

"Ultimately this is an attempt to place me back into confinement."
China has formally arrested two Canadians who have been detained for months on national security grounds, a Canadian newspaper reported on Thursday, in a case that has inflamed tensions between Ottawa and Beijing.

A Canadian government source told The Globe and Mail that neither Michael Kovrig, a former diplomat, nor Michael Spavor, a China-based businessman who organised trips to North Korea, have been formally charged.

"Canada strongly condemns their arbitrary arrest as we condemned their arbitrary detention on Dec. 10," the Canadian foreign ministry said in a statement to the newspaper.

Though no link has been officially made, the detention of Spavor and Kovrig is thought to be in retaliation for Canada's December 1 detention on a US extradition request for Meng Wanzhou, a top executive of Chinese telecom giant Huawei who is accused of violating Iran sanctions.

The men were first accused of activities that "endanger China's security" -- a phrase often used by Beijing when alleging espionage.

China later announced it suspected Kovrig of spying and stealing state secrets and alleged that Spavor had provided him with intelligence.

Two other Canadians convicted of drug trafficking, meanwhile, have been sentenced to death. And Beijing recently blocked Canadian shipments of canola and pork worth billions of dollars.

Meng -- who is currently fighting extradition to the US -- is allowed to live in her Vancouver mansion, although her mobility is limited.

Meanwhile, a group of Canadian parliamentarians had earlier complained to Chinese officials that Kovrig and Spavor have been denied access to lawyers, and remain in "completely unacceptable" detention conditions.
China said Thursday it has formally arrested two Canadians who have been detained for months on national security grounds, in a case that has inflamed tensions between Ottawa and Beijing.

Ottawa denounced the move and demanded the pair's prompt release.

Former diplomat Michael Kovrig is "suspected of collecting state secrets and intelligence," while businessman Michael Spavor is suspected of "stealing and illegally offering state secrets" abroad, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang said at a regular briefing.

Lu said the two were arrested "recently", but did not provide a date, and added that he had no information about where they were being held.

At a news conference in Paris, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called the arrests "unacceptable" and vowed to "stand up" for Kovrig and Spavor, saying they have been "arbitrarily detained."

Canada's foreign ministry, meanwhile, said it "strongly condemns" the arrests, and reiterated its demand "that China immediately release Mr Kovrig and Mr Spavor."

Though no link has been officially made, the detention of the two is thought to be in retaliation for Canada's December 1 detention on a US extradition request of Meng Wanzhou, a top executive with Chinese telecom giant Huawei who is accused of violating Iran sanctions.

The men were first accused of activities that "endanger China's security" -- a phrase often used by Beijing when alleging espionage.

Days after Meng's extradition was announced, China said it suspected Kovrig, who works for the International Crisis Group think tank, of spying and stealing state secrets, and alleged that Spavor -- who organised trips to North Korea -- had provided him with intelligence.

Spying charges could expose them to tough prison sentences.

- 'Unacceptable' conditions -

No details of the men's detention or health conditions were provided due to Canadian privacy laws, but officials said they would press for further access to both detainees.

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Foreign ministry spokesman Lu said "Chinese judicial authorities are handling the cases according to law", and that Spavor and Kovrig's "legitimate rights and interests are fully guaranteed".

A group of Canadian parliamentarians had earlier complained to Chinese officials that the two have been denied access to lawyers, and remain in "completely unacceptable" detention conditions.

Meng is allowed to live in her Vancouver mansion, although her mobility is limited. She made her latest court appearance last week as she fights extradition to the United States -- a process that could take months or even years.

She has been ordered to wear an electronic monitoring device and hand over her passports after being released on bail in mid-December on a Can$10 million (US$7.4 million) bond.

She recently wrote in open letter to supporters that "despite restrictions on my permitted range of movement, the colour and scope of my heart have never been so rich and broad."

Two other Canadians convicted of drug trafficking, meanwhile, have been sentenced to death. Canada has called the death penalties for Fen Wei and Robert Lloyd Schellenberg "cruel and inhumane" asked for clemency on their behalf.

Beijing also recently blocked Canadian shipments of canola and pork worth billions of dollars.

Ottawa has rallied the support of a dozen countries, including Britain, France, Germany and the US, as well as the EU, NATO and the G7, in its diplomatic feud with China.

Washington meanwhile stepped up its battle against Huawei on Wednesday, effectively barring the company from the US market and restricting US sales to the firm.

The United States has also urged allies to shun Huawei's 5G technology, warning that it could serve the interests of Chinese intelligence services.

Canada's Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale has said a 5G decision would be announced in the coming months.
By Diane Bartz and Yawen Chen

WASHINGTON/BEIJING (Reuters) - A U.S. bid to block China's Huawei Technologies from buying vital American technology threw into question prospects for sales at some of the largest tech companies and drew a sharp rebuke from Beijing, further ratcheting up tensions over trade.

Shares of Huawei's U.S. suppliers fell on fears the Chinese firm would be forced to stop buying American chips, software and other components after the Trump administration banned it from buying U.S. technology without special approval.

Huawei, the world's biggest telecoms equipment maker, said that losing access to U.S. suppliers "will do significant economic harm to the American companies" and affect "tens of thousands of American jobs."

"Huawei will seek remedies immediately and find a resolution to this matter," the company said in a statement.

The U.S. crackdown, announced on Wednesday, was the latest shot fired in a U.S.-China trade war that is rattling financial markets and threatening to derail a slowing global economy.

Trade talks had looked close to collapsing in the past week after a dispute over Chinese changes to a draft text prompted the United States to hike tariffs on Chinese goods and Beijing to retaliate with higher duties on U.S. products.

Chinese Commerce Ministry spokesman Gao Feng said the United States should avoid further damaging relations between the world's two largest economies, and accused Washington of "trade protectionism."

"China will take all the necessary measures to resolutely safeguard the legitimate rights of Chinese firms," Gao told reporters.

The Foreign Ministry also announced the formal arrest of two Canadian citizens who were detained shortly after Canada arrested Huawei Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou in December.

Meng faces extradition to the United States on charges that she conspired to defraud global banks about Huawei's relationship with a company operating in Iran. She and the company deny the charges.

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While China has made no specific link between the detentions of the two men and Meng's arrest, experts and former diplomats say they have no doubt it is using their cases to pressure Canada.

ECONOMIC FALLOUT

The U.S. Commerce Department said on Wednesday it was adding Huawei and 70 affiliates to its "Entity List," which bars them from buying components and technology from U.S. firms without government approval. It later revised the number of affiliates down to 68.

The order includes non-U.S. Huawei affiliates in Canada, Japan, Brazil, the UK and Singapore. Requests for approvals for transactions will be reviewed under a "policy of presumption of denial," which suggests obtaining permission will be very difficult.

Huawei was the world's third largest purchaser of semiconductors last year, accounting for 4.4% of global market share, behind only Samsung Electronics Co Ltd and Apple Inc, according to Gartner, a research firm.

U.S. lawmakers have long feared that the firm's equipment could be used to spy on Americans, and Democrats and Republicans lined up in support of the Trump administration's move.

But leading analysts downgraded their assessments for several U.S. microchip companies on Thursday.

Susquehanna Financial Group analyst Christopher Rolland, who said he believed Huawei had built up a one-to-two-year supply of U.S. components, cut price targets on several microchip companies, including Xilinx Inc. Shares of Xilinx closed down 7.3 percent while those of rival chipmaker Qualcomm Inc fell 4 percent.

TARIFFS

As negotiations toward resolving the trade war stalled last week, the United States ramped up the pressure by raising tariffs on a list of $200 billion worth of Chinese imports to 25% from 10%, prompting China to retaliate with higher duties on a revised list of $60 billion worth of U.S. products.

President Donald Trump, who has embraced protectionism and accused China of engaging in unfair trade practices, has threatened to put 25% tariffs on a further $300 billion worth of Chinese goods.

Walmart Inc said prices for shoppers would rise because of higher tariffs on Chinese goods even as the world's largest retailer reported on Thursday its best comparable sales growth for the first quarter in nine years.

Chief Financial Officer Brett Biggs told Reuters the company would seek to ease the pain, in part by trying to buy from different countries.

With few options left for levying its own tariffs, China could opt for other ways to pressure the United States, including blocking corporate mergers and other deals.

"There's other things they can do, and M&A would certainly be one thing," said Stacy Rasgon, an analyst with Bernstein.

The United States wants to see significant changes in China's approach to intellectual property rights and state subsidies as part of any trade deal, and Beijing is insisting that all tariffs be eliminated.

The two sides are also at odds over how much more U.S. goods China would buy and how "balanced" the text of the draft trade agreement would be, Chinese state media said.

Edward Alden, senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, said the Huawei case was a significant complication to the resolution of the trade dispute.

"Every step by the United States makes it much harder for the Chinese not to push back," he told reporters and analysts.

(Reporting by Yawen Chen and Se Young Lee and Diane Bartz; Additional reporting by David Shepardson and Andrea Shalal in Washington, Stephen Nellis and Noel Randewich in San Francisco and Arjun Panchadar in Bengaluru; Writing by Chris Sanders, Paul Simao and Sonya Hepinstall; Editing by Peter Cooney)
Washington (AFP) - The US crackdown on Huawei has made the Chinese telecommunications giant the flashpoint in a monumental economic and technological showdown between the two superpowers that is testing allies of both.

One day after the US moved to block Huawei from the US market and banned the export of US technology and materials to the company, China warned Washington Thursday against further harming trade ties.

At the same time, Beijing formally arrested two Canadians who have been detained for months on national security grounds, a move widely seen as retaliation for Ottawa's arrest of a Huawei executive last year at Washington's behest.

In Britain, a heated debate continued over the government's reported decision to allow some Huawei technology in its coming 5G mobile network, a decision that has miffed Washington and led to the May 1 firing of defense secretary Gavin Williamson.

- Trade war worries -

And the spat over Huawei added to the uncertainty over negotiations between Washington and Beijing to end a bruising trade war, after the two sides exchanged fire with tariff hikes in recent days.

"The US's bullying and maximum pressure tactics have caused the China-US economic and trade talks to suffer a serious setback," Chinese Commerce Ministry spokesman Gao Feng said.

"China does not fear any pressure, and has the confidence, resolution and ability to respond to any risk and challenge," he added.

The tough talk has hit global financial markets and stirred concerns in other capitals of dangerous fallout.

"I think launching now a technological war or a trade war vis-a-vis any other country is not appropriate," French President Emmanuel Macron warned Thursday.

"First, it is not the best way to defend your national security -- we don't need it. Second, it is not the best way to develop your own ecosystem and have a world of cooperation and decrease tensions," he said.

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- Huawei already 5G leader -

The Huawei confrontation has been building for years, as the world's largest company has raced to a huge advance on rivals in developing next-generation 5G mobile technology.

The US believes Huawei is backed by the Chinese military and that its equipment could provide Beijing's intelligence a backdoor into the communications networks of rival countries.

For that reason, Washington has pushed its closest allies to reject Huawei technology, a significant challenge given the few alternatives for 5G equipment.

On Wednesday, President Donald Trump declared a "national emergency" empowering him to blacklist companies seen as "an unacceptable risk to the national security of the United States" -- a move clearly aimed at Huawei.

At the same time, the US Commerce Department announced an effective ban on US companies selling or transferring US technology to Huawei.

"This will prevent American technology from being used by foreign-owned entities in ways that potentially undermine US national security or foreign policy interests," Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said.

- Broader technology battle -

But the Huawei fight is over more than just US telecommunications security. Washington sees Huawei's rise as emblematic of China's drive to wrest global technological and economic leadership from the United States.

That drive, in Washington's eyes, includes large subsidies and protections for strategic industries, backed also by an alleged concerted program to steal American technology.

The US Justice Department has prosecuted numerous cases in recent years of Chinese theft of trade and intellectual property secrets in the aerospace, food processing, agriculture, defense and other industries.

The department has charged several Chinese intelligence officials and operatives over a decade-long concerted effort to steal engine technology from US aviation giant Boeing and its suppliers.

In January, Huawei and company officials were indicted for offering bonuses to engineers to steal robotic technology secrets from US telecoms carrier T-Mobile.

"China is a formidable competitor and its leaders are clear in their intentions to displace the US, which they see as in decline, and rebuild global rules and institutions to serve China's interests," James Lewis, a technology and intelligence expert at the CSIS think tank, told a Congressional hearing this week.

"China has developed a competing model for innovation and investment that is well-funded and centrally directed. US technological leadership is no longer undisputed," he said.

- Huawei tech widely used -

Lewis said the fight over 5G highlights the challenges to both US and Chinese strategies in a deeply integrated global economy.

Many countries already have Huawei telecoms equipment deeply integrated into their national networks.

Ross noted in an interview Thursday with Fox Business Network that even many US rural telecommunications companies use the cheaper Huawei technology in their 4G systems.

Now the Chinese company is the undisputed leader in getting to market proven 5G hardware and software.

"As everything becomes interconnected, it creates more risk," said Ross.
Beijing's latest retaliation against US tariff hikes -- an increase on $60 billion of US imports from June 1 -- could leave China running low on ammunition in the trade war.

China imports almost four times less than it exports to the United States, and Beijing already levies punitive charges on almost all US goods arriving in China -- $110 billion out of an annual total of $120 billion.

So if Beijing does up its tariffs to as high as 25 percent on a range of US products, including liquefied natural gas, chemicals, fruit, vegetables and seafood, it may limit its room for manoeuvre.

Here AFP looks at some of China's options:

- Tariff tussling? -

"Tariffs are a self-inflicted wound. You are raising the import costs of your own producers," said Robert Lawrence, professor of trade and investment at Harvard University.

However, in the middle of a trade war "economic considerations are secondary", he said, because "it is much more about posturing, bargaining and politics".

"Can China be seen to be passively accepting these measures from the United States?"

Cars and auto parts from the US face the prospect of a 25 percent hike in duties.

Announced by Beijing in December, the measure was suspended at the beginning of the year but can be easily reactivated.

The sector, crucial for the US economy, also represents an important electoral base for Donald Trump.

- Devalue the yuan? -

Trump regularly accuses the Chinese central bank of lowering its currency rate to support exporting firms, but is it an option?

Rajiv Biswas, Asia Pacific chief economist for IHS Markit, says no.

"It is not a realistic strategy for China to try to mitigate a 25 percent tariff by allowing further declines in the yuan," he told AFP.

"A key priority for the Chinese government since 2015 has been to stabilise the exchange rate and prevent large capital outflows, in order to protect its foreign exchange reserves.

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"Therefore the Chinese government is unlikely to want any potentially destabilising decline in the yuan, which could trigger renewed large capital outflows."

- Penalise businesses? -

China could make life difficult for US companies in the country in the form of regulatory requirements or customs blockages.

These measures "will get a lot of support in China, but will further undermine business confidence" abroad, said Jake Parker from the US-China Business Council.

If Beijing went for that option, that would constitute an "escalation", according to Jacob Funk Kirkegaard, senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics (PIIE).

"If you do that, then you run the risk that the Trump administration decides to do a 'ZTE'," referring to when Washington last year banned all sales of electronic components to the Chinese telecoms giant, jeopardising its very existence.

The White House accused the firm of violating embargoes against Iran and North Korea. Donald Trump finally agreed to reconsider the decision.

- Call for a boycott? -

The Chinese could be encouraged not to buy American flagship products, such as the iPhone.

Amid frosty relations with Japan in 2012 or South Korea in 2017, boycott campaigns led to a 50 percent collapse in sales for both countries' car brands in one month.

However, such a measure would also penalise the millions of Chinese employed by American companies and their local partners.

- Snub Boeing? -

China is key to Boeing, to whom it sells a quarter of its planes.

The editor of the nationalist newspaper Global Times -- controlled by the Chinese government -- pondered the possibility that the country would reduce its Boeing orders, although the US aircraft manufacturer said it was "confident".

At the end of March, Beijing nevertheless finalised a firm order for 300 aircraft from European giant Airbus when Chinese President Xi Jinping visited France.

- Sell the debt? -

China is the largest holder of US debt (about $1.2 trillion), but selling a big part of it would be risky because any destabilisation of the markets could undermine the value of Treasury bonds held by Beijing.
China's US Treasury holdings fell in March to their lowest level in two years, with Beijing trimming its lending to the United States amid a protracted trade war, government data shows.

However, the modest decline came before this month's sudden crack-up in negotiations aimed at resolving the trade dispute.

In March, China's Treasury holdings fell by $10.4 billion to $1.12 trillion, the lowest level since May 2017, according to Treasury Department data released Wednesday.

The decline was the first since November.

China this week announced it was raising duty rates on $60 billion in US exports in retaliation for President Donald Trump's decision to do likewise on a $200 billion tranche of Chinese merchandise -- with plans to extend tariffs to all Chinese goods sold to the United States.

A Chinese state journalist also mused publicly about further retaliation, including the possibility that Beijing could cut its holdings of US debt.

However, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said Monday he expected the Chinese would continue to buy US Treasurys.

"I assume so. It's a good investment," he told reporters.

Dumping US government bonds could raise borrowing costs for Washington at a time when the budget deficit is rising. However, the US central bank could decide to purchase what China sells.

And in March, overall foreign holdings of US government paper actually rose by $88 billion, with other lenders more than making up for the decline in China's share.
NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 23: comedian/ actor Chris Rock attends 'The Week Of' New York Premiere at AMC Loews Lincoln Square on April 23, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Gilbert Carrasquillo/FilmMagic)

Funnyman Chris Rock has raised eyebrows with the announcement he is to write a spin-off of grizzly horror movie Saw.

The comedian is a big fan of the franchise, which consists of eight features films, the last of which, Jigsaw, hit cinemas in 2017.

The franchise will now receive a new lease of life from the unlikeliest of sources, after Rock approached Saw distributors Lionsgate with a story idea for a new film.

The concept was snapped up, with Pete Goldfinger and Josh Stolberg set to adapt Rocks story and Darren Lynn Bousman in the directors chair.

LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 21: Darren Lynn Bousman at Lionsgate's Special Screening of 'Saw V'. (Photo by Eric Charbonneau/Invision/AP Images)

The Grown Ups and Madagascar star said: Ive been a fan of Saw since the first film in 2004.

I am excited by the opportunity to take this to a really intense and twisted new place.

Read more: Chris Rock's 'tasteless' Whitney Houston joke slammed by Bobby Brown

Lionsgates Motion Picture Group chairman Joe Drake said: When Chris Rock came to us and described in chilling detail his fantastic vision that reimagines and spins-off the world of the notorious Jigsaw Killer, we were all-in.

Saw is one of the highest grossing horror franchises of all-time and its one of Lionsgates most successful film series. This upcoming film will still be as mind bending and intense as all the previous Saw films.

Chris conceived this idea and it will be completely reverential to the legacy of the material while reinvigorating the brand with his wit, creative vision and passion for this classic horror franchise.

Read more: Louis C.K., Ricky Gervais, & Chris Rock Resurfaced N-Word Video Sparks Outrage

Longtime series producers Mark Burg and Oren Koules released a joint statement saying: Chris wants to put his own spin on the Saw franchise in the way Eddie Murphy put a completely fresh perspective on buddy-cop films with 48 Hours.

This new Saw is going to be an event film in the making for horror fans. It will have all of the twists and turns and hardcore layers that our fans expect directed by one of the masters of the craft, Darren Lynn Bousman. We cant wait to get started.

The film is pencilled in for an October 2020 release.
Photo: iStock

The number of crime incidents in Cincinnati saw an overall decline last month, after a previous rise, according to data from SpotCrime, which collects data from police agencies and validated sources.

Incidents fell by about 10 percent from 2,320 in March to 2,072 in April.

Most types of crimes decreased this month, led by theft and assault. Theft fell from 871 reported incidents in March to 710 in April. Assault incidents went from 696 to 659 for the month, or a 5.3 percent decrease.

While somewhat smaller categories, there was also a considerable percentage decrease last month in robbery, from 81 incidents per month to 72, and in vandalism, from 362 to 352. Robbery reports have decreased since the same month last year, while vandalism incidents have declined.

There were 159 burglary reports last month and 21 shooting incidents. Burglary incidents dropped from 165 offenses the previous month, while shooting reports decreased by one incidents.

When it comes to crime patterns in different areas of the city, Over-The-Rhine, West Price Hill and Avondale saw the largest decline from March to April. Hyde Park, Roselawn and Pleasant Ridge also saw considerable percentage decreases in crime offenses for the month, although they continue to have lower overall crime levels.

Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays saw the most reported crimes last month. The largest decrease from the previous month occurred on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, while incidents on Mondays, Thursdays and Tuesdays went up. Comparing times of day, late afternoon, early afternoon and evening saw the most crime last month on average each day.

To report a crime in progress or life-threatening emergency, call 911. To report a non-urgent crime or complaint, contact your local police department.

Head to SpotCrime to get free local crime alerts in your area.

This story was created automatically using local crime data, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about our data sources and local crime methodology. Got thoughts about what we're doing? Go here to share your feedback.
Samuel Adams Cincinnati Taproom. | Photo: Alexander P./Yelp

When it comes to food and drink, there's plenty to do in Cincinnati this week. From a beer and bagel pairing to a taproom tour, here's how to add some flavor to your social 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.

Beers & Bagels Pairing

From the event description:

We partnered with local friends the Bagelry for a beers and bagels pairing to kickoff your Sunday Funday. This is a self-guided pairing specially created for you by Taft's expert brewers and the Bagelry's pro bakers. With your ticket comes a flight of five beers, each paired with a different quarter-bagel and varied cream cheeses. You'll also receive a sheet with tasting notes, but we encourage you to mix and match according to your own taste preferences.

When: Sunday, May 19, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.

Where: Taft's Ale House, 1429 Race St.

Price: $15

Click here for more details, and to get your tickets

Nurses Night Out

From the event description:

Black Nurses Rock-Cincinnati Chapter is excited to announce the 1st annual #CincyNursesNightOut fundraiser. We are extending Nurses Week in May to celebrate the nurses of Cincinnati. We are ready to provide you with a night of cocktails, fun, music and networking. You will also have a chance to win several giveaways, including walking away with the grand prize. Come dressed for a night out to mix and mingle.

When: Friday, May 17, 6-10 p.m.

Where: The Mockbee, 2260 Central Parkway

Price: $35

Click here for more details, and to get your tickets

Samuel Adams Cincinnati Taproom Tour

From the event description:

This tour is ideal for those looking for a unique brewery experience, especially for Belgian and sour beer fanatics. This tour starts at the taproom with our brewer, Chris Siegman, and will move across the street to experience our 21 Cellar. You will also be treated to a behind-the-scenes tour of where the Samuel Adams Cincinnati Taproom makes its taproom-exclusive beers. Ticket price also includes a guided flight of our taproom-exclusive beers and a 12 oz. Samuel Adams snifter to take home.

When: Saturday, May 18, 11 a.m.

Where: Samuel Adams Cincinnati Taproom, 1727 Logan St.

Price: $20

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.
An off-duty Coast Guard member rescued a man from the water Aug. 2 near Orange Beach, Alabama.

Shortly after his wedding, Petty Officer 2nd Class Zac Edwards, a Coast Guard member stationed at Coast Guard Sector Mobile, Alabama, was posing for photographs with his wife on Orange Beach.

A woman approached Edwards and explained there was a man in the water who was struggling returning to shore.

I wasnt going to let him drown, Edwards said.

Edwards raced to the water and approached the man with a floatation device.

He kept saying, I cant breathe. I cant breathe, he said. My goal was to keep his head out of the water.

Edwards pulled the man toward the shore until he was unable to proceed due to the current.

A lifeguard aboard a personal watercraft arrived on scene and assisted pulling Edwards and the man to shore.

The man was then assisted by emergency medical services.

Edwards says he is thankful for the work of the first responders who arrived on scene after he ran into the water.

I jumped in one day; they jump in every day, he said.

I didnt think that the day that changed my familys life for the better would change another familys life for the better too, he said.

This is another example of the dedication our members have in service to the people of their nation, said Capt. Malcolm McLellan, the Commander of Coast Guard Sector Mobile. It shows the true character of a Coastguardsman with a bias for action.

Courtesy of the U.S. Coast Guard.

Ready for more? Check out inspiring stories like these and more from Militarykind!

This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Coast Guard member conducts water rescue on wedding day
Regulated U.S.-based cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase is in advanced talks to buy custody provider Xapo for about $50 million to boost its custody business, people familiar with the matter said on Thursday. Xapos CEO Wences Cesares is a serial entrepreneur from Argentina known to be one of the biggest champions of bitcoin from its earliest days.

Sources cautioned that the deal has yet to close, and requested anonymity due to the confidentiality and fluid nature of the talks.

According to sources, Coinbase and Fidelity Digital Assets have been locked in a neck-and-neck race for the prized asset for the past few weeks, with Coinbase ultimately prevailing. If the tentative terms being discussed hold, Coinbase will pay ~$50 million in cash for Xapo, plus a contingent earn-out for remaining with the company. Xapo raised $40 million since its founding in 2012.

Fidelity Investments has looked to bridge crypto and traditional finance by launching Fidelity Digital Assets and bringing on Tom Jessop as head of corporate business development last year. Jessop has a background in traditional finance and has made forays into the world of Blockchain startups. However, sources say Coinbase beat Fidelity to the sale, making a move that likely indicates the crypto giant is looking to aggressively diversify its revenue to be less prone to the cyclical nature of cryptocurrency trading.

Xapos core product is cold storage vault custody of bitcoin, with rumors that the company holds as much as $5.5 billion of assets under custody (AUC) at the current $BTC price near $8,000, reflecting ~700K bitcoin under custody. Xapo custodies 226,000 BTC that are part of Grayscale Bitcoin Trust.

The addition of several billion of AUC would be a huge shot in the arm for Coinbase. Under Xapos current business model, customers are not charged for storing their bitcoin. Rather, they generate revenue by enabling over-the-counter (OTC) trades for customers using the bitcoin under custody.

Xapos set of top-tier backers included top Silicon Valley VC firms such as Greylock Partners and Index Ventures as well as crypto investment firms Digital Currency Group, Winklevoss Capital and Blockchain Capital. Individuals including Max Levchin and David Marcus, currently head of Facebooks cryptocurrency initiative, are also investors.

The acquisition will sit alongside other recent deals for Coinbase. The company has acquired 14 companies since its founding, with many in the past year including Earn, which it has since re-modeled to Coinbase Earn, and controversial blockchain analysis startup Neutrino. Coinbase faced severe criticism for that acquisition due to its leadership being nearly identical to that of Hacking Team, which had reportedly been involved in human rights abuses.
SAT scores will soon be measured by more than just a teenagers math and verbal skills  the College Board is rolling out a new adversity score program that is intended to give universities a chance to gain a fuller picture of the applicants background.

But as several elite universities are already facing lawsuits over affirmative action admissions practices, some wonder how the new rule will be received by more affluent families who do not benefit from this new scoring.

The score, officially called the Environmental Context Dashboard, is calculated with 15 factors that address a students home life, community and school system. According to the College Board, it takes into account the students local crime rate, poverty rate, whether the student has a single parent, median income, the availability of Advanced Placement (AP) classes and more.

Together, they add up to an overall disadvantage level, scored out of 100, that only universities will be able to view in a special tool that supplements the exam.

Students themselves will not be able to view their own adversity scores, so they will not know how much the score influenced their college admissions decisions.

Fifty schools, ranging from the Ivy League to public universities, tested out the program in its admissions process last year, according to The College Board, a non-profit that oversees the SAT exam. It plans to expand the use of the score to 150 schools this fall, and then is expected to be used even more broadly the following year, according to The Wall Street Journal, which first reported the news.

[The score] enables colleges to witness the strength of students in a huge swath of America who would otherwise be overlooked, College Board CEO David Coleman said in a statement. There is talent and potential waiting to be discovered in every community.

After piloting the program this year, the College Board said its impact was clear: Disadvantaged students were more likely to be admitted through the use of the new system. Coleman also reported that some admissions officers said it helped to rely less on stereotypes and assumptions while welcoming a more diverse class of students.

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This example of the Environmental Context Dashboard shows what an admissions officer can view with the tool, beyond just the student's score. | Courtesy of College Board

Trinity University in Texas is one such pilot school that has been incorporating the dashboard into its admissions process. Trinitys vice president for enrollment management, Eric Maloof, told the schools newspaper the tool helped in addressing a growing volume of applicants.

Race is not a component of the adversity score, which Jeremiah Quinlan, Yales dean of undergraduate admissions and financial aid, told the Yale Daily News last September is something he found to be helpful. He said the tool helped us identify kids who have overcome significant contextual adversity in a very race-neutral way and a very data-driven way.

However, the rollout of the tool comes as affirmative action cases remain hot-button topics across the U.S. For instance, experts say the lawsuit filed last October on behalf of Asian-American students who claim Harvard University held them to a higher admissions standard threatens to overturn affirmative action policies in the Supreme Court. Yale University, the University of Texas at Austin and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have also recently faced affirmative action legal challenges.

With that in mind, Elissa Salas, the CEO of College Track, a non-profit that works to help low-income and first-generation American students earn Bachelors degrees, tells TIME the adversity scores lack of a racial component is questionable. Based on much research, it is a pretty big indicator of having an environmental impact on educational attainment, she said.

I think its a fundamental question of whether or not our society believes that these factors have an indication in assessing merits in the admissions process, Salas continued.

Overall, there has been an uptick in the number of low-income and first-generation students attending colleges nationwide in recent years. For instance, Trinity College in Hartford, Conn. said its enrolling the schools largest-ever cohort of first-generation students, 17 percent, in the class of 2023.

Additionally, the U.S. Department of Education said college participation rates among black and Hispanic young adults increased from 2000 to 2016. A tool like this new adversity score dashboard may lead to even more of an increase, even if there is more work to be done. Anything that helps to level the playing field for low-income students and first-generation students is a positive development from our end, Salas says.

Salas says the SAT and its similar exam, the ACT, are currency for college applicants, which makes it all the more important to give students better chances on these exams. The biggest predictor of whether or not you get a good [SAT] score is actually related to income, she said.

David Hawkins, executive director for educational content and policy at the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC), told TIME the adversity score will likely be a good thing for all students. Any context we can provide for students quantitative scores is going to be helpful. This is something admissions officers have talked about for quite some time, he said, adding that although there will be kinks to work out in the coming years, the program is a step in the right direction.

Though the new measure may seem surprising and new, college admissions officers have always had access to similar data, according to Hawkins. The kinds of information that the College Board is integrating are publicly available data that do just provide a little more information on the students background and where they come from, he said.

The announcement of the measure comes just two months after federal prosecutors indicted fifty people in a wide-reaching college admissions scandal. Dozens of parents allegedly paid money for proctors to edit the SAT scores of students after they took the exams in the hopes of getting into elite colleges. Dubbed Operation Varsity Blues, investigators said it was the biggest college admissions scheme ever prosecuted by the Department of Justice. Thirty-three affluent parents are caught up in the scandal, including actresses Lori Loughlin and Felicity Huffman.

Hawkins said the scale is designed to help fight against privilege by giving kids a leg up on applications at all levels: This resource is part of the overall formula that colleges and universities will continue to have to employ and refine over the years to make sure that students arent being left behind just because they arent from a wealthy neighborhood or wealthy family.
BOGOTA (Reuters) - Colombia's attorney general said on Wednesday he resigned in protest after a special court charged with prosecuting war crimes denied a U.S. extradition request for a former FARC leader accused of drug trafficking. The Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP) tribunal prosecutes leaders of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) guerrillas, who demobilized under a 2016 peace deal, as well as military officials, for crimes committed during a five-decade internal conflict. Earlier on Wednesday, the JEP ordered the release of Seuxis Paucias Hernandez, better known by his war alias Jesus Santrich, saying evidence provided by prosecutors did not allow it to evaluate whether, or when, he allegedly conspired to move cocaine to the United States. Because the JEP has jurisdiction over all crimes during the war, Hernandez's extradition can only go ahead if the alleged crime took place after the accord. Hernandez was indicted more than a year ago by a U.S. grand jury for conspiracy to export 10 tonnes of cocaine, worth $320 million in street value. "This challenge to judicial order will not be endorsed by the undersigned. My conscience and my devotion to the rule of law prohibit it," Attorney General Nelson Humberto Martinez told journalists. "For that reason I have presented my irrevocable resignation." In a statement, President Ivan Duque said he supported a decision by the procurator general's office to appeal against the JEP's order to release Hernandez. Martinez, who has been beset by questions over ties to the Latin America-wide Odebrecht corruption scandal, took office in 2016 and was meant to serve until 2020. He has denied misconduct and recused himself from the Odebrecht investigation. The U.S. embassy in Bogota said it had no immediate comment. Separately, the FARC's political party on Wednesday accused the far right of assassinating its members, but pledged to continue reintegration. The comment by the party, which kept its famous initials but changed its name to the Revolutionary Alternative Common Force, came a day after the shooting death of Jorge Enrique Corredor, the highest ranking former guerrilla killed since the deal. "We won't hesitate to point the finger at right-wing and paramilitary sectors closely linked to state security agencies, who are behind these murders," FARC senator Pablo Catatumbo told reporters. At least 139 former FARC rebels have been killed since the peace deal, which demobilized some 13,000 of its members, including more than 6,000 combatants. The FARC has repeatedly raised concerns that members may be assassinated by right-wing gangs or drug traffickers, in an echo of thousands of targeted killings in the 1980s. (Reporting by Luis Jaime Acosta, Julia Symmes Cobb and Helen Murphy; Editing by Phil Berlowitz and Clarence Fernandez)
(John Kemp is a Reuters market analyst. The views expressed are his own)

* Chartbook: https://tmsnrt.rs/2EeQkNf

By John Kemp

LONDON, May 16 (Reuters) - Oil traders anticipate a big draw down in crude stocks in the second half of this year as sanctions on Iran and Venezuela coupled with other supply disruptions and a sluggish response from OPEC cause a severe shortage.

Brent's six-month calendar spread has moved into a backwardation of almost $3.80 per barrel up from $2.20 a month ago and a contango of more than $1 per barrel at the beginning of the year (https://tmsnrt.rs/2EeQkNf).

Brent spreads cycle between backwardation and contango as the market alternates between periods of under- and over-supply, making spreads rather than spot prices the most useful indicator of market balance.

Backwardation is associated with periods of under-supply and falling inventories, while contango is associated with the opposite, so the current backwardation implies stocks are expected to fall sharply.

Brent futures are now in the biggest backwardation since June 2014, when Libya's oil exports had been reduced to a trickle by civil war and Islamist fighters were threatening the oilfields of northern Iraq.

The six-month spread is in the 94th percentile for all trading days since 1990, indicating traders expect a very large draw down in crude stocks over the next six months.

U.S. sanctions on exports from Venezuela and Iran, coupled with attacks on pipelines and tankers in the Middle East, and the disruption of Russia's exports due to contamination, have all cut immediate crude availability.

Renewed fighting has increased uncertainty about continued exports from Libya while there is heightened uncertainty about future movements through the Strait of Hormuz as tensions in Gulf regions intensify.

At the same time, U.S. crude production has started to grow more slowly after the decline in prices from last year's highs and a slowdown in drilling and well completions.

Story continues

Crude availability is expected to tighten sharply over the next couple of months as U.S. refineries complete their maintenance.

Crude processing is likely to ramp up significantly to meet increased demand for gasoline over the summer and then distillate fuel oil with the introduction of new IMO shipping regulations from the end of the year.

Tighter calendar spreads are usually associated with a rise in spot prices but the recent surge into backwardation has not (so far) been accompanied by a significant rise in front-month futures.

Front-month futures prices have changed little over the last month and remain well below the recent peaks of $80-85 per barrel set last year, even as the backwardation has surged.

Spreads point to an anticipated shortage while spot prices indicate a market expected to remain balanced. Either the backwardation will have to fall, or spot prices will have to rise to eliminate the apparent contradiction.

The anticipated shortage of crude could be relieved by several means (which are not exclusive):

* Saudi Arabia and its allies in the OPEC+ group could increase the supply of crude to the market

* U.S. shale firms could accelerate well drilling and completions to make more crude available

* The United States could ease sanctions pressure on Venezuela and Iran to contain prices

* IEA members could release crude and products from strategic stocks

* Temporary disruptions to production and pipelines could ease

* Consumption growth could slow as a result of economic slowdown

In 2014, the anticipated shortage was eliminated by a combination of higher supply from OPEC and U.S. shale producers, an end to temporary disruptions, and a global economic and consumption slowdown.

Something similar is likely in 2019, though the balance between faster output growth and slower consumption growth remains unclear, mostly because of intense uncertainty about the global economic outlook.

Related columns:

- Oil prices trapped by grim news from emerging markets (Reuters, May 15)

- Hedge funds cautious on oil as economic outlook darkens (Reuters, May 13)

- Oil market will tighten sharply when U.S. refineries return from maintenance (Reuters, May 3)

- U.S. oil output decelerates in response to lower prices (Reuters, May 1) (Editing by Alexandra Hudson)
Here are the companies Yahoo Finance is watching today.

Another big loss at WeWork. The latest results showed the company lost $264 million last quarter. However, that was slightly lower than a year earlier, and revenue more than doubled. The biggest drag on the results: more money spent on development and marketing ahead of a potential IPO.

A big quarter at Cisco (CSCO). The networking giant says revenue grew 4% year-over-year, and earnings were a slight beat. But its guidance that has Wall Street excited, with revenue expected to grow upwards of 6% this quarter. The company says its seeing "minimal impact" from tariffs.

California investigators are officially blaming PG&E (PCG) equipment for last year's deadly wildfire that killed 85 people in and around the town of Paradise. State officials say it was a transmission line that sparked the fire. Now prosecutors will get to decide if the company will face criminal charges. PG&E sought bankruptcy protection in January as it faces liability over that fire and others.

Tesla (TSLA) investor T. Rowe Price just sold most of its shares in the car maker. The fund manager sold about 81% of its shares of Tesla over the first three months of the year. The move comes amid worries about the company's fundraising, delivery issues and tensions between CEO Elon Musk and federal regulators.

Nestle (NSRGY) is in talks to sell off its skincare business. The food company is looking to sell the unit to private-equity firm EQT and Abu Dhabi Investment Authority for about $10 billion. The move comes as the company tries to reshape its portfolio and foster growth.
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn launches his party's European election campaign at the University of Kent in Chatham (Press Association)

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has taken aim at corporate green measures designed at a cost to the taxpayer.

The Opposition leader said the cost of saving the planet falls on the public - and criticised how the upper classes waste money and energy.

The comments come as Labour said it would take the National Grid into public ownership which would also save councils an additional 66million per year.

Mr Corbyn said: In this country, too often people are made to feel like the cost of saving the planet falls on them.

Corbyn speaks during Prime Minister's Questions in the House of Commons, London (GETTY)

Too many think of green measures as just another way for companies or the government to get money out of them, while the rich fly about in private jets and heat their empty mansions.

Mr Corbyn made the comments as he announced plans to fit a million homes with eco-friendly solar panel systems.

Today Labour has announced our plans to fit solar panels to 1.75 million homes - council homes and low-income households.



This won't just provide these households with free energy but combat climate change and boost jobs. pic.twitter.com/BZzxMfKLVr  Jeremy Corbyn (@jeremycorbyn) May 16, 2019

It part of a Labour bid to save householders around 117 a year on energy bills.

An additional 750,000 households will be given the chance to have them installed through a programme of interest free loans, grants and changes to regulations.

Labour and the Tories are yet to thrash out a deal through cross-party talks (GETTY)

Mr Corbyn says the policy will create 16,900 jobs and cut back on more than seven million tonnes of CO2 .

Speaking in Yorkshire, Mr Corbyn continued: Labours approach is different.

Read more:

Labour MP Wes Streeting tells Jeremy Corbyn to quit

Labour MP sparks outrage for laughing off Corbyn anti-Semitiss claims

Labour edge ahead in the polls as Tory support plunges

Our Green Industrial Revolution will benefit working class people with cheaper energy bills, more rewarding well-paid jobs, and new industries to revive the parts of our country that have been held back for far too long.

Story continues

By focusing on low income households we will reduce fuel poverty and increase support for renewable energy. Social justice and climate justice as one.

Opposition Labour party shadow Business secretary Rebecca Long-Bailey said privatisation of National Grid did not focus on the interests of paying energy consumers (GETTY)

Shadow Business Secretary Rebecca Long-Bailey claimed energy customers had been ripped off by privatisation.

She said suppliers prioritised shareholders dividends - which saw 13 billion paid out over five years- instead of focusing on putting money into the green economy.

When Labour passed a climate emergency two weeks ago, people asked what this meant for policy.



Well here's a start:



1. Mass deployment of solar power, cutting bills and emissions

2. A public grid to roll out renewable energy, run in your interestshttps://t.co/BTgX15qyKY  Rebecca Long-Bailey (@RLong_Bailey) May 16, 2019

She said: Its an insult and an injustice to our people and our planet for companies operating the grid to rip customers off, line the pockets of the rich and not invest properly in renewable energy.

Only by taking the grid into public ownership can we de-carbonise the economy at the pace needed to secure the planet for our children and grandchildren while ending the rip off, creating good jobs in local communities and making heating and electricity a human right.

Watch the latest videos from Yahoo UK
Catherine Tyldesley has opened up about the 'gruelling' 12-hour workdays on 'Coronation Street'

Former Coronation Street star Catherine Tyldesley has hit out at the ITV soap for taking over her life with its gruelling 12-hour days.

The British actor joined the long-running series as character Eva Price in 2011, and went on to play her for seven years.

It was 7am to 7pm every day at Corrie, the 35-year-old told the Daily Star, as she recalled her time on the show. She also detailed how actors were sometimes required to work seven days a week.

Read more: 'Corrie' loses sixth cast member in three months as Katie McGlynn quits

Those are moments in your life you never get back, Tyldesley continued. I love spending more time with my little boy now."

She went on to admit that shed been so busy spending special time with her fiance Tom Pitfield and three-year-old son Alfie that shes not managed to watch any of it since she left in August 2018.

In recent months, several actors have quit the show from Lucy Fallon and Faye Brookes to Tristan Gemmill and Kym Marsh.

While none have voiced any grievances with the soap - and in fact, have stated categorically that they are leaving in order to pursue other work-related challenges - a source told the same publication that the "cast has had enough."

Particularly when it comes to salaries, the source claimed, adding: "The younger ones work their butts off to promote the show but are badly paid.

Read more: Helen Flanagan confirms Rosie Webster's return to 'Coronation Street'

It has previously been reported that veteran cast members Simon Gregson (aka Steve McDonald), William Roache (who has played Ken Barlow since 1960), Barbara Knox, who joined soap four years later, and Jack P Shepherd (aka David Platt) make over 200,000.

Meanwhile, newer talent allegedly get paid around 10,000 less than the average UK wage.
Mice arent people, but like us they become forgetful in old age. In a study published online May 13 in Nature Medicine, old mice suffered far fewer senior moments during a battery of memory tests when Stanford University School of Medicine investigators disabled a single molecule dotting the animals' cerebral blood vessels. For example, they breezed through a maze with an ease characteristic of young adult mice.

The molecule appears on the surfaces of a small percentage of endothelial cells, the main building blocks of blood vessels throughout the body. Blocking this molecules capacity to do its main job  it selectively latches onto immune cells circulating in the bloodstream  not only improved old mices cognitive performance but countered two physiological hallmarks of the aging brain: It restored to a more youthful level the ability of the old mices brains to create new nerve cells, and it subdued the inflammatory mood of the brains resident immune cells, called microglia.

Scientists have shown that old mices blood is bad for young mices brains. Theres a strong suspicion in the scientific community that something in older peoples blood similarly induces declines in brain physiology and cognitive skills. Just what that something is remains to be revealed. But, the new study suggests, there might be a practical way to block its path where the rubber meets the road: at the blood-brain barrier, which tightly regulates the passage of most cells and substances through the walls of blood vessels that pervade the human brain.

We may have found an important mechanism through which the blood communicates deleterious signals to the brain, said the studys senior author, Tony Wyss-Coray, PhD, professor of neurology and neurological sciences, co-director of the Stanford Alzheimers Disease Research Center and a senior research career scientist at the Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System. The lead author of the study is Hanadie Yousef, PhD, a former postdoctoral scholar in the Wyss-Coray lab.

The interventions success points to possible treatments that could someday slow, stop or perhaps even reverse that decline. Targeting a protein on blood-vessel walls may be easier than trying to get into the brain itself.

We can now try to treat brain degeneration using drugs that typically arent very good at getting through the blood-brain barrier  but, in this case, would no longer need to, Yousef said.

Different way of reaching the brain

The researchers focused on the mouse hippocampus, a well-studied brain structure thats essential to memory and learning and whose architecture and function are similar in mice and humans. The hippocampus is also one of the very few sites in the adult mammalian brain where neurogenesis, the creation of new nerve cells, occurs; those new cells are critical to the formation of new memories.

Since his lab first began reporting several years ago that unknown factors in old blood can accelerate cognitive decline and, conversely, that factors in young blood can rejuvenate old brains, Wyss-Coray, the D.H. Chen Professor II, has sought to identify those factors. But he and his colleagues took a different tack in the new study.

He said the roughly 400 miles of blood vessels that pass through the human brain differ from those elsewhere in the body in one important respect: Theyre much more selective about what gets in and what comes out.

Blocking VCAM1 in the brain wound up making these mice smarter.

The blood-brain barrier excludes most bloodborne cells and substances, he said. We wondered if, instead of entering the brain and monkeying with brain cells directly, something in circulating blood could be communicating directly with the brains endothelial cells.

A few years ago, Wyss-Coray and his colleagues compared blood from young and old people to pinpoint substances whose abundance changes with age. In the new study, they narrowed their search to just those age-associated bloodborne substances that are in some way directly related to vascular function. Topping the list was a circulating form of a protein constantly produced within endothelial cells and displayed on their surfaces.

The protein, VCAM1, is well known to immunologists. Its a docking station for circulating cells of the immune system  a first stop in a passport-punching process that under certain relatively rare conditions grants those immune cells permission to migrate across the brains otherwise tightly closed border.

This protein gets sawed off of endothelial cell surfaces and dumped into the bloodstream by lawnmowerlike enzymes at pretty much the same rate it gets produced, so its population size on blood vessels remains relatively constant. But VCAM1s abundance on blood vessel surfaces jumps markedly in the event of local injury or infection. That snags immune cells, which combat infectious pathogens and are essential to the healing process.

At any given time, levels of circulating VCAM1 are a good proxy for the total amount of VCAM1 on the bodys blood-vessel endothelial cell surfaces, Wyss-Coray said. Previous studies have linked high circulating VCAM1 levels to cancer, heart disease, stroke, Alzheimers disease, epilepsy and other inflammatory disorders.

Identifying the source of dysfunction

In the study, the researchers showed that VCAM1s abundance on the endothelial cells comprising blood vessel walls in the mouse brains rises in old age, as well as in the brains of younger mice that are given infusions of older mices plasma, the cell-free, liquid portion of blood. Likewise, the researchers observed increased signs of inflammation in the older mices cells.

Wyss-Coray suspects that the tethering of immune cells to blood-vessel surfaces  particularly if immune cells are in an activated state due to an existing condition, such as injury or infection, or to old age  enhances the release of inflammatory proteins that penetrate blood vessel walls via specialized receptors on endothelial-cell surfaces.

Circulating VCAM1, though, wasnt the source of brain dysfunction. When the investigators depleted old mices plasma of the protein before giving the plasma to young mice, they observed the same damaging effects in the hippocampus  reduced neurogenesis, increased microglial inflammation  theyd previously seen when young mice received old plasma.

Deleting the gene encoding VCAM1 in mice brains prevented the proteins production in the brains endothelial cells. If this deletion was performed in young adulthood, the mice no longer suffered reduced neurogenesis or increased microglial inflammation when they grew older.

The researchers achieved the same results with monoclonal antibodies, specialized proteins that bind avidly and exclusively to their target. Three weeks of treatment with a monoclonal antibody directly targeting and blocking VCAM1 was enough to increase neurogenesis and diminish microglial reactivity in older mices hippocampi.

These mice aced a battery of mental-acuity tests. One test, the Barnes maze, involves a table from which mice want to escape. The table has lots of holes through which the mouse can fall a short distance onto the floor (although not far enough to cause an injury). But one hole connects to a tube mounted horizontally under it, providing a comforting escape to the mice. The mouse must learn and remember how to get to the safety hole.

Once they were fully trained, older mice treated with this antibody reached the escape hole in the Barnes maze as quickly as young mice.

Blocking VCAM1 in the brain wound up making these mice smarter, Wyss-Coray said. In all the time Ive been working on this, Ive never seen such performance before.

Wyss-Coray is a member of the Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute at Stanford, the Stanford Maternal & Child Health Research Institute and Stanford Bio-X and a faculty fellow of Stanford ChEM-H.

Yousef is co-founder and chief executive officer of Juvena Therapeutics, a biotechnology company. (Juvena Therapeutics is not pursuing the clinical use of VCAM-1 blocking agents.)

Other Stanford authors of the study are former postdoctoral scholars Cathrin Czupalla, PhD, and Vidhu Mathur, PhD; research associate Davis Lee; postdoctoral scholars Michelle Chen, PhD, Kristy Zera, PhD, and Todd Peterson, PhD; former undergraduate student Ashley Burke; former visiting student researcher Judith Zandstra; former lab coordinator Elisabeth Berber, PhD; Benoit Lehallier, PhD, instructor of neurology and neurological sciences; research engineer Ramesh Nair, PhD; MD-PhD student Liana Bonanno; graduate student Andrew Yang; research scientist Husein Hadeiba, PhD; undergraduate student Taylor Merkel; associate professor of neurology and neurological sciences Marion Buckwalter, MD, PhD; professor of bioengineering and of applied physics Stephen Quake, PhD; and professor of pathology Eugene Butcher, MD.

The work was funded by National Institutes of Health (R01AG045034, DPAG053015, R01GM37734, R37AI047822, R01AI109452 and UL1TR001085); the Department of Veterans Affairs; the NOMIS Foundation; the Glenn Foundation for Aging Research; the D.H. Chen Foundation; the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences; the Stanford Institute for Immunity, Transplantation and Infection; the Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute; and the Edinger Institute.

Researchers at the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf and the University of Lubeck, both in Germany, also contributed to the work.

Stanfords Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences also supported the work.
India's election watchdog says it has forced Facebook, Twitter and YouTube to take down hundreds of posts during the country's election but experts say it is just a drop in an ocean of misinformation that has engulfed voters.

The ruling Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party and opposition Congress party have thrown armies of "cyber warriors" into a bitter social media war for the six weeks of voting that ends Sunday.

The arch-rivals accuse each other of deploying social media dark arts such as automated bots and trolls to bombard voters with messages, fake and real.

No blow has been too low in the war of words and videos between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and opposition leader Rahul Gandhi.

Real-life insults traded by the two -- Gandhi calling Modi a "thief", Modi deriding his opponent as "pappu", or fool -- get shared thousands of times on WhatsApp and Twitter within minutes.

But so do photoshopped images of longtime foe Pakistan's flag at Gandhi rallies, or Modi eating with Imran Khan, prime minister of Pakistan.

The origin of these images is unknown, but both have been debunked by AFP fact-checkers during this campaign. And experts say the fake news on a host of apps is swaying votes.

- Tainted votes -

The 2019 poll has been "an app-based election where along with the positive voter engagement drives, WhatsApp, ShareChat, Helo, TikTok, Instagram are being used for propaganda and misinformation campaigns," said Asia politics researcher Sangeeta Mahapatra.

Senior Congress politician Shashi Tharoor said in a recent editorial that there was a "danger" that "many votes will be cast on the basis of disinformation."

Both the BJP and Congress have each spent tens of millions of dollars to reach the 900 million electorate who have become huge consumers of phone content.

Some 500 million Indians have internet access -- with 300 million on Facebook and more than 250 million using Whatsapp.

Story continues

The BJP, the bigger and richer of the two parties, and Congress have hundreds of full-time social media workers. Tens of thousands of volunteers back them up by circulating the parties' messages on Whatsapp and other platforms.

Congress social media head Divya Spandana told AFP the party has 300,000 Whatsapp groups and can get messages to up to 20 million people each day.

Spandana said her party only aims to be heard rather than attack. "We do social media trends organically, unlike the BJP who use bots," she said.

BJP social media head Amit Malviya hit back. "Rahul Gandhi's Twitter account has been called out for using bots from Indonesia, Russia, Uzbekistan for powering his Twitter presence," he told AFP.

The BJP has not given details on its network, but media reports say it has many more full-time workers and Whatsapp groups than Congress. BJP president Amit Shah calls the workers his "cyber warriors".

- Fake news police -

Mahapatra, Asia specialist at the German Institute of Global and Area Studies in Hamburg, said up to one sixth of chat groups on Whatsapp in India are started by political parties.

This "shows parties are complicit in the misinformation malaise India is suffering from," she said.

"Obviously, their messages are not going to be hamstrung by ethics of objective reporting. It is an open secret that the IT wings of most parties are peddlers of misinformation."

Access to Whatsapp, the main weapon in the election war, is virtually impossible for law enforcement and fact checkers, as it is encrypted.

Messages spread en masse on Whatsapp were blamed for lynchings in India last year. The Facebook-owned company has since restricted to five the number of times a message can be forwarded.

Backstreet stores sell software that can get around the restrictions however.

India's election commission said that as of Monday, 637 Facebook posts, 145 Twitter posts, five YouTube videos and 31 forwarded Whatsapp messages have been taken down following approaches to the tech giants.

One police case has also been registered. Police have set up their own teams in different states and say they have had misleading videos taken off YouTube.

Authorities have not named any party, even though experts say it is inevitable that the big two, and their rivals, have a hand in the misinformation.

"There is desire and a lot of great people looking at this problem, but the technology is not mature enough to handle such misinformation, involving images, video and local language text," said Kiran Garimella, a researcher at Massachusetts Institute of Technology monitoring fake news in India and other countries facing crunch elections.

"We can also see that political parties are clearly invested in this, as we observe from special Whatsapp strategies by the IT cells of various parties," he added.
FORT MYERS, FL -- Air Force Technical Sergeant Andre Tetrault went to his son's after school program and waited in anticipation for him to turn the corner.



Tetrault was deployed in Kuwait for over six months and hasn't seen his ten-year-old son, until now. Watch the moment they reunite in the video above.

Watch more Militarykind videos on Facebook.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Dad in the Air Force hadn't seen his son in months... until this moment
By Jacob Gronholt-Pedersen and Stine Jacobsen COPENHAGEN (Reuters) - Danish Prime Minister Lokke Rasmussen is willing to form a governing coalition with the Social Democrats after the June 5 election to help curb the influence of smaller, more extreme parties, he said on Thursday. Rasmussen's center-right Liberal Party is trailing in pre-election polls, however, so he might have to hand responsibility for forming a new government to the Social Democratic leader, Mette Frederiksen, following the vote. Rasmussen's minority government has been relying on support from the populist Danish People's Party (DF) to pass laws, leading it to back tougher laws to curb immigration. But polls show DF, which got 21% of votes at the 2015 election, stands to lose nearly half that on June 5 as centrist parties embrace stricter stances on immigration. The Social Democrats have done the same, helping provide a basis for a coalition with the Liberals on a major issue. "I fear that Danish politics will be thrown into chaos  a fear I believe is shared by many Danes," Rasmussen told reporters at the launch of a new book about himself. He was touching on concerns that two new far-right parties, one of which wants Islam banned and hundreds of thousands of Muslims deported, could win parliamentary seats in the June 5 election, according to recent polls. "If I only get the opportunity to continue as premier by making myself politically dependent on the extreme right, then I would much rather explore the possibility of cooperation across the middle," said Rasmussen, alluding to the Social Democrats. Social Democratic leader Frederiksen said at a press conference later on Thursday she was "pretty baffled" at Rasmussen's suggestion. "I can't see it happening with the disagreement we have," she said, pointing to major differences on issues like inequality, welfare and climate change. Political fragmentation has bedevilled mainstream parties across Europe, including nearby Sweden. It took over four months to form a Swedish government last year after an election that allowed a far-right populist party to threaten the usual balance of power. Danish politics has historically been split between a center-right bloc headed by the Liberal Party and the center-left, headed by the Social Democrats. Still, Denmark has a history of political consensus that has seen most major policy legislation passed by majorities spanning the two camps. A previous Liberal-Social Democratic coalition lasted around 14 months in the late 1970s. (Reporting by Jacob Gronholt-Pedersen, Stine Jacobsen and Andreas Mortensen, editing by Larry King)
Photo credit: Barry Hathaway / Brand Amp

From Popular Mechanics

Engine: 1,203cc (73 cu in) V-Twin Price (base model): $13,000 Horsepower: 123 Torque: 87 ft-lb Weight (wet): 508 lbs. (230 kg)

Ive been taught that gravel is bad, dirt is bad, and sand is badder-er, but the FTR gives me some confidence with the extra tread on the front and rear tires. I disable the ABS, then tear off, the back end kicking sideways and spitting dirt. Make no mistake: this bike was meant for the road. But its based on flat track racing motorcycles. It can handle some Mexico desert.

Flat trackisnt that a sport that flings dirt into your beer cup when youre watching it live? I never really got into it. Never even got into dirt bikes. But now, in my yoga-to-survive years, when Im summoned to test ride an anticipated new motorcycle, built by the manufacturer dominating flat track racing, I leap out of bed like Grandpa Joe ready for a tour of Wonkas chocolate factory.

Photo credit: Barry Hathaway

Actually, Im not that old, but some of the off-road ride is making me feel it. Sections of rocks and sand feel like never-ending speed bumps mixed with quicksand. The adjustable suspension is set too stiff, so I have stand on the foot pegs a lot, crouching to reach the low handlebars. Im in a death grip. This bike just aint the most comfortable ride in these conditions, but the views of the California Gulf distract me from the fact that my arms are numb, my front end is wobbly, and there are multiple goats running in front of me.

At first glance, with its sky-facing pipes, big V-Twin, and trellis frame, you might mistake the Indian FTR 1200 S for a Ducati Monster but thats just a mirage. Theres no mistaking the Indian logo on the gas tank, which actually isnt a tank at all. Fuel goes under the seat, making the bike more compact, and the lower center of gravity adds agility. The handle bars are wide and low. Unlike the rest of Indians lineup of cruisers, the riding position is upright. The 19-inch front wheel and 18-inch rear wheel are wrapped in Dunlop DT3s that look like dirt tires, but are much shallower with extra grip for the road and the occasional compact dirt.

Story continues

The base 1200 has an analog gauge, which the 1200 S replaces with a 4.3-inch screen for switching ride modes: Sport, Standard, and Rain. In Standard, the bike is very responsive. The only problem: Heat. Twenty minutes into the ride, my frijoles started to cook through my Alpinestars Motochino pants.

Photo credit: Barry Hathaway

Later in the ride, after 40 miles of dust seeping into every pore and crevice of both bike and human, we found what the Indian engineers meant this machine to ride on: pavement. Its performance? Mucho bueno. With a quick tap on the screen, I switch to Sport mode, and throttle twist is met with surprising ferocity. The power-assist slipper clutch really lets this baby rip confidently through its 6 speeds. The V kicks out 123hp at 8,250 rpms, with plenty of torque, too - 87 lb-ft at 6,000 rpms. The exhaust on the S are slip-on Akrapovic pipes that are beautifully loud and distinct.

You can almost see the dust flying off our pack of riders jackets as we hit speed. And the handling is superb. You can really take the twisities fast and tight. The Brembo Monobloc piston brakes are also responsive, stopping the bike immediately for the occasional pollo crossing. Speaking of pollo, I think Ill have the pollo chimichurri and a fine blanco tequila on the rocks, with a little slice of lime. I deserve that after 140 miles.

Photo credit: Barry Hathaway

This is a holy-sh*t bike, not only because its so inspired and perfectly engineered, but because its an aggressive performance machine from Indian. If I hadnt just bought a BMW 1250RT, this would be my second motorcycle. The FTR 1200 and FTR 1200 S are just FAF, fast asyou know.

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Donnie Johnson rejected a last meal before his execution so that the homeless could be fed instead (Tennessee Department of Correction)

An inmate who is set to be executed on Thursday has opted not to have a last meal, instead asking for food to be given to homeless people.

Convicted murderer Donnie Johnson has asked supporters to donate $20 (15) - the amount condemned inmates can spend on a last meal - to homeless shelters.

As a result of foregoing his final meal privileges, Johnson, 68, will instead get what everyone else in the general population at Riverbend Maximum Security Institution in Nashville, Tennessee, is fed.

His decision is a tribute to executed Tennessee inmate Philip Workman, who asked for his $20 to go towards vegetarian pizzas for a local shelter.

While prison staff did not agree to Workmans wishes, his supporters did and Johnson wants his own supporters to do the same, according to Johnson's attorney Kelley Henry.

Johnson is scheduled to be executed on Thursday evening (Wikipedia/stock photo)

Mr Henry said: "Mr. Johnson realises that his $20 allotment will not feed many homeless people.

"His request is that those who have supported him provide a meal to a homeless person.

Johnson was sentenced to death after he killed his wife Connie Johnson in 1984.

He suffocated her by stuffing a black sack down her throat.

Read more from Yahoo News UK:

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Cynthia Vaughn, the daughter of the victim, previously asked for clemency for Mr Johnson ahead of his execution.

An application to Governor Bill Lee read: "Cynthia asks for the privilege of meeting you in person, so she can share her experience of Christian forgiveness.

Cynthia's plea for mercy is exceptional. We know of only one other case in the history of the state of Tennessee in which the child of the ultimate victim has begged the governor for mercy for the murderer."

However, Governor Lee has denied clemency and Johnsons execution is due to take place at 7pm on Thursday evening.

-- Watch the latest videos from Yahoo UK --
Denver-based medical company DispatchHealth has secured $33 million in funding, according to company database Crunchbase, topping the citys recent funding headlines. The cash infusion was announced May 7 and led by Echo Health Ventures.

According to its Crunchbase profile, "DispatchHealth is a provider of mobile and virtual healthcare. It offers on-demand healthcare for people of all ages in the comfort of their own home. It was founded in 2013 and was formerly known as True North Health Navigation."

The six-year-old company has raised two previous funding rounds, including a $30 million round in 2017.

The round brings total funding raised by Denver companies in health care over the past month to $51 million. The local health care industry has produced 28 funding rounds over the past year, raking in a total of $735 million in venture funding.

In other local funding news, medical company OrthoFi announced a private equity funding round on May 6, financed by Accel-KKR.

According to Crunchbase, "OrthoFi is a SaaS-based platform that offers software solutions for the orthodontic industry. It outsources time-consuming front office processes, creating payment plan flexibility for patients."

Founded in 2013, the company has raised five previous rounds, including a round in 2016.

This story was created automatically using local investment data, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback.
Siguatepeque (Honduras) (AFP) - Honduran Ruth Elizabeth Gomez gave up on her American dream after US immigration authorities locked her in a cold cell and then deported her back home.

After reaching Mexico by foot, the 25-year-old had paid a "coyote" to smuggle her across the US border by boat, only to be arrested after arriving in Texas.

"After the whole journey, (the detention) was the hardest part. Until then I had never suffered, even though I'd walked for long days feeling hungry," Gomez told AFP.

After leaving her five and eight-year-old children with her mother, Gomez and her brother Jose Tulio joined the first Central American caravan that set off from San Pedro Sula in Honduras on October 13.

She left in the hope of joining her father, a taxi driver who emigrated to the United States 14 years ago and hasn't returned home since.

Despite US President Donald Trump sending troops to guard the country's southern border with Mexico and making threats to cut off aid to the Central American countries of Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador if they didn't halt the flow of migrants heading northwards, new caravans have continued to set off on the long journey.

Things hit rock bottom for Gomez on November 25, when she tried to scale a border wall between Mexico and the US.

She was among 2,000 migrants at whom US immigration agents fired tear gas to force them back.

"At that moment I felt like I was going to lose consciousness... I was on top (of the wall), I fainted and fell," she said.

She was transferred to the northwest Mexican border city of Tijuana, where she spent six hours in a hospital and received treatment for her injured back.

- 'The worst experience' -

She remained in Mexico, working in a supermarket before deciding to try her luck again.

She was caught and deported on January 19 to San Pedro Sula, with her "hands and feet in chains."

Though her brother has remained in Mexico working in construction, Gomez says she won't try heading north again "for fear of American migration."

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"For me it was the worst experience," she said.

Gomez said she was kept in a "cooler," a very cold room where she had to sleep on the floor.

The detention center was "totally overcrowded," she added.

While she's given up on the hope of a new life in the US, Gomez said she met some people who had far more to lose than her.

"A friend took her three children. She went because (gangs) wanted her oldest son, who's 12, to sell drugs," said Gomez.

Migrant caravans usually set off after dozens or even hundreds of people respond to a social media message announcing a gathering point.

"That's the power of social media," said Sally Valladares, who studies the migration phenomenon.

But the motivation comes from elsewhere.

"People are totally desperate because of the lack of work and the violence," Valladares said in an interview.

- Migrant caravans here to stay -

The Honduran government blames people smugglers and political opponents for organizing and instigating this form of collective mass migration, though Gomez say the fault lies with President Juan Orlando Hernandez himself and that "the situation was better" with previous governments.

Meanwhile, experts say socioeconomic conditions are the caravans' real drivers.

"It doesn't matter who calls them, the caravans are... formed due to unemployment, violence and for family reunification," said Ricardo Puerta, who studies migration.

More than a million Hondurans live in the US and send home upwards of $4 billion a year in remittances, a staggering amount that makes up a fifth of the country's gross domestic product.

"Water doesn't enter a coconut, the coconut grows on its own. That's how caravans are... They're formed of people who have no money and have decided to emigrate," said former opposition lawmaker and journalist Bartolo Fuentes.

Puerta said caravans are here to stay as that's how migrants have always traveled.

And while Trump rails against the waves of migrants heading for the US, Puerta said the brash president is the person who stands to benefit most from migration.

He's used it both as a campaign theme during last year's midterm elections, and also pointed to it to justify his project of building a wall stretching across the US's border with Mexico -- an issue popular with his core supporters.
The most you can lose on any stock (assuming you don't use leverage) is 100% of your money. But on a lighter note, a good company can see its share price rise well over 100%. For example, the Digital Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE:DLR) share price has soared 105% in the last half decade. Most would be very happy with that.

Want to participate in a short research study? Help shape the future of investing tools and you could win a $250 gift card!

Check out our latest analysis for Digital Realty Trust

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 imperfect but simple way to consider how the market perception of a company has shifted is to compare the change in the earnings per share (EPS) with the share price movement.

Digital Realty Trust's earnings per share are down 9.3% per year, despite strong share price performance over five years. This means it's unlikely the market is judging the company based on earnings growth. Because earnings per share don't seem to match up with the share price, we'll take a look at other metrics instead.

On the other hand, Digital Realty Trust's revenue is growing nicely, at a compound rate of 16% over the last five years. In that case, the company may be sacrificing current earnings per share to drive growth.

The chart below shows how revenue and earnings have changed with time, (if you click on the chart you can see the actual values).

NYSE:DLR Income Statement, May 16th 2019

Digital Realty Trust is a well known stock, with plenty of analyst coverage, suggesting some visibility into future growth. You can see what analysts are predicting for Digital Realty Trust in this interactive graph of future profit estimates.

What About Dividends?

As well as measuring the share price return, investors should also consider the total shareholder return (TSR). 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. It's fair to say that the TSR gives a more complete picture for stocks that pay a dividend. In the case of Digital Realty Trust, it has a TSR of 152% for the last 5 years. That exceeds its share price return that we previously mentioned. This is largely a result of its dividend payments!

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A Different Perspective

It's good to see that Digital Realty Trust has rewarded shareholders with a total shareholder return of 16% in the last twelve months. And that does include the dividend. However, the TSR over five years, coming in at 20% per year, is even more impressive. Keeping this in mind, a solid next step might be to take a look at Digital Realty Trust's dividend track record. This free interactive graph is a great place to start.

Of course Digital Realty Trust may not be the best stock to buy. So you may wish to see this free collection of growth stocks.

Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on US 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.
Morocco and Guinea early this week signed a cooperation agreement in the areas of mining and geology.

The agreement was initialed in Rabat by Moroccan Minister of Energy and mining Aziz Rabbah and his Guinean counterpart Abdoulaye Magassouba.

The deal will pave the way for the elaboration a roadmap for cooperation in the fields of transformation, geology and local content, as well as to share expertise in this area within the framework of the partnership between Morocco and Guinea, Rebbah said.

Guinea expects the agreement will provide an opportunity to turn the two countries historical and strategic cooperation into concrete projects.

The local content policy, elaborated by the Guinean government in collaboration with several partners, notably regional banks, is intended to enable a stronger contribution by mining projects to the national economy and to build skills, mainly those of the mining industry workers.

Rebbah highlighted the importance of the local content experience, underlining the need to set up an adequate financial framework, to transform the investment system into one-stop shops regionally and nationally, as well as to work on mining crafts.

The West African country has one of the worlds largest high-grade bauxite and iron ore reserves. The country also exports iron, diamond and gold.

Revenues of the mining sector according to the World Bank accounts for 25 per cent of the countrys GDP and 20 per cent of the state revenues.
Some have more dollars than sense, they say, so even companies that have no revenue, no profit, and a record of falling short, can easily find investors. Unfortunately, high risk investments often have little probability of ever paying off, and many investors pay a price to learn their lesson.

In the age of tech-stock blue-sky investing, my choice may seem old fashioned; I still prefer profitable companies like Discover Financial Services (NYSE:DFS). Now, I'm not saying that the stock is necessarily undervalued today; but I can't shake an appreciation for the profitability of the business itself. In comparison, loss making companies act like a sponge for capital - but unlike such a sponge they do not always produce something when squeezed.

Want to participate in a short research study? Help shape the future of investing tools and you could win a $250 gift card!

See our latest analysis for Discover Financial Services

Discover Financial Services's Earnings Per Share Are Growing.

If a company can keep growing earnings per share (EPS) long enough, its share price will eventually follow. It's no surprise, then, that I like to invest in companies with EPS growth. Discover Financial Services managed to grow EPS by 16% per year, over three years. 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. I note that Discover Financial Services's revenue from operations was lower than its revenue in the last twelve months, so that could distort my analysis of its margins. Discover Financial Services maintained stable EBIT margins over the last year, all while growing revenue 5.6% to US$7.8b. That's progress.

You can take a look at the company's revenue and earnings growth trend, in the chart below. Click on the chart to see the exact numbers.

NYSE:DFS Income Statement, May 16th 2019

The trick, as an investor, is to find companies that are going to perform well in the future, not just in the past. To that end, right now and today, you can check our visualization of consensus analyst forecasts for future Discover Financial Services EPS 100% free.

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Are Discover Financial Services Insiders Aligned With All Shareholders?

We would not expect to see insiders owning a large percentage of a US$25b company like Discover Financial Services. But we do take comfort from the fact that they are investors in the company. Indeed, they have a glittering mountain of wealth invested in it, currently valued at US$108m. This suggests to me that leadership will be very mindful of shareholders' interests when making decisions!

It's good to see that insiders are invested in the company, but are remuneration levels reasonable? Well, based on the CEO pay, I'd say they are indeed. For companies with market capitalizations over US$8.0b, like Discover Financial Services, the median CEO pay is around US$12m.

The Discover Financial Services CEO received total compensation of just US$5.7m in the year to December 2018. That looks like modest pay to me, and may hint at a certain respect for the interests of shareholders. CEO compensation is hardly the most important aspect of a company to consider, but when its reasonable that does give me a little more confidence that leadership are looking out for shareholder interests. It can also be a sign of a culture of integrity, in a broader sense.

Does Discover Financial Services Deserve A Spot On Your Watchlist?

One positive for Discover Financial Services is that it is growing EPS. That's nice to see. The fact that EPS is growing is a genuine positive for Discover Financial Services, but the pretty picture gets better than that. Boasting both modest CEO pay and considerable insider ownership, I'd argue this one is worthy of the watchlist, at least. Of course, just because Discover Financial Services is growing does not mean it is undervalued. If you're wondering about the valuation, check out this gauge of its price-to-earnings ratio, as compared to its industry.

You can invest in any company you want. But if you prefer to focus on stocks that have demonstrated insider buying, here is a list of companies with insider buying in the last three months.

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.
New York (AFP) - A proposal to ban the sale of fur in New York has pitted animal rights advocates against an unexpected alliance of local industry figures and minority groups who say wearing fur is an important cultural marker.

Separated by police, hundreds of protesters on both sides of the debate squared off outside City Hall on Wednesday as the city council debated the bill, which would impose fines starting at $500 for people who sold new fur products but would permit the sale of second-hand gear.

"For me, this is really an argument about how we treat animals and how we act as a humane society," Corey Johnson, a city council member backing the bill, said last week. "I think it's unnecessary to kill animals just to wear them."

Opponents of the ban say it would endanger 150 small businesses and 7,000 jobs, while others have pointed out that wearing fur hats is a religious practice for Hasidic Jews, who have a large community in New York.

Black Americans also regard wearing fur as a time-honored tradition, opponents say.

At the protest, where opponents waved signs saying "Protect New York jobs -- no fur ban" and ban supporters carried placards decrying using animals as "fashion tools," rapper Safaree Samuels tweeted a video of himself attending dressed in what looked to be a fur coat.

"No fur ban!" and "Our choice, our right! Leave us alone!" he chanted.

"Fur has long held importance to the African American community," he tweeted. "Fashion has long been a way that people of color express themselves. Banning fur is one more way to silence us."

While a final vote on the New York bill hasn't been scheduled, the fur industry is under increasing pressure from American cities.

San Francisco and Los Angeles have already approved fur bans and London Fashion Week organizers announced in September that fur would no longer appear on its runways.

Fashion giants Gucci, Versace and Burberry have also discontinued the use of fur in their designs.
The Hague (AFP) - Doctors and rights activists unveiled on Thursday the world's first field manual for the treatment of child casualties from explosions, which they say cause almost three-quarters of juvenile deaths and injuries in war zones.

The guide was put together by British aid agency Save the Children and experts at Imperial College London at the request of Syrian medics working in the bloody eight-year civil war.

"It starts from the point when something goes 'bang' and a child is exposed to that explosion," former British army surgeon Paul Reavley, one of the manual's authors, told AFP.

"It then follows the child on a care pathway and focuses on the key differences of children compared to adults," Reavley said ahead of a function at the Peace Palace in The Hague.

Save the Children said suicide bombs, landmines, grenades, unexploded ordnance, air strikes and other forms of explosives "account for 72 percent of all child deaths and injuries across the world's deadliest war zones".

In Syria the figure was 83 percent.

The agency used United Nations figures from what it said were the five deadliest conflicts for children, in Nigeria, Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria and Yemen.

In 2017, at least 10,677 children were killed or maimed, Save the Children added in a new report on blast injuries, also unveiled on Thursday.

"In reality, that number is likely to be the tip of the iceberg," the agency said.

- 'Not small adults' -

"This manual is a world-first guide to the unique procedures needed to keep children alive and help them recover fully following the catastrophic injuries from explosive weapons," it added.

Written in simple language, the illustrated 176 pages are a step-by-step guide on how to treat children hurt by explosions, from the point of injury to post-treatment psychological and social support.

The pages are designed to be easily photographed on a mobile phone and can be downloaded from the internet for free.

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"The Paediatric Blast Injury Field Manual gives medical staff in conflict settings... the knowledge and technical guidance needed specifically to treat children," said Save the Children director Helle Thorning-Schmidt.

"Children's bodies are different. They aren't just small adults," added Major-General Michael von Bertele, former British Army Medical Services director general.

"Their skulls are still not fully formed and their underdeveloped muscles offer less protection. So a blast is more likely to damage their brain and lungs or tear apart organs in their abdomen, even when there's no visible damage," he said.

Former Sierra Leone child soldier and rights activist Ismael Beah told AFP "this manual is extremely necessary."

"No doubt it will save the lives of countless children in war zones," said Beah, who was wounded several times before managing to flee the war-torn west African nation in 1997.

"It would have saved a lot of lives too in Sierra Leone's wars, had it been around at the time," added Beah.

The first batch of some 500 field manuals is expected to be sent to Syria soon, Save the Children confirmed.
This article is written for those who want to get better at using price to earnings ratios (P/E ratios). We'll apply a basic P/E ratio analysis to The Bombay Burmah Trading Corporation, Limited's (NSE:BBTC), to help you decide if the stock is worth further research. Based on the last twelve months, Bombay Burmah Trading's P/E ratio is 29.05. In other words, at today's prices, investors are paying 29.05 for every 1 in prior year profit.

Want to participate in a short research study? Help shape the future of investing tools and you could win a $250 gift card!

Check out our latest analysis for Bombay Burmah Trading

How Do You Calculate Bombay Burmah Trading's P/E Ratio?

The formula for price to earnings is:

Price to Earnings Ratio = Share Price  Earnings per Share (EPS)

Or for Bombay Burmah Trading:

P/E of 29.05 = 1155.1  39.76 (Based on the year to March 2019.)

Is A High P/E Ratio Good?

The higher the P/E ratio, the higher the price tag of a business, relative to its trailing 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

Companies that shrink earnings per share quickly will rapidly decrease the 'E' in the equation. Therefore, even if you pay a low multiple of earnings now, that multiple will become higher in the future. A higher P/E should indicate the stock is expensive relative to others -- and that may encourage shareholders to sell.

Bombay Burmah Trading shrunk earnings per share by 34% over the last year. But over the longer term (5 years) earnings per share have increased by 6.0%. And EPS is down 10% a year, over the last 3 years. This might lead to low expectations.

Does Bombay Burmah Trading 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. The image below shows that Bombay Burmah Trading has a higher P/E than the average (17.9) P/E for companies in the food industry.

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NSEI:BBTC Price Estimation Relative to Market, May 15th 2019

Bombay Burmah Trading's P/E tells us that market participants think the company will perform better than its industry peers, going forward. Clearly the market expects growth, but it isn't guaranteed. So investors should always consider the P/E ratio alongside other factors, such as whether company directors have been buying shares.

A Limitation: P/E Ratios Ignore Debt and Cash In The Bank

It's important to note that the P/E ratio considers the market capitalization, not the enterprise value. So it won't reflect the advantage of cash, or disadvantage of debt. In theory, a company can lower its future P/E ratio by using cash or debt to invest in growth.

Such spending might be good or bad, overall, but the key point here is that you need to look at debt to understand the P/E ratio in context.

So What Does Bombay Burmah Trading's Balance Sheet Tell Us?

Since Bombay Burmah Trading holds net cash of 3.4b, it can spend on growth, justifying a higher P/E ratio than otherwise.

The Bottom Line On Bombay Burmah Trading's P/E Ratio

Bombay Burmah Trading has a P/E of 29.1. That's higher than the average in the IN market, which is 15.1. Falling earnings per share is probably keeping traditional value investors away, but the healthy balance sheet means the company retains potential for future growth. If fails to eventuate, the current high P/E could prove to be temporary, as the share price falls.

Investors should be looking to buy stocks that the market is wrong about. If the reality for a company is better than it expects, you can make money by buying and holding for the long term. We don't have analyst forecasts, but you could get a better understanding of its growth by checking out this more detailed historical graph of earnings, revenue and cash flow.

You might be able to find a better buy than Bombay Burmah Trading. 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).

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.
When Major Bill Hotopp returned from his final tour of duty in the Army National Guard, it was his four-legged best friend who gave him the best welcome home. Doc is a two-year-old German Shepherd who had been patiently waiting for a month for Hotopp to return home to his small town in Illinois. When Hotopp was away, Doc had been staying with family, friends and a dog trainer. When Hotopp opened the door, Doc ran to him and showered him with tail wags and kisses, eventually knocking Hotopp over from all the excitement. "Doc! How are you?" laughed Hotopp. He could barely get a word in as he laughed at Doc's reaction and incessant kisses. "Are you happy?" Hotopp asked Doc as the dog spun around in circles and jumped and wagged his tail in happiness. Watch the video above to see the sweet moment Doc and Major Hotopp are reunited.

Major Hotopp completed 8 tours of duty over 32 years of service with the National Guard. During his service, he's earned the Medal of Valor, a Purple Heart and several other awards and medals.

When he's not serving in the National Guard, Hotopp is a practicing attorney in a small town. His coworker says Hotopp is generous with his free time, and does as much free legal work for members of the community as he can.

Hotopp and Doc met nearly two years ago through a breeder. The breeder has a special practice of allowing puppies to "pick" their new owners; she won't pair a dog with an owner until she's observed a bond between the two. In the case of Doc and Hotopp, the bond was clear to see from the start. Now that Hotopp is home for good, the two will truly be inseparable.

Follow Militarykind on Facebook for more inspiring stories about the men and women in our military.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Dog overjoyed his human is back from deployment
The Hague (AFP) - Dutch intelligence services are investigating Huawei for possibly spying for the Chinese government by leaving a "back door" to data of customers of major telecoms firms, a report said Thursday.

The probe, reported by De Volkskrant newspaper, comes as a series of western countries weigh the risks of allowing the Chinese telecoms giant to become involved in the new 5G mobile phone infrastructure.

Volkskrant said the AIVD refused to confirm the report.

AIVD spokesman Hilbert Bredemeijer declined to comment, saying the spy agency "does not comment on possible individual cases" when contacted by AFP.

Huawei was quoted by the newspaper as denying the report, adding: "In every country where we do business, we abide by the laws and regulations and we protect the privacy of our customers."

The story, quoting intelligence sources, said Huawei was believed to have hidden secret access to customer information of three major Dutch networks, Vodafone/Ziggo, T-Mobile /Tele2 and KPN.

It added that the AIVD was now probing whether there was a link with Chinese espionage efforts.

The report comes at a sensitive time as the cabinet of Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte is due shortly to decide about Huawei's involvement in the Netherlands' new 5G network.

KPN said in April that it had signed a deal with the Chinese firm to modernise its existing 4G network but that it would look to a western provider for 5G.

The Dutch debate is part of a wider battle between China and the United States over trade and global influence.

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday effectively barred Huawei from the American market amid fears Beijing could spy on communications and gain access to critical infrastructure.

Washington has been pressing allies to keep the Chinese firm out of mobile networks, most recently warning Britain against letting Huawei become involved in its 5G upgrade.
CAIRO, May 16 (Reuters) - Egyptian security forces have killed 47 Islamist militants in operations in the Sinai peninsula recently, the military said on Thursday.

Five military personnel were also killed, the armed forces said, without specifying where those deaths took place.

The figures covered the "last period," the military said in a video, without specifying dates or locations of operations. It did not give the identity of the militants or their affiliation.

The military said it had found 385 explosive devices and had carried out controlled explosions, but did not specify the locations.

The armed forces say hundreds of militants have been killed since it launched a large campaign in February 2018 aimed at defeating Islamic State or related jihadist groups in the Sinai peninsula.

(Reporting by Ali Abdelaty and Lena Masri, Editing by William Maclean)
Paris (AFP) - The Eiffel Tower has celebrated its 130th birthday in Paris, with the city marking the anniversary with a light show at the famed monument.

Built for the 1889 World's Fair, the tower -- which soars to 324 metres in height and weighs 7,300 tonnes -- still attracts nearly seven million visitors every year.

Despite calls for its demolition in the years after the exhibition, it soon became the most iconic feature on the Paris skyline and is France's most visited monument.

"The Eiffel Tower is a must," said Laurie, a tourist from Canada.

Christophe Girard, overseeing cultural affairs at Paris's city hall said the recent fire at Notre-Dame Cathedral -- which destroyed its spire and most of its roof -- had awakened people to "the importance of our heritage", and that it "can disappear or be damaged".

The tower was the tallest structure in the world for 41 years until the construction of the Chrysler Building in New York in 1930.

A section of stairs from the tower sold for almost 170,000 euros last year.
The divisive prospect of US Military bases in Georgia

By Inga Kakulia

The Idea of American Military bases in Georgia has produced a lot of different opinions within the political figures in the country. Even though this concept isnt a part of the agenda at the moment, the topic polarizes the community in significant ways.Some say that Georgias declared foreign policy, aspiration to join the NATO, to regain control over its occupied territories and to keep its policies pro-western juxtaposes the comments made by the president of Georgia, Salome Zurabishvili, stating that US military base on the territory of Georgia is not necessarily a good idea.In the interview with 'Americas Voice,' President Zurabishvili stressed that the partnership between Georgia and the NATO, and specifically with the US is of utmost importance and military cooperation between these two entities is essential.President elaborated further: "I do not think that building the American Military Base in Georgia is recommended. It is not necessary to take steps that can be seen as provocative and therefore I do not think that Georgia is ready to have US military base, not only because of Russia but also because of the terrorist movements that are very active in the region. We should deepen and improve our cooperation and not move forward in the direction that can provoke the reaction of others."Almost all officials from the Mayor of Tbilisi to members of the opposition to the EU Ambassador of Georgia has shared their opinions regarding the topic. Opposing the idea can be seen and evaluated by the International Community as a pro-Russian move or may be seen as an indicator of the shift in our foreign policy. On the other hand, supporters of this statement call for evaluation using the full context, saying that we are in no position to provoke hostility until we have the guarantee that the necessary help will be provided to us in case of emergency.The provocative undertone of stationing the US military base in Georgia is hard to argue against. But whether or not Georgia should go through it despite the potential reaction of our northern neighbor is where the opinions split.On the one hand, there are people who support the military base and think that from a president should not make Russia's interest a priority, so the foreign policy should be conducted based on Georgias interests exclusively, which while being a valid point, also neglects the potential escalation of events when talking about building a military base.In the ruling party, the opinions are rather neutral. Tamar Chugoshvili, First Deputy Chairperson of the Parliament, stated that this topic is not on the agenda, so the chairperson sees little point in discussions regarding the US military base.If we want to talk about provocations, we experience provocations every day from Russia. As for the United States, the importance of military cooperation between Georgia and US defense agencies is very high. The relationship is in a better state than ever before.As for military bases, as I know, no discussion of this topic is taking place. The topic of military bases is not on the agenda. Consequently, I do not think there should be a big discussion. But military cooperation in any form with the United States is a priority for our country. This country is our main partner and supporter. Deepening cooperation in any form that will help the security of our country is vital for us," said Chugoshvili.The EU Ambassador to Georgia, Carl Hartzell has also expressed his attitude regarding the topic and the comments made by the president.Of course, the security issue should be considered in a broader context. As for military bases, this is an issue that is a part of a broader context. The EU always support Georgia's independence and territorial integrity as well as the right of Georgia to have its own vision on security issues," said Carl Hartzell.In the opposition, the statement caused a lot of discontents. The leader of 'European Georgia' David Bakradze stated that Salome Zurabishvili's words directly contradict Georgia-NATO's future obligations.Davit Bakradze demanded an official explanation from the Government of Georgia on whether or not Salome Zurabishvili's statement is representative of the position of the Georgian government."The deployment of American and general military forces in Georgia is not only our future security guarantee but also the commitment of Georgia when it becomes a member of NATO. Therefore, Salome Zurabishvili's words directly contradict the Georgia-NATO's future obligations. This is exactly the statement which directly benefits Russia and states that Georgia should not be a part of the Western security system, said Bakradze.An open discussion on this topic is essential for developing a reasonable approach. Even though it is not an urgent issue that needs immediate resolution, it brings out a few underlying challenges and prospects that Georgia will have to deal with eventually.
Two separate gun battles between rebels and government forces in restive Indian-administered Kashmir on Thursday left eight dead including six suspected rebels, police said.

A firefight broke out before dawn when government forces besieged a residential area in the city of Pulwama after being told about the presence of anti-India insurgents.

Police said that militants fired at the soldiers and a young man, in whose house the militants were hiding, was killed in the crossfire.

"After the security forces retaliated, three terrorists were killed in the ensuing encounter and their bodies retrieved," a police statement said, referring to the suspected rebels.

The slain militants belonged to Pakistan based Jaishe-e-Mohammad militant group, two of whom were locals while the other was a Pakistani citizen, the statement added.

The dead civilian's brother was also wounded during the gun battle.

Soldiers surrounded an orchard in neighbouring Shopian district where a group of rebels were hiding, sparking another fierce gun battle that lasted hours and ended with the deaths of three militants.

"All the three terrorists found in the orchard were killed in the encounter," regional inspector general of police Swayam Prakash Pani told AFP.

Pani said both the shootouts were a result of deliberate "counter-terrorist operations".

Yet another gun battle broke out in the forests of frontier Kupwara area near the heavily militarised Line of Control that divides the disputed region between India and Pakistan, a police officer said. No casualties were reported in that incident.

Rebel groups have for decades fought against Indian soldiers deployed in the part of Kashmir controlled by New Delhi, seeking the Himalayan territory's merger with Pakistan or outright independence.

The conflict has left tens of thousands dead, mostly civilians.

At least 83 rebels have been killed in armed clashes with Indian forces so far this year.

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Last year was the deadliest in a decade when around 600 were killed including soldiers, rebels and civilians.

Kashmir has been divided between India and Pakistan since the end of British rule of the subcontinent in 1947. Both claim the territory in full.

New Delhi regularly blames Pakistan for helping the rebels, an allegation denied by Islamabad, which says it only provides moral and diplomatic support to a Kashmiri struggle for right to self-determination.
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla.  Will El Nino's wind shear help dampen the upcoming Atlantic hurricane season, decreasing the odds of another catastrophic landfall like Florence and Michael last year?

Phil Klotzbach, a Colorado State University meteorologist who specializes in hurricane forecasting, is watching closely.

"El Nino is the big, big question. There's a westerly wind event right now in the tropical Pacific. And to me, a lot hinges on how the ocean responds to that event," Klotzbach said Wednesday, minutes after delivering a presentation during the Governor's Hurricane Conference.

In early April, the Tropical Meteorology Project at CSU's Department of Atmospheric Sciences predicted 13 named storms and five hurricanes, two of which would strengthen into major hurricanes. That's a slightly less active season than typically seen from 1981-2010.

Phil Klotzbach, a Colorado State University meteorologist.

The forecasters will update those numbers June 4, three days after the Atlantic hurricane season kicks off.

Hurricanes dont like shear. So when you have lots of shear, its detrimental to hurricanes  (and) good for those in their path," Klotzbach told the audience at the Palm Beach County Convention Center.

"In an El Nino event, you get very strong upper-level westerly winds. You get a whole lot more shear. Hurricanes tend to be much weaker," Klotzbach said.

In its April forecast, the CSU researchers pegged these odds of at least one Category 3, 4 or 5 making landfall this upcoming season in these locations:

Entire U.S. coastline: 48%.

U.S. East Coast, including the Florida peninsula: 28%.

Gulf Coast, from the Florida Panhandle westward to Brownsville, Texas: 28%.

Caribbean: 39%.

NOAA will announce its initial outlook for the 2019 Atlantic hurricane season during a May 23 news conference in Washington, D.C.

Klotzbach cautioned that the number of hurricanes swirling to life in any given year is not necessarily an indicator of potential residential and commercial property damages.

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You can have a very active season like 2010, where there were 12 hurricanes in the Atlantic. It was gangbusters. Nobody remembers 2010 except for a few of us hurricane geeks  because nothing hit the U.S.," Klotzbach said.

"Alternatively, you can have a year like 1992, one of (my mentor) Bill Grays best forecasts. He predicted one major hurricane in 1992," he said.

"There was only one major hurricane. It happened to be Hurricane Andrew, which obviously was devastating to southern Miami-Dade County."

Follow Rick Neale on Twitter: @RickNeale1

This article originally appeared on Florida Today: El Nino may lessen number of Atlantic hurricanes this season
WASHINGTON  Sen. Elizabeth Warren released a four-point plan on Thursday to combat what she described as an intense coziness between giant defense corporations and our Department of Defense. Warren, who is running for president, announced the proposal in a blog post, saying it would help shut the revolving door between the federal government and military contractors while trimming our bloated defense budget.

Defense contractor influence is a big part of how we ended up with a Pentagon budget that will cost more this year than Ronald Reagan spent at the height of the Cold War, Warren wrote. Thats more than the federal government spends on education, medical research, border security, housing, the FBI, disaster relief, the State Department, foreign aid  everything else in the discretionary budget put together.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass. (Photo: Matt Rourke/AP)

Warren described the influence of defense contractors as wrong, wasteful, and bad for our national security.

If more money for the Pentagon could solve our security challenges, we would have solved them by now. It is time to identify which programs actually benefit American security in the 21st century, and which programs merely line the pockets of defense contractors  then pull out a sharp knife and make some cuts. And while the defense industry will inevitably have a seat at the table, they shouldnt get to own the table itself, Warren said.

Warrens plan would ban giant defense contractors from hiring senior DOD officials and general and flag officers for four years after they leave the department. In her blog post, Warren pointed out that the top 20 defense contractors hired 645 former senior government officials, top military brass, members of Congress, and senior legislative staff as lobbyists, board members, or senior executives last year. She described this as corruption, plain and simple.

The latest example came last week, when President Trump nominated Patrick Shanahan, a former top Boeing executive, to be Secretary of Defense, Warren wrote.

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Photo: Patrick Semansky/AP

Under Warrens proposal, senior Defense Department officials would be barred from owning or trading any stock of giant defense contractors. It would also make it illegal for national security officials to work for foreign governments after their tenure and require defense contractors to disclose the true scope of their lobbying activities  including who theyre meeting with at the DOD, what theyre lobbying about, and what (unclassified) information theyre sharing.

Warren has made policies designed to combat structural inequities a centerpiece of her campaign. She has released over 20 detailed proposals, including an Ultra-Millionaire Tax, which would apply to the top .1 percent of Americans, a sweeping anticorruption initiative and plans to break up large technology companies.

In her blog post, Warren stressed that she believes there are talented and patriotic Americans who work in the defense industry, and wrote that public and private collaboration has helped produce real advances in new technology. However, she argued that the coziness between defense lobbyists, Congress, and the Pentagon  tilts countless decisions, big and small, away from legitimate national security interests, and toward the desires of giant corporations that thrive off taxpayer dollars.

Warren framed her criticism as focused on the defense industry, rather than the military.

All three of my brothers went off to join the military because, like tens of thousands of uniformed and civilian employees and officers at the Defense Department, they wanted to serve their country. We should all be grateful for that kind of service and sacrifice, Warren wrote. If we want to demonstrate that gratitude, we can start by making sure that national security decisions are driven only by what best keeps Americans safe.

_____

Read more from Yahoo News:
Austrian brand Wolford is making a statement for Spring-Summer 2019 with an ultra-feminine, audacious, and colorful ad campaign created by renowned German photographer Ellen von Unwerth.

It's a change in direction for Wolford, which is targeting a new generation of women with its Spring-Summer 2019 collection. For the occasion, the brand called upon Ellen von Unwerth, known for her erotic photography, to highlight the new collection in a series of authentic, audacious shots.

In its new campaign, Wolford invites women to accept themselves as they are, to embrace what they consider their 'defects,' and to affirm their strength and independence. It's a message conveyed via photos that are as provocative as they are quirky, with a large dose of humor.

In these images, which were shot in Los Angeles, Ellen von Unwerth highlights Wolford's Spring-Summer 2019 Ready-to-Wear, lingerie, and hosiery collections. She will also be collaborating on the Autumn-Winter 2020 campaign.
Logo of jester cap with thought bubble.

Image source: The Motley Fool.

Embraer S.A. (NYSE: ERJ)

Q1 2019 Earnings Call

May 16, 2019, 11:30 a.m. ET

Contents:

Prepared Remarks

Questions and Answers

Call Participants

Prepared Remarks:

Operator

Good morning, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to the audio conference call that will review Embraer's first quarter 2019 results. Thank you for standing by. At this time, all participants are in a listen-only mode. Later, we will conduct a question-and-answer session, and instructions to participate will be given at that time. (Operator Instructions) As a reminder, this conference is being recorded and webcast at ri.embraer.com.br.

This conference call includes forward-looking statements or statements about events or circumstances, which have not occurred. Embraer has based these forward-looking statements largely on its current expectations and projections about future events and financial trends affecting the business and its future financial performance.

These forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties, and assumptions including, among other things, general economic, political and business conditions in Brazil and in other markets where the company is present. The words believes, may, will, estimates, continuous, anticipates, intends, expects and similar words are intended to identify forward-looking statements.

Embraer undertakes no obligations to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statements because of new information, future events or other factors. In light of these risks and uncertainties, the forward-looking events and circumstances discussed in this conference call might not occur. The company's actual results could differ substantially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements.

Participants on today's conference call are Mr. Nelson Salgado, Executive Vice President, Finance and Investor Relations; and Mr. Eduardo Couto, Director of Investor Relations.

I would now like to turn the conference over to Mr. Nelson Salgado. Please go ahead, sir.

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Nelson Krahenbuhl Salgado -- Executive Vice President, Finance and Investor Relations

Good morning, everyone. We'll start our presentation at slide four talking about business unit highlights first on Commercial Aviation. We delivered 11 E-Jets in the first quarter 2019, including the first delivery of 175 jet in Africa to Mauritania Airlines. In terms of new E175 sales, the American Airlines SkyWest signed an additional firm order for nine E175 jets, reaching an impressive mark of 158 orders since 2013. From this, 147 aircraft have already been delivered to SkyWest.

As far as the E2 program, we have a very important result in the first quarter. Similar to what happened last year, with the E190-E2. The E195-E2 was granted Triple Certification by ANAC, FAA and EASA, the authority from Brazil, U.S. and Europe. With the first delivery of the E195-E2 to Azul Airlines is expected to happen in the first quarter of 2019. And finally, regarding E2 new sales, the Nigerian carrier Air Peace placed an order for up to 30 E195-E2 jets, and this was our first E2 order in Africa.

Moving to slide five, highlights of Executive Aviation. We have delivered 11 executive jets in the first quarter. And important to say, we sold more than $300 million in new jets during this period. This was our best first quarter results in terms of sales in the last three years.

Embraer was also very proud to deliver the 500th Phenom 300 aircraft, the only business jet to achieve this milestone in the last 10 years. This is a real proof the huge success of the Phenom program and its ability to deliver superior performance technology and comfort to our customers.

Finally, talking about our most recent launch. We announced in the first quarter that the Praetor 600 was granted its Type Certificate by ANAC, the certification authority from Brazil, and thus became the only super-midsize business jet to be certified since 2014. Very important to say that this certification and the last flight tests, we are very happy to announce that the Phenom, the Praetor 600 surpassed all main design goals and including a range that goes beyond 4,000 nautical miles being able to make nonstop flights between London and New York, Sao Paulo and Miami, Dubai and London.

Customers have already noticed the superior performance of the Phenom 600 -- the Praetor 600, and we're happy to announce that the Praetor is sold out until May 2020, with first delivery happening now in the second quarter of 2019.

Next slide. Slide six, we move to Defense and Security. The KC-390 program continued its preparation for entry into service with the Brazilian Air Force in 2019. Flight test campaign exceeded 2,000 flight hours, with focus now on the military missions. The aircraft has successfully accomplished two important airdrop, gravity series of tests in Brazil and in the U.S. As far as new program, the Consortium Aguas Azuis formed by Thyssenkrupp, Embraer and Atech was chosen as the preferred supplier to build four new ships to the Brazilian Navy.

And, finally, two A-29 Super Tucano aircraft were delivered to the Light Air Support Program, LAS, of the U.S. Air Force in the first quarter of 2019.

Moving to slide seven with highlights of Services & Support. We continue to expand the Services & Support business with revenue and profitability growth. In the first quarter of 2019, we added to our pool program, new customers, new E1 operators including WDL Aviation, Mauritania Airlines and Air Botswana. We have also added new E2 operators to our Services & Support base such as Air Astana from Kazakhstan and Binter Canarias from Spain.

Moving now to financial results. We'll start in the slide nine with firm order backlog that reached $16 billion at the end of the first quarter. This is slightly down the value at the end of 2018, but significantly above the value that we registered in the third quarter of 2018, which was $13.6 billion. We reaffirm here the trends of recovery in our backlog.

As far as deliveries in the slide 10, in Commercial Aviation, we had a soft quarter with 11 deliveries versus 14 the same period last year. This does not impact our guidance for the year, which remains 85 to 95 deliveries in 2019. Just as an additional information, in April alone, we delivered nine additional jets.

On Executive Jets, we had 11 planes delivered in the first quarter, same number of last year with nine small jets and three larger jets. Important to say, we anticipate a stronger these jets deliveries in the rest of the year, especially with the entry into service of the Praetor 600 that will happen now in June. Here also we reiterate our guidance of 90 to 110 deliveries of Executive Jets in 2019.

Moving now to slide 11, which shows our revenues in the period. Consolidated revenues declined to $823 million in the first quarter of 2019, relatively to first quarter 2018. This reduction was mostly driven by lower commercial jet deliveries. And this is broken by $281 million in Commercial Aviation, $117 million in Executive, $179 million in Defense & Security, and $244 million in Services & Support.

In slide 12, we present our SG&A expenses, which are very much stable compared to first quarter 2018. We had $116 million in expenses broken by $46 million in G&A and $70 million in selling expenses.

Moving to slide 13, we present our adjusted EBIT. We reported a negative EBIT of $15 million, implying a negative 1.8% EBIT margin. This EBIT margin includes the additional separations costs for the carve-out and preparation of the conclusion of the transaction with Boeing by the end of the year. Important to remember that in the first quarter, the results were negatively impacted by lower Commercial Aviation deliveries that we expect to recover in the next quarter. As already mentioned, in April alone, we delivered nine additional jets.

We maintain our guidance of break-even EBIT for the company in 2019, remembering again that this includes the separation costs associated with the carve-out of our Commercial Aviation business.

Moving to slide 14. We reported EBITDA of $31 million with 3.8% EBITDA margin driven by the similar reasons we already explained in the operating results.

Next slide, slide 15, we show net income. We reported an adjusted net income, excluding the impact of deferred income tax of minus $62 million, affected by the weak operating results that are normal in the first quarter.

Slide 16 represent our investments, which amounted to $102 million broken by $9 million in research, $65 million in development and $28 million in CapEx. Different from last year, in this quarter, we did not receive any contribution from risk-sharing partners.

Next slide, slide 17, represent our free cash flow. Embraer had a free cash flow consumption of $665 million in the first quarter of 2019, with $558 million negative coming from operations, $43 million additions to power, property and equipment, and $65 million additions to intangibles.

Our free cash flow consumption is generally negative in the first quarter. Compared to first quarter last year, we had $435 million negative in spite of around $67 million of contribution for risk-sharing partners. In this quarter, the main reason for the growth of the consumption are first, the higher inventories that again are normal in the first quarter as we prepare for higher delivery rates in the rest of the year, especially here in Commercial Aviation, and second by lower payments from the Brazilian government in some of our defense quarters during the conflict. This amounts to around $100 million, which we did not receive.

Moving to slide 18, we highlight our indebtedness profile. Again 92% of our total debt remains in the long-term with an average maturity of 5.3 years. We closed out in the first quarter with total cash of $2.48 billion and the total debt of $3.59 billion, implying a net debt of US$1.1 billion.

We announced a guidance for the year that with the closing of the transaction, we intent to pay $1.6 billion in extraordinary dividends to our shareholders and start life with new Embraer with the $1 billion net cash position after close. This result there arguably subjected to the result that we will have throughout the year, but we feel confident that we will get there and we will keep you posted on this as next results come.

And, finally, moving to slide 19. Our final considerations and closing remarks. I would just like to mention that Embraer had announced Francisco Gomes Neto, the former President of Marcopolo as our new CEO and President, and that was effective now in May. Francisco brings a long experience from the automotive sector, leaving an important turnaround at Marcopolo in the last three years. Francisco is now investing in his integration at Embraer's visiting our main facilities, clients and suppliers, and he will join us in our next conference call.

Second, just a brief update on the Embraer-Boeing strategic partnership. We currently have ongoing interaction with several antitrust authorities in different jurisdictions throughout the world, and we keep working hard on the carve-out project, but for that we can separate the Commercial Aviation business. We expect the transaction to close by the end of 2019. Obviously, that depends on all approvals being obtained on time.

With that, we conclude our presentation and would like to open for questions.

Questions and Answers:

Operator

(Operator Instructions) Our first question comes from Ronald Epstein, Bank of America Merrill Lynch.

Caitlin Dullanty -- Bank of America Merrill Lynch -- Analyst

This is Caitlin Dullanty on for Ron Epstein. With respect to the recent 737 MAX issues. Has there been a change in Boeing's commitment to the Embraer partnership? Do you see this affecting the timing of the deal close?

Nelson Krahenbuhl Salgado -- Executive Vice President, Finance and Investor Relations

No. There is no relation between this and the strategic partnership between Boeing and Embraer at all.

Caitlin Dullanty -- Bank of America Merrill Lynch -- Analyst

Okay, thank you. And one more if I could? Volume was a little light in the quarter, but gross margin was solid. What's driving the better gross margins at these low volumes?

Nelson Krahenbuhl Salgado -- Executive Vice President, Finance and Investor Relations

I did not understand the question, please.

Caitlin Dullanty -- Bank of America Merrill Lynch -- Analyst

Revenues were little light in the quarter, but gross margin was solid and strong in the quarter. Can you talk a little bit about what's driving the better gross margins?

Nelson Krahenbuhl Salgado -- Executive Vice President, Finance and Investor Relations

That was driven by Services and Defense that had a good gross margin in the period.

Caitlin Dullanty -- Bank of America Merrill Lynch -- Analyst

Okay, thank you.

Operator

The next question comes from Cai von Rumohr, Cowen and Company.

Cai von Rumohr -- Cowen and Company -- Analyst

Yes. Thank you very much. So, Nelson, you had very good book-to-bill in your biz jet business. Can you first give us a little bit of color of what products, what geographies are particularly strong? And secondly, given the very strong orders you had, how come the deliveries were as weak as they were?

Nelson Krahenbuhl Salgado -- Executive Vice President, Finance and Investor Relations

So, thank you, Cai. The market in the U.S. remains the most important market for business jet deliveries. We had these 11 deliveries, which are normal for the quarter.

Cai von Rumohr -- Cowen and Company -- Analyst

But you're still not delivering the Praetor?

Nelson Krahenbuhl Salgado -- Executive Vice President, Finance and Investor Relations

Yes, and the sales are driven mainly by the Praetor 600, which will only start to be delivered in the, after June, right when we will have the first delivery. Obviously, the Phenom 300 remains a strong player, right? And we remain focused by -- next month, but I would say that the Praetors are the big driver for the additional sales and delivering only start by mid-year.

Eduardo Siffert Couto -- Director of Investor Relations

If I may add, Nelson. It's Eduardo here, Cai. It's important to say that we are better sold this year on business jets than we were last year at the same time. So, we are confident in our guidance of 90 to 110 deliveries and that is reflected in our amount of sales.

Cai von Rumohr -- Cowen and Company -- Analyst

Thank you very much. And a last question, commercial aircraft orders. What impact has the expected Boeing JV venture had on demand for the product? Have you seen greater interest as a result of that or maybe a delay until people see that the deal actually goes through? What impact has that had on your commercial orders?

Nelson Krahenbuhl Salgado -- Executive Vice President, Finance and Investor Relations

Look, I think, the last part of last year, right, we saw I think the air show. We announced many new orders. And these new orders converted into contracts has slowed down a little bit, but the interest in the market is very high. There are lots of campaigns going on. We cannot say for sure how much of this is really influenced by the announcement of the deal. But it is just market dynamics, but we can confirm that there are lots of campaigns going on and a lot of interest in the projects.

Cai von Rumohr -- Cowen and Company -- Analyst

Thank you very much.

Operator

Our next question comes from Augusto Ensiki, HSBC.

Augusto Ensiki -- HSBC -- Analyst

Hi. Thanks for taking my questions. Firstly, you mentioned that the Praetor 600 (Technical Difficulty) May 2020. Could you tell us how many units approximately that represents? And secondly and sorry if this is already discussed in the call, the one-time items regarding impairments in the quarter as well as the JV cost. Is it possible to quantify how much those were? Thank you.

Nelson Krahenbuhl Salgado -- Executive Vice President, Finance and Investor Relations

The Praetor 600 this year, I think, we have around 15 deliveries, right? And it is going to increase as we move to the next year, right? As we said, the first open position for delivery is around May next year. Can you repeat the second part of the question, please?

Augusto Ensiki -- HSBC -- Analyst

Sure. Thank you for that. The second question was regarding the impairments on the used jet portfolio, and the separation costs that you have in the quarter. I wish you could give us exactly breakout how much each of those were separately? Thank you.

Nelson Krahenbuhl Salgado -- Executive Vice President, Finance and Investor Relations

Yes, we had some regular impairments in the Commercial Aviation aircraft, but nothing different from what we generally register every year. In Executive Aviation, there is nothing.

Augusto Ensiki -- HSBC -- Analyst

In terms of the separation announcement costs?

Nelson Krahenbuhl Salgado -- Executive Vice President, Finance and Investor Relations

On separation costs, we had around $12 million recorded in separation costs during this quarter.

Augusto Ensiki -- HSBC -- Analyst

Thank you. And sorry just one follow-up on the separation costs. I think you previously mentioned, you had guided about $1.2 billion of separation costs including taxes. Is that estimate still hold or you said that there might be additional savings on that figure? If you could give us an update? Thank you.

Nelson Krahenbuhl Salgado -- Executive Vice President, Finance and Investor Relations

The estimate still holds, but we rather be working very hard to bring that number down, right?

Augusto Ensiki -- HSBC -- Analyst

Thank you once again.

Nelson Krahenbuhl Salgado -- Executive Vice President, Finance and Investor Relations

Thank you.

Operator

Our next question comes from Victor Mizusaki, Bradesco BBI.

Victor Mizusaki -- Bradesco BBI -- Analyst

Hello. Two questions here. The first one, I don't know if it's possible, but can you give the breakdown of operating margins per business unit in the first quarter. And the second one, I just wanted to take a look, I mean, the inventories on quarterly basis. We can see an increase. So, I would like to understand how much it came from Commercial and how much it came from Executive Aviation?

Nelson Krahenbuhl Salgado -- Executive Vice President, Finance and Investor Relations

Regarding the first part of the question, we are not disclosing EBIT by business, but what we can tell you is that when we look at the results for the business that is being separated with Commercial Aircraft and related services, that margin was approximately zero. And the margin for Executive Defense and related services is around 3.5 negative. Can you repeat the second part of the question?

Victor Mizusaki -- Bradesco BBI -- Analyst

With regards to inventories, I mean, you can see an increase in the first quarter, if you compare with Q4. So, I'd like to have a better sense of how much is related to Commercial Aviation and how much is related to Executive Aviation?

Nelson Krahenbuhl Salgado -- Executive Vice President, Finance and Investor Relations

You're asking about the increase in inventory during the first quarter? Is that your question, Victor?

Victor Mizusaki -- Bradesco BBI -- Analyst

Yes, yes.

Nelson Krahenbuhl Salgado -- Executive Vice President, Finance and Investor Relations

Okay. Yes, I'll say that around 70% of that is associated to Commercial Aviation, right, and the rest to Executive, which again is normal at this point of the year, right?

Victor Mizusaki -- Bradesco BBI -- Analyst

Okay, thank you.

Nelson Krahenbuhl Salgado -- Executive Vice President, Finance and Investor Relations

Thank you.

Operator

The next question comes from Turan Quettawala, Scotiabank.

Turan Quettawala -- Scotiabank -- Analyst

Yes. Hi, good morning, and thank you for taking my question. I guess I was wondering you mentioned that the used jet sales were lower in the quarter over last year. Can you just give us some reason as to why that happened this year?

Nelson Krahenbuhl Salgado -- Executive Vice President, Finance and Investor Relations

No. Sales in Commercial, I think, were lower than the last part of last year, right? We announced contracts for many sales that we had publicly announced at the air show, right? And there were not as many announcements during this first quarter in Commercial Aviation. Although, as I mentioned, we have lots of campaigns going on. But in Executive Aviation, on the other hand, I think, we had our best first quarter in sales for the last three years, which is mainly an effect of the Praetor 600 and 500 coming to the market later this year.

Turan Quettawala -- Scotiabank -- Analyst

No, I was talking about the used jet sales that you said were lower in the quarter. Revenue from used jet sales in Executive Aviation?

Nelson Krahenbuhl Salgado -- Executive Vice President, Finance and Investor Relations

We mentioned that in the press release, but it's a small amount. So, we didn't have that many deliveries in the first quarter. So, we also didn't sell that many used jets, but it's really not important. The important number is the new sales of business jets that were very solid in the first quarter as we mentioned about $300 million new sales.

Turan Quettawala -- Scotiabank -- Analyst

Okay. Fair enough, and I guess just last question here from me. I was little surprised to see the SkyWest order. You have deliveries that are going this year. Can you give us a sense of how many open spots you have on Commercial Aviation for the year?

Nelson Krahenbuhl Salgado -- Executive Vice President, Finance and Investor Relations

No. For the year all the positions are from -- we have not opened the spots.

Turan Quettawala -- Scotiabank -- Analyst

Okay, thank you.

Operator

Our next question comes from George Ferguson, Bloomberg.

George Ferguson -- Bloomberg Intelligence -- Analyst

Hi. Yes, thank you. Can you speak to how much the U.S. scope clause negotiations could be slowing down orders for commercial jets? I know it is under way right now with pilot negotiations and they are trying to change some of that scope clause, and I am wondering if that is having an effect on commercial jet sales?

Nelson Krahenbuhl Salgado -- Executive Vice President, Finance and Investor Relations

Well, we have a strong demand for our current E-175. So, we are not seeing a lot of movement in terms of scope negotiation, but we think this is something positive for us because we have a very dominant product in the segment that has conquered more than 80% of market share in this segment. So, we're not seeing really a lot of movement, but we think this is positive for us.

George Ferguson -- Bloomberg Intelligence -- Analyst

Thank you.

Operator

The next question comes from Chelsea Colon, Aegon.

Chelsea Colon -- Aegon -- Analyst

Hi, and thank you for the call. I was just wondering if you could clarify how much that you plan to transfer to the JV and if that includes the existing bonds?

Nelson Krahenbuhl Salgado -- Executive Vice President, Finance and Investor Relations

Yes, that includes all the bonds basically. We will transfer all of the bonds and increase a little amount in cash.

Chelsea Colon -- Aegon -- Analyst

Okay, thank you.

Operator

The next question comes from Gabriel Cavalcante, CTM Investimentos.

Gabriel Cavalcante -- CTM Investimentos -- Analyst

Good morning, guys. Thank you for taking my question. I was just wondering if you guys could clarify a little bit more about the matter of new KC-390 being introduced in the United States? Thank you.

Nelson Krahenbuhl Salgado -- Executive Vice President, Finance and Investor Relations

Well, I think, the important point here is the partnership with Boeing for the KC-390, which is part of the strategic partnership that we hope to close by the end of the year, right. The JV's main objective is to open up new markets for the KC-390. The industrial footprint of the KC-390 will depend on the customers that acquire the aircraft that will be flown through the JV. We have a final assembly here in Brazil. If it is not necessarily the aircraft will be delivered regularly from this final assembly. So, the main objective of the partnership is not to assemble aircraft outside of Brazil. It's to sale more aircraft to markets in which we could not bet. If at any point these new sales demand that we have some industrial activity in the U.S. then we will consider the JV, we will reconsider how to do that, but again, it's not the main objective of the partnership.

Gabriel Cavalcante -- CTM Investimentos -- Analyst

Okay, thank you.

Operator

(Operator Instructions) This concludes today's question-and-answer session. I would like to turn the conference over to Mr. Nelson Salgado for his final remarks.

Nelson Krahenbuhl Salgado -- Executive Vice President, Finance and Investor Relations

Thank you very much for your participation in our conference and the questions. Thank you.

Operator

That does conclude Embraer's audio conference for today. Thank you very much for your participation. Have a good day.

Duration: 34 minutes

Call participants:

Nelson Krahenbuhl Salgado -- Executive Vice President, Finance and Investor Relations

Eduardo Siffert Couto -- Director of Investor Relations

Caitlin Dullanty -- Bank of America Merrill Lynch -- Analyst

Cai von Rumohr -- Cowen and Company -- Analyst

Augusto Ensiki -- HSBC -- Analyst

Victor Mizusaki -- Bradesco BBI -- Analyst

Turan Quettawala -- Scotiabank -- Analyst

George Ferguson -- Bloomberg Intelligence -- Analyst

Chelsea Colon -- Aegon -- Analyst

Gabriel Cavalcante -- CTM Investimentos -- Analyst

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'Emmerdale' star Adam Thomas found himself spending three hours in A&E after dropping a 50kg weight on his face (Adam Thomas / Instagram)

Adam Thomas has revealed that he dropped a 50kg weight on his face while working out yesterday, resulting in him spending the whole afternoon in hospital.

The former Emmerdale actor took to Instagram to share the news, posting a surprisingly smiley selfie alongside the caption: Not sure that everyone knows yet but today I dropped a weight on my face !!

Read more: 'Emmerdale' star Leah Bracknell starts new cancer treatment to slow terminal cancer

Despite sporting a wound on his cheek, the 30-year-old seemed to be in good spirits, joking that he didnt know whether the accident itself or spending three hours in A&E with his older brother Scott afterwards was the worse experience.

"If you too have dropped a weight on your face please get in touch as its hard to talk to anyone about my experience unless youve actually been through it, he teased.

"I know your out there and I know your ashamed but its about time we spoke out and let others know that if your an idiot [sic].

Gyms are dangerous places.

Not that that seems to have put him off. Four hours ago, he shared a snapshot of him mid-exercise alongside the caption: Lets try again shall we...

While he was seemingly being patched up, Thomas posted an Instagram story of himself in a hospital gown, querying why he even needed to be in one since he only injured his face.

Feeling really sorry for myself, he said. Dont think Ill be able to work for a week... good job I dont have a job.

Read more: Fired 'Emmerdale' star Shila Iqbal offers explanation for her racist and homophobic tweets

Thomas left Emmerdale in January 2018, having played Adam Barton on the long-running series since 2009.

Speaking about his career to the Express earlier this month, he revealed that he was working three days a week, buying and selling property in Manchester.

Ive learnt so much, he said. Acting will always be my number one passion, but its important to keep busy between jobs.
Tallinn (AFP) - Known more for strident nationalist and anti-immigrant rhetoric than a strong line on fiscal policy, Estonia's new far-right finance minister Martin Helme is due to attend his first Eurogroup meeting in Brussels on Thursday.

The 43-year-old historian sparked outrage in the Baltic eurozone state for flashing a hand gesture resembling the OK sign used by white supremacists as he was sworn into office before parliament in April.

He also infamously said of migrants "if they're black, show them the door" on a Tallinn municipal TV channel in 2013 while discussing riots in Sweden, adding "I want Estonia to be a white country".

Helme is deputy leader of the eurosceptic Estonian Conservative People's Party (EKRE) founded in 2012 by his father Mart Helme, who is still its leader.

The party nearly tripled its seats in the March general election, coming a close third behind the left-leaning Centre party, and liberal Reform -- both establishment parties.

Its appeal is largely rooted in the misgivings of rural Estonians who feel left behind after years of austerity under Centre and Reform, local analysts say.

The EKRE became the first far-right party to enter Estonia's government when it joined the three-party coalition of Centre party Prime Minister Juri Ratas in April.

Helme has been a vocal opponent of Estonia's membership of the eurozone, which it joined in 2011.

Years of tight spending under previous governments has given the cyber-savvy Baltic state of 1.3 million people the bloc's lowest debt-to-GDP ratio.

As finance minister, Helme has called for tighter anti-money laundering rules in the wake of a massive scandal that saw some 200 billion euros ($225 million) of dubious origin channelled through Danske Bank's Estonian branch between 2007 and 2015.

Other than this, he has said little on fiscal matters.

- Seat in Strasbourg? -

Both Helme and his father had threatened riots should they fail to secure a coalition deal as talks were under way in March.

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Claiming they had been misunderstood, they later denied suggesting unrest and blamed the media for twisting their words.

Their party's rise reflects a trend of voter frustration that has seen far-right, anti-migrant groups gain ground in recent parliamentary elections across the EU.

Since entering government, the Helmes have backed off from their idea of holding an "Estxit" referendum on Estonia's EU membership, as the move would fail in the overwhelmingly pro-EU country.

Their deep suspicion towards Moscow means they see Estonia's NATO membership as a must.

Both Helmes are running in elections to the European parliament on May 26th and hope to join European far-right parties allied with Frances Marine Le Pen and Italy's Matteo Salvini.

- 'Ecology hysteria' -

Before entering politics, Helme junior owned a jazz cafe that went bankrupt, worked as foreign news editor for a leading Estonian news portal and headed a publishing house specialising in books about art.

But he is best known for his aggressive far-right political rhetoric, particularly concerning migrants, the medical community, the media and climate change.

Like his father, Helme junior is also hostile to most media outlets and recently demanded Estonian public broadcaster ERR punish what he called its "biased" journalists.

Martin Helme sparked outrage in the medical community in March by accusing doctors performing abortions of breaking their Hippocratic oath, while his father compared abortion to murder.

Both men support the death penalty.

Like his father, Helme also believes that there is no evidence to indicate that humans are contributing to climate change.

"There have never been as many polar bears as there are now," he claimed during the election campaign, insisting that what he termed "ecology hysteria" must stop.
MADRID/SALLANCHES (Reuters) - ETA kingpin Josu Ternera, described by Spain as the Basque separatist group's most wanted fugitive, was arrested in France on Thursday after more than 16 years in hiding from authorities in both countries. Ternera was a long-time leader of a group estimated to have killed more than 850 people during a 50-year guerrilla campaign aimed at creating a Basque state in northern Spain and southwest France. He announced its dissolution in 2018. Spain wants to try Ternera over accusations that he ordered the bombing of a Civil Guard barracks in the city of Zaragoza in 1987 that killed 11 people including six children. The 69-year old was arrested in the French Alps on a separate warrant from a Paris court that sentenced him in absentia in 2017 to eight years in prison for membership of a terrorist group, a French judicial source said. He had been on the run since 2002 when, while he was serving as a lawmaker in the Basque regional parliament, Spain's supreme court issued an international arrest warrant against him over the 1987 attack. The Association of the Basque Country Victims of Terrorism said it wanted Ternera to be tried for all his alleged crimes. "Today we start on a path to dignity," Covite president Consuelo Ordonez tweeted. Pilar Vallarin, who lost a brother and niece in the Zaragoza bombing, told Basque Radio SER Euskadi: "We've lived for 31 years knowing that this guy is free and at ease." TAKEN TO HOSPITAL Spain's acting interior minister, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, said France should allow Spain to try Ternera, whose real name is Jose Antonio Urrutikoetxea, before he served his French sentence. He also said that, as a Spanish citizen, Ternera could ask to serve his sentence in Spain. Ternera was arrested in a joint Franco-Spanish operation in the town of Sallanches and, after asking for a doctor, was taken to hospital, a source in the French prosecutor's office said. The Spanish news site El Pais said he had been on his way to receive cancer treatment when he was detained. French media said it was likely Ternera would be taken to appear before a judge in the nearby town of Bonneville. A Reuters photographer saw a man, cuffed and hooded, being led out of the courthouse by plain-clothed police wearing balaclavas, to be driven away in an unmarked police car under escort. Spain's Interior Ministry said Ternera had been living nearby in Saint-Gervais-les-Bains, close to France's border with Italy and Switzerland. "Franco-Spanish cooperation has once again demonstrated its effectiveness," Spain's acting prime minister, Pedro Sanchez, said in a statement. ETA (Euskadi Ta Askatasuna, or Basque Country and Freedom) declared a ceasefire in 2011 and handed over weapons in April 2017, bringing Western Europe's last major armed insurgency to a close. Ternera announced a year ago that it had dismantled all its structures. (Reporting by Sabela Ojea, Andres Gonzalez, Andrei Khalip, Sam Edwards; Emmanuel Jarry, Richard Lough in Paris; Denis Balibouse in Sallanches; Writing by Ingrid Melander; Editing by Kevin Liffey)
Two brothers were on Tuesday arrested for allegedly gang-raping a school girl in Homa Bay County.

The two  Kevin Ouma, 25, and Tyson Onyango, 20  allegedly abducted the girl while she was on her way back to school from home where she had gone to collect school fees.

Area chief Bernard Omuga said Tyson  who is a bodaboda rider  lied to the girl that he would take her to school but forcefully took her to their rental house at Pala Trading Center where they detained and defiled her for one week.

Mr. Omuga added that the Form Two student said Tyson, his brother Kevin and another unidentified man had gang raped her.

Acting on a tip-off from members of the public, the Chief and area police officers stormed the house on Tuesday where they found Tyson with the student.

The detectives then tracked down and arrested Kevin, further launching a manhunt for the third unidentified suspect.

The two brothers were detained at Homa Bay Police Station.
BERLIN (Reuters) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel and the powerful BDI industry association distanced themselves on Thursday from the U.S. government's decision to put Chinese telecom equipment giant Huawei Technologies on a blacklist. China has slammed the U.S. move and threatened to take its own steps to protect its companies, in a further test of ties as the economic heavyweights clash over trade. "Europe needs to maintain its own course," the BDI said, adding that the European Union would decide independently which companies it would allow to build 5G network infrastructure. "Europe must not be dragged into the trade dispute between China and the United States," it added. Merkel, asked during a news conference about the U.S. decision on Huawei, said Germany would stick to its position that companies bidding in the country's 5G auction must meet criteria set by the government. Germany in March set tough rules for vendors supplying telecoms network equipment, but stopped short of singling out Huawei for special treatment due to concerns over its ties to the Chinese government. The BDI urged the German government and the European Commission, the EU's executive body, to stick to the planned auction procedure and quickly agree joint security standards. "German industry quickly needs legal and planning certainty in 5G expansion," the BDI said. It called for Europe-wide coordination on security specifications, which would be independent of equipment manufacturers. (Reporting by Michael Nienaber; Editing by Kirsten Donovan)
* Marshal Z discharges oil in storage tanks near Zhoushan - data

* Cargo is masked as Iraqi-origin fuel oil using forged papers

* Storage company confirms cargo unloaded, denies Iranian origin

* Unloading ends tanker odyssey that began in January

* Delivery just after U.S. ramps up steps to end Iran oil exports

By Roslan Khasawneh and Muyu Xu

SINGAPORE/BEIJING, May 16 (Reuters) - A tanker carrying Iranian fuel oil in violation of U.S. sanctions has unloaded the cargo into storage tanks near the Chinese city of Zhoushan, according to ship tracking data on Refinitiv Eikon.

The discharging of the nearly 130,000 tonnes of Iranian fuel oil onboard the tanker, the Marshal Z, confirmed by a representative of the oil storage terminal, marks the end of an odyssey for the cargo that began four months ago.

Reuters reported on March 20 that some Iranian fuel oil had managed to evade the United States' sanctions on petroleum exports by using ship-to-ship transfers involving four different ships, including the Marshal Z, and by using forged documents that masked the cargoes as originating from Iraq.

A second representative from the terminal operator, Zhoushan Jinrun Petroleum Transfer Co, said the cargo could not be Iranian oil, as the terminal had not received official shipments from Iran in at least the past four years. Both Jinrun representatives declined to be identified because of the sensitivity of the matter.

The unloading of the fuel oil comes less than two weeks after U.S. President Donald Trump's administration stepped up moves to choke off Iran's oil exports by scrapping waivers it had granted to big buyers of the country's crude oil including China.

Refined products like fuel oil, mainly used to power ship engines and generate electricity, were not covered by the temporary waivers granted on the sanctions reintroduced in November 2018 as Washington seeks to pressure Iran into abandoning its nuclear and missile programs.

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Reuters followed the movements of the Marshal Z since January using ship-tracking data available daily except when the ship was in deep waters and out of range of satellites.

From March 22 until arriving at the Jinrun terminal on the island of Liuheng on May 8, the vessel maintained a constant draft - how deep the ship sits in the water - of 15.9 meters (52 feet), according to the tracking data. That indicated the cargo was not discharged before reaching the terminal, about 30 km (18 miles) south of Zhoushan, near Shanghai.

Jinrun, owned by Herun Group, offers bonded storage at the terminal, according to its website, meaning that fuel can be stored there without clearing Chinese customs and officially entering the country. Herun officials referred questions back to Jinrun.

On May 12, the ship finished unloading the fuel oil as indicated by a change in its draft to 9 meters, and left the terminal, the tracking data showed. The vessel is headed for the waters just outside Singapore, set to arrive on May 21, the data showed.

FROM MALAYSIA TO CHINA

The Marshal Z took on the cargo from a larger tanker off the coast of the United Arab Emirates in January. It transferred the fuel oil to a second tanker, the Libya, off the Malaysian port of Malacca later that month, the ship-tracking data showed.

But potential buyers wary of the U.S. sanctions steered clear of the Marshal Z's cargo. By March 22, the Marshal Z took the fuel oil back from the Libya and anchored off the Malaysian and Singaporean coasts.

The vessel lingered off Singapore and Malaysia in March and April, the ship tracking data shows, before sailing to Hong Kong and finally to Liuheng island, off the eastern Chinese province of Zhejiang.

"Transparency has been the thorn in the Marshal Z's hull for quite some time now and owing to the issues regarding the alleged origin of her cargo nobody has been able to touch it," said Matt Stanley, an oil broker at StarFuels in Dubai.

Reuters was unable to determine the financial terms surrounding the cargo's unloading, but industry participants said it would likely have been on offer at a lower price to ensure a sale.

"Somebody in China decided that the steep discount this cargo most likely availed ... was a bargain too good to miss," said StarFuels broker Stanley.

Reuters was unable to confirm who purchased the fuel oil cargo carried by the Marshal Z.

Reuters has not been able to determine the owners of the Marshal Z. According to a shipbroker report dated Jan. 28, the tanker was sold to an undisclosed buyer and intended for use as floating storage.

(Reporting by Roslan Khasawneh in SINGAPORE and Muyu Xu in BEIJING; Additional reporting by Beijing newsroom; Editing by Christian Schmollinger and Kenneth Maxwell)
By Lawrence Hurley and Andrew Chung

WASHINGTON/NEW YORK (Reuters) - A bill passed by Alabama legislators that would outlaw nearly all abortions in the state is the strictest such measure in the United States. If signed into law, it will face legal challenges and put the focus on the conservative-majority U.S. Supreme Court, the final stop on all roads in the fight over abortion.

Alabama's law would outlaw almost all abortions, including in cases of pregnancies resulting from rape or incest. Exceptions would only be allowed to protect the mother's health. Doctors who perform abortions could face up to 99 years in prison.

Alabama Governor Kay Ivey on Wednesday was mulling whether to sign the law, part of an accelerating effort by some states and anti-abortion activists to get the Supreme Court to reconsider its landmark 1973 ruling in Roe v. Wade holding that a woman has a constitutional right to abortion. If Ivey signs the bill, it would take effect in six months.

Legislation to restrict abortion rights has been introduced this year in 16 states, four of whose governors have signed bills banning abortion if an embryonic heartbeat can be detected.

RIGHT TO ABORTION

Roe v. Wade held that the due process clause of the 14th Amendment provides a fundamental right to privacy that protects a woman's right to abortion.

The high court reaffirmed abortion rights in a 1992 decision that said abortion restrictions cannot place an "undue burden" on the right and most recently in 2016, when the court threw out a Texas law that would have imposed difficult-to-meet requirements on abortion clinics and abortion doctors.

The retirement last year of Justice Anthony Kennedy, who co-authored the 1992 decision and joined the 2016 one, has given conservatives a new opening to challenge Roe. Kennedy was replaced by President Donald Trump's conservative appointee Brett Kavanaugh, who has a thin record on abortion. The court has a 5-4 conservative majority.

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ROAD TO SUPREME COURT

Before reaching the Supreme Court, the Alabama law would need to be challenged in federal district court. The judge's decision would be appealed to the Atlanta-based 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. The 11th Circuit is currently split 6-6 between Republican- and Democratic-appointed judges. Trump has made three recent appointments to that court.

Both those courts are bound to follow existing Supreme Court precedent. Only after those two rulings, which could take more than a year, would an appeal reach the high court.

There is a chance that the justices could be asked to intervene at an earlier stage if one of the parties files an emergency application seeking immediate review of a lower court decision. The court could, for example, stay a lower court ruling, but would not rule on the merits of the case at that point.

PENDING CASES

There are other cases already pending at the high court that could give the conservative majority the opportunity to weaken Roe v. Wade.

As soon as Monday, the court could act on two appeals concerning abortion restrictions in Indiana. One requires fetal remains to be buried or cremated and bans abortions performed because of fetal disability or the sex or race of the fetus.

The other requires women to undergo an ultrasound examination at least 18 hours before they undergo an abortion.

Both provisions have been struck down by lower courts.

Another pending case concerns a separate Alabama law that would effectively ban abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy. The law criminalized an abortion method called dilation and evacuation, sometimes called D&E, in which the woman's cervix is dilated and the contents of the uterus are removed.

The Supreme Court later this year is also set to act on a bid by Louisiana to revive restrictions on doctors who perform abortions, requiring that they have hospital admitting privileges.

HOW WOULD ROE BE OVERTURNED?

The Supreme Court could overturn Roe if it decides that the principle known as stare decisis, whereby the court traditionally stands by its older decisions, does not hold sway.

The legal doctrine protects the court's credibility by avoiding politicization and keeps the law evenhanded. However, the court can overrule its prior precedents if a majority of justices believe such action is warranted, in part because they believe the precedent had been wrongly decided.

On Monday, liberal Justice Stephen Breyer dissented when the court overturned a 1979 precedent in an unrelated case and in doing so cited the 1992 abortion ruling that upheld Roe.

"Todays decision can only cause one to wonder which cases the court will overrule next," he wrote.

OTHER STATE LAWS

Other conservative states have passed laws that will also face legal challenges. Kentucky, Ohio, Mississippi, and Georgia this year passed bills that would ban abortions after six weeks. In January, a federal judge struck down a similar Iowa law.

States have also passed laws similar to Alabama's that ban dilation and evacuation abortions. Abortion rights activists have said it is the most common method of abortion during the second trimester of a pregnancy. North Dakota in April became the 12th state to enact a D&E ban.

(Reporting by Lawrence Hurley and Andrew Chung; editing by Jonathan Oatis; Editing by Noeleen Walder and Jonathan Oatis)
Photo: Lotus Deli/Yelp

Visiting Dobson Woods, or just looking to better appreciate what it has to offer? Get to know this Mesa neighborhood by browsing its most popular local businesses, from a dim sum spot to an international market.

Hoodline crunched the numbers to find the top places to visit in Dobson Woods, using both Yelp data and our own secret sauce to produce a ranked list of neighborhood businesses. Read on for the results.

1. Dim Sum Cafe

photo: karen w./yelp

Topping the list is dim sum spot Dim Sum Cafe. Located at 2711 S. Alma School Road, Suite #2, it's the highest-rated business in the neighborhood, boasting 4.5 stars out of 253 reviews on Yelp.

2. Lotus Deli

Photo: jamila r./Yelp

Next up is vegetarian, Indian and vegan spot Lotus Deli, situated at 2043 S. Alma School Road in the Lotus International Market. With 4.5 stars out of 86 reviews on Yelp, it's proven to be a local favorite.

3. Dragon Express

Photo: veronica n./Yelp

Chinese spot Dragon Express, which offers desserts and soup, is another top choice. Yelpers give the business, located at 1125 W. Baseline Road, four stars out of 248 reviews.

4. 1UP Games

Photo: victoria v./Yelp

1UP Games, a video game store, toy store and video game rental spot, is another much-loved neighborhood go-to, with five stars out of 17 Yelp reviews. Head over to 2111 S. Alma School Road, Suite #6, to see for yourself.

5. Lotus International Market

photo: lissette g./yelp

Check out Lotus International Market, which has earned four stars out of 60 reviews on Yelp. You can find the international grocery store, which houses the Lotus Deli, at 2043 S. Alma School Road.

This story was created automatically using local business data, then reviewed and augmented by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback.
SuperChefs. | Photo: Matthew F./Yelp

Visiting Deer Park, or just looking to better appreciate what it has to offer? Get to know this Louisville neighborhood by browsing its most popular local businesses, from a superhero-themed breakfast spot to a sushi bar.

Hoodline crunched the numbers to find the top places to visit in Deer Park, using both Yelp data and our own secret sauce to produce a ranked list of neighborhood businesses. Read on for the results.

1. SuperChefs

Photo: Annie M./Yelp

Topping the list is New American breakfast and brunch spot SuperChefs. Located at 1702 Bardstown Road, it's the highest-rated business in the neighborhood, boasting 4.5 stars out of 414 reviews on Yelp.

The menu features a wide variety of colorful and fun breakfast and brunch dishes sure to delight patrons of all ages. Try the Wakanda waffle sampler, which is a quarter of each kind of specialty waffle: the Elvis (chocolate, peanut butter, bananas), strawberry, bourbon and Cinnamon Toast Crunch.

Yelper Matt B. raved, "SuperChefs is a truly unique restaurant experience. Everything is perfectly on theme with superheroes and comic books. However, this place is far from a gimmick - this is some of the best brunch food I've ever had!"

2. Stout Burgers & Beers

Photo: Joe C./Yelp

Next up is beer bar Stout Burgers & Beers, which offers burgers and more, situated at 1604 Bardstown Road. With four stars out of 322 reviews on Yelp, it's proven to be a local favorite.

Originating in Los Angeles, Stout Burgers & Beers "aspires to serve the new-style burger: beef cooked medium rare, organic ground chicken or a quinoa-based veggie option," according to the restaurant's website. Also on the menu are handcrafted draft micro-brewed beers, a variety of wines and sides like potato tots and sweet potato fries. Save some room for bread pudding or a brownie sundae.

Yelper Adam B. shared, "This place is delicious! Though the restaurant is a bit small, the food is excellent. Everything on the menu sounded amazing and as we saw dishes leave the kitchen, we were impressed with everything."

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3. Sapporo Japanese Grill and Sushi

Photo: John H./Yelp

Japanese spot and sushi bar Sapporo Japanese Grill and Sushi is another top choice. Yelpers give the business, located at 1706 Bardstown Road, four stars out of 277 reviews.

The business's website notes that it has been rated the "#1 Best Sushi Restaurant in Louisville." Locally-owned and family-friendly, it serves up both contemporary and classic Japanese cuisine. If you're craving sushi, try the sushi & sashimi deluxe, which includes six pieces of nigiri and nine pieces of sashimi chefs choice with either a regular or spicy tuna roll, the house ginger salad and the miso soup. Happy hour features appetizers and drinks every day from 5-6:30 p.m.

Yelper Maddie G. left this stellar review: "We had the Philadelphia roll and dragon rolls, along with the steak and dragon hibachi meal. The soup and ginger salad were on point."

4. River City Drafthouse

Photo: Suzanne B./Yelp

Check out River City Drafthouse, which has earned four stars out of 89 reviews on Yelp. You can find the New American gastropub at 1574 Bardstown Road.

River City's website notes, "Specializing in independent, American, craft beer with more than 20 offerings on tap and many more in bottles." Additionally, the food menu features items like wings, sandwiches and salads. Sample an order of the Gorilla Warfare wings, with a blend of banana, Caribbean spices and ghost pepper.

5. Uptown Cafe

Photo: Kasen M./Yelp

Finally, there's Uptown Cafe, a local favorite with four stars out of 79 reviews. Stop by 1624 Bardstown Road to hit up the New American spot next time you're in the neighborhood.

Open for 20 years but just recently renovated, under the direction of executive chef Matt Weber, the spot serves up appetizers, lunch and dinner entrees, delectable desserts and a well-rounded wine and cocktail list. Stopping in for dinner? Start with the fried green tomatoes before diving in to your ginger and beer-marinated flank steak. In the mood for pasta? Try the duck ravioli with mushrooms and green peppercorns in a white wine sauce.

This story was created automatically using local business data, then reviewed and augmented by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback.
By Alastair Macdonald

BRUSSELS, May 16 (Reuters) - EU citizens will elect a new European Parliament next week, the first step in a process that will change the leadership of major European Union institutions later this year.

Here is a timeline:

May 23 - British and Dutch voters are first of 427 million Europeans to cast ballots. Britons should not have been voting at all but must since Brexit is delayed. No British exit polls are expected but Dutch TV will run one at 9 p.m. (1900 GMT). Official results will be announced only on Sunday evening.

May 24 - Irish and Czech voters follow suit on Friday.

May 25 - Czechs keep voting, while the Slovaks, Latvians and Maltese also cast their ballots on Saturday.

May 26 - In line with national practice, the rest of the 28 states vote, using various types of proportional representation that ensure a multitude of parties get seats. From 1600 GMT, exit poll and early result data from Germany, the biggest country, will offer clues. France, the second biggest, follows at 1800 GMT. Once Italians stop voting at 2100 GMT, the European Parliament itself will publish a detailed snapshot of projected seat distribution.

May 27 - Parties will start working out how best to play the hands voters have dealt them in forming official groups in the chamber and broader coalitions, seeking a majority.

May 28 - All 28 EU national leaders meet over dinner in Brussels to debate their next move - giving their chairman, Donald Tusk, a mandate to negotiate the bloc's top jobs.

June - Parliamentary groups will negotiate among themselves and with Tusk, seeking to defend the legislature's demand that government chiefs nominate a party candidate to succeed Jean-Claude Juncker as president of the executive European Commission. Many national leaders are resisting that idea.

June 20-21 - Leaders aim to agree on Juncker's successor and that of European Central Bank President Mario Draghi. They may also agree who will succeed Tusk himself as president of the European Council and EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini.

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July 1 - Theoretically, Britain could leave the EU on this date if the UK Parliament agrees a Brexit deal at the fourth attempt. If it did, British MEPs would not take up their seats. However, this appears extremely unlikely at the moment.

July 2-4 - New Parliament convenes in Strasbourg. It should choose its own president to succeed Antonio Tajani on July 3 - another job in the mix for the bargaining over key EU posts.

July 16-18 - Parliament sits again in Strasbourg. This is the earliest it could endorse a new Commission president.

July-August - If a Commission president is agreed, he or she would then build an executive team, taking one commissioner from each member state and giving them portfolios. If there is no deal on a successor, then more summits may be needed. In 2014, Tusk and Mogherini were nominated at a summit in late August.

September - New commissioners face hearings in Parliament. Some, notably those nominated by eurosceptic governments in the likes of Italy, Hungary or Poland, could hit resistance but MEPs can only block the Commission as a whole, not individuals.

Oct. 22-24 - Parliament due to vote in Strasbourg to confirm the new Commission as whole. It can withhold its endorsement.

Oct. 31 - Britain is due to leave, deal or no deal -- though a further delay to Brexit is also possible.

Nov. 1 - The Commission is due to take office. If it has not been confirmed by Parliament, Juncker's team would carry on. Draghi's successor is due to take over the ECB in Frankfurt.

Dec. 1 - Tusk's successor due to take office at the Council.

(Reporting by Alastair Macdonald; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne)
LONDON, May 16 (Reuters) - Prime Minister Theresa May has said she will step down before the next phase of Brexit negotiations and, although she has not put a date on her departure, senior members of her Conservative Party are jostling to replace her.

Below are Conservatives who have either said they plan to put themselves forward or are widely expected to run:

Planning to run:

BORIS JOHNSON, 54

The former foreign minister is May's most outspoken critic on Brexit. He resigned from the cabinet in July in protest at her handling of the exit negotiations.

Johnson, regarded by many eurosceptics as the face of the 2016 Brexit campaign, set out his pitch to the membership in a speech at the party's annual conference in October - some members queued for hours to get a seat. He called on the party to return to its traditional values of low tax and strong policing.

On Thursday the BBC reported he had told The British Insurance Brokers' Association, "Of course I'm going to go for it."

He is the bookmakers' favorite to succeed May.

ESTHER MCVEY, 51

The pro-Brexit former television presenter, who resigned as work and pensions minister in November in protest at May's exit deal with the European Union, has said she plans to run in the leadership contest.

McVey told Talkradio: "I have always said quite clearly that if I got enough support from my colleagues, yes I would (run). Now people have come forward and I have got that support, so I will be going forward."

ANDREA LEADSOM, 56

A pro-Brexit campaigner, Leadsom made it to the last two in the 2016 contest to replace David Cameron. She withdrew after a backlash to an interview in which she said being a mother gave her more of a stake in the future of the country than her rival Theresa May.

Leadsom runs parliamentary business for the government and told broadcaster ITV she was "seriously considering standing" to replace May.

RORY STEWART, 46

A former diplomat who once walked 6,000 miles across Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India and Nepal, Stewart was promoted to International Development Secretary this month after holding several junior ministerial positions.

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Educated at the exclusive Eton College, Stewart was first elected to parliament in 2010 and backed remaining in the EU in the 2016 referendum. He opposes a 'no deal' exit and has been a vocal advocate of May's deal with Brussels.

"I do want to bring this country together ... I accept Brexit, I am a Brexiteer, but I want to reach out to 'Remain' voters as well," he told the BBC.

Expected to run:

MICHAEL GOVE, 51

Gove, one of the highest-profile Brexit campaigners during the 2016 referendum, has had to rebuild his cabinet career after falling early to May in the contest to replace Cameron, who resigned the day after losing the referendum.

Seen as one of the most effective members of cabinet in bringing forward new policies, the high-energy environment minister has become a surprise ally to May and has backed her Brexit strategy.

Gove teamed up with Johnson during the 2016 Brexit campaign only to pull his support for Johnsons subsequent leadership bid at the last moment and run himself.

He has not yet said whether he plans to run.

JEREMY HUNT, 52

Hunt replaced Johnson as foreign minister in July and has urged the Conservative membership to set aside their differences over Brexit and unite against a common foe - the EU.

Hunt voted to remain in the EU in the referendum. He served six years as Britains health minister, a role that has made him unpopular with many voters who work in or rely on the state-run, financially stretched National Health Service.

Asked at a lunch with journalists in parliament if he planned to run for leader, he said: "Wait and see."

DOMINIC RAAB, 45

Raab quit as Mays Brexit minister last year in protest at her draft exit agreement saying it did not match the promises the Conservative Party made in the 2017 election. Raab served only five months as head of the Brexit department.

He had held junior ministerial roles since being elected in 2010. Raab, a black belt in karate, campaigned for Brexit.

He has not declared his candidacy but asked if he would like to be prime minister, he said: "Never say never."

SAJID JAVID, 49

Javid, a former banker and a champion of free markets, has served a number of cabinet roles and scores consistently well in polls of party members. A second-generation immigrant of Pakistani heritage, he has a portrait of late Conservative prime minister Margaret Thatcher on his office wall.

Javid voted 'Remain' in the 2016 referendum but was previously considered to be eurosceptic. He has not said whether he plans to run but is considered to have been setting out his stall through speeches and media interviews.

DAVID DAVIS, 70

Davis, a leading eurosceptic, was appointed Brexit minister to lead negotiations with the EU in July 2016 but resigned two years later in protest at May's plans for a long-term relationship with the bloc.

He previously ran for the party's leadership in 2005 but lost to Cameron.

He told a magazine he would probably be Conservative Party leader if standing for the role were like applying for a job as chief executive. "But ... that isn't the way the decision is done," he said.

PENNY MORDAUNT, 46

Mordaunt is one of the last remaining pro-Brexit members of May's cabinet. She became Britain's first female defense secretary this month.

A Royal Navy reservist, Mordaunt was previously international development minister. Many had expected her to join the wave of resignations that followed the publication of Mays draft withdrawal deal.

AMBER RUDD, 55

Rudd resigned as interior minister last year after facing outrage over her department's treatment of some long-term Caribbean residents wrongly labeled illegal immigrants.

She backed 'Remain' in 2016 and has opposed a 'no deal' exit, meaning she could win support from pro-EU Conservative lawmakers. But she struggled to retain her seat at the 2017 election and has one of the smallest majorities in parliament.

MATT HANCOCK, 40

Health minister Hancock, a former economist at the Bank of England, supported 'Remain' in 2016. First elected to parliament in 2010, he has held several ministerial roles.

JUSTINE GREENING, 50

The former education minister told ITV she would consider running. Greening supports a second Brexit referendum. Many thought she might join several of her colleagues in quitting the party to form a pro-EU group in parliament earlier this year.

LIZ TRUSS, 43

Chief secretary to the Treasury, Truss has held several roles in government including environment minister and justice minister. She backed 'Remain' in 2016 but has said she has since changed her mind on Brexit.

GRAHAM BRADY, 51

Brady is chair of the 1922 Committee of Conservative lawmakers. "It would take an awful lot of people to persuade me. I'm not sure many people are straining at the leash to take on what is an extraordinarily difficult situation," he told BBC Radio. (Reporting by Kylie MacLellan and William James; Editing by Guy Faulconbridge and Janet Lawrence)
A man and his brother are in police custody in Ahero, Kisumu County for allegedly defiling his four-year-old daughter.

According to reports, the minor was defiled and taken to Ahero sub-county hospital by her father who told medics she had been involved in a road accident.

Medics at the facility conducted tests which showed the girl was defiled. They also filled a Post Rape Care form and called the police.

Police arrested the girls 40-year-old father and the 28-year-old uncle but later released them, said Community health advocate Caren Omanga.

Witnesses corroborated the girls testimony, said Omanga.

Nyando OCPD Leonard Matete explained that the suspects were released due to lack of a complainant.

Police rearrested the suspects after the girls mother filed a complaint. Detectives also collected and took the suspects specimen sample for analysis at the government chemist in Kisumu.

Earlier we could not hold the suspects any longer but after an official complaint by the mother we have the suspects locked, the OCPD said.

Matete said the minor was treated and discharged after samples were taken.

The police boss noted that rape incidents have increased in the lakeside region. He cited a case where a gang of three raped an 80-year-old woman in Rabuor two weeks ago.

The OCPD said investigations prove the gang operates between Nyando and Kisumu.
May 16 (Reuters) - I.M. Pei, whose modern designs and high-profile projects made him one of the best-known and most prolific architects of the 20th century, has died, the New York Times reported on Thursday. He was 102.

Some of his better-known works included:

* National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado: Finished in the early 1960s, it sits on a mesa above Boulder with the Rocky Mountains as a backdrop.

* Green Building at Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Massachusetts: A 21-story academic building at Pei's alma mater opened in 1964.

* John F. Kennedy Library in Dorchester, Massachusetts: Set on a former landfill site overlooking the ocean, the late president's wife, Jacqueline Kennedy, played a major role in selecting Pei for the job in the mid-1960s. It was dedicated in 1979.

* Bank of China Tower in Hong Kong: One of the most prominent skyscrapers on the Hong Kong skyline, the 72-story building was the tallest in Asia when it was completed in 1989.

* Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland: Opened in 1995, it features a tower and glass pyramid on the shores of Lake Erie.

* East Building of the National Gallery of Art in Washington: Opened in 1978 to house modern artworks.

* Renovation of Louvre Museum in Paris: Pei created a 70-foot (21 m) glass pyramid as the entrance to the museum, which drew the hostility of many French who thought it clashed with the classical style of the rest of the facility. It made its debut in 1993 and Pei considered it the most difficult job of his career. (Writing by Bill Trott; Editing by Diane Craft)
By Krishna N. Das

AMARAVTHI, India, May 16 (Reuters) - A loan waiver program for farmers and privatization of air and sea ports will be among the post-election priorities if India's opposition parties pull off an unexpected victory in the national vote, a regional party leader told Reuters.

Most political analysts expect Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to retain power when results of India's staggered 39-day general election are announced on May 23.

But N. Chandrababu Naidu, chief minister of the southern state of Andhra Pradesh and head of the regional Telugu Desam Party, is taking a lead in bringing together all opposition parties as they sense an opportunity to oust his former ally.

The world's largest democracy, with about 900 million eligible voters, concludes polling on Sunday after what election observers say has been an unusually hostile campaign devoid of real policy debate.

"We have to move very fast and I am confident it will happen and we opposition parties will work together," Naidu told Reuters at his official residence in Amaravthi next to the Krishna river.

"We will win a sufficient number of seats to form the next government. I am 100% confident of that, I have seen the mood of the nation."

Naidu said that allowing private companies to build and operate ports, while the government plays the role of "catalyst and facilitator," would not only help to generate revenue for the state but also create jobs.

Modi's inability to create employment opportunities for millions of youth entering the workforce has been one of the biggest criticisms of his time in office, along with low farm prices.

Naidu said the farm economy and job creation would be the top post-election priorities if the opposition take power. As well as waiving loans taken by farmers, they would also look at raising the so-called minimum support prices that provide a floor for farm produce.

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He said he was in regular touch with most of the opposition leaders who failed to join forces under a single platform during an election that began on April 11 but are now trying to cobble together an alliance. He said the main opposition Congress party was the "anchor" of the group and would have a big say in selection of the next prime minister should they win.

He declined to name his preferred choice for prime minister but said that Mayawati, a former chief minister of India's most populous state of Uttar Pradesh in the north, is among the candidates.

He said that her being from a lower Hindu caste could work in her favor.

"We are all together in good faith and will select amicably who will be the best PM choice," he said.

(Reporting by Krishna N. Das Editing by David Goodman)
The father of a pregnant teenager found dead with her baby cut from her womb on Wednesday has voiced his frustrations with the investigation into her disappearance.

Arnulfo Ochoa, the father of 19-year-old Marlen Ochoa-Lopez, said during a Thursday press conference that while his family is thankful his daughter's remains have been positively identified, he cited "these anti-immigrant laws" as the reason police didn't "take action sooner and save a life."

Ochoa-Lopez migrated to the U.S. with her parents from Mexico when she was just 2 years old, WBBM reports.

She was first reported missing by her family after she failed to pick up her 3-year-old son from daycare on April 23. Her body was found more than three weeks later on May 14 behind a home in a suburb on Chicago's Southwest Side, after a frustrating and lengthy search effort.

Photos of the family:

Ochoa-Lopez was last seen leaving Latino Youth High School in the suburb of Pilsen on her way to a home in Scottsdale to pick up items from a 46-year-old woman she met through a now-shuttered Facebook group called "Help a Sister Out," who claimed to have a stroller and other baby items for the teen, her family says.

"She was giving clothes away, supposedly under the pretenses that her daughters had been given clothes and they had all these extra boy clothes," Cecelia Garcia, a spokeswoman for Ochoa-Lopez's family, said. "That's the false pretenses that we believe led her to that house."

Multiple neighbors told KGO-TV that around 6 p.m. on April 23, the last day Ochoa-Lopez was seen alive, a middle-aged female resident of the Scottsdale home in question was seen covered in blood holding a baby wrapped in a towel, screaming she just gave birth and that he wasn't breathing.

Emergency responders rushed the woman and baby boy, who was "pale and blue," to nearby Advocate Christ Hospital for treatment, where the infant still remains in "grave" condition.

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An anonymous tip led police to conduct a DNA test on the hospitalized baby, which confirmed he belonged to Ochoa-Lopez and her husband, Yovany Lopez.

The family has decided to name the infant Yadiel  a name his slain mother had previously chosen  and say they are hoping for the best while preparing for the worst, as the child is said to be brain dead and on life support.

Lopez told reporters that his wife's killers "don't know the pain they've caused" and vowed to bring them to justice.
Beijing (AFP) - China's LGBT community has had a tough year: Censors have shut down social media forums, news media have curbed coverage of gay issues, and online shops have removed rainbow-themed products.

The tighter restrictions have led the LGBT community in China -- fearing a crackdown -- to prepare for muted celebrations of the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia on Friday.

"We don't really know what to do. The LGBT community in many ways is being bullied and the sense of powerlessness becomes stronger," said Rush, a university student who only gave her pen name for fear of repercussions.

For last year's International Day, diversity events sprung up across the country's universities where many students voluntarily distributed rainbow badges and flyers to show their support for LGBT groups.

But the unprecedented scale of the celebrations caught the attention of the authorities.

This year, only a few small-scale screenings of LGBT movies will be held in private across campuses, according to activists. European Union embassies are also hosting diversity events while others are flying the rainbow flag.

"The government sees communities capable of mobilising a large crowd in a short period of time as potential threats to social stability," said Doriane Lau, China Researcher at Amnesty International.

"The control over LGBT communities (is) likely to continue."

- Queen film censored -

A year ago, China's Twitter-like Weibo platform banned gay content, triggering a huge backlash that prompted the company to reverse its decision.

But a new social media crackdown emerged in April amid a clean-up campaign by authorities to erase content that betrayed "correct marriage views and ethics".

In April a flurry of online content was censored -- including several popular LGBTQ discussion groups that had millions of followers -- and various gay search results on popular video streaming site Bilibili.

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Rush was heartbroken when she discovered that groups were shut down. One of the now-banned lesbian pages helped her come to terms with her identity and opened a whole new world for her.

"It was torturous trying to accept myself," Rush told AFP.

"(It) gave me a will to continue to live," she said. "For a lot of children, it's the only way for them to find people like themselves or information."

Independent online media have removed LGBT sections in recent months and local reporters have told AFP that self-censorship is common, with journalists treading a fine line when covering such issues.

In the past year, the Taobao e-commerce platform shut down shops selling rainbow flags and clothing with queer phrases -- while gay scenes in "Bohemian Rhapsody", a biopic on Queen frontman Freddie Mercury, were censored.

"It's a warning signal... an unfriendly shrinking space or a way to control the voice of LGBTQ," said Duan, a member of Beijing LGBT Centre, who declined to give his full name.

"We feel that in this environment we should speak out more, and create more dialogue. If no one speaks out for the LGBTQ, then everyone will feel that discussing homosexual topics is a very sensitive issue."

The government's tightening grip on the queer community is also going offline.

For the first time in China, two LGBT groups in Guangzhou were shut down earlier this year for being "illegal organisations", according to a government notice.

Many LGBT non-profits have struggled to legally register with the government, while those already registered can rarely publicly promote gay rights, according to NGOs.

Many groups persist but have had to brand themselves as social groups advocating for public health.

- 'Still suppressed' -

While same-sex marriage remains illegal in China, the country decriminalised homosexuality in 1997, and officially removed it from its list of mental illnesses in 2001.

In March this year, the government accepted recommendations by the UN Human Rights Council to ban discrimination against LGBTQ people.

But after the LGBT community made huge strides in the last 20 years, the state has become increasingly oppressive, said activist Feng Yuan, who co-founded Equality, a Beijing-based non-profit focusing on women and gender.

"In recent years, it appears to be more and more difficult (for the community)" said Feng.

"Mainly because there is a lack of friendly and supportive laws and framework, a greater emphasis on control and management."

The LGBT community has had mixed success in court, losing in their push for marriage rights but winning cases against job discrimination and a hospital that offered gay "conversion" therapy.

In April, a Beijing court dismissed an appeal against recently-enforced rules by the national media watchdog which ban gay content on film and television and describe homosexuality as "abnormal".

"If the media can't talk about homosexuality, it deprives the public of the opportunity to understand the LGBTQ community," said Yanzi, an activist involved in LGBTQ-related court cases.

"It will only increase discrimination and injustice for the gay community."
By Khalil Ashawi

ATMEH, Syria, May 16 (Reuters) - Families who fled Syrian government and Russian strikes in northwestern Syria are sleeping in an olive grove near the Turkish border without enough food and no place else to go.

They are some of the 150,000 people who have escaped an upsurge in violence in the last major Syrian rebel stronghold in the last few weeks. It marks the most intense escalation between President Bashar al-Assad and his rebel enemies since last summer, with dozens killed in the shelling of insurgent territory.

"The house fell in over my children and grandchildren at night ... but God saved them, they emerged from the rubble," said a 70-year-old woman who gave her name as Aziza as she spoke under the shade of an olive tree.

Aziza's family is one of scores who fled targeted parts of southern Idlib and northern Hama province and are now living in the olive groves at the Turkish border.

There is no room for them at the nearby camp for the displaced in the town of Atmeh.

Aziza fled her town of Kfar Nabuda with 17 relatives nearly two weeks ago, taking nothing with her, as the warplanes flew overhead. The exodus has left many towns and villages empty.

Some have made makeshift tents by stringing sheets between the olive trees. Infants sleep under mosquito nets suspended from the branches. One of the shelters was equipped with a kitchen stove.

The jihadist Tahrir al-Sham is the dominant insurgent faction in the northwest. Rebels launched a counterattack this week to counter ground advances by Syrian government forces.

Air strikes have struck a dozen health facilities and violence has destroyed at least 10 schools, the U.N. humanitarian affairs office says.

The attacks have included the worst barrel bombing in 15 months, the U.N. regional humanitarian coordinator says. The Syrian government says it is responding to attacks by al Qaeda-linked militants.

Much of the bombardment has hit a buffer zone agreed in September under a Russian-Turkish deal that spared the region and its 3 million residents from a full-blown assault.

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Ankara, which backs some rebels, has deployed forces into the region in agreement with Russia. They are stationed at a dozen positions, one of which was hit by shelling from Syrian government territory.

Turkey has called on the Syrian government to stop the attacks. Still, Abu Abdo al-Khani said Ankara's deal with Moscow had failed to help his family.

"We were supposed to be within the secure zone, where is it?" Khani, 30, said. "Where are (Turkish President) Erdogan and his guarantees to protect us?"

Khani's family fled the town of Khan Sheikhoun on foot through the countryside. He said they had received some blankets and water in the olive field.

"We haven't showered in 15 days ... We're living under the trees at the border, who would accept such a life?" (Writing by Ellen Francis; Editing by Tom Perry and Janet Lawrence)
May 16 (Reuters) - Former U.S. national security adviser Michael Flynn gave Special Counsel Robert Mueller information about multiple attempts by people to obstruct the Russia investigation, according to court documents made public on Thursday.

The attempts to obstruct Mueller's probe were made by people associated with the administration of President Donald Trump or with Congress, according to the filings, which were unsealed at prosecutors' request.

Flynn "informed the government of multiple instances, both before and after his guilty plea, where either he or his attorneys received communications from persons connected to the Administration or Congress that could have affected both his willingness to cooperate and the completeness of that cooperation," Mueller wrote in the sentencing memo.

"The defendant even provided a voicemail recording of one such communication. In some instances, the SCO was unaware of the outreach until being alerted to it by the defendant," he wrote, using the acronym for the Special Counsel's Office.

Flynn pleaded guilty in December 2017 to lying to FBI agents about his conversations with Sergei Kislyak, Russia ambassador in Washington at the time. He has yet to be sentenced. (Reporting by Nathan Layne in New York Editing by James Dalgleish)
Brussels (AFP) - The former King Albert II of the Belgians has been ordered by a court to submit to a DNA test or face daily fines of 5,000 euros ($5,600) lawyers said Thursday.

The order was the latest twist in a Belgian's sculptor pursuit to prove that she is the former monarch's daughter.

"I believe that the king will submit to this test, since he has the guarantee that it will remain confidential," Albert's lawyer, Guy Hiernaux, told AFP.

Another lawyer, Alain Berenboom, cautioned that the final decision remains with the monarch.

The court-ordered fine was a major development in a long battle between Albert II and Delphine Boel, who launched proceedings before a top Brussels court in 2013 to have Albert's paternity recognised.

Boel claims she was born in 1968 after a long affair between her mother, Sibylle de Selys Longchamps and the then crown prince Albert, married since 1959 to Paola Ruffo di Calabria.

The 81-year-old former monarch, who reigned from 1993 until 2013, has always refused to acknowledge that he could be her father.

Last October, the Brussels Court of Appeal ruled in favour of Boel and ordered Albert II to submit to a genetic sample in order to finally decide the matter.

Albert refused any test, which led to Thursday's order at the appeals court in Brussels.

The ex-king must now report to an appointed forensic expert who, on the basis of a saliva sample, will carry out a comparative analysis with the DNA of Boel and her mother.

After a request made by Boel, the court said the result of the DNA test would remain secret until the end of the legal proceedings, which could last a year.

Boel "herself suggested this option in order to calm the situation and avoid a media storm", her lawyer Marc Uyttendaele told AFP.

"I can't imagine for a second that he (Albert II) doesn't submit to the test," he said.
South Africa: WTO meeting calls for inclusivity, development

A meeting of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) Ministerial Meeting of Developing Countries have called on the multilateral trading system to promote development and inclusivity.

South Africas Trade and Industry Minister Rob Davies attended the two-day meeting which concluded on Tuesday.

Held in New Delhi, the meeting was chaired by Indian Minister of Commerce, Industry and Civil Aviation of India, Suresh Prabhu.

The meeting noted with concern the multiple challenges confronting the rules based multilateral trading system and agreed to work with all WTO Members to strengthen the WTO with a view to promote development and inclusivity.

In addition, the meeting recalled that the reform of the WTO has been an issue that has been raised for many years by developing countries in recognition of the imbalances arising from the Uruguay Round. It noted that the current multilateral trading system has not been sufficiently inclusive and participatory.

According to the meeting, it has also not assisted to address the concerns of developing countries, in particular the reform of agriculture trade which is still subject to trade distortions that inhibit effective participation of developing countries. This resulted in the launch of the Doha Development Round.

We must therefore approach the entirety of all discussions and proposals around the reform of the WTO from a perspective of reform for development and inclusivity, said Davies.

In relation to Special and Differential Treatment (S&DT), the meeting re-affirmed that S&DT is one of the defining features of the multilateral trading system and its provisions are rights of developing countries that must be preserved and strengthened in both the current and future WTO Agreements.

Appellate Body concerns

Davies said concern was also raised in relation to the lack of consensus by the WTO membership in the selection process to fill vacancies in the Appellate Body.

The immediate priority is settling the impasse with regards to the appointment of members of the Appellate Body without which multilateral trade rules would soon be unenforceable or meaningless. The discussions on new rules becomes redundant if the Appellate Body crises cannot be resolved, he said.

The Appellate Body is a standing body of seven persons that hears appeals from reports issued by panels in disputes brought by WTO Members.

The Body can uphold, modify or reverse the legal findings and conclusions of a panel, among others.

The meeting also re-affirmed that a functional dispute settlement mechanism is essential to a predictable multilateral trading system.

It also noted that the ongoing impasse in filling the vacancies in the Appellate Body has weakened the dispute settlement system and threatens to completely paralyse it by December 2019.

The meeting adopted an Outcomes Ministerial Document - Working Collectively to strengthening the WTO to promote development and inclusivity and committed to work collectively with the aim of developing proposals to ensure that the interests of developing countries are reflected in the WTO reform process.  SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2019-05-16. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
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.
Jared Otieno is no stranger to controversy. He has been mentioned time and again in various con schemes, including one where he allegedly defrauded a Venezuelan man Sh170 million.

He first rose to fame in 2015 when he went to pay for his wifes dowry in Meru. Police outriders, choppers and tens of top of the range cars.. he literally brought the town to a standstill.

A few months later, he tied the knot at Windsor, in a wedding that was attended by among others: Governors Amason Kingi and Jackson Ranguma, Senators James Orengo and Kiraitu Murungi, celebrities, media personalities and the whos who.

At this point, no one seemed to know how this young man got immensely wealthy. But stories would soon start to emerge of his crooked ways. He was mentioned many times in online circles as part of a fake gold syndicate in the country. But confirmation has been elusive until this week.

On Wednesday night, heavily armed policemen from the DCI raided Jareds palatial house in Karen looking for him. He was nowhere to be found, but the police took whatever documents and computers they could find. They also towed away luxurious vehicles, including a brand new Bentley, and a Sh30 million customized Porsche; the same one Jared went to Meru for the dowry ceremony in.

Heres the car in Meru.

Jared had reportedly not moved into the Karen residence yet, as he just recently purchased it and was in the process of furnishing it. According to the police, he bought the house for Sh110 million and paid in cash.

We have information that Jared paid Sh110 cash for this house and we have found things in the house that belong to him, said a police officer involved in the investigation.

He has another house in Lavington, and this is thought to be his current home.

Here are pics of the Karen house.

Update: Jared Otieno has been arrested.
PARIS (Reuters) - French prosecutors have reopened an investigation into the 2013 murder of three Kurdish militants, a judicial source and lawyer for the families of the dead activists said on Thursday, a case which could impact France's diplomatic relations with Turkey.

France dropped all judicial proceedings related to the killings in Paris in early 2017 after the main suspect, a 34-year-old Turkish national, died of complications arising from a brain tumour a month before his trial was due to open.

At the time, French investigators implied that Omer Guney may have been acting on instructions from the intelligence services in Turkey.

Turkey's spy agencies denied any involvement in the murders, suggesting instead they were related to internal disputes in the PKK militant group which has fought for Kurdish autonomy from Turkey for more than three decades.

Turkey's Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the reopening of the French inquiry.

Sakine Cansiz, a founder of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) in the early 1980s, and two other Kurdish women were found dead in the Kurdish Information Centre in Paris in January 2013 with gunshots to the head.

The new investigation has been handed to an investigative judge from the prosecutor's anti-terrorist unit, the judicial source said. It follows a complaint filed by relatives of the three activists against "unknown persons" for complicity in murders related to a terrorist endeavour.

In France, such a complaint automatically requires that a preliminary investigation is launched.

"Finally there is hope for the families of the victims that we will be able to say with certainty, and denounce, the way in which these assassinations were organised," the relatives' lawyer, Antoine Comte, told Reuters.

(Reporting by Emannuel Jarry; Writing by Richard Lough; Editing by Mark Heinrich)
PARIS (Reuters) - President Emmanuel Macron will press ahead with a social and economic reform agenda that spurred months of anti-government protests in France even if the far-right comes out on top in European elections, his prime minister said on Thursday. Ten days from the vote in France, Marine Le Pen's Rassemblement National party, which is running on a campaign to overhaul the European Union from within, is level with Macron's En Marche in opinion polls. "Does (the vote) totally change commitments the president made during the presidential campaign, ... does it change the (parliamentary) majority's determination, the whole logic of the government's actions? The answer is no," Edouard Philippe said. "Things are going to continue, to be stepped up for the good of the country because we have committed to do it," he said on franceinfo radio. The vote for the European Parliament's 571 seats has turned into a showdown between pro-EU and eurosceptic forces in France, where 74 seats are up for grabs. Le Pen, whose lead candidate is a clean-cut 23-year-old with a knack for connecting with voters, has in past months shifted tack, dropping calls for France to quit the euro currency and for the end of the EU. Elected in 2017 on a pro-business reform platform, Macron lost little time at the start of his presidency pushing through a major overhaul of the labor code to ease hiring and firing rules while setting a flat 30% tax capital to encourage investment in businesses. The 41-year-old president has since refocused his reform drive on boosting households' income after facing months of street protests over the cost of living and elitism. Philippe said that unemployment figures on Thursday showing joblessness at a decade low were evidence the reforms were beginning to pay off, though further efforts were still needed. The government's next major reform steps are to overhaul the unemployment and pensions systems this year. Asked if the government would change course in case of far-right gains, Philippe said: "I don't think so. The government in general needs to be consistent and coherent." Le Pen's movement hopes to form an alliance with like-minded parties and control up to 80 seats in the European Parliament - a number that would see it gain substantial influence in an assembly with oversight of legislation affecting more than 500 million EU citizens. (Reporting by Leigh Thomas and Marine Pennetier; Editing by Richard Lough and Andrew Cawthorne)
PARIS,, May 16 (Reuters) - French President Emmanuel Macron will meet Libyan eastern commander Khalifa Haftar in the middle of next week to discuss how to resume peace talks in the country, a French presidential source said on Thursday.

Macron last week called for a ceasefire in the month-long battle for Libya's capital Tripoli after meeting U.N.-backed Libyan Prime Minister Fayez al-Serraj.

"They will discuss the situation in Libya, the conditions for a return to political dialog following the visit of Serraj and in co-ordination with the United Nations and partners," the source told Reuters. (Reporting by Marine Pennetier; writing by John Irish; editing by Inti Landauro)
PARIS, (Reuters) - French President Emmanuel Macron will meet eastern Libyan commander Khalifa Haftar in the middle of next week to discuss how to resume peace talks in the country, a French presidential source said on Thursday. Macron last week called for a ceasefire in the month-long battle for Libya's capital Tripoli after meeting U.N.-backed Libyan Prime Minister Fayez al-Serraj. "They will discuss the situation in Libya, the conditions for a return to political dialogue following the visit of Serraj and in co-ordination with the United Nations and partners," the source told Reuters. Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte met Haftar on Thursday as European powers seek to put an end to fighting after troops loyal to Haftar launched an offensive on the capital breaking months of U.N.-led peace negotiations. "Prime Minister Conte reiterated the need to agree to a ceasefire as soon as possible to avoid a humanitarian crisis in the country and safeguard the already difficult conditions of the Libyan people," his office said. Tripoli is home to the internationally-recognized administration but some European countries such as France have also supported eastern military commander Haftar as a way to fight militants in a country in chaos since the toppling of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. A day after meeting Macron last week, Serraj's administration asked 40 foreign firms including French oil major Total to renew their licenses or have their operations suspended. (Reporting by Marine Pennetier in Paris and Crispian Balmer in Rome; writing by John Irish; editing by Inti Landauro and Toby Chopra)
Besancon (France) (AFP) - A French doctor already under investigation for poisoning seven patients has been charged with poisoning 17 more people at a clinic in eastern France, one of his lawyers said.

Frederic Pechier, 47, now stands charged in 24 cases, nine of which resulted in death, after working as an anaesthesiologist at two private clinics in the eastern French city of Besancon.

If convicted, Pechier could face a life sentence.

Pechier was freed overnight on conditional release, lawyer Randall Schwerdorffer told AFP on Friday.

Public prosecutor Etienne Manteaux had called for the doctor, who faces a life sentence, if convicted, to be held in custody.

"There is a possibility that Dr. Pechier was the author of these poisonings but this hypothesis is nothing but a hypothesis and this long inquiry over two years has shown nothing ... to the extent that in this instance, the presumption of innocence must be stressed," another of his lawyers, Jean-Yves Le Borgne, told reporters on Thursday.

Pechier, first charged in 2017 for two deaths in seven poisoning cases over the previous 10 years, was brought in for questioning this week over 66 more suspicious cardiac arrests during operations on patients otherwise considered low risk.

"Seventeen cases have been retained" involving patients aged 4 to 80, of whom seven died after doctors were unable to revive them, prosecutor Manteaux told a press conference.

Pechier was "the common denominator" in the new cases, which occurred at a time when he was in open conflict with fellow anaesthesiologists at the Saint-Vincent clinic in Besancon, Manteaux said.

"He was most often found close to the operating bloc" when the cases occurred, and made quick diagnoses of the problem and the action to take, "even when nothing allowed anyone to suspect an overdose of potassium or local anaesthesia," he said.

Prosecutors have alleged he may have tampered with his colleagues' anaesthesia pouches to create operating room emergencies where he could then intervene to show off his supposed talents.

Pechier's lawyers have denied the claims and in November they accused police of altering declarations he made during his initial questioning.

During questioning this week, Manteaux said Pechier acknowledged that criminal acts had taken place at Saint-Vincent but that "he was not responsible for these poisonings."
PARIS (Reuters) - French ride-hailing app Kapten, formerly called "Chauffeur Prive", has won approval from Transport for London to launch its services in the British capital and take on the likes of Uber as well as the city's historic black cabs. Kapten, whose majority shareholder is German car company Daimler, said on Thursday that it hoped to have 1.5 million users in London in two years' time. "There has been one dominant, overconfident ride-hailing player in the field and it's time to shake things up. We believe London's private-hire drivers, commuters and residents deserve better," Kapten general manager Mariusz Zabrocki said. (Reporting by Jean-Michel Belot and Sudip Kar-Gupta; Editing by Dale Hudson)
Bonneville (France) (AFP) - Josu Ternera, one of the most influential leaders of former Basque separatist group ETA, was arrested in France on Thursday after more than 16 years on the run, Spain's interior ministry said.

Jose Antonio Urrutikoetxea Bengoetxea, who used the alias Josu Ternera and was once ETA's supreme chief, was detained "in the early hours of the morning today in Sallanches in the French Alps," the ministry said.

"He was a hugely important person in ETA," said Florencio Dominguez, head of the Memorial Centre for Victims of Terrorism in Spain's Basque Country and author of a book on Ternera.

After becoming one of the group's leaders in the late 1970s, Ternera then took the top spot.

Thought to be the instigator of ETA's bloody strategy of combining car bomb and shooting attacks in the 1980s, he was also one of the proponents of trying to reach a peace deal later on.

Then in May 2018, while still on the run after avoiding arrest, he recorded the "final declaration" announcing the separatist group had completely dissolved.

According to Spain's Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska, he is wanted in France and Spain and Madrid's National Court, which deals with terror cases, is preparing to ask for his extradition.

- Arrested at hospital -

Created in 1959 at the height of Francisco Franco's dictatorship, ETA waged a relentless campaign of killings and kidnappings in its fight for an independent Basque homeland in northern Spain and southwest France, leaving at least 853 dead.

Weakened by the arrest of its leaders, ETA announced a permanent ceasefire in 2011 and began formally surrendering its arms in 2017.

Then last year in May, it formally dissolved.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez welcomed Ternera's arrest, saying "Franco-Spanish cooperation has once again demonstrated its effectiveness" while noting that "democracy vanquished ETA thanks to the unity of all parties" in Spain.

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Sallanches Mayor Georges Morand told AFP that Ternera, who is believed to be seriously ill with cancer, was arrested "in the carpark of the Sallanches hospital where he was going for treatment."

A French judicial source, who refused to be named, told AFP he was admitted to hospital after being taken to the police station as he asked to be seen by a doctor.

In the next few days, he will be taken to Paris where he will be questioned by prosecutors, the source added.

His arrest comes under a French warrant issued after he was sentenced in 2017 to eight years in jail for conspiracy to commit terrorism".

The Paris prosecutor said Ternera would Friday be transferred to the capital where a magistrate would notify him of the mandate against him.

He then will have ten days to ask for a new trial or else will have to serve the term handed down in 2017.

Patrice Guigon, local prosecutor in Bonneville, where Ternera was to be held overnight, said there was nothing to prevent Spain calling for his transfer to there.

- Hugely influential -

Spanish authorities had been trying to track down Ternera since 2002, linking him to an attack on a police barracks in the northern city of Zaragoza in 1987 which left 11 people dead, including five children.

Hugely influential within the group, the 68-year-old led ETA from the late 1970s to at least 1989 when he was detained in France.

According to French anti-terrorism experts, at the time he employed a strategy of terror to force the Spanish government to negotiate Basque separatist demands.

Years after his detention in France in 1989, he was sent to Spain and spent four years in jail, after which he was released, said the writer Dominguez.

He was elected regional lawmaker for a radical Basque nationalist grouping that included Herri Batasuna, considered the political arm of ETA.

Ternera had been wanted since November 2002, when he went on the run after being summoned for questioning at the Supreme Court over the 1987 attack on the police barracks.

While in hiding, he took steps towards negotiating a peace deal between ETA and Spain, taking part in negotiations with Spain's Socialist government in Switzerland and Norway.

But he was shunted aside in 2006 as more hardline elements took control, even if he still wielded influence within the weakened group. The talks eventually broke down.

Ternera "lived near Saint Gervais les Bains, an area popular for winter sports," the Spanish interior ministry said in a statement.

The mountain town is near the border with Switzerland.

He was detained in a joint operation by Spain's Civil Guard police force and France's intelligence services.

According to Spain's National Court, he is wanted for alleged involvement in the police barracks attack and the murder of a director of French tyre company Michelin in Spain, among other cases.
D. B. Weiss and David Benioff (Credit: Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)

Hell, it seems, hath no fury like scorned Game of Thrones fans.

Not content with starting a petition to have the divisive season eight of the show remade, they're now hoping to brand show-runners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss on the internet.

The helmsman are currently the victims of 'Google bombing', in which the image of an individual  or in this case individuals  becomes a number one search term.

The term in their case being 'bad writers'.

In short, its hoped that when anyone types 'bad writers' into Google, the first result will be a picture of Weiss and Benioff.

Read more: Backlash brews over GoT show-runners Star Wars movie

And the campaign, which started in GoT Reddit fan page r/Freefolk, is picking up momentum, with the pair coming up as the third result at the time of writing.

Bad Writers. Upvote this post so its the first result when you google Bad Writers, read the Reddit post, though now the results on Google link to news stories on the campaign itself.

Such campaigns hope to subvert the Google algorithms by making the search engine connect a usually unconnected picture with a certain phrase.

Per The Verge, and rather less politely, other angry fans have also tried to have the search terms 'd**kheads' and 'dumb and dumber' link to their pictures in other heavily up-voted Reddit posts.

There have been many notable examples of Google bombing in the past.

Read more: The Bells recap - What just happened?!

At one time the search miserable failure led to the biography of President George W. Bush, while the term idiot brought up images of Donald Trump.

It's just the latest manifestation of the frustration felt by many fans over the direction the show has taken in its last ever season.

Spoilers may lie ahead...

First, some complained there wasn't enough action from the get-go (though others deemed episode two, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, to be one of the best episodes ever), then the Battle of Winterfell was almost unwatchably dark in some places  in terms of lighting, rather than tone.

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Emilia Clarke as Daenerys in Game of Thrones (Credit: HBO)

The pacing of the show has become notably rushed and careless in seasons after which Weiss and Benioff overtook novelist George R.R. Martin's source material, and many have questioned the decision to truncate the final season in favour of six longer episodes, instead of pacing it all out over 10, as with the previous series.

But it was Sunday night's climactic episode, The Bells, which has divided fans almost irreparably.

Read more: Why Daenerys deserves better

Though it's been fore-shadowed that would-be ruler Daenerys could become 'the Mad Queen', following in the footsteps of her homicidal father, Aerys II, fans were left bereft at the plot twist, which saw her torch King's Landing, murdering thousands of innocents.

Many feel that fore-shadowing the event was no replacement for decent character development, and that it speaks to misogyny, in that a woman scorned  she was rejected by her lover Jon Snow  will always act irrationally, and cannot be trusted with power.

For the show-runners to betray Daenerys's character in this way has landed disastrously among much of the show's fandom.

To the extent that  at the time of writing  almost 300,000 people have signed a petition calling for a 'remake Game of Thrones Season 8 with competent writers'.

Let's just say that the series finale, to be broadcast on Sunday in the US, and available from the early hour on Monday morning in the UK, has an awful lot to do to steer this wayward ship around.
Berlin (AFP) - A German museum was set to announce Friday that it would restitute to Namibia a key 15th-century navigation landmark erected by Portuguese explorers, as part of Berlin's efforts to face up to its colonial past.

Placed in 1486 on the western coast of what is today Namibia, the Stone Cross was once considered to be such an important navigation marker that it featured on old world maps.

In the 1890s, it was removed from its spot on Cape Cross and brought to Europe by the region's then German colonial masters.

Since 2006, it has been part of a permanent exhibition of the German Historical Museum in Berlin.

But in June 2017, Namibia demanded the restitution of the cross, which stands 3.5 metres (11 feet) tall and weighs 1.1 tonnes.

After holding a symposium in 2018 with African and European experts on the issue, the museum's supervisory board was due to formally announce Friday its decision to return the monument.

Germany has pledged to accelerate the return of artefacts and human remains from former African colonies.

On the eve of the planned announcement, Germany's minister of state for international cultural policies, Michelle Muentefering, said: "The return of cultural objects is an important building stone for our common future with Namibia."

- 'Historical injustice' -

In a column in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, the president of the museum's foundation, Raphael Gross, noted that the Cross "is one of the very few objects that documents the occupation of the country by the Portuguese and with that the slow beginning of colonial rule in present-day Namibia".

"For the people in Namibia and their cultural and political self-image, it is today of great significance because it stands for the experience of colonial rule from the perspective of those who were subject to it."

For Gross, a restitution would be an "important gesture" for both Namibia and the museum, which would serve as a "recognition of historical injustice".

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"In this respect, it can act as an intervention that allows a new chapter to be opened up in the consideration of the common history of both Germany and Namibia."

Berlin ruled what was then called South-West Africa as a colony from 1884 to 1915.

Germany has on several occasions repatriated human remains to Namibia, where it slaughtered tens of thousands of indigenous Herero and Nama people between 1904 and 1908.

The German government announced in 2016 that it planned to issue an official apology for the atrocities committed by German imperial troops.

But it has repeatedly refused to pay direct reparations, citing millions of euros in development aid given to the Namibian government.

Beyond the former South West Africa, the German empire also held the colonies of Togoland, now Togo, Kamerun (Cameroon) and Tanganyika (Tanzania), as well as some Pacific islands.
FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Frankfurt public prosecutors said they led a nationwide raid on eight homes and six asset managers on Wednesday as part of an investigation into wealthy individuals suspected of tax evasion.

The action, which involved around 110 investigators, was a follow-up on a police raid last November of Deutsche Bank over money laundering allegations linked to the "Panama Papers".

Frankfurt prosecutors said they could refrain from searching 14 banks and four tax advisors after they voluntarily handed over evidence.

Authorities seized extensive documents, digital data, devices and a handgun for which one of the accused had no permission to possess. Raids lasted until around 7 p.m., a spokesman said.

The eight people in the crosshairs of the authorities are said to have founded companies in tax havens with the help of a former subsidiary of Deutsche Bank in the British Virgin Islands to hide capital gains from the German tax authorities and to evade taxes.

The investigations are not directed at Deutsche Bank, but at private individuals, Deutsche Bank said in a statement on Wednesday. The bank was cooperating, and its offices were not searched, the lender added.

Wednesday's raid enlisted police and tax authorities in Frankfurt, Hamburg and Duesseldorf.

The asset management companies involved are based in Hamburg, while the tax advisers are located in Hamburg, Munich and elsewhere.

Prosecutors did not name the businesses and individuals involved.

(Reporting by Andreas Framke and Tom Sims; Editing by Michelle Martin)
Suspected terror militants based in Somali are now demanding Sh150 million(1.5 million U.S. dollars) in ransom to release two Cuban doctors abducted in Mandera County last month.

The abductors communicated the ransom demand through Mandera County community elders who traveled to a remote village located between Buale and El-Ade towns in Jubaland region of Somalia, Citizen TV reports.

The abducted medics  general practitioner Herera Corea and surgeon Landy Rodriguez  are reported to have been seen alive. This was confirmed by community elders from Mandera and Bulahawo in Somalia after days of negotiations.

The two foreigners, who were kidnapped on April 12th, are also said to be offering medical services to the community in a restricted environment.

According to sources, Kenyan authorities have sent back the elders seeking to negotiate the ransom further.

The medics were abducted on their way to work from home in Mandera town by armed gunmen suspected to be Al-Shabaab militants.

Herrera and Rodriguez are part of a contingent of 100 Cuban doctors who arrived last year in Kenya under an agreement signed between the two countries to improve access to specialized medical services.

Following the abduction, the State recalled doctors posted in counties bordering Somalia  Wajir, Garissa and Tana River  and reassigned them to other counties.
BERLIN (Reuters) - German food delivery company Delivery Hero on Thursday announced an investment in biodegradable packaging manufacturer Bio-Lutions as governments and companies around the world seek to reduce plastic waste. Hamburg-based company Bio-Lutions International AG produces disposable tableware products that are compostable and biodegradable, according to its website. "Improving the way to package delivered food sustainably with the help of Bio-Lutions will allow us to help reduce our carbon footprint," Delivery Hero CEO Niklas Oestberg said in a statement. Delivery Hero and Bio-Lutions did not disclose terms of the deal. Legislators from U.S. cities have banned plastic straws, while single-use plastic items such as straws, forks and knives will be banned in the European Union by 2021. (Reporting by Thomas Seythal; editing by Jason Neely)
BERLIN, May 16 (Reuters) - Germany's highest court ordered public broadcaster ARD to air a small neo-Nazi party's election campaign clip, overturning a ban on the advertisement imposed on grounds that it amounted to incitement against foreigners.

Last month ARD refused an advert by the National Democratic Party (NDP) for its European Parliament election campaign in which it calls for the creation of "safe zones" for Germans who have become "victims" of mass immigration.

A Berlin court rejected an NPD appeal against ARD's decision. The Federal Constitutional Court overturned that decision, saying it infringed on the NPD's right to campaign and put it at a disadvantage against other parties.

"A constitutional complaint (by the NPD) is therefore at the moment neither inadmissible nor unfounded," the court ruled.

The NPD is hoping to make gains in the European Parliament, where it has one lawmaker, in elections later this month.

Two years ago, the Constitutional Court said the NPD resembled Adolf Hitler's Nazi party but stopped short of banning it because it was too weak to endanger democracy.

Nationalist, anti-EU parties in the European Parliament blame the EU's open border policy for a surge in migrant arrivals in 2015, mainly Muslims fleeing wars in the Middle East.

The NPD doesn't belong to any bloc in the European Parliament.

Its advertisement features a voice-over saying: "Since the arbitrary opening of the border in 2015 and the uncontrolled mass migration that followed, Germans have become almost daily victims." The voice-over is accompanied by images of crime scenes and names of victims of violence, including murder.

The NPD and Germany's main far-right opposition party, the Alternative for Germany (AfD), both say crime is on the rise because of an influx of mainly young Muslim men.

Germany's interior minister said earlier this week that anti-Semitic crime had risen 20% last year and blamed most incidents on individuals espousing far-right world views.

Germany's Jews are alarmed by the rise of the AfD, whose leaders have been accused of playing down Nazi crimes and for having described a national memorial to the victims of the Holocaust as a "memorial of shame."

The AfD entered the Bundestag (national lower house of parliament) for the first time in an election in 2017, a feat that has eluded the NPD since its founding in the 1960s. (Reporting by Joseph Nasr Editing by Mark Heinrich)
WASHINGTON (AP)  President Donald Trump's allies on Capitol Hill are scrambling to soften the blow from his trade war with China amid mounting anxiety from farm-state lawmakers that the protracted battle and escalating tariffs could irreparably damage their local economies.

Vice President Mike Pence met privately Tuesday with Senate Republicans for a second week in a row and urged them to stick with the White House. Senators were working with the administration to craft a relief package for farmers and ranchers, some $15 billion that Trump announced this week would be coming soon. Details of the package remained in flux.

"One thing I think we all agree on is that nobody wins a trade war," Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said after the private lunch meeting.

McConnell said there was hope that the tough negotiating tactics being used by the administration "get us into a better position, vis-a-vis China, which has been our worst and most unfair trading relationship for a very long time."

Pence heard an earful from senators last week as uncertainty mounted.

The administration on Friday launched a fresh round of tariffs on some $250 billion of Chinese goods; China retaliated this week with tariffs on $60 billion on American goods on top of those already hurting U.S. markets.

The tariffs risk spiking prices for U.S. consumers while leaving growers with commodities they cannot sell to the Chinese markets. Already soybean and hog farmers are among those home-state interests senators say are struggling under Trump's trade policies. With China talks stalled, senators pushed the White House to wrap up the negotiations and resolve the standoff.

"There's a lot of concern," said Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, a member of GOP leadership.

"If this is what it takes to get a good deal, I think people will hang in there, but at some point we've got to get it resolved," Cornyn said. "If this goes on for a long time, everybody realizes it's playing with a live hand grenade."

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On Tuesday, though, senators appeared more reserved, and largely held their fire as they tried not to undermine the president's negotiating hand and worked to shore up their home-state communities with a new round of federal aid.

Pence told them that talks on another trade front, a new U.S.-Mexico-Canada deal to replace the North American Free Trade Agreement, were progressing. Senators said they were hopeful those talks were at the finish line and would open new markets for commerce, but the deal would need approval from Congress, which remained uncertain.

Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., the chairman of the agriculture appropriations subcommittee, is working with the administration on the latest aid package. Last year, Congress gave the Agriculture Department some $30 billion annually that can be tapped to provide up to $15 billion Trump wants to offer as aid. Congress could advance some of the money by tucking it into a disaster aid package that's expected to be voted on next week.

The federal aid could go toward existing government programs, including those that provide market payments for certain agricultural producers or that fight hunger in poorer or war-torn countries abroad. Last year, the Trump administration made some $12 billion available to domestic producers of soy, corn, dairy, hogs and others hit hard by the retaliatory tariffs.

"We're stepping forward with more assistance," Hoeven said. "The goal is to get a trade agreement."

Senators said they were hopeful that talks would resume before the latest Chinese tariffs kick in on June 1. Trump is expected to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping in late June at the G-20 summit in Japan.

Trade is the rare issue in Congress that cuts across party lines. Several top Democrats, including Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York, the Democratic leader, want the president to stay tough on China.

Schumer said that while Trump's tariff fights with other countries "make no sense," he thinks the president should work with U.S. allies to confront China. "We have to have tough, strong policies on China," he said.

Other Democrats, though, doubt Trump's ability to negotiate a good deal for Americans. "The president is essentially betting the farm  somebody else's farm," said Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn.

GOP Sen. Ron Johnson said agricultural and business interests back home in Wisconsin "really feel a lot of short-term pain." But he said they also "really want the president to succeed on this."

___

Associated Press writer Matthew Daly contributed to this report.
By Sofia Menchu

WASHINGTON, May 15 (Reuters) - A 2-1/2-year-old Guatemalan migrant boy who was detained last month at the U.S.-Mexico border but released from U.S. custody with his mother during treatment for an illness has died in hospital, authorities said on Wednesday.

The death comes after three Guatemalan minors died in U.S. custody since December, during the biggest surge of migrants on the U.S.-Mexico border in a decade. More Guatemalans are crossing the border than citizens of any other nation.

The deaths have spurred greater criticism of the Trump administration's hardline stance on illegal immigration, as well as closer scrutiny of why some migrants from Central America travel with children on the long, dangerous road north.

Tekandi Paniagua, Guatemala's consul in El Paso, Texas, said the boy had been detained by U.S. migration officials after entering the United States in early April with his mother near the Mexican city of Ciudad Juarez, opposite El Paso.

"He had health problems because of the conditions in which they were traveling, high fevers and difficulty breathing," Paniagua said.

The boy, who was not identified, was taken to hospital, where doctors diagnosed pneumonia, he said, adding that the boy died on Tuesday.

A U.S. Customs and Border Protection official familiar with the case said the boy's mother told agents her son was ill three days after the family crossed the border on April 3.

He was taken to hospital the same day, and moved to a children's hospital a day later, the official said, adding that the family was officially released from CBP custody on April 8, while the boy was in hospital.

Guatemalan foreign ministry spokeswoman Marta Larra confirmed the boy's death, and said his illness started out like a flu infection and gradually got worse. The family was from Guatemala's arid eastern region of Chiquimula, Paniagua said.

Officials and migrant parents say people smugglers encourage them to take children on the lengthy journey north because it makes it easier for families to get into the United States.

Reuters pictures published on Wednesday show adults and children outside the U.S. Border Patrol station for migrants in McAllen, Texas, sleeping on the ground and rigging up makeshift awnings with reflective blankets to shelter from the sun. (Reporting by Sofia Menchu in Washington; Additional reporting by Kristina Cooke in San Francisco; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)
By Sofia Menchu

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A 2-1/2-year-old Guatemalan migrant boy who was detained last month at the U.S.-Mexico border but released from U.S. custody with his mother during treatment for an illness has died in hospital, authorities said on Wednesday.

The death comes after three Guatemalan minors died in U.S. custody since December, during the biggest surge of migrants on the U.S.-Mexico border in a decade. More Guatemalans are crossing the border than citizens of any other nation.

The deaths have spurred greater criticism of the Trump administration's hardline stance on illegal immigration, as well as closer scrutiny of why some migrants from Central America travel with children on the long, dangerous road north.

Tekandi Paniagua, Guatemala's consul in El Paso, Texas, said the boy had been detained by U.S. migration officials after entering the United States in early April with his mother near the Mexican city of Ciudad Juarez, opposite El Paso.

"He had health problems because of the conditions in which they were travelling, high fevers and difficulty breathing," Paniagua said.

The boy, who was not identified, was taken to hospital, where doctors diagnosed pneumonia, he said, adding that the boy died on Tuesday.

A U.S. Customs and Border Protection official familiar with the case said the boy's mother told agents her son was ill three days after the family crossed the border on April 3.

He was taken to hospital the same day, and moved to a children's hospital a day later, the official said, adding that the family was officially released from CBP custody on April 8, while the boy was in hospital.

Guatemalan foreign ministry spokeswoman Marta Larra confirmed the boy's death, and said his illness started out like a flu infection and gradually got worse. The family was from Guatemala's arid eastern region of Chiquimula, Paniagua said.

Officials and migrant parents say people smugglers encourage them to take children on the lengthy journey north because it makes it easier for families to get into the United States.

Reuters pictures published on Wednesday show adults and children outside the U.S. Border Patrol station for migrants in McAllen, Texas, sleeping on the ground and rigging up makeshift awnings with reflective blankets to shelter from the sun.

(Reporting by Sofia Menchu in Washington; Additional reporting by Kristina Cooke in San Francisco; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)
Tehran (AFP) - In face of soaring tensions with the United States, Iran has so far steered clear of inflammatory rhetoric, its leaders insisting the Islamic republic is not seeking a war with its arch-enemy.

"This face-off is not military because there is not going to be any war. Neither we nor (the US) seek war. They know it will not be in their interest," Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Tuesday.

"The definite decision of the Iranian nation is to resist against America," he added, before repeating his opposition to any negotiations with the United States.

A day later, US President Donald Trump said on Twitter that he was "sure that Iran will want to talk soon".

For Amir Mohebbian, a conservative Iranian politician and analyst, Khamenei's words reflected Tehran's belief that Trump "is not ready to launch a large-scale war in a sensitive region".

Officials in Iran, especially commanders of the Revolutionary Guards, Iran's ideological army, often make comments deemed provocative in the West.

But in recent days they have chosen their words carefully.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said in Tokyo on Thursday that "we exercise maximum restraint" in the face of an "unacceptable" escalation by the United States.

Other officials have warned the US against attacking Iran, predicting it would fail, while insisting their own country is not hostile.

President Hassan Rouhani declared on Monday that Iran is "too great to be intimidated by anyone".

- 'No war, no negotiations' -

"The Iranian authorities are adhering the supreme leader's policy of 'no war, no negotiations' with the Trump administration," said Clement Therme, an Iran specialist at the International Institute of Strategic Studies (IISS).

"The rhetorical one-upmanship" on the Iranian side "is hindered by the limited military means" of the Islamic republic, the researcher said.

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Iran has some 475,000 soldiers in its regular army and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, according to the IISS.

But an international arms embargo has left it with an ageing and relatively small air force, a crucial weakness in any conflict.

Its economy crippled, Iran has limited means to increase defence spending.

That is in stark contrast to the United States, whose GDP is 47 times that of the Islamic republic, according to the International Monetary Fund.

Relations between Tehran and Washington have become even more tense in recent weeks, a year after Trump unilaterally withdrew the US from a nuclear deal under which Iran agreed to curb its nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief.

Iran said on May 8 that it had stopped respecting limits on its nuclear activities agreed under the 2015 nuclear accord.

The same day, the United States tightened the screws with further sanctions, before announcing it was boosting its military presence in the Middle East in response to alleged Iranian threats.

- Trump 'trap' -

Trump's approach was to apply ever more pressure on Iran, but the Islamic republic "has tried very hard not to fall into his trap", said the Iranian conservative Mohebbian.

So far, he said, Iran had acted "in a flexible and restrained manner to show the world that it's Trump who's trying to destroy the deal".

In April, the United States blacklisted Iran's Revolutionary Guards as a "foreign terrorist organisation".

In response, Iran declared the US a "state sponsor of terrorism" and American forces in the Middle East and beyond as "terrorist groups".

But any Iranian move against the US faces difficulties as it risks harming ties with neighbours, including Iraq, Therme said.

However, "the main factor in favour of maintaining a cold peace is the strong opposition to war among people in both countries," the analyst told AFP.

"In Iran, the Iran-Iraq war is still very much alive in the collective memory," he said.

"One of the main strengths of the Islamic republic is ensuring stability", in contrast to its war-torn neighbours Iraq and Afghanistan.

The 1980-88 war between Iran and Iraq exhausted both sides and saw neither make any territorial gains.

It is estimated to have left a total 680,000 people dead or missing on both sides.
A few days before I was scheduled to undergo surgery to remove both of my seemingly healthy breasts, I went alone to church, to the beach, and to my grandmother's grave. My grandmother died of breast cancer, as did my great-grandmother. My mother and aunt had battled breast cancer, too; fortunately, they managed to beat it. Another aunt had just been diagnosed weeks before.

At that point, I'd been preparing for my surgery emotionally and physically for close to five years. That's when I first discovered I carried a BRCA2 gene mutation, which increased my risk of developing breast cancer to as high as 85%. (For non-BRCA mutation carriers, the lifetime risk is 12%.) It was 2013 when I first heard of BRCA, and I immediately urged my mother to take the test. It seemed like it could be the missing link in the generational chain of women in my family who had developed breast cancer.

RELATED: Should You Get Tested for the BRCA Gene?

I remember when the nurse came in to tell me that Id tested positive. The first thing out of my mouth was, "I know, because I did. My intuition, coupled with my family history, all but assured me this would be the case.

For a while, I didn't tell my mom that I had tested positive; I actually didn't tell anyone. I wanted to choose my course of action based on my own gut, not on the experiences or fears of others. After all, I would be the one who would have to live with the consequences for the rest of my life.

Becoming my own advocate

After I found out I was BRCA positive, I decided to learn everything I could about itI even became certified as a holistic cancer specialist. For a while I opted for what doctors call increased surveillance. When your personal risk is high, the standard guidance (regular mammograms starting at age 40, according to most health guidelines) doesn't apply to you. I was barely in my mid-thirties when I had my first mammogram. In addition to a yearly mammogram, I also had to have a breast MRI, plus two breast ultrasounds and two CA 125 blood tests (to check for a marker that's associated with ovarian cancer) every year. I started performing regular self-checks, too.

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I felt like I was being proactive enough, but it was exhausting to constantly go to the doctor, not to mention anxiety-producing. As the years passed, I also knew that my odds were increasing because breast cancer risk for everyone goes up with age. At age 30, the average woman has a 1 in 227 chance of being diagnosed with breast cancer within 10 years, but by age 40, it jumps to 1 in 68. By age 60, it's 1 in 28.

When I started seeing my breast surgeon, Kristi Funk, MD, she explained that when it comes to hereditary breast cancer, the cancer tends to strike earlier and earlier in each subsequent generation. That certainly seemed to be the case in my family. My great-grandmother was in her 70s, my grandma was in her 60s, and my mom was 49. Dr. Funk advised that I have surgery about 10 years prior to the age my mother was when she developed breast cancer. As my 39th birthday approached, it was time.

RELATED: Early Symptoms of Breast Cancer, From Women Who Experienced Them

A surprise diagnosis

In the weeks leading up to my procedure, I tossed and turned for a couple of nights, but my intuition told me that I was doing the right thing. Without the surgery, I was walking around with an 85% chance of developing breast cancer. In one surgery, I would reduce my risk to under 3%. (That's lower than the risk for the general population.)

When I was wheeled into surgery in October 2018, I felt confident and empowered. I woke up feeling groggy but relieved that it was all behind me. I had no idea that the most shocking part was yet to come.

Six days after my surgery, while I was still bandaged up and had drains coming out of my sides, I received an unexpected call from my doctor. She said the last thing I expected to hear: I had breast cancer.

My mind was completely blown. Apparently, its standard procedure to run tests on the breast tissue that's been removed during a mastectomyeven when the procedure is prophylactic. My doctor explained that my tests had come back showing that I had stage 0 non-invasive breast cancer, also called DCIS, for ductal carcinoma in situ.

The National Cancer Institute now refers to stage 0 breast cancer as a "noninvasive condition," since the cells haven't spread beyond the lining of the breast ducts. In the six months leading up to my procedure, I had had a mammogram, a breast ultrasound, and a breast MRI, and they had all come back clear.

Because the caner was at such an early stage, the only way to detect it is through preventive surgery. And since Id already had the surgery and the cancerous tissue was removed, I would not need to do any more treatmentno chemo, no radiation, no hormonal treatment necessary. I never thought Id have my decision validated like that. Turns out, I beat cancer before I knew I had it.

RELATED: 20 Things to Know About DCIS, or "Stage 0" Breast Cancer

Spreading the word

Despite the cancer twist in my story, I was very fortunate. I had good health care, my choice of doctors, and access to lots of information about my options. Yet this is not the case for many, including the women in my family. That's why I founded The Well Woman Coalition. Well Woman is an initiative to empower women of color to have agency over their own health and healing. The three principles of Well Woman are to arm yourself with information, make empowered choices, and save your own life.

I have also partnered with the University of Pennsylvania's Penn Medicine Basser Center for BRCA to launch an awareness campaign called LATINX & BRCA. It's the first campaign to focus on the BRCA gene mutation in Latinos and offers Spanish-language educational materials. Although Latinas have a slightly lower incidence of breast cancer than white women, Latinas are more likely to be diagnosed with the disease in advanced stages. This is due to disparities in health care access and preventive screening, which needs to change now.

To be clear, Im not here to advocate for preventive mastectomies. Treatment versus surveillance approaches are very personal, and each woman should decide whats best for her. But if you have reason to believe that you may be at a higher risk of developing breast cancer or have several family members who have battled the disease, consider taking a hereditary cancer test. When it comes to BRCA, knowledge really is power. Even if I had opted against a mastectomy, the heightened level of screening I was undergoing would have likely led to an early diagnosis.

I chose to be public online about a very private journey because I know how isolating it is to navigate BRCA alone. No woman should have to start from scratch when there are so many women who have faced this already. We need to mark the trees for one another and make the path smoother.

Ive connected with countless women online who are going through the same thing, and weve formed a community of support. Sometimes we pass along vitamin and supplement recommendations; sometimes we compare notes on the best post-surgical bras. And sometimes it's reminding one another that our femininity does not live or die with our breasts. Breasts, no breasts, or implants, it is our courage, grit, and resilience that defines us.

RELATED: 9 Breast Cancer Symptoms That Aren't Lumps
(This May 15 story corrects Orban's job title.)

By Francesco Guarascio

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Romania and Hungary are pushing the EU to make it easier for orchard farmers to distil their own fruit brandy, a traditional practice in east and central Europe that is restricted in the bloc on health grounds.

The former communist states, both of which have clashed with the EU over accusations of undermining civil rights, have taken to describing the right to distil fruit brandy as a fight for freedoms.

At the initiative of Romania, which holds the EU rotating presidency through June, the issue will be discussed by EU finance ministers at a meeting on Friday, just ahead of European parliamentary elections next week.

EU rules now ban distilling at home, although orchard owners who bring their own fruit to distilleries to be made into brandy are allowed to take some home for personal use, paying half the usual rate of excise tax.

Romania, known for its "tuica" plum brandy, wants to lift the ban on home distilling and give countries the option to remove excise tax altogether for brandy produced for the fruit grower's own use.

It is backed by Hungary, whose prime minister Viktor Orban changed Hungary's laws to allow home distilling in 2010 but was forced to backtrack by the EU's top court, which ruled the changes illegal in 2014. Hungarians are known for "palinka", brandy from apricots, plums, cherries, apples or pears.

Fruit growers in Hungary and Romania are already allowed to produce more brandy for personal use, taxed at the lower rate, than in other EU countries, up to 50 liters a year per grower.

A tweak to an EU legislative proposal suggested by Romania would allow countries to charge no tax rather than just lowering it. The personal use threshold would be raised to 100 liters in Romania and Hungary, and 50 liters elsewhere in the EU.

The reform would also legalize home distilleries, a move that would be welcomed by other states, including Austria, officials said. Homemade beers and wines are already legal and duty-free in the bloc.

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A Romanian official said the higher ceiling was meant to allow large households in the countryside to produce their own spirits in line with ancient traditions.

The proposal, which needs the backing of all EU states to be approved, is opposed by Germany, Italy, Sweden and Bulgaria, according to an EU document seen by Reuters.

Sofia fears the reform would allow cheaper Romanian brandies to be sold illegally across the border and disrupt local production, a Bulgarian official said.

(Reporting by Francesco Guarascio @fraguarascio; Editing by Peter Graff)
It is difficult to find anyone willing to defend the right to end innocent human life.

This is something we should celebrate. Human beings tend to have an instinctive aversion to harming the innocent. Society stigmatizes those who would openly advocate the right of the strong to subjugate the weak merely because they have the power to do so.

This natural human tendency to abhor injustice and oppression explains why the arguments in favor of abortion rights become increasingly inane with every passing day.

Abortion intentionally terminates the life of a human being residing within his or her mother. This is a fact that can be concealed only with word games. It is not an article of faith imposed on believers by religious groups. It is not a fiction invented by misogynists who want to control womens bodies. It is a medical reality, available to anyone willing to use their rational faculties to comprehend the mechanics of human reproduction and abortion.

The politicians and activists defending and promoting abortion rights are in essence claiming that women ought to have the right to terminate the life of a distinct human being. There are comprehensible, varyingly defensible ethical arguments for why women should have this right, arguments that privilege the womans right to bodily autonomy over the right to life of the developing human being inside her.

Those are not the arguments were hearing. As a number of Republican state legislatures advance bills to regulate abortion earlier in pregnancy, abortion-rights supporters are deploying a wide array of ignorant, incoherent, and inaccurate arguments in service of the idea that the abortion debate is a mere matter of womens health care  that it has nothing to do with whether the government should allow some people to end the lives of some others.

Just last week, CNN contributor Christine Quinn asserted, When a woman is pregnant, that is not a human being inside of her. It is a part of the mother. Quinn managed to avoid giving an explanation of how a being with distinct human DNA is anything other than a human being or how a being inside the mother is in fact a part of the mother.

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Shortly thereafter, in the wake of Georgia governor Brian Kemps signing of a heartbeat bill  which prohibits abortion after a fetal heartbeat can be detected, usually at about six weeks gestation  opponents of the law allowed us a glimpse inside the twisted ways they craft their nonsensical methods of denying that abortion kills.

Heartbeat Bills Get the Science of Fetal Heartbeats All Wrong was the title of an article published on Monday in Wired, the scare quotes around heartbeat a helpful hint as to what author Adam Rogers will be up to in the piece. Heres what he has to say at the start of his report:

These bills generally say that a fetal heartbeat helps predict whether a pregnancy will result in a living baby; the model legislation many states use refers to that fetal cardiac activity as a marker of an unborn human individual, defining a moment where alive-ness starts. And, yes, its true that detection of cardiac rhythm is a marker for the health of a pregnancy and a good sign that itll continue  that, if everything works out, itll result in the birth of a living baby.

Rogers carefully uses the term a pregnancy to ensure that no one might suspect were considering the cardiac activity of an individual human being. You have to note the use of the phrase unborn human individual, he cautions a moment later. This part of the debate over abortion depends on whether you think a 3- to 4-millimeter-long, partially organized blob of cells is a human individual or not.

Evidently this intrepid science reporter isnt terribly impressed by the biological reality that this 3- to 4-millimeter-long, partially organized blob of cells has its own human DNA, entirely distinct from its mother, its father, and, indeed, every other human being in the course of human history. Rogers goes on to quote a variety of apparent medical experts, explaining why fetal heartbeats arent really that at all:

At six weeks, the embryo is forming what will eventually develop into mature systems. Theres an immature neurological system, and theres a very immature cardiovascular system, says Jennifer Kerns, an ob-gyn at UC San Francisco and director of research in obstetrics and gynecology at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital. The rhythm specified in the six-week abortion bans, she says, is a group of cells with electrical activity. Thats what the heartbeat is at that stage of gestation. . . . We are in no way talking about any kind of cardiovascular system. . . . As the ob-gyn Jen Gunter wrote three years ago, this is, more technically, fetal pole cardiac activity. Its a cluster of pulsing cells. In the mouse embryo, for example, there is a definite cardiac rhythm in the tiny, little, immature heart at 8.5 days of development, but it is certainly not enough to support viability, says Janet Rossant, senior scientist and chief of research emeritus at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto. It is just helping to encourage the development of an organized vasculature and circulatory system  a prerequisite for future viability but not sufficient alone.

Rogers never bothers to explain why a mouse embryo is relevant to the discussion of human heartbeats, nor does he disclose that Gunter is a virulent abortion-rights activist and one of just a few ob-gyns in the country who will perform abortions well past the point of fetal viability.

Feminist actress and abortion-rights advocate Alyssa Milano, though, was convinced by Gunters advocacy, demanding that the press refer to heartbeat bills as fetal pole cardiac activity bills. This is to be expected. It is much more difficult, after all, to affirm that abortion ends a human life and defend this particular form of killing on those terms than it is to dismiss a fetus as inhuman, a clump of cells, or a parasite within the mother.

Under the guise of being the real champions of science, they reduce a human heartbeat to utter meaninglessness. To avoid defending abortion for what it is, they resort to blatant dehumanization of living human beings. Heartbeat bills such as Georgias wont survive legal challenge, but their chief success is in exposing the abortion-rights movement as being deeply anti-science.

More from National Review
Justice E.A. Obile of the Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State has convicted and sentenced Emenike Kelechi Ulu to six months imprisonment for defrauding a Japanese, Michiyo Kamazaki, the sum of$67,000 (Sixty Seven Thousand United States Dollars). .

The convict was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Port Harcourt Zonal Office on Tuesday, May 15, 2019 on one-count charge bordering on false pretence with intent to defraud contrary to section 1(1)(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Related Offences Act 2006 and Punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act. The count charge read: "That you Emenike Kelechi Ulu, sometime in 2016, at Port Harcourt, Rivers State, within the Jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, by false pretence and with intent to defraud, obtained the total sum of Sixty Seven Thousand USD ($67,000.00) from one Michiyo Kamazaki, when you falsely represented that you have been awarded a contract by United States Agency for International Development and the Government of Iraq, which pretence you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 1(1)(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related offences Act 2006 and Punishable under section 1(3) of the same Act, He pleaded "guilty" to the count charge.

Both the prosecuting counsel, Samuel Chime and the defence counsel, Nnaemeka Ndimma agreed on the convicts plea of guilty. Justice Obile sentenced Ulu to six months imprisonment without an option of fine. He further ordered the prosecuting agency to supervise the restitution of the proceeds of the crime and inform the court accordingly. Ulu's journey to prison began when he was arrested on February 13, 2019 along Liberty Drive in Woji, Port Harcourt by operatives the EFCC.


Heartwell Park. | Photo: Attosa C./Yelp

From a dog rescue organization's anniversary party to a Tourette syndrome awareness walk, there's plenty to enjoy in Long Beach 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.

Pug Rescue of Korea 10-Year Anniversary Party

From the event description:

Join us as we celebrate 10 years of rescuing pugs. There will be a very special appearance by our rescuer Kim all the way from Korea! We'll have pizza, snacks and beverages (while our pugs enviously watch us eat, of course). The first 50 guests will receive a special pug party favor. We'll gather at and around the small dog area of the park. Look out for our Pug Rescue of Korea tent!

When: Saturday, May 18, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.

Where: Recreation Dog Park, 5201 E. Seventh St.

Admission: $6

Click here for more details, and to get your tickets

Friends of the Library Annual Meeting and Luncheon featuring Barbara Crane

From the event description:

Join us for a lunch and a presentation by Barbara Crane, award-winning author of "When Water Was Everywhere." Once upon a time in Los Angeles, water was everywhere  in rivers that rendered the vast plain marsh and woodland and in underground streams that provided an abundance of water for people, cattle, orchards and vineyards. In Barbara Crane's novel, Mexican California and Tongva Indian village life come alive, unfolding stories that assure the novels themes of loss, hope and redemption resonate from every page.



When: Saturday, May 18, 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m.

Where: The Reef Restaurant, 880 S. Harbor Scenic Drive

Admission: $35

Click here for more details, and to get your tickets

R&Brunch  Do It For Gwin Edition

From the event description:

#RnBrunch is back but with a greater purpose this time. We're doing it for Gwin! Our official photographer and very good friends Eddie and Liz Gwin lost everything in a home fire a few weeks ago. We will be accepting donations at #RnBrunch to help get the Gwin family back on their feet. As a community, let's come together and party with a purpose!

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When: Sunday, May 19, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.

Where: The Harbor, 130 Pine Ave.

Admission: Free

Click here for more details, and to get your tickets

2019 SoCal Teal Walk: A Tourette Syndrome Awareness Walk and Family Picnic

From the event description:

Join the Tourette Association of America in celebrating Tourette Syndrome Awareness Month and attend our SoCal TEAL Walk: A Tourette Syndrome Awareness Walk and Family Picnic on Sunday, May 19th in Long Beach, CA. Wear Teal! Teal is not only the color of Tourette Syndrome Awareness, it also stands for "Tourettes Education, Awareness and Love!" If you care about this issue, if you care about someone living with Tourettes, then join us for this free event! There will be a family picnic (free pizza provided, bring your own picnic blanket) followed by an awareness walk and activity booths.

When: Sunday, May 19, 1-5 p.m.

Where: Heartwell Park (corner of Clark Avenue and Carson Street)

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.
Portland General Electric Company's POR earnings estimates for 2019 and 2020 have moved up 0.4% and 2% in the past 90 days, respectively. Portland General Electric engages in the generation, wholesale purchase, transmission, distribution and retail sale of electricity in Oregon.

Lets focus on the factors that make Portland General Electric an appropriate investment option at the moment.

Earnings Surprise Trend & Estimate Revision

Portland General Electric beat estimates in the trailing four quarters, the average positive surprise being 12.29%.

Its earnings estimate for 2019 and 2020 indicate 3.38% and 4.49% increase on a year-over-year basis to $2.45 and $2.56 per share, respectively. Revenue estimate for 2019 and 2020 indicate 4.86% and 0.78% rise year over year basis to $2.09 billion and $2.10 billion, respectively.

Long-Term Growth & Dividend Yield

The companys long-term (3 to 5 years) earnings growth is pegged at 4.89%.

Currently, the company has a dividend yield of 2.72% compared with the Zacks S&P 500 composites 1.96%.

Debt/Capital

The companys current debt to capital ratio is pegged at 46.08% compared with the industrys 50.30%.

Price Movement

In the past 12 months, Portland General Electrics shares have rallied 34.1% compared with the industrys rise of 15.3% .

Zacks Rank & Other Key Picks

Portland General Electric currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

Some other top-ranked stocks from the same industry are FirstEnergy Corp. FE, DTE Energy Co. DTE and IDACORP, Inc. IDA, each holding a Zacks Rank of 2.

FirstEnergy pulled off an average positive earnings surprise of 5.09% in the last four quarters. The companys long-term earnings growth is pegged at 6%

DTE Energy pulled off an average positive earnings surprise of 12.24% in the last four quarters. The companys long-term earnings growth is pegged at 6%.

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IDACORP delivered an average positive earnings surprise of 13.83% in the last four quarters. The companys long-term earnings growth is pegged at 3.80%.

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Parents nervously watch as their children wait to be tested for HIV in a village in southern Pakistan, where hundreds of people have been allegedly infected by a doctor using a contaminated syringe.

Dispatched to keep order, police scan the anxious crowd as families hustle into one of five different screening rooms set up in the last month in the village of Wasayo, on the outskirts of Larkana in Sindh province.

Health officials say more than 400 people, many of them children, have tested HIV positive in recent weeks as experts warn of a surge in infection rates across Pakistan, due to the use of unsanitary equipment and rampant malpractice -- often at the hands of quack doctors.

Anger and fear continue to swell in the desperately poor village hit hard by the epidemic, which authorities say could be linked to either gross negligence or malicious intent by a local pediatrician.

"They are coming by the dozens," says a doctor at the makeshift clinic, beset by a lack of equipment and personnel to treat the surging number of patients.

Mukhtar Pervez waits anxiously to have her daughter tested, worrying a recent fever may be linked to the outbreak. For others, their worst fears have already become a reality.

Nisar Ahmed arrived at the clinic in a furious search for medicine after his one-year-old daughter tested positive three days earlier.

"I curse [the doctor] who has caused all these children to be infected," he says angrily.

Nearby Imam Zadi accompanies five of her children to be examined after her grandson tested positive.

"The entire family is so upset," she tells AFP.

Others worry their children's futures have been irreparably harmed after contracting HIV, especially in a country whose masses of rural poor have little understanding of the disease or access to treatment.

"Who is she going to play with? And when she's grown up, who would want to marry her?" asks a tearful mother from a nearby village, who asked not to named, of her four-year-old daughter who just tested positive.

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- 'Helpless'-

Pakistan was long considered a low prevalence country for HIV, but the disease is expanding at an alarming rate, particularly among intravenous drug users and sex workers.

With about 20,000 new HIV infections reported in 2017 alone, Pakistan currently has the second fastest growing HIV rates across Asia, according to the UN.

Pakistan's surging population also suffers the additional burden of having insufficient access to quality healthcare following decades of under-investment by the state, leaving impoverished, rural communities especially vulnerable to unqualified medical practitioners.

"According to some government reports, around 600,000 quack doctors are operating across the country and around 270,000 are practicing in the province of Sindh," said UNAIDS in a statement.

Provincial health officials have also noted that patients are at particular risk of contracting diseases or viruses at these clinics, where injections are often pushed as a primary treatment option.

"For the sake of saving money, these quacks will inject multiple patients with a single syringe. This could be the main cause of the spread of HIV cases," said Sikandar Memon, provincial programme manager of the Sindh Aids Control Programme.

The large number of unqualified doctors along with the "reuse of syringes, unsafe blood transfusions, and other unsafe medical practices" have all led to the spike in HIV cases in recent years, explains Bushra Jamil, an expert on infectious diseases at the Aga Khan University in Karachi.

"Rampant medical malpractices without any effective checks and balances are causing repeated outbreaks in Pakistan," said Jamil.

Authorities investigating the outbreak in Sindh say the accused doctor has also tested positive for HIV.

From a ramshackle jail cell in the nearby city of Ratodero, he denied the charges and accusations he knowingly injected his patients with the virus, while complaining of being incarcerated with common criminals.

But for the parents of the newly diagnosed, the ongoing investigation means little if they are unable to secure access to better information and the necessary drugs that can help stave off the deadly AIDS virus.

"We are helpless. I have other children and I am afraid they might catch the disease," says another mother whose daughter recently tested positive for HIV.

"[Please] send some medicine for our children so that they can be cured. If not, all of our children will die, right?"
HOUSTON (AP)  Houston police have finished their criminal investigation into a deadly January drug raid that killed a couple and injured five officers and have turned over their findings to prosecutors, the department's police chief announced Wednesday.

"As stated at the onset, we will leave no stone unturned in our effort to determine the facts. Today is a major step in that direction and we continue to be committed to a relentless pursuit of truth, transparency, and accountability," said Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo.

He declined to comment on the investigation's findings.

Acevedo said internal police department investigations on the drug raid are ongoing.

During the Jan. 28 raid, four officers were shot in a gunfight that killed 59-year-old Dennis Tuttle and 58-year-old Rhogena Nicholas, the couple who lived in the home. A fifth officer injured his knee during the shooting.

Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg said her office is still conducting its own investigation and all evidence ultimately will be presented to a grand jury. In Harris County, where Houston is located, all officer-involved shootings are presented before a grand jury.

"We will be thorough and methodical, because the people of Harris County deserve the truth," Ogg said.

The raid came under scrutiny after allegations that one of the officers who was shot, Gerald Goines, lied in order to obtain the search warrant.

Goines had alleged in the search warrant that a confidential informant had bought heroin at the home. But the informant told investigators no such drug buy ever took place.

Goines and another officer connected to the raid, Steven Bryant, were relieved of duty. Both officers later retired.

Prosecutors have dismissed more than 30 court cases linked to Goines and Bryant as part of an ongoing review of more than 2,000 of their cases.

The FBI is conducting an investigation to determine whether any civil rights were violated as a result of the raid and shooting.

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Family and friends of Tuttle and Nicholas have said the two, who were married for 20 years, were not criminals. They have angrily dismissed the allegations that the couple was selling heroin and had fired on officers while defending an illicit business.

Attorneys for the families of the slain couple are conducting an independent investigation of the raid.

Autopsy reports released earlier this month showed that benzoylecgonine, a metabolite of cocaine, was found in Nicholas' bloodstream, while metabolites of marijuana were found in Tuttle's bloodstream.

___

Follow Juan A. Lozano on Twitter: https://twitter.com/juanlozano70
The size of the yoga industry has nearly doubled in the last decade, generating annual revenue of $12.1 billion in 2019 according to IBIS World.

Y7 Studio is one company gaining from the industry push, nearly doubling its studio count in 2018, and projecting to increase the studio count by another 50% in 2019.

Its been driven almost purely by demand, Y7 CEO Sarah Larson-Levey told Yahoo Finances YFi PM. Its been really incredible to look at this boutique market that were seeing trending up in the city, and around the country, and to be a part of that has been really, really special.

Perception

When it comes to yoga, the perception tends to differ by the individual.

Yoga has been traditionally thought of as something that comes with all these prerequisites, right? Larson-Levey said. I have to be flexible, I have to be spiritual, I have to have all this time to devote to the practice, and thats not what we do at all.

She described what makes her company Y7 Studio different than what one would typically expect from a yoga-focused platform.

All of our classes are 60 minutes, theyre heated, theyre in the dark, and youre moving constantly, she said.

How one startup is shaking up the $12B yoga industry (Courtesy: Y7 Studio)

Fitness Space

The fitness space as a whole is very competitive, but Larson-Levey isnt too concerned.

What weve done with Y7 is make sure the experience is really really consistent, she said. We offer two types of classes only, so every client whos coming to whichever studio is closest to them, they know what theyre getting exactly.

The space is definitely getting crowded, she added. There are new studios popping up all over the place, every day theres sort of a new concept, and I think what were going to see is the ones who dont have a clear point of view and authenticity, kind of fade out.

In 5 years, Y7 Studio has opened 12 locations, with further expansions planned across New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago. Close to 1,500 people taking their classes every day. The yoga platform has also seen a 20% increase in comparable studio revenue in 2019.

Story continues

What weve done with Y7 is make sure the experience is really really consistent, Larson-Levey said. We offer two types of classes only, so every client whos coming to whichever studio is closest to them, they know what theyre getting exactly.

McKenzie DeGroot is a producer at Yahoo Finance. Follow her on Twitter: @degrootmckenzie

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HP Inc. HPQ recently introduced new gaming laptops in the OMEN series, which includes the worlds first dual screen gaming laptop, at the HP Gaming Festival in Beijing. Additionally, the company expanded in the gaming peripherals market by unveiling the HP Pavilion Gaming laptops.



The OMEN 15 and OMEN 17 laptops are 20% and 18% slimmer than previous versions, respectively. All three laptops are powered by an overhauled advanced thermal solution, OMEN Tempest.



Notably, the OMEN 17 laptop supports chips as powerful as NVIDIAs NVDA GeForce RTX 2080, which enables realistic visuals. Moreover, processors such as Intels INTC 9th Gen Core i9 high performance mobile processor, powered by up to 32 GB of RAM, will ensure smooth multitasking capabilities.



Furthermore, HP announced several upgrades to its OMEN Command Center software by adding two powerful capabilities to enhance gamer experience and increase flexibility.



Moreover, the latest HP Pavilion Gaming 15 and HP Pavilion Gaming 17 laptops feature significant technological improvements, which enable chip support of up to NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti, and processor of up to 9th Gen Intel Core i5/i7 high performance mobile CPUs.



This apart, HP launched the HP Pavilion Gaming Mouse 200 along with the HP Pavilion Gaming Mousepad 400 to optimize cursor movement and perfect aim.



Notably, HP started 2019 by launching the OMEN X Emperium 65 with Soundbar, among an array of other innovations. The company claims to take gaming experiences to new heights with OMEN x Emperium 65, which apart from NVIDIAs G-SYNC HDR monitor boast OMEN X Emperium Soundbar.



Early this year, the company also took advantage of the latest available technology by refreshing two of its best-selling OMEN PCs, the OMEN 15, and OMEN Obelisk desktop.



OMEN X 2S Provides Competitive Edge



The most notable innovation, the OMEN X 2S, flaunts a dual screen and strong multitasking capabilities. The concept of a second screen emerged with the valuable insights of the Gaming industry, which showed that 82% of gamers use their mobile phones to message, 61% listen to music, and 49% browse other websites and watch videos online during gaming sessions.



The second screen will enable gamers to use WeChat and Whatsapp for messaging, browse Spotify SPOT, and watch YouTube and Twitch. The screen will also serve as a hub for OMEN Command Center software.



Last year, Asus announced Project Precog  an AI-powered dual screen notebook  which is expected to release later in 2019. In 2017, Razer had announced its triple-screen gaming laptop, which hasnt released yet.



The dual screen gaming laptop, which will be available from June this year at $2099.99, will push HP ahead of its competitors.



With these notable announcements, HP demonstrates its efforts to create a well-engineered gaming ecosystem.



Moreover, the latest innovations and enhancements are likely to boost the companys Personal Systems business, which is facing challenges due to Intel's CPU shortages. This makes us optimistic about HPs prospects given the current sluggishness in the PC market where replacement has taken a backseat.



HP currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.



Long-term earnings growth rate for Verint is projected to be 11%, respectively.

Story continues

HP Inc. Revenue (TTM)

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HTC has announced the European release of its new Vive Pro Eye virtual reality helmet, available now through its own e-commerce site, and through usual points of sales starting May 22, 2019.

The Vive Pro Eye, which HTC presented this past January at Las Vegas's CES, is primarily intended for professional use.

An iteration of the famous Vive Pro, it offers a large number of innovative features, starting with Precision Eye Tracking, which uses a large part of the device's CPU and GPU in order to maximize the resolution of the images displayed.

Along with a visual range of 110 degrees, the Vive Pro Eye is equipped with the SteamVR 2.0 tracking protocol, which provides greater flexibility for demonstrations within 7 x 7-meter (when using two base stations) or 10 x 10-meter environments (with four base stations). The helmet also features two 3.5-inch Oled screens providing a combined 2880 x 1600-pixel resolution. On the audio front, the helmet is equipped with two microphones as well as removable Hi-Res headphones for an even more spectacular immersion. In short, the Vive Pro Eye optimizes the concept and design of the Vive Pro for today's needs.

The Vive Pro Eye requires pairing with a PC equipped with the following minimum specs: an Intel Core i5-4590 or AMD FX 8350 or higher CPU, an Nvidia GeForce GTX 970 or AMD Radeon R9 290 or higher GPU, at least 4 gigs of RAM and ideally running Windows 10 (although it also supports Windows 7 and 8.1).

The Vive Pro Eye is now available for 1,649 euros on Vive.com, and will be made available through authorized retailers in 25 European countries. The box will contain the Vive Pro Eye helmet with cable, two SteamVR 2.0 base stations, two controllers, an assembly kit with all necessary cables. For an additional 185 euros, pros will have access to a dedicated licensing program, along with a two-year warranty for commercial use.

Now available in Europe, China and Taiwan, HTC indicates that it will be coming soon to more markets.
By Guy Faulconbridge and Paul Sandle LONDON (Reuters) - China's Huawei poses such a grave security risk to the United Kingdom that the government must not allow it to have even a limited role in building 5G networks, a former head of Britain's MI6 foreign spy service said on Thursday. In what some have compared to the Cold War arms race, the United States is worried that 5G dominance would give any global competitor such as China an advantage Washington is not ready to accept. The Trump administration, which hit Huawei with severe sanctions on Wednesday, has told allies not to use its technology because of fears it could be a vehicle for Chinese spying. Huawei has repeatedly denied this. But British ministers have discussed allowing Huawei a restricted role in building parts of its 5G network. The final decision has not yet been published. "I very much hope there is time for the UK government, and the probability as I write of a new prime minister, to reconsider the Huawei decision," said Richard Dearlove, who was chief of the Secret Intelligence Service from 1996 to 2004. "The ability to control communications and the data that flows through its channels will be the route to exercise power over societies and other nations," Dearlove wrote in the foreword to a report on Huawei by the Henry Jackson Society. Huawei, founded in 1987 by a former engineer in China's People's Liberation Army, denies it spies for Beijing, says it complies with the law and that the United States is trying to smear it because Western companies are falling behind. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told Britain on a visit this month that it needed to change its attitude toward China and Huawei, casting the world's second largest economy as a threat to the West similar to that once posed by the Soviet Union. Asked whether the government would reconsider its stance on Huawei, Prime Minister Theresa May's spokesman said: "As you know, in relation to Huawei, we are reviewing the right policy approach for 5G and when an announcement is ready the culture secretary will update parliament." Huawei said the Henry Jackson Society was short on facts and misunderstood modern China and the nature of 5G. "The isolationist approach they recommend may support an America first trade agenda but it's hard to see how it's in UK's national interest," Huawei said, adding it was an independent company which took no instructions from Beijing. "We hope and expect that any decision on Huawei's participation in Britain's build-out of 5G networks will be based on solid evidence, rather than on unfounded speculation and groundless accusations," it said. Dearlove, who spent 38 years in British intelligence, said it was deeply worrying that the British government "appears to have decided to place the development of some its most sensitive critical infrastructure" in the hands of a Chinese company. "No part of the Communist Chinese state is ultimately able to operate free of the control exercised by its Communist Party leadership," said Dearlove. "We should also not be influenced by the threat of the economic cost of either delaying 5G or having to settle for a less capable and more expensive provider," he said. (Reporting by Guy Faulconbridge; Editing by Andrew MacAskill and Mark Potter)
President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday departed the presidential wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja for Saudi Arabia. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the presidential aircraft conveying the president and members of his entourage took-off from the airport at about 11.00am.

Those at the airport to bid the president `bye-bye included his Chief of Staff, Malam Abba Kyari; Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT); acting Inspector General of Police, Muhammed Adamu and other government officials. NAN reports that the presidents trip to the Holy Land followed the invitation by King Salman Bin Abdulaziz, the king of Saudi Arabia and Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques. A statement earlier issued by the Presidents Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, in Abuja on Wednesday, confirmed that President Buhari would perform the Umrah (lesser pilgrimage) while in the Kingdom. President Buhari last performed the Umrah in Saudi Arabia in Feb. 2016. Umrah is an optional but recommended pilgrimage to Makkah that can be made at any time of the year.


By Guy Faulconbridge and Paul Sandle

LONDON (Reuters) - China's Huawei poses such a grave security risk to the United Kingdom that the government must not allow it to have even a limited role in building 5G networks, a former head of Britain's MI6 foreign spy service said on Thursday.

In what some have compared to the Cold War arms race, the United States is worried that 5G dominance would give any global competitor such as China an advantage Washington is not ready to accept.

The Trump administration, which hit Huawei with severe sanctions on Wednesday, has told allies not to use its technology because of fears it could be a vehicle for Chinese spying. Huawei has repeatedly denied this.

But British ministers have discussed allowing Huawei a restricted role in building parts of its 5G network. The final decision has not yet been published.

"I very much hope there is time for the UK government, and the probability as I write of a new prime minister, to reconsider the Huawei decision," said Richard Dearlove, who was chief of the Secret Intelligence Service from 1996 to 2004.

"The ability to control communications and the data that flows through its channels will be the route to exercise power over societies and other nations," Dearlove wrote in the foreword to a report on Huawei by the Henry Jackson Society.

Huawei, founded in 1987 by a former engineer in China's People's Liberation Army, denies it spies for Beijing, says it complies with the law and that the United States is trying to smear it because Western companies are falling behind.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told Britain on a visit this month that it needed to change its attitude towards China and Huawei, casting the world's second largest economy as a threat to the West similar to that once posed by the Soviet Union.

Asked whether the government would reconsider its stance on Huawei, Prime Minister Theresa May's spokesman said: "As you know, in relation to Huawei, we are reviewing the right policy approach for 5G and when an announcement is ready the culture secretary will update parliament."

Story continues

Huawei said the Henry Jackson Society was short on facts and misunderstood modern China and the nature of 5G.

"The isolationist approach they recommend may support an America first trade agenda but it's hard to see how it's in UK's national interest," Huawei said, adding it was an independent company which took no instructions from Beijing.

"We hope and expect that any decision on Huawei's participation in Britain's build-out of 5G networks will be based on solid evidence, rather than on unfounded speculation and groundless accusations," it said.

Dearlove, who spent 38 years in British intelligence, said it was deeply worrying that the British government "appears to have decided to place the development of some its most sensitive critical infrastructure" in the hands of a Chinese company.

"No part of the Communist Chinese state is ultimately able to operate free of the control exercised by its Communist Party leadership," said Dearlove.

"We should also not be influenced by the threat of the economic cost of either delaying 5G or having to settle for a less capable and more expensive provider," he said.

(Reporting by Guy Faulconbridge; Editing by Andrew MacAskill and Mark Potter)
Photo credit: Helen H. Richardson/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images - Getty Images

From Car and Driver

High-school senior Kendrick Castillo was killed when he rushed a school shooter at the STEM School Highlands Ranch in Highlands Ranch, Colorado, on May 7.

Castillo, who would have graduated this spring, owned a first-gen Jeep Cherokee and loved off-roading.

A Jeep owner who participated in off-road events, Castillo was honored by local Jeep clubs with a memorial procession of Jeeps numbering in the hundreds.

Jeep owners are thick on the ground in Colorado, and they are known to have a sense of occasion. So it's fitting that, to honor one of their own-18-year-old Kendrick Castillo, killed in the most recent of an epidemic of U.S. school shooting incidents-they brought hundreds of Jeeps to line the streets of a Denver suburb in a funeral procession on Wednessday.

According to news reports, Castillo and two classmates, Joshua Jones and Brendon Bialy, did not hesitate when a classmate pulled a gun in their class. The students were in their British literature class at the STEM School Highlands Ranch in Highlands Ranch, Colorado, on May 7. The three reportedly instantly jumped up and charged the shooter, with Castillo leading the way. According to Bialy, Castillo barreled into the gunman, pinning him down. Castillo was killed by the ensuing gunfire, and Jones was shot twice through the leg. A second gunman was subdued elsewhere in the school by a security guard. Seven other students are said to have been wounded in the attacks.





Photo credit: via Colorado Jeep Girls - CBS

As the community mourned Castillo's passing, local Jeep aficionados found an especially appropriate way to celebrate his heroism: they put together a procession consisting of hundreds of Jeeps from Colorado's numerous off-road Jeep clubs. Castillo was a huge fan of the brand, owned a first-generation Jeep Cherokee, and participated in off-road events with it. The procession was led by officers from the Douglas County sheriff department; it was the first time they'd led a procession for a fallen civilian. "Our office felt strongly about recognizing the Castillo family and Kendrick," Lt. Chris Washburn explained, "and we just wanted to honor them."

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The procession ended at a memorial service attended by an estimated 2000 people. There, Kendrick's father, John, talked about his son's selflessness. "He would want me to have the strength to help everybody heal. Because he knows there's not anything I can do for him now other than reach out to his friends and make sure their comfort and their family's is there. If there's anything that I can do for any of you, you can pick up the phone or walk in my door."

"If I had to describe him," John Castillo continued, "first it would be love, the love for anybody he met. He was compassionate. If you were walking on the street and stumbled, he'd walk over to make sure you were okay. It's no secret to us that Kendrick did what he had to do. To carry on his life's message we need to be more like him."

('You Might Also Like',)
World-renowned architect Ieoh Ming Pei, known as I.M. Pei, died at age 102.

Peis architecture firm Pei Cobb Freed and Partners confirmed to HuffPost that Pei had died. His son Li Chung Pei told The New York Times on Thursday that his father had died overnight.

The Chinese American architect was known for iconic designs, such as the Louvre Pyramid in Paris, France. Among his most famous projects were museums like the East Building of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., and the JFK Library in Boston, designed in the 1970s, as well as buildings like the Bank of China Tower in Hong Kong in the 1980s and the Four Seasons Hotel in Manhattan in the 1990s.

While the glass and metal pyramid entrance to the Louvre, built in 1989, is now one of the worlds most well-known and celebrated structures, at the time Peis design was met with criticism from many in Frances art establishment.

But how can you compare? Pei told the Times in 1983 when asked about his favorites among his works. Its like a man with many children ... They all have different challenges, and their personalities are different.

Chinese American architect I.M. Pei bursts out laughing while posing in front of the Louvre glass pyramid, prior to its inauguration on Mar. 29, 1989, in Paris. (Photo: AP)

For the JFK Library, Pei similarly utilized glass and metal in his design to create a structure that let in floods of light.

Its openness is the essence, Pei wrote of the JFK Library in a 1979 program. In the silence of that high, light-drenched space, the visitors will be alone with their thoughts.

In the skyline of [John F. Kennedys] city, in the distant horizons toward which he led us, in the canopy of space into which he launched us, visitors may experience revived hope and promise for the future, he added.

Born in China in 1917, Pei came to the U.S. at 17 years old to study architecture. He graduated from MIT and Harvard, where he later was an assistant professor. He founded an architecture firm in the 1950s, from which he retired in 1990. He received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1993.

The JFK Library in Boston. (Photo: Rick Friedman via Getty Images)

This has been updated throughout.

Story continues

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Rohit Sharma, 28 pleaded guilty to stalking, harassment and failing to appear before court (SWNS/MET POLICE)

A man who stalked a woman for over 18 months after she once served him in a shop has been jailed.

Rohit Sharma, 28, of Empire Court, North End Road, Wembley was jailed at Isleworth Crown Court on Wednesday after pleading guilty to stalking, harassment and failing to appear at court.

He was sentenced to 29 months in prison, with a judge ordering Sharma  an Indian national  be considered for deportation on the completion of his sentence.

Sharma began stalking his victim, aged in her 20s, after she served him in a shop in Wembley on 11 November 2017.

But he returned later that same day with his father and asked the woman to marry him.

A judge at Isleworth Crown Court ordered Indian national Sharma be considered for deportation after his sentence (SWNS/MET POLICE)

Four days later the victim changed jobs - but Sharma found out where she worked and managed to obtain her phone number.

His behaviour escalated and he bombarded the victim with multiple messages via phone, text and social media.

The victim reported Sharma to police and in February 2018 he was issued with a harassment warning, his campaign of stalking and harassment continued.

This consisted of the victim receiving up to 40 calls a day and Sharma continually watching her at her place of work.

Read more on Yahoo News UK

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In July 2018, Sharma was charged with harassment but after being bailed from court he continued to pursue his victim.

He failed to attend court on 5 November 2018 and was circulated as wanted by police.

On 16 April 2019, Sharma was arrested by police after intelligence linked him to an address in North End Road, Wembley.

Due to the weight of evidence against him, the Indian National was left with little option but to plead guilty at court.

Sharma was sentenced to a 29-month jail term (PA)

Detective Constable Nicola Kerry from the West Area Command Unit said: Stalking and harassment has a devastating impact on the lives of those targeted.

Story continues

There is intrusion into the victims life, and they are left to feel vulnerable, distressed and threatened.

Sharma was incessant in his pursuit of his victim. He would phone her up to 40 times a day and use around 15 different numbers to contact her, making it near impossible to block his calls, and would also get friends and relatives to contact her on his behalf.

The victim has been left devastated by Sharmas actions and I can only hope that his imprisonment offers some form of respite for her.

She has shown immense bravery in reporting him to police and supporting this court case.

---Watch the latest videos from Yahoo UK---
JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP)  Indonesian police arrested nine suspected militants following a tipoff about a possible attack during the announcement of presidential election results next week, police said Thursday.

The elite counterterrorism squad arrested suspected militant instructor Joko Supriono in the East Java town of Madiun on Tuesday, and eight others were apprehended separately in Central Java province, National Police spokesman Dedi Prasetyo said.

He said seven of the suspects had allegedly joined an extremist group in Syria before returning this year, and Supriono was believed to be linked to Jemaah Anshorut Daulah, a local militant network affiliated with the Islamic State group.

The men were being transported to the capital, Jakarta, for further investigation, Prasetyo said.

Also known as JAD, the network of almost two dozen extremist organizations has been implicated in numerous attacks in Indonesia in the past two years and was designated a terror organization by the U.S. in 2017.

Last week, the counterterrorism squad foiled an alleged plot by members of JAD to set off bombs during expected street protests after the official vote count for the presidential election is announced by the electoral commission by May 22, police said.

They said they uncovered the plot after arresting a group member identified only as Rafli at a cellular shop in Jakarta's satellite city of Bekasi and finding two bombs and several detonators that could be set off using Wi-Fi signals from a cellphone or radio transmitter.

Prasetyo said police were tipped off about Rafli's whereabouts while interrogating four suspected militants who were arrested in Bekasi during several police raids on JAD members. Another suspect was shot to death while trying to detonate a bomb during a raid.

Indonesian militants have been inspired by IS attacks abroad despite a sustained crackdown that obliterated an al-Qaida-affiliated network that was responsible for bombings in Bali in 2002 and other attacks.

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In May last year, two families carried out suicide bombings at churches in Indonesia's second-largest city, Surabaya, killing a dozen people and two young girls whose parents had involved them in one of the attacks. Police said the father was the head of a local Jemaah Anshorut Daulah cell.

Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim-majority nation, is an outpost of democracy in a Southeast Asian neighborhood of authoritarian governments and is forecast to be among the world's biggest economies by 2030. The country held the biggest single-day election on April 17 to elect a president and national and regional parliaments.

Vote counts from five independent survey groups showed incumbent President Joko Widodo with a clear lead over Prabowo Subianto, a general during the era of the Suharto military dictatorship who warned Indonesia would fall apart without his strongman leadership.

Subianto's insistence that he was on course for victory, and his allegations of fraud, have led to speculation in some quarters that he might be trying to himself fix the results or would refuse to concede. That would put pressure on the country's democratic institutions and could possibly lead to violence.

His supporters recently held street rallies to call for fairness and vigilance in the vote counting as the government warned that efforts to cast doubt on the outcome could amount to treason.
JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP)  Hundreds of police and soldiers have retaken control of a prison in western Indonesia following a riot on Thursday, officials said.

Angry inmates set fire to Langkat prison in North Sumatra province, which is designed to house 900 people but now has more than 1,600, said Rika Apriyanti, a spokeswoman for the Correctional Directorate at the Justice and Human Rights Ministry. Most prisoners were convicted of drug offensives.

She said the cause of anger is still being investigated. Local media reports said the riot began when inmates protested against improper treatment by a guard of an inmate who was caught taking crystal methamphetamine into his cell. Other inmates joined the protest and it turned violent.

Television video showed hundreds of prisoners gathered in an open field in the prison compound while black smoke billowed from a building. Burned cars and motorbikes were scattered around the prison.

National police spokesman Dedi Prasetyo said a guard and an inmate were injured in the riot, and 16 cars and motorbikes were burned.

Eight fire trucks were mobilized to extinguish the fire and nearly 500 police and soldiers were deployed around the prison to prevent inmates from escaping.

Prasetyo said at least 92 prisoners had been recaptured and about eight remained at large. Police set up roadblocks as they searched for the inmates.

Jailbreaks are common in Indonesia, where overcrowding has become a problem in prisons that are struggling with poor funding and large numbers of people arrested in a war on drugs.
Mac Amin knows not everyone in Lebanon will welcome or understand About Wellness, the first medical marijuana dispensary in the Greater Cincinnati area, when it opens next week. He got a taste of that skepticism during the two years he spent applying for permits and negotiating with members of City Council. He believes, however, that there are people in the community who can benefit from what medical marijuana offers  even people who have waited months for a dispensary in their community. One of the reasons his company decided to open in Ohio was to offer a form of pain treatment that doesnt involve opioids, he said.
It is not uncommon to see companies perform well in the years after insiders buy shares. On the other hand, we'd be remiss not to mention that insider sales have been known to precede tough periods for a business. So before you buy or sell Beijing Chunlizhengda Medical Instruments Co., Ltd. (HKG:1858), you may well want to know whether insiders have been buying or selling.

What Is Insider Buying?

Most investors know that it is quite permissible for company leaders, such as directors of the board, to buy and sell stock on the market. However, such insiders must disclose their trading activities, and not trade on inside information.

We don't think shareholders should simply follow insider transactions. But logic dictates you should pay some attention to whether insiders are buying or selling shares. For example, a Columbia University study found that 'insiders are more likely to engage in open market purchases of their own companys stock when the firm is about to reveal new agreements with customers and suppliers'.

Want to participate in a short research study? Help shape the future of investing tools and you could win a $250 gift card!

View our latest analysis for Beijing Chunlizhengda Medical Instruments

Beijing Chunlizhengda Medical Instruments Insider Transactions Over The Last Year

The , Lai Ming Lam, made the biggest insider sale in the last 12 months. That single transaction was for HK$2.2m worth of shares at a price of HK$17.50 each. That means that an insider was selling shares at around the current price of HK$16.58. While we don't usually like to see insider selling, it's more concerning if the sales take price at a lower price. Given that the sale took place at around current prices, it makes us a little cautious but is hardly a major concern. Lai Ming Lam was the only individual insider to sell shares in the last twelve months.

The chart below shows insider transactions (by individuals) over the last year. By clicking on the graph below, you can see the precise details of each insider transaction!

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SEHK:1858 Recent Insider Trading, May 15th 2019

For those who like to find winning investments this free list of growing companies with recent insider purchasing, could be just the ticket.

Insider Ownership of Beijing Chunlizhengda Medical Instruments

Another way to test the alignment between the leaders of a company and other shareholders is to look at how many shares they own. I reckon it's a good sign if insiders own a significant number of shares in the company. Beijing Chunlizhengda Medical Instruments insiders own about HK$1.5b worth of shares (which is 68% of the company). Most shareholders would be happy to see this sort of insider ownership, since it suggests that management incentives are well aligned with other shareholders.

What Might The Insider Transactions At Beijing Chunlizhengda Medical Instruments Tell Us?

An insider hasn't bought Beijing Chunlizhengda Medical Instruments stock in the last three months, but there was some selling. Looking to the last twelve months, our data doesn't show any insider buying. But since Beijing Chunlizhengda Medical Instruments is profitable and growing, we're not too worried by this. It is good to see high insider ownership, but the insider selling leaves us cautious. If you are like me, you may want to think about whether this company will grow or shrink. Luckily, you can check this free report showing analyst forecasts for its future.

Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking elsewhere. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies.

We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material.



If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. Thank you for reading.
The United Nations on Wednesday said nearly 70,000 people had been displaced as a result of clashes in and around Tripoli, the Libyan capital. UN spokesman, Mr Staphane Dujarric, quoted the report released by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), as saying that 100,000 others were thought to remain in the frontline areas amid deteriorating conditions.

Some 3,300 refugees and migrants are trapped in detention centres that are already exposed to or are in close proximity to fighting.Access to food, water and health care is severely restricted at these facilities as a result of the conflict, Dujarric said. Libya has been in turmoil since the death of its longtime leader, Col. Muammar Gaddafi in the popular Arab spring of 2011. Fighting has been raging since Khalifa Haftar, a military commander based in eastern Libya, launched an offensive to take control of Tripoli from the UN-support unity government on April 3.

The UN has been calling for a cease-fire in the conflict that has killed at least 400 people so far. Haftars Libyan National Army (LNA), an ally of a parallel administration based in Benghazi, has refused to recognise Tripoli government. We are worried about the dramatically deteriorating humanitarian situation in Tripoli, a statement on the IOMs website quoted Othman Belbeisi, its head of mission in Libya as saying. The situation is especially alarming for over 3,300 migrants, among them children and pregnant women. We reiterate that there is an urgent need to end the detention of migrants in Libya and stop displacement. While our teams on the ground continue to provide emergency humanitarian assistance to conflict-affected populations, we recognise that more needs to be done from all sides to ensure the safety of civilians.


Today we'll take a closer look at Aker ASA (OB:AKER) 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. Unfortunately, it's common for investors to be enticed in by the seemingly attractive yield, and lose money when the company has to cut its dividend payments.

In this case, Aker likely looks attractive to dividend investors, given its 4.3% dividend yield and nine-year payment history. We'd agree the yield does look enticing. When buying stocks for their dividends, you should always run through the checks below, to see if the dividend looks sustainable.

Click the interactive chart for our full dividend analysis

OB:AKER Historical Dividend Yield, May 16th 2019

Want to participate in a short research study? Help shape the future of investing tools and you could win a $250 gift card!

Payout ratios

Companies (usually) pay dividends out of their earnings. If a company is paying more than it earns, the dividend might have to be cut. So we need to be form a view on if a company's dividend is sustainable, relative to its net profit after tax. Looking at the data, we can see that 286% of Aker's profits were paid out as dividends in the last 12 months. Unless there are extenuating circumstances, from the perspective of an investor who hopes to own the company for many years, a payout ratio of above 100% is definitely a concern.

Consider getting our latest analysis on Aker's financial position here.

Dividend Volatility

Before buying a stock for its income, we want to see if the dividends have been stable in the past, and if the company has a track record of maintaining its dividend. Looking at the last decade of data, we can see that Aker paid its first dividend at least nine years ago. It's good to see that Aker has been paying a dividend for a number of years. However, the dividend has been cut at least once in the past, and we're concerned that what has been cut once, could be cut again. During the past nine-year period, the first annual payment was re8.00 in 2010, compared to re22.50 last year. This works out to be a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 12% a year over that time. The growth in dividends has not been linear, but the CAGR is a decent approximation of the rate of change over this time frame.

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So, its dividends have grown at a rapid rate over this time, but payments have been cut in the past. The stock may still be worth considering as part of a diversified dividend portfolio.

Dividend Growth Potential

Given that the dividend has been cut in the past, we need to check if earnings are growing and if that might lead to stronger dividends in the future. Aker has grown its earnings per share at 9.4% per annum over the past five years. Although per-share earnings are growing at a credible rate, virtually all of the income is being paid out as dividends to shareholders. This is okay, but may limit growth in the company's future dividend payments.

We'd also point out that Aker issued a meaningful number of new shares in the past year. Trying to grow the dividend when issuing new shares reminds us of the ancient Greek tale of Sisyphus - perpetually pushing a boulder uphill. Companies that consistently issue new shares are often suboptimal from a dividend perspective.

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. We're a bit uncomfortable with its high payout ratio. Next, earnings growth has been good, but unfortunately the dividend has been cut at least once in the past. To conclude, we've spotted a couple of potential concerns with Aker that may make it less than ideal candidate for dividend investors.

Companies that are growing earnings tend to be the best dividend stocks over the long term. See what the 3 analysts we track are forecasting for Aker for free with public 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.
Long term investing works well, but it doesn't always work for each individual stock. We really hate to see fellow investors lose their hard-earned money. Anyone who held Italia Independent Group S.p.A. (BIT:IIG) for five years would be nursing their metaphorical wounds since the share price dropped 93% in that time. And it's not just long term holders hurting, because the stock is down 44% in the last year. Shareholders have had an even rougher run lately, with the share price down 25% in the last 90 days.

We really feel for shareholders in this scenario. It's a good reminder of the importance of diversification, and it's worth keeping in mind there's more to life than money, anyway.

Want to participate in a short research study? Help shape the future of investing tools and you could win a $250 gift card!

Check out our latest analysis for Italia Independent Group

Italia Independent Group isn't currently profitable, so most analysts would look to revenue growth to get an idea of how fast the underlying business is growing. Generally speaking, companies without profits are expected to grow revenue every year, and at a good clip. That's because it's hard to be confident a company will be sustainable if revenue growth is negligible, and it never makes a profit.

Over half a decade Italia Independent Group reduced its trailing twelve month revenue by 13% for each year. That's definitely a weaker result than most pre-profit companies report. So it's not altogether surprising to see the share price down 41% per year in the same time period. This kind of price performance makes us very wary, especially when combined with falling revenue. Of course, the poor performance could mean the market has been too severe selling down. That can happen.

The graphic below shows how revenue and earnings have changed as management guided the business forward. If you want to see cashflow, you can click on the chart.

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BIT:IIG Income Statement, May 16th 2019

This free interactive report on Italia Independent Group's balance sheet strength is a great place to start, if you want to investigate the stock further.

A Different Perspective

We regret to report that Italia Independent Group shareholders are down 44% for the year. Unfortunately, that's worse than the broader market decline of 8.1%. However, it could simply be that the share price has been impacted by broader market jitters. It might be worth keeping an eye on the fundamentals, in case there's a good opportunity. Unfortunately, last year's performance may indicate unresolved challenges, given that it was worse than the annualised loss of 41% over the last half decade. Generally speaking long term share price weakness can be a bad sign, though contrarian investors might want to research the stock in hope of a turnaround. You could get a better understanding of Italia Independent Group's growth by checking out this more detailed historical graph of earnings, revenue and cash flow.

If you are like me, then you will 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 IT 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.
By Andreas Framke, Hans Seidenstuecker and Tom Sims

FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Deutsche Bank investors are renewing calls for it to scale back its investment bank division ahead of what promises to be a challenging annual shareholder meeting next week.

The future of Deutsche Bank's investment banking operations has returned to the fore after the collapse of merger talks with smaller rival Commerzbank.

One major investor is trying to extract a pledge from the bank for cuts to the unit before committing to back management in a symbolic vote of confidence at the meeting, a person with knowledge of the matter said on condition of anonymity.

Another prominent investor, Union Investment, said changes in strategy were long overdue.

"Without cuts in investment banking, we believe it will not be possible to achieve targets on returns," said portfolio manager Alexandra Annecke, who is due to address the meeting.

Deutsche Bank declined to comment.

The division generates about half of Deutsche Bank's revenue but is also considered its Achilles heel, with European regulators fearful that it will fail the next round of stress tests in the United States.

Last week, the risk of a rebuke from shareholders at the annual meeting grew after two influential investor advisory groups - Institutional Shareholder Services and Glass Lewis - urged them to issue a vote of no confidence in Deutsche Bank's management.

QUELLING CONCERNS

Deutsche Bank's shares have dropped 34% since shareholders convened a year ago. On Thursday, the price was just cents above the record low of 6.68 euros set in December.

The bank's chairman, Paul Achleitner, and top executives are speaking to investors to quell concerns of large shareholders, a common practice in the run-up to the annual meeting on May 23, said another person familiar with the matter.

But the bank is unlikely to announce any changes to its investment banking operations in the coming days, executives said.

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Revenue at the division is forecast to fall to 12.5 billion euros ($14.0 billion) this year, according to a consensus of analysts. That would mark a fourth consecutive year of decline, down 34% from 2015, based on Reuters calculations.

That contrasts with a projected 6% rise in JP Morgan's investment banking revenue to $36 billion for the same period. It far outpaces a 5% drop in investment banking revenue across the industry from 2015 to 2018, according to Coalition, which tracks banking industry performance.

Deutsche Bank and Commerzbank attributed the collapse of merger talks to the risks of doing a deal, restructuring costs and capital demands, but concerns about the investment bank loomed large, people with knowledge of the matter said.

The ratings agencies Moody's and Fitch, which have both tagged Deutsche for a possible credit-rating downgrade, have cited troubles at the investment bank as key concerns.

Citigroup analysts said in a report this week that Deutsche had only one option: a restructuring of its investment bank.

This could mean exiting the United States, where it employs 9,000 people, and dropping out of the equities business, they said, adding that an exit would be costly and weigh on earnings.

Chief Executive Officer Christian Sewing told analysts last month that it was "non-negotiable" that the bank remain "globally relevant", including in the U.S. and Asia.

Sewing announced plans to cut more 7,000 jobs soon after assuming office in a management reshuffle last year, including a 25% cut in equities sales and trading jobs.

(Story corrects date of AGM in 10th paragraph to May 23, not May 24)

(Editing by Deepa Babington)
TOKYO (Reuters) - Iran is committed to its obligations under an international nuclear deal despite the U.S. withdrawal from the landmark agreement, its foreign minister said on Thursday, calling the reimposition of U.S sanctions "unacceptable".

Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif made the comments in a meeting with his Japanese counterpart in Tokyo as tensions rise in the Middle East, fuelling concern that the United States and Iran are heading for conflict.

Iran is exercising "maximum restraint in spite of the fact the United States withdrew from (the) JCPOA last May," Zarif said at the beginning of his meeting with Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono.

He was referring to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action signed in 2015 by the United States, Iran and other countries, under which Iran curbed its uranium enrichment capacity and won sanctions relief in return.

President Donald Trump withdrew the United States from the agreement last year and is ratcheting up sanctions on Iran, aiming to strangle its economy by ending its international sales of crude oil. Japan was a major buyer of Iranian oil for decades before the sanctions.

An attack on four oil tankers in the Gulf on Sunday, for which no one has claimed responsibility, and Saudi Arabia's announcement on Tuesday that armed drones hit two of its oil pumping stations have compounded worries about war.

The United States withdrew staff from its embassy in Iraq on Wednesday out of apparent concern about threats from Iran, with U.S. sources saying they believe Iran encouraged the attacks on the oil tankers.

Trump is sending an aircraft carrier group, B-52 bombers and Patriot missiles to the Middle East to counter what the United States calls a heightened threat from Iran to U.S. soldiers and interests in the region.

"We believe that escalation by the United States is unacceptable and uncalled for," Zarif told Kono in front of reporters before they met privately.

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Nevertheless, Iran has relaxed restrictions on its nuclear programme and threatened action that could breach the nuclear deal, although the initial moves do not appear to violate the agreement.

"I'm concerned that the situation in the Middle East is becoming very tense," Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told Zarif in a later meeting.

Kono said it was essential to maintain the nuclear agreement and urged Iran to keep implementing it, echoing other countries.

Asian shippers and refiners have put ships heading to the Middle East on alert and are expecting a possible rise in marine insurance premiums after the attacks on the Saudi oil tankers and pipeline facilities, industry sources said on Tuesday.

(Reporting by Kiyoshi Takenaka; Writing by Aaron Sheldrick; Editing by Chang-Ran Kim and Paul Tait)
DUBAI, May 16 (Reuters) - Iran has no plans to launch centrifuge machines able to enrich uranium at higher capacity or to alter its relations with the U.N. nuclear watchdog, the spokesman for its civilian nuclear agency was quoted as saying on Thursday.

Last week, Iran notified China, France, Germany, Russia and Britain that would scale back some commitments under its 2015 nuclear deal, a year after the United States withdrew from the pact and reimposed sanctions on Tehran.

Irans initial moves, involving the stockpiling of some nuclear materials, did not appear to violate the deal's terms.

But Iran warned that unless the other signatories to the deal protect Irans economy from U.S. sanctions within 60 days, Tehran would start refining uranium to a fissile purity above that deemed suitable for fueling civilian power plants.

"We do not currently have any plan to increase capacity and production process by changing the capacity of centrifuges," Behrouz Kamalvandi, spokesman of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, told the semi-official news agency ISNA.

"Increasing the capacity and production process is being carried out with the same number of already installed centrifuges in Natanz (enrichment plant)," Kamalvandi said.

Regarding enhanced monitoring of Iranian nuclear sites by the IAEA under the deal, "in some stages, and to carry out some technical work, the IAEA needs to be informed in advance, which has been done and is being done," ISNA quoted him as saying.

The restrictions on uranium enrichment accepted by Iran under the deal were aimed at extending the time it would need to produce a nuclear bomb, if it chose to, to a year from roughly 2-3 months. The United States and the IAEA believe Iran had a clandestine nuclear weapons program that it later abandoned. Tehran denies ever having had one.

The deal imposes a 15-year cap on the level of purity to which Iran can enrich uranium at 3.67 percent, far below the 90 percent of weapons grade. It is also well below the 20 percent level to which Iran enriched uranium before the deal.

Iran is also allowed to refine uranium only with its first-generation, lower-capacity IR-1 centrifuges. It can use small numbers of more advanced centrifuges for research, but without accumulating enriched uranium.

(Reporting by Dubai newsroom Editing by Mark Heinrich)
DUBAI (Reuters) - Iran has developed software to protect its industry against the Stuxnet computer virus, the Iranian communications minister said on Thursday, after accusing Israel in November of a cyber attack on Tehran's telecommunications facilities.

Stuxnet, which is widely believed to have been developed by the United States and Israel, was discovered in 2010 after it was used to attack a uranium enrichment facility at Iran's Natanz nuclear site. It was the first publicly known example of a virus being used to attack industrial machinery.

"Iran's university scientists have developed a firewall for industrial automation systems to neutralise industrial sabotage such as that caused by Stuxnet in power networks, and it was successfully tested," Communications Minister Mohammad Javad Azari-Jahromi said, quoted by the state news agency IRNA.

In November, Azari-Jahromi said a Stuxnet attack had failed to harm Irans communications infrastructures, and accused Israel of being behind it.

Israel has declined comment on whether or not it is involved in a cyberwar on Iran.

In 2013, researchers at Symantec Corp uncovered a version of the Stuxnet that was used to attack the Iranian nuclear programme in 2007.

Tehran agreed under a 2015 deal with world powers to curb the programme but President Donald Trump pulled the United States out of it last year, with Israels backing, and reimposed sanctions on Tehran.

(Reporting by Dubai newsroom; Editing by Angus MacSwan)
TOKYO (Reuters) - Iran is committed to its obligations under an international nuclear deal despite the U.S. withdrawal from the landmark agreement, its foreign minister said on Thursday, calling the reimposition of U.S sanctions "unacceptable". Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif made the comments in a meeting with his Japanese counterpart in Tokyo as tensions rise in the Middle East, fuelling concern that the United States and Iran are heading for conflict. Iran is exercising "maximum restraint in spite of the fact the United States withdrew from (the) JCPOA last May," Zarif said at the beginning of his meeting with Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono. He was referring to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action signed in 2015 by the United States, Iran and other countries, under which Iran curbed its uranium enrichment capacity and won sanctions relief in return. President Donald Trump withdrew the United States from the agreement last year and is ratcheting up sanctions on Iran, aiming to strangle its economy by ending its international sales of crude oil. Japan was a major buyer of Iranian oil for decades before the sanctions. An attack on four oil tankers in the Gulf on Sunday, for which no one has claimed responsibility, and Saudi Arabia's announcement on Tuesday that armed drones hit two of its oil pumping stations have compounded worries about war. The United States withdrew staff from its embassy in Iraq on Wednesday out of apparent concern about threats from Iran, with U.S. sources saying they believe Iran encouraged the attacks on the oil tankers. Trump is sending an aircraft carrier group, B-52 bombers and Patriot missiles to the Middle East to counter what the United States calls a heightened threat from Iran to U.S. soldiers and interests in the region. "We believe that escalation by the United States is unacceptable and uncalled for," Zarif told Kono in front of reporters before they met privately. Nevertheless, Iran has relaxed restrictions on its nuclear program and threatened action that could breach the nuclear deal, although the initial moves do not appear to violate the agreement. "I'm concerned that the situation in the Middle East is becoming very tense," Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told Zarif in a later meeting. Kono said it was essential to maintain the nuclear agreement and urged Iran to keep implementing it, echoing other countries. Asian shippers and refiners have put ships heading to the Middle East on alert and are expecting a possible rise in marine insurance premiums after the attacks on the Saudi oil tankers and pipeline facilities, industry sources said on Tuesday. (Reporting by Kiyoshi Takenaka; Writing by Aaron Sheldrick; Editing by Chang-Ran Kim and Paul Tait)
Tokyo (AFP) - Iran is showing "maximum restraint" despite the US withdrawal from a nuclear deal, the country's foreign minister said Thursday, accusing Washington of an "unacceptable" escalation in tensions.

"The escalation by the United States is unacceptable," Mohammad Javad Zarif said in Tokyo where he is holding talks with Japanese officials.

"We exercise maximum restraint... in spite of the fact that the United States withdrew from JCPOA last May," he added, referring to the nuclear deal known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.

He added that Tehran remains "committed" to the deal, and said continuing assessments showed Iran was in compliance with the multilateral agreement.

Tensions between the United States and Iran were already high after President Donald Trump withdrew from the nuclear deal a year ago.

But they have been ratcheted up significantly in recent weeks amid increased US pressure over alleged threats from Iran.

Earlier this month, Trump's hawkish National Security Advisor John Bolton announced the deployment of the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier strike group and a B-52 bomber force to the Gulf.

Days later, the Pentagon added a Patriot missile defence battery and an amphibious assault ship to the deployment.

And on Wednesday the US ordered the partial evacuation of its Baghdad embassy and consulate in Arbil citing specific threats posed by Iraqi militias alleged controlled by Tehran.
Washington (AFP) - A US official said Thursday that Iranian missiles loaded on small boats in the Persian Gulf were among the "threats" that have triggered a beefed-up military deployment in the region.

"The missiles on civilian boats are a concern," said the official, who asked not to be named.

The person was confirming reports in The New York Times saying that Washington reacted to aerial photos from US intelligence agencies showing traditional boats carrying Iranian missiles in the Gulf, one of the world's most strategic waterways.

The fully-assembled missiles were loaded on the boats by Iran's Revolutionary Guards, which the US has designated a "foreign terrorist organization," the newspaper reported.

"What the military and the intelligence are concerned about is the intent," the US official told AFP.

The Trump administration has been ramping up pressure on Tehran for the past 10 days, reinforcing its military presence in the Gulf region to ward off what it warned were Iranian threats to US assets and allies there, without providing any evidence of the danger.

The Iranian ambassador to the United Nations, Majid Takht-Ravanchi, did not deny the shipment of the missiles in an interview with National Public Radio.

"We have to prepare ourselves," he said. "I am not in a position to talk about military preparedness in Iran. But what I can tell you is that all these allegations are part of fake allegations which are being directed against Iran to prepare something like a conflict or something like a war."
Tokyo (AFP) - Iran's foreign minister said Thursday there is "no possibility" of negotiations with the United States to reduce spiralling tensions, Japan's Kyodo news agency reported.

"No, there is no possibility for negotiations," the news agency cited Mohammad Javad Zarif as telling reporters in Tokyo, where he is meeting with Japanese officials.

Kyodo said the comment was in response to a question on whether he would be open to bilateral talks with Washington aimed at easing tensions.

It did not immediately carry additional comments from Zarif, but public broadcaster NHK also quoted the foreign minister as describing US pressure on Iran as an "act of suicide".

Zarif also reportedly dismissed US President Donald Trump's assertion in a tweet that Iran would soon seek negotiations.

"I don't know why President Trump is confident, but it's totally wrong," NHK quoted Zarif as saying.

The quotes on NHK were published in Japanese, and it was not immediately clear whether they were translated from English or Farsi.

The top Iranian diplomat, who met with Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Thursday, earlier accused Washington of an "unacceptable" escalation in tensions, and said Tehran was showing "maximum restraint".

Washington withdrew a year ago from a nuclear deal with Tehran and re-imposed sanctions, prompting a deterioration in relations.

But the crisis has deepened in recent week, with the US deploying an aircraft carrier strike group and B-52 bomber to the Gulf over alleged threats from Iran.
BAGHDAD, May 16 (Reuters) - Iraq has contingency plans for any stoppage to Iranian gas imports for its power grid but hopes no such disruption will take place, Oil Minister Thamer Ghadhban said on Thursday.

He said the next meeting of OPEC's ministerial monitoring committee in Saudi Arabia would assess member states' commitment to a current production reduction and that current oil prices and markets were stable.

Turkey has asked Iraq to purchase more of its crude, Ghadhban added, speaking to journalists in Baghdad.

He said international oil companies were operating as normal and assured them that oilfields in the south and north of the country were safe and secure amid increased regional tensions between the United States and Iran. (Reporting by Ahmed Rasheed; writing by John Davison, Ahmed Aboulenein; editing by Jason Neely)
Baghdad (AFP) - Iraq's national carrier is to resume flights to the capital of neighbouring Syria for the first time since the war there erupted in 2011, a spokesman said Thursday.

Iraqi Airways will operate a weekly service from Baghdad to Damascus starting Saturday, spokesman Layth al-Rubaie told AFP.

Rubaie said the resumption of flights between the two neighbours was "important", citing bilateral trade, tourism and "the size of the Iraqi community living in Syria".

The Syrian transport ministry welcomed the decision in a statement on its official Facebook page.

Rubaie said the last flight from Baghdad to Damascus took place in December 2011, before the service was suspended due to the conflict that erupted in Syria that year.

Most airlines stopped flying over Syria after the conflict broke out, with many taking longer routes to circumvent the war zone.

But the conflict has wound down in recent years, after major regime advances against rebels and jihadists with Russian military backing since 2015.

Damascus has been largely spared the violence.

In April, the Syrian government said it had agreed to allow regional aviation giant Qatar Airways to resume flights over the country.

"The agreement came on the principle of reciprocity, as SyrianAir crosses Qatari airspace and never stopped flying to Doha throughout the war," the Syrian transport ministry said at the time.

The use of Syrian airspace would see "increased revenues in hard currency for the benefit of the Syrian state", it added.

Syria was suspended from the Arab League in November 2011 as the death toll escalated and several regional powers bet on President Bashar al-Assad's demise.

But the regime, backed by allies Russia and Iran, has since re-conquered much of the territory it had lost to rebels and jihadists, and now controls some two-thirds of the country.

The United Arab Emirates and Bahrain have reopened their missions in Damascus.

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Jordan reopened a key land crossing with its Syrian neighbour in October last year after a three-year hiatus.

Analysts said the move would help Syria inch its way back into trade with the wider region as it looks to boost its war-ravaged economy.

Jordanian officials have also visited Damascus to discuss plans to reopen Syrian airspace to its Royal Jordanian's commercial flights.

The Syrian conflict erupted in March 2011 with anti-government demonstrations that sparked a brutal regime crackdown.

The spiralling violence drew in regional powers and has killed more than 370,000 people, displacing millions.
BAGHDAD (AP)  A hospital and local authorities in the southern Iraqi city of Najaf say four people were killed in unrest that erupted as a mall burned down during a demonstration there.

The Najaf province's security command said security forces arrested five mall guards who had fired at the demonstrators, killing and wounding several.

The city's Hakim Hospital said on Thursday morning that 17 people were also wounded in the unrest overnight.

The fire at the Bashir Mall erupted after the guards opened fire at supporters of populist Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr who were rallying against his former aide, Kazm al-Issawi, outside the mall.

Al-Sadr had earlier condemned corruption in the country and fired al-Issawi over graft. His political office says the demonstrators were protesting against corrupt officials.
By Tova Cohen

TEL AVIV, May 16 (Reuters) - Amnesty International called on Thursday for Israel's government to ensure that an Israeli company, whose spyware has been linked to a WhatsApp breach that may have targeted human rights groups, be held accountable for the way its software is used.

Amnesty on Tuesday filed a petition in Israel seeking the revocation of NSO Group's export license and told Reuters that it was up to the government to take a firmer stance against export licenses that have "resulted in human rights abuses."

Israel's Ministry of Defence declined to comment.

WhatsApp, a unit of Facebook, said on Tuesday that a security breach on its messaging app may have targeted human rights groups.

According to Eva Galperin, director of cybersecurity at San Francisco-based Electronic Frontier Foundation, WhatsApp told human rights groups it believed the spyware used was developed by Israel's NSO. A second person familiar with the matter also identified spyware from NSO.

Amnesty said in an emailed statement to Reuters that NSO has "again and again demonstrated their intent to avoid responsibility for the way their software is used," and that only government intervention would change that.

NSO has not commented on any specific attacks, but following the WhatsApp breach it said it would investigate any "credible allegations of misuse" of its technology which "is solely operated by intelligence and law enforcement agencies."

NSO's biggest shareholder, Novalpina Capital, said in a statement to Reuters that it intends to bring NSOs governance into alignment with United Nations principles and will seek insights from Amnesty and other groups "into how best to achieve this important goal."

WhatsApp, one of the worlds most popular messaging tools which is used by 1.5 billion people monthly, said it had notified the U.S. Department of Justice to help with an investigation into the breach and encouraged its users to update to the latest version of the app, where the breach had been fixed.

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One target of the new WhatsApp exploit was a United Kingdom-based human rights lawyer, who spoke on condition of anonymity, Reuters reported on Tuesday. The lawyer is helping a Saudi dissident and several Mexican journalists mount civil cases against NSO for its alleged role in selling hacking tools to the Saudi and Mexican governments, which they allege were used to hack into their phones.

NSO says it sells only to law enforcement and intelligence agencies pursuing legitimate targets, such as terrorists and criminals.

Novalpina, in a May 15 letter to Amnesty signed by founding partner Stephen Peel, said Novalpina was "determined to do whatever is necessary to ensure that NSO technology is used for the purpose for which it is intended  the prevention of harm to fundamental human rights arising from terrorism and serious crime  and not abused in a manner that undermines other equally fundamental human rights." (Additional reporting by Steven Scheer Editing by Susan Fenton)
JERUSALEM, May 16 (Reuters) - Israeli prosecutors filed charges on Thursday against a man accused of spitting on Poland's ambassador, an incident that drew strong condemnation from Warsaw and underscored tensions between the countries over anti-Semitism and Holocaust history.

The suspect, Erik Lederman, was indicted for assault and criminal threats, Tel Aviv Magistrate's Court papers showed. Police said that in Tuesday's incident in Tel Aviv he had struck the roof of a car carrying Ambassador Marek Magierowski with his hand, then opened a door and spat twice on the envoy. [

The counts carry a maximum of five years' jail in Israel.

Lederman, 65, has apologized, saying the car had honked at him and that he had not known Magierowski was inside.

Lederman said he had come to the embassy to inquire about Polish restitution for his family, which had been through the Holocaust, and had been turned away. He said an embassy employee used an anti-Semitic slur while he was there.

Magierowski has denied that any embassy staff used inappropriate behavior or language.

Polish-Israeli relations have deteriorated in recent months over accusations that Warsaw's nationalist PiS government has tolerated a revival of anti-Semitic behavior, a charge it denies.

A U.S. law on the restitution of Jewish property seized during or after World War Two has stirred criticism in Warsaw, adding to tensions with Israel over Poles' role in the Holocaust. (Writing by Dan Williams Editing by Frances Kerry)
ISTANBUL, May 16 (Reuters) - Turkey has lifted a ban on lawyers visiting jailed Kurdish militant leader Abdullah Ocalan, Justice Minister Abdulhamit Gul said on Thursday, two weeks after the first such visit was allowed since 2011.

Ocalan is the founder and leader of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militant group and has been imprisoned on an island near Istanbul since he was captured in 1999. Turkey, the United States and European Union designate the PKK as a terrorist group.

"The decisions regarding a ban on visits has been lifted, providing for the possibility of visits," Gul told reporters in comments broadcast on Turkish television.

The pro-Kurdish Democratic Peoples' Party (HDP) say some 3,000 people, mostly prison inmates, have joined a hunger strike started by HDP lawmaker Leyla Guven to protest Ocalan's isolation. It was not immediately clear whether the latest move would lead to an end of the hunger strike.

(Writing by Ezgi Erkoyun; Editing by Daren Butler )
WASHINGTON  In an emotional hearing Thursday afternoon, Hatice Cengiz, the fiancee of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, called for action to bring her husband's killers to justice.

"In the early days, President Trump said that this would be solved, Ms. (Nancy) Pelosi talked about how unacceptable this was, but seven, eight months later, nothing has been done" to bring the perpetrators of Khashoggis killing to justice, Hatice Cengiz said through an interpreter Thursday before a House Foreign Affairs subcommittee on human rights.

Khashoggi was brutally murdered inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on Oct. 2, 2018. That horrific killing broke Cengiz's heart, rattled the international community and caused a political uproar in the United States, where Khashoggi was a legal resident and established columnist for the Washington Post. Later reports linked the killers to the Saudi Arabian government, in particular, Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman.

Hatice Cengiz, the fiancee of slain Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, gestures as she testifies before a House Foreign Relations subcommittee hearing on "The dangers of reporting on human rights" on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, on May 16, 2019. (Photo by NICHOLAS KAMM / AFP)NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP/Getty Images

"As I was heading for such an exciting start, the fact that it was cut short on October 2, I still can't make sense of it, I still can't understand, I still feel that I will wake up and get back to that, Cengiz continued. And I still can't understand that the world hasn't done anything about this"

Saudis seek death penalty: Death penalty sought for 5 suspects in Jamal Khashoggi killing

State Department bans murder suspects: State Department names 16 in Jamal Khashoggi murder, bans them from US

'A human rights violation': Jamal Khashoggi's murder was a human rights violation by Saudi government, State Department says

I think we choose between two thingswe can either go on acting as if nothing happened, and walk out of hereor we can act, we can leave aside all international interests and politics and focus on the values for a better life, she told lawmakers.

Eliot Engel, the House Foreign Affairs Committee also gave remarks, calling for "true accountability" for Khashoggi's killing.

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"It's essential that our values lie at the center of our foreign policy," Engel said.

Following a question from Committee Chairwoman Rep. Karen Bass, D-Calif., asking what to do about Khashoggi's killing, Cengiz called for further investigations and sanctions on Saudi Arrabia.

Congress could help "undertake an international investigation, and put pressure on Saudi Arabia to share information with the public and the United States. There should be sanctions on Saudi Arabia," she said.

Ranking Member Chris Smith, R-N.J., said that he found the lack of Saudi cooperation on the investigations into Khashoggis killing to be appalling, and called on sanctions to be imposed on the leadership of Saudi Arabia in connection with the killing.

Hatice Cengiz (R), the fiancee of slain Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, arrives to testify before a House Foreign Relations subcommittee hearing on "The dangers of reporting on human rights" on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, on May 16, 2019. (Photo by NICHOLAS KAMM / AFP)

The hearing focused on threats to journalists across the globe but particularly to those who document human rights abuses, as Khashoggi did in his accounts of repression and crackdowns in Saudi Arabia. Last year was the worst year on record for deadly violence and abuse toward journalists, according to a report released by Reporters Without Borders in December.

Bass told the hearing that "the numerous attacks on journalists around the world are jarring and it is clear there is a profound global crisis of press freedom."

At least 80 journalists were killed in 2018, 348 were imprisoned and 60 were held hostage, the report said. The United States was included among the world's most dangerous places for journalists because of the fatal shooting of five employees of the Capital Gazette, a newspaper in Annapolis, Maryland.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jamal Khashoggi's fiancee says 'nothing has been done' about his killing
James Gunn (Credit: CARL COURT/AFP/Getty Images)

The thing that upset James Gunn the most when he was fired from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is perhaps not what you'd expect.

The director was booted from the Marvel Cinematic Universe after bad taste tweets he posted almost a decade ago were found and republished by a far-right activist.

Disney fired him pretty much immediately, but in a surprising turn, the studio re-hired him in March to continue his work on the third Guardians movie.

Read more: Endgame writers confirm Captain America theory

When you asked me what was saddest for me when I thought it was gone - and anybody at Marvel can tell you - its this very strange and attached relationship to Rocket, he told Deadline.

Rocket is me, he really is, even if that sounds narcissistic. Groot is like my dog. I love Groot in a completely different way. I relate to Rocket and I feel compassion for Rocket, but I also feel like his story has not been completed.

He went on to say that the story arc of Rocket, voiced by Bradley Cooper, will be completed in Guardians 3.

He has an arc that started in the first movie, continued into the second and goes through Infinity War and Endgame, and then I was set to really finish that arc in Guardians 3.

That was a big loss to me - not being able to finish that story - though I was comforted by the fact that they were still planning to use my script.

Rocket Raccoon in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (Credit: Marvel/Disney)

He went on to say that while Disney 'totally had the right' to fire him over the 'indefensible' tweets, which joked about subjects like rape and paedophilia, he's learned from the experience.

Read more: Russos confirm a Marvel character is secretly gay

Theres a lot of really positive stuff thats coming out of all of this, and one of those positives is I was able to learn. People have to be able to learn from mistakes, he said.

If we take away the possibility for someone to learn and become a better person, Im not sure what we are left with. Ive learned all kinds of things about myself through this process.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is set for a 2020 release, with the Gunn's sequel The Suicide Squad for DC and Warner Bros landing in 2021.
A prototype of Japan's next-generation Shinkansen bullet train, set to be the fastest train on wheels when it enters service, reached speeds of 320 kilometres (198 miles) per hour on a test run Thursday.

The train, code-named ALFA-X, will eventually hit 360 kilometres per hour when it begins to take passengers in about a decade, according to East Japan Railway.

Production of the 10-car train with a long nose-shaped head finished in early May at a cost of 10 billion yen ($91 million).

Thursday's trial run between Sendai and Morioka, two cities in northern Japan, was the first open to the media since tests started last week.

"We successfully conducted the test run today and will continue testing the train for about three years," a company spokesman said.

The firm plans to introduce the train in 2030-31 when Shinkansen services will be extended to Sapporo, the biggest city on the nation's northern island of Hokkaido.

"We will try to shorten travelling time with the next-generation Shinkansen," said Kazunori Koyama, an official in charge of the testing.

Japan is a pioneer in high-speed rail networks, hailed for their punctuality and safety measures, including the emergency stop system, which can automatically slow down speeds before a major earthquake strikes.

The ALFA-X will reach the world's fastest commercial speed for a wheeled bullet train, according to the company.
Jay Inslee released a sweeping $9 trillion economic plan Thursday to create 8 million jobs, revitalize the labor movement and rapidly cut planet-warming gases, propelling the Washington governor far out ahead on the Green New Deal at least nine of his rival 2020 presidential candidates vowed to enact.

The 38-page Evergreen Economy Plan promises at least 8 million jobs over 10 years, and offers the most detailed policy vision yet for mobilizing the entire United States economy to stave off catastrophic global warming and prepare for already inevitable temperature rise.

The proposal lays out a five-pronged strategy to launch an unprecedented deployment of renewable energy, fortify the nations infrastructure to cope with climate change, spur a clean-tech manufacturing boom, increase federal research funding fivefold and level income inequality by repealing anti-union laws and enacting new rules to close the racial and gender pay gaps. By spending $300 billion per year, the plan projects another $600 billion in annual economic activity generated by its mandates.

The thing that can really cost is the path of inaction, the path of letting Paradise, California, keep burning down, the path of letting Davenport, Iowa, keep flooding, the path of letting Miami be inundated, Inslee told HuffPost by phone on Wednesday. Its too expensive, besides being too deadly.

The breadth is stunning, with few problems left untouched. The plan includes specifics on everything from national parks to drinking water, ultra-high-speed rail to electric scooters, climate literacy education to a new Climate Conservation Corps. The proposal spells out exactly how an Inslee administration would expand collective bargaining rights and bolster wage growth in ways unseen since the threat of communist revolution loomed large in the minds of Americas elites a lifetime ago.

Socialism it is not. Like President Franklin D. Roosevelt, whom Inslee cites in the introduction to the nearly 15,000-word economic manifesto, the governor, in the face of surging inequality and ecological disaster, toes the line between heavy-handed central planning with pro-worker protections and embrace of private enterprise.

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At a moment when Joe Biden, the ostensible frontrunner for the Democratic nomination and by any measure an economically conservative Democrat, is taking heat for teasing a middle ground climate policy that allows for more fossil fuel use, Inslees plan seems to offer a scientifically sound middle ground between an increasingly alluring Marxist approach to climate change and the Obama-era neoliberal regulatory regime scientists say dooms humanity to cataclysmic warming.

Its a formidable document, and an audacious rebuke of skeptics who say policy to cut emissions is at odds with economic prosperity. The proposal stakes out positions on labor and rural development as bold as those on the environment. It also cements Inslees place alongside Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) as a presidential contender whose unabashedly progressive values and wonkish policy chops merit serious consideration in an increasingly crowded race.

Half measures just will not cut it here, Inslee said. We didnt win half of World War II, we had to win all of it.

Inslee, 68, shies away from the Green New Deal slogan that emerged six months ago as the first framework to match the scope of the climate crisis. But, in practice, the blandly-named Evergreen Economy Plan is the closest thing yet to the World War II-style economic mobilization the Green New Deal promises. The second major proposal from the Inslee campaign, it builds on the the 100% clean energy blueprint released earlier this month, outlining a pathway to all but eliminate emissions from power plants, cars and new buildings by 2030.

Clean Energy

The plan covers the basics, with ramped-up tax incentives and loans for renewables, requirements for federal agencies to use 100% renewable electricity and zero-emissions vehicles by 2024. It opens with a call for a ReBuild America initiative that would set a national energy efficiency standards for utilities, offer refundable tax credits for building upgrades like HVAC systems and solar-powered water heaters and set up a program with labor unions to train green supers. The initiative would provide financing for low-income households looking to invest in energy efficiency retrofits and directly fund upgrades to public institutions like schools and government buildings.

It proposes spending $90 billion to found the Clean Energy Deployment Authority, a so-called green bank that would provide low-cost loans and loan guarantees to underinvested projects. The CEDA would be an independent, nonprofit institution designed to work directly with clean energy funds in states.

Floodwaters earlier this month in Davenport, Iowa. (Photo: The Washington Post via Getty Images)

Following decades of deindustrialization that hollowed out rural communities, the proposal calls for the most comprehensive investment since the New Deal, largely by beefing up agencies and programs first established in the 1930s. It would increase the budget and lending power of the Department of Energy, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and regional development and electricity providers like the Appalachian Regional Commission and the Tennessee Valley Authority. It would also beef up agencies like the Rural Utilities Service to fund renewables projects and build more broadband infrastructure to expand high-speed internet access.

It isnt a plea for entirely centrally planned energy production alone. The plan allots $150 billion over 10 years to invest in community-owned energy cooperatives, with the aim of generating 10% of the nations power from them by 2040. The initiative, designated under the Energy Department, would set up Energy Districts modeled both on the New Deal-era Soil Conservation Districts and projects like the Winneshiek Energy District in Iowa.

Infrastructure

Inslee promises to more than double annual federal investment in public transit systems and invest in electrifying passenger and freight rail. The plan calls for billions in federal matching funds to states, tribes and local governments to deploy charging equipment for electric vehicles and buses, and committing to halting emissions from airplanes at 2020 levels.

To improve electricity transmission, the plan proposes new federal matching dollars for states, utilities and local governments to build new grid infrastructure and expanding the list of equipment the Federal Emergency Management Agency is authorized to give, making it easier to erect clean-powered microgrids.

Water is the centerpiece of the infrastructure section of the plan. The proposal devotes billions to rebuilding drinking water, wastewater and stormwater facilities, and ramping up federal funding to protect coastal property from sea-level rise, improve infrastructure along the Mississippi River and support chronically under-resourced programs like the U.S. Departments of Interior and Agriculture  in particular the Bureau of Reclamation and the Natural Resources Conservation Service.

The plan lays out incentives for sustainably built low-income housing and increased funding for public housing. It also promises funding and studies to reduce asthma triggers and lead exposure in public schools.

Public lands are another key point. Inslee proposes ramping up funding for the Forest Service to deal with wildfires and woodland management and clearing the backlog of public lands projects. While it doesnt give specific dollar amounts, the plan expands the budgets for the Environmental Protection Agency and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and gives the USDA a leading role in overseeing ecosystem restoration.

Manufacturing

The core of Inslees plan to bolster manufacturing would be through agency actions. It would establish a new, uncapped tax credit for advanced energy manufacturing, and propose legislation to Congress to provide massive investment into domestic manufacturing of zero-emission vehicles and component parts to battery technologies. That would include tripling the loan budget under the Energy Departments Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing program and setting up a new clean cars for clunkers program. It would order the Department of Commerce to conduct a Quadrennial Industrial Review to map strategic industries and identify sound industrial policies  including critical materials and rare-earth elements, global demands, and domestic production capacities. The proposal also would enact a federal buy clean program.

The plan proposes new regulations on super-pollutant hydrofluorocarbons, known as HFCs, and methane. Inslee vowed to phase out HFCs through an executive action, enact new rules requiring oil and gas companies and utilities to find and halt methane leaks in pipelines and direct agencies to implement new standards for carbon intensity of domestic manufacturing.

The manufacturing section touches on trade policy to increase exports of American-made clean technology and rework existing deals to curb climate pollution and pressure other countries to do the same.

It will be a primary goal of the Inslee Administration to accelerate and feed those projects with American-made clean energy exports that displace fossil fuel infrastructure, the plan states.

R&D

Inslee pledged to increase federal research and development of clean technologies by approximately $35 billion over the next decade. The plan calls for establishing new initiatives in transportation and climate science research and growing existing programs at the DOE, such as the Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy, Office of Science, and Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E), as well as National Labs. The proposal includes launching ARPA-Ag, an entirely new program to research soil-based carbon storage techniques and reducing emissions from farms.

The plan goes beyond research to increase public school education on climate change and ramp up funding for science, technology, engineering and math programs at historically black colleges and universities.

Labor

The Evergreen Economy Plans labor proposals are among the most likely aspects to garner popular support.

The proposal calls for a $15 federal minimum wage by 2024 and national paid sick leave. It also proposes repealing the federal Taft-Hartley Act that permitted 27 states to pass right-to-work laws limiting workers collective bargaining power. Eliminating these laws will ensure that everyone who benefits from union representation pays their fair share of that representation, the proposal reads. The plan also promises to amend the National Labor Relations Act to make it easier to form a union by automatically recognizing a collective bargaining unit when a majority of workers vote or sign cards approving its creation. Inslee pledged to enact or push Congress to pass new rules making it easier to share pay and benefits information during collective bargaining, a move meant to increase pay equity for women and people of color. He also vowed to appoint pro-union members to the National Labor Relations Board.

The remains of homes leveled by the wildfire last November in Paradise, California. (Photo: ASSOCIATED PRESS)

The plan outlines a G.I. Bill for coal communities and workers impacted by the transition away from fossil fuels. Modeled on the program that provides assistance to veterans and their families, the bill would secure miners pensions, provide health care to workers suffering with black lung, and offer training through unions to transition workers into new industries. It also establishes a Restoration Fund that fossil fuel companies will be required to pay into to create new skilled union jobs in environmental reconstruction.

The plan sets new standards for apprenticeship programs and calls for the creation of a Climate Conservation Corps to carry out restoration work across the nation and train a new generation of workers with environmental regenerative skills.

Its a doozy, said Evan Weber, political director at Sunrise Movement, the grassroots group pushing for a Green New Deal. Its extremely thorough.

Republicans, who routinely smear the Green New Deal with false claims itd ban cows and flights and even trigger genocide against white men, are likely to dismiss Inslees plan as socialism. Yet the plan makes no calls to nationalize industries, as some in the climate movement are beginning to entertain, nor does it embrace the federal job guarantee proponents of the Green New Deal. Inslee, moreover, is quick to tout the leading role for private industry under his proposal, which is largely dependent on generous market incentives.

Its a combination of public investment, which succeeded when we went to the moon and defeated fascism, and it leverages and partners with private entrepreneurs and skilled workers, Inslee said.

If anything, Inslees technocratic approach opens the plan to criticism from the left. Inslee has drawn criticism for defending corporate giants headquartered in his state, including Amazon, Boeing and Microsoft, at a time when rivals like Warren are calling for increased antitrust enforcement to break up big tech companies.

Were seeing massive private companies leading this revolution today, Inslee said. If you dont get that, youre just willfully ignorant.

So far, the only other 2020 contender to put out a comprehensive climate plan was Beto ORourke, the former Texas congressman. ORourkes $5 trillion plan promises to reach net-zero emissions by 2050  a problem, say advocates, because emissions from developing countries are surging, and an industrialized nation like the United States should aim instead for 2030. Warren on Wednesday put out a plan to make the U.S. military carbon neutral by 2030, and previously proposed a blueprint for halting all fossil fuel leasing on public lands and dramatically increasing the federal acreage available to renewables. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) is embracing the Green New Deal fully, and is expected to introduce some kind of legislation in the coming months.

Inslee is still far behind, polling at less than 1%. In an April writeup of Inslees CNN town hall, the environmental newswire E&E News scoffed at the governor pleading for more supporters in an attempt to save his candidacy.

Climate change is surging to the top of Democratic voters concerns. A March Gallup poll found 81% of self-described liberals, 77% of Democrats and 53% of independents reported feeling highly worried about global warming. Monmouth Universitys poll of Iowa Democratic voters last month found the issue was second-most important after health care. In April, a CNN poll pegged climate change as a top issue for 82% of registered Democrats planning to vote in the 2020 presidential primary.

Inslees lengthy record on climate change, including enacting a suite of new policies in Washington and writing a book on the issue over a decade ago, bolster his bona fides. So, too, does his dual experience as a former legislator and executive, something few others in a field crammed with senators can boast. But, while single-issue campaigns rarely go far in presidential races, Inslees real advantage may be his laser focus on an issue of unprecedented scope and import. Last month, he began publicly urging his rivals to back his call for a climate-only Democratic debate. Now he said he wants his competitors to try to top his climate proposal.

I hope others will follow my leadership, Inslee said. So far, nobodys joined me, and I hope they will.

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Related Coverage

Jay Inslee Pledges To Reject Fossil Fuel Money Ahead Of Climate-Centered 2020 Bid

Jay Inslee Is Calling On 2020 Rivals To Demand Democrats Host A Climate-Only Debate

Jay Inslee Unveils Ambitious Green New Deal-Style Climate Proposal As 2020 Race Heats Up

Also on HuffPost

This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
Lie detector results were sometimes skewed to create more 'dramatic' episodes, claims former 'Jeremy Kyle' producer

The Jeremy Kyle Show sometimes faked certain lie detector results in order to spice up the episodes, a former producer on the show has claimed.

In a recent interview with The Sun, the ex-employee alleged that when the polygraph tests were unable to conclusively determine whether a guest was telling the truth, people behind the scenes were occasionally asked to pick an outcome.

Read more: 'Jeremy Kyle Show' insider says death is just 'the tip of the iceberg'

"The show was an absolute circus, they stated candidly. If a lie detector test was 50/50, it would be up to the producer to decide a result."

ITV officially pulled 'The Jeremy Kyle Show' from its programming on Wednesday 15 May (PAUL ELLIS/AFP/Getty Images)

They went on to recall how there was massive pressure from above to just go with the dramatic result and that many people on set had no regard for the damage if could do to someones life.

The Jeremy Kyle Show was officially axed from ITV on Wednesday 15 May following the death of Steve Dymond, whose body was found in his bedsit just ten days after he took part in a recording of the show in April. During his segment, the 63-year-old was reportedly found guilty of cheating on his new fiancee.

The culture was totally toxic, the producer continued. Guests were seen as assets to be exploited. If their stories werent interesting enough, we were expected to spice them up.

Just a few days ago, The Sun discovered that Bruce Burgess, who conducts The Jeremy Kyle Shows lie detector tests, stepped down from the British Polygraph Association after he was caught lying to the police about a speeding offence.

Talking to the same publication, a former staffer alleged that workers were forced to find mental health care professionals online and that very few vulnerable guests ever met in-house therapist Graham Stanier.

Read more: Leaked email claims ITV suspended 'Jeremy Kyle Show' to protect its future

Guests were promised the best level of aftercare, which was non-existent, she explained. We were told to Google therapists where they lived, with no regard for reputation or expertise. The show would pay for four sessions and that was it.

Yahoo News UK has reached out to ITV for comment.
Madrid (AFP) - Josu Ternera, who was arrested Thursday in France after more than 16 years on the run, is one of the most influential leaders of the former Basque separatist group ETA who oversaw deadly attacks as well as secret talks with Madrid.

He recorded the "final declaration" that in May 2018 announced the dissolution of ETA, which is blamed for the deaths of at least 853 people in its four-decade campaign of violence for an independent Basque homeland in northern Spain and southwestern France.

Born in 1950 in the village of Ugao near Bilbao, the northern Basque region's largest city, Ternera joined ETA in the late 1960s at the end of Francisco Franco's dictatorship.

He reportedly took part in the theft of explosives used in a 1973 Madrid car bombing which killed Francos prime minister and heir apparent Luis Carrero Blanco.

He quickly rose through the ranks to become ETA's leader in the late 1970s.

"He was a hugely important person in ETA," said Florencio Dominguez, head of the Memorial Centre for Victims of Terrorism in Spain's Basque Country and author of a book on Ternera.

Gorka Landaburu, a journalist who lost his thumb and was left blind in one eye after an ETA letter bomb detonated in his home in 2001, said Ternera "was the grandfather of the organisation" who remained respected due to his track record even after more radical members abandoned him in the 2000s.

"He was one of the heads of ETA when its deadliest attacks were carried out during the 1980s," he added.

Ternera is thought to have instigated ETA's 1980s strategy of combining car bomb attacks with assassinations by shooting.

Arrested in 1989 in southwestern France, he was sentenced to 10 years in jail for criminal association.

"I was, I am and I always will be a member of ETA. I am proud to be so. I have fought in the ranks of ETA since my youth, from the moment I became conscious of the repression against my culture, my country and my language," he said during his trial.

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- Madrid 'intermediary' -

In 1998 while still in jail he was elected regional lawmaker for a radical Basque nationalist grouping that included Herri Batasuna, considered ETA's political arm.

After his release from jail in 2000, he "became more political" and "served as a bridge" between the armed wing of the Basque separatist movement and its political wing, said Jose Luis Orella, a history professor at Madrid's CEU Universidad San Pablo.

"His prestige and his weight within the terrorist organisation gave him a leading role within the leftist Basque separatist movement and made him one of the best intermediaries for the Spanish government," he added.

Spanish authorities had been trying to track down Ternera since 2002, linking him to an attack on a police barracks in the northern city of Zaragoza in 1987 which left 11 people dead, including five children.

According to Spain's National Court, he is wanted for alleged involvement in the police barracks attack and the murder of a director of French tyre company Michelin in Spain, among other cases.

Ternera played a key role in secret talks held in Switzerland and in Norway beginning in 2005 with emissaries of the Socialist government of former prime minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero which ended in failure. In 2006 he was sidelined by more radical ETA members.

Jesus Eguiguren, the former head of the Basque Socialist party who took part in the secret talks with ETA, said that despite this demotion Ternera played a "key role" in the end of ETA.

"He showed that he really wanted to end terrorism," Eguiguren added.
HELSINKI (AP)  Over 30 European foreign ministers have gathered in the Finnish capital to mark the 70th anniversary of the continent's key human rights body, the Council of Europe.

The festivities were dampened somewhat by Russia's continued threat to pull out of the organization due to a long-running dispute over Crimea.

The two-day meeting started Thursday in Helsinki's historic Finlandia Hall, where the 1975 Helsinki Accords, meant to ease East-West Cold War tensions, were signed.

Russia, a member since 1996, has frozen funding to the Council of Europe, based in Strasbourg, France, after the body suspended Moscow's voting rights following the annexation of the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine in 2014.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin would not attend the meeting, the country's foreign ministry told The Associated Press, but host country Finland said Kiev would still send representatives to the gathering.

Finnish Foreign Minister Timo Soini said his country had tried to find a solution during its chairmanship to help relieve tensions with Russia but said "the origin of the crisis" was due to Russia's actions.

"It was the illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014," Soini said. "And that cannot be forgotten."

Speeches were given, among others, by Thorbjoern Jagland, the council's secretary general, and Finnish President Sauli Niinisto, whose country currently holds the body's rotating six-month presidency.

The 47-member Council of Europe was founded in 1949 by Belgium, Britain, Denmark, France, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden as an upholder of democracy, human rights and rule of law. Its latest member is the Balkan nation of Montenegro, which joined in 2007.

The Council's probably best-known unit is the European Court of Human Rights, which enforces the European Convention on Human Rights.

The organization is entirely separate from the European Union, though it works in close cooperation with the 28-member bloc.

___

David Keyton in Helsinki and Nataliya Vasilyeva in Moscow contributed to this report.
Nairobi (AFP) - Gunmen who kidnapped two Cuban doctors in northeastern Kenya and whisked them to Somalia have demanded $1.5 million (1.35 million euros) for their release, police and government sources said Thursday.

The pair -- a general practitioner and a surgeon -- were abducted on April 12 by suspected Al-Shabaab jihadis in Mandera, near the border with Somalia.

One of two police officers escorting the doctors to work was shot dead by the attackers, who sped off toward Somalia with their captives, officials said.

Kenya and Somalia are working together to find the doctors, who Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel identified as Assel Herrera Correa and Landy Rodriguez Hernandez.

A top government official in Mandera said the kidnappers have demanded a ransom.

"The amount is $1.5 million. That is what they want," the official said on condition on anonymity.

A senior police officer told AFP a ransom had been demanded, but would not elaborate. Kenyan police spokesman Charles Owino said he had no such information.

Several sources said the doctors were believed to be providing medical services in Somalia.

They were part of a group of about 100 Cubans who went to Kenya last year to boost health services there.

Kenyan police sources said the kidnapping bore the hallmarks of Al-Shabaab, a militant outfit that has been waging an insurgency against Somalia's foreign-backed government for over a decade.

Last November, an armed gang seized Silvia Romano, 23, an Italian charity worker, in the southeastern Kenyan town of Chakama. Her whereabouts are unknown.

Police at the time warned against any speculation that Al-Shabaab, an Al-Qaeda affiliate, may have been involved in her abduction.
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Kirkland Lake Gold Ltd. (NYSE: KL)

Q1 2019 Earnings Call

May 8, 2019, 8:00 a.m. ET

Contents:

Prepared Remarks

Questions and Answers

Call Participants

Prepared Remarks:

Operator

Good morning. My name is Casey and I will be your conference operator today. At this time, I would like to welcome everyone to the Kirkland Lake Gold first quarter 2019 conference call and webcast. All lines have been placed on mute to prevent any background noise. After the speakers' remarks, there will be a question and answer session. If you would like to ask a question during this time, simply press * then the number 1 on your telephone keypad. If you would like to withdraw your question, you may press the # key.

Thank you. Mark Utting, Vice President of Investor Relations, you may begin your conference.

Mark Utting -- Vice President of Investor Relations

Thank you, Operator and good morning, everyone. With me today are most of the members of Kirkland Lake Gold's senior management team, including Tony Makuch, our President and Chief Executive Officer, David Soares, our Chief Financial Officer, Ian Holland, Vice President of Australian Operations, Duncan King, our Vice President of Mining for Kirkland Lake, and Eric Kallio, our Senior Vice President of Exploration. Other members of the team are here as well.

Today, we'll be providing comments on our results for the first quarter of 2019. We'll then open the call to questions. The slide deck we will be referencing for this call is available on our website at www.klgold.com under the investor relations and events sections and on the homepage.

More From The Motley Fool

Before we get started, I'd like to draw your attention to the forward-looking statements slide, which is slide two in the deck. Our remarks and answers to your questions today may contain forward-looking information about future events and the company's future performance. Please refer to the detailed cautionary note on slide two as well as the forward-looking information set out in our news release set out May 7th, 2019, and in the MD&A for the three months ended March 31st, 2019, which is on our website and on SEDAR.

Story continues

Also, during today's call, we'll be making reference to non-IFRS performance measures. A reconciliation of these measures is available within our Q1 press release and our MD&A. finally, please note that all figures discussed today are in US dollars unless otherwise indicated.

With that, I'd like to turn the call over to Tony Makuch, our President and Chief Executive Officer.

Tony Makuch -- President and Chief Executive Officer

Thanks, Mark. Thanks, everyone for being on the call this morning. It looks like we're trying to get spring come to see us in Canada. We're fighting between Mother Nature and Father Winter, whatever you want to call it. Thanks for being on the call. We did have our results out for over a day now. We had our AGM yesterday and we saw most of our analysts there. As a result, we really want to keep this a very short presentation today and then we'll allow time for questions.

I'll start on slide number three. I've got a couple highlights on this slide. In terms of Q1 2019, very solid quarter for the company, had record production of almost 232,000 ounces. In the quarter, from an earnings per share perspective, we're at record net earnings, $112 million or $0.53 a share and record free cash flow of $93.1 million.

Turning to slide four, again, when you look at how we performed against our guidance, you can see we had some strong results. Mostly, we had record results at Macassa, over 72,000 ounces produced at cash cost of $332.00 an ounce and then Fosterville really had an exceptional record performance of 128,000 ounces produced in the quarter and cash cost $144.00 an ounce.

Definitely, if we're not industry-leading if not first or second, we're definitely in the top ten in terms of the lowest-cost producers in the industry. I think the other thing that bodes well is we expect to see a real pick up in production at Fosterville in Q3 and Q4 and to continue solid performance from Macassa operations.

With that, when you go over to slide five, based on these results and the expectations we have for the rest of the year, we improved our 2019 guidance yesterday. This is actually our second guidance improvement in 2019. We've raised the lower end of our production guidance to 950,000 ounces. So, we went from 920,000 to 1 million to 950,000 to 1 million in terms of production guidance and we've also improved our cash cost guidance for a second time and now expect to see cash cost between $285.00 and $305.00 an ounce for the year.

Turning to slide six, again, just driven by our strong performance in the profitability and cash flow generation and our focus on returning capital shareholders, we announced our Q2 2019 dividend would be increased over 30% to $0.04 per share and be equated in US dollars. This is our first dividend increase since we introduced the dividend in March of 2017 and as our cash position grows, we'll continue to look for ways to return capital to shareholders and that will include continuing to review our dividend policy, but also continue to be aggressive with our NCIB and continue bringing value to shareholders.

With that, I'll turn the call over to David Soares, our CFO.

David Soares -- Chief Financial Officer

Thank you, Tony. Q1 2019 saw record net earnings. We closed the quarter at $110 million and $0.52 a share. That's 120% increase from Q1 2018 and an increase from Q4 2018. In terms of adjusted net earnings, we saw similar growth of 114% from Q1 2018 and we closed the quarter in 2019 at $112 million and $0.53 a share.

Turning now to slide seven, looking at revenue -- again, record revenue in Q1 2019, closing the quarter at $304.9 million, a 54% growth from Q1 2018 and a 9% from Q4 2018, mainly driven by higher gold sales and also higher gold price. So, we closed the quarter in Q1 2019 at 232,900 ounces and realized an ounce gold price of $1,307.00.

Moving on to the next slide, looking at cash, we saw quarter over quarter a 25% increase in cash, cash increase of $83.9 million and 25% over the Q4 2018 and closed the quarter at $416 million, again, mainly driven by strong net cash from operating activities of $174.4 million, more than offsetting net cash used for investing in financing activities.

I'll hand over the call now to Ian Holland, our VP of Australian operations.

Ian Holland -- Vice President of Australian Operations

Thanks, David. Referring to slide 10, I want to give some color to the strong performance at Fosterville for the year and for the quarter. It was a record quarter in terms of gold production with 128,000 ounces recovered for the quarter coming from the processing of 140,000 tons at 29 grams per ton and a little over 98% mill recovery.

The image on the rigth of this slide is a section through Lower Phoenix, which highlights where this material came from. There was a significant contribution from Swan during the quarter with eight stopes mined in total over a number of levels, which can be seen as the yellow stopes dipping to the left on the lower levels of the section. IN total, Swan comprised around 40% of the tons mined for the quarter with great performance in line with modeled expectations.

Fosterville also saw strong financial performance for the quarter with exception cost metrics, really, operating cash cost of $144.00 per ounce and a sustaining cost of $315.00. With the strong quarter and the outlook for the remainder of the year, yesterday, we announced an improved full year guidance of 570,000 to 610,000 ounces of gold production at operating cash costs of $130.00 to $150.00 an ounce. It's really on the back of anticipated increased production in the second half of the year.

The investment program out of Fosterville continues to pace with sustaining capital expenditure at $18.9 million and growth capital expenditure of $11.7 million. The sustaining capital program includes a significant component of underground capital development as well as mobile plant equipment and infrastructure. The growth capital program was dominated by the key major projects, which remain on track to be completed during the course of 2019.

With that, I'll now pass over to Duncan King for the Canadian operations.

Duncan King -- Vice President of Mining for Kirkland Lake

Thanks, Ian. Moving to slide 11, I'll focus on Macassa. We had a record quarter of production at Macassa, a production of 73,000 ounces. The key to the quarter was the grade, which averaged to 30 grounds to the ton. The higher grade resulted from outperformance in stopes on the 57 and 56-level areas. Cash costs for the quarter were very low at $332.00, while sustaining costs were $602.00. Grade and a reduction in sustaining capital mainly accounted for the low although sustaining costs.

Over the balance of the year, we are pushing to new zones on the 5,700 level, which we expect to have similar grades. Based on our outlook, as you have heard, we increased our production guidance for 2019 to 240,000 to 250,000 ounces. We also improved our cash and cost guidance from $400.00 to $420.00.

Turning to slide 12, turning to the shaft projects -- we remain on track to commence full-stage sinking during the summer. This puts us on track for phase one completion by Q2 2022. During Q1, we filed our technical report for Macassa. Included in the report, it shows that it had full production. Following completion of the shaft, we reached well over 400,000 ounces of production at cash cost below $300.00 per ounce and a sustaining cost below $400.00 per ounce.

A key finding in the report is that the payback will be very quick, basically immediately following the completion of Phase 2 at the end of 2023. I'll now turn it over to Eric Kallio.

Eric Kallio -- Senior Vice President of Exploration

Thanks, Duncan. Good morning, everyone. My first slide today will be number 13, which is Macassa, where we announced some very positive drill sales this week. As announced, the results are from 30,000 meters of drilling, which is focused on extensions of the South Mine Complex, SMC, but also a small amount on the Amalgamated Break.

The slide shown on the screen is a 3D view across the mine. It gives you a better idea of the overall target and key areas tested. As indicated, it's really just to the east, west, and depth of the SMC as well as the Amalgamated Break in the central portion of the mine.

Although we had quite a few very good results in the release, some of the more interesting from my perspective would be the ones in bold drilled to the west, which tested up to about 250 meters west of the current resource and intersected some very high grades, with some of the key highlights including 436 grams over 2 meters, 168 over 2.4 and even 4,000 over 2 meters in the new zone, which is located between the main structures.

Also, encouraging about the area is that although holes are very widely spaced, the intersections seem to line up generally well with existing resources. We see some similarities in style to the [inaudible] in the current resource. You also notice the holes that are near the west of the map also have some reasonably good results, implying good potential for further expansion even further to the west.

Looking at holes to the east, we saw drilling was designed to test outward for the resource in various directions and also producing very good results, with some of the better ones, from my perspective, being a value of 2,458 grams over 1.8 meters that extended the zone's depth and another value of 118 grams over 2 meters, which expanded to the south and east.

We saw some very interesting results from the Amalgamated Break, which is another major structure at the mine which occurs south of the SMC and actually has been tested in many other parts of the mine, but surprisingly showing some very positive results on this new round of drilling.

The results are from two different areas of the Amalgamated Break, which are roughly 300 meters apart and have some very high-grade assays that, as I mentioned, have not often been seen. Given that we still see a number of gaps between the two areas and along strikes, we're still very optimistic about being able to find additional zones of this type. So, in summary, progress with the drilling at Macassa is coming along very well in point number one.

Turning to my next slide, we go to Australia and the Fosterville mine, where we continue to advance targets, with the Key areas being at Robbin's Hill, Lower Phoenix, and Harrier. Unfortunately, progress in all areas was not quite progressing as quickly as we would hope at this point, but for various reasons.

At Harrier, drilling was focused on downtime with the current resources and mostly on the upper incline targets. We did have a lot of success here, but we are unable to test the deeper targets where it's believed most of the potential could lie, the reason being mostly due to an adjustment of interpretation placing targets slightly deeper into the west, requiring a new drill platform. We also had some slight delays caused by waiting for amendments to the mining license.

We feel very confident about the targets and even seeing the quartz with visible gold in some of the deeper holes of the upper incline drilling. Looking at the Lower Phoenix, drilling also targets the resource down plunge. With most of this being done from the new [inaudible], but it just takes a little bit longer than expected due to the length of holes, difficulties with hole deviations, and ground conditions.

Looking at Robbin's Hill, the story is much the same as Lower Phoenix, with the main targets being plunged at the current resource but with drilling being done from surface and just taking a little longer due to the length of the holes involved.

Despite all of the above, we now have the permits resolved at Harrier and a plan in place for this year. We also are working on a similar rift at Lower Phoenix to help this area go faster as well. We're also looking at adding more drills at Robbin's Hill and possibly underground, which should speed up those processes. Given these [inaudible] results can be delivered from these areas within the not too distant future.

With that, I will pass the call back to Tony.

Tony Makuch -- President and Chief Executive Officer

Okay. Thanks, Eric and thanks, everyone in terms of giving our guidance or comments for the quarter. I'll just finalize from slide 15. You can see from the results we've had for Q1, we had industry-leading performance, the company well on track to achieve its new guidance for the year of 950,000 to 1 million ounces. If you look at the low end of 950,000 you'll get the sense that our next quarters are going to be substantially improved from Q1. I will say that maybe Q2 will be a lot similar to Q1 and then Q3 and Q4 are really going to be strong quarters.

The other part is our operating cash costs. We reduced our guidance or improved their guidance at 285 or 305 per ounce. We feel well on our way to achieving those numbers and potentially even beating those numbers as the year progresses and all on sustaining costs of $520.00 to $560.00 an ounce.

Similarly, we have industry-leading earnings and earnings per share. As outlined previously, we had strong free cash flow during the quarter and substantial growth in our cash and the company continues to be focused on rewarding shareholders. We did increase our dividend by 34% in the quarter and now equating it in $0.04 per share in US dollars. We're also focused on return to shareholders in a number of other ways too. We do have our NCIB and we'll continue to use that to provide value to shareholders.

As well, we're investing very heavily in exploration. Our targets are 100 million to 120 million this year. We expect to be at the top end of that. We really feel exploration is investment for the shareholders. We're also investing in infrastructure. You can see the investment at Macassa for the new shaft and the benefits that's going to pay in terms of what that's going to do for adding value for the company as it gets completed. Similarly, we have some capital approach experiences taking place at Fosterville both for ventilation and pace build, which are going to have significant value creation for the shareholders.

On top of that, we focus on cost management. You can see where the costs are. Our operating costs are coming down in terms of a per ounce basis. That means we've got higher margin ounces, more value. There are a lot of areas where we're focused on creating value for our shareholders.

I guess I would be remiss without -- in finalizing, I should say thank you. None of us in this room had much say in the performance in the quarter. It really is the people at our mines in both Australia and Canada, the people working on the diamond drills and doing the work. We have to thank them for all their efforts in the quarter and to continue to be diligent and work hard and safe the rest of the year. I think there are more things to come in terms of value creation for Kirkland Lake, but it's because of the 2,000+ people that are really focused and hardworking.

With that, I'll end the presentation and we'll be happy to take any questions we can.

Questions and Answers:

Operator

Great. Thank you. As a reminder, if you would like to ask a question at this time, please press * followed by the number 1 on your telephone keypad. Once again, that's * then 1 if you'd like to ask a question.

Your first question comes from Cosmos Chiu with CIBC. Please go ahead. Your line is open.

Cosmos Chiu -- CIBC World Markets -- Analyst

Thanks, Tony, David, Ian, Duncan, Eric, and Mark. Thanks for the call. My first question is on the exploration. Eric, you kind of touched on it. There were some issues in terms of drilling. It seems like a lot of it has now been resolved. You spent about $18 million in Q1. Your full year budget is $100 million to $120 million. Are you still expected to hit those budgeted numbers?

Eric Kallio -- Senior Vice President of Exploration

We're still planning to do the budget pretty well when we're looking at the areas that are in-mine. We had the exploration lease expire, so, it will affect some of the work potentially on the exploration. The loan program seems to be more regional, but areas inside the mien, we plan to complete those.

Cosmos Chiu -- CIBC World Markets -- Analyst

The expiration of the exploration lease, that's at Harrier?

Eric Kallio -- Senior Vice President of Exploration

This would be in lands that surround the mining lease. So, outside of the Harrier.

Ian Holland -- Vice President of Australian Operations

Just to expand on that, one of the successful things we had over the quarter was the granting of a significant increase to the mining lease at Fosterville. It was 17 square kilometers. It's now in excess of 28 square kilometers, including a significant expansion to the south. That really covers a significant amount of the potential for Harrier and other systems as they're pushed to the south. It was granted in March. That has affected some of our ability to drill in Q1 itself. But it's actually a really significant outcome because it secures that tenure going forward.

Duncan King -- Vice President of Mining for Kirkland Lake

On the other side to clarify from our exploration programs as well, some of our exploration is classified into capital as opposed to exploration. So, we are on track to spend $120 million on exploration.

Cosmos Chiu -- CIBC World Markets -- Analyst

Maybe focus a little bit more on Harrier itself -- you started drilling there in Q4 2018. Myself and I think some of the investors as well would have expected some results to have been released by now and some have even expected a reserve or more like a resource update or inaugural resource. Once again, I know you've had issues, but could we expect some results to come out within the next several quarters or sometime soon?

Eric Kallio -- Senior Vice President of Exploration

We are drilling at Harrier, but mostly on the upper incline targets. To do the deeper testing on the deeper anticline targets, we need to do the hanging well drift, which is actually scheduled to start very shortly and should be completed sometime in mid-summer. So, we're looking at probably drilling as soon as the drift is done. We may be able to get some done from angles that aren't ideal prior to that, but we need to do the most effective drilling on the anticline and we have to get the hanging well drift done.

Ian Holland -- Vice President of Australian Operations

Yeah, Cosmos. We don't want to tell a hot story here. It's important that we fully test and understand the target.

Cosmos Chiu -- CIBC World Markets -- Analyst

Then maybe switching gears a little bit -- you're running a bit ahead on growth capex. You spent about $50 million in Q1, budgeting $155 million, $165 million for the year. It looks like you spent quite a bit of your budget in Q1 for the number four shaft. Could you maybe talk a bit more about that? Are you expecting to still spend $55 million to $60 million at the number four shaft for 2019? Is that still a number? Are we going to expect it to go past in terms of what you're spending.

David Soares -- Chief Financial Officer

We're on target. There was some there that was carry forward from last year and working to start to sink. As far as concurrent, there's quite a bit of work in the front end as we start to sink. We'll see that gauge down as we move ahead, but we are on track.

Tony Makuch -- President and Chief Executive Officer

This is the setup stage for the overall shaft. A big part of it, some of the costs coming in this quarter was the hoisting plants, which we did the pre-pays in 2018 and that's almost like $19 million at all the sights because the hoists are getting installed. Once you get into sinking, costs go in a different area. This is where we're putting all the investment in for the surface infrastructure.

Cosmos Chiu -- CIBC World Markets -- Analyst

Maybe related to capex as well, you spent about $10 million in the northern territories. I believe, if I can confirm with you, there's still some money to be spent in Q2. I guess my question is what is the final decision -- when are you expecting to make a final decision in terms of a potential restart at those assets?

Tony Makuch -- President and Chief Executive Officer

We're working diligently on that. I would expect over the next few quarters that we'll be in a better position to say what we want to do. Ultimately, we're getting to the point where we're fairly close to have some confidence in what we want to do. It's an exploration effort. When we do restart operations there, we want to start operations at both the meaningful level of production and a meaningful cost and margin for us. We're trying to put it together.

We don't want to start at a 30,000 or 40,000-ounce a year operation. We're looking at 100,000+ ounces with potential to grow to 200,000 to 250,000 ounces. It's coming together, but we need to get that. In order to do that, we need multiple mining fronts, which we're working on at the Cosmo Lantern area as well as the Union Reefs area.

Cosmos Chiu -- CIBC World Markets -- Analyst

Maybe one last question for me, if I may -- you spent about $12 million in Q1 for Fosterville for growth capex, including ventilation, pace, fill, and a new water treatment plant or whatever. Could you remind me, Tony, does that add to throughput in any way? How does it work? I remember at one point in time, you were talking about upgrading the gold room that would have -- I think that's been completed. I think that adds to throughput. How about these other projects here?

Tony Makuch -- President and Chief Executive Officer

In terms of a project for this year, the last year, we put in the gravity circuit, but this year, a big project we have now is our refinery. We're building a whole new refinery to allow us to handle the amount that we're pouring. We do have limitations in terms of how many ounces that can be poured there. That's one part of the project. The pace fill is going to have impacts, which we haven't really expressed it yet in terms of improvements of productivity in the mine and also in turnaround time from a back-filling point of view and improving working conditions. The ventilation is there.

Again, a part of increasing the amount of air in the mine, which should improve working conditions and allow us to put more pieces of equipment in certain strategic areas of the mine. Right now, we're limited in terms of how many pieces of equipment we can run. So, those benefits will come from that infrastructure from the ventilation. Ultimately, this is all part of a plan, which in future years can be the future potential growth from Fosterville as we mine some other areas tied into our aggressive exploration program too.

Cosmos Chiu -- CIBC World Markets -- Analyst

Thanks, Tony and team and congrats on a very good start to 2019.

Operator

Your next question comes from Ovais Habib from Scotiabank. Please go ahead. Your line is open.

Ovais Habib -- Scotiabank -- Analyst

Good morning, guys. Congrats on the quarter. A lot of questions have already been asked by Cosmos. Just a couple of quick questions from me -- at Macassa, you guys obviously had a very good quarter there. Was this kind of a one-off quarter or should we see this performance going into the year?

Duncan King -- Vice President of Mining for Kirkland Lake

We expect it to continue through the year.

Ovais Habib -- Scotiabank -- Analyst

Will you be mining at this current level or is this another level you're going to be moving toward?

Duncan King -- Vice President of Mining for Kirkland Lake

We're expanding the 5,700 level. So, we expect to be in a new stope at the end of next month and expecting similar grades from there. That will give us four pretty good grade stopes all at once.

Ovais Habib -- Scotiabank -- Analyst

Perfect. Then moving on to Fosterville, obviously, you guys had a good quarter there as well and it's expected to get better in the second half. Is the improvement -- this is more of a question for Ian -- is the improvement expected from improved grids or throughput? How should we look at the second half?

Ian Holland -- Vice President of Australian Operations

Yeah. It's largely grade, Ovais. So, we would expect Q2 to be broadly similar to the last two quarters. So, Q4 last year and Q1 this year and then expect to see some improvement in Q3 and Q4 on the back of some higher grade. It's really sequencing Swan control. So, it's a grade-driven increase.

Ovais Habib -- Scotiabank -- Analyst

And then just Ian, in terms of the percentage of Swan in the second half, can you give me a little bit of color on how much you're expected to take from Swan in the second half?

Ian Holland -- Vice President of Australian Operations

So, broadly similar to our last quarter. It was about 40% of the material in the last quarter. That's about the proportion of Swan by tons in our reserve base. So, we expect it to be in line with that sort of number.

Ovais Habib -- Scotiabank -- Analyst

That's it for me, guys. Thanks so much again.

Operator

Your next question comes from John Tumazos from Very Independent Research. Please go ahead. Your line is open.

John Tumazos -- Very Independent Research -- Analyst

Thank you. Congratulations on a 33.3% ROE this quarter and 22.6% last year. Tony, as you look at potential capital projects in the company, it's a big bar to match your recent rates of return. Going beyond the big exploration outlays and the Macassa number for shaft, do you have any other projects that require significant cash if you're building cash up and have returns at least half of the rate you've been generating as a company?

I'm thinking of if there are any little details in the Macassa Mill for 2022-2023 when the tons rise. Could there be a shaft in one of the zones some day at Fosterville? Do you have any big projects that would help you use cash and generate similar or at least half as good a return as you're doing now?

Tony Makuch -- President and Chief Executive Officer

Good questions, John. We talk about Macassa, definitely the shaft in that infrastructure is important. We do have our tailings expansion that we're doing, putting a whole new tailings area there. This is in our capital program in 2019. We've also taken a position that our tailings definition is high-density tailings in Kirkland Lake.

We're installing high-density tailings. Going into 2020, some of the things we're really going to look at is improvements in our pace fill productivity at Macassa by doubling the capacity of our pace fill plant and improvements in terms of bore hole locations to reduce the delays in terms of delivering pace from surface. Automating some parts a little bit better should help us in terms of reducing costs and improving productivity in the mine.

Over at Fosterville, we are at a point where we have a mill. We have this first stage of these programs coming in. We do want to look at there's a larger resource base there. How do we deal with that to bring that into the mill to increase mill throughput? Similarly, we're doing the exploration as we get exploration success, being prepared. We've got the capital programs to bring these new areas into production as well. Those are some of the things we're looking at. It could result in a shaft at some point in time in Fosterville if we need to. We're still some time away from that.

We are looking at now a development program potentially to go out and do a more advanced exploration program at our Robbin's Hill project, which would require some development. Those are some things we're spending time looking at, which all would be tied into improving our mill throughput at Fosterville similarly to what we're trying to do at Macassa to go to the next level of growth and production that will happen from these assets.

As we talk about, we're looking hard at what we're doing at Holloway and Taylor and what we're doing at the northern territories in terms of bringing those into meaningful levels of production. So, over time, going from cold complex of 150,000 ounces a year currently to well over 200,000 ounces a year in the next few years and as I mentioned, at the Northern Territory, similar types of levels.

So, we do have a lot of other things we're looking at investing in terms of bringing growth and more value creation for the shareholders in the company.

John Tumazos -- Very Independent Research -- Analyst

Thank you. Now, when I go around Toronto, I ask the other companies, "Kirkland does over 20% ROE. Can you guys at least get 5%?" Thank you.

Operator

Your next question comes from Craig Stanley with Eight Capital. Please go ahead. Your line is open.

Craig Stanley -- Eight Capital -- Analyst

Thank you. Three very quick questions from me -- what's the budget in the second half of this year for the Northern Territory?

Tony Makuch -- President and Chief Executive Officer

We're probably going to be pretty much similar to what we did in Q1 in terms of a quarter by quarter basis. That's a combined exploration and development program that we're doing there.

Craig Stanley -- Eight Capital -- Analyst

Secondly, Macassa, I noticed the MD&A, previously you were talking about over 400,000 ounces per year in 2022. This MD&A said almost 500,000 in 2022. I'm just curious if that was a typo or something changed there.

Tony Makuch -- President and Chief Executive Officer

Maybe that's a Freudian slip, but there's potential at Macassa for growth.

Craig Stanley -- Eight Capital -- Analyst

Just finally, the drill results you had last year for Macassa, amalgamated break, is this to be the next South Mine complex?

Eric Kallio -- Senior Vice President of Exploration

We're still assessing that. We're moving into an area that there has been very little testing. We know that it's a big structure. It's always been thought to be the south limit of the mine and it hasn't had good results in a lot of areas, but we're in a whole new area here and we've got two new lenses not very far apart from each other. So, we still have a lot of drilling to do, but we are optimistic about being able to find more.

Tony Makuch -- President and Chief Executive Officer

Realize the South Mine Complex is basically filled with conjugates or shares between the main break or the 04 break at Macassa and the Amalgamated Break. So, what's happening here, definitely there's some interaction and more significant is the Amalgamated Break as we're getting here because you've seen the South Mine Complex being caught between those two breaks. We don't know yet.

But as Eric mentioned, the drill results are demonstrating that things are there. We've talked about that for quite some time. If there's a point in time when we get a chance to drill it, we'll get a drill platform, and it's starting to happen.

Craig Stanley -- Eight Capital -- Analyst

Thank you.

Operator

And there are no further questions at this time. I will turn the call back over to Mark Utting for any closing remarks.

Mark Utting -- Vice President of Investor Relations

Thanks very much, Operator, and thanks very much, everyone for participating in today's call. We understand it's a very busy day for analysts and investors with a lot of companies reporting. As you've heard, we expect going forward to have continued strong operating and financial results, continue to make progress with our exploration. You've heard we had very good results with Macassa and our high priority targets in the SMC and along the Amalgamated Break.

We remain very optimistic about Fosterville and our NRT targets where we've intercepted the quartz veining in multiple locations. We've done the work we've been needing to do and should be reporting on that as we go through the year. So, you can see there's a lot going on, a lot of progress being made. We look forward to our next conference call for the Q2 results. Thanks very much.

Operator

Ladies and gentlemen, this concludes today's conference call. You may now disconnect.

Duration: 39 minutes

Call participants:

Mark Utting -- Vice President of Investor Relations

Tony Makuch -- President and Chief Executive Officer

David Soares -- Chief Financial Officer

Ian Holland -- Vice President of Australian Operations

Duncan King -- Vice President of Mining for Kirkland Lake

Eric Kallio -- Senior Vice President of Exploration

Cosmos Chiu -- CIBC World Markets -- Analyst

Ovais Habib -- Scotiabank -- Analyst

John Tumazos -- Very Independent Research -- Analyst

Craig Stanley -- Eight Capital -- Analyst

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With a 3.5-star rating out of six reviews on Yelp, it's getting solid feedback.

Pho Yes serves up authentic Vietnamese cuisine to satisfy every craving, from appetizers to rice and noodles. Ready to try a full meal? Start with the grilled pork Bao Bun appetizer, followed by the eye-round beef and meatballs pho with a fried egg or egg roll side order.

Scott S., who was among the first Yelpers to review the new spot on May 8, wrote, "Only the freshest ingredients used. It's nice to see the choices offered outside of Austin. The place has quality items, made to order, and reasonably priced too."

This story was created automatically using local business data, then reviewed and augmented by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback.
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP)  The Latest on developments related to Alabama's strictest-in-the-nation abortion ban (all times local):

1:45 p.m.

Democratic U.S. Sen. Doug Jones is calling his state's new abortion ban "shameful."

Jones told reporters Thursday that the legislation uses rape and incest victims as "political pawns." He is Alabama's only Democrat in statewide office.

The Alabama legislation signed into law Wednesday would make performing or attempting to perform an abortion at any stage of pregnancy a felony. The ban does not allow exceptions for rape and incest.

The ban takes effect in six months. However, supporters acknowledge that they expect the ban to be blocked by lower courts. But they hope the legal battle will eventually go before the U.S. Supreme Court.

Jones said the state has pressing needs and should be taking steps to improve health outcomes.

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10:30 a.m.

Opponents of Alabama's new abortion ban plan a Sunday afternoon rally at the state Capitol.

Organizers of the March for Reproductive Freedom say "people should have the right to make the decisions that are best for their bodies without state interference."

They plan to march to the Capitol steps at 4 p.m. on Sunday. Similar marches are planned in Birmingham and Huntsville.

The Alabama law would take effect in six months, but legal challenges are certain to hold it up. If ultimately found constitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court, it would make it a felony to perform an abortion at any stage of pregnancy.

___

10:10 a.m.

Leading U.S. physician groups are denouncing strict anti-abortion measures adopted or proposed in several states, saying they interfere with doctor-patient relationships and would criminalize legal procedures.

The American Medical Association's president, Dr. Barbara McAneny, says the group supports access to abortion and "strongly condemns" government interference that compromises the ability of doctors to help patients choose options for medically appropriate treatment.

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McAneny issued a statement after Alabama's governor signed the nation's most restrictive abortion law on Wednesday. It would expose abortion providers to life in prison if it overcomes legal challenges.

Six other major medical groups issued a joint statement raising similar concerns on Thursday. They are the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American College of Physicians, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the American Psychiatric Association and the American Osteopathic Association.

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9:30 a.m.

Alabama's Republican governor has now signed the most stringent abortion legislation in the nation, making performing an abortion a felony in nearly all cases, punishable by up to life in prison, and with no exceptions for rape and incest.

Gov. Kay Ivey said the law she signed Wednesday is a testament to the belief of many supporters that "every life is a sacred gift from God."

Democrats and abortion rights advocates call it a slap in the face to women.

The law faces certain legal challenges on a journey to the U.S. Supreme Court, where Republicans hope President Donald Trump's appointees will reverse Roe v. Wade and criminalize abortion nationwide.

Evangelist Pat Robertson is among those who think it's a mistake, calling the Alabama law too "extreme" and likely to lose.
CARACAS, Venezuela (AP)  The latest on the political crisis in Venezuela (all times local):

9:15 p.m.

Officials in Venezuela say representatives of the government and opposition have traveled to Norway for talks on resolving the political crisis in the South American country.

Members of Venezuela's opposition-controlled congress said Wednesday that senior members of both sides will be involved in the discussions in Oslo.

The National Assembly members spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the talks, which they described as exploratory.

One official said delegations from the two opposing camps were traveling after receiving separate invitations from a group of Norwegians.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro did not directly comment on the talks in televised remarks Wednesday. But he said Information Minister Jorge Rodriguez was on a "very important" mission outside Venezuela.

___

5 p.m.

The United States has suspended all commercial passenger and cargo flights between the U.S. and Venezuela, saying the political unrest and tensions there pose a risk to flights.

Wednesday's announcement by the Department of Homeland Security affected a dwindling number of flights between the two countries, since U.S. airlines no longer fly to Venezuela. The measure reflects the increasingly sour relationship between the Venezuelan government and the U.S., which is leading a campaign to oust President Nicolas Maduro.

The department says conditions in Venezuela "threaten the safety and security of passengers, aircraft, and crew." It says the flight suspension will continue indefinitely, though the decision will be reviewed if the situation in Venezuela changes.
By Christopher Bing and Joel Schectman WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. lawmakers are pushing legislation that would force the State Department to report what it is doing to control the spread of U.S. hacking tools around the world. A bill passed in a House of Representatives' appropriations subcommittee on Tuesday said Congress is "concerned" about the State Department's ability to supervise U.S. companies that sell offensive cybersecurity products and know-how to other countries. The proposed legislation, released on Wednesday, would direct the State Department to report to Congress how it decides whether to approve the sale of cyber capabilities abroad and to disclose any action it has taken to punish companies for violating its policies in the past year. National security experts have grown increasingly concerned about the proliferation of U.S. hacking tools and technology. The legislation follows a Reuters report in January which showed a U.S. defense contractor provided staff to a United Arab Emirates hacking unit called Project Raven. The UAE program utilized former U.S. intelligence operatives to target militants, human rights activists and journalists. State Department officials granted permission to the U.S. contractor, Maryland-based CyberPoint International, to assist an Emirate intelligence agency in surveillance operations, but it is unclear how much they knew about its activities in the UAE. Under U.S. law, companies selling cyber offensive products or services to foreign governments must first obtain permission from the State Department. The new measure was added to a State Department spending bill by Dutch Ruppersberger, a Democrat from Maryland and member of the House Appropriations Committee. Ruppersberger said in an emailed statement he had been "particularly troubled by recent media reports" about the State Departments approval process for the sale of cyberweapons and services. CyberPoint's Chief Executive Officer Karl Gumtow did not respond to a request for comment. He previously told Reuters that to his knowledge, CyberPoint employees never conducted hacking operations and always complied with U.S. laws. The State Department has declined to comment on CyberPoint, but said in an emailed statement on Wednesday that it is "firmly committed to the robust and smart regulation of defense articles and services export" and before granting export licenses it weighs "political, military, economic, human rights, and arms control considerations." Robert Chesney, a national security law professor at the University of Texas, said the Reuters report raised an alarm over how Washington supervises the export of U.S. cyber capabilities. "The Project Raven (story) perfectly well documents that there is reason to be concerned and it is Congress' job to get to the bottom of it," he said. The bill is expected to be voted on by the full appropriations committee in the coming weeks before going onto the full House. (Reporting by Christopher Bing and Joel Schectman; editing by Grant McCool)
Vatican City (AFP) - Decades after Isaac Asimov first wrote his laws for robots, their ever-expanding role in our lives requires a radical new set of rules, legal and AI expert Frank Pasquale warned on Thursday.

The world has changed since sci-fi author Asimov in 1942 wrote his three rules for robots, including that they should never harm humans, and today's omnipresent computers and algorithms demand up-to-date measures.

According to Pasquale, author of "The Black Box Society: The Secret Algorithms Behind Money and Information", four new legally-inspired rules should be applied to robots and AI in our daily lives.

"The first is that robots should complement rather than substitute for professionals" Pasquale told AFP on the sidelines of a robotics conference at the Vaticans Pontifical Academy of Sciences.

"Rather than having a robot doctor, you should hope that you have a doctor who really understands how AI works and gets really good advice from AI, but ultimately it's a doctors decision to decide what to do and what not to do."

"The second is that we need to stop robotic arms races. Theres a lot of people right now who are investing in war robots, military robots, policing robots."

- No humanoids -

Pasquale, a law lecturer at the University of Maryland, says it's important that any investment in military robotics or AI should provide some advantage that's "not going to be just immediately cancelled out by your enemies."

"Its just depressing, its money down a hole, you build a robot that can tell if my robot can tell if your robot can tell if my robot is about to attack. It just never ends."

The third, and most controversial, rule is not to make humanoid robots or AI, says Pasquale, citing the example of a Google assistant called Duplex that would call people to confirm hotel reservations without telling them they were talking to a computer.

"There was an immediate backlash to that because people thought that it was Google trying to pass its machines off as a human and I think that counterfeiting principle is the most important one, that we should not counterfeit humanity."

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Robots can look humanoid "only if its totally necessary to the task," said Pasquale, such as "care robots or sex robots."

The fourth and final law is that any robot or AI should be "attributable to or owned by a person or a corporation made of persons because we know how to punish people but we dont know how to punish machines."

- Two-tier tech -

"If we have drones flying about the place that are autonomous, cars that are autonomous, bots online that are speaking on Twitter or in finance trading stocks, all of those have to be attributed to a person."

"There are companies like Facebook where they just fine the company but they never force any person to give up money or be incarcerated for doing something wrong. And thats a problem.

"Weve already got a problem with corporations and if we allow robots to be out there without being attributable to a person or corporation it just gets worse," said Pasquale, whose book "New Laws of Robotics" is due to be published by Harvard University Press.

What must be avoided at all costs is two-tier technology, such as proposed by Boeing for their 737-MAX airliners, grounded after hundreds died in two crashes blamed on a sensor failing because of a software error.

"They made a decision at a very high level that they would allow airlines to buy a second sensor but that would be an extra cost, I think it was 80,000 dollars extra per plane, and that to me foreshadows a ton of problems."

"Part of what the law has to do is step in and say certain of these bargains were not going to allow, were going to say we have a standard for flying, it's a single standard its not like oh I need to look up whether Ryanair, American Airlines or Lufthansa bought the extra sensor, because thats madness.
HOUSTON (AP)  A Houston-area police officer knew his neighbor suffered from mental illness and should have offered assistance when that was apparent, but instead he fatally shot the 44-year-old woman, a lawyer for the victim's family said Thursday.

Pamela Turner had struggled with paranoid schizophrenia since her diagnosis in 2005, and may have been in crisis the night she was killed, attorney Ben Crump said during a press conference.

Turner was shot by a Baytown police officer Monday night in the parking lot of her apartment complex following a struggle that a bystander captured on video. The city's police have said the Hispanic officer shot the African American woman during an attempted arrest after she shocked him with his Taser.

Late Thursday afternoon, police identified the officer as Juan Delacruz. The 11-year veteran is on paid administrative leave.

A spokesman for the police department in Baytown, a city of more than 75,000 people, did not answer phone calls or respond to emailed questions Thursday.

Turner's family portrayed Delacruz as the aggressor, saying Thursday that he approached her as she headed to her home in the same apartment complex where the officer lived.

"She was a lady who had mental health issues. What she needed was a helping hand from the police officer. Instead she got five bullets," Crump said.

Antoinette Dorsey-James, Turner's cousin, told The Associated Press in an interview Thursday that Delacruz had harassed Turner more than 10 times in the four months that she had lived in the apartment complex. Turner knew Delacruz by name, she said.

"Every time she had an encounter in the apartment complex with the manager, some kind of way this officer would be the one that shows up and she would call (her family) and say he was harassing her, they were harassing her," said Dorsey-James, who described herself as a second mother to Turner.

Dorsey-James said she and other relatives were trying to find new place for Turner to live when she was killed.

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The complex's management didn't immediately return a call seeking comment Thursday.

Chelsie Rubin, Turner's daughter, said she asked a Baytown police officer after the shooting if the department was aware of her mother's illness and was told they were. Turner was not a "weirdo" because of her illness and most of the time she was just like everybody else, her daughter said.

"My mom is not a horrible person. She's so loving. She's so caring. She did anything she could for us," said Rubin, who gave birth to her second child days before her mother was shot.

In the video of the shooting, which was posted on social media, Turner is heard saying "You're actually harassing me" and "I'm actually walking to my house" to the officer as he tries to arrest her. The pair can be seen struggling and Turner falls to the ground. They continue to scuffle and she says, "Why? Why?" and then "I'm pregnant."

Moments later, something flashes as Turner reaches her arm out toward the officer. Suddenly, he pulls away from her, steps back and fires five gunshots.

Police have said that autopsy results show Turner was not pregnant, but the autopsy report has not been released.

Crump said the family is having its own autopsy done to determine the truth. He also suggested that Turner might have claimed to be pregnant to due to confusion brought on by her mental illness and her daughter's recent delivery. Or, he said, she might have said it because she was afraid for her life.

"They keep saying . that she got what she deserved because (the officer) felt in fear for his life," said Crump. "Well, why can't we use the same reasoning to apply to her? It's not a far stretch here in Texas for an unarmed black woman to believe that the police officer will kill you."

Police Lt. Steve Dorris previously said the officer tried to arrest Turner because he knew there were outstanding warrants against her and that he immediately attempted to help her after the shooting.

Harris County court records show there were three outstanding misdemeanor warrants against Turner.

She was accused of criminal mischief and assault on April 25 after a physical confrontation with a manager at her apartment complex over an eviction notice, and she was accused of criminal mischief for damaging a woman's car on May 2 and ordered to undergo a mental health evaluation. The order cites "credible information" that Turner suffered from mental illness.

The Harris County Medical Examiner's office ruled Turner's death a homicide Wednesday, and Baytown Police Chief Keith Dougherty announced he had called in the Texas Rangers to handle the criminal investigation along with the district attorney's office.

The Harris County District Attorney's office sent civil rights investigators to the scene of Turner's shooting Monday and will present all the evidence to a grand jury, spokesman Dane Schiller said.

___

Bleiberg reported from Dallas.

___

Associated Press writer Juan A. Lozano contributed reporting from Houston.
Bkirki (Lebanon) (AFP) - Lebanon on Thursday laid to rest the former patriarch of its Maronite church Nasrallah Boutros Sfeir after a packed religious service for the respected power-broker.

Sfeir, who wielded considerable political influence during the country's civil war and was an ardent advocate of a Syrian troop withdrawal, was buried in the seat of the Maronite church in the northern town of Bkirki.

Hundreds of mourners took part in the funeral, including clergymen and local and foreign dignitaries, among them French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian.

"He was a man of peace," Le Drian said. "Throughout his entire life, he was an architect of Lebanese national reconciliation."

Cardinal Leonardo Sandri led a delegation from the Vatican.

Sfeir was a "free and courageous man" who sought reconciliation and sovereignty for his country, Sandri told mourners.

The former patriarch died on Sunday, two weeks after he was hospitalised with a chest infection.

"Sfeir's death is a loss to the nation," said the incumbent Patriarch Beshara Rai.

"He is the patriarch of national reconciliation," he added.

Sfeir was a respected power broker during the 1975-1990 civil war, which saw bitter infighting between rival militias including opposing Christian factions.

His backing of the 1989 Taif agreement, which brought the 15-year civil war to an end, bolstered Christian support for the accord.

Sfeir also spearheaded the opposition to Syria's three decades of military and political domination over Lebanon.

His outspokenness helped swell the anti-Syria movement in 2000.

It eventually led to the withdrawal of thousands of Syrian troops from the country five years later, following the assassination of former prime minister Rafik Hariri, whose murder the opposition blamed on Damascus.

During his tenure, Sfeir also played a key role within Lebanon's fractious political scene, often adopting stances that earned him stiff rebukes from some of the country's rival factions, such as Hezbollah and its Christian allies.

After he stepped down in 2011, Sfeir's opinion and advice continued to be sought by politicians of all stripes, not only Christians, until his death.
MONTREAL (AP)  Witnesses saw tears in Beckie Scott's eyes following a meeting in which one man called her attitude "victimistic" and another questioned whether the athletes' committee she led even needed to exist.

In the end, investigators looking into the meeting that left Scott "angry," ''close to tears," and "shaky," according to witnesses, determined that didn't add up to bullying or harassment, but that certainly some of it could've been viewed as "aggressive, harsh or disrespectful."

Those were the key takeaways from the 58-page report the World Anti-Doping Agency released late Wednesday about an investigation into Scott's complaint over how she was treated at a September 2018 board meeting in which WADA reinstated Russia's banned anti-doping agency over her objections.

WADA said that with the release of the report, it "now considers the investigation to be closed."

But this might not be the end.

In a statement given to The Associated Press after the report went public, Scott and U.S. Anti-Doping Agency chair Edwin Moses  whose own claims were also investigated and not corroborated in the report  "expressed their extreme disappointment" in what they termed a "whitewashing" of their claims.

Both refused to participate in the investigation, in part because the firm WADA hired to conduct it had done previous work for the agency. Even before the report was made public, the WADA athletes' commission that Scott leads sent a letter to the executive committee supporting Scott's decision not to participate and stating that "any report released under these circumstances will do incredible harm to athletes' trust in WADA."

The report, along with the unedited tapes from the executive committee meeting, offers a glimpse into how raw things have become between Scott and members of the International Olympic Committee who also sit on WADA's executive committee.

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The most tense back-and-forth came after Scott presented a report about a WADA athletes' forum.

IOC member Patrick Baumann responded by saying "at least from my perspective, we don't see that there is a need to replicate or mirror the IOC within WADA"  a presumptive slap at the athletes' committee that Scott chairs.

A little later, IOC member Francesco Ricci Bitti said: "I was very surprised of Beckie's attitude. Victimistic." He called the WADA forum a platform to promote a certain position on Russia, and then rekindled a theme that gets to the very heart of the tension between athletes and the Olympic governing class.

"The athlete plays a good role but they have to keep their place as everybody," Ricci Bitti said.

Later, Moses tore into Ricci Bitti and others who had been peppering Scott with questions.

"I think it is a very, very high-level and sophisticated game of passive-aggressive behavior and they are taking (it) out on her and I don't appreciate it," he said.

Scott's complaint named Baumann and Ricci Bitti. The report didn't opine on Baumann's response. It said that while Ricci Bitti's "comments ... could be viewed as aggressive, harsh or disrespectful, a reasonable person would not view them as threatening, intimidating or humiliating," which was part of the definition of bullying established by the investigators.

Moses, meanwhile, had claimed he had been told to shut up at a previous WADA meeting. The investigation also looked into that claim and said it could not substantiate it.

In their statement, Scott and Moses listed a number of witnesses who refused to cooperate, including WADA vice president Linda Helleland and Rune Andersen, an anti-doping expert who has done much of the work on Russia's doping conspiracy in track and field.

Despite not finding bullying, the law firm did make four recommendations, which WADA said it would try to implement.

One was training executive committee members on best practices for boardroom dialogue.

"Gender differences can also play a role," the report said. "In our witness interviews, for instance, we found that, on the whole, women reacted more strongly to the use of the word 'victimistic' than did men."

It also said that because not all board members use English as their first language, misunderstandings can occur.

The investigators said they would have benefited from hearing from Scott and Moses but believed they got better information by not agreeing to the terms their lawyers had set.

They said their previous work with WADA didn't present a conflict of interest because they had no relationship with Baumann, Ricci Bitti, Scott or Moses.

And they said the demands set by Scott and Moses "were features of a lawsuit, not an independent investigation."
Rome (AFP) - Libyan strongman Khalifa Haftar, who has launched a military offensive against the UN-recognised government in Tripoli, held surprise talks with Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte in Rome on Thursday ahead of a visit to Paris next week, officials said.

Conte said he urged Haftar halt his attack on the government of Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj, who also travelled to Rome and Paris for talks last week.

"It was a fairly long meeting, a lengthy exchange of information," Conte told journalists. "I informed him of the government's position. We want a ceasefire and we feel that the political path is the only solution."

Conte said last week that he wanted to meet Haftar after his talks with Sarraj.

The Libyan military chief, whose forces control large swathes of the country's east, will travel next week to Paris for talks with President Emmanuel Macron, his office said.

"The goal will be to discuss the situation in Libya and the conditions for resuming a political dialogue... in conjunction with the UN and our partners," an Elysee Palace official said.

France and Italy are the two lead European powers seeking to find a solution to years of instability, spreading Islamic extremism and a migrant crisis in Libya which fell into chaos after the NATO-backed toppling of dictator Moamer Kadhafi in 2011.

But the neighbours are seen by experts as also competing for influence and the issue has caused tensions between the governments.

Sarraj, who is seen as being close to Rome, has accused France of supporting "dictator" Haftar's campaign against his internationally recognised Government of National Accord (GNA).

Paris has rejected the claims, saying it supports Sarraj but also considers Haftar a key player in rebuilding Libya after years of strife.

Macron met Sarraj in Paris on May 8 and on that occasion "reaffirmed" French "support" both for the prime minister and for an "unconditional ceasefire."

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Some observers see France's stance as ambiguous, however, given that Paris in the past has supplied military intelligence to Haftar in eastern and southern Libya.

"Faced with the growing power of Islamic State in eastern Libya, France has made a strategic choice for some years. She has resolved to discreetly support Khalifa Haftar to try to reduce the terrorist threat," said Thomas Hoffnung, a journalist and specialist on African affairs.

France has furthermore "given the impression in recent years of compromising herself with an apprentice dictator," suggested former French ambassador to Syria and advisor to the Institut Montaigne think-tank Michel Duclos.

Haftar's bid to unseat Sarraj and take control of the Libyan capital has reached a military and political impasse after more than a month of fighting.

After an initial advance, forces loyal to the GNA launched a counter-offensive that has led to a stalemate on the ground.

The fighting has killed at least 430 people and wounded over 2,000 while displacing 55,000 others, according to UN estimates.

The European Union on Monday called for all sides in the conflict to put down their arms and commit to UN talks, saying the offensive was a threat to international peace.

"The situation in Libya is very worrying because the roadmap proposed by the United Nations... has been jeopardised by both the move by Marshal Haftar and by the move, or non-move by Prime Minister Sarraj," French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian told lawmakers on Tuesday.
If you love investing in stocks you're bound to buy some losers. But long term Daido Group Limited (HKG:544) shareholders have had a particularly rough ride in the last three year. So they might be feeling emotional about the 65% share price collapse, in that time. And more recent buyers are having a tough time too, with a drop of 48% in the last year. Unfortunately the share price momentum is still quite negative, with prices down 8.3% in thirty days. We do note, however, that the broader market is down 7.0% in that period, and this may have weighed on the share price.

Want to participate in a short research study? Help shape the future of investing tools and you could win a $250 gift card!

Check out our latest analysis for Daido Group

Given that Daido Group didn't make a profit in the last twelve months, we'll focus on revenue growth to form a quick view of its business development. Generally speaking, companies without profits are expected to grow revenue every year, and at a good clip. That's because fast revenue growth can be easily extrapolated to forecast profits, often of considerable size.

Over three years, Daido Group grew revenue at 1.1% per year. Given it's losing money in pursuit of growth, we are not really impressed with that. It's likely this weak growth has contributed to an annualised return of 29% for the last three years. It can be well worth keeping an eye on growth stocks that disappoint the market, because sometimes they re-accelerate. After all, growing a business isn't easy, and the process will not always be smooth.

You can see how revenue and earnings have changed over time in the image below, (click on the chart to see cashflow).

SEHK:544 Income Statement, May 16th 2019

You can see how its balance sheet has strengthened (or weakened) over time in this free interactive graphic.

A Different Perspective

We regret to report that Daido Group shareholders are down 48% for the year. Unfortunately, that's worse than the broader market decline of 12%. Having said that, it's inevitable that some stocks will be oversold in a falling market. The key is to keep your eyes on the fundamental developments. Unfortunately, last year's performance may indicate unresolved challenges, given that it was worse than the annualised loss of 14% over the last half decade. We realise that Buffett has said investors should 'buy when there is blood on the streets', but we caution that investors should first be sure they are buying a high quality businesses. You might want to assess this data-rich visualization of its earnings, revenue and cash flow.

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If you are like me, then you will not want to miss this free list of growing companies that insiders are buying.

Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on HK exchanges.

We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material.



If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. Thank you for reading.
Cannes (France) (AFP) - In a sunny corner overlooking the yacht-filled harbour, a handful of Cannes' youngest visitors are bouncing around a vibrant-coloured carpet in the first-ever creche at the world's biggest film festival.

The brainchild of three film industry mothers struggling to juggle being a parent with the gruelling annual run of festivals, Le Ballon Rouge (The Red Balloon), is a light, airy room "where children are the new VIPs".

Kids had previously been a very rare sight at the annual celebrity-filled festival, which thrives on glitz and glamour but has done little to meet the practical needs of movers and shakers with babies or toddlers in tow.

But for the first time this year, the festival has opened the special day care centre to lend a hand to parents in the film industry.

It follows a similar nursery, "playhouse and nap room" set up at the Sundance film festival last year by the US-based Moms-in-Film group, which had railed at the lack of child-friendly facilities at Cannes.

- 'Takes women to make this happen' -

It's the morning of the opening of the Cannes creche and a handful of youngsters are playing with soft toys, while others try to nap in a space which also has fenced-off outdoor areas shaded by parasols.

Three young nannies and a nurse from the Paris-based service "Nanny Please" are on hand to sing, colour, draw and make lunch, helped by two local volunteers, with the children housed in a pavilion by the harbour.

Coming from Los Angeles for her first visit to the Cannes festival, Gail Greaves said she had been planning on hiring someone to watch her two-year-old daughter Arabella.

But with the festival running for 12 days, going private can quickly get expensive.

"You can't really do much when they're crying," she said.

"I was going to bring a nanny or get one locally but you're looking at 20 to 30 euros ($22-34) an hour."

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But searching online she found Le Ballon Rouge and quickly booked a place. Accredited festival-goers can obtain special passes for their children to use the day care service which is open from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm and costs 50 euros per day.

"This is amazing! They have all of this -- and other kids to play with," Greaves smiled.

"It takes women coming together to make something happen."

Three film industry professionals with young children came up with the idea a few months ago while sharing tips about how to handle the work-life balance. Together they founded "Parenting at Film Festivals".

"We were just comparing notes on how hard it was to be a parent at a festival," said Michelle Carey, an Australian film programmer and one of the three women who founded the group.

During last year's festival, she had to dash back to her hotel room some 20 minutes away just to feed her infant son, which was both difficult and impractical. And she wasn't alone.

- Teething problems -

"In January, we started talking with other friends in the industry, just sharing tips, then at the Berlin film festival we met several festival representatives," she told AFP as her two-year-old son raced around the room giggling.

Coming up with a plan, the three approached the festival organisers and Cannes' sprawling film market and by April, the initiative was in place.

They have also set up a baby room inside the Palais des Festivals, where the red carpet premieres take place, offering a private space for mums to feed and change their babies.

"It's particularly good for young mothers who may be returning to work after giving birth," Carey said.

But Cannes' big gesture has not been without its teething problems, with a British director saying she had been refused entry to the festival site with her four-month-old son on Wednesday.

She said she was asked for 300 euros for a delegate's pass for him and when she accepted, was told it would take 48 hours to process, she told The Guardian.

- Mother-led initiative -

So far, 50 parents have signed up to Le Ballon Rouge, which is named after an Oscar-winning French children's film, with 17 children booked in, Carey said. One of the parents is a member of one of the festival prize juries.

The infrastructure was funded by the film market while the child care costs were raised through a crowdfunding initiative with contributions from more than 12 companies and institutions.

Supported by the 5050/2020 collective, which is pushing for an equal place for women in the film industry, the move comes a year after Cannes signed up to a gender equality pledge.

But Carey said the initiative to offer parent-friendly services was entirely led by her and her fellow mothers.

"We went to them and offered a solution," she told AFP.

"If we hadn't gone to them, they wouldn't have been able to do it themselves."
Sex workers in Osaka will be shown the red light as the city seeks to clean up its image before hosting world leaders for the G20 summit in June.

All 159 members of the Tobita Shinchi association, which represents businesses in the red-light district, will close their doors during the Group of 20 meeting to avoid causing "disruption," an association official told AFP.

"Because the summit is a huge event, we thought that even a minor bit of trouble between our customers could be a source of disruption, and have decided to close our operations voluntarily," he said.

Trouble between customers tends to break out in part because of alcohol consumption in the district, he added.

Tobita Shinchi was once known as the largest neighbourhood of licenced brothels in Japan, but to circumvent anti-prostitution laws, many establishments now operate as 'Japanese-style restaurants'.

The association took a similar measure in 1995, when Osaka hosted the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, with some but not all neighbourhood businesses closing during the meeting, the official said.

Japan will host the G20 summit in Osaka on June 28-29, with US President Donald Trump and China's President Xi Jinping among the world leaders expected to attend.
There are certain moments in the New York City real estate market that warrant speedy and decisive action, and lighting designer Lindsey Adelman, a native New Yorker, seized her chance when the space below her NoHo workshop became available. I had the opportunity to create my fantasy Manhattan loft, says Adelman, referring to the new residential-inspired showroom that opened this week, one floor below her production facility. Its an inviting space that one could imagine functioning equally well for a client meeting and an intimate dinner party.

Photo: Stephen Kent Johnson

Having most recently occupied a separate showroom on Great Jones Street, Adelman recognized the challenges of dividing time and teams across separate spaces. Even though they were only a few blocks away, Adelman knew the new unified space would play to her teams strengths as a design studio. Now, clients have an opportunity to see the design processes at work, understand material characteristics and limitations, and witness what it really takes to achieve the high level of quality for which Adelmans work is known. Clients can feel more creativethey can direct the type of work they want better," she says. Bringing operations, design, manufacturing, and sales under one roof was a considered reaction to what has worked well and what did not work in the past. Interior designers can even meet privately with their clients and make decisions away from Adelmans team, in spaces like a private conference roomdecorated with the studios fixtures, of course.

Photo: Stephen Kent Johnson

During the design process, outfitting the space became an exercise in securing pieces from Adelmans favorite sources: Highlights include dining chairs by Gio Ponti and handmade Moroccan rugs from Breuckelen Berber in Brooklyn. The new space allows visitors to view pieces that have influenced the designer over the years together in one space, including original artworks by Fred Sandback and Robert Rauschenberg. One item that was put to a vote and eventually vetoed was a team request for a fire pole uniting the two spaces. That said, Adelman notes that she and her staff also needed a space for themselves, one to support the mind and the body. Im currently looking to hire a bartender! she says with a laugh. Specialty cocktails every other Friday, yoga class Wednesday evenings, lunchtime barre classes, and even movie nights are all ways to support her growing team.

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Photo: Stephen Kent Johnson

When asked about the costs of this type of move, Adelman emphasizes that it certainly is not cheap. This is Manhattan, after all, and there are increasingly rare examples of this type of product manufacturing happening within the boroughespecially just a few steps from bustling Houston Street. However, she notes that there have been many unseen cost savings as more efficiencies develop from having her team working in one place. We do a ton of custom, she says. As the business grows, Im encouraging elaborate, over-the-top, site-specific, and complicated lighting design. As the studio moves away from more conventional standardization practices, it must work in a more methodical way, both internally and with clients. Thus, the new showroom is not only a functional space, but also one designed to encourage creative thought. As Adelman puts it: There is no road map. Everyone here must be comfortable with uncertainty.

Photo: Stephen Kent Johnson

Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest
NEW YORK (AP)  Denying children a hot meal apparently isn't a popular way for schools to deal with unpaid lunch money.

After a flood of angry Facebook comments and phone calls, a Rhode Island district last week abandoned its plan to serve cold sandwiches to students whose families owe money.

"The outcry was global," said Catherine Bonang of Warwick Public Schools.

Such practices aren't new, but they are facing more scrutiny. As the push against "lunch shaming" gains traction, here's what you should know:

WHAT HAPPENED IN RHODE ISLAND?

Previously, students in Warwick with unpaid charges were served cheese sandwiches that are not on the regular menu, which made it clear who owed money, Bonang said. The district was trying to make it less obvious by switching to sunflower butter and jelly sandwiches, since those are offered as a daily option to everyone, she said.

But the backlash prompted officials to go further and say all students would get the choice of a hot meal. A policy of not letting older students with unpaid meal charges take part in activities like dances and field trips was also recently scrapped, the district said.

HOW COMMON IS LUNCH SHAMING?

It's difficult to gauge the prevalence among the nation's thousands of schools. But in 2011, a majority of districts surveyed said they had unpaid meal charges, according to a study by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which oversees the federal school lunch program. Among those schools, serving alternative meals was common. Cheese or peanut butter and jelly sandwiches were cited as alternatives.

Districts also reported taking other actions to recover costs, such as withholding grades.

ARE THERE RULES AGAINST LUNCH SHAMING?

New Mexico passed a law against it in 2017, and several other states including California, Iowa and Oregon have followed suit.

The laws generally prohibit practices like stamping students' hands or making them do chores, though serving alternative meals isn't always explicitly banned. The laws' supporters say students should never go hungry at school or be shamed with food.

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Last month, federal lawmakers introduced "anti-lunch shaming" legislation to help shield children with unpaid charges. The USDA also discourages practices that stigmatize students, but lets districts set their own policies.

AREN'T ALTERNATIVE MEALS A FORM OF SHAMING?

A child can feel shame even if it's not obvious to others why they're getting a cold sandwich, said Jennifer Ramo of New Mexico Appleseed, which advocates against the practice.

After forgetting to pay for lunches one week, Aniece Germain said her son was given a sun butter sandwich in kindergarten last year. She said her heart broke when she picked him up at school, and he asked why she hadn't paid for him.

She was also charged $2.50 for the sandwich, the same as for a hot meal.

"So the purpose of that is to humiliate the kids, shame the kids, to get the parents to pay," said Germain, who lives in Cranston, Rhode Island, not far from Warwick.

Cranston's school district said it no longer serves alternative meals.

WHO'S AFFECTED BY LUNCH SHAMING?

The national school lunch program serves around 30 million children. About 20 million of those students qualify for free lunches, and 2 million qualify for a reduced price lunch of 40 cents.

The roughly 8 million remaining pay the regular price determined by local districts. Students with unpaid meal charges are the ones affected by lunch shaming.

WHY DO FAMILIES HAVE UNPAID CHARGES?

Even if families with unpaid charges could afford to pay, many say children shouldn't be punished for their failure to do so.

Reasons for unpaid charges can also vary. Some families may struggle to make ends meet, even if they're not eligible for free or reduced-price lunches. Others may feel there's a stigma to applying, or not realize they qualify.

In Warwick, the district said $12,000 of its $77,000 in unpaid charges is owed by children who qualified for free lunch, with charges incurred before their applications were approved.

The School Nutrition Association, which represents cafeteria operators and suppliers, said providing free lunches for all students would end confusion about charges.

ARE UNPAID CHARGES A BIG PROBLEM?

The USDA report from a few years ago said lost revenue from unpaid meals tended to represent a tiny percentage of a school food program's overall spending. But situations can vary, and the School Nutrition Association said unpaid charges are a widespread issue, with debt esca2lating in places that adopted anti-lunch shaming policies.

In Maine, officials estimate the state's new law will have unknown but "significant " costs for local districts.

In Cranston, where the debt is at about $90,000, officials in January started using a debt collector. Michael Crudale of Cranston Public Schools said simply getting a letter from a collection agency can sometimes get families to pay.

"They feel like it's been turned up a notch," he said.

He said credit scores aren't affected, but that letters are sent every 30 days until the school year ends. At that point, Crudale said the district eats the cost and the debt is erased.

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Follow Candice Choi on Twitter: @candicechoi

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The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
PARIS (Reuters) - French President Emmanuel Macron said it was not the aim of France to block Huawei, nor to launch any form of technological war, a day after the U.S. government moved to blacklist the Chinese telecoms giant. "Our perspective is not to block Huawei or any company, it is to preserve our national security and European sovereignty. But I think launching now a technological war or a trade war... is not appropriate," said Macron on Thursday, speaking at the Paris 'VivaTech' event. The blacklisting added another incendiary element to the U.S.-China trade dispute. (Reporting by Jean-Baptiste Vey; Editing by Sudip Kar-Gupta)
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP)  Federal officials in Puerto Rico say a man has been indicted in a $98 million fraud scheme after taking advantage of a law designed to attract wealthy investors to the U.S. territory.

U.S. Attorney Rosa Emilia Rodriguez said Thursday that Gopalkrishna Pai faces charges including money laundering and wire fraud as part of an alleged scheme that ran from May 2014 to October 2018.

She said Pai created a limited liability company to sell personal care products online including skin creams. Rodriguez said Pai also created 116 liability companies using personal data obtained from the Internal Revenue Service. She said credit card and other payments were processed and then paid to these companies.

An attorney for Pai could not be immediately reached. The investigation is ongoing.
ATMORE, Ala. (AP)  A man condemned for his role in a quadruple killing that followed a dispute over a pickup truck was put to death Thursday in Alabama after declining to make any last-minute appeals.

Michael Brandon Samra, 41, was pronounced dead at 7:33 p.m. following a three-drug lethal injection at Holman prison, authorities said.

Samra and a friend, Mark Duke, were convicted of capital murder in the deaths of Duke's father, the father's girlfriend and the woman's two elementary-age daughters in 1997. The two adults were shot and the children had their throats slit. Evidence showed that Duke planned the killings because he was angry his father wouldn't let him use his pickup.

Families of the victims thanked law enforcement and the community for support in a statement read by Prison Commissioner Jeff Dunn after the execution.

"This has been a painful journey. Today justice was carried out," said the statement from relatives, six of whom were witnesses.

Strapped to a gurney with his arms extended, Samra made a profession of Christian faith before the drugs flowed.

"I would like to thank Jesus for everything he has done for me," Samra said. He ended with the word, "Amen."

As the drugs flowed, Samra went still and his chest heaved three times. He took a few deep breaths and his head moved slightly. Then an officer checked to see if he was still conscious.

A few moments later, Samra's hands curled inward, his chest moved like he was breathing and his mouth fell slightly agape before he turned ashen.

The execution procedure began about an hour after the scheduled 6 p.m. start time, but Dunn said there was no particular reason for a delay.

"There were no issues that I was aware of," Dunn told reporters.

None of Samra's family attended, but the inmate had a final phone call with his father on Wednesday, said prison spokesman Bob Horton. The execution came hours after Samra met with six friends and a spiritual adviser, who witnessed the execution with Samra's two lawyers.

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Steven Sears, one of the attorneys, said the inmate received a denial of clemency from Gov. Kay Ivey's office several hours earlier Thursday. Sears said he had gained hope on Wednesday when Ivey talked about the sanctity of life in signing a bill to virtually outlaw abortion in the state.

"Today my hopes were dashed. I guess she didn't mean it," he said after the execution.

Though Duke and Samra were both originally convicted of capital murder and sentenced to death, Duke's sentence was overturned because he was 16 at the time, and the Supreme Court later banned executing inmates younger than 18 at the time of their crimes.

Samra was 19 at the time and asked the U.S. Supreme Court to delay his execution while the Kentucky Supreme Court considers whether anyone younger than 21 at the time of a crime should be put to death, but the justices refused .

Court documents show Duke and Samra killed the four at a home in Pelham, a Birmingham suburb, on March 23, 1997. The day before, Mark Duke and his father, Randy Duke, got into a heated argument over the man's refusal to let the son borrow his truck.

After enlisting friends to help, Mark Duke killed his father with a gunshot to the face and Samra shot the man's girlfriend, Dedra Mims Hunt, who survived and fled to another part of the house.

Mark Duke found the woman in a bathroom and shot her, court documents show. Out of bullets, he then used a knife to slit the throat of the woman's 6-year-old daughter, Chelisa Hunt. Samra cut the throat of the woman's 7-year-old daughter, Chelsea Hunt, as she begged for mercy while Duke held the child down.

Two other men who were teenage friends of Samra and Mark Duke at the time of the killings served prison sentences for lesser roles. David Layne Collums and Michael Lafayette Ellison, both now 39, were accused of helping plan and cover up the killings.

Alan Freedman, an attorney who formerly represented Samra for 16 years, said the inmate had accepted his fate and wasn't interested in a last-ditch court fight. Samra made no 11th-hour appeals to the courts.

"My heart goes out to the victims' families," said Freedman. "He was remorseful, he was ready. He was ready a long time ago."

Another execution was carried out Thursday in Tennnessee , that of 68-year-old Don Johnson, who drew a death sentence for the 1984 suffocation of his wife in Memphis.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP)  A man convicted of killing his wife decades ago at a camping center he managed in Memphis prayed and sang hymns as he was put to death Thursday in Tennessee.

Don Johnson, 68, was executed via lethal injection inside a maximum-security Nashville prison for the 1984 suffocation of his wife, Connie Johnson.

Don Johnson's last words were a long prayer that in some places echoed the words of Jesus as he was crucified. He asked for forgiveness for those participating in the execution, saying "they know not what they do."

He also prayed for "all those I have hurt" and thanked God for God's blessings, including his attorneys and loved ones.

After the lethal injection drugs began flowing, Johnson asked if he could sing. Given permission by the warden, he sang "They'll Know We Are Christians" and then "Soon and Very Soon." His voice trailed off in the middle of the second song after the words, "no more dying there."

Shortly afterward, Johnson began making noises that some witnesses interpreted as snores and others said were more like gurgling and gasping. The noises continued for about three minutes before he made a final high-pitched vocalization and fell silent.

He was pronounced dead at 7:37 p.m.

After the execution, one of his attorneys, Kelley Henry, said she believes the noises Johnson was making were an indication that he could feel the pain of the three execution drugs. Henry said she believes Johnson would have felt like he was drowning, being buried alive and then burned. Courts have rejected challenges to Tennessee's midazolam-based lethal injection protocols, but Henry said claims about the pain the drugs cause is unrefuted.

She also complained that heavy restraints and a partially blocked view of Johnson during a consciousness check prevented witnesses from seeing whether Johnson displayed any signs of consciousness. The restraints included what appeared to be athletic tape binding his hands, which Henry said is not part of the official execution protocol.

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Johnson became the fourth person executed in Tennessee since August. The last two inmates executed in Tennessee chose the electric chair, saying they believed it offered a quicker and less painful death than the state's default method of lethal injection. Three more executions are scheduled for later this year in Tennessee.

After the execution, Department of Correction spokeswoman Neysa Taylor read a statement from Connie Johnson's sister, Margaret Davis.

"Connie's death was inhumane and indescribable," she said, and Don Johnson was rightly sentenced to die. But the 34 years he spent on death row are an indication that the criminal justice system "needs to be reevaluated."

Johnson saw three execution dates come and go as his appeals played out in court. Once they were exhausted, he petitioned the governor for clemency based on his religious conversion in prison and Christian ministry to other inmates. Letters of support included one from the president of the worldwide Seventh-day Adventist Church, to which Johnson belonged.

Connie Johnson's daughter, Cynthia Vaughn, said she'd forgiven Johnson and joined in the request for clemency.

Gov. Bill Lee announced Tuesday that he would not intervene , following "prayerful and deliberate consideration" of Johnson's clemency request.

Alabama administered a lethal injection Thursday evening to 41-year-old Michael Brandon Samra. He and a friend, Mark Duke, were convicted of capital murder in the deaths of Duke's father, the father's girlfriend and the woman's two elementary-age daughters in 1997 after a dispute over use of a pickup truck.

Duke's sentence was subsequently overturned because he was 16 at the time of the killings, and the Supreme Court later banned executing inmates younger than 18 at the time of their crimes. The Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to consider extending its ban on executing juvenile offenders to people as old as 20 when they committed their crimes, denying a stay to Samra . He was 19 at the time of the quadruple murder.

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This story has been corrected to show that Johnson said "no more dying there," not "no more dying here."
SRINAGAR, India (AP)  A Muslim man was fatally shot and another was injured by Hindu vigilantes in Indian-controlled Kashmir on Thursday over allegations of cow smuggling.

A group of Hindu men intercepted the two Muslims in the outskirts of southeastern Bhaderwah town before dawn and shot at them after an altercation, police said. A 50-year-old man died and another man was injured. Residents say the attack was carried out by so-called cow vigilantes.

The injured man, Yasin Hussain, told reporters the two were taking three horses, not cows, with them. He said at least eight men intercepted them, hurled abuses and without checking the animals fired shots at them.

Nayeem Ahmed Shah was hit in the head and died on the spot, Hussain said, adding that the attackers fled.

After the incident, the victims' families and their neighbors took to the streets demanding the arrest of the attackers. As more people assembled, the protesters attacked a police station with stones and damaged vehicles. Police fired tear gas and bullets in the air to quell the protests.

Authorities later imposed a curfew in Bhaderwah to prevent violence between Hindus and Muslims.

Police officer Shabir Ahmed Malik said police registered a murder case and detained at least seven people for questioning.

Hindus consider cows sacred, and slaughtering them or eating beef is illegal or restricted across much of India. Mob attacks on minority groups, especially Muslims, have been on the rise since the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party came to power in 2014.

Victims of cow vigilantes have been accused of smuggling cows for slaughter or possessing beef. At least 20 people have been killed by groups mostly believed to be tied to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's party. Modi is running for a second term in India's ongoing general election that ends on Sunday, with results due on May 23.

In Kashmir, where anti-India sentiment runs deep among the mostly Muslim residents, dozens of shops selling beef openly operate in the main city of Srinagar and other Muslim-majority areas despite a ban on cow slaughter.
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PARAMUS, N.J. (AP)  A man caught on video calling another man a terrorist and waving a box cutter at him aboard a bus in New Jersey has been charged with bias intimidation.

Paramus police say Victor Colon also faces counts of making terroristic threats and aggravated assault with a weapon.

Colon was arrested Wednesday night, hours after authorities released video and audio of the May 2 encounter on a Spanish Enterprise Transportation bus traveling on a Paramus highway.

Colon allegedly asked the man if he was Indian, then said his family had killed Colon's father and that the victim was a terrorist and responsible for 9/11. Police say Colon's father was not killed in the attacks.

Colon was being held pending a bail hearing. It wasn't known Thursday if the 51-year-old Hackensack man has retained an attorney.
After being impeached, President Andrew Johnson survived his 1868 Senate trial by just one vote. And to this day, how that vote was cast on May 16, 1868 remains shrouded in controversy.

.Johnson ascended to the presidency in 1865, after Abraham Lincolns assassination. A former Democrat who ran as a candidate alongside Lincoln, President Johnsons relationship with the GOP leadership quickly crumbled.

A faction called the Radical Republicans, led by Thaddeus Stevens and Charles Sumner, dominated the GOP.

On February 24, 1868, President Johnson was impeached by the House of Representatives. The House charged Johnson with violating the Tenure of Office Act. The alleged violation stemmed from Johnson's decision to remove Secretary of War Edwin Stanton, a prominent Radical Republican left over from the Lincoln Cabinet.

To block Johnson from removing Cabinet members without its approval, the House had passed the Tenure of Office Act in 1867. Johnson challenged the act by firing Stanton and appointing an interim replacement. The House quickly filed 11 impeachment charges, sending the case to the Senate for disposition.

Two-thirds of the Senate was needed to convict Johnson, and the Republicans made up more than two-thirds of its members. Chief Justice Salmon Chase presided over the trial, which started in March and ended in late May. Thaddeus Stevens was one of the House prosecutors.

In the end, however, seven Republican senators voted against impeachment. The dramatic scene would have fit right in with the movie Lincoln, with the outcome seemingly in doubt until the last undecided vote was cast.

It is a singular fact that not one of the actors in that high scene was sure in his own mind how his one senator was going to vote, except, perhaps, himself, said historian David Miller Dewitt.

The key day in the trial was May 16. The anti-Johnson forces were counting on a guilty vote on 11th and last article of impeachment. It was the first order of business and a summary of the other 10 articles. If President Johnson was found guilty in the first vote, he was out of office.

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Senator Edmund Ross of Kansas cast the deciding vote, and for all purposes, he was expected to vote against Johnson, up until the night before the final roll call.

The chamber was stunned when Ross said Not guilty. The Radical Republicans asked for an adjournment until May 26, in part because of an upcoming party convention, but also because they had no plan of attack after Johnson survived the first vote. On May 26, votes on two more articles failed, and the trial ended.

The controversy, to this day, is why did Ross change his mind?

There were two serious constitutional issues involved in the trial. One was that some people didnt think the Tenure of Office Act was constitutional. The other was that the Constitution, at that point, didnt specify who became vice president when the president died or couldnt serve.

If Johnson had been impeached, the Senate president pro tempore, Benjamin Wade, would have assumed the duties of the office until the next election. Wade had his own enemies within the Republican Party, including Ross (who foresaw Wade taking away his patronage powers in Kansas if Wade became president).

One theory is that Ross didnt follow his constitutional consciencehe followed the cash. Ross may have been the beneficiary of a $150,000 slush fund set up by Johnsons supporters.

In a 1999 article for Slate, writer David Greenberg pointed out another fact: Rosss vote may not have been needed.

At least four other senators were prepared to oppose conviction had their votes been neededa fact that has been forgotten, maybe, because it doesn't square with the High Noon portrait of Ross as the man of principle facing down the mob, Greenberg said.

In later years, Ross was portrayed as a hero in John F. Kennedys book Profiles in Courage. Others, like historian David O. Stewart, paint a less flattering portrait of Ross when it comes to allegations of bribery and patronage spoils.

Ross lost re-election after the Senate trial and later switched to the Democratic Party. He blamed the Senate trial vote for hurting his political career.

Then in 1885, Grover Cleveland, who was the first Democratic president to take office since the Civil War, named Ross as the governor of the New Mexico Territory.
The news from the Middle East is grim. Last week, national-security adviser John Bolton announced that the United States was sending a carrier group and a bomber force to the Persian Gulf region in response to a number of troubling and escalatory indications and warnings from Iran. Over the weekend, four tankers were sabotaged in an Emirati port. U.S. officials blamed Iran or Iranian allies. Yesterday, the State Department ordered all non-emergency personnel from Iraq, and today we received word that the British government had raised the threat level for its forces in Iraq.

While American forces should defend themselves from any attack, to answer a question about whether America should initiate military action against Iran requires understanding the risks of war. And I fear that Americas post9/11 experience has distorted Americas memory and perceptions of military conflict. Simply put, we have not fought an intact regional power since Desert Storm, and we have not fought a foe with Irans long-range strike capability arguably since World War II.

None of this means we wouldnt prevail in a conflict. Of course we would. Our military power dwarfs Irans. But Senator Tom Cottons bravado on Firing Line Tuesday was unproductive. Asked by Margaret Hoover if the United States could win a war with Iran, Cotton replied confidently, Two strikes  the first strike and the last strike.

Now, it might be the case that the United States could engage in a brief but decisive engagement with Iran, bloody its nose, and leave the country chastened. Indeed, theres precedent for just such an engagement  a forgotten 1988 battle in the Persian Gulf called Operation Praying Mantis. The fight occurred towards the tail end of the IranIraq War and was an adjunct to the larger American effort to preserve freedom of transit through the Strait of Hormuz.

The United States struck Iranian oil platforms after an Iranian mine nearly sank the USS Samuel B. Roberts. The Iranian navy responded, and the fight escalated into Americas largest naval battle since World War II. It featured the Navys first exchange of anti-ship missiles. By the end of the day, the Navy had sunk an Iranian frigate, an Iranian gunboat, and multiple speedboats, for the loss of a single helicopter. Both sides then deescalated, and the fighting was contained  at least until the USS Vincennes mistakenly shot down an Iranian airliner, killing 290 Iranians, including 66 children.

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Praying Mantis happened a long time ago, and since then the Iranian capacity to hurt not just American interests but also the world economy has significantly increased. Iran has the largest and most diverse missile arsenal in the Middle East, rendering it capable of directly attacking U.S. installations throughout the region. It has well-armed proxy forces in both Iraq and Syria and there are Iranian boots on the ground in both places. Americans know from bitter experience in Operation Iraqi Freedom that Iran-allied Shiite militias can be formidable insurgent foes.

Put simply, Iran has at least some ability to recreate the threat environment faced by American troops during the Iraq War and to directly strike American troops and ships with a missile force far superior to any wartime adversary the United States has faced in modern times. Moreover, Iranian forces can threaten and even sink American surface vessels. In a notorious 2002 war game, a hostile force simulating Iran (commanded by Marine lieutenant general Paul Van Riper) overwhelmed the Navy and sank multiple ships  an outcome that would represent a monumental disaster for the United States.

Moreover, Iran is the most sophisticated terrorist state in the world. It has proven  for decades  that its proxies can inflict serious harm on U.S. forces. The Marine-barracks bombing in 1983 killed 241 American military personnel, more men than died in any month in either the Iraq or Afghan wars. The 1996 Khobar Towers bombing in Saudi Arabia killed 19 American servicemen. These casualties dont include the hundreds of Americans who died at the hands of Iranian militias, militias that often wielded Iranian weapons, during the Iraq War.

Finally, its worth pondering the economic effect of a raging conflict in the Persian Gulf. According to Navy analysis, 34 percent of global crude-oil exports pass through the Strait of Hormuz, along with 33 percent of the global liquid-natural-gas market. Disruption of the oil-and-gas trade alone would cause global (and American) economic shocks.

None of this means that America should be afraid of Iran. But no American should be under any illusion that a real fight with Iran would be like anything weve seen since 9/11. It would be virtually nothing like the conflict in Libya or the current fight against ISIS  where the prime risk of casualties has been borne by local allies. While there is some best-case chance of a limited conflict conducted not unlike Operation Praying Mantis, it is entirely possible that conflict could lead to the sight of burning American ships in the Persian Gulf, missile strikes against American bases, a significant terror strike outside the Middle East, and an economic shock that disrupts the American recovery.

Of course we would deal greater damage to Iran than they would to us. Of course wed (over time) get the best of any military exchange. But its easy to imagine a shocked American public looking at the loss of life, the loss of material, and the economic disruption and wondering, When did we agree to this?

And unless the administration goes to Congress and the American public, lays out its case for conflict, and receives congressional authorization, the answer would be simple and potentially politically catastrophic: They did not agree. America should not stumble into war. Aside from the demands of immediate self-defense, there should be no conflict with Iran absent congressional approval. Congress, for its part, should not approve such a conflict absent the most serious, urgent, and compelling need.

More from National Review
The return of rain to the Sacramento area could have a big impact on people's plans this weekend, especially those celebrating outdoors. More than a thousand students will be graduating from Sacramento State and have parties planned. Plus, the countless outdoor birthday and wedding parties have been in place for months. Several party rental companies said their phones have been ringing off the hook with people looking to rent tents or canopies for their events. "Starting Monday until (Wednesday), we probably had over 200 phone calls," said Mack Sharma of United Party Rentals in Sacramento. "I had calls last night, as well, people begging us to set up canopies." Some people have had luck with finding indoor venues for their events, others have postponed their events. People who can't change the date of their event have opted to order tents online and have them shipped overnight. Get the full story in the video above.
The Oscar-winning actress of "La Vie en Rose" will make her return to the music world in Leos Carax's upcoming feature "Annette," which has long been in development. Marion Cotillard will star opposite Adam Driver in the film set to start shooting this summer.

Rihanna, Rooney Mara, and Michelle Williams were considered for "Annette," but it's French actress Marion Cotillard who will play opposite Adam Driver in the rom-com musical, according to Variety. The film, directed by Leos Carax, will be shot in English starting in August.

Marion Cotillard will headline with Adam Driver, star of the current "Star Wars" trilogy. The actors will play star-crossed lovers in the ruthless world of Hollywood. The plot centers on the couple as well as the incredible destiny of their daughter Annette.

The feature-length musical reunites rock group Sparks, which will compose the film's soundtrack with the help of Marius de Vries, the music producer known for his work on "La La Land," "Moulin Rouge," and "Cats."

Currently on screen in "We'll End Up Together," Guillaume Canet's sequel to "Little White Lies," Marion Cotillard is also lending her voice to the American production of "The Voyage of Doctor Dolittle," in theaters in early 2020. Adam Driver remains a Hollywood favorite and currently features in Jim Jarmusch's latest, "The Dead Don't Die," which opened the 72nd Cannes Film Festival.
SAN GIOVANNI ROTONDO, Italy (AP)  Fausto Masnada of Italy claimed his first victory in a Grand Tour by winning the sixth stage of the Giro d'Italia on Thursday while compatriot Valerio Conti seized the overall lead from Primoz Roglic, who was involved in an early crash.

The Italian duo were in a two-man breakaway for nearly 30 kilometers and Conti then allowed Masnada to grab the stage win without contesting the sprint, knowing he would take over the leader's pink jersey.

"It's a lot of joy. I'm really happy. I knew I was on form but winning a stage is really difficult and I did it," said Masnada, who rides for Androni. "I want to dedicate this win to my uncle who died just before I left for the Giro. I managed to see him and I promised him I would get a stage win for him and I did."

The two had pulled away from an original 12-man breakaway which went early on the 238-kilometer (148-mile) route from Cassino to San Giovanni Rotondo after a crash slowed down the peloton briefly.

Roglic, who had worn the maglia rosa since winning the opening time trial on Saturday, was involved in the crash but the Slovenian cyclist was not seriously injured. However, he did tear his shorts and had scratches and cuts on his right buttock.

Jose Rojas finished third, 38 seconds behind Masnada.

Roglic and the other major favorites crossed the line more than seven minutes behind Conti and are now more than five minutes behind the UAE Team Emirates cyclist in the overall standings.

Conti is 1 minute, 41 seconds ahead of compatriot Giovanni Carboni and 2:09 ahead of Nans Peters of France.

The 26-year-old Conti will be the first Italian to wear the maglia rosa since Vincenzo Nibali in 2016  the year he went on to claim his second Giro title.

"I was targeting both stage win and maglia rosa but Fausto Masnada is an incredibly strong rider," Conti said. "I'm very happy with what I got. For an Italian rider, it's fantastic. This is my first time leading a stage race. I'm thrilled."

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Friday's seventh stage is a hilly, 185-kilometer route from Vasto to L'Aquila.

The Giro finishes in Verona on June 2.

___

More AP sports: https://apnews.com/apf-sports and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
Luis Saez formally filed an appeal of his 15-day suspension for a disqualifying ride in the Kentucky Derby atop Maximum Security.

Saez is fighting the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission's decision levied after Maximum Security was stripped of his initial winning run at Churchill Downs. Maximum Security crossed the finish line first in the 145th Derby but was disqualified after a steward's inquiry.

Saez said there was no evidence to support the suspension.

"Indeed, the ruling and suspension have no evidentiary support whatsoever," attorneys for Saez wrote in the appeal.

A stay is requested in the written appeal, which could make Saez available for mounts in the Preakness and Belmont Stakes, legs of the Triple Crown he would otherwise miss.

"In all likelihood, Luis Saez will have as many as 4 to 5 rides on every one of the days for the ordered suspension," Saez's attorneys wrote. "The loss of the opportunity to ride on these racing dates will lead to a substantial loss of income for Luis Saez, causing financial hardship which will be avoided if the appeal is successful."

--Field Level Media
BERLIN (Reuters) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel said she and French President Emmanuel Macron have "intense debates" and think differently but can still find compromises, insisting that they are able to drive the European Union forward.

Macron, seeking to breathe life into the European Union as growing eurosceptic nationalism tests the bloc's cohesion, has made euro zone reform a priority but Merkel has resisted some of his ideas, especially those that may expose Berlin to more risk.

"Certainly, we have intense debates. Our mentalities do differ in certain respects, and we to some extent view our roles differently," Merkel told German daily Sueddeutsche Zeitung.

"However, despite our different situations and perspectives, we do reach compromises time and again. In this way, we've achieved, and continue to achieve, a lot for the European project," she added. "We have the same general ideas."

In January, the two leaders signed a new treaty to update their 1963 post-war reconciliation accord, but some analysts doubt they can still lead an EU that has grown to 28 members with diverse and often conflicting interests and priorities.

Turning to this month's European Parliament elections, Merkel said: "Many people are concerned about Europe  including myself. This means I feel even more duty-bound to join others in making sure that Europe has a future."

Merkel said she supported German conservative Manfred Weber in his quest to become the next president of the European Commission, adding: "That does not mean Germany has no other excellent candidates for other positions."

In separate remarks at a foreign policy lecture on Wednesday, Merkel said she was pleased Britain wanted to remain involved in European security policy despite its planned exit from the EU.

"Wherever Britain is ready to cooperate, we should take the outstretched hand - that will make us stronger," she told an audience in Ravensburg, in southwestern Germany.

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On defence policy, Merkel said Germany's restrictive guidelines on defence exports could leave its partners in despair.

To France's irritation, Germany decided unilaterally last October - after the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Istanbul - to suspend arms sales to Saudi Arabia, its second largest market in the world after Algeria.

The decision compromised existing and planned European defence projects.

"So here we, Germany, will have to be more ready to compromise to be considered at all as a partner," Merkel said.

(Writing by Paul Carrel; Editing by Gareth Jones and Janet Lawrence)
Berlin (AFP) - Chancellor Angela Merkel on Thursday ruled out taking on any political office in Brussels or elsewhere after her planned departure as Germany's leader in 2021.

The chancellor had sparked speculation that she may be eyeing a job in the European Union when she told the Sueddeutsche Zeitung in an interview on Wednesday that with many people feeling concerned about the continent, she feels "even more duty bound to join others in making sure that Europe has a future".

But Merkel, 64 who has been German chancellor since 2005, stamped out the rumour firmly on Thursday.

"I am not available for any further political post, no matter where it is -- not in Europe either," after leaving Germany's top post in 2021, she told a joint press conference with Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte.

In her two-step plan to leave politics, Merkel last year gave up the leadership of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party, before stepping down as chancellor when her mandate runs out in 2021.

Announcing her withdrawal last year, the veteran said she hoped it would allow her fragile coalition to finally focus on governing Europe's top economy, rather than lurch from crisis to crisis because of infighting.

But as Europe faces rising populist, anti-EU forces, speculation has grown that Merkel may take on a job in Brussels and use her long-time political experience to steady the ship through rough waters.
By Andrew Hay TAOS, N.M. (Reuters) - The small city of Deming, New Mexico has become the latest U.S. border community to declare a state of emergency after dozens of migrants were released in the town by federal authorities seeking to cope with a surge in asylum seekers coming across the southern U.S. border. Deming, a city of about 15,000 residents about 35 miles (56 km) north of the border, made the move on Monday after U.S. Border Patrol agents dropped off about 170 migrants, the Deming Headlight newspaper reported, citing City Administrator Aaron Sera. The city declared an emergency "in hopes it will trigger assistance from both the federal government and state officials," Sera said in an emailed statement on Wednesday. Recent releases during the biggest migrant surge on the U.S.-Mexican border in over a decade have divided communities. Democratic-controlled cities such as Las Cruces, New Mexico are using tax dollars to shelter migrants while Republican-controlled Otero County, New Mexico passed a resolution against housing migrants and the use of taxpayer funds to do so. President Donald Trump, who made the issue of illegal immigration a centerpiece of his 2016 campaign, has called the rise in asylum-seekers an "invasion" that vindicates his call for the construction of a border wall and a get-tough policy. Deming is the third border community to declare an emergency over the issue, following Yuma, Arizona and Otero County in April. U.S. Border Patrol began releasing migrants directly into border communities in April after its holding facilities became overwhelmed. The agency is turning to smaller towns as shelters reach capacity in El Paso, Texas and other cities. "We don't know how many, if any, will be dropped off there again, it's just a day by day thing," said Ramiro Cordero, a spokesman for U.S. Border Patrol in the El Paso sector, when asked about Deming. A spokeswoman for New Mexico's Democratic Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham criticized the releases in small towns like Deming. "Communities like Las Cruces and Deming are being dealt a bad hand by the federal government, they didn't ask for these releases to happen," said Claudia Tristan, adding that the state was assisting Deming and urging U.S. Customs and Border Protection to stop targeting such small communities. Otero County officials have criticized Lujan Grisham for ordering National Guard troops off the border at a time when Border Patrol is having to take officers off highway checkpoints and border crossings to deal with the surge. Otero County Commissioner Couy Griffin warned that empty checkpoints and the distraction of large migrant groups were allowing Mexican cartels to flood drugs into New Mexico. He cited skyrocketing drug seizures by county police since the checkpoints were left empty in March. "The cartels are merely using the human end of it to promote the illegal narcotics trafficking," said Griffin by phone. (Reporting by Andrew Hay; Editing by Frank McGurty and Rosalba O'Brien)
Playa del Carmen (Mexico) (AFP) - A journalist was murdered in a resort town on Mexico's Caribbean coast after receiving threats, authorities said Thursday, the fifth reporter slain this year in one of the most dangerous countries for the press.

Crime reporter Francisco Romero, who was enrolled in the Mexican government's protection program for journalists and human rights activists, was found dead in a pool of blood in his hometown of Playa del Carmen, according to prosecutors in the eastern state of Quintana Roo and AFP reporters at the scene.

"The state prosecutor's office has opened a homicide investigation," it said in a statement.

"The victim had filed a complaint on April 12 over threats he had received."

Romero ran a Facebook-based news site called "Ocurrio Aqui" (It Happened Here) that covers local politics and crime and has more than 17,000 followers. He also worked for one of the state's leading newspapers, Quintana Roo Hoy.

"He was an independent reporter, and had been under the protection program for journalists since 2018," said Balbina Flores, Mexico director for watchdog group Reporters Without Borders.

The government program provides different kinds of protection to threatened journalists and human rights activists, ranging from panic buttons to home surveillance to bodyguards.

Flores said Romero had been enrolled in it after the murder last year of one of his collaborators, fellow Playa del Carmen journalist Ruben Pat.

Four journalists have now been murdered in the state of Quintana Roo in the past year, and five across Mexico so far this year.

Mexico is one of the most dangerous countries in the world for journalists: more than 100 have been murdered here since 2000, amid a wave of violence linked to drug trafficking and political corruption.

The vast majority of those killings remain unpunished.

Reporters Without Borders ranks the country as the third most dangerous in the world for the press, after war-torn Afghanistan and Syria.
Playa del Carmen (Mexico) (AFP) - A journalist was murdered in a resort town on Mexico's Caribbean coast Thursday after receiving death threats, authorities said, the fifth reporter slain this year in one of the most dangerous countries for the press.

Francisco Romero, who was enrolled in the Mexican government's protection program for journalists and activists, was found dead in a pool of blood outside a nightclub in Playa del Carmen, his hometown, according to prosecutors in the eastern state of Quintana Roo and AFP reporters at the scene.

The state prosecutor's office opened a homicide investigation, saying Romero had filed a complaint on April 12 over threats he had received.

Reporters Without Borders said the killing officially made Mexico the deadliest country in the world for journalists so far this year. Last year, the watchdog group ranked the country the third most dangerous in the world for the press, after war-torn Afghanistan and Syria.

Mexico has been hit by a wave of violence linked to drug trafficking and political graft in recent years, and asking too many questions about crime or corruption can be a deadly business.

Romero's wife, Veronica Rodriguez, said he had regularly received threats over his work, which sometimes rubbed local government officials the wrong way.

"He had received a lot of threats. Too many threats. The authorities in Mexico City knew about them," Rodriguez, 40, told AFP.

"The last time wasn't even two weeks ago. They threatened him saying that if he didn't do what they wanted, they were going to kill me.... They said they knew where our son studied, that they were going to throw him off a bridge."

Rodriguez, who has three children -- one with Romero and two from another relationship -- would not say who had made the threats, saying she feared for her life.

- Mysterious phone call -

Reporters Without Borders said Romero had received a phone call at 5:00 am informing him about some supposed news at a local night spot called the Gotta Gentleman Club.

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Although he had four bodyguards provided by the government, he had sent them home at 10:00 pm the night before, it said in a statement.

Romero, who also had a panic button to alert the authorities if his life was in danger, went without them to the club. His body was found in the parking lot an hour later.

Witnesses said he had been beaten and shot twice in the face, the organization said.

Romero worked for one of the state's leading newspapers, Quintana Roo Hoy, and ran a Facebook-based news site called "Ocurrio Aqui" (It Happened Here) that covers local politics and crime and has more than 17,000 followers.

He had been under the official protection program for journalists since 2018, according to Balbina Flores, Mexico director for Reporters Without Borders.

The government program provides different kinds of security to threatened journalists and human rights activists, ranging from panic buttons to home surveillance to bodyguards.

Flores said Romero had been enrolled in it after the murder last year of one of his collaborators, fellow Playa del Carmen journalist Ruben Pat.

Four journalists have now been murdered in the state of Quintana Roo in the past year.

Across Mexico, more than 100 have been murdered since 2000. The vast majority of those killings remain unpunished.
Photo: Ataberk Guler/Unsplash

When it comes to food and drink, there's plenty to do in Miami this week. From a brunch featuring celebrity chef creations to a brewery tasting, here's how to add some flavor to your social 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.

Chefs of the Caribbean Celebrity Brunch: Haitian Heritage Month Edition

From the event description:

Chefs of the Caribbean Celebrity Brunch is a signature event for Haitian Heritage Month. The brunch is a culinary explosion of Caribbean-inspired dishes prepared by multiple celebrity chefs and restaurants featuring delicious dishes, island desserts, specialty beverages and spirits. Participating chefs include Chef Creole, Chef Dominique, Chef Danny Penalo and more.

When: Saturday, May 18, 12-2:30 p.m.

Where: Caribbean Marketplace, 5925 N.E. Second Ave.

Price: $50

Click here for more details, and to get your tickets

Concrete Beach Fourth Anniversary Celebration

From the event description:

Help us celebrate our anniversary with the Concrete familia. Come out to enjoy tunes by DJ Law, live music, delicious food, a cake-cutting and more. We're kicking off the party with the release of Mise en Place, a refreshing Grisette-style table beer rooted in Belgium, but brewed for Miami.

When: Saturday, May 18, 2-8 p.m.

Where: Concrete Beach Brewery, 325 N.W. 24th St.

Price: Free

Click here for more details, and to get your tickets

Grillin N Chillin

From the event description:

Whether you're craving backyard barbecue spare ribs, southern brisket or a mouth-watering pulled pork sandwich, Grillin N Chillin has the best sun-kissed recipes from across the country. The event features a mixology bar, live music, a barbecue rib-off, a family fun zone and more.

When: Sunday, May 19, 11 a.m.-7 p.m.

Where: Peacock Park, 2820 McFarlane Road

Price: Free

Click here for more details, and to get your tickets

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Puppy Brunch at thedeck

From the event description:

Bring your pup for a Sunday brunch that'll have you both howlin' for more  expect mimosas, a food truck, curated cocktails and a thrifter market that brings local Miami vendors to the Wynwood neighborhood.

When: Sunday, May 19, 12-5 p.m.

Where: thedeck, 2250 N.W. Second Ave.

Price: Free

Click here for more details, and to get your tickets

Up to 34% Off Brewery Tasting Experience at NightLife Brewing

From the NightLife Brewing deal description:

Decorated with black-and-white pictures of Miami, NightLife Brewing continues the city's easygoing legacy with their specialty brews. After getting over the nostalgic vibes, visitors are invited to tour the brewery or simply relax at the bar with a beverage of their choice.

Where: NightLife Brewing, 1588 N.W. Seventh St., West Miami

Price: $13 (24 percent off regular price); additional deals are available.

Click here for more details, and to get this deal

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.
As Air Force Staff Sergeant Chelsey Speicher returned from her first deployment, she wasn't sure how her young son would react. Chelsey was stationed in Jordan for 6 months, leaving behind her husband and 2-year-old son, Bennett.

She and Bennett talked every other day on FaceTime for the entirety of her 6-month assignment. Chelsey says thinking of the moment she'd get to see her son again is what got her through each day.

Chelsey was particularly nervous about how her toddler would react when he saw her again. But when the moment came, Bennett gave her a huge hug, then grabbed her face because he couldn't believe she was real.

The whole family came to the airport to welcome Chelsey home but it was Bennett's reaction that truly melted his mother's heart.

Ready for more? If you can't stop watching heartwarming homecoming videos, see the special moments in the reunions below.

Homecomings that make us grateful for our countrys military

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Military mom reunites with toddler in emotional airport homecoming
For the first five months of Morgan Lyles high-risk pregnancy with twins, her fiance Chris Weien was by her side, assembling the double-wide stroller and watching the squiggles of two heartbeats on ultrasound monitors. Theyd purchased car seats for their SUVs and confirmed that Lyles would take maternity leave from her job as an attorney for the state of Ohio after the babies were born. But when Weien suffered a series of seizures that sent him to the intensive-care unit for nearly two weeks when Lyles was 20 weeks pregnant, Lyles couldnt afford to be there with him. She had only four weeks of paid family leave from her jobat 70% of her salaryand was terrified of dipping into her paid vacation and sick time, knowing the twins would need her later. Ive got to save what leave I can, she recalls telling a colleague who was shocked to see her in the office while her fiance was in the hospital.

It still wasnt enough. Maura and Lena were born on March 2, about two months after their dad was discharged. They were just over 3 lb. each, and both suffered from a minor brain bleed. Lyles exhausted her allotted paid maternity leave before the girls even came home from the neonatal intensive-care unit in April. Though the couple is anxious about the coming deluge of medical bills, Lyles has little choice but to use unpaid leave now too, to care for her premature twins.

Taking time off for a newborn isnt as hard in other countries. If Lyles lived in Bulgaria, which has one of the worlds most generous paid-maternity-leave laws, shed get nearly 59 weeks of maternity leave at 90% of her salary and an additional year of parental leave she and Weien could split. If she lived in Chile, shed receive 18 weeks at 100% of her salary and an additional 12 weeks to split. Even in Iraq, shed have gotten 14 weeks at 100% of her salary. In fact, the U.S. is the only industrialized nation on the planet that doesnt guarantee paid parental leave through a federal law.

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If an attorney like Morgan Lyles cant cobble together enough paid time off to be with her sick fiance and care for her babies, the challenges can be even starker for the 83% of civilian workers without any paid family leave at all. We have every incidence of privilege, and its still incredibly hard, Lyles says as she breastfeeds one baby and Weien bottle-feeds the other in the living room of their three-bedroom home in Columbus. I have no idea what people who arent similarly situated do. I cant even imagine.

Its not that the U.S. doesnt recognize the problem. Polls show that voters overwhelmingly back the concept of paid family leave: a 2017 Pew study found that 82% of Americans supported mandatory paid leave for mothers after a birth or adoption. Now this broad public demand has spurred new efforts to fix it. The White House, Republican Senators and big businesses have recently joined traditional advocates on the left to champion paid family leave. Some states and major corporations have created their own policies, and a variety of proposals are circulating in Congress. Its clear that the odds of Americans getting paid family leave have never been better. Whats not clear is whether lawmakers can find a bipartisan solution.

The biggest sticking point is how to pay for it. A handful of Republican Senators have introduced versions of a national paid-family-leave policy over the past year, which would be funded by delaying or reducing a parents Social Security checks down the road. Thats anathema to Democrats like New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, who with Connecticut Representative Rosa DeLauro has been pushing a paid-leave bill called the FAMILY Act since 2013. I dont think its fair that you have to choose between your retirement and paid leave, Gillibrand, a presidential candidate, tells TIME. Gillibrands plan would be funded by a 0.2% payroll tax levied on both employees and employers. That idea wont fly with Republicans. I dont believe were going to ever be able to pass a bill anytime soon that will pass the House and Senate, be signed by the President, that creates a new government program, a new mandate on business or raises taxes, says GOP Senator Marco Rubio, whose New Parents Act, co-sponsored by Senator Mitt Romney, would offer new parents up to three months of paid leave in exchange for future Social Security payments.

Morgan saved all her paid leave to care for the twins, but it barely lasted beyond their hospital stay. In the U.S., 83% of civilian workers have zero paid family leave | Maddie McGarvey for TIME

Americans dont want it to come out of their pockets, either. Some three-quarters of Americans would support a federal program offering 12 weeks of paid leave that could be used by both new parents and people dealing with their own or a family members medical issue, but only 54% back the idea if it came with a $200 annual tax hike, according to a 2018 public-opinion poll by the Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank.

Whether the two parties can reconcile their differences is what stands in the way of tens of millions more adults in the U.S. labor force getting paid family leave. In the meantime, nearly a quarter of employed moms have little choice but to return to work within two weeks of giving birth, according to a 2015 analysis by In These Times, a nonprofit magazine. Its a far cry from the six weeks or longer that doctors recommend after most births. But the sparks of progress have advocates hopeful that America may finally be on the cusp of solving one of its most vexing policy challenges.

On a mild April afternoon in New Orleans, a group of business leaders and policy advocates gathered around a conference table to sip coffee, nibble on chocolate toffee cookies and talk about the need for paid family leave. The discussion was led by two local bankers and Louisiana Senator Bill Cassidy, a Republican who recently announced he was teaming up with Democratic Senator Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona to look for a bipartisan solution to the problem. When I looked around that room and I saw fiscal conservatives and progressive policy advocates all nodding their heads in unison, I got excited, says Michael Hecht, the president and CEO of a New Orleansbased economic-development nonprofit. When rock-solid conservatives and New Deal progressives are agreeing on a policy, it means we are either doing something very smart or its the apocalypse.

The snubbing of paid family leave didnt start as a partisan fight. While other developed nations, including France and the U.K., began offering or expanding paid maternity leave soon after World War II ended to keep women in the workforce, Americas labor force hadnt been as devastated by wartime casualties. The U.S. didnt have the same kind of crisis in its employment, says Megan Sholar, a political scientist at Loyola University Chicago and the author of Getting Paid While Taking Time. A few stateside policies eventually catered to working women: Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act and, later, the Pregnancy Discrimination Act made it illegal to discriminate on the basis of pregnancy. But women still had to take leaves of absence when their children were born, and their jobs were not guaranteed when they returned.

When Democrats brought an unpaid-family-leave proposal to Congress in the 1980s, Republicans urged them to change the language of the bill so fewer small businesses would have to comply. It still didnt pass. President George H.W. Bush, worried that even a watered-down version of the proposal would worsen a recession, vetoed the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) in both 1990 and 1992. I want to strongly reiterate that I have always supported employer policies to give time off for a childs birth or adoption or for family illness and believe it is important that employers offer these benefits, Bush wrote in his 1992 veto statement. I object however, to the Federal Government mandating leave policies for Americas employers and workforce.

After defeating Bush, Bill Clinton made signing the Family and Medical Leave Act one of his first acts as President. Since then, people who have worked at least 1,250 hours over the course of a year at companies that employ 50-plus people in a 75-mile radius have been eligible for 12 weeks of unpaid leave. But more than 40% of Americans dont work for employers that meet those requirements, according to a 2012 survey conducted by the U.S. Department of Labor.

Most U.S. families struggle to make ends meet if their leave is unpaid. Staci Lowrys daughter Bailee, now 8, suffered a serious stroke in 2014, and Lowry quickly exhausted all her annual vacation and sick days to be by her hospital bed. When Lowry also ran out of the unpaid leave guaranteed by the FMLA, she lost her customer-service job in Michigan. They fired me while I was still in the hospital with her, Lowry says. You dont stop being a parent just when the baby is born. You are a parent until your child puts you in the grave, or unfortunately, in some circumstances, you put your child in the grave.

A lot has changed in the years since Bailees stroke. Businesses eager to recruit strong employees and retain talent in a booming economy have increasingly offered more generous paid-leave policies. Though it costs companies to voluntarily provide paid parental leave, many argue it costs more not to provide it. Researchers for the California employment development department found that after a paid-parental-leave law took effect in 2004, turnover rates dropped on average across the state. That can be a huge cost saver given that, according to data from the University of California, Berkeley, replacing a single employee costs firms an average of $4,000, while the average cost of replacing a white collar professional exceeds $7,000.

Silicon Valley has led the way, with many companies offering 18 weeks to a year of paid parental leave. From a recruiting and retention lens, says Raina Moskowitz, a senior vice president at Etsy, whats good for families is really good for business. Beginning in April 2016, Etsy began providing its employees 26 weeks of fully paid parental leave.

Corporations are increasingly extending more generous benefits to hourly workers too. Walmart, the countrys largest private employer, announced it would dramatically expand its paid-family-leave policy in January 2018, after more than 100,000 people signed a petition pleading that hourly associates be offered the same benefits as the companys executives. The retail giant previously offered full-time hourly workers a six- or eight-week maternity-leave policy at as little as half pay, and no leave for dads or adoptive parents. Under the new policy, which the company says was made possible by recent tax cuts, full-time associates get 10 weeks of fully paid maternity leave, and an additional six weeks of fully paid parental leave is available to both parents.

In addition to keeping workers happy and productive, paid parental leave improves the health of new mothers and their children, likely reducing costs for businesses that provide health insurance to their workers. As many as 1 in 7 women experiences postpartum depression during the first year of their babys life, but more generous leave policies can significantly lessen that likelihood, according to a 2014 study published in the Journal of Health Politics, Policy and Law. Breastfeedingwhich the World Health Organization recommends exclusively for the first six months of a babys lifeis also significantly easier for moms who are able to spend the first months of their childrens lives at home. Paternity leave is crucial for childrens development too: those with more involved fathers tend to perform better on cognitive assessments during the early years, according to a 2013 analysis from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.

Realizing the benefits of paid family leave, states have also stepped in to fill the void of a federal plan. Since California became the first to pass a statewide policy, New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Washington State and the District of Columbia have all followed suit. Several dozen cities have also passed paid-family-leave laws for municipal workers.

For Americans eager to see a national paid-leave policy, the brightest development is that congressional Republicans have begun to come around. In addition to Rubio and Romneys proposal, GOP Senators Joni Ernst of Iowa and Mike Lee of Utah recently introduced the CRADLE Act, which would offer new parents one to three months of paid leave. Like the Rubio-Romney plan, the proposal would be funded by delaying Social Security paymentsmaking them nonstarters with congressional Democrats.

Republican lawmakers have also gotten a boost of encouragement from the White House. Let us support working families by supporting paid family leave, President Trump said during his 2018 State of the Union address. Trumps 2018 budget sought to provide six weeks of paid family leave to new mothers and fathers, including adoptive parents, so all families can afford to take time to recover from childbirth and bond with a new child without worrying about paying their bills.

Ivanka Trump, the Presidents daughter and senior adviser, has been a key supporter of the policy. She visits Capitol Hill to discuss paid leave several times a month, the White House says, and has met with more than 60 members of Congress on the issue. Much progress has been made to advance this important policy over the past two years, Ivanka Trump tells TIME, and I believe that paid family leave can finally be passed into law if we work across the aisle and encourage honest debate in pursuit of a bipartisan path forward.

Neither the President nor his daughter has endorsed a specific approach. The White House and Ivanka have not stepped in and proposed one bill over another, or even a specific approach over another, says Rubio. A source close to the Trump Administration said the hands-off approach was designed to give legislators the space to hash out the specifics without interference. Critics have questioned the Trumps commitment to the issue, but the endorsement of the concept has given the GOP crucial political cover. The fact that the White House is behind it, Rubio says, makes it an easier sell to get more Republicans interested.

Its still not clear how the two parties will bridge the gap over the question of funding. Even political strategists who see paid family leave as an opportunity for the two parties to work together say they dont see a solution on the horizon, especially with a presidential election looming and a crowded domestic policy agenda. Parental leave is one of those things that pop up in debates and town halls, but it doesnt appear to me that its got the kind of staying power that would shove other things aside, says Rich Galen, a Republican strategist and former top congressional aide. Weve gotten along for about a billion years without parental leave, and suddenly in 2020, the notion that the Republic will collapse without it just doesnt meet the We gotta do it now test.

Paid family leave isnt yet a priority for either majority in Congress. House Democrats are skeptical a solution is neargiven the GOPs approach to paying for the proposals. Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell has made confirming judges his top priority and hasnt made family leave a must-pass item on the Senates to-do list because, while a popular idea, it doesnt carry much intensity in voters minds.

But advocates remain optimistic, believing the pressure to find a solution is beginning to build. Weve made a lot of headway in the last two years, the source close to the Administration tells TIME. It used to not be even a subject of debate for Republicans or a legislative consideration.

It often takes Congress years to hammer out deals even on policy matters with broad public support. Criminal-justice reform is one recent example. During President Barack Obamas second term, Democrats and Republicans in the House and Senate, backed by powerful advocates from all points on the political spectrum, made earnest attempts to craft legislation to address the issue. Their efforts were stymied by a small number of conservative Senators. But the work continued, and in December 2018, Trump signed a landmark prison-reform bill.

For Morgan Lyles and millions of other American parents, the issue is urgent. Weien will soon need brain surgery to correct his worsening seizure disorder, and Lyles wont have the time off to help him recover. Shes hoping policymakers can agree on a solution before her daughters have families of their own.

This appears in the May 27, 2019 issue of TIME.
NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP)  Cyprus' defense minister says French military experts are assisting Cypriot authorities in upgrading a naval port on the east Mediterranean island nation's southern coast to allow it to receive large warships.

Savvas Angelides told private TV station Sigma on Thursday that he has signed a statement of intent with his French counterpart affirming bilateral defense cooperation that allows authorities to proceed with the next phase of planning for the upgrade at Evangelos Florakis Naval Base.

Angelides said the aim of the upgrade is to enable Cyprus to effectively contribute to regional security through the European Union's joint military investment and project development program known as PESCO.

A Cyprus defense ministry statement said the statement of intent also foresees the "wider strategic cooperation for the benefit of the naval forces" of both Cyprus and France.
Photo Illustration by The Daily Beast

The mystery over the fate of a 19-year-old pregnant Chicago teen missing for the past three weeks took a dark turn on Wednesday when authorities announced shed been found slain, with her baby cut out of her womb, and stuffed into a garbage can in the yard of a woman whod allegedly offered her free baby clothes online.

The baby of Marlen Ochoa-Uriostegui is said to be in critical condition at a local hospital after being passed off as the 46-year-old woman's child late last month, immediately after the teenager was reported missing at nine months pregnant. The Cook County Medical Examiner determined the expectant mother's cause of death to be ligature strangulation and ruled her death a homicide on Wednesday.

Sources cited by the Chicago Sun-Times say the unidentified 46-year-old woman is expected to face charges. Ochoa-Uriostegui's family told local media the mother-to-be had met the woman in a Facebook group and went to her home after being offered baby clothes for her unborn son.

She was giving clothes away, supposedly under the pretenses that her daughters had been given clothes and they had all these extra boy clothes, and that's where the false pretenses that I believe led her to that house, Cecilia Garcia, a spokesperson for the teens family, told ABC 7.

Shortly after the teenager was last seen on April 23, an older woman was seen covered in blood and holding a baby in a towel outside the home where the 46-year-old woman lived, screaming that her baby needed help and wasn't breathing, neighbors told ABC 7.

The Chicago Fire Department responded to a 911 call at the home that same night after a 46-year-old woman called and said she had just given birth and the baby was pale and blue.

The baby, who has been in the hospital since April 23, has now been identified as Ochoa-Uriostegui's child after a DNA test, her family said Wednesday.

The babys father and Ochoa-Uriosteguis husband, 20-year-old Yiovanni Lopez, reportedly visited the child Tuesday night and named the baby Yadiel Yiovanni Lopez. Garcia, the family spokeswoman, said the baby was in critical condition.

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Police have not yet announced charges against the unnamed 46-year-old woman, but Anthony Guglielmi, spokesman for the Chicago Police Department, was quoted by the Sun-Times saying that four persons of interest were in custody in connection with both Ochoa-Uriostegui's death and the incident involving the baby.

Police were reportedly led to the woman by an anonymous tip after she set up a GoFundMe campaign seeking $9,000 for her baby's funeral, saying he was very ill and about to die.

A woman who said the 46-year-old used to babysit her baby told ABC 7 she had begun to exhibit strange behavior recently. She told me how she was getting really attached to the baby, how she couldn't wait to be a mom again, the woman, who asked not to be named, told the news outlet.

A neighbor of the woman also told the Sun-Times about seeing her on her porch with the baby as an ambulance arrived on April 23. She said, I stood up and the baby came out, the neighbor was quoted as saying. Before she left in an ambulance, she told me several times, Please call up someone to come and lock the house.

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JACKSON, Miss. (AP)  Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant is in Uzbekistan this week to try to strengthen connections between the state and the country in central Asia.

Bryant spokesman Bobby Morgan told The Associated Press on Thursday that the Republican governor and others left Sunday and will return Saturday.

"This trade mission is no different than past trade missions he's gone on in past that have resulted in companies in those countries investing capital and bringing jobs to Mississippi," Morgan said.

The delegation includes Mississippi National Guard Adjutant Gen. Durr Boyles, Mississippi Development Authority director Glenn McCullough and others from state government and the private sector.

Morgan said the Mississippi National Guard and the Uzbekistan military have been jointly training for six years in a state partnership program.

Mississippi State University has had connections to Uzbekistan for about five years, university spokesman Sid Salter said Thursday. In February, the land-grant university established a collaboration agreement with Tashkent State Agrarian University in Uzbekistan, focusing on agriculture issues including irrigation and water management in horticulture. A delegation from Uzbekistan, including the country's minister of higher education, toured the campus in Starkville.

Mississippi State's primary interest in forming the international partnership is to improve global food security and alleviate hunger, Salter said.

Julie Jordan, Mississippi State University's vice president for international programs, is on the trip to Uzbekistan this week.

"She has some meetings on her own and will attend some joint meetings with Gov. Bryant," Salter said.

Mississippi Development Authority's international trade office director Rose Boxx and Asia trade manager Garic Barrosse are also on the trip to Uzbekistan, said agency spokeswoman Melissa Scallan.

____

Follow Emily Wagster Pettus on Twitter: http://twitter.com/EWagsterPettus .
Former Tunisian President, in exile in Saudi Arabia, has pledged his return one day to his country and called on Tunisians to unite in front of the deterioration of the security and economic situation, reports say.

This came in a letter published by his to lawyer Mounir Ben Salha.

The former President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali also bashed recent rumors and reports suggesting the deterioration of his health condition in the Gulf country.

A Tunisian politician Mohsen Marzouk last week sparked out speculations saying that Ben Ali was very sick and that the 82-year old man wished to be buried in Tunisia.

The former leader has been living in exile in Saudi Arabia since January 2011 after a popular uprising overthrew his decades-aged regime.

In the letter, Ben Ali called for unity among Tunisians in order to overcome security and economic challenges rocking the nation.

I am following the situation of my country like all Tunisians who wish good for their country. I dont think that the moment has come for Tunisians to rise up against one another, but rather to unite to protect their country and to save themselves from critical economic situation, the exiled former leader wrote in the letter.

In this first direct address to Tunisians, Ben Ali also announced it will be one day back to his homeland.

Thursday last week in an additional evidence that he is doing well, his son-in-law posted a picture of him with his grandchildren with the caption: a Ramadan night with family, Middle East Eye reports.
Missouri senators will consider one of the most restrictive abortion bans in the US, which would rule out terminations even in cases involving rape or incest.

The Republican-led senate in the state is expected to consider approving legislation to ban almost all abortions after eight weeks pregnancy before a deadline to pass bills on Friday.

Under the new laws, the only exceptions where terminations could be carried out after eight weeks would be in cases of medical emergency.

If approved, Missouri would join four other states that have passed so called heartbeat bills, banning abortions once a foetal heartbeat can be detected  usually around six weeks into a pregnancy.

Pro-choice and human rights groups have condemned the move, expressing particular concern the bill offers no protections for abortion in instances of incest or rape.

This isnt about protection  this is about one word, and that is control, Alicia Hernandez, a community organiser for the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) in Missouri told the News Tribune.

Women have the right to end a pregnancy. That decision is personal and not political.

The bill in Missouri comes as lawmakers in states across the US seek to introduce new legislation to impose restrictions on the abortion.

Opponents of the procedure hope the move will prompt the now more conservative US Supreme Court to overturn its landmark Roe v Wade ruling legalising abortion.

Last week, Georgia governor Brian Kemp signed a heartbeat abortion bill into law, giving the state the power to sentence women to life in prison if they terminate their pregnancies after six weeks.

On Tuesday, senators in Alabama gave final approval to a ban on nearly all abortions in the state, which will become the strictest set of abortion laws in the country if approved by governor Kay Ivey.

The legislation would make performing an abortion a crime at any stage of pregnancy with almost no exceptions.

Although Ms Ivey is yet to announce whether she intends to approve the bill, any veto is likely to be overruled by the Republican supermajority in the state senate.

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Meanwhile, Michigans Republican-led legislature is poised to vote to ban a common second-trimester abortion procedure, pushing ahead with legislation that would likely be vetoed by Democratic governor Gretchen Whitmer.

The bills up for votes would prohibit physicians from performing a dilation and evacuation abortion except to save a womans life.

The procedure, which anti-abortion advocates claim amounts to dismemberment, was used in 1,777, or 6.7 per cent, of abortions in Michigan in 2017.

Additional reporting by AP
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo.  After a long day of negotiations that ran late into the night, Republicans in the Missouri Senate moved early Thursday to advance what would be one of the most restrictive abortion laws in the country.

The bill approved 24-10 on a party-line vote after 4 a.m. CDT would ban abortions eight weeks into a pregnancy, which opponents say is before many women even know they're pregnant.

The only exception would be a medical emergency that could lead to the death or irreversible impairment of the mother. Doctors who violate the ban could lose their medical licenses and go to prison for up to 15 years.

The measure now heads back to the House, which easily passed an earlier version in February, for a final vote. Once approved, it will head to Republican Gov. Mike Parson, who has indicated he will sign it.

These states have restrictions: Where is abortion legal? Everywhere. But ...

States and abortion bans: After Alabama OKs strictest abortion law in nation, Missouri could be next. Where states stand on abortion bans

"My administration will execute the laws the Legislature passes," Parson told reporters and abortion opponents at a campaign-style rally in his office Wednesday evening. "And this pro-life administration will not back down."

The aggressive move to curtail access to abortion in the state follows similar actions in Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi and Ohio that have garnered national attention and could fuel a challenge to Roe v. Wade, the 1973 Supreme Court decision that made abortion legal nationwide.

The state will almost certainly be sued over the legislation, and federal judges have struck down similar laws in Iowa, Kentucky and North Dakota. Legal challenges are pending or planned against other states that have passed similar legislation.

Republicans were undaunted Thursday.

Together we stand as one to defend the unborn," Majority Floor Leader Caleb Rowden told reporters after the vote.

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Democrats harshly criticized that take.

Despite peripheral changes to the bill Republicans negotiated with Democrats to avoid having to force a vote over a filibuster, Democratic state Sen. Jill Schupp said the bill remained "an extreme and egregious piece of legislation that puts womens health at risk.

May 16: Televangelist Pat Robertson: Alabama abortion law 'has gone too far,' is 'ill-considered'

May 16: Rape victim who had illegal abortion at age 13 calls Alabama's law 'an abomination'

She also called it "outrageous" that the bill had no exemptions for victims of human trafficking, rape or incest.

But Rowden deflected those concerns, telling reporters the bill passed "represents what we believe is ... unquestionably the position of a vast majority of the people of Missouri."

And other Republicans said they're confident the bill will stand up to judicial scrutiny.

Rep. Nick Schroers bill notably includes additional restrictions that could remain in place even if the eight-week ban is struck down, including provisions that would restrict abortions later in pregnancy and prohibit abortions based on the sex, race or Down syndrome diagnosis of a fetus.

If courts dont allow Missouris proposed eight-week ban to take effect, it includes a ladder of less-restrictive time limits ranging from 14 to 20 weeks. Roe v. Wade legalized abortion up until viability, usually at 22 to 24 weeks.

This is the type of legislation designed to withstand a challenge," House Speaker Elijah Haahr, a Republican, said Wednesday evening.

The bill also would require that both parents be notified for a minor to get an abortion, with exceptions. A change made after hours of late-night negotiations means written notification is required only if the second parent has joint legal or physical custody of the minor.

Current law requires written consent from only one parent.

If ultimately passed, the new rules will add to an already considerable arsenal of restrictions that have left Missouri with a single abortion clinic, a Planned Parenthood in St. Louis.

The womens health organization's lobbying arm condemned the Senate's decision Thursday morning.

May 15: Alabama governor signs near-total abortion ban into law

May 15: 'An utter disgrace': 2020 Democrats denounce Alabama's near-total abortion ban

"Politicians are putting the health and lives of Missouri women at risk in their race to make our state the one that overturns Roe v. Wade at the Supreme Court," MEvie Mead, director of policy and organizing for Planned Parenthood Advocates in Missouri, said in a statement. "These bans on safe, legal abortion will have real costs  expensive legal costs and human costs for the women and families who need reproductive health care."

Planned Parenthood also has clinics in Springfield and Joplin that provide health care services, but no abortions.

Efforts to offer medication abortions in southwest Missouri were put on hold by a battery of restrictions passed in a 2017 special session.

Contributing: The Associated Press. Follow Austin Huguelet on Twitter: @ahuguelet

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Missouri Senate passes bill to ban abortions at 8 weeks
Washington (AFP) - Scientists seeking to unlock the mysteries of human evolution have in recent years relied on increasingly sophisticated DNA techniques that provide "molecular clocks" to date the remains of our ancient ancestors.

But a new analysis that instead examines fossil teeth provides an alternative approach -- and one which yields a significantly earlier date for the divergence between modern humans and Neanderthals.

The study by Aida Gomez-Robles from University College London proposes that the two species' last common ancestor may have lived 800,000 years ago, entering a debate that is hotly contested among anthropologists.

The new timeline is between 200,000 to 400,000 years earlier than current estimates, and if correct would rule out Homo heidelbergensis, another extinct human species, as the last common ancestor between Homo sapiens and our nearest relatives the Neanderthals, as some scientists presently posit.

According to Gomez-Robles, whose paper was published in Science Advances on Wednesday, recent research on hominin teeth has shown that while size varied greatly across various human species, the shape of teeth was more homogeneous and evolved at stable rates across the board.

She examined the molars and pre-molars of around 30 fossils thought to be early Neanderthals from the Sima de los Huesos cave site in Spain as well as of seven other extinct hominin species in order to determine how much they changed over time.

A 2014 study using luminescence techniques and palaeomagnetism was said to have reliably dated the cave site, in Spain's Atapuerca Mountains, to 430,000 years ago, which already hinted that sapiens and Neanderthals went their separate ways before this time.

Using computer modeling, she found that early Sapiens and Neanderthals would have had to have diverged 800,000 years ago for the Sima teeth to have had time to achieve their particular features, barring strong environmental factors that caused the species to evolve at a quicker rate.

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"The major implication is Homo heidelbergensis cannot be the last common ancestor between modern humans and Neanderthals," she told AFP.

- No clean split -

The findings may not put an end to the longstanding debate, not least because of its variance with some of the DNA-based dating, which also relies on assumptions about how quickly genetics change over time.

Gomez-Robles said that while no method was perfect, studying anatomical variation "gives us a more accurate picture" partly because it is still not possible to extract DNA from most ancient fossils.

Moreover, differing timelines could point to growing body of evidence that there are no clean splits between species.

"When we are talking about the divergence between Neanderthals and modern humans, or between any two species, that is not something that happens at one specific moment of time," she told AFP.

"And something that we know today as well is that, you know, there was a hybridization between Neanderthals and modern humans" she continued. "So this is also adding noise to all these studies."

- Praise and pushback -

Gomez-Robles' work was praised by Mirjana Roksandic, a biological anthropologist at the University of Winnipeg who recently co-authored her own paper which described H. heidelbergensis as non-Neanderthal.

"She is pinpointing a time when Neanderthals must have moved their own way and that is a very, very significant result," said Roksandic.

"Teeth are born fossils, they carry so much information. They're just absolutely brilliant that way," she added.

The new methodology was also described as "useful" by Harvard anthropologist Bridget Alex, who nevertheless added that it raised the tension between genetic change against physical and physiological changes in evolution, which may not occur at the same rate.

But the study was criticized by Susan Cachel, a professor in human evolution at Rutgers University, who asked: "If the ancestors of anatomically modern humans and Neanderthals do not come from the taxon Homo heidelbergensis, then where do they come from? Some unknown, shadowy ancestor?"

Cachel added that "there is an astonishing amount of dental variation in living humans," which she said undercut one of the key assumptions used by Gomez-Robles' statistical model, pointing to the example of how some Native Americans have a distosagittal ridge, known as the "Uto-Aztecan premolar."

This trait "is globally very rare and geographically restricted, must have appeared within the last 15-20,000 years -- since the divergence between Native Americans and their ancestral population," she said.

"I therefore question the idea that rates of dental evolution are invariably slow."
Christian Tinsley addressed her daughters middle school class after reports of boys bullying her daughter. (Photo: Courtesy of ABC LA)

A Laguna Niguel, Calif. mom who was sick and tired of hearing her daughter complain about bullies at school decided to confront the entire class Tuesday morning, unannounced, and threaten retaliation on anyone who crosses the girl.

If you all bully my daughter, if you look at her the wrong way, if you breathe the wrong way, send your mom to me, said mom Christian Tinsley in a phone video recorded by a student during second period at Niguel Hills Middle School and shared with CBS2. Sisters, aunts, anybody over 18. Ill f*** them all up. Do you understand me?

Yall dont know me, Tinsleys rant continued. You think yall bullies? Im a big bully, okay? Let that be known, and understand that. Leave my daughter alone, and I mean that.

Tinsley told CBS2 that her daughter had been telling her for months that bullies at the school were harassing her repeatedly, but when school authorities reprimanded the students, the bullying  both in person and on social media  just got worse.

The girl told Tinsley she was receiving racist, sexist and derogatory comments, and that one of the students also sexually harassed her. The boy was later suspended following an investigation into the incident.

While Tinsley stood in front of the class, the teacher contacted the front office for help. The assistant principal at Niguel Hills then intervened and escorted the mom out of the school. She was later forbidden by the Capistrano Unified School District from returning to the school.

The mom told CBS2 she could have handled the situation differently, but she was at her wits end that morning after her daughter started crying and refused to go to school.

Then she made a comment to me that if she wasnt as strong as she was, she would have killed herself, Tinsley said. And so thats when Mama Bear mode went into effect.

She said she did address the situation with school officials first, and they told her not to address students or parents herself. But the frustrated mom felt the school wasnt doing enough to protect her daughter from bullies, so she decided to defend the girl. Its not known how she made it past the required sign-in process for on-campus visitors.

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CBS LA reported that Tinsley also left tickets behind when she left the school. The tickets read, Free a**-kicking. Must be 18 or older to redeem.

I think that sometimes when youve done everything you can do the way youre supposed to do it, and it hasnt been resolved, then sometimes as a parent  you have to decide if youre going to go a step further and deal with any consequences, Tinsley said.

The Orange County Sheriffs Department is conducting its own investigation into the bullying, Principal Tim Reece told reporters.

Tinsley said she had an inkling shed be banned for taking matters into her own hands.

I was prepared for that, she said, because my daughter is number one.

She said she was determined that her daughter would not become a statistic.

Kids are committing suicide every day because theyre getting bullied, she told ABC 7. I dont want that for my daughter. So what do I do when my daughter says shes afraid to go to school?

Reece sent an email to members of the community expressing concern about the incident, confirming that he would visit the classroom on Wednesday, according to ABC 7.

When a parent or student shares concerns about bullying or harassment with administration, teachers or staff, they are immediately investigated at our school site and both students and their parents are contacted, he said.

In the meantime, Tinsley said she would still like to address the bullies parents directly, too, and point out the gravity of the situation.

[Bullies] can really affect other people and make this a hostile learning environment, the mom said. Everyone deserves to be able to come to school every day and feel safe.

At least one dad at the school agrees.

Im sure she talked to people and nobody took care of business, said one dad to CBS2. And a mother or a father is going to do what they feel they need to do to protect their child.

Another parent, identified as Shirley, disagrees with the way Tinsley went about things.

I definitely feel for the parents, but I dont believe that she went about it the right way, said Shirley. It threatens the school, it threatened the other kids.

Yahoo Lifestyle has reached out to the Capistrano Unified School District for further comment.

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731 Byrnes Drive. | Photos: Zumper

Housing costs got you down? Though apartment hunting can be frustrating, there are deals to be had. So what does the low-end pricing on a rental in Wilshire Village look like these daysand what might you get for your money?

Walk Score indicates that the neighborhood is moderately walkable, is fairly bikeable and has a few nearby public transportation options. It also features median rents for a one bedroom that hover around $924, compared to an $875 one-bedroom median for San Antonio as a whole.

A look at local listings for studios and one-bedroom apartments in Wilshire Village, via rental site Zumper, paints a picture of what budget-minded apartment seekers can expect to find in this San Antonio neighborhood.

Read on for the cheapest listings available right now. (Note: prices and availability are subject to change.)

Hoodline offers data-driven analysis of local happenings and trends across cities. Links included in this article may earn Hoodline a commission on clicks and transactions.

100 Cloudhaven Drive

Listed at $725/month, this 500-square-foot one-bedroom, one-bathroom, located at 100 Cloudhaven Drive, is 21.5 percent less than the $924/month median rent for a one bedroom in Wilshire Village.

The building offers assigned parking. In the unit, expect to find both air conditioning and central heating. Neither cats nor dogs are welcome. There isn't a leasing fee associated with this rental.

(See the complete listing here.)

6900 N. Vandiver Road

This one-bedroom, one-bathroom, situated at 6900 N. Vandiver Road, is listed for $750/month for its 715 square feet of space.

In the unit, the listing promises air conditioning, hardwood flooring and a balcony. Expect a fitness center, garage parking and a swimming pool as building amenities. Both cats and dogs are permitted. There isn't a leasing fee associated with this rental.

(See the complete listing here.)

731 Byrnes Drive

Then there's this 700-square-foot unit with one bedroom and one bathroom at 731 Byrnes Drive, listed at $875/month.

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Unit amenities include air conditioning, in-unit laundry and a balcony. When it comes to building amenities, expect assigned parking. Pets are allowed. Future tenants needn't worry about a leasing fee.

(See the listing here.)

1320 Austin Highway

This one-bedroom, one-bathroom, situated at 1320 Austin Highway, is listed for $910/month for its 610 square feet of space.

The building offers assigned parking, outdoor space and a swimming pool. In the unit, expect to find air conditioning, in-unit laundry and a balcony. For those with furry friends in tow, know that cats and dogs are welcome on this property. There's no leasing fee required for this rental.

(See the listing here.)

This story was created automatically using local real estate data, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback.
(Reuters) - Tesla Inc Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk told employees on Thursday that he will increase scrutiny of the company's expenses in his latest initiative to cut costs at the electric car maker. Tesla earlier this month closed a $2.7 billion offering of stock and convertible notes, giving it much needed cash as it ramps up production. Musk in an email to employees, seen by Reuters, said its net proceeds from the offering gave Tesla only 10 months to achieve breakeven at the rate it was burning cash in the first quarter. "That is why, going forward, all expenses of any kind anywhere in the word, including parts, salary, travel expenses, rent, literally every payment that leaves our bank account must (be) reviewed," Musk said. Tesla's attempts to cut costs are not new. In April 2018, in an email sent to employees, Musk said he had instructed his finance team to "comb through every expense worldwide" to find possible cuts. More recently, Tesla laid off 9 percent, and 7 percent of its workforce in June 2018, and January, respectively. The new initiative comes after a tumultuous year for Tesla which has seen analysts and investors cast doubt on its ability to produce, sell and deliver enough cars to make a sustainable profit. (Reporting by Uday Sampath in Bengaluru; Editing by Shinjini Ganguli and Cynthia Osterman)
BIRMINGHAM - AUGUST 30: Nadiya Hussain cooking in the Big Kitchen at the BBC Good Food Show winter 2018 , held at the NEC Birmingham on November 30, 2018 in England. (Photo by MelMedia/GC Images)

Great British Bake Off winner Nadiya Hussain has revealed racist bullying lead to her first ever anxiety attack.

Hussain, who wowed GBBO judges and audiences alike with her culinary ability in 2015, has struggled with extreme anxiety since being a child, and revealed the harrowing experience which lead to her first attack on BBCs Nadiya: Anxiety and Me.

Britain's Queen Elizabeth II cuts into a birthday cake baked by Nadiya Hussain, left, winner of the Great British Bake Off, during celebrations of her 90th birthday in Windsor, England, Thursday April 21, 2016. (John Stillwell/Pool via AP)

The programme, screened last night (15 May), was made for Mental Health Awareness Week and explains how the chefs battle with anxiety, which she calls her monster, has roots in childhood bullying and serious family illnesses.

Read more: Nadiya Hussain: I had panic attacks throughout Bake Off

Reminiscing about memories from her childhood in Luton, where she was born, the 34-year-old detailed how classmates bullied and racially abused her. She said: They would wait in corners and pull chunks of my hair out until it was bleeding.

They slammed my fingers in doors until all of my nails fell out because they were black and blue, and on the last day at school they flushed my head down the toilet - I still have that memory of the water going up my nose and feeling like if they don't pull me up now I am going to drown with my head in this toilet.

Is anxiety caused by nature or nurture? @BegumNadiya visits Kings College London to find out... #NadiyaAnxietyAndMe pic.twitter.com/WWFWYIlYd7  BBC iPlayer (@BBCiPlayer) May 16, 2019

After this ordeal, she hid in the toilets and had her first panic attack.

"If I could erase my memory, then I would take that one memory out of my head, because that memory is always there," she said.

Its often an overwhelming feeling I can't control, a monster that stops me functioning.

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"Having anxiety is probably one of the most lonely, most isolating things to have because you are your own worst enemy and you live inside your head.

Read more: Nadiya Hussain attacks critics who say she jumped on mental health bandwagon

Hussain took to social media to thank viewers for their supports after the programme aired. She tweeted: Thank you for all of the support on here tonight. I watched cautiously and felt nervous throughout but I really hope that now we're talking about it, we keep talking!

It was difficult to make but worth every tear and sleepless night! We are in it together.
Militants have killed 28 Nigerien soldiers in an ambush near the border with Mali, Niger government said.

Earlier reports have announced that 17 soldiers were killed after the attack near the western village of Tongo Tongo. But the bodies of 11 more soldiers have been found, bringing the total number of casualties to 28 in the ambush on Tuesday.

Six injured soldiers have been evacuated to a hospital in the capital, as a search operation, aided by French and American troops, who have a base in Niger, continues.

The troops were patrolling near the border with Mali when armed men opened fire on them. The authorities have not said who carried out the attack but it took place in the same area where four US special forces and four Niger troops were killed by Islamist militants in 2017.

Since 2013, militants belonging to al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM)  an affiliate of al-Qaeda  are active in the region and are known to conduct cross-border raids.

Niger is part of a five-nation anti-insurgency force called G5-sahel backed by a 3,000-strong French force.

The landlocked nation faces insurgency on two fronts: the southeastern Diffa region near Lake Chad is increasingly hit by Nigeria-based militants, primarily the Islamic State West Africa Province faction of Boko Haram. Mali-based militants, some linked to al-Qaeda, occasionally attack the west of the country.
Motorists who drive in closed lanes on smart motorways will soon be liable for an automatic 100 fine and three penalty points (PA)

Motorists will face an automatic 100 fine and three penalty points for driving in the wrong lane of a smart motorway from June.

Currently motorists who drive in closed lanes are only fined if they are caught by an officer at the time of the offence.

But from early as next month, police will be given powers to punish drivers caught on traffic cameras ignoring red X signs.

The new Home Office legislation comes into force on June 10.

Motorists will be liable under the new law from as early as June (GETTY)

Hundreds of miles of motorways across England have been converted into smart motorways - meaning the hard shoulder is used as either a permanent or part-time running lane.

Red Xs are used to indicate when a lane is closed, such as when a vehicle has broken down away from emergency lay-bys.

Motoring groups have warned that smart motorways create a safety risk as vehicles that break down in live lanes risk being hit from behind.

Read more on Yahoo News UK:

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AA president Edmund King said the use of cameras to catch offenders is a welcome measure to improve safety.

Mr King said: Our research shows that one in 20 drivers continue to drive in red X lanes even when theyve seen it, and so far Highways England have written warning letters to over 180,000 drivers about their actions.

Red Xs are put up to warn of an obstruction, so drivers must get out of the lane when they see them.

Motion blurred photograph of traffic at in night in the rain on a British motorway with police officer and car

We have had several incidents recently where AA members cars have been hit in a live lane on smart motorways.

Highways England has issued more than 180,000 warning letters to drivers who have ignored red X signs since the beginning of 2017.

Under Smart Motorway rules, the remaining lanes are subject to variable speed limits, that are displayed on overhead gantries and enforced by speed cameras.

If no speed limit is displayed, then the national speed limit is in place.

---Watch the latest videos from Yahoo UK---
"I don't even know the girl's name," the father, Scott Belue, said. "I'm just praying for her, and I love her."

GREENVILLE, S.C.  The father of a South Carolina teen killed in a motorcycle wreck this week said he is praying for the other teen driver who pulled out in front of his son.

Christian Belue, 15, a Greer High School freshman, was riding his motorcycle on Sunday evening when he struck a vehicle that had pulled out in front of him.

Belue was wearing a helmet. He was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead around 8:27 p.m. Sunday, according to the Greenville County Coroner's Office.

The other driver, a 17-year-old girl, was cited for failure to yield to the right of way, according to the state Highway Patrol.

"I'm praying for that young lady," Scott Belue, Christian's father, said Wednesday.

"It just came to me that God was telling me, 'You need to pray for that young lady.' I've got no room in my heart to be angry with her."

Greer police have not yet released the name of the driver cited in the wreck as the investigation is ongoing, said Lt. Patrick Fortenberry, a spokesman for the Greer Police Department.

Scott Belue said he doesn't need to know her name.

"I don't even know the girl's name," he said. "I'm just praying for her, and I love her."

Christian grew up riding dirt bikes and four-wheelers and had just gotten his motorcycle months before the wreck, Scott Belue said.

Belue said his son had gotten his license just a few months ago.

Christian Scott Belue, 15

"He's up there riding with Jesus on his motorcycle," Scott Belue said.

The 15-year-old who grew up in Greer had three siblings, Chase Whiten, T.J. Barnes and Jayden Burdette. He loved animals and had two dogs, Toby and Rooster.

Scott Belue said his son would "be a light for anybody" and was "an excellent kid" who loved others and loved volunteering. He was riding to buy a Mother's Day card when he crashed, Belue said.

The father said he is struggling to process the unexpected loss and leaning on his faith to move forward.

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"I was trying to figure out why God did this, but God didn't do this. Everybody just has their day," Scott Belue said.

"I don't understand it. I can't comprehend it. I just have to put it all into prayer. I have to put it on God."

Greenville County Schools spokeswoman Beth Brotherton said grief counselors were on-hand at Greer High School to help students and staff cope with the loss.

A memorial service for Christian will be held at Connect Church in Concord, North Carolina, on Thursday. A visitation will be held Thursday evening at the Wood Mortuary in Greer.

This article originally appeared on The Greenville News: North Carolina dad on teen driver in crash that killed his son: 'I'm just praying for her'
Mirsa Garcia Ramos and her 2-year-old daughter Briseba Aracely left Guatemala and sought asylum in the United States more than a month ago. After processing the family, immigration officials sent them to a shelter in the Mexican border city of Mexicali to await a ruling on their case.

More than a week ago, little Briseba Aracely developed a fever and an itchy rash across her belly and back. As of Monday, she had been sick eight days, and had cried through many sleepless nights. The fluid-filled blisters on her arms that hadn't yet turned to scabs.

Since late January, U.S. immigration officials have been forcing some Central American asylum seekers to wait in Mexico for judges to decide their cases; the controversial program took effect at the Calexico border crossing in mid-March.

Now, as migrants crowd into shelters in Mexicali, facility operators and Mexican state health officials are dealing with a new challenge: At one shelter, at least a dozen adults and children, including Briseba Aracely, have developed chickenpox in the past month.

Limited vaccine and concerns of 'an epidemic'

Migrant shelters along the border have been stretched thin since the fall, when thousands of people began arriving in caravans.

The facilities have continued to swell, as the Trump Administration returns some Central American families to Mexico under its Migrant Protection Protocols. The number of asylum-seeking Central American families apprehended at the border reached an all-time high in April.

What we dont want is for this to get out of control and become an epidemic, Tomas Diosdado, with the Alfa y Omega shelter, said in Spanish on Monday. There had been 17 cases of chickenpox at the shelter in the past month, he said.

We are worried that this isnt going to stop, and instead become more contagious, he said.

Meanwhile, at a press conference Monday, a Baja California state health official, Oscar Efren Zazueta Fierro, said he was not overly concerned about the chickenpox cases at the Alfa y Omega shelter.

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He said there were 12 confirmed chickenpox cases at the shelter, explaining that some suspected cases had not been confirmed. None had required hospitalization, he said.

It was recommended that they separate the patients, as best they can, until the last scab falls off, Zazueta Fierro said.

At Alfa y Omega, however, shelter operators and health professionals said it would be challenging to prevent the spread of the disease  in part, because of limited vaccine supply and limited space to quarantine people.

The virus spreads easily

Chickenpox is a highly contagious disease caused by the varicella-zoster virus. It causes between 250 and 500 itchy blisters across the body, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The virus spreads easily from infected people to those who have never had the disease or never been vaccinated, so the best way to prevent it is with the vaccine, the CDC said.

On Monday morning, four Baja California health workers, two wearing masks over their mouths, arrived at the shelter to assess the chickenpox cases. That day, there were about 375 migrants sleeping in open rooms, some on beds and others on thin mats on the floor.

One of the health workers, Angel Vazquez de la O, said the disease was benign. Still, he called the situation at the shelter very difficult. The state health department doesnt have enough chickenpox vaccine for all the recently arrived asylum seekers, he said, and the shelter doesnt have room to quarantine the sick.

The facility also doesnt have the funding to provide adequate medical care. Alfa y Omega used to get 45% of its funding from the federal government, according to facility officials, but President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador curtailed money for migrant shelters when he took office in December.

If I had the money, I would bring in a medical specialist that would be here 24 hours a day, shelter manager Aracely Aviles said in Spanish. But find me a doctor who will work for free. There isn't one."

By Monday, Maricela Lopez, a Guatemalan asylum seeker who'd been returned to Mexico, had recovered from her bout of chickenpox. But she and her 6-year-old daughters faces were still covered in scars. And the disease has jeopardized her future in the U.S.

Lopez had tried to attend her first asylum hearing in San Diego a week earlier, but U.S. immigration officials saw the blisters on her face and body and, she said, denied her access into the country.

She returned to Mexicali without a new court date. She is uncertain what her options are now, she said.

Garcia Ramos, the mother of Briseba Aracely, said her first asylum hearing isnt until June. She said the long wait in Mexicali, coupled with her daughters illness, has left her completely disillusioned.

Sometimes I want to run away from this place, she said.

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Not enough vaccine: Asylum seekers awaiting rulings face chickenpox outbreak
New York City mayor Bill de Blasio on Thursday announced a run for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020, joining a large field of 22 other candidates.

As president I will take on the wealthy. I will take on the corporations. I will not rest until this government serves working people, de Blasio said in his announcement video message. Doesnt matter if you live in a city or a rural area, a big state, small state. Doesnt matter what your ethnicity is. People in every part of this country felt stuck or even like theyre going backwards.

De Blasio reminded voters that he raised New York Citys minimum wage to $15 per hour and fought to provide workers with guaranteed paid sick leave and health care. He also touted that New York sent lawyers to the border to assist undocumented immigrants in dealing with the Trump administration and took steps to fight climate change when Trump pulled out of the Paris climate agreement.

The Democratic mayor, who is serving his second term, also did not mince words on the current president, calling President Trump a bully and saying he must be stopped.

Im a New Yorker. Ive known Trumps a bully for a long time, de Blasio said. I know how to take him on. Dont back down in the face of a bully, confront him . . . Ive beaten him before and I will do it again.

Trump wasted no time clapping back at the mayor of his home city, tweeting that de Blasio is the worst mayor in the U.S., and New York City hates him.

He is a JOKE, but if you like high taxes & crime, hes your man, the president wrote.

Over three-fourths of New York City voters said de Blasio should not bother running for president, according to a Quinnipiac University poll.

Bill de Blasio is a liberal extremist who wants the government to control everything from your health care to what you eat, Republican National Committee Communications director Michael Ahrens said in a statement. Americans can rest assured that he wont win, but unfortunately his socialist policies fit right in with the rest of his comrades in the race.

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The new presidential candidate plans to hit the campaign trail Thursday in Iowa and will travel to South Carolina this weekend.

More from National Review
On the last Friday in April, Warren Buffett got a call from Brian Moynihan, the CEO of Bank of America, asking if he would back Occidental Petroleums underdog bid for rival oil driller Anadarko. Two days later, Occidental CEO Vicki Hollub was making the pitch herself, having flown to Omaha to appeal directly to the worlds most famous invest or. It took Buffett only an hour to say yes.

That Sunday, the Berkshire Hathaway CEO promised $10 billion in financing to Occidental if Hollub could get the deal done. There was, of course, one complicating factor: Anadarko had already pledged to sell itself to oil giant Chevron and would owe the latter $1 billion if it broke their engagement. What followed was a remarkable coup detat in Americas own oil-soaked Emiratethe famous Permian Basin that stretches 86,000 square miles from Texas to New Mexicoand it all happened in hyperspeed.

Just a week and a half after Buffett and Hollubs meeting, a bidding war that had played out in daily headlines was over: Chevron (No. 11 on this years Fortune 500) walked, and Occidental (No. 167) announced it would buy Anadarko (No. 237) for a total price tag of $57 billion including debt. Its the largest U.S. oil and gas merger in more than 20 years (since Exxon bought Mobil) and would catapult the combined company into the Fortune 100 elite.

Buffett, in an interview discussing his investment, told CNBC, Its a bet on oil prices over the long term more than anything else. Yet notably, what he didnt say was whether he was betting on oil prices to be higher. (He declined to comment to Fortune for this story.) Its also a bet on the fact that the Permian Basin is what its cracked up to be, Buffett added during the TV segment, without elaborating.

Of course, what the Permian isquite literallycracked up to be is one of the biggest oil reserves America has ever known. And it has made the U.S. the top oil-producing country in the world. Its thick shale deposits, hydraulically fractured and pumped for oil, have attracted not only Chevron, Occidental, and Anadarko, but also hundreds of other drillers, which have claimed a big chunk of West Texas (as well as a corner of New Mexico). The fracking boom, as its known, is responsible for pushing U.S. crude production to a record of roughly 11 million barrels a day in 2018, surpassing Saudi Arabia and Russia for the first time since the end of the Cold War. As of the latest monthly data, the Permian alone produces more crude per day than the United Arab Emirates, Canada, or Iran; by next year, some expect it could also outpace Iraq, which would make the southwestern region the fourth-largest oil producer in the world, if it were its own country. The Permian is the absolute 800-pound gorilla for shale, says Mike Morey, CIO of Integrity Viking Funds, who runs a top-performing energy stock fund.

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AN ECONOMY IN ITS OWN RIGHT: The Permian alone now produces more crude per day than Iran or the United Arab Emirates. | Photographed by Benjamin Lowy for Fortune

The Permian is also one of the cheapest places to drill for oil, not only in the U.S., but in the world. Unlike costly deepwater and offshore rigs, drillers can make money on Permian oil as long as it trades for at least $50 a barrel. Thats made the region an oasis for energy companies that have struggled ever since 2014, when West Texas crude prices collapsed from a peak of $107. In the years since, prices have never come close to reaching triple digits and have dipped as low as $26 a barrel.

So far this year, prices have generally been on the upswing, and are up some 35% in 2019to around $62 per barreldespite concerns that a continuing trade war with China will slow demand. Still, its hard to find a bull who thinks that oil has reason to rise much more. Short of a real sustained geopolitical eventnot the periodic flashes that have been impacting the marketsI dont know that anybody thinks that theres an upside for commodity prices themselves, says longtime energy economist Michelle Michot Foss, a fellow at the Center for Energy Studies at Rice Universitys Baker Institute for Public Policy.

Indeed, even with production disruptions resulting from the reactivation of Iran sanctions in Mayas well as turmoil in other OPEC exporters like Libya and Venezuelathe Permian has created such an abundance of supply that it can quickly make up for lost inventory. In the years between 2009, when the Great Recession ended, and 2014, theres been a paradigm shift in the industry, says Devin McDermott, an equity analyst at Morgan Stanley: Weve gone from a decade of resource scarcity, and the focus on peak oil supplywhen do we run out of oil?to more oil than we need. Whats more, theres enough still in the Permian ground to last at least the next 20 years.

Now, after generations of seesawing crude cycles, companies are wondering whether the best they can hope for, in terms of prices, is flat. The industry is realizing they cant count on higher prices, says Dan Pickering, president of Tudor, Pickering, Holt & Co., an energy investment bank headquartered in Houston. He expects oil to trade between $50 and $75 a barrel for the foreseeable future. After all, he says, there are also political forces at playwith, on the one hand, the OPEC oil cartel ready to slash output if prices fall to unprofitable lows, and on the other, President Trump determined to ensure gas stays cheap to fuel the U.S. economy. My view is, weve determined the price range for crude: OPEC is cutting production at $50, and Trump is tweeting at $70, adds Pickering. Since taking office, Trump has tweeted increasingly often about oil and gas priceseight times so far in 2019, and three in April alonegenerally calling on OPEC to pump more supply to market.

The price may not exactly be a gusher, but the drillers are figuring out how to live with it. In the past six months or so, U.S. energy companies have trimmed capital spending, and cut down on the number of rigs, boosting their profitability and allowing them to retain more of their cash flow. We kind of use the phrase $60 is the new $100,  says Jonathan Waghorn, a onetime Shell drilling engineer who is now a portfolio manager for Guinness Atkinson.

The irony is, the good ole days for the oil patch werent exactly that. Even when oil was $100 a barrel a few years ago, companies werent as profitable as they should have been, says Waghorn. In those heady days, and until last year, U.S. oil and gas exploration and production companies paid out more on capital expenditures and dividends than they had in cash flow, according to Morgan Stanleyand S&P 500 energy stocks have been consistent underperformers since the start of the shale oil revolution. If we were looking into your crystal ball at this supernova birth [of shale] in the U.S., I think you would have surmised that these stocks would have done exceedingly well, but they havent, says Bill Herbert, managing director and senior research analyst at Simmons Energy, the oil and gas investment banking arm of Piper Jaffray.

For years, the sector burned so many investors that many abandoned it. But the Occidental deal may have reignited interest. Its funny what $10 billion from Warren Buffett will do.

Which brings us back to Occidentals all-in, table-clearing bid for Anadarko, and the hunt for scale in the Permian. In the past few months, Occidental nudged past the much-larger Chevron to become the top Permian oil producer, but it was going to be hard to stay there: Chevron was rapidly upping its Permian ambitions, and had recently promised to grow its production there 53% by 2020.

Thats why Chevron wanted Anadarko, too. The notion of marriage between the two oil producers promised some unique advantages: The parcels each company controls in the Permian run along the old Texas & Pacific rail line, meaning a merger would have united the land like a massive checkerboard, lowering costs further. Rival Occidental would be boxed out.

On its own, Occidental would likely find it nearly impossible to hang on as the regions top producer. Thats why it, too, had been coveting Anadarkoand indeed had been in talks with the company over a potential deal for almost two years. When Chevron announced its agreement to purchase Anadarko in mid-April for $50 billion including debt, Occidental found itself between tight rock and a hard place: If it wanted Anadarko, it would have to somehow break up the Chevron deal and cover its billion-dollar dowry.

In the Permian Basin, theres virtually no risk of wasting money on dry wells because everyone knows that oil is in that tight rock, as the shale formations are known. The proximity to the Gulf Coast also makes it convenient for companies to get the crude to marketespecially now with new pipelines opening up. This is really just an ideal situation for companies in a great number of respects, Foss says. Theyve got a complete value chain from field to market, and with coastal access for exports right in the United States. They havent had that for 30 to 40 years.

By gobbling up Anadarko, Occidental would get to solidify its position in this golden region even more. That said, its paying a mighty big premium$11 more per share than what Chevron offered. And in exchange for his $10 billion, Buffett has received 100,000 preferred shares in Occidental , with an 8% annual dividend. Not everyone thinks the price is justified. Occidentals stock plummeted 13% in the three weeks after it went public with the Anadarko bid, with its own shareholders criticizing the high cost of the purchase and the fact that Buffett got the sweeter end of the deal. T. Rowe Price, which holds 2.8% of Occidental shares, had (unsuccessfully) threatened to oust the companys board of directors at its May shareholder meeting, complaining that management should have let shareholders vote on the merger.

We view the Permian as Occidentals crown jewel, says John Linehan, chief investment officer of equity at T. Rowe Price, adding that Occidentals assets here were the core reason he invested in the company in the first place. But the Anadarko deal, oddly enough, dilutes that rationale. While the combined company will have more acreage in the Permian Basin, he says, its overall production will be less concentrated there, because Anadarko has a larger share of its output outside the region. This isnt the race to be the biggest, says Linehan. Its the race to have the best total returns.

We know the Permian. Its the foundation of our company, says Occidental CEO Vicki Hollub in a statement to Fortune. But its not size that matters to us. What really matters to us is not to be the biggest but to be the best. And I think weve proven that. With regard to bypassing a shareholder vote on the deal, Hollub said on a recent earnings call that the company did so to ensure that it had a reasonable chance to make this happen, as the Chevron agreement did not require a vote. We werent playing on a level playing field, she said.

A TEXAS-SIZE GUSHER: Oil workers are all business in Midland, Texas, the heart of the Permian Basin, where many U.S. oil companies are doubling down. | Photographed by Benjamin Lowy for Fortune

Chevron, on the other hand, is no worse for wear without Anadarko. There are plenty more fish in the sea, says portfolio manager Waghorn. Theres no particular reason that Anadarko should stand out. In fact, now that the major oil conglomerate has tipped its hand in terms of its acquisition appetite, a slew of Permian producers look like potential targets. Analysts are eyeing Pioneer Natural Resources, Noble Energy, Apache Corp., Concho Resources, Parsley Energy, and Diamondback Energy, among others, as takeout candidates. I think were probably one deal away from a big consolidation wave, says Pickering. If we see Exxon, Shell, BP, or Total do another big transaction, I think there will be a huge rush to find your dance partner, and there will be a significant amount of fear of missing out.

The signs of an imminent M&A wave in the still-nascent fracking industry remind Pickering, the investment banker, of the dotcom boom of the late 90s. Back then, investors chased high growth, throwing money at companies despite their lack of profitsbefore the market crash ultimately forced a consolidation of Internet startups. Thats happening in the oil patch now, Pickering says.

Inevitably, U.S. oil production growth, on the whole, will slow, as companies pull back on drilling. The trick for them, if oil prices do ultimately rise, will be not ramping production back up too aggressively, such that prices collapse again. Hopefully this time the industry learns its lesson, says Integrity Vikings Mike Morey.

After all, Permian producers themselves may have an incentive to keep supplyand pricesin check. Because they can make money on cheaper oil than many drillers outside the U.S. can, they face less competition when prices are low. If the price of oil were to rise to $80 a barrel, more foreign competitors would start pumping too, says John Musgrave, portfolio manager and co-CIO of Cushing Asset Management. Theoretically, you almost wouldnt want crude oil prices to skyrocket higher.

As for Buffett, hes going to make money no matter where oil prices go, thanks to his preferred shares. That may be the most profitable move in the oil patch in years.

This article appears in the June 2019 issue of Fortune with the headline The Queen of Texas Hold Em.

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DENVER (AP)  A white Colorado police officer who pulled out his gun during a confrontation with a black man picking up trash around his dormitory resigned this week under an agreement that lets him collect $69,000 in salary despite violating department policies.

Police body camera footage released Thursday provided a full video account of the tense encounter, which had gained national attention based on video shot by someone inside a student dormitory at Naropa University, a liberal arts school associated with Buddhism in the city of Boulder.

City officials said the investigation could not prove that the officer, John Smyly, acted because of Zayd Atkinson's race. Investigators found Smyly violated two department policies: police authority and public trust and conduct, the city attorney said.

"Boulder is essentially saying we're going to pay this officer and let him resign for threatening Zayd's life, for racially profiling Zayd," said Atkinson's attorney, Siddhartha Rathod. "If you or I were to do this, we would be criminally charged. We would immediately lose our jobs."

A phone number for Smyly could not be located Thursday. He did not mention the incident in his resignation letter.

Smyly approached Atkinson on March 1 in front of the condo-style building, where he was using a metal tool with a claw at its base to put trash into a bucket, according to the new footage. Smyly said he noticed Atkinson on the rear patio and wanted to see if he lived or worked there.

Atkinson said he did, and Smyly asked for identification with the address on it. Atkinson provided his school ID, which did not have an address and then offered to let himself into the building as proof.

Smyly asked for Atkinson's date of birth. Atkinson refused, then picked up the bucket and tool and walked away.

"Put that down," Smyly said on the tape. "Stop!"

He then told Atkinson that he was obstructing a police officer, "a jailable offense." Smyly later told Atkinson that he was being detained for trespassing.

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Smyly drew his stun gun and followed Atkinson to the back of the building, repeatedly telling him to sit down on the ground and put the "weapon" down, referring to the trash tool. Atkinson repeatedly said he had not done anything wrong.

"Your hand is on your weapon and you're gonna shoot me," Atkinson shouted. "That's what you're gonna do, officer? You're gonna shoot a resident on his property for picking up trash?"

Smyly drew his gun when the two men reached the back of the building, an investigative summary said. On the video, Atkinson responds by shouting: "That's a gun! I'm picking up trash! I'm picking up trash, and you're holding a gun!"

After about eight minutes, more officers arrive and form a loose half circle around Atkinson.

One officer can be seen holding a rifle; the investigative summary says the weapon fires bean bags. One officer drew his handgun when he arrived but reholstered it in less than a minute, while Smyly had his gun out until Atkinson put the trash-grabbing tool down, according to the summary.

The report released with the video said Smyly had no authority to detain Atkinson or probable cause to charge him with any crime and should have left once Atkinson provided his name, address and his reason for being there.

Atkinson, 26, said he believes Smyly should have been fired immediately. He said he has had trouble sleeping and spends time outdoors or with friends to calm him.

"My life right now is kind of restless, unsettled," he said.

City Attorney Tom Carr said firing Smyly would have led to a drawn-out appeal and potentially allowed him to keep his job.

Under the agreement, Smyly resigned his police role on May 9 but will remain an employee through February without performing any work. He will receive "commensurate pay and benefits" during that period and "a single, lump sum" payment for any accrued and unused vacation time when his employment officially ends Feb. 9.

Carr said the resignation agreement "allowed the city to provide the community information more quickly, and it transitioned Officer Smyly out of a law enforcement career." The city's bargaining agreement with police officers requires an appeal for any disciplinary action and could have allowed Smyly to return to duty, he added.
Seth Moulton campaigning in New Hampshire. Photo: Scott Eisen/Getty Images

Seth Moulton, the Massachusetts congressman whos best known for trying to topple Nancy Pelosi after the 2018 midterms, is insisting that voters are over that, and that the pair of Bostonians who just greeted him are atypical. Were sitting in a loud sandwich shop near the statehouse, and a woman has just stopped by our table to wish him luck in his long-shot presidential run, while the man at her side looks more skeptical, because, he tells Moulton, I like Nancy Pelosi! Moulton, of course, is not running a presidential campaign about the Speaker of the House. Hes trying to put national security front and center, after successfully working with a wide range of fellow veteran candidates in the 2018 midterms. If someone asks about health care, I talk about how Im the only candidate in this race who has single-payer health care, and what that means, he tells me, referring to the Veterans Affairs system. For Moulton, like almost everyone else in the race, the hard part will be breaking through in the 20-something person field. But his task is also to establish a national profile apart from his Pelosi experience. National security resonates. It tends to be an issue that comes to the forefront as these campaigns go on, and people think about who we actually want as a commander-in-chief, he says. I think Trump is weakest in his job as commander-in-chief, so we have to be willing to take him on in that role.

Ive heard you say, repeatedly, that youre fairly certain Trump wont be as easy to beat as a lot of Democrats assume. What do you mean when you say that? Why do you think your fellow Democrats believe hell be easy to beat, and why will it be harder?

I believe they think that because I hear a lot of fellow Democrats saying that. But when you get to parts of the country where we need to win votes, the places that voted for Obama and then voted for Trump, theres a lot more support for the president than people in places like Boston and San Francisco realize. And theres also some certain anxiety with Democrats becoming socialists. And I hear this from voters. So its important that we choose a strong nominee that can go up against Trump, and its important that we recognize that these voters  the people who carried us to victory in the midterms  are the people we need to reach. And theyre the people that voted for folks like Mikie Sherrill in New Jersey and Elissa Slotkin in Michigan. They voted for Conor Lamb. Conor only invited four Democrats to come campaign for him. Amy McGrath, down in Kentucky, only invited two. And youve got to pay attention to how we won the midterms. I supported candidates who were willing to put the country first, before the party, and of the 40 seats we flipped to take back the House, 21 of them were supported by [my] Serve America [PAC]. You know, Id put that record up against anyone else.

So do you think its just that your party hasnt learned the right lessons from 2018?

Well, were an incredibly diverse party and that diversity is a strength. So I think its wonderful that we have voices on the left and in the middle. If were the majority party, we oughta have the majority of viewpoints. But we just have to be careful in this election, because the president is more popular than we like to believe. For me, I could just step back for a second about how I got into this, you know, I wouldnt be here if not for my time in the Marines, I wouldnt even be in politics, if not for my time in the Marines. You know, I made the decision to serve because of this amazing mentor I had in my college church who talked about the importance of service. I decided to join before 9/11 but then got swept up in the war. I didnt expect to go to Iraq, but when I was in Iraq, I felt like I saw some of the best of America. It was America from all over this country. Those are some of my closest friends and some of the people I keep in touch with most regularly, the guys I served with. And even among those veterans, they recognize the president lies, they recognize that hes untrustworthy, they even recognize that he dodged the draft to get out of serving. But the anxiety that they have with a lot of Democrats is why some of them can support him.

So you hear this when you spend time with a diverse group of Americans from all across the country. And I think thats important for us to realize as Democrats. If we want to be the majority party, its important for us to represent the majority of Americans. It doesnt mean compromising on our values, it doesnt mean giving in on moral issues. But it does mean listening to voters from all across this country and working to bridge divides, not deepen them. And I think there is a difference. I think there are candidates in this race who are trying to deepen those divides, and there are candidates who are trying to bridge them. Im very much trying to bridge them.

Lets talk about Pelosi. Are there any lessons from your attempt to defeat her that youve internalized and are taking into this campaign?

I think there are a lot of lessons. First is that Twitter does not represent America and it does not represent the Democratic Party. And there are a lot of places in the country where people are thrilled that I was willing to stand up against the Establishment. Especially the parts of the country that we need to win in this election.

But then does the Democratic caucus in the House also not represent the country? Youre saying these parts of the country did support you, but obviously the overall push to replace Pelosi didnt work 

Well, look, heres the thing. In terms of working? This was always a fight against leadership, the top three. And yes, we didnt get them out, but we got a deal on term limits, we got a voting rights subcommittee, a climate change subcommittee, and we made some significant change. Thats what we need. You know, I dont have a problem with Nancy Pelosi as a person. I think shes a strong leader and shes been good at standing up to Trump, but I want this new generation to lead, and I dont just talk about a new generation of leadership, I fight for it. And I realize that there are a lot of people who are all talk and no fight. One of the lessons I learned is that Washington is not the Marine Corps. People who say theyre with you are not always with you. Thats okay. Thats a lesson. But the most important thing to know about me is Im somebody who does stick to my principles. Speaker Pelosi and I have a fine relationship. Theres a healthy respect outside of the Twittersphere for people who do stand on principle and fight for what they believe in. I spent two years helping this extraordinary group of next-generation leaders get elected to Congress. Im not gonna just say, Okay, well now they shouldnt have a voice in anything that we do.

One of the reasons your generational argument against Democratic leadership is interesting to me now is that this race, obviously, has some similar dynamics: The two front runners on the Democratic side are in their mid-to-late 70s, and obviously Trump is, too. Did the attempt to make that argument against Pelosi and her team teach you anything about how to make it now?

The reason I think its time for a new generation of leadership in our politics is because we have a new generation of problems and challenges. Its not just that I always think about young people ruling the world. I just think that when the economy is changing faster than it ever has before, we need people who understand these changes. When our national security situation is generationally different even than it was 20 years ago, we need new thinking. One of the things I think I learned from this fight is you have to explain to people why youre doing this. And explain the problems that we need to solve.

One of my favorite quotes is from a Marine in my first platoon  hes a good friend of mine. We were talking about the future of work and the changing economy. He said, The problem is that all the people in Washington trying to figure this out are the same folks who had 12 A.M. flashing on their VCRs for 30 years. And when I use that line, there are a lot of people in my parents generation who nod their heads and theyre like, Yeah, thats true. And I remember the Christmas when my brother and sister and I pooled our money and bought them a DVD player. And they remember that too. And the point is its time for our generation to step up and lead, because we do have a better chance at solving these problems. You know, we understand what it means to have a planet with an expiration date. We understand what it means to have an automated economy. We understand what it means to have to succeed in the tech world, and why we should be leading the tech revolution. These are things that I think my generation gets.

Okay, but when you think of ideas or policies that are closely associated with this new generation of leaders, what often comes up is something like the Green New Deal, with which you have problems. So do you not see a clash in 

I dont think its clashing, I think its a healthy debate. I was one of the first people to sign onto the Green New Deal as a framework because climate change is just that important. It must be a top priority. But Im also one of the only people in this race with a background in science. And I understand numbers. And we need to make this work. Promising everyone a socialist jobs plan and bankrupting the government in the process is not the way to deal with climate change. The way to deal with climate change is to address climate change while also growing our economy. Making sure that we are the leader in technology, so were sending those technologies to the rest of the world, including China. That is the kind of leadership that we need, not only to address climate change and grow our economy, but to have a chance of doing either.

This sounds sort of familiar in some respects to your usual answer on Medicare for All, no? That its just not practical to make the switch to that system yet, given your own experiences with single-payer at the VA?

Medicare doesnt negotiate drug prices. And thats just one problem. You can make a long list of things that Medicare doesnt do well. We cant just force everybody into a system that will bankrupt the government. And then, by the way, the political backlash. Either it just wont happen or the political backlash would be so strong that youre going to take a step backwards. People have to remember that this is an application process for president of the United States. But theres still a Congress, and you still have to work through Congress to get laws passed. And if we just play to our base, were not only gonna lose the election, but even if we were to win, were not gonna be able to get it done. So lets talk about a health-care system that actually works for the majority of Americans who want to keep their plans, who want some competition in the system, who want prescription drug prices to go down. By the way, its not a crazy concept, its just free-market competition, and its what Germany and Switzerland do. Like, its not crazy.

Well if were talking about factoring in potential political backlash, what do you make of the argument made by a lot of Democrats now that you just cant make political plans based on what Republicans might do?

Im all for aspiration. Im talking about aspirational things, but not unrealistic things. Because my experiences of what voters want is to get things done. And Ive seen that in my few years as a congressman. Its all well and good to give historic speeches, but voters want us to get things done. Washington is broken. Its not getting anything done; we have all these problems and were not getting them solved. Some of my greatest successes as a congressman are just getting things done for the district. If someone comes into my office and says theyre having trouble getting health care, I dont sit back and say, Oh, well Im just dreaming of a Medicare for All system, youll have to wait til I get elected president to realize that dream. No, we help em with their goddamn health care. Thats what this is about. Its getting to work for the people and actually producing results. So one of the aspirational things I talk about is fusion power, and thats hugely aspirational. But I didnt start talking about it until I spent a lot of time at MIT working with scientists to understand: Is this achievable or not? And I believe it is, and I believe America should win the race to develop fusion technology so that were selling it to China, not the other way around.

The thing youre talking about more than others in the race right now is foreign policy, national security. Is it that you want to distinguish yourself as the person talking about this most, or do you think of this as a chance to highlight where you actually diverge from mainstream Democratic orthodoxy on foreign policy?

We do need to totally rethink our national security strategy. That means a new generation of arms, arms control, and alliances. Thats how I usually break it down. But the world is changing, you know, dramatically. China has made a commitment to being the world leader in artificial intelligence. Thats an economic threat, and a military threat. We gotta match that. Russia is not sending tanks, theyre attacking us through the internet, and theyre doing it every single day. And NATO has not been updated to acknowledge that threat. So we need to invest in a totally new set of arms. That means divesting us of old ones to save a lot of money. We need to invest in a whole new set of arms control measures. I mean, we should be talking about arms control for artificial intelligence before we have robots going around and killing. And we should lead on that, and our alliances need to be updated for this totally new world as well. So NATO needs to be modernized to meet the threat of Russia attacking through the internet, and we need to seriously look at a Pacific NATO to contain China and North Korea, which werent concerns at all when the original NATO was established.

Okay, but when youre out on the campaign trail  say, at a town hall  you, and everyone, primarily get questions about domestic issues. How are you thinking about getting people animated by this?

The interesting thing Ive noticed is that people ask a lot of national security questions once they realize theyve got someone who can talk about national security. Because national security issues are fundamental to our place in the world, to our economic security. I mean, immigration is a national security issue. A way to stop this historic surge of migrants from Central America is with foreign aid. Cybersecurity is an economic security issue. People arent losing jobs to immigrants, but we are losing them to China, which is stealing our ideas, stealing our military secrets. Thats literally how their innovation economy works  by stealing our ideas. So a lot of these security issues matter to people, and I think there are also a lot of people who simply feel insecure in the sense that we have a commander-in-chief whos reckless and dangerous, and there are Americans who worry that that New York Times alert in the middle of the night is gonna be the start of some war. Weve got the president saber-rattling on Venezuela just this week.

A lot of your political work has been focused around recruiting, working with veteran candidates. Youre not the only veteran in this presidential race  Pete Buttigieg and Tulsi Gabbard also served  but youre making some of these national security issues much more front and center in this race than the others. What is it about this moment that makes you think voters might be yearning for this?

The hardest job of my life was getting this incredibly diverse group of Americans, from all over the country  different religious beliefs, different political beliefs  all united behind a common mission to serve our country in a very divided time. In, literally, the midst of a war that half of us disagreed with. No one else in this race has had that experience.

You mean because youve led troops, and set strategy, or 

No one else has led troops in combat. And I think that that experience, that leadership experience, of bringing together Americans in a very divisive situation, and getting them to believe in our country and in our mission to make America better, thats the kind of leadership we need for the next president of the United States in a terribly divided time.

I know you were not always supportive of the Obama administrations decisions on the national security front, but now when you look back on those years, what sticks out as decisions you would have made differently?

I would not have pulled out of Iraq so hastily that we had to turn around and go back. The infamous red line, I would not have talked about a red line and then not done anything. I wouldve been more proactive in recognizing how bad Syria could become, and do something earlier versus sort of just waiting. I wouldve worked to do more to build alliances to strengthen NATO. For example, I think we should have fulfilled Ukraines request for help against Russia. So there are a lot of things I would have done differently. I was willing to talk about this, I was outspoken. I had a very good relationship with President Obama  he had my statement on the Iran deal on the front page of Whitehouse.gov for like three weeks. Front page. But I was also willing to be critical, and the point is that Im an independent thinker. Thats why when people try to put me in a box, its like, Oh, are you progressive? Or moderate? If you look at my record on gun reform or climate change, Im very progressive. If you look at my record on the economy, Im a capitalist. I believe in regulating capitalism, but Im certainly not a socialist.

In the public eye, its Joe Biden whos been seen as the foreign-policy-forward person in this race. He hasnt talked about it a ton yet, but hes the one with the most legislative and executive experience 

I think its time for the generation that went to Iraq and Afghanistan to replace the generation that sent us there.

To back up for a second, you keep talking about capitalism versus socialism. Are you concerned at all about Democrats falling into a Republican trap in allowing this primary to be fought along those lines?

Trump has governed by doubling down on his base. We cant make the same mistake. Hes created the most divisive presidency in American history, and we cant counter by using that same tactic. Weve got to show that were willing to represent a much broader group of Americans. And Im proud when I hear from veterans I served with who say, I dont usually vote for Democrats, but I will vote for you. Because that doesnt mean they agree with me on everything, but they trust me, they trust my leadership. And thats what matters.

We now have Mitch McConnell saying case closed on the Mueller investigation. Presumably you dont agree? What are the next steps you want to see in the investigation?

Everyone in Washington is talking about the politics of the Mueller investigation. I didnt swear an oath to politics. I didnt swear an oath to my political party. I swore an oath to the Constitution. We have a constitutional responsibility to act as a check on the executive. And to figure out why Vladimir Putin wanted Donald Trump elected president. Thats the most important conclusion  unmistakable conclusion  of the Mueller report. Every American, whether youre Mitch McConnell or Bernie Sanders, every American should want to know why Vladimir Putin  one of the only people on Earth who could wipe out every American life within 20 minutes  wanted Donald Trump elected president. Thats a national security concern.

Okay, so what does it look like going forward? Youve made clear  see socialism versus capitalism  youre sensitive to the political ramifications of how touchy issues should be discussed 

Apparently not as much as I should be.

But if you were in Jerry Nadlers shoes atop the House Judiciary Committee right now 

First of all, I thought we should have been pushing for the debate about impeachment a long time ago, I thought it was a mistake on our partys part to wait. Kind of backed ourselves into a corner. But what we should do right now, I would focus on the most important issue for our country, which is the national security issue. And if Republicans dont want to make America safe and strong, well then that is a political win for us. Thats where we should focus our efforts. Now, it doesnt mean that we ignore the presidents attempts to obstruct justice. It doesnt mean we ignore the top law enforcement official in the country lying to the United States Congress. But we should make it clear that the number-one job of the federal government is to keep us safe. And thats where we should focus our oversight as a Congress.

So how do you think about the challenge of getting attention, with roughly 700,000 people running 

Well, wait, de Blasios not in yet. [Editors note: This interview was conducted before the mayor launched his campaign on Thursday.]

Okay, 699,999. But youre not really engaging in the day-to-day, obvious fights with the front-runners that make cable news  youre talking about other things, or trying to. Whats your philosophy for attacking the challenge of getting voters to pay attention?

My experience has been, on the ground, that these ideas really do resonate with people. The response is good. Ive found theres a lot of resonance when you get it in front of people in living rooms, in VFW halls. People do actually want to get things done. And so if I were running a race to have the best Twitter account, then Id be acting differently. But Im running a race to help people, fundamentally to serve people. Thats why we started this campaign doing service projects around the country: I truly, deeply believe that this is about public service. And when people see that in me and in my team and in the whole spirit of this campaign, they come along. Its exactly what I did in 2014  on a much smaller scale, but a very steep hill to climb. After seven months of campaigning, I was only 53 points down in my first poll. But we lived a campaign like I try to live a life: of service. And ultimately thats what people should want in their elected officials and in their president. Somebody who is truly there to serve them.

This article has been edited and condensed from an extended conversation.
Measles was declared eliminated in the U.S. in 2000, but since January this year, 764 cases have been reported in 23 statesthe largest outbreak in a quarter century. And like the majority of children and teens who have been vaccinated against the disease, Ethan Lindenberger was relieved that he had received his immunizations. Unlike most of his friends, however, Lindenberger didnt get his shots as a child but only received them a few months ago, as an 18 year old. A Senate Committee asked him to testify about his decision in March, and he shared his story about getting immunized against his mothers wishes.

Growing up, the Ohio high schooler knew his mother believed the vaccinations contributed to autism and brain damage. But he didnt really question her views until he turned 15, and became more active on social media where he learned through comments on his mothers posts revealed that not everyone shared her anti-vaccination views.

Confused, he asked her about the criticism but says she didnt engage in much discussion, assuring him that people who thought vaccines were safe were simply wrong. So he turned to the Internet to do his own research and found information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which he considered to be a credible source, that confirmed there was no link between vaccines and autism. His mother continued to dispute the report. She said, well, thats what they want you to think, he says. And for me, that really did not address how substantial the evidence was. Thats when I started to do more research and started to think, maybe shes wrong.

Ethan Lindenberger testifies during a United States Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., March 5, 2019. | Shutterstock

That deeper dive into the studies on vaccines and their benefits as well as their harms led Lindenberger to conclude that his mother was, indeed, wrong to avoid them. It also convinced him that he needed to get vaccinated, not just to protect himself from infectious diseases like measles, mumps and polio but to protect the broader community. (Herd immunity can keep rates of infectious diseases low and protects at-risk populations, like infants, the elderly, and people suffering medical conditions that prevent them getting vaccinations.)

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Knowing his parents disagreed with his decision, last November Lindenberger turned to Reddit with questions about whether he could still get vaccinated as an adult. He received over a thousand supportive responses directing him to his local public health department.

Lindenberger is now all caught up with his vaccines, and in his Congressional testimony, emphasized the dangers of online disinformation. Hes also enjoying providing advice to other children in similar situations, who are looking to reconcile their desire to get vaccinated without defying or undermining their parents.

For them, Lindenberger provides reassurance and encouragement to learn all they can and to make their own decisions about vaccine safety based on the scientific evidence. I never questioned my mother as a parent, as someone who loves me and who cared for me. I questioned the sources she was going to, and the information she had, Lindenberger says. I tell them to keep having discussions with their parents until you have to make a decision for yourself. I also explain that misinformed people arent evil, but that misinformation still isnt okay.
JACKSON, Miss. (AP)  A University of Mississippi sociology professor criticized for encouraging "acts of aggression" against Republican politicians was granted tenure by a divided College Board on Thursday.

Trustees approved the promotion of Professor James Michael Thomas after pulling only his name from a list of 76 routine tenure approvals and debating his case in a two-hour closed session.

Higher Education Commissioner Al Rankins confirmed to The Associated Press that a majority of trustees voted for tenure. Rankins said that a denial could have imperiled "the accreditation of our campuses."

A later statement from the board, which oversees Mississippi's eight public universities, said Thomas was approved "with dissent."

Thomas expressed relief at achieving tenure, a key career milestone for most academics, but questioned the propriety of being singled out.

"Extramural activity, especially political speech, has no place in tenure decisions," he said in a phone interview Thursday with the AP. He cited academic freedom guidelines saying professors shouldn't face workplace consequences for unpopular statements.

Thomas appeared to be in good shape for tenure last fall, publishing prolifically and winning multiple awards. But as Brett Kavanaugh was confirmed to the U.S. Supreme Court on Oct. 6, Thomas tweeted a reply to MSNBC host Joe Scarborough.

Scarborough had tweeted that people should not yell at senators, shout at people in restaurants or "rage about past votes." Thomas disagreed.

"Don't just interrupt a senator's meal, y'all," Thomas wrote. "Put your whole damn fingers in their salads. Take their apps and distribute them to the other diners. Bring boxes and take their food home with you on the way out. They don't deserve your civility."

The tweet got slammed at the national level, where Republicans criticize what they see as liberal indoctrination at public universities, and at the state level, where Ole Miss administrators face continuing resistance to the school's decades-long dismantling of Confederate symbols.

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Then-chancellor Jeffrey Vitter criticized Thomas , although not by name, writing on Facebook that the post "did not reflect the values articulated by the university, such as respect for the dignity of each individual and civility and fairness."

Republican Gov. Phil Bryant piled in, tweeting: "This is troubling and disappointing to see from one of our university professors. There is no place in a civilized society, and particularly on a college campus, for urging individuals to harass anyone."

For his part, Thomas said he doesn't retract the statement. "I don't regret a damn thing," he said Thursday.

Vitter no longer leads Ole Miss. Interim Chancellor Larry Sparks declined comment Thursday when he emerged from behind closed doors with trustees.

Thomas said supporters had contacted trustees, warning that a denial could lead to national embarrassment or accreditation sanctions for Ole Miss and Mississippi's other public universities. Rankins said the board on Wednesday received a letter from the American Association of University Professors voicing concerns about Thomas' case. That faculty group can censure universities, but doesn't control accreditation.

"There have been a lot of phone calls to them and other ... board members about how catastrophic this would be for the universities," Thomas said.

Academic tenure grants permanent posts to professors. Typically, they can only be fired for misconduct or if a university has financial troubles. It's meant in part to guarantee freedom of speech and research.

Mississippi's university system has a long history of struggles over academic freedom. The 12-member College Board was enshrined in the state Constitution in 1942 , with the amendment saying trustees should be "uninfluenced by any political considerations." The move came after Gov. Theodore Bilbo in 1928 fired the heads of three institutions and a number of faculty member. The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools revoked the schools' accreditation for several years, devaluing the degrees they granted.

The board, though, has rarely been free from politics. Trustees worked with politicians to prevent the enrollment of James Meredith at Ole Miss in 1962. The board also banned many speakers from college campuses for much of the 1960s, trying to prevent pro-civil rights speeches.

___

Follow Jeff Amy at http://twitter.com/jeffamy .
* EU replies to U.S. letter over defense contracts

* Europeans say Trump's threats contradict other policy

By Robin Emmott

BRUSSELS, May 16 (Reuters) - U.S. fears about losing European defense contracts are unfounded, Brussels told Washington on Thursday after the Pentagon demanded the European Union curtail a new military pact that it sees as a potential threat to NATO.

In a May 1 letter seen by Reuters, the U.S. government warned the 28-country EU against going too far with defense integration and hinted at retaliation should American companies not be involved in future European weapons development.

In its reply to U.S. Defense and State Department officials, the EU's foreign service said it was "fully committed" to transatlantic ties and that procurement rules had not changed.

"The EU remains fully committed to working with the U.S. as a core partner in security and defense matters," said the May 16 letter to U.S. defense officials, which was made public.

However, the EU's letter also insisted that the United States, which dominates the global weapons market, should award more defense contracts to European companies and end export control regulations that limit the EU's ability to use capabilities developed with U.S. technology.

"Such restrictions would be unacceptable for products and technologies funded by the EU budget," the EU letter said.

Between 2011 and 2015, more than three-quarters of international defense contracts in the EU went to U.S. companies, the EU letter said, also citing Belgium's recent decision to buy Lockheed Martin's F-35 stealth jets.

The exchange highlights the tensions between Europe and the United States over defense.

U.S. President Donald Trump regularly warns Europe it may lose American protection if it fails to spend on the military but his administration is critical of Europe's attempts at more autonomy, despite support from NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg.

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The U.S. letter said the new EU pact, known as Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) and its multi-billion euro defense fund, could reverse decades of transatlantic defense integration, weaken NATO and freeze out U.S. contractors.

EU governments are trying to agree legislation on how to allow the involvement of non-EU countries, including the United States and Britain after it leaves the bloc, by June.

Caught off-guard by Russia's 2014 annexation of Crimea and facing threats ranging from state-sponsored computer hackers to militant attacks, EU governments say the pact is justified by EU surveys showing most citizens want the bloc to provide security.

In Libya in 2011, a Franco-British air campaign ran out of munitions and equipment and Europe was again forced to turn to the United States, in what is considered an enduring embarrassment for the EU, a global economic power. (Reporting by Robin Emmott; Editing by Catherine Evans)
Photo: Dead Lizard Brewing Company/Yelp

Hungry for something new?

If you love to eat and drink, this weekend offers a great chance to explore the world of Orlando food and beverage. From a Hatian celebration to a dinner show, here's what to do on the local food scene this weekend.

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Haitian Flag Day Celebration

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We will be celebrating Haitian culture with a party at Orlando's top soul food spot. Come enjoy live music, amazing food and select drinks as we spin the best beats around. Bring your native flag for free entry.

When: Saturday, May 18, 7-10 p.m.

Where: Chef Eddies Restaurant, 595 W. Church St.

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HUSH: The Tasting Event

From the event description:

Welcome to HUSH. If you're reading this, welcome and congratulations on being one of the chosen. This invite-only event is for those looking for a change of scenery. The focus is on cocktails, hookah and conversations. This night is made for those who want to get out but are not trying to do the club or bar scene.

When: Saturday, May 18, 8 p.m.- Sunday, May 19, 2 a.m.

Where: Novelty at 101, 101 S. Eola Drive

Price: Free (Complimentary RSVP). More ticket options are available.

Click here for more details, and to get your tickets

Up to 55 Percent Off Beer Flights at Dead Lizard Brewing Company

From the Dead Lizard Brewing Company deal description:

Taste microbrews in an industrial-style taproom, with options including the Trippy Pippys Red Dred Ale and Purple Skink West Coast IPA.

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Up to 31 Percent Off Tickets to Orlando Forum Rock Dinner Show

From the Orlando Forum Rock Dinner Show deal description:

The dinner show features rock and pop icons and is accompanied by a meal from the renowned chef, Russell T. Booth.

Where: 6362 International Drive

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This story was created automatically using local event data, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback.
WASHINGTON  When Otto Warmbiers father accompanied Vice President Mike Pence to the Winter Olympics in South Korea last year, he brought along a special gift for Pence's wife.

Fred Warmbier gave Karen Pence a gold necklace with a circle and bars that spelled "Otto," the vice president revealed on his annual financial disclosure report that was released Thursday. The necklace is valued at $520.

Otto Warmbier, then a 21-year-old student at the University of Virginia, was arrested in January 2016 during a five-day trip to North Korea for allegedly trying to steal a propaganda poster from his Pyongyang hotel. He was sentenced to 15 years of hard labor.

After 17 months in prison, Otto was released in June 2017 in a vegetative state and flown back to the United States where he died less than a week later with a severe neurological injury.

Fred Warmbier, the father of Otto Warmbier who was

Fred Warmbier went to the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang to remind athletes and spectators of the Kim regime's treatment of prisoners.

"Karen & I were honored to meet w/ victims of the oppressive North Korean regime," the vice president tweeted during the trip. "We heard the harrowing stories of defectors who risked life & limb for freedom, & from Fred Warmbier, father of the late Otto Warmbier. We admire their resilience."

Honored that Fred Warmbier, father of Otto Warmbier, will join us at @pyeongchang2018 in S Korea. He & his wife remind the world of the atrocities happening in N Korea. As @POTUS made clear at the #SOTU, we pledge to honor Ottos memory w/ American resolve https://t.co/LlPMt6SvMh  Vice President Mike Pence (@VP) February 5, 2018

But after President Donald Trump met with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Hanoi earlier this year, Trump said he did not believe that Kim knew about Warmbier's condition or treatment during his imprisonment.

Story continues

"He felt badly about it," Trump said, referring to Kim. "He knew about it very well, but he knew it later."

Fred and Cindy Warmbier issued a sharp rebuke through their lawyer.

"Kim and his evil regime are responsible for the death of our son, Otto," their statement said. "Kim and his evil regime are responsible for unimaginable cruelty and inhumanity."

The Warmbiers did not mention Trump by name, but within hours, the president tweeted that he had been "misinterpreted" over the issue.

The Warmbiers had attended the 2018 State of the Union address at Trump's invitation. In the president's speech, he called the family "powerful witnesses" to North Korea's horrors as the Warmbier family watched from a guest box in the U.S. House of Representatives.

The Warmbier family received two standing ovations during the speech. Fred and Cindy stood next to first lady Melania Trump and wept as they acknowledged the cheers.

"You are powerful witnesses to a menace that threatens our world, and your strength inspires us all," Trump said. "Thank you very much."

In addition to the necklace from the Warmbiers, Pence also reported that his wife received a gold necklace with her initials from Cincinnati artist Aaron Rubinstein. The necklace was presented after Karen Pence visited the artist's store in April of last year, according to the report.

Contributing: Doug Stanglin and Anne Saker.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Otto Warmbier's parents gave second lady Karen Pence a special necklace
BRUSSELS, May 16 (Reuters) - A Belgian court has ordered the country's former king to pay 5,000 euros ($5,600) a day until he takes a DNA paternity test to resolve a long-running case brought by a woman who says she is his daughter.

A judicial source said the 84-year-old King Albert II must pay the sum to Belgian artist Delphine Boel, 50, for every day he now fails to heed a court order made last year to provide a sample. Albert, who abdicated six years ago in favor of his son Philippe, is challenging the ruling that he submit to testing.

The retired monarch has been fighting Boel's claim for over a decade. Court-ordered DNA tests have already proved that she is not the offspring of her legal father, Jacques Boel, scion of one of Belgium's richest industrial dynasties.

Her identity became a topic of public debate after the publication in 1999 of a biography of Queen Paola, Albert's Italian wife, which alleged that he had had a long extra-marital relationship from which a daughter was born in the 1960s.

Albert, who has no formal public role, has acknowledged that he and Paola had marital difficulties. Their three children are all older than Boel. Next in line to the throne is 17-year-old Princess Elisabeth, daughter of Philippe and Queen Mathilde. ($1 = 0.8928 euros) (Editing by Hugh Lawson)
Terrence Brown pleaded guilty to the historical sexual abuse of a woman and teenage girl (PXHere/stock photo)

An 86-year-old man faces jail after he pleaded guilty to the historical sexual abuse of a woman and a teenage girl.

Pensioner Terrence Brown had been due to stand trial in July but admitted to his crimes at Bristol Crown Court on Wednesday.

Brown, from Henbury, Bristol, appeared in court on a mobility scooter and pled guilty to the indecent assault of the teenager on six occasions, and raping her on six occasions.

He also pleaded guilty to two sexual assaults on the woman but denied further rape and sexual assault charges on them, which were deemed acceptable to the prosecution.

Allowing bail, Judge Michael Cullum told Brown: "You will be given credit when you are sentenced.

Brown appeared at Bristol Crown Court (Wikipedia)

"Sentence will be fixed for the 10th of June.

"The magistrates' court is better able to cope with your disability.

Read more from Yahoo News UK:

Police search for mystery man discovered in disused barn

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"You must understand that you will receive a custodial sentence on that day.

"Obviously, the sentencing judge will decide how long that sentence should be.

Brown will appear via video link from Bristol Magistrates Court for his sentence hearing next month.

 Watch the latest videos from Yahoo UK 
Its beginning to look a lot like Gilead. Photo: Elijah Nouvelage/The Washington Post/Getty Images

The government of Alabama just decided that providing an abortion to a 12-year-old girl who was raped by her father is a more serious crime than raping a 12-year-old girl.

On Wednesday, Governor Kay Ivey enacted the most restrictive abortion ban in the United States. Under its provisions, performing an abortion on someone who has been pregnant for more than six weeks is a Class A felony, carrying a minimum sentence of ten years in prison, no matter how said person became pregnant. Statutory rape and incest, meanwhile, remain Class C felonies  carrying a minimum prison sentence of just over one year.

Although some putatively moderate Republicans like Marco Rubio believe that the state should coerce victims of rape and incest into incubating their abusers fetuses, the vast majority of Americans do not. A 2018 Gallup poll found that 77 percent of voters felt abortion should be legal in such circumstances during the first trimester of pregnancy (while 52 percent said it should remains so in the last three months of a pregnancy). Even Pat Robertson  the Christian-fundamentalist televangelist who blamed the gays for 9/11  said this week that Alabamas abortion ban had gone too far.

Nevertheless, while Alabamas decision to dispense with rape and incest exemptions is aberrant, it is far from alone in banning abortion in virtually all cases after the first six weeks of pregnancy  which is to say, before many women will even realize that they are pregnant.

Ohio, Georgia, Mississippi, and Kentucky all recently put such bans on their books, in the ostensible hope that the Supreme Courts post-Kennedy majority will be willing to strike down Roe v. Wade. This flood of aggressive abortion restrictions, combined with Americas election of a virulently misogynist pro-life president in 2016, might give a casual political observer the impression that America is bitterly  and almost evenly  divided on reproductive rights and becoming more so all the time.

But this is false. There are some abortion-policy questions that do genuinely divide the American people along partisan lines. Most Republican voters support the ban on federal funding for abortion services in opinion polls, while a plurality of Democrats oppose it. And on issues regarding late-term abortions, Democratic legislators are often decidedly to the left of public opinion, particularly as measured by surveys that do not note that such procedures are exceedingly rare outside tragic circumstances.

But the notion that a fetus with a heartbeat is a person  and that the state should therefore treat aborting a pregnancy after six weeks as an act of murder  is an utterly fringe notion in American life. And this is true not merely at the federal level but also in every U.S. state. The progressive think tank Data for Progress recently applied national survey data on abortion from the 2016 American National Election Studies (the gold standard for opinion polling) to conventional demographic-modeling methods in order to estimate state-level support for a variety of abortion policies. It found that there is not a single state in the union where a majority of voters support making abortion illegal in all circumstances.

This is consistent with polling from the Public Religion Research Institute.

Even in the most conservative states, less than 3 in 10 believe abortion should be illegal in ALL cases (2014 data based on over 40,000 interviews).

Highest proportions were:

KY 27%

MS 27%

AL 26%

LA 26%

WV 26%

Via @PRRIpoll  Robert P. Jones (@robertpjones) May 15, 2019

The Alabama GOP isnt out of step with its own voters merely on the question of fetal personhood. This past July, an NBC NewsWall Street Journal survey asked respondents, The Supreme Courts 1973 Roe versus Wade decision established a womans constitutional right to an abortion, at least in the first three months of pregnancy. Would you like to see the Supreme Court completely overturn its Roe versus Wade decision, or not?

Fifty-two percent of Republican voters chose not. This is broadly consistent with a contemporaneous poll by the firm PerryUndem, which found that 49 percent of self-identified Republicans  and 52 percent of Trump voters  said that they did not want the Supreme Court to overturn Roe.

While majoritarian opposition to legally enshrining fetal personhood  or eliminating a constitutional right to an abortion within the first trimester  is unambiguous, the defining characteristic of public opinion on abortion may be its malleability. Small changes in how policy questions are worded can yield vastly disparate results. In some cases, these disparities tell us less about the publics views than a given pollsters skills for eliciting the responses it desires.

But there is one method that both consistently produces more liberal responses on abortion policy  and which also seems methodologically appropriate, on the merits. On so-called moral issues such as abortion, voters often have difficulty distinguishing questions about their political views from inquiries into their personal ethics. For example, one can interpret Should abortion be allowed in X circumstance? as Do you think it is right for someone to have an abortion in X circumstance?  rather than as Do you think the government should establish criminal penalties for doctors who provide abortions in X circumstance? Thus to get an accurate sense of what voters actually want the government to do on issues of reproductive rights, it is best to foreground the fact that you are not asking about how individuals should behave but about how politicians should legislate.

And when the law is foregrounded, many voters turn out to be a lot more pro-choice than they believe themselves to be. For example, a recent survey commissioned by the Knights of Columbus found a majority of voters saying that their opinion on abortion was best described as either abortion should be allowed only during the first three months of a pregnancy or abortions should only be allowed in cases of rape, incest, or to spare the life of the mother. Only 11 percent said their view was best summarized as abortion should be allowed during the first six months of a pregnancy. These findings were then reported as showing majoritarian support for substantial new legal restrictions on abortion.

And yet when PerryUndem asked voters specifically whether they wanted their elected representatives to restrict abortion after the first trimester, opposition to the idea was overwhelming. Asked whether the government should pass a new law restricting abortion to the first three months of pregnancy, just 15 percent of respondents said yes  while 85 percent agreed that its better if lawmakers stay out of this because every situation is different.

This comports with a 2017 PerryUndem survey that asked, Who should decide how far along in a pregnancy a woman can have an abortion?, and then gave respondents a variety of options, including the doctor, the medical profession, the woman, the Supreme Court, politicians in Congress, and politicians at the state level, among others  then invited them to select as many of these authorities as they felt appropriate. Only 10 percent selected politicians; 16 percent picked the Supreme Court. The rest felt that this was not a matter for agents of the state to decide.

Even when the legal question is foregrounded more subtly  as in Quinnipiacs polling, which asks whether abortion should be legal or illegal in all or most cases (as opposed to should abortion be allowed in all or most cases)  public opinion proves far more broadly permissive than the partisan debate would lead one to believe.

All of which is to say: It simply is not the case that red states are passing sweeping new abortion restrictions at the behest of half the country or even of a majority of Republican voters. Whatever their own moral intuitions, the vast majority of Americans do not believe that the government should focus its limited policymaking resources on curtailing or criminalizing the provision of abortion  let alone on coercing rape victims into delivering their abusers babies. Ordinary voters, conservative or otherwise, are not the authors of the GOPs assault on reproductive rights. A well-funded, well-organized interest group is. The pro-life movements cause is an utterly fringe one. It does not owe its strength to mass popular appeal but to decades of organizing and to the intensity of its adherents passion for controlling the bodies of pregnant women.

Voter turnout is unusually low in American elections, and turnout in partisan primaries is even lower. Further, even among the voting public, the percentage of (effectively) pro-choice Republicans who pay close attention to events in their state legislatures and to the issue positions of candidates  and care enough about abortion to punish lawmakers who defy their preferences on the issue  is vanishingly small; certainly, far smaller than the percentage of pro-lifers who meet those criteria. As a result, the latter minority is dictating abortion policy in Republican-controlled states across the country.

Progressives cannot beat back the GOPs assault on reproductive rights merely by winning the argument over abortion; in many respects, that argument is already won. America does not lack a pro-choice consensus; the pro-choice majority lacks the power to hold Republican lawmakers accountable to that consensus. Thus the fight for reproductive rights in the United States is inextricable from the struggle against the tyrannical rule of our nations far-right minority.
Washington (AFP) - The US military may build tents and other shelters near the Mexican border to temporarily house migrants, the Pentagon said on Wednesday.

Department of Defense spokesman Chris Mitchell said the Pentagon had received a request from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) "to construct temporary facilities at six DHS-specified locations to house and care for a minimum of 7,500" migrants.

However, the department "will not provide detention or custodial support for detained aliens at these ICE detention facilities. ICE is responsible for detention or custodial support," the statement said, referring to US Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Acting Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan must sign off on the request, which Mitchell said would happen "very soon."

The defense department also announced on Wednesday that the US Army Corps of Engineers had awarded two companies contracts worth $788 million to build a "barrier wall replacement" and a "vehicle and pedestrian barrier replacement" along the US-Mexico border in California and Arizona, which would be completed early next year.

The announcements come ahead of President Donald Trump's expected Thursday unveiling of a new immigration policy proposal, which The Washington Post reported will focus on "merit-based" migration.

More than 100,000 migrants were arrested after crossing the US-Mexico border in April, according to a US government tally, the second month in a row detentions reached that level.

In total, almost half a million people have been stopped at the border since October 2018.

Overcrowding at border emergency shelters has forced authorities to release some migrants from detention as they await a review of their asylum applications.

The majority of migrants who cross the US-Mexico border without authorization surrender to authorities and file for asylum.

Most come from Central American countries such as Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador, from which they say they are fleeing due to high levels of violence and poverty.
Nairobi (AFP) - Animal rights activists urged Kenya Thursday to ban the slaughter of donkeys for Chinese medicine, a practice which has soared in recent years, decimating populations of the animal in Africa.

Donkey skins are exported to China to make a traditional medicine known as ejiao, which is believed to improve blood circulation.

It was once the preserve of emperors but is now highly sought after by a burgeoning middle-class.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) told AFP that an investigation inside Kenyan slaughterhouses showed animals being cruelly beaten by workers, or dead after long truck journeys from neighbouring countries.

"PETA is calling for Kenya to join many other African nations in banning the slaughter of donkeys. There is simply no need for this cruelty, (the medicine) is not even something that has been shown to be effective," said PETA spokeswoman Ashley Fruno.

China is increasingly looking to Africa to satisfy demand as its own donkey population has nearly halved in recent years.

Several African countries have banned the export of donkey skins and closed Chinese-owned slaughterhouses, meaning thousands are now trucked long distances into Kenya from countries like Ethiopia, Uganda and Somalia.

"There are virtually no laws against the abuse of animals on farms or in slaughterhouses in Kenya, so none of the violence captured in the footage is punishable from a legal standpoint," PETA said in a statement.

The government has not responded to a request for comment.

John Kariuki, the manager of a slaughterhouse where alleged abuse was observed, told AFP: "Whoever saw donkeys beaten inside my slaughterhouse is a liar and should look for something else to talk about."

- Skinned alive -

Alex Mayers of the UK-based animal welfare organisation The Donkey Sanctuary said stories about the trade first began emerging in 2016, with tales of people waking up in the morning to find all of their donkeys had been stolen in the night, often skinned a short distance away.

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"It started to happen across all corners of Africa, then even wider to Brazil, Peru, Pakistan, all over we were seeing the same photos, the same stories."

An investigation by the body in 2017 found the donkey skin trade was inhumane and "completely unsustainable", he said.

As the main export is the skin, "it doesn't really matter if a donkey is beaten or bruised by the time it is slaughtered, there is no incentive at all to keep donkeys in good welfare," said Mayers.

In Tanzania, there had been cases of slaughterhouse workers using sledgehammers to kill donkeys, he added.

"We've seen cases in Botswana where donkeys have been rounded up and machine-gunned. In South Africa slaughter operators have admitted using hammers to kill the donkeys, or... skinning them alive."
Pfizer, Inc. PFE announced that a pivotal late-stage study evaluating its investigational JAK1 inhibitor abrocitinib for the treatment of moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis (AD), also called eczema, met all co-primary and secondary endpoints

The phase III study (B7451012) evaluated two doses (100mg and 200mg once daily) of abrocitinib (PF-04965842) monotherapy in patients aged 12 and above for over 12 weeks.

Pfizers shares have declined 5.7% this year so far compared with a decline of 2.5% for the industry.

Top-line data from the study showed that by week 12 both doses of abrocitinib led to statistically significantly higher percentage of patients achieving each co-primary efficacy endpoint and each key secondary endpoint compared to placebo. While the primary endpoints were the proportion of patients who achieved clear or almost clear skin improvement and the proportion who achieved at least a 75% or greater change in their eczema area, the key secondary endpoint measured the reduction in itch severity. The data also showed that a statistically significant number of patients responded to treatment during the first two to four weeks, following administration of the first dose. Moreover, both the doses were well tolerated in the study.

Detailed data from the study will be presented at a future medical meeting and also published in a medical journal. Abrocitinib received FDAs Breakthrough Therapy designation last year in February.

In December last year, Pfizer received FDA approval for its Eucrisa topical ointment to treat eczema in patients two years and older.

A key new entrant in the eczema market is Sanofi SNY/Regeneron Pharmaceuticals REGN Dupixent. Others are also developing their key immunology candidate in late-stage studies for AD like AbbVies upadacitinib and Lillys LLY Olumiant. While upadacitinib is not yet approved to treat any indication, Olumiant is marketed fo rrheumatoid arthritis.

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Pfizer currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

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LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - State fire investigators have formally determined that Pacific Gas & Electric Co transmission lines caused the deadliest and most destructive wildfire on record in California, a blaze that killed 85 people last year, officials said on Wednesday.

The wind-driven blaze, dubbed the Camp Fire, erupted in the drought-parched Sierra foothills 175 miles (280 km) north of San Francisco in November 2018 and raced with little warning through the town of Paradise, incinerating much of that community.

Nearly 19,000 homes and other structures were destroyed, and the death toll stands as the greatest loss of life from a single wildfire in California history. Several firefighters were injured.

Investigators "determined that the Camp Fire was caused by electrical transmission lines owned and operated" by PG&E near the small riverfront community of Pulga, about 10 miles (16 km) northeast of Paradise in Butte County, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) said in a statement.

A second ignition point for the fire was also "determined to be vegetation into electrical distribution lines" owned and operated by the San Francisco-based utility, Cal Fire said.

The statement gave no details as to precisely how the power lines triggered the flames, or whether investigators determined that PG&E was at fault for lapses in the maintenance of its equipment or vegetation clearance.

A Cal Fire spokesman, Scott McLean, declined to comment, saying the investigators' report was furnished to Butte County District Attorney Mike Ramsey for further review.

"The investigation into how and why the PG&E transmission line equipment failed is ongoing in an effort to determine if PG&E or any of its personnel have any criminal liability," Ramsey said in a separate statement.

He said the fact that a PG&E equipment malfunction sparked the fire "had been, essentially, admitted" by the utility in a December 2018 report to state regulators.

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PG&E said it had not been able to review the Cal Fire report but accepted investigators' findings about the fire's origin near the Pulga area. It added: "We have not been able to form a conclusion as to whether a second fire ignited as a result of vegetation contact with PG&E electrical distribution lines."

Cal Fire concluded last June that PG&E-owned power lines had sparked a separate series of wildfires that swept Northern California's wine country in 2017, and found a number of unspecified code violations alleged in several of the blazes it examined. But prosecutors from four affected counties later determined there was no basis to criminally charge the utility in connection with the so-called North Bay fires.

PG&E filed for bankruptcy in January 2019, citing potential civil liabilities in excess of $30 billion from the North Bay and Camp Fires.

The company remains under criminal probation from its conviction for a deadly 2010 natural gas pipeline explosion near San Francisco and is a defendant in numerous private civil cases stemming from wildfires.

Shares of PG&E initially fell 3.1 percent in after-hours trading following release of the Cal Fire statement. The stock later recovered and was trading at 0.2 percent above the closing price of $18.10 a share.

(Reporting by Steve Gorman in Los Angeles and Mekhla Raina in Bengaluru; Editing by Leslie Adler, Peter Cooney and Sonya Hepinstall)
MANILA, Philippines (AP)  The Philippines is recalling its ambassador and consuls in Canada over Ottawa's failure to comply with a deadline to take back truckloads of garbage that Filipino officials say were illegally shipped to the Philippines years ago, officials said Thursday.

Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. tweeted that the Philippines "shall maintain a diminished diplomatic presence in Canada until its garbage is ship bound there." The drastic move is the latest strain in Philippine relations with Canada under President Rodrigo Duterte.

Duterte threatened last month to forcibly ship the containers of garbage back to Canada and dump some at its embassy in Manila if Canadian officials don't take back the waste. Officials later set a May 15 deadline for Canada to comply.

Locsin said in his tweet that letters for the recall of the Philippine ambassador and consuls in Canada have been sent and that they were expected back in Manila after about a day.

"That recall shows that we are very serious in asking them to get back their garbage otherwise we're gonna severe relations with them," presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo told a regular news conference.

At least 103 containers of household trash, including plastic bottles and bags, newspapers and diapers, were shipped in batches from Canada to the Philippines from 2013 to 2014. Most of the shipping containers remain in two ports in Manila and northern Subic freeport, sparking protests from environmental activists. Philippine officials say they were falsely declared by a private firm as recyclable plastic scraps and have asked Canada to take back the garbage.

Duterte raised the garbage issue in a speech last month while officials from both countries were already discussing a resolution to the issue. The volatile president said he was ready to "declare war" against Canada over the issue.

"I want a boat prepared. I'll give a warning to Canada maybe next week that they better pull that thing out or I will set sail to Canada and pour their garbage there," Duterte said, adding he would ask Canadian officials to "prepare a grand reception."

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"Celebrate because your garbage is coming home," he said. "Eat it if you want to."

Canada said it has repeatedly expressed its commitment to promptly shipping and disposing of the Canadian waste.

"Canada is disappointed by this decision to recall the Philippines ambassador and consuls general," said Brittany Fletcher, a spokeswoman for Canada's foreign affairs department. "However, we will continue to closely engage with the Philippines to ensure a swift resolution of this important issue."

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Canada has been working with officials in the Philippines on the issue "over the past months, very hard over the past weeks."

"We very much hope to get a resolution on this shortly," he said.

A Manila court ordered the private importers in 2016 to ship the waste back to Canada. Of 103 shipping containers that entered the Philippines, the waste from 34 has been disposed of locally.

Philippine Customs Commissioner Rey Leonardo Guerrerro has said " bureaucratic red tape" in Canada slowed the return of the rest.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in 2017 that regulations preventing the return of the garbage had been resolved.

Last year, Duterte ordered the cancellation of a multimillion-dollar agreement to buy 16 helicopters from Canada after its government decided to review the deal due to concerns the Philippine military might use the aircraft in counterinsurgency assaults.

___

Associated Press writer Robert Gillies in Toronto contributed to this report.
MANILA (Reuters) - The Philippines is withdrawing top diplomats from Canada after Ottawa missed a deadline to take back 69 shipping containers full of trash, the latest move in a long-running row stoked by threats from Manila's outspoken president.

Last month, President Rodrigo Duterte threatened Canada with war and said he would personally escort the waste containers by sea back to Canada.

"We shall maintain a diminished diplomatic presence in Canada until its garbage is ship-bound there," Philippine Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin said on Twitter on Thursday after the May 15 deadline expired.

In a statement, Canada's foreign ministry said it was "disappointed", but would continue to engage to resolve the issue.

"Canada has repeatedly conveyed to the Philippines government its commitment to promptly ship and dispose of the Canadian waste in the Philippines," the statement said. "We remain committed to finalising these arrangements for the return of the waste to Canada."

Locsin also took issue with Philippine diplomats for not doing enough to ensure Canada took back the trash, accusing them of acting in defiance of their president to preserve friendly relations.

The volatile 74-year-old Duterte, known for his grandstanding and often hollow threats towards Western powers, has also said he would dump the trash in front of Canada's embassy in Manila.

Canada says the waste, exported to Manila between 2013 and 2014, was a commercial transaction not backed by its government. It has since offered to take it back and the two countries were in the process of arranging the transfer.

The Philippines has made several diplomatic protests to Canada after a 2016 court ruling that the garbage be returned.

The consignments were labelled as containing plastics to be recycled in the Philippines, but were filled with diapers, newspapers and water bottles instead.

(Reporting by Neil Jerome Morales; Additional reporting by Steve Scherer in OTTAWA; Editing by Martin Petty, Clarence Fernandez and Susan Thomas)
(Reuters) - Pinterest Inc on Thursday forecast 2019 revenue broadly in line with Wall Street targets, disappointing investors who had expected more from the freshly public, high flying stock, and sending its shares down 16 percent.

The online scrapbook company's shares have risen 62% from its initial public offering price of $19 last month.

"Clearly the after-hours pullback is a reflection of investor expectations being too high heading into the quarter," DA Davidson analyst Tom Forte said.

Pinterest's sales outlook was a disappointment said Forte, especially given the high expectations reflected in the run up in shares.

The company expects full-year revenue between $1.055 billion and $1.08 billion, the mid point of which is slightly above analysts' estimate of $1.06 billion, driven by average revenue per user (ARPU) in the United States.

Pinterest also said in a regulatory filing it would look to invest in its advertising products through the year.

The company, which calls its users "pinners", added 291 million monthly active users globally in the first quarter, above estimates of 289.3 million, according to IBES data from Refinitiv. ARPU globally rose 26% to 73 cents, the company said.

Net loss narrowed to $41.4 million in the quarter ended March 31 from $52.7 million a year earlier. Excluding certain items, the company lost 32 cents per share.

Total revenue rose about 54% to $201.9 million, beating estimates of $200.6 million.

Unlike Pinterest, other companies that made their stock market debut in 2019 such as Lyft Inc and Uber Technologies Inc have seen a steep drop. Uber shares have fallen nearly 18% since its IPO, while Lyft is down about 23%.

(Reporting by Vibhuti Sharma and Akanksha Rana in Bengaluru; Editing by Shinjini Ganguli)
Could Biden actually be out of step with voters on health care? Photo: Spencer Platt/Getty Images

The success or failure of Joe Bidens quest to return to the White House  this time as president, not just uncle-in-chief  depends not just on his name recognition, but on the appeal of his pragmatist policies. Though its still much too early to know if Bidens gambit will win him the nomination, his commanding lead appears to have lent him confidence; hes doubling down on his relative centrism, rather than allowing the more progressive candidates in the race to push him toward the left. On health care, Bidens intransigence is particularly apparent. Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday that in New Hampshire, Biden said that he opposes a national health-insurance program because the vast majority of people are satisfied with their own health-care system today.

Bidens statement seems in line with an emerging theme of his campaign. Donald Trump is an aberration, and the former VPs Republican friends will have an epiphany; soon enough, the country will wake up from its fever dream and go back to the way things were before Trump entered the GOP primary. And perhaps thats what many Democratic voters want to hear. Bidens lead suggests as much. In interviews with Bloomberg, Democratic voters seemed to sort themselves into two camps: Biden loyalists who share the candidates moderate views, and left-wing voters who believe in Bidens electability, if not necessarily his policies. I want to vote on whos gonna be able to win the election, one voter told the news outlet. Im a leftys lefty but youve gotta get this arrogant, narcissistic, lying bigot out of office.

The primary is young, and so is Bidens latest campaign for president. He may owe his lead to his centrism; thats certainly the outcome he and his advisers had hoped to see. Bidens pollster, John Anzalone, told the Washington Post in March that it was a myth that Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez somehow represents the narrative of Democratic primary voters in the country. But even if you believe the policy priorities of the partys activist base are somehow out of sync with the average Democratic voter, Bidens relatively optimistic view of the nation can sound hollow  and misleading. Bidens statement on health care, for example, doesnt quite line up with what we know about public opinion on health care.

Most people say theyre satisfied with the quality of the health care they receive, though there seems to be a sharp distinction between how Americans view their own care and the state of the nations health care overall. Seventy-seven percent of Americans told Gallup in 2017 that the quality of their personal care was good or excellent, and 61 percent said they were satisfied with the total cost of their own care. But Americans have been significantly less pleased with the U.S. health-care system for decades. In November 2018, Gallup reported that 79 percent of Americans were dissatisfied with national health-care costs. In the same poll, only 34 percent described health-care coverage in the U.S. as excellent or good, with 40 percent calling it fair, and 26 percent saying its poor. Consider those results along with other polls: one, from Pew, found that lowering health-care costs was a top priority for 69 percent of voters, and a 2017 Gallup poll found that 71 percent of Americans believed the national health-care system was in a state of crisis or has major problems. Taking the broader spectrum of Americans health-care views into account, Bidens imprecise assertion that theyre satisfied with their own health-care system today  seems dubious.

The Biden campaign has yet to release a detailed health-care proposal, though Biden has said that he supports a public option to buy into Medicare. That stance places him at odds with candidates like Bernie Sanders and Kamala Harris, who have both endorsed health-care reforms that would eliminate private insurance. Bidens preferred compromise does poll well; a Kaiser Family Foundation poll found that 74 percent would back a national health plan that resembled a Medicare buy-in. Support for Medicare for All, meanwhile, is increasing, though it remains lower than support for a buy-in, and varies depending on how polling firms phrase their questions. In January, a Kaiser poll found that 56 percent of respondents supported Medicare for All; that figure increased to 71 percent when they were told that the plan would guarantee them health insurance. As the Associated Press reported at the time, only 32 percent supported the plan if it would threaten the current Medicare program.

Of course, fluctuations in public support dont have any bearing on whether or not the public option is substantively superior to Medicare for All. Only the latter promises universal coverage, and as we get deeper into the campaign, that may prove to have significant appeal. The Kaiser Family Foundation poll that found high rates of support for a Medicare buy-in also found that among Americans who favor a national health plan, 89 percent prioritized universal coverage. As health-care costs rise, even for employer-provided insurance plans, Americans may become less and less likely to prize private insurance  especially if they learn more about other options. When it comes to the nomination, Medicare for All could still turn out to be a winning play.

Bidens famous hot-mic moment, when he called the signing of the Affordable Care Act a big fucking deal, helped build his reputation as a plainspoken man of the people. But in 2019, that same quality has already begun to reveal his blind spots to the public. Its not clear that he or his advisers appreciate either the ACAs limitations or the extent of the crisis troubling the American health-care system. Biden, in fact, has barely said anything about health care at all, despite its importance to voters. He may ultimately be surprised by the radical solutions that voters are willing to entertain.
APPLETON, Wis. (AP)  A police officer and a firefighter have been injured in a shooting in Appleton, Wisconsin, and several others have been taken to a hospital.

Appleton police Officer Meghan Cash says first responders went to a downtown location following a call that someone needed medical assistance about 5:30 p.m. Wednesday.

It is not yet clear what happened after they arrived but Cash says there was a shooting and the firefighter and officer were injured. She did not give their condition.

Cash says she does not know how many other people were injured but several were taken to a local hospital.

Asked if a suspect had been apprehended, Cash did not respond directly, but said: "There is no threat to the community."

Appleton is about 120 miles (193 kilometers) north of Milwaukee.

___

This version of the story corrects the spelling of Meghan in the 2nd paragraph.
Warsaw (AFP) - A Polish documentary on clergy paedophilia that has shocked the devout country could deal a blow to the chances of the ruling conservatives in this month's European Parliament elections, given the party's close ties to the Catholic Church, analysts said on Thursday.

With Poland's two main political forces -- the right-wing Law and Justice (PiS) party and the European Coalition, a group of opposition parties led by the liberal Civic Platform (PO) -- currently polling neck and neck, the film could effectively swing the outcome of the ballot, observers said.

"This whole affair may tilt the balance in favour of the opposition" at the May 26 EU election, political analyst Stanislaw Mocek told AFP.

He says the PiS, in power since 2015, could pay dearly for its close ties to the Catholic Church, "a symbiosis that has suited both sides", at least until now.

Posted on YouTube on Saturday, the "Tell No One" film by brothers Tomasz and Marek Sekielski has since gone viral and been viewed more than 17 million times.

The two-hour documentary includes hidden camera footage of victims who are now adults confronting elderly priests about the abuse they suffered decades earlier.

Local media for their part have also been busy publishing witness accounts, commentary and new revelations of child sex abuse by the clergy.

Bishops have come under fire for not responding effectively to cases of abuse and there have been demands for an independent commission of inquiry to shed light on the issue.

- 'In panic mode' -

Mocek believes that a shift of one or two percent of votes away from the PiS because of the paedophilia scandal could prove decisive.

Warsaw-based Catholic theologian Stanislaw Obirek said that both the PiS and the episcopate were "in panic mode".

He believes next month's visit by Maltese Archbishop Charles Scicluna, a Vatican expert on paedophilia among the priesthood, may result in a series of resignations by Polish bishops.

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"Now Archbishop Scicluna is coming and his visit will result in important changes. These won't be cosmetic changes. Many bishops will leave," the former Jesuit told AFP.

Scicluna spent 10 years as a Vatican prosecutor investigating cases of paedophilia among the priesthood, making a name for himself with his determination.

Arturo Sosa, the leader of the Roman Catholic Jesuit order the Society of Jesus, said in Warsaw Wednesday that the root of the Church's problems -- both in Poland and abroad -- lay in the inordinate power the clergy wields over believers and to a lack of transparency within the institution.

The ruling conservatives appear not to be wasting any time in seeking damage control, having announced plans to raise the prison terms for paedophilia to a maximum 30 years and the age of consent from 15 to 16.

The EU member's parliament has already examined the bill, which could become law in the next few days as the PiS commands an absolute majority.

- 'Electoral consequences' -

But government spokeswoman Joanna Kopcinska rejected as "absurd" suggestions that the bill had anything to do with the EU electoral campaign.

She said the penal code changes have been in the works for more than 10 months.

Still, Deputy Prime Minister Jaroslaw Gowin acknowledged that the public debate over paedophilia "may have certain electoral consequences."

Influential and controversial priest Tadeusz Rydzyk, the founder of a media empire, denounced what he called a "smear campaign" inspired by "hatred" of the Church.

He said that if the purpose of the fight against paedophilia was really the pursuit of good, then "we would also be citing the percentage of people guilty of these crimes in other social groups and showing that the percentage among priests is low."

Nevertheless, Obirek believes that the Church is "on the verge of fundamental change."
Washington (AFP) - US police on Thursday evicted the last of a group of protestors who have been occupying the Venezuelan embassy in Washington in support of President Nicolas Maduro, ending a weeks-long standoff.

"The liberation of our embassy came about thanks to the struggle of the Venezuelan diaspora," said Carlos Vecchio, envoy for opposition leader Juan Guaido, who declared himself interim president earlier this year in a power play against Maduro.

"With sacrifice they held the grounds against all adversity," said Vecchio on Twitter.

Police and firefighting vehicles were seen inside the grounds of the diplomatic mission in the US capital, which was taken over last month by a number of left-wing and pacifist activists protesting Guaido's bid to push Maduro from power.

In Caracas, Maduro condemned the eviction, saying it was done "in a brutal way" with commando-style forces.

Maduro said he had ordered beefed up security around the US Embassy in Caracas in line with what he called strict observance of international law.

"We are going to protect it even more, because Venezuela does comply with international law," Maduro said in a televised speech.

Venezuela broke off relations with the US after President Donald Trump said he recognized Guaido as acting president.

The most high-profile of the groups behind the Washington occupation, CODEPINK, denounced what it called the "illegal entry and arrest at DC Venezuela Embassy."

It promised to "keep fighting to protect the embassy from illegal takeover by Guaido forces."

"All four of the peace activists who have been inside the embassy have now been arrested," said Mara Verheyden-Hilliard, a lawyer representing the protesters.

Guaido has been recognized as leader of the crisis-stricken country by some 50 states, including the United States.

For more than a month, an unclear number of Americans belonging to a group calling itself the Embassy Protection Collective had been living in the embassy, with the consent of the Maduro government.

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The American squatters, whose numbers dwindled to just four people this week after police warned they would enter the building by force, aimed to block the entry of the Guaido delegation to the embassy.

A group of Venezuelans had gathered outside the cordoned-off embassy building Thursday and were chanting slogans such as "Viva Venezuela."

"I came to see the results of 14 days of our community action, of staying in our embassy to reclaim what belongs to us," said Roberto Nasser, a 56-year-old Venezuelan, who had been spending up to 16 hours a day standing outside the building.

He and other Venezuelan residents of the capital had camped outside the embassy and tried to prevent any supplies from being delivered to the squatters inside.
National Grid profits fell by nearly a third in the year to March, in part because of one-off factors. Photo: PA

National Grid (NG.L) announced that its profits fell by almost a third the same day that the Labour Party is set to announce a plan that would see the companys UK energy infrastructure taken into public ownership.

Pre-tax profits for the year to March fell by 31% to 1.8bn ($2.3bn), mainly due to one-off factors, including a write-off of money spent on connecting two planned nuclear power plants in Cumbria and Wales that were later scrapped.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn on Thursday will unveil a plan that would nationalise the high-voltage electricity transmission network in England and Wales owned and operated by National Grid.

But National Grid CEO John Pettigrew said that the company did not believe the proposal was in the interests of customers. The company warned that it would actually delay the progress it has made thus far in the green energy shift.

The company, which also operates in the US states of Massachusetts, New York, and Rhode Island, was also hit by a months-long labour dispute with American gas workers.

It also spent money on global restructuring efforts last year. On an underlying basis  which excludes exceptional items and the costs of handling things like major storms  profits were slightly ahead of analysts expectations, falling 3% to 2.5bn.

The Labour plan would create a state-owned National Energy Agency that would own and operate the UK transmission infrastructure currently owned by National Grid.

It would also take over the infrastructure of SSE (SSE.L) and Scottish Power, which is owned by Spains Iberdrola (IBE.MC).

Such a move would usher in a Green Industrial Revolution and tackle climate change, and profits generated from the infrastructure could be invested in the green economy instead of being distributed to shareholders, the plan says.

It argues that gaming and profiteering are intrinsic parts of the privately owned system, and that a publicly owned national grid would be able to provide energy that is low carbon, affordable and secure.

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Energy networks that are owned by the public and responsive to the public interest will be able to prioritise tackling climate change, fuel poverty and security of supply over profit extraction, the plan states.

In a statement, National Grid said the proposal would only serve to delay the huge amount of progress and investment that is already helping to make this country a leader in the move to green energy.

At a time when there is increased urgency to meet the challenges of climate change the last thing that is needed is the enormous distraction, cost and complexity contained in these plans.
Oldenburg (Germany) (AFP) - German prosecutors on Thursday sought life in prison for a male nurse accused of murdering almost 100 hospital patients, which would make him the country's worst peacetime serial killer.

Niels Hoegel, 42, already behind bars for over a decade after earlier trials, has confessed to giving scores more intensive-care patients drug overdoses because he enjoyed the thrill of trying to reanimate them at the last moment.

He stands accused of a revised toll of 97 murders, down from 100 as three cases could not be proved, prosecutor Daniela Schiereck-Bohlmann told the Lower Saxony state court in Oldenburg.

Some investigators, however, believe Hoegel may have killed hundreds more by injecting them with deadly drugs while he worked between 2000 and 2005 at clinics in Oldenburg and nearby Delmenhorst.

But because the deceased were buried or cremated long ago, autopsies have not been possible in all cases, and in some the post mortem examinations were inconclusive.

A lawyer for the bereaved families, Gaby Luebben, recalled that Hoegel had once said the victims' souls haunted his dreams, but that he couldn't remember their names.

"That's why I will now show them to you," said Luebben, who then used a beamer to show photos of the dead patients, each one honoured by a moment's silence in the courtroom.

- 'Resuscitation Rambo' -

During his trial since October, the heavy-set and bearded defendant has admitted to 43 killings, denied five and not ruled out more than 50 others, saying he could not remember.

Prosecutors require clarity on each death because "just calling him the worst serial killer in history isn't enough to convict him," said Schiereck-Bohlmann.

Prosecutors say Hoegel was motivated by vanity, the desire to show off his skills at saving human lives, and simple boredom.

Some colleagues had reportedly nicknamed him "Resuscitation Rambo".

A psychologist testified in court that Hoegel suffers from a narcissistic personality disorder but could be considered fully culpable for his crimes.

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At the start of the trial, Hoegel apologised to the families of the victims aged between 34 and 96.

"If I knew a way that would help you, then I would take it, believe me," he said last year. "I am honestly sorry."

- 130 bodies exhumed -

Caught in 2005 while injecting an unprescribed medication into a patient in Delmenhorst, Hoegel was first sentenced in 2008 to seven years in prison for attempted murder.

A second trial followed under pressure from victims' families and he was found guilty in 2015 on charges of murder and attempted murder related to six deaths.

He was given the sentence of life imprisonment, which in Germany usually translates to a maximum of 15 years behind bars.

In requesting a second life term, prosecutors Thursday also urged the court to determine the "special severity" of the crimes to rule out an early release.

It was after his second trial that Hoegel confessed to his psychiatrist to dozens more murders at Delmenhorst, which prompted a far wider probe.

More than 130 bodies of patients who died on Hoegel's watch were exhumed in Germany, Poland and Turkey in a case investigators called "unprecedented in Germany".

- Troubling questions -

Aside from the monstrosity of the killing spree, the Hoegel case has raised deeply troubling questions about how the hospital hierarchies failed to stop him for so long.

Statistics later showed that patient deaths, as well as the use of certain cardiac drugs, soared while Hoegel was on duty.

Several doctors and head nurses were later charged with manslaughter for failing to stop the killer nurse.

In the current trial, presiding judge Sebastian Buehrmann has ordered perjury investigations against some of Hoegel's former colleagues on suspicion they withheld evidence to cover up their culpability.

When the Oldenburg hospital encouraged Hoegel to resign in late 2002, it offered him a glowing letter of reference to ensure he left.

Hoegel later testified he was never explicitly told why the hospital wanted him gone but that the request made him feel as though he "had been caught".

"Without the mistakes of some people in Oldenburg... this series of murders by Niels Hoegel could have been stopped," Christian Marbach, whose grandfather was one of the victims in Delmenhorst, told AFP last year.

The verdict and sentencing are scheduled for June 6.
Go green. Photo-Illustration: Intelligencer; Photo: AFP/Getty Images

Elizabeth Warren has released a remarkable number of remarkably detailed, boldly progressive policy plans since launching her 2020 campaign. The Massachusetts senator has produced blueprints for a wealth tax, universal child care, breaking up Facebook, solving the opioid epidemic, and mass student-debt forgiveness, to name just a few. And she hasnt shied away from endorsing liberal causes that poll poorly with general public, such as impeachment and reparations.

So, after the comparatively moderate Beto ORourke unveiled a climate plan that called for $5 trillion in new green infrastructure investment  and achieving net-zero emissions by 2050  one might have expected Warren to release a climate proposal of similar scope and ambition (if not a five-year plan for achieving growth-neutral eco-anarchism).

Instead, Warren opted for a decidedly more moderate, if also more detailed and concrete, climate policy: greening Americas military bases and adding a variety of climate readiness and technology investments to the Pentagon budget.

In a Medium post outlining her proposal, Warren notes the toll that climate is already taking on Americas globe-spanning military bases, the extraordinary size of the Defense Departments carbon footprint, and the various strategic challenges that climatic changes pose to American national security (or, in less euphemistic terms, global military dominance). Nibbling around the edges of the problem is no longer enough  the urgency of the moment demands more, Warren writes. Thats why today I am introducing my Defense Climate Resiliency and Readiness Act to harden the U.S. military against the threat posed by climate change, and to leverage its huge energy footprint as part of our climate solution.

Her policy package includes:

 A mandate for the Pentagon to achieve zero-net emissions by 2030 (the arguably impossibly ambitious target that the Green New Deal sets for the United States as a whole).

 A dedicated source of funding to adapt Americas global military bases to climatic changes, so taxpayers foot fewer bills for flood damage in the future.

 A fee (of possibly one percent) on all military contracts to generate revenue for making defense infrastructure more resilient.

 A multibillion-dollar, ten-year research and development program at the Defense Department focused on microgrids and advanced energy storage.

No one in national Democratic politics has called for dismantling Americas global military empire. And this is hardly the entirety of Warrens climate vision; the senator has endorsed the Green New Deal resolution. But many leftists were (understandably) taken aback to see Warren release a climate plan that prioritizes the maintenance of globe-spanning military bases  and evinces no explicit intention to scale back the Pentagons ambitions, which is likely a prerequisite for sustainably financing the social democratic domestic agenda that Warren has put together.

So the plan is an odd fit for a campaign messaging bill. But as far as ambitious climate legislation goes, its a pretty solid fit for the U.S. Senate. Whatever ones views on the Pentagons current mission, it is indisputably the case that climate change poses a major challenge to the Defense Department. And it is also true that as soon as spending moves from domestic accounts onto the Pentagons tab, Republicans cease to oppose said spending. Thus, if we want to get 60 Senate votes on a massive investment in green technology within the next couple of years, Warrens lets buy ourselves a cleaner, greener war machine may be the best shot weve got.
The Queen has broken with centuries of tradition and appointed a woman to be the Dean of Her Majestys Chapels Royal, the first to hold the largely ceremonial position since it was instituted in 1312.

Sarah Mullally, the bishop of London, will take over the role, which will see her officiate at royal weddings, from Lord Chartres, a close friend of Prince Charles, in July 2019.

The dean officiates at major church services attended by the royal family, such as jubilees, as well as taking part in some family occasions such as marriages and births.

The position has by tradition been held by the Bishop of London, which Lord Chartres handed over to Mullally in 2017.

However he stayed on as dean while his successor accustomed herself with her new role, and assisted at the baptism of Prince Louis in July 2018.

Bishop Sarah said; It is an honour and a privilege to be appointed as Dean of the Chapels Royal. The role is one of great historical significance, playing an important role to this day, supporting Her Majesty and the Royal Family.

Her predecessor said; It has been a privilege to serve The Queen as Dean. I have hugely enjoyed the partnership with other members of the Royal Household and the superlative team in Her Majestys Chapels Royal.

Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, tweeted: Prayers for @bishopSarahM as you prepare to become Dean of the Chapels Royal  may Christ walk with you, and guide you in love and service. Prayers of gratitude too for Bishop Richard, who has served so faithfully in this role for more than two decades.
By Naomi Tajitsu

YOKOHAMA (Reuters) - Nissan Motor Co Ltd said on Thursday it would, for now, stick to self-driving technology which uses radar sensors and cameras, avoiding lidar or light-based sensors because of their high cost and limited capabilities.

The Japanese automaker unveiled updated self-driving technology a month after Tesla Inc's Chief Executive Elon Musk called lidar "a fool's errand", berating the technology for being expensive and unnecessary.

Nissan, which wants to have its self-driving cars on city streets by 2020, has long shunned lidar, a relatively new technology for automobiles which has recently been the subject of an influx in investment by many of its rivals.

"At the moment, lidar lacks the capabilities to exceed the capabilities of the latest technology in radar and cameras," Tetsuya Iijima, general manager of advanced technology development for automated driving, told reporters at Nissan's headquarters.

"It would be fantastic if lidar technology was at the level that we could use it in our systems, but it's not. There's an imbalance between its cost and its capabilities."

Iijima unveiled Nissan's own latest self-driving technology, which enables hands-free driving in single lanes on highways on predefined routes.

The technology, to be released in Japan later this year, uses radar and sonar sensors along with cameras to compile the three-dimensional mapping data required for cars to "see" their surroundings.

Apart from sonar, side radar and around-view monitoring cameras, Nissan said it has developed a "tri-cam" that focuses on three points to the front and sides of the vehicle to capture a wide area of view.

Tesla also relies on cameras and radars for its self-driving technology.

Nissan wants to add its self-driving technology to more of its affordable models to boost sales and recover from a profit slump. When reporting earnings earlier this week, the automaker said it had hit "rock bottom" in the aftermath of a financial scandal involving its ousted Chairman Carlos Ghosn.

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FOOL'S ERRAND?

Lidar is currently used by companies including General Motors Co, Ford Motor Co and Alphabet Inc's Waymo as automakers and tech firms race to develop self-driving cars.

Lidar technology uses light-based sensors that fire roughly 1 million laser pulses a second as it collects measurements that are analyzed and processed into 3D models and maps.

More than $1 billion in corporate and private investment has been pumped into some 50 lidar startups over the past three years, according to a Reuters analysis in March of publicly available investment data.

Still, it is a technology in flux.

Initially using bulky spinning devices placed on the roof of cars, lidar developers have transitioned to more compact solid-state devices that can be mounted on other parts of a car. These now sell for less than $10,000 in limited quantities, and are widely expected to eventually sell for as little as $200 in mass production.

(Reporting by Naomi Tajitsu; Editing by Christopher Cushing)
The Toronto Raptors wasted strong performances from Kyle Lowry and Kawhi Leonard as the Milwaukee Bucks took Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals, 108-100.

Leonard finished with 31 points while Lowry contributed 30 of his own. Brook Lopez paced Milwaukee with 29 points, while MVP candidate Giannis Antetokounmpo added 24 in the victory.

The Raptors were ultimately done in by a brutal fourth quarter where they were outscored by 15 points. Lowry was the only Toronto player to make a field goal in the final period.

#WeTheNorth field goals in 4th quarter



Kyle Lowry: 5-for-7

Rest of Team: 0-for-15  Sportsnet Stats (@SNstats) May 16, 2019

After struggling from long distance against the Philadelphia 76ers, the Raptors finally turned in a decent three-point shooting night, converting on 36 per cent of their attempts. Lowry himself finished 7-of-9 from beyond the arc, which makes the loss sting even more.

Game 2 of the series goes Friday night in Milwaukee.

More Raptors coverage from Yahoo Sports
Fallout from the power struggle in Venezuela can be felt far beyond its borders, perhaps nowhere more than in Cuba. The U.S. has said Havanas support for strongman Nicolas Maduro is helping him stay in power in Caracas; as punishment, the Trump Administration has imposed sanctions on Cuba. While Havana has pushed back on the accusation, it seems the island cannot escape the effects of the Venezuela conflict. Cuba announced new rations on food and hygiene products on May 10, stoking fears of a worsening economic crisis.

limited supply Cubas Interior Commerce Minister, Betsy Diaz Velazquez, said the country would start restricting the purchase of basics such as chicken, rice, beans and hygiene products like soap, to ensure equal distribution for all. Rationing had already begun in some parts of Cuba, and shoppers have complained for weeks of empty shelves and long lines. But the new policy will apply across the country and likely have a particularly intense effect on Cubas burgeoning private businesses, which often rely on state-run stores for supplies because of the governments domination of imports and exports.

from afar Those imports are at the heart of the problem. Cuba imports two-thirds of its food each year, and Diaz said its had to find new sources since Washington has expanded sanctions amid controversy over Havanas relationship to Maduro. (Cuba denies military involvement in Venezuela but recently signaled openness to helping negotiate peace there.) Last month the Trump Administration also announced it will limit money Cuban Americans can send family there and allow U.S. citizens to sue for property seized after Cubas 1959 revolution.

be prepared Its not just food. Cubas economy grew in the late 1990s and early 2000s thanks in part to an influx of oil from Venezuela, supplies of which have also collapsed in recent months as the situation there worsens. But many Cubans remember the depression that followed the fall of the Soviet Union and worry that food and fuel shortages may be a sign of more trouble to come. Its not about returning to the harshest phase of [the economic crisis] of the 90s, Communist Party head Raul Castro said last month. Although we do have to be ready for the worst.
Ray Gaesser, a soybean farmer in Corning, Iowa, is on the front lines of the escalating trade war between the U.S. and China. Last fall, he was optimistic that the worlds two largest economies would seal a deal that would keep his crops moving to market in China. But as tit-for-tat tariffs have made his soybeans less competitive, Gaesser, 66, says it will be hard for many growers to turn a profit this year. Farmers patience is growing thin, he tells TIME. The question that really scares him: Are we going to be in this for a long, long time?

The answer almost certainly is yes. President Donald Trumps efforts to force China to buy more U.S. agricultural products, open up to foreign business and rewrite laws that incentivize intellectual-property theft is part of a bigger challenge. Its not just that the U.S. and Chinaboth of which announced billions of dollars worth of new tariffs in the first half of Mayare competing over who will be the worlds dominant economic, technological and military power. Its a question of who writes the rules, not just for trade but also for disputed areas from cyberspace to outer space. And that struggle is just getting started.

The first step for the U.S. is to decide for itself what rules it wants to play by. Trump has talked of abandoning the World Trade Organization (WTO), which has been the arbiter of U.S.-China trade for nearly 20 years. Hes won applause in some quarters, including from Democrats on Capitol Hill, for his go-it-alone approach, but others see danger in the U.S.s facing off with the Middle Kingdom on its own. For seven decades since World War II, a rules-based framework led by Washington has defined world order, producing an era without war among great powers, Harvard professor Graham Allison writes in his 2017 book, Destined for War: Can America and China Escape Thucydidess Trap?. Today, an increasingly powerful China is unraveling this order, throwing into question the peace generations have taken for granted.

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Much of the blame lies with Beijing. Successive Western leaders bet that constructive engagement with Chinas leaders would ease the worlds most populous nation into the liberal, free-trading world order. After China joined the WTO in 2001 it made occasional nods to Western trade rules, but as it gained economic clout, it increasingly resisted demands to transform its state-controlled economy. Year after year, it dumped cheap goods overseas and favored Chinese companies over foreign firms, siphoning off intellectual property and trade secrets.

China has used the illicit profits of that engagement to construct a direct challenge to the American-led postwar order. Chinas Belt and Road Initiative infrastructure plan includes 126 nations and 29 international organizations and is producing global strategic benefits, from a 99-year lease on a new Indian Ocean seaport in Sri Lanka to an overseas military base in Djibouti at the entrance to the Red Sea. China now publicly declares its goal of becoming the worlds dominant superpower and has used stolen technology to [alter] the calculus of global power, according to a March report by the U.S. Navy.

This situation leaves Americans facing something they have never seen before: an adversary that is an economic, technological and, increasingly, military rival. But how to respond to the rule breaking that enables that threat? With a similar abandonment of the rules, or renewed attempts to impose them?

Some Administration officials think sticking by the trade rules is a suckers game and believe economic isolation through a permanent trade war is the only way forward. [Trump aide] Peter Navarro and [former adviser] Steve Bannon believe that the Chinese Communist Party is more vulnerable and sensitive to economic harm than is the U.S., says Zack Cooper of the American Enterprise Institute, who meets with White House officials. Trump himself threatened to abandon the WTO last August.

But many traditional free traders are horrified at the idea of throwing those rules, built over a generation to American advantage, overboard. The entire Republican establishment is shaking in its boots, says GOP donor Dan Eberhart, CEO of Denver-based drilling services company Canary, LLC. Trump has picked a fight he may not be able to win, and its impossible to ascertain how this ends. The politics are complicated by Democratic support for confrontation. Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, urged Trump on May 5, Dont back down. Strength is the only way to win with China.

That may be, but not if China is stronger. Beijing has a skeptical view of international rules, seeing the WTO as just another extension of centuries-long mercantilist and colonialist Western policies. And getting it to play by the rules will likely take more than just a trade war with the U.S. For Iowa farmer Ray Gaesser, who backs Trump, the answer is allies. It would have been really good to find support from our fellow countries who export to China and build a team to go after China, he says, rather than doing it unilaterally. With reporting by Alana abramson, brian bennett and justin worland/washington
11012 Camino Playa Carmel. | Photos: Zumper

Curious just how far your dollar goes in San Diego?

We've rounded up the latest rental listings via rental site Zumper to get a sense of what to expect when it comes to scoring a place in San Diego if you're on a budget of $2,000/month.

Take a look at the listings, below. (Note: prices and availability are subject to change.)

Hoodline offers data-driven analysis of local happenings and trends across cities. Links included in this article may earn Hoodline a commission on clicks and transactions.

1435 India St., #219 (Little Italy)



First, there's this one-bedroom, one-bathroom abode located at 1435 India St., #219. It's listed for $2,000/month for its 648 square feet of space.

The building offers assigned parking, and in the unit, there are hardwood floors, in-unit laundry and a private patio. Pet owners, inquire elsewhere: this spot doesn't allow cats or dogs. There's no leasing fee required for this rental.

According to Walk Score's assessment, this location is extremely walkable, is convenient for biking and boasts excellent transit options.

(Check out the complete listing here.)

425 W. Beech St., #953 (Little Italy)

Here's a one-bedroom, one-bathroom spot at 425 W. Beech St., #953 that's going for $2,000/month.

Building amenities include a swimming pool and assigned parking. In the furnished apartment, you'll get in-unit laundry and a balcony. If you've got a pet, you'll be happy to learn that cats and dogs are allowed. There's no leasing fee required for this rental.

Per Walk Score ratings, this location is extremely walkable, is bikeable and has excellent transit.

(See the full listing here.)

11012 Camino Playa Carmel (Tierrasanta)

Next, there's this one-bedroom, one-bathroom over at 11012 Camino Playa Carmel. It's listed for $1,999/month for its 631 square feet of space.

In the apartment, anticipate a dishwasher, central heating and air conditioning, in-unit laundry and a fireplace. The building offers garage parking, three swimming pools, two fitness centers and a residents' lounge. Good news for animal lovers: both dogs and cats are welcome here.

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According to Walk Score's assessment, this location is car-dependent, has minimal bike infrastructure and has minimal transit options.

(See the complete listing here.)

450 J St., #6111 (Gaslamp)

Finally, check out this 777-square-foot one-bedroom, one-bathroom residence that's located at 450 J St., #6111. It's listed for $1,995/month.

In the unit, anticipate a walk-in closet, in-unit laundry and air conditioning. The building boasts a swimming pool, a fitness center, garage parking and an outdoor space. Pet owners take note: cats and dogs are not welcome. Future tenants needn't worry about a leasing fee.

According to Walk Score, the surrounding area is extremely walkable, is quite bikeable and boasts excellent transit options.

(Take a look at the complete listing here.)

This story was created automatically using local real estate data, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback.
Joe Arpaio was the first recipient of a pardon from President Trump. Photo: Stewart Cook/Online USA Inc./Getty Images

On Wednesday, Donald Trump granted a pardon to a former business parter who last year wrote a book with the title Donald J. Trump: A President Like No Other.

It wasnt the first time hes handed a pardon to a political ally. In his first two and half years in office, Trump has issued ten pardons and most have gone to conservative activists and folk heroes.

This isnt unprecedented. Past presidents have used their pardon power to benefit political allies, but as Aaron Blake notes in the Washington Post, theyve typically waited until later in their terms and they tended to mix in other pardons that dont so clearly and obviously benefit themselves.

There may be a strategy behind Trumps pardons. By issuing them early in his presidency, Trump could be signaling to allies mixed up with the law that loyalty will win them a pardon, too. At least, thats what Roger Stone thinks.

Heres everyone Trump has pardoned, so far:

Joe Arpaio

The longtime sheriff of Maricopa County and racist right-wing superhero was convicted for defying court orders after Trumps own Justice Department prosecuted him in the summer of 2017. But Arpaio, perhaps the only birther more committed than Trump, was a loyal Trump campaign surrogate who shares the presidents zeal for rounding up bad hombres. In the August of 2017, he became the first person pardoned by Trump and the first person ever pardoned by tweet.

I am pleased to inform you that I have just granted a full Pardon to 85 year old American patriot Sheriff Joe Arpaio. He kept Arizona safe!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 26, 2017

Kristian Saucier

The sailor served 12 months after he pleaded guilty to photographing elements of the U.S.S. Alexandrias nuclear propulsion system. Sauciers lawyers argued in his August 2016 sentencing that the sailor was being treated worse than Hillary Clinton, who was in the news at the time for her use of a private email server. Trump caught wind of this and made frequent use of Sauciers story on the campaign trail. Sarah Sanders explained that Trump pardoned the sailor because he was appreciative of Mr. Sauciers service to the country.

Lewis Scooter Libby

Dick Cheneys former chief of staff was convicted in 2007 of revealing the identity of Valerie Plame, an undercover CIA officer whose husband had annoyed the Bush administration. Then Libby lied about it. President George W. Bush commuted Libbys sentence, but a pardon would not arrive until Trump took office. Its still not clear why Trump pardoned Libby.

Jack Johnson

Johnsons is the one name on this list thats not like the others. The first black heavyweight champion, Johnson was convicted of violating the Mann Act for transporting his white girlfriend across state lines for immoral purposes. Though he died in 1946, Jacksons cause drew the attention of a handful of celebrities, including Sylvester Stallone, who brought it to Trumps attention.

Dinesh DSouza

A political commentator and maker of over-the-top political films, DSouza pleaded guilty to violating campaign-finance law in 2014. He was sentenced to five years of probation and a $30,000 fine. In May of 2018, Trump granted him a pardon, and a couple of months later, Donald Trump Jr. was alongside DSouza at the premiere of his latest movie, Death of a Nation.

Dwight and Steven Hammond

This father-and-son duo was convicted in 2012 of setting fires to federal lands. The judge who first sentenced them gave them a break on the mandatory five-year sentence, but the Obama administration fought back and won. The Hammonds quickly achieved right-wing folk-hero status, with their imprisonment cited by another anti-government clan, the Bundys, who occupied an Oregon wildlife refuge in 2016. In a statement at the time of the pardon, the Trump administration called the governments treatment of the Hammonds unjust.

Michael Behenna

Earlier this month, Trump granted a pardon to former Army First Lieutenant Michael Behenna, who was convicted of unpremeditated murder in the killing of an Iraqi man. Behenna has claimed that he acted in self-defense and claimed that prosecutors withheld evidence from his defense attorneys during his trail. In recent years, hes won many high-profile allies in his home state of Oklahoma, including former Governor Mary Fallin, Attorney General Mike Hunter, and members of Congress, who lobbied Trump on Behennas behalf. The ACLU called the pardon a presidential endorsement of a murder.

Conrad Black

In 2015, after hed served more than three years in prison on fraud and obstruction charges, billionaire businessman Conrad Black wrote an article for National Review that began with the sentence, It is time to look more seriously at the Donald Trump presidential candidacy. Three and half years and one book later  last year, Black wrote Donald J. Trump: A President Like No Other  he was rewarded with a pardon from the man who he once partnered with to build Chicagos Trump Tower.

Patrick Nolan

The former Republican leader in the California General Assembly, Nolan last year called Jared Kushner a superstar, who in turn called Nolan his friend. The conservative activist, who served 29 months on federal racketeering charges, also criticized the Mueller probe last year. That was presumably enough to get Trumps attention.
MEXICO CITY, May 16 (Reuters) - A crime reporter has been shot and killed in the beach resort of Playa del Carmen on Mexico's Caribbean coast, authorities said on Thursday, the latest in a rising death toll of journalists under the government of President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador.

The body of Francisco Romero, a police reporter for newspaper "Quintana Roo, Hoy" and director of the local news website "Ocurrio Aqui" was found outside a bar in Playa del Carmen in the state of Quintana Roo, local prosecutors said.

"Ocurrio Aqui" also confirmed Romero's death.

State prosecutors said in a statement the motive for the killing was unclear and that investigations were continuing.

Romero had reported threats against him and recently posted a video saying he had been kidnapped, blindfolded and beaten by unidentified assailants.

Playa del Carmen is close to the popular resort of Cancun, and the area has been a focal point of turf wars between local gangs battling for control of criminal rackets.

According to a tally kept by Article 19, a free-speech advocacy group, Romero becomes the sixth journalist to be killed since Lopez Obrador took office at the start of December.

Article 19 said Romero was part of a government program designed to give at-risk reporters protection.

Lopez Obrador won election last July pledging to tackle rampant violence in Mexico, which suffered a record murder tally of nearly 29,000 last year. So far, however, killings are still rising and 2019 is on track to surpass the 2018 total. (Reporting by Lizbeth Diaz Editing by James Dalgleish)
Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Omega lambs and fitbit cows: New Zealand responds to alternative protein threat

At Dave Harper's family farm in New Zealand's scenic Canterbury region, a painstakingly bred flock of lambs is grazing, not on grass, but on a field of herbs selected to unlock healthy omega-3 fatty acids in the animals' meat. Known as 'Te Mana lambs', they are part of an effort by the island nation to future-proof its agricultural sector from the threat of meat and dairy substitutes based on synthetic proteins or plant-based alternatives.

North Carolina Attorney General sues Juul for targeting youth

North Carolina's Attorney General filed a lawsuit against Juul Labs Inc on Wednesday, piling more pressure on the biggest U.S. e-cigarette maker that is already under intense scrutiny for its products' usage among teenagers. Josh Stein, the first state attorney general to sue Juul, said the company's targeted marketing toward youth, while downplaying the potential harm its products can cause, resulted in an "epidemic" of vaping among minors.

Scientists in new push to control cancer before curing it

Cancer scientists in Britain are launching what they call the world's first "Darwinian" drug development program in a bid to get ahead of cancer's ability to become resistant to even the newest treatments and recur in many patients. While not abandoning the search for an ultimate cure, the "anti-evolution" project will re-focus on turning cancer into a disease controllable with drugs for many years.

'Hidden health crisis' of snakebites gets $100 million funding injection

A global health trust is to inject 80 million pounds ($102 million) into finding more modern and effective treatments for snakebites - a "hidden health crisis" that kills 120,000 people a year and maims thousands more. The project, launched by Britain's Wellcome Trust global health charity on Thursday, aims both to improve the world's supply of antivenoms - the only current treatment for snakebites - and to develop new and more effective drugs for the future.

Story continues

For some trauma doctors, clash with NRA proves therapeutic

A recent clash with the National Rifle Association (NRA) has shown some doctors who treat gunshot victims a way to heal their own trauma: through activism against gun violence. With rates of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) on par with that of Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans, trauma surgeons have found that speaking out helps them cope with the hopelessness and anger that come from seeing gunshot victims repeatedly wheeled into the trauma bay.

Republican Alabama governor mulling nation's strictest abortion law

Alabama Governor Kay Ivey on Wednesday was mulling whether to sign the United States' strictest abortion law, part of a multistate effort to get the U.S. Supreme Court to reconsider women's constitutional right to abortion. The state's Republican-controlled Senate on Tuesday passed a bill that would outlaw nearly all abortions, including in the cases of pregnancies that resulted from rape or incest, allowing exceptions only to protect the mother's health.

U.S. anti-abortion groups plot course from state capitals to Supreme Court

Anti-abortion advocacy groups have pushed hard in recent months for the passage of bills to restrict or even ban the procedure outright at the state level, inspired by the perception that the U.S. Supreme Court has tilted in their favor. Anti-abortion campaigners have been seeking to overturn a woman's constitutional right to an abortion ever since the U.S. Supreme Court found they had that right in the 1973 decision Roe v. Wade.

Pfizer's atopic dermatitis treatment meets goals in late-stage study

Pfizer Inc's new atopic dermatitis treatment met the main goals in a late-stage study that tested the drug in patients aged 12 and older with moderate to severe forms of the disease, the drugmaker said on Wednesday. Abrocitinib, which belongs to a class of drugs known as JAK inhibitors, which block inflammation-causing enzymes, known as Janus kinases, achieved statistically significant improvement in clearing the skin of patients as compared to placebo.

ACLU, Planned Parenthood file lawsuit challenging Ohio anti-abortion law

The American Civil Liberties Union, its Ohio branch and Planned Parenthood on Wednesday filed a lawsuit challenging an Ohio law that they say could ban abortion as early as six weeks into a woman's pregnancy. The law, which was passed by the Republican-controlled state legislature in April, bans abortions if doctors can detect a heartbeat, which can occur as early as six weeks into pregnancy.

Venezuela dialysis patients face uncertain fate after power cuts

Seconds before William Lopez was set to be connected to a dialysis machine at a state-run clinic in the western Venezuelan city of Maracaibo in April, the power went out. Missing dialysis treatment, which removes toxins that build up in the blood of people who suffer kidney failure, leaves Lopez feeling dizzy and nauseous. Like any chronic kidney patient, he could die if he goes too long without treatment.
Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Omega lambs and fitbit cows: New Zealand responds to alternative protein threat

At Dave Harper's family farm in New Zealand's scenic Canterbury region, a painstakingly bred flock of lambs is grazing, not on grass, but on a field of herbs selected to unlock healthy omega-3 fatty acids in the animals' meat. Known as 'Te Mana lambs', they are part of an effort by the island nation to future-proof its agricultural sector from the threat of meat and dairy substitutes based on synthetic proteins or plant-based alternatives.

North Carolina Attorney General sues Juul for targeting youth

North Carolina's Attorney General filed a lawsuit against Juul Labs Inc on Wednesday, piling more pressure on the biggest U.S. e-cigarette maker that is already under intense scrutiny for its products' usage among teenagers. Josh Stein, the first state attorney general to sue Juul, said the company's targeted marketing toward youth, while downplaying the potential harm its products can cause, resulted in an "epidemic" of vaping among minors.

Genus shares surge on deal to market gene-edited pigs in China

British livestock genetics firm Genus agreed on Thursday to license its know-how on virus-resistant pigs to Beijing Capital Agribusiness Co Ltd, which will seek regulatory approval for the pigs in the world's biggest pork market. Genus has a global patent for commercialisation of pigs genetically edited to resist Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS), also known as blue-ear disease, which causes billion-dollar losses for the global pig industry each year.

Scientists in new push to control cancer before curing it

Cancer scientists in Britain are launching what they call the world's first "Darwinian" drug development program in a bid to get ahead of cancer's ability to become resistant to even the newest treatments and recur in many patients. While not abandoning the search for an ultimate cure, the "anti-evolution" project will re-focus on turning cancer into a disease controllable with drugs for many years.

Story continues

'Hidden health crisis' of snakebites gets $100 million funding injection

A global health trust is to inject 80 million pounds ($102 million) into finding more modern and effective treatments for snakebites - a "hidden health crisis" that kills 120,000 people a year and maims thousands more. The project, launched by Britain's Wellcome Trust global health charity on Thursday, aims both to improve the world's supply of antivenoms - the only current treatment for snakebites - and to develop new and more effective drugs for the future.

For some trauma doctors, clash with NRA proves therapeutic

A recent clash with the National Rifle Association (NRA) has shown some doctors who treat gunshot victims a way to heal their own trauma: through activism against gun violence. With rates of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) on par with that of Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans, trauma surgeons have found that speaking out helps them cope with the hopelessness and anger that come from seeing gunshot victims repeatedly wheeled into the trauma bay.

Republican Alabama governor mulling nation's strictest abortion law

Alabama Governor Kay Ivey on Wednesday was mulling whether to sign the United States' strictest abortion law, part of a multistate effort to get the U.S. Supreme Court to reconsider women's constitutional right to abortion. The state's Republican-controlled Senate on Tuesday passed a bill that would outlaw nearly all abortions, including in the cases of pregnancies that resulted from rape or incest, allowing exceptions only to protect the mother's health.

U.S. anti-abortion groups plot course from state capitals to Supreme Court

Anti-abortion advocacy groups have pushed hard in recent months for the passage of bills to restrict or even ban the procedure outright at the state level, inspired by the perception that the U.S. Supreme Court has tilted in their favor. Anti-abortion campaigners have been seeking to overturn a woman's constitutional right to an abortion ever since the U.S. Supreme Court found they had that right in the 1973 decision Roe v. Wade.

Roche: FDA approves drug combo Venclexta plus Gazyva for previously untreated chronic lymphocytic leukemia

Roche said on Thursday that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration had approved a treatment using its drugs Venclexta plus Gazyva for people with previously untreated chronic lymphocytic leukemia. "Venclexta plus Gazyva is the only chemotherapy-free option of fixed duration that provides durable responses to help people live longer without progression of their disease, compared to a standard-of-care," Roche's Chief Medical Officer Sandra Horning said in a statement.

ACLU, Planned Parenthood file lawsuit challenging Ohio anti-abortion law

The American Civil Liberties Union, its Ohio branch and Planned Parenthood on Wednesday filed a lawsuit challenging an Ohio law that they say could ban abortion as early as six weeks into a woman's pregnancy. The law, which was passed by the Republican-controlled state legislature in April, bans abortions if doctors can detect a heartbeat, which can occur as early as six weeks into pregnancy.
Following is a summary of current science news briefs.

Brazil seeks China's OK for genetically modified sugarcane

Brazil's agriculture minister will ask Chinese officials on Thursday to greenlight exports to the Asian nation of sugar made from genetically modified (GM) sugarcane, which is expected to be widely used in Brazil in coming years. Minister Tereza Cristina Dias told Reuters in Beijing on Wednesday, on her first visit to Brazil's top buyer of farm goods, that she would raise the GMO issue during a visit to China's General Administration of Customs on Thursday.

High winds force SpaceX to postpone first launch of Starlink satellites

Billionaire Elon Musk's SpaceX postponed a planned Wednesday night blastoff of a Falcon 9 rocket carrying the first 60 satellites for his new Starlink internet service, citing excessive winds over the Florida launch site. Launch of the mission, aimed at placing the initial stage of Musk's space-based global internet network into low-Earth orbit, was rescheduled for 10:30 p.m. on Thursday (0230 GMT Friday) from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, SpaceX said.
Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

House Democrats to read Mueller report aloud in Capitol hearing room

Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives will read aloud on Thursday the redacted version of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's 448-page assessment of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. Representative Mary Gay Scanlon, one of the top Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee, will, along with nearly two dozen of her colleagues, begin reading the Mueller report at 12 p.m. (1700 GMT) in a Capitol hearing room.

New York City Mayor de Blasio to announce bid for Democratic presidential nomination

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, an unapologetically progressive Democrat who has been a frequent critic of the Trump administration's policies, has decided to go after the president's job. De Blasio, 57, will announce his candidacy for president on Thursday, a campaign spokeswoman confirmed, after months of speculation that he would add his name to a growing list of Democrats eager to take on President Donald Trump in 2020.

Georgetown to expel two students over U.S. college admissions bribery scandal

Georgetown University said on Wednesday it plans to expel two students in connection with the sweeping U.S. college admissions bribery scandal. The expulsions were announced several hours after one of the students, Adam Semprevivo, sued Georgetown over his treatment, including its refusal to let him transfer to another school and keep his academic credits.

Republican Alabama governor mulling nation's strictest abortion law

Alabama Governor Kay Ivey on Wednesday was mulling whether to sign the United States' strictest abortion law, part of a multistate effort to get the U.S. Supreme Court to reconsider women's constitutional right to abortion. The state's Republican-controlled Senate on Tuesday passed a bill that would outlaw nearly all abortions, including in the cases of pregnancies that resulted from rape or incest, allowing exceptions only to protect the mother's health.

Story continues

Trump administration opens up Minnesota wilderness area to copper mining

The U.S. Interior Department on Wednesday renewed two long-mothballed leases near the Boundary Waters Wilderness area in Minnesota, a key step in opening up the popular wilderness and recreation area to copper mining despite heavy opposition from local and national conservation groups. The department's Bureau of Land Management granted the hardrock mineral leases inside the Superior National Forest to Twin Metals Minnesota LLC, a subsidiary of Chile's Antofagasta, with the aim of expanding domestic mining of "critical minerals" used in common appliances and products, saying it is beneficial to national security because it reduces foreign imports.

Democrat Warren targets Pentagon contractors, calls industry corrupt

U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren, a Democrat seeking her party's presidential nomination, on Thursday called for new rules governing Pentagon contractors, saying the industry has become too close to Defense Department officials. Warren wants to limit the ability of former Pentagon officials to work for contractors or foreign governments and to make public the documents of private companies working with the Defense Department, she outlined on Thursday in post on Medium.

U.S. Democratic hopeful Inslee unveils second climate change plan

Washington Governor Jay Inslee, a 2020 Democratic presidential contender whose campaign is focused on climate change, unveiled a plan to invest $9 trillion in 10 years in modern manufacturing and green infrastructure to "revitalize America's economy for the 21st century." This is the second plank of Inslee's broader "Climate Mission" agenda, which sets a goal of achieving 100 percent zero-emission electricity by 2035.

Tennessee to execute man convicted for wife's murder three decades ago

A 68-year-old man who was convicted three decades ago of suffocating his wife with a large plastic garbage bag, a crime he blamed on an inmate on work release, is scheduled to be executed on Thursday in Tennessee. Donnie Johnson is set to be put to death by lethal injection at 7 p.m. (0000 GMT) at the Riverbend Maximum Security Institution in Nashville.

Helicopter crashes into Hudson River in New York, injuring two

A helicopter crashed into the Hudson River in New York City on Wednesday shortly after taking off from Manhattan, causing minor injuries to the pilot and a dockworker, police and fire officials said. Dramatic video footage of the incident shot by witnesses and posted on social media showed the helicopter spinning seemingly out of control over the Hudson near 30th Street, before plummeting into the water.

PG&E lines blamed for deadliest wildfire in California history

State fire investigators have formally determined that Pacific Gas & Electric Co transmission lines caused the deadliest and most destructive wildfire on record in California, a blaze that killed 85 people last year, officials said on Wednesday. The wind-driven blaze, dubbed the Camp Fire, erupted in the drought-parched Sierra foothills 175 miles (280 km) north of San Francisco in November 2018 and raced with little warning through the town of Paradise, incinerating much of that community.
Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

Georgetown to expel two students over U.S. college admissions bribery scandal

Georgetown University said on Wednesday it plans to expel two students in connection with the sweeping U.S. college admissions bribery scandal. The expulsions were announced several hours after one of the students, Adam Semprevivo, sued Georgetown over his treatment, including its refusal to let him transfer to another school and keep his academic credits.

U.S. farmers receive $8.52 billion in aid to date, USDA says

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has to date paid out $8.52 billion in direct payments to American farmers as part of the 2018 aid program, designed to offset losses from trade tariffs by China and other trading partners, a spokesman for the agency said. U.S. President Donald Trump last year pledged up to $12 billion in aid to farmers, a key constituency, to help offset losses due to Chinese tariffs imposed in response to Washington's levies on Chinese goods.

For some trauma doctors, clash with NRA proves therapeutic

A recent clash with the National Rifle Association (NRA) has shown some doctors who treat gunshot victims a way to heal their own trauma: through activism against gun violence. With rates of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) on par with that of Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans, trauma surgeons have found that speaking out helps them cope with the hopelessness and anger that come from seeing gunshot victims repeatedly wheeled into the trauma bay.

Republican Alabama governor mulling nation's strictest abortion law

Alabama Governor Kay Ivey on Wednesday was mulling whether to sign the United States' strictest abortion law, part of a multistate effort to get the U.S. Supreme Court to reconsider women's constitutional right to abortion. The state's Republican-controlled Senate on Tuesday passed a bill that would outlaw nearly all abortions, including in the cases of pregnancies that resulted from rape or incest, allowing exceptions only to protect the mother's health.

Story continues

Trump administration opens up Minnesota wilderness area to copper mining

The U.S. Interior Department on Wednesday renewed two long-mothballed leases near the Boundary Waters Wilderness area in Minnesota, a key step in opening up the popular wilderness and recreation area to copper mining despite heavy opposition from local and national conservation groups. The department's Bureau of Land Management granted the hardrock mineral leases inside the Superior National Forest to Twin Metals Minnesota LLC, a subsidiary of Chile's Antofagasta, with the aim of expanding domestic mining of "critical minerals" used in common appliances and products, saying it is beneficial to national security because it reduces foreign imports.

ACLU, Planned Parenthood file lawsuit challenging Ohio anti-abortion law

The American Civil Liberties Union, its Ohio branch and Planned Parenthood on Wednesday filed a lawsuit challenging an Ohio law that they say could ban abortion as early as six weeks into a woman's pregnancy. The law, which was passed by the Republican-controlled state legislature in April, bans abortions if doctors can detect a heartbeat, which can occur as early as six weeks into pregnancy.

New York medical examiner testifies chokehold led to Eric Garner's death

The New York City medical examiner who conducted an autopsy on an unarmed black man who was killed during a 2014 arrest said at a hearing on Wednesday that a police officer's chokehold set off a "lethal cascade" of events that ended in the man's death. Cellphone videos taken by bystanders show Officer Daniel Pantaleo putting his arm around the neck of Eric Garner to subdue and arrest him on suspicion of selling loose cigarettes on a sidewalk of the city's Staten Island borough.

Teen suspects in Colorado school shooting formally charged; case sealed

Two teenagers accused of fatally shooting a classmate and wounding eight others at a Denver-area high school last week were charged with murder and attempted murder on Wednesday. Devon Erickson, 18, and Alec McKinney, 16, are accused of opening fire on fellow students in two classrooms at the Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) charter school in Highlands Ranch, Colorado, on May 7. McKinney, who identifies as male, was listed on the court docket as Maya Elizabeth McKinney.

Helicopter crashes into Hudson River in New York, injuring two

A helicopter crashed into the Hudson River in New York City on Wednesday shortly after taking off from Manhattan, causing minor injuries to the pilot and a dockworker, police and fire officials said. Dramatic video footage of the incident shot by witnesses and posted on social media showed the helicopter spinning seemingly out of control over the Hudson near 30th Street, before plummeting into the water.

U.S. plans to send transportation security staff to U.S.-Mexico border

The Trump administration plans to redirect Transportation Security Administration staff to the U.S. southern border to assist with immigration duties and migrant flows, the TSA said on Wednesday. A TSA spokesman said the agency was looking for volunteers to support efforts at the U.S. border with Mexico, where the government has said it is grappling with record numbers of people.
Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Migrants sleep on ground, rig awnings at Texas Border Patrol station

Reuters photos taken on Wednesday show adults and children outside the U.S. Border Patrol station for migrants in McAllen, Texas, sleeping on the ground and rigging up makeshift awnings with reflective blankets to shelter from the sun. The photos, taken from a helicopter, also show people sleeping in a shaded area of a parking lot and crowded around a military tent.

Iran plans no changes to nuclear centrifuges, IAEA ties: spokesman

Iran has no plans to launch centrifuge machines able to enrich uranium at higher capacity or to alter its relations with the U.N. nuclear watchdog, the spokesman for its civilian nuclear agency was quoted as saying on Thursday. Last week, Iran notified China, France, Germany, Russia and Britain that would scale back some commitments under its 2015 nuclear deal, a year after the United States withdrew from the pact and reimposed sanctions on Tehran.

Exclusive: Tanker unloads Iranian fuel oil at China port after near five-month trek - data

A tanker carrying Iranian fuel oil in violation of U.S. sanctions has unloaded the cargo into storage tanks near the Chinese city of Zhoushan, according to ship tracking data on Refinitiv Eikon. The discharging of the nearly 130,000 tonnes of Iranian fuel oil onboard the tanker, the Marshal Z, confirmed by a representative of the oil storage terminal, marks the end of an odyssey for the cargo that began four months ago.

Merkel unavailable for political office after chancellorship

Germany's Angela Merkel said on Thursday she would be unavailable for any further political office after serving out her fourth term as chancellor, dismissing speculation that she could take a big European Union job in Brussels. "I am not available for any further political office, regardless of where it is - including in Europe," Merkel told a joint news conference with Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte.

Story continues

Italy coalition aims to heal its wounds after bitter EU vote race

Italy's ruling parties intend to relaunch their coalition after next week's European elections, sources from both parties say, but it may not be easy after attacking each other for weeks during a bitter campaign. Tensions between the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement and the right-wing League were expected ahead of the May 26 ballot, as the traditional rivals which formed a government last June compete with each other for votes and coalition dominance.

China formally arrests two Canadians on state secrets charges

Chinese authorities have formally arrested on state secrets charges two Canadians detained last year, the government said on Thursday, drawing condemnation from Canada in a case that is likely to further increase tension between Ottawa and Beijing. Businessman Michael Spavor, who worked with North Korea, and former diplomat Michael Kovrig were picked up separately in December, shortly after Canada arrested Huawei Technologies Co Ltd Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou, who faces extradition to the United States.

Australia's 'larrikin' former prime minister Bob Hawke dies at 89

Bob Hawke, a transformative and charismatic left-wing lawmaker with a "larrikin' streak who served as Australian prime minister from 1983 to 1991, died on Thursday aged 89, his family said. "Today we lost Bob Hawke, a great Australian  many would say the greatest Australian of the post-war era," his wife and former biographer Blanche dAlpuget said in a statement.

Factbox: Party time - EU election line-ups

EU citizens will elect a new European Parliament next week. National parties line up in pan-EU groups. These could change after the vote, but in the outgoing legislature the eight groups are: EUROPEAN PEOPLE'S PARTY (EPP - 217 seats)

Hardliners target Iran's president as U.S. pressure grows

Growing U.S. pressure on Iran has weakened pragmatic President Hassan Rouhani and made his hardline rivals more assertive at home and abroad, recent developments show. When he succeeded firebrand leader Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in 2013, Rouhani was seen as an establishment figure who would do little to end Iran's long standoff with the West. Two years later, his administration signed the nuclear deal with six world powers that spurred hopes for wider political change.

UK government says it will introduce Brexit bill as soon as possible

The British government will introduce the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement Bill to parliament as soon as possible in order to give lawmakers time to scrutinize it, the leader of the House of Commons Andrea Leadsom said on Thursday. The government has said parliament will hold its first debate and vote on the bill, which will enact Prime Minister Theresa May's Brexit deal, in the week beginning June 3. The bill itself could be published as soon as next week however.
Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

We are on cusp of full-scale confrontation with enemy: Iranian Guards commander

The commander of Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards said on Wednesday: "We are on the cusp of a full-scale confrontation with the enemy," the Fars news agency reported. Major General Hossein Salami, named head of the force last month, added: "This moment in history, because the enemy has stepped into the field of confrontation with us with all the possible capacity, is the most decisive moment of the Islamic revolution."

Migrants sleep on ground, rig awnings at Texas Border Patrol station

Reuters photos taken on Wednesday show adults and children outside the U.S. Border Patrol station for migrants in McAllen, Texas, sleeping on the ground and rigging up makeshift awnings with reflective blankets to shelter from the sun. The photos, taken from a helicopter, also show people sleeping in a shaded area of a parking lot and crowded around a military tent.

UAE says it will show restraint after tanker attacks, Iran's behavior a concern

The United Arab Emirates will show restraint after attacks on oil tankers off its coast and is committed to de-escalation during a "difficult situation" caused by Iranian behavior in the region, a senior official said on Wednesday. Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash said he would not speculate about who was behind Sunday's sabotage acts on four vessels, including two Saudi tankers, near Fujairah emirate while an investigation was under way and due to be completed within days.

Iran halts some commitments under nuclear deal

Iran has officially stopped some commitments under a 2015 nuclear deal with world powers following an order from its national security council, an informed official in the country's atomic energy body told the ISNA news agency on Wednesday. Last week, Iran notified China, France, Germany, Russia and the United Kingdom of its decision to halt some commitments under the nuclear deal, a year after the United States unilaterally withdrew from the accord and re-imposed sanctions.

Story continues

U.S. House members criticize Turkey over Russia ties

Senior Democrats and Republicans in the House of Representatives called on Turkey on Wednesday to cancel its planned acquisition of a Russian S-400 missile defense system, the latest effort by U.S. lawmakers to discourage Ankara from pursuing the deal. They introduced a resolution urging Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan to avoid a military relationship with Russia that could jeopardize the U.S.-Turkey partnership and Turkey's role in NATO.

Venezuela opposition, government leaders travel to Norway for possible talks

Representatives of Venezuela's government and the opposition have traveled to Norway to discuss potential options following a failed uprising against President Nicolas Maduro, according to four opposition sources familiar with the situation. The trips suggests the two sides may be seeking a fresh approach after the repeated failure of dialog between the opposition and the ruling Socialist Party amid a steadily escalating political crisis.

Iran exercising 'maximum restraint' despite U.S. withdrawal from nuclear deal: Zarif

Iran remains committed to its obligations under a multilateral nuclear deal despite the United States' withdrawal from the landmark agreement last year, its foreign minister said on Thursday, calling the U.S. escalation of sanctions "unacceptable." "We exercise maximum restraint in spite of the fact the United States withdrew from JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action) last May," Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif told his Japanese counterpart, Taro Kono, at the start of their meeting in Tokyo. JCPOA is commonly referred to as the Iran nuclear deal.

Rebels hope to kill off May's Brexit deal in 'last-chance' vote

Brexit-supporting rebels in British Prime Minister Theresa May's Conservative Party said on Wednesday they would vote down her European Union divorce deal when she brings it back to parliament next month. Britain had been due to leave the EU on March 29 but parliament has three times rejected the withdrawal agreement May struck with Brussels. The United Kingdom is now scheduled to leave, with or without a deal to smooth the exit, by Oct. 31.

U.S.-backed forces crack down on Islamic State fighters in Syria's Deir al Zor

U.S.-backed Kurdish-led forces said on Wednesday they had begun a campaign against "terrorists" linked to Islamic State in a strategic town in the oil rich eastern province of Deir al Zor that residents and witnesses say has been at the center of protests opposing the rule of U.S.-supported militia. Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) spearheaded by the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia said it had so far arrested 20 militants and confiscated weapons in the security sweep in the vicinity of the town of Shuhail on the eastern bank of the Euphrates River and its outlying desert region.

Fighting grips Yemen's Hodeidah port, complicating peace moves

Houthi fighters and Saudi-backed pro-government forces battled in Yemen's port city of Hodeidah on Wednesday, breaching a ceasefire and potentially complicating a troop withdrawal agreement intended to pave the way for wider peace talks. The Houthis began withdrawing from three ports on Saturday, including Hodeidah port - a lifeline for millions of Yemenis threatened by starvation because of the four-year war, as it is the main entry point for food imports and humanitarian aid.
INDIANAPOLIS (AP)  McLaren had another miserable day preparing for the Indianapolis 500 as the team worked tirelessly in a failed effort to get Fernando Alonso on the track Thursday for practice.

Alonso crashed early Wednesday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and McLaren has frantically been trying to piece together its spare care to get back on the 2.5-mile oval. The team worked until 2 a.m. on the car and literally spent all of Day 3 at the track patching together a new Indy car for the former Formula One champion.

"It's definitely slow going," said McLaren head Zak Brown. "We had to borrow pieces from the one car and move them to the other car, bring in bits from an outside location, change the engine. It's been a lot of work. We're just trying to get it done right, put some extra TLC in it and make sure it is ready to go."

McLaren is back at the Indy 500 for the first time since the 1970s and the first three days have been a mess. The team was slowed by electrical problems, Alonso's first career crash on an oval, then needed an entire day to rebuild the car. When the team felt it was close to getting back on the track for the final hour Thursday, heavy rain brought the session to an early end.

Chip Ganassi Racing didn't have the same problems getting Felix Rosenqvist back out following his crash some 18 hours earlier. The team had its spare car in its nearby shop and its sports car personnel to assist in preparations.

McLaren, Brown noted, is a Formula One team that has undertaken an enormous task in trying to make the Indianapolis 500 as an independent team. Although McLaren has a technical alliance with Carlin, the small McLaren crew of mechanics and engineers are on their own and stretched for time.

Brown is trying to take McLaren fulltime racing in the IndyCar Series and it will be an embarrassing blow if Alonso, one of 36 drivers vying for 33 spots in the May 26 race, fails to qualify.

Story continues

"I've seen lots of drama here before, and I don't want any drama," Brown said. "The speed in the car (Wednesday) seemed to be OK, Fernando will get right back up to speed, he's not fazed, so I think we are just trying to put together a car that is ready to go and ready to perform."

With nothing to do in the car, Alonso had time to spend with seven-time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson, who arrived Thursday morning for his first visit to IMS during 500 activities. Alonso and Johnson last November swapped cars and have developed a friendship, and Johnson has experience crashing  and winning  at Indy. Johnson is a four-time winner of the Brickyard 400.

"For as many problems as the team has had, Fernando seemed to be fine," Johnson said. "He seemed to be really relaxed and not too concerned."

It was a busy day for Johnson, who was recognized up and down pit lane and ran out of time before he could visit with all his friends who compete in the series. Johnson grew up an IndyCar fan but his career path took him to NASCAR. Asked if he'd ever race in an Indy car, Johnson said perhaps a road course but "this place is probably never going to happen for me."

Patricio O'Ward was the third driver to crash so far in practice when the rookie spun and hit hard into the wall. His car nearly went airborne but only tilted and then teetered on one wheel before settled back onto the track surface.

"There's two kinds of people at IMS, the ones who are going to hit the wall and the guys who have hit the wall. I hit hard," the Mexican rookie said. "My hands are bit sore but the good thing is we are OK and it just looks like I just lost it, I guess."

O'Ward will be in a backup Friday, when engine makers are permitted to give a horsepower boost for qualifying. Chevrolet has been the dominant team on the speed chart and it was Ed Jones for Ed Carpenter Racing on top Thursday with a lap at 227.843 mph.

Honda hasn't lagged too far behind and Sebastien Bourdais for Dale Coyne Racing with Vasser/Sullivan has been a pleasant surprise and fast through three days. He was fourth overall Thursday trailing Honda drivers Takuma Sato and Zach Veach, while rookie Colton Herta was fifth as he's continued to find speed around Indy.

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More AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/apf-AutoRacing and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
Trumps social media guru, Dan Scavino. Photo: Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post/Getty Images

Politico published a profile of Dan Scavino, Donald Trumps social media guy, on Thursday that included all the usual nonsense weve become inured to in the past two years. Like the fact that Scavino, whos one of Trumps closest confidants, is a lurker on /r/The_Donald.

But theres one revelation in the piece thats actually worth dwelling on  Trump apparently uses social media metrics to influence policy. And Scavino is the guy who helps him do it.

The articles opening anecdote shows how this plays out. Trump was meeting with lawmakers after he announced that the U.S. would pull out of Syria. Like his former Defense Secretary, who quit over the decision, the members of Congress were trying to convince Trump to change his mind. But Trump was more interested in how the decision was playing on Twitter than on Capitol Hill or at the Pentagon. So he called Scavino into the meeting:

Tell them how popular my policy is, Trump instructed Scavino, who, according to two people with knowledge of the exchange, proceeded to walk lawmakers through the positive reaction he had picked up on social media about Trumps Syria decision.

The sudden pivot from geostrategy to retweets and likes surprised the lawmakers.

The article adds that Trump relies on Scavino for affirmation and advice about how his most sensitive policies will be received. Forget Congress, forget the Defense Secretary, forget the top American general in the Middle East  if the #MAGA crowd likes it, then so does Trump.
By Luis Valentin Ortiz

SAN JUAN, May 16 (Reuters) - Puerto Ricos federally appointed oversight board will file another round of lawsuits against government vendors and bondholders, Luc Despins, a lawyer representing unsecured creditors in the U.S. commonwealth's bankruptcy, said on Thursday.

U.S. District Judge Laura Taylor Swain, who is hearing Puerto Rico's attempt to restructure about $120 billion of debt and pension obligations through a form of bankruptcy, approved on Thursday a stipulation between the board and an unsecured creditors committee allowing them to jointly pursue litigation ahead of a Monday deadline to file claims.

The board recently filed a flurry of lawsuits seeking to recoup payments made to government vendors and owners of the island's general obligation bonds.

The new litigation will target Puerto Rico's Employees Retirement System (ERS) and Highways & Transportation Authority (HTA), which filed separate bankruptcy cases. In addition to going after vendors, the lawsuits will seek to invalidate liens claimed by bondholders over those entities' revenues, Despins said during Thursday's court hearing. Bond insurers objected to the move.

Prior to defaulting on ERS and HTA debt, Puerto Rico used employer contributions made by government agencies and public entities to pay pension bonds, while toll revenues and other license fees covered HTA debt.

Actions to recoup debt services payments will be filed against owners of pension bonds issued by the commonwealth and not against bondholders of highways authority debt, according to Despins.

With a two-year statute of limitations ending for ERS and HTA on Monday, Swain noted: The litigation must commence within the next few days.

In her ruling, the judge also took into account a new July 15 deadline set earlier this month by a U.S. appeals court for the seven-member oversight board to be reappointed by President Donald Trump and confirmed by the U.S. Senate.

Swain said the oversight boards future status "remains in question" and added that in the face of that uncertainty, it would imprudent to deny the stipulation.

The appeals court handed some of the island's creditors a win in February, ruling that the board members' appointments were unconstitutional. (Reporting by Luis Valentin Ortiz in San Juan; Additional reporting by Karen Pierog in Chicago; Editing by Peter Cooney)
United Nations (United States) (AFP) - Russia on Thursday presented a draft resolution to the Security Council accusing the UN's chemical weapons watchdog, the OPCW, of politicization just before a new probe begins of chemical attacks in Syria.

The draft text, seen by AFP, states that the Council -- where Russia holds veto power -- is the only international body that can impose measures on countries that violate the Chemical Weapons Convention.

The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) agreed last year to set up a mechanism that would identify the perpetrators of chemical attacks, a move bitterly opposed by Russia and Syria.

The proposed resolution notes "with concern the continuing politicization of the work of the OPCW and growing deviation from the established practice of taking consensus-based decisions."

UN diplomats said the Russian proposal was aimed at keeping the OPCW in check as it pushes ahead with the investigation to uncover those behind chemical weapons use in Syria.

"What it's really about of course is the Russians trying to strangle OPCW," said a diplomat, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The West pushed through the new blaming powers after OPCW reports confirmed chemical weapons use in Syria, as well as a nerve agent attack on Russian former double agent Sergei Skripal in the English city of Salisbury in March 2018.

"The Russian rationale is to weaken the OPCW and the Chemical Weapons Convention, with an eye on Syria but also Salisbury," said another diplomat.

It remained unclear when the draft resolution would be put to a vote. UN resolutions require nine votes and no vetoes to be adopted in the council.

The proposed resolution is backed by China, diplomats said.

"This looks like a desperate bid to prevent further confirmation that the Syrian government, like ISIS, repeatedly used chemical weapons in violation of international law," said Louis Charbonneau, UN director for Human Rights Watch.

Story continues

The Russian mission to the United Nations did not immediately respond to an AFP request for comment.

- Identifying those responsible -

OPCW chief Fernando Arias said in March that the new investigation of chemical attacks in Syria would begin in the coming weeks.

Western countries are calling on the team to start work on identifying the culprits behind a deadly attack in the Syrian town of Douma in April 2018.

The United States, Britain and France launched a one-off missile strike on Syria in April last year in response to the use of chemical weapons in Douma.

The OPCW said in a report that chlorine was likely used in that attack, which killed more than 40 people, but Russia and Syria have rejected those findings.

The report did not specify who was behind the Douma attack as it was not in the OPCW's mandate at the time.

In 2015, the council unanimously agreed to establish the OPCW-UN joint investigative mechanism (JIM) to identify those responsible for chemical attacks in Syria.

But in late 2017, Russia vetoed a bid to renew the mandate of the JIM after the panel blamed the Syrian government for chlorine attacks and for using sarin in a deadly assault on the town of Khan Sheikhun that same year.

Russia has used its veto 12 times at the council to shield its Syrian ally from international action.
Sochi (Russia) (AFP) - Plans for a new cathedral in Russia have been suspended after several days of clashes between police and protesters, the local mayor said Thursday just hours after President Vladimir Putin said opponents of the project should be heard.

Thousands of people in the Urals city of Yekaterinburg protested this week against Orthodox Church plans to recreate a pre-Soviet cathedral in a popular central park.

"Today, we have suspended work," Alexandre Vyssokinski said, according to the TASS news agency.

The authorities will canvass local opinion so as to determine the project's future, he added.

Earlier Thursday, Putin said that "if people are against it, that opinion must be respected."

He also suggested -- as promised by Vyssokinski -- that there should be "a survey, and the minority should concede to the majority."

Putin's comments were unusual in that over almost two decades in power, the president has brooked little dissent, overseeing crackdowns on public protest and the opposition.

"Steps need to be taken from both sides to resolve this issue from the point of view of people who live there," he said.

Dozens of people have been arrested over the clashes at the construction site in Yekaterinburg, some 1,000 miles (1,700 kilometres) east of Moscow.

Local authorities have backed the project, and the oligarch head of one of Russia's largest copper producers has also offered financial support.

"Usually, people ask for a cathedral to be built," Putin said.

"Cathedrals should unite, not divide people," he added.

The row has exposed tensions over the growing authority of the Orthodox Church in Russia.

Presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov had earlier decried "provocations" and "false information" in relation to the cathedral, praising the actions of law enforcement in the dispute.
May 16 (Reuters) - San Francisco-based cloud software company Salesforce.com Inc on Thursday said it was joining a White House initiative to provide training for new skills to U.S. workers.

The company, which makes Internet-based software used by the sales and marketing departments of businesses, said it would provide online training for up to 500,000 workers to get jobs that involve Salesforce's software systems. The company did not say how much money it planned to dedicate to the effort.

The White House's "Pledge to America's Workers" initiative was launched last year, with more than 200 companies participating in the program.

Salesforce said that Chief Executive Officer Marc Benioff planned to announce the news at an event with Ivanka Trump in Indiana, where Salesforce has nearly 2,000 employees.

Benioff, who last year bought Time magazine, is known for his support for progressive policies. Last year, he broke with fellow technology billionaires to support a tax increase on large businesses in San Francisco to raise funding to address homelessness in the city. San Francisco voters approved the tax.

Salesforce faced criticism from a Texas immigrant rights group last year because it provides software to the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol. Benioff publicly responded that the company's philanthropic arm had donated more than $1 million to groups helping migrant families at the U.S.-Mexico border. (Reporting by Stephen Nellis in San Francisco; Editing by Shreejay Sinha)
As spotted by Engadget, a report by South Korean news outlet Yonhap News describes how Samsung is fixing the biggest problems with the flexible Galaxy Fold.

On Wednesday, Yonhap News reported on how Samsung is currently modifying the Samsung Galaxy design according to an industry official.

The two biggest issues with the device according to a slew of reviewers and journalists who tested out the device pre-release were that dust and debris could find their way under the display via the hinge and that the protective display cover resembled a removable film that users would accidentally peel off thus ruining their phones in the process.

The report suggests that instead of the protective screen not spanning to the end of the bezel, it will be stretched into the body of the device so that it cannot be peeled off.

As for the hinge, the gaps at the top and bottom which are not covered by the frame of the device will be shrunk to minimize the possibility of foreign substances getting trapped within.

Additionally, Samsung will issue stronger warnings about these particular issues.

While the device is expected to be launched in June, the release is tentative according to Yonhap's source because Samsung is believed to need "a new license for the product that compliments the problem in each country."
Avanoo recently received $4.5 million worth of Series A funding for its data analytics company.

San Francisco's data and analytics industry is raking in new investment, with 23 local companies raising money. New funding rounds were recently announced by data and analytics companies Avanoo, Kompyte. and Rollbar, according to company database Crunchbase.

Avanoo topped the city's recent funding headlines by announcing a $4.5 million Series A round on April 22.

According to its Crunchbase profile, "Avanoo helps employees adopt behaviors, mindsets and stories to improve culture and performance."

The six-year-old company also raised a $3.4 million seed round in 2015.

Next up, Kompyte. raised $3 million in funding, in a round announced on May 1 led by Caixa Capital Risc.

According to Crunchbase, "Kompyte is a competitive intelligence tool designed to respond in real-time to its users competitors' online strategies. It is designed to learn about its users competitors online strategies in real-time, and respond to them in an easy and affordable way. Kompyte's competitive intelligence software enables businesses to collect, organize, analyze and act on competitive changes in their market."

Founded in 2014, the company has raised three previous rounds, including a $276,024 round in 2017.

Meanwhile, Rollbar raised $1.5 million in debt financing funding, announced on April 29. The round was financed by Silicon Valley Bank.

From the company's Crunchbase profile, "Rollbar detects errors that happen in web applications and helps developers track and fix them. Features include alerts, a dashboard, a suite of analysis tools and an API. Officially supported languages include Ruby, Python, PHP and Node.js on the server-side, and Javascript, iOS and Android on the client side."

Rollbar last raised $2 million in Series A funding in 2017.

In total, San Francisco-based data and analytics companies have raised $305 million in venture funding over the past month, and $4.7 billion over the past year.

This story was created automatically using local investment data, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback.
Photo: Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post/Getty Images

The simplistic, paranoid interpretation of whats happening with Iran  wherein the U.S. is floating plans for an invasion and hyping intelligence of Iranian attacks  is that ultrahawkish aides are trying to manipulate their toddler president into war. Unfortunately, there is a lot of evidence suggesting this interpretation is correct.

The driving force is national security adviser John Bolton. During the Bush administration, Bolton sought without success to ramp up conflict with Iran. President Trump hired Bolton because he liked his tough-talking Fox News persona, but made him promise when he took the national security adviser job not to start any wars. Trump has repeatedly expressed his concern in private that Bolton is in fact trying to start wars, especially with Iran.

From Boltons point of view, the danger is that Trump will negotiate a new nuclear deal with Iran. Trump pulled out of the existing nuclear deal on the general principle that any deal negotiated by Barack Obama is bad and could be made better by renowned deal artist Donald Trump. The president has openly signaled his desire to negotiate with Iran. Trump could cut a slightly tweaked version of the old deal and declare the new, rebranded Iran nuclear agreement to be tough and effective, because Trump negotiated it. The NAFTA playbook, in other words. We just dont want them to have nuclear weapons, he has said. Thats all we want.

But thats definitely not all Bolton wants. The whole point of negating the Iran deal, for Bolton, was to force a confrontation on a wide array of Iranian behavior. His problem with the deal, aside from his hostility to negotiating deals in general, was that it stopped Irans nuclear program but let the regime maintain its political and conventional military influence. Bolton wants to broaden the terms of the conflict with Iran, which will inevitably lead to a war Bolton hopes can either cripple the regime or topple it altogether.

We can glimpse a refraction of Bolton manipulating Trump into carrying out his long-standing agenda through the arguments Boltons allies are making in public. The Wall Street Journal editorial page and Hugh Hewitt both make Boltons case (Hewitt lavishes praise on the NSA director, whose clarity and intelligence have long cowed his opponents inside the Beltway).

Their argument runs as follows: First, they remind Trump that the goal of pulling out of the Iran nuclear deal was to prevent Iran from acting aggressively in the region. Denying Iran the trade and money to finance this adventurism is a major reason Mr. Trump withdrew from the nuclear deal before Mr. Bolton was even in his current White House position, argues the Journal.

Second, they observe that Iran is now acting aggressively  that is, the scenario they were trying to prevent by pulling out of the Iran nuclear deal is now happening. Oddly, they do not conclude from this that their strategy failed. Instead, they take this as confirmation that they were right about Iran all along.

The Iran deal recapitalized the IRGCs expeditionary forces in Syria and its proxy war against Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, and now has led to attacks on Persian Gulf shipping, argues Hewitt, neatly skipping straight from Obamas deal to Irans recent response without bothering to note that very large step taken by Trump between these two events. The real story behind the current Mideast tension, reasons the Journal, is that Iran is acting out because Mr. Trumps policy of applying maximum pressure is working. Notice the Journal has described the goal of Trumps policy as denying Iran the money to finance adventurism, but now the existence of this adventurism somehow proves the policy is working. (You might wonder what would indicate failure.)

And third, they argue that Iran is to blame for all this. If Iran or its proxies react to this pressure by killing Americans, dont blame Mr. Trump. Blame the state sponsors of terrorism in Iran, argues the Journal. While Trump is no fan of long-term nation building projects, notes Hewitt, he is very much a proponent of hitting bad actors hard when they cross lines.

So the policy is leading to Iran lashing out with military force. This means, according to its advocates, the policy is succeeding. And when Iran attacks, Trump will have to hit back harder or be mocked as a wimp.

What they are describing is a strategy designed to push Trump away from negotiating and into a situation where military force is his only option. If it looks like Bolton is trying to foment war, its probably because he is.
SAO PAULO (AP)  The Interlagos track which hosts the Brazilian Grand Prix could soon be up for sale.

Sao Paulo city council approved a bill that allows the sale by a vote of 31-10 on Thursday.

Mayor Bruno Covas, who crafted the bill when he was a councillor, will have the final say on the issue.

Interlagos held its first Formula One race in 1972.

In 1978, the race moved to Rio de Janeiro's Jacarepagua autodrome, but it returned to Sao Paulo in 1990 and remained.

Sao Paulo council's decision comes after F1 owners said they could return to Rio after the Interlagos contract expires in 2020.

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has said Rio will have a new track for F1.

___

More AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/apf-AutoRacing and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
Actor Matthew Broderick and wife actress/ NYCB Board Vice Chair, Sarah Jessica Parker attends the New York City Ballet's 2017 Fall Fashion Gala. (Photo by Gilbert Carrasquillo/FilmMagic)

Sarah Jessica Parker has denied recent reports that her and her husband, Matthew Broderick, got into a public screaming match during their recent visit to London.

In a heartfelt post, the Sex and the City star shared a screenshot of an email from The National Enquirer, which seemingly depicts the publication asking Parkers publicist to comment on the claims.

Read more: Andy Cohen slams Kim Cattrall over scathing comments to Sarah Jessica Parker

In it, it is alleged that the pair erupted at each other over dinner, and their argument spilled out into the street. It also details how Parker supposedly confronted Broderick - who is currently appearing in Kenneth Lonergans The Starry Messenger on the West End - over how much time he is spending across the pond.

Parker hit back at the outlet specifically, asserting that this isnt the first time that it has tried to peddle the same untrue, disgraceful nonsense.

Just like clockwork, the 54-year-old began her damning caption. As usual, days ahead of our anniversary on May 19th, The National Enquirer is making its annual best effort to fabricate and undermine, this time a blissful 4 days with my husband in London.

She continued on to categorically state that there was no screaming match and that both herself and the couples children are enormously proud of the work Broderick is doing.

WESTWOOD, CA - OCTOBER 9: Actor Matthew Broderick and actress Sarah Jessica Parker attend "The Road to Wellville" Westwood Premiere on October 9, 1994 at Avco Centre Cinemas in Westwood, California. (Photo by Ron Galella, Ltd./WireImage)

Parker and Broderick first met in the early 1990s when the formers brother introduced her to the Ferris Buellers Day Off actor during their time with the Naked Angels theatre company.

They married in May 1997 and had their first child, a son named James, in October 2002. In June 2009, they welcomed twin daughters, Marion and Tabitha, via a surrogate.

Read more: Zac Efron says Ferris Bueller changed my life

Why not celebrate a marriage of 22 years and relationship of 27 years? Because despite your endless harassment and wasted ink, we are nearing 3 decades of love, commitment, respect, family and home.

Theres your scoop, Parked concluded.
DUBAI, May 16 (Reuters) - The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen carried out several air strikes on the capital, Sanaa, residents and Al Arabiya news channel said on Thursday.

The strikes targeted nine military sites in and around the city, the residents said. (Reporting by Asma Alsharif Editing by Paul Tait)
Riyadh (AFP) - Saudi Arabia has reopened a key oil pipeline, an official said Thursday, after it was shut down by drone attacks claimed by Iran-aligned Yemen rebels.

The official from state oil giant Aramco told AFP that the East West Pipeline "is fully operational".

Yemen's Huthi rebels had claimed responsibility Tuesday for twin drone strikes on the pipeline from the oil-rich Eastern Province to the Red Sea coast.

That came amid spiralling tensions between the United States and Iran after Washington sent a maritime strike group to the region and a series of mysterious sabotage attacks hit ships in the Gulf.

The pipeline, which can pump five million barrels of crude per day, provides a strategic alternative route for Saudi exports if the shipping lane from the Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz is closed.

Iran has repeatedly threatened to close the strait, a vital conduit for global oil supplies, in case of a military confrontation with the US.

Saudi Arabia's deputy defence minister Khalid bin Salman accused Iran of ordering the pipeline strikes, which he labelled "terrorist acts".

"The attack by the Iranian-backed Huthi militias against the two Aramco pumping stations proves that these militias are merely a tool that Iran's regime uses to implement its expansionist agenda in the region," he wrote on Twitter.

The Huthis said the attacks were to avenge Saudi actions in Yemen.

Riyadh and its allies intervened in the Arab world's most impoverished country in 2015 to bolster the government of President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi as the Huthis seized much of the country including the capital Sanaa.

Coalition-backed forces have retaken much of the south but the capital and most of the populous central highlands remain in rebel hands.

More than four years of conflict have triggered what the UN describes as the world's worst humanitarian crisis.

Over 24 million people, more than two-thirds of the population, are in need of aid.
Kiks CEO says the company has spent $5 million engaging with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) over what the regulator claims was an unregistered securities sale.

Kik, a messaging platform founded by Canadian entrepreneur Ted Livingston in 2010, raised $98 million in an initial coin offering (ICO) at the end of 2017 to support its kin cryptocurrency and ecosystem. The SEC later indicated the sale may have violated U.S. securities laws, and that SEC staff would recommend bringing an enforcement action against the company.

On Thursday, Livingston told CoinDesk at Token Summit in New York that this hasnt happened yet, but that both his firm and the regulator have been in talks since late 2017.

SEC Slaps Blockchain Author Alex Tapscott, Firm With Fines Over Securities Violations

Weve spent a lot of money on this, over $5 million, he told CoinDesk. Weve spent a lot of time on this, weve spent the last 18 months traveling to Washington.

In November 2018, the SEC filed a formal letter, known as a Wells notice. In Kiks response to the SEC, the company highlighted a clause in existing law that says currencies are not securities, a comment Livingston echoed Thursday.

Livingston maintains that kin is being used as a currency, adding:

In the last month alone, over a million people earned kin from 40 different apps, from 40 different companies. Over a quarter million people used kin, making it the most-used cryptocurrency in the world, and theyre not even willing to say thats not a security.

SEC Again Delays Decision on Bitwise Bitcoin ETF Approval

It just continues to drag out, he said.

While Livingston said he does not have any plans to sue the SEC for greater regulatory clarity, he did say the agency needs to provide clear guidance.

Enough is enough, youve been promising clarity for years now, somebody needs to go to court and get this settled, he said.

Livingston said he does want to work with the SEC, however.

Story continues

Addressing the securities regulator, he said:

We want to find a win-win with you, we understand the tough position youre in, but at the same time innovation needs to move forward.

Regulatory uncertainty may be holding back the U.S. cryptocurrency industry, Livingston and others have argued during Blockchain Week. Developers need to pause as they try to determine what regulatory agencies might think of a particular innovation or process, he said, which slows down work.

Indeed, many companies may be afraid of regulatory action, with only one no-action letter issued by the SEC to date.

Competition is another issue, Livingston said.

You have companies like Binance, who look at what Coinbase does and say, Well do that but well do it everywhere but the U.S.  and now Binance has replaced Coinbase as the top exchange in the world, he explained, adding:

We do not want to get Binanced.

Ted Livingston speaks at an event in New York, photo by Brady Dale for CoinDesk

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By Patricia Zengerle WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican and Democratic U.S. lawmakers on Wednesday revived an effort to provide visas to move to the United States for Afghans who worked for Americans during the long war in their country and are now stranded, their lives at risk due to that work. The bill would provide 4,000 Special Immigrant Visas (SIV) for the rest of the federal fiscal year ending on Sept. 30, and also try to address obstacles that have prevented Afghans from getting visas under previously passed legislation. National Public Radio (NPR) reported on May 1 that President Donald Trump's administration had cut by 60 percent the number of U.S. visas provided to Afghans who risked their lives assisting American forces. About 1,650 were approved in 2018, down from more than 4,000 in fiscal year 2017. Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen sponsored the bill with Republicans Thom Tillis, Roger Wicker and Cory Gardner and Democrats Jack Reed, Richard Blumenthal and Tim Kaine. Backers of the plan said Washington needs to protect Afghans who worked for U.S. forces in order to ensure local support. Army General Austin Miller, commander of the U.S. mission in Afghanistan, sent a letter to Shaheen backing the bill, calling the SIV program critical to success in Afghanistan. "If the program is not fully resourced, our credibility and the sacrifices made by thousands of Afghans in support of Americans and our Coalition partners could be undermined," Miller wrote. Shaheen was a lead sponsor of similar legislation passed in previous years, along with late Republican Senator John McCain, who was chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee. His widow, Cindy McCain, backed the bill, saying McCain would be pleased to know that the bipartisan measure continued his legacy. Backers said they felt the measure stood a good chance of passing, possibly as a provision of one of the larger must-pass spending bills Congress will consider later this year, despite Trump's efforts to tighten immigration, particularly from Muslim-majority countries. (Reporting by Patricia Zengerle; editing by Jonathan Oatis)
Dont let the New Age jargon keep you from understanding that Williamson is the most progressive of them all. Photo: Steven Ferdman/Getty Images

Shes not being taken seriously by the political professionals: One of her biggest problems so far is convincing pollsters to include her in candidate preference questions so she can display some popularity, if only for purposes of qualifying for debates. Shes often treated as a sort of New-Age accessory to Oprah Winfrey. And her one previous run for public office, an ill-fated indie run for Congress in California in 2014, is often mentioned as a sign that she has no actual potential following outside of a few celebrities from LaLa Land.

Bur Marianne Williamson deserves some serious attention, and not just because shes written four books that hit number one on the New York Times bestseller list. At a time when the leftward drift of the Democratic Party is regularly in the news, she is by any measure the most rigorously progressive candidate in the field of 23. That she wraps her progressivism in a syncretic spirituality instead of socialist materialism may even be an advantage for a politician in this God-haunted country of ours.

Pick an issue, and odds are Williamson is going to out-Bernie Bernie and out-Warren Warren. Shes for Medicare For All, unsurprisingly, but shes also for heavy investments in preventive medicine and nutritional education, and a pretty heavy regulatory arm on those she feels are poisoning our bodies, including those who produce high-fructose corn syrup and hydrogenated fats. So far as I can tell, shes the only candidate committed to reducing national stress levels, too.

Williamson goes well beyond the Green New Deal in addressing climate change:

Our urgent goal is not just to hold temperature increases as close as possible to where they are now, but instead to reverse global warming back to more long-term sustainable levels. The current Paris Accords dont go far enough.

The United States and world must take unprecedented action between now and 2030 to actually bring the carbon we put in the atmosphere back into the earth where it came from  to reforest, transform our dirt back to soil on our farms, restore wetlands, peatlands, and increase phytoplankton and fisheries  among other critical measures.

She isnt just for criminal justice reform: Shes for an official national policy of encouraging the maximum feasible release of prisoners and a shift from punishment to rehabilitation:

What we need to do next is to examine the prison population we have, and undertake a concerted, national discourse on how to free our people. Being that the vast majority of prisoners are locked up in state and local prisons, we need a populist movement in each individual state to release as many prisoners as possible  and to prepare them for their freedom at the same time. There is no issue where the bully pulpit of the White House is more necessary.

Williamson is the only candidate who is flatly for a tangible program of monetary reparations for the descendants of slaves:

What I have proposed is $200 to $500 billion  I think anything less than $100 billion is an insult, Williamson, an author and activist, told Hill.tvs Krystal Ball and Buck Sexton, adding that the money would be paid over a 20-year period.

In the international arena, she has been closely associated for years with the idea of creating a Department of Peace (mostly notably promoted by former presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich, a close friend of Williamson) that would actively address conflict prevention. Its fair to say she thinks we can get by with a relatively small fraction of todays Pentagon budget:

America should embark on a 10- to 20-year plan for turning a wartime economy into a peace-time economy, repurposing the tremendous talents and infrastructure of our military-industrial complex in such a way as to leave us strong enough to deal with Americas legitimate needs for military preparedness, yet moving on to the urgent task of building a sustainable society and sustainable world.

Williamson is the rare religious professional who is firmly committed to both reproductive rights and protections for LGBTQ folk.

And she matches or exceeds the progressivism of her rivals. Like Andrew Yang, shes for a universal basic income. Like Bernie Sanders, shes for free college, and like Elizabeth Warren, shes for full college debt relief. Like Cory Booker, shes for baby bonds. Like several other candidates, shes for universal pre-K. Shes even equaled Pete Buttigiegs commitment to a robust national service program.

Many progressives, of course, will be put off by the New Agey stuff. And its impossible to ignore: Williamson never stops insisting that Americas and the worlds problems are spiritual as well as economic or institutional or interpersonal. When she talks about the climate crisis, she has specific proposals, but her main argument is for something money cant buy:

We have to re-sacralize the world, she tells [climate activists]. And one of the things we have to re-sacralize is politics. Which is to say that we have to bring our sense of the sacred back into it. Its insane what were doing to the Earth.

For those who are allergic to religion, Williamsons rhetoric can be terrifying:

At the deepest level, she says, America is engaged in a spiritual contest between demonic and angelic forces. The separation of church and state is one of the most enlightened aspects of our country, she says. But the founders were not seeking to suppress religion. They were seeking to liberate and protect it.

But heres the thing: Her version of metaphysical spirituality is so all-encompassing that it transcends any exclusive creed or teaching. One expert explains that the tradition she represents combines influences from Freemasonry, early Mormonism, Universalism and Transcendentalism before the Civil War and, subsequently, Spiritualism, Theosophy, New Thought, mind cure and reinvented versions of Asian ideas and practices. Shes less a theocrat than a pantheocrat.

So certainly for those who think Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren are too timid and compromising, Marianne Williamson is worth a respectful hearing. An awful lot of people have read her books and watched her on television and come back for more. Shes very unlikely to become a viable candidate, but assuming shes on the debate stage she may turn heads. And if nothing else, perhaps she can win an appointment as Secretary of Peace in a Democratic administration.
Erik Voorhees believes bitcoin bubbles will exist because crypto is

By CCN: With the bitcoin price trading above $8,000 once again, the mainstream financial media has once again taken an interest in cryptocurrencies. ShapeShift CEO and Founder Erik Voorhees was featured in an interview with Bloomberg where he confronted the bitcoin bubble debate and regulation. While the ecosystem is evolving since Voorhees first entered the space, as evidenced by regulators now participating in industry events, Voorhees isnt uncomfortable with the direction in which its going.

I want crypto to be a big tent. I want the whole world to be using it. And most of the world doesnt think like I do. So Im glad to see people of diverse opinions starting to use this stuff. Im glad that people are building out in different directions. And I think ultimately that makes it stronger and more resilient.

Shocking: Erik Voorhees Says Bitcoin Bubbles Are Inevitable

The ShapeShift CEO is an early bitcoin believer who as the Bloomberg host pointed out has been supporting the industry since 2011. Given his history with crypto, hes seen bitcoin bubbles come and go, so the volatility in the price is not shocking to him.

Story continues

There have to be bubbles in crypto because crypto is taking over the world, and its not going to just advance 5% a month without end. If it did that, people would start buying it up and frontrunning it and turning it into a bubble. So theres no way to go from a zero dollar asset to one that is worth trillions withoutmassive speculation and massive volatility and cyclical bubbles.

KYC Transition Has Been Rough

ShapeShift is still dealing with the fallout from a controversial move related to know-your-customer standards. Considering that KYC laws require users to register their real identities, this change clearly doesnt jive with ShapeShift customers who previously had more privacy. Voorhees still believes in financial privacy, but it remains what he describes a minority position.

Read the full story on CCN.com.
Sheffield United's chairman Kevin McCabe claims to have known nothing about a loan his co-owner Prince Abdullah secured from the family of Osama bin Laden. (Photo by Andrew Matthews/PA Images via Getty Images)

Sheffield United was recently promoted to the Premier League, but its owners are too busy fighting to celebrate.

Co-owners Kevin McCabe and Prince Abdullah Bin Mosaad Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud are currently engaged in a contentious court battle over control of their club. And this court battle has led to the release of a detail thats not going to make anyone look good.

Local Sheffield news outlet The Star reported that during the fourth day of testimony, it was revealed that Prince Abdullah obtained a 3 million loan (about $3.8 million) for the club that came from the family of Osama bin Laden. McCabe claimed that he didnt know where the loan came from at the time, but was presented with emails that appear to contradict that. In one email between McCabe and Jeremy Tutton, a Sheffield United director, Tutton wrote that he would hate to see headlines that claim Sheffield United launders money for extremists.

Prince Abdullahs lawyer said that email exchange proves that McCabe knew about the source of the loan. But McCabe told the court that the emails were just banter and dont prove he knew anything at the time. He also said that Prince Abdullah told him that the loan would never need to be paid back.

Whether the Osama bin Laden connection will impact the eventual ruling remains to be seen. The two are feuding over the buyout provision that was drawn up in 2013, when Prince Abdullah originally invested in the club. The provision outlines which of the co-owners can take control of the club and under what circumstances. The trial is expected to last several weeks.

More from Yahoo Sports:
To the government's chagrin, Chinese demand seems to be pumping the bitcoin price as the yuan weakens on account of the U.S.-China trade war. | Source: Shutterstock

By CCN: Bitcoin is on a tear as the price of the flagship cryptocurrency has gone supersonic in 2019. It is widely believed that bitcoins remarkable rally is a result of booming institutional interest in the cryptocurrency, as investors are looking for alternative asset classes to park their funds at a time when the stock market is in turmoil and the global economy is on edge.

But it looks like institutional buying isnt the only catalyst driving bitcoins price. The Chinese are reportedly piling into bitcoin, believing it to be a safe investment at a time when the yuan is taking a hit thanks to the U.S.-China trade war.

In a period where:

political tensions escalate between US and China,

global equity markets fall sharply

VIX largest spike in many months

global yield curves flatten/invert#bitcoin has RISEN and >$6,000 Crypto showing its value as an uncorrelated asset.  Thomas Lee (@fundstrat) May 9, 2019

China Suddenly Loves Bitcoin

The Chinese government has a hostile approach toward bitcoin, delivering blow after blow to the cryptocurrency industry in general. From shuttering exchanges to outlawing ICOs and considering a ban on mining activities, the Chinese government has made it clear that it doesnt love crypto.

But the Chinese people are counting on bitcoin a time when the yuan is crumbling under the pressure of the trade war.

The Chinese yuan slipped to its lowest level in the last six months earlier this week after the country announced countermeasures against Trumps tariffs.

The yuan suffered its steepest single-day drop since last July after China announced that it will impose tariffs in the range of 5% to 25% on $60 billion worth of U.S. goods. Analysts believe that the Chinese are dumping the yuan in favor of BTC.

Read the full story on CCN.com.
ISTANBUL, May 16 (Reuters) - A small Turkish center-right party said on Thursday it would not take part in next month's re-run of the Istanbul mayoral election, which the main opposition party candidate won by a tiny margin in March.

The potential impact of the Democrat Party's withdrawal was not immediately clear as it did not immediately express support for any of the remaining candidates.

The Democrat Party won around 22,000 votes in the March 31 vote, won by the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) candidate Ekrem Imamoglu. He beat President Tayyip Erdogan's AK Party by only 13,000 votes but his victory was annulled.

The decision by election authorities to re-run the Istanbul vote on June 23 has fueled concerns about an erosion of democracy and unnerved financial markets, including the already ailing lira currency.

"As a result of the assessments by our organization and authorized boards, we have decided not to take part in the Istanbul City Mayor elections," Democrat Party leader Gultekin Uysal wrote on his Twitter account.

The Islamist Saadet (Felicity) Party, which took around 100,000 votes in March, said on Tuesday it would participate in the June contest, a week after its candidate said he was ready to stand down and support the ousted Imamoglu.

Imamoglu's surprise victory in March was the first time in 25 years that Erdogan's AKP or its Islamist predecessors had failed to win control of Istanbul.

Imamoglu was declared mayor last month after weeks of wrangling over the result and a partial recount, but his mandate was revoked when election authorities ruled that there had been widespread irregularities.

Ten days after annulling the election, Turkey's High Election Board faces a barrage of questions from opposition parties, which say there was no legal basis to annul the result.

(Reporting by Daren Butler Editing by Frances Kerry)
Spc. Malcolm Montgomery was stationed in Fort Bliss, Texas when he was rushed to the hospital after feeling sick. He told his chain of command he wasn't feeling well on the way to physical training. When they returned with someone to watch him, they found him unconscious.

Shortly after, Malcolm woke up in the hospital where bone marrow tests revealed he had leukemia.

Up to that point, Malcolm had been fighting for his country. That's when the active duty soldier's fight for his own health really began.

"I almost died in Texas from a bad morphine shot. I received the shot too fast and my heart rate had dropped lower than a 42." Malcolm said. "I was so sick that anybody who ever was around me had to wear a mask and gloves and for 32 days in El Paso."

Malcolm, who was receiving chemo treatments, had a port in his chest and was hooked to an IV. He remembers being too sick to even go outside.

But with help and support from his military and medical family, Malcolm's condition steadily progressed.

He was transferred to a hospital in his hometown of Columbia, South Carolina so he could be closer to his family.

"Everything began to turn around," Malcolm remembers.

The active duty soldier reflects on cancer as not only hard on your body, but hard on your mind. He recalls the incredible support he received from his military family.

"The military was there all the way. The military gave you that, 'Hey, don't worry about bills, get healthy. Hey, we're here for you, get healthy. Hey, don't worry about coming back to us, we're coming to you.' 'We're going to make sure you're here,' he said. "The military showed me how much they really care for me, and it was speechless, and it was amazing, just for genuine women and men of the service to help another person... it's family."

Watch this soldier and loving father's incredible fight and triumph over cancer.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Soldier rings bell marking end of chemo treatment
Southwest Airlines LUV board of directors recently decided to increase its quarterly dividend payout by 12.5% to 18 cents per share (annualized 72 cents per share). The first instalment of the raised dividend will be paid on Jun 26, 2019, to its shareholders of record as on Jun 5.

The latest move highlights Southwest Airlines commitment to create value for shareholders and underscores the companys strong financial condition as well as bright prospects. Moreover, a look at past records reveals Southwest Airlines stable dividend payment history. Notably, this marks the 171st consecutive quarter of dividend payment by this low-cost carrier.

The dividend yield based on the new payout and the May 15s closing price is approximately 1.4%. In fact, the companys dividend per share has been witnessing a positive trend for the last five years.

Additionally, the companys board of directors approved a new share buyback program worth $2 billion. The new program will be operational after the completion of the existing $2-billion share repurchase plan, authorized in May 2018. Currently, $400 million remains under the existing plan.

Furthermore, Southwest Airlines efforts to enhance shareholder wealth through dividends and share buybacks are impressive. During the first quarter of 2019, the company returned $678 million to its shareholders through dividends ($178 million) and share buybacks ($500 million). The company has returned in excess of $11 billion to its shareholders via dividends and share buybacks since 2010.

Dividend Hikes: Not Uncommon for Airlines

Apart from Southwest Airlines, carrying a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell), other airline companies like SkyWest SKYW and Alaska Air Group ALK have raised their dividend payouts this year. The current tax law, which came into force in December 2017, has proved conducive to airlines as far as investor-oriented activities like dividend payments are concerned.

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You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

The significant reduction in corporate tax rate under the current law has boosted cash flow as well as earnings of transportation stocks. Owing to the significant cuts in tax bills, more cash remains in the hands of these companies to fund capital expenditures, buybacks and dividends among others.

Given this backdrop, we will not be surprised if another major airline player, Delta Air Lines DAL, walks in the same path and hikes its quarterly dividend in the coming days.

As investors prefer an income generating stock, a high dividend yielding one is much coveted. Needless to say that investors are always on the lookout for companies with a track record of consistent and incremental dividend payments.

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Tweeting at him might not be the worst strategy. Photo: Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images

Right now, every cocktail party conversation in Washingtons national security circles goes the same place in a hurry: What do you hear about Iran? and What do they think theyre doing? The conversations then wind through the latest controversies over intelligence, troop figures, and inside-the-Cabinet intrigue before they end at the same place. Whats going to stop either a slow slide or a quick escalation to war? And the same unlikely answer comes back: either Trump, or his base.

How can this be?

The intelligence debate is interesting but maybe irrelevant. The allegations made public  that Iran is shipping missiles to the Houthis fighting in Yemen and targeting vessels in the Persian Gulf, and that Irans operatives are preparing for attacks against U.S. targets in Iraq  are things we know Iran does and has done in the past. They are also the things analysts predicted Iran would do if the United States put the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps on its terrorism list and attempted to shut off completely Iranian sales of oil. While Washingtons allies in the region  Israel and Saudi Arabia  have both added their own allegations to this list, European allies have been eager to distance themselves. This week the senior U.K. military figure in the Middle East made an unusual public announcement that the threat was not elevated, whereupon the Pentagon took the even more unusual step of contradicting an ally in the field.

The military preparations underway are enough to stir up tensions and invite escalation, but nowhere near sufficient to mount an actual land assault, much less defeat Irans government and implement regime change. The New York Times reported that the Pentagon had been tasked with drawing up plans to send 120,000 troops to the Middle East; that is less than the number of troops the U.S. and its allies used in the 2003 invasion of Iraq. (Iran is a significantly larger country with nearly twice as many people.) Trump both denied such a plan was in the works and said he absolutely would send a hell of a lot more troops than that.

Trumps team seems far from united at this dangerous moment. Even as his department raised concerns significantly by ordering the departure of non-emergency Embassy personnel in Iraq, Secretary of State Pompeo said we fundamentally do not see a war with Iran. (Contrast that with GOP senator and Trump cheerleader Tom Cotton, who stole a line from The Breakfast Club to assert that a war against Tehran would be quick: Two strikes, the first strike and the last.)

Insiders have begun telling the media that Trump is unhappy with National Security Adviser John Bolton, who is credited with the aggressive buildup toward Iran as well as the recent failed effort to push out Venezuelan president Maduro, which Bolton sought to help along through social media taunting. But, other insiders add, hes nowhere near as frustrated with Bolton as he was with former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson before firing him. So there.

Alert readers will notice I havent mentioned the secretary of Defense, who would normally be a key player here. Acting secretary Patrick Shanahan is in the awkward situation of having been only just been nominated, after four months in the role, to fill it on a permanent basis. He is in the even more awkward situation of being regarded as a lightweight, and having a surprising number of military moves be announced by Bolton, from the White House. Indeed, national security experts are wringing their hands at what seems to be the disappearance of the traditional inter-agency process through which multiple government agencies are supposed to have their views heard, criticisms voiced, and plans double-checked before something as big as troop movements, let alone war planning, goes public.

With no actual military options it can debate, no confidence that its getting a straight story on threat levels, and no clue how the process works, a curious fatalism has taken hold in Congress. Various members are preparing legislation to either make it explicit that the president is not authorized to go to war in the Persian Gulf without a vote, or to bar the Pentagon from spending money on offensive military operations there. But getting enough members of both parties to push back on dire threat assessments and vote for such measures is an uphill battle. And, given Trumps willingness to ignore or veto Congress national security efforts to date, no one has much confidence either move would stop his administration from moving ahead.

This is where the experts turn to each other, just like every Trump opponent in the rest of America, and say, but Trump doesnt really want to do this, right? He will want to back down, and find a way to do so, whether its targeting an Iranian proxy with cruise missiles, creating a negotiation to claim credit for, or moving on to a distraction elsewhere. (Who knows, maybe Boltons plans to remove Maduro will work next time.) Or, they say, Trump will see that a war would be unpopular with his base  Laura Ingraham has already opined that it is one of the few paths that could hurt his reelection chances  and preemptively declare victory. A Politico story today asserts that Trump routinely cites the reactions of his social media following as justifications for sensitive policy decisions  including his announcement last year that U.S. troops would be withdrawn from Syria.

The laws, Constitution, and norms of the United States lay out paths through which policy experts, elected officials, the military that would have to do the fighting and dying, and the public at large all have a say over whether the United States goes to war  and all have access to facts about what is happening on the ground. A president monitoring his Twitter account is no substitute for them.

Trump  and all of us  have been lucky so far in world affairs. Given that the number of actors who actually want a drawn-out war in the Persian Gulf is rather small, we may get lucky again here. But even if we do, we will have descended far down a rabbit hole of personalized, secretive presidential rule over the worlds biggest and strongest armed forces  and social media metrics will not save us.
Sri Lanka's army Thursday denied allegations that its troops colluded with anti-Muslim mobs and failed to contain widespread riots that killed one man in a backlash against the Easter terror attacks.

Army chief Mahesh Senanayake said CCTV footage of troops allegedly signalling a mob to attack a home in the latest wave of rioting did not show his soldiers committing any wrongdoing.

"We looked at footage from three cameras and found that there was no conniving of troops with the rioters," Senanayake told reporters in Colombo.

"If there was any, I would not hesitate to take action."

He said the mobs included a lot of young men who were drunk. However, he did not say where the controversial CCTV footage came from.

He added that soldiers had initially been outnumbered against hundreds of men armed with sticks and petrol bombs who attacked Muslim-owned businesses, homes and mosques.

The military has stepped up its presence in the worst affected North-Western Province to prevent a repeat of the violence, Senanayake said.

Some 5,500 additional police have also been deployed in the province.

Police spokesman Ruwan Gunasekera said the government decided not to impose further night curfews on Thursday because there had been no reports of violence around the country in the past 24 hours.

"We are continuing search operations to arrest those responsible for the riots," he added.

Police said they had detained at least 112 suspects by Wednesday evening and more arrests were being carried out to ensure there was no repetition of the riots.

- International concern -

Colombo-based ambassadors of European nations expressed concern over the communal violence and urged the authorities to ensure that all communities were protected.

"We welcome the arrests made in connection with the violence, and call on the government to ensure that the rule of law is upheld and that the law is applied equally to all instigators and perpetrators of communal violence," a joint statement by the diplomats said.

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A shopkeeper in Minuwangoda, one of the worst affected towns just north of Colombo, said roads were reopened Thursday amid a heavy military and police presence.

"I normally have about 30 customers in the morning, but today there were just three," the electronic goods seller told AFP by telephone. "Banks have opened, but it will take a few weeks before we get back to our normal routine."

There were similar reports from other riot-scarred towns.

The Easter Sunday attacks on churches and upscale hotels claimed 258 lives and were blamed on local jihadists who pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group.

Muslims in Sri Lanka have been bracing for reprisals since the Easter bombings.

A state of emergency has been in place since the attacks and security forces have been given sweeping powers to detain suspects.

Sri Lanka has also blocked access to social media platforms to prevent what it called the spread of rumours that incited violence.
By Ranga Sirilal

COLOMBO, May 16 (Reuters) - Sri Lanka's army on Thursday defended its decision to reinstate an intelligence official arrested in 2017 on suspicion he attacked journalists, saying he is the right person to investigate the Easter bombings claimed by Islamic State.

Major Prabath Bulathwatte was arrested on suspicion he assisted in the abduction and torture of Sri Lankan editor Keith Noyahr in 2008. He was also accused in the murder of Lasantha Wickrematunga, an outspoken editor of The Sunday Leader newspaper, who was killed in 2009 while stuck in rush hour traffic in Colombo, according to police and prosecutors.

Bulathwatte, 45, has not been convicted and was released on bail in 2018, state-run media reported. A military spokesman was not immediately able to provide Reuters with contact details for Bulathwatte.

Sri Lanka's army commander Mahesh Senanayake said he was reinstating Bulathwatte due to his knowledge of the Eastern Province, home to the Muslim-majority town of Kattankudy where two of the bombers came from, as well as his previous work monitoring Islamist groups.

More than 250 people were killed in the April 21 attacks on churches and hotels, mostly in Colombo.

"We should be able to use the best resources available within the army to fight this... I am trying to restore the peace and normalcy in minimum time," Senanayake said at a news conference on Thursday.

Rights groups have decried the decision.

"Promoting to active duty an intelligence officer who has been implicated in the killing of one journalist and the torture of two others severely undermines Sri Lanka's claim that it is fighting impunity for crimes against journalists," The Committee to Protect Journalists' Asia Program Coordinator Steven Butler said in a statement on Wednesday.

The cases hark back to former president Mahinda Rajapaksa's 2005-2015 rule during the end of Sri Lanka's 25-year civil war against mostly Hindu, ethnic Tamil separatists.

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Since the end of the war in 2009, Sri Lanka's former defense secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who oversaw the crushing of Tamil Tiger rebels under his brother, has been accused by rights groups of multiple crimes during the civil war, including extrajudicial killings.

Wickrematunga's daughter Ahimsa filed a complaint for damages from Gotabaya earlier this year in California for allegedly instigating and authorizing the extrajudicial killing of her father. Ahimsa did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Bulathwatte's reinstatement.

Gotabaya, who recently told Reuters he was running for office in this year's election, has rejected the allegations as politically-motivated and designed to weaken the military. (Reporting by Ranga Sirilal Writing by Alexandra Ulmer; Editing by Janet Lawrence)
When Dutch photographer Hellen van Meene was commissioned by TIME to create a portrait of the climate activist Greta Thunberg, she knew that she wanted to portray the teenager in a different light to how the world has seen her before. When someone asks me to make a portrait, I always think about the subject and my opinion of them. Thinking about Greta, I wanted this photo to be different, because her story is bigger than life, van Meene says.

Van Meenes photograph of the 16-year-old appears on the cover of the May 27 edition of TIME, and was taken near the Swedish Parliament in Stockholm during one of Thunbergs school strikes in late April. She began her weekly strikes from school last year, protesting outside the Swedish parliament to raise awareness about climate change; the strikes have since spread to more than 130 countries worldwide. Thunberg was named to the TIME 100 list of the worlds most influential people in April and is now one of TIMEs Next Generation Leaders.

Thunberg does not travel by airplane because of the high carbon emission output, so I accompanied her by train from London to her home in Stockholm for the cover story. Similarly, van Meene also traveled by train on a two-day journey from her hometown of Heiloo, in the north of the Netherlands, to take Thunbergs portrait in Stockholm.

Photograph by Hellen van Meene for TIME

In the photograph, Thunberg wears a green dress that the photographer chanced upon in an outlet store in Copenhagen during a stop on her train journey to Stockholm. The outfit is a departure from what the teenager usually wears, favoring more practical clothing like hoodies, jeans and tracksuits. For van Meene, the color has a deeper meaning, especially against the backdrop of a concrete archway in Stockholms Old Town of Gamla Stan. The green for me symbolizes life, she says. And the darkness of the corridor is what we will end up in if we dont pay attention to what Greta is telling us.

The photographers teenage daughter also accompanied her to Stockholm, and van Meene says the 16-year-old has been inspired by Thunberg to strike from school in the Netherlands. We shouldnt see Greta as a young cute thing, shes a serious girl with a serious message, van Meene says. Dont get fooled by her age, listen to what she wants to warn us about. She and her generation will have to pay the price, and thats why we should act.

Since the mid-1990s, van Meene has been best known for her square photographic portraits of teenage girls, with her work exhibiting internationally including at both the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. She favors working outdoors in natural light and with a film camera, giving her work a timeless, painterly-like quality. I like that you cant really tell exactly when any of my work has been created, and that was really important in this portrait of Greta, she says. By making a photo not about her age, but about the personality she will grow into, it means that in 10, even 20 years time, this image will be important. Its not so much a reference to her age, but a reference to her story.
KHARTOUM, May 16 (Reuters) - Sudan's opposition alliance on Thursday said the ruling military council's suspension of talks with protesters for 72 hours was a "regrettable decision."

The opposition alliance, known as the Declaration of Freedom and Change Forces (DFCF), also vowed to continue sit-ins outside the defense ministry and across the country.

Earlier in the day, the Transitional Military Council (TMC) suspended the talks after protesters broke a deal on de-escalation, the council head said in a televised statement. (Reporting by Mohamed El-Sherif; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)
Khartoum (AFP) - Sudanese protesters voiced regret Thursday at an army decision to suspend crucial talks on installing civilian rule but vowed to press on with a sit-in despite being targeted in fresh violence.

Army generals and protest leaders had been expected to come to an agreement on Wednesday over the make-up of a new body to govern Sudan for three years.

The issue is the thorniest to have come up in ongoing talks on reinstating civilian rule after the generals took over following the ouster of longtime autocratic president Omar al-Bashir last month.

But in the early hours of Thursday, the chief of Sudan's ruling military council, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, announced the talks had been suspended for 72 hours as the security in the capital had deteriorated.

He demanded that during that period the protesters must dismantle roadblocks in Khartoum, open bridges and railway lines connecting the capital and "stop provoking security forces".

The Alliance for Freedom and Change, the group that is leading the protest movement and negotiating the transfer of power with the army rulers, said the move was "regretable".

"It ignores the developments achieved in negotiations so far... and the fact that Wednesday's meeting was to finalise the agreement, which would have stopped the escalations such as roadblocks."

The talks began on Monday and achieved major breakthroughs, but have also been marred by fresh violence that left five protesters and a major dead and many more wounded from gunshots.

Protesters allege that members of the paramilitary group the Rapid Support Force were behind the violence.

But Burhan, in his statement broadcast live on state television, defended the force, saying it had taken the side of the people during the uprising that toppled Bashir.

The protest movement said the generals wanted the demonstrators to restrict themselves to the sit-in area where thousands have camped for weeks in central Khartoum, demanding civilian rule.

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The protest movement vowed to press on with the "sit-in outside the army headquarters and across the country".

On Wednesday the two sides were to finalise the composition of the new sovereign council which has been the toughest part of the negotiations.

Both have so far proposed different compositions of the body which is expected to take all key decisions concerning national issues.

The generals want it to be military-led, while the protesters insist on a majority civilian body.
Photo: Brian Kersey/Getty Images

There are two genres of books about Trump published during his presidency. The first grouping are books written by journalists and former administration officials, which generally serve as indictments of the presidents behavior and/or incompetence. The second grouping has subtitles like How the Deep State Is Undermining the Presidency, How the Trump-Hating Left Lost Its Collective Mind, and The Fight to Save President Trump. Care to guess the camp from which the president pardoned an author?

On Wednesday, the president issued a full pardon to Conrad Black, his billionaire friend and author of the 2018 book Donald J. Trump: A President Like No Other. Black, a 74-year-old Canadian-born media mogul, was the CEO of Hollinger Inc., which was once the third-largest English-language newspaper conglomerate, owning the Chicago Sun-Times, the Daily Telegraph, and the Jerusalem Post. In 2007, Black was convicted of fraud and obstruction of justice after diverting millions from the sale of Hollinger newspapers. He eventually spent three and a half years in prison, and was deported from the United States.

In the statement announcing the pardon, the White House referred to Blacks tremendous contributions to business and his exceptional character.

The statement also referred to Blacks comprehensive biographies of FDR and Nixon, but did not mention his short 2018 book, Donald J. Trump: A President Like No Other. In it, he writes that the great majority of anti-Trump activity in the first year of his administration was devoted to falsehoods, which were then justified by the selective and intentional misinterpretation of Trumps careless and ambiguous statements. The president, as featured in the unambiguous Access Hollywood tape and the shithole countries report, is not, in fact, a racist, sexist, warmonger, hothead, promoter of violence, or a foreign or domestic economic warrior. No opposition can continue on this name-calling basis alone for much longer than this one has.

In Blacks own statement, he claimed that his conviction was never anything but a confluence of unlucky events, the belligerence of several corporate governance charlatans, and grandstanding local and American judges, all fanned by an unusually frenzied international media showing exceptional interest in the case because I was a media owner. Black considers Trump a friend, and Trump returned the compliment in a 2015 tweet, after Black wrote a National Review op-ed called Trump is the Good Guy. What an honor to read your piece, Trump tweeted. As one of the truly great intellects & my friend, I wont forget!

So far in his presidency, Trump has used the power of executive clemency less frequently  but more politically  than his two predecessors in the Oval Office. Other high-profile Trump pardons include Republican Sheriff Joe Arpaio, Maricopa Countys expert racial profiler convicted of contempt of court; Republican Scooter Libby, Vice-President Cheneys chief of staff who was convicted of obstruction of justice and perjury; conservative activist Dinesh DSouza, convicted of a felony for an illegal campaign contribution; and the arsonist ranchers Steven and Dwight Hammond, whose sentencing led to the 40-day occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge.
Sale (Morocco) (AFP) - Two dozen jihadist suspects charged over the murder of two Scandinavian women hiking in Morocco appeared in court Thursday, with the lawyer of one victim saying the government must be held "morally responsible" for the killings.

Danish student Louisa Vesterager Jespersen, 24, and 28-year-old Norwegian Maren Ueland had their throats slit while camping in an isolated area of the High Atlas mountains in December.

The main suspects, who allegedly pledged allegiance to the Islamic State (IS) group, are all from the Marrakesh region near the site of the killings, which shocked the North African country.

Abdessamad Ejjoud, a 25-year-old street vendor and the alleged leader of the group, had been jailed for trying to join IS in Syria. He was released in 2015.

Younes Ouaziyad, a 27-year-old carpenter, and 33-year-old street vendor Rachid Afatti have also been named as key suspects.

The defendants were taken from prison to an anti-terrorism court in Sale, near Rabat, in vans escorted by police on motorcycles for the resumption of their trial, an AFP reporter said.

They face charges including promoting terrorism, forming a terrorist cell and premeditated murder.

They could face death sentences if found guilty, although Morocco has de facto suspended executions since 1993.

The families of the accused did not attend the court session.

The lawyer for the Jespersens, Khalid Elfataoui, said the government must be held "morally responsible" so the family could receive compensation, a request accepted by the court.

- Death sentence -

Elfataoui said he would push for death sentences "even if the countries where the victims came from are opposed to it in principle".

The main suspects "spontaneously admitted their crime during the investigation, and today they regret what they did," their lawyer Hafida Mekessaoui told AFP.

The trial -- which opened on May 2 -- was adjourned to May 30 after Thursday's brief hearing.

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Among the suspects is a Spanish-Swiss convert to Islam who is accused of teaching the main defendant how to use encrypted communications and fire a gun.

Nature lovers Jespersen and Ueland shared an apartment and went to Norway's Bo University where they were studying to be guides.

They had travelled together to Morocco for their Christmas holidays.

Their lives were cut short in the foothills of Toubkal, the highest summit in North Africa, some 80 kilometres (50 miles) from the city of Marrakesh, a tourist magnet.

- 'Enemies of Allah' -

According to the charge sheet, the assailants travelled to the High Atlas mountains on December 12 on a mission to kill tourists.

Several potential targets were passed over because the foreigners were accompanied by guides or local residents.

It was four days before the killers selected their targets, according to the prosecution. It said two of them carried out the killings while the third filmed them on a telephone.

After the bodies were discovered, the Moroccan authorities were initially cautious, referring to a "criminal act" and wounds to the victims' necks.

But that changed when the video surfaced showing a victim being beheaded.

In it, one of the killers refers to "enemies of Allah" and says the murders are to avenge the killings of jihadists in Syria.

A separate video published in the initial aftermath of the murders showed the alleged killers pledging allegiance to IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

Investigators said the "cell" was inspired by IS ideology, but Morocco's anti-terror chief insisted the accused had no contact with the jihadist group in conflict zones.

IS has never claimed responsibility for the double murder.

Police quickly arrested a first suspect in the suburbs of Marrakesh, and three others were caught a few days later when they tried to leave the city by bus.

The suspects had recently embraced Salafism, an ultra-conservative branch of Sunni Islam, according to friends, neighbours and some family members.

A second Swiss citizen arrested after the double-murder was tried separately and jailed in mid-April for 10 years on charges including "forming a terrorist group".
The hills of Switzerland will soon be alive with the sound of gunfire.

The countrys largest annual shooting competition, the Feldschiessen, held between May 24 and 26, attracts an estimated 130,000 sharpshooters of all ages from all over Switzerland. It is not uncommon to see kids as young as 12 handling weapons with the steady-handed assurance of more experienced marksmen.

But the Feldschiessen  or field shooting competition, in English  is not just a recreational pursuit. It is anchored in a deep sense of civic responsibility and national pride in this Alpine nation of 8.5 million. Mandatory military service for males, for instance, is considered the pinnacle of patriotic duty.

Guns in Switzerland are seen as more than just a safeguard of neutrality and national security. More than any other Europeans, the Swiss pride themselves on their ability to manage their gun culture in a controlled and organized manner.

But now that culture is facing an existential threat from abroad. On May 19, the Swiss will vote on whether to keep their cherished shooting traditions intact, or submit to stricter gun regulations required by the European Union.

After the terrorist attacks in Paris in November 2015, when 130 people were killed mostly by gunfire, the E.U. restricted certain semi-automatic firearms and magazines, and made the purchase, licensing, and registration of weapons more onerous.

While Switzerland doesnt belong to the E.U., it is part of the blocs Schengen zone that can be visited without a visa or passport by citizens of 26 European nations  and so Brussels is urging the country to comply with its laws. If Switzerland votes to refuse, it might be excluded from the Schengen zone, along with the tourism revenue and police and judicial support membership brings.

Thats why the government and most political parties here are urging voters to accept E.U.s regulations in the nationwide ballot on Sunday. If approved by the electorate, the government argues on its website, the new law will not change Swiss gun traditions, including the ability to keep military weapons in soldiers homes, a custom dating back to WWII, when every man had to be armed and ready to defend his country at a moments notice.

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But many here say the new law would be off-target. The bureaucratic effort involved in buying guns would be many times larger, says arms expert Jean-Paul Schild. And it would bring nothing in terms of security and anti-terrorism, since todays weapons are already registered.

Schild is the owner of Schild Waffen, a large gun dealership in the northern town of Wallbach. He wont reveal how many firearms he sells, only that most customers buy primarily handguns, hunting and sporting rifles, and collectibles. Many of his clients are women, reflecting the fact that guns are an integral part of not only military traditions, but recreational activities as well.

Barbara Keller-Inhelder is one example.I am from a traditional Swiss family of shooters and like to practice, she says. Keller is also a member of the Swiss Parliament and sits on the Security Policy Commission. Like Schilds, her views reflect the conservative positions of her political group, the Swiss People Party, which has been actively campaigning against what it calls the E.U.s interference in Swiss national affairs.

Switzerland is the safest and most secure country in Europe, even though it has a community of several hundred thousand shooters, most of them with their personally owned weapons, she says.

In fact, the Swiss pride themselves on being heavily armed  officially with 28 guns for every 100 people, according to Small Arms Survey, a Geneva-based NGO. Thats comparatively little compared to the United States, which has the worlds highest rate with 1.2 firearms per capita. But lobbyists claim the real number of arms in Switzerland is much higher because registration of guns became mandatory only in 2008, and statistics dont include millions of undeclared weapons.

Our best estimates are between 14 and 18 million firearms in a country of 8.5 million people, making Switzerlands density double that of the USA, says Marc Heim, member of the Board of PROTELL, the countrys gun lobby.

Yet despite the prevalence of weapons, gun homicides here are among the worlds lowest  0.5% per 100,000 people, as compared to nearly 5% in the U.S.

The reason this gun-happy country has so few murders by firearms is attitude and education, Heim says, explaining that his own children, like many others, grew up around weapons and learned to safely handle guns and shoot by 4 years of age. Its just a normal part of life, he notes.

Historian Josef Lang agrees that Swiss guns are not as widely used to commit violent acts as they are in the U.S., because we have less social problems and less social exclusion.

But Langs personal experience as a survivor of a massacre had given him a different view of weapons. He was a member of the state parliament in the city of Zug in 2001, when a gunman stormed into the chamber and started shooting. Lang hid under a desk as bullets flew, surviving the worst mass murder in Switzerlands history, while 14 of his colleagues were killed and 14 others wounded.

Even though I was a soldier and kept my army rifle at home, this massacre strengthened my determination to speak out for less weapons, more gun control, and stronger laws, Lang says. The upcoming referendum, he says, is a step in the right direction, as the proposed reform would strengthen the control of weapons.

It is precisely these additional restrictions that are firing up many Swiss gun owners, who argue that the sale of weapons is already tightly regulated in this safety-conscious society. To buy weapons from an authorized dealer, citizens or legal residents over the age of 18 require a permit from the government and no criminal record or history of mental illness.

However, rifles and semiautomatic long arms used for hunting are exempt from these requirements. And no license is needed for transactions between private individuals.

But while the prospect of having stricter rules is daunting for Swiss shooting enthusiasts, they are even more angered about having to bow to the demands of the European Union, fearing it would create a precedent for other threats to its sovereignty. The guns matter, of course, but most importantly, our independence will be lost, PROTELLs Heim says.

This sentiment is echoed by parliamentarian Keller. Do we accept the interference of Europe in activities for which a sovereign and secure country like Switzerland should be solely responsible? she asks.

The answer wont be known until votes are counted on May 19, but in the meantime, there seems to be rising interest in gun ownership. Police records show that in some regions, 40% more gun licenses have been granted recently than in previous years.

This may well be an indication that whichever way the vote goes, the Swiss are not ready to lay down their arms.
Taiwan will decide whether to pass Asia's first gay marriage law on Friday as conservative lawmakers launch a last-ditch attempt to scupper the bill despite a court ruling ordering same-sex marital equality.

Protesters on both sides of the debate will gather outside Taipei's parliament for what looks set to be a mammoth legislative debate over an issue that has bitterly divided the island.

Parliament is up against a ticking clock.

Taiwan's top court has ruled that not allowing same-sex couples to marry violates the constitution. Judges gave the government two years to make necessary changes by May 24, 2019 or see marriage equality enacted automatically.

With that deadline fast approaching, three bills have been tabled for Friday -- which also happens to be the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia.

The most progressive is the government's bill, the only one to use the word "marriage" and offer limited adoption rights.

It is backed -- begrudgingly -- by gay rights groups who see it as the closest thing to full equality with heterosexual couples, despite its limitations.

Opponents have tabled two other versions which avoid the word marriage, offering something closer to same-sex unions with no adoption rights.

Conservative and religious groups have been buoyed by a series of referendum wins in November, in which voters comprehensively rejected defining marriage as anything other than a union between a man and a woman.

President Tsai Ing-wen has said the government's bill respects both the court judgement and the referendum.

"I hope everybody can be considerate and tolerate different opinions to show Taiwan is a mature civil society that is capable of handling a divisive issue," she said on Tuesday.

Tsai's ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) holds the majority in parliament, occupying 68 out of 113 seats.

But there is no guarantee her own lawmakers will vote for the more progressive bill, especially as many fear being punished by conservative voters at the ballot box in January.

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One of the rival bills was proposed by a DPP lawmaker.

Taiwan's LGBT community has been left in limbo the last two years, with many couples planning weddings ahead of the May 24th deadline but unsure of what marriage equality will look like.

"We will have a clear answer this week about how this country will treat gay couples in the future," said Jennifer Lu, a spokeswoman for Marriage Equality Coalition Taiwan.

"The cabinet's bill is already a discounted version but it covers the most for now. The other bills are not only unconstitutional but discriminatory."

Opponents warn that "forcefully" passing a gay marriage law will intensify tensions.

"The cabinet's bill ignores the referendum results and that is unacceptable," said Lai Shyh-bao of the opposition Kuomintang party, who proposed one of the bills backed by conservatives.
TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP)  Taiwanese legislators are scheduled to decide Friday on legalizing same-sex marriage, marking a potential first in Asia.

Lawmakers pressured over the past two years by LGBT groups as well as church organizations opposed to same-sex marriage will choose between bills that broadly legalize the unions and give couples many of the tax, insurance and child custody benefits available to male-female married couples.

If the legal changes are approved, Taiwan would become the first place in Asia with a comprehensive law supporting same-sex marriage.

Taiwan's Constitutional Court in May 2017 said the constitution allows same-sex marriages and gave parliament two years to adjust laws accordingly.

The court order mobilized LGBT advocacy groups pushing for fair treatment, as well as opponents among church groups and advocates of traditional Chinese family values.

"It's a breakthrough, I have to say so. I could not imagine that could happen in just a few years," said Shiau Hong-chi, professor of gender studies and communications management at Shih-Hsin University in Taiwan.

Religion, conservative family values and political systems that discourage LGBT activism have stopped momentum in Asian countries from China through much of Southeast Asia into the Middle East. Thailand, however, is exploring the legalization of same-sex civil partnerships.

Taiwan's acceptance of gay and lesbian relationships began in the 1990s when leaders in today's ruling Democratic Progressive Party championed the cause to help Taiwan stand out in Asia as an open society. Although claimed by China as its own territory, Taiwan is a self-governing democracy with a vibrant civil society.

Opponents have raised fears of incest, insurance benefit scams and children confused by having two mothers or two fathers. Both sides of the issue have held colorful street demonstrations and lobbied lawmakers.

In November 2018, a majority of Taiwan voters rejected same-sex marriage in an advisory referendum.

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Bills on the table Friday include one authored by the government. Another version plays to both sides of the debate by allowing marriages but with conditions such as calling them "unions" and imposing restrictions on adopting children.

"If it doesn't go through, that would be disappointing," said Hsu Pei-chieh, 30, a Taipei office worker hoping to marry her female partner and raise at least one child. "If we're married it would be easier for the outside world to understand us."

Opinion surveys in 2012 and 2015 found that slight majorities of Taiwanese backed legalizing same-sex marriage.

A defeat for the bill in the legislature on Friday would allow the Constitutional Court order to proceed, effective May 24. Same-sex couples could register their marriages then with local governments, but without guarantees of the legal benefits given to male-female couples.
By Keith Coffman

CASTLE ROCK, Colo. (Reuters) - Two teenagers accused of fatally shooting a classmate and wounding eight others at a Denver-area high school last week were charged with murder and attempted murder on Wednesday.

Devon Erickson, 18, and Alec McKinney, 16, are accused of opening fire on fellow students in two classrooms at the Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) charter school in Highlands Ranch, Colorado, on May 7. McKinney, who identifies as male, was listed on the court docket as Maya Elizabeth McKinney.

Douglas County District Judge Theresa Slade has put the charges along with the entire case file under seal, banning the public from seeing it. Both teenagers were each facing a range of charges including first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, arson and theft.

McKinney was charged as an adult, prosecutors said.

Both Erickson and McKinney were being held without bond.

Denvers ABC affiliate television station has reported that the two pistols used in the attack were stolen from the home of Erickson, whose parents had purchased the guns legally. The Douglas County Sheriff's Office declined to comment.

MEMORIAL SERVICE

Kendrick Castillo, 18, was shot dead three days before graduation, when he and two other students charged the shooters in an effort to disarm them, authorities said.

Castillo, a robotics enthusiast and aspiring engineer, was remembered as a compassionate, bright young man during a memorial service on Wednesday at a church in Highlands Ranch.

"If I had to describe him a certain way, the first it would be love, the love for anybody that he met," his father John Castillo said during the service. "We all really, really love Kendrick, but to carry on his life's message, we need to be more like him."

The attack occurred less than a month after the 20th anniversary of the Columbine High School massacre in nearby Littleton, in which two students shot 13 people to death before committing suicide.

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Five months ago, a school district official urged the STEM schools director to investigate allegations of student bullying and violence by a parent who feared they could lead to the next Columbine. The director said an investigation found no evidence to support the allegations.

The STEM school had no sworn police officer at the 1,850-student campus, after a dispute with the sheriffs office over the previous school resource officers role ended that relationship last year, the school said last week.

Instead, a private security company was hired to patrol the campus that included students from kindergarten through high school. An armed security guard responded to last weeks shooting.

ABC News, citing an unnamed law enforcement official, reported last week that the security guard may have mistakenly fired on sheriffs deputies called to the scene and wounded a student in the chaos.

The Douglas County District Attorney's office said on Wednesday it had turned over the investigation into the security guard's actions to a special prosecutor from neighboring El Paso County.

A spokeswoman for El Paso County District Attorney Dan May confirmed that they are investigating the incident involving the security guard.

(Reporting by Keith Coffman; editing by Bill Tarrant, Leslie Adler and Bill Berkrot)
Does he need his glasses to use this superpower? Photo: NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP/Getty Images

Trump-administration officials, or ex-officials hoping to squeeze their way into the White House, have long used television as a means to directly contact the president, who is reported to watch up to eight hours a day. The strategy seems to have paid off for former Border Patrol head Mark Morgan: Five months into the year, he has already appeared on Fox News and its affiliate Fox Business Networks 80 times, where his support of a southern border wall may have helped earn him a surprise nomination for director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement in early May.

Of the wealth of Morgans quotes calling for immigration restrictions and a southern border wall, one from a Fox News appearance on January 14 immediately stands out as his oddest statement on child migrants. Ive been to detention facilities where Ive walked up to these individuals that are so-called minors, 17 or under, Morgan told host Tucker Carlson. Ive looked at them  and Ive looked at their eyes, Tucker  and Ive said, That is a soon-to-be MS-13 gang member. Its unequivocal.

The quote, dredged up by HuffPost, the media-monitoring site TV Eyes, and the Democratic PAC American Bridge, aligns with at least one impression the president holds of migrant children. On Long Island last May, Trump said unaccompanied minors have exploited the loopholes in our laws to enter the country. He added, They look so innocent. Theyre not innocent. Morgan expressed similar, if less supernatural, views on undocumented minors in front of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee in April. MS-13 is one of the most violent and prolific transnational gangs the U.S. [has] ever seen, Morgan said in his prepared testimony. And the influx of minors into the country through the current crisis will provide them with unlimited vulnerable prospects.

While MS-13 has certainly committed horrifically violent crimes, as ProPublicas Hannah Dreier notes, MS-13 is not the largest, the most violent, or the fastest-growing gang. A survey conducted by police in New Yorks Suffolk County found that only a quarter of local MS-13 members came to the U.S. as unaccompanied minors. The Trump administration tends to overstate the relationship between undocumented migrants and crime. According to a joint study from the Marshall Project and the New York Times, a local increase in undocumented migrants shows no correlation with an increase in area crime.
Lagos (AFP) - Africa's largest mobile phone operator, MTN, listed shares on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) on Thursday in a $6 billion flotation reflecting its increasing presence in the Nigerian market, its largest.

MTN bosses said the move showed their confidence in Nigeria's economy, following years of difficulty with the government.

"We live and we work in Nigeria, now we are also listed in Nigeria," said Ferdi Moolman, chief executive of MTN Nigeria, adding the company was "proud to contribute to the growth of the NSE".

South African-owned MTN says it has about half the market by revenue in Nigeria, Africa's most populous nation.

Jude Chiemeka, NSE head of trading called the flotation a "landmark event".

The company also sees huge possibilities in mobile money, a transfer feature via mobile phones popular in several countries across the continent but that has yet to take off in Nigeria.

"We're looking at mobile money, which has huge potential, not only for now but for the future," Moolman told reporters in Lagos. "We estimate there are up to 50 million Nigerians with no access to bank accounts."

The flotation comes after years of difficulty in Nigeria, with MTN battling mammoth fines by the country's regulators.

In December 2018, MTN agreed to pay $53 million to resolve a row with Nigeria's telecoms regulator (NCC), after being accused of illegally repatriating $8.13 billion to South Africa.

The decision to impose fines shocked MTN and its foreign investors, with four commercial banks involved in the transfer also fined.

The sanction was the latest in a series of fines to hit MTN since it began operations in Nigeria 17 years ago.

In 2015 it was fined $5.2 billion in 2015 for failing to disconnect unregistered SIM cards on its network.

The fine was later reduced to $1.7 billion after negotiations with the Nigerian government.
BEIRUT, May 16 (Reuters) - Lebanese political leaders and thousands of other people gathered on Thursday for the funeral of the former Maronite patriarch, Cardinal Nasrallah Sfeir, who pushed for Syrian forces to leave Lebanon after its civil war.

Ten black-clad priests with purple scarves bore his wooden coffin, marked with a cross, out of a chapel and along a purple carpet through crowds of mourners as incense wafted around.

They were led by the current Patriarch Boutros al-Rahi, wearing his burgundy miter and robes and carrying a large cross, and by other priests holding the vestments of Sfeir, who died on Sunday aged 98.

"Everyone agrees he is a national loss and they saw in him the patriarch of a second independence, the patriarch of iron and a grip of stone, patriarch of national reconciliation, the patriarch who will not be repeated," Rahi said in his eulogy.

Earlier, harmonious religious chanting echoed in the bright sun at the Eastern church's seat in a pine forest overlooking the Mediterranean on the coast north of Beirut.

Sfeir, born in the mountain village of Reifoun in 1920, was elected the Maronite patriarch in 1986 and was invested as a cardinal by Pope John Paul II in 1994 before retiring as patriarch in 2011.

Having cast himself as a defender of Christian rights during the 1975-90 civil war, he was instrumental afterwards in effecting reconciliation between Christians and the Druze sect.

After the withdrawal of Israeli forces in 2000 following an 18-year occupation of south Lebanon, Sfeir demanded that Syria also pull out its troops who had been in the country since 1976.

President Michel Aoun, a Maronite, Sunni Muslim Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, a Shi'ite Muslim, and numerous political party leaders sat among the mourners on Thursday.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian also attended, as did many foreign ambassadors and a papal representative.

The Shi'ite Hezbollah movement, a close ally of Syria's government and an opponent of the United States, was not going to take part in the funeral, Lebanese TV channel MTV reported.

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The U.S. State Department described Sfeir on Wednesday as "a courageous leader against tyranny and oppression and a champion for the idea of a sovereign and independent Lebanon."

Hariri declared Wednesday and Thursday as official days of mourning and May 16 was also made a national holiday this year.

(Reporting by Angus McDowall Editing by Mark Heinrich)
Photo: Courtesy of WantedDesign

"The whole process has been pretty organic," says Hannah Martin, AD's senior design writer and the curator of Timber!, an exhibition that opened this week at WantedDesign in Brooklyn's Industry City. Her word choice is fitting, considering that Timber! hinges on pieces of design either crafted in or directly related to wood.

When Martin began her curatorial process, she had no inkling that the show would ultimately focus on this material. The show, Martin's second curatorial effort, came about after Odile Hainaut and Claire Pijoulat, founders of WantedDesign, approached her about organizing a NYCxDesign exhibition made up exclusively of artists, designers, and fabricators with studios in Brooklyn's Industry City. Speaking of their Herculean design week effort in general, Hainaut and Pijoulat tell AD PRO, "It requires lots of energy and travel to scout for the best talents. We need to be relevant and to respond to the industry's needs."

In January, Martin began to make studio visits, meeting with creators and seeing the types of works that were being made throughout the space. While it took a significant portion of her time to develop a holistic idea, she ultimately found meaning in the fact that so many Industry City occupants were working with woodperhaps its own relevant response to the design industry today.

Photo: Courtesy of WantedDesign

"Some of the first people I met with were the great trio of female woodworkers behind Egg Collective," Martin says of Stephanie Beamer, Crystal Ellis, and Hillary Petrie. On the eve of her exhibition's install, she's telling AD PRO all about the showfrom how it illustrates the current collectible design movement, to why Lindsey Adelman's non-wood yet tree-inspired design was still important to include. Martin goes on to say that the women behind Egg Collective introduced her to other people working with wood. This natural, word-of-mouth way of finding participants wasn't just a one-off stroke of luck; it was how Martin ultimately connected with the majority of the designers included. "Its really hard to get records of who has studios in Industry City," she adds. "I called a lot of people who said that they had moved."

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Following this branching path had its own added layer of significance, in that it mirrors the very nature of Industry City. That community could be considered the true crux of the exhibition, and is something that Martin was particularly interested in highlighting. "It's a really nice ecosystem," she says, adding that some of those whose work is included in the exhibition share studio space. The intertwined nature of manufacturing has also always been at the heart of the area's history. "Its called Industry City," Martin emphasizes, "and it was a hub of manufacturing in Brooklyn for more than 100 years. I wanted to showcase that its still happening there but at a different scale. Maybe it's not products for the masses, but it's still a center for craft, and we should try to celebrate that."

Photo: Courtesy of WantedDesign

As Martin later notes, communities such as this are increasingly rare in urban areas like New York City. Large studio spaces have skyrocketing rents, while the alluring sense of coolness that studios often possess can make them especially attractive to nascent companies in search of office space. Preserving creative communities ultimately takes a fair amount of work, the likes of which Martinand all those included in Timber!are doing. For those who can't make it out to Industry City for the exhibition's limited run, fear not. 1stdibs is making many of the works available through its website.

Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest
When my husband and I became parents a decade ago, it was with a vague understanding that the workload created by our children would be shared between us. Quite soon after our first daughter was born, though, I found myself in charge of the details of managing her needs. I watched this happen all around me. Before they had kids, women divided the domestic chores evenly with their husbands. And so they went into parenthood tacitly assuming that they would keep that balance  that their gender would not make them the default childcare laborer. Yet when the baby arrived and grew, they found themselves taking far more than an even share of the responsibility, work and sacrifice, while their husbands received more than their fair share of rewards. Like me, these women were angry.

As I dug into the family studies research and interviewed 50 mothers for my new book, I kept on asking myself: Why does this remain the case? Thirty years after sociologist Arlie Hochschilds publication of The Second Shift, which chronicled the extra burdens of working women in the home, why werent employed women demanding more from their partners?

Pioneering Stanford-based family researchers Phil and Carolyn Cowan believe that a significant reason for this inequality is that women do not feel entitled to putting their own needs, comforts or ambitions first, in relation to their male partners. The Cowans call this phenomenon unentitlement. Often without being aware of it, women seem to feel they deserve to do most of the work simply on the basis of sex  and their childrens fathers seem to agree.

Being entitled gets a bad rap, but too little entitlement can leave a person wanting. Kyla, the mother of one-year-old Zoey in South Salem, New York, works from home with the help of a part-time babysitter. John, her husband, drives a short distance to his office. In my mind theres something about John physically going to work that warrants more of a break, so I feel less entitled to rest and relaxation, Kyla told me. I talk about this with my therapist all the time because its crazy for me to think this way. Im working on client work in between taking care of Zoey all week and am just as exhausted.

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The interesting thing about this is that  without being conscious of it  many women feel it is fair and just that they handle more in the home. In 1994, sociologists Mary Clare Lennon and Sarah Rosenfield looked at the time diaries of working women and their husbands, as well as individual reports on both individuals feelings about the distribution of labor in their homes. They found that the men who performed 36% of their households labor reported the strongest feelings of fairness. But the women who were most likely to say the arrangements were fair expected men to do even less: their time diaries attested to the fact that they were doing 66% of their households labor. Lennon and Rosenfield wrote, both women and men appear to believe that women should do about two-thirds of the household chores.

This form of female unentitlement manifests wherever the sexes interact. In Still Failing at Fairness, educators David Sadker and Karen Zittleman observed that school-age girls take less opportunity than boys to raise their hands in class. In Girls & Sex, journalist Peggy Orenstein reported that adolescent to college-age girls often believe, or at very least behave, as if sex is exclusively about male pleasure. And in The Silent Sex, political scientists Christopher Karpowitz and Tali Mendelberg suggest that women in the public sphere feel less entitled not only to pay, but also to authority.

Its hard not to suspect that considering less reward for greater sacrifice as fair is a facade. Social psychologists have a name for a similar, and connected, phenomenon: system justification. To avoid cognitive dissonance, groups that might otherwise feel unsatisfied with the status quo mitigate their dissatisfaction by coming to believe that they deserve their lot.

Lab experiments have shown that research participants randomly assigned to the lower-paid of two groups subsequently come to believe not that their group is being arbitrarily shortchanged, but rather that they are less competent.

It can be difficult to find ones way out of this way of thinking. John Jost, a social psychologist and the father of system justification theory, told me, In contrast to what is perhaps a common sense notion that people will at the very least reject, if not rebel against, attitudes and circumstances that justify the oppression of their own group, research on system justification theory has uncovered myriad ways in which individuals internalize and even perpetuate beliefs that put themselves and their fellow groups members at a disadvantage.

The gender psychologist Sandra Bem has written that women can empower themselves by taking their own preferences, goals and experiences seriously, and expecting their partners to take them seriously as well. Women must begin to see their own activities, Bem says, as no less important and no less deserving of special consideration than those of the men in their lives.

Though its not always so simple. Gretchen in Baltimore described to me how she puts her husbands convenience first. One night, I did what my husband often does to me. I told him I wouldnt be there in the morning, and hed have to get the kids ready then drive them to different schools, including our daughters preschool, which doesnt open until nine, thus making him late, like I am every day. He looked at me like I was crazy, exhaled loudly, said nothing. Of course, I felt guilty. I got on the phone and found a friends house where he could drop our preschooler off.

While she attempted to prioritize her professional needs, as soon as her husband expressed distress she felt the impulse to unburden him. Granted, she didnt reneg on her work commitment (shes a reporter), but she did go out of her way to make sure her partners desire not to be put out was accommodated, inconveniencing herself in the process. I heard this sort of thing a lot. Frankly, I do it myself.

The couples who navigate workload equality the best, Ive found, dont just understand that our cultures biases  and frankly, its baked-in sexism  result in most of the family management defaulting to the mother, but also decide as a couple that they do not want that to happen. They stay on top of parity. If one or the other feels overburdened, they sit down to recalibrate.

In studies, spouses aspiring to equal parenting express awareness about gender politics, share dual commitments to work and family, and feel poorly served by traditional gender roles. They try to reach their goals through actively negotiating family life, questioning gendered entitlements, developing new competencies, and paying mutual attention to family tasks. Equality is not as much an end point as a process.

Elizabeth, a 32-year-old new mother in northern California who got interested in work-family balance during her college years, told me about how she and her husband make this happen. Elizabeth started graduate school during a period when her husband was traveling a lot for work. She began taking more care of the home, and addressed it with him post haste  well before they had children. Thats how it starts. Its the pattern we read about, the woman happens to be at home more and so more household things start falling to her, she told me. Neither of us wanted that. I thought we should create an Excel spreadsheet to divide the chores. He wanted it to be more organic. There was no simple solution  aside from constantly seeking solutions. We both kept starting that conversation often. And then before we had our daughter, we had the same level of thinking about it. Who was going to take how much time off, what we were going to do about childcare, who will do drop off, who will do pick up. It was just a constant conversation about the nitty gritty of it.

Elizabeth has watched close friends fall into the trap so many of us do, often with the same rationale: Theyll fix it later. For instance, one couple she knows and cares about decided when the mother started breastfeeding to not sleep train their child, and because the father worked nights, she took on the responsibility of waking up at night with the baby. Once you do that, its really hard to get back to, Were equally responsible, and we really have to watch out for each others needs, Elizabeth says. Shes skeptical of the husbands promises that, once a tough stretch at work ends, hell do more. I just think you cannot say, It will be different later. You have to do it when its hard, because its always going to be hard.

For many of us, it may feel like were too late. Having had this conversation with Elizabeth and others, I realized where my husband and I had gone wrong. We never once sat each other down to declare our mutual commitment to sharing  we mostly just want to be equals. Having not made this an unambiguous team objective from the get go, my anger left us at odds with each other rather than simply placidly renegotiating to meet a mutual goal.

And that goal must ultimately be mutual. The women I interviewed had a hard time getting their partners to take their concerns seriously enough to make change. Yet men might be well-served by listening: women who feel the division of labor in their partnerships is unjust are 45% more likely than others to report that their marriages are very happy. What might happen  to women, to men, to marriages, to society  if mothers felt less conflicted around having their needs met? I dont know for sure. But at the very least, mothers are entitled to begin this conversation.
Buenos Aires (AFP) - Argentina's Supreme Court ruled on Thursday that ex-president Cristina Kirchner's corruption trial can go ahead, after protesters demonstrated against rumors the case might be delayed.

Trial is set to begin Tuesday over accusations that Kirchner favored businessman Lazaro Baez in the attribution of 52 public works contracts worth 46 billion pesos ($1.2 billion) during her 2007-15 presidency.

Her lawyers had submitted numerous appeals against the case, alleging a lack of evidence.

While the Supreme Court has decided to review the case files, it said that "doesn't suspend the process."

On Wednesday evening, demonstrators in several Buenos Aires neighborhoods banged pots and pans -- a popular local protest method -- amidst press rumors the trial would be dropped or delayed.

Jorge Gorini, president of the court that will hear the case, stressed that there has been "no change" to the May 21 trial start date.

The 66-year-old Kirchner's lawyers claim the accusations are unfounded and that there is no proof of favoritism in the awarding of public works contracts in Santa Cruz, a Kirchner stronghold, during her tenure.

Implicated in more than 10 corruption investigations, this is the first such case against Kirchner to reach court.

She is accused of having favored companies owned by Baez in Santa Cruz province during her presidency from 2007-15 and that of her late husband Nestor from 2003-07.

Nestor Kirchner was governor of Santa Cruz from 1991 until he became president.

Kirchner will appear in court alongside Baez, her former planning minister Julio De Vido, and his deputy minister Jose Lopez.

Now a center-left senator, Kirchner is protected from pre-trial detention due to her partial parliamentary immunity, which protects her from imprisonment but not prosecution.

Prosecutors say Kirchner was linked to the case by Lopez, who was caught red-handed in 2016 trying to hide a bag containing $9 million in cash in a convent near Buenos Aires.

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Of the other investigations in which she has been implicated, the most high-profile is the so-called corruption notebooks scandal.

It revolves around the meticulous records kept by a government chauffeur, Oscar Centeno, of cash bribes -- allegedly worth $160 million between 2005 and 2015 -- he is said to have delivered from businessmen to government officials.

Kirchner claims to be the victim of political persecution from the center-right government of President Mauricio Macri.

The two are widely expected to lock horns in October's presidential election battle, with Kirchner leading opinion polls.
Photo: Dwayne Hills/Unsplash

Here's the most recent top news you may have missed in Austin.

Police looking for man who allegedly grabbed UT Austin staffer

The incident occurred on May 1 inside Parlin Hall.

Read the full story on KVUE.

Austin ISD to discuss restyling dress code policies that unfairly target female students, cultures

The last time the district update the dress code was in 2007.

Read the full story on KVUE.

Person killed overnight in East Austin crash involving motorcyclist, medics say

The crash happened on Highway 130 near FM 969.

Read the full story on KVUE.

Habitat for Humanity plans for affordable housing complex in East Austin

There are still some details to work out but, as of now, the nonprofit wants to break ground late spring 2020.

Read the full story on KVUE.

Austin City Council to consider tow fee increase

The fee hasn't increased since 2006, and both Austin Police and the towing industry say it's time.

Read the full story on KVUE.

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.
Here's the most recent top news you may have missed in Boston.

Officer struck by car while chasing person wanted on warrants

A Boston Police officer has been struck by a vehicle in Jamaica Plain, officials said.

Read the full story on Boston 25 News.

Boston Bruins hold on to beat Canes for third straight win in playoffs

The Boston Bruins held on to defeat the Carolina Hurricanes 2-1 in the third game of the Eastern Conference Finals.

Read the full story on ABC11 WTVD.

North Andover woman charged with selling illegal buttock, face injections

BOSTON (WHDH) - A 71-year-old North Andover woman is facing federal charges after prosecutors say she spent years offering illegal silicone injections in exchange for money.

Read the full story on 7News - WHDH Boston.

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.
Now arriving: an imagined version of the Kennedy years. Photo: Scott Heins

For years, Eero Saarinens propeller-age TWA Flight Center sat forlornly at JFK like a pinioned bird, vacant, shabby, and useless. The airline went bust in 2001; four years later, JetBlue photobombed the original with its new Terminal 5, designed by Gensler, and briefly considered sprucing up the old building as an extra lobby serving the few design aficionados who would trade convenience for an aesthetically gratifying check-in. So its thrilling to see Saarinens cathedral of flight reopen as the lobby of MCRs $265 million TWA Hotel, looking as pale and bright and smooth as it did 57 years ago. You can once again set your windup watch by the three-sided globular clock that hangs from the central vault, run your fingers over the speckled penny tiles, and sip an Old Fashioned in the sunken lounge. It all feels like a museum of 1962.

Idlewild Airport has utterly changed since the Kennedy administration, and so has the experience of flight. Once, we dressed up and savored the privilege of travel. Now we schlep, slump, and jam ourselves into ever-tighter slots. In the routine of mass migration, holding on to your dignity costs extra. Glamour is unthinkable.

Theyre not wearing suits and ties. Photo: Scott Heins

But amid the misery of the airborne herd, the reborn Flight Center is a reminder that being able to swing around the globe in a matter of hours is not something we should take for granted. Saarinen embedded modernitys optimistic ideals in his architecture  even though the jet age was born between design and execution, so the terminal was functionally obsolete from day one. Beyer Blinder Belle has refreshed the structure for a more skeptical time, to spectacular effect. The ex-terminal can ease a layover or host a bar mitzvah now, and it also restores an architectural masterpiece to its rightful place in public view.

Its good to dawdle here again, without a destination or a reason to spend the night but with a powerful sense of how much the building matters. A curling ribbon of influence corkscrews from the baroque into the 20th century, passing through the Art Nouveau, Gaudi, and Frank Gehry interiors where steel, glass, iron, and wood behave like draped fabric or viscous syrup. A second historical line links great concrete sculptures with thin walls that shimmy, wave, or spring into enormous domes: Le Corbusiers Notre-Dame du Haut in Ronchamp, France, for example; Pier Luigi Nervis Palazzetto dello Sport in Rome; and Toyo Itos Baroque Museum in Puebla, Mexico. And a third thread follows the Industrial Ages architecture of speed from Fiats Lingotto factory, designed by Giacomo Matte Trucco in the 1930s with a spiraling ramp up to a rooftop test track, to Bjarke Ingelss proposal for a Hyperloop portal in Dubai. (In our time, when electronic speeds are measured in nanoseconds, moving people around takes roughly as long as it did 70 years ago. Curiously, the oldest of the modern transportation technologies, rail, has evolved the most in recent years, which is why our eras architectural poets of forward motion, Zaha Hadid and Santiago Calatrava, have both designed high-speed train stations.)

All three of these strands cross at TWA, a curvaceous concrete shell intended to evoke the experience of riding currents of air. Mechanical flight is linear, though; a planes trajectory describes an arc from one point to another. Saarinen rendered travel differently, as a series of spirals, swoops, and pauses  more a dance than a straight shot through the sky. His terminal balances en pointe, its vast canopy standing on four points. The bridge through the lobby is not a single arch but two arms flung toward each other, their fingertips an inch apart. As Saarinen started to sketch in the mid-1950s, he could draw on a whole repertoire of contemporary associations between curving lines, physical motion, and sex. Like the muscular one in Wallace Stevenss 1955 poem The Emperor of Ice Cream, Saarinen formed his interiors into concupiscent curds, luscious white swirls like beaten egg whites or whipped cream, or polished marble limbs. That same year, Vladimir Nabokov published Lolita, in which the criminally lecherous Humbert Humbert whisks his nymphet off on a circuitous road trip: Our route began with a series of wiggles and whorls in New England 

The first visitors to the Flight Center, just a few years later, would have had to be pretty straitlaced not to notice the feminine attributes of an architecture with no right angles or straight lines. Travelers entered just beneath the canopys protruding nub. Flight information was displayed on a humanoid face raised on a slender, curving neck and framed in a concrete bob with a widows peak. At boarding time, passengers passed through scarlet-carpeted tubes that rose and dipped invitingly on the way to the gates. TWA capitalized on the subliminal raunch. In 1968, the company launched a line of disposable paper uniforms called British wench, French cocktail, Roman toga, and Manhattan penthouse pajamas, some of which are preserved in the hotels museum display. The retro toiletries bag found in each room includes a replica of an original in-flight goodie, a Band-Aid case bearing the slogan IM STUCK ON TWA FLIGHT ATTENDANTS.

The Solari departures-and-arrivals board, freshly restored. Photo: Scott Heins

The hotel is about stopping, not flying. Instead of implied eroticism, it offers four-hour rooms and beds with floor-to-ceiling view of planes touching down and lifting off. No longer able to evoke future excitement, it burrows down under the bedclothes of the past. You have to admire the managements preservationist thoroughness. The whole complex, including two stolid new wings by Lubrano Ciavarra that sprout from the birds ribs and a conference center by Inc Architecture & Design tucked beneath the tarmac, is an eBay triumph. Every space is packed with chairs picked up from the Four Seasons auction, rotary phones converted for internet calling (parents will have to teach their kids how to dial), and refurbished furnishings by the mid-centurys marquee names: Knoll, Eames, Noguchi, and Loewy. The 90-year-old Stan Herman, who designed TWAs uniforms in the 1970s, has returned to clothe the hotel staff. A decommissioned Lockheed Constellation L-1649A Starliner, known to aviation buffs as Connie, sits out back, serving out its retirement as a bar.

Such faithfulness brings up what I think of the Mad Men conundrum: At what point does the obsessive evocation of an era spill over into uncritical adulation? Can you indulge in the glamour without also pining for the sexism and segregation? The suspicion nags as you stroll through this gorgeously curated time warp, secretly hoping to bump into Audrey Hepburn and Cary Grant, that you might be forgetting about the dark side of nostalgia. And then a more specific thought asserts itself: Maybe mid-century retro chic is really just a design lovers version of MAGA.

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Read on for the most recent top news you may have missed in Boston.

Mass. General Hospital surgeon charged with drunk driving in Boston hit and run

Michael Watkins was arraigned in Boston Municipal Court Tuesday and released on $1500 cash bail.

Read the full story on WBZ | CBS Boston.

Aggressive turkeys going after people in Boston neighborhood

State wildlife officials have given Boston Animal Control permission to capture the troublesome turkeys but so far they've failed.

Read the full story on ABC Philadelphia, WPVI.

Trial set for man charged with taking photos of students at Boston Latin

A federal court judge set a trial date next January for the man accused of taking pictures in the Boston Latin High School locker room.

Read the full story on Boston Herald.

Boston City Councilor Matt OMalley seeks more restrictions on e-cigarettes

Calling the increased use of vapes and e-cigarettes among young kids a public health crisis, City Councilor Matt OMalley is asking his colleagues and city officials to engage in a tough conversation about potentially banning flavored tobacco that studies show is being used by around 20 percent of high-schoolers, and rapidly making its way towards middle-schoolers.

Read the full story on Boston Herald.

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Here's what you need to know about what's happening in Dallas.

Dallas police searching for machete-wielding man in road rage incident

Dallas police say a man attacked another man's car with a machete because of road rage. It's the latest in a string of violent road rage incidents.

Read the full story on WFAA.

Family of slain Dallas woman petitions for adult charges for teen rape suspect

The last time Chris Mullins saw his girlfriend alive, she was leaving for work early on a Monday morning in late November 2018. Maria Ezquerro had recently returned home from visiting her parents in Mexico and spent the night with Mullins in Denton.

Read the full story on Dallas Observer.

Frustrated east Dallas neighborhood draws attention to unfinished road project with luau

Neighbors in the East Dallas Casa View community are venting their frustration over an unfinished street project with a touch of humor.

Read the full story on CBS DFW.

Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings, 7 council members endorse Eric Johnson for mayor

Seven Dallas City Council members joined Mayor Mike Rawlings in backing State Representative Eric Johnson over fellow Council Member Scott Griggs in the runoff election for Dallas mayor.

Read the full story on CBS DFW.

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Here's the most recent top news you may have missed in Fresno.

Passenger gets 210 days in jail for role in Gavin Gladding's hit-and-run death

A judge on Wednesday gave Fernanda Lopez 210 days in jail for her role in the cover-up in the hit-and-run death of Clovis Unified educator Gavin Gladding.

Read the full story on CBS47 Fresno.

Catholic church sex abuse: compensation program to launch in Fresno, elsewhere

Six of California's Catholic Dioceses are committing to a new program to compensate survivors of priest sex abuse.

Read the full story on CBS47 Fresno.

Fresno Fire Department warns of canal dangers as we head toward summer

Two bodies were pulled from Fresno area canals just one week apart.

Read the full story on KSEE24 News.

Fresno police searching for suspect after robbery

Fresno police are searching for a suspect after a violent robbery at an AT&T store.

Read the full story on KSEE24 News.

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Read on for the most recent top news you may have missed in Houston.

2-year-old boy dropped off at fire station in southwest Houston

The woman told police she had nowhere else to go after she said she and her son were turned away from a shelter.

Read the full story on ABC13 Houston.

Mother of four found stabbed to death in Houston home

MOTHER MURDERED: Four children are now without their mother after someone stabbed her to death while they were at school.

Read the full story on ABC30 Action News.

Woman claims she found hidden camera inside west Houston gas station bathroom

The woman said the stores owner offered her $700 to not file any charges or take the suspect to court.

Read the full story on KHOU.

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Here's what you need to know about what's happening in Houston.

Texas police tried to arrest a black man in his own yard after misidentifying him

You dont know my name, so how can you tell me I have a warrant in Louisiana? a Houston man asked an officer in a now viral-video.

Read the full story on HuffPost.

Texas Equusearch suspends search for 4-year-old Maleah Davis

HOUSTON (FOX 26) - Texas Equusearch has suspended the search for 4-year-old Maleah Davis.

Read the full story on FOX 26 Houston.

Three Brothers Bakery loses Kosher license after 70 years

On the eve of their 70th anniversary last week, the popular Houston bakery was preparing to celebrate when its owners received notice it had lost its Kosher certification.

Read the full story on Houston Chronicle.

Tiger owner arrested for leaving wild cat caged at vacant Houston house

ABC was interviewing the owner of a tiger that was left at a house in southeast Houston when police showed up and arrested her.

Read the full story on ABC7 News.

Trio linked to 6 Houston-area Walgreens robberies, deputies say

Three people have been arrested after a crime spree around Harris County, according to deputies.

Read the full story on KPRC2 / Click2Houston.

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Here's what you need to know about what's happening in Los Angeles.

Dodgers pitcher Julio Urias was arrested on suspicion of domestic violence

Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Julio Urias was arrested Monday night on suspicion of domestic violence, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.

Read the full story on NBC LA.

At least 4 people shot, including 5-year-old in the back, in Vermont Square

At least four people were shot, including a 5-year-old child in the back, in the Vermont Square neighborhood of South Los Angeles Tuesday.

Read the full story on NBC LA.

23-year-old Compton woman killed, brother in critical condition in suspected street-racing crash

The victims of a deadly South Los Angeles crash over the weekend have been identified as siblings as authorities continue their search for the suspected street racers involved.

Read the full story on KTLA 5 News.

Former manager charged with abuse of Marvel's Stan Lee

LOS ANGELES (AP) - A former business manager of Stan Lee has been charged with five counts of elder abuse involving the late Marvel Comics mogul.

Read the full story on FOX26.

More than 20 lifeguards develop swimmers itch after swim exam in Hansen Dam Lake

Twenty-two Los Angeles lifeguards have filed a grievance with L.A. city officials after developing bacterial respiratory problems and skin rashes following a swim exam.

Read the full story on KTLA 5 News.

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Here's what you need to know about what's happening in Los Angeles.

One dock worker killed, another severely injured in Port of LA accident

The incident occurred at 7:25 a.m. at the Fenix Marine Services terminal on Pier 300.

Read the full story on Daily Breeze.

Woman sought in attempted kidnappings in Los Angeles

Police released images of a woman they say is suspected in a kidnapping and attempted kidnapping that occurred in the city of Los Angeles on May 14 and 15, hoping the community might recognize her and help identify her.

Read the full story on Fox 11 Los Angeles.

Bedbug infestation forces closure of LAPD's Pacific Division jail

A bedbug infestation has forced the closure of the Los Angeles Police Department's Pacific station jail until Friday, police said Wednesday.

Read the full story on Fox 11 Los Angeles.

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Missed the the most recent top news in Las Vegas? Read on for everything you need to know.

1 in custody after shooting involving Las Vegas police

No officers were injured, and a person is in custody, after Las Vegas police were involved in a shooting Tuesday night in the central valley.

Read the full story on Las Vegas Review-Journal.

Las Vegas stadium district transportation study underway

A transportation study is underway aimed at making the area surrounding the Las Vegas stadium easier to navigate by incorporating enhanced pedestrian, bicycle and multimodal options.

Read the full story on Las Vegas Review-Journal.

Las Vegas police seek witnesses of man, 74, pushed off bus

The Metropolitan Police Department released surveillance footage of a woman pushing 74-year-old Serge Fournier off of a bus on March 21 in downtown Las Vegas.

Read the full story on Las Vegas Review-Journal.

North Las Vegas police investigating deadly shooting

North Las Vegas police are investigating a deadly shooting after a child called to report a loud bang in a home on the 4900 block of Harold Street.

Read the full story on Las Vegas Review-Journal.

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Read on for the most recent top news you may have missed in Philadelphia.

Mistake is ours to own: Muslim American Society apologizes for video of children reciting violent poem

The Muslim American Society's Philadelphia chapter and the Leaders Academy, a gathering place for cyberschooled children that rents space at the site, issued a joint statement Wednesday.

Read the full story on CBS Philly.

Former mayor sues current mayor over Philly tax assessments

Former Philadelphia Mayor John Street, an adviser to mayoral candidates Anthony Williams, has sued Mayor Jim Kenney, claiming the citys property tax assessments are unfair.

Read the full story on WHYY.

Police searching for man, woman after victim shot in head, killed in Nicetown

The shooting happened on the 3900 block of Pulaski Ave just before 4 p.m. on May 1.

Read the full story on CBS Philly.

Police: Impaired mother walks into oncoming traffic with infant in Philly

A mother under the influence of narcotics walked into oncoming traffic while pushing her two-month-old infant daughter, according to Philadelphia police.

Read the full story on 6abc Action News.

Crews battle house fire in northeast Philadelphia

Flames broke out around 6:10 a.m. Wednesday on Farwell Road, near Academy and Comly Roads.

Read the full story on CBS Philly.

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Here's what you need to know about what's happening in Sacramento.

Man, woman found dead inside South Sacramento home

Someone called 911 and hung up. When police responded to the home where the call originated, they found two bodies.

Read the full story on ABC10.

Police investigate after small camera found in Natomas Park Elementary staff bathroom

The Sacramento Police Department is investigating after a teacher found a camera in a bathroom at Natomas Park Elementary School. The teacher found the small camera in the staff bathroom located in the school's main office.

Read the full story on FOX40.

Significant damage from Sacramento Blue Diamond plant fire. Will almond prices skyrocket?

Blue Diamond Growers was assessing the damage Tuesday from the fire that hit its Sacramento manufacturing plant. Economists discuss the effect on Californias multibillion dollar almond industry and consumer prices.

Read the full story on The Sacramento Bee.

Mail packages with odd odor prompt evacuation at CHP headquarters in Sacramento

The building in the 700 block of North 7th Street was evacuated minutes after the initial call was made to fire dispatchers at 10 a.m.

Read the full story on The Sacramento Bee.

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.
New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern and French president Emmanuel Macron announcing the launch of a global initiative to tackle the spread of extremism online. Photo: Yoan Valat/AFP/Getty Images

New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern and French president Emmanuel Macron met Wednesday in Paris to garner support for the Christchurch Call, an intergovernmental effort to stifle online extremism in the wake of the mosque attacks in March that killed 50 people. But the United States, a country that faces a rising tide of far-right extremism propelled by sympathetic online communities, has politely declined to heed the call.

The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy released a statement saying that it stands with Ardern and Macron in condemning terrorist and violent extremist content online, but would ultimately pass on the initiative, citing concerns about freedom of expression and freedom of the press. The office added that the best tool to defeat terrorist speech is productive speech, a phrase that echoes the sentiment of so many post-shooting thoughts and prayers.

The White House further kicked the can of responsibility down the road when it said that it encourages technology companies to enforce their terms of service and community standards that forbid the use of their platforms for terrorist purpose, rather than voluntarily sign on to the bill, as Germany, Senegal, the U.K., and 14 other countries did. As Vox notes, policing a network as large as Facebook for videos of shootings like Christchurch  which was broadcast live on the site and successfully uploaded by users some 200,000 times  is like playing a game of whack-a-mole.

Without impinging on First Amendment rights, surely the White House can find some middle ground and join the Christchurch Call, as Amazon, Facebook, Google, Microsoft, and Twitter also did. Aside from being a nonbinding policy layup, cosigning the anti-extremism project could help rehabilitate the very fine people on both sides administrations image on countering far-right terrorism.

As New Yorks Jonah Shepp posited last week, President Trump has not only downplayed the threat of white-supremacist terrorism and failed to convincingly distance himself from the neo-Nazi fringes of his base, his administration has taken concrete steps to shift government resources away from addressing the threat these extremist groups pose. To pass on a freebie international effort like that offered by Ardern and Macron further suggests just how disinterested this administration is in dealing with far-right extremism in America  online or not.
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Here's the most recent top news you may have missed in Sacramento.

Homeless encampment encroaches on Sacramento cemetery

Families are frustrated a homeless encampment is encroaching on the gravesites of loved ones.

Read the full story on KCRA 3.

Norovirus outbreak closes Harry Dewey Fundamental Elementary School for rest of this week

FAIR OAKS  A San Juan Unified elementary school in Fair Oaks will be closed for the rest of the week after several students contracted norovirus.

Read the full story on FOX40.

Elk Grove school staffer diagnosed with infection that can cause meningitis, officials say

An Elk Grove school staff member was diagnosed with meningococcal disease, and may have interacted with students and faculty, according to the Sacramento County Department of Health Services.

Read the full story on The Sacramento Bee.

Sentry Mode captures men appearing to key Tesla in Sacramento

Two men were caught on video allegedly keying a Tesla in Old Sacramento and they appear to be unaware they were being filmed.

Read the full story on CBS13 CBS Sacramento.

Sacramento ordinance banned aggressive panhandling. Now the law may be erased

Sacramento, CA, is poised to repeal its controversial ordinance against aggressive panhandling, which a federal judge ordered the city to stop enforcing in July after an ACLU and activist lawsuit.

Read the full story on The Sacramento Bee.

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Here's the most recent top news you may have missed in San Diego.

VIDEO: American hits 5 people, 17 vehicles in border car chase, Tijuana police say

An American man was arrested after running over several people with a truck in a chaotic chase to the San Ysidro border crossing with San Diego.

Read the full story on ABC7.

UCSD has not told women with HIV of data breach, despite researchers pleas

University of California San Diego officials stonewalled attempts to notify women in an HIV research study that their confidential data was breached more than seven months ago, an inewsource investigation has found.

Read the full story on KPBS.

Report: San Diego at risk for measles outbreak

San Diego is among 25 counties throughout the nation at risk for a measles outbreak, according to a new report.

Read the full story on 10News  ABC San Diego KGTV.

Week-old stowaway kittens survive 500-mile journey to San Diego in 60-foot steel column

Meows from inside the metal tipped construction crews to the unexpected passengers

Read the full story on The San Diego Union-Tribune.

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Here's what you need to know about what's happening in Seattle.

Washington is best state in America, Seattle is 2nd-fittest city, studies find

A top national news site has ranked Washington as the best state in America. The ranking, announced Tuesday by U. S. News & World Report, says the home of Amazon, Microsoft, Starbucks and Boeing earned the No. 1 ranking based on several criteria, including health care, education, economy and opportunity.

Read the full story on KOMO News .

Seattle mayor, other leaders to talk with public about neighborhood crime

Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan will join six neighborhood and tourism organizations Tuesday to answer questions from residents and business owners about public safety in Seattle neighborhoods.

Read the full story on KOMO News .

More smoky days in Seattle this summer? Wildfire risk on the rise

A new forecasting report now places Western Washington as a potential hot spot for wildfires this summer. While most of the large wildfires happen in Eastern Washington, the risk for extreme fire behavior is still very real on the west side, too.

Read the full story on KOMO News .

Seattle's St. James Cathedral plans sprinkler system after Notre Dame fire

A $350,000 attic sprinkler system may seem like a lot at St. James Cathedral, but the catastrophic fire at Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris has focused minds in Seattle.

Read the full story on SeattlePI .

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Here's the most recent top news you may have missed in Stockton.

Several people shot, another stabbed during violent few hours in Stockton

Authorities were kept busy over several violent hours across Stockton early Tuesday as two people were shot and another was stabbed.

Read the full story on Recordnet.com.

Jackets Corner owner retiring after 50 years serving Franklin High

There arent many institutions more aptly named than Jackets Corner.The food stand that has served Franklin High and the

Read the full story on Recordnet.com.

Unrefrigerated, unembalmed bodies discovered inside Stockton Church operating as unlicensed funeral home

A Stockton family had no idea the funeral home they called to handle their fathers arrangements closed three months before his death.

Read the full story on CBS13 CBS Sacramento.

Trench dug into Stockton levee raises concerns about I-5

The same levee that protects thousands of homes also holds I-5 infrastructure and some homeowners fear the worst.

Read the full story on CBS Sacramento.

Large fire erupts at Stockton pallet yard

Firefighters are battling a large fire at a Stockton pallet yard Tuesday morning.

Read the full story on CBS Sacramento.

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Washington (AFP) - US congressional leaders will receive a classified briefing from intelligence officials Thursday on apparent military threats from Iran amid rapidly escalating tensions between Washington and the Islamic republic.

But House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she wanted the entire Congress to be briefed by next week ahead of a week-long recess so that all lawmakers can be brought up to speed on any new intelligence developments before debating any next steps.

"We're hoping that for sure that before the break we will have a classified briefing on the Middle East, on Iran before the full House of Representatives," Pelosi told reporters.

It was not immediately clear who would conduct the briefing later Thursday, expected to include Pelosi, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer, and the four top leaders of the House and Senate intelligence committees.

The United States on Wednesday ordered non-emergency staff evacuated from its Baghdad embassy due to an "imminent" threat from Iranian-linked Iraqi militias, a move that prompted concern on Capitol Hill.

Strains have ratcheted up with the US deploying an aircraft carrier group and B-52 bombers to the Gulf, and Iran denouncing what it sees as "unacceptable" provocations by Washington.

World powers have rushed to urge calm and US allies continued to show skepticism over Washington's alarm bells.

Opponents of President Donald Trump say hardliners led by national security advisor John Bolton, who has long advocated toppling the Iranian regime, are pushing the country into war.

Pelosi issued her own warning, saying Congress, not the president, has the constitutional power to declare war, and she was quick to note Trump's repeated opposition to the US military intervention in Iraq.

"I like what I hear from the president, that he has no appetite for this," she said.

"One of the places that I agree with the president is in both of our opposition to the war in Iraq, and I hope that that same attitude will prevail with (Trump), even though some of his supporters are rattling sabers."
May 15 (Reuters) - A trade group is inviting airlines that use Boeing Co 737 MAX jets to meet next week to discuss challenges they face as a result of the grounding of the airline model involved in two fatal crashes, as they prepare to reintroduce the planes into operation.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) said it would convene a meeting in Montreal, Canada on May 23 and invite airlines that have the Boeing 737 MAX in their fleet or on order.

"The meeting is for airlines only, although updates from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Boeing will feature on the agenda," IATA said in a statement.

IATA counts around 290 airlines as members of its association, of which 28 have the Boeing 737 MAX in their fleet.

Boeing's 737 MAX was grounded worldwide in March following a fatal Ethiopian Airlines crash that killed all 157 on board just five months after a similar crash on a Lion Air flight that killed all 189 passengers and crew.

May 23 is also the same day the U.S. FAA is planning a meeting in Fort Worth, Texas, with air regulators from around the world to update them on reviews of Boeing's planned software update and new pilot training.

Boeing has said the software upgrade and associated pilot training will add layers of protection to prevent erroneous data from triggering a system called MCAS, which activated in the Ethiopian Airlines crash and also during the Lion Air crash. (Reporting by Tamara Mathias in Bengaluru; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)
Paris (AFP) - Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Thursday said he was gravely saddened by "backsliding" on women's rights seen in several US states, after Alabama agreed the toughest abortion ban in the country.

Trudeau has always promoted himself as a feminist, appointing women to several key positions, although his image has been tainted somewhat in recent months by a political meddling scandal at home.

"We are deeply disappointed by the backsliding on women's rights that we're seeing in some places around the world, including some American states," Trudeau told a news conference in Paris.

"As a government, as Canadians, we will always be unequivocal about defending women's rights to choose, defending women's rights in general."

His comments came after Alabama Governor Kay Ivey on Wednesday signed the most restrictive abortion law in the United States, providing for a near-total prohibition, even in cases of rape and incest.

Under the new measure, expected to come into effect in six months, performing an abortion is a crime that could land doctors in prison for up to 99 years.

Abortions would only be legal if the life of the mother is in danger or the foetus has a fatal condition.

Trudeau said there was a trend of conservative governments around the world taking rights away from women, although he did not point to specific countries,

"It's a shame that we increasingly see conservative governments and conservative politicians taking away rights that have been hard-fought over many, many years, by generations of women and male allies," he said.
WASHINGTON  President Donald Trump granted pardons to two conservative figures Wednesday  a former newspaper publisher and an advocate for criminal justice reform  continuing a pattern of extending clemency to political allies.

Trump granted a pardon to former newspaper mogul Conrad Black, who spent three and a half years in jail in on a 2007 fraud conviction that was ultimately reviewed by the Supreme Court. The White House described Black as an "entrepreneur and scholar" who "has made tremendous contributions to business."

Black has also been an outspoken Trump supporter and wrote a book about the president last year.

"I think hes done quite well," Black said of Trump in an interview with The Guardian last year.

Black's case, the White House said, had attracted "broad support from many high-profile individuals."

Trump also granted a pardon to Pat Nolan, director of the American Conservative Union Foundations Center for Criminal Justice Reform. Nolan was an instrumental voice supporting the bipartisan criminal justice legislation Trump signed into law last year.

A former state lawmaker in California, Nolan was convicted of accepting illegal campaign contributions in 1994 and was sentenced to 33 months in prison.

"Mr. Nolan's experiences with prosecutors and in prison changed his life," the White House said in a statement. "Upon his release, he became a tireless advocate for criminal justice reform and victims rights."

Trump has frequently used his clemency power to make political statements, pardoning conservative commentator Dinesh D'Souza, former Arizona sheriff Joe Arpaio, and former Bush White House aide Scooter Libby, among others.

President Donald Trump prepares to board the Marine One helicopter on the South Lawn of the White House to travel to Louisiana on May 14, 2019.

That's hardly unprecedented, but previous presidents have tended to grant their most controversial pardons in their final months in office. Trump has done so early in his presidency.

Contributing: Gregory Korte

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump grants pardon to conservative former media mogul and supporter Conrad Black
The Trump administration is pulling out the big guns in its push to slow Chinas rise, with potentially devastating consequences for the rest of the world.

The White House on Wednesday initiated a two-pronged assault on China: barring companies deemed a national security threat from selling to the U.S., and threatening to blacklist Huawei Technologies from buying essential components. If it follows through, the move could cripple Chinas largest technology company, depress the business of American chip giants from Qualcomm to Micron Technology, and potentially disrupt the rollout of critical 5G wireless networks around the world.

The Trump administration action is a grave escalation with China, Eurasia Group analysts Paul Triolo, Michael Hirson, and Jeffrey Wright wrote in a note. If fully implemented, the blacklist would put at risk both the company itself and the networks of Huawei customers around the world, as the firm would be unable to upgrade software and conduct routine maintenance and hardware replacement.

The threat is likely to elevate fears in Beijing that President Donald Trumps broader goal is to contain China, leading to a protracted cold war between the worlds biggest economies. In addition to a trade fight that has rattled global markets for months, the U.S. has pressured both allies and foes to avoid using Huawei for 5G networks that will form the backbone of the modern economy.

This decision is in no ones interest, Huawei said in an emailed response. It will do significant economic harm to the American companies with which Huawei does business, affect tens of thousands of American jobs, and disrupt the current collaboration and mutual trust that exist on the global supply chain.

The Chinese company will try to take action to mitigate the impact of the incident and seek remedies to resolve the matter, it said.

Story continues

The U.S. notified the Chinese embassy in Washington about the Huawei action shortly before the announcement Wednesday, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross told Bloomberg TV Thursday. While Huawei wasnt part of U.S.-China trade talks, the U.S. hopes that negotiations between the two nations will mitigate the kind of behavior the U.S. is punishing Huawei for, Ross said.

@Huawei 5G, RIP. Thanks for playing, U.S. Senator Tom Cotton, a Republican from Arkansas, wrote on Twitter.

U.S. suppliers to Huawei including Lumentum Holdings and Qualcomm are indicated to open lower in pre-market trading, after shares in Asian suppliers including Sunny Optical Technology Group and AAC Technologies Holdings dropped as much as 5% on Thursday.

In Europe, STMicroelectronics NV fell, while Huawei competitor Nokia Oyj gained 2%. Huawei has said it devotes about a third of its budgetsome $11 billion annuallyto the acquisition of American components. It counts 33 U.S. companies among its top 92 suppliers.

The negative impact on the global 5G market will be significant, said Charlie Dai, a Beijing-based analyst at Forrester Research, nothing that Huawei is one of the market leaders globally. Nokia and Cisco could address the gap to some extent, but the overall adoption will be slowed down, which eventually will be harmful to telco carriers and consumers around the world.

The Commerce Department said Wednesday it will soon put Huawei on an Entity Listmeaning any U.S. company will need a special license to sell products to the worlds largest networking gear maker. Since American companies dominate semiconductors, that could smother Huaweis production of everything from 5G base stations to mobile phones. It may not even be able to use Googles Android, the most popular operating system globally for smartphones. A similar move last year against ZTEChinas second-biggest telecom equipment companynearly forced the company out of business.

This could potentially lead to Huaweis destruction, said Scott Kennedy, a China expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. You cant underestimate the significance. Its their most important company and threatening it in this way will generate a massive public response as well as from the Chinese government. The bilateral trade talks were on thin ice and this could derail them entirely.

At the heart of Trumps concerted campaign is suspicion that Huawei aids Beijing in espionage while spearheading Chinas ambitions of becoming a technology superpower. The Justice Department also accuses it of willfully violating sanctions on Iran, and last year engineered the arrest of the eldest daughter of Huaweis billionaire founder.

Huawei, which has denied those allegations, said Thursday it was ready and willing to engage with the U.S. to ensure product security. Restricting it from doing business will only serve to limit the U.S. to inferior yet more expensive alternatives, it said in a statement.

Chinas government said it will take all necessary measures to defend its companies.

We resolutely object to any country, based on their own laws, unilaterally sanctioning Chinese entities, Ministry of Commerce spokesman Gao Feng said at a regularly scheduled briefing in Beijing Thursday. We also object to the generalization of the national security concept and abuse of export control methods.

The lack of alternatives is one reason that its far from certain the U.S. will make good on its threat to cut off Huawei. Observers for months had been dismissing the possibility, in part because it would hurt some of Americas largest tech corporations. The Trump administration has also been pressuring allies to bar Huawei equipment from their communications networks for security reasons. But the U.S. effort had largely failed, as even the U.K. declined to join the American call for a boycott.

If the U.S. handicaps Huawei by cutting off suppliers, countries and telecom carriers around the world that are already spending billions to build 5G networks may have to resort to pricier equipment from Nokia Oyj and Ericsson AB. Tying up a chunk of the worlds 5G gear supply would slow the build-out of a technology that underpins future services from self-driving cars to smart homes and advanced medicine.

Huawei appears to have anticipated this possibility. Its been developing and designing its own chips for years, which it now uses in many of its own smartphones. Its reportedly even developing its own operating software to run phones and servers.

For now, though, it remains heavily reliant on American technology.

Huaweis base station, smartphone, server, and maritime cable businesses simply cannot run without Qualcomm baseband and processor chips. There are alternativesbut from American peers such as Intel, Micron, and Broadcom.

It also depends on smaller American suppliers in key areas: Lumentum Holdings for optical cable; Amphenol for fiber-optic connectors; Inphi for analog chips; Qorvo. and Analog Devices Inc. for radio-frequency semiconductors in both 4G and 5G; and Western Digital for storage. Texas Instruments supplies it with digital signal processing chips. Huawei even uses Oracle Corp. software in products sold to state-owned companies.

ZTE provides a roadmap for what may happen next. Huaweis much smaller rival in 2017 ran afoul of the Commerce Department for violating the same Iranian sanctions, and then lying about it. The subsequent ban on American exports pushed the company to the brink of extinction, before Trump intervened as part of trade negotiations with Beijing.

A blanket ban would hurt not just U.S. companies, but also alienate American allies around the world. Many have resisted Washingtons attempts to steer them away from Huawei, for reasons ranging from economics to just the simple fact that the Shenzhen-based companys 5G technology is for now considered superior.

Thats why some observers, including the Eurasia Group, argue that the White House is unlikely to bring the full force of a blacklist to bear. Instead, it argued, the Trump administration is likely to issue export licenses to all of its American companies while retaining the option in future to pull them if needed.

Roger Sheng at market research firm Gartner draws parallels with the Chinese fable of the Monkey King, whose powers are constrained by a magic circlet that his handler constrictspainfullywhen the deity misbehaves.

The U.S. is putting a circlet around the head of Huawei, said Sheng, who is based in Shanghai. The impact goes well beyond its 5G ambitions because without American suppliers like Qualcomm and Marvell, it cant even maintain normal operations.
Kolkata Police constitutes Special Investigation Team (SIT) for investigation into the vandalism of Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar's statue at Vidyasagar College in Kolkata on 14th May. pic.twitter.com/iYt0KBNLPE

Kolkata Police constitutes Special Investigation Team (SIT) for probe into the vandalism of Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar's statue at Vidyasagar College in Kolkata on May 14.

Kolkata Police constitutes Special Investigation Team (SIT) for investigation into the vandalism of Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar's statue at Vidyasagar College in Kolkata on 14th May. pic.twitter.com/iYt0KBNLPE

Kolkata Police constitutes Special Investigation Team (SIT) for probe into the vandalism of Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar's statue at Vidyasagar College in Kolkata on May 14.

BJP's Pragya Thakur says, "Apne sangathan BJP mein nishtha rakhti hun, uski karyakarta hun aur party ki line meri line hai." Earlier in the day, she had said "Nathuram Godse was, is and will remain a 'deshbhakt'." BJP has condemned her statement & asked her to apologise publicly pic.twitter.com/0bPJSsgPaL

Earlier today, she had said "Nathuram Godse was, is and will remain a 'deshbhakt'." Later, BJP has condemned her statement and asked her to apologise publicly.

BJP's Pragya Thakur says, "Apne sangathan BJP mein nishtha rakhti hun, uski karyakarta hun aur party ki line meri line hai." Earlier in the day, she had said "Nathuram Godse was, is and will remain a 'deshbhakt'." BJP has condemned her statement & asked her to apologise publicly pic.twitter.com/0bPJSsgPaL

Earlier today, she had said "Nathuram Godse was, is and will remain a 'deshbhakt'." Later, BJP has condemned her statement and asked her to apologise publicly.

Election Commission of India: Mithun Kumar Dey, SDPO Diamond Harbour (West Bengal) & Kaushik Das, Office In-Charge Amherst Street (West Bengal) stands relieved with immediate effect. Both the officers shall not be given any election related posts. pic.twitter.com/lOdaUlmc3R

Election Commission of India has relived Mithun Kumar Dey, SDPO Diamond Harbour (West Bengal), and Kaushik Das, Office In-Charge Amherst Street (West Bengal) with immediate effect. Both the officers shall not be given any election related posts.

Election Commission of India: Mithun Kumar Dey, SDPO Diamond Harbour (West Bengal) & Kaushik Das, Office In-Charge Amherst Street (West Bengal) stands relieved with immediate effect. Both the officers shall not be given any election related posts. pic.twitter.com/lOdaUlmc3R

Election Commission of India has relived Mithun Kumar Dey, SDPO Diamond Harbour (West Bengal), and Kaushik Das, Office In-Charge Amherst Street (West Bengal) with immediate effect. Both the officers shall not be given any election related posts.

"Go to the polling booths on May 19, no matter the hooliganism, and do not surrender your right to vote to anybody. Press the button that you want to. Your button is the reply to Didi's bullet," PM Modi said.

"Those who go to temples, gurudwaras and churches, those who had to come to India due to their religious practices, they don't have nothing to worry about. We will amend the citizenship law and will make you permanent residents of India," PM Modi said.

"Youths are being stuffed into jails for saying 'Jai Maa Kali' or ''Jai Shri Ram'. Daughters are being sent to prison over a mere joke. This will not go on. Once Modi government comes back into power on May 23, then the intruders will be dealt with," PM Modi said.

"Didi, everybody has the liberty to watch dreams. You have complete liberty to watch dreams of becoming the Prime Minister. But abusing our security personnel, using goons against them, has raised questions over your credibility," PM Modi said.

"Didi, everybody has the liberty to watch dreams. You have complete liberty to watch dreams of becoming the Prime Minister. But abusing our security personnel, using goons against them, has raised questions over your credibility," PM Modi said.

"Mamata Didi is making the mistake of believing that West Bengal is her personal property. Didi is abusing the Election Commission. She is abusing the electoral process and security forces. You are forgetting that these institutions have helped you in the past," PM Modi said.

19:13 IST: "Mamata Didi is making the mistake of believing that West Bengal is her personal property. Didi is abusing the Election Commission. She is abusing the electoral process and security forces. You are forgetting that these institutions have helped you in the past," PM Modi said.

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aa aaa aaa aaa aa aa aaa aaaaaa aaaaaaaa aa aaaa aaa aa aa: aaaa aaaa #ApnaModiAayega  BJP (@BJP4India) May 16, 2019





19:10 IST: This election will be remembered for the attitude of Mamata towards democracy and the Constitution, PM Modi during his Dum Dum rally. "Several BJP workers were killed in here (West Bengal). Many workers were attacked. Their houses were burned down," the PM said.

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18:58 IST: This is my last public meeting in West Bengal during this election. I got the opportunity to interact with people from every corner of Bengal during the past 2-3 days. The support from West Bengal is unforgettable.

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18:55 IST: PM Narendra Modi attended an election rally in Dum Dum, West Bengal. PM Modi addresses public meeting in Dum Dum, West Bengal. Dial 9345014501 to listen LIVE. #ApnaModiAayegahttps://t.co/2RXrIPrfz0  BJP (@BJP4India) May 16, 2019

May 16, 2019 18:45 (IST) Election Commission of India declares polls held on April 11 at 5 polling stations of the Chandragiri Assembly constituency and the Chittoor Parliamentary constituency of Andhra Pradesh as void. Re-polls will be held on May 19.

18:45 IST: Election Commission of India declares polls held on April 11 at 5 polling stations of the Chandragiri Assembly constituency and the Chittoor Parliamentary constituency of Andhra Pradesh as void. Re-polls will be held on May 19.

May 16, 2019 18:36 (IST) Yogi, Amit Shah campaign for Gorakhpur candidate Ravi Kishan BJP president Amit Shah and UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath campaigned for BJP candidate from Gorakhpur, Ravi Kishan. Here's a glimpse of their roadshow in Gorakhpur:

Gorakhpur: BJP President Amit Shah campaigns for party's candidate from Gorakhpur, Ravi Kishan. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath also present. pic.twitter.com/g68dNJu6Wz  ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) May 16, 2019





18:36 IST: BJP president Amit Shah and UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath campaigned for BJP candidate from Gorakhpur, Ravi Kishan. Here's a glimpse of their roadshow in Gorakhpur:

Gorakhpur: BJP President Amit Shah campaigns for party's candidate from Gorakhpur, Ravi Kishan. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath also present. pic.twitter.com/g68dNJu6Wz  ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) May 16, 2019





18:23 IST: With the 2019 Lok Sabha election coming to a head, Gorakhpur is heating up in this politically charged climate. The prestige of BJP CM Yogi Adityanath is at stake in the constituency



Today, BJP president Amit Shah held a massive roadshow in Gorakhpur. Here are the visuals:

Watch BJP National President Shri @AmitShah's massive roadshow in Gorakhpur, UP. #ApnaModiAayegahttps://t.co/wn3R9P8WO2  BJP (@BJP4India) May 16, 2019





May 16, 2019 18:19 (IST) Gorakhpur becomes battle of prestige for Yogi Adityanath In the last phase of 2019 Lok Sabha Election, attention has shifted to Gorakhpur where the reputation of UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is at stake. Winning back the seat from the Samajwadi Party (SP) is the biggest challenge for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) where it had lost after 27 years in the 2018 bypolls. The high profile constituency is witnessing direct fight between Bhojpuri superstar Ravi Kishan, who is contesting on BJP's ticket, and Rambhual Nishad, a former MLA and BSP-SP combine's candidate."I appeal to the people of Gorakhpur that it's very important to cast vote. It's a new Gorakhpur we have now where AIIMS has been constructed and facalities in the BRD medical college has also improved. We have opened sugar mill and fertiliser factory where jobs to the local youths will also be provided. In this election vote for the BJP because we are committed towards nation building" said Yogi Adityanath while campaigning for his party candidate.

18:19 IST: In the last phase of 2019 Lok Sabha Election, attention has shifted to Gorakhpur where the reputation of UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is at stake. Winning back the seat from the Samajwadi Party (SP) is the biggest challenge for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) where it had lost after 27 years in the 2018 bypolls. The high profile constituency is witnessing direct fight between Bhojpuri superstar Ravi Kishan, who is contesting on BJP's ticket, and Rambhual Nishad, a former MLA and BSP-SP combine's candidate."I appeal to the people of Gorakhpur that it's very important to cast vote. It's a new Gorakhpur we have now where AIIMS has been constructed and facalities in the BRD medical college has also improved. We have opened sugar mill and fertiliser factory where jobs to the local youths will also be provided. In this election vote for the BJP because we are committed towards nation building" said Yogi Adityanath while campaigning for his party candidate.

May 16, 2019 18:03 (IST) Opposition leaders meet EC over ending election campaign in West Bengal Delhi: Opposition delegation met with EC over ending election campaign in West Bengal 24 hours early. Abhishek Manu Singhvi, Congress says, "We did not receive a satisfactory response from the Election Commission." pic.twitter.com/mC4QpDlJQ0  ANI (@ANI) May 16, 2019





Opposition delegation met with EC over ending election campaign in West Bengal 24 hours early. "We did not receive a satisfactory response from the Election Commission," Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi said after the meeting.

18:03 IST: Delhi: Opposition delegation met with EC over ending election campaign in West Bengal 24 hours early. Abhishek Manu Singhvi, Congress says, "We did not receive a satisfactory response from the Election Commission." pic.twitter.com/mC4QpDlJQ0  ANI (@ANI) May 16, 2019





Opposition delegation met with EC over ending election campaign in West Bengal 24 hours early. "We did not receive a satisfactory response from the Election Commission," Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi said after the meeting.

May 16, 2019 17:56 (IST) Zakir Naik has faith that Congress will not arrest him: Amit Shah aaaaa aaaa aa aaaaaaa aa aaa aaaaa aaaa aaa aaaaaaaa aaa aaaaaaa aaa aaaa aaaa aa aaaa aaaaa aaa aa aaaa aaa aa aaaa aaa



aaaaa aaa aaaaaaaa aa aaaa aaaaa aa aa aaaaa aaaa aaa aaaaa aaaaa aaa aa, aa aaa aaaa aaaaaaa: aaaa a aaa aaa #ApnaModiAayegapic.twitter.com/2HU9sIr8YC  BJP (@BJP4India) May 16, 2019





"In the terror attacks inspired by Zakir Naik, hundreds of people were killed in Sri Lanka. He is afraid of returning to India during the reign of Modi government. But he has faith that Congress will not arrest him if it comes to power," Amit Shah said.



17:56 IST: aaaaa aaaa aa aaaaaaa aa aaa aaaaa aaaa aaa aaaaaaaa aaa aaaaaaa aaa aaaa aaaa aa aaaa aaaaa aaa aa aaaa aaa aa aaaa aaa



aaaaa aaa aaaaaaaa aa aaaa aaaaa aa aa aaaaa aaaa aaa aaaaa aaaaa aaa aa, aa aaa aaaa aaaaaaa: aaaa a aaa aaa #ApnaModiAayegapic.twitter.com/2HU9sIr8YC  BJP (@BJP4India) May 16, 2019





"In the terror attacks inspired by Zakir Naik, hundreds of people were killed in Sri Lanka. He is afraid of returning to India during the reign of Modi government. But he has faith that Congress will not arrest him if it comes to power," Amit Shah said.



May 16, 2019 17:50 (IST) Prime Minister Modi in Mathurapur, West Bengal: Didi has resorted to threats, today in the morning I received the threat of being sent to jail. Yesterday I saw in media that didi had threatened to take over BJP's office, she is also threatening to take over homes of BJP workers. pic.twitter.com/TBT7GqgS5h  ANI (@ANI) May 16, 2019





"Didi has resorted to threats, today in the morning I received the threat of being sent to jail. Yesterday I saw in media that didi had threatened to take over BJP's office, she is also threatening to take over homes of BJP workers," PM Modi said during his Mathurapur rally.

17:50 IST: Prime Minister Modi in Mathurapur, West Bengal: Didi has resorted to threats, today in the morning I received the threat of being sent to jail. Yesterday I saw in media that didi had threatened to take over BJP's office, she is also threatening to take over homes of BJP workers. pic.twitter.com/TBT7GqgS5h  ANI (@ANI) May 16, 2019





"Didi has resorted to threats, today in the morning I received the threat of being sent to jail. Yesterday I saw in media that didi had threatened to take over BJP's office, she is also threatening to take over homes of BJP workers," PM Modi said during his Mathurapur rally.

May 16, 2019 17:48 (IST) PM Modi in Mathurapur,WB: TMC goons spread violence, they vandalised statue of Vidyasagar. CCTV cameras were installed there. The way the state govt erased evidences of Narada& Sarada scam, it is trying to remove evidence in the incident. I demand a strict action should be taken. pic.twitter.com/V1lc9fIR9x  ANI (@ANI) May 16, 2019





"TMC goons spread violence, they vandalised the statue of Vidyasagar. CCTV cameras were installed there. The way the state govt erased evidences of Narada and Sarada scam, it is trying to remove evidence in the incident. I demand strict action," PM Modi said Mathurapur, West Bengal.

17:48 IST: PM Modi in Mathurapur,WB: TMC goons spread violence, they vandalised statue of Vidyasagar. CCTV cameras were installed there. The way the state govt erased evidences of Narada& Sarada scam, it is trying to remove evidence in the incident. I demand a strict action should be taken. pic.twitter.com/V1lc9fIR9x  ANI (@ANI) May 16, 2019





"TMC goons spread violence, they vandalised the statue of Vidyasagar. CCTV cameras were installed there. The way the state govt erased evidences of Narada and Sarada scam, it is trying to remove evidence in the incident. I demand strict action," PM Modi said Mathurapur, West Bengal.

May 16, 2019 17:45 (IST) NYAY will revive the economy: Rahul Gandhi Rahul Gandhi in Patna, Bihar: Jaise tractor mein diesel dala jata hai waise hi NYAY yojana Hindustan ke arthvyavastha ke engine mein diesel ki tarah hogi, hum diesel daalenge, chaabi ghumange aur Hindustan ki arthvyavastha phir se chalu jo jaayegi, logon ko employment milega. pic.twitter.com/MAbcq8ngLJ  ANI (@ANI) May 16, 2019







"NYAY will be like fuel for the engine that is the Indian Economy. We will fill the fuel, turn the key and the Indian economy will be rejuvenated, people will get employment," Congress president Rahul Gandhi said during his speech in Patna, Bihar.

17:45 IST: Rahul Gandhi in Patna, Bihar: Jaise tractor mein diesel dala jata hai waise hi NYAY yojana Hindustan ke arthvyavastha ke engine mein diesel ki tarah hogi, hum diesel daalenge, chaabi ghumange aur Hindustan ki arthvyavastha phir se chalu jo jaayegi, logon ko employment milega. pic.twitter.com/MAbcq8ngLJ  ANI (@ANI) May 16, 2019







"NYAY will be like fuel for the engine that is the Indian Economy. We will fill the fuel, turn the key and the Indian economy will be rejuvenated, people will get employment," Congress president Rahul Gandhi said during his speech in Patna, Bihar.

May 16, 2019 17:37 (IST) Digvijaya Singh, Congress LS candidate from Bhopal on Pragya Thakur's remarks: Modi ji, Amit Shah ji & the state BJP should give their statements & apologize to the nation. I condemn this statement, Nathuram Godse was a killer, glorifying him is not patriotism, it is sedition. pic.twitter.com/HWp3ZMzREZ  ANI (@ANI) May 16, 2019



"Modi ji, Amit Shah ji & the state BJP should give their statements & apologize to the nation. I condemn this statement, Nathuram Godse was a killer, glorifying him is not patriotism, it is sedition," Digvijay Singh, Congress candidate from Bhopal, commented on Pragya Thakur's statement praising Nathuram Godse.

17:37 IST: Digvijaya Singh, Congress LS candidate from Bhopal on Pragya Thakur's remarks: Modi ji, Amit Shah ji & the state BJP should give their statements & apologize to the nation. I condemn this statement, Nathuram Godse was a killer, glorifying him is not patriotism, it is sedition. pic.twitter.com/HWp3ZMzREZ  ANI (@ANI) May 16, 2019



"Modi ji, Amit Shah ji & the state BJP should give their statements & apologize to the nation. I condemn this statement, Nathuram Godse was a killer, glorifying him is not patriotism, it is sedition," Digvijay Singh, Congress candidate from Bhopal, commented on Pragya Thakur's statement praising Nathuram Godse.

May 16, 2019 16:36 (IST) BJP candidate Sunny Deol campaigns in Amritsar, Punjab BJP's Gurdaspur candidate Sunny Deol campaigns in Amritsar; all 13 parliamentary seats in Punjab will go to polls in the last phase of Lok Sabha elections on 19th May, Sunday.

Punjab: BJP's Gurdaspur candidate Sunny Deol campaigns in Amritsar; all 13 parliamentary seats in Punjab will go to polls in the last phase of Lok Sabha elections on 19th May, Sunday pic.twitter.com/jWJ03X2HNN  ANI (@ANI) May 16, 2019







16:36 IST: BJP's Gurdaspur candidate Sunny Deol campaigns in Amritsar; all 13 parliamentary seats in Punjab will go to polls in the last phase of Lok Sabha elections on 19th May, Sunday.

Punjab: BJP's Gurdaspur candidate Sunny Deol campaigns in Amritsar; all 13 parliamentary seats in Punjab will go to polls in the last phase of Lok Sabha elections on 19th May, Sunday pic.twitter.com/jWJ03X2HNN  ANI (@ANI) May 16, 2019







May 16, 2019 16:24 (IST) India's soul is under attack by successors of Godse, the BJP govt: Randeep Surjewala "India's soul is under attack by successors of Godse, the BJP ruling dispensation.BJP leaders are describing the murderer of father of the nation as a true nationalist & declaring those who sacrificed their lives for nation like Hemant Karkare as anti-nationals," said Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala.

16:24 IST: "India's soul is under attack by successors of Godse, the BJP ruling dispensation.BJP leaders are describing the murderer of father of the nation as a true nationalist & declaring those who sacrificed their lives for nation like Hemant Karkare as anti-nationals," said Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala.

May 16, 2019 15:56 (IST) BJP does not agree with Pragya's statement: GVL Narasimha Rao "BJP does not agree with this statement, we condemn it. Party will ask her for clarification, she should apologise publicly for this statement," said GVL Narasimha Rao about Pragya Thakur's statement that Godse was and will always be a deshbhakt (patriot).



15:56 IST: "BJP does not agree with this statement, we condemn it. Party will ask her for clarification, she should apologise publicly for this statement," said GVL Narasimha Rao about Pragya Thakur's statement that Godse was and will always be a deshbhakt (patriot).



May 16, 2019 15:48 (IST) BJP MP Shobha Karandlaje asks Siddaramaiah to wear bangles "As a coordination chairman, he (Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah) is unable to keep his own legislators under his control. He cannot blame BJP for this. If you are not capable enough to keep your flock together and cannot deliver, then wear bangles," said BJP MP Shobha Karandlaje.



15:48 IST: "As a coordination chairman, he (Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah) is unable to keep his own legislators under his control. He cannot blame BJP for this. If you are not capable enough to keep your flock together and cannot deliver, then wear bangles," said BJP MP Shobha Karandlaje.



May 16, 2019 15:43 (IST) Remember, Modi defended Pragya Thakur: Asaduddin Owaisi Asaduddin Owaisi criticised the BJP for defending Nathuram Godse and asked people to keep in mind that they also defended Pragya Thakur.



Remember, @narendramodi has defended & endorsed Pragyaas candidature



This is not a alunatic fringea & is definitely not her apersonal opiniona, it is the BJP standing by Independent Indiaas first terrorist. In few years, Sri Sri Godse will also be recommended with a Bharat Ratna https://t.co/2VVhc8xhQ3  Asaduddin Owaisi (@asadowaisi) May 16, 2019







15:43 IST: Asaduddin Owaisi criticised the BJP for defending Nathuram Godse and asked people to keep in mind that they also defended Pragya Thakur.



Remember, @narendramodi has defended & endorsed Pragyaas candidature



This is not a alunatic fringea & is definitely not her apersonal opiniona, it is the BJP standing by Independent Indiaas first terrorist. In few years, Sri Sri Godse will also be recommended with a Bharat Ratna https://t.co/2VVhc8xhQ3  Asaduddin Owaisi (@asadowaisi) May 16, 2019







May 16, 2019 15:37 (IST) People of Bengal won't beg before you (PM Modi): Mamata Banerjee West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee criticised PM Modi and said he could not make the Ram Temple in 5 years, how would he make the statue of Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar.



#WATCH WB CM Mamata Banerjee at Diamond Harbour: In last 5 years you (PM) couldn't make a Ram Temple and you want to make Vidyasagar's statue? People of Bengal won't beg before you. Your goonda neta came here & said 'Bangal kangal hai'. Are Bengalis kangal? Are Bengalis kangal? pic.twitter.com/mHSmBFWQLw  ANI (@ANI) May 16, 2019







15:37 IST: West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee criticised PM Modi and said he could not make the Ram Temple in 5 years, how would he make the statue of Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar.



#WATCH WB CM Mamata Banerjee at Diamond Harbour: In last 5 years you (PM) couldn't make a Ram Temple and you want to make Vidyasagar's statue? People of Bengal won't beg before you. Your goonda neta came here & said 'Bangal kangal hai'. Are Bengalis kangal? Are Bengalis kangal? pic.twitter.com/mHSmBFWQLw  ANI (@ANI) May 16, 2019







May 16, 2019 15:33 (IST) EC has one set of rules for the Opposition, another for ruling party: MK Stalin MK Stalin took to Twitter to criticise the Election Commission and said that the body has one rule for the Opposition and another for the ruling party - BJP.



Ban on campaign in nine constituencies in #WestBengal. The EC has one set of rules for the Opposition and another for the ruling party. Highly condemnable.



The BJP follows a typical pattern. Vandalises Periyar statue in Tamil Nadu and Iswara Chandra Vidyasagar in West Bengal.  M.K.Stalin (@mkstalin) May 16, 2019







15:33 IST: MK Stalin took to Twitter to criticise the Election Commission and said that the body has one rule for the Opposition and another for the ruling party - BJP.



Ban on campaign in nine constituencies in #WestBengal. The EC has one set of rules for the Opposition and another for the ruling party. Highly condemnable.



The BJP follows a typical pattern. Vandalises Periyar statue in Tamil Nadu and Iswara Chandra Vidyasagar in West Bengal.  M.K.Stalin (@mkstalin) May 16, 2019







May 16, 2019 15:06 (IST) PM Modi's promise to deposit Rs 15 lakhs in peoples' accounts a 'Chunaavi Jumla': Priyanka Gandhi Vadra "PM told you that he himself will deposit 15 lakh in your accounts and the President of the same party, after the elections said it was a 'chunaavi jumla', will you trust them again?" says Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Congress General Secretary for Uttar Pradesh (East) during an election rally in Maharajganj, UP.

15:06 IST: "PM told you that he himself will deposit 15 lakh in your accounts and the President of the same party, after the elections said it was a 'chunaavi jumla', will you trust them again?" says Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Congress General Secretary for Uttar Pradesh (East) during an election rally in Maharajganj, UP.

May 16, 2019 14:55 (IST) Nathuram Godse was a 'deshbhakt'; is a 'deshbhakt': Pragya Singh Thakur "Nathuram Godse was a 'deshbhakt', is a 'deshbhakt' and will remain a 'deshbhakt'. People calling him a terrorist should instead look within, such people will be given a befitting reply in these elections," says BJP Bhopal Lok Sabha candidate Pragya Singh Thakur.

#WATCH BJP Bhopal Lok Sabha Candidate Pragya Singh Thakur says 'Nathuram Godse was a 'deshbhakt', is a 'deshbhakt' and will remain a 'deshbhakt'. People calling him a terrorist should instead look within, such people will be given a befitting reply in these elections pic.twitter.com/4swldCCaHK  ANI (@ANI) May 16, 2019





14:55 IST: "Nathuram Godse was a 'deshbhakt', is a 'deshbhakt' and will remain a 'deshbhakt'. People calling him a terrorist should instead look within, such people will be given a befitting reply in these elections," says BJP Bhopal Lok Sabha candidate Pragya Singh Thakur.

#WATCH BJP Bhopal Lok Sabha Candidate Pragya Singh Thakur says 'Nathuram Godse was a 'deshbhakt', is a 'deshbhakt' and will remain a 'deshbhakt'. People calling him a terrorist should instead look within, such people will be given a befitting reply in these elections pic.twitter.com/4swldCCaHK  ANI (@ANI) May 16, 2019





May 16, 2019 14:44 (IST) Next govt will be formed non-BJP parties including Congress: P Chidambaram "After 6 phases of polling, it is absolutely clear that the next government will be formed by non-BJP parties including the Congress," Congress leader and former Finance Minister P Chidambaram tweeted. After 6 phases of polling, it is absolutely clear that the next government will be formed by non-BJP parties including the Congress. a P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) May 16, 2019

14:44 IST: "After 6 phases of polling, it is absolutely clear that the next government will be formed by non-BJP parties including the Congress," Congress leader and former Finance Minister P Chidambaram tweeted. After 6 phases of polling, it is absolutely clear that the next government will be formed by non-BJP parties including the Congress. a P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) May 16, 2019

May 16, 2019 14:37 (IST) BJP stealing EVMs, bribing voters: West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee "I'm getting to know that BJP is trying to steal the EVMs from strong rooms and bribing voters to vote for them. I urge all of you to be vigilant till 23. We will honour the person who can get us evidence of BJP workers bribing voters," says Mamata Banerjee



14:37 IST: "I'm getting to know that BJP is trying to steal the EVMs from strong rooms and bribing voters to vote for them. I urge all of you to be vigilant till 23. We will honour the person who can get us evidence of BJP workers bribing voters," says Mamata Banerjee



May 16, 2019 14:35 (IST) Mamata goes Rahul way, says Chowidaar, people say chor hai West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today attacked PM Modi at a public rally in the state. The CM tore into the Prime Minister when she said "chowkidaar" and prompted people to say "chor hai."



14:35 IST: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today attacked PM Modi at a public rally in the state. The CM tore into the Prime Minister when she said "chowkidaar" and prompted people to say "chor hai."



14:27 IST:

14:26 IST:

14:24 IST:

14:23 IST:

May 16, 2019 14:15 (IST) Bengal has money to make Vidyasagar's statue, don't need PM Modi's alms: CM Mamata Banerjee in Mahurapur, West Bengal "He (PM) said he'll make Vidyasagar statue.Bengal has money to make the statue. Bengal will not take your alms, give back 200 years of our heritage. We've proof & you say that TMC has done. Aren't you ashamed? He should do sit ups for lying so much. Liar. Prove allegations otherwise we'll drag you to jail," says Mamata Banerjee.



14:15 IST: "He (PM) said he'll make Vidyasagar statue.Bengal has money to make the statue. Bengal will not take your alms, give back 200 years of our heritage. We've proof & you say that TMC has done. Aren't you ashamed? He should do sit ups for lying so much. Liar. Prove allegations otherwise we'll drag you to jail," says Mamata Banerjee.



May 16, 2019 14:05 (IST) EC is brother of BJP, sold out to the party: CM Mamata Banerjee in Mahurapur, West Bengal "WB CM Mamata Banerjee in Mathurapur: Last night we came to know that BJP had filed a complaint with EC so that we can't hold any meeting after Narendra Modi's meeting. EC is brother of BJP, earlier it was an impartial body now everyone in the country says EC has sold out to BJP," says Mamata Banerjee during her election rally in Mathurapur, West Bengal.



14:05 IST: "WB CM Mamata Banerjee in Mathurapur: Last night we came to know that BJP had filed a complaint with EC so that we can't hold any meeting after Narendra Modi's meeting. EC is brother of BJP, earlier it was an impartial body now everyone in the country says EC has sold out to BJP," says Mamata Banerjee during her election rally in Mathurapur, West Bengal.



13:49 IST: In an exclusive interview to IndiaToday, BJP Chief Amit Shah said that he is confident of the party's win in Lok Sabha election 2019.



We are confident that we will win : @AmitShah to @anjanaomkashyap . Watch the #Exclusive conversation.

More videos : https://t.co/NounxnP7mg #ITVideopic.twitter.com/1QKXpQZdGi  India Today (@IndiaToday) May 16, 2019





May 16, 2019 13:30 (IST) Mamata Banerjee thanks Mayawati, Congress and other parties for expressing solidarity with people of Bengal West Bengal Chief Minister (CM) Mamata Banerjee today thanked opposition parties- BSP Chief Mayawati, Congress, Akhilesh Yadav and others for expressing solidarity and supporting the people of Bengal. The Chief Minister also said that EC's "biased actions under the directions of BJP are a direct attack on democracy," and that the people of the state will give a befitting reply to it. "Thanks and gratitude to @Mayawati, @yadavakhilesh, @INCIndia, @ncbn and others for expressing solidarity and support to us and the people of #Bengal. EC's biased actions under the directions of the #BJP are a direct attack on democracy. People will give a befitting reply," she tweeted.

Thanks and gratitude to @Mayawati, @yadavakhilesh, @INCIndia, @ncbn and others for expressing solidarity and support to us and the people of #Bengal. EC's biased actions under the directions of the #BJP are a direct attack on democracy. People will give a befitting reply  Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) May 16, 2019





13:30 IST: West Bengal Chief Minister (CM) Mamata Banerjee today thanked opposition parties- BSP Chief Mayawati, Congress, Akhilesh Yadav and others for expressing solidarity and supporting the people of Bengal. The Chief Minister also said that EC's "biased actions under the directions of BJP are a direct attack on democracy," and that the people of the state will give a befitting reply to it. "Thanks and gratitude to @Mayawati, @yadavakhilesh, @INCIndia, @ncbn and others for expressing solidarity and support to us and the people of #Bengal. EC's biased actions under the directions of the #BJP are a direct attack on democracy. People will give a befitting reply," she tweeted.

Thanks and gratitude to @Mayawati, @yadavakhilesh, @INCIndia, @ncbn and others for expressing solidarity and support to us and the people of #Bengal. EC's biased actions under the directions of the #BJP are a direct attack on democracy. People will give a befitting reply  Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) May 16, 2019





12:46 IST: Congress President Rahul Gandhi met Alwar gangrape survivor today and assured speedy justice to her. The dalit woman was allegedly gangraped in front of her husband in Rajasthan's Alwar district on April 26.

Rahul Gandhi meets Alwar gang-rape survivor, assures justice



Read @ANI story | https://t.co/qa51rhZU2Bpic.twitter.com/w68wc1GFcP  ANI Digital (@ani_digital) May 16, 2019





May 16, 2019 12:42 (IST) The country is saying- phir ek baar Modi sarkar: PM Modi in Chandauli, UP "Those with 8 seats, 10 seats, 20-22 seats, 30-35 seats are dreaming of becoming Prime Minister, but the country is saying-phir ek baar Modi sarkar," says PM Modi.



12:42 IST: "Those with 8 seats, 10 seats, 20-22 seats, 30-35 seats are dreaming of becoming Prime Minister, but the country is saying-phir ek baar Modi sarkar," says PM Modi.



May 16, 2019 12:37 (IST) PM Modi addresses public meeting in Chandauli, UP. After addressing a public rally in Mau, UP, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is holding another public meeting in Chandauli in the state.



12:37 IST: After addressing a public rally in Mau, UP, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is holding another public meeting in Chandauli in the state.



May 16, 2019 12:32 (IST) Didi has anti-democracy mindset: PM Modi "Didi intoxicated in her love for power is doing everything in Bengal with an anti-democracy mindset. I have observing her attitude since many days and the whole country is seeing it now," says PM Modi.



12:32 IST: "Didi intoxicated in her love for power is doing everything in Bengal with an anti-democracy mindset. I have observing her attitude since many days and the whole country is seeing it now," says PM Modi.



May 16, 2019 12:26 (IST) TMC goons must punished harshly for breaking Vidyasagar's statue: PM Modi "We got to see this bully behavior of TMC goons the night before too. These rowdies broke the statue of Ishwar Chand Vidyasagar during a roadshow of bhai Amit Shah. Those responsible for this must be punished harshly," says PM Modi.



12:26 IST: "We got to see this bully behavior of TMC goons the night before too. These rowdies broke the statue of Ishwar Chand Vidyasagar during a roadshow of bhai Amit Shah. Those responsible for this must be punished harshly," says PM Modi.



May 16, 2019 12:21 (IST) Had to leave assembly in West Midnapore and Thakurnagar mid way due to TMC goons' anarchy: PM Modi "A few months ago, when I held an assembly in West Midnapore, TMC goons were spreading anarchy there. After this the situation got so bad in Thakurnagar that I had to leave my address mid way and leave the stage," says PM Modi.



12:21 IST: "A few months ago, when I held an assembly in West Midnapore, TMC goons were spreading anarchy there. After this the situation got so bad in Thakurnagar that I had to leave my address mid way and leave the stage," says PM Modi.



May 16, 2019 12:16 (IST) Behenji targeted me and Election Commission on West Bengal: PM Modi "Behenji has targeted me regarding West Bengal. She has even came down heavily on the Election Commission. The way Mamata Didi is targeting the people of UP-Bihar and Purvanchal there, I thought sister Mayawati will definitely rebuke her, but it did not happen," says PM Modi.



12:16 IST: "Behenji has targeted me regarding West Bengal. She has even came down heavily on the Election Commission. The way Mamata Didi is targeting the people of UP-Bihar and Purvanchal there, I thought sister Mayawati will definitely rebuke her, but it did not happen," says PM Modi.



May 16, 2019 12:09 (IST) Pressing the lotus buttom means death sentence for rapists, toilet and water in every house: PM Modi "Pressing the Lotus button means the death sentence for rapists. It means a toilet in every home, water in every house," says PM Modi.



12:09 IST: "Pressing the Lotus button means the death sentence for rapists. It means a toilet in every home, water in every house," says PM Modi.



May 16, 2019 12:05 (IST) SP-BSP fielding rape accused candidate: PM Modi in Mau, UP "The SP-BSP has given a ticket to a candidate from here who is accused of rape and is on the run. People know the history of Samajwadi Party, but, Behenji, will you ask for vote for such a candidate?" says PM Modi.



12:05 IST: "The SP-BSP has given a ticket to a candidate from here who is accused of rape and is on the run. People know the history of Samajwadi Party, but, Behenji, will you ask for vote for such a candidate?" says PM Modi.



May 16, 2019 12:01 (IST) I request women of Mau and Purvanchal to vote with full force against such anti-women parties: PM Modi in Mau, UP "I would specially urge the women of Mau and Purvanchal to vote with full force against such anti-women parties. Vote for the dignity and interests of the women," says PM Modi.



12:01 IST: "I would specially urge the women of Mau and Purvanchal to vote with full force against such anti-women parties. Vote for the dignity and interests of the women," says PM Modi.



May 16, 2019 11:57 (IST) Behenji is engrossed in abusing Modi, instead of withdrawing support from Congress: PM Modi "Behenji knows everything, but instead of withdrawing support from the Congress government, she is engrossed in abusing Modi," says PM Modi.



11:57 IST: "Behenji knows everything, but instead of withdrawing support from the Congress government, she is engrossed in abusing Modi," says PM Modi.



May 16, 2019 11:53 (IST) Congress govt tried to cover up the Alwar, Rajasthan gangrape crime: PM Modi in Mau, UP "A couple of days ago, a dalit daughter was gangraped in Rajsthan's Alwar. The Congress government is running with the support of Behenji and tried to hide this monstrous crime with the Dalit daughter in the wake of the election," says PM Modi.



11:53 IST: "A couple of days ago, a dalit daughter was gangraped in Rajsthan's Alwar. The Congress government is running with the support of Behenji and tried to hide this monstrous crime with the Dalit daughter in the wake of the election," says PM Modi.



May 16, 2019 11:43 (IST) Committed to providing direct help in the bank accounts of farmer families: PM Modi "I am engrossed in providing direct help into the bank accounts of the families of farmers who have to borrow even for small expenses of theirs," says PM Modi in Mau, UP.

11:43 IST: "I am engrossed in providing direct help into the bank accounts of the families of farmers who have to borrow even for small expenses of theirs," says PM Modi in Mau, UP.

May 16, 2019 11:38 (IST) Bua and Babua have distanced themselves from the poor: PM Modi in Mau, UP "Now, whether it is bua or a babua, these people have distanced themselves so far from the poor, have made money, splendor, and have created such a huge wall of their courtiers so that they do not see the misery of the poor now," says PM Modi.



11:38 IST: "Now, whether it is bua or a babua, these people have distanced themselves so far from the poor, have made money, splendor, and have created such a huge wall of their courtiers so that they do not see the misery of the poor now," says PM Modi.



May 16, 2019 11:35 (IST) These people made some castes their slaves in UP: PM Modi in Mau, UP "These people took some castes as their slaves. After understanding in 2014 and second time in 2017 too, the people of UP are going to explain well in 2019 that the castes are not slaves to anyone," says PM Modi.

11:35 IST: "These people took some castes as their slaves. After understanding in 2014 and second time in 2017 too, the people of UP are going to explain well in 2019 that the castes are not slaves to anyone," says PM Modi.

May 16, 2019 11:27 (IST) SP-BSP made an opportunistic alliance on caste basis in UP: PM Modi in Mau, UP "In Uttar Pradesh, SP BSP has made an opportunistic alliance on caste basis. Although the deal took off in the AC rooms in Lucknow, but the leaders who are cut off from the ground forgot their party workers. The result is that SP and BSP activists are still attacking each other " says PM Modi.

11:27 IST: "In Uttar Pradesh, SP BSP has made an opportunistic alliance on caste basis. Although the deal took off in the AC rooms in Lucknow, but the leaders who are cut off from the ground forgot their party workers. The result is that SP and BSP activists are still attacking each other " says PM Modi.

May 16, 2019 11:22 (IST) Mahamilavatis trying to form a jumbled up and helpless govt: PM Modi in Mau, UP "Modi Hatao's slogan was the excuse of the mahamilavatis, in fact, they want to hide the sin of their corruption, so they are trying to form jumbled up government in the country. They wanted a helpless government, which they could blackmail according to their needs," says PM Modi.



11:22 IST: "Modi Hatao's slogan was the excuse of the mahamilavatis, in fact, they want to hide the sin of their corruption, so they are trying to form jumbled up government in the country. They wanted a helpless government, which they could blackmail according to their needs," says PM Modi.



May 16, 2019 11:15 (IST) The Country knows the truth of these Mahamilavati people from day one: PM Modi in Mau, UP Taking a swipe at the BSP, SP and Congress during his election rally in Mau, UP, PM Modi said, "The country knows the truth of these Mahamilavati people from the first day that Modi's removal was just an excuse to conceal their sin of corruption in real."



11:15 IST: Taking a swipe at the BSP, SP and Congress during his election rally in Mau, UP, PM Modi said, "The country knows the truth of these Mahamilavati people from the first day that Modi's removal was just an excuse to conceal their sin of corruption in real."



11:09 IST: "The mahamilavati, who had been playing the raag of Modi Hatao till a month ago, are fretting today. The country has sealed their defeat. Uttar Pradesh has spoiled all their math," says PM Modi in Mau, UP.

?? ?????????? ?? ??????? ???? ?? ???? ???? ?? ??? ???? ??? ??, ?? ?? ?????? ???? ???? ????? ?? ??? ?? ???? ??? ?? ??? ????? ?????? ?? ?? ???? ???? ???? ???? ?? ?????? ???? ??: ???? @narendramodi#ApnaModiAayegapic.twitter.com/KGyrHG3WkH  BJP (@BJP4India) May 16, 2019





11:04 IST: Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressing public meeting at Mau, in Uttar Pradesh (UP).

LIVE: PM @narendramodi is addressing a public meeting at Mau, Uttar Pradesh. #ApnaModiAayegahttps://t.co/uLFsIdHAK4  BJP (@BJP4India) May 16, 2019





May 16, 2019 10:53 (IST) BSP Chief Mayawati slams PM Modi for targeting Mamata Banerjee, blames EC for 'acting under pressure' BSP Chief Mayawati took a dig at PM Modi and BJP Chief Amit Shah and party leaders for targeting West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. "It is clear that PM Modi, Amit Shah and their leaders are targeting Mamata Banerjee, its planned targeting. This is a very dangerous and unjust trend and one which doesn't suit the PM of the country," the BSP Supremo said.



Mayawati: It is clear that PM Modi, Amit Shah and their leaders are targeting Mamata Banerjee, its planned targeting. This is a very dangerous and unjust trend and one which doesn't suit the PM of the country. pic.twitter.com/ECytD8LmgV  ANI (@ANI) May 16, 2019





She also blamed the Election Commission (EC) for banning pol campaign time in West Bengal and acting under pressure. "Election Commission has banned campaigning in West Bengal, but from 10 pm today just because PM has two rallies in the day. If they had to ban then why not from today morning? This is unfair and EC is acting under pressure," she said.



Mayawati: Election Commission has banned campaigning in West Bengal, but from 10 pm today just because PM has two rallies in the day. If they had to ban then why not from today morning? This is unfair and EC is acting under pressure pic.twitter.com/s7v0xpvAkO  ANI (@ANI) May 16, 2019









10:53 IST: BSP Chief Mayawati took a dig at PM Modi and BJP Chief Amit Shah and party leaders for targeting West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. "It is clear that PM Modi, Amit Shah and their leaders are targeting Mamata Banerjee, its planned targeting. This is a very dangerous and unjust trend and one which doesn't suit the PM of the country," the BSP Supremo said.



Mayawati: It is clear that PM Modi, Amit Shah and their leaders are targeting Mamata Banerjee, its planned targeting. This is a very dangerous and unjust trend and one which doesn't suit the PM of the country. pic.twitter.com/ECytD8LmgV  ANI (@ANI) May 16, 2019





She also blamed the Election Commission (EC) for banning pol campaign time in West Bengal and acting under pressure. "Election Commission has banned campaigning in West Bengal, but from 10 pm today just because PM has two rallies in the day. If they had to ban then why not from today morning? This is unfair and EC is acting under pressure," she said.



Mayawati: Election Commission has banned campaigning in West Bengal, but from 10 pm today just because PM has two rallies in the day. If they had to ban then why not from today morning? This is unfair and EC is acting under pressure pic.twitter.com/s7v0xpvAkO  ANI (@ANI) May 16, 2019









May 16, 2019 10:02 (IST) Rahul Gandhi taunts PM Modi, says a new word 'Modilie' becoming popular worldwide Congress President Rahul Gandhi took a jibe at PM Modi in a tweet today. "'Modilie' is a new word that's become popular worldwide. Now there's even a website that catalogues the best Modilies," he tweeted referring to a website by the name of modilies.in



'Modilie' is a new word that's become popular worldwide. Now there's even a website that catalogues the best Modilies! https://t.co/Ct04DlRsj3  Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) May 16, 2019





The Congress President also taunted PM Modi yesterday when he posted what he said was a new word in the English dictionary. "There's a new word in the English Dictionary. Attached is a snapshot of the entry," he tweeted along with an attached snapshot of the entry.



There's a new word in the English Dictionary. Attached is a snapshot of the entry :) pic.twitter.com/xdBdEUL48r  Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) May 15, 2019





10:02 IST: Congress President Rahul Gandhi took a jibe at PM Modi in a tweet today. "'Modilie' is a new word that's become popular worldwide. Now there's even a website that catalogues the best Modilies," he tweeted referring to a website by the name of modilies.in



'Modilie' is a new word that's become popular worldwide. Now there's even a website that catalogues the best Modilies! https://t.co/Ct04DlRsj3  Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) May 16, 2019





The Congress President also taunted PM Modi yesterday when he posted what he said was a new word in the English dictionary. "There's a new word in the English Dictionary. Attached is a snapshot of the entry," he tweeted along with an attached snapshot of the entry.



There's a new word in the English Dictionary. Attached is a snapshot of the entry :) pic.twitter.com/xdBdEUL48r  Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) May 15, 2019





09:49 IST: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address election rallies in poll bound Utter Pradesh (UP) and West Bengal today. The BJP tweeted his campaign schedule for the states.



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09:45 IST: In the run up to Lok Sabha election 2019, BJP President Amit will address four election rallies and a roadshow in Uttar Pradesh today. The party tweeted his campaign schedule for the state.

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May 16, 2019 09:36 (IST) EC curbs campaigning in West Bengal after Kolkata violence In first such action in India's electoral history, the Election Commission on Wednesday ordered campaigning in nine West Bengal constituencies to end at 10 PM on Thursday, a day before its scheduled deadline, in the wake of violence between BJP and TMC workers in Kolkata. In a hurriedly-convened press conference, Deputy Election Commissioner Chandra Bhushan Kumar said it was for the first time that such an action has been taken using constitutional powers of the poll panel. "ECI invokes Article 324 to order Prohibition on campaign etc in West Bengal from 10pm on 16.5.19 till the conclusion of poll on 19.5.2019 in nine PCs of phase 7," the poll body also said in a tweet yesterday.

ECI invokes Article 324 to order Prohibition on campaign etc in West Bengal from 10pm on 16.5.19 till the conclusion of poll on 19.5.2019 in nine PCs of phase 7.https://t.co/aiT0dbUGpy  Sheyphali Sharan (@SpokespersonECI) May 15, 2019















09:36 IST: In first such action in India's electoral history, the Election Commission on Wednesday ordered campaigning in nine West Bengal constituencies to end at 10 PM on Thursday, a day before its scheduled deadline, in the wake of violence between BJP and TMC workers in Kolkata. In a hurriedly-convened press conference, Deputy Election Commissioner Chandra Bhushan Kumar said it was for the first time that such an action has been taken using constitutional powers of the poll panel. "ECI invokes Article 324 to order Prohibition on campaign etc in West Bengal from 10pm on 16.5.19 till the conclusion of poll on 19.5.2019 in nine PCs of phase 7," the poll body also said in a tweet yesterday.

ECI invokes Article 324 to order Prohibition on campaign etc in West Bengal from 10pm on 16.5.19 till the conclusion of poll on 19.5.2019 in nine PCs of phase 7.https://t.co/aiT0dbUGpy  Sheyphali Sharan (@SpokespersonECI) May 15, 2019















May 16, 2019 09:28 (IST) Home Minister Rajnath Singh speaks to Assam CM following the Guwahati blast yesterday Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh talked to Assam Chief Minister (CM) Sarbananda Sonowal following the blast in Guwahati yesterday. The CM apprised him of the situation telling the Home Minister that the police and other agencies are investigating the incident, ANI reported.

09:28 IST: Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh talked to Assam Chief Minister (CM) Sarbananda Sonowal following the blast in Guwahati yesterday. The CM apprised him of the situation telling the Home Minister that the police and other agencies are investigating the incident, ANI reported.

May 16, 2019 09:18 (IST) Anupam Kher campaigns for wife and BJP candidate Kirron Kher in Chandigarh Actor Anupam Kher is campaigning for his wife and BJP candidate Kirron Kher in Shivalik Park, Manimajra, Chandigarh. The seventh phase of Lok Sabha election 2019 will be held in Punjab on May 19. Chandigarh: Actor Anupam Kher campaigns for wife and BJP candidate Kirron Kher in Shivalik Park,Manimajra. #LokSabhaElections2019pic.twitter.com/hWMxEAshr0 a ANI (@ANI) May 16, 2019

09:18 IST: Actor Anupam Kher is campaigning for his wife and BJP candidate Kirron Kher in Shivalik Park, Manimajra, Chandigarh. The seventh phase of Lok Sabha election 2019 will be held in Punjab on May 19. Chandigarh: Actor Anupam Kher campaigns for wife and BJP candidate Kirron Kher in Shivalik Park,Manimajra. #LokSabhaElections2019pic.twitter.com/hWMxEAshr0 a ANI (@ANI) May 16, 2019

May 16, 2019 09:09 (IST) PM Modi to address five rallies across UP and West Bengal today. "Always a delight to be among the people. Today will address five rallies across Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. Do watch the rallies in Mau, Chandauli, Mirzapur, Mathurapur and Dum Dum. Sharing a video covering parts of my speeches yesterday in Bihar, Jharkhand and Bengal," the Prime Minister tweeted. Always a delight to be among the people. Today will address five rallies across Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. Do watch the rallies in Mau, Chandauli, Mirzapur, Mathurapur and Dum Dum. Sharing a video covering parts of my speeches yesterday in Bihar, Jharkhand and Bengal. pic.twitter.com/7UHQETSnWl  Chowkidar Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 16, 2019
By Nichola Groom

(Reuters) - U.S. Interior Secretary David Bernhardt told a panel of U.S. lawmakers on Wednesday that he has not lost sleep over record amounts of carbon dioxide recorded in the Earth's atmosphere, which scientists warn are altering the global climate.

"I haven't lost any sleep over it," he told the House Committee on Natural Resources, after Democratic Representative Matt Cartwright asked him to rate his level of concern regarding CO2 levels.

Bernhardt said the United States was a leader among nations in reducing CO2 emissions.

"I absolutely care that our climate is changing and that we need to factor that into our thinking," Bernhardt said later in the hearing. "I absolutely believe that and I've said that over and over and over. That's the reality."

The Interior Department oversees about a fifth of the U.S. landmass, from the Arctic to the Gulf of Mexico, and has helped enact the Trump administration's pro-fossil fuel agenda by pushing for an expansion of oil, gas and coal development on the public lands it oversees.

But its role has angered environmentalists who see global climate change as a priority problem.

CO2 levels hit a new record on May 11, according to the Scripps Institution of Oceanography's Keeling Curve. And scientists say man-made CO2 from burning fossil fuels is driving climate change, bringing increasingly devastating consequences like sea level rise, flooding, drought, and more frequent damaging storms. [nL5N22I43J]

President Donald Trump has rejected the science on climate change, announced an intention to pull the United States out of the Paris Climate Agreement, and has rolled back other Obama-era moves aimed at reducing carbon dioxide emissions.

Bernhardt, a former energy lobbyist, was confirmed by the U.S. Senate as the agency's secretary last month, over the objections of Democrats concerned he will favor energy and minerals development over conservation. [nL1N21T1I5]

(Reporting by Nichola Groom in Los Angeles; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)
By Andrea Shalal

WASHINGTON, May 16 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump is keen to advance talks with Switzerland on a free trade deal, Swiss President Ueli Maurer told reporters in Washington after the first visit by a Swiss president to the Oval Office.

Maurer described the meeting with Trump as constructive and said the U.S. president was "positive" about work on a free trade deal, but wanted to get it done "more quickly than with the EU (European Union)." Specific details were not discussed, he said.

"He thinks we should accelerate the issue," Maurer told reporters after the meeting.

The United States and the European Union are working to launch trade negotiations but the process has taken longer than expected.

Switzerland, the seventh largest foreign investor in the United States with $309 billion, is keen to expand economic ties with the United States, said Maurer, who is also finance minister.

Bilateral Swiss-U.S. trade in goods and services totaled $122 billion in 2017, according to data from the U.S. Trade Representative's office.

Maurer and Trump had been due to meet at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland in January, but Trump canceled his attendance due to a U.S. government shutdown.

"The fact that Switzerland - a Swiss president - was invited to the White House for the first time confirms that we have good relations ... and that there is a desire to deepen them," Maurer said. "That was an important step which I am convinced will be followed by others."

He said the two leaders also discussed Iran, where Switzerland provides protective and consular services for some 100 U.S. citizens and 12,000 people with both U.S. and Iranian citizenship, but declined to give further details.

The White House earlier said Trump discussed crises in the Middle East and Venezuela in the meeting with Maurer, expressing gratitude for Switzerlands role in facilitating diplomatic relations on behalf of the United States.

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Switzerland is ready to play a similar role in Venezuela, but is waiting for approval by Caracas, Maurer said.

Also on the agenda, Maurer said, were China and Huawei Technologies Co Ltd, which the U.S. Commerce Department on Thursday formally placed on its "Entity List" - a move that bans the Chinese telecom giant from buying components from U.S. companies without U.S. government approval.

Maurer, who met with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing in April, said his country had chosen a different path in dealing with China than Washington, preferring to advocate for its values directly with Beijing.

He said Switzerland had banned all foreign companies from providing services or hardware for its critical infrastructure, but Huawei was present in the private commercial market. (Reporting by Andrea Shalal in Washington Editing by James Dalgleish)
Washington (AFP) - President Donald Trump on Wednesday pardoned disgraced British media mogul Conrad Black, who served more than three years in prison in the US for fraud and obstruction of justice.

"In 2007, prosecutors alleged that Lord Black had committed several acts of mail fraud and obstruction. The Supreme Court of the United States, however, largely disagreed and overturned almost all charges in his case," the White House said in a statement announcing the pardon.

The statement described Black -- who wrote a book entitled "Donald J. Trump: A President Like No Other" -- as an "entrepreneur and scholar" who "has made tremendous contributions to business, as well as to political and historical thought."

His legal battles began in 2004 when he was accused of siphoning off tens of millions of dollars from the sale of newspapers owned by Hollinger International, his holding company.

Black, a prolific writer and historian in his own right, vehemently maintained his innocence and launched a series of libel lawsuits in Canada to strike back at the detractors he blames for destroying his once vast empire.

But years of legal battles -- which went all the way up to the US Supreme Court -- failed to fully clear his name, although he did manage to greatly reduce his prison time by clearing himself of many of the charges.

Montreal-born Black renounced his Canadian citizenship in 2001 after a spat with then prime minister Jean Chretien, who protested the media owner's peerage to Britain's House of Lords.

At its peak, Black's newspaper group was one of the largest media empires in the world, with revenues in the billions of dollars and global daily circulation in the millions.

As well as The Daily Telegraph in London, the group included the Chicago Sun-Times, Canada's National Post, and the Jerusalem Post.

Trump has used his power of pardon before this and critics say he does it for people who back him or his ideas.

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Reports have surfaced that he has considered pardoning people charged or convicted as part of the Russia election meddling probe.

Last year Trump granted a full pardon to Dinesh D'Souza, a conservative author and firebrand.

D'Souza pleaded guilty in 2014 to using fake donors to make political contributions to a Republican Senate campaign and ended up serving eight months in a halfway house in California.

In 2017, Trump pardoned Joe Arpaio, a former sheriff convicted of violating a court order to halt traffic patrols that targeted suspected unauthorized immigrants.
WASHINGTON  "Is John Bolton the most dangerous man in the world?"

That headline leaped from the pages of a British newspaper on Thursday, which declared the U.S. "is closer to war with Iran than it has been since the Bush years, or perhaps ever." And, the opinion writer added, Trump's national security adviser "is largely to blame."

That view  that Bolton is driving Trump into a perilous military confrontation with America's principal foe in the Middle East  is ricocheting across the globe, from Tehran to Washington.

But national security experts inside and outside the White House say Bolton's role has been exaggerated  and his influence with the president has been overstated, particularly when it comes to the prospect of a costly war with Iran.

For starters, Trump has made it clear he doesn't like the idea and is generally averse to foreign military entanglements.

Asked on Thursday if his administration is marching toward war with Iran, Trump offered a three-word response: "I hope not."

President Donald Trump and National Security Adviser John Bolton.

A hard-line message to Iran

Bolton is simply playing his part in a geopolitical dance designed to send a hard-line message to the Iranian regime, said Mark Dubowitz, the chief executive of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, a Washington-based foreign policy research institute that supports strong pressure on Iran.

"Bolton in many ways is from central casting if you were looking for a consummate hawk," said Dubowitz, who has advised the Trump administration and previous presidents on Iran policy. "Its all useful from the psyops perspective."

Dubowitz said the White House has deliberately trumpeted its decision to send B-52 bombers and other military forces to Iran, purposefully said that move was in response to threats from Iran and intentionally used Bolton as a key messenger.

"I think its actually a well-orchestrated campaign that has a public relations piece, a military positioning piece, (and) obviously the economic financial piece" of escalating sanctions, Dubowitz said. Bolton and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo are the perfect "bad cops," he said, to make Iran  and the rest of the world  nervous about Trump's intentions.

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"Trump can go from fire and fury to writing love letters, so he has a certain amount of diplomatic flexibility," he said. One minute he can be as bellicose as Bolton, and the next he can shout, "'Hey, hi there. Do you want to talk.'"

That's what Trump seemed to be doing on Thursday, when he met with the president of the Swiss government, which is known for its role in mediating potential conflicts between Iran and the U.S.

"Im sure that Iran will want to talk soon," Trump tweeted on Wednesday in a pair of messages seen directed in part at Bolton. The president used social media to downplay reports of divisions within the administration over Iran.

"There is no infighting whatsoever," Trump said. "Different opinions are expressed and I make a decisive and final decision  it is a very simple process."

Hawkish past concerns lawmakers

Lawmakers are not reassured.

"This president has surrounded himself with people  Pompeo and Bolton in particular  who believe that getting tough on a military basis with Iran is in our best interest. I do not," said Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin, the chamber's No. 2 Democratic leader.

Durbin and other lawmakers said Bolton's past statements on Iran, and his trumpeting of questionable intelligence in the lead-up to the 2003 Iraq war, are deeply concerning.

Before Bolton joined the Trump administration, he vocally advocated for regime change in Iran. He also played a key role in pushing for the U.S. invasion of Iraq during the George W. Bush administration, which relied on faulty intelligence about Saddam Hussein's chemical and nuclear weapons program.

Now with Iran, Durbin said the situation has become so tense and the rhetoric so hot, that even if Trump has no desire for war, he may stumble into it.

He noted, for example, that the Houthi rebels, who are backed by Iran and at war with Saudi Arabia in Yemen, could launch an attack that inadvertently kills an American service member.

"I fear ... were going to have a Gulf of Tonkin moment, where there is some American or serviceman who is going to be injured or killed and people are going to be calling for retribution," Durbin said.

But Bolton is only one of many advisers Trump speaks to about Iran and other foreign policy issues, said current and former officials. He hears a lot of different views, and often throws out ideas of his own  sometimes ideas he doesn't really plan to pursue.

Throughout his presidency, Trump's sounding boards have ranged from super hawks like Bolton to cautious types like former Defense Secretary Jim Mattis. From anti-China tariff warriors like Peter Navarro to more market-oriented types like Larry Kudlow.

Trump tends to be against intervention

At some point  no one knows how or when  Trump suddenly makes a decision. He often announces things before informing unwitting staff members, sometimes by tweet and sometimes by statements to inquiring reporters.

"It's not exactly chaos," said one former staff member. "But it's not orderly."

Garrett Marquis, a spokesman for the National Security Council, said Bolton and the president are on the same page.

"Working closely with President Trumps national security team, Ambassador Bolton continues to coordinate the Presidents guidance to protect American personnel and interests from Iranian threats abroad," he said.

Trump and his advisers chafe at claims that Bolton is some kind of "puppet master" leading Trump into war. Having campaigned against "stupid wars" in Iraq and Afghanistan, Trump is highly unlikely to order military action against Iran, administration officials said, despite the rising beat of war drums from Bolton and others.

While giving free rein to his aides to express dissenting views, Trump is annoyed at Bolton for being so publicly bellicose toward Iran, fearing it increases the chances for accidental war.

Talk of war with Iran is "way ahead of where things are" within the administration, particularly with Trump, one official said.

The exception would be if Iran attacks U.S. personnel in the Middle East, officials said  a development that may be more likely in part because of a Trump management style that is haphazard at best and chaotic at worst.

But Trump often sticks with his pre-existing views, and his default position in foreign policy tends to be against intervention. He has pushed to withdraw U.S troops from Afghanistan and Syria, over the objections of military advisers. Mattis resigned in part over Trump's plan  later modified  to withdraw troops from Syria.

The flip side, officials say, is that Trump may be getting painted into a corner, and would have to respond if Iran does something to U.S. personnel.

For all his criticism of the George W. Bush administration's actions in Iraq and Afghanistan, Trump has as his national security adviser a major proponent of those interventions.

Durbin said he fears he's watching a replay of the debate for the Iraq war.

"The weapons of mass destruction turned out to be a fiction, and we were just stampeding into this invasion at that time," he aid. "I see it again, all over again."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump says he doesn't want war with Iran. Is John Bolton driving the US into a conflict anyway?
Donald Trump has signed an executive order that will ban American companies from using telecommunications equipment made by foreign firms posing a national security risk to the US, in a move thought to be aimed at China's Huawei.

The president's move comes as tensions have flared between the two countries, with Beijing and Washington failing to find consensus on trade and tariffs after months of negotiations.

In a statement, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said that the emergency declaration by the president is"part of his commitment to protecting the information and communications technology and services of our Nation."

"The President has made it clear that this Administration will do what it takes to keep America safe and prosperous, and to protect America from foreign adversaries who are actively and increasingly creating and exploiting vulnerabilities in information and communications technology infrastructure and services in the United States," Ms Sanders continued in the statement, which was emailed to reporters.

The West Wing has reportedly been considering the executive order for more than a year, but repeatedly delayed the measure for unknown reasons.

While the press secretary and executive order do not mention any specific country or company by name, the measure comes amid concerns in Washington that Huawei Technologies Co Ltd  the world's largest smartphone manufacturer  could be used by the Chinese government to spy on the US and western allies. The company has repeatedly denied those allegations.

Just before the executive order was signed on Wednesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said during his daily briefing in Beijing that the US had been "abusing its national power" to "deliberately smear" and suppress Chinese companies.

"This is not honourable, nor is it just," he said.

The new executive order represents something of an expansion of US policy already in place since August, when the president signed a bill that barred the US government from using Huawei equipment and goods from another Chinese company, ZTE Corp.

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The measure also follows after US prosecutors charged two Huawei units in Washington State with conspiring to steal T-Mobile trade secrets. The chief financial officer for the company was also charged, but for violating sanctions on Iran.

Reuters contributed to this report
WASHINGTON, May 16 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump has told his acting defense secretary, Patrick Shanahan, he does not want to go to war with Iran, the New York Times reported on Thursday, citing unidentified administration officials.

The Republican president made the comment to Shanahan on Wednesday morning during a White House briefing on rising tensions with Iran, the newspaper said. (Reporting by Doina Chiacu; Editing by Jeffrey Benkoe)
WASHINGTON (AP)  President Donald Trump said Thursday that he hopes the U.S. is not on a path to war with Iran amid fears that his two most hawkish advisers could be angling for such a conflict with the Islamic Republic.

Asked if the U.S. was going to war with Iran, the president replied, "I hope not"  a day after he repeated a desire for dialogue, tweeting, "I'm sure that Iran will want to talk soon."

The tone contrasted with a series of moves by the U.S. and Iran that have sharply escalated tensions in the Middle East in recent days. For the past year, national security adviser John Bolton and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo have been the public face of the administration's "maximum pressure" campaign against Tehran.

The friction has rattled lawmakers who are demanding more information on the White House's claims of rising Iranian aggression. Top leaders in Congress received a classified briefing on Iran Thursday, but many other lawmakers from both parties have criticized the White House for not keeping them informed.

Iran poses a particular challenge for Trump. While he talks tough against foreign adversaries to the delight of his supporters, a military confrontation with Iran could make him appear to be backtracking on a campaign pledge to keep America out of foreign entanglements.

Lawmakers and allies, however, worry that any erratic or miscalculated response from Trump could send the U.S. careening into conflict.

Trump pulled the U.S. out of the Iran nuclear deal last year and reinstated sanctions on Tehran that are crippling its economy.

Tensions rose dramatically May 5, when Bolton announced that the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group would be rushed from the Mediterranean to the Persian Gulf ahead of schedule in response to "a number of troubling and escalatory indications and warnings," without going into details.

Since then, four oil tankers, including two belonging to Saudi Arabia, were targeted in an apparent act of sabotage off the coast of the United Arab Emirates, according to officials in the region, and a Saudi pipeline was attacked by Iranian-backed Houthi rebels from Yemen. The U.S. also ordered non-essential staff out of Iraq and has dispatched additional military assets to the region.

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The Senate will receive a classified briefing on Iran on Tuesday, according to Jim Risch of Idaho, the chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee. The House has requested a classified briefing as well.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said briefings are necessary because informing leaders "is no substitute for the full membership of the Congress." She said a failure to inform lawmakers is "part of a pattern" for the Trump administration "that is not right," because the power to declare war resides with Congress.

"I hope that the president's advisers recognize that they have no authorization to go forward in any way" against Iran, Pelosi said.

Trump has dismissed suggestions that any of his advisers, particularly Bolton, are pushing him into a conflict.

"John has strong views on things, but that's OK. I actually temper John, which is pretty amazing isn't it?" Trump said recently when asked if he was satisfied with Bolton's advice. "I have different sides. I mean, I have John Bolton, and I have other people that are a little more dovish than him. And ultimately I make the decision."

Mark Dubowitz, an advocate of a hardline policy toward Iran and chief executive of the Federation for Defense of Democracies, said, "Trump is smart to let these advisers play the roles they play and it really does help him lay the table for negotiation, but ultimately, it comes back to his ability to oversee a negotiation and do so wisely and judiciously, and that's an open question."

Tensions started to spiral last year when Trump pulled out of a deal the U.S. and other world powers signed with Iran during the Obama administration. The deal lifted economic sanctions on Iran in exchange for curbing of its nuclear program.

Trump agreed with critics of the deal that it didn't address Tehran's work on ballistic missiles or its support of militant groups around the region. His administration reinstated sanctions that had been lifted under the deal  the Europeans and other signatories are still in it  and has piled on more.

Trita Parsi, an adjunct associate professor at Georgetown University who advised the Obama administration on Iran, thinks the Iranians are trying to exploit Trump and Bolton's divergence on foreign policy issues.

He cited a recent tweet from Hessamoddin Ashena, an adviser to Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, directed squarely at Trump and Bolton, who is easily recognized in public by his white, bushy mustache.

"You wanted a better deal with Iran. Looks like you are going to get a war instead. That's what happens when you listen to the mustache," the Iranian adviser said.

____

Associated Press writer Zeke Miller contributed to this report.
Dr Salman Shah appointed as adviser to Punjab CM

Renowned economist Dr Salman Shah has been appointed as the new adviser to the Punjab chief minister on economic affairs and planning. The Punjab government issued a notification to this effect on Wednesday, while CM Sardar Usman Buzdar asked Salman Shah to assume his new office without delay. This development comes ahead of the budget for the fiscal year 2019-20. Salman Shah has previously served as an adviser to then prime minister Shaukat Aziz during the regime of former military dictator Pervez Musharraf.



According to reports, one of the five advisers to the Punjab chief minister resigned on May 14 to make room for Dr Salman Shah in the provincial cabinet. Akram Chaudhry stepped down after the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf asked the five advisers if anyone of them would voluntarily resign so that an economist could be inducted in the provincial cabinet to look after Punjabs financial affairs. The chief minister can have only five advisers as per the Supreme Courts verdict.
Washington (AFP) - President Donald Trump will visit South Korea in June to meet with his counterpart Moon Jae-in over their efforts to persuade North Korea to scrap its nuclear weapons arsenal, the White House said Wednesday.

It will be the second meeting between the pair since the collapse of a summit between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Hanoi in February after they failed to reach a deal on denuclearisation.

"President Trump and President Moon will continue their close coordination on efforts to achieve the final, fully verified denuclearization of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea," the White House said in a statement, using North Korea's official name.

The dovish South Korean president, who has long backed engagement with the nuclear-armed North, brokered the talks process between Trump and Kim, which led to their first landmark summit in Singapore last June.

But security allies Seoul and Washington have at times appeared to diverge on their approach to Pyongyang, and Seoul's simultaneous announcement of the visit was noticeably different in its phrasing.

A statement issued by the South's presidential office said the two leaders will discuss "establishing a lasting peace regime through the complete denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula" -- rather than the North specifically.

The "denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula" was the term used in the joint statement signed by Kim and Trump after their first summit in Singapore.

But it is a phrase open to wide interpretation, and the process has become bogged down as the two sides disagree over what it means.

In the past, Pyongyang has argued it must include the removal of Washington's nuclear umbrella over the South and the 28,500 US troops stationed in the country.

When US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo visited the North's traditional ally Russia this week, Moscow's veteran foreign minister Sergei Lavrov told him: "The leadership of DPRK expects certain guarantees of security of their country reciprocated by denuclearization, and that denuclearization should be expanded over the whole of the Korean Peninsula."

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- G20 -

The White House said Trump's trip to South Korea would combine with his visit to nearby Japan, where he will attend a G20 summit in Osaka on June 28-29.

The Hanoi summit between Trump and Kim broke up after the pair failed to agree on what Pyongyang would be willing to give up in exchange for relief from sanctions imposed over its nuclear and missile programmes.

Since then, Moon has tried to salvage diplomacy between the two mercurial leaders and flew to Washington last month for a brief meeting with Trump.

His attempts have so far proved futile, with Pyongyang raising the pressure earlier this month week by launching short-range missiles in its first such test since November 2017.

North Korea has repeatedly warned that it could take a different approach if Washington did not change its stance on sanctions by the end of this year.

In a move that could further stoke tensions, the US announced the seizure of a North Korean cargo ship for violating international sanctions, which was slammed by Pyongyang as an "unlawful and outrageous act".
The battle for Donald Trumps financial records has finally reached the courts  though it might just be the start of a long and arduous war.

The presidents attorneys urged US district judge Amit Mehta to revoke subpoenas issued by the House oversight and reform committee, which has sought Mr Trumps tax records from his longtime accountant, Mazars USA.

Mr Trumps legal team has argued Democrats on Capitol Hill are not seeking his records as part of any legislative effort, instead suggesting the subpoenas serve a law-enforcement purpose outside of congressional jurisdiction.

William Consovoy, one of Mr Trumps lawyers, also said he did not believe Congress could investigate matters of corruption in relation to the president, telling the judge: I dont think thats the proper subject of investigation as to the president. He noted that he believed executive agencies could still be investigated, however.

The judge reportedly became incredulous due to Mr Consovoys response, noting similar investigations against former presidents Richard Nixon and Bill Clinton, which led to their resignation and impeachment, respectively.

They were inquiring as to violations of criminal law, the judge said, according to USA Today. Its pretty straightforward  among other things.

Democrats also appear to be investigating potential violations of criminal law in seeking the presidents tax returns.

As Mr Consovoy himself argued, Congress issued subpoenas to look into whether Mr Trump had provided false information about his financial dealings and loans that may have left him indebted to foreign lenders.

Congressional committees investigating the president were also seeking to confirm whether the president misled banks about his real estate holdings and other inconsistencies that were noted by his longtime former lawyer and fixer, Michael Cohen, during his public testimony on Capitol Hill earlier this year.

Still, the judge expressed a possible defence for Mr Trump, citing at least three possibilities in which the subpoena could be blocked.

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The first case would be if the court were to find that Congress did not have the power to probe a presidents personal life. The judge also said the subpoena could be blocked if it appeared Congress was stepping into the arena of the other two branches of government, or that the investigations were simply for the sake of exposure.

The judge did not indicate whether he would allow the subpoena to stand. Both sides have until Saturday to submit additional information.
Ankara (AFP) - Turkey has lifted a ban on lawyer visits to imprisoned Kurdish rebel leader Abdullah Ocalan, the justice minister said on Thursday, reversing an eight-year policy of isolation.

Ocalan has been in near-total isolation on an island off Istanbul since his arrest in 1999, but remains a key figure for Kurdish separatists, not just in Turkey but also in Syria and Iraq.

"The ruling that prevents meetings (with his lawyers) has been lifted and the opportunity to meet with him has been allowed," justice minister Abdulhamit Gul told reporters in Ankara.

He added that visits could still be limited on security grounds.

Ocalan was co-founder of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and led a bloody insurgency against the Turkish state which has claimed some 40,000 lives since it began in 1984.

He met his lawyers on May 2 for the first time since 2011.

They read a message from Ocalan that appeared to offer an olive-branch to the Turkish government.

He said "Turkey's sensitivities" should be taken into account in Syria where the US-backed Kurdish YPG militia is battling the Islamic State group.

Turkey says the YPG is a "terrorist offshoot" of Ocalan's PKK.

- Lawyers seek second visit -

One of his lawyers, Ibrahim Bilmez, told AFP that he had made an application to visit Ocalan on Friday but were waiting for a decision from Turkish authorities.

"We are expecting them to adhere to the rules and accept our applications," he said.

There have also been requests for more regular visits from lawyers, as well as letters and phone calls with family.

Ocalan's brother was allowed to visit him in January for the first time since 2016.

Around 3,000 Kurdish prisoners have been on hunger strike, eating no solid food, since November to protest Ocalan's isolation, according to the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party.

Eight people have also killed themselves' over the issue, according to the party.

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Ocalan sent a message through one of his lawyers for the hunger strikers to limit their actions.

The decision to allow visits comes ahead of a controversial re-run of the Istanbul mayoral election, which was lost by the ruling party of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Analysts say Kurdish votes played a role in defeating Erdogan's party, and that he could be hoping to win their support for the re-run.

- Bloody insurgency -

The PKK is proscribed as a terrorist organisation by Ankara and its Western allies.

More than 40,000 people have been killed during the bloody insurgency which intensified after a two-and-a-half year ceasefire collapsed in 2015.

Ocalan was caught in February 1999 outside the Greek embassy in Nairobi and jailed a few months later after he was found guilty of treason, separatism and murder.

Before his arrest, Ocalan was in exile in Syria until Damascus and Ankara reached an agreement in 1998 and he was forced to leave.

The PKK was established by Ocalan with fellow students to seek Kurdish independence but now limits its demands to greater autonomy and rights for the millions of Kurds in Turkey.
* Election board has yet to explain ruling to re-run vote

* Opposition says decision weakened checks on presidential power

* AKP says it provided concrete evidence of "organized crime"

By Tuvan Gumrukcu and Orhan Coskun

ANKARA, May 16 (Reuters) - Ten days after it annulled Turkey's most dramatic election upset in years, the country's electoral authority faces a barrage of questions from opposition parties who say there was no legal basis to cancel the vote.

The High Election Board said irregularities affected the outcome of the March 31 mayoral election in Istanbul, when the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) narrowly defeated President Tayyip Erdogan's AK Party (AKP).

It ruled that the vote in Turkey's largest city and commercial hub, the biggest prize in the nationwide local elections, be re-run next month because some polling officials were not civil servants, as required by voting regulations.

The decision to reverse Erdogan's rare election setback was described by Turkey's Western allies as incomprehensible. Critics said one of the last checks on his ever-tighter hold on power had suffered a damaging blow.

"The most fundamental value of our political tradition is that the last word belongs to the national will, which is manifested in the ballot box," Erdogan's erstwhile ally Ahmet Davutoglu, a former AKP prime minister, said last week.

"The annulment decision has opened the way to damaging these fundamental values of ours."

Erdogan has ruled Turkey since 2003, first as prime minister and then as president, winning more than a dozen elections.

He remains Turkey's dominant politician, but economic recession and a slump in the lira have eroded support for his Islamist-rooted AKP. The CHP argues that by refusing to accept any loss of power, he is dragging Turkey deeper into authoritarianism with the help of increasingly co-opted institutions such as the High Election Board (YSK).

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"A game where those who come with elections don't leave with elections was approved by a gang influencing the YSK," CHP spokesman Faik Oztrak said last week. "A coup was carried out on the ballots, which are the last bastion of democracy."

Erdogan's party says it provided concrete evidence of wrongdoing in the electoral process and the election board acted solely on the information available. "The power of the ruling party was never used on the YSK," an AKP official told Reuters.

The AKP described the irregularities in the mayoral vote as "organized crime" which affected the outcome. The AKP has said the re-run of the mayoral election was aimed at ensuring the public will was reflected in the ballot.

ELECTION IMPACT

The YSK decision was passed by a 7-4 majority. Its 11 members, all judges, are chosen by Turkey's two highest courts whose members are selected by a judicial council appointed partly by parliament and partly by the president.

The election board has yet to publish a detailed explanation for its decision. "When the reasoning is finished, we'll share it," YSK head Sadi Guven, who was part of the dissenting minority, told reporters on Wednesday.

In a May 6 statement, it said the ruling was based on the fact that some polling stations in Istanbul were "formed illegally by the district electoral board, and this issue impacted the results of the elections."

A day after the announcement, a Turkish lawyers group said the irregularities cited in the YSK ruling should have been challenged before the vote, when they were apparent.

The Union of Turkish Bar Associations said the YSK had also failed to explain how those violations had changed the result of the election, and the ruling contradicted several previous YSK decisions.

Two years ago the YSK angered Erdogan's opponents when it ruled, in the midst of voting on a tightly fought referendum to grant the president sweeping executive powers, that unstamped ballot papers would be accepted - a decision which the bar associations said lifted a safeguard against voter fraud.

Aylin Ozgul Kirmizioglu, one of the four party representatives who are allowed to observe YSK meetings, said she was stunned to hear one of the judges first support canceling and re-running the election.

"When I heard the first annulment vote, I had the shock of my life," Kirmizioglu, from the opposition Iyi (Good) Party which was allied to the CHP, said. "I was truly very surprised and we, as the representatives, all looked at each other to see if we had heard right."

Kirmizioglu said it was illogical for the YSK to rule the mayoral election invalid when three other votes for local councils and administrators submitted in the same envelopes at the same polling stations on the same day were deemed valid.

The AKP argued it was reasonable to focus on the mayoral election because the victory margin - 13,000 votes in a turnout of nearly 9 million - was so thin.

Kirmizioglu said: "It's very wrong to expect the public to understand this, since even we as lawyers don't get it.

"If a legal rule is against logic, then it's not legal." (Editing by Dominic Evans and Janet Lawrence)
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Turquoise Hill Resources Ltd. (NYSE: TRQ)

Q1 2019 Earnings Call

May 16, 2019, 9:00 a.m. ET

Contents:

Prepared Remarks

Questions and Answers

Call Participants

Prepared Remarks:

Operator

Good day. My name is Joanna, and I will be your conference operator today. At this time, I would like to welcome everyone to the Turquoise Hill Resources Q1 2019Financial Results and Review of Operations Conference Call. All lines have been placed on mute to prevent any background noise. After the speakers' remarks, there will be a question-and-answer session. If you would like to ask a question during this time, simply press *, then the No. 1 on your telephone keypad. Thank you.

Mr. Roy McDowall, Investor Relations, you may begin your conference.

Roy McDowall -- Investor Relations

Thank you, Joanna. Welcome to our first quarter 2019 financial results conference call. Yesterday, we released our first quarter 2019 results press release, MD&A, and financial statements. These items are available on our website and SEDAR.

With me today is our CEO, Ulf Quellmann, and our CFO, Luke Colton. I'd now like to turn the call over to Ulf.

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Ulf Quellmann -- Chief Executive Officer

Thank you, Roy, and good morning to everyone. Thank you for joining Turquoise Hill's first quarter 2019 results conference call. Firstly, I'd like to welcome Roy to the Turquoise Hill team as our new head of investor relations and communications. Welcome, Roy.

This presentation includes forward-looking information. I'd like to remind you to please read the disclaimer on Slide 2. Today, I'll provide an update on what we've achieved over the first quarter of 2019. Luke will provide an overview of the financial performance of the company. And then, I'll finish by providing an overview of our priorities for the balance of the year.

Story continues

Yesterday, we announced a strong set of results for the first three months of the year. As you know, the health and safety of our people is our top priority and we are pleased to report a new record of safety performance for the quarter. Our all injury frequency rate fell to 0.09 per 2,000 hours work exposure, down from 0.21 from the first quarter of 2018, and our lowest since commencement of commercial operations in 2014. This is an outstanding achievement and something we comment the Oyu Tolgoi team for. As an organization, we must continue to strive to do the best in the area of healthy, safety, and environment and to aspire to be seen as raising the standard in this area.

We achieved copper production of 45.8 thousand tonnes, and gold production of 120,000 ounces. Our C1 cash costs for the quarter were $0.77 per pound. And income came in at $105 million. We've also made significant progress on a number of key infrastructure projects with the completion of the 6,000-tonne-per-day jaw crusher, the surface discharge conveyor, and the expansion of the central heating plant. Each of these projects have now moved into the commissioning phase. Sinking of Shafts 3 and 4 have also commenced, and we've progressed 3.2 total equivalent kilometers in underground development over the quarter, and 2.3 kilometers of lateral development.

Moving on to Slide 5, Oyu Tolgoi delivered a very strong quarter at our open pit operations. Concentrator operated above nameplate capacity, and we delivered production of 45.8 tonnes of copper and 120,000 ounces of gold. This is an increase over the same corresponding quarter of last year of approximately 18% and 188% respectively. Our C1 cash costs reduced by 56% over the first quarter 2018 as we benefited from a higher gold byproduct contribution. The strong gold production over the first quarter was in line with expectations as we continue to process higher gold grade Phase 4 ore during the first quarter of 2019. We're now transitioning into the lower gold grade Phase 6 ore. We continue to remain on track to achieve our 2019 production guidance of 125,000-155,000 tonnes of copper and 180,000-220,000 ounces of gold.

Moving on to Slide 6, consistent with our project schedule, we've made significant progress in completing a number of surface infrastructure projects over the first quarter of this year, including the new 6,000-tonne-per-day jaw crusher, which is mechanically completed and currently being commissioned; and for heating plant expansion, which is now moved into the commissioning phase; construction of the surface discharge conveyor was also completed in March and tied into the existing overland conveyor. And Shafts 3 and 4 works are progressing well too, and as of 31st of March, we're at 10 meters and 50 meters below the shaft collar respectively. Finally, we achieved 2.3 kilometers of underground lateral development in the first three months of 2019.

Going forward into the remainder of the year, we are focused on completing the fit out and commissioning work on Shaft 2, which is expected to be completed by the end of October of this year. Once commissioned, Shaft 2, which is our primary service and personnel shaft, will enable Oyu Tolgoi to accelerate underground lateral development and achieve increased productivity rates more in line with expectations. Additionally, work continues on the definitive estimate work. This may include some potentially significant changes to the design of some future elements of the mine design and the develop schedule.

While we still expect to commence the cave initiation with impound zero, the highest grade area of the underground, key priorities for the team are confirming the location of the ore process, to ensure stability over the long life of mine that an ore body the size of Oyu Tolgoi supports. Finally, work also continues on making any necessary adjustments to the initiation sequence of the block cave to preserve the attractive economics of the mine. We expect to provide an update along with our half-year results, followed by the definitive estimate review, which is expected to be completed by year end.

Moving to Slide 7, we're currently working with a number of local key stakeholders, including the government of Mongolia, on a number of activities, most notably power, as well as increasing our local sourcing in Mongolia, community development, etc. Furthermore, there are other items and aspects that require dialogue and cooperation between Oyu Tolgoi, its shareholders, as well as the government of Mongolia. This includes discussion about the appropriate funding structure for Oyu Tolgoi, finalizing some outstanding tax matters, as well as cooperating on various reviews and working groups.

Starting with power, late last year we entered into an agreement, a power source framework agreement, that sets up a pathway, a roadmap really, to securing domestically sourced power for the mine. Having access to reliable and competitively priced power is critical for the success of Oyu Tolgoi. It also ensures that Oyu Tolgoi delivers on its commitment as set out in the 2009 investment agreement. Work continues on finalizing the technical configuration of the power plant and we received licenses and permits, including the construction permits for the Tavan-Tolgoi power plant, and electricity lines being renewed by the regulator. We've appointed an external technical advisor to assist us with various aspects of managing this very complex project, and we expect to approach EPC contractors in the short term.

In relation to some of the other matters that require cooperation, most recently, as you will be aware, Oyu Tolgoi has been provided with a summary of the Parliamentary Working Group report. Oyu Tolgoi has submitted a written response with some preliminary comments to the Economic Standard Committee of Parliament. Our understanding is that the timeline to review the Parliamentary Working Group report by the Economic Standard Committee of Parliament has not been fully established yet. In the meantime, Oyu Tolgoi and its shareholders continued to engage with the respective stakeholders in Mongolia.

Moving on to Slide 8, here you can see several photos of the newly completed discharge conveyor to surface, which has also been tied to the existing overland conveyor. This will connect ore transported from Shaft 2 to the existing infrastructure and deliver it then to the concentrator and will be lode commissioned when Shaft 2 is available.

Turning to Slide 9, here you can see several shots of the Shaft 2 jaw crusher. This is mechanically complete and is currently being commissioned. The system is capacity of 6,000 tonnes per day and it'll help accelerate underground development once Shaft 2 is complete. And turning to Slide 10, in the top left photo, you can see the completed central heating plant, which is now in the commissioning phase. This will, of course, ensure adequate ventilation to support the ramp-up of the underground operations. In the top right photo, you can see the initial progress of Shaft 3. Concrete collar has been installed and sinking has commenced. In the bottom left, you can see the hoist for Shaft 2. In the lower right, you can see tunneling for the conveyor to surface.

And now, I'll hand over to Luke to walk you through the financial highlights.

Luke Colton -- Chief Financial Officer

Thanks, Ulf, and hello to all of you listening in today. If I could get you to please turn to Slide 12 for a summary of key financial metrics for the first quarter of 2019, revenue in Q1 2019 was $352.7 million, which is an increase of $43.6 million compared to $245.6 million in Q1 of 2018. The increase is primarily due to increased gold revenue, not driven by the significant increase in gold production as OT benefited from the processing of Phase 4 ore that contained higher gold content. This is partially offset by a decrease in average copper price in Q1 2019 versus Q1 2018.

The higher revenue was also the primary driver behind the increase for other financial metrics, such as income per share, which increased from $0.04 per share in Q1 2018 to $0.06 per share in Q1 2019. Also, the increase in cash generated from operating activities before interest and tax, which was $49.8 million in Q1 2019, compared to $14.7 million in Q1 2018, with the higher sales revenue partially offset by higher cash operating costs. This was more than enough to fund sustaining capex for the open pit, and actually it helped to fund a portion of the underground development as well. The increase in operating cash costs was primarily due to higher freight and royalty costs, and that's associated with the higher sales revenues, but also higher power study costs and increased community development costs.

Capital expenditure was $325.3 million in Q1 of 2019, and that compares to $285.7 million in Q1 of 2018. And that includes $296.4 million in underground development spend. Since the beginning of 2016, the total amount spent on underground development is now approximately $2.6 billion. In addition, OT had further capital commitments of $1.1 billion as of the 31st of March 2019. Turquoise Hill liquidity balance at the end of Q1 2019 was approximately $3.2 billion.

If you could turn to Slide 13 now, OT's C1 cash costs in Q1 of 2019 were $0.77 per pound of copper produced. That's a decrease of 56% from the $1.76 per pound in Q1 of 2018. The primary reason for the significant decrease in these C1 cash costs was due to the benefit incurred from the additional gold credits arising from the $85.4 million increase in gold revenue Q1 2018 versus Q1 2019. This was further supported by reduced unit cost of production, benefiting from increased copper grades and recovery rates, and lower negotiated TCRCs and freight differential.

Slide 14 comments on TRQ's strong liquidity position as we ensure the continued funding of OT. Total underground spend since January 2016, as I previously mentioned, is now about just about $2.6 billion. At the end of March 2019, Turquoise Hill has approximately $3.2 billion of available liquidity, and that's split between finance proceeds -- or remaining finance proceeds -- of $1.6 billion, and approximately $1.5 billion of cash. In addition, we expect to generate free cash flow at our existing open pit operations, which will also be available to help fund the underground developments. For example, in 2018, approximately $360 million was generated from our open pit operations.

By the end of this year, key milestones related to the underground project will be significantly more advanced than today, including the completion of Shaft 2 and the completion of the definitive estimate review. This will include final estimates for completion schedule, costs -- both capex and opex, grades, and the production schedule.

I will leave it with that for now, and I'll hand back to Ulf to finish.

Ulf Quellmann -- Chief Executive Officer

Thank you, Luke. As stated earlier, the health and safety of our people is our top priority and we've continued to improve over 2018, achieving our best quarterly safety performance since commencement of commercial operations. However, we can certainly not be complacent, and this remains a key priority for us. Operation performance in our open pit is on track to deliver our 2019 production on plan, and we continue to remain extremely focused on operating cost discipline.

As we continue to progress the underground over the remainder of 2019, our primary focus will be on completing Shaft 2, which will facilitate an acceleration in underground development. We'll also complete the excavation of key underground infrastructure and continue to progress Shafts 3 and 4. In addition to the underground development, work continues on the Tavan-Tolgoi based power plant. We've already secured some of the required permits and we expect to approach EPC contractors shortly.

We are focused on working toward the milestones as set out on the power source framework agreement. We continue to engage with the government of Mongolia as we work through some of the remaining outstanding items. And lastly, work is ongoing with Rio Tinto, our project manager, to complete the mine modification work. This work will form the basis of the definitive estimate, which will provide the final update on cost and schedule.

Turning to Slide 17, here we highlight Turquoise Hill's leading copper growth profile. As you can see, Turquoise Hill's copper production growth is expected to be well above peers due to the substantial increase in copper production that the underground mine will bring. This will driven by a significant increase in copper grade. On average, copper grade within Panel Zero, which our underground operations will start, is approximately 2.5%, approximately five times the average cooperate grade achieved at our open pit operations.

Turning to Slide 18, and to summarize, Oyu Tolgoi is one of the few world class copper and gold deposits capable of producing significant tonnage of low cost copper over a multidecade mine life. It is a low cost, long life asset. Turquoise Hill presents a unique opportunity to invest directly in this Tier 1 copper and gold asset. On completion of the underground project, Oyu Tolgoi will be a top three copper mine by production with first quartile cash costs and the potential to support a 100-year life of mine.

These unique characteristics are expected to result in the generation of significant and long dated free cash flow throughout the cycle. The project is well advanced, with almost half of the capex already having been spent compared to some other copper projects of similar scope. Oyu Tolgoi has some key advantages that set it aside. To name just a few, Oyu Tolgoi has a significant part of its infrastructure already in place. It is a world class operator in Rio Tinto. Our customers in the biggest market of the world, in China, are just on our doorstep. We have an agreed framework in place to secure a long-term power solution from within Mongolia. And we operate in a jurisdiction that benefits directly and indirectly from Oyu Tolgoi's success.

We're well on our way to transforming Oyu Tolgoi into a truly Tier 1 operating mine. And with that, I'd like to conclude our prepared remarks.

...

Operator, we'd now like to turn to take questions.

Questions and Answers:

Operator

Thank you. Ladies and gentlemen, as a reminder, should you have any questions, please press *1. And your first question is from Orest Wowkodaw from Scotiabank. Please go ahead.

Orest Wowkodaw -- Scotiabank -- Analyst

Hi, good morning. Ulf, I was wondering if you could provide any details on the report produced by the parliamentary working group? Specifically, I'm curious what they may be recommending, or what their conclusion may be. And obviously, you've responded to that. But when do you think we could get some details on that?

Ulf Quellmann -- Chief Executive Officer

Orest, thanks very much for the question. I think this is one -- and I touched upon it briefly in the remarks I just made. We are really in the process at the moment. We aren't really in a position, Orest, at this stage, to really say anything above and beyond what we've said publicly in the press release last week. And that's really to say that Oyu Tolgoi received a copy of the summary report. It provided some written responses back to the Economic Standard Committee of Parliament. It is now really with the Economic Standard Committee of Parliament to decide what the next steps in the process are.

And all we can say at this stage, Orest, really is that we continue to be engaged with the relevant stakeholders in country, seeking to -- working toward a good outcome for all participants. But I'm afraid we can't really share any detail of the report. They are not public.

Orest Wowkodaw -- Scotiabank -- Analyst

Okay. But would it be fair to say that they're proposing changing the current investment agreement?

Ulf Quellmann -- Chief Executive Officer

As I said, Orest, we won't -- we can't really comment on the content in the report. It's been provided to us. We provided our responses. We want to work with the relevant authorities in a trusted, cooperative fashion. And I hope you'll understand that we would refrain from really spilling out the comments of the report on a public conference call like this.

Orest Wowkodaw -- Scotiabank -- Analyst

Okay. Okay. And then, just finally, for me -- you stated in your release that expect to provide an update on the underground with your midyear results. Just curious what we can anticipate there. Would that be an updated capex and schedule or is that just more -- just curious how that might differ versus this definitive report at the end of the year.

Ulf Quellmann -- Chief Executive Officer

Yeah, thanks, Orest. I think what we are attempting to do is really to recognize that obviously a lot of work is going on to complete the definitive estimate. We talked on our last call a little bit about the work that's required around a review of the mine plan as a result of some of the difference in rock mass stability. And as a result of that, the definitive estimate is now only available toward the end of the year. That's a long way away from now, but that's really the time when final costs and schedule will be known. And I think we just recognize that we ought to be in a position to give the market an interim update before year end. The next logical point for us to do that is the half year.

What format and what extent exactly that takes, Orest, we'll still have to work out. We want to be as helpful as possible to the markets, but at the same time we need to see where we are at that point in time to see what we can meaningfully provide you with. But it's really a reflection of the fact that we want to be in a position to provide the market with visibility as opposed to having you wait until the full year before we can tell you anything really.

Orest Wowkodaw -- Scotiabank -- Analyst

Okay. So, is it possible we could see a preliminary new schedule in capex at that point, or is that unlikely?

Ulf Quellmann -- Chief Executive Officer

Look, we'll have to see where we are. I don't want to raise the expectations more than we can deliver, Orest. I think we just -- we recognize that we need to provide you with some visibility. The form extend, we'll have to work through.

Orest Wowkodaw -- Scotiabank -- Analyst

Okay. Thank you very much.

Ulf Quellmann -- Chief Executive Officer

Thanks, Orest.

Operator

Thank you. Your next question is from Ralph Profiti from Eight Capital. Please go ahead.

Ralph M. Profiti -- Eight Capital LLC -- Analyst

Good morning. Thanks for taking my questions. Ulf, when we think about modification of this initiation sequence within Panel Zero, how much better are you experiencing the ground conditions as you think of these alternatives? Are those quantifiable possibly in terms of say mRMRs, or even a qualitative review of the relative stability would be helpful. Just trying to figure out how much better you're off in the alternative scenarios. And then, maybe just to touch on that, how would you describe the ground conditions in Panel 1 and Panel 2 relative to Panel Zero?

Ulf Quellmann -- Chief Executive Officer

Thank you for the questions, Ralph. These are really good questions, and far from trying to dodge the questions, but we are really in the process of working through that. So, at this point in time, the specifics that you're asking for, we're not in a position to give you. What we can say to you is that, obviously, the project team is working through it. We're working with the team together to make sure we understand it, and we'll have to see what position we can be in, as I said, at the half year to give you an update. But we need to make sure we do the work first, so that we -- when we are in a position to give you an update, we've done the work, we've done the homework, and we don't come back to you continuously with changes.

So, really, these are all good questions. They're just a little bit early for us to give you definitive answers to at this point in time.

Ralph M. Profiti -- Eight Capital LLC -- Analyst

Okay. Okay. No, I understand. Thanks for that. Is it possible that you've held -- this is a different topic -- any preliminary discussions with the project financing syndicate -- on mentioning your previous commentary about potentially looking at the schedule change in that as an option. Or will you most likely wait until the definitive review estimate until you tackle those issues, if they need to be addressed at all?

Ulf Quellmann -- Chief Executive Officer

Sure, Ralph. I might just look at Luke to see -- given that it's a finance question, see if Luke wants to take that one.

Luke Colton -- Chief Financial Officer

Sure. No, I'm happy to do my best to answer that question. Thank you for it. We are in the process of looking at a variety of different funding options, and that certainly does involve preliminary discussion with various parties. And there certainly have been some interactions at very high levels with different parties, including with existing banks, etc. But I don't think -- we're talking very, very high level at this stage. I don't think that there's -- I don't want you to get too far ahead of yourself, I guess, if that makes any sense at all. We're certainly -- we certainly feel like we're at a stage in terms of assessing our various options, which is appropriate for the point in time where we now find ourselves. And we'll continue to execute against our anticipated timelines.

Ralph M. Profiti -- Eight Capital LLC -- Analyst

Okay. Yeah. That's it for me, operator. Thanks, Ulf. Thanks, Luke.

Ulf Quellmann -- Chief Executive Officer

Thank you, Ralph.

Operator

Thank you. Your next question is from Terence Ortslan with TSO. Please go ahead.

Terence S. Ortslan -- TSO & Associates, Inc. -- Analyst

Thank you. Good morning. Just two quick questions. One, your mill operating rate, above capacity, is that because of the softer ore or is it because of the better availability of the mill?

Luke Colton -- Chief Financial Officer

Yep. So, if you look at our Q1 2019 operating results versus prior quarters, specifically Q1 of 2018, you'll see we had good head grade. We had good recovery. We did have slightly lower mill throughput. And you're correct in saying that's really the result of processing the harder Phase 4 ore, and a larger proportion of that in Q1 of 2019 versus Q1 of 2018.

Terence S. Ortslan -- TSO & Associates, Inc. -- Analyst

Okay. Well, Q2 last year, you had quite a substantial operating rate compared to the nameplate capacity -- 112,000 tonnes versus the 100,000 tonnes, or thereabouts in nameplate.

Luke Colton -- Chief Financial Officer

Yep. No. And we do, I think, continue to operate our mill above nameplate capacity. But we do get the benefit of softer ore in terms of being able to maximize that throughput. So, it would've been a little bit lower in the first quarter of this year. But you would expect, as we move into Phase 6 ore, which is softer, over the course of 2019 -- you would expect that to have a positive impact, all other things being equal.

Terence S. Ortslan -- TSO & Associates, Inc. -- Analyst

I must congratulate you on your injury frequency rate. Is there a Mongolian standard developed after so many tonnes -- a limit that mining operations have? Do they have an industrywide rate in Mongolia nowadays?

Ulf Quellmann -- Chief Executive Officer

Yeah, we obviously benchmark our safety performance in country. But we certainly also have the benefit of benchmarking it vis-a-vis the reoperations -- and of course industrywide. You will know that this is one of the key standard metrics in the area of safety that people call. There are obviously others -- not the only one we measure. But this is probably one of the most commonly used ones. And we just think safety is one of those things -- it's not only our No. 1 priority. It speaks to our core values. That's who we are. That's how we think about our responsibility vis-a-vis our employees. They really need to be in a position where they come to work every day and they feel they can go home safe and sound at the end of each day to their families. So, that's why it's our No. 1 value.

And second of all, we also think safety tends to be a good proxy for good operatorship. People and operations who tend to have good safety metrics, safety processes, systems, culture -- there tends to be a correlation to operating efficiency and effectiveness as well. And so, that's why we do -- that's why we report on it. And that's why we benchmark our performance against various best in class and industry standards.

Terence S. Ortslan -- TSO & Associates, Inc. -- Analyst

Thank you for that. Just following up Orest's question at the beginning, the previous commissions or approaches to renegotiate the investment agreement was somewhat retroactive. I appreciate you don't want to discuss and negotiate this thing in public, but is it a retroactive issue or issues in this particular submission that they have? Because ore going forward is the way they're looking into discussing with you the possibilities.

Ulf Quellmann -- Chief Executive Officer

Well, I would say if -- I can try and attempt to answer you question. Look, it's -- there are obviously multiple discussions dealing with multiple topics that we have -- whether it is power, whether it is community development, whether it's how can we support the local economy through sourcing more in country. This discussion around the parliamentary working group report is one of many others. And we just take the approach that ultimately we are long-term partners. We are in country. We will be in country for a long time. The government, through various holdings, is a direct and indirect beneficiary of OT's success, if you like -- either as a shareholder or just as a tax collector through employment and so forth.

So, we are engaging with the government and the various stakeholders really on multiple levels, multiple aspects, and we do so in a, what we believe, cooperative, collaborative, respectful fashion. And ultimately, we are clear from a Turquoise Hill perspective, we need to make sure we deliver what's in the best interest of our shareholders. What form that ultimately takes, we'll have to see. But I think the engagement, the nature of the engagement, is important. And we're certainly very clear about our priorities. So is the government, of course. Luckily, we think, in many many cases, the interests of us are aligned in that both of us are benefiting from OT being successful. The more OT is successful, the better for Mongolia as a country as well. I hope that --

Terence S. Ortslan -- TSO & Associates, Inc. -- Analyst

[Crosstalk] I appreciate it.

Ulf Quellmann -- Chief Executive Officer

Yeah. Okay. Thank you.

Terence S. Ortslan -- TSO & Associates, Inc. -- Analyst

Thank you very much. Thank you.

Operator

Thank you. Your next question is from Oscar Cabrera from CIBC. Please go ahead.

Oscar Cabrera -- CIBC World Markets, Inc. -- Analyst

Thank you, operator, and good day, everyone. Ulf, I think you've partly answered the question I had for you with respect to the parliamentary working group report and the new mine plan that you're working on. It sounds like the discussions are far beyond what -- the letter that was submitted to you. And I just want to wish you good luck. The question I had is with respect to the power agreement you have. You have been pretty specific about the dates where you need power, or to have power source from the power plant. Tavan-Tolgoi -- is that part of the discussion as well of -- I'm assuming that you're sourcing your gold from the mine, but are you thinking, or is part of the process, that we'll have you involved in the mining of the Tavan-Tolgoi deposit? Or is that -- that's going to be done by a third party or by the Mongolian government?

Ulf Quellmann -- Chief Executive Officer

Yeah, I think, Oscar, I wasn't necessarily stretching that far when I mentioned power. It was in the linkage to Mongolian stakeholders. It was in the context of, No. 1, the ability to source power domestically from within Mongolia as one of the key obligations that Oyu Tolgoi has as per the investment agreement. No. 2, the power source framework agreement envisages that Oyu Tolgoi is a majority shareholder of that new entity that owns the power plant. And of course, Erdene Tolgoi is a shareholder to Oyu Tolgoi. So, indirectly, there is a government ownership. Then, we're talking about what other partners might we want to have in the Tavan-Tolgoi power project. And of course, we need the support and collaboration by the government in providing licenses and permits, if you like.

So, I mentioned it, Oscar, more in the context of really the multitude of discussions that we're having with the government, that go far beyond things like the parliamentary working group report, right? There's many of these discussions and power is a good example, I think, where power is a critical -- and I would say strategic enabler and value driver -- for Oyu Tolgoi. And again, it's an area where we are working together with various Mongolian stakeholders. That's the point I was trying to make. So, I hope that partially addressed your question, Oscar.

Oscar Cabrera -- CIBC World Markets, Inc. -- Analyst

Yeah, no. It does, Ulf. Thanks very much. I think you've -- we all seen the -- you still come under pressure. I think, this uncertainty surrounding the parliamentary work group report's not helping. Do you think that once you present a new mine plan, and that -- the power plant plan, as it were, by the end of this year, beginning of next year. You think that all things can be settled with the government? Or should -- or do you expect these conversations to continue beyond that?

Ulf Quellmann -- Chief Executive Officer

It's a very good question, Oscar, and I think -- look, I mean, we obviously can't predict how things unfold. But what -- clearly, what we can say and what we would like to see is where we have outstanding issues, we are -- we believe we're all incentivized to resolve these. So, if we specifically refer to the parliamentary working group report, it's now been commissioned more than a year ago, and we believe that ultimately, in a partnership that we have in country, as we said, in various aspects, issues come up every now and again. That's normal. The key is how do we resolve them. And how can we work cooperatively, collaboratively together, to work through some of these issues so that they don't become a major obstacle for the development of the mine, right?

As you well know, with the underground -- with power, these are critical components that we need to progress with. They are critical to unlock the value potential that Oyu Tolgoi has, and therefore we, as well as, we believe, the Mongolian government -- we're all incentivized to resolve any issues that could present some sort of impediment from delivering undervalued potential. So, we're keen to resolve them, work with the government, and the sooner we can do so I think the better we're all served.

Oscar Cabrera -- CIBC World Markets, Inc. -- Analyst

Okay. Well, best of luck, Ulf.

Ulf Quellmann -- Chief Executive Officer

Thank you, Oscar.

Operator

Thank you. We have no further questions. You may proceed.

Ulf Quellmann -- Chief Executive Officer

Thank you, operator. And thank you for everyone joining us on the call this morning. If I could just quickly wrap it up and maybe summarize, Oyu Tolgoi is a long life, low cost, Tier 1 asset. We have delivered what we believe are very strong quarterly operational performance in the first quarter of this year. We are progressing with both the underground, as well as with power. Both of those are key strategic value drivers for us. You all know that Oyu Tolgoi is a large and complex project, so we will encounter challenges along the way. But the key thing is that we recognize when we have challenges and that we are putting really the best people and the best resources against it to make sure we resolve them.

Rio Tinto, as an operator, as a manger, is recognized as one of the world's best mining companies. We also have -- we didn't touch on it very much on the call today -- the support of a large syndicate of international financial institutions. And of course, we'll continue, as we just said, to work cooperatively with our Mongolian stakeholders to maximize value for our shareholders. That's what our commitment is and that's what we will do.

So, with that, I'd like to thank you for joining us on today's call. We will end the call here. Thank you, and goodbye.

...

Operator

Ladies and gentlemen, this concludes your conference call for today. We thank you for participating, and we ask that you please disconnect your lines.

Duration: 43 minutes

Call participants:

Roy McDowall -- Investor Relations

Ulf Quellmann -- Chief Executive Officer

Luke Colton -- Chief Financial Officer

Brendan Lane -- Vice President, Operations and Development

Ralph M. Profiti -- Eight Capital LLC -- Analyst

Orest Wowkodaw -- Scotiabank -- Analyst

Terence S. Ortslan -- TSO & Associates, Inc. -- Analyst

Oscar Cabrera -- CIBC World Markets, Inc. -- Analyst

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Nicosia (AFP) - A court in northern Cyprus on Thursday acquitted two journalists who had faced up to five years in prison on charges of insulting and defaming Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Sener Levent, the editor of Turkish-language daily Afrika, was on trial alongside the paper's reporter Ali Osman Tabak for "insulting a foreign leader" after the newspaper published a cartoon showing a Greek statue urinating on Erdogan's head.

The cartoon first appeared online at the time of Erdogan's 2017 visit to Greece, and Afrika later published it with the caption "seen through Greek eyes".

But judge Cenkay Inan told a packed courtroom in northern Nicosia that the image "did not constitute an insult".

He said that by publishing the cartoon, Afrika was reporting the feelings of some Greeks after meetings between Turkish and Greek leaders.

He also noted several rulings by the European Court of Human Rights, which has acquitted journalists over alleged "insults" to politicians, citing freedom of expression.

The north Nicosia court erupted in loud applause as the ruling was read out and supporters cheered as the two journalists were released, an AFP reporter at the hearing said.

"Erdogan lost and we won," Levent told AFP as he left the courtroom.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when Turkish troops invaded and occupied its northern third in response to an Athens-backed coup aimed at uniting the island with Greece.

Ankara still has more than 30,000 troops deployed in the territory and bankrolls a breakaway republic there that is unrecognised except by Turkey.

But the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus has its own legal system.

Levent, a vocal opponent of Erdogan and his ruling AKP party, called the court verdict "an important milestone for real independence against Turkey."

"Turkey cannot do here what it does in Turkey," he said.

Rights groups say journalists today face growing pressure both in Turkey and in the TRNC.

Story continues

Reporters without Borders (RSF) welcomed Thursday's ruling, saying the charges had "sent a very disturbing signal to northern Cypriot journalists as a whole".

But it pointed out that Levent also faces trial over an article he wrote criticising a Turkish military operation against a Kurdish enclave in northern Syria.

Erdogan responded at the time by calling on Ankara's "brothers in north Cyprus to give the necessary response".

The following day, a crowd of ultranationalists attacked the offices of Afrika -- a tiny daily with a 1,500 circulation in a statelet of around 300,000 people -- as Turkish Cypriot police stood back and watched.
PML-N boycotted Punjab Assembly standing committees meeting

The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) on Wednesday boycotted the meetings of the Punjab Assemblys standing committees. PML-N MPAs said they would not attend the meetings of standing committees till the government fulfilled its commitment to name Leader of the Opposition in the Punjab Assembly Hamza Shehbaz as the Public Accounts Committee chairman.



Lawmakers were scheduled to elect the chairmen of three standing committees on Wednesday. However, PML-N MPAs boycotted the meetings of the standing committees. Therefore, the election of the chairmen could not be held due to a lack of quorum. Some MPAs from the government side were also absent from the meeting.



Each standing committee of the Punjab Assembly comprises 11 MPAs. Six of them are from the government, while five MPAs belong to opposition parties. As MPAs from the opposition boycotted the meetings, the government could not complete the required quorum because some of their own MPAs were also absent. There are 40 standing committees in the Punjab Assembly. The chairmanship of 21 committees will go to the government, while 19 committees will be headed by the opposition according to the rule of proportional representation. The chairmanship of most of the standing committees is lying vacant as the opposition is not cooperating with the government after the PTI refused to name Hamza Shehbaz as the PAC chairman.



It was earlier decided between the government and the opposition that Hamza Shehbaz would be appointed as the PAC chairman. However, now the government is reluctant to fulfill its promise as Hamza faces multiple cases, including assets beyond means, money laundering, Ramzan Sugar Mills and Saaf Pani Company. In the provincial assembly, the PAC chairman is considered a powerful person as he conducts audits of projects initiated by the government. Earlier, Mian Mehmoodur Rasheed of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) held the office for five years during the last government of PML-N in Punjab. Law Minister Raja Basharat had earlier also confirmed that the opposition leader would be appointed as the PAC chairman in Punjab. However, no official notification has been issued in this regard.



PML-N Punjab Information Secretary Azma Bukhari said that the party would continue its struggle and would keep on reminding the government to fulfill its promise of appointing Hamza Shehbaz as the PAC chairman.



The government gave us its commitment in the past to name Hamza as the PAC chairman. However, then it backtracked on its promise. The office is still lying vacant, she said. She added that all PML-N MPAs who were members of standing committees had submitted their resignations from the committees to the party leadership as a protest against the governments refusal. Imran Khan is running the affairs of the Punjab Assembly. Therefore, the issue is still unresolved, she said.
Washington (AFP) - A Tennessee man who killed his wife and an Alabama man convicted of a quadruple murder were executed by lethal injection Thursday.

Donnie Edward Johnson, 68, was convicted in 1984 of murdering his wife, Connie Johnson, in Memphis, Tennessee, by stuffing a plastic garbage bag down her throat and suffocating her.

Michael Brandon Samra, 41, was convicted in 1998 for his involvement in the murders of Randy Duke, Duke's girlfriend Dedra Mims Hunt, and Hunt's six-year-old and seven-year-old daughters.

Samra, who is described as being of "borderline intelligence" in court documents, was 19 years old at the time of the 1997 murders in Pelham, Alabama.

He carried out the slayings with Duke's 16-year-old son, Mark Duke, who was angry because his father had denied him the use of his truck.

Randy Duke and Dedra Mims Hunt were shot to death while the two young girls had their throats slit.

Mark Duke was also sentenced to death but his sentence was changed to life in prison after the US Supreme Court ruled in 2005 that offenders who were under 18 years old at the time of their crimes should not be executed.

Samra had appealed his death sentence on the grounds that the death penalty should not be applied to offenders who were under 21 years old at the time of their crimes but the Supreme Court has declined to raise the age.

His lawyers had also asked Alabama Governor Kay Ivey to grant Samra clemency on the same grounds. But she refused, saying Thursday's execution showed "justice has been delivered" and that "Alabama does not tolerate murderous acts of any nature."

In Tennessee, Johnson asked Governor Bill Lee to stay his execution because he had been redeemed through Seventh-Day Adventist religious practice during his time in prison.

Despite support for clemency from the head of his church, Catholic bishops and the daughter of his victim, Lee declined.

Before his execution, Johnson said, "I commend my life into your hands. Thy will be done. In Jesus's name I pray. Amen."

There were five previous executions in the United States this year, three in Texas, one in Georgia and one in Alabama.
If you want to know who really controls Bisalloy Steel Group Limited (ASX:BIS), then you'll have to look at the makeup of its share registry. Institutions will often hold stock in bigger companies, and we expect to see insiders owning a noticeable percentage of the smaller ones. Warren Buffett said that he likes 'a business with enduring competitive advantages that is run by able and owner-oriented people'. So it's nice to see some insider ownership, because it may suggest that management is owner-oriented.

With a market capitalization of AU$50m, Bisalloy Steel Group is a small cap stock, so it might not be well known by many institutional investors. In the chart below below, we can see that institutions are noticeable on the share registry. Let's take a closer look to see what the different types of shareholder can tell us about BIS.

Want to participate in a short research study? Help shape the future of investing tools and you could win a $250 gift card!

See our latest analysis for Bisalloy Steel Group

ASX:BIS Ownership Summary, May 15th 2019

What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About Bisalloy Steel Group?

Institutional investors commonly compare their own returns to the returns of a commonly followed index. So they generally do consider buying larger companies that are included in the relevant benchmark index.

As you can see, institutional investors own 10% of Bisalloy Steel Group. This implies the analysts working for those institutions have looked at the stock and they like it. But just like anyone else, they could be wrong. It is not uncommon to see a big share price drop if two large institutional investors try to sell out of a stock at the same time. So it is worth checking the past earnings trajectory of Bisalloy Steel Group, (below). Of course, keep in mind that there are other factors to consider, too.

ASX:BIS Income Statement, May 15th 2019

We note that hedge funds don't have a meaningful investment in Bisalloy Steel Group. As far I can tell there isn't analyst coverage of the company, so it is probably flying under the radar.

Story continues

Insider Ownership Of Bisalloy Steel Group

The definition of an insider can differ slightly between different countries, but members of the board of directors always count. The company management answer to the board; and the latter should represent the interests of shareholders. Notably, sometimes top-level managers are on the board, themselves.

Most consider insider ownership a positive because it can indicate the board is well aligned with other shareholders. However, on some occasions too much power is concentrated within this group.

Our information suggests that insiders maintain a significant holding in Bisalloy Steel Group Limited. Insiders have a AU$11m stake in this AU$50m business. I would say this shows alignment with shareholders, but it is worth noting that the company is still quite small; some insiders may have founded the business. You can click here to see if those insiders have been buying or selling.

General Public Ownership

The general public holds a 41% stake in BIS. While this size of ownership may not be enough to sway a policy decision in their favour, they can still make a collective impact on company policies.

Private Company Ownership

We can see that Private Companies own 27%, of the shares on issue. It's hard to draw any conclusions from this fact alone, so its worth looking into who owns those private companies. Sometimes insiders or other related parties have an interest in shares in a public company through a separate private company.

Next Steps:

It's always worth thinking about the different groups who own shares in a company. But to understand Bisalloy Steel Group better, we need to consider many other factors.

I always like to check for a history of revenue growth. You can too, by accessing this free chart of historic revenue and earnings in this detailed graph.

If you would prefer check out another company -- one with potentially superior financials -- then do not miss this free list of interesting companies, backed by strong financial data.

NB: Figures in this article are calculated using data from the last twelve months, which refer to the 12-month period ending on the last date of the month the financial statement is dated. This may not be consistent with full year annual report figures.

We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material.



If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. Thank you for reading.
By Daniel Trotta

(Reuters) - Anti-abortion advocacy groups have pushed hard in recent months for the passage of bills to restrict or even ban the procedure outright at the state level, inspired by the perception that the U.S. Supreme Court has tilted in their favor.

Anti-abortion campaigners have been seeking to overturn a woman's constitutional right to an abortion ever since the U.S. Supreme Court found they had that right in the 1973 decision Roe v. Wade.

The momentum has picked up since Republican President Donald Trump appointed two justices to the nine-member Supreme Court in the past two years.

State legislatures with Republican majorities are passing laws they know will face legal challenge, hoping the Supreme Court will eventually decide to hear one that could overturn Roe.

In Alabama, Republican legislators on Tuesday took the most extreme position yet of any state, banning nearly all abortions and only allowing exceptions to protect the mother's health. Governor Kay Ivey signed it into law on Wednesday.

Republican Senator Clyde Chambliss, arguing in favor of the Alabama bill, said the whole point was "so that we can go directly to the Supreme Court to challenge Roe versus Wade."

Other activists have the same strategy.

"From the beginning we have always kept a goal in mind and that is the Supreme Court," said Janet Porter, president of Faith2Action, a Christian organization that has successfully promoted "heartbeat" bills outlawing abortion once a doctor can detect embryonic cardiac activity, which occurs as early as six weeks after conception.

"There's been a shift. This is the year America went from regulating abortion to ending it," Porter said.

Just this year, four states have passed "heartbeat" bills. They are among 15 states that have introduced six-week bans this year, according to the Guttmacher Institute, an abortion rights group. Three other states passed similar laws in previous years, Porter said.

Story continues

MODEL LEGISLATION

Anti-abortion groups have turned to so-called model legislation that can be copied and modified for multiple states.

The National Right To Life Committee has supported laws in 15 state laws that ban abortions when the fetus can feel pain, 12 that ban dismemberment abortion and eight that require informing a woman she can reverse course after taking the first of two abortion pills, Executive Director David O'Steen said.

But O'Steen cautioned against depending too much on Supreme Court action. Supreme Court precedent is rarely overturned, so it would be remarkable if the court even decided to hear a case that could challenge Roe.

"Any speculation as to what the court will do on any particular bill at this time is purely that - speculation," O'Steen said.

Abortion rights groups are relying on the Supreme Court's respect for precedent and say their main focus is on getting lower courts to stop laws such as those passed in Alabama and Georgia.

"It's going to be some time before the court even addresses that question. We should be worrying about what's going on right now. Right now, states are regulating abortion out of reach," said Talcott Camp, deputy director of the American Civil Liberties Union Foundation's Reproductive Freedom Project.

Porter applauded the Alabama law, saying it was better than her heartbeat bill. But she said the heartbeat bill was designed in part to challenge Roe, which guarantees a woman's right to an abortion prior to the "viability" of the fetus to survive outside the womb.

The High Court found viability was usually 28 weeks "but may occur earlier, even at 24 weeks." Porter is hoping for a new interpretation that establishes the heartbeat as the standard.

(Reporting by Daniel Trotta; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)
By Mark Hosenball

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. officials believe Iran encouraged Houthi militants or Iraq-based Shi'ite militias to carry out Sunday's attacks on four tankers near the Strait of Hormuz, two U.S. government sources said on Wednesday.

The sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity and who are familiar with U.S. national security assessments, said they viewed the attacks as a serious provocation by Iran which posed a significant threat to shipping.

Iran rejects the allegation of Iranian involvement and Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has said that "extremist individuals" in the U.S. government were pursuing dangerous policies. No one has claimed responsibility for the tanker attacks.

One source said U.S. government experts believe Iran gave its "blessing" to the operations, which hit two Saudi crude oil tankers, a UAE-flagged fuel bunker barge and a Norwegian-registered oil products tanker near Fujairah, one of the world's largest bunkering hubs just outside the Strait of Hormuz.

This source said the United States believes the Iranian role has been one of actively encouraging militants to undertake such actions and went beyond simply dropping hints. However, the source indicated the United States does not now have evidence that Iranian personnel played any direct operational role.

A fifth of the oil consumed in the world passes through the Strait of Hormuz en route from Gulf crude producers to much of the globe.

A Saudi-led coalition has been fighting the Houthis for four years in Yemen to try to restore the internationally recognized government in a conflict widely seen as a Saudi-Iran proxy war.

The attacks occurred against a background of tensions between the United States and Iran over Iranian nuclear capabilities, its missile program and its support for proxies in Yemen, Iraq, Syria and Lebanon. Washington ordered the departure of non-emergency American employees from its diplomatic missions in Iraq on Wednesday in another apparent show of concern about what it describes as threats from Iran.

Story continues

On Tuesday, a U.S. official had said U.S. national security agencies believed proxies sympathetic to or working for Iran may have attacked four tankers rather than Iranian forces themselves.

While that official had said perpetrators might include Houthi rebels or Iraq-based Shi'ite militias, the official said Washington did not have hard evidence on who struck the vessels and did not go so far as to say Iran had encouraged them to act.

(Reporting By Mark Hosenball; Writing by Arshad Mohammed; Editing by Mary Milliken and Grant McCool)
By David Lawder and Susan Heavey

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Trump administration hit Chinese telecoms giant Huawei with severe sanctions on Wednesday, adding another incendiary element to the U.S.-China trade dispute just as Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said he would visit China soon for more talks.

The Commerce Department said it was adding Huawei Technologies Co Ltd and 70 affiliates to its "Entity List" - a move that bans the company from acquiring components and technology from U.S. firms without government approval.

Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said in a statement that President Donald Trump backed the decision to "prevent American technology from being used by foreign owned entities in ways that potentially undermine U.S. national security or foreign policy interests."

Trump earlier in the day signed an executive order barring U.S. companies from using telecommunications equipment made by firms deemed to pose a national security risk.

While the order did not specifically name any country or company, U.S. officials have previously labeled Huawei a "threat" and lobbied allies not to use Huawei network equipment in next-generation 5G networks.

Huawei, which denies its products pose a security threat, said it was "ready and willing to engage with the U.S. government and come up with effective measures to ensure product security."

It said restricting Huawei from doing business in the United States would "limit the U.S. to inferior yet more expensive alternatives, leaving the U.S. lagging behind in 5G deployment and eventually harming the interests of U.S. companies and consumers."

Speaking at a U.S. Senate Appropriations subcommittee hearing, Mnuchin characterized two days of high-level talks with Chinese officials in Washington last week as constructive.

"My expectation is that we will go to Beijing at some point in the near future to continue those discussions," he said. "There's still a lot of work to do."

Story continues

He did not say when his China trip might take place.

Shares in Huawei suppliers in China skidded on the news as markets opened in Asia, with Luxshare Precision Industry down as much as 6.1%. Shares in smaller Chinese Huawei rival ZTE Corp also tumbled.

The Trump administration's rhetoric toward China had cooled in recent days after another round of tit-for-tat tariffs between the world's two largest economies and a selloff on global stock markets.

On Tuesday, Trump denied talks with China had collapsed and sounded an optimistic note about the chance of a deal, saying he had an "extraordinary" relationship with Chinese President Xi Jinping, whom he plans to meet at a G20 summit in Japan next month.

Trump also urged China to buy more U.S. farm products.

U.S. agricultural goods have been targeted by China's retaliatory tariffs, and American farmers, a key political constituency for Trump, are worried.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has paid $8.52 billion directly to farmers as part of a 2018 aid program designed to offset losses from tariffs imposed by China and other trading partners, a spokesman for the agency said on Wednesday.

The Trump administration had pledged up to $12 billion in aid to help offset losses resulting from Chinese tariffs.

GRAPHIC - Trickle down tariffs: https://tmsnrt.rs/2WIu31i

TARIFF PAIN

Trump, who has embraced protectionism as part of an "America First" agenda, has railed against what many U.S. and European officials and companies describe as China's unfair trade practices, including forced technology transfers and intellectual property theft.

But trading partners and close allies in Europe, North America and Asia are also in the U.S. administration's sights.

Mnuchin said the United States was close to resolving a dispute over steel and aluminum tariffs imposed on Canada and Mexico last year as the three countries renegotiated the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer met with Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland in Washington on Wednesday to discuss the tariffs and other issues related to the U.S.-Mexico Canada Agreement (USMCA), which replaced NAFTA.

The three countries have not yet ratified the new deal.

After her meeting with Lighthizer, Freeland declined to say whether the two countries were close to a deal. But she told reporters later that ratification of the agreement would be difficult as long as the tariffs remain in place.

"When it comes to Canada it has still been the case for us that as long as the tariffs remain in place ratification would be very, very problematic," she said on Capitol Hill.

Jesus Seade, Mexican deputy foreign minister for North America, told Reuters on Wednesday that Mexico was close to resolving its part in the tariffs dispute but wanted Canada to be in a similar position before completing the deal.

Three Trump administration officials told Reuters that Trump was expected to delay a decision on imposing tariffs on imported cars and parts by up to six months, avoiding opening yet another front in his global trade battles. The decision to delay was expected to be made on Friday, officials and automakers said.

The tariffs of up to 25 percent on cars and parts could have a devastating impact on Japan and countries in the European Union, particularly Germany.

Global stock markets, which have swooned in the past week over the rising trade tensions, gained ground on Wednesday after the reports of the planned delay.

GRAPHIC - U.S.-China tariff war and the S&P 500: https://tmsnrt.rs/2WA1LWX

'ADVERSE CONSEQUENCES'

As negotiations toward resolving the U.S.-China dispute stalled last week, the United States ratcheted up the pressure by increasing tariffs on a list of $200 billion worth of Chinese imports to 25% from 10%.

China retaliated on Monday with higher tariffs on a revised list of $60 billion worth of U.S. products.

Trump could launch 25% tariffs on another $300 billion worth of Chinese goods when he meets Xi next month. He has not ruled out imposing punitive levies on all of China's imports to the United States.

Another escalation could disrupt global supply lines and damage a slowing world economy.

Beijing is vowing not to succumb to U.S. pressure. But on Wednesday, China reported surprisingly weaker growth in its retail sales and industrial output in April.

Data out of the United States showed U.S. retail sales fell in April as households cut back on purchases of motor vehicles and other goods, pointing to a slowdown in economic growth after a boost from exports and inventories in the first quarter. Other data showed a drop in U.S. industrial production.

The U.S. Congress is uneasy about the potential consequences of tariffs on the economy.

House of Representatives Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said U.S. consumers were in the "same boat as farmers" and would end up having to bear the burden of the tariffs. Consumer spending accounts for more than two-thirds of U.S. economic activity.

(Reporting by David Lawder, Susan Heavey, Humeyra Pamuk, Amanda Becker, Alex Alper and David Shepardson in Washington; Additional reporting by David Ljunggren in Ottawa and Sijia Jiang in Hong Kong; Writing by Paul Simao and Sonya Hepinstall; Editing by Susan Thomas, Cynthia Osterman, Peter Cooney and Himani Sarkar)
By David Shepardson WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Trump administration said on Thursday it was formally cancelling $929 million in previously awarded funding for California's high-speed rail program after rejecting an appeal by the state. The U.S. railway regulator, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), said on Thursday it had canceled the funding awarded in a 2010 agreement after it said the state had "repeatedly failed to comply" and "failed to make reasonable progress on the project." In a statement, the FRA said it was still considering "all options" on seeking the return of $2.5 billion in federal funds the state has already received. The decision is the latest salvo in an ongoing battle between the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump and California over a series of issues including immigration, vehicle emissions standards and internet policy. The largest U.S. state has repeatedly sued the Trump administration and officials expect the state will sue over the rescinding of rail funding. The Trump administration moved to end funding after California Governor Gavin Newsom said in February the state would scale back the planned $77.3 billion high-speed rail project after cost hikes, delays and management concerns, but would finish a smaller section. In a statement on Thursday, Newsom called the action "illegal and a direct assault on California, our green infrastructure, and the thousands of Central Valley workers who are building this project." He added "the Trump Administration is trying to exact political retribution on our state," and vowed to go to court to protect "Californias money, appropriated by Congress." The traffic-choked state had planned to build a 520-mile (837-km) system in the first phase that would allow trains to travel at up to 220 miles per hour (354 kph) from Los Angeles to San Francisco and begin full operations by 2033. Newsom said in February the state would instead complete a 119-mile high-speed link between Merced and Bakersfield in the state's Central Valley. U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, who overseas FRA, in February said California's drastically scaled back rail project "is a classic example of bait and switch... We have a right to ask for that $2.5 billion back as well." The state said in March that ending funding "would cause massive disruption, dislocation, and waste, damaging the region and endangering the future of high-speed rail in California." The Obama administration awarded California $3.5 billion in 2010 and California voters in 2008 approved nearly $10 billion in bond proceeds. In March 2018, the state forecast project costs had jumped $13 billion to $77 billion and warned costs could be as much as $98.1 billion. (Reporting by David Shepardson, Editing by Rosalba O'Brien and Marguerita Choy)
By David Shepardson and Karen Freifeld WASHINGTON/NEW YORK (Reuters) - The Trump administration on Thursday officially added China's Huawei Technologies Co Ltd to a trade blacklist, immediately enacting restrictions that will make it extremely difficult for the telecom giant to do business with U.S. companies. The Commerce Department issued a rule, promised on Wednesday, putting Huawei and 68 affiliates in more than two dozen countries on its so-called Entity List, a move that bans the company from buying parts and components from American firms without U.S. government approval. Obtaining such approval will not be easy. The U.S. government will review license applications under a "policy of presumption of denial," according to a posting on the Federal Register. The order takes effect immediately, a Commerce Department spokesman said, although it will not be formally published in the Federal Register until Tuesday. Huawei, the world's largest telecommunications equipment maker, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The action comes as the world's two largest economies ratchet up tariffs in a battle over what U.S. officials call China's unfair trade practices. In a one-two punch, the order came a day after President Donald Trump signed an executive order declaring a national emergency and barring U.S. companies from using telecommunications equipment made by firms posing a national security risk. The United States believes Huaweis smartphones and network equipment could be used by China to spy on Americans, allegations the company has repeatedly denied. The Commerce Department first gave notice on Wednesday that it was adding Huawei to the list. Huawei has been "involved in activities contrary to the national security or foreign policy interests of the United States," the order says. As an example, the order cites a criminal case pending against the company in federal court in Brooklyn, New York, over allegations Huawei violated U.S. sanctions against Iran. Huawei has pleaded not guilty in the case. It notes that the indictment also accuses Huawei of deceptive and obstructive acts." Members of Congress and administration officials said the move would make it difficult for Huawei to sell many products because of its dependence on U.S. suppliers. COLLATERAL DAMAGE? Washington lawyer Douglas Jacobson, a trade expert, said there would be collateral impact on the U.S. companies that sell to Huawei. "While the intent is to punish Huawei, ultimately U.S. companies are also being penalized," Jacobson said. Analysts cut price targets on several microchip companies, including Xilinx Inc. Shares of Xilinx closed down 7.3 percent, while those of rival chipmaker Qualcomm Inc fell 4 percent. Given the order, the likelihood that Commerce will grant licenses to allow sales is negligible, Jacobson said. Still, history shows the government could offer reprieves. In 2016, Huawei's smaller rival ZTE Corp was added to the entity list over allegations it organized an elaborate scheme to hide its re-export of U.S. items to sanctioned countries. U.S. companies were prohibited from selling parts and components to ZTE for about two weeks, before the Commerce Department issued a series of temporary general licenses that allowed the company to continue to do business with U.S. suppliers until it agreed to a plea deal a year later. The saga of ZTE did not end there. In April 2018, the Commerce Department slapped a ban on American companies selling components to ZTE after accusing it of breaking an agreement, leading ZTE to cease major operations until it struck a new deal last summer. (Reporting by David Shepardson in Washington and Karen Freifeld in New York; Editing by Grant McCool and Peter Cooney)
WASHINGTON, May 16 (Reuters) - U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said on Thursday that an order blacklisting Chinese telecoms giant Huawei Technologies Co Ltd will go into effect on Friday.

"The order dealing with Huawei itself will be effective tomorrow," Ross said in an interview with Bloomberg Television and Radio. The executive order, which was announced on Wednesday, barred Huawei from acquiring components and technology from U.S. firms without government approval. (Reporting by Makini Brice and David Lawder)
WASHINGTON, May 16 (Reuters) - Officials from U.S. President Donald Trump's administration will conduct classified briefings on the situation with Iran next week, congressional sources said on Thursday, after both Democratic and Republican lawmakers asked for more information.

Congressional aides said that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General Joseph Dunford and Acting Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan would hold a session on Tuesday afternoon for all members of the Senate.

Trump's fellow Republicans control a majority of seats in the Senate.

Aides in the House of Representatives, controlled by Democrats, said they also expected a briefing next week with Pompeo, but other details had not yet been made final.

Members of the U.S. Congress have complained for weeks that Trump's administration has not shared enough information with them as tensions flared with Iran, with even some Republicans saying they have been left in the dark.

Relations between Washington and Tehran have become more fraught following Trump's decision this month to try to cut Iran's oil exports to zero and beef up the U.S. military presence in the Gulf in response to what he said were Iranian threats.

Earlier this week, Washington pulled some diplomatic staff from its embassy in Baghdad following weekend attacks on four oil tankers in the Gulf.

Trump said on Thursday he hoped the United States was not heading toward war with Iran. (Reporting by Patricia Zengerle)
Southern Punjab province to consist of Multan,Bahawalpur-DG Khan: Shah Mahmood

Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Wednesday said that certain constitutional amendments were needed for the formation of the new southern Punjab province. Southern Punjab province will consist of Multan, Bahawalpur and Dera Ghazi Khan, Qureshi said while addressing a press conference.



He said the Punjab Assembly seats would eventually be decreased to 251 with the amendments proposed in the constitutional amendment bill, and added that 120 seats for southern Punjab Assembly had also been proposed in the bill.



The region will turn into a province when amendments to Articles 59, 51, 1, 106, 158 and 218 of the constitution will be undertaken The word South Punjab in the first paragraph of Article 1 will be inducted, and the territories that will be part of southern Punjab have been named in the proposed bill.



He said the province would come into being through Article 51, which calls for a separate formation of the assembly. Southern Punjab will also get representation in the Senate, he said, adding that the new province would have its own high court and chief justice.



The foreign minister further said that the speaker would formulate a special committee for consent on the bill. We require cooperation of different parties for a two-thirds majority, said Qureshi.



Qureshi said that he had held a meeting with the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leadership. I requested them to support us as it is in our joint interests and part of the PTI manifesto, he said, adding that he received a positive response from the PPP.



Qureshi also requested the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) to support the bill. I am hopeful they will review their attitude over it, he said, and claimed that various persons in the PML-N were in favour of southern Punjab.



Ive suggested to jointly move forward with southern Punjab. However, the PPP has its own stance regarding the new province, he said, adding that the matter would be discussed into the next session with PPP leaders Khursheed Shah, Naveed Qamar and Raja Pervaiz Ashraf. We believe it strengthens a federation, and have decided to hold political dialogue with likeminded political parties, he said. PTI has a stance that the province will make the Centre stronger, however, we are not willing to win all credit of this development and want to share its credit to all. I would like to thank all the people who took part in finalisation of the bills draft. And I am also thankful for Punjab Chief Minister [Usman Buzdar], who had publically announced for a share of southern Punjab in next budget.
By Makini Brice

WASHINGTON, May 16 (Reuters) - U.S. law enforcement officers raided the Venezuelan Embassy on Thursday to oust a small group protesting U.S. policy toward the oil-rich country, paving the way for the diplomatic compound to be handed to the U.S. envoy of opposition leader Juan Guaido.

Since mid-April, members of three activist groups have been occupying the embassy, a red brick building in the upscale Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, where they say they are "invited guests" of the Venezuelan government.

The activists oppose U.S. intervention in Venezuela to oust President Nicolas Maduro in favor of Juan Guaido, the Venezuelan opposition leader and self-proclaimed interim president of the OPEC-member nation.

Authorities arrested the last four protesters on Thursday after utilities for the building were cut off and they ignored an eviction order, the groups say.

A spokesman for Pepco, Washington's energy utility, said the company does not discuss service to individual properties.

The U.S. Secret Service confirmed officers had helped agents from State Department's Diplomatic Security Service execute arrest warrants against people inside the embassy.

A U.S. State Department spokeswoman said the government of Guaido, who the United States recognizes as the leader of Venezuela, asked for U.S. assistance in removing the protesters from the embassy.

"The Venezuelan government, led by Interim President Juan Guaido ... has asked the trespassers to depart the premises," the spokeswoman said.

Neither agency identified what charges the protesters faced.

Tensions have escalated between the United States and Venezuela as Washington has ratcheted up pressure against the government of Maduro, which it says is illegitimate.

The United States has imposed sanctions against Venezuelan leaders, ordered the withdrawal of diplomatic personnel from Venezuela in March and, on Wednesday, suspended passenger and cargo flights between the United States and Venezuela.

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Maduro, who has branded Guaido a U.S. puppet seeking to oust him in a coup, broke off relations with Washington after it recognized Guaido and recalled diplomatic and consular staff.

Representatives of Guaido took control of three of the country's diplomatic properties in the United States in March.

At its peak, about 50 people from three groups occupied the Venezuelan Embassy, according to Medea Benjamin, a co-founder of Code Pink, one of the groups involved.

Meanwhile, supporters of Guaido have mounted their own protests outside the embassy. Following Thursday's arrests, dozens of the opposition government's supporters celebrated in the streets.

"The liberation of our embassy was thanks to the fight of the Venezuelan diaspora," Carlos Vecchio, Guaido's representative in Washington, wrote on Twitter. "Next liberation: Venezuela."

Benjamin said the activists will continue to protest in what she says is a bid to ease tensions between the two countries. "This issue is not over yet," she said. (Reporting by Makini Brice; Additional reporting by Matt Spetalnick; Editing by Doina Chiacu and Susan Thomas)
By Amanda Becker

WASHINGTON, May 16 (Reuters) - Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives will read aloud on Thursday the redacted version of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's 448-page assessment of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.

Representative Mary Gay Scanlon, one of the top Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee, will, along with nearly two dozen of her colleagues, begin reading the Mueller report at 12 p.m. (1700 GMT) in a Capitol hearing room.

"We have a Constitutional duty to share that truth with the American people," Scanlon said in a release, adding the report's conclusions could not be adequately "summarized in a tweet."

Mueller's report, which contained redactions, described numerous links between President Donald Trump's 2016 campaign and various Russians but did not find sufficient evidence to establish here was a criminal conspiracy with Moscow.

The report also described numerous attempts by Trump to impede Mueller's probe, but stopped short of declaring that the president committed a crime.

Democrats, who control the House, are sparring with the White House over numerous probes into Trump and his campaign's ties to Russia, the president's business dealings and administration policies.

Democrats have requested a full, unredacted version of Muller's report, six years of Trump's individual and business tax returns and background on decisions made by the administration on security clearances and the separation of migrant families along the U.S.-Mexico border.

The deadline for the administration to respond to a subpoena for the unredacted report passed without being met. Trump has sued to block a congressional subpoena for financial records from his accounting firm. The White House has directed key staff not to cooperate with various House probes.

Democrats are now considering contempt resolutions against top administration officials, with votes expected as early as June. (Reporting by Amanda Becker; Editing by Peter Cooney)
By John Davison and Mark Hosenball BAGHDAD/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Helicopters ferried U.S. staff from the American embassy in Baghdad on Wednesday out of apparent concern about perceived threats from Iran, which U.S. sources believe encouraged Sunday's attacks on four oil tankers in the Gulf. The sabotage of the tankers, for which no one has claimed responsibility, and Saudi Arabia's announcement on Tuesday that armed drones hit two of its oil pumping stations have raised concerns Washington and Tehran may be inching toward conflict. A U.S. government source said American security experts believe Iran gave its "blessing" to tanker attacks, which hit two Saudi crude oil tankers, a UAE-flagged fuel bunker barge and a Norwegian-registered oil products tanker off Fujeirah near the Strait of Hormuz. The source said the United States believes Iran's role was one of actively encouraging militants but indicated the United States does not now have evidence that Iranian personnel played any direct operational role. Iran's Foreign Ministry has called the tanker attacks "worrisome and dreadful" and called for an investigation. There has been a marked increase in U.S.-Iranian tensions since U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to try to cut off all of Iran's oil exports and to designate its Revolutionary Guards as a "foreign terrorist organization." Trump, who last year abandoned the 2015 international nuclear accord with Iran, believes the economic pressure will force Tehran to accept more stringent limitations on its nuclear and missile programs as well as on its support for proxies in Iraq, Syria and Yemen. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif called the increasing U.S. sanctions "unacceptable" but said Tehran remained committed to its obligations under the nuclear accord. "We exercise maximum restraint in spite of the fact the United States withdrew," Zarif said as he met his Japanese counterpart, Taro Kono, in Tokyo. Under the accord negotiated by Trump's predecessor Barack Obama, Iran agreed to curb its uranium enrichment capacity, a potential pathway to a nuclear bomb, in return for sanctions relief. Earlier on Wednesday, the ISNA news agency reported that an Iranian atomic energy official said Iran has officially stopped some commitments under the pact, and has no limit from now for production of enriched uranium and heavy water. Iran's decision does not appear to violate the nuclear deal yet. U.S. SHRINKS DIPLOMATIC PRESENCE U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo made a surprise visit to Baghdad last week after U.S. intelligence showed Iran-backed Shi'ite militias positioning rockets near bases housing U.S. forces, according to two Iraqi security sources. Pompeo told Iraq's top brass to keep the militias, which are expanding their power in Iraq and now form part of its security apparatus, in check, the sources said. If not, the United States would respond with force. Helicopters took off throughout the day from the vast U.S. embassy compound near the Tigris River in Baghdad, carrying non-emergency staff out, according to an Iraqi source and a diplomatic source inside Baghdad's fortified Green Zone. The Iraqi source said U.S. staff were headed for a military base at Baghdad airport. A U.S. official told Reuters late on Wednesday that the evacuation was complete. Trump is sending an aircraft carrier group, B-52 bombers and Patriot missiles to the Middle East to counter what the United States calls a heightened threat from Iran to U.S. soldiers and interests in the region. Iran described the U.S. moves as "psychological warfare", and a British commander cast doubt on U.S. military concerns about threats to its roughly 5,000 soldiers in Iraq, who have been helping Iraqi security forces fight Islamic State. The U.S. State Department said employees at both the U.S. embassy in Baghdad and its consulate in Erbil, capital of the semi-autonomous Kurdistan region, were being pulled out immediately due to safety concerns. It was unclear how many were affected, and there was no word on any specific threat. Visa services were suspended at the heavily-fortified U.S. missions. Germany, which has 160 soldiers in Iraq, and the Netherlands which has 169 military and civilian staff, suspended military training operations, citing regional tensions. 'DANGEROUS SITUATION' The attack on the tankers near the Strait of Hormuz, through which one fifth of the world's oil consumption flows, appeared designed to test the resolve of the United States and its Sunni Muslim allies without triggering a war, analysts said. "This is a pin-prick event, a little needle-like jab at the maritime trade going into the Strait of Hormuz," said Gerry Northwood, chairman of risk management and security firm MAST. Both the United States and Iran have said they do not want war, and Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi said on Tuesday he had indications "things will end well" despite the rhetoric. Iraq is one of few countries with close ties to both the United States and Iran. It has said it will keep strong ties with Iran, and also with the United States and Arab neighbors, some of whom, such as Saudi Arabia, consider Tehran a rival. The United States, which had a large troop presence in Iraq from 2003-2011 after invading to topple dictator Saddam Hussein, sent troops back there in 2014 to help fight Islamic State. Iran has close ties to powerful Iraqi political parties and supports powerful Shi'ite militia groups. "I think we are now in a quite dangerous situation where a miscalculation by either side could lead us into conflict," U.S. Senator Chris Coons, a Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, told CNN in an interview on Wednesday. (Reporting by John Davison and Ahmed Rasheed in Baghdad, Raya Jalabi in Erbil and Mark Hosenball in Washington; Additional reporting by Susan Heavey, Makini Brice and Phil Stewart in Washington; Babak Dehghanpisheh in Geneva; Tassilo Hummel and Sabine Siebold in Berlin; Kiyoshi Takenaka in Tokyo; and Anthony Deutsch and Toby Sterling in Amsterdam; Writing by Arshad Mohammed; Editing by Grant McCool)
By David Brunnstrom WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States on Thursday imposed sanctions on a Chechen group and five individuals, including at least three Russians, for alleged human rights abuses under the Global Magnitsky Act, including extrajudicial killings and the torture of LGBTI individuals. The sanctions against the Terek Special Rapid Response Team in the Chechen Republic and the five individuals were announced by the U.S. Treasury. They included individuals implicated in the deaths of whistleblower Sergei Magnitsky and Russian opposition leader Boris Nemtsov. The sanctions were imposed under the 2012 Magnitsky Act, which is named after the 37-year-old Russian auditor and imposes visa bans and asset freezes on officials linked to his death in prison 2009. Those targeted on Thursday included Elena Anatolievna Trikulya and Gennady Vyacheslavovich Karlov, members of the Russian state's Investigative Committee, who allegedly "participated in efforts to conceal the legal liability for the detention, abuse, or death" of Magnitsky. Abuzayed Vismuradov, commander of the Terek Special Rapid Response Team in Chechnya was accused of "being responsible for extrajudicial killings, torture, or other gross violations of internationally recognized human rights" against those seeking to expose illegal activity by Russian government officials. The U.S. Treasury said Vismuradov was in charge of an operation that "illegally detained and tortured individuals on the basis of their actual or perceived LGBTI status." LGBTI is an acronym for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex. The Treasury named Sergey Leonidovich Kossiev as being responsible for extrajudicial killings and torture as head of a penal colony in the Republic of Karelia and the fifth individual, Ruslan Geremeyev, was accused of acting on behalf of the head of Chechen Republic, Ramzan Kadyrov, in a matter relating to extrajudicial killings and torture. The Treasury statement said Russian investigators had twice tried to bring charges against Geremeyev as the possible organizer of the 2015 murder of Nemtsov, but were blocked by the head of the Investigative Committee. Nemtsov, one of President Vladimir Putin's most vocal critics, was shot and killed near the Kremlin in 2015. In 2017, a court sentenced a man to 20 years in jail for his murder but Nemtsov's allies called the investigation a cover-up and said those who ordered the assassination remained at large. The Russian embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The Magnitsky sanctions have been a point of tension between Moscow and Washington, which are far apart on a wide range of global issues as well as allegations of Russian interference in U.S. elections. The latest U.S. move follows a frosty visit to Russia this week by U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo who said Washington would brook no interference in the 2020 U.S. presidential election and wanted Moscow to take action to show there would be no repeat of its suspected 2016 meddling. Magnitsky was arrested and died after discovering a $230 million tax fraud scheme, according to U.S. authorities. His supporters say the Russian state murdered him by denying him adequate medical care after he was imprisoned on tax evasion charges. The Kremlin denies the allegation. The Treasury statement said officials in Chechnya had launched a series of purges of individuals they believed to be LGBTI and several were alleged to have died as a result. "They have rounded up dozens of people on these grounds, some of whom have disappeared, with others returned to their families barely alive from beatings and with their captors outing them to families and encouraging the families to carry out so-called honor killings," it said. (Reporting by Tim Ahmann and David Brunnstrom; Editing by Tom Brown)
By Ginger Gibson

WASHINGTON, May 16 (Reuters) - U.S. Vice President Mike Pence is the beneficiary of a legal defense fund set up to aid in expenses related to the 2016 election, according to disclosures the vice president made public on Thursday.

The fund has $25 in it, according to the disclosure. Federal ethics laws prohibit officials form accepting gifts, including in the form of legal aid.

President Donald Trump's 2016 campaign has been the subject of intense scrutiny after critics said those close to the president colluded with Russian operatives to influence the outcome of the election.

Special Counsel Robert Mueller released a report in April that determined there was not enough evidence to charge Trump or those near him with criminal conspiracy related to collusion.

The investigation saw dozens of Trump campaign employees and associates called before investigators, a grand jury and congressional panels. Obtaining private attorneys to assist in the interviews has caused some to rack up large legal bills.

Pence's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the fund.

The vice president is required to file an annual personal financial disclosure that details income and liabilities.

New to the report this year was the defense fund, named the MRP Legal Expense Trust Fund.

According to a footnote, James D. Atterholt of Florida created the fund on Dec. 10, 2018 to make payments "in connection with the 2016 presidential election and related matters."

The $25 payment to the fund was made to establish the trust, the footnote said.

"The Trust had no other assets, received no other contributions, and produced no income during the reporting period," the footnote said. (Reporting by Ginger Gibson Editing by James Dalgleish)
London (AFP) - Britain's Prince Harry has accepted "substantial" damages and an apology from a paparazzi agency that took photos of his home from a helicopter, Buckingham Palace announced on Thursday.

The Duke of Sussex sued Splash News over the January incident, arguing it had breached his privacy and data rights under British law and the European Convention on Human Rights.

The agency, which syndicates photos and videos for media outlets, chartered the helicopter on January 9 to fly over the prince's private home near Oxford in the Cotswolds region, according to court testimony.

"The helicopter flew over the home at a low altitude allowing Splash to take photographs of and into the living area and dining area of the home and directly into the bedroom," the prince's solicitor told the High Court in London.

The Times newspaper, and a number of other online media outlets, published the images two days later, the lawyer from the firm Harbottle and Lewis said.

"The syndication and publication of the photographs very seriously undermined the safety and security of The Duke and the home to the extent that they are no longer able to live at the property," the solicitor added.

Harry and his wife Meghan, who gave birth to the couple's first child earlier this month, had reportedly signed a two-year rental lease on the property.

The firm told the court they had chosen the property because of "the high level of privacy it afforded given its position in a secluded area".

Harbottle and Lewis said in its court statement that Splash had agreed to stop "selling, issuing, publishing or making available" the photos.

It had also vowed not to "repeat its conduct by using any aerial means to take photographs or film footage of the Duke's private home which would infringe privacy or data rights," the firm said.

In a statement, Buckingham Palace said: "The Duke of Sussex acknowledges and welcomes the formal apology."
Parents are opting to freeze the blood from their baby's umbilical cord [Photo: Getty]

More and more parents are paying to freeze parts of their baby's umbilical cord in case of illness later in life, figures have revealed.

Cord blood and tissue is rich in stem cells, which is increasingly being used to treat genetic diseases.

This has lead to a spike in the number of parents paying thousands to store their babys umbilical cord blood with private companies.

Figures from the regulator, the Human Tissue Authority (HTA), obtained by the BBC under the Freedom of Information Act, revealed that 27,028 blood and tissue units were banked privately in 2018 compared with 16,965 units in 2014.

There was also an increase in the number of cord blood units processed, going from 10,676 in 2014 to 15,078 in 2018.

According to the HTA the fees set by private cord blood banks can vary, though they estimate it can cost in the region of 2,000 for 20 years of storage.

READ MORE: Number of obese pregnant women doubles in under a decade

The US has witnessed similar growth. In 2016, the umbilical cord blood banking market was valued around worth US$3,124.4 million, but this figure is expected to reach around US$8,178.1 million by the end of 2025.

What is cord blood banking?

According to the NHS, cord blood is the blood that remains in the placenta and umbilical cord following the birth of your baby.

It is rich in blood stem cells, similar to those found in bone marrow, and these can be used to treat many different cancers, immune deficiencies and genetic disorders, the site explains.

Blood-producing stem cells (called haematopoietic stem cells) are present in cord blood.

These cells are what we call 'unspecialised', which means that they have the ability to develop into those parts of the blood that the patient's body requires; whether red blood cells, white blood cells or platelets, the site continues.

Following the birth of a baby, the placenta is usually thrown away along with the cord blood that is in it, but experts are discovering more diseases and conditions that could potentially be treated with stem cells found within cord blood.

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As mentioned above, the process can cost around 2,000. The HTA recommend asking for a breakdown of the charges to find out what is included.

READ MORE: Should new dads be able to stay over in maternity wards?

What's the difference between private and public cord blood banking? [Photo: Getty]

Whats the difference between private and public blood banking?

While private banks store blood units solely for use by the donor or their family, parents can also opt to donate cord blood to a public stem-cell bank, like the NHS Cord Blood Bank, which are then made available for public use.

But there is still some doubt over the need for private cord blood banking.

"There is still very little evidence to support the need for parents of healthy children to use expensive private cord blood banking, Dr Alasdair Rankin, Director of Research, Policy and Support at the blood cancer charity Bloodwise told Yahoo UK.

Childhood blood cancers are thankfully very rare and the vast majority of children will be successfully treated with chemotherapy.

Even if a stem cell transplant is required, one cord may not be enough and treatment is likely to be more successful using an unrelated donor.

We would urge parents to donate cord blood to the NHS cord blood bank in those hospitals where this option is available."

According to the BBC, the Royal College of Midwives and the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists have previously said they supported public but not private banking.

They claim there has not been enough evidence to recommend routine private cord collection and banking unless there was a medical reason.

But both bodies told the BBC that they were currently looking at their position on the topic.

While many parents are opting to save their babies umbilical cord for health reasons, others are hoping to turn theirs into keepsakes.

Yep umbilical cord art is an actual thing.

From jewellery to dream catchers, turns out theres a whole slew of Insta-mums getting crafty with their babies umbilical cords.
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres raised concerns Thursday that a concrete dome built last century to contain waste from atomic bomb tests is leaking radioactive material into the Pacific.

Speaking to students in Fiji, Guterres described the structure on Enewetak atoll in the Marshall Islands as "a kind of coffin" and said it was a legacy of Cold War-era nuclear tests in the Pacific

"The Pacific was victimised in the past as we all know," he said, referring to nuclear explosions carried out by the United States and France in the region.

In the Marshalls, numerous islanders were forcibly evacuated from ancestral lands and resettled, while thousands more were exposed to radioactive fallout.

The island nation was ground zero for 67 American nuclear weapons tests from 1946-58 at Bikini and Enewetak atolls, when it was under US administration.

The tests included the 1954 "Bravo" hydrogen bomb, the most powerful ever detonated by the United States, about 1,000 times bigger than the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima.

Guterres, who is touring the South Pacific to raise awareness of climate change issues, said Pacific islanders still needed help to deal with the fallout of the nuclear testing.

"The consequences of these have been quite dramatic, in relation to health, in relation to the poisoning of waters in some areas," he said.

"I've just been with the President of the Marshall Islands (Hilda Heine), who is very worried because there is a risk of leaking of radioactive materials that are contained in a kind of coffin in the area."

The "coffin" is a concrete dome, built in the late 1970s on Runit island, part of Enewetak atoll, as a dumping ground for waste from the nuclear tests.

Radioactive soil and ash from the explosions was tipped into a crater and capped with a concrete dome 45 centimetres (18 inches) thick.

However, it was only envisaged as a temporary fix and the bottom of the crater was never lined leading to fears the waste is leaching into the Pacific.

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Cracks have also developed in the concrete after decades of exposure and there are concerns it could break apart if hit by a tropical cyclone.

Guterres did not directly address what should be done with the dome but said the Pacific's nuclear history still needed to be addressed.

"A lot needs to be done in relation to the explosions that took place in French Polynesia and the Marshall Islands," he said.

"This is in relation to the health consequences, the impact on communities and other aspects.

"Of course there are questions of compensation and mechanisms to allow these impacts to be minimised."
When Donald Trump kicked off his presidential campaign at Trump Tower in 2015, he memorably said that Mexico was not sending their best people and declared that immigrants were bringing drugs, crime and rape to America.

Nearly four years later, hes now putting forward a plan that he argues would select the best immigrants from other countries.

With the 2020 election on the horizon, Trump unveiled a plan in the White House Rose Garden that would establish a new merit-based system for legal immigration and add security measures at the southern border.

Democrats are proposing open borders, lower wages and frankly lawless chaos, Trump said on Thursday. We are proposing an immigration plan that puts the jobs, wages and safety of American workers first.

Drafted by top advisers Jared Kushner and Stephen Miller, the proposal outlines an immigration system that focuses mostly on those with specific professional skills and education, replacing decades-old laws favoring relatives of other immigrants.

It would be a big departure from our current system, says Stephen Yale-Loehr, a professor of immigration law practice at Cornell University. Right now two-thirds of all immigrants who are admitted are based on some kind of family characteristic.

For now, the plan is going nowhere in Congress. The Democratic majority in the House would look skeptically on any Trump immigration proposal, much less one this sweeping, but Senate Republicans arent eager to take up the issue right now either.

But as the official White House line on immigration, the proposal sets a marker for where Trump hopes the Republican Party will eventually go  and that is toward the most dramatic rethinking of immigration since President Lyndon Johnson signed the Immigration and Nationality Act in 1965.

Congress tried to move toward skills-based immigration in 1990, but the changes did not stem the flow of family-sponsored immigrants. In his speech, Trump cited Canada and Australia, which both assign points for various skills or qualities in immigrants when deciding who to admit.

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Under his system, Trump said immigrants would be rated by their age, English proficiency, level of education and offers of employment. It would also increase visas for those with particular skills from 12% now to 57% under the new system.

The plan is notable for what it leaves out as well, such as how to address undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. as children who have been given a temporary reprieve by the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.

A senior White House official argued that previous efforts on those issues had been futile.

In the past people have always jumped into negotiations and tried to find comprehensive deals without starting with what theyre trying to accomplish, the official said. What we are trying to do is what I think is a very important step  which is to come up with a very, very detailed proposal on what it is that we want.

House Democrats beg to differ. Although they have not yet been briefed by the White House on the proposal, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she and her her caucus would love to see comprehensive immigration reform, but a package must notably include a pathway for DACA recipients and respect for family. The White Houses focus on a merit system, she argued, does not accomplish either objective.

Its really a condescending word, she said. Are they saying family is without merit? Are they saying most people who have come to the United States in the history of our country are without merit because they dont have an engineering degree?

But the plan seems less geared towards garnering bipartisan support than on solidifying support among Republicans. I dont think [the plan] is designed to get Democratic support as much as it is to unify the Republican party, Sen. Lindsey Graham told reporters after Kushner and Miller briefed lawmakers on Tuesday about the plan.

His musings were confirmed by the Senior White House official, who told reporters: The Presidents immediate goal is to put together a proposal that is representative of his values and try to get Republicans around it.

For now, the Republican caucus does not appear unified behind the plan. Tellingly, very few members of Congress released public statements after Trumps Rose Garden announcement. And the plan also does little to appease those who would like to restrict immigration further.

Unlike the RAISE act (Reforming American Immigration for a Strong Economy), which Sens. Tom Cotton and David Purdue first introduced in 2017 and Trump later endorsed, it does not reduce the number of legal immigrants allowed into the country. Mark Krikorian, executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies, lambasted Trumps plan in a piece for the National Review on Tuesday, calling it out of touch with the presidents base.

Republicans also know that no proposal will become law without Democratic support, leaving many on Capitol Hill wondering about the legislative roadmap. The White House says it has drafted bill language, but is keeping it strictly under wraps. No lawmakers have stepped forward offering to sponsor the bill and no legislative text is being drafted.

The only immigration bill that appears to be imminently under consideration is the one Sen. Lindsey Graham introduced on Wednesday, which focuses less on legal immigration than on migrants crossing through the southern border. Under the proposal, migrants seeking asylum would apply in processing centers outside the United States, in the Northern Triangle and Mexico, and families would be held together in the United States for 100 days  an 80-day increase from the current law.

Grahams plan is unlikely to garner Democratic support either, but it at least has a plan for being considered.

Even Trump, never one to downplay his chances of defeat, conceded that legislation would likely be more effective if it was shepherded by someone like Graham  even if it was on much smaller scale.

This is the big beautiful bold plan, but we need something very quickly, and if you can get it done that would be fantastic, Trump told Graham, who was in attendance for his speech, on Thursday.

For a president loath to admit defeat, it was the closest he could muster to an acknowledgement his proposal was virtually certain to never become law in its current form.

With reporting by Brian Bennett in Washington
Paris (AFP) - US artist Jeff Koons, whose "Rabbit" fetched $91.1 million at auction in a record for a living artist, has regularly attracted scandal across a career lived in the full glare of the media.

- Explicit -

Koons shocked the art world in the early 1990s with the "Made in Heaven" series of works depicting himself in sexually explicit poses with the Italian porn star Cicciolina, whom he married in 1991.

He and Ilona Staller -- Cicciolina's real name -- who was also a one-time member of the Italian parliament, divorced in the glare of the tabloids in 1994.

- Plagiarism -

Koons has regularly been accused of plagiarism, particularly over a 1988 series of sculptures called "Banality" but he defends himself as an artist of appropriation.

In 1992, he was found guilty of copyright infringement in the United States for basing the sculpture "String of Puppies" (1988) on a black-and-white photograph by Art Rogers called "Puppies".

In 1993, he lost another court case for having represented Odie, a personality in the Jim Davies "Garfield" comic strip, in his "Wild Boy and Puppy" (1988).

In 2017, Koons came under fire in Ukraine after unveiling a 14-metre (45-foot) -high inflatable "Seated Ballerina" in New York that many critics said was a ripoff of a porcelain statuette by Ukranian Oksana Zhnikrup (1931-1993).

Also in 2017, a Paris court ruled he had copied a 1970 picture by French photographer Jean-Francois Bauret as the basis for his sculpture "Naked" (1988).

The following year another court in Paris said he had copied a 1980s advertisement for clothing chain Naf Naf for his "Fait d'Hiver" (1988), which shows a pig standing over a woman lying on her back.

- Culture shock -

In 2008, Koons took France's Chateau of Versailles by storm with an exhibition in its illustrious apartments of 17 riotous art works including a bright red inflatable "Lobster" (2003) and "The Pink Panther" (1988), a sculpture of the comic strip figure wrapped around a semi-naked blond woman.

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While enormously popular with the public, there were some complaints that it was an "affront" to French heritage, with a cluster of protestors demanding its relocation to Disneyland.

The self-proclaimed French heir of Louis XIV, Prince Charles-Emmanuel de Bourbon-Parme, attempted to secure an emergency court injunction to halt the exhibition.

- Unwanted bouquet -

In 2016, Koons proposed to sculpt a "Bouquet of Tulips" for France in remembrance of the victims of terror attacks in 2015 and 2016.

But the monumental work of bronze, stainless steel and aluminium -- measuring 10 metres (34 feet) high and weighing 33 tons -- was controversial, including because of its price tag of 3.5-million-euros.

A group of artists and gallery owners objected in an open letter that described Koons as an "emblem of industrial art which is spectacular and speculative."

There was also anger over his demand that the work be displayed on the esplanade of the contemporary art museum Palais de Tokyo, which faces the Eiffel Tower.

In 2018, Paris city officials said they had agreed it would be installed at the Petit Palais museum.
SALT LAKE CITY (AP)  An American man arrested earlier this week in Mexico after running over several people with a truck in a chaotic chase to a U.S. border crossing in San Diego has been identified as a Utah man with an extensive criminal record.

Frank Eddie Stricker, 29, of Magna, Utah, is the suspect in the incident, according to his girlfriend Summer Draper, who told ABC10 TV station in San Diego that the couple was fleeing an attack and couldn't stop.

A suspect identified only as 29-year-old Frank N. from Utah faces attempted murder and property damage charges, according to the Attorney General's Office of Justice of Baja California in Mexico.

He threatened a person with a knife on a Tijuana boulevard about 1 mile (over 1 kilometer) from the crossing, and then fled in a pickup truck when officers intervened, Tijuana police said in a statement. During the chase, he hit five people, 14 vendor stalls and 17 other vehicles. Nobody died.

The truck finally stopped a short distance from the U.S. border where bystanders dragged Stricker and from the vehicle and beat him while others pounded on the truck with rods and rocks. Police stopped the beating, but video from the melee showed both people from the truck bloodied and dazed.

Draper had a large gash on her forehead that had been stitched up while she spoke to ABC10 from a hospital bed in San Diego.

She said she and Stricker were on vacation and wanted to visit shops in Tijuana when they got lost and asked for help. That eventually led to an attack and the decision to try and squeeze through a spot in the border line reserved for vendors.

"If we would have stopped the car, we would have been dead. We had to run from these people. They were attacking us," Draper said.

Stricker has pleaded guilty to numerous criminal charges over the last decade, including theft, shoplifting, obstructing justice, robbery and forgery. The incidents including stealing shoes from a department store, items from Walmart and being caught with a stolen car.

Stricker is on probation in Utah after he pleaded guilty last year to trying to sell a stolen trailer and for failure to stop at an officer's command. He was previously in a Utah state prison from 2009 to 2013.
GENEVA, May 16 (Reuters) - Venezuela's ambassador to the United Nations said on Thursday that talks were being held in Norway between Venezuela's government and the "democratic part" of the opposition but not those who were backed by U.S. President Donald Trump.

"There is an opposition that can be classified as democratic but theres another that are simply puppets of the U.S. empire," Jorge Valero told reporters, without giving any details. "I can confirm that there are dialogs but I cannot go into details."

Valero called Trump a "war criminal." (Reporting by Tom Miles Editing by Gareth Jones)
By Corina Pons and Mayela Armas

CARACAS (Reuters) - Representatives of Venezuela's government and the opposition have travelled to Norway to discuss potential options following a failed uprising against President Nicolas Maduro, according to four opposition sources familiar with the situation.

The trips suggests the two sides may be seeking a fresh approach after the repeated failure of dialogue between the opposition and the ruling Socialist Party amid a steadily escalating political crisis.

Venezuelan top government officials held talks this year to create a transition government that would not include Maduro, U.S. National Security Advisor John Bolton and others have said. Those efforts fell apart after opposition calls for Venezuela's military to rise up against Maduro on April 30 failed, according to the opposition sources.

The military's top brass has since then sworn allegiance to Maduro, who describes the April 30 events as a coup plot.

Opposition leader Juan Guaido in January invoked the constitution to assume the interim presidency, calling Maduro's 2018 re-election a fraud. More than 50 nations have recognised Guaido as the country's legitimate president, though he does not control the military or the basic functions of governance.

Information Minister Jorge Rodriguez and Miranda state Governor Hector Rodriguez of the Socialist Party both travelled to Oslo, according to the sources.

Opposition legislator Stalin Gonzalez, along with political advisers Gerardo Blyde and Fernando Martinez have also gone to Norway, where authorities have been involved in conflict mediation, including assistance with Colombia's 2016 peace deal between the government and FARC rebels.

Norway's foreign minister said as early as March that it was prepared to act as a mediator or facilitator of talks between the Venezuelan government and the opposition.

No meetings have yet been held, and the parties will meet separately with Norwegian diplomats, one of the sources said.

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Maduro, in a speech broadcast on state television on Wednesday evening, said Jorge Rodriguez was "completing a very important mission abroad," without giving more details.

Venezuela's information ministry did not reply to a request for comment. The Norwegian foreign ministry was not immediately available for comment.

Reuters was unable to obtain comment from the participants. It was not immediately evident whether the parties had the full backing of the opposition or of Maduro's government.

First Justice, one of the main opposition parties, said on Twitter that none of its members are involved.

(Reporting by Mayela Armas and Corina Pons, additional reporting by Glwadys Fouche in Oslo and Vivian Sequera in Bogota; Editing by Bill Berkrot and Richard Chang)
Oslo (AFP) - Locked in a bitter power struggle, representatives of Venezuela's regime and the opposition held peace talks this week in a secret location in Oslo in a bid to end a five-month political crisis, media reported Thursday.

The development was hailed cautiously by experts.

Venezuela has been in political turmoil since assembly speaker Juan Guaido declared himself acting president in January in a direct challenge to President Nicolas Maduro's authority.

Norway's NRK radio and television network, quoting anonymous sources, said the peace talks had taken place at a secret location in the Norwegian capital for "several days" and the delegations were due to return to Caracas on Thursday.

It is the second time that such talks have been held in Oslo between Maduro's regime and Guaido's representatives, NRK said, adding that negotiations had also taken place in Cuba.

"We can neither confirm nor deny Norway's involvement in peace processes or dialogue initiatives," a Norwegian foreign ministry spokeswoman, Ane Haavardsdatter Lunde, told AFP.

Several South American media outlets, such as daily ALnavio, also reported talks were held in the Scandinavian country.

Venezuelan Communications Minister Jorge Rodriguez and the governor of Miranda province Hector Rodriguez represented Maduro's government, media reports said.

The opposition was represented by former deputy Gerardo Blyde, former minister Fernando Martinez Mottola and the vice president of the National Assembly Stalin Gonzalez.

- 'Very important mission' -

Several official statements appear to lend credence to the reports.

In Caracas, Maduro said Jorge Rodriguez "is overseas, on a very important mission".

Guaido meanwhile wrote on Twitter, "The Contact Group, Canada, Great Britain, Norway, the Lima group as well as other initiatives are helping us find a solution to the crisis."

Norway, home of the Nobel Peace Prize and the now-defunct Israeli-Palestinian Oslo accords, has a long tradition of playing the role of "facilitator" in peace processes around the world, including that in Colombia between the government and the FARC rebels in 2016.

Story continues

Guaido, the leader of Venezuela's opposition-controlled legislature, has been engaged in a fierce power struggle with Maduro, who has presided over a spiralling political and economic crisis in Venezuela since taking over from late leftist leader Hugo Chavez in 2013.

Maduro was re-elected to a second term in May 2018, in a vote boycotted by the opposition and rejected by much of the international community.

Guaido declared himself acting president on January 23, calling Maduro's re-election illegitimate. The opposition leader has since been recognised by more than 50 countries, led by the United States.

Norway however has merely called for new free elections in Venezuela, a position seen as illustrating a willingness to act as a mediator between the two sides.

- 'Cautious optimism' -

At the end of January, Norwegian Foreign Minister Ine Eriksen Soreide said her country was "ready to contribute if and when the parties so wish".

Reports of this week's talks were hailed, albeit cautiously, by Norwegian South America experts.

"It's dangerous to read to much into it," University of Oslo professor Benedicte Bull told AFP.

"It's very positive that the two parties are holding talks but it's very important to not hold out too much hope: there have been formal talks three times in the past, and they all collapsed quickly."

"That said, the situation is very critical today, and it's important that something be done," she said.

Leiv Marsteintredet, a professor at the University of Bergen, echoed that sentiment.

"We're still at an early stage and therefore I think it's very unrealistic to expect any quick results," he told AFP.

"But the fact that the two sides want to talk is a recent change that could justify some cautious optimism."

In addition to the political crisis, marked by clashes that have claimed dozens of lives, Venezuela has been mired in its worst economic crisis in modern times, with a quarter of the population in need of urgent humanitarian aid, according to the UN.
Oslo (AFP) - Representatives of Venezuela's regime and the opposition are holding "peace negotiations" in Oslo this week, Norwegian media reported Thursday.

Venezuela has been in political turmoil since assembly speaker Juan Guaido declared himself acting president in January in a direct challenge to President Nicolas Maduro's authority.

The NRK radio and television network, quoting anonymous sources, said peace talks have taken place at a secret location in the Norwegian capital for "several days" and are expected to conclude on Thursday,

It is the second time that such talks have been held in Oslo between Maduro's regime and Guaido's representatives, NRK said.

It said negotiations have also taken place in Cuba.

"We can neither confirm nor deny Norway's involvement in peace processes or dialogue initiatives," a Norwegian foreign ministry spokeswoman, Ane Haavardsdatter Lunde, told AFP.

Venezuelan Communications Minister Jorge Rodriguez and the governor of Miranda province Hector Rodriguez represented Maduro's government, NRK said.

The opposition is represented by former deputy Gerardo Blyde, former minister Fernando Martinez Mottola and the vice president of the National Assembly Stalin Gonzales.

In Caracas, Maduro said Jorge Rodriguez "is overseas, on a very important mission".

Guaido, the leader of Venezuela's opposition-controlled legislature, is locked in a bitter power struggle with Maduro, who has presided over a spiralling political and economic crisis in Venezuela since taking over from late leftist leader Hugo Chavez in 2013.

Maduro was re-elected to a second term in May 2018, in a vote boycotted by the opposition and rejected by much of the international community.

Guaido declared himself acting president on January 23, calling Maduro's re-election illegitimate. The opposition leader has since been recognised by more than 50 countries, led by the United States.

Norway however has merely called for new free elections in Venezuela, a position seen as illustrating a willingness to act as a mediator between the two sides.

At the end of January, Norwegian Foreign Minister Ine Eriksen Soreide said her country was "ready to contribute if and when the parties so wish".
Vodafone Group Plc VOD is planning to merge its tower infrastructure in Italy with Infrastrutture Wireless Italiane S.p.A. (INWIT) to enhance return on capital invested, per Reuters. Headquartered in Milan, INWIT is the tower unit of the Italian telecommunications company, Telecom Italia S.p.A. TI.



The deal, expected to be signed by this summer-end, is part of Telecom Italias three-year strategy to trim its more than 25 billion ($28.34 billion) debt. The move would also include a partnership to enable faster deployment of fifth-generation mobile phone services over a vast geographic area at a lesser cost.



Reportedly, the combination would leave Vodafone and Telecom Italia with equal shareholdings and governance rights. Notably, Vodafone and Telecom Italia inked an agreement in February to assess the combination of their 22,000 telecom towers in Italy under a single operation.



In addition, Vodafone is eyeing to reduce its huge debt burden. It has entered into an agreement to divest its New Zealand business to a global consortium of investors, subject to regulatory approvals. At the same time, the company has decided to reduce its quarterly dividend payout to create sufficient financial headroom and focus more on the core European markets.



The company also announced that it intends to reduce its quarterly dividend to 9 eurocents per share, representing a 40% year-over-year decrease. It expects the lower dividend payout to help it reduce its massive debt burden, which swelled to more than 27 billion as of Mar 31, 2019. This, in turn, is likely to facilitate the company to de-lever to the low end of its targeted 2.5x-3.0x leverage range in the next few years.



Shares of Vodafone have incurred an average loss of 16.7% compared with the industrys decline of 5.5% in the year-to-date period. It remains to be seen whether such diversified moves can help boost the companys profitability in the days to come.





Story continues





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PLDT is currently trading with a forward P/E of 10.2x.



Deutsche Telekom has long-term earnings growth expectation of 9%.



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New York (AFP) - Walmart reported a jump in first-quarter earnings on Thursday on increased US store sales and e-commerce growth but warned that higher US tariffs could hit its business.

The world's biggest retailer, which has been unveiling new "omnichannel" retail ventures including a just-announced next-day delivery service in many US markets, pointed to increased US sales as evidence the strategy was working.

But executives joined a chorus of retailers who have warned about tariffs in the wake of the Trump administration's latest moves in the long-running US-China dispute.

President Donald Trump has started a process to impose new duties on about $300 billion worth of additional Chinese merchandise, covering virtually everything China sells to the United States and encompassing household items such as clothing and appliances.

"We're going to continue to do everything we can to keep prices low. It's who we are," Chief Financial Officer Brett Biggs said on a conference call with reporters. "However increased tariffs will lead to increased prices for our customers."

Biggs said it was impossible to generalize about the effects of the potential tariff hikes, saying that the effect of levies varies by good. He declined to comment on specific item categories for competitive reasons.

Earnings for the first quarter came in at $3.8 billion, an increase of 80 percent from the year-ago period when results were dented by a one-time earnings hit following US tax reform.

Revenues climbed one percent to $123.9 billion.

Comparable sales at US stores -- a key retail-sector benchmark closely-watched by Wall Street -- jumped 3.4 percent, marking the company's best performance in nine years, the company said.

Chief Executive Doug McMillon highlighted the strong US figures, which come as the company ramps up programs to allow customers to pick up groceries that are ordered online and provide more direct delivery of goods.

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New ventures include voice ordering for groceries and free next-day delivery of frequently purchased items for orders of $35 or more in the United States.

Walmart shares rose 1.4 percent to $101.31.

- International sales weaker -

The strong domestic results offset a decline in international sales and profits.

The company highlighted a hit from the strong dollar, as well as political headwinds in some Latin American markets that weakened results.

International results have also been dented by increased investment in Flipkart, an Indian grocery chain acquired by Walmart last year.

Moody's analyst Charlie O'Shea praised the results overall.

"Price investments are continuing, though improved efficiencies are serving to protect margins," O'Shea said in written comments.

"On the international front, results are negatively impacted by losses at Flipkart, which we continue to believe is a very sound long-term investment in a compelling market."

O'Shea said the effect of tariffs on Walmart would be "limited" because of the extent of its food business and because the company "has the wherewithal both financially and via its vendor relationships to minimize the impact on both itself and its shopping base."

Leading retailers have amplified warnings about the latest Trump threats on China.

The latest tariff list is "far too great a gamble for the US economy," National Retail Federation President Matthew Shay said this week. "Taxing Americans on everyday products like clothes and shoes is not the answer for holding China accountable."

Macy's also signaled increased anxiety about tariffs in its earnings conference call Wednesday. Chief Executive Jeffrey Gennette said the retailer has largely managed the initial rounds of tariffs in the US-China dispute.

But the latest round being discussed is "the big one," and if it goes into effect, it will "affect a lot of the apparel and accessory categories that are coming in," Gennette said.
Shopping at Walmart is about to get more expensive.

The nations largest retailer commented on the effects of the Trump administrations increased tariffs on goods made in China Thursday in an earnings call. And it wasnt good news for bargain hunters.

Were going to continue to do everything we can to keep prices low, said Brett Biggs, chief financial officer at Walmart, which once again topped the Fortune 500 list in 2019. However, increased tariffs will lead to increased prices, we believe, for our customers.

The chain is working with suppliers to find ways to reduce the impact of the price increases, but much of its merchandise, including clothes and sporting goods equipment, comes from China.

Officials did not say which items they expect will cost more, nor did they give a time frame on when to expect the price increases.

Last Friday, the White House increased tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods from 10% to 25%. A second round of 25% tariffs on another $325 billion of products from the country could begin shortly, administration officials said.

Nearly 6,000 products will be included in the tariff, including common items such as furniture, clothing, shampoo, cereal, perfume, bed sheets, electronics, and purses. A study by the Center for Economic Policy Research found the Trump administrations 2018s tariffs cost U.S. consumers $1.4 billion per month.

Retail proponents have long warned an escalation of the trade war with China could result in higher prices.

Tariffs are taxes paid by American businesses and consumers, not by China, said David French, senior vice president for government relations at the National Retail Federation in a statement last week. A sudden tariff increase with less than a weeks notice would severely disrupt U.S. businesses, especially small companies that have limited resources to mitigate the impact. If the administration follows through on this threat, American consumers will face higher prices and U.S. jobs will be lost.

Story continues

More must-read stories from Fortune:

Walmart is #1 on the Fortune 500 (again)

The full 2019 list of Fortune 500 companies

Follow Fortune on Flipboard to stay up-to-date on the latest news and analysis
WASHINGTON  Two top Democratic lawmakers are questioning Speaker Nancy Pelosis strategy to couple legislation to lower prescription drug costs with far more contentious Obamacare bills, saying the tactic nixes potential for a bipartisan win.

Democratic leadership plans to hold a floor vote Thursday on the combined package of health care bills  effectively rebuking the Trump administration for its attempts to roll back the Affordable Care Act and simultaneously daring Republicans to vote against drug pricing reforms that are increasingly popular.

Republican lawmakers vowed to oppose the package, despite their support for the drug pricing legislation. The Trump administration threatened a veto. And in a rare criticism of leadership, even some Democrats openly lamented the strategy to couple the health issues together.

Im not a fan of what happened, said Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-Calif.), a longtime Pelosi ally whose House subcommittee oversees most health legislation, though she acknowledged that one has to pay for the other.

Rep. Peter Welch (D-Vt.), in a brief interview, said that packaging the bills together  even to assuage cost concerns  was a lost opportunity for bipartisan consensus.

We did this without a food fight in the committee, but now by packaging it together with the ACA, it creates another issue, he said. So my preference would be to do them separately and take advantage of the bipartisan support.

In a subsequent phone call to STAT, Welch attempted to clarify his remarks. He said he was not questioning party leaderships strategy  merely describing his own view of the ideal outcome.

Read more: Progressives warn Democratic leaders that piecemeal drug pricing reforms could fracture the party

The controversy, lawmakers and aides conceded, calls into question whether the Democratic Caucus is unified in its approach to lowering drug costs  and whether it can marshal the widespread political momentum on drug prices into actual legislative action. In particular, the quick descent into partisan politics on a seemingly bipartisan issue could bode poorly for a more aggressive drug-pricing package said to be in the works between Pelosis office and the White House.

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Democrats have labored since February to advance the drug pricing legislation through the formal committee process. The policies they incorporated into the package  none of which is seen as especially controversial or sweeping  include the long-stalled CREATES Act and another bill to prohibit pay-for-delay practices. Both measures aim to bring generic drugs to market faster in hopes the competition will lower drug prices.

I took the bills up as individual, free-standing bills  Im not a fan of big packages  and was able to develop bipartisan support, which I think is a real compliment to the legislators, Eshoo said of the process up until this point, which played out largely in her committee.

But Democratic leadership, including Pelosi and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), decided this week to pair the bills together with another set of policies aimed at shoring up the ACA. Those bills would ban so-called junk insurance plans and restore funding for efforts to market the ACA and help Americans buy insurance through its marketplaces.

Read more: They were supposed to talk about the patent system driving up drug prices. But most lawmakers got distracted by small tweaks

Hoyer, speaking to reporters on Wednesday, said that forcing Republicans to vote on the insurance protections alongside the drug-pricing bills was a response to the GOPs ongoing attempts to roll back the Affordable Care Act.

Aides also cast the difficult vote as penance for the eight years in which a GOP-controlled House insistently voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act and otherwise derail the agenda of former president Barack Obama. The Trump administration, too, is actively supporting a lawsuit to overturn the ACA and has used its administrative powers to make it easier to sidestep the highly regulated insurance markets the law created.

We have packaged these bills because we think they are all part and parcel of what we pledged to the American people: bringing down prices and making health care available at a level that they need to protect themselves and their families, Hoyer said. I regret that the administration continues to try to undermine the ACA.

Other Democrats emphasized the advantages of pairing the drug pricing bills, which will save the federal government money, with the ACA-related bills. By enrolling millions more Americans in the federal program, those provisions could cost the government billions of dollars over the next decade.

Republicans, too, have expressed frustration that once-bipartisan drug pricing measures had devolved into fights surrounding the Affordable Care Act.

The Trump administration on Tuesday made its position on the bill public: it supports the drug-pricing provisions, but would veto any package that contains the legislation rolling back its actions on health insurance.

They could have a unanimous vote on the drug bills and we could get them down to the presidents desk, Rep. Greg Walden (Ore.), the Energy and Commerce Committees top Republican, told reporters last week. Why theyve chosen to pull these two together is beyond me. Its unfortunate. Its unnecessary and I wish they wouldnt do it.

Rep. Mark Meadows (N.C.), a Republican who chairs the hard-right House Freedom Caucus, called the Democratic strategy a wasted opportunity.

Youve got the chairman of the Freedom Caucus willing to work with Democrats on making real, structural reforms on prescription drug prices, he told STAT. And what do they do? They put a poison pill in, trying to augment a failing health care-delivery system.

Rep. Buddy Carter (R-Ga.), said at an event Wednesday that he would vote against the measure even though it contains a bill he co-authored  a measure to start the clock more quickly on the six-month exclusivity period awarded to a first-time generic drug approval.

Nicholas Florko contributed reporting.
By Hyonhee Shin

SEOUL (Reuters) - Impoverished North Korea is suffering its worst drought in decades and food supplies are reportedly running low, but South Korea's push to provide aid is bogged down in the growing tension marked by missile tests and sanctions crackdowns.

South Korea is seeking to send food directly to the North while scaling up donations to international agencies including the U.N. World Food Programme (WFP), two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters.

If it comes off, it would mark the South's first bilateral food aid since 2010, when it delivered 5,000 tons of rice, Unification Ministry data shows.

The WFP says more than 10 million North Koreans are in urgent need after crop output plunged to a decade low last year. On Monday, the Red Cross said this year's early drought is threatening the summer harvest, adding to the crisis.

A devastating famine in the 1990s, exacerbated by drought, killed as many as a million North Koreans, with many resorting to eating tree bark and grass.

The North's official KCNA news agency on Wednesday said this year's rainfall so far was the lowest since 1982, while the Rodong Sinmun newspaper called for staging "war against the nature", mobilising all available water pumps and irrigation equipment.

But tension again has mounted since a second summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and U.S. President Donald Trump, aimed at bringing about the denuclearisation of the North, broke down in Hanoi in February.

The North has fired two missiles and multiple projectiles in recent weeks, in what South Korean President Moon Jae-in called a calibrated protest against Washington.

Moon said Trump supported his aid plan, but after promising to ease hurdles for humanitarian aid earlier this year, U.S. officials remain half-hearted, especially in light of the recent weapons tests, blaming the North Korean regime for the food shortages.

Moon's administration, whose 2017 push for $8 million aid to U.N. agencies fell apart amid flaring tensions, is adamant about implementing its latest commitment, but it's unclear when and how that plan will materialise, according to the sources who spoke on anonymity due to the sensitivity of the topic.

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"They'll try their best to make it happen, but nothing has been decided. There is a lot more to consider than two years ago," one of the sources said.

'SENSE OF CRISIS'

The source said there was a "sense of crisis" brewing within the administration ahead of a key parliamentary election next year amid the stalled nuclear talks and lacklustre progress in inter-Korean initiatives.

The dramatic detente between the two Koreas has propped up Moon's approval ratings, which were hit by a stagnating economy and jobs crunch and then fell to their lowest levels after the Hanoi summit.

Moon said the aid would not only help needy North Koreans but also reduce his government's excessive rice stockpile and break the nuclear standoff between Pyongyang and Washington.

About 45 percent of South Koreans support humanitarian aid to the North, according to a study released on Monday by the state-run Korea Institute for National Unification.

But the North's Maeri propaganda website brushed off the South's aid plan as "empty words" and "far-fetched mockery".

Early this year, South Korea offered to provide flu medication, but its delivery was delayed amid consultations with the United States and the North eventually refused to take it.

Rice has also historically been a sensitive item, along with cement and fertilisers, due to concerns that Pyongyang may divert any outside handouts to bankroll its weapons programmes.

"The situation is extremely sensitive," another source said. "If the two-track approach proves unfeasible, we would just have to go through the international organisations."

Some observers, including Lee Hye-hoon, head of the parliamentary intelligence committee, said the situation may not be as tough as aid groups say.

Data compiled by Daily NK, a defector-run website, showed rice prices have dropped about 15% since November, suggesting the shortages may not be as bad as some people think.

But Seoul's Unification Ministry said it sees data from the WFP and other U.N. agencies as more "official and objective."

"It's difficult to know just how bad the situation really is," said Peter Ward, a scholar who researches North Korea's economy, citing the lack of credible information.

"It doesn't look like we are headed for another famine, but the food situation definitely appears to have deteriorated."

(Additional reporting by Josh Smith; Editing by Nick Macfie)
Washington (AFP) - President Donald Trump's administration on Wednesday renewed its claims of political favoritism among search engines and social media platforms by launching a survey that encourages people to report online censorship.

"SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS should advance FREEDOM OF SPEECH. Yet too many Americans have seen their accounts suspended, banned, or fraudulently reported for unclear 'violations' of user policies," read the online survey.

It asks for respondents' contact details along with information about instances in which they believe they were censored online.

"No matter your views, if you suspect political bias caused such an action to be taken against you, share your story with President Trump," the survey continues.

Trump has made heavy use of Twitter both in his 2016 presidential campaign and during his time in office.

Yet he's repeatedly denounced "collusion" between tech giants and his political opponents, and at one point accused Google of rigging search engine results to favor negative news coverage about him.

His political allies have echoed the allegations while providing little evidence of bias. Social media and search engine companies have denied the claims.
Yangzijiang Shipbuilding (Holdings) Ltd. (SGX:BS6), which is in the machinery business, and is based in China, saw significant share price movement during recent months on the SGX, rising to highs of SGD1.63 and falling to the lows of SGD1.38. Some share price movements can give investors a better opportunity to enter into the stock, and potentially buy at a lower price. A question to answer is whether Yangzijiang Shipbuilding (Holdings)'s current trading price of SGD1.46 reflective of the actual value of the mid-cap? Or is it currently undervalued, providing us with the opportunity to buy? Lets take a look at Yangzijiang Shipbuilding (Holdings)s outlook and value based on the most recent financial data to see if there are any catalysts for a price change.

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View our latest analysis for Yangzijiang Shipbuilding (Holdings)

What is Yangzijiang Shipbuilding (Holdings) worth?

Great news for investors  Yangzijiang Shipbuilding (Holdings) is still trading at a fairly cheap price. My valuation model shows that the intrinsic value for the stock is SGD2.32, which is above what the market is valuing the company at the moment. This indicates a potential opportunity to buy low. However, given that Yangzijiang Shipbuilding (Holdings)s share is fairly volatile (i.e. its price movements are magnified relative to the rest of the market) this could mean the price can sink lower, giving us another chance to buy in the future. This is based on its high beta, which is a good indicator for share price volatility.

What does the future of Yangzijiang Shipbuilding (Holdings) look like?

SGX:BS6 Past and Future Earnings, May 16th 2019

Investors looking for growth in their portfolio may want to consider the prospects of a company before buying its shares. Although value investors would argue that its the intrinsic value relative to the price that matter the most, a more compelling investment thesis would be high growth potential at a cheap price. Though in the case of Yangzijiang Shipbuilding (Holdings), it is expected to deliver a negative earnings growth of -17%, which doesnt help build up its investment thesis. It appears that risk of future uncertainty is high, at least in the near term.

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What this means for you:

Are you a shareholder? Although BS6 is currently undervalued, the adverse prospect of negative growth brings about some degree of risk. Consider whether you want to increase your portfolio exposure to BS6, or whether diversifying into another stock may be a better move for your total risk and return.

Are you a potential investor? If youve been keeping an eye on BS6 for a while, but hesitant on making the leap, I recommend you research further into the stock. Given its current undervaluation, now is a great time to make a decision. But keep in mind the risks that come with negative growth prospects in the future.

Price is just the tip of the iceberg. Dig deeper into what truly matters  the fundamentals  before you make a decision on Yangzijiang Shipbuilding (Holdings). You can find everything you need to know about Yangzijiang Shipbuilding (Holdings) in the latest infographic research report. If you are no longer interested in Yangzijiang Shipbuilding (Holdings), you can use our free platform to see my list of over 50 other stocks with a high growth potential.

We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material.



If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. Thank you for reading.
APPLETON, Wis.  A solemn procession brought the body of a fallen firefighter back to Appleton, Wisconsin, Thursday following a shooting that left a police officer and a bystander wounded and the suspected gunman dead.

Mitchell F. Lundgaard, a 14-year veteran of the Appleton Fire Department, was shot after paramedics responded to the downtown transit center at about 5:30 p.m. Wednesday for a medical emergency. He is the fourth Appleton firefighter to die in the line of duty and the first since 1933.

"The first responders provided initial medical assistance to (a) male on the bus," according to a statement from the fire department.

"The male eventually left the bus and started walking towards the library. While attending to the male, believed to be from the Wausau area, the incident escalated into shots being fired."

More: Four people, including police officer, firefighter, injured in shooting at Valley Transit Center in Appleton

Appleton Police Chief Todd Thomas said the man displayed a handgun and shots were exchanged between him and police officers.

The fire department's statement doesn't say what caused the incident to escalate, but does reveal that the 47-year-old man, who was not identified, was also taken to a local hospital where he died of his injuries. It doesn't specify how the man died.

Lundgaard was struck by the gunfire, along with a female bystander and an Appleton police officer. The police officer was released from the hospital Thursday and the woman is in stable condition.

Appleton Fire Chief Jeremy Hansen said Lundgaard is married and a father to three young children. Hansen expressed gratitude to the fire departments and other agencies that have reached out or expressed support since the shooting.

Your thoughts and prayers will help us as we continue to honor Mitch the only way we know how: by continuing to serve our community each and every day," Hansen said at a news conference.

Story continues

Appleton Mayor Tim Hanna described the outpouring of support as "absolutely incredible."

"This, obviously, is a very, very difficult time for our community," he said.

A firefighter who was shot and killed while responding to a medical call at the Valley Transit Center is draped in an American Flag and taken out of an ambulance at Brettschneider-Trettin-Nickel Funeral Chapel which ended a procession that went from Milwaukee to Appleton at Thursday, May 16, 2019, in Appleton, Wis.

'Honor the memory of our fallen brother'

Hanna urged residents not to speculate about what might have happened, promising that additional details will be released following an investigation by the Green Bay Police Department.

For now, were going to do what we do best," he said. "Were going to honor the memory of our fallen brother.

Many overpasses across Interstate 41 were occupied by firetrucks and other emergency vehicles Thursday as the procession brought Lundgaard's body to an Appleton funeral home following an autopsy in Milwaukee.

"Everybody needs to come out and show their support and respect for the police and the firefighters, said Andrew Ratzlaff, an Appleton resident, who was standing along College Avenue as the procession approached. This is just a horrible, horrible tragedy.

Jeanne Vanden Voogaard waited for the procession with her 4-year-old granddaughter.

We just think that they need our support," she said. "Theyre always being judged on what they do and we feel they do a lot of good for us.

Gov. Tony Evers released a statement Thursday on Twitter in which he said he and wife, Kathy, "send our deepest sympathies to the family, friends (and) colleagues of the firefighter who lost their life last night."

"We stand with our brave first responders ... as they mourn this loss," Evers said.

She heard gunshots on her way home

Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul also released a brief statement.

"My condolences to the family and friends of the brave firefighter who lost his life in Appleton yesterday," Kaul said. "May everyone affected by this tragedy find peace."

Appleton resident Danielle Morris lives near the transit center and saw what she described at first as a commotion.

"It sounded like real loud firecrackers, like consistent 'pow pow pow,' and I was thinking it was too loud for fireworks, so I looked out the window," Morris said. "It seemed like a hostile situation."

Another witness, Annika Leon, heard the gunshots on her way home from work. She stopped her car and saw officers arrive.

"Were seeing  police coming up and rushing the scene, and then I see a bunch of police crouched down, kind of hiding behind a car with the guns, and theyre all pointing at them," Leon said.

Jason Hammond, a manager at Tropical Smoothie Cafe in downtown Appleton, said he heard a total of between 15 and 20 shots ring out Wednesday afternoon.

There were people hunkered down by the church over here, hiding from the shooting, he said. It was crazy.

Craig Persha, co-owner of Apollon, a Greek and and Mediterranean restaurant across the street from the Appleton Public Library, was standing outside his business Thursday morning looking at the scene of Wednesday's shooting.

Persha was working at his restaurant Wednesday night when the shooting took place.

"We didn't hear the gunshots, but we saw the ambulance coming and the cops coming," he said.

Patrick Murray, owner of Murray Photo and Video Inc. in downtown Appleton, said the incident made him more aware of his surroundings as he left work Wednesday night.

Well, its the shock of reality of where we are in todays world, he said. Any town is not too small for things to happen.

Josh Arthurs, a U.S. military veteran, stood outside the transit center Thursday morning holding a U.S. flag and sign that read "We stand with Appleton fire and police."

Arthurs served eight years in the military, including three years in Afghanistan, he said.

I lost some brothers overseas so I know what its like to have that feeling, he said. Obviously, every situation is different, but I know its not easy.

Chris Mueller contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared on Appleton Post-Crescent: Wisconsin firefighter killed in Wednesday shooting; police officer, 2 others also shot
Wix.com Ltd. WIX delivered non-GAAP earnings of 3 cents per share in the first quarter of 2019, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 6 cents. Notably, the company reported a loss of 6 cents in the year-ago quarter.



Total revenues surged 27% year over year to $174.3 million, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $172.97 million. The figure also came ahead of managements guided range of $172-$173 million.



Quarter in Detail



Collections during the reported quarter came in at $200.4 million, up 26% year over year, attributable to expansion of new products and enhancement of existing products. Management had projected collections in the range of $196 million to $197 million.



The company witnessed better-than-expected conversion and retention in its user cohorts. The company added a total of 180,000 net premium subscriptions in the reported quarter, which came in at 4.2 million as of Mar 31, 2019 (up 21% year over year).



Wix added 6.6 million registered users during the reported quarter. Registered users as of Mar 31, 2019 came in at 148 million, up 19% year over year.



During the reported quarter, average revenue per subscription (ARPS) increased 9% year over year. The surge can primarily be attributed to favorable mix of higher priced subscription packages.



Wix.com Ltd. Revenue (Quarterly)

Wix.com Ltd. Revenue (Quarterly)

Wix.com Ltd. revenue-quarterly | Wix.com Ltd. Quote

Latest Developments Hold Promise



In the reported quarter, Wix joined forces with Marvel Studios' Captain Marvel for the launch of Wix Turbo, a platform that enhances speeds across all Wix websites.



Further, the company enhanced Wix Code with new functionalities and rebranded it as Corbid by Wix. The renewed product is designed to aid developers manage their workflow in a streamlined manner.



We believe that these product innovations and partnership deals bode well for Wix.



The company also announced that it intends to develop a new campus and headquarters at Tel Aviv, Israel.



Operating Results



Non-GAAP gross profit advanced 23.7% from the year-ago quarter to $136 million. Nonetheless, non-GAAP gross margin contracted 200 bps to 78%.



Total operating expenses surged 27.7% to $162.4 million in the first quarter.



The company reported non-GAAP operating loss of $2.2 million wider than year-ago loss reported at $0.8 million.



Wix.com Ltd. Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise



Story continues

Wix.com Ltd. Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise

Wix.com Ltd. price-consensus-eps-surprise-chart | Wix.com Ltd. Quote

Balance Sheet & Cash Flow



As on Mar 31, 2019, Wix had cash and cash equivalents of $348.1 million, up from $331.1 million in the previous quarter.



Cash flow from operations came in at $35.1 million during the first quarter compared with $36.1 million reported in the previous quarter. Free cash flow was $30 million, compared with $32.7 million reported in the prior quarter.



Guidance



For the second quarter, the company expects revenues in the range of $182-$184 million, representing year-over-year growth of 25-26%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for revenues is currently pegged at $184.06 million. Collections are projected to be in the range of $197-$199 million, suggesting growth in the range of 23-24% in the year-ago quarter.



The company updated fiscal 2019 guidance. Management now anticipates revenues in the range of $758-$763 million, up from prior guided range of $755-$761million. This indicates an improvement of 26% from the year-ago reported figure. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for revenues is currently pegged at $759.8 million.



Collections are projected to be in the range of $822-$830 million, suggesting growth of 25-26% from the prior-year quarter, compared with previous predicted range of $817-$827 million.



However, the company expects free cash in the range of $122-$126 million, indicating an improvement of 20-24% from the year-ago quarter, down from prior guided range of $135-$140 million.



Zacks Rank and Other Key Picks



Wix carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).



Some other top-ranked stocks worth considering in the broader sector, include Cadence Design Systems CDNS, Verint Systems Inc. VRNT and j2 Global, Inc. JCOM, each sporting a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.



Long-term earnings growth rate for Cadence, Verint and j2 Global is pegged at 12%, 11% and 8%, respectively.



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A 25-year-old woman has been charged with murder after an elderly man she shoved off a Las Vegas bus died last month, the Associated Press reports.

Security camera footage from March 21 shows Cadesha Michelle Bishop getting into an altercation with 74-year-old Serge Fournier, who had reportedly asked her to be nicer to other passengers on the bus. Witnesses told authorities that the woman had been shouting profanities at other people.

An irritated Bishop is then seen shoving Fournier out of the bus door "with enough force that he never touched any of the steps," according to a police report.

On April 23, a hospice care worker discovered Fournier dead. A coroner later determined that he died from complications of blunt force torso injuries, prompting police to arrest Bishop on Monday, the Las Vegas Review-Journal notes.

Police said they were able to identify Bishop through surveillance footage and records from the Metro.

According to Bishop's arrest report, witnesses to the March incident said she left the bus with her son and didn't bother to offer Fournier any help. The elderly man, however, was able to describe the incident to officers who were called to the scene.

Last Friday, detectives spoke to Bishop's son's father, who claimed he was no longer with the suspect because she had gotten "too violent." That same day, Bishop agreed to meet with police but never appeared. A warrant was then issued on Monday, leading to her arrest.

Bishop was previously convicted twice in 2012 and 2013 of domestic violence misdemeanors. She is currently being held on $100,000 bail.
By Patricia Zengerle WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Hatice Cengiz, the fiancee of Jamal Khashoggi, the journalist murdered at a Saudi Arabian consulate in Turkey last year, said on Thursday she could not believe that no one has yet faced serious consequences for the crime. "I cannot understand that the world still has not done anything about this," Cengiz told a U.S. House of Representatives Foreign Affairs subcommittee, speaking in Turkish through an interpreter. "I still cannot make human sense of it. I still cannot understand. I still feel that I'll wake up," she said in emotional testimony to a hearing on international press freedom and the dangers of reporting on human rights. Cengiz was the last person to see Khashoggi, a U.S. resident and columnist for the Washington Post, before he went into the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on Oct. 2 to obtain papers for their upcoming marriage. He never left the building. The Saudi journalist, a royal insider who became a critic of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, was killed and dismembered inside the consulate by a team of Saudi operatives, provoking international revulsion. "We still don't know why he was killed. We don't know where his corpse is," Cengiz said. She called for sanctions to punish Saudi Arabia and for Washington to push for the freedom of political prisoners held in the kingdom. U.S. authorities have concluded that responsibility for Khashoggi's death went to the highest levels of the Saudi government. Riyadh denies the crown prince was involved. Cengiz said she came to Washington hoping to help provoke a stronger reaction to her fiance's death. She said President Donald Trump invited her to the White House months earlier, but that she had not come then because she was not confident about his response. "I think we choose between two things ...," Cengiz told the subcommittee. "We can either go on as if nothing has happened ... or we can act, we can leave aside all interests, international interests and politics, and focus on the values for a better life." The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In the past, Trump has resisted imposing consequences such as strong sanctions. Saudi Arabia is considered an important partner in the Middle East and a counterweight to Iran. Calling the United States "a fortress" protecting freedom of thought and human rights, Cengiz appealed for justice. "I think it is a test for the United States and I believe it is a test that it can and should pass," she said. (Reporting by Patricia Zengerle; editing by Jonathan Oatis)
(Adds formal Commerce Department order, analyst comment)

* Huawei says U.S. companies, consumers will be hurt

* Bipartisan support in Congress for Trump administration move

* Order includes non-U.S. Huawei affiliates

* Walmart says prices will rise due to tariffs but will cope

By Diane Bartz and Yawen Chen

WASHINGTON/BEIJING, May 16 (Reuters) - A U.S. bid to block China's Huawei Technologies from buying vital American technology threw into question prospects for sales at some of the largest tech companies and drew a sharp rebuke from Beijing, further ratcheting up tensions over trade.

Shares of Huawei's U.S. suppliers fell on fears the Chinese firm would be forced to stop buying American chips, software and other components after the Trump administration banned it from buying U.S. technology without special approval.

Huawei, the world's biggest telecoms equipment maker, said that losing access to U.S. suppliers "will do significant economic harm to the American companies" and affect "tens of thousands of American jobs."

"Huawei will seek remedies immediately and find a resolution to this matter," the company said in a statement.

The U.S. crackdown, announced on Wednesday, was the latest shot fired in a U.S.-China trade war that is rattling financial markets and threatening to derail a slowing global economy.

Trade talks had looked close to collapsing in the past week after a dispute over Chinese changes to a draft text prompted the United States to hike tariffs on Chinese goods and Beijing to retaliate with higher duties on U.S. products.

Chinese Commerce Ministry spokesman Gao Feng said the United States should avoid further damaging relations between the world's two largest economies, and accused Washington of "trade protectionism."

"China will take all the necessary measures to resolutely safeguard the legitimate rights of Chinese firms," Gao told reporters.

The Foreign Ministry also announced the formal arrest of two Canadian citizens who were detained shortly after Canada arrested Huawei Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou in December.

Story continues

Meng faces extradition to the United States on charges that she conspired to defraud global banks about Huawei's relationship with a company operating in Iran. She and the company deny the charges.

While China has made no specific link between the detentions of the two men and Meng's arrest, experts and former diplomats say they have no doubt it is using their cases to pressure Canada.

ECONOMIC FALLOUT

The U.S. Commerce Department said on Wednesday it was adding Huawei and 70 affiliates to its "Entity List," which bars them from buying components and technology from U.S. firms without government approval. It later revised the number of affiliates down to 68.

The order includes non-U.S. Huawei affiliates in Canada, Japan, Brazil, the UK and Singapore. Requests for approvals for transactions will be reviewed under a "policy of presumption of denial," which suggests obtaining permission will be very difficult.

Huawei was the world's third largest purchaser of semiconductors last year, accounting for 4.4% of global market share, behind only Samsung Electronics Co Ltd and Apple Inc, according to Gartner, a research firm.

U.S. lawmakers have long feared that the firm's equipment could be used to spy on Americans, and Democrats and Republicans lined up in support of the Trump administration's move.

But leading analysts downgraded their assessments for several U.S. microchip companies on Thursday.

Susquehanna Financial Group analyst Christopher Rolland, who said he believed Huawei had built up a one-to-two-year supply of U.S. components, cut price targets on several microchip companies, including Xilinx Inc.

Shares of Xilinx closed down 7.3 percent while those of rival chipmaker Qualcomm Inc fell 4 percent.

TARIFFS

As negotiations toward resolving the trade war stalled last week, the United States ramped up the pressure by raising tariffs on a list of $200 billion worth of Chinese imports to 25% from 10%, prompting China to retaliate with higher duties on a revised list of $60 billion worth of U.S. products.

President Donald Trump, who has embraced protectionism and accused China of engaging in unfair trade practices, has threatened to put 25% tariffs on a further $300 billion worth of Chinese goods.

Walmart Inc said prices for shoppers would rise because of higher tariffs on Chinese goods even as the world's largest retailer reported on Thursday its best comparable sales growth for the first quarter in nine years.

Chief Financial Officer Brett Biggs told Reuters the company would seek to ease the pain, in part by trying to buy from different countries.

With few options left for levying its own tariffs, China could opt for other ways to pressure the United States, including blocking corporate mergers and other deals.

"There's other things they can do, and M&A would certainly be one thing," said Stacy Rasgon, an analyst with Bernstein.

The United States wants to see significant changes in China's approach to intellectual property rights and state subsidies as part of any trade deal, and Beijing is insisting that all tariffs be eliminated.

The two sides are also at odds over how much more U.S. goods China would buy and how "balanced" the text of the draft trade agreement would be, Chinese state media said.

Edward Alden, senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, said the Huawei case was a significant complication to the resolution of the trade dispute.

"Every step by the United States makes it much harder for the Chinese not to push back," he told reporters and analysts.

(Reporting by Yawen Chen and Se Young Lee and Diane Bartz; Additional reporting by David Shepardson and Andrea Shalal in Washington, Stephen Nellis and Noel Randewich in San Francisco and Arjun Panchadar in Bengaluru; Writing by Chris Sanders, Paul Simao and Sonya Hepinstall; Editing by Peter Cooney)
MEQUON - "When was the last time you strummed, David? When was the last time you held a guitar in your arms?" "When was the last time you went to the bathroom?" David snapped back sarcastically, a honey-colored Yamaha acoustic resting on his thigh. It had been 40 years since David McMahon, a 92-year-old Navy veteran, last played guitar. But to him, the music never really went away. On Friday, he was given the new Yamaha guitar from Patrick Nettesheim, founder of Guitars for Vets. Normally, veterans in the program have to sign up for lessons before getting their own guitar. But McMahon's case was different  he was never a pro, but could play like one in his prime. His friend Judy Schwerm knew it had been decades since he last played. So when McMahon excitedly showed her a story about Guitars for Vets in the Tuesday Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Schwerm knew she had to do something.

She contacted Nettesheim and said they needed a guitar. "(It was) one of the best ideas I've ever had," said Schwerm, a former president of Make a Wish Foundation of Wisconsin. "I guess I just never stopped granting wishes." During World War II, when McMahon was stationed in the Philippines, he used to play music with his comrades during downtime. When McMahon moved back to Milwaukee, he played in a few jazz bands. He wasn't sure why he ever stopped playing. A few of his friends at Newcastle Place, his retirement community in Mequon, play guitar so he won't be alone as he learns to pick up where he left off. When McMahon held the instrument in his hands, the music flowed right back. "I know that it's going to take a while ... with the music," he said. "But it's gonna work, I think." Veteran status is a commonality among many folks living at Newcastle. It is an identity, a link to each other and their memories of the past.

Schwerm's husband, Gerald, a former Milwaukee Public Works official, is also a veteran. She said he and McMahon joke about "outranking" each other, reflecting back to their status in their military days.

Story continues

After meeting the folks at Newcastle, Nettesheim wants to start a chapter in the retirement community. Guitars for Vets has a goal of expanding to 200 chapters in all 50 states, and it is well on its way, with a projected 100 established chapters by the end of the year.

"It's the theory that if you just do it, the community will come," Nettesheim said. "People just need to know about it."

Nettesheim said he would have never considered Newcastle as a place to start a chapter if he hadn't met McMahon. But seeing how important music is to many members of the community, it seemed like the perfect outlet. A chance to bring vets together, many who were already musically inclined.

Though his family couldn't be present when McMahon got the guitar Friday, that didn't stop him from drawing a small crowd of friends, caretakers and curious onlookers.

He strummed several chords, sliding his fingers up and down the fret board. When he stopped  applause. McMahon looked shocked, but let it pass, uttering a quiet "thank you" to his listeners.

"You know what's cool?" Nettesheim asked him. "While you're sitting here, playing that, everyone in the room has a smile on their face."

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: A WWII vet hadn't touched a guitar in 40 years. A gift let it all come back to him.
Photo: Manos Gikkas/Unsplash

Looking for family-friendly events to keep the kids busy this week?

From an after-school networking summit for teens to "Frozen: The Musical," there's plenty to do when it comes to opportunities for learning and fun. Read on for a rundown of what to do this week.

Hoodline offers data-driven analysis of local happenings and trends across cities. Links included in this article may earn Hoodline a commission on clicks and transactions.

Sesame Flyers Youth Summit 2019

From the event description:

Sesame Flyers International, Inc. is proud to host their Third Annual Youth Summit on Friday in Brooklyn. The theme for this year's Summit is "The Power of the Net." There will be networking sessions, exciting giveaways and fun activities.

When: Friday, May 17, 3-9 p.m.

Where: Winthrop Campus, 905 Winthrop St.

Price: Free

Click here for more details, and to get your tickets

'Puffs, or: Seven Increasingly Eventful Years at a Certain School of Magic and Magic'

From the event description:

"Puffs, or: Seven Increasingly Eventful Years at a Certain School of Magic and Magic" follows the (non)-adventures of a wizard named Wayne, his two somewhat familiar friends and the lovably underachieving members of a particular house, who are left to sit on the sidelines as a certain star student and his pals experience all the evil-battling excitement.

When: Friday, May 17, 8 p.m.

Where: New World Stages - Stage 5, 340 W. 50th St.

Price: $27-$57

Click here for more details, and to get your tickets

'Frozen' The Musical

From the event description:

The two-time Oscar-winning film has hit the Broadway stage, brought to life by an all-star creative team of Tony and Oscar winners. Dont miss this enchanting story of two sisters pulled apart by a mysterious secret, and the epic adventure that brings them back together.

When: Friday, May 17, 8 p.m.

Where: St. James Theatre, 246 W. 44th St.

Price: $59.55-$101.55

Click here for more details, and to get your tickets

This story was created automatically using local event data, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback.
By Joseph Ax

NEW YORK (Reuters) - New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio entered the crowded 2020 presidential race on Thursday, arguing that his record of progressive accomplishments in the country's biggest city positioned him as the perfect foil to President Donald Trump.

De Blasio, 58, launched his candidacy with the central campaign message, "Working People First," becoming the 24th Democrat seeking to take on Trump in next year's election.

In a video released on Thursday, de Blasio returned to the theme of income inequality that had animated his first mayoral campaign in 2013, when he emerged as a leading voice for the burgeoning left wing that has since reshaped his party.

"People in every part of this country feel stuck or even like they're going backwards," he said in the video. "But the rich got richer."

The mayor, who is barred from seeking a third four-year term in 2021, has struggled to build a national profile, eclipsed in the national consciousness by progressive U.S. senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, now his rivals for the presidency.

He will campaign this weekend in Iowa and South Carolina, which host key early nominating contests.

De Blasio emphasized a list of progressive wins under his leadership, including universal pre-kindergarten, the end of the policing practice known as stop-and-frisk and paid sick leave, all in a city that has a bigger population, more than 8 million, than most U.S. states.

"We are the safest big city in America," he told reporters at a news conference on Thursday. "We have the most jobs we've ever had. We have the highest graduation rates from our schools that we've ever had...these are not words, these are deeds."

He promised to stand up to Trump, a fellow New Yorker, calling him a "bully" and a "con artist."

"I'm going to keep calling him 'Con Don,' because that's what he deserves to be called," de Blasio said.

Story continues

In typical fashion, Trump hit back on Twitter, calling de Blasio "the worst mayor in the U.S."

"He is a JOKE, but if you like high taxes & crime, he's your man," Trump said in a tweet. "NYC HATES HIM!"

De Blasio is the third New York City mayor in a row to flirt with a presidential bid.

Former Republican Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who left office in 2001 and is Trump's personal lawyer and close confidant, ran unsuccessfully for president in 2008.

Former Mayor Michael Bloomberg has seriously considered running several times, both as an independent and a Democrat. In March, the billionaire announced he would not seek the White House.

BLASE ABOUT DE BLASIO

Most New Yorkers appear unenthusiastic about de Blasio's presidential aspirations. A Quinnipiac University poll in April found more than three-quarters of New Yorkers did not feel he should make a White House bid.

De Blasio faces an uphill battle to stand out in a crowded field that includes former Vice President Joe Biden and a long list of experienced politicians. A Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Wednesday found 1 percent of Americans supporting de Blasio for president.

"It's not where you start, it's where you finish," he said when asked about his poll numbers.

(For more on the candidates running for the Democratic nomination, see: https://tmsnrt.rs/2LeoO8z)

Like Biden, de Blasio is a white heterosexual man running in a party that values diversity.

But he has consistently polled well among African-Americans in New York and he is married to a black woman, Chirlane McCray, a poet and activist who describes her sexual orientation as fluid.

His popularity took a hit after a federal investigation found the mayor made inquiries to city agencies on behalf of donors, though it cleared him of criminal wrongdoing. De Blasio has denied any misconduct.

De Blasio has sharply criticized Trump on issues like climate change, immigration and policing. On Monday, he held a news conference inside Trump Tower to call on the Trump Organization to meet newly enacted emissions standards in their skyscrapers, or face significant fines.

The event drew insults on Twitter from Trump's two oldest sons, Eric and Donald Jr., who run the family company.

(Reporting by Joseph Ax; Editing by Scott Malone, Bernadette Baum and Lisa Shumaker)
By Joseph Ax NEW YORK (Reuters) - New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, who emerged as a progressive standard-bearer in 2013 but has struggled amid middling approval ratings to build a national profile, will enter the 2020 presidential race on Thursday, according to a source close to the mayor. A liberal Democrat, the 57-year-old de Blasio is serving his second four-year term as mayor of the country's biggest city and will be prevented by term limits from running again in 2021. He is scheduled to appear on ABC's "Good Morning America" on Thursday after launching his campaign with a video, said the source, who requested anonymity to discuss the rollout ahead of time. De Blasio's entry will swell the ranks of Democratic hopefuls to two dozen, all aiming to take on U.S. President Donald Trump, who is expected to be the Republican nominee next year. Even after six years overseeing a city of more than 8 million people, de Blasio faces an uphill battle to stand out among the Democratic contenders, who include former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden and liberal icons like U.S. Senators Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts. During his first run for mayor, de Blasio campaigned on reducing income inequality while providing more services for working-class families, themes that have become mainstays for national Democratic figures. His signature policy accomplishment was establishing universal pre-kindergarten in the largest school system in the country. De Blasio's administration has also implemented police reforms, paid sick leave, increases in the minimum wage and new identification cards that allow illegal immigrants to access city services. But the mayor has grappled with setbacks. A federal criminal investigation did not result in charges against de Blasio but nevertheless found the mayor or his associates accepted contributions from donors seeking official favors and then made inquiries to city agencies on their behalf. The city is also confronting a persistent housing crisis, including a growing homeless population, despite de Blasio's push to finance tens of thousands of affordable housing units. De Blasio's constituents have not appeared excited about the prospect of their mayor running for president. A Quinnipiac University poll in April found that more than three-quarters of New Yorkers said he should not make a White House bid. De Blasio has not shied away from criticizing Trump on issues like climate change, immigration and policing. Earlier this week, the mayor held a news conference inside Trump Tower in Manhattan, where he touted new legislation requiring high-rise buildings to cut emissions and threatened that the Trump Organization would face fines if it does not ameliorate its properties. Trump's two oldest sons, Eric and Donald Jr., who run the family company, traded barbs with de Blasio on Twitter, calling the event a political stunt. The president retweeted a message from Eric Trump slamming de Blasio's stewardship of the Trumps' hometown. De Blasio has teased a presidential run for months, holding fundraisers and traveling to key early voting states like New Hampshire and Iowa to meet with activists and voters. He will hold several events in Iowa on Friday before traveling to another early voting state, South Carolina, for the weekend. (Reporting by Joseph Ax; Editing by Colleen Jenkins, Chris Reeseand Leslie Adler)
Ex-republican vice prime minister gets 8 years for abuse of office, fraud

 RIA Novosti, Ruslan Krivobok

15:05 16/05/2019

MOSCOW, May 16 (RAPSI)  Ex-first deputy of the Kalmykia Republic Government Chairman Petr Lantsanov has been sentenced to 8 years behind bars for abuse of office and fraud, RAPSI has been told in the Investigative Committee.

Additionally, Lantsanov has been fined 500,000 rubles (about $8,000).

According to investigators, from August 2011 to July 2012, the defendant abused his authority by ordering more than 400 republics agricultural producers to transfer upwards of 20% of budget subsidies they had received for reimbursement expenditures connected with the purchase of cattle food to the agricultural holding Marble Meat of Kalmykia.

Moreover, Lantsanov has fraudulently stolen over 25 million rubles (about $400,000) designated for the reconstruction of one of the republican agricultural complexes, investigators have claimed.
The Federal Aviation Administration expects Boeing (BA) to submit its formal and final application as early as next week for a software update to the 737 Max 8, grounded worldwide since March 13.

Based on what they give us will determine whether the prohibition order will be lifted, Daniel Elwell, acting administrator for the FAA, told the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructures subcommittee on Aviation on Wednesday.

All Max 8 aircraft were grounded following the second of two similar crashes. Shortly after takeoff from Jakarta, Indonesia, on October 29, Lion Air Flight 610 crashed into the Java Sea. Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 similarly crashed shortly after takeoff from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on March 10. Both crashes killed all passengers and crew on board.

Workers stand near a Boeing 737 MAX 8 jetliner being built for American Airlines prior to a test flight, Wednesday, May 8, 2019, in Renton, Wash. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

Elwell did not say how long the FAAs review of the proposed software fix would take, but said the agency plans to host a meeting with civil aviation authorities from around the world on May 23 to discuss the FAAs activities toward ensuring the safe return of the 737 max to service.

How did that get cerfified?

Wednesdays testimony largely focused on the Max 8s controversial MCAS system, known to have been activated in both crashes. Representatives probed Elwell and regulators from the NTSB on whether the feature and the way it was introduced by Boeing were responsible for the fatal crashes.

Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., speaks during a House Transportation Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, May 15, 2019, on the status of the Boeing 737 MAX aircraft. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

Is the MCAS a safety-critical system in your opinion? Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-OR) asked.

I didn't make that designation, but it seems to me that yes it is, Elwell said, though he disagreed with DeFazios suggestion that MCAS, as originally installed, was too reliant on pilots as a backup for MCAS failures.

The argument is pilots are supposed to correct the system, DeFazio said, pointing out an additional critique of MCAS in that Boeing failed to accurately represent MCAS-related features in aircraft manuals. Until after Lion Air, pilots didn't know the system was installed. Is that correct?

Story continues

Yes sir, Elwell responded. Representatives also pointed out that in an audio recording obtained by CBS news, American Airlines (AAL) pilots reportedly raised concerns about the MCAS system between the two crashes.

Boeing has said some Max 8 planes were delivered to airline customers with angle of attack (AOA) sensor display software that didnt meet the companys requirements. Data from the planes AOA sensor, which was designed to feed data to MCAS, was linked to an AOA indicator in such a way that disabled the AOA disagreement light in the airplane cockpit for customers that did not also purchase the indicator.

Boeing first notified customers of the issue after the Lion Air crash, even though its engineers identified the software discrepancy more than a year beforehand.

Boeing knew for more than a year before that crash that the disagree light didn't work unless you bought their optional package, DeFazio said. How did that get certified?

Boeing has maintained that neither the indicator nor the disagree alert are necessary for the safe operation of the airplane. Elwell urged the committee not to make the issue. Elwell acknowledged that he was not happy with the 13-month delay between Boeings knowledge of the software anomaly and the FAA receiving notice of it, though he emphasized the agencys position that it did not cause a safety issue.

The AOA disagree light is an advisory, he said. And the AOA disagree light would not have changed in either accident. I want to make sure everybody understands: Don't don't make something that isn't a critical safety item, a critical safety item, because there are enough critical safety items for us to focus on.

When asked whether regulators would require comprehensive simulator training for pilots to fly the potentially re-certified Max 8, Elwell said that was yet to be decided.

We need to wait for the Boeing application of the fix, Elwell said. Once we have the official application of the fix we will be able to determine if and exactly what sort of training will be required for max pilots.

Alexis Keenan is a New York-based reporter for Yahoo Finance. She previously worked for CNN and is a former litigation attorney. Follow on Twitter @alexiskweed.

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Witnesses: disaster at Inskoy mine prevented due to Kemerovo officials reaction

 RIA Novosti, Sergey Averin

19:36 16/05/2019

MOSCOW, May 16 (RAPSI) - Witnesses claimed that temporary director of Inskoy mine stopped mining activities and ordered emergency repair works to be carried out preventing a disaster. It was Maxim Sidorov, who had been appointed director of Inskoy open-cut coal mine by Kemerovo Administration. Former management of the company ignored the danger to the mine.

The case over alleged extortion of a controlling stake in Inskoy mine is being heard at the Central Kemerovo City Court. Former senior officials of the Kuzbass region, employees of Russia's Investigative Committee regional branch have been charged.

Defense lawyers said that Inskoy mine was in a critical condition that could lead to the disaster amid social unrest.

Despite the risk to the mine board of management took no action

Sidorov held the post of mine director for five days in 2016 when the control over the mine was transferred to businessman Alexander Shchukin.

Sidorov testified in the court in April. He said that the mine faced a number of serious problems. Mining complex was out of order as it was clogged with mud. Moreover, the mine was under serious risk of crash, there was a lack of electricity, warning alarm system did not function.

Over a short period of time Sidorov managed to organize the recovery of the cleaning and protection system of the mining complex. Shchukin, in his turn, examined technical documentation, held a meeting with employees of the mine and made recommendations aimed at improving the situation, witnesses claimed.

At the moment Inskoy mine is under control of the bankruptcy receiver. The value of its assets at the time the alleged extortion took place has not been established yet. Investigators have not conducted any examination despite the fact that it might reveal the logic of the actions taken by the defendants.

Defendants lawyers claimed that the assets of the mine cost nothing due to its enormous debts.

Former managers of Inskoy mine claimed that the market value of its stock equals the assets book value and exceeds two billion rubles despite all the problems.

Management finds the asset to be high-priced, banks claim it is untrustworthy

Top managers of Inskoy mine, its managing company, and employees testified in court in March and April. Anton Tsygankov, who was indicated to be the owner of the mine and who was allegedly forced to give away 51% of its shares, testified as well.

Tsygankov was officially recognized as a victim, he asked for the case to be heard behind closed doors.

The court was told that Inskoy mine experienced problems with securing new loans in banks as its reputation was besmirched. This situation was in part a result of the activities led by the former managing company and Tsygankov.

Key loans were provided by Gavril Yushvaev, who appeared on Forbes' list of richest billionaires.

Since January 2016, employees of the mine received 20% of their salaries, and by June salary arrears reached about 60 million rubles (nearly $1 million). The total amount of debts of the mine exceeded several billion rubles.

Witnesses claimed that key problems of the mine started in 2015. An installation chamber collapsed and it took several months to repair it. Soon after this incident miners reported a geological disturbance, management refused to rewire the lava and decided to overcome the disturbance. It was overcome only by autumn 2016. During this period of time coal reserves were sold out, mine resources were depleted, the mine ran up massive debts, mining equipment was strained beyond the limit. Nevertheless, the mine kept operating. As a result, by July 2016 it was in a critical condition, and workers went on strike.

New perspective for the court

Prosecutors charged Alexander Danilchenko and Aleksey Ivanov, then Deputy Governors of the Kemerovo region, Elena Troitskaya, the official of the administration of the region, employees of Russia's Investigative Committee regional branch, Sergey Kalinkin, then chief of regional department of the Investigative Committee, Alexander Shchukin and his lawyer Gennady Vernigor with extortion.

Shchukin says that he agreed to receive 51% of Inskoy shares, and he was absolutely sure the deal was cleared. Before the deal was closed he had transferred 100 million rubles to the Miloserdiye charity foundation, and part of the sum was used to pay the arrears of Inskoy employees. Prosecutors insist that this fact indicates partial admission of guilt.

In the meantime, witnesses testified that it was Kemerovo Administration and Shchukin who managed to prevent a disaster at Inskoy mine and calm down social tension. There is no confirmation that the mine assets cost no less than two billion rubles and it was in good condition as it was presented by former mine top managers of the mine. Moreover, problems with securing loans demonstrate that banks were rather skeptical about the alleged high value of Inskoy assets.

Taking into account these facts an uneasy decision looms for the Central Kemerovo City Court. It has to take into account all the facts along with the underlying motivation of the defendants in order to get to the bottom of what has really happened. At this point it doesnt look like a common especially large-scale extortion because of the defendants position and the allegations concerning the value of the Inskoy assets.




A tanker carrying Iranian fuel oil has reached its destination at a Chinese port and has unloaded its cargo in storage tanks, Reuters reports, citing shipping data. The shipment violates U.S. sanctions against Iran after Washington removed sanction waivers for eight importers of Iranian crude and oil products including China.

The unloading of the cargo130,000 tons of fuel oilwas confirmed to Reuters by an official from the oil storage terminal in Zhoushan. Another official, however, denied the cargo came from Iran since the Zhoushan terminal had not received Iranian oil for four years.

Reuters notes, however, that Iranian exporters have been using things like ship-to-ship transfer of the cargo offshore and forged documents saying the cargoes were Iraqi oil to evade sanctions since November 2018. The tanker that docked at Zhoushan was one of those sailing with forged documents, Reuters said.

The news comes at a time when tension between the United States and China is flaring up again. President Trump was the one to fire the starting pistol for this round of the trade war when he said negotiations on the trade deal were going too slow and said Washington will be raising tariffs and introducing additional ones. China retaliated in-kind, including by raising the tariff on U.S. LNG imports but not on oil imports.

At the same time, the latest refinery throughput figures from Beijings statistics authorities show local refiners returned to record-high processing rates in April to 12.68 million bpd. This means demand for oil in China remains strong and growing despite a fuel surplus that has had refiners in neighboring countries worried.

China has openly said it would not comply with U.S. sanctions against Iran but state refiners have been careful: CNPC and Sinopec both suspended orders for Iranian crude, at least official ones, after the end of the sanction waivers.

By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com

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Saudi Arabias state oil giant Aramco says that it doesnt believe all the peak oil demand hype and expects that its crude oil will be in high demand for decades to come.

While the Kingdom says that its working on the Vision 2030 strategy to diversify its economy away from oil, the Saudis and their oil firm are increasingly looking to lock in future oil demand in the refining and chemicals businesses in all major markets in the world to open new avenues of sales for their oil and to make sure that Saudi crude will have a market until the world needs oil.

Over the past few years, Saudi Aramco has been pursuing deals to take part in or to supply crude oil to China and Indiathe two largest oil demand growth centers and prized markets for any oil producer.

Now Aramco is setting its sights on Europe and the Mediterranean to more than triple its current oil supply to those markets as it aims to expand its downstream, refining, and marketing business and to make sure that it will have created demand for its oil on those markets in the long term.

Currently, Saudi Aramco supplies around 3 million barrels of oil to European markets monthly, and targets to boost this monthly supply to 10 million barrels within two years, Aramcos senior vice president of Downstream, Abdulaziz Al-Judaimi, told Reuters in an interview this week.

This means we have almost created a 300,000-bpd refining capacity in Europe, Al-Judaimi said, noting that Aramco will be looking to seal swap deals to supply crude and to offtake refined products to market in Europe. Related: Energy Megaprojects In Jeopardy As Trade War Escalates

Aramcos trading unit, Aramco Trading, is also aggressively expanding its trading business, rising from 300,000 bpd when it was set up in 2012, to 4.5 million bpd now. The Saudi giant aims to further boost the trading volume to 6 million bpd by the end of 2020, Al-Judaimi told Reuters.

Aramco and other national oil companies of the Middle East like the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) aim to aggressively expand their trading businesses as they already rival international oil majors and the worlds top commodity trading houses. Vitol, for example, trades more than 7 million bpd of crude oil and refined products, with the crude trade at around 3.8 million bpd.

Saudi Aramco laid the groundwork for increased trading in Europe in 2017 by buying a stake in a Rotterdam oil terminal from commodity trader Gunvor.

Last month, Aramco Trading signed a supply deal with Polands leading oil refiner PKN Orlen in an agreement that highlights Saudi Aramcos commitment to the Polish market and its strategy to enhance the integration of its downstream network in Europe.

In addition, the agreement consolidates Saudi Aramcos efforts to earmark new strategic outlets for crude oil enabling the company to accommodate a range of future market positions, as well as underpinning an optimal balance of geographic exposure between Asia, Europe, and North America, the Saudi oil giant said in April.

Aramco already said last year that it aims to increase its refining capacity from 5 million bpd now to 8 million bpd-10 million bpd, and to double its petrochemicals production by 2030 in its pursuit of securing more downstream markets for its crude oil. Related: The Battle For Control Over Iraqs Oil

Earlier this year, Aramco signed an agreement to buy 9 percent in Zhejiang Petrochemicals 800,000-bpd integrated refinery and petrochemical complex in China. Saudi Aramco is also said to be in serious discussions to buy up to 25 percent of the refining and petrochemicals businesses of Indias largest company, Reliance Industries.

During a visit to China in March for the Huajin Aramco Petrochemical joint venture, Aramcos president and CEO Amin Nasser said that the JV project aligns perfectly with our own downstream strategy of becoming a global leader in refining and marketing, base lube oils, and chemicals. And it also aligns with forecasts that petrochemicals are set to account for more than a third of the growth in oil demand to 2030, and nearly half to 2050.

The Saudi state firm doesnt see peak oil demand happening any time soon, and is confident it is the oil producer best equipped to continue meeting that demand, thanks to its very low production costs.

In a rare strongly worded speech at the International Petroleum Week in London earlier this year, Nasser rebuked all those who predict the demise of the oil industry in the near future, saying that views that the world will soon run on anything but oil are not based on logic and facts, and are formed mostly in response to pressure and hype.

Aramco believes that the world will continue to need a lot of oil for decades to come and looks to lock in as much global demand for Saudi oil as possible.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

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As a panel of OPEC and Russian ministers is meeting this weekend in Saudi Arabian city of Jeddah to assess oil market conditions ahead of the full OPEC+ meeting in Vienna next month, the heightened U.S.-Iran tension and concerns about oil supply security in the Middle East will be topics in bilateral meetings, a delegate told S&P Global Platts.

Two pumping stations along Aramcos East-West oil pipeline in Saudi Arabia were attacked by explosive-laden drones in the early morning local time on Tuesday, the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported, citing Saudi Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih, who described the attack as one of terrorism and sabotage.

Reports of the drone attack on Saudi Aramcos oil infrastructure came a day after Saudi Arabia said that two of its oil tankers were attacked by saboteurs near the United Arab Emirates (UAE), while the UAE said that a total of four vessels were attacked off its coast at the port of Fujairah.

Days after these incidents, Jeddah will host a regular meeting of the Joint Ministerial Monitoring Committee (JMMC) on May 19, which is co-chaired by the leaders of the OPEC and non-OPEC group of nations part of the production cut deal, Saudi Arabia and Russia, respectively.

Those meetings generally discuss the state of the oil market and review compliance with the cuts, but the recent flare-up of tensions in the Middle East and attacks and sabotages on oil infrastructure and tankers are likely to be discussed. Related: Putin Could Cut His Loss As Venezuelan Oil Output Nosedives

Iran doesnt sit on the JMMC, but Venezuelaan Iranian ally in OPEC against the U.S. sanctionsis part of that committee.

The next OPEC meeting is...going to be very complicated as we don't see how Iran and Venezuela will vote in favor of a supply increase by Saudi Arabia and the UAE in order to replace their restricted exports due to US sanctions, Olivier Jakob, an analyst with consultancy Petromatrix, told S&P Global Platts Herman Wang.

While Saudi Arabia has not yet rushed to pump more to offset the expected loss of Iranian barrels, Iran warned earlier this month that it would respond to threats from fellow OPEC producers.

I told Mr Barkindo that OPEC is being threatened due to unilateralism by certain members and this organization is likely to collapse, Irans Oil Minister Bijan Zangeneh said, referring to a meeting with OPEC Secretary General Mohammad Barkindo.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

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OPECs key ally in all production cut agreements since 2017Russiaappears to have somewhat reluctantly agreed to cut output in each of the OPEC/non-OPEC pacts over the past two years.

Now that the next OPEC and allies meeting at the end of June is set to discuss a potential production increase to offset mounting supply disruptions, instead of cuts, Russia seems to be all in on joining a pact to reverse some or all of the current 1.2 million bpd cuts that OPEC and its Moscow-led non-OPEC allies are implementing until June this year.

Russia is not giving away any official indications as to its thinking about the OPEC+ deal. Comments and hints from officials and companies, however, indicate the usual reluctance to continue cutting production once the current agreement expires in June.

A panel of OPEC and non-OPEC partners is meeting in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, this weekend, to discuss the state of the oil market. No one expects any decision to be taken at this meeting, which is a kind of a preparatory meet-up before the full OPEC and non-OPEC line-up gathers in Vienna on June 25 and 26.

But at this weekends meeting, discussion is expected to revolve around a possible production increase after the end of the U.S. sanction waivers to all Iranian oil buyers. Talk of raisinginstead of cuttingproduction would be in line with Russias ambition to resume pumping more as its companies benefit from higher production as much as from higher oil prices and have seen their new field production plans stalled by Russias commitments to the OPEC+ deals.

Russia is likely to tell the panel meeting in Jeddah that it could increase its production by 300,000 bpd in a short period of time, Maksim Nechaev, Russia director for IHS Markit, told Bloomberg this week. Related: The IEA's Dire Warning For Energy Markets

Russia has a far from perfect track record when it comes to keeping its commitment to the OPEC+ cuts. It always argues that due to weather and geological challenges, it wants gradual reduction until it reaches its quota. In the current cuts, Moscow hit the reduction target only this monthone month before the six-month pact expires.

Looking beyond June, Russia has been sending mixed messages to the market in recent months, leaving the market and analysts guessing how Vladimir Putin will approach the deal this time.

Russias biggest oil producer Rosneft, which alongside other Russian companies is said to be reluctant to continue to cut production after June, said this week in its Q1 earnings release that it has substantial potential to promptly increase production if restrictions are eased.

Russias position on the deal will probably not be known until the very day of the meeting with OPEC at the end of June, so the market and analysts will continue to speculate on the fate of the pact for another month and a half.

Asked about the meeting in Jeddah this weekend, Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak said on Wednesday that the OPEC+ alliance feels that its still too early to assess how the end of the U.S. waivers for Iranian buyers will impact the oil market as of this month. There are too many uncertainties in the market and its too early to talk about possible recommendations to the full OPEC+ meeting at end-June. The Jeddah meeting will assess the current market situation and estimates for future demand and supply, and exchange views, Novak said. Related: OPECs Spare Capacity Could Be Put To The Test

This time around, Russias goal to start reversing the cuts it has just achieved coincides with expectations of global supply declines, due to the tightened U.S. sanctions on Irans oil exports, plunging Venezuelan production, fear of outages in conflict-torn Libya, and concerns about global oil supply routes with the heightened tension in the Middle Easts most important oil waterways.

Russias interest in raising oil output now coincides with the interest of Saudi Arabia, Dmitry Marinchenko, a senior director at Fitch Ratings, told Bloomberg.

Saudi Arabia has pledged to fulfill all customer requests for additional barrels from buyers, but it has also said that it wont be rushing into boosting production in advance until it actually sees Iranian barrels coming off the market and buyers demanding more oil.

An uncontrolled production ramp-up could send oil prices sharply down on oversupply concerns, and this is the last thing Saudi Arabia needs now as it aims to keep oil prices at around and over $70 a barrel Brent for budget revenue purposes.

This weekends meeting will be the first official gathering of OPEC and non-OPEC ministers since the U.S. ended the waivers for Iranian oil exports. Although no decisions are expected to be taken in Jeddah, the partners in the deal will exchange views that could be the start of negotiations leading to the end-June meeting.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

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E-voting bill faces second reading in Russias lower house of parliament

 RIA Novosti, Ruslan Krivobok

16:58 15/05/2019

MOSCOW, May 15 (RAPSI)  The State Duma will consider a bill envisaging a test remote voting via electronic communications during the elections to the Moscow parliament in the second reading on May 16, the Moscow City Duma Chairman Alexey Shaposhnikov has told journalists.

Under the draft law, the test voting is to be conducted in only one city district. The remote voting would require changes and development of public control over the elections, Alexander Brod, a member of the Presidential Council of Human Rights, said earlier.

Previously, the Central Election Commission (CEC) proposed to ease the procedure governing the elections of municipal lawmakers. As noted by Maxim Grigoryev, a member of the Civic Chamber, the measure will enable small political parties and those outside the Parliament to take a more active stand in the political life in Russia. CEC, Grigoriev pointed out, has also plans to improve the procedures on the participation of observers in the elections.

The Moscow City Duma election will be held on September 8.
A senior Pakistani official said a few weeks ago that Qatar had emerged as the front runner for a long term liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply deal with the country. Qatar already has a 15-year LNG supply agreement in place with Pakistan to export up to 3.75 million tons per annum (mtpa) to the South Asian country of some 200 million people. That 2016 deal supplied Pakistans first LNG terminal.

However, after the deal was reached, growing criticism mounted from Pakistani politicians that claim the country received unfavorable contractual terms from Qatar. A Pakistani governmental audit in 2018 reached a similar conclusion, claiming that the price  13.37 percent of the average price of Brent oil futures for the preceding three months negotiated with Qatar was at a higher rate than trading companies were offering in the open market.

On January 21, Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan traveled to Doha to seek a possible price renegotiation, including a one-year credit facility to defer payments to help ease the countrys balance of payments crisis. Khan did not, though, press for a reduction in contractual prices, but only requested an early review of LNG prices after a period of five to seven years, instead of the contracts 10 years.

Growing gas demand

Pakistan is one of the worlds fastest growing LNG markets and is still looking to secure long-term supply contracts for its second LNG terminal, which can receive 600 million cubic feet per day (mmcfd) of natural gas. The country recently signed a five-year import deal with commodity trader Gunvor and a 15-year agreement with Italian energy company Eni but is also seeking long-term agreements for about 400 mmcfd.

Pakistan has been negotiating with eight countries with whom it has signed inter-governmental agreements in recent years, including Qatar, Russia, Turkey, Italy, Oman, Azerbaijan, Malaysia, and Indonesia. A Saudi Arabian delegation representing state-owned oil major Saudi Aramco has also shown interest in a gas deal with Pakistan. A Pakistani official told Reuters recently that state-run Qatargas put forward the lowest bid for a long-term LNG supply contract that would have a price review after five or 10 years.

Pakistans debt woes

Pakistan must secure energy in order to reduce blackouts and chronic power outages that have hindered economic growth, and LNG imports provide an appealing opportunity. That said, the move is politically charged, with complaints about high prices and corruption. As such, the countrys ambitions to procure LNG is encountering headwinds. Pakistan is facing a mounting debt problem, and dwindling foreign reserves, all making it harder to pay for necessary imports. As a result, the Pakistani government received a $6 billion bail-out from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) last week and has also stepped up efforts to raise funds from several Arab nations  and China.

Qatar flexes its LNG muscles

The new Pakistani deal with Qatar, moreover, shows that Doha is still pressing ahead to maintain its lead as the top global LNG exporter, even as Australia temporarily bypassed the kingdom in LNG exports last year. In November, Australia shipped 6.7936 million tons of LNG, while Qatar exported 6.2025 million tons.

However, going forward, Qatar will solidify its hold as the worlds top LNG exporter as it develops more gas in its prolific North Field and builds more infrastructure to increase its current liquefaction capacity from 77 mtpa to an impressive 110 mtpa within five years, likely far outpacing its closest rival Australia, the U.S., and Russia. The U.S., for its part, will see its so-called second wave of LNG development largely thwarted if Washington and Beijing prolong existing trade tensions since a considerable number of smaller greenfield LNG projects in the country need both Chinese financing as well as signing long term off-take agreements with Chinese firms.

By Tim Daiss for Oilprice.com

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An unplanned operational issue at the Chevron Phillips plant at Baytown, Texas, occurred on Thursday morning, the Houston Chronicle reports, citing company officials and showing photos of thick black smoke rising from the plant.

There is no danger to any plant employees or the community, company officials said in a post on the Community Awareness Emergency Response, (CAER) Online portal, where plants can post advisories about events or incidents.

According to company officials, cited by the Houston Chronicle, the company is working to minimize noise, light or smoke after the unplanned operational issue.

The incident comes two months after a fire at the Intercontinental Terminals Company (ITC) storage site at Deer Park, Texas, which blazed for days and halted some ship traffic at the Houston port. Back then, residents of Deer Park and Galena Park were told to stay indoors, and schools canceled classes for several days.

In December 2018, Chevron Phillips Chemical said that it had successfully started up operations of a new ethane cracker at its Cedar Bayou facility in Baytown.

Chevron Phillips Chemical aims to expand the chemical operations with a project estimated to be worth US$5.8 billion that would create 3,500 construction jobs.

Earlier this month, Greg Garland, chief executive at Phillips 66, told the annual shareholders meeting that Chevron and Phillips 66 were still evaluating sites about the multi-billion-dollar expansion, the Houston

Chronicle reported.

The Sweeny and Orange locations are emerging as front runners, according to Garland, because the Cedar Bayou location in Baytown already has an ethane cracker and could face limitations in permitting. Cedar Bayou is also close to an ExxonMobil ethane cracker in the area.

Chevron and Phillips 66 are expected to make a final investment decision on the expansion project next year, and potentially start up the new facility in 2023 or 2024, Garland said.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

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Venezuela has stopped upgrading crude oil as PDVSA finds itself without buyers in the wake of US sanctions, according to sources who spoke to Reuters.

Venezuela hasnt shut down its upgraders completely, instead, leaving some of them running without producing new oil in order to prevent damage to the facilities.

The upgraders are responsible for upgrading the Latin American nations extra-heavy Orinoco oil into lighter-weight grades that are more palatable for foreign buyersbuyers which have now moved on to other suppliers in their efforts to not run afoul of the US sanctions levied against Venezuela as the United States looks to choke off Venezuelas primary income stream to effect a change in leadership.

The upgraders in question are owned in part by Chevron, Total, Equinor, and Rosneft. Only one crude processing facility remains producing, which blends Orinoco with lighter grades according to Reuters. That facility produces just 70,000 bpd.

One of these joint ventures with Chevron, Petropiar, that processes this extra-heavy crude oil, had to drastically reduce production in April, according to Bloomberg, producing 74,000 bpd in the first two weeks of April, a 44% decline in production for Petropiar in the first two weeks of January. Petropiar has in the past been one of Venezuelas top producers.

Venezuelas oil production fell to just 768,000 barrels per day in April 2019.

As Venezuelas oil exports plummet to new lows, it is finding itself short on storage space, sending yet another bullish signal to the market after oil attacks over the weekend targeted oil tankers near the Strait of Hormuz, drone attacks on an Aramco oil pipeline, and security issues in Iraq that has caused foreign oil companies to take a hard look at the risks associated with staying in country.

WTI was trading up on the flurry of bullish news, offset in part by crude oil inventory builds in the United States according to the EIA and concerns that the escalating China/US trade war will dampen demand for crude.

By Julianne Geiger for Oilprice.com

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Most of the solar cells made at Teslas solar factory in Buffalo, New York, are being exported instead of being installed on U.S. homes as originally planned, as Tesla continues to struggle on the American solar market, Reuters reported on Wednesday, citing sources at the factory and documents it has reviewed.

Tesla entered the solar power business with the acquisition of SolarCity in 2016, sparking concern among investors and industry observers that it was stretching itself too thin.

Tesla said in late 2016 that it had finalized an agreement with Panasonic to begin manufacturing photovoltaic (PV) cells and modules at the Buffalo, NY, factory.

Originally, the solar cells from the Buffalo factory were intended for the Solar Roof solution that Tesla is offering.

As part of the agreement, Panasonic will cover required capital costs in Buffalo and Tesla is making a long-term purchase commitment from Panasonic, Tesla said back in December 2016.

However, according to an employee at the Buffalo factory who spoke to Reuters, Tesla has sporadically bought solar cells from its partner Panasonic. Most of the cells manufactured at the U.S. site are being exported to foreign buyers, according to a letter from Panasonic to U.S. customs officials that Reuters has seen.

The number of Teslas Solar Roof system installations has not lived up to initial expectations, as 21 systems were connected in California, according to state data cited by Reuters. A few others have been installed in the northeast of the U.S., a former Tesla employee familiar with the matter told Reuters. The employee was laid off in personnel cuts earlier this year.

Teslas solar sales slumped by 36 percent quarterly and by 38 percent annually in Q1 2019, according to the companys Q1 update.

Last month, Tesla was said to be cutting the prices of its solar panels by as much as 38 percent below the national average in a bid to regain ground in the solar market.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

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My attention has been drawn to accusations by the Muhammadu Buhari led administration against the candidate of the Presidential Peoples Democratic Party in the 2019 elections and former Vice President of Nigeria, Atiku Abubakar, alleging that he has made treasonable statements.

It is not surprising that such a despicable lie is emanating from Mr. Lai Mohammed, President Buharis aptly named Minister of Information.

Lai Mohammed is so associated with lies that even Vice President Yemi Osinbajo said, on Monday, May 13, 2019, as follows:

People like Lai Mohammed, Abba Kyari, Adamu Adamu they are usually very well behaved during the Ramadan. But Im not even sure that that is true anymore.

When we have a situation where even those who employed him know that Lai Mohammed is a liar, who will even lie during the holy month of Ramadan, then why should Nigerians be surprised at this latest lie?

Mr Lai Mohammed is only being clever by half when he says It beggars belief that a candidate who prides himself as a democrat can so allow desperation to becloud his sense of propriety to such an extent that he will be associating with anti-democratic forces or making inflammatory statements.

Atiku Abubakar is a man of peace and a thoroughbred democrat. It is preposterous that those who threatened to soak the dog and the baboon in blood are now audacious enough to point the finger at lifelong democrats. Truly, if the farmer does not raise the alarm on time, the thief will accuse him of being a thief.

How can a man who wined and dined with Nigerias most brutal dictator, how can a man who overthrew a democratically elected President and held a grudge against him even in death (as evidenced by the empty condolence register he left in Sokoto, last year) accuse a man who has never been as much as associated with such tendencies, of being an anti-democrat?

We want to know why the desperation on the part of the Muhammadu Buhari government to rope in the Peoples Democratic Party and its Presidential candidate in phantom plots? Obviously, President Buhari wants to replay the Phantom plot saga of his now deceased mentor, who threw former President Olusegun Obasanjo in jail after falsely accusing him of treason in order to perpetuate himself in power.
The Nigeria Police Force, say it has uncovered specific plots by some subversive elements masquerading as climate and environmental activists to commence massive and coordinated attacks on oil installations across the country especially in the Niger-Delta region and adjoining States.

In a statement signed by Force Public Relations Officer, DCP Frank Mba, these plots which are politically motivated, are aimed at sabotaging oil installations with intended negative consequences on national security, economic development and global oil market.

The statement said as a result, the Inspector General of Police, Muhammed Adamu, has ordered Commissioners of Police nationwide, and particularly in designated States to intensify their surveillance missions around oil facilities and other critical national infrastructure.

The Commissioners of Police and other field Commanders have also been directed to put in place proactive measures aimed at neutralizing these subversive threats and bringing the plotters to book. The IGP warned of dire consequences for persons or group of persons who may want to resort, to the use of violence or threat of violence, in advancing their political or economic goals.

While urging citizens to remain vigilant, report all suspicious characters and plots to the law enforcement agents, the IGP reaffirms his commitment to ensuring the adequate security of lives, the protection of national assets and the protection of the sanctity of our political freedom and democracy.
Activist and human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, says it is indubitably clear that the sum N500bn is missing from the CBN, and therefore called on President Muhammadu Buhari to set up a panel of enquiry to probe the missing money.

Falana was responding to a leaked audio where Emefiele and top officials of the apex bank were heard deliberating on how to allegedly cover up N500 billion which they supposedly used illegally for a private business.

In a statement on Tuesday Falana said, Having carefully listened to the recorded telephone conversation of the Governor and top management staff of the CBN it is indubitably clear that the sum of N500 billion is missing from the CBN.

The discussions clearly centered on how to cover up the monumental fraud including cooking up the books.

ALSO READ: Alleged N500bn theft: AAC demands sack, arrest of CBN Governor

It was even suggested that N2bn be set aside to compromise the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

In view of the confirmation of the missing N500 billion and the desperate moves to cover it up President Buhari should set up a panel of enquiry to probe the scandal.

The press statement of the CBN management denying the fraud should be treated with disdain as it is a dubious attempt to play on the collective intelligence of the Nigerian people.

The CBN has a penchant for covering up the criminal diversion of huge public funds.

The bank covered up the sum of $12.4 billion in the dedicated accounts withdrawn from 1988-1993 by military president, Gen Ibrahim Babangida. In the same vein, CBN covered up the $7 billion withdrawn by ex-gov of the central bank, Professor Charles Soludo and purportedly placed as deposit in some unnamed banks.

The Buhari regime which claims to be fighting corruption must not allow the central bank to cover up the missing N500 billion.
The House of Representatives Committee on Public Accounts, has lamented that nothing has changed under the President Muhammadu led administration, especially in the area of prudent management of government resources in the last four years.

Members of the committee, led by its Chairman, Mr. Kingsley Chinda, stated this on Monday in Abuja when they addressed journalists, adding that the lawmakers were currently examining the annual reports by the Auditor-General of the Federation submitted to the legislature.

On reckless spending by government, especially MDAs, Chinda said: Generally, what we have observed is that not much has changed from the reckless system that we have operated in Nigeria. Not much has changed. Public spending is still not very responsible and so, we need to begin to change.

One of the problems we have is that our institutions are very weak; institutions are not strengthened; the government is not making deliberate efforts to strengthen institutions and therefore, when you talk about the fight against corruption, you find out that it might not be sustained because the institutions that ought to fight corruption are not strengthened.

Speaking on the Service Wide Vote, believed to be a drain pipe in the economy, Chinda said it was one of the no-go areas in the committees activities.

He said: If we had gone the way you are looking at the Service Wide Vote, I am not sure that we would have achieved what we have achieved today. So, there are areas that deliberately, we refused to go the old way to enable us to achieve what we have achieved.

The PAC chairman also lamented that there was a backlog of Auditor-Generals reports pending before the National Assembly, saying the development is not good for the anti-corruption war.

That we met a backlog of Auditor-Generals reports on MDAs hanging, it is something. Even when we meet our colleagues from other climes, it is a low-point for this country; it is a low-point for our drive against corruption. And so, we said we must begin to erode that. If that is our only achievement, so be it, he said.

On discoveries by the PAC, Chinda said: A total of 552 MDAs were queried by the Office of the Auditor-General, covering the period of 2010 to 2014. Of that number, the committee was able to consider 512 of those queries. In the course of that consideration, the committee was also able to, in 2010, recover or map out recovery sum of N1,967,146,030.72.

And then, we also referred to the relevant authorities; that is, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission and the Nigeria Police, a total sum of N72,567,233,846.49 and $1,819,361 for recovery.
By Olanrewaju Adesanya

The Lagos State House of Assembly has resolved to intervene in the industrial rift between the Lagos State Polytechnics management and staff.

Moving the motion on the floor of the house,the Majority Leader, Hon. Sanai Agunbiade who was seconded by Hon. Adedamola Kasunmu, hinted that the Lagos State Polytechnic (LASPOTECH) had been enmeshed in internal wrangling attendant of which academic activities had been in limbo.

Speaking during plenary, Agunbiade said, I wish to present to this House the crisis in the only polytechnic in the state which is within my constituency.

The lawmaker who is representing Ikorodu constituency I, explained that the issue had remained unresolved for the past five months, adding it now degenerates to assault resulting to arrest where staff take laws into their hands.

He recalled that similar crisis came up in Lagos State University (LASU) in the past which the House was able to intervene and got resolved.

While giving credence to the Majority Leaders submission, the Chairman House committee on Education, Hon. Lanre Ogunyemi disclosed that his committee had initiated move to resolve the issue but it failed.

He explained that the State government took the Union to industrial court but the issue remained unresolved as the court gave a ruling for status quo to remain.

In his comments, the House committee on Judiciary, Human Rights, Public Petitions and LASIEC, Hon. Tunde Braimoh stated that his committee had received two petitions over the crisis.

According to him, the Union alleged that the school management used executive fiat to arrest its members and that students who are already graduates do not get their certificates due to the crisis.

In his ruling, the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa directed the House committees on Education and Judiciary to work together on the need to resolve the crisis and report back in two weeks.

Meanwhile, four Bills were able to scale through second readings and were committed to their relevant committees and were to report back in a weeks time.

The Bills are Lagos State Public Finance Management, 2011, Urban and Regional Planning Amendment Bill, 2018, Lagos State Employment Bill, 2018 and Electric Power Sector Reform Bill, 2018.

In his comments, the House committee on Judiciary, Human Rights, Public Petitions and LASIEC, Hon. Tunde Braimoh stated that his committee had received two petitions over the crisis.

According to him, the Union alleged that the school management used executive fiat to arrest its members and that students who are already graduates do not get their certificates due to the crisis.

In his ruling, the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa directed the House committees on Education and Judiciary to work together on the need to resolve the crisis and report back in two weeks.
State Duma backs capital amnesty extension in Russia until March 2020

 RIA Novosti

14:26 16/05/2019

MOSCOW, May 16 (RAPSI)  The State Duma adopted in a final third reading on Thursday a package of bills to extend the timeline for capital amnesty in Russia until March 1, 2020, according to a statement of the lower house of parliament.

The proposed amendments will promote favourable conditions for the transfer of assets to the Russian jurisdiction, the bills sponsors believe.

The capital amnesty was implemented in Russia in two steps, from July 1, 2015 to June 30, 2016, and from March 1, 2018 to February 28, 2019. According to the legislative measure, applicants were able to voluntary declare their bank accounts and deposits in foreign banks. They were also able to declare their accounts and deposits opened before the set date but closed before filing an application. The applicants, who did so, were indemnified against tax, administrative and criminal liability.

Under the proposed amendments, the timeline for the voluntary declaration of assets and bank accounts by individuals would be extended subject to repatriation obligation, official registration under the re-domiciliation of foreign firms controlled by them in special administrative areas of Russia.

Certain fiscal loosening would be also given to such applicants.

The provided guarantees would be extended to applicants actions committed prior to January 1, 2019.
Kano State Governor, Abdullahi Ganduje has presented N3 million cash gift to Zainab Aliyu and Ibrahim Abubakar, who were recently released from Saudi Arabia prison over drug charges.

According to News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Ganduje announced the donation when Federal Government delegation officially presented Zainab Aliyu and Ibrahim Abubakar to the governor at the Government House, Kano.

Ganduje said that Aliyu, who traveled for Lesser Hajj with her mother was arrested by Saudi Security Officials in December 2018, in a hotel in Madinah, he said. 

The governor said that the girl was accused of possessing a bag containing illicit drugs purportedly bearing a tag with her name.

He added that another passenger, Ibrahim Abubakar, unrelated to Aliyu, who also traveled on the same aircraft, was also arrested on the same day.

The governor, who announced the donation of N3 million gift to each of them, commended President Muhammadu Buhari, for the timely intervention to save the lives of the two victims.

He also urged security agencies in Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, to redouble their efforts in curbing such crimes.

Earlier, the Chairman of Nigeria Diaspora Commission, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, said that they were at the Government House, to officially hand over two indigenes of the state to the governor.

Both Aliyu and Abubakar commended the Nigerian Government, Nigerian Consulate in Jeddah, Chairperson of Nigeria Diaspora Commission and Kano Government for their efforts.
Nollywood actor, Ime Bishop Ukoh, popularly known as Okon Lagos, has defended men of the Nigerian Police Force who were accused of raping some ladies who were accused of prostitution in Abuja.

KanyiDaily had reported how some policemen recently raided clubs, pubs and hotels in the Federal Capital Territory, after which some of the over 70 women arrested for allegedly being prostitutes, accused the policemen of raping them.

Reacting in a viral video, Bishop was heard saying he saw recent reactions and protests against the Policemen saying they raped the prostitutes Ashawo.

According to him, it is a wrong allegation because rape is taking away someones dignity which in this case, Ashawo no get self-pride and dignity so the case should be called Theft, not rape.

He said in this case, the Policemen were only stealing their product and merchandise and not rape. He said:

What those police officers did in Abuja was not rape but stealing because they forcefully took what the prostitutes sell and did not pay money. So that is stealing of their product and merchandise. There is a little of one in another Prostitutes no get self-pride and dignity. Both are criminal acts but different Rape and Theft.

Watch the video below:
The lecturer, it was gathered, had informed the students a day earlier, to come to class with their Anas masks and they complied.

The students in the classroom

A lecturer in the department of Mass Communication of the Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University (COOU), formerly Anambra State University, has held an Anas Themed quiz after an investigative reporting lecture.

The lecturer told the students about Anas Aremeyew Anas, the Ghanaian masked investigative reporter, explaining how the journalist of international repute had survived the dangerous terrains of investigative journalism with enviable achievements to show.

He then taught the students hazards of investigative reporting, using the Anas-Themed quiz to always remind them to be careful in the line of duty, while investigating stories. He had informed the students a day earlier, to come to class with their Anas masks.

The students stormed the class with Anas masks to sit for the quiz. Other students peeped from the window, wondering what had gone wrong with the people they saw in class.

The quiz was held on Thursday, May 16, at the Igbariam campus of the University, where Mass Communication department is situated.
Newly graduated Cadet Assistant Superintendents of Police (ASPs) have been called upon to accord top priority to national service, peace, unity and socioeconomic prosperity of Nigeria as well as put national Interest above selves.

Senator Aliyu Wamakko, who represents Sokoto North Senatorial District gave the advice when he received the 10 Cadet ASPs who hail from Sokoto State, and were among the 2018/2019 Graduands of the Nigeria Police Academy, Wudil, Kano State.

ALSO READ:Wamakko accounts for APC dwindling fortunes, pities Tambuwal

He added: You should ensure the safety of lives and properties of Nigerians, while you should never forget your roots, family and State. Wamakko assured of sustaining support and wise counsel to them.

The team leader, ASP Saddam Yahayya disclosed that they had successfully undertaken several professional courses on Health, Politics, Sociology, Psychology and Meteorology, among others.

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Dr. Godwin Emefiele has been confirmed by the Senate as Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria for a second term following his nomination by President Muhammadu Buhari.

President Buhari had written to the Senate on May 9 to inform them of his decision to reappoint Mr Emefiele for a second and final tenure of five years.

The Senate thereafter referred the screening of Mr Emefiele to its committee on Banking, Finance, and other Financial Institutions on Wednesday during which he was grilled in issues affecting Nigerias economy.

Presenting the report on Thursday, chairman of the committee, Rafiu Ibrahim (Kwara-PDP), said the committee was impressed with Mr Emefieles more than 32 years experience with outstanding performance.

The committee recommended confirmation of Mr Emefiele based on his performance in the first tenure.

That the nominee understands the diverse economy of the country and has displayed profound knowledge of the continuous existence of our economy stability. That the nominee has performed credibly in his first tenure which resulted to the exit of the nation out of economic recession, Mr Ibrahim said.

His confirmation was put to a voice vote and received a unanimous ayes from the senators.

Emefiele, who was appointed as CBN Governor on June 2, 2014, is due to end his first term on June 2, this year.
The Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Akiolu, has described former President Olusegun Obasanjo as the most troublesome person in Nigeria who always arrogates power to himself.

Akiolu stated this on Wednesday when participants of the senior executive course (41) of the National Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) visited him at his palace in Lagos.

The monarch while reflecting on the outcome of the 2019 general election, berated Obasanjo for fighting vehemently against the re-election of President Buhari whom he described as Gods choice for Nigeria. He said:

I had said that Buhari would win even before the election, unfortunately, the number one person creating problems in this country is former president Obasanjo. He arrogated to himself the powers of the Almighty Allah by saying it was the support he gave to Buhari that made him win the first term. Obasanjo said Buhari would not win the second term, but did Buhari not win? Did I not say Obasanjo will be disappointed by the time the results were announced. The presidents victory clearly shows power belongs to God only and no man can decide who leads the country.

Urging Nigerians to support the president, Akiolu said the problems of insecurity, unemployment and other challenges of the country would be better tackled if citizens joined hands with government to address them.

He also advised Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), to drop his case against Buharis victory at the presidential poll.

He said Atikus case will amount to nothing at the end of the day, adding that he strongly believed Buhari had the mandate of Nigerians and would finish his term in office.




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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!


Russian MPs pass bill on access to hospitals emergency rooms in second reading

 flickr.com/Fotos GOVBA

16:05 16/05/2019

MOSCOW, May 16 (RAPSI)  The lower house of Russian parliament passed a bill allowing people to visit their family members in hospitals emergency wards in the second reading on Thursday, according to the statement released on the State Duma website.

Amendments are proposed to the law on fundamental healthcare principles.

The draft law would oblige healthcare organizations to allow relatives, other family members or legal representatives of patients to visit them in hospitals units including those designated for delivery of aggressive medical therapy and resuscitation procedures.

A procedure of access to emergency rooms is to be developed by the Russian Health Ministry, the bill stipulates.

The third and final reading of the initiative is expected to be held on May 21.




Two years ago, CDPQ partnered with DP World to create a US$3.7-billion platform to invest in ports and terminals globally. DP World holds 55% of the platform and CDPQ holds the remaining 45%. The two new assets in Chile join a portfolio of ports, which includes terminals in Vancouver and Prince Rupert in Canada, that are already owned by the platform.



This is our first infrastructure acquisition in Chile and our first Latin American ports. It marks an important step in the growth of our platform with DP World and aligns well with its geographic diversification objective, stated Emmanuel Jaclot, Executive Vice-President and Head of Infrastructure at CDPQ. We are delighted to continue working alongside DP World, a strategic partner for CDPQ that has a long track record in the port business and provides us with access to high-quality investment opportunities.

Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec (CDPQ) has acquired a 45% stake in DP World Chile, which operates terminals in Puerto Central and Puerto Lirquen, serving Chilean consumption and industrial centers. This is CDPQ's first infrastructure investment in Chile and the transaction will be executed at the same price as DP Worlds acquisition of the asset in April 2019: DP World is a leading enabler of global trade and an integral part of the supply chain. Container handling is the companys core business and generates more than 50% of its revenue.The company has long-standing relationships with governments, shipping lines, importers and exporters, communities, and many other important constituents of the global supply chain.In2018, DP World handled 71.4millionTEU (twenty-foot equivalent units) across their portfolio. With its committed pipeline of developments and expansions, the current gross capacity of 91.2millionTEU is expected to rise in line with market demand.This is another long-term infrastructure deal where CDPQ will benefit from growth in Latin America. Recall, CDPQ signed deals to co-invest in Colombia's infrastructure , so this is another exciting opportunity to invest in Chilean infrastructure.In my discussion with Mark Machin yesterday, he mentioned an infrastructure investment CPPIB made in Chile back in 2006 , Transelec S.A., the country's leading electrical transmission company.In 2007, Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan (OTPP) made its first infrastructure investment in Latin America with the acquisition of stakes in two Chilean water companies.In this regard, CDPQ is playing catch-up to its peers which invested in Chile early on.Chile is a success story , an economic powerhouse and one of Latin Americas most stable nations, so it's not surprising that Canada's large pensions are attracted to its infrastructure assets.More recently, the Chilean economy has slowed but its long-term outlook remains positive. Reuters reported last month that Chilean President Sebastian Pinera attended an investment forum in China where he told its leaders: We want to transform Chile into a business center for Chinese companies, so that you can, from Chile, reach out to all of Latin America.If President Pinera's vision plays out, Chile's ports will see significant growth in activity in the decades to come, and CDPQ's beneficiaries will be directly invested in this growth.In other related CDPQ news, take the time to read this Reuters article on how Ivanhoe Cambridge invested $1 billion in a platform called ARK and The We Company. "WeWork is at the forefront of a structural shift in how real estate is bought, leased and consumed that will leave behind the landlords and investors who ignore the disruption," said Jonathan Pearce, executive vice president at Ivanhoe Cambridge.Below, a short clip introducing DP World and why it's a global leader in container handling. Also, DP World recently bought a majority stake in the Chilean port services firm Puertos y Logistica, PULOGSA, a move that will give it exposure to several terminals in Chile.Lastly, WeWork's Adam Neumann talks with Connie Loizos about building operating systems for buildings, selling services, and building partnerships.
CPPIB continues to deliver strong absolute and relative returns, and our robust 10-year performance demonstrates our long-term contribution to the sustainability of the CPP, says Mark Machin, President & Chief Executive Officer, CPPIB. We have gradually built a diversified, global investment platform and focused on executing our multi-year strategy  these are key drivers of our financial performance and our future success.



Fiscal 2019 brought on a range of market conditions, including a public equity market downturn in December, which was bookended by rising equity markets at the beginning and end of the period. CPPIBs portfolio management strategy benefits from ascending public equity markets, while alternative assets and our private investments can help to moderate the impact of significant market drops, even as they produce growth over longer periods.



The role of diversification came through clearly this year, and we were encouraged to see nearly all investment departments contributed positively to our results. CPPIBs investment teams also took advantage of our international reach and competitive strengths to pursue select transactions as well as explore new areas of growth, Mr. Machin added.

Mark began by stating he was very pleased with the overall performance of 8.9% in fiscal 2019. Amazingly, he told me the Fund was up 8.3% in calendar year 2018, which shocked him (and me) given how poorly equities performed in the last quarter of the year. "I asked to check the numbers a few times but they were accurate."

He told me that Foreign Private Equities, Infrastructure, Emerging Private Equities and Private Credit were all stellar performers.

In Infrastructure, he said valuations helped as assets got marked up (lots of demand for quality assets) and since they got into direct infrastructure investing early on (gave me an example of Transelec, an investment in Chile they got into back in 2006), they benefitted from the increased valuations.

Private credit expanded its activities and is doing very well. Mark told me he reorganized investment activities earlier in the fiscal year to put all credit into one portfolio (headed by John Graham).

Two areas that didn't go well in fiscal 2019 were external hedge funds and the internal quant investing based on factor investing. Mark told me that Poul Winslow, Senior Managing Director & Global Head of Capital Markets and Factor Investing, remarked that in October "all hedge fund strategies underperformed at the same time," which is rare, and factor investing has been struggling for a long time. Still, CPPIB is committed to its external and internal absolute return platforms as they keep sourcing uncorrelated alpha, both liquid and illiquid (Note: Given Harvard's stance on hedge funds, this is a very wise decision).

On leverage, Mark told me they target a level of risk (85% equities) to maximize returns investing in a broad portfolio so when needed, they do increase their balance sheet but are very careful "never to jeopardize their AAA credit rating."

On private equity valuations being inflated, Mark told me they have internal and external auditors reviewing their valuations and "more often than not, we are told we are too conservative in our valuations." (Michel Leduc later told me to look at page 86 of the Annual Report to see details on their accounting policies).

We then got into an interesting conversation on China. Mark told me China 1) offers high returns to diversify into an uncorrelated market and 2) it's still a relatively inefficient market driven mostly by retail investor sentiment. "This allows fundamental investors to find alpha."

When I asked him about private equity in China, he told me he spent 22 years of his life there, has cultivated deep relationships with the managers who are "people of the highest integrity."

In terms of the biggest concern going forward, he was unequivocal, "US-China relations" and not just on the trade front which has obvious repercussions on the global economy. "There is a general recognition that the US is trying to contain China and China is reacting to this."

He said he wasn't optimistic that a trade deal is on the horizon any time soon and this will likely become a long, drawn-out affair which will impact global growth. "Central banks will respond with more monetary stimulus, keeping rates lower for a lot longer."

Lastly, when I asked him if there were concerns about investing in China, a communist country, he reiterated that growth will be coming from there and that there were inefficiencies in the major indexes that did not reflect the country's deep capital markets and this future and even current growth. Michel Leduc added: "The biggest risk with China is the risk of omission."

Today, the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB) reported impressive results for fiscal year 2019. It achieved a 10-year and five-year annualized net nominal returns of 11.1% and 10.7%, respectively. The Fund returned 8.9% net of all costs:I had a chance to talk to Mark Machin and you can read highlights of our conversation at the end after reading my quick analysis of CPPIB's fiscal 2019 results.Let's first look at the Fund's long-term results:As shown above, over the last 5 and 10 years, CPPIB has gained 10.7% and 11.1% annualized respectively, and 8.9% and 9.2% annualizedreturns over these periods. This is well above the long-term 3.9% real rate of return assumed for CPPIB's Reference Portfolio in the 27th Actuarial Report Clearly, over the long run, the shift into global private markets is working for CPPIB as it has helped the organization deliver on its mandate Now, let's delve right into the portfolio performance by asset class:All asset classes except for emerging-market equities contributed to the positive performance but the biggest contributors to the overall performance in fiscal 2019 were Foreign Private Equities, gaining 18%, followed by Infrastructure (+14%), Emerging Private Equities (11.8%), and Credit Investments (+8.7%).Next, have a look at the change in CPPIB's asset mix over the last fiscal year:In line with their active management strategy, Public Equities were reduced from 38.8% to 33.2% over the last fiscal year while Private Equities increased from 20.3% to 23.7% and Credit Investments were up from 6.3% to 9.1%.It's also worth noting that external debt issuance increased from 6.7% to 7.9% of total assets over the last fiscal year as the Fund capitalized on its AAA credit rating to issue more debt to invest in renewable energy and other private market investments all over the world.It's worth taking some time to read page 56 of the Annual Report and CPPIB's, which is available here to understand the Reference Portfolio.As shown below, the CPPIB's Reference Portfolio for base CPP returned 6.6% in fiscal 2019 and for additional CPP, it gained 7%:The key thing to understand is CPPIB's Reference Portfolio for base CPP or additional CPP isn't easy to beat, it's made up of 85% Global public large/mid-cap equity (including Canada and emerging markets) and 15% Canadian Federal and Provincial Governments Nominal Bonds.This is a tough benchmark to beat on any given year so outperforming this Reference Portfolio over 1, 5 and 10 years is extremely impressive.Late this afternoon, I had a chance to speak with Mark Machin and Michel Leduc. I thank both of them for taking some time to speak with me on such short notice.Below, I provide highlights from our conversation:I agree which is why I totally understand CPPIB's shift to emerging markets . Mark spoke very highly of Suyi Kim and her team and told me it was her (not him which is what I thought) that opened their Hong Kong office in 2007.For all details, read CPPIB's full press release and the entire fiscal 2019 Annual Report which is available here Once again, I thank Mark Machin and Michel Leduc for taking the time to speak to me.Below, Mark Machin, president and CEO of the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, discusses the plan's investment strategy and why he's worried about the rise of geopolitical tensions with Bloomberg BNN's Amanda Lang.
MALACANANG on Thursday, May 16, felt sorry about the report that more than one million votes for the Senate post have been nullified because of overvoting.Speaking to Palace reporters, Presidential Spokesperson

MALACANANG on Thursday, May 16, felt sorry about the report that more than one million votes for the Senate post have been nullified because of overvoting.

Speaking to Palace reporters, Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said the Commission on Elections (Comelec) should look for ways to avoid overvoting, which put votes of the electorate to waste.

"Ang nanghihinayang ako, 'yung 1.1 million. I think the Comelec should do something about that kasi biro mo 1.1 million hindi mo mabibilang (I feel apologetic about the 1.1 million votes that have been declared invalid because of overvoting. I think the Comelec should do something about that because 1.1 million votes that are not counted was not a joke)," Panelo said.

"'Pag titignan mo 'yung mga difference doon sa mga kandidato, malaking bagay yun. Mayroong malalaglag, mayroong papasok (When you look at the differences among the votes cast for each candidate, it's such a big deal. Some might win, some might lose)," he added.

An online report claimed that at least 1,170,331 votes for the senatorial candidates were considered void because of overvoting.

In an interview earlier Thursday, May 16, Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez said the poll body has yet to validate reports that there were over one million overvotes recorded during the May 13 midterm elections.

Jimenez, however, stressed that the Comelec did its best in reminding voters to carefully check their ballot to avoid overvoting in the recently concluded midterm polls.

Panelo said the Comelec should study how overvoting would be avoided every election.

"Ang dapat pag-aralan nila how the voter [will avoid overvoting]. Kasi nga shini-shade, pag sumobra hindi na babasahin ng [machine] (They should study how the voter will avoid overvoting. There is a tendency that the machine will not read the ballot if there's an overvote)," he said.

"There should be a way na kahit na sumobra, 'yung sobra huwag mong basahin. There should be a way of determining na hanggang dose lang (There should be a way that only the excess will not be read. There should be a way of determining that only 12 votes will be read)," Panelo added.

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Meantime, Panelo also reacted to call for the suspension of proclamation of winning senatorial candidates in the midterm elections because of issues of alleged election fraud.

Fr. Edwin Gariguez, executive secretary of Catholic Church's social justice arm Caritas, said the upcoming proclamation of new set of senators should be called off following the suspicion of fraud.

Gariguez cited reports of possible fraud due to "major technical glitches" involving vote counting machines and transparency servers.

Panelo said the Palace would leave the decision to the Comelec.

"Nasa Comelec yun. Mahirap tayo mag-comment diyan kasi tiretoryo nila 'yan eh (It's up to the Comelec. It's hard to comment because that's within their territory). President [Rodrigo Duterte] will never interfere in an electoral process," he said. (SunStar Philippines)
* Bangladesh plans to start exporting surplus rice

* Thai rice more expensive than Vietnamese and Indian varieties

By Harshith Aranya

BENGALURU, May 16 (Reuters) - Rice export prices in top exporter India slid this week to their lowest in nearly seven months as demand continued to stagnate, while rates for Vietnamese rice dipped on expected increase in stockpiles after the summer harvest.

India's 5 percent broken parboiled variety <RI-INBKN5-P1> was quoted around $362-$365 a tonne this week, down from last week's $371-$374 for a sixth weekly decline as it also came under pressure from depreciation in the rupee.

"Demand has dried up in the West African market, as they are sitting on high inventories," said Nitin Gupta, vice president for Olam India's rice business.

Aggressive selling of old inventories by China to African buyers is also weighing on prices, exporters said.

The rice-growing southern peninsula of India could receive 95% rainfall during the forthcoming monsoon, private weather forecaster Skymet said.

Meanwhile, neighbouring Bangladesh is planning to export surplus rice to protect farmers' interests, food minister Sadhan Chandra Majumdar said, amid growers' increasing frustration over low rice prices.

Farmers say that 40kg of paddy is being sold at about 500 taka ($5.90) against an average production cost of 700 taka, while the harvesting of the summer rice crop, known as Boro, is in full swing.

In Vietnam, rates for 5 percent broken rice <RI-VNBKN5-P1> fell to $355 a tonne on Thursday, compared with $365 a week earlier, on expectations that stockpiles will increase when the early harvest of the summer-autumn crop begins late this month.

"Rice exports from Vietnam this year are forecast to stay flat on last year but will gradually fall as the rice growing area is shrinks to give way to growing fruit trees," a senior official with the Vietnam Food Association told Reuters.

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"Though Chinese importers have reopened the door to Vietnamese rice, it's not yet easy for Vietnamese exporters to boost their sales to China as several technical barriers are still in place," the official added, referring to regulations on quality management, packaging and origins.

Meanwhile, Thailand's benchmark 5-percent broken rice <RI-THBKN5-P1> prices were unchanged at $385-$400 a tonne free on board (FOB) Bangkok.

But Thai traders said they were worried that Thai rice, currently priced higher than Vietnamese and Indian rice, is also losing competitiveness because the Thai baht is the strongest-performing currency in Asia this year.

The Thai Rice Exporters Association stood by its January forecast for Thailand to export 9.5 million tonnes this year, falling from last year's 11 million tonnes because of the strong baht.

Thailand's deputy commerce minister, Chutima Bunyapraphasara, on Wednesday said the country had exported 3.2 million tonnes of rice in the first four months of the year. (Reporting by Patpicha Tanakasempipat in Bangkok, Khanh Vu in Hanoi, Rajendra Jadhav in Mumbai, Ruma Paul in Dhaka; Editing by Arpan Varghese and David Goodman)
A bloody Brazilian riff on The Most Dangerous Game, the sinews of which are girded with so many allusions to local culture and politics, Bacurau is that rare movie that probably would have been better if it had been dumber, or at least less ambitious. Set in the sertao  or inland outback that occupies the countrys northeast corner  Bacurau slowly builds to the standoff between the residents of a matriarchal village and a group of wealthy American visitors, led by Udo Kier, whove arranged to hunt them for sport. These white outsiders see themselves as superior, but with the help of a psychotropic drug found in the desert, the people put up more of a fight than these sickos expected.

As premises go, this human-poaching scenario promises excitement galore, though co-directors Kleber Mendonca Filho and longtime collaborator Juliano Dornelles overthink it, delivering a visually impressive but unevenly paced thriller that feels as if its meant to be analyzed more than enjoyed, and for which footnotes might actually have done more good than subtitles. Though shot in striking anamorphic widescreen and laced with references to John Carpenter, Sergio Leone and the like, Bacurau doesnt quite work in traditional genre-movie terms. Rather, it demands the extra labor of unpacking its densely multilayered subtext to appreciate.

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Look up Bacurau on Google Maps, and you wont find it. Theres a good reason for that: Mendonca and Dornelles invented the town to serve the ultra-cynical political allegory they had in mind (one can imagine people describing a Bacurau situation if and when any of the filmmakers grim predictions come to pass in the wider world), showing roughly where they imagine Bacurau to be via an elaborate CG opening shot from space. Foreign audiences dont often get to see this part of the country, which featured in such Brazilian breakouts as Barren Lives and Central Station but has otherwise been ignored in favor of the countrys more modern metropolises.

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Bacurau claims to take place a few years from now but hardly feels futuristic, owing to the fact that in the sertao, some communities still dont have running water or electricity, and this particular town has had its limited progress reversed by a corrupt mayor, Tony Jr. (Thardelly Lima), who dammed the clean water supply. Even more alarming, early on, the village teacher discovers that Bacurau has been erased from all maps. Its one of those The Matrix-esque moments  in which plebian characters come to understand that those in control have virtually unchecked power  that really ought to send a chill through audiences.

But for all his skills as a director, Mendonca hasnt quite mastered tension. He and Dornelles (who art-directed Mendoncas two previous features, Aquarius and Neighboring Sounds, stepping up his involvement here) demonstrate a strong aptitude for atmosphere and composition, and yet, their characters feel barely sketched, depending far too heavily on the personas of the actors who play them.

A few early signs point to the significance of a young woman, Teresa (Barbara Colen), returning to Bacurau for her mothers funeral, where the towns drunken doctor, Domingas (Sonia Braga), causes a scene. During Teresas approach, gunfire can be heard in the distance, but vague references to troubles in the region, plus the surreal early sight of a fatal traffic accident involving a truck loaded with coffins, make it tricky to imagine the massacre unspooling off-screen. Since the filmmakers have chosen to focus on these two women over such action, we might reasonably expect either one to emerge as the films heroine, though the movie never really picks a central character.

Instead, the residents collectively respond to more evidence of gunfire when the truck responsible for bringing water to Bacurau arrives perforated with bullet holes, spilling this precious resource into the desert soil. So far, they have not put together the ominous detail about their community being erased from maps (suggesting no one from the outside will come to their rescue) with the recent interruptions to their cell phone service, and why should they? The looming threat is truly horrific, and has absolutely no precedent in their experience  even if a scene in which the corrupt mayor stops through town suggests how little some of Brazils leaders care about their constituents.

And then the movie turns proactively sinister, revealing the aftermath of those earlier gunshots: Five corpses (including a childs) lie rotting in and around a hacienda, and two unlucky locals naively add themselves to the fast-climbing body count. Turns out  and this detail surely means something to the directors  it was two big-city visitors from Sao Paulo who did the killing, and who have brokered the deal by which all of Bacuraus residents are to become target practice for a group of ruthless American tourists.

Add to that a flying saucer that might be a drone (or vice versa), and Bacurau swiftly enters the realm of the surreal  an almost Bunuelian science-fiction thriller, shot to look like a spaghetti Western, complete with weird zooms, arbitrary crane tricks, and horizontal wipes. (The early scene with the truck full of coffins recalls Leones A Fistful of Dollars, in which Clint Eastwoods character anticipates the violence to come by ordering the mortician to build three pine boxes.) Until this point, Bacurau has focused mostly on the townspeople, but now the script turns its attention to Kiers character  less deranged than so many of the actors perambulations into tough genre territory  whos overseeing this twisted safari.

Theres an old screenwriting trick that says an easy way to distinguish the heroes from the villains in tales of ambiguous morality is that bad guys argue amongst themselves, while good guys get along. That principle applies to the scenes in which the movies evil (white) hunters sit around the table, riling one another up in advance of the hunt, although their performances are uneven, and Mendonca and Dornelles havent figured out how to create that hair-bristling anticipation of imminent violence that comes so naturally to someone like Quentin Tarantino.

Instead, these angry dialogue scenes sort of sit there, making the English-language actors look amateurish  with the exception of Kier, whos constantly doing something unexpected with his character. He nails one exchange in particular, challenging the cliche of being called a Nazi by one of the other hunters. That moment is a clue to the way Bacurau sets out to challenge certain Brazilian-cinema stereotypes, although some of these subversions may be lost on foreign audiences  as with the character of Lunga (Silvero Pereira), who has been falsely labeled as an outlaw when we meet him but must become a savage killer in order to survive.

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MANILA, Philippines  The Senate and the House of Representatives are planning to hold an inquiry on the technical glitches and other issues that marred the 2019 midterm elections.

Senator Aquilino Koko Pimentel, chairman of the Senate committee on electoral reforms, said on Wednesday that the joint congressional committee on the automated election system agreed to conduct the hearing on June 4.

Several officials from the Commission on Elections (Comelec) will be summoned to explain the problems encountered on election day.

He said Comelec should reexamine the diagnostic tests they used to clear vote-counting machines (VCM) after some of the units encountered glitches during the May 13 polls.

The Comelec earlier said that more than 900 of the 85,000 VCMs were pulled out from several voting precincts nationwide after encountering hiccups on election day.

The poll body blamed this on faulty secure digital (SD) cards provided by their supplier. Around 1,665 of the 85,769 SD cards used in the midterm polls were defective.

The said figures are higher than the 120 SD cards and 801 VCMs replaced in 2016 polls.

Comelec Commissioner Rowena Guanzon earlier said that she will propose to the Comelec en banc to withhold the payment for the SD card supplier.

READ: Comelec Exec says supplier of faulty SD cards shouldnt be paid in full

Senator Panfilo Lacson supported the planned hearing to clear the technical issues, which could cast doubt on the results of the elections.

Lacson added that aside from the procurement of low-quality memory cards, he also wants to Comelec to explain about the delays in transmission related to their transparency server.

Senator Sherwin Gatchalian also echoed his colleagues sentiments.

He said there is a need to look into the issues that marred the 2019 polls to preserve the integrity and credibility of the automated elections, and avoid repeating them in the succeeding elections.

The post Congress to probe poll glitches on June 4 appeared first on UNTV News.
HOTSPOTS dont live up to name.

Goons must have gotten cold feet.

***

DPWH opens tunnel for a dry run.

If you see a light at the end of the tunnel, careful, that may be an incoming vehicle.

***

Magna Carta of the Poor now a law.

You can also refer to it as, Broke: The Law.

***

EMB orders piggery farm in Pinamungajan to pay P150,000.

Its operators may have to take out that much from their piggy bank.

***

Midterm elections generally peaceful, police say.

Finally, people have realized that candidates are not worth dying for, but elect them anyway.

***

Duterte shrugs off vote-buying as integral part of PH elections.

Next time, he should activate the Department of Trade to regulate prices.

***

Millions vote in Philippine elections.

Elections in the Philippines is a multi-million industry.

***

Angkas now legal as DOTr pilots motorcycle taxi operations.

Motorcycle manufacturers are smiling; but one is most gleefulYamahahaha.

***

Make peace a priority agenda, election candidates urged.

Battle-tested in elections, winners can use their experience to achieve peace.

***

Enrile vows to use institutional memory in fresh Senate term.

The younger senators simply google.
RA`ANANA, Israel (AP) _ Nice Ltd. (NICE) on Thursday reported first-quarter net income of $37.1 million.

The Ra`Anana, Israel-based company said it had profit of 58 cents per share. Earnings, adjusted for one-time gains and costs, came to $1.18 per share.

The results exceeded Wall Street expectations. The average estimate of six analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research was for earnings of $1.11 per share.

The software company posted revenue of $377 million in the period. Its adjusted revenue was $377.9 million, also beating Street forecasts. Five analysts surveyed by Zacks expected $374.7 million.

For the current quarter ending in July, Nice expects its per-share earnings to range from $1.16 to $1.26.

The company said it expects revenue in the range of $373 million to $383 million for the fiscal second quarter.

Nice expects full-year earnings in the range of $5.11 to $5.31 per share, with revenue ranging from $1.56 billion to $1.58 billion.

Nice shares have climbed 23% since the beginning of the year. The stock has climbed 30% in the last 12 months.

_____

This story was generated by Automated Insights (http://automatedinsights.com/ap) using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a Zacks stock report on NICE at https://www.zacks.com/ap/NICE
THE capabilities of Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa, the former Philippine National Police (PNP) chief who is poised to secure a Senate seat, should not be underestimated, Malacanang said Thursday,

THE capabilities of Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa, the former Philippine National Police (PNP) chief who is poised to secure a Senate seat, should not be underestimated, Malacanang said Thursday, May 16.

In an interview with Palace reporters, Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo came to the defense of Dela Rosa, who earned public criticisms for his supposed lack of understanding of the duties and responsibilities required of a senator.

Dela Rosa, in a televised interview on Tuesday, May 14, said he would seek advice from incumbent senators and undergo training to help him learn how to craft laws in the Senate.

Panelo said the public should laud Dela Rosa for the former police chief's honesty, instead of taunting him.

"Mayroon kasing nag-text sa akin eh. I hope she's listening. Parang minamaliit niya si General Bato dahil ang sabi daw ni General Bato, wala siyang alam sa legislation kaya mag-aaral siya (Someone texted me. I hope she's listening. She's underestimating General Bato because General Bato said he has no idea about legislation so he would have to study)," he said.

"First, dapat nga we should commend him for admitting yung kanyang handicap (we should instead commend him for admitting his handicap)," the Palace official added.

Dela Rosa is among the top five senatorial candidates most voted by the electorate on May 13 midterm elections, based on partial and unofficial poll results.

The former police chief, who is a member of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) "Sinagtala" Class of 1986, said he would consult re-electionist Senators Aquilino Pimentel III and Joseph Victor Ejercito to help him prepare for the Senate post.

Dela Rosa, a newcomer in the Senate, added he would also attend lawmaking seminars.

Panelo said Filipinos should consider that Dela Rosa, as a graduate of PMA, has the "intellect and skills."

He also cited the case of incumbent Senator Panfilo "Ping" Lacson, a member of PMA "Matatag" Class of 1971, who also has no background in legislation when the latter became senator.

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"Huwag nating maliitin. Nakakalimutan ng mga kumu-kwestiyon sa kapasidad ni General Bato na PMA graduate ito. 'Di ba ang PMA graduates are known for their intellect, 'yung kagalingan nila," Panelo said.

(Let's not underestimate him. Those who are questioning General Bato's capacity forget that he is a PMA graduate. PMA graduates are known for their intellect and skills, aren't they?)

"Pangalawa, nakakalimutan din na nagki-kwestiyon kay General Bato na si Ping Lacson, PMA graduate at [dating] PNP chief din, wala ring alam sa legislation nung siya'y pumasok, eh 'di ba naging magaling na legislator," he added.

(Second, those who are questioning General Bato forget that Ping Lacson, PMA graduate and former PNP chief, also has no knowledge about legislation when he served as senator. Now, Lacson is a good legislator.) (SunStar Philippines)
Texas police investigating child sexual abuse on Wednesday raided offices of the Catholic diocese in Dallas, after alleging that church officials had not been fully cooperative. Police served search warrants at the headquarters of the diocese, a storage location and offices of a local church. The raids were connected to the investigation of a fugitive priest named Edmundo Paredes and at least five new allegations of abuse against other suspects, police said. "These investigations stem from additional allegations made after the case against Mr. Paredes became public," Major Max Geron of the Dallas police said. Paredes is charged with sexual abuse of a child and accused of molesting at least three other minors. He disappeared from the suburban Dallas church where he served for decades and is believed to have fled to his native Philippines. The Dallas diocese said the raids did not involve any suspects who had not been publicly disclosed on a list of 31 predator priests going back to the 1950s. The diocese released the list in January. "The diocese has been cooperating with the ongoing investigation of these priests," Dallas Bishop Edward Burns told reporters. A judge approved the warrants after police alleged that church officials had not been fully cooperative, according to The Dallas Morning News, which obtained a copy of court records. "To date, the Dallas Police Department has not been given the number of priests' files flagged for sexual abuse," the newspaper quoted police as saying in an affidavit. Police accused the church of hiding allegations against priests or providing incomplete information, according to the newspaper. "We believed at this point that executing search warrants was wholly appropriate for the furtherance of the investigation," Geron said.
US artist Jeff Koons, whose "Rabbit" fetched $91.1 million at auction in a record for a living artist, has regularly attracted scandal across a career lived in the full glare of the media. - Explicit - Koons shocked the art world in the early 1990s with the "Made in Heaven" series of works depicting himself in sexually explicit poses with the Italian porn star Cicciolina, whom he married in 1991. He and Ilona Staller -- Cicciolina's real name -- who was also a one-time member of the Italian parliament, divorced in the glare of the tabloids in 1994. - Plagiarism - Koons has regularly been accused of plagiarism, particularly over a 1988 series of sculptures called "Banality" but he defends himself as an artist of appropriation. In 1992, he was found guilty of copyright infringement in the United States for basing the sculpture "String of Puppies" (1988) on a black-and-white photograph by Art Rogers called "Puppies". In 1993, he lost another court case for having represented Odie, a personality in the Jim Davies "Garfield" comic strip, in his "Wild Boy and Puppy" (1988). In 2017, Koons came under fire in Ukraine after unveiling a 14-metre (45-foot) -high inflatable "Seated Ballerina" in New York that many critics said was a ripoff of a porcelain statuette by Ukranian Oksana Zhnikrup (1931-1993). Also in 2017, a Paris court ruled he had copied a 1970 picture by French photographer Jean-Francois Bauret as the basis for his sculpture "Naked" (1988). The following year another court in Paris said he had copied a 1980s advertisement for clothing chain Naf Naf for his "Fait d'Hiver" (1988), which shows a pig standing over a woman lying on her back. - Culture shock - In 2008, Koons took France's Chateau of Versailles by storm with an exhibition in its illustrious apartments of 17 riotous art works including a bright red inflatable "Lobster" (2003) and "The Pink Panther" (1988), a sculpture of the comic strip figure wrapped around a semi-naked blond woman. While enormously popular with the public, there were some complaints that it was an "affront" to French heritage, with a cluster of protestors demanding its relocation to Disneyland. The self-proclaimed French heir of Louis XIV, Prince Charles-Emmanuel de Bourbon-Parme, attempted to secure an emergency court injunction to halt the exhibition. - Unwanted bouquet - In 2016, Koons proposed to sculpt a "Bouquet of Tulips" for France in remembrance of the victims of terror attacks in 2015 and 2016. But the monumental work of bronze, stainless steel and aluminium -- measuring 10 metres (34 feet) high and weighing 33 tons -- was controversial, including because of its price tag of 3.5-million-euros. A group of artists and gallery owners objected in an open letter that described Koons as an "emblem of industrial art which is spectacular and speculative." There was also anger over his demand that the work be displayed on the esplanade of the contemporary art museum Palais de Tokyo, which faces the Eiffel Tower. In 2018, Paris city officials said they had agreed it would be installed at the Petit Palais museum.
UNTV File photo

MANILA, Philippines  Senate President Vicente Tito Sotto III said on Wednesday (May 15) that veteran senators are willing to guide their new colleagues once they assume office.

Sotto added that the Senate Secretariat is always ready to assist the new senators.

Anytime upon request or instruction, as they always do every time there is a new member of the Senate, the Senate president said.

This came after former PNP Chief Ronald dela Rosa, one of the leading senatorial candidates in the ongoing canvassing of the 2019 midterm polls, admitted in an interview that he needs a training or a crash course in lawmaking.

Mayroon bang seminar diyan o ano bang training diyan para matutunan ko kung paano gawin ang batas? Ano ba ang mga trabaho namin diyan sa Senado? Kung mayroong ganun, I will take that opportunity para matuto ako, Dela Rosa said on Tuesday.

(Is there a seminar or a training where I can learn how to craft laws? What does our job in the Senate involve? If there are [seminars] I will take the opportunity to learn.)

In reaction to Dela Rosas statement, Senator Panfilo Lacson said the incoming senator need not worry as his veteran colleagues are willing to give them pieces of advice on how to do their work in the Upper House.

Lacson, also a former PNP Chief, was Dela Rosas upperclassman in the Philippine Military Academy (PMA).

Lacson is a member of the PMA Class of 1971 while Dela Rosa belongs to PMA Class of 1986.  Marje Pelayo

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The team has used laser light and optics to construct an image of an atomic wave function (shown in purple). The graphic is an artistic depiction of this process, showing a microscope objective trained on atoms (spheres) suspended in an optical lattice (tall white waves). The team's technique reveals information about an atomic wave function in unprecedented detail. Credit: E. Edwards/Joint Quantum Institute

Physicists have demonstrated a new way to obtain the essential details that describe an isolated quantum system, such as a gas of atoms, through direct observation. The new method gives information about the likelihood of finding atoms at specific locations in the system with unprecedented spatial resolution. With this technique, scientists can obtain details on a scale of tens of nanometerssmaller than the width of a virus.

Experiments performed at the Joint Quantum Institute (JQI), a research partnership between the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the University of Maryland, use an optical latticea web of laser light that suspends thousands of individual atomsto determine the probability that an atom might be at any given location. Because each individual atom in the lattice behaves like all the others, a measurement on the entire group of atoms reveals the likelihood of an individual atom to be in a particular point in space.

Published in the journal Physical Review X, the JQI technique (and a similar technique published simultaneously by a group at the University of Chicago) can yield the likelihood of the atoms' locations at well below the wavelength of the light used to illuminate the atoms50 times better than the limit of what optical microscopy can normally resolve.

"It's a demonstration of our ability to observe quantum mechanics," said JQI's Trey Porto, one of the physicists behind the research effort. "It hasn't been done with atoms with anywhere near this precision."

To understand a quantum system, physicists talk frequently about its "wave function." It is not just an important detail; it's the whole story. It contains all the information you need to describe the system.

"It's the description of the system," said JQI physicist Steve Rolston, another of the paper's authors. "If you have the wave function information, you can calculate everything else about itsuch as the object's magnetism, its conductivity and its likelihood to emit or absorb light."

While the wave function is a mathematical expression and not a physical object, the team's method can reveal the behavior that the wave function describes: the probabilities that a quantum system will behave in one way versus another. In the world of quantum mechanics, probability is everything.

Among the many strange principles of quantum mechanics is the idea that before we measure their positions, objects may not have a pinpointable location. The electrons surrounding the nucleus of an atom, for example, do not travel in regular planetlike orbits, contrary to the image some of us were taught in school. Instead, they act like rippling waves, so that an electron itself cannot be said to have a definite location. Rather, the electrons reside within fuzzy regions of space.

All objects can have this wavelike behavior, but for anything large enough for unaided eyes to see, the effect is imperceptible and the rules of classical physics are in forcewe don't notice buildings, buckets or breadcrumbs spreading out like waves. But isolate a tiny object such as an atom, and the situation is different because the atom exists in a size realm where the effects of quantum mechanics reign supreme. It's not possible to say with certainty where it's located, only that it will be found somewhere. The wave function provides the set of probabilities that the atom will be found in any given place.

Quantum mechanics is well-enough understoodby physicists, anywaythat for a simple-enough system, experts can calculate the wave function from first principles without needing to observe it. Many interesting systems are complicated, though.

"There are quantum systems that can't be calculated because they are too difficult," Rolston saidsuch as molecules made of several large atoms. "This approach could help us understand those situations."

As the wave function describes only a set of probabilities, how can physicists get a complete picture of its effects in short order? The team's approach involves measuring a large number of identical quantum systems at the same time and combining the results into one overall picture. It's sort of like rolling 100,000 pairs of dice at the same timeeach roll gives a single result, and contributes a single point on the probability curve showing the values of all the dice.

What the team observed were the positions of the roughly 100,000 atoms of ytterbium the optical lattice suspends in its lasers. The ytterbium atoms are isolated from their neighbors and restricted to moving back and forth along a one-dimensional line segment. To get a high-resolution picture, the team found a way to observe narrow slices of these line segments, and how often each atom showed up in its respective slice. After observing one region, the team measured another, until it had the whole picture.

Rolston said that while he hasn't yet thought of a "killer app" that would take advantage of the technique, the mere fact that the team has directly imaged something central to quantum research fascinates him.

"It's not totally obvious where it will be used, but it's a new technique that offers new opportunities," he said. "We've been using an optical lattice to capture atoms for years, and now it's become a new kind of measurement tool."

Explore further Extremely accurate measurements of atom states for quantum computing

More information: S. Subhankar et al, Nanoscale Atomic Density Microscopy, Physical Review X (2019). Journal information: Physical Review X S. Subhankar et al, Nanoscale Atomic Density Microscopy,(2019). DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevX.9.021002
UW research scientist Lusha Tronstad collects samples from the Wind Cave alpine stream on the western side of the Tetons in the Targhee National Forest. The source of the stream is underground ice in the mountain. Credit: Joe Giersch

Changes to alpine streams fed by glaciers and snowfields due to a warming climate threaten to dramatically alter the types of bacteria and other microbes in those streams, according to a research team that included a University of Wyoming scientist.

But streams that are fed by underground ice insulated by rockcalled "icy seeps"offer some hope that the impact of climate change will be less severe in some areas, say the researchers, who include Lusha Tronstad, research scientist with UW's Wyoming Natural Diversity Database (WYNDD).

"Our results show that patterns of microbial diversity support an ominous trend for alpine stream biodiversity...," the researchers wrote in the journal Global Change Biology. "Icy seeps, however, represent a source of optimism for the future of biodiversity in these imperiled ecosystems."

Tronstad is an expert on the alpine streams in Grand Teton National Park, where her 2015 discovery of a rare insect called the western glacier stonefly provided information to assist in deciding whether the species should be protected under the federal Endangered Species Act. In the latest research, she joined scientists from the University of Kentucky, Washington State University, Rutgers University, Kansas State University, Missouri State University, the University of Montana and the U.S. Geological Survey to study much smaller organisms in those Grand Teton streams and others in Montana's Glacier National Park.

In those high-mountain streamssome fed by glaciers, some by snowfields, some by underground ice and some by groundwatera wide variety of bacteria and other microbes exist. They provide the foundation for larger organisms such as insects in alpine waters and fish downstream.

UW research scientist Lusha Tronstad takes notes while conducting research downstream of Petersen Glacier in Grand Teton National Park. Credit: Scott Hotaling

In Wyoming, North America's Rocky Mountains and mountain ranges worldwide, glaciers and perennial snowfields are shrinking and, in some cases, disappearing as the climate warms. While previous research detailed expected impacts on insects and other larger species, Tronstad's research team examined the organisms that can't be seen with the naked eye in six alpine streams in Grand Teton and seven in Glacier National Park.

The scientists found that colder streams fed by glaciers and underground ice have less microbial diversity than those fed by snowmelt and groundwater, but the colder streams are home to some bacteria that don't exist in the warmer streams. As warmer temperatures and reduced snowfields and glaciers increase water temperatures and change the flow and variability of the streams, microbial diversity will decline across the alpine waters, the researchers say. That likely will result in broader environmental impactsthough the scientists acknowledge that "the degree to which environmental shifts will translate to altered ecosystem functioning remains largely unknown."

While the new research expands understanding of microbial diversity across the range of alpine streams, the scientists say the most significant new insights relate specifically to icy seeps, which are fed by rock glaciersmasses of underground ice surrounded by rocky debris. It's estimated there are more than 10,000 of these rock glaciers across the United Statesabout double the number of surface glaciers and perennial snowfields. Icy seeps are closest in temperature to streams fed by surface glaciers, with less seasonal flow variability. One such underground-ice-fed stream that was part of the study originates from Wind Cave in the Targhee National Forest.

Because they're insulated by thick layers of rock, icy seeps may be more buffered against warming atmospheric conditions than glaciers and perennial snowfields, making them less susceptible to climate change.

"Consequently, there is strong potential for icy seeps to serve as (a refuge) for cold-adapted mountain stream species and unique ecological functions on a global scale," the researchers wrote, adding that icy seeps "may represent the last stronghold of meltwater-associated (life forms) in a landscape without glaciers and perennial snowfields."

Explore further Small alpine insects are big messengers of climate change

More information: Scott Hotaling et al, Microbial assemblages reflect environmental heterogeneity in alpine streams, Global Change Biology (2019). Journal information: Global Change Biology Scott Hotaling et al, Microbial assemblages reflect environmental heterogeneity in alpine streams,(2019). DOI: 10.1111/gcb.14683
Credit: Density values from LithoRef18 (Afonso et al.) and gravity gradients from Bouman et al. (2016)

A thorough understanding of the 'solid Earth' system is essential for deciphering the links between processes occurring deep inside Earth and those occurring nearer the surface that lead to seismic activity such as earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, the rise of mountains and the location of underground natural resources. Thanks to gravity and magnetic data from satellites along with seismology, scientists are on the way to modelling inner Earth in 3-D.

Solid Earth refers to the crust, mantle and core. Because these parts of our world are completely hidden from view, understanding what is going on deep below our feet can only be done by using indirect measurements.

New results, based on a paper published recently in Geophysical Journal International and presented at this week's Living Planet Symposium, reveal how scientists are using a range of different measurements including satellite data along with seismological models to start producing a global 3-D Earth reference model.

The model will make a step change in being able to analyze Earth's lithosphere, which is the rigid outer shell, and the underlying mantle to understand the link between Earth's structure and the dynamic processes within.

Juan Carlos Afonso, from Australia's Macquarie University and Norway's Centre for Earth Evolution and Dynamics, said, "We are realising the new global model of Earth's lithosphere and upper mantle by combining gravity anomalies, geoid height, and gravity gradients complemented with seismic, thermal, and rock information."

ESA's GOCE mission will measure high-accuracy gravity gradients and provide global models of the Earth's gravity field and of the geoid. The geoid (the surface of equal gravitational potential of a hypothetical ocean at rest) serves as the classical reference for all topographical features. The accuracy of its determination is important for surveying and geodesy, and in studies of Earth interior processes, ocean circulation, ice motion and sea-level change. Credit: AOES Medialab

Wolfgang Szwillus from Kiel University, added, "Data from ESA's GOCE satellite mission served as input for the inversion. It is the first time that gravity gradients have been inverted on a global scale in such an integrated framework."

While this is just a first step, 3-D Earth offers tantalizing insights into the deep structure of our world. For example, the new models of the thickness of the crust and the lithosphere are important for unexplored continents like Antarctica.

Jorg Ebbing from Kiel University, noted, "This is just a first step so we have more work to do, but we plan to release the 3-D Earth models in 2020."

The 3-D Earth research, which involves scientists from nine institutes in six European countries, is funded through ESA's Science for Society programme. ESA's GOCE gravity mission and Swarm magnetic field mission are key to this research.

Explore further Enhanced views of Earth tectonics

More information: Juan Carlos Afonso et al. A global reference model of the lithosphere and upper mantle from joint inversion and analysis of multiple data sets, Geophysical Journal International (2019). Journal information: Geophysical Journal International Juan Carlos Afonso et al. A global reference model of the lithosphere and upper mantle from joint inversion and analysis of multiple data sets,(2019). DOI: 10.1093/gji/ggz094
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte's cabinet is due shortly to decide about Huawei's involvement in the Netherlands' new 5G network

Dutch intelligence services are investigating Huawei for possibly spying for the Chinese government by leaving a "back door" to data of customers of major telecoms firms, a report said Thursday.

The probe, reported by De Volkskrant newspaper, comes as a series of western countries weigh the risks of allowing the Chinese telecoms giant to become involved in the new 5G mobile phone infrastructure.

Volkskrant said the AIVD refused to confirm the report.

AIVD spokesman Hilbert Bredemeijer declined to comment, saying the spy agency "does not comment on possible individual cases" when contacted by AFP.

Huawei was quoted by the newspaper as denying the report, adding: "In every country where we do business, we abide by the laws and regulations and we protect the privacy of our customers."

The story, quoting intelligence sources, said Huawei was believed to have hidden secret access to customer information of three major Dutch networks, Vodafone/Ziggo, T-Mobile /Tele2 and KPN.

It added that the AIVD was now probing whether there was a link with Chinese espionage efforts.

The report comes at a sensitive time as the cabinet of Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte is due shortly to decide about Huawei's involvement in the Netherlands' new 5G network.

KPN said in April that it had signed a deal with the Chinese firm to modernise its existing 4G network but that it would look to a western provider for 5G.

The Dutch debate is part of a wider battle between China and the United States over trade and global influence.

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday effectively barred Huawei from the American market amid fears Beijing could spy on communications and gain access to critical infrastructure.

Washington has been pressing allies to keep the Chinese firm out of mobile networks, most recently warning Britain against letting Huawei become involved in its 5G upgrade.

Explore further Huawei chairman says ready to sign 'no-spy' deal with UK

 2019 AFP
Ground deformation map of the Tuscany region in Italy. Using data acquired between 2014 and 2019 from the Copernicus Sentinel-1 mission, this map shows subsidence in red and uplift in blue. This information is routinely sent to the local authorities in charge of geohazard management practices. The subsidence values derived from the radar data have been overlaid on top of a Copernicus Sentinel-2 image. Credit: contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data (2014-19), processed by ESA/TRE ALTAMIRA

The monitoring of land subsidence is of vital importance for low-lying countries, but also areas which are prone to peculiar ground instability.

Land subsidence is the lowering or sinking of the ground's surface, owing to changes that take place underground. Subsidence is usually due to a combination of ground water overexploitation, mining, natural consolidation of sediments and rapid urbanization.

This is a major threat, in both urban and agricultural areas, where the continuous lowering over time can cause damage to buildings, sink houses, crack roads, and can cause severe impacts on the environment and economy. In order to support urban development projects and risk assessment efforts, subsidence monitoring is necessary.

Along with the Veneto and Emilia Romagna regions in Italy, Tuscany is an interesting area to analyze, seeing as several cities such as Pistoia, are affected by land subsidence.

Conventional techniques to track and monitor this silent hazard, including repeat optical leveling and groundwater monitoring, can be difficult to manage in the long-term. By using radar data acquired by the Copernicus Sentinel-1 mission over time, ground deformation maps can be created in order to provide a regional monitoring system.

Ground deformation map of Pistoia in Tuscany. Using data acquired between 2014 and 2019 from the Copernicus Sentinel-1 mission, this map shows subsidence in red and uplift in blue. The colour red represents a significant level of risk where further analysis is needed. This information is routinely sent to the local authorities in charge of geohazard management practices. The subsidence values derived from the radar data have been overlaid on top of a Copernicus Sentinel-2 image. Credit: contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data (2014-19), processed by ESA/TRE ALTAMIRA

These maps can be useful to analyze past displacement phenomena of a single point in Tuscany over the last few years, in order to help spot unstable areas. This information is routinely sent to the local authorities in charge of geohazard management practices.

The project was driven by the University of Florence, representing the Italian Civil Protection Department, the Regional Government of Tuscany and TRE ALTAMIRA, a company which provides displacement measurements and mapping solutions from satellite radar data at a global level.

Alessandro Ferretti, CEO of TRE ALTAMIRA, comments, "Thanks to Copernicus Sentinel-1, the SAR industry paradigm has definitely changed from 'mapping' to 'monitoring." Tuscany is the first region in Italy to benefit from this."

Professor Nicola Casagli from the University of Florence adds, "Satellite data, acquired with short revisiting times and promptly processed, can contribute to the detection of changes in ground deformation patterns, and can feed a decision support system for hydrogeological risk mitigation strategies."

Radar imagessuch as those provided by Sentinel-1's C-band synthetic aperture radar at centimeter precisionare the best way of tracking land subsidence and structural damage across wide areas.

In order to have a continuous flow of displacement information on a regional scale, once a new Copernicus Sentinel-1 image is available, it is automatically downloaded and added to the existing archive. This allows new deformation maps to be generated and updated on a regular basis.
This composite image of the primordial contact binary Kuiper Belt Object 2014 MU69 (nicknamed Ultima Thule)  featured on the cover of the May 17 issue of the journal Science  was compiled from data obtained by NASA's New Horizons spacecraft as it flew by the object on Jan. 1, 2019. The image combines enhanced color data (close to what the human eye would see) with detailed high-resolution panchromatic pictures. Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute/Roman Tkachenko.

NASA's New Horizons mission team has published the first profile of the farthest world ever explored, a planetary building block and Kuiper Belt object called 2014 MU69.

Analyzing just the first sets of data gathered during the New Horizons spacecraft's New Year's 2019 flyby of MU69 (nicknamed Ultima Thule) the mission team quickly discovered an object far more complex than expected. The team publishes the first peer-reviewed scientific results and interpretations  just four months after the flyby  in the May 17 issue of the journal Science.

In addition to being the farthest exploration of an object in history  four billion miles from Earth  the flyby of Ultima Thule was also the first investigation by any space mission of a well-preserved planetesimal, an ancient relic from the era of planet formation.

The initial data summarized in Science reveal much about the object's development, geology and composition. It's a contact binary, with two distinctly differently shaped lobes. At about 22 miles (36 kilometers) long, Ultima Thule consists of a large, strangely flat lobe (nicknamed "Ultima") connected to a smaller, somewhat rounder lobe (nicknamed "Thule"), at a juncture nicknamed "the neck." How the two lobes got their unusual shape is an unanticipated mystery that likely relates to how they formed billions of years ago.

The lobes likely once orbited each other, like many so-called binary worlds in the Kuiper Belt, until some process brought them together in what scientists have shown to be a "gentle" merger. For that to happen, much of the binary's orbital momentum must have dissipated for the objects to come together, but scientists don't yet know whether that was due to aerodynamic forces from gas in the ancient solar nebula, or if Ultima and Thule ejected other lobes that formed with them to dissipate energy and shrink their orbit. The alignment of the axes of Ultima and Thule indicates that before the merger the two lobes must have become tidally locked, meaning that the same sides always faced each other as they orbited around the same point.

"We're looking into the well-preserved remnants of the ancient past," said New Horizons Principal Investigator Alan Stern, of the Southwest Research Institute, Boulder, Colorado. "There is no doubt that the discoveries made about Ultima Thule are going to advance theories of solar system formation."

As the Science paper reports, New Horizons researchers are also investigating a range of surface features on Ultima Thule, such as bright spots and patches, hills and troughs, and craters and pits on Ultima Thule. The largest depression is a 5-mile-wide (8-kilometer-wide) feature the team has nicknamed Maryland crater  which likely formed from an impact. Some smaller pits on the Kuiper Belt object, however, may have been created by material falling into underground spaces, or due to exotic ices going from a solid to a gas (called sublimation) and leaving pits in its place.

Aside from the scientific results it contains, the New Horizons Science paper summarizing early findings from the flyby of Ultima Thule is noteworthy for another reason: it has more than 200 co-authors, representing more than 40 institutions. Principal Investigator Alan Stern, as mission head and lead author, thought it important to give authorship to the full range of team members who had role on the successful flyby. As a result, Stern's paper includes authors from the science, spacecraft, operations, mission design, management and communications teams, as well as collaborators, such as contributing scientist and stereo imaging specialist (and legendary Queen guitarist) Brian May, NASA Planetary Division Director Lori Glaze, NASA Chief Scientist Jim Green, and NASA Associate Administrator for the Science Mission Directorate Thomas Zurbuchen. Credit: AAAS/Science

In color and composition, Ultima Thule resembles many other objects found in its area of the Kuiper Belt. It's very red  redder even than much larger, 1,500-mile (2,400-kilometer) wide Pluto, which New Horizons explored at the inner edge of the Kuiper Belt in 2015  and is in fact the reddest outer solar system object ever visited by spacecraft; its reddish hue is believed to be caused by modification of the organic materials on its surface New Horizons scientists found evidence for methanol, water ice, and organic molecules on Ultima Thule's surface  a mixture very different from most icy objects explored previously by spacecraft.

Data transmission from the flyby continues, and will go on until the late summer 2020. In the meantime, New Horizons continues to carry out new observations of additional Kuiper Belt objects it passes in the distance. These additional KBOs are too distant to reveal discoveries like those on MU69, but the team can measure aspects such as the object's brightness. New Horizons also continues to map the charged-particle radiation and dust environment in the Kuiper Belt.

The New Horizons spacecraft is now 4.1 billion miles (6.6 billion kilometers) from Earth, operating normally and speeding deeper into the Kuiper Belt at nearly 33,000 miles (53,000 kilometers) per hour.

Explore further New Horizons team unravels the many mysteries of Ultima Thule

More information: "Initial results from the New Horizons exploration of 2014 MU69, a small Kuiper Belt object," Science (2019). Journal information: Science "Initial results from the New Horizons exploration of 2014 MU69, a small Kuiper Belt object,"(2019). science.sciencemag.org/cgi/doi  1126/science.aaw9771
Croup, a common upper respiratory tract infection in young children under age 6, can become severe and require hospitalization, doctors say in a new patient resource published in JAMA.

Best known for the distinctive hoarse cough it produces, croup is caused by a virus and is typically contagious during the first few days of the infection. Its spread can be prevented through good hand hygiene and good cough hygiene, the authors write.

Often trigged by a virus such as the common cold, croup in younger children creates a cough that is described as a seal-like bark, which can be scary for families to hear, said Dr. Elliot Melendez of the Johns Hopkins All Childrens Hospital in St. Petersburg, Florida, who co-wrote the patient resource.

Croup causes swelling of the larynx, or voice box, and the trachea, and its clinical name is laryngotracheitis. The inflammation can affects a childs voice and ability to breathe.

If not treated, it can lead to severe respiratory distress, Melendez told Reuters Health in a phone interview. This progression can have a psychological impact on families.

The new patient page (available for free, here: bit.ly/2GB68df) explains the symptoms, diagnosis and treatment options for croup.

Melendez and co-author Ioana Baiu of Stanford Hospital in California explain that croup typically occurs in the fall and winter months and is caused by the flu or parainfluenza viruses, adenovirus or other respiratory viruses. Like many respiratory infections, croup starts with a runny nose, fever and sore throat. Within a day or two, larynx swelling increases and leads to a characteristic croupy cough.

The cough is not dangerous, the authors emphasize. However, more severe forms of the infection can make it hard to breathe, causing a strained sound called stridor as air passes through the childs narrowed airway. This is typically accompanied by rapid, shallow and labored breathing, and the childs nostrils flare up and the ribs can be seen with each inhalation.

Croup has seasonal variations like any other virus, and since the early symptoms may look like the common cold, its important for parents to be aware of developments and changes to ensure the correct diagnosis, Melendez said.

Diagnosis is made based on symptoms and the characteristic cough. Testing for specific viruses with a swab can help but isnt often necessary. In addition, an X-ray scan of the neck may distinguish croup from other causes but is rarely needed.

Similar to other viral upper respiratory infections, the recommended treatment for croup is supportive care. Mild infections can be managed at home with over-the-counter pain relievers, and cool mist may make breathing more comfortable. Its also important to make sure the child stays hydrated.

Croup is usually self-limited, but its also important to know when to seek care once a child shows signs of respiratory distress, said Dr. Angela Mattke, a pediatrician at the Mayo Clinics Childrens Center and host of the Ask The Mayo Mom videos on Youtube.

Signs of respiratory distress include inspiratory stridor, labored breathing, bluish lips or decreased alertness. Pediatricians or emergency department doctors may use nebulized epinephrine to decrease inflammation and open the airway to allow better breathing, and steroids may be given as well.

Most children improve after one dose of epinephrine or steroids, although about 10 percent of kids may require further hospitalization for repeat doses and hydration.

In the rarest cases, a child may need a breathing tube until the infection subsides, and the infection may affect deeper structures of the lower airways or the lungs. A bacterial infection may also occur on top of the virus, which can require hospitalization and antibiotics, although these more severe infections typically affect immunocompromised children or those with underlying diseases such as asthma.

Melendez and Baiu provide links on the JAMA patient page to more information about croup from the Mayo Clinic and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

After the virus that caused croup clears, the cough may linger for a few weeks.

Its important to teach kids how to wash their hands and how to cough into their arm rather than hands, Mattke told Reuters Health by phone. We typically see this in children in daycare and preschool, and its important to keep your kids healthy with proper hygiene, nutrition and sleep.
In this March 7, 2019 file photo, a logo of Huawei is displayed at a shop in Shenzhen, China's Guangdong province. President Donald Trump issued an executive order Wednesday, May 15, 2019, apparently aimed at banning equipment from Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei from U.S. networks. The order addresses U.S. government concerns that equipment from Chinese suppliers could pose an espionage threat to U.S. internet and telecommunications infrastructure. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung, File)

In a fateful swipe at telecommunications giant Huawei, the Trump administration issued an executive order Wednesday apparently aimed at banning its equipment from U.S. networks and said it was subjecting the Chinese company to strict export controls.

Huawei would be the largest business ever subjected to the controls, a law enforcement measure that requires it to obtain U.S. government approval on purchases of American technology, said Kevin Wolf, who had been the assistant secretary of commerce for export administration in the Obama administration.

"It's going to have ripple effects through the entire global telecommunications network because Huawei affiliates all over the planet depend on U.S. content to function and if they can't get the widget or the part or the software update to keep functioning then those systems go down," he said.

Asked if that could include barring Google from selling its Android operating system, which Huawei uses on its handsets, Wolf said it would be premature to say until he's seen a published order from the Commerce Department's Bureau of Industry and Security to be sure of the scope.

The executive order declares a national economic emergency that empowers the government to ban the technology and services of "foreign adversaries" deemed to pose "unacceptable risks" to national securityincluding from cyberespionage and sabotage.

While it doesn't name specific countries or companies, it follows months of U.S. pressure on Huawei. It gives the Commerce Department 150 days to come up with regulations.

In this Thursday, March 7, 2019 file photo, the Texas state flag files outside the Huawei Technologies Ltd. business location in Plano, Texas. President Donald Trump issued an executive order Wednesday, May 15, 2019, apparently aimed at banning equipment from Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei from U.S. networks. It does not name specific countries or companies and gives the Department of Commerce 150 days to come up with regulations. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez, File)

Washington and Beijing are locked in a trade war that partly reflects a struggle for global economic and technological dominance, and Wednesday's actions up the ante.

The export restriction is "a grave escalation with China that at minimum plunges the prospect of continued trade negotiations into doubt," said Eurasia Group analysts in a report.

"Unless handled carefully, this situation is likely to place U.S. and Chinese companies at new risk," the report said.

It appears the law invoked in Wednesday's executive order, the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act, has never before been declared in a way that impacts an entire commercial sector. It has routinely been used to freeze the assets of designated terrorists and drug traffickers and impose embargoes on hostile former governments.

The order addresses U.S. government concerns that equipment from Chinese suppliers could pose an espionage threat to U.S. internet and telecommunications infrastructure. Huawei, the world's biggest supplier of network gear, has been deemed a danger in U.S. national security circles for the better part of a decade.

U.S. justice and intelligence officials say Chinese economic espionage and trade secret theft are rampant. They have presented no evidence, however, of any Huawei equipment in the U.S. or elsewhere being compromised by backdoors installed by the manufacturer to facilitate espionage by Beijing. Huawei vehemently denies involvement in Chinese spying.

In this Friday, May 3, 2019 file photo, President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting in the Oval Office of the White House, in Washington. Trump issued an executive order Wednesday, May 15, 2019, apparently aimed at banning equipment from Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei from U.S. networks. It does not name specific countries or companies and gives the Department of Commerce 150 days to come up with regulations. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)

Huawei said blocking it from doing business in the United States would hamper introduction of next-generation communications technology in which the company is a world leader.

"We are ready and willing to engage with the U.S. government and come up with effective measures to ensure product security," the company said in a statement.

The restrictions "will not make the U.S. more secure or stronger," the company said. It said the United States would be limited to "inferior yet more expensive alternatives," which would hurt companies and consumers.

A senior U.S. administration official, who briefed reports on condition of anonymity, said in a hastily arranged call that the order was "company and country agnostic" and would not be retroactive. Officials said "interim regulations" were expected before final rules were set but were vague on what that meant.

In a statement, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai called the executive order "a significant step toward securing America's networks."

"It signals to U.S. friends and allies how far Washington is willing to go to block Huawei," said Adam Segal, cybersecurity director at the Council on Foreign Relations. Many in Europe have resisted a fierce U.S. diplomatic campaign to institute a wholesale ban on the Chinese company's equipment in their next-generation 5G wireless networks.

A woman walks past advertisement for Huawei smartphones in Beijing on Thursday, May 16, 2019. In a fateful swipe at telecommunications giant Huawei, the Trump administration issued an executive order Wednesday apparently aimed at banning its equipment from U.S. networks and said it was subjecting the Chinese company to strict export controls. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)

Democratic Sen. Mark Warner, vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee and a former telecoms executive, called the order "a needed step" because Chinese law compels Huawei to act as an agent of the state.

The order's existence in draft form was first reported by The Washington Post last June. Segal said that with U.S.-China trade talks at a standstill, the White House "felt the time had finally come to pull the trigger."

It is a "low-cost signal of resolve from the Trump administration," Segal said, noting that there is little at stake economically.

All major U.S. wireless carriers and internet providers had already sworn off Chinese-made equipment after a 2012 report by the House Intelligence Committee said Huawei and ZTE, China's No. 2 telecoms equipment company, should be excluded as enablers of Beijing-directed espionage.

Last year, Trump signed a bill that barred the U.S. government and its contractors from using equipment from the Chinese suppliers.

The FCC also has a rule in the works that would cut off subsidies for companies that use any equipment banned as posing a national security threat. Huawei's handsets are virtually nonexistent in the U.S., and last week the FCC rejected a Chinese phone company's bid to provide domestic service .

A Chinese man is silhouetted near the Huawei logo in Beijing on Thursday, May 16, 2019. In a fateful swipe at telecommunications giant Huawei, the Trump administration issued an executive order Wednesday apparently aimed at banning its equipment from U.S. networks and said it was subjecting the Chinese company to strict export controls. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)

Huawei says it supplies 45 of the world's top 50 phone companies. But only about 2 percent of telecom equipment purchased by North American carriers was Huawei-made in 2017.

The domestic economic impact will be restricted mostly to small rural carriers for whom Huawei equipment has been attractive because of its lower costs. That could make it more difficult to expand access to speedy internet in rural areas.

Blair Levin, an adviser to research firm New Street Research and a former FCC official, said the order is likely to widen the digital divide.

Roger Entner, founder of telecom research firm Recon Analytics, tweeted: "Banning Huawei in the U.S. has the FCC in a conundrum: Low cost Huawei equipment helps to build out broadband in rural America faster." He wondered if the FCC would subsidize small rural carriers.

Requests for comment from a group representing small carriers, the Competitive Carriers Association, were not immediately returned. Administration officials told reporters they will welcome comments from the telecommunications industry as regulations are set.

They did not say whether subsidies would be considered.

A man presses on the glass window near a logo for Huawei in Beijing on Thursday, May 16, 2019. In a fateful swipe at telecommunications giant Huawei, the Trump administration issued an executive order Wednesday apparently aimed at banning its equipment from U.S. networks and said it was subjecting the Chinese company to strict export controls. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)

Early this year, the Justice Department unsealed criminal charges against Huawei, a top company executive and several subsidiaries, alleging the company stole trade secrets, misled banks about its business and violated U.S. sanctions on Iran. The sweeping indictments accused the company of using extreme efforts to steal trade secrets from American businessesincluding trying to take a piece of a robot from a T-Mobile lab.

The executive charged is Huawei's chief financial officer, Meng Wanzhou, who is also the daughter of the company's founder. She was arrested in Canada last December. The U.S. is seeking to extradite her.

Explore further US praises German 5G standards as Huawei battle simmers

 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Lourdes Arce and Natividad Jurado, investigators of the Universidad de Cordoba. Credit: University of Cordoba

Olive oil classification is currently very costly and slow. In order to categorize oil into extra virgin (EVOO), virgin (VOO) and lampante olive oil (LOO), an offical method is used, consisting of a physicochemical analysis and a sensory analysis in the end. This last part is based on the work of a panel of expert tasters who try each olive oil one by one in order to determine its category. This process is very costly for the bottlers. For this reason, they are keen on developing a complementary analytical classification method. Moreover, there are very few expert olive oil tasters in other countries, hence the urgency to find another way to categorize olive oil that does not involve sensory analysis.

A University of Cordoba research group, headed by Analytical Chemistry Professor Lourdes Arce, has been working on a solution to this issue since 2011, with financial support from the non-profit Spanish Olive Oil Interprofessional Organization.

The new methodology is based on analyzing the oil's aromatic fraction - that is to say volatile organic compounds- as if it were the nose of a human taster. This is done by using gas chromatography and ion mobility spectrometry, which is a technique that separates ions when in gas state.

This instrument generates 3-D graphics (with retention time, drift time and the intensity of the signal as variables) of each volatile chemical compound in each sample of olive oil, resulting in a large number of data to process, making it difficult for companies to adopt this methodology.

To ease its implementation, the group studied two strategies for dealing with data: the first used spectral fingerprints (as in all the chemical information in each olive oil) and the second used a series of specific signals, 113 of over 200,000 chemical data that make up a spectral fingerprint.

701 heterogeneous olive oil samples were analyzed. These samples came from different kinds of olives at different degrees of ripeness, from different geographical areas and that had been processed and stored in different ways. These samples were provided by the Spanish Olive Oil Interprofessional Organization in partnership with with the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Food and the Environment along with the Andalusian Regional Government's Department of Agriculture, Fishing and Rural Development.

In the end, it was concluded that the strategy based on markers was reliable in predicting the classification of olive oil samples, in addition to being easier to implement within the industry than the strategy of using the whole spectral fingerprint. In any case, the models should be recalibrated each year, and include new oil samples from the current season. The research group continues to work on this line of research in order to determine the minimum number of samples needed for recalibration without losing predictive ability to categorize olive oil.

Explore further Easy ways to reap the benefits of extra virgin olive oil

More information: Maria del Mar Contreras et al, A robustness study of calibration models for olive oil classification: Targeted and non-targeted fingerprint approaches based on GC-IMS, Food Chemistry (2019). Journal information: Food Chemistry Maria del Mar Contreras et al, A robustness study of calibration models for olive oil classification: Targeted and non-targeted fingerprint approaches based on GC-IMS,(2019). DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2019.02.104

Provided by University of Cordoba
Illustration of the twin GRACE satellites. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

When you hear news about ice loss from Greenland or Antarctica, an aquifer in California that is getting depleted, or a new explanation for a wobble in Earth's rotation, you might not realize that all these findings may rely on data from one single mission: the U.S.-German Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE). GRACE data, collected from 2002 to 2017 while the mission was active, are still being used to improve our understanding of water in motion and its sometimes surprising effects on our planet. A new paper brings together newly calculated and existing summaries of the major results GRACE has generated, showcasing the breadth of topics the mission has illuminated over the years.

"Water is an important sign of the health of the planet," said Michael Watkins, the original GRACE project scientist and now director of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California. "But water is hard to track in some formsfor example, polar ice or water stored deep underground. We need to understand those components as well as we understand water in its more easily assessable forms around the globe. That's what GRACE has enabled us to do." Scientists have used this increased knowledge of how water moves and is stored on Earth to understand global climate and how it is changing.

Byron Tapley, GRACE's original principal investigator and the motivating force behind the mission (now retired from the University of Texas at Austin), is the lead author of the new paper. Titled "Contributions of GRACE to Understanding Climate Change" and published in the journal Nature Climate Change, it summarizes the latest results and new insights GRACE has enabled up to the present. The review, which covers aspects of the GRACE measurement technique, scientific breakthroughs and the relevance for climate service applications, was written by a distinguished team of GRACE experts. Most authors contributed to the GRACE mission even before it launched and have done groundbreaking work with its data.

How Measuring Gravity Reveals Moving Water

GRACE and its successor, GRACE Follow-On, were designed to measure changes in gravitational pull that result from changes in mass on Earth. More than 99 percent of Earth's mean gravitational pull does not change from one month to the next. That's because it comes from the mass of the solid Earth itselfits surface and interiorand that rarely moves, or moves very slowly. Water, on the other hand, moves continually nearly everywhere: Snow falls, ocean currents flow, ice melts and so on. As the twin GRACE satellites orbited Earth, one closely following the other, the changes in mass below changed the distance between the two satellites very slightly. The record of these changes was analyzed to create monthly global maps of changes and redistribution of Earth's mass near the surface.

"It was a challenge to write a representative eight-page review of GRACE achievements, which have been documented in over 3,000 peer-reviewed publications," said Ingo Sasgen, GRACE scientist at the Alfred Wegener Institute's Helmholtz Center for Polar and Marine Research in Bremerhaven, Germany, who coordinated the new paper. "We wanted to convey how unique the GRACE mission really was and how important its data are for us to understand how climate change affects water stored in the ocean, the ice and on the continents." Here are a few examples.

Greenland and Antarctica. The paper updates previous studies to report that during the lifetime of the GRACE mission, Greenland lost 258 gigatons of ice per year, with the amount varying by more than 50% from year to year, to a large extent in response to temperatures during the summer months. "The Arctic is warming about twice as fast as the global average, with ice-mass loss and sea level rise being major consequences," said Sasgen. "With GRACE we were able to budget each month the mass loss of glaciers and ice sheets around the world. These data have dramatically improved our understanding of the processes at play in these remote areas and their sensitivity to climate change." Antarctica lost 137 gigatons per year on average, but the annual rate of loss varied by more than 150%, mainly due to fluctuations in snowfall. GRACE also found that these large fluctuations mostly occur in West Antarctica and correlate well with El Nino events, which affect how much precipitation reaches the continent.

Changes in water storage on land. GRACE has revealed that less water is now being stored naturally in mid-latitude land regions (that is, these regions are getting less precipitation and are becoming drier) and more is being stored in high- and low-latitude regions (that is, those regions are getting wetter). Climate models have long predicted that global climate change will bring about this trend, so the observations provide an important early confirmation of the models.

Sea level rise. The sea level rose more than 1.5 inches (3.7 centimeters) per decade on average over the globe from 2005 to 2016. There are two main causes for this change: runoff from melting ice sheets and glaciers, and expansion of the ocean water itself as it warms. Besides monitoring changes in the ice sheets and glaciers, GRACE could detect how much sea level rise was due to water formerly locked in ice on land being added to the ocean. The data show that this source increased throughout the mission and is currently responsible for about two-thirds of sea level rise.

"GRACE provided a paradigm shift in our view of how the oceans, atmosphere and land surface components interact," said Tapley. "As an example, GRACE showed that the water leaving the polar ice caps is equal to the increase in water mass in the oceans, giving confirmation of this important measurement's use in assessing ocean heat storage."

Besides its value to research, Tapley pointed out, "GRACE is also an important asset for assessing the state of freshwater and assisting in managing it." To improve flood forecasts for Europe, the European Gravity Service for Improved Emergency Management uses GRACE data to look at soil saturation levels weeks before flood season. Researchers have found that knowledge of unusually high levels of underground water storage can increase the lead time on warnings of peak river flooding by up to six weeks. In situations where freshwater is scarce, GRACE data support the U.S. Drought Monitor, which tracks drought across the United States and its territories and is widely used by managers at federal and state levels

GRACE's value to the scientific community was recognized within its first two years of operation, and the community strongly recommended that the mission be continued without major data gaps. To accomplish that, NASA and the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ) launched a successor, GRACE Follow-On, in May 2018. GRACE-FO has completed all of its checkout phases and will soon begin releasing monthly maps of mass changes on Earth. "GRACE-FO allows us to continue the revolutionary legacy of GRACE," Watkins said. "There are sure to be more unexpected and innovative findings ahead."

GRACE was implemented as a joint mission of NASA and the German Aerospace Center. GRACE was the first principal-investigator-led mission implemented under the Earth System Pathfinder Program. The implementing team included the University of Texas at Austin, JPL and the GFZ. JPL managed the implementation and operations for NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington. Caltech in Pasadena manages JPL for NASA.

Explore further GRACE mission data contributes to our understanding of climate change

More information: Byron D. Tapley et al. Contributions of GRACE to understanding climate change, Nature Climate Change (2019). Journal information: Nature Climate Change Byron D. Tapley et al. Contributions of GRACE to understanding climate change,(2019). DOI: 10.1038/s41558-019-0456-2
Artwork depicting the Coconino desert environment and two primitive tetrapods, based on the occurrence of Ichniotherium from Grand Canyon National Park. Credit: Voltaire Paes Neto

An international team of paleontologists has united to study important fossil footprints recently discovered in a remote location within Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona. A large sandstone boulder contains several exceptionally well-preserved trackways of primitive tetrapods (four-footed animals) which inhabited an ancient desert environment. The 280-million-year-old fossil tracks date to almost the beginning of the Permian Period, prior to the appearance of the earliest dinosaurs.

The first scientific article reporting fossil tracks from the Grand Canyon was published in 1918, just a year before the park was established as a unit of the National Park Service. One hundred years later, during the Centennial Celebration for Grand Canyon National Park, new research on ancient footprints from the park is being presented in a scientific publication released this week. Brazilian paleontologist Dr. Heitor Francischini, from the Laboratory of Vertebrate Paleontology,Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, is the lead author of the new publication, working with scientists from Germany and the United States.

Francischini and Dr. Spencer Lucas, Curator of Paleontology at the New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science in Albuquerque, New Mexico, first visited the Grand Canyon fossil track locality in 2017. The paleontologists immediately recognized the fossil tracks were produced by a long-extinct relative of very early reptiles and were similar to tracks known from Europe referred to as Ichniotherium (ICK-nee-oh-thay-ree-um). This new discovery at Grand Canyon is the first occurrence of Ichniotherium from the Coconino Sandstone and from a desert environment. In addition, these tracks represent the geologically youngest record of this fossil track type from anywhere in the world.

Map of Arizona (southwestern USA), indicating the main localities mentioned in the text. The Grand Canyon National Park area is shaded dark brown (left). Stratigraphic section of the Pennsylvanian and Permian rocks exposed in the Grand Canyon area (right). Credit: Modified from Blakey and Knepp 1989.

Ichniotherium is a kind of footprint believed to have been made by an enigmatic group of extinct tetrapods known as the diadectomorphs. The diadectomorphs were a primitive group of tetrapods that possessed characteristics of both amphibians and reptiles. The evolutionary relationships and paleobiology of diadectomorphs have long been important and unresolved questions in the science of vertebrate paleontology.

Although the actual track maker for the Grand Canyon footprints may never be known for certain, the Grand Canyon trackways preserve the travel of a very early terrestrial vertebrate. The measurable characteristics of the tracks and trackways indicate a primitive animal with short legs and a massive body. The creature walked on all four legs and each foot possessed five clawless digits.

Another interesting aspect of the new Grand Canyon fossil tracks is the geologic formation in which they are preserved. The Coconino Sandstone is an eolian (wind-deposited) rock formation that exhibits cross-bedding and other sedimentary features indicating a desert / dune environment of deposition. Therefore, the presence of Ichniotherium in the Coconino Sandstone is the earliest evidence of diadectomorphs occupying an arid desert environment.

The track-bearing boulder (Coconino Sandstone), Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona. General view of the boulder and the tracks (left). False color depth map (depth in mm) (right). Scale: 50 cm. Credit: NPS Photos

According to Francischini, "These new fossil tracks discovered in Grand Canyon National Park provide important information about the paleobiology of the diadectomorphs. The diadectomorphs were not expected to live in an arid desert environment, because they supposedly did not have the classic adaptations for being completely independent of water. The group of animals that have such adaptations is named Amniota (extant reptiles, birds and mammals) and diadectomorphs are not one of them."

Lucas also notes that "paleontologists have long thought that only amniotes could live in the dray and harsh Permian deserts. This discovery shows that tetrapods other than reptiles were living in those deserts, and, surprisingly, were already adapted to life in an environment of limited water."

Close-up view of the Ichniotherium trackway from Grand Canyon National Park. Credit: Heitor Francischini

Provided by New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science
When foreign powers try to interfere with the politics of another country by spreading strategic disinformation, research suggests there is no real effect on policies or the balance of power in the targeted country.

In a recent study, a researcher at the University of Waterloo investigated whether foreign powers such as Russia and China can influence an election and political outcomes by spreading disinformation.

Canada's federal government has warned of potential interference from Russia during the upcoming election, according to Alexander Lanoszka, assistant professor of political science at Waterloo. Voters in other democracies, said Lanoszka, should not be too concerned that attempted interference would actually influence an election or other political outcomes.

"Great powers like Russia will of course push narratives about its foreign relations that are not only self-serving, but will also misrepresent true intentions, especially if they are up to no good," said Lanoszka.

The study defined disinformation as a systematic government effort aimed at misleading a particular audiencewhether a government or key members of societyin order to influence the political process.

His paper cites three key obstacles that stand in the way of campaigns of disinformation. The first is a fundamental skepticism within potentially targeted countries when an adversary broadcasts information; the second is the prevalence of deeply ingrained identifies and political attitudes among targeted political elites and ordinary citizens; and third is the countermeasures that a targeted country can enactsuch as the Canadian government's forewarning of potential election interference.

Lanoszka points to a 2017 poll that found 59 per cent of Canadians have unfavourable views of Russia, which is well above the global median of 40 per cent. Furthermore, he points out that all three of Canada's leading parties have made statements condemning Russian aggression.

"Since Russia suffers a deficit of trust already with Canadian voters, any information spread by Russia that implicates our election outcome would be viewed with significant suspicion by most Canadian voters," said Lanoszka.

As well, he says a large body of political science research suggests that voters tend to process new information in light of firmly entrenched prejudices and assumptions. This is especially clear in the U.S., where, for example, information on climate change or economics is viewed primarily according to Democratic or Republican allegiances.

"The growing evidence about disinformation is that its effects have largely been limited to a small segment of voters, who likely would have supported extremist parties, anyway."

In the research paper, Lanoszka focuses on the case of disinformation in the Russian campaign against the Baltic states, including the 2014 annexation of Crimea. He says evidence in this case, and in other examples of disinformation, strongly suggests that its intended strategic effects of political interference are exaggerated.

Disinformation in international politics is published in the European Journal of International Security.

Explore further Tech fixes can't protect us from disinformation campaigns

More information: Alexander Lanoszka, Disinformation in international politics, European Journal of International Security (2019). Alexander Lanoszka, Disinformation in international politics,(2019). DOI: 10.1017/eis.2019.6
Credit: Stepan Likhachev

The scientists of Ural Federal University conducted a study in which they found that one of the copper oxides with a structure of a rare mineral spinelCuAl 2 O 4 is a material with unusual magnetic properties and structure due to significant spin-orbit interactions.

The scientists described the process and the results of the research in the article published in Physical Review B, the world's largest specialized journal on solid state physics.

Spin-orbit interaction is due to the electromagnetic interaction of the electron spin with the magnetic momentum caused by electron spinning around a nucleus. The phenomenon is essential to 4d and 5d systems, which are based on the elements of the fifth and sixth groups in Mendeleev's periodic tablefrom yttrium to cadmium and from hafnium to mercury, respectively. CuAl 2 O 4 is a 3d system, because copper belongs to 3d elements (from scandium to zinc in the periodic table) for which spin-orbit interaction is usually not so crucial. However, it turns out that in the case of c CuAl 2 O 4 , it is pivotal. The spin-orbit interaction not only brings about the magnetic properties, but also determines the crystal structure of the material.

The point is that the crystal structure of almost all known copper oxides (including both high-temperature Cu-based superconductors and the well-known copper sulphateCuSO 4 5H 2 O)is considerably distorted. However, the tetrahedra of oxygen atoms surrounding copper ions in CuAl 2 O 4 remain ideal down to the lowest temperatures. This fact was discovered in 2017 by South Korean and American researchers, but it became possible to explain it only recently, as a result of the research with the participation of Ekaterinburg scientists.

"The distortions in copper oxides are caused by one of the most fundamental physical phenomena, the Jahn-Teller effect. This is, in fact, a very simple phenomenon. Physical systems, like people, do not like uncertainty and try to avoid situations where electrons are unable to occupy a strictly determined level of energy, but have to choose from what is available. It is easy to deprive electrons of this freedomyou only need to move atoms from highly symmetric positions, thereby distorting the crystal lattice," co-author Prof. Sergei Streltsov, Dr. Sci. in Physics and Mathematics, head of the UrFU Laboratory of Electronic and Nuclear Resonance and the Institute of Metal Physics of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences' (IMP UB RAS) Laboratory of Low-Dimensional Spin Systems Theory, explains.

However, it does not work like that in CuAl 2 O 4 : spin-orbit interaction interferes. It determines in which orbits electrons spin and what energies they have.

Interestingly, the spin-orbit interaction not only preserves the symmetric lattice in CuAl 2 O 4 , but also affects its magnetic properties. Theoretical calculations performed by Sergei Nikolaev (UrFU Academic Department of Theoretical Physics and Applied Mathematics) and Andrei Ignatenko (IMP UB RAS) show that spin-orbit interaction causes spins to twist. As a result, in an ideal CuAl 2 O 4 sample, in extremely low temperatures region, the spins do not line up along one direction, as, for example, in ordinary iron, but must form a so-called "spin spiral."

"The easiest way to describe such magnetic structure is by the example of a chain consisting of spins," Sergei Streltsov says. "If the spins are aligned in parallel, then we get a ferromagnet, in antiparallel (that is, alternating between up and down), an antiferromagnet. And if each spin is gradually deflected at the same angle relative to the previous one, then we get spin spiral. It is this type of magnetic ordering that is expected in a perfect sample of CuAl 2 O 4 ."

Explore further Spin flipper upends protons

More information: S. A. Nikolaev et al. Realization of the anisotropic compass model on the diamond lattice of Cu2+ in CuAl2O4, Physical Review B (2018). Journal information: Physical Review B S. A. Nikolaev et al. Realization of the anisotropic compass model on the diamond lattice of Cu2+ in CuAl2O4,(2018). DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevB.98.201106
The Singapore Red Cross said Thursday its website had been hacked and the personal data of more than 4,000 potential blood donors compromised in the latest cyber attack on the city-state.

Singapore, one of the world's most digitally advanced countries, has been the target of multiple high-profile hacks in recent times, including the theft last year of 1.5 million citizens' health records.

In the latest attack, Singapore Red Cross (SRC) said personal details, including names, blood types, and contact numbers of 4,297 potential blood donors were compromised after an unauthorised access to a section of its website on May 8.

SRC reported the breach to the authorities on the same day and police have launched an investigation, a statement said.

"SRC takes this incident seriously," the organisation said, adding that "external consultants" are helping in the probe.

Preliminary findings showed that a "weak administrator password" may have made the site vulnerable.

SRC Secretary General Benjamin William said the organisation was contacting individuals affected by the breach.

Last July, the city-state's biggest ever data breach saw hackers gain access to a government database and make off with the records of 1.5 million Singaporeans including Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

An official inquiry highlighted a litany of failings, including weaknesses in computer systems, and inadequate staff training and resources. Authorities believe a state was likely behind that attack.

Singapore in January announced that confidential information of 14,200 people diagnosed with the virus that causes AIDS had been dumped online, with most of those affected foreigners.

Authorities accused Mikhy Farrera Brochez, an HIV-positive American who was jailed in the city-state and deported in 2018, of leaking the data after obtaining it from his Singaporean doctor partner.

In March, the Health Sciences Authority said the personal data of 800,000 people who have donated or registered to donate blood in Singapore since 1986 were improperly put online for more than two months.

Cybersecurity experts have pointed out that health data is particularly vulnerable because it can be used to blackmail people in positions of power.

Scott Robertson, vice president of Asia Pacific and Japan for cybersecurity firm Zscaler, said the Red Cross breach "underscores that cybersecurity is a business problem that has to be supported by technology".

Explore further Singapore says American leaked 14,200 HIV records

 2019 AFP
While most people tend to thinking of lynchings as something that mostly happened in the South, mob violence was widespread in the United States from 1883 to 1941, and its victims included nearly all races and ethnicities, according to researchers. An interactive map shows the extent of this particularly brutal form of violence. Credit: Penn State/Charles Seguin

An interactive map of lynchings that occurred in the United States from 1883 to 1941 reveals not just the extent of mob violence, but also underscores how the roles of economy, topography and law enforcement infrastructure paved the way for these brutal, violent outbursts, according to researchers.

Although often thought of as unique to states in the southern U.S., lynching was practiced across the country and, although Southern blacks were by far the most common victim, the violence left few races and ethnic groups unscathed, said Charles Seguin, Penn State assistant professor of sociology and social data analytics and an affiliate of Penn State's Institute for CyberScience. He added that slavery and racism's effect on this mob violence is deeply etched into the patterns of lynching displayed on the map, but lynching also occurred in Northern states, which had abolished slavery long before the Civil War.

"Although people knew about these lynchings at the time, I doubt many people today now know that brutal lynchings occurred in places like Chicago, Illinois; Duluth, Minnesota; or in Coatesville, Pennsylvania," said Seguin. "Further, many people probably do not realize just how brutal those lynchings were. What we are showing here is a legacy of racism and vigilante violence that stretches far beyond what is commonly remembered. I think that Ida B. Wells-Barnett put it best when she said that lynching was 'our national crime.'"

The researchers drew on data collected by the NAACP and Chicago Tribune of lynchings that were reported in the contiguous U.S. from 1883 to 1941, as well as data from lists published by historians. Of the 4,467 people who were listed as victims of lynching, 3,265 were black, 1,082 were white, 71 were Mexican or of Mexican descent, and 38 were American Indian. The researchers confirmed the data collected by the Chicago Tribune and by the NAACP by verifying the accounts in local newspapers. They also used the newspaper accounts to estimate the mob size and determine the race and gender of the victim, alleged offense that incited the mob, and the method of murder.

According to the researchers, who report their findings in the current edition of the open access journal Socius, the victims of mob violence in the South were overwhelmingly black. This pattern of violence, however, extended to areas outside of the deep Southern states, but remained centered in areas where slavery-intensive industriesincluding cotton, tobacco and hemp farmingwere located.

"In Missouri, for example, the map shows a cluster of black lynchings along the Missouri River, which was called Little Dixie, where slavery was prevalent in the growing of hemp and tobacco," said Seguin. "In West Texas, also, you see another cluster of black lynchings. That marks the western edge of the cotton agriculture at that time."

Seguin added that other cultural and economic elements of slavery served as the infrastructure of the lynching regimes in that region.

"The almost perfect correlation between slavery and lynchings was surprising, but we've known that lynching was a legacy of slavery for a number of reasons," said Seguin. "Racism, of course, is a part of that legacy, but also how slavery structured the economy, placing poor whites in competition with newly freed black people. Much of the infrastructure used to carry out lynchings was also laid out in slavery. For example, slave patrols, which were made up of private citizens who formed manhunts to find escaped slaves, later served to conduct manhunts for lynching victims."

In the American West, victims tended to be white, although there were also black, American Indian, Mexican nationals and people of Mexican descent, and Asian victims. In this region, which includes the Dakotas, Nebraska, Kansas, New Mexico and other Western states, the lynchings appear to be connected to a lack of official law enforcement organizations in those areas, according to the researchers.

The map also shows that topography and geography may have played an underlying role in lynching patterns. For example, in the Appalachian region, geography made the land unsuitable for large scale slave-based cotton agriculture. Many of those who lived there were whites engaged in herding agriculture, which tends to produce conflict over property, and a culture that emphasized the importance of defending one's honorviolently if necessary. Lynching victims in much of the Appalachian tended to be white as a result, said Seguin, who worked with David Rigby, doctoral candidate in sociology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.

Future research may look at how certain lynching events served as a springboard for legal changes and shifts in public opinion on mob violence, said Seguin.

Explore further Lynchings of the past affect health today

More information: The data for this study is available on the researcher's The data for this study is available on the researcher's website
In this Monday May 13, 2019 photo Julian Richner, 9, leaves school for the day to meet his mother as he passes behind a security guard at Beverly Hills Unified School District's K-8 Horace Mann School in Beverly Hills, Calif. Districts nationwide are employing a multi-layered approach that combines mental health programs, bullying prevention initiatives with hardware and software technology, as well as armed and unarmed security officers. Beverly Hills Unified School District is one such district. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel)

Efforts to combat school shootings are starting to shift from preventing the violence to reducing the number of victims through technology that speeds up law enforcement's response and quickly alerts teachers and students to danger.

School districts are using products like gunshot detection systems that identify where shots are fired and apps that allow teachers to report attacks and connect with police. While a focus on gun control often emerges after shootings, technology can be a less partisan solution that's quick to implementthough some experts say funding preventive mental health resources should be the priority.

The tech approach comes amid rising concern over the inability to prevent shootings like the one last week at a suburban Denver high school. Student Kendrick Castillo, 18, was killed after charging one of the gunmen and was honored at a memorial service Wednesday.

"If I'm intent on shooting people at a school, there are 20 ways to do it," said Erik Endress, CEO of Share911, a New Jersey-based company with an app that allows staff to immediately report to colleagues and police everything from medical conditions to active shooters.

"We can improve the outcome of these situations," Endress said. "We can minimize the casualty count."

In this Monday May 13, 2019 photo Evelyn Lahiji, waits to pick up her sons, after school second-grader Lorenzo Naghdechi, 8, right, and third-grader Leonardo Naghdechi, 9, at Horace Mann School in Beverly Hills, Calif. Lahiji, said "I'm grateful I live in this community that has so much security and I know they are protected." Beverly Hills officials have added armed security guards, surveillance cameras and an app to report attacks and connect with police. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel)

While school attacks are relatively rare, they have been among the deadliest mass shootings in U.S. history.

The 1999 massacre of 13 people at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado, ushered in a new era of school security but the carnage continued, including 27 people killed in 2012 at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, and 17 deaths last year at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.

Joseph Erardi, a retired Newtown superintendent who came to the district a year after the shooting, said lawmakers pressed for "hardening" infrastructure at schools.

That has spurred a billion-dollar industry where companies manufacture products from "ballistic attack-resistant" doors to smoke cannons. The hardening market, as well as lobbying efforts to get taxpayer dollars to fund upgrades, had stalled in recent years but rekindled after the Parkland shooting.

In this Monday May 13, 2019 photo, a security guard stands on watch at Beverly Hills Unified School District's K-8 Horace Mann School as students prepare to leave school for the day in Beverly Hills, Calif. Schools in Beverly Hills and others nationwide are adopting a strategy that aims to speed up the law enforcement response to shootings. Beverly Hills officials have added armed security guards, surveillance cameras and an app to report attacks and connect with police. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel)

"We've kind of reached this state of frustration where we (feel like we) can't protect our students," said Dennis Kenney, a professor at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice. "What we're trying to do is find some technological fix, and there isn't one."

Districts nationwide are recognizing that and instituting an approach that combines technology with mental health programs, bullying prevention and security officers.

Beverly Hills Unified School District is one.

"That's like the Number 1 concept of security for any principal: physical security and emotional security of children," said Juliet Fine, principal at Horace Mann School, which serves kindergarten through eighth grade.

In this Monday May 13, 2019 photo Juliet Fine, principal at Beverly Hills Unified School District's K-8 Horace Mann School talks about school security during an interview in her office in Beverly Hills, Calif. Schools in Beverly Hills and others nationwide are adopting a strategy that aims to speed up the law enforcement response to shootings. Beverly Hills officials have added armed security guards, surveillance cameras and an app to report attacks and connect with police. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel)

Beverly Hills is among 200 U.S. school districts using the Share911 app. The board of education added it and other measures, including armed security officers, following the Parkland shooting.

In the fall, the district will add a central command center that will monitor feeds from all the district's surveillance cameras and use software to monitor keywords in online search traffic for potential threats.

"Safety in schools is evolving. Technology and software, like in all aspects of the modern world, need to be utilized and used," said Christopher Hertz, district director of school safety. "We want our kids to feel and be safe. ... If we do all this, then our teachers can do what they need to do."

Wealthier areas have not been immune to violence. Horace Mann parents and teachers stressed that they and students feel safe within the walled campus, and not just because it's in an exclusive area.

In this Monday May 13, 2019 photo Juliet Fine, principal at Beverly Hills Unified School District's K-8 Horace Mann School shows the Share 911 phone application on her cell phone during an interview in her office in Beverly Hills, Calif. The district is among 200 in the country using the Share911 app. The board of education added it and other measures, including armed security officers, following the Parkland shooting. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel)

"I'm grateful I live in this community that has so much security, and I know they are protected," Evelyn Lahiji, 42, said as she picked up her sons, Lorenzo Naghdechi, 8, and Leonardo Naghdechi, 9.

Christina Richner, 45, said her 6-year-old son, Julian, and 9-year-old daughter, Olivia, have gone through so many emergency drills that "their reflexes will kick in" during a shooting.

The students are trained to gather in a corner with the classroom's lights out and blinds drawn in a lockdown, social studies teacher Laura Stark said. Staffers check in via the Share911 app to share information, including if any kids are missing or injured.

Share911 launched three weeks after the Sandy Hook shooting. The app provides real-time data to school employees and law enforcement, such as the type of threat and its location, based on floor plans of the building.

In this Monday May 13, 2019 photo Juliet Fine, right, the principal at Horace Mann School stands and watches as parents pick up their children after a school day in Beverly Hills, Calif. Efforts to combat the problem of school shootings are shifting toward software and other technology to reduce casualties. Beverly Hills officials have added armed security guards, surveillance cameras and an app to report attacks and connect with police. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel)

In this Monday May 13, 2019 photo Evelyn Lahiji, picks up her sons, after school second-grader Lorenzo Naghdechi, 8, right, and third-grader Leonardo Naghdechi, 9, at Horace Mann School in Beverly Hills, Calif. Lahiji, said "I'm grateful I live in this community that has so much security and I know they are protected." Schools in Beverly Hills and others nationwide are adopting a strategy that aims to speed up the law enforcement response to shootings. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel)

In this Monday May 13, 2019 photo Christina Richner, walks down the street with her children Julian, far right, and Olivia at Horace Mann School in Beverly Hills, Calif. Richner, said of her children that they have gone through so many emergency drills that "their reflexes will kick in" during a shooting. The students are trained to gather in a corner with the classroom's lights out and blinds drawn in a lockdown situation, according to social studies teacher Laura Stark. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel)

In this Monday May 13, 2019 photo social studies teacher Laura Stark gives a hand to a student after class at Horace Mann School in Beverly Hills, Calif. The students are trained to gather in a corner with the classroom's lights out and blinds drawn in a lockdown, Stark said. Staffers check in via the Share911 app to share information, including if any kids are missing or injured. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel)

In this Monday May 13, 2019 photo Lisa Bieler, a technology specialist for the Beverly Hills Unified School District checks her mobile photo in the hallway at Horace Mann School at her office in Beverly Hills, Calif. Bieler, a technology specialist for the district, said she finds the Share 911 app's immediacy comforting. She recalled hearing about the Columbine shooting on the radio 20 years ago and wondered how social media would have played a role back then. "I have thought, 'what if it happened now? '" she said. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel)

"You can't decide if you're going to run, hide or fight in the absence of information," said Endress, the CEO.

AmberBox, an indoor gunshot detection product that looks like a smoke detector, has a similar philosophy. It alerts school officials and law enforcement the moment a shot is fired and maps the location.

The system uses sensors that track a gun's muzzle flash and a bullet's shockwave, CEO James Popper said.

Chicago-based Aegis AI is refining technology to identify a gun as soon as it enters an area that a camera is scanning. The company was incorporated a year ago and still is working to minimize false alarms, such as when the software flags a staple gun or drill, CEO Sonny Tai said. Most of its clients are in a pilot program.

In this Monday May 13, 2019 photo, a security guard stands watch as parents pick up their children after school at Beverly Hills Unified School District's K-8 Horace Mann School in Beverly Hills, Calif. Schools in Beverly Hills and others nationwide are adopting a strategy that aims to speed up the law enforcement response to shootings. Beverly Hills officials have added armed security guards, surveillance cameras and an app to report attacks and connect with police. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel)

Some experts are concerned that districts are embracing technology to allay public concern while taking money away from mental health programs and violence-prevention efforts.

"It's something you can show. I can go to a board meeting and hold up this shiny thing," said Amy Klinger, co-founder of The Educator's School Safety Network and a former teacher and school administrator in Ohio.

Despite the advances in both safety technology and mental health programs, experts say there's no foolproof way to predict or stop a shooting. Wealthy, suburban districts like Beverly Hills that can afford the latest innovations face as much risk as inner-city schools where metal detectors have been commonplace for years.

"Nobody ever thinks it's going to happen there," Endress said. "Well, it's happening everywhere."

Explore further Johns Hopkins to offer school leaders safety programming

 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Credit: CC0 Public Domain

Only a few years ago, web search was simple. Users typed a few words and waded through pages of results.

Today, those same users may instead snap a picture on a phone and drop it into a search box or use an intelligent assistant to ask a question without physically touching a device at all. They may also type a question and expect an actual reply, not a list of pages with likely answers.

These tasks challenge traditional search engines, which are based around an inverted index system that relies on keyword matches to produce results.

"Keyword search algorithms just fail when people ask a question or take a picture and ask the search engine, 'What is this?'" said Rangan Majumder, group program manager on Microsoft's Bing search and AI team.

Of course, keeping up with users' search preferences isn't newit's been a struggle since web search's inception. But now, it's becoming easier to meet those evolving needs, thanks to advancements in artificial intelligence, including those pioneered by Bing's search team and researchers at Microsoft's Asia research lab.

"The AI is making the products we work with more natural," said Majumder. "Before, people had to think, 'I'm using a computer, so how do I type in my input in a way that won't break the search?'"

Microsoft has made one of the most advanced AI tools it uses to better meet people's evolving search needs available to anyone as an open source project on GitHub. On Wednesday, it also released user example techniques and an accompanying video for those tools via Microsoft's AI lab.

The algorithm, called Space Partition Tree And Graph (SPTAG), allows users to take advantage of the intelligence from deep learning models to search through billions of pieces of information, called vectors, in milliseconds. That, in turn, means they can more quickly deliver more relevant results to users.

Vector search makes it easier to search by concept rather than keyword. For example, if a user types in "How tall is the tower in Paris?" Bing can return a natural language result telling the user the Eiffel Tower is 1,063 feet, even though the word "Eiffel" never appeared in the search query and the word "tall" never appears in the result..

Microsoft uses vector search for its own Bing search engine, and the technology is helping Bing better understand the intent behind billions of web searches and find the most relevant result among billions of web pages.

Using vectors for better search

Essentially a numerical representation of a word, image pixel or other data point, a vector helps capture what a piece of data actually means. Thanks to advances in a branch of AI called deep learning, Microsoft said it can begin to understand and represent search intent using these vectors.

Credit: Microsoft

Once the numerical point has been assigned to a piece of data, vectors can be arranged, or mapped, with close numbers placed in proximity to one another to represent similarity. These proximal results get displayed to users, improving search outcomes.

The technology behind the vector search Bing uses got its start when company engineers began noticing unusual trends in users' search patterns.

"In analyzing our logs, the team found that search queries were getting longer and longer," said Majumder. This suggested that users were asking more questions, over-explaining because of past, poor experiences with keyword search, or were "trying to act like computers" when describing abstract thingsall unnatural and inconvenient for users.

With Bing search, the vectorizing effort has extended to over 150 billion pieces of data indexed by the search engine to bring improvement over traditional keyword matching. These include single words, characters, web page snippets, full queries and other media. Once a user searches, Bing can scan the indexed vectors and deliver the best match.

Vector assignment is also trained using deep learning technology for ongoing improvement. The models consider inputs like end-user clicks after a search to get better at understanding the meaning of that search.

While the idea of vectorizing media and search data isn't new, it's only recently been possible to use it on the scale of a massive search engine such as Bing, Microsoft experts said.

"Bing processes billions of documents every day, and the idea now is that we can represent these entries as vectors and search through this giant index of 100 billion-plus vectors to find the most related results in 5 milliseconds," said Jeffrey Zhu, program manager on Microsoft's Bing team.

To put that in perspective, Majumder said, consider this: A stack of 150 billion business cards would stretch from here to the moon. Within a blink of an eye, Bing's search using SPTAG can find 10 different business cards one after another within that stack of cards.

Uses for visual, audio search

The Bing team said they expect the open source offering could be used for enterprise or consumer-facing applications to identify a language being spoken based on an audio snippet, or for image-heavy services such as an app that lets people take pictures of flowers and identify what type of flower it is. For those types of applications, a slow or irrelevant search experience is frustrating.

"Even a couple seconds for a search can make an app unusable," noted Majumder.

The team also is hoping that researchers and academics will use it to explore other areas of search breakthroughs.

"We've only started to explore what's really possible around vector search at this depth," he said.

Explore further Microsoft's Bing back online in China
Weijia Textiles Vina specializing in producing products relating to garment industry will be built in Dong An 2 Industrial Park in Binh Duong Province.

In the list of firms which are in the process of completing investment procedure, there is a familiar name, Exxon Mobil Corporation, with an investment plan of US$4.6 billion. Bac Lieu Province has been asking the Ministry of Industry and Trade to consider adding Bac Lieu Liquefied Natural Gas Power Plant by the US investor Energy Capital to the Power Planning VII with an investment capital of $4.3 billion. The underprivileged province expects that the 3,200-mega-watt power plant will supplement around VND3 trillion annually to its budget.

Other large-scale projects, including the 500-million-dollar project of Korean investor Hana Micron and additional investments of $610 million and $200 million by Apparel Far Eastern and Meiko Electronics respectively also have been signaling positively.

Vietnam is still able to expect more as the tendency to move investment to the country to wait in front for incentives from the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership as well as to avert negative impacts caused by tension of the trade war between the US and China which has become more visible.

Recently, LG Group announced that it will stop production of smartphones in South Korea by the end of this year to shift production at its factories in Hai Phong City in Vietnam. In fact, it is not unexpected because the company has had a plan to land in Vietnam since it spent $1.5 billion to build a factory in Hai Phong City in 2013. Following Samsung, LG is in the progress to make Vietnam become its largest factory in the world.

In agricultural sector, after investing $1 billion in Vietnam since 1993, CP Foods  a subsidiary of Charoen Pokphand Foods  will continue to pour more than $200 million to build a pork and poultry meat export center in Vietnam.

However, there are several risks amid optimistic signs. Minister of Finance Dinh Tien Dung admitted that there are transfer pricing practices at FDI companies. This serious issue should be prevented from the investment and production stages. If there is no solution to supervise and confirm that foreign investment capital has actually flowed into Vietnam to establish effective businesses and if the government allows firms to declare their capital, make investment and depreciation by themselves, the risk of losing tax will be extremely high. Thus, attracting lots of foreign investment capital is just a beginning.

By Anh Thu  Translated by Thuy Doan
New ways of modeling the effects of low doses of radiation at the cellular level. Credit: Tomsk State University

Scientists from TSU's Laboratory of Experimental High Energy Physics and their colleagues from the University of Bordeaux are studying new ways of modeling the effects of low doses of radiation at the cellular level. For the first time, physicists will simulate the effects of radiation on DNA and calculate the probability of developing cancer in various chemical and biological environments.

This is an interdisciplinary project that combines modeling in physics, biology and biochemistry. Scientists will investigate the processes occurring in the cell as a result of radiation exposure on environmental molecules and biological macromolecules and on subsequent physicochemical and biochemical processes.

When exposed to radiation on the human body, high-frequency radiation or high-energy particles penetrate into the living cell, knocking out electrons from the molecules that make it up. If at the same time ions appear in the cell or its DNA is damaged, then the cell cannot function normally. All these processes will be reproduced by mathematical modeling programs within the Geant4 software package.

"This integrated modeling tool is already used in nuclear medicine for treating oncological diseases and is also in demand in astronautics, for example, for preparing interplanetary expeditions, because it helps to predict the effect of radiation on astronauts and equipment during a long-term stay in space," explains Alexander Khodinov, Head of the Laboratory of Experimental High Energy Physics at TSU.

At the first stage, calculations will be made using the TSU computer facilities. The complexity of such work is that the calculation of each cycle or event takes up to an hour on a modern computer.

"The real representation of even a single cell requires the description of a number of components that is comparable to the description of a large physical installation," adds Alexander Khodinov. "We have to not only combine all the modeling processes in the same environment, but also increase the speed of calculations using hardware accelerators GPU and FPGA."

The new project became possible thanks to the participation of TSU physicists in the ATLAS and CMS experiments at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at the European Center for Nuclear Research (CERN). Approaches to creating computer programs for the LHC include developing methods for parallel computing and analyzing large amounts of data, which will now be used to study the effect of radiation on DNA.

Earlier, Tomsk scientists and their colleagues from France used the Geant4-DNA user application package for modeling electronic interactions in liquid water. The results are described in the article "Geant4-DNA Example Applications for Track Structure Simulations in Liquid Water: a Report from the Geant4-DNA Project."

Explore further Model of applicator for intracavitary brachytherapy of liver created

More information: S. Incerti, et al. Geant4-DNA example applications for track structure simulations in liquid water: A report from the Geant4-DNA Project, Medical Physics (2018). S. Incerti, et al. Geant4-DNA example applications for track structure simulations in liquid water: A report from the Geant4-DNA Project,(2018). DOI: 10.1002/mp.13048
Credit: University of Granada

Scientists from the University of Granada (UGR) have successfully obtained images of the structure of two of the most important submarine volcanoes in the Bransfield Strait, Antarctica. The study was part of the 2018-19 Spanish Antarctic Expedition, which has just been completed.

The research project "BRAVOSEIS: Seismological study of the submarine volcanoes of the Bransfield Strait (Antarctica)" is led by the UGR and covers the period 2017-20. It is funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Universities, in collaboration with national and foreign research groups.

The Bransfield Strait is located between the Antarctic Peninsula and the South Shetland Islands, where two Antarctic research stations are located. It is a 'zone of extension' or rift that is, the site of a major crack in the earth's crust, through which subterranean matter can come to the surface.

One of the phenomena associated with this extension or stretching process is the formation of active volcanoes. In the Strait of Bransfield there are several volcanic vents, most of which are underwater (with the exception of Deception, Penguin, and Bridgeman Islands).

The BRAVOSEIS project investigates submarine volcanic activity in the Bransfield Straita topic about which very little is known. The knowledge generated by this research represents a major step forward, both theoretically and practically, particularly as this area is home to the biggest population of research stations in the whole of the Antarctic. Researchers on the project are conducting an ongoing study of the area, using a dense seismic network and marine geophysics techniques. In total, the team will conduct three scientific research expeditions in Antarctica during the lifetime of the project (2017-20).

In the most recent expedition, a group of about 30 researchers spent two months in the Antarctic, between January and February 2019. Their mission was to perform three core tasks: to complete a land-based seismic network, comprising 17 broadband seismometers, located in the South Shetland Islands and the Antarctic Peninsula; to deploy a submarine seismic network, comprising 24 ocean-bottom seismometers (OBS) and 6 anchored hydrophones; and to conduct marine geophysical studies (bathymetry, seismic profiling, gravimetric analysis, and magnetism) on the submarine volcanoes. The results will contribute to a better understanding of the three-dimensional structure, both locally and regionally.

Geophysical measurements

Despite challenges such as the adverse weather conditions, the sea conditions, and the presence of large icebergs, UGR researcher Javier Almendros Gonzalez explains, "we have managed to carry out most of the activities we had planned to, installing all the seismic stations in the network and taking geophysical measurements along 1,500 kilometres of profiles."

All the instruments used during the research were designed to operate independently for a whole year. "Now we just have to hope they work correctly, and in 2020 we will go back to Antarctica to extract the data that's been recorded," he explains.

Researchers from both Spanish and foreign institutions have taken part in the study, including the University of Washington and the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) from the United States, and Germany's GeoForschungsZentrum Potsdam (GFZ) and Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI).

Within Spain, the UGR also enjoys the collaboration of several institutions, such as the University of Jaen, the National Geological and Mining Institute, the National Geographic Institute, and the Polytechnic University of Madrid. The logistics and resources for the project are provided by the Marine Technology Unit of the Spanish Higher Council for Scientific Research (CSIC), thanks to the support of the research vessel Sarmiento de Gamboa.

Explore further New Antarctic rift data has implications for volcanic evolution
In good financial shape

Wikipedia co-founder Jimmy Wales said Thursday that the free online encyclopedia is in good financial shape, although increasing mobile phone use may cut into future donations.

"We are doing very well financially," Wales told AFP ahead of Vivatech, a Paris tech fair for start-up companies.

"We spend less than we bring in every year," he said.

Wikipedia had "never been really good" at attracting major donors, with most of its money coming from people each giving around 15 euros ($16.80) in endowment money, he said.

Wikipedia has published nearly 350 million articles, and has clocked up more than 190 billion views over the past 12 months.

But Wales also said he feared a threat to Wikipedia's business model from increasing use of mobile devices coupled with personal assistant applications like Apple's Siri.

"We see a rise of people using Wikipedia in ways that don't involve websites," he said.

"We love that but you don't come to the website and see the (request for donations) banner. We haven't seen any impact yet but we worry, we think we should raise money."

Wikipedia has now launched a donations drive to build up reserves, Wales said. "Fix the roof when there's sunshine, when it rains it's too late," he said.

'Never been really good' with big donors

Wikipedia, launched in 2001, is the biggest internet encyclopedia. It is multi-lingual and ad-free.

It has enemies.

China has broadened its block of Wikipedia to include all language editions, an internet censorship research group reported this week.

According to a report by the Open Observatory of Network Interference (OONI), China started blocking all language editions of Wikipedia last month.

The Turkish government has been blocking Wikipedia for the past two years.

Explore further China blocks all language editions of Wikipedia

 2019 AFP
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May-15-2019 17:16 TweetFollow @OregonNews Legal Cannabis Export Passes the Oregon Senate! SB 582 "Theres not just a surplus of cannabis here  we have a massive wealth of knowledge, talent, experience, and skill that results in our state producing the highest quality cannabis in the world" -Casey Houlihan (ORCA)

State Senator Floyd Prozanski  one of the chief sponsors of SB 582  said of the bill, This is a next step for Oregon to be a leader in the cannabis industry."

(PORTLAND, Ore.) - In a historic move today, the Oregon Senate voted in favor of a bill that would create a framework to allow Oregon to export cannabis to other states or countries that have also adopted legalization. After passing with a 19-9 vote, the bill will now advance to the House, where it has already received support from lawmakers in both parties. The Governors office has also indicated support for the bill, meaning that todays Senate vote is likely the largest hurdle the bill will face on its way to becoming law. Before it would allow exports to occur, the bill requires an indication from the federal government that interstate commercial cannabis transactions wont be prosecuted under federal law. Theres still a lot of work to do, but todays Senate vote is a major step forward for the future of Oregons cannabis industry  and in securing our position as the countrys leading cannabis exporter, said Casey Houlihan, Executive Director of the Oregon Retailers of Cannabis Association (ORCA). ORCA has been working with lawmakers to develop a bill to establish a framework for exporting cannabis since 2015. A similar bill was introduced in the 2017 session, where it was voted on by the Senate Judiciary Committee and passed 3-2, but the bill never received a vote in the Senate and died. Houlihan continued, Oregon is already one of the leading exporters of cannabis in the nation, and it has been for decades. We want those sales to be legal and regulated and taxed. The solution is fairly simple: We need a framework for exporting that excess supply into other states and countries as soon as possible. "Theres not just a surplus of cannabis here  we have a massive wealth of knowledge, talent, experience, and skill that results in our state producing the highest quality cannabis in the world. "Our climate is ideal for large-scale cannabis cultivation. Allowing Oregon producers and brands to access outside markets will bring innumerable jobs to some of the communities in Oregon that need them the most, Houlihan said. State Senator Floyd Prozanski  one of the chief sponsors of SB 582  said of the bill, This is a next step for Oregon to be a leader in the cannabis industry. We should do everything we can to promote the industry because it will, in fact, provide good family wage jobs in local communities. The Oregon Retailers of Cannabis Association is a trade association of over 350 cannabis businesses all across the state that work together to advocate for a more vibrant and responsible retail cannabis marketplace, which in turn creates an environment where all upstream businesses can thrive. Source: Jesse Bontecou, ORCA Deputy Director

(541) 632-4442 or staff@oregoncannabisretailers.com _________________________________________

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Articles for May 15, 2019 | Articles for May 16, 2019
An armed officer is not the right person to turn to when youre looking for help with a case of school bullying.

The point of having school resource officers  the reason parents have been asking schools to hire them  is to defend against attack by active shooters.

If there hadnt been deadly attacks in Newtown and Parkland and other schools, no one in Warrensburg would be pushing the school board to spend money on an armed officer, and no one in Saratoga Springs would be rallying to get guns back on the hips of their school monitors.

Officers can do other things once theyre standing around in school hallways. They can chat with kids. They can listen to kids problems, and perhaps, put a word in the ear of a teacher or counselor.

But school shootings are the reason officers are present in school hallways in the first place. They are there for the terrible and unlikely circumstance when fighting back with gunfire makes sense.

A Warrensburg parent, Monique White, said earlier this week during a debate over the issue that her daughter, who is bi-racial, has been called racial slurs by other students. The girl reported one incident to the principal, and one of the bullies was given a day of in-school suspension.

No, she will not go back to the principal, because she feels like you guys will do nothing. An SRO officer is Switzerland. Its not part of the school. Its somebody she can turn to if something like this happens, White said at a school board meeting.

But school administrators did do something  they suspended the offending student for a day.

Even though a police officer could be a friendly ear for a student who is getting bullied, and even though talking to someone can make all the difference for a vulnerable student, officers are not there to serve as counselors, and they dont have the training or the authority to resolve interpersonal conflicts between students.

Officers should not be getting dragged into student disciplinary issues, because their training and authority is in criminal justice. In most cases, we dont want students charged with crimes for conflicts that play out in school.

Students need people in the school who have chosen a career of working with students and have trained for it. What a tragedy it would be if students with mental health issues came to harm because they had no one to help them, in districts that had spent money on armed officers instead.

Many, many more teens die from suicide  about 4,600 a year  than are shot to death by people attacking schools. Last year was the worst ever for school shootings, and 30 students were killed.

Suicide and school shootings are not separate issues. Frequently, a school shooting is the sensational way disturbed young men have chosen to carry out their suicides. Concentrating on students mental health  identifying those who could be veering into dangerous behavior, having counselors speak with them and their families and even with police, if that is called for  can stop shootings before they happen.

This debate isnt about student bullying of the sort the White family has endured. Warrensburg and every other district needs to address bullying head-on, as a regular part of the curriculum and an inherent aspect of the school environment.

No one can know if another school shooting will occur, or where. But the key questions are whether we want to create an environment of fear in our schools  is that justified?  and whether paying armed officers is the best use of the few dollars we have for public education. I sent kids through the Glens Falls school system, and of all the things I would have liked to see the district spending more money on, armed officers never made the list.

Will Doolittle is projects editor at The Post-Star. He may be reached at will@poststar.com and followed on his blog, I think not, and on Twitter at @trafficstatic.

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FORT EDWARD  Washington County intends to move several departments and employees from annex locations to a Hudson Falls school district building the county will purchase, pending voter approval Tuesday.

The move would set in motion a multi-stage county project designed to eventually create additional parking at the county office building in Fort Edward.

If approved on May 21, we will move departments and employees from the annex to the Burgoyne Avenue property, County Administrator Chris DeBolt said, adding that as part of the plan, the county would also eventually demolish the current Department of Public Works shop.

Earlier this month, the Hudson Falls Central School District school board approved the Washington County Board of Supervisors $275,000 offer to purchase the 28,000-square-foot building situated on nearly 10 acres at 1153 Burgoyne Ave., in Fort Edward.

On Tuesday, Hudson Falls school district voters will decide if plans tied to the propertys sale can proceed.

School Superintendent Linda Goewey said the district offices are currently located in half of the Burgoyne Avenue building and the other half is leased to the Washington-Saratoga-Warren-Hamilton-Essex BOCES.

We are going to move (offices) into a school so we do not have to build or rent, Goewey said on Wednesday morning. Weve done walk-throughs of five schools. Three elementary schools are packed. But we found space in both the middle school and the high school. We are still analyzing the best location for minimal upset to the school and students.

BOCES will remain in the Burgoyne Avenue building for the duration of its lease, which ends next year, Goewey said.

After that, it will be up to BOCES if they renew their lease, she said.

The decision to honor the BOCES lease will not affect or stall county plans, DeBolt said, adding that the county is aware of BOCES situation.

Officials said they plan to demolish the DPW shop, located just off the parking lot at the county office building near the Department of Motor Vehicles, because it is no longer adequate.

The current shop is quite old and too small, DeBolt said, adding it was built in the 1930s. It needs a new boiler and a new roof. It was built when the DPW had smaller, 1- or 2-ton trucks. Our trucks now have a capacity of 36 tons.

Nonetheless, before demolition is possible, the county must first build a new, larger shop for the care and maintenance of DPW vehicles and equipment and that will take Board of Supervisors approval for the expense, DeBolt said.

As the first phase of the long-term plan, employees in annex buildings at 411 and 415 Main St., would move into the Burgoyne Avenue location to make way for the new DPW shop, said DeBolt.

We are looking to vacate Annex I and Annex II, he said. They currently house Code Enforcement, Cornell Cooperative Extension, Weights and Measures, Public Health and WIC.

And once the new DPW shop is built and the existing building razed, parking woes at the county building might be lessened.

We are still early in the planning process. But the current thinking is that the location of the current DPW shop would become parking, DeBolt said. We are still developing short-term and long-term plans for what services and departments will be located at the Burgoyne Avenue building.

Kathleen Phalen-Tomaselli covers Washington County government and other county news and events.

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Editor:

Our political world has turned upside down. Once we were the beacon of hope for our European allies and those filigreeing democracies throughout the world.

Before the rise of China, it was the Soviet Union under Lenin whose history of segregating Berlin from the western allies continued until its ultimate fall. It was the unfaltering effort of our Democratic and ultimately our Republican President Ronald Reagan that ultimately transformed Germany to the Democratic nation it is today. Except for the philosophical differences as to how to better serve our citizens, there was never a conflict as to either party as their ultimate goal to be the servants of us, their American citizens.

Yet today we have the administration of Trump, who has demoralized our relationship with the European Nation, NATO, as well as our traditional friends and neighbors throughout the world. For our arch enemy North Korea, Trump has publicly stated twice that he loves Kim Jong-un, its dictator, and now he has a special envoy to meet with Putin, the same person that Trump had a 30-minute secret meeting with in Moscow.

From my point of view, Trump is a traitor to our country and for what it stands.

I would appreciate hearing from those that disagree with me!

Henry P. Oswald, Salem

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About Me Scott Because prophetic scriptures are found throughout the bible, it is obvious that a comprehensive, systematic approach would be useful, if not necessary, for the understanding of prophecy. Past prophecies have been fulfilled in a literal manner, as confirmed by the dating of these writings and historical records of confirmation. These past prophecies also serve as a model of how to interpret future prophecies. A literal view of prophecy clearly indicates a certain sequence of events will occur within a single generation, concluding with the Tribulation and Second Advent and these events will be obvious. The prophetic signs appear to be present in this generation and we believe these signs are revealed in the news from around the world. View my complete profile
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by Jeff Sovern

That's the title of my latest essay for The Conversation, about how preemption of state privacy laws could harm consumers. Here's an excerpt:

[R]ather than circumventing state laws, a federal privacy law should work in partnership with them  just as federal laws regulating auto safety such as airbag requirements operate in tandem with state regulations that govern related issues such as how fast motorists can drive.

Industry advocates, however, dont want federal and state laws to exist side by side because they say companies will have trouble following the rules of different states. Businesses had the same concerns about state data breach laws, and testimony from Marriotts CEO suggests the company didnt find it too troublesome to comply with them, however different.

Its more likely, then, that companies realize that it will be easier for their lobbyists to win a victory in one legislature  Congress  than in 50 states.

Lobbyists have also argued consumers would be bewildered by such a patchwork of state privacy laws. They claimed, for example, that a consumer driving from Biloxi, Mississippi, to Bellevue, Washington, would be confused by the different privacy regimes she would encounter.

But that same person  during that same drive  copes with a wide variety of traffic laws. Drivers seem to be able to navigate those different laws just fine.
Donations are continuing to be accepted at QCCommunityFoundation.org and the foundations office at 852 Middle Road, Suite 100, in Bettendorf. For Project NOW assistance, call 309-793-6391. For Community Action of Eastern Iowa, call 563-324-3236.

A Flood Fest benefit will be held Friday, June 7, at 7:30 p.m,, at the RiverCenter, 136 E. 3rd St., Davenport, that will also support downtown Davenport recovery efforts. The musical guest lineup is in the process of being finalized and will be announced as soon as details are available.

Tickets for the concert are $25 and available at Ticketmaster.com. A stand-alone option for those not purchasing a ticket but wishing to donate to the flood relief fund may also do so via Ticketmaster. People also have the option to purchase a ticket and make a donation over and above the cost of concert admission. Ticketmaster has reduced ticket fees for the concert and waived fees associated with any stand-alone donations.
WHAT WE KNOW: The Mercer County School Board last year said it wanted Illinois, which has banned guns in school zones except for in very limited circumstances, to allow individual school districts to decide whether school staffers could carry concealed weapons to provide protection in case of a school shooting.

WHAT'S NEW: Wednesday night, the school board again approved a resolution that would allow school districts to be able to vote on a concealed-carry firearm measure.

This is the second year the measure will be brought before the Illinois Association of School Boards resolution committee during the 2019 delegate assembly, according to Julie Wagner, board president. Last year it missed being adopted by less than 30 votes.

This years resolution points to the fact that school districts in rural areas often do not have law enforcement offices nearby, thus delaying a response in the case of an emergency.

The resolution would not require all school districts to allow employees to be armed, but rather would allow school boards to decide whether or not to make that an option.
The Regional Development Authority Board on Thursday awarded more than $1.2 million in grants to Quad-City area organizations.

The RDA is distributing the 50 grants, totaling $1,207,453, across nonprofit, civic and governmental organizations, for projects related to economic development, arts, culture, education and human services.

"The RDA Board also reserved dollars to respond quickly to flood relief needs," said Matt Mendenhall, RDA president and CEO, in a news release. "We are participating in current community discussions about what will be needed  in the short term and long term by residents, nonprofits and public spaces."

With the latest spring grant cycle, the RDA has awarded nearly $70 million in grants since 1991, according to the release.

Related to economic development, St. Ambrose University was awarded $40,000 for its Wellness and Recreation Center and Eastern Iowa Community Colleges was awarded $50,000 for its Urban Campus in Davenport.
Arconic and the United Steelworkers have extended their current labor agreement as negotiations continue, the company said in a news release Wednesday.

Our goal is to reach an agreement that is fair to our employees, allows our business to grow and continues to provide our customers with advanced materials and technologies, officials with the company said.

John Riches, spokesman for Arconic Davenport Works, said no date was given as to how long the current labor agreement will be extended.

The current five-year contract negotiated in 2014 was to expire at 11:59 p.m. Wednesday, he said.

Formal negotiations on a new contract opened April 29, Riches said.

The contract covers 1,900 employees at the Davenport Works who are with United Steelworkers Local 105, Riches said.

Overall, the contract covers about 3,400 United Steelworker employees that includes three other plants  one in Lafayette, Ind.; another in Alcoa, Tenn.; and a smaller one in Massena, NY.

This is the first contract between Arconic and the United Steelworkers since Pittsburgh-based Alcoa broke up in 2016. The company plans to split again in 2020.

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A former student had told her the school had such a cooler, so she ducked inside the store and bought it. And while rummaging through other merchandise, she found a box of pull-down maps from the 1920s, the decade to which the school has been restored. She bought those, too.

Already in place inside are several slate boards.

Next on the Forest Grove School Preservation agenda is the development of interpretive programs for the school and researching what grants might be available to pay for that.

The group also wants a kiosk from which the Rundles' films can be shown. Their work includes interviews, "so people can hear the voices of the men and women who went to the school or who taught there," Andresen said.

Group members also are going to contact schools about field trips in which third- or fourth-graders could spend a day at Forest Grove in a reenactment of how a typical day might have unfolded in the 1920s. Retired teachers have volunteered to play the role of the schoolmarm, Andresen said. Students would study subjects of the day and play games of the period during recess.

The group also intends to open the school for seasonal events.
Scott County Sheriffs investigators arrested another alleged methamphetamine dealer Tuesday.

Mark Steven Maynard Jr., 35, of Pleasant Valley is charged with two counts of possession with the intent to deliver methamphetamine.

Both charges are Class C felonies under Iowa law, each of which carries a prison sentence of up to 10 years.

Maynard also is charged with interference with official acts when the vehicle he was riding in tried to flee police.

According to the arrest affidavit filed by Scott County Sheriffs Sgt. Daniel Furlong, on Dec. 19, agents of the Sheriffs Department were watching Maynards apartment in Pleasant Valley. At 9:50 a.m., they saw Maynard meet with a Robert Andrew Balzer in a parking lot near Maynards residence.

Officers were able to stop Balzer after he met with Maynard and found 0.2 grams of methamphetamine.

Balzer, 54, of 4690 Criswell St., Bettendorf, was arrested Thursday on a charge of possession of methamphetamine, a serious misdemeanor that carries a jail sentence of up to one year. Balzer was released after posting a $100 cash bond.
If the board had seconded the motion and the vote to issue a notice to Raso had failed, it would not have legally prevented the board from reconsidering at a later date.

We are not aware of any basis in the law to stop a motion from being brought up again, said Tammy Votava, communications director for IASB. However, parliamentary procedures strive to handle meetings in an orderly and organized fashion, and would dissuade this practice.

If the vote had passed  or if it passes in the future  the superintendent could either do nothing, at which point the board would vote to terminate, suspend or retain the superintendent by May 31 of that contract year, or the superintendent has five days to request a hearing in writing to the board secretary. The hearing would have to be held between 20 and 40 days after the request is submitted.
I moved here from out of town to get a better education, she said. Christiansen has been heavily involved with Wests engineering program and the FIRST Robotics team. All of my classes looked pretty boring, but I went into the room and, instantly, I was in awe.

Now, shes preparing to start studying mechanical engineering at the University of Iowa and to share an apartment with her best friend and her dog  her other best friend.

Zakhary Keel is another aspiring engineering student from West. Hell be studying civil engineering, environmental engineering and sustainability at Iowa State University, citing the environmental consciousness that was fostered during his time in high school.

Working as an archivist or curator at the Smithsonian is Lauren Schroeders dream job. The soon-to-be Rivermont alumna was honored for leadership, and she will be studying history and museum studies at Luther College.

I like studying wars. World War II is a really big interest for me. Sos the Civil War, she said.
For this area, having every single one on tap is a big deal, he said Wednesday. People like new stuff, and local breweries like to make their own. Your local bar is becoming your local brewery.

With craft brewing booming nationally and locally, the Q-C is becoming more a beer destination, Johnson said, claiming more new independent brewers will help ones already here. People will know when they come to the Quad-Cities, they'll go to some awesome breweries. Every place is different. They have different styles of beer they like to brew. Like Crawford, his style is different than ours. He leans more traditional, German style, and we like to do more goofy stuff.

Five Cities  which opened in early 2018 next to Central Standard restaurant, near the intersection of 18th and 53rd  has been doing strong business, Johnson said. The new Ale Trail will make bar hopping more fun, he said.

The QC Ale Trail will offer a self-guided tour of the craft breweries across the region. Craft Beer Week  coinciding with American Craft Beer Week  celebrated Moline on Monday and Bettendorf/LeClaire Tuesday.
A good Thursday to all. Let's take a look at a Hazardous Weather Outlook from the National Weather Service.

It states:

"After a hot and somewhat humid day today, a cold front will arrive in northern areas this afternoon and become stationary south of Interstate 80 tonight. An isolated thunderstorm is possible early today in northern Illinois, and again along this front this afternoon. The storms this afternoon and tonight will generally be found north of an Iowa City to Galesburg line.

"The Storm Prediction Center has much of the area north of Interstate 80 in a Slight Risk for severe storms this afternoon and tonight. The main threat from storms this afternoon and tonight will be hail up to quarter size, and winds to 60 mph. In addition to this, all storms tonight are likely to bring locally heavy rainfall. Since the front is becoming stationary tonight, there is a threat that storms could impact the same areas repeatedly, which could cause flash flooding."

1. A high in the mid-80s
Why dont our local state legislators, Gary Mohr, Chris Cournoyer and Ross Paustian, trust their own city and county governments? They must think that the arbitrary 2 percent budget limitation they voted for, Senate File 634, and passed at 3 a.m. on April 25, will force their own local entities to more responsibly forecast and enact annual budgets. They want local governments (theirs?) to think twice before raising taxes.

Republican legislators state that constituents had complained to them about skyrocketing property taxes. Other than anecdotal evidence, this statement has not been verified in any meaningful way by them. If property taxes have escalated so radically, why is it that an analysis of state and federal data by Dave Swenson, an economist at Iowa State University, shows that property taxes have remained at about 1.9 percent of personal income in the last decade? Republican legislators also have declared that the state retirement programs, IPERS and 411, wont be affected, nor will emergency funds, by the 2 percent trigger.If that is the case, why were pension and emergency funds removed from their historic categories for budgeting and deliberately included in the 2 percent general fund trigger?
The entries are in and its time for our readers to test their knowledge of our local ranches!

The Records Match the Brand Contest appears in the May 15 printed issue as part of the papers Salute to Beef for National Beef Month. Were asking our readers to match the correct brand with the correct ranch photo. The reader who submits the most correct answers will receive a new barbecue grill courtesy of The Chadron Record!

Local ranchers submitted their brands and photos of work taking place on their ranch earlier this month for the contest, and theyre eligible to compete for the grill as well. All interested participants need to pick up a copy of the May 15 Chadron Record and fill out the entry form in order to compete. The entry forms must be returned to The Chadron Record by May 31 at 3 p.m. They can be dropped off in person at 248 West Second St. or mailed to PO Box 1084, Chadron, Neb., 69337.

The winner of the grill will be announced in the June 5 Chadron Record. Ranchers who submitted their brands will also be entered into a random drawing for a dinner for two, which will also be announced that day.

Thanks to the ranchers who sent us their photos. Agriculture is a large part of the economy in northwest Nebraska, and we wanted to honor beef producers during National Beef Month in a way that engages our readers, said Record Editor Kerri Rempp. We cant wait to see how the Match the Brand Contest ends, so grab your May 15 edition today and start guessing!

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Authorities have conducted another search for a missing girl in western South Dakota, but she was not found.

Teams from across the state searched Wednesday for Serenity Dennard near Rockerville. But the Pennington County Sheriff's Office says the girl remains missing.

Dennard was 9 years old when she ran away from a children's home on Feb. 3. On Sunday, dozens of people gathered in Rapid City's Main Street Square to celebrate her 10th birthday.

The latest search included agencies from Brown, Butte, Douglas, Hughes and Meade counties, as well as Box Elder, Rapid City, Sioux Falls and Watertown police departments.

The search changed from a rescue to a recovery effort not long after she went missing. Authorities say Dennard likely wouldn't have survived if she was outdoors in subzero temperatures.

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Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lu Kang's Regular Press Conference on May 16, 2019

2019/05/16

Q: Yesterday the Dutch cabinet released a policy note about its position on China, saying that although China is an important partner, the Netherlands should be more critical about it. How does China look at the report from the Netherlands? Does it have an effect possibly on the relationship between China and the Netherlands?

A: China believes that as a principle, to develop a sound and mutually-beneficial bilateral relationship, countries need to enhance trust, consensus and cooperation, and efforts to advance bilateral relations should not be easily influenced by hearsay or external disturbances.

We have noted the Dutch government's policy note about its position on China. The Netherlands is one of China's most important partners in the EU. Cooperation has been the mainstream of our bilateral relations all along, which has delivered tangible benefits to our peoples. China attaches high importance to our bilateral relations. We are ready to work with the Dutch side for high-quality cooperation based on mutual respect and win-win spirit. We sincerely hope it can view China's development in an objective and fair manner and work with China for a sound and stable bilateral relationship that brings more benefits to our peoples.

Q: What is the reckoning of China to the situation with Huawei and the decision of the US Commerce Department? Is it the next step of a trade war?

A: Are you referring to the US Commerce Department's decision to add Huawei and its affiliates to its so-called Entity List?

The journalist clarified: yes.

A: As far as I know, the Ministry of Commerce may state China's position regarding the US Commerce Department's decision this afternoon.

China has taken note of this decision. We ask our companies to follow the laws and regulations on export control and fulfill our due international obligations. We ask our companies to observe local laws and policies when doing business overseas.

But at the same time, we oppose the act of any country to impose unilateral sanctions on Chinese entities based on its domestic laws, and to abuse export control measures while making "national security" a catch-all phrase. We urge the US to stop its wrong practices, create conditions for Chinese and American companies to carry out normal trade and cooperation, and avoid causing more damage to bilateral economic and trade ties. The Chinese side will take necessary measures to safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of our companies.

Q: US Under Secretary of State Andrea Thompson said during a Congressional hearing that China has used a lot of resources to modernize its nuclear force. Considering the security situation at the moment, the US should encourage China to join the New START so as to avoid being restricted by the treaty while China grows its nuclear ambitions. I wonder if you have any comment?

A: We have responded to many similar questions already. This is not the first time that a US high-level official put forth the idea of China joining the US and Russia in nuclear disarmament talks. Frankly, many nuclear disarmament experts are wondering: by engaging China in the talks, is the US trying to increase China's nuclear arsenal to its level or reduce its own nuclear arms to China's level? As I recall, most of those asking this question are American experts on arms control.

China believes that countries with the biggest nuclear arsenals should earnestly fulfill their special and primary responsibilities to disarmament, continue implementing and extend the bilateral disarmament treaty, and drastically cut nuclear arms in a verifiable and irreversible manner. This is also the common consensus of the international community. The US should not run away from its responsibilities by taking other countries as an excuse.

China is committed to peaceful development and a defense policy that is defensive in nature. China maintains a reasonable and moderate national defense input. Our nuclear force is always kept at the minimum level required by national security, with an order-of-magnitude difference from that of the US and Russia, which puts things in a completely different light. On this issue, China's position is clear: we will not participate in any negotiation for a trilateral nuclear disarmament agreement.

Regarding the transparency issue brought up by the relevant individual from the US side, if you compare China with the relevant country, you will see that China does not engage in any nuclear arms race. We do not offer nuclear umbrella to or deploy nuclear weapons in other countries. We honor our commitments on not being the first one to use nuclear weapons or using them on non-nuclear states or nuclear-weapon-free zones. All those demonstrate transparency in the most meaningful way. They are also major contributions to international peace and security. We hope the US can make the same commitments. China has also been encouraging the P5 countries to step up dialogue on nuclear strategies and policies, which is one of the most important consensuses reached by P5 countries in their January meeting in Beijing.

I'd like to reiterate that being committed to multilateralism, China honors its international responsibilities and commitments and actively participates in global security governance. In a responsible and constructive spirit, we will continue to work with the international community for world peace and stability.

Q: We noted that during the Conference on Dialogue of Asian Civilizations (CDAC), many delegates lashed out at the theory of "clash of civilizations" and some also criticized its underlying viewpoint that one certain civilization is superior to another. What's your comment?

A: In fact, the so-called "clash of civilizations" has long been discarded in the circle of international relations studies. But even though the human society has moved forward to where it stands today, some people still preach such ideologies as the so-called superiority of certain civilization and clash of civilizations, which is shocking and even alarming to the world.

As President Xi Jinping pointed out in his speech at the CDAC's opening ceremony yesterday, civilizations only vary from each other, just as human beings are different only in terms of skin color and the language used. No civilization is superior over others. The thought that one's own race and civilization are superior and the inclination to remold or replace other civilizations are just stupid. To act them out will only bring catastrophic consequences.

Just as you observed, what President Xi Jinping noted has been strongly echoed by all those attending the event. They agree that civilizations are all equal and no civilization can replace or be condescending to others. We should respect the uniqueness, independence and diversity of civilizations. Greek President Pavlopoulos made it clear that the so-called "clash of civilizations" trumpeted by some is a huge mistake. There should not and will not be conflict and confrontation between civilizations.

China believes that only by stepping up communication, dialogue and exchange between civilizations can we realize lasting peace of the world and prosperity and progress of mankind. Building a community with a shared future for mankind is the right way forward.

Q: The spokesperson of the Nigerian president said when meeting with heads of Chinese enterprises, President Buhari thanked China for its sincere efforts and practical support that greatly improved Nigeria's infrastructure. He also said that Chinese companies are helping the country to build railways, highways and ports while offering nearly 40,000 local jobs. I wonder if you have any comment?

A: We noted relevant reports and appreciate President Buhari's remarks. We are pleased that China's support and assistance have helped promoting the socio-economic development and improving people's livelihood in Nigeria.

Nigeria is a developing country with the biggest population in Africa and China is the largest developing country in the world. South-South cooperation between China and Nigeria is brotherly, equal-footed and mutually beneficial. China highly values our bilateral relations. We are ready to create more synergy in strategies with Nigeria for greater win-win outcomes.

Q: The Canadian government said that Canadians Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor have been formally arrested. When did this take place? Where have they been transferred to? What is the response of the Chinese government to the Canadian statement saying that Canada strongly condemns their arbitrary arrest and reiterates its demand that China immediately release the two men?

A: To answer your first question, as approved by the Chinese procuratorial organ, Michael Kovrig was arrested according to law for suspected crimes in secretly gathering state secrets and intelligence for foreign forces, and Michael Spavor was arrested for suspected crimes in stealing and illegally providing state secrets to foreign forces.

As to your second question, I need to make it clear to the Canadian side that, like we said on previous occasions, China has taken compulsory measures on the two Canadians in accordance with law and the Chinese procuratorial organ has lawfully approved their arrest. The actions we have taken are entirely law-based. We hope the Canadian side does not make irresponsible remarks on it.

Q: When were Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor arrested? On what charges? Can you tell us where they are now?

A: On your second question, Michael Kovrig was arrested according to law for suspected crimes in secretly gathering state secrets and intelligence for foreign forces, and Michael Spavor was arrested for suspected crimes in stealing and illegally providing state secrets to foreign forces.

On your first question, as far as I know, the arrest took place recently.

On your third question, I have nothing to update you at the moment.

Q: Could I just clarify are those formal charges against them or are those still allegations against them?

A: Like I just said, Michael Kovrig was arrested according to law for suspected crimes in secretly gathering state secrets and intelligence for foreign forces, and Michael Spavor was arrested for suspected crimes in stealing and illegally providing state secrets to foreign forces.

Q: In the previous answer relating to the Huawei matter, you said China will take measures to safeguard Chinese businesses' legitimate interests. Can you give us an idea of what those measures might involve?

A: The Ministry of Commerce may answer this question during its press conference today. As you know, when carrying out investment and trade with other countries, China asks all Chinese companies including Huawei to observe local laws and regulations. But if our companies are treated unfairly, we are definitely entitled to take necessary measures to safeguard their legitimate rights and interests.

Q: US Treasury Secretary Mnuchin said on May 15 that China and the US had constructive discussions in the 11th round of trade talks. He and US Trade Representative Lighthizer will likely travel to Beijing soon to continue negotiations. Has China sent a invitation to the US?

A: China stands for dialogue and consultation when dealing with differences in international affairs. When it comes to economic and trade relations between China and the US, we also believe dialogue holds the key to all issues. As you may have noted in previous trade talks, the US repeatedly rejected rules in consultations and brought difficulties to the talks, while China, on the other hand, has been acting in a constructive spirit all along. The international community bears witness to all this.

I have to emphasize that it takes sincerity to make a consultation meaningful. Judging from what the US did in previous talks, there are two things we have to make clear. First, we need to follow the principle of mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit. Second, words must be matched with deeds. Flip-flopping is the last thing we need.

Q: Now that Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor have been formally charged, have they been provided access to a lawyer?

A: We have been saying this from the very beginning. Today I can still responsibly reassure you that the Chinese judicial authorities handle the case in accordance with law. Their lawful rights and interests are fully guaranteed.

Q: Just another question on the Huawei matter. How does the Chinese government view this in the context of trade relations? You mentioned it's the US Commerce Department who did this, but considering it is an executive order signed by the president, is it viewed as a major escalation on the part of the US president personally?

A: I've told you China's position on our companies' operation overseas. As we said, we oppose the act of any country to abuse "national security" reasons and take unfair, discriminatory measures on Chinese entities. If any country does so, China will definitely take necessary measures to safeguard its legitimate rights and interests.

As for how China views the executive order, your question clearly shows that no one is seeing it as a constructive and friendly gesture.

Q: There has been speculation that the US action could be damaging to Huawei. Is China concerned about that?

A: Of course the Chinese government cares for the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies. We will take necessary measures to safeguard their legitimate rights and interests.

Q: A follow-up on Huawei. There is a lot of concern that China might retaliate or single out certain US companies operating here for penalties in response to this. Is that something China would do?

A: As I said, the Chinese government will take necessary measures to safeguard our companies' legitimate rights and interests.

As for the foreign companies in China, they don't need to be concerned at all as long as they abide by the law. But there's something I must emphasize: trade and investment relations between countries must be based on equality, mutual benefit and mutual respect.
PIERRE | South Dakota is suing a Houston-based natural gas drilling company for $15.5 million after the company for years neglected to cap unused wells in the northwestern part of the state, falling out of compliance with state environmental standards.

On Monday, the attorney generals office filed a 100-page complaint against Spyglass Cedar Creek LP in the state's 6th Circuit Court in Hughes County after years of permit violations and financial turmoil. The state is seeking approximately $15.5 million in civil penalties from the company, and demanded a trial by jury.

The lawsuit comes more than a decade after Spyglass first began drilling for natural gas in 2006 near the town of Buffalo. Since then, the company has been shaken by economic turbulence and internal scandals: Natural gas prices fell, a lender filed bankruptcy, the company became entangled in several lawsuits, a business partner was indicted for tax fraud, and a $20,000 bond meant to cover the cost of capping the wells was spent elsewhere.

Spyglass began to neglect the 40 wells they drilled in the state, but failed to cap them while they weren't in use, which violates state Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) standards. The DENR's Board of Minerals and Environment gave Spyglass several chances to change course, but ultimately voted to revoke their permits in January, then to fine them $15.5 million in April, based on DENR's civil penalty calculation of $500 per day per violation.

Now, the state is taking Spyglass to court in order to get those fines, and to make Spyglass see to it that the wells are capped.

Deputy Attorney General Rich Williams told the governor-appointed board on Wednesday that his office would also consider a settlement, depending on how the company responds. As of Wednesday afternoon, Williams said Spyglass has not yet been served. Once they are, they will have 30 days to file a response.

Also included in the complaint are Spyglass general partners March Kimmel and Kevin Sellers, who Williams said are jointly responsible for the company's debts.

Kimmel told the board in September that Sellers cashed out the $20,000 bond in 2015 because the company didn't remember what the money was for, leaving the state with less than $10,000 to cap the 40 wells  an effort estimated to cost at least $855,150. The DENR proposed in April using $130,000 in bonds from a different failed oil well project to cover some of Spyglass' costs.

By the end of the board's meeting Wednesday, the question remained where the money from Spyglass's civil penalties (if and when they are paid) would go and for what they would be used. The board wrestled with the question of whether to involve the state Legislature in the decision, but ultimately decided to wait until their July meeting  hopefully after seeing how Spyglass responds to the lawsuit  to decide.

"Im willing to see a few more cards before we adopt a plan," said board chairperson Rex Hagg. "Weve done everything we can and now were suing them, so were not standing still."

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Powerlifting gave Kelsey Horton of Rapid City the skill, strength and confidence to compete on The Titan Games, which aired earlier this year on NBC. Horton is now co-organizing a local powerlifting meet to give the sport a boost in South Dakota.

The inaugural Black Hills Classic powerlifting meet will be June 1 at Hay Camp CrossFit in Rapid City. Up to 60 competitors can enter; the deadline to register is Saturday, May 18. There is an entry fee to participate, but spectators can attend and watch the meet free of charge.

Black Hills Classic will be the first-ever powerlifting meet in South Dakota that is sanctioned by the United States Powerlifting Association. Horton is the first USPA-certified powerlifting referee in South Dakota and will be one of the judges at the Black Hills Classic.

The beautiful thing about powerlifting is anyone can do it, said Horton, who has introduced her 8-year-old daughter to powerlifting. The last meet I was at, I saw an 80-year-old man powerlifting for the first time. You can be a very novice to a very experienced lifter. I dont think theres a right or wrong person to compete.

The meet is open to men and women 13 or older who have at least a basic knowledge of powerlifting, Horton said. You can enter if you have lifting experience, or come check it out and see if its something youre interested in for next year. Were hoping to make Black Hills Classic an annual event.

The USPA is one of the premier powerlifting organizations in the United States.

Its one of two that has higher standards of getting certified as a referee. Judging (at meets) is stricter. They have higher standards, Horton said. A lot of more professional athletes will venture toward USPA meets versus any other federation.

The top three male and female lifters at Black Hills Classic will win cash prizes, Horton said, and the best overall male and female competitor will each receive a title belt.

Hortons training partner, Damien Pezzuti, manages Rapid Citys Complete Nutrition store. Complete Nutrition is sponsoring the cash prizes and providing a gift bag for every competitor, Horton said.

Meet director Albert Alvarado of Squat 2 Depth Apparel in St. Louis is co-sponsoring Black Hills Classic. Alvarado will provide some of the equipment for the meet and some judges, Horton said.

Hortons goal is to get a barbell in as many hands as I can because I love powerlifting and I feel like other people would too if they were exposed to it, she said.

In the last five years, theres been a boom in powerlifting but its still not quite to South Dakota yet, she said. Its limited. I want to change that. I want to give people more of an opportunity where they can compete where they dont have to drive so far.

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A free customer service training at Stevensville Main Street Associations office on May 30 will focus on helping businesses prepare for the tourism season.

The interactive workshop will prepare business owners and their information on how to provide a positive, helpful and engaging experience before, during and after their interaction with the many customers new to their business and community.

The workshop focuses on hosting visitors to Montana, with attention to helping businesses integrate exceptional customer service skills into all their customer relationships.

This happens when businesses:

 Start with a service mindset

 Know their business and the region

 Pay attention to detail

 Proactively serve the needs of their customers

This is a program of Flathead Community College, sponsored by of Glacier Country Montana and presented by Pam Gosink. The Stevensville Main Street Association hosts the Bitterroot presentation as one of Montanas regional Visitor Information Centers.

If local businesses are interested in attending, please register by calling 777-3773. Space will fill quickly.

The Stevensville Main Street office is located at 102 B Main Street, The workshop is May 30 from 9 a.m. to noon.

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The past winters lingering low-level snowpack and cold was hard on yearling elk in the Bitterroot Valley.

On average, the ratio between cows and calves counted in this springs annual elk monitoring flight dropped from 24 calves per 100 cows last year to 18 calves this year.

We usually like to see that number closer to 25. When you start dropping into the teens, thats not so good," said Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Bitterroot-based biologist Rebecca Mowry.

And the damage to the herd might not stop there.

Mowry said that since the spring green-up arrived late, pregnant cows could end up delivering underweight calves.

Research shows those lighter-weight calves have a lower chance of survival, Mowry said. We could end up seeing two years of a low cow-calf ratio.

That, in turn, could lead to a drop in the number of bull elk that are the focus of most hunters.

Overall elk numbers were down from last years count, but still above the objectives set in the state elk management plan.

Mowry counted 7,851 elk in the five hunting districts that surround the valley as well as several herds that live along the river bottom. Last year, she tallied 8,585.

The state elk plan objective for the five hunting districts in the Bitterroot Valley is 7,500.

In the East Fork of the Bitterroot  the valleys most popular hunting area  Mowry counted 4,069 elk, including 423 bulls. While last years count was higher at 4,779, this springs numbers were still over the objective of 3,800.

Given the rough winter, the count was much higher than I expected, Mowry said.

The biologist and pilot made five flights over the HD 270 in three days in an attempt to avoid the possibility of double counting elk. Even with that extra effort, several areas that typically hold bull elk in the spring were missed in this years survey.

I am highly confidence in the overall count, minus the bulls I know we missed, she said.

Two of the five hunting districts on the east side of the valley  HD 261 and HD 204  are both above objectives.

In HD 204 on the north end of the Sapphire Mountains, Mowry counted 891 elk. The objective for that area is 600. That district also had the highest number of bull-cow ratio on the Bitterroot. Mowry spotted 205 bulls in the district, which equates to 39 bulls for every 100 cows.

In HD 261, which includes the middle portion of the Sapphire Mountains, Mowry tallied 857 elk in an area where the objective is 700.

The only hunting district that fell short of the state elk plan objective was HD 250 in the West Fork of the Bitterroot, where Mowry counted 901 elk, including 170 bulls. The objective is 1,400, but Mowry thinks that number may have to be adjusted.

Some of the elk that spend the summer and fall in the West Fork winter in Idaho. That fact was documented during the recent elk study that focused on calf mortality.

After finding elk had already gone back into the timber during one flight of the springs survey in the Hughes Creek drainage, Mowry and her pilot popped over the mountains into Idaho where they found elk that may soon move back into Montana.

It was beautifully greened up and there were lots of elk hanging out in the North Fork of the Salmon: probably 200 to 300 at least, Mowry said. In years with less snow, theres a good chance we could find these elk already in the West Fork during the annual surveys  but not this year, as the snow at the divide was still pretty deep.

Since elk move back and forth between Montana and Idaho in the West Fork, Mowry said the state may need to take another look at the objective for that area to see if its appropriate.

On the west side of the valley, Mowry spotted 1,010 elk in HD 240. She thinks she may have missed a few between Trapper Creek and Chaffin Creek after running out of daylight during an evening flight.

Mowry also spotted four different elk herds on the valley floor.

She counted 88 south of Stevensville near Bell Crossing.

Closer to Hamilton, Mowry found two different herds in places where there have normally been one. One was near Murdochs Ranch and Home Supply, where she has normally spotted elk before. The other was closer to Anglers Roost. Both herds had about 40 elk.

Mowry guesses that the Anglers Roost group might have moved down from the west side. The Murdochs herd has been living in the river bottom year around and sometimes crosses the highway on the south of side of Hamilton near the Conoco gas station.

Mowry also found a herd of about 35 elk in the Conner area this year. That herd is often spotted west of the West Fork Road around the White Fishing Access Site.

A wet and cool March pushed back this years annual monitoring flight a couple weeks. Mowry has to wait until the grass begins to green up before launching the intensive effort.

Usually the lower elevations start to green up in late March, she said. This year we started on April 11. The weather delayed us two to three weeks.

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Eyes were on the skies for an approaching storm Wednesday as the Miss Montana airplane crew prepared for a Thursday departure from Missoula International Airport.

Everybodys working their butts off trying to get out of here tomorrow morning. I guess its going to be weather-dependent, said Eric Komberec, president of the Museum of Mountain Flying and chairman of the Miss Montana to Normandy project.

Komberec said as of shortly after 6 p.m. Wednesday, liftoff was planned for around noon.

"With weather and whatnot it will be a quick dash," he said.

The DC-3/C-47, once a cargo, smokejumper and charter carrier airplane, flew for the first time in 18 years on Sunday. The tentative first destination is Rapid City, South Dakota, for a refueling stop. If all goes well, the crew of 6 to 8 will overnight in Wichita, Kansas, then make two more stops en route to the final U.S. destination of Oxford, Connecticut, on Friday.

There, Miss Montana is scheduled to join up with more than a dozen other Dakota warbirds comprising the D-Day Squadron for a Saturday flyover of the Statue of Liberty. They leave Sunday, weather permitting, for a week-long trip to Duxford Airfield north of London. Theyll join the entire international C-47 fleet for the final leg to Caen-Carpiquet Airport in Normandy, France, to commemorate the 75th anniversary of D-Day in World War II.

The cross-country flight roster includes chief pilot Jeff Whitesell and Komberec; fellow pilots Bryan Douglass and Art Dykstra, as well as mechanics Randy and Crystal Schonemann.

An early departure would be best, said meteorologist Bob Nester at the National Weather Service on the other end of the airport.

The earlier the better as far as avoiding thunderstorms tomorrow, Nester said Wednesday afternoon. "They're not getting here until maybe 1 or 2 o'clock. Then everything gets pretty crazy."

The storm line to the east will follow a line to the south of the Musselshell River through Central Montana. Bozeman, Billings, southeast Montana, northeast Wyoming and the Rapid City area in western South Dakota are all expecting potential thunder showers of varying severity.

Farther to the north would probably be the safest route, at least tomorrow, Nester said.

Miss Montana has gotten in several hours of air time over the past three days. On Tuesday, it dropped seven skydivers onto an open field in Plains to allow the jumpers to update their certification. Fifteen jumpers are certified to jump from Miss Montana in England and France, according to jumpmaster Al Charters of Missoula.

Video of the jumps, photos and other information are on the Miss Montana to Normandy Facebook page.

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To contact Rensselaer Adventures, send e-mail to rensselaeradventures at yahoo.com. (I put the @ in there originally, and of the first eight messages I received, four were the Nigerian scam and three told me I won a lottery I never entered. Maybe this change is already too late.)



If you want to comment on any specific post, (adding information or correcting a mistake I made) please use the comment area that is available on each post. That way everyone will get to see what you think, not just me.



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I will not check this address every day, so be patient. (And I almost never check my messages on Facebook, so it you send something there, the odds are that I will not see it for weeks or months.)



Also, I encourage and appreciate comments that are informative or entertaining. However, I delete comments that I think are offensive or inappropriate (which includes spam--I delete a lot of spam).




iPay88 is collaborating with Google to bring Google Pay to e-commerce merchants in Malaysia. The company is one of over 60 global payment service providers collaborating with Google to enable Google Pay to countries around the world.

At the recent Google I/O 2019 developer conference, Google showed data of the problems users and customers were facing when it comes to online payments, revealing that 70% of shopping carts on e-commerce sites were abandoned during the check-out process. Merchants were having trouble converting potential customers into actual sales through no fault of their own. Most customers, it was said, found the entire check out process too lengthy.

Like Samsung Pay, Google Pay works like a digital wallet for your credit cards, allowing you to make payment offline and online. During payment, Google Pay masks the actual card number with a digital one for another layer of security for users. And thanks to the tight integration of Googles services, if you are shopping online and pay with Google Pay, your shipping address is already stored within Google Pay  negating the need to enter your lengthy house or office address.

iPay88s collaboration with Google will likely see e-commerce merchants supporting Google Pay via iPay88s payment network  that means if a merchant supports credit card payments via iPay88, it will support Google Pay transactions as well. Thanks to its burgeoning e-commerce presence, new and better digital payment methods are always welcome news for Malaysians. However, iPay88 did not reveal any timelines on Google Pay support in Malaysia.

(Source: iPay88)

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"I would like to say 'This book is written to the glory of God', but nowadays this would be the trick of a cheat, i.e., it would not be correctly understood."--Ludwig Wittgenstein



"Talk to me about the truth of religion, and I'll listen gladly. Talk to me about the duty of religion and I'll listen submissively. But don't come talking to me about the consolation of religion or I shall suspect that you don't understand."--C.S. Lewis
"The Earth is a farm," suggested Charles Fort. "We are someone else's property."
Chinese Ambassador Hu Zhangliang Paid a Courtesy Call on Hon. Minister of Labour and Social Security

2019/05/14

On May 13, 2019, the Chinese Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Republic of Sierra Leone, H.E. Mr. HU Zhangliang paid a courtesy call on the honorable Minister of Labour and Social Security Mr. Adekunle Joliff Milton King.

Ambassador Hu said the Chinese companies operating in Sierra Leone have created a lot of employment and promoted the social and economic development of Sierra Leone. The Chinese government has consistently required the relevant Chinese companies to operate in compliance with Sierra Leonean laws and ensure the legitimate rights and interests of local workers. He said that China would like to continuously strengthen cooperation with Sierra Leone in the fields of labour and social security.

Minister King thanked the government and people of China for their long-standing assistance and support. He said that the Chinese companies have played an important role in promoting economic development and the transfer of labour skills in Sierra Leone. He wished to see that the bilateral cooperation and friendship between Sierra Leone and China be further strengthened.
Ordinance amendments to regulate agricultural hoop structures were approved Tuesday by the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors after splitting the difference on a change for one requirement and deleting some text from another. The result is hoop houses will be exempt from permit requirements provided they are 20 feet or less in height, have no lighting, plumbing or other permanent elements, are located on land cultivated in one of the last three years and are on slopes averaging 25% or less.
In a crowded room at the Santa Maria Veterans Memorial Center, high school students and youth advocates gathered for the second time to ask Santa Maria Joint Union High School District board members and administrators to realign their graduation requirements with those needed to gain admission to one of California's 31 public four-year colleges or universities.
CALmatters is a public interest journalism venture committed to explaining how California's state Capitol works and why it matters. For more stories by Dan Walters, go to Commentary.
Chinese Ambassador HU Zhangliang met with Deputy Minister of Defense Simeon Sheriff

2019/05/15

On May 8, 2019, Chinese Ambassador HU Zhangliang met with the Deputy Minister of Defense Simeon Sheriff.

Ambassador Hu noted that China-Sierra Leone friendship is deeply rooted and the cooperation between the two armies had been fruitful over the past decades. China will continue to enhance exchanges with Sierra Leone and support the latter in national defense capacity building.

Deputy Minister Simeon Sheriff thanked China for its long term support to Sierra Leone. He said Sierra Leone is looking forward to working with China to boost bilateral cooperation on peace and security.
" " Jane Goodall with Motambo, an orphan at the JGI Tchimpounga Chimpanzee Rehabilitation Center. The Jane Goodall Institute

Some people just don't quit. It's OK to quit  occasionally it's best to  but let Dr. Jane Goodall be an example to us all: Sometimes you have a far-fetched dream and instead of deciding it's a stupid idea, you do it anyway.

It's not going to be easy, mind you. Along the way, you'll navigate red tape: Some people will require your mother to chaperone you through parts of it, while others will dismiss and pooh-pooh your best, most groundbreaking work. And then, when you've achieved what you set out to do, just when you're at the top of your game, you'll realize that, while your first dream was noble and true, you now have more information than you did when you started out. So your dream changes. Your new dream is bigger and more difficult to realize, but you do it anyway.

Repeat into old age, never slowing down, and you might even get nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize.

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Early Life

The key to Jane Goodall's persistence seems to have a lot to do with knowing what she liked from a very young age, and then just insisting on doing it. Her father gave her a stuffed chimpanzee when she was a baby, and she took it with her everywhere, even though it was terrifying, by all accounts. She grew up loving to observe and catalog animals, and dreamed of one day living with African animals and writing books about them for a living. Her mother, who was a novelist herself, told Goodall that seemed like a perfectly reasonable idea, even though it was the 1940s, and not at all what middle-class English girls were expected to do.

After she finished school, Goodall couldn't afford to go to college, so she worked odd jobs in London for a few years until a friend invited her to visit her family's farm in Kenya. At which point, Goodall immediately quit her job and waited tables until she made enough money to pay for the price of boat fare to Africa. While in Kenya, her friend suggested she contact the paleontologist Louis Leakey, curator of the Coryndon Museum in Nairobi, to discuss primates (Leakey was interested in studying primate behavior in order to better understand early human species). Leaky hired Goodall as his field assistant on a paleontological dig, and later asked her to return to England to research primates and raise money for a long-term observational study on wild chimpanzees at the Gombe Stream National Park in Tanzania.

" " Dr. Jane Goodall attended a screening on Jan. 9, 2018 of the BAFTA nominated National Geographic documentary "Jane" with her son Grub (Hugo Louis van Lawick) and grandson Nick van Lawick (left) in Bournemouth, U.K. Jeff Spicer/Getty Images

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Gombe Stream Research Centre

In July of 1960, 26-year-old Jane Goodall began setting up her field station at Gombe, and would become the site of the longest-running wildlife research project in history. British authorities initially balked at the idea of a young woman doing this kind of work unchaperoned, so Goodall's mother Vanne accompanied her for the first few months. Goodall observed the chimpanzees daily for two years before she earned their trust. Her method was just to watch the animals and imitate their actions, recording everything that happened in a field journal.

Two of Goodall's most important discoveries during this period had to do with what chimps ate, and how they went about getting food: Goodall was the first to observe chimpanzees killing and eating the meat of small mammals (prior to this, they were thought to be vegetarian), and perhaps her biggest contribution to our understanding of primates was the revelation that chimps used collected and modified grass stems and sticks as tools to fish termites out of their nests. Goodall's discoveries were so significant, Leakey arranged for her to write a dissertation at Cambridge University on the behaviors of wild chimpanzees. It was accepted, and she became one of only eight people ever to graduate from Cambridge with her Ph.D. without first earning her undergraduate degree.

In 1964, Goodall married Hugo van Lawick, a Dutch wildlife photographer Leakey sent to record her activity in the field, and their son "Grub", born in 1967, spent his early life with his parents at Gombe. After Goodall and Lawick divorced in 1974, Goodall married Derek Bryceson in 1975, who was the director of Tanzania's national parks. During this time, Goodall published books about her experiences and research at Gombe, including "In the Shadow of Man", which was criticized by scientists because of Goodall's habit of naming the subjects of her research (she called her most famous study subject "David Graybeard"), but the book was wildly popular and has since been translated into 48 languages. As she lived and worked in Gombe, she began to notice changes to the chimpanzees' habitat: deforestation and mining practices forced the animals out of their homes and into smaller and smaller areas.

" " Dr. Jane Goodall speaks to a Roots and Shoots group in Avondale, Pennsylvania in 2003. David S. Holloway/Getty Images

According to the Jane Goodall Institute, more than 1 million wild chimpanzees lived in Africa 100 years ago, but today only a fifth of that population exists. Goodall saw the writing on the wall, which is why, in the 1980s, Goodall changed her focus from observing chimps, to working to protect their habitat. She founded the Jane Goodall Institute in 1977, which works to keep human communities and wild chimpanzee populations in Africa healthy and coexisting peacefully. Roots and Shoots is a program to empower young people worldwide to make difference in their local communities. At the age of 85, Goodall spends about 300 days a year traveling and speaking about Africa, chimpanzees, the environment and her other passions.

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Hope for the Future

Although Goodall sees the hideous parts of what humans are doing to our planet, she continues to be hopeful about our future, as she demonstrated in this 2017 New York Times oped:

The lust for greed and power has destroyed the beauty we inherited, but altruism, compassion and love have not been destroyed. All that is beautiful in humanity has not been destroyed. The beauty of our planet is not dead but lying dormant, like the seeds of a dead tree. We shall have another chance.

In 2019, Goodall was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. She was also included on the 2019 TIME 100 List of the 100 most influential people in the world.

" " Dr. Jane Goodall participates in a panel discussion during the TIME 100 Summit 2019 on April 23, 2019 in New York City. Brian Ach/Getty Images

"I believe there is no better choice to receive the next Nobel Peace Prize," says Myron Shekelle, a research associate at Western Washington University's Department of Anthropology, and the author of the petition to nominate Goodall for the prize, in an email. "Civilization is today facing perhaps its greatest challenge ever: the twin apocalyptic threats of Global Climate Change and Biodiversity Loss. Both are caused by humans, and both are linked in that both stem from human misuse of the environment. No one has done more or better work than Jane Goodall to bring peace between humans and their environment and thereby create the conditions under which humans can be at peace with each other. Jane Goodall is the global face for global peace."

What are they going to call you when you're 85?

Learn more about the journey of Dr. Jane Goodall in "Reason for Hope: A Spiritual Journey" by Jane Goodall. 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 In response to Goodall's discovery of tool use in the Gombe chimpanzees, Louis Leakey said, "Now we must redefine 'tool,' redefine 'man.' Or accept chimpanzees as humans."

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Originally Published: May 16, 2019
A joint effort by international law enforcement agencies from 6 different countries has dismantled the crime gang behind the GozNym banking malware.

GozNym banking malware is considered one of the most dangerous threats to the banking industry, experts estimated it allowed to steal nearly $100 million from over 41,000 victims across the globe for years.

An unprecedented, international law enforcement operation has dismantled a complex, globally operating and organised cybercrime network. reads the press release published by the Europol. The criminal network used GozNym malware in an attempt to steal an estimated $100 million from more than 41 000 victims, primarily businesses and their financial institutions.

The GozNym banking malware was first spotted in April 2015 by researchers from the IBM X-Force Research, it combines the best features of Gozi ISFB and Nymaim malware.

The GozNym has been seen targeting banking institutions, credit unions, and retail banks. Among the victims of the GozNym Trojan there are 24 financial institutions in North America and organizations in Europe, including a Polish webmail service providers, investment banking and consumer accounts at 17 banks in Poland and one bank in Portugal.

Now the Europol announced the unprecedented, international law enforcement operation that allowed to dismantled the complex, globally operating and organised cybercrime network.

Europol with the help of law enforcement agencies from Bulgaria, Germany, Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine, and the United States identified and 10 individuals alleged members of the GozNym network.

5 defendants were arrested during several coordinated searches conducted in Bulgaria, Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine, the remaining ones are Russians citizens and are still on the run, including the expert who developed the banking malware.

The cybercrime organization has been described by the Europol as a highly specialised and international criminal network.

One of the members that encrypted GozNym malware to avoid detection by security solutions, was arrested and is being prosecuted in the Republic of Moldova.

Operators behind the GozNym malware used the Avalanche network to spread the malware.

Bulletproof hosting services were provided to the GozNym criminal network by an administrator of the Avalanche network. The Avalanche network provided services to more than 200 cybercriminals, and hosted more than twenty different malware campaigns, including GozNym. continues the press release published by Europol. Through the coordinated efforts being announced today, this alleged cybercriminal is now facing prosecution in Ukraine for his role in providing bulletproof hosting services to the GozNym criminal network. The prosecution will be conducted by the Prosecutor Generals Office of Ukraine and the National Police of Ukraine.

The members of the gang used banking malware to infect victims computers and steal their online banking credentials.

A criminal Indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh, USA charges ten members of the GozNym criminal network with conspiracy to commit the following:

infecting victims computers with GozNym malware designed to capture victims online banking login credentials;

using the captured login credentials to fraudulently gain unauthorised access to victims online bank accounts;

stealing money from victims bank accounts and laundering those funds using U.S. and foreign beneficiary bank accounts controlled by the defendants.

The defendants are well known on Russian underground, they advertised their specialized technical skills and services in Russian-speaking online criminal forums. Through these forums the leader of the GozNym network recruited them.

The leader of the GozNym criminal network, along with his technical assistant, are being prosecuted in Georgia by the Prosecutors Office of Georgia and the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia. continues the Europol.

Below the advisory published by the FBI:

Pierluigi Paganini

( SecurityAffairs  GozNym, malware)

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 Effective editorial noting bills coming due for Califorinia's toughness | Main | Interesting reflections on Obama appointees from drug policy reformers 

November 23, 2008

"From my cell, I scent the reeking soul of US justice"

The title of this post is the title of this piece appearing in London's Sunday Times authored by Lord Conrad Black. Here are excerpts from today's must-read:

I write to you from a US federal prison. It is far from a country club or even a regimental health spa. I work quite hard but fulfillingly, teaching English and the history of the United States to some of my co-residents. There is practically unlimited access to e-mails and the media and plenty of time for visitors.... US federal prosecutors, almost all of whom would be disbarred for their antics if they were in Britain or Canada, win more than 90% of their cases thanks to the withering of the constitutional guarantees of due process  that is, the grand jury as an assurance against capricious prosecution, no seizure of property without just compensation, access to counsel, an impartial jury, speedy justice and reasonable bail.... The system is based on the plea bargain: the barefaced exchange of incriminating testimony for immunity or a reduced sentence. It is intimidation and suborned or extorted perjury, an outright rape of any plausible definition of justice. The US is now a carceral state that imprisons eight to 12 times more people (2.5m) per capita than the UK, Canada, Australia, France, Germany or Japan. US justice has become a command economy based on the avarice of private prison companies, a gigantic prison service industry and politically influential correctional officers unions that agitate for an unlimited increase in the number of prosecutions and the length of sentences. The entire war on drugs, by contrast, is a classic illustration of supply-side economics: a trillion taxpayers dollars squandered and 1m small fry imprisoned at a cost of $50 billion a year; as supply of and demand for illegal drugs have increased, prices have fallen and product quality has improved.... I would be distinctly consolable if the United States really was in decline and I have more legitimate grievances against that country than do The Guardian or the BBC, but it is still a country of incomparable vitality even as its moral, judicial soul atrophies and reeks.

Gosh knows I really enjoy the musings of federal defendants not afraid to speak their minds like Lord Black (and the full draft of these latest musings can be found at this link). I am not sure that this fascinating commentary from a federal prison will help Lord Black in his pending request for executive clemencyfrom President Bush, but one never knows precisely what is likely to prompt an out-going executive to exercise his absolute and unreviewable clemency powers.

November 23, 2008 at 10:11 AM | Permalink

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What Mr. Black misses is the larger picture that we live in a cultural society that seeks to make everything illegal. The real issue is our cultural thirst to regulate the finest details of the lives of our fellow citizens. The cost is not the cost of getting tough on crime, the cost comes from the fact that there is too much crime because there is too much behavior that is illegal.

It's worth pausing and asking ourselves if we really could live in a modern world where the Ten Commandments, and only those ten, were the law. I think so, but most people don't. So long as we elect political leaders who have to "do something" and so long as that "something" is passing more laws, things are going to get much worse. I long for the day when a Congressional Session can happen and during that session not a single law is passed.

Posted by: Daniel | Nov 23, 2008 3:30:28 PM

He comes off as a nut and now I have no sympathy for him. Since he did not explain what behavior of AUSAs would, if done by their counterparts in Canada or England would get them disbarred, I now want him to spend more time in jail.

No pardons for him.

Posted by: S.cotus | Nov 23, 2008 5:28:23 PM

Whats funny is S.cotus calling somebody a nut? Of all people!

Posted by: Tarheel | Nov 23, 2008 7:56:50 PM

Hey.. if you run a blog covering every decision from ANY circuit for the past few years, I will gladly accept the label "nut."

Posted by: S.cotus | Nov 23, 2008 9:24:24 PM

Well, in many countries evidence obtained in elaborate sting operations is not permitted. Witnesses who are compromised by receiving a % of forfeiture or a reduced sentence are not permitted to testify. Prosecutors are much more aggressive and are given more power in the US.

Conrad Black is not alone in his evaluation of the US Justice System. Our Criminal Justice System has morphed into a very uncivil and harsh institution. It coarsens our culture.

Beth

Posted by: | Nov 24, 2008 12:28:27 AM

It's hard to take a moral indictment from a unrepentant thief very seriously, that is unless you are so desperate for validation of your theories regarding the U.S. criminal justice system you'd stoop to any lengths and promote any source, no matter how invalid and revolting, to make your point.

Oh.



Posted by: dweedle | Nov 24, 2008 8:50:32 AM

Beth, In what country is the elaborateness of a sting operation grounds for suppression of evidence. See, when you dont provide me with specifics it makes me think that you are either lying or not a lawyer. Neither is acceptable.

Conrad Black can say whatever he wants. Without specifics he sounds like a nut.

The next commentator is even less coherent.

Posted by: S.cotus | Nov 24, 2008 9:37:45 AM

"invalid and revolting"

Try making an argument, "dweedle." Instead of undermining the source, attack the points that the source makes. If you can, that is. If you can't, then you should acknowledge the points made. The weak and uneducated resort to attacking the source.

You attacked the source so let me ask: why is the perspective of a criminal defendant concerning the justice system not of value? Clearly, "dweedle," you have never had any familiarity whatsoever with criminal defense, and you likely have never shaken the hand of a criminal defendant. The mere fact that a person who is a criminal defendant offers an opinion does not make the opinion worthless.

Posted by: John | Nov 24, 2008 9:38:40 AM

S.Cotus,

He is not specific and so maybe to you he comes off as a nut. The fact that he comes off as a nut to you tells me that you have no familiarity with criminal defense. Based on your past posts, I have the feeling that you have an affinity for AUSAs. Your BFF (best friend forever), as my daughter would say, I'd bet is one. Or maybe you married one.

To this criminal defense lawyer, his non-specific points are valid. My own specific experiences fill in the gaps that he leaves.

For example, he writes: "The system is based on the plea bargain: the barefaced exchange of incriminating testimony for immunity or a reduced sentence. It is intimidation and suborned or extorted perjury, an outright rape of any plausible definition of justice."

Now, you could argue that cross-examination is a sufficient check on false testimony. Maybe if a defendant has the highest skilled criminal defense lawyer, it is a sufficient check. But for the vast majority of criminal defendants, cross-examination will not uncover false testimony, or will not put testimony offered in exchange for a plea in the proper light. That's the reality. Snitches routinely lie, and defense counsel routinely fails to uncover the lies. What is the remedy? According to Black, look at the manner in which other countries treat testimony offered in exchange for a reduced sentence and revamp the system. How do other countries treat such testimony? It would be worthwhile to find out.

For a good read, check out "Police Interrogation and American Justice" by Richard A. Leo.

http://www.amazon.com/Police-Interrogation-American-Justice-Richard/dp/0674026489/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1227538283&sr=8-1

Posted by: John | Nov 24, 2008 9:56:30 AM

I haven't read Mr. Blacks full article to see what examples (if any) he provides to justify his conclusions, but the quoted assertions hardly sound like the musings of a nut. The federal reporters are full of opinions tsk-tsking improper arguments or evidence that our Circuit appellate judges affirm under the fantasy that jurors follow instructions limiting the use of 404(b) evidence, for example, or telling jurors to disregard improper argument or questioning. Prosecutors invoke this fictional rule as justification itself for any improper evidence/argument they bring in knowing that the vast majority of United States jurists will indulge this fantasy. Black jurors continue to be expelled from federal juries based on the prosecutor's imaginative speculations about these jurors's demeanor -- concerns that AUSA's never seem to infer from the demeanor of white jurors, and federal judges view with contempt the very idea that the friendly assistant United States attorney would even subconsciously be motivated by the excluded black juror's race. And of course law blogs ridicule anyone, like Mr. Black, who suggests something stinks about the United States Criminal Justice system.

Posted by: gma | Nov 24, 2008 10:04:21 AM

John, Considering that I am predisposed to criminal defense (in ways I dont go into on here), I can assure you that I am not married to, or having sex with, any AUSAs. But, I am not a true believer. I believe that any arguments as to legality should be backed up with specifics, citations, and authority. I believe that criminal defense is a sport. Despite the fact that I demand this of everyone (including ninnies like Federalist who wants to put everyone in jail), people like you think I automatically side with the prosecution just because I want to call some nut to account.

Now, I agree that plea bargains in exchange for certain testimony are a problem. But, that is a very specific critique, and there are specific remedies and prophylactic measures to deal with such problems (in fact, as you know, any promises made to the defendant are discoverable). Whether individual defense counsel can uncover a snitches lies seems to vary from case to case. A random citation to a book doesnt advance the conversation.

GMA, Assuming that the race of a juror makes a difference, you dont seem to provide any specific analysis of whether Batson challenges are routinely dismissed. In fact, recent caselaw has demanded that trial judges pay Batson challenges even more scrutiny. I have probably spent more time than others showing how some courts appear to give a green light to prosecutorial misdoncut. Hell, I call it exactly that on my blog. But, I should note that while most cases of prosecutorial misconduct are considered harmless error, enough are grounds for reversal, such that there is now a common law in most circuits as what sort of remarks will be cause for reversal.

Blacks article is a waste. I find it hard to believe that someone rose to his position with such obvious disregard for his audience that he does not cite specifics. Is this the way he expected his underlings to write for him? If someone sent him an example of their work that looked like his, would he have hired him?

Posted by: S.cotus | Nov 24, 2008 12:19:36 PM

There is an elaborate case that was developed by Scotland Yard in the early 90s. It was a money-laundering case that set up among others a British attorney by the name of Finch. There was a Mayfair based financial services company established by Scotland Yard to lure various known and unknown criminals and officials. When they were brought to trial, Judge George Bathurst Norman dismissed all with the statement that the operation was massively illegal, and British law does not allow entrapment. The Informant's name was Wilkins aka Patrick Faye. He lived till his death in Gibralter. I am somewhat familiar with this case and know that it sharpens the differences between countries.

French law, until quite recently (the 90s) did not recognize plea bargaining at all. It is now used marginally, but only in cases that would involve incarceration of under a year. This effectively eliminates the use of plea bargaining to coerce a defendant to testify for a reduced sentence. The French Justice System operates on the assumption that plea bargaining gives too much power to public Prosecutors and would dilute the presumption of innocence.

Swiss law has never perceived tax evasion to be a crime.

These differences explain to some extent the difference in the % of incarceration. European Advocates are somewhat astounded by the prosecutorial zeal of AUSAs.

Posted by: | Nov 24, 2008 8:36:35 PM

I believe this was a comment in the editorial page of a newspaper, not a law review article, so the absence of "specifics, citations, and authority" comes as no surprise to me and certainly does not lead me to believe the author is a "nut". S.cotus hones in on and complains about one of Mr. Black's assertions -- that prosecutors in other nations would be disbarred for what he suggests amounts to subornation of perjury. I expect most lawyers and law students would not demand documentation or examples in order to accept as plausible such an assertion, at least where it appears in an op-ed piece.

Posted by: | Nov 25, 2008 8:30:50 AM

Nov 24, 2008 8:36:35 PM, Entrapment is a defense in the US as well. However, Black is not arguing that he was entrapped. (Moreover, outrageous government conduct is also grounds for dismissal of charges.)

French law likely does not allow plea bargaining, because judges are involved in the process from a much earlier point and have a greater command of the facts. So, put simply, one cant compare this part of criminal procedure in a civil law country to a common law country. A countrys choice of what to make illegal is pretty much its own.

I expect most lawyers and law students would not demand documentation or examples...

This is what separates lawyers from people that hate America. I dont know of any lawyer that would take such a bald-faced assertion from an accused criminal (and some would say unrepentant thief on its face in the US. It isnt a matter of merely being plausible. I want specifics. If you expect me to condemn my own system of justice, I cant go on Blacks vague assertions. (Generally, I do not read publications aimed at non-lawyers, but since they made it onto this blog I guess I gotta deal.)

Posted by: S. COTUS | Nov 25, 2008 11:06:56 AM

S.Cotus

.

Shall you just ignore the blazing evidence before you?

.

The DE US Attorney has confessions to 34 separate acts of False Affidavits by Officers of the Court and the DE Dept of Justice not only refuses to prosecute or investigate, they turn on this whistle-blower.

.

Do you consider it a crime when a US Attorney does not disclose that he is refusing to investigate the Law firm he was a partner of?

.

Is it a crime - simple Yes or No - for the CA Dept of Justice office to shut down and dismantle the Public Corruption Unit when it was due to make a response to our 18 USC 3057(a) complaint on the DE fiasco?

.

Was it just bad form or a criminal act for the CA US ATtorney to Threaten career prosecutors to be silent?

.

How much documentation do you need - before you admit there is something amiss?

.

Posted by: Laser | Nov 25, 2008 12:24:49 PM

Yes entrapment is a defense in the United States. However, when not nuanced, entrapment means entrapment - as in Britain. Entrapment does not require more. Words matter, and have meaning without more interpretation.

Posted by: | Nov 25, 2008 5:11:36 PM

Laser, You sound like a nut, and a vague reference to a statute doesn't a citation make.

"Yes entrapment is a defense in the United States. However, when not nuanced, entrapment means entrapment - as in Britain. Entrapment does not require more. Words matter, and have meaning without more interpretation. "

Can someone else translate this into English?

Posted by: S.cotus | Nov 26, 2008 12:59:17 AM

"French law likely does not allow plea bargaining, because judges are involved in the process from a much earlier point and have a greater command of the facts." Citations? Authority?

"A countrys choice of what to make illegal is pretty much its own." Did someone suggest otherwise? Did Mr. Black?

"If you expect me to condemn my own system of justice . . . ." I don't expect anything out of you. I did not see where Mr. Black expected you to "condemn" the "system of justice."

"I want specifics." Understood. But you're unlikely to get citations and authority in an op-ed piece.

"I do not read publications aimed at non-lawyers. . . ." This is quite obvious. However, you might try reading a nonlegal daily occasionally to get a flavor of nonlegal writing and a basic understanding that it does *not* usually contain citations to legal authority.

"This is what separates lawyers from people that hate America." Now who sounds like a nut?

The reality is that you read a post which referenced a comment appearing in a publication of the sort you admit you generally do not read. But rather than take it for what it is (an opinion on an editorial page) and move on, you just *had* to post a comment. Your comment does not actually dispute the substance of Mr. Black's comment, or even address it at all for that matter. Instead, you chose to start out by describing the man as a "nut" and wishing him additional incarceration because he did not "explain what behavior of AUSAs would, if done by their counterparts in Canada or England would get them disbarred" (which Mr. Black actually did and if you bothered to read his comment, you would know this.) When challenged on your inane remark, you became defensive and went completely off topic in an apparent effort to persuade others here how much more knowledgeable than them you are in your opinion. In the process, you suggest other posters are either liars or incompetent or "ninnies."

Face it. You are not interested in reasonable discussion of the topic at hand. Instead, you appear to be interested only in seeing your own words online. Your hubris has grown tiresome. Give it a rest.





Posted by: | Nov 26, 2008 10:32:00 AM

Oh, well, if you want to proclaim that there is some generalized problem with criminal justice in the US, go ahead. But, that isn't really fertile grounds for discussion.

Posted by: S.cotus | Nov 26, 2008 11:11:39 AM

You are right. I do need to translate. Sting operations in the US are routine. Law Enforcement is contacted by someone who wants charges against them reduced or eliminated. Together they conceive a criminal enterprise and approach others using various forms of persuasion in order to get them to agree to participate. At that point they are arrested and charged. This is what passes for criminal investigation.

This is a criminal investigation in the US - In Britain it is entrapment.

This is a difference in the definition of the word entrapment.



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December 1, 2011

Conrad Black's latest harsh attack on the US criminal justice system

Notable federal felon Conrad Black has this potent new commentary on the US criminal justice system, which notably appears in the National Review Online. The piece is headlined "Justice Denied: The U.S. legal system is a disgrace," and here is how it starts and ends:

In the current issue of Commentary, there is a symposium of 43 knowledgeable people who discuss whether they are optimistic or pessimistic about America. In the current edition of The New Criterion, the eminent British historian Andrew Roberts, now a U.S. resident, assesses similar points in a lead essay about how benign America has been as the superpower, and how keenly it will be missed if superseded in that role by China. Nowhere in either interesting section of either magazine is the appalling state of the U.S. justice system mentioned as symbolic or indicative of the countrys problems. Very adequate attention is given to the uncompetitive deterioration of American public education, to fiscal irresponsibility, and certainly to the shortcomings of popular culture and the media. I try to rise above the fact, known to most readers, that I write from a federal prison where I have been sent for a total of 37 months, for crimes I did not commit, and after all 17 counts against me were abandoned, rejected by jurors, or vacated by a unanimous U.S. Supreme Court. I have amply described my legal travails elsewhere and refer to them here only as disclosure. The United States has six to twelve times as many incarcerated people per capita as Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, and the United Kingdom, all prosperous democracies. The U.S. has a much higher percentage of successful prosecutions, a lower hurdle to clear to prosecute (with rubber-stamp grand juries), a greater range of offenses, heavier sentences, and a higher recidivism rate than any of those other countries. As Sen. Jim Webb of Virginia wrote in his essay Criminal Injustice two years ago, either those other countries are less concerned with crime than the U.S., or Americans are more addicted to criminal behavior  both preposterous suggestions  or the U.S. justice system is not working well. There are 48 million people in the United States with a record, many of them based on ancient DUIs or disorderly behavior decades ago at a fraternity party and other unstigmatizing offenses, but still a severe inconvenience to them when they travel abroad or their names are fed to almost any information system; and millions have had their lives effectively ruined. The U.S. has 5 percent of the worlds population, 25 percent of the worlds incarcerated people, and 50 percent of the worlds lawyers, who invoice almost 10 percent of U.S. GDP (around $1.4 trillion annually). In the mid-1970s, the U.S. had about 650,000 people in mental institutions; today, it has only 50,000. Prisoners cost $40,000 per year to detain, and some states can no longer afford it. The conditions of hundreds of thousands of prisoners are grossly and shamefully inhumane. (My own are not.) The Fifth, Sixth, and Eighth Amendment rights of assurance against capricious prosecution, due process, no seizure of property without due compensation, an impartial jury, access to counsel, prompt justice, and reasonable bail, dont exist. The ubiquitous plea bargain is just the wholesale subornation or extortion of inculpatory perjury in exchange for immunities or reduced sentences (often with people who are threatened, although there is no evidence against them). Assets are routinely frozen on the basis of false affidavits in ex parte proceedings to deny defendants the ability to defend themselves. Those who do exercise their constitutional right to a defense receive three times as severe a sentence as those who plead guilty; 95 percent of cases are won by prosecutors, 90 percent of those without trial. The public defenders have no resources to conduct a serious defense and are usually just Judas goats of the prosecutors conducting the defendants to legal destruction. Sentences are absurd: A marijuana deliverer is apt to be sentenced to 20 years in prison. There is minimal effort to rehabilitate nonviolent offenders. Private-sector firms are increasingly active in the prison industry and they and the militantly unionized correctional officers, almost all unskilled labor, constantly lead public demands for more criminal statutes and more draconian penalties. Unfortunately, the immense surge in American incarceration rates is largely credited with the decline in crime rates, though better police work, more general use of video cameras at potential crime sites, an aging population, and, for a long time, improving living standards, were responsible.... The state of American justice is shameful and unspeakable, literally so to judge from the hear-no-evil, see-no-evil, speak-no-evil insouciance of Commentarys blue-ribbon high table of contemporary critics. Many of them attacked the nihilistic, self-destructive anti-Americanism of the American campuses, absolutely correctly. But if they noticed the fraudulence that has metastasized through the American legal system, their critique would carry greater weight. The moral soul of America is rotting away and the only defense an individual American has is numbers: The prosecutocracy cannot send more than 1 percent of the entire adult population to prison at any one time, if only for budgetary reasons. The first line of defense of society as a whole are those whose vocation is to study and espouse public policy. Failure on this scale will make them complicit in this vast crime of the state, if it continues. I am listening for Jeffersons firebell in the night and all I hear is Gertrude Steins sound of one hand clapping.

Wowsa! I assume that Bill Otis and perhaps other readers will perceive these assertions by Conrad Black to be just another anti-criminal-justice rant from another hater of America. That may be accurate, but I think Bill and others tend to assume that these folks come to hate America from the left and only get attention from liberal-leaning media. But I do not think Conrad Black is fairly considered a lefty, nor do I think the National Review can be fairly blasted for being part of the left-leaning media.

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"...either those other countries are less concerned with crime than the U.S., or Americans are more addicted to criminal behavior  both preposterous suggestions  or the U.S. justice system is not working well."

Maybe a large swath of the U.S. population *is* addicted to criminal behavior. Why is this preposterous?

Fatherlessness, materialism and superficiality, slothfulness and class-envy, deviant and hyper-sexuality, the decline of biblical behavior whilst the advance of secularism, &tc., contribute to criminality here perhaps more than in Europe.

Nevertheless, I think the *non-minority American crime rate* runs in the midstream of European numbers, so possibly immigration without assimilation may be a major factor.

Posted by: adamakis | Dec 1, 2011 10:04:38 AM

"The ubiquitous plea bargain is just the wholesale subornation or extortion of inculpatory perjury in exchange for immunities or reduced sentences (often with people who are threatened, although there is no evidence against them)."

Bingo.

Posted by: Thinkaboutit | Dec 1, 2011 10:39:02 AM

Reminds me of the old joke: Q - What do you call a conservative who's been arrested? A - A liberal.

Posted by: lrr | Dec 1, 2011 12:19:42 PM

Adamakis--

You think that the United States has more hypersexuality than Europe? ;)

Agree with you on the fatherlessness, materialism, and slothfulness whole-heartedly, though. Last year two sociologists determined that people who (1) graduated from high school, (2) got married, and (3) waited to have children until they were married had a 95% chance of living above the poverty line, and a 76% chance of entering the middle class.

Our sociological stats speak for themselves sometimes.

Posted by: Res ipsa | Dec 1, 2011 12:55:36 PM

Conrad Black admires Franklin Roosevelt and Richard Nixon. That makes him at least something of a leftie in my book. But it might be interesting to get reactions from the public defender community to see how they feel about being characterized as Judas goats. (There's also some tension between complaining that American lawyers consume too much of GDP and that defense counsel are underresourced.) And if Canada (for example) really does have a higher percentage of prosecutions that end with acquittals, does that mean they have a better-functioning system or that they have even more over-the-top prosecutors who are persecuting more innocents?

Posted by: JWB | Dec 1, 2011 1:59:53 PM

Res ipsa --

Indeed.

Posted by: Bill Otis | Dec 1, 2011 3:24:27 PM

@Res ipsa

"Last year two sociologists determined that people who (1) graduated from high school, (2) got married, and (3) waited to have children until they were married had a 95% chance of living above the poverty line...."

That means that 5% of those who acomplished these things were still below the poverty line, which means that that 5% is about 1/3 to 1/2 of those below the poverty line, depending on the state and most are Southern. So 1-3 are not magic bullets.

Posted by: George | Dec 1, 2011 5:18:05 PM

Poor Conrad. I would correct him on one point, however. Conviction rates in Japan are rather high - with trials for serious offences going at about 99-1 for the prosecution. This is higher than even the worst jurisdictions in the US, let alone the other named capitalist democracies.

Posted by: Marko | Dec 2, 2011 1:06:41 AM

I will take any bets on what Conrad's position would have been had he NOT been declared to be a killer...... "it's the greatest system in the world" until it works against you, then it's the worst. Whatever. He seems rather unrepentant. Perhaps he would rather have been tried in China?

Posted by: Rich Mantei | Dec 2, 2011 7:35:08 AM

Could it have anything to do with the fact that the US has one lawyer for every 263 people. This is the highest % in the world. We have more law and more opportunity and resources to prosecute. I don't think US citizens are less law abiding than those in the rest of the world.

Posted by: beth | Dec 2, 2011 1:42:27 PM

Marko: "Conviction rates in Japan are rather high - with trials for serious offences going at about 99-1 for the prosecution"

I suppose that explains why the prison population in Japan is LOWER?

Prison population total in Japan (including pre-trial detainees/remand prisoners) was 74,476 mid-2010 (NATIONAL PRISON ADMINISTRATION - JAPAN)

Prison population total in the U.S. {including pre-trial detainees/remand prisoners) was 2,292,133 end of 2009 (U.S. BUREAU OF JUSTICE STATISTICS)

Prison population rate in Japan (per 100,000 of national population) was 58 based on an estimated national population of 127.9 million at mid-2010 (JAPANESE GOVERNMENT STATISTICS BUREAU)

Prison population rate in the U.S. (per 100,000 of national population) was 743 based on an estimated national population of 308.4 million at end of 2009 (U.S. CENSUS BUREAU)

Posted by: Huh? | Dec 2, 2011 10:04:36 PM

beth: "I don't think US citizens are less law abiding than those in the rest of the world."

Ain't that the truth!

Posted by: Huh? | Dec 2, 2011 10:07:24 PM

"Assets are routinely frozen on the basis of false affidavits in ex parte proceedings to deny defendants the ability to defend themselves. Those who do exercise their constitutional right to a defense receive three times as severe a sentence as those who plead guilty; 95 percent of cases are won by prosecutors, 90 percent of those without trial."

I personally know these things to be true....the Government emptied numerous financial accounts in my name, they put a lis pendens on my house--and then put a lis pendens on other property that had zero connection to the bogus crimes I was accused of--preventing access to assets. There is very rarely a right to a hearing about seized assets pre-trial.--- And in fact even now, seven months after my Federal Trial where I was acquitted of all counts against me, the Government continues to hold my assets. I Still have no right to intervene or have my day in court until the judge is good and ready.

I am so blessed to have been able to afford competent counsel--but that still

does not guarantee that the jury would have reached the right decision. Odds against the defendant are incredibly high---and I have nightmares about how my life would be if they had reached the wrong decision. The loss of my home, the loss of my life savings, and even the loss of property that I bought a decade ago--because a jail sentence is not enough. There are frequently many more punishments pile on top of that.

I would NEVER have believed how incredibly unfair our system is until I came into contact with it. YES I was acquitted---but that DOES NOT mean I believe the "system works"

Posted by: folly | Dec 3, 2011 8:25:21 PM

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April 28, 2015

"Solutions: American Leaders Speak Out on Criminal Justice" (with some notable omissions)

The first part of the title of this post is the title of this fascinating new publication released today by the Brennan Center for Justice. Here is how the 164-page text is described in an e-mail I received this morning:

In a remarkable cross-ideological effort, this book includes essays by public figures and experts who will play a leading role in the nations debate over the coming year. The book contains original essays by Joseph R. Biden, Jr., Cory Booker, Chris Christie, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Ted Cruz, Mike Huckabee, Cathy L. Lanier, Martin OMalley, Janet Napolitano, Rand Paul, Rick Perry, Marco Rubio, Bryan Stevenson, Scott Walker, and Jim Webb, among others. In his foreword, former President William J. Clinton writes, There is one area where we have a genuine chance at bipartisan cooperation: the over-imprisonment of people who did not commit serious crimes. The drop in violence and crime in America has been an extraordinary national achievement. But plainly, our nation has too many people in prison and for too long  we have overshot the mark. This book offers a first-of-its-kind preview of the solutions likely to be debated in the lead up to 2016. There is striking consensus around one idea: the need to reduce mass incarceration. Solutions range from releasing low-level offenders waiting for trial to using federal grants to change police practices  from eliminating prison for low-level drug crimes to increasing mental health treatment. This effort, spearheaded by our Justice Program director Inimai Chettiar, aims to elevate ending mass incarceration as a vital national issue in need of urgent attention. We look forward to your partnership in the months ahead  as these reforms are debated before the nation.

I am very interested in seeing what everyone in this new publication has to say, and I suspect the words of the presidential candidates in this collection will prove especially important in the months ahead. In short, this is must-read, perhaps especially as sad, harmful and disturbing events continue to unfold in Baltimore this week.

That all said, I must state that I am a bit put off by the fact that Bill Clinton authors the foreword without noting his own significant role in helping to encourage the adoption and preservation of, in his words, the "too many laws [that were] overly broad instead of appropriately tailored [which has resulted in] some [who] are in prison who shouldnt be, others [who] are in for too long, and without a plan to educate, train, and reintegrate them into our communities." Relatedly, I am deeply disappointed that none of the other three living Presidents, all of whom have long and notable criminal justice track records (especially both President Bushes) are included in this important collection of "American Leaders" speaking out.

Particularly notable and disconcerting is the absence of anything in this collection by our most recent in former President, George W. Bush, especially in light of Bill Clinton's justifiable concerns about the importance of efforts to "educate, train, and reintegrate [former offenders] into our communities." As often highlighted on this blog (and in too few other places), President George W. called America "the land of second chance" in his 2004 State of the Union address while spotlighting prisoner re-entry issues and proposing "a four-year, $300 million prisoner re-entry initiative to expand job training and placement services, to provide transitional housing, and to help newly released prisoners get mentoring, including from faith-based groups."

In his important 2004 SotU speech, President Bush compelling advocated that "when the gates of the prison open, the path ahead should lead to a better life." But now, more than a decade later, and thanks largely to the failings of both Congress and President Bush's successor in the Oval Office, there is still far too little attention given to the needs and challenges of former offenders. President Bush highlighted 11 years ago that persons released from prison each year represented "another group of Americans in need of help," but it seems only now have a number of other "American Leaders" gotten the message.

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Most of the named individuals are lawyer abominations or grads of Big Government indoctrination camp Ivy schools. They are just silly and stupid.

Here is a legal way for the released to make 6 figures a year, with this win-win activity. Its legality has a brief analysis.

http://www.wired.com/2015/02/high-end-dumpster-diving-matt-malone/

Once again, technology is the solution, not legal swill being peddled by self dealing lawyers.

Posted by: Supremacy Claus | Apr 28, 2015 2:54:51 PM

"original essay" and Joseph Biden are a contradiction in terms. Furthermore, he has been pro heavy sentencing and incarceration since before he began to get plugs for his head, cosmetic surgery and the dental plates---all on the taxpayer's dime for his career in bigmouthhood.

Rick Perry? What was his response when fire experts tried desperately to save a Texas convict's life, that the evidence at his trial was fatally flawed? Perry's eyeglasses are not going to propel him to thinkinghood.

Chris Christie? He's in the same league as Bill Clinton: there but for the grace of God.

Hillary: When she was First Lady, she engineered the IRS investigation of the travel office folks, then caused their indictments. They were all acquitted. BTW, Did she let Webster Hubbell take the fall?



Posted by: FluffyRoss | Apr 28, 2015 7:48:56 PM

I, along with most other citizens, are far more interested in the positions of individuals whom are either running for office, of which they would be able to actually affect current policy in a legislative or executive manner, or are eligible for nomination to judicial positions who will have direct adjudication of both the implementation and administration of the laws. A further subset of individuals can also exist whom are in advisory, department-level positions.

The positions of Bill Clinton and George W. Bush are, in fact, advisory at best, as they don't formulate the upcoming arguments that presidential and congressional (as well as state gubornatorial) candidates provide in Brennan.

Posted by: Eric Knight | Apr 29, 2015 11:54:15 AM

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May 6, 2015

"On Criminal Justice Reform, Ted Cruz Is Smarter Than Hillary Clinton"

The title of this post is the effective title of this piece by Jacob Sullum appearing last week at Reason that captures my reaction to two of the notable essays in this fascinating Brennan Center publication titled "Solutions: American Leaders Speak Out on Criminal Justice." Here are excerpts from Sullum piece explaining why criminal justice reforms might reasonably be more excited by the prospect of a Prez Cruz rather than another Prez Clinton:

The Brennan Center [book] ... features worthy and substantive contributions from, among others, Sens. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), and Ted Cruz (R-Texas), not to mention nonpoliticians such as UCLA criminologist Mark Kleiman and Marc Levin, founder of Right on Crime. Even New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who is not exactly thoughtful on the subject of, say, marijuana legalization, has some interesting things to say about bail reform. And then there are former President Bill Clinton, Vice President Joe Biden, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who either support policies that contribute to overincarceration and excessive punishment, fail to acknowledge their past support for such policies, or have nothing specific to say about how to correct those policies.... Hillary Clinton ... notes that as a senator she supported shorter crack sentences (as did almost every member of Congress by the time a bill was enacted in 2010). But unlike Paul, Booker, and Cruz, who describe actual pieces of legislation they have either introduced or cosponsored, Clinton is decidedly vague about what reforms should come next. Clinton wants us to know "it is possible to reduce crime without relying on unnecessary force or excessive incarceration," which may sound wise but is actually a tautology. Instead of unnecessary force or excessive incarceration, she suggests, "we can invest in what works," such as "putting more officers on the streets." Clinton, her husband, and Joe Biden all seem to agree that you can never have too many cops. She also mentions "tough but fair reforms of probation and drug diversion programs," along with more money for "specialized drug courts and juvenile programs." That's about as specific as she gets. Clinton fills out the essay with platitudes and self-aggrandizing references to Robert Kennedy and "my friend" Nelson Mandela. She also name-checks "Dr. King." Possibly all three of these men have something to do with criminal justice reform, but if so Clinton never bothers to elucidate the connections. It is sad that the Democratic Party's presumptive presidential nominee would offer such a shallow discussion of a subject on which Democrats are supposed to be more enlightened than Republicans. By contrast, three less prominent Democrats  Booker, former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley, and former Virginia senator Jim Webb  contributed essays that are actually worth reading. Clinton's essay is especially embarrassing compared to Ted Cruz's. Although Cruz is not as passionate, active, or ambitious on criminal justice reform as Rand Paul is, his essay includes succinct and informed discussions of the bloated federal criminal code, the leverage that mandatory minimums give prosecutors, and the virtual disappearance of trial by jury in criminal cases, along with specific reforms to address these problems. Democrats who think Hillary Clinton is savvier or smarter than Cruz may reconsider after reading these essays side by side.

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May 6, 2015 at 10:57 AM | Permalink

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Clinton has a reason to be conservative, so to speak, when writing these things. So, is it totally moronic on some level to talk about Cruz being "smarter" or "savvier" when writing these things. And also, those interested in criminal justice reforms might not like some of the conservative aspects of the Cruz platform. If, e.g., reproductive rights of those in the criminal justice system matters to you or something.

Cruz is a smart guy and his legal career is duly noted. So, when he writes on these issues, I'm sure he can be smart. Clinton can find some smart criminal justice person to write her stuff too. There are people out there who can give Cruz as good as he can. So, you know, this sort of putdown is tiresome on some level.

Posted by: Joe | May 6, 2015 11:14:33 AM

It's not inconsequential to me when the public servants who make the policy will not do an honest evaluation of the results of their efforts. Not even acknowledging the harm that has been do to families and the federal budget is myopic.

Posted by: beth | May 6, 2015 10:16:18 PM

Is it a choice between Hillary and Cruz? Is that a choice and not an echo? We should ask Phyliss Schlafly to chime in.

Posted by: Liberty1st | May 6, 2015 10:31:51 PM

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The title of this post is the headline of this notable new FoxNews commentary authored by Newt Gingrich and Pat Nolan. Here are excerpts:

Pope Franciss visit to the United States is attracting a flood of attention, and preparations have been underway for months in the cities and communities that will welcome him. While the pope will be greeted by thousands as he visits our nations famous landmarks and cathedrals, he has also planned a stop where the residents cannot come out to greet him: a local jail in Philadelphia. A jail isnt a typical location for the fanfare that usually surrounds a papal visit, but Pope Franciss decision to shine a spotlight on people in jail shouldnt come as a surprise.

The pope has often implored us through his words and actions to treat the people we put in jail or prison with respect and mercy. Some of those in jail have committed serious crimes, while others have committed relatively minor offenses. Many struggle with mental illness or drug addiction. Many simply cant afford to make bail. Treating them justly and fairly is a strong Christian, and quintessentially Catholic, imperative. After all, Jesus taught us to visit those in prison. He also told us that what we do for the least of our brothers and sisters we do for Him.

When Pope Francis visits the inmates in Philadelphia we hope that all people, no matter what their traditions or beliefs, will heed his call to treat those who are incarcerated with respect. Pope Francis continues the tradition of Catholic leaders urging us to offer hope and a second chance to prisoners....

The popes visit to the jail in Philadelphia will call attention to a part of our criminal justice system that receives too little notice: local jails. Prisons are the focus of most of the discussion about criminal justice reform, even though 20 times more inmates (12 million) pass through our jails each year compared to our prisons. The jail population is different from prisons because most jail inmates are nonviolent offenders awaiting trial, and innocent in the eyes of the law.

Indeed, many of those in jail dont belong there. One in six men and one in three women in local jails have serious mental illnesses  rates much higher than in the general public. These people are sick, not always bad. They need treatment, not necessarily incarceration. Others are held in jail for months and even years because they dont have the money to post a small bond. For example, in New York City, almost a third of inmates in 2012 were held until trial because they could not pay a bond of $500 or less.

We see time and time again that overincarceration tears families apart by locking up fathers, mothers, brothers, and daughters mostly for minor crimes. The vast majority of people in our jails are there for nonviolent offenses like traffic violations or drug use. When they are finally released, most have lost their jobs, which leaves them unable to support their families and puts stress on their loved ones and the community....

We have worked over the last decade to build conservative support for criminal justice reform, rooted in our political views as well as our faith. Our Catholic beliefs hold that each person is a child of God and worthy of respect. A cornerstone of the Catholic faith is that redemption is available to everyone, no matter what they have done. We are all sinners, and the ground is level at the foot of the Cross.

You dont have to be a Catholic to see the importance of Pope Franciss message. When he visits the inmates in Philadelphia we hope that all people, no matter what their traditions or beliefs, will heed his call to treat those who are incarcerated with respect, and offer them a second chance to turn their lives around.
 Brennan Center releases great new collection of essays titled "Ending Mass Incarceration: Ideas from Today's Leaders" | Main | "Promoting Equality Through Empirical Desert" 

The Marshall Project has this notable new article about the application of California's new felony murder law under the headline "California Law Says This Man Isnt a Murderer. Prosecutors Disagree." Here are excerpts:

After California changed its murder laws last fall, Neko Wilson was the first man to walk free. Wilson, 37, had been facing the death penalty for a 2009 robbery that led to the deaths of a couple in Fresno County. No one accused him of killing anyone, or even being in the familys home that night, but prosecutors said he helped plan the break-in. At the time, that was enough for him to be charged with felony murder, under a doctrine that holds that anyone involved in a crime is responsible if a death occurs.

But in September 2018, the legislature limited murder charges to people who actually participate in a slaying. And so in October, Wilson left the Fresno County jail, where he had spent nine years awaiting trial, subsisting largely on beans and instant noodles....

That freedom may be short-lived. Prosecutors have moved to send Wilson back to jail, arguing that the new law that freed him violates Californias constitution and that freeing him was a mistake. A hearing is set for May 16.

District attorneys around the state have launched similar challenges since prosecutors in Orange County successfully argued in February that the new murder law unconstitutionally clashes with anti-crime initiatives that voters approved in 1978 and 1990. As prisoners around the state seek release, some judges have agreed with the constitutional argument and others have rejected it, setting up a fight that is likely to end up in the states highest court.

The cases are a sign of the broader pushback facing state lawmakers who have passed laws aimed at reducing the prison population and the cost of incarceration. After decades of tough-on-crime laws, California now leads the nation in shrinking the number of people behind bars, while crime remains near historic lows. But the trend has angered some prosecutors, who say lawmakers are risking public safety.
 An illuminating study highlighting bright ways to deter and prevent crime other than through prison punishments | Main | Brennan Center releases great new collection of essays titled "Ending Mass Incarceration: Ideas from Today's Leaders" 

May 15, 2019

Prez Trump pardons Conrad Black and Pat Nolan

Prez Donald Trump has his clemency juices flowing again, and he is back to his high-profile pardon practices today with grants to two offenders whose names should be familiar to readers of this blog. Here are the details from The Hill:

President Trump on Wednesday signed granted a full pardon to media tycoon Conrad Moffat Black and Patrick Nolan, former Republican leader of the California State Assembly. Black, a Canadian-born British citizen, served as the chief executive of Hollinger International, which published the Chicago Sun-Times, The Daily Telegraph and The Jerusalem Post. He was convicted in 2007 on three counts of mail fraud and one count of obstruction of justice in U.S. District Court in Chicago. The 74-year-old media mogul spent 3.5 years in prison, the White House said in a statement announcing his pardon. In its statement, the White House said the Supreme Court "largely disagreed and overturned almost all charges in his case. "Two of his three fraud convictions were later overturned, leading his sentence to be shortened. He was released from a Florida prison in May 2012 and subsequently deported from the United States. "An entrepreneur and scholar, Lord Black has made tremendous contributions to business, as well as to political and historical thought," the White House said. Black wrote a book about the president, called Donald Trump: A President Like No Other, published in 2018. Nolan, who also was pardoned Wednesday, was a California legislative leader who spent years in prison after being convicted in the 1990s in an FBI sting. Nolan was secretly recorded accepting checks from an undercover FBI agent and was later charged with using political office to solicit illegal campaign contributions, the Los Angeles Times reported. He later pleaded guilty on one count of racketeering and served 25 months in federal prison. The White House characterized Nolan's choice to plead guilty as a "difficult" one. "He could defend himself against charges of public corruption and risk decades in prison, or he could plead guilty and accept a 33-month sentence," the White House said. "Determined to help his wife raise their three young children, Mr. Nolan chose to accept the plea." "Mr. Nolans experiences with prosecutors and in prison changed his life. Upon his release, he became a tireless advocate for criminal justice reform and victims rights."

Criminal justice reform advocates know how hard Pat Nolan has worked in this space for years, and Conrad Black has been a trenchant critic of the federal criminal justice system since he got caught up with it.

A few prior related posts with a few commentary from Black and Nolan:

May 15, 2019 at 10:48 PM | Permalink

Comments

Glad to see clemency in the news. Both Nolan and Black were prosecuted for conspiracy and Nolan's case had the additional component of a sting operation. these two factors facilitate prosecutions. Anyway, it's always good to see the exercise of compassion and mercy.

Posted by: beth | May 16, 2019 2:16:14 PM

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 California felony murder revisions showcase, yet again, the varied challenges of giving retroactive effect to sound reforms | Main | Alabama and Tennessee both complete executions in same night 

The title of this post is the title of this notable new paper authored by Ilya Rudyak now available via SSRN. Here is its abstract:

According to empirical desert theory, good utilitarian grounds exist for distributing criminal punishment pursuant to the (retributive) intuitions of the lay community on criminal liability. This theorys insights, based on original empirical research and informed by social science, have significantly influenced contemporary criminal law theory. Yet, ostensibly, the theory is hampered by serious limitations, which may have obstructed its progress and its potential to guide criminal justice reform. Chief among them: it draws from community intuitions, and community intuitions  as the theory acknowledges  are sometimes immoral. In addition to these immorality objections, (commonly illustrated by alluding to the antebellum South and Nazi Germany), critics have alleged, inter alia, that the theory is self-defeating, uses incongruous justifications, and engages in deceptive and exploitative practices.

This Article argues that these critiques are misplaced and overstated, and that empirical desert theory can be safely relied on in criminal justice  and beyond. Despite the captivating historical illustrations and the intuitive appeal of immorality objections, this Article demonstrates that empirical desert theory is nearly immune to them, by virtue of previously underappreciated features of its scientific methodology. Moreover, it can do even better. T his Article presents an innovative proposal to reconceptualize the theory by incorporating into its scientific methodology a minimalistic normative commitment to equality and non-discrimination. It provides theoretical support and specific parameters for this reconceptualization, which imbues the theory with qualities capable of further safeguarding it from immorality objections. Furthermore, the Article explores ten additional criticisms of the theory, seriatim, and demonstrates that the proposed reconceptualization substantially strengthens the theorys ability to overcome them. In its conclusion, the Article outlines two future paths for the theorys application beyond criminal law, discussing the possibility to export its insights to international humanitarian law and its potential to reframe the interaction between criminal law theory and philosophy.
CMMEG Training Workshop on Infectious Disease Surveillance and Biosafety for RSLAF Successfully Held

2019/05/15

On May 11, 2019, Chinese Ambassador HU Zhangliang, together with Dr. Stephen Sevalie, commanding officer of the Joint Medical Unit (JMU) of the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces (RSLAF) and Dr. Xu Zhe, head of the Chinese Military Medical Expert Group (CMMEG), commissioned the training workshop on infectious disease surveillance and biosafety.

Ambassador HU commended the CMMEG and the JMU of RSLAF for their good efforts in making the workshop possible. He said that H.E. Chinese President Xi Jinping attaches great importance to the development of China-Sierra Leone friendly relations. Last year, when H.E. President Julius Maada Bio paid a state visit to China and attended the Beijing Summit of FOCAC, H.E. President Xi Jinping held fruitful talks with him on further strengthening the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between China and Sierra Leone. Strengthening exchange and cooperation was part of the consensus reached by the two leaders. The workshop, with infectious disease surveillance and biosafety as its theme, will promote both capacity building and the wellbeing of RSLAF.

Dr. Stephen Sevalie expressed appreciation and gratitude for the crucial work of CMMEG during Ebola epidemic. According to him, China is helping RSLAF develop advanced medical and healthcare system, which would benefit a large number of Sierra Leonean military personnel.

The workshop was successful held with around 40 participants from RSLAF medical system.
May 16 (Reuters) - Superloop Ltd said on Thursday it has ended exclusive talks with QIC Private Capital Pty Ltd over a A$493.9 million ($342.0 million) takeover offer for the telecommunications infrastructure company.

Superloop had granted QIC, which offered A$1.95 per share for Superloop, three weeks of exclusive access to the company's books.

"The Board in discussions with QIC have been unable to agree to a transaction and on that basis, the parties have decided to discontinue the period of exclusivity," Superloop said in a statement. ($1 = 1.4440 Australian dollars) (Reporting by Nikhil Kurian Nainan in Bengaluru; editing by Richard Pullin)
Hong Kong investors are renewing their interest in Singapore, betting property prices will recover in the second half of this year, according to property consultants.

Just 29 homes were sold to Hong Kong buyers in 2018, some 42 per cent fewer than the previous year, after the Singaporean government introduced cooling measures to curb foreign buying demand.

The Additional Buyer's Stamp Duty for foreign buyers was increased to 20 per cent from 15 per cent in July last year, while the loan-to-value limit was reduced by five percentage points for all housing loans. Individual borrowers' loan limit on first housing loans was reduced to 75 per cent from 80 per cent, dropping to 45 per cent from 50 per cent for a second loan.

"We expect by the end of the second quarter of this year, property prices in Singapore will increase by 5 per cent, mainly due to an increase in prices of new developments and collective "en bloc" property sales," said Terence Law, senior principal project director at Centaline Property Agency.



Market observers say their outlook for the Singaporean property market is largely positive. Photo: Shutterstock

Singapore's property prices have continued to fall since the last quarter of 2018, declining 0.7 per cent between the final quarter of 2018 and the first quarter of 2019, but Colliers International estimates home prices will stabilise in the second half of 2019 and grow 1 per cent overall.

Hong Kong buyers are likely to flock to the Singapore market while prices were still low, Law said.

Meanwhile, Colliers International estimates Singapore home prices will stabilise by the second half of this year as it expects the market to have digested the cooling measures.



Flats in The Hyde developed by Aurum Land on Balmoral Road in Bukit Timah, Singapore, are being marketed to buyers from Hong Kong. Photo: Handout

The announcement of an additional S$9 billion (US$6.6 billion) in investment from the city's two integrated resorts could boost gross domestic product growth and employment, spurring confidence in the property market and attracting foreign interest, it said.

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In comparison Hong Kong property prices have rallied since a 9 per cent price dip between August and December last year, with median home prices rising 5 per cent in the first quarter of 2019.

The Swiss bank UBS has since said Hong Kong's property bull market has another 10 years to run.

"Notwithstanding the cooling measures that may be prohibitive for foreigners, we believe the similarities between Singapore and Hong Kong ... will still attract more Hongkongers to Singapore," said Tricia Song, director and head of research at Colliers International Singapore.



An artist's rendering of the interiors of a flat in The Hyde. Photo: Handout

Centaline said currently about 15 per cent of foreign buyers in Singapore were from Hong Kong and China and expects these numbers to remain stable.

Hong Kong buyers are the sixth largest group of buyers of Singaporean property, after China, Indonesia, the US, Malaysia and India, according to data from Colliers International

"In the medium to long term, our outlook for the Singaporean property market is largely positive, especially considering that property prices are still reasonable for Hongkongers," said Law.

Homes in the affluent Bukit Timah area and Marina Bay along the financial district are the most popular among Hong Kong and mainland Chinese buyers, he added.

On Saturday, Centaline began marketing 30 units at Aurum Land's The Hyde development on Balmoral Road, Bukit Timah, ranging from 496 square feet to 1,798 sq ft at prices starting from S$2,600 (US$1,907) per sq ft. The smallest unit costs S$1.28 million or HK$7.39 million.

For a similar budget, Hongkongers can buy a 320 sq ft unit at The Avenue next to Wan Chai MTR station.

"There are a limited number of new units available in Bukit Timah, even on the second-hand market, so we expect the Hong Kong sale will do well," said David Hui, Centaline's general manager in Singapore.

Foreign buyers made up 18 per cent of first hand sales in Singapore last year and the numbers have stayed the same in the first quarter of this year, he said.

The Hyde is built on freehold land, which is another draw for foreign buyers. Freehold property is inheritable and there are no restrictions on the right of the property owner to further transfer the property.

In Singapore, 80 per cent of land is leasehold, held under 99-year or 999-year leases, after which ownership reverts back to the government.

See Also:






(Corrects paragraph 7 to say IPO is largest, not first, since July 2017)

* Shares up as much as 8.2% at market open

* IPO price of 1.10 rgt/share, giving co market cap of 4 bln rgt

* Already in 5 Asean markets, looking to set up in Cambodia

* Q1 net profit up 15%, revenue up about 12%

By Liz Lee

KUALA LUMPUR, May 16 (Reuters) - Shares of poultry producer Leong Hup International rose as much as 8.2% on its market debut on Thursday, signalling firm appetite for Malaysia's largest IPO in almost two years.

The shares hit a high of 1.19 ringgit in the first few minutes of trade after the initial public offering (IPO) was priced at 1.10 ringgit per share, giving Leong Hup a market capitalisation of 4.02 billion ringgit ($964 million).

Stock pared gains and ended the first day of trade at 1.10 ringgit, while the benchmark exchange closed 0.76% lower.

Shares in smaller rivals LTKM Bhd and TPC Plus Bhd were down 5.4% and 2.3%, respectively, while DBE Gurney Resources Bhd was unchanged.

Leong Hup raised 1.03 billion ringgit ($247 million) from the IPO and, if the overallotment option is fully exercised, it would raise a total of 1.2 billion ringgit.

The initial target was to raise $600 million from the IPO but the offer size was cut last month as investor demand softened in a choppy market, sources have said.

The IPO is Malaysia's largest since Lotte Chemical Titan's issue in July 2017.

Leong Hup is majority-owned by the founding Lau family and also backed by private-equity firm Affinity Equity Partners, both of whom remain as shareholders.

It is one of the largest fully integrated producers of poultry, eggs and livestock feed in Southeast Asia, and also operates in Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore and Vietnam.

Leong Hup is exploring opportunities to set up operations in Cambodia, where it already exports feed and chicks to from its Vietnamese operation.

CFO Chew Eng Loke said sales in Cambodia have been promising and a warehouse is under construction to boost growth.

Story continues

"Once the sales volume of day-old chicks reach adequate scale, we will then establish breeder farms to supply the market instead of exporting from Vietnam," he told Reuters.

Leong Hup's IPO secured 10 cornerstone investors, including domestic pension fund Employees Provident Fund, insurer AIA Bhd and European commodities house Louis Dreyfus Company.

Leong Hup had a profit of 60.6 million ringgit for the quarter ended March 31, a 15% rise from a year earlier. Revenue rose 11.9% to 1.51 billion ringgit. ($1=4.1700 ringgit) (Reporting by Liz Lee; Writing by A. Ananthalakshmi; Editing by Himani Sarkar and Sherry Jacob-Phillips)
An Emirati coast guard vessel passes an oil tanker 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)

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) -- Murky claims of sabotage to oil tankers off the coast of the United Arab Emirates. A drone attack on a pipeline in Saudi Arabia. A U.S. aircraft carrier strike group steaming toward an unspecified threat.

The events roiling the Persian Gulf in recent days have the potential to affect everything from the price of a gallon of gas to the fate of nations.

And for those feeling confused by it all, don't worry: Everyone else seems to be puzzled too, only raising the possibility of a miscalculation.

Just as what sparked the rapid series of market-moving events remains unclear; so does the reason for the White House deploying warships and B-52 bombers to the region.

Days later, Iran marked the anniversary of President Donald Trump withdrawing the U.S. from Tehran's nuclear deal with world powers by announcing it also would begin backing away from the accord. It set a 60-day deadline for Europe to offer it a better deal before it would begin enriching uranium to higher levels that the West fears could allow it to obtain atomic bombs.

"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 said recently.

The main threat Hunt referred to was any confrontation between the U.S. and Iran. This has been brewing ever since Trump, who campaigned on tearing up Iran's 2015 nuclear deal, came to office.

After pulling out of the deal last year, the U.S. began a maximalist pressure campaign against Iran. It re-imposed sanctions. It created new ones, for the first time naming a part of a country's armed forces a terrorist organization and squeezing Iran by threatening sanctions on any nation importing its crude oil.

For a year, Iran negotiated with European signatories to the deal to find a way to allow it to continue its trading. Those efforts have yet to bear fruit.

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Meanwhile, Trump's national security John Bolton, who gave paid speeches to an Iranian exile group promising that Iran's government would be overthrown, issued the statement announcing the aircraft carrier would be deployed.

The deployment sends "a clear and unmistakable message to the Iranian regime that any attack on United States interests or on those of our allies will be met with unrelenting force," Bolton said.

Iran announced May 8 it would back away from the nuclear deal. Four days later, on Sunday, everything suddenly changed.

A pro-Iran Lebanese satellite channel falsely claimed the Emirati port of Fujairah was ablaze after explosions, reports quickly carried by Iranian state media and semi-official outlets. Hours later, the United Arab Emirates issued a vague statement alleging four ships "were subjected to sabotage operations."

By Monday, it was clear something happened. One of the four oil tankers affected, a Norwegian-flagged ship, clearly had a hole punched through its hull. A U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing investigation, said the other three did as well.

But Emirati and U.S. officials refused to speak on record to journalists. Satellite images obtained by The Associated Press later showed no visible major damage to the vessels, which included two Saudi tankers and an Emirati vessel.

On Tuesday, there still were no clear answers but many questions. Where did the Lebanese channel get its information about the explosions? What damaged the ships? And why won't anyone identify suspects involved in the alleged sabotage?

Suspicion, but not publicly verifiable evidence, has fallen on nearby Iran. The Shiite power has an incredibly tense relationship with Sunni-ruled Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

Trump told reporters he would "absolutely" be willing to send troops to the Middle East, but that he's not planned for that and hopefully won't have to plan for that. In Tehran, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei cautioned: "Neither we, nor them, is seeking war. They know that it is not to their benefit."

Still, Iran has been threatening to close off the Strait of Hormuz if it can't sell its own oil on the global market. The strait is the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf through which a third of all oil traded at sea passes. Additionally, over 30% of the world's liquefied natural gas trade also travels through it.

The UAE is developing Fujairah with an eye to possibly avoid having to send crude oil through the Strait of Hormuz. Now suddenly, Fujairah is a target.

On Tuesday, a pipeline in Saudi Arabia that allows it to likewise avoid the strait became a target as well. Yemen's Houthi rebels, with whom Saudi Arabia and the UAE have been fighting a bloody war since March 2015, launched a drone attack on the East-West pipeline, which carries nearly 5 million barrels of crude oil a day to the Red Sea. The kingdom shut down the pipeline in response, causing a spike in global oil prices.

Such attacks routinely cause higher global oil prices, which mean profits for producers and higher prices for consumers. But threats to the global oil market in the Persian Gulf also have been a U.S. national security priority since 1980.

The U.S. fought the Gulf War in 1991 to push Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein's forces out of Kuwait, a major OPEC member. That war gave birth to the vast network of military bases the U.S. now has around the Persian Gulf, bases that Iran regards warily as the USS Abraham Lincoln heads toward the Strait of Hormuz. B-52 bombers from Louisiana already are flying missions in the region.

"Iran could actually view some of this as being a potential buildup for some type of offensive action," said Becca Wasser, a Washington-based RAND Corp. analyst specializing in Gulf security. "It raises the risk of accidental escalation . Because the U.S. and Iran don't have clear lines of communication at the moment, everything can be perceived in a very different light than one side is intending."

She added: "Something that would usually be a smaller issue could bloom into something much larger and much-more serious."

___

EDITOR'S NOTE  Jon Gambrell, the news director for the Gulf and Iran for The Associated Press, has reported from each of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, Iran and other locations across the world since joining the AP in 2006. Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/jongambrellap .
Port Dickson MP Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim speaks during Majlis Iftar Perdana in Bangi May 16, 2019.  Picture by Miera Zulyana

BANGI, May 16  PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said today there is a new narrative on racism that needs to be addressed before Malaysia can move forward.

He said the narrative does not only exist within the Malay community, but also in the Indian and Chinese community.

Some have the perception that racist tool is only within the Malays but this is not true. It is also within the Indian and Chinese races.

And their narrative is over board [for example] on the issue of poverty, its the poverty of the Indians, problems in businesses, its the businesses of the Chinese, and the Malay majority is sidelined, said Anwar, when quizzed whether the May 13 files should be declassified.

Anwar said the narrative should be inclusive of all races, such as the issue on poverty and business opportunities.

Meanwhile, Anwar said the views of the minorities on their views of Islam should not be shunned and they should be given the space to express their opinions.

However, the Port Dickson MP said the majority voice should not be silent or worry over the matter to the point of shying away from expressing their views.

Some Islamic bodies had voiced out to me on their views of these minority groups, in which they found to have conflicting views.

But the Islamic bodies should be vocal in order to tell the public, whether Muslims and non-Muslims, that the general view is different than the extreme minorities who are trying to dictate or think they are the voice of the Islamic community.

I disagree with restricting them because I believe we can give a more rational view that is supported by the people in a free and open platform, Anwar told reporters at the Majlis Iftar Perdana held at Hotel Tenera, here today.

Earlier, Anwar had spoken at the event, which was organised by Malaysian Islamic Youth Movement (Abim) and Wadah, which is a group made up of mostly former Abim members.

Anwar was the former Abim president from 1974 to 1982.

Related Articles Tarikh lantik PM ke-8 sedang dibincang, kata Anwar Anwar says hammering out details on PM transition Mind your own business, Anwar tells Clooney over warning shot on purported death penalty for gays
Incidents of voyeurism on campus have come into the spotlight recently, in the wake of the National University of Singapore (NUS) saga after undergraduate Monica Baey spoke publicly about her traumatic experience as a victim.

Universities in Singapore have released statements to say that they are taking the issue very seriously and have implemented measures to tackle it.

In Parliament and on social media, Education Minister Ong Ye Kung stressed the need for firm measures by universities to improve campus safety and support for victims of sexual misconduct.

In this three-part series on campus voyeurism, Yahoo News Singapore looks at the issue from the perspective of undergraduates who are studying in Singapore.

(Getty Images file photo)

By Linette Heng

SINGAPORE  Outside both the mens and womens toilets at Sogang University in Seoul, Korea, signs in both English and Korean state: No hidden cameras.

Security cameras are trained at washroom doors. Dormitories are also segregated by sex with strict rules that prevent the opposite sex from entering.

Voyeurism is a very serious problem in Korea and the school does a lot to protect its students, said Nanyang Technological University (NTU) communications undergraduate Melissa Lee, who was on a five-month exchange programme at Sogang last year.

Ultra-wired South Korea has been battling a growing epidemic of voyeurism or molka  spy-cam videos taken in public places. According to a recent report, spy-cam crimes reported to the South Korean police have surged from around 2,400 in 2012 to nearly 6,500 in 2017, with the actual figure thought to be much higher. Both male and female university students have fallen victim, and universities have stepped up their responses.

Lee, now a third-year student who has lived in two different hostels while studying at NTU, says security here has been considerably more lax, even if common areas have closed-circuit cameras and security guards are on patrol between 9pm and 9am.

Story continues

The guards are usually more concerned about noise than safety, she said, although she concedes that that might now change. I think that schools here should do more in terms of security and taking precautionary measures, she said.

In Parliament last week, Education Minister Ong Ye Kung also pointed to the need for concrete steps to improve campus safety.

Over the last three years, a total of 56 cases of sexual misconduct have been handled by the six autonomous universities, with 37 reported to the police, said Ong. Two-thirds of the cases were related to voyeurism. NUS and NTU, which have the largest number of students living on campus, had the highest number of cases - 25 and 20, respectively.

Since Monica Baey went public last month with what happened to her at NUS, at least four new cases have been reported at NTU and NUS. In the most recent case, an NUS student was caught on a newly-installed closed-circuit camera, and charged on Monday (13 May).

Universities say they are stepping up on security. Late last week, NTU put out a list of FAQs on Harassment, Sexual Misconduct and Residential Hall Security, outlining its zero tolerance policy, including towards voyeurism and sexual misconduct, and enhanced security measures. These include more patrols and checking that the doors of womens toilets are securely locked.

NTU is also reviewing the campus security needs, including installing more CCTVs in suitable locations.

Meanwhile, the NUS campus security office issued a circular on Saturday documenting changes that had been or are being made, including enhanced CCTV systems, secure shower cubicles, restroom locks, and increased patrols. It also called for students to remain vigilant.

Arifah Begum, a second year business student who stays at the College of Alice and Peter Tan at NUS, says there has been a visible - and welcomed - difference in security presence.

I feel that NUS is on the right track with the preventive measures. But I think educating students on proper conduct will also go a long way, she said, adding that students should also call out other students when they threaten the safety of others, even if they are friends.

Appeals have also gone out to students at some universities to ensure that they are not inadvertently compromising the very measures that are in place to protect them.

Late last month, students at the Singapore University of Technology and Design were reminded not to jam self-locking toilet doors and forgo security for the sake of easier access to toilets.

Biomedical engineering student Rengarajan Hamsawardhini, a recent resident of NUS Prince George's Park Residences, said the jamming of locks continued after the Monica Baey incident surfaced.

It was only after the residence management team threatened demerit points that the practice stopped, she said. It was like they wouldnt accept the reality that it could happen to any one of us.

Read the first story in this series here: Campus Voyeurism: I went public to get the wheels turning - molest victim

And the third: Campus Voyeurism: Better reporting, support systems needed - students

Related stories:

NUS Review Committee proposes tougher sanctions for sexual misconduct offences

Over 300 NUS students issue letter to criticise town hall meeting on sexual harassment
What happened?

Swathes of people have reacted with fury to the news Alabama has passed a near-total ban on abortion. The senate in the Republican-dominated state voted by 25-6 for a bill that makes performing an abortion at any stage of pregnancy a crime punishable by life in prison. The only exception would be if the womans health is seriously at risk. All those who voted to make abortion illegal were men. Senators also rejected an attempt to add an exception for rape and incest, with 22 voting against.

Dangerous and exceptionally cruel

Commentators and pro-choice activists shared their dismay at the decision, with particular attention drawn to the fact the decision was made by a group of men. Democratic Presidential hopefuls Elizabeth Warren called the move dangerous and exceptionally cruel and fellow Democrat Bernie Sanders said what Alabama doing it blatantly unconstitutional.

The Handmaids Tale

Following the vote, the title of Margaret Atwoods novel The Handmaids Tale began trending on Twitter, with people drawing comparisons to the story where women are subjugated to systemic rape and forced to have children.

Read more

Alabama bans abortion with strictest legislation in US (Guardian)

The Alabama abortion ban is an outrage  but what about Northern Ireland? (The Independent) Abortion law harsher in Northern Ireland than in Alabama (The Guardian)

Every vote for Alabamas abortion ban was from a white man (HuffPost)

The Jeremy Kyle Show has been cancelled with immediate effect after the suspected suicide of a recent guest. Steven Dymond died from a suspected drugs overdose just 10 days after filming an appearance for the programme. Do you think ITV were right to cancel the show? Read the full story (Yahoo Celebrity UK) and have your say below:

Government rejects new definition of Islamophobia

Theresa May has turned down a proposal for a new definition of Islamophobia, citing grounds of free speech. The Government believes that adopting it could mean criticisim of aspects of Islam could be prosecuted under discrimination laws. Instead, ministers will appoint independent advisers to come up with their own definition of Islamophobia. Police had warned said the definition could hamper the fight against terrorism. Read the full story here (Press Association)

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VIP paedophile accuser is alleged paedophile himself

A man who stands accused of lying about a Westminter VIP ring of child abusers and killers is himself a committed and manipulative paedophile, a court has heard. Carl Beech, known by the pseudonym Nick, hid his sexual interest in young boys behind a secret app on his iPad, tried to frame someone else, and only later admitted a series of charges, jurors were told. The father-of-one, from Gloucester, denies 12 counts of perverting the course of justice and one of fraud. Read the full story here (Independent)





A camera set up to monitor the nest of an endangered oriental white stork in Russia inadvertently recorded a dramatic scene, capturing the moment a wildfire burned across ground underneath the nest. The camera is run by the World Wildlife Fund, and used by scientists to monitor the storks.

2 million

Thats the estimated value of a vintage Ferrari that was stolen in Germany when a man posing as a would-be buyer drove off during a test drive. The man sped off in the red Ferrari 288 GTO, first registered in 1985, when the seller got out of the car to swap places. The car was later found hidden in a garage, but police are still hunting the thief. Read the full story here (CNBC)
PHOTO: Getty Images

SINGAPORE  Changi General Hospital (CGH) has addressed a recent viral Facebook post, in which a deceased womans granddaughter expressed unhappiness at poor palliative care given by the hospital.

While it insisted that appropriate medical care was given during the 81-year-olds stay, it acknowledged in a media statement on Wednesday (15 May) that there were communication gaps which could have been prevented.

It added that it could have done better in engaging the family members and helping them understand the medical interventions by their care team.

The hospital has also apologised for the anxiety caused to the family.

The Facebook post on Monday (13 May) by marketing executive Isabella Alexandria Lim detailed her familys disappointing experience at CGH when her grandmother was warded on two occasions: from 19 February to 4 April, and from 7 April to 3 May.

As of Thursday (16 May), the post has been shared more than 4,400 times, with more than 300 comments.

Lim, 24, wrote in her post that her grandmother, who suffered from dementia, was initially admitted to CGH after suffering a compression fracture after a fall, but developed urinary tract infection which required hospitalisation.

She was eventually transferred to a dementia ward where she could receive better care for her condition. However, Lim said in her post that her grandmother was then diagnosed to have ischemic bowel (blocked or narrowed arteries to the bowel). Due to her grandmothers old age and existing kidney condition, surgery was ruled out and palliative care was opted.

Encounters with insensitive staff

Lim listed a series of discomforts her grandmother suffered during her stay at the dementia ward  severe bedsores at the ward, denial of a thermal blanket for a period by staff, and not having her diapers changed until a request was made.

Lim also wrote that her family was perturbed by the shoddy treatment of her grandmother, as well as insensitive and rude remarks by the wards staff.

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For example, she claimed that a thermal blanket used to help alleviate her grandmothers low body temperature was removed. When her aunt asked a nurse to put it back on, the nurse purportedly said, Put every day, got cost, you know?

Lim also said that when she approached an on-call doctor to discuss her grandmothers alternative treatment options when the primary care doctor was away, that doctor responded, I just want to say that I dont know anything about your grandmother.

She could have at least read my grandmas case file first, or asked me how her condition was, instead of making me feel like I was forcing her to answer something against her will. Unprofessional and rude! Lim wrote in her post.

Later that night, the same doctor allegedly sighed loudly when called to help, as Lims grandmothers heart rate went from 40 beats per minute (bpm) to 110 bpm. Eventually, her colleague attended to her grandmother, and told the family it depends on God when asked for an update.

Better care when transferred to NUH

Lims family eventually decided on 3 May to transfer her grandmother to National University Hospital (NUH). Even then, Lim wrote that they encountered unhelpful CGH doctors and staff.

She wrote, Whenever we brought (the transfer) up to the doctors, they would deny our request stating that doctors in the other hospital would say the same thing or she would probably die on the way in the ambulance so there was no point...

We were asked to sign a release form stating that CGH will not be liable should anything happen and they kept emphasising on the fact that my grandma would most likely pass in the ambulance. When we called NUH and told them we wanted to transfer my grandma over, they said it was possible but they needed to speak with the CGH doctors or else we would have to be admitted directly into A&E.

Guess what? Our primary care doctor refused to speak to NUH at all. The nurses also refused to book an ambulance for us to get to NUH and told us to get an ambulance on our own. We eventually managed to get a private ambulance and are so thankful we went ahead with the transfer.

Lims grandmother was admitted to NUH on 3 May, and Lim said the NUH staff attended to her grandmothers bedsores by applying creams, protecting her wound with medicated gauze and giving her heel sponges. They also conducted one to three-hourly checks on her to change her diapers or position, and helped ease her severe water retention by giving her compression stockings.

The grandmother passed away on 5 May.

Lim commented on her post, CGH, I urge you to re-evaluate your training towards your staff for end-of-life protocols! Learn how to deal with families who are going through a difficult time. Dont make insensitive remarks like it depends on God.

Most importantly, treat your dying patients with the same respect and care you would give to a regular patient in the hospital. It was heartbreaking to see my grandma in the state that she was during the last days of her life. In fact, I wish we had admitted her to NUH from the start. Now, we have to pay a five-figure medical bill to CGH for what? Disappointing service.

Communications gaps which could have been prevented

In CGHs media response to queries on Lims Facebook post, Associate Professor Lim Si Ching, a senior consultant in the department of geriatric medicine, said, We are saddened by the news of the patients passing and empathise with the familys anguish.

Appropriate medical care was given during her stay at CGH. However, there were communication gaps which could have been prevented. While the care team provided regular updates to the family member designated as main caregiver, we could have done better in engaging the different family members and helping them understand the diagnostic and therapeutic interventions by the care team.

On the elderly womans bedsores, Assoc Prof Lim said CGH had promptly taken preventive measures, such as by closely monitoring the womans skin condition and placing her on a pressure-relieving air mattress.

Staff had also turned the patient at regular intervals while respecting family members request to minimise the disruption to her rest, she added.

Continuity of care was ensured when the family requested a transfer, as CGHs care team had facilitated the move with a doctors letter to NUHs Emergency Department, she said.

Assoc Prof Lim added: Owing to patient confidentiality, it would be more appropriate for us to meet with the family to address their concerns, and provide full details of the case. We will do our best to learn from this incident and improve our care delivery processes.

Other Singapore stories:

Heartbreak again for Singapore Slingers as they let 10-point lead slip to lose ABL Finals

Almost half of Singapore residents clear their food utensils at hawker centres: survey

Campus Voyeurism: I went public to get the wheels turning - molest victim
People hold placards calling for China to release Canadian detainees Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig outside a court hearing for Huawei Technologies Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou at the B.C. Supreme Court in Vancouver FILE PHOTO: People hold placards calling for China to release Canadian detainees Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig outside a court hearing for Huawei Technologies Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou at the B.C. Supreme Court in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, March 6, 2019. REUTERS/Lindsey Wasson

By Michael Martina

BEIJING (Reuters) - Chinese authorities have formally arrested on state secrets charges two Canadians detained last year, the government said on Thursday, drawing condemnation from Canada in a case that is likely to further increase tension between Ottawa and Beijing.

Businessman Michael Spavor, who worked with North Korea, and former diplomat Michael Kovrig were picked up separately in December, shortly after Canada arrested Huawei Technologies Co Ltd Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou, who faces extradition to the United States.

China has repeatedly demanded Meng be released, and has reacted angrily to extradition proceedings against her in a Canadian court.

"According to Chinese prosecutors' approval, Michael Kovrig, due to being suspected of crimes of gathering state secrets and intelligence for foreign (forces), and Michael Spavor, for being suspected of crimes of stealing and illegally providing state secrets for foreign (forces), have in recent days been approved for arrest according to law," foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang told a daily news briefing.

The measures were in accordance with the law, Lu said, and Beijing hoped Canada "will not make irresponsible remarks" about law enforcement and judicial proceedings in China.

Canada's government denounced the move.

"Canada strongly condemns their arbitrary arrest as we condemned their arbitrary detention on Dec. 10. We reiterate our demand that China immediately release Mr. Kovrig and Mr. Spavor," Canada's foreign ministry said.

Canadian diplomats have made recent consular visits to them both, it added, declining to provide further details for privacy reasons.

"We continue to take the safety of the Canadians arbitrarily detained in China with the utmost priority," Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told reporters during an official trip to Paris, calling the arrests "unacceptable."

"We will continue to work with our allies and work directly with China to ensure that they understand that we are a country of the rule of law, and we will allow our legal processes to unfold independently while at the same time we will always stand up for Canadians and will continue to," he added.

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In March, China accused the two men of involvement in stealing state secrets.

China has said it is fully guaranteeing both men's lawful rights. Kovrig also holds Hungarian citizenship.

Kovrig works for the International Crisis Group (ICG) non-governmental organisation which focuses on conflict resolution.

With their formal arrest, they could soon face trial, though it is unclear when that may be.

While Canada says China has made no specific link between the detentions of the two men and Meng's arrest, experts and former diplomats say they have no doubt it is using their cases to pressure Canada.

Meng, 47, is the daughter of Huawei Technologies Co Ltd's billionaire founder, Ren Zhengfei.

She was arrested at Vancouver's airport in December on a U.S. warrant and is fighting extradition on charges that she conspired to defraud global banks about Huawei's relationship with a company operating in Iran.

Meng was released from jail in December on C$10 million ($7.5 million) bail and must wear an electronic ankle bracelet and pay for security guards. She has been living in a Vancouver home that was valued at C$5 million in 2018.

Both she and the company have denied the U.S. charges.

(Reporting by Michael Martina; Additional reporting by David Ljunggren and Steve Scherer in Ottawa, and John Irish and Inti Landauro in Paris; Writing by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Darren Schuettler, Robert Birsel and Jonathan Oatis)
It is a brutal 600-kilometre gauntlet during which competitors face searing heat, wild seas, vicious predators, and the threat of kidnapping. Only one in ten will finish. This is the MacArthur competition -- the Philippines' longest homing pigeon race. It's a tough challenge for the birds and a tense affair for the owners. "Compared to Europe and the United States, we have lots of predators here and a lot of people who shoot these birds," said Jaime Lim, one of the Philippines' best-known pigeon fanciers -- as the pursuit's devotees are known. "Fishing nets are set up in the mountains to capture these birds. That's a major problem nowadays," the 68-year-old construction magnate added. Racing pigeons can be worth thousands of dollars but some that are kidnapped are sold off to unscrupulous fanciers for as little as $14, Lim explained. It's a nefarious side effect of the hobby's swelling popularity in the Philippines, where there are now at least 300 clubs with thousands of members. This mirrors increasing popularity in other Asian countries, particularly India, Taiwan and China. In March, a Chinese buyer spent a record 1.25 million euros ($1.4 million) at an auction for Belgium's best long-distance racing pigeon of all time. According to Encyclopedia Britannica, the sport began in Belgium, where the first long-distance race was held in 1818. The European nation remains the global hub for enthusiasts. - Gambling appeal - The appeal in the Philippines seems to be a mix, including the bird's fascinating navigational skills and a touch of hunger for a quick profit. Fancier Mary Grace San Jose, 38, is from the poor district of Tondo in Manila and says one draw is that racing is open to everyone. "What is important is you are able to feed them," she told AFP, adding: "You may not afford what the rich give their birds... but that's fine." Money remains part of the appeal for many though. "It does not look good, but the opportunity to gamble is part of it," Eddie Noble, an official of the 1,000-member Metro Manila Fanciers Club, told AFP. Noble said the main driver, though, is the pure excitement of "racing these birds with a phenomenal ability to find their way home". Science has never concretely explained the homing pigeon's skills. The two more popular theories posit that they follow the Earth's magnetic field lines and rely on their sense of smell. One new hypothesis says that the birds use ultra-low frequency sounds that map out the terrain. That ability is put to the test in the MacArthur. "Ten percent, at the most, make it back," race director Nelson Chua said of the event, which begins in the MacArthur town on the island of Leyte. "We can say that 50-70 percent were snared by nets, shot, or taken by predators," he said. Lim insisted secrecy is necessary to protect the birds: "If they (kidnappers) get wind of the date of the race that's when they put their nets up." - Worried parents - Most of the rest are picked off by hungry predator birds, felled by tropical heat and exhaustion or even the occasional typhoon in a competition that lasts at least ten hours. Those that survive fly directly to their coups in the Manila area. Their owners must then retrieve a code affixed to the pigeon's foot and call it in to race organisers, which is how finishing order is determined. For Ashley Fruno, of the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals group, the three sea crossings in the MacArthur race -- rather than poachers, are to blame for the 90 percent casualty rate, which she said is among the world's deadliest. "There's nothing sporting about forcing animals to risk -- and often lose -- their lives so that someone can win a prize, a title or some money," Manila-based Fruno told AFP. She added that the pigeons fly low over water to avoid wind, and so many die when hit by waves or succumb to exhaustion. Fanciers claim they wait for their birds to return like worried parents. "It might take a few days, but they always come back unless they are caught by net," said San Jose. "If they don't, I'll spend days at their rooftop loft, waiting for them," she added. But she conceded, she has no idea what happened to her last two entries in the MacArthur race -- they didn't make it back.
Ambassador HU Zhangliang Met with Speaker of Parliament Abass Bundu

2019/05/15

On May 8, 2019, Chinese Ambassador HU Zhangliang Met with the Speaker of Parliament Dr. Abass Bundu.

Ambassador HU expressed appreciation for the active role of Dr. Abass Bundu and the Parliament of Sierra Leone in promoting friendly cooperation between China and Sierra Leone. He said China is ready to work with Sierra Leone to further enhance practical cooperation so as to bring more benefit to the two countries and their peoples.

Dr. Abass Bundu thanked China for constantly supporting Sierra Leone. He said the Parliament of Sierra Leone hopes to join efforts with the Chinese side to consolidate traditional friendship between the two countries and bring bilateral relations to a new high.
Praba Ganesan

MAY 16  Tomorrow, Ill be having lunch with grandma. With mums mum on a Friday. Mind you, shes handy with a sickle. More a farmhand than housewife.

My only living grandparent  let alone parent  she lives over 2,600 kilometres away in Alangudi. Its a quaint village south of Trichy (Air Asia lands there) and adjacent to Karaikudi, the source of Brickfields best cooks  Chettinad lads.

Since its the land of 330 million gods, it seemed appropriate to wade into Malaysias  knickers in a twist  episode over proselytisation. The process of getting people to leave one club to join another.

Speaking about Zamri Vinoth Kalimuthu, the man under fire from Indian Malaysians.

By the way, the family moved from the old house to a new one a stones throw away over feng shui. Dont compete with Tamils when it comes to superstition. The new place on Koil (Temple) Street probably is next to some temple, just like the previous house.

Grandma lives with her son, my maternal uncle, and the clan. After that pow wow, its over to my dads village eight miles away. They have a large temple by the pond. My paternal uncles are very involved with the annual festival. And yes, a shrine within the family compound.

Thats only two families  not that the numbers of temples and gods would surprise the preacher from Seremban.

When 80 per cent of Indias 1.3 billion associate themselves with some variant of Hindu practice, theyd muster a decent god count.

But does it matter?

The ongoing community outrage about their personal faith being insulted offers an opportunity to discuss the worlds widest operating multi-level marketing activity, religious outreach.

Invariably promotional materials will be objectionable, but how to recruit if all faiths were equal in the sales pitch?

From bald pasty Hari Krishna devotees at airports to missionaries slipping nursing the disenfranchised in economically deplorable zones, religions have to make a mark to convert a Mark.

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However, Malaysias caveat complicates matters and maybe explains why certain segments feel aggrieved.

I took the one most travelled

Lets put the positives out there, Zamri is an articulate and charismatic fellow. He is. However, he is equally smug, condescending and lacks contrition. Which is consistent with most preachers of all kinds of faiths from around the world.

It goes with the territory, but in our multicultural society how to manage cultural overzealousness?

When promotions upset the colourful peeps of the Malaysian federation.

Which is how Zamri Vinoth got into a pickle.

His opponents felt he dissed conventional Hindu practices too much.

And legal and demographic conditions compound dissent.

Firstly, Malaysian laws disallow efforts to draw Muslims to other faiths. Secondly, the members of the other faiths are minorities. Thirdly, government aids in efforts to draw Non-Muslims to Islam.

Im not asking for those laws to be reviewed, but they need to be outlined to weigh their effects to those with strong religious proclivities.

Safe to say the majority of police reports filed against Zamri last month were by Indian Malaysians of not the Muslim persuasion.

As a minority, and in an environment conducive for propagation of Islam, when they see a Muslim convert preach they feel wrong done. To them hes ashamed of his roots. I dont believe Zamri is but Malaysians can understand why a community arrives at the conclusion even if they do not agree with the perception.

I found no joy in his four-day detention. Its dangerous when we have people behind bars because of arbitrary things like upset feelings. His actions must demonstrate actual harm on society, and if prosecution relies on how emotions are affected, then it is a slippery slope which can boomerang back onto our collective faces.

Setting aside Malaysias specific settings, our multicultural society by large appreciates the diversity.

The banana leaf restaurants and incense sticks at the Wat Chetawan PJ for Wesak next week, lend to our common personality. Malaysia, a place of many things.

To continue this way of life, to nurture togetherness, all must exert effort.

Empathy is an important tool to rationalise other values in our shared space. To care for others regardless of the insistence or protection of the laws. Zamri may have an obligation to his faith, but does he have an obligation to other Malaysians, those who do not profess his faith?

Its splendid Zamri found meaning and purpose, more power to him. But, surely he realises his words are often mischievous even if not meant to be.

They give him a rise and bring cheers from the side he bats for now. They are not merely stories, they form his journey to salvation. And to those he walked away from, theyd be peeved a little by the regaling.

However, it is not Zamris job to agree with his detractors. They are welcome to feel unhappy.

What is imperative is to ensure while we play out our human sentiments, we do not abandon our humanity.

Calm down

There are never completely happy endings in all conversion stories, they are what they are.

In lieu of that observation, probably those displeased with Zamri Vinoth must suck it up most often unless there is an enormous harm perpetrated by the preacher man.

Harms which must be measured from the perspective of nationhood and not merely communal groups.

My late mum was a pious woman, so was her father whom I never met. My grandmother bothers more about the fields, planting seasons and irrigation. Im with her, except for the irrigation part I guess.

I adore my countrymen, whether they have a single god or enough gods to dwarf the stars in the night skies or tick other.

Its time to come to terms that there are personal worldviews we cant reconcile, but we can reconcile with each other as Malaysians.

That should be on our minds the next time we express our articles of faith or value the expressions made by others.

By the way, my great-grandmas name was Karupaiye (Blackie).

* This is the personal opinion of the columnist.

Related Articles IGP: 867 reports made against preacher Zamri Vinoth over Hindu slur Khatib gugup tertinggal rukun khutbah, solat Jumaat tak sah Young Singaporeans explore issues of ethnicity through art
Imagine using your phone to help you look for a vacant space in any parking lot. Yes, no need to waste time going round in circles here; and neither do you have to fight off an army of other vehicles all claiming for the same space.

Carspace offers this service. This app is the winner at the recent Smarts Wireless Engineering Education Program (SWEEP) awards held at Discovery Primea in Makati City last May 10. Besting other 160 entries, it was the brainchild of college students from the University of San Jose-Recollectos (USJ-R) Kevin Cerdon, Jesury Thomas Gadiane, Noel Daniel Seldura, and their faculty adviser Eric Magto.

And while it may be quite similar to other parking apps found today, the difference here is that its similar to Airbnbbut instead of booking accommodations, you do it with vehicles.

Other winners include Asia Pacific College for its entry LYNIA  a queue management system that aims to ease commuter queuing experience in Public Utility Vehicle (PUV) terminals (2nd place, Fiber Home Award) and Technological University of the PhilippinesManila for its solution Beenotified, a cost-effective and full cycle beehive monitoring system (3rd place, Huawei Award for Excellence).

The USJ-R team won the top prize of PHP300,000. The other winning schools would bring home cash prizes, amounting to PHP200,000 and PHP100,000, respectively. Non-winners got a consolation prize of PHP50,000.

The post Filipino Students Create App that Locates Vacant Parking Spaces in Real-Time appeared first on Carmudi Philippines.
MANILA, Philippines  The House of Representatives (HOR) approved on third and final reading a measure that requires all graduating students to plant 10 trees each as a prerequisite for graduation.

House Bill 8728 or the Graduation Legacy for the Environment Act aims to move the youth into action to promote environmental protection, biodiversity, climate change mitigation, poverty reduction, and food security, according to the bills authors Magdalo Rep. Gary Alejano and Bacoor, Cavite Rep. Strike Revilla.

The bill enumerates areas where the tree planting would be executed.

These include forestlands, mangrove and protected areas, ancestral domains, inactive and abandoned mine sites, among other suitable areas.

Concerned agencies shall be the Department of Education (DepEd) and the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) in cooperation with the Department of Environmental and Natural Resources (DENR), Department of Agriculture (DA), Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), and the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP), among others.

The agencies shall be responsible in seedling production, site preparation, nursery establishment, monitoring and evaluation, as well as technical support and extension services.

They should also provide for the students transportation, security and medical needs on the course of the tree planting activity.

The bill is now for transmission to the Senate for action.  Marje Pelayo

The post House okays bill requiring students to plant 10 trees before graduation appeared first on UNTV News.
Labis MP Pang Hok Liong said he only gave a speech thanking the mosque committee for hosting him and to announce an RM1,000 allocation to the mosque.  Picture via Facebook/Pang Hok Liong

JOHOR BARU, May 16  A DAP Muslim state assemblyman today has condemned a Facebook page that had insulted non-Muslims who entered mosques.

This comes after an issue involving Labis MP Pang Hok Liong, who was accused of making a political speech in a mosques last week.

Johor DAP publicity secretary Sheikh Umar Bagharib Ali criticised the owners of the Facebook page Ops Johor for calling Pang a dog.

We should not label non-Muslims visitors who enter mosques as dogs.

And the issue of calling or labelling someone as a dog or animal should be avoided, said Sheikh Umar when met by Malay Mail here after breaking fast today.

The Paloh assemblyman was commenting on a Facebook post by an anti-Pakatan Harapan (PH) page Ops Johor that insulted Pang by labelling him as a dog for visiting a mosque on May 10.

Sheikh Umar, who is a graduate in Islamic studies, majoring in Usuluddin, and also Islamic Propagation Foundation of Malaysias (Yadim) board member, said he believed that other religions do not permit degrading others as animals.

He added that in Islam, the approach of fatabayyanu as verifying facts is important as not to cause undue problems.

To me, the Ops Johor Facebook page approach can cause confusion.

At the same time, it also paints a negative picture of Islam, said Sheikh Umar.

Earlier, Pang told Malay Mail that he denied giving a political speech at a mosque in his constituency that had earned him a royal rebuke from Johor ruler Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar today.

Sultan Ibrahim had earlier in a statement said he had received complaints from the community there who were uneasy that Pang had reportedly given a speech in the mosque.

This was despite repeated reminders from him and the Johor Islamic Religious Department for mosque administrators to bar politicians from using such venues for political activities, he said.

Related Articles Labis MP denies giving speech in mosque after Johor royal rebuke Johor Maritime agency retrieves mans decomposed body found floating at sea Kadir mohon MB Johor siasat pemberian tanah kepada sultan
(L-R) Former Philippine National Police chief Ronald Bato dela Rosa, former presidential adviser Francis Tolentino, former special assistant to the president Christopher Lawrence Bong Go

MANILA, Philippines  Malacanang on Thursday (May 16) said it expects incoming senators, particularly those who are close allies of President Rodrigo Duterte, to be independent when it comes to issues involving national interest.

Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo made the statement following concerns that the check and balances in government may be affected as administration-backed Senate bets look set to join the upper chamber of Congress.

Partial and unofficial count from the Commission on Elections (Comelec) showed that nine Senate bets endorsed by Duterte are in the top 12.

These are reelectionist Senator Cynthia Villar, former special assistant to the president Christopher Lawrence Bong Go, former Philippine National Police chief Ronald Bato dela Rosa, former presidential adviser Francis Tolentino, House Deputy Speaker Pia Cayetano, reelectionist senators Sonny Angara and Koko Pimentel, Ilocos Norte Governor Imee Marcos and former Senator Bong Revilla.

Three of them  Go, Dela Rosa and Tolentino  are known close allies of Duterte.

Panelo, however, believes that the three will do their job well and always put first the best interest of the nation.

Its just happened that they are very close to the president but that doesnt mean they will be subservient, he said.

Whether or not Senate or Congress is dominated by the allies of whoever is incumbent, we expect them to pass economic reforms that will be beneficial to the Filipino people. The issue on whether you are an ally or not should not be discussed, he added.

Panelo stressed that the mandate of the Congress is to pass laws that will be beneficial for the people.

Its about time to eradicate the discussion on parties consideration. That is where we fail, he said.

Aside from Dutertes allies, other senatorial candidates who are in the winners circle based on partial tally are reelectionist senators Grace Poe, Nancy Binay, and former senator Lito Lapid. (with details from Rosalie Coz)

The post Malacanang expects Go, Bato, Tolentino to be independent as senators appeared first on UNTV News.
Indonesian domestic worker Adelina was allegedly abused and forced to sleep at her employer's car porch with a dog for a month.  File picture courtesy of Steven Sim's office

KUALA LUMPUR, May 16  The attorney-general who is also public prosecutor (PP) urgently needs to examine existing representation procedures in criminal cases, the Malaysian Bar said today after public uproar over the horrific death of a young Indonesian maid at her employers house in Penang.

Malaysian Bar president Abdul Fareed Abdul Gafoor said while the PPs initiative to provide clarity on the procedure is welcome, the said procedure may also jeopardise fairness and efficiency in criminal proceedings.

In the wake of recent disquieting decisions to discontinue and/or withdraw proceedings in several high-profile cases, it is high time to overhaul the process, he said in a statement.

Currently lawyers for an accused person write letters of representation to the prosecution at any stage of the trial process by either seeking a withdrawal of the charge or pleading to a lesser offence, with the prosecution then deciding whether to proceed further.

Indonesian maid Adelina Sao died of multiple organ failure just a day after she was rescued from her employer, S. Ambikas house in Bukit Mertajam, Penang on February 10, 2018.

The authorities found the Indonesian migrant worker lying on the pavement outside the house next to the owners dog.

Ambika was charged with murder  an offence still punishable with death in Malaysia, though it is no longer mandatory  shortly after Adelina was rescued and died in hospital, but was subsequently pronounced not guilty by the High Court after the deputy public prosecutor (DPP) in charge decided not to pursue the case.

According to Abdul Fareed, the representation-seeking procedures were outlined through the issuance of a notice called Public Prosecutors Direction No. 2/2019 and dated May 3.

He said the new procedure for considering the representations for each and every case  which involves the Solicitor General III, Solicitor General II as well as Solicitor General  is multi-layered and will thus take time.

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Consequently, according to PPD 2/2019, there should be no adjournment of trials while representations are being deliberated upon; both should run parallel, he said.

He said it would be highly impractical and also unfair for the trial to run concurrently with the process of considering representations as mounting a defence involves considerable cost  both financially and emotionally  to all parties involved.

Abdul Fareed proposed that the procedure of deliberating representation for cases involving death penalty and other cases be instead undertaken by committees.

For death penalty cases, Abdul Fareed suggested the committee to consist of high-ranking officials of the Attorney Generals Chambers.

For other cases, the committee would be comprised of Senior State DPPs and also senior officers from Putrajaya; alternatively a task force comprising State Legal Advisors, State Prosecution Directors, and several senior DPPs.

This proposed procedure is more streamlined and efficient, and is anticipated to be less time-consuming.

As such, the Attorney Generals Chambers should not object to a Deputy Public Prosecutor agreeing to a reasonable request for adjournment pending the outcome of a committees consideration of a representation, he said.

Related Articles Amah Indonesia mati didera, peguam negara rayu keputusan mahkamah AG appealing Penangites acquittal in Indonesian maid Adelina Saos brutal death, MP reveals Anger as Malaysian cleared of murdering Indonesian maid
Datuk Mohamaddin Ketapi stressed that it was an offence for any organisation to use the name of any minister for the sake of publicity if this is done without prior approval.  Picture by Miera Zulyana

GEORGE TOWN, May 16  Datuk Mohamaddin Ketapi said his Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry will take action against an organisation that used his name and the Tourism Malaysia logo without authorisation in its promotional activities.

He also accused the Asia Pacific Tourism and Travel Federation (APTTF) of fraud for portraying his planned attendance at its event, saying he could not have agreed to this as he was never asked.

It is a lie, I have never received any invitation from the organisation, my officers did not receive any such invitations, much less give an oral confirmation, he said after visiting the Spectrum of The Seas cruise liner here today.

He added that any confirmation or rejection from his office would also have been documented.

Mohamaddin then stressed that it was an offence for any organisation to use the name of any minister for the sake of publicity if this is done without prior approval.

This can smear the image of the Cabinet members and legal action can be taken against such organisations, he said.

The APTTF previously asserted that the ministry had verbally expressed support for its recent awards show.

It also publicised that Mohamaddin would be in attendance and used the Tourism Malaysia logo in some of its event promotions.

Today, Mohamaddin also said a ministry official would have represented him at the event if he could not personally attend.

Related Articles Spike in tourist arrivals from Middle East after GE14, says minister Menteri: Pelancong Arab meningkat selepas PH ambil alih kerajaan Minister: Tourism industry can drive Asean economy, investment
Courtesy : Storyblocks

The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) expects power supply to normalize by September, once hydroelectric power plants go online.

During a press briefing on Wednesday (May 15), NGCP division head for power network planning Fidel Dagsaan Jr. said, Maging operational ito around August or September so doon magpapasok naman, (It will become operational around August or September).

The NGCP again issued a yellow alert in the Luzon grid on Thursday (May 16) from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Details on the cause is yet to be announced by the Department of Energy (DOE).

Luzon grid status, 16 May 2019:



Yellow Alert

10:00AM-4:00PM



Available Capacity  11,625MW

Peak Demand  11,293MW



Details on the cause to be announced by the Department of Energy (DOE) later in the day.  NGCP (@NGCP_ALERT) May 15, 2019

The post NGCP expects power supply to normalize by September appeared first on UNTV News.
Deputy Transport Minister Datuk Kamarudin Jaafar says PLUS will be installing 11 new Automated Awareness Safety System (AWAS) cameras at accident prone areas along the North-South Expressway.  Picture by Mukhriz Hazim

PETALING JAYA, May 16  Highway operator PLUS Malaysia Berhad (PLUS) will be funding the installation of 11 new Automated Awareness Safety System (AWAS) cameras at accident prone areas along the North-South Expressway (NSE).

Deputy Transport Minister Datuk Kamarudin Jaafar said the locations for installation have been identified.

There are places that we have identified and will give more attention to. One of them is the Menora Tunnel in Ipoh that always sees accidents, he told reporters today after witnessing the handover of 10 Honda CRV cars to the Road Transport Department (RTD) to beef up security patrols along the countrys main highway.

The deputy minister said PLUS will cover the purchase and maintenance cost of the 11 new cameras, estimated at RM3 million.

Its about RM3 million and it is not a one-off cost as they have to calibrate the devices once every few months, to run tests and make sure they are operating effectively and accurately, he said.

The 10 SUVs today were valued at RM1.3 million and were handed over to RTD deputy director-general Zamakhshari Hanipah by PLUS managing director Datuk Azman Ismail.

Later, Kamarudin highlighted a seven per cent decline in road accidents nationwide during the first quarter year-on-year to hit 4,037 incidents.

He attributed the drop to regular and efficient RTD patrols along the major highways together with PLUS, adding he was hopeful the additional AWAS cameras would increase the ge

The new units of the Honda CRV at Persada PLUS in Petaling Jaya May 16, 2019.  Picture by Mukhriz Hazim

neral safety on highways.

Hence, I call on other highway concessionaires to follow PLUS in increasing the level of safety along their respective highways.

It should be seen as an exemplary approach and initiative in assisting the government in tackling the issue of road accidents, especially at accident-prone areas, he said during his opening address.

Kamarudin also revealed upcoming efforts between the Transport Ministry and the RTD for awareness campaigns highlighting the importance of child restraint seats (CRS).

We will have campaigns that are more effective throughout the year towards the direction of implementing this KKK policy in 2020, he said referring to acronym of the Malay initials of the CRS.

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Umnos Khairul Azwan Harun has blamed the PH governments reliance on petroleum-related revenue for the economic slump currently faced by Malaysia.  Picture by Razak Ghazali

KUALA LUMPUR, May 16  Umnos Khairul Azwan Harun has blamed the Pakatan Harapan (PH) governments reliance on petroleum-related revenue for the economic slump currently faced by Malaysia.

The senator also said that Malaysia is suffering from the return to the Sales and Services Tax (SST) regime from Goods and Services Tax (GST), which he said has worried foreign investors.

Malaysia is still suffering from the PHs decision to return to SST. What started out as a laughable move has now turned to international investor concern that the people in PH would rather side with public misconception rather than stick to sound economic policies, he said in a statement.

The 2019 PH budget has also failed to appease investor concerns. We are now more dependent on petrol revenues.

For all the faults of the previous government, you cannot take away the fact that BN implemented GST so the economy would not be dependent on this one source of income, Azwan added.

In its Fiscal Outlook 2019 report released in November last year, Putrajaya announced that it was expecting to rely more on petroleum-related revenue in 2018 and 2019, compared to 2017.

Oil contributed to 21.7 per cent of total revenue last year, compared to just 15.7 per cent in 2017 and just 14.6 per cent in 2016.

This year, it is predicted to jump up to 30.9 per cent of total revenue. Without the RM30 billion special dividend announced last year, the value is estimated at 19.5 per cent.

However, Putrajaya said petroleum-related revenue will still be make up a lower portion than the annual average of 34.6 per cent recorded between 2009 and 2014.

Azwan also claimed that PHs alleged indecisiveness and internal politics are major factors behind the slump as well.

Related Articles Perak MB moots asset declaration to cover all state lawmakers, CEOs of GLCs too Malaysian economy grows 4.5pc in 2019 first quarter Want PAS MPs to declare assets? No problem, were not rich, says party info chief
By Abdulrahman Al-Ansi

SANAA (Reuters) - The Saudi-led military coalition in Yemen carried out several air strikes on the Houthi-held capital Sanaa on Thursday after the Iranian-aligned movement claimed responsibility for drone attacks on Saudi oil installations.

The Sanaa strikes targeted nine military sites in and around the city, residents said, with humanitarian agencies reporting a number of casualties.

Rubble filled a populated street lined by mud-brick houses, a Reuters journalist on the scene said. A crowd of men lifted the body of a women, wrapped in a white shroud, into an ambulance.

Houthi-run Masirah television quoted the Houthi health ministry as saying six civilians, including four children, had been killed and 60 wounded, including two Russian women working in the health sector.

Medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres said two hospitals it supports in Sanaa took in 48 injured and four dead people as a result of the strikes. Preliminary reports indicated five children were among those killed, the U.N. humanitarian coordinator in Yemen said.

A coalition statement carried by Saudi-owned Al Arabiya TV, said the Sunni Muslim alliance struck military bases and facilities and weapons storage sites with the aim of "neutralising the ability of the Houthi militia to carry out acts of aggression".

"The sorties achieved its goals with full precision," the coalition said. It had urged civilians to avoid those targets.

A later statement said "the possibility of an accident" had been referred to a body set up by the coalition to investigate claims.

One resident reported a strike near a densely-populated district, where flames and clouds of smoke could be seen. A car was half-buried under rubble and twisted metal on a street lined with bystanders.

"There was an air strike near us, in the middle of an area packed with residents between Hael and Raqas (streets)," Abdulrazaq Mohammed told Reuters. "The explosion was so strong that stones were flying. This is the first time our house shakes so much."

Story continues

Sanaa has been held by the Houthi movement since it ousted the internationally recognised government of Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi from power there in late 2014. The coalition has previously targeted suspected drone and missile storage sites in the city.

"IRANIAN TOOLS"

Saudi Arabia's deputy defence minister on Thursday accused Iran of ordering Tuesday's armed drone attack on two oil pumping stations in the kingdom.

"The terrorist acts, ordered by the regime in Tehran and carried out by the Houthis, are tightening the noose around the ongoing political efforts," Prince Khalid bin Salman tweeted.

The Houthis said they were responsible for the attack, which did not disrupt oil output or exports. The group denies being a puppet of Tehran or receiving arms from Iran, and says its revolution is against corruption.

The head of the Houthis' Supreme Revolutionary Committee denied that Iran directed the strike and said the movement manufactures its drones locally. Tehran also denies providing arms to the Houthis.

"We are not agents for anyone," Mohammed Ali al-Houthi told Reuters. "We make decisions independently and do not take orders for drones or anything else."

The coalition described the drone attack as a "war crime".

The United Arab Emirates said on Wednesday that the Western-backed coalition, of which it is a main member, would "retaliate hard" for any Houthi attacks on coalition targets.

The Sanaa air strikes and renewed fighting in Yemen's Hodeidah port that breached a U.N.-sponsored truce in the Red Sea city, could complicate peace efforts to end the four-year war that has killed tens of thousands of people, many of them civilians, and pushed the country to the brink of famine.

The coalition, which receives arms and intelligence from Western nations, intervened in Yemen in 2015 to try to restore Hadi's Aden-based government.

The warring parties agreed last December at U.N.-sponsored peace talks on a ceasefire and troop withdrawal deal in Hodeidah, a lifeline for millions of Yemenis that became the focus of the war last year.

The pact, the first major breakthrough in over four years, stalled for months amid deep suspicion among all parties, but special envoy Martin Griffiths secured some progress when the Houthis started withdrawing from three ports last Saturday.

Pro-coalition troops are expected to pull back as well under the deal once the two sides work out details for a broader phase two redeployment in Hodeidah, the main entry point for Yemen's commercial and aid imports and the Houthis' key supply line.

(Reporting by Mohammed Ghobari in Aden, Reuters team in Sanaa and Asma Alsharif and Lisa Barrington in Dubai; Writing by Ghaida Ghantous; editing by Angus MacSwan and Toby Chopra)
A street vendor, a plumber and a carpenter are among two dozen jihadist suspects who return to a Moroccan court Thursday, charged in connection with the brutal murder of two Scandinavian hikers. Danish student Louisa Vesterager Jespersen, 24, and 28-year-old Norwegian Maren Ueland had their throats slit before they were beheaded in December at an isolated site in the High Atlas mountains. The main suspects are all from the Marrakech region near the site of the killings, which shocked the North African country. Abdessamad Ejjoud, a 25-year-old street vendor, is the alleged leader of the group. He had been jailed for trying to join the Islamic State group in Syria but was released in 2015. Younes Ouaziyad, 27, and Rachid Afatti, 33, have been named as the other two key suspects. The others have been accused of links to the killers and of forming part of a "terrorist cell". The three main defendants accused of direct involvement, who allegedly pledged allegiance to IS, could face the death penalty. A total of 24 defendants were to appear in the criminal court in Sale, near Rabat, to face charges including promoting terrorism, forming a terrorist cell and premeditated murder. An opening hearing was held on May 2 but immediately postponed for two weeks after defence lawyers requested more time to prepare their case. A Spanish-Swiss convert to Islam is among the suspects on trial, accused of teaching the main accused how to use encrypted communications and how to fire a gun. Nature lovers Jespersen and Ueland shared an apartment and went to Norway's Bo University where they were studying to be guides. They had travelled together to Morocco for their Christmas holidays. Their lives were cut short in the foothills of Toubkal, the highest summit in North Africa, some 80 kilometres (50 miles) from the city of Marrakesh, a tourist magnet. - 'Enemies of Allah' - According to the charge sheet, the assailants travelled to the High Atlas mountains on December 12 on a mission to kill tourists. Several potential targets were passed over because the foreigners were accompanied by guides or local residents. It was four days before they selected their targets, who were camped at an isolated site. Two of them carried out the killings while the third filmed them on a telephone, according to the prosecution. After the bodies were discovered, the Moroccan authorities were initially cautious, referring to a "criminal act" and wounds to the victims' necks. But that all changed when the video surfaced showing a victim being beheaded, while one of the killers refers to "enemies of Allah" says the attacks were in revenge for the killings of jihadists in Syria. A separate video in the initial aftermath of the murder showed the alleged killers pledging allegiance to IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. Investigators said the "cell" was inspired by IS ideology, but Morocco's anti-terror chief insisted the accused had no contact with the jihadist group in conflict zones. IS has never claimed responsibility for the double-murder. Police quickly arrested a first suspect in the suburbs of Marrakesh, and three others were arrested a few days later when they tried to leave the city by bus. The suspects had recently embraced Salafism, an ultra-conservative branch of Sunni Islam, according to friends, neighbours and some family members. A lawyer for one of the victim's families told AFP he would seek the death penalty for the murders. A de facto suspension on executions has been in place in Morocco since 1993. A second Swiss citizen arrested after the double-murder was tried separately and jailed in mid-April for 10 years on charges including "forming a terrorist group". The main trial is expected to run for months before it reaches a verdict.
Two Singaporeans, aged 61 and 75, passed away while onboard cruise ship Voyager of the Seas, which left the country on Monday and was scheduled to be in Penang on Tuesday, followed by Phuket the day after, before returning to Singapore on Friday. They died of unrelated natural causes, a spokesperson for operating company Royal Caribbean Cruises told CNA yesterday.

As per our standard procedure, we have informed the respective families and we are providing them assistance during this difficult time, the spokesperson said. We extend our most sincere condolences to the families.

The ship, which first sailed in 1999, houses 1,643 guest rooms and sails to destinations like Australia and New Zealand.

This article, Two elderly Singaporeans died of unrelated natural causes onboard cruise ship, originally appeared on Coconuts, Asia's leading alternative media company. Want more Coconuts? Sign up for our newsletters!
Tan Sri Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah says Umno must prepare themselves for an early 15th general election.  Bernama pic

KUALA LUMPUR, May 16  Chairman of the Umno Council of Advisors Tan Sri Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah called on party members to prepare themselves for an early 15th general election, even though the current governments mandate only expires in 2023.

The Umno veteran better known as Ku Li said preparations must also include seat allocation discussions with new ally PAS and the remaining Barisan Nasional component parties, namely MIC and MCA.

We must finalise these issues so that any unforeseen events do not break us apart and we must also take into account the non-Malays who have been our loyal friends all this while, he was quoted saying by Utusan Malaysia.

He also welcomed the statement by PAS President Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang who envisioned Umno and PAS working together towards GE15.

Tengku Razaleigh who is Gua Musang MP said preparations thus must begin immediately with the possibility of a snap election being called if there is a change of government leadership.

The ruling Pakatan Harapan has designated Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim as its next choice of prime minister to succeed incumbent Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad with a change of hands mid-term.

However, Umno has insisted that the succession is unlikely to happen and snap polls will be called instead.

Umno acting president Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan claimed in a ceramah while campaigning in the recently-ended Sandakan by-election that Dr Mahathir will not keep his promise of passing on the baton to Anwar after two years.

The Rantau assemblyman said he was familiar with Dr Mahathirs character and from what he knew, the latter will not relinquish the post to Anwar.

Instead, when the time is up in two years, he will soon dissolve Parliament and call for fresh elections instead, Mohamad was quoted saying.

Yesterday, Anwar said he is talking with Dr Mahathir on the succession plan, but remained mum on a definite handover date.

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Amid rising tensions in the Gulf, Iran on Thursday rejected negotiations with the US and said it was showing "maximum restraint" after Washington sent extra military forces to the region against what it claimed was an imminent threat from Tehran. US officials meanwhile said the deployment of an aircraft carrier strike group and B-52 bombers to the Gulf, one of the world's most strategic waterways, was in reaction to photographs showing that Iran had loaded missiles onto small traditional boats. In Tokyo for talks with Japanese officials, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif called the US escalation "unacceptable." There was "no possibility" of negotiations with the United States, he told reporters. "I don't know why President Trump is confident." "We exercise maximum restraint," he said, despite the Trump administration's unilateral move last year to withdraw from the international agreement on Iran's nuclear program. On Wednesday, Trump predicted Iran would "soon" want to negotiate, even as the State Department ordered the evacuation of most personnel from the US embassy and consulate in Iraq, fearing an attack by Iranian-directed Shiite militias. "I'm sure that Iran will want to talk soon," the president tweeted. - Pressure to justify escalation - The White House and Pentagon remained under pressure to demonstrate the reason for the huge buildup in forces and heightened rhetoric of the past 11 days. Two major pro-Iran armed groups in Iraq rejected allegations that they were plotting an attack on US diplomatic installations in the country. Nasr al-Shomari, a military commander for the Iran-backed Harakat al-Nujaba, told AFP the claim was "a pretext" by Washington to create "an uproar" in Iraq. US coalition partners in Iraq had suggested earlier this week that the threat level there had not risen significantly, and members of Congress demanded to see the information behind the Trump administration's warlike rhetoric. "I think they should tell us what the hell is going on," senior Republican Senator Lindsey Graham told CNN. A US official said Thursday that Iranian missiles loaded on small, traditional dhow boats in the Gulf were among the new "threats" to US forces and allies in the region. The official, who asked not to be named, confirmed a New York Times report that US intelligence had aerial photos of the vessels. "The missiles on civilian boats are a concern," said the official. - Anti-war Trump? - The Trump administration meanwhile appeared divided on how hard of a line to take. The deployment of the USS Abraham Lincoln strike group and the bombers was first announced on May 5 by White House National Security Advisor John Bolton. The vocal hawk called the move "a clear and unmistakable message to the Iranian regime that any attack on United States interests or on those of our allies will be met with unrelenting force." Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said days later that while the US does not seek a war with Iran, "if American interests are attacked, we will most certainly respond in an appropriate fashion." But The New York Times reported that Trump himself was not entirely happy with the talk of war and told acting Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan early Thursday that he does not want to a military clash. Brookings Institution foreign policy analyst Tom Wright said Trump does not agree with Bolton's hard line and advocacy of regime change in Tehran. "Trump has always distrusted Bolton on military intervention," Wright said. Intelligence officials were scheduled to brief congressional leaders Thursday on the information they have that spurred the new deployments to the Gulf, after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi warned Trump that the legislature, and not the president, has the constitutional power to declare war. "I like what I hear from the president, that he has no appetite for this," Pelosi said. "One of the places that I agree with the president is in both of our opposition to the war in Iraq, and I hope that that same attitude will prevail with (Trump), even though some of his supporters are rattling sabers."
FILE PHOTO: Yahoo News Singapore

SINGAPORE  The National University of Singapore (NUS) Review Committee has proposed tougher sanctions for sexual misconduct offences following a recent public outcry over a peeping tom incident in a university hostel.

Among the proposed sanctions are: a minimum one calendar year suspension period from the university for sexual misconduct offences, an expulsion for severe offences, and a certification of rehabilitation before an offender is permitted to return to campus.

Do you think these new sanctions for sexual misconduct are sufficiently tough? Have your say in our poll and leave us a comment below.

Related story:

NUS Review Committee proposes tougher sanctions for sexual misconduct offences
Photo credit: Joe Raedle - Getty Images

From Esquire

(Permanent Musical Accompaniment To This Post)

Being our semi-regular weekly survey of what's goin' down in the several states where, as we know, the real work of governmentin' gets done and where it's sure going to be wet down on Main Street.

We begin in Louisiana. Hey, remember Bobby Jindal? The rising star of the Republican Party? Onetime presidential timber? 30 Rock cosplayer? Well, his political career is as dead as John Tyler but, like Tyler, who has living grandchildren, Jindal has a legacy that lives on in state government. For example, thanks to his tinkering with the state's ethics laws, a slam-dunk case has dragged on for nine years. From the Advocate and ProPublica:

In 2010, the board accused former state Sen. Robert Marionneaux Jr. of failing to disclose to the board that he was being paid to represent a company in a lawsuit against Louisiana State University. The lack of transparency was only part of the problem. Marionneaux offered to get the Legislature to steer public money toward a settlement, according to charges the Ethics Board later filed against him. The money would also help pay off his contingency fee, which an LSU lawyer pegged at more than $1 million...The case is pending, and Marionneaux hasnt been punished. The Ethics Board is set to discuss the matter again in executive session on Thursday.

Former Ethics Board Chairman Frank Simoneaux, an ex-legislator who served on the board for four years until 2012, said he was shocked to learn from a reporter that Marionneauxs case is still unresolved. I would classify it, and the board did also classify it, as the most egregious case we had seen, he said. Since its filing, the case has pingponged among administrative, district and appeals courts, and the files have mushroomed to more than 1,000 pages. Today, the scandal is a distant memory, and Marionneaux has been out of office so long that his successor is nearing the end of his second four-year term.

Story continues

OK, Louisiana and all that. But there's more than that, too.

However, the data that does exist shows that the number of matters referred to the Ethics Board for investigation spiked in the years following the 2008 reforms, possibly as those required to fill out new forms adjusted to the rules. The number of ethics investigations, meanwhile, has held fairly steady, at between 100 and 200 per year. (This figure excludes campaign finance investigations.) But in recent years, the number of charges filed by the board has fallen precipitously. There were 140 charges filed in 2013, but just 20 last year. Thats a drop of 86%. Moreover, most of the 20 cases were against local officials. Some were flagrant conflicts of interest, like a school clerk who transferred $14,806 in school funds to her personal account. But the board also filed charges for such low-level offenses as substitute bus drivers not completing ethics training.

Basically, it seems that Jindal's reforms resulted in a big-fish-little-fish standard of enforcement that's hamstrung cases like the one involving Marionneaux.

Take the case of Charlie DeWitt, speaker of the Louisiana House of Representatives from 2000 to 2004. DeWitt proposed unsuccessful legislation in 2003 that would have helped the New Orleans Fair Grounds derive more money from a video poker formula. The Fair Grounds owners had previously given him a share in two race horses, named Voodoo Princess and Noinbetweeners, and DeWitt had a long history of pushing legislation that helped the racetrack, including bills to allow the Fair Grounds to add slot machines. Less than a year after he came under scrutiny, DeWitt entered into a settlement with the Ethics Board. The deal cited him for accepting improper gifts, but it cleared him of improperly favoring the Fair Grounds. He agreed to pay a $5,000 penalty. He now says he took the deal because it was expedient. To tell you the truth, the fine is cheaper than hiring attorneys, DeWitt said in a recent interview.

Even so, DeWitt said he believes the ethics system in Louisiana is now worse than its ever been. All but one Ethics Board member signed a letter on March 3, 2008, that implored Jindal to veto a key piece of the gold standard legislation that curbed its powers, saying the board was an apolitical body whose authority, in our opinion, became a political target.

When your ethics system is being ripped in print by a semi-corrupt former speaker of the Louisiana House, I'd say there are bugs in the system.

Photo credit: Bill Haber - AP

We move on up to Tennessee, where everything is a mess, and where there's even more mischief yet to come. The legislature has decided to take the administration* up on one of its terrible ideas-namely, granting states waivers to block-grant Medicaid. Tennessee has leaped at this opportunity to immiserate its poorest citizens. From the Tennessean:

Currently, the federal government funnels about $7.6 billion into the state's Medicaid program, commonly known as TennCare. This funding isn't capped - so TennCare can grow as more Tennesseans qualify - but block grant funding would inherently be capped, potentially limiting the size of TennCare in the future. Lee said he plans to sign the block grant bill but vowed not to accept any grant that reduces funding for the state.

Grains of salt?

Despite the governors assurances, critics argue the block grant legislation opens the door for the erosion of the states health care safety net. About 1.4 million Tennesseans, most of whom are in low-income families or expectant mothers, get their health coverage through TennCare. Gordon Bonnyman, an attorney with the Tennessee Justice Center, an advocacy group that opposes block grants, said lawmakers were risking TennCare funding out of a vague desire to gain more spending flexibility, but have never explained how exactly the current system is limiting. Right now, flexibility is just a buzzword, Bonnyman said. But nothing has been said about what they would do with that flexibility or why they think the flexibility we have now is not sufficient.

This has been a dream of conservative politicians for years. The idea that a Republican governor chooses to enact it for the sake of "flexibility" is laughable. He won't be the last, either. Meanwhile, the raging dumpster fire continues to consume the Tennessee legislature. The Top is Rockier than usual, I guess.

Photo credit: Terry Wyatt - Getty Images

We move along to Colorado, where a mayoral candidate is getting a fast lesson in not being a dipwad on social media. From 9News Denver:

Giellis apologized Wednesday for what she called a momentary lapse when she was unable to identify what the initialism NAACP stands for in an interview on the Brother Jeff Fard show. The NAACP, or the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, is Americas best-known civil rights organization. This campaign has expanded my knowledge of other cultures, their wants, struggles, and successes, Giellis said in a written statement explaining her NAACP gaffe.

Ma'am, all due respect, but you're not exploring the interior of an undiscovered continent here. You're running for mayor of an American city in 2019. Maybe you should just chill for a bit. Uh-oh.

Within hours, Giellis announced a tacos and lowriders fundraiser at a Mexican restaurant in Denver. A tweet announcing the tacos and lowriders campaign event was later deleted from Twitter Wednesday night. Twitter users noted that Giellis personal Twitter account, under her maiden name Jamie Licko, contained a 2009 tweet in which the urban planner questioned the prevalence of Chinatown neighborhoods in cities across America. Heres a question: Why do so many cities feel it necessary to have a Chinatown? Giellis tweeted on May 13, 2009. The Chinatown tweet was deleted late Wednesday night and Giellis entire personal Twitter account was deactivated minutes later.

A three-fer! I think candidate Giellis is running out of constituencies to insult.

Photo credit: Helen H. Richardson/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images - Getty Images

And we conclude, as is our custom, in the great state of Oklahoma, where Blog Official Wagon Wheeler Friedman of the Plains brings us the saga of the governor who forgot that, in our modern times, the microphone is always on. From ABC8 in Tulsa:

The conversation included at least one lawmaker who was referring to an investigation into sexual harassment allegations against two lawmakers. FOX 25 caught the exchange by Republican State Rep. Scott Fetgatter: Unknown: So you molested this girl after (UNKNOWN) did? Fetgatter: No, I was at the table, so I allowed it. Unknown: You allowed it to happen?

Dig we must.

FOX 25 asked Fetgatter Monday what "table" he was referring to during his conversation with another person, when he said, "No, I was at the table, so I allowed it. Reporter: "You were talking about a table. Can you explain what that meant in that statement?" Fetgatter: "There's been some accusations that are under investigation so you guys can check with you know those..." Reporter: "So, is it part of that sexual harassment investigation that you were referring to?" Fetgatter: "That's what it was. I got to get up to the Speaker's office." FOX 25 also asked with whom Fetgatter was having that conversation. Reporter: "Do you know what representative that was?" Fetgatter: "I don't want to put them in a situation." Reporter: "You were having an open conversation..." Scott: "Thank you."

There has to be a word for the technique of double-talking doublespeak. You can get lost in that interview for weeks.

This is your democracy, America. Cherish it.

Respond to this post on the Esquire Politics Facebook page here.

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The long-awaited flights between California and the Hawaiian Islands on Southwest Airlines were well received upon release in March. Lower fares  some as cheap as $49 each way  were bought up within hours. With the initial launch and inaugural flight under their belt, the airline is preparing to expand their Hawaiian service with new flights from mainland U.S. and additional flights between islands.

Southwest Airlines announced on their Facebook page that the city of Hilo on Hawaii Island  commonly called the Big Island  would be the fifth Hawaiian airport served by Southwest. According to reporting by BigIslandNow.com, the islands mayor, Harry Kim, said Southwest would be launching direct flights between Hilo and mainland U.S. before the holidays as well as four daily flights between Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu and Hilo International Airport later this year.

Southwest said on Facebook, Well let you know when our low fares and interisland flights for Hilo are available for purchase. The airline already offers flights to the Big Islands Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport at Keahole.
British actor Michael Caine is to take on the role of a grumpy washed-up author in the film "Best Sellers" which will begin shooting in Canada in July, the distributors said at Cannes.

The story revolves around the fate of a boutique publishing house and the ambitious young editor who is trying to save it by setting off on a crazy book tour with Caine, a whisky-drinking author well past his prime who just wants to stay at home with his cat.

"With 'bullshite' as his rallying cry, Caine weaves a character that is hilarious in its rage, yet so touching in its vulnerability," Mark Damon of Foresight Unlimited told media at Cannes on Wednesday, describing it as "a wonderful script".

Now 86, Caine has for many years professed to be semi-retired, but continues to add to his vast body of work, most recently appearing last year in "King of Thieves", based on the true story of a gang of retired crooks who pull off a major jewellery heist in London.
Traveling to Tennessee is already lovely, but throw in the chance to rent a stunning 8-bedroom classic southern home once owned by a country music legend and youve got yourself a dream vacation.

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Guests looking to experience the best that Lebanon, Tennessee has to offer can now rent The Estate at Cherokee Dock, a home once owned by the queen of country, Reba McEntire.

Courtesy of The Estate at Cherokee Dock

The lakefront estate in Lebanon, Tennessee, is most widely recognized as the former home of award-winning artist, actor and author Reba McEntire, the homes VRBO listing reads. But today, The Estate at Cherokee Dock is a luxury event venue for elegant weddings, exquisite galas, corporate celebrations, private retreats, family reunions, charitable fundraisers and any other ceremonial events you can creatively conceptualize.

Courtesy of The Estate at Cherokee Dock

The home, built in 1960, boasts 13 waterfront acres of land as well as the 12,816-square-foot home itself.

The home comes with a luxury stable, a guest house, a pool, and more.

Inside the main house, renters can spread out into its seven bedrooms, each with en-suite bathrooms. Theres also plenty of entertaining space as well including a theater, wine room, parlor, and separate family and formal living rooms.

Courtesy of The Estate at Cherokee Dock

Courtesy of The Estate at Cherokee Dock

Outside, renters can also sprawl out on its large patio, ideal for entertaining thanks to its built-in Sonos speakers and plush lounge chairs, and take a few laps in the heated pool and spa. At night, they can also all gather around the fire pit for smores.

It's the perfect place to relax in the sun listening to your favorite artists, the homes listing reads. Enjoy breakfast as the sun comes up, or entertain guests for a truly spectacular gourmet dinner.

Oh, and the home boasts one more important thing: A private boat dock ideal for fishing or for tying up your own boat for your vacation.

Want to rent it? It can be yours for just $2,958 a night.
Joe Ousalice, 68, a bisexual British navy veteran served for 18 years before being kicked out and stripped of his awards in 1993.

The British armed forces banned LGBT service members until 2000, according toCNN. Now, Ousalice will sue the Ministry of Defense if they dont restore his medals and awards for his time in service.

"I was made to feel like I was disgusting and in the end I was hounded out on some trumped-up charges, and told that because I was attracted to men, my 18 years of service counted for nothing," Ousalice told CNN. "It was heartbreaking. It took me years to recover."

Ousalice was accused of indecency in a civilian court, indecent assault, and conduct not suited for the navy. He was also forced to come out publicly as bisexual. All Ousalice wants now is recognition for his 18 years in service.
Taika Waititi (Credit: Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)

Taika Waititi has said that he didn't do even a minute's research to play Hitler in his new movie, the 'anti-hate satire' called Jojo Rabbit.

That's because the New Zealander, who directed Thor: Ragnarok, and directed and starred in vampire spoof What We Do In The Shadows, had no interest in portraying the Nazi leader accurately.

He says it best, telling Deadline: I didnt have to do any research, and I didnt do any research.

Read more: Taika Waititi bringing Time Bandits series to TV

I didnt base him on anything Id seen about Hitler before. I just made him a version of myself that happened to have a bad haircut and a shitty little moustache. And a mediocre German accent.

It would just be too weird to play the actual Hitler, and I dont think people would enjoy the character as much. Because he was such a f***ing c***, and everyone knows that as well.

I think people have got to relate to really enjoy the ride.

Jojo Rabbit (Credit: Fox Searchlight)

The strange and enticing project, based on the book Caging Skies by Christine Leunens, centres around Jojo 'Rabbit' Betzler, a young boy (Roman Griffin Davis) and avid member of the Hitler Youth growing up in Nazi Germany.

When he discovers his single mother (Scarlett Johansson) is hiding a young Jewish girl in their attic, he's forced to confront his naive patriotism.

Read more: Hemsworth exhausted with Thor before Ragnarok

However, he has to confront his imaginary friend too, who takes the form of Adolf Hitler.

The movie also stars Sam Rockwell, Rebel Wilson, Stephen Merchant and Alfie Allen, and is set for release in the US in October (there's no confirmed UK release date as yet).

Asked last year why Waititi would want to take on the role of Hitler, particularly considering that his mother is Jewish, he replied: The answer is simple: what better f**k you to that guy?
Orson Welless elegiac follow-up to Citizen Kane, on Blu-ray for the first time in an edition packed with special features.

This beautiful, nostalgia-suffused second feature by Orson Welles (Citizen Kane)the subject of one of cinemas greatest missing-footage tragediesharks back to turn-of-the- twentieth-century Indianapolis, chronicling the inexorable decline of the fortunes of an affluent family.

Adapted from an acclaimed Booth Tarkington novel and characterized by restlessly inventive camera work and powerful performances from a cast including Joseph Cotton (The Third Man), Tim Holt (The Treasure of the Sierra Madre), and Agnes Moorehead (Citizen Kane), the film traces the rifts deepening within the Amberson clan at the same time as the forces of progress begin to transform the city they once ruled.

Though RKO excised over forty minutes of footage, now lost to history, and added an incongruously upbeat ending, The Magnificent Ambersons is an emotionally rich family saga and a masterful elegy for a bygone chapter of American life.
Fire and Fury author has new Trump book

NEW YORK (AP)  The author of Fire and Fury has more inside stories on the Trump administration.

Michael Wolffs Siege: Trump Under Fire comes out June 4, Henry Holt and Company announced Wednesday. Like the million-selling Fire and Fury, which came out last year, Siege promises a juicy, behind-the-scenes look at the current White House and a president who is volatile, erratic, and exposed. The new book will focus on tensions amid Special Counsel Robert Muellers investigation into alleged ties between Russian officials and the Trump presidential campaign. According to Holt, Wolff spoke to more than 150 sources, although the publisher declined to say whether any are currently in the administration.

Fire and Fury was among the first books to extensively document the ongoing conflicts in the Trump White House.

Mick Jagger seems to have his moves back

NEW YORK (AP)  Its as if Mick Jagger is saying Start Me Up.

The 75-year-old rocker tweeted a video Wednesday of him dancing around a studio in front of a mirror weeks after he underwent medical treatment , reportedly for a heart valve issue. The treatment forced the Rolling Stones to postpone its No Filter tour.

Jagger was told by doctors in late March he could not go on tour at this time. Jagger tweeted he was devastated the band couldnt tour, but said he hoped to be back on stage as soon I can.

The Stones No Filter Tour was expected to start April 20 in Miami.

Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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SOUTH SIOUX CITY -- Officer Brian Van Berkum, who sustained two gunshot wounds in his leg and abdomen in an early Saturday morning gunfire exchange in South Sioux City, returned home with pomp and circumstance just before noon Thursday.

Van Berkum was released from MercyOne Siouxland Medical Center around 11:30 a.m., where an escort of South Sioux City Police, Woodbury County Sheriff's personnel and motorcycles from the Iron Pigs club took him back to South Sioux City. Law enforcement from Sergeant Bluff, Sioux Falls and Union County, South Dakota, also took part, as did the South Sioux City Fire Department and the American Legion.

The hospital held a "Walk of Respect," in which nurses, doctors and other personnel lined the hallways for Van Berkum as he left. It was inspired by the "Walk of Honor" the hospital holds for the families of organ donors.

The motorcade rode over the Veterans Memorial Bridge and along Dakota Avenue, where schoolchildren and other onlookers and well-wishers greeted Van Berkum as he rode through town.

Numerous businesses, including Los Amigos -- the bar and liquor store where Van Berkum was shot -- had signs supporting the officer. The Los Amigos sign read, "Brian 220 you are our hero welcome home." The "220" is a reference to his badge number.

South Sioux City Police Chief Ed Mahon said he was, in his words, "overwhelmed" by the support the community had shown for the department after the shootout.

"It's good to have Shorty home," Mahon said, using Van Berkum's nickname. He said Van Berkum is "doing really well, he's walking pretty well. I mean, it's just tough. You can see he's drawn a little bit, and I'm sure there's some pain and he's got a ways to go. But we're going to be behind him and in front of him the whole way."

Mahon did not say exactly when Van Berkum, a veteran officer of nearly 19 years, will re-join the force, acknowledging "there'll be some legal issues that we're going to work through."

Luis A. Quinones Rosa, suspected of shooting Van Berkum, died of injuries sustained in the shootout; because of this, Nebraska law requires a grand jury inquiry, to determine whether law enforcement acted appropriately. Dakota County Attorney Kim Watson has not yet said when a jury will be empaneled in the case.

Police Lt. Chris Chernock was almost overwhelmed as he spoke about the positivity he'd seen.

"It was really something else when we went by the gathering of the schoolkids," Chernock said, before pausing. "This is the best place to be from."

Siouxland Bank in South Sioux City has set up a benefit account for Van Berkum. To donate, checks can be made out to "Brian Van Berkum Benefit Account" and dropped off at or mailed to Siouxland Bank, 1001 W. 29th St., P.O. Box 987, South Sioux City, NE 68776.

Copyright 2019 The Sioux City Journal. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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John Willroth, 54, was sentenced Thursday in U.S. District Court in Sioux City to 12 years in prison on single counts of conspiring to distribute methamphetamine and distributing methamphetamine. He pleaded guilty in November.

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Willroth was involved in the sale of at least 1.5 kilograms of meth from about 2016 through March 2018. On at least three occasions in 2016 and 2017, he sold 30 grams of meth to other people.
NORTH SIOUX CITY -- A former North Sioux City police officer has been charged in the shooting death of a cat in a cemetery.

Derek McIntosh faces a class 1 misdemeanor charge of killing or injuring an animal during an incident on May 9.

According to an affidavit filed Wednesday, Police Cpt. Dustin Sharkey was talking to Officer Stephanie Ryan that day about going to a location along Alcoma Drive to pick up a cat that was caught in a trap. Ryan told Sharkey that he "just saved the cat's life."

When Sharkey asked Ryan what she meant, she told him she'd heard rumors that McIntosh had been taking cats caught in traps to a cemetery and then shooting them.

The day before, a North Sioux City man had confronted McIntosh about a missing black-and-white cat belonging to the man and his girlfriend. McIntosh reportedly told the man that the police department sometimes placed stray cats in the cemetery.

Sharkey then went to Officer Andrew Ryan, who told him of a conversation he'd had with McIntosh about releasing cats at the cemetery, during which McIntosh said he had shot a cat at the cemetery. According to the affidavit, Ryan's impression of the conversation was that McIntosh had shot more than one cat.

Sharkey and Police Chief Richard Headid went to the cemetery and found two dead cats, along with a pair of rubber gloves of the type used by the police department.

When McIntosh reported for work that afternoon, Headid, along with Mayor Randy Fredrickson and city administrator Ted Cherry, called a meeting with the officer. During the meeting, McIntosh maintained he had released cats at the cemetery, but had not shot them. He did, however, admit to shooting cats in the past.

When Cherry told McIntosh he would be placed on paid administrative leave, he told those at the meeting, "OK, I did shoot the cat."

McIntosh was placed on paid administrative leave last week and subsequently dismissed. In a press release Tuesday, the city would only say that McIntosh "is no longer an employee of the City of North Sioux City."

Copyright 2019 The Sioux City Journal. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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SIOUX CITY -- A man who was arrested after a police dog found 5 pounds of cocaine in his car has pleaded not guilty.

Jacob Rios, 37, of Fontana, California, entered his written plea Wednesday in Woodbury County District Court to charges of possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance and failure to affix a drug tax stamp. His trial was scheduled for July 9.

A Woodbury County Sheriff's deputy stopped Rios for speeding on U.S. Highway 20 just east of Correctionville on May 5. According to court documents, Rios acted nervous and the deputy became suspicious after asking him questions about the car's registration and his destination.

A K9 unit sniffed the vehicle and indicated the presence of drugs in the car. Two packages of cocaine, one weighing 2.68 pounds, the other 2.78 pounds, were found in the spare tire compartment.

Copyright 2019 The Sioux City Journal. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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SIOUX CITY -- Evidence presented at trial leaves no doubt that Tran Walker fatally stabbed his ex-girlfriend and a friend, according to the prosecution's closing brief.

"The state has proven beyond a reasonable doubt all of the elements necessary to prove charges of murder in the first degree for the killings of both (Paiten) Sullivan and (Felipe) Negron (Jr.)," First Assistant Woodbury County Attorney Mark Campbell said in his brief, filed Wednesday in Woodbury County District Court.

Before he died, Negron identified Walker as his attacker, Campbell said, and Walker admitted during an interview with police that he stabbed Sullivan and Negron both inside and outside a PT Cruiser while they were parked near South Cecelia Street and Jay Avenue.

At trial, Campbell showed a video of Walker's police interview in which he said he stabbed Sullivan several times.

"It was just repeatedly. ... I think all over," Walker told police. "Her face was bloody and then the front down was bloody. And then I think that's when Felipe pulled me out of the car, and I was stabbing him too. ... I think it was more than once."

Walker, 19, of Sioux City, is charged with two counts of first-degree murder for the Jan. 28, 2018, deaths of Sullivan, 17, and Negron, 18, both of Sioux City. Walker chose to have District Judge Tod Deck, rather than a jury, decide his case. At the conclusion of the three-day trial on May 6, Campbell and public defender Jennifer Solberg opted to submit written closing briefs rather than give oral closing arguments.

Solberg now has 10 days to submit her closing brief. Campbell will then have seven days to file a rebuttal. Deck will reach a verdict after all briefs have been submitted. If found guilty as charged, Walker would face a mandatory sentence of life in prison without parole.

The state's deputy medical examiner testified that Sullivan was stabbed 43 times and Negron 17 times. Sullivan bled to death after a carotid artery in her neck was sliced, and Negron died of excessive bleeding from a stab wound through his chest that punctured his heart.

The number of stab wounds is proof that Walker acted with malice and intent to kill, another element needed to prove first-degree murder, Campbell said.

Further proof of premeditation, Campbell said, were a number of messages Walker sent to friends on Facebook that said if Sullivan were to break up with him, there would be severe consequences. In one message after their breakup, he told a friend that he wanted to hurt Sullivan.

"I want Paiten to feel pain," the message said.

At trial Solberg challenged the admission of the messages as evidence, arguing that it could not be proved who actually sent the messages, which she said were irrelevant. Deck agreed to withhold some of the messages but allowed others to be admitted.

After his interview with police, Walker led officers to a knife he said he dropped about a block from the scene. A state criminalist testified that blood found on the blade and handle of the knife contained the DNA of both Walker and Sullivan.

A knife police found on the front console inside the car contained a mixture of blood from three people, and only Sullivan's DNA could be positively identified on the blade. Negron's blood was identified on the knife's handle and Walker's DNA was found on Negron's fingernails. Sullivan's blood also was found on Walker's jacket.

Copyright 2019 The Sioux City Journal. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Gary Gibbs, 48, pleaded guilty in November in U.S. District Court in Sioux City to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. He had four previous felony drug offenses in Nebraska.

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Gibbs admitted that from January 2017 through February 2018, he and others sold more than 500 grams of meth in the Monona County area after obtaining it from sources in Omaha. During a Nov. 23, 2017, traffic stop, a Monona County Sheriff's deputy found Gibbs in possession of half an ounce of meth and saw Gibbs throw a bag out the window. Deputies found the bag, which contained 3 ounces of meth and 1 ounce of marijuana.
STORM LAKE, Iowa -- A Storm Lake man has been arrested and charged with threatening to kill his infant child during arguments with the baby's mother.

Miguel Martinez Chavez, 40, was booked into the Buena Vista County Jail Wednesday on two counts each of child endangerment and first-degree harassment, all aggravated misdemeanors, and single counts of domestic assault and public intoxication, both simple misdemeanors.

Storm Lake police were called to a residence in the 500 block of Terrence Street at 9 p.m. Wednesday for a report of a domestic disturbance and a person threatening to kill a child.

According to a Storm Lake Police Department news release, the woman involved in the dispute told officers that during an argument with Martinez Chavez, he assaulted her while she was holding their 1-month-old child and threatened to kill the baby if police were called. A witness called 911.

Police learned that about three weeks earlier, during another argument with the woman, Martinez Chavez threatened to throw their newborn child out of a second-story window, according to the news release.

The child appeared to be unharmed, police said, and a report was filed with the Iowa Department of Human Services.

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SIOUX CITY -- New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio came to Sioux City on a snowy February day while considering whether to run for president, and now is set to return Friday, after officially launching his campaign as a Democratic candidate.

De Blasio on Thursday announced he is entering the large field of 2020 Democratic candidates running to oust Republican president Donald Trump. He'll journey to Iowa, which is the initial state with a contest in the presidential nominee election system.

De Blasio will speak at 6 p.m. Friday at Rebos, 1107 Fourth St., and then at 7 p.m. at a Woodbury County Democratic Party fundraiser at 310 Virginia St.

With the addition of de Blasio and Montana Gov. Steve Bullock earlier this week to the field, there are more than 20 Democrats seeking the presidency. Bullock is making eight stops in Iowa on Thursday through Saturday.

Copyright 2019 The Sioux City Journal. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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DES MOINES -- One of Iowas top elected Democrats is endorsing Montana Gov. Steve Bullock in the partys crowded presidential primary.

Iowa attorney general Tom Miller on Thursday morning announced his endorsement of Bullock, who announced his campaign for president earlier this week and was scheduled to hold his first campaign event in Iowa on Thursday evening.

Bullock is a two-term Montana governor and former attorney general of that state.

Miller is the longest-serving state attorney general in U.S. history.

Miller endorsed Barack Obama early in the 2008 cycle and Hillary Clinton late in the 2016 cycle.

The crisis that faces our country calls for leadership with proven character, a record of success, and an ability to connect with all Americans, Miller said in a statement issued by the Bullock campaign. Gov. Bullock can win the Democratic nomination, beat Donald Trump, and repair our nation -- and I will be there at every step to help how I can.

Miller in the statement praised Bullock for his progressive vision and proving that America is stronger when we unite. In a video released by the campaign, Miller said he knows better than to tell Iowans for whom to caucus, but encouraged them to give Bullock a chance and listen to his message.

Bullock in the statement said he looks forward to campaigning with Miller and taking our shared value of fighting for the rights of every American across Iowa and the country.

Miller is one of three statewide elected Democrats in Iowa, along with longtime treasurer Mike Fitzgerald and newly minted auditor Rob Sand. Neither of them has endorsed any of the more than 20 Democrats running for president, nor has any of Iowas three Democrats serving in the U.S. House: Dave Loebsack, Abby Finkenauer and Cindy Axne.

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Two names that have been near the top of the driver standings at The Meadowlands since the start of the current meeting in mid-October belong to a pair of drivers from Down Under, New Zealand native Dexter Dunn and Australian Andy McCarthy.

Horsepeople from that region of the globe have had an impact over the years at the Big M: Ross Croghan, Noel Daley, Mark Harder, Nifty Norman, Brett Pelling and Chris Ryder. Be they Kiwis or Aussies, these trainers have done their share of winning at the mile oval.

Ryder uses Dunn, 29, on many of his horses, and among them is the talented three-year-old colt Bettors Wish, who is currently seventh in the weekly Road to the Crawford Farms Meadowlands Pace poll put out every week by the Big Ms media relations department.

Hes a family friend from New Zealand, said Ryder of Dunn. But hes not driving just because I know the guy. Hes driving because hes capable. I thought he might have trouble hooking on here when he arrived (about a year ago), but his talent and personality have overcome that.

The stats back up what Ryder says, as Dunn has won 86 times from 587 starts at the Meadowlands since the meet began. And thus far in 2019, Dunn sits second in the Big M standings with 65 wins, a total surpassed only by Yannick Gingrass 96.

As for McCarthy, he was the leading driver at The Meadowlands until he went on an extended vacation earlier this year to his homeland. For the meeting, hes won 50 races from 355 starts.

Is Andy my primary driver? asked Brett Pelling. I would say that. Hes driving my best horse, Caviart Ally, and when you have a good horse, it puts you in the limelight.

McCarthy guided Caviart Ally to a hard-fought victory in 1:50 over a star-laden Preferred for pacing fillies and mares field Saturday night (May 11), an evening that saw the 33-year-old win the first three races on the card and four of the first five. He also drives Pellings Reigning Deo, currently ninth in the Pace poll.

I want someone who is focused, said Pelling. And Andy and Dexter know enough to be focused. Dexter is a great talent, and if Andy wasnt available, would I use Dexter? All day long.

Pelling also spoke about the sense of community felt by those who hail from Australia or New Zealand: We are here together. The Down Under people know Down Under people. And that means something.

Brower Hits Big: Dave Brower of The Meadowlands award-winning TV production had a night to remember Saturday (May 11), as he gave his followers a hit for the ages.

After the nightly segment when Brower gave out his Pick-4 ticket for on-track and simulcast players, favorites won the first (Highalator) and final legs of Browers $32 play, but what happened in between is what made the payoff special.

Somebaddude paid $100.00 to win in the second leg while 10-1 chance On Duty scored in the third. After Albergo Hanover won the final leg (race 11), Browers followers collected $2,028.15, good for a profit of $1,996.15.

The total Pick-4 pool was a typically strong $102,125 on Saturday and as always, free program pages for this weeks 50-cent Pick-4  as well as the Can-Am Pick-4 (Friday only)  are available at www.playmeadowlands.com and www.ustrotting.com.

Super High-Five Hit: Despite the 6-5 favourite winning the race, one lucky player betting into the Oregon Express hub walked away with a huge score nonetheless Saturday night (May 11).

The 20-cent Jackpot Super High-Five, with the two longest shots in the field finishing second and fifth, yielded only one ticket with the winning combination of 2-3-1-10-9, and was good for a return of $33,010.24.

This Friday (May 17), the carryover for the early 20-cent Jackpot Super High-Five (race five) stands at $91,214.

Preakness Up Next: The 144th Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course is the featured simulcast event on Saturday (May 18) at The Meadowlands.

Post time for the first of 14 races at Pimlico is 10:30 a.m.

The Preakness, for three-year-olds at a mile and three-sixteenths, is race 13 on the card and has a post time of 6:48 p.m.

Beerfest On Tap: On Saturday (May 18), The Meadowlands will host its fourth annual Beerfest.

The event, which is rain or shine, has three tiers of ticket pricing. For a $75 VIP ticket, you get admission, VIP lounge access, a special VIP food buffet, a tasting glass, exclusive VIP tastings and one additional hour of sampling.

Only 200 VIP tickets will be sold.

A $35 general admission ticket ($45 if purchased day of) includes admission, a tasting glass and a four-hour sampling.

Those with VIP tickets will be admitted at 4:30 p.m. while general admission customers can go in at 5:30 p.m. The event ends at 9:30 p.m.

(The Meadowlands)
I can in fairness state that Mike Wells, president and chief executive officer of Le Mars, Iowa, based Wells Enterprises, has not always supported some of the things I have pushed in the city of Sioux City, and that is OK.

But in the future I would hope State Senator Claire Celsi would look at the 2,000 jobs that have a direct positive impact on this area, including Sioux City. I think she should also look at the other projects the Wells family has supported in the area before deciding if boycotting their products is a wise decision. Bob Scott, mayor, city of Sioux City
Austin Rodriguez is an artist who creates abstract works with bold, vivid colors using mainly acrylic and alcohol inks.

At 13, he was diagnosed with cancer. He had two malignant brain tumors and was the representative of the Childrens Miracle Network in Iowa. During this time he went to Washington D.C. and met the first lady. Amy Grant even asked for his autograph on his trip to D.C. He beat cancer and is currently cancer-free.

Rodriguez enjoys traveling and experiencing new things. His motto is carpe diem, seize the day.

You can find his art at Gallery 103 in the Ho-Chunk Centre, at the North Sioux City Library and on Facebook @artbyaustin.

Weekender: When, how and why did you get into creating art?

Rodriguez: My mom (Susie Rodriguez) started making jewelry 10 years ago and became involved with Siouxland Artists. I helped the ladies carry their wares in and out of shows. I always loved art, but never thought I could do it. I met a teacher named Glenda Drennen, a well-known water-colorist. She got me to try mixing acrylic paint with rubbing alcohol. I tried it and thought it was pretty cool. I started experimenting with things and breaking the rules. I found that I had a love for it, and people started enjoying my work. Even well-known artists complimented my works. That gives me a big high, knowing these people liked my paintings.

Weekender: While creating abstract pieces, do you ever focus on a subject or topic?

Rodriguez: My pieces are all about experimentation. When I have a specific idea of what I want to do, it looks terrible. When I let the colors move and do their own thing, I thinkwowhow did I do that? The less control I have, the better it works. I normally dont use a brush at all. I use different tools like putty knives, pieces of paper, spongesall kinds of things.

Weekender: What are your favorite mediums to work with?

Rodriguez: Alcohol ink and acrylics. I was always an acrylic painter until I started playing with the inks.

Weekender: Who are some of your artistic influences?

Rodriguez: Glenda Drennen. The thing is, Ill look at what other artists have done and if it looks cool, Ill try to make something similar with my own spin. It is all about experimentation.

Weekender: What in life inspires you to create?

Rodriguez: The joy of the color. I believe God has blessed me with the ability to do these works that bring people joy. That makes me really happy. You never know how long you are going to have (to live). If you find something that you like to do and other people like what you do, it makes you want to continue and express it in any way you can. Im drawn to bright, bold colors because I like joyful, happy tones.

Weekender: What is your creative process?

Rodriguez: I take the canvas and soak it with water. I dont want the paint to soak right into the canvas; I want liquid on there first. Ill add paint and then put more water on, or put some alcohol on it. Ill add more colors and let them blend together. Then Ill pat it down and watch the colors move. I like to experiment with different colors and different tools to see what the final outcome looks like.

Weekender: Imagine waking up one day not being able to see color anymore. Describe what you are feeling.

Rodriguez: Thats cold. To me that would be hard because I love color so much. Having already known what all these beautiful colors look like, I think I would hate it, but I would be able to picture the color in my mind.

Weekender: Describe the feeling of selling an original piece.

Rodriguez: Oh, its a joy. When somebody expresses interest in my stuff and not only like it, but they buy itthat is a huge high for me. I never thought I could do this. Now, finding out that more and more people are liking my stuff, it feels amazing.

Weekender: What makes your art stand out from other artists work in the area?

Rodriguez: Not only my abstract take on things, but my work is totally different from others because I dont follow the traditional steps and methods other painters use. I go ahead and do what I want. Many other artists work in the same medium as me, but I do it from a different perspective. I let the colors mold and movethe colors create the piece.

Weekender: Why do you create art? What does it do for you?

Rodriguez: It gives me a way to find color in a cold, dark world. It brings joy and happiness to me when I have a piece I like; especially when someone else likes it.

Weekender: How does it feel to be a part of this great community of artists in Gallery 103?

Rodriguez: Its wonderful. When we first started out, we would meet some artists and they didnt want to say how they did their works. They didnt want to help. When we moved to the Commerce Building, the artists were so kind. I now have a much larger group of friends because we became part of that community. It has brought me new relationships and friendships; it has totally changed my life.

Weekender: What makes art, art?

Rodriguez: A persons perspective of what they see in front of them. Art is not art for everyone. Art is art in the eye of the beholder.

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It is May, and that means there are new graduating classes all over Siouxland.

What are these high school and college graduates going to do with their lives after this? Will the high school grads go on to a university in a far-off locale? Will they stay in their hometowns and go to a community college and continue to enrich their birthplace? Will they take a job right away or become entrepreneurs? Will the college graduates go on to grad school, or will they jump at the first salaried job that comes their way?

The answer is: Who knows? Everybody has his, her or their own journey to take after the tedious confines of high school. Some people just want to be free for a while. Hopefully that while doesnt last long, or their chances in society will become diminished.

I know my journey was a bit off-the-wall and non-traditional, but I now have a job where I get to talk with guitar gods and my favorite television characters. All in all, things have worked pretty well, but that is because I finished my schooling journey and earned a degree in journalism.

When I graduated from North High School, I wanted to get as far away from Sioux City as possible. I was always the kid complaining that there was nothing to do in this town. Thinking back to then, there wasnt quite as much cool stuff going on as there is these days. Nowadays you can find something going on every day and nightthe culture has been thriving.

I had been accepted into California State University, Northridge and moved to Northridge, California, in the heart of the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles. I went to the film school there, one of the most prestigious in the nation. In fact, one of my friends that went to that school went on to do camera work on movies like Star Wars: The Force Awakens and The Revenant.

I wasnt in the right headspace at that time to be in school. I stupidly joined a fraternity for the camaraderie since I moved to a place where I didnt know anybody. That took up most of my studying timehellI probably wouldnt have studied anyway at that point in my life.

This went on for a year, and then I decided to drop out of school. I in no way condone doing this (for any new high school graduate).

After dropping out of the university I went on to crash on the couches of friends and travel from crappy job to crappy job.

Of course Ive told you about the celebrity security, which was one of my part-time jobs, but I did many other things. The other longest position I held out there was as a salesman at Americas oldest head shop.

The best thing I ever did for myself was to go back to school when I moved back to Sioux City. I started off at Western Iowa Tech Community College. I wanted to go into zoology. What I didnt realize was that with any degree in science, you needed to be proficient in the arts of mathematics. I was never a fan of math and would always avoid trying to learn anything about the subject. Thus, I changed my course of study to become an associate of the arts.

From there I went on to Briar Cliff, where an old jazz band instructor had coerced me to join the Briar Cliff University Jazz Ensemble. That experience wasnt quite as satisfying as the experience I had shared with my high school jazz band.

I had always been a fan of Hunter S. Thompsons Gonzo brand of journalism, and even have a tattoo on my shoulder from a decade ago of his Gonzo fist. I decided to go into the field of journalism.

I learned the process and rules (albeit I have forgotten plenty) from my current superior, Bruce Miller, the editor of the Sioux City Journal. He taught two journalism classes I took at BCU, some of the most intense, eye-opening classes for eight in the morning.

Due to this, I believe, I proved myself worthy of a job with The Weekender, so I got the job and became the head writer.

Graduates, remember that there are many roads to take. Some are longer, some not so much. Some are more rewarding, and some are just plain brutal.

The question is: What path are you going to take?

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Donald Trump yet again escalated his trade conflict with China on Wednesday with a pair of moves that would officially block telecommunications colossus Huawei from the U.S. market and potentially smash a key part of its supply chain. Combined, the steps more or less amount to a declaration of war against one the largest and most important Chinese technology firms.

Huawei is the worlds second biggest smartphone-makerit recently pulled ahead of Appleas well as the leading producer of wireless network equipment. But while the company is globally omnipresent, it does scant business here in the United States, where officials have argued that the firm poses a serious security threat because the Chinese government could theoretically use its gear for spying purposes. (This is not totally unreasonable.) Washington has tried, and largely failed, to convince its allies to ban Huawei hardware from being used in their next-generation 5G networks, while indicting the company and one of its top executives on charges related to violating sanctions with Iran and stealing trade secrets.

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On Wednesday, the Trump administration launched two strikes against Huwaei. First, it issued an executive order that declared a national emergency and banned Americans from buying any communications equipment from a company owned or governed by a foreign adversary. While the document doesnt list any specific countries or companies, it is pretty clearly aimed straight at Huawei and intended to put additional pressure on the Chinese amid the ongoing trade clash. Second, the Commerce Department added Huawei to its Entity List, meaning that U.S. companies will be required to obtain a license before selling it any products or services. That will give Washington power to block Huawei from key U.S. component suppliers, including some of its chip-makers. Such a development could prove extremely damagingChinese smartphone-maker ZTE nearly went out of business last year after it was subjected to similar treatment (it was saved after the U.S. and Beijing reached a deal).

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Some analysts have suggested that the threat might not be quite as dire for Huawei, which in recent years has increasingly relied on its own chips and could shift to new suppliers. But others say an all-out ban on sales to the company might be crippling. Without these American suppliers like Qualcomm and Marvell, it cant even keep a normal operation, Roger Sheng, a China-based analyst with Gartner Inc., told Bloomberg. One question remains unanswered though, is how strict will the U.S. execute the ban.

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Trumps move also raises some questions about the future of the U.S. wireless industry as it tries to transition to 5G, the next generation of networks that will provide dramatically faster download speeds and could be important to adopting tech like driverless vehicles. Huawei is a leading maker of 5G hardware; it has no U.S. competitors. Outright banning the company from doing business with the U.S. could slow down adoption of the technology here. Currently, Nokia and Ericsson are the top providers of telecommunications equipment in North America, and its possible the U.S. will be fine continuing to rely on them. But its a bit of an open question.

In the end, Trumps decision to go to town on Huawei by attacking its supply chain is a bit like if China decided to scramble Apples manufacturing. Its not a perfect comparison, since Apple does currently huge business selling phones in the Peoples Republic, and nobody thinks Tim Cook is going to conduct espionage on behalf of the CIA. But fundamentally, were putting the screws to their national tech champion. Its a big deal. Now lets see how the Chinese respond.
SPOILERS? SPOILERS!

John Wick: Chapter 3  Parabellum is shooting its way into theaters near you this weekend, and dogs everywhere are going to be thrilled. After movies in which Keanu Reeves avenges one dog and ensures the safety of another, the dogs in the third John Wick movie finally get a piece of the action. Specifically, theres a breathtaking shootout in which Reeves, Halle Berry, and Halle Berrys dogs use human-dog teamwork to fight their way through a crowd of henchmen. That teamwork usually takes a specific form: The dogs go right for the genitals, then pin the henchman to the ground until Berry or Reeves can deliver a couple of headshots. But in one instance, a dog uses Halle Berrys back as a springboard, then scrabbles up the wall to the second story and attacks a gunman on a balcony. And Rob Nederhorst, the films visual effects supervisor, would like you to know that the dog really did climb that wall:

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David Edelstein from @vulture inaccurately described parts of @JohnWickMovie as CGI. Horses are all real. The dog climbed up that wall. Our action team was incredible and I am honored to have worked with them.  Rob Nederhorst (@rob_nederhorst) May 15, 2019

Nederhorst was responding to this passage in David Edelsteins review of the film at Vulture:

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The ensuing motorcycle chase is pretty good, too, and a stable fight would be gangbusters if the kicking horses legs didnt look like CGI. That CGI is an ongoing issue. A dog that scampers up a wall to tear its attackers jugular is cartoonish, and the settings have a simulacrum-like fakeness that would make you think of The Matrix even if Parabellum didnt have the same leading man.

The films locations are one thing, and the horses in the stable something else again, but besmirching the reputation of hard-working stunt dogs is just unacceptable. Theyre good dogs! They can climb up walls to attack gunmen if they believe in themselves! As proof, here is a dog climbing a four-meter wall, without the benefit of special effects or Halle Berry:

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As further proof, here is dog trainer Omar von Mullers protege Jumpy, doing a parkour routine that includes jumps that should be impossible for a dog without the use of CGI:

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And speaking of jumps that should be impossible for a dog without the assistance of CGI, heres another one of von Mullers dogs doing a 60-inch high jump like it was nothing:

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Also, although it doesnt have any direct bearing on the use of CGI versus physical stunts in John Wick: Chapter 3  Parabellum, it still seems important to point out that Muller has trained a dog to ride a skateboard standing upright:

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In conclusion, dogs are amazing acrobatic clowns we definitely do not deserve. Also, if you have insulted or otherwise angered a dog, and your plan is to hide from that dog by hanging out on a second-story balcony, secure in the knowledge that he or she will be unable to reach you without the assistance of big budget Hollywood special effects, you are in for a surprise.
Julie, a 24-year-old film student living in the posh London neighborhood of Knightsbridge in Joanna Hoggs The Souvenir, isnt the easiest protagonist to understand or identify with, but thanks to Honor Swinton Byrnes open, winning performance, shes easy to care about. And to fear for: The product of a sheltered upper-class childhood, Julie is so naive about how the world works that when she spots track marks on the arm of her new live-in boyfriend, Anthony (Tom Burke), she immediately buys his assurance that its nothing to worry about. (For his part, Anthony is so confident in Julies trust that he scarcely bothers to make up a lie.) Shortly afterward, at dinner with friends, Anthony steps away from the table for a moment, and one of them asks how a hardcore junkie and a straight-laced girl like her are managing to make it work. Still, Julie blinks like a deer in headlights, unable to process the concept that the man shes just let into her lifean employee of the Foreign Office, an Oxbridge-accented aesthete, and the very model of upper-class composuremight be something as far outside her life experience as a secret heroin addict.

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If that setup makes The Souvenir sound like a familiar addiction drama, be assured its something much richer and stranger. In her fourth feature film, the 59-year-old Hogg reaches deep into events from her own life storysomething several characters in the movie, including both Anthony and Julies sometimes-condescending male professor, encourage her younger on-screen self to do. The resulting movie is heterogeneous in style, with long passages of naturalismoverlapping dialogue, the absence of added musicinterrupted by startling bursts of visual lyricism, like a recurring close-up of a green satin gown trailing up a flight of stone stairs.

The chronological structure of the story is unusual too, with unmarked leaps forward in time that leave it to the audience to deduce what happened in between. This temporal choppiness can be disorienting, but the sense of being unmoored in time fits with the protagonists anxious, drifting mood. Though its about a young woman going through the worst experience of her lifea life that, granted, has offered her seemingly little in the way of negative experiences thus farThe Souvenir treats the painful events at its center with a kind of remoteness, as if handling a fragile long-lost object while wearing thick gloves.

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The Souvenir is a film about memory and art as much as it is about addiction or doomed romance.

Though shes not out to make a social satire, Hogg is observant about the way class and privilege permeate the characters everyday relationships. While Anthony wanders around London spending her parents money, Julie sits at an electric typewriter (its the 1980s) trying to get her passionate but vague vision of a student film project on paper. Its a story about a young boy in the poor Northern English city of Sunderlanda setting utterly foreign to her experience, though as the deadline for the project gets closer, the idea will go through several transformations. Julie assures her devoted but unconsciously enabling mother (Tilda Swinton, the actress mother in real life) that the money shes perpetually borrowing is all needed for camera equipment and film stock, and that shes keeping track of the ever-increasing sum she owes. But whenever Anthony requests 10 quid for another unexplained late-night walkabout, she slips him the cash, no questions asked.

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The Souvenir provides a horrific if sidelong glimpse into the hell of addiction: Anthony is a very high-functioning junkie until he suddenly and spectacularly isnt, and Burke gives a fearlessly off-putting performance that, while never making the character a simple villain, showcases his most repellent traits. But the bulk of our time is spent with Swinton Byrnes Julie, who lives very much inside her own headso much so that when the 1983 car bombing of Harrods department store takes place just outside her window, she registers it primarily as one more noisy interruption in her increasingly chaotic life.

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There is some talk of politics at Julies parents country place, where the terrorist tactics of the IRA are debated over a lunchtime table set with fine crystal. But The Souvenir, a film about memory and art as much as it is about addiction or doomed romance, isnt primarily concerned with talk. The dialogue, naturalistic to the point of occasional inaudibility, was developed in part by the actors on set in the course of Hoggs unique rehearsal and shooting process. (She also filmed the whole movie in chronological order.) Above all, The Souvenir seeks to convey its protagonists inner stateloneliness, codependency, erotic transport, grief. When, as happens a few times, a decontextualized shot of a sunset seen through trees appears as Swinton Byrnes voice reads a poem or a passage of prose, we dont have to stop to ask, Wait a minute, when did we go to the woods? Who wrote that? Its clear from the context that were hearing some version of Julies interior monologue (in fact, many of these passages come directly from letters written to the younger Hogg by her own real-life Anthony, whose identity she has declined to reveal). Like Lynne Ramsays 2018 neo-noir You Were Never Really Here (but with less hammer-murdering), The Souvenir trusts the viewer to jump into its impressionistic stream of images, joining the protagonist midthought and leaving us to sort out the imagined from the real. The movie opens on black-and-white film stills from a project that never existed except in Julies mind. And then theres that incongruously gorgeous repeated image of a green satin hem on old stone steps, a fragmented memory of a lovers trip to Venice that the audience never learns anything more about but that seems to have a lasting hold on our heroine.

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Maybe the most surprising end-credits stinger Ive seen this year was a sober black-and-white title card at the end of The Souvenir that promised The Souvenir: Part II. Ambiguous, finely shaded autobiographical dramas like this one dont generally form the cornerstone of an expanded universe. But Honor Swinton Byrne, making her feature film debut, has created a character whos complex (and at times maddening) enough to deserve further exploration. The problem with the coming-of-age picture is that it often ends just as the protagonist is turning into someone really worth getting to know. The question in the audiences mind on saying goodbye to JulieI wonder whats next for her?goes double for a writer-director like Joanna Hogg.
Horsepeople flocked to the Champions Center in Springfield, Ohio on Tuesday (May 14) seeking racehorses and breeding stock among nearly 400 catalogued horses. The sale was virtually tied with last year as the best Blooded Horse Spring Sale in its 56-year history with a lot of happy sellers, and buyers that were grateful to get horses to stock their stables.

The Burke Racing Stable brought an especially strong consignment that included five of the top 10 sellers. Leading the way at $65,000 was consistent Preferred pacer Arthur Pendragon. Mark Wright of Frankfort, Ky. had the winning bid on the handsome son of Dragon Again. Next in line was solid conditioned pacer Cheese Melt, fresh off a 1:51.2 win at Northfield Park. Fred Linz of Indiana signed the ticket for the four-year-old son of Betterthancheddar for $62,000. Other heavy hitters in the Burke consignment were conditioned pacers Reagans Avenger and Aleppo Hanover, purchased by Rick Bucci for $42,000 and $32,000 respectively, along with Fordham Sixty Two, who was picked up for $35,000 by Allard Racing. The consistent young trotter Lion King AS from the Ruddick Stables also went to Allard Racing on a $37,000 bid.

A potential story in the making was the purchase of Indiana Sires Stakes-eligible Mr Bigly by 15-year-old Breana Carsey (of Ohio champion MJB Gotta Have Faith fame) and her dad Brian for $47,000. The precocious son of Always A Virgin came from an Emerald Highlands Farm consignment that also featured the competitive four-year-old mare McPansy purchased by A Piece Of Racing for $40,000.

The Summer Blooded Horse Sale will be held Aug. 27-28. This sale includes a black-type yearling session in addition to several hundred racehorses. The black-type yearling session closes July 1. Mixed entries will be taken until full. Visit www.bloodedhorse.com to enter or order a catalogue.

(Blooded Horse Sales)
Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey has approved the countrys most repressive restriction on womens health care: a total ban on abortion with no exceptions for cases of rape or incest. Her signature comes a day after the Alabama State Senate voted 256 to pass the legislation. Though a female representative in the state House had introduced the bill to that chamber, every senator who voted for the bill was a white man. All but one of the senators who voted against it was not.

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You dont have to have a female reproductive system to know how one works. But if youre going to advance legislation that bars women from making their own decisions about pregnancy and childbirth, you should at least have a working familiarity with the biological processes youre enshrining in the penal code.

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Based on Tuesday evenings floor debate, Alabamas GOP senators not only appeared to fall far short of that thresholdthey were pleased by it. Sen. Clyde Chambliss, one of the bills main supporters, demonstrated a fair bit of confusion about how human reproduction works as he debated Democrats. Im not trained medically, so I dont know all the proper medical terminology and timelines and that sort of thing, he said, but from what Ive read, what Ive been told, theres some period of time before you can know that a woman is pregnant.  It takes some time for all those chromosomes and all that.

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This unscientific fumbling would have been pretty funny had it not been the preamble to a vote to strip women of the ability to decide whether or not to bear a child. Chambliss appeared to be confused about the difference between the moment when the chromosomes of the egg and sperm meetfertilizationand the moment when a pregnancy test, which tests hormones, not chromosomes, shows up positive. Chambliss was unable to answer questions about whether an abortion under the new bill would be legal in the days or weeks between those two events.

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Chambliss also drew a blank when asked how he would define an attempted abortion, which would be punishable by up to 10 years in prison. He said he didnt know what an attempted abortion was, but that it meant that a fetus somehow remained viable after an abortion procedure. He was likewise stumped when questioned about how doctors would be able to tell a miscarriage from a medication abortion, since the two would present indistinguishably to a doctor. The burden of proof would be on the prosecution, he shruggedimplying, as if hed just considered it for the first time, that all women who miscarry in an Alabama with an abortion ban should be investigated as criminal suspects.

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Chambliss ignorance about the female body he was so zealously trying to police struck me as moderately disturbing. If a legislator arguing for lower or higher taxes is expected to know how the tax system functions, shouldnt a legislator legislating about pregnancy and abortion know how pregnancy and abortion work? But for me, the truly galling part of this exchange was the fact that Chambliss seemed utterly unbothered by his own cluelessness. Indeed, he seemed to flaunt it proudly.

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Republican men with anti-abortion agendas have long taken a perverse kind of pleasure in their illiteracy on the very topics they harp on the most. They love to talk about the sanctity of motherhood and the milestones of fetal development; Chambliss, for instance, wore a pin on Tuesday night that he claimed was the size of a fetuss feet after 10 weeks of pregnancy. But when it comes to the nuts and bolts of biology that medical professionals, insurance companies, and patients will have to parse to determine what reproductive health care is legal and when, they plead ignorance.

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This is not a strictly Alabamian phenomenon. Consider the comments of Ohio state Rep. John Becker, a Republican who proposed a bill that would curb insurance coverage of all abortion care provided under non-life-threatening circumstances. When journalists and health care practitioners noted that the bill would also ban coverage of contraception devices, including certain IUDs, that prevent the implantation of fertilized eggs, Becker seemed exasperated. Thats clearly not my area of expertise, he said. He then suggested that pharmaceutical companies could simply reformulate their contraceptives to work differently, somehow, to comply with his legislation. That legislation, by the way, included an exception to allow insurance coverage of a medical procedure Becker appears to have invented out of whole cloth. Under Beckers bill, if a woman experiences an ectopic pregnancya life-threatening event wherein a fertilized egg attaches somewhere other than inside the uterusinsurance companies would be permitted to cover a procedure to reimplant the fertilized ovum into the pregnant womans uterus. That procedure does not exist.

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Becker and Chambliss have a kindred spirit in Missouri Rep. Todd Akin, who said a woman being raped cannot get pregnant because the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down. They share a philosophy of lawmaking with Texas state Rep. Dan Flynn and Idaho state Rep. Vito Barbieri, who seem to believe the uterus can only be reached through an incision in the abdomen or via the digestive tract, respectively. (It seems impossible, given their premodern hypotheses about human reproduction, that these men are even aware that infants exit the body through the vagina.) To men in this cohort, the female body is more symbol than fact, more allegory than flesh and blood. It is a site adequately understood through assumption and conjecture, at once too simple and too unknowably complex to warrant the humility of self-education. Instead of shaping their laws around the realities of medicinedecisions and procedures that directly confront the daily possibilities of pain, injury, and deathRepublican legislators are asking modern medicine and womens bodies to conform to their almost entirely faith-based wishes.

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It should be no surprise to hear conservative politicians discuss these medical and biological processes in the same blithe, slapdash tone theyd use in a conversation with a child about why the sky is blue. For people convinced that a just-fertilized blastocyst carries the same human value and moral weight as a toddler, reproduction is better understood through magic than medicine. As with any magic trick, it doesnt matter how the magician achieves the effect; the audience isnt privy to that information. Its only the end resulta flower produced from thin air, a woman legally compelled to give birththat counts.
No exceptions: Anti-abortion activists and politicians used to make exceptions for victims of rape or incestbut no more. The extreme abortion bans passed in Alabama and Missouri this week show that the conversation has shifted decisively, into absolute terms. Ruth Graham explains what happened.

Breaking up is hard to do: The conversation around taking antitrust action against Facebook reached new heights last week when co-founder Chris Hughes called for the Federal Trade Commission to break off Instagram and WhatsApp and make them separate companies. But can Facebook actually be broken up? And if so, how? April Glaser explains all the tools the government has at its disposal to reduce Facebooks monumental power.

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The Case of the Secret Groups: Many Facebook groups are shifting their privacy settings into Secret or Closed enclaves, but why? Jane C. Hu writes that the Zuccening of established groups is behind the wave of notifications, but nobody is quite sure where it startedor when it will end.

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Film school: The Souvenir is a coming-of-age film that may sound like a familiar addiction drama, but director Joanna Hogg digs deep into her own life to create something much richer and stranger. The Sundance hit starring Honor Swinton Byrne (daughter of Tilda) is heterogeneous in style, with long passages of naturalism  interrupted by startling bursts of visual lyricism, like a recurring close-up of a green satin gown trailing up a flight of stone stairs, Dana Stevens writes in her review.

For fun: What happens when you try to check out John Wicks murder book.

Team Sad Keanu,

Vicky
When a Missouri TV station asked Republican Rep. Todd Akin in 2012 about his view on abortion in cases of rape, his answer was widely viewed as a disaster. From what I understand from doctors, its really rare, the Senate candidate said confidently. If its a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut the whole thing down. Conservatives from Mitt Romney to Sean Hannity quickly said he should step aside. Akins campaign funds dried up. He eventually lost the election by more than 15 points.

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For some anti-abortion activists, Akins blunder was a wake-up call. To them, the problem wasnt that Akin was wrong to suggest that anti-abortion policies didnt need to include exceptions for women who had become pregnant by rape. It was that his explanation was medically nonsensical and distracting. Were going to re-look at how we endorse and train candidates, the president of the Susan B. Anthony List, Marjorie Dannenfelser, said in a speech the day after the election. From now on, they will not be sent in the field with our support without knowing how to actually discuss the issue with compassion and love, and to exploit the other candidates extremes.

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Seven years is an eternity when it comes to abortion policy in America. On Wednesday, Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey signed a historically restrictive anti-abortion bill that would effectively ban the procedure from the moment of conception. Hours later, Missouris state Senate passed a bill effectively banning the procedure at eight weeks of pregnancy. Perhaps even more startling to many casual observers: The legislation in both states does not allow exceptions for pregnancies that result from rape or incest.

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Historically, mainstream anti-abortion activists and politicians have made allowances for pregnancies conceived from rape or incest, on the grounds that it would be cruel to force trauma victims to endure pregnancy and birth. A major evangelical report on contraception and abortion in 1969 recommended allowing abortion in such cases, observing the consensus that subjection of the innocent party to such suffering by withholding the opportunity of an abortion is unwarranted. In a 1975 radio address, Ronald Reagan said that abortion was the taking of a human life, but also that having an abortion after rape was an act of self-defense, and that a woman has the right to rid herself of a child or refuse to have a child resulting from rape. Billy Graham openly endorsed such exceptions; George H.W. Bush and his son did, too. Donald Trump said during his presidential campaign in 2015 that he was for the exceptions.

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That was then. Alabamas decision to omit exceptions (other than when the mothers life is at serious risk) is partly because the laws proponents wanted a clean bill to directly challenge Roe v. Wade in the court system. But it is also a reflection of the coalescing consensus in contemporary anti-abortion circles that rape and incest exceptions are morally unacceptable.

For many traditional pro-life groups, this is now a litmus test for your seriousness about being in favor of the prenatal child, said anti-abortion ethicist Charles Camosy, the author of a new book on the connections between abortion and issues including immigration and mass incarceration. Lost is any sense of complexity about the actual arguments, much to the detriment of the movement both intellectually and politically.

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The punitive logic of exceptions has never pleased pro-choice advocates. The implication is that only innocent women should be free to make decisions about their pregnancies, while women who made the choice to have sex should not. Theres definitely a problem with the idea that there are good abortions and bad abortions, and good girls and bad girls, said Alexa Kolbi-Molinas, a senior staff attorney with the ACLU Reproductive Freedom Project. That can be manifested in allowing only limited exceptions for what some might feel are good abortions.  Kolbi-Molinas said the functional difference between a near-total ban with rape and incest exceptions and without is almost nonexistent. But exceptions do make even strict anti-abortion laws more palatable to the many voters with complex views on the issue. More than three-quarters of Americans believe that abortion should be legal in the first trimester in cases of rape or incest, according to a 2018 Gallup poll.

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The mainstream anti-abortion groups that now argue against exceptions make a simple claim: If even the earliest abortion is murder, then surely such exceptions are morally unreasonable. As the president of Students for Life of America, Kristan Hawkins, put it on Wednesday: If my father would commit a sexual assault tonight, would the survivor of that horrific assault be justified in killing me? No, of course not. So whats the difference? Hawkins wrote a blog post after Todd Akins 2012 comments about her evolution toward this view. In 2014, Students for Life launched a We Care tour of college campuses, with the goal of equipping student activists with talking points to answer questions about why rape exceptions are misguided. Several popular anti-abortion speakers and authorsincluding one Rick Perry credited with changing his mind on the issuedescribe themselves as having been conceived in rape.

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Some provocateurs now argue that disallowing exceptions is not just an uncomfortable outgrowth of a strict moral position, but an act with affirmative benefits. Rapists love abortion because it helps them cover up their crime, Matt Walsh wrote in a column arguing against exceptions this week. If [a] hypothetical 15-year-old victim does have her baby, the rapist father could be conclusively proven guilty with a DNA test. But if the incestuous abuser can enlist Planned Parenthood to destroy the evidence for him, he will walk away scot-free and continue molesting his daughter for years to come.

Anti-abortion activists straightforwardly triumphant reaction to the Alabama law is proof that the conversation has now changed decisively.

The conservative conversation about rape and incest began to noticeably change during the last Republican presidential primary, when evangelical favorites Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio indicated they opposed such exceptions. When other candidates questioned thisSen. Lindsey Graham pointed out that the position is hard to sell with young womenthe Susan B. Anthony Lists Dannenfelser rebuked them. An attack on this aspect of these candidates pro-life positions is an attack on the pro-life movement as a whole, she wrote in a stern letter to Cruz and Rubios rivals. I urge you and your campaigns to reject Planned Parenthoods talking points and instead keep the pro-life movement on offense.

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The straightforwardly triumphant reaction within anti-abortion circles to the Alabama law this week is proof that the conversation among activists, at least, has now changed decisively. The president and CEO of Americans United for Life, Catherine Glenn Foster, said in a statement Wednesday that the violence of abortion is never the answer to the violence of rape. Victims of child rape need fierce advocacy & care, but abortion isnt it, prominent activist Lila Rose tweeted after the Alabama bill passed the state Senate. Its more trauma. After a chaotic debate on the Alabama state Senate floor over an amendment that would have allowed exceptions to the law passed this week, 21 Republicans voted against it, and only four voted for it.
Is this really the beginning of the end for Theresa May? The prime minister has defied predictions of her political demise so many times that its tempting to assume shell just continue to stay in office, flogging her hated withdrawal agreement, until Big Ben crumbles to dust. But after an announcement Thursday, it does look like her departure is coming sooner rather than later.

This week in Theresa May: The PM met on Thursday with the 1922 Committee, the powerful group of Tory backbenchers who oversee party leadership contests. According to the committees chairman, May agreed to set out a timetable for her departure in the first week of June, after she again attempts to get the withdrawal agreement she negotiated with Europe approved by Parliament. Yes, thats the same withdrawal agreement that Parliament has now rejected three times.

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This is a bit of a reprieve for May, since members of the committee had been considering amending the partys rules to allow a vote of no confidence to force her from power. The first week of June is also when Donald Trump is scheduled to visit the U.K., so all in all it should be a fun week for her.

This week in Theresa and Jeremy: In talks on Tuesday, May gave Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn an ultimatum, saying that he needs to make up his mind on whether to support her withdrawal agreement and that she would bring the agreement up for another vote on June 4 or 5 regardless.

To review, May is negotiating with Corbyn about this because Brexiteers in her own party and her coalition partners, the Democratic Unionist Party, are implacably opposed to the agreement. To win over Labours support, May is reportedly offering to keep Britain in a close customs arrangement with Europe and uphold some EU standards on workers rights and environmental protections.

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This does not, it seems, go far enough for Corbyn, who is also under pressure from members of his own party not to agree to any deal that does not include a second public referendum on Brexit.

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The upshot of this is that Mays deal looks set to fail for an impressive fourth time.

This week in polls: British voters will cast ballots next week for the European Parliament elections that were never supposed to happen because Britain was supposed to be out of the EU by now, and, wow, do things look bad for the Tories. One recent poll has them in fifth place, behind nearly every major party, as they hemorrhage support to Nigel Farages self-explanatory Brexit Party. European elections are typically considered low-stakes affairs where protest votes are common, but more alarming may be a Sunday Telegraph poll, which found that the Conservatives would come in third behind Labour and the Brexit Party in parliamentary elections.

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Not that Labour has any right to gloat. A YouGov poll this week found that only 13 percent of voters find the partys stance on Brexit clear, a lower level than for any other major party. Corbyn has made clear that he wants to move beyond the Brexit debate and focus on the traditional economic and social differences between the parties, but the Brexit crisis isnt going away, and the party looks set to continue to bleed support to ones with clearer pro- or anti-Brexit stances.

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This week in Boris: With Mays departure now officially in sight, the contest to replace her which has not officially been happening but has definitely been happeningwill now kick into high gear. Early out of the gate is former London mayor and Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, who said, Of course Im going to go for it, at a business event in Manchester on Thursday. The voluble Johnson, one of Britains most well-known politicians and one of its most controversial, was a leading campaigner for leaving the EU and resigned from Mays cabinet over her Brexit strategy.

Johnson has made clear that, unlike May, he doesnt see the option of a no deal Brexit as exceedingly objectionable and thinks warnings that it would devastate the British economy are overblown. If he, or another hard-line Brexiteer, takes over for May, theres a higher likelihood that hell find out if the warnings were right.

Days until next deadline: 169
One could make a solid argument that the only two things the Trump administration really cares about are white-nationalist belligerence and letting people whom Trump knows personally off the hook for white-collar crimes. The first interest is on full display at the moment as the White House pursues a self-defeating tariff dispute with China and tries to provoke Iran into a war; the second was attended to Wednesday night as the president issued a pardon to Canadian-British tycoon/criminal Conrad Black.

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Black, who is for some reason referred to in the White House statement on the pardon as Lord Conrad M. Black of Crossharbour, as if the USA is required to honor other countries gibberish king and queen fantasies, was convicted of mail fraud and obstruction of justice in 2007 when an (American) jury found that hed participated in a scheme to siphon money out of the Chicago-based media company of which hed been CEO. A Supreme Court ruling led to the vacation of two fraud counts, but Blacks efforts to get out from under the obstruction charge and the other fraud charge were unsuccessful  until his former partner on the Trump Tower Chicago development got elected president. The media company in question later went bankrupt.

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In other words, it would seem that Donald Trump has personal sympathy toward an individual who illegally used other peoples money for his own benefit, obstructed a federal investigation, and mismanaged his company into bankruptcy.

Trump has also previously pardoned right-wing Sheriff Joe Arpaio for contempt of court, right-wing pundit Dinesh DSouza for making illegal campaign donations, and Bush administration official Scooter Libby for perjury and obstruction of justice. He has also suggested hes considering pardoning his former national security adviser Michael Flynn, who made false statements to the FBI; his former campaign adviser George Papadopoulos, who also made false statements to the FBI; and his former campaign chairman Paul Manafort, who has been convicted of tax fraud, bank fraud, conspiracy to defraud the United States, and witness tampering. Robert Muellers special counsel report says Trump may have made an implicit offer of a pardon to Michael Cohen, his former attorney, who was convicted of tax fraud, perjury, and campaign finance crimes.

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Conrad Black, perhaps not incidentally, published a book last year called Donald J. Trump: A President Like No Other and has written a number of Trump-related columns for the National Review with titles like Smooth Sailing Ahead for Trump, Trump Looks Solid for 2020, Trump Outfoxes Democrats, Trump the Indestructible, Trump Can Still Prevail in the Midterms, Trumps North Korea Policy Is Succeeding, The Anti-Trump Effort Backfires, Trump Will Prevail, and Trump Is Winning More Than Ever and Trump: Winning More Than Ever (two separate columns, published six months apart).

Conrad Black is winning more than ever!
The morning after Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey signed into law the nations strictest abortion ban, the Missouri Senate voted 2410 to ban abortions after eight weeks, even in cases of rape and incest.

The bill will still need to be sent back for one last vote in the House, where, according to the Kansas City Star, it is all but certain to be cleared, given it was already passed there in February. Missouri Gov. Mike Parson has already said he will sign the bill.*

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Once it is officially passed, Missouri will join Alabama, Georgia, Ohio, and Kentucky in a wave of extreme anti-abortion bans. The Missouri bill, which threatens doctors who perform abortions with up to 15 years in prison and offers exceptions only in cases of medical emergencies, is one of the most extreme, given the pointed lack of exemptions for rape, incest, and human trafficking.

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Alabamas new law still leads the group in severity, as it would make abortions illegalwith penalties for doctors up to 99 years in prisonfrom conception, with exceptions only in cases of significant health risks to the mother or when the fetus has a fatal condition. Georgia, Ohio, Kentucky, and Mississippi have all passed so-called heartbeat bills this year that ban abortions after six weeks of pregnancy, often before a woman knows she is pregnant. Some have exceptions for rape and incest, but not Ohio or Mississippi.

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None of the laws are in effect yet. A judge has blocked Kentuckys. Ohios is already being challenged by the ACLU, Planned Parenthood, and the Center for Reproductive Rights. Advocates are taking on Mississippis. The ACLU chapters of Alabama and Georgia will challenge their respective laws.

Missouris bill, passed by the Senate on party lines, is also virtually guaranteed to be challenged and appealed up. If the bill or any of the others succeed in making it onto the Supreme Court docket and, ultimately, lead to the undoing of Roe v. Wade, the trigger provision in the bill will automatically ban abortion completely. Only one clinic in the state, a Planned Parenthood in St. Louis, currently offers abortions.
In February, the New York City Commission on Human Rights released a landmark legal opinion about hair. That legal guidance document stated that grooming policies that ban, limit, or otherwise restrict natural hair or hairstyles associated with Black people are racially discriminatory and hence unlawful. Per the guidance, it is now illegal for New York City businesses to require black employees to chemically straighten their haira laborious, expensive, and often painful process. It is also now illegal for New York City schools to punish black children for wearing their hair in cornrows, twists, braids, Bantu knots, and other traditionally black hairstyles. This change in public accommodations law, the first of its kind in the United States, was long overdue. As has been reported by many media outlets, hair discrimination is sadly commonplace. New York Citys decision is a deeply important shift in how we think about discrimination. Hopefully, it could eventually presage an important change in 14th Amendment jurisprudence.

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The current legal regime around hair discrimination is a disaster. To understand why, you have to look back to the 1973 sex discrimination case Frontiero v. Richardson. In that case, the Supreme Court struck down a federal statute governing the distribution of financial benefits to military spouses. According to the statute, married servicemen could claim their wives as dependents without providing any evidence, whereas a married servicewoman had to provide the proof. The court held that the statute flunked a basic test of fairness, because it burdened servicewomen on the basis of an unchangeable trait, sex, that servicewomen had not chosen to adopt. In the courts view, this was perilously similar to racial discrimination. In one of the opinions most significant passages, Justice William Brennan drew out the analogy, explaining that discrimination on the basis of sex was wrongful because sex, like race, is an immutable characteristic determined solely by the accident of birth.

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The moral logic of Frontiero was both compelling and prophetic. In case after case, from employment law to immigration courts, immutability would be used to justify expanding anti-discrimination law to cover other marginalized groups. To take but one recent example, in the majority opinion in Obergefell v. Hodges, Justice Anthony Kennedy cited the immutable nature of homosexuality as one reason for striking down state bans on same-sex marriage.

Hair discrimination has always been one means by which whites reinforce racial hierarchy in this country.

Yet the immutability standard is showing real signs of wear, largely because the Supreme Court has never actually defined immutability. Instead, the court has provided a list of characteristicsrace and sex, but also national origin, alienage, and illegitimacythat it considers unchangeable, leaving legal scholars to connect the dots in most other instances. This has not, of course, stopped the court from declaring that certain characteristics, such as hairstyle, can be easily altered and are thus ineligible for protection under the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment. This seemingly commonsensical approach utterly breaks down, though, when it comes to mutable characteristics, like hair, that are tightly interwoven with immutable identities, like race.

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Consider, for example, the case of Charles Eatman, a former UPS employee who brought suit for racial discrimination after being harassed on the job and eventually fired for wearing his hair in dreadlocks. Various UPS managers told Eatman, who is black, that he looked like an alien, that he looked like Stevie Wonder, that his hair looked like shit, and that he must have been a drug user. Yet in 2002, a federal court held that these comments did not create a racially hostile work environment. According to the court, Eatmans managers had only insulted his hair, and since hair is an easily changed characteristic, it could not be part of Eatmans immutable racial identity; therefore, Eatmans managers had not engaged in racist harassment.

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This line of reasoning is implausible, to put it mildly. Hair discrimination has always been one means by which whites reinforce racial hierarchy in this country. Thomas Jefferson, for instance, claimed that blacks could never be incorporated into the state due to their supposed physical and moral differences, among which he included the absence of flowing hair.

Nevertheless, other federal courts have reached the same conclusion as the Eatman court, meaning that change on this issue will have to come piecemeal, if at all. There are some signs of progress, though: In addition to the NYCHRs new guidelines, the military recently lifted its ban on dreadlocks and twists.

If theres a bright side to this breakdown in anti-discrimination law, it is that activists, courts, policymakers, and scholars have an opportunity to collectively rethink the relationships between law, identity, and equality. As I argue in a forthcoming law review article, the immutability standard can be salvaged if we think of immutability as characterizing social identities. This approach would protect any trait used by dominant groups to classify subordinate groups, regardless of how easily the trait can be changed. This might not sound like immutability strictly speaking, but consider that black people have been defined by and demeaned for their hairstyles for more than two centuries. Black social identity, in other words, is a fixed feature of American life, even if some of the traits associated with this identity are highly mutable.

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Courts are slowly starting to recognize that immutable social identities depend, in part, upon mutable human characteristics. For example, some immigration courts have begun treating gender signifiers as an immutable characteristic of gender-nonconforming individuals, even though gender signifiers can be changed at will. As one court wrote, the important question is not whether a trait is literally unchangeable; its whether a trait distinguishes a minority group in the eyes of a persecutoror in the eyes of the outside world in general. This is the right question, and hopefully it is one that the whole nation will eventually recognize. New York deserves great kudos for offering us a start.
California fire investigators announced Wednesday that the power utility Pacific Gas and Electric Company was responsible for the historic Northern California wildfire that ravaged the state in November. Investigators fingered electrical transmission lines owned and operated by PG&E as the cause of the Camp Fire, as last years wildfire is known, which went on to be the deadliest and most destructive blaze in California history. By the time it was extinguished, the Camp Fire had killed 85 people, burned more than 150,000 acres, and wiped out nearly 19,000 homes in Butte County.

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PG&Es culpability doesnt come as much of shock at this point; the company acknowledged in February its machinery probably caused the blaze. The February admission came in an earnings report where the privately held company was disclosing potential liabilities surrounding the fire to investors. Utility officials said they set aside $10.5 billion to cover claims from the Camp Fire, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. Such a bill would raise the companys total liability from wildfires in 2017 and 2018, which includes the Wine Country burns, to more than $30 billion.

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In January, the company filed for bankruptcy, but is still considered the most likely source of compensation for victims of the Camp Fire. In bankruptcy, the claims of wildfire victims will compete with the claims of bondholders and other PG&E creditors, the New York Times reports. People who lost their homes to the Camp Fire will probably not know how much the company will pay them for many months and possibly even years. The investigations findings should move the legal process along, though, and could aid victims in the legal fight to get compensation. The findings will also factor into a criminal investigation into the fires already underway by the Butte County district attorney and the California attorney general.
On Wednesday, Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey signed into law the nations strictest abortion ban. The bill includes no exceptions for rape or incest and up to 99 years in prison for doctors who perform abortions. Abortions are only permitted for cases in which the womans health is at risk or in which the fetus has a fatal condition.

The law wont go into effect for six months, and even then, its destined to become tangled up in appeals as the ACLU of Alabama brings a lawsuit. The bill, designed as a direct challenge to Roe v. Wade, could eventually end up before the Supreme Court.

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As opponents of the billin the state and throughout the countrysaw their protests go unheard, many looked to support the Yellowhammer Fund, the states main abortion fund, as a means of continuing their fight. The fund was launched at the beginning of 2018 and works to defray the cost of abortions, which can run into the thousands of dollars, for the many low-income women who visit one of Alabamas three Planned Parenthood clinics currently providing abortions. The funds raised by the group are primarily used to pay for the cost of the procedure itself, but it sometimes helps with housing and transportation for those who have to travel to a clinic. While Alabamians benefit the most, women from neighboring states also sometimes find it easier to travel to an Alabama clinic, given the paucity of resources in the regionMississippi has just one clinic, and Louisiana has three. (Georgia has a larger number, but it also recently passed its own severe abortion ban.)

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Slate spoke Wednesday afternoon with Amanda Reyes, the president of the fund, about the past 24 hours and the groups plans for the surge in donations. This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.

Slate: How has today been for you?

Reyes: Kind of wild. Our coalition partners at URGE have been fantastic. They chartered a plane to fly through Montgomery, over the statehouse and the governors mansion, with a banner that says, Abortion is OK. Thats pretty amazing to see, since the goal of this piece of legislation is to make a statement that could have the very intended consequence of making abortion unavailable.

Donations have really been coming inmore in the last few hours [than at any point since we started] doing this work. The solidarity were getting from people across the nation is fantastic.

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What do the donations go toward?

One of our first goals is to make sure folks who are having later abortionsreally close to the [gestational] time limit [under current state law]are able to afford their abortion care. Were going to have to reevaluate the budget now, and hopefully well be able to start helping folks who are in their first trimester seeking earlier abortions as well.

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People in Alabama and those who come here who have second-trimester procedures, most are doing so because they either had a fetal anomaly, fetal demise, or something going really wrong with their own health. Or they have faced so many barriers to abortion access that they have gotten into the second trimester [because of delays].

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So were grateful to be there to say you can stop hustling to get this money. A lot of folks arent paying rent, water, electricity, food. Theyre taking out really high-interest, high-risk title loans and pawning things that may not get them a lot of money but that have a lot of sentimental value. We can help these people.

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How much are you spending on each case?

For folks who are 12 and 13 weeks into the pregnancy, our average is about $125. The average pledge for after 15 weeks is about $150 to $180 or more.

The model we work on is, we have a budget for the week, and we have a flex budget for if we get a caller in an extreme situation who needs more than the average amount. We work with callers to try to work with other funds, like the National Abortion Federation. If between our own resources and fundraising we do with them, theyre still not able to make the difference, well increase our pledge so they can go ahead and get the care they need.

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Whats that look like for overall aid in the state?

Our fundraising last year allowed for 313 abortions in 2018. This year, from Jan. 1 through the end of April, we had enough for 92 folks. Our initial goal was to raise enough funds for 500 abortions, which is less than 10 percent of abortions performed in Alabama in 2017. We wanted to almost double the amount we did, and I think we might go past that and even triple that now.

How do you imagine things will change now that Alabama has passed this bill?

We have always had plans. People think abortion advocates are hysterical because we say were getting closer to [undoing] Roe v. Wade, but we are. What has happened in Alabama is showing how close we are.

If the ban goes into effect or if Roe v. Wade is overturned, were going to help transfer people to where they can get care and pay for where they can get legal care, which is what we do now. [There are] networks we have in place for ourselves and our people  to get people the help they need.
If you logged on to Facebook Wednesday night or Thursday morning, you may have seen multiple notifications that your favorite groups changed their privacy settings.

Im in more than 80 groups, which I recognize is entirely too many, but that allowed me to see a pattern: The ones changing their settings didnt include the neighborhood news groups, outdoors communities, or semi-professional writing groups. They were primarily meme groups with thousands of people.

Within the groups, threads racked up hundreds of comments as members tried to piece together what happened, reporting that they, too, had seen multiple groups changing their privacy settings at once. Groups have several privacy options: Public groups allow anyone to join, closed groups allow anyone to request membership, and secret groups do not appear in searches and new members must be added by an existing member. In my notifications, about a dozen public and closed groups Im in changed their settings to private, while a few archived the group to prevent new members and posts.

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Some group administrators explained their changes in posts, saying that other meme groups have recently been banned by Facebook without warning or explanation, and that changing their group settings is meant to be a precaution against a similar fate. As Facebook plans to pivot toward encouraging and supporting groups, the mass panic among these popular groups admins and users illustrates the difficulties with maintaining private spaces on a platform governed by opaque banning procedures.

Its a popular theory among internet denizens that meme groups in particular are being targeted for alleged bans. Ive only noticed it happening in shaming groups, said one user, referring to groups in which people post items for other members to ridicule. (One notable example: wedding shaming groups, which include everything from awful bridesmaids dresses to horror stories about out-of-control guests.) Anything shitposty, shaming, leftbook  all getting infiltrated and mass posts reported to where the group gets zucced, another user wrote. If you dont spend a lot of time perusing internet memes, shitposts are intentionally terrible, troll-y posts, and Zucced, short for Zuckerberg, is a popular way of referring to being banned. Among the biggest groups apparently removed include Crossovers nobody asked for, which had more than 448,000 members, and That relationship sounds exhausting, which had about 54,000 members.

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Rumors have been flying about what caused these bans. According to Facebooks community standards, groups cant support terrorist organizations or hate groups, murderers, or criminals, sell drugs, or attack individuals. Its also against their policies for users to post objectionable content like hate speech, violent images, or porn, but there are no explicit policies for what action Facebook might take if such content appears in a group. The consequences, Facebooks standards say, vary depending on the severity of the violation and a persons history on the platform, which suggests individual posters would be penalized, not entire groups. Nevertheless, groups have disappeared, and former members have no clue why.

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The most common claim about these recent bans is that they can be traced to a group of users called the Indonesian Reporting Commission, who took issue with offensive content in meme groups, but there isnt a clear origin point for this theory. There are also slight variations on the story. Some say the groups creator is responsible for the bansthat he joined groups, spammed them with porn, and then reported them for violating Facebooks rules. Others say this individual recruited more Facebook users to do the same thing. Mark, an admin for a conspiracy meme group Im in, heard that the individual wrote a bot to report groups and get them banned. According to a post on Know Your Meme, that individual has allegedly posted a public apology, but that hasnt stopped people from doxing and harassing hima group of users even boasted online that they beat him up.

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As is often the case with internet rumors, theres very little hard evidence of anything right now. Its unclear whether Indonesian Reporting Commission, which does appear to have its own page (as well as many spoofs), is really connected to the groups deletion since Facebook does not reveal the identity of the users who report a groupa generally wise policy, but one that doesnt lend any transparency to this situation. It does seem like the deletions were the result of a deliberate effort to remove groups, though. A Facebook spokesperson says, We removed several Groups from Facebook after detecting content that violated our policies. We since discovered that this content was posted to sabotage legitimate, non-violating Groups. Were working to restore any Groups affected and to prevent this from happening again.

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The one thing thats for sure is that several popular groups have indeed been deleted and that these rumors, whether theyre true or false, has spurred a mass hiding of groups. Im one of a group of admins for a just-for-fun conspiracy theory group, so going along with this panic was actually perfect on-brand for us, says Mark. Though changing the group to secret was initially a little tongue-in-cheek, Mark says that given the evidence that groups really were being shut down, it seemed worth it to err on the side of caution.

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Facebook groups have been around a long time, but theyve taken on a different role over the past decade. At first, people joined groups that signaled something about their personality and background to others: Manatees are selfish, I will go slightly out of my way to step on that crunchy-looking leaf, Lets save Africa in our Uggs. Now, groups have become a place where you can post about silly, inconsequential stuff without co-workers from three jobs ago seeing it. Groups offer a way to meet new people and see different viewpoints about shared interests, whether thats politics, shitposting, the outdoors, or a love of public transit. (You may notice Im not naming the groups Im in. I feel weirdly protective of them and want them to remain private enclaves where like-minded folks can gather without an onslaught of new members or, even worse, trolls.)

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As is often the case with internet rumors, theres very little hard evidence of anything right now.

What starts as a lighthearted meme group can shift into something more intimate. Ive met some of my favorite people through a series of groups that broke off from a larger group dedicated to a webcomic popular in the mid-2000s. Weve supported one another through divorces and raised money for overdue rent and medical expenses. I would be absolutely devastated if our little corner of the internet suddenly disappeared.

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Im not alone in that. Annie, another member, says shes found a close-knit community through our Facebook groups. Theyve sent gifts to my new babies and held them if Ive had the good fortune to meet up in person, she says.

With overall Facebook use declining, the company knows groups are where its at. Just a couple weeks ago, it unveiled a new app design that privileges groups, a move that appears to be part of Zuckerbergs bigger strategy to reconvince users the platform is dedicated to their privacy. Today we already see that private messaging, ephemeral stories, and small groups are by far the fastest growing areas of online communication, Zuckerberg wrote in a Facebook note in March.

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If Facebook really is pivoting toward supporting groups, there are clearly some kinks to be worked out here. One major question is how to moderate these private groups. The entire appeal of these spaces is the freedom to be real and raw, and oversight from the platform destroys that illusion. But there have to be policies to prevent dangerous groups from festering, or harassment from running rampant. At the moment, groups mostly self-police with moderators, who sometimes end up devoting hours a day to approving new members and posts, and dealing with inter-member disputes. Groups live or die by the uncompensated labor of their mods and admins, says Mark. For many groups, after all the work mods put in to keeping things going and users put in to meme-ing, it can be a real slap in the face to know that the powers-that-be at Facebook could shut things down without so much as an explanation for why their space has disappeared.

Whether or not groups are really being Zucced right now, the mass panic about the Zuccening of 2019 is a clear indication of how much groups mean to Facebook users, and how quickly (mis)information can spread among admins when group ban policies are so opaque.

In the meantime, the Zuccening is producing the usual mix of homophobic or racist shitposts and wholesome content, like if were zuccd in the night, tell the tag groups I love them. As always, the meme ecosystem rolls on.

This piece was updated to include a statement from Facebook.

Future Tense is a partnership of Slate, New America, and Arizona State University that examines emerging technologies, public policy, and society.
Captain Crunch remains the top-ranked horse in Dave Little's 'Road to the Meadowlands Pace,' which has entered Week 3.

In fact, Little's top 10 Meadowlands Pace contenders remain unchanged from last week, with many slated to make their seasonal debuts later this month. Captain Crunch is due to commence his three-year-old campaign in Sunday's Pennsylvania Sire Stakes at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono, while Bronx Seelster is pointed to the Ontario Sires Stakes later in the month.

The Meadowlands' marquee event for three-year-old pacers will take place on July 13.

Click this link or view the PDF below to see the first 2019 edition of the Road to the Meadowlands Pace.

(with files from The Meadowlands)
The average age of a person purchasing a car is lower than in the Czech Republic, a poll suggests.

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Slovaks are buying more expensive cars. The average price of used vehicles has increased by more than two-thirds in the past decade.

While they paid 6,800 per vehicle in 2009, last year it was 11,400. The average age of a purchased vehicle has not changed, and is slightly higher than six years.

What is interesting is that Slovaks pay about 900 more for a used car than Czechs, according to a poll carried out by the Home Credit company.

Differences with the Czech Republic

Growing salaries and a dropping unemployment rate have had an impact on the decisions of Slovaks when it comes to purchasing a used car. They often take a loan, which represented nearly 80 percent of the purchasing price last year. A Slovak taking a loan had 36 years and one month of duration on average.

When compared with the Czech Republic, Slovaks who purchase a car are younger than Czechs, said Jaroslav Ondrusek, analyst with Home Credit, as quoted by the TASR newswire. The average age of Czechs is 39 years and nine months of age.

There is also a difference in how much the two nations are willing to invest in a car.

People in Slovakia buy more expensive cars than Czechs, Ondrusek said, as quoted by TASR.
The ministry has moved the goalposts and the organisations will receive no money even though the expert commission approved the projects.

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Organisations preparing cultural and other events for the LGBTI community will, as things stand, receive no subsidies for their projects from the Culture Ministry this year.

Minister Lubica Lassakova (Smer) did not sign off on the grants, despite the fact that the expert commission who evaluated the projects with high scores recommended that they should be approved.

Moreover, the ministry has changed the conditions to be fulfilled so that it will not be possible to support the projects for LGBTI communities in the future, as the Initiative Inakost, Duhovy PRIDE Bratislava and Nomantinels Theatre wrote in a statement sent to the media on May 16.

No problems before

Events such as the Slovak Queer Film Festival and Rainbow Pride have been organised in Bratislava for years. There were no problems with funding until now, the organisations pointed out.

They requested finance from the funding programme, Culture of Disadvantaged Groups, for eight projects. However, none was forthcoming.

There were no big problems with our projects and for example, the Slovak Queer Film Festival has been supported from this programme every year since 2008, Martin Macko, head of the Initiative Inakost, wrote in a press release.

Commission approved, ministry refused

The Culture Ministry justified its refusal by saying that the projects are not up to standard and claimed it was the decision of the expert commission. The Initiative Inakost requested the documents and discovered that the commission had actually decided to support six out of eight projects.

The film festival should get 35,000 for example and Rainbow Pride 19,000.

The directive concerning grants from the Culture Ministry states that the minister is the final person to sign off on the approval for a grant.

Initiative Inakost also pointed out that the minister is the only person who has the authority to remove all the projects despite the recommendation of the commission.

Applying in the second round?

The Culture Ministry reacted by stating that there will be a second round of the call, also open to applicantions that failed in the first round.

Regarding the sensitivity of the topic, the culture minister will personally attend the meeting of the advisory commission, so she can learn about the quality of all the presented projects, the ministry wrote in a statement, as quoted by the TASR newswire.
Kaitlyn Rae broke into the win column for the first time this season on Wednesday night (May 15), as she was able to register a half-length victory over Sentimental Lady in Buffalo Raceway's featured $8,400 Class B event for distaff pacers in 1:57.1.

After posting 14 victories and putting over $83,000 in the bank in 2018, it's been a tough go for Kaitlyn Rae to reach the winner's circle this year. She notched four second-place finishes and a third in 13 tries during the drought, but finally got that elusive first win on Wednesday.

Cruising along in fourth place as Good Lookin Woman (Jim Morrill Jr.) put up fractions of :29, :59.1 and 1:27.4, Kaitlyn Rae (Ray Fisher Jr.) was first-over and slowly cut into the lead.

Down the lane, Kaitlyn Rae ($3.30) was able to wear down the pace-setting Good Lookin Woman and hold back the late rushes of Sentimental Lady (Drew Monti) and Carrickmannon N (Kevin Cummings), who were second and third respectively.

Owned and trained by Riley Asher-Stalbaum, Kaitlyn Rae (Cheyenne Rei-I C U Lookin) is a 10-year-old mare that has now won $17,705 this season and $422,494 lifetime. It was also her 63rd career win.

Shawn McDonough completed the night with a driving and training double while Fisher collected two wins in the bike. Marc Shuttleworth had a pair of training victories.

Racing will continue on Friday night (May 17) with an eight-race card slated for 5 p.m. There is a $752 carryover in the Pick-5, which begins in the second race. There will be a 10-race program on Saturday (May 18) with a special 7:15 p.m. post time in order to accommodate the running of the Preakness Stakes.

For more information, including the latest news, race replays, entries, results, upcoming promotions and simulcast schedule, go to www.buffaloraceway.com.

(Buffalo Raceway)
Northfield Park is the place to be this Saturday (May 18) for this years running of the Preakness Stakes live from Pimlico Racecourse.

Doors open early at 9:30 a.m. and first post at Pimlico is set for 10:30 a.m. Early bird wagering on the Preakness will be available Saturday morning, along with simulcasting action both day and night from over 40 tracks across the U.S., Canada and Australia.



There is still time to reserve your private seating carrel and television for your viewing pleasure. Carrel seats are currently on sale at the grandstand center program stand. If you arrive early on Preakness Day, join us for a special morning snack of a donut and coffee. The $1.00 special begins at 9:30 a.m. and will be served while supplies last.

Be sure to join Bob Railbird Roberts and our track announcer Ayers Ratliff for a free Pimlico handicapping seminar which begins at 11 a.m.



There is a free $2,000 Pimlico handicapping contest beginning with race four with a top prize of $1,000 cash. Northfield Park will also offer prize drawings throughout the day. Just fill out the entry blank you receive when upon entering and deposit it in the contest bin located in the center of the grandstand. Winners will be drawn randomly throughout the day. Thousands of dollars in cash and prizes will be given away including a grand prize of $2,500.



Visit Northeast Ohios finest food trucks outside on the trackside apron to satisfy your hunger. The trucks 216 Bistro, Barrio, Crooked Kettle Popcorn, Smash Time, Super Hero Food Truck and The Bus Stop will be on-site from 2-7 p.m. offering delicious gourmet food items while you listen to live music by The Benjaminz and Unknown Reason.



After the Preakness, stick around for a night of live racing with a first race post time of 6 p.m. while enjoying the great view and buffet from the Lady Lucks Clubhouse Restaurant. The buffet price is $19.95. Reservations are required and can be made by calling 330-467-4101. Admission and parking are free every day at Northfield Park.



(Northfield Park)
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Huawei said it will invest 35 million Euros in its Paris OpenLab over five years. Speaking at the VivaTech Conference in Paris, Huawei Deputy Chairman Ken Hu said the investment showed confidence that France was on the way to become a global innovation hub.

VivaTech, an annual technology conference held in Paris, runs from May 16  18 and this year is bringing together 100,000 representatives of the worlds of business, politics and academia from 125 countries and regions.

In a keynote speech titled Our Shared Ambition, Hu shared how converging digital technologies are bringing revolutionary change, and highlighted that openness and collaboration is the only way to drive innovation forward. Hu announced that Huawei will invest 35 million euros into its OpenLab in France over the next five years, and will work together with customers and partners to build a stronger digital ecosystem in the country.

This is the best time for innovation, Hu said. Here in France, youve got world-leading basic research, so many talented people, and an innovation-friendly environment. France is in a great position to be a global hub for innovation. Huawei has been here for 17 years, and we are so proud to be part of this ambition.

Technologies like 5G, cloud, and AI are the main drivers of innovation, accelerating digital transformation across all industries. By 2025, there will be 100 billion connections around the world, all companies will use cloud, and 77% of cloud applications will be powered by AI. Hu remarked, When these technologies are combined, there will be fundamental changes to all industries. These technologies will also reshape everything we are familiar with today, Hu explained.

According to Hu, mobile phones will reshape our personal digital experience. As personal computing centers, mobile phones will integrate more naturally with devices like tablets, PCs, TVs, and cars to form a more user-centric ecosystem, which will provide a seamless and more intuitive digital experience.

Smart cars will become mobile supercomputers and data centers, rather than just a means of transportation. Each car will have tens of millions of lines of code and terabytes of computing power. Software, hardware, and applications in cars will be able to be upgraded anytime, anywhere to completely refresh the user experience. Carmakers must to consider how to meet these evolving needs and create new value for their customers.

It doesnt matter if you are a startup or an established business, you need to figure out how to maximize the potential of digital technologies and seize the opportunity to innovate, Hu added.

Hu went on to encourage cross-industry collaboration as the key to seizing new opportunities. When it comes to innovation, he said, organizations need to do what they do best, and collaborate on the rest.

To this end, Huawei opened its Paris OpenLab in April 2018, providing a platform for experts from different industries to identify their future needs in digital transformation and to develop industry-specific solutions. In just one year, 50 partners worked on 15 industry solutions covering retail, manufacturing, and smart cities. Over the next five years, Huaweis investment of 35 million Euros in its OpenLab in France will make it a stronger platform for cross-industry collaboration.

At this years VivaTech, Huawei has set up an exhibition area of 390 square meters to demonstrate innovative solutions in 5G, cloud, smart retailing, and connected cars. In addition, Huawei has worked with 32 French startups to demonstrate innovative solutions and success stories for smart cities, smart transportation, environmental protection, AI, and IoT.
The 12th round of Astana talks failed to create the required agreements, which Syria and Russia blame of Turkey's unwillingness to uphold its commitments writes Al-Watan.

Why are they implementing a military solution in Idleb now? And will these operations remain open-ended? And has Moscow lost its political patience with Turkeys behavior?

The answer to this multifaceted question must be based on the following points:

First: It is recognized that the military escalation in northern Hama, Aleppo and Idleb came days after the end of the 12th round of Astana talks, which witnessed Iranian and Russian disappointment at Turkeys behavior, despite it facing an internal setback, as well as the failure to pressure Turkey, which has not fulfilled its prior obligations and has obstructed the formation of a constitutional committee. This atmosphere was expressed clearly by the head of the Syrian delegation, Bashar al-Jaafari, who said: The dilemma at the Astana meetings lies in the lack of seriousness by the Turkish side in implementing their commitments.

Second: It was clear that the escalation was started by armed groups against Syrian regime positions and villages under government control and the Hemeimeem airbase two days before the beginning of the latest round in Astana, and Erdogan probably aimed to escape the pressure exerted on him in terms of the demands to implement his commitment to fight terrorist and stop the escalation, which the armed groups were carrying out, including Turkish messages in targeting Hemeimeem.

Third: The Syrian military operations, which have been able over one week to liberate more than 12 villagesthat is, most of the northern Hama countryside, including vital military and economic points such as Qalaat al-Madiqdoes not seem that it will be completed at the same pace for a number of reasons, most importantly preserving the lives of Syrian civilians in the areas occupied by armed militias, and not allowing them to be used at human shields or as a political bargaining chip in international forums. From my personal viewpoint, I think the military operations will be controlled and limited at the current time for political aims, which are as follows:

Break the stalemate between the Astana tripartite and the regionally complex conditions in terms of conflicts and worrying, fragile balances. Change the map of the political understandings between the various influential actors, especially the Astana guarantors, coinciding with a development with which Moscow aims to expand the circle of the countries participating, whether to strengthen existing understandings or start new onesespecially given that the Syrian military operations will establish an appropriate atmosphere on the basis of expanded agreements around Idleb and its environs far from Turkish desires or Gulf-Saudi participation. The military operations in Idleb will echo in the eastern areas, especially as the Syrian armys accumulating accomplishments will increase the tension and confusion among the Syrian Democratic Forces and the American occupying forces in light of the increasing popular pressure in the Syrian Jazira. This could steer Turkey towards two options: Either a likely settlement with Washington to establish a so-called safe zone or pushing its Olive Branch and Euphrates Shield militias to take vengeance towards Idleb and the eastern Euphrates.

This situation could be a pretext for a likely American or Israeli foreign intervention as a result of a number of factors which have scrambled the cards again:

The accumulating accomplishments achieved by the Syrian Arab Army in the fourth de-escalation zone, which have been achieved in a short time period, with the armed groups collapsing at record speeds unexpected by their backers, which could push the countries hostile to Syria to use the chemical weapons or humanitarian pretext to justify their aggression to stop the Syrian march or to raise the militias moral. This would is what was threatened in the Washington Post a few days ago through a leak by a member of the US Congress. Adam Kinzinger had asked President Donald Trump to discipline the Russian and Syrian regimes.

The Syrian-Iraqi cooperation in clearing the joint border in a way that has eliminated the terrorist outposts and then opened the border and broken the American siege, especially with the Iraqi side supplying Syria with fuel.

Israeli annoyance about the S-300 rocket systems in Syria and the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu failing after about a month to form a right-wing government and getting his first slap after starting his new term recently in Gaza.

The future of Idleb, which the achievements of Astana failed to penetrate, is being redrawn with fire in light of the lack of regional and international desire to resolve the Syrian crisis politically, at least at the current time. This military engineering has long pushed countries to acclimate with their resultsand the examples of that are clear from southern Syria to the central area, passing through both Ghoutas.

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.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that the ongoing operation and the increase in tensions could jeopardize the formation of a Constitutional Committee writes Asharq al-Awsat.

Ankara has intensified its contacts with Moscow in light of the escalation of the Syrian regimes attacks in Idlib, supported by Russia.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused the Syrian regime of seeking to sabotage Ankaras relationship with Russia through its latest offensive in the northwest of the war-torn country.

Erdogan told his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, during a phone call late on Monday that the offensive by Head of the Syrian regime Bashar al-Assads forces sought to sabotage Turkish-Russian cooperation in Idlib by violating the ceasefire agreement and breaching outcomes of Astana talks.

Targeting civilians, schools and hospitals couldnt be considered fighting against terrorism, Fahrettin Altun, communications director at the Turkish presidency, quoted Erdogan as telling Putin.

The two leaders discussed bilateral relations and recent developments in Idlib, reiterating their commitment to Sochi Agreement, which was concluded on September 17 and stipulated the establishment of a demilitarized zone separating the regime and the opposition in Idlib.

Erdogan noted that rising tensions in the region would jeopardize the formation of a Constitutional Committee in Syria and the political process.

The guarantor states (Turkey, Russia, and Iran) announced mid-September 2017 reaching a deal to establish a de-escalation zone in Idlib, in accordance with a deal concluded in May that year.

In September 2018, they agreed to create along the contact line between the armed opposition and government troops a demilitarized zone of a depth of 15-20 km, with the withdrawal from there of radically-minded rebels, to be implemented by October 15.

But Moscow has repeatedly blamed Turkey for failing to oust militant groups, notably the Nusra Front, from Idlib, as well as failing to meet its obligations to open international roads.

Regime forces stepped up the assault on southern Idlib in an effort to regain control of the main roads.

Turkey, for its part, fears a new wave of massive displacement to happen with some four million civilians living in Idlibs demilitarized zone, including masses displaced by the regime.

Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
After years of inactivity, Kuweires airbase in Aleppo province has reopened, although they a suffering from a lack of aircraft after many were destroyed at Keshish in 2013 and at Kuweires during the siege reports Zaman Al Wasl.

Air Force officers and military personnel from of the regimes Military Air Institute have moved to Kuweires airbase in northern Aleppo province to operate the base once again after years of siege and shutdown, sources told Zaman al-Wasl.

Most of the Air Institutes aircrafts are the L39 model, which operated from Shayrat airfield in Homs, Tayfor (T4) and al-Nayrab airbases, and recently returned to Kuweires.

Kuweires has been the main airport of the Aviation Institute since 1972. It is followed by Keshish (al-Jarrah) to the east and Meneg air base north of Aleppo.

The Institute now suffers from a lack of aircrafts ready to train new pilots, as well as pilots who graduated last year and who are still affiliated with the Institute because their training is yet to be completed.

The most recent graduates (with the rank of lieutenant) do not exceed 25 hours of flying, knowing that their planned training program exceeds 100 hours. This is because of the lack of aircrafts, as the Air Force planes participated in the bombing of Syrian cities and towns that have rebelled against the regime in recent years.

The total number of the institutes aircrafts is 22, although they did number 100 L39 aircraft, most of which were ready at the beginning of the revolution, and a large part of which were destroyed at Keshish in 2013 and at Kuweires during the siege.

The Institutes aircrafts operated at most airports in Syria, such as al-Tabaqa, Deir ez-Zor, Hama, Shayrat, Tayfor, Palmyra and Dumayr, at different times of the revolution due to the readiness of the aircrafts and fighter jets in the air force.

The Aviation Institute have suspended courses since the summer of 2013 after the siege of Kuweires and the fall of the Keshish and Menagh. But the need for pilots for the L39 jets pushed for the establishment of a mini-institute in 2016 at the Shayrat airport, in order to train new pilots.

Two classes graduated, with 60 to 70 flight lieutenants in each, after one year each instead of three years between 2017 and 2018.

This article was edited by The Syrian Observer. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
Backed by Russia, regime forces carried out a massacre in Jisr al-Shaghour, killing five civilians and injuring 20 others reports Alsouria Net.

On Tuesday, Assad regime and Russian forces continued to carry out massacres of Syrian civilians in the countrys northwest, with air raids that struck the public market in the city of Jisr al-Shaghour in western Idleb, killing at least five civilians.

The Anadolu agency said that: a raid carried out by Syrian regime aircraft killed five civilians and wounded 20 a little while before Iftar in the city of Jisr al-Shaghour in western Idleb.

Syrian Civil Defense sources said that five civilians were killed and 20 others were wounded by a raid carried out by Assads aircraft in the town of Hesh in southern Idleb, which was also heavily struck on Tuesday by barrel bombs.

Assads forces also continued attempts to advance in areas outside their control in the northern Hama countryside, with pro-regime media, including Sham FM, saying that regime forces entered the village of al-Hamra in Sahel al-Ghab close to the town of al-Huwayz in the northwestern Hama countryside.

On Monday, a number of rebel groups in the Free Syrian Army and Hayat Tahrir al-Sham carried out an attack that struck positions where regime forces were located in northern Hama. The attacking forces said that they had inflicted material and human losses on Assads forces especially in the town of Tel Malh, which the rebel groups entered before withdrawing again hours later.

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.
Following regime complaints to the United Nations, the Syrian Democratic Council has accused the regime of trying to divert people's gaze away from the massacres in Idleb reports Etihad Press.

The Syrian Democratic Council (SDC), the political wing of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), has rejected the complaints raised against it by the Syrian regime to the United Nations with regards to violations occurring in territory of the SDCs Self-Administration east of the Euphrates.

Amjad Osman, SDC spokesman, on Wednesday expressed his rejection of the messages sent by the regime to the United Nations against the SDF, calling on the regime not to waste more time in launching a national dialogue process.

Osman said that the regimes accusations against the SDF were an attempt to turn the international communitys eyes away from the massacres it is committing against civilians in Idleb.

The SDC statement came in response to the regime Foreign Ministry, which called on the Security Council in an official statement to stop what it described as aggressions by the SDF in the Deir Ez-Zor countryside in the countrys east, and betrayal by these International Coalition-backed forces.

The SDC spokesman accused the regime of using its tools and incitement in the Deir ez-Zor area, calling on residents in the eastern provinces to take part in the civilian councils and to administer their areas and to support the SDF in the war against the Islamic State, stressing that the SDC has confirmed its commitment to maintaining Syrias unity, independence and the sovereignty of the Syrian people on their land and the need for all occupations of Syrian territory to end.

Kurdish activists on social media ridiculed the regimes complaint, saying that this meant the regime was recognizing the Self-Administration and that in a future message it would call on the international community to draw borders between its territory and the Self-Administration, noting that by presenting a complaint against the SDC at the UN meant it recognized the Self-Administration as an entity independent from the state that is claiming to be eager to maintain unity and sovereignty.

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.
Members of the Woodland High School Drama Club will present She Kills Monsters at 7 p.m. May 17 through May 19 at the high school, 1500 Dike Access Road.

The play has been highly acclaimed by the New York Times and is a 2013 AATE Distinguished Play Award Winner, according to a press release from the Woodland School District.

Set in the 1990s, Agnes and Tilly Evans are sisters in high school. Agnes is a senior and Tilly is a freshman. The sisters bicker and get along as best they can until Tilly is killed in a car accident.

Agnes discovers a handwritten notebook of Tillys. In the notebook is a story for the role-playing game Dungeons and Dragons. Agnes then goes on an action-packed adventure to learn why her younger sister found refuge in a fantasy world of homicidal fairies, nasty ogres and 1990s pop culture.

The play is created for teen audiences and addresses themes such as bullying and racism. It also contains mild colorful language, according to the press release. If it were a movie, it would be rated PG-13.

Theater artist David Bareford of Woodland choreographed the battle scenes in the play and taught the students stage combat.

Community members Shaleen Lomen, Merry Jouwsma and Cherylee Aldrete created and donated the heads for the character Tiamat, the evil-five-headed dragon who holds the key to Agnes adventure into the New Landin fantasy world.

Tickets are $10 per person for adults, $5 per person for students and children. All money raised goes to pay for future Woodland High School Drama Club productions.

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The Power Past Fracked Gas Coalition is holding a rally Saturday against the proposed Kalama methanol plant.

According to an email from environmental organization Columbia Riverkeeper, the rally will feature local citizens making a statement against the $2 billion methanol plant, supporting Gov. Jay Inslees recently announced opposition to the project and call on the state Department of Ecology to reject the shoreline permits for the project.

Northwest Innovation Works plans to build the plant at the Port of Kalama to convert natural gas to methanol, which would then be shipped to China.

The event will run from 2 to 5 p.m. at Camp Kalama RV Park and Campground at 5055 Meeker Drive. According to the email, the campground is the closest non-industrial business to the proposed methanol plant.

Speakers include:

Cambria Keely, student activist and lifelong Kalama resident

Rev. Kathleen Patton, pastor from Cowlitz County

Charlene DesRosier, owner of Camp Kalama

Dr. Annemarie Dooley, Washington Physicians for Social Responsibility

Dakota Case, Puyallup Water Warrior

Power Past Fracked Gas is a coalition of Pacific Northwest health, environmental, faith and community groups that oppose new fracked gas infrastructure.

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Longview police Wednesday arrested a Kelso man suspected of shooting another man in the hip last month.

Tyrick James Clark, 36, is booked at the Cowlitz County Jail on suspicion for first-degree assault. His bail is set at $100,000.

Kelso police initially investigated the case, which relates to an alleged altercation between Clark and a Kelso man on April 23, said Kelso police Captain Darr Kirk. The other man checked into the hospital around 7:30 p.m. that evening with a non-life-threatening gunshot wound to the hip, Kirk said.

The victim refused to cooperate as to how it happened or who did it, but we established that it actually happened at 1109 Third Avenue North in Kelso, Kirk said.

Witnesses reported seeing the two men in the front yard of the home, then hearing a gunshot, according to the probable cause statement.

Moments later, Tyrick was seen with a gun in his hand manipulating the slide and talking about the dispute, the probable cause statement says. Tyrick then fled the residence with the gun in an unknown direction.

Although officers found a handgun on the scene, Kirk said police dont believe it was the gun used in the assault because it doesnt appear to have been fired.

Police searched for Clark, who was believed to be armed, but did not immediately find him that evening, Kirk said.

He lives in West Kelso but had not been back to his home that we were aware of, Kirk said.

Longview police received a report on Wednesday evening that Clark was at a home in the 500 block of Oregon Way. The department dispatched a team of officers to the house, said Sgt. Chris Blanchard.

PA announcements were made from outside the residence, and Clark exited and was arrested without further incident, Blanchard said. He added that the PA call out tactic was used because officers were aware of the possible gun possession.

After the arrest officers did search the residence but did not locate any, Blanchard said.

Clark made his preliminary appearance in court Thursday. A hearing for his case is scheduled for May 29.

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Editors note: Todays editorials originally appeared in The Yakima Herald-Republic. Editorial content from other publications and authors is provided to give readers a sampling of regional and national opinion and does not necessarily reflect positions endorsed by the Editorial Board of The Daily News.

We have now entered that post-legislative- session phase in which the giddiness of having passed a $52.4 billion biennium budget on time gives way to concern from those programs and agencies mostly left out of state lawmakers largesse.

One notable case is the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, which came to the Legislature at the start of the session with bucket hat in hand asking for $31 million  a quarter coming from an increase in hunting and fishing license fees and the rest from that presumed bottomless well known as the state general fund.

WDFW was hoping to hook and reel in that big monetary catch to stem a mighty shortfall from a combination of factors, primarily that license sales and general fund taxes had fallen behind the costs and the fact that the agency has yet to recover from some serious recession-related downsizing earlier in the decade.

So, what did the agency end up landing? More like a minnow than a mighty steelhead in the states well-stocked revenue stream.

The Legislature, apparently, wanted no part of incurring the wrath of hunters and anglers by raising licensing fees, so there went about a quarter of the WDFWs budget ask. This, despite the fact that user fees have not risen since 2011 and that department officials requested relatively modest increase linked to bundling specific hunting and fishing licenses  a maximum $7 increase for anglers and $15 for hunters.

Absent revenue from the proposed fees, WDFW, which it asked for and was denied in previous budget years, will have to make do with the a one-time

$24 million the lawmakers doled out, significantly less than half what was asked for. It should be noted that a recent state audit showed that WDFWs spending was in line with that of other state agencies, so there seems little fat to trim.

What, then, will the department do  or not do  with a $7 million budget shortfall?

WDFW officials have yet to decide, but it doesnt take a Nobel economist to deduce that there will be a cut in services. That potentially means fewer services for outdoors users and for the wildlife that the agency is tasked with nurturing and protecting. Fish hatchery improvements may have to be scrapped, funding for biodiversity conservation and habitat protection pared, and improving access for users curtailed.

And, yes, Nate Pamplin, Fish and Wildlifes policy director told the Spokane Spokesman-Review, there might be staff layoffs.

Eliminating the agencys chronic underfunding seemed a bipartisan issue, as both sportsman groups and environmentalists acknowledged the deleterious effects to be had with a continued lack of resources. As Mitch Friedman, head of the nonprofit Conservation Northwest, testified on behalf of the doomed bill in February, We, the normally fighting cats and dogs of Fish and Wildlife stakeholders, have left our swords at the door and are making peace to work together on this.

If the hearing had been a movie, the orchestra violins would have swelled at the inspiring words, and lawmakers have seen the light and (at least) moved for a floor vote. Instead, it seems the Legislature had bigger game in mind  namely, orcas. Supporters noted that, while Gov. Jay Inslee and the legislators urgently pushed for nearly

$1 billion for orca recovery, the governor didnt say a dang thing about the rest of the animals in the state, noted David Cloe, past president of the Northwest Wildlife Council.

One problem is that the WDFWs current funding model seems in need of updating. In Washington state, as with many areas across the nation, fewer people are hunting. A U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service study from 2017 found that just 5 percent of Americans age 16 and older identify as hunters  down from 10 percent in the 1970s. Perhaps thats due to the increased urbanization of public lands and reduction in bird and other animal species stemming from habitat changes brought on by environmental issues.

Furthermore, since state wildlife departments nationwide get as much as 60 percent of their funding from taxes on purchases of ammunition (bullets, arrows) and fishing gear, the decline in revenue has been sharp. Fish and game officials are heartened that overall outdoors participation is thriving  hiking, bird-watching and nature photography have spiked in recent years  but agencies arent collecting any excise tax on all-terrain hiking boots or binoculars.

Its time for a change in the way fish and wildlife agencies are funded. With other revenue streams drying up, we call for the Legislature to revisit the WDFWs needs in a supplemental budget next year. The general fund needs to pick up more of Fish and Wildlifes financial load  if not for the sake of the states sportsmen, then for the wellbeing of fish and other wildlife species.

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A recent letter writer claimed the United States hasn't had a good attorney general since before the first Bush, George H.W. Bush.

The writer thinks Bill Barr is a great attorney general. Ironically, Barr was attorney general under G.H.W. Bush and Barr had G.H.W. Bush pardon everyone involved in illegally selling firearms to Iran.

Barr wrote a letter before Trump picked him for attorney general which stated Barr wouldn't indict Trump for his involvement with Russia.

There isn't a reason for Congress to see all of Robert Mueller's unredacted report. Congress has the same clearance as Barr.

When Richard Nixon and Bill Clinton were investigated, Congress was given the full unredacted report about those presidents.

Mueller was hired by Republicans. Mueller is a Republican and half of Mueller's investigators were Republicans.

Trump claims Mueller's Report clears him. But, no one has seen the whole 400-page report except Barr, who is trying to keep it that way by redacting most of it.

Mueller's team gave Barr a summary of the report for the public, yet Barr won't release it.

What is Barr hiding?

K.D. Slade

Longview
My view of Donald Trump: Even though he was not my first pick, here are some things that he did not do. He did not steal your money, did not raise your taxes, did not quadruple the price of food, he did not start a race war, did not leave any U.S. Soldiers in Bengahzi to be killed and desecrated by Muslims. Trump did not arm ISIS that killed Christens in the Middle East, He did not betray Isreal, did not give money to Iran for development of Irans of nuclear weapons programs, did not give our military secrets to China.

Trump, did not downsize our military and betray our veterans, He did not cripple our economy, He did not increase our debt to 20 trillion dollars, he did not ruin our credit rating, (twice). Trump did not double African American unemployment, did not increase welfare to record level for the last 7  years. And I do not think he has lost any e-mails that caused people to be killed or caused the U.S. to lower our security.

I have heard many people say get rid of all the politicians, so now we have a chance to get rid of some, are you back-peddling now?

Michael P. George

Clatskanie
Australia & New Zealand Banking Group Ltd. provides banking, financial products and services to retail, small business, corporate and institutional clients. It operates its business through the following segments: Australia Retail and Commercial; Institutional; New Zealand; Pacific; and Technology, Services and Operations and Group Centre. The Australia segment comprises the retail and corporate and commercial business units which provides products and services to consumer and private banking customers in Australia via the branch network, mortgage specialists, the contact centres, a variety of self-service channels and and third party brokers; and banking services including traditional relationship banking and financial solutions through managers focusing on privately owned small, medium, and large enterprises as well as the agricultural businesses. The Institutional segment refers to the transaction banking, loans and specialised finance and markets solutions. The New Zealand segment refers to the retail and commercial business units. The Pacific segment offers products and services to retail customers, small to medium-sized enterprises, institutional customers and governments loc

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Jan 12, 2015

The newly announced ASUS ZenFone 2 and ZenFone Zoom smartphones are making waves around the world as ASUS have opted to make one really good ZenFone instead of a new version for each of the three previous original ZenFone smartphones. Due to the 5.5-inch display (which hits a very nice sweet spot in our opinion) the closest original ZenFone in terms of size would be the ZenFone 6, so we've used our tech comparison tool to compare all three smartphones. Key features that the new ZenFone 2 and ZenFone Zoom bring to the table are 64-bit Intel Processors, 5MP selfie-ready front cameras, 4G LTE cat 4 connectivity, dual tone LED flash and for the ZenFone 2, rear volume controls. While there are no Malaysia release dates yet, we expect the ZenFone 2 and ZenFone Zoom to reach us in the next few months or so as the original ASUS ZenFone smartphone range was launched regionally in April 2014.

Local Malaysia price details for the ASUS ZenFone 2 or ZenFone Zoom are also unknown still but based on the current US price of $199 (RM707) we expect the 2GB RAM ZenFone 2 to be priced around RM699. This would result in a drop in price for the existing ZenFone 6 and other previous ZenFone smartphones. Rumours indicate that AnTuTu benchmarks for the new ZenFone 2 could be around 39000 to 41000, which is a huge jump over the previous ZenFone 6 which scored 19661 on AnTuTu. Feel free to compare the ASUS ZenFone 2 or ZenFone Zoom with other smartphones using our tech spec comparison tool or check out the links below:
Credit: CC0 Public Domain

Computer experts inside hospitals were working diligently on Wednesday to address a serious new security vulnerability in older versions of the Windows operating system, which is still used in many health care devices even though Microsoft hasn't actively supported the older software in years.

Julie Flaschenriem, chief information officer at Hennepin Healthcare, said the Minneapolis health system activated a command center Tuesday evening when news of the vulnerability broke. As of Wednesday, the team was working through its prioritized list of action items for securing any older devices that need attention.

"We knowand the whole world knowsthat there are people out there that are trying to exploit this one. And every organization around here, whether it's health care or any other thing, is trying to prevent it," said Flaschenriem, who has held information-technology roles at several health systems in the Twin Cities. "We all have certain risks around this that we work to mitigate. ... Because this has happened enough now, we have plans in place that we can put together and start working on it the minute something like this happens."

On Tuesday, Microsoft began urging users of older operating systems to immediately install security patches or take other steps to secure themselves from a vulnerability that could be exploited and quickly spread global chaos, as happened in 2017 with the so-called "WannaCry" ransomware attack.

In that case, the attack proved destructive even though the security patch to fix it had been available for months. WannaCry affected thousands of unpatched computers worldwide, bringing down hospital networks in the United Kingdom and causing the cancellation of 19,000 medical appointments there two years ago.

"Now that I have your attention, it is important that affected systems are patched as quickly as possible to prevent such a scenario from happening," Simon Pope, director of incident response at the Microsoft Security Response Center, wrote in a blog post Tuesday. "We are taking the unusual step of providing a security update for all customers to protect Windows platforms, including some out-of-support versions of Windows."

On Tuesday, Microsoft revealed a "zero day" vulnerability in older operating systems that have a feature called "remote desktop protocol." RDP is the system that lets a user remotely control a computer, like when a company's help desk personnel take control of a computer remotely while troubleshooting a problem.

The vulnerability is considered "highly likely" to be incorporated into malware in the near future, judging by Microsoft's proprietary risk score and the CVSS base risk score of 9.8. (CVSS is a 1-10 scale, with higher numbers representing more severe security risks.)

The vulnerability, which has not yet been exploited by malicious hackers, requires no user interaction and can spread easily among unpatched computers on a network, similar to the WannaCry malware.

"The thing that makes this one so dangerous is that you don't need any access," said Jeremy Sneeden, a manager in the threat and vulnerability management department at Allina Health, which owns and operates 13 hospitals in Minnesota and Wisconsin. "A lot of vulnerabilities you need a username and password, or some sort of access to the machine, to make the vulnerability work. But theseI guess they're calling them 'wormable' nowthey don't need credentials, and that's why they spread so quickly."

Sneeden said Allina was handling vulnerability countermeasures Wednesday as part of its normal computer-security work, which involves constantly looking for vulnerabilities and prioritizing those that need addressing first. Although Allina has more than 35,000 workstations and desktop computers, most of them are already running on newer versions of Windows that are not affected.

The cybersecurity vulnerability (which goes by the technical name CVE-2019-0708) affects older operating systems that Microsoft still actively supportsincluding Windows 7, Windows Server 2008 R2, and Windows Server 2008as well as systems that are no longer actively supported, including Windows 2003 and Windows XP.

Microsoft says the patch will automatically be installed on supported machines, if the user or network administrator has enabled automatic updates. The updates for unsupported machines are available from Microsoft Windows Security supportjust as the patches for the WannaCry vulnerability were available before the large-scale attack.

"WannaCry was a wake-up call for everyone in health care; everyone I talk to puts it that way," said med-tech cybersecurity expert Ben Ransford, the Seattle-based CEO of Virta Labs. "But it's been two years and many health care organizations are still wringing their hands trying to figure out what they should do about unpatched equipment. They've had ample time to get their houses in order after close calls with WannaCry, and most haven't, despite the best efforts of their overtaxed workers, even at top hospitals."

The vulnerability is not specifically targeted at health care organizations like hospitals.

However, hospitals may use older software systems because it can be expensive and time-consuming to do updates on machines that are mobile and widely distributed across a hospital campus. Also, updating software can cause unintended conflicts and glitches elsewhere in a hospital's interconnected IT infrastructure, which can be risky because so many critical machines run on a hospital network.

Information technology staff with Hennepin Healthcare and Allina have both taken special measures previously to protect vulnerable biomedical and diagnostic machines by isolating them in computer networks so that they can only communicate with the minimum number of systems to work correctly, among other precautions.

Software in long-lasting health care machines and implantable devices is often older than what consumers are used to because it takes so long to get new medical devices approved and installed in a hospital. For example, it can take years to get a new MRI scanner onto the market and into the hospital, which means that by the time the system is ready to be installed, the underlying Microsoft operating system may already be old.

"I think every health care organization has that problem," Sneeden said. "The real problem is it takes the medical device manufacturers so long to get the devices approved, that by the time they get approved and purchased and put in, often the operating systems are ancient. And the new ones aren't approved. So we literally cannot do anything about this."

Explore further Microsoft patching perilous hole in IE Web browser

2019 Star Tribune (Minneapolis)

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
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.
[UPDATE Tuesday, May 21, 2 p.m. Eastern Time: Sale has ended. Thanks to all of you who ordered! Hope the rest of you enjoyed the posts.]

Chester Williams, The Goodbye Kiss



Our fine print sale for this Spring is literally a picture of...concrete. Yet it manages to convey emotional content too. It's called "The Goodbye Kiss," and I'm guessing you can see why! It's sort of a local folk landmark on the Caribbean island nation of St. Lucia, in the Atlantic Ocean.

Chester Williams is a TOP reader who submitted this to our Baker's Dozen feature (a portfolio of readers' pictures) called "It Must Be Color." Chester, who lives in St. Lucia, is a retired professional photographer who loves to enter photo contests and has won many honors over the years.

"The Goodbye Kiss" an example of pareidolia, a fancy word for the skill our brains have of detecting human faces in random information. We are highly sensitized to faces and tend to be inclined to see them. We can see a face in a curved line and two dots, a chimney flanked by two windows, or in the clouds or whorls of wood grain. We know this is accidental, but we can read feelings and tenderness in the touching gesture. We are suggestible, and the figuration suggestsin the way that art often does. Only in this case it's natural, not intentional.

How our sales work

Our sales are a little different than most. We take orders first, for a strictly limited time, in this case five days. Then we close the orders and the printmaker can go to work fulfilling the order. I started doing it this way back in the '90s at Photo Techniques magazine, when the prints would be made in darkrooms. It makes it possible to offer prints at low prices for the buyer while still allowing the photographer a nice payday.

The sale ends next Tuesday at 2 p.m. New York time, 11 a.m. California time. That's 7 p.m. in London and 4 a.m. Wednesday in Sydney.

To order

You can buy either of two sizeslarge or small. The full-sized print is 13.3x20" on 17x22" paper, for $220. The small prints are 8x12" with a 1-inch border for $110. Shipping cost is $15 to anywhere in the World, for either size.

I had a bit of trouble arranging this sale, because the bookkeeper I had lined up decided she didn't want the job after all. Then Ctein offered to help, and that saved the day. So he'll be taking orders and doing the bookkeeping (and thanks for thatYr. Hmbl. Ed. doesn't have the gene) but he won't be making the prints. The prints will be made by Mike and Janine Zaikowski of Profiles Fine Art Printmaking Studio in Philadelphia. (They also printed "Precipitation" by Gordon Lewis, for those of you who have those.) They will not be signed, as shipping from Philly to St. Lucia is slow.

Tomorrow I'll ask Chester to introduce himself, and then on the weekend I'll pass along the backstory about the subject of the picturethere's a lot to it, and it's a fascinating and touching tale.

One final note: There's a reason why Chester submitted this picture to a juried show called "It Must Be Color." As I mentioned earlier, the print is lovelythe colors in it are shimmery, subtle, and pleasing. The JPEG doesn't quite do the colors justice.

The print does.

Thank you from all of usChester, myself, Mike and Janine, and Cteinwe hope you like it. Please do pass the word about the picture and the sale to anyone you think might like to look at it.

Mike

P.S. Oh, I really should have added that this is entirely a "by popular demand" fine print offer. A number of readers asked for it, and that's why it's happening. But I would like to do more reader's print sales in the future. The large print option was also a reader's suggestion.



Original contents copyright 2019 by Michael C. Johnston and/or the bylined author. All Rights Reserved. Links in this post may be to our affiliates; sales through affiliate links may benefit this site.

(To see all the comments, click on the "Comments" link below.)

Featured Comments from:

Andy: "I've been waiting some time for this one. Large print ordered. So glad you decided to add the larger size."

Chester Williams replies: "@Andy...I was so worried that I would not sell any, so your message, first indication of a sale, was a Godsend! Thanks...and also to Scott, Mike, Ctein and others for their guidance, assistance and comments. Sorry if I am excited...but I am!!"
It is one of the most instantly recognizable songs in rock n roll history.

Roger Boyd pounding on his keyboard, creating an infectious sound being electronically altered with the use of then cutting edge synthesizer technology, to produce the unforgettable opening to Never Been Any Reason.

The magical tune transformed the unknown central Illinois band to industry superstars as the band Head East.

Going all in on the album Flat as a Pancake, recorded in South Pekin in 1974, the group optimistically had 5,000 albums and 500 eight-track tapes made to sell at concert venues. When the popularity of Never Been Any Reason exploded, the band was picked up by a major label and the album would eventually be certified gold for selling over 500,000 units.

Part of the reason the song has survived so long is because it was so different. No one was doing anything with synthesizers at the time except Emerson, Lake and Palmer. Our guitarist Mike Somerville wrote the song and we worked up the arrangement, Boyd says.

During the mixing process, someone forgot to mute one of the moog solos. The error was priceless.

When it went through, we thought WOW! Boyd says. The accidental creation propelled the song to its lofty perch in rock folklore, made the group popular from coast to coast and a favorite tour partner of AC/DC.

Head East will be performing at HerrinFesta Italiana at 6:30 p.m. on May 26, as the opening act for Loverboy. The Great Affairs will perform when gates open at 5:30 p.m. Ticket prices range from $10 to $35.

Music from the main Piazza Stage at the annual festival kicks off May 23 with Resurrection  A Journey Tribute. Tickets are $10 to $15.

Outlaw country music will fill the air on May 24 with Jamey Johnson, Kendell Marvell and Jeff Mears & The Cache River band from the Vienna area. Tickets are $10 to $35.

Young guns of country music Scotty McCreery, Riley Green and Daniel E. Johnson will be featured on May 25. Tickets are $10 to $35.

Faith & Family Night will be held on Memorial Day with music by Jason Crabb and Dan Gokey on May 27.

Gates open at 5:30 p.m. each night.

Tickets can be purchased online at herrinfest.com, which also includes complete information on each show. Seats not taken through advance sales will be available for purchase at the gate.

A $30 Every Day Pass can be purchased that grants general admission entrance to all five shows.

Weather conditions could alter the nightly performance schedule.

Celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, Head East was formed in 1969. They were known as the TimeAtions in the early years, when they would often visit Southern Illinois, playing teen dances in Carbondale, Mount Vernon and Centralia.

Boyd says members of Head East knew they had taken their careers to the next level with a 1976 performance at historic Saltpeter Cave, located in an isolated wooded area between Alto Pass and Murphysboro.

Its really a breathtaking place out in the middle of nowhere. The cave has great acoustics and a beautiful waterfall, Boyd says. We were expecting 100, maybe 150 people. When they started rolling in it was amazing. There must have been a couple thousand. The people at the gate were stuffing money in Kroger bags because they didnt have anywhere to put it. People were climbing over barbed wire fence to sneak in like it was Woodstock. It blew our mind.

Through the years, Head East has gone through seven lead vocalists, eight drummers, six bass guitarists and seven lead guitarists. However, Boyd has been the groups only keyboard player and only remaining original member.

The current configuration of the band has been together for 13 years and they are powerhouse rock n rollers that put out our Raise a Little Hell album in 2013, Boyd, who lives on a 250-acre farm on the outskirts of Sparta, says. Its a privilege to be invited back to HerrinFest and we are looking forward to putting on a great show.

Loverboy is a Canadian arena rock band known for hits like Turn Me Loose, Hot Girls in Love,Lovin Every Minute of It and signature tune Working for the Weekend.

Formed in 1979, the band was originally rejected by major labels in the United States and signed with Columbia Records in Canada in 1980. A self-titled debut album went platinum in Canada, leading to overwhelming success in America.

Ironically, the group recorded the 1984 theme song for the USA Summer Olympic team, Nothings Gonna Stop You Now.

After personal issues caused Loverboy to break up in 1988, they ironed out their differences and put the band back together in 1991. Several original members will be on the HerrinFesta stage, including lead vocalist Mike Reno and guitarist Paul Dean.

Vince Hoffard can be reached at vincehoffard@gmai.com or 618-658-9095.

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MURPHYSBORO  A Murphysboro man on Thursday was sentenced to a total of 37 years in Illinois Department of Corrections on several charges, including first-degree murder, in the 2016 fatal shooting of 38-year-old Detrick Rogers.

According to a news release from Jackson County State's Attorney Michael Carr, Cortez Turner, 30, was sentenced to 29 years on the first-degree murder charge. Turner was found guilty this past December following a four-day bench trial in Jackson County.

Turner was also sentenced to consecutive terms of eight years for aggravated discharge of a firearm, and concurrent terms of six years for conspiracy to commit aggravated discharge of a firearm and two years each on two counts of perjury to the grand jury related to the incident.

Turner will have to serve 100 percent of his 29-year sentence on the murder charge, and 85 percent of his sentence for aggravated discharge of a firearm. He was also sentenced to serve five years of mandatory supervised release.

The news release states that Murphysboro police responded about 1:30 a.m. Oct. 24, 2016, to a call of shots fired at the intersection of South 20th and Shoemaker Drive. When they arrived, they found Rogers lying in a yard with a gunshot wound to his head. Rogers was taken to a hospital, and was pronounced dead the next day.

Officers collected more than 40 shell casings from the road where surveillance footage showed shots being fired from a car driven near the house where Rogers was shot, the release states.

About 10 minutes later, officers learned that a second victim had arrived at a hospital with a gunshot wound to his leg. At the time, police identified Turner as that victim. Turner told police that he was walking on Shoemaker when he heard shots and was hit in the leg. He told officers he didn't see anything, and had no other information about who shot him, the release states. Turner testified to this statement before a Jackson County grand jury two days later.

The release states that further investigation found that Turner was in the vehicle from which the shots that killed Rogers were fired. The investigation showed that Turner was shot while inside the vehicle with what is believed to be his own weapon, according to the release. That evidence was contrary to what he testified in front of the grand jury.

A nearby residence in which a woman and two children were sleeping was also struck by bullets during the shooting.

Juwan K. Jackson, 28, was also charged in connection with Rogers' killing. He is set to face a jury trial on June 10.

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SPRINGFIELD  Some provisions that advocates for recreational marijuana legalization have said are the most important facets of their bill faced the stiffest questions at a legislative hearing Wednesday.

Throughout all of the work weve been doing, theres been three real themes that have arisen on why we should be doing this, said state Sen. Heather Steans, Senate Bill 7s sponsor. We want public safety, particularly for our kids; we want social justice; and we want, by getting our policy right, additional revenue for the state.

Whats in the marijuana legalization bill? Here's a look at some of the highlights SPRINGFIELD  Senate Bill 7, the bill that would legalize adult-use recreational marijuana in Illinois, is a 533-page piece of legislation tha

But, at an Illinois Senate Executive Committee hearing, Steans, D-Chicago, and fellow legalization supporters faced questions about expungement measures in the current bill, public health effects of legalization and normalization of marijuana, and where the revenues resulting from legalization will be distributed.

Expungement

Deputy Gov. Christian Mitchell said Gov. J.B. Pritzkers office is willing to negotiate the expungement matter as lawmakers questioned the process laid out in the current bill.

State Sen. Dale Righter, a Mattoon Republican, questioned why the expungement provision applies to people who faced charges for possessing up to 500 grams of marijuana when the current legislation allows for possession of up to only 30 grams.

Mitchell said that amount was chosen because companies would be manufacturing that much cannabis with intent to deliver while some were sitting in jail for the same offense.

I think the idea here is that those who are convicted of these offenses should not suffer the lifelong consequences of having this criminal record, he said.

Republican Sen. Jason Barickman, of Bloomington, said he was interested in coming to an agreement on cannabis legalization. But he said he preferred an expungement process that is initiated by a blanket pardon by the governor, rather than passed by the Legislature with the onus on the Illinois State Police to identify individuals eligible for expungement.

Mitchell and Barickman disagreed as to whether a criminal record would be expunged as a result of a governors pardon, however.

So I think the goal here, senator, is to minimize collateral consequences, that being the effect on access to housing, employment, education, etc., Mitchell said. And the fact that a criminal record could still exist after a pardon by the governor was why the expungement process which weve used for juveniles and others in the past was a thought as to the most efficient way to do this.

The two sides agreed to discuss amendments going forward.

Revenue

Steans said revenue resulting from legalization is expected to reach $500 million annually when the program is fully matured, but fiscal year 2020 revenue estimates would be closer to $56 million  far less than the $170 million in Pritzkers January budget proposal. In FY 2021, estimates are for about $140 million.

According to the bill, 35 percent of legalized cannabis revenue would go to the general revenue fund; 25 percent to a Restoring Our Communities Fund to pay for community reinvestment projects in low-income and high-crime communities; 20 percent to a fund to support mental health and substance abuse services at local health departments; 10 percent to the Budget Stabilization Fund to pay the backlog of unpaid bills; 8 percent to the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board to establish a law enforcement grant program; and 2 percent to the Drug Treatment Fund to pay for public education and awareness.

Currently, communities qualifying for Restoring Our Communities funding have not been specifically identified. Upon questioning, Mitchell said a list of such communities was being compiled.

Barickman said he would like to see communities impacted by the opioid epidemic added to those that could access grant funding from the bill, but state Sen. Toi Hutchinson, an Olympia Fields Democrat, said funding is rightly allocated to communities impacted by the government-led war on drugs.

Health and safety

Several opponents testified against legalization, pointing to public health consequences such as increases in driving under the influence and normalization leading to increased use. Some said legalization will send the message to youth that marijuana use is OK.

Hutchinson said legalization advocates understand there are health consequences resulting from marijuana use. But she said marijuana use is already normalized in movies and television that young people consume every day.

Hutchinson said a pretty sturdy public health campaign which is part of the bill would better promote accurate information on the health impacts of marijuana than is currently available.

Opponents, however, questioned if the 20 percent of the revenue share is enough for an effective campaign.

Mitchell Davis, police chief of Hazel Crest and second vice president of the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police, said marijuana-related driving arrests present challenges for officers, as does the allowance of five home grown plants.

Its impossible for us to regulate that, he said. Home grows take away any controls that you are putting in place for the legal purchase of cannabis.

Davis said this opens the door for cartels and makes it more accessible to minors, even with the specified safety measures in the bill.

Jay Shattuck, representing the Illinois Chamber of Commerce, said the bill should include language protecting employers wishing to enforce marijuana use guidelines such as zero-tolerance policies.

These are common policies used by employers, especially in safety-sensitive industries such as construction and manufacturing, Shattuck said. Employers seek clarity and predictability that enforcing their policies in a non-discriminatory fashion will not place them in jeopardy of litigation

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SPRINGFIELD  With only two weeks remaining in the 2019 regular session, Democrats in the Illinois House say they are close to securing the 71 votes needed to pass one of Gov. J.B. Pritzkers top priorities, a constitutional amendment to overhaul the states income tax system.

I think we are rapidly closing in on 71 and Im confident the governor will, with the personal meetings hes having with members, get us over the hump, said Rep. Robert Martwick, a Chicago Democrat and the lead sponsor of the measure in the House.

The proposed amendment, which cleared the Senate on May 1, would allow the General Assembly to replace the states flat income tax system, where all tax filers pay the same rate, regardless of their income, with a multi-bracket graduated tax that would impose higher rates on higher levels of income.

But the amendment has languished in the House Revenue and Finance Committee while Democratic leaders have struggled to secure the three-fifths majority, 71 votes, needed to place the issue on the November 2020 ballot. In that election, it would need support from either three-fifths of those voting on the question or a majority of all people voting in the election in order to take effect.

Pritzker has said he believes a graduated tax is the only way to solve the states long-term structural budget deficit without making draconian cuts in funding for public services. Opponents, however, argue that such a system would make it easier in the future for lawmakers to raise taxes on selected groups of people.

In addition to the amendment, the Senate also passed a bill May 1 spelling out what the new tax rates would be if the amendment is approved.

Rep. Michael Zalewski, a Riverside Democrat who chairs the Revenue and Finance Committee, also said hes hopeful Pritzker can secure the votes needed in the House.

I think the governor has had some productive conversations with members in the last week, he said.

Zalewskis committee is scheduled to meet Monday afternoon, May 20, and some observers believe the amendment could come up for a vote then, sending it to the full House for a vote.

If the measure is to pass the House, supporters will have to secure the votes entirely from within the 73-member Democratic caucus because House Republicans have said they are unanimously against it.

We dont need it, House GOP Leader Jim Durkin said during a Statehouse news conference Thursday.

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SPRINGFIELD  Democratic lawmakers demanded their colleagues take action on a controversial, sweeping reproductive health care bill at a rally Wednesday just outside the Statehouse.

Their call for the Reproductive Health Act to get a committee hearing comes amid recent action by other states to restrict access to abortion procedures.

The act, proposed in the House by Rep. Kelly Cassidy, from Chicago, and in the Senate by Sen. Melinda Bush, from Grayslake, would repeal Illinois abortion law and replace it with what backers and detractors agree would be the most liberal reproductive health care legislation in the country.

Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker has vowed to make Illinois the most progressive state in the nation for access to reproductive health care, seemingly indicating he would sign the bill if it arrived on his desk.

But after its introduction in February, both versions have sat in legislative limbo.

Since that day, each week has brought a new horror, a new reason why this is so much more important, Cassidy said. I woke up this morning to yet more news of how close we are to losing our right to self-determination, our right to access true reproductive health care.

She was referencing a law signed Wednesday by Alabamas governor effectively banning abortion in the state. Others, including Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi and Ohio have passed other restrictive laws this year.

Some of those states aim to get their laws before the U.S. Supreme Court in hopes of overturning Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 case that legalized abortion nationwide.

Sara Hutchinson Ratcliffe, vice president of Catholics for Choice, called those bills onerous and cruel. The group supports the Reproductive Health Act.

Cassidy and Bush were joined by about 20 legislators from both chambers of the General Assembly in urging their colleagues to codify the protections enshrined in the act, given the current political climate. Behind the group were about 60 women dressed as Handmaids, characters from Margaret Atwoods dystopian novel.

What we saw in Alabama yesterday must mobilize us. We cant wait, we cant rest on our laurels in Illinois, Bush said. There is a war against womens rights and our ability to make decisions about our own bodies happening across this country. Its not a time to hold bills and wonder if maybe we should move them. Its a time to stand and say you picked the wrong state to mess with. You picked the wrong legislators to stand up against.

Before action can be taken on the Reproductive Health Act, it must be moved to a substantive committee. For about two months, it was sequestered in the same subcommittee as all the other abortion-related bills proposed this session.

Democratic Rep. Emanuel Chris Welch, from Hillside, is the chair of the Executive Committee and called for the act to be posted there next week. He said he is committed to giving the bill a full, fair hearing and being a proud yes vote.

We need to leave here today and demand that our leadership give this bill a hearing. Give this bill a hearing. Well let the opposition have a voice, but guess what, were going to out-vote them, he said.

In an interview with Capitol News Illinois last week, Cassidy said women in Illinois are in real danger because of the General Assemblys lack of action on this issue. At the rally Wednesday, she further emphasized the need for activity.

Im done being patient. Im done asking nicely. My body and the bodies of the women up here are not political pawns. My relationship with my physician and my relationship with my god is no politicians business, Cassidy said.

Bush added the groups call was critical and urgent.

Also at the Capitol Wednesday was a group opposing abortion.

The Illinois Citizens for Ethics Political Action Committee collected 15,774 signatures collected from churches in the state over eight weeks in opposition to the Reproductive Health Act and an effort to repeal a statute mandating minors consult their parents before getting an abortion.

Mary-Louise Hengesbaugh, chair of the committee, said it submitted the packet to House Speaker Michael Madigans office.

The mask has slipped. Advocates for these bills are not pro-woman  they are putting clinic profits before the safety of women and girls, she said. This is why so many women are getting involved in opposing this harmful legislation.

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SPRINGFIELD  Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker vowed Wednesday to carry out all of the recommendations in a new, independent report that calls for sweeping reforms at the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services to prevent future deaths of children who have been in foster care or other child welfare programs.

The report by Chapin Hall, a child and family welfare policy research institute at the University of Chicago, focused on what are known as Intact Family Services, which are intended to address cases of child abuse or neglect without removing those children from their homes.

In most cases, those services are provided by outside agencies that contract with DCFS, although the agency does keep direct control of certain high-risk cases. Over the past several months, there have been a number of high-profile deaths of children whose families had previously received those services.

The report cited a number of systemic influences within DCFS that have prevented the agency from operating those programs effectively. Those include structural issues in the way in which teams and individuals are organized and held accountable; procedural issues involving how cases are managed and how work flows in business processes; and cultural issues involving commonly held beliefs among people who work in the system.

These challenges are the result of many years of misguided decisions, underdeveloped program rollouts and unacceptable funding cuts, Pritzker said at a Statehouse news conference. There is nowhere in the Illinois government that has been more hollowed out than DCFS. And there is nowhere in state government where those cuts have done more damage.

The report noted the rate of child deaths from maltreatment is actually slightly lower than the national rate  2.19 per 100,000 children in Illinois, versus 2.36 per 100,000 children nationally. It also noted that while the actual number of child maltreatment-related deaths each year has been declining, the actual incidence of child abuse and neglect has been growing.

In his budget proposal, Pritzker has asked lawmakers for an additional $75 million for DCFS and authority to hire an additional 126 case workers.

But the report calls for additional reforms within the agency, such as working with courts and prosecutors to refine the criteria used for removing children from their homes, refining protocols for closing Intact Family Services cases, and improving the quality of supervision within the agency to provide more clear lines of authority and supervision.

The recommendations provided by Chapin Hall amount to an overhaul of Intact Family Services, Pritzker said. I am committed to carrying out that overhaul as quickly and effectively as possible.

Standing with DCFS Acting Director Marc Smith, Pritzker said the agency has already taken some steps, including launching a high-level review of more than 1,100 open cases, establishing an eight-person crisis intervention team that will conduct immediate investigations and reviews in cases of child deaths, and expanding training programs for caseworkers.

One thing the report did not call for, and which Pritzker so far has not recommended, is to abandon the privatized system of contracting with outside agencies to provide Intact Family Services and to bring those services back in-house where they would be performed by state employees.

I asked Chapin Hall this question too. With the right kind of oversight, with the right kinds of policies and procedures, it can be done well, Pritzker said. But I think they would say  from the very beginning, the policies and procedures for oversight have not been  put in place, and so thats part of what were visiting as a result of their recommendations.

Anders Lindall, public affairs director for AFSCME Council 31, the union that represents DCFS workers, said in an email statement that doing away with privatization should be considered.

The report talks at length about systematic improvements to DCFS and child welfare generally, including making the department more accountable, he said. One way to ensure that DCFS is directly accountable in high-risk cases is keep all of them in-house on state employee caseloads rather than outsourcing these cases to private contractors with fewer resources and less oversight.

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The 2009 derecho left a lasting mark on the Shawnee National Forest, resulting in rerouted trails, wildfires and changing habitat.

It had a huge impact on a whole variety of resources, said Shawnee National Forest Program Manager Mary McCorvie. Some of the changes and challenges that the storm ushered in persist a decade later.

Among them, she said, is that the derecho changed the trajectory of the road at Humburg Hill in western Union County that was used to force the Cherokee tribe members westward in 1838. High winds toppled trees from slopes, which affected intermittent drainages in the hollow, changed the trajectory of the creek bottoms and ultimately destabilized that portion of the Trail of Tears National Historic Trail.

The whole area has been altered by the changing hydrology, she said.

Fire Management Officer Scott Crist said all the downed trees and branches made the forest more combustible.

The year after the derecho, U.S. Forest Service personnel battled the largest wildfire in modern history of the Shawnee National Forest. For several days, crews battled to contain a quickly spreading fire that eventually overtook 409 acres in the Grassy Knob area of southwest Jackson County. The fire, which smoldered for about a week, was fueled by the abundance of fallen, dead trees.

So what this created is A, a hot fire; B, a fire that we couldnt build an effective or quick fire line through; and C, there was an increased level of hazards from snags and suspended dead and severed branches caught up in the canopy, Crist said.

A number of forest acres are still affected by the impacts of the derecho, Crist said. The wildfire hazard has diminished as downed trees progressively rot and decompose, but it is still challenging to build fire lines, which are critical for effective controlled burns, in the most affected wooded areas given the mess it created, he said.

It increased our effort required to do some of those burns, and others have never been done, he said. In some places, it made the burns too hard, and made the risk not worth it because it changed fuel conditions so much that we felt it couldnt be done safely.

In most of the affected areas, oaks dominated the overstory. As such, these old, tall trees were the most vulnerable to the inland hurricane winds, he said. This resulted in more light shining into the wooded areas, leading to growth spurts for the maple and beech trees that dominated the understory, which in turn crowded out the development of young oak to replace those lost in the storm.

Kelly Pearson, wilderness technician and youth host and volunteer coordinator with the Shawnee National Forest, said some trails were substantially altered by the May 8, 2009 derecho. That said, all have since been reopened and are passable, she noted.

But it was a huge undertaking to make them usable again. It was dangerous, hot work, she said. Workers traveled from West Virginia, Minnesota and New Hampshire to assist, she said. The most grueling work took place in the affected wilderness areas of Bald Knob and Clear Springs west of Alto Pass where motorized equipment is not allowed. That meant workers had to use two-person crosscut saws and other handheld tools to dismantle trees fallen over trails.

In total, Pearson, who was trails technician at the time, said that about 20 trail miles were affected across the region, including the Pomona Natural Bridge, Little Grand Canyon, Inspiration Point and several surrounding Kinkaid Lake.

It wasnt just a tree here and there, but multiple trees. It was really complicated, scary, dangerous stuff, she said.

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Orangeburg

Department

of Public Safety

Management of Big Ds Motors reported Tuesday morning that someone stole a pickup truck during the night, according to a police incident report.

This is the second time someones stolen a vehicle from the lot this month.

Missing from the lot is a 2005 blue Ford F-150 XLT Triton four-door pickup truck. It is valued at $6,995.

Orangeburg County

Sheriffs Office

Someone stole a Leesville mans tools from a Rowesville Road location, according to a sheriffs office incident report.

The man left the items on his toolbox when he went to lunch on Monday at 11 a.m. When he returned at 1 p.m., the items were missing.

He called deputies the next morning to report that someone stole the following items: a red Hilti impact driver, a red Hilti electric drill, two black Hilti battery chargers and a red Hilti battery.

They are valued at $1,190.

In other reports:

 An Orangeburg woman reported at 2:20 p.m. Tuesday that someone burglarized her Bair Road home moments earlier.

She arrived at her residence shortly after receiving a notification that something triggered her security alarm.

She discovered that someone forced their way into her home and plundered drawers in a couple of bedrooms.

The burglar took a jewelry box that contained the following items: a mans gold watch, a mans silver watch, a womans gold watch, a pearl ring set in gold, a blue diamond ring set in gold and one Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority pin with 20 pearls set in gold.

The items are valued at $900.

 A Norway resident reported Monday afternoon that a Wire Road home was burglarized.

The following items were stolen: a 46-inch Samsung flatscreen TV, a 32-inch Vizio flatscreen TV, a Smith & Wesson five-shot .38-caliber special revolver model J642 and an SKS rifle manufactured by the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia at the Zastava Factory model M59 hand-painted camouflage using a spray can.

The value of the stolen items is $1,000.

 A woman called deputies at 8:04 a.m. Monday to report that her 15-year-old son refused to go to Orangeburg-Wilkinson High School.

She told deputies that her son was violating a family court order by refusing to go to school. She said the family court instructed her to file an incident report each time her son refuses to report to school.

 A Georgia woman called deputies on Tuesday to report that her 2006 white Jeep Wrangler was missing from a Camp Road property in Orangeburg. She last saw the Jeep there the previous day.

The Jeep doesnt have any doors and she left the keys in a cup holder, the sheriffs office incident report says.

The value of the vehicle is $15,000.

 A Kurtfan Lane woman called deputies to her Neeses home on Monday afternoon to report that someone stole a boat and stereo amplifier from her property.

The green 16-by-8 foot jon boat is valued at $1,000 and the blue and silver stereo amplifier is valued at $250.

Contact the writer: mbrown@timesanddemocrat.com or 803-533-5545. Follow on Twitter: @MRBrownTandD

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Ground was broken Wednesday for a 6,000-square-foot, open-air pavilion in Orangeburg that will become the new home for the downtown farmers market.

"It's a long time coming, so we are real excited" Downtown Orangeburg Revitalization Association Executive Director Candice Roberson told community leaders and members.

"We believe in this project. We believe the project will help build our community, she said.

The pavilion will be located at the site of the former Sifly furniture building at the corner of Church and Russell streets. The Sifly building was torn down in October 2015. The lot has been vacant since.

Orangeburg farmer Alvin Pair thinks the new farmers market will generate good revenue and will serve as an outlet for the farm. I think is a great asset to the community to have access to fresh vegetables and fruits.

I think the people of the community and around are eager to see it. They have been waiting to see it."

Jerry Churchwell of Neeses sells his squash, cucumbers and other items at the market.

"It is a good business and we meet a lot of good people here, too," he said.

He cant wait for the new facility and protection from the elements.

When you grow all of this stuff and you get it ready to go and it rains, then you have a bad day. You ain't got nowhere to get rid of all that stuff that quick, he said.

The pavilion will have 12-foot high ceilings with storage, office space and two climate-controlled, handicapped accessible, multi-stalled restrooms.

The open pavilion itself will have natural and mechanical ventilation. Operators will be able to close it to the elements during inclement weather.

The facility, which will be built of timber, will be able to house 32 10-foot by 10-foot vendor spaces. Power and water will be available for vendors. Fans and lighting will be installed.

The market will provide high-speed internet connections for credit card payments.

DORA hopes to have the pavilion open by the end of summer 2019.

"It is always good to see a vision come to reality," said Sen. John Matthews, D-Bowman.

Matthews said this is his third time celebrating the arrival of a new farmers market in his district. A similar project started in Colleton County about 10 years ago.

When he saw the success of the other markets, Matthews talked to Orangeburg Mayor Michael Butler and the two went to Greenwood to see its market.

"We came back and we said, We are going to do it,' " Matthews said. "I really think this is a value added to the city and it will show very productive outcomes. Let's use it."

About $670,000 has been set aside for the project. The pavilion's estimated total cost will be about $900,000.

About $150,000 has come from the city, $100,000 from the county, $250,000 from the state and $25,000 from grants. Other sources have included private donations and foundations. Additional grants will be sought.

"The board of directors has committed 100 percent," Roberson said. "Please consider joining our efforts and contributing to this project.

"We have a level of giving for every budget. For us, no donation is too small or too large."

Butler thanked the state, county and Orangeburg City Council for contributing to the project.

"What a great enhancement it is going to be in the downtown area right in the middle of town," he said.

"This shows what teamwork does," Orangeburg County Council Chairman Johnnie Wright said. "Working together, we can all make a difference."

Wright said former Councilwoman Ray Wannamaker Sabalis suggested the county use 1 percent capital projects sales tax money toward the project.

"It is all about what is best for the county and the city as a whole," he said.

The existing farmers market started off with an average of about four to six vendors.

Today, there are an average of 12 vendors every Tuesday from May through August. Public participation has also increased by 50 percent.

The new pavilion will not just be for farmers.

Officials hope the pavilion will be able to house family reunions, wedding receptions and oyster roasts and the annual Festival of Roses street dance.

The pavilion could also host arts and craft shows, flower symposiums and other community events.

"The uses are limitless with this design," Roberson said.

To donate, call 803-531-6186.

Contact the writer: gzaleski@timesanddemocrat.com or 803-533-5551. Check out Zaleski on Twitter at @ZaleskiTD.

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The new Orangeburg County School District could have a budget of $133.6 million in its first year of operation.

Some of the budget details have not yet been finalized, including the amount the district is getting from the state. Lawmakers are still developing the states budget.

"There are a lot of decisions that have not been made on the state side yet," District Chief of Finance Michael Thom said.

The Orangeburg County School District Board on Tuesday unanimously gave first reading approval to the budget for the 2019-2020 fiscal year. The new fiscal year begins July 1.

The proposed budget projects revenues of $133.6 million and expenses of $138 million, for a $4.4 million loss. But Thom says a shortfall is not a concern at this point in the budgets development.

"It is very normal for a district to have a variance at this point when they go through the budget," Thom told trustees. "Don't be alarmed about that."

"We are hoping to work through that," he said. "Hopefully, our revenues will increase and our expenses will go down. That is our whole intent."

As it stands now, Thom said the district is projecting about $48.6 million in revenue will come from local sources and about $75.8 million from state sources. The remaining money will come from other financing sources, such as transfers.

Of the $138 million in expenditures, about $66.9 million is for instruction and $67.2 million is for support services.

Thom said the budget does not take into consideration a tax increase. By state law, the district cant raise taxes any more than 2.44 percent.

Thom said there are some things already known on the state level. For instance, the base starting salaries for teachers is increasing to $35,000 and there will be a 4 percent salary increase for teachers.

Step increases or employee raises are the responsibility of the county to provide, Thom said.

Thom noted the student base cost for the district is projected to be about $2,487 with the district expected to see about 11,900 students.

"Your index of taxpaying ability shows the Orangeburg new school district ranked 19th in the state," he said. "The previous three districts ranked in the 30s. We are stronger as one. That goes directly into our funding when they increase base student cost."

Thom said a more detailed budget will be provided to the board at future meetings.

The second reading of the budget with a public comment/public hearing period will be held May 28 and third and final reading is expected to occur at the June 11 board meeting.

In other matters, trustees unanimously hired Jerome Davis to serve as the district's director of certified staff, and Loretta Gadson-Washington to serve as the district's director of classified staff.

Ten new teachers were hired and one contract was renewed.

In other business:

 Interim Superintendent Dr. Zona Jefferson noted five legal agencies submitted proposals to provide the district with legal services. She said the agencies will come before the board in the near future.

 Jefferson presented board members a list of administrative salary ranges for review. The matter will be presented at the next board meeting.

 Jefferson said she and some school district leaders met with Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College President Dr. Walt Tobin about a partnership between the district and the college so students will be able to receive college credit while in high school if they take certain courses.

These courses include advanced manufacturing, health care, construction, information technology, transportation, distribution and logistics and hospitality.

A bill in the S.C. General Assembly would aim to provide some funds for students taking these courses.

 Jefferson said the new district received $110,250 from Orangeburg Consolidated School District 3 and $150,000 from OCSD5 to go toward the district's consolidation process.

 Trustees unanimously approved a 240 work day employee calendar for the 2019-2020 school year.

 The board unanimously answered the out-of-district release request for seven students. The vote will allow the students to remain in the same schools they are in currently when the district is consolidated.

"We do not want to disrupt their school attendance," Jefferson said.

 The next meeting of the OCSB is scheduled for Tuesday, May 28 at the Nix Elementary School cafeteria on Stilton Road in Orangeburg. The meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m.

Contact the writer: gzaleski@timesanddemocrat.com or 803-533-5551. Check out Zaleski on Twitter at @ZaleskiTD.

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NEESES  The Neeses Adopt-a-Highway groups recent Orangeburg County cleanup contribution was substantial, with 1,920 pounds of roadside litter picked up and disposed of by the group, according to Town Clerk Sonja Gleaton during the May town council meeting.

She said 27 volunteers cleaned up 128 bags of garbage at about 15 pounds per bag from four miles of highways and roads in the town. The group will have another couple of trash pickups this year, she said.

I dont think we fudged a bit on our pounds, she said.

In the past few years, the town has had a problem with a serial litterer who even litters used toilet paper. There has been a particular problem with people throwing litter on the well-used Savannah Highway, Neeses Highway and side roads.

The Neeses Adopt-a-Highway group, to beautify the town in the face of this littering, does many litter pickups each year. The group has won multiple awards through the years for its efforts in keeping the highways and roads of Neeses clean, including being awarded 2017 Adopt-A-Highway County Group of the Year in the Calhoun County district by Palmetto Pride and the South Carolina Department of Transportation.

Mayor Kenneth Gleaton next reported on the Seniors Recreation and Leisure Center, which may be finished as far as construction before the fall but will not have all furnishings until then.

We will have a ribbon cutting in early fall when we get the furnishings in for the building, Mayor Gleaton said.

He said construction is nearly complete and he and council members will be looking at different tile patterns soon. Much of the exterior work has been done, and a layer of asphalt has been laid down at the site.

The kitchen cabinet tops just came in this week. The cabinets should be finished by Friday. We still have a week and a half of plumbing work left, Mayor Gleaton said. They are also working on getting the floor stripped and waxed.

In other business:

 Councilman Jimmy Hoffman said he has the materials ready to repaint the bird sculptures in front of Neeses Town Hall but just needs older photographs to help with getting the colors exactly right. Sonja Gleaton said she would work to find him some photographs.

 Mayor Gleaton asked that council consider giving approval to an intergovernmental agreement with Lower Savannah Council of Governments for administration of low-income housing. A LSCOG resolution and addendum to the Home Consortium Agreement were both approved by council.

 The monthly Neeses Crime Watch meeting will be held at 6:15 p.m. Monday, May 13, at Neeses Town Hall. A potluck dinner is planned but with no guest speaker at present.

 Council went into executive session to discuss penny sales tax projects but made no motions or decisions upon return to open session.

 The next council meeting will be held at 7:30 p.m. Monday, June 4.

Contact the writer: rbaxley37@gmail.com.

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COLUMBIA -- The South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism will host three public meetings in Orangeburg County to seek input from residents on their recreational preferences.

The discussions will help inform state and federal plans that prioritize recreational facilities in the grant funding process. SCPRT administers three recreational grants, two of which are federal, that provide funding to state and local governments for recreation development and improvement.

The meeting dates, times and locations in Orangeburg County are:

 4:30 p.m. Thursday, May 23, at the Town of Santees Family Development Center, 210 Municipal Way, Santee, 29142.

 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 28, in town council chambers at Norths Town Hall, 9305 North Road, North, 29112.

 4:30 p.m. Thursday, June 6, in Orangeburg County Council Chambers at the Orangeburg County Administration Building, 1437 Amelia St., Orangeburg, 29115.

For more information, contact Dawn Dawson-House at ddawson@scprt.com or 803-734-1779.

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The Regional Medical Centers Dialysis Access Institute demonstrated a variety of dialysis access procedures via satellite to attendees of the 2019 Vascular Access Surgery Association Practicum held on May 10-11 at Methodist Hospital in Houston, Texas.

On May 10, DAI surgeons Dr. John Ross, Dr. Karl Illig, Dr. Mark London, Dr. Jalal Hakmei and Dr. Mohamed Sheta demonstrated the latest surgical procedures and interventions with an emphasis on the more difficult aspects of treating complex dialysis access cases.

The surgeons performed a number of highly specialized procedures at the DAI in Orangeburg, while clinicians attending the VASA conference watched in real time.

Throughout the broadcast, panelists from both surgical and interventional backgrounds led discussions on each case.

On Saturday, May 11, Regional Medical Center physician and VASA President-Elect Dr. John Aruny presented on percutaneous arteriovenous fistula creation, a new procedure RMC says is widely regarded as one of the most significant dialysis access breakthroughs in decades.

For the last 50 years, the most common type of dialysis access procedure for adult patients has been the surgical creation of an arteriovenous fistula, which involves making a surgical connection between an artery and vein, usually in a patients arm.

The percutaneous fistula procedure instead uses a small caliber catheter to create the fistula, which drastically reduces recovery time.

The DAI was the first facility in South Carolina and one of just a handful of medical centers in the U.S. to offer percutaneous fistula creation after the procedure received FDA approval in 2018.

Presented by the DeBakey Institute for Cardiovascular Education & Training, the 2019 VASA Practicum provided an opportunity for health care professionals to have a hands-on experience with the very latest surgical and interventional procedures for creating and maintaining vascular access for hemodialysis.

Attendees, which included transplant, vascular and general surgeons, nephrologists, interventional radiologists, nurses and dialysis technicians, received expert instruction and participated in presentations, workshops and one-on-one discussions led by nationally recognized faculty and clinicians.

Led by surgeon and DAI Medical Director Dr. John Ross, the DAI completes more than 3,700 dialysis access procedures each year, most of which are performed on an outpatient basis.

Committed to advancing best practices to improve the care and quality of life for the roughly 2 million end-stage renal disease patients around the world, the DAI provides educational programs on dialysis access for physicians, nurses and technologists at its one-of-a-kind facility in Orangeburg, as well as through live video streaming.

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Let us now praise two almost-famous men who served in the Senate for a combined total of 74 years and died recently within three weeks of each other. Richard Lugar, a Republican from Indiana, and Ernest "Fritz" Hollings, a South Carolina Democrat, both took a bipartisan approach to legislating and left their country a stronger, safer place.

Today, lawmakers who dare to reach across the aisle are branded as heretics and threatened with primary challenges. So it's important to remember a time when working with political rivals to solve problems was not just possible, but popular.

Lugar was compact and colorless, known for his early-morning runs around Capitol Hill, even in lousy weather. A political ally, William Ruckelshaus, once joked about him, "Dick has maintained that childhood capability of walking into an empty room and blending right in."

Hollings was tall and lanky with a crackling wit that sometime got him in trouble. When a political opponent challenged him to take a drug test, Hollings fired back, "I'll take a drug test if you'll take an IQ test." The New York Times once wrote, "Providence has blessed him with an appearance so striking that rank strangers assume he must be important."

In many ways, however, their political lives took similar paths. Both were military veterans. Hollings won a Bronze Star as an artillery officer in World War II. Lugar was too young for the war, but time as an intelligence officer briefing the Navy's top brass deepened his interest in defense and foreign policy.

Hollings was elected governor of South Carolina at age 36. Lugar became mayor of Indianapolis at 35. Both lost their first tries for the Senate, and ran for president with abysmal results. And both represented vanishing political breeds that are sorely missed in Congress today.

Hollings was a pragmatic Southern Democrat in a state that was rapidly turning Republican, and after he retired in 2004, he was replaced by hard-edged conservative Jim DeMint. Lugar, a dedicated internationalist, was defeated in a GOP primary in 2012 by a doctrinaire right-winger, Richard Mourdock.

But the most important trait they shared was a capacity to change, grow and apply their new knowledge to practical legislative solutions. In 1986, Lugar led 31 Republicans in joining 47 Democrats to override President Reagan's veto of a bill imposing economic sanctions on South Africa. Lugar, reported the Los Angeles Times, "was credited by the liberals with masterminding the president's defeat."

The Republican's most enduring success was working with Sen. Sam Nunn, a Georgia Democrat, to enact legislation that financed the dismantling of nuclear weapons in the former Soviet Union. The Washington Post editorialized, "the program ranks as among the most successful congressional foreign policy initiatives in a generation."

One of Lugar's proteges was a young first-term Democrat from Illinois, Barack Obama, who said of his mentor: "In Dick, I saw someone who wasn't a Republican or a Democrat first, but a problem-solver -- an example of the impact a public servant can make by eschewing partisan divisiveness to instead focus on common ground."

Hollings grew up in the segregated South, but as governor, he presided over the peaceful integration of Clemson University. "This General Assembly," he told state lawmakers, "must make clear South Carolina's choice: a government of laws rather than a government of men."

As a senator in the late 1960s, he toured poor areas of his state and became a strong supporter of federal programs like food stamps. "There is hunger in South Carolina," he told a Senate committee. "I know as a public servant I am late to the problem, (but) we've got work to do in our own back yard ... I'd rather clean it up than cover it up."

In the 1980s, he worked with Republicans Phil Gramm of Texas and Warren Rudman of New Hampshire to enact the Gramm-Rudman-Hollings bill, which placed strict limits on congressional expenditures. It worked for a time, but eventually, clever congressional budget-busters found ways around the restrictions.

Perhaps the most memorable moment of Hollings' career came in 2015 when he proposed that a federal courthouse named in his honor be renamed for Judge J. Waties Waring, an early and isolated voice for racial equality. "I just got the money for the building, he made history in it," Hollings explained.

The senator was being too modest. Fritz Hollings and Dick Lugar both made history. And today's lawmakers can learn a lot from their lives of honor and courage.

Steve and Cokie Roberts can be contacted by email at stevecokie@gmail.com.

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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.
At the end of 2018, the DP-LSAP-The Greens coalition announced its plans to overhaul Luxembourg's income tax system. CSV MP Diane Adehm submitted a parliamentary question to Minister of Finance Pierre Gramegna on the matter in April.

Adehm queried the minister on a number of issues surrounding the promised fiscal reform, ranging from practical questions to concerns about implications for taxpayers.

In Adehm's parliamentary question, she asked whether any task forces had already been put together to work on the project, as well as whether it is correct that no taxpayer will have to pay more in taxes than they currently do. Amongst other things, Adehm also asked whether the ministry will present tangible proposals ahead of the 2023 elections.

The issue of income tax is one that has recently sparked a significant amount of public interest. In March, we reported that a petition advocating lower taxes for single people had reached 4,500 signatures (the required amount for a debate in the Chamber of Deputies) within a week. The parliamentary commission on petitions announced debates for other petitions that reached the minimum amount of signatures, but has yet to announce a date for the petition concerning income tax.

In his response, Minister of Finance Pierre Gramegna reiterated a passage from the coalition agreement, which affirmed that the government will pursue a project introducing a neutral fiscal model for income tax. Highlighting the "paradigm shift" that such a reform would entail, the text cites the example that one of two spouses would no longer be discouraged from working, as can occur in the current system.

In addition, a single income tax bracket would no longer change an individual's tax class based on how their familial situation changes: as a result, marriage, divorce, or death would no longer change an individual's tax class.

Referring back to the coalition agreement, the minister confirmed that the Ministry of Finance has set up an internal task force in collaboration with the tax administration. The task force is currently in the process of examining possible routes for the reform.

As for Adehm's other questions, the minister claimed it is too early to speculate on potential implications and conclusions of the reform. However, he confirmed that the government aims to put the project into effect by October 2023.
Tosun return to Besiktas mooted

| Friday, 17 May 2019



Tosun has largely failed to convince he is worthy of a first-choice spot at Goodison Park and his recent return to watch Besiktas in action has sparked speculation that he could go back to his former club.

Takvim and Sporx both claim that Besiktas want Tosun back but only on loan while the Blues would prefer a permanent deal.

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A former Casper businessman this week appealed his sexual assault conviction to the Wyoming Supreme Court.

Tony Cercy, whom a Hot Springs County jury convicted in November of a single count of third-degree sexual assault, has four times requested that the states highest court review his case. The court denied his first three petitions, filed following a partial conviction and mistrial in February 2018, days before his November trial and again in March.

Cercys latest request of the appellate court, filed Monday, argues that a second trial violated his constitutional protection against double jeopardy, that prosecutors did not present evidence supporting the third-degree conviction and that the trial judge provided jurors with improper instructions.

Because the first jury found Defendant not guilty of that singular crime, there should have been no second trial, the appellate attorneys wrote. The second jurys verdict is void.

The arguments incorporate issues he has previously raised to the court, which it has thus far declined to consider.

In Mondays 38-page filing  which was accompanied by a 14-page appendix  Cercy argues his partial acquittal in February 2018 meant jurors found prosecutors did not prove he committed the oral sexual assault that the Hot Springs County jury later convicted him of. By trying Cercy again on the third-degree charge, attorneys argue the prosecution violated his double jeopardy protection.

Cercy also contends that Wyoming law does not allow for a third-degree sexual assault conviction on the facts presented by prosecutors, and Judge Daniel Forgey allowed jurors to consider legal theory pertaining to first-degree sexual assault when they convicted Cercy of the third-degree charge.

On these facts, a jury crediting the prosecution case could properly have convicted only on the first count, Cercys appellate lawyers, Michael Bennett and Sean Connelly, wrote. In no event could the jury rationally have acquitted on the first and second count yet still convicted on the third.

The lawyers wrote that because law governing third-degree sexual assault excludes sexual intrusion, and because cunnilingus is considered sexual intrusion, the charge Cercy was convicted of does not correspond to the act presented by prosecutors at trial.

Cercy is serving a six- to eight-year prison sentence and remained in Wyoming Department of Corrections custody on Wednesday. Online records indicate he is being held in the departments Honor Camp in Newcastle.

Government lawyers will have until June 28 to file a response, according to online court records.

Follow crime reporter Shane Sanderson on Twitter @shanersanderson

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A Casper-based probation officer sent nude photos to a woman he supervised, a federal lawsuit filed Tuesday afternoon alleges.

Jaret Maul, who worked in the Casper probation office of the Wyoming Department of Corrections, also told the woman about explicit, sexual acts he wished and intended to do to her, according to the lawsuit. The civil claim alleges Maul violated the womans constitutional rights, including her Eighth Amendment protection against cruel and unusual punishment.

In a case like this, its really hard to come forward, Ian Sandefer, who filed the lawsuit on behalf of Kalee Blazek, said. My client is stepping forward to make sure this type of conduct doesnt happen again.

The lawsuit does not name Mauls employer as a defendant.

A corrections department spokesman said Wednesday morning that Maul no longer works for the agency. The spokesman, Mark Horan, cited privacy of personnel records and a lack of personal knowledge in declining to say why Maul left the agencys employ.

In a follow-up phone call, Horan said Maul left the department on Dec. 5, 2018. When asked if the agency had been aware of the allegations against their employee, Horan said it had been. When asked to clarify when and what specific allegations the agency was aware of, Horan again cited the personnel exemption to Wyoming records law.

Im not at liberty to get into any of that, he said.

Online court records did not indicate if Maul has hired a lawyer. Maul could not be reached by phone Wednesday morning.

Sandefer said the agency had looked into allegations of misconduct brought against Maul, who was at one point suspended from the agency. Sandefer said he did not know the outcome of the corrections departments internal investigation.

A Natrona County Circuit Court judge in May 2018 placed Blazek on probation for a year after prosecutors offered her a deferred prosecution agreement for a misdemeanor marijuana possession charge. Blazek pleaded guilty to the charge, but under the agreement, her conviction would not be entered on the record and would be dismissed if she completed probation successfully.

Circuit court records available Wednesday morning did not make clear if the case has been dismissed. The records did indicate that the woman completed her financial obligations in August and did not show any allegations of missteps on probation between August and this month.

Sandefer said Wednesday evening she successfully completed her term of probation but that paperwork has not yet been filed for dismissal of the marijuana case. He said Blazek had wanted to wait to complete probation before filing the lawsuit.

According to the lawsuit, after she had spent about three months in Mauls supervision, he told her he would recommend she either be discharged or placed on unsupervised probation, under which probationers are generally not required to check in with the agency. The lawsuit states that soon after, Maul added her as a friend on Snapchat, the social media site known for the ephemeral nature of its photo messaging.

The lawsuit includes two photos: one of a man wearing a probation and parole lanyard and another of a man  whose face is not fully visible  wearing only underwear, through which the outline of his genitals are visible. According to the lawsuit, both photos are of Maul and were sent by him to the woman.

The lawsuit describes the photos as two of the more mundane that Maul sent the woman.

Although photos sent via Snapchat are not easily accessible after they have been opened and viewed once, they remain in the companys servers. The lawsuit does not directly state how the photos were recovered.

For fear of having her probation revoked, the woman responded to Maul with sexual comments and photos, according to the lawsuit.

The lawsuit also alleges that Maul used his position and authority to exploit (other probationers) for his sexual purposes and gratification. It does not provide any details regarding allegations made by other probationers.

Follow crime reporter Shane Sanderson on Twitter @shanersanderson

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A 14-year-old Lander Middle School student allegedly said they were going to shoot up the school Thursday and told a fellow student not to come to school, according to a Facebook post by the Lander Police Department.

Police say they received at least eight tips via Safe2Tell  an anonymous app used by students to report safety concerns  about the student, with the tips indicating this student was going to shoot up the school, according to the departments Facebook post. A Lander Middle School Twitter account posted just before 5 p.m. Wednesday that no substantiated threat to LMS had been found by investigating authorities.

However, apparently after that tweet was posted, police discovered that the student had allegedly told a classmate to stay home tomorrow, meaning Thursday, because the student was going to shoot up the school, according to police. As of late Wednesday night, when the police issued the statement on Facebook, that threat had not been substantiated.

Fremont County No. 1 Superintendent Dave Barker told the Star-Tribune on Thursday afternoon that the threat had still not been substantiated. He declined to discuss whether the student who made the comment was in school.

Police investigating threat to 'shoot up' Riverton High School Riverton Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation are investigating a threat made over social media against Riverton High School, the de

As a result of the threats, more officers were present at Lander Middle on Thursday.

The eight Safe2tell tips were related to an incident from last week, according to police. Barker said last week the same student was overheard making a comment that sounded like a threat to the school. That comment was reported to administrators, was determined to be unsubstantiated and the student was disciplined.

Barker said there would be an increased police presence at the school on Friday, as well.

The Lander incident comes less than a week after police and district authorities responded to a similar threat in Riverton. There, an interaction on social media prompted concern over a potential threat to shoot up Riverton High School. That threat also had a date attached: May 15. As of last week, authorities there were still working to identify the student at the center of the concern.

Follow education reporter Seth Klamann on Twitter @SethKlamann

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Wyoming health officials are drafting an ambitious and unique plan to try to address air ambulance costs, though representatives of the life flight companies say the issue is how little theyre often paid, not how much they charge.

The issue of air ambulance costs has been prominent in Wyoming for some time, after the state lost a lawsuit brought by the providers here over workers compensation costs, and the Legislature debated how best to protect patients from hefty bills. Lawmakers passed a bill earlier this year that would seek to have all Wyomingites air ambulance needs covered by the state Medicaid program.

Now, the Wyoming Department of Health is in the process of drafting a more expansive and detailed plan that officials will submit to the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services later this year. The work thus far has been beyond what was envisioned in the bill passed earlier this year, and, if the federal government approves the proposal, its likely the Legislature will have to amend the statute in 2020.

As it stands currently, the plan would call for expanding Medicaid to cover all people in Wyoming for just air ambulance costs. It would essentially treat the service like a utility.

Franz Fuchs, a Health Department policy analyst whos taken the lead on the air ambulance work, likened it to a town establishing a single ambulance service or fire department.

Its trying to give a regulated monopoly to a certain number of providers so we can keep a lid on supply and drive volume, he said. Essentially, the state and Health Department are arguing that air ambulances are like a public utility with high fixed costs and universal service, according to a presentation officials have put together detailing the plan.

Network of bases

To achieve that, the state would essentially allow air ambulance providers to launch bids in order to establish bases around Wyoming. The state would regulate how many ambulance bases there were and, via the bidding process, would be able to control the cost. A single statewide call center would route cases to the companies that placed successful bids.

The state would establish several bases for helicopters and likely just one for airplanes. As it stands today, there are several helicopter and plane bases scattered around Wyoming. The majority of air ambulance trips here are not emergency cases, according to the department  most are transportation of patients between health care facilities.

The locations for the bases would be selected by the state by balancing emergency needs against cost  essentially, where will bases be best placed to maximize efficiency while still offering speedy response times to Wyomingites in need? Those decisions could be made periodically by a board, with public accountability, according to the state.

But if a community wanted a base, it could add one  for a price. If, for instance, Green River received an air ambulance base but Rock Springs wanted one, then the latter community could pay somewhere between $1 million and $3 million each year, according to the state.

In the end, this plan could save employers, insurers and individual Wyomingites money by controlling costs and keeping them fixed.

The details of this plan are important and speak to the difficulties of regulating the air ambulance industry. The state recently lost a lawsuit brought by three prominent providers because the state had attempted to regulate how much those companies could be paid under workers compensation. But a federal law  the Airline Deregulation Act of 1978  broadly prohibits states from regulating air ambulances. Only the federal government can do that.

Thats why Medicaid is vital to Wyomings plan. Because Medicaid is a federal program, then it may be legally acceptable for it to regulate the ambulances. Emphasis on the may  Fuchs said he wouldnt be surprised if providers sued Wyoming over the plan, should the federal government give the state the go-ahead.

That approval is far from certain. Fuchs said the state will submit the plan to CMS  which declined to comment for this article  in a few months. The plan is almost certainly unique to Wyoming, though the state is far from the only one trying to keep costs down.

Fuchs said health officials spoke with CMS representatives recently, who were more receptive than they had been previously.

They had basically told us when we started (working on the plan) that they were going to advise us to stop, he said. But after we walked them through it, they seemed more receptive and wanted more information.

The department is currently in the process of gathering feedback about the plan. It held a public meeting in Riverton on Wednesday and will hold another one in Casper on Thursday, from 9 a.m. to noon at Casper College.

Industry concerns

Air ambulance companies are already expressing their concerns. In a letter to Fuchs, Richard Mincer  a Cheyenne attorney who represents one of the providers that successfully sued the state  broadly criticized the plan.

Mincer wrote that he questioned whether there was an air ambulance cost problem at all. He told Fuchs that Wyoming should wait for a federal task force, which is studying the issue, to conclude its work before crafting its own plan.

If you fully appreciate the gravity of the situation, then you know the only way to significantly reduce prices to insurers and individuals ... is to increase reimbursement from Medicare and Medicaid, Mincer wrote.

The attorney told the Star-Tribune earlier this week that air ambulance companies regularly are paid lower-than-charged sums by Medicare, Medicaid and patients who dont have insurance. To balance those lower payments, the companies charge patients who do have insurance much higher amounts. He said the state should urge its congressional delegation  Sens. John Barrasso and Mike Enzi and Rep. Liz Cheney  to push for better reimbursement rates.

Air Methods, another air ambulance giant, echoed Mincers comments on Medicare and Medicaid in a statement to the Star-Tribune.

(R)eimbursement for services has not kept up with costs. Medicare, which covers air medical services in emergency cases only, established the current air medical service payment rates in 2002 based on an estimated 1998 cost pool, the company wrote. Today, the average Medicare per-transport reimbursement covers approximately half of the cost per transport, according to the (Association of Air Medical Services) study.

Mincer defended the providers, saying they werent making exorbitant profits, and that the market should be allowed to correct any issues within the industry.

But a 2017 study by the federal Government Accountability Office questioned whether the market was in a position to control air ambulance prices. Because patients often dont have a choice when theyre being transported by aircraft, they cannot shop around or compare prices, nor can they choose where the aircraft takes them.

Consequently, air ambulance providers are not subject to the price competition that typically occurs in competitive markets, where if prices are too high, consumers will find alternatives such as a lower-priced service or provider, the reports authors wrote.

The report also noted that the industry is dominated by three large providers, which may further limit any cost-correction within the market. It added that there is money to be made in air ambulances (something Mincer acknowledged, though he stressed there werent exorbitant profits being raked in). The government reported that Air Methods was purchased by a private-equity firm recently for $2.5 billion. AMGH, Mincers client, was acquired by a different private-equity firm for $2 billion.

The presence of private equity in the air ambulance industry indicates that investors see profit opportunities in the industry, the authors wrote.

The report concludes that the Airline Deregulation Act was intended to promote reliance on competitive market forces to control prices in the industry.

Despite growth in the number of helicopters offering air ambulance service in recent years, lower air ambulance prices have not materialized, the report states. In fact, air ambulance prices have increased  approximately doubling between 2010 and 2014  and large providers report average prices charged of over $40,000 per transport in 2016.

The report does lend support to Mincer and Air Methods complaints about low Medicare payment: The authors indicate that Medicare paid comparatively little  the median payment was $6,502 in 2014, and that was higher than payments from Medicaid. Eight air ambulance providers told the authors of the federal report that the average cost per flight was between $6,000 and $13,000 per flight.

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The Trump administration is going about its trade war with China all wrong. Its strategy and tactics are muddled. If Trump were a general watching the battle unfold, what hed see is his troops getting slaughtered, while the enemy, though suffering casualties, was holding most of its positions.

Trump has two goals, says Bill Reinsch, a trade expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), a nonpartisan think tank. The first is to reduce the United States huge goods trade deficit with China, which was $419 billion in 2018. As Reinsch notes, most economists discount the importance of this. If the deficit declines through temporary purchases from the United States, the effect may fade with time.

Trumps second goal is more significant. It is to suppress the most anti-competitive aspects of Chinas state capitalism, which aims to make Chinese firms the world leaders in most high-technology industries. These include robotics, pharmaceuticals, autonomous vehicles, biomedicine, semiconductors and others. Here, the talks have failed.

The United States has claimed that China has rigged the competition in favor of its firms through government subsidies, the theft or coerced transfers of new technologies and outright discrimination against foreign firms doing business in China.

Consider semiconductors as a case in point. These are the tiny computer chips that govern virtually all digital services.

At present, U.S. firms are the world leaders in semiconductor design and technology, accounting for roughly half of all world revenues in chip sales (46 percent in 2017), according to data from the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA), an industry trade group.

Other countries lag, the SIA reports. South Korean firms are second with 22 percent of world sales, followed by companies from Japan at 10 percent, the European Union at 9 percent, Taiwan at 6 percent and China at 5 percent. The United States also has a trade surplus in semiconductors, which is the fourth-largest U.S. export, behind aircraft, refined oil products and crude oil. In 2018, the U.S. trade surplus in semiconductors was $4.5 billion, says SIA.

But China has vowed to expand its global market share by constructing new semiconductor plants (called fabs) and embracing the latest chip-making technologies. Its unclear how much, if at all, Chinas plans rely on technologies stolen or coerced from U.S. firms. Late last year, the Justice Department indicted a Chinese firm, Fujian Jinhua, for allegedly stealing trade secrets from a major U.S. chipmaker, Micron.

The U.S. industry fears that a surge in subsidized Chinese chip-making fabs will create surplus capacity that will drive down prices and profits, putting unsubsidized foreign firms at a huge disadvantage. That has been the pattern in older technologies such as steel, says the CSISs Reinsch.

The trade negotiations have apparently made little headway in resolving these issues. Meanwhile, the tariffs that the United States have imposed on Chinas exports may hurt U.S. consumers. So far, the Trump administration has announced 25 percent tariffs on $250 billion of Chinese exports to the United States and has threatened higher tariffs on another $300 billion, covering virtually all China exports to the United States.

The crucial question is who bears the burden of the higher prices created by the tariffs. According to Gary Hufbauer of the Peterson Institute for International Economics, U.S. consumers ultimately shoulder most costs. The tariffs simply get embedded in the products final prices. Hufbauer estimates that if $500 billion in Chinese exports are hit with a 25 percent tariff, the annual cost for a three-person household would be $2,200. The existing tariffs cover about half of that. Hufbauers estimate also assumes that, shielded from import competition, U.S.-based firms would raise some domestic prices.

What the United States should have done is to create a global coalition of major trading countries  the United States, the European Union, Japan and other advanced societies  that would negotiate limits on subsidies, coerced technology transfers and a level playing field for competition between domestic and foreign firms. If China violated the rules and refused to join, the other countries could take action against its exports.

But this sensible approach was virtually eliminated when President Trump decided to pull out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a trade agreement that could have done just that. Instead, we have a system that, through high tariffs, imposes the equivalent of a tax on American citizens to implement a trade policy that favors China.

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PHOENIX  Siding with retailers, the state House voted Wednesday to at least partly preempt cities and towns from enacting their own rules on the sale and marketing of tobacco and vaping products.

The preliminary approval of Senate Bill 1147 on a voice vote came after Rep. John Allen, R-Scottsdale, who is working with the vaping industry, agreed to some last-minute changes designed to blunt opposition.

Most notably, the changes would allow communities like Tucson and Tempe to keep their existing regulations on the sale of these products. But they would be forbidden from enacting anything more restrictive if the bill becomes law. And other communities that wanted to license and regulate retailers would be barred from doing so.

The bill does contain provisions allowing for some new local regulation, not of how vaping products could be sold at stores or in vending machines, which SB 1147 would prohibit, but of where people could light up.

So while state law already prohibits smoking in public places, SB 1147 would allow cities, towns, counties and school boards to decide they dont want to allow vaping in public places, government buildings, parks or publicly owned stadiums.
Tucson police have released the name of the man accused of killing his wife inside their midtown home Wednesday night.

Kenneth Nelson, 43, was arrested after opening the door for officers at the couple's home in the 2600 block of North Palo Verde Avenue, a press release from Tucson police said.

Once inside, officers found Cyndie Nelson, 37, dead from obvious signs of sharp force trauma, the release said.

Their infant daughter was also found unharmed. She was placed in the custody of the Department of Child Safety.

At about 8 p.m., officers were dispatched to the home after a person reported they had information of a homicide that had occurred, the release said.

Kenneth Nelson faces one count of first degree murder in the domestic-violence related incident, police said.
PHOENIX  A former national speed skating champion lent her voice to those who want to give victims of child sexual assault and abuse more time to sue their assailants and any entities that permitted the abuse.

Bridie Farrell said that at age 15 she was an up and coming speed skater when she was molested repeatedly by a 33-year-old Olympic silver medalist.

Whenever I went to training, he was there. Whenever I competed, he was there, she said Tuesday.

Of particular concern, Farrell said, is this man was investigated in 1990, seven years before she was molested.

And our paths should have never crossed, she said. He should have left the sport when I was entering the sport.

Farrell, now 37, finally told her story 15 years later.

She said she is supporting a bill sponsored by state Sen. Paul Boyer, R-Phoenix, to give victims more time to sue.

It is important for survivors to be able to tell their stories and then to hold the institutions accountable that are facilitating this abuse, Farrell said. Otherwise, she said, things will not change.
Construction of the proposed Rosemont Mine will cause "irreparable harm" to biologically rich areas and culturally sensitive archaeological sites, mine opponents said in seeking a court injunction to block construction of the $1.9 billion project.

Attorneys for three tribes, the group Save the Scenic Santa Ritas, the Center for Biological Diversity and other opponents filed requests for an injunction Wednesday night in U.S. District Court. They have already filed five lawsuits against three federal agencies seeking to overturn the agency approvals of the project. The injunction seeks to stop mine construction until the merits of those lawsuits can be heard and decided.

If the mine can survive these lawsuits, it would become the U.S.' third largest copper mine. It would be built on private and federal land in the Santa Rita Mountains, 30 miles southeast of Tucson. It would result in the clearing of thousands of acres of Sky Island habitat to bring in a project that would employ 500 people at high wages.
A Tucson lawyer accused of cheating a city law firm and abandoning clients has been banned from practicing law in Arizona, the state bar said.

Zachary W. Schon, 38, consented to be disbarred as of May 13, about 12 years into what once seemed a promising career.

Schon was practicing criminal law as a contractor with a Tucson law firm when he stopped showing up for court hearings, said a news release from Wednesday from the State Bar of Arizona.

He also started taking on new clients behind the law firms back without sharing the proceeds, the news release said.

Schons no-shows in court hurt his clients, some of whom were arrested, had their drivers licenses suspended or had trials rescheduled without their knowledge, it said.

He pledged at one point to repay the law firm $36,000, but reneged and never paid, it said.

The news release doesnt name the affected law firm.

Schons LinkedIn profile says he worked most recently for nearly three years at Farhang and Medcoff, a law firm in central Tucson.
Pascua Yaqui students at Cholla High School will have the chance to delve deeper into their tribes native tongue following the expansion of a Yaqui language course for next school year.

The TUSD Governing Board gave Cholla administrators the green light on Tuesday to roll out a second-year Yaqui language course  a bold second step for the district, according to Superintendent Gabriel Trujillo.

TUSD brought the Yaqui language, also known as Yoeme, to Cholla last August, Trujillo said.

The Cholla students currently enrolled in the first-year course will advance to the new second-year course next August. The school will not offer the first-year class to a new cohort of students next year, according to Graciela Garcia, who co-teaches the course at Cholla.

The 55-minute language immersion course has allowed students to improve their speaking, reading and writing skills beyond what was expected, Garcia said.

The next phase is where were teaching them  to feel more comfortable speaking the language, Garcia said. I think thats our target for next year: to not be shy and be comfortable.
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A private university in Da Nang recently premiered a historical documentary on an iconic 1965 air battle between the Vietnamese and U.S. forces in north-central Vietnam.

Vietnam Air War: The First Swallows is a 50-minute two-part documentary featuring the Battle of Ham Rong in Thanh Hoa Province on April 4, 1965.

It was the Vietnam Peoples Air Forces first air battle in defense against airstrikes from U.S. Naval Air Forces.

Dr. Le Nguyen Bao, president of Duy Tan University and director of the documentary, said he led a team of over 20 people to found Silver Swallows Studio and worked for five years on this first major project.

3D modeling technology was used to recreate the historic battle where outnumbered Vietnamese forces were able to defend the Ham Rong Bridge in Thanh Hoa, which was vital to wartime transportation, against U.S. strikes.

At the time of the battle, Vietnamese pilots had less than 200 flying hours and were operating four obsolete MiG-17 fighter aircraft sponsored by the Soviet Union against a fleet of modern U.S. aircrafts.

A trailer for Vietnam Air War: The First Swallows. Video: Silver Swallows Studio

There was pressure to stay truthful and objective to historical accounts of the event while avoiding turning it into a propaganda film, Bao said.

It would be a crime against history to make a factually inaccurate documentary, he added.

The documentary was screened in Hanoi for the first time on Wednesday after making its premiere in Da Nang on April 26.

Watching the documentary is as intense as being in the real fight, said Lieutenant General Tran Hanh, who was part of the Sao Do (Red Stars) Regiment that participated in the Battle of Ham Rong.

We are deeply moved, Hanh said.

A still photo taken from the trailer for Vietnam Air War: The First Swallows .

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WASHINGTON -- The Trump administration hit Chinese telecoms giant Huawei with severe sanctions on Wednesday, adding another incendiary element to the U.S.-China trade dispute just as Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said he would visit China soon for more talks.

The Commerce Department said it was adding Huawei Technologies Co Ltd and 70 affiliates to its Entity List - a move that bans the company from acquiring components and technology from U.S. firms without government approval.

Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said in a statement that President Donald Trump backed the decision to prevent American technology from being used by foreign owned entities in ways that potentially undermine U.S. national security or foreign policy interests.

Trump earlier in the day signed an executive order barring U.S. companies from using telecommunications equipment made by firms deemed to pose a national security risk.

While the order did not specifically name any country or company, U.S. officials have previously labeled Huawei a threat and lobbied allies not to use Huawei network equipment in next-generation 5G networks.

Speaking at a U.S. Senate Appropriations subcommittee hearing, Mnuchin characterized two days of high-level talks with Chinese officials in Washington last week as constructive.

My expectation is that we will go to Beijing at some point in the near future to continue those discussions, he said. Theres still a lot of work to do.

He did not say when his China trip might take place.

The Trump administrations rhetoric toward China had cooled in recent days after another round of tit-for-tat tariffs between the worlds two largest economies and a selloff on global stock markets.

On Tuesday, Trump denied talks with China had collapsed and sounded an optimistic note about the chance of a deal, saying he had an extraordinary relationship with Chinese President Xi Jinping, whom he plans to meet at a G20 summit in Japan next month.

Trump also urged China to buy more U.S. farm products.

U.S. agricultural goods have been targeted by Chinas retaliatory tariffs, and American farmers, a key political constituency for Trump, are worried.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has paid $8.52 billion directly to farmers as part of a 2018 aid program designed to offset losses from tariffs imposed by China and other trading partners, a spokesman for the agency said on Wednesday.

The Trump administration had pledged up to $12 billion in aid to help offset losses resulting from Chinese tariffs.

Tariff pain

Trump, who has embraced protectionism as part of an America First agenda, has railed against what many U.S. and European officials and companies describe as Chinas unfair trade practices, including forced technology transfers and intellectual property theft.

But trading partners and close allies in Europe, North America and Asia are also in the U.S. administrations sights.

Mnuchin said the United States was close to resolving a dispute over steel and aluminum tariffs imposed on Canada and Mexico last year as the three countries renegotiated the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer met with Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland in Washington on Wednesday to discuss the tariffs and other issues related to the U.S.-Mexico Canada Agreement (USMCA), which replaced NAFTA.

The three countries have not yet ratified the new deal.

After her meeting with Lighthizer, Freeland declined to say whether the two countries were close to a deal. But she told reporters later that ratification of the agreement would be difficult as long as the tariffs remain in place.

When it comes to Canada it has still been the case for us that as long as the tariffs remain in place ratification would be very, very problematic, she said on Capitol Hill.

Jesus Seade, Mexican deputy foreign minister for North America, told Reuters on Wednesday that Mexico was close to resolving its part in the tariffs dispute but wanted Canada to be in a similar position before completing the deal.

Three Trump administration officials told Reuters that Trump was expected to delay a decision on imposing tariffs on imported cars and parts by up to six months, avoiding opening yet another front in his global trade battles. The decision to delay was expected to be made on Friday, officials and automakers said.

The tariffs of up to 25 percent on cars and parts could have a devastating impact on Japan and countries in the European Union, particularly Germany.

Global stock markets, which have swooned in the past week over the rising trade tensions, gained ground on Wednesday after the reports of the planned delay.

Adverse consequences

As negotiations toward resolving the U.S.-China dispute stalled last week, the United States ratcheted up the pressure by increasing tariffs on a list of $200 billion worth of Chinese imports to 25% from 10%.

China retaliated on Monday with higher tariffs on a revised list of $60 billion worth of U.S. products.

Trump could launch 25% tariffs on another $300 billion worth of Chinese goods when he meets Xi next month. He has not ruled out imposing punitive levies on all of Chinas imports to the United States.

Another escalation could disrupt global supply lines and damage a slowing world economy.

Beijing is vowing not to succumb to U.S. pressure. But on Wednesday, China reported surprisingly weaker growth in its retail sales and industrial output in April.

Data out of the United States showed U.S. retail sales fell in April as households cut back on purchases of motor vehicles and other goods, pointing to a slowdown in economic growth after a boost from exports and inventories in the first quarter. Other data showed a drop in U.S. industrial production.

The U.S. Congress is uneasy about the potential consequences of tariffs on the economy.

House of Representatives Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said U.S. consumers were in the same boat as farmers and would end up having to bear the burden of the tariffs. Consumer spending accounts for more than two-thirds of U.S. economic activity.
Police in the southern Vietnamese province of Binh Duong have launched an investigation into an alleged murder after two bodies were found buried in concrete at a local tenanted house.

The case was reported to local police by a man who discovered a large barrel, often used to contain water, filled with concrete, as he moved into the house, located in Bau Bang District, on Wednesday night.

The man decided to break up the concrete with a hammer and was terrified to see several human body parts in there, he told officers.

The concrete-filled barrel is being broken up. Photo: Ba Son / Tuoi Tre

Upon his notification, police came to the scene for investigation and soon discovered a second body, also buried in concrete, at another location within the house.

One of the two deceased was a woman, an official from the provincial police department confirmed on Thursday morning.

The identities of the two victims have yet to be revealed.

Officers have been unable to contact the current owner of the house so far.

The concrete in which the second body was found after being broken up. Photo: Tuoi Tre Contributor

According to local residents, the owner usually leases the place to other people.

The house was previously rented by a man and woman, the locals said, adding they do not know much about them as they have rarely talked to other neighbors.

H., the original owner of the house, said he had sold it many years ago.

The place has been resold to several people since then, H. elaborated.

Further investigation is ongoing.

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Two Vietnamese nationals convicted of illegal possession of animal parts from threatened and protected species were each handed a fine of 1.56 million ringgits (US$390,000) and two-year jail sentences by a court in Malaysias Terengganu State on Wednesday.

It is the first time in Malaysia's history a fine of more than MYR1 million has been issued for a wildlife crime.

The two men, who were caught in a national park last month with the animal parts and snares, were convicted on Wednesday of 20 separate charges under the Wildlife Conservation Act 2010 by the Kuala Terengganu Sessions Court, wildlife conservation NGO Traffic reported the same day.

Traffic is a UK-based charity which works to promote sustainable trade in wild animals and plants in the context of both biodiversity conservation," according to its official website.

The two perpetrators were found with 141 individual animal parts from Sumatran serows, leopards, Malayan tapirs, sun bears, Asiatic golden cats, and wild boars when officers from Malaysias Wildlife and National Parks Department arrested them on the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia on April 15.

Hoang Van Viet, 29, and Nguyen Van Thiet, 26, both pleaded guilty to charges under four sections of the law for illegal use of snares and unlawful possession of Totally Protected species as well as Protected ones.

The duo faces a further 16 years of jail if they fail to pay the fines, Traffic reports.

This is the second case brought to trial in recent months that has involved Vietnamese nationals caught poaching in Malaysian forests.

In March 2019, Tran Van Sang, who was caught in the state of Perak in August 2017, was sentenced to a total of 19 years behind bars and slapped with a MYR850,000 ($204,000) fine after being found guilty of ten charges under the same wildlife law.

He was found to be in illegal possession of 273 wildlife parts of species including the tiger, leopard, clouded leopard, sun bear, and sambar deer.

All except the sambar deer are classified as Totally Protected species under the Malaysian law.

Another Vietnamese national, Ho Van Kien, was arrested on July 4 last year on six charges under the same law for his possession of one full tiger skin, a partial tiger skin, one leopard claw, a sun bear claw, 150 grams of tiger meat, and 21.15 kilograms of wild boar meat.

He was condemned in March 2019 to six years in jail and subject to a MYR400,000 ($100,000) fine by a court in Pahang.

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Ho Chi Minh City police on Tuesday arrested and launched legal proceedings against Te Tri Dung, the former general director of Tan Thuan Holdings Co. Ltd. (IPC), for embezzlement and violating regulations on the management and use of state assets.

IPC official Ho Thi Thanh Phuc was also arrested and placed under investigation for the same charges.

Established in 1993, IPC is wholly owned by the Peoples Committee of Ho Chi Minh City which specializes in infrastructure development projects for local export processing zones, industrial parks, and residential areas.

Dung, 38, was involved in the illicit sale of nine million shares at Sadeco, an estate development company entirely owned by the Ho Chi Minh City administration, to electronics chain Nguyen Kim.

Investigators who later audited the sale found that it caused an estimated loss of VND153 billion (US$6.54 million) to the state budget.

The trade also helped Nguyen Kim, a private company, take a controlling 54-percent stake in Sadeco while IPCs holding in the company dropped from 75 to 28.8 percent.

Police officers search the residence of Te Tri Dung, former general director of Tan Thuan Holdings Co. Ltd., in District 7, Ho Chi Minh City on May 14, 2019. Photo: Tu Trung / Tuoi Tre

Dung, who was promoted to IPC general director in 2015 was also found to have used state money to fund 106 days of overseas travel in 2016 and 2017.

Between 2016 and 2017, IPC took out unneeded bank loans worth VND400 billion ($17.08 million), which resulted in the company owning a total of VND8 billion ($341,500) in interest.

Wrongdoings were found in the companys leasing of its headquarters in District 7, Ho Chi Minh City.

Dung was suspended from his position in October 2018 following the conclusion of an inspection into IPCs operations.

Police conducted a search of his residence in District 7 following his arrest on Tuesday evening.

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Many moons ago I remember learning the hard way about a Catch-22.

I couldnt get jobs as a TV extra without having an Actors Equity card. But I couldnt get into Equity without having a job. Eventually I got both, but moved on

Author Joseph Heller coined the phrase in his 1961 novel of the same name, which in turn became a 1970 Mike Nichols film, amongst others. Now it is a 6 part miniseries screening in Australia on Stan and it comes with some heavyweight names.

George Clooney acts, directs and produces this adaptation which has been penned by Aussies Luke Davies (Lion) and David Michod (Animal Kingdom).

Like others in the genre, M.A.S.H. and Stalag 17, Catch-22 highlights the futility of war with a comedic eye.

Christopher Abbott (Girls, The Sinner) stars as John Yossarian, a young bombardier training at Santa Ana Army Airbase who has the nous not to question the authority of Lieutenant Scheisskopf (George Clooney), and the bravado to be having sex with the Lieutenants wife (Julie Ann Emery).

YoYo is the voice of reason of his youthful regiment.

Parades are designed to humiliate us, he says of his Lieutenant  to show he has power over us.

But with such smarts comes a growing frustration after he is sent to an air base in Pianosa, Italy. Yoyo is expected to complete 25 missions flying over deadly enemy territory before he can return home. After several terrifying missions -in which not everybody makes it back alive- he masters an exit plan: to convince the hospital doctor he is crazy.

Therein lays the Catch-22 of the title: If an officer is crazy and he can get out of flying combat missions. All he has to do is ask. But as soon as he asks, hes no longer considered crazy and expected to fly more missions.

Thats some catch that Catch-22, Yo-Yo sighs.

The mostly-male ensemble also sees Kyle Chandler playing a very determined Colonel Cathcart, who makes Yo-Yos target of 25 slip further from sight and array of young Americans struggling with the inanity of it all. Amongst them, Lewis Pullman as the amusingly-named Major Major, and Daniel David Stewart as the the enterprising Milo Minderbinder.

Hugh Laurie also takes a supporting role as Major de Coverley, more entranced by fine Italian food than bombing the enemy.

Director Grant Heslov ripples the first episode with dark comedy and mines the nuances from his cast, yet the horrors of war are never far away, either as graphic TV visuals or in solemn script turns, notably around new recruit Henry Mudd.

Period scenes filmed in Italy, filtered to capture Mediterranean hues, look sumptuous (make that too sumptuous) Im sure I spotted locations from the excellent My Brilliant Friend. The soundtrack adds to the era with its sparkling big band tunes, often contrasting the grim brutality of it all.

Christopher Abbott shines as Yo-Yo, a young man trapped in bureaucratic hell, where life is seemingly expendable and defiance is but proof of a beating heart.

Catch-22 screens on Stan from Saturday.
Madonna has been at rehearsal in Tel Aviv for the Eurovision Song Contest despite not yet signing a contract with organisers.

Madame X is preparing something special for her fans, she posted on Instagram.

Madonna landed late Tuesday night in Tel Aviv aboard the private jet of Israeli-Canadian billionaire Sylvan Adams, who is funding her appearance.

A spokeswoman for broadcaster KAN told The Jerusalem Post She hasnt signed yet; we hope that tonight they will make progress.

The Erev Tov with Guy Pines show reported Madonna was clashing with the European Broadcasting Union over anti-Christian imagery in her song, Like A Prayer. Incorporating politics contravenes the events rules.

Israeli media reports indicated she will not appear at the two ticketed rehearsal shows on Friday evening and Saturday afternoon, unlike the rest of the performers.

Updated: Now confirmed as interval act.
Mediaweek will have its final episode on Your Money today with longtime host and editor James Manning (pictured right).

The interview show which has been screening for 10 years, predominantly on SKY News Business, will wrap following the closure of the Nine-News Corp venture Your Money.

Mediaweek TV started life in 2009 with a weekly program at 2.30pm Thursdays on the SKY News Business channel.

The idea for the show was hatched by then-SKY News CEO Angelos Frangopoulos and Mediaweek editor James Manning.

Guests in its first few weeks included media agency CEOs and then Network TEN boss Grant Blackley. Over the following 10 years Manning appeared each week with co-hosts included Kylie Merritt, Bridie Barry, Brooke Corte, Ingrid Willinge and James Daggar-Nickson.

The show regularly spoke to the CEOs from Free to Air, Subscription TV, Radio, Magazine & Online and often included talent, from Grand Designs UK host Kevin McCloud to Nines Eddie McGuire and 10s Matt Preston.

Kyle Sandilands nearly appeared one week, but he called on the way to the studio and apologised claiming he had a flat tire and wouldnt make it in time! Manning told TV Tonight.

Weve reported on location from all the Free to Air TV Upfront events and filed reports from London, New York, Dublin, Los Angeles, China and Bangkok over the years.

Today the final guest is SMI co-founder Jane Ractliffe whose company tracks media ad spend. She will reveal how it has fluctuated between media platforms in recent years.

Manning wouldnt rule out another TV home for Mediaweek and as the only TV interview show covering all aspects of the industry, heres hoping it comes to pass.

Your Money channel ends transmission tomorrow.

Mediaweek 2:30pm Thursday on Your Money.
As a chartered accountant, it is not surprising that Leonie Richards tries to ensure she saves as tax-efficiently as possible.

Richards, who is 47 and lives in West London, has had an Isa with Selftrade for a number of years, through which she invests in a number of direct shareholdings. More recently, since leaving full-time work to have children, she has also taken out a Sipp with the firm.

Richards has always preferred investing directly in companies, rather than buying shares. She says: I have never been as keen to invest in funds because can be higher. Also, I want to make the decision as to where my money is invested, not hand that over to a fund manager. I like the fact that Im in control.

Richards says initially she was quite adventurous with her Isa, investing in a number of smaller higher-risk companies, including some listed on the Alternative Investment Market (Aim).

She traded these stocks relatively frequently in an effort to maximise returns. I have been happy with the returns on this Isa. It certainly seemed to be delivering more than my company pension at the time, she adds.

However, since going freelance, Richards has taken a slightly more cautious approach. This is, in part, because she also doesnt have as much time to monitor performance and make appropriate changes.

She explains: I still invest in some companies that might be seen as higher risk, such as oil and gas mining companies, but Ive tried to balance this with some larger FTSE holdings, which will hopefully prove to be good long-term dividend payers.

Currently on the riskier end of the scale, Richards has holdings in Sirius Minerals (SXX) and Centamin (CEY) in her ISA. On the safe and steady side, are Lloyds (LLOY) and Vodafone (VOD).

Sirius Minerals is a UK-based company that produces multi-nutrient fertiliser. This is a small growth stock; the business currently employs 156 people. For shareholders, returns have been mixed: those who have held the share for 10 years have seen total annualised returns of 24.05%, according to Morningstar data.

Story continues

More recently, however, this growth has slowed. Over a five-year period, shareholders have seen total annualised returns of 8.47%, while over a one-year time frame, the company has delivered a total loss to shareholders of 47.62%.

Centamin is involved in the exploration, mining, and development of precious metals in a number of countries, including Egypt, Burkina Faso and Australia. Returns have been similarly volatile for shareholders. According to Morningstar data shareholders have received total annualised returns of 13% over the past five years. The three-year picture is less rosy, with total annualised losses of 0.67%, while over the past year shareholders have endured a total loss of 44%.

Lloyds Banking Group has a four-star rating from Morningstar, reflecting the fact that the company shares are currently trading well below its fair value estimate of 76p. The banks dividend yield is currently 5.13%.

Morningstar equity analysts say that while the bank could be affected in the short-term by the UKs decision to leave to European Union, they believe the bank can weather any short-term volatility.

Analysts add: In our base scenario, factoring in some slowdown in GDP growth, we believe Lloyds will continue to increase its return on equity during our forecast period.

Vodafone, meanwhile, has a five-star rating from Morningstar. The telecommunications giant currently has a meaty dividend yield of 9.38%.

Morningstar analysts say: Vodafone is successfully transitioning from one of the worlds largest wireless-only telecom firms to a diversified operator offering converged mobile and fixed-line services in many markets. We think this is an important transition, as Europe is rapidly moving into a converged world.

The company is currently trading at around 131p per share, which is significantly below the Morningstar analysts fair estimate of 250p. They add that the company has a narrow moat, meaning its markets have some protection against rivals.

Although Richards is prepared to take some risk with her Isa, she has quite a different investment strategy when it comes to her Sipp.

She explains: My Sipp is obviously a longer-term savings plan, but it is a core part of my savings and investments. Since going freelance I dont have a company pension any more so I am hoping this will help fund my retirement, so I dont want to take too much risk with this money.

To this end, her Sipp is mainly invested in larger blue-chip companies with a solid track record of paying decent dividends. This also includes Lloyds and Vodafone, as well as BT (BT.A) and food services company Compass Group (CPG).

Richards says she aims to have a buy and hold approach with her Sipp and is looking to add good quality stocks to it over time that she can also hold for the longer term. There are costs to buying and selling stocks, and it is difficult to get the timing right, she adds.

Richards says she tries to research stocks thoroughly before buying, to check a companys dividend record, its cash balance and how its share price has moved over the longer term. She says: Ill look at the financial section of newspapers for tips, as well as online sites, like Selftrade.
Four activists who had been living at the Venezuelan Embassy in Washington for weeks were arrested by police on May 16, the Washington Post reported.

Anti-war activists from Code Pink and Popular Resistance entered the embassy on April 10 at the invitation of the Maduro government in Venezuela, in an attempt to prevent diplomats for the countrys opposition government from moving into the building, DCist reported.

At 9.30 am, Popular Resistance activist Kevin Zeese, who was reportedly in the embassy, said, The police have broken in and say they will arrest us.

This footage was captured by an embassy employee and shows a heavy police presence outside the building. Protesters can also be seen in the footage. The protesters were supporters of opposition leader Juan Guado, according to the Washington Post. Credit: Brian Fincheltub via Storyful
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Wednesday that she and French President Emmanuel Macron "wrestle" on policy and have different outlooks, but tend to cooperate and find compromises in the end. "Of course, we wrestle with each other," Merkel said about relations between the core EU leaders who have disagreed recently on issues from how the bloc should handle Brexit to arms exports and climate policy."There are differences in mentality between us and differences in our understanding of our roles," she added, speaking to the Sueddeutsche Zeitung and other European newspapers.Asked whether her relationship with Macron had deteriorated in recent months, Merkel replied: "No. Not at all."Instead, Merkel insisted that Berlin and Paris agreed "naturally on the big issues", adding that "this is how we accomplish much for Europe, even today".In Paris, Macron reacted by acknowledging "fruitful confrontations" with Merkel but said they result in compromises which allow the two nations to move forward together."I don't want to believe in sterile confrontations or relations," Macron said at a press conference."I believe in fruitful confrontations, which means you propose something, you see how your partner responds, and together you try to find a compromise."He added: "What is expected of France in Europe ... is to reach a compromise with Germany in order to be able to move forward. That's our history, it's the heart of our relationship."'Find middle way'France and Germany have traditionally been the duo at the heart of the European project and in January signed a new cooperation pact 53 years after the post-war Elysee Treaty.However, Paris has voiced frustration that the reformist drive of Macron has been stalled by resistance from Germany, where veteran leader Merkel has been in power since 2005.Merkel in the interview rejected the charge that she had been a brake on change in European policy."We always find a middle way," the chancellor said, adding that Germany too had "launched a whole series of initiatives", including in African development projects.She said that "in the core questions -- where is Europe going, the economy, what responsibility do we have for the climate and for Africa -- we are on a very similar wavelength".The German leader cited as an example of Franco-German cooperation the "enormous progress" in defence policy, where "we decided to develop a fighter plane and a tank together".Merkel also said there had been cases of bad timing, pointing out that while Macron was pushing for major European reforms, she was engaged in half a year of coalition building after 2017 elections.She did, however, point to different political cultures, saying: "I am the chancellor of a coalition government and much more committed to parliament than the French president, who is not even allowed to enter the National Assembly."(AFP)

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Wednesday that she and French President Emmanuel Macron "wrestle" on policy and have different outlooks, but tend to cooperate and find compromises in the end.

"Of course, we wrestle with each other," Merkel said about relations between the core EU leaders who have disagreed recently on issues from how the bloc should handle Brexit to arms exports and climate policy.

"There are differences in mentality between us and differences in our understanding of our roles," she added, speaking to the Sueddeutsche Zeitung and other European newspapers.

Asked whether her relationship with Macron had deteriorated in recent months, Merkel replied: "No. Not at all."

Instead, Merkel insisted that Berlin and Paris agreed "naturally on the big issues", adding that "this is how we accomplish much for Europe, even today".

In Paris, Macron reacted by acknowledging "fruitful confrontations" with Merkel but said they result in compromises which allow the two nations to move forward together.

"I don't want to believe in sterile confrontations or relations," Macron said at a press conference.

"I believe in fruitful confrontations, which means you propose something, you see how your partner responds, and together you try to find a compromise."

He added: "What is expected of France in Europe ... is to reach a compromise with Germany in order to be able to move forward. That's our history, it's the heart of our relationship."

'Find middle way'

France and Germany have traditionally been the duo at the heart of the European project and in January signed a new cooperation pact 53 years after the post-war Elysee Treaty.

However, Paris has voiced frustration that the reformist drive of Macron has been stalled by resistance from Germany, where veteran leader Merkel has been in power since 2005.

Merkel in the interview rejected the charge that she had been a brake on change in European policy.

Story continues

"We always find a middle way," the chancellor said, adding that Germany too had "launched a whole series of initiatives", including in African development projects.

She said that "in the core questions -- where is Europe going, the economy, what responsibility do we have for the climate and for Africa -- we are on a very similar wavelength".

The German leader cited as an example of Franco-German cooperation the "enormous progress" in defence policy, where "we decided to develop a fighter plane and a tank together".

Merkel also said there had been cases of bad timing, pointing out that while Macron was pushing for major European reforms, she was engaged in half a year of coalition building after 2017 elections.

She did, however, point to different political cultures, saying: "I am the chancellor of a coalition government and much more committed to parliament than the French president, who is not even allowed to enter the National Assembly."

(AFP)
Jacinda Ahern explained to a girl who wrote to her that the New Zealand government wasn't conducting research into dragons

New Zealands prime minister Jacinda Ahern has written to an 11-year-old girl explaining that she couldnt accept a bribe of $5 to conduct research into dragons.

The girl, identified only as Victoria, had written to the prime minister to say that she wanted to be given telekinetic powers so that she could train dragons, and included the money with her letter.

In a personally signed letter with the official letterhead of the New Zealand premiership, Ms Ahern thanked Victoria for getting in touch but had to dash her hopes around dragons.

We were very interested to hear your suggestions about psychics and dragons, but unfortunately we are not currently doing any work in either of these areas, she wrote.

I am therefore returning your bribe money, and I wish you all the best in your quest for telekinesis, telepathy, and dragons.

She added a post script which said Ill still keep an eye out for those dragons. Do they wear suits?

The letter came to light after a Reddit user posted it on the web forum. He explained how his sister had become interested in telekinesis after watching Stranger Things, the spooky Netflix series.

She wanted the government to make [dragons] telekinetic... and wanted to find out what they know about dragons and if they had found any yet, so she could train them, he said.
Sudan's army ruler General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan has suspended crucial talks with demonstrators over the transition to civilian rule. Protesters expressed disappointment and vowed to press on with their sit-in in the capital Khartoum, despite being targeted in fresh violence.Army generals and protest leaders had been expected to come to an agreement on Wednesday over the make-up of a new body to govern Sudan for three years.The issue is the thorniest to have come up in ongoing talks on reinstating civilian rule after the generals took over following the ouster of longtime autocratic president Omar al-Bashir last month.But in the early hours of Thursday, the chief of Sudan's ruling military council, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, announced the talks had been suspended for 72 hours due to deteriorating security in Khartoum.He demanded that protesters dismantle roadblocks in Khartoum, open bridges and railway lines connecting the capital and "stop provoking security forces".The Alliance for Freedom and Change, the group that is leading the protest movement and negotiating the transfer of power with the army rulers, called the move "regrettable"."It ignores the developments achieved in negotiations so far...and the fact that Wednesday's meeting was to finalise the agreement, which would have stopped the escalations such as roadblocks," the alliance said in a statement.The protest movement vowed to press on with the sit-in outside the army headquarters and across the country.Several roadblocks removedProtesters said the army aimed to provoke demonstrators. "They want to provoke the people by delaying the negotiations ... but the negotiations will resume now that the roadblocks have been removed," said Moatassim Sayid, a protester at the sit-in.On Thursday morning, several roadblocks in downtown Khartoum had been taken down, an AFP correspondent reported, adding that troops from the paramilitary Rapid Support Force (RSF) were deployed in some areas.Roadblocks on key thoroughfares in the capital are being used by demonstrators to pressure the generals to transfer power to a civilian administration.The talks began this week and achieved significant breakthroughs, but have also been marred by violence that on Monday left five protesters and an army major dead, with many wounded from gunshots.Protesters say members of RSF were behind the violence. But Burhan said there were "armed elements among demonstrators who were shooting at security forces."He defended the paramilitary group, saying "it had taken the side of the people" during the uprising that toppled Bashir on 11 April.US, UK say military to blame for ongoing clashesWashington blamed the military council for Monday's bloodshed. "The tragic attacks on protesters ... were clearly the result of the Transitional Military Council trying to impose its will on the protesters by attempting to remove roadblocks," the US embassy said in a statement.The British ambassador to Khartoum said Sudanese security forces had fired at protesters on Wednesday when eight were reported wounded near the sit-in, where thousands remain camped demanding the generals step down."Extremely concerned by use of live ammunition by Sudanese security forces against protesters in Khartoum today, with reports of civilian casualties," Irfan Siddiq wrote on Twitter on Wednesday. "Military council must act to stop this now. No more excuses."

Sudan's army ruler General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan has suspended crucial talks with demonstrators over the transition to civilian rule. Protesters expressed disappointment and vowed to press on with their sit-in in the capital Khartoum, despite being targeted in fresh violence.

Army generals and protest leaders had been expected to come to an agreement on Wednesday over the make-up of a new body to govern Sudan for three years.

The issue is the thorniest to have come up in ongoing talks on reinstating civilian rule after the generals took over following the ouster of longtime autocratic president Omar al-Bashir last month.

But in the early hours of Thursday, the chief of Sudan's ruling military council, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, announced the talks had been suspended for 72 hours due to deteriorating security in Khartoum.

He demanded that protesters dismantle roadblocks in Khartoum, open bridges and railway lines connecting the capital and "stop provoking security forces".

The Alliance for Freedom and Change, the group that is leading the protest movement and negotiating the transfer of power with the army rulers, called the move "regrettable".

"It ignores the developments achieved in negotiations so far...and the fact that Wednesday's meeting was to finalise the agreement, which would have stopped the escalations such as roadblocks," the alliance said in a statement.

The protest movement vowed to press on with the sit-in outside the army headquarters and across the country.

Several roadblocks removed

Protesters said the army aimed to provoke demonstrators. "They want to provoke the people by delaying the negotiations ... but the negotiations will resume now that the roadblocks have been removed," said Moatassim Sayid, a protester at the sit-in.

On Thursday morning, several roadblocks in downtown Khartoum had been taken down, an AFP correspondent reported, adding that troops from the paramilitary Rapid Support Force (RSF) were deployed in some areas.

Story continues

Roadblocks on key thoroughfares in the capital are being used by demonstrators to pressure the generals to transfer power to a civilian administration.

The talks began this week and achieved significant breakthroughs, but have also been marred by violence that on Monday left five protesters and an army major dead, with many wounded from gunshots.

Protesters say members of RSF were behind the violence. But Burhan said there were "armed elements among demonstrators who were shooting at security forces."

He defended the paramilitary group, saying "it had taken the side of the people" during the uprising that toppled Bashir on 11 April.

US, UK say military to blame for ongoing clashes

Washington blamed the military council for Monday's bloodshed. "The tragic attacks on protesters ... were clearly the result of the Transitional Military Council trying to impose its will on the protesters by attempting to remove roadblocks," the US embassy said in a statement.

The British ambassador to Khartoum said Sudanese security forces had fired at protesters on Wednesday when eight were reported wounded near the sit-in, where thousands remain camped demanding the generals step down.

"Extremely concerned by use of live ammunition by Sudanese security forces against protesters in Khartoum today, with reports of civilian casualties," Irfan Siddiq wrote on Twitter on Wednesday. "Military council must act to stop this now. No more excuses."
A farmer spreads fertilizer on a rice field in Sariwon, North Korea (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)

Almost half of all North Koreans are in dire need of food because of the countrys worst drought in four decades.

Some forty per cent of the population urgently need food assistance after the UN said that up to 10 million North Koreans are affected.

North Koreas population is around 25 million.

Pyongyang has called on people to battle against the drought and crop damage.

North Korean farmers (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E)

As yet, it's not really clear how bad things are as, with everything related to North Korea, the data is hardly transparent," Oliver Hotham from NK News told the BBC.

Official data is accurate suggests North Korea needs to import as much as 1.5 million tonnes of food to make up for the shortfall in production.

In the 1990s, hundreds of thousands of North Koreans died in a devastating famine.

According to North Korean state media, just 21 inches of rain has fallen so far this year, the lowest amount of rainfall since 1982.

North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un and Donald Trump earlier this year (KCNA).

The country's leading newspaper Rodong Sinmun added that water is needed now more than ever, saying the country was in a "fierce battle" to prevent drought damage.

Last month, the UN's World Food Programme (WFP) and its Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) said in a joint report that North Korea's crop output in 2018 hit the lowest level since 2008.

It comes as the country still suffers from sanctions.

These have been boosted in an effort to choke off funding for Pyongyang's nuclear programme with the effect of reducing North Koreas exports, potentially restricting its ability and to buy food imports.

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"General Hospital" (GH) spoilers reveal that Jordan's health situation is deteriorating progressively. The girl is in absolute need of a kidney transplant, or she will die shortly. The possible donor seems to be Ryan. Meanwhile, Shiloh is about to meet Kristina and Willow, who will be attending the Nurses Ball. Josslyn will also be present at the party and will receive a secret letter written by Oscar before he dies. Joss could then sing the piece of music prepared with love by Oscar Nero anyway. Sam, on the other hand, will be in serious danger, as Archer is about to discover that she has deceived him, lying to him about Kristina's mysterious disappearance.

'GH' spoilers: Jordan between life and death

In the next episodes on ABC of "General Hospital", Jordan will find himself fighting between life and death. The doctors will inform the girl's family of her terrible health condition. For Jordan to be saved, it is essential to find a kidney donor as soon as possible. Kevin seemed to be a perfect donor but, after medical analysis, it was found that his kidney was not suitable for transplantation. However, we know that Kevin is Ryan's twin. This means that Ryan also has a suitable kidney to donate to Jordan.

Fans of the soap opera know well that Ryan is not as generous as his brother and therefore it will be almost impossible for him to undergo a delicate surgery.

However, Kevin won't give up and, along with Ava and Laura, will give a boost to research to find Ryan, still untraceable. "General Hospital" (GH) spoilers reveal, however, that Ryan will return to Port Charles very soon, albeit with bad intentions. Chamberlain in fact wants to take revenge on all those who betrayed him and forced him to flee and hide.

Discuss this news on Eunomia

The occasion when we will see Ryan will be the Nurses Ball.

Ryan Chamberlain could save Jordan

According to Celebrity Dirty Laundry, we can tell you that Ryan will surprise you at the Nurses Ball, terrorizing everyone present. How will the storylines of Ryan and Jordan reconcile? One hypothesis is that Chamberlain was killed.

If this were to happen, his kidney could be used to operate surgically on Jordan. At the moment, Ryan is Jordan's only compatible donor. The girl doesn't know about this complicated situation and is starting to lose hope.

Other "GH" spoilers say that at Nurses Ball the truth about Willow's true motherhood might even come out. Also in this case, if the secret is discovered, many scenarios will change in the soap opera on air on ABC that so fascinates fans. Ready to find out what will happen in the next episodes? Stay tuned and we'll give you all the exciting latest "General Hospital" (GH) spoilers.
As many people predicted, Daenerys went full mad queen in "Game of Thrones" season 8, episode 5. Now, a new theory has emerged on Reddit claiming that she was being manipulated by the real villain of the series -- the Three-eyed Raven. This could easily turn out to be the final twist of the series, so, without further ado, let's jump right in.

There are potential spoilers for the "Game of Thrones" finale ahead.

Understanding the Three-eyed Raven

In one of my previous posts, I theorized that the Three-eyed Raven is, in fact, the leader of the Children of the Forest.

As such, he's up to no good. His goal? The destruction of mankind by ice and fire. Let me explain.

We may not know much about the Three-eyed Raven, but we do know that he's also been referred to as the Last Greenseer. In George R. R. Martin's "A Song of Ice and Fire" books, greenseers are said to be the leaders of the Children of the Forest, or at least they were, back when the Children of the Forest were a thing in Westeros.

That said, it would make sense for the Last Greenseer, to be the leader of the Children of the Forest.

Whatever the case, they made the White Walkers for the sole purpose of destroying mankind. What they didn't count on was that their creation would turn on them. So when the Night King arrived in the cave, he killed the remaining Children and the Three-eyed Raven's old body.

But the entity itself managed to escape and it has been living inside Bran ever since. In other words, Bran is, quite literally, being possessed by this entity.

But if all of this is true and this entity does indeed want to destroy mankind, then why would he help them defeat the Night King?

The answer is, however, simple. He did it for one and one reason only: to protect himself.

Discuss this news on Eunomia

Unfortunately, the Three-eyed Raven's ambitions to destroy mankind haven't died with the Night King, which brings us to "Game of Thrones" Season 8, episode 5 and the destruction by fire. Another theory suggests the Night King might be involved in a final twist.

The Lord of Light's secret influence

In addition to being the creator of the White Walkers (called the Others in the books), a.k.a.

the Great Other, it's been theorized that the Three-eyed raven is also the Lord of Light, the so-called "one true God," whose visions only dragged Westeros further into conflict.

Many people seem to believe it was his whispers that drove the Mad King mad. That said it's entirely possible that he did the same thing to Daenerys. For all we know, he could have easily whispered something in Daenerys's ear, or show up in her dream, as he did with Bran.

Some Reddit users even go as far as to suggest that the Three-eyed Raven actually warged into Drogon after the bells and torched the city. There might be some truth to this, given the fact that right before Drogon goes mad, we see the same scene of his shadow over Kings Landing that has played so frequently in Bran's visions. And let's not forget what the old Three-eyed Raven said to Bran in his cave:

"You will never walk again. But you will fly."
With Vietnams new directions on drug registration and materials arriving imminently, private businesses are expected to take the next steps for tenders to venture into the lucrative public hospital system.

Decree 155 will cut procedures for private companies to place stronger interest in pharmaceuticals and cosmetics

The Ministry of Health (MoH) on May 10 held a conference to popularise Circular No.32/2018/TT-BYT on drug registration and materials for drug production, guiding the implementation of Decree No.155/2018/ND-CP, which amends some regulations on the business conditions that pharmaceutical and cosmetics companies faced under the controversial Decree No.54/2017/ND-CP.

Decree 155 has positive changes towards cutting procedures, thus creating favourable conditions for businesses in tenders, drug imports, and others, said Truong Quoc Cuong, Deputy Minister of Health.

One of the important features of Decree 155 is drug registration working towards reducing the time to appraise manufacturing facilities in terms of review, recognition, and appraisal of dossiers.

In particular, the time for dossier appraisal will be cut to 40 days, rather than the 60 days stated by Decree 54, and to 20 days for dossier recognition from 30 days as regulated by Decree 54.

Another highlight is the cut in the number of procedures in pharmaceutical imports which had attracted concerns among international companies.

In terms of licensing the import of drugs without a circulation registration paper, the new decree requires label models and drug descriptions in the country of manufacturing or country of export, except for cases with a certificate of pharmaceutical product (CPP).

This requirement is simpler than those set out by Decree 54, which asks for label models and descriptions of drugs being actively marketed in the countries producing the CPP, except for cases with the CPP.

Slated to take effect on September 1, the circular will allow businesses to build their future business strategies, especially for tenders of original brand-name drugs of Group 1, thus furthering business partnership with public hospitals.

At present, the demand for original brand-name drugs is growing significantly, driven by increasing treatment demands among locals.

With some loosened conditions, multinational corporations (MNCs) may take this chance to step up in the hospital system.

However, MNCs are still concerned over issues related to announcement and registration of brand-name drugs. They include EuroChams Pharma Group, which represents the voice of 25 MNCs.

Drug registration in Vietnam has been among the top concerns for international pharmaceutical companies from the EU and the ASEAN for years.

Currently in the local pharma market, the main distribution channel is through the hospital system - ethical drugs (ETCs), which account for 70 per cent of total sales volumes, while the rest of the market is in over-the-counter (OTC) drugs.

Foreign players hold the majority of the ETC channel due to ownership of brand-name drugs, which operate in a monopolistic manner and sell at high prices.

Even for generic drugs, overseas pharma companies have more advantages than their local rivals, as their products are held in higher esteem than locally-made ones.

In spite of the improvements, industry insiders have raised concerns about the possibilities of stiffening competition in drug tenders.

Pressure from a crowded OTC channel has forced an industry-wide shift towards ETCs, which offers the best chance at new growth.

Vietnams biggest pharma maker, Hau Giang Pharmaceutical, and the second-biggest publicly-traded drugmaker, Traphaco, are the pioneers in this trend.

In the current landscape, distribution channels are an important and decisive factor for local companies, as the field awaits increased participation from MNCs driven by enforcement of free trade agreements and Vietnams realisation of World Trade Organization commitments. VIR

Tung Anh
The Fourth Industrial Revolution could increase Viet Nams GDP by between US$28.5 billion and $62 billion by 2030, equivalent to a rise of 7-16 per cent, according to the Central Institute for Economic Management (CIEM).

Digital technologies such as machine learning and artifical intelligence (AI) are momentum for the digital transformation.

Figures released by CIEM at a workshop themed Digital transformation to accelerate a sustainable future showed that GDP per capita is expected to rise by between $315 and $640 by 2030 as a result of increased productivity and employment opportunities thanks to Industry 4.0.

Speaking at the event on Wednesday, Pham Hoang Mai, general director of the Department of Science, Education, Natural Resources and Environment under the Ministry of Planning and Investment, said the industrial shift would benefit the country and its people.

Industry 4.0 offers great opportunities for Viet Nam to quickly improve competitiveness and growth quality, as well as escape from the danger of lagging behind other nations, Mai said.

He said that despite limitations in infrastructure and technological capacity, Viet Nam has the potential to deploy Industry 4.0 technologies effectively. Positive factors include a large population of nearly 100 million people, a high rate of mobile phone subscribers (139 subscriptions per 100 people, far more than in most of the world) and a young labour force with good training, especially in the IT sector.

The Government is working on many projects to move into the Industry 4.0 era," he said. "However, the most important thing is to have institutional reform of the domestic business climate to encourage innovation, especially in sectors with great potential for implementation such as manufacturing, processing, agriculture, finance, logistics, healthcare and education."

He said the ministry proposed building a national innovation centre in Hoa Lac Hi-Tech Park. The centre would have five areas of focus to create competitive advantages for the Red River Delta region including smart factories, digital media, cyber security, smart cities and the environment.

Johan Alvin, Second Secretary of Trade, Economic and Consular Affairs of the Swedish Embassy in Viet Nam, said the challenge was to build smart cities and bring people into the innovation centre to participate in building Industry 4.0.

Brian Hull, Country Managing Director of ABB in Viet Nam, said that to keep its competitive edge in the global market, Viet Nam needs to adopt industrial digitalisation  advanced manufacturing through robotics and automation.

Customers nowadays increasingly demand higher quality products and citizens want better living environments," Hull said. "Sustainable growth can only be achieved by adoption of digital technologies and advanced manufacturing applications. Digitalisation and Industry 4.0 will be growth drivers to strengthen Viet Nams position in the region."

The event explored Viet Nams Industry 4.0 ambitions and included discussion of some of the countrys biggest challenges and opportunities for growth. It attracted nearly 500 delegates including business leaders, industry partners and policymakers.  VNS
Vietnamese and international financial institutions alike are ramping up their presence by establishing or acquiring consumer credit companies amid Vietnams burgeoning personal finance market.

Buoyed by increasing interest in taking up loans for purchases among the Vietnamese population, recent years saw an impressive growth of personal finance companies in Vietnam, with FE Credit, Viet Credit, SHB Finance, and Easy Credit, among others, joining the market.

The market is expected to thrive with some newcomers backed by giant Oriented Commercial Joint Stock Bank (OCB) and Asian Commercial Bank (ACB).

It is interesting that many of the current businesses are an extension of the retail banking business of some banks. Their business network, IT, and risk control system, as well as strong capital foundations, bear the marks of commercial banks.

For example, FE Credit, a consumer lending company of VPBank and one of the largest players in the industry, announced that its revenue made up 30 per cent of VND9.2 trillion ($400 million) of VPBanks overall pre-tax profit.

With its return on assets (ROA) and return on equity (ROE) of 2.5 and 22.9 per cent, respectively, the firm is VPBanks frontline penetrating the consumer credit market.

Meanwhile, HD Saison generated VND900 billion ($39.1 million) in profit, which is 73 per cent higher than in 2017. The firms revenue also accounted for 25 per cent of HDBanks pre-tax profit last year.

With activism rising across the country, the number of companies in the field is no longer limited to a few local players.

New-age financial services have a huge opportunity to make credit accessible to individuals, boosting the harsh competition among consumer lending companies.

The consumer finance sector is forecasted to witness double-digit growth in the next few years, luring both local and foreign players.

The case of Lotte from South Korea wholly acquiring Techcom Finance of Vietnam can epitomise these trends perfectly.

Besides wholly acquiring deals, some local finance companies have found overseas partners to strengthen their operations, such as the marriage between Shinhan Bank and ANZ Vietnam's retail banking arm, or Shinsei Bank (Japan) acquiring 49 per cent of MCredit from MBBank.

It is noted that local consumer credit firms like FE Credit and HD Saison still outweigh international rivals in profit thanks to their better understanding of Vietnamese customers. These local companies are not only backed up by Vietnamese banks as shareholders but also innovate to optimise operations based on Vietnamese consumers characteristics.

However, overseas firms hold advantages of their own in their global and international network and ability to offer a wider suite of products to their customers.

The burgeoning purchase power of Vietnamese people attracts more and more firms each year

Vietnams population is expected to reach 100 million in 2025, according to a recent forecast issued by the Institute of Public Policy and Management. Hence, the market potential is still very large as Vietnams GDP is the second highest in the ASEAN, while 70 per cent of the population is of working age, said Dmitry Mosolov, general director of Home Credit Vietnam.

This means a big hitherto untapped white space of consumer lending could open up many great potentials for finance firms.

However, some hidden dangers have gradually emerged during the rapid development and the corresponding restrictive policies should be introduced.

Reacting to the booming growth of consumer finance, Vietnam Investment Review recently held a conference to find alternatives to loan shark activities and shadow banking

In a bid to mitigate risk and fraud, Vietnam is tightening regulations on the consumer finance market by issuing Circular No.43/2016/TT-NHNN limiting the maximum amount of cash loan to 30 per cent of total loans.

It could pose many challenges to both financial firms and their customers, finance and banking expert Nguyen Tri Hieu stated.

For instance, unlicensed companies, which often receive less supervision and have diversified business models, will face great uncertainty. VIR
By Azernews





By Abdul Kerimkhanov

Due to its favorable geographical location, Baku Heydar Aliyev International Airport, which meets international standards, has became the number one airport in the region for transit flights between East and West, North and South.

In January-April 2019, Heydar Aliyev International Airport served 1.23 million passengers, the Airport said in a message.

A total of 1.06 million passengers were served on international flights. In the reported period, the basic air carriers of the airport, AZAL and Buta Airways, transported 511,000 and 130,500 passengers, respectively, which is 6,000 people more year-on-year.

Of the total number of international flights, AZAL accounted for 32.3 percent, Buta Airways for 12.3 percent, while the share of foreign airlines for the period amounted to 55.4 percent.

In total, the international airports of Azerbaijan served 1.45 million passengers in January-April 2019. This is a record figure among all Transcaucasian airports.

Currently, Heydar Aliyev International Airport receives direct flights of 26 passenger airlines. There are also direct flights from Ganja and Nakhchivan airports to Moscow and Istanbul, and from Gabala to Moscow.

Also, the national air carrier AZAL operates regular direct flights from Lankaran to Moscow and back.

It is planned to resume flights of flyNas, Kuwait Airways and Turkish low-cost airline Pegasus.

The terminal of the Heydar Aliyev International Airport features giant wooden cocoons designed by Turkish architecture studio Autoban. The airport has been listed among the top three unusual airports in the world, according to Hi-Tech.

In 2017 and 2018, the Heydar Aliyev International Airport was named the best airport among those of CIS countries for the level of services provided and was awarded the maximum rating of "5 Stars" according to Skytrax World Airport Awards.

In 2018, the airport set a new record for passenger traffic volume: it served a total of 4.43 million passengers. This is 9 percent higher than in 2017.

In 2019, Heydar Aliyev international airport was named the best airport with passenger traffic up to 10 million according to Sky Travel Awards.
Shareholders were unaware of the power they held when dealing with a lack of transparency in listed companies, according to Nguyen The Tho, director of the Securities Market Surveillance Department under the State Securities Commission.

Specialists during the conference on the security of the Vietnamese stock market held on Wednesday.  Photo petrotimes.vn

Shareholders had the right to ask the companys board of directors to disclose business information, he told a conference on Wednesday held by the online Thoi bao Chung khoan Viet Nam (Vietnam Securities Times).

They can even sue company managers for failing to do so, he said.

A company must make information public when it signs new contracts or if problems arise that may hit shareholders asset value.

The company must issue reports to address any rumours and reassure investors, Tho said.

Buying shares means investors have put their expectations in the future value of the company.

Information is a very important channel on the stock market and can hit market sentiment. Rumours often spread in a young market like Viet Nam, according to Tho.

Rumours are often spread via social networks and word of mouth, and if investors are unable to confirm whether they're true or not, they can overreact.

A rumour obviously comes from a group of people or an individual who want to manipulate the economy, he said.

In developed economies, there are strict punishments for market manipulation.

Investors were not to blame for overreacting, Tho said, adding market regulators and listed companies were required to make sure the market operated safely by making instant responses and providing statements to stabilise the market.

Rumours have been a problem for the Vietnamese securities market for years, making the market tumble in the past.

Economist Nguyen Trong Nghia urged investors to stay alert and clarify any news they heard before reacting.

Some participants at the conference raised concerns about people who created rumours to manipulate share prices for personal gain. Those people could be brokers, traders, investors and even company insiders.

Responding to questions, Tho said these people and groups were acting illegally to create fake demand and supply to manipulate share prices.

The stock exchanges will develop new standards to control investors order placements and cancellations so violations are exposed, he said.

Under existing regulations, an investor can only open one trading account at a securities company using the proper identification.

The lowest fine for stock manipulation is VND500 million (US$21,500) and violations may be investigated by the police based on the Penal Code.

The Central Mining and Mineral Import Export Joint Stock Company (MTM) is a typical case when former directors and managers took advantage of their credibility to falsify business information and issue shares to investors, earning more than VND56 billion in profit.

The case closed on May 7 with the firms former founder being sentenced to life and others sentenced to 4-12 years.

Nguyen Thanh Ky, vice chairman cum general secretary of the Vietnam Association of Securities Business, said he hoped the SSC would tighten its connection with market members and investors to make the Vietnamese securities market stronger and healthier, thus boosting the Vietnamese economy.

He also called for investors to stay calm and listen to various sources before making any decisions in order to make the market more transparent and developed.  VNS
Deputy PM Vuong Dinh Hue asked MOF to set up a mechanism to control the enterprises.

The mechanism must be designed in a way to control taxation in every business field, deal with foreign investors using domestically sourced capital, control FIEs capital, and maintain post-investment registration supervision to stop transfer pricing.

Bui Trinh, a respected economist, applauded the decision, saying better late than never.

For a long time, the figures about GDP growth rates and FDI capital in state agencies reports were considered as great achievements. Only in recent years have economists called for reconsidering the achievements after discovering that while FIEs can enjoy big investment incentives, their contribution to Vietnams economy remains modest.

Trinh said Vietnam has no benefits in technology transfer, labor training and tax collection from FIEs.

The figure about total tax that FIEs pay to the state budget does not truly reflect FIEs contribution to Vietnams economy. The taxes paid by FIEs include both direct and indirect taxes. The latter tax, by nature, is not collection from FIEs, but from Vietnamese consumers who pay tax when buying FIEs products.

Only in recent years have economists called for reconsidering the achievements after discovering that while FIEs can enjoy big investment incentives, their contribution to Vietnams economy remains modest.

In 2016, the total tax sum FIEs did not have to pay thanks to the tax exemption policy reached VND35.3 trillion. In many cases, the total value of tax preferences was equal to registered investment capital.

FDI was hoped to generate more jobs for Vietnamese. However, reports showed that the number of workers employed by FIEs just accounted for 6 percent of total workers at maximum, while the figure is 43 percent in the private sector.

As most FIEs do outsourcing for export, Vietnam doesnt haveopportunities for new technology and technology transfer.

He believes that the FDI sector contributes to the increase of the cash outflow from Vietnam.

If GDP growth depends on FDI, the higher the GDP growth rate is, the more strongly the cash outflow goes and the nations resources will get exhausted. If Vietnam loses its resources in exchange for GDP growth, the growth wont have much significance.

Le Cong Nhuong, a NA Deputy from Binh Dinh province, agreed with Trinh that since Vietnams growth depends on FDI, the countrys resources will be depleted.

The 2007-2017 average GDP growth rate calculated with current prices was 22 percent, while the net cash flowing out of Vietnam was 32 percent, which decreased the ratio of GNI to GDP from 97.2 percent in 2000 to 95.2 percent in 2017.

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The HCMC Peoples Committee believes that mobile phones must bear a luxury tax or special consumption tax (SCT) as it is called in Vietnam.

Making a suggestion to the Ministry of Finances plan to increase sources of revenue, the HCMC Peoples Committee proposed levying a luxury tax on mobile phones, cosmetics and perfume.

If the idea comes true, Vietnam will become the first country in the world to impose a luxury tax on mobile phones, one commenter said on an Internet forum.

Nguyen Thanh Binh from the Ministry of Planning and Investments (MPI) Institute for Policies and Development also said the idea needs thorough consideration, saying that this taxation is not applied in developed or developing countries, or countries in Southeast Asia.

Truong Ba Tuan, head of the Institute of Information Policy Strategy, said that South Africa imposes a luxury tax on mobile phones, but the policy faces strong opposition.

As for cosmetics, Tuan said, luxury taxes are applied in some countries, including Thailand and Indonesia, while most developed countries dont tax products.

SCT, by nature, is a kind of tax levied on luxury products, the consumption of which is not encouraged.

SCT, by nature, is a kind of tax levied on luxury products, the consumption of which is not encouraged. Its necessary determine if mobile phone is essential or luxury goods and if it has negative impact on the environment and peoples health, Binh said, arguing that mobile phones must not be considered luxurious.

The HCMC Peoples Committee admitted that mobile phones are not a luxury, but said it is not very essential, so it would be better to impose luxury tax in order to direct production and consumption trends.

The agency believes the taxation would also help regulate peoples income. The taxation targets high income earners who buy next-generation products.

In reply, Binh said in order to regulate peoples income, it is necessary to use the personal income tax (PIT), not luxury tax.

Nguyen Duc Nghia from the HCM City Tax Agent Club warned that the tax wont help harmonize incomes in the society, but will affect all people.

In a growing economy, it is necessary to exclude more products subject to luxury tax, because some products were considered luxurious in the past, but not five or 10 years later.

Thirty years ago, a mobile phone was considered a luxury product, but it still did not bear luxury tax. So, it will be unreasonable to impose the tax now, when the product is now commonly used, said lawyer Truong Thanh Duc from Basico Law Firm.

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UN Day of Vesak held in the northern province of Ha Nam from May 12-14 set various records recognised by the World Record Association and Viet Nam Record Association.

Vesak 2019 helps to promote Vietnams image: NA Chairwoman

Foreign delegates praise organisation of Vesak 2019

1,500 foreign delegates to attend Vesak 2019

The praying platform had five storeys. The first storey covered 864sq.m while the top floor featured a Buddha stature of 1.8m in height and weighing 4 tonnes.  Photo dantri.com.vn



On May 14, the World Record Association presented a certificate for the biggest peace praying platform at Tam Chuc Pagoda, Kim Bang District, Ha Nam Province, which was used on May 13 at a ceremony that gathered 300 monks and 10,000 Buddhists.



Dai Bi Kiem Cuong Tower at Thanh Quang Pagoda, Bac Ninh set a world record for the most gold gilded bronze bells with the first-ever auto-strike system in the world.

The Viet Nam Record Holders Association also recognised other records at the event:

 The most crowded international UN Day of Vesak event with 1,650 representatives from 570 international delegations and individual from 112 nations and territories together with thousands of monks and Buddhists from all over the country joined in. Around 8,000 volunteers and 800 chefs prepared 40,000 free meals for Buddhists and tourists.

 The biggest international workshop on Buddhism with 398 speeches in English by international scholars and 100 contributing pieces in Vietnamese by domestic scholars under the theme Buddhist Approach to Global Leadership and Shared Responsibilities for Sustainable Societies.

The biggest international workshop on Buddhism with 398 speeches in English by international scholars and 100 contributing pieces in Vietnamese by domestic scholars.  Photo dantri.vn

 The biggest exhibition on Buddhism: During the event, the Vietnam and the World Buddhist Art exhibition was held at Tam Chuc Pagoda and included Buddhist Antiques, Buddhist Painting and Studded Rock Painting. The works displayed at the exhibition were judged to contain high cultural and spiritual values.

The Buddhist Art exhibition was held at Tam Chuc Pagoda.  Photo dantri.vn

 The largest Buddhist Art show themed heritage Avenue 2019, which was broadcast live on VTV1 on May 12. The show gathered noted art troupes from around the country and others from India, Bhutan, Japan, Indonesia, China and Thailand.



 The biggest Buddhist flag made from thousands of flower lanterns. The flag measured 36m in length and 20m in height.

 The largest number of people praying for peace: more than 25,000 people on May 13.

More than 25,000 people pray fro peace on May 13.  Photo dantri.vn

 The biggest Buddhist Fair hosted by the Viet Nam Buddist Sangha and Ha Nam Industry and Commerce Department featured 1,000 traditional products from the province.

A ceremony setting lanterns into the sky to pray for peace gathered more than 20,000 people on May 13 at Tam Chuc Pagoda.

Around 50,000 attended the Buddha Bathing Ceremony during the three-day event.  Photo dantri.vn

The biggest Buddha Bathing Ceremony gathered 50,000 people during the three-day event.

VNS
More than 200 maps, documents and objects on Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelagos are on display at an exhibition that opened in the Mekong Delta province of Bac Lieu on May 15.

The three-day Vietnams Hoang Sa, Truong Sa  Historical and Legal Evidence exhibition aims to affirm Vietnams sovereignty over the two archipelagos and reject allegations distorting history and Chinas groundless claims over the islands.

The exhibited materials are in Chinese, Nom (old Vietnamese writing using Chinese characters) before 1975, woodblocks and ancient documents under the Nguyen dynasty (1802-1945) demonstrating Vietnams sovereignty over Hoang Sa and Truong Sa archipelagos.

Maps of Vietnam and China published by western countries from the 16th to the 20th centuries and those published by Vietnam and China are also on display.

Many photos and documents reflect how Vietnam exercised and defended its sovereignty over Hoang Sa and Truong Sa.

The materials introduced at the exhibition show that the collection, research of materials and evidence to affirm Vietnams sovereignty over the sea and islands has been carried out for a long time.

Vice Chairman of the provincial Peoples Committee Vuong Phuong Nam highlighted the significance of the event, saying it aims to raise public awareness of the role of sea and islands of the country, and promote national unity among communities and their determination to safeguard national sovereignty.

The exhibition helps the people better understand Party and State guidelines and policies on protecting the national sea and island sovereignty, he added. -VNA
New technology and skilled human resources were the decisive factors to drive Viet Nams long-term growth, especially in the face of Industry 4.0-induced changes.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc (middle) makes speech at the conference Science, Technology and Innovation - a pillar of Socio-Economic Development in Viet Nam on Wednesday.

This message was delivered by Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc at a conference themed Science, Technology and Innovation - a pillar of Socio-Economic Development in Viet Nam held by the Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST) in Ha Noi on Wednesday.

The conference was co-organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Australian Embassy in Viet Nam and the International Development Innovation Alliance (IDIA).

Natural resources are becoming scarce across the world and in Viet Nam. Experts have agreed that the resouce-intensive growth model is no longer applicable in this stage of development when Industry 4.0 has induced changes in all aspects of life and business.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc emphasised human creativity was an endless resource which was the most precious asset among all countries and businesses.

The Vietnamese have innate qualities for creativity. I believe if there are enough good nutrients, we can cultivate excellent and devoted people who will contribute greatly to the prosperity of the country, Phuc said.

However, the Prime Minister also pointed out that with science and technology development, innovation nourishment in Viet Nam was inadequate and limited.

In addition to insufficient awareness among localities and sectors about the role of science, technology and innovation, an incomplete legal framework and policy mechanism was holding back technological development and failing to inspire innovation, he said.

Just a few businesses had invested in innovation and research and development (R&D), while research conducted by universities was largely inapplicable and did not match business demands, Phuc said.

Viet Nams spending on science and technology development, including both the State and private sectors, was very modest, accounting for just 0.44 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP), much lower than the worlds average of 2.23 per cent.

The PM said: "If we do not make bold investments in science, technology and innovation, we would become stuck in a low-productivity, low added value and middle-income trap."

Speaking at the conference, Caitlin Wiesen, the UNDP's resident representative, said Viet Nams growth to date had been inclusive which would enable the country to seize the opportunity of transitioning to an inclusive Industrial Revolution 4.0.

As humans would become the centre of development, Wiesen suggested the Vietnamese Government should create new growth drivers that helped create new job streams for all people, as well as strengthen capabilities across the population to create and seize new job opportunities.

Ousmane Dione, the World Banks country director for Viet Nam, also said the population of internet users in Viet Nam was on par with most countries which had enabled it to develop a digital infrastructure.

However, he said Viet Nam needed to streamline research institutes, reducing quantity and raising quality.

At the conference, the PM asked the MoST to advise the Government on policies to encourage and promote innovation in the business sector, while requesting the statistics office to standardise data collection on technological and innovative activities in accordance with global standards and to establish a national data bank for science and technology and innovation.

He also emphasised the need to promote the role of universities and research institutes in training human resources to meet the demands of the economy and businesses.

Digital economy report

Also at the event, the MoST and Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) launched Viet Nams Future Digital Economy Report which examines mega-trends affecting the development of the countrys digital economy until 2045, which include the impact of emerging digital technologies, new export markets for Viet Nam, the development of modern digital infrastructure, the push for smart cities, the rise of digital skills and services, and changing consumer behaviour.

How the future plays out will depend on Viet Nams position in the regional digital economy, and the level of adaptation to digital products and services across the Government, community and industry, Lucy Cameron, senior research consultant at CSIRO, said.

According to Cameron, digital transition would bring about 1.1 per cent of GDP growth each year for Viet Nam by 2045. She said Viet Nams growth was fast and inclusive which was suitable for digital transition.

The next wave of digital technologies - Artificial Intelligence, blockchain, the Internet of Things, and platforms and cloud-based services - have the potential to transform Viet Nam into Asias next high-performing economy. Viet Nam will need to seize these substantial opportunities while carefully navigating a number of risks, she said.

The report is part of the Australian Governments Aus4Innovation programme, an AU$10 million strategic initiative designed to strengthen links between the Australian and Vietnamese innovation systems.  VNS
A group of 10th graders from the HCM City-based Vietnam Australia International School is working on a project to donate solar lamps to needy students in the Ea-Rot Village in the Central Highland province of Dak Lak.

Road to school for students in remote mountain areas

Teachers at remote mountainous school find love

A group of 10th graders from the HCM City-based Vietnam Australia International School works on solar lamps.  Photo courtesy of the organiser

Under the Thap Sang Tri Thuc (Light up Your Knowledge) project, the students have made their own lamps called Aser40 with the help from their mentor, Nguyen Ly Thuy, a teacher of math.

They have also received support from the Green Innovation and Development Centre Vietnam (GreenID), a non-governmental organisation that promotes the co-benefits of sustainable energy, good practices about renewable energy, and energy efficiency.

Green ID helps them to call for donations and connect with Ea Rot Village authorities.

So far, the group has received VND59 million (US$2,531) in donations and 100 solar panels for the programme.

They aim to have VND75 million ($3,217) and 175 panels to give lamps to more than 170 students at the Ea-Rot Primary School.

Ea-Rot, a poor village in Krong Bong District, has a population of 946, with most of them Mong.

Children in the village who must work to support their families after school study at night. However, the village has not yet connected with the national power grid, so they do not have enough lights for study.

Thuy said: I want the students to feel happy about the gifts. Happiness is the biggest gift.

More details for the project can be found at https://www.facebook.com/aser40.

VNS
The Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) have lost a lawsuit related to the withdrawal of a doctorate degree from Hoang Xuan Que from the Hanoi National University of Economics.

The ministry decided to revoke a doctorate degree granted to Hoang Xuan Que, Deputy Head of the Finance & Banking Institute under the National Economics University in 2013.

Hoang Xuan Que

Dr. Hoang Xuan Ques thesis, entitled Solutions to perfect the basic instruments of monetary policies in Vietnam was denounced to have been 30% plagiarised from a dissertation written by Dr. Mai Thanh Que, from the Banking Academy.

Dr. Mai Thanh Que defended his doctoral dissertation just months before Dr. Hoang Xuan Que.

Hoang Xuan Que denied the accusation and asked the MOET to re-consider the case. Then he decided to sue the ministry.

One of the three people who denounced Hoang Xuan Que was Dr. Nguyen Van Nam, former rector of Hanoi National Economics University. Nam was also a member of the jury which examined Dr. Hoang Xuan Ques thesis.

Que struggled to prove that the accusation was groundless.

At the court, MOET showed Ques dissertations which were 30% plagiarised from Mai Thanh Ques one. However, Hoang Thanh Que insisted that the document was forged. He requested the MOET to provide his own dissertations which were submitted to the ministry for consideration earlier. But the ministry failed to do that.

At the trial by late last year, the Hanoi Peoples Court announced that the accusation against Hoang Thanh Que was groundless and cancelled the MOETs decision to revoke his doctorate degree.

The MOET has been ordered to re-grant the doctorate to Que. Dtinews
Tran Huong Quynh believes that students and teachers need to change learning and teaching methods.

If technology is utilized by teachers who have deep professional knowledge and good teaching methods, it will bring high efficiency.

With this belief, Quynh, a lecturer at the English Faculty of the Hanoi University of Education, stepped up to the podium to be honored at the 2019 Global Education Forum held in Paris.

Quynh was born to become a teacher. At the age of 9-10, she liked acting as a teacher to teach children living in the same residential quarter.

If technology is utilized by teachers who have deep professional knowledge and good teaching methods, it will bring high efficiency.

I always have passion for explaining phenomena to make complicated things more understandable and clear, Quynh, whose parents teach natural science subjects.

However, according to Quynh, teachers in modern times not only play a role of explaining things to make things more understandable. In the digital era, providing knowledge is just a very small part of teachers workload.

The more important thing teachers need to do is encourage students and stimulate their creativity and passions, she said.

She believes technology application will help teachers do this.

After finishing university, Quynh became a university lecturer of English. At that time, in 2006-2007, schools in Vietnam began encouraging teachers to use IT in teaching.

The then young lecturer immediately began working on using technologies. I wish my students could approach new learning methods. I dont want to give boring lessons, she explained.

After winning the first prize at the competition on using IT in teaching organized by the school in 2006, she received an Australian government scholarship to study in the country.

She returned to Vietnam four years later after obtaining a doctorate and began teaching students belonging to Z-generation. The students are creative and dynamic who dont want to sit in the same places to listen to teachers.

Luckily, she heard about MIE (Microsoft Innovative Educator) community, where the members want to discover reasonable teaching methods. She heard about Sway, an app that allows users to design simple lessons.

Joining the community, her dream of bringing life into class and bringing class to the world has come true.

In the classroom, Quynh can connect with classes in the rest of the world through Skype. During the lessons, students can have cultural exchange with foreign students. I can see the passion and enthusiasm of students in every lesson organized this way, she said.

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While experts and travel firms say visa policy plays an important role in attracting tourists, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs disagrees that that visa ranking affects tourism competitiveness.

The considerable increase in the number of foreign travelers in recent years cannot satisfy ministries and branches, because the number of travelers and their spending are lower than other regional countries.

Foreign travelers stay longer in Vietnam but spend less, $96 in Vietnam vs $330 per day in Singapore. The proportion of foreign travelers from high-spending markets is on the decrease (from 7.6 percent to 5.8 percent for travelers from North America and 14.6 percent to 13.1 percent for Europe).

Vu The Binh, deputy chair of the Vietnam Tourism Association, said the number of foreign travelers only increased by 7.6 percent in the first four months of the year, the lowest growth rate in the last few years, and to improve the situation, its necessary to improve the competitiveness of the visa policy.

Sharing the same view, Truong Tan Son from Saigontourist commented that the visa application procedure causes people to think they are not welcome. Son proposed waiving visas for travelers from a number of countries, high income travelers and those who travel and go on business regularly.

Pham Ha, director of Lux Group, said the biggest problems in the tourism industry are visa, HR development, tourism products and tourism promotion.

The current visa policy is a big barrier. I strongly propose applying the visa waiver policy to as many countries as possible. Indonesia is applying the policy for 169 countries, Ha said.

Foreign travelers stay longer in Vietnam but spend less, $96 in Vietnam vs $330 per day in Singapore. The proportion of foreign travelers from high-spending markets is on the decrease (from 7.6 percent to 5.8 percent for travelers from North America and 14.6 percent to 13.1 percent for Europe).

CEO of Vietravel Nguyen Quoc Ky suggested applying a flexible visa policy. Taiwan, for example, applies the Kuan Hung visa policy for Vietnamese.

If we want to develop tourism, we need to have a more open visa policy, Ky said, adding that visas could be granted in a flexible way depending on high/low tourism season, big events such as the F1 race, Hue Festival and SEA Games.

Luong Hoai Nam, deputy CEO of Ngoi Sao Viet Airline, said the question raised most regularly by travelers is why Vietnam doesnt waive a visa for them, while other countries do this.

Nguyen Phuong Lan from MOFA disagrees that a new visa policy will help lure more foreign travelers to Vietnam.

Vietnam has unilaterally applied the visa waiver policy for citizens from 13 countries since 2004 and granted e-visas to citizens from 80 countries. Surveys have found that the unilateral visa waiver policy is not the decisive factor affecting Vietnams tourism industry.

Lan cited a report of VNAT as saying that the growth rate of tourism from the US and Canada, markets which require a visa, is even higher than markets enjoying the policy.

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By Trend





President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has received a delegation led by Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Belarus Igor, Trend reports referring to the Azerbaijani presidential press-service.

The head of state noted that bilateral relations between Azerbaijan and Belarus are developing successfully and dynamically. President Ilham Aliyev said that the visit of the delegation led by Belarus Deputy Prime Minister Igor Lyashenko to Azerbaijan creates a good opportunity for discussing prospects of the relations. Touching upon the 13th Azerbaijan International Agriculture Exhibition in Baku, President Ilham Aliyev hailed the active participation of Belarus in this event. The head of state pointed out that Azerbaijan appreciates the quality of Belarus agricultural products, and described the opening of Azerbaijans trading house in Belarus during his visit as a good sign of cooperation in this area.

Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Belarus Igor Lyashenko thanked for the warm words. The deputy prime minister noted that the active participation of Belarus in the 13th Azerbaijan International Agriculture Exhibition is a result of President Ilham Aliyev`s attention to cooperation between the two countries. He underlined the successful implementation of joint projects in accordance with the Azerbaijani and Belarus presidents` instructions to develop the bilateral ties. Igor Lyashenko said that during the visit to Azerbaijan they familiarized themselves with agricultural machinery and other vehicles, which are produced in Azerbaijan and will be jointly manufactured, praising works in this area as successful.

Along with agriculture, the sides discussed the prospects for cooperation between the two countries in the fields of machine building and automotive industry, stressed the importance of export of Azerbaijan's products, particularly tobacco and wine, and exchanged views on the expansion of cooperation in this area.








Vietnam Airlines on May 16 announced that it will add 600,000 seats on both domestic and international flights between June 1 and August 8, as travel demand skyrockets.

Passengers line up to get on a Vietnam Airlines aircraft

A total 7.5 million seats will be available during the period, with 4.8 million for domestic flights.

Some 2.7 million seats will serve international routes, with the highest increases of seats seen on those connecting Vietnam to Thailand, Japan and the Republic of Korea.

Several promotion programmes will also be launched.

With nearly 40 domestic and more than 50 foreign routes, Vietnam Airlines flies passengers to destinations across Vietnam, Southeast Asia, Northeast Asia, Europe and Australia.

In 2010, Vietnam Airlines became a member of SkyTeam  a global airline alliance whose 20 members provide access to an extensive global network of 16,609 daily flights to 1074 destinations in 177 countries.

In 2015, the carrier became the first airline in the world to operate both next-generation aircraft Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner and Airbus A350-900 XWB at the same time.

The airline has spearheaded Vietnams aviation market  one of the fastest-growing domestic markets in the world  throughout its 20 years of development at double-digit annual growth.  VNA
According to Vietcombank, 94 per cent of banks in Viet Nam are investing in digitisation and 42 per cent of them consider digital baking a top priority. Photo courtesy of HDBank

HCM CITY  Challenges related to network security, customer trust and an inadequate legal framework are road blocks to the digital transformation of Vietnamese banks, experts told a conference in HCM City yesterday.

Speaking at Vietnam Banking Conference: Digital Banking, Le Anh Dung, deputy head of the State Bank of Viet Nams Payment Department, said, In Viet Nam, security risks such as fraud, customer fraud, network attacks on bank infrastructure, and user data leakage are rising.

According to Ernst & Young Vietnam, 8,319 cyber attacks occurred on banks last year and 560,000 computers were affected by malwares capable of stealing bank account information.

Banks faced losses of US$642 million caused by computer viruses, while only 52 per cent of customers worried about security while using online banking.

Nguyen Hung Nguyen, deputy general director of National Payment Services Vietnam (NAPAS), said, [The lack of] customer trust is also an obstacle in digital banking.

He said 90 per cent of payments for e-commerce transactions are done through cash-on-delivery because customers do not trust sellers and deliverers.

Nguyen Thi Thu Hang, director of Vietcombanks e-banking services development department in HCM City, agreed with Nguyen about the preponderance of cash.

Vietnamese have kept the habit of using cash for a long time. The habit of buying online is gradually forming but the common payment form is still COD.

According to Vietcombank, 94 per cent of banks in Viet Nam are investing in digitisation and 42 per cent of them consider digital baking a top priority.

Around 30 per cent of the countrys population have a bank account and 70 per cent have smart phones connected to the internet. However, only 20 per cent of customers make online transactions.

Experts at the conference also focused on the lack of regulations governing digital services.

Hang said, There is no legal framework for data sharing, storage and exploitation.

Nguyen said the Government should create a framework for a regulatory sandbox for applying new digital technologies.

He also called for drafting regulations for fintech to serve underbanked customers.

As for the legal framework, Dung said the Government should instruct relevant ministries and departments to create a national database on the population and allow opening, sharing and connecting with services such as banking, telecommunications and insurance.

The Government should create a legal framework for user data security and information security to create a safe and reliable digital transaction system, he added.  VNS
Trump has wanted to wage war against Iran for more than three decades to remove the Iranian regime and to steal their oil reserves. He may be on the verge of trying to fulfill his ambition.

By James DiGeorgia

During the 2016 campaign, President boasted he loves war. Now it seems, Trump and his administration are going to wag the dog and try to take attention away from all of its scandals by instigating a war with Iran.

Trumps withdrawal from the United States from the Iranian Nuclear treaty and re-imposition of onerous economic sanctions is increasingly likely to be the catalyst for a war in the middle-east.

A little over a week ago the Trump Administration announced the United States was sending an Aircraft carrier group to reinforce U.S. military forces in the region of Iran. This was of concerns over the possibility of Iranian forces shutting down the Strait of Hormuz from which an estimated 20% of the worlds oil passes, in response to President Trumps banning oil exports from Iran.

Last Thursday President Trumps top national security aides met with acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan who presented an updated military plan that envisions sending as many as 120,000 troops to wage war if Iran attacks the U.S. or its allied forces or accelerates its nuclear weapons development program.

With that as a backdrop, the sudden rise of covert sabotage and attacks on the assets of U.S. oil exporting allies in the region appear to gear up.

On Monday, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) suffered what they described as "sabotage attack" against oil tankers. Yesterday, two drones struck on Saudi Arabian oil pumping stations. While the damage in both instances was minimal, the inception of these attacks may lead to all-out war.










EVANSDALE  The Evansdale AMVETS Post 31 Riders will host a grilled steak supper from 5 to 7 p.m. Saturday.

There will be karaoke by Box Canyon following dinner. All are welcome.

4-H program seeks volunteers

WATERLOO  The Black Hawk County 4-H program is recruiting adult volunteers to join the countys FIRST Lego League program.

Currently, there are two 4-H FLL and FLL Jr. clubs active in Black Hawk County, and 4-H youth waiting to join a team.

An informational meeting will be offered at 6:30 p.m. June 13 in the Black Hawk County Extension Office, 3420 University Ave.

Toddler Time set at Imaginarium

WATERLOO  The Bluedorn Science Imaginarium, 322 Washington St., will host an Insects Toddler Time from 10 to 11 a.m. on May 30.

People can bring children ages 1-4 and enjoy story time, science-themed crafts and activities, and a chance to meet an animal friend.

Cost is $5 for parents/guardians.

Toddlers are free as are museum members.

Vets museum open for holiday

WATERLOO  The Sullivan Brothers Iowa Veterans Museum, 503 South St., will be open on Memorial Day, May 27, from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m.

People can visit the museum after Waterloos Memorial Day Parade for free food provided by Friendship Village (first 100 visitors) with paid admission, and hands-on activities.

Syttende Mai to be celebrated

CEDAR FALLS  Celebrate Syttende Mai by attending the Sons of Norway meeting set at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Cedar Falls Womans Club, 304 Clay St.

Traditional Norwegian food will be served, and the speaker will be Quinten Boykin who serves as the honorary consul for Norway for Iowa.

Reservations can be called to 483-5071.

Blood drive set in Cedar Falls

CEDAR FALLS  First United Methodist Church, 718 Clay St., will host a community blood drive from 12:30 to 6 p.m. Monday.

For an appointment, go to lifeservebloodcenter.org or call (800) 287-4903.

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CRESCO  Trial has been set of June for a Cresco man accused of trying to kill officers during a high-speed chase in March.

Richard Dale Ogle II, 29, on Monday pleaded not guilty to charges of attempted murder, eluding, going armed, felon in possession of a firearm, domestic abuse, carrying weapons, operating while intoxicated and carrying a weapon while under the influence.

He remains at the Winneshiek County Jail pending trial, which has been set for June 26 in Howard County District Court in Cresco.

According to court records, Cresco police were sent to Ogles home on March 16 after receiving a report that he had held a gun to his girlfriends head. The woman was removed from the house when authorities arrived, and officers believed that Ogle had barricaded himself inside.

A short time later, Ogle left the house and drove off in a silver Mazda. What followed was a 14-mile chase that reached speeds of 100 mph. Before the chase ended on Highway 9 a few miles west of Ridgeway, Ogle allegedly fired at the pursuing officers, according to court records.

Authorities found a .380-caliber Ruger pistol with a spent shell casing on the floorboard, and a fired bullet was found in the passenger seat. Ogle was carrying a bag with 21 rounds of ammunition.

Ogle showed signs of intoxication during field sobriety tests, and a breath test found a blood-alcohol level of .118, records state.\

Authorities allege Ogle is barred from possessing firearms because of convictions for drugs, child abuse, malicious conduct by a prisoner and assault with a deadly weapon in Rockingham County, North Carolina, in 2009 and 2017.

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WESTGATE  A Westgate man has been arrested for allegedly killing an infant he was looking after in April 2018.

Court records indicate Dean Alan Hettinger, 22, and his girlfriend were looking after her relatives 4-week-old child, Holten Patrick Smith, on April 29, 2018, when the baby was taken to the hospital and later died.

Hettinger was arrested Thursday for first-degree murder and child endangerment causing death. The murder charge carries a life prison sentence without parole.

When Holton was born, he was removed by the Iowa Department of Human Services because he and his mother tested positive for methamphetamine, according to court records. The baby was placed with a relative, who was living with Hettinger at 23837 90th St. in rural Westgate, records state. The couple also was caring for their own 7-month-old son.

On the night of April 29, 2018, Hettinger and his girlfriend brought Holten to Community Memorial Hospital in Sumner because the child was having seizures and was unresponsive.

The baby was transferred to University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City where doctors found a brain bleed, according to court record. Doctors said the injury was likely the cause of recent non-accidental head trauma.

The child lingered in the hospital for a month and died on May 27, 2018, of the injuries, according to the Fayette County Sheriffs Office.

During the autopsy, doctors found 36 rib fractures, court records state.

During initial interviews with authorities, neither Hettinger nor his girlfriend had an explanation for the injuries, according to court records.

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WATERLOO  Despite being in Newark, N.J., Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Cory Booker spoke to Iowans all over the state Wednesday evening.

Booker held a digital conversation with 16 watch parties, one of which was at Bakari Behavioral Health in Waterloo.

Across the state, prospective caucus goers listened and watched Booker on projected screens.

Mineisha Ford arrived 50 minutes early and was pleased to be there.

This was good, Ford said. She hopes other candidates hold similar events.

Next time there should be more political officials from the county active and present for things like this, Ford said. I think its something to look forward to doing again. You wont be aware if youre not here and participating in these things.

Others prefer a face-to-face event.

I think that it might work for some things, but a rally is much more powerful because you have the people right there, said the Rev. Edward Loggins

A group of 18 people turned out for the event and watched Booker address submitted questions on topics like gun violence.

Many attendees had strong feelings on the subject.

Its personal for me, the gun violence issue, because I had a tragedy in my family last year. Thats why I made a point to come, Ford said.

Loggins also is concerned about gun violence in Waterloo.

Locally I think we have too much of a problem where guns are concerned, Loggins said.

Booker talked about introducing legislation to restrict access to guns for people at risk of self harm. He also released a series of proposal to curb gun violence around the country.

Booker began the evening discussing legislation signed into law in Alabama on Wednesday that totally bans abortions and would give doctors who perform abortions life-sentences.

Wednesday night was the second digital conversation via Google Hangout that Booker has held since beginning his presidential run.

It was the first time a presidential candidate has held a digital conversation in Waterloo.

The event overall may have had an impact on Fords vote.

You tend to lean toward the people that have the same belief and agendas as us when it comes to election, Ford said. It was definitely a plus.

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By Trend





On May 15, President of the Republic of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan made a phone call to President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan congratulated President Ilham Aliyev and the people of Azerbaijan on the occasion of the month of Ramadan, and wished the head of state and the people of Azerbaijan prosperity.

President Ilham Aliyev thanked for the attention and congratulations, and congratulated Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the people of Turkey on the occasion of the holiday and extended his best wishes to the Turkish President and people.

During the conversation, the heads of state expressed confidence that friendly and brotherly relations between Azerbaijan and Turkey will continue to develop successfully in all areas.
DES MOINES -- One of Iowas top elected Democrats is endorsing Montana Gov. Steve Bullock in the partys crowded presidential primary.

Iowa attorney general Tom Miller on Thursday morning announced his endorsement of Bullock, who announced his campaign for president earlier this week and was scheduled to hold his first campaign event in Iowa on Thursday evening.

Bullock is a two-term Montana governor and former attorney general of that state.

Miller is the longest-serving state attorney general in U.S. history.

Miller endorsed Barack Obama early in the 2008 cycle and Hillary Clinton late in the 2016 cycle.

The crisis that faces our country calls for leadership with proven character, a record of success, and an ability to connect with all Americans, Miller said in a statement issued by the Bullock campaign. Gov. Bullock can win the Democratic nomination, beat Donald Trump, and repair our nation -- and I will be there at every step to help how I can.

Miller in the statement praised Bullock for his progressive vision and proving that America is stronger when we unite. In a video released by the campaign, Miller said he knows better than to tell Iowans for whom to caucus, but encouraged them to give Bullock a chance and listen to his message.

Bullock in the statement said he looks forward to campaigning with Miller and taking our shared value of fighting for the rights of every American across Iowa and the country.

Miller is one of three statewide elected Democrats in Iowa, along with longtime treasurer Mike Fitzgerald and newly minted auditor Rob Sand. Neither of them has endorsed any of the 24 Democrats running for president, nor has any of Iowas three Democrats serving in the U.S. House: Dave Loebsack, Abby Finkenauer and Cindy Axne.

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WATERLOO  On Tuesday, UnityPoint Health-Waterloo leadership, employees and supporters gathered at Allen College to celebrate the success of the For Allen For You capital campaign, one of the largest capital campaigns in the organizations history.

The campaign raised $13.6 million to help fund three local UnityPoint projects totaling $40.5 million. Those projects include:

UnityPoint Health-Prairie Parkway construction, a new comprehensive outpatient medical home in Cedar Falls.

Allen College-UnityPoint Health initiatives, including building renovations, medical education program expansions and additional endowed scholarship support for students.

UnityPoint Health-Allen Hospital initiatives, including the birthing center, neonatal intensive care unit and pediatrics unit renovations and expansion.

There was 100 percent participation in campaign giving by UnityPoint Health-Waterloo team members.

Their combined gifts exceeded $1 million.

Additionally, lead gifts came from longtime Allen supporter, the late Pauline Barrett, the estates of Doris Travis and Edward W. Jesse Jr., and the R.J. McElroy Trust.

Donors are the heart of capital campaigns, said Pam Delagardelle, president and CEO of UnityPoint Health-Waterloo, in a release. They see a future they believe in and get involved to make it happen. We are grateful to every donor who saw our vision for Allen Hospital, Allen College and Prairie Parkway and said, I can help. They have made health care better and stronger across the Cedar Valley.

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Thailander architect Boonserm Premthada has been named as the winner of the 2019 Royal Academy Dorfman Award For Architecture, an annual award honours an international talent that represents the future of architecture.

Announced by the Royal Academy of Arts, a distinguished jury praised the architect for using local construction methods and materials in his projects.

The jury also stressed that "it is crucial as his practice celebrates the importance of craft in architecture, leading to carefully detailed projects with a deep sense of authenticity."

Elephant World, Surin Province, Thailand, 2015 (under construction). Image  Spaceshift Studio

Premthada's Kantana Film and Animation Institute in Nakhon Pathom were shown as an example since he often utilised the skills of local craftspeople and traditional production methods on these projects.

Born and raised in the heart of Bangkok, Boonserm Premthada founded Bangkok Project Studio in 2003. The practice celebrates the importance of craft in architecture, leading to carefully detailed projects with a deep sense of authenticity.

"Local construction methods and materials are crucial to Premthadas work and his buildings, such as the Kantana Film and Animation Institute in Nakhon Pathom, often utilise the skills of local craftspeople and traditional production methods," stated the jury.

Kantana Institute, Nakhon Pathom, Thai Lan, 2011. Image courtesy of Bangkok Project Studio

He has a deep interest in the ways in which non-architects intuitively solve spatial problems and states that it is this that enables him to produce quality works that fulfil both their commercial and social potential regardless of scale. In addition to directing the studio, Premthada also teaches at Chulalongkorn University and is a regular lecturer at other universities and architecture associations.

The 10,000 award was decided and presented at a ceremony at the Royal Academy of Arts, following public presentations by each finalist.

"I am very happy to have been chosen as the winner of the Royal Academy Dorfman Award. It gives me the opportunity to share my love of architecture and what I believe in with the world," said Boonserm Premthada.

The Wine Ayutthaya, Thailand, 2017. Image  Spaceshift Studio

lan Stanton RA, chair of the jury, said: "The jury had an incredibly tough decision to make but we were all knocked back by Boonserm Premthadas particularly unique projects, which demonstrate an extraordinary empathy, originality and poetic qualities. We are excited to see how Premthadas work develops, in particular how he can apply his inimitable approach to the challenges of urban environments".

"All of the four Royal Academy Dorfman Award finalists have shared immensely impressive projects that demonstrate how inspiring architecture can make a difference to peoples every-day experience. They have highlighted why the Royal Academy Architecture Awards, now in their second year, are one of the most important aspects of the Royal Academys architectural activities. We believe in fostering architectural talent, enhancing discourse across the world and building greater awareness and knowledge of the role architects are playing in shaping our environments," said Kate Goodwin, Head of Architecture and Drue Heinz Curator, Royal Academy of Arts.

The Wine Ayutthaya, Thailand, 2017. Image  Spaceshift Studio

The 2019 Royal Academy Dorfman Award is part of the second annual Royal Academy Architecture Awards Week which is being held 13-17 May 2019.

The week of talks and events includes the Royal Academy Architecture Prize Lecture by architects Elizabeth Diller and Ricardo Scofidio, and a cultural outreach program which has been developed with the British Council as International Partner for the Awards.

The annual award, supported by the Dorfman Foundation, forms part of the RAs increased commitment to architecture and was decided by a distinguished international jury, chaired by the Royal Academician and co-founder of Stanton Williams Alan Stanton. Jury members included artist Phyllida Barlow RA, Director of LSE Cities Ricky Burdett, co-founder of Sauerbruch Hutton Louisa Hutton RA, Head of the Graduate School of Architecture at the University of Johannesburg Lesley Lokko, and broadcaster Kirsty Wark.

The Wine Ayutthaya, Thailand, 2017. Image  Spaceshift Studio

They were joined by last years winner of the Royal Academy Dorfman Award, Iranian architect Alireza Taghaboni and the winners of the Royal Academy Architecture Prize, Elizabeth Diller and Ricardo Scofidio.

Boonserm Premthada was selected from four finalists nominated for the Royal Academy Dorfman Award, including Fernanda Canales (Mexico), Alice Casey and Cian Deegan, TAKA (Ireland), and Mariam Kamara, Atelier Masomi (Niger).

Top image: Boonserm Premthada. Image courtesy of RA

> via RA
The 5th Tallinn Architecture Biennale, whose Opening Week will take place from September 11th  15th, 2019 in multiple venues in the heart of Tallinn, Estonia, has announced its programme, designed to fostering dialogue, multidisciplinarity and experimentation.

Dedicated to the theme "Beauty Matters: The Resurgence of Beauty", the international architecture festival, organised by the Estonian Centre for Architecture and curated by Dr. Yael Reisner, celebrates the aesthetic experience in architecture, after almost 80 years of cultural bias.

Addressing both architects and the general public, TAB 2019 Official Programme consists of five main events: a Curatorial Exhibition, a Symposium, a Vision Competition Exhibition, an Installation Programme and an International Architecture Schools' Exhibition.

In parallel, these events will be enriched by a Satellite Programme curated by Estonian architect Kirke Pass, comprising of exhibitions, lectures, installations, architectural film screenings and other events around the city; and by TAB Club, an information hub and a meeting place in Tallinn Creative Hub Kultuurikatel.

Dr. Yael Reisner, TAB 2019 head curator. Image  NAARO

"The Curatorial Exhibition invites audiences to reflect on the concept of beauty: Aspiring to beauty is aiming at depth  the true challenge in architecture, as it is in poetry, mathematics, or politics. The eight invited architects  both recognized and emerging  were asked to propose a project focusing on beauty through the lens of habitation," asserted the Head Curator.

"They were challenged to design a project that is both local to Tallinn and global; a conduit for the emotional experience of beauty in an urban context. Thus, the curatorial exhibition would capture these two burning issues, explored by architects who differ in their agendas and aesthetics," added Head Curator.

TAB 2015 installation Body Building by Sille Pihlak and Siim Tuksam. Image  Tonu Tunnel

Highlights include the following: the new experience of nature in the habitation of the future proposed by Sou Fujimoto Architects (JP) with its The Open Cave; Augmented Nature  a natural landscape created with an augmented reality app by Elena Manferdini (USA); the exploration of the paradigm shift in communication technology by Space Popular (UK) with The Venn Room; the installation Tick, which combines the utopia of modernist housing, energy-efficient reconstruction and vernacularism by KTA (EST); a new type of living space for the binuclear family called Beauty-Ful(l) Life, conceived by Kadri Kerge (EST, USA); the flexible Temporal Environment system that adapts to environmental conditions designed by soma (AT); new immersive forms of habitation proposed by MARCH studio (AU) entitled TRANSOCCUPATION; and the Growing Cities project by Barnaby Gunning Studio & Yael Reisner Studio (UK), based on a new urbanism encouraging direct daily interaction with nature.

TAB 2017 Installation by Gilles Retsin. Image  NAARO

The TAB Conference Programme unfolds with the one-day Conference Space and Digital Reality and the two-day Symposium "Beauty Matters. Just Like Love, Its Real", which aims to generate genuine interdisciplinary debates. With disciplines ranging from architecture to neuroscience, poetry to mathematics, and philosophy to artificial intelligence, it encompasses various panels that debate budding beauty in all creative fields. The list of participants includes Graham Harman (USA); Maria Lee Liivak (EST), Ron Aharoni (IL), among others.

The Vision Competition Exhibition will showcase a selection of more than 80 competition entries. Based on the main curatorial topic and entitled "New Habitats, New Beauties", the competition focuses on the east side of Kopli, an urban area part of Kalamaja, in the North of Tallinn. Participants were asked to escape the bland globalisation of standard architecture and to find new concepts in keeping with the alternative lifestyles of the inhabitants.

2019 Installation by Steampunk. Image  Steampunk

The models created by the 12 finalists of the competition "Huts and Habitats" curated by architect Gilles Retsin (UK) will be presented at the exhibition related to Installation Programme, whilst the winning proposal Steampunk by Gwyllim Jahn and Cameron Newnham (Fologram, AU), Soomeen Hahm Design (UK), Igor Pantic (UK) will be built in August 2019 in the lively green pedestrian area facing the Museum of Estonian Architecture. It will be presented during TAB 2019 Opening Week and will remain in place until the next edition in 2021.

Finally, Terribly Beautiful is the title chosen for the International Architecture Schools Exhibition, which includes the latest works by the most prestigious academic institutions worldwide. Curated by young Estonian architects Merlilin Kaup, Margus Tammik and Ulla Alla, it will be displayed at the Estonian Academy of Arts Gallery.

Tickets for Tallinn Architecture Biennale (TAB 2019) are now officially on sale:

TAB Pass (including Curatorial Exhibition entrance, Symposium ticket, tote bag, catalogue, TAB Gala entrance):

Early Bird until July 1st: 50,00

Starting from July 1st:60,00

TAB Pass special price for students (fixed): 39,00

Further ticket options are available at this link.

TAB 2019 facts:

Opening Week: September 11th  15th, 2019

Dates: September 11th  November 17th, 2019

Head Curator: Dr. Yael Reisner (London)

Assistant Curator for Curatorial Competition entry: Johanna Joekalda (Tallinn)

Curators' Assistants: Liina Soosaar (Tallinn), Barnaby Gunning (London)

Production: Eve Arpo, Maria Kristiin Peterson (Estonian Centre for Architecture)

Schools Exhibition Curators: Merilin Kaup, Ulla Alla, Margus Tammik (Tallinn)

Satellite Programme Curator: Kirke Pass (Tallinn)

Top image: Steampunk, courtesy of Gwyllim Jahn and Cameron Newnham (Fologram), Soomeen Hahm Design, Igor Pantic. Image  Steampunk

> via TAB 2019






Dubai Exports, a unit of the Department of Economic Development (DED) in Dubai, and the International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC) recently hosted a forum to promote trade and investment between Arab and African countries



The two-day Agri-Food Forum was attended by 40 companies from 15 African countries, witnessed over 200 business-to-business (B2B) meetings on building mutual relations and enhancing agri-food exports.



Organised under the umbrella of the Arab-Africa Trade Bridges Program (AATB), the forum highlighted the potential that agri-foods have in promoting domestic productivity, in creating jobs in Arab and African countries, and in facilitating mutual trade and investment.



Mohammed Ali Al Kamali, deputy CEO of Dubai Exports, said the forum primarily sought to enhance relations between the private sector in Africa and the UAE so that they are well-positioned to take advantage of existing and emerging opportunities in both regions.



"A key element of the Dubai Exports strategy is to support and create platforms for buyers and suppliers to share information on new and emerging markets, Al Kamali said.



Africa is an outstanding opportunity, as is evident from the high growth and rising demand being witnessed across countries in the continent. Growing consumption, connectivity and vast prospects for exports and investment makes it particularly competitive for Arab companies to build relations with Africa. The Agri-Food Forum had 40 leading agri-food companies from Africa representing the increasingly diverse tastes and preferences in the South, East, West and Central Africa.



Al Kamali added that the companies that represented different African markets in the forum were chosen on the basis of the growth rate and income levels of individuals, products imported from other countries, export advantage of Arab countries, and the scale of potential opportunities and challenges in each market.



Agri-food companies from Mauritania, Senegal, Ivory Coast, Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, Nigeria, Benin, Gabon, Sudan, Uganda, Ethiopia, Somalia, Kenya and Mozambique were among the participants in the forum.



Hani Salem Sonbol, CEO ITFC said: "ITFC's collaboration with Dubai Exports reflects our shared interest in driving economic development across the Mena region and beyond. Through this forum, the AATB has been able to provide a practical springboard for intra-regional trade and in doing so act as a catalyst for sustainable economic growth and skilled employment in both regions.



With the OIC's target to achieve 25 per cent of intra-OIC trade share by 2025, our collaboration with Dubai Exports is especially well-timed as we continue to work towards supporting private sector development and improved livelihoods in OIC member countries."



The forum was dedicated to B2B meetings thus enabling participants to engage face-to-face, sharing information and feedback on the demand and export modalities. An open discussion on customs facilities, existing trade agreements and the nature of African markets was the highlight of the opening day. Each participant was given a detailed trade report on all countries represented in the forum.  TradeArabia News Service
Maya Jasanoff at the NYRB:

To understand this Calcuttaa city in declineits helpful to start from a different beginning. In her innovative new book, Empire and Ecology in the Bengal Delta, Debjani Bhattacharyya, a professor of history at Drexel University, describes how Bengalis had their own story about Calcuttas origins. Legend has it that the city was born when the ocean started churning, and a tortoise, pressed between the mountains and the force of Ananta, the infinite, gasped out a deep breath. Its breath made the Bengal Delta, a vast 40,000-square-mile area where the Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers seep into the Bay of Bengal. This legend, like the legend of Job Charnock, also carries an element of truth: Calcutta rests on shifting ground. It should be no surprise that its fortunes have shifted too.

Bengalis have many words for the kinds of terrain that emerge and disappear between the rivers shifting channels, including char, for the new sedimentary deposits turned up by every monsoon; chechra bhanga, for the silt that emerges when the floodwaters recede; and chapa bhanga, for large chunks of land that the water breaks off and carries away.

more here.
Ben Ehrenreich in Topic:

Ashraf had been gone for more than a decade when he and Fathiya first heard about a fertility clinic in Ramallah that had begun helping the wives of Palestinian prisoners become pregnant with sperm smuggled out of Israeli jails. (Israeli prisoners are permitted conjugal visits; Palestinians are not.) The couple discussed it, Fathiya says, but neither of them was convinced it was a good idea.

The next time she visited Ashraf, she says with a smile, he surprised me. Prisoners are allowed to buy gifts of food for their visitors. Ashraf handed her a bag of cookies. He had it there, already prepared, she said. He said, Do it.

Fathiya stands, jogs suddenly from the room, and comes back with the wrapper from a pack of chocolate hazelnut Quadratini wafers, the very pack she smuggled out of the prison that day. Her son, Amir, who is now five, wide-eyed and serious, squirms on the sofa beside her. Thats why hes so sweet, she says, pulling the boy to her lap.

More here.
"So, uh, can I try it?" I ask hesitantly, and more than once, during my time at the Calm for Mom event co-hosted by cannabis-meets-wellness company Dosist and flower delivery darlings Matilda's Bloombox, whose beautiful floral boxes complete with arranging instructions aim to put the blackest of thumbs at ease.

I feel the same trepidation eyeing the range of pre-dosed cannabis pens as I do the boxes of beautiful blooms in front of me, unsure of protocol for both and equally afraid of messing either up. I'm an unfortunate combination of rare cannabis consumer (and flower arranger) and debilitating perfectionist, which leads to a fun sort of paralysis when I encounter a situation at which I might fail.

If flower arranging makes you feel frazzled, try a dose of Calm. (Photography by Caitlin Hannan)

I'd already managed to fail a few times: at parallel parking in front of Harvest on Geary, the location for the Saturday afternoon event, and in showing up properly attired, since my post-workout duds didn't necessarily blend in with the chic jumpsuits and plaid button-downs I discovered in the dispensary's equally as stylish back room. Needless to say, I was stressin'.



But the beauty of the shifting dispensary and cannabis scene is that it's evolved from what I remember as an almost exclusionary approach to those not in the marijuana know to one where both newbies and long-time consumers are welcomed; the goal isn't always necessarily to get high, and cannabis is rapidly unfolding as the darling of the wellness scene.

During the Calm for Mom event, what first struck me was the location. As someone who can count the number of times she's been to a dispensary on one hand, I largely equate the experience with feeling stupid, doing things wrong, and panicked while ordering when I finally reach the front of the line (see failing above). Harvest on Geary upended my expectations. The interior feels open and airy, with products beautifully packaged and displayed, knowledgeable staff eager to answer questions, and a general sense of zen that immediately put me at ease.

I've seen Dosist's vape pens at a dispensary or two in the past, and I've always been drawn to the chic packaginghey, I'm a sucker for good designand general ethos, so I made a beeline for the dedicated display, where I was able to chat with a Dosist rep about the brand and benefits. Okay, wait, I've been using edibles (and to be honest, waking up feeling super groggy and sometimes a little still-high) when there was a whole brand dedicated to providing the benefits of cannabis-based medicine in a controlled way? Welp, I've been doing things wrongbut this time, I don't feel like a failure.

Emily and Matt Boschetto, founders our Matilda's Bloombox. (Photography by Caitlin Hannan)

Instead, I feel exhilarated. While I've clocked Dosist on a few wellness influencers' Instagram feeds, I've somehow managed to miss experiencing the brand since it started almost three years ago. And with a controlled 2.25 milligram dose in each of the brand's six formulas, Dosist's approach to cannabis is more in line with my feelings towards the stufflet's use it for targeted treatment rather than loopy fun. Even better in my mind? Dosist is strain-agnostic, meaning I don't have to try and remember if I like indica or sativa or a hybrid (it might as well be the Pythagorean theorem) when ordering.



Feeling empowered, I make my way back to Harvest on Geary's loungewhere you can imbibe cannabis on premisebut I'm immediately overwhelmed: There are beautiful flowers (not the cannabis kind, but honest-to-goodness fresh-picked beauties), beautiful people, beautifully packaged products, and me: stinky Lycra and all. Even the decor seems to mock me, with powder-blue tufted couches outfitted with furry pillows and lit by chandeliers. My self-doubt is in overdrive: Have I failed with just showing up?

Luckily, Dosist head wellness concierge Sophie Stimola is there to help put me at ease with a sample of Calm, which has the highest concentration of CBD, at 1:10 THC to CBD. "Can I, uh, try it?" I ask, with not a small amount of trepidation. Even here, I'm afraid of failure, as I've never used a vape pen. Luckily, Stimola produces a mouth cap (used for hygiene in sampling situations) and tells me how to experience Dosist. Simply inhale, and the minimalistic packaging will issue a discreet buzz when your dose is complete. I'm unabashedly delighted with the whole process, and how I managed to not look like a total dweeb by sputtering out a smoke-induced cough.

Calm's soothing cannabinoids do the trick and manage to quiet my self-critical brain. Suddenly, I'm emboldened with another ask. "Can I, uh, try it?" I timidly broach to Matilda's Bloombox founder Emily Boschetto. She wholeheartedly welcomes me to the arranging table, where they've curated "Galini" boxeswhich translates to calm, tranquility, and peaceful serenity in Ancient Greekto pair with Dosist's Calm formula. The custom Bloombox features botanical sources of the therapeutic terpenes that inspire calm, from the myrcene found in bay leaf (ideal for anxiety and pain relief) to rosemary's anxiety- and inflammation-reducing beta-caryophyllene.

I can't tell if it's the botanical properties of my arrangement or the 1:10 THC to CBD in Calm, but I'm instantly at ease while flower arranging. All of my fear of failure around the day's event have dissipated, and I don't even take it as a sign of my own failings when Boschetto comes over to my arrangement to help me place blooms for the most aesthetically pleasing configuration. I am calm. Whether it's thanks to Dosist's Calm, Harvest on Geary's welcoming setting, or the essential oils and therapeutic terpenes from Matilda's Bloombox, I don't question it. Peace of mind is hard to find these days, and if there's anything to quiet the voice that's so eager to shout fail! when I attempt something new, I'm not going to ask too many questions. Kristen Haney

// For more information on Dosist, go to dosist.com
The growing loan balances among this group are without a doubt a shock to the retirement planning of these older Americans, said Julie B. Miller, a researcher at the MIT AgeLab. As part of a national study conducted by the MIT AgeLab and sponsored by TIAA, Miller and colleagues have conducted focus groups with 100 individuals, including 29 who are 50 and still have student loan debt, either for themselves or others. She is heading a project on how college debt affects family dynamics, long-term financial planning and retirement for adults ages 25 to 75.

"There was a lot of anger, especially among individuals nearing retirement age who've carried their college debt for many years, some for 30 or more, Miller said. Some adults in her focus group took out loans in small amounts decades ago and life took twists and turns. Others borrowed to finance their educations after their children were older because college was on my bucket list, Miller said.

Adults over 50 with college debt from paying for their loved ones education had an even wider mix of emotions, Miller said. One woman in Miller's focus groups accumulated debt from both her own college experience and that of her son. She also took on $20,000 in credit card debt to pay her son's tuition. Miller said the woman's outlook was that retirement, the R word, is not a word that I use."

In another example, Miller described a man in his early 60s who had taken out $300,000 in loans for all four of his children and still owed around $200,000. He told Miller that he and his wife made financial sacrifices when they were younger because they wanted to be active parents, which meant working less or holding positions that offered more flexibility but less pay. Now he's literally paying the price because he needs to be working longer so that he can be repaying these loans, Miller said.

Younger students who borrow can generally look forward to the higher incomes that typically come with a college education, in most cases justifying the initial debt. Historically, people tended to incur debt at younger ages  to pay for their college education and buy homes  and then paid the debt off during their working years, the AARP report says. This enabled them to enter retirement debt-free and gave them a better chance of obtaining and retaining financial security as they aged.

But borrowing for loved ones doesn't increase your earnings potential. You're not getting any extra ability to pay for it, said Douglas Webber, an economics professor who studies higher-education issues at Temple University in Philadelphia.

The options for repayment also can be less manageable for borrowers who take out loans for someone else's education. Income-driven repayment plans that are based on one's salary are available for federal loans that students incur for their own educations. But the federal parent PLUS loans are eligible for a less generous income-driven repayment plan that can be difficult to enroll in.

In fact, most borrowers who could benefit from the income-driven repayment plans don't sign up for them, federal data show. That's also true for borrowers age 50 and up, said Robert Kelchen, a professor of higher education at Seton Hall University. Such plans not only allow borrowers to pay lower monthly installments but also can offer debt forgiveness after 20 or 25 years.

AARP's report also examines the changes to federal student loan policies that might help older borrowers, including allowing those who are in default to enroll in income-driven repayment plans and prohibiting the government from taking money out of Social Security benefits and other federal payments to borrowers in default. It also recommends permitting more education loans to be dischargeable in bankruptcy, such as those with no income-based repayment options and private loans that lack death or disability discharges."

Other policy recommendations concerned financial literacy. The AARP report says that the majority of the respondents who cosigned for a private loan did not know that most of them allow cosigners to be removed from the loan if the borrower makes a series of on-time payments. Doing so is in cosigners interest because they will no longer be legally liable for the loan if the primary borrower defaults in the future, the report says.
On behalf of more than 2.8 million AARP members throughout Florida, we applaud the governors signature on this legislation, says AARPs Florida acting state director, Jack McRay.

Importing safe, affordable, Food and Drug Administration-approved prescription drugs from Canada and other countries is one of several important steps to bring down the high cost of prescription drugs for millions of Floridians.

The Florida law creates two prescription drug importation programs:

The Canadian Drug Importation Program focuses on bringing down the cost of drugs to state-funded programs, such as Medicaid and the state prison system.

The International Prescription Drug Importation Program would allow medicines to be imported from Canada and other countries. The drugs would get to consumers through wholesale distributors, pharmacies and pharmacists.

Floridians have been paying inexcusably high prices for prescription drugs for far too long, and today, we are taking action, says DeSantis.

This legislation is not only significant for what it will accomplish, but it also sends a powerful signal to Washington and other state capitols across America, McRay says. After decades of inaction, bold, bipartisan action that could bring down the high cost of prescription medication is achievable. We look forward to implementation of this legislation in the coming months and additional action in Congress and in other states on this critical issue.

Colorados new law creates one drug importation program under which the state would develop a list of high-cost drugs that are cheaper in Canada. The state, using a private company, would then purchase the medicines from Canada and sell them to participating pharmacies that would then market them to consumers.

Vermont passed its law last year but has not yet applied to the federal government for approval to start its program. The Colorado law says the state must seek federal approval by September 2020, and the Florida law requires an application be filed with HHS by July 2020. A provision in the 2003 Medicare Part D prescription drug law permits drug importation, but HHS has never approved such a program.

Under all three states laws, the imported drugs would have to meet Food and Drug Administration (FDA) standards for safety and effectiveness.

The National Academy for State Health Policy has identified a number of widely used and expensive prescription drugs that consumers could save a lot of money on if they could be purchased from Canada. For example, as of 2017, one capsule of Lyrica, a common treatment for nerve damage, cost $6.04 in the United States, compared with 63 cents in Canada. And the price of one tablet of Xarelto, used to prevent and treat blood clots, was $12.44 in the U.S. and $2.11 in Canada. Drug prices in Canada are lower in part because the government helps ensure that pharmaceutical prices are not excessive.

Colorado state officials point out that consumers wouldnt save the entire cost differential because of costs associated with the importation programs. But they are confident consumers would save a considerable amount of money under these importation plans. The Colorado and Florida laws specifically say that only drugs that generate cost savings could be imported.

Supporters of the laws see these drug importation measures as an important first step in a nationwide campaign to lower the high cost of prescription drugs.

It shows that public officials around the country are willing to start making decisions on this issue and dealing with it in an affirmative way, said John Hishta, AARP senior vice president for campaigns. In many ways, the states are showing the way for the federal government.

Public opinion surveys leading up to and since the 2018 elections consistently have shown that lowering the cost of prescription drugs has been a top priority for the vast majority of Americans. This spring, AARP launched its Stop Rx Greed campaign, designed to convince state and federal officials to act on this issue.

Lawmakers, Hishta said, are responding to a lot of the anger they are sensing from their constituents about the high price of drugs theyre faced with. Were starting to see some broad momentum around the country. When one governor or legislature acts, others see they can be successful and are following suit.

Action in the states

Hishta said more than 20 states are working on legislative proposals dealing with the high price of prescription drugs. For example, the New York Legislature is considering measures that would allow the state to import prescription drugs, force pharmaceutical companies to reveal any deals they have with generic manufacturers to delay the release of new generic drugs and empower the state attorney general to prosecute drugmakers for price gouging.

Several states this year already have passed bills to help reduce what consumers pay for vital medicines. For example, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska and Wyoming enacted laws banning so-called gag clauses that prevent pharmacists from telling a patient that paying cash for a prescription might be cheaper than using their insurance. Congress passed such a law last fall to take effect in 2020, but these state measures put these bans in place immediately.

New Mexico enacted a law creating a purchasing council to review and coordinate strategies for buying prescription drugs across state agencies more affordably. A new Maryland law establishes a drug affordability council, and a Missouri measure institutes a prescription drug transparency committee.

And in California, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed an executive order directing the state to start negotiating drug prices for the 13 million enrollees of Medi-Cal, the countrys largest Medicaid program, by 2021. His administration also will study how state agencies could band together to buy prescription drugs in bulk and allow private companies to participate. One of the pillars of AARPs Stop Rx Greed campaign is allowing the Medicare program to directly negotiate prescription prices with manufacturers, which would save Medicare beneficiaries and taxpayers money.
Hospitality Management Holding (HMH), the regions largest hotel management company, has announced the launch of a new lifestyle brand - Ecos Hotels, with the brand's first hotel set to open in Dubai.

Expected to welcome guests by Q3 2020, Ecos Dubai Al Furjan Hotel will feature 321 rooms and is planned to accommodate the leisure, family, and business traveller. The hotels smart and innovative design is coupled with state-of-the art infrastructure and offers a unique and memorable experience, enriched with an element of surprise for all its guests. The first Ecos hotel is strategically located in the Al Furjan community, approximately only 5 km away from the Expo 2020 site, 24km away from Dubai International Airport, and 16 kilometers from Downtown Dubai.

On this occasion, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Faisal Bin Sultan Al Qassimi- chairman  Manafa and managing director-Faisal Holding (which owns HMH together with Manafa), said: Announcing the launch of our lifestyle brand, Ecos Hotels, gives us immense pleasure to offer an innovative and experience lead hotel category designed for millennial-minded guests seeking a unique stay that is equally affordable. Ecos Hotels will be the benchmark for the hospitality sector across the region. This will rapidly materialise through the brands first property, Ecos Dubai Al Furjan Hotel, that is scheduled to open its doors just in time to welcome guests from all over the world visiting us for the Expo 2020.

Brett Schafer, chief executive officer of Faisal Holding, said, The hospitality sector is moving towards an innovative and technology-driven offering. Investing in a new concept, and expanding our portfolio is something we are passionate about and we will always work towards improving and redefining our guests hotel experiences. It also reinforces our commitment to steady growth across the Middle East & North Africa.

Aboudi Asali, chief executive officer of HMH, said: We look forward to Ecos Hotels brand becoming the go-to hotel for tech-savvy travellers seeking style and comfort within in the city. The property in Al Furjan would be equipped with innovative technology, responding to a need in the hospitality sector in the emirate. - TradeArabia News Service
Council approves resolution seeking financing for water reclamation plant

The Aberdeen City Council is seeking financing for improvements to the Water Reclamation Plant.
Turkish low-cost carrier Pegasus Airlines will be launching direct flights between Istanbul and Ras Al Khaimah from October, according to Haitham Mattar, CEO of Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority.



The initiative, which was announced during the Arabian Travel Market in Dubai last month, aims to expand the emirates reach within major source markets in Europe and Russia.



Commencing from October 28, Pegasus Airlines will operate scheduled flights between Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen International Airport and Ras Al Khaimah International Airport. The service will be operated twice a week, on Saturday and Wednesday.



The new flight operation will provide outbound and transit travellers from Istanbul smoother and seamless access to Ras Al Khaimah. The carriers new route will further connect Ras Al Khaimah with 26 European destinations including the UK, Germany, Switzerland, Netherlands, the Nordics and Russia via Istanbul.



Mattar said: We are pleased to announce our strategic partnership with Pegasus Airlines that will help us introduce Ras Al Khaimah to the Turkish market and most importantly allow us to leverage Istanbuls proximity and hub connectivity with our key feeder markets within Europe and Russia. This new addition is an important step in our continuous drive to increase accessibility and visibility, attract more high yield visitors, and ultimately boost both first-time and repeat visitation from our source markets.



Ras Al Khaimahs attractiveness amongst international tourists continues to be strong - accounting for 62 per cent of overall visitors in 2018 - attributable to its 7,000 years of fascinating history, authentic Arabian culture and heritage, high-profile adventure attractions, magnificent natural landscapes, and exclusive luxury and wellness experiences. As per figures last year, Germany, Russia and the UK continue to be the leading international source markets for Ras Al Khaimah, driven by a strong appetite for the destinations year-round offering.



Ras Al Khaimah International Airport now welcomes direct connectivity from various global destinations including Cairo, Islamabad, Jeddah, Lahore, Peshawar, Calicut, Katowice, Poznan, Warsaw, Luxembourg, Prague, Moscow and Wroclaw. - TradeArabia News Service
The Albuquerque Police Department identified the young man who was shot at by an officer at a West Side shopping center Tuesday night.

APD spokesman Gilbert Gallegos said 21-year-old Christopher Cordova was uninjured and a gun was found nearby. Police are investigating whether the suspect shot at or pointed a gun at officers during the confrontation.

Gallegos said police pulled over Cordova when he fled, first in a vehicle and then on foot until an altercation ensued near a shopping center at Ouray and 57th NW, a block west of Coors.

One officer discharged his firearm and the offender was taken into custody, he said. The male offender was transported to a local hospital for unrelated health concerns and was released to be booked.

Cordova had a warrant out for his arrest stemming from a case in 2017 when police say he was caught in a stolen BMW with a stolen gun after leading officers on a short chase.

In February Cordova was charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon after deputies say he pistol-whipped and beat another young man along with several others.

Cordovas mother, Kelly Sanchez, said she is glad her son was not injured in the shooting, and she believes the officer who fired at him was doing his or her job.

If he was armed, whether the gun was loaded or not, the police department has an obligation to protect themselves, she said. They have to protect their well-being as well.

Sanchez said her son has been on the run for some time and although she saw him on Mothers Day, he hasnt lived with her since January and he never tells her where hes staying.

Unfortunately my son has lived this type of life since he was 14, she said. I want to make it very clear that he was not raised this way. These choices he made are of his own doing. He makes bad decisions and has for some time.
Copyright  2019 Albuquerque Journal

U.S. Sen. Tom Udall believes the Trump administration is gearing up for a war against Iran.

And an analyst who focuses on Iran believes such a move could come back to haunt President Donald Trump on several fronts.

Alex Vatanka, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute in Washington, D.C., said the threat of military action is red meat for allies such as Israel, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, but it runs counter to promises Trump made to reduce Americas footprint in the Middle East.

Vatanka, who will be speaking to the Albuquerque International Association on Friday, said war with Iran would do just the opposite.

It would open things up across the board in the Middle East for Iranian retaliation, he said. He said Iran and its proxies in such places as Iraq, Syria and Lebanon would not only attack U.S. forces in the region, but U.S. interests and its allies.

The U.S. is sending the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and B-52s to the region to confront threats by Iran and its allies. But Trump labeled as fake news a report by The New York Times that his administration was reviewing military plans and planning to send 120,000 troops to the region if Iran or its proxies attacked U.S. interests.

Vatanka said conflict with Iran would require at least a half a million to a million troops.

Udall introduced legislation earlier this year to prohibit the U.S. from using money that could lead to war with Iran without approval from Congress.

The calls for war with Iran are ripped straight out of the same playbook that launched us into the failed invasion of Iraq, and Congress must assert its constitutional authority to halt the march to war, Udall said at the time.

Vatanka said it wasnt clear what the Trump administration wants from the Iranian government.

If they want to talk to Iran, theyre going about it the wrong way, he said. Theyve left the Iranians very little room to maneuver.

He believes the U.S. may have maxed out its options after pulling out of the Iran nuclear deal and again placing sanctions on Iran. He said trying to get Iran to reduce or eliminate its nuclear program, stop its missile program and cut ties with its allies, including terrorist groups, appears to be unrealistic.

He wonders if the effort to isolate Iran is meant to cause the Iranian people to rise up against the government in revolution.

If it is, he said, thats also unrealistic, even though the Iranian regime is not well liked by the people.

Vatanka said Iran is losing $100 million a day in oil revenue since sanctions were reinstated, but they dont have mass unrest yet.

And he said the world hasnt rallied to the U.S. side, with the exception of Israel, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

He believes the Trump administration might be better served by returning to the Iran nuclear agreement and then applying pressure on Iran to distance itself from its allies.

I wonder what would happen if the Ayatollah offered to come to the White House for talks, Vatanka said. I wonder what they (Trump administration officials) would do then.
Copyright  2019 Albuquerque Journal

President Donald Trump will unveil an immigration policy today that would reverse visa priorities from a family-based to a merit-based system and include increased border security measures.

Senior Trump administration officials said Wednesday in a conference call that the current system is outdated and that proposed changes spearheaded by senior White House adviser Stephen Miller and top official Jared Kushner, Trumps son-in-law, would modernize the system and bolster the economy.

Officials said the plan attempts to do six things: secure the borders; protect American wages; attract the best and brightest; unify families; meet the needs for labor in critical industries; and preserve humanitarian values.

The merit-based visa system would take into account age, English proficiency and offers of employment and would require civics tests, health screenings and criminal background checks.

The White House officials said the current system is weighted toward those who have a family member already in the country.

They said that only 12% of legal immigrants were allowed entry based on employment skills and pointed out that in many other countries, including Canada, New Zealand, Australia and Japan, more than 50% of immigration is based on employment skills.

The proposal seeks to raise the number of legal immigrants based on employment skills to 57%. The plan would keep the number of people entering the country legally the same, which they said was 1 million per year.

The officials said immigration under Trumps Build America Visa proposal would increase the tax base because the people who were permitted to enter the country would be making higher wages.

The plan faces an uphill battle in Congress, where efforts to overhaul the immigration system have gone nowhere for three decades amid deeply divided Republicans and Democrats.

Meanwhile on Wednesday, Sen. Lindsey Graham, the Republican chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said he plans to introduce an immigration reform bill that would require immigrants to apply for U.S. asylum in their home countries instead of at the border.

Grahams plan would also hire more immigration judges and modify a court settlement that currently limits the amount of time migrant children can be held in detention while they await adjudication.

Im trying to solve a problem that is just getting completely out of hand, Graham said.  I am urging the president to lead us to a solution, and I am urging our Democratic colleagues, in spite of your dislike and displeasure with this president, to find a solution to this problem quickly.

During Wednesdays conference call, the White House officials said Trumps plan seeks to rapidly deploy infrastructure at and between legal points of entry.

The Associated Press reported that the proposal includes construction of a border wall at 33 priority locations, and that higher immigration fees would finance continuous upgrades of infrastructure along the border and at ports of entry.

The White House would also overhaul the asylum process in a bid to reduce claims for refugee status at the border, after a surge of migrants claiming danger in their home countries overwhelmed immigration courts.

The White House officials said they wanted to streamline the application process for people with legitimate asylum claims while reducing the number of those making fraudulent claims.

They seek to halt practices by smugglers and coyotes who advertise transportation to the U.S. in the Central American Northern Triangle (Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras), from where a majority of refugees recently seeking asylum here have fled.

Border Patrol agents from October through March took 189,584 families and 35,898 unaccompanied children into custody.

In the El Paso sector alone during the same period, 53,565 parents with kids and 7,565 children on their own crossed the border and turned themselves in to agents. The El Paso sector includes all of the New Mexico border with Mexico.

The senior administration officials said they believed Democrats are starting to agree there is a crisis at the border.

But a Democratic member of the New Mexico delegation  U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich  told the Journal in an earlier interview that he believed Trump administration policies are to blame for the surge of migrants in rural areas of the border.

Theyre not sneaking into the country, Heinrich said. His (Trump) policies have made things dramatically worse. They would be more than willing to cross at legal ports of entry, but hes made that more difficult.

He said policies that placed a limit on asylum-seekers processed at legal ports of entry have led to migrants choosing to enter at places such as Antelope Wells and Sunland Park in New Mexico.

Heinrich and Sen. Tom Udall, D-N.M., introduced a major legislative proposal Wednesday to address the causes of the Central American migrant crisis.

The bill outlines a coordinated regional response to manage the endemic violence and humanitarian crises in the Northern Triangle countries that are leading many women, children and families to flee.

This legislation recognizes that we have to address the root causes of migration from Central American countries  not merely scramble to deal with the symptoms when they reach our border, Udall said.

Heinrich said the bill would reinstate depleted foreign aid, crack down on gang violence, strengthen economic opportunity and enhance refugee processing systems that allow potential migrants to make claims in their home countries.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
One person died after a single-vehicle crash on NM 528 Wednesday evening.

Rio Rancho Police Capt. Andrew Rodriguez declined to identify the victim because next-of-kin hadnt been notified.

He said the vehicle was traveling southbound on NM 528 about 4:45 p.m. when it veered over the median, went across the northbound lanes and crashed into the retaining wall on the east side of the roadway. The cause of the crash is still under investigation.

Rodriguez said no other vehicles were involved.

As of 6:45 p.m., police were still blocking traffic on NM 528 in both directions from Corrales Road to Kim Road. Vehicles were being diverted.
JERUSALEM  At 8 p.m. Tuesday last week, all activity paused throughout much of Jerusalem. Cars pulled over, and people stood still as air raid sirens sounded across the city to signal the beginning of Israels Memorial Day.

On this sunset-to-sunset holiday, Israel commemorates those who have died in its long-running survival struggle, not just soldiers, but also the victims of terrorism. It is, I was told, the most important holiday in Israel. Holocaust Remembrance Day is when we mourn the price of Jewish powerlessness, says Yossi Klein Halevi, an American-born writer and senior fellow at the Shalom Hartman Institute. On Memorial Day, we mourn the price of the Jewish reclamation of power.

Thats a striking thing to hear for someone raised on New Yorks Upper West Side, among American Jews who were viscerally connected to the Holocaust through family and neighbors. But in Israel at least, that part of the Jewish identity seems to be receding somewhat, a change that may matter as Israelis contemplate the question of what they are willing to do in the name of national identity.

In the coming weeks, President Trump will apparently launch the deal of the century for Middle East peace, a deal that promises to be quite favorable to Israel. The idea seems to be that the Palestinians will have to accept something much less than full statehood within the West Bank and Gaza Strip, because Trumps prior actions, such as moving the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem and dramatically cutting U.S. aid to the United Nations Palestinian refugee camps, have worsened their negotiating position so dramatically.

The idea that Palestinians will have to concede defeat strikes me, and many other observers, as dangerously naive. But assume it works  that Israel gains de facto control over the territory from the Mediterranean to the Jordan River, and most of the Arab people within it. What comes next? What, as I asked an Israeli academic, is the endgame?

To the Trump administration, and to many people within Israel, it seems as if that is the endgame: The Palestinians give up Jerusalem and accept something close to the status quo. But if that happens, Israel will still have, within borders it essentially controls, a large and desperate minority population that is about to become the majority of the whole area. Giving those people limited self-rule may allow Israelis to claim that the Palestinians are not Israels problem, but they will still be there and still be a problem.

A one-state solution would mean the loss of Israels Jewish character and commands little political support. But the longer the status quo continues, and with it the Judaization of Jerusalem and the West Bank, the closer to impossible a two-state solution becomes, not least because the radicalized Palestinians cannot develop the state capacity to run even an autonomous zone.

Which is why, in so many conversations with Israel hawks over the years, I have sensed that the plans all had an asterisk in them somewhere  a point where, somehow, the Palestinians arent there anymore, or at least not so many of them. And one hears the same implied asterisk in conversations with many Palestinian nationalists. That is, after all, the heart of the problem: Two peoples whose national identity is tightly bound to the exact same piece of land are bound to be in the others way.

Im not talking about genocide, but about an apartheid state, or the sort of more or less violent mass population transfers that so often accompanied nation-building in the past. Either would maintain Israels Jewish character, but only by violating international law and Israels self-conception.

Hard-liners on both sides are already quite open about their belief that the other side needs to be removed. But most people are more moderate, and so, the asterisk. But if one side wins full control, it seems all too possible that the implication will become explicit, and shortly thereafter, a fact. What sort of facts is Israel willing to have inscribed in its national history?

The waning significance of the Holocaust may determine how Israel answers that question. The majority of Israels Jews arent the descendants of Holocaust survivors.

But even for the descendants of Holocaust survivors, the current conflict seems more emotionally immediate. And so the question I asked myself on Memorial Day, as Jerusalem fell silent, is whether it is now possible for Israel to think, and ultimately to do, the thing that almost nobody wants to say.

Twitter, @asymmetricinfo.  2019, Washington Post Writers Group.
Rep. Rashida Tlaib, famous these days for being infamous, is being taken to task for what she said last week about the Holocaust. Two leading Republicans quickly pounced, feeling so strongly about Tlaibs remarks that, in the name of all things Israel, they mangled what she had actually said and used the Holocaust to score cheap political points. That, simply, is a sin.

Tlaib is one of the GOPs favorite targets. The Michigan Democrat is a socialist, a Muslim and the daughter of Palestinian immigrants. She also opened what we used to call a big mouth on President Donald Trump, dropping an F-bomb on his oddly colored head in her call for impeachment. As far as Trumps congressional fans are concerned, Tlaib should become the emblematic face of the Democratic Party, much as the iconic Marianne is for the French Republic.

It would suit me just fine if Tlaib kept her mouth shut. I agree with her on almost nothing  not her socialism and not her support of the so-called BDS movement  boycott, divestment and sanctions. Coupled with the call to return all Palestinian refugees to Israel, these amount to an effort to asphyxiate Israel and turn it from being the Jewish state to a majority Arab one. But what she said about the Holocaust was hardly offensive. Heard without prejudice, it was oddly moving.

In an interview Friday with Yahoo News Skullduggery podcast, Tlaib was asked about her advocacy of a single state  part Israeli and part Palestinian. She said she was humbled by the fact that it was my ancestors that had to suffer to create a safe haven for the Jewish people.

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.

She went on: I love the fact that it was my ancestors that provided that (safe haven), in many ways. But they did it in a way that took their human dignity away, right? And it was forced on them.

The reaction of House Minority Whip Steve Scalise, R-La., was swift: 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.

Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., also had something to say. She declared Tlaibs remarks to be sickening, and she called on the House Democratic leadership to finally take action against Rep. Tlaib and other members of the Democratic caucus who are spreading vile anti-Semitism.

Scalise and Cheney ought to realize that to finally take action would set a dangerous precedent. Would it apply, as it should, to the many members of their caucus who were struck mute when Trump could find no distinction between the anti-Semites and racists of Charlottesville and the people who came out to protest them? This sudden onset of morality would be puzzling it if werent so crassly political.

As for Trump, what he could not recognize in Charlottesville, he spotted in Tlaib. He called her comments horrible and highly insensitive, and said she obviously has tremendous hatred of Israel and the Jewish people.

It was the phrase calming feeling that seemed to unhinge the two congressional Republicans. They seemed to feel Tlaib applied it to the Holocaust itself. If she had, it would have amounted to more than insensitivity or blatant bigotry, but something akin to criminal insanity. But a repeated hearing of the podcast suggests only that Tlaib was trying to reconcile her horror at the murder of most European Jews with its consequence  the creation of Israel, which to Palestinians is the nakba, the disaster. Thats not hard to understand.

I want to build a fence around the Holocaust. It is not mine; it is not yours, and it is certainly not any politicians. In Paul Celans indelible phrase from his poem Death Fugue, the doomed Jews were digging a grave in the sky. In voluminous ash, that is where they went and where they remain to this day. Look up and be silent.

Email cohenr@washpost.com.  2019, Washington Post Writers Group.
Copyright  2019 Albuquerque Journal

Deming has declared a state of emergency as the city and Luna County cope with an influx of migrant families being released there by the Border Patrol.

Were getting about 150 a day, said Chris Brice, assistant county manger. The Border Patrol sent the first group to Deming over the weekend.

By Monday, in a unanimous vote, the City Council approved the state of emergency declaration.

This shouldnt be our problem, but it is, said Deming City Administrator Aaron Sera during the council meeting.

Border Patrol and ICE have been overwhelmed by a surge in migrant parents and kids arriving at the border daily seeking asylum.

I think on Saturday we hit, just in apprehensions, 1,800, said Ramiro Cordero, a spokesman with the Border Patrols El Paso sector, which includes all of southern New Mexico.

We cant house 1,800, Cordero said. So we have to pull the relief valve.

Deming is the latest city affected as Border Patrol processes and releases families in various towns in New Mexico and Texas.

Deming and Luna County officials are coordinating the migrant relief effort with the help of volunteers, and donated food, water and clothing. The city-owned airport hangar has been turned into an intake area where the Deming Fire Department is doing medical screenings. The Southwestern New Mexico Fairgrounds has been turned into a makeshift shelter for migrant families, most with young children.

Volunteers and nonprofit organizations help the migrants make travel arrangements to join relatives or sponsors in other cities.

Luna County has really stepped up and helped a lot. Thats for sure, Brice said. But he said some local residents are angry about the county providing assistance for the migrants.

The citizens who are angry about it certainly wouldnt want 100 people walking around the streets with nowhere to go, Brice said.

Deming is getting some advice from Las Cruces, which has received more than 5,000 migrants since April 12.

Officials with the Dona Ana County/Las Cruces Office of Emergency Management are in contact with Deming.

We are sharing information on how we are handling the situation, spokesman Udell Vigil said.

The Las Cruces City Council has approved $575,000 to help coordinate the humanitarian effort.

New Mexicos delegation in Washington, including Sens. Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich, along with U.S. Reps. Ben Ray Lujan, Xochitl Torres Small and Deb Haaland, sent a letter Tuesday to the leaders of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees asking for reimbursement for state and local governments, and nonprofit organizations providing humanitarian relief for migrant families.

New Mexico and its communities are facing new and unbudgeted costs caring for asylum-seeking migrants, as federal agencies have not provided for their sufficient shelter and humanitarian needs. These costs are expected to continue, the New Mexico delegation wrote.

Just last week, Albuquerques City Council approved spending $250,000 to aid asylum-seekers, as hundreds are being bused from southern New Mexico to the Duke City. And Expo New Mexico, home of the State Fair, announced that it is opening its dormitories to temporarily house them.

Churches and charity groups have been providing shelter, food, clothing and support for the families while they make plans to join their sponsors elsewhere in the country.
Makarem Hotels, the award-winning Saudi hotel brand by Dur Hospitality, has announced the signing of a contract to operate Makarem Sagryah Tower Hotel in Makkah.



The announcement of the latest addition to Makarems growing portfolio was made during its participation at the 26th edition of the Arabian Travel Market (ATM), the international travel and tourism event in Dubai from April 28 to May 1.



The anticipated four-star hotel, which is due to become operational in the first quarter of 2020, is located in Maabeda locality, 5 km to the Haram. The upscale hotel features 760 finely designed spacious rooms, boasts two state-of-the-art ballrooms and three conference halls.



The new property places Makarem Hotels closer to achieving its expansion strategy with its target of operating 5000 rooms by 2023.



In this regard, Badr Al Badr, CEO of Dur Hospitality, said Makarem Hotels continue to seek opportunities that contribute to the goals of Saudi Vision 2030, specifically in accommodating an anticipated 30 million pilgrims by the year 2030.



Al Badr noted that the new hotel, like all other properties in Makarems portfolio, displays the brands dedication to offering authentic Saudi hospitality that meets world-class standards.



Hassan Ahdab, president of Hotel Operations at Dur Hospitality, said: This new property increases Makarems portfolio to 2,591 rooms, placing us on the right path to reaching our 2023 target."



Ahdab emphasised Makarems commitment to keeping up with trends and changing needs of pilgrims, locally and internationally.



Makarem Hotels caters to visitors in locations within Makkah, including Makarem Ajyad, Makarem Umm Al Qura, Makarem Mina Hotel, Makarem AlShorofat, and Makarem AlBait. The brand continues to offer an array of convenient accommodation and diverse services to Hajj and Umrah pilgrims.



Its current portfolio under operation consists of 1,415 rooms, with another 1,176 rooms in the pipeline after the signing of Makarem Sagryah at ATM and Makarem Jabal Al-Kaaba hotel earlier this year. - TradeArabia News Service
Jennifer Nilvo, who has a masters degree in biochemistry, finds great pleasure in knowing her young students will someday experience more in science and engineering than she has.

Nilvo, Melba Acantilado of Bernalillo High School and Creighton Edington of Media Arts Collaborative Charter School in Albuquerque will each receive $3,000 grants to mentor underserved students as part of the Societys Advocate Grant Program.



Nilvo, who teaches at School of Dreams Academy in Los Lunas, is one of three New Mexico teachers  from among 60 across the nation  who have been named advocates by the Society for Science and the Public.

Educators and scientists expand opportunities for under-represented and low-income students by helping them develop STEM projects that they can enter in science research competitions, which are an entryway to higher education and STEM careers.

Nilvo said in a news release it is a privilege to be in a position to influence hundreds of young people in STEM.

As I work and mentor students in STEM fields, I get to live vicariously through them  exploring, questioning and finding ways that have a global impact through research and exploration utilizing the scientific process, Nilvo said.

Acantilado said, I am very excited to be part of the science Advocates this year because I believe that there are a lot of students who have talents in STEM fields, and my role is to push and inspire them so that they will continue to shine and eventually become globally competitive.

Edington said, Helping students is the goal, and the network of expert Advocates have access to help accomplish this goal; it is truly amazing.

Since the program launched in 2015, more than 2,000 students have worked with the Societys advocates. Of those students, 90% are low-income and 70% are an under-represented ethnicity.

We welcome suggestions for the daily Bright Spot. Send to newsroom@abqjournal.com.
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates  Saudi Arabia accused Tehran of being behind a drone strike that shut down a key oil pipeline in the kingdom, and a newspaper close to the palace called for Washington to launch surgical strikes on Iran, raising the specter of escalating tensions as the U.S. boosts its military presence in the Persian Gulf.

Concerns about possible conflict have flared after the U.S. dispatched warships and bombers to the region to counter an alleged but unspecified threat from Iran. There also have been allegations that four oil tankers were sabotaged Sunday off the coast of the United Arab Emirates, and Iran-aligned rebels in Yemen claimed responsibility for Tuesdays attack on the Saudi pipeline.

Fears have grown out of President Donald Trumps decision last year to withdraw the U.S. from the 2015 nuclear accord between Iran and world powers and impose wide-reaching sanctions  the latest levied as recently as last week  that have crippled Irans economy. But Trump took a soft tone Thursday, a day after tweeting that he expected Iran to look for talks. Asked if the U.S. might be on a path to war with the Iranians, the president answered, I hope not.

Saudi Prince Khalid bin Salman, who is King Salmans son and the countrys deputy defense minister, tweeted that the drone attack on two Saudi Aramco pumping stations running along the East-West pipeline were ordered by the regime in Tehran, and carried out by the Houthis  a reference to the Yemeni rebel group.

A state-aligned Saudi newspaper went further, running an editorial calling for surgical U.S. strikes on Iran in retaliation. Iran has been accused by the U.S. and the U.N. of supplying ballistic missile technology and arms to the Houthis, which Tehran denies.

The front-page editorial in the Arab News, published in English, said its clear that (U.S.) sanctions are not sending the right message and that they must be hit hard, without elaborating on specific targets. It said the Trump administration had already set a precedent with airstrikes in Syria, when the government there was suspected of using chemical weapons.

Ali Shihabi, who runs the Saudi-leaning Arabia Foundation in Washington, said theres a sense that if the Iranians can get away with targeting Saudi oil infrastructure, then the whole security infrastructure in the Gulf will be called into question and security premiums on oil will rise.

He said it would seem that Riyadh would like to coordinate with Washington how it responds to Iran, but eventually what may happen is that just Saudi Arabia and the UAE may have to do something.

Nobody is going to start a war with them (Iran), but I think they should be defanged and, you know, things like their naval capabilities, things like their missile capabilities should be downgraded at least to make their capacity to inflict such dangerous activity more painful, more costly, Shihabi said.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who also is defense minister and controls major levers of power in the Sunni kingdom, has not commented publicly on this weeks incidents. In a Saudi TV interview in 2017, he said the kingdom knows it is a main target of Shiite Iran and there is no room for dialogue with Tehran.

A top Emirati diplomat said late Wednesday the Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthis in Yemen would retaliate hard for attacks on civilian targets, without elaborating.

However, Anwar Gargash also said the UAE is very committed to de-escalation after the alleged sabotage of the tankers off the countrys coast. He declined to blame Iran directly, although he repeatedly criticized Tehran.

In response to the oil pipeline attack, the coalition said it launched airstrikes on Houthi targets in the rebel-held capital, Sanaa, killing at least six people, including four children. At least 40 other people were wounded, according to Yemens Health Ministry.

Residents of Sanaa scrambled to pull wounded people from the rubble of a building hit by the airstrikes. Fawaz Ahmed told The Associated Press he saw three bodies  a man, a woman and a child, all buried together.

The coalition, which includes the UAE, has been at war with the Houthis since 2015, carrying out near-daily airstrikes. The pipeline attack marked one of the rebels deepest and most significant drone strikes inside Saudi territory since the conflict began.

Washington already has warned shipping companies that Iran or its proxies could be targeting maritime traffic in the Persian Gulf region and said it deployed an aircraft carrier strike group and B-52 bombers there to counter the threat.

Last week, U.S. officials said they had detected signs of Iranian preparations for potential attacks on U.S. forces and interests in the Middle East but did not provide any evidence to back up the claims.

The U.S. State Department has ordered all nonessential government staff to leave its embassy and consulate in Iraq. Germany and the Netherlands both suspended their military assistance programs in the country in the latest sign of tensions.

Iraq is home to powerful pro-Iranian militias, while also hosting more than 5,000 U.S. troops. The U.S. militarys Central Command said its troops were on high alert, without elaborating.

European nations have urged the U.S. and Iran to show restraint. Also, a senior British officer in the U.S.-backed coalition fighting the Islamic State group, Maj. Gen. Chris Ghika, said earlier this week that there had been no increased threat from Iranian-backed forces in Iraq and Syria. His comments exposed international skepticism over the U.S. military buildup.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said during a visit to Tokyo that Iran has the right to respond to the unacceptable U.S. sanctions, but has exercised maximum restraint.

Speaking about Irans nuclear deal with world powers, Zarif was quoted as also saying: A multilateral deal cannot be treated unilaterally.

Iran recently said it would resume enriching uranium at higher levels if a new nuclear deal is not reached by July 7. That would potentially bring it closer to being able to develop a nuclear weapon, something Iran insists it has never sought.

___

Associated Press writers Ahmed Al-Haj in Sanaa, Yemen, Jon Gambrell in Dubai and Mari Yamaguchi in Tokyo contributed.
Growing up and going to school in Rio Rancho, I had the privilege of learning from many great teachers who encouraged me to work hard, be myself and set high goals for life.

Matthew Farley, my environmental science teacher my senior year, was one of those teachers.

I loved learning about environmental science from him. Work in his class was fun, challenging and almost never boring.

Some of the great memories I have from his class were getting to hold multiple snakes for the first time, cleaning up the schools campus on Earth Day and getting to name our class pets  Crispy and Nugget, two baby chickens.

Mr. Farley also helped me to be successful in making the schools yearbook. Whenever I finished my work early, he would always let me leave class to interview other students or work on the book in general.

He was such a kind man, and a great teacher. He taught me the importance of working with others to create positive changes to the environment and New Mexicos ecosystem.

After graduating in 2016, I would go back to the high school for events my sister participated in. A few times I would pop into his classroom and say hi.

Sadly, Mr. Farley passed away last November after being hit by a methamphetamine-impaired driver in June 2017.

Although hes no longer with us, Ill never forget the memories I have from his class, and the important lessons he taught me. I hope young people in school find teachers who give them hope and inspire them to achieve their goals the way Mr. Farley did for me.

(Amanda Britt is a University of New Mexico student, Rio Rancho resident and Observer intern.)
MANILA, Philippines  The Philippines is recalling its ambassador and consuls in Canada over Ottawas failure to comply with a deadline to take back truckloads of garbage that Filipino officials say were illegally shipped to the Philippines years ago, officials said Thursday.

Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. tweeted that the Philippines shall maintain a diminished diplomatic presence in Canada until its garbage is ship bound there. The drastic move is the latest strain in Philippine relations with Canada under President Rodrigo Duterte.

Duterte threatened last month to forcibly ship the containers of garbage back to Canada and dump some at its embassy in Manila if Canadian officials dont take back the waste. Officials later set a May 15 deadline for Canada to comply.

Locsin said in his tweet that letters for the recall of the Philippine ambassador and consuls in Canada have been sent and that they were expected back in Manila after about a day.

That recall shows that we are very serious in asking them to get back their garbage otherwise were gonna severe relations with them, presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo told a regular news conference.

At least 103 containers of household trash, including plastic bottles and bags, newspapers and diapers, were shipped in batches from Canada to the Philippines from 2013 to 2014. Most of the shipping containers remain in two ports in Manila and northern Subic freeport, sparking protests from environmental activists. Philippine officials say they were falsely declared by a private firm as recyclable plastic scraps and have asked Canada to take back the garbage.

Duterte raised the garbage issue in a speech last month while officials from both countries were already discussing a resolution to the issue. The volatile president said he was ready to declare war against Canada over the issue.

I want a boat prepared. Ill give a warning to Canada maybe next week that they better pull that thing out or I will set sail to Canada and pour their garbage there, Duterte said, adding he would ask Canadian officials to prepare a grand reception.

Celebrate because your garbage is coming home, he said. Eat it if you want to.

Canada said it has repeatedly expressed its commitment to promptly shipping and disposing of the Canadian waste.

Canada is disappointed by this decision to recall the Philippines ambassador and consuls general, said Brittany Fletcher, a spokeswoman for Canadas foreign affairs department. However, we will continue to closely engage with the Philippines to ensure a swift resolution of this important issue.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Canada has been working with officials in the Philippines on the issue over the past months, very hard over the past weeks.

We very much hope to get a resolution on this shortly, he said.

A Manila court ordered the private importers in 2016 to ship the waste back to Canada. Of 103 shipping containers that entered the Philippines, the waste from 34 has been disposed of locally.

Philippine Customs Commissioner Rey Leonardo Guerrerro has said  bureaucratic red tape in Canada slowed the return of the rest.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in 2017 that regulations preventing the return of the garbage had been resolved.

Last year, Duterte ordered the cancellation of a multimillion-dollar agreement to buy 16 helicopters from Canada after its government decided to review the deal due to concerns the Philippine military might use the aircraft in counterinsurgency assaults.

___

Associated Press writer Robert Gillies in Toronto contributed to this report.
NORFOLK, Va.  A U.S. Navy SEAL was sentenced to one year in military prison on Thursday for his role in the 2017 hazing-related death of a U.S. Army Green Beret in Africa.

Adam Matthews is the first of four U.S. service members to face military court proceedings as well as punishment for the strangulation death of Army Staff Sgt. Logan Melgar, a Texas native.

Matthews was sentenced by a military judge at a Navy base in Norfolk, Virginia, following a plea agreement he made the same day. Prosecutors dropped a murder charge in exchange for his testimony against another Navy SEAL and two Marines.

Ive carried the weight of Staff Sgt. Melgars death every minute of every day since that night in Mali, Matthews said.

The emotionally charged, daylong court proceedings provided a window into the lives of some of the countrys most elite service members. Family, friends and colleagues of both Melgar and Matthews took stock of the contributions of each man and the fallout from that night.

Matthews also offered the first detailed public account of Melgars death, which he described as a botched attempt to embarrass him over slights perceived by the other men.

Matthews said he joined the group in Malis capital of Bamako only 36 hours before the incident in June 2017. He said colleagues quickly filled him in on their concerns about Melgar.

Among the perceived slights was an incident in which Melgar was driving his motorcycle to a party at a diplomatic embassy in the capital city. Two Marines were following in another vehicle before Melgar drove off, Matthews said.

Matthews suggested that the Marines felt Melgar had abandoned them in an unsafe city thats been the target of terrorist activity.

Sometime later, Matthews said that he and the others broke down Melgars bedroom door with a sledgehammer for dramatic effect. Then they bound his wrists and ankles with duct tape.

They planned to record the incident on video to embarrass Melgar in what Matthews described as a known remediation, or hazing ritual, within the special forces community.

At some point, Matthews said, the other Navy SEAL applied a chokehold to Melgar, who became unresponsive and was unable to be resuscitated.

I am truly sorry, Matthews told the court.

Matthews, 33, pleaded guilty to hazing and assault charges as well as attempts to cover up the crime.

During the sentencing phase, friends and family described Matthews as that 100-pound kid who wanted to be a Navy SEAL that nobody thought could be.

Matthews displayed a picture of the Twin Towers at his home and suffered injuries in Afghanistan, earning a Purple Heart, among other medals.

Melgar was fearless and unflappable under enemy fire, his colleagues said. He was meticulous when it came to his job, which included finding explosives in Afghanistan at night while bullets struck the trees above him.

His wife, Michelle Melgar, testified that her husband told her about the immature SEALs that he was having trouble with. She also thanked Matthews for coming forward with the truth.

Melgars mother, Nitza Melgar, was less forgiving. She told Matthews: You are a disgrace to your Purple Heart.

Matthews still faces the possibility of receiving a military discharge for bad conduct, which could lead to a loss in veterans benefits.

Judge Capt. Michael Luken said the type of discharge will be left up to an admiral. It will also be contingent on Matthews continued cooperation and input from the Melgar family, the judge said.
A retired National Park Service official and former Dona Ana County commissioner has been named interim director of the New Mexico History Museum and Palace of the Governors in Santa Fe.

Billy Garrett, a Las Cruces native, will take on the temporary role while the Museum of New Mexico board of regents conducts a national search for a permanent director, according to an announcement Thursday.

Former director Andrew Wulf was dismissed in February amid a gubernatorial administration change.

Garrett ended his 26-year NPS career in 2009 as chief of operations for the Gateway National Recreation Area that spans New York and New Jersey. He also previously worked as a historic architect at the Grand Canyon and in Washington D.C., according to the announcement.

From 2010-2018, after returning to New Mexico, he served on the Dona Ana County Commission. In 2018, Garrett also ran in the Democratic Primary for lieutenant governor, coming third in a three-person race won by Howie Morales.

New Mexico has a rich and deep history, Garrett said in the announcement. Sharing that history recognizes the importance of communities throughout our state. I look forward to working with the team at the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs  as well as museum docents, friends and supportersin building on this great tradition.
Copyright  2019 Albuquerque Journal

SANTA FE  After years of accusations that he abused girls in two northern New Mexico school districts, as well as in other states, former elementary school teacher Gary Gregor will now likely spend the rest of his life in prison.

On Thursday in a Santa Fe courtroom, District Court Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer sentenced Gregor, 62, to serve 108 years in prison for raping two fourth grade students who were in his class at Fairview Elementary School in Espanola during the 2007-08 school year.

What those children learned in your classroom is that monsters are real, Marlowe Sommer told Gregor. You exploited them time and time again. You enjoyed your power over them, and now youre here because youre caught.

In December, a jury found Gregor guilty of three counts of criminal sexual penetration of a minor, four counts of criminal sexual contact of a minor and five counts of kidnapping. Marlowe Sommer sentenced him to the full 144 years he faced for the convictions, but she suspended 36 years.

Gregor never testified at two sex abuse trials he has been through and didnt speak at Thursdays hearing. His wife defended Gregor, saying he was kind and loving.

The victims in the case that resulted in his convictions, now in their early 20s, said during trial last year that Gregor would touch them sexually every day. He kept them behind in class and tried to kiss them while the lights were off and the blinds were shut, they testified.

Neither victim was at Gregors sentencing hearing Thursday, but Assistant Attorney General Brittany DuChaussee read a letter from one of them.

The woman, who testified at Gregors December trial while on temporary leave from custody in Mississippi for a felony conviction, said her life began spiraling out of control after her fourth grade year.

Years passed, and I started becoming an angry little girl, DuChaussee read.

The woman said she didnt finish high school because she started doing drugs and got kicked out of her house at 16. She had a son at 17 but says she hasnt been able to be in his life because of her addiction.

She has to do drugs to feel normal and comfortable around people, she said.

But Judith Gregor told the court that her husband is a kind man who introduced her to her new faith in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Everything that he showed me was love and kindness, she said. He showed me to be kind to people and not think about yourself first. He always talked to me about helping others.

Gregor still faces two more trials for alleged crimes against other girls in Espanola and Santa Fe, where he had his first New Mexico teaching job at Agua Fria Elementary School and also faced accusations of improper behavior.

Gregor moved on to Espanolas Fairview Elementary and later permanently lost his teaching license after additional sexual abuse allegations were made.

An investigative series by the Journal found that education authorities repeatedly failed to act against Gregor  or report him to police  despite repeated accusations of sexual misconduct over the years.

He has been cited in national news media as an example of passing the trash, when teachers move among school districts despite histories of allegations of molestation.

New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas finally brought charges against Gregor in 2017 after local prosecutors and the Attorney Generals Office before Balderas tenure had taken no action.

Balderas said in a statement Thursday, Dangerous criminals who harm children deserve to be behind bars. We will always fight to give a voice to sexual abuse survivors.

In 1994, in Utah, Gregor was charged with two felony counts of aggravated sex abuse of a child and one misdemeanor count of lewdness involving a child for acts involving female students. The charges were dropped by the judge the day before the trial began.

During a prior court hearing in Santa Fe, Gregors niece had told Judge Marlowe Sommer that after he left Utah and moved to Montana to work for a school there, Gregor would pick her up from her bed and carry her to his bed.

She recalled one time when he sexually assaulted her with his knuckles. But he apparently faced no charges in Montana.

Before he was awarded a teaching license in New Mexico, Gregor disclosed to the New Mexico Public Education Department in 1998 that he had been fired from his job in Utah for violating a school policy barring after-school activities with students.

In 2004, Santa Fe Public Schools struck a deal with Gregor for his departure from the district, giving him a neutral recommendation for future employment.

The SFPS recommendation included no mention of misbehavior, despite accusations that included Gregors acting inappropriately with girls while on a museum field trip. In an internal investigation, students also described him as becoming aroused when they sat on his lap.

SFPS reported Gregor to the state Public Education Department, but he was only reprimanded and no action was taken against his teaching license.

Gregors lawyer argued that the most damaging student accounts were tainted by how interviews had been conducted.

After Gregor faced new accusations in Espanola, no one from the schools called police. A parent did, but a police investigation resulted in no charges being filed by the District Attorneys Office.

The Espanola schools have reached settlements totaling more than $9 million in lawsuits brought by Gregors former students.

There is a pending lawsuit filed by students from his tenure in Santa Fe.
New Mexico State Police identified four Valencia County deputies who fatally shot an armed man outside a Los Lunas trailer in early May.

State Police spokesman Ray Wilson said deputies Kenny Brown, Mikal Duran, Monique Thavenet and Sergant Stanley Montano all opened fire on Isaac Pineda, 37, after being called to a domestic dispute in the early hours of May 1. No deputies were injured in the shooting.

Deputies responded to Pinedas trailer in the 600 block of Meadowlake Road around 12 a.m. after Pineda allegedly stole a gun and threatened his family with it.

Wilson said the deputies knocked on the trailer but then took cover after Pineda yelled he had deputies in his sights and women could be heard crying inside.

He said Pinedas family was able to leave the trailer before Pineda came out with a rifle and pointed it at deputy Brown and Duran, who both shot Pineda.

Wilson said Pineda fell to the ground but wouldnt drop the rifle and aimed it at deputies again.

At this point, all four deputies fired their weapons and fatally struck Pineda, who was pronounced deceased at the scene, he said.
The New Mexico Public Regulation Commission unanimously rejected on Thursday motions to reconsider a decision to charge Facebook nearly half the cost of a new $85 million transmission line.

Public Service Company of New Mexico and two other intervenors in the case had asked the five-member commission to reconsider its mid-April decision, which said PNM could not charge general ratepayers anything for building the transmission line. 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 Facebooks data center in Los Lunas, plus wholesale customers who sell to markets outside the state.

But PNM has since corrected that testimony, calling the transmission line a network upgrade that benefits everybody, including wholesale and retail customers alike. It requested a rehearing on April 30 for the commission to reconsider its position to allow costs to be shared equally among everybody.

Both the Coalition for Clean Affordable Energy and New Mexico Industrial Energy Consumers filed similar motions in support of PNM.

But at the PRCs open public meeting Thursday, commissioners rejected those motions on a technicality. They said PNM and the other parties did not explicitly ask to reopen the case record for new evidence to be entered through a formal rehearing, forcing commissioners to rely on existing evidence in the record.

If they want to raise new issues, we would have to reopen the record and bring in new evidence for all parties to comment on, said Commissioner Stephen Fischmann during Thursdays meeting. These motions dont ask for that.

Staff attorney Judith Amer told the commission that PNM was only asking the PRC to issue a new, revised order in the case. That means commissioners still had to rely on the PNM executives testimony in February that the line wont serve retail customers, said Commissioner Cynthia Hall.

PNM unfortunately didnt provide us with anything in the record to refute that, so we couldnt reach a different conclusion than we already reached in April, Hall told the Journal. In discharging our judicial function, we have to follow the rules.

Nevertheless, PNMs official request on April 30 clearly stated it was a motion for expedited rehearing, with similar language contained as well in the motions from the other two parties.

We are deeply disappointed in the commissions decision today, said PNM spokesman Ray Sandoval in an email to the Journal. We understand that we created initial confusion (in the February testimony), but after clarifying the information, we believe the law and precedent should have led the commission to modify their decision. We are in the process of reviewing our options on how to proceed.

PNM could now decide to appeal to the Supreme Court.
WASHINGTON  President Donald Trump said Thursday that he hopes the U.S. is not on a path to war with Iran amid fears that his two most hawkish advisers could be angling for such a conflict with the Islamic Republic.

Asked if the U.S. was going to war with Iran, the president replied, I hope not  a day after he repeated a desire for dialogue, tweeting, Im sure that Iran will want to talk soon.

The tone contrasted with a series of moves by the U.S. and Iran that have sharply escalated tensions in the Middle East in recent days. For the past year, national security adviser John Bolton and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo have been the public face of the administrations maximum pressure campaign against Tehran.

The friction has rattled lawmakers who are demanding more information on the White Houses claims of rising Iranian aggression. Top leaders in Congress received a classified briefing on Iran Thursday, but many other lawmakers from both parties have criticized the White House for not keeping them informed.

Iran poses a particular challenge for Trump. While he talks tough against foreign adversaries to the delight of his supporters, a military confrontation with Iran could make him appear to be backtracking on a campaign pledge to keep America out of foreign entanglements.

Lawmakers and allies, however, worry that any erratic or miscalculated response from Trump could send the U.S. careening into conflict.

Trump pulled the U.S. out of the Iran nuclear deal last year and reinstated sanctions on Tehran that are crippling its economy.

Tensions rose dramatically May 5, when Bolton announced that the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group would be rushed from the Mediterranean to the Persian Gulf ahead of schedule in response to a number of troubling and escalatory indications and warnings, without going into details.

Since then, four oil tankers, including two belonging to Saudi Arabia, were targeted in an apparent act of sabotage off the coast of the United Arab Emirates, according to officials in the region, and a Saudi pipeline was attacked by Iranian-backed Houthi rebels from Yemen. The U.S. also ordered non-essential staff out of Iraq and has dispatched additional military assets to the region.

The Senate will receive a classified briefing on Iran on Tuesday, according to Jim Risch of Idaho, the chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee. The House has requested a classified briefing as well.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said briefings are necessary because informing leaders is no substitute for the full membership of the Congress. She said a failure to inform lawmakers is part of a pattern for the Trump administration that is not right, because the power to declare war resides with Congress.

I hope that the presidents advisers recognize that they have no authorization to go forward in any way against Iran, Pelosi said.

Trump has dismissed suggestions that any of his advisers, particularly Bolton, are pushing him into a conflict.

John has strong views on things, but thats OK. I actually temper John, which is pretty amazing isnt it? Trump said recently when asked if he was satisfied with Boltons advice. I have different sides. I mean, I have John Bolton, and I have other people that are a little more dovish than him. And ultimately I make the decision.

Mark Dubowitz, an advocate of a hardline policy toward Iran and chief executive of the Federation for Defense of Democracies, said, Trump is smart to let these advisers play the roles they play and it really does help him lay the table for negotiation, but ultimately, it comes back to his ability to oversee a negotiation and do so wisely and judiciously, and thats an open question.

Tensions started to spiral last year when Trump pulled out of a deal the U.S. and other world powers signed with Iran during the Obama administration. The deal lifted economic sanctions on Iran in exchange for curbing of its nuclear program.

Trump agreed with critics of the deal that it didnt address Tehrans work on ballistic missiles or its support of militant groups around the region. His administration reinstated sanctions that had been lifted under the deal  the Europeans and other signatories are still in it  and has piled on more.

Trita Parsi, an adjunct associate professor at Georgetown University who advised the Obama administration on Iran, thinks the Iranians are trying to exploit Trump and Boltons divergence on foreign policy issues.

He cited a recent tweet from Hessamoddin Ashena, an adviser to Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, directed squarely at Trump and Bolton, who is easily recognized in public by his white, bushy mustache.

You wanted a better deal with Iran. Looks like you are going to get a war instead. Thats what happens when you listen to the mustache, the Iranian adviser said.

____

Associated Press writer Zeke Miller contributed to this report.
UPDATE 9:30 PM - We now know the names of the two pilots who died in the crash, Brian Julian Vandyke and Burton Alan Haughey. We are still working to learn the circumstances around the crash.

--

PLEASANT GROVE, Calif. - Authorities are investigating a crash involving two planes in the Striplin area, north of Sacramento.

Reports of the crash came in around 12 p.m. on Wednesday, according to Ian Gregor, public affairs manager of the FAA Pacific Division.

Authorities told the FAA Pacific Division that for unknown reasons, two single-engine Grumman G-164C Ag Cats collided midair.

One pilot was reportedly on board each aircraft, they said.

According to the California Highway Patrol logs, the crash happened near 3840 Pleasant Grove Road.

The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the crash.

This is a developing story. Stay tuned for updates.
BUTTE COUNTY, Calif. - A Chico man was sentenced to life in prison for the death of his mother on Wednesday, according to Butte County District Attorney Mike Ramsey.

Alton Facciuto, 32, was in court on Wednesday and was sentenced for the January 2018 murder of his mother, Sherry Facciuto, 60.

On January 18, 2018, Ramsey said that Sherry Facciuto was outside of her home, preparing the car to go into town with her husband. Her husband heard the car start up and leave without him. He later reported his wife missing after not hearing from her.

Sheriff's deputies responded to their home and found Sherry's body in an outbuilding.

Later that evening, deputies also responded to reports of a car that crashed into a fence behind a business on Martin Luther King Parkway in Chico. Alton was reportedly seen running from the area shortly after the crash.

Ramsey said Alton was staying on his parents' property after his release from prison in 2017 on a robbery charge.

Alton was arrested for parole violation, however, he had several scratches on his face at the time of the arrest.

Investigators conducted an autopsy and found that Sherry's cause of death was ruled as asphyxia by strangulation. DNA evidence collected from under Sherry's fingernails matched to the scratches on Alton's face.

Ramsey said a second-degree murder conviction normally carries a term of 15 years, however, because of Alton's previous robbery conviction, the sentence was doubled to 30 years to life.
UPDATE 5:17 p.m. Wednesday, May 15, 2019 - PG&E responded to CAL FIRE's findings that the utility company is responsible for the Camp Fire.

Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) today issued the following statement in response to the release of information by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) regarding the November 2018 Camp Fire:

CAL FIRE announced today that it has determined that PG&E electrical transmission lines near Pulga were a cause of the Camp Fire. PG&E accepts this determination.

Our hearts go out to those who have lost so much, and we remain focused on supporting them through the recovery and rebuilding process. We also want to thank the brave first responders who worked tirelessly to save lives, contain the Camp Fire and protect citizens and communities.

While we have not been able to review CAL FIREs report, its determination that PG&E transmission lines near the Pulga area ignited the Camp Fire on the morning of November 8, 2018, is consistent with the companys previous statements. We have not been able to form a conclusion as to whether a second fire ignited as a result of vegetation contact with PG&E electrical distribution lines, as CAL FIRE also determined. PG&E is fully cooperating with all ongoing investigations concerning the Camp Fire.

We remain committed to working together with state agencies and local communities to make our customers and California safer. We are actively working toward this commitment through our comprehensive Community Wildfire Safety Program, which includes:

 Real-time monitoring and intelligence

 Enhanced vegetation management practices

 Re-inspections of our critical electric infrastructure in high fire-threat areas

 Building a more resilient electric system

 Proactively shutting down power based on extreme conditions

---

BUTTE COUNTY, Calif. - CAL FIRE investigators determined that the Camp Fire was caused by the malfunction of PG&E transmission lines in the Pulga area.

The fire started in the early morning hours of Nov. 8, in Pulga.

The fire, which would be known as the most destructive in the state's history, burned a total of 153,336 acres and destroyed 18,804 structures. The fire also killed 85 people.

The investigation identified a second ignition sight near the intersection of Concow Road and Rim Road. The cause of the second fire was determined to be vegetation into electrical distribution lines owned and operated by PG&E.

The investigative report on the cause of the Camp Fire has been forwarded to Butte County District Attorney Mike Ramsey.

Ramsey said that the investigation into how and why the PG&E transmission line equipment failed is an ongoing effort. Investigators are looking to determine whether the utility or any of its personnel have any criminal liability.

State Senator Jim Nielsen issued the following statement in regards to the findings:

This finding is not a surprise. This conclusion by CAL FIRE investigators was anticipated. Survivors of the Camp Fire are putting their lives back together. Six months after the fire, many continue to go through the rubbles to savage remnants of their memories. The people of Butte County are hopeful and resilient. Together, we must proceed to put the community back, and PG & E must be a responsible participant in this rebuild effort.
Voting is not taken seriously enough in India. The poor turnout on voting day is clearly proof of this lack of interest. In this context, ACC along with 82.5 Communications, decided to create a digital video that makes a difference.

Sumanto Chattopadhyay, Chairman and Chief Creative Officer had this to say, The film was meant to inspire and convince the general population that every vote counts and it has the power to change the future.

In this context, the film not only communicates that your vote can bring the right candidate into power, but that it can also lay the foundation for future policies and charter the nation towards progress. The key focus of the film was to show the power of your vote.

And just like the five fingers come together to make a strong fist, the voters hand has the power to create kamaals for the future of the nation.

Ashish Prasad - Chief Marketing Officer, ACC said, Our brand philosophy is to inspire people to do extraordinary things and become a driving force in creating a confident future for our nation. Through this film we wanted to encourage them to do some kamaal by casting their vote.

ACC as a brand, has always owned equity and trust in the cement market. In this context, we felt it was imperative to engage with a new generation, be it home building or voting for a better future.

CREDITS

Sumanto Chattopadhyay - Chairman & Chief Creative Officer

V.S. Srikanth - Chief Executive Officer

Samrat Bedi - President, West

Mayur Varma - Executive Creative Director and Creative Head, Mumbai & Kolkata

ACCOUNT MANAGEMENT

Mohit Ahuja - Senior Vice President

Bhavesh Nainani - Management Supervisor

Selvam Somasundaram - Group Account Manager

CREATIVE

Durga Bangde - Senior Creative Director

Saman Ansari - Associate Creative Director
Bumble redefines social good model by giving back every time a woman makes the first move made on its app

In partnership with Vital Voices, Bumble will donate to a woman making positive change through its new Moves Making Impact feature

Bumble, the woman-first social networking app, has announced Moves Making Impact, a new product feature where Bumble gives back on behalf of every woman who makes the first move on its app. The announcement marks the first time a global company has given each of its users the power to drive social good fundraising through in-app activity.

Moves Making Impact represents a recalibration in social good and marks the most significant milestone weve ever achieved as a company, said Whitney Wolfe Herd, founder and CEO of Bumble. Were giving each one of our users unprecedented agency to make an impact on the issues and communities they care about most just by doing what they already do every day in Bumble: make the first move.

Its vitally important to use our experience, brands and technology to move the needle in creating social change, especially when thats generated through the actions of our users. It is an absolute honour for us to be part of this process," added Bumble Founding Partner and Badoo CEO Andrey Andreev.

Women on Bumble will choose one of the three causes  human rights, public policy or economic development  that they want to support through making the first move. Each cause is associated with a woman leading meaningful change in her community. Based on the number of first moves made for each cause, Bumble will make a donation to each woman through Vital Voices, a nonprofit that works with women leaders across the world.

At Vital Voices, we are venture catalysts. We search the world for women leaders with daring vision for change, then partner with them to make their vision a reality by expanding their skills, connections, and visibility to accelerate change on a global scale, said Alyse Nelson, President and CEO of Vital Voices. We are thrilled to partner with a company that not only puts women at the forefront of everything they do, but also supports the way that women use their power to empower others.

Bumble and Vital Voices have identified twelve women leaders solving problems in their communities who will benefit from Moves Making Impact over the course of the next year. The first group of women who are recipients of Bumbles Moves Making Impact initiative are:

 Amanda Nguyen, based in Washington, DC, is a Nobel Peace Prize Nominee and the Founder of Rise, a civil rights accelerator in the US. She founded Rise to rewrite the law and ensure that the rights of survivors were put at the center. Amanda and her team drafted the Sexual Assault Survivors Bill of Rights, which set a civil rights standard for survivors and impacted at least 25 million people nationwide. The bill was unanimously passed by Congress and signed into law by President Obama on October 7, 2016. Since then, Rise has focused on empowering others to advocate for survivors within their community, giving them tools, resources and technology to create needed legislation, passing 23 laws impacting nearly 40 million people.

 Akanksha Hazari, based in Mumbai, India, aspires to empower underserved communities to achieve the life they imagine. She is the CEO and Founder of m.Paani, a commerce platform that is changing the face of Indian retail by empowering local business owners to digitize their stores and deliver the neighbourhood shopping experience of the future. m.Paani enables local retailers to deliver like e-tailers by taking their stores online, digitizing consumer relationships, & driving growth via targeted marketing and loyalty. Local businesses are responsible for 40% of employment in India. By preserving local retail, m.Paani is strengthening communities, sustaining local employment, and bringing convenience and meaningful savings to every Indian. m.Paanis mission is to build the largest retail chain in the world by empowering and organising India's 60+million local retailers.

 Baljeet Sandhu, based in London, UK, established the Migrant and Refugee Childrens Legal Unit, a specialist legal, policy and education hub protecting and promoting the rights of young people displaced by war, fleeing abuse and violence and trafficked for the purposes of exploitation and slavery. As a legal entrepreneur, she has pioneered innovation in the legal sector by testing out new models of legal services for young people whilst spearheading access to justice and legal education strategies within the wider social sector. She is a visiting fellow at Yale Law School and recently established the Knowledge Equity Initiative at Yale to share her expertise and support the development of inclusive innovation strategies to address some of the worlds most pressing social and environmental problems.
The International Advertising Association (IAA) India Chapter has created a multi media campaign to raise awareness of the need to urgently contribute towards the rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts that are needed to help the victims of the devastating cyclone Fani that has left a trail of destruction in Odisha.

Says IAA India Chapter President Punit Goenka There is so much to be done to rebuild the affected areas in Odisha. This is the marcom industry's way of showing how communication can be used as a force for good. I appeal to all sections of industry to their bit and contribute to this effort."

The creative effort has been driven by Madison BMB.
The celebrated RJs of MY FM- RJ Teena , RJ Viny and RJ Animesh won Radio4Child awards, that took place in Mumbai. Radio4Child awards honoured the RJs for their innovative and thought-provoking programming across themes which was Childhood development' this year. RJ Animesh was honoured with Best spot and Best public service announcements awards; RJ Teena was honoured with The special mention award- in Child Sexual Abuse Category and RJ Viny was honoured with The Best RJ Link in Child Abuse Award category.

The third edition of Radio4Child 2019 included nominations for workshops, conducted in 2018, by UNICEF and Association of Radio Operators (AROI) for over 40 All India Radio (AIR) and private FM radio professionals. This initiative aimed to help them integrate radio jingles/talk shows on critical messages related to vaccination and other child issues.

In the UNICEF's Radio for Child Awards, RJ Animesh was honoured with two awards Best spot and Best public service announcements in the category of routine immunisation to the people through radio.

RJ Teena won The special mention award in Child Sexual Abuse Category for the show she did on increasing child rape cases in MP and RJ Viny was awarded with the Best RJ Link in Child Abuse Awardcategory . This award has been given to RJ Viny to raise issues such as violence against children.

Expressing his gratitue, Mr. Rahul Namjoshi, Chief Operating Officer said We are elated on receiveing four awards at Radio4child awards. These awards are even more special as our RJs have won in the categories where society needs awareness and we are happy to be a part of society development programmes. These kinds of awards are a motivation for us and our RJs to keep doing these awareness programs our channels and keep spreading awareness on the same.
Forty per cent of the customers ordering food online have had unpleasant experiences at some point or the other. This was revealed in a recently concluded study by Velocity MR. The study assesses online food delivery experiences and challenges faced by online food ordering apps/ websites in the marketplace. The study, which covered a total sample size of 2,436 respondents, included key Indian metropolises, including Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Kolkata, Hyderabad, and Chennai, among others.

The Indian online food ordering market is expected to touch $17.02 billion by 2023. It is estimated to grow at 16 per cent annually and is expected to be bigger than e-commerce in India. The growth in the online food ordering market can be attributed to various factors, starting with changing lifestyles, faster adoption of technology, an increasing number of women now joining the working population and increased adoption in Tier 2 cities in a vast country like India. However, this is not free from its share of pitfalls.

According to Jasal Shah, Managing Director & CEO, Velocity MR, The meaning of food tech has evolved over the years. Earlier, it referred to food processing and the technology used for its manufacturing. With evolving technology, the way millennials consume and perceive food has witnessed a huge shift for the better ensuring better play through quality, options, and efficiency. Food tech, as a result, has evolved into the entire process of food ordering and delivery while focussing on the comfort, convenience, quality and affordability factors.

Shah further said, Even though food tech platforms are focussed on building customer satisfaction, in reality, it would not be possible to maintain this at all times considering the nature of the business. This prompted us to conduct this study to analyse the challenges faced by online food ordering apps/ websites and its customers in the marketplace.

Highlights of the Study

4 in every 10 respondents who have ordered food either from Swiggy or Zomato Order, have come across some or the other unpleasant experience in the past while ordering food

Considering that people have faced some issues related to online ordering from Swiggy & Zomato Order in the past, 8 in every 10 respondents claim that they will still continue ordering through the same app/website and 6 in every 10 claims that they will still continue ordering through the same restaurant/food outlet

About 50% of the respondents claimed to have ordered food online in the past 2 days.

More than the younger generation (18-25 year olds) the mid-aged 26-35 year olds, ordered food in the past 2 days (42% vs 59%).

It is interesting to note that all of the respondents surveyed, order food at least once a month.

It is encouraging to note that very few (1 in every 5) have never tried to order online.

Swiggy has been tried by 9 of every 10 respondents and later followed by Zomato Order. Some brands like Dominos & McDelivery have seen more trials by women while Box8, Mojo Pizza & TastyKhana had more male orderers..

The most preferred is Swiggy, as stated by 1 in every 2 respondents.

Convenience of ordering & Doorstep delivery are the key triggers for ordering food from Swiggy & Zomato Order. This is observed to be higher in the 46-60 age group category, where 8 in every 10 have claimed so.

Issue/ Challenges Related
Tanishq, Indias trusted jewellery brand, has launched an interesting campaign depicting the various aspects which makes the brand one of the most loved jewellery brands in the country. The campaign has released a series of videos which beautifully encapsulate the emotions that run across the customers mind and how these apprehensions are understood and well taken care of by Tanishq. A Tanishq is for all and this campaign is the brands way of saying it to all that, Aapke apne hain hum.

Conceptualized by Lowe Lintas, the campaign speaks about customization, purity and range of products that Tanishq offers to their customers.The customization aspect highlights of how meticulously Tanishq has been taking care to deliver the best product by satisfying the exact requirements of each customer. Special care is taken to achieve that perfect cut, finish and designing of the product.

The Purity aspect highlights of how Tanishq takes extra care in manufacturing their product. The state-of the-art Karatmeter present at every Tanishq store is a very accurate way of measuring the purity of gold. Thats how the brand makes sure that every gold item taken home is nothing less than the best. Old gold is melted and weighed in front of the customers at every showroom to guarantee 100% exchange value on gold. Tanishq also offers 100% value (at prevailing rates) when exchanging diamonds, polkis, rubies or emeralds. The making charges start at only 8% and the regional designs start at only 5 grams, to ensure that one can choose a trusted Tanishq piece every time they want to buy a piece of jewellery.

Tanishq also aims at offering a wide range of products in order to appeal to their customers located across the country. The range of products are designed to cater to both the North & south markets. This is to address the fact of how Tanishq has been successful in serving people from all regions irrespective of their state or any other distinctions. Tanishq was and will always be Aapka Apna Tanishq.

Speaking about the film, Deepika Tewari, Associate Vice President  Marketing, Jewellery Division at Titan Company Limited said, Through this campaign, Welcome to Tanishq - Apke apne hain hum, we wanted to depict the crucial aspects like customization, purity and wide range of products; that Tanishq aims to provide to each of their customers, along with best in class retail experience. The making of these series of videos and working on delivering the thought behind them have been a pleasure and we hope these would go on to serve their purpose well.

Quoting about the film, Sagar Kapoor, Creative Head at Lowe Lintas, said, The creative challenge for us was to communicate the little known, but very relevant, aspects about the brand in an interesting way. Our inspiration came from the actual experiences of the store staff. They have seen the customers react in the most delightful way when they were told about things they werent aware of like customization, regional jewellery etc. This to us was a great way of giving them information on Tanishq, just the way they will accept it."

Campaign credits:




NATURE WINS.

SCIENCE IS IMPERFECT.

THE ROAD TO HEALTH IS PAVED WITH PROFITS.



We are allowed to talk about antiobiotic overuse and the terrible outcomes. We are not allowed to talk about vaccination overuse and the terrible outcomes.

From Vox.com:



Our antibiotics are becoming useless



Common diseases are becoming untreatable. Thats the blunt warning issued on page one of a major new United Nations report on drug resistance. If we dont make a radical change now, the report says, drug-resistant diseases could kill 10 million people a year by 2050.

Drug resistance is what happens when we overuse antibiotics in the treatment of humans, animals, and plants. When a new antibiotic is introduced, it can have great, even life-saving results  for a while. But then the bacteria adapt. Gradually, the antibiotic becomes less effective, and were left with a disease that we dont know how to treat, perhaps more dangerous than its predecessor.



From Child Health Defense:



Failure to Vaccinate or Vaccine Failure: What Is Driving Disease Outbreaks?

The topic of vaccine failure is not new, having been discussed since the earliest days of smallpox vaccinationand modern-day descriptions of vaccine failure continue to multiply. There is also growing evidence that vaccine manufacturers have made false claims about their products effectiveness. In MMR-related lawsuits against Merck, former Merck scientists avow that Merck fraudulently misled the government and omitted, concealed, and adulterated material information regarding the efficacy of its mumps vaccine in violation of the FCA [False Claims Act]. According to a report by Huffpost, the companys far-ranging fraudulent activities were designed to help Merck monopolize the mumps vaccine market, even though Merck expected outbreaks to occur as a result of its shoddy vaccine. Merck has also been accused of fraud and negligence related to other vaccines.

A recent article in U.S. News says that many families desire for vaccine choice stems from accumulated distrust of organized medicine, federal regulators and pharmaceutical companies. Although U.S. News does not say so, this accumulated distrust is well deserved!

Rather than tarring and feathering individuals who, for a variety of well-founded reasons, do not vaccinateor worse, forcing them to inject their children with vaccines that are not only ineffective but harmfulour legislators should be investigating the powerful entities that are trying to hide vaccines inability to deliver what they promise.
Its one of the great movie posters  artist Roger Kastles illustration of a great white shark racing from the depths to devour a female swimmer. British-born underwater photographer Euan Rannachan had always wanted to duplicate the image with a real shark but had never quite been able to, until recently, notes The Sun: Rannachan was shooting from inside a shark cage near Guadalupe Island, off the west coast of Mexico, when he accomplished his feat, though, thankfully, without a swimmer above. Fstoppers has more.
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US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo decided May 8 to cancel his meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and instead head to Iraq. The top US diplomat made it clear that he was visiting Baghdad to discuss increasing tensions with Iran.

An Iraqi official told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity that Pompeo, in fact, delivered Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi a flash drive with recordings of pro-Iranian Iraqi groups preparing to attack US interests in the country. And, following Pompeos meeting, some Iraqi sources have indicated that the United States may consider Iraq as a bridge to an eventual dialogue with Iran  a role the Iraqis may be willing to play.

According to the Iraqi official, the Iraqi prime minister wants to play a serious role in de-escalating tensions with full backing from the highest Shiite religious authority in Iraq, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, who believes Iraq is capable of emerging as a fair mediator, not only between Iran and the United States, but also Tehran and its regional rivals.

Pompeo stressed during his visit that Iraq should not play a role in easing the sanctions on Iran. But Pompeo failed to get positive assurances from his Iraqi hosts.

Only a week before Pompeos surprise visit to Iraq, security forces reportedly thwarted an attack on Camp Taji north of Baghdad and seized a number of Katyusha rockets at the scene. Saudi-owned Al-Arabiya news channel said that US forces were present at the camp during the attack.

The United States announced May 5 that it is deploying a carrier strike group and a bomber task force to the Middle East to send a clear message to Iran that any attack on US interests or its allies will be met with unrelenting force, according to US national security adviser John Bolton. Amid rising tensions with Iran, Bolton said the decision was in response to a number of troubling and escalatory indications and warnings.

The United States is not seeking war with the Iranian regime," he said, "but we are fully prepared to respond to any attack, whether by proxy, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) or regular Iranian forces.

The US Embassy in Baghdad issued a security alert May 12, warning American citizens of "heightened tensions" in Iraq and advising against travel to the country. One day later, Pompeo told CNBC that, in the event that Iran decided to target US interests, we are prepared to respond in an appropriate way. A subsequent alert by the US State Department May 14 called on all nonessential US personnel to leave Iraq.

Iraqs status as an area of shared influence between Iran and the United States leaves the countrys leaders with few options. They can either adopt the stance of one partner and see itself fall out with the other, or try to build bridges  and this is what the Iraqis strive to do.

Yet the infrastructure that Iran has built in Iraq over the past years has provided it with exceptional leverage. Today, over 15 years after the United States invaded Iraq and toppled Saddam Hussein's regime, the Islamic Republic is regarded as a main player in Iraq.

According to Abdul Mahdi, both Iran and the United States dont want to fight a war, and the struggle between the two is a complicated issue.

Irans allies in Iraq negatively reacted to Pompeos visit, with Popular Moblization Units (PMU) leader Moeen al-Kadhimi saying at a press conference, "The Americans are in trouble now, especially considering that US troops' bases are known in Iraq and the region and can be targeted easily.

On Instagram, an account linked to Maj. Gen. Qasem Soleimani, the head of the IRGC's foreign operations, posted a photograph of Soleimani with PMU commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis in Baghdad. The photo came amid reports that the United States had slammed Soleimani's role in Iraq.

We refuse any use of our territories against our neighbors, and mainly Iran, Laith al-Azari, a member of Asaib Ahl al-Haq's political bureau, told Al-Monitor. This is going to shake the stability in the region while Iraq today is just recovering from the danger of the Islamic State. Therefore we refuse any use of our territories because this poses as a violation of our sovereignty."

Azari added that Asaib Ahl al-Haq, which is a close ally of Tehran, will confront any attempt to attack Iraqs neighbors from Iraqi soil with all possible means. Iran trained Asaib Ahl al-Haq, along with other Shiite militant groups in Iraq, during the US occupation of the country. These groups played a vital role in Iran's proxy war during that period.

Now that the next wave of a proxy war is mounting, these Iraqi factions might once again rise as an Iranian tool to confront US pressure. Iraq could once again become an arena for another Iranian-US conflict  one that the Iraqi government is struggling to prevent.

In accordance with the reported Iraqi role between Iran and the United States, it seems that Qatar is also active on this channel. The Qatari-owned Al Jazeera network reported May 15 that Foreign Minister Mohammad Bin AbdulRahman Al Thani visited Tehran in recent days aiming to defuse tensions with Washington. Al Jazeera quoted a "highly placed source familiar with details of the trip" as saying that the purpose of the visit was to "open new avenues to resolve the growing crisis between Iran and the United States and ease the volatile situation."
During a trip to Japan, Irans Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif spoke to journalists regarding the latest status of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and the increasing tension with the United States.

Zarif said that any military action by the group he dubbed the B-team (national security adviser John Bolton, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman and Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Zayed) would be political suicide.

Zarif accused the group of seeking a military conflict in the region and said that he explained to his Japanese counterpart ways to reduce tension in the region and stop Americas warmongering actions. Zarif added, Iran has always defended its interests with power and will continue to do so now.

Regarding the US decision to exit the JCPOA and reimpose sanctions amid Irans continued compliance with the nuclear deal, Zarif asked, Does the civilized world accept American bullying against those who have followed the law and have implemented Security Council resolutions? The United States has threatened any country continuing to do business with Iran with sanctions and has called on countries who purchase Iranian oil to drop their imports to zero. While the International Atomic Energy Agency has confirmed that Iran has fully complied with the JCPOA since its signing, Tehran recently announced it will make some modifications if European countries are unable to provide avenues to conduct trade.

Tehran has made it clear that while it believes a war with the United States will not happen, it is not afraid of one. Some Iranian officials, particularly in the military, have talked about the countrys ability and readiness to repel any attacks. Diplomatic officials have downplayed the likelihood of war between the United States and Iran while stressing the need to reduce tensions to prevent a confrontation.

Irans representative to the United Nations, Majid Takht Ravanchi, told the Wall Street Journal that Iran is not a threat to anyone in Iraq. The United States announced yesterday that it would pull non-essential staff from Iraq given the heightened tensions with neighboring Iran. The UK announced today that it would also pull staff out of Iraq due to heightened risk from Iran.

Irans Defense Minister Amir Hatami said May 15 that Iran is at the highest point with military-defensive readiness for any type of threat and that the United States and its regional allies are aware of its preparedness. Hatami said that Iran will pass through this sensitive era with its head held high and the American-Israeli front will taste a bitter defeat.

Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander Hossein Salami also spoke about the heightened tensions with the United States on May 15. Because the enemy has used all of its potential capabilities in the arena of confrontation, this point in history is the most fateful point in the Islamic Revolution, Salami said. He added, With the strategy of maximum pressure and bringing all of its abilities to the arena, the enemy has tried to bring uncertainty in the minds and hearts.

Salami concluded, Our enemy has reached the end of the line and contrary to appearances is suffering from brittleness from within.
SULAIMANIYAH, Iraq  Nearly five years after the Yazidi-majority town of Sinjar was recaptured from the Islamic State (IS), conflicts among opposing forces in the town hinder rehabilitation efforts and the return of internally displaced persons, and set the stage for a looming battle.

IS militants seized Sinjar, near Iraqs northwestern border with Syria, in 2014. They targeted its Yazidi majority in a genocidal campaign of killing, rape, abduction and enslavement. In November 2015, the extremist group was expelled from Sinjar in an operation launched by many forces.

When IS attacked Sinjar, the Iraqi Kurdistan peshmerga forces withdrew from the town without a fight, leaving the Yazidis defenseless. The outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), based in the Qandil Mountains, rushed to aid Sinjar's citizens.

Now Sinjar is administered by the Yazidis' Sinjar Resistance Units (YBS)  which some consider to be affiliated with the PKK  supposedly in coordination with the Iraqi army and police. But in a March 19 confrontation between the YBS and Iraqi army, two YBS fighters and one Iraqi army soldier were killed.

We have the ability to protect security in Sinjar," Iraqi Defense Ministry spokesman Tahsin al-Khafaji told Al-Monitor. "We have direct contact with the people of Sinjar, their tribal leaders. We have reinforced our units, and I can say that now the situation is under the control of our forces."

However, Sinjar Mayor Mahma Khalil, who is from the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and now lives three hours away in Dahuk, told Al-Monitor The YBS is an extension of PKK, whose struggle arena is not here. The YBS forces are preventing the return of refugees. They create obstacles for the NGOs, they obstruct the return of people to rebuild their town and they use violence and create instability."

He accused the YBS of "imposing special laws" on the people of Sinjar and even Iraqi police forces. He called for more Iraqi military forces to be deployed to impose law and expel "YBS alien forces" from the country.

Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, the UN special representative for the secretary-general in Iraq, visited Sinjar on May 3 and called on the federal government in Baghdad and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) in Erbil to create a single administration in Sinjar. However, it seems Baghdad and Erbil have different views on how to deal with the issue.

KRG spokesman Safeen Dizayee told Al-Monitor, "The existence of a force [YBS] affiliated with the PKK caused issues for Sinjar and the area. The self-imposing of that force  which basically has nothing [to do] with the Kurdistan region and Iraq  with the support of some Iraqi sides is creating concerns for the Kurdistan region and the people of Sinjar."

He stressed that the people of Sinjar should have the power to choose their own local administration, far removed from YBS influence.

Regarding calls for YBS forces to be expelled from Sinjar, and which forces should remain in the town, Khafaji, the Iraqi Defense Ministry spokesman, said such matters are determined by Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi, who is the high commander of the armed forces.

Saed Hasan, YBS commander in Sinjar, told Al-Monitor, We aren't paying attention to calls for the withdrawal of our forces from Sinjar, as the YBS was the force that protected Sinajr from IS and we are from the town. Therefore, both the Iraqi government and army have admitted to our sacrifices in the fight.

He made clear that YBS forces formally take orders from the Iraqi government, which admits to their de facto presence in Sinjar, indicating they have good coordination with both Iraqi troops and the Popular Mobilization Units (PMU), dismissing the prospect of expulsion by the Iraqi government as unrealistic and incompetent." He assumes Turkey has been pressuring the KDP to fight the YBS.

He accused the KDP of obstructing people's returns to their hometown. He said the YBS has no objections to Sinjar citizens electing their own administration democratically, and provincial elections are scheduled for Nov. 16. However, he noted that the presence of many roadside bombs and the lack of basic services prevent people from returning to their villages and casting their ballots.

Qasim Shesho commands the Protection Force of Ezidkhan (HPS), a Yazidi militia founded in 2014 in response to IS attacks on Yazidis. In 2017, HPS joined the Kurdistan region's peshmerga forces. Shesho told Al-Monitor, Our view is that as long as the [PMU] and the PKK are located in Sinjar, the town cannot see security and stability. Joint forces from the Iraqi federal government and peshmerga should establish security and stability in Sinjar.

The PKK announced its withdrawal from Sinjar in March 2018, after Turkey threatened military action there. Turkey, which considers the YBS an extension of the PKK, is thought to be fueling enmity among the areas various ethnic groups and nations for its own benefit.

The YBS is ideologically connected to the ideology of Abdullah Ocalan [the long-imprisoned founder of the PKK in Turkey], but the YBS is not a foreign force to the city, as the majority of the fighters are Yazidis. There is a fear of clashes between the forces, but it's not logical to call for the YBS to withdraw from the city, Kamal Chomani, a nonresident independent fellow at the Washington-based Tahrir Institute, told Al-Monitor.

The KDP considers the YBS an existential threat in Sinjar, and even beyond Sinjar borders, as the PKK can expand its military might through the YBS in the future," he said, adding that Turkey pressures the KDP to continuously call for the YBS to withdraw from the city.

Chomani emphasized that the people of Sinjar should elect a mayor from among themselves, supported by all, and the forces should reach a political agreement in which Baghdad should treat the YBS as a Yazidi brigade and the KDP should accept the new political and military balances in the city, as one can't expel the other from the Sinjar area because all the forces have Yazidi members.

On May 12, Dindar Zebari, KRG coordinator for international advocacy, said IS had kidnapped almost 6,300 Yazidis since invading Sinjar in 2014. As of May 4, 3,371 have been freed or rescued  almost all of them women and children. The whereabouts of the rest, including more than 2,700 men, are unknown.

The Yazidis need to have a force [of their own] to protect them from any future threats," especially since extremist terrorist groups still pose a danger, Chomani concluded.

Turkeys intention to launch a massive cross-border operation against the areas of northeast Syria still held by the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) might be broadened to target Sinjar and the Qandil Mountains, two main places Turkey considers threats to its strategies in the region. But such a move might produce devastating outcomes for Turkey and the KRG, as Iraqi leaders frequently say Iraqs soil will not become an arena for sorting out regional disputes.
About a month before the last election, the chairman of Yisrael Beiteinu, Knesset member Avigdor Liberman, told a press conference that ultra-Orthodox and ultra-Orthodox nationalists will have more sway in the next Knesset than ever before and that the next coalition will probably include 20-25 members who support a state run on the principles of Jewish law.

Liberman ran under the slogan Right-wing and secular and frequently attacked the ultra-Orthodox. His prediction served his message well: Only he could block efforts at religious coercion by the next government. He sent Knesset members from Yisrael Beiteinu to support public transportation in Tiberias, initiated by the citys new Mayor Ron Kobi as part of his own fight against religious coercion in the town.

Liberman knows how to reinvent himself every election campaign. In 2019, he chose to be the flag-bearer for secularism. After all, his electorate consists mostly of Russian immigrants and is completely secular.

Liberman was right on two counts. First, he passed the electoral threshold with a respectable five seats, despite all the polls predicting he would be wiped off the political map. Second, he also foresaw the rise of the ultra-Orthodox parties. Including the ultra-Orthodox nationalist parties, they now hold 21 seats in the current Knesset: eight for Shas, eight for Yahadut HaTorah and five for the United Right.

I returned to the Knesset with one seat less but much stronger than before, Liberman told everyone who called to congratulate him after the election. Its true. With those five seats, Liberman does hold the keys to the next government. Without him, Netanyahu has only 60 seats out of 120. With exactly the same number of seats as the opposition, it would be very hard for the government to function. While Liberman had six seats in 2015, Netanyahu had a majority government without him, and in fact headed such a government for the first two years of his term until Liberman finally joined it.

This situation, however, has created the greatest obstacle facing the formation of Netanyahus fifth government: the clash between Liberman and the ultra-Orthodox over the conscription law that would force young ultra-Orthodox Israelis to enlist. This is not a dispute over portfolios, at least as far as Liberman is concerned. He asked for and received the Defense Ministry for himself and the Absorption Ministry for a member of his party. But Liberman also wants to make good on his promises to the secular community, and they clash with the interests of the ultra-Orthodox parties, who returned to the Knesset much stronger than before and demand to be treated accordingly.

Meanwhile, over a month has passed since Netanyahu was tasked with forming a government and he doesnt have a single coalition agreement. Each of his potential partners has taken a hard line. On May 12, the president granted him one final two-week extension to complete the job, which now seems more complicated than ever.

The following day, Liberman presented Netanyahu with his five minimum demands to join the coalition. Central to them was the conscription law, which he first proposed as defense minister. The law was passed by the Knesset in its first reading in July 2018, despite opposition from the ultra-Orthodox parties. Liberman takes pride in this law, which is considered more lenient than Yair Lapids earlier version, but still sets quotas for recruitment and imposes sanctions if they are not met. A Supreme Court ruling requires the Knesset to approve the new law by late July. While the ultra-Orthodox oppose its current version, Liberman refuses to compromise. A source in Netanyahus office told Al-Monitor that Liberman is a hard nut to crack, and that he will push the law all the way to the bitter end. As such, that end is not at all clear.

Anyone keeping track of the rhetoric coming out of Liberman and the ultra-Orthodox Knesset members over the last few days will see that Liberman is intentionally creating not a personal but an ideological dispute over religion and state. He wants at least one achievement that is a banner issue for his secular ideology and added the chairmanship of the Interior Committee to his demands so he can deal with these issues directly.

The ultra-Orthodox refused to remain silent in the face of what they regard as sheer provocation. In an interview with Reshet Bet on May 14, Knesset member Moshe Gafni of Yahadut HaTorah lashed out against Libermans behavior, saying, If he thinks that he can run the country with his five seats, he can keep dreaming. What does he mean that he suddenly wants to chair the Interior Committee? Whats that all about? We asked to chair the Interior Committee, since we know much more about it than he does. What does he even know about it?

Then, on Wednesday, ultra-Orthodox Knesset member Yisrael Eichler shifted into an even higher gear. In another interview with Reshet Bet, he accused Liberman of trying to block the formation of a right-wing government, claiming that Liberman had reached an agreement with Blue and White senior Yair Lapid to form a secular government without Netanyahu. Eichler concluded the interview with a call to Liberman: Dont bring down a right-wing government.

With the ultra-Orthodox media seething, Liberman was called to respond. He did so in a long Facebook post, writing, Ive been subjected to countless threats over the last few days coming from Knesset members representing the ultra-Orthodox parties. They included statements like, Well hold a new election or form a government without Yisrael Beiteinu. I regret that instead of holding serious discussions on the issues, the ultra-Orthodox parties have chosen to provoke, lash out and threaten. Later in the post, Liberman clarified, The position of Yisrael Beiteinu on matters of religion and state is perfectly clear. We support a Jewish state. We do not support a halachic state.

Then, in order to quash the rumors, Liberman announced that even if he does not join the coalition, he will not support any other candidate from within the Likud or outside the Likud. Another rumor that he put to rest was that he was coordinating with Kulanu leader Moshe Kahlon to prevent Netanyahu from forming a government. He concluded, We want a right-wing government in deeds, not in words. Take us seriously.

As Liberman and the ultra-Orthodox squabble over who is preventing a government from being formed, the unique position that Liberman will hold in the next coalition becomes ever more apparent. He is the only member to advocate for a secular agenda alongside a right-wing one. Apart from Liberman, there are two other secular parties in the coalition: the Likud and Kulanu. On the other hand, the Likuds agenda has become less secular over the last few years, while Moshe Kahlons Kulanu hardly stands out for its struggles pertaining to religion and state. This leaves Liberman as the only factor in the next government, when and if it is formed, who will serve as a vocal and authentic voice for the secular community. The fact that there can be no government without him gives him significant power.
All countries need alliances; superpowers need alliances, said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at a May 14 event marking the first anniversary of the US Embassy's move from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Obviously a small country  small in territory, giant in spirit  a country like Israel needs alliances, too. The prime minister then went on to list Israels inventory of allies, leading with the United States and President Donald Trump, Israels best ever friend in the White House. Netanyahus list also included the Arab world, Asia, Africa and Latin America.

The greatness of spirit of little Israel, an occupying power, is obviously the basis for the alliance with the Egyptian champion of human rights, President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, and with Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, for whom Adolf Hitler was a source of inspiration. Chads President Idriss Deby and Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, both well-known democrats, have also visited Jerusalem in recent months.

And why did Europe disappear from Netanyahus list? In 2017, Netanyahu famously labeled the European Unions attitude toward Israel as crazy, but what about his central European allies? Why was Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban not mentioned? After all, Hungary seems to be closely aligned with Israel in terms of xenophobia, a sentiment shared by the government in Budapest and Netanyahus own son Yair. How could Netanyahu have forgotten Mateusz Morawiecki, whose blind support for Israels occupation of Palestinian territories won Poland a pardon for its crimes against the Jewish people? It's hard to believe Netanyahu's memory has betrayed him to such an extent.

The answer lies in these allies failure to deliver the goods. Netanyahu has ignored and even cooperated with their anti-Semitic deviations, serving as their advocate at the White House and in Congress, while they refuse to move their embassies to Jerusalem. Much to Netanyahus chagrin, at the last minute the so-called Visegrad States (Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Slovakia) canceled their annual summit scheduled to take place in Jerusalem this past February.

The anti-Semites will never change, Netanyahu declared at the commemoration event. As long as European anti-Semites serve his goal of blocking EU sanctions against Israel, the prime minister will not change his attitude toward them. He did not utter a word of protest when Morawiecki, speaking at a May 11 election rally, reiterated his governments position that Poland was a victim of the Nazi occupation in World War II and therefore We will not allow any damages to be paid to anyone because it is us who should get damages. This declaration was preceded by a Foreign Ministry statement in Warsaw saying Poland had decided to cancel the planned visit of an Israeli delegation this week 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. Indeed, the delegation was supposed to discuss Polish compensation for properties confiscated from Jews by the Nazi regime and later expropriated by the Soviet-allied Communist regime that ruled Poland after the war. Most of the restitution claims were rejected. When Poland became a democracy in 1989, a significant number of the assets were restored to their Jewish heirs, but Poland is the only EU state that did not adopt sweeping legislation to regulate the restoration of looted or nationalized properties or to compensate for them.

In a May 12 statement announcing the delegations visit, Social Equality Minister Gila Gamliel said Israels government views the restitution of Jewish property and promotion of the rights of Holocaust survivors as a binding moral imperative of the Jewish state. The senior member of Netanyahus Likud added that no one will stop us from carrying out this important imperative. However, the next day, a diplomatic source placed the blame for the crisis at Gamliels door. The source, quoted in the nationalist Netanyahu family mouthpiece Israel Hayom, claimed there had been a quiet understanding with the Poles that the issue of restitution would be discussed by the Israeli delegation, and there was no need to make it public. The source accused Gamliel and her ministry of making a bad mistake by announcing the delegations plan to raise the issue in Warsaw.

This leniency toward Poland and its like was also reflected in a joint communique that Netanyahu and Morawiecki issued last July after Poland's lower house revised the language of a law criminalizing references to Polish guilt in Nazi atrocities. Even the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial in Jerusalem, which welcomes all of Netanyahus dubious guests, could not ignore the statement, describing it as an offense not only to the historical truth, but also to the memory of the heroism of the Righteous Among the Nations. Education Minister Naftali Bennett called the statement a disgrace and a blow to the memory of those who perished in the Holocaust.

Former Knesset member Colette Avital, chair of an umbrella organization of Holocaust survivors, told Al-Monitor this week that the cancelation of the Israeli delegations visit to Poland underscores once again the Israeli governments obligation to choose between a moral stand upholding the rights of Holocaust victims and realpolitik.

Netanyahu has made his choice, embracing a Machiavellian approach toward morality and politics as a symbol of Israeli diplomacy. So have the masses of Israelis who crowned him five successive times, and may well do so again.
The war for Tripoli recently entered its second month, and the main global and regional powers have yet to adopt a coherent or unified approach to the conflict. In fact, their recent actions indicate they are willing to tacitly condone Khalifa Hifters offensive by not rallying together to oppose it.

Is this because Hifters international backers are more passionate in their support of him than his opponents are in their opposition? That is certainly part of it. The main story appears to be the inertia of his opponents and the sunk cost fallacy of his backers.

The second war for post-Gadhafi succession

On April 4, Hifters self-styled Libyan National Army (LNA) commenced Operation Flood of Dignity to liberate Tripoli from militias aligned with the Government of National Accord (GNA). It is useful to see this current conflict as the second part of an ongoing war of post-Moammar Gadhafi succession. It began in the summer of 2014, when one side tried to use force to control key chokepoints in Tripoli and nullify election results, while the other declared its intention to purge Libya of Islamists altogether.

The principles of Libyan wars

The first phase of the war demonstrated that no single group or ideological coalition is capable of consolidating control over the whole country nor making a definitive breakthrough in the capital, which would give it unfettered access to Libyas purse strings and a strong claim to sole international legitimacy. It also revealed that this war is fought according to uniquely Libyan principles, in which all sides are cautious to avoid, as well as to inflict, casualties.

Given the propensity for stalemate in the Libyan way of war, foreign powers decisions vis-a-vis promoting a mediated solution or offering certain levels of support for different sides and factions are likely to be decisive in determining which actors emerge victorious. Since Libya is a penetrated system with an enduring internal balance of power, outside actors can tip the otherwise-balanced scales between warring coalitions.

The rigidity of international actors

Tragically, given its ability to make a difference, the international community remains divided, with Hifters backers finding themselves "along for the ride," and his opponents sticking to their wait and see approach. His biggest backers  France, Russia, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt  have wisely made it known over the last weeks that they did not support the timing of Hifters offensive. Likely they opposed its clumsy optics  it began just before the slated UN-backed National Conference, making it clear that Hifter never had any intention of accepting either the will of the international community or a negotiated compromise with other Libyan factions. And yet, they appear unable to simply abandon Hifter and close ranks with his international opponents and impose meaningful sanctions. This may mean they are operating under a sunk cost fallacy.

Outside support is likely key to the battle for Tripoli

Thus far, with most international actors expressing their support or condemnations at arms length, the first month of fighting indicates that the LNA can only win and hold Tripoli with extensive air support from Egypt or the UAE, special forces/reconnaissance support from either Russia or France, and the international community allowing the LNA and its backers to deny Turkey, Italy and Qatar the opportunity to resupply and promote unity among the LNAs opponents.

Part of those conditions for an LNA victory might be coming into being. The UN Security Council held an emergency session on Libya on May 10, and no meaningful resolution emerged. This is a tacit acknowledgement that, due to prior Russian and American blocking of two British resolutions, it will be impossible for the UN to differentiate between aggressor and the defenders in the conflict and that all the international community can merely offer is a return to the political process fostered by the UN Support Mission in Libya, without penalizing either side.

Europe has given Sarraj the cold shoulder

Last week, Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj conducted a tour in Germany, France, Italy and the UK, seeking public condemnations of the LNAs aggression against Tripoli and the exclusion of Hifter from future political processes. These were bold demands, and he appears to have not offered sufficient concessions to gain traction. French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel rebuffed Sarrajs stance, and requested that he return to the terms initiated by the March Abu Dhabi Agreement  a political settlement endorsed by Hifter, calling for presidential and legislative elections by the years end.

By failing to explicitly support Sarrajs demands, the UN Security Council and European nations appear more willing to forgive Hifters military advance than the GNAs ongoing inadequacies as a functional government. Therefore, the GNA, a direct product of the international community, is now being abandoned by it. This is not actually playing out as a change of policy, but as the byproduct of all the actors being led by the momentum and inertia of their current policies. When Hifter made small transgressions and violations of previous agreements, the neutral parties like the United States, the UK and Germany did not chastise him. Therefore, as Hifters aggression has increased, these actors have been trapped by their preexisting policy inertia.

In proxy conflicts, the tail frequently wags the dog

A study of proxy conflicts in the Middle East suggests that outside backers become likely to feel "pinned in," at the "mercy of their clients," and that "the tail wags the dog." The most obvious example is Syria. President Bashar al-Assad frequently defied his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putins warnings against escalations and chemical weapons. Assad grasped that Putin couldnt "abandon" him  such an action would mean the collapse of the Syrian regime and hence the complete evisceration of Russian influence in Syria. A similar dynamic exists in todays Libya. The UAE, Saudi Arabia and Egypt have explicitly stated that their goal is to rout the Muslim Brotherhood in Libya as part of their efforts to purge it from North Africa entirely.

These backers are likely to disagree with the timing and tactics of Hifters offensive and to have reserved some choice words for him in their private conversations. But they still seem forced to back him. A decisive defeat for the LNA at the gates of Tripoli, and the ensuing collapse of his influence throughout Libya, would mean a resurgence of exactly those Libyan actors to which Hifters backers are ideologically anathema.

Sunk costs and the fear of being bold

Does this mean they will back him to the hilt so he can win decisively? I think not. The cost for various actors to be "caught" altering the balance of power in Libya is high for certain actors (France) and medium for others (Egypt) and fairly low for Hifters more brazen supporters (UAE and Russia). Moreover, Hifter has shown that he is mercurial, vain and loyal to no one. Given the dangers of decisively supporting one side, it could be that his allies want to prevent Hifters collapse, while making sure that if he won he would be beholden to them and not go rogue.

This means that they are part of a long list of countries, the United States included, who seem to want to play both sides of the conflict and are governed by a very strong sunk cost fallacy and policy inertia  unwilling to switch positions due to ingrained bureaucratic approaches, while also unable to garner sufficient political will to double down. If the main international players would look past their sunk costs and find a common interest in a stable Libya, they might see a fairly simple way out of the seemingly endless wars of post-Gadhafi succession: denying all sides access to external sources of funding and arms, while also forcing the Libyan central bank and the internationally recognized government to eliminate subsidies and cut salaries to militiamen on all sides.
When a Palestinian political body calling itself the Reform and Development Party launched this month, it immediately raised the concern of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and his Fatah party, with the latter calling the new group "suspicious" and its ideas toxic.

The party was established May 1 in Hebron, stating it will represent the Palestinian "silent majority." Its goals include reviving the Palestinians' economic situation, cooperating with Israel to open West Bank roads Israeli authorities closed for security reasons and easing Israeli restrictions on the Palestinian people. In its founding statement, it said it wants to improve communication with the rest of the world, end corruption and nepotism and reform the PA and the PLO.

The new party also addressed some issues not usually discussed such as condemning terrorism and opening dialogue with Israeli nongovernmental organizations (NGOs).

The constituent body of the party consists of Ashraf Jabari, Khader al-Jabari, Issa Allan, Khaldoun al-Husseini, Sharaf Ghanem and Nasser al-Tamimi. Though the men aren't high-powered politicians, nearly 5,000 activists from throughout the West Bank attended the founding conference.

An official source in the new Reform and Development Party told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity, The party was founded due to the PAs inability to restore the rights of the Palestinian people. We want to put an end to the dominance of some factions in power and their exclusiveness in making political decisions. The party also calls for the establishment of a Palestinian state for all its inhabitants, as well as holding accountable those who cause division, in addition to rejecting all forms of religious or sectarian terrorism. We have many supporters around the West Bank.

Hours after the launch, Fatah issued a statement warning Palestinians against dealing with the party and pledging to hold its organizers and participants accountable for stepping out of the national ranks and aligning with Israel. The statement said Fatah won't tolerate the party and will respond harshly if it perceives a threat, though it didn't say how it might retaliate. It said the new group will eliminate the "dream of establishing a Palestinian state."

The Arab Liberation Front, a Palestinian political party close to Abbas, issued a statement May 7 stating that Israel is working to spawn organizations and parties with Palestinian cover and Zionist tendencies.

Abdullah Abdullah, a member of the Fatah Revolutionary Council and chairman of the Palestinian Legislative Council's Political Affairs Committee, told Al-Monitor, This [new] party will not succeed, because it lacks organizational and popular bases, and its political experience was dead before it began. The Palestinian leadership will not allow it to overstep President Abbas. All of Israels attempts to find alternatives to the Palestinian leadership have never worked, and today, this party will fail.

Most of the partys founders are not famous figures, have no affiliation with other political factions and have no established political or ideological backgrounds. But Ashraf Jabari, a former officer in the PA's Preventive Security Service, is a controversial figure, given his political positions and his Israeli and US relations, which he brags about.

Jabari told Independent Arabia on May 4 that he will meet with US officials and there is no Palestinian decision in place for stopping such meetings. The party wants to live in peace with its Jewish neighbors, accept Israel's imposition of sovereignty over the West Bank and participate in Israeli elections, he said. After the failure of the two-state solution, the party seeks to create a single state in which Palestinians and Israelis can all live, Jabari said, without saying which party would head this state.

Belal Shobaki, a political science professor at Hebron University, told Al-Monitor, Jabari is an isolated figure. We only hear about him in the Israeli media. His party may be using him as an Israeli-US tool to test the waters with the Palestinians when it comes to future political projects.

Shobaki added, This party could be considered a US [scare tactic] to force President Abbas into accepting [the as-yet-unreleased US peace plan], but I don't think Jabari will become a Palestinian leader.

On Feb. 21 and 22, some of the party's founders participated in a conference in Jerusalem on Palestinian-Israeli economic relations under the auspices of US Ambassador to Tel Aviv David Friedman, and in the presence of Israeli businesspeople led by Rami Levy. The Amad news website, run by Hassan Asfour, a former minister of NGO affairs and once a close associate of Abbas, on March 3 cited Palestinian sources as saying a secret meeting was held on the sidelines of the conference between Friedman, CIA officials, Jabari and Levy. Amad reported no details.

On Feb. 22, an Israeli settler leader, Avi Zimmerman, said in the Israeli economic daily Calcalist that Husseini, one of the new party's founders, is in business with Israeli businesspeople and settlers.

There are earlier examples of collaboration between Israeli businesses and people now affiliated with the Reform and Development Party.

In September, Zimmerman announced the establishment of the Judea and Samaria Chamber of Commerce  which includes Palestinian and Israeli businesspeople  to coordinate economic projects in the West Bank. Zimmerman said Jabari was the one who introduced him to the Palestinian traders he works with.

In February 2017, Jabari and Tamimi participated in a conference in Jerusalem to discuss Israeli control of the West Bank. The meeting was attended by Israeli ministers Ze'ev Elkin, Tzipi Hotovely and Uri Ariel. We don't oppose the annexation of the West Bank to Israel. If Israel wants to annex it, no one can do anything about it, Israels Channel 20 reported Jabari as saying.

The new party is reminiscent of a decades-ago effort to establish working relationships between Palestinians and Israelis. A Palestinian politician who witnessed the period of the Village Leagues spoke with Al-Monitor about the leagues, which were established by Israel from 1976 to 1982 in the West Bank as an alternative to the PLO.

This new party brings to mind the Village Leagues; its leaders are collaborating with settlers and work under the wing of prominent Palestinian families. Their discourse focuses on improving living conditions," the source said on condition of anonymity.

The Village Leagues' declared goals were to help Palestinians with agriculture and associations, but the leagues sought to support Israeli policy in the Palestinian territories. The Village Leagues no longer exist.

The politician added, Although the [new] party leaders are not necessarily well-off, they may get US-Israeli support, which could help some of them qualify for ministerial and government positions.

Former Israeli intelligence officer Yoni Ben Menachem said in his May 3 personal blog that Jabari is a close associate of Friedman, presents himself as a local Palestinian leader and says he is interested in coexistence with Israel. Menachem said Jabari is one of the figures with whom the United States can discuss the peace plan. He added that Jabari said he was prepared to sit down with the Israelis and representatives of the Quartet on the Middle East (the United States, European Union, United Nations and Russia) to discuss an alternative to the Oslo Accords peace agreements of the 1990s.

Journalist Nadav Haetzni also wrote recently about Jabari in the Israeli newspaper Maariv. He mentioned Washington's close ties with Jabari, who calls for linking the fate of the Palestinians to the Israelis. At the Jerusalem conference in February, Friedman had called Jabari a friend and said on behalf of the United States, "We can never ask for a better partner.

Jabari and his colleagues may be invited in the coming months to meet with US President Donald Trump, Haetzni added.

This new party differentiates itself from others. It believes improving Palestinians' economic conditions is a top national priority, aiming to better living conditions.

Palestinian political analyst Abdul Sattar Qassem told Al-Monitor, Fatah is trying to ruin every faction that is formed without its consent, because it fears that some could replace it, and it refuses any and all endeavors to find alternative leadership. This new party and its founders, despite their political program, could find political, financial and media support from both the US and Israel. Only then would Palestinians looking out for their own interests join it.
Republicans are scrambling to tamp down talk of war with Iran amid increasing concerns that the Donald Trump administrations maximum pressure campaign could inadvertently provoke a conflagration.

With Democrats and right-wing pundits alike warning of a disastrous repeat of the 2003 invasion of Iraq, GOP lawmakers are defending the president as a cool-headed statesman whose show of resolve is the best guarantee against further escalation.

Trump himself has sought to cool tensions, asking Irans leaders to call him to make a deal. I hope not, he told reporters today when asked if war was coming.

Its close to inconceivable that the president, the administration would consider a war with Iran, Senate Middle East panel Chairman Mitt Romney, R-Utah, told reporters on Wednesday, while also insisting that Trump is showing strength to suggest thats not something we will accept.

The president made it clear when he ran for president that one of the worst foreign policy mistakes in American history was the decision to go to war with Iraq, Romney said. And that we would repeat that [is] unthinkable and something I cant imagine the president or his senior staff would consider.

Even relatively dovish Republicans applauded the US decision to send an aircraft carrier group and B-52 bombers to the Gulf and pull US Embassy staff out of Iraq amid what the United States says are worrying signs from Iranian proxies.

Im comfortable that it is a well-thought-through strategy to make sure that Iran doesnt continue its adventures, said Rep. Ken Buck, R-Colo., a member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus who cosponsored a resolution forcing Trump to end US support for the war in Yemen. Buck argued that Iran isnt going to test us to the point that a military conflict would ensue.

He pointed to Trumps partial military withdrawal from Syria as evidence that Trump is eager to avoid a war despite this weeks escalation.

This president does not get enough credit for what hes been doing in Syria and Afghanistan in drawing down forces and trying to de-escalate conflicts, said Buck. He hasnt started any in the two years hes been there, and I dont think hes looking for a fight.

The Washington Post reported Wednesday that Trump has grown frustrated with national security adviser John Bolton and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo as their hawkish posture risks spiraling out of control. The State Department revealed today that Pompeo had spoken Wednesday with Sultan Qaboos of Oman, a longtime back channel between the United States and Iran.

Republican lawmakers who have been briefed about the latest intelligence also expressed trust in Trumps response.

I am convinced that the information and warnings that we have collected are of greater concern than the normal Iranian harassment activity that weve seen in the Persian Gulf and surrounding area, said Rep. Mac Thornberry, R-Texas, the top Republican on the House Armed Services Committee, which has been briefed by both the Pentagon and intelligence agencies. I dont think its business as usual.

The administration was also scheduled to brief both parties leaders in the House and Senate as well as leaders of the intelligence committees today. Officials are expected to brief the full Senate next week.

The New York Times reported Wednesday that Boltons statement earlier this month citing an increased threat from Iran-backed proxies emerged from photographs showing Iranian forces loading missiles on small boats in the Gulf. But their significance has prompted a debate among officials within the White House, Pentagon and CIA.

Its good and important to make clear to Iran not only through words, but through actions, that they cannot attack us with impunity, said Thornberry. He expressed hope that Iran decides its not worth attacking us or Americans and that they can be deterred from doing so.

Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman James Risch, R-Idaho, also told reporters Wednesday that we need to back the administration in its maximum pressure campaign against Iran.

The administration is doing what they should be doing, said Risch. Its been the policy of the United States of America to do everything we can to convince those people that they need to change their conduct.

Asked by Al-Monitor about the risk of a military altercation, Risch said, We dont want to talk about that.

But Democrats counter that the Trump administrations stated goal of forcing a new negotiation with Iran after the United States pulled out of the 2015 nuclear deal remains but a distant dream. And in the meantime, a miscalculation by either side is always a possibility.

What if this is exactly where the Iran hawks in the administration and throughout Washington want us to be? Senate Foreign Relations committee members Chris Murphy, D-Conn., and House Intelligence Committee member Jim Himes, D-Conn., wrote this week in a USA Today op-ed. They understand that the American people would not support a preemptive, considered attack on Iran. But they might support retaliation if a nervous Iranian sailor points a weapon at nearby American naval forces.
ALEPPO, Syria  Several media sites, including the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, reported at the end of April that the Turkish army was building a concrete wall around Afrin.

The wall would reportedly isolate Afrin from the northwestern Aleppo countryside and later facilitate its annexation to Turkish territory.

Thousands of displaced people from Afrin protested the wall outside the headquarters of the Russian forces in the village of Kashtar in the northern Aleppo countryside on April 22. They also denounced the Turkish forces' destruction of civilian homes and properties in the villages of Jalbal, Marimin and Kimar, where the wall will reportedly be built.

The Free Syrian Army (FSA) and the Turkish army control Afrin, while the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) control villages in the Tal Rifat area in Aleppos northern countryside, near Afrin.

Protesters formed a delegation to discuss the issue with the Russian leadership in the area. The delegation presented a petition to the Russian leadership on behalf of the people, demanding an intervention to stop the construction of the separation wall and to end any potential Russian-Turkish agreements concerning Afrin and the Syrian north.

Meanwhile, the National Army, affiliated with the FSA, denied reports of a wall and said the Turkish army was only building fortifications for its military bases in Afrin to prevent the infiltration of YPG fighters.

National Army spokesman Maj. Yusuf Hamoud told Al-Monitor the claims of a wall were "fake news. Such media reports aim, one way or another, to serve the YPGs propaganda against the FSA factions.

Yet Hamoud added that fortifications and other protective measures have been under construction since April 1, including concrete walls around Turkish military bases in Afrin; concrete blocks to fortify the FSA barracks; and concrete fortifications along southeast lines of contact with the YPG. "YPG fighters often sneak into the city of Afrin to carry out terrorist bombings," he said. "These concrete fortifications are only for security purposes."

Regarding civilian concerns about the wall, Hamoud said, We call on our people in Aleppos northern countryside and Afrin, in particular, not to believe such news, since we all know who the source is and what the goal is. [President Bashar al-Assads] regime and the YPG often start many rumors that undermine the stability of the area, tarnish the FSAs image and intimidate civilians.

Al-Monitor could not reach Afrin to observe the construction of the separation wall, as the National Army announced May 3 that the road between Azaz and Afrin would be blocked and turned into a military zone as a result of reported YPG attacks.

Activist Abdel Fattah al-Hussein, who moves around FSA-controlled areas in Aleppos countryside but is stationed in Afrin, told Al-Monitor that the YPG escalated the situation on April 30, when an affiliated group snuck into the area and targeted a Turkish military convoy with anti-tank missiles at the Bab al-Salama crossing, en route to Afrin. "A Turkish soldier was killed and others wounded," he said. "YPG infiltrators also targeted and killed an FSA fighter and wounded others on that same road. The YPG affiliates had entered through a spot near the village of Jalbal, an easily accessed mountainous area, where military fortifications are now being put in place."

The National Army launched a military operation against the YPG on May 4 in the northern countryside of Aleppo, during which it managed to take control of three villages. The National Army quickly withdrew later that day with no explanation.

Al-Monitor toured Afrin on May 10, after the fighting between the FSA and the YPG subsided and the road between Azaz and Afrin was reopened. The FSA and the Turkish army have taken extra security measures: New checkpoints were erected around Afrin, and Turkish trucks transported concrete blocks into Syria from the Turkish border.

An FSA commander in Afrin told Al-Monitor, We have been securing the FSA factions checkpoints since the beginning of April, in addition to organizing the work of all checkpoints around Afrin and erecting new ones along contact lines with the YPG. The Turkish army placed concrete blocks at checkpoints and barriers, and the Turkish military bases near the lines of contact reinforced protection measures, all to prevent the occurrence of terrorist operations carried out by YPG infiltrators.

The FSA commander said that the images of the wall circulating in the media are "actually several concrete walls spanning short distances in the mountainous areas near the military points east of the town of Jalbal. No civilian homes were demolished, as reported.

The commander said that the region is a direct contact area with the YPG northwest of Tal Rifat, from which the YPG come to carry out bombings inside Afrin." The wall "is not one concrete block, which means it does not isolate the area from Aleppos countryside, as media reports are claiming. Contact lines in this area and the rough terrain are perfectly convenient for infiltrators."
A senior State Department official told Al-Monitor that the Trump administration plans to intensify political and economic pressure on Syria in the coming months to compel the Bashar al-Assad government to see reality and make concessions regarding the stalled UN-backed peace process.

The remarks come as a bipartisan study group of experts and former policymakers commissioned by Congress shared similar recommendations with lawmakers earlier this month even as it tacitly acknowledged the long odds of success.

Assad is unwilling to compromise and intends to retake all of Syria, the Syria Study Group wrote in an interim report obtained by Politico. The report then goes on to list key recommendations including continu[ing] to isolate the Assad regime through sanctions, diplomatic pressure, and denial of reconstruction aid.

The pressure campaign comes as Assads forces are stepping up their offensive against the last rebel-held province of Idlib, which is largely under the control of al-Qaeda breakaway group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham. Meanwhile, talks on Syrias political future are being led by Russia, Iran and Turkey, with the US-backed peace process called for under UN Security Council Resolution 2254 largely sidelined.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo discussed the need to fully implement the UN resolution in his meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov earlier this week. The senior official told Al-Monitor that the administrations goal is to force Assad and his allies to engage the political transition process [as outlined under Resolution 2254] in a meaningful way.

The official added that the United States has reiterated its warnings about the use of chemical weapons by Assads forces. The regime forces taking part in the Idlib campaign, the source added, are bad actors, perpetrators of some of the worst abuses of the war.

The Syria Study Group report likewise urges the administration to make clear that chemical attacks or other forms of indiscriminate civilian targeting will bring a swift military response from the US and Europe.

The report, however, sharply diverges with the administration on the issue of US troops.

Under the latest iteration of Trump's withdrawal plan, the United States will pull out troops every few months until there are 400 US soldiers remaining in Syria. This will include 200 soldiers in northeast Syria as part of what the Trump administration hopes will be an internationally policed safe zone that includes Turkey. Washington will maintain another 200 troops at al-Tanf in the southeast in the hope of countering Iran.

The announced US withdrawal, the report argues,  undermines confidence in the American commitment to Syria and will increase the tendency of US partners and regional allies to seek separate accommodations or normalize relations with the Assad regime.

US policy should aim to strongly discourage Arab governments from reengaging with Assad, the authors write. Over time, isolating Assad may increase the willingness of Russia and domestic Syrian actors to compromise.

The report also recommends restoring stabilization aid, which the administration has eliminated.

Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., the top Democrat on the Foreign Relations Committee, argued that Trump administration policies have hindered the United States ability to counter Assad. The administration has been moving away from that policy, Menendez told Al-Monitor. Its outsourcing Syrias future and our interests to Russia and thats a big mistake.

Following the reports advice, he said, could produce results.

Anti-Assad activists also welcomed the recommendations.

Recent escalations of violence in Idlib against hospitals, schools and other civilian targets demonstrate Assad will go to any lengths to retake the country and destroy anyone who stands in his way, Jameson Cunningham, the policy strategist for Americans for a Free Syria, told Al-Monitor. This initial report makes clear that the United States must ramp up its efforts to pressure Assad to bring him to the negotiating table.

The Syria Study Group also calls on Congress to confirm ambassadors to Iraq and Turkey and to pass the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act, which would sanction the Assad government and its supporters. The House passed the bill unanimously in January and Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman James Risch, R-Idaho, has promised to bring it up in the near future.

Finally, the report parts with the Trump administration policy on one other key issue: refugees. In addition to supporting countries that have absorbed the most refugees, it calls for resettling 5,600 Syrian refugees  or 0.1% of all Syrian refugees worldwide  in the United States in 2020 to send an important signal to both European allies and regional host countries.

Trump has barred Syrians from entering the United States as part of his travel ban on seven countries, which includes five Muslim-majority states. The administration also set the US refugee quota for 2019 at 30,000, a historic low.

Andrew Parasiliti contributed to this report
The U.S. Army is designating the Anniston Army Depot as the primary repair spot for its next generation of personnel carrier.

The Calhoun County installation will be Depot Source of Repair (DSOR) for the Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle (AMPV), according to the Army.

The AMPV is replacing the Vietnam-era M113 Armored Personnel Carrier. The new model will be faster and have stronger armor than the M113. The Depot already handles vehicle repairs for the older personnel carrier.

Terms of the contract were not disclosed. Sen. Richard Shelby said the work will preserve and expand ANADs role in maximizing our military readiness for generations to come.

The Armys decision to select Anniston Army Depot for this work highlights the Depots world-class workforce, first-rate facilities, and proven track record of combat vehicle repairs, he said, in a statement.

The selection was based on evaluation criteria which examined facilities, labor force, experience, stability and depot-level repairable capabilities.

Sen. Doug Jones said the Army decision is great news for the Anniston community and Alabama.

Since I came into office, Ive been hearing from folks in Anniston about how this vital contract would be for the region and I have been working to advocate on behalf of the Depot," he said. "As a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, I am confident that this opportunity will ensure that ANAD continues to contribute to our nations military readiness and to a strong local economy.

Anniston Army Depot employs roughly 3,600 and is the largest employer in Calhoun County, with an economic impact of more than $1 billion.
Huntsvilles Dynetics and its partners, will build and test the Armys first laser weapon system demonstrator.

The U.S. Army has awarded a $130 million contract to Dynetics to develop a 100-kilowatt high energy laser, which rides on top of a tactical vehicle. Final assembly for the system, known as the High Energy Laser Tactical Vehicle Demonstrator, or HEL TVD, will take place in Huntsville.

Company officials said other jobs will be added as the program matures.

Dynetics is working with Lockheed Martin, Rolls-Royce and MZA Associates on the project. Dynetics, as prime contractor, will be responsible for integration and testing of the system.

Lockheed Martin will be the laser weapon system integrator and Rolls-Royce LibertyWorks will design the integrated power and thermal management system. The project will move to design review prior to system fabrication, eventually with field testing at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico.

Ronnie Chronister, senior vice president of contracts for Dynetics, said the company chose to partner with the companies on the project because each brings a particular skillset.

High energy laser weapons have been a system that the United States has wanted to add into their defense portfolio since the invention of the laser," he said. We are glad to be selected to build this new and safe weapon system that will provide a simple, yet cost-effective approach in theater.
Lockhead Martin began construction today on its new 225,000-square-foot missile facility in Pike County, targeting a 2021 opening.

Production of the Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile Extended Range (JASSM-ER) should ramp up in the second half of 2022, according to the Alabama Department of Commerce.

Alabama Commerce Secretary Greg Canfield attended todays groundbreaking, along with Lockheed Martin executives and U.S. Air Force officials, in Troy.

The company says the new facility, combined with the current cruise missile production factory, will provide the necessary space to meet the U.S. Air Forces objectives.

This expansion represents Pike County Operations long-standing commitment to meet our customers current and future needs as well as to bring more well-paying jobs to the area, Frank St. John, executive vice president at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control, said.

Its the first expansion since 2014, when the company initiated a $65 million expansion that added 224 full-time jobs over five years.

We strive to provide a foundation in Alabama that allows aerospace companies like Lockheed Martin to establish world-class facilities that are positioned for expansion opportunities, Canfield said. Over the quarter century, the companys Troy missile facility has grown from 30 employees to around 500 today, and the number is still growing."

Two years ago, AIDT, the states workforce development agency, opened a $2 million, 7,000-square-foot training center. Lockheed Martin is now collaborating with AIDT by piloting virtual reality, or VR, training.

Were pleased to see Lockheed Martin continue to invest in our community with the addition of this new manufacturing building, Troy Mayor Jason Reeves said. Their growth not only leads to more jobs  it enhances sustainable growth for our region.
Milos Tea Co. CEO Patricia Wallwork states it simply when asked about the companys new Oklahoma production plant:

This is a huge thing for our company," Wallwork said, in an interview with Tulsa World on the project.

This month, Milos broke ground on a $60 million production facility in Cherokee Extension Industrial Park in Tulsa County. It was the culmination of three years of preparation and site selection work.

The company plans a 102,435-square-foot facility, creating 110 jobs by next year in brewing, bottling, shipping, logistics, maintenance and leadership. The base wage will be $15.50 per hour.

Having the opportunity with a clean sheet of paper here in Tulsa to really say lets use world-class manufacturing to build our next site is special, Wallwork said. That opportunity has all of our team pretty excited."

According to the company, Milos Famous Sweet Tea is the top-selling refrigerated tea in the U.S. market, and Milos products can be bought in 45 states.

Wallwork said Tulsa also seems a good fit for the company from a philosophical standpoint.

We really felt like we could come here and be part of the community," she said.
In 1988 when Operation Rescue and other anti-abortion activists staged protests at five abortion clinics in Birmingham, clergy protest leaders Jim Pinto and Terry Gensemer had a dream that the clinics would be shut down and that the 1973 Roe vs. Wade U.S. Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion nationwide would be struck down.

Three decades later, they are closer than ever to that dream. For others, its a looming nightmare.

Gov. Kay Ivey on Wednesday signed into law a nearly complete ban on abortion in Alabama.

Its quite a day, said Pinto, a former Episcopal priest in the 1980s who switched to the Charismatic Episcopal Church in the 1990s and now is a Catholic who works as an on-air personality for EWTN Global Catholic Network. Im very proud of our legislature. Right to life is the most fundamental right. Every life needs to be protected.

Faith leaders disagree

Episcopal Deacon Carolyn Foster said the zealotry directed at outlawing abortion has been misguided.

If our legislators were so pro-life, theyd be pro-Medicaid expansion, said Foster, executive director of the Alabama Faith Council, a group of progressive religious activists. If they were so pro-life, they would care more about raising the minimum wage. I think its hypocritical.

The anti-abortion movement in Alabama created a religious coalition between Catholics and evangelical Protestants  such as Southern Baptists and Pentecostals.

Im 100 percent behind this bill, said Bishop Robert J. Baker, head of the Catholic Diocese of Birmingham. It will at least allow us to have further argument on when life begins and the responsibility of moral-minded citizens to protect life.

Baptists, Catholics worked together

Southern Baptists have repeatedly passed statements at their annual conventions calling for overturning Roe vs. Wade.

Most Southern Baptists are going to be very pleased with this because of the potential of overturning Roe vs. Wade, said the Rev. Joe Godfrey, a former pastor and state Baptist convention president who now lobbies the legislature as executive director of the Alabama Citizens Action Program. People have become more and more aware how flawed that decision was.

The Southern Baptist Convention holds its next annual meeting in Birmingham, June 11-12, at Legacy Arena, and will likely support Alabamas anti-abortion law, if it follows the pattern of the past three decades of social statements. There are more than a million Southern Baptists in Alabama, which has a population of about five million.

The Baptist community in Alabama articulates the same position Im articulating, Bishop Baker said. Thats the overriding position of the Baptist community. Were on the same page. Not all other Christian denominations share that perspective.

Birmingham now has no abortion clinics currently offering services. Planned Parenthood of Alabama still has a Southside clinic, and has a new, larger clinic under construction downtown on First Avenue North next to Interstate 65, but hasnt offered abortion services since 2017.

Pinto and Gensemer consider that a victory. It seems Alabama is not a welcoming place for abortions, said Gensemer, a priest in the Charismatic Episcopal Church who works as international director of CEC For Life.

States rights?

Alabama legislators were clear that they dont expect the abortion ban law to take effect anytime soon  they know it will be challenged legally by the ACLU and Planned Parenthood, and they are hoping that challenge goes to the U.S. Supreme Court. Conservative religious activists have been pushing for a more conservative Supreme Court, and with President Trumps appointments of two conservative justices, they think that day may be here.

Im certain that it will be challenged to the Supreme Court level, theres no doubt about that, Bishop Baker said.

The stated intention of the sponsor of the bill in the house was to get it to the Supreme Court to directly challenge Roe vs. Wade, to challenge on when life begins, Gensemer said. Does a child in the womb have a right to life as a person? Thats going to be the battle. I believe that from conception it should be considered the life of a human being.

Bishop Baker said its not a war on women and their reproductive rights.

The law is not going after the woman, its going after the doctor, Bishop Baker said. Thats precisely what should happen.

If Roe vs. Wade is overturned, Pinto is hoping it will go back to each state deciding whether abortion is allowed. States such as New York or California could have legal abortion, while states such as Alabama ban it.

It just means that its struck down as the law of the land and it puts it in the hands of the states, Pinto said. Each state will be passing its laws. There will be many states banning abortion.

Clinics were protested, bombed

In 1984, Catholic priest Edward Markley used a sledgehammer to smash equipment at Birmingham Womens Medical Center. In 1993, Dr. David Gunn, who performed abortions at Summit Medical Center in Birmingham and other clinics in Alabama, was shot to death by protester Michael Griffin in front of a clinic in Pensacola. In 1998, terrorist Eric Robert Rudolph bombed the New Woman All Women Health Clinic in Birmingham, killing an off-duty police officer working as security and injuring a nurse. That clinic closed in May 2012.

Pinto, Gensemer and other religious activists continued to protest at Birmingham clinics until they were shut down. They still protest at Planned Parenthoods clinic. They have emphasized peaceful protests. Weve always been out there to help women with their decisions, to give them options, to get them to go to a crisis pregnancy center, Gensemer said.

The truth is that we do not hold all life as sacred in Alabama, said the Rev. Jennifer Sanders, pastor of Beloved Community Church in Avondale, affiliated with the United Church of Christ. A genuine pro-life political agenda would abolish the death penalty, expand Medicaid to increase healthcare access, protect eco-diversity and ecosystems, equitably fund education, eliminate the tax on groceries, fund affordable housing, provide for the full inclusion of LGBTQ+ people and people with disabilities, dismantle judicial structures that criminalize poverty, embrace immigrants and religious minorities, crack down on corporate polluters in both rural and urban areas, fund public transit, and enact other reforms that challenge our state legacy of white supremacy and patriarchal control. Those concrete steps would reflect real concern for life - especially for vulnerable life - in our state. 

What is pro-life?

Although some anti-abortion activists, especially evangelicals, support the death penalty, Bishop Baker notes that the Catholic Church is opposed to execution. The church also favors many social welfare programs to aid the poor. The Catholic Church is in favor of supporting life from the womb to the natural end of ones life, Baker said.

Pinto said he supports the Catholic Church stance on the death penalty, but adds that the death penalty and abortion cant be fairly compared. Abortion is taking innocent, helpless human life, versus someone who is proven to be a murderer, Pinto said. Thats different. The state has a right to defend itself and protect society. Theyre both lives that are sacred and have dignity, but the state has a right to intervene and protect. Theyre not equivalent cases.

But anti-abortion activists and the politicians who passed the anti-abortion ban arent acting in the best interest of women and children, Foster said.

They are not pro-life as I understand pro-life, as a person of faith, Foster said. I know the point theyre trying to make. Theyre wasting taxpayer money. Their hope is to get this to the Supreme Court. People who live in poverty are going to suffer. Thats not pro-life.
As the proprietor of the Alabama Peanut Company on Morris Avenue in downtown Birmingham, Jaime Thursby is always creating new flavors to add to his growing repertoire of boiled peanuts.

By his count, Thursby has come up with 35 or so flavors -- from Bloody Mary to Buffalo Ranch, Sriracha Lime to Chicken Noodle, Lemon Pepper to Salty Dill.

Since the name of his business is the Alabama Peanut Company, though, Thursby has concocted several flavors of boiled peanuts that he makes using such Alabama products as Dale's Steak Seasoning, Buffalo Rock Ginger Ale, Milo's Famous Sweet Tea and Good People Brewing Company beer.

"There are so many amazing Alabama brands," Thursby says. "You don't really have to look far."

One of his latest flavors, which he started selling a couple of months ago, features Alabamas iconic sweet-and-spicy Wickles Pickles.

The peanuts are boiled in Wickles trademark wickedly delicious brine and are served with a few slices of pickles and pods of red peppers mixed in with the peanuts.

"It's like you're pickling the peanut," Thursby says. "The longer you boil it, the more it just soaks up the pickle juice. So, it's just a nice combination."

Thursby had already been making his Salty Dill boiled peanuts when Wickles Pickles co-owner Andy Anderson stopped by the Morris Avenue peanut shop in February while in town to attend the annual Southern Foodways Alliance Winter Symposium here.

"I happened to go over there and met Jaime, and the peanuts were amazing," Anderson recalls. "I was coming from a food show and I had some Wickles in my car, so I brought him some to see if he wanted to try it out."

Thursby experimented with the Wickles Pickles, liked what he came up with, and has made two or three batches since. He hopes to offer the Wickles Pickles boiled peanuts on a more frequent rotation this summer.

The Alabama Peanut Co. is at 2016 Morris Ave. in Birmingham, Ala. (Bob Carlton/bcarlton@al.com)

A marriage of two Alabama brands

It is the perfect marriage of two Alabama brands, one of which (Wickles Pickles) has been around 21 years, and the other of which (Alabama Peanut Company), although less than three years old, is now part of a Birmingham history that goes back more than a century.

Brothers Will and Trey Sims launched their Wickles Pickles brand in 1998 after they acquired a family recipe for the sweet-and-hot pickles from their cousin, Dana Ferniany, who had been selling the pickles to friends and at farmers markets.

Ferniany, who was living in Philadelphia at the time, taught the brothers how to make the pickles, and they came back home to Alabama, rented an old restaurant space in Dadeville, in Tallapoosa County, and started processing and selling Wickles Pickles. Anderson came on board as a third partner in their business, Sims Foods Inc., about a year later.

After the company outgrew its space in Dadeville, they had to relocate the pickle processing part of the business to North Carolina, but late last year, Sims Foods Inc. moved the processing back to Alabama, to the Magnolia Vegetable Processors plant in Brundidge.

While the Wickles Pickles brand has been around for a little more than 20 years, the Morris Avenue peanut shop that is now home to the Alabama Peanut Company goes all the way back to 1907.

Thats when Greek immigrant D.J. Cassimus began selling candy and peanuts in what was then called the Terminal Candy Kitchen, so named because of its proximity to the old L&N railroad terminal at the corner of Morris and 20th Street.

The peanuts proved more popular than the candy, and in 1924, Cassimus got out of the candy business and changed the name of his store to the Peanut Depot. Cassimus' son, Alex Cassimus, later took over the store, and in 1951, he moved it about 100 feet west of its original location to its current spot at 2016 Morris Ave.

After the most recent tenant moved out of the building in 2016, John Cassimus, a grandson of founder D.J. Cassimus, ran the peanut shop for a couple of years before turning it over to Thursby last year.

Thursby and his brother-in-law, Darrell Graf, started their Alabama Peanut Company about two and a half years ago and were looking for a permanent home for the business. They found the classic spot.

"I joke with people that moving into this place is like I learned to play the guitar two years ago, and now I've been handed the keys to the Grand Ole Opry," Thursby said in a previous interview with AL.com. "There's a lot of pressure to make it perfect."

While the Morris Avenue peanut shop is best known for its barrel-roasted peanuts -- which are cooked in roasters as old as the building itself -- Thursby added boiled peanuts to the lineup after he moved in last year. The roasted peanuts still account for about 70 percent of his sales.

In addition to plain, salted and Cajun roasted peanuts, Thursby offers three flavors of boiled peanuts at his shop Mondays through Fridays. Salted and Cajun boiled peanuts are always available, and the third flavor changes every day. (Because the flavors rotate, it is best to check the Alabama Peanut Company Facebook page or Instagram account to see which ones are available each day.)

On Saturdays, Thursby offers six varieties of boiled peanuts, and has a special deal where customers may choose a "flight" of four flavors in eight-ounce containers for $11.

The Alabama Peanut Company also has a booth at The Market at Pepper Place every other Saturday.

The Spicy Dale's boiled peanuts at Alabama Peanut Co. are flavored with Dale's Steak Seasoning. (Photo courtesy of Alabama Peanut Co.; used with permission from Jaime Thursby)

From Dale's to Milo's to Wickles

Like a cocktail mixologist, Thursby likes to play around with new flavor combinations.

The Spicy Dale's boiled peanuts were the first featuring a made-in-Alabama product, he says, and they proved to be an immediate hit.

"It's just such a Southern staple to me," he says. "That's what I grew up with, and I just knew it would work well with boiled peanuts. We've been doing that a few years. It's one of our most popular, too. It's nice and salty, and it works."

He later came up with a Firecracker Sweet Tea flavor made with Milo's Famous Sweet Tea and some spices to give it a kick.

"It's boiled with nothing but Milo's Tea, and then we add some seasoning," Thursby says. "It's really good."

Since Wickles Pickles have become ubiquitous at tailgate parties and family gatherings around the South, theyve popped up in recipes for everything from sandwiches and dips to cocktails and frozen pops.

So it was only a matter of time before someone like Thursby came up with Wickles Pickles boiled peanuts.

You can't get much more Alabama than that, after all.

The Alabama Peanut Company is at 2016 Morris Ave. in Birmingham. The phone is 205-538-7422, and the website is alabamapeanut.com. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays.
Opponents of Alabamas new abortion ban plan a Sunday afternoon rally at the state Capitol.

Organizers of the March for Reproductive Freedom say "people should have the right to make the decisions that are best for their bodies without state interference."

They plan to march to the Capitol steps at 4 p.m. on Sunday. Similar marches are planned in Birmingham and Huntsville.

The Alabama law would take effect in six months, but legal challenges are certain to hold it up. If ultimately found constitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court, it would make it a felony to perform an abortion at any stage of pregnancy.
Gov. Kay Ivey has put her signature to the nations strictest anti-abortion law, a move triggering widespread comment and, eventually, lawsuits over the measures constitutionality.

The measure, approved by the Alabama Senate Tuesday night, makes it a felony for a doctor to perform an abortion or attempt to perform an abortion in the state. The woman would not be held criminally liable.

The abortion ban does not include exceptions for victims of rape or incest but does allow for the procedure to be performed in cases of serious health risk to the mother.

The ban has prompted waves of comments from pundits, celebrities and politicians.

Actress and Alabama native Courteney Cox

Fox Nation host Tomi Lahren

I will be attacked by fellow conservatives for saying this but so be it, this Alabama abortion ban is too restrictive. It doesnt save life, it simply forces women into more dangerous methods, other states or countries. You dont encourage life via blanket government mandate!  Tomi Lahren (@TomiLahren) May 16, 2019

Entertainer Lady Gaga

Alabama Senator Doug Jones

For any woman out there tonight who is afraid, angry, in disbelief, or feeling disenfranchised, know this: I am with you, & I will fight for you. Period! https://t.co/4DuDegTgwF  Doug Jones (@DougJones) May 16, 2019

Vox

Alabama Republicans want to overturn Roe v. Wade. Their strategy could backfire

Since the election of President Donald Trump, abortion opponents have been pushing stricter and stricter bills at the state level, hoping to capitalize on a friendly administration and possibly mount a challenge to Roe. But the Alabama bill could test the limits of that strategy.

Religious leader Franklin Graham

Im thankful for Governor Kay Iveyshes a governor whos got guts! And Im grateful for every Alabama lawmaker who was bold enough to vote for this legislation enacting a near-total ban on the killing of babies by abortion in their state. Gov. Ivey said, this legislation stands as a powerful testament to Alabamians deeply held belief that every life is precious and that every life is a sacred gift from God. I hope and pray many other governors will be encouraged by her boldness and do the same.

ACLU of Alabama

Alabama GOP

"Alabama is standing up for ourselves; as our state motto says 'We Dare Defend Our Rights'. Our state is willing to have this fight in the Supreme Court of the United States..." More from ALGOP @ChairmanLathan here: https://t.co/zp3OzOF3v6 #alpolitics  ALGOP (@ALGOP) May 15, 2019

USA Today

Planned Parenthood laments dark day for women

'Today is a dark day for women': Planned Parenthood vows to challenge Alabama abortion ban

Georgia, Kentucky, Ohio and Mississippi have all passed bills, however they are slightly less restrictive and allow abortions up to the sixth week of pregnancy or when a fetal heartbeat is detected.

Comedian Sarah Silverman

27 white males just decided what Alabama women can and cant do with their own bodies and lives. *(Males cause 100% of unwanted pregnancies) https://t.co/QfXpnwit0w  Sarah Silverman (@SarahKSilverman) May 15, 2019

Slate

Alabamas Extremist Abortion Bill Ruins John Roberts Roe Plan

The sponsor of a bill that will affect how real women live their real lives would rather focus on overturning Roe than protecting women, even rape victims. It wasnt enough to pass an unconstitutional law. It had to be unconstitutional and heartless. Well, at least those pretexts about protecting mothers are gone now.

New York Democratic Senator and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer

#WomensRightsAreHumanRights



Alabama Republicans abortion bill is plainly inhumane.

It should never have been passed.

The Governor should not have signed it into law tonight.

It ought to be swiftly struck down by the courts.



What I said today on the Senate floor: pic.twitter.com/dd8sdmR9Bb  Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) May 15, 2019

Comedian Chelsea Handler

Of those 25 men who voted to ban abortion in Alabama, Id like to know how many of them have ever been pregnant. Or have gotten pregnant as a result of rape. Id like to know how many of those men know exactly what it is like to be a woman. The answer is zero.  Chelsea Handler (@chelseahandler) May 16, 2019

Entertainer John Legend

These statehouses are waging all-out war on women and their right to control their reproductive decisions. This is awful. https://t.co/noOY2pEsqX  John Legend (@johnlegend) May 15, 2019

Actress Reese Witherspoon

Im beyond upset about the passing of new abortion bans in Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi, Georgia, and Ohio. This is Unconstitutional and Abhorrent. We can not tolerate this attack on womens fundamental rights.  Reese Witherspoon (@ReeseW) May 15, 2019

Actress Kerry Washington

The Cut

The Most Important Things to Know About the Alabama Abortion Ban

Many critics of the bill say its part of a constellation of Republican policies that punish and disenfranchise the states nonwhite, poor, and female residents, and note that the same lawmakers who preen as pro-life have done nothing to address the fact that the state has some of the worst infant- and maternal-mortality rates in the country.

Hip hop dancer and Alabama native Stephen Twitch Boss

Men of the Alabama senate....what about your daughters? How do yall lay your head down peacefully? You know this isnt right.  Stephen tWitch Boss (@official_tWitch) May 15, 2019

Producer Andy Cohen

There is a cold place in hell for the Alabama Senate.  Andy Cohen (@Andy) May 15, 2019

Fox News

Alabama governor signs restrictive abortion bill into law as ACLU vows to sue

A Fox News poll conducted in February tallied voters familiarity with Roe v. Wade, and 48 percent said they are extremely or very familiar with the ruling while the exact same number are somewhat or not at all familiar with the case. Moreover, 57 percent of voters say the Supreme Court should let the 46-year old ruling stand; that number jumps to 68 percent among those who are familiar with the case.

Comedian and speaker Patton Oswalt

The future dystopia were trying to avoid has its eyes on you, @GovernorKayIvey. #WomensRightsAreHumanRights https://t.co/9TKPcukvyK  Patton Oswalt (@pattonoswalt) May 15, 2019

Former Vice President Joe Biden

Republicans in AL, FL, GA, and OH are ushering in laws that clearly violate Roe v Wade and they should be declared unconstitutional. Roe v Wade is settled law and should not be overturned. This choice should remain between a woman and her doctor.  Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) May 15, 2019

Actress and activist Alyssa Milano

This is my daughter. Her rights are human rights. #WomensRightsAreHumanRights pic.twitter.com/CHWeyfr4tM  Alyssa Milano (@Alyssa_Milano) May 15, 2019

Alabama Democratic Party

"Tuesday, May 14, 2019, was a tragic day for women in Alabama. Not only did the Republicans in the Legislature ban access to safe and legal abortion in our state, they even removed the small concession that many cave men Republicans are willing to support ... except in cases of rape or incest.

The prehistoric reference to cave men is intentional because these Republican male legislators (and a few women) might as well have beaten Alabamas women and girls over the head with a club and dragged us comatose through the woods into their caves.

The Republicans obviously dont trust women to think for themselves and make their own reproductive health decisions. The Republicans even distrust medical professionals to consult with and administer health care to women. But the Republicans must favor back alley quacks who will now perform unsafe and illegal abortions throughout Alabama.

Those Republican cave men have thrown Alabamas females to whatever animal is lurking inside the caverns. On the other hand, Democrats trust women and believe in our intelligence to make good reproductive health decisions. Democrats support reproductive choice .... that means choosing NOT to have an abortion, as well as choosing to have one.

One can be anti-abortion and pro-choice! The key word is CHOICE.

When small groups of people start to make health care decisions for the rest of us, dangerous things can and do happen. Just read the stories of the governments syphilis experimentation and studies in Tuskegee, Alabama. Ask those anti-women Republican legislators if they want a small group of Democratic government operatives prescribing their daily medications.

Ask the Republicans if the State Democratic Executive Board should determine whether they receive treatment for prostate cancer or uterine cancer. Yes, Republicans in Alabama will beat their chests and roar to the masses that Alabama will be the state to challenge Roe v. Wade all the way to the Supreme Court.

While the masses cheer as millions of their tax dollars are spent on these legal challenges, their children will be sitting in overcrowded classrooms using outdated technology, their hospitals will be closing and their countys nursing homes will be too costly to use, and their jobs will be taken over by robots and they cant get training for a new job. AND, their daughters will get pregnant and have unwanted babies while the Republican legislators will fly their daughters to California for a safe, legal abortion."
The Alabama House of Representatives tonight passed a bill to create a state law to prohibit employers from paying employees differently based only on race or sex.

The sponsor, Rep. Adline Clarke, D-Mobile, said its vital for states to have laws prohibiting pay discrimination in addition to federal law. Clarke said Alabama and Mississippi are the only states that dont have equal pay laws.

This is a matter of fairness, Clarke said. Women make up a large part of our workforce today. And our paychecks go to gas, groceries, child care, tuitions and other essentials for our families.

Clarke said most businesses pay employees fairly. But she said the bill would clarify what factors employers can use to justify paying employees differently. The bill says those factors include seniority, a merit system, a system based on quality or quantity of production, or a differential based on factors other than sex or race.

Employees would have up to one year from the time of the discrimination to file a civil action. Clarke has said its easier for employees to seek relief from discrimination in state courts than in federal court.

Clarke has sponsored the bill for several years but it had not previously advanced. Clarke said last week, when a House committee approved the bill, that a key change this year is that she reached a compromise with the National Federation of Independent Business. That was to exempt businesses with fewer than 50 employees from certain record-keeping requirements on pay and job classifications that the bill requires of larger employers.

The House passed Clarkes bill by a vote of 98-0. It moves to the Senate.
Leaders in the Alabama Legislature gave an update this morning on the response to the U.S. Department of Justice report alleging that Alabamas mens prisons are in violation of the Constitution because of the level of violence, rape, weapons, extortion, and other problems.

Legislators from both parties attended the press conference and said they were committed to fixing the dangerous, overcrowded and understaffed prisons.

Senate President Pro Tem Del Marsh, R-Anniston, said the prison problems would be best addressed in a special session of the Legislature. Only the governor can call a special session, and Marsh said he hoped Gov. Kay Ivey would call one on prisons. The regular legislative session, going on now, ends no later than June 17.

This will not be resolved in this session, theres no way, Marsh said. Not enough days left and the focus has to be on the prisons.

Marsh and others said the problems are varied and complicated.

I think everybody realizes that this is a very complex issue, Marsh said. When youre talking about overcrowding, mental health, dangerous conditions, low staff levels, a lot has to be dealt with.

Later this morning, Ivey issued a statement saying she would work with lawmakers to solve the problems.

This problem has been kicked down the road for the last time, Ivey said. The governor did not commit to a special session.

I am encouraged to know that the Legislature will continue to work on solutions during the remainder of this session, we will remain in constant communication with one another during the coming weeks and months to keep this issue on the front burner," Ivey said.

The press conference and statement from Ivey comes less than a week before a key date.

The DOJ report, released April 2, said the DOJ could file a federal lawsuit against the state 49 days after the report if the states response to the problems is not adequate. Tuesday will mark the 49th day since the report.

Sen. Cam Ward, R-Alabaster, who has led criminal justice reform efforts in the state, said this morning he did not expect DOJ to file a lawsuit next week.

They want to show that were making a good faith effort as a legislative and executive branch of government to try to comply with their concerns, Ward said. And I think in the conversations weve had, were proving that. I dont think were going to have a lawsuit.

The DOJ investigated the prisons for more than two years before issuing the findings.

Ward said issues fall into five main categories -- hiring more correctional officer staff; pardons and paroles reforms; internal problems such as sexual abuse, suicides and violence; prison construction; and sentencing reform.

Ward said sentencing reform would be the most difficult issue. He said it could involve adjusting sentences for property and drug crimes so that fewer offenders go to prison.

The Legislature has passed sentencing guidelines and criminal justice reforms in the last six years that reduced the prison population and resulted in fewer nonviolent offenders going to prison. Ward said its important to get good statistical data on what other sentencing changes would make a difference.

Rep. Jim Hill, R-Moody, a former circuit judge in St. Clair County, said he saw the benefits of alternative sentencing programs like community corrections and drug courts when he was on the bench. Hill said there will be resistance to any changes that put more offenders in alternative programs.

These are not easy decisions because there is push-back when you begin to not send people to prison, when you begin to move people into community corrections, when you begin to deal with them in their home and in their community as opposed to a secure facility," Hill said. Nevertheless, I think those are things we have to do, and I think those are things we will do.

Senate Minority Leader Bobby Singleton, D-Greensboro, said he was encouraged by the bipartisan efforts to find solutions to the prison problems.

"We want to say to DOJ, We hear you, " Singleton said. We want to say to the courts, We hear you. And we intend to solve this problem, not just by putting a Band-Aid on it, or kicking the can down the road.
Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin Tweeted in support of women rights after a law banning abortion passed, sharing a photo of his donation to the ACLU of Alabama.

Dear Women, womens rights are human rights in Birmingham. We support you, the Tweet read.

Dear Women, womens rights are human rights in Birmingham. We support you. pic.twitter.com/MK4XKLyj8d  Randall Woodfin (@randallwoodfin) May 16, 2019

Gov. Kay Ivey signed a law Wednesday that bans nearly all abortion in Alabama, without exception for pregnancies as a result of rape or incest.

The ACLU of Alabama said they would sue the state of Alabama before the the law goes into affect.

AL.coms abortion ban coverage
Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey has signed the bill to make abortion a felony in Alabama, the governors office announced.

The law does not take effect now or immediately change the legality of abortion in Alabama.

To the bills many supporters, this legislation stands as a powerful testament to Alabamians deeply held belief that every life is precious and that every life is a sacred gift from God, Ivey said in a press release.

The Senate gave final passage to the bill on Tuesday night, sending it to Iveys desk.

The language in the bill says it will take effect in six months. But the sponsors said their intent was to trigger litigation that could lead to a challenge of abortion rights nationally. That course of events would involve federal courts blocking the law, followed by appeals aimed at reaching the U.S. Supreme Court as a challenge to the Roe v. Wade abortion rights decision of 1973.

ACLU of Alabama and Planned Parenthood have said they would sue to block the law.

Here is Iveys full statement:

Today, I signed into law the Alabama Human Life Protection Act, a bill that was approved by overwhelming majorities in both chambers of the Legislature. To the bills many supporters, this legislation stands as a powerful testament to Alabamians deeply held belief that every life is precious and that every life is a sacred gift from God.

To all Alabamians, I assure you that we will continue to follow the rule of law.

"In all meaningful respects, this bill closely resembles an abortion ban that has been a part of Alabama law for well over 100 years. As todays bill itself recognizes, that longstanding abortion law has been rendered unenforceable as a result of the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade.

"No matter ones personal view on abortion, we can all recognize that, at least for the short term, this bill may similarly be unenforceable. As citizens of this great country, we must always respect the authority of the U.S. Supreme Court even when we disagree with their decisions. Many Americans, myself included, disagreed when Roe v. Wade was handed down in 1973. The sponsors of this bill believe that it is time, once again, for the U.S. Supreme Court to revisit this important matter, and they believe this act may bring about the best opportunity for this to occur.

I want to commend the bill sponsors, Rep. Terri Collins and Sen. Clyde Chambliss, for their strong leadership on this important issue.

"For the remainder of this session, I now urge all members of the Alabama Legislature to continue seeking the best ways possible to foster a better Alabama in all regards, from education to public safety. We must give every person the best chance for a quality life and a promising future.

The Republican majority in the House and Senate passed the bill over opposition from Democrats. The law makes it a felony for a doctor to perform an abortion. The woman would not be criminally liable. The law includes an exception to allow abortions in cases of serious health risks to the woman.

In recent days, Ivey had said she would wait to see the final version of the bill before deciding to sign it.

The bill does not include an exception to allow abortions for victims of rape and incest.

Randall Marshall, executive director of the ACLU of Alabama, issued this statement:

By signing this bill, the governor and her colleagues in the state legislature have decided to waste millions in Alabama taxpayer dollars in order to defend a bill that is simply a political effort to overturn 46 years of precedent that has followed the Supreme Courts Roe v. Wade decision. We will not allow that to happen, and we will see them in court. Despite the governor signing this bill, clinics will remain open, and abortion is still a safe, legal medical procedure at all clinics in Alabama."

Staci Fox, president and CEO at Planned Parenthood Southeast, also issued a statement:

We vowed to fight this dangerous abortion ban every step of the way and we meant what we said. We havent lost a case in Alabama yet and we dont plan to start now. We will see Governor Ivey in court. In the meantime, abortion is still safe, legal, and available in the state of Alabama and we plan to keep it that way.

Alabama Republican Party Chair Terry Lathan issued a statement praising the new law.

The legislation passed by the Alabama House of Representatives and State Senate, and now signed into law by Governor Kay Ivey, is a positive step forward in protecting the lives of the unborn, millions of which have been ended since the U.S. Supreme Courts Roe v Wade decision in 1973, Lathan said.

"Our legislators have worked tirelessly on this measure in hopes it will be a 'test case' that will ultimately lead to SCOTUS reviewing the Roe decision, one which even the lead plaintiff now wants overturned.

Alabama is a pro-life state. Whenever the issue of ending abortion is put before the voters, it receives overwhelming support. Just this past November when Amendment Two was on the ballot, Alabama spoke up strongly and voted to affirm the sanctity of life.

Updated at 7:10 p.m. to add comment from Republican Party Chair Terry Lathan.
Former president Jimmy Carter was released from a hospital Thursday after undergoing surgery for a broken hip earlier this week.

Carter, 94, was released from Phoebe Sumter Medical Center and plans to teach his regular Sunday-school lesson at Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains, Georgia, the Carter Center said in a statement.

Carter will continue to recuperate at home from his hip replacement and will undergo physical therapy.

Carter's wife, Rosalynn, was also admitted to the hospital on Wednesday for observation and testing after she felt faint, the Carter Center said, but she left the hospital with the former president this morning.

"Both President and Mrs. Carter extend their thanks to the many people who sent well wishes the past few days," the center said in its statement.

In March, Carter surpassed George H.W. Bush as the longest-living president in U.S. history. He was leaving his home in Plains on Monday to go turkey hunting when he fell.
A federal judge on Wednesday denied the motion to dismiss by TVA in a lawsuit brought against it over the collapsed sale of Bellefonte Nuclear Plant in northeast Alabama.

The ruling was perhaps to be expected since TVA and Nuclear Development LLC, the company that brought the suit, have been discussing plans for discovery of evidence in recent weeks as if proceeding to trial.

U.S. District Judge Liles Burke, who heard oral arguments on the motion Monday, filed a 17-page memorandum outlining his decision.

At issue is the agreed-upon sale of Bellefonte by TVA to Nuclear Development  which won the mothballed plant at auction in 2016 and had a closing date in November 2018.

On the eve of the closing date, TVA informed Nuclear Development that it would not go through with the sale because the company had not acquired construction permits from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission as required in the sales contract.

The next day, Nuclear Development filed a lawsuit against TVA alleging breach of contract.

TVA argued that federal law prohibited it from completing the sale because the NRC permits had not yet been transferred to Nuclear Development.

"In short, while the TVA may ultimately be able to show that federal law prevented consummation of the sale of Bellefonte, TVA has not provided the Court with a proper road map of how to get there at this stage in the proceedings," the judge wrote in his order. "Thus, the Court declines to, at the motion to dismiss stage, find that a condition precedent was not met."

Nuclear Development argued in court Monday that the deal could have been completed even as if continued the process of acquiring the permits from the NRC. Attorneys for Nuclear Development said the company was on schedule to receive the permits in about a year.

Nuclear Development told the judge it has invested about $30 million in its acquisition of Bellefonte  a $22 million down payment to TVA as well as almost $7 million to TVA to maintain the plants current condition during the two years between the auction and the closing date.
A Huntsville-based company is among 11 chosen by NASA to conduct studies and produce prototypes for its human Moon landing effort known as Artemis.

Dynetics Inc., which has its corporate headquarters in Cummings Research Park, was contracted by NASA for a descent element study and five descent element prototypes, according to an announcement Thursday by the space agency.

To accelerate our return to the Moon, we are challenging our traditional ways of doing business," Marshall Smith, director for human lunar exploration programs at NASA headquarters, said in the announcement. "We will streamline everything from procurement to partnerships to hardware development and even operations. Our team is excited to get back to the Moon quickly as possible, and our public/private partnerships to study human landing systems are an important step in that process.

Dynetics was founded in 1974 and has locations in nine other states. Thursdays announcement comes a day after Dynetics won a $130 million Army contract to develop a high-energy laser.

Six other companies chosen for the studies and prototypes also have locations in Huntsville: Aerojet Rocketdyne, Blue Origin, Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Northrup Grumman Innovation Systems and Sierra Nevada Corporation.

Good news for #Moon2024! We just selected 11 American companies to conduct six-month studies and/or develop prototypes for our human landing system. Learn more: https://t.co/CMQkkA4KrQ pic.twitter.com/Je2e1oRCds  Jim Bridenstine (@JimBridenstine) May 16, 2019

Through Next Space Technologies for Exploration Partnerships (NextSTEP) Appendix E contracts, the selected companies will study and/or develop prototypes during the next six months that reduce schedule risk for the descent, transfer, and refueling elements of a potential human landing system, NASA said in the announcement.

The total award amount for all companies is $45.5 million, NASA said. As NextSTEP is a public/private partnership program, companies are required to contribute at least 20 percent of the total project cost.

The company receiving the contracts:

Aerojet Rocketdyne  Canoga Park, California: One transfer vehicle study

Blue Origin  Kent, Washington: One descent element study, one transfer vehicle study, and one transfer vehicle prototype

Boeing  Houston: One descent element study, two descent element prototypes, one transfer vehicle study, one transfer vehicle prototype, one refueling element study, and one refueling element prototype

Dynetics  Huntsville, Alabama: One descent element study and five descent element prototypes

Lockheed Martin  Littleton, Colorado: One descent element study, four descent element prototypes, one transfer vehicle study, and one refueling element study

Masten Space Systems  Mojave, California: One descent element prototype

Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems  Dulles, Virginia: One descent element study, four descent element prototypes, one refueling element study, and one refueling element prototype

OrbitBeyond  Edison, New Jersey: Two refueling element prototypes

Sierra Nevada Corporation , Louisville, Colorado, and Madison, Wisconsin: One descent element study, one descent element prototype, one transfer vehicle study, one transfer vehicle prototype, and one refueling element study

SpaceX  Hawthorne, California: One descent element study

SSL  Palo Alto, California: One refueling element study and one refueling element prototype.

Were taking major steps to begin development as quickly as possible, including invoking a NextSTEP option that allows our partners to begin work while were still negotiating, Greg Chavers, human landing system formulation manager at NASAs Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, said in the announcement. Were keen to collect early industry feedback about our human landing system requirements, and the undefinitized contract action will help us do that.
The passage of Alabamas strictest-in-the-nation abortion bill has renewed calls to overhaul Northern Irelands abortion regulations, which are among the most restrictive in the developed world.

Under the Alabama abortion legislation, signed by Republican Gov. Kay Ivey on Wednesday, doctors who perform abortions could face up to 99 years or life in prison, but a pregnant woman would not face penalties.

In Northern Ireland, both women who have abortions and those who assist them can face up to life in prison.

"The law in Northern Ireland is considerably more restrictive than Alabama," said Fiona de Londras, a law professor at the University of Birmingham.

"This is not an instance where criminalization is just on the books. There have been charges," she added.

In one high-profile case currently in the courts, prosecutors in Northern Ireland brought charges against a mother who bought abortion pills online for her then 15-year-old daughter, who was in a physically and mentally abusive relationship. After the pregnancy was terminated, the mother shared the information with her doctor, who in turn referred her to the police. The mother has challenged the decision to prosecute her, and a judgement is expected imminently.

Pro-choice campaigners here have pledged solidarity with their counterparts in the United States and are calling for the liberalization of British laws that date back to the 19th century.

Emma Campbell, co-chair of Alliance for Choice, an abortion rights group in Northern Ireland, said that it's surprising to see people in Britain who are "flabbergasted at what's happening in Alabama but have never mentioned Northern Ireland, which in effect has a worse law than what is being proposed in Alabama."

Her organization wrote a letter of warning to activists in Alabama.

"You and the people you help might actually get arrested, you might have your homes searched and your workplaces raided. Maybe a GP will inform the police of your illegal behaviour, or a flatmate. . . either way you really have to know who you can trust with the information about your medical procedure, if you access pills at home because you cannot travel," the letter said.

Stella Creasy, a Labour lawmaker, said that those in Britain outraged at Alabama should also look to their own backyard.

She tweeted: "Hey uk progressive gents - women in Northern Ireland AS WELL as doctors facing life imprisonment in the UK for an abortion. [Alabama] terrible and our own country reprimanded by the UN for our own human rights abuses. Speak out at home as well as against trump & co."

Creasy successfully campaigned for Northern Irish women who travel to other parts of the United Kingdom to have access to funded terminations. Before that change in 2017, a Northern Irish woman who had made her way to England was charged about $1,150 for the procedure.

Since the Abortion Act of 1967, abortion in Britain has been legal in most circumstances up to 24 weeks, as long as it's signed off by two doctors. That law applies to England, Scotland and Wales, but it does not extend to Northern Ireland, where the Offences Against the Person Act of 1861 still prevails.

Polling by YouGov, conducted shortly after the Republic of Ireland overturned its abortion ban last year, found that 65 percent of people in Northern Ireland say abortion should not be a crime. Support for a right to choose an abortion rises further when a woman's health, rape, incest or fatal fetal abnormality are at issue.

But those who want to change the law in Northern Ireland have run into multiple obstacles.

The devolved, power-sharing government that is supposed to lead Northern Ireland fell apart more than two years ago and has not been active since.

In its absence, the Conservative government in Westminster has rebuffed efforts by lawmakers to repeal sections of the 1861 act, which would decriminalize abortion across the U.K. The Conservatives, who argue that the issue is one for Northern Ireland to decide, are propped up in government by Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party, which opposes changing the abortion law.

Grainne Teggart, Amnesty U.K.'s Northern Ireland campaign manager, said her group was horrified by what we are seeing in the U.S., which is a terrifying roll-back on reproductive rights. But she said that the United Kingdom was no better and called on the British government to lead on this issue, not lag behind.
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., said Thursday that he opposes a new Alabama law that outlaws virtually all abortions, even in cases of rape and incest, arguing that it goes further than I believe.

"I believe in exceptions for rape, incest and life of the mother, and that's what I've voted on," McCarthy said at his weekly news conference.

The new antiabortion law in Alabama, the strictest in the country, has divided Republicans and put them on the defensive on the issue. Until this week, Republicans had been playing offense by casting Democrats as extreme due to a recent New York law expanding access to late-term abortion.

In addition to not including exceptions for rape or incest, the law also allows a penalty of up to 99 years in prison for doctors who perform abortions.

Republicans are wary of a reprise of 2012, when they lost two key Senate races in Indiana and Missouri after the party's nominees in those states made comments about pregnancies resulting from rape. The debate over the Alabama law also comes at a time when Republicans are looking to make inroads with suburban women, a voting bloc that they lost when Democrats recaptured the House in 2018.

Among those criticizing the Alabama bill this week was longtime televangelist Pat Robertson, who decried it as "extreme."

Trump and the White House have been noticeably silent on the law, and Republican senators such as Martha McSally of Arizona and Thom Tillis of North Carolina facing tough reelection races next year have been hesitant to weigh in on it.

At his Thursday news conference, McCarthy said exceptions for rape and incest are "exactly what Republicans have voted on in this House. That's what our platform says."

Bue he declined to offer an opinion on whether the Alabama law should be struck down. "I'm not an attorney," he said.

A spokesman for the other top Republican in Congress, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the Alabama law.
A Birmingham teen has been identified as the body found in a burning vehicle in the Edgewater community.

The Jefferson County Coroners Office identified the victim as Ladarius Cleontay Parker. He was 18 and lived in that area.

The crash happened about 11:30 p.m. Monday. Jefferson County sheriffs deputies and firefighters were alerted to a vehicle on fire off Arabia Avenue near Jamaica Street. After the blaze was exinguished a body was found inside the car.

Sheriffs Capt. David Agee said the investigation showed no signs of foul play in Parkers death. It appears the vehicle left the roadway, went through several small trees before the undercarriage of the vehicle struck a cemented manhole cover which penetrated the vehicles gas tank causing it to erupt in flames.

Parker was identified through dental records.
An Alabama Death Row inmate was executed by lethal injection Thursday night, more than 22 years after the quadruple slaying of a family in Pelham.

Michael Brandon Samra, 42, was executed at William C. Holman Correctional Facility in Atmore. The Alabama Supreme Court set his execution date in April.

Samra was 19 when he and his co-defendant, then 16-year-old Mark Anthony 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 after confessing, and was sentenced to death for his role in the killings.

The curtains opened to the execution chamber at approximately 7:09 p.m. When approached by the warden, Samra smiled.

His last words were a prayer. I would like to thank Jesus for everything hes done for me, he said. I want to thank Jesus for shedding his blood for my sins. Thank you for your grace Jesus, amen.

Samra lied on the gurney with his eyes open, facing the witness room that contained his two attorneys, his spiritual adviser, and members of the media. At 7:14 p.m., his eyes closed.

One minute later, his chest heaved three times. His breathing appeared labored for several minutes.

Samra did not respond to a consciousness check, performed by a corrections officer at 7:17 p.m. Two minutes later, he stretched both hands and slightly raised his left arm, then curled his fingers and dropped his arm.

The curtain to the chamber closed at 7:26 p.m. The official time of death was 7:33 p.m., according to prison officials.

Samras attorneys appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, arguing his age at the time of the 1997 slaying should prohibit him from being executed, but the nations highest court ruled Tuesday they would not review the case and would not stay Samras execution.

Full coverage of the death penalty in Alabama

Gov. Kay Ivey also refused a reprieve for Samra, the prisoners lawyer said. One of his attorneys, Steven Sears, said he received the denial from Iveys office about eight hours before the execution.

Following the execution, Ivey released a statement: For more than 20 years, the loved ones of Randy, Dedra and the two young daughters Chelisa and Chelsea have mourned an unbearable and unimaginable loss. Four lives were brutally taken far too soon because of the malicious, intentional and planned-out murders by Michael Brandon Samra.

Alabama will not stand for the loss of life in our state, and with this heinous crime, we must respond with punishment. These four victims deserved a future, and Mr. Samra took that opportunity away from them and did so with no sense of remorse. This evening justice has been delivered to the loved ones of these victims, and it signals that Alabama does not tolerate murderous acts of any nature.

After careful consideration of the horrendous nature of the crime, the jurys decision and all factors surrounding the case, the state of Alabama carried out Mr. Samras sentence this evening. Although this can never recover the lives lost, I pray that their loved ones can finally find a sense of peace.

Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall issued a statement following the execution, detailing the crime. He added, Randy Duke was shot in the head. Dedra Hunt was shot multiple times as she attempted to flee with one of her daughters. Samra and Duke then proceeded to kill both of the young girls, cutting their throats. Samra was convicted of capital murder in 1998 and received his just punishment: a sentence of death. After too many years of delay, justice has finally been served. Tonight, we pray for the victims and for their families, that they might find peace and closure.

Alabama Department of Corrections Commissioner Jeff Dunn spoke after the execution and read a statement from the Mims and Hunt family. This has been a painful journey. Today justice has been carried out, it said. The statement also included thanks for all police and investigative agencies who worked on the case. We ask that you keep all families involved in your prayers, the statement said.

Dunn did not give any reasons for the hour delay, and said to his knowledge there were no problems preparing the inmate for the procedure.

Wednesday, Samra was visited by six friends, two attorneys, and his spiritual adviser. He also made a phone call to his father. Thursday, he was again visited by six friends and his spiritual adviser.

Samra did not eat breakfast Thursday and did not request a last meal. He did not have any special requests.

Six witnesses from the victims families witnessed the execution, along with two attorneys from the Alabama Attorney Generals Office.

The crime

According to court records filed by the Alabama Attorney Generals Office to the U.S. Supreme Court, Mark Duke and Samra brought two guns to Randy Dukes home on March 22, 1997, where the teenagers planned to kill everyone inside.

Mark Duke fatally shot his 39-year-old father in the head, while Samra shot Hunt in the face. Although injured, 29-year-old Hunt fled upstairs with her daughters. Hunt and Chelisa sought shelter in an upstairs bathroom, while Chelsea hid under a bed.

Samra and Mark Duke ran after them, and Mark Duke shot and killed Hunt after he kicked in the bathroom door. Then, out of bullets, Mark Duke got two knives and pulled Chelisa from behind the shower curtain and slit her throat. The teens then pursued Chelsea, who was fighting back from under the bed. As she struggled, Mark Duke held her down and Samra slit her throat.

Mark Duke was also originally sentenced to death, but his sentence was later overturned and changed to life in prison pursuant to a U.S. Supreme Court ruling banning execution for offenders who committed their crimes while they were juveniles. He was 16 at the time of the slaying.

According to court records, Mark Duke came up with the murder plot because Randy Duke refused to allow him to use a pickup truck. He was called the mastermind of the plot.

The arguments

Samras attorneys, 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.

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 U.S. Supreme Court petition, Samras attorneys argue the 2005 rule should be extended to include offenders up to the age of 21 at the time of their crimes. 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.

Last week, Sears sent a letter to 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.

Sears wrote in the letter, 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.

The U.S. Supreme Court petition also mentions the Kentucky case and states, 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.

9 Dedra Hunt family

The Alabama AGs Office called Samras claim meritless and argued in a filing about the high courts jurisdiction over the claim.

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 AGs 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.

Samras attorneys have also argued that putting Samra to death isnt just, since the crimes mastermind Mark Duke is spending his life in prison. Sears called the quadruple slaying a terrible tragedy, but said he and his co-counsel dont think that killing one more person is going to help.

Its not fair to kill the small fish and let the whale go, Sears said, referring to Mark Dukes sentence change. Sears said the fact Samra was several years older than his friend at the time of the slaying has made more of a difference than anything in the case.

The lead investigator on the case at the time, and now the mayor of Helena, Mark Hall said he believes its time Samra face his punishment. I am not surprised by the request for a stay by the offender, but Im reminded that the innocent victims of these horrific and senseless murders-- two adults and two small children-- did not have that option on that terrifying night when they were brutally murdered," Hall wrote in a statement.

Convicted murderers, who have exhausted all means of the possibility of acquittal in a capital murder case should serve every day, every hour and every minute of the sentence they were given, and that includes the death penalty when it is imposed.

"Those innocent victims, and the families of those victims, deserve no less.

Two other men, David Collums and Michael Ellison, were convicted of lesser crimes in the case and served time in prison. They have since been released.

Another execution is scheduled Thursday in Tennessee, that of 68-year-old Don Johnson, who was condemned to die for the 1984 suffocation of his wife.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Far-right Rasmus Paludan, who holds stunts desecrating Islams holy book, is expected to win seats in coming vote.

Copenhagen, Denmark  Last year, Christian Hansens 10-year-old son returned from school asking who Rasmus Paludan was.

He told me that the pupils had been playing the Paludan-game in the schoolyard, dividing each other into Christians, Jews and Muslims. The Christians then had to catch the Jews and Muslims and put them in [imaginative] cages and insult them, said Hansen, a 42-year-old software company owner in southern Denmark.

Hansen was frightened that Paludans message had reached his son through social media.

This is extremely dangerous, he said, because his hateful views become a part of these childrens early understanding of minorities.

Since founding his party in July 2017, far-right politician Rasmus Paludan, a Danish lawyer, has risen to virtual stardom for his Quran-burning demonstrations in Muslim-majority neighbourhoods  stunts which have been triggering counterprotests.

Paludan  who did not respond to Al Jazeeras request for comment  tells his supporters that Denmark is for ethnic Danes, that he wants to deport the countrys more than 300,000 Muslims and ban Islam, as he warns that civil war is coming.

With the rise of these new anti-Muslim players, I think a lot of Muslims have considered whether it's worth staying here. Tarek Ghanoum, Danish Muslim political commentator

While few took him seriously weeks ago, Paludans Hard Line (Stram Kurs) party is now running for office in the June 5 general election having gathered the roughly 20,000 voter signatures needed to contest the poll.

Danish Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen has condemned the Quran-burning sessions, writing on Twitter that they are meaningless provocations with no other purpose than causing division.

Observers say that the emergence of two new far-right parties in the country  Hard Line and The New Right (Nye Borgerlige)  could harm Rasmussens chances for re-election with a centre-right alliance.

Against the backdrop of Denmarks cartoon controversy, senior politicians have warned that scenes of a Danish politician burning the Quran could be used to stir hatred against the country.

At a demonstration in October 2016, Paludan echoed the rivers of blood phrase by Britains Enoch Powell, a Conservative politician who rallied against immigration 50 years ago.

Our streets and straits will be turned into rivers of blood, Paludan said, and the foreign enemys blood will end up in the sewer, where the foreign enemies belong.

In a video from December 2018, he says: The best thing would be if there were not a single Muslim left on this earth. I hope that will happen someday. Then we would have reached our final goal.

His popularity had been limited to young people who follow his YouTube and Snapchat accounts, but in recent weeks his fame has grown.

Danes of all ages have taken selfies with the party leader while flashing the V-sign.

We have seen tightening of policies and rhetoric around Muslims since leader of Danish Peoples Party Pia Kjaersgaard [now speaker of parliament] declared war on Islam in 2001, said Tarek Ghanoum, a 27-year-old Danish Muslim political commentator.

With the rise of these new anti-Muslim players, I think a lot of Muslims have considered whether its worth staying here  if this development continues.

Hard Line and The New Right are parties which have formed their identities solely around attacking Muslims. Forget about climate, economy and eldercare, these are all minor issues for them. It is all about Muslims, immigrants and their descendants.

A woman in a veil stands among masked protesters in a demonstration against the Danish face veil ban in Copenhagen, Denmark, August 1, 2018 [File: Andrew Kelly/Reuters]

On April 14 this year, Paludan  convicted earlier in the same month of racism for suggesting that Africans are less intelligent  held a Quran-throwing demonstration in the heart of Blagards Plads, an area home to many Muslims.

He threw the Quran into the air, letting it fall to the ground. On other occasions, he has set Islams holy book on fire and smeared it with bacon. In Norrebro that day, dozens of residents protested against him.

Cars, tyres and waste containers were burned on the streets, one person was wounded and 23 were arrested.

Police fought off protesters with clubs and tear gas and Paludan was evacuated.

Paludans fame surged after the incident and, in a short time, he managed to gather the support needed to run in the election.

We have seen a process of normalisation in the negative discourse about Muslims since 2001. There is a focus on Islam, even among mainstream politicians, as being something negative and non-Danish. To a certain extent, Paludan is a continuation of this trend, said Garbi Schmidt, a professor at Roskilde University.

In recent years, the centre-right government, with support from the right-wing Danish Peoples Party, has introduced a series of measures that affect Muslims, who make up around 5.5 percent of the population.

On April 15 in Copenhagen, about two dozen people were arrested in connection with riots during counterprotests to Paludan [File: Mads Claus Rasmussen/EPA]

Last May, Denmark joined several other European countries in banning the full-face veil in public spaces.

In July last year, the government established stricter criminal laws for people living in so-called ghettos  poorer districts in Denmark  and imposed Danish classes on children there, in which they were taught Danish values.

In December, the government approved a plan to send unwanted migrants to an island.

There has been a significant turn to the right in a large segment of the Danish public. Thus the debate about foreigners has been an easy way for politicians to gain popularity. Instead of discussing complex issues such as inequality, welfare and public health, many mainstream parties have chosen the easiest solution, said Schmidt.

According to a recent poll, Paludans party is set to secure six seats in parliament with 3.3 percent of the votes. The New Right could be elected with five seats.

In the meantime, Paludan continues to provoke.

At a demonstration on May 1, he was protected by dozens of police officers. A large crowd of supporters and counterprotesters had shown up.

Not all perkere (derogatory slang for immigrants) are bad, but I agree that most of them should be expelled, said Sofus Andersen, a 20-year-old unemployed supporter of Hard Line.

An elderly Jewish man, meanwhile, looked on with concern.

I used to be Paludans barber for many years. He is a very intelligent young man and we had many political discussions, but Im shocked that he ended up becoming so radical, said the man, who requested anonymity. This is how the rise of fascism begins.
UN-led review of Gulf states human rights record calls for changes which Doha labels a work in progress.

Geneva, Switzerland  United Nations member states have called upon Qatar to reform its domestic workers rights policy and ban capital punishment.

Qatar is one of the 14 states currently undergoing a Human Rights Council assessment, a UN-led process known as Universal Periodic Review (UPR) involving all 193 member states.

Since its last review in 2014, the Gulf country has taken a number of initiatives to bring its national legislation in line with international human rights covenants, said a Qatari official at the countrys review on Wednesday.

Soltan bin Saad Al-Muraikhi, state minister for foreign affairs and head of the delegation, listed several acts and decrees issued since the last visit of the Special Rapporteur for Human Rights in 2014 aimed at upholding the rights of women, children, persons with disabilities and migrant workers.

Qatar has acceded seven UN treaties, including two major ones in 2018, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, which set out the civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights that everyone is entitled to, based on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

However, the member states called upon Qatar to remove its reservations to some of the articles of the Covenants and swiftly adapt its national laws to their principles.

Its a work in progress, we have created committees that shall review our legislations based on the articles of the Covenants, said an official from its Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Right to nationality

The three main human rights issues emerging from the review cycle on Wednesday included the right of Qatari mothers to transfer the nationality to their children, the abolition of the death penalty and the implementation of the most recent labour reforms.

Delegates recommended that Qatar amends its nationality law to allow Qatari women married to non-citizens to transmit the nationality to their children from birth, in particular for those who would otherwise be stateless.

Last year, Qatar amended its residency law to ensure that children born to Qatari mothers and foreign fathers are entitled to permanent residency permits. However, Qatari mothers cannot transmit the nationality to their children, an issue considered a violation of both women and childrens rights.

Several countries also called for a permanent moratorium on the death penalty. A Qatari delegate at the Council pointed out that Qatar hasnt implemented the death penalty since 2005 except for a case pertaining to a particularly heinous crime.

Labour reforms

Qatar was also asked to extend its recent labour reforms to domestic workers, especially by the creation of effective inspection tools and safety nets for workers subject to abuses who wish to leave their employers.

In October 2017, Qatar signed a three-year cooperation agreement with the International Labour Organization (ILO) for 2018 to 2020. Under the agreement, ILO provides advice on improving the system of wage protection, inspection, and the replacement of the kafala (sponsorship) system.

To address the exploitation of workers and human trafficking, the government has established an agreement with sending countries offices, aimed at monitoring the recruitment process to make sure it abides by international standards.

However, concerns remain that amendments to the labour code following the abolition of the kafala system in 2017 allow it to be in practice.
Traders from five banks colluded to rig the foreign exchange market, European antitrust regulators have found.

Five of the largest banks operating in Europe on Thursday were hit with a 1.07 billion euro ($1.2bn) fine for operating a foreign exchange trading cartel.

Barclays, Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS), Citigroup and JPMorgan were fined 811.2 million euros ($909m) in one settlement, while a second saw a further 257.7 million euro ($289m) fine levied on Barclays, RBS and MUFG Bank (formerly the Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi) by European antitrust authorities.

The banks colluded on trading strategies to rig the spot foreign exchange market for 11 currencies, said the European Commission.

Companies and people depend on banks to exchange money to carry out transactions in foreign countries, said EU Commissioner Margrethe Vestager, in charge of competition policy.

Today we have fined Barclays, The Royal Bank of Scotland, Citigroup, JPMorgan and MUFG Bank and these cartel decisions send a clear message that the Commission will not tolerate collusive behaviour in any sector of the financial markets.

The behaviour of these banks undermined the integrity of the sector at the expense of the European economy and consumers.

Swiss bank UBS was also involved in the cartel scheme but avoided punishment after it turned whistle-blower on the other banks to the European Commission.

Credit Suisse was charged separately by the EU over foreign exchange collusion last year, and a fine may yet be announced, Bloomberg reported.

While large, the cartel fines are lower than a 1.3 billion euro penalty for banks for rigging Euribor rates and below a record 3.8 billion euro penalty for collusion between truckmakers, according to Bloomberg.

It was individual traders, rather than the banks themselves, who coordinated through online chatrooms. One of the chatrooms was named Essex Express n the Jimmy  all the traders except one lived in the British county of Essex and met on the train on the way to the city of London.

They exchanged sensitive information and trading plans in two cartel groups  one running from December 2008 to January 2013, and another from December 2009 to July 2012, the commission said.

RBS, which faces paying 249 million euros ($279m), told the London Stock Exchange it was responding to inquiries from other regulatory bodies regarding past failings in foreign exchange trading.

Citigroup will have to pay 310.8 million euros ($348m), while JP Morgan faces a bill for 228.8 million euros ($256m). Barclays will pay 210.3 million euros ($236m) and MUFG must pay nearly 70 million euros ($78m). Their penalties were reduced after agreeing not to challenge the ruling.

The five banks facing the billion-euro fine had combined 2018-2019 revenues of 215 billion euros ($241bn).
Voters in Australia head to the polls on Saturday to choose their next prime minister and parliament.

Australias Prime Minister Scott Morrison has predicted a close result in the countrys upcoming election, as opposition leader Bill Shorten used a campaign rally to revel in the memory of one of his centre-left partys greatest victories almost half a century ago.

Morrison, of the centre-right Liberal-National Coalition, made his final major speech of the campaign on Thursday, two days before the vote, with a recurring theme that now was not the time to elect a Labor Party government.

This will be a close election, Morrison said at the National Press Club in Canberra. That is not something, I think, anyone was writing two months ago, six months ago, eight months ago.

Opinion polls have consistently put Labor ahead of Morrisons Liberal Party-led coalition for the past two years.

On Thursday, an Essential Poll for The Guardian newspaper showed Labor ahead of Morrisons coalition government by a margin of 51.5-48.5 on a two-party preferred basis where votes are distributed until a winner is declared.

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten delivers a speech in Blacktown [Lukas Coch/AAP Image via Reuters]

Meanwhile, Shorten chose to make his final campaign pitch in the same western Sydney venue where Labor Party hero Gough Whitlam gave what has been remembered as his Its Time speech in 1972.

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Its Time was also the campaign slogan. Weeks after his speech, Labor won its first federal election victory since 1946 and Whitlam became a reforming prime minister.

Shorten was cheered by hundreds of supporters wearing T-shirts with the slogan Vote for change. Vote for Labor in a raucous hall in the working-class suburb of Blacktown.

Never has the case for change been more clear or more urgent, Shorten told the gathering. Because just as Blacktown tells us the story of the change that Australia voted for back then, it also speaks why our country should vote for change now.

Whitlam, who died in 2014, is remembered for sweeping reforms, including government-funded universal healthcare and free university education.

But he is also remembered for financial mismanagement that led to his government being fired in 1975 by the governor-general, who represents Australias head of state  British Queen Elizabeth II.
Women head up just 33 of the United Statess 500 highest-earning companies in 2019, as #MeToo and boards boost numbers.

More women are heading up top-earning companies in the United States than ever before, according to an annual study by a leading business magazine.

Fortune magazine released its 65th annual Fortune 500 list on Thursday, reporting that female CEOs will lead 33 of the USs highest-earning companies by June 1.

While the number reflects a tiny proportion of the full list  just 6.6 percent  its a notable rise from last year, when the number of companies headed by women dipped to 24, following the departures of prominent female executives such as PepsiCos Indra Nooyi.

Id love to say Im ecstatic about this number, but its still way too low, said Jennifer Floto, a professor at the University of Southern Californias Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism.

I entered the corporate world in 1973 and would have expected this number to be close to 50/50 in 2019. But, it is a step in the right direction, she told Al Jazeera.

Susan Fleming, a former professor at Cornell University who sits on the boards of several companies, was cautiously optimistic about the figures.

Its encouraging and its definitely positive, but I dont think it suddenly means that its going to keep increasing dramatically, she said.

This years rise was driven by women being appointed as CEOs in the last year and by companies with female CEOs making enough revenue to gain a place in the list. But other factors have also had an influence on new appointments.

Activism has played a role, according to analysts, who see the effects of the #MeToo movement in the record number of male executives changing positions due to ethical  rather than financial or performance-related  issues.

In facing up to charges of sexual harassment in the workplace, companies are being forced to redress inequality within their teams, Fleming said.

I think there is more sensitivity and thought about gender equality because sexual harassment at the end of the day is about power and dominance over others, and so if youre going to take on issues like sexual harassment, youre also going to have to take on gender equality.

That doesnt mean that theyre going to go out and pick a woman to have a woman CEO, but that theyre maybe going to look a little harder and a little more broadly at the pool of people theyre considering, and theres tonnes of amazing women out there, she told Al Jazeera.

Perhaps the biggest driver of change is the incremental increase of diversity on boards at top firms.

White men appoint other white men; women have to prove themselves for much longer before being invited in. So its logical that once women and other underrepresented groups finally get a seat in the C-suite  and subsequently on boards  they will open others eyes to the advantages of diversity, Floto said.

Were slowly showing our children that people of any race or gender can be effective leaders when given the opportunity.

A top-heavy list

Another takeaway from this years list is that the USs biggest businesses are getting bigger  and its richest are getting richer.

Together, the companies included in the list  titled The Price of Size  raked in $13.7 trillion in revenues. But just a tenth of the companies accounted for nearly half of that figure.

Some 27 companies earned at least $10bn in the last fiscal year, while six have at least $1 trillion in assets on their balance sheets, according to Fortune.

There was little change at the top of the list, with Walmart holding onto the number-one spot and ExxonMobil coming in at number two. The energy giant is among 53 companies to have appeared on the list every year since its debut in 1955.

Tech giant Apple moved up a spot to number three, pushing Warren Buffetts Berkshire Hathaway hedge fund down to four, while Amazon made the biggest jump inside the top 10, rising three spots to number five.

Pharmaceutical distributor AmerisourceBergen, which is under scrutiny for its alleged role in the opioid crisis gripping the US, made its first appearance in the top 10 in this years list, boosted by a rise in prescription drugs prices.

Other trends saw several large home builders leaping up the list, with Lennar and Toll Brothers rising 76 and 52 places respectively on the back of a housing boom.

Companies from the energy and oil sectors also continued to make a strong showing, with Chevron, Phillips 66 and Valero all making gains.
Three arrests in a week once again raise fears of crackdown on freedom of expression in the country and draw criticism.

Police in Bangladesh arrested three people, two writers and an activist, in the past week under the countrys controversial Digital Security Act (DSA) and the Information and Communication Technology Act (ICTA).

The arrests have once again raised fears of a crackdown on freedom of expression in the South Asian country and have drawn criticism from activists and international rights groups. Both the laws seek to curb free speech, mainly in the press, and carry a maximum punishment of 14 years each.

Henry Sawpon, 48, a prominent poet living in the southern district of Barisal, was arrested under the DSA on Tuesday for allegedly hurting the religious sentiments of Bangladeshs minority Christian community. He was released on bail on Thursday morning.

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Writer Imtiaz Mahmud, 61, was arrested under the ICTA in the capital Dhaka on Wednesday over a Facebook post in which he wrote about the rights of minorities in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) region.

CHT, a semi-autonomous region within Muslim-majority Bangladesh, shares borders with India and Myanmar. The region has for decades been the site of low-intensity conflict between its 13 ethnic minorities and the countrys armed forces.

The third arrest involved Abdul Kaium, a rights activist charged under the DSA on May 11 following a complaint by the principal of an Islamic school, who accused Abdul Kaium of sharing improper content online.

Three arrests in a week

Barisal Metropolitan Police Commissioner Shahabuddin Khan told Al Jazeera that Sawpon, a Christian himself, has been charged with posting slanderous remarks against the Catholic Church of Barisal, a district with a large Christian population.

The police report mentioned a post in which Sawpon allegedly criticised the Barisal diocese for holding a cultural event on Easter Sunday last month when more than 250 people were killed in serial bombings in churches and hotels in Sri Lanka.

When Rome was burning, Emperor Nero was playing with his flute, he allegedly posted on April 23, two days after the Sri Lanka attack.

Sawpons friend, poet Altaf Shahnewaz, told Al Jazeera that the Facebook post was an excuse and he was being framed. He was vocal about misdeeds and embezzlement in Barisal churches. Thats why he was framed, he said.

In Mahmuds case, police picked him up from his Banani home in Dhaka on Wednesday, his brother Parvez Mahmud told Al Jazeera.

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I came to know later that police were complying with a warrant issued by a Khagrachhari [a CHT district) court on January 21 this year, said Parvez.

In July 2017, a case under the stringent ICTA was filed against Mahmud with the Khagrachhari police for inciting communal violence in the CHT region through his Facebook posts.

On Abdul Kaiums arrest, Mymensingh police official Faruq Ahmed told Al Jazeera that he was accused of sharing improper content online.

He was denied bail and was sent to jail by a court on Monday, Ahmed said.

Activists in Dhaka protesting against the crackdown on freedom of speech [Mahmud Hossain Opu/Al Jazeera]

Activists protest arrests

Mahmud, also a lawyer at the countrys Supreme Court, is known for his writings and activism, especially on the CHT issue.

Sawpon, whose poems are published regularly in leading Bangladeshi newspapers and magazines, was granted bail on Thursday morning by a Barisal court. The bail will be effective till June 30, the date of the cases next hearing.

Protesting the arrests on Wednesday in Dhaka, a group of writers, artists and journalists formed a human chain and demanded the release of the three within 24 hours.

Writer and activist Robin Ahsan said the Bangladesh government is walking in a backward direction and Sawpons arrest was a glaring example.

Henry stayed back in Barisal since he loved his birthplace, while we all came to Dhaka for a better life. He has always written against communalism. But the administration of Barisal is ignorant, he said.

The protesters threatened to go on an indefinite strike beginning Friday and called for the abolition of the DSA and ICT, calling the two laws inhuman.

Rights group Amnesty International also opposed their arrests under draconian laws. We call on the authorities to respect peoples right to peaceful freedom of expression, it posted on Twitter.
Guatemala City, Guatemala  The Guatemalan Constitutional Court has ruled against the presidential candidacy of Thelma Aldana, a former attorney general known for her anti-corruption platform.

The court on Wednesday rejected an appeal by Aldanas Semilla Party to allow her registration, in a decision that came on a six-to-one vote. The case now returns to Supreme Court to be finalised.

Martin Guzman, the courts secretary, told reporters that Aldana had failed to meet the prerequisites to run for office.

Following the announcement, Aldana vowed to continue her battle against corruption.

It has become evident that the fight against corruption and criminal structures in our country has a very high cost, Aldana said in a statement. I will continue to struggle to transform the country.

Guatemalans will go to the polls on June 16, with a presidential runoff to be held on August 11 should no candidate obtain an outright majority in the first round.

The courts decision was met with disappointment by members of Aldanas Semilla Party.

We are surprised by the decision, Ligia Hernandez, the partys deputy secretary and candidate for Congress, told Al Jazeera.

But we respect the decision of the court, she said. This is a big hit to the party, but now we will focus on the campaigns for mayors and congressional representatives.

High-level probe

Aldana faced intense pressure against her attempt to run for president since she announced her bid in March.

Rivals filed injunctions against her candidacy and allegations surfaced of acts of corruption during her period as attorney general between 2014 to 2018.

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Aldana has remained in El Salvador since mid-March after a warrant was issued for her arrest two days before the beginning of the official election campaign period. The judge who issued the arrest warrant is currently under investigation for receiving bribes in exchange for the warrant. On Wednesday, Aldana travelled to Miami, in the United States.

Aldana gained international notoriety during a 2015 joint investigation by her office and the United Nations-backed International Commission Against Impunity in Guatemala into high-level government corruption.

President Otto Perez Molina and Vice President Roxana Baldetti were both forced to resign as a result of the probe and were subsequently arrested.

The Constitutional Court will decide on Thursday whether Sandra Torres, the former first lady and current candidate of the National Unity of Hope (UNE) party, will face charges for receiving illicit financing during her 2015 presidential bid. In that years election, Torres came in second behind current President Jimmy Morales.

On Monday, the court also ruled that Zury Rios, the daughter of former dictator Efrain Rios Montt and presidential candidate for the conservative Valor party, was un-eligible to run for president. The countrys Electoral Council officially revoked her credentials as a candidate.

Uncertainty ahead of polls

The courts decisions come one month before Guatemala goes to the polls to elect the next president, congressional representatives and municipal councils.

But many voters still feel a deep sense of uncertainty.

Guatemala has seen a weathering of the confidence  in political parties, Renzo Rosal, a Guatemalan political analyst and columnist, told Al Jazeera.

Many people see the elections as nothing more than an event that will not change the reality of Guatemalans.

This lack of confidence comes as accusations of corruption and illicit association with drug cartels have plagued other candidates in the lead-up to the elections.
A previous version of this story identified Anwar Gargash as UAE's foreign minister. His official designation is minister of state for foreign affairs. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan is the UAE's minister of foreign affairs and international cooperation.

Tensions have risen sharply in the Gulf over the past week yet nearly as many questions have been raised as answered as to what exactly happened  and what could happen next.

On Sunday morning, reports emerged that four ships were subjected to sabotage operations off the coast of Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

There is still very little information about what exactly happened. Saudi Arabias press agency reported two Saudi ships suffered significant damage. US military investigators said on Tuesday they had found large holes in each of the four ships believed to be caused by explosives, though no oil spill or casualties were reported.

Emirati Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash was careful not to place blame on any party in the attacks.

I wont speculate on the famous question of who did it', he said, yet he continued, there are serious issues and [foremost] among them is Iranian behaviour.

On Wednesday, Gargash confirmed that the UAE, along with France and the US, is conducting an investigation into the attack, the results of which should be released in the coming days.

For its part, Iran condemned the attack as worrisome and dreadful and called for an investigation into it. More controversially, an Iranian parliamentary spokesman said Iran suspects Israeli mischief was responsible.





Drone attacks hit oil facilities

There was more clarity about Tuesdays attack on the Saudi East-West pipeline. This attack by armed drones, videos of which surfaced on Thursday, spurred a temporary shutdown of the pipeline and a consequent rise in global oil prices, though Saudi Aramco confirmed that the pipeline had been restored as of Wednesday.

The Emirati Ministry for Foreign Affairs almost immediately condemned the attack, dubbing it new proof of the Houthis hostile and terrorist tendencies. Also on Tuesday, a Houthi-run television station claimed responsibility for having conducted a big military operation using drones against Saudi installations. A similar statement of responsibility has notably been absent regarding Sundays attacks.

Analysts have pointed out that both Fujairah, which sits just outside the Strait of Hormuz, and the attacked East-West pipeline, which pumps up to five million barrels of crude oil per day, bypass the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran controls.

There are some suggestions, then, that Iran is aiming to disrupt, or at least show it is capable of disrupting, the global oil markets through these attacks. Indeed, the attacks have not been catastrophic but have certainly demonstrated how vulnerable alternate energy transport paths are.

The timing of the attacks is a bit more puzzling.

Indeed, on Tuesday, the same day as the drone attacks, UN officials confirmed the completion of the first phase of redeploying Houthi forces away from Hodeidah and other ports, as part of a UN-brokered agreement, meaning that the Houthis would have jeopardised a potential settlement in order to disrupt Saudi oil transport for one day. Some experts have further questioned the technical ability of the Houthis to carry out a drone attack of that magnitude, particularly without being detected.

Nonetheless, the Houthis are being held accountable for the pipeline attack. On Thursday, the Joint Forces Command of the Saudi-UAE-led coalition fighting the Houthis in Yemen conducted a series of air attacks on Houthi targets in Sanaa. A statement from the coalition confirmed its forces are resolved to follow all terrorist elements across all of Yemen, and will be resolute to target all locations from which terrorist attacks are initiated.

Head of the snake

While official statements have tended towards caution, perhaps the most extreme response to these events so far was recorded in an opinion piece from the editorial board of Saudi state-run Arab News calling for military action against Iran. It reiterated former King Abdullahs 2008 urging to the US to cut off the head of the snake using surgical attacks, and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salmans remark that Irans Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is the new Hitler of the Middle East.





Most controversially, the piece states: We call for a decisive, punitive reaction to what happened so Iran knows that every single move they make will have consequences. The time has come for Iran not only to curb its nuclear weapon ambitions  again in the worlds interest  but also for the world to ensure that they do not have the means to support their terror networks across the region.

It is uncertain whether the attacks on Yemen are considered sufficient punishment of Iran through their Houthi proxies (Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir dubbed the Houthis on Thursday an indivisible part of Irans Revolutionary Guard Corps on Twitter), or whether these events, and such opinion pieces, are meant to draw in American military power. Either way, it is a powerful signal of at least one strand of Saudi thinking in terms of an appropriate response to these developments.

Of course, tension between the US and Iran was already heightened after the USs withdrawal from the JCPOA, its designation of the IRGC as a terrorist organisation, and the imposition of new sanctions on Iran. Last week, the US sent the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, its strike group, and B-52 bombers to the Gulf.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also made an unscheduled trip to Baghdad to assure Iraq of US support against potential Iranian aggression. Reuters revealed on Thursday through Iraqi sources that this visit was prompted by the positioning of rockets belonging to Shia militias near US military bases. Spokesmen for two Iran-backed paramilitary organisations in Iraq denied that they had plans to attack and instead said the discussion of Iranian threats was psychological warfare from the US.

The New York Times reported on White House plans to mobilise as many as 120,000 troops to the Gulf if Iran progresses with nuclear weapons or attacks American entities. President Trump denied this claim, calling it fake news and stating that: Hopefully were not going to have to plan for that. And if we did that, wed send a hell of a lot more troops than that.

Mike Pompeo on Tuesday similarly explained: We fundamentally do not seek a war with Iran We have also made clear to the Iranians that if American interests are attacked, we will most certainly respond in an appropriate fashion. We are looking for Iran to behave like a normal country.





Alarms raised

The Times on Thursday said the escalation in tensions was further fuelled by American intelligence photos of Iranian boats equipped with missiles in the Gulf, which raised alarm about attacks on American naval ships in the area. Additional reports have emerged that John Bolton, long hawkish on Iran, is fuelling the tensions. On Tuesday, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif raised the possibility that American hardliners had orchestrated these incidents to justify a move against Iran, yet reiterated that there wont be any war with the US.

Despite attempts to calm the rhetoric about a potential conflict, on Wednesday, the US State Department ordered all non-emergency US government employees to leave Iraq and German and Dutch armed forces suspended training operations in Iraq. The same day, American visitors to the UAE were warned of heightened tensions in the region and urged to be vigilant, with the UKs Foreign Office advising caution for travellers to the UAE, as there may also be attempts to target missiles and unmanned aerial systems (drones).

In terms of next steps, Al Jazeera reported Thursday that the Qatari foreign minister is holding talks in Tehran to attempt to defuse tensions. Absent a dialogue between Iran and the US and Iran and the UAE-Saudi Arabia, however, the atmosphere is likely to remain one of confusion and anxiety, in which rhetoric about ramping up conflict could spur further attacks and uncertainty.
Targeting the Chinese tech giants bottom line may end up hurting the US and international companies.

The ban on United States companies selling parts to Huawei will take effect on Friday, the US commerce secretary has said.

Wilbur Ross told Bloomberg news agency on Thursday that the new regulations will bar Huawei from acquiring components and technology from US firms without government approval.

Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. and 70 affiliates are being added to the US Commerce Departments entity list. The move makes it difficult  if not impossible  for the firm to sell certain products, due to reliance on US suppliers.

Ross said in a statement on Wednesday that President Donald Trump sought to prevent American technology from being used by foreign-owned entities in ways that potentially undermine US national security or foreign policy interests.

The dramatic move comes as the Trump administration has aggressively lobbied other countries not to use Huawei equipment in next-generation 5G networks. And it comes just days after the Trump administration imposed new tariffs on Chinese goods amid an escalating trade war.

US officials have long feared the Chinese government could use Huaweis equipment to spy on Americans.

Blacklisting Huawei is likely to have ramifications beyond the company itself: Not only might it disrupt Huaweis business, but it could also hurt its US suppliers.

A broad US crackdown, announced on Wednesday in an executive order, was the latest shot fired in an escalating trade war that is rattling financial markets and threatens to derail a slowing global economy.

Find a resolution

The Trump administrations decision to target and potentially cripple Huawei garnered a sharp rebuke on Thursday.

Officials in China said US aggressiveness could hurt trade talks, which appeared to have hit an impasse in the past week as Washington hiked tariffs on Chinese goods and Beijing retaliated with higher duties on US products.

Chinese Commerce Ministry spokesman Gao Feng stressed that the US should avoid further damaging relations. China will take all the necessary measures to resolutely safeguard the legitimate rights of Chinese firms, Gao told reporters.

Meanwhile, share prices for Huaweis US suppliers fell due to fears the massive buyer of US chips, software and other equipment would be forced to stop purchases after the ban takes hold.

Huawei said in a statement that losing access to US suppliers will do significant economic harm to the American companies and affect tens of thousands of American jobs.

Out of $70bn that Huawei spent on component procurement in 2018, some $11bn went to US firms including Qualcomm, Intel and Micron Technology Inc. And they could see that revenue disappear.

Huawei said it will seek remedies immediately and find a resolution to this matter.

The company reported first-quarter revenue of $27bn last month and said it had shipped 59 million smartphones in the first quarter. Revenue for the company, also the worlds second-biggest maker of smartphones, touched 721 billion yuan ($105bn).

Upsetting the United States

The pain for Huaweis supply chain would be redoubled if the trade war were to send shock waves through the larger Chinese technology industry.

The bigger concern would be [that] US allies that used to buy Huaweis components may not continue businesses with Huawei, because of fear of possibly upsetting the United States, said Doh Hyun-woo, an analyst at NH Investment & Securities in Seoul.

Huawei has spearheaded Chinas campaign to develop its own high-end technologies to reduce reliance on foreign imports, and such efforts have taken on urgency after US sanctions on ZTE.

In March 2016, the US Commerce Department added ZTE Corporation to the entity list over allegations it organised an elaborate scheme to hide its re-export of US items to sanctioned countries in violation of US law.

The restrictions prevented suppliers from providing ZTE with US equipment, potentially freezing the Huawei rivals supply chain, but they were short-lived. The US suspended the restrictions in a series of temporary reprieves, allowing the company to maintain ties to US suppliers until it agreed to a plea deal a year later.

In August, Trump signed a bill that barred the US government itself from using equipment from Huawei and ZTE.
Higher public spending will push Saudi Arabias budget deficit to seven percent of gross domestic product (GDP) this year, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said on Wednesday.

This new forecast is well above the governments projections, signaling that economic performance is not keeping pace with spending.

The IMFs figure is based on assumptions that Saudi oil output will average 10.2 million barrels per day and oil prices will average $65.50 per barrel in 2019.

The Saudi government has forecast a budget deficit of 4.2 percent of GDP this year, compared with 4.6 percent in 2018.

The IMF said that the introduction of a value-added tax has been very successful, but that the Saudi government should consider raising the rate from five percent, which is low by global standards.

Reduction in government wages, smaller increases in capital spending, and better targeting of social benefits will all yield budgetary savings, the IMF said.

Fiscal vulnerabilities

Jihad Azour, director of the IMFs Middle East and Central Asia Department, told the Reuters news agency last month that the Saudi budget deficit this year could reach almost eight percent, but also said that estimate was likely to be revised.

Higher government spending has supported growth and the implementation of reforms, but has increased medium-term fiscal vulnerabilities, the IMF said.

Despite the budget surplus in the first quarter, the team projects that the fiscal deficit will rise to seven percent of GDP in 2019.

Saudi Finance Minister Mohammed al-Jadaan said last month that the kingdom recorded a budget surplus of 27.8 billion riyals ($7.4bn) in the January-March period, its first quarterly surplus since oil prices plunged in 2014.

The IMF said real non-oil growth is expected to further strengthen to 2.9 percent in 2019, boosting overall economic growth to 1.9 percent.

It said the increase in oil prices since the turn of the year is boosting confidence, but it was difficult to assess future movements in the oil market given uncertainties about production in some key exporting countries.

Brent crude futures were trading at $71.60 per barrel on Wednesday.

Saudi central bank governor Ahmed al-Kholifey predicted earlier this year that the kingdoms economic growth in 2019 would be no less than two percent.

The Saudi economy grew by 2.2 percent last year, after shrinking in 2017 for the first time in eight years.
Javad Zarif says Tehran will show maximum restraint as Washington maintains its own maximum pressure campaign.

Iran has accused the United States of instigating an unacceptable escalation of tensions as Washington pledged to continue a campaign of maximum pressure on the Islamic Republic.

Speaking in Tokyo on Thursday, Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif said Tehran would not hold talks with Washington but added it would act with caution following the recent deployment of US military hardware to the Gulf region.

We believe that escalation by the United States is unacceptable and uncalled for, he told reporters in Tokyo, where he is meeting with Japanese officials.

[But] we exercise maximum restraint  in spite of the fact that the United States withdrew from JCPOA last May, he added, referring to the landmark 2015 nuclear deal brokered between the Islamic Republic and several other world powers.

US President Donald Trump last year unilaterally pulled out of the agreement, which curbs Irans nuclear programme in exchange for sanctions relief, and reimposed punitive measures, suggesting Iran was a destabilising actor in the Middle East.





Since then, Trumps administration has steadily ratcheted up pressure on Tehran: blacklisting Irans Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist group, moving to reduce Iranian oil exports to zero and sending a US aircraft carrier and B-52 bombers to the Gulf in response to an unspecified threat.

On Wednesday, in the latest escalation, the US announced it would pull all non-essential staff out of Iraq, which neighbours Iran, citing undisclosed credible and possibly imminent threats.

The moves have added to growing fears that the long-time rivals could be on course for conflict despite both sides publicly stressing they have no desire for war.

Act of suicide

Amid the ongoing tensions, White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said on Thursday that Washington would continue its maximum pressure campaign on Iran, adding the US would like to see behavioural change from the Islamic Republics leadership.

Sanders also refused to respond to reports suggesting the White House has contacted Swiss officials in a bid to try and establish a communications channel with Tehran. Switzerland represents the US diplomatically in Iran, where the US has no embassy.

Instead, she said Trump was ready to respond to any show of aggression by Iran, adding: If they take action, theyre not going to like what he does in response.

Iran, too, has asserted its right to defend itself, with Zarif on Thursday describing the US pressure campaign as an act of suicide.

Trump, for his part, told reporters at the White House on Thursday prior to holding talks with Swiss President Ueli Maure that he hoped the US was not headed for conflict with Iran.

Asked if Washington was going to war with Tehran, Trump replied: I hope not.

Opponents of the US president have argued that hardliners within his administration led by National Security Advisor John Bolton, a ferocious critic of Irans leadership, are pushing the country towards war.

Surgical strikes





World powers have rushed to urge calm over the tensions, while several US allies have expressed skepticism over Washingtons alarm bells.

Qatars Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani met with his Iranian counterpart in recent days in Tehran in a bid to defuse the situation, a highly-placed source familiar with details of the trip told Al Jazeera on Wednesday.

Elsewhere in the region, a Saudi Arabian state-aligned newspaper on Thursday called for surgical US strikes in retaliation to alleged threats from Iran, the kingdoms regional archrival.

The Arab News published an editorial which argued that attacks earlier this week against Saudi energy targets, claimed by Iranian-backed Houthi rebels operating in neighbouring Yemen, meant the next logical step for the US should be surgical strikes, without elaborating on what specific targets should be struck.

The editorial added that it was clear US sanctions were not sending the right message to the Islamic Republic, adding: They must be hit hard.
Al Jazeera talks to Kenyans who say they were duped into fighting for the armed group al-Shabab.

Human rights campaigners say hundreds of Kenyans willingly joined al-Shabab as fighters, porters and wives or were duped into doing so.

This was after Kenyan troops went to Somalia in 2013 to fight the armed group as part of an African Union force alongside Somali security forces.

Since then, al-Shabab has carried out a series of attacks, including the one on a hotel and office complex in Nairobi, Kenya, in January, killing 21 people.

Al Jazeera spoke to other Kenyans who returned from Somalia and say they were forcefully recruited and used as front-line fighters and sex slaves.

Al Jazeeras Catherine Soi reports from the coastal town of Malindi, Kenya.
At US committee hearing, Hatice Cengiz laments lack of truth, justice or accountability over Saudi writers killing.

Washington, DC  Hatice Cengiz, the fiancee of murdered Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, appeared before a US House of Representatives panel on Thursday to share her love for her fiance and call for a US-sponsored international investigation into his killing.

But US legislators, while sympathetic to her cause, have been unable to offer concrete assurances that the United States will pursue an investigation into the grisly murder.

All members of Congress that we have spoken with so far tell us about their regrets, but if you are asking for a clear answer, there has been no clear confirmation that there will be an investigation, Cengiz told Al Jazeera through a translator after the hearing.

It has been more than six months since this horrible event, but there has been no truth, justice or accountability for those responsible for this terrible incident, to this stain on human rights and press freedom, Cengiz earlier told a House Foreign Affairs Committee subcommittee on human rights.

In passionate and heart-wrenching testimony, Cengiz described Khashoggis final moments after the two arrived at the Saudi Arabian consulate in Istanbul to pick up marriage papers on October 2, 2018. While Khashoggi was killed and dismembered by a Saudi assassination team inside, Cengiz waited outside for her future husband who never emerged.

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As I hoped for good news from him that our marriage papers were in order, as I eagerly awaited the happy surprise of seeing him again, no such things ever happened, Cengiz, a Turkish national, said in written testimony.

Saudi killers

Saudi officials initially denied Khashoggis killing at the consulate, saying he had left the premises.

But Turkish authorities released security video showing the arrival and departure of Saudi killers dispatched from Riyadh. Turkish surveillance audio, which was shared with US officials, captured the screaming, choking moments of Khashoggis death.

Khashoggi and Cengiz met at a conference in May 2018 and began a relationship. Khashoggi, a journalist who wrote critically about politics in Saudi Arabia, had been banned from publishing at home. He fled to the US, was divorced from his Saudi wife as a result, but regained his journalistic voice as a columnist for the Washington Post.

Jamal was uncomfortable with the changing political atmosphere in his country that began in 2017, Cengiz told members of Congress. He was disturbed by the uncontrolled exercise of power in Saudi Arabia, its violations of human rights, arbitrary arrests and detentions of scholars and writers, an unprecedented violation to peoples basic freedoms.

Cannot make sense of this

Saudi Arabia has acknowledged it was responsible for Khashoggis killing but has attempted to blame rogue security agents. The Saudi government announced legal proceedings against a number of individuals involved in the assassination, although those proceedings have not been transparent.





The kingdom has denied any involvement of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. US intelligence assessments concluded the prince ordered Khashoggis murder. The US Senate has passed a resolution holding him responsible.

US President Donald Trump and members of his administration have declined to assign blame to Crown Prince Mohammed and instead emphasised the importance of the USs strategic relationship with Saudi Arabia in the Middle East.

I simply cannot make human sense of this, Cengiz said, speaking to legislators through a translator. I simply cannot understand why the world has done nothing about this.

In the early days, President Trump said that this would be solved. [House Speaker] Pelosi talked about how unacceptable this was. But so many months later, nothing has been done. That is why I am here, she said.

It wasnt just Jamal that was killed it is also the values that we are talking about here: freedom, of the United States.

The topic of the congressional hearing was the problem of rising dangers for journalists covering human rights worldwide.

More than 250 journalists were imprisoned and 54 killed in 2018, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists.
Jakarta, Indonesia  Malaysias attorney general office has assured Indonesias government that it will appeal a recent court decision to acquit a Malaysian employer after her Indonesian domestic worker died after being physically abused in February 2018.

Ambika MA Shan, 61, was cleared of murder charges over the death 21-year-old Adelina Sau by the Penang High Court on April 22.

The decision was criticised by human rights activists, with migrant worker organisations, the Indonesian government and Saus family pushing for the case to be reopened.

Over the weekend, Muhammad Hanif Dhakiri, Indonesias manpower minister, met Malaysias Attorney General Tommy Thomas as part of an official visit to improve the safety of the hundreds of thousands of Indonesian men and women who work in the neighbouring country.

We will reopen Adelinas murder case, Thomas was quoted as saying in a statement issued by the manpower ministry after the meeting in Malaysias capital, Kuala Lumpur. We will appeal the Penang Island High Court decision.

Acceptance of impunity

Sau died from organ failure a day after being rescued with the assistance of Tenaganita, a migrant workers protection group. Acute malnutrition and untreated infected wounds had caused her organs to fail, while the autopsy report also showed that Sau had a swollen face, acid burns and dog-bite marks at the time of her death.

Tenaganita told Al Jazeera that Sau was too scared to tell the police about her injuries after she was rescued. They believe she had been abused for more than a month by her employers, who made her sleep outside the house with their pet dog, a Rottweiler.

From Adelina Saus case, [we can see that] the criminal justice system is not at all in favour of migrant workers, said Glorene Das, the executive director of Tenaganita. There is now an acceptance of impunity, and with it, we are cultivating violence in our society.

But the news of the appeal was welcomed by Indonesian workers in Malaysia.

I hope after the death of Adelina, the Indonesian government can properly and justly implement the law on Migrant Workers, said Florensia, a domestic worker from West Timor who works in Kuala Lumpur.

The legislation was enacted in 2017 after lengthy debates in the Malaysian Parliament, but migrant workers and protection groups alike say it has had little impact so far due to poor implementation.

Florensia, who has worked in Malaysia for 11 years, said many potential migrant workers were not well-informed about risks such as abuse, exploitation and salaries that are not paid. She said she often warned others before they made similar moves abroad.

If their motivation is to earn lots of money, I suggest they think again, Florensia, who did not want her share her surname, told Al Jazeera. Not all of what they hear is true.





History of exploitation

Women working as domestic helpers in Malaysia are often isolated and confined simply by the nature of their work.

Many of those we rescue are not given mobile phones, theyre not given days off,Tenaganitas Das said. Coupled with the lack of information from recruitment agencies, this often leaves migrant workers in the dark. Only a minority are aware of services, she said.

Even if they do know how to seek help, many migrant workers are reluctant to do so, fearing arrest by the police due to their employers holding onto their documents or being blamed by their embassy for running away.

I do worry about the lack of justice, Florensia, the migrant worker, said. Im just an average person working as a domestic assistant here. I hope the Indonesian government doesnt close its eyes when things like this happen so that it wont happen to others in the future.

Malaysian human rights activist Katrina Jorene Maliamauv told Al Jazeera that she was not surprised at the courts decision last month.

The acquittal of Adelinas employers is particularly egregious, but it also fits within Malaysias long history of exploiting migrants, violating their rights and systematically denying them access to justice, Maliamauv said.

She added that even when cases brought by migrant workers were successful in court, the most they could hope is to receive a portion of their unpaid wages and being able to return to their home country without being detained.

Malaysias ministries of home affairs and human resources did not respond to Al Jazeeras request for comment.





Around 250,000 foreign women work as domestic helpers in Malaysia, mostly from Indonesia and the Philippines, making the trip overseas because wages are better than at home. Of the 217 Indonesian migrant workers who died in 2017, 69 of them (32 percent) died in Malaysia, according to statistics from the Indonesian Migrant Workers Agency.

Recruitment agents tell these women how working abroad is like heaven, Anis Hidayah, the cofounder of the Jakarta-based Migrant Care, told Al Jazeera.

A domestic workers salary in Malaysia can easily be two to three times than that of Indonesias, but many are not paid. Saus family claims that the 21-year-old herself was not paid for the two years she worked in Penang.

Sadly, cases like Adelina Saus do not actually have much impact on potential migrant workers, Hidayah said. This is because there are simply not enough job opportunities for people, particularly women, in their hometowns and villages. They are willing to face the risks working overseas.

Overseas remittances represent an important part of Indonesias economy, comprising around one percent of the countrys total gross domestic product. Indonesians working in Malaysia contribute almost 20 percent of the $10m sent back to Indonesia every year.

For poorer provinces such as East Nusa Tenggara, where Sau was from, remittances make up a vital part of the local economy. So much so that even migrant workers rights activists believe moratoriums are not the best solution, as they only encourage undocumented migration and human trafficking. Sau herself entered Malaysia through unofficial channels in 2015.

Hidayah said that the Indonesian government had made major efforts to improve legal assistance for workers. Lawyers are accessible at embassies and consulates, and also provide assistance during court hearings. However, there are simply not enough lawyers to assist all those requiring help.

The Indonesian governments efforts to protect migrant workers before they depart are unfortunately sporadic, Hidayah said. Predeparture training is mostly focused on building work and language skills, rather than empowering on what they can do if they face problems  such as sexual violence or human trafficking.

Solutions lie not just in better training but also providing alternative sources of work, activists said. Multi-stakeholder programmes such as DESBUMI  an Indonesian acronym for Villages Caring for Migrant Workers  involve both NGOs and the Ministry for Villages to develop local economic potential in sectors such as agriculture and handicraft. Some villages have also introduced village-based laws that act as a basis for legal advocacy and the empowering of migrant workers.

Without significant changes to rural economies, many workers will continue to depart from Indonesia to work overseas every year. For many, there are no other options.
Ambush on troops took place on Tuesday near Tongo Tongo, close to the Niger-Mali border in the restive Sahel region.

The death toll from Tuesdays ambush on Nigerien troops near the border with Mali has risen to 28, an army spokesman and security sources have said, as ISIL claimed responsibility for the attack.

The bodies of 11 soldiers who had previously been reported missing were discovered on Wednesday, security sources told AFP news agency.

We have confirmation that the dead bodies of the eleven missing soldiers have been found, bringing the death toll to 28, a source told AFP on Wednesday.

An army spokesman on Thursday confirmed the toll has risen to 28, Reuters news agency reported.

Later on Thursday, Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) claimed responsibility for the attack vie its propaganda media outlet, without providing evidence.

The attack on the military patrol took place near the town of Tongo Tongo, in the western Tillaberi region of Niger.

According to the local news website Actuniger, a patrol of 52 Nigerien soldiers came across a group of heavily armed men at Baley Beri, which resulted in a two-hour long fight.

It said that 22 soldiers returned to their base at Ouallam in three vehicles, citing local and security sources.

The attack took place in the same region where where fighters from an ISIS affiliate killed four US special troops and as many Nigerien soldiers in an ambush in October 2017.

Armed groups, including affiliates of al-Qaeda and ISIL, have stepped up attacks on military and civilian targets across West Africas Sahel region this year.

The border areas, where Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali meet, are especially dangerous and violence is worsening across the region.

Attackers killed at least 10 in apparently sectarian attacks on churches in neighbouring Burkina Faso this week.

Niger also faces a threat in its southeast from Boko Haram and a splinter group affiliated with ISIL, which are both based in Nigeria but frequently carry out attacks in Niger, Chad and Cameroon.

UNSC discusses Sahel violence

Later on Thursday, representatives from Sahel countries including Niger, Mali, Chad, Burkina Faso, Mauritania were briefing The United Nations Security Council on security in the region.

Reporting from the United Nations, Al Jazeeras James Bays said ambassadors would likely be shocked by the scale of the growing security challenges in the Sahel.

Were talking about instability and violence spreading across an entire region, he said. There are countries in this region that used to pretty peaceful a few years ago and they are seeing a great deal of violence.

Burkina Faso is one of those countries where there have been attacks recently on churches and Christians and attacks in recent years that have been getting worse and worse, he said.

Just last week there was a French special forces operation to free four foreign hostages that were being held in Burkina Faso.
Move comes after deadline set for Canada to take back tonnes of rotting rubbish mistakenly shipped to Manila expired.

The Philippines has recalled its ambassador and consuls from Canada in an escalation of a festering diplomatic row over tonnes of rubbish shipped to the Southeast Asian nation.

Ties have been deteriorating since a Canadian company sent about 100 shipping containers that included rotting rubbish wrongly labelled as recyclable to Philippine ports in 2013 and 2014.

Manila set a May 15 deadline for Canada to take it back after President Rodrigo Duterte criticised Ottawa over the issue last month.

Canada has since said it is working to arrange for the containers return, but has not said when exactly that might happen.

On Thursday, Philippine Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin said letters recalling the ambassador and consuls to Canada have been sent and the diplomats would be in Manila in a day or so.

Canada missed the May 15 deadline. And we shall maintain a diminished diplomatic presence in Canada until its garbage is ship-bound there, Locsin wrote on Twitter.

Lets fight Canada

During a speech in April, Duterte threatened to unilaterally ship the rubbish back to Canada, saying: Lets fight Canada. I will declare war against them.

Duterte frequently uses coarse language and hyperbole in speeches about opponents.





Following the comments, Canada offered to repatriate the waste and the Philippines said Ottawa would shoulder the expense of disposal.

Last week, Manilas bureau of customs said the Philippines was ready to send back the waste but Canada needed several more weeks to prepare documentation.

About 69 shipping containers of rubbish remain after 34 others have already been disposed of in the Philippines, the finance ministry said.

The ties between the two nations were already tested after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau questioned Dutertes deadly drug crackdown, which has seen police kill thousands of alleged addicts and pushers since 2016.

Last year, Duterte cancelled the Philippine militarys $235m contract to buy 16 military helicopters from a Canada-based manufacturer after Ottawa put the deal under review because of the presidents human rights record.
At least six civilians killed and dozens wounded as coalition jets strike residential areas in the capital.

At least six civilians, including women and children, were killed and dozens wounded in Saudi-UAE-led coalition air raids on residential areas and Houthi rebel military targets in Yemens capital, Sanaa.

The coalition carried out 11 attacks on the capital in all, out of a total of 19 across rebel-held territory on Thursday, the Houthi-run Masirah TV channel reported. It blamed aircraft of the [Saudi-led] aggression.

The air strikes came two days after the Iran-aligned rebels claimed drone attacks that temporarily shut a key oil pipeline in neighbouring Saudi Arabia.

Rubble filled a populated street lined by mud-brick houses, a Reuters journalist on the scene said. A crowd of men lifted the body of a women, wrapped in a white shroud, into an ambulance.





Saudi-owned broadcaster Al Arabiya quoted a coalition statement as saying it launched an operation aimed at neutralising the ability of the Houthi militia to carry out acts of aggression.

The sorties achieved its goals with full precision, it said, adding civilians had been warned to avoid those targets.

Deliberate bombardment

Masirah quoted the Houthi health ministry as saying six civilians, including four children, had been killed and 52 wounded, including two Russian women working in the health sector.

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A witness told AFP news agency that raids began around 8am (05:00 GMT).

Afrah Nasser, a Yemeni journalist, said her familys home in Sanaa was near where one air strike hit. She accused the Saudi-UAE alliance of deliberately targeting civilians.

I know the street. There are no military targets there. There is no excuse from the Saudi-led coalition  it was a deliberate and systematic bombardment attacking civilians, Nasser told Al Jazeera.

Nasser Arrabyee, another Yemeni journalist, said the number of casualties was expected to rise.

Medical sources are saying that they have received a lot of victims  injured and dead  which means the number will be even higher than just six, he told Al Jazeera from Sanaa.

Residential areas in the middle of Sanaa, in the most crowded areas, were randomly bombed and many houses were reduced to the ground.

Calls for retaliation

On Tuesday, the Houthi rebels claimed responsibility for twin drone attacks on Saudi Arabias main East-West oil pipeline, saying they were a response to crimes committed by Riyadh during the bloody air war it has led in Yemen since March 2015.

Saudi Arabias deputy defence minister accused Iran on Thursday of ordering the drone attacks on two Aramco pumping stations as a tool to implement its expansionist agenda in the region.

The terrorist acts, ordered by the regime in Tehran, and carried out by the Houthis, are tightening the noose around the ongoing political efforts, Prince Khalid bin Salman said on Twitter.





The head of the Houthis Supreme Revolutionary Committee denied that Iran directed the strike and said the movement manufactures its drones locally. Tehran also denies providing arms to the Houthis.

We are not agents for anyone, Mohammed Ali al-Houthi said. We make decisions independently and do not take orders for drones or anything else.

Oil tensions

The Saudi pipeline, which can carry five million barrels of crude per day, provides a strategic alternative route for Saudi exports if the shipping lane from the Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz is closed.

Iran has repeatedly threatened to close the vital conduit for global oil supplies in the case of a military confrontation with the United States.

The Saudi cabinet called on Wednesday for confronting terrorist entities which carry out such sabotage acts, including the Iran-backed Houthi militias in Yemen.

Key ally the United Arab Emirates (UAE) echoed the call.

We will retaliate and we will retaliate hard when we see Houthis hitting civilian targets like what happened in Saudi Arabia, the UAE minister of state for foreign affairs, Anwar Gargash, said on Wednesday.
Josu Ternera, who is accused of taking part in 1987 attack by Basque separatist group, is held in Haute Savoie region.

Josu Ternera, a former leader of the Basque separatist group ETA  accused by Spanish authorities of taking part in a 1987 attack that killed 11 people, has been arrested in France, according to Spains Ministry of the Interior.

Ternera, whose birth name is Jose Antonio Urrutikoetxea Bengoetxea, was arrested in the early hours of the morning today in Sallanches in the French Alps after more than 16 years on the run, the ministry said in a statement on Thursday.

In 2002, Spains Supreme Court had issued an international arrest warrant against Ternera, linking him to an attack on police barracks in the northern city of Zaragoza in 1987 which left 11 people dead.

Hugely influential within the group, Ternera, who is believed to be seriously ill, recorded the final declaration announcing the separatist group had completely dissolved in May 2018.

Before that, he had taken part in negotiations with Spains Socialist government and was shunted aside in 2006 after the talks failed as more hardline elements took control.

ETA killed more than 800 people in more than four decades of violence for an independent Basque state.
Government minister says Buddhist extremists are behind the anti-Muslim attacks this week, following the Easter Sunday attacks.

Sri Lankas government has said the country is now peaceful enough that it can lift nationwide evening curfews that have been in effect since Monday.

The curfews were imposed after gangs attacked mosques and Muslim businesses.

The government said hardline Buddhist groups are under investigation over the attacks.

Al Jazeeras Bernard Smith reports from Negombo in northern Sri Lanka.
The armed groups attack in Shamulzayi district of Zabul province also leaves at least four soldiers wounded.

A Taliban attack on two military checkpoints has left 10 Afghan army members dead in southern Zabul province, officials said.

The attack in the Shamulzayi district of the province also wounded at least four soldiers, provincial council member Dur Mohammad Qiam said on Thursday.

Another councillor, Asadullah Kakar, while confirming the details, added that Afghan security forces have technically retreated from the checkpoints in the district.

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According to officials, the Taliban control a vast part of the province, with the government trying to retake lost areas. The group controls or influences more territory than ever since its removal by US-led troops following the September 11, 2001 attacks.

Despite the ongoing talks between the United States and the Taliban for a political solution, the armed group has also been launching deadly attacks on US and Afghan security personnel.

Earlier this month, US envoy for peace, Zalmay Khalilzad, said on Twitter that he told the Taliban: It is time to put down arms, stop the violence and embrace peace.

The Taliban responded by saying Khalilzad should drive the idea home [to the US] about ending the use of force and incurring further human and financial losses.

The US has about 14,000 troops in Afghanistan as part of a NATO-led mission, known as Resolute Support, that trains and assists Afghan security forces in their battle against the Taliban and other groups.
State officials in Texas and Louisiana have launched multiple probes into the Cenikor Foundation following an investigation that found the prominent drug rehabilitation centre turned patients into an unpaid labour force for private companies.

Reveal from The Center for Investigative Reporting found the nonprofit sent thousands of patients to work without pay at hundreds of for-profit companies over the years  including Exxon, Shell and Walmart  in likely violation of federal labour law, according to former federal labour officials.

Louisiana Attorney General Jeffrey Landry is investigating Cenikor for possible Medicaid fraud. The programme receives Medicaid funding and has received millions of dollars in state contracts for behavioural health services. A spokesman declined to comment on the investigation but said, If theres evidence of a crime that involves Medicaid, thats something our office takes a strong interest in.

In addition to government investigations, former patients are suing the programme for back wages in four separate lawsuits, and two of Cenikors biggest work contracts have stopped using workers from the programme.

Louisiana State University has stopped staffing school cafeterias with Cenikor workers. A spokeswoman for Chartwells Higher Education Dining Services, the subcontractor that hired Cenikor, said the company requires vendors such as Cenikor to follow all federal, state and local labour laws.

Brand Industrial Services, which previously dispatched Cenikor patients to work at oil refineries and chemical plants, also has stopped using workers from the programme.

It is our expectation that our suppliers comply with all applicable laws and regulations, said spokeswoman Karla Cuculi. We are currently evaluating the use of Cenikor as a temporary labour source.

Alleged exploitation, abuse

The investigation found a host of problems at the lauded rehab centre. Former staff said participants often worked such long hours that they rarely received the counselling they needed. Under pressure from Cenikor leadership, some staff said they falsified paperwork to make it appear as though clients got more counselling than actually took place.

In addition to long work days, many also frequently worked in unsafe conditions and were injured on the job. More than two dozen Cenikor patients have been seriously hurt at work, including one injury that resulted in a patients death.

Courts across Texas and Louisiana send defendants to Cenikor for drug treatment, often as an alternative to imprisonment. Some former patients have defended the programme, saying it helped them and was better than being homeless or jailed.

But this month, dozens of former participants joined lawsuits against Cenikor and came forward with allegations of exploitation and abuse. Last week, a former participant added a new wrinkle in a fourth lawsuit, accusing Cenikor staff of benefiting from unlawful kickbacks.

The lawsuit, filed by former participant John Potter, alleged the wages earned by rehab participants went to the salaries of Cenikor staff.

It was just a work camp to get out of jail. No recovery at all, Potter said in an interview. He said he first enrolled in Cenikors Baton Rouge, Louisiana, programme when he was homeless and addicted to pain pills. Its a big scam of a place.

In a statement, Cenikor said it follows state regulations. The programme declined to comment on the business contracts, investigations or lawsuits.

As a matter of policy and regulation, we are prevented from speaking on behalf [of] partners, regulators, or on human resources matters, the statement reads. However, we fully cooperate with, and in many instances, go beyond regulatory compliance requirements.

Very disturbing

In Texas, the Health and Human Services Commission is investigating allegations of abuse, neglect and exploitation at Cenikor, as well as worker injuries. Representative Garnet Coleman said he also is asking the commission to investigate whether Cenikor violated its contracts with the state, which have earned the programme more than $26m since 2009, according to public records.

The facts that youve presented are very disturbing. Its not right, Coleman said. We need credible substance abuse treatment centres. And we need them badly.

At the Texas Workforce Commission, spokeswoman Lisa Givens urged unpaid workers to file claims for wages. The TWC encourages any Texas worker who feels they have not been paid for work that theyve done to contact us so that we can offer assistance, Givens said.

The Louisiana Workforce Commission, which enforces labour law in the state, is conducting a full investigation into this matter, a spokesman said.

Both agencies have asked the US Department of Labor to investigate whether Cenikor is violating federal law.

A spokeswoman for Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards, who recently accepted an award from Cenikor for elected official of the year, said the governor is concerned about any allegations of mistreatment of those seeking help.

Edwards said he was confident the Department of Health would investigate any complaints.

Comprehensive investigation

But as many state agencies launch what will likely become lengthy probes into Cenikor, the Department of Health already swiftly cleared Cenikor.

The department regulates drug rehab centres in the state and can issue fines and revoke the licences of treatment providers that are abusive, exploitative, or do not follow licensing requirements, such as reporting injuries. Its the one agency assigned to ensure the safety of people struggling with addiction who seek out help.

After spending two days at Cenikor, the department closed its investigation and gave Cenikor permission to continue providing treatment services.

Records released Monday show department investigators found Cenikor failed to conduct background checks on certain staff and that the kitchen was physically unsafe for residents.

A department spokesman said two nurses were assigned to conduct the two-day investigation, which involved reviewing records and interviewing participants and staff at Cenikors facility.

After this comprehensive investigation that not only reviewed the appropriate licensing standards, but also issues that you brought to our attention, we cited the facility for all deficiencies that we could verify. You now have that report, said spokesman Robert Johannessen.

In response to questions following the report, the governors office said it directed the health department to work with the Workforce Commission and other government agencies to look further into the allegations that have been raised.

Amy Julia Harris contributed to this report

Follow Shoshana Walter on Twitter: @shoeshine
Ottawa demands immediate release of the men after China formally arrests suspects on state secrets charges.

Canada has demanded that China promptly release two of its nationals who have been formally arrested following months of detention on national security grounds, as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called the arrests unacceptable.

Canadians Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig were detained separately on December 10, shortly after Canada arrested Meng Wanzhou, a top executive of Chinese telecom giant Huawei, who faces extradition to the United States, having been accused of violating Iran sanctions.

The Chinese government is not following the same kind of rules that the large majority of democracies follow, Trudeau told a news conference in Paris on Thursday.

We will continue to defend these Canadians and we will continue to say clearly to China that its actions are unacceptable, he said, referring to Kovrig, a former diplomat and Spavor, a businessman.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang said earlier on Thursday that Kovrig is suspected of collecting state secrets and intelligence while Spavor is suspected of stealing and illegally offering state secrets abroad.

Lu said the two were arrested recently, but did not provide a date, and added that he had no information about where they were being held.

The Canadians were first accused of activities that endanger Chinas security  a phrase often used by Beijing when alleging espionage.

In March, China accused Kovrig, who works for the International Crisis Group think-tank, and Spavor, who organised trips to North Korea, of involvement in stealing state secrets.

Spying charges could expose them to tough prison sentences.

Canada strongly condemns their arbitrary arrest as we condemned their arbitrary detention on December 10, the Canadian foreign ministry said in a statement on Thursday.

We reiterate our demand that China immediately release Mr Kovrig and Mr Spavor.

Unacceptable conditions

Both men have been denied access to lawyers and allowed only monthly consular visits.

The latest such visit came earlier this week.

No details of the mens detention or health conditions were provided due to Canadian privacy laws, but officials said they would press for further access to both detainees.





Lu said Chinese judicial authorities are handling the cases according to law, and that Spavor and Kovrigs legitimate rights and interests are fully guaranteed.

A group of Canadian parliamentarians had earlier complained to Chinese officials that the two have been denied access to lawyers, and remain in completely unacceptable detention conditions.

Meng has been allowed to live in her Vancouver mansion, although her mobility is limited. She made her latest court appearance last week as she fights extradition  a process that could take months or even years.

She has been ordered to wear an electronic anklet and hand over her passports after being released on bail in mid-December on a $7.5m bond.

Two other Canadians convicted of drug trafficking, meanwhile, have been sentenced to death in China. Canada has called the death penalties for Fen Wei and Robert Lloyd Schellenberg cruel and inhumane and has asked for clemency on their behalf.
White House says talks to focus on the Norths denuclearisation but Seouls statement refers to the Korean Peninsula.

United States President Donald Trump will travel to South Korea next month for talks on the North Korean nuclear programme, the White House has said, in a visit that will take place months after a failed summit with North Koreas leader in Vietnam.

The White House said in a statement on Wednesday that Trump would meet South Korean President Moon Jae-in in conjunction with his trip to Japan to attend a G20 summit in Osaka on June 28-29.

President Trump and President Moon will continue their close coordination on efforts to achieve the final, fully verified denuclearisation of the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea, the statement said, using North Koreas official name.

It will be the second meeting between Trump and Moon since the collapse of Trumps summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Hanoi in February after they failed to reach a deal on denuclearisation.

Moon, who has long backed engagement with the nuclear-armed North, brokered the talks process between Trump and Kim, which led to their first landmark summit in Singapore last June.





But security allies Seoul and Washington have at times appeared to diverge on their approach to Pyongyang, and South Koreas simultaneous announcement of Trumps upcoming visit was noticeably different in its phrasing.

A statement issued by the Souths presidential office said the two leaders would discuss establishing a lasting peace regime through the complete denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula  rather than the North specifically.

The denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula was the term used in the joint statement signed by Kim and Trump after their summit in Singapore.

But it is a phrase open to wide interpretation, and the process has become bogged down as the two sides disagree over what it means.

In the past, Pyongyang has argued it must include the removal of Washingtons nuclear umbrella over the South and the 28,500 US troops stationed in the country.

When US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo visited the Norths traditional ally Russia this week, Moscows Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told him: The leadership of DPRK expects certain guarantees of security of their country reciprocated by denuclearisation, and that denuclearisation should be expanded over the whole of the Korean Peninsula.





The Hanoi summit between Trump and Kim broke up after the pair failed to agree on what Pyongyang would be willing to give up in exchange for relief from sanctions imposed over its nuclear and missile programmes.

Since then, Moon has tried to salvage diplomacy between Trump and Kim and flew to Washington last month for a brief meeting with the US president.

His attempts have so far proved futile, with Pyongyang raising the pressure earlier this month week by launching short-range missiles in its first such test since November 2017.

North Korea has repeatedly warned that it could take a different approach if Washington did not change its stance on sanctions by the end of this year.

In a move that could further stoke tensions, the US announced the seizure of a North Korean cargo ship for violating international sanctions, which was denounced by Pyongyang as an unlawful and outrageous act.
Kampala, Uganda  Media groups are challenging a decision by the countrys communications regulator to remove dozens of senior journalists from their news management roles over coverage of music star turned politician Bobi Wine, whose real name is Kyagulanyi Ssentamu.

Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) on April 30 directed 13 media organisations to suspend 39 producers, editors and heads of news, and submit all news and live-streamed content aired the day before.

On that day, Honorable Kyagulanyi was arrested, charged and taken to Luzira prison and media houses got those problems because of covering that, said Charles James Ssenkubuge, one of the journalists suspended by the directive.

He is the general manager of Salt Media in Kampala and until May 1 was also its head of programmes. Initially, he was suspended from work for a week but following a meeting between broadcasting executives and UCC, he was recalled as general manager but not as head of programmes.

The UCC said the 39 journalists have to step aside for 30 days as it investigates them for a possible breach of broadcasting standards. But its critics say the directive is only the latest in a pattern of using its regulatory powers in political service to President Yoweri Musevenis 33-year-old regime.





This isnt the first time. There are so many journalists and stations that are regularly under threat from these directives that arent even always written, said Peter Mwesige, a media scholar and executive director of the African Centre for Media Excellence in Kampala.

They have become quite clever at leaving no tracks. You just see your licence not renewed or know your station was switched off-air at a particular time.

Media laws

On Thursday in Kampala, the high court heard arguments from the Uganda Journalists Association and two private lawyers who are seeking to halt the suspension or re-assignment of the journalists targeted by the latest directive.

Coming at a time when the countrys political temperature is heating up ahead of national elections in 2021, when both Bobi Wine and President Museveni are expected to run for the presidency, the court battles throw the countrys media laws and regulatory framework into the spotlight.

Ugandas constitution guarantees the right to free expression shall include freedom of the press and other media, but its media laws are often criticised as favouring control of media platforms.

Peter Arinaitwe, lawyer for the Uganda Journalists Association, addresses journalists [Lydia Namubiru/Al Jazeera]

One thing that I think people have discovered as a result of what has just happened is the amount of power given to the communications regulator, UCC spokesperson Ibrahim Bbossa told Al Jazeera on Wednesday.

The president of the Uganda Law Society confirmed that the regulator has a lot of powers and that, perhaps, these powers need to be adjusted or reduced. It is a fact that the law gives us a lot of powers, he admitted.

He argued, however, authorities need these powers to regulate the industry effectively.

But some media members do not agree.

Unless something is done right now, if we leave things as they are, it is going to get even more difficult when we go into elections, Ssenkubuge said. He is not involved in the court cases but said he is watching keenly.

Balanced account





After he received the directive suspending him and two colleagues from work, Ssenkubuge went to the UCC office with a letter stating his station had not run any livestreams on the day in question, and aired a balanced account of events in the news bulletin.

In a meeting with the commissions head of multimedia regulation, he said he was told that delivering his protest letter would trigger the commissions next step: switching the station off-air, for non-compliance with the directive.

I was forced to withdraw that letter, Ssenkubuge said.

Similarly, a week after the directive was issued, the National Association of Broadcasters sought a meeting with the UCC. Daniel Kalinaki, an executive who attended, later wrote in his weekly column that despite a lengthy and, at one point rather heated debate, the meeting only achieved semantics: the journalists would not be suspended, but would only be asked to step aside to allow investigations to continue.

Still, activists such as Mwesige say media groups and journalists are not being aggressive enough in resisting the restrictions.

The media owners are complicit in this state of affairs. They didnt challenge the authority of UCC in suggesting suspensions for their staff. Instead, they sought to find some sort of common ground. As soon as you start such negotiations, you are on a slippery road to hell, Mwesige said.
In an interview to tagesthemen, Guido Steinberg, one of Germany's leading experts on terrorism and the Middle East, gave an assessment of the current developments in the US-Iran conflict. According to Steinberg, the growing US military presence does not constitute a threat towards Iran, as there has been a constant fluctuating presence of US aircraft carrier groups in the Persian Gulf. Still, he says there is a serious risk of war, if Iran should follow through its own threats of restarting the enrichment of high-level uranium.

"I do not think that the danger of an uncontrolled confrontation in the Persian Gulf is that serious at the moment. There has always been an American aircraft carrier in the region. Much more dangerous is the decision of the Iranian leadership, which it already outlined last week, to restart the uranium enrichment process to a degree that could possibly be perceived as a threat by the US and Israel after a period of 60 days. If this comes true, I believe an armed confrontation before the US presidential election next year is very likely."

The expert does not believe that the recent attacks on oil tankers in the Persian Gulf could start an escalation spiral, as, even if the perpetrators have been Iranians, the attacks were not aimed at American targets but on Saudi Arabian and UAE cargo ships.

"If this attack was conducted by the Iranians than this has been a smart move, as they decided not to directly target the Americans or provoke American ships. It is in the interest of Iran to prove that it possesses the capability to act against the US sanctions of the recent months but this show of force has been directed against Saudi Arabia and the UAE. To attack the Americans directly on the other hand would have likely triggered an uncontrolled escalation."

Asked if the long-term strategy of Washington was aimed at regime change, Steinberg replied that he believes that the US will maintain maximum pressure on Iran until Tehran either agrees to enter negotiations under Washington's terms or until the regime crumbles under the pressure. Yet, he does not believe that either of the two will come true. He predicts an even tougher line against Iran in order to achieve successes before next years presidential elections.

Steinberg is skeptical about the leverage of the Europeans. "In my opinion, the European foreign policy does not really have any significant impact on the Iran issue anymore. It has been influential at times when the Europeans were able to act as mediators and brought the Americans to the negotiating table, which enabled the agreement in the first place. With the current differences between the US and Europe, the Europeans seem relatively powerless. The Iran issue now plays out between Washington, Tehran, Israel and Saudi Arabia. Brussels has no role to play anymore."
Penny Mordaunt wants her proposed amnesty to cover soldiers who served in Northern Ireland.

Glasgow, United Kingdom  UK Defence Secretary Penny Mordaunt has said she favours extending her proposed amnesty to cover British troops who served in Northern Ireland.

Mordaunt on Wednesday announced plans to curb the prosecution of soldiers accused of crimes in warzones.

The plans include an exemption for cases in Northern Ireland, but would still constitute a significant legal and practical hurdle for victims of state violence, analysts have noted.

But Mordaunt backtracked on this exemption at the policys launch event, saying that she personally favoured an amnesty even in Northern Ireland.

The proposals follow months of public pressure from senior and backbench Conservative politicians and would prevent action against individual soldiers in all but exceptional circumstances more than 10 years after the alleged offence or the end of campaign operations.

Conservative challenges

High-profile cases in Iraq, Afghanistan and Northern Ireland have focused right-wing politicians anger in the UK at what is perceived to be unnecessary harassment of troops.

In 2017, the Iraq Historical Investigations Team was shut down, and its functions absorbed by the Service Prosecuting Authority. Some cases brought by one firm had been found to be fabricated, which led to the whole investigation of some 3,400 Iraq cases being sent back to military court on the basis that the IHAT had been misused by ambulance chasing lawyers.

IHATs work was, however, complicated by sustained attacks on its work by British politicians, as well as attacks on Iraqs security infrastructure, human rights activists said. In 2011, the year the UK officially ended conflict operations, Human Rights Watch criticised a lack of political will and institutional capacity to investigate or prosecute alleged crimes, of which there were many thousands.

Richard Benyon MP served with the Royal Green Jackets regiment during the Northern Ireland conflict known as The Troubles. In November 2017, he proposed a bill that would outlaw any prosecution of military personnel more than 10 years after conflicts anywhere in the world  specifically in cases of alleged murder or attempted murder.

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Benyon told Al Jazeera Mordaunts plans were welcome as a start.

Northern Irish cases are still a big issue, he told Al Jazeera.

But the plans are not universally welcomed. Sinn Feins Victims and Legacy spokesperson Linda Dillon said amnesty should not be tolerable anywhere.

These measures give an indication of the British governments attitude towards justice and the criminality and murder carried out by their forces and proxies, she said in a statement.

There is widespread expectation that there will be a Conservative leadership election in the coming months, and Mordaunts amnesty plans were announced less than two weeks into her time as defence secretary.

Her predecessor, Gavin Williamson, wrote last year to Theresa May urging action  but was rebuffed.

Since then, Karen Bradley, the Northern Ireland secretary, told the Commons that killings committed by British forces in Northern Ireland were not crimes.

While she later recanted her statement, the sentiment that former soldiers are being hounded escalated in March with the decision to prosecute one soldier for the killing of two people in Londonderry on January 30, 1972  a day known as Bloody Sunday, which saw 13 people at a civil rights march shot dead by British troops. A 14th victim later died in hospital. There was insufficient evidence to charge 16 other soldiers among those on the scene that day, prosecutors said.

Investigations

Independently investigating war crimes anywhere is inherently complicated by the power held by the military and the chaos that accompanies conflict.

In Iraqi cases, for example, the prospect of securing justice is more remote, with investigators struggling to ensure their own safety, let alone conduct investigations into historic allegations involving an occupying military force.

Under Mordaunts proposals, such investigations may still be dismissed. Only under exceptional circumstances, such as the emergence of new evidence, would prosecutions be sought following allegations of crimes committed more than 10 years earlier. It remains unclear which authority  the Public Prosecution Service, the home secretary, the attorney general, the High Court, or another judicial body  would rule whether any such circumstances had become exceptional enough to warrant prosecution.

In Ireland, it took four decades of legal wrangling by victims families to see the costliest and longest public inquiry in UK legal history, the 2010 Saville report, find that their relatives  all civilians  were killed without any justification on Bloody Sunday and that soldiers had consistently lied about their actions that day.

None of the casualties was posing a threat of causing death or serious injury, or indeed was doing anything else that could on any view justify their shooting, the report stated, 38 years after the killings.

Rachel Logan, Amnesty International UKs legal programme director, said Mordaunts proposals set a dangerous precedent.

British soldiers who break the law must face it, just like everyone else, she told the Press Association.

Naturally, individuals should be presumed innocent and only charged with criminal offences in the exceptional circumstance that the thresholds for prosecution are met  that is already the law.

But trying to go further and exempt a certain group of people from facing justice would be a perversion of that law.
The US has targeted one of Chinas most successful companies, leaving executives at other firms wondering who is next.

China has vowed to defend its companies after a US government decision to place Huawei and 70 of its affiliates, on a trade blacklist, calling it unreasonable.

Washington has argued equipment produced by the Chinese company could be used to spy on the US.

Huawei has repeatedly denied the allegations and said that the US decision will not improve safety or security in the US and will only harm US consumers and companies.

Al Jazeeras Adrian Brown reports from a tech trade show in Tianjin.
Army says it also confiscated firearms and improvised explosive devices from fighters in the restive peninsula.

Forty-seven fighters and five Egyptian soldiers were killed during Egypts ongoing military offensive in the restive Sinai Peninsula, where it is fighting the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL or ISIS) group.

The fighters had guns of different makes, ammunition, explosive devices in northern and central Sinai in their possession, according to a video statement posted on Thursday on the armed forces social media accounts.

One of the Egyptian troops killed included an officer, it said. As part of the wide-ranging operation to secure Egypts borders, 158 criminal elements were arrested.

The armed forces also neutralised 385 explosive devices targeting security forces. The army did not specify when the deaths and arrests took place, saying only the fighting happened as part of recent efforts against armed groups.

The Sinai Peninsula, in the northeast of the country, is the epicentre of violence spearheaded by ISIL-linked fighters.

In February 2018, the army launched a nationwide operation against armed groups, focusing mainly on the North Sinai region.





Some 650 fighters and about 45 soldiers have been killed since the start of the offensive, according to the armed forces.

No independent statistics are available to verify the death toll and the region is cut off to journalists.

Attacks against security and civilian targets have surged following the 2013 military overthrow of Egypts first democratically elected president Mohamed Morsi, who was replaced by former army general Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.

Sisi has presented himself as a bulwark against terrorism and a rock of political stability in a region in turmoil.
As Uzbekistan opens to the world, its many important religious sites can form the base of a tourism boom. As The Diplomat writes in the article Islamic Tourism Has Great Potential in Uzbekistan, the names of Imam Al-Bukhari, Imam At-Termezi, Imam Al-Maturudi, Baha-ud-din Naqshband Bukhari, Al-Zamakhshari are well-known across the Muslim world, from the area that is now modern Uzbekistan, where they were each born and buried, around Central Asia and beyond. Their mausoleums are now important potential destinations for tourism development in Uzbekistan. Tourism reform, in particular the development of ziyarah (Islamic pilgrimage) tourism, marks a remarkable new approach from the government of Uzbekistan.

Uzbekistan is at the crossroads of Central Asia. It was a major hub on the Great Silk Road, and possesses rich cultural, historical, and natural heritage. At present, as the government makes concerted efforts to open the country to the world, tourism has been identified as strategic sector in need of development.

CrescentRating, a group specializing in Muslim and halal tourism, estimates that by 2026 there will be 230 million halal tourists; the Pew Research Center has estimated that by 2050, nearly 30 percent of the worlds population will be Muslim. Considering the innate Islamic potential of Uzbekistan, pilgrimage tourism development holds great promise for the country.

Uzbekistan is not yet known around the world as a destination for pilgrimage tourism. In a 2017 survey organized by the Center of Business and Tourism Development (CBTD), only 2.2 percent of visitors in the several months long survey period said they wanted to join a pilgrimage when asked what aspects of sightseeing in Uzbekistan they were most interested in. Most of the tourism resources in Uzbekistan are concentrated on historical and cultural destinations, and a majority of respondents in the survey cited historical and cultural interests. These resources can be reoriented in support of the vast potential for pilgrimage tourism.

Crescent Rating ranked Uzbekistan as 29th in the world in its 2017 Global Muslim Travel Index. Uzbekistan fell behind Central Asian neighbors Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan in the rankings (Turkmenistan was not included among the 130 countries on the list).

Since 2017, tourism has become a strategic sector of the national economy, not the least because this sphere promotes the growth of Uzbekistans international prestige. This was underscored by a presidential decree pushing for intensified development of Uzbekistans tourism industry.

Special attention to the halal tourism supply chain began just two years ago and further attention to this aspect is necessary to attract more tourists from Muslim countries. Implementation of a halal certification, training on halal tourism, and building halal hotels are necessary steps toward that end.

The promotion of ziyarah tourism has featured in several bilateral agreements over the past two years between Uzbekistan and other Muslim countries. For example, agreements on the organization of special pilgrimage tours in Uzbekistan have been made with Pakistan and Turkey.

Realizing this particular development of tourism in Uzbekistan will take complicated institutional and legal steps. A draft action plan on the development and implementation of a system of voluntary certification of products and services, including halal, kosher and vegan, was submitted for approval to the Cabinet of Ministers in 2018.

This will require action from not only the State Committee for Tourism Development, but collaboration between the Ministries of Justice, Architecture, and Agriculture, as well as the Committee of Religious Affairs.

To date, the majority of tourists visiting Uzbekistan come from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). Yet the Islamic world possesses enormous economic and investment potential. Working closely with the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) can help increase the flow of tourists from Muslim-majority states. Uzbekistan could expand mutually beneficial trade and investment relations within the framework of the OIC. As the largest Muslim organization, the OIC can focus on further development of Uzbekistans religious tourism potential.

The promotion of specialized tours to important Islamic destinations in Uzbekistan will also help increase the overall flow of tourists. The country possesses unique destinations, especially for followers of the Hanafi school and Sufis. Pilgrimage tourists could see unique places in Samarkand such as Imam Al-Bukharis mausoleum, a Tomb of St. Daniel (St. Daniel has several attributed buried sites across Iraq, Iran, and, yes, Uzbekistan), the Rukhabad Mausoleum (the tomb of Sheikh Burhanuddin Sagardji, the spiritual mentor of Amir Timur), and the Shah-i-Zinda Necropolis. There are already special tours available that visit these destinations and others, as they appeal not only to pilgrims but secular tourists as well.

Uzbekistan has not been a major global tourist destination, although it does not lack picturesque and important historical and religious sites. The countrys long-time lack of a unified tourism policy and strategy are urgent issues that have stymied tourism development. The government of Uzbekistan has made clear its intentions to now focus decisively on the multidirectional development of the countrys tourism sector. More than 50 legal norms (bylaws and laws) have been enacted in the tourism sphere under President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, and more work is underway.

It is high time for Uzbekistan to take its place among the nations of the world for its rich cultural, historical, and religious heritage. The government understands the importance of tourism to economic growth and national prestige and is moving forward decisively with special focus on the Islamic world, and promoting pilgrimage tourism. Whether you are religious or secular, the Great Silk Road beckons.
Congresswoman Rashida Tlaibs characterization of Palestinians welcoming Jewish Holocaust survivors is another window into the mind of the Palestinians, and yet another reason why a negotiated peace between Israelis and Palestinians is illusory.

It is immaterial whether Tlaib believes her faux reconstruction of history. What is important is that it is part of the cultural character that Palestinians bring to the table. They are and will forever be the victims whose generosity toward the Jews went unappreciated.

The inability to see the world through the cultural lens of the other, however distorted, is one of the greatest threats to both diplomacy and the interpretation of political intelligence.

Too often, we in the West project our view of the world onto our adversaries. This phenomenon, in both the intelligence community and the social sciences, is called mirror imaging. It is the mindless belief that all cultures are equal, and all people ultimately want the same thing, which generally means what we in the West want. Our adversaries, despite the divisions of history and culture, want what we want and think as we do.

The most dramatic instance of mirror imaging occurred during the Cold War when the Central Intelligence Agency failed to comprehend that the Soviets were pursuing a first-strike nuclear capability. Influenced by their university training and the group think of the scientific community, CIA analysts working on the National Intelligence Estimate of Soviet strategic objectives and intentions, the famous NIE 11-3/8, brought with them the rational model of their education. Nuclear weapons were there for deterrence in a strategic equilibrium known as mutually assured destruction (MAD).

Although the evaluation of capabilities is based on data and should be removed from intentions, it is the nature of people to be incapable of disengaging the two. If we believed that a nuclear first strike was totally beyond the motivations of the Soviets, then any increase in their nuclear capabilities could only be interpreted as a means to enhance deterrence.

Fortunately, America is an open society, and it is not just the intelligence community that has access to critical information about policy. In 1974, the mirror in the mirror imaging began to crack as a consequence of tensions outside the community. This resulted in the creation of an external competitive analysis project known as Team B. The external evaluators were headed by the distinguished historian of the Soviet Union Richard Pipes, and concluded what John Collins, of the Congressional Research Service, and others had earlier determined -- the Soviets had not bought into MAD.

The famous, or some would say infamous, A-Team/B-Team conflict over the findings of NIE 11-3/8 is illustrative of our problems in understanding the Arab/Israeli conflict. Much of our thinking is based on a Western paradigm that the Palestinian Arabs want peace, and peace can be brought about through negotiations modeled on Western labor relations.

We conveniently forget, however, that when the pilots union and United Airlines, for example, go to the bargaining table neither has an interest in destroying the airline.

This, of course, is not true in the Arab/Israeli conflict. Hamas raison detre is the destruction of Israel. And the only difference between Hamas and the Palestinian Authority is that Hamas wears this as a badge of honor whereas the Palestinian Authority tries to obfuscate this while paying psychopaths to murder innocent Israelis.

Professor Adda Bozeman, whose distinguished career focused on the often-irreconcilable differences found in cultural divides, cautions us that a culture that reveres an illustrious mythical past does not share a common framework with one that is oriented toward the future. This is why the Palestinians have sacrificed generation after generation to reclaim an honored fabled past that ties them to the land.

In the culture of honor and shame, it is necessary to recapture honor at all costs, whether by sending young people on suicide missions or killing a female child that has disgraced the family.

Across the bargaining table you have one side, the Israelis, who are worried about the future of their children. On the other side, you have Palestinians worried about reclaiming the honor of sacred land despoiled by the presence of Jews on Islamic soil. In the middle, you have Westerners projecting post-industrial democratic values where they do not belong, engaging in an irrelevant mirror-imaging.

The one indisputable fact of Middle East peace negotiations is that every time there has been a proposed Jewish state bordering an Arab state, the Arabs have said no.

In a dramatic video surfaced by Palestinian Media Watch showing an interview with Palestinian Authority negotiator Saeb Erekat on PA TV, Erekat says, I heard [former Israeli Prime Minister] Olmert say that he offered [Abbas] 100% of the West Bank territory. This is true. I will testify to this. Erekat went on to say that Olmert actually offered more than the 1967 territories. Abbas said, no, which is what the Palestinians have said since the Peel Commission of 1937.

Erekats statement is a summation of the historic fact that the Arab/Israeli conflict will not conform to mirror imaging or the paradigm of labor relations. Rashida Tlaib reminds us that in politics, ones myth might also be part of ones reality, and it is that reality that comes to the bargaining table.

Abraham H. Miller is an emeritus professor of political science and a distinguished fellow with the Haym Salomon Center.
An American museum is vociferously calling on a German political party to stop using one of the former's paintings in the latter's campaign poster for the European elections.

Titled "Slave Market" and painted by a Frenchman in 1866, the painting "shows a black, apparently Muslim slave trader displaying a naked young woman with much lighter skin to a group of men for examination," probably in North Africa (AKA "Barbary").

The Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, founded in 2013 and first elected to Germany's national parliament in 2017, has been putting up posters of the painting with the slogan, "So that Europe won't become Eurabia."

"We are strongly opposed to the use of this work to advance any political agenda," objected Olivier Meslay, director of the Clark Art Institute in Williamstown, Massachusetts, which houses the original painting. He said his museum had written to AfD, "insisting that they cease and desist in using this painting." Despite the rather legal tone, the painting is in the public domain; even Meslay acknowledges that "there are no copyrights or permissions that allow us to exert control over how it is used other than to appeal to civility on the part of the AfD Berlin."

For its part, the AfD said the U.S. museum's call is "a futile attempt to gag the AfD," adding that "[t]he German public has the right to find out about the truth about the possible consequences of illegal mass immigration." Even so, other elements in Germany are even more hostile to the AfD's poster: "party workers have had to repeatedly put up new copies, only to see them destroyed again the following night."

What to make of all this? Objectively, the "Slave Market" painting in question portrays a reality that has played out countless times over the centuries: African and Middle Eastern Muslims have long targeted fair "infidel" women  so much so as to have enslaved millions of them over the centuries (as copiously documented in my recent book, Sword and Scimitar: Fourteen Centuries of War between Islam and the West, from which the following quotes and statistics are derived).

Concerning the Muslim demand for, in the words of one historian, "white-complexioned blondes, with straight hair and blue eyes," this traces back to the prophet of Islam, Muhammad, who enticed his followers to wage jihad against neighboring Byzantium by citing its fair and blonde women who awaited them as potential concubines.

For over a millennium afterward, Islamic caliphates, emirates, and sultanates  of the Arab, Berber, Turkic, and Tatar variety  also coaxed their men to jihad on Europe by citing (and later sexually enslaving) its fair women. Accordingly, because the "Umayyads particularly valued blond or red-haired Franc or Galician women as sexual slaves," Dario Fernandez-Morera writes, "al-Andalus [Islamic Spain] became a center for the trade and distribution of slaves."

The insatiable demand for fair women was such that, according to M.A. Khan, an Indian author and former Muslim, it is "impossible to disconnect Islam from the Viking slave-trade, because the supply was absolutely meant for meeting [the] Islamic world's unceasing demand for the prized white slaves" and "white sex-slaves." Emmet Scott goes so far as to argue that "it was the caliphate's demand for European slaves that called forth the Viking phenomenon in the first place."

As for numbers, according to the conservative estimate of American professor Robert Davis, "between 1530 and 1780 [alone] there were almost certainly a million and quite possibly as many as a million and a quarter white, European Christians enslaved by the Muslims of the Barbary Coast" (the appropriate setting of the "Slave Market" painting). By 1541, "Algiers teemed with Christian captives [from Europe], and it became a common saying that a Christian slave was scarce a fair barter for an onion."

With countless enslaved European women  some seized from as far as Denmark and even Iceland  selling for the price of vegetables, little wonder that European observers by the late 1700s noted how "the inhabitants of Algiers have a rather white complexion."

Further underscoring the rapacious and relentless drive of the Muslim slave industry, consider this: the United States of America's first war  which it fought before it could even elect its first president  was against these Islamic slavers. When Thomas Jefferson and John Adams asked Barbary's ambassador why his countrymen were enslaving American sailors, the "ambassador answered us that it was founded on the laws of their Prophet, that it was written in their Koran, that ... it was their right and duty to make war upon them [non-Muslims] wherever they could be found, and to make slaves of all they could take as prisoners."

The situation was arguably worse for Eastern Europeans; the slave markets of the Ottoman sultanate were for centuries so inundated with Slavic flesh that children sold for pennies, "a very beautiful slave woman was exchanged for a pair of boots, and four Serbian slaves were traded for a horse." In Crimea, some three million Slavs were enslaved by the Ottomans' Muslim allies, the Tatars. "The youngest women are kept for wanton pleasures," observed a seventeenth century Lithuanian.

Even the details of the "Slave Market" painting/poster, which depicts a fair and naked female slave being pawed at by potential buyers, echoes reality. Based on a twelfth-century document dealing with slave auctions in Cordoba, Muslim merchants "would put ointments on slave girls of a darker complexion to whiten their faces; brunettes were placed for four hours in a solution to make them blond ('golden'); ointments were placed on the face and body of black slaves to make them 'prettier.'" Then, the Muslim merchant "dresses them all in transparent clothes" and "tells the slave girls to act in a coquettish manner with the old men and with the timid men among the potential buyers to make them crazy with desire."

In short, the Clark Art Institute's objection to the Alternative for Germany party's use of the "Slave Market" painting as a poster is just another attempt to suppress the truth about Muslim/Western history, including its glaring continuity with the present. For the essence of that paintingMuslim men sexually pawing at and ultimately preying on fair skinned womencontinues to this day all throughout Western Europe, especially Germany.

The historic events, statistics, and quotes narrated above are from and documented in Raymond Ibrahim's book, Sword and Scimitar: Fourteen Centuries of War between Islam and the West. American Thinker reviews appear here and here.
One of the most grisly images in nature is a wasp methodically injecting eggs into a big, soft, helpless caterpillar. Wasp larvae will eventually eat the drugged caterpillar from the inside, and a new generation of wasps will emerge from dying caterpillars.

This sequence was so upsetting to Charles Darwin that he started to turn atheist. He opined, "There seems to me too much misery in the world." In fact, parasitism is extremely common and usually not a problem for either party. In the more disturbing arrangements, however, the parasite alters and slowly kills the host. Darwin did not approve.

Extreme parasites (i.e., parasitoids) have the ability to change fundamentally the host's behavior. For example, the host may be paralyzed, disorganized, or acting in ways that directly benefit the parasite. Researchers call this phenomenon "mind control" or "brainwashing." Some life cycles are particularly convoluted, bizarre, and unsettling. For one example, roly-poly bugs, which normally prefer the darkness under rocks, will, when infected, seek out white backgrounds. Why? So hungry birds can more quickly sight the bugs and eat them! This is suicidal for the bugs  but a great way for the parasite, living in the bugs, to extend its territory. Birds consume the bugs and then excrete the parasite larvae growing inside.

The victims in such arrangements can be called zombies or slaves. They sacrifice themselves to benefit the parasite.

Many will sense parallels with our educational system, where the "host" has been changed dramatically.

Parents in American K12 often see that their children are unhappy and not learning much. But parents for the most part tolerate this abuse. Why?

Teachers accept danger, disrespect, and the constant prospect of burnout. The autonomous activity that teachers traditionally engaged in is effectively prohibited. Why do they accept this?

Meanwhile, unnecessary administrators swarm through the system, and superintendents are notoriously overpaid, many above $200,000 a year. Principals and administrators hardly deign to negotiate with the community except to say, "No, you can't." The Education Establishment has changed public education into a lucrative private business. Why do taxpayers tolerate this underperforming but overcharging colossus?

For all of these questions, one obvious answer is parasitic mind control. John Dewey and his true believers wanted to use the school system for social engineering. They had to rewire, intellectually speaking, the system so it would pursue new goals in new ways. Dewey's plot has been successful.

The school system, at a casual glance, appears to lumber on as it did a century ago. But there is now a vast disconnect as educrats have altered every part of the system, discarding intellect and sincerity and using a vast but empty husk to perpetrate social schemes on a broader population. In short, the K12 system is severed from its original intentions, just like the doomed caterpillar.

At some point there is an obvious dysfunction, as when a caterpillar becomes a wasp nursery. Similarly, all the many goals and purposes that public education was supposed to exhibit have now been largely jettisoned. The system seems to be on autopilot, ignorant of its original purpose. The Education Establishment can promote one destructive gimmick after another, from Whole Word to Reform Math to Common Core to Constructivism, and the host (which includes us) hardly complains.

What can the caterpillar do? Absolutely nothing. A wasp grips the caterpillar firmly and patiently. Tiny eggs are inserted one by one  at least 20 of them. Chemicals are injected with the eggs; these complete the caterpillar's degradation. The caterpillar is no longer concerned with its own needs and destiny. It serves another master. That in a nutshell is what happened to American public schools. Now they serve Dewey's blueprint, his ideological dreams, his Progressive imperatives.

The central diktat, which connects all the many separate details, is that schools must be focused no longer on academic matters,but on psycho-sociological concerns.

We can all see how abjectly the parents, teachers, and community leaders accept this fate. There's little defiance, much silence. The mind control has been going on for a long time. People know better than to expect too much from their Education Establishment. Sure, if they want a real education for their kids, they have to send them to a private school. Or they have to hire tutors all along the way, or homeschool them.

The education officials, on the other hand, are doing quite well. Remediation and assessments are whole new industries. The more damaged students that a school turns out, the more Title I money the government sends. There are so many productive ways to spend this money. What about a three-day conference on Deeper Learning and 21st-Century Education? These presentations will put victims into a deeper trance.

Students need to be active enough to carry books from class to class, that's all. They go home and come back, not much else. Surrender is easy. The host should feel, as Pink Floyd said, "comfortably numb."

Bruce Deitrick Price's new book is Saving K-12: What happened to our public schools? How do we fix them? He deconstructs educational theories and methods at Improve-Education.org.
In August 2008, back when it mattered, the Washington Post ran a 10,000-word article by its Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter David Maraniss titled, Though Obama Had to Leave to Find Himself, It Is Hawaii That Made His Rise Possible. For reasons that will soon become clear, Maraniss should have excused himself from this assignment once he discovered the identity of the man in Hawaii who made that rise possible.

Barack Obama referred to this man in his 1995 memoir, Dreams from My Father, as Frank. If there was any mystery to Franks identity, Gerald Horne, a leftist scholar from the University of Houston, dispelled it in a March 2007 speech. Horne identified Frank as an African-American poet and journalist by the name of Frank Marshall Davis.

Davis, Horne acknowledged, was certainly in the orbit of the CP  if not a member. Horne was pulling his punches. Here are the facts and they are indisputable, wrote historian Paul Kengor in his insightful 2012 book, The Communist -- Frank Marshall Davis: The Untold Story of Barack Obamas Mentor. Frank Marshall Davis was a pro-Soviet, pro-Red China, card-carrying member of Communist Party (CPUSA). His Communist Party card number was 47544.

As Kengor observed, Obama dedicated 2500 words in Dreams to Davis, who surfaces repeatedly from start to finish, from Hawaii to Los Angeles to Chicago to Germany to Kenya... from the 1970s to the 1980s to the 1990s. Indeed, the two were sufficiently close that the young Obama wrote two poems about Davis -- a story I broke in February 2010 -- and Davis appears to have written one poem about Obama. I should add that in addition to being a card-carrying communist, Davis was a bisexual pornographer with at least a fictional taste for sex with minors.

Horne did not deny Daviss influence; he called it decisive. In fact, Horne implied that Obama decamped to Chicago as a way of retracing the steps of Davis. The Davis name had lingering resonance in Chicago, Davis adopted city. When Obama first arrived there in 1985, the citys most influential columnist was Davis protege Vernon Jarrett. His daughter-in-law Valerie emerged, of course, as Obamas closest adviser.

The Davis-Obama relationship should have mattered. It did to Horne. Said Horne in the conclusion of his 2007 speech, At some point in the future, a teacher will add to her syllabus Baracks memoir and instruct her students to read it alongside Frank Marshall Davis equally affecting memoir, Living the Blues. That future would have to wait at least until after Obama was elected and reelected. Until then, it was all quiet on the mainstream front.

No journalist risked more of his reputation in this conspiracy of silence than did David Maraniss. Incredibly, in his August 2008 article on Obamas Hawaii years, the only Davis Maraniss cited was Miles Davis, the jazz great who allegedly made Obamas adolescent playlist. Maraniss had no excuse for not knowing. New Zealand blogger extraordinaire Trevor Loudon picked up the Davis story immediately after Horne opened the door on it in March 2007, and Cliff Kincaid of Accuracy in Media, among others, followed up on the work of Horne and Loudon.

By the time of the Democratic convention in 2008, Daviss relationship with Obama was common knowledge on the right side of the blogosphere. As a case in point, a month before Maranisss article appeared, American Thinker published a lengthy and accurate article on Daviss communist history by David Walden of the Hawaii Free Press. Walden detailed the reasons for Daviss strategic move to Hawaii in 1948 as well as his influence on Obamas Chicago years.

Up until this week, I presumed that Maraniss ignored Davis as a way of protecting Obamas candidacy. If so, he was in good company. I could find no mentions of Davis in the New York Times before the 2008 election and precious few mentions afterwards. In the Times humble defense, however, only the Post commissioned a 10,000-word article on Obamas Hawaii years by a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist.

It turns out that Maraniss had personal reasons for this impressive exercise in truth suppression. His father Elliott Maraniss and Frank Marshall Davis had a good deal in common. Both were journalists who pledged their allegiance to the Communist Party. In a stunningly disingenuous May 13 article in the Post, Maraniss spills the beans on the old man.

The article, written to promote Maranisss new book, A Good American Family, should have been spiked by Post editors for its embarrassing lack of historical perspective. My father had been, for a time, a communist, concedes Maraniss. That time, however, included one horrendous episode after another in Stalins drive to crush Eastern Europe, terrorize America, and kill his own people.

Although he may not have known about the Ukrainian genocide from earlier in the decade, the college-educated Elliott had to know about the Great Terror in full swing when he joined the party in the late 1930s. This mind-bending purge would leave as many as 1.2 million people dead. The 1939 Nonaggression pact between the Soviets and Nazis peeled off the dewy-eyed idealists in the party, but Elliott, like Davis, hung tough. Elliott went so far as to write editorials defending the pact, which even his son finds indefensible.

Elliott was hardcore. Patriotism did not dictate his enlistment in the U.S. Army after Pearl Harbor as David would like us to believe. Moscow did. Given Elliotts history, he never would have enlisted had Germany not turned on its Soviet allies before Peal Harbor.

When the war in Europe came to an end, Stalin sent word through the French journal Cahiers du Communisme that any thought of postwar cooperation between the Soviets and the Americans was a notorious revision of Marxism. This article was reprinted in The Daily Worker and other Communist journals all over the world. As Elliott had to know, America may have been a useful ally during the war, but now she was glavnyy vrag, the main enemy. He stuck with the party nonetheless. So did Davis. Elliott stuck with it too after Stalin unleashed his Chinese proxies to slaughter American soldiers in Korea. So did Davis.

Elliot remained a member of the Communist Party, David tells us, until 1952 when he was flagged by the House Committee on Un-American Activities. Whatever his reasoning, writes David, he held onto his ideological choice for too long. Way too long, at least 15 years too long. And yet after all those years of allegiance to the worlds most ruthless totalitarian -- the CPUSA was a wholly owned subsidiary of the Soviet Union -- Elliott still had the nerve to slam the House Committee for its attempt to enforce conformity of political or economic thought.

Elliotts statement to the committee was strategy, pure Red theater of the absurd. If David Maraniss knew his history, he would understand that his fathers plea for his First Amendment rights was no more sincere than his enlistment in the U.S. Army.

The problem is that Maraniss does not know his history. One gets the sense from this article that the evil at the core of Maranisss book is not communism but Sen. Joseph McCarthys red-hunting. Writes Maraniss with what appears to be a straight face, For decades, I had desensitized myself to what it must have been like for him when he was in the crucible, living through the most trying experience of his life, but now I started to absorb the pain of what he had endured. What it was like for him to be surveilled by the FBI, to be called before the committee, to be fired, to be called un-American.

What it was like for him to be surveilled by the FBI? If Maraniss wants to know he should ask Michael Flynn or George Papadopoulos or Carter Page or President Donald Trump. But that is just the point. Maraniss, like most of his peers, does not want to know any more about illegal surveillance or FISA abuse or FBI entrapment than he did about Frank Marshall Davis.

In Maranisss world, Trump is the glavnyy vrag, the main enemy. Although it reads like parody, Maraniss insists it was only with Trumps candidacy that the themes I wanted to explore in the book about my father began echoing through the decades. The last two of the many themes have the most comic potential: The attacks on free speech. And the raw power of government authorities to disrupt and destroy the lives of civilians.

Maraniss wants us to weep for our nation because his father was blacklisted from mainstream journalism for five years. Sorry, David, the journalists I know, the real ones, the kind that had no trouble finding Frank Marshall Davis, have been blacklisted from mainstream journalism since forever.
When an article begins with, Just about everyone understands or There can be little doubt you know that the author has a weak case.

Investors Business Dailys post, dated May 10th begins just like that:

Just about everyone else understands that the Trump trade war will be bad for US investors, consumers, retailers and manufacturers. The trade war will hit consumer spending and could freeze business investment in the US. It will damage American business prospects in the world's second largest economy. It will hurt global growth and pressure global financial markets. The longer this takes to sink in, the greater the damage to the U.S. economy.

While Donald Trumps critics see the trade war through the prism of a hundred dollar price increase for washers and dryers or impact on the cost of footwear, Trump sees the rise of China as a major economic and geopolitical threat.

Trump understands what most economists and Investors Business Daily are missing. In this new world economy, the United States does not have a competitive advantage by virtue of high productivity based on superior organization and advanced technology. Nowadays, if you know what you want and have the money, practically anything can be bought. Project financing is available to anyone anywhere in the world, provided by multilateral lenders and a syndication of investors worldwide. The technologies are available to anyone willing to pay for them, and information is available to anyone with a computer or an iPhone.

In this environment, America is in mortal disadvantage with China. If Chinese enterprises employing modern technologies do not have to comply with the U.S. environmental and safety regulations and pay their workers in a day what their American counterparts make in an hour, this country cannot possibly succeed. American industries are under a military-style assault by China that includes, but is not limited to, manipulating currency, dumping, stealing technologies and know-how, and counterfeiting American products.

China has become a manufacturing plant for American corporations and profits from the manufactured goods sold on the American market have built the economy rival to the U.S. The burgeoning wealth allowed China to build modern military capabilities, construct the islands in the South China Sea, threaten Taiwan, and initiate expansion in Africa and Latin America.

It is not Russia, with a tiny GDP of about 10% of the U.S. and the population of 150 million, that challenges American interests. China, with its massive economy and military strength, has been acting as a geopolitical adversary during the last few decades. Although vastly outmatched by the U.S. in resources, technology and, above all, military capacity, Chinese have often imposed their own preferences by a nonchalance of psychological pressure against the material advantage of the feeble American administrations. The emergence of Donald Trump inaugurated a new era in America-Chinese relations. Trump is reversing the strategic trend and turning it against China, threatening to regress Chinas history for generations. Hence, it is not a trade war -- its a cold war.

In this cold war, Trump has the upper hand and sees no reason to compromise anything. The United States remains the world-dominant economic power that is enjoying a booming economy.

International trade, although very important, is not a key building block of the U.S. economic expansion. For China, on the other hand, international trade is existential.

The imposition of tariffs compounded with a lower corporate tax rate in the U.S. forces American companies to move manufacturing out of China. Most of them are expected to come back to the U.S., although some will relocate to Vietnam or other low labor cost environments. In any event, China is losing, while America is gaining. The longer the negotiations go on, the more companies make a move, and once gone they are not going back. That is exactly Trumps ultimate objective -- to weaken China by depriving it of revenue.

Trump has trapped China in Zugzwang position -- the situation in a chess game where a player has to make a move, although any possible move will only worsen his position. If China does not accept Trumps demands, the high tariffs would go into effect. Since Chinas economy has a limited domestic consumption, losing American market will have a devastating impact.

If China does accept Trumps demands, it would have to pay for American technologies that it currently enjoys via forced transfer or outright theft and, also cease utilizing all the other shenanigans that ensure China competitive advantage.

Cato the Elder, the Roman senator, is reputed to finish every speech with a call Carthago delenda est -- Carthage must be destroyed. Donald Trump could paraphrase it as China must be destroyed. Trump sees it not just as a case of national dignity and self-respect, but an imperative for our economic survival.

Alexander G. Markovsky is a senior fellow at the London Center for Policy Research, a conservative think tank that examines national security, energy, risk-analysis and other public policy issues. He is the author of Anatomy of a Bolshevik and Liberal Bolshevism: America Did Not Defeat Communism, She Adopted It. He is the owner and CEO of Litwin Management Services, LLC. He can be reached at info@litwinms.com
One of the things that separates leftists from normal people is their passion for political power. It is all-consuming. Among other things, this gives the Left the ability to plot and plan well in advance. This is clearly evidenced by leftists' patient march through American institutions. This was done not in one fell swoop, but step by step through the years. In solidifying their gains, the liberals are hyper-vigilant to any regression from what they've achieved in a way conservatives can only envy.

A recent little noticed U.S. Supreme Court decision illustrates this latter point. This was Franchise Tax Board of California v. Hyatt. In it, the Court ruled 5 to 4 that the Constitution doesn't permit a state to be sued by a private party without its consent in the court of a different state. So what's the big deal? The big deal is that the Franchise Board v. Hyatt overturned a 1979 Court decision to the contrary in Nevada v. Hall.

What puts more bite in the Franchise Board v. Hyatt decision is that Chief Justice John Roberts assigned Clarence Thomas to write the majority opinion. Thomas is an originalist more than he is a conservative. A Court conservative, at least how liberals would define one, would honor the principle of stare decisis. This means that once a decision is made, it stays made. Thomas instead approaches cases according to the original intent of the Founding Fathers. He believes if an initial decision was wrong per the original intent of the Constitution, it should be overturned.

This has the four Court liberal dissenters  Stephen Breyer, Ruth Ginsburg, Sonia Sotomayor, and Elena Kagan  in a tizzy. What has them and their soul mates throughout the liberal establishment in panic mode is not the particulars of the Franchise v. Hyatt case itself, but the fact that it overturned a precedent. As Justice Breyer said: "Today's decision can only cause one to wonder which cases the court will overrule next."

Putting flesh on the bones of that complaint is Erwin Chermerinsky, the dean of the University of California, Berkeley Law School. Chermerinsky was the one who argued the case for Hyatt, the loser. He wrote that the decision was really about "how the Court is going to treat precedent when issues like abortion, affirmative action, and gay and lesbian rights return to the court."

The always alert liberal hive is reacting.

"The Right-Wing Supreme Court Is coming for Roe v. Wade," is the headline on Splinter.com. The Liberals are "warning us" that Roe is in "mortal danger," booms the Washington Post. The New York Times is rushing out an op-ed piece by a law professor. "The Supreme court made clear on Monday that Roe v. Wade may soon no longer be the law of the land," it begins.

There you have it. Liberals see much of the radical and anti-democratic social structure they forced on the country through the Court's blatant overreach threatened. This fear is compounded by the fact that the Left knows that President Trump is likely to have the opportunity to make two and perhaps three more appointments to the Supreme Court before he leaves office.

Most of the attention to Donald Trump's MAGA policies focuses on the revitalizing of America's economic base. But through his court appointments at various levels, the president is helping to make America's soul great again, hopefully returning us to normalcy.
There's just one problem: although individual income tax rates have gone down since 2017, individual income tax revenues have gone up.

According to the White House budget office, Federal Tax revenues were as follows:

Year Income Taxes Corporate Taxes 2016 1,546,075 299,571 2017 1,587,120 297,048 2018 1,683,538 204,733 2019 estimate 1,698,353 216,194 2020 estimate 1,824,185 255,161

(This does ignore Social Security and other trust funds.)

But how is this possible? How could tax rates have gone down, but taxes collected gone up?

Think of the government as, say, a Cadillac dealer. If prices for Cadillac cars go up, it's not necessarily true that revenues from selling Cadillacs go up, too. It depends on a lot of other things  prices and availability of other luxury cars and discretionary funds available to car-buyers.

With income tax rates down, a doctor might decide to work more hours, feeling he will be keeping more of the extra fees coming in rather than handing them over to Uncle Sam. A farmer may choose to plant more crops.

One type of tax collections did fall  monies collected from American corporations.

Was it really money thrown away?

It was the cost for jump-starting the economy, expanding wages and employment. It made America a more attractive location for building factories and operating businesses. It brought unemployment rates for black, Hispanic, and Asian-Americans to historically low levels.

Is this really what the Democrats want to reverse?

Kamala Harris wants tax rates going back up. CNBC reported:

Sen. Kamala Harris of California wants to give $2.8 trillion in federal tax credits to lower- and middle-class families. Her plan provides a direct counter to the Republican proposal, under which the $1.5 trillion in cuts skewed toward companies and wealthier Americans. She wants to pay for the measure in part by reversing the pieces of the GOP overhaul that "benefit the rich," as well as by putting "a new tax on large financial institutions," according to The Washington Post.

Joe Biden is also in favor of reversing the cuts. Americans for Tax Reform reported (video included):

Biden recently told a crowd in South Carolina that it would be the very first thing he does upon taking office: "First thing I'd do is repeal those Trump tax cuts," he said.

CNBC sums it up:

Various other Democratic candidates including Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont want to roll back the GOP tax cuts and implement new taxes on the wealthy to fund social programs such as universal child care and "Medicare for All."

It is true that much of the benefit from Trump's tax cuts went to the nation's wealthiest. Duh. That's because it's the wealthiest who pay the bulk of our taxes.

An October 2018 Bloomberg analysis concluded that the bottom half of American taxpayers contributed only 3% of income taxes paid. The top 1% of earners accounted for more than 37% of income taxes collected.

A summary of the 2017 tax cuts is here.

Biden, Harris, Sanders, et al. may want to re-read Aesop's Fables  in particular, the one about a goose that laid golden eggs.
With as many as four million migrants vowing to enter the U.S. illegally in 2019, nearly 100,000 apprehended in April alone, and 168,000 "families" released into the U.S. interior this year, the surge is on.

President Trump is working at breakneck speed to get some semblance of a wall built, particularly at the critical crossing areas. According to a report from Townhall's Katie Pavlich, citing official Homeland Security releases, waivers are being issued to permit wall construction now.

The Department of Homeland Security announced the issuance of two waivers Wednesday morning in order to expedite the construction of new border wall in parts of California and Arizona. "The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued two waivers, which will ensure expeditious construction of new bollard wall within the U.S. Border Patrols Tucson and El Centro Sectors in Arizona and California, respectively. The projects covered by the waivers include up to approximately 78 miles of new bollard wall in place of dilapidated and outdated designs, in addition to road construction and improvement and lighting installation. The waivers were published in the Federal Register on May 15, 2019," DHS released. "While the waivers eliminate DHSs obligation to comply with various laws with respect to covered projects, DHS remains committed to environmental stewardship. DHS has initiated consultation with other federal and state resource agencies to ensure that impacts to the environment, wildlife, and cultural and historic artifacts are analyzed and minimized, to the greatest extent possible." A waiver was also issued to start construction on 15 miles of broken down fencing in Border Patrol's San Diego Sector. "The San Diego and El Centro Sectors are areas of high illegal entry and are experiencing large numbers of individuals and narcotics being smuggled into the country illegally. The construction of border infrastructure within these project areas will support DHSs ability to impede and deny illegal border crossings and the drug and human smuggling activities of transnational criminal organizations," DHS stated.

They're trying to get something up, given the surge, given the national emergency, and red tape can wait. Evidently, the Department of Homeland Security was thinking of places like this:



Image credit: Customs and Border Patrol via KUSI.

I wrote about this incident last February: apparently, the corrugated metal "fencing" made of repurposed military surplus dating from the Vietnam War was a cinch for cartels to ram down in order to smuggle their lucrative human (and possibly illegal drug) cargo into the States. And it can't be the only ram-down of this Reynolds Wrapstyle sheeting.

President Trump is to be commended for moving at breakneck speed as the surge rolls in.

But incredibly enough, the illegals surge is actually less important than what is going on in the House.

Democrats are moving to stop any border wall construction even as it becomes very clear that there is a crisis at the U.S. southern border. According to Defense News:

WASHINGTON  Key House Democrats are following through on a threat to limit the Pentagon's authority to reprogram funds in response to Pentagon leaders diverting military funding toward President Donald Trump's wall with Mexico. A group of House Armed Services Committee Democrats led by Rep. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz.; HASC Chair Adam Smith, D-Wash., and HASC Readiness Subcommittee Chair John Garamendi, D-Calif., offered a bill Wednesday to cap national emergency military construction authority at $250 million per emergency. The legislation would tighten the ability to waive other provisions of law in carrying out the projects and mandate congressional notification and waiting periods for construction projects. This marks the second time House Democrats in have offered legislation restricting the executive branch since the Pentagon unilaterally reprogrammed $1.5 billion in fiscal 2019 funds last week to support the wallfor more than $2 billion this year. On Wednesday, the House Appropriations Committee's subcommittee on defense passed a 2020 Pentagon funding bill that slashes the amount of money the military can shift between accounts from $9.5 billion to $1.5 billion.

Illegals are surging in, and Democrats are literally trying to stop the construction of a wall. No condemnation of the lawless surge, no criticism of the immense profits the drug cartels are making as a result of it, no effort to find ways to admit more people into the U.S. legally, no concern for the costs the migrant surge will bring to blue cities and states. They're focused on just one thing: making sure that wall goes up.

And their motives are amazingly politicized, not crisis-oriented (emphasis mine):

"Congress debated the issue of border security for a year-and-a-half and decided to spend $1.2 billion on more effective border security technologies than the President's vanity wall," Garamendi, whose panel oversees military construction, said in a statement. "This crucial legislation will provide a vital check on the executive branch and prohibit the President from using the MILCON budget and other critical projects as a personal slush fund to fulfill a campaign promise."

They're calling it a vanity wall, as if were a statue of himself or maybe a billboard, not an instrument to re-establish the definition of U.S. borders, strengthen rule of law, and re-asserting U.S. sovereignty.

They don't want any of that.

What's more, they seem to think there's something wrong with Trump keeping a campaign promise, something he is repeatedly in a habit of doing. What they are calculating in their small little minds is that if Trump fulfills this campaign promise, he'll get more popular.

Can't have that. It's a backhanded admission of sorts that the wall is necessary in the face of the surge and the idea remains popular, despite a slew of Democratic-linked push polls claiming otherwise. If the wall were as unpopular with the public as they say it is, we wouldn't be seeing action like this.

One can only feel sympathy for President Trump as the wall goes up at breakneck speed now. The president is actually fighting a two-front war, not just against the cartels who made immense profits on human smuggling on one side, which is where the media attention is, but against the Democrats who are playing wingman for cartel financial interests in zero borders as well as their own political interests in bringing in as many illegal immigrants as possible, the better to fatten their electoral seatings, get an army of political operatives, and get their votes to perpetrate their power. As the sponsorship of Rep. Gil Cisneros to these measures signals, the most fervent proponents of these measures to Stop Trump are in office through ballot-harvesting, and they've got illegals doing the ballot-harvesting to put them in power.

What a nasty pair of enemies the president is fighting at once. The wall will hold away one of them. Only the voters can get rid of the other. Until it happens, all he can do is build  racing the clock.
In the United States, workers' compensation programs were created to cover lost wages, medical bills, and other related expenses arising from work-related injuries and illnesses. They were not created to provide compensation to individuals picking up random gigs like babysitting jobs, although California seems to disagree.

While physical workplace injuries are covered  like burns, dismemberments, lacerations, broken bones, and head injuries  emotional injuries like PTSD and anxiety are not.

The lack of coverage for emotional injuries hasn't been much of an issue until recent years. Ever since school districts began keeping track of staff injuries caused by students, it's come to light that the physical injuries aren't the injuries that last. Teachers who get kicked, bitten, and scratched on a regular basis by students heal fast on the outside but suffer the long-term effects of invisible injuries like anxiety and PTSD.

Teachers subjected to physical and emotional abuse from students on a daily basis don't have much recourse for mental health care. They can try to get therapy covered by insurance, or pay out of their own pockets. Sometimes therapy isn't enough. With PTSD, for example, it doesn't just go away by talking it out. Therapies need to be done that help the person rewire his brain and the way the nervous system functions.

Is it time for PTSD and anxiety to be considered real injuries?

If anyone can get emotional injuries recognized as valid injuries deserving of compensation, it's going to be schoolteachers. In North Dakota, school districts are looking for ways to get emotional injuries covered by workers' compensation, but not everyone agrees.

Representative Marvin Nelson says school staff should sue the school district instead. The problem is, teachers who take on their employers to get compensated for something like anxiety or PTSD might end up worsening their symptoms just by the stress of having to battle it out in court. Worse, they could be retaliated against pending the outcome of the case, and that possibility will deter many from initiating a claim.

If every teacher with PTSD had to file a lawsuit to receive compensation, the courts would be tied up in the same excessive litigation workers' comp was designed to thin out.

A brief history of workers' comp programs

These programs were established in the early 1900s and are regulated at the state level. Although each state's laws differ, they share the common intention to provide benefits to injured workers regardless of fault.

Prior to workers' compensation, employees had to prove employer negligence in a lawsuit to get compensated. If an employee contributed to the accident in any way, he would lose his case. Workers' comp programs also decrease litigation and prevent employees from having to take on their employers. Instead of going after the employer, pursuing a workers' comp claim is requesting benefits from the employer's insurance company. Employers are required to carry this insurance, and claims are paid by the insurance company, not the employer. This minimizes the animosity between employer and employee in most cases, and there are laws that protect injured workers from retaliation.

What would the true cost of coverage be?

If emotional injuries could be treated the same way as physical injuries, and recovery could be projected somewhat accurately, the cost might not be that great. However, each person responds differently to treatment  and sometimes not at all.

A physical injury needs to be treated only once it becomes visible. The problem with emotional injuries like PTSD is that the trauma can take years to develop into a noticeable problem. Early intervention, according to studies reported by Psychiatry Online, can prevent the effects of traumatic fear memories. However, it's not an exact science, and not everyone develops PTSD the same way.

Compensation is needed, but in a different form

There's no denying that many teachers are suffering from their daily interactions with challenging students and they deserve access to help. Perhaps what's needed is a program that provides ongoing access to mental health care for teachers and other school staff members rather than opening the doors for workers' comp claims.
The Harvard Lampoon student-run humor magazine recently published a Photoshopped image of Anne Frank's face on the body of a woman wearing a bikini. The caption reads: "Gone Before Her Time: Virtual Aging Technology Shows Us What Anne Frank Would Have Looked Like if She Hadn't Died." The caption concludes with "Add this to your list of reasons the Holocaust sucked."

The Harvard Lampoon is garbage pic.twitter.com/q4BAUS4ibI  Cat Zhang (@CatZhang1) May 13, 2019

The cartoon provoked a backlash that led to an online apology by the magazine's co-presidents: "We realize the extent of offense we have inflicted and understand that we must take responsibility for our actions."

This cartoon was undoubtedly perceived as sexist, anti-Semitic, dehumanizing, and just plain creepy by many people who saw it. Nonetheless, apologizing for the publication of an offensive cartoon is a form of self-censorship, since it also silences discussion about that creeping feeling that anti-Semitism in the United States is on the rise.

It's more than a feeling. Recent data show an alarming rise in hate incidents against Jewish people and institutions. In 2017, anti-Semitic incidents jumped 57% compared to 2016. Hate crimes against Jews grew by 37% during the same period, according to a separate FBI analysis.

But one doesn't need to do the data to see that the ancient scourge of Judeophobia has shape-shifted to fit modern political sensibilities. Today, anti-Semitic tropes are regularly being expressed from the hallowed halls of Congress. Representatives Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib have successfully infused the old hatred of Jews with a new guerrilla chic appeal by asserting that their controversial statements and questionable associations are on behalf of an oppressed class of people, the Palestinians.

But saying "I'm sorry" or outlawing any forms of expression that could be regarded as hateful only drives such drivel underground, giving it a sort of street cred among the confused, angry, uneducated, and ignorant. Apologizing for controversial content short-circuits a primary purpose of free speech: robust, unhindered debate.

And debate doesn't just matter; it's essential to the nurturing of a free, pluralistic society. Being exposed to even the most offensive ideas helps us develop the ability to rebut them. John Stuart Mill wrote in "On Liberty" that if someone is:

... equally unable to refute the reasons on the opposite side, if he does not so much as know what they are, he has no ground for preferring either opinion[.] ... He must be able to hear them from persons who actually believe them[.] ... [H]e must know them in their most plausible and persuasive form.

Unfortunately, Holocaust education in the United States has failed to combat ignorance about anti-Semitism. Two thirds of American Millennials surveyed in a recent poll don't know what Auschwitz is, according to a study released on Holocaust Remembrance Day. This poll also found that knowledge about the genocide that killed 6 million Jews during World War II isn't robust among American adults in general, with 22% of Millennials saying they haven't heard of the Holocaust or aren't sure whether they've heard of it.

This gross lack of awareness is the result of a Holocaust studies curriculum that universalizes the destruction of two thirds of European Jewry, morphing the mass murder of a distinct religious, ethnic, and national group into a broadside against all forms of racism and prejudice. Anti-Semitism as a uniquely malevolent force has been glossed over in the service of a wider, more fashionable social justice agenda.

The educational system's failure to combat anti-Semitism highlights the importance of individual responsibility. Americans don't have the luxury of outsourcing the struggle against ignorance and prejudice to self-appointed moral gatekeepers. In a free society, citizens must be encouraged to pursue truth on their own, even if that means having unpleasant encounters with falsehoods along the way.

Disallowing debate and quietly toiling in a culture of instant outrage will only result in the mainstreaming of anti-Semitism in the United States and the ascent of its proponents.
The European Commission has adopted a new Central Asia strategy with the aim of creating what it calls "a stronger, modern, and nonexclusive partnership" with former Soviet republics in Central Asia that are "willing and able" to improve relations. Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reports in its article European Commission Adopts New Strategy On Central Asia that the 16-page document spells out the general themes of what the European Commission wants to achieve in the coming years with the five former Soviet republics in Central Asia -- Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.

The strategy, which lacks details on concrete policies, updates a similar strategy paper from 2007. It states that "while respecting the aspirations and interests of each of its Central Asian partners, as well as maintaining the need to differentiate between specific country situations, the EU will seek to deepen its engagement with those Central Asian countries willing and able to intensify relations." The Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreements (EPCAs) that Brussels signed with Kazakhstan at the end of 2015 will remain "a cornerstone" of Brussels' engagement in the region, the document says. Brussels is currently negotiating similar agreements with Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan.

The strategy document also says the EU "will work to address structural constraints on intraregional trade and investment, support remaining Central Asian states' accession to the World Trade Organization, and promote sustainable connectivity." Support for human rights and civil society is also covered in the strategy document. It pledges that "the EU will continue to promote respect for human rights in compliance with international standards, with a focus on freedom of expression (including media pluralism), freedom of association, women's rights, children's rights, the rights of minorities and fight against discrimination, and prevention and eradication of torture."

It says the EU "will promote an enabling legal and political environment for civil society that allows human rights defenders, journalists and independent trade unionists and employers' organizations to operate freely and safely. It will encourage dialogue and cooperation between civil society and administrations at all levels."

One concrete pledge in this area is to set up a dedicated dialogue on labor standards, business, and human rights and to "make expertise available to the countries wishing to make the necessary changes to their legislation and administrative systems and to strengthen their independent oversight institutions."

Other issues covered by the strategy document include the goal of organizing more high-level visits to the region and to assess the possibility of building a Trans-Caspian Pipeline beneath the Caspian Sea that links Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan.
Two excellent new immigration proposals are in the works for rationalizing our chaotic U.S. immigration system with all its perverse incentives. So what's up, Sen. Mitt Romney? Sen. Susan Collins? Ready to stamp those down?

That's the nutshell question, given that these well designed measures would do more than even a wall to halt the flood of illegal migrants surging over our border. Sen. Lindsey Graham (the 2.0 version) calls it a bid to end a "humanitarian" crisis. Hear that, Transistors Mitt?

Graham has a proposal on the table to end the abuse of the asylum system by people who don't qualify for asylum. Since so much of that is coming from Central America, a new legal setup is being proposed to process migrant claims from Central America and Mexico itself instead of the U.S. border. According to Fox News:

"The word is out on the street in Central America if you bring a minor child with you, your chance of being deported goes to almost zero, your hearing date is years away and we release you inside the country and that's the goal of coming," he said. The bill would end asylum claims at the U.S. border for migrants from the Northern Triangle of Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador. Instead, those applications would be filed at refugee processing centers set up in the Northern Triangle and Mexico. The legislation would also allow unaccompanied minors to be returned to their country of origin, which Graham said would be treating them the same as minors from Canada and Mexico. His bill would extend the time families can be held together from 20 days to 100 days to help allow claims to be filed without families being released into the U.S. It would also add an additional 500 immigration judges to deal with the backlog of asylum claims.

That would end a perverse incentive to drag a child, rented or not, across the border without papers in dangerous areas controlled by cartels in a bid to seek the best deal for entering the U.S. with neither waiting nor paying. Once inside the U.S., with a backlogged asylum claim (and many applicants ignore their court appearances anyway), migrants are free to work for a few good years in the states and send remittances home to beef up the coffers of the supposedly wicked home countries that they otherwise claim they fled for their lives, until they are ordered back. The deportation orders are rarely carried out unless a migrant robs a bank or slaughters someone  and gets caught.

Graham's bill is sensible and realistic, dealing with some of the most abused loopholes in U.S. law, which are incentivizing illegal immigration.

Meanwhile, another excellent measure is on the table from the White House: a plan to encourage merit-based immigration, such as Canada and Australia have (no illegal immigration surges in those countries), ending the policy that makes it more important to be "a niece than a nurse" to make it to the states legally. According to this separate story on Fox News:

The White House is set to unveil a sweeping new plan that would radically transform the makeup of immigrants in the United States, ending the visa lottery program and implementing a comprehensive merit-based admissions procedure, three senior administration officials told Fox News on Wednesday. The move would more than quadruple the number of immigrants admitted because of their work-related skills, while dramatically slashing the number of immigrants admitted because of family ties. Currently, approximately 12 percent of immigrants are admitted based on employment and skills, while 66 percent are admitted based on family connections. Those percentages, under the new plan, would shift to 57 percent and 33 percent, respectively. Ten percent of immigrants would be admitted on humanitarian or other grounds, but the plan would end the visa lottery program.

That would certainly keep out malevolent America-haters such as the Boston bombing pair, who got into the U.S. legally through the lottery system and then set about trying to kill us in the name of their Islamist agenda. Like the Graham proposal, the White House proposal, crafted by White House adviser Jared Kushner, is a sensible one.

By no surprise, Democrats such as Sen. Dick Durbin are against the whole thing. That's their party line.

Graham says that most Republicans are in favor, however, but he leaves room for doubt along the way, which is disturbing in the extreme, given the crisis the U.S. is in.

Naturally, that comes from the usual suspects, the Trump haters in the Senate. Sen. Susan Collins, whose state of Maine is about as far from the migrant surge as physically possible within the continental states, naturally, wants to incentivize more child-smuggling among the illegals, saying there can be no solution without including DACA recipients, something that migrants will notice as the ticket to getting their own admission to the states. Fox reported:

One Republican official briefed on Tuesday's meeting said Kushner provided few details and said senators did not seem overly impressed with the plan. Another said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., did not offer his views of the proposal. Both spoke on condition of anonymity to describe the private session.

That's disturbing in the wake of the current crisis. Who are these idiots and why aren't their names getting out there? Are you there, Mitt Romney? Mister Meritocrat? Why isn't Mitt speaking out about moving to a merit-based immigration system? Why are we reading stories about Republican intransigence?

It's time for Republicans to reform these laws yesterday. Congress has done very little for us since Democrats have taken the House. It's time for Republicans to try something different and support sensible measures to reform immigration law. Where are these people?
Amazon has now announced a ninth-generation refresh for its widely popular Fire 7 lineup, including a new version of both the Kids Edition and standard tablets. The devices are effectively identical with a few variations in their intended use and most of the changes happening under the hood. Theyre also available in brand new colors, bringing a new sense of style and personalization to the series.

For the grown-up, standard edition Amazon Fire 7, the primary distinguishing design feature here is going to be in its color, with the gadget now shipping in Black, Plum, Sage, and Twilight Blue. The 7-inch 10.1-ounce tablet features a 1024 x 600 resolution IPS panel with high-accuracy color reproduction and a frame designed to be twice as durable as the newest iPad mini  according to Amazon.

At both the front and back of that, buyers will find a 2-megapixel camera capable of capturing video at up to 720p HD. A 3.5mm headphone jack, integrated speaker, and micro USB are still in place for media playback and charging. A single mic is in place for helping capture audio and interacting with Amazons Alexa AI.

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On the inside where changes are most prominent, the latest generation of Fire 7 tablet now includes a quad-core 1.3GHz processor with 1GB memory and more storage. Consumers can pick between 16GB or 32GB versions with a microSD card slot allowing for up to 512GB of expansion beyond that. The internal battery on this gadget supports up to 7 hours of reading, media consumption, or web browsing via a single-antenna dual-band Wi-Fi arrangement.

On the software side of things, Amazon includes all of the usual suspects ranging from its Family Library, Prime Video, Amazon FreeTime, X-Ray, and Blue Shade nighttime and blue light blocking features to its 24/7 free support. The latter of those can even utilize screen sharing to help solve more complex and difficult to describe solutions.

Prime members, of course, get even more with access to free movie and music playback, books, twitch streaming, unlimited Amazon Photos storage and 5GB of cloud storage for other files.

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and one for the kids

Now, the 16GB Amazon Fire 7 Kids Edition comes with identical specifications to its namesake counterpart but it does pack in a few key features that make it well-suited for younger children. With its pricing set at $99, Amazon mentions no special offers, so there shouldnt be any advertisements on the lock screen as there are with the more budget-friendly variant of the adult version of this tablet.

The tablet is packed in with a rugged kickstand-enabled kid-proof case and a free year of Amazon FreeTime Unlimited. The company goes further to include a 2-year guarantee promising that if the case cant stand up to your childs enthusiastic use of its new Fire 7 tablet, it will take the gadget back and replace it for free. The case is available in Blue, Pink, or Purple colorations.

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For the uninitiated, Amazon FreeTime Unlimited provides access to more than 20,000 apps, games, books, audiobooks, video content, and educational media from the big names in the business including Disney, Nickelodeon, and PBS Kids. Thousands of those books, videos, apps, games, and audiobook are available in Spanish as well.

In addition to the fact that Fire tablets already support up to two adult profiles and four individually customizable child profiles  adult profiles are secured by PIN  FreeTime Unlimited effectively acts as a parental control tool. Ordinarily priced just short of $3 per month for Prime members and under $5 for everybody else, it blocks access to social media and gives parents a dashboard for filtering content by age and setting screen time limitations or education-based goals.

Content filtering is hand-curated by Amazon and the access to subscription features arent limited to Amazon Fire tablets. They can additionally be accessed via Echo, iOS, and Android gadgets.

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Pricing and availability

Both of the new Amazon Fire 7 tablets are already up for pre-order now. Each is also slated to ship as soon as June 6 of this year and has its own promotion running in the meantime.

The Kids Edition tablet with the year of FreeTime Unlimited and case included is priced at $99.99  around a $109 savings over the usual cost of buying separately. Amazon is throwing in a pair of Toy Story-themed headphones with the bundle at no extra cost for the time being as well, based on the devices store page as of this writing.

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The adult-friendly variant of the Amazon Fire 7 can be purchased for $49.99 or $69.99 for the 16GB and 32GB variants, respectively. That pricing is for those who dont mind seeing ads displayed on their lock screen. Those who dont want the ads will need to shell out $64.99 or $84.99, respectively.

Buyers who pre-order the adult edition of the new Fire 7 tablet will also snag a $10 credit thats good towards apps and games found in the dedicated Amazon Appstore. Fire 7 cases will be available too, in Charcoal Black, Sage, Plum, Twilight Blue, and Desert Orange colors. Each features a stand that can be used in either landscape or portrait orientation and will cost $24.99.
Motorola has finally announced its One Vision smartphone. This Android One handset had surfaced quite a few times thus far, and the company made it official during an event in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

It seems like leaks were spot on as far as the design is concerned, as the device is made out of metal and glass, and it looks exactly as leaks suggested. The phone includes a display camera hole in the top-left corner, and its bezels are quite thin, though there is a chin below the display.

The phones display offers rounded corners, while the devices physical keys are included on the right. There are two cameras included on the back of the phone, those two cameras are placed in the top-left corner of the phones back side, and they are vertically-aligned.

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The phones rear-facing cameras do protrude a bit, and a dual-LED flash sits below them. A regular, capacitive fingerprint scanner is included on the back of the phone as well, and the companys logo is included on the scanner itself. Android One branding is also present on the phones back.

Just as rumors and leaks suggested, the Motorola One Vision is the very first smartphone from the company to be fueled by one of Samsungs processors. The One Vision comes with the Exynos 9609, which is Samsungs mid-range, 64-bit octa-core processor.

The device includes 4GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, which you can expand using a microSD card (up to 512GB). There are also two SIM card slots included here (2x nano SIM), and the second SIM card slot can be used for storage expansion (hybrid setup).

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The phone features a 6.3-inch fullHD+ (2520 x 1080) LCD display with a 21:9 display aspect ratio, which is the same aspect ratio that the Xperia 1 rocks. In other words, this phone is quite tall, and quite narrow because of this display aspect ratio and thin bezels.

Android 9 Pie comes pre-installed on the phone, while a 3,500mAh battery is also included in the package. The phone supports 15W TurboPower fast charging, while a 3.5mm headphone jack is also included here.

On the back of the device, you will find 48-megapixel (f/1.7 aperture, OIS) and 5-megapixel (f/2.2 aperture) cameras, while a single 25-megapixel (f/2.0 aperture) unit sits on the devices front side. The phones main sensor on the back uses Quad Pixel technology that combines four pixels into one, and as a result, produces boosted 12-megapixel photos. Weve already seen this in action on a number of phones.

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The Motorola One Vision measures 160.1 x 71.2 x 8.7mm, and weighs 181 grams. The device comes in Sapphire Blue and Brown color variants, both of which had surfaced several times in the last couple of weeks.

The phone is priced at 1,999 Brazilian Real ($499), and it is already available in the country. The phone will spread to Saudi Arabia and Thailand later today, while it is coming to a number of countries in Asia and the Middle East soon, same goes for Australia. Motorola still did not release any info regarding the US or Europe, so were not sure when or if it will be coming to either of those regions.
Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen dubs as a provocation a new round of U.S. anti-Iranian sanctions after Washingtons withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), along with Washingtons threat to levy fines on European companies for their cooperation with Tehran.

"The IAEA has carried out at least 13 inspections in Iran and each time it confirmed that Iran is in compliance with its obligations under the Iran nuclear deal. Nevertheless, the United States has pulled out citing reasons which appear significant to them," he said at a news conference after his talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

"From the European point of view, the fact that, after pulling out of the JCPOA, the U.S. imposed new sanctions on Iran might be considered as particularly provocative," TASS cited him a saying.

"Generally, it is a US decision, but at the same time they said that all the European firms that continue their trade with Iran might be punished  with the seizure of assets in the US," Van der Bellen noted.
It appears that Samsung has addressed the issues that caused the Galaxy Fold review units to fail as a South Korean publication says that the company is currently reviewing its launch schedule and might release the phone next month.

Within hours of getting their hands on Samsungs first generation foldable phone, journalists from many media outlets experienced issues such as display breaks and bulges. To get to the bottom of the problem, Samsung recalled all the units and the company has apparently now come up with two solutions to make the phone more durable.

First off, Samsung has reportedly made the plastic layer on the phone non-removable. Since the film resembled a typical disposable screen protector, many reviewers had taken it off. The screen protector was an important part of the displays structure, and thus its removal led to problems. The South Korean giant has now extended the protector so that it sits under the phones bezels. This will prevent consumers from peeling it off.

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During the press conference for Galaxy Fold, Samsung had mentioned that the plastic layer must not be removed but since it wasnt attached to the end of the frame around the display, some reviewers apparently confused it for a protector. Now that the layer will be under the bezel, there will hopefully be no confusion.

Other than that, Samsung has also presumably reduced the size of the hinge, so that it would be covered by the existing protective frame of the device. Apparently, the gap between the top and bottom parts of the hinge was a problem because the exposed area couldnt prevent dust and debris from coming in and this proved detrimental to the OLED display.

Industry insiders claim that Samsung has already started testing the new revised units with carriers in South Korea. The company might announce a June release date for the Galaxy Fold this month. The phone will compete with Huaweis Mate X and since it has received so much negative publicity already, it remains to be seen how it will perform at the market.

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The Galaxy Fold was something of a mystery ever since it was first unveiled alongside the Galaxy S10 series. Members of the press were not given a chance to try out the device, raising all sorts of questions. Some media outlets even claimed that the internal display of the phone is creased, but as is common knowledge by now, the crease was just the tip of the iceberg.

Carrying a price tag of $1,980, the Galaxy Fold is no ordinary phone and is more of a luxury device. Although it appears that Samsung has fixed all the underlying issues, it is worth remembering that the company had the audacity to push out a half-baked product into the market, presumably to beat other vendors to the punch, and so, it remains to be seen if these fixes will actually work. When it comes to first generations products, Samsung doesnt really have a good track record and maybe by the next two or three iterations, the company will finally get it right.
According to a new rumor, the Samsung Galaxy Note10 will arrive in two gradient colors. A well-known tipster, Ice Universe, shared the info via Twitter, suggesting that Samsung will release Gradient Blue and Gradient Silver color variants.

The source did not say whether those will be the final names for the colors (probably not), but those names do describe the colors quite accurately. We presume that Samsung may use different shades of blue and silver colors in order to make those phones gradient, as the source did not mention any additional colors, but well see.

Having said that, a recent report from MySmartPrice did share some info regarding Galaxy Note10 color options. That report suggested that the Galaxy Note10 will arrive in Black, White, Silver, Red, and Pink colors, though it did not mention gradient colors of any kind.

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The Samsung Galaxy Note10 is expected to arrive in August this year, along with the Galaxy Note10 Pro. This will be the first time ever that Samsung will announce two Galaxy Note-branded phones at the same time, presuming that rumors are accurate, of course.

Thats not all, though, as the company is also rumored to release both 4G and 5G variants of those two phones, so we should essentially get four different Galaxy Note10 models later this year. The 5G variants will reach only some markets, though, markets in which 5G is available in some form.

The standard Galaxy Note10 will allegedly ship with a 6.3-inch display, while the Pro variant will include a 6.7-inch panel. Both of those displays are expected to be QHD+ in terms of resolution, and Samsung will probably utilize its Dynamic AMOLED panels that it used in the Galaxy S10 series.

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The company is expected to utilize both the Snapdragon 855 and Exynos 9820 processors for the Galaxy Note10 series, depending on the market, similar to what it did with the Galaxy S10 series, actually.

Android 9 Pie will come pre-installed on the Galaxy Note10 smartphones, along with Samsungs One UI skin. The two devices are also expected to include curved displays, and rather large battery packs on the inside.

In terms of the design, chances are that the Galaxy Note10 and Note10 Pro will resemble the Galaxy S10 series, at least that was the case for years. Which means you can expect the two phones to include thin bezels, and display camera hole(s).

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Both devices will probably be made out of metal and glass, and the company will include either three or four cameras on the back of these phones. In fact, the Galaxy Note10 is rumored to ship with three cameras, while the Pro model will include four if rumors are to be believed.

Needless to say, both Galaxy Note10 phones will include a brand new S Pen stylus, which will probably retain Bluetooth functionality from the last-gen S Pen. Samsung is expected to include some new features to that S Pen, but we still do know what to expect exactly. Some concepts actually envisioned selfie cameras on the S Pen, but thats kind of unlikely to happen, even though it would allow Samsung to ditch display camera holes.
Posted on: May 16, 2019 3:50 PM

[ACNS, by Rachel Farmer] A Pakistan court has ruled in favour of the Church of Pakistans attempt to retain independence for an Anglican college in Peshawar, after the Moderator of the Church took legal action to defend it against a government take over.

Interference in Edwardes College from the Governor of Peshawar over the past few months had forced the Bishop of Peshawar, Humphrey Peters, to defend its independence and its governance and budgets from being revised. The High Court ruling this week blocked the local governments attempts to interfere in College affairs.

He said, This is the only remaining Anglican institution in Pakistan. Its good news that we have won the case in the High Court and we thank God for that. All the time we have been fighting to secure the Anglican identity of the College. We are trying to retain and maintain the identity of the Church in Pakistan in these difficult situations.

Edwardes College is one of the oldest Christian institutions in the province and was established in 1900 by the Church Missionary Society (CMS), when it was known as Edwardes Church Mission College. It is a private college, owned and sponsored by the Diocese of Peshawar, part of the Church of Pakistan and registered with the government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the University of Peshawar and the Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education.

The College had not been taken over by the government during a wave of nationalisation in the 1970s. However, it has been under threat from a take-over for many years after the Pershawar governor set up a Board of Governors for the College without any legal backing.

Following a High Court judgement in favour of the Church of Pakistan last year, the Bishop had restored the College Board of Governors, but the Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had been fighting the judgement and continuing to attempt to influence college affairs and management.

The Church hopes this weeks High Court ruling will mark the end of the battle for independence and protection for this one remaining Christian institution in Pakistan.

The Secretary General of the Anglican Communion, Dr Josiah Idowu-Fearon said, Im delighted to hear about the ruling in favour of the Church in Pakistan over maintaining the Christian tradition and independence of Edwardess College. I would want to commend this Judge for standing for justice as a matter of principle, whether for Muslims or non-Muslims as enjoined in Quran 4:135.

As brothers and sisters in the Anglican Communion we must stand together to support one another in places where the Church continues to courageously hold out the light of Christ, despite injustice and persecution.

The Church of Pakistan is a united Church comprising a number of denominations. In addition to being a full member of the Anglican Communion, it is also a member of the World Communion of Reformed Churches and the World Methodist Council.
Posted on: May 16, 2019 4:45 PM

The Presiding Bishop of the US-based Episcopal Church, Michael Curry, will receive the 2019 Sandford St Martin Trustees Award in recognition of the huge media impact generated by his royal wedding sermon. The Sandford St Martin Trust, which has been making awards since 1978, said that his 2018 sermon helped to bring a better understanding of religious belief and its modern relevance to a new audience. An estimated 1.9 billion people watched Bishop Curry deliver the sermon, in which he told the congregation of royals and celebrities that love is the way.

One of the indisputable broadcasting highlights of the 2018 royal wedding was Bishop Currys sermon, the Bishop of Repton, Jan MacFarlane, Chair of the Sandford St Martin Trust, said. His inspirational words were broadcast to millions around the world and were instrumental in shining a spotlight on the central role faith plays in the wider social discourse, not least in the most significant moments of our lives.

At the heart of his sermon, Bishop Curry spoke of love being the most important and powerful force for unity in the world  a message much needed when the social and political divisions in the UK and around the world are being so deeply felt.

The Trustees Award recognises individuals, programmes or organisations which have made outstanding contributions to their audiences understanding of religion, ethics or spirituality, the Trust said in a statement. Previous recipients include author, journalist and broadcaster Joan Bakewell, composer Sir John Tavener, journalist Lyse Doucet, and, broadcaster and historian Neil MacGregor.

The awards will be presented during a ceremony at Lambeth Palace on 13 June, when the full list of winners  including the Radio Times Readers Award which is voted for by members of the public  will be announced. Bishop Curry is unable to collect the Award in person and has prepared a video message which will be played to the audience.

On behalf of all the Trusts shortlisters I can tell you that this has been a particularly interesting year with a real range in both the themes or subject matter explored and the treatments used, Sandford St Martins Executive Director, Anna McNamee, said. We reviewed content concerning everything from guns, gangs and drill to new poetry inspired by the psalms to the legacy of The Troubles in the face of Brexit and assisted dying.

Fortunately for us, some of these tougher subjects were levied by sci-fi utopias, side-splitting humour and some truly brilliant cutting-edge dramas. To quote one of our shortlisters, it was really tough this year. There was so much of such high quality and so many more than six programmes I wanted to see included on the shortlist.

The full 2019 Sandford St Martin Awards shortlist:

Broadcast Journalism Shortlist

Crossing Continents: Chile  Sexual Abuse, Secrets and Lies

BBC Radio Current Affairs for Radio 4





BBC Radio Current Affairs for Radio 4 File on 4: The Unorthodox Life of Miriam

BBC Radio Current Affairs for Radio 4





BBC Radio Current Affairs for Radio 4 Grenfell: Our Home

Parable for Channel 4





Parable for Channel 4 Myanmars Killing Fields

Evan Williams Productions with Mongoose Pictures for Channel 4/PBS





Evan Williams Productions with Mongoose Pictures for Channel 4/PBS Syria: The Worlds War

BBC TV Current Affairs for BBC 2





BBC TV Current Affairs for BBC 2 The Dawn of British Jihad

BBC Radio Current Affairs for Radio 4

Television/Video Shortlist

Civilisations

Nutopia Ltd for BBC Two





Nutopia Ltd for BBC Two Gangs, Drill & Prayer

BBC for iPlayer / 1Xtra Youtube





BBC for iPlayer / 1Xtra Youtube Journey in the Danger Zone: Iraq (Episode 2)

October Films Ltd for BBC Two





October Films Ltd for BBC Two Louis Theroux: Altered States: Choosing Death

BBC Studios: The Documentary Unit for BBC Two





BBC Studios: The Documentary Unit for BBC Two My Dad, the Peace Deal, and Me

Dragonfly Film and Television Productions for BBC One





Dragonfly Film and Television Productions for BBC One We Are British Jews (Programme 2)

Lion Television for BBC Two

Radio/Audio Shortlist

Documentary on One: In Shame, Love, In Shame

Documentary on One for RTE Radio 1





Documentary on One for RTE Radio 1 D oorstep Daughter

BBC Radio Current Affairs for Radio 4





BBC Radio Current Affairs for Radio 4 FutureProofing: Faith

BBC News/Radio Specials, BBC Political Programmes for Radio 4





BBC News/Radio Specials, BBC Political Programmes for Radio 4 Meeting the Man I Killed

Loftus Media for Radio 4





Loftus Media for Radio 4 Morality in the 21st Century

BBC Religion & Ethics Radio for Radio 4





BBC Religion & Ethics Radio for Radio 4 Sisters of the Troubles

BBC Religion & Ethics for the World Service





BBC Religion & Ethics for the World Service The Silence of the Lamb (Lent Talks)

BBC Religion for BBC Radio 4

Childrens Broadcasting Shortlist

EDEK

Green Cave People for www.edek.film





Green Cave People for www.edek.film My Life: Locked in Boy

Sugar Films for CBBC





Sugar Films for CBBC My Life: Mumbai Street Strikers

Drummer TV for CBBC





Drummer TV for CBBC My Life: Without a Home

Hey Sonny Films (formerly markthree media) for CBBC





Hey Sonny Films (formerly markthree media) for CBBC Setting Sail: 60 Years of Blue Peter / Poem by Tony Walsh

Childrens Shortform Team for CBBC, CBBC YouTube Channel, Twitter, Facebook & iPlayer





Childrens Shortform Team for CBBC, CBBC YouTube Channel, Twitter, Facebook & iPlayer What Do You Mean I Cant Change the World?

CTVC Ltd/TrueTube for www.TrueTube.co.uk

Radio Times Readers Award Shortlist
Spokesperson for the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, Stephane Dujarric, said that the Secretary General is following with growing concern recent incidents and hardening rhetoric in the Gulf region.

In particular, the spokesperson said that Guterres condemns the recent attacks on commercial vessels off the coast of the United Arab Emirates and "stresses the need for further investigation to determine the facts and hold accountable the perpetrators."

The UN chief also condemned the drone attacks on oil facilities in Saudi Arabia.

"The Secretary-General recalls that attacks targeting civilian infrastructure violate international humanitarian law. The Secretary-General calls upon all actors to exercise maximum restraint and prevent any escalation amid heightened tensions," Dujarric concluded.
International Conference Explores Armenian, Pontic Greek and Assyrian Genocides

THESSALONIKI, Greece -- In recent years, scholars have increasingly approached the destruction of Christians in the final years of the Ottoman Empire comparatively, exploring the continuities, similarities in the destruction of Greeks, Armenians and Assyrians from the late 19th century to the years following the Turkish Republic. The recently-published book "The Thirty-Year Genocide: Turkey's Destruction of Its Christian Minorities, 1894--1924" by Benny Morris and Dror Ze'evi stands as as a prominent example of this approach.

"As the research on the genocide of Armenians, Pontians and Assyrians is expanding, what is increasingly becoming clear to scholars of the period is that these events should be understood as a single process of extermination of these Christian populations in the context of the creation of a homogenized Turkish state," Dr. Theodosios Kyriakidis of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki told the Armenian Weekly.

Along the same vein, an international conference on "The Genocide of the Christian Populations in the Ottoman Empire and its Aftermath" was held at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki from May 10-12.

Kyriakidis, a member of the conference organizing committee, said that the aim was for the newly-established Chair of Pontic Studies of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki "to contribute in a meaningful way to the promotion of the international scholarly discussion on the subject." He noted that the 43 scholars (from 15 countries) participating in the conference helped enhance our knowledge and understanding of the genocides.

One of the largest conferences ever held on Armenian, Greek and Assyrian cases, the event featured an impressive lineup of senior and up and coming scholars from around the world. Professors Richard G. Hovannisian and Taner AkAam offered keynote speeches.

The conference explored the destruction of Greek, Assyrian and Armenian communities in the Ottoman Empire from a multidisciplinary perspective: historical, sociological, political and legal approaches were offered as the three cases were tackled, often with a comparative approach.

The conference concluded with the inauguration ceremony of the Research Center of Pontic Studies and the transfer of the Black Sea Archive to the Aristotle University library.

The full program of the conference can be accessed online.
In accordance with the plan approved by the Azerbaijani President, Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Ilham Aliyev, the large-scale operational-tactical exercises will be held on May 20-24 under the leadership of Minister of Defense Colonel General Zakir Hasanov. The exercises will involve various types of troops, Army Corps and formations of the Azerbaijani Army

The main topic of the exercises is to repel the enemys attack at night by delivering counterstrikes to him in various directions, and the launching an offensive operation by our troops, the Azerbaijani Ministry of Defense said.

The exercises will involve more up to 10,000 military personnel, 150 tanks, and other armored vehicles, up to 200 rocket and artillery mounts of different caliber, multiple launch rocket systems, and mortars, up to 35 aircraft and helicopters.

In the course of the live-fire exercises to be held at various training ranges at nighttime, in a difficult relief and electronic environment, tasks will be performed to organize interoperability among tank, aviation, artillery military units and other combat elements, to use landing and special maneuvering forces in the depth of defense the enemy, the improvement of management skills, as well as issues of moral-psychological support of military personnel.

All actions will be carried out with the provision of accurate interaction of the troops involved in the exercises, especially at night and in difficult climatic conditions.
Marysville, CA (95901)

Today

Light rain early...then remaining cloudy with showers overnight. Low 41F. Winds S at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 60%. Winds could occasionally gust over 40 mph..

Tonight

Light rain early...then remaining cloudy with showers overnight. Low 41F. Winds S at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 60%. Winds could occasionally gust over 40 mph.
BarcelonaThe Prosecutor's Office wants to press organized crime charges against 28 of the 30 current and former government officials and businessmen investigated by Barcelona's 13th Court over the Catalan referendum held on October 1, 2017. The judge assigned to the case left the 30 people accused one step away from a trial for misappropriation, dereliction of duty, and disobedience, but the public prosecutor wants to extend the indictment to include another crime belonging to a criminal organization, which carries much higher penalties. It is the same crime for which Josep Lluis Trapero, the head of the Catalan police, the Mossos d'Esquadra, has also been prosecuted in Spains National Court.

Among the accused who the Prosecutor's Office also seeks to try for being part of a criminal organization is Antoni Molons (the former Secretary of Communication of the Catalan government), Communications Director Jaume Clotet, Joaquim Nin (the Secretary of the Presidency), Secretary General for Labor Josep Ginesta, General Director for Heritage Francesc Sutrias, the former permanent representative of the Generalitat to the European Union (Amadeu Altafaj), the former Secretary General of Foreign Affairs (Aleix Villatoro), the former secretary general of Diplocat (Albert Royo), Rosa Vidal (the Catalan government's auditor), the President of the Catalan Broadcasting Corporation (CCMA), Nuria Llorach, TV3 Director Vicent Sanchis, the Director of Catalunya Radio (Saul Gordillo), and the Marketing Director of the CCMA (Marti Patxot).

The only ones to escape the fresh accusations are Meritxell Masso, Secretary General for Governance, Montserrat Vidal, head of Electoral Processes, and businessman Josep Maria Gispert, for whom the Prosecutor could not find any grounds to bring charges. On the other hand, the list of 28 names allegedly involved in organised criminal activities includes the director of the Catalan Data Protection Authority, Angels Barbara, whom the judge of the 13th Court had initially exonerated.

"Coordinated" action, hierarchy, and division of roles

The prosecutor's argument for demanding the qualitative leap implied by prosecuting the 28 present and former government officials and businessmen for being part of a criminal organization is that they acted in a "coordinated and joint" manner to disobey Constitutional Court resolutions and move forward with the referendum, each one within their own responsibilities, but following a joint "roadmap". According to the public prosecutor, the examining judge reached this same conclusion, because the existence of a joint plan to carry out the referendum is mentioned at the very start of her report. That's why they reproach her for "forgetting" to mention it in her final conclusions.

The prosecutor's office believes that the defendants also met the rest of the prerequisites found in the definition of a criminal organization. They not only acted in a coordinated way, but there was a "hierarchy" and a "distribution of roles" to carry out their "independence plan". So who was at the top of the alleged organization described by the prosecution? The Prosecutor's Office points at Carles Puigdemont, the former president of the Generalitat, his former vice president (Oriol Junqueras), and the rest of the ex-ministers currently standing trial in the Supreme Court for rebellion.

The second or third tier would include those prosecuted by Barcelonas 13th Court who, each within their own functions, acted with the same "criminal intent" as the top tier. The goal which they sought over time and in a sustained manner was nothing more, in the view of the Prosecutor's Office, than to hold the independence referendum and "to obtain by criminal means the secession of the autonomous community of Catalonia from the Kingdom of Spain", the prosecutors emphasize.

The macro-case of the 13th Court of Barcelona was initiated as a result of the complaint filed by a lawyer over statements made by Santiago Vidal, judge and ex-senator of ERC, who stated in public that the Catalan government had access to the tax data of Catalans and would use them for the referendum. Over time the investigation of the case grew to include 43 people in a macro-case that forms the basis for the charges of rebellion in the Supreme Court and for sedition in the National Court. Vidal, however, was exonerated in the end the judge did not see any reason to indict him, like twelve others and the Prosecutor's Office has also excluded him from its new brief.

In fact, the document issued by the prosecution points out that, despite the prosecution resolution filed by the judge, neither the prosecutor's office nor the Guardia Civil have closed their investigation into October 1, "not only because the judicial police have not yet presented all the official statements, but because there is still evidence to be reviewed", the Public Prosecutor points out. The Prosecutor also criticizes the judge for not charging some of those accused for additional crimes, such as Albert Royo or Natalia Garriga for dereliction of duty, or David Palanques and Josep Ginesta for revelation of secrets.

With the request to expand the range of crimes in the prosecutions brief, the Prosecutor's Office wants to be allowed to keep its options open in the future for possibly filing a longer list of charges, and for more serious felonies than initially raised by the examining judge. The brief has been signed by three prosecutors from Barcelona, Isabel Nevot, Fernando Maldonado, and Teresa Duerto. The latter two are anti-graft prosecutors.
ABOVE: On Line - Adel Mardini's Jetex to work with Bombardier on a new line maintenance venture

The new facility will initially offer unscheduled maintenance services and build toward scheduled maintenance operations in the coming months. The technical engineers supporting the line station are certified for all Challenger series and Global series business jets, including Bombardier's flagship Global 7500 aircraft.

"This expansion is an integral part of our overall mission to enhance OEM support for our operators in the Middle East - and we are very pleased to be working with highly-respected business aviation leader JETEX in the development of this project," said Jean-Christophe Gallagher, vice-president and general manager, customer experience, Bombardier Business Aircraft. "As a part of our commitment to offering an exceptional customer experience, we are delighted to offer our customers expanded support, more resources and increased flexibility closer to their base of operations."

Adel Mardini, president and CEO of Jetex described the tie-up as an exciting venture for the company.

"The shared vision between Bombardier and Jetex to provide a comprehensive and exceptional experience makes this new service expansion an exciting venture for us," he said. "This is a significant boon for our customers who rely on our services to give them the peace of mind that they have trusted partners ready to go the extra mile around the clock and around the globe."

The Dubai station joins Bombardier Business Aircraft's award-winning network of nine service centres and a total of 30 Customer Response Team mobile units around the globe, all equipped to support Bombardier Learjet, Challenger and Global business aircraft.


Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono said at the meeting with his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif that it was essential to maintain the JCPOA, demanding that Iran keep implementing it.

Kono also voiced serious concerns about the situation in the Middle East. "I will spare no effort to ease tensions and try to resolve outstanding issues," PressTV cited him as saying.

Iran's Foreign Minister, in turn, said that Tehran is showing "maximum restraint" in the face of the United States unilateral exit from the 2015 nuclear deal and called the re-imposition of sanctions against the Iranian nation "unacceptable."

Zarif noted that Iran is still committed to its obligations under the JCPOA.
The study by Gerald A. Carlino of the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia and Albert Saiz of Massachusetts Institute of Technology, examines the connection between a citys beauty and key growth indicators. A raft of previous studies have found a connection between economic and population growth and urban amenities (a broad category ranging from parks to restaurants, art galleries, and museums). But this study takes a much closer look at the effects of beauty itself.  CityLab
Brandon Keith Brown took up his position as conductor of the Brown University Orchestra in September of 2017; within six weeks, and shortly before his first scheduled concert leading the group, he was dismissed amid student complaints of intimidating and abusive behavior. Mr. Brown argues that the university fired him because he is black, and he has filed a case with the Rhode Island Commission for Human Rights.  Providence Journal
In a peer-reviewed paper published in the journal Romance Studies, Gerard Cheshire, a research associate at the University of Bristol, argues the manuscript is  a type of therapeutic reference book composed by nuns for Maria of Castile, queen of Aragon, in a lost language known as proto-Romance.  The Guardian
Kazakhstan is interested in exporting more wheat to Georgia, Georgian Prime Minister Mamuka Bakhtadze while summarising yesterdays meetings under his official visit to Kazakhstan.

"Using Georgia's ports will enable Kazakhstan to increase export to the Mediterranean. It is a complex project that requires careful development, but I am convinced that, together, we will make it work," Agenda.ge cited him as saying.

"At the same time, we can offer absolutely new products to the international market, such as the chemical industry, for example," the Georgian PM added.

Bakhtadze recalled that a very important agreement was signed yesterday  a "roadmap seeking to double trade between the two countries over the next couple of years."
Both BJP and TMC are blaming each other for the destruction of the statue.

Mumbai: Veteran filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt on Wednesday condemned the desecration of the statue of Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar during a road show violence in Kolkata, saying the attack on the social reformer is akin to an attack on the Bengali language.

Clashes broke out between BJP supporters and student activists and those of the Left and Trinamool Congress Chatra Parishad (TMCP) during BJP President Amit Shah's roadshow on Tuesday.

Officials said the trouble began after stones were pelted at Amit Shah's convoy as it passed through College Street and the arterial Bidhan Sarani on its way to Swami Vivekananda's residence in north Kolkata, a little over 3.5 km from Esplanade in the heart of the city, where it began.

"To attack Pandit Vidya Sagar is to attack Bangla language. To begin with, he simplified Bangla for studying through Borno Porichoy (Introduction to Letters)" Bhatt tweeted, tagging TMC spokesperson Derek O'Brien.

A college named after Iswarchandra Vidyasagar, a key figure in the Bengal renaissance, was ransacked and a bust of the 19th-century educationist was shattered.

Both BJP and TMC are blaming each other for the destruction of the statue.

Through "Borno Porichoy", a series of books which is considered a classic, Vidyasagar reconstructed the Bengali alphabet and simplified Bengali typography.

He was a campaigner for remarriage of windows, which was eventually legalised on 26 July 1856 by the British government of that time.
The leaders hit out at West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee for allegedly throttling democracy in the state.

New Delhi: The BJP staged a silent protest at the Jantar Mantar on Wednesday to condemn the alleged attack on party president Amit Shahs convoy during a road show in Kolkata on Tuesday.

Union ministers Nirmala Sitharaman, Dr Jitendra Singh, Vijay Goel and Dr Harsh Vardhan wore black bands and put fingers on their lips while sitting on the podium. Some BJP workers were also carrying placards which read: Save Bengal, save democracy.

The leaders hit out at West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee for allegedly throttling democracy in the state. Yesterday, our national presidents (Mr Shahs) rally was hit by violence, but if it wasnt for the CRPF, our party president would not have come back safe. I think the forthcoming defeat has left West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee completely rattled, Ms Sitharaman told reporters.

The defence minister wondered how noted reformer Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagars statue, which was inside the college campus in a locked room, was vandalised. She alleged that the Trinamul Congress workers, who she said were present inside the campus, were behind the attack.

Dr Singh, meanwhile, claimed that the violence was a conspiracy to put hurdles in the BJPs peaceful campaign in the state. What kind of a democracy will we allow to flourish in our country? One riddled with violence or oppression or one without oppression and violence? Dr Singh asked.

Mr Goel, who organised the protest, said Ms Banerjee wanted to throttle democracy and was scared of the popularity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The BJP will fight against this. She is backed by those elements who were backing the communists earlier. The more she does this, the more support BJP will get from the people, Mr Goel added.

Keep yourself updated on Lok Sabha Elections 2019 with our round-the-clock coverage -- breaking news, updates, analysis et al. Happy reading.
Natural camouflage increases animals' chances of survival.

Mumbai: A photograph of a camouflaged snow leopard lying on a rocky mountain recently went viral on the internet. Saurabh Desai, a wildlife photographer posted a photograph titled 'art of camouflage' on his Instagram profile. He had taken it during his visit to the Spiti Valley in Himachal Pradesh.

It didn't take long for the photograph to go viral as it has received around more than 17,000 likes. It is extremely difficult for people to spot the animal at first glance. This is why it is being shared extensively over various platforms of social media.

Saurabh Desai, who goes by the user name of 'visual_poetries' on Instagram has posted a series of photographs from his visit to Spiti valley which features the fauna of Spiti valley.

True to their reputation snow leopards are known as 'ghosts of the mountains'.
The attack comes close on the heels of a high-level security review meeting chaired by CM Sonowal on Wednesday.

Guwahati: After a long lull, suspected Ulfa-I rebels on Wednesday launched a lethal grenade attack in a crowded locality on the zoo road and injured at least eight persons, including two Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) personnel.

Among those injured one was a popcorn vendor. His condition was stated to be very critical.

The outlawed Ulfa-I chief Paresh Baruah, who called up newspaper offices soon after the grenade attack, claimed the responsibility of the blast and clarified that they were targeting the security forces, but some civilians also came under the attack.

Confirming that condition of at least two among those critically wounded was critical, the deputy commissioner of police central zone said that militants targeted a fixed security picket of SSB on RG Baruah Road near the state zoo. It would very early to say the name of any militant outfits, but preliminary investigation indicates it to be the handiwork of some militant groups. We are yet to ascertain the kind of explosive used by the militants, he said, pointing out that all those wounded have been shifted to Guwahati Medical College Hospital.

Security sources told this newspaper that the MHA had alerted the state police force about the possible attack by outlawed Ulfa-I rebels in one of the crowded locality of the capital city.

Though there has been heavy police checking all across the capital city, Ulfa-I rebels managed to launch the offensive, security sources said. High alert has been sounded in Guwahati following the blast. All entry and exit routes have been put under surveillance.

The grenade attack comes close on the heels of a high-level security review meeting, chaired by Assam CM Sarbananda Sonowal, earlier on Wednesday in which DGP Kuladhar Saikia, additional chief secretary (home and political) Kumar Sanjay Krishna, principal secretary to the CM Sanjay Lohiya, commissioner and secretary (home and political) Ashutosh Agnihotri, commissioner of police Guwahati Deepak Kumar, DCPs from east, west and central districts of Guwahati and other senior officers were present.

Mr Sonowal had called upon the police top brass to mull strategies for each police district of Guwahati in order to put a tab on criminal activities and provide security to every city dweller.
Patna Sahib and Patliputra are two Lok Sabha seats where caste is likely to play a key role in determining the success of candidates.

Patna: With the caste factor playing a major role in Bihar politics, political parties have started shaping up caste management strategems to win seats in the seventh and final phase of the Lok Sabha elections.

Patna Sahib and Patliputra are two Lok Sabha seats where caste is likely to play a key role in determining the success of candidates.

Patna Sahib has become a hot seat because Shatrughan Sinha, a film star turned politician, is pitted against Union minister and BJP candidate Ravi Shankar Prasad, who is contesting the Lok Sabha poll for the first time.

Shatrughan Sinha, a two-time MP from Patna Sahib, had quit the BJP recently due to differences with the party leadership. Patna Sahib, with over 25 per cent upper caste Kayastha voters, is a BJP stronghold. In 2014, Shatrughan Sinha had won the elections by defeating Congress nominee Kunal Singh, a veteran Bhojpuri film actor, by a record margin of 2,65,805 votes.

However, this time, political analysts see a strong possibility of vote splitting due to discontent within the BJP over ticket distribution.

While both the candidates, who belong to the Kayastha caste, are locked in a neck-and-neck fight, observers claim that BJP veteran leader and Rajya Sabha MP R.K. Sinhas interest in the seat may disturb the caste calculations in Patna Sahib.

R.K. Sinha is a popular leader with massive support from Akhil Bharatiya Kayastha Mahasabha. In March BJP had to face embarrassing moments when supporters of Mr Prasad and R.K. Sinha exchanged blows at Patna airport.

Dismissing the speculation of the vote split in Patna Sahib, BJP spokesperson Nikhil Anand told this newspaper, Everyone knows that despite public anger Shatrughan Sinha managed to retain his seat during the previous Lok Sabha elections due to a massive Modi wave in the country. Be sure that Mr Prasad is going to win the election this time witha record margin and his rival Shatrughan Sinha will be politically silenced permanently.

The Patliputra seat has also become a prestigious battle for both grand alliance and the NDA as RJD chief Lalu Yadavs elder daughter Misa Bharti is contesting against Union minister and BJP nominee Ram Kripal Yadav.

As per an assessment, there are about 5 lakh Yadav voters in Patliputra. Upper caste Bhumihar, Rajputs and Brahmins are also in a sizeable number in the constituency.

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During the hearing, the bench said the incident happened in Tamil Nadu and therefore, the petitioner ought to have moved the high court there.

New Delhi: The Delhi high court declined Wednesday to entertain the PIL which referred to actor-cum-politician Kamal Haasans remark about Mahatma Gandhis assassin being a Hindu terrorist and sought directions for the EC to restrict misuse of religion for poll gains.

A bench of Justices G.S. Sistani and Jyoti Singh said the cause of action for the PIL by BJP leader Ashwini Upadhyay was the remarks by Haasan which was made outside the jurisdiction of the high court here and therefore, it cannot hear it.

The cause of action has not arisen within the jurisdiction of this court... We find no grounds to entertain the petition, it said.

During the hearing, the bench said the incident happened in Tamil Nadu and therefore, the petitioner ought to have moved the high court there.

Mr Upadhyays lawyer contended that they had made a representation to the Election Commission on May 13 against the remarks, but it has done nothing yet.

The ECs lawyer told the court that the representation was made only on May 13 and the commission will need time to look into it.

The court subsequently asked the EC to expeditiously decide Mr Upadhyays representation against Haasans remark and dismissed the petition which had also sought debarring of candidates and deregistration of parties that misuse religion for electoral gains.

Mr Upadhyay, also a lawyer, had alleged that Mr Haasan deliberately made the statement in the presence of a Muslim majority crowd for electoral gain.

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PM Modi was, however, conspicuous by his silence on the vandalism of Bengali polymath Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagars bust in a violent attack.

Kolkata: Equating Trinamul Congress supremo Mamata Banerjees rule in West Bengal with the 1975-77 Emergency period, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday attributed her revenge to her party workers attack on BJP president Amit Shahs mega roadshow in central Kolkata a day earlier. He pointed out that the violence by Trinamul workers reflected Ms Banerjees fulfilment of her revenge.

Mr Modi was, however, conspicuous by his silence on the vandalism of Bengali polymath Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagars bust in a violent attack, allegedly by armed BJP supporters, on a college named after the icon, which has overnight swung the political mood across the state, putting the saffron party on the backfoot ahead of the last phase of the Lok Sabha polls, which includes four major constituencies across the city.

While the PM mentioned the names of many Bengali luminaries in his speech to highlight the states rich past, Vidyasagars name was missing on his list. Tearing into the West Bengal CM, Mr Modi ridiculed her for respecting the Pakistani PM instead of her own countrys PM and her open support for that country in the wake of the Balakot airstrike.

Mocking Ms Banerjees painting skills, the PM sarcacastically asked her to draw a worst portrait on him. He requested her to gift it to him in person at his residence after May 23, when he would become PM again. Mr Modi assured the Trinamul chief of not lodging an FIR against her, in an oblique reference to the arrest of BJP youth wing leader Priyanka Sharma by the state police for her meme on Ms Banerjee.

At a campaign rally at Taki in North 24 Parganas, the PM told Ms Banerjee: You send those taking the name of God to jail. BJP leaders are not allowed to hold rallies here while voters are not allowed to cast their vote, and candidates are attacked. Which era are you pushing Bengal to? I remember such a thing happened during the election just after the Emergency.

He added: People were stopped from casting their vote this way. You have pushed Bengal to that period of the Emergency. Blasting the Trinamul chief, Mr Modi alleged: The whole country has seen pictures of Kolkata on Tuesday. It is discussed across the entire country. Didi has been tense due to the BJPs rise in West Bengal. And the country and the world are seeing the standard a worried Didi has fallen to.

The PM said: Barely two days ago Mamata Didi had issued an warning. She vowed in public to take revenge by every inch. Fulfilling her declared agenda in the next 24 hours, she masterminded an attack on the BJP presidents roadshow and unleashed violence, trying to trigger panic. However, university students have started exposing the politics being played by you and your agents.

He noted: Didi has lost so much mental balance that she says: I am not ready to accept the PM of India as a PM. She is ready to accept the PM of Pakistan as a PM but not that of India.

Mr Modi told Ms Banerjee: Your paintings are sold in the name of Saradha and Narada. From this platform in Bengal I make a request you to cool your anger. You are an artist and a painter. Draw the worst portrait on me. You must make it. Please come to my residence and gift it to me following my oath-taking as PM after May 23. I will accept that and treasure it with me my whole life. I will not lodge any FIR against you.

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The same happened to her partys profile photos too on both social networking platforms.

Kolkata: Furious over the Election Commissions order to cut shot the campaign period for the last phase of the Lok Sabha polls in West Bengal and action against two key bureuacrats, Trinamul Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee described the move as politically biased.

Wondering why the campaign ban was not made effective from Wednesday night itself, she alleged the EC had deliberately set the Thursday 10 pm deadline so that Prime Minister Narendra Modi could complete his two rallies in the state during the day.

In a threatening mood, the West Bengal CM argued: Does it mean that no one can else campaign after Mr Modis rallies? If any malpractice is found in EVMs during the last phase of polling on May 19, we will move the Supreme Court against the EC. Deputy election commissioner Sudeep Jain is intimidating the district magistrates.

She asked: Why was no action taken against BJP president Amit Shah, who triggered the violence with goons at Vidyasagar College and vandalism of Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagars bust there on Tuesday? I did not see such massive violence even in the riots after the Babri Masjid demolition.

Hitting out at the PM, Ms Banerjee reasoned: We lodged a complaint with videos as evidence. But we are now at the receiving end. I do not think the decision was taken by the EC. It is a BJP decision taken by Mr Modi and Mr Shah. Mr Modi had campaigned here today. Has he regretted the violence? No. Those who vandalise do not regret.

Earlier, she warned the BJP the saffron party would not succeed in grabbing the state by killing greats like Vidyasagar and Rabindranath Tagore, before she led a protest rally in the city in the afternoon.

Desperate to cash in on the popular Bengali sentiment over Vidyasagar a few days before the last round of voting, Ms Banerjee also replaced her profile pictures with the icons photo on her Facebook and Twitter accounts. The same happened to her partys profile photos too on both social networking platforms.

At a poll meeting at Agarpara in North 24 Parganas, the Trinamul chief claimed: It is a pre-planned conspiracy. But that gentleman is so shameless that he claimed at a meeting of not vandalising the bust. Should we show who did it? I have the videos which cannot be shown at length.

Ms Banerjee alleged: Goons were brought here from outside. Would not the people know Vidyasagar if they were from Bengal? Would not someone know Rabindranth Tagore or Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose if he is from Bengal? Hired goons forcibly entered Vidyasagar College and Calcutta University.

She added: They beat the students and went on the rampage, when Vidyasagars bust was vandalised. I have the documentation which has revealed that the bust was thrown away. Now they are making tall talk against Trinamul. Where was Trinamul there? No one from our party was present.

West Bengal governor Keshari Nath Tripathi said: As chancellor of Calcutta University, I am greatly pained at the vandalising of the Vidyasagar statue. The real culprit behind breaking the statue must be traced and suitably punished. Efforts should also be made by Calcutta University at the earliest to instal a new statue of Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar at the same place.

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Top saffron leaders have been asked to spread out and complete door to door campaigns by Friday.

Pushing for the last leg of the election in Uttar Pradesh, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav and BSP supremo Mayawati held joint rallies across eastern UP. (Photo: File | PTI)

New Delhi: Pushing for the last leg of the election in Uttar Pradesh, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav and BSP supremo Mayawati held joint rallies across eastern UP. Besides crucial seats like Gorakhpur and Phulpur, the PMs home turf Varanasi will also go to the polls on May 19. Top saffron leaders have been asked to spread out and complete door to door campaigns by Friday.

The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance had won all 13 Lok Sabha seats going to the polls in the last phase of the election in UP. The BJP had won Maharajganj, Gorakhpur, Kushinagar, Deoria, Bansgaon, Ghosi, Salempur, Ballia, Ghazipur, Chandauli, Varanasi and Robertsganj seats, while its ally Apna Dal won Mirzapur, from where party leader Anupriya Patel was elected to the Lok Sabha.

In the current election, however, the BJP is facing a tough fight from the Mahagathbandhan, while the Congress is claiming that it will take back the seats of Kushinagar and Mirzapur from the BJP. Former Union minister and Congress leader R.P.N. Singh is contesting from Kushinagar, while Lalitesh Tripathi is contesting from Mirzapur.

Taking the attack directly to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BSP chief Mayawati alleged the PM had crossed all limits of decency in terming the BSP her personal property. The entire country knows that most of those having benami properties and the corrupt are connected with the BJP, she said, claiming Mr Modi is honest only on paper, just like he is an OBC only on paper.

The BJP is not taking any chances this time. The state leadership is spread out in all 13 seats. Interestingly, Varanasi and Gorakhpur are the seats of the PM and Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath. In the Gorakhpur bylections, the BJP candidate had lost to the Opposition alliance. The BJP is trying hard to win back the seat.

AICC general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also did a roadshow in Varanasi. On Thursday, Akhilesh Yadav and Mayawati plan to address a joint rally in Varanasi. Mr Modi is expected to stay Thursday night in Varanasi.

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Politeness and amiability in the negotiations with Washington do not mean that Moscow is willing to give up its positions, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said, commenting on Russian President Vladimir Putin's talks with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

"If we are polite, this absolutely does not imply that we will make compromises that contradict Russian national interests," the Russian top diplomat noted. He underlined that politeness and pliability "are two different notions." "You should always be polite, and we are polite people," TASS cited Lavrov as saying.

"We talk on any topics coming from the idea that its important to talk and hear each other. And, by the way, we always hear others, while they dont always do the same," the Russian Foreign Minister said.
Mahesh Sharma also called them private limited companies unable to stand with the expectations of people.

Kolkata: BJP leader and Union minister Mahesh Sharma has described the mahagathbandhan of non-BJP parties as a gathering of opportunists who have no ideology of patriotism, growth or development and are interested only in their pound of flesh.

Mr Sharma also called them private limited companies unable to stand with the expectations of people. In an interview to PTI, he said that the leaders fighting BJP do not want a strong government at the Centre, so that each one of them can have an opportunity to sit on the chair of the prime minister. More than 20 regional parties had come together during a rally hosted by the Trinamul Congress in Kolkata in January, vowing to defeat the Bharatiya Janata Party in Lok Sabha polls.

More such rallies were planned as a non-BJP front of regional parties started taking shape. But the idea tapered off amid signs of differences among the leaders over seat-sharing and PM candidate.

Several regional leaders, including N Chandrababu Naidu, Mamata Banerjee, Akhilesh Yadav and Mayawati, however have refuted any suggestion of contradiction among themselves and some of them have said they will decide their PM candidate together based on the election results on May 23.

They have also said there are several leaders who can become the Prime Minister.

Mahagathbandhan is a cluster of opportunists. There is no ideology in this so-called mahagathbandhan, Mr Sharma said, referring to the coming together of the regional parties.

I do not see any ideology of rashtravaad (patriotism) or any ideology of growth and development. All the leaders in this mahagathbandhan want to draw their pound of flesh, he said.

The BJP leader from Uttar Pradesh, which sends the highest number of 80 members to Lok Sabha, said people know this time they would be voting for the wider interest of the country.

This election, he asserted, is about a government which can take India 50 years ahead, adding theres a sea change in the vision of the people who want a stable government and an able leader.

People are looking for a strong, decisive, hard working and honest prime minister who can work above casteism and above family politics. That leader is Modi ji, he said.

Mr Sharma expressed confidence the BJP will win a thumping victory in the general election and more than 22 seats in West Bengal. Asked whether Modi was holding rallies in Bengal to make up for losses in Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, Sharma said the eastern state was a matter of concern for his party.

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Nothing of this sort has ever happened in Rae Bareli. Country-made weapons, bricks and lathis were used in the attack.

New Delhi: Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Wednesday hit out at the Modi dispensation, saying it is not a mazboot government but a magroor one that harbours an oppressive mindset. She alleged that people fighting for their rights were put behind bars on charges of being anti-national and were subjected to atrocities. She claimed that no development works were carried out in Varanasi, the constituency of Prime Minister Modi.

Meanwhile, a day after an alleged attack on Rae Bareli MLA Aditi Singh, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra slammed the state government and local administration, terming the incident an attack on democracy. Ms Vadra, along with Mahila Congress chief Sushmita Dev, visited Rae Bareli to take stock of the situation. This is an attack on democracy. Nothing of this sort has ever happened in Rae Bareli. Country-made weapons, bricks and lathis were used in the attack. Zila panchayat members were dragged from their vehicles, Ms Vadra alleged.

The MLA was on her way to oversee the voting for a no-confidence motion against zila panchayat chairman Mr. Avadhesh Pratap Singh, who is the brother of BJPs Lok Sabha candidate Mr Dinesh Singh. She was allegedly attacked by Avadhesh Singhs henchmen, armed with iron rods and bricks in Harchandpur area.

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The EC's decision came in the wake of Tuesday's violence between BJP and Trinamool Congress workers in Kolkata.

The EC on Wednesday ordered campaigning in the nine parliamentary constituencies in West Bengal to end at 10 pm on Thursday night, a day before its scheduled deadline. (Photo: File)

Mumbai: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday thanked the leaders of opposition parties, who came out in her support as she protested against the Election Commission's decision to cut short the poll campaign duration in the state.

"Thanks and gratitude to @Mayawati, @yadavakhilesh, @INCIndia, @ncbn and others for expressing solidarity and support to us and the people of #Bengal. EC's biased actions under the directions of the #BJP are a direct attack on democracy. People will give a befitting reply," she tweeted.

Thanks and gratitude to @Mayawati, @yadavakhilesh, @INCIndia, @ncbn and others for expressing solidarity and support to us and the people of #Bengal. EC's biased actions under the directions of the #BJP are a direct attack on democracy. People will give a befitting reply  Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) May 16, 2019

The poll panel on Wednesday cut short campaigning for the last round of voting in West Bengal, in the wake of violence between the BJP and the TMC workers in Kolkata.

The campaign closing time has been advanced to Thursday 10 pm in the nine Lok Sabha seats - Dum Dum, Barasat, Basirhat, Joynagar, Mathurapur, Diamond Harbour, Jadavpur, Calcutta South and Calcutta North.

Accusing the Election Commission of acting on the instructions of the BJP, Banerjee said the move was "unethical and unconstitutional".

DMK President M K Stalin alleged the EC had different set of rules for the "ruling party", apparently referring to the BJP, and the opposition. "Ban on campaign in nine constituencies in #WestBengal. The EC has one set of rules for the Opposition and another for the ruling party. Highly condemnable," he said in a tweet.

Ban on campaign in nine constituencies in #WestBengal. The EC has one set of rules for the Opposition and another for the ruling party. Highly condemnable.



The BJP follows a typical pattern. Vandalises Periyar statue in Tamil Nadu and Iswara Chandra Vidyasagar in West Bengal.  M.K.Stalin (@mkstalin) May 16, 2019

Naidu in a series of tweets alleged that the EC turned a deaf ear towards the woes of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee-led party.

"It is disturbing to see prompt action by the ECI on the complaint by BJP and Amit Shah in West Bengal, while conveniently ignoring the complaints of TMC," Naidu tweeted.

It is disturbing to see prompt action by the ECI on the complaint by @BJP4India and @AmitShah in West Bengal, while conveniently ignoring the complaints of @AITCofficial.  N Chandrababu Naidu (@ncbn) May 15, 2019

Continuing his tirade against the Election Commission, the Chief Minister said, "Giving clean chits to Narendra Modi, taking unjustified prompt action after false complaints by BJP, willful inaction on genuine complaints by opposition parties; clearly raises doubts about the neutrality, impartiality, and fairness of the Election Commission of India."

"It's high time the ECI acts on the complaints made by opposition parties to restore its credibility and fulfil its constitutional mandate of conducting free and fair elections. The institutional integrity of the ECI and integrity of the democratic process of elections is at stake," he tweeted.

It's high time the ECI acts on the complaints made by opposition parties to restore its credibility and fulfill its constitutional mandate of conducting free and fair elections. The institutional integrity of the ECI & integrity of the democratic process of elections is at stake.  N Chandrababu Naidu (@ncbn) May 15, 2019

In another tweet, Naidu added, "It is even more disturbing to see conspicuous inaction of the ECI regarding the complaint of 22 political parties of the opposition, to validate EVM counting with the counting of at least 50% VVPAT slips in each assembly constituency."

It is even more disturbing to see conspicuous inaction of the ECI regarding the complaint of 22 political parties of the opposition, to validate EVM counting with the counting of at least 50% VVPAT slips in each assembly constituency.  N Chandrababu Naidu (@ncbn) May 15, 2019

BSP chief Mayawati on Thursday accused the Election Commission of India (ECI) of acting under pressure from the Central government, a day after the poll body cut short the campaign period in West Bengal by a day.

Questioning the timing of the campaign ban, Mayawati claimed the EC was being accommodative of the Prime Minister's rallies in the state.

"It is very sad that the Election Commission has banned campaigning in West Bengal, but from 10 pm today just because the Prime Minister has two rallies in the day. If they had to impose this ban, why not from today morning? This is unfair and EC is acting under pressure. We condemn this in the strongest terms. If a ban had to be imposed it should have been from today morning itself," Mayawati told ANI.

She also attacked the Chief Election Commissioner of India and said, "This also proves that under the incumbent Election Commissioner the elections aren't being conducted freely and fairly. This is very dangerous for democracy."

The BSP supremo also accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah of targeting West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

"Since the announcement of Lok Sabha elections, West Bengal has continuously been in news. For this, the BJP and RSS are fully responsible. Regular election-related violence in West Bengal shows that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his disciple Amit Shah are leading the campaign of targeting the Mamata Banerjee government since a long time," she said.

Calling it a 'dangerous and unjust trend', Mayawati also alleged that BJP is targeting the West Bengal Chief Minister in order to deviate attention from their 'failures'.

"The targeting of Mamata Banerjee is unjust and doesn't befit especially the Prime Minister of the country. Different types of tactics are being used against West Bengal CM and people are witnessing how she is fighting against this. BJP is trying to flare up West Bengal issues so much that people forget about important issues and their failures," she said.

The Congress came down heavily on the Election Commission on Wednesday after it cut short the campaign period in West Bengal in view of violence, saying it has been a "shameful fall for a once-independent constitutional body".

Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said the use of Article 324 by the EC is an "unpardonable betrayal of the Constitution" as the poll body has failed to maintain a level playing field.

"Today is a dark day in the history of democracy. EC's order on W.Bengal negates the due process under Art 14 & 21 and abdicates its Constitutional duty under Art 324 to ensure level playing field. This is an unpardonable betrayal of the Constitution!" he tweeted.

Today is a dark day in the history of democracy.



ECs order on W.Bengal negates the due process under Art 14 & 21 and abdicates its Constitutional duty under Art 324 to ensure level playing field.



This is an unpardonable betrayal of the Constitution!

1/2https://t.co/WdxqfVhBgV  Randeep Singh Surjewala (@rssurjewala) May 15, 2019

He alleged that the poll panel had failed to act on his party's complaints against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah.

"Over 11 complaints filed with EC against PM Modi & Amit Shah- No action. Violence by BJP and intimidation by Amit Shah-No action. Now, permit Modiji's rallies on 16th & ban all others. This is a shameful fall for a once independent Constitutional Body," he said in another tweet.

2/2

Over 11 complaints filed with EC against PM Modi & Amit Shah- No action



Violence by BJP and intimidation by Amit Shah-No action



Now, permit Modijis rallies on 16th & ban all others



This is a shameful fall for a once independent Constitutional Bodyhttps://t.co/WdxqfVhBgV  Randeep Singh Surjewala (@rssurjewala) May 15, 2019

Polling for nine Lok Sabha seats in West Bengal will take place on May 19.

The sharp reaction came after the poll body took unprecedented steps by invoking Article 324 of the Constitution to curtail the campaign period and transferred key officials in the West Bengal government.

The EC on Wednesday ordered campaigning in the nine parliamentary constituencies in West Bengal to end at 10 pm on Thursday night, a day before its scheduled deadline. PM Modi is scheduled to address rallies in Laxmikantapur and Dum Dum in West Bengal.

The EC's decision came in the wake of Tuesday's violence between BJP and Trinamool Congress workers in Kolkata.

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Prime Minister Modi was addressing a public meeting in Bihars Paliganj where he gave the statement.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar being garlanded during an election campaign rally in Patna on Wednesday. (Photo: PTI)

Patna: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday stepped up his attack on the Opposition parties for opposing the national security issue and said that that terrorism can be eliminated only by adopting aggressive strategies.

Is it possible to ignore the national security issue during elections when so many people have lost their lives due to terrorism in the country? I want to tell these Mahamilavatis that terrorism can be eliminated only by adopting aggressive strategies as our government did. We hit them hard by entering into their territory, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said.

Prime Minister Modi was addressing a public meeting in Bihars Paliganj where he gave the statement. This was his third rally in Bihar in less than 24 hours. On Tuesday, he had addressed rallies in Buxar and Sasaram.

Political analysts keeping a tab on the ongoing Lok Sabha elections claim that the final phase of polling is crucial for the BJP as four union ministers have been pitted against the grand alliance candidates in Bihar.

Paliganj comes under the Patliputra constituency where Union Minister Ram Kripal Yadav is locked in a neck to neck contest with Lalu Yadavs eldest daughter Misa Bharti. This is my last public meeting during this election but I assure you that I will come again to thank you after elections are over, Prime Minister said. He also played a Yadav card and urged the masses to vote for NDA for the strong government at the Centre.

The Prime Minister also took a veiled dig at RJD chief Lalu Yadav who is serving a jail term in fodder scam case and recalled the 15  year rule of the RJD in Bihar.

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The violence apparently began after suspected TMC supporters hurled stones at the BJP convoy from inside the hostel of Vidyasagar College.

Union ministers Nirmala Sitharaman, Vijay Goel, Harsh Vardhan and Jitender Singh take part in a protest against the TMC in New Delhi. (Photo: Pritam Bandyopadhyay)

New Delhi: BJP chief Amit Shah Wednesday blamed West Bengal's ruling Trinamul Congress for violence during his roadshow in Kolkata and accused the Election Commission of double standards for remaining a mute spectator to rigging and violation of the poll code in the state.

He rejected TMC's allegation that BJP workers vandalised a bust of educationist and social reformer Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, claiming the regional party was behind it.

The countdown to chief minister Mamata Banerjees days in power will begin on May 23, when general election results will be declared, Mr Shah warned.

At a press conference a day after the violence, he said it would have been difficult for him to survive the attack on his convoy but for the security provided by the CRPF, a central police force.

I want to tell the Election Commission that it has become a mute spectator to attempts to rig polls in West Bengal. It should immediately intervene. History-sheeters... Are arrested during elections across the country. In Bengal, they are released after furnishing a bond. What is this double standard from the EC? Why is it silent, he asked.

Mr Shah said election observers in their reports have said polls in the state cannot be conducted fairly till such miscreants are arrested but the EC did not act. It raises a lot of questions on the election watchdog's impartiality, he said.

BJP and TMC supporters clashed on the streets of Kolkata on Tuesday, during a massive roadshow of Shah who had to cut short the event mid-way due to the violence.

The violence apparently began after suspected TMC supporters hurled stones at the BJP convoy from inside the hostel of Vidyasagar College. Furious BJP workers retaliated and during the clash, a bust of the polymath and philosopher inside the campus was damaged.

The election in West Bengal has been marred by incidents of violence and targeted attacks on rival party candidates.

Hitting back at TMCs charge that the BJP was behind the violence, Mr Shah said his party has been contesting elections in every state and is in power in 16, but it is only in West Bengal that violence is being seen.

Mr Shah also alleged that Ms Banerjee has issued threats in her speeches but has not been barred from campaigning.

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Rahul Gandhi said that those who insulted religious scriptures did not deserve any mercy.

Congress chief Rahul Gandhi waves from the drivers seat of a tractor during a poll campaign in Ludhiana on Wednesday. (Photo: PTI)

Chandigarh: Taking the SAD-BJP combine head-on over the sacrilege issue, Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday warned of strong action against the culprits behind the Bargari and other cases of desecration of the holy scriptures, saying the perpetrators of these crimes and the subsequent incidents of police firing would not be spared.

Recalling his earlier visit to the region, which was rocked by a spate of sacrilege incidents and the Behbal Kalan and Kotkapura firing incidents, Mr Gandhi said that those who insulted religious scriptures did not deserve any mercy.

Addressing rallies, in support of the Congress candidate from Faridkot, Mohd. Sadique, and from Ludhiana, Ravneet Singh Bittu, Rahul lambasted Prime Minister Narendra Modi for insulting Punjab, and the rest of India, by claiming that no development was done in 70 years and the nation was sleeping till he came to power.

Where were you when the Punjab farmers were driving the Green Revolution? he asked Modi, lashing out at the prime minister for believing that he alone could run the country. It is the people of India who are running the country with their blood and sweat, declared, asserting that the Congress believed in taking every Indian, irrespective of cast, region, community, along for the development of the nation.

While reiterating employment generation and farmer welfare as the key priorities of the Congress, Mr Gandhi reached out to the people in Ludhiana with the promise to put all the partys strength into reviving small and medium businesses. India cannot challenge China without Made in Ludhiana, which has to be an integral part of Make in India, he said.

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The NCP also asked the Prime Minister to come clean on whether Godse was indeed a patriot as stated by Ms Thakur.

Bhopal/New Delhi: BJPs Bhopal Lok Sabha candidate and Malegaon blast accused Pragya Singh Thakur on Thursday lauded Mahatma Gandhis assassin Nathuram Godse as a patriot, sparking an outrage in the Opposition with the Congress alleging that insulting martyrs is in the DNA of BJP, which also condemned her remarks. Facing the heat, the saffron-clad BJP leader later apologised for her remark and withdrew the statement.

Nathuram Godse was a deshbhakt (patriot), he is and will remain a deshbhakt. Those calling him a terrorist should instead look at themselves. They will be given a befitting reply in this election, Ms Thakur said in Agar Malwa in Madhya Pradesh while attending a roadshow for a party candidate.

She was replying to a question over actor-politician Kamal Haasans remark that independent Indias first extremist was a Hindu, a reference to Godse.

The Election Commission took cognisance of Ms Thakurs remark and sought a factual report from chief electoral officer of Madhya Pradesh by Friday.

Even after Ms Thakur apologised for describing the assassin of Mahatma Gandhi a patriot, the Congress demanded an apology from Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi attacked the BJP saying, Killers of Godse patriots? Hey Ram! Distancing yourself from your candidate is not enough. Nationalistic luminaries of the BJP, have the guts to spell out your stand.

Congress leader Digvijaya Singh said, Narendra Modi ji, Amit Shah ji and BJP leaders from Madhya Pradesh should apologise to the country. I condemn the words used against the Father of the Nation. Nathuram Godse was a killer and eulogising him is not patriotism, but an anti-national act.

The NCP also asked the Prime Minister to come clean on whether Godse was indeed a patriot as stated by Ms Thakur.

Nathuram Godse is being defended by BJPs candidate Ms Thakur and is being called a patriot. People can now see @BJP4India s real face through. @SadhviPragya_MP, Maharashtra NCP chief Jayant Patil said on Twitter.

Reacting to her remarks, the Left parties said that facts should always be kept in mind when talking about Godse.

The truth about where RSS-BJP stands on terror gets clearer all the time. A senior minister in (Prime Minister Narendra) Modis Cabinet said Godse was not a terrorist, now terror-accused Pragya Thakur calls the murderer of Gandhi ji a desh bhakt. The BJP remains inspired by the killers of the Mahatma, said CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury.

Earlier, Ms Thakurs remark upset her own partymen.We have sought an explanation from her as to in which circumstances she made the remarks. The BJP totally disagrees with her statement. One who killed Mahatma Gandhi cannot be a deshbhakt, said BJPs state media-cell chief Lokendra Parashar.

This is the second time in a month that Ms Thakur has apologised for a controversial statement. Last month, she had stoked a controversy when she said that IPS officer Hemant Karkare had died during the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks as she had cursed him for torturing her. She had apologised for the controversial remark later.

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At his second rally at Dum Dum in the evening, the Prime Minister compared Trinamul supporters with the stone pelters of Jammu and Kashmir.

Kolkata: On the last day of campaigning in West Bengal before the final phase of voting in nine Lok Sabha seats on Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi mounted his assault on chief minister Mamata Banerjee.

He vowed to rebuild the vandalised statue of polymath Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar and accused the state police and the government of attempting to shield the TMC-backed statue attackers and likened Trinamul workers to stone-pelters of Jammu and Kashmir.

Looking to counter Ms Banerjees allegation that BJP hooligans took to violence and desecrated Vidyasagars statue on Tuesday, Mr Modi claimed that the police, in connivance with the state government, is trying to wipe out evidence, including CCTV footage, of the incident that took place at Vidyasagar College during BJP president Amit Shahs mega roadshow on May 14 in central Kolkata.

Mr Modi demanded strong action against the attackers for their sin of smashing the statue of Bengal Renaissances pioneer, while giving a clean chit to his party workers.

Desperate to mollify the Bengali community over his silence on the vandalism, Mr Modi also eulogised the 19th century reformer before underscoring that protection of Bengali culture is the BJPs top priority.

The Prime Minister lambasted the West Bengal chief minister and her nephew Abhishek Banerjee, a Trinamul MP, for treating the state as their jagir (property).

The people of Bengal are going to teach the meaning of democracy to Didi. The country has come to know very well the way Didi has been treating West Bengal as jagir for her and her nephew and unleashing atrocities. You are witnessing what has been happening here for the past three four days during the campaign. Democracy has been defamed because of the massive violence unleashed by the Trinamul goons, he said.

Addressing the days first poll rally at Mathurapur in South 24 Parganas, Mr Modi alleged, Trinamul goons triggered massive violence here in such a way that great docial reformer Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagars statue, which was lying locked in a room, was vandalised at night. CCTVs have been installed in that college. The state government is busy destroying evidence in this case too like it did in Narada and Saradha scams. What is the reason behind it?

Challenging Ms Banerjee on her turf, Mr Modi said, It clearly shows to what extent Didi can go to for the sake of her vote bank politics.

Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagarji was a great son not only of Bengal but of the entire country. Those who caused damage to his statue have committed a sin. Strong actions have to be taken against the offenders. Severest punishment has to be awarded to them. This is my demand. From Swami Vivekananda to Shyama Prasad Mookerjee, Bengals culture had an immense contribution to shape the BJPs ideology, he said.

Dismissing Ms Banerjees allegation of violence and destruction of heritage by the BJP, Mr Modi added, Protection of Bengals pride is the BJPs priority. Today Vidyasagarji, irrespective of wherever he is, must have been seeing which party is fighting to protect the pride of Bengal and which one is working for the protection of the infiltrators. It is the BJP which has raised its voice against the atrocities in Bengal.

Mr Modi also pointed to Ms Banerjees threat to send him to jail and noted he she had recently threatened to capture BJPs party office.

At his second rally at Dum Dum in the evening, the Prime Minister compared Trinamul supporters with the stone pelters of Jammu and Kashmir.

Trinamul activists are calling for the assault and withdrawal of the Central paramilitary forces during the election. The stone pelters of J&K follow this path, he argued.

Mr Modi reasoned that the election in J&K, despite being under threat from Pakistan-backed insurgents, were conducted peacefully but there can not be any phase or seat in West Bengal where violence marred polls.

Bringing down the curtains on BJPs high voltage campaigning in the state, he pointed to statements by Opposition leaders, including those from the Congress, giving up their claim for prime ministership, saying that it is a reflection that they had already accepted defeat.

Didi is abusing the EC and the Central forces today. But there was a time when during the Left rule, she used to demand Central forces. Had the EC and the Central forces not conducted free and fair polls, she would have never been the chief minister of Bengal, Mr Modi said.

The echo of the bitter war between the BJP and the TMC over the statues vandalism in Kolkata was felt even in faraway Mau in Uttar Pradesh where Mr Modi, during a rally earlier in the day, declared his governments commitment to the vision of Vidyasagar and promised his grand statue will be installed at the very place where it was vandalised. The suggestion was promptly rejected by Ms Banerjee who said Bengal does not need alms from the BJP.

He said a grand panch dhatu (made up of five metals) statue of Vidyasagar will be installed at the same spot to give a befitting reply to TMC workers.

The Prime Minister said he is going to Bengal later in the day and added that anarchy was spread by TMC workers during his earlier meetings there in West Midnapore and Thakurnagar.

I have a rally in Dum Dum. Lets see if Didi allows it, if she has her way she will not allow the helicopter to land, Mr Modi said.

Lashing out at the SP-BSP alliance, he said those raising Modi-hatao slogans are today frustrated. Uttar Pradesh has made their arithmetic all wrong and so their abuses have increased, he said.Mahamilawatis (the adulterated) want somehow to get khichdi government at the Centre which can be blackmailed for their needs, he said.

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A new museum located near the Statue of Liberty, showcasing the statue's original torch and other artefacts is now open.

The original torch and flame, and full scale face model are displayed in the new Statue of Liberty Museum, on Liberty Island in New York. (Photo: AP)

New York: A new museum opening at the Statue of Liberty is giving visitors another opportunity to explore its history and the impact the iconic structure has had on the world. The 26,000-square-foot (2,415-square-meter) museum on Liberty Island, scheduled to open to the public on the May 16, is the new home for the statue's original torch and other artefacts, which had previously been in a smaller museum space inside the statue's pedestal, which is accessible only to the fraction of the more than 4 million annual visitors who manage to get limited-availability statue entry tickets.

"We looked at this small museum and thought, wouldn't it be wonderful to move it out to a place where more people could experience it," said John Piltzecker, National Park Service superintendent of the Statue of Liberty National Monument and Ellis Island.

The new space, located somewhat away from the entrance to the statue, is open to anyone who comes to Liberty Island, with admission included in the price of the ferry ticket. From the outside, the glass walls and copper-coloured roof appear to be rising out of the earth, with a giant staircase rising to a rooftop terrace at the centre.

The entrance of the Statue of Liberty Museum, set to open Thursday May 16, 2019 on Liberty Island in New York. (Photo: AFP)

The entire structure is meant to connect to Lady Liberty, using the same granite that's part of the statue pedestal and including copper as a nod to the material the statue is made of, said Cameron Ringness, the project designer at FXCollaborative, which created the museum's overall design.

"It's really trying to belong to the site and the landscape and not feel like this building that just got placed here out of nowhere," Ringness said. "We wanted to enhance the feeling that it's really special to be in proximity to the statue."

A full-scale model of the Statue of Liberty's foot is among the artifacts displayed in the new Statue of Liberty Museum on Liberty Island. (Photo: AFP)

Inside, there are three main gallery spaces, starting with a theatre where visitors walk through as they watch a film that goes into how the idea for the statue came about, the efforts that went into its making in France and its arrival in the New York harbour, as well as talking about what liberty meant then and what it means in the current day.

The film uses unusual footage taken by drones, including an interior shot rising up through the inside of the statue. Another gallery goes into the building of the statue, with exhibits meant to show what it would have been like in Frederic-Auguste Bartholdi's studio and the models and molds used to make it, as well as a replica of the statue's foot.

Another section shows how iconic the statue has become, not only in American culture but around the world, with items like a menorah where each candle holder is a small Lady Liberty, as well as comic book covers, decorative plates, and dolls. In the final section, visitors are encouraged to take digital self-portraits and add their thoughts on what liberty means to them, as they look at the original torch and a replica of the statue's face.

Including that last part was vital, said Edwin Schlossberg, president and principal designer at ESI Design, which created the exhibition spaces. "This statue was built to congratulate the United States for fighting the Civil War to free the slaves. It is based on this idea that liberty was a critical thing that we all had to struggle for, so that idea had to continue as a core value in this experience," he said.

In conjunction with the museum's opening, the Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation, which spearheaded the effort to raise the USD 100 million in private-sector funds for the project, also developed an app with Apple to bring aspects of the museum to people who cannot visit in person.
The BJP chief escaped unhurt, but was forced to cut short the jamboree and had to be escorted to safety by the police.

BJP president Amit Shah waves at supporters during a roadshow ahead of the last phase of the Lok Sabha polls in Kolkata on Tuesday. (Photo: Abhijit Mukherjee)

Mumbai: BJPs allies in Maharashtra Wednesday called out the West Bengal government over the attack on BJP president Amit Shah's roadshow in Kolkata. Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut described the incident as unfortunate for democracy. Another BJP ally, Union minister Ramdas Athawale, demanded that Presidents Rule be imposed in West Bengal.

If the violent acts in West Bengal are going to keep increasing and pose a danger to democracy, it is better to bring the state under Presidents rule, Mr Athawale said while addressing an election rally in Amritsar, where he was campaigning for a candidate of the Republican Party of India (Athawale).

Targeting West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, Mr Athawale said, Every party has the right to campaign during elections. People will decide who will win and who will lose. But not allowing ones opponent to campaign is detrimental to democracy. Ms Banerjee lectures the entire world about saving democracy. But in her own state, she cannot stop violence during elections. Therefore Presidents Rule should be imposed in West Bengal.

Supporters of the BJP and TMC (Trinamul Congress) Tuesday fought pitched battles on the streets of Kolkata during Shahs roadshow. The BJP chief escaped unhurt, but was forced to cut short the jamboree and had to be escorted to safety by the police.

Mr Raut, a Rajya Sabha MP, said that there could be no restrictions on anyone to campaign anywhere in the country. "West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee did not want Narendra Modi and Amit Shah in Bengal. Did anyone stop Mamata from campaigning in Gujarat?" Mr Raut asked.

It was unfortunate that the statue of Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, a noted philosopher and key figure of the renaissance in Bengal, was desecrated, Mr Raut told reporters in Mumbai.
Russias UFC Reigning Lightweight Champion Khabib Nurmagomedov's manager Ali Abdelaziz spoke to MMA Junkie and mentioned how things would play out if former World Series Of Fighting (WSOF) lightweight champ Justin Gaethje fought Irish fighter Conor McGregor.

Nurmagomedov's manager said "The Highlight" would eat McGregors heart alive, comparing the match-up to slaughtering a pig:

"If Justin Gaethje will fight Conor McGregor, its like slaughtering a pig, and hes going to squeal and hes going to be all red and blue on Monday night. His legs will be like a rainbow color," Abdelaziz said.

"His face would be like a watermelon, black and red. Well give this white boy some color. Well give him a bloody tan. Justin Gaethje would eat his heart alive," the manager added.

McGregor hasnt fought since October when he was defeated by Khabib Nurmagomedov via fourth-round submission.
The PM prides himself on being one of the most tech-savvy politicians and unabashedly admires all that smacks of the latest in technology.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been in the news for suggesting that radars are affected by clouds and how he was possibly the first person to use a digital camera in India in 1987 or 1988 during a television interview, that understandably has gone viral on social media channels.

But all the merriment and widely shared Internet memes about these statements notwithstanding, there is an important contextual point that Mr Modi makes, which is worth examining. The PM prides himself on being one of the most tech-savvy politicians and unabashedly admires all that smacks of the latest in technology.

Scholar Sujatha Subramanian calls this techno-masculinity. In a recent article in the Economic and Political Weekly (EPW), Subramanian pointed out that technological progress has been a constant in Mr Modis vision for the Indian State, with his views on various subjects linked to technology widely quoted in the media. The use of technology was also a key part of Mr Modis 2014 election campaign. Look back at his use of hologram technology to speak at rallies which he alluded to during his recent TV interview. And then, of course, his much-talked-about use of the social media, especially Twitter, to galvanise young voters, and the NaMo app, which is a closed Twitter-like ecosystem, where anyone can sign up and post stuff like photographs, videos, website links, etc. In the absence of any real content moderation, the app is seen to be vulnerable to motivated slurs and other forms of abuse.

This narrative of technology, argues Subramanian, is part of the larger political positioning of Mr Modi as a strongman, and linked to the big picture of Hindutva where ideas of technological progress, military might, and physical strength are all mashed up, apparently towards the protection and progress of the nation.

The hashtag #ModiHaiToMumkinHai, used in the aftermath of the Balakot airstrikes and the ASAT launch (to shoot down a satellite), projects Mr Modi as being the only one who can ward off threats to the nation, contributing to his image as a strong leader and a protector of the citizens. Discussions of Narendra Modis body and physical strength have been central in the narratives of him as an able leader, Subramanian writes.

But paradoxically, this preoccupation with tech-fixes has come in the backdrop of a curious mixture of scientific success such as Indias Mars orbiter Mangalyaan reaching the intended orbit around Mars in 2014, the testing of the anti-satellite (ASAT) missile as part of Mission Shakti and a simultaneous growth of pseudo-science.

Many scientists have been scathing about the tone and tenor of recent editions of the Indian Science Congress. This January, Indias scientific community was aghast to hear bizarre and fantastical claims by a few speakers purportedly to establish the glory of ancient India. For example, one academic claimed that Kauravas were born through stem cell and test-tube technologies and that India knew all about guided missiles thousands of years ago. And that theoretical physics  including contributions by iconic figures like Isaac Newton and Albert Einstein  is wrong.

Other presentations at the science congress which caused a stir was the suggestion by a scientist that gravitational waves would soon be renamed as Narendra Modi waves.

Many scientists have spoken out against what they see as an unhealthy alliance between some in the scientific establishment and the political leadership of the ruling party. The current scientific establishment follows the diktat issued by the political overlords without a murmur. There is no dialogue, no exchange of opinion, no enquiring spirit. But scientists are not goats to be slaughtered at the altar of political propaganda, lashed out Prof. Bikash Sinha, a former director of the Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics, Kolkata, in a recent interview to a national newspaper.

This is not an isolated instance. While technology is increasingly mixed up with science in popular perception and the ability to use gadgets and apps including WhatsApp is seen as hallmarks of progress, fantastical claims and blurring of mythology and science have been on the ascendant in the past five years.

Take just a few examples. Two years ago, Satya Pal Singh, minister of state for human resources development responsible for higher education, made headlines for claiming that aeroplanes were first mentioned in the Ramayan. He also went on to say that the first working plane was made by an Indian called Shivakar Babuji Talpade, long before the Wright brothers. Prime Minister Modi himself once said that Ganesh, the elephant-headed god revered by Hindus, had an elephant head because cosmetic surgery existed in ancient India. Tripura chief minister Biplab Kumar Deb once publicly said that the Internet existed at the time of the Mahabharat.

This practice of mixing up science with mythology did not start with Mr Modi, but many feel that in the past five years pseudo-science has got a lot more legitimacy because those in positions of power are making odd and irrational statements.

There is no doubt that Indias Prime Minister is tech-savvy and obsessed with technology, which is all to the good. But it is important to recognise that technology comes out of basic science. And basic science does not prosper in an atmosphere of irrational superstition, myth making, myth-strengthening and trying to pass off pipedreams as historic events, as politicians from the ruling party have been doing, from the Prime Minister downwards.

If we do not arrest this slide into obscurantism, if we do not make a strong and conscious effort to foster rational thought and scientific temper, the vast majority of technologists being produced in India will continue to be condemned to writing software codes after the programmes have been thought up elsewhere, and to reverse engineer machinery that have been developed in other countries. We shall be like a nation of smartphone users where hardly anyone knows what is inside that phone, or how a particular app actually works.

Technologies of the new millennium have entered the world  artificial intelligence, medicine miniaturisation, renewable energy, clean mobility  and other technologies such as regular human travel through space or terraforming a planet are not far behind. All these stem from fundamental principles in physical and life sciences, and the basic test of a successful technology is its replicability.

Those who try to replace scientific rationale by myths are imperilling the present and the future of our nation.
That remains extremely unlikely, but no one can seriously claim that they havent made a difference.

Its almost four years since I contributed a column titled Two old men against the grain, celebrating the advent of Jeremy Corbyn and Bernie Sanders on the international political firmament. Its gratifying to see that they are both still hanging on in there, sporadically beleaguered but broadly unbowed.

It is remarkable, indeed almost miraculous, that Corbyn is still the leader of the British Labour Party, notwithstanding a number of misguided efforts to oust him, including targeting him for his ostensible anti-Semitism. Sanders, the only prominent Jewish candidate for presidential nomination in 2016, was also the only one among his peers to openly criticise Israeli actions. It was his democratic socialist socioeconomic agenda, though, that attracted the enthusiastic backing of millions of young Americans, and had the Democratic Party hierarchy not gone out of its way to back Hillary Clinton, it is not inconceivable that Donald Trump would have had a tougher fight on his hands in the key battleground states. In the period following Trumps inauguration, for a while it seemed as if Sanders was the effective leader of the opposition, loudly calling out each egregious violation of common sense and democratic decency, and articulating clear-cut alternatives. He continues to do so as a candidate for next years presidential nomination, and was the leading fundraiser until Joe Biden stepped in as a votary of the neoliberal status quo ante that all too many voters rejected in 2016. Among Sanders closest allies in Congress are a pair of remarkable young women who beat the odds to be elected to the US House of Representatives late last year.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ilhan Omar are outspoken and unpretentious, clearly more resolute than more experienced colleagues in their strident opposition to all that Trump stands for, and forensic in their examination of those obliged to testify before congressional committees. Omar, for instance, took no prisoners when she encountered Elliott Abrams, the experienced death squad sponsor appointed by Trump as special representative for Venezuela. And Ocasio-Cortez was relentless in her questioning of Trumps former lawyer Michael Cohen, obliging him, whenever he claimed to be ignorant of a particular sphere of Trumps affairs, to name others who may have the answers.

Omar, a Somali refugee who was one of two Muslims elected to Congress, and the only one to favour a hijab, attracted the wrath of the Israel lobby by tweeting criticism of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. She had merely made the obvious point that legislators are influenced by its funding. Apparently any association between Jews and money is an anti-Semitic trope, even though some Jews are extremely rich (and many others are not), and lobbyists in Washington (and elsewhere) routinely plough cash into their campaigns. As AIPAC did shortly afterwards by funding anti-Sanders advertisements.

Omar subsequently endured a backlash from Trump himself  and a spike in far-right death threats that are almost routine for her, Ocasio-Cortez and the older but almost equally militant Rashida Tlaib  by suggesting that 9/11 was a poor excuse for discrimination against Muslims. African-American women, including the redoubtable veteran activist Angela Davis, rallied to support her.

It would be a game-changer in terms of Western political consciousness were Corbyn and Sanders to end up respectively in No 10 Downing Street and the White House, particularly if it happened more or less simultaneously. That remains extremely unlikely, but no one can seriously claim that they havent made a difference. And the baton is being passed on, in a manner of speaking, to strikingly articulate young women.

This aspect may be less obvious in the UK, even though the Labour Partys parliamentary ranks boast far greater female representation than those of the ruling Conservative Party, but Corbyn was lately sufficiently enthused by teenage Swedish activist Greta Thunbergs foray into Britain to persuade parliament to declare a climate emergency.

That may be just a symbolic measure, but the schoolgirl, undaunted by the task she has taken on, has inspired peers across Europe as well as in other parts to take up cudgels on behalf of the world they will inherit. I, for one, shall rest relatively easy if the contours of the future are inspired by the thought processes and relentless activism of Thunberg, Ocasio-Cortez, Omar, Pakistans precious Malala Yousafzai, Palestines Ahed Tamimi, Chiles Camila Vallejo and others of their ilk. May their tribe prosper and multiply.

By arrangement with Dawn
The Narendra Modi government confronts a long list of IOUs that the US is now encashing.

Americas President Donald Trump assumed office in 2017 after repeatedly decrying the Joint Comprehensive Programme of Action (JCPOA), otherwise known as the Iran nuclear deal, as the worst deal ever negotiated. This was the deal the P5+1 had signed with Iran and was a diplomatic high point of Barack Obamas administration. While he took a year to act, it would have been foolhardy to imagine Mr Trump wouldnt match his campaign rhetoric to his actions.

Confrontation with Iran was inherent to the rebalancing Mr Trump began with Gulf countries early in his term as Riyadh became his first destination abroad. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates were sulking since President Obama endorsed the JCPOA with Iran, realising its criticality to countering the Islamic State. Mr Trumps reversal of that policy was now relegating Iran again to a pariah state, which President George W. Bush had once colourfully described as part of the Axis of Evil.

Delay in acting against Iran was perhaps due to the first lot of presidential advisers being circumspect in handling Iran, given the need to retain Irans cooperation against ISIS. Mr Trumps outreach to North Korea to abandon its nuclear programme may also have been a factor. It would hardly generate confidence in US pledges if he was seen junking the nuclear deal negotiated by his predecessor. When the hawkish John Bolton joined as national security adviser in April 2018 and Mike Pompeo moved from the CIA to become secretary of state, the forces were aligned to pillory Iran. The US withdrew from the nuclear deal in May 2018. Sanctions were reimposed, although oil import waivers were given to select nations, which have now been allowed to lapse on May 2, 2019.

The next step was the listing as a terror outfit of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which constitutes the backbone of clerical rule. Its auxiliary force Baseej helps maintain civilian order at home. The Quds Force, another IRGC adjunct, conducts special operations abroad, by using allies, especially Shias. The aim was to either force Iran to surrender and accept a more stringent nuclear deal and a curtailed role in the region, or cause popular unrest within Iran to trigger regime change. These are unrealistic objectives as the more Iran is pushed, the greater its people will consolidate behind the current rulers. Iran would also move deeper into the strategic orbit of Russia and China.

The immediate target of financial sanctions is Iranian oil. Its export peaked after the sanctions were lifted following the JCPOA, at 2.8 million barrels per day, earning Iran $36 billion in 2016. Current exports may have fallen to one million barrels per day. China, despite its ongoing trade war with the US, is unlikely to abandon Iran or its oil. Iranian foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif is making a series of visits abroad to counter the US-created economic squeeze. He visited Iraq to bolster the Iranian presence in the oil and gas sectors, which the US cannot curtail as Iranian gas is critical to Iraqi power generation. Iraq also provides an avenue for clandestinely exporting Iranian oil, via Turkey or Syria.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani is cornered between the US, seen as betraying his trust, and the hardliners at home. To bolster his position, he announced partial withdrawal from JCPOA by curbing exports of enriched uranium and heavy water produced beyond the nuclear deal limits. He has also given Europe 60 days to find a means to secure the export of Iranian oil despite US sanctions. The European Union has considered a barter-based US sanctions-proof system, which has been a non-starter so far.

The deployment of US warships on May 5 was another step in the ladder of escalation. Mr Pompeo had last year issued a charter of demands seeking literally the suspension of the Iranian nuclear programme and a pullback from Syria. The Economist warns that the potential for miscalculation is large as US and Iranian troops are within kilometres of each other in Iraq, Syria and the Gulf waters. The Saudis have alleged two of their oil tankers were damaged by alleged Iranian sabotage. This is reminiscent of the start of the tit-for-tat attack on vessels during the 1980s Iran-Iraq war, resulting in the mistaken shooting down of an Iranian civilian airliner by the US. This augurs poorly for Indian oil imports, the six million-plus Indian diaspora and Indian exports. Out of 17 million barrels transiting through the Straits of Hormuz every day, only 6.5 million can be exported via the Saudi and Emirati pipelines bypassing the choke point.

The visit of Iranian foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif to New Delhi in the middle of an acrimonious Indian election underscores the Iranian urgency over the US threat. The discussions were called constructive, although whether India would defy the US and import Iranian oil was left open till after the May 23 election results. India will decide on commercial considerations  the concessional price offered, energy security and mutual economic interests. The last relates to Iran buying more from India to balance the lopsided trade in Irans favour as indeed the operationalisation of Chabahar port, which the US has exempted from sanctions due to its usefulness in stabilising the Afghan economy.

On Mr Zarifs itinerary are Russia, China, Turkmenistan and Iraq. India will need to subtly balance relations with the emerging camps. The US has not been chary of demanding that for helping India list Masood Azhar as a global terrorist, India must agree to isolate Iran. The US and its Gulf allies, the Saudis and Emiratis, have deported politically sensitive individuals named in corruption cases allegedly involving the Congress-led alliance. The UAE even conferred its highest civilian honour on Narendra Modi in the middle of the election, which is fairly unprecedented. Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthamans quick return defied past Pakistani conduct and seemed guided by the US and the Saudis. The Narendra Modi government confronts a long list of IOUs that the US is now encashing. But Irans significance for India goes beyond oil, that can be sourced from elsewhere. It balances Pakistans role in the region, particularly in Afghanistan, where Indian and Iranian interests largely converge. It also ensures vital connectivity for India towards Afghanistan and Central Asia.

The next governments first challenge will be to rebalance relations between the US, Saudis, Emiratis and a resurgent Iran, its influence spread across its sixth-century BC footprint from the Mediterranean to the Indian Ocean.
The writer is based in South India for the past 40 years. He writes on India, China, Tibet and Indo-French relations.

The consolidation of borders, the selection of the next Dalai Lama or influencing of personalities should concern India.

Big changes are in the offing in China. Beijing has already announced its objective to become the number one power in the world by 2049, when the Communist regime will celebrate its hundred years at the helm of the Middle Kingdom.

The ongoing trade war with the United States, with President Donald Trump not ready to see China replacing his own country as the world leader, is a sign of it.

President Xi Jinping is aware that the Communist Party needs new tools, new organisation to fulfil its China Dream  the radical reforms undertaken by the Peoples Liberation Army are part of this attempt.

Another organisation has recently come into pre-eminence to help China in attaining its goal  it is the United Front Work Department (UFWD)  today the most potent tool in the hands of the leaders of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

Earlier this month, the China Brief of the Jamestown Foundation consecrated an entire issue to this organisation. It explained the meaning of the United Front Work Department as: the process of building a united front coalition around the CCP in order to serve the partys objectives and subordinating targeted groups, both domestically and abroad. United Front Work is viewed by party leaders as a crucial component of the CCPs victory in the Chinese Civil War (1945-1949), and is now central to controlling and utilising domestic groups that might threaten the CCPs power, as well as projecting influence abroad.

UFWD coordinates various vital activities inside the party and at the periphery of the party, like the relations with religious and ethnic minorities or the overseas Chinese.

For the China Brief: Without question, United Front activities have taken on renewed importance under general secretary Xi JinpingThe past four years have seen United Front work expand in scope, resourcing and top-level coordination.

Some of the 12 bureaus of the department deal with Chinese democratic parties, ethnic affairs, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan (Bureau 3), Tibet (Bureau 7), Xinjiang (Bureau 8), overseas Chinese (Bureaus 9 and 10) or religious affairs (Bureaus 11 and 12). A vast encompassing program!

Note that the last three bureaus have recently been added.

It means that the department has greatly extended its scope by adding the activities of the Chinese overseas which are now monitored and controlled; conducting external propaganda or influencing important foreign personalities.

The seventh bureau, for Tibetan affairs has for decades been one of those most central to the UFWDs activities.

To give an example, on May 5, Wang Yang, the chairman of the Chinese Peoples Political Consultative Conference National Committee (CPPCC) and de facto the UFWD supremo, met with Gyaltsen Norbu, the Chinese-selected Panchen Lama, in Beijing. After offering a khata (a ceremonial scarf), the young lama considered as a Chinese puppet by the exiled Tibetans (the real Panchen Lama has been under house arrest for the past 24 years, he was kidnapped by the Chinese State at the age of five), briefed Mr Yang about his studies and life in recent years. Mr Norbu is important to China because he is the key for the recognition of a future Chinese Dalai Lama.

Mr Wang told the young lama: The Panchen Lama, as a leader of Tibetan Buddhism, shoulders a great responsibility of leading Tibetan Buddhism in the right direction, and safeguarding the unification of the motherland and ethnic solidarity. He added that he hoped the Panchen Lama will take a firm political stand and lead religious figures and believers in fighting against all separatist elements.

The Panchen Lama was urged to take the lead in interpreting religious doctrines in order to adapt them to socialism; in other words Tibetan Buddhism with Communist characteristics.

The Panchen Lama agreed to safeguard the unification of the motherland, ethnic solidarity, social stability, and religious harmony. He also promised that he will always remember the CCP leaders instructions.

You Quan, the powerful director of the UFDW was present when Mr Yang checked on the Chinese Panchen Lama.

A couple of days later, Mr Quan went on a four-day inspection-cum-research tour in the restive Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region (XUAR), which has been in the news in recent months after the information leaked that more than one million local Uighurs are being kept in captivity to be re-educated.

According to Xinhua news agency, Mr Quan called on the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps (XPCC) and urged the corps to maintain stability in and garrison the countrys border areas.

Speaking highly of the achievements of the corps, Mr Quan asked the participants to further understand and grasp the responsibilities and missions of the Corps in the new era and improve their emergency system in maintaining stability.

The XPCC is an autonomous economic and paramilitary organisation with administrative authority over large areas in Xinjiang; it fulfils governmental functions such as healthcare and education, but more importantly, it looks after Xinjiangs borders. Founded by Wang Zhen, one of the CCPs Eight Elders in 1954, the XPCCs goals are to develop frontier regions, promote economic development, ensure social stability and ethnic harmony and consolidate border defence.

Border with whom? First and foremost India, but also the Central Asian republics whose stability will make the Belt and Road Initiative, dear to President Xi, a successor a failure.

Mr Quan spoke highly of the corps achievements; he asked the corps to mobilise cadres and ordinary people to develop, construct and stabilise southern Xinjiang; we know what it means for the Uighur population.

As mentioned earlier, the UFWD has recently gone through a major reorganisation  three new bureaus were created: The new bureaus reflect the UFWDs absorption of two State Council agencies responsible for overseas Chinese and religious affairs  the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office (OCAO) and the State Administration for Religious Affairs (SARA), noted the China Brief; in the meantime, the State Ethnic Affairs Commission, an essential government organ, has been placed under the UFWD.

The new 10th Bureau, known as the Overseas Chinese Affairs Bureau, has the responsibility for educational and cultural affairs, the media as well as the Chinese living abroad. This includes managing Chinas official international media network, China News Service, which in turn, influences foreign organisations and individuals around the world, while promoting the Chinese language via organisations such the Confucius Institutes.

Another important responsibility of the UFWD is to prepare for the reunification with Taiwan. On May 12, Mr Yang sent a message to the fourth annual conference of media organisations from China and Taiwan, a pro-mainland group. Mr Wang warned Taiwan that the United States will not be able to preserve Taiwans security and that time is on Chinas side: Taiwanese authorities cannot even guarantee what will happen two years from now. Therefore, we are confident in saying that both time and momentum are on our side, the side of mainland China, he said.

He heavily criticised those placing their bets on the Americans in Taiwan: The Americans are just using Taiwan as a pawn. Will they go to war with China for Taiwan? Im guessing they wont. If we really go to war, will the Americans win? Im guessing not, Mr Wang hammered.

The UFWD is also used to influence intellectuals, journalists, academics or deciders abroad. The consolidation of the borders, the selection of the next Dalai Lama or influencing of personalities should concern India. Hopefully New Delhi is carefully watching these new developments.
Musk said he expects launch services revenue to top out around $3 billion (2.34 billion) per year.

A rocket with the first 60 Starlink satellites was due to blast off from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida at 10:30 p.m. Each satellite weighs 500 pounds (227 kg), making this the heaviest payload for any SpaceX rocket to date.

Elon Musks SpaceX was due to launch 60 small satellites into low-Earth orbit on Wednesday, part of his rocket companys plan to sell Internet service beamed from space to fund his grander interplanetary ambitions.

In a call with reporters ahead of the evening launch, the billionaire entrepreneur praised the fundamental goodness of his mission to expand internet connectivity globally but cautioned that success was far from guaranteed.

Musk said he expects launch services revenue to top out around $3 billion (2.34 billion) per year, making Starlink key to generating the cash that privately held SpaceX needs to fund Musks larger dream of developing a new craft capable of flying paying customers to the moon and eventually trying to colonize Mars.

We think this is a key stepping stone on the way towards establishing a self-sustaining city on Mars and a base on the moon, said Musk, who is also the chief executive officer of automaker Tesla Inc.

A rocket with the first 60 Starlink satellites was due to blast off from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida at 10:30 p.m. Each satellite weighs 500 pounds (227 kg), making this the heaviest payload for any SpaceX rocket to date.

At least 12 launches carrying similar payloads are needed to achieve constant internet coverage of most of the world, Musk said. Starlink is only currently authorized for operations in the United States.

Musk faces stiff competition. In February, Airbus SE-backed OneWeb launched its own clutch of satellites, while LeoSat Enterprises and Canadas Telesat are also working to build data networks. [L1N20M1ZB]

In each plan, the tiny satellites orbit closer to Earth than traditional communications satellites, a radical shift made possible by leaps in laser technology and computer chips.

Musk has faced other challenges. In November, the entrepreneur, frustrated with the pace at which Starlink satellites were being developed, fired at least seven people on the programmes senior management team at a campus in Redmond, Washington, outside of Seattle, Reuters reported.

Musk said SpaceX has sufficient capital to make Starlink operational but would potentially need to raise money if things go wrong with the multibillion-dollar endeavour, which he called one of the hardest engineering projects Ive ever seen done.

Musk said SpaceX would begin approaching customers later this year or next year. As many as 2,000 satellites will be launched per year, he said. But he wavered on the timeline for placing as many as 12,000 satellites into orbit as the company had previously described.
Over 400 participants from across the globe took part in the appathon event held by ICICI.

ICICI Bank announced the winners of ICICI Appathon 2019, the third season of its mobile and web application development challenge. The Grand Finale of the ICICI Appathon 2019 saw Sreejith PP & Vivek Aithal from Bengaluru; Vaibhav Maheshwari & Ujjwal Kumar from Surat and Rishabh Singh from Chennai taking home the top honours for developing the next generation banking applications focusing on UPI 2.0.

Over 400 participants including developers and start-ups from across the globe took part in the contest which offered more than 100 APIs (Application Programme Interface) from the Bank as well as programme partner Experian Credit Information Company of India. The participants created innovative working prototypes of mobile and web applications around new features of UPI 2.0 such as pre-authorization of a UPI transaction, verifying details of an invoice before paying, linking an overdraft account to UPI and additional security in the form of signed intent/QR while making a payment. The eminent jury adjudged the winners on the basis of five criteria: innovation around UPI 2.0, functionality, business potential, relevance & scalability and user experience.

The jury comprised of Anup Bagchi, Executive Director, ICICI Bank; B. Madhivanan, Chief Technology & Digital Officer, ICICI Bank; Sai Sadagopan, Head - India Digital, TCS; Sunil Mishra, Head - Ecosystem Innovation Group, Infosys Finacle; Amey Mashelkar, Head, JioGenNext; Ashish Singhal, Managing Director, Experian Credit Information Company of India and. Balaji V. V., Head  Business Technology Group, ICICI Bank.

The first winning application focused on bid and auction model for booking a cab via any ride hailing app. The first runner up emphasized on using feature of UPI 2.0 to link UPI to OD account while the second runner up focused on enabling UPI payments without internet.

B. Madhivanan, Chief Technology & Digital Officer, ICICI Bank said, We at ICICI Bank continue to seek opportunities to partner with the wider fintech ecosystem to re-imagine, ideate and execute things which interest our customers and add value to them. In line with this vision, we have been conducting ICICI Appathon for the last three years. The programme has enabled us to tap into the minds of talented technopreneurs in the country as well as developers globally and helped us cater to our customers better. We are extremely happy to note the interest that ICICI Appathon has garnered this year with over 400 participants. We have got some interesting ideas which we believe will enable development of breakthrough solutions using UPI 2.0 that will make banking simpler than ever before. We will continue to promote innovation in every aspect of our business and ICICI Appathon will continue to evolve as a perfect platform for the young and creative minds to come together and showcase their innovations.

Venkatramana Gosavi, Senior Vice President & Global Head of Sales, Infosys Finacle said "Digitisation is transforming the banking business, enabling banks to augment and enrich their value propositions through ecosystem offerings. As the principal technology partner for ICICI Bank, we are happy to continue our support towards the ICICI Appathon, now in its third edition. It has proven to be a global platform to enable startups, independent developers and other players to convert their ideas into real world propositions.

"TCS is delighted to be the title partner for the third edition of the ICICI Appathon. This collaboration with ICICI Bank harnesses the abundance of innovation talent available within India's start up ecosystem and developer community, and opens up entrepreneurial opportunities in the exciting world of next generation payments. Congratulations to all the winners, said Ujjwal Mathur, VP & Country Head - India Business, TCS.

The top three winners will get the following rewards:

-Total prize money of over Rs 10 lakh from TCS, Infosys EdgeVerve and Experian.

-A potential engagement opportunity with ICICI Bank.

-An opportunity for the finalists to get a fast-track entry to Finacle Fintech Connect, a programme for FinTechs to co-innovate with Finacle to accelerate banking innovation.

As ICICI Appathon APIs were available on a developer platform, over 400 participants took part in it from across the globe. While nearly half of the participants were among the age-group of 20-29 years, nearly 20% participated from non - metro cities like Rae Bareli, Nagpur, Erode and other places. Further, it also witnessed significant participation from women technopreneurs also.
San Francisco supervisors voted Tuesday to ban the use of facial recognition software by police and other city departments.

San Francisco supervisors voted Tuesday to ban the use of facial recognition software by police and other city departments, becoming the first US city to outlaw a rapidly developing technology that has alarmed privacy and civil liberties advocates.

The ban is part of broader legislation that requires city departments to establish use policies and obtain board approval for surveillance technology they want to purchase or are using at present. Several other local governments require departments to disclose and seek approval for surveillance technology.

"This is really about saying: 'We can have security without being a security state. We can have good policing without being a police state.' And part of that is building trust with the community based on good community information, not on Big Brother technology," said Supervisor Aaron Peskin, who championed the legislation.

The ban applies to San Francisco police and other municipal departments. It does not affect use of the technology by the federal government at airports and ports, nor does it limit personal or business use.

The San Francisco board did not spend time Tuesday debating the outright ban on facial recognition technology, focusing instead on the possible burdens placed on police, the transit system and other city agencies that need to maintain public safety.

"I worry about politicizing these decisions," said Supervisor Catherine Stefani, a former prosecutor who was the sole no vote.

The Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, a nonprofit think tank based in Washington, D.C., issued a statement chiding San Francisco for considering the facial recognition ban. It said advanced technology makes it cheaper and faster for police to find suspects and identify missing people.

Critics were silly to compare surveillance usage in the United States with China, given that one country has strong constitutional protections and the other does not, said Daniel Castro, the foundation's vice president.

"In reality, San Francisco is more at risk of becoming Cuba than China_a ban on facial recognition will make it frozen in time with outdated technology," he said.

Its unclear how many San Francisco departments are using surveillance and for what purposes, said Peskin. There are valid reasons for license-plate readers, body cameras, and security cameras, he said, but the public should know how the tools are being used or if they are being abused.

San Francisco's police department stopped testing face ID technology in 2017. A representative at Tuesday's board meeting said the department would need two to four additional employees to comply with the legislation.

Privacy advocates have squared off with public safety proponents at several heated hearings in San Francisco, a city teeming with tech innovation and the home of Twitter, Airbnb and Uber.

Those who support the ban say the technology is flawed and a serious threat to civil liberties, especially in a city that cherishes public protest and privacy. They worry people will one day not be able to go to a mall, the park or a school without being identified and tracked.

But critics say police need all the help they can get, especially in a city with high-profile events and high rates of property crime. That people expect privacy in public space is unreasonable given the proliferation of cellphones and surveillance cameras, said Meredith Serra, a member of a resident public safety group Stop Crime SF.

"To me, the ordinance seems to be a costly additional layer of bureaucracy that really does nothing to improve the safety of our citizens," she said at a hearing.

The city of Oakland is considering similar legislation.
The new smartphone will come with three cameras that work in tandem to provide superior quality pictures and improved precision.

OPPOs 10x Hybrid Zoom is an industry-first technology with a triple-lens camera structure consisting of a telephoto lens, a 120-degree ultra-wide-angle lens, and a 48MP main camera. With all the three lenses, the 10X Hybrid Zoom technology can cover broad focal lengths of 16mm-160mm. ensuring high-quality long-distance shots. (representational image)

OPPO has confirmed that they will soon be launching worlds first 10x Hybrid Zoom technology on a smartphone camera for consumers in India. Initially showcased at the Mobile World Congress earlier this year, OPPO is the first ever smartphone brand to launch this technology in India.

OPPOs 10x Hybrid Zoom is an industry-first technology with a triple-lens camera structure consisting of a telephoto lens, a 120-degree ultra-wide-angle lens, and a 48MP main camera. With all the three lenses, the 10X Hybrid Zoom technology can cover broad focal lengths of 16mm-160mm. ensuring high-quality long-distance shots. To provide further value to users, OPPO will also introduce Optical Image Stabilization (OIS) on both the main camera and the telephoto lens to achieve higher, anti-shake accuracy and capture phenomenal pictures.

OPPOs relentless pursuit of innovation has led to the companys success over the years. From being the first to introduce the selfie beautification mode to the rising camera seen in the Find X, OPPO as a brand has revolutionized the world of smartphones. While cameras are definitely the forte, OPPO has also made advancements when it comes to technologies like fast charging. Now, with an upgraded SuperVOOC, OPPO has managed to take its charging technology a notch higher than anybody else.

With the new 10x Hybrid Zoom Technology, OPPO has added another first to its long list of technological innovations and reiterate its commitment to consumer-centric approach.
The White House says that Iran, a longtime enemy and rival of US allies Israel and Saudi Arabia, is sowing instability across the region.

Ten days ago, Trump also ordered an aircraft carrier and nuclear-capable bomber planes to deploy to the Gulf. (Photo: File)

Washington: President Donald Trump on Wednesday predicted that Iran will "soon" want to negotiate and denied any discord in the White House over moves that critics say could lead to war in the Middle East.

"Different opinions are expressed and I make a decisive and final decision -- it is a very simple process," Trump tweeted. "I'm sure that Iran will want to talk soon."

Trump blasted media reports about turmoil in the White House over a series of steps taken by the administration to up pressure on Iran, saying "there is no infighting whatsoever."

The United States on Wednesday ordered non-essential staff to leave its embassy in neighbouring Iraq, claiming there is an "imminent" threat from Iranian-linked Iraqi militias.

Ten days ago, Trump also ordered an aircraft carrier and nuclear-capable bomber planes to deploy to the Gulf.

Democrats in Congress demanded that the Trump administration brief them on what it considers to be the Iran threat, warning that the US legislature has not approved military action against Tehran.

Opponents of Trump say that hardliners led by national security advisor John Bolton, who has long advocated toppling the Iranian government, are pushing the country into war.

The White House says that Iran, a long-time enemy and rival of US allies Israel and Saudi Arabia, is sowing instability across the region.

Washington also says that Tehran is secretly pursuing nuclear weapons, despite having agreed to strict controls under an international accord that Trump abandoned after winning election in 2016.
The photo was part of a story titled, 'Ravi Bhalla goes to the mattresses... for his tax increase'.

This is not the first time that Bhalla, the first Sikh mayor of Hoboken, has experienced racist attacks over his religion and turban. (Photo: Twitter)

Washington: Ravi Bhalla, the first ever Sikh mayor of a city in New Jersey, has been allegedly racially targeted after his photoshopped image as an Arab dictator was published on a local website.

The New Jersey-based website, "Hudson Mile Square View", ran an image of Hoboken Mayor Bhalla that resembled the lead character played by British actor Sacha Baron Cohen in the comedy film "The Dictator".

The photo was part of a story titled, "Ravi Bhalla goes to the mattresses... for his tax increase".

It accused Bhalla of "summoning all the powers" of his office to "reinstitute a tax increase" that was not approved by the city council.

According to the website, Bhalla had proposed a 3 per cent tax increase but the council slashed it to 1 per cent. The story said now "the pushback from the Mayor's office to take back the tax reduction is underway".

Sikh activists denounced the image as racist.

Community speaker and activist Simran Jeet Singh tweeted on Tuesday: "Ravi Bhalla is the first-ever turbaned Sikh elected as Mayor in US history."

"He's endured immense racist abuse, from flyers calling him a terrorist to death threats against him and his family. Now, someone is photoshopping Ravi to depict him as a despot. This is racist and wrong."

Audrey Truschke, an assistant professor of history at Rutgers University and author of the book Aurangzeb, too, expressed her solidarity with Bhalla.

She tweeted: "Disagreeing with politics is OK, discrimination and racism is not. Read this thread, and the thread it references at the end, to educate yourself about ongoing prejudice in America. Such hate will cease when we all reject bigotry. Solidarity with @RaviBhalla".

Later on Tuesday night, the website said that the image was submitted by a reader.

The website has earlier also photoshopped his images.

In February 2017, it posted a photo of Bhalla with a "Pinocchio" nose.

Hudson Mile Square View, which calls itself "Hoboken's biggest website covering government, politics and corruption", has been critical of Bhalla right from the beginning of his mayoral term in 2017.

This is not the first time that Bhalla, the first Sikh mayor of Hoboken, has experienced racist attacks over his religion and turban. Soon after his election in 2017, racist flyers calling him a terrorist were circulated in the city.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov will hold a meting with U.S. Department of State Special Representative for North Korean Policy Mark Lambert in Moscow on May 17, the Russian Foreign Ministry reported.

On May 15, Morgulov held a telephone conversation with U.S. special representative for North Korea Stephen Biegun, during which they discussed the steps of all the states involved in the settlement to advance the political and diplomatic process in the region, TASS reported.
The suspect had strongly criticised the steps of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), and had appealed for funds for Falah-e-Insaniyat Foundation.

Islamabad: Pakistan on Wednesday arrested Maulana Abdul Rehman Makki  the brother-in-law of outlawed Jamaatud Dawa (JuD) chief Hafiz Mohammed Saeed.

Abdul Rehman Makki has been detained over inflammatory speeches and disturbing public order under the countrywide operation against the banned outfits.

The suspect had strongly criticised the steps of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), and had appealed for funds for Falah-e-Insaniyat Foundation.

Interior Ministry officials said the arrest of Abdul Rehman Makki took place during the crackdown against outlawed organisations. He was accused of hate speech against the crackdown and criticising steps taken by the government under FATF guidelines. Makki has been booked under the Maintenance of Public Order Act in Lahore.

Makki is head of JuDs political and international affairs wing and is in-charge of its charity Falah-e-Insaniat for which he had appealed for donations.

A crackdown was initiated by Pakistan against outlawed organisations under the National Action Plan. Pakistan has also announced the freezing of accounts and seizure of assets linked to organisations banned by the UN Security Council

Makki was designated by the US in 2010 and consequently targeted by the US Treasury Department. In 2012, the US state departments Rewards for Justice programme also announced a $2 million reward for Makki.

His arrest is a continuation of Pakistans actions against outlawed groups this year. In February, the National Security Comm-ittee reimposed a ban on JuD and FiF.

A few weeks later in March, the Pakistan government announced the freezing of accounts and seizure of assets linked to organisations banned by the UN Security Council (UNSC).
AskMen Style Defined: Summer Suede Makes This Combo Hot

Sometimes Less Is More When It Comes to Warm Weather Dressing

The AskMen editorial team thoroughly researches & reviews the best gear, services and staples for life. AskMen may get paid if you click a link in this article and buy a product or service.

Here at AskMen, we strive to bring you new and interesting content to help answer any questions you may have from sex and dating to health and fitness to food and booze and of course, style and grooming. In our latest installment of the weekly series AskMen Style Defined, we talk about making a bold statement with barely any color at all.

RELATED: AskMen Style Defined Last Week: Keeping Casual Classic

For this weeks Style Defined, we reached out to Joey Zauzig, a New York City-based influencer and activist. With a background working in public relations, Zauzig has grown his audience on Instagram to almost 120,000 active followers by showcasing his unique sense of style though fashion, lifestyle and travel.

In addition to inspiring guys to buy the looks he favors, he gives back by acting as a mentor to the LGBTQ+ community. Zauzig is committed to encourage his audience to live their truth by sharing the hardships he faced while coming out in a small Virginia town. He connects on a personal level with his followers through DMs and his weekly IGTV series, Spilling the Tea with Joey Z and listens to their struggles and offers advice regarding their sexuality. He is actively supports The LGBT Center, The Ali Forney Center, Jeffrey Cares and the Points Foundation.

So how did he get into all of this?

My first job out of college was a fashion assistant at Wall Street Journal Magazine  I worked in the closet no pun intended [referring to the editorial departments fashion closet] and [handled] returns, sample request emails, went on [photo] shoots ... everything under the sun, and I loved it, he tells us. I also worked at [international fashion public relations firms] KCD, BPCM and my final job was at Tommy Hilfiger as PR Coordinator for Menswear.

He started curating his Instagram feed in 2014 and by 2016 managed to make it full time. It all started by going to events and getting recognized on the red carpet, then [that] lead to getting press in different magazines, he tells us about the transition from working for the man to being the man making it all work.

Zauzig finds it hard to nail down one source of inspiration when it comes to pulling his looks together. So many things inspire me daily, he says. From people on the street, to events I go to and Pinterest boards of 1970s fashion editorials. But when it comes to life outside his wardrobe, he knows exactly where his inspiration lies. My parents are also a huge inspiration, he confesses. The way they raised us and how they handled their careers and came from nothing to something is very inspiring. I was never handed anything in my life and [even] though my parents had the means, I always worked. Its something I think about a lot.

So what does Zauzig have lined up for the warmer months? Honestly, spring has already been off to a crazy start, he says. I launched my Zaddy hoodies a few months ago and we are gearing up to sell the summer T-shirts which is super exciting! They will be available on Collecti.com and also my jewelry with Seven50 will be launched mid June which Im super pumped about.

We chose this look from Zauzigs diverse Instagram feed because of how easy he made it look. With three key pieces  a tobacco jacket paired with white jeans and a tee  he made otherwise simple staples shine all on their own. I love a brown and white moment, he tells us. The combo is killer and sure to be fire. I really love anything suede too, its  super easy to layer with a tee so if you get hot you have the option to be in a chic all white look.

With white or super light jeans being one of our summer staples, we fully endorse this look as the weather warms up. But pairing it with a simple subtle suede bomber takes it into cooler nights as easily as it does cooler months.

Items to shop inspired by Zauzigs look:

Budget:

Goodthreads Sueded Jersey Crewneck Pocket T-Shirt, $15 at Amazon.com

Zara Zip-Up Jacket, $119 at Zara.com

H&M Straight Jeans, $29.90 at hm.com

Carfia Vintage Polarized Sunglasses, $23.99 at Amazon.com

Trask Leo Chelsea Boot, $285 at Nordstrom.com

Baller:

Berluti Leather-Trimmed Cotton-Jersey T-Shirt, $490 at MrPorter.com

Theory Nolan Slim-Fit Suede Jacket, $995 at MrPorter.com

John Elliott The Cast 2 Skinny-Fit Jeans, $378 at Nordstrom.com

Oliver Peoples Cary Grant Sunglasses, $475 at OliverPeoples.com

Saint Laurent Suede Chelsea Boots, $945 at MrPorter.com

We think this outfit will look fresh anytime of year  especially the upcoming summer months. What do you think? What do you want to see? Do you have a look you like? Follow us on Instagram and Twitter and friend us on Facebook to share your best looks or tell us about someone we should check out. Tag us and use the hashtag #AskMenStyleDefined to get our attention. Or email us directly at [email protected]AskMen.com with AskMen Style Defined in the subject line. Maybe next week, well pick you!

You Might Also Dig:

AskMen may get paid if you click a link in this article and buy a product or service. To find out more, please read our complete terms of use.
Russia is ready for the next negotiations with Ukraine and the European Commission on gas transit, Russias Deputy Energy Minister Anatoly Yanovsky said at a conference in Berlin.

According to, the minister, the date depends on Ukraines readiness after the recent presidential election.

Yanovsky said that Russia is still interested in the further use of Ukraines gas transportation system after 2019, but the current volume and dates proposals of the future transit are baffling as they contradict the E.U.s Third Energy Package, the Prime news agency reported.
At BCLP, Gregory will work on matters all over Asia, with a particular focus on Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, and Singapore. The firm said that he will contribute to expanding in Japan and Indonesia, which are key focus jurisdictions for the firm.

Andrew MacGeoch, Asia managing partner, said that Gregory will play an integral role in growing BCLPs market share in Asia, especially in lending and project finance.

With his cross-border experience, Dominic will significantly contribute to strengthening our Hong Kong and Singapore hub, re-energizing our current services to key regional jurisdictions and clients within the Asian market, he said.

The firm is working on some sizeable mandates across Asia which require debt financing, Gregory said. For example, they are instructed on some of the largest transactions in the Taiwan offshore wind industry and a number of hotel, casino and other energy and infrastructure development projects across Asia. I have broad and relevant experience in debt finance work so this is a great opportunity.

BCLP has 14 partners and 55 other fee earners in Singapore, Hong Kong, and China.
First Deputy Chairman of Russias Central Bank Dmitry Tulin said that about three-quarters of its plan to clean up the banking system are completed.

According to Tulin, Russias central bank does not expect to have to bail out more major commercial banks, as it did in 2017.

Considering that in 2017, the regulator conducted a mass rehabilitation of the largest banks, the recovery process "reached a peak" in 2017 and has been declining since then.

Deputy Governor Vasily Pozdyshev, in turn, said that Russias central bank expects to recover within five years around 1 trillion rubles ($15.5 billion) of assets of banks it has bailed out in the past few years.

The advisor on macroeconomics to the CEO of the 'Opening-Broker' brokerage house, economist Sergey Hestanov, speaking to Vestnik Kavkaza, noted that that he worked in the banking sector in the early 1990s, when there was a start of the current problems. "The main reason for these problems was a too cheap banking license those years. This led to the fact that any large business had its own bank," the expert said.

He recalled that there have been several waves of bank bailouts since then. "We all remember the recent wave, but large-scale bailouts were also carried out in 1996, 1998 and 2004-2005. The current wave is the elimination of the mistakes made in the 1990s. The standards have become somewhat stricter after Elvira Sakhipzadovna (Nabiullina - VK) was appointed new head of the Central Bank. And practically all licenses were recalled for two reasons: insufficient capital or doubtful operations," Hestanov explained.

"The Central Bank has a clear policy of restoring order, and, apparently, two-thirds or three-quarters of its plan have already been completed. In a few years it will be completed," the advisor on macroeconomics to the CEO of the 'Opening-Broker' brokerage house added.

At the same time, the expert noted that the results of this process will have practically no impact on the banking sector as a whole, since the banks that had their licenses revoked did not actually carry out any real activity. "If the bank was engaged in cash withdrawal, then it practically did not issue loans, thus, it did not compete with those who were engaged in real banking activity," Sergey Hestanov concluded.
Move on up to the PRO-4X with Bilstein off-road performance shock absorbers and underbody protection, and youll level up to $33,530 before destination charge. But Nissan can do even better than that for $40,000 as demonstrated by the Destination Frontier one-off overlanding rig.Modifications include a three-inch lift kit and rooftop tent, lots of auxiliary lights, bed racks, and a good ol winch to get yourself out of trouble. "This special Destination Frontier is designed to do two things, said Tiago Castro, director of Light Commercial Vehicles at Nissan North America, Inc.First, demonstrate Frontier's durability, quality, and reliability, even when traveling to remote destinations. And second, to help democratize the overlanding experience by showing a more affordable approach to the sport." Given that a sport implies competition with at least an opponent, it would be better to describe the Destination Frontier as a vehicle for adventure-oriented people.Nissan started off with the Frontier Crew Cab SV 4x4 Midnight Edition, a truck that retails at $32,925 excluding destination. The mid-size pickup comes standard with a 2.5-liter engine that develops 152 horsepower and 171 pound-feet. More suck-squeeze-bang-blow is available with the 4.0-liter V6, an engine thats good for 261 horsepower and 281 pound-feet of torque for a maximum tow rating of 6,720 pounds.Its not the latest and the greatest, and the age of the Frontier becomes all too apparent if you remember the automatic transmission has five speeds. In the day and age of 10-speed automatics in the Ford F-150 , Nissan is playing second fiddle with the purpose of keeping the price as low as possible.On that note, theres an all-new Frontier in the pipeline for the 2021 model year. Expected to arrive no earlier than September 2020, the next generation could borrow a few of the underpinnings and some of the exterior design of the Navara that Nissan sells in Latin America, Europe, and Australia.
The film, directed by Jim Jarmusch opened the 2019 edition of the film festival, bringing into the spotlight Bill Murray, Chloe Sevigny and Adam Driver, who play deputies in a small town faced with a zombie invasion. The dark comedy with political undertones was as much fun to shoot as it is to watch, Sevigny tells Vulture in an interview after the screening.It was fun to shoot because Murray was on set and he did the most Murray things possible, like steal a prop police car and invite her and Driver for a joyride. While illegally impersonating police officers.One day we were shooting outside the diner in the pouring rain. So we had to wait for the rain to pass, and Adam and Bill and I were in the cop car, in uniforms. Bills like, Wanna go for a drive? Were like, Okay He pulls out without telling any of the producers, the actress tells the trade publication.She admits that driving a fake cop car while wearing a fake police uniform is probably illegal, but says that the whole thing ended up being so much fun. They even used the lights on the car to make a memorable entrance at a local farm.Hes like, Does anyone have their phone on them? And were like, No. ;Does anyone have any money? No. Were driving around upstate in a cop car, no money, no phones. But hed gotten a map in a restaurant, you know, one of those thats to scale, like, heres the corner store. He was like, I remember this farm stand I went to! He pulled up to this farm stand, with the lights on. Joyriding with Bill Murray. He got free [stuff] at the farm stand. Hes like, Ill come back and pay later, the actress continues.Again, as fun as all this sounds, its totally illegal, no probably about it.
Weve all done some pretty stupid stuff when we were teenagers, but this probably takes the crown. Alamogordo police cruisers were responding to an unrelated call when they saw the car speeding past them on the highway.They had no idea who was at the wheel but they intended to pull over the driver. They didnt get a chance to do so: before they even summoned the driver to stop, she peeled off, leading them on a high-speed chase, KKTV reports.The chase ended when the driver lost control of the car and it plowed through a traffic stop and nearly crashed into 2 other police cruisers. Officers approached the vehicle as they would an adult suspect, and one of them even used his baton to crack the driver-side window, as shown in the video below, which contains bodycam footage.To their surprise, the driver was a girl and she was clearly underage. With her in the car were 3 other girls, aged 12 to 13, and every one of them smelled of booze. The driver admitted she had waited for her grandpa to fall asleep before she stole his car and took her friends for a ride. Inside the vehicle, the cops found a bottle of Smirnoff and cans of alcoholic iced teas.A drunk 12-year-old girl led New Mexico law enforcement on a high-speed chase with three friends in tow, at one point nearly crashing into two police cruisers.For young folks to get a hold of a) alcohol, and then b) a vehicle, and then adding them both together  normally this situation is very... often it doesn't work out as well as it did in this case, Police Chief Brian Peete tells the media.The drivers father told the cops that they didnt keep alcohol at the house, so he had no idea where theyd gotten it from. He also advised them to keep the girl in custody for the night, if thats what had to be done.All four girls were charged with underage drinking, while the driver was also slapped with DUI and leading police on a chase.
An 8-minutes long video that recently came to public attention shows a party of exquisite style and luxury held in the presence of Renault-Nissan top executives at the palace of Versailles near Paris in 2014.Allegedly held on March 9, the same day Ghosn was having his 60th birthday, the party was also meant to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the tie-up between the Japanese and French companies.According to Autonews , who first published the video, the party cost 635,000 ($710,000) as per audit company Mazars, but its unclear what money was used to pay for it.Given the fact that Ghosn is being accused, among other things, of taking company assets and money and using them for his own benefit, this revelation can only hurt the efforts he is making from behind bars to appear the victim of a conspiracy.On the other hand, the Youtube channel on which this party summary was posted is called March 9th Versailles, has been created in 2014 and has only this one video, posted in the same year.This fact, combined with the convenient appearance of this information in the media can do nothing but fuel Ghosns attempts to blame his situation on his former colleagues out to get him.Carlos Ghosn is currently imprisoned in Japan, awaiting trial. Initially, the executive was arrested for underreporting his compensation to the Tokyo Stock Exchange and was subsequently accused of other illegal or immoral activities, ranging from personal use of company assets to aggravated breach of trust and misuse of company funds.
In a lengthy post on Facebook, Jon Morrow says that he is paralyzed from the neck down and has brittle bones, which means transfer from the airport to the cabin seat is impossible both by hand and the small aisle chair many airports in the U.S. provide. When he travels abroad, Morrow uses a $15,000 medical device he bought himself called the Eagle Lift, which is also used in airports in many European countries.The Eagle is legal and safe, and when he booked flights with Southwest, he made sure to inform them of this. He included a notice from his doctor explaining why he couldnt be transferred to the plane otherwise and stressed that he would bring the Eagle and 3 caretakers trained to handle it.Initially, the airline company responded positively. Then, days before the scheduled flight, they reached out to Morrow telling him that the Eagle would be an undue burden," so he was left with 2 choices: be transported by hand by airport staff or have a firefighter unit come in and transfer him, also by hand.Mind you, this is a device that is standard operating procedure for all passengers in wheelchairs outside the U.S., Morrow writes. Its been used safely on thousands of flights. Im also providing the Eagle and trained personnel at MY expense. Still they refuse. They dig in their heels. They tell me the decision cannot be appealed further.He pleaded with the company but was told the matter was a closed one. I'm making it as easy as I can for them. But they won't do it the easy way. So let's do it the hard way, he writes. People in wheelchairs should be able to fly. Let's take this one small step toward making it happen and approve my flight.Morrows story went viral, but Southwest still wouldnt let him board his flight in safe conditions. The airline also refused to comment on the incident, but JetBlue reached out to the passenger. Morrow eventually boarded a plane with the rival company, where he was welcomed with open arms  and staffers eager to see the Eagle in action.
The announcement was made on Thursday (May 16) by Tesla. The update is a global one, meaning cars wearing these nameplates will be updated across the world.The carmaker did not say that there is something wrong with the current settings and added that the update is only a precaution.As we continue our investigation of the root cause, out of an abundance of caution, we are revising charge and thermal management settings on Model S and Model X vehicles via an over-the-air software update that will begin rolling out today, to help further protect the battery and improve battery longevity, Tesla said in a statement according to CNN Problems for the carmaker started in April in Shanghai. Back then a video surfaced showing a parked Model S spontaneously combusting in a parking lot, right next to other cars. Last Sunday, another Tesla caught fire in Hong Kong.The carmaker sticks to its original position that its electric cars are ten times less likely to catch fire than those powered by a conventional internal combustion engine. Should a fire still occur, it spreads very slowly, and vents heat away from the cabin, alerting occupants that there is an issue and giving them enough time to exit the vehicle."That was clearly not the case in the Shanghai incident, as the images show the fire starting as tons of white smoke billowing up from underneath the car, then transforming into what can be considered some type of explosion.No official explanation about what might have caused this was given.
*Disturbing Video* Detectives would like to speak anyone present during this incident on March 21, 2019, in which an elderly male was pushed from a bus near Fremont St and 13th St, around 5PM. Please call #LVMPD Homicide Section Detectives at 702-828-3521 w/info. pic.twitter.com/MXYXZbvNkg  LVMPD (@LVMPD) May 14, 2019

PRESS RELEASE: Elderly Man Dies Weeks After Being Pushed Off a Bus -

Detectives Seek Witnesses of the Incident

VIDEO: https://t.co/5aJeRY44I1 #LVMPDnews pic.twitter.com/AcZZILmLN1  LVMPD (@LVMPD) May 14, 2019

The incident actually occurred on March 21, 2019, but the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department is only making it public now. The department has also released footage of it, in a bid to get eyewitnesses to build a case and ultimately have them testify in court against the suspect. You will also find it at the bottom of the page.According to the police, 74-year-old Serge Fournier got into an argument with Cadesha Bishop just moments before he arrived at his stop  where he was pushed off the bus . Bishop had been yelling profanities at the other passengers and Fournier tried to get her to see reason.His parting words to her were be nicer to passengers, reports online say. He then took his cart and turned his back to the woman, who used this opportunity to shove him with both hands out the door of the bus. Fournier hit his head on the pavement as he fell.When police arrived on the scene, he refused medical assistance, while he gave officers all the details he had about the suspect. That night, he took himself to the hospital as he was feeling worse. On April 23, he died in hospital, and his family notified the police about it earlier this month.A few days ago, Bishop was arrested and placed on house arrest, after she made bail. Shes facing a charge of open-murder of an elderly-vulnerable person, and police are looking for eyewitnesses to build the case.Detectives would like to speak anyone present during this incident on March 21, 2019, in which an elderly male was pushed from a bus near Fremont St and 13th St, around 5PM, the department says in a post on social media Reports online claim that Bishop was traveling with her kids on the bus, at the time when she pushed and ultimately killed an old man for daring to tell her to refrain from cursing.
Palmdale, CA (93550)

Today

Mostly clear. Low around 35F. Winds WSW at 15 to 25 mph. Winds could occasionally gust over 40 mph..

Tonight

Mostly clear. Low around 35F. Winds WSW at 15 to 25 mph. Winds could occasionally gust over 40 mph.
A bipartisan group of senior U.S. lawmakers has called on Turkey to cancel its planned purchase of Russia's S-400 missile-defense system.

The resolution, which is nonbinding, calls on the U.S. government to invoke the Countering Americas Adversaries Through Sanctions Act and impose financial penalties should Turkey go ahead with the buy.

"Turkey is a long-standing ally, but they face a clear choice. If Ankara buys Russian missile systems, the United States should immediately implement sanctions and boot Turkey from the F-35 program. Our bipartisan resolution should be taken as a clear statement from Congress that Turkey must choose: partner with Russia or its NATO allies. I hope Erdogan makes the right decision. The future of our alliance depends on it," top Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee Michael McCaul said.

"There are simply too many grave consequences to the national security interests of the United States. Turkey should cancel its acquisition and instead cooperate with the United States on the many areas where it is in our mutual interest to work together," the Republican Leader in the U.S. House of Representatives Kevin McCarthy said.

The resolution was introduced by Representatives Steny Hoyer, the No. 2 House Democrat, and Kevin McCarthy, the chambers top Republican, as well as Engel and Michael McCaul, the top Foreign Affairs Republican, Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Nita Lowey and ranking Republican Key Granger, as well as Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler and ranking Republican Doug Collins.
U.S. Army whistleblower Chelsea Manning has been jailed again on civil contempt charges for refusing to cooperate with a grand jury subpoena on Thursday.

Details: Manning told reporters earlier on Thursday from in front of the courthouse that she'd rather remain in jail "forever," than testify before a grand jury on the details of Wikileaks.

"Ive already been to prison, so attempting to coerce me with a grand jury subpoena is just not going to work ... The goal here is to re-litigate the court martial ... They didn't like the outcome, I got out. This is a way of placing me back into confinement."

 Chelsea Manning said at a press conference in Alexandria, Va.

The backdrop: In 2010, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange began publishing secret U.S. military and diplomatic documents  provided by the former Army intelligence analyst Manning. Manning has already spent 2 months in jail on a separate subpoena order, but was released earlier this month when the term of that grand jury lapsed. She previously served 7 years in a military prison for leaking documents to WikiLeaks before President Obama commuted what was left of her 35-year sentence.

The big picture: Federal prosecutors recently unsealed a classified indictment from late 2017 against Assange, who had been taking refuge in Ecuadors embassy in London before his April arrest. Prosecutors in Northern Virginia charged Assange with conspiring to commit computer intrusion, citing his alleged agreement with Manning to crack an encoded passcode that would have allowed her to access a classified military network with another users profile.

Manning has stated that she does not agree with the forced secrecy of the grand jury process and claims that she already divulged everything she knows about WikiLeaks at her court-martial.

Go deeper ... Timeline: Julian Assange's 9-year legal limbo reaches its climax
Between 8,000 and 12,000 shipping containers carrying medical supplies to various parts of the U.S. are on a delay of up to 37 days due to ongoing transportation congestion, according to new data from the Health Industry Distributors' Association.

Why it matters: Per their projections, medical supplies arriving at a U.S. port on Christmas Day won't be delivered to hospitals and other care settings until February 2022. That could delay critical supplies at a time when health care is already expected to most need them due to surges from Delta and Omicron.
After years of anticipation, Europe is finally taking a big share of American exports of liquified natural gas as it seeks to lessen its reliance on Russian gas.

Expand chart Data: EIA and the European Commission; Note: EU figures were converted from cubic meters to cubic feet and reflect approximate values. Chart: Naema Ahmed/Axios

Why it matters: It gives Europe leverage with Russia, which has cut off gas supplies in the past, and also bolsters President Trump's goal of positioning America as a global energy superpower.

What they're saying: I caught up Wednesday with European Commission Vice President Maros Sefcovic, who is in charge of the European Union's energy union. He toured an LNG export facility in Louisiana with Trump on Tuesday.

"We are at the stage when these facilities become commercially very important. We have demand. We have infrastructure in place. The U.S. now has the export capacity."

 European Commission Vice President Maros Sefcovic

Between the lines: Per Jason Bordoff, founding director of Columbia University's Center on Global Energy Policy: "The price premium disappeared in Asia (partly as a result of the recent oversupply), which leaves U.S. LNG going to Europe, the market of last resort."

Go deeper: Trump seeks to flex America's energy muscles abroad
Backers of the Green New Deal say climate change is the worlds most urgent threat, but supporters of that cause are not embracing the largest source of carbon-free power in America: nuclear energy.

Why it matters: Several nuclear power plants have or are set to shut down prematurely due to economic challenges. These plants are largely being replaced by natural gas or coal, increasing emissions at a time when climate activists say the world's energy mix needs to be going in the opposite direction.

Where it stands: The Sunrise Movement, a youth-led activist group, says the Green New Deal calls for America to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions within 11 years  a feat many technical experts say is highly implausible in the best-case scenario, let alone one in which existing carbon-free sources shut down early.

We have proven solutions to 100% renewable energy like wind and solar  we want to be prioritizing development of them. That said, we dont want to shut down nuclear power plants and replace them with coal-fired power plants."

 Stephen OHanlon, founder and spokesman for The Sunrise Movement, at a Green New Deal rally this week in Washington.

Reality check: Carbon emissions went up in Vermont when a nuclear plant shut down there in 2014, and coal and gas plants are likely to replace a Pennsylvania nuclear plant that announced its closure last week. Nuclear power provides 20% of Americas electricity, more than half of the carbon-free kind.

By the numbers: Losing all of Americas economically struggling nuclear plants  roughly half of the existing ones today  would remove so much carbon-free power from the electricity grid that it would take the next 11 years of renewables growth to make up for it. That's according to an analysis done for Axios by the think tank Third Way.

The backdrop: The resistance among climate activists to nuclear power, particularly maintaining existing plants, is at odds with some of the more established environmental groups, who have increasingly backed these plants in the name of climate change.

The Green New Deal resolution in Congress is silent on specific energy types, and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), the influential backer of the proposal, says it could leave the door open to nuclear. But the Sunrise Movement's OHanlon and other activists have been clearer that they dont support it.

The intrigue: I asked OHanlon if his group, which has been influential in shaping and advocating for the Green New Deal, would ever consider holding a rally to keep open a safely operating, but economically struggling nuclear plant. He said they would need to consider that on a "case by case" basis, but didnt elaborate.

When asked in a follow-up email, OHanlon declined to say what his main reasons are for opposing nuclear. Fear of an accident and how to handle nuclear waste are common factors among the public.

What they're saying: At the rally, I asked people in line whether they think nuclear power should be part of the Green New Deal. The responses were mixed and more nuanced than one might initially expect.

Highlights:

"That is a really complicated question. I personally dont think we really need nuclear power, so I think we should stay away from it, but I dont have ethical problems with it," says Caroline, who like many of the interviewees preferred first names only.

I have mixed feelings about it. It certainly needs to be part of the discussion because it is carbon-free but there are a lot of negative consequences," says Zack, who was there with his 11-year-old daughter Molly for her first political rally.

"I think there are already nuclear power plants in existence and there is no reason to immediately shut them down as we transition," says Jewel.

"Its possible, if it can be done safely and there are some checks on it. I dont know too much about it, but I do think it should be on the table," says Sunil.

"I think it has problems, largely due to the storage issues, and number 2, based on my understanding of the advances of the technology, its not necessary to get to renewable energy. We can do renewables without nuclear," says Rick.

Go deeper: As climate change worsens, America faces nuclear power closures
Joe Biden will base his 2020 presidential campaign headquarters in Philadelphia, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

Why it matters: Pennsylvania, one of the nation's hottest battlegrounds, is key to Biden's plans to beat President Trump in 2020. Born in Scranton  120 miles north  he's likely to highlight his personal connection to the state. The former vice president will hold his official campaign kickoff rally in Philadelphia this weekend, weeks after he took part in a big-money fundraiser there on the day his campaign launched.

Go deeper: Biden plots an early kill of his 2020 rivals
A federal grand jury indicted a Michigan lawmaker Wednesday after he was accused of trying to sell his vote and lying to the FBI.

Details: Rep. Larry Inman (R-Traverse City) is charged with attempted extortion, soliciting a bribe and making a false statement to the FBI. He says he's innocent of all charges and rejected calls from Democrats to resign.

The big picture: The indictment alleges Inman sent a text message days before a June 2018 vote on repealing a state law requiring union wage rates on most public projects. The recipient was allegedly the Michigan Regional Council of Carpenters and Millwrights  a union that previously contributed to his campaign, according to The Washington Post. He denied to the FBI "having any such communications," the indictment says.

"We will get a ton of pressure on this vote. Its not worth losing assignments and staff for $5,000. . . . My suggestion is you need to get people maxed out. I am not sure you can hold 12 [legislators considering blocking the repeal] for the only help of $5,000. . . . People will not go down for $5,000, not that we dont appreciate it."

 Text message Inman allegedly sent, according to the indictment

What's next? Inman is due to be arraigned in the federal court in Grand Rapids on May 23.
Political and national leaders quickly criticized Alabama's newly passed abortion ban after it passed on Wednesday, including 2020 presidential candidates and Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), who said the legislation is "so extreme" that she can't foresee the courts upholding it.

What's new: RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said she "personally opposes" the new law on Friday, Politico reports. She emphasized that she would preserve exemptions to allow abortion in cases of incest and rape, which the new law does not.

The big picture: Collins isn't the only Republican criticizing Alabama's ban. Televangelist Pat Robertson also called the new law "extreme," adding that the Alabama legislators clearly want to challenge Roe v. Wade, but this isn't the case to take to the Supreme Court since he expects it would lose, reports the Washington Post.

What else they're saying:

In response to the new law, Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) said as president he would codify abortion rights into law and appoint Supreme Court justices who want to protect Roe v. Wade.

Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) sent a campaign email urging her supporters to donate to pro-abortion organizations and took to Twitter, writing: "Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, Ohio & now Alabama - these anti-abortion bills aren't a coincidence, it's a concerted effort by the GOP to overturn Roe v. Wade. I'm sick and tired of this outright assault on women's bodily autonomy - we will fight this with everything we've got."

Sen. Bernie Sanders tweeted: "Abortion is a constitutional right," and said his Medicare for All plan would help cover the procedure.

Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) tweeted: "The Georgia and Alabama abortion bans are wrong. They are dangerous. They are unconstitutional. And they are out of step with the majority of Americans."

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) tweeted: "When I was growing up, people got abortions. Desperate women turned to back alley butchers or even tried the procedure on their own. Some were lucky, but others weren't. They all went through hell. Access to safe, legal abortion is a constitutional RIGHT. Full stop."

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) has been campaigning against the recent abortion bans in Georgia and Alabama, calling them "outrageous" and saying she'd only appoint judges who supported Roe v. Wade.

The general public has responded to the new Alabama abortion ban by sending thousands of dollars in donations to numerous organizations around the country, and specifically in Alabama.

California Rep. Kevin McCarthy  the House minority leader  told reporters that Alabama'a new law "goes further than I believe," adding he think exceptions should be made for "rape, incest and life of the mother," per the AP.

Go deeper: Where abortion restriction stands: The states that have passed laws
1 big thing: Secret government AI

The criminal justice system has eagerly taken up AI tools for surveillance, policing and sentencing  software that can track people's faces, deploy patrols where crime appears most likely, and recommend whether to grant bail.

Kaveh reports: But these tools are often cloaked in secrecy, so that it can be impossible to judge their accuracy, or even know where and how they are being used. Critics say this opens the door to misuse and discrimination.

Driving the news: San Francisco yesterday approved the most restrictive government surveillance regulations in the U.S.

The new measure, if it is passed a second time next week, entirely bans official facial recognition in the city  though it does not apply to federal agencies  and requires every department that wants to use surveillance technology to apply for permission.

At the other extreme, across the Pacific, is China. It is implementing the most Orwellian surveillance system on the planet, leaning especially hard on facial recognition to identify and track its Uighur minority.

Why it matters: When poorly coded or deployed, AI systems can make huge mistakes or harm some groups more than others. But where faulty facial recognition in Snapchat might mean some people can't use a fun filter, flawed police software can land the wrong people in jail.

Because these systems are tightly guarded, outside experts can't check them for bias and accuracy, and the public doesn't know how well they perform.

tightly guarded, outside experts can't check them for bias and accuracy, and the public doesn't know how well they perform. Read this: London police, responding to a freedom of information request, said this month that its facial recognition system misidentified people as criminals a whopping 96% of the time.

London police, responding to a freedom of information request, said this month that its facial recognition system misidentified people as criminals a whopping 96% of the time. What's more, experts and watchdogs say they don't actually know where such systems have been deployed around the United States, and defendants are often in the dark about whether advanced surveillance tech was used against them.

"You can't meaningfully build up a criminal defense, or change policies, if you don't know how these tools are being used," says Alice Xiang, a researcher at the Partnership on AI.

San Francisco will soon have its first-ever complete public list of surveillance technology currently in use, says Lee Hepner, legislative aide to San Francisco Supervisor Aaron Peskin, who introduced the measure.

"Communities have a right to know whether their governments use dangerous surveillance technology to track their daily lives," says Matt Cagle, an attorney at the ACLU of Northern California who advocated the measure.

to know whether their governments use dangerous surveillance technology to track their daily lives," says Matt Cagle, an attorney at the ACLU of Northern California who advocated the measure. Several other cities  including Oakland and Somerville, a city in the Boston area  are considering similar legislation.

The big picture: The uptake of AI in criminal justice mirrors a broad push to automate difficult or sensitive decisions, like hiring and diagnosing diseases from medical scans. But they are often implemented without proper safeguards, says Peter Eckersley, research director at the Partnership on AI.

The predictive systems used by nine police departments may have relied on biased data focused disproportionately on minority populations, according to a March report from AI now and New York University. If the report is accurate, this data may be enshrined in new predictive policing systems.

used by nine police departments may have relied on biased data focused disproportionately on minority populations, according to a March report from AI now and New York University. If the report is accurate, this data may be enshrined in new predictive policing systems. Last month, the Partnership on AI studied risk-assessment tools used to inform bail decisions and found that every system currently in use is flawed and should not be used.

What's next: Facial recognition is the most publicly controversial of the various AI tools governments use, and it's the one most likely to be regulated. Companies have asked the federal government to put rules in place for law enforcement use of the technology.
Texas used about $121,000 in funds from the Help America Vote Act to help pay for its now-scrapped push to purge suspected noncitizens from electoral rolls, the Texas Tribune reported Wednesday.

Details: The Secretary of States Office told the paper it was a legitimate use of federal money as it enabled software updates to help with data on people who'd indicated they weren't citizens when obtaining a drivers license or identity card. Texas Rep. Celia Israel (D-Austin) told the Tribune, "HAVA funds should be used to improve voter participation, not remove eligible Texans from the rolls."

Why it matters: In February, a federal judge said there was no evidence of widespread voter fraud in Texas. State officials reached an agreement with civil rights groups in April to halt the voter citizenship review, putting an end to multiple federal lawsuits challenging their controversial plan.



Go deeper: Texas agrees to scrap plan to purge supposed non-citizens from voter rolls
Humans and technology key to Vietnams new-stage development Updated: 09:44 - 16/05/2019

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc (middle) makes speech at the conference Science, Technology and Innovation - a pillar of Socio-Economic Development in Viet Nam on May 15__Photo: VNA

New technology and skilled human resources were the decisive factors to drive Vietnams long-term growth, especially in the face of Industry 4.0-induced changes.This message was delivered by Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc at a conference themed Science, Technology and Innovation - a pillar of Socio-Economic Development in Vietnam held by the Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST) in Hanoi on May 15.The conference was co-organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Australian Embassy in Vietnam and the International Development Innovation Alliance (IDIA).Natural resources are becoming scarce across the world and in Vietnam. Experts have agreed that the resource-intensive growth model is no longer applicable in this stage of development when Industry 4.0 has induced changes in all aspects of life and business.Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc emphasized human creativity was an endless resource which was the most precious asset among all countries and businesses.The Vietnamese have innate qualities for creativity. I believe if there are enough good nutrients, we can cultivate excellent and devoted people who will contribute greatly to the prosperity of the country, Phuc said.However, the Prime Minister also pointed out that with science and technology development, innovation nourishment in Vietnam was inadequate and limited.In addition to insufficient awareness among localities and sectors about the role of science, technology and innovation, an incomplete legal framework and policy mechanism was holding back technological development and failing to inspire innovation, he said.Just a few businesses had invested in innovation and research and development (R&D), while research conducted by universities was largely inapplicable and did not match business demands, Phuc said.Vietnams spending on science and technology development, including both the State and private sectors, was very modest, accounting for just 0.44 percent of gross domestic product (GDP), much lower than the worlds average of 2.23 percent.The PM said: "If we do not make bold investments in science, technology and innovation, we would become stuck in a low-productivity, low added value and middle-income trap."Speaking at the conference, Caitlin Wiesen, the UNDP's resident representative, said Vietnams growth to date had been inclusive which would enable the country to seize the opportunity of transitioning to an inclusive Industrial Revolution 4.0.As humans would become the center of development, Wiesen suggested the Vietnamese Government should create new growth drivers that helped create new job streams for all people, as well as strengthen capabilities across the population to create and seize new job opportunities.Ousmane Dione, the World Banks country director for Vietnam, also said the population of internet users in Vietnam was on par with most countries which had enabled it to develop a digital infrastructure.However, he said Vietnam needed to streamline research institutes, reducing quantity and raising quality.At the conference, the PM asked the MoST to advise the Government on policies to encourage and promote innovation in the business sector, while requesting the statistics office to standardize data collection on technological and innovative activities in accordance with global standards and to establish a national data bank for science and technology and innovation.He also emphasized the need to promote the role of universities and research institutes in training human resources to meet the demands of the economy and businesses.Also at the event, the MoST and Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) launched Vietnams Future Digital Economy Report which examines mega-trends affecting the development of the countrys digital economy until 2045, which include the impact of emerging digital technologies, new export markets for Vietnam, the development of modern digital infrastructure, the push for smart cities, the rise of digital skills and services, and changing consumer behavior.How the future plays out will depend on Vietnams position in the regional digital economy, and the level of adaptation to digital products and services across the Government, community and industry, Lucy Cameron, senior research consultant at CSIRO, said.According to Cameron, digital transition would bring about 1.1 percent of GDP growth each year for Vietnam by 2045. She said Vietnams growth was fast and inclusive which was suitable for digital transition.The next wave of digital technologies - Artificial Intelligence, block chain, the Internet of Things, and platforms and cloud-based services - have the potential to transform Vietnam into Asias next high-performing economy. Vietnam will need to seize these substantial opportunities while carefully navigating a number of risks, she said.The report is part of the Australian Governments Aus4Innovation program, an AUD 10 million strategic initiative designed to strengthen links between the Australian and Vietnamese innovation systems.-
Ukraine's prosecutor general told Bloomberg Thursday that he has no evidence of wrongdoing by former Vice President Joe Biden or his son Hunter Biden, following allegations by President Trump's lawyer of conflicts of interest related to Hunter's work with a Ukrainian energy company.

The backdrop: Giuliani and and other allies have been championing a narrative that Biden improperly tried to influence foreign politics by threatening to withhold $1 billion in U.S. loan guarantees from Ukraine if the government didn't oust former prosecutor general Viktor Shokin  who was allegedly investigating a company with ties to his son. After boasting to the New York Times that he would travel to Ukraine to ask officials to investigate Biden, ethical blowback forced Giuliani to cancel his trip

The current prosecutor general said that neither the company nor Hunter were currently the subject of an investigation, but that he planned to share information with Attorney General Bill Barr to check whether Hunter paid U.S. taxes on his Ukrainian income.

Why it matters: The episode has raised questions about whether Trump had abused his presidential authority by asking the Justice Department to investigate his political opponents. In a hearing last month, Barr struggled to answer a question from Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) about whether Trump had ever asked him to investigate an individual.
Former President Robert Kocharian on Thursday accused investigators of withholding evidence of his innocence in the 2008 post-election violence in Yerevan.

Speaking on the fourth day of his closely watched trial, Kocharian singled out a recently publicized video which purportedly shows a protester firing gunshots during the March 1, 2008 clashes between security forces and opposition supporters who had barricaded themselves in the city center. His lawyers submitted a copy of the video to the presiding judge.

Eight protesters and two police servicemen died in the clashes which broke out just over a month before Kocharian completed his second term in office and handed over power to his preferred successor, Serzh Sarkisian. The latter was the official winner of a disputed presidential election held in February 2008.

Sarkisians main challenger, former President Levon Ter-Petrosian, refused to concede defeat, alleging widespread fraud. Ter-Petrosian and his supporters staged daily demonstrations in Yerevans Liberty Square to demand a rerun of the vote.

Kocharian told the court that the video in question was shot by Armenias National Security Service (NSS). He said the then NSS director, Gorik Hakobian, also showed him video evidence of a number of other episodes of the worst street violence in Armenias history.

These were quite interesting materials: [they showed] how a grenade exploded, how the police captain (the first victim of the clashes) was killed by the grenade explosion, he claimed. All this was part of the materials [of the criminal case,] its not anymore.

Kocharian declared a three-week state of emergency and ordered Armenian army units into central Yerevan late on March 1, 2008. He and his lawyers maintain that the crackdown was justified because the anti-government protests turned violent.

The trial prosecutors and the Special Investigative Service (SIS), which has conducted the probe, did not immediately respond to the allegation that they have withheld exculpatory evidence from the court.

The SIS says that Kocharian began massing troops in and around the capital one week before introducing emergency rule. It says that this violated Armenias constitution and amounted to an overthrow of the constitutional order.

The law-enforcement agency has brought the same coup charges against the former chief of presidential staff Armen Gevorgian and retired army Generals Seyran Ohanian and Yuri Khachaturov. Ohanian was the chief of the Armenian armys General Staff while Khachaturov served as deputy defense minister in March 2008. All four defendants deny the accusations.

Armenian law-enforcement authorities blamed the Ter-Petrosian-led opposition for the 2008 violence until last years velvet revolution which brought Nikol Pashinian to power. They arrested and jailed in 2008-2010 dozens of Ter-Petrosian loyalists, including Pashinian, for organizing the mass disturbances in a bid to seize power. The latter denied the accusations as politically motivated.

The SIS first arrested Kocharian in July last year, two months after Pashinian was elected prime minister.
President Armen Sarkissian floated the idea of turning Armenia into a financial hub when he met with the International Monetary Funds managing director, Christine Lagarde, in Kazakhstan on Thursday.

Sarkissian and Lagarde held talks in the Kazakh capital Nur-Sultan on the sidelines of an international economic forum organized by the Central Asian countrys government.

The parties exchanged views on the possibilities for broadening the existing cooperation and underscored that there is a great potential to do it, read a statement released by the Armenian presidential press service.

Noting that our country has a mature banking and financial systems, President Sarkissian spoke of the concept to make Armenia a financial hub and opportunities to achieve it, it said. It will allow to make our country not only more attractive but also to offer high-quality and more efficient services.

The statement did not elaborate on that concept. It quoted Sarkissian as praising Armenias ties with the IMF, one of its leading foreign creditors.

Earlier this year, the IMF moved to allocate a fresh $250 million loan to Armenia, praising the Armenian governments macroeconomic policies and ambitious reform agenda. An IMF mission indicated at the end of a two-week visit to Yerevan that the Washington-based funds Executive Board will likely approve the allocation in May.

The mission chief, Hossein Samiei said that the precautionary stand-by arrangement would be disbursed in several installments over the next three years. It is designed to support the new governments reform plans and strengthen resilience against external shocks, he said.

The IMFs most recent lending program for Armenia, worth roughly $115 million, was launched in 2014 and completed in 2017.
Nagorno-Karabakhs current and former leaders appeared before a court in Yerevan on Thursday to reaffirm their calls for the release of Armenias Karabakh-born former President Robert Kocharian from custody.

Karabakh President Bako Sahakian and his predecessor Arkadi Ghukasian first asked the court to free Kocharian pending the outcome of his trial on Tuesday. They said they can guarantee that the ex-president will display appropriate behavior and not obstruct justice if set free.

The presiding judge, Davit Grigorian, responded by saying that both Sahakian and Ghukasian must come to the court and personally offer such guarantees. The two men did just that. Each of them deposited 500,000 drams ($1,030) before signing a relevant document in the courtroom.

They then sat next to Kocharian as the court continued hearings on his lawyers separate demand for his release.

In a joint letter to Armenias Prosecutor-General Artur Davtian sent last week, Sahakian and Ghukasian cited Kocharians huge contribution to the Armenian victory in the 1991-1994 war with Azerbaijan. Kocharian, who is facing coup charges stemming from the 2008 post-election violence in Yerevan, ran Karabakh from 1992-1997. He was Armenias president from 1998-1999.

The Karabakh leaders left the courtroom only after the judge decided to continue the trial in closed session at Kocharians request. The latter said his further arguments contain state secrets. It was announced afterwards that the judges decision on the ex-presidents detention will be made public on Saturday.

The trial prosecutors oppose Kocharians release. One of them, Petros Petrosian, argued on Tuesday that he expressed a desire to leave the country after being set free in August. Petrosian said the defendant could therefore flee the prosecution.

Kocharian condemned that claim as immoral. I didnt flee the war, he said. I didnt escape from a hundred dangers. Why would I escape from them?

The 64-year-old ex-president as well as his former chief of staff Armen Gevorgian and retired army Generals Seyran Ohanian and Yuri Khachaturov stand accused of overthrowing the constitutional order in the wake of a disputed presidential election held in 2008. They all deny the accusations.

Kocharian and Gevorgian were also charged with bribe-taking earlier this year. They deny these charges as well.
By Trend

Over the past 24 hours, Armenian armed forces have violated the ceasefire along the line of contact between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops 25 times, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said on May 16, Trend reports.

The Armenian armed forces were using heavy machine guns.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.

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By Mirsaid Ibrahimzade

Azerbaijan will host the 1st InnoFest Innovation Festival, Tural Karimli, director of Azerbaijan's High Tech Park LLC under the Ministry of Transport, Communications and High Technologies, said at a press conference on May 15.

The festival will consist of 12 events and will be held from May 29 to June 4.

Karimli said that the festival will be held on the initiative of the Ministry of Transport, Communications and High Technologies, and the event is organized by the Ministry of Youth and Sports, Ministry of Education, Heydar Aliyev Center, Azerbaijani Youth Foundation, UN Development Program, US Embassy in Azerbaijan, and the Azerbaijani mobile operator Azercell.

He added that summits and forums with the participation of global organizations, international companies and influential individuals, robotics competitions will be part of festival. Esports tournaments, innovation and start-up competitions, exhibitions, technoparties and a concert with the participation of a famous artist are also included in the program of the event.

In addition, Tural Karimli noted that the large-scale Monex Caspian summit will be held in Baku on May 30-June 1, which is held annually in the regions of Europe, the Middle East and the CIS countries.

Monex Caspian organization is aimed at creation of new business opportunities in Azerbaijan, improvement of cooperation and identification of the latest trends. The event will bring together leaders in financial technology and the banking industry.

More than 300 local and foreign companies and more than 70 speakers and representatives from approximately 50 countries will attend the summit. Moreover, one the main guests of the event will be Tim Berners-Lee, the inventor and creator of the Internet, the speaker of the Web Summit and the World Economic Forum in Davos, the world's largest technology conference, as well as the winner of the Turing Award and Queen Elizabeth Award.

Further, Azerbaijans Karimli said that Azerbaijans first Youth Internet Forum will be held from May 31 to June 3 within the framework of festival. The primary goal of the forum is to attract the young people of the country, as well as the countries of the region, to discuss trends in the development of the digital sphere.

Made in Azerbaijan: Innovations and Technologies (MAINTECH-2019) forum will also be hosted by Azerbaijan on June 3. Supported by Azerbaijans State Fund for Development of Information Technologies under the Ministry of Transport, Communications and High Technologies, its main purpose is to widely disseminate innovative and technological products and services and also to support their export.

Also, an exhibition of goods of local manufacturers will be held with the support of the US Embassy in Azerbaijan, together with Mars Academy at the Ministry of Transport, Communications and High Technologies, where achievements in the field of high technologies will be presented. Mars Academy will present information about STEAM educational programs (Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Mathematics). The goal of the program is to help young people choose professions.

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Mirsaid Ibrahimzade is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @MirsaidIbrahim1

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By Leman Mammadova

Azerbaijan's "Braille Teach" startup has taken the second place in Zhijiang Entrepreneur international entrepreneurship and innovation competition held in Paris.

Zarifa Mirzoyeva represented the Azerbaijani startup team. The device presented at the competition was invented for children with visual impairment to learn the Braille alphabet in many languages.

"Braille Teach" startup device allows learning Braille alphabet, figures and symbols through 8 interactive and entertaining games. This device currently supports Azerbaijani, English, Russian and German languages and can also be programmed in many more languages.

It should be noted that the winning team of the Paris competition will participate in the grand final of Zhijiang Entrepreneur to be held in Zhijiang, China, in November. The winner will receive 50,000 yuan ($7,265) and other support.

Zhijiang Entrepreneur international entrepreneurship and innovation competition is an arena to bring together the most innovative entrepreneurs in the world and encourage the best of them. Zhijiang aims to become an international innovation center by attracting the world's talents through this competition.

It is noteworthy that Azerbaijan has recently ranked 47th among 188 countries in the Global Startup Ranking.

As the startups are mainly related to the development and application of new technologies, Azerbaijani Ministry of Communications and High Technologies is taking important measures to support startups in the country. Earlier, the State Fund for Development of Information Technologies under the Ministry has been established to be engaged in providing investment.

Recently, a joint consortium has been established with the participation of the Innovation Agency under the Ministry of Transport, Communications and High Technologies, AzInTelecom LLC and companies Lenovo, Nutanix, and iQRex to ensure the participation of startups in tenders held by various government agencies and individual companies, as well as in important projects and to support them in this field.

The consortium will provide local startuppers with an opportunity to get access to various financial sources, to take part in important projects, including large and medium-sized tenders.

Today, the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) is engaged in promoting the protection of intellectual property by ensuring administrative cooperation of the unions created by the participating countries.

Azerbaijan joined to the WIPO in 1995. Currently, Azerbaijan is a party to many WIPO-administered treaties.

The Azerbaijani government and WIPO signed a memorandum of understanding for the development of intellectual property sphere in Azerbaijan and the expansion of international cooperation in this area.

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Leman Mammadova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @leman_888

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By Trend

The fourth meeting of the U.S.-Azerbaijan Economic Partnership Commission will be held in Baku on May 17, Trend reports referring to the Azerbaijani Finance Ministry on May 16.

The delegation headed by U.S. First Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Trade Policy and Negotiations in the Bureau of Economic Affairs Peter Haas will arrive in Baku to participate in the meeting.

The agenda includes the issues on the development and strengthening of trade relations between the two countries, bilateral investment opportunities, and economic reforms being carried out in Azerbaijan.

At the meeting, the prospects for cooperation in the fields of tourism, taxes, customs, agriculture, food security, labor, intellectual property and other spheres will be considered.

The current economic partnership between Azerbaijan and the U.S., the work carried out after the third meeting of the commission and prospects for the expansion of the ties between the two countries will be also discussed.

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By Trend

The Azerbaijani Ministry of Finance has so far allocated 430.6 million manats to pay compensation on problem loans to individuals, spokesman for the ministry Mais Piriyev told Trend on May 16.

On May 8-14, upon the appeal of the Financial Market Supervisory Authority of Azerbaijan (FIMSA), the Finance Ministry transferred 53.5 million manats and 26.3 million manats in two tranches to the banks' correspondent accounts at the Central Bank to implement Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyevs decree, he added.

"Taking into account the Finance Ministrys first tranche worth 350.8 million manats for paying compensation, the amount of funds transferred so far to the correspondent accounts of the postal operator and banks, including those which are being liquidated, reached 430.6 million manats," Piriyev said.

The process of paying compensation on problem loans to individuals started in Azerbaijan on April 22, 2019. The payments are made through branches of banks and Azerpost postal operator. As expected, 602,347 people will receive compensation. The compensation is planned to be fully paid till late May 2019.

Earlier, President Aliyev signed a decree on additional measures in connection with solving the issue of the individuals problem loans. The decree envisages the payment of compensation to citizens whose loan burden increased as a result of the devaluation of the manat in February and December 2015.

According to the decree, opportunities are created for restructuring both US dollar loans and manat loans with a delay of more than 360 days on concessional terms. If the amount of compensation exceeds 500 manats, these funds will be transferred to the account of the individual; otherwise, the payment will be made via money transfer.

The corresponding plastic cards to be received by individuals are issued free of charge for a period of one year. Banks and postal operator are not entitled to charge fees for issuing or conducting operations with these cards or for making money transfers.

(1.7 AZN = 1 USD on May 16)

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By Trend

The use of financial technologies will be expanded in Azerbaijan, reads the relevant memorandum signed at the Financial Technology (FINTEX) Summit, which is being held on the topic "New trends in banking and the payment ecosystem: innovative solutions, financial technologies and security" in Baku on May 16, Trend reports.

The document was signed by Minister of Transport, Communications and High Technologies of Azerbaijan Ramin Guluzade, First Deputy Chairman of the Central Bank of Azerbaijan Alim Guliyev, Chairman of the Association of Banks of Azerbaijan Zakir Nuriyev, Acting Chairman of the Executive Board of the Financial Market Supervisory Authority of the country Ibrahim Alishov and Executive Director of the national Center for Analysis of Economic Reforms and Communications Vusal Gasimli.

The memorandum provides for the exchange of information on the provision of financial services, the exchange of experience and support for the introduction of financial technologies.

The Financial Technology Summit is conducted within the "Week of financial and digital technologies" in Baku. About 100 representatives of international organizations and leading companies from the US, CIS, Europe, Japan, India and many other countries are taking part in the event.

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South Africa: Workers month programme gaining momentum

As part of Workers Month, Labour Inspectors are on a blitz in which they are conducting workplace walkabouts in the Free State.

The inspection started in Jacobsdal were two farms were visited for pep talks with workers on labour legislation such as the Basic Conditions of Employment Act (BCEA), Unemployment Insurance Act (UIA) and the new National Minimum Wage Act (NMWA).

Some of the pertinent issues raised by workers related to the failure of the employer to issue them with hard copies of their pay slips.

In Zastron and Bethulie, the focus was on the Wholesale and Retail sector and a total of three retail stores were visited.

Issues raised during these visits related to the Occupational Health and Safety Act, and the application thereof. Information relating to the Unemployment Insurance Act, and how to apply for benefits thereto, was also requested by workers.

In addition to the workplace walkabouts, the Department also conducted blitz inspections to check the level of compliance to labour laws.

To this end, a total of 14 workplaces have been inspected in the Wholesale and Retail sector in the Bethlehem and Reitz areas.

Flowing from those inspections, a total of four workplaces were found to comply with Labour Legislations whilst ten of those inspected were found wanting in terms of compliance to some provisions of labour legislation.

Owing to that, a total of nine Compliance Orders and one written undertaking were served on non-complying employers.

Free State acting Head of the Department of Labour, Emily Maneli, said the picture is worrying and signals the need for the department to be more vigilant and resolute against unscrupulous employers who continue to flout the law.

This is really a serious indictment on our efforts to rid workplaces off non-compliance tendencies, Maneli said, adding that more inspections will be conducted in the Agriculture Sector in areas such as Frankfort and Reitz.

We really are going to leave no stone unturned in our endeavor to unearth anomalies taking place in the workplace. Ours is to make sure that we protect workers, vulnerable workers in particular, and we are saying to all those employers failing workers that, be warned, we are going to come down very hard on you, Maneli added.

Meanwhile, the Compensation Fund is hosting a breakfast networking session in partnership with the East London Industrial Development Zone (ELIDZ) this morning.

The engagement is part of a national initiative by the Compensation Fund to interact with its stakeholders and improve relations.

The spotlight of the networking session will focus on the role of the Compensation Fund, the New proposed Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases (COID) Bill update and the New Employers Assessment Model Regulation update.-SAnews.go.za

This story has been published on: 2019-05-16. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
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By Leman Mammadova

Azerbaijan and Belarus closely cooperate in industrial sphere, particularly in machine engineering, which holds a special place in the development of the bilateral economic relations.

Ganja Automobile Plant has launched a new assembly line in Azerbaijan for E-321 electric buses and combine harvesters of the Palesse KZS-575 brand.

The opening ceremony of the new assembly line took place at the Ganja Automobile Plant.

The event was attended by officials from Belarus, Azerbaijan, the plant management and others. They got acquainted with the plant, including the new line for the assembly of the harvesting machine.

Today, for the first time in Azerbaijan, we have assembled an electric bus and put into operation a modern, environmentally friendly, comfortable electric bus using alternative energy, Khanlar Fatiyev, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Ganja Automobile Plant, said at the event.

He noted that such electric buses already serve the population on the streets of Minsk.

In the future, 30-40 percent of spare parts for these electric buses will be produced at Ganja Automobile Plant. We hope that our environmentally friendly, high-quality electric buses will also serve well on the streets of Azerbaijan, Fatiyev said.

In turn, Head of the Ganja City Executive Power Niyazi Bayramov spoke about the innovations at the plant.

Close friendly ties were established between Azerbaijan and Belarus. Ganja Automobile Plant is a brilliant example of our bilateral relations, we have got acquainted with the machinery collected at the factory  tractors, combine harvesters, including very high quality electric buses. We hope that the assembly of electric buses will expand in the future, he said.

At the same time, Deputy Prime Minister of Belarus Igor Lyashenko noted that Ganja Automobile Plant has become like a native in the family of the Belarusian machine-building industry.

Alexander Novikov, General Director of Belarusian Gomselmash, also highly praised the machinery produced by the plant.

Later, a Palesse KZS-575 combine harvester and a E-321 electric bus came off the assembly line.

The electric bus is beneficial, both in terms of minimizing the negative impact on the environment and in terms of energy consumption savings. The new electric buses, designed to carry 83 passengers, are equipped with 26 seats, air conditioning, information monitor and video surveillance system.

In addition, the electric bus E-321, developed by OJSC Belkommunmash Holding Management Company, is designed to travel at a speed of 60 km/h.

The combine harvesters of the Palesse KZS-575 brand are equipped with 114/115 horsepower engines. The speed of the combine is 20 km/h.

Ganja Automobile Plants capacity allows production of 150 electric buses and 120 combines annually.

Earlier, Azerbaijan and Belarus signed agreements on beginning the assembly of buses of the Minsk Automobile Plant (MAZ), the supply of the components of electric buses produced by Belkommunmash and the components for combines produced at the Gomselmash plant.

Presently, the Ganja Automobile Plant specializes on assembling Russian Oka and UAZ cars, Belarusian MAZ and Belarus tractors, Chinese Changan vans & trucks and other vehicles.

Ganja Automobile Plant is the largest assembly plant of Belarusian tractors outside the Eurasian Economic Union. Launched in 2004, the plant organizes the assembly of all types of trucks and tractors of Belarusian production since 2006. So far, more than 10,000 Belarusian tractors and specialized equipment have been assembled at the Ganja Automobile Plant.

The plant produced 478 units of machinery in January-April 2019. In addition, the plant manufactured 478 units of machinery, including 466 different models of tractors, one MAZ automobile trailer, one KAMAZ automobile, two MAZ buses and five tractor trailers with a self-operating mechanism.

In general, Ganja Automobile Plant produced 8 models of MAZ cars in the amount of 2,864 units. Some 30-40 percent of the assembly of these vehicles was provided by local production. Moreover, the plant manufactured 330 MAZ trailers and 3,202 units of attachments, 208 KAMAZ trucks and 411 Ural vehicles.

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Leman Mammadova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @leman_888

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By Abdul Karimkhanov

The 25th Azerbaijan International Food Industry Exhibition  WorldFood Azerbaijan 2019 opened at Baku Expo Center on May 15.

The exhibition features diverse food industry products and related innovations from 440 companies representing 32 countries of the world.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, the head of Azerbaijan Food Safety Agency Goshgar Tahmazli said that WorldFood Azerbaijan has already proved itself as a reliable platform, where, along with the demonstration of modern equipment and technologies, products and services in the food industry, mutually beneficial ties are established, conditions and opportunities are created for entering new markets and establishing effective cooperation.

He noted that since its foundation, the Agency has been participating in the exhibition, causing considerable interest among its other participants.

So this time, its latest achievements and laboratory equipment were met at the exhibition with great interest. For example, in the area designated for the Food Safety Agency it is possible to observe the definition of food safety indicators, get acquainted with samples of laboratory research conducted in crisis situations, as well as food products with high export potential which are most exposed to the risk of counterfeit, Tahmazli said.

This year, for the first time in the Caucasus, the Agency introduces the third level mobile bio-security laboratory. In the case of an outbreak of animal and bird diseases, this laboratory has the potential to detect the disease within two to three hours based on samples taken.

In addition, mobile veterinary laboratory, Food Safety Institute services, provided to entrepreneurs operating in the food industry, are presented to visitors.

Within the framework of the WorldFood Azerbaijan 2019 exhibition, the 2nd Baku Food Safety Conference will also be held on May 17.

Azerbaijans Food Safety Agency helps ensure the regulatory framework of food safety and carry out risk analysis, hygiene certification, as well as provide a quality certificate for food products exported to foreign countries, ensure state control over the protection of the rights of consumers of food products.

Twenty-one laboratories were created in the country to conduct analysis in the field of food safety. All of them were established within the framework of the "State program for ensuring food safety in Azerbaijan for 2019-2025.

The state program is designed to provide the countrys population with safe and qualitative food products, increase the transparency and efficiency of the food safety system and bring it in line with international requirements.

The implementation of the state program will provide the population with healthy and safe food products and greatly reduce the number of foodborne diseases.

At the same time, the state program envisages bringing food standards and norms into conformity with international requirements, improving the issue of providing the population with qualitative food and food safety, improving the quality and safety of food products and, thus, increasing the competitiveness of local products and their export potential.

Azerbaijan continues to create favorable conditions for stimulating agricultural production and takes important measures to ensure the long-term provision of the country with high-quality agricultural products.

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By Trend

The Azerbaijani banks issued the loans worth 1.7 billion manats in January-March 2019, Acting Chairman of the Executive Board of the Financial Market Supervisory Authority of Azerbaijan (FIMSA) Ibrahim Alishov said, Trend reports.

Alishov made the remarks at the Finance and Technology (FINTEX) Summit entitled "New trends in banking and payment ecosystem: innovative solutions, financial technologies and security" in Baku on May 16.

This is quite a big figure, he said, stressing an improvement in the situation and a decrease in dollarization in the market.

While speaking about support provided by FIMSA, Alishov said that since the beginning of its activity, FIMSA has made capital injections worth more than 1.8 billion manats, including 120 million manats for the first three months of 2019.

Alishov also stressed that the adequacy of capital of the banking sector exceeds the regulatory indicators and has reached 20.2 percent, which can be considered an indicator of the sustainability of the sector.

According to FIMSA, the loan portfolio of the banks in the country reached 12.7 billion manats as of April 1, 2019 .

FINTEX Summit is being held within the "Week of financial and digital technologies" in Baku. About 100 representatives of international organizations and leading companies from the US, CIS, Europe, Japan, India and other countries are taking part in the event.

(1.7 AZN = 1 USD on May 16)

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By Mirsaid Ibrahimzade

Small and medium-sized businesses play undisputedly significant role in the improvement of a country's economy. Development of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) leads to the growth of the private sector, which is one of the priority directions of Azerbaijans current economic policy to stimulate the non-oil sector.

Orkhan Mammadov, Chairman of the Board of Agency for the Development of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs), has told Trend that the Agency plans to open 20-25 representative offices in the Azerbaijans regions by the end of 2019.

Mammadov said that every month the Agency opens new Friend of SMEs offices and currently, there are 12 offices in Azerbaijan. He added that it is planned to bring this figure to 60, spread this network and embrace all regions of the country.

The chairman emphasized that the opening of the first House of SMEs in Baku is planned for the end of 2019 and this will be an open platform operating in the one-stop shop mode with the aim of providing various kinds of services to entrepreneurs, including consulting.

The House of SMEs will aim at ensuring efficiency, transparency and easy access of entrepreneurs to financial resources.

The Small and Medium Business Development Agency under the Ministry of Economy of Azerbaijan was established by the decree of the President of Azerbaijan dated December 28, 2017. The presidential decree of June 26, 2018 approved the statute and structure of the Agency.

The main task of the Agency is to ensure the succession of reforms, improvement of the business regulation system, and application of effective coordination, enhancing the role and competitiveness of SMEs in the country's economy, as well as the compliance of the management system in this area with modern requirements.

As a single structure with special powers, the Agency organizes, coordinates, evaluates and regulates the services provided by government agencies and organizations in this area through the SME houses.

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Mirsaid Ibrahimzade is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @MirsaidIbrahim1

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By Leman Mammadova

Azerbaijan and Austria are continuously making efforts for further expansion of the bilateral economic and trade relations covering many sectors of economy.

Azerbaijani-Austrian Business Forum was held in Baku on May 15 with the support of the Azerbaijani Ministry of Economy and Azerbaijan Export and Investment Promotion Foundation (AZPROMO).

About 70 businessmen working in industry, agriculture, textile, logistics and other spheres as well as officials attended the event.

The Head of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry Niyaz Alizade stressed that Azerbaijani-Austrian economic and trade relations are developing successfully.

Speaking about the favorable business and investment environment created in Azerbaijan, Alizade gave information about the development of the non-oil sector, diversification of the economy, stimulation of the private sector development, expansion of export, as well as the work done in promotion of the Made in Azerbaijan brand and the measures taken to promote foreign investments.

In turn, Georg Karabaczek, Trade Commissioner of the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber for Turkey, Azerbaijan and Georgia, talked on the possibilities of expanding Azerbaijani-Austrian economic cooperation and invited businessmen to use the existing potential.

Later, presentations were held on Azerbaijan's business and investment climate and Austrian economy.

During the business forum, bilateral meetings were held between the businessmen and issues of cooperation were discussed.

Diplomatic relations between Austria and Azerbaijan were established in 1992.

The Joint Commission for Economic, Agricultural, Industrial, Technical and Technological Cooperation operates between the two countries. The most dynamic areas of cooperation are energy, transportation, tourism and construction.

In 2018, the trade turnover between Azerbaijan and Austria amounted almost $400 million, about $67 million of which fell on imports from Austria, while Azerbaijani exports to Austria reached $330 million. Azerbaijan mainly imports products, water, pharmaceutical products and iron, and steel products from Austria. Countys exports to Austria are primarily oil, gas and copper products.

The highest level of trade turnover between the two countries was registered in 2015, when it amounted to 525 million euros.

Austrian companies invested $73 million in Azerbaijans economy, while Azerbaijan invested $60 million in the economy of Austria. Transport sector is now the main area for investments in Azerbaijan for Austrian companies.

Presently, about 50 Austrian companies operate in industry, construction, trade, service, banking and insurance, transport and other spheres in Azerbaijan.

Austria supports Azerbaijans role in the diversification of energy supplies to Europe and highly appreciates energy projects implemented by Azerbaijan in this direction. Austria expects gas volumes from Azerbaijan to be delivered via Georgia, Turkey, Greece, Albania, Bulgaria, Italy further to European countries including Austria when the Southern Gas Corridor will be fully put into operation.

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Leman Mammadova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @leman_888

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By Laman Ismayilova

Famous national conductor Rauf Abdullayev has been awarded with the main humanitarian prize of the CIS - "Stars of the Commonwealth".

The award ceremony took place as part of the 14th Forum of CIS Creative and Scientific Intelligentsia held in Turkmenistan on May 15-17, Trend Life reported.

Rauf Abdullayev has been artistic director and chief conductor of the Hajibeyli Azerbaijan State Symphony Orchestra for many years.

Hundreds of music lovers from France, Germany, the U.S., Russia, Great Britain, Turkey, Greece, Iraq, Egypt, Belgium, Italy, Finland, Austria, Switzerland, United Arab Emirates, Mexico etc. are familiar with his outstanding performances.

Abdullayev graduated with honors from the Piano faculty of the Uzeyir Hajibeyli Baku Academy of Music and the faculty of Opera and Symphonic Conducting of the St. Petersburg State Conservatory. Following graduation, he was invited to work as a conductor to the Opera House in Baku, where he worked as the chief conductor from 1968 to 1984.

Since 1984, Rauf Abdullayev has been serving as the artistic director and chief conductor of the Azerbaijan State Symphonic Orchestra.

Under his supervision, the orchestra has achieved a high level of performance evidenced by numerous successful tours abroad. Abdullayev's wide-ranging repertoire includes music of different epochs, styles and directions.

The conductor pays special attention to the performance of musical compositions by Azerbaijani composers. Many operas, ballets and symphonies by great national composers were performed under his supervision for the first time both in Azerbaijan and abroad.

Abdullayev is also the founder and organizer of classical music festivals such as Music of the 20th Century, named after Gara Garayev.

The conductor was awarded state and many other honorary awards and titles during his active and untiring career. Also, during his service as the chief conductor of the Ankara Opera and Ballet Theatre from 1993 to 1997, Abdullayev was twice awarded the title of the Best Conductor of the Year of Turkey.

In 2017, President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev signed an order on awarding Rauf Abdullayev with the Istiglal Order for his great achievements in the development and propaganda of the Azerbaijani musical culture.

"Stars of the Commonwealth" Prize was established in 2009 by the Council for Humanitarian Cooperation and the Interstate Fund for Humanitarian Cooperation of the CIS Member States.

The prize is annually awarded to the representatives of the CIS countries for the most significant successes in the field of humanitarian activities, corresponding to the level of world achievements and contributing to the development of each of the CIS countries and the Commonwealth as a whole.

This year, the topic of the Forum of CIS Creative and Scientific Intelligentsia was "Common humanitarian space of the Commonwealth: dialogue in culture, science and education". About 200 delegates from Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan took part in the forum.

During the plenary sessions and in the specialized sections, scientists, educators and artists discussed various aspects of professional cooperation: new formats of cooperation in the field of education, continuity and innovation in working with youth, formation of intercultural dialogue, etc.

Eleven scientists and cultural figures were awarded for achievements in the field of art, science and education.

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Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Lam_Ismayilova

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By Trend

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has signed an order regarding measures to continue the construction of Guba-Gonagkend road in Guba.

Under the presidential order, 20,000,000 manats will be allocated to the Azerbaijan Highway State Agency for continuing the construction of the road connecting 66 residential areas with a total population of 68,000 people.

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By Trend

Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov has left for the Republic of France on a working visit, Trend reports referring to Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry.

During the visit, Mammadyarov will hold a number of meetings with the French officials.

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By Mirsaid Ibrahimzade

Azerbaijan and Finland have a potential to expand their relations, especially the economic cooperation, where both states can benefit from the advantages of each other in the fields of oil cooperation, environmentally friendly technologies and forestry.

Paivi Peltokoski, Head of the Unit for Eastern Europe and Central Asia at the Foreign Ministry of Finland, told Trend that Finland, one of the leading cleantech nations, is looking to develop innovative partnerships with Azerbaijan in spheres of energy efficiency and circular economy.

He said that the two states have excellent relations, and their common history dates back to the turn of the 20th century when a large Finnish community was involved in Azerbaijans oil industry.

Peltokoski added that along with trade, countries actively cooperate in such areas as cultural activities and education.

"For instance, The Finnish Meteorological Institute has just successfully concluded a project on upgrading the National Environmental Monitoring System of Azerbaijan. Finland and Azerbaijan are also partners through the EU Eastern Partnership framework, she said.

Emphasizing that Finland, as part of the European Union, hails the positive developments in the EU-Azerbaijan relations, Paivi Peltokoski noted that the negotiations of the new framework agreement will broaden cooperation.

Speaking about the investment opportunities between the two countries, she stressed that Finns are proud to be known for their education system, well-functioning infrastructure, ICT, environmentally sustainable technologies and strong investment in innovation systems and added that Finland is a high-ranking country in terms of competitiveness, quality of export products, innovation and anti-corruption.

All this makes Finland a good home for investments, Peltokoski said.

She further pointed out that Finland, as an export-oriented nation, has a lot to offer in international markets.

"As a country with top-level basic research and highest engineers per capita, Finland has leading technology companies. In addition to manufacture and paper industry, we offer energy efficiency and cleantech solutions. We can share our knowhow in education, construction, biotechnology, bioeconomy and digitalization," head of the Unit stated.

Peltokoski said that presently, over 2,000 Finnish companies are active in the cleantech sector developing innovative clean technologies and new business models.

In addition, she noted that Finland is one of the leading countries in Europe by the share of renewable energy, which is more than 40 percent, and added that the countrys target is to raise this indicator to more than 50 percent during the next year through bioenergy and other emission-free renewable energy.

This is the future. In short, Finland can offer sustainable solutions for Azerbaijan in its reforms aimed at diversifying the economy away from the dominant oil and gas sector," Peltokoski said.

Finland recognized the independence of Azerbaijan in 1991, and on March 24, 1992, the diplomatic relations were established.

According to the State Customs Committee of Azerbaijan, the foreign trade turnover between Azerbaijan and Finland amounted to $29.94 million in 2018, which is 56.23 percent more than in 2017.

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Mirsaid Ibrahimzade is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @MirsaidIbrahim1

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President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has attended the opening of the Diamed syringe plant in Pirallahi Industrial Park.

Minister of Economy Shahin Mustafayev and Founder of the Diamed syringe plant Ayten Guliyeva informed the head of state of the facility.

The head of state launched the plant and viewed production process.

President Ilham Aliyev then met with the plant staff.

Greeting the plant team, President Ilham Aliyev said:

- We are celebrating a significant event in Pirallahi district today. The syringes produced here will be used in our healthcare system, and Azerbaijan will thus eliminate its dependence on imports in this area.

I am very happy about the opening of each new enterprise. After all, the opening of every enterprise means new jobs. I am told that 30 jobs will be created here at the initial stage and then 150. Thus, problems associated with unemployment will be addressed.

In general, it is possible to say that there are no unemployment problems in Pirallahi district. In recent years, a lot of landscaping and improvement has been done here. The appearance of the island has improved. There is extensive development. The renovation of residential buildings, the creation of new public areas and jobs, the construction of new bridges  all this is a demonstration of investment in the further development of the district and attention being paid to it.

This factory is a reflection of our policy because a reduction of the dependence on imports is one of our top priorities. Until now we received syringes from abroad. This is no longer necessary. In fact, I am told that there are foreign orders already. Thus, the domestic demand will be fully met and, at the same time, we will begin to export new products abroad. This is a contribution to the development of our industry. Industrial production in the country is growing. As a result of the work done, growth in the non-oil sector in the first four months of this year was more than 15 percent. Large enterprises strengthening our industrial potential are being launched. Small and medium-sized enterprises are also being commissioned. There is a great business environment in our country. Otherwise, foreign and local companies would not invest. Thus, as a result of the improving business environment, we are seeing new realities, and I am sure that our dynamic development will be continued.

The reforms carried out in the economic and social spheres are yielding fruit. According to the World Bank's report on the business environment, we are in 25th place in the world today. I repeatedly say this so that the public knows what major reforms have already been and will be carried out. This allows us the opportunity to strengthen the social sphere, eliminate unemployment, increase local production and thus improve peoples well-being. The steps taken this year, the orders signed and decisions made reflect our policy. We are pursuing a socially oriented policy, and it produces results.

Of course, there is still a lot to do in the future. the implementation of the fourth state program on socioeconomic development of the regions has already begun. I am sure that all the tasks outlined for the current year will be met. The non-oil sector has a special role in the dynamic development. We are very seriously dealing with this issue, and the results are there. A few years ago, we probably could not even imagine that there would be such a plant, especially in Pirallahi district. In general, things in the non-oil sector moved quite slow here. But this plant is a reality now. This is the first plant of the Pirallahi industrial estate, because several enterprises will be established here. As a result of the launch of a major pharmaceutical factory currently under construction, even more jobs will be created, and we will, to a certain extent, eliminate our dependence on the import of drugs. There are plans to launch other factories. Social issues are also being addressed. New homes for the internally displaced persons are built. Three hundred IDP families will be provided with houses here. A school is being built. So we see excellent results of the work done in the example of this plant today. There are successful results of our policy, and this should prompt us to take new steps in the future. We are moving in the right direction and our dynamic development will definitely be continued in the future.

Our policy of reforms is manifesting itself yet again today. I am sure that there will be even more ambitious results in the industrial, agricultural and infrastructure sectors in the upcoming period.

I congratulate you on this wonderful event and wish the plant team success. Thank you.

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Advertisement

By Bill Hughes

May. 14, 2019 | PADUCAH

By Bill Hughes May. 14, 2019 | 03:25 PM | PADUCAH

Officials at the Quilt Show said the economic impact of last month's AQS Spring QuiltWeek was over 25 million dollars.



According to AQS Executive Show Director Bonnie Browning, 30,600 people attended the event, with an overall impact of $25.5 million, which is in line with previous years. Visitors came from 47 states and 11 countries.



Browning said over the 35 years that Paducah has hosted the annual quilt show and contest, "we've displayed more than 15,000 quilts, and just here in Paducah we've given out $3.2 million in prizes to the contestants, and with all of our shows that we've done in the last 35 years, we've given out $5.8 million in prize money to the quilters."



Based on the various economic impact surveys done over the years, Browning said AQS has had a total impact of $551 million over 35 years in Paducah.



Browning said this spring's attendance was what they expected, since they can judge how many will be in the area based on registration for classes that are offered.



Browning said, "You know, it's the classes that puts heads in beds and then those people spend more money than someone that just drives to town for the day, but that has a huge impact on this community, and over the five days that most people are in town, that's an impact of $25 million."



AQS is planning a special anniversary celebration during the upcoming Fall Paducah QuiltWeek Show on Sept. 11-14 that will include a presentation of the worlds largest quilt cake created by Mauro Castano of Carlos Bakery from the hit TLC Show "Cake Boss." Plus, those who read American Quilter magazine will be able to enter a contest where the winner will get a cake decorating lesson from Castano in his bakery in Hoboken, New Jersey.
By Trend

SOCAR Energy Ukraine, the Ukrainian subsidiary of Azerbaijans state oil company SOCAR will appeal the decision of the Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine (AMCU) to fine the company, Trend reports citing a message from the company.

We are again unjustly accused of allegedly anticompetitive actions and conspiracies. We believe that the AMCU, instead of dealing with the real problems of the fuel market, is engaged in populism. It's so easy to raise popular outrage, using the theme of "fuel prices"! We would like to inform you that the accusations by the AMCU are unfounded. The court has already repealed the "fuel fines" of the Committee against SOCAR. We intend to appeal this decision in court, the company said.

The Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine fined networks of OKKO, WOG and SOCAR for 77 million hryvnia (more than 2.9 million dollars) for anti-competitive concerted actions on the market of light oil products (in particular, for similar actions during 2017), as announced by head of the AMCU, Yuri Terentyev on Facebook.

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By Trend

Groundbreaking ceremony for the Interconnector Greece-Bulgaria (IGB) will be held May 22 in Bulgarias Kirkovo village, Trend reports citing Bulgarian Energy Ministry.

Reportedly, Bulgarias Prime Minister Boyko Borissov and Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras will attend the ceremony.

The interconnector between the two countries is one of the priority projects for security and competitiveness of the energy market in the European Union. The project is also extremely important in terms of ensuring diversification of gas supplies to Bulgaria and the Southeast Europe region, said the ministry.

IGB is a gas pipeline, which will allow Bulgaria to receive Azerbaijani gas, in particular, the gas produced from Azerbaijan's Shah Deniz 2 gas and condensate field. IGB is expected to be connected to TAP via which gas from the Shah Deniz field will be delivered to the European markets.

The initial capacity of IGB will be 3 billion cubic meters of gas.

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By Trend

Russias Gazprom Export LLC and Turkmenistans Turkmengas State Concern signed an agreement on termination of arbitration procedures in early 2019, Trend reports referring to the Russian companys quarterly report.

The corresponding notification was sent to the arbitral tribunal. The matter rests in a lawsuit filed by Gazprom Export in June 2005 against Turkmengas State Concern to the Arbitration Institute of the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce, in which a proposal was made to revise the price for the Turkmen gas.

Turkmenistan resumed the export of natural gas to Russia on April 15, 2019, after a three-year break. Gazprom company intends to purchase up to 1.155 billion cubic meters of natural gas from Turkmenistan till June 30, 2019.

The cost of the new transaction is unknown. Turkmenistan transports its gas to Russia via the Central Asia-Center pipeline, built during the Soviet period and monopolized by Gazprom. Until 2009, Gazprom was the biggest buyer of Turkmen gas, purchasing up to 40-42 billion cubic meters a year.

During that period, the Kremlin was interested in purchasing cheap Turkmen gas, as it received big dividends, reselling this raw material to the CIS countries and Europe. Since 2009, the Turkmen side has decided to gradually sell its fuel at reasonable prices of the world market.

Gazprom Export LLC sharply reduced the volume of gas purchased from Turkmenistan in April 2009. According to Ashgabat, this led to the explosion in the Central Asia-Center pipeline, and supplies were suspended. The supplies were resumed only in early 2010, but in much smaller volumes.

Despite the contractual arrangements, at first the volumes decreased to the level of 10-11 billion cubic meters per year within five years. The annual volume decreased by 2.5 times and amounted to four billion cubic meters in 2015.

Gazprom explained the decrease in the volume of gas purchased from Turkmenistan by a decrease in demand in Europe and Ukraine. The Russian side was not pleased with the price for Turkmen gas set at $240 per 1,000 cubic meters due to the fall in export prices for gas which are constantly connected with falling oil prices.

In early January 2016, after the cessation of gas purchases from Russia, Turkmengas voiced its readiness to hold talks with Gazprom Export LLC on a wide range of issues related to the economic ties between the two economic entities.

"The Turkmen enterprises continue to cooperate with foreign companies in the supply of natural gas, realizing that the basic principles of partnership are mutual interest and mutual benefit and taking into account the fact that these important components of interaction in the gas sector mainly depend on financial and economic situation in the world," the report says.

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By Abdul Kerimkhanov

Since gaining independence, Kazakhstan and Georgia have been developing their relations on the partnership principles and mutually beneficial cooperation. Today, Kazakhstan and Georgia intend to double the volume of mutual trade.

The head of Kazakhstans Government Askar Mamin has held a meeting with Georgian Prime Minister Mamuka Bakhtadze in Nur-Sultan.

The meeting discussed issues of the further progressive development of trade and economic cooperation. The parties reviewed the results of the 10th meeting of the Intergovernmental Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation.

It is noteworthy that the foreign trade turnover between Kazakhstan and Georgia increased by 34.6 percent and made up $100 million in 2018.

The heads of government noted the significant potential for further increasing the mutual trade. It was noted that the structure of the countries economies makes it possible to expand the spectrum of mutually beneficial cooperation in the fields of tourism, agriculture, industrialization, transport and energy.

The parties expressed their intention to make substantive decisions to increase the volume and expand the trade turnover range in economys certain sectors and on specific investment projects. The mutual trade volume is planned to double in the short term.

The PMs of Georgia and Kazakhstan also paid special attention to the cooperation issues in the transit and transport sphere, including the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route development. Transit traffic on this route increased by more than 13 times from 2015 to 2018. It is planned to increase the volume to 120,000 containers in 2019.

Following the talks, Bakhtadze and Mamin signed documents such as the Roadmap for expanding the trade turnover nomenclature for 2019-2022 and the Protocol on amendments and additions to the agreement between the governments of Kazakhstan and Georgia on international road transport dated March 6, 2007.

The parties also signed a Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministries of Agriculture of Kazakhstan and Georgia on cooperation in the agriculture field, as well as a Memorandum between the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Population of Kazakhstan and the Ministry of Labor, Health and Social Protection of Georgia on cooperation in the social and labor sphere.

Diplomatic relations between Kazakhstan and Georgia were established on July 23, 1992.

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Abdul Kerimkhanov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @AbdulKerim94

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By Abdul Kerimkhanov

The Russian state corporation Rosatom and the Ministry of Energy of Uzbekistan have signed a road map for the implementation of the second phase of construction of a nuclear power plant (NPP) in Uzbekistan.

The Energy Minister of Uzbekistan Alisher Sultanov and Director General of Rosatom Alexey Likhachev signed the document within the framework of the international exhibition Power Uzbekistan-2019 held in Tashkent.

In early September 2018, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev and head of the Uzbek government Abdulla Aripov signed a cooperation agreement on the NPPs construction. Rosatom plans to build a complex of two power units of 3+ generation.

On May 15, President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev held a meeting with Alexey Likhachev.

During the meeting, the parties discussed further cooperation issues to ensure the preparation quality and NPP construction project implementation on the basis of the adopted road map.

The parties reaffirmed their commitment to the timely and full implementation of the agreement reached in the peaceful nuclear energy sphere.

In early 2019, Mirziyoyev approved the concept of nuclear energy development in the country, designed for 2019-2029. The main program objective is the construction and start of the safe NPPs operation with a total capacity of 2.4 GW. The station construction is planned to start in 2022 with the Russian governments loan.

Rosatom is one of the global technological leaders. The company has assets and competencies to work at all stages of the nuclear production chain from uranium mining to decommissioning of nuclear facilities and spent nuclear fuel management.

Rosatom brings together about 400 enterprises and organizations, including the world's only nuclear icebreaker fleet. It is the largest electricity generating company in Russia, accounting for 18.7 percent of the countrys total electricity generation. Rosatom is the third in the world in nuclear power generation.

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Abdul Kerimkhanov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @AbdulKerim94

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By Abdul Kerimkhanov

Due to its favorable geographical location, Baku Heydar Aliyev International Airport, which meets international standards, has became the number one airport in the region for transit flights between East and West, North and South.

In January-April 2019, Heydar Aliyev International Airport served 1.23 million passengers, the Airport said in a message.

A total of 1.06 million passengers were served on international flights. In the reported period, the basic air carriers of the airport, AZAL and Buta Airways, transported 511,000 and 130,500 passengers, respectively, which is 6,000 people more year-on-year.

Of the total number of international flights, AZAL accounted for 32.3 percent, Buta Airways for 12.3 percent, while the share of foreign airlines for the period amounted to 55.4 percent.

In total, the international airports of Azerbaijan served 1.45 million passengers in January-April 2019. This is a record figure among all Transcaucasian airports.

Currently, Heydar Aliyev International Airport receives direct flights of 26 passenger airlines. There are also direct flights from Ganja and Nakhchivan airports to Moscow and Istanbul, and from Gabala to Moscow.

Also, the national air carrier AZAL operates regular direct flights from Lankaran to Moscow and back.

It is planned to resume flights of flyNas, Kuwait Airways and Turkish low-cost airline Pegasus.

The terminal of the Heydar Aliyev International Airport features giant wooden cocoons designed by Turkish architecture studio Autoban. The airport has been listed among the top three unusual airports in the world, according to Hi-Tech.

In 2017 and 2018, the Heydar Aliyev International Airport was named the best airport among those of CIS countries for the level of services provided and was awarded the maximum rating of "5 Stars" according to Skytrax World Airport Awards.

In 2018, the airport set a new record for passenger traffic volume: it served a total of 4.43 million passengers. This is 9 percent higher than in 2017.

In 2019, Heydar Aliyev international airport was named the best airport with passenger traffic up to 10 million according to Sky Travel Awards.

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Abdul Kerimkhanov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @AbdulKerim94

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By Mirsaid Ibrahimzade

Baku-Odessa flights were launched by Azerbaijani low-cost airline Buta Airways on May 16.

The flights will be operated on Thursdays and weekends. The minimum price of the one-way ticket is 29 euros.

Budget and Standard tariffs for tickets are accessible for consumers on the official website of Buta Airways.

Additional services such as transportation of baggage and hand luggage, hot meals on board, check-in at the airport, and the choice of the best airplane seat are not covered by Budget minimum tariff so they are offered as paid option.

The Super tariff includes baggage (up to 23 kg), hand luggage (up to 10 kg) and free check-in at the airport. The air tickets are available at sales offices.

Online check-in on the website is free of charge for all tariffs. It starts 24 hours and ends two hours prior to departure.

Baku increasingly spreads its flight map over the world. Earlier, Buta Airways has also launched flights from Baku to another city of Ukraine, Kharkiv. Flights to Kharkiv have been operated since May 3 on Tuesdays and Fridays.

Currently, 21 foreign airlines are represented in the Azerbaijani market.

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 actively operate in the local market.

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. A total of 3.81 million passengers were carried on international flights and 620,000 passengers - on regional flights.

In 2018, base airlines of the Airport - AZAL and Buta Airways - carried 1.89 million and 442,000 passengers, respectively.

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Mirsaid Ibrahimzade is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @MirsaidIbrahim1

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By The Associated Press May. 15, 2019 | 06:31 AM | WASHINGTON

Bernie Sanders is quick to slam Joe Biden's past support of free trade deals and the Iraq War. He is warning him against a "middle ground" approach to addressing climate change. His campaign sends fundraising appeals with a simple, foreboding subject line: "Joe Biden."

In his nearly three weeks as a presidential candidate, Biden has become Sanders' favorite foil.

No one seeking the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination has been as aggressive as the Vermont senator in highlighting episodes from the former vice president's past to sow skepticism in the party's progressive base.

The strategy is reminiscent of Sanders' approach to the 2016 Democratic primary, when he relentlessly slammed Hillary Clinton as an establishment pawn. And it's a reminder that, even when Sanders lags in the polls, he is often most comfortable when he's taking on top Democrats, hoping that such attacks will energize his most loyal supporters.

That was easy to do in 2016 when he was the sole outsider candidate taking on one of the most recognizable names in Democratic politics. It could be tougher now that he's a leading contender for the nomination who has spent the past several years building an organization to support his candidacy.

"Bernie is trying to rekindle the magic of 2016, where he was the outsider running against a longtime member of the establishment," said Dan Pfeiffer, a former senior adviser to President Barack Obama. "The challenge is that this year there are no candidates with a claim to outsider status."

A Sanders representative declined to comment. Mark Longabaugh, an adviser to Sanders' 2016 campaign, said the senator ran then by pitting himself first and foremost against Wall Street, pharmaceutical drug companies and the billionaire Koch brothers, who fund conservative causes and campaigns.

Sanders' critiques of Biden come as the former vice president is taking the lead in many polls, displacing Sanders from the top.

For his part, Biden only nods at the tensions without mentioning Sanders by name.

Campaigning in New Hampshire this week, Biden defended his record as progressive, particularly on environmental and health care policies. He pushed back at a news report that he was considering a "middle ground" on climate policy that prompted stinging criticism from Sanders and Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York.

"I was in this area long before most anybody else was, and I have a record," he said, calling himself "a leader in climate change" and referring to a 1987 Senate floor speech during which he referred to a warming Earth as an "existential threat."

He said he'll deliver a major speech on climate issues later this month, and he called for an "environmental revolution." But he also doubled down on his overall pragmatic political brand, arguing that "we do need to finish this green revolution in a way that is rational" and in a way the nation "can afford."

For now at least, Biden is keeping his singular focus on President Donald Trump, a posture that also gives him the air of Democratic front-runner.

"You will never hear me speak ill of another Democratic candidate for president," Biden said Tuesday.

How long he can do that, though, is uncertain. With the first debates set for June, the race will soon move into another phase in which nearly two dozen candidates seeking the party's nomination will try to create breakout moments.

Zac Petkanas, a Democratic strategist who served as an adviser to Clinton's 2016 campaign, said Biden has the luxury of ignoring Sanders' attacks as the race right now appears to be "Joe Biden versus about 20 other candidates."

"It makes sense that he's trying to do it as long as he can, but we're in May of 2019. It's going to get rough, which is a good thing because we want a nominee to emerge battle tested," Petkanas said.

In New Hampshire, which Sanders captured by 22 percentage points in 2016 and his campaign views as vital this year, voters said they were wary of the campaign devolving into political mudslinging.

Lori Backman, 55, bemoaned the ideological tug-of-war, worrying that it will ensure Trump's reelection. "We can't have the splintering," she said, arguing that any Democrat is better on policy than the current administration. "We need a strong message of unity up front. That's how you win."

While Sanders benefited from running behind Clinton in 2016, 73-year-old Marilyn Learner said she didn't think Sanders would have that same advantage this time if Biden filled the Clinton role.

"Bernie's ideas were novel," the retired teacher said. "And they're not novel now."

Mike Ward, a 62-year-old retired postal worker, said Democrats should lay off one another for the time being but that he understands Sanders' approach.

"He's starting to slip in the polls," Ward said. "And it's due to Biden jumping in the race. That's obvious. So, he's just kind of scrambling to maintain his standing."
The USA, NSA, CIA, Pentagon, MIC, MSM. . . etc, has de rigueur by force if necessary, every western tech company to install backdoor and malwares on their equipment (exemplar  iPhone,) except Huawei

The US and other three letter demons, tried to force Huawei to install those NSA backdoor and malwares, in 2014, but the company categorically refused. That set up what you see happening now

The NSAs global spy operation may seem unstoppable, but theres at least one target that has proven to be a formidable obstacle: the Chinese communications technology firm Huawei, whose growth could threaten the agencys much-publicized digital spying powers.

Source: How a Chinese Tech Firm Became the NSAs Surveillance Nightmare | WIRED

Nothing has changed since a 2014 report from The Register that Huawei categorically refuses to install a USA backdoor into their hardware to allow unfettered intelligence access to the data that crosses their networks

Chinese hardware manufacturer Huawei says allegations it provides backdoors for espionage in its kit remain unproven and would be commercial suicide. The hypothetical  that our equipment could be used for espionage by the Chinese government  has never been proven, spokesman Scott Sykes told press at the companys annual global analyst event in Shenzen this week. If it were ever proven, we would lose 65 per cent of our business overnight. That would be corporate suicide.

Source: Spy back doors? That would be suicide, says Huawei  The Register

All our emails, text messages, phone calls, internet searches, web browsing, library records, . . . etc, are recorded and stored by the USAs vast server storage farms. Every second, minute, everyday and non-stop endlessly

The secretive spy agency, the National Security Agency (NSA), has greatly expanded its footprint within the United States over these past years. Especially in their apparent efforts of massive collection of electronic data. The following is a list of known NSA locations within the United States, acquired from publicly available sources of information

Source: NSA Locations In The United States

Now the crux of the matter in question, Huawei is not only the leading 5G wireless provider, but it is the only one, capable to do so far. The other companies like Nokia and Ericsson are far behind, as in many years

5G is going to completely replace 4G and 3G. It is about 200 times faster than 4GLTE, in download speed

In a statement to CNBC on Thursday, Huawei said that further moves to block it from the U.S. market could have a damaging impact on Americas 5G development. Huawei is the unparalleled leader in 5G. We are ready and willing to engage with the US government and come up with effective measures to ensure product security, a spokesperson for the company told CNBC. Restricting Huawei from doing business in the US will not make the US more secure or stronger; instead, this will only serve to limit the US

Source: Huawei: US will lag in 5G if it is blocked after Trump executive order

The fact is

NANJING, Jan. 3 (Xinhua)  Southeast University in eastern Chinas Jiangsu Province said Thursday that a team has begun to research 6G mobile networks.You Xiaohu, a professor with the university and the team leader, said they have set sights on the early research and development of 6G mobile networks, based on the 5G technologies.You said that compared with 5G technologies, 6G will cover a wider range of fields with higher speed and greater security. The early research and development will mainly focus on intelligent mobile communications, massive wireless communications, millimeter wave/submillimeter wave wireless communications, optical wireless communications and broadband satellite mobile communications.Theres still a long way to go in applying 6G technologies into our daily life. Experts predict that 6G technologies will go into commercial operation by 2030. However, the 6G competition has already begun among many enterprises, You said.

Source: Chinese experts set foot in 6G research  Xinhua | English.news.cn

What this means is that if the world adopts the Huawei equipment and standards, it will threaten the vast global surveillance network of the US.because Huawei lacks the backdoor to watch you, by the US of A.this is compounded, as the Chinese are already way ahead of the rest of the world going toward 6G and beyond

This is what really terrifies the US. Their vast Global Surveillance Network is the basis of its power, and tools to do what it does behind our backs

But all this above is just the denouement, because the real reason the US is going bonkers over Huawei is

As good Chinese online friend of mine says, Why would we steal tech from the USA? They are at least five years plus behind us now!

That my friend is the real reason that we are seeing just another form of Crazy Americanism going full tilt half-arsed backwards

How about less war and more real life promoting advancement?

WtR
Joseph Luiz can be reached at 395-7368 or by email at jluiz@bakersfield.com. You can also follow him on Twitter @JLuiz_TBC.
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Philip Wade, Marketing and E-Commerce Executive to join YPB board



New Director to Join the Board

Sydney, May 16, 2019 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Product authenticity and consumer engagement solutions provider YPB Group Ltd ( ASX:YPB ) ("YPB") is pleased to announce that Mr Philip Wade is to join the Board of YPB as a non-executive Director subject to the passing of the relevant resolution at the Annual General Meeting expected to be held in June 2019.Mr Wade is Jetstar Airways Chief Marketing Officer. He has previously held executive roles in retailing and consumer goods for Target (Wesfarmers) in Australia and TJX and Unilever in Europe.Mr. Wade's professional experience, digital marketing knowledge and understanding of rapid global growth models are anticipated to be a valuable addition to the board and the Company.Commenting on his pending appointment Mr Wade said,"I am very impressed with YPB's product and IP suite and I believe the Company has great potential to become a significant global business. I look forward to working with the board and management to bring out this potential and build a strong and sustainable growth path."YPB Executive Chairman John Houston said,"We are very pleased and excited to have someone of Phil's calibre joining the board. His knowledge and experience are a tremendous fit for our business objectives and we very much look forward to working with Phil to accelerate the growth of the Company."Further details of the Mr Wade's appointment will be set out in the explanatory notes to the Notice of Meeting for the Company's Annual General Meeting that is expected to be released to the market this week.About YPB Group Ltd

DEACTIVATED
Spike Lee's Do The Right Thing premiered 30 years ago this summer, and a rewatch of the film reveals the story's ideas still are relevant today.

Perhaps the biggest difference in the days of Do The Right Thing's release and 2019 America is the reception the movie would receive. In 1989, Do The Right Thing didn't even earn an Oscar nomination for Best Picture in a year when Driving Miss Daisy  the ideological opposite of Lee's movie  took home the award.
A neatly aligned formation of the 82nd Transportation Battalion met at the Beaumont Event Centre Thursday morning to conduct the official change of command for the logistics unit based out of the Port of Beaumont.

The ceremony also highlighted how the port has bound the goals of the community and the military together.

Army Lt. Col. Donald Santillo relinquished command of the battalion he has spent the last two years guiding through operations at four regional ports including Beaumont and Port Arthur  to a new commander, Lt. Col. Gordon E Vincent.

Throughout history, armies have celebrated the change of command through ceremony to not only honor the duty of their officer, but to also familiarize subordinates with the man that will be leading them, Col. Frederick L. Crist said during the ceremony.

When Santillo took charge in 2017, he was also taking on a changing environment for military logistics.

During the start of operations in Iraq and Afghanistan more than a decade prior, combat units were moved from bases or stations to the field where they were expected to meet with their equipment. The process could take about 80 days, according to Santillo, making it easy for the enemy to detect.

As commander of what was considered the most strategically important region for deployment, Santillo was called on to figure out a better way to move at the speed of war.

We had to find a way to fight faster, and that meant moving a unit with their equipment, Santillo said. That also meant the time we had between arrivals and departures, trains getting in and ships leaving, was much tighter.

As deadlines got tighter and 80-day maneuvers shrank to 40, Santillo said, the partnerships and communication officers had with port administration, the Coast Guard and even port labor had to grow tighter as well.

The maneuvers used at the Ports of Beaumont and Port Arthur to quickly get units into position across the world were reviewed and copied as standard protocols in other battalions.

Santillo said the region remains the most important port area in terms of logistics, with the Port of Beaumont receiving more tons of military cargo per year than any other U.S. port. Workload increased by 161 percent between 2017 and 2018, according to Crist, and the 82nd Battalion has already moved 15,000 pieces of equipment just in the first quarter of 2019.

The convenience and resources in Southeast Texas arent the only things Santillo said he will miss.

Ill really miss the people, the officer said. Working here is easier because of how supportive the community is to our military. A lot of other ports put an emphasis on commercial traffic, but weve always been given what we need from the ports and the people here.

Before his two years in command of the 82nd division, Santillo was combat development staff officer at the Combined Armed Support Command and embedded with commands in Iraq and Afghanistan. He also served as an executive officer and logistician for 10th Special Troops Battalion, and 10th Sustainment Brigade Chief of Plans in Afghanistan.

He will be moving on to the United States Army War College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania.

As a part of the ceremony, the wives and children of both men were given tokens of the battalion's esteem for supporting their loved ones. A special bouquet of yellow roses was also given to Vincents wife, Julie, to symbolize the battalions gratitude for her support of their new commander.

Vincent was most recently assigned with the U.S. Transportation Command in Belleville, Illinois, the unified command responsible for the countrys global defense transportation system.

Vincent said he plans to help strengthen the relationship between the regions private and public partners and the battalion.

Its about furthering the development and partnerships we have with people across the Gulf Coast to show we want to be a part of their community, Vincent said. Well have to rely on the publics understanding of what their commitment and relationship with us means to the nation.

jacob.dick@beaumontenterprise.com

twitter.com/jdickjournalism
Canadian manufacturer of the Flyte brand of vape pens and cartridges



Investment in Volero Brands Inc

Perth, May 16, 2019 AEST (ABN Newswire) - MMJ Group Holdings Limited ( ASX:MMJ ) ( OTCMKTS:MMJJF ) ("MMJ") has invested CAD2.5m (see Note below) for a 7.3% shareholding in privately-held Volero Brands Inc. (Volero), a private company based in Canada which owns and manufactures the Flyte brand of vape pens and cartridges, as part of their CAD5m seed funding round.MMJ's investment consists of 5m shares and 2.5m warrants exercisable at CAD0.65 within three years. MMJ has the right to a further 2.5m warrants exercisable at CAD0.65 in the event that Volero does not generate a liquidity event by May 2020.MMJ was introduced to Volero by Embark Ventures Inc. (Embark Ventures) which is MMJ's proposed manager of its investment portfolio. Through Embark Ventures, MMJ's was able to secure significantly superior terms to those originally proposed.Based in Alberta, Canada, Volero is building a state-of-the-art extraction and production facility that will produce vaporisers, concentrates and topical solutions. Volero expects the facility to be completed in Q3/19 and have indicated to MMJ that it anticipates the facility will be designed to support generating revenue of more than CAD100m per annum.Volero is aiming to capitalise on the pending legalisation by the Canadian Federal Government of concentrates and vaporisers in October 2019. In this event, Flyte could become a major player in that market having already established a historical brand and attractive price point.Following settlement of the Volero investment which is expected before 31 May 2019, MMJ will have cash reserves of AUD26m.MMJ's Chairman Peter Wall commented that "Volero provides the opportunity for MMJ to invest in the potentially lucrative segment of concentrates and vaporisers which are expected to be legalised in October 2019. The investment again demonstrates MMJ's capacity to secure investments in private cannabis businesses which are on a short path to public listing. We are delighted that we could work together with Embark Ventures to find a structure that works for both groups on the first investment originated for MMJ".Note: CAD - Canadian dollarsAbout MMJ Group Holdings Ltd

MMJ Group Holdings Ltd (ASX:MMJ) is a global cannabis investment company. MMJ owns a portfolio of minority investments and aims to invest across the full range of emerging cannabis-related sectors including healthcare, technology, infrastructure, logistics, processing, cultivation, equipment and retail. For MMJ's latest investor presentation and news, please visit: http://www.mmjphytotech.com.au/investors/








Nowadays, almost every single aspect of our lives is directly or indirectly related to Artificial Intelligence (AI). From surfing on the web to complex industrial processes, everything depends on autonomous machines. However, some researchers warn that this could be risky, since even scientists do not know very well how AI works.

In a recent article published on online magazine Business Insider, researcher Will Knight explained this situation. According to him, as the technology advances, we might soon cross some threshold beyond which using AI requires a leap of faith.

Sure, we humans can't always truly explain our thought processes eitherbut we find ways to intuitively trust and gauge people, Mr Knight expressed. Will that also be possible with machines that think and make decisions differently from the way a human would? We've never before built machines that operate in ways their creators don't understand, he added.

Mr Knight also affirmed that, since the first development of AI devices, there have been two schools of thought about the way AI should be. The first one states that it should operate according to rules and logic, making their inner workings transparent to anyone who cared to examine some code. In contrast, the second school proposes that machines must take inspiration from biology, and learn by observing and experiencing. And, in his opinion, the machine-learning techniques that would later evolve into today's most powerful AI systems followed the latter path: the machine essentially programs itself, he asserted.

Just as many aspects of human behaviour are impossible to explain in detail, perhaps it won't be possible for AI to explain everything it does, Mr Knight wrote. If that's so, then at some stage we may have to simply trust AI's judgment or do without using it. Likewise, that judgment will have to incorporate social intelligence. Just as society is built upon a contract of expected behavior, we will need to design AI systems to respect and fit with our social norms, he continued.

Draw your own conclusions

For more information: https://www.businessinsider.com/the-dark-secret-at-the-heart-of-artificial-intelligence-2017-4
SUGAR LANDWhite star-shaped balloons. Pink heart-shaped balloons. Silver and pink crown-shaped balloons that said "princess."

All floated away into the pale sky as the sun set Wednesday, carried northwest by the wind until several hundred onlookers, gathered in a Sugar Land park to honor missing 4-year-old Maleah Davis, could see them no more.

A group of friends who knew Maleah's mom growing up organized the event in the missing girl's honor. They wore pale blue T-shirts with the image of Maleah's face. As the balloons floated away, one wrapped her arm around the other, who wiped away tears.

They wanted to add a moment of positivity to a story that otherwise felt so tragic, Dominique Bryant said.

"We're doing this for Maleah," said Bryant, 27.

It had been more than a week since Maleah was reported missing. The live-in boyfriend of her mother, Brittany Bowens, was taken into custody related to the case. The girl has not yet been reported found.

The crowd who came to honor the girl included neighbors, relatives and strangers.

Gathered at the park was a neighbor of Maleah's, who remembered seeing her outside.

A cousin of her biological father, who thanked everyone for their support.

And the father of Jazmine Barnes, a 7-year-old shot in her mother's car in what was initially believed to be a racially motivated incident. He saw in Maleah's case another example of a child lost to violence.

"It's a relapse moment for us," her father, Christopher Cevilla said.

And then there were complete strangers, many of them mothers. If it were their child, they would want people looking.

ON HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM: Protesters mob Maleah Davis mother after court hearing for her boyfriend

There were two prayers. Poetry. Words from the audience. Some still held out hope she was alive.

Others were less certain. They urged everyone to report abuse if they saw it and not let a scenario such as Maleah's be repeated.

"I feel like she's my own," Valarie Berniard said. "It's heartbreaking. It's very much heartbreaking."

Berniard had been off from her job at a nearby nursing home since 2 p.m., but stayed in the area to be a part of the event.

Before it started, she found herself in a conversation with Carol Smith, 65. They shared their concern for what happened.

"When anything happens to a young child... it touches your heart, and you want answers," said Smith, 65, a monitor technician at St Luke's.

The search for Maleah on Wednesday continued in the small Brazoria County community of Rosharon as a small crew from Texas EquuSearch scoured the area where her mother's boyfriend once worked a mail route, organizers said.

Later on Wednesday, Texas EquuSearch found Tim Miller said they would be suspending their operations in the search for Maleah until something more substantive turns up.

"It is frustrating. We've been here before with other cases," Miller said. "We're hoping some new information comes in."

His search and rescue outfit would "continue to work closely with investigators, and follow-up on credible tips & leads," Miller said in a written statement.

Derion Vence, the live-in boyfriend of Maleah's mother who faces charges of tampering with a corpse, reported the girl missing May 4, only to have his claims that she was abducted break down as the Houston Police Department continued its investigation.

Blood linked to the girl's DNA was found inside the family's apartment in the 9800 block of South Kirkwood Drive where Maleah lived with her mother, Brittany Bowens, and Vence, her fiance, police said.

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.

Vence worked as a mail carrier, Miller said, and had a route in the Rosharon area. Equusearch has received several tips over the last few days indicating she might be in the area, or somewhere in Fort Bend County.

Miller said that Vence once indicated to family that he would hide a body in the marshy area.

"He actually said to his mother-in-law a year ago, he said, 'man, if I ever killed anybody, I've got some places down in Rosharon where they'd never find the body,'" Miller said. He corroborated that with family members, he said.

He offered his support to family and community members grappling with Maleah's disappearance.

"This is a baby," Miller said. "This baby did not choose where it's at right now and doesn't want to be where it's at right now. It's heartbreaking. We're human. I wish we weren't. I wish we didn't have feelings. Unfortunately, we do. I don't want our emotions to get in the way. At times, that happens. God bless her. We're not going to quit. We may suspend, but we'll never quit."

emily.foxhall@chron.com

jay.jordan@chron.com
When the regular session of the Legislature ends in 10 days, some of the Republican members might want to schedule a meeting with a therapist. They seem to be having an identity crisis. Sometimes, they fully support individual rights. Sometimes, they dont. It would be better for them  and the people they represent  if they could become more consistent on this basic point.

For example, consider the attitude of many Republicans toward smoking  tobacco or marijuana, we should add.

On the one hand, Texas Republicans joined with many Democratic colleagues to raise the legal age for tobacco smoking to 21. Legislation to that effect has passed the House and Senate and appears to be headed to Gov. Greg Abbott, who has indicated he will sign it into law.

Its the right move, by the way, just as the drinking age in Texas was raised back to 21 from 18 a few decades ago. Most studies show that if people dont start smoking when theyre young, they almost never pick up the deadly habit later in life. Making it harder for them to get and smoke cigarettes before theyre 21 will clearly help this sensible effort.

Thats a trend sweeping state legislatures across the nation, so give Texas lawmakers some credit.

On the other hand, another growing trend is to decrease penalties for possession of small amounts of marijuana, or making it easier for people to use pot or cannabis seed oil for medical purposes.

Despite much more support for these moves in this session  from some Republicans, too  those measures appear to be drifting away like a cloud of smoke. Some of this legislation probably would have actually reached the governor if one person  Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick  had allowed the Senate to vote on it.

The ironic thing about the bills regarding tobacco and marijuana is that individual choice is replaced by state government decisions. The same Republicans who say that Texans should have virtually unlimited rights regarding, say, their land or guns dont trust people to make up their own minds about tobacco or pot. Those are all different issues, of course, but the common thread is whether they are guided by personal rights or state law.

Democrats have their inconsistencies, too, it must be said. But right now, Republicans control the House and Senate and all statewide offices. What happens in the GOP therefore has a much bigger impact on the lives of average Texans than debates within the minority party. In the closing days of this session, the majority party should remember what it stands for, what it talks about during campaign season, and vote accordingly when it really counts.
Beaufort (S.C.) Memorial Hospital is building a 70,000-square-foot medical office building in Okatie, S.C., Fox 28 Media reports.

What you should know:

1. The medical office building will feature specialists offering cardiology, gastroenterology, general surgery, vascular surgery and neurology services.

2. Beaufort is also building a full-service cancer center there.

3. The building will replace Beaufort's multispecialty physician offices in Bluffton, S.C.
Amazon, Google, Uber and other companies outside the healthcare space will fail to develop lasting solutions for the industry if they don't take provider and patient experiences into consideration, according to Forbes contributor Sachin H. Jain.

Four takeaways from Mr. Jain:

1. EMR implementation is a prime example of why it's critical to understand the patient and provider perspectives, according to Mr. Jain. Implementation has been tumultuous and slow-going because software engineers haven't had that clinical awareness.

2. Mr. Jain cites Boston-based Harvard Medical School as an example of an educational model for non-healthcare leaders. To help business and science leaders learn what care delivery entails, Harvard Medical School launched an executive education program. Executives participate in classroom discussions and field trips to research labs, underserved communities and clinics where they can shadow physicians.

3. Harvard's executive education program helped a team of software engineers at Google improve how the search engine handles healthcare-related searches. The team shadowed physicians for four hours a day, which helped them develop search results that reflect the perspectives physicians would offer patients.

4. Baltimore-based Johns Hopkins University and Ithaca, N.Y.-based Cornell University offer programs similar to Harvard's. Anthem subsidiary CareMore Health System in Cerritos, Calif., also exposes non-healthcare executives to clinical settings so they can develop a deeper understanding of the industry.

"'You can't change something unless you know something,'" Mr. Jain wrote, quoting his mentor, former CareMore CEO Leeba Lessin. "We have a very complicated healthcare system, and my hope is that tech companies work hard to understand its complexity before they try to change it."
Joel Matta, MD, pioneered the anterior approach for total hip replacement in the United States in 1996, is an orthopedic surgeon specializing in hip disorders at The Steadman Clinic in Vail, Colo., and the co-founder and chairman of the Anterior Hip Foundation.

Scott Zellner is senior director of U.S. joint reconstruction and outpatient marketing at DePuy Synthes. They discuss DePuy Synthes' recently launched program for Anterior Approach called Anterior Advantage Matta Method.

Question: How does Anterior Advantage Matta Method compare with traditional approaches to hip replacement?

Dr. Joel Matta: Total hip arthroplasty with the Anterior Advantage Matta Method uses a muscle sparing surgical technique that studies show is associated with less pain, faster recovery and a reduced hospital stay versus traditional approaches. A recently published study showed a cost savings of $6,200 per patient ($17,763 with Anterior Advantage Matta Method vs. $23,969 compared to the cohort.)*

Scott Zellner: This method formalizes a prescribed surgical technique which uses tools like the Hana Table and intra-operative imaging that enhances the surgeon's ability to perform the procedure and reduces variability in how the hip joint is exposed throughout the procedure. It is part of DePuy Synthes' comprehensive solution for Anterior Approach hip replacement that includes the company's primary and revision hip implant products, instrumentation, enabling technologies and world-class professional education designed to help decrease the learning curve and increase OR efficiency and surgical reproducibility with the goal of delivering better patient outcomes.

Q: How does Anterior Advantage address the learning curve associated with Anterior Approach?

SZ: As with any surgical approach, there is a learning curve associated with the Anterior Approach, which varies by surgeon. Over the last 15 years, DePuy Synthes has developed best practices for learning in collaboration with Dr. Matta. We have facilitated the training of thousands of surgeons and our courses are taught exclusively by Dr. Matta and highly experienced DePuy Synthes consulting surgeons at various learning stages for Primary, Advanced (+25 cases) and Revision (+100 cases).

Our educational philosophy is to connect world class education, training and experiential learning on Anterior Approach to innovative implants and technologies that enhance the procedure, reduce variability and improve clinical and economic outcomes.

Q: What has led to the rapid growth of Anterior Approach in the U.S.?

JM: Patient satisfaction has been the main driver of Anterior Approach and as word of successful patient outcomes has spread, more and more orthopaedic surgeons have adopted the procedure. Patients are requesting it.

SZ: Since 2004, there has been a steady rise in the number of surgeons performing Anterior Approach. According to a survey conducted at the 2018 AAHKS meeting, nearly 40 percent of surgeons surveyed are performing Anterior Approach today. And as high deductible health plans and higher co-pays lead patients to be smarter consumers and with the rapid rise in aging Baby Boomers, the trend towards the Anterior Approach is expected to grow even more.

Q: Can surgeons perform the Anterior Approach outpatient?

SZ: Yes, we are seeing more and more Anterior Approach procedures performed in an outpatient setting and this is a trend that will continue. In fact, last year we published our first case study with the Buffalo Surgery Center which highlighted improved outcomes and patient experience, and reduced costs when performing hip replacement surgery with Anterior Approach in an ASC. Becker's ASC Review published a bylined article focusing on how we believe ASCs will continue to grow in the total joints setting and showcases this study as an example of the benefits of Anterior Approach in the ASC.

JM: One of the fastest growing segments in orthopedics today is outpatient surgery, and with the faster recovery and less pain patients experience, Anterior Approach is a natural fit for this setting.

One of the most important aspects is that it allows the entire surgical care episode to be directed primarily by the orthopedic surgeon, with a minimization of administration and complexity of care that can occur in other sites of care. The ASC is focused on the essential care, giving professionals parameters that enhance quality and efficiency. Patients are in a user-friendly environment and can minimize their time in the health care facility. There is data to demonstrate the safety and efficacy of outpatient THA.1,2

Q: How does the Anterior Approach fit into the physician's need to provide high-value treatment for their patients?

SZ: Our healthcare system continues its move from volume to value, and physicians are getting measured not only on great clinical outcomes, which both the traditional and the Anterior Approach can deliver, but also on the overall patient experience and reduction of the overall cost of care. Anterior Approach has been shown to improve patient satisfaction and reduce costs, so this procedure is of high value to patients, physicians and health systems.

Q: What do you see for Anterior Approach over the next 5 to 10 years in terms of refinements to the technique and advances in technology?

JM: I believe Anterior Approach will be the way of the future for hip replacement. We will certainly continue to refine the technique to develop new technologies that improve imaging and accuracy, reproducibility of outcomes and procedural efficiencies.

SZ: Since 2004, DePuy Synthes has introduced multiple advancements for Anterior Approach. More recently, the Actis Total Hip System was designed and launched for muscle sparing approaches. Our Kincise Surgical Automated System delivers a consistent application of energy to automate bone preparation, implant assembly and positioning. Our co-marketing agreement with JointPoint Navigation Software offers digital templating, case planning, and intraoperative analysis solutions for Anterior Advantage total hip replacement surgery.

We will continue to innovate product, technique, technology, and evidence aimed at delivering improved clinical outcomes, increased patient and surgeon satisfaction, reduced economic burden and increased overall efficiencies within the healthcare system.

For more information, visit www.anterioradvantage.com

*ANTERIOR ADVANTAGE MATTA METHOD claims are made in comparison to other traditional approaches.

1 Berend KR,; Lombardi AV Jr,; Berend ME, Adams JB,; Morris MJ The outpatient total hip arthroplasty: a paradigm change. Bone Joint J. 2018 Jan;100-B (1 Supple A):31-35. doi: 10.1302/0301-620X.100B1.BJJ-2017-0514.R1.

2 Lombardi AV Jr1, Barrington JW, Berend KR, Berend ME, Dorr LD, Hamilton W, Hurst JM, Morris MJ, Scuderi GR. Outpatient Arthroplasty is Here Now. Instructor Course Lecture 2016;65:531-46.
Capital Ortho's surgical team performed Mississippi's first successful robot-assisted partial knee replacement at a freestanding surgical facility, according to local ABC News affiliate WJTV.com.

The procedure was done at Capital Ortho's surgery center using the Navio Surgical System, which helps with precision and accuracy. The robot provides intraoperative registration, planning and navigation.

Navio also helps surgeons build personalized surgical plans without the need for a preoperative computed tomography scan.

Capital Ortho is based in Flowood, Miss.
Across the biggest U.S. companies, the median pay for CEOs climbed to $12.4 million in 2018, the fourth straight post-recession high recorded by the The Wall Street Journal.

The gains came even as the stock market fell for many of the largest companies that WSJ included in its analysis. The publication examined corporate proxy statements from S&P 500 companies filed through May 1.



Most of the S&P 500 CEOs received at least 5 percent raises in 2018. Still, shareholder return was down 5.8 percent overall, according to WSJ's analysis of MyLogIQ data.



Healthcare, media and financial companies were helmed by some of the highest-earning CEOs in 2018. In comparison, technology CEOs only held three of the top 25 spots.



Stephen P. MacMillan, CEO of medical technology company Hologic, was among the highest paid CEOs in 2018. He made $42 million in 2018, including cash and stock pay and other figures.
Culbertson, Mont.-based Roosevelt Medical Center is transitioning to an athenahealth EHR, according to Roundupweb.

Three things to know:

1. Roosevelt Medical Center has been working with athenahealth since January to design and implement the EHR system.

2. The cloud-based EHR will help integrate patients' diagnoses and treatment plans as well as hospital administration and management on a single system.

3. Patients will also have access to the EHR's patient portal, which individuals can use to schedule appointments, message their providers and view test results, among others.

"This [EHR transition] is about delivering better healthcare by embracing technology and the convenience it can provide our patients," Roosevelt Medical Center Information Technology Director Brian Fordyce told the publication.
Hospitals and health systems are exploring ways to transform revenue cycle processes to offset financial pressures. However, shifting to a new business model for revenue cycle management can be challenging.

This content is sponsored by R1 RCM

The hospital revenue cycle has become increasingly complex in recent years for several reasons, including the shift away from fee-for-service medicine, the adoption of advanced payment models and the rise of self-pay accounts. At the same time, many provider organizations are facing margin compression and dwindling reimbursement.

To navigate these headwinds and maintain a stable financial position, many hospitals and health systems are seeking to update their revenue cycle models via outsourcing.

During an executive roundtable at the Becker's Hospital Review 10th Annual Meeting in Chicago, Gary Johnson, senior vice president of marketing at R1 RCM, asked healthcare executives how far along they were in the discussion about the need to seek out an alternative model for revenue cycle.

The vast majority of the more than three dozen executives said their organizations are actively evaluating new revenue cycle strategies and moving forward with those plans.

The executives agreed that revenue cycle models of the past aren't effective in today's healthcare environment. However, transforming the process is not for the faint of heart. During the roundtable discussion, hospital and health system executives said they've encountered the following three challenges in their revenue cycle transformation journey.

1. Resistance to change. To overcome margin compression and operational pressures, hospitals and other provider organizations need to eke out every dollar possible from their revenue streams. However, some hospitals miss out on reimbursement or leave dollars on the table because they fail to change the way they do business.

"Many people in leadership recognize that the current model is not sustainable, but struggle to get the rest of the organization, including key stakeholders, to buy into the need for that change," Mr. Johnson said.

To help drive change and persuade stakeholders to give up the status quo, some executives said their hospitals brought in outside consultants for support. For some organizations the first step is just accepting outsourcing as a smart option to evaluate versus seeing it as an admission of failure or last resort. Others said they are handling the issue internally.

The CEO of a hospital in Texas said updating job descriptions helped his organization embrace change.

"I put 'change management' in everybody's job description as part of their responsibilities. It gives them accountability to know we're going to change as time moves along," he said. "It wasn't accepted well initially, but over the last year and a half it's started to grab some traction."

2. Need for expertise or staff. Revenue cycle improvement requires a combination of technology, people and process refinement. Hospitals and health systems that lack the resources or staff to drive this change are partnering with companies, such as R1 RCM, to reduce claim denials, drive down cost to collect and get paid accurately and timely for services provided.

Some hospitals choose a model that enables them to manage certain revenue cycle functions in house and outsource others. During the roundtable, the vice president of operations at a Michigan hospital said outsourcing certain functions made sense for her organization because they lacked the operations to support the breadth of revenue cycle complexity.

However, full end-to-end outsourcing is on the rise. A Black Book survey revealed 80 percent of hospital leaders were vetting or considering outsourcing full revenue cycle management by 2019. The survey also highlighted the increasing demand for revenue cycle outsourcing  18 percent of hospitals implemented a full RCM outsourcing project in 2018, compared to 11 percent three years prior.

The executives who participated in the roundtable discussion shared various reasons their organizations chose to outsource end-to-end revenue cycle management, including the trust and security that comes from a risk-sharing partner, and how it frees them up to focus on their mission of providing quality clinical care. The vice president of revenue cycle at a Georgia hospital said her hospital chose to outsource specifically due to labor constrictions and staff shortages.

"I don't have enough staff to collect on a $100 account," she said. "I'm not getting any more people."

3. Lack of alignment. Hospitals and health systems across the nation are scooping up physician practices as they seek to expand their scale and services. Alignment of hospital and physician IT, including an integrated RCM platform, is critical to the success of these deals. Success also depends on aligning around common goals.

"Physician practices may see revenue cycle as not aligned with them," said the CEO of a 120-bed hospital in Illinois. "As you begin to insert prior authorizations and all of these resources from a revenue cycle angle, they haven't really embraced that as a complement to achieving an objective."

She said the key to bridging that gap is opening lines of communication between physicians and hospital leaders and discussing how revenue cycle is an important part of the organization's main goals.

"We all want the same thing. We want the patient to receive great care and we want it to be paid for."

Conclusion

Hospital and health system leaders are exploring ways to improve revenue cycle performance to offset the financial and operational pressures their organizations are facing. It can be challenging to update revenue cycle processes, especially for provider organizations that lack the technology, resources or staff needed to navigate the complexities of today's billing and payment landscape. To overcome these challenges, many hospitals and other provider organizations are partnering with revenue cycle companies, like R1 RCM, to help drive revenue cycle improvement.

To learn more about R1 RCM, click here.
Trust is currency in both journalism and medicine  and restoring confidence in both institutions is linked, suggests an opinion piece in JAMA, authored by a physician and two healthcare news publishers.

As public trust in U.S. institutions declines, a lack of trust in journalism and medicine has the most potential to adversely affect Americans' health, the authors write. This mistrust has already had some negative effects. Outbreaks in vaccine-preventable disease and distrust in the motivations of all healthcare stakeholders  hospitals, physicians, payers and pharmaceutical companies  can be traced back to mistrust of media and medicine.

The authors point to several factors that contribute to this issue. Peer-reviewed journals often overemphasize certain findings and downplay study limitations. This is often compounded in press releases and news stories, leading patients to bring unrealistic expectations to their providers. Celebrity health endorsements and social media also contribute to these problems.

The authors note several ways clinicians can help fight this trend:

Support healthcare journalism, especially at the local level, by partnering with news outlets and being a trusted source

Amplify and share truthful health news stories and messages

Speak up when news is incorrect or false messages are spreading

Read more here.

More articles on leadership and management:

CEOs rank the 10 best, worst states for business

UPMC's public board meeting will be an hour of scripted PR  unless public steps it up, editorial says

It's National Hospital Week: 6 things to know
Dozens of patients, staff and visitors were evacuated May 15 from Kalamazoo, Mich.-based Bronson Methodist Hospital due to a small fire, according to local news station WWMT-TV.

The cause of the fire was a sterilizer machine that overheated on the second floor of the facility around 11 p.m.

The fire was quickly contained, and people were allowed back into the hospital around 11:30 p.m.

No injuries were reported.
Here are seven recent articles posted by Becker's Hospital Review that concern payer-provider relationships:

1. Chicago hospital to consolidate ICU, lay off staff because insurers owe $13M

Chicago-based Loretto Hospital is consolidating its intensive care unit and laying off an undisclosed number of employees as insurance reimbursement lags.

2. Anthem ordered to testify on WellStar dispute

Georgia's insurance commissioner issued an order May 10 that requires Anthem to testify at a hearing over its dispute with Marietta, Ga.-based WellStar Health System.

3. Private insurers pay hospitals 2.4 times what Medicare pays

Hospitals were paid, on average, 241 percent of Medicare rates for services provided to privately insured patients in 2017, according to a RAND Corp. study done in collaboration with the Employers' Forum of Indiana.

4. WVU Medicine to acquire health plan: 5 things to know

The Health Plan, a West Virginia-based health insurer, will integrate with West Virginia University Health System, a nine-hospital system in Morgantown, the organizations said May 7.

5. WellSpan, Capital BlueCross partner for long-term agreement

WellSpan Health, an eight-hospital system based in York, Pa., partnered with Pennsylvania health insurer Capital BlueCross to coordinate care delivery and financing.

6. HCA hospitals won't get full $150M in Aetna arbitration case

Aetna will not have to pay Florida hospitals owned by Nashville, Tenn.-based HCA Healthcare $150 million related to an arbitration case, according to a Securities and Exchange Commission filing from Aetna's parent company, CVS Health.

7. Florida hospital sues Aetna over readmission payment policy

Lakeland (Fla.) Regional Health filed a lawsuit against Aetna claiming the insurer arbitrarily denied payment for readmitted patients.



More articles on payers:

Judge steps down from UnitedHealth case over 'immoral' denial of cancer treatment

House Democrats unveil Medicare expansion plan: 8 things to know

Humana posts $566M profit in Q1


The Metropolitan Museum of Art will stop accepting donations from the family that owns OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma, according to The New York Times.

The decision severs ties between one of the top art museums in the world and one of its top donors, the Sackler family. The Met's relationship with the Sacklers spans decades and a wing of the museum is named after the billionaire family.

"The museum takes a position of gratitude and respect to those who support us, but on occasion, we feel it's necessary to step away from gifts that are not in the public interest, or in our institution's interest," Daniel Weiss, the president of the Met, told The New York Times. "That is what we're doing here."

The move reflects the growing public outrage over the ongoing opioid crisis and the role the Sackler family allegedly played in it.

The decision by the Met follows similar moves by other museums, including the Tate Modern in London and the Solomon Guggenheim Museum in New York, which also turned down donations from the family in a way to distance themselves.

Read the full report here.
Louisiana is cracking down on violence against healthcare workers after a nurse died from injuries linked to a patient attack last month, reports The Advocate.

At least four patients in Baton Rouge, La., have been arrested this month over circumstances involving violence against hospital employees.

A patient from Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center in Baton Rouge was arrested May 14 after he allegedly slapped an emergency room employee. A behavioral health patient at the hospital was also arrested May 15 for allegedly attacking another patient and two hospital employees.

Workplace safety advocates are split on whether arresting patients, especially those with mental health issues, is beneficial. Some argue healthcare facilities need to take a more proactive approach to address workplace safety by boosting staffing levels, among other actions.
Here's how much seven health systems and vendors charge patients for a telehealth appointment.

1. Doctor on Demand and Humana's health plan On Hand charges $0 to $5.

2. Walmart offers its employees $4 telehealth appointments.

3. SSM Health in St. Louis charges $25.

4. Summa Health in Akron, Ohio, charges $30.

5. McLaren Health Care in Grand Blanc, Mich., charges $49.

6. Akos MD charges $75 to $99.

7. Stanford Children's Health and Stanford Health Care, both in Palo Alto, Calif., charge $700 for its Grand Rounds program, which offers digital second opinion consultations from Stanford physicians.
Pittsburgh-based UPMC launched its new telemedicine company Infectious Disease Connect on May 16 to help hospitals that are experiencing shortages in infectious diseases specialists provide care to patients.

Five notes:

1. ID Connect serves 10 UPMC and five non-UPMC hospitals in Pennsylvania and surrounding states.

2. The company will start off being staffed by UPMC ID physicians and will focus on more than 4,000 U.S. acute care hospitals with fewer than 300 beds.

"These smaller facilities face an especially difficult time recruiting and retaining already scarce ID specialists," ID Connect Chief Medical Officer Rima Abdel-Massih, MD, said in a news release. "ID Connect can cost-effectively provide ID specialists, full time or part time, to augment existing staff."

3. Once ID Connect grows into new markets, the company plans to hire additional physicians to provide patient consultations and expertise in antimicrobial stewardship and infection prevention and control.

4. UPMC hospitals began providing ID services to patients through telemedicine five years ago.

5. Dr. Abdel-Massih, who also serves as director of tele-ID services at UPMC, and John Mellors, MD, infectious diseases chief at UPMC and the University of Pittsburgh, are co-founders of the new company.
Seven spine surgeons discuss the most important non-clinical skill-sets.

Ask Spine Surgeons is a weekly series of questions posed to spine surgeons around the country about clinical, business and policy issues affecting spine care. We invite all spine surgeon and specialist responses.

Next week's question: What is your professional five-year plan?

Please send responses to Anuja Vaidya at avaidya@beckershealthcare.com by Wednesday, May 22, 5 p.m. CST.

Question: What are the key non-clinical skills every spine surgeon needs to have?

Mark M. Mikhael, MD. Spine Surgeon at NorthShore Orthopaedic & Spine Institute and Illinois Bone & Joint Institute (Chicago & Glenview, Ill.): Basic social skills are key for every spine surgeon to have. Physicians need to maintain eye contact, show empathy and listen well to their patients. We all need to find that happy medium between giving patients the time to speak without interrupting and asking the right questions to fully understand patient concerns and explain to them the necessary next steps.

Alok Sharan, MD. Co-Director of Westmed Spine Center (Purchase, N.Y.): I would recommend that every spine surgeon understand the basics of management operations, data analysis on [Microsoft] Excel and gain an understanding of basic leadership skills.

As we continue to move toward value-based care it will be critical for spine surgeons to lead in their local community on redesigning care. To do so would require an understanding of how to look at basic processes/operations and understand how to optimize the processes.

It is hard to improve a process unless you have data. I think every surgeon should be familiar with Excel and how to use Pivot tables, [an Excel feature,] as this is a useful way to analyze data.

Finally, spine surgeons should continue to be leaders in their local communities. A basic understanding of leadership skills would be helpful.



Brian R. Gantwerker, MD. Founder of the Craniospinal Center of Los Angeles: The stand-out skills are the same we learned when we were in grade school. First is empathy. If you cannot find common ground with your patient, your connections will never be as strong, and your investment in their outcome will never be as strong as it could be. Second is patience. Let the patient finish a sentence. Rushing through an appointment, even if you and or the patient are late, will almost certainly result in miscommunication and in some disastrous situations or errors.

Next is something I refer to as wonderment. Don't ever stop being amazed at the body's healing potential and ability to repair itself. Put yourself also in the patient's shoes and feel their gratitude when they thank you for what you have done. It still amazes me when a foot drop disappears, or a patient can swim laps again without pain. Last is faith. I think no matter how you worship, or even if you worship, you must have faith in the human being in front of you and the one in the mirror.

Srdjan Mirkovic, MD. Spine Surgeon at NorthShore Orthopaedic & Spine Institute (Chicago & Glenview, Ill.): Two key non-clinical skills spine surgeons need are being a good communicator and being affable. Patients usually come to clinic with a litany of information. As a spine surgeon, you need the ability to process the information quickly and categorize it, directing the conversation in a targeted way.

You want to be a good listener but also be efficient with the time you have with your patients. You need to be tenacious in your approach to understand the most pressing issue and address it. Patients also appreciate when surgeons apologize for running late and when they take the time to hear them out. Adding humor and being light-hearted in your interactions helps, especially when the conversation gets serious or stressful. In the end, patients want to feel like you truly care about them and empathize with their situation.

Issada Thongtrangan, MD. Orthopedic Spine and Neurosurgeon at Minimally Invasive Spine (Phoenix): For me practicing humility, being a team player, treating everyone with respect and knowing my limits are keys in my practice.

Exercising humility can foster important relationships with patients and colleagues that go a long way to building a strong practice. Your staff and patients can be your biggest advocates or your worst PR disasters especially in this current social media world.

The other non-clinical aspect that is very important for me is to learn and understand the business side of medicine. Physicians are well-trained in medical practice but often lack the knowledge and experience to fully grasp the undertaking of going into the business of medicine. It is an ongoing learning for me to self-educate myself on this subject as the landscape of business in medicine has been constantly changing.

Richard Lin, DO. Director of Orthopedic Spine Surgery at Foothill Regional Medical Center, (Tustin, Calif.): I think the first non-clinical skill every spine surgeon needs to master is the business and politics of medicine. This requires a thorough understanding of physician versus hospital reimbursements and how it can be impacted by insurance payers/contracts, type of procedure performed, use of instrumentation (type of instrumentation), operating room time utilization and length of stay. It is imperative the surgeon understands how to be cost effective when performing a surgical case by being conservative and minimizing the extensiveness of the procedure and, therefore, minimizing blood loss, levels addressed, and degree of instrumentation used. This will usually translate to better overall surgical outcome, decreased length of stay and lower readmission rate, and by doing so, will increase overall profit margin for the hospital.

Ultimately this will likely translate to better reputation within the surgeon's community and lead to additional surgical referrals with potential better payers. This will provide a strong foundation to grow your practice with support from hospital administration and the general medical staff/referring bodies.

In addition, understanding the different types of payers is also critical to building a practice as it can increase your efficiency depending on the current state of your practice. This includes an understanding of HMO/PPO plans, workmen's compensation and even personal injury. Each type of payer includes their own set of advantages and disadvantages, and the overall mix of the practice should be tailored individually.

Lastly, marketing is absolutely critical and although nothing beats word-of-mouth and good surgical outcomes; the presentation is critical. A good web designer is a valuable asset and obtaining video and written patient testimonials can be very helpful as they can help the surgeon build a strong and positive online presence. In conclusion, having a good understanding of surgical principles with advanced technical skills is no longer sufficient to be successful, especially in a saturated market. It is imperative to take a comprehensive approach to building a practice and to be able to recognize and properly utilize the instruments available to set yourself apart from the general market.

Josh Schwind, MD. Orthopedic Spine Surgeon at Hoag Orthopedic Institute (Orange, Calif.): Non-clinical skills can be described as a collective term used to describe skills and behaviors encompassing four domains: cognitive, interpersonal, performance optimization and professionalism. More specifically, there are seven strictly non-clinical or non-technical skills that seem to be critical to develop to be a successful spine surgeon: situational awareness, decision-making, communication and teamwork, leadership, task management, fatigue/stress management and professionalism.

First, the cognitive domain.

1. Situational awareness. The operating room is a prime example of a complex, continually evolving situation. The human brain has a limited capacity to process all of the information available to them, especially in the setting of a crisis happening during the surgery, so surgeons must be specifically adept at handling and utilizing that information wisely.

2. Decision making. With thousands of articles being published each year, that poses a considerable challenge for the surgeon to remain up-to-date. However, outcomes are optimized when the right procedure is performed on the right patient, for the right reason. To know and understand those three components, however, takes diligence and adherence to the principle of being a 'lifelong learner.' This also allows the surgeon to discuss with and counsel patients as to the real risk-benefit ratio of any given treatment.

Second, the interpersonal domain.

1. Communication and teamwork skills. Communication has been shown, time and again, to be a major factor in malpractice claims, near-misses, and delays in diagnosis or treatment. Also, improved outcomes for high-volume ORs can be directly tied to the experience and efficiency gained through the repetition of cases and tasks performed by a team of professionals from a variety of disciplines who work and communicate effectively, together.

2. Leadership and management skills. Doctors have historically held a privileged position in society. As respected members of the community in which they serve, they frequently become leaders and advocates at the individual, community and national levels. They are looked to for direction and guidance in the hospitals where they work, and in the healthcare profession at large.

Third, the performance optimization domain.

1. Task management. Every day the surgeon must deal with numerous projects and tasks, all with different deadlines. Keeping track of the innumerable responsibilities can be tedious, but fulfilling duties, chiefly to the patient, in a timely manner is key and critical to a successful practice.

2. Managing fatigue and stress. A variety of maladaptations befall the physician who is not well-versed in managing fatigue and stress. The personal risk to the physician includes issues such as: depression, anxiety, sleep disturbance, substance misuse, marital dysfunction and suicide. Moreover, poor decision making, damaged working relationships and medical errors are the professional components of burnout, a widely recognized risk within the surgical profession.

Finally, the professionalism domain. It is a privilege to be a surgeon, and to be entrusted by our fellow man with inspiring hope, giving counsel and alleviating suffering. Practicing with integrity and adherence to the ultimate goal of compassionate care with respect for patient autonomy is crucial. This will improve the care of our patients and elevate the profession.
If you only take one thing away from a visit to the Balmoral Show, you can be sure it'll be a well-fed stomach.

Ireland's leading agri-food extravaganza looks set to attract more than 100,000 visitors again this year over four days of competition, cooking, music, shopping and fun.

But ask anyone what the highlight is, and most will tell you it's the wonderful flavours Northern Ireland can serve up.

Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Previous Next Close Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 16th May 2019 Day two of the Balmoral Show in partnership with Ulster Bank at Balmoral Park outside Lisburn. Resting in the cattle shed. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 16th May 2019 Day two of the Balmoral Show in partnership with Ulster Bank at Balmoral Park outside Lisburn. Tori Veitch from Lisbellaw in Co. Fermanagh, who is celebrating her sixth birthday, prepare the family bullock ahead of today's showing. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye From left, Kim and Ian Montgomery with their daughter Emilia and their prize winning Bluefaced Leicester sheep. Pic by Peter Morrison Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 16th May 2019 Day two of the Balmoral Show in partnership with Ulster Bank at Balmoral Park outside Lisburn. Irish Dancers at the show. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 16th May 2019 Day two of the Balmoral Show in partnership with Ulster Bank at Balmoral Park outside Lisburn.Trucking at the show. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 16th May 2019 Day two of the Balmoral Show in partnership with Ulster Bank at Balmoral Park outside Lisburn. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 16th May 2019 Day two of the Balmoral Show in partnership with Ulster Bank at Balmoral Park outside Lisburn. Young Famers girl's football at the show. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 16th May 2019 Day two of the Balmoral Show in partnership with Ulster Bank at Balmoral Park outside Lisburn. Young Famers girl's football at the show. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 16th May 2019 Day two of the Balmoral Show in partnership with Ulster Bank at Balmoral Park outside Lisburn. Young Famers girl's football at the show. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 16th May 2019 Day two of the Balmoral Show in partnership with Ulster Bank at Balmoral Park outside Lisburn. Young Famers girl's football at the show. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 16th May 2019 Day two of the Balmoral Show in partnership with Ulster Bank at Balmoral Park outside Lisburn. Young Famers girl's football at the show. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 16th May 2019 Day two of the Balmoral Show in partnership with Ulster Bank at Balmoral Park outside Lisburn. Sheep showing at the show. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 16th May 2019 Day two of the Balmoral Show in partnership with Ulster Bank at Balmoral Park outside Lisburn. Sheep showing at the show. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 16th May 2019 Day two of the Balmoral Show in partnership with Ulster Bank at Balmoral Park outside Lisburn. Agnes Todd from Banbridge with her awarding winning pigs. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 16th May 2019 Day two of the Balmoral Show in partnership with Ulster Bank at Balmoral Park outside Lisburn. Sheep shearing at the show. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 16th May 2019 Day two of the Balmoral Show in partnership with Ulster Bank at Balmoral Park outside Lisburn. A cow and its one-hour-old calf which was born at the show. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye Norma Wilson with her Hampshire Down sheep at the Balmoral show. Pic by Peter Morrison PACEMAKER BELFAST 16/05/2019: Day two of the Balmoral Show at Balmoral Park outside Lisburn. Stunt Bike performance pictured during the show. Picture By: Arthur Allison/Pacemaker Press Elizabeth Snodgrass and Billy Snodgrass take a rest with their cattle at the Balmoral Show. Pic by Peter Morrison People look at Farm machinery equipped on display at the Balmoral Show. Pic by Peter Morrison Thousands of People enjoy the warm weather as they attend the Balmoral Show. Pic by Peter Morrison Children get up close to the sheep on display at the Balmoral Show. Pic by Peter Morrison Sam Forbes with his Kerryhill Sheep at the Balmoral Show. Pic by Peter Morrison David Whiteman and Sam Forbes, right, wait with their Kerryhill sheep at the Balmoral Show. Pic by Peter Morrison Day two of the Balmoral Show at Balmoral Park outside Lisburn. Sheep pictured at the show. Picture By: Arthur Allison/Pacemaker Press A robot entertains people at the Balmoral Show. Pic by Peter Morrison Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 16th May 2019 Day two of the Balmoral Show in partnership with Ulster Bank at Balmoral Park outside Lisburn. Horse show jumping at the show. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 16th May 2019 Day two of the Balmoral Show in partnership with Ulster Bank at Balmoral Park outside Lisburn. Horse showing at the show. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 16th May 2019 Day two of the Balmoral Show in partnership with Ulster Bank at Balmoral Park outside Lisburn. People arrive for the show. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 16th May 2019 Day two of the Balmoral Show in partnership with Ulster Bank at Balmoral Park outside Lisburn. Mucking out in the cattle barn before the day begins at the show. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 16th May 2019 Second day of the Balmoral Show, in partnership with Ulster Bank. Pictured at Balmoral Park, outside Lisburn, are Ulster Bank's Dan McGinn(second from left) the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Karen Bradley(centre) and Head of Ulster Bank Richard Donnan(right) who meet Anita McCann at her Rossi's Ice Cream business stall. Ulster Bank has provided space in its market at Balmoral Show to entrepreneurs from Ulster Bank's Entrepreneur Accelerator programme as well as small business customers. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 16th May 2019 Second day of the Balmoral Show, in partnership with Ulster Bank. Pictured at Balmoral Park, outside Lisburn, is Jenny Lowry with her Melting Pot Fudge business. Ulster Bank has provided space in its market at Balmoral Show to entrepreneurs from Ulster Bank's Entrepreneur Accelerator programme as well as small business customers. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 16th May 2019 Second day of the Balmoral Show, in partnership with Ulster Bank. Pictured at Balmoral Park, outside Lisburn, are the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Karen Bradley(centre) and Head of Ulster Bank Richard Donnan(right) who meet Clare Gallagher - Membership Manger with Women in Business at her business stall. Ulster Bank has provided space in its market at Balmoral Show to entrepreneurs from Ulster Bank's Entrepreneur Accelerator programme as well as small business customers. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 16th May 2019 Second day of the Balmoral Show, in partnership with Ulster Bank. Pictured at Balmoral Park, outside Lisburn, are Ulster Bank's Dan McGinn(second from right) the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Karen Bradley(centre) and Head of Ulster Bank Richard Donnan(right) who meet Clare Gallagher - Membership Manger with Women in Business at her business stall. Ulster Bank has provided space in its market at Balmoral Show to entrepreneurs from Ulster Bank's Entrepreneur Accelerator programme as well as small business customers. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Karen Bradley and Head of Ulster Bank Richard Donnan at the Balmoral Show. Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 16th May 2019 Second day of the Balmoral Show, in partnership with Ulster Bank. Pictured at Balmoral Park, outside Lisburn, is Anita McCann with her business Rossi's Ice Cream. Ulster Bank has provided space in its market at Balmoral Show to entrepreneurs from Ulster Bank's Entrepreneur Accelerator programme as well as small business customers. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye PACEMAKER BELFAST 16/05/2019: Day two of the Balmoral Show at Balmoral Park outside Lisburn. Getting the cattle ready before the day begins at the show. Picture By: Arthur Allison/Pacemaker Press PACEMAKER BELFAST 16/05/2019: Day two of the Balmoral Show at Balmoral Park outside Lisburn. Sheep pictured with Fiona Cunningham at the show. Picture By: Arthur Allison/Pacemaker Press PACEMAKER BELFAST 16/05/2019: Day two of the Balmoral Show at Balmoral Park outside Lisburn. Arianna (aged 4)and Cara Bell (aged 2) from comber pictured enjoying the machinery at the show. Picture By: Arthur Allison/Pacemaker Press PACEMAKER BELFAST 16/05/2019: Day two of the Balmoral Show at Balmoral Park outside Lisburn. Sheep pictured at the show. Picture By: Arthur Allison/Pacemaker Press PACEMAKER BELFAST 16/05/2019: Day two of the Balmoral Show at Balmoral Park outside Lisburn. Lucy Rodgers from Dromara with Brownie getting ready before the day begins at the show. Picture By: Arthur Allison/Pacemaker Press PACEMAKER BELFAST 16/05/2019: Day two of the Balmoral Show at Balmoral Park outside Lisburn. Arianna (aged 4)and Cara Bell (aged 2) from comber pictured enjoying the machinery at the show. Picture By: Arthur Allison/Pacemaker Press PACEMAKER BELFAST 16/05/2019: Day two of the Balmoral Show at Balmoral Park outside Lisburn. Stunt Bike performance pictured during the show. Picture By: Arthur Allison/Pacemaker Press PACEMAKER BELFAST 16/05/2019: Day two of the Balmoral Show at Balmoral Park outside Lisburn. Stunt Bike performance pictured during the show. Picture By: Arthur Allison/Pacemaker Press PACEMAKER BELFAST 16/05/2019: Day two of the Balmoral Show at Balmoral Park outside Lisburn. Warming up before compition startes at the show. Picture By: Arthur Allison/Pacemaker Press PACEMAKER BELFAST 16/05/2019: Day two of the Balmoral Show at Balmoral Park outside Lisburn. Getting the cattle ready before the day begins at the show. Picture By: Arthur Allison/Pacemaker Press PACEMAKER BELFAST 16/05/2019: Day two of the Balmoral Show at Balmoral Park outside Lisburn. Sheep pictured at the show. Picture By: Arthur Allison/Pacemaker Press / Facebook

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The smells wafting from the food hall, with a mix of well-known names and some wonderful independent producers, entices you in and it's hard not to stop and sample.

If you make it past the food, you'll find plenty to keep the family entertained.

"Take my hand," you overhear a mum calling to her daughter.

"We're going to see the cows."

Cue squeals of delight.

And that's what this show is all about.

Smiling faces, great chat, fun for everyone and, most importantly, a celebration of all that's good about where we live.

In the end, this place is famous for its farming and it's the sheer depth of those agricultural roots spreading across so many facets of our society that impresses - and it's all wrapped up by the Royal Ulster Agricultural Society in four great days.

Clearly the sunshine helps, shining down on the show rings as farmers compete for the coveted titles to boast about in years to come.

But it's a business, too.

Deals are done, hands are shaken, old friends met and new friends made. Farming is at the centre of it all.

Wesley Aston, chief executive of the Ulster Farmers' Union, said the whole day has given him a sense of optimism.

Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Previous Next Close Pacemaker Press 15/5/19 Katie Millar with Gareth Elliott at The opening day of the Balmoral Show on Wednesday, Tens of thousands of people are expected to attend Ireland's largest agricultural and food show, over the next four days. The show is taking place at the former Balmoral Park just outside Lisburn and features a mix of farming displays as well as family activities. Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker PressEye-Northern Ireland- 15th May 2019-Picture by Brian Little/PressEye Stunt motorcycle rider performing at Balmoral Park during the first day of the Balmoral Show 2019 Picture by Brian Little/PressEye PressEye-Northern Ireland- 15th May 2019-Picture by Brian Little/PressEye Stunt motorcycle rider performing at Balmoral Park during the first day of the Balmoral Show 2019 Picture by Brian Little/PressEye PressEye-Northern Ireland- 15th May 2019-Picture by Brian Little/PressEye Stunt motorcycle rider performing at Balmoral Park during the first day of the Balmoral Show 2019 Picture by Brian Little/PressEye PressEye-Northern Ireland- 15th May 2019-Picture by Brian Little/PressEye DUP Leader Arlene Foster stops for a selfie at Balmoral Park during the first day of the Balmoral Show 2019 Picture by Brian Little/PressEye PressEye-Northern Ireland- 15th May 2019-Picture by Brian Little/PressEye DUP Diane Dodds at Balmoral Park during the first day of the Balmoral Show 2019 Picture by Brian Little/PressEye Pacemaker Press 15/5/19 The opening day of the Balmoral Show on Wednesday, Tens of thousands of people are expected to attend Ireland's largest agricultural and food show, over the next four days. The show is taking place at the former Balmoral Park just outside Lisburn and features a mix of farming displays as well as family activities. Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker Pacemaker Press 15/5/19 The opening day of the Balmoral Show on Wednesday, Tens of thousands of people are expected to attend Ireland's largest agricultural and food show, over the next four days. The show is taking place at the former Balmoral Park just outside Lisburn and features a mix of farming displays as well as family activities. Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker Pacemaker Press 15/5/19 Animals os show on The opening day of the Balmoral Show on Wednesday, Tens of thousands of people are expected to attend Ireland's largest agricultural and food show, over the next four days. The show is taking place at the former Balmoral Park just outside Lisburn and features a mix of farming displays as well as family activities. Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker 15/5/19: Julie Anne Clyde with her bull Nijinsky from Crawford Brothers, winner of the Senior Bull Class at the Balmoral Show. Picture: Michael Cooper Michael Cooper Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 15th May 2019 First day of the Balmoral Show, in partnership with Ulster Bank. Show cattle are brought out for their competition at Balmoral Park outside Lisburn. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye Pacemaker Press 15/5/19 The opening day of the Balmoral Show on Wednesday, Tens of thousands of people are expected to attend Ireland's largest agricultural and food show, over the next four days. The show is taking place at the former Balmoral Park just outside Lisburn and features a mix of farming displays as well as family activities. Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker Pacemaker Press 15/5/19 The opening day of the Balmoral Show on Wednesday, Tens of thousands of people are expected to attend Ireland's largest agricultural and food show, over the next four days. The show is taking place at the former Balmoral Park just outside Lisburn and features a mix of farming displays as well as family activities. Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker Pacemaker Press 15/5/19 Animals os show on The opening day of the Balmoral Show on Wednesday, Tens of thousands of people are expected to attend Ireland's largest agricultural and food show, over the next four days. The show is taking place at the former Balmoral Park just outside Lisburn and features a mix of farming displays as well as family activities. Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker Pacemaker Press 15/5/19 Katie Millar with her prize cattle at the opening day of the Balmoral Show on Wednesday, Tens of thousands of people are expected to attend Ireland's largest agricultural and food show, over the next four days. The show is taking place at the former Balmoral Park just outside Lisburn and features a mix of farming displays as well as family activities. Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker Pacemaker Press 15/5/19 The opening day of the Balmoral Show on Wednesday, Tens of thousands of people are expected to attend Ireland's largest agricultural and food show, over the next four days. The show is taking place at the former Balmoral Park just outside Lisburn and features a mix of farming displays as well as family activities. Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker Pacemaker Press 15/5/19 The opening day of the Balmoral Show on Wednesday, Tens of thousands of people are expected to attend Ireland's largest agricultural and food show, over the next four days. The show is taking place at the former Balmoral Park just outside Lisburn and features a mix of farming displays as well as family activities. Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 15th May 2019 First day of the Balmoral Show, in partnership with Ulster Bank. Show cattle are brought out for their competition at Balmoral Park outside Lisburn. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 15th May 2019 First day of the Balmoral Show, in partnership with Ulster Bank. Show pigs are brought out for their competition at Balmoral Park outside Lisburn. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 15th May 2019 First day of the Balmoral Show, in partnership with Ulster Bank. Show pigs are brought out for their competition at Balmoral Park outside Lisburn. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 15th May 2019 First day of the Balmoral Show, in partnership with Ulster Bank. The Sheep shearing competition takes place at Balmoral Park outside Lisburn. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 15th May 2019 First day of the Balmoral Show, in partnership with Ulster Bank at Balmoral Park outside Lisburn. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 15th May 2019 First day of the Balmoral Show, in partnership with Ulster Bank at Balmoral Park outside Lisburn. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 15th May 2019 First day of the Balmoral Show, in partnership with Ulster Bank at Balmoral Park outside Lisburn. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye 15/5/19: Cattle judging at the Balmoral Show. Picture: Michael Cooper Michael Cooper Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 15th May 2019 First day of the Balmoral Show, in partnership with Ulster Bank. Pictured at Balmoral Park, outside Lisburn, is Jack Morton with his Jack's Fudge business. Ulster Bank has provided space in its market at Balmoral Show to entrepreneurs from Ulster Bank's Entrepreneur Accelerator programme as well as small business customers. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 15th May 2019 First day of the Balmoral Show, in partnership with Ulster Bank. Pictured at Balmoral Park, outside Lisburn, are(L-R) Andy Laverty, David Knowles and Jonny Laverty with their sweet potato crisps business Wolf and Woodsman. Ulster Bank has provided space in its market at Balmoral Show to entrepreneurs from Ulster Bank's Entrepreneur Accelerator programme as well as small business customers. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 15th May 2019 First day of the Balmoral Show, in partnership with Ulster Bank. Pictured at Balmoral Park, outside Lisburn, is Betty Rodgers with her creams and balms business A Blissful Blend. Ulster Bank has provided space in its market at Balmoral Show to entrepreneurs from Ulster Bank's Entrepreneur Accelerator programme as well as small business customers. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye PressEye-Northern Ireland- 15th May 2019-Picture by Brian Little/PressEye General views. of Balmoral Park during the first day of the Balmoral Show 2019 Picture by Brian Little/PressEye PressEye-Northern Ireland- 15th May 2019-Picture by Brian Little/PressEye Sam Beattie aged 2 from Tullyveery, Killyleagh at Balmoral Park during the first day of the Balmoral Show 2019 Picture by Brian Little/PressEye PressEye-Northern Ireland- 15th May 2019-Picture by Brian Little/PressEye Cattle at Balmoral Park during the first day of the Balmoral Show 2019 Picture by Brian Little/PressEye PressEye-Northern Ireland- 15th May 2019-Picture by Brian Little/PressEye Cattle judging taking place at Balmoral Park during the first day of the Balmoral Show 2019 Picture by Brian Little/PressEye PressEye-Northern Ireland- 15th May 2019-Picture by Brian Little/PressEye Alpacas at Balmoral Park during the first day of the Balmoral Show 2019 Picture by Brian Little/PressEye 15/5/19: Competitors enjoy a cup of tea during a break in the cattle judging at the Balmoral Show. Picture: Michael Cooper Michael Cooper 15/5/19: Cattle judging at the Balmoral Show. Picture: Michael Cooper Michael Cooper PressEye-Northern Ireland- 15th May 2019-Picture by Brian Little/PressEye Lesley Shields with daughter Paislee aged 18 months from Kilkeel at Balmoral Park during the first day of the Balmoral Show 2019 Picture by Brian Little/PressEye PressEye-Northern Ireland- 15th May 2019-Picture by Brian Little/PressEye Cattle judging taking place at Balmoral Park during the first day of the Balmoral Show 2019 Picture by Brian Little/PressEye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 15th May 2019 First day of the Balmoral Show, in partnership with Ulster Bank. Pictured at Balmoral Park, outside Lisburn, is (L-R) Leanne(13) and her mother Ann Marie Laverty from Mayobridge, Co. Down, with Thompson's Teas Jamie Thompson. The mother and daughter were getting their Ulster Bank Food Trail card stamped. Customers can visit different stands in the food hall getting their cards stamp which can be entered into a free draw. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 15th May 2019 First day of the Balmoral Show, in partnership with Ulster Bank. Pictured at Balmoral Park, outside Lisburn, is Ulster Banks Catherine McMullan at the start of Ulster Bank's Food Trail . Customers can visit different stands in the food hall getting their cards stamp which can be entered into a free draw. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 15th May 2019 First day of the Balmoral Show, in partnership with Ulster Bank. Pictured at Balmoral Park, outside Lisburn, is Tara Mullan with her Refuge Hot Chocolate business. Ulster Bank has provided space in its market at Balmoral Show to entrepreneurs from Ulster Bank's Entrepreneur Accelerator programme as well as small business customers. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye 15/5/19: Kids enjoy sitting in a PSNI tractor at the Balmoral Show. Picture: Michael Cooper Michael Cooper Naomi Alexander, Hannah Alexander, Zara Gabbry and Lucy Gabbey with Dexter Cattle, Ballyboley Dexters from Graeyabbey Co Down showing at Balmoral Park during the first day of the Balmoral Show 2019. Picture by Brian Little/PressEye Ernest Gregg from Ballybollem Pedigree Livestock farm in Randalstown, Co. Antrim, pictured with his two-year-old bull Moore at Balmoral Park outside Lisburn. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye PressEye-Northern Ireland- 15th May 2019-Picture by Brian Little/PressEye Briege Diamond Pointhouse Herd at Balmoral Park during the first day of the Balmoral Show 2019 Picture by Brian Little/PressEye PressEye-Northern Ireland- 15th May 2019-Picture by Brian Little/PressEye Jenna Hunter from Markethill enjoying the sunshine at Balmoral Park during the first day of the Balmoral Show 2019 Picture by Brian Little/PressEye PressEye-Northern Ireland- 15th May 2019-Picture by Brian Little/PressEye Billy Coote aged 3 from Dungannon at Balmoral Park during the first day of the Balmoral Show 2019 Picture by Brian Little/PressEye PressEye-Northern Ireland- 15th May 2019-Picture by Brian Little/PressEye Rosa Finnegan aged 2 from Co Louth at Balmoral Park during the first day of the Balmoral Show 2019 Picture by Brian Little/PressEye PressEye-Northern Ireland- 15th May 2019-Picture by Brian Little/PressEye Kieran Loughran aged 4 from Dungannon in the shovel of a CAT Wheel Loader , 18,849 kg, at Balmoral Park during the first day of the Balmoral Show 2019 Picture by Brian Little/PressEye Erin Cunningham aged 2 from Armagh at Balmoral Park during the first day of the Balmoral Show 2019. Picture by Brian Little/PressEye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 15th May 2019 First day of the Balmoral Show, in partnership with Ulster Bank: Showing cattle takes place in the main area at Balmoral Park outside Lisburn. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 15th May 2019 First day of the Balmoral Show, in partnership with Ulster Bank: Showing cattle takes place in the main area at Balmoral Park outside Lisburn. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 15th May 2019 First day of the Balmoral Show, in partnership with Ulster Bank: Showing cattle takes place in the main area at Balmoral Park outside Lisburn. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 15th May 2019 First day of the Balmoral Show, in partnership with Ulster Bank: Showing cattle takes place in the main area at Balmoral Park outside Lisburn. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 15th May 2019 First day of the Balmoral Show, in partnership with Ulster Bank at Balmoral Park outside Lisburn. Horse show jumping takes place at the start of the show. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 15th May 2019 Gates open for the first day of the Balmoral Show in partnership with Ulster Bank at Balmoral Park outside Lisburn. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye PressEye-Northern Ireland- 15th May 2019-Picture by Brian Little/PressEye Lexie and Dorothy Johnston from Ballymacan Blondes Clogher Co Tyrone showing at Balmoral Park during the first day of the Balmoral Show 2019 Picture by Brian Little/PressEye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 15th May 2019 First day of the Balmoral Show, in partnership with Ulster Bank. Ernest Gregg from Ballybollem Pedigree Livestock farm in Randalstown, Co. Antrim, pictured with his two-year-old bull Moore at Balmoral Park outside Lisburn. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye PressEye-Northern Ireland- 15th May 2019-Picture by Brian Little/PressEye Andrew Davidson Gleno Valley YFCU receives his first prize in the Advanced Shearing competition from Zita McNaugher YFCU President at Balmoral Park during the first day of the Balmoral Show 2019 Picture by Brian Little/PressEye PressEye-Northern Ireland- 15th May 2019-Picture by Brian Little/PressEye Liam Kelly from Randalstown YFCU during the Advanced YFCU Final at Balmoral Park during the first day of the Balmoral Show 2019 Picture by Brian Little/PressEye REPRO FREE. 15/5/19: Anthony Harbinson, Director of Safer Communities at the Department of Justice (left), visited the Balmoral Show to offer support and thank the many partner agencies who have joined forces to engage with the rural community to raise awareness of criminal activity and offer guidance on how to protect their property and report suspicious activity. He is pictured with Shelly Ann Grimes, PSNI Crime Prevention and (middle) Chief Superintendent Jonathan Roberts. Picture: Michael Cooper Michael Cooper REPRO FREE. 15/5/19: Anthony Harbinson, Director of Safer Communities at the Department of Justice, visited the Balmoral Show to offer support and thank the many partners who work with the DOJ on the Organised Crime Task Force (OCTF). The OCTF used the opportunity to highlight to the public the vulnerabilities exploited by Organised Crime Groups and provided advice and guidance on how to safeguard against crime and, importantly, to report crime. He is pictured with Detective Superintendent Rachel Shields Head of PSNI Organised Crime Task Force and (middle) Chief Superintendent Jonathan Roberts. Picture: Michael Cooper Michael Cooper Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 15th May 2019 First day of the Balmoral Show, in partnership with Ulster Bank: Sheep showing during the show at Balmoral Park outside Lisburn. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 15th May 2019 First day of the Balmoral Show, in partnership with Ulster Bank: Sheep showing during the show at Balmoral Park outside Lisburn. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 15th May 2019 First day of the Balmoral Show, in partnership with Ulster Bank: Sheep showing during the show at Balmoral Park outside Lisburn. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye / Facebook

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Whatsapp Pacemaker Press 15/5/19 Katie Millar with Gareth Elliott at The opening day of the Balmoral Show on Wednesday, Tens of thousands of people are expected to attend Ireland's largest agricultural and food show, over the next four days. The show is taking place at the former Balmoral Park just outside Lisburn and features a mix of farming displays as well as family activities. Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker

"The great weather makes everyone feel a bit better," he said.

"But overall, it's great to see the optimism of the farming community here today.

"A lot of the people involved in agriculture come here for a day out, to get away from the farm life, but you still can't get away from the overarching issues farms are facing.

Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Previous Next Close Sheep at Balmoral Jenna Hunter from Markethill Alpacas at Balmoral The Balmoral Show A horse gets cooled down Thomas Hamill with Dandylion Freddie Parkinson / Facebook

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"There's a European election around the corner and the big issues of Brexit and the lack of a Stormont government are dominating the conversations. That's only natural.

"We need a government to capitalise on that optimism we're experiencing.

"Farmers want help to move on, progress and improve.

"There are key decisions waiting to be made, but it's encouraging to see so many people out here with smiling faces despite the issues being faced by the industry.

"This is a day for families, and farming is essentially a family industry.

"It's the backbone of the country and in a year when Northern Ireland has been named World Food Destination, we don't want to miss the wonderful opportunities to capitalise on that.

"It's clear around the world that the Northern Ireland agri-food sector is a force to be reckoned with.

"Sometimes, living here, I don't think that is appreciated as much as it should be.

"We take farming for granted, the food we produce for granted.

"But you can see today just how special the produce of this country is.

"What we need now is the weight of a functioning government behind us so we can all grow, improve and create even more success."

Not that Brexit and politics is of concern to the younger visitors, who take great delight in sitting in tractors, dancing along to the music and simply sitting back and watching the showjumping.

Visit the Tesco Children's Farm where baby animals are waiting to be fed, marvel at the expertise of sheepdog trials or simply sit back with an ice-cream and take in the sights - it's all there.

Add into the mix performances from the Jason Smyth Adrenaline Tour Stunt Show, the Eikon Shopping Village, and, maybe, if you have a head for heights, an aerial view of the whole shebang from the top of the big wheel, and all the ingredients are there for the perfect family day out.

The show continues until Saturday, with gates open at 9.30am each day.
Ernest Gregg from Ballybollem Pedigree Livestock farm in Randalstown, Co Antrim, with his two-year-old bull Moore at Balmoral Park outside Lisburn

Northern Ireland's dairy farm industry is growing amid improving conditions for the sector, the head of agriculture at Ulster Bank has said.

There are now around 3,500 dairy farms, with hard-hit beef farmers also reported to be switching to the more stable business of dairy.

Speaking on the first day of the Balmoral Show, Cormac McKervey said that while the milk price average has remained at around 25p per litre over the past decade, he expects the amount paid to farmers to begin to rise later in the year.

Around four years ago dairy farmers were facing problems, as milk was selling for just under 19p per litre.

But the price has recovered gradually, and according to the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, a price of 27.18p was being paid in March.

Northern Ireland exports 323m worth of milk every year, with May the peak month for output.

Despite the UK being on course to produce record levels of milk, Mr McKervey said the fact prices haven't fallen, suggests that they are going to rise later in the year.

"If milk prices are coming up and feed prices are falling back, then the margin will improve.

"Over the last 12 months things haven't been great, but looking forward, things look better."

And he said the prospect of Brexit was also influencing some farmers to make a move into a different sector.

"There are also farmers coming out of beef production and into dairy, because it's just not generating the profit.

"There has been growth in the number of farmers milking, with the average size of herds now around 95 cows.

"Beef farming is also heavily reliant on the single farm payment, and if that is to wind up, farmers are making the decision to move into dairy."

Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Previous Next Close Pacemaker Press 15/5/19 Katie Millar with Gareth Elliott at The opening day of the Balmoral Show on Wednesday, Tens of thousands of people are expected to attend Ireland's largest agricultural and food show, over the next four days. The show is taking place at the former Balmoral Park just outside Lisburn and features a mix of farming displays as well as family activities. Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker PressEye-Northern Ireland- 15th May 2019-Picture by Brian Little/PressEye Stunt motorcycle rider performing at Balmoral Park during the first day of the Balmoral Show 2019 Picture by Brian Little/PressEye PressEye-Northern Ireland- 15th May 2019-Picture by Brian Little/PressEye Stunt motorcycle rider performing at Balmoral Park during the first day of the Balmoral Show 2019 Picture by Brian Little/PressEye PressEye-Northern Ireland- 15th May 2019-Picture by Brian Little/PressEye Stunt motorcycle rider performing at Balmoral Park during the first day of the Balmoral Show 2019 Picture by Brian Little/PressEye PressEye-Northern Ireland- 15th May 2019-Picture by Brian Little/PressEye DUP Leader Arlene Foster stops for a selfie at Balmoral Park during the first day of the Balmoral Show 2019 Picture by Brian Little/PressEye PressEye-Northern Ireland- 15th May 2019-Picture by Brian Little/PressEye DUP Diane Dodds at Balmoral Park during the first day of the Balmoral Show 2019 Picture by Brian Little/PressEye Pacemaker Press 15/5/19 The opening day of the Balmoral Show on Wednesday, Tens of thousands of people are expected to attend Ireland's largest agricultural and food show, over the next four days. The show is taking place at the former Balmoral Park just outside Lisburn and features a mix of farming displays as well as family activities. Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker Pacemaker Press 15/5/19 The opening day of the Balmoral Show on Wednesday, Tens of thousands of people are expected to attend Ireland's largest agricultural and food show, over the next four days. The show is taking place at the former Balmoral Park just outside Lisburn and features a mix of farming displays as well as family activities. Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker Pacemaker Press 15/5/19 Animals os show on The opening day of the Balmoral Show on Wednesday, Tens of thousands of people are expected to attend Ireland's largest agricultural and food show, over the next four days. The show is taking place at the former Balmoral Park just outside Lisburn and features a mix of farming displays as well as family activities. Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker 15/5/19: Julie Anne Clyde with her bull Nijinsky from Crawford Brothers, winner of the Senior Bull Class at the Balmoral Show. Picture: Michael Cooper Michael Cooper Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 15th May 2019 First day of the Balmoral Show, in partnership with Ulster Bank. Show cattle are brought out for their competition at Balmoral Park outside Lisburn. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye Pacemaker Press 15/5/19 The opening day of the Balmoral Show on Wednesday, Tens of thousands of people are expected to attend Ireland's largest agricultural and food show, over the next four days. The show is taking place at the former Balmoral Park just outside Lisburn and features a mix of farming displays as well as family activities. Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker Pacemaker Press 15/5/19 The opening day of the Balmoral Show on Wednesday, Tens of thousands of people are expected to attend Ireland's largest agricultural and food show, over the next four days. The show is taking place at the former Balmoral Park just outside Lisburn and features a mix of farming displays as well as family activities. Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker Pacemaker Press 15/5/19 Animals os show on The opening day of the Balmoral Show on Wednesday, Tens of thousands of people are expected to attend Ireland's largest agricultural and food show, over the next four days. The show is taking place at the former Balmoral Park just outside Lisburn and features a mix of farming displays as well as family activities. Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker Pacemaker Press 15/5/19 Katie Millar with her prize cattle at the opening day of the Balmoral Show on Wednesday, Tens of thousands of people are expected to attend Ireland's largest agricultural and food show, over the next four days. The show is taking place at the former Balmoral Park just outside Lisburn and features a mix of farming displays as well as family activities. Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker Pacemaker Press 15/5/19 The opening day of the Balmoral Show on Wednesday, Tens of thousands of people are expected to attend Ireland's largest agricultural and food show, over the next four days. The show is taking place at the former Balmoral Park just outside Lisburn and features a mix of farming displays as well as family activities. Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker Pacemaker Press 15/5/19 The opening day of the Balmoral Show on Wednesday, Tens of thousands of people are expected to attend Ireland's largest agricultural and food show, over the next four days. The show is taking place at the former Balmoral Park just outside Lisburn and features a mix of farming displays as well as family activities. Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 15th May 2019 First day of the Balmoral Show, in partnership with Ulster Bank. Show cattle are brought out for their competition at Balmoral Park outside Lisburn. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 15th May 2019 First day of the Balmoral Show, in partnership with Ulster Bank. Show pigs are brought out for their competition at Balmoral Park outside Lisburn. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 15th May 2019 First day of the Balmoral Show, in partnership with Ulster Bank. Show pigs are brought out for their competition at Balmoral Park outside Lisburn. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 15th May 2019 First day of the Balmoral Show, in partnership with Ulster Bank. The Sheep shearing competition takes place at Balmoral Park outside Lisburn. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 15th May 2019 First day of the Balmoral Show, in partnership with Ulster Bank at Balmoral Park outside Lisburn. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 15th May 2019 First day of the Balmoral Show, in partnership with Ulster Bank at Balmoral Park outside Lisburn. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 15th May 2019 First day of the Balmoral Show, in partnership with Ulster Bank at Balmoral Park outside Lisburn. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye 15/5/19: Cattle judging at the Balmoral Show. Picture: Michael Cooper Michael Cooper Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 15th May 2019 First day of the Balmoral Show, in partnership with Ulster Bank. Pictured at Balmoral Park, outside Lisburn, is Jack Morton with his Jack's Fudge business. Ulster Bank has provided space in its market at Balmoral Show to entrepreneurs from Ulster Bank's Entrepreneur Accelerator programme as well as small business customers. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 15th May 2019 First day of the Balmoral Show, in partnership with Ulster Bank. Pictured at Balmoral Park, outside Lisburn, are(L-R) Andy Laverty, David Knowles and Jonny Laverty with their sweet potato crisps business Wolf and Woodsman. Ulster Bank has provided space in its market at Balmoral Show to entrepreneurs from Ulster Bank's Entrepreneur Accelerator programme as well as small business customers. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 15th May 2019 First day of the Balmoral Show, in partnership with Ulster Bank. Pictured at Balmoral Park, outside Lisburn, is Betty Rodgers with her creams and balms business A Blissful Blend. Ulster Bank has provided space in its market at Balmoral Show to entrepreneurs from Ulster Bank's Entrepreneur Accelerator programme as well as small business customers. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye PressEye-Northern Ireland- 15th May 2019-Picture by Brian Little/PressEye General views. of Balmoral Park during the first day of the Balmoral Show 2019 Picture by Brian Little/PressEye PressEye-Northern Ireland- 15th May 2019-Picture by Brian Little/PressEye Sam Beattie aged 2 from Tullyveery, Killyleagh at Balmoral Park during the first day of the Balmoral Show 2019 Picture by Brian Little/PressEye PressEye-Northern Ireland- 15th May 2019-Picture by Brian Little/PressEye Cattle at Balmoral Park during the first day of the Balmoral Show 2019 Picture by Brian Little/PressEye PressEye-Northern Ireland- 15th May 2019-Picture by Brian Little/PressEye Cattle judging taking place at Balmoral Park during the first day of the Balmoral Show 2019 Picture by Brian Little/PressEye PressEye-Northern Ireland- 15th May 2019-Picture by Brian Little/PressEye Alpacas at Balmoral Park during the first day of the Balmoral Show 2019 Picture by Brian Little/PressEye 15/5/19: Competitors enjoy a cup of tea during a break in the cattle judging at the Balmoral Show. Picture: Michael Cooper Michael Cooper 15/5/19: Cattle judging at the Balmoral Show. Picture: Michael Cooper Michael Cooper PressEye-Northern Ireland- 15th May 2019-Picture by Brian Little/PressEye Lesley Shields with daughter Paislee aged 18 months from Kilkeel at Balmoral Park during the first day of the Balmoral Show 2019 Picture by Brian Little/PressEye PressEye-Northern Ireland- 15th May 2019-Picture by Brian Little/PressEye Cattle judging taking place at Balmoral Park during the first day of the Balmoral Show 2019 Picture by Brian Little/PressEye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 15th May 2019 First day of the Balmoral Show, in partnership with Ulster Bank. Pictured at Balmoral Park, outside Lisburn, is (L-R) Leanne(13) and her mother Ann Marie Laverty from Mayobridge, Co. Down, with Thompson's Teas Jamie Thompson. The mother and daughter were getting their Ulster Bank Food Trail card stamped. Customers can visit different stands in the food hall getting their cards stamp which can be entered into a free draw. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 15th May 2019 First day of the Balmoral Show, in partnership with Ulster Bank. Pictured at Balmoral Park, outside Lisburn, is Ulster Banks Catherine McMullan at the start of Ulster Bank's Food Trail . Customers can visit different stands in the food hall getting their cards stamp which can be entered into a free draw. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 15th May 2019 First day of the Balmoral Show, in partnership with Ulster Bank. Pictured at Balmoral Park, outside Lisburn, is Tara Mullan with her Refuge Hot Chocolate business. Ulster Bank has provided space in its market at Balmoral Show to entrepreneurs from Ulster Bank's Entrepreneur Accelerator programme as well as small business customers. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye 15/5/19: Kids enjoy sitting in a PSNI tractor at the Balmoral Show. Picture: Michael Cooper Michael Cooper Naomi Alexander, Hannah Alexander, Zara Gabbry and Lucy Gabbey with Dexter Cattle, Ballyboley Dexters from Graeyabbey Co Down showing at Balmoral Park during the first day of the Balmoral Show 2019. Picture by Brian Little/PressEye Ernest Gregg from Ballybollem Pedigree Livestock farm in Randalstown, Co. Antrim, pictured with his two-year-old bull Moore at Balmoral Park outside Lisburn. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye PressEye-Northern Ireland- 15th May 2019-Picture by Brian Little/PressEye Briege Diamond Pointhouse Herd at Balmoral Park during the first day of the Balmoral Show 2019 Picture by Brian Little/PressEye PressEye-Northern Ireland- 15th May 2019-Picture by Brian Little/PressEye Jenna Hunter from Markethill enjoying the sunshine at Balmoral Park during the first day of the Balmoral Show 2019 Picture by Brian Little/PressEye PressEye-Northern Ireland- 15th May 2019-Picture by Brian Little/PressEye Billy Coote aged 3 from Dungannon at Balmoral Park during the first day of the Balmoral Show 2019 Picture by Brian Little/PressEye PressEye-Northern Ireland- 15th May 2019-Picture by Brian Little/PressEye Rosa Finnegan aged 2 from Co Louth at Balmoral Park during the first day of the Balmoral Show 2019 Picture by Brian Little/PressEye PressEye-Northern Ireland- 15th May 2019-Picture by Brian Little/PressEye Kieran Loughran aged 4 from Dungannon in the shovel of a CAT Wheel Loader , 18,849 kg, at Balmoral Park during the first day of the Balmoral Show 2019 Picture by Brian Little/PressEye Erin Cunningham aged 2 from Armagh at Balmoral Park during the first day of the Balmoral Show 2019. Picture by Brian Little/PressEye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 15th May 2019 First day of the Balmoral Show, in partnership with Ulster Bank: Showing cattle takes place in the main area at Balmoral Park outside Lisburn. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 15th May 2019 First day of the Balmoral Show, in partnership with Ulster Bank: Showing cattle takes place in the main area at Balmoral Park outside Lisburn. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 15th May 2019 First day of the Balmoral Show, in partnership with Ulster Bank: Showing cattle takes place in the main area at Balmoral Park outside Lisburn. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 15th May 2019 First day of the Balmoral Show, in partnership with Ulster Bank: Showing cattle takes place in the main area at Balmoral Park outside Lisburn. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 15th May 2019 First day of the Balmoral Show, in partnership with Ulster Bank at Balmoral Park outside Lisburn. Horse show jumping takes place at the start of the show. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 15th May 2019 Gates open for the first day of the Balmoral Show in partnership with Ulster Bank at Balmoral Park outside Lisburn. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye PressEye-Northern Ireland- 15th May 2019-Picture by Brian Little/PressEye Lexie and Dorothy Johnston from Ballymacan Blondes Clogher Co Tyrone showing at Balmoral Park during the first day of the Balmoral Show 2019 Picture by Brian Little/PressEye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 15th May 2019 First day of the Balmoral Show, in partnership with Ulster Bank. Ernest Gregg from Ballybollem Pedigree Livestock farm in Randalstown, Co. Antrim, pictured with his two-year-old bull Moore at Balmoral Park outside Lisburn. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye PressEye-Northern Ireland- 15th May 2019-Picture by Brian Little/PressEye Andrew Davidson Gleno Valley YFCU receives his first prize in the Advanced Shearing competition from Zita McNaugher YFCU President at Balmoral Park during the first day of the Balmoral Show 2019 Picture by Brian Little/PressEye PressEye-Northern Ireland- 15th May 2019-Picture by Brian Little/PressEye Liam Kelly from Randalstown YFCU during the Advanced YFCU Final at Balmoral Park during the first day of the Balmoral Show 2019 Picture by Brian Little/PressEye REPRO FREE. 15/5/19: Anthony Harbinson, Director of Safer Communities at the Department of Justice (left), visited the Balmoral Show to offer support and thank the many partner agencies who have joined forces to engage with the rural community to raise awareness of criminal activity and offer guidance on how to protect their property and report suspicious activity. He is pictured with Shelly Ann Grimes, PSNI Crime Prevention and (middle) Chief Superintendent Jonathan Roberts. Picture: Michael Cooper Michael Cooper REPRO FREE. 15/5/19: Anthony Harbinson, Director of Safer Communities at the Department of Justice, visited the Balmoral Show to offer support and thank the many partners who work with the DOJ on the Organised Crime Task Force (OCTF). The OCTF used the opportunity to highlight to the public the vulnerabilities exploited by Organised Crime Groups and provided advice and guidance on how to safeguard against crime and, importantly, to report crime. He is pictured with Detective Superintendent Rachel Shields Head of PSNI Organised Crime Task Force and (middle) Chief Superintendent Jonathan Roberts. Picture: Michael Cooper Michael Cooper Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 15th May 2019 First day of the Balmoral Show, in partnership with Ulster Bank: Sheep showing during the show at Balmoral Park outside Lisburn. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 15th May 2019 First day of the Balmoral Show, in partnership with Ulster Bank: Sheep showing during the show at Balmoral Park outside Lisburn. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 15th May 2019 First day of the Balmoral Show, in partnership with Ulster Bank: Sheep showing during the show at Balmoral Park outside Lisburn. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye / Facebook

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Whatsapp Pacemaker Press 15/5/19 Katie Millar with Gareth Elliott at The opening day of the Balmoral Show on Wednesday, Tens of thousands of people are expected to attend Ireland's largest agricultural and food show, over the next four days. The show is taking place at the former Balmoral Park just outside Lisburn and features a mix of farming displays as well as family activities. Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker

The outlook also looks good for the local pig sector. While feed prices are coming down, the African swine fever epidemic in China has also created a massive hole in the market as a result of widespread culling.

"China domestically can't support that market, they're going to have to import," he said.

"Obviously there's a trade war with America, so they will do business with more European pork. Pig prices will go up, input costs are going down, so the margin on pigs is a good news story."

And despite Brexit, demand for farm land remains high, driving prices to record levels. Last year saw the average price for quality farm land pass 10,000 per acre for the first time. "It's a sign that farmers still want land and there's a fantastic market for it," said Mr McKervey.

"It grew by 4.4% last year despite the uncertainty over Brexit.

"When it comes to land, farmers are still keen to buy it."

However, the Ulster Bank manager painted a gloomier picture for the poultry sector.

It is suffering from a double whammy arising out of cuts to RHI tariffs and what appears to be an easing back on demand from broiler houses by chicken giant Moy Park.
Small claims actions brought by people and organisations chasing debts of under 3,000 have fallen to a record low in Northern Ireland, new figures show.

Both the value and number of small claims brought to court in the first three months of the year were the lowest ever, according to charity Registry Trust.

But it warned that it was too early to infer from the figures that the economy is in better shape. There were 1,750 small claims judgments in the first three months of 2019, a fall of 22% on the same quarter in 2018.

The total value of claims fell by 15% to 3.7m, though the average value of a claim had increasing by 9% to 2,129.

Small claims judgments can be taken for debts of less than 3,000 and where people have failed to pay up despite being given the opportunity to do so.

There is no need to instruct a solicitor or barrister to take claims in the small claims court.

But Mick McAteer, deputy chairman of Registry Trust, said it was too early to interpret the fall in small claims judgments as a sign that the economy is on the up.

He said: "What might be happening - and it's hard to say with certainty - is that there could have been spikes in judgment numbers in one quarter, so that the next quarter looks lower.

"Over the past few years, what we saw was big banks selling off their non-performing debts to debt collection companies so there would have been a boost in the number of judgments being taken out, but they have now fallen off.

"It doesn't mean the economy is doing well. It's a technical thing because of the way the market has been and how debt has been sold on."

Registry Trust also said there had been 18 High Court judgments in Northern Ireland in the first quarter, compared to 22 in the first few months of 2018.

The value of judgments was down to 1.8m, with both number and value the lowest first-quarter figures on record. However, the average value of a High Court judgment had increased by 4% to 101,732.

The total value of judgments was 5.6m compared with 6.7m in the first three months of 2018.
Looking glamorous this week at the Cannes Festival was Farhana Bodi

Looking glamorous this week at the Cannes Festival was Selena Gomez

Award-winning make-up artist Paddy McGurgan is heading to the Cannes Film Festival after winning the opportunity to work among a top team of stylists there.

Paddy, who fought off competition from candidates around the world, was judged on his portfolio of previous work, impressing the panellists who he will now have the opportunity to collaborate with.

Rubbing shoulders with the rich and famous, Paddy will work alongside a team of stylists, designers and Luxembourg-based photographer Patrick Moja with an all-expenses paid trip to Cannes. The opportunity to showcase his work on the red carpet will be a first-ever experience for him.

Speaking to the Belfast Telegraph as he prepared to make the trip to the south of France, Paddy, owner of the Make-Up Pro Store, says: "Cannes is one of most famous social hubs in Europe, especially this month! As a make-up artist, I am challenged daily to be inspired, inventive and creative so this opportunity is incredible. I've been to Nice before but not Cannes, and I'm very excited to be going and getting involved in the festival.

"I will be working with some of the best in the business to create a pretty spectacular star-studded look for one model, which I can't say too much about just yet!

"I'm involved in a project as part of the festival, which takes a look at fashion within cinema. There will be four international photographers and designers and we will shoot four different set-ups - we will collaborate together on the looks.

"Our final work will be presented as part of the main show. Cannes Film Festival is one of the most celebrated film festivals in the world and it will be a privilege to be there with so many other creatives."

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The festival showcases 21 competition titles, as well as out-of-competition, midnight and special screenings at the Palais des Festival.

In its 72-year history it has played host to legendary figures of the silver screen, including Gary Cooper, Grace Kelly, Elizabeth Taylor, Kirk Douglas, Brigitte Bardot and Sophia Loren.

This year, the festival has already been graced by the presence of Selena Gomez for the premiere of her new film, The Dead Don't Die. In a chic navy and gold suit, she took part in a photocall with co-stars Chloe Sevigny, Bill Murray and Tilda Swinton.

Other celebrities attending are Oscar winner Julianne Moore, Eva Longoria and Elle Fanning.

And director Quentin Tarantino will also make an appearance - his highly anticipated film, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, will premiere. Starring in the film and attending the event will be Brad Pitt, Leonardo DiCaprio and Margot Robbie. Models Gigi and Bella Hadid are expected to grace the red carpet.

Not only will Paddy be working on the idyllic French Rivera's vast array of locations, he will be attending the iconic event on the famous Montee des Marches (the red carpet stairs) amidst more than 2,000 photographers.

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Paddy will have the opportunity to attend an exclusive screening session of a film participating in the Palme d'Or competition, together with the most influential figures in the film industry.

He will be in Cannes from Monday until Saturday, while the festival is attended by more than 30,000 people from the world of cinema.

And should Paddy get the opportunity to work with one of the film stars on their make-up, he recommends a glamorous, sophisticated look.

"A sophisticated look will always be timeless and is one that works for any occasion," he says.

"It is so important to also keep the look which the person usually has.

"Whether it's a wedding or a red carpet event, you have to let that individual's personality shine through and maintain their own, personal look."

Paddy has worked with so many well-known faces over the years, and he cites a local star as one of his particular favourites.

"I loved working with Nadine Coyle - she is just a lovely human and so kind," he says.

"I worked with Yasmin Le Bon when she opened House of Fraser and then she did a fashion show here, which was a great experience."
Name a TV star or hit show from the past 30 years and chances are that local man John FD Northover played a part in its success. Now in a dramatic twist of his own, the Bafta and Emmy award winning director, writer and producer has turned his talents to a completely new line of business - furniture design.

By Northover is a contemporary high-end range of furnishings launched by John just last month and already there is interest from three major hotel chains.

While an entirely new direction for the Holywood man, he is not expecting to leave his TV work behind any time soon.

John's CV reads like a who's who of popular television over the past 30 years.

Although rooted in entertainment and comedy, he has worked extensively in factual productions, lifestyle and also covered live events.

He has worked on everything from Have I Got News For You and If I Ruled The World to The Dame Edna Treatment, Whose Line is it Anyway?, Harry Hill's Shark Infested Custard and factual shows such as Embarrassing Bodies: Live from the Clinic, Gordon Ramsay: Cookalong Live, The F Word and Paul and Nick's Big Food Trip.

Born and bred in Holywood, Co Down, the 60-year-old has spent most of his career in Manchester and London, returning home 10 years ago.

Regarded within the TV industry as one of the UK and Ireland's most innovative and experienced directors, he has had a hand in helping devise some of our most popular shows.

In 2015, John was awarded the Emmy for best director of a live or recorded live programme for a song production he directed from Belfast's Grand Opera House.

He was also nominated for a Bafta for his work on Have I Got News for You and went on to win the coveted Bafta Children's Award for SMTV with Ant and Dec in 2000.

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Yet of all the many exciting projects he has worked on and the fascinating people and celebrities he has met, it was caring for his elderly mum when she developed dementia six years ago that John says has had the biggest impact on him.

And despite his successful star-studded career, he also sees it as the single biggest achievement of his life.

He says: "My mother had dementia for four years and I was her main carer. My sister, who lives an hour-and-a-half away, would come down at the weekends to take over. I've no family or partner and after being away from home for 17 years, I felt it was time for me to step up.

"People used to stop me in the street and say how hard it must be but while, yes it was challenging, it was also joyful and I learnt from it how to live in the moment.

"I used to be always chasing the next series or award or the next project, but when someone has dementia it forces you to learn how to be in the moment.

"I had no time to myself as mum would call me all the time and for four years I slept no more than around three hours a night.

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"When you don't have time for yourself it is important to find even 10 minutes of something positive to do.

"A friend of mine who used to be engaged to Stevie Wonder and whose brother was killed in Los Angeles suggested that I read a book on creative visualisation, which at first I thought was a load of old nonsense.

"Then I thought I would try it and I now I do it for 45 minutes every morning. It's a combination of mindfulness and meditation with positive affirmations.

"There is no negativity in my life now. You never know when your life will change and now I say 'yes' to everything which is part of being in the moment."

John lost his mum Stella, who was a drama teacher right up until the age of 83, on April 9, 2017. She was 91.

His father Joe, who was an engineer in Shorts, passed away in 1989 aged 61. John is very close to his sister, Stella-Jo, who is vice principal of Coleraine College. He describes her as "amazing".

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His new outlook on living in the moment inadvertently led him to experiment with furniture design and also pen his first novel, which he hopes to publish later this year.

It was after he bought a new home in Holywood last year and struggled to find furniture he liked for it that he decided to design some pieces himself.

He approached a local interior design shop with his drawings and asked if they could get the pieces made.

The shop was so impressed by his designs that they suggested he go into business and sell them.

He explains: "I thought about it for about a week and then I decided, why not? I designed three banquettes (padded footstools) which are really beautiful and are locally made and very adaptable and cutting edge.

"I thought I would get them made and see what happens.

"I have a website which is ready to be launched and in the meantime I've been promoting them through Facebook and Instagram.

"They will be made to order in Northern Ireland and there are three big hotel chains looking at our range, which is very exciting. I expect it will be a trickle of orders and interest at first and I'm just going to wait and see how it goes."

Drawing on his experiences of growing up in Northern Ireland during the 70s and 80s, John has also penned a novel, called A Ribbon Binds Them, which he aims to publish this year.

It tells the story of two childhood friends who are reunited after years by a tragedy when one of their husbands disappears and it launches them on a joint quest through the 80s cabaret scene to find him.

John enjoyed a happy childhood. He was a pupil at Sullivan Upper School in Holywood and went on to study for a joint honours degree in English and French at Queen's University. He is a licentiate of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and an associate of the London College of Music.

He started his career in TV as an announcer for BBC NI and then landed a job in Manchester as a trainee producer on television.

He spent three years there and through a happy coincidence was working on a show in London when someone suggested he contact Hat Trick Productions about a new show called Have I Got News for You.

He says: "Had I not been doing that odd job in London, which was pulled because of litigation, I would never have got my break with Hat Trick and my career could have been very different.

"I did nine series of Have I Got News for You and went on to do Room 101 and the Clive Anderson Show."

Of the many stars he has worked with over the years, Gordon Ramsay stands out as one of his favourites along with Barry Humphries (Dame Edna Everage), Joan Rivers and Harry Hill.

He says: "I love people with a bit of devilment in them and I like people who are grafters and put the work in.

"Maybe that's because I was born in Northern Ireland and had a good work ethic instilled in me. I'm not a big fan of people who coast.

"Eamonn Holmes and Gloria Hunniford are two people who also put the work in.

"I think you need to learn from every person you work with and every job you do and then opportunities will open for you. My advice to anyone going into TV is to do the work and if you keep grafting and apply yourself, success will come to you."

As well as his strong work ethic, John remains grounded, another admirable trait associated with being from this part of the world.

He has won the biggest awards in the business, but to him his success is not measured by the gongs on his mantelpiece. "I think success is what people say about you when you are not there," he says. "Awards are great and having money and a fast car is great but - and maybe it's my age - I think success is what you leave behind of yourself and to me love is more important."

Still single, he says he just hasn't met the right one although he still lives in hope.

He says: "I would be a nightmare to live with. I fold all my towels a certain way and I only have white towels.

"I like the things I like. The right person hasn't come a long yet but who knows what might happen. I'm still single but it's good."

While working on ideas for developing his own furniture range, John is as busy as ever with his TV work.

He has just finished directing a three-night live show in Dublin for RTE and will spend the rest of this month teaching at a multi-camera music director's course in Galway, followed by two broadcasts from Cork Observatory to mark the 50th anniversary of the moon landing in July called The Day We Landed on the Moon.

In between he will be launching his new furniture business and his novel.

He adds: "The furniture range is a new direction and life is changing, but the one thing I'm most proud of is looking after someone with dementia and, while it was tough, it was also the most rewarding thing I have ever done."

To find out more about John's furniture range email bynorthover@hotmail.com
In response to proposals to withdraw breast cancer assessment services from two major hospital sites here, Stephanie Bell talks to two women about their experiences and why they are battling to prevent the changes.

Thousands of people have now shown their support for a campaign to save two local breast cancer assessment centres from closure. The charge to keep clinics at Craigavon and Belfast City hospitals open has been led by local breast cancer charity Knitted Knockers.

The charity was set up in America by breast cancer survivors to supply free hand-knit breast prosthetics to patients and its popularity spread throughout the world, with many more groups being established.

Through its social media platforms, Knitted Knockers in Northern Ireland has managed to collect more than 40,000 signatures for a petition calling on the Government to save the assessment clinics.

The Department of Health launched a public consultation on cutting the vital service from Belfast City Hospital and Craigavon Area Hospital in March. Assessment centres are for those referred for further tests after an initial cancer screening at a local health trust.

Under the proposals, the number of breast cancer assessment centres in Northern Ireland could be reduced to three from five.

That means some people will have to travel further to be seen for follow-up assessments at clinics in Altnagelvin, Antrim and the Ulster hospitals.

As the Save Our Breast Cancer Services campaign gathers momentum, public meetings have been set up across Northern Ireland in the coming weeks.

Joanne Harris, who heads up the NI branch of Knitted Knockers, says: "Whenever the news broke of the proposed closures, we were inundated by extremely distressed service users and carers of both men and women that do not want to lose their local breast clinics. These local clinics are a lifeline to patients.

"The closures will affect all breast cancer units and could affect the physical and mental health and wellbeing of our population. To date we have more than 40,000 signatures and we would love to achieve 100,000 in order for a possible parliamentary debate.

"We encourage people to not only sign our petition but to please answer the public consultation and email their personal letters to form part of a lobby document which we are currently preparing."

Today, two of the thousands of local women who will be affected by the closures if they go ahead add their voices to the charity's urgent call for the clinics to be saved.

Its number crunching rather than the reality of quality of care it gives people

Cathy Robinson (43), a dentist who lives in Portadown with her partner Rhyan Wilson (44) and daughter Lucy (15), is being treated at Craigavon Area Hospital for breast cancer after being diagnosed in January.

Expand Close Travel trauma: Cathy Robinson, with partner Rhyan, knows how long journeys can take their toll on cancer patients / Facebook

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Cathy came through a cervical cancer battle four years ago when she was treated at Belfast City Hospital. The fact that she lives just a five-minute drive from Craigavon Area Hospital has greatly reduced the stress of going through treatment.

The dentist has just had her first round of chemotherapy treatment at Craigavon - and going through treatment at both centres proved to be a very different experience because of where she lives. Long commutes for patients are just one of the objections being raised about the threatened closures.

She says: "I have experienced first hand what it is like to travel to hospital in Belfast - I was diagnosed in 2015 with cervical cancer and had a radical hysterectomy followed by six rounds of chemotherapy and 30 days of radiotherapy.

"The chemo for cervical cancer is pretty brutal and I had seven hours of infusions every three weeks. I also had to go to the City Hospital the day before to get bloods taken so that was another day of travel.

"I usually had an appointment at 10am and I would have had to leave home around 7am to avoid the bottleneck of traffic at Sprucefield and then queue for around 30 minutes at the Belfast City Hospital car park to get a space.

"I would then spend the whole day getting treatment and then hit the traffic again going home, usually not arriving there until around 6pm or 7pm.

"It was really a 12-hour day and you had three hours either side of your treatment to allow for traffic and parking. The treatment itself wipes you out and it left me fit for nothing.

"I had to rely on family to drive me and it was a lot of pressure on them - my parents were brilliant."

Although thankfully the treatment worked and Cathy was given the all clear from cancer, the radiotherapy had a huge impact on her body.

It caused her to have acute appendicitis which required surgery and also damaged her bladder and bowel which required two further surgeries.

She says: "Last year was the first since I was diagnosed that I didn't have any surgeries and I felt things were finally on the up and I was getting better."

Tragically, just before Christmas, Cathy took a pain in her right breast and felt a lump.

As someone who has always been breast aware, she immediately went to her GP who referred her to the breast clinic in Craigavon Hospital for tests.

She says: "I've always been prone to cysts in my breasts and had four mammograms in the last decade so I was pretty au fait with the whole diagnostic clinic - or so I thought.

"I had the mammogram and was sent to the ultrasound room as usual but they came back to me quite quickly and brought me back in and I thought 'this is new'.

"When I got into the ultrasound room, which is usually quite subtle and quiet, it appeared theatrical as staff were standing around in surgical scrubs with equipment out."

Cathy had a biopsy taken and was advised to return in an hour for the results - and to bring someone with her.

She says: "Rhyan came down and we went to the canteen for coffee and I just thought - it's only three years since I had cancer, surely I couldn't have it again, people don't get cancer like they get the cold."

She was stunned to be told that she had breast cancer and immediately asked for a radical bilateral mastectomy to minimise chances of recurrence.

She says: "I just thought that every time I found a wee lump or bump I would be thinking the worst and I couldn't have coped with that psychologically."

Surgery was straightforward and Cathy was relieved to discover that the cancer hadn't spread to her lymph nodes.

She was told she didn't need radiotherapy but started six rounds of chemotherapy three weeks ago.

The difference in attending Craigavon as opposed to driving to Belfast was apparent during one particular meeting with her oncologist when she expressed concern about how her wounds were healing.

She says: "This time is so different. I go and get bloods taken and can go home again and get things done and then return later that day for my chemo so there is no waiting about or sitting in traffic for hours.

"When I asked my oncologist about my wound he sent me straight over to the Ramone unit to see my surgeon who then sent me to the breast cancer physiotherapy unit where I was seen straight away. In the space of half an hour I had seen two consultants and a physiotherapist. Had that been another hospital, that would not have happened and I would have had to wait for appointments and go back - probably twice.

"The quality of care in the unit is remarkable and it runs like clockwork. The nurses are outstanding. It doesn't make any sense to close such a well run and busy unit.

"People will have further to travel and I think it has been number crunching rather than looking at the reality of the number of people who rely on it and the quality of care it gives."

'Hopefully I won't need the service again, but others deserve the same access that I had'

Lisa Hutchings (53), a business manager at the NHS, is married to Drew (54), a nursing assistant at the Royal Victoria Hospital, and has two children, Tom (15) and Jack (10), and three stepchildren, Rebecca (29), Matthew (25) and John (23).

Expand Close Close family: Lisa Hutchings from south Belfast with her husband Drew and their sons Jack and Tom / Facebook

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Lisa was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 47. She was treated at Belfast City Hospital's breast cancer unit and underwent a rare treatment using leeches after her reconstructive surgery.

She says: "I had three friends diagnosed with breast cancer under the age of 50 so I went voluntarily to the Action Cancer screening service, first when I was 45 and again at 47 when something was picked up.

"I was referred to Belfast City Hospital where I had tests done and I really didn't think it was anything sinister as cancer doesn't run in my family.

"I was told I had a 10cm tumour in my milk duct and would need a mastectomy. It was a massive shock and once you hear the word cancer your first thought is you are going to die and leave your children.

"It was coming up to Christmas and the kids were three and eight at the time and it was difficult going through the motions and organising Christmas with that hanging over me."

Surgery in January 2013 proved an emotional rollercoaster. Surgeons performed a mastectomy and reconstruction in the same procedure, taking skin from Lisa's back to form her new breast.

However, following the five-hour surgery, there was alarm when the new skin appeared to be dying and Lisa had to have leech treatment to stimulate blood flow to her new breast.

She explains: "It was pretty radical stuff to save the breast. I had leeches put on my skin five times a day for 11 days.

"At that point I was in a lot of pain and in a morphine haze.

"They would suck my blood for 15 minutes and then drop off, helping bring the blood supply to where it is needed.

"It was a real showstopper in the ward as it had been rarely seen before and I had other patients, visitors and nursing staff coming over to have a look."

While the treatment worked, Lisa faced further complications post-surgery and seven more operations on her breast.

However, her lymph nodes were clear and she feels fortunate that she did not need any follow-up treatment. And today she can't accept that the unit which worked so hard to save her life is now under threat of closure.

She says: "It is an absolutely lovely breast care unit, they are so caring and you really couldn't meet a better group of people even though I met them through awful circumstances.

"I am extremely saddened that such a great service is under threat.

"The alternative would probably be Dundonald and it is horrendous going down there because there is not enough parking."

Lisa added: "The staff at the City Hospital have all worked together so well for so long that it is devastating to think that could be shattered.

"Hopefully I will never need the service again but for people who do they deserve to have the same treatment as I did."

Help save breast cancer services

To sign the online petition to save the breast cancer assessment services at Craigavon and Belfast City go to http://chng.it/vVJSPd5TN6. Personal letters of support can be sent to kknipetitions@gmail.com to be attached to the charity's lobby document.

A printable version of the petition is also available at https://drive.google.com/file/d/1K90pYhURAtu1Sd3QIDT3PIPGYSW2ih2q/view?usp=sharing.

People are also urged to go along to one of the charity's public meetings at the Europa Hotel on Friday, June 7 at 7.30pm and the Greenvale Hotel on Sunday, June 9, for an afternoon event with time to be confirmed.

Details will be posted on Knitted Knockers' Northern Ireland Facebook page.
If all else fails, everything except meat, fish and dairy can go straight in the compost

Changing times: you can take several steps to reduce food waste at home

The UK currently wastes 10.2 million tonnes of food a year - it's a shocking stat and we're all a little bit responsible.

According to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), 1.8 million tonnes of that waste comes from food manufacture, one million from the hospitality sector, 260,000 from retail and the rest from households - but hopefully things are changing.

The likes of Nestle, Tesco, Sainsbury's and Waitrose are pledging to help halve food waste by 2030, as part of the Step Up To The Plate symposium at the Victoria and Albert Museum in central London, ministers have announced.

Want to take on the challenge and cut your contributions towards climate change too? Here are some steps to take at home, to reduce your household's food waste...

1. Buy what you need

If a recipe you're planning on making only requires one red pepper, avoid buying the multipack - even if it works out cheaper - if you know you're unlikely to eat the rest.

2. Save all your leftover pasta

Chuck odds and ends of spaghetti and fusilli in together, for a medley that can be thrown in with a sauce, or into soup.

3. Grate cheese and freeze

Pre-empt mouldy ends of cheese by grating the lot and freezing for a later date, when mac and cheese, lasagne or cheese on toast is needed. In fact, most dairy freezes brilliantly - especially milk and hard cheese.

4. Pickle and preserve

Got a glut of tomatoes, cucumber, cabbage etc? Pickling veggies or making chutneys is a great way to use them up and store them for later use.

5. Eat the skins

Opt for skin-on chips, roast carrots and parsnips with the skins on, and even beetroot skin is more than edible - it'll save you time not having to peel them too.

6. Keep an eye on use by dates

Whether in the fridge, or if you're bulk shopping, freeze things immediately if you know you're not going to get round to eating them in time to beat their use by date.

7. Use your nose

The best before date is a guideline so use your nose - if something smells okay and looks okay to eat, it probably is. Use by dates though ought to be abided by.

8. Buy the ugly fruit and veg

The wonky veg is most often the kind that ends up in landfill - rescue it, it'll taste just as good as the aesthetically beautiful stuff.

9. Plan meals ahead and think about how you could reuse leftovers

If you have a meal plan for the week, it'll cut down on your fridge filling with random bits of food without a job to do. Also, if you know what you've got in, you'll be able to work out what to do with leftovers too.

10. Keep your fridge tidy

If you can see what you've got use by dates will be easier to access and you'll avoid ending up with a salad drawer of green, decaying mush.

11. Make soups, stocks and smoothies

All three can use up tonnes of leftover veggies and fruit on the turn, plus they all freeze really well.

12. Compost

If all else fails, everything except meat, fish and dairy can go straight in the compost, so any nutrients can return to the soil.
Amnesty International has compared Alabama's vote for a near-total ban on abortion to the situation in Northern Ireland, claiming the state is "pushing women's reproductive health into the dark ages".

After the US state's Republican-dominated Senate backed a near-total ban, the title of Margaret Atwood's novel The Handmaid's Tale began trending on social media, with many opponents drawing comparisons to the dystopian classic.

If approved by Alabama's governor, it would become the US's most stringent law on terminations of pregnancy.

The bill would block abortions in the event of rape and incest, and features an exception only when the woman's health is at serious risk - virtually the same as the law in Northern Ireland.

Grainne Teggart, Amnesty UK's Northern Ireland campaign manager, said: "It's devastating news that Alabama has become the latest in a string of US states to enact a horrifying abortion ban.

"The roll-back on reproductive rights in the US is happening at a terrifyingly rapid rate.

"We should be outraged by this, but let's also remember that in the UK we're no better - women in Northern Ireland are subjected to one of the most severe abortion bans in the world which also carries criminal penalties of up to life imprisonment.

"It's shameful that our Government is allowing such a violation of reproductive rights to continue to blight the lives of so many.

"The UK Government's silence on the situation in Northern Ireland is putting the UK in the same camp as those US states pushing women's reproductive health into the dark ages.

"We should be leading on this issue, not lagging behind.

"We call on the Government to stop ignoring the cruel reality of our law and urgently legislate for change so that the harm caused is brought to an end."

Meanwhile, British journalist Helen Lewis tweeted: "For anyone horrified by Alabama's proposed abortion ban, or calling it Gilead. Look closer to home!

"Northern Ireland does not permit abortions even in cases of rape, incest or fatal foetal abnormality.

"The ONLY exception is endangerment to a woman's life."

Abortion laws in the country are devolved to the Assembly, which has been suspended since 2017.

Within hours of the Alabama vote, US Google searches for The Handmaid's Tale were up on previous days and many took to Twitter to make comparisons with the book, which was recently dramatised in a popular TV series.

The story focuses on an imagined future when an authoritarian government named Gilead attains control of the former United States.

With fertility rates falling, those women able to conceive become Handmaids, forced to submit to ritualised rape to bear children for powerful men and their wives.

Writer Caitlin Moran shared an image of the 22 male senators who voted against an exception for rape or incest, adding: "Gilead is being brought to you by the following people."

Similarly, lawyer Dr Ann Olivarius posted: "They all read The Handmaid's Tale and thought it was a set of instructions?"

Representative Terri Collins, the bill's sponsor, said it recognised the "baby in the womb is a person".
A Flybe airliner was forced to land with no nose gear due to a damaged piece of equipment, accident investigators have found.

The problem was caused by the use of a cable tie which restricted the flexibility of a moving part of the landing gear system, the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) said.

There were 53 passengers and four crew on board the Bombardier Q-400 aircraft during the incident on November 10 2017.

After the plane took off from Belfast City Airport for Inverness, the crew became aware of a problem with the nose landing gear.

Passengers on flight BE331 endured a tense two-hour wait circling above the Irish Sea as the pilot burned off fuel before making an emergency landing at Belfast International Airport, which was chosen for its long runway.

When the plane came to a stop it tipped forward and rested on its nose.

An evacuation was carried out in an orderly manner. Two people suffered minor injuries.

The AAIB said the aircraft manufacturer has taken measures to rectify the landing gear problem.
Police have conducted a series of searches in Londonderry in their investigation into the murder of Lyra McKee.

A number of items were seized during the Thursday morning raids.

No arrests were made and police said enquiries are continuing.

Lyra McKee (29) was killed as she observed rioting in Derry's Creggan estate last month.

The so-called new IRA claimed responsibility offering it's "full and sincere apologies" to family and friends of the reporter.

The killing prompted a call for Northern Ireland politicians to resolve their differences and restore power-sharing.

Two people have appeared in court in connection with the disturbances that took place on the night before Lyra's death.
An elderly woman's home was burgled as she slept in her bed, police have said.

It happened sometime between 9pm on Tuesday and 8.45am on Wednesday and a sum of cash taken.

Police have appealed for anyone with information to contact detectives on 101, quoting reference number 347 15/5/19. Alternatively, information can also be provided to the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Michaella McCollum has been fined after she was caught driving at almost twice the speed limit while on R-plates.

The 25-year-old former drug smuggler - who served more than two years in a Peru jail after being caught with cocaine in her luggage at Lima airport in August 2013 - appeared at Dungannon Magistrates Court yesterday.

McCollum, with an address given as Cloneen in the Co Tyrone town, sat quietly while her barrister explained what led to the offence.

The court heard police were monitoring vehicle speeds on March 23 at the A4 Annaghilla Road, Ballygawley, which is limited to 60mph.

Their attention was drawn to a Suzuki Vitara which registered a speed of 84mph - 39 over the limit set for R-plate drivers.

The excess was too high to be dealt with by a Fixed Penalty Notice, and was required to be reported to court for prosecution.

On being spoken to at the scene, McCollum claimed: "I panicked. I felt I had to speed up to overtake."

Her barrister said the acceptance of speeding was immediate and no time has been wasted, adding: "There is no history of driving offending and no previous of relevance."

He continued: "This was a well-known part of road and my client accepts she had no business being in the outside lane as a restricted driver. She didn't realise the road was coming to an end."

McCollum was said to have passed her driving test last July, with the purpose of assisting her mother and to "ease the burden" of travel. It was also contended as the mother herself of one-year-old twins, McCollum required a licence to attend to their needs.

In addition, the defence disclosed McCollum has been offered a place with Queen's University to study international business and economics, but this is dependent on her passing a mathematics exam for which she is currently studying in Belfast, requiring a regular commute.

District Judge John Meehan imposed a fine of 150 with four penalty points.

But as McCollum only had part of her licence to surrender to court for endorsement, Judge Meehan ordered it to be suspended until presented in full.
A former resident at a notorious Belfast boys' home is suing the police and government bodies over claims he was trafficked for sexual abuse on both sides of the Irish Sea, it has emerged.

Richard Kerr has lodged High Court papers alleging a paedophile ring subjected him to years of rape and molestation in a campaign covered up by the state.

The 58-year-old, who spent more than two years at the Kincora home in the east of the city, is seeking damages against the Department of Health, the Northern Ireland Office, the PSNI and the Home Office.

His action involves claims for assault and battery, misfeasance in public office, breach of statutory duty and negligence.

Mr Kerr, who now lives in Dallas, Texas, has detailed a litany of alleged abuse during his time spent at institutions in the 1960s and 1970s.

As well as his time at Kincora, the case involves claims about his earlier treatment in care at Williamson House in north Belfast, and a later period at Millisle Borstal in Co Down.

He repeatedly alleges that he was plied with alcohol and sexually assaulted by a number of men.

Court papers set out claims of being taken to hotels in Belfast, Portrush and Bangor to be abused.

According to his case he was also attacked while working at horse stables near Larne.

Another alleged incident involved being molested by a former soldier after being sent to his home in west Belfast.

Mr Kerr further claims he was put on ferries to England, where he was picked up by men and taken to locations in Manchester and London.

He maintains that all investigations and inquiries to date have failed to expose the full abuse at Kincora, along with the alleged knowledge and role of British state agents.

His lawyers claim failures by the Royal Ulster Constabulary to investigate events at the home.

Based on his allegations, he has not accepted conclusions reached by the Historical Institutional Abuse (HIA) Inquiry.

It dismissed suspicions that senior politicians, civil servants and businessmen were complicit in a paedophile ring at Koncora which led to three staff members being jailed.

Confirming the commencement of his client's civil action, solicitor Christopher Stanley, of KRW Law, said: "Richard Kerr will be seeking damages for personal injury and, importantly, discovery of material relating to his abuse held by the institutions he is suing.

"On issuing the statement of claim on behalf of Mr Kerr the institutions named therein must now respond.
The mum of a Londonderry man missing since last week has issued an emotional plea for the public to help find him.

Mother-of-five Mary Donnelly has been left distraught after her 33-year-old son Aidan Baldrick failed to return to their Strathfoyle home last Friday.

He had been left heartbroken after the death of his grandfather three weeks ago.

"We don't know what triggered this all off," she said.

"My father, Aidan's grandfather, died three weeks ago. Aidan and his grandad were very close. Aidan is a quiet fella.

"He left our house on Friday afternoon to go to his sister's house. He said after that he was going to valet a car.

"He was supposed to help his friend move house and was a no-show which set the alarm bells ringing."

Mother of missing #Derry man Aidan Baldrick has appealed for the publics help to find him.

He was last seen in Clarendon Street on Friday when he got a taxi to Letterkenny. He hasnt been seen since.

His mother Mary says the family are desperate for news and just want him home pic.twitter.com/LSRzYRKYSC  Leona O'Neill (@LeonaONeill1) May 15, 2019

Mary said the family know he got a taxi from Clarendon Street in the city centre at around 5pm to Letterkenny in Donegal - but is unsure why.

She added: "He doesn't know anyone in Letterkenny or have any connection there. We know he booked into McGettigan's Hotel that night and checked out on Saturday morning.

"That is the last time anyone saw him. He has completely gone off the radar. We have been searching for him ever since.

"We have searched every shop, pub, club, hotel in the area and have flooded Letterkenny with posters with Aidan's face and details on them.

"No one seems to have seen him. And by this stage there is no way that he has money. He had nothing with him and he has bad arthritis in his toes and feet, so he will be in pain. He can't walk far.

"Where is he? Did he try to make his way home walking? We just don't know. We are following up every tip, good or bad. We even went to Bundoran.

"There was a sighting of a Derry man checking into a hotel, but it wasn't him."

Mary has put out a direct appeal to her son, telling him that if he is reading this she wants him to know how much he is loved.

She said: "Aidan if you are listening, please come home to us.

"I need you home. We all love you so much. It doesn't matter if you feel scared or you think you've embarrassed us all. I don't care. Your family don't care.

"We want you home more than anything else on earth. And even if you don't want to come home just let me know that you are OK, I will be happy then. Just a text 'I'm OK Mum' and I would be over the moon to know that you are safe."

The PSNI has appealed for anyone who knows of Aidan's whereabouts or has seen him to contact them.

"Aidan was last seen on Clarendon Street, Derry/Londonderry on Friday, May 10 at 5pm," police said.

"He is described as approximately 5ft 8in, of medium build. He is believed to have been wearing blue jeans, dark navy jacket and brown loafers.

"If anyone knows of Aidan's whereabouts contact police on 101 quoting reference 800 of 12/05/19."
An MI5 agent has denied claims he deliberately destroyed evidence in the trial of three men arising from a dissident republican gun attack on police.

And the policies and procedures of MI5 were designed to "shield" and "insulate" the conduct of security service operatives from public scrutiny, it was said in court yesterday.

The claim was made by a senior defence QC during the second day of cross-examination of an MI5 witness in the trial of three men accused of charges linked to dissident republican activity.

Colin Duffy (51), Henry Fitzsimons (50) and Alex McCrory (57), whose addresses can't be given, deny preparing and directing terrorism, and IRA membership. Fitzsimons and McCrory are also charged with and deny attempting to murder police in a convoy in north Belfast, and possessing two assault rifles and ammunition used in the attack.

A three-vehicle police convoy came under attack by gunmen firing AK47s as it travelled along the Crumlin Road on December 5, 2013.

Belfast Crown Court previously heard that in the wake of the attack the security forces mounted covert surveillance operations in Lurgan, Co Armagh. Operation Contraction, the court was told, related to covert audio recordings in Demesne Park, while Operation Succinctness related to a video of the scene.

A third operation, codenamed Idealistic, related to a second video at the entrance of Forest Glade in the town.

The MI5 technical operative - who was given the cipher PIN 9281 - took the witness stand for a second day, screened from the public and press by a curtain and guarded by an armed plain-clothed police officer.

The court had previously heard that 9281 had deployed, retrieved and downloaded the audio recording onto MI5's mainframe computer system.

During cross-examination, a defence QC for McCrory asked 9281: "What are your qualifications for this post?"

9281 replied from behind the curtain: "My Lord, I am not sure I can answer that question on the grounds of national security."

Probed further about his expertise, the witness said that his qualifications, although not at degree level, related to "technical areas" and would involve "cyber security".

Asked if he had kept a notebook or any record of "this operation that could be used as evidence in court", 9281 replied: "No."

He was further asked if it was a coincidence that other MI5 officers in the case did not use notebooks in the course of the undercover operation.

The witness answered: "I can't comment for other officers. I didn't use one."

The defence QC put it to the witness: "Can I suggest to you that that is the policy and procedure of the security services to shield your conduct from the scrutiny of this court?"

The witness replied: "I can't comment on the policies and procedures."

The lawyer continued: "These policies and procedures are designed to insulate your conduct from scrutiny by this court and that you deliberately destroyed evidence in this case."

9281 replied: "I didn't destroy any evidence in this case."

Earlier the MI5 agent confirmed to the court that he finished downloading audio material from a USB stick from the covert listening devices at 6.30am on December 8, 2013.

Asked by counsel for Duffy at what time he started to download the material, 9281 replied: "I can't answer that on the grounds of national security."

At this point Mr Justice O'Hara interjected, saying to the witness that "you can tell us that you finished at 6.30am but you can't tell us when you started on the grounds of national security".

The witness agreed, saying that was for a number of reasons which included the "timing of the deployment" of the audio devices.

The lawyer put it to 9281 that it appeared from a computerised log print-out of December 8, 2013, that someone else other than the witness was downloading the same audio material between 4.40am and 5.52am before a virus alert went live at 5.57am.

The witness answered: "My Lord, the device never left my possession." He added that if they were not in his possession they would have been "stored in my secure locker".

At hearing.
Simon Coveney has expressed concern about loose comments following Defence Secretary Penny Mordaunts intervention on protecting veterans (Liam McBurney/PA)

The Irish Government has expressed concern about loose comments following UK Defence Secretary Penny Mordaunts intervention on protecting veterans.

She wants to end the chilling threat of repeated investigations of troops who served in Northern Ireland.

Irelands deputy premier Simon Coveney told the Dail parliament it is a sensitive time to be discussing legacy in the region, as he reiterated his opposition to any amnesty from prosecution.

There should be effective investigation into deaths during the Troubles, regardless of the perpetratorsSimon Coveney

He said: We need to ensure that loose comments that are made are not damaging in terms of trust and the willingness of all sides to co-operate to make sure that the legacy structures committed to and agreed by both governments, supported by all political parties, move forward in the spirit that they were intended.

An announcement by the British Government on measures to address the legacy of unresolved killings in Northern Ireland was not made this week despite reports it was imminent.

Significant numbers of families are seeking answers or justice.

Many are suffering financial, psychological or physical consequences following the violence.

The issue could form part of ongoing Stormont talks aimed at restoring devolved powersharing.

Mr Coveney said he expects the British Government to uphold its previous assurances that stronger legal protections against prosecution of soldiers and veterans would apply only to overseas service.

Expand Close An announcement by Northern Ireland Secretary Karen Bradley on measures to address the legacy of unresolved killings in Northern Ireland was said to be imminent (Liam McBurney/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook

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Whatsapp An announcement by Northern Ireland Secretary Karen Bradley on measures to address the legacy of unresolved killings in Northern Ireland was said to be imminent (Liam McBurney/PA)

He added: There should be effective investigation into deaths during the Troubles, regardless of the perpetrators.

That is what is provided for in the legacy framework of the Stormont House Agreement and it is imperative that we move forward.

He said no provision had been made in earlier political agreements on Northern Ireland for amnesties from prosecution.

Mr Coveney added the Irish Government would not support the introduction of such measures for alleged state or non-state perpetrators.

Northern Ireland Secretary Karen Bradley wrote to him on April 18 saying that where there is evidence of wrongdoing, members of the British Army should be prosecuted, he said.

He recalled Prime Minister Theresa May indicating that measures providing protection only applied to those who served overseas, not Northern Ireland.

Mr Coveney said: The Government expects those assurances to be upheld.

Six former soldiers who served in Northern Ireland during the 30-year conflict face prosecution.

Over the killings of two people on Bloody Sunday during a civil rights march in Londonderry in January 1972.

The death of John Pat Cunningham, 27, who had learning difficulties and was shot in the back as he ran away from an Army patrol near Benburb, County Tyrone, in 1974.

The death of Aidan McAnespie, 23, who was hit by one of three bullets fired from a machine gun in Aughnacloy, County Tyrone, as he walked through a checkpoint.

The death of Official IRA man Joe McCann, who was shot in disputed circumstances in Belfast in April 1972.

The death of Daniel Hegarty, 15, who was shot twice in the head in Londonderry in 1972.

Their cases surround the killings of two people on Bloody Sunday in Londonderry in January 1972, plus separate incidents involving the deaths of John Pat Cunningham, Aidan McAnespie, Joe McCann and Daniel Hegarty.

Not all charges involve murder.

A public consultation by the British Government on proposals contained within the 2014 Stormont House Agreement did not include a statute of limitations, or amnesty, for Troubles killings.

Some veterans and MPs have campaigned strongly for the legal assurance, while many victims in Northern Ireland are adamantly opposed to the concession.

Sinn Fein deputy leader Michelle ONeill said: The comments made by the British Defence Secretary Penny Mordaunt undermine the legacy mechanisms agreed by the two governments and five main parties at Stormont House.
A young woman has warned residents in south Belfast to lock their doors "at all times" after she was held captive alongside her terrified friend by a knife wielding burglar.

Queen's University student Katie McEvoy used social media to appeal to her neighbours to be vigilant, after being robbed as she was getting prepared for a night out.

The incident happened inside a property on Cadogan Street in the Holyland area at around 10.15pm on Tuesday.

"Myself and Caitlin were in her bedroom getting ready to go out," she wrote on Facebook.

"The bedroom door opened and a man walked in and we were robbed at knifepoint in her top floor bedroom."

The traumatised woman, who is in her 20s, described the intruder who pointed two knives at her and her pal as being around 25 years old.

"He had a scarf round his mouth and a hat on, only his eyes were visible," she added.

"He stood and looked at both of us and made us give him any valuables we had on us.

"He demanded all of our money, he stole both our iPhone 7s and made us reset both of the phones so they couldn't be tracked."

Ms McEvoy said that the robber also plundered another girl's room before making off on foot with her jewellery.

She said that the main purpose of her online post "is to literally warn anyone living in the Holyland to lock both your front door and bedroom door at all times" and to avoid being in a house on their own.

"Such a dangerous place," she continued.

"This situation could have been a lot worse and hand on heart this was the scariest experience of my whole life and would hate anyone to have to go through this."

She added that she was "just so grateful we are both OK and nothing happened to us".

Another man and woman were threatened by the assailant who demanded money from them as he left the property and fled in the direction of the Ormeau Embankment.

He was wearing a dark tracksuit with a grey T-shirt underneath, a dark hat and spoke with a local accent.

Last night the PSNI launched a social media appeal for witnesses to help them track down the suspect, who they described as 5ft 6in tall and of medium build.

"It has been reported to police that two young females were in the upstairs bedroom of their property on Cadogan Street getting ready for a night out with friends," the Facebook post read.

"They heard someone enter the house - friends they were expecting?

"Other house mates?

"Neither of these unfortunately - they were confronted by a man armed with a knife, demanding all of their money.

"It has been reported that the suspect male detained the residents, issuing demands and instructions at knifepoint and eventually stealing cash and items from all four residents."
A Sinn Fein MLA was interrupted during a live radio interview by the police telling her to "move on".

Sinn Fein victims and legacy spokeswoman and Policing Board member Linda Dillon was on Thursday morning's Frank Mitchell Phone-in on U105. She was discussing the issue of soldiers being given extra legal protections from potential prosecutions.

However, the protections will exclude Northern Ireland Troubles investigations, something Defence secretary Penny Mordaunt has faced pressure to change.

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During the exchange with Frank Mitchell Ms Dillon was forced to abruptly interrupt the broadcaster.

In the background she can be heard explaining she was on the radio.

"Don't be doing radio interviews here. So move on," a police officer could be heard telling the MLA.

Ms Dillon apologised saying that while she was parked up somewhere appropriate she had to move on but could answer one more question.

"I'm not going to be arrested," she added.

Back in January another caller was forced to abruptly end his call with Mr Mitchell after being pulled over by police.

The caller was discussing childcare with the popular radio host when the broadcast was interrupted by the sound of police sirens.

He later called back to explain how he had been trying to get his phone on speaker mode when a patrol vehicle appeared in his rear view mirror.

Mr Mitchell said the incident was a reminder to "never, ever" take part in the programme unless the phone was properly in the hands free holder or the caller was parked up.
One of the attempted robberies happened on the Grosvenor Road. Credit: Google

A 30-year-old man has been arrested after three street robberies and attempted street robberies in Belfast city centre.

The first incident happened at around 10.30pm on Wednesday when a man using a mobility scooter near the Grosvenor Road was approached by two men asking for cigarettes.

They then assaulted the man and made off empty handed.

Police then received a report at 10.34pm that a man on a bicycle stole a woman's phone on Great Victoria Street.

Less than 15 minutes later, at 10.47pm, another woman on Ann Street had her phone stolen by a man on a bicycle wearing a grey tracksuit.

PSNI Inspector David Gibson said CCTV operators guided police to a man matching the description nearby.

"The male was stopped and searched by police who recovered four mobile phones and a small quantity of class C drugs, subsequently arresting the male on suspicion of theft, assault and possession of class C drugs. He is currently helping with our ongoing enquiries," he said.

While we believe that each of these incidents may be linked, I am appealing to anyone with information or anyone who may have witnessed any of these incidents to contact us on 101, quoting reference number 1489 15/05/19."

Information can also be provided anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
The Court of Appeal ruled the sentence was too lenient.

A Northern Ireland man jailed for sexually assaulting his two-year-old son received an unduly lenient sentence, the Court of Appeal ruled today.

Even though he has already been released from custody, senior judges held he must now complete three years probation for emotional harm inflicted on the boy and other relatives.

The order was made after two different partners claimed the man tried to "corrupt" them so that he could molest young children.

Lord Justice Stephens said: "It is inevitable that other family members will have feelings of betrayal, shock and disgust, together with feelings of loss of trust and confidence in others."

The man, who cannot be named, was sentenced to five months in prison last November following his conviction at Newry Crown Court on one count of sexually assaulting a child.

The offence was said to have been committed in 2011 while he babysat his son, given the pseudonym of 'Jack'.

At the time the man, referred to as QD, was living apart from the boy's mother.

She claimed that when she returned home Jack described being sexually assaulted by his father.

When she challenged QD he allegedly stated: "You knew who I was, it was not going to change, and if you accept that we would be together."

According to Jack's mother this was a reference to discovering child pornography on QD's computer.

The Court of Appeal heard he "admitted that he had been watching the images, explaining that normal sex did nothing for him".

No report was made to police at the time, with the boy's mother claiming she was frightened of QD.

But in 2015 another woman who was living with him in England alleged to police that he had used her laptop to show her pornography involving young children.

In her statement she described how he had told her "these are your choices" and asked if she would have a child with him so they could have an "open" family.

The woman said she understood this to mean starting a family where he would be able to sexually abuse their child.

He also allegedly told her he had had sex with his son, the court heard.

Although a charge of rape of a child was withdrawn, QD was found guilty of sexual assault.

Despite maintaining that no offence had been committed, his appeal against conviction was dismissed in February.

Lawyers for the Public Prosecution Service then launched a bid to have his sentence declared too light.

Backing their case, judges concluded that the term was unduly lenient both in the length of imprisonment and the failure to impose a Sexual Offences Prevention Order.

Lord Justice Stephens said QD should have received an 18-month sentence and been subject to a SOPO.

However, he also took into account the effect of double jeopardy on an offender facing the ordeal and uncertainty of a possible return to prison after being released and going back to England.

The judge confirmed: "Given that the respondent consents, we impose a three year probation order, containing a number of requirements, which commences as from today."
Assyrians Oppose a Turkish 'Safe Zone' in Syria

The borderlands between Turkey and Syria are dotted with small Syriac Christian churches. Last fall, bullets penetrated the wall of a church in the village of Tel Jihan in northeastern Syria, just four-hundred-fifty meters from the Turkish border. Locals told me it was not an isolated incident.

Syriac Christians refer to themselves as "descendants of survivors." Many of their ancestors perished in the 1915 Seyfo massacre in which an estimated three-hundred-thousand Christians were killed by the Ottomans. The event has received little scholarly attention, leading historian Joseph Yacoub to refer to it as a "hidden genocide."

This community--including Syriac, Assyrian, Chaldean, and Armenian Christians--has not forgotten the persecution they suffered at the hands of the Ottomans a century ago. And it is precisely this experience that informs their current opposition to Ankara's plan to deploy Turkish troops East of the Euphrates. Turkish president Recep Tayyip ErdoAan is trying to frame the plan as a "buffer zone" or "safe zone." For Syrians, it's another intervention by a foreign power. Instead of inducing a sense of safety, the idea of deploying Turkish troops in their homeland rekindles memories of the trauma their community has suffered before.

For months now, Ambassador James Jeffrey has been engaging in shuttle diplomacy between Ankara and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) to find an arrangement for border security agreeable to both sides. Turkey wants to not only deploy a contingent of troops, but to control the entire area. The SDF, however, rejects the idea. They see it as Ankara's desire to occupy more Syrian land.

Given the Trump administration's concern about the plight of religious minorities in the Middle East--and the abuses committed by Turkish-backed militias in Afrin as documented in a recent State Department report--it is disturbing that U.S. officials are seriously entertaining the Turkish proposal at all.

Contrary to how the issue is often discussed in Washington and other Western capitals, it's not just the Kurds who don't want Turkish troops to deploy again in Syria--regardless of what euphemism is used to describe the zone. Based on five weeks of research in Northeast Syria, I found that there is fierce opposition to the Turkish plan by virtually all components of Syrian society, including Arabs, Kurds, Turkmen, Circassians, and Christians. (Although those who are perhaps most bitterly opposed to the deployment of Turkish troops are Syriac and Assyrian Christians.)

Instead of continuing to indulge ErdoAan's neo-Ottoman plans to further annex parts of northern Syria, U.S. officials could simply tell Ankara that there will be no further deployment of Turkish troops in Syria. Washington could just say no to Ankara--like Turkey said no to America in 2003. Back then, soon after ErdoAan was first elected, the Turkish parliament voted against allowing U.S. troops to deploy through Turkey to open up a northern front for the war in Iraq. Washington was unhappy with the Turkish decision, to put it mildly, but its decision was respected. It's now time for Ankara to respect America's decision.

Otherwise, if ErdoAan gets his way, the zone may encompass a large swath of territory that extends some thirty-two kilometers south of the border and place as much as half the population of Northeast Syria--including churches like the one in Tel Jihan--under the control of the Turkish military. Last week Michael Mulroy, U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for the Middle East, confirmed that the United States would remain in Syria "for the long haul." Now that the United States has agreed to keep at least four-hundred troops in Syria in addition to coalition forces, the Turkish plan to deploy troops should be discarded entirely.

In contrast to the Armenian genocide, the 1915 Seyfo massacre has received very little scholarly attention. In one of the first English-language books on the topic, Year of the Sword published by Oxford University Press, historian Joseph Yacoub describes the mass killings of 1915 as a "hidden genocide" that killed an estimated three-hundred-thousand people. It was a time when "the Ottomans sought to extirpate the Aramaic-speaking Assyrian, Syriac and Chaldean Christians of the Middle East." Another book is due to be published later this month by Harvard University Press, The Thirty-Year Genocide: Turkey's Destruction of its Christian Minorities 1894-1924, which was coauthored by Benny Morris and Dror Ze'Evi. While Kurds were also persecuted during this time, at least one Kurdish tribe collaborated with the Ottoman army in targeting the non-Muslim minorities of the region.

Virtually every Christian family in Northeast Syria has a relative or ancestor who was directly impacted by the Ottoman atrocities. The passing down of trauma from one generation to the next is known as transgenerational trauma. If the United States agrees to Turkey's plan to deploy troops in Northeast Syria, then Washington could become complicit in the perpetuation of transgenerational trauma among the Christian minority of Syria--even if those troops refrain from the abuses committed in Afrin last year.

I am not a historian of the Ottoman Empire, but a political sociologist analyzing the current evolution of Northeast Syria and its relationship with external actors, including Turkey, the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, the regime in Damascus, and the United States. The important work of these historians helps explain some of my findings from my own field research in the region about the current situation.

Those liberated by the multi-ethnic Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) together with the U.S.-led Coalition, are now currently governed by a new entity known as the Self Administration of North and East Syria. It encompasses approximately one-third of Syria.

Dr. Sanharib Barsoom, co-president of the Syriac Union Party, met with me in his office in Qamishli. He told me that if Turkey attacks "Maybe Kurds or Arabs will survive, but not the Christians. Most of our people live near the border area, so if Turkey creates a safe zone it would be here where the Christians live."

Elizabeth Gawyria is a Syriac Christian who is now one of the vice presidents of the Self Administration of North and East Syria. Speaking in her native Syriac-Aramaic, she described to me how the Ottomans tried to expel her grandfather from his village of Ger Shiron. Her grandfather survived the attack, but when he passed away in 1980 he still had a bullet in his arm. "Now we view the Turkish threat as an existential threat against us. They want to take us from our homeland so we don't have any rights as people." She added: "This is why we joined and worked in the self-administration so that we can achieve our rights in the new Syria."

Many Arabs also view the Turkish plan as threatening, including those who live farther from the Turkish border. They don't want happened in Afrin to be repeated in their cities. In justifying the Afrin intervention, Erdogan claimed that only the Kurdish YPG would be targeted--which Turkey sees as affiliated with its domestic Kurdish militant group the PKK--but civilians suffered as well. According to the 2018 Syria Human Rights Report recently released by the State Department, the Turkish Armed Forces and affiliated Free Syrian Army (FSA) units killed civilians during the capture of Afrin. Looting, kidnapping, and forced displacement of civilians was also mentioned in the report.

The city of Tabqa is geographically closer to regime-controlled territory than Turkey, but when I met with fourteen members of the Tabqa Civil Council the first thing they spoke about was their fear of a Turkish military deployment. Sheikh Hamad Al Faraj, the co-president of the Legislative Council, began his opening remarks by denouncing the Turkish operation in Afrin in early 2018.

Even members of the Turkmen community that I spoke to don't seem to want Turkish troops in the region. In Ain Issa, I met a young Turkman woman who had joined the SDF. She praised the cooperation with the U.S.-led coalition, while also rejecting the deployment of Turkish troops in Syria.

Officials in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRG) who traditionally have had warmer relations with Ankara than their counterparts in the autonomous region of NE Syria, are also no fan of the "safe zone" idea. The KRG is still recovering from its own war with the Islamic State, which led to massive displacement of populations. The KRG is still hosting approximately 1.5 million refugees and IDPs. A Turkish "safe zone" in Syria would likely lead to large numbers of Syrians escaping across the border into Iraqi Kurdistan. A report by an independent group of Belgian NGOs estimated this could mean between three-hundred-thousand and four-hundred-thousand refugees fleeing to the KRG. This is a problem the KRG would rather avoid.

Finally, even some powerful members of the Turkish military establishment oppose ErdoAan's plan. They too recognize the "safe zone" idea for what it really is: another cross-border military operation inside Syria. General Metin Temel, the four-star Commander of the Second Army, is the one who led the Turkish operation in Afrin in early 2018. Temel has been described as "ErdoAan's favorite General" who many believed was destined to become chief of staff and then defense minister. And yet General Temel publicly opposed ErdoAan's plan to deploy troops East of the Euphrates. This may explain why he was suddenly transferred to a desk job in January of this year.

Early this week, a possible breakthrough emerged in the decades-long conflict involving Turkey, Syria, and the Kurds. For the first time in eight years, the imprisoned leader of the PKK, Abdullah Ocalan, was allowed to meet with his lawyers. Ocalan issued a statement calling for "deep social reconciliation" and for a peaceful resolution to the conflict in both Turkey and Syria. The PKK should heed the advice of their imprisoned leader and declare a unilateral ceasefire to their operations inside Turkey. In return, Turkey should call off their planned intervention in Syria.

While the timing may be a coincidence, the prison visit and statement coincided with Ambassador Jeffrey's visit to Ankara. The United States should use their leverage to bring both sides back to the negotiating table. It is a historic opportunity that should not be missed.

Ankara's security concerns can be addressed without deploying Turkish troops and without occupying more Syrian land. Additional observation posts along the border or unarmed drones would suffice to monitor the border and ensure there are no incursions from either side. Furthermore, monitoring the border from the air with unarmed drones would be more effective than monitoring the area through the use of troops. Eyes in the sky can see farther than human eyes on the ground. If Ankara genuinely wants to collect useful intelligence--and not simply occupy territory--they should prefer the use of drones over deploying troops.

The decades-long conflict between Turkey and the Kurds can be solved on both sides of the Turkish and Syrian border. But this requires thinker bigger, not smaller. It requires recognizing that other groups--especially Syriac and Assyrian Christians--have also been persecuted and now reject the deployment of Turkish troops in their region.

In the far northeastern corner of Syria, I met with members of the Syriac Military Council (MFS) in one of their bases near Derik, about ten kilometers away from the Turkish border. From their base one could easily see the snow-covered Judi mountain in Turkey. Several of the young men had crosses or the word Jesus tattooed on their arms or neck. Kino Gabriel was a founding member of the Syriac Military Council back in 2013 and is now the official spokesperson for the SDF. While he appreciates the training, they have received from the U.S.-led Coalition, he feels that they are not receiving enough material support, as most of the heavy weaponry went to places like Raqqa and Deir Ezzour where major military operations took place against the Islamic State.

Mr. Gabriel did not ruminate about past atrocities but was thinking ahead. "If Turkey attacks, what will we defend ourselves with?"

Amy Austin Holmes is an Associate Professor at the American University in Cairo, a Visiting Scholar at Harvard, and a Fellow at the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington DC. She is the author of Social Unrest and American Military Bases in Turkey and Germany since 1945, published by Cambridge University Press.
Police at the scene of an ATM theft on Dromore Road in Irvinestown in March.

Police have revealed they have carried out 41 searches, made 15 arrests and recovered 51,000 in cash following a spate of raids on cash machines across Northern Ireland.

Since the beginning of February there have been 15 ATM thefts and two attempts to steal machines at separate locations across Northern Ireland. Eight of the machines have been recovered.

It led to fears banks would withdraw services from rural locations and the police establishing a special task force to tackle the crime. Officers upped patrols at potentially vulnerable locations.

Seven men have appeared in court in connection with the incidents and six remanded into custody.

Earlier this month a court heard how 160,000 was not recovered after the theft of two machines at an Asda in Antrim.

"In no way does this mean we will become complacent," said Detective Chief Superintendent Darren Evans, head of Criminal Investigation Branch.

I would like to thank the public for their help as these arrests and charges demonstrate the positive result of the community and police successfully working together to tackle this crime.

"We continue to focus on doing everything we can to catch those responsible and prevent further thefts of ATMs. Local policing teams continue to patrol areas at night which could be vulnerable to an attack and detectives remain dedicated to investigating the thefts that have taken place.

I would again appeal to the public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious or unusual activity, such as people or vehicles loitering in areas close to ATMs.

This remains a key priority for us. The idea that ATM thefts are a victimless crime is simply wrong as these attacks cause untold loss and disruption to people, businesses and whole communities, in terms of the loss of very expensive machinery, delays in production, damage to the local economy. If you hear machinery late at night or in the early hours please call us on the non-emergency number 101 or 999 if you think a crime is in progress. You can also call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111."

He added: "I would also appeal to anyone who owns or uses heavy plant machinery - please take every possible step to secure and immobilise your machinery. If criminals cannot steal diggers and other similar machinery, they cannot tear out ATMs.

I would appeal to anyone who has any information which could help us apprehend those responsible to contact detectives on 101. 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."
The man is being questioned by detectives

A 49-year-old man arrested as part of an investigation into dissident republican activity has been released

He was detained in Belfast by detectives from the PSNI's Terrorism Investigation Unit on Wednesday and taken to Musgrave Serious Crime Suite for questioning.

He was released unconditionally, police said on Thursday.
A Londonderry nursing home has been closed to new admissions after a number of concerns were raised about the standard of care at the facility.

The decision was made by the Western Trust after an unannounced inspection by the Regulations and Quality Improvement Authority (RQIA) earlier this month.

Owen Mor Care Centre is registered to care for up to 81 people with learning disabilities and dementia. It is run by care provider East Eden Ltd.

An RQIA inspector raised concerns around the standard of care recording, medicine management and the staffing and governance arrangements.

Their report found that concerns raised at a previous inspection in November 2018 had not been effectively addressed.

Following the inspection the RQIA issued four failure to comply notices to the home and the Western Trust decided to stop referring patients, pending a review next month.

Inspectors found that patients at the care home had "not received their medicines as prescribed" and that "robust systems were not in place for the safe management of medicines".

The report also raised concerns that due to poor record keeping there were was "no accurate overview of the number and type of wounds occurring in the nursing home or of patients' weights".

An improvement plan is in place and the care home has been given until June 26 to address the concerns.

A Western Trust spokesperson told the BBC that it was working with Owen Mor and the RQIA to "ensure the safety and welfare of the clients who currently reside at the care home".

"An improvement plan has been developed and is being monitored on a daily basis," they said.

A spokesman for Owen Mor said that the care home accepted the failure to comply notices and was working to rectify the issues.

He said Owen Mor was "assiduously working in tandem with the Western Trust to achieve full compliance within six weeks as agreed by the RQIA".
Reportedly in contention for the top job in the PSNI is Simon Byrne

Reportedly in contention for the top job in the PSNI is Mark Hamilton

Reportedly in contention for the top job in the PSNI is Stephen Martin

Reportedly in contention for the top job in the PSNI is Jon Boutcher

The officer in charge of the investigation into the Army agent known as Stakeknife is one of four men reportedly in contention to become the PSNI's next Chief Constable.

Jon Boutcher, the Chief Constable of Bedfordshire Police, is in the running to replace the retiring George Hamilton, the Irish Times said.

The other candidates are current PSNI Deputy Chief Constable Stephen Martin, Assistant Chief Constable Mark Hamilton and Simon Byrne, the former Chief Constable of Cheshire police.

The Irish Times said their information came from "senior sources".

Operation Kenova, headed by Mr Boutcher, is seeking to discover how the Army's covert Force Research Unit (FRU) ran Stakeknife over a period of 25 years from the late 1970s to 2003 when he was exposed as an agent.

Stakeknife is alleged to have been implicated in up to 50 murders, particularly when he was head of the IRA's internal security unit, the so-called "Nutting Squad" that sought to expose informers.

Interviews for the job of successor to Mr Hamilton, who is retiring at the end of next month, are to take place next week.

Mr Byrne had been suspended from his post of Chief Constable of Cheshire police in 2017 after facing more than 70 separate allegations of bullying, charges that he denied.

He was cleared the following year after an investigating panel found no proof of the allegations of misconduct or gross misconduct. Despite this, he was unable to resume his Chief Constable duties as his contract had expired by the time of the ruling.

The two PSNI candidates boast a wealth of experience.

Last July, Stephen Martin was appointed as temporary Deputy Chief Constable after the previous deputy Drew Harris was appointed as Garda Commissioner. He has served for more than 30 years in the RUC and PSNI.

Assistant Chief Constable Mark Hamilton has been a police officer for 25 years, also serving both in the RUC and PSNI in a wide range of posts in the Armagh and Belfast areas.

Mr Hamilton announced he was stepping down as Chief Constable in January, after five years in the role.

The interviews will be carried out by seven or eight political and independent members of Northern Ireland's 19-member Policing Board under its chairwoman Anne Connolly.

A human relations officer, an occupational psychologist and an external police adviser will also sit in on the interviews, although they will play no part in making the appointment. Northern Ireland Secretary Karen Bradley will accept or reject the recommendation of the board in the absence of the Northern Ireland Executive.

In February, Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald caused controversy after claiming no one within the senior ranks of the PSNI was capable of taking on the post of Chief Constable.

At the time, Mr Hamilton said the comments amounted to an "extraordinary interference in an open and transparent selection process".

The Policing Board sought legal advice about how it should conduct the selection process after Ms McDonald's comments. Sinn Fein will have one of its MLAs, Linda Dillon, on the interview panel.

According to the PSNI's latest annual report accounts, Mr Hamilton received a salary of 220,000 to 225,000 as Chief Constable in 2017/18.
Children are suffering due to the lack of government at Stormont, primary school principals have said.

A Northern Ireland principal had revealed the cost, both monetary and otherwise, that the crisis in education funding is having on staff, parents and pupils.

Graham Gault of Maghaberry Primary School was speaking on BBC Radio Ulster after penning a letter to head of the Northern Ireland Civil Service David Sterling, saying that children are "suffering" and teachers are "on their knees" due to the lack of a functioning government,

Mr Gault's letter, sent on behalf of the Strategic Principals' Forum, was supported by 540 other primary school principals.

The letter asked Mr Sterling to raise the issue of education funding during the latest round of Stormont talks aiming to restore power-sharing in Northern Ireland.

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Similar letters are also being sent to school governors and parents in each of the schools, in which the principals say they have a "moral obligation" to speak out on the issue.

Mr Gault said that the letter was sent as primary schools across the country are "beyond breaking point".

He told the BBC that school budgets were insufficient and the cost was being passed on to parents and teachers.

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"There is no costs left to cut. To ask schools to cut their cloth is an insult. Our children are suffering directly because of a universal lack of maintenance in our schools," Mr Gault said.

"There are significant reductions being spent on learning resources. Essentials such as reading books, novels, we're having to ask parents to buy those. We're trying to find every avenue to save expense without taking anything away from our children.

"Our parents provide pritt stick, they provide pencils, sellotape, blu tack. Teachers provide basic essentials, laminating pouches, polly pockets etc.

"The only place left to reduce money is our staff and that impacts on our most vulnerable children."

The Maghaberry Primary School principal said the political matters dividing parties were unimportant to pupils who need action now.

"The issues that our politicians are debating and refusing to get back into government over are not issues relevant to the children in my school," he said.

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"Little children with complex learning needs in a nursery - the past is irrelevant to those children. They need our government to step up and provide for them."

The letter, penned by Mr Gault, says that school leaders are "crying out for help" and suffering "increasing levels of stress and anxiety".

It said that Northern Ireland does not "prioritise the learning and development of our children at government level".

"We require a functioning government which prioritises our children, which promotes their healthy growth and development, which protects them from harmful economic fluctuations and which puts their futures ahead of our collective past," the letter read.
Sinn Feins leader says the Prime Minister has given no guarantees that she would be willing to legislate for Northern Ireland on rights issues.

While talks to restore the Stormont Executive continue, Sinn Feins position has been that if negotiations fail, the British Government should step in to resolve outstanding rights issues, including marriage equality and an Irish Language Act.

Sinn Feins senior talks negotiator Conor Murphy has previously said the British Government gave an assurance that same-sex marriage would be passed at Westminster if the Assembly failed to pass legislation on the issue.

On Thursday, party leader Mary Lou McDonald said she has been given no such guarantees from Theresa May since the new round of talks began.

Thus far, Theresa May has been most ineffective in creating the right climate for agreement, she told the Press Association.

Unfortunately, her confidence and supply relationship with the DUP has clouded her judgment, and that kind of positive dynamic that should be coming from the head of government in London is absent.

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Weve been absolutely clear with both governments and the other parties that were not interested in an endless circular talks process.

If that cant happen  and I want it to happen, but if it cant  then the two governments cant just stand back and point fingers.

If we dont have partners in unionism, then our strong view is that the governments will have to step in.

The Sinn Fein leader confirmed that all the outstanding rights issues are as important as each other, as after 10 years in the Northern Ireland Executive, both marriage equality and an Irish Language Act were blocked and frustrated and she is not confident that they would be resolved in a restored Assembly.

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One tabled idea is the removal of the Petition of Concern, which was used by the DUP and other parties to block marriage equality votes in Stormont.

Sinn Fein have also used the voting mechanism to block votes on contentious issues while in government.

Ms McDonald says she believes that removing the POC would be dangerous, but admits it has been abused.

I think we need to tread very carefully with tinkering with the infrastructure with the Good Friday Agreement, she said.

The outstanding issues are things we should all be able to rise to without undermining legitimate protections.

Theres a tipping point in political life, where frankly you run out of road, she added.

Ms McDonald added she is concerned that there has not been concrete guarantees from all parties that they would sit in a new Executive.

Everyone calling for the re-institution of government need to make it clear that they are willing to sit in that government, she said.

I think it would be really, really helpful for them to confirm that that is the case.

For Colum Eastwood (SDLP leader) and Robin Swann (UUP leader) to show that theyre not just calling for government, but that theyre willing to sit in government and serve all of the people.

In terms of political accountability, if there are findings against any person, well, then that person has to act honourably.Mary Lou McDonald

The Stormont Executive collapsed in January 2017 amid a row about the botched RHI heating scheme.

While awaiting the findings of the public inquiry later this year, Ms McDonald said that any public representative facing evidence that they knowingly participated in the misuse of the scheme would have to step aside.

Dont make any mistake about it, the issues that arose there, not just around the misuse of public money, but also any suggestion of malpractice or negligence or corruption, was serious then, and serious now, she said.

In terms of political accountability, if there are findings against any person, well, then that person has to act honourably.

At the time when the botched scheme first became apparent, Martin McGuinness, then deputy first minister, had asked Arlene Foster to step aside from her post until investigations into the issue had been completed.

When Mrs Foster refused, Mr McGuinness walked away from government.

It would be very very difficult for any person in political life, if there was a concrete finding against them, for them not to respond in a way thats leaderly and honourable, Mrs McDonald said.
A south Down nursing home staff member who stole 100 from a vulnerable resident days before Christmas has been given a 12-month conditional discharge.

Kilbroney Nursing Home carer Charlene Farrell (39) of Carrickbawn Park, Rostrevor, cried at Newry Magistrates Court as she pleaded guilty to theft on December 19.

The court heard that she entered the bedroom of the male resident and opened a security safe with a key.

CCTV footage captured her taking a number of banknotes and putting them into the front pocket of her work tunic.

The nursing home's owners identified Farrell from the footage and the theft was reported.

During police interview she admitted to the theft.

"I was going to put it back when I got my wages," she told officers.

"I didn't know where my mind was. I took the money to pay Halfords for the children's Christmas bikes."

She claimed she was too embarrassed to ask for an advance in her wages to pay for the Christmas presents.

She confirmed that she had taken the key from the nurse on duty, as was normal practice.

Her defence barrister said it was a "serious matter" and his client had breached a position of trust in her 20-year employment as a care home nurse.

"She has now lost her employment and has not been able to find any other work," he said.

"She has four children who are all of a dependant age.

"She had some financial difficulties at the time, but was able to pay the money back. It was a moment of madness.

"To her credit, she took the money on the Monday. She was confronted on the Wednesday and on the Thursday she had paid back the money.

"This was an entirely stupid and regrettable thing to have done. She has suffered some mental health issues over the years and is on medication.

"This is a serious matter with some aggravating factors, though in a responsible way she has dealt with the matter head-on."

District Judge Eamonn King alluded to the date of the offence, with the modern era adding undue financial pressures on parents.

"This was eight days before Christmas when you were experiencing financial difficulties," said Mr King.

"You had fully intended to pay the money back as soon as possible.

"The reason you are here today is that circumstances require nursing homes to have CCTV in place.

"As a consequence you now have a conviction for dishonesty.

"The victim was a vulnerable resident of a nursing home. The money was for his own personal care.

"You have paid a heavy price for your aberration.

"A redeeming factor about what you have done is to pay the money back, but it does not keep you from a criminal conviction.

"I do accept that this was out of character.

"People are under severe pressure in this day and age to pay for children for Christmas.

"I hope you will put this behind you and we will not see you back here (in court) again."
Soldiers manning checkpoints in Northern Ireland at the height of the Troubles faced the choice of "murder or be murdered", a former minister for the province has said.

Tory peer Lord Howell of Guildford argued the bloody conflict had been "a war" and this needed to be understood in handling historical accusations made against veterans.

He made his comments after it emerged that plans to strengthen legal protections for military personnel who served on overseas operations such as Iraq and Afghanistan would not apply to Northern Ireland.

The Government was also warned at Westminster that proposals to reinvestigate every fatality during the Troubles from the late 1960s onwards would lead to the "hounding" of members of the security forces.

Lord Howell, who served as a minister for Northern Ireland in the early 1970s, said: "The Provisional IRA did declare war... and they declared anyone in uniform was a fair target."

He added: "It was a war. Young soldiers, often inexperienced soldiers, were put on checkpoints where they were literally confronted with the choice - murder or be murdered.

"The drama of this has got to be understood in dealing with this problem of veterans and repeated accusations."

Responding, Tory frontbencher Viscount Younger of Leckie said the Troubles were "defined more as a conflict".

He said: "Our soldiers were put into the front line to deal with some extremely difficult issues and they had to make, as soldiers, some split second decisions on what to do in some very demanding situations."

But pointing out that the victims of the violence should also not be forgotten, he said: "This is the whole point of what we are trying to do.

"We want to draw a line under the conflict and move on."

Former Ulster Unionist leader Lord Empey criticised the plans to set up a commission to go back over every fatality in Northern Ireland since 1968/69, arguing it would "have the effect of hounding members of the security forces for the next 10 years".

He said: "The minister talks about drawing a line under the process. It in fact will only start a whole industry because security services have records, the terrorists do not.

"Nobody is above the law, I totally accept that, but will the minister accept that the proposals... will be the starting point for a new campaign of hounding members of the security forces."

Lord Younger said: "What we are talking about, in the interests of justice, is that we need to find out what evidence there is and that if any new evidence emerges relating to the possibility that a serious crime was committed at some point in the past, this should be properly investigated."

"The armed forces do not wish themselves to be seen as somehow above the law," he added.

Former DUP MP Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown said he came from a family "whose loved ones were brutally blown up and gunned down by the Provisional IRA" and that "no-one has been brought to justice to this day and probably never will".

He said: "We do owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to the young men and women who served in the armed forces on the streets of Northern Ireland under very difficult circumstances and showed tremendous professionalism and bravery.

"Can the minister assure me that the British soldiers who served in Northern Ireland will not be left pawns in any political game?"

Lord Younger said: "Absolutely not. I think it's extremely important that we continue to support our armed forces as much as we do. They are the ones on the front line protecting us."
A lorry driver had a lucky escape on a busy Northern Ireland road after a car pulled out of a junction at the last minute.

Lorry driver Barry Kirkland had just left the Moira Roundabout around 8.45am on Wednesday and was travelling along the A26 to Nutt's Corner when the small white car pulled out of the junction.

Mr Kirkland, who is from Dungannon, said that the driver was lucky not to be killed.

"She pulled straight out in front of me," he said.

"You can't really tell in the video but she was right down at my bumper and I was forced to swerve the lorry to avoid her and the back two wheels of the lorry lifted of the ground.

"If I hadn't been able to swerve then I would have ploughed straight into her and killed her."

Mr Kirkland said that he considered reporting the driver to police, but had been unable to identify the license plate of the car from his dashcam footage.
A woman ordered to vacate the home in Belfast where she lived with her disabled child has won a High Court challenge to being denied funding for a mediation process.

Rose Edmunds, who is originally from Kenya, issued proceedings against Northern Ireland's Legal Services Agency after being told the costs of having lawyers represent her at the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) would not be covered.

A judge ruled the decision to refuse legal aid for mediation with Christian housing organisation Habitat for Humanity NI was unlawful.

Mrs Edmunds' solicitor claimed the verdict could ease pressure on the public purse in civil litigation.

Gary Adair, a partner in Wilson Nesbitt, said: "The ability of a person on legal aid to mediate a case should see fewer cases end up in Court and ultimately will create a cost saving for the legal aid fund."

Mrs Edmunds and her son had been provided with accommodation at Tyndale Crescent in Belfast by Habitat for Humanity NI.

In April last year they were ordered to leave the property after the organisation secured a court declaration that the lease had been forfeited amid disputed claims of rental arrears and abandoning it for a period.

Mrs Edmunds, 52, sought to appeal that outcome, with legal aid granted for her attempt to overturn the order.

But after she agreed to Habitat for Humanity's offer of mediation the Legal Services Agency informed her funding was not available for the process.

Ruling on her application for a judicial review of that decision, Mr Justice McCloskey highlighted ADR's increasing prominence in Northern Ireland's legal landscape.

"Once a newcomer, it is now an experienced member of the civil litigation club," he said.

The judge held that the Agency erred in law by failing to recognise its ability to authorise public funding for the alternative resolution process in proceedings other than family cases.

"The court sympathises with the Agency being a statutory public authority with finite funding and having difficult expenditure distribution decisions to make," he said.

"However, for the reasons given the decision impugned in these proceedings is unsustainable in law."

Outside court Mr Adair added: "This judgment is welcomed by my client as it allows her to progress her case."
A European election candidate has defended offering to pay 5,000 bail for a man arrested on explosives charges in the run-up to the State visit of Prince Charles to the Irish Republic

A European election candidate has defended offering to pay 5,000 bail for a man arrested on explosives charges in the run-up to the State visit of Prince Charles to the Irish Republic.

Clare Daly said her interest in the case was purely on human rights grounds because she felt Donal O Coisdealbha was in custody too long without a trial.

He later pleaded guilty to IRA membership and was jailed for five-and-a-half years.

Ms Daly was speaking in the context of her disapproval of increased military spending by the EU. It was put to the independent Fingal TD that her strong opposition to EU defence activities didn't sit with her support of O Coisdealbha.

"I wasn't saying don't investigate that person or give them a trial" she said. "In this case the person had been incarcerated for over a year and denied bail. Justice delayed is justice denied,

"He hadn't physically been found responsible (at that stage). I certainly didn't give support to his actions. He denied his involvement at certain stages and then he changed his tune."

At the end of the case Ms Justice Isobel Kennedy said that the evidence against O Coisdealbha had been "significant" and even "overwhelming".
The Irish Government has been urged by a Sinn Fein TD to tackle use of acid as a weapon after a teenager almost lost his sight.

Waterford teenager and Republic of Ireland youth international Tega Agberhiere, 16, was one of three victims targeted at Earlscourt in Waterford city on April 25.

Mr Agberhiere said at the time he feared he would never be able to see again when he was left with severe facial burns after an altercation with a number of youths, according to Gardai.

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Sinn Feins justice and equality spokesman Donnchadh O Laoghaire called on the Justice Minister to legislate to tackle the use of acid as a weapon and the sale of acidic products by amending the Chemical Act of 2008 to deal with the regulation of sale of corrosive substances.

Mr O Laoghaire told Charlie Flanagan on Thursday that he needed to be proactive in tackling such attacks before they become commonplace.

The recent acid attack in Waterford a few weeks back is a particularly harrowing example of the effects of such attacks and something which we do not wish to see replicated, he said.

These attacks are horrific and particularly malicious in their nature given that the attacker has chosen to use it as a weapon with the intent of causing maximum harm short of death.

One of the victims of the attack, Tega Agberhiere, spoke about fear of being left blinded and the permanence of the scars that would be left never likely to heal fully.

Padraig Sullivan, another young man who was attacked in the same incident described the pain as if someone had a lighter constantly on his leg, constantly burning and then after a while it was like his body numbed.

Will later be raising with the Minister for Justice, following the horrific attack in Waterford in recent weeks, to consider whether legislation is needed to tackle the use of acid as a weapon. @sinnfeinireland  Donnchadh O Laoghaire (@Donnchadhol) May 16, 2019

He added: We must ensure that the use of acid as an offensive weapon is explicitly against the law.

We should also examine the restriction of sale of certain products to minors in particular, that have a high acidic content and are potentially very harmful.

The TD noted he was not accusing the minister of being lax on the issue but felt the Government should be proactive.

In Britain it is illegal, under the Offensive Weapons Act 2018, to possess liquid containing more than 15% sulphuric acid without a licence.

The Department of Justice has been approached for comment.
Police said the 22-year-olds death is not being treated as suspicious (David Cheskin/PA)

The body of a missing man has been found in a wooded area of East Lothian.

Daryl Flockhart had last been seen in Haddington on Tuesday afternoon and was reported as missing.

Members of the public discovered the 22-year-olds body in Alderston Woods at around 6.30pm on Thursday.

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A statement from Police Scotland said: The death is not being treated as suspicious, and our thoughts are with Daryls family and friends at this difficult time.

A report will be submitted to the procurator fiscal.
A school feeding charity will reach 95,000 more chronically hungry children in Zambia after a fund-raising campaign raised millions of pounds.

The Marys Meals Double the Love campaign raised 3.5 million in donations, which has been boosted to 5.5 million by the UK Government.

The funds will provide one good meal every day in school for children in Zambia which suffers from high rates of malnutrition, poverty and food insecurity.

Marys Meals said that more than 360,000 primary school-age children are out of school, while those who do attend are often so hungry they dont have the energy to concentrate and learn in class.

Double The Love was marked by a huge outpouring of love and generosity from our supportersDaniel Adams, Mary's Meals

Though the match-funding cap for the campaign was 2 million, which was matched by the UK Government, supporters actually donated 3.5 million taking the total to 5.5 million.

Daniel Adams, Executive Director of Marys Meals UK., said: The generosity of our supporters across the UK, who have responded overwhelmingly to this match funding campaign, will help us to transform the lives of many, many more hungry children with the gifts of food and education.

Double The Love was marked by a huge outpouring of love and generosity from our supporters. Their unwavering commitment to our mission gives us a wonderful opportunity to create an even bigger impact in Zambia where children who will receive Marys Meals can grow up  better nourished and better educated  to become the men and women who will lift their communities out of poverty and end their reliance on aid.

The fact the remarkable kindness of our supporters can unlock additional funding from the UK Government, through the UK Aid Match initiative, to reach more hungry children is a huge boost.

International Development Secretary Rory Stewart announced the 2 million in UK Government match funding during his first visit to Scotland on Thursday in his new role, where he met with Mr Adams.

Mr Stewart said: I am delighted the UK Government has matched the first 2 million to Marys Meals Double the Love campaign, helping them to raise a total of 5.5 million. This will pay for school meals in Zambia, giving its children a chance of a decent education.

I hope the success of this Argyll-based charity encourages other Scottish organisations to apply for UK Government funding through schemes like UK Aid Match and the Small Charities Challenge Fund.

Their work is making a significant and lasting difference.

Worldwide, Marys Meals is providing 1.4 million children with a nutritious meal every school day across 18 countries.

Eight-year-old Tasila, who is in grade two in Msoro, Zambia, said eating Marys Meals each school day gives her the energy to play and learn.

She said: Phala [vitamin-enriched maize porridge] makes me feel good, it takes away my hunger.

It gives me energy to run, and to listen to the teacher and answer their questions in class.
College lecturers have held a demonstration outside the Scottish Parliament on the second day of strike action over a pay dispute.

Members of the Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) Further Education Lecturers Association (FELA) walked out on Wednesday and Thursday this week in a call for a cost of living increase in pay.

Lecturers say that the rise would be fair and in line with public-sector pay policy.

Colleges Scotland Employers Association has indicated that it will work with EIS-FELA to find a resolution to the industrial action, but says that it must be affordable and sustainable for the college sector.

Four one-day strikes have already taken place since January.

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Speaking outside the Scottish Parliament on Thursday, EIS-FELA President Pam Currie said: I welcome a lot of colleagues and the politicians who have come along to speak today.

But there is one group that are notable by their absence  thats the party that are in government, the party that set up FE national bargaining, that told us that that was a manifesto committment, that has told us again and again how important further education is, to widening participation, to closing the attainment gap and to the STEM agenda.

I was at STUC conference back in April and I heard the First Minister give a very fine speech about trade unions, about the fair work convention, about how committed she was and how much she welcomed the role of trade unions in our modern, fair Scotland.

I have to say, and Im very disappointed to say this, but I dont believe you Nicola.

You have to be judged not by your words at the STUC congress, but by your actions.

With @scottishlabour colleagues supporting @EISFela college lecturers campaigning for a fair cost of living increase pic.twitter.com/un3M6ISHZu  Iain Gray (@Iain_C_Gray) May 16, 2019

At First Ministers Questions, Scottish Labour MSP Iain Gray urged Ms Sturgeon to intervene.

Mr Gray said: All they want is a fair cost of living pay increase in line with public pay policy  something they have been denied for three years.

Will the First Minister intervene now and get the colleges to agree a fair settlement, and if not, will she come out with me after FMQs and explain to those lecturers to their face why not?

Ms Sturgeon said: It always amazes me the number of times that Labour members, proud trade unionists, get up in this chamber and ask me to intervene in national bargaining between employers and trade unions.

I want to see this dispute resolved. I think it is deeply disappointing that talks didnt manage to build on the positive progress that has been made over the last few weeks and I would appeal to both sides to get round the table, to stay round the table, and to resolve this issue.

Ms Sturgeon added: The Scottish Government is funding in full the additional costs of the harmonisation of pay terms and conditions, which is around 100 million over three years.

It is the responsibility of those involved in national bargaining to reach that resolution.
US President Donald Trump has issued an executive order aimed at restricting Chinese firm Huawei from entering the countrys communications networks.

Here is a look at why the decision was made and what it means for the UK.

 What is Huawei?

Huawei is the Chinese telecoms giant which describes itself as a private company fully owned by its employees.

In recent years, its range of smartphones have become commonplace across the UK, and the company has recently grown to become the second-largest smartphone maker in the world, ahead of Apple and behind only Samsung.

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In addition to making devices such as smartphones, the firm also makes telecommunications networks.

It ended last year with 200 million phones sold and sales worth more than 40 billion.

 Why is the company controversial?

Huawei has come under criticism for its alleged close ties to the Chinese state.

The country has a history of state censorship and surveillance, such as the Great Firewall of China which blocks multiple internet services in the country, and under Chinese law, firms are compelled to support, co-operate with and collaborate in national intelligence work.

Some critics have expressed concerns that Beijing could require the firm to install technological back doors to enable it to spy on or disable Britains communications network.

Like its back in the year 2000Ian Levy on Huawei's 'shoddy' security

The US is a strong critic of the firm and has urged allies not to use its equipment or face being cut off from US intelligence because of the unacceptable risk the company poses.

The US is also locked in a trade war with China, which has been cited as a source for some of the tension over Huawei.

However, the firm has always denied any suggestions of close links with the state or that it has ever been asked by Chinese authorities to help spy on others.

Earlier this week, Huawei board chairman Dr Liang Hua said the company would agree to sign a no-spy agreement with countries to fend off suggestions that it could be used by the Chinese state as a route to spy on the West.

We are willing to sign no-spy agreements with governments, including the UK Government, to commit ourselves, to commit our equipment to meeting the no-spy, no back-door standards, he said.

In April, the technical director of the UKs National Cyber Security Centre said some of the firms products had shoddy security.

Dr Ian Levy warned that Huaweis poor engineering was like its back in the year 2000.

 How is it linked to 5G?

As well as its smartphone business, Huawei is one of the market leaders in telecoms infrastructure equipment, including around 5G.

The next generation of mobile data communications, 5G is expected to begin rolling out this year and will offer mobile internet speeds likely to be at least several times that of 4G, it has been claimed.

The new networks will allow for larger amounts of data to be transferred at once, which could power new technologies such as autonomous car networks and remote surgery where specialist surgeons cannot reach a hospital physically.

As a result, a great deal of debate among telecoms firms and governments is ongoing over how to secure such a data sensitive network, which has led to the scrutiny of Huawei.

 What is the UK saying?

The Government has said no decision has been taken over whether to allow Huawei in parts of the 5G infrastructure.

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This is despite details of a meeting of the UKs National Security Council to discuss Huaweis place in UK telecoms infrastructure being leaked last month, which suggested Prime Minister Theresa May would allow the firm to take part despite concerns from some Cabinet ministers.

A subsequent investigation into the leak saw Gavin Williamson sacked as defence secretary, although he has denied being behind it.
American president Donald Trump has signed an executive order effectively banning Huawei from US communications networks (Martyn Landi/PA)

Huawei has unveiled its first 5G-ready smartphone, despite continued concerns over the security of the Chinese firms communications equipment.

A number of senior figures from around the world, led by US officials, have warned that Huaweis telecoms infrastructure could be used by the Chinese state to spy on or sabotage foreign networks.

American president Donald Trump has also signed an executive order effectively banning the company from US communications networks.

A former head of MI6 also warned on Thursday that allowing the Chinese tech giant to have a role in building the UKs 5G network posed an unnecessary risk to national security.

Despite the ongoing debate, the company said it would release the Mate 20 X 5G device in the UK in June, costing 1,000.

The company refused to discuss the security concerns at the launch in London.

But speaking on a panel on 5G technology at the event, industry analyst Ben Wood from CCS Insight suggested the US decision may not completely hinder the company.

We hope and expect that any decision on Huaweis participation in Britains build-out of 5G networks will be based on solid evidence, rather than on unfounded speculationHuawei

As far as I am concerned, not much has changed between last night (when the executive order was signed) and this morning, he said.

Because until we get clarity on this its tough  were talking about phones. These guys (Huawei), in the first quarter of 2019 sold more phones than theyve ever sold, while everyone else is going backwards. So, it cant all be bad.

Security specialist Brian Higgins from Comparitech.com added that the very broad US executive order was likely to face a number of legal challenges.

The issue for the UK is that we sit within the supply chain of the United States in every sector, he said.

Expand Close Ex-MI6 chief Sir Richard Dearlove warned against allowing Huawei to have a role in building the UKs 5G network (Stefan Rousseau/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook

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After the Target attack a couple of years ago  when one of the largest stateside retailers had consumer data stolen by a cybercrime organisation who accessed their network via the online connection to the contractors who installed and maintained their air conditioning  the US is rightfully cautious of such vulnerabilities.

The impact can be reasonably dealt with by a common sense approach to necessity and proportionality. If you are GCHQ and need to share sensitive intelligence, then you will undoubtedly have to purge your network of any devices deemed threatening.

If, however you make the odd Skype call to your NY office, you might just need a new tablet.

Its easy to panic when these events initially unfold. The more sensible approach is to make sure your own cyber-hygiene is contemporarily sound and then ask your US partners and customers what reasonable adjustments would be appropriate to continue doing business.

In a report by the Henry Jackson Society (HJS), former MI6 chief Sir Richard Dearlove said using Huawei to help build the UKs 5G networks would place the Chinese government in a potentially advantageous exploitative position.

But Huawei dismissed the report as long on politically motivated insinuation but short on fact, saying there had been no significant cyber security issues with its equipment in 32 years.

A spokesman added: We are an independent, employee-owned company which does not take instructions from the Chinese government.

We hope and expect that any decision on Huaweis participation in Britains build-out of 5G networks will be based on solid evidence, rather than on unfounded speculation and groundless accusations.

The firms smartphones are not the focus of the current scrutiny, and Huawei has risen to become the second largest smartphone maker in the world, behind only Samsung.

Samsung and fellow Chinese phone maker OnePlus have also confirmed the upcoming release of 5G devices this week.

Huawei also used their event to confirm that their first foldable smartphone, the Mate X, will be released in the UK in the third quarter of this year  sometime between July and September.
A takeaway boss found guilty of the manslaughter of a schoolgirl who suffered an allergic reaction to a meal containing peanut proteins has won an appeal against his conviction.

Mohammed Abdul Kuddus was handed a two-year jail sentence in November over the death of 15-year-old Megan Lee, who died from an asthma attack after eating food from the Royal Spice in her home town of Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire.

But Court of Appeal judges, sitting in London on Thursday, quashed his unsafe conviction for gross negligence manslaughter.

Nut allergy sufferer Megan and a friend ordered a meal online from the takeaway using the Just Eat website on December 30 2016, and wrote prawns, nuts in the comments section of the webpage.

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Despite that, the food delivered, including a seekh kebab and a Peshwari naan, contained peanut proteins.

Megan suffered a severe allergic reaction and died in hospital two days later on New Years Day 2017.

A Home Office pathologist concluded her death was caused by a fatal asthma attack precipitated by an allergic reaction to nuts.

Kuddus, the sole director of the takeaway, who also worked there as a chef, was convicted of manslaughter by a jury at Manchester Crown Court in October last year, along with manager Harun Rashid, who had previously sold the business to him.

The conviction for gross negligence manslaughter cannot standSir Brian Leveson

Three leading judges allowed an appeal by Kuddus, of Belper Street, Blackburn, ruling that his manslaughter conviction cannot stand.

Sir Brian Leveson, announcing the decision, said Megans order, including the comment about nuts and prawns, was seen by Rashid.

There was no evidence that the order printout or comments on her order were seen by or passed on to Kuddus.

Sir Brian said: The difficulty with the approach in this case was that it was not suggested that the appellant was armed with notice that Megan fell into the category of those in respect of whom a reasonable person in the position of the appellant could have foreseen an obvious and serious risk of death by serving the food that he did.

He knew nothing of the allergy which she had declared.

In those circumstances, the conviction for gross negligence manslaughter cannot stand.

Although the appeal judges overturned Kuddus conviction, Sir Brian warned: There is now a general awareness of the potential risks to those who suffer from allergies and, as a result, it should be understood that the courts will rigorously scrutinise the way in which restaurants discharge the duty of care that they owe such customers.

But Sir Brian said that the case against Kuddus, who spoke little English and had only taken over the restaurant from Rashid the previous year, in circumstances in which Mr Rashid continued to manage it, was based solely upon his failure to introduce appropriate systems at a time when he knew nothing of prospective customers allergies, and there was no evidence that he was at any stage notified of Megans allergy.

Rashid, of Rudd Street, Haslingden, was jailed for a total of three years.

He was found guilty of manslaughter, and also convicted of failing to discharge a general duty of employers, contrary to the Health and Safety at Work Act, and another count of failing to put in place, implement and maintain a permanent procedure or procedures in contravention of European Union food safety regulations.

He received concurrent jail terms of six months and four months for those offences.

Kuddus admitted those charges and was given concurrent sentences of five months and three months.

Sir Brian said no application had been made for a retrial against him on the manslaughter charge.
The robot was built in a factory that usually puts together mechanical dinosaurs (Don Lessem)

A giant robot of Donald Trump sitting on a gold toilet is on its way to the UK after being shipped from China for protests against the US presidents state visit.

The 16ft-high talking robot depicts the American leader with his trousers round his ankles whilst tweeting and says some of his well-known phrases  such as stable genius and no collusion  and makes fart noises.

American Don Lessem, who paid 25,000 US dollars (19,500) of his own money to make the robot, worked with a factory that he uses to build mechanical dinosaur models to sell to zoos and museums.

On his inspiration for the creation, the Philadelphia-based anti-Trump campaigner told the Press Association: I cant stand the guy. I decided something funny, as offensive as possible, would work.

I thought that, well, if they can make a 60ft dinosaur, they can make a 16ft high Trump on a toilet because that is where he spends most of his day and thats where all of his best ideas come from.

Mr Trump will hold bilateral talks with Theresa May at Downing Street during the visit from June 3-5.

With the robot due to arrive in London on June 3  the day before the scheduled protest  the 67-year-old said he did not work with any UK-based protest groups when arranging for it to be shipped.

I was afraid they would say no, he said.

Its sort of like youve got a package from your aunt and its got a fruit cake that you wouldnt eat but she didnt tell you it was coming, so theres nothing you can do about it, thats pretty much it.

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These are the guys that did the baby balloon which I love so I dont think theres too much taste that we have to worry about.

Campaigners are hoping to fly the blimp, depicting the US president as a nappy-wearing baby, over London once again after it was hoisted in Parliament Square during the American leaders visit to the UK last summer.

Made in a factory in China, the dinosaur expert had to explain to workers that building the robot would not make them liable for jail time in the US.

Mr Lessem said: The first reaction was, Oh my god, were going to jail.

And they thought it was insane and they mentioned that they could probably be killed for making such a thing in China.

I explained that it was one of the few things left that we can do in America and they wouldnt be on the hook.

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After the demonstrations in London, Mr Lessem hopes to carry on protesting across America and has a GoFundMe page to help fund its journey.

Were going to bring it to protests all over the place, and when its not at a protest, were getting volunteers to drive it around America in a truck and giving people paintballs, he said.

If they contribute five dollars to worthy causes they can throw a paintball at his head.

Quite seriously, were hoping it raises money for democratic causes.
Tommy Robinson is being sued for 100,000 over comments about a Syrian refugee who was filmed being attacked in a school playground, the boys lawyer has said.

A video showing Jamal Hijazi, 16, being pushed to the ground and threatened with drowning at Almondbury School in Huddersfield provoked outrage and a flood of public sympathy after it was shared online last year.

English Defence League founder Robinson, 36, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, commented on the case in a series of Facebook posts.

He (Tommy Robinson) made some comments about Jamal being involved with attacks against young white girls at the school, which are untrueTasmine Akunjee, lawyer for Jamal Hijazi

Tasmine Akunjee, a lawyer representing Jamal, said his client lodged a claim against Yaxley-Lennon at the High Court on Wednesday.

It is for defamation out of statements made by Yaxley-Lennon last year about Jamal Hijazi, he said.

He made some comments about Jamal being involved with attacks against young white girls at the school, which are untrue.

Jamal suffered harm because of that, to his reputation, so hes suing Yaxley-Lennon for that.

Mr Akunjee said lawyers are asking for 100,000 in damages, adding that Robinson has 28 days to file a defence.

On Tuesday, High Court judges decided Robinson will face a fresh court hearing over an allegation of contempt of court, following an application by Attorney General Geoffrey Cox.

Robinson was jailed for 13 months in May last year after he filmed people involved in a criminal trial at Leeds Crown Court and broadcast the footage on social media.

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The sentence included three months for a contempt at Canterbury Crown Court in May 2017, which was suspended at the time.

He served two months before being freed after a finding of contempt was overturned by the Court of Appeal.

Robinson could be sent back to jail if he is again found in contempt, which carries a maximum sentence of two years, at a hearing in July.
After Theresa May survived another attempt by Tory MPs to try to force her to set a firm departure date, the Prime Minister is facing a torrid two weeks that could define her premiership.

 May 23

Britain will go to the polls to vote in European Parliament elections which the Government did not want to take place, but was forced by the EU to hold in order to gain a Brexit extension until the end of October.

 May 26

As voting takes place across the EU on various days, the results will not start to emerge until late on Sunday May 26.

With the Commons in recess for the rest of the week, some leading Tory Eurosceptics believe they will have enough time to organise a move against Mrs May if polls are proved right and the Conservatives take a hammering from Nigel Farages Brexit Party.

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 Week beginning June 3

The Government plans to bring its key Brexit legislation, the Withdrawal Agreement Bill (WAB), to the Commons for its second reading.

The move is intended to pave the way for a fourth attempt to get the Brexit deal through the Commons and on to the statute book by the time MPs break for the summer recess, expected to be in late July.

But, while cross-party talks with Labour on a possible Brexit compromise continue, it is far from clear if Mrs May has the numbers needed to back the WAB.

 June 3-5

As if Mrs May did not have enough on her hands domestically, US President Donald Trump will make a three-day state visit to the UK.

Mr Trumps controversial trip to Britain last year proved a tense affair as he appeared to trash the Prime Ministers Brexit stance in a newspaper interview on the day of his arrival.

The state visit will coincide with a range of national events marking the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings.

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 June 6

Voters go to the polls in Peterborough in a by-election to find a replacement for MP Fiona Onasanya, who lost her seat through a recall petition after serving time in prison for lying about a speeding offence.

Labour narrowly won the seat in 2017 but the Brexit Party is looking to pull off a political coup.

 Early June

Mrs May will meet again with 1922 Committee chairman Sir Graham Brady to agree a timetable for the Tory leadership contest after the second reading of the WAB  whether it passes or not.

Then the country should finally have a firm date for Mrs Mays resignation.
The governor of Kentucky has launched an appeal against a federal judges ruling that struck down a state abortion law that would halt a common second-trimester procedure to end pregnancies.

Republican governor Matt Bevins legal team filed a notice of appeal with the 6th US Circuit Court of Appeals.

US District Judge Joseph H McKinley Jr ruled last week that the 2018 law would create a substantial obstacle to a womans right to an abortion, violating constitutionally protected privacy rights.

Mr Bevin, who opposes abortion, immediately vowed to appeal.

The law takes aim at an abortion procedure known as dilation and evacuation.

According to state statistics, the procedure was used in 537 of 3,312 abortions in Kentucky in 2016.

A consent order suspended the laws enforcement pending the outcome of last years trial.

The move came the day after Alabamas Senate passed a near-total ban on abortion.
The five kittens stowed away inside a steel column on a 400-mile trip to San Diego (San Diego Humane Society/AP)

Five kittens that stowed away on a 400-mile trip to San Diego are looking for new homes in the US.

San Diego Humane Society said the kittens wound up inside a 60ft steel column that travelled on a truck from Hayward in the San Francisco Bay area to San Diego.

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On April 24, construction workers building new Kaiser Permanente medical offices heard meows coming from the column.

They tilted the column and the week-old kittens slid out.

It was unclear whether the stowaways got aboard in Hayward or somewhere along the route.

Construction workers were shocked to discover a litter of kittens stowed away on their truck after driving from Hayward, Calif. to San Diego. The kittens are doing well in foster care. They will remain in foster homes until they are old enough to be put up for adoption. pic.twitter.com/PttkkAtb0B  San Diego Humane Society (@sdhumane) May 16, 2019

The kittens are now in foster care and will be ready for adoption in a couple of months.

They have been given appropriate construction names: Crowbar, Rebar, Chisel, Jackhammer and Piper.
Arnulfo Ochoa, the father of Marlen Ochoa-Lopez, is comforted by family members (Ashlee Rezin/Chicago Sun-Times/AP)

A pregnant teenager who went to a Chicago home in response to a Facebook offer of free baby clothes was strangled and her baby cut from her womb, US police and family members said.

The newborn was in a grave condition and not expected to survive while murder charges have been filed against a woman and her daughter.

Police said 46-year-old Clarisa Figueroa and her daughter, Desiree Figueroa, 24, have been charged with first-degree murder.

The older womans boyfriend, 40-year-old Piotr Bobak, is charged with concealment of a homicide.

The body of 19-year-old Marlen Ochoa-Lopez was found early on Wednesday behind the house, more than three weeks after she disappeared.

The teenager, who was nine months pregnant, was last seen leaving her high school on April 23, the same day paramedics were called to the home several miles away on the Southwest Side about a newborn with problems breathing.

Expand Close Chicago Police put out a missing person flier for Marlen Ochoa-Lopez before she was found dead (Chicago Police/Chicago Tribune/AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook

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We believe that she was murdered, and we believe that the baby was forcibly removed following that murder, a police spokesman said, calling it an unspeakable act of violence.

Chicago Fire Department spokesman Larry Merritt said a 46-year-old woman called 911 reporting that her newborn baby was in distress.

When paramedics arrived the baby wasnt breathing, the baby was blue, said Mr Merritt. Paramedics tried to resuscitate the baby on the way to the hospital.

The family of Ms Ochoa-Lopez, a married mother of a three-year-old son, said a woman on Facebook had lured her to the home by offering a stroller and baby clothes.

Expand Close Marlen Ochoa-Lopezs husband, Yiovanni Lopez, talks to reporters outside the Cook County medical examiners office after identifying his wifes body (Ashlee Rezin/Chicago Sun-Times/AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook

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Whatsapp Marlen Ochoa-Lopezs husband, Yiovanni Lopez, talks to reporters outside the Cook County medical examiners office after identifying his wifes body (Ashlee Rezin/Chicago Sun-Times/AP)

She was giving clothes away, supposedly under the pretence that her daughters had been given clothes and they had all these extra boy clothes, said Cecelia Garcia, a spokeswoman for the family.

Ms Ochoa-Lopezs family had been looking for her since her disappearance, organising search parties, holding news conferences and pushing police for updates on the investigation.

A break in the investigation came after the woman who said she had given birth to the baby set up an online fundraising campaign, another spokeswoman for Ms Ochoa-Lopezs family said.

The GoFundMe campaign said that the baby was about to die and money was needed for a funeral, Sara Walker said.

Police then conducted DNA tests to determine that Ms Ochoa-Lopez and her husband, Yiovanni Lopez, were actually his parents, Ms Walker said.

Mr Lopez has been visiting his son at the hospital.

Why did these people, why did these bad people, do this? She did nothing to them, Mr Lopez told reporters in Spanish on Wednesday night. She was a good person.
Communist North Korea will soon get hit with a massive new radio signal carrying the message of Christs love, CBN News reports.

Its an AM station, 250,000 watts, which will clearly cover North Korea, said Ed Cannon, president of Fart East Broadcasting Company.

FEBC has been using radio signals for over 75 years to share the message of Jesus Christ to those around the world.

According to Cannon, this new Super Station will be placed close to the border of North and South Korea.

Weve secured a location on the western coast of South Korea just a few miles south of the Demilitarized Zone, Cannon told CBN News. Its a perfect location because the signal goes across the ocean for a few miles and then goes right into North Korea.

Cannon shared that the radio signal will launch in a few months. He also says the signal will be unlockable by North Koreas regime and will reach far past the northern boundary of North Korea covering the entire country with the message of Jesus Christ.

The current strategy of the organization is to use indigenous people in their native language to produce the programming, Cannon said.

We have a large segment of South Korean people broadcasting and we also have a number of escapees, refugees from North Korea, whove come to our organization.

North Korea is ranked number one as the most dangerous and oppressive countries for Christians on the World Watch Lost.

Being a Christian in North Korea is considered one of the worst crimes possible. In this totalitarian communist state, Christians are forced to hide their faith completely at all times.

Worship of the ruling Kim Family is mandated for all citizens so any disruption of this can place your life and your familys life in jeopardy.

It is extremely dangerous for parents to teach their faith to their children until their kids are old enough to understand the dangers.

Owning a Bible in North Korea is grounds for execution or deportment to a harsh labor camp, where unknown numbers die each year from torture, beatings, overexertion and starvation.

It is incredible that even in the midst of major persecution; there is still hope for the message of Jesus Christ to be spread throughout North Korea!

We want to know what you think.
Bangladeshs North-West Power Generation Company built this China-backed power plant in Patuakhali, outside Dhaka, officials said.

Updated at7:20 a.m. ET on 2019-05-17

Chinas footprint in Bangladeshs economy has expanded massively since 2016 and Beijing is now the South Asian nations biggest foreign investor, official figures show, with most of the Chinese money invested in a power sector tainted by allegations of bureaucratic corruption.

Beijing outpaced the United States as Bangladeshs top investor in 2018, during which Dhaka recorded U.S. $3.6 billion in foreign direct investments (FDI), according to newly released official figures obtained by BenarNews.

The Chinese are now the largest foreign direct investors in Bangladesh, Shams al-Mujahid, a director-general at the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA), told BenarNews. BIDA is an agency under Prime Minister Sheikh Hasinas office.

Chinas overall investment of U.S. $1.03 billion in 2018 represented a 16-fold increase compared with its 2016 investment of just over $61 million.

The Chinese have been the largest investor almost everywhere in the world, al-Mujahid said. Bangladesh is no exception.

According to the BIDA figures, the Netherlands last year ranked as Bangladeshs second-largest foreign investor behind China, with $692 million, while Britain took the third spot with $371 million. Britain was Bangladeshs biggest foreign investor in 2017, with $313 million. In 2018, the United States, traditionally one of Bangladeshs biggest investors, ranked fourth with $174 million in direct investments, according to the figures.

FDI has been a major source of foreign capital for Bangladesh since 1980, when the country adopted its Foreign Private Investment Act.

In 1995, Bangladesh opened up foreign investments in the mobile telecommunications sector mainly because of the absence of ground-telephone infrastructure in the country. It attracted investments from telecoms giants such as Norways Telenor and Egypts Orascom.

But Bangladesh also struggled with power outages, with the nation experiencing its worst electricity crisis in 2008 and 2009. Reports said one blackout alone, in 2014, affected as many as 100 million people  more than 60 percent of the population.

As persistent energy crises plagued Bangladesh, Chinese leader Xi Jinping unveiled the One Belt, One Road (OBOR) plan in 2013, saying that the massive infrastructure initiative would accelerate development in many of the worlds poorest countries by building trade routes that would bring economic benefits.

OBOR, which critics say is a tool for Beijing to amass geopolitical power, is an ambitious project reaching from China to many points across the globe through investments that could rise above U.S. $1 trillion.

Heavily invested in power sector

As part of OBOR, Chinese banks have earmarked $23 billion to build coal-fired power plants in 23 countries, according to the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA), a U.S.-based think tank.

Bangladesh is expected to be the biggest recipient with $7 billion, it said. In 2018, China invested more than $800 million in the South Asian nations power sector alone.

Last year, China Huadian Hongkong Company Limited signed a deal with a local partner to build a 1,320-megawatt plant at Moheshkhali island in Bangladesh.

Chinas involvement in Bangladeshs energy supply has spurred criticisms among Bangladeshi economists and experts who have underscored that the South Asian nations power sector is poorly governed.

There is criticism regarding the business climate in Bangladesh. There is corruption, bureaucratic and legal hassles. But the Chinese businessmen have invested huge in the power sector, said Hossain Zillur Rahman, an economist and former government adviser.

They want to get maximum benefits from the power sector, which practically has no governance and no accountability, Rahman told BenarNews.

Khaleda Mahmood, chairman of the Bangladesh Power Development Board (PDB), brushed aside Rahmans allegations.

It is not true that the power sector has no governance, he told BenarNews, underscoring that his public-sector organization was providing 45 percent of the countrys total electricity demand.

Last year, Transparency International (TI) gave Bangladesh a score of 26 in its Corruptions Perceptions Index. China received a score of 39.

The index, which ranks 180 countries and territories based on their perceived levels of public-sector corruption, uses a scale of 0 to 100, where 0 is highly corrupt and 100 is very clean, according to TI, a Berlin-based nonprofit that fights global corruption.

No accountability

Allegations of corruptions had been raised in Bangladeshs energy sector during the past few years, but those claims were revived less than a week after officials said that three Chinese companies had started lobbying Bangladesh for a contract to build the nations second nuclear power plant.

Mahbubul Hoq, chairman of Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission, told BenarNews that officials of three Chinese companies met with him during the past few months and expressed interest in building the second nuclear plant. It is expected to cost 1.5 trillion taka (U.S. $18 billion).

In 2010, the Bangladeshi parliament led by the ruling Awami League passed a law that authorized the Power Development Board to procure electricity from the private sectors, bypassing the lengthy bureaucratic process. The law shielded its officials from prosecution on matters related to procurement of electricity, according to its critics.

The law was initially passed to exist for two years, bringing temporary relief to the public, said Shahiduzzaman Sarker, chairman of the parliamentary standing committee on energy and mineral resources. But it has been extended every two years, he said.

The PDB enjoys immunity for its actions," said Rahman, the economist. "So, there is no accountability in the sector."

Updated to correct that the parliament passed the law on supply of power and energy in 2010.
Indonesian Vice President Jusuf Kalla (second from right), joins (from left) New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, French President Emmanuel Macron, King Abdullah II of Jordan and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at the Christchurch Call to Action in Paris, May 15, 2019.

The information technology industry must share responsibility for safeguarding the internet from militancy and radicalism, Indonesias outgoing vice president told world leaders at a Paris summit focusing on eliminating violent extremism online.

Jusuf Kalla said governments should work with technology companies to implement a code of conduct and improve internet governance in a collective effort to counter the extremist threat in the digital sphere.

The entire information technology industry bears shared responsibility in making the internet safer and healthier for all, he told the Christchurch Call to Action meeting, co-hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron and New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern at the Elysee Palace in Paris on Wednesday.

The vice president was representing the worlds most populous Muslim-majority nation and the largest nation in Southeast Asia  where governments have been grappling with Muslim extremism and the threat of online recruitment of young people by Islamic State (IS) and other militant groups.

Indonesia was among nine countries and a host of big tech companies  including Amazon, Facebook, Google and Twitter  that adopted the non-binding Christchurch Call at the end of Wednesdays meeting. Kalla was the only senior Southeast Asian leader at the meeting in the French capital.

The United States did not join the Christchurch Call to Action, citing concerns that the pact could violate free speech protections in the First Amendment, according to media reports.

The summit was named after New Zealands second largest city, where an Australian-born man suspected to be a white supremacist went on a shooting rampage at two mosques on March 15, killing 51 people, including five Bangladeshis, an Indonesian and a Malaysian.

The suspect, Brenton Tarrant, 28, allegedly live-streamed the shootings on social media. Australian media reported that Tarrant was addicted to violent video games.

Never have so many countries and tech companies come together in reaction to such an attack to work together to use new technology and develop new technology so our communities are safer, Jacinda Ardern, New Zealands prime minister, told a post-meeting news conference in Paris, according to The Guardian.

The March 15 attack in her country prompted calls for curbs on violent video games, with Indonesian officials and Muslim leaders considering banning games such as PUBG (PlayerUnknowns Battlegrounds).

Indonesias large youth population

Indonesia, a nation of 260 million people, is a prolific user of social media. Government officials in recent years have warned that terrorist organizations including IS were using such online platforms to spread propaganda and recruit young Indonesians.

In 2017, the Indonesian government agreed with YouTube and Twitter to tighten monitoring by allowing selected users to flag material deemed as being linked to terrorism.

In Paris, Kalla said that more than one third of 150 million internet users in Indonesia were young people vulnerable to exposure to radicalism and violent extremism. Indonesia had a program to engage the help of youths in improving content on the internet.

Since 2015, Indonesia has organized a Youth Ambassadors for Peace program to involve young people in spreading peaceful messages online in the fight to counter extremist and hateful ideas on the internet. The nation has appointed 780 youth ambassadors and this year the program expanded by bringing more than 100 young people from other Southeast Asian countries.

This approach shows that the internet has become the latest battleground, both in conducting and fighting terrorism, he said. We must empower our young people.

Kalla, who did not join President Joko Jokowi Widodos re-election campaign, will leave office after official election results are announced on May 22. Quick counts following the vote last month showed Jokowi with a sizeable lead over challenger Prabowo Subianto.

On Thursday, Foreign Ministry spokesman Arrmanatha Nasir said the Paris meeting showed that international cooperation was needed to fight terrorism.

It takes a joint effort to prevent extremism and radicalism. One of the messages conveyed at the meeting is that no country that is immune from radicalism, he said.

Meanwhile, a researcher on Islamic radicalism claimed that online recruitment had yet to take off in Indonesia, adding that face-to-face recruitment was relatively unimpeded.

One of the reasons is that terrorists dont entirely trust online recruitment. This is because it is so easy to falsify ones identity online  men can pretend to be women, or vice versa, and fraudsters and intelligence agents can easily pretend to be fellow jihadists, said Solahudin, a researcher on Islamic radicalism who published a study on the topic on the University of Melbournes website.

Law enforcement officials have no legal instruments to act against extremists who hold prayer study groups, even in public, he said. [Islamic State] supporters still freely hold religious study groups in mosques across the country with little concern about being arrested by authorities.
HealthMaP is addressing an enormous shortage in affordable diagnostic imaging services throughout India by partnering with state-owned hospitals that serve over 500 million Indians.

Manipal Health Enterprise Pvt Ltd (MHEPL), the healthcare arm of Manipal Education and Medical Group, has announced an Rs 1.45 Billion equity commitment from Morgan Stanley India Infrastructure (MSII) in HealthMaP Diagnostics Pvt Ltd (HealthMaP), a wholly owned subsidiary of MHEPL. MSII will make an initial investment of Rs 1 Billion in HealthMaP. HealthMaP is a Public Private Partnership (PPP) initiative for diagnostic imaging in Indian healthcare.

HealthMaP is addressing an enormous shortage in affordable diagnostic imaging services throughout India by partnering with state-owned hospitals that serve over 500 million Indians. Set up in 2015, HealthMaP has concessions to operate 37 imaging centres across the states of Haryana and Jharkhand, of which 30 are already operational. The core of HealthMaPs business is a shop-in-shop model in which the company owns and operates the diagnostic imaging units inside these hospitals through exclusive long-term contracts. The company proposes to expand its footprint to 75 centres in the next three years.

Millions of our citizens are pushed deeper into poverty each year because of healthcare emergencies and costs. Very often, early diagnostic imaging can help them avoid such emergencies but the cost of the tests can be a deterrent. HealthMaP has been at the forefront of making quality diagnostic imaging available to the masses and we are proud to play a role in advancing affordable healthcare in India. With the introduction of universal healthcare in the country through the Ayushman Bharat programme, HealthMap is also exploring the opportunity to partner with private hospitals to set up facilities for diagnostics and treatment of cardiac ailments as well as cancer, and to increase access for patients especially in the underserved States, said Dilip Jose, Managing Director and CEO of Manipal Health Enterprises.

Backed by shareholders including Temasek and TPG, HealthMaPs parent company, MHEPL, provides healthcare services across India through eleven multi-specialty hospitals in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Delhi, Rajasthan and Goa. It also manages five teaching hospitals in Karnataka and Sikkim as well as several fertility clinics across the country.

We are delighted to partner with MHEPL and the Manipal Group at an inflection point in the affordable healthcare revolution in our country as underscored by the recent launch of the worlds largest universal healthcare coverage program. This creates vast opportunities for HealthMaP and, combined with MHEPLs reputation for clinical excellence, positions HealthMaP as one of Indias leading affordable healthcare platforms, said Raja Parthasarathy, a Managing Director with Morgan Stanley India Infrastructure.

Morgan Stanley India Infrastructure is the India infrastructure investing platform of Morgan Stanley Infrastructure Partners. Part of Morgan Stanley Investment Management, Morgan Stanley Infrastructure Partners is a leading global infrastructure investment platform with offices in New York, Houston, San Francisco, Toronto, London, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Mumbai, Hong Kong and Melbourne.

We are excited with the confidence reposed by the shareholders in HealthMaP. The Public Private Partnership is a huge opportunity in diagnostic and other healthcare models. Quality of service is our credo and we endeavour to deliver the best diagnostic at affordable cost to the masses, said Niraj Arora, CEO of HealthMaP Diagnostics.
Mainly Jem's Birding & Ringing Exploits in the Eastern Province & Ringing Trips to Bahrain
This job expired on 22 May 2019.
He Inserted Motorcycle's Handle Grip Inside His Wife's Private Parts Life oi-Syeda Farah Noor

Men abusing women is not new and we hear so many cases every day. The only thing that has changed is how destructive and abusive they have become over a period of time.

Once the Nirbhaya case happened, people cried on how inhuman the rapists were with her.

But if we look at the rape stats of the nation, we can only see that the number increases with each passing day and the abusive methods are worse.

Here is one such case of a woman who was abused by her husband because she questioned his fidelity. The answer that she got was brutal - he inserted a motorcycle handle grip inside her vagina!

This incident happened two years ago in Indore, India, and no one knew about it as the wife was scared that her husband would kill her if she complained about the abuse that she went through.

The woman would not have even reported the case, but all thanks to her deteriorating health, she had to get herself checked and doctors were shocked upon discovering a handle grip inside her abdomen.

The medics then immediately removed the plastic grip that had been pushed right up woman's uterus, urine bladder and it touched her small intestine.

The cops have now arrested the husband as the case came into limelight. This case is a haunting reminder of how many women are silently getting abused and not sharing it with the world.

What do you think of this case? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.

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Story first published: Thursday, May 16, 2019, 17:41 [IST]
Travelling from Westman to the United States may now take longer than usual.

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This article was published 16/5/2019 (955 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

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CP Crossing the border into the United States might take a bit longer than usual, with U.S. Customs and Border Protection temporarily transferring hundreds of border agents to the south. (The Associated Press)

Travelling from Westman to the United States may now take longer than usual.

U.S. Customs and Border protection is temporarily transferring hundreds of border agents to the south, which could cause backups for people seeking to enter the United States from Canada.

"While the current southwest border security and humanitarian crisis is impacting CBP (U.S. Customs and Border Protection) operations, we are working to mitigate the effects as much as possible," an emailed statement to The Sun from U.S. Customs and Border Protection said.

Theyve temporarily re-assigned 731 U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers from ports around the nation, the statement said. They are being moved to border patrol sectors that have been overwhelmed by the apprehension of families and unaccompanied children from Central America.

They would not provide more information as to where the agents were removed from, and if any had been reassigned from the Dunseith port of entry close to Boissevain.

However, the officers are being moved from land, sea and airports to lessen the impact on any one particular port, the statement said.

Three hours southwest of Brandon in Minot, N.D., Capt. Jason Sundbakken of the Minot Police Department said a lack of border patrol agents would impact them to an extent, but added its hard to say how it will affect them without knowing exact numbers.

"There are times that we come across individuals who quite possibly could be in the country illegally or overstayed their visa, things of that nature, and in those circumstances we do rely on the border patrol agents to come down and speak to them and conduct an investigation," Sundbakken said.

When situations like that arise, which does happen from time to time, he said, its important for them to have that resource available.

The border patrol has also assisted the Minot police in the past in other ways. When they needed a translator and didnt have one immediately available to them, they provided that resource.

David Lakefield, the City of Minots finance director and acting city manager, said that so far they havent seen any impact on the city, and hes not sure that they will.

"Obviously were located close to the northern border, but I dont have any information as to the number of agents that are being transferred directly from these ports that are near to us," Lakefield said. "And I havent seen or heard of any issues that weve had."

For up-to-date information on wait times at border crossings, people can check the U.S. Customs and Border protection website.

 mverge@brandonsun.com, with files from The Canadian Press

 Twitter: @Melverge5
OTTAWA - Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan says he supported the chief of defence staff's decision to suspend Vice-Admiral Mark Norman in 2017, more than a year before he was charged with breach of trust for allegedly leaking government secrets about military procurement.

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This article was published 15/5/2019 (955 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

OTTAWA - Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan says he supported the chief of defence staff's decision to suspend Vice-Admiral Mark Norman in 2017, more than a year before he was charged with breach of trust for allegedly leaking government secrets about military procurement.

But Sajjan told the House of Commons on Wednesday that the decision was Gen. Jonathan Vance's alone.

The public prosecutor abruptly stayed the charges against Norman last week, fuelling opposition charges that the Liberal government interfered politically in the case. Sajjan systematically rejected those accusations Wednesday as he withstood a four-hour opposition grilling in the Commons about the case and other hot defence issues.

Sajjan insisted the Norman case was handled independently of the government "from start to finish"  beginning with Norman's suspension and including the RCMP's decision to charge him and the public prosecutor's eventual decision to drop the matter.

"The chief of defence staff has full responsibility for the administration and command of the Canadian Armed Forces," he told the Commons.

"When the decision was made, I supported it."

Sajjan's assertion led to a testy exchange with Conservative MP Leona Alleslev, a former Liberal and captain in the Royal Canadian Air Force, who accused Sajjan of shirking his responsibility.

"This is probably the most fundamental point of this entire conversation. Our democracy is based on the fact that a standing army is accountable to the elected official so that Canadians can trust that our military is not running rogue," Alleslev said.

"If the minister of national defence is not going to assume his responsibility for ensuring the chief of defence staff behaves in accordance with the National Defence Act, then I would like to understand from the minister what precisely he thinks his role is."

Sajjan rejected Alleslev's "insinuations."

"I have respect for the chief of defence staff position and the authority that has been given by the National Defence Act for the chief of defence staff. No, our military does not run rogue ... I have faith in the chief of defence staff to carry out his duties."

Sajjan added: "I'll be honest with you, it is hurtful to hear this type of talk and insinuation that the military's running rogue considering the tremendous work women and men do for us not only in Canada, but around the world."

Vance's decision was based on preliminary evidence gathered by the RCMP, which suggested Norman had leaked information aimed at thwarting a cabinet decision to review the previous Conservative government's decision to award a $700-million supply ship contract to Davie shipyard in Quebec. The prosecutor last week said that new information supplied by Norman's defence team prompted the decision to stay the charges.

Sajjan said it will also be up to Vance to now determine whether Norman will be reinstated to his former position as his vice chief or offered some other senior role.

On Tuesday, the House of Commons unanimously passed a motion recognizing Norman's "decades of loyal service to Canada," expressing regret for the hardships he endured as a result of the failed prosecution and apologizing to Norman and his family. Sajjan and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau were not in the chamber when the vote was held.

Sajjan said Wednesday that he supports the motion, but would not accept opposition charges that the government was responsible for Norman's ordeal.

"Like the rest of the chamber, I support this motion, but I want to assure my colleagues that this was the result of an independent process since the beginning."
HALIFAX - Nova Scotia's premier says he told a senior Communist Party official during trade talks that Canadians need to feel "safe" and protected by the rule of law as he boosts tourism ties between his province and China.

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This article was published 16/5/2019 (955 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Premier Stephen McNeil speaks in Halifax on Thursday, April 18, 2019. Nova Scotia's premier says he told a senior Communist Party official during trade talks that Canadians need to feel "safe" and protected by the rule of law as he boosts tourism ties between his province and China. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan

HALIFAX - Nova Scotia's premier says he told a senior Communist Party official during trade talks that Canadians need to feel "safe" and protected by the rule of law as he boosts tourism ties between his province and China.

Stephen McNeil said Thursday it's best to maintain a dialogue with China, even as federal Public Security Minister Ralph Goodale decried the nation's formal arrest of two Canadian citizens it has been holding since December.

There's been escalating tension between the nations following the RCMP's December arrest in Vancouver of Huawei Technologies executive Meng Wanzhou after an American request for her extradition.

After Meng's arrest, China imprisoned two Canadians  ex-diplomat Michael Kovrig and entrepreneur Michael Spavor  and accused them of violating China's national security, with both still locked in a Chinese prison.

McNeil said his relationship with the governor of Guangdong province, a region just north of Hong Kong, continued to improve during his recent trip  and trade and cultural exchanges are still growing as a result of six years of visits.

However, McNeil said during his trip  the first by a Canadian premier since the escalation of tensions  he let governor Ma Xingrui and other Chinese officials know Canadians need to feel secure.

"If I'm coming here and asking Nova Scotians and Canadians to go into Guangdong province as tourists, I need to be reassured they can ... feel free to experience what the province has to offer and at the same time be able to come back home when their vacation is over," McNeil told reporters after his return from his Chinese-European trade and tourism mission.

He said that as citizens explore the culture of China during trips and exchanges, it's important, "they feel safe and they (the Chinese government) recognize the rule of law will be an important foundation of that."

Still, McNeil says it's better to continue to be in dialogue and to try and build relationships, even as tensions over the detentions and China's refusal of Canadian shipments of canola continue.

"Not having a conversation solves nothing," he said.

The province plans to continue expanding relationships with the southern Chinese province, and McNeil said the governor of Guangdong is expected to send a delegation to Nova Scotia in the near future.

In addition, "I've committed on going back into Guangdong province later in the year," said the Liberal premier.

Nova Scotia exports to China totalled $794 million in 2018, up from $275 million in 2014.

McNeil said he felt no higher tensions or unease during this visit than in his visits over the past six years, and said that he was greeted warmly and treated well.

Aware of the sudden crackdown on Canadian exports such as canola by Chinese authorities, McNeil said during their discussions, he reassured the Guangdong officials about quality assurance protocols in place for his province's seafood.

McNeil is also pushing for a direct Halifax-to-China flight and is also hoping for more cargo flights, although no deals have been formalized yet.

 Follow (at)mtuttoncporg on Twitter.
The Ontario government's latest salvo against the federal carbon tax is being mocked online for appearing to accidentally promote the very cause it hoped to attack.

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This article was published 16/5/2019 (955 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A man fills up his truck with gas in Toronto, on Monday April 1, 2019. The Ontario government's latest salvo against the federal carbon tax is being mocked online for appearing to accidentally promote the very cause it hoped to attack. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christopher Katsarov

The Ontario government's latest salvo against the federal carbon tax is being mocked online for appearing to accidentally promote the very cause it hoped to attack.

Political observers and social media users say the television ad prepared by the Progressive Conservative government, a vocal opponent of the tax that came into effect on April 1, missed the mark.

While a narrator cooly lists ways in which the province contends the carbon tax would raise prices on everything from gas to groceries, images show cascades of change pouring out of air vents, fuel pumps and store shelves.

When one economics professor and regular political commentator questioned whether the brains behind the ad had troubled to watch it on mute, a staffer with the federal Liberals took it upon himself to prepare an alternative.

His parody featured a pro-carbon tax voiceover synced up with the identical images that feature in the Ontario attack ad.

"It works great," Wilfrid Laurier University digital communications associate professor Simon Kiss said of the spoof. "The script in the parody is honestly more logical and fits the visuals better than the government's own ad."

Kiss noted that the visuals also reinforce a key message carbon tax proponents have been touting, namely that federal rebates would offset if not outright eliminate the financial toll the tax could take on most Canadians.

The Progressive Conservatives did not respond to questions about the reaction to the commercial, which concludes by inviting Ontario residents to become familiar with the government's climate change plan.

But a spokeswoman for Ontario Environment Minister Rod Phillips accused the feds of being misleading in their efforts to promote the tax, which was imposed on provinces that had opted not to implement their own efforts to curb carbon emissions.

"They have promoted their plan by mailing postcards to every household in our province, airing radio advertisements and running an extensive online campaign, and on every occasion have failed to disclose the full cost of their carbon tax," Emily Hogeveen said in a statement.

When asked about the cost of the government's advertising campaign against the carbon tax, Hogeveen said it would be disclosed at a later date.

Days after the Tories' ads first hit the airwaves, many social media users were still freely mocking the commercial.

"I filled up today and not one nickel dropped," wrote one Twitter user. "I brought a bucket to the grocers to catch the money waterfall, but alas, nothing. Maybe file complaints to the CRTC for this misleading advert."

"This is actually hilarious," wrote another. "The obvious symbolism would have been, oh, I don't know, say a vacuum cleaner sucking money out of people's wallets. How much did the PCs pay the ad agency that came up with this?"

While Kiss said the Ontario government undermined their own message this time around, he suspects the ad won't do much to shift public opinion one way or another.

"People who have a dim view of the carbon tax, this is just going to kind of reaffirm those prior beliefs," he said. "And it's going to just anger people who are on the other side."
MANILA, Philippines - The Philippines is recalling its ambassador and consuls in Canada over Ottawa's failure to comply with a deadline to take back truckloads of garbage that Filipino officials say were illegally shipped to the Philippines years ago, officials said Thursday.

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This article was published 16/5/2019 (955 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

FILE - In this May 7, 2015, file photo, Filipino environmental activists wear a mock container vans filled with garbage to symbolize the 50 containers of waste that were shipped from Canada to the Philippines two years ago, as they hold a protest outside the Canadian embassy at the financial district of Makati, south of Manila, Philippines. The Philippine foreign secretary said Thursday, May 16, 2019, the ambassador and consuls in Canada are being recalled over Ottawa's failure to take back truckloads of garbage that Filipino officials say were illegally shipped to the Philippines years ago. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila, File)

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippines is recalling its ambassador and consuls in Canada over Ottawa's failure to comply with a deadline to take back truckloads of garbage that Filipino officials say were illegally shipped to the Philippines years ago, officials said Thursday.

Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. tweeted that the Philippines "shall maintain a diminished diplomatic presence in Canada until its garbage is ship bound there." The drastic move is the latest strain in Philippine relations with Canada under President Rodrigo Duterte.

Duterte threatened last month to forcibly ship the containers of garbage back to Canada and dump some at its embassy in Manila if Canadian officials don't take back the waste. Officials later set a May 15 deadline for Canada to comply.

Locsin said in his tweet that letters for the recall of the Philippine ambassador and consuls in Canada have been sent and that they were expected back in Manila after about a day.

"That recall shows that we are very serious in asking them to get back their garbage otherwise we're gonna severe relations with them," presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo told a regular news conference.

At least 103 containers of household trash, including plastic bottles and bags, newspapers and diapers, were shipped in batches from Canada to the Philippines from 2013 to 2014. Most of the shipping containers remain in two ports in Manila and northern Subic freeport, sparking protests from environmental activists. Philippine officials say they were falsely declared by a private firm as recyclable plastic scraps and have asked Canada to take back the garbage.

Duterte raised the garbage issue in a speech last month while officials from both countries were already discussing a resolution to the issue. The volatile president said he was ready to "declare war against" Canada over the issue.

"I want a boat prepared. I'll give a warning to Canada maybe next week that they better pull that thing out or I will set sail to Canada and pour their garbage there," Duterte said, adding he would ask Canadian officials to "prepare a grand reception."

"Celebrate because your garbage is coming home," he said. "Eat it if you want to."

The Canadian government said through its embassy in Manila after Duterte's provocative remarks that it "is strongly committed to collaborating with the government of the Philippines to resolve this issue." It said it was aware of a Philippine court ruling that ordered a private importer to ship the waste back to Canada.

A group of officials from both sides "is examining the full spectrum of issues related to the removal of the waste with a view to a timely resolution," the embassy said in a statement.

A Manila court ordered the private importers in 2016 to ship the waste back to Canada. Of 103 shipping containers that entered the Philippines, the waste from 34 has been disposed of locally.

Philippine Customs Commissioner Rey Leonardo Guerrerro has said " bureaucratic red tape" in Canada slowed the return of the rest.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in 2017 that regulations preventing the return of the garbage had been resolved.

Last year, Duterte ordered the cancellation of a multimillion-dollar agreement to buy 16 helicopters from Canada after its government decided to review the deal due to concerns the Philippine military might use the aircraft in counterinsurgency assaults.
OTTAWA - A Senate committee has approved dozens of amendments  primarily aimed at mollifying the energy industry  to the Liberal government's controversial environmental assessment legislation.

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This article was published 16/5/2019 (955 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau meets with Alberta Premier Jason Kenney in his office on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on May 2, 2019. A Senate committee has approved dozens of amendments ??? primarily aimed at mollifying the energy industry ??? to the Trudeau government's controversial environmental assessment legislation. Bill C-69 is supposed to improve the way the environmental impact of major energy and transportation projects are evaluated, making the assessments more stringent so that they are less likely to fail court challenges. But the oil industry, backed by Alberta Premier Jason Kenney, has launched ferocious opposition to the bill, which it claims will sow uncertainty and prevent major projects, such as pipelines, from ever getting off the ground. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

OTTAWA - A Senate committee has approved dozens of amendments  primarily aimed at mollifying the energy industry  to the Liberal government's controversial environmental assessment legislation.

Bill C-69 is supposed to improve the way the environmental impact of major energy and transportation projects are evaluated, making the assessments more stringent so that they are less likely to fail court challenges.

But the oil industry, backed by Alberta Premier Jason Kenney, has launched ferocious opposition to the bill, which it claims will sow uncertainty and prevent major projects, such as pipelines, from ever getting built.

Kenney, who has labelled the bill the "No More Pipelines Act," has gone so far as to warn of a national-unity crisis if the legislation were to pass unchanged. In one of this first acts as a new premier, he headed to Ottawa to fight it.

"I made it clear in both official languages that, if passed, that bill would jeopardize national unity and undermine our shared prosperity as Canadians by creating massive additional investor uncertainty, that would scare away job-creating investment and would make it impossible for companies to come forward with future potential pipelines," he said in Calgary Thursday.

The amendments approved by the Senate's energy, environment and natural resources committee would reduce cabinet discretion to intervene in the assessment process, make it harder for anyone to initiate court challenges to decisions on projects and change how climate-change impacts are considered; some are word-for-word what was proposed by energy lobby groups.

Kenney pronounced himself pleased with the changes but said he wants to see what happens with the final law: The Senate as a whole must now decide whether to accept or reject the amendments, which environmentalists say would gut the bill.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has indicated the government is open to amending the bill but he and Environment Minister Catherine McKenna have refused to comment on amendments proposed by senators until the upper house makes a final decision on them.

Conservative senators, who proposed 90 amendments, hailed the committee's acceptance of them as a win for Canada's regions and for energy-industry workers.

The amendments to C-69 come less than 24 hours after another Senate committee voted to kill the Trudeau government's proposed ban on oil tankers on the coast of northern British Columbia. The ban was promised by Trudeau during the 2015 election campaign.

The full Senate must still weigh in on that decision.

Any amendments to government bills approved by the Senate must go back to the House of Commons, where the government decides whether to accept, reject or modify them and sends the bill back to the upper house. So far during Trudeau's mandate, appointed senators have not insisted on any of their amendments after they've been rejected by the elected chamber.

Note to readers: This is a corrected story. A previous version said Jason Kenney spoke in Edmonton. He was in Calgary.
WASHINGTON - U.S. President Donald Trump has granted a full pardon to Conrad Black, a former newspaper publisher who has written a flattering political biography of Trump.

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This article was published 15/5/2019 (955 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

President Donald Trump has granted a full pardon to Conrad Black, a former newspaper publisher who has written a flattering political biography of Trump. Conrad Black poses at the University Club in Toronto on Tuesday, November 11, 2014. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darren Calabrese

WASHINGTON - U.S. President Donald Trump has granted a full pardon to Conrad Black, a former newspaper publisher who has written a flattering political biography of Trump.

In a release Wednesday, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said Black "has made tremendous contributions to business, and to political and historical thought."

The statement said those supporting Black's pardon include former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, Sir Elton John, Rush Limbaugh and the late William F. Buckley, Jr., founder of the conservative magazine National Review.

In a column posted on the website of the National Post, the newspaper he founded, Black said:

"My long ordeal with the U.S. justice system was never anything but a confluence of unlucky events, the belligerence of several corporate governance charlatans, and grandstanding local and American judges, all fanned by an unusually frenzied international media showing exceptional interest in the case because I was a media owner," he wrote.

"I always try to take success like a gentleman and reversals like a man. On to better things and brighter days."

Black's media empire once included the Postmedia chain of newspapers in Canada. He also owned prominent titles such as the Chicago Sun-Times, The Daily Telegraph of London and The Jerusalem Post.

Black, 74, has written biographies of several American presidents, as well as a history of Canada.

In 2007, Black was convicted of three counts of fraud and one of obstruction of justice in a Chicago court and sentenced to six and a half years in jail  more than twice the sentence handed to David Radler, his longtime partner who agreed to testify for the prosecution.

Two of the criminal fraud charges were dropped on appeal. But a conviction for felony fraud and obstruction of justice were upheld in 2010 and he was re-sentenced to 42 months in prison and fined $125,000.

When he was released he was deported back to Canada. He is still a British citizen.

He remains banned by the Ontario Securities Commission from acting as a corporate director or officer of a public company in Ontario. He was also removed from the Order of Canada.

Born in Montreal, Black gave up his Canadian citizenship in 2001 after a dispute with then-prime minister Jean Chretien over his nomination to Britain's House of Lords.

In 2018 he published "Donald J. Trump: A President Like No Other."

In it, he said "Americans will likely and rightly judge (Trump) a success, despite his lapses of suavity ... he is a man of his times, and his time has come."

He continues to write columns for the National Post.
ST. JOHN'S, N.L. - Voters in Newfoundland and Labrador registered their frustration with traditional politics Thursday by reducing the incumbent Liberals to minority status  a rare event in the province's history.

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This article was published 16/5/2019 (955 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Ches Crosbie, leader of the Provincial Progressive Conservative party in front of his campaign bus in St. John's on Sunday, May 12, 2019. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Paul Daly

ST. JOHN'S, N.L. - Voters in Newfoundland and Labrador registered their frustration with traditional politics Thursday by reducing the incumbent Liberals to minority status  a rare event in the province's history.

The last time a sitting government won less than a majority was in 1971 when the province's first premier, Joey Smallwood, failed to win his seventh consecutive majority government.

With all polls reporting, Premier Dwight Ball's Liberals had won 20 of the legislature's 40 seats, the Tories  led by political rookie Ches Crosbie  took 15, the New Democrats won three and two Independents were elected.

On the national level, the Liberals' tepid win is significant because it ends a string of victories by right-leaning parties over sitting governments  four of them Liberal  in the last five provincial elections.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau congratulated Ball in a tweet Thursday night.

"I look forward to continuing our work together to keep growing the province's economy and creating good, middle-class jobs." Trudeau said.

Ball, a former pharmacist, struck a conciliatory tone in a victory speech that focused on his commitment to work with other members of the legislature. He never mentioned the party's loss of majority status.

Residents arrive to vote in the provincial election at Immaculate Conception Roman Catholic Church in Deer Lake, Newfoundland and Labrador on Thursday, May 16, 2019. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan

"It is important that we work together for the good of all the people of Newfoundland and Labrador," he told a crowd in Corner Brook. "I will continue to welcome collaboration within the house of assembly."

The premier went on to remind supporters how the Liberals have worked hard to cope with a dire economic landscape.

"We have overcome the worst financial situation that this province has ever faced," he said, referring to the fact that the province's economy has sputtered since world oil prices plummeted in 2014.

In 2015, when his party was elected, Ball promised no public service layoffs and no tax increases. But the province's bleak economic outlook led him to break both of those promises, causing a public backlash.

With a population of 525,000, Newfoundland and Labrador's debt is more than $13 billion  the heaviest per capita burden in the country. And its debt-to-GDP ratio  considered a good benchmark of economic health  stands at 47 per cent, by far the worst in Canada.

After his muted victory speech, the 62-year-old premier shifted gears and took aim at Crosbie.

"Let's keep in mind that the electorate spoke tonight," Ball told reporters. "Ches Crosbie didn't get what he was looking for. He ran a very dirty campaign."

Crosbie, the 65-year-old son of former federal cabinet minister John Crosbie, delivered an ominous-sounding speech in St. John's, predicting Ball's government would be defeated within a year.

Premier Dwight Ball makes his way through the crowd after winning the provincial election in Corner Brook,Newfoundland and Labrador on Thursday, May 16, 2019. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan

"The tide is going out on the Ball Liberal government," he said in a monotone. "We now have a situation of constitutional instability .... The popular vote is extremely close, within a razor's edge."

Crosbie said he would soon be speaking to the newly elected New Democrats and Independents.

"I am not conceding victory to the Liberals," he said. "They will have to struggle ... to hang on to power."

With the Liberals just one seat shy of the 21 needed for a majority, the opposition parties don't have enough seats to topple the government.

And the Liberals will be looking for ways to reach that magic number. Speculation has already focused on the two elected Independents, Eddie Joyce and Paul Lane. Both were once members of the Liberal caucus, though Lane also served as a Tory.

As well, a recount will be held in the riding of Labrador West, where an NDP candidate defeated Liberal cabinet minister Graham Letto by five votes.

Ball won his riding in western Newfoundland. Crosbie won his riding in St. John's, and NDP Leader Alison Coffin, a former economics professor, also won in the capital.

When the provincial election was called, the Liberals held 27 seats in the 40-seat legislature, the Tories had eight, the New Democratic Party held two and there were three Independents.

The Liberals were considered front-runners at the beginning. But the Tories closed the gap toward the end of the race.

In the end, the Liberals took 44 per cent of the popular vote and the Tories 43 per cent. The NDP was a distant third at six per cent. There were no Green candidates in the race, but nine Independents were in the running.

The NDP fielded only 14 candidates, saying they weren't prepared for a snap election call.

During the campaign, Ball stressed that the province's economic picture had improved by citing an increase in employment over the past year. Statistics Canada figures show 7,000 more people were working in the province in March when compared with the same month last year.

Ball also promised he would balance the province's books by the end of his term in office, the same deadline promised by Crosbie. The Liberals have pledged to scrap the tax on auto insurance and draft a new autism action plan.

As for Crosbie, it appears the electorate wasn't won over by his pledge to do things differently  he even referred to himself as "a new broom."

Part of the problem was that his Conservatives have taken much of the blame for delays and blown budgets plaguing the Muskrat Falls hydroelectric project, still under construction in central Labrador.

The megaproject, which the previous Tory government approved in late 2012, is two years behind schedule, and the projected cost has doubled to more than $12.7 billion.

Crosbie has been stung by forecasts suggesting residential electricity rates will double by 2021 to pay off the project.

As well, an ongoing public inquiry has hurt the Tories. Since last fall, former Tory cabinet ministers and premiers have testified about alleged mismanagement and cost overruns.

Crosbie's campaign also had its share of glitches.

Less than a week before the vote, Crosbie announced that Tory candidate Michael Normore would be ejected from caucus if he won his riding in Labrador. Normore had used social media to say he was opposed to legal abortion and same-sex marriage  views incompatible with the party's positions. Normore lost Thursday.
Conference facilities in regions outside of Dublin will be promoted by Failte Ireland as it aims to attract business tourism worth 58m.

Business and event venues in Cork, Kerry, Galway and the Shannon region will be showcased today at the annual Meet Dublin event in London.
Global Healthcare company GSK has reassured staff that there will be no job losses at its Cork plant in spite of an agreement to sell the site to Thermo Fisher Scientific.

The sale will see the ownership of GSKs Cork manufacturing site, including all facilities, business operations and approximately 400 employees transfer to Thermo Fisher, subject to the appropriate regulatory clearances.

Under Thermo Fishers ownership, the site will continue to support GSK as a key customer.

Thermo Fisher is a leading contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) for the pharmaceutical industry, offering services ranging from drug development to clinical trials to commercial manufacturing.

GSK Cork Site Director, Mike OSullivan, said that the acquisition offers a more sustainable future for the site and their highly talented employees.

GSK has been in Cork for more than 40 years, so we recognise that today is a significant day for everyone at the site.

Our employees can be extremely proud of the contribution they have made to millions of patients lives all over the world through their work for GSK. We are confident that todays announcement creates certainty and stability for the site and its employees.

Mr OSullivan said due to strategic changes in the GSK portfolio and emerging pipeline, the Cork site had been significantly under-utilised.

He said that it became clear that the site was no longer a competitive fit within GSKs manufacturing network.

As well as providing immediate certainty, furthermore, we believe the sale will leave the site well positioned for future growth and development.

Patrick Glaser, president of the drug substance sector within Thermo Fishers Pharma Services business said becoming part of Thermo Fisher will ensure a bright future for the employees that have contributed so much to the success of GSK over the years.

Todays announcement does not impact any of GSKs other businesses or interests in Ireland.
THE future for software development in Ireland has never looked brighter, with companies of all sizes from multinationals to indigenous start-ups steadily expanding.

The sector has been growing at a phenomenal rate in Cork  as is evident in the buzz surrounding this years RebelCon, Irelands largest software engineering conference, which takes place in the Clayton Hotel, Cork, on Wednesday and Thursday, June 19 and 20.

It will be the third year that the conference creates a platform for the sector to discuss software engineering, architecture, machine learning, big data, Internet of Things, design, test and team culture.

Recruitment in the sector is soaring, not least at Poppulo, whose communications software platform and advisory services are helping companies transform their internal communications and enhance employee engagement.

Poppulos head of engineering, Damien Daly, is very optimistic about the future for software engineering in Ireland, and in Cork in particular. He was one of the founders of RebelCon, along with his Poppulo colleague Stephanie Sheehan and Aidan Casey of Johnson Controls.

We are very optimistic about, both about Poppulo and the sector as a whole, said Damien Daly. In recent years, the tech sector in Cork has gone through a transition from being dominated by big multinationals to being a hub for expanding indigenous companies.

One of the reasons for this has been the soaring costs of salaries and housing in Dublin. Cork offers great lifestyle choices to employees, with better disposable income and West Cork just a short drive away.

Were seeing a lot of people moving to Cork from Dublin and London. The fact that software engineering is knowledge-based work, primarily over the internet, means that you can choose your location to suit your business.

We have a lot of international workers at Poppulo. The feedback were getting is that moving to Cork is a great lifestyle choice. The local ecosystem is also very strong, with excellent graduates from UCC and CIT, both of whom we have strong relationships with.

In January, Poppulo announced that it had raised 30m in funding from US venture capital firm Susquehanna Growth Equity (SGE). It is using these funds to invest in its technology platform and to take on additional sales and marketing staff across North America and Europe.

Established in Cork by chief executive Andrew OShaughnessy back in 2002, Poppulo has developed an employee communications platform that is used by more than 800 leading organisations  including Unilever, Bank of America, Nestle, Johnson Controls, Rolls-Royce, Boston Scientific CRH, Kerry, AIB and the Ardagh Group.

Poppulo claims that 30% of the largest employers in Europe are among its customers, and 20% of the biggest companies in the US.

Little wonder it is in near permanent recruitment mode. The company currently employs 70 highly skilled software engineers among its total 200 staff.

The company this week unveiled plans to create 125 new jobs in its latest recruitment drive, with a suite of openings for software designers, developers, testers and reliability engineers, among others. The company is attracting interest from skilled workers both locally and internationally.

Of course, the same could be said of other companies in Cork like Johnson Controls, Apple, VMWare, Qualcomm, Teamwork, Xanadu, Over-C, Zendesk, NuAra, FireEye and Forcepoint. Theyre all recruiting, all growing and serving global clients. Most will also be represented at RebelCon.

RebelCon is a grassroots conference, created by practitioners for practitioners, said Damien Daly. There is a very strong vibrant tech community in Cork, with a great mix of big and mid-sized companies.

The conference came about because we saw that a lot of people were organising meet-ups around the region. We wanted to create a focal point for those discussions.

The genesis of RebelCon has always been to serve the technology community, particularly developers, designers and testers.

While weve already secured an impressive line-up of national and international industry speakers, we are truly committed to being led by software sector, and hence this shout out to the sector to submit papers and speakers for the 2019 event, said the RebelCon co-founder Damien Daly.

Hosted by Poppulo, with support from it@cork Skillnet and software houses across Ireland including Teamwork, Johnson Controls and Dell EMC, RebelCon expects to attract over 300 attendees to this years event.

One topic that will generate some lively discussion will focus on inclusivity in the workplace. Given the collaborative nature of new software product development, virtually all the companies cited here see teamwork as being vital to their progress.

Workplace culture is very important in this sector, said Damien Daly. All these companies realise the importance of inclusivity and safe places for people to collabrate and create.

Innovation and product development require a lot of collaboration. So this will be one of the interesting areas of discussion at RebelCon. Of course, there will also be a lot of technical discussion.

There really is nothing quite like this conference anywhere else in the country. It is Irelands premier software development conference. From day one, we have always been very conscious of having the best of local and international speakers.

RebelCon comprises two days of workshops as well as talks on the latest technology, culture and development practices in the software industry.

The series of talks and workshops will feature speakers including: David French, Google; Paul McGrath, Dell EMC; Donagh Horgan, Johnson Controls; Oonagh OBrien, CIT; Kevin Duggan, Poppulo; Julie Matviyuk, Symantec; David Gonzalez and Alex Knol, nearForm; Sabine Wojcieszak, getNextIT; and Jorge Salamero, Sysdig.

https://RebelCon.io/

Business Movers

Dr Jennifer Collins has been appointed as lead general dentist in Northumberland Dental Care in Dublin 4, formerly The Northumberland Institute of Dental Medicine. She will provide a full range of general dental treatments for patients, as well as specialising in facial aesthetics. A graduate of University of Wales College of Medicine, she has trained and worked as a dentist in both Ireland and the UK. She has worked in private practice in Dublin 2 for over 10 years. She also spent two in Maxillofacial Surgery across two hospitals in Brighton and Eastbourne, UK. She has a special interest in cosmetic, restorative and implant dentistry and is fully trained in facial aesthetics. She is a member of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, and sits on the Irish Dental Associations GP Committee, and has volunteered with a number of charities including Operation Smile.

Mark Synnott has joined financial advisers Duff & Phelps as managing director and head of the firms Real Estate Advisory Group (REAG) in Dublin. He joins from GVA Donal O Buachalla, where he was a company director, responsible for loan security valuations, investment acquisition advice and landlord and tenant services including rent reviews. He was previously divisional director with JLL in Dublin. He brings more than 20 years of experience in investment and strategic advice. He has advised major lenders, restructuring professionals, private equity groups and property companies on strategy and valuation matters. He is the incoming chair of the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland (SCSI) valuation surveying professional group and sits on the Building Information Modelling (BIM) working group representing the Valuation Professional Group.

Paul Kingston has been appointed healthcare portfolio manager with BlackBee. Paul is a leading figure and authority in the healthcare sector in Ireland. He is a chartered accountant and held financial controller roles prior to purchasing his first nursing home in 1997. Paul was instrumental in the formation of Carechoice Group, one of the largest nursing home groups in Ireland and oversaw the exponential growth of the business over the last 10 years. He studied Chartered Accountancy in Cork Institute of Technology. He said: I am delighted to join the team at BlackBee as we begin work on a number of healthcare sector projects. It is a very exciting opportunity.

Cormac Ryan has been named as sales director with Enet, the wholesale, open-access telecoms network provider. Previously Enets commercial manager, he will now oversee the implementation of Enets ongoing sales strategy. He will report to David Eyre, Enets chief commercial officer. He brings 20 years of customer relationship experience in the Irish telecoms marketplace, including the management of customer projects, as well as holding sales roles. He has held roles in Silicon & Software Systems (S3 Group) and BT Ireland. He holds a degree in Electrical and Microelectric Engineering, and a diploma in Applied Project Management, both University College Cork.

Annemarie Harte has been appointed as managing director of the Irish business of Ecocem Ireland Ltd, the low carbon cement manufacturer. She will oversee the Irish and UK operations, and the launch of new product solutions. She is taking over the role from Micheal McKittrick, who is moving to a new post as Ecocems MD for northern Europe with responsibility for the Irish, UK and Benelux markets. She was previously CEO of Hardware Association Ireland (HAI), and has also held senior roles including consultant with the Royal Life Saving Society, CEO of Rotary International and manager of Dun Laoghaire Rathdown Chamber of Commerce.
Irish software company Poppulo plans to create 125 jobs at its Cork headquarters as part of an international expansion that will almost double its workforce within three years.

The announcement came as Enterprise Ireland (EI) said job numbers in Corks tech sector have grown 63% in the last five years with potential for more growth.

Poppulo founder Andrew OShaughnessy said: About six years ago we went after a global market, and set out to be a global market leader and we have grabbed that. It all depends on how we execute and on the people we hire.

But if we do it right, there is huge potential.

Poppulo, which creates software to help companies manage internal staff communications, employs 200 people - 163 in Cork and 37 in Boston. Its clients include Unilever, Bank of America, Nestle, Johnson Controls, Rolls-Royce and almost half the worlds top pharma companies.

The expansion announced yesterday, combined with a parallel expansion of their operations in the US, will bring their total workforce to more than 400 within three years.

The new jobs will be mainly hi-tech engineering and R&D roles, but there will also be sales and marketing positions. Minister for Business Heather Humphreys described Poppulo as a shining example of a company that is creating quality and sustainable jobs.

Earlier this year, the company secured a 30m investment from a US private equity fund which has helped accelerate its growth, with support from EI. EIs regional director Martin Corkery said Corks tech sector has seen employment levels grow by 63% in the last five years.

There is a maturity coming to the sector here now with high-scale growth in businesses that are creating new opportunities in global markets, he said.

Cork is on the crest of a wave and with 1m sq ft of office space in development, the city will have the facilities and offices to attract foreign direct investment. It is a city with huge potential and can really ride the crest of the wave, he said.
A cross-party investigation into the 5bn national broadband plan will also look at the best way to roll out a high-speed network to rural Ireland.

Public Expenditure secretary-general Robert Watt, whose concerns about the plan have triggered surprise, is one of the first witnesses TDs and senators want to question about the project.

The Oireachtas Communications Committee has invited the top civil servant to appear next Wednesday as well officials from the same department, who oppose the government broadband plan.

Earlier this month the Government approved a consortium, led by Granahan McCourt, as the preferred bidder for the project, which aims to deliver high-speed broadband to more than 540,000 homes and business across the country in the next seven years.

Responding to a 12-year-old's questions about broadband coverage in rural areas yesterday while in Dublin, Mr Varadkar said:

In the second year [of the plan] and every year after that between 100,000 and 150,000 could be be connected which still means it will take six or seven years to do it.

"I wish we could do it quicker but the experts and the people who work in the business tell us that is as quickly as it can be done," he added.

TDs with the communications committee yesterday agreed that the inquiry will take six weeks to consider the broadband plan agreed with Granahan McCourt. It will then take another two weeks to write up a report which will include identifying the best options to roll out broadband to rural areas.

Fianna Fail's Timmy Dooley has said he wants more analysis of Granahan McCourt's limited 220m equity investment in the plan as against the taxpayers' contribution of 3bn. Mr Dooley also wants answers as to the role played by Frank McCourt, a brother of the principal investor, in the bid.

Furthermore, the TD wants answers as to why consultants KPMG advised that a gap-funded model was the best option for the project.

This investigation that the committee is holding over the next six weeks will hopefully bring clarity to the issues pertaining to the national broadband plan," Committee member and Fine Gael senator Tim Lombard said.

"The testimony next week from the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and Department of Communications [at a later stage] will go along way to informing the committee of how the process was followed in making the decision. The most important thing is that we deliver high-speed broadband to rural Ireland without any more delays.

Meanwhile, Sinn Fein launched its proposal for state-owned ESB to lead the way with the rural broadband plan. The party will table a Dail motion on June 11 during its private members time.

This motion will call for an immediate study to examine the best model for delivery of a new broadband plan through the ESB to every home, farm and business in rural Ireland. It will also call for the infrastructure to remain in public ownership.

The government has already called the proposed Dail motion a political stunt, which critics say is designed to embarrass Fianna Fail.

Mr Varadkar said he is worried there will be pressure to scrap the plan. "I wish we could do things quicker. But my fear is the opposition and some other political people will stop the contract being signed and then it's back to square one."
Kerry TD John Brassil has said that Kerry County Council is above reproach with regard to allegations of interference with the countys supplementary register of electors.

The Fianna Fail representative was responding to reports that Gardai are making enquiries into allegations of interference.

The allegations centre on the charge that a person gathered up forms for applications to the supplementary register of electors, got them signed by members of the public, and then may have had an individual Garda stamp them without being in the presence of the people to whom the forms relate.

Mr Brassil told RTE Radios News at One that these are preliminary enquiries and he hopes that they do not lead to any charges.

The integrity of the register of electors is sacrosanct, he said.

"If there is any suspicion of irregularity a full investigation has to be carried out," he added.

Mr Brassil said that he would welcome any move to clear up the situation, saying: "The issue emphasised the importance of every vote."

He pointed out that at the last election as few as three and five votes separated the three candidates in the last count.

Every vote counts and they all have to be 100% above board.

He said there was a suspicion that anything between 100 and 300 forms may be involved.

Kerry County Council are above reproach. They have to take every form they get at face value. They have no reason to believe other than that.
The Disclosures Tribunal will give its decision later on whether various witnesses should or should not get their legal costs.

Tribunal chairman, Mr Justice Peter Charleton, who sat in Dublin's Four Courts today to hear submissions on costs, said he would post his decisions on the tribunal website.

Tribunal counsel, Kathleen Leader, said the principles applying to the costs decision starts with the default assumption that a party should not get costs if they failed to co-operate or knowingly provided false or misleading evidence.

Mr Justice Charleton said he wanted lawyers for the various parties to specifically address points in relation to telling the truth, whether fair procedures have been followed in relation to costs, and whether there should be a percentage reduction in costs depending on circumstances. There was also the question, as it is taxpayers money involved, whether there was any room for compassion and mercy in deciding those costs.

Michael O'Higgins SC, for now-retired garda press officer, Supt Dave Taylor, said despite adverse findings against his client, he should get 90% of his costs because he had co-operated.

The tribunal, in its report, found Mr Taylor and former Garda Commissioner Martin Callinan together conducted a campaign to smear and "repulsively denigrate" now-retired garda whistleblower Maurice McCabe for "being no more than a good citizen and police officer".

Maurice McCabe.

Mr O'Higgins said Mr Taylor's participation in the tribunal involved a very significant commitment from him and public examination of him in which, it had to be acknowledged, he was significantly found to be wanting.

It must be accepted there are negative findings against him but counsel said there were a number of factors to be considered when taking into account his co-operation.

His client was the only member of the gardai to acknowledge there was wrongdoing and that there was a campaign to smear then-Sergeant McCabe. It was accepted this was not done out of good duty and was clouded by his own personal agenda which meant there were inevitable consequences to be drawn.

However, there was "significant co-operation" from Mr Taylor who as a key witness readily clarified any issues raised by the chairman of the tribunal.

He had also released journalists who gave evidence from their claim of journalistic privilege involving him. He was always willing to be a witness unlike many journalists who did not come forward, counsel said.

This was a very complex case involving a large volume of documentation which tied up a senior lawyer in the firm representing Mr Taylor, ME Hanahoe Solicitors, counsel also said.

File photo of Peter Charleton.

Asked by Mr Justice Charleton how he arrived at the figure that Mr Taylor's cost entitlements should only be reduced by one-tenth, Mr O'Higgins said while he could not do so forensically, it was a level at which the tribunal could mark its disapproval and at a level to show where he "came up short" which is reasonable and proportionate.

John Rogers SC, for garda human resources director John Barrett, said there was no finding his client gave deliberately false evidence and no statement to the effect that he was dishonest. He was therefore entitled to all his costs, counsel said.

Mr Barrett had claimed at the tribunal he was told by former garda chief administration officer Cyril Dunne we are going after Sgt McCabe. Mr Dunne denied the claim.

Mr Rogers said while the tribunal was not satisfied this conversation ever took place, this fell far short of making any finding of having made a false statement. The tribunal, in considering costs, was undertaking a balancing act which should be done with very real caution.

Mr Rogers said he was not going to propose any reduction in costs in the absence of any finding of deliberate falsehood against his client. Compassion and mercy also did not arise in this case.

Felix McEnroy SC, for Mr Taylors wife Michelle, who gave evidence about setting up a meeting between her husband and Sgt McCabe, urged that she should get her full costs in the public interest of ensuring people co-operate. Her testimony was important for the tribunal and for Sgt McCabe in establishing the chain of evidence, he said.

Oisin Quinn SC, for Irish Examiner journalists Daniel McConnell, Juno McEnroe and Cormac O'Keefe, said despite asserting journalistic privilege in circumstances where Supt Taylor had waived his right to be protected, his clients should also get their full costs.

Despite asserting that privilege, they were co-operating and were not in the same category of people who knowingly provided false information. They were entitled to 100% of their costs, counsel said.

Counsel for two gardai who gave evidence, Inspector Patrick O'Connell and retired Garda John Kennedy, also urged that his clients get all their costs.
A Fine Gael councillor and constituency colleague of An Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has received an "unreserved apology" from a Sinn Fein activist over comments posted on Facebook.

Cllr Ted Leddy (aged 32), who holds the council seat in Castleknock once held by Mr Varadkar, settled a defamation action he took against Sinn Fein activist Alan Donnelly over comments posted on the social media platform on July 12, 2018.

He had claimed the defamatory post, arising out of the councillor's attendance at an event marking the Orange Order's 12th of July celebrations, had led to him receiving a death threat and other negative commentaries.

At the High Court today, Mr Justice Seamus Noonan was told by Willam Maher BL, instructed by solicitor Kevin O'Higgins for Cllr Leddy, that the case had been settled on terms.

As part of the settlement, a statement by Mr Donnelly was read to the court.

He "unreservedly apologised to Mr Leddy," and acknowledged that his comments published on Facebook on July 12, 2018, with respect to Mr Leddy and his political activities "were entirely untrue, unwarranted and without foundation."

In his statement, Mr Donnelly also "apologised unreservedly for any distress caused to Mr Leddy his partner and his family as a consequence of his actions and he confirms that he has paid an amount of compensation to Mr Leddy as a result."

Mr Donnelly also undertook "to post an apology and a clarification on his social media pages and encourage all those who shared his original post of July 12, 2018, to delete that post from their newsfeed and instead to share his clarifications".

The court heard that Mr Donnelly from Lohunda Downs, Clonsilla, Dublin, is a brother of Sinn Fein politician Cllr Paul Donnelly, and had also agreed to pay Mr Leddy a sum of 19,750 which is inclusive of the FG councillor's legal costs.

Mr Maher said the defamation arose after his client was pictured at "a cross-border, cross-community event," on July 12, 2018.

Counsel said Mr Donnelly was not present in court but was aware of the application and that the statement was being read to the court as part of the settlement agreement.

Other terms of the settlement include undertakings by Mr Donnelly to desist from making any further defamatory and hateful comments about Mr Leddy.

He had agreed that over the next 24 hours he will remove all previous defamatory comments made by him on social media.

Mr Donnelly also undertook to post a statement in similar terms to the one read to the court on top of his Facebook newsfeed for the next 30 days, and share it on several social media pages where the original defamatory post was widely circulated.

Mr Justice Noonan agreed to accept and file the terms of the settlement agreement and gave liberty to Cllr Leddy to apply to have the case re-entered should the need arise.
Update 8.25pm: A Garda Inspector arrested as part of an investigation into suspected corruption in the force has been released without charge.

Immediately upon his release he was placed on suspension from duty.

The Garda Inspector was among three members - a superintendent, an inspector and a garda - arrested this morning in relation to alleged links with a Munster organised crime group.

The Garda Superintendent and a member of Garda rank have had their periods of detention further extended and remain in Garda custody.

- Digital desk

Gardai detained as part of corruption probe have period of detention extended

Update 6.30pm: Three members of An Garda Siochana arrested as part of an investigation into suspected corruption in the force have had their periods of detention extended for a further six hours.

A detective, a Garda Superintendent and an inspector can be held for up to 24 hours, after they were arrested this morning.

John Devitt from Transparency International Ireland says police forces around the world could be open to possible corruption.

"Every police force across the world is susceptible to corruption and Ireland was almost unique in so far as they didn't have an internal anti-corruption unit," said Mr Devitt.

"I have been told that the Garda Commissioner was shocked when he arrived that there wasn't a specialised unit to undertake investigations and intelligence-led policing into Garda corruption.

"The tendency has been to wait until a call has been made to someone sitting by a phone waiting for information on corruption."

- Digital desk

Garda Superintendent, Inspector and Garda arrested over alleged links to organised crime in Munster

Update 8.45am: A high-ranking officer is among three gardai being questioned in relation to alleged links with a Munster organised crime group.

Specialist officers arrested the three members  a superintendent, an inspector and a garda  in a tightly-guarded operation this morning.

The Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has says it is a worrying situation.

He said: "I haven't received a briefing from the Minister of Justice on it, so I don't know the background to it, but obviously it's a serious development and we'll just have to see how it goes."

It has not been disclosed what station or stations the gardai are attached to and details of where they are being questioned is being kept secret.

Sources said it is unusual that the three individuals have been arrested for separate alleged offences.

The superintendent has been arrested for breach of the provisions of section 62 of the Garda Siochana Act, 2005  which relates to disclosing information.

The inspector has been arrested under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1977-84, but the specific suspected offence has not been disclosed.

The garda has been arrested for suspected conspiracy to pervert the course of justice, but the legislation has not been cited.

The arrests follow a lengthy and complex investigation by the Garda National Bureau of Criminal Investigation (GNBCI), which is based in Dublin.

One garda has already been arrested and questioned in relation to allegedly leaking information to a criminal gang.

Some of the leaked information is alleged to be linked to a planned raid by the Criminal Assets Bureau targeting a suspected money laundering associate of the Munster drug gang.

It has not been disclosed what legislation the three gardai are being detained under, with Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act being the standard law used. This allows for a maximum detention period of 24 hours, excluding rest breaks. Organised crime legislation and drug legislation allow for longer detention periods.

The operation was led by the Assistant Commissioner of Special Crime Operations (SCO) and involved the Garda National Bureau of Criminal Investigation (GNBCI) and the Garda National Drugs & Organised Crime Bureau (GNDOCB).

Deputy Commissioner John Twomey, who confirmed the arrests.

Deputy Commissioner John Twomey, Policing & Security confirmed the arrests this morning saying they are being questioned over a suspicion that they have been involved in the commission of one or more criminal offences.

The Deputy Commissioner said: "An Garda Siochana is fully committed to investigating any alleged wrong-doing or corruption involving Garda personnel, and will work with other relevant agencies in doing so.

"As this is a live and ongoing investigation, it is not appropriate to make any further comment at this time.

The Minister for Justice, Charlie Flanagan, said: While I obviously cant comment on individual cases, I expect a thorough and timely investigation.
Gardai are appealing for the public's assistance in tracing the whereabouts of missing man Ivan Vorcykhina.

Ivan was last seen shortly after midnight on Tuesday, 14 May on Parnell Road, Enniscorthy.
New initiatives are being introduced to encourage people living in rural areas to use evening and late night public transport.

Following a pilot of Local Link bus services last Summer, the government is to fund all counties with evening buses until the end of the year.
Ireland is near the top of the table of 25 countries for opioid-related drug deaths, according to new research.

The study by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development shows Ireland has the sixth highest number of such deaths, with the number of fatalities increasing in recent years.

Opioid deaths include both illegal drugs like heroin, legally supplied substitute drugs such as methadone, and prescription painkillers, such as oxycodone.

The report shows:

In 25 OECD countries for which data are available, the average of opioid-related deaths (ORD) has increased by more than 20% in 2011-2016, with the rise most pronounced in the United States, Canada, Sweden, Ireland and England and Wales.

It said the surge in such deaths was fuelled by a mounting health and social crisis leading to illegal drugs use, such as heroin, but that over-prescription of opioid pain killers by doctors had also contributed.

The report said the average availability of prescription analgesic opioids had grown steadily in the past 15 years across the OECD.

There was a boom in the last decade, the report said. It said opioid overprescribing was considered one of the most important root causes of the crisis in the US and Canada.

It said:

The influence of pharmaceutical manufacturers on pain management has been considered significant, by conducting marketing campaigns targeted mainly at physicians and patients, downplaying the problematic effect of opioids

But it said higher rates of opioids availability are not necessarily correlated with higher overdose death rates, citing the experience of Germany, Austria, Belgium and Denmark.

The report said that the availability of these prescribed opioid pain killers in Ireland was less than the OECD average.

In terms of illegal drugs, heroin was the most prevalent illicit opioid worldwide but added that fentanyl, which it described as highly toxic, had become more prominent in the market.

Fentanyl was linked to five deaths in Dublin and Cork in 2016.

A minuscule amount of pure fentanyl (about the size of a pinch of salt) can be fatal, said the report.

It said economic and social conditions such as unemployment, housing and exclusion were linked to the opioid crisis.

It recommended countries engage in better prescribing practices, expanding treatment and harm minimisation, better approaches across the health, social and criminal justice systems and more research.

It said drug consumption rooms are available in seven countries studied. It said decriminalisation of possession of illicit opioids was practised in part or full in 14 of the 25 countries studies.
A jury will return to the High Court tomorrow to resume considering its verdict on proceedings by solicitor Gerald Kean alleging he was defamed in a newspaper article concerning a visit by members of the Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) to his Dublin office.

Mr Kean has sued over an article published in the Irish Daily Star on 11 May 2016, headlined Kean Caught Up in CAB probe.

It concerned a visit by CAB officers on 9 May 2016 to the solicitors offices at Upper Pembroke Street with a view to getting a conveyancing file relating to the purchase in 2015 of a house at Kildare Road, Crumlin by a client of the firm, Dubliner Sean McGovern, whom CAB suspected of involvement with the Kinahan crime gang.

CAB had secured warrants from the District Court to search 18 premises, including Mr Keans, on 9 March 2016 as part of its long-running investigation into the assets of the Kinahan gang.

The file was provided to the CAB officers by Mr Keans office and a senior CAB officer told the court it ultimately lead to Mr McGoverns house being forfeit to the State as the proceeds of crime.

Mr Kean claims the article wrongly meant he was linked to gangland crime and damaged him personally and professionally.

Independent Star Ltd denied defamation and also pleaded fair and reasonable publication for purpose of discussion of a matter of public interest in the public benefit.

The jury of five women and seven men were instructed on the applicable law by Mr Justice Bernard Barton before going out about 3.40pm to begin deliberations.

They returned at 6.30pm when the chairman said they could not seem to reach a unanimous verdict and were seeking guidance.

When the judge queried whether more time might help them to reach a unanimous verdict, the chairman said time would assist but they would also like guidance.

After the chairman also said some of the jurors were tired and would like to go home and have a fresh start in the morning, the judge said the jury could go home and return at 10am tomorrow.

He said he would address the query concerning guidance as to a majority verdict at that stage.

In considering their verdict, the jury has an issue paper setting out three questions.

The first asks whether the article meant Mr Kean was subject of a probe by CAB into the criminal activities of the Hutch/Kinahan gang following the Regency Hotel shootings and was suspected by CAB of being associated with gangland crime and of facilitating criminal activity in his profession as a solicitor.

If they find the article did not bear any of those meanings, that is the end of the case.

If they find it meant any or all of the meanings alleged, they go on consider question two.

It asks, in the circumstances of the case, whether the manner and extent of publication was no more than reasonably sufficient and whether the article was published in the course of, or for the purpose of, the discussion of a subject of public interest, the discussion of which was for the public benefit and was it fair and reasonable to publish the statement.

Question three concerns assessment of damages and is dependent on how the jury answer the first two questions.
Latest: A former mayor of Kilkenny has said that opposition to the planned mosque and Islamic centre in the city was not an issue of religion, but one of traffic management.

Marie Fitzpatrick, who is a resident of Bishop Birch Place, which is adjacent to Hebron Industrial Estate, told radio station KCLR that local people are being dictated to and not consulted by the executive of Kilkenny County Council.

She said that residents of Bishop Birch Place had been seeking a road out of the area for some time and 10 years ago were promised ramps. We seem to be the forgotten people.

Its not about religion. Its about traffic management. In the afternoons from 3.30pm to 6.30pm it is impossible to get out on the road. Then the congestion leads into the city.

The former Labour councillor said that factories in the area are not causing a problem, its the traffic on Hebron road. Its bad on a normal day, but on match days it is chaotic.

She anticipates that plans for a funeral parlour and a hotel will also meet opposition for the same reasons.

Were being dictated to, not consulted by an executive. Local councillors are not coming in to talk to us, to experience whats happening. They should be coming in to talk to us, were the experts. Weve been here for more than 40 years, surely to God we should have a say on developments in our own area.

However, Imam Ibrahim Nadure told the same radio station that worshippers would not contribute to traffic problems as they come to prayer five times a day for only 10 to 15 minutes.

He pointed out that a nearby supermarket has a lot of customers and that on match days in nearby Nowlan Park that is when traffic problems are at their worst. We will not be causing traffic problems.

Imam Nadure said that the Board of Trustees of his community is awaiting the letter from An Bord Pleanala and he does not yet know the rationale behind the decision to reverse the county councils planning permission.

Everybody is in suspense. There is a gloomy cloud over us today. We will figure out the merits of the case. We really want a place of worship. We have visited every site in Kilkenny. We just want to build in Kilkenny.

Earlier: Imam claims rejection of plan to build Kilkenny mosque is 'very painful in the heart'

Kilkenny Imam Ibrahim Nadure has described a decision by An Bord Pleanala to reject plans for a mosque and Islamic centre as crushingly disappointing.

It was something very painful in the heart, he told RTE radios Morning Ireland.

The proposal by the Kilkenny Islamic Trust for a mosque and Islamic centre at the Hebron Industrial Estate on the edge of the city was granted planning permission last year by Kilkenny County Council.

However, a number of appeals were lodged with the board and a decision was made this week to overturn the councils decision.

The proposed development included a mosque, a two-storey community building, two guest apartments, two two-storey four-bedroom semi-detached houses, classrooms, a cafe and a halal shop.

Imam Nadure said that the Muslim community in Kilkenny just wanted a place of worship. They have been renting premises for the past 11-12 years.

Our community is growing, we have been paying rent a long time. It is high time we have our own Islamic centre. We wanted to start the process of moving to our own place.

He said that when the planning process commenced there was much misinformation with false claims that there would be a call to prayer, that property prices in the area would drop. These were meant to generate fear.

The Imam added that a public meeting held to allay local fears had been brutal and harsh.

The Islamic community will now address the points raised in An Bord Pleanala inspectors report to see what will be the next step.

This whole process has taken a lot of time and resources. The response is something very painful in the heart.

He described as totally insensitive a comment by local election candidate Michael McGrath who described the decision as better than an All-Ireland victory.

We are absolutely peaceful, very kind. 70% of the doctors in the hospital here are Muslim. We just want a place to worship.

Most of our children were born here, they go to school here. Is it too much to ask for a place to worship?
A man has gone on trial charged with deceiving five men into transferring approximately 1.765m total into bank accounts he controlled.

A jury at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard that Simon Gold (54) represented himself as a highly qualified financier, merchant banker or financial consultant.

Mr Gold with an address of Augharan, Aughavas, Co. Leitrim, has pleaded not guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to 22 charges including money laundering, theft, deception and control of false instruments on dates between January 1, 2010 and October 22, 2012.

In his opening address to the jury, Lorcan Staines SC, prosecuting, said it was the prosecution's case that the accused had represented himself as Simon Gold, Simon Gould, Simon Magnier and Niall O'Donoghue.

He said that Mr Gold used a false ESB bill to open a bank account for an entity titled Anglo Irish Global Ltd.. He said this entity has no association with the now defunct Anglo Irish Bank Ltd which grabbed the headlines for some years.

Mr Staines said Mr Gold also admitted to operating the company Elite Bank Group and Irish Nationwide Bank.

Mr Staines said it was the prosecution's case that a very wealthy Danish businessman, who people might describe as a high net worth individual, met with a German lawyer and agreed to put 1.6m in two installments into an account they would both have access to with the promise of a return of 25% each month for 12 months.

Counsel said that sadly the deal was too good to be true. He said that 800,000 was transferred into the account of Anglo Irish Global Ltd controlled by Mr Gold and that 673,000 of this was transferred by Mr Gold into other accounts within days of it being lodged.

The account was frozen when a second installment of 800,000 was lodged.

Mr Staines told the jury that it was the prosecution's case that four Irish men were seeking loans of large sums of money. At the time due to the financial crisis banks were not lending large loans, he said.

He said the four men were deceived into transferring what they believed were down payments into bank accounts controlled by Mr Gold in order to secure the loans. None of the loans every came through for the four men.

Counsel said that a quarry business owner, a dairy farmer, and two men involved in the construction sector transferred an approximate total of 75,000 into various accounts.

He said that Mr Gold returned 10,000 to one man, claiming that it was out of his own pocket and that another man had run off with the entire sum of 30,000.

Mr Staines said that documentation submitted by the four men while seeking their loans was discovered on Mr Gold's computer during a search by gardai of the accused's home.

He said that as it was the prosecution's case that Irish Nationwide Bank is not an actual bank and that what purported to be bank drafts from Irish Nationwide Bank which were found on the accused's computer were in fact false instruments.

Mr Staines said that the prosecution alleges that while purchasing a computer from Harvey Norman, Mr Gold used a false driving licence in the name of Niall O'Donoghue. He said the prosecution alleges Mr Gold dishonestly operated that computer with intention of making a gain.

The trial continues tomorrow before Judge Martin Nolan and a jury.
A 32-year-old Dubliner who was cleared of murder but found guilty of stabbing another man after a row over a noisy house party has been jailed for three years.

Mr Justice Michael White said that while the defendant was subjected to extreme provocation on the night, he had a knife in his possession and was "prepared to use it".

Furthermore, the judge called it "nonsense" that the father-of-three had told a psychologist that he had thought no more about the incident after a young man had lost his life.

Gary Watson, with an address at Millbrook Avenue, Kilbarrack, Dublin 13 was convicted by a jury last February of assaulting Philip Woodcock (aged 34) causing him harm as well as producing a knife on January 16, 2010. He had denied both charges.

However, Watson was acquitted of murdering former soldier Warren OConnor (aged 24) on the same occasion at Hole in the Wall Road, Donaghmede, Dublin 13. Mr OConnor died from a single stab wound to the neck and the knifes blade was found partially impaled in his body. Watson had also pleaded not guilty to that charge and all the verdicts were unanimous.

The two-week trial at the Central Criminal Court heard that a fight ensued between two groups of men after Mr Woodcock removed a fuse and cut power to his neighbours apartment so that a noisy house party would end and the occupants would leave.

The trial also heard that one group - which included Mr Woodcock and the deceased Mr O'Connor - left Grattan Wood apartment complex in a Ford Focus car on the night before it was rammed by another group - which included Watson  in a black Honda Civic car.

Warren OConnor.

Following this, Mr Woodcock got out of his car and ran towards the other car where he was approached by Watson, who was carrying a knife and stabbed Mr Woodcock in the shoulder.

Watson was sentenced to three years in prison for the assault causing harm charge and three years for production of the knife.

The sentences are to run concurrently and were backdated to December 18, 2017.

Passing sentence today, Mr Justice White said a tragic set of events had occurred on January 16, 2010, when a fine young man had lost his life.

There was no doubt that Watson was subjected to severe provocation on the night when he went to a house party in Donaghmede, said the judge.

There was some noise at the party but I dont think undue noise, commented Mr Justice White, adding that Mr Woodcock had acted in a very bad way on the night.

The judge said Mr Woodcock became annoyed about noise coming from the party next door and "took the law into his own hands" by ringing up his friends and asking them to come over.

Out of loyalty, they came, he commented, adding that one of these friends was Mr OConnor who had acted as "a peacemaker" on the night.

Mr Justice White said that when matters had calmed down, Mr Woodcock delivered a very serious punch to Watson in an unprovoked way and then administered a beating to the driver of the Honda Civic. The issue then developed out onto the street, he indicated.

If the driver of the Honda Civic had just driven off after the incident in the apartment block that would have been the end of it, but he decided not to do that, said the judge. However, the judge pointed out that Watson was not responsible for the drivers actions.

Mr Woodcock was straight up with the court that he had administered a "serious beating" to the driver of the Honda Civic car when it crashed into his car, which was carrying his partner and child.

Self-defence would not have been open to Watson as a defence as he was not in personal danger at the time, commented the judge.

Mr Justice White said he accepted Mr Woodcocks evidence that Watson was intent on causing serious injury to him. Mr Woodcock said that as he threw a punch, Watson brought the knife down, he recounted.

An aggravating factor was that Watson had a knife on the night and was prepared to use it, he said. Luckily Mr Woodcock was not in any way seriously injured as a result of the engagement with Watson, he remarked.

Referring to Watson, the judge said he had been out of control and engaged in drunk and disorderly behaviour between 17 and 18 years of age.

Watson has 65 previous convictions dating back to 2002, with the most recent being recorded in the UK in 2014. They are mostly for road traffic offences, but there are also convictions for dangerous driving, possession of a knife, criminal damage and public order offences.

However, the judge said that it is clear from psychological reports and letters handed into the court that Watson is now a changed man and a responsible father.

Mr Justice White said he was "annoyed" by a comment that Watson had made to a psychologist in a report about the night in question. He said he had been on a visit to Dublin to see his family, ..he returned to London and got on with his life and thought no more about it, remarked the judge.

Mr Justice White called it nonsense to say that Watson had thought no more about the incident after a young man had lost his life.

The judge said:

In the aftermath of events, Watson acted cowardly and he certainly did not go out of his way to assist matters.

The court had heard that Watson returned to the North, where he had been living, that evening. Gardai subsequently learned that he was living in London. He was arrested there on foot of a European Arrest Warrant in December 2017 and consented to return to face the three charges.

The judge said that the main mitigating factor in the case was the extreme provocation that Watson was subjected to on the night as Mr Woodcock had acted in a deplorable way in which he had seriously assaulted the defendant.

Watson didnt set out to do harm that night and I fully accept his apology to the court and his remorse, he concluded.

The headline sentence in relation to both offences was five years in prison.

Earlier, prosecuting counsel Mary Rose Gearty SC informed the court that contact had been made with Mr Woodcock in relation to compensation and he was "amenable" to receiving the sum of money for his childrens benefit.

Last week, the court heard that Watson had written a letter of apology to Mr Woodcock and was offering 1,500 stg in compensation.

The court today directed that the money be paid to Mr Woodcock.
A man previously jailed for damaging a 10m Monet painting must wait to hear the outcome of an appeal against his conviction for handling another artwork stolen from a stately home.

Andrew Shannon (aged 54) was found guilty of handling a stolen Frederick Goodall piece at his home address at Willians Way, Ongar, Clonsilla, Dublin 15 on January 31, 2014.

Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard that the Goodall desert scene oil painting dating back to 1892 was stolen from Bantry House, Seafield, in Cork, in March 2006.

Gardai had obtained a warrant to search Shannon's home on an unrelated matter in 2014 and noticed various pieces of art hanging on his walls, one of which was the Goodall oil painting, valued at approximately 5,000.

He was found guilty by a jury following a two-day trial and sentenced to two years imprisonment by Judge Patricia Ryan last November.

Shannon moved to appeal his conviction today on grounds related to evidence adduced during his arrest on suspicion of stealing 17th-century John Speed maps from Tinakilly House in 2006.

The Court of Appeal heard that Shannon was arrested in relation to the theft of the maps from Tinakilly House when gardai asked him about Bantry House. Shannons brother was being questioned about Bantry House in the same garda station at the same time, the court heard.

His barrister, Marc Thompson BL, submitted that the painting was found in Shannons house in 2014 and there was no need for information procured in 2006 to be put before the jury.

Mr Thompson said the gardai should have formally interviewed Shannon on matters related to Bantry House as a suspect, not while he was being interviewed in relation to other matters.

He said the gardai were very clearly and deliberately fishing for information in relation to Bantry House in 2006 when they put certain questions to Shannon. It was bad practice, Mr Thompson submitted, that didnt incorporate basic fairness.

Lawyers for the Director of Public Prosecutions submitted that the question was whether Shannon was reckless in knowing that the painting was stolen, when it was found in his house in 2014. The information provided to him by the gardai in 2006, proved he couldnt have been reckless, they submitted.

Mr Thompson replied that the information was imparted in a manner it shouldnt have been.

President of the Court of Appeal Mr Justice George Birmingham, who sat with Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy and Ms Justice Isobel Kennedy, said the court would reserve its judgment.

Shannon has 51 previous convictions including convictions for theft, burglary, and handling stolen property. Many of these convictions relate to the theft of antiques and the burglarising of stately homes.

He was previously jailed for damaging the 1874 impressionist painting 'Argenteuil Basin with a Single Sail Boat' by Claude Monet at the National Gallery of Ireland on Clare Street on June 29, 2012.

The painting 'Argenteuil Basin with a Single Sail Boat' by Claude Monet.

Shannon was observed standing in front of the Monet, estimated to be worth 10,000,000, in the gallery on the day in question. CCTV captured him moving forward in the direction of the painting with his arm raised and striking the painting, causing a substantial tear to it.

The State's case was that the damage was premeditated and deliberate. Shannon, however, contended that he had fallen accidentally after suffering a coronary episode.

He was found guilty of damaging the Monet by a jury at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court and sentenced to six years imprisonment with the final 18 months suspended by Judge Martin Nolan in December 2014.

Dublin Circuit Criminal Court was told that Shannon had been attending art classes in Mountjoy Prison on a regular basis.
Medicinal cannabis campaigner, Vera Twomey, who fought a lengthy campaign to secure THC oil for her sick daughter is set to publish a book detailing her experiences later this year.

Ms Twomey, from Aghabullogue, Co Cork, has written a book entitled "For Ava" which is being published by Mercier Press.

Vera said that over the last 14 months she painstakingly compiled her journey with Ava and transferred it on to paper.

She said: "It has been a long time in the making. We have been really blessed. We are at the stage now where it is all done and is available to pre-order.

"It is very exciting. I really hope that it will be something that will be there for other parents.

"When Ava was diagnosed with her condition we would have valued a book about how people were getting on - more like a personal story."

Ms Twomey said the book will be launched in August.

"I hope I have done a good job. I put it together myself and have written it myself. I never imagined I would come to the point that I would have a book to write, but we have.

She is hopeful of progress in relation to the Compassionate Access Programme for medicinal cannabis.

We won't give up. I hope Ava's book will be a contribution to get what everybody needs."

Vera, who secured a licence for the medication for her daughter Ava Barry, has said that the nine-year-old is now pharmaceutical free.

Ms Twomey spoke in the UK's House of Commons in London last year where she explained the benefits of the alternative medicine in treating conditions such as severe epilepsy.

Vera rose to national prominence during a three-year campaign to secure access to medicinal cannabis to treat Avas rare form of epilepsy, called Dravet Syndrome.

The book is available for pre-order at Mercier Press and on Amazon.co.uk.
The senior civil servant on the board of the National Children's Hospital has told the Dail's Public Accounts Committee that he did nothing wrong by not telling cabinet ministers about the cost overruns associated with the project.

Paul Quinn, chief procurement officer with the Department of Public Expenditure, told members of the PAC that he is satisfied that he met his obligations under current legislation.

"I would have been precluded and not only in breach of my obligations as a board member but also in breach of law if I were to report to the secretary-general or the Minister," he said.

He said that he was satisfied that the board of the National Children's Hospital was addressing the looming cost overruns.

However, members of the PAC have questioned whether this situation exposes a flaw in the current legislation.

Fianna Fail's Marc MacSharry said that Mr Quinn's role exposed a "flaw in the current legislation".

"You are privy to this information but you can't report it," he said.

"I think it is bad practice. It defies all logic and responsibility that you must keep the omnishambles going off the rails here a secret from the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform."

Mr Quinn said that he "disagreed" that it is a flaw and said that the structures are "very clear on accountability."

Sinn Fein's Jonathan O'Brien asked whether Mr Quinn would act differently now knowing the full facts.

Mr Quinn replied, "In hindsight, the one thing the board could have done differently was to add more external reviews in terms of design accuracy.

But, should I have gone to the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform? No; I was bound by my professional ethics.

PAC members also raised significant concerns about the potential conflict of interest in PwC's involvement in the project.

Some of the PwC consultants who worked on the April review of the overspend at the hospital had previously advised the HSE about proceeding with the project in 2018.

Both the HSE and the Department of Health have since insisted that there is no conflict of interest arising from this.

Catherine Murphy

Social Democrats' Catherine Murphy hit out at the claim, saying officials are treating TDs like eejits.

The people were essentially being asked if they agreed with themselves, that is what this is. It's almost like we are being made eejits of now.

The same personnel involved, to me it just screams conflict of interest.

Mr MacSharry said that he was not satisfied with PwC's role.

"We can't have the contestants judging the beauty pageant," he said.

"Despite the great name of PwC globally, can you really say that the perception of conflict of interest doesn't exist here?"

Jim Breslin, secretary-general of the Department of Health, refuted the suggestion that PwC's involvement represented a conflict of interest.

"They retained their independence," he said.

If I believe that a conflict of interest existed, I would say it.

In its review of the process, PwC noted that there was a question over whether the board members and the executive had been "challenged" sufficiently on aspects of the project.

Mr Quinn, a board member, disagreed with this.

"There were considerable challenges going on all the time," he said.

"We relied heavily on our advisors - you have to - but there was sufficient challenge of the executive."

Fred Barry, who was appointed the new chairman of the project in February, said he "couldn't honestly answer" the question as he was not a board member at the time.

The PwC report did not find that existing governance structures contributed to the cost escalation.
A young man who absconded from an open prison and lived "in plain sight" for more than four years before re-arrest has won Supreme Court declarations that his re-arrest and subsequent detention to serve out the rest of his 16-month sentence were unlawful.

Mr Justice William McKechnie said, in the circumstances of Mark Finnegans case, and despite the seriousness of his absconding and remaining unlawfully at large, his re-arrest and detention was unjust, oppressive and invidious.

Factors leading to that finding included the admitted delay of four-and-a-half years and that Mr Finnegan was living openly during this time, not re-offending and had started a family.

The judge noted, through human error, his escape was not registered on the Garda PULSE database so gardai in his home area of Tallaght were unaware for some four-and-a-half years he was unlawfully at large.

A five-judge Supreme Court this week granted Mr Finnegans appeal over his re-arrest.

Three judges  the Chief Justice, Mr Justice Frank Clarke, Mr Justice McKechnie and Ms Justice Mary Finlay Geoghegan - agreed on the basis for that as set out in Mr Justice McKechnies judgment.

Mr Justice Donal ODonnell, with whom Mr Justice John MacMenamin agreed, said the appeal should be allowed on a more restrictive basis.

Mr Finnegan was convicted in late 2008 under the Road Traffic Act of allowing himself to be carried in a mechanically propelled vehicle without the owner's consent.

He was jailed in May 2009 for 16 months and was moved in July 2009 from Wheatfield Prison to Shelton Abbey open prison.

In early October 2009, his brother was admitted to the intensive care unit of Tallaght Hospital and on October 31, Mr Finnegan walked out of Shelton Abbey, with the effect he was unlawfully at large.

Before being jailed, he lived at his family home at Bawnlea Drive, Jobstown, Tallaght, and returned there after absconding. He remained there until 2011 when he moved to Russell Lawn, Tallaght, to live with his partner. They still live there and now have two children, the first born in 2013.

Mr Justice McKechnie noted there was no evidence gardai in Tallaght were aware Mr Finnegan was unlawfully at large until efforts were made to locate him around June 2014, some four years and seven months after he walked out of Shelton Abbey.

In November 2014, he presented himself by request at Tallaght Garda station where he was arrested and taken to Wheatfield to complete the sentence imposed in May 2009.

He took judicial review proceedings against the Superintendent of Tallaght Garda Station and the Governor of Wheatfield Prison over his re-arrest and detention and was on bail pending the outcome of those.

The High Court found in his favour but the Court of Appeal overturned its decision on appeal.

The Supreme Court agreed to hear Mr Finnegan's appeal over the COA decision on grounds it raised a legal issue of general public importance as to the circumstances, if any, in which delay by gardai in arresting an absconding prisoner can render their arrest and later detention unlawful.

On Wednesday, the majority court endorsed the analysis of the law and relevant factors as set out in Mr Justice McKechnies judgment, leading to a conclusion Mr Finnegans case was a rare exception to the general requirement that persons subject of valid warrants for their imprisonment should serve a term in line with the terms of that warrant.

Mr Justice McKechnie said factors to consider in determining whether it is not constitutionally proper to enforce an otherwise valid committal warrant include the activities of the gardai, the public interest in the execution of warrants and into jailing persons who should be jailed.

Other factors include external circumstances giving rise to the arrest warrant or absconding in the first place and the individual circumstances of the affected person at all relevant times.

A more coherent approach to accommodating such facts is to determine at what point, and in what circumstances, it can be said the exercise of such power to re-arrest or re-commit would be unjust, oppressive or invidious to the affected person.

In the circumstances of Mr Finnegans case, it would be not only unjust but oppressive and invidious to have him returned to serve the balance of his sentence.

Mr Justice ODonnell agreed there are circumstances where it would be no longer lawful to detain a person who had escaped from lawful custody but he considered such circumstances must be exceptional.

He agreed with the Court of Appeals analysis of the reasons for delay in this case but said additional features, including the fact five years have elapsed since Mr Finnegans re-arrest, meant it would be invidious to return him to prison now.
Update: The Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said people should respect the office of the US President, even if they do not agree with Donald Trump.

President Trump will arrive here between June 5 and 8 following his State visit to the UK.

Some opposition parties do not think he should be invited here and there are protests planned.

Taoiseach was asked if there are any policy areas where he actually agrees with President Trump:

Mr Varadkar said: "I'm sure there are, I'm absolutely sure there are, but it's always the differences that spring to mind, let me think about that."

Earlier: 'He is the international face of hate' - Labour Senator ready to protest Donald Trump's visit to Ireland

Protests are already being planned ahead of Donald Trump's visit to Ireland next month.

The US President will arrive here between June 5 and 8 following his State visit to the UK.

Yesterday the Health Minister Simon Harris said, despite disagreeing with his political views, Mr Trump is welcome.

However, Labour Senator Aodhan O Riordain said he is ready to protest against the US President's visit.

Mr O Riordain said: "Donald Trump for me, and I think for many Irish people, is the international face of hate.

"I wish he wasn't coming, but if he is to come, it would be a very bad day for Ireland if we didn't tell him exactly how we feel about him."
Two secondary school teachers have launched High Court challenges against a decision to redeploy them.

The cases have been brought by Aisling McTiernan and Aimee Costello who have spent over ten years teaching at Mean Scoil Muire Gan Smal, in Roscommon Town.

The teachers were earlier this year selected for redeployment under a scheme set out in a Department of Education and Skills Circular after the school was informed last December it had teaching staff in excess of its approved allocation for the academic year 2019/20.

Ms Costello who teaches Irish, Geography, Civic, Social and Political Education and programming and Ms McTiernan teaches English and History, were both selected for redeployment.

They appealed those decisions on several grounds including that they were not surplus to the school's curricular requirements.

The appeals to the school board of management were not successful.

In their High Court actions, they claim that the decision to redeploy them breaches the Department's circular, was contrary to fair procedures, was irrational and unreasonable.

Among their grounds, they claim there was a failure by the Minister to base its decisions on an objective circular audit containing accurate data on the school.

The board's decision, they also claim was irrational and unreasonable on grounds including that there was a failure to give adequate reasons for the decisions they reached.

Both teachers, who live with their families in Roscommon Town, claim the decision to will cause great upset to their personal lives and circumstances.

The decisions to redeploy them, they argue should be set aside.

In their judicial review actions against both against both the Minister for Education and the school's Board of Management, the teachers represented by Feichin McDonagh SC seek various orders and declarations.

They seek orders quashing both the Minister's decisions that they redeployed for the 2019/20 school year and the school's board of management's refusal to uphold their appeals against the redeployment decisions.

They also seek damages.

Permission to bring the action was granted on an ex parte basis by Mr Justice Seamus Noonan.

The case will come back before the court in July.
Selena Gomez has opened up about social media and the impact it has had and is having on young people and her generation.

The actress was speaking at a Cannes Film Festival press event in France where she is there to promote her latest film by Jim Jarmusch "The Dead Don't Die," which also stars Bill Murray, Adam Driver and Tilda Swinton.

The 26-year-old is currently the third most followed star on Instagram with 150 million followers after Cristiano Ronaldo, who has 166 million, and Ariana Grande who has 155 million. She previously was the most followed star up until recently.

Gomez said:

Social media has really been terrible for my generation. I understand that it's amazing to use your platform, but it does scare me when you see how exposed these young girls and young boys are.

"They're not really aware of the news or anything going on. It's, I don't want to say selfish, because that feels rude, but I think it's dangerous, for sure. I don't think people are getting the right information sometimes.

When asked what she thought tech companies should be doing to make social media safer, she said it was too late.

"I think it's pretty impossible to make it safe at this point, there's no blocking anything. They're exposed immediately and again, I'm very grateful to have the platform, so in any way that I can, I'll share things that I'm really passionate about.

"I also don't do a lot of pointless pictures. I think for me, I like to be intentional about it. It just scares me, because I see these young girls and I'll meet them at Meet and Greets or something and they're just devastated dealing with bullying and not being able to have their own voice.

"It can be great in moments, but you know, I would just be careful and allow yourself some time limits for when you should use it and when you should it."

Selena took a hiatus from social media in September last year, taking to Instagram to let her followers know: "As much as I am grateful for the voice that social media gives us, I am equally grateful to be able to be able to step back and live my life present to the moment I have been given. Kindness and encouragement only for a bit! Just remember-negative comments can hurt anybody's feelings [obviously]."

She told Elle last year that she doesn't have Instagram on her phone nor the password to her account, and accesses her profile from her friend's phone.

The reason why is, its not real to me, she added. I know my voice is very prominent, but Im not careless with it. Im selective. As far as my personal life, someone sees me having a glass of wine? I could give two shits. Im not trying to hide.

"Thats my life. Im living it the way I want to live it. But its about making a conscious effortif I can have a moment to be with my friends, Ill take that time. So I dont have any of it. I had to make that decision."
So when US-made parts including glass screen covers and facial-recognition sensors are shipped to China for assembly into iPhones and iPads, they will be more expensive, too. The main concern is the iPhone, though. It accounted for 63 per cent of sales in 2018, and serves as a hub for additional revenue from services and related devices like the Apple Watch. The newest iPhones cost between $1229 and $2199, so any price increases could take the devices beyond the budgets of more consumers. Apple shares slumped last week as the trade war flared up. The stock rose 1.1 per cent on Wednesday. Political prowess The heightened trade tensions are a test for Cook and the global supply chain he helped build and run. Last year, the CEO showed political prowess by meeting with President Donald Trump to argue against tariffs.

Tim Cook has been busy lobbying US President Donald Trump against the tariffs. Credit:AP Just over a year ago, Cook met Trump in the Oval Office. The CEO said he opposed the president's approach and focused on how cooperation between countries can boost the economy more than nations acting alone. After the meeting, the administration told Cook it would not place tariffs on iPhones, The New York Times reported. Apple also wrote to US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer in September asking him to reconsider tariffs and instead take other measures that would support the US economy and American consumers. Later that month, the White House spared Apple's Watch and AirPods. By late 2018, Apple's strategy had become less effective. In late November, Trump told the Wall Street Journal he might impose tariffs on mobile phones and laptops, and said consumers "could stand" a 10 per cent increase in prices "very easily." The day after, Cook toured schools in Idaho with Ivanka Trump, the president's daughter and senior adviser.

Apple CEO Tim Cook, right, and Ivanka Trump on their schools tour. Credit:Katherine Jones As 2019 began, the real cost of the trade war for Apple began to emerge. The company cut revenue projections and Cook said the Trump administration's trade policies had indirectly hurt consumer demand for iPhones in China. Raising prices More recently, the company has raised prices when it refreshed products that have already been hit with tariffs. The updated Apple Pencil, launched in October, costs $US30 ($43) more than the previous version. The faster Mac mini costs $US300 more than its predecessor. That suggests the company may take a similar approach with the iPhone. In its September letter to Lighthizer, Apple said tariffs would increase product prices.

The 25 per cent tariff on iPhones would likely apply to the wholesale price of the devices when they are imported from China. Apple doesn't disclose wholesale prices, but research firms often estimate the bill of materials. A $US1,249 iPhone XS Max (sold in Australia for $1879) with 256 gigabytes of storage has $US453 worth of parts, according to TechInsights. A 25 per cent levy on that would be $US113, raising the purchase price by about 9 per cent. Loading Apple's other models, the iPhone XS and the iPhone XR, could face a similar increase, according to estimates. In a recent note to investors, Morgan Stanley estimated that a $US999 iPhone XS would cost $US160 more. JPMorgan analysts forecast a 14 per cent price increase. This may only apply to US iPhone sales, limiting the damage. About a third of iPhone revenue comes from the US, according to Shannon Cross of Cross Research.

That won't address the problem of even more expensive iPhones, though. A series of price increases in recent years has already coincided with declining sales. If Apple passes the whole tariff cost to US consumers, demand could drop by 10 per cent to 40 per cent, Cowen's Sankar estimated on Tuesday. That, in turn, may slice earnings per share by 1 per cent to 4 per cent in fiscal 2020, the analyst said. Given that the [...] iPhone, iPad, Watch, and Mac systems are assembled and imported from China, the earnings risk could be quite substantial. Cowen Analyst Krish Sankar Alternatively, Apple could eat the cost and leave iPhone prices untouched. That would dent earnings per share by 6 per cent to 7 per cent, based on a $US450-per-device import cost and annual US unit sales of 40 million, according to Sankar. Still, Apple has experience absorbing extra costs. When currencies swing, the company manages to protect its gross profit margins, Cross noted.
The Australian Securities and Investments Commission stepped up its investigation of Lynas and Wesfarmers demanding the companies hand over documents about their dealings before a proposed $1.5 billion takeover of the miner was made public.

Wesfarmers, the Perth-based conglomerate behind companies like Bunnings and Target, went public with its $2.25 a share offer for Lynas on March 26  causing shares to jump sharply  weeks after Lynas directors purchased stock in their own company.

Wesfarmers managing director Rob Scott met Malaysian prime minister Mahathir Mohamad last week to discuss Lynas Corporation. Credit:Fairfax Media

The Sydney Morning Herald and the Age had previously reported Wesfarmers managing director Rob Scott had, in February, expressed interest in a takeover of Lynas to the company's chief executive Amanda Lacaze and chairman Mike Harding both in person and on the telephone.

The corporate regulator, in the last week of April or the first week of May, sent both companies notices to produce documents as part of its inquiries into the timing of the discussions, according to two sources who had been briefed on ASIC's requests.
Australia's shopping strips and centres are being crunched by sky-high rents and the nation's small business commissioners want to penalise landlords for empty shopfronts.

State small business commissioners and small business and family enterprise ombudsman Kate Carnell met in Sydney on Thursday to discuss pain points affecting the nation's smallest businesses and troubles in the retail sector were front of mind.

NSW small business commissioner Robyn Hobbs.

"One of the great dilemmas weve got is that there is incentives for landlords to leave premises vacant rather than reduce rent," Ms Carnell said.

"Its simply because of the way banks value properties based on what the rent is."
Plans for the rebuild are underway, with a campaign to be launched tomorrow to raise the remaining $1.25 million. The completed project will cost about $3 million. One of the things that were thinking of doing ... is having a tidemark. Were not going to replace the bricks to the roof, a tidemark of bricks will show the original bricks and then we'll have some lovely burnt orange, a bit like sunlight," she says. "Its an acknowledgement of past wounds. Jones promoting the production Difficult Women in 1992. Credit:Peter Weaving Ironically, the theatre's only heating for about 25 years was an open fire; Jones remembers only too well chopping the wood. "I remember once a log actually rolled out of the fire and burnt through the floor but thankfully nothing happened, she says. You actually start to think it wont happen, it cant happen. But happen it did. The blaze destroyed countless precious artworks, photographs and documents. A portrait of founder Betty Burstall by John Perceval, a Barry Dickins drawing of Jones and several Aboriginal artworks were among many treasures lost, including 40 years of Jones diaries, photos and documents about La Mamas history.

And nearly a year later, I go to look for something and I think Aha, no, its gone. The wonderful thing is theres enough of the building left to be beautifully restored. I cant look at the building now, its been so humiliated. The mission to rebuild has been entrusted to former La Mama staff member Meg White, along with architects Cottee Parker. While downstairs will be restored to within an inch of its life, upstairs will be updated and a new building added. The vegetarian laksa at Shakahari. Credit:Joe Armao Established in 1967 by Burstall, La Mama was inspired by the off-off Broadway coffee house theatres of New York. Her vision was a space for experimental works, featuring new Australian material by unknown and emerging writers. Burstall and Jones worked together until 1976, when Jones took over; she's held the reins ever since, nowadays sharing the CEO role with Caitlin Dullard. Her only concession to retirement is that she no longer works Wednesdays. Jones' pioneering work was recognised last month when she was awarded the 2019 Sue Nattrass Award, part of the Helpmanns. Head of the Melbourne Festival in the late-'90s, Nattrass programmed La Mama for the first time. The works were Richard Franklands first plays, adapted from his films.

Later, Jones commissioned Frankland to write Conversations with the Dead, about black deaths in custody. He just came to see me. Id been to a couple of talks that hed given and so was an admirer of the work he was doing. He just arrived at La Mama. Thats sort of how things happen  people tend to arrive there with an idea or a script or whatever. They just bowl up. Cultivating writers outside the mainstream has underpinned the company's approach. That meant women in the 1980s and '90s, plus Indigenous writers such as Frankland and Andrea James, then artistic director of Melbourne Workers Theatre. Recent commissions address refugees Them, about Syria, by Samah Sabawi, a Palestinian writer who wrote Tales from a City by the Sea, premieres later this month. Its not just about the fear of being shot, its really how to feed and shelter and love. Thats one of the wonderful things about her work  how does one love others and yourself in really desperate situations. Shakahari's quinoa croquettes. Credit:Joe Armao La Mama has a long history of staging multilingual performances, starting with works in Greek by Tes Lyssiotis in the early 1980s. In 1983, Hotel Bonegilla was performed in German, Czech, Greek and Italian; it was restaged a few years ago.

I think that open door policy is part of the secret of La Mamas longevity. Things never go stale, people never become jaded. The thing with La Mama is that theres never much money around so if people dont love it, they move on. Its really where people get their start and where people try their rather risky ideas, its all about grassroots  Thereve been some totally crazy ideas. The bill for lunch with Liz Jones. The Mongrels Show by Howard Stanley, staged in 1977, comes to mind. "He had all these lost dogs from the Lost Dogs home and naked people performing on a chess board, rather than white knights and black knights, black dogs and white dogs. We got letters of complaints about the nudity, from the RSPCA warning us about exploiting dogs. We put the dogs out for adoption at the end. You cop it from all directions.

Jones role as artistic director, and joint CEO, is akin to that of a midwife, explaining how to take that crazy idea  whether embryonic, half or fully formed  to the outside world. To mediate, she says. A keen actor growing up, Jones did an arts degree and then a Diploma of Education, majoring in Aboriginal education. Back then, there were no acting courses on offer. Betty Burstall, left, and Jones at La Mama in 1988. At Brunswick Girls High in the early 1970s, Jones met fellow teacher Burstall. Half the school's population was Italian. Jones loved teaching and taught for 20 years; she fears theres nowhere near as much creativity in education these days. MySchool and NAPLAN have done a huge disservice. I was so lucky to be a teacher when I was ... it was a wonderful, very free period. We had open classrooms, we were innovating all the time, we really felt we had the freedom to do as we wanted. The system has closed in on itself. That background influenced her determination to work with young people. After the rebuild, Drummond Street's Courthouse Theatre will, in part, be devoted to that demographic. A lot of them are quite disaffected, have dropped out of school or uni and theatre is just such a great opportunity for creativity, to express themselves.

In the early '70s, she also met and married playwright and visual artist Lloyd Jones, with whom she now has two children and inherited three; together they have nine grandchildren. Although working mainly as an administrator, Jones continues to perform. For the past six years shes been involved in a project of Uncle Vanya with Bagryana Popov, and she'll perform in her husband's new show in July. Once a year I have an out and I can go and become just a performer, [with] no other responsibilities. Jones and Caitlin Dullard in front of the remains of the theatre last year. Credit:Daniel Pockett Patricia Cornelius winning $250,000 recently in the Windham-Campbell Prize for drama was a much deserved recognition of one of Australias finest, says Jones. Addressing issues such as patriarchy and violence against women, Cornelius plays are powerful. Her work is some of the greatest work Ive seen, she says. I think it should be a clarion cry too, to the conservatism of some arts programming in Australia. We do see wonderful work in a lot of the festivals  our flagship companies arent doing enough of those sorts of explorations. Holidaying in Japan last year, Jones' phone rang and she nearly didn't answer as it was an unknown number. Luckily, she did  down the line was the Victorian Minister for the Arts. "'Its Martin Foley, Liz,' he said, 'Ive got a million for you.' Its like you feel blessed or something, like with the Pratts."
For a show about an alien in New York, there's an odd familiarity to David Bowie's stage musical Lazarus. "This could just as easily be Melbourne or Sydney," says director Michael Kantor, sketching out the backdrop. "It could be any big city in 2019."

He draws a grid, representing the windows of a modern residential tower. This is not the New York of Sesame Street, with its charming brownstones and local shopkeepers. Instead, lead character Newton  unable to die or return to his home planet  lives in an expensive, but small, apartment with an antiseptically bland interior. Like similar buildings in Docklands or Olympic Park, it appears to have fallen from the sky, unconnected to the landscape it now dominates.

"People pay all this money to buy a view  as though a view is something you can own," Kantor says. "We end up staring at each other from these glass blocks, living strange and isolated lives."

It's a theme he explores through the physical structure of Newton's windows: sometimes, the steel frame resembles a cage, or the large panes of glass become a terrifying void.
Arthur (Angus Imrie) proves a damp squib who's scared of girls, and it turns out the letters from him that had got Catherine so steamed up were in fact a catfishing exercise by the dastardly Henry (Ruairi O'Connor)  who, with his tousled red hair and devilish good looks, styles himself as "Prince Harry". Where Game of Thrones' Margaery Tyrell came from far away to marry first the monstrous Joffrey and then his gentle, gormless brother, Tommen, it looks as though Catherine is going to do things the other way around. But, as in Game of Thrones, it's the older women who are the best value. Harriet Walter is an absolute treat as Henry's pompous grandmother, Margaret Beaufort, a woman appalled to learn that Catherine takes daily baths rather than weekly ones. Henry's mother, Queen Elizabeth (Alexandra Moen), reveals a Cersei-like ruthless streak while Henry VII (Elliot Cowan) frets about the threat posed by France and Scotland. The major figures are attended by good-looking minor ones, most of whom seem rather keen to drop trouser and lift petticoat.

Like The White Princess and The White Queen (which are also on Stan), it's well cast, handsomely produced and based on novels by Philippa Gregory (The Other Boleyn Girl). Good popcorn-munching fun. Time Traveling Bong

comedycentral.com.au Ilana Glazer is in fine, filthy form in this all-too-brief, oh-so-wrong comedy series she created with her Broad City producer-director Lucia Aniello and castmate Paul W. Downs. Broad City's Ilana Glazer stars in Time Traveling Bong. Credit:comedycentral.com.au Dirtbag cousins Sharee and Jeff (Glazer and Downs) come into possession of a high-tech bong that transports the user to random places in the past and future.

In terms of sheer madness it's hard to get a struck match between Sharee's embrace of caveman sex culture and her attempt to save 1960s Michael Jackson from his monstrous father. Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile

Netflix Director Joe Berlinger made his name with documentaries revealing miscarriages of American justice. This drama, based on the memoir of Elizabeth Kendall, the unwitting girlfriend of serial killer Ted Bundy, reveals the kind of bizarre circus American justice can become. This image released by Netflix shows Zac Efron, left, and Lily Collins, right, in a scene from Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil, and Vile. Credit:Brian Douglas/Netflix via AP

Zac Efron is suitably creepy as the manipulative Bundy, and the estimable Lily Collins hugely sympathetic as Kendall. But it's Bundy's televised trial in Florida - with John Malkovich as the idiosyncratic presiding judge - that will leave the most lasting impression. Loading Docs 2018

Docplay, loadingdocs.net The latest crop of three-minute documentaries from New Zealand offers intriguing and often frustratingly brief glimpses of interesting people and scenes across the Tasman. A still from one of Loading Docs 2018's shorts. Credit:Docplay From a deaf MP working to help other people with disabilities take part in politics to a scientist turning invasive algae into biodegradable plastic, a nomadic barber starting conversations about mental health, and a program that helps troubled Maori youth engage with their cultural heritage, there's a lot going on. Both Docplay and loadingdocs.net have earlier seasons as well.

Fleabag

Amazon Prime Video If the first season of Phoebe Waller-Bridge's sticky, tar-black comedy was a bit of a masterpiece, the second elevates its creator, writer and star to greatness. Phoebe Waller-Bridge is sheer magic in season two of Fleabag. Credit:Amazon Prime Video Exquisitely crafted in every line and shot, it's unflinchingly mordant in its heightened depiction of everyday awfulness, but it retains at its core a vulnerable, longing sweetness you mightn't think capable of coexisting. It is, perhaps, a bit like chocolate and sea salt, or one of those other trendy combinations that sound repulsive but are evidently sublime. Similarly impressive is the sight of the eponymous character (Waller-Bridge) trying in earnest to become a better person in circumstances largely unconducive. With her emotionally unavailable father (Bill Paterson) and slightly monstrous godmother (Olivia Colman) planning to marry, Fleabag finds herself unexpectedly falling for the "cool, sweary priest" who will conduct the ceremony.

Waller-Bridge delivers a virtuoso double performance as Fleabag rapidly, seamlessly transitions back and forth between interacting with her fellow characters and with the audience down the barrel of the camera. The meta situation that arises from this makes it doubly priceless. Sheer magic. Remastered: Devil at the Crossroads

Netflix The latest instalment of Netflix's fine music documentary series has the likes of Keith Richards and Taj Mahal queueing up to pay tribute to Robert Johnson, the Mississippi bluesman whose slim but extraordinary body of work has been an inspiration to blues and rock musicians for more than 80 years. What's more interesting is the way that historians and academics here are able to illuminate some of Johnson's oblique, haunting lyrics in the context of contemporary belief in hoodoo and terror of lynching.
An army of unionists could help the Greens steal the seat of Higgins from under Labor's fingertips at Saturday's federal election, after the Australian Council of Trade Unions broke with tradition to back the minor party in how-to-vote cards to be handed out at polling booths.

The inner-Melbourne seat held by retiring Coalition cabinet minister Kelly O'Dwyer is expected to be a tight contest between Labor and the Greens if Liberal candidate Katie Allen's primary vote falls below 45 per cent, making it a key focus in Bill Shorten's fight to secure the seats needed to form a majority government.

Sally McManus shas agreed to let ACTU volunteers hand out how-to-vote cards putting the Greens first in Higgins. Credit:AAP Image/ Joe Castro

But left-wing activists concerned that Mr Shorten may not go far enough on climate change and industrial relations are lobbying the ACTU to increase its support of the Greens, which backs lower emissions targets and more radical workplace reforms.

The ACTU will print two sets of how-to-vote cards for Higgins, one placing Labor - traditionally seen as the political arm of the union movement - in the number one spot, and the other placing Greens candidate Jason Ball first, the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age have confirmed.
Labor dangled a monumental carrot to AFL fans and undecided voters in Corio and the ultra-marginal seat of Corangamite on Wednesday when the party found $20 million to upgrade the Cats home ground at Kardinia Park.

The announcement represents one of Labors boldest plays to boost lagging Corangamite hopeful Libby Coker against the sitting Liberal MP and part-time pet detective Sarah Henderson who has spent close to $1m fighting to retain the bellwether seat.

Credit:Golding

But if Labors campaign team had planned for Coker to be the star of the announcement, their hopes were soon dashed by Cats fanatic and Defence Minister-hopeful Richard Marles.

Marlesy, as hes known on the field, couldnt resist the opportunity to toss a ball with Cats greats Joel Selwood, Patrick Dangerfield, Anna Teague and Mel Hickey on his home turf, in a game of kick-to-kick.
Both major parties have promised to set up a parliamentary inquiry into the high incidence of cancer deaths on the Bellarine Peninsula, in the hotly contested marginal seat of Corangamite.

The Age first reported the concerns in late December after families of young adults from the area who died of cancers including leukemia, lymphoma and brain cancer raised the alarm.

Barwon Heads is at the centre of a puzzling series of cancer deaths. Credit:Joe Armao

Many of the cases occurred among people in their 20s and 30s who grew up in the Barwon Heads area, and others who had attended Bellarine Secondary College in the nearby town of Drysdale.

Concerns have been expressed about the widespread use of organochlorine pesticides, including dieldrin, in the area until they were banned in the 1980s.
Former prime minister Tony Abbott has stirred up controversy with his tribute to Labor legend Bob Hawke, who died on Thursday aged 89.

Mr Abbott's statement on Twitter, released an hour after Mr Hawke's death was announced, said the former head of the ACTU and Labor's longest-serving prime minister, "had a Labor heart but a Liberal head".

"Bob Hawke was a great prime minister," the statement said.

"In my judgment, he was Labor's greatest prime minister. But his key achievements - financial deregulation, tariff cuts, and the beginnings of privatisation - went against the Labor grain, as Labor's more recent policy direction shows.
Ms McClure was eventually freed by police rescue, taken by road ambulance to a waiting helicopter and flown to Westmead Hospital where she underwent life-saving surgery. Lauren Peterson, from Shell Cove, who is Ms McClure's best friend, received a distressing call from a neighbour soon after the crash and rushed to Sydney to be by her side. "They rushed her straight into surgery and had to amputate her leg because the blood loss was so severe," Ms Peterson said. "She 'died' in the helicopter. They put four bags of blood through her just in the helicopter. She came back to us, then they said they had to amputate. "They tried below the knee ... but the blood loss was too severe so they had to go again ... at this stage she 'died' again."

Ms Peterson said the focus moved away from the leg and onto saving her friend's life. "They stabilised her, put three bags of blood through her, and finally managed to amputate midway up her thigh." Ms Peterson and Ms McClure's parents saw her in ICU about 3.30am after the surgery. "It was quite confronting, the blood transfusion blew her body up a little bit so she was a little bit unrecognisable," Ms Peterson said. "But she reacted to us; they said, 'Talk to her,' so we went up and touched her, her eyes started crying and her Dad kissed her on her head.

"They put her into an induced coma and wanted to keep her that way for a week to avoid her having to deal with so much pain but the strong bugger fought her way out of the induced coma in 30 hours." The toughest thing for Ms Peterson to watch is her friend experiencing "phantom pains". "She's getting the pain of the part of the leg that's not there. "She says 'Loz, my toes are itchy. Can you scratch them?' And I have to say, 'You don't have any toes.'" Ms McClure - who moved from Wollongong to Bathurst less than 12 months ago to be closer to family - won't be deterred, though, and, with the support of her family and friends, will continue to fight.

On Monday, she stood up for the first time. She has now started physio - in five-minute stints because the pain from the rush of blood each time she rises is excruciating. Doctors will work to make the skin over her stump as healthy as possible so she can be fitted with a prosthetic leg once she is well enough. "She will be in there for three months. It takes about four weeks for the healing process and then she will need an operation to mould the stump and then, depending on how everything goes, she will have rehab and learn to walk again." Ms McClure's friends have started to raise money to help her gain back her independence.
Disgraced NRL player-turned reptile smuggler Martin Kennedy said he didn't obtain a licence for importing and exporting wildlife because "I didn't want to".

"Im completely open to the fact that I was willing to make money out of it," Kennedy, 30, told the NSW District Court over his role in an international wildlife smuggling racket.

Former Roosters player Martin Kennedy (right) arrives at the Downing Centre with his lawyer Bryan Wrench on Thursday. Credit:AAP

The former Roosters prop, who was suspended from the NRL for ordering a number of prohibited substances during the 2012 off-season, told the court he discussed embarking on the live animal trade with friend Neil Simpson but "didn't feel the need" to obtain the appropriate permits.

"I disagreed with the strictness of the legislation and I didnt feel it was warranted," Kennedy said during the sentencing hearing on Thursday.
Two crashes along the M7 in Sydney's west on Thursday afternoon have led to traffic gridlock as commuters attempt to head home during the evening peak hour.

The crashes, one between a truck and a van and the second between three trucks, were just one kilometre  and about 40 minutes  apart, at Eastern Creek.

A third crash between two cars nearby shortly after 4pm, on the M4 at Minchinbury, only added to the traffic headaches.

Traffic is affected in both directions along the M7, with queues up to 14-kilometres long at the height of the incident.
An elderly woman from Sydney's south-west has died after she was attacked by her pet dog on Thursday afternoon.

Rosemary OReilly, 72, from Wilton, suffered significant bite wounds and lacerations to her arms, legs and body when she was attacked by the large Staffordshire terrier-Rhodesian ridgeback cross at her home.

Rosemary O'Reilly and her husband owned the dog for about three years before it turned on them.

She was taken to Liverpool Hospital, but her condition deteriorated and she died while undergoing surgery.

A Wollondilly Shire Council spokesperson said the fatal attack was "extremely upsetting to us and our community".
Good relationships are important, especially when researchers believe that type of relationship might be crucial to help prevent coral bleaching on the Great Barrier Reef.

Scientists from the University of Queensland, along with international colleagues, have sequenced the genomes of a number of algae that live in a symbiotic relationship with coral.

Dr Cheong Xin Chan from UQs Institute for Molecular Bioscience said the exact nature of that relationship was previously not well understood.

The symbiotic algae growing inside the coral polyps of Acropora tenuis. Credit:Katarina Damjanovic

Were at the point now where we can find out what are the core genes that relate to this relationship, and explain this coral symbiosis, Dr Chan said.
Toowoomba horse trainer Mark Curries two-year ban from the sport has been slashed in a plea deal reached with Queenslands racing integrity body after a months-long appeal.

Currie, the father of top Queensland racing trainer Ben Currie, will instead pay a $7500 fine and endure three months of licence restrictions after he was allowed to plead guilty to just two charges instead of the original 16.

Toowoomba trainer Mark Currie has been suspended for two years for race day treatments. Credit:Jenny Evans

The Queensland Racing Integrity Commission announced a plea deal on Thursday, citing problems with witness availability.

The deal saw Currie plead guilty to two charges of administering medication to horses on March 24 and April 7 last year before races in Toowoomba and Brisbane.
A Queensland man jailed for plotting a terror attack has been convicted over the assault of a prison officer in a disturbance sparked by a halal meal.

Agim Kruezi, 26, didn't commit the assault. However, he pleaded guilty in Brisbane District Court to unlawful assembly after fellow inmate Kane Alan Smith seriously assaulted an officer in a dispute over whether his meal was halal.

Agim Kruezi after his 2014 arrest. The 26-year-old has pleaded guilty to unlawful assembly after a fellow inmate seriously assaulted a prison officer. Credit:ABC TV News

Kruezi, who last year admitted preparing for incursion into a foreign state and preparing or planning for a terrorist act, was on remand for those charges when he committed the offence.

The pair were sitting together when Smith threw the meal on the ground and said, "f*** this shit".
(ANSA) - Rome, May 16 - 5-Star Movement (M5S) founder Beppe Grillo said Thursday he would like to "kick" League leader and Interior Minister Matteo Salvini back into the interior ministry after the rightist populist leader was accused of absenteeism while flitting about Italy on police aircraft.

"I rate Salvini's ideas on the same level as dialogue in a spaghetti western," said Grillo, a stand-up comic who co-founded the M5S ten years ago with the late tech whizz Gianroberto Casaleggio.

"I'd kick him and send him back to do his work at the interior ministry," said the founder of the M5S, a populist anti-establishment party which governs in partnership with the League.

"But we're in government, we must be more cautious," Grillo said in an interview to be published by Corriere della sera newspaper's 7 supplement Friday.

Salvini replied by saying that "the insults of (M5S political leader Luigi) Di Maio and Grillo are not useful".

"The League wants to continue to work, if the 5 Stars want to continue to quarrel or have nostalgia for deals with the Left let them say so clearly.

"If Di Maio and Grillo are thinking of going ahead insulting me and the League and Italy every day I don't think it's a useful thing".

Di Maio has slammed Salvini for sparking a surge in the bond spread by saying Italy will break the 3% EU budget deficit limit next year.

Di Maio went on to say "Salvini shouldn't take it so hard, Griullo was only joking" - to which Salvini shot back "Grillo makes people laugh while I'm doing a minister's job".


Chris Spence, once a One Nation advisor then a Liberal MP, is back in Macquarie Street to work for Corrections Minister Anthony Roberts. Illustration: John Shakespeare Credit:

First he was found to have disguised political donations as consultancy payments, then he was found to have attempted to evade a ban on developer contributions, and now former Liberal MP Chris Spence can be found in the office of Corrections Minister Anthony Roberts.

Having made it past an understandably wary Sarah Cruickshank  Premier Gladys Berejiklians enforcer  Spence is back on Macquarie Street as Roberts chief-of-staff.

Spence moved to the crossbench in 2014 after the Independent Commission Against Corruption began investigating him and others including then energy minister Chris Hartcher over allegations that they had corruptly concealed payments in exchange for favours.

(Before that, in the haze of the long past, we recall Spence worked for Pauline Hansons one-time lieutenant, former One Nation Upper House MP David Oldfield.)
Victoria's police union boss says he is "proud" of the way officers handled a pre-dawn raid of a Fitzroy home that left a man with a severely broken arm in a terrible case of mistaken identity.

Police Association secretary Wayne Gatt told radio station 3AW on Thursday morning that officers in the Critical Incident Response Team were being pre-judged and the facts of the arrest, particularly claims that officers did not declare themselves, were being distorted.

Police union secretary Wayne Gatt. Credit:Jason South

Contrary to claims from the residents, sources have told The Age police announced themselves three times as they stormed the building.

"I'm not appalled by what our members did," Mr Gatt said. "I'm proud of what our members did. Our members went out and did their job and made an arrest as the community would expect them to do."
Violent fans could face lifetime bans as the AFL tries to crack down on a rising trend of drunkenness and brawling at matches.

"A strong penalty is a strong signal to the community," said AFL general manager Travis Auld.

"It feels like five years is the minimum now," he said, adding that lifetime bans would "absolutely" be handed down for high-level violent incidents.

"We're looking to get harder and harder on these issues and we want to stamp it out.

"It's not going to be tolerated into the future."
Five men have been arrested after police seized 59 kilograms of methamphetamine in Perth last week.

The seized drugs  the equivalent of 590,000 'hits'  have a street value of about $59 million.

The 59 kilograms of drugs seized by police. Credit:WA Police

Several of the arrested men are from the eastern states, and police will allege all five were part of a crime syndicate that was intending to distribute massive amount of drugs in WA.

Detectives from the Organised Crime Squad made the arrests as part of Operation Trident Coyote.
"In Australian history, in Australian politics, there will always be B.H. and A.H: Before Hawke and After Hawke. After Hawke, we were a different country. A kinder, better, bigger and bolder country," Mr Shorten said. "The Australian people loved Bob Hawke because they knew Bob loved them, this was true to the very end. Loading "At our Labor launch I told Bob we loved him, I promised we would win for him. I said the same to him the next day at his home, when I visited. "I gave the man who inspired me to go into politics a gentle hug, I tried to tell him what he meant to me, what he meant to all of us. I couldnt quite find the right words, few of us can, when were face to face with our heroes.

"But Bob knew. He knew what he meant to Australia, he knew what he had achieved for the country. He knew he was loved, right to the end." Paul Keating, who served as treasurer under Mr Hawke and defeated him in a leadership ballot to become prime minister in 1991, said the death also represented the passing of "a partnership we formed with the Australian people". "Bob possessed a moral framework for his important public life, both representing the workers of Australia and more broadly, the country at large," Mr Keating said on Thursday night. "Bob, of course, was hoping for a Labor victory this weekend. His friends, too, were hoping he would see this." Former prime ministers Bob Hawke and Paul Keating recently reunited to endorse Bill Shorten's plan for the economy. Credit:Craig Emerson

Mr Hawke will be laid to rest in a private service to be attended by Ms d'Alpuget and his children. A memorial service will be held in Sydney in coming weeks. "Bob Hawke and Paul Keating and their governments modernised the Australian economy, paving the way for an unprecedented period of recession-free economic growth and job creation," Ms d'Alpuget said. "Bobs consensus-style approach of bringing together the trade union movement and the business community boosted job opportunities while increasing the social wage through Medicare and extra financial support for low-income families. Loading "Together with his highly talented cabinets, he foresaw the Asian Century and positioned Australia to take full advantage of it through a program of sweeping economic reforms.

"Among his proudest achievements were large increases in the proportion of children finishing high school, his role in ending apartheid in South Africa, and his successful international campaign to protect Antarctica from mining. "He abhorred racism and bigotry. His father, the Reverend Clem Hawke, told Bob that if you believed in the Fatherhood of God then you must also believe in the Brotherhood of Man. Bob would add today the Sisterhood of Women." Former Hawke government minister and Labor powerbroker Graham Richardson said there was no greater post-war Australian. "You can say occasionally someone is a great Australian - that's a phrase that's thrown around too easily. But if there was anyone you could nominate as a great Australian it would be this guy," Mr Richardson said.

"People loved him. He just had that thing about him, he was always so approachable." In Brisbane ahead of the last full day of campaigning for Saturday's election, Mr Morrison praised Mr Hawke as a leader who "served our country with passion, courage" with an"intellectual horsepower that made our country stronger". "He was true to his beliefs in the Labor tradition and defined the politics of his generation and beyond," the Prime Minister said. "He had a unique ability to speak to all Australians and will be greatly missed." Loading Robert Tickner, the Aboriginal affairs minister under Mr Hawke, said Australia was in Mr Hawke's debt.
The Coalition's national security credentials have been called into question on the eve of the election after revelations the government resettled two Rwandan men accused by the United States of mass murder as part of an apparent "people swap" deal.

The two men were confessed former members of the Army for the Liberation of Rwanda, a rebel offshoot of the armed forces primarily responsible for the 1994 Rwandan genocide.

Malcolm Turnbull had to persuade Donald Trump to honour the refugee deal during a heated phone call. Credit:AP

However, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Australian security agencies had "cleared" the men of any wrongdoing and determined they posed no risk to the country.

"The two individuals were subjected to strict security and character checks ... relating to national security, criminality, war crimes and crimes against humanity," Mr Morrison said.
The Far East Consortium, the firm behind Elizabeth Quay's landmark The Towers development, has put its $1.4 billion Perth Hub mixed-use hotel and apartment project on hold, citing a collapse in foreign buyers in the WA market.

The company had intended a June start date for the project's 304-unit, 32-storey residential tower using subcontractors winding up on construction of The Towers, which has a Ritz-Carlton hotel as its cornerstone tenant.

An artist's impression of Far East Consortium's Perth hub project, which has been delayed because of a lack of pre-sales.

But Far East have only pre-sold 120 of the Perth Hub units, meaning about 600 workers will be out of work, according to the Property Council of WA.

The developer said the state government's foreign buyer tax of 7 per cent, which started in January, has seen Far East's pre-sales shrink from 120 sales in the last quarter of 2018, to barely anything in the March quarter.
Walking past the bongs and crack pipes to the counter at the back of the dingy store in Chinatown, my friends and I started to question whether I'd picked the wrong place to leave our luggage while we spent a few hours exploring San Francisco.

Deciding what to do with your luggage when you're not going straight from your accommodation to the airport is a perennial challenge for all travellers who like to make the most of a few precious hours to explore a city. One trick is to wander into a fancy hotel lobby, pretend to be a guest and leave your bags at the desk for a few hours, accompanied by a generous tip.

Nobody likes to heft their luggage around for hours while exploring a foreign city.

My tech journalist friends and I have pulled this scam before when travelling home from the annual Google I/O developer conference in California but, if the bellman smells a rat, they'll kick you to the curb; leaving you to drag your bags around town for the evening.

It was only a matter of time before Silicon Valley cashed in on this opportunity with the rise of Airbnb for your bags; spawning services such as BagBNB, LuggageHero and others.
Jerusalem: Facebook said on Thursday it banned an Israeli company that ran an influence campaign aimed at disrupting elections in various countries and has cancelled dozens of accounts engaged in spreading disinformation.

Nathaniel Gleicher, Facebook's head of cyber security policy, told reporters that the tech giant had purged 65 Israeli accounts, 161 pages, dozens of groups and four Instagram accounts.

The global tech giants' push to collaborate could bring in a "new era" of regulation. Credit:AP

Although Facebook said the individuals behind the network attempted to conceal their identities, it discovered that many were linked to the Archimedes Group, a Tel Aviv-based political consulting and lobbying firm that publicly boasts of its social media skills and ability to "change reality".

"It's a real communications firm making money through the dissemination of fake news," said Graham Brookie, director of the Digital Forensic Research Lab at the Atlantic Council, a think tank collaborating with Facebook to expose and explain disinformation campaigns.
Italy, 24 far-rightists probed for anti-Roma protest Opposed family moving into new council house

(ANSAmed) - Rome, May 16 - Some 24 far-rightists have been placed under investigation for a protest against a Roma family moving into their new council house in a Rome suburb earlier this month, judicial sources said.



The militants from the neo-Fascist CasaPound and the far-right Forza Nuova (FN) movements led violent protests against the family in Casal Bruciato on Rome's eastern outskirts last week.



Another 16 people, including antifascist and anticapitalist 'antagonists' and members of a pro-housing movement, have been placed under investigation for an unauthorised march in Casal Bruciato on May 8.



Also on Thursday, 41 far-rightists were placed under investigation for violent protests against a number of Roma families moving into a reception centre in the Rome suburb of Torre Maura on April 2.



The militants, all members of CasaPound and FN, are accused of instigation to race hatred, private violence, threats, seditious assembly and apology of Fascism. (ANSAmed).




Gaza: Israeli troops wounded nearly 50 Palestinians at the Gaza border on Wednesday during protests to mark the 71st anniversary of the "Nakba", or catastrophe, when many Palestinians lost their homes in the fighting around Israel's creation, Gaza officials said.

Thousands had gathered at the coastal enclave's frontier with Israel, the scene of bloodshed over the past year.

An Israeli firefighter battles a fire started by an incendiary device launched from the Gaza Strip. Credit:AP

Groups approached the border fence, planting Palestinian flags and throwing stones towards Israeli soldiers on the other side despite the efforts of marshalls in orange vests to keep protesters away from the barrier, witnesses said.

Israeli troops fired tear gas and rubber bullets to repel them, but also live ammunition, the witnesses said.
Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California, in a closed-door meeting of House Democrats, criticised the administration's lack of transparency on the intelligence, according to a Democratic aide. She also said that the administration must consult Congress before taking any action. Pelosi spoke hours after the evacuation of embassy personnel was ordered by Pompeo, whom as a congressman was one of the fiercest critics of the Obama administration's handling of the 2012 attacks on the US diplomatic mission and annex in Benghazi, Libya. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi wants answers on Iran. Credit:Bloomberg But the senior US official said Pompeo was overreacting, and Iraqi officials said the threat level portrayed in the intelligence was not urgent enough. Intelligence officials are set to meet on Thursday, US time, with senior congressional leaders for a briefing on the new intelligence. Nine US national security and congressional officials discussed the intelligence and the closed-door talks about it on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak about it publicly.

Until recently, US government officials had said that Iran was continuing its usual support to militant groups and proxy forces in the region, but was not seeking a fight. On its own, two US officials said, the photograph was not compelling enough to convince the American public and lawmakers, nor foreign allies, of the new Iranian threat. That changed on May 3 when what officials described as new intelligence significantly shifted the Defence Department's assessment of the immediacy of the threat. The military's Central Command asked that an aircraft carrier and bombers be sent to the Persian Gulf, rebuilding a show of deterrent force that some officials believed had been eroded by recent troop draw-downs. On May 5, the White House sent Bolton to announce that the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln would sail sooner than expected to the gulf. Choosing Bolton to deliver that message fuelled skepticism among allies and congressional Democrats. As military officials struggled to show that the threat from Iran was growing, intelligence officials declassified a photograph of one of the sailing boats, called dhow in Arabic, carrying what was described as a functional Iranian missile.

The Pentagon has not released the photograph. On its own, two US officials said, the photograph was not compelling enough to convince the American public and lawmakers, nor foreign allies, of the new Iranian threat. But releasing other supporting images could compromise secret sources and methods of collecting intelligence, the two officials said. US President Donald Trump has upped the ante on Iran. Credit:AP The other photographs, which remain classified, show the Islamic Revolutionary Guards loading missiles onto the boats in several different Iranian ports, the two officials said. It is believed the boats are under the Revolutionary Guards' control. CNN first reported that Iranian missiles were being moved onto ships last week. But new details have emerged in recent days, and US officials have concluded Iran did not intend to transfer the weapons to proxy forces.

Combined with other intelligence, the boats signalled a troubling Iranian mobilisation of forces that officials said put US ships, bases and commercial vessels at risk. They were one of at least three streams of intelligence that, together, alarmed national security officials and convinced many that a more serious threat was emerging. The United States also recently learnt of conversations between the Revolutionary Guards and Iranian proxy forces discussing attacks on US troops and diplomats in Iraq. The conversations themselves are nothing new, but the recent discussions were held with unusual frequency and included specifics about strikes on American targets. US officials also collected intelligence about Iran targeting commercial shipping, prompting a warning to mariners issued last Friday. That was one reason that led US officials to believe Iran was behind this week's sabotage of four tankers off the coast of the United Arab Emirates. The officials, however, still do not have conclusive forensic analysis that shows Iran was to blame. In a sign of the rising tensions over the handling of the Iran threat, US military officials in the Middle East stopped responding to media questions about the tanker investigation, and instead referred journalists to the White House. Republican Senator Marco Rubio, who sits on the Foreign Relations and Intelligence committees and who was briefed last week on the new intelligence, said on Wednesday that while he did not want a war with Iran, the United States must respond if attacked.

"I've been here eight years. This is by far, the single most imminent potential conflict of this significance that I have been around," Rubio said. "This is real. This is not a fake thing. It's not being made up by somebody. This President does not even want to have troops in the Middle East." Democract Senator Chuck Schumer, the Democratic leader, said flaws in the Trump administration's approach were evidenced in an article by The New York Times that reported on Pentagon plans for sending as many as 120,000 troops to the Middle East if hostilities with Iran escalated. "Did we learn the lessons of the last decade?" Schumer said on the Senate floor. "There is an alarming lack of clarity here, there's a lack of strategy, and there's a lack of consultation. The President ought to come up with a strategy and make it clear to Congress." Two US officials said Iran began mobilising its forces after provocations by Washington, including new economic sanctions on Tehran, an end to exemptions to the eight governments it had allowed to buy Iranian oil and the designation of the Revolutionary Guards as a terrorist group. Hanging over the current disagreement is the debate over the Iraq War, and specifically then secretary of state Colin Powell's address to the United Nations in 2003. Powell's presentation included fuzzy images and partial communications intercepts, and detailed what came to be understood as wildly wrong assessments to weave together an inaccurate picture of the Iraqi government's illicit weapons.

In the current debate, Democrat Seth Moulton, a Marine veteran who served in Iraq, has introduced legislation to require the Trump administration to get congressional approval before "engaging in hostilities" with Iran. In April, Republican Senator Rand Paul, pressed Pompeo during a hearing for the same commitment, but Pompeo deflected the request. Most Republicans signalled they supported the administration's tough line. "Iran seems to be more aggressive and we have to push back," Republican Senator Richard Shelby, chairman of the Appropriations Committee, said after meeting with intelligence officials. "We cannot give them a lot of space." The divisions over the intelligence extended to US allies. Troops from Germany and the Netherlands were pulled back to bases in Iraq. Spanish Defence officials withdrew a frigate that was part of the US-led carrier strike group heading to the Persian Gulf, to avoid entanglement in any upcoming conflict with Iran.
"They're being looted straight from the ground," he said. "They have never been seen. The only evidence we have of their existence is if someone happens to post a picture of them." Azm and Katie Paul, directors of the Athar Project, wrote in World Politics Review last year that the loot-to-order requests showed that traffickers were "targeting material with a previously unseen level of precision  a practice that Facebook makes remarkably easy." IS fighters destroyed statues and damaged the Palmyra Museum when they retook the city in December 2016. Credit:SANA/AP After the BBC published an article about the work of Azm and his colleagues last week, Facebook said that it had removed 49 groups connected to antiquities trafficking. Azm countered that 90 groups were still up. But more important, he argued, Facebook should not simply delete the pages, which now constitute crucial evidence both for law enforcement and heritage experts.

In a statement on Tuesday, the company said it was "continuing to invest in people and technology to keep this activity off Facebook and encourage others to report anything they suspect of violating our Community Standards so we can quickly take action." A spokeswoman said that the company's policy-enforcement team had 30,000 members and that it had introduced new tools to detect and remove content that violates the law or its policies using artificial intelligence, machine learning and computer vision. Loading Trafficking in antiquities is illegal across most of the Middle East, and dealing in stolen relics is illegal under international law. But it can be difficult to prosecute such cases. Leila Amineddoleh, a lawyer in New York who specialises in art and cultural heritage, said that determining the provenance of looted items can be arduous, presenting an obstacle for lawyers and academics alike.

Azm said his team's research indicated that the Facebook groups are run by an international network of traffickers who cater to dealers, including ones in the West. The sales are often completed in person in cash in nearby countries, he said, despite efforts in Turkey and elsewhere to fight antiquities smuggling. He faulted Facebook for not heeding warnings about antiquities sales as early as 2014, when it might have been possible to delete the groups to stop, or at least slow, their growth. Loading As IS expanded, it systematically looted and destroyed artefacts, using heavy machinery to dig into ancient sites that had scarcely been excavated before the war. The group allowed residents and other looters to take from heritage sites, imposing a 20 per cent tax on their earnings. Some local people and cultural heritage experts scrambled to document and save the antiquities, including efforts to physically safeguard them and to create 3D models and maps. Despite their efforts, the losses were catastrophic.

Satellite images show invaluable sites, such as Mari and Dura-Europos in eastern Syria, pockmarked with excavation holes from thieves. In the Mosul Museum in Iraq, the terrorists filmed themselves taking sledgehammers and drills to monuments they saw as idolatrous, acts designed for maximum propaganda value as the world watched with horror. Other factions and people also profited from looting. In fact, the market was so saturated that prices dropped drastically for a time around 2016, Azm said. Loading Around the same time, as IS fighters scattered in the face of territorial losses, they took their new expertise in looting back to their countries, including Egypt, Tunisia and Libya, and to other parts of Syria, like Idlib province, he added. "This is a supply and demand issue," Azm said, repeating that any demand gives incentives to looters, possibly financing terrorist groups in the process.

Instead of simply deleting the pages, Azm wants Facebook to devise a more comprehensive strategy to stop the sales while allowing investigators to preserve photos and records uploaded to the groups. A hastily posted photo, after all, might be the only record of a looted object that is available to law enforcement or scholars. Simply deleting the page would destroy "a huge corpus of evidence" that will be needed to identify, track and recover looted treasures for years to come, he said. Loading Similar arguments have been made as social media sites, including YouTube, have deleted videos that show atrocities committed during the Syrian war that could be used to prosecute war crimes. Facebook has also faced questions over its role as a platform for other types of illicit sales, including guns, poached ivory and more. It has generally responded to reports of illegal activity by shutting down pages or groups.
Washington: Alabama's new law restricting abortion in nearly every circumstance has moved one of the most polarising issues in American politics to the centre of the 2020 presidential campaign.

The state's legislation - the toughest of several anti-abortion measures that have passed recently - prompted an outcry from Democratic presidential candidates, who warned that conservatives were laying the groundwork to undermine the landmark Roe v. Wade decision.

The legislation makes performing an abortion at any stage of pregnancy a felony punishable by 10 to 99 years or life in prison for the provider.

The White House, meanwhile, didn't comment on the Alabama bill, signed into law on Wednesday by Republican Governor Kay Ivey, as President Donald Trump tries to balance his conservative base against the potential of antagonising women who are already sceptical of his presidency.
Washington: US President Donald Trump says he hopes the United States is not heading to war with Iran as he met with Switzerland's President Ueli Maurer, whose nation has served as a diplomatic conduit between the two countries.

US President Donald Trump. Credit:AP

Asked by reporters if Washington was going to war with Tehran, Trump responded, "Hope not" as he greeted Maurer at the White House on Thursday.

Tensions have escalated in recent days with increasing concerns about a potential US-Iran conflict.

Earlier this week the US pulled some diplomatic staff from its embassy in Baghdad following weekend attacks on four oil tankers in the Gulf.
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Shell rule the school forever.

Civic gurus gathered at the corner of 81st Street and 15th Avenue in Dyker Heights on Saturday to honor late community and education activist Mafalda DiMango at a street co-naming ceremony in her honor, just steps from where she lived, worked, and studied for many years of her life.

The event offered a touching tribute to the local leaders legacy, according to one of her two daughters, who added that her mother was missed at the affair.

It was bittersweet  she was being honored for so much that she did, but she wasnt there to know how it was appreciated, said Joanne Orr, who lives in the distant land of New Jersey.

Councilman Justin Brannan (D-Bay Ridge) hosted the event, which included remarks from Assemblyman Peter Abbate (DBensonhurst), local school superintendent Karina Constantino, and others who testified to the impact DiMango had on them during her years of public service, much of which was centered on the nearby PS 204, where DiMango and her two daughters attended school and where DiMango served as president of the parent-teacher association, according to Orr. And DiMangos 95-year-old husband, Anthony, did the official honors of unveiling the sign.

The longtime Dyker Heights resident, who was also one of the longest-serving school board members in the citys history, died Aug. 2 at 91-years-old. She spent more than 40 years advocating for students in School District 20  which includes Bay Ridge, Fort Hamilton, Borough Park, and part of Bensonhurst  as a member of the school board and the Community Education Council. She also spent many years as a member of the Dyker Heights Civic Association and Community Board 11, and received many awards over the years for her service, including the Civic Award, the Woman of the Year Award, and the Hidden Treasure of the Community Award, all from the Bay Ridge Community Council. DiMango also received the JFK Italian-American Heritage Citation, and was honored by the National Conference of Christians and Jews, and was even knighted by the president of Italy, according to her other daughter, Patricia DiMango.

Mafalda DiMango moved from Salerno, Italy, to the Bensonhurst area with her family as a young child, according to her daughter. After she married her husband, Anthony, she gave birth to her two daughters, Patricia and Joanne, who she raised in a house right next door to PS 204. Patricia, who is one of three judges on CBSs courtroom show Hot Bench, said the co-naming will forever honor her mothers place in the community.

It will be there for time immemorial, the judge said. It really does represent a lot to us as a family.

Reach reporter Julianne McShane at (718) 2602523 or by e-mail at jmcsh ane@s chnep smedi a.com . Follow her on Twitter @juliannemcshane.
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78th Precinct

Park Slope

Helter shelter

Cops arrested two women for attacking another woman inside an Eighth Avenue homeless shelter on May 8.

The victim told police she was arguing with the suspects over borrowed money inside a second-floor bathroom inside the refuge between between 15th and 14th avenues at 10:30 pm, when the women attacked her, punching her in the face and scratching her arm.

Both suspects were cuffed that day on misdemeanor assault charges, cops said.

Hacked!

Some thief made off with the computer inside a kiosk at a Nevins Street public housing complex on May 2.

A worker for the citys Housing Authority told police someone managed to sneak into the locked kiosk at the complext between Baltic and Wyckoff streets at around 4:20 pm, when they nabbed the $1,000 computer and fled.

No arrests have been made in the case, which has been closed, according to police.

Big bully

Cops have given up the hunt for the creep who followed and then attacked a 13-year-old boy on Bergen Street on May 9.

The victim told police the 35-year-old fiend followed him from school to his bus stop near Fifth Avenue at 2:35 pm, when he started shouting at the boy and shoved him.

The boy was not injured, cops said.

Wheel jerk

Police have called off the search for the vandal who busted up a womans car on Third Street on May 9.

The victim told police she spotted the suspect pounding on the hood of her car she parked near Third Avenue at 1:40 pm, leaving dents.

Drunk

Cops busted a 72-year-old man for allegedly driving drunk on Fifth Avenue on May 10.

A witness told police the suspect smashed into his car near Carroll Street at 5:10 pm, and that he had to remove the mans keys from the ignition to prevent him from fleeing.

The arresting officer claimed the man was incapable of coherent speech, and blew well over the legal limit on a Breathalyzer test, cops said.

 Colin Mixson
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Put that in your pipe and smoke it.

Gov. Andrew Cuomos administration temporarily rejected a permit to build a massive pipeline off the Coney Island Coast on May 16, in what activists claim is a major victory for environmental preservation.

This is a huge win and will stop a dangerous fracked gas pipeline from passing through New York Harbor, the Natural Resources Defense Council said in a statement.

The pipeline, officially called the Williams Northeast Supply Enhancement Pipeline, was slated to transport hydrofracked gas 23 miles off the shore of Southern Brooklyn, from New Jersey to the Rockaways.

Pipeline construction required approval from the Cuomo administrations Department of Environmental Conservation, which announced the decision to deny approval of the Water Quality Certification in a statement.

Because the department does not have reasonable assurances that construction and operation of the project would meet all applicable water quality standards, it is denying the WQC Application without prejudice, the department said.

Denying the permit without prejudice allows Williams Transco, the Oklahoma based energy company proposing the project, to change and resubmit its application to the state. A spokesman for the gas company called the rejection technical and promised they would expediently resubmit the permit request.

The Department of Environmental Conservation raised a minor technical issue with our application for water quality certification, said Chris Stockton. Our team will be evaluating the issue and resubmitting the application quickly.

If approved, the pipeline would take more than a year, and cost more than $900 million to construct, according to a New York City Council report.

The pipeline, which would run just two miles off the Southern Brooklyn coast, would supply natural gas to National Grid, which supplies energy to customers in Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island.

In the lead up to the departments decision, fellow energy company Con Edison, which shares energy transmission infrastructure with National Grid, sent a letter to elected leaders threatening a possible moratorium of new customers if the pipeline was not built.

National Grid has been clear about their potential inability to serve new gas customers absent new interstate pipeline infrastructure, and Con Edison shares those concerns, said spokesman Kyle Kimball.

Nevertheless, the pipelines rejection is being celebrated as a win for climate advocacy, including by the newest presidential contender, Mayor Bill de Blasio, who tweeted his thoughts on the decision.

Our citys message was loud and clear: were ending our dependence on fossil fuels, he said.
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It was a class act.

Thousands of Kings County scholars celebrated the culmination of years of study at a massive commencement ceremony at Barclays Center on May 14, where friends and family gathered to cheer on their loved ones as they paraded onto the arenas massive stage.

It was a meaningful day, said Angelina Pereyra, who earned her masters degree in psychology, and shook hands with the Long Island University President Dr. Kimberly Cline as her mother, father, brother, and best friend applauded from the stands.

The huge LIU commencement featured more than 2,300 graduating students, including 1,005 baccalaureates, 9,478 masters, and 249 new doctors, who doled out high-fives and praise to their fellow graduates for their scholastic achievements amid a ceremony that managed to wrap up after only two hours despite its massive size.

The students were not awarded their diplomas during the event  the logistics, according to one student, would have been a nightmare  but the college grads look forward to receiving them in the mail sometime soon.

LIU Professor of Pharmacy Dr. Spiridon Spireas  proud owner of 130 patents and patent-publications, and hundreds of scientific papers, along with a few books  served as keynote speaker for the event.

Spireas was joined by Dr. Naif Al-Mutawa, founder of The Soor Center for Professional Therapy and Assessment in Kuwait, with a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from LIU. He is also author of The 99, a comic book about a superhero team with special abilities based on the 99 attributes of Allah.

Reach reporter Colin Mixson at cmixs on@cn gloca l.com or by calling (718) 260-4505.
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A biker sustained injuries to his arm and leg after a driver struck him and fled the scene on Vanderbilt Avenue on May 6, according to authorities.

The driver drove up behind the victim on the two-way street and knocked him off his bike while trying to pass him, before taking off toward Willoughby Avenue just before 5:30 p.m., police said.

A video of the events surfaced on YouTube  seemingly by the victim  showing a first-person perspective of the incident.

The videos description states the car was a silver Nissan Altima with an out-of-state license plate, which the a Twitter account with a similar user name ran through the violations bot Hows My Driving New York, revealing that the car has racked up some 35 tickets in 2018 and 2019  all in Brooklyn  including five for speeding in a school zone and three for blowing a red light.

There are no arrests at this time and the investigation by the 88th Precinct is closed, a spokesman for the Police Department told this paper.

The spokesman could not clarify by press time why investigators closed the case without arrests.

Ten cyclists have already died at the hands of drivers in the city since the beginning of this year, with eight of the fatal collisions in Brooklyn and three of those in just the last four days.
Libyan Navy says Sea Watch didn't notify about rescue Says now NGO is responsible for fate of 65 migrants aboard

(ANSAmed) - CAIRO, MAY 16 - Libyan Navy spokesperson Ayob Amr Ghasem told ANSA on Thursday that the NGO Sea Watch did not notify the Libyan Coast Guard that it was rescuing 65 migrants off the country's coast, and therefore the NGO is now responsible for the migrants' fate.



"The party that rescued the migrants in difficulty is responsible for them, not the Libyan authorities," Ghasem told ANSA by phone, when asked to comment on the NGO's claim Thursday on Twitter that "at dawn a Libyan patrol boat approached us and ordered us to leave the area".



"This organisation doesn't have the right to do it without telling us," he said.



"If it had alerted us, we would have saved them immediately, but it gave us the information only after sending its rafts down to the sea," he said.



"It is therefore Sea Watch that is responsible for them, and not us," he said.



"When, for example, the Italian centre or official counterparts communicate to us that there are boats in difficulty, we intervene immediately. But Sea Watch continues to repeat this pattern despite our warnings," he said.



"It has absolutely no right to operate in this area".(ANSAmed).




BEIRUT - Thousands of people in Lebanon attended the state funeral on Thursday morning for Maronite Christian Cardinal Butros Nasrallah Sfeir, a former Maronite patriarch and leading member of the anti-Syrian political front in the country.



Lebanese media on Thursday are devoting ample space to the funeral, which is taking place at the seat of the Maronite Catholic Patriarchate in Bkerke, in the mountains northeast of Beirut.



Sfeir died on Sunday at the age of 98 after a long illness.



He was born in the Syrian city of Tartus and was the Maronite patriarch from 1996 to 2011.



In the early 2000s, he made a name for himself through his insistent statements in favour of putting an end to Syrian political and military occupation in Lebanon, which formally ended in 2005 after 20 years.



The Lebanese government declared Thursday a national day of mourning and all public institutions, banks, and schools are closed.(ANSAmed).


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(ANSAmed) - Tunis, May 16 - The Tunisian island of Djerba is ready to welcome the annual traditional Jewish pilgrimage to the ancient El Ghriba synagogue, which this year will take place on May 22 and 23, said organising committee president Perez Trabelsi.



Trabelsi said preparations are complete and all necessary security measures have been taken.



This year is the first time in 32 years that the pilgrimage is taking place at the same time as Ramadan.



Trabelsi said this is a symbolic reflection of the tolerance and peaceful cohabitation between the various religious communities on the island of Djerba.



Tunisian tourism minister Rene Trabelsi recently remarked on the intersection of the two events, which he said will bring to the world an extraordinary message of "tolerance and coexistence between religions".



El Ghriba synagogue director Khoudir Haniya said between 7,000 and 8,000 visitors from around the world are expected at this year's pilgrimage, a figure that comes close to 2010, which was a landmark year for Tunisian tourism prior to the revolution.



Many media outlets and TV will cover the event, including from Russia, Brazil, and Argentina.(ANSAmed).


Papan Mondal, a fruit vendor, who came to do brisk buisness at the venue where West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee held her last rally before the Lok Sabha polls conclude, wants to see her as the next Prime Minister of India. The reason being his anger with demonetisation which not only hit his business, but also led to his son, employed with a local shopkeeper, losing his job.

Later, his son found a contractual state government job without the provisions for pension or pay scale. Although he isnt sure how Banerjee can help spur economic development in the state or ...
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Boeing Co made mistakes with its 737 MAX planes that need to be addressed, Southwest Airlines Co Chief Executive Officer Gary Kelly told shareholders on Wednesday, but he said he is still hopeful that the jets grounded after two crashes will return to service in the U.S. summer. Southwest, which only flies 737s and is the world's largest MAX operator, has bet its growth strategy on the fuel-efficient, longer-range MAX, which was grounded worldwide in March following two deadly crashes, one in Indonesia and one in Ethiopia. As a result, Southwest has canceled 160 daily flights ...
Oil prices jumped 2% on Thursday as tensions in the West Asia grew, with a Saudi-led coalition launching air strikes in retaliation for recent attacks on its oil infrastructure. Brent crude futures were up $1.53, or 2.1%, at $73.30 a barrel by 11:58 a.m. (1558 GMT); it touched its highest level in three weeks. US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures gained $1.35, or 2.2%, to $63.37 a barrel. The Saudi-led military coalition in Yemen carried out several air strikes on the Houthi-held capital Sanaa on Thursday after the Iranian-aligned movement claimed responsibility for drone ...
Boris Johnson, the face of the campaign for Britain to leave the European Union, said on Thursday he will be standing as a candidate to replace Prime Minister Theresa May as Conservative leader. May has said she will step down before the next phase of Brexit negotiations although she has not yet put a date on her departure. "Of course am going to go for it," Johnson told the BBC at The British Insurance Brokers' Association. Johnson resigned from the cabinet last July in protest at May's handling of the exit negotiations. The former foreign minister and ...
Tesla Inc will update its battery software after two recent fires involving its Model S electric vehicles (EV) in Shanghai and Hong Kong, the U.S. automaker said on Thursday, adding that investigations into the incidents are ongoing. "As we continue our investigation of the root cause, out of an abundance of caution, we are revising charge and thermal management settings on Model S and Model X vehicles via an over-the-air software update that will begin rolling out today, to help further protect the battery and improve battery longevity." Tesla said in a statement on ...
Clashes between Houthis and government forces left 12 dead in Yemen's Dhale province on Wednesday.

Amongst the deceased, five people were identified as soldiers while seven are rebels, according to Xinhua.

The latest clash ensued after pro-government forces confronted the rebels who launched their advance toward the province, a military official said.

"The army forces air-covered by airstrikes from the Saudi-led coalition lost five soldiers in the ongoing battle with the Houthi rebels in the area," the military official told Xinhua.

The UN Special Envoy to Yemen, Martin Griffiths, on Tuesday expressed his concern about the ongoing escalation, urging all parties to exercise utmost restraint.

Only last month, several Houthi rebels seized the Al Husha district here, after launching a series of attacks on government forces.

Since 2014, Yemen has been in the midst of a civil war after the Houthis revolted, forcing the internationally-recognized government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi into exile.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu condemned BJP's Bhopal Lok Sabha candidate Pragya Singh Thakur comments glorifying Mahatma Gandhi's assassin as "depressing" and "disgusting".

On Thursday, when questioned about actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan's remark that India's first terrorist was a Hindu (in reference to Godse), Thakur said, "Nathuram Godse was a 'deshbhakt', is a 'deshbhakt' and will remain a 'deshbhakt'."

Naidu took to Twitter to slam the Prime Minister and BJP and wrote, "It's depressing and disgusting to hear that those who killed the father of the nation Mahatma Gandhi are being hailed as great Patriots by BJP candidates. This speaks a lot about the nature of patriotism of not only BJP candidates but also Narendra Modi, who supports such people."

In another tweet, Naidu added, "First, they abused Maharashtra Police Officer Sri Hemant Karkare who was martyred, now it's the turn of the father of the nation, an apostle of non-violence and the torchbearer of world peace, Mahatma Gandhi. Is this the Gujarat model that BJP wants to spread in the entire nation?"

Soon after Thakur's controversial statement on 'Godse', the Opposition parties attacked Thakur saying what she said reflected the mindset of the people nurtured in RSS ideology.

However, BJP spokesperson G V L Narasimha Rao issued a statement saying the party condemns the statement of Thakur and said she should apologize publicly for terming Gandhi's assassin Godse a "true patriot'.

After being fielded by the BJP in Bhopal, Thakur had said Hemant Karkare, who was killed during the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, died because she had cursed him. The statement had attracted all-round criticism including from the BJP which disowned it.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The body of a doctor who lost her life yesterday in an accident at a Goa beach arrived at her native town of Jaggaiahpet in Andhra Pradesh on Thursday.

Ramya Krishna lost her life after she drowned in a beach in Goa on Wednesday. The victim was trying to take a selfie when the waves of the pulled her into the sea.

Krishna worked as a medical officer in a primary healthcare unit since she joined a government hospital here in 2018.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
In an example of communal harmony, a Muslim autorickshaw driver, unfazed by the curfew imposed in Hailakandi of Assam, took a Hindu woman who was suffering labour pain to the hospital.

After the onset of labour pain, Ruben Das needed an ambulance to take his pregnant wife Nandita to the hospital. Seeing that nobody came to the woman's aid, Ruben's neighbour Maqbool came forward and took Nandita to the hospital at the right time, regardless of the curfew.

The woman gave birth to a son, whom the couple eventually named 'Shanti'.

Hailakandi Deputy Commissioner Keerthi Jalli reached the residence of Nandita and Ruben. "We need more such examples of Hindu-Muslim unity," she told media here.

Jalli also met Maqbool and thanked him for helping Nandita at the hour of need despite the curfew in the district.

Curfew was imposed due to the communal violence that erupted in Hailakandi six days ago, in which a person was killed and 15 others were injured in firing on May 10. At the same time, 15 vehicles and 12 shops were damaged.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said the Samajwadi Party (SP) and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), who are in alliance in Uttar Pradesh, are "grabbing each other's collars" as they are aware of their defeat in the ongoing polls.

Addressing a rally here, Modi, citing a recent scuffle between the SP and BSP workers, said, "SP-BSP leaders make deals in the comfort of their AC rooms in Lucknow and this is the reason why they have lost touch with the ground reality. Now that the parties know that they are going to lose the elections, their party workers are pulling each other's collars."

Continuing his tirade against SP and BSP, the Prime Minister said the parties have increased their "daily dosage" of hurling abuses against him.

"Even if they spew poison at me, the public knows that these people (Akhilesh Yadav and Mayawati) are corrupt. They sit on a pile of money and call themselves 'Samajwadi'. They have looted the state turn by turn," he added.

The Prime Minister also accused the alliance of pushing the state in the direction of naxalism.

Exuding confidence over BJP's electoral prospects in the Lok Sabha elections, the Prime Minister said NDA will form the government with over 300 seats.

"People of the nation now believe in our government, as it has worked immensely on the pressing issues. In this Lok Sabha elections, NDA will cross the mark of 300 seats," he said.

Mirzapur, along with 12 other parliamentary constituencies of the state, will go to polls on May 19 in the seventh and last phase of Lok Sabha elections. Results will be declared on May 23.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday criticised the security issue at Prime Minister Narendra Modi's rally in Mathurapur, insisting that other political parties, including TMC, also need security at the time of campaigning.

"We had a meeting yesterday, why was it cancelled? Can only the Prime Minister hold a meeting just because he has security? Don't we also need security? Don't we have any rights in democracy?" she told reporters here while responding to reports that the Special Protection Group (SPG) had written a letter to West Bengal DGP over security concerns at Prime Minister Narendra Modi's rally.

"They (EC) curtailed our campaign 24 hours ago and now we have to adjust our meetings," she added.

The SPG had reportedly alleged that Banerjee was planning a "rally ambush", raising the possibility of clashes between TMC and BJP workers at the Mathurapur rally.

While Modi addressed a rally in Mathurapur and another one in Dum Dum, Banerjee held a public meeting in Mathurapur, which was almost close to the Prime Minister's rally venue. Later in the day, Banerjee took out a march from Thakurpukur to Taratala in the city.

On Tuesday, Banerjee and her TMC supporters held a seven-kilometre-long march from Beliaghata to Shyambazar in north Kolkata.

In an unprecedented action in India's electoral history, the Election Commission on Wednesday invoked Article 324 of the Constitution to cut short the last phase campaigning in the state by a day after violence and clashes between BJP and TMC workers at BJP president Amit Shah's roadshow Kolkata on Tuesday.

"No election campaigning to be held in nine parliamentary constituencies of West Bengal, namely Dum Dum, Barasat, Basirhat, Jaynagar, Mathurapur, Jadavpur, Diamond Harbour, South and North Kolkata, from 10 pm tomorrow till the conclusion of polls," Deputy Election Commissioner Chandra Bhushan Kumar had told media.

Campaigning was originally scheduled to end at 5 pm on Friday for the nine constituencies that will go to polls on May 19.

During the mayhem, the bust of Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar was also vandalised at a college named after him. Since then, both TMC and BJP have been trading accusations against each other.

Elections to 33 seats have taken place in West Bengal in the first six phases of elections. The remaining nine seats will go to polls on May 19 in the last round with the counting set to take place on May 23.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
American comic book artist Neal Adams, the artist behind the now-classic Batman villain Ra's al Ghul, is all set to return with his most famous creation.

DC has announced to release an all-new six-issue mini-series titled 'Batman vs Ra's al Ghul', this August, tying into DC's "Year of the Villain" event.

"Ra's al Ghul, leader of the League of Assassins, grandfather of Bruce Wayne's son and the only person in the world capable of going sword-to-sword with Batman, returns this August during DC's Year of the Villain in a new six-issue mini-series, BATMAN VS RA'S AL GHUL, written and drawn by Ra's al Ghul's co-creator himself, legendary artist Neal Adams," reads DC's official website.

The mini-series will revive DC's bad guy Ra's al Ghul, an immortal assassin also known as the Demon's Head, who believes that he needs to save the world, and in the process decides to undo the good work done by Bruce Wayne's alter ego.

Penned by Adams, the plot line of 'Batman vs Ra's al Ghul' is both dark and complicated. Demon's Head is on the mission of killing Batman but is interrupted when Gotham City comes under siege by terrorists.

"Adams shows a Gotham City under siege by terrorists, with Batman determined to find the source. But when Boston Brand, aka Deadman, tries to intervene, he discovers an even more disturbing and deadly truth: the terrorists are led by an inhuman monster! Ra's al Ghul volunteers his own private security force to aid the GCPD, and now they are the saviours standing between nuclear terror and the townspeople! But al Ghul's true goal is hidden from everyone's eyes. He will destroy the city and kill Batman--this time for good. Watching in horror is...Bruce Wayne?" reads DC's description of the series.

Apart from this, DC has something more planned for its fans. To coincide with the debut of Adams' new mini-series, the publishing company will also release facsimile edition of Batman No. 232, the story that introduced Ra's al Ghul for the very first time, reprinted in its original format.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Bike-borne assailants tactfully snatched a woman's chain in Delhi's Inderpuri area on May 13, CCTV footage from the area revealed.

The woman, identified as Roza, had gone for a morning walk in the area when the unidentified men forcefully grabbed onto her and snatched her chain.

In the CCTV footage of the incident, the woman can be seen walking while a bike with two men passes by. After crossing the lady, one of the two men can be seen getting off the bike and pacing towards the lady.

Footage of the incident showed Roza, who works as an HR manager in an MNC, trying to resist the attempt, but to no vain. In an attempt to save herself, Roza can be seen trying to push the man away while the other criminal encircles the two on his bike.

Despite attempts to resist the crime, the miscreants fled the spot on a bike while the woman, lying on the ground, screamed for help.

Delhi Police ACP said a case has been registered under section 379 of the Indian Penal Code and investigation is underway to nab the culprits.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday strongly condemned the statement made by its Bhopal candidate Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur and said she should apologise publicly for terming Mahatma Gandhi's assassin Nathuram Godse a 'true patriot'.

"We completely disagree with the statement made by Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur about the father of the nation Mahatma Gandhi ji. We strongly condemn this particular statement. The party will ask her for clarification, she should apologise publicly for this statement," BJP spokesperson GVL Narasimha Rao told media here.

Earlier in the day, when questioned about actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan's remark that India's first terrorist was a Hindu (in reference to Godse), Thakur had said, "Nathuram Godse was a 'deshbhakt', is a 'deshbhakt' and will remain a 'deshbhakt'."The BJP candidate from Bhopal Lok Sabha seat had claimed that comments like these by Haasan would dent his electoral prospects. "People calling him a terrorist should instead look within, such people will be given a befitting reply in these elections," she had said.

Meanwhile, Congress leader Digvijaya Singh, who is contesting against Thakur from Bhopal, also sought his opponent's apology for her remarks. "Modi ji, Amit Shah ji and the state BJP should give their statements and apologise to the nation. I condemn this statement, Nathuram Godse was a killer, glorifying him is not patriotism, it is sedition," he said. Thakur, an accused in the Malegaon blast case, is not new to controversial remarks. After being fielded by the BJP in the ongoing Lok Sabha polls, she had said Hemant Karkare, who was killed during the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, died because she had cursed him.

While Thakur drew flak for the comment, a notice was served by the Election Commission, thereby forcing her to withdraw her statement.In addition, Thakur was barred from campaigning for three days by the poll body for her comments about Babri Masjid demolition. "I will go to make the Ram Temple. I have said it before and I am not denying it that I had gone there. I have demolished the Babri structure. He is my Ram ji and no one can stop me from making a grand Ram temple. The nation is Ram, Ram is a nation," she had said.

An FIR was also filed against her for these remarks.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Upping the ante ahead of the conclusion of polling in the country, Congress general secretary in charge of Eastern Uttar Pradesh Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Thursday said BJP has "hollow policies" and indulges in publicity.

"BJP is a party who makes promises but delivers nothing. BJP and its leaders are involved in just publicity and they will make big promises. Their whole publicity is hollow and all policies are hollow," she said at an election rally here.

Gandhi lashed out at BJP for providing schemes which attract "big headlines in newspapers" but fail to materialise.

"You must have heard about BJP slogans over electricity bills where they have claimed that they have reduced them. I went to several villages and two women told me that they were getting bills of 50,000 and 35,000 respectively for a month even though electricity is just coming for 7 to 8 hours," she said.

On the penultimate day of election campaigning before 13 seats in Uttar Pradesh go to polls, Priyanka asserted that BJP's policies are against farmers and youth.

"PM [Narendra Modi] told you that he himself will deposit 15 lakh in your accounts and the President of the same party after the elections said it was a 'chunaavi jumla', will you trust them again?" she asked.

Urging people to vote for Congress candidate from Maharajganj Supriya Shrinate, she said, "The town is yearning for change as it has witnessed no development in last 25 years."

Congress has fielded Shrinate, a former journalist, against five-time MP Pankaj Chaudhary from Maharajganj.

Meanwhile, BSP-SP alliance has fielded Akhilesh Singh of SP, who had won the general elections here in 1999, from Maharajganj.

Results of the seven-phase electoral exercise will be out on May 23.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Bob Hawke, one of Australia's longest-serving prime ministers and a champion of the trade union movement, died on Thursday at the age of 89.

CNN cited a statement released by Hawke's widow Blanche D'Alpuget, describing the late 23rd Prime Minister of Australia as "the greatest Australian of the post-war era."

Known affectionately as "Hawkie," he served as the Prime Minister of Australia from 1983 to 1991, winning four elections and becoming the country's third longest-serving leader.

"Bob Hawke and Paul Keating and their governments modernised the Australian economy, paving the way for an unprecedented period of recession-free economic growth and job creation," the statement read.

According to the Museum of Australian Democracy, Hawke, being a Rhodes Scholar from the Oxford University in 1956, quickly rose through the ranks of Australia's trade union movement to become the President of the Australian Council of Trade Unions in 1970.

In 1983, with only three years of experience of serving in the Parliament, Hawke became the Prime Minister and served the country for almost nine years.

Hawke is also remembered as one of the major economic reformers in his country who with his then-treasurer Paul Keating liberalised the Australian economy, floating the Australian dollar and brought in universal healthcare for all citizens, CNN reported.

In a statement, opposition Labor leader Bill Shorten said that "the Australian people loved Bob Hawke because they knew Bob loved them."

"In Australian history, in Australian politics, there will always be B.H. and A.H: Before Hawke and After Hawke. After Hawke, we were a different country. A kinder, better, bigger and bolder country," the statement said.

In addition, Prime Minister Scott Morison extended his condolences to Hawke's family saying, "My thoughts and deepest sympathies are with Bob's widow Blanche and his family. May he Rest In Peace."

He said Hawke "had a unique ability to speak to all Australians and will be greatly missed."

"Bob Hawke was a great Australian who led and served our country with passion, courage, and intellectual horsepower that made our country stronger," Morrison tweeted.

"He was true to his beliefs in the Labor tradition and defined the politics of his generation and beyond," he added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Two Canadian nationalists detained in China since December last year on national security grounds have been formally arrested, country's Foreign Ministry said on Thursday.

Businessman Michael Spavor and former diplomat Michael Kovrig were arrested separately in China in December on different charges, shortly after Canada had arrested Huawei technologies CFO Meng Wanzhou at the behest of the United States.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had condemned the initial detention of Spavor and Kovrig as "arbitrary" and politically motivated." Thursday's development will likely inflame tensions between Beijing and Ottawa that broke out with the arrest of Wanzhou, reported The New York Times.

Wanzhou may soon be extradited to the US, where she faces charges over suspected violation of the US sanctions against Iran.

The United States has pressured allies not to use Huawei's technology, arguing that China could use it to spy on other countries. These efforts intensified when US President Donald Trump signed an executive order barring American companies from using telecom equipment made by firms believed to pose a "national security risk", including Huawei.

Lu Kang, a spokesman for the foreign ministry told media here on Thursday that Michael Kovrig has been charged with gathering state secrets and intelligence for abroad, while Michael Spavor has been accused of stealing and providing state secrets for abroad.

"Everything in China is done in accordance with the law," Mr Lu said. Responding to a reporter's question about Canadian officials' criticism of how China handled the cases, he said: "We hope Canada will not interfere with or comment casually on China's legal system and lawful practices."

The development comes amidst the escalating trade spat between the US and China. Washington imposed fresh tariff hikes on Chinese imports amounting to USD 200 billion, alleging that Beijing had backed out of the trade deal as it neared fruition. In response, China announced its intent to increase tariffs on US goods entering the country starting from June 1.

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BSP chief Mayawati on Wednesday said Congress' NYAY scheme is not a permanent solution for eliminating poverty.

NYAY is a flagship scheme of the Congress party under which it has promised Rs 72,000 to 5 crore families every year if the party is voted to power.

"To influence voters, especially the extremely poor, Congress party announced Rs 6000 per month for them. This is not a permanent solution of eliminating poverty," she said while addressing an election rally here.

"Keeping this in mind, we would like to say that if we get an opportunity to form government at the centre then instead of providing Rs 6,000 per month to extremely poor families, we'll give them permanent jobs in government and non-government sectors," she added.

The BSP chief was campaigning for its candidate Atul Rai from Ghosi Lok Sabha constituency.

Rai, who is an accused in a rape case, is absconding.

In April, a college student in Varanasi had accused Rai of sexually assaulting her. The victim had alleged that she was taken by Rai to his residence on the pretext of meeting his wife. An FIR has been lodged against Rai in the matter.

Ghosi and 12 parliamentary constituencies of Uttar Pradesh will go to polls on May 19.

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A special court in Delhi on Thursday recorded the statement of complainant Rajesh Kumar and two witnesses in a connection with an alleged objectionable comment posted by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal against BJP workers on Twitter.

Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Samar Vishal was hearing the defamation complaint filed by Kumar against Kejriwal for posting the alleged tweet on September 30, 2018.

The matter is now slated to be heard on June 1.

In his petition, the BJP's legal cell convenor submitted that he was shocked and surprised after seeing a tweet in which Kejriwal had allegedly said that "BJP members keep roaming and raping Hindu girls around the country".

Kumar alleged that Kejriwal had said, "Bhajpa ke neta poore desh mein Hindu ladkiyon ka rape karte ghoomte hain" in his tweet.

"Mr Kejriwal has successfully dented the reputation of the complainant in particular and his party," the complaint, moved through counsel Saurabh Kansal, stated.

Kumar said that he wanted to file a complaint immediately but he thought people have a better sense of judgement and no one will take the tweet seriously.

"The tweet has caused embarrassment to the complainant on several occasions as some people in small social gatherings raise the issue to tease him," the complaint said."The subject tweet has not only caused defamation to the complainant but to crores of members of BJP and the accused cannot be permitted to let go for such an offence," it contended.Kumar requested the court to issue summons against Kejriwal on charges of defamation and promoting enmity between different groups of the Indian Penal Code and also provisions of the Information Technology Act.

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Mumbai Police have arrested a 38-year-old homoeopathic doctor for allegedly posting derogatory content on BJP's Bhopal candidate Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur on a social media platform.

The doctor, identified as Sunil Kumar Nishad, was arrested on May 15, police said.

Based on the complaint filed by an activist Ravindra Tiwari, the Parksite Police in Vikhroli registered an FIR against Nishad under the section 295A (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings by insulting its religion or religious beliefs) of the Indian Penal Code.

A resident of Vikhroli West, Nishad was arrested for posting objectionable posts against Thakur and Brahmans, the FIR registered in the matter mentioned.

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Amidst ongoing political slugfest in West Bengal, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday questioned if Prime Minister Narendra Modi is the only one who has the right to hold public rallies and meetings in the state.

"Only PM Modi has the right to hold rallies and meetings in the state, no one else? Did any sort of security issue happen to him? Then why they (EC) stopped the meeting for us?," Banerjee asked while expressing her discontentment over the Election Commission's decision to cut short the campaign period in the state.

Further, she said that the proposed public meeting of PM Narendra that is slated to be held in Mathurapur is four kilometres away from the place that she held the public meeting.

"PM Modi's rally is four kilometres away. Why do they think only prime ministers security is important and not others?", she asked.

Questioning her rights under the federal system of governance she said, "Why did they stop the election campaign? What do they think, whatever the Election Commission says, that'll happen? Don't we have any right to hold meetings in this country?

Her comments came hours after the Special Protection Group (SPG) has written a letter to West Bengal DGP raising questions regarding PM Modi's security at his proposed public meeting in Mathurapur later today.

After violence was reported during Shah's roadshow in Kolkata, the EC on Wednesday decided to cut short the campaign period in the state.

Elections to 33 seats have taken place in West Bengal in the first six phases of elections. The remaining nine seats will go to polls on May 19 in the last round with the counting set to take place on May 23.

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Congress on Thursday termed Election Commission of India's (ECI) unprecedented move to curtail the campaign period in West Bengal for the final phase of the Lok Sabha polls as a "parting gift to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP" and a "dark spot on India's democracy".

Addressing a press conference here, Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said that the ECI has allowed campaigning in the state till 10 pm today to ensure that the two pre-announced rallies of Modi in Mathurapur and Dum Dum parliamentary constituencies were not affected by the poll body's order.

In the first such action in India's electoral history, the ECI on Wednesday invoked Article 324 of the Constitution to cut short the campaigning for nine seats in West Bengal, citing "an atmosphere of fear and hatred".

The move came in the backdrop of the violence that broke out during a roadshow of BJP president Amit Shah in Kolkata on Tuesday. Campaigning was originally scheduled to end at 5 pm on Friday for the nine constituencies that would go to polls on May 19.

"The ECI order curtailing campaigning in West Bengal by 20 hours and restricting it up to 10 pm today is a dark spot on India's democracy. The ECI has regrettably and completely abdicated its constitutional duty under Article 324 to ensure a level playing field besides negating the due process under Article 14 and 21 of the Constitution of India," Surjewala said.

"This appears to be ECI's parting gift to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP in order to ensure that the two pre-announce election rallies of Modi at Mathurapura and Dum Dum in afternoon and evening today are not hit by the EC's order," he said.

Attacking the poll body, the Congress leader said, "Instead of punishing the goons and hooligans of BJP led by their president Amit Shah, the Election Commission is punishing democracy, per se. It (the order) has created a fear psychosis by admitting ECI's inability to hold free and fair polls. The order of the ECI is an unpardonable betrayal of the Constitution."

Surjewala said, "Every citizen is questioning the independence, impartiality, objectivity and fairness of the ECI today. Has the ECI become a mere helpless pawn in the hands of Modi-Shah duo? As democracy is under attack from the ruling BJP, it is time for the ECI to submit before people of India, instead of being stifled by PM Modi."

He claimed that Congress filed over 11 complaints with against Modi and Shah with the ECI for alleged violation of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) but no action was taken.

"The Congress Party filed over 11 complaints with the ECI against PM Modi and Amit Shah. Despite clear dissent in ECI ranks and these being a clear cut case of brazen violation of MCC, it meekly surrendered to the whims of Modi and Shah. Has the MCC now become 'Modi Code of Misconduct' to be applied to BJP's political opponents, with total immunity for PM and BJP president?" Surjewala asked.

The party also said that the appointment of the Election Commissioner should be brought under the scanner.

"Time has come to review the appointment of the Election Commissioner and it should be brought under the scanner. The appointment of the Election Commissioner must not be at the whims of the government to pick their loyalists...There is a need for a fair process for selection of the ECI. After May 23 when our government will come, we will review it," he added.

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A delegation of the Opposition parties on Thursday met the Election Commission (EC) and registered its strong opposition to its decision to end the campaigning early in West Bengal after violence erupted during BJP president Amit Shah's roadshow in Kolkata on Tuesday.

However, the delegation didn't receive any satisfactory answer from the electoral body, said Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi, who led the delegation.

"Without any quasi-judicial procedure, the Election Commission had cut short campaigning in West Bengal. They didn't decide who was behind the violence (at BJP president Amit Shah's roadshow in Kolkata). We and most of the non-NDA parties have alleged that BJP is behind the vandalisation of Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar's statue and violence at the roadshow," Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi said.

"If the Election Commission does this, then the result that comes out of it is that the person, who is the culprit, gets the benefit for his wrongdoing and the one, who is innocent, have to pay for this as they have to cut short their campaigning process by 24 hours. If evidence shows that BJP was behind all this then why non-NDA parties pay should for it? We have not received a satisfactory response from the Election Commission on this," he said.

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Sanjay Singh, who was also a part of the delegation, said, "TMC and other people should decide now whether they will go to court against this or not."

In an unprecedented action, the EC on Wednesday cut short the campaigning period in West Bengal by a day for the final phase of the Lok Sabha elections in view of the violence during Shah's roadshow on Tuesday.

Campaigning was originally scheduled to end at 5 pm on Friday for the nine constituencies that will go to polls on May 19.

Meanwhile, the delegation also complained about Raebareli Superintendent of Police Vineet Singh to the Election Commission.

"Elections were held on May 12 in Raebareli, but what happened on May 12 and May 14 there was a trailer, according to us, and shows what wrong things will happen on May 23," Singhvi said.

"We have informed that Superintendent of Police Vineet Singh should immediately be transferred from there as he is openly getting biased towards BJP candidate Dinesh Singh. Vineet Singh had helped Dinesh Singh's brother Avdesh Singh in the District Panchayat polls," he added.

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Bhopal police on Thursday filed an FIR against Namdas Tyagi, also known as Computer Baba, for violating the Model Code of Conduct.

Congress' Bhopal candidate Digvijaya Singh, along with Tyagi had, on May 7, performed a 'havan' at a 'maha yagna' to ensure Singh's victory in the Lok Sabha elections.

On May 9, BJP had moved the Election Commission accusing Tyagi of fanning communal sentiments while campaigning for Singh, following which the EC issued a notice to him.

In his reply to the poll body, Computer Baba said the event was not a political program but a religious one. "No information was given about where to put any political poster. Some anti-social elements may have put the posters."

Bhopal Collector Sudam Pandharinath Khade, who is also the district poll in-charge, ordered an investigation into the matter on May 9. During the course of investigation, Khade found Tyagi guilty of flouting norms.

A case has been registered against him under section 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

'Computer Baba' was appointed as the Minister of State (MoS) under the Shivraj Singh Chouhan government. However, he had openly rebelled against the BJP after being denied a party ticket for the state assembly elections held in Madhya Pradesh.

Bhopal went to polls in the sixth phase of parliamentary elections, on May 12. Digvijaya is contesting against BJP's Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur from this seat.

The final phase of polling will be held on May 19, and counting of votes will take place on May 23.

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While opening up about learning from his mistakes, George Clooney admitted that 'Batman & Robin' wasn't a good film.

Before completely transforming into a heart-throb and earning an impressive list of movie credits, which include 'Three Kings', 'Out of Sight', 'Ocean's Eleven' and 'Catch-22', Clooney was subjected to a lot of criticism after he featured as the caped crusader in 'Batman & Robin'.

During a recent interaction with The Hollywood Reporter, the star recalled being held responsible for the performance of 'Batman & Robin', even though the film also featured Arnold Schwarzenegger in a pivotal role.

He also mentioned that Schwarzenegger, who played the role of a bad-to-the-bone villain in the film, was paid "20 times more" than what Clooney got for the film.

"Schwarzenegger was paid I think it was $25 million for that which was like 20 times more than what I was paid for it," he said

Despite being paid more, it was Clooney who "took all the heat" for the failure of the DC Comics based movie.

The actor admitted that he wasn't good in the film. "Now, fair deal: I was playing Batman and I wasn't good in it, it wasn't a good film. But what I learned from that failure was that I had to relearn how I was working. Now, I wasn't just an actor getting a role, I was being held responsible for the film itself," he said.

Looking at the silver lining, Clooney said that the failure helped him make better choices. He became more careful about the films and roles he picked for himself.

"So the next three films I did were 'Three Kings', 'Out of Sight' and 'O Brother, Where Art Thou?'. That was a very specific choice for me to find better projects," he asserted.

Released in 1997, 'Batman & Robin' follows Batman and Robin (played by Chris O'Donnell) as they attempt to stop Mr Freeze (played by Schwarzenegger) before he freezes all mankind to death. The film was slammed by audience and critics, shortly after it was released.

Learning from his experience, Clooney revealed that he even warned his friend Ben Affleck against playing Batman in the 2016 film 'Batman v Superman Dawn of Justice'. However, he thinks Affleck did a great job.

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The United States on Wednesday blacklisted Chinese telecom giant Huawei, along with 70 affiliates, citing threats to national security behind the decision.

"Huawei is engaged in activities that are contrary to US national security," the US Commerce Department said while placing the Chinese company on a trade blacklist, according to Sputnik.

This comes as authorities in Canada arrested Chinese telecom giant Huawei's Chief Financial officer, Meng Wanzhou, in Vancouver last year. She may be extradited to the US, where she faces charges over suspected violations of the US sanctions against Iran.

Furthermore, the latest measure comes amidst the escalating trade spat between the US and China.

Washington recently imposed fresh tariff hikes on Chinese imports amounting to USD 200 billion, alleging that Beijing had backed out of the trade deal as it neared fruition. In response, China announced its intent to increase tariffs on US goods entering the country starting from June 1.

US President Donald Trump had on Wednesday declared a national emergency by signing an executive order which bars American companies from using telecommunications equipment manufactured by foreign companies believed to pose a "national security risk.

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Former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir and PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti on Thursday hit out at the BJP and said she takes pride in being termed 'anti-national' if a Hindu fanatic Nathuram Godse, who gunned down the father of the nation, is being hailed as a nationalist.

"I take pride in being called an anti- when a Hindu fanatic who gunned down Gandhi ji is hailed as a nationalist," Mufti wrote on her Twitter handle.

She also said, "aisi nationalism aur desh bhakti humaray bas ki naheen. Yeh aapko mubarak. (Such kind of nationalism and patriotism are not our cup of tea. Congratulations to you!).

Muftis response comes in the wake of BJP's candidate Pragya Singh Thakur's remarks terming Nathuram Godse, the man who assassinated Mahatma Gandhi, as a 'deshbhakt' (patriot).

Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister and Conference leader Omar Abdhullah also condemned Pragya's remarks on Godse.

"If the killer of the father of the nation is a patriot does that make Mahatma Gandhi anti- " queried Abdullah in his twitter post.

Earlier in the day, when questioned about actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan's remark that India's first terrorist was a Hindu (in reference to Godse), Thakur had said, "Nathuram Godse was a 'deshbhakt', is a 'deshbhakt' and will remain a 'deshbhakt'."

"People calling him a terrorist should instead look within, such people will be given a befitting reply in these elections," she had said.

Haasan, the chief of political outfit Makkal Needhi Maiam, had said, "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."

Soon after her comments stoked controversy, BJP strongly condemned the statement made by Thakur and said she should apologize publicly for terming Mahatma Gandhi's assassin Nathuram Godse a 'true patriot'.

"We completely disagree with the statement made by Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur about the father of the nation Mahatma Gandhi ji. We strongly condemn this particular statement. The party will ask her for clarification, she should apologize publicly for this statement," BJP spokesperson GVL Narasimha Rao had told media here.

Meanwhile, Congress leader Digvijaya Singh, who is contesting against Thakur from Bhopal, also sought his opponent's apology for her remarks. "Modi ji, Amit Shah ji and the state BJP should give their statements and apologize to the nation. I condemn this statement, Nathuram Godse was a killer, glorifying him is not patriotism, it is sedition," he had said.

Thakur, an accused in the Malegaon blast case, is not new to controversial remarks. After being fielded by the BJP in the ongoing Lok Sabha polls, she had said Hemant Karkare, who was killed during the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, died because she had cursed him.

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BSP chief Mayawati on Thursday accused the Election Commission of India (ECI) of acting under pressure from the Central government, a day after the poll body cut short the campaign period in West Bengal by a day.

Questioning the timing of the campaign ban, Mayawati claimed the EC was being accommodative of the Prime Minister's rallies in the state.

"It is very sad that the Election Commission has banned campaigning in West Bengal, but from 10 pm today just because the Prime Minister has two rallies in the day. If they had to impose this ban, why not from today morning? This is unfair and EC is acting under pressure. We condemn this in the strongest terms. If a ban had to be imposed it should have been from today morning itself," Mayawati told ANI.

She also attacked the Chief Election Commissioner of India and said, "This also proves that under the incumbent Election Commissioner the elections aren't being conducted freely and fairly. This is very dangerous for democracy."

The BSP supremo also accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah of targeting West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

"Since the announcement of Lok Sabha elections, West Bengal has continuously been in news. For this the BJP and RSS are fully responsible. Regular election-related violence in West Bengal shows that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his disciple Amit Shah are leading the campaign of targeting the Mamata Banerjee government since a long time," she said.

Calling it a 'dangerous and unjust trend', Mayawati also alleged that BJP is targeting the West Bengal Chief Minister in order to deviate attention from their 'failures'.

"The targeting of Mamata Banerjee is unjust and doesn't befit especially the Prime Minister of the country. Different types of tactics are being used against West Bengal CM and people are witnessing how she is fighting against this. BJP is trying to flare up West Bengal issues so much that people forget about important issues and their failures," she said.

On Wednesday, the EC decided to cut short the campaign period in WB after violence was reported during Amit Shah's roadshow on Tuesday.

"No election campaigning to be held in nine parliamentary constituencies of West Bengal, namely Dum Dum, Barasat, Basirhat, Jaynagar, Mathurapur, Jadavpur, Diamond Harbour, South and North Kolkata, from 10 pm tomorrow till the conclusion of polls," Deputy Election Commissioner Chandra Bhushan Kumar told media.

Campaigning was originally scheduled to end at 5 pm on Friday for the nine constituencies that will go to polls on May 19.

PM Modi is scheduled to address election rallies in Mathurapur and Dumdum today.

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Congress on Thursday came all guns blazing against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah demanding an "apology" from them after BJP leader Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur hailed Nathuram Godse, the man who murdered Mahatma Gandhi, as a "true patriot".

Addressing a press conference here, Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala termed the statement made by Thakur an 'attack on India's soul.'

"India's soul is again under attack from the successors of Godse, the current ruling dispensation. BJP's leaders are describing Godse as true nationalist and declaring those who sacrificed their lives for the nation like Hemant Karkare as anti-nationals," Surjewala told media here.

"You have the audacity to commit sacrilege by saying that murderer of Mahatma Gandhi was a martyr. Just because a BJP spokesperson says will not do. Narendra Modi and Amit Shah must apologise to the nation and withdraw her (Sadhvi's) candidature. You cannot hide behind the statement of the person," he said.

Surjewala went on to say that BJP's Bhopal candidate, who also happens to be the "favourite" of the "Modi-Shah duo" has crossed all limits. "The favourite of Modi-Shah duo crossed all limits today and committed the unpardonable sin of describing Nathuram Godse as true nationalist. BJP and its leaders are deliberately and as a part of conspiracy attacking the thoughts, the entire way of life and also the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi."

"This is an insult to the Indian way of life, the Gandhian way of life that lives in India's soul. This is an unpardonable sin. The truth is that insulting India's martyrs and denigrating them has become the culture of BJP," Surjewala added.

He also recalled that only recently, Thakur had termed 26/11 Mumbai attack braveheart Hemant Karkare as "anti-national".

"She (Pragya) also chose phrases and words about her family which is unacceptable in a society. Yet Modiji did not punish her, did not withdraw her candidature but proceeded to defend her through TV interviews," the Congress spokesperson claimed.

He also alleged that the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh remained a mute spectator when on the 71st death anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, an organisation affiliated to RSS reenacted his assassination in Meerut.

"Earlier, Sakshi Maharaj had described Nathuram Godse as a martyr in the premises of the parliament. BJP'a Ratlam candidate is saying that Md. Jinnah would have been a better first Prime Minister. PM Modi does not punish him but patting him on the back by going to Ratlam to say that he should be elected," Surjewala said.

"The simple question is when PM abuses the first Prime Minister of the country, is he carrying the same culture? We call upon the Prime Minister to render an unconditional apology to the nation and take punitive action against Pragya Thakur. Otherwise, it will be more than proved all these acts of denigrating the father of the nation, Mahatma Gandhi by the ilk of Pragya Thakur has the active concurrence of the Prime Minister and BJP leadership," he said.

He also rejected the statement made by BJP spokesperson GVL Narasimha Rao, calling upon Thakur to apologise for her comments.

"This has become the unique culture of the BJP. They ask Pragya Thakur to abuse our martyr Hemant Karkare. They make her say foul language against his family. Modi and Shah do not utter a word and a junior spokesperson comes to say something and brush it aside. The Prime Minister goes on television to defend Pragya Thakur. Pragya did an unpardonable act. Why did Modi and Shah not withdraw her candidature the first time around?" Surjewala questioned.

Thakur on Thursday stoked yet another controversy by terming Nathuram Godse, the man who assassinated Mahatma Gandhi, as a 'deshbhakt' (patriot).

"Nathuram Godse was a 'deshbhakt', is a 'deshbhakt' and will remain a 'deshbhakt'," she said in Bhopal when questioned about actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan's remark that India's first terrorist was a Hindu, referring to Godse.

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Indian Army on Thursday said it will continue to target terrorist group Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and Hizbul Mujahideen to eliminate terrorism from Kashmir.

"Relentless pressure from @adgpi @northerncomd_ia @kashmirpolice @crpf_srinagar, five terrorists eliminated today. Continued targeting of #LeaderlessJaish and #RudderlessHibz for #TerrorismFreeKashmir. Reiterate #JihadNahiJahalat," Chinar Corps, Indian Army said in Tweet.

Earlier in the day, three terrorists were killed in an encounter in Jammu and Kashmir's Shopian district.

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A prominent figure in West Bengal, Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar has come under the spotlight after a statue of him was vandalised on Tuesday night during violence at BJP president Amit Shah's roadshow in Kolkata.

Vidyasagar, who has brought great reforms in the Indian society, is often touted as a man who was ahead of his time. Mostly recalled for his contribution in introducing concepts of widow-remarriage in the traditional society, he is referred to as a philosopher, writer, reformer, printer and philanthropist.

He was most influential in campaigning for widow-remarriage and fought against many traditionalists to get an act passed in its favour. He invoked scriptures, did print campaigns and engaged in debates to get his point across.

It was with his continuous efforts that the Widow Remarriage Act was passed in July 1856 and the first such documented marriage also took place in Kolkata. Vidyasagar was also instrumental in spreading awareness against the practice of polygamy prevalent in some sections of higher casts of society.

Before getting into social reforms, Vidyasagar had already devoted a large part of his life in refining the Bengali sector. As an educator at Sanskrit College, Fort William College and founder of the Metropolitan Institution, he is credited with introducing a fixed routine and the concept of weekly offs in the system.

Metropolitan College was later renamed as Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar College, the place where its founder's bust was smashed on Tuesday after violence at Shah's political program.

After over a hundred years of his death, prominent political parties are accusing each other of claiming his legacy with the Lok Sabha poll battle on its peak.

While Prime Minister Narendra Modi today promised to build a grand 'panch dhatu' (traditional five-metal alloys of sacred significance) statue of Vidyasagar at the same spot where the old one stood before being vandalised on Tuesday, Mamata publically denied the proposal by asserting that her state has got enough money to make the structure.

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Even though ISIS has been defeated in the Syria-Iraq region, ISIS affiliates around the remain a significant terrorist threat, said US State Department Spokesperson Morgan Ortagus said in an official release.

Furthermore, on behalf of the US, she welcomed the United Nations Security Council's (UNSC) designation of ISIS-Khorasan (ISIS-K) which is responsible for carrying out multiple terror attacks in Afghanistan.

With the UNSC 1267 ISIL and al-Qa'ida Sanctions Committee's latest decision, ISIS-K became the first ISIS affiliate to be designated by the UN.

"This action is a necessary step in the global fight to defeat ISIS. Despite the complete liberation of ISIS-held territory in Iraq and Syria, ISIS-K and other ISIS affiliates around the remain a significant terrorist threat, and the international community must work together to deny them the resources they seek," Ortagus said.

The responsibility for last month's deadly terrorist strikes in Sri Lanka was taken by the Islamic State, even though its last stronghold was destroyed by the US and its affiliated sources in the Syrian region, leading to the end of the self-declared 'caliphate'.

This UN designation obligates all member states to implement a travel ban, arms embargo, and asset freeze on ISIS-K, actions that will cut the group off from the resources it needs to continue its terrorist activities.

Previously, the US had designated ISIS-K as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist under Executive Order 13224 in September 2015, and as a Foreign Terrorist Organization under Section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act in January 2016.

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An Indian Army jawan and three terrorists were killed in an encounter that broke out on Thursday in Dalipora area of Pulwama district.

According to a statement issued by the Jammu and Kashmir police, the slain terrorists were affiliated to Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), the Pakistan-based terrorist group responsible for the February 14 attack in Pulwama, among others.

As per the statement, cordon and search operation was launched on the basis of credible input by police and security forces earlier today in Pulwama. The terrorists were holed up in a house in Dalipora area and fired indiscriminately as the forces were evacuating civilians in the neighbourhood.

In the process, police said an Army jawan, Sepoy Sandeep, and a civilian, Rayees Dar, lost their lives.

After security forces retaliated, three terrorists were killed in the encounter and their bodies were retrieved. Two of them were identified as Naseer Pandith of Kareemabad, Pulwama, and Umar Mir of Shopian. The other terrorist was identified as Khalid, a Pakistani.

The deceased were wanted by law for their complicity in a series of terror crimes including attack on security establishments and civilian atrocities, police said.

Incriminating materials including arms and ammunition were recovered from the site of encounter and have been seized for further investigation.

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With the TMC and BJP at loggerheads over violence in Kolkata, new accusations are being made by both sides. The BJP on Thursday not only termed Mamata Banerjee the "biggest fascist and murderer of democracy" but also said that Election Commission should have banned her fro campaigning.

"She is the biggest fascist and is responsible for all the violence in West Bengal that has happened in this election. The ECI has not taken effective measures so far despite our repeated requests and complaints. Mamata Banerjee's campaign should have been banned basis the statement 'I will take revenge for each one of you who is not supporting the TMC'. What can be a greater threat for democracy than an elected Chief Minister threatening the public like this?" BJP Spokesperson GVL Narasimha Rao told ANI.

The two parties are sparring over violence which took place in Kolkata during BJP president Amit Shah's roadshow on Tuesday. The statue of Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar was also vandalised- with the TMC and the BJP trading blame over the matter.

"The way she and TMC are creating an environment of violence is a solitary example in the country. BJP is fighting elections in other states too but what is happening in West Bengal is unique," Rao said. Amit Shah made a similar argument on Tuesday to charge Mamata's party of poll violence.

GVL Narasimha Rao also cornered Mayawati and other opposition parties for supporting Mamata Banerjee and said his party has been a victim of political violence. "Mayawati and Mamata Banerjee are casting baseless allegations on BJP. Many of our BJP workers have been killed by TMC in West Bengal. This support for each other is because they are scared to lose the election against BJP," he said.

"All these 20 political parties lending support to Mamata Banerjee is because of opportunism. In politics, we all should stand for peaceful elections and these parties lending support to Mamata Banerjee is contrarian to this principle," Rao asserted.

The Election Commission, after reviewing the incidents in Kolkata, gave an unprecedented order of ending the campaign in West Bengal a day earlier. The directive earned a sharp retort from the TMC with supremo Mamata Banerjee terming the poll body a "BJP agent'.

Elections to 33 seats have taken place in West Bengal in the first six phases of elections. The remaining nine seats will go to poll on May 19 in the last round. 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.)
French actor Marion Cotillard has been roped into the cast of Leos Carax's 'Annette' alongside Adam Driver of 'Star Wars

According to Variety, Charles Gillibert's CG Cinema has come on board to help revive the on-again-off-again project, which will go on floors in mid-August. CAA Media Finance brokered the deal with Amazon for release of the film in the US.

Tracing the rise and fall of two star-crossed Hollywood lovers (Cotillard and Driver) and the exceptional destiny of their daughter, 'Annette' will bring together the rock band 'Sparks', which is composing original songs and celebrated music producer Marius de Vries, known for his work in 'La La Land,' 'Moulin Rouge' and 'Cats'.

The film was first announced in 2016 with another French producer but failed to get off the ground as financing was not in place.

CG Cinema's current films in their bucket include Assayas' 'Wasp Network,' a Cuba-set spy thriller produced with RT Features, starring Penelope Cruz, Pedro Pascal and Edgar Ramirez, which just wrapped up shooting and is being sold by Orange Studio.

Meanwhile, Cotillard has left Jessica Chastain's spy-thriller '355' which was announced last year at Cannes.

On the other hand, Driver's recent project 'The Dead Don't Die', which is helmed by Jim Jarmusch, became the opening film at Cannes on Tuesday.

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Narendra Modi on Thursday launched a blistering attack against Mamata Banerjee by stating that she has no belief in the elected Prime Minister of India and said he had to leave the stage at a rally in West Bengal due to "TMC hooliganism". Modi also promised to build a grand statue of Ishwarchandra Vidyasagar at the same spot where the old one stood before being vandalised on Tuesday.

"Mamata didi has no belief in the Prime Minister of India who is democratically elected by 130 crore people of the country. She believes in Pakistan's Prime Minister but not in the Indian one," Modi said.

The TMC and the BJP have been locked in a bitter fight with every phase of the elections in West Bengal witnessing clashes between workers of the two parties. At his rally, Modi said he had to leave the stage due to "hooliganism" of TMC workers.

"I remember the hooliganism of TMC during my Paschim Medinipur rally. In the state's Thakurnagar, the situation became so bad that I had to stop my speech in between and leave the stage. I have been observing Didi's (Mamata Banerjee) behavior since long, but now the country is also seeing it," the Prime Minister said.

Modi again accused Mamata's party of violence during Amit Shah's Kolkata road show and said his part is committed to vision of Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar. "Similar hooliganism by TMC workers was again on display during Amit Shah's roadshow in Kolkata, they vandalized Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar's statue. We are committed to Vidyasagar's vision and will install his grand statue at the same spot," he said.

The Prime Minister opined that he expected Mayawati to slam Mamata Banerjee over the latter terming people from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar as "outsiders".

"Seeing the way Mamata Didi is targeting UP-Bihar Purvanchal people, calling them outsiders for her politics, I thought Behen Mayawati will surely slam Mamata Didi, but this did not happen because she isn't worried about people," he remarked.

He tore into the SP-BSP-RLD alliance by alleging that they want a weak government at the centre to hide their own failures.

"Country knows the truth of 'mahamilavat' (highly adulterated) people since day one. Everyone knows that removing Modi was just a fake excuse while their main target is hiding their own corruption. They wanted a weak government which can be blackmailed as per their own wishes," he said.

Citing a recent scuffle between SP-BSP workers Modi said the alliance was forged without an idea of ground realities.

"SP-BSP made a deal sitting in AC rooms of Lucknow, these leaders are cut-off from ground-realties and forgot about people's welfare. This is why their party workers are still attacking each other," said Modi.

Modi again cornered Mayawati over the rape of a "Dalit daughter" in Alwar and said that the BSP supremo did not take any action in the matter despite being in government with the Congress in Rajasthan.

In an apparent reference to BSP candidate from Ghosi parliamentary seat in Mau district, Atul Rai, Modi asked Mayawati how she will campaign for such a candidate.

Rai is absconding after being booked in a rape case by Varanasi police. SP-BSP have, however, alleged that the case is politically motivated.

Modi is scheduled to address a total of five rallies in Uttar Pradesh today.

Mau, along with 12 other parliamentary constituencies of the state, will go to polls on May 19 in the seventh and last phase of Lok Sabha elections.

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Those visiting the Uttarakhand government secretariat here will have to produce their Aadhaar card to enter the office premises, state Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat said on Thursday.

"The requirement of Aadhaar card to enter Uttarakhand secretariat is done for security reasons. Based on inputs from intelligence agencies, we have tightened security in areas such as railway stations, government offices and tourist spots. I appeal to all people here to follow the rules as it will help boost our security."

Secretariat Association President, Deepak Joshi said, "Some people who regularly come to Secretariat or who are employees here are facing problem...We will conduct a meeting to decide whether is it necessary for officials of Secretariat to keep Aadhar card for entry."

On May 11, the Uttarakhand secretariat had issued the instructions for visitors to produce Aadhaar card to enter the office premises.

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BJP President Amit Shah on Thursday asserted that whether the BJP government stays or goes nobody can take Kashmir away from India till party leaders are alive,

"Omar Abdullah said that Kashmir should have a separate Prime Minister. How can a country have two Prime Ministers? These people want to separate Kashmir from India. Rahul Gandhi and Omar Abdullah should know that Kashmir is India's inseparable part and till the day BJP's leaders are alive, nobody can take Kashmir away from us. Reinstate Narendra Modi as our PM and we would remove article 370," he said.

Shah said that Congress was thinking of removing sedition law which the BJP would never allow. "Congress says sedition law will be repealed. People like Zakir Naik who kept spreading terrorism have run away from the country fearing PM Modi.

He says that he will return when a Congress or Gathbandhan government comes to power. We challenge him to set foot on Indian shores; if he does, we will surely put him behind the bars," he said.

He appealed the people of Ballia to not vote for development but vote for security. He said, "Rahul Gandhi's Guru Sam Pitroda said that attacks like Pulwama happen all the time, why were air strikes required? We said that if you want to appease terrorists, you do it but we would never forgive those who disrupt peace within our borders. If Pakistan fires a bullet, we will surely bomb them."

He spoke about the development initiatives of the BJP government. "Eight crore households have got toilets, 2.5 crore houses have been made for the poor and 2.35 crore people have got electricity for the first time in their houses. Under Ayushman Bharat Yojana, 50 crore people have got the facility of getting upto Rs 5 Lakh for treatment of serious diseases, free of cost," he said.

He appealed to the people of Ballia to vote for BJP. "We will make Uttar Pradesh the number 1 state in India with the help of Modi-Yogi jodi," he claimed.

Elections to 484 constituencies stand completed in the first six phases. The remaining seats amounting to 59 would go to poll on May 19 in the final phase of the elections. The counting of votes will take place on May 23.

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Actor Noomi Rapace will play Mossad most famous female agent in 'Sylvia' an upcoming action movie by Vicky Jewson.

According to Variety, the project reunites 'The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo' star Rapace, Jewson and WestEnd after their successful collaboration on action picture 'Close'.

In 'Sylvia', Rapace will essay Sylvia Rafael, a South African-born agent who rose to prominence in Israeli intelligence agency Mossad. She was known for locating Ali Hassan Salameh, the leader of Palestine's Black September organization.

The mission, however, led to her involvement in the infamous Lillehammer affair, in which an innocent Moroccan waiter was misidentified as Salameh and killed by Rafael's team. Rafael was tried in Norway and imprisoned. She died in South Africa in 2005.

'Sylvia' is penned by Jewson alongside her 'Close' writing partner, Rupert Whitaker. It is inspired by the book 'Sylvia Rafael: The Life and Death of a Mossad Spy', which was authored by Ram Oren and Moti Kfir.

"What is so enticing about this project is the opportunity to tell the true story of an extraordinary woman, who sacrificed a huge part of her life for a country that was not originally her own," Jewson said.

"I am keen to explore the unique personality of someone who put their life at risk on a daily basis and lived under a permanent dual identity, searching beyond the often glamorously perceived title of 'spy' to the gritty reality of this life and what drove her," she added further.

She added that 'Sylvia' is "exactly the sort of character-driven story we want to bring to the screen."

Sharon Harel, Eitan Evan and Whitaker are producing the movie alongside Rapace, Jewson and Moshe Edery.

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Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Thursday said the party's proposed NYAY scheme would prove to be the "diesel" to jump-start the engine of India's economy.

Talking about the Nyuntam Aay Yojana (NYAY) scheme, Gandhi, while addressing a poll rally here, said, "NYAY scheme is the diesel for the engine of Indian economy. The Indian economy will jump-start as soon as this diesel will be put into it... The NYAY scheme money will be put in the accounts of five crore women. I know that women use the money wisely."

NYAY is a scheme under which the Congress has promised Rs 72,000 to 5 crore families every year if the party is voted to power.

In Kushinagar, Gandhi said the NDA-led BJP government's decisions of demonetisation and implementation of Goods and Services Tax (GST) caused "large-scale unemployment" in the country. "When Congress government comes to power in 2019, no farmer will be sent to jail for not repaying bank loans, he said.

Gandhi said if Congress was voted to power at the Centre, 22 lakh youth will be given government jobs within a year, while ten lakh others will be recruited in panchayats.

Thirteen parliamentary constituencies of the state will go to polls on May 19 in the seventh and last phase of Lok Sabha elections. Results will be announced on May 23.

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Opposition parties want to stop Prime Minister Narendra Modi from coming to power as he works for the oppressed community, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said on Thursday.

Addressing a public gathering here, Yogi said, "BJP has, over a span of five years, done a lot for the people of Uttar Pradesh. The opposition parties want to stop Prime Minister Modi from coming to power as he works for the oppressed community, forest dwellers and women."

Reviving the "Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas" stance, he urged locals here to vote for Modi for the work he has done for the people of the state. "Prime Minister Modi gave houses to more than 24 lakh people. Two crores sixty lakh people were given toilets. The work done by the Prime Minister has never been done before," he said.

Thirteen parliamentary constituencies in Uttar Pradesh will go to polls on May 19 in the last phase of Lok Sabha elections. Results will be announced on May 23.

Modi's parliamentary constituency, Varanasi, will also go to polls on Sunday. He is up against Congress' Ajay Rai.

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The United States Defense Department on Wednesday said that it has awarded more than USD 787 million combined to two construction firms to build a wall along the US-Mexico border.

"Southwest Valley Constructors [of] Albuquerque, New Mexico was awarded a $646,000,000... contract for design and build of Tucson [Arizona] Sector barrier wall," the Defense Department said in a press release.

The other construction firm, BFBC LLC, was awarded nearly USD 142 million to design and build pedestrian and vehicle barriers in US cities of El Centro and Yuma, reported Sputnik.

It is pertinent to mention that the Defense Department has recognised four sectors along the southern border - El Centro, Yuma, Tucson and El Paso - that require reinforcement through barriers.

Last week, the Pentagon had approved the transfer of 1.5 billion to build the more than 80 miles (130km) long wall, on US President Donald Trump's behest.

The border wall is one of the long-standing promises that Trump had made during his 2016 presidential campaign. On February 15, he even declared a national emergency to bypass Congress and fulfil his long-pending demand.

Defending his move, the US President asserted that he had "no choice" but to use his emergency powers to stop illegal immigrants spreading crime and drugs. The move was criticised by the Democrats, slamming it as "unlawful".

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Accusing West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of fanning violence in the state, Shiv Sena on Thursday said that people will bring her down from power the way CPI(M) was removed from office.

"She did not permit senior leaders to step into the state. What kind of oppressive behaviour is this? She has turned West Bengal into a battleground by fanning violence," Saamna, a mouthpiece of Shiv Sena, said in an editorial.

"There has never been a time when she has not opposed Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Amit Shah and Yogi Adityanath. Earlier, Communist Party of India (Marxist) fanned violence in the state and people threw them out of the power. Now it is Mamata's turn," it said.

Clashes broke out on May 14 in Kolkata during BJP president Shah's roadshow and a bust of the 19th-century social reformer Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar was vandalised in a college named after him.

Commenting on Banerjee's remark if Shah is a god that no one can protest against him, Saamna said, "She, too, is not Goddess Durga herself. Such violence is dangerous for the country."

On May 14, Banerjee had said, "What does Amit Shah think of himself? Is he above everything? Is he God that no one can protest against him?"

Voting for nine seats in West Bengal will be held in the seventh and final phase of the Lok Sabha election on May 19.

Counting of votes will take place on May 23.

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Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur on Thursday stoked a huge controversy and left the BJP red faced with her comment that Mahatma Gandhi's assassin Nathuram Godse was a 'true patriot', a statement her party condemned and asked her to apologise for it immediately.

The Opposition parties attacked her saying what she said reflected the mindset of the people nurtured in RSS ideology.

Earlier in the day, when questioned about actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan's remark that India's first terrorist was a Hindu (in reference to Godse), Thakur said, "Nathuram Godse was a 'deshbhakt', is a 'deshbhakt' and will remain a 'deshbhakt'."

Responding to this, the BJP candidate from Bhopal Lok Sabha seat claimed that such comments by Haasan would dent his electoral prospects. "People calling him a terrorist should instead look within, such people will be given a befitting reply in these elections," she had said.

As her comments caused a huge embarrassment to her party, BJP, which has strongly backed her candidature in Bhopal, scambled without much delay to control the damage caused by her.

Party spokespersn G V L Narasimha Rao issued a statement saying the party condemns the statement of Thakur and said she should apologize publicly for terming Gandhi's assassin Godse a 'true patriot'.

"We completely disagree with the statement made by Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur about the father of the nation Mahatma Gandhi ji. We strongly condemn this particular statement. The party will ask her for clarification. She should apologize publicly for this statement," BJP spokesperson GVL Narasimha Rao told media here.

Later, television channels reported that Thakur had apologised to the Madhya Pradesh BJP chief and there was no official word on it from the party.

Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said Thakur's remarks were an insult to the nation and said it was BJP's conspiracy and culture. Modi and Shah had backed her as Bhopal candidate in the face of tremendous criticism over fielding a terror accused in the elections, Surjewala said.

Meanwhile, Congress leader Digvijaya Singh, who is contesting against Thakur from Bhopal, a sought his opponent's apology for her remarks. "Modi ji, Amit Shah ji and the state BJP should give their statements and apologize to the nation. I condemn this statement, Nathuram Godse was a killer, glorifying him is not patriotism, it is sedition," he said.

Later, former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir and PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti hit out at the BJP stating that she takes pride in being termed 'anti-national' if a Hindu fanatic Nathuram Godse, who gunned down the father of the nation, is being hailed as a nationalist.

"I take pride in being called an anti- when a Hindu fanatic who gunned down Gandhi ji is hailed as a nationalist," Mufti wrote on her Twitter handle.

She also said, "aisi nationalism aur desh bhakti humaray bas ki naheen. Yeh aapko mubarak. (Such kind of nationalism and patriotism are not our cup of tea. Congratulations to you!).

"If Nathuram Godse is a patriot, I am happy to be an anti-nationa," tweeted Congress leader P Chidambaram.

Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister and Conference leader Omar Abdhullah also condemned Thakur's remarks on Godse and asked: "If the killer of the father of the nation is a patriot does that make Mahatma Gandhi anti- "

Thakur, an accused in the Malegaon blast case, is not new to courting controversies. After being fielded by the BJP in Bhopal, she had said Hemant Karkare, who was killed during the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, died because she had cursed him. The statement had attracted all round criticism including from the BJP which disowned it.

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The CBI on Thursday said that investigation into the Rs 64-crore kickbacks in the Bofors gun deal will continue, hours after it withdrew an application seeking the permission of a special court to probe the matter further.

Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (CMM) Naveen Kashyap while allowing CBI to withdraw its plea, had stated that permission is not mandatory and an intimation will suffice.

Petitions had been filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and advocate Ajay Aggarwal seeking permission for further probe into the matter.

However, the probe agency on Thursday informed the Rouse Avenue Court that it wanted to withdraw the application.

CBI counsel Advocate Anil Tanwar had informed the court that further course of action in the matter would be decided by the agency.

The CMM, while allowing the CBI to withdraw the application, questioned Aggarwal's locus standi in the matter.

Aggarwal also said that he wanted to take back his plea after which permission was granted by the court.

The next hearing in the matter will be on July 6.

Later, the CBI said that in view of certain revelations made by one Michael Hershman, CBI sought the permission of the trial court to conduct further investigation in the Bofors Case.

"The Court of CMM, Rouse Avenue Courts, New Delhi had observed on May 8, 2019 that when independent right and power is available with CBI to further investigate the matter on their own if in their wisdom it is necessary to do so then, why still such application is being filed in the Court and fixed the next date of hearing on 16.05.2019," it said.

"After obtaining legal opinion, CBI filed an application on 16.05.2019 in the Court of CMM, Rouse Avenue Courts, New Delhi stating that for conducting further investigation u/s 173 (8) Cr.PC, permission of the Court is not mandatorily required by CBI and an intimation to the Court in this regard will suffice," the agency said.

Earlier, the CMM had asked as to "why does the CBI need the court's permission to proceed with further investigation in the matter" and directed the probe agency to place on record case laws to show that it required the court's nod.

On November 2 last year, the Supreme Court had dismissed a CBI petition challenging a 2005 Delhi High Court verdict quashing all charges against the three Hinduja brothers - SP Hinduja, GP Hinduja and PP Hinduja - and others in the Bofors case.

The petition was dismissed as the appeal became time-barred, the court had said.

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Congress leader Navjot Kaur Sidhu hit out at Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh and alleged that it was because of him and party general secretary in-charge for state Asha Kumari, that she was denied a ticket from Amritsar in the ongoing elections.

"Captain Sahib (Amarinder Singh) and Asha Kumari think Madam Sidhu does not deserve an MP ticket. I was denied the ticket from Amritsar on the ground that I could not win," Navjot Kaur told ANI.

"Captain Sahib should respect women. You talk of women reservation, then please consider it. When educated leaders like me, who are ready to serve are there, it is decent to tell us that someone is better, don't deny us tickets by lying," she said.

Navjot Kaur wanted to contest the Lok Sabha elections from Chandigarh, but the leader was denied a ticket from the constituency. Congress fielded former Union Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal from the seat.

Following this there were reports that Navjot Kaur might contest from Amritsar, the coveted seat from where Amarinder Singh had won against BJP's Arun Jaitley in the 2014 general elections. However, the party fielded sitting lawmaker Gurjit Singh Aujla from there.

When questioned about Navjot Singh Sidhu's absence from Congress' campaign in Punjab, she said, "Captain Sahib has said that we are winning all 13 Lok Sabha seats. Our aim is to oust Modi. When Captain Sahib is saying that we are winning all seats then Sidhu's campaign does not matter here. He is campaigning at all India level. There is no ego there. Captain sa'ab has said he would win all 13 seats by himself."

The differences between Sidhu and Amarinder came to the fore when the Chief Minister had asked him not to go to Pakistan for Imran Khan's oath-taking ceremony. The Chief Minister also got the invitation but preferred not to go there citing terror attacks in Punjab and killings of Indian soldiers by Pakistan armed forces.

Relations grew bitter when the Punjab chief minister had issued a mild rebuke to Sidhu last year over his hug to Pakistan army chief General Bajwa which snowballed into a huge political controversy. Following which, Sidhu in retaliation took a dig at Amarinder saying that Congress president Rahul Gandhi is his captain and that he went to Pakistan after taking his Rahul in Confidence.

Punjab, where 13 parliamentary seats are at stake will go to polls on May 19.

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A day after Rahul Gandhi posted a meme on social media introducing a new word 'Modilie', which he claimed was a fresh entry in the English dictionary, the Oxford Dictionaries on Thursday dismissed the Congress President's claim as "fake" and said there is no such word.

Oxford said it can confirm that 'Modilie' does not exist in any of the Oxford Dictionaries.

"We can confirm that the image showing the entry 'Modilie' is fake and does not exist in any of our Oxford Dictionaries," the Oxford Dictionaries posted on its official Twitter handle.

Earlier on Wednesday, Rahul, took a jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi by posting on Twitter a screenshot of the entry in the English Living Dictionaries, which described 'Modilie' as a mass noun, that meant "to constantly modify the truth", "to lie incessantly and habitually" and 'to lie without respite'.

Rahul claimed that the new word has been formed by a combination of the words 'Modi' and 'lie'.

[{836efa55-15dd-4015-b0a9-ea21868ccdd1:intradmin/Modile2.jpg}]

The screenshot that the Congress president had shared on Twitter, the three "meanings" of "Modilie" are displayed along with their use in sentences.

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Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday spoke to Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal regarding the blasts in Guwahati on Wednesday evening that left as many as 12 people injured.

"HM Shri Rajnath Singh spoke to Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal regarding the blast in Guwahati. The Chief Minister apprised him of the situation. The police and other agencies are investigating the incident. The HM prays for the speedy recovery of the injured," the office of the Home Minister of India tweeted.

The explosion had occurred outside a mall on Zoo Road in Guwahati.

"A grenade blast took place at 8 pm. An investigation is underway," Deepak Kumar, Commissioner of Police, Guwahati, had informed on Wednesday.

Two unknown bike-borne suspects had lobbed a grenade on state police troops and fled the spot.

Soon after the blasts, the area was cordoned off for police investigation.

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New Delhi (India), May 16 (ANI): 'Yaariyan' actor Rakul Preet Singh is looking to re-establish her Bollywood career with rom-com, 'De De Pyaar De' starring actors Ajay Devgn and Tabu and set for release on May 17.

Helmed by Akiv Ali, the film is about a 50-year-old man who is juggling between his ex-wife and 26-year-old Ayesha (played by Rakul Preet), with whom he falls in love with.

The actor said she does not see a problem with dating an older man.

When asked about her opinion on dating an older man, the bubbly actress said at an event here, "It is very common these days and at the end of the day what matters is how two people complement each other."

"It's not about the age but it's about the person. If I am attracted to an older person who has the same wavelength as I do then I don't have the problem with that, because at the end of the day what matters is that they both are happy together and complement each other. If there is such person then he must be young at heart otherwise age is just a number," she added.

"It's not an issue. It's happening because girls mature faster. Also, we see so many successful relationships with the age difference," she said.

The film's producers had realeased a trailer of the movie along with four tracks which include 'Mukhda Vekh Ke', 'Chale Aana', 'Hauli Hauli' and 'Vadi Sharaban', which was received well by the fans.

The poster of the film which released on March 22 also, caught the attention of the viewers because of Ajay's iconic leg split.

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The Supreme Court today agreed to hear on Friday a plea of a Muslim woman challenging the Talaq given to her by the husband violation of Supreme Court judgement on Triple Talaq.

32-year old Ruby had approached the top court to declare the Talaq issued by her husband illegal.

The woman said her husband had thrown her out of the house and issued two notices of Talaq in a violation of the top court's judgement and Triple Talaq ordinance.

A Bench of Indira Banerjee and Justice Sanjiv Khanna said it will hear the case on Friday after the woman's counsel mentioned the matter for urgent hearing.

Speaking to ANI, the petitioner Ruby Mansoori said, "I request the court to give me justice. Talaq that was given by my husband is illegal. I should be allowed to stay back with him. Where will I go with my kids?"

The 32-year-old alleged that her in-laws used to thrash her for not giving dowry. "They demanded Rs 5 lakh and a car from me, but when I failed to provide it, they threw me out of the house on March 19. After that my husband sent me a divorce notice on March 25," she said.

MM Kashyap, appearing on the behalf of Ruby, told ANI that he has prayed in the petition to cancel the divorce notice.

The petition said the Talaq given to her was against the 'Triple Talaq' judgement of the apex court.

'Triple talaq' is a customary practice, prevalent among Muslims, that dissolves a marriage when the husband says the word 'Talaq' thrice. The custom is criticised for being unilateral and biased against women.

The Triple Talaq Bill was passed in the Lok Sabha on December 27 last year with 245 votes in favour and 11 against the Bill. The opposition parties want the Bill to be sent to the Select Committee of Parliament for further vetting, a demand which was rejected by the Centre.

However, an ordinance was re-promulgated in January this year as the revised Bill could not be passed in the Rajya Sabha where the government lacks a majority.

The Bill criminalises the practice of instant 'triple talaq' with a provision of three years imprisonment to the erring husband.

The issue of triple talaq was taken up in the Parliament in August last year after a five-judge bench of the Supreme Court ruled "unconstitutional" a practice that allows Muslim men to divorce their wives simply by uttering "talaq" three times in quick succession.

In February, the Union Cabinet had approved "Triple Talaq" ordinance.

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The "frightening and scary scenario" that the Opposition promises as an alternative will be responsible for its rout in this year's Lok Sabha elections, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said on Thursday.

"The positive reasons for the Prime Minister's acceptability has been his decisiveness, integrity and performance, his delivery of resources to the poor, and his security doctrine which has been a game changer. The NDA's strength has been a complete absence of any confusion about leadership or programme. There is an absolute consensus," he said in a blog post.

Jaitley said that the groundswell in favour of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has become consolidated as the seventh and last phase of Lok Sabha elections approaches to a closure.

"The not-so-positive reason for the Prime Minister's high acceptability levels is the absence of any cogent or coherent alternative. Conventionally, it used to be referred to as the 'TINA' factor. This effectively means that 'There is no alternative.' If the Opposition is giving vague assurances of an alternative, the same is either too scary or absolutely frightening," the Finance Minister said.

Jaitley said that the Opposition could not conduct a meeting and forge an alliance in key states "for the obvious fear that many will not attend it."

"The common thread which brings them together is negativism - to get rid of one person. They have no agreement on either a leader or programme. They are a completely fractured Opposition which could not come together before or during the election," he said.

Attacking the Opposition, Jaitley further said, "Who will believe their assurance that they can come together after the election? They are institution wreckers. They do not allow Parliament to function. They attack and intimidate judges. Now Election Commission is their next target. The attack on the EVMs and the Election Commission is an advance alibi for defeat on the 23rd May 2019."

"Their leaders represent temperamental mavericks, some highly corrupt and many a governance disaster. The electorate wonders, if they can ever provide a cogent alternative. Past history belies the longevity of such opportunistic and fragile combinations. To the electorate, they provide an absolutely frightening scenario," he said.

The Finance Minister said that not a single political analyst in the last few days had foreseen the velocity of the Prime Minister's groundswell in a state like West Bengal.

"As the seventh phase of election approaches to a closure, the groundswell in favour of Prime Minister Modi is becoming stronger. Except in the last few days, not one political analyst had foreseen the velocity of this groundswell even in a state like Bengal. The largest size of the Prime Minister's public rallies have been in Bengal," Jaitley added.

He further said, "The frightening and scary scenario that the Opposition promises will be responsible for its rout. This consolidates the groundswell in favour of Modi.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Actor-turned-politician Sunny Deol, the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) candidate from Gurdaspur, conducted a road show in Amritsar on Thursday ahead of the Lok Sabha polls on May 19.

Deol is contesting against Congress leader and sitting MP Sunil Jakhar from Gurdaspur.

During the roadshow, Deol was accompanied by Union minister and Shiromani Akali Dal leader Harsimrat Kaur Badal.

Thousands of people gathered on the streets to catch a glimpse of the actor-turned-politician as he waved out to the crowd.

Last week, Deol had conducted a roadshow in Gurdaspur where he met people and assured them that he will not leave the city after polls as he wants to serve people.

All 13 constituencies of Punjab will go for polls in the last phase of the Lok Sabha elections on Sunday. Results will be declared on May 23.

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Sunny Pawar has bagged the Best Child Actor award for 'Chippa' at the 19th New York Indian Film Festival.

The 11-year-old, who hails from a slum in Kunchi Kurve Nagar in Mumbai, shot to fame with Australian director Garth Davis' acclaimed 2016 film 'Lion' for which he won an AACTA award.

Expressing happiness over his achievement, Sunny said: "I am very happy. This is all due to my parents. I want to be a big actor like Rajinikanth and want to make my parents proud. I want to work in both Bollywood and Hollywood. I never imagined that I will get to visit London, New York."

Reminiscing about his meeting with former US president, Barack Obama, the young actor said: "I met Barack Obama in the White House. He said 'Namaste' and wished me good luck for the future."

Sunny also shared that WWE Superstar Triple H gave him a signed belt as a gift which he considers very close to his heart.

Talking about his dreams for the future, Sunny said: "I want to earn a big name for my parents. I want to buy a big house for them."

On his role in the Safdar Rahman directed coming-of-age film 'Chippa', Sunny said, "It is a story where a boy leaves his home to find his long-absent father. On his way, he finds a puppy and later he finds his father."

Speaking about his son's extraordinary journey, Sunny's father said, "My son has been in the acting field for the past five years and has been to America, Australia, London and China. He got an opportunity to visit the White House, met big ministers and celebrities, I am so proud of him."

Apart from AACTA and the recent award at the New York Indian Film Festival, Sunny has also received a Special Mention Grand Jury Prize at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Union Minister Prakash Javadekar on Thursday said TMC "goons" who are disturbing the political fabric of West Bengal should be taken into preventive custody a day prior to elections in order to ensure that violence-free polling takes place in the state.

"In order to conduct a violence-free and fair election in West Bengal, we have requested the Election Commission of India to take those TMC goons and miscreants into preventive custody a day prior to the election. On the election day, we have videos in which these goons are seen going and pressing the button forcefully even in front of police officials," he told media here after meeting the Election Commission.

Earlier today, a BJP delegation led by Javadekar visited the EC to demand strict action against West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for calling Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah 'goons'.

"If a Chief Minister calls Modi and Amit Shah 'goons', the poll conducting body should take immediate action against her," Javadekar said.

Taking a dig at TMC workers for allegedly disturbing the law and order system in the state, he said, "We have seen many states going to polls peacefully, but in a place where TMC is present, we have seen the highest number of atrocities. This clearly means that the TMC goons are creating all the unrest."

Lashing out at the local administration for not maintaining law and order in the state, Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, who was part of the BJP delegation that met the EC, said, "Proper deployment of the central forces in the state should be enforced by the Election Commission as the local administration has completely failed to maintain law and order situation in the state."

"More than 400 Quick Response Teams (QRTs) are currently deployed in the state. People should be informed that they can directly go and seek help from this team in case of any discrepancies during the election," Naqvi added.

On Wednesday, the EC decided to cut short the campaign period in the state after violence was reported during Shah's roadshow on Wednesday in Kolkata.

Campaigning was originally scheduled to end at 5 pm on Friday for the nine constituencies that will go to polls on May 19.

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US President Donald Trump will visit South Korea in late June to discuss efforts regarding the complete denuclearisation of North Korea, according to an official White House press release.

"President Donald J. Trump will visit the Republic of Korea to meet with President Moon Jae-in, in conjunction with his travel to the region to attend the G20 Summit in late June," the statement said.

Talks between North Korea and the US have been stalled since the Vietnam summit. The two sides reportedly failed to resolve their differences on sanctions waivers, leading to an impasse.

Pyongyang has since launched multiple projectiles on two occasions, in what is being perceived as the reclusive state's frustration over halted talks on the denuclearisation process.

During Trump's visit to South Korea, the two countries will also discuss ways to strengthen the US-South Korea relationship.

The US President's official visit comes shortly after his South Korean counterpart visited the USA last month, where the idea of holding an inter-Korean summit on denuclearisation was proposed.

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The United States has declined to join a New-Zealand-led initiative aimed at encouraging tech companies and countries to curb extremism online.

Named after the New Zealand city where a deadly terrorist attack took place on May 15, the non-binding agreement 'Christchurch Call' has been signed by 18 leaders from around the globe, including British PM Theresa May and Canadian PM Justin Trudeau, reported The Washington Post.

"While the United States is not currently in a position to join the endorsement, we continue to support the overall goals reflected in the call. We will continue to engage governments, industry and civil society to counter terrorist content on the internet," White House said in a statement.

The statement cited freedom of expression and freedom of the press as reasons to not join the agreement.

"We encourage technology companies to enforce their terms of service and community standards that forbid the use of their platforms for terrorist purposes. We continue to be proactive in our efforts to counter terrorist content online while also continuing to respect freedom of expression and freedom of the press," the statement read.

'Christchurch Call' was announced on Wednesday in Paris at a meeting of digital leaders of G7 nations, two months after the mass shooting on two mosques in Christchurch that left 51 people dead and about as many wounded. The summit was co-organised by New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and French President Emmanuel Macron.

"This call to action is not just about regulation, but instead about bringing companies to the table and saying, 'You have a role too, and we have expectations from you,'" CNN quoted Jacinda Ardern as saying.

Notably, social media giant Facebook has signed on to the agreement and also introduced new rules for its live streaming feature. According to the company's spokesperson, under the new policy, the alleged Christchurch shooter would not have been able to live stream the massacre.

The company has also announced that it will invest USD 7.5 million in a research partnership with universities that would study ways to improve the existing image and video analysis technology.

Following the Christchurch terror attack, some users had modified the gunman's video footage to avoid detection in order to report it after it had been taken down. Facebook and some other social media companies were heavily criticised for failing to curb the spread of that footage.

Fewer than 200 people watched the live stream during the attack, which Facebook said it removed 29 minutes after it began. But within 24 hours, users had attempted to re-upload the video onto Facebook more than 1.5 million times. More than a month after the shooting, its copies could still be found on major tech sites.

"When it came to the way this attack was specifically designed to be broadcast and to go viral, (responding) to that needed a global solution, so that was why we immediately got in contact with international counterparts," said Ardern.

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BJP president Amit Shah on Thursday appealed to voters to vote for BJP candidate Rampati Ram Tripathi not only for the work done by BJP in the past but also for the security provided to the nation under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Speaking at an election rally here, Shah said, "You may vote for our candidate for the development work done in the past but you should also vote for him because, under the leadership Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the country has become secured from terrorism."

The BJP president accused the UPA government of being soft on the issue of terrorism.

Shah said, "Rahul Gandhi's Guru Sam Pitroda said that attacks like Pulwama happen all the time, why were air strikes required? We said that if you want to appease terrorists, you do it but we would never forgive those who disrupt peace within our borders."

Shah spoke about the development initiatives of the BJP government and praised the former MP Kalraj Mishra for developing "Purvanchal corridor, fertilizers industry in Gorakhpur, research centre in Gorakhpur to fight against Japanese Influenza, Purvanchal expressway, and loan waiver of sugarcane farmers."

After Mishra left the Deoria seat and decided not to participate in the Lok Sabha Polls, the BJP decided to field Ramapati Ram Tripathi from Deoria against Binod Kumar Jaiswal of the BSP and Congress' Niyaz Ahmad Khan.

The remaining 59 seats would go to poll on May 19 in the final phase of the Lok Sabha elections. The counting of votes will take place on May 23.

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BJP's Pragya Singh Thakur on Thursday stoked yet another controversy by terming Nathuram Godse, the man who assassinated Mahatma Gandhi, as a 'deshbhakt' (patriot).

"Nathuram Godse was a 'deshbhakt', is a 'deshbhakt' and will remain a 'deshbhakt'," Pragya said when questioned about actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan's remark that India's first terrorist was a Hindu, referring to Godse.

The BJP candidate from Bhopal Lok Sabha seat claimed that comments like these by Haasan will dent his electoral prospects.

"People calling him a terrorist should instead look within, such people will be given a befitting reply in these elections," she said.

Haasan, the chief of political outfit Makkal Needhi Maiam, had said, "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."

Pragya Singh Thakur, an accused in the Malegaon blast case, is not new to controversial remarks. After being fielded by the BJP in Lok Sabha polls she had said Hemant Karkare, who was killed in action during the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, died because she had cursed him. Karkare, former chief of Mumbai's Anti-Terrorism Squad, was probing the Malegaon case. The comments not only earned Pragya criticism from all corners but also got her a notice from the Election Commission forcing her to withdraw her statement.

She was barred from campaigning for three days by the poll body for her comments about Babri Masjid demolition. "I will go to make the Ram Temple. I have said it before and I am not denying it that I had gone there. I have demolished the Babri structure. He is my Ram ji and no one can stop me from making a grand Ram temple. The nation is Ram, Ram is a nation," the newly-minted politician had said. An FIR was also filed against her for these remarks.

Thakur is contesting against Congress leader Digvijay Singh from Madya Pradesh's Bhopal.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday demanded strict action against those who vandalised Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar's bust in Kolkata and accused the Mamata Banerjee government of removing CCTV footage of the incident.

"Vidyasagar ji was a son of not only Bengal but of entire India. By vandalising his statue, the perpetrators have committed an act of sin. I demand strict action against those responsible," he said at an election rally here.

"Great reformer Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar's statue was vandalised which was locked in a room. A CCTV camera is installed in that college. Why the government is removing the evidence from there like it did in Narda, Sharada (chit fund scam) case. It clearly shows how low Didi (Mamata Banerjee) can stoop to for vote bank," Modi said.

The bust of Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, the 19th-century social reformer, was vandalised in clashes between BJP and Trinamool Congress workers at Vidyasagar College during BJP president Amit Shah's roadshow here on Tuesday evening.

In his speech, Modi also asked whether it was a crime to hail Lord Ram in West Bengal and said that his party was the one which raised it at the level.

He said that the BJP was working to save West Bengal's culture where the TMC was working in the interest of (Bangladeshi) infiltrators. "Vidyasagar ji would be watching which party is fighting to save Bengal culture and who is working for infiltrators," he said.

Modi said that Banerjee does not consider him the prime minister but hail Pakistan PM Imran Khan. "She does not consider India's PM her prime minister but she never gets tired praising Pakistan PM," he stated.

Continuing his attack on Banerjee, he said: "I was threatened to be to sent to jail today morning. I saw yesterday in media that Didi has threatened to take over the BJP office. Didi is threatening to take over BJP workers' homes."

He alleged that the TMC government was presenting central schemes as its programmes.

He said: "Mamata Banerjee is putting her sticker on Centre's schemes. Sticker didi, you put stickers but at least work for people."

Voting for nine seats of West Bengal will take place in the last phase of general elections on May 19. Counting of votes will begin on May 23.

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As many as six people lost their lives while several others, including two Russian women, were wounded in airstrikes carried out by the Saudi-led coalition in a residential area here on Thursday.

The coalition warplanes which hit the residential area at the intersection of Rabat and Rakas streets in Sanaa were being controlled by the Houthis, Sputnik reported.

The air strikes came after the Houthis, backed by Iran, claimed responsibility for drone attacks on Saudi oil installations on Tuesday.

The Saudi-led coalition issued a statement informing Yemen about the start of an operation against the Houthi militia targets in Sanaa. The coalition has also urged civilians to avoid places where Houthis' facilities are located.

On May 14, the Houthis claimed responsibility for drone attacks on Saudi oil facilities, calling it the "largest military operation" conducted by militants since the start of the armed conflict in Yemen in 2015.

The attack caused a fire and minor damage to one of the pumps of Saudi Aramco's cross-country pipelines. The company stated it had halted crude oil traffic via the pipeline as a precautionary measure.

In a statement cited by Al Jazeera, Saudi Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih had called the drone strikes a "cowardly" act.

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The war of words over the vandalisation of the bust of Bengal Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar escalated on Thursday with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee calling Prime Minister Narendra Modi a liar and rejecting his offer to build a grand statue of the late social reformer.

She assertied that the West Bengal government had enough money to build it. She also said that she has never come across a prime minister who kept saying so many lies.

Banerjee took a jibe at the BJP which she said could not build a Ram Temple in the last five years and now was making the promise of building a new statue of Vidyasagar, which was vandalised in clashes during BJP president Amit Shah's roadshow in Kolkata earlier this week.

"In the last five years, you (Modi) could not build a Ram Temple and you want to make Vidyasagar's statue? People of Bengal won't beg before you. We have enough money to build it. Your goons came here and said 'Bangal kangal hai'. Are Bengalis kangal?" a vociferous TMC supremo said making a veiled reference to BJP President Amit Shah who had attacked Banerjee a couple of days

Banerjee was addressing a public meeting while campaigning for her nephew and sitting MP Abhishek. Earlier, addressing a meeting in the state Modi attacked the TMC and offered to build a grand statute of Vidyasagar.

Scoffing at BJP over the promise of making Vidyasagar's statue, Banerjee said, "BJP goons broke Vidyasagar's statue because they did not know him. He has contributed a lot to our society. You (BJP) broke the statue and you are saying we will make another one. Will the old heritage return or what? We do not need your money."ago.

In an unprecedented action in India's electoral history, the EC on Wednesday invoked Article 324 of the Constitution to cut short the last phase of campaigning in West Bengal by a day after violence and clashes between BJP and TMC workers during Shah's roadshow in the state capital on Tuesday.

During the mayhem, Vidyasagar's bust was also vandalised at a college named after him. Since then, both TMC and BJP have been trading accusations against each other.

Vidyasagar, a renowned figure in West Bengal's history, devoted his life to women-centric reforms. He is also credited with bringing more order to the Bengali education system.

Asking the crowd to say 'Chowkidar Chor Hai', Banerjee said, "You have to bid him (Modi) goodbye. First, he called himself a 'chaiwala', now he claims himself to be a 'chowkidar'."

"Will you vote for this 'chowkidar'? We will take revenge for the vandalisation of Vidyasagar's statue. The people of Bengal will give you a befitting reply," she added.

Launching a scathing attack on Modi, the TMC supremo claimed that she never saw a "liar" occupying the top post.

"I have never heard any Prime Minister telling so many lies. How on earth did he become the Prime Minister? He does not have any idea how to run the country," Banerjee said.

She claimed that she had video evidence of BJP supporters disguising themselves as CRPF personnel and threatening the people to vote for the saffron party.

"I have video evidence of BJP supporters wearing CRPF uniforms. They go to the polling booths and threaten people to vote for BJP. They even said that they will change the EVMs in the middle of the night. But we will not keep quiet, we will fight," Banerjee said.

Snapping back at BJP over their claims that the state's democracy is under attack, the TMC supremo said, "Modi babu is so scared of Bengal. Just see, he is so scared of TMC."

Urging the people to vote in huge numbers to oust BJP, Banerjee asserted that the people of the country did not want the "dangerous" saffron party in power "anymore."

"On May 23, we will throw you out. You are here for just a few days only. Vote for TMC and defeat BJP. We do not want any more atrocities. The more quickly you will go, the better it would be," she said.

Elections to 33 seats have taken place in West Bengal in the first six phases of elections. The remaining nine seats will go to polls on May 19 in the last round with the counting set to take place on May 23.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Sensex and the Nifty continued trading in a narrow range near the flat line in mid-morning trade. At 11:30 IST, the barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex, was up 19.83 points or 0.05% at 37,134.71. The Nifty 50 index was up 14.35 points or 0.13% at 11,171.35.

Indices opened on a mixed note and turned range bound near flat line in morning trade. Weakness in index pivotals L&T, ITC and HDFC capped gains.

Among secondary barometers, the BSE Mid-Cap index was down 0.10%. The BSE Small-Cap index was down 0.03%.

The market breadth, indicating the overall health of the market, was negative. On BSE, 830 shares rose and 1199 shares fell. A total of 108 shares were unchanged.

HDFC was down 0.72% at Rs 1930.65. ITC was down 0.98% at Rs 294.20. Larsen & Toubro (L&T) was down 1.05% at Rs 1312.

Metal shares advanced. JSW Steel (up 1.45%), National Aluminium Company (up 1.36%), Steel Authority of India (up 1.19%), NMDC (up 0.83%), Hindalco Industries (up 0.79%), Jindal Steel & Power (up 0.77%), Vedanta (up 0.34%) and Hindustan Zinc (up 0.32%), edged higher. Hindustan Copper (down 0.25%) and Tata Steel (down 0.91%), edged lower.

IT shares were mixed. MphasiS (down 2.09%), Tech Mahindra (down 0.18%), Hexaware Technologies (down 0.1%), HCL Technologies (down 0.07%) and Oracle Financial Services Software (down 0.02%), edged lower. MindTree (up 0.07%), Persistent Systems (up 0.44%), Wipro (up 0.74%), TCS (up 0.93%) and Infosys (up 1.37%), edged higher.

Ashok Leyland was down 0.24%. The company announced during trading hours today that it bagged an order for 400 units of 'Ashok Leyland Eagle 916' mini buses valuing Euro 10.06 million from Senbus Industries.

On the data front, India's overall exports (merchandise and services combined) in April 2019 is estimated to be $44.06 billion, exhibiting a positive growth of 1.34% over the April 2018. Overall imports in April 2019 is estimated to be $52.83 billion, exhibiting a positive growth of 4.53% over April 2018. Taking merchandise and services together, overall trade deficit for April 2019 is estimated at $8.78 billion as compared to $7.07 billion in April 2018, the Ministry of Commerce & Industry said in a statement yesterday, 15 May 2019.

India's merchandise exports in April 2019 were $26.07 billion, as compared to $25.91 billion in April 2018, exhibiting a positive growth of 0.64%. In Rupee terms, exports were Rs 1,81,021.34 crore in April 2019, as compared to Rs 1,70,052.96 crore in April 2018, registering a positive growth of 6.45%. Merchandise imports in April 2019 were $41.40 billion (Rs 2,87,432.93 crore), which was 4.48% higher in dollar terms and 10.52% higher in Rupee terms over imports of $39.63 billion (Rs 2,60,084.67 crore) in April 2018. The merchandise trade deficit for April 2019 was estimated at $15.33 billion as against the deficit of $13.72 billion in April 2018.

Overseas, most Asian shares declined as trade tensions continued to weigh on investor sentiment as Trump declared a national emergency to protect US computer networks from "foreign adversaries". He signed an executive order which effectively bars US companies from using foreign telecoms believed to pose national security risks.

China reported surprisingly weaker growth in retail sales for April on Wednesday. Overall retail sales in April rose 7.2% from a year earlier, data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed.

US stocks closed higher on Wednesday following reports that US President Donald Trump plans to postpone auto tariffs by up to six months. US retail sales fell 0.2% in April, the Commerce Department said Wednesday.

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Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd is quoting at Rs 363.55, up 1.11% on the day as on 12:54 IST on the NSE. The stock is down 6.93% in last one year as compared to a 4.63% jump in NIFTY and a 12.37% jump in the Nifty Energy index.

Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd is up for a third straight session today. The stock is quoting at Rs 363.55, up 1.11% on the day as on 12:54 IST on the NSE. The benchmark NIFTY is up around 0.18% on the day, quoting at 11177.1. The Sensex is at 37142.27, up 0.07%. Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd has gained around 0.18% in last one month.

Meanwhile, Nifty Energy index of which Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd is a constituent, has gained around 5.88% in last one month and is currently quoting at 15274.3, up 0.66% on the day. The volume in the stock stood at 23.96 lakh shares today, compared to the daily average of 64.37 lakh shares in last one month.

The benchmark May futures contract for the stock is quoting at Rs 362.95, up 0.81% on the day. Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd is down 6.93% in last one year as compared to a 4.63% jump in NIFTY and a 12.37% jump in the Nifty Energy index.

The PE of the stock is 11.65 based on TTM earnings ending December 18.

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Lupin announced the completion of the United States Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) inspection carried out at its Aurangabad manufacturing facility. The inspection was carried out from May 6 to May 15, 2019. The inspection at the Aurangabad facility closed with three observations. The company is confident of addressing them satisfactorily. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 15 May 2019.

Petronet LNG's net profit fell 15.78% to Rs 440.20 crore on 2.35% fall in total income to Rs 8534.59 crore in Q4 March 2019 over Q4 March 2018. The result was announced after market hours yesterday, 15 May 2019.

SKF India's net profit rose 14.87% to Rs 82.20 crore on 7.63% rise in total income to Rs 777.60 crore in Q4 March 2019 over Q4 March 2018. The result was announced after market hours yesterday, 15 May 2019.

Bajaj Finance, Bank of India and Hindalco Industries will announce January-March 2019 results on 16 May 2019.

Balaji Amines said that the company has received consent to operate by Maharashtra Pollution Control Board for expansion of existing products cum addition of new products at Unit III at MIDC Chincholi. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 15 May 2019.

Zuari Agro Chemicals informed that after evaluation of market conditions and inventory position, one of the two Granulation plant of the company will be shut down till further intimation. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 15 May 2019.

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The Sensex was trading with small gains while the Nifty was almost flat in early trade. At 9:22 IST, the barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex, was up 24.40 points or 0.07% at 37,139.28. The Nifty 50 index was down 0.80 points or 0.01% at 11,156.20.

Among secondary barometers,the BSE Mid-Cap index was down 0.19%. The BSE Small-Cap index was up 0.13%.

The market breadth, indicating the overall health of the market, was almost even. On BSE, 481 shares rose and 422 shares fell. A total of 41 shares were unchanged.

Overseas, Asian shares were mixed, following reports that US President Donald Trump plans to postpone auto tariffs by up to six months. Trade tensions, however, continued to weigh on investor sentiment as Trump declared a national emergency to protect US computer networks from "foreign adversaries". He signed an executive order which effectively bars US companies from using foreign telecoms believed to pose national security risks.

China reported surprisingly weaker growth in retail sales for April on Wednesday. Overall retail sales in April rose 7.2% from a year earlier, data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed.

US stocks closed higher on Wednesday after reports of delay in auto tariffs helped calm investors concern. US retail sales fell 0.2% in April, the Commerce Department said Wednesday.

Back home, Lupin was down 3.72%. The company announced the completion of the United States Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) inspection carried out at its Aurangabad manufacturing facility. The inspection was carried out from May 6 to May 15, 2019. The inspection at the Aurangabad facility closed with three observations. The company is confident of addressing them satisfactorily. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 15 May 2019.

Petronet LNG was down 3.35%. The company's net profit fell 15.78% to Rs 440.20 crore on 2.35% fall in total income to Rs 8534.59 crore in Q4 March 2019 over Q4 March 2018. The result was announced after market hours yesterday, 15 May 2019.

Balaji Amines was up 0.42%. The company said that it has received consent to operate by Maharashtra Pollution Control Board for expansion of existing products cum addition of new products at Unit III at MIDC Chincholi. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 15 May 2019.

Zuari Agro Chemicals was down 1.17%. The company informed that after evaluation of market conditions and inventory position, one of the two Granulation plant of the company will be shut down till further intimation. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 15 May 2019.

On the data front, India's overall exports (merchandise and services combined) in April 2019 is estimated to be $44.06 billion, exhibiting a positive growth of 1.34% over the April 2018. Overall imports in April 2019 is estimated to be $52.83 billion, exhibiting a positive growth of 4.53% over April 2018. Taking merchandise and services together, overall trade deficit for April 2019 is estimated at $8.78 billion as compared to $7.07 billion in April 2018, the Ministry of Commerce & Industry said in a statement yesterday, 15 May 2019.

India's merchandise exports in April 2019 were $26.07 billion, as compared to $25.91 billion in April 2018, exhibiting a positive growth of 0.64%. In Rupee terms, exports were Rs 1,81,021.34 crore in April 2019, as compared to Rs 1,70,052.96 crore in April 2018, registering a positive growth of 6.45%. Merchandise imports in April 2019 were $41.40 billion (Rs 2,87,432.93 crore), which was 4.48% higher in dollar terms and 10.52% higher in Rupee terms over imports of $39.63 billion (Rs 2,60,084.67 crore) in April 2018. The merchandise trade deficit for April 2019 was estimated at $15.33 billion as against the deficit of $13.72 billion in April 2018.

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Key equity benchmarks hovered in positive zone in afternoon trade. At 13:15 IST, the barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex, was up 14.03 points or 0.04% at 37,128.91. The Nifty 50 index was up 19.50 points or 0.17% at 11,176.50.

Indices opened on a mixed note and turned range bound near flat line in morning trade. After hovering in a narrow range mid-morning trade, indices firmed up in early afternoon trade.

Among secondary barometers, the BSE Mid-Cap index was off 0.09%. The BSE Small-Cap index was off 0.11%.

The market breadth, indicating the overall health of the market, was negative. On BSE, 924 shares rose and 1312 shares fell. A total of 123 shares were unchanged.

Tata Motors (up 2.45%), Infosys (up 1.79%), Power Grid Corporation of India (up 1.59%), TCS (up 1.1%) and Bajaj Finance (up 1.02%) edged higher from the Sensex pack.

Yes Bank (down 2.99%), Coal India (down 2.14%), Sun Pharmaceutical Industries (down 1.96%), IndusInd Bank (down 1.52%) and M&M (down 1.34%) edged lower from the Sensex pack.

Lupin fell 2.18%. The company announced the completion of the United States Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) inspection carried out at its Aurangabad manufacturing facility. The inspection was carried out from May 6 to May 15, 2019. The inspection at the Aurangabad facility closed with three observations. The company is confident of addressing them satisfactorily. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 15 May 2019.

On the data front, India's overall exports (merchandise and services combined) in April 2019 is estimated to be $44.06 billion, exhibiting a positive growth of 1.34% over the April 2018. Overall imports in April 2019 is estimated to be $52.83 billion, exhibiting a positive growth of 4.53% over April 2018. Taking merchandise and services together, overall trade deficit for April 2019 is estimated at $8.78 billion as compared to $7.07 billion in April 2018, the Ministry of Commerce & Industry said in a statement yesterday, 15 May 2019.

India's merchandise exports in April 2019 were $26.07 billion, as compared to $25.91 billion in April 2018, exhibiting a positive growth of 0.64%. In Rupee terms, exports were Rs 1,81,021.34 crore in April 2019, as compared to Rs 1,70,052.96 crore in April 2018, registering a positive growth of 6.45%. Merchandise imports in April 2019 were $41.40 billion (Rs 2,87,432.93 crore), which was 4.48% higher in dollar terms and 10.52% higher in Rupee terms over imports of $39.63 billion (Rs 2,60,084.67 crore) in April 2018. The merchandise trade deficit for April 2019 was estimated at $15.33 billion as against the deficit of $13.72 billion in April 2018.

Overseas, European stocks opened lower Thursday, with focus on U.S.-China trade tensions after U.S. President Donald Trump declared a national emergency over threats against American technology.

Asian shares were mixed as trade tensions continued to weigh on investor sentiment as Trump declared a national emergency to protect US computer networks from "foreign adversaries". He signed an executive order which effectively bars US companies from using foreign telecoms believed to pose national security risks.

China reported surprisingly weaker growth in retail sales for April on Wednesday. Overall retail sales in April rose 7.2% from a year earlier, data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed.

US stocks closed higher on Wednesday following reports that US President Donald Trump plans to postpone auto tariffs by up to six months. US retail sales fell 0.2% in April, the Commerce Department said Wednesday.

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Key equity indices were almost flat in morning trade. At 10:30 IST, the barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex, was down 6.19 points or 0.02% at 37,108.69. The Nifty 50 index was down 2.30 points or 0.02% at 11,154.70.

Indices opened on a mixed note and turned range bound near flat line in morning trade.

Among secondary barometers, the BSE Mid-Cap index was down 0.50%. The BSE Small-Cap index was down 0.21%.

The market breadth, indicating the overall health of the market, was negative. On BSE, 719 shares rose and 1054 shares fell. A total of 90 shares were unchanged.

Pharmaceutical shares tumbled. Sun Pharmaceutical Industries (down 6.55%), Cadila Healthcare (down 4.75%), Piramal Enterprises (down 4.33%), Wockhardt (down 3.81%), Glenmark Pharmaceuticals (down 3.47%), Strides Shasun (down 2.24%), Cipla (down 1.69%), Alkem Laboratories (down 1.4%), Aurobindo Pharma (down 1.39%), Dr Reddy's Laboratories (down 1.39%), GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals (down 0.62%) and Divi's Laboratories (down 0.46%), edged lower. IPCA Laboratories was up 0.42%.

Lupin was down 5.18%. The company announced the completion of the United States Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) inspection carried out at its Aurangabad manufacturing facility. The inspection was carried out from May 6 to May 15, 2019. The inspection at the Aurangabad facility closed with three observations. The company is confident of addressing them satisfactorily. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 15 May 2019.

Most FMCG shares declined. Colgate Palmolive (India) (down 0.67%), Godrej Consumer Products (down 0.66%), Marico (down 0.65%), Jyothy Laboratories (down 0.48%), GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare (down 0.43%), Dabur India (down 0.39%), Bajaj Corp (down 0.38%) and Tata Global Beverages (down 0.38%), edged lower. Britannia Industries (up 0.26%), Nestle India (up 0.35%), Hindustan Unilever (up 0.54%) and Procter & Gamble Hygiene & Health Care (up 1.95%), edged higher.

On the data front, India's overall exports (merchandise and services combined) in April 2019 is estimated to be $44.06 billion, exhibiting a positive growth of 1.34% over the April 2018. Overall imports in April 2019 is estimated to be $52.83 billion, exhibiting a positive growth of 4.53% over April 2018. Taking merchandise and services together, overall trade deficit for April 2019 is estimated at $8.78 billion as compared to $7.07 billion in April 2018, the Ministry of Commerce & Industry said in a statement yesterday, 15 May 2019.

India's merchandise exports in April 2019 were $26.07 billion, as compared to $25.91 billion in April 2018, exhibiting a positive growth of 0.64%. In Rupee terms, exports were Rs 1,81,021.34 crore in April 2019, as compared to Rs 1,70,052.96 crore in April 2018, registering a positive growth of 6.45%. Merchandise imports in April 2019 were $41.40 billion (Rs 2,87,432.93 crore), which was 4.48% higher in dollar terms and 10.52% higher in Rupee terms over imports of $39.63 billion (Rs 2,60,084.67 crore) in April 2018. The merchandise trade deficit for April 2019 was estimated at $15.33 billion as against the deficit of $13.72 billion in April 2018.

Overseas, Asian shares were mixed, following reports that US President Donald Trump plans to postpone auto tariffs by up to six months. Trade tensions, however, continued to weigh on investor sentiment as Trump declared a national emergency to protect US computer networks from "foreign adversaries". He signed an executive order which effectively bars US companies from using foreign telecoms believed to pose national security risks.

China reported surprisingly weaker growth in retail sales for April on Wednesday. Overall retail sales in April rose 7.2% from a year earlier, data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed.

US stocks closed higher on Wednesday after reports of delay in auto tariffs helped calm investors concern. US retail sales fell 0.2% in April, the Commerce Department said Wednesday.

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Trading of Nifty 50 index futures on the Singapore stock exchange indicates that the Nifty could rise 22 points at the opening bell.

Overseas, Asian shares were mixed, following reports that US President Donald Trump plans to postpone auto tariffs by up to six months. Trade tensions, however, continued to weigh on investor sentiment as Trump declared a national emergency to protect US computer networks from "foreign adversaries". He signed an executive order which effectively bars US companies from using foreign telecoms believed to pose national security risks.

China reported surprisingly weaker growth in retail sales for April on Wednesday. Overall retail sales in April rose 7.2% from a year earlier, data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed.

US stocks closed higher on Wednesday after reports of delay in auto tariffs helped calm investors concern. US retail sales fell 0.2% in April, the Commerce Department said Wednesday.

Closer home, foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) sold shares worth a net Rs 1,142.44 crore on 15 May 2019, as per provisional data released by the stock exchanges. Domestic institutional investors (DIIs) bought shares worth a net Rs 671.77 crore on 15 May 2019, as per provisional data.

Key benchmark indices ended with modest losses yesterday, 15 May 2019, as stocks dropped in late trade after hovering in positive terrain for most part of the session. Investors continued to be plagued by doubts surrounding slowing global growth and US-China trade relations. The barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex, fell 203.65 points or 0.55% to 37,114.88. The Nifty 50 index fell 65.05 points or 0.58% to 11,157.

On the data front, India's overall exports (merchandise and services combined) in April 2019 is estimated to be $44.06 billion, exhibiting a positive growth of 1.34% over the April 2018. Overall imports in April 2019 is estimated to be $52.83 billion, exhibiting a positive growth of 4.53% over April 2018. Taking merchandise and services together, overall trade deficit for April 2019 is estimated at $8.78 billion as compared to $7.07 billion in April 2018, the Ministry of Commerce & Industry said in a statement yesterday, 15 May 2019.

India's merchandise exports in April 2019 were $26.07 billion, as compared to $25.91 billion in April 2018, exhibiting a positive growth of 0.64%. In Rupee terms, exports were Rs 1,81,021.34 crore in April 2019, as compared to Rs 1,70,052.96 crore in April 2018, registering a positive growth of 6.45%. Merchandise imports in April 2019 were $41.40 billion (Rs 2,87,432.93 crore), which was 4.48% higher in dollar terms and 10.52% higher in Rupee terms over imports of $39.63 billion (Rs 2,60,084.67 crore) in April 2018. The merchandise trade deficit for April 2019 was estimated at $15.33 billion as against the deficit of $13.72 billion in April 2018.

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Four militants, including a top Jaish-e-Mohammad commander, as well as a soldier and a civilian were killed and four others injured in three gunfights between security forces and militants across the Kashmir Valley on Thursday.

In the first gunfight in Dalipora village of Pulwama district, three Jaish militants, including a top commander who had masterminded the 2017 attack on a CRPF camp, a soldier and a civilian were killed, police said.

"The slain militants have been identified as two locals, Naseer Pandit and Umar Mir and Pakistani national Khalid Bhai. Khalid was a top JeM commander and had masterminded the 2017 attack on the CRPF camp in Lethpora in which five troopers were killed," a police source said.

The civilian victim was identified as Rayees Ahmad Dar, son of the owner of the house where the militants were hiding. His brother, Muhammad Younis, sustained a gunshot injury.

According to the sources, two soldiers were also injured in the exchange of firing.

Giving details of the gunfight, a police statement said: "On a credible input, a cordon and search operation was launched today morning by police and security forces at Dalipora area.

"As police and security forces were evacuating civilians from the neighbourhood around the target house, the hiding terrorists fired indiscriminately. In the process, one Army jawan, Sepoy Sandeep attained martyrdom and one civilian Rayees Dar also lost his life."

Security forces retaliated, killing three militants whose bodies were retrieved from the site, it said.

"They were identified as Naseer Pandit of Kareemabad, Pulwama, Umar Mir of Shopian and from the incriminating material recovered from the site of encounter, one terrorist has been identified as a Pakistani, namely Khalid.

"According to police records, the killed terrorists were affiliated with proscribed terror outfit JeM," it said.

The statement said that Khalid, "who was operating as commander of proscribed terror outfit JeM was involved in several terror attacks on security establishments and civilian atrocities in the area. Many terror crime cases were registered against him".

Amid massive clashes near the gunfight site and adjoining areas, authorities imposed curfew in Pulwama town and suspended mobile internet services. Mobile internet speed was also reduced in Srinagar city to prevent uploading of inflammatory pictures and posts.

In another gunfight in Handew village of Shopian district, a militant was killed while a soldier was injured. Police said firing exchanges have stopped but the search operation is still going on.

Following specific information about the presence of militants, troops of the army's counter-insurgency Rashtriya Rifles and the Special Operations Group of the state police launched a cordon and search operation in Handew village, but came under fire from the hiding militants and retaliated.

The third gunfight took place in Kandi forest area of Kupwara district.

Security forces surrounded the forest area after intelligence inputs about the presence of a group of militants there.

Police said a brief shootout took place in Kandi forest area, but there was no report of any casualty.

--IANS

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Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav has posted a photograph in which he is seen sharing a meal on an aircraft with a man who looks like Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

The man is Suresh Thakur, a lookalike of Adityanath who has been recently seen in all rallies of Akhilesh Yadav.

Suresh Thakur, who makes it a point to dress in saffron like Yogi Adityanath, does not give speeches but merely waves to the crowds while Akhilesh Yadav delivers speeches.

His presence has already created considerable confusion in the rural interiors where people claim that Yogi Adityanath is campaigning with Akhilesh Yadav, who even introduces him as 'Baba'.

The former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister told reporters: "We cannot bring a fake God, but have brought a 'babaji'. He is the one who will tell the truth about the government to everyone in the state."

However, Suresh Thakur has not addressed rallies in this election.

--IANS

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Apple's plans of introducing its own iPhone 5G chip could take as long as six years, the media reported.

In order to reduce its reliance on suppliers, the iPhone-maker has been designing a lot of components which would be required to integrate superfast 5G connectivity into phones by itself, CNET reported on Wednesday.

According to a report by The Information, Apple may not have a homegrown 5G modem ready for its iPhones till 2025.

"Citing an anonymous source, The Information said that 'in interviews with prospective hires for the team, Apple has told engineers that they expect to have their own modem ready by 2025'," the CNET report added.

Apple has been hiring engineers for the project to build its own 5G chips that would work as key modems to connect iPhones to mobile networks.

Earlier, the company had stopped working with the leading 5G modem provider - Qualcomm - because of a dispute over Qualcomm's licensing fees. However, the legal war between the two companies settled in April at an undisclosed amount.

As part of the settlement, Apple agreed to buy Qualcomm's 5G chips as well to use it as part of its 5G-enabled iPhone, which is scheduled for launch in 2020.

--IANS

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Authorities imposed curfew and called out the Army on Thursday following clashes in Jammu and Kashmir's Bhaderwah town in Doda district.

Official sources said the clashes broke out between two groups of people following the murder of a Bhaderwah resident, Nayeem Shah, early in the morning by unknown assailants.

Shah's body was recovered by police in Nalthi Pul area of the town.

Authorities called out the Army to assist the civil administration maintain calm in the town. Officials said the curfew will remain in force till further orders.

Police are investigating the civilian's murder and authorities have appealed to people to maintain communal harmony.

--IANS

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While the opposition leaders expressed their solidarity with West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's displeasure over the Election Commission's (EC) unprecedented decision to curtail poll campaign in the state by 20 hours, BJP MP Babul Supriyo on Thursday called the opposition Grand Alliance 'Mahathagbandhan' (alliance of crooks).

"The 'Mahathagbandhan' will never be voted 'in' by the people of India because they will always keep above them," Supriyo tweeted.

The EC's decision came in the wake of repeated instances of violence in the state during the Lok Sabha polls, which reached a tipping point on Tuesday when the bust of Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar was smashed at the college named after the social reformer following violent clashes during BJP President Amit Shah's roadshow in Kolkata.

Stating that the EC didn't act timely, Supriyo tweeted: "For six phases they kept stoic silence while democracy and human beings got murdered by Mamata and her #TMchhi. Now, they have all found their voices. #Shame."

On Wednesday, Banerjee had claimed that the EC's decision was taken at the "behest of the BJP, (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi and Shah".

"EC's biased actions under the directions of the BJP are a direct attack on democracy. People will give a befitting reply," she said.

Expressing solidarity with Banerjee, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati on Thursday told reporters: "The Election Commission has banned poll campaign in West Bengal from 10 p.m. today (Thursday). But the Prime Minister is holding two rallies (before the ban comes into force). This shows that the Commission is working under the pressure of the BJP."

--IANS

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BSP President Mayawati on Thursday alleged that the Election Commission's decision to curtail campaigning in West Bengal was taken under pressure from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"The Election Commission has banned the election campaign in West Bengal from 10 p.m. today (Thursday). But the Prime Minister is holding two rallies (before the ban comes into force). This shows that the Commission is working under the pressure of the BJP," Mayawati told the media.

"Why did they put the ban from 10 p.m. and not since the morning? This proves that the Election Commission is working under the pressure of the BJP. It is unfair. The BJP has targeted Mamata Banerjee. There are attempts to defame the Bengal government," she said.

The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo, a former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, accused Modi and BJP President Amit Shah of targeting Banerjee. "This is a very dangerous and unjust trend."

--IANS

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A report has claimed that the Bharatiya Janata Party is set to suffer a net loss of seats in the ongoing general elections but will emerge as the largest party.

The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) report expects the BJP to form a coalition government after elections with the support of regional parties and incumbent Prime Minister Narendra Modi securing a second term in office.

EIU expects at least three regional parties - the Biju Janata Dal, the Telangana Rashtra Samithi, and the Yuvajana Shramika Rythu Congress Party, to back the next BJP-led government.

"The presence of coalition partners will help to prevent the sort of disruptive and poorly considered policy making that was seen on occasion during the BJP's previous term," the reports said.

Besides the coalition partners in government will prove to be a check on the BJP's right-wing Hindu nationalist instincts.

According to Shreyans Bhaskar, a Research analyst with The Economist Intelligence Unit, "The need to keep coalition allies sweet will pressure the next government into raising public expenditure, which will add to the fiscal strains created by the government's populist election pledges".

"As the BJP seeks to keep relations with its coalition partners smooth, the influence of the BJP's right-wing Hindu affiliates and allies will be diminished in the next administration," said EIU.

--IANS

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Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) Gorakhpur candidate Ravi Kishan has said that the party will win more than 74 (of the 80) seats in Uttar Pradesh in the Lok Sabha elections.

The Bhojpuri cinema artist told IANS that Gorakhpur is a prestigious seat for the BJP. Denying any challenge from any group, he said it is BJP's and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's fort.

On the BJP's defeat in Gorakhpur in the 2018 by-election, Kishan said: "Workers were over confident at that time but it proved to be costly. People are repenting that time and have decided to bring (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi again. The coalition will be defeated."

"Everyone knows that Modi is fighting for the poor. After May 23, everyone will get to know their level. Modiji will again come to power with a huge majority," he said.

Kishan was the Congress candidate from Jaunpur in the 2014 general elections. On shifting to the BJP, he said: "Congress did not respect me. I contested only because (Congress General Secretary) Priyanka Gandhi asked me to. At that time, there was a Modi wave. Afer losing, nobody called."

When asked about being an outsider in Gorakhpur, the Bhojpuri artist said he is emotionally attached to the place and is not an outsider.

Asked what his future course of action would be if he wins, Kishan said: "On the lines of the National School of Drama, a theatre hub will be established in Gorakhpur. Youth from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Jharkhand will be given opportunity."

--IANS

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The 72nd Cannes Film Festival will get a taste of Bollywood's girl power this year. Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Deepika Padukone and Kangana Ranaut have already reached the French Riviera, and more actresses will join the gala in the days to come.

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Sonam Kapoor Ahuja, Huma Qureshi, Mallika Sherawat and Diana Penty will also be seen at the Cannes gala, where popular Indian TV actress Hina Khan has already walked the red carpet.

known for her roles in shows like "Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai" and "Kasautii Zindagii Kay", Hina wore a glittery grey gown with a moderate trail and a plunging neckline, leaving social media users gaga over her look.

She will also be a speaker at the India Pavilion of the global film jamboree, and will launch the first look of her film "Lines" here.

After landing in the city on Thursday, Deepika posted an Instagram video, sharing her excitement and her schedule.

"We have just landed. We have to settle in because we don't have much time. As soon as we get into hotel, we have to start with hair and make-up and literally a five minute fitting. Let's go," Deepika said in the video in which she is seen dressed up in a white shirt teamed with jeans and a chic denim jacket.

Ahead of her Cannes trip, Deepika had asked her fans to help her choose an outfit.

"Do you think I should wear red on the red carpet? Yes or No," she had posted on her Instagram Story.

Priyanka will be making her debut at the Cannes festival. The actress was on flashback mode as she shared old photographs of Princess Diana, Grace Kelly and Sophia Lauren's Cannes appearances on her social media.

Excited about the debut, Priyanka shared a video of a Chopard watch, writing "It's time for Cannes", making the reason behind her visit to the French Riviera apparent.

Kangana, who is here for a brand association, promises to deliver drama through her attires.

One of her looks will include a sari by Falguni and Shane Peacock. To get into shape for her Cannes look, Kangana even lost 5 kgs in 10 days as the shoot of "Panga" had required her to gain some weight on her thighs.

As for fashion icon Sonam, who has been a regular at the Cannes Film Festival, she will have elements of simplicity and elegance in her look at this year's red carpet.

Her sister Rhea Kapoor, who often doubles up as her stylist, told IANS: "I think this year we are going to focus on simplicity and elegance... It will be more on Sonam's personality and where she is in her life right now.

"This is a very beautiful phase of her life where she is very happy, content and emotionally secure. So, it should come across in the clothes and the looks."

For Diana, it will be her first experience at Cannes, while Huma is going to make her second appearance.

--IANS

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A case of violating the model code of conduct has been registered against Namdeo Das Tyagi, also known as 'Computer Baba', over a 'yagna' he held and a roadshow of 'sadhus' he organised to back Congress candidate from Bhopal Digvijaya Singh.

Police officer Amresh Bohre told IANS on Thursday that election officals had filed a complaint and a case was registered against Tyagi and a Chandrashekhar Raikwar under Section 188 on Wednesday night.

Tyagi was a Minister in the government of former Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan. He quit in a huff.

Tyagi had recently held a 'yagna' and roadshow of 'sadhus' in support of Digvijaya Singh at New Saifia College even though he did not have permission from the Election Commission.

The BJP copmplauined agaonst Tyagi to the Chief Electoral Officer who issued a notice to him. Tyagi has not been seen in Bhopal in the past few days.

--IANS

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A close associate of the Easter Sunday suicide bombers has been arrested in Sri Lanka with several passports, police said.

Mohammed Rizwan was arrested from the Mabole area in Wattala by the North-Western Province Intelligence Division officers on Wednesday and was being questioned, the Daily Mirror reported.

Earlier this week, rioters torched Muslim-owned shops, homes and vandalized mosques in several towns as the anti-Muslim unrest spread in the aftermath of the April 21 attacks in which over 250 people were killed. The killings were claimed by the Islamic State.

Police spokesman S.P. Ruwan Gunasekera said on Thursday that after days of violent clashes that claimed one life, "peaceful situation was now prevailing in the country due to which no curfew was imposed".

He also said no incidents of violence were reported from either the North Western province or Gampaha district which were affected by the unrest on Monday.

--IANS

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The Congress on Thursday condemned remarks of BJPs Lok Sabha candidate from Bhopal Pragya Singh Thakur describing Mahatma Gandhis assassin Nathu Ram Godse as a patriot and sought an apology from Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Talking to reporters, Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala alleged that the ruling BJP dispensation "was successor" of Godse and India's soul is again under attack by them.

He said Thakur had earlier made disparaging remarks against Maharashtra ATS officer Hemant Karkare, who had interrogated her in the Malegaon case and was later killed during the 26/11 Mumbai attacks.

"BJP and its leaders are deliberately, and in a concerted conspiracy, attacking the thought, the entire way of life as also the teaching of Mahatma Gandhi. This is an insult to the Indian way of life, the Gandhian way of life that lies in India's soul. This is an unpardonable sin," he said.

Surjewala also referred to remarks of BJP MP Sakshi Maharaj describing Godse as a patriot for which he had expressed regret.

"We call upon the Prime Minister to tender an unconditional apology to the nation and take punitive action against Pragya Thakur otherwise it will be more than proved that all such acts of denigrating the Father of the Nation by the ilk of Pragya Thakur have active concurrence of Modi," he said.

He said Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah must punish Pragya Thakur and withdraw her candidature.

--IANS

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Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Thursday said it was depressing and disgusting to hear that those who killed Mahatma Gandhi were being hailed as 'great patriots" by BJP candidates.

The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) was reacting to a statement by BJP candidate from Bhopal Lok Sabha seat, Pragya Singh Thakur.

"This speaks a lot about the nature of patriotism of not only BJP candidates but also Prime Minister Narendra Modi who supports such people," Naidu tweeted.

"First, they abused Maharashtra police officer Hemant Karkare who was martyred, now it's the turn of the father of the nation, an apostle of non-violence, Mahatma Gandhi. Is this the Gujarat model the BJP wants to spread in the entire nation?" he asked.

--IANS

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The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), Ahmedabad has busted, what it claims to be, an international racket involving smugglers from Pakistan, China, Myanmar and India teaming up to import high-end drones into Indian heartland through the northeastern border of India.

The DRI stated in a release on Thursday that its officials rounded up the alleged Ahmedabad-based mastermind of the racket and he has admitted the offences.

The agency said the racket had been going on since 2017 and thousands of drones valued at over Rs 10 crore and involving duty evasion of around Rs 3 crore have been smuggled into India.

The DRI has been able to intercept and seize 85 high-end drones of DJI Mavic, DJI Phantom and MI brands. Besides, 27 DJI Mavic Air Fly More Kit and 34 DJI Ronin S hand-held gimbal stabilizer for DSLR and mirrorless camera, smuggled from China, having a market value of more than Rs 1 crore, were also seized from the tempo van that was carrying the smuggled goods from Air Cargo Complex, Ahmedabad and from the shop of the allegedly involved person in Paldi area of Ahmedabad.

According to DRI, Pakistani-based firms placed an order for drones with Chinese firms. The drones were supplied by Chinese firms to a warehouse in Dehong, Yunnan located in South China and is close to the eastern border of Myanmar. From Dehong, the Myanmar smugglers were tasked to get them across China-Myanmar border into Myanmar.

After the drones reached Myanmar, they were transported hundreds of kilometres away to a place called Tamu in Mayanmar. From there, it was transported to India through Moreh and on to Imphal.

Different modes of transport were used to reach the drones till Imphal. And from Imphal, domestic airlines were used to get the drones to Ahmedabad. This was done by declaring the prohibited cargo as camera stand, household goods, electronic items and so on to elude detection by Indian agencies, the DRI release stated.

From Ahmedabad, it was couriered to different locations in India. The money was sent to the Ahmedabad-based "smuggler" by the Chinese company through hawala transaction operating from Mumbai.

According to the DRI, the illegal drones in private hands could be a threat to national security since they could be used for espionage and sabotage purposes by the enemy states and anti-national and terrorist groups.

Considering the security risk involved, equipment type approval from wireless planning and coordination wing of the department of telecommunication, import clearance from Directorate General of Civil Aviation, Directorate General of Foreign Trade import licence, DGCA unique identification number, among other things, are required for the import of drones into India, the DRI stated.

--IANS

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Terming the prohibition of campaigning in West Bengal a "dark spot on India's democracy", the Congress on Thursday accused the Election Commission (EC) of "completely abdicating" its constitutional duty" to ensure a level playing field and said the EC should submit before the people and answer for its conduct and actions.

Addressing the media here, Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala asked if the EC has become a "helpless pawn" in the hands of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP President Amit Shah.

"Every citizen is questioning the independence, impartiality, objectivity and fairness of the Election Commission today. Has EC become a mere helpless pawn in the hands of the Modi-Shah duo?

"As democracy is under attack from the ruling BJP, time for EC to submit before people of India, instead of being stifled by PM Modi and answer its action and conduct to people of India," he said.

The Congress leader said the EC prohibiting campaigning in West Bengal is a "dark spot on India's democracy and institutions of oversight like the EC".

In an unprecedented decision on Wednesday, the poll panel ordered that campaigning for the final round of the Lok Sabha polls on Sunday will end in West Bengal at 10 p.m. on Thursday.

Surjewala noted that the order has been planned in such a way that Modi's rallies in the state were not affected.

"Election Commission has completely abdicated its constitutional duty under Article 324 to ensure level playing field, besides negating the due process under Article 14 (equality before the law) and Article 21 (protection of life and personal liberty) of India's Constitution," he said.

"This appears to be Election Commission's parting gift to Modi and the BJP, in order to ensure that the two pre-announced election rallies of Modi at Mathurapur and Dum Dum in the afternoon and evening today (Thursday) are not hit by the EC's order," Surjewala added.

He said that instead of punishing the goons and hooligans of the BJP led by party President Shah, "the Election Commission is punishing democracy, per se. It has created a fear psychosis by admitting EC's inability to hold a free and fair polls. The order of the EC is an unpardonable betrayal of the Constitution."

Surjewala also said the Congress, "as a responsible political party", has never cast unwarranted aspersions on the actions of constitutional bodies.

"But we are deeply saddened to say that Election Commission of India has completely lost its Independence and abdicated its constitutional integrity. "

The party also said that the "unchecked and brazen violence and arson by BJP" in West Bengal on Sunday deserved strict action against Shah.

Surjewala said the country has witnessed how, despite repeated complaints, the EC has not banned NaMo TV -- a propaganda machine of the BJP

"India also witnessed how the Prime Minister publicly mocked the EC about complaints being made to it as he violated every letter and word in the MCC (model code of conduct), everyday.

"The flagrant and ugly display of wealth by the ruling BJP drew no response from EC as a constitutional watchdog. Has the watchdog become subservient to the machinations of the ruling dispensation?" he asked.

He said the Congress party had filed over 11 complaints with the EC against Modi and Shah.

"Despite clear dissent in EC's ranks, and it being a clear cut case of brazen violation of the MCC, it meekly surrendered to the whims of Modi and Shah. Has the MCC now become a Modi Code of Misconduct to be applied to BJP's political opponents, with total immunity for PM and BJP President?" Surjewala wondered.

--IANS

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China on Thursday urged the US to stop "harassing overseas companies" and slammed US President Donald Trump's decision to sign a national emergency order that prohibits American firms from using foreign-made equipment, citing espionage fears.

The US move, which effectively takes aim at Chinese telecom giant Huawei, comes as the two economic superpowers are locked in a bitter unending trade war.

"Nobody sees this move as constructive or friendly and we urge US to stop using such practices," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang told reporters.

Lu said China opposes countries that create problems using national security as an excuse.

He, however, added that foreign companies operating in China lawfully had nothing to be concerned about.

"When Chinese companies are wrongly treated, China has the right to take necessary measures to safeguard its legitimate rights and interests," the spokesperson said, adding that his country "always asks its companies to comply by local laws and regulations when they operate overseas".

China's Commerce Ministry also urged the US not to implement the executive order that bars American companies from using telecommunications equipment made by Huawei.

"The executive order is an abuse of national security and unilateral trade sanctions," the Ministry's spokesperson Gao Feng told reporters.

According to state-owned TV network CGTN, Gao also asked the US to respect market economy rules and build a transparent and unbiased commercial environment for foreign companies.

The White House said on Wednesday that Trump took the action to thwart "foreign adversaries who are actively and increasingly creating and exploiting vulnerabilities in information and communications technology infrastructure and services in the US".

However, it made no direct reference to China, with whom Washington is engaged in a bitter trade dispute.

The executive order does not automatically impose restrictions on the purchase of telecommunications equipment but gives US Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross 150 days to determine which companies must be subject to new restrictions because they pose a danger to US security.

Huawei said the decision by the Trump administration to put restrictions on its activities in the US will only harm the interests of American companies and consumers.

In a statement, the tech giant called the restrictions "unreasonable" and said they would "infringe upon Huawei's rights and raise other serious legal issues".

--IANS

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A film based on the terror attacks on Christchurch mosques in New Zealand that killed 51 people is to be directed by Egyptian filmmaker and academic Moez Masoud.

Titled "Hello Brother", the film will follow a family facing death and destruction in Afghanistan who escape with their lives. Their story meshes with that of the recent attacks by a 28-year-old white supremacist on the Al Noor Mosque and Linwood Islamic center, reports variety.com.

The shootings at the mosques claimed the lives of 51 worshipers and were partly live-streamed on social media. The title of the project is based upon the words of one of the victims.

Masoud is a producer, Cambridge scholar and noted public speaker. His movie "Clash" was the opening film in Cannes' Un Certain Regard in 2016.

"In Christchurch, on March 15, the world witnessed an unspeakable crime against humanity. The story that 'Hello Brother' will bring to audiences is just one step in the healing process, so that we might all better understand each other, and the root causes of hatred, racism, supremacy and terrorism," Masoud said.

Films covering terror attacks include Paul Greengrass' Netflix film "July 22" and Norwegian helmer Erik Poppe's "U - July 22", both about Norwegian neo-Nazi terrorist Anders Behring Breivik's massacre of 77 civilians in 2011.

"Hello Brother" is said to be the first confirmed project about the Christchurch shootings.

--IANS

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A day after Congress President Rahul Gandhi, mocking Prime Minister Narendra Modi, posted a snapshot that a new word "Modilie" has been added to English dictionaries, the authoritative Oxford English Dictionary on Thursday said that there no such word not exist in any of its dictionaries.

However, Gandhi continued to target the Prime Minister and tweeted on Thursday that "Modilie" is the new word that has become popular worldwide.

"Now there's even a website that catalogues the best Modilies," he said, sharing the address of the website listing alleged lies of Modi since he came to office in 2014.

On Wednesday, Gandhi had targeted Modi saying "Modilie" is the new word in the dictionary.

"There's a new word in the English Dictionary. Attached is a snapshot of the entry," he said in a tweet. Attached was a screen shot of a page of "English Living Dictionaries" describing the word "a mass noun" that means "to constantly Modify the truth, to lie incessantly and habitually and to lie without respite". The meanings were followed by example sentences.

However, the OED said no such word exists.

"We can confirm that the image showing the entry 'Modilie' is fake and does not exist in any of our Oxford Dictionaries," it posted from its official Twitter handle in reply to Gandhi's tweet.

This led to Twitter users trolling the Congress President with some of them accusing him of resorting to lies.

--IANS

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Gucci is facing backlash for selling several pricey designer turbans, with people accusing the luxury fashion brand of cultural appropriation.

One turban in particular, a $790 royal blue piece from the brand's Fall 2018 collection called 'Indy Full Turban', has caught the attention of Twitter users both for its high price and the fact that it even exists at all.

On Thursday morning, Nordstrom announced that it was pulling the turban from its website and stores, and apologised to those who were offended, reports dailymail.co.uk.

The turban in question -- and several other versions of it in different colours -- actually debuted on the runway in February 2018. They certainly earned some negative attention at the time, but it doesn't seem to have made an impact on the design house's production decisions.

But now members of the Sikh community have zeroed in once again on the turbans after Twitter users posted screenshots of its available on Nordstrom's website.

"The turban is not just an accessory to monetise; it's a religious article of faith that millions of Sikhs view as sacred," wrote the Sikh Coalition, adding "Many find this cultural appropriation inappropriate, since those wearing the turban just for fashion will not appreciate its deep religious significance".

"I would be into this if it was a way to encourage diversity and access non-western clothing (I know guys who wear pre-wrapped turbans so this would be cool for them) but the marketing around this shows otherwise. This is a cash grab, and it's gross," wrote another.

Sikh restaurateur, influencer and philanthropist Harjinder Singh Kukreja, who boasts more than 1.5 million followers on Twitter, explained why he and others were so upset by the item.

"Dear Gucci, the Sikh Turban is not a hot new accessory for white models but an article of faith for practising Sikhs. Your models have used Turbans as 'hats' whereas practising Sikhs tie them neatly fold-by-fold. Using fake Sikhs/Turbans is worse than selling fake Gucci products."

"This is beyond aggravating," said another.

"Did someone at Gucci even bother to figure out what a dastaar (turban) means to Sikhs? Did it cross your minds to consider the history behind our identity? My people are discriminated against, even killed, for wearing a turban," one wrote.

"Seriously Nordstrom, Gucci?" asked yet another. "The turban is one of the most important and symbolic articles of faith for Sikhs, and you're selling it as a fashion accessory to make money? This isn't the first time you've come under fire for cultural appropriation. Do better."

While Gucci has yet to comment on the controversy, Nordstrom tweeted an apology and announcing that it would no longer sell the turban.

"We have decided to stop carrying this product and have removed it from the site. It was never our intent to disrespect this religious and cultural symbol. We sincerely apologise to anyone who may have been offended by this," they wrote.

--IANS

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A gunfight broke out between militants and security forces on Thursday in the forests of Jammu and Kashmir's Kupwara district.

Police said troops of Rashtriya Rifles and the Special Operations Group (SOG) of the police surrounded the Kandi forest area after receiving information about the presence of a group of militants there.

"As the cordon around the hiding militants was tightened, they fired at the security forces, triggering an encounter which is going on," a police officer said.

In an earlier gunfight in Pulwama district, five persons including Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM) militants, a soldier and a civilian were killed while three others including two soldiers and a civilian were injured.

The slain militants included a top commander of JeM identified as Khalid Bhai. Police said he was a Pakistani who had masterminded the militant attack on the Lethpora CRPF camp in 2017 in which five CRPF troopers were killed.

--IANS

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Three days after the FDA shut down an outlet of the Haldiram chain after a lizard was found in a bowl of sambar, it has been now cleared for reopening, an official said on Thursday.

"After the incident, we raided the premises and sealed it as it was found to be flouting various norms. Yesterday (Wednesday), they complied with all the norms and after inspection, we revoked the notice of closure," Milind Deshpande, Assistant Commissioner, Food and Drugs Administration, Nagpur, told IANS.

Images showing the lizard in the sambar bowl went viral on the social media on Tuesday, forcing the FDA to raid Haldiram's Planet Food restaurant in the city's Ajni.

"Among the several shortcomings and non-compliances violating safe food practice norms, as per Schedule IV of the FDA rules, included a window left open without protective netting to prevent any insects or reptiles from entering and an incomplete portion of the false ceiling from where the lizard could have fallen," Deshpande said.

The two patrons, Yash Agnihotri and Neha Agnihotri, from Wardha, were hospitalized with minor health issues at a medical facility on Nagpur-Wardha Road.

However, after they recovered following a 24-hour observation period in the hospital, they desisted from lodging a police complaint in the matter, which, FDA officials said, prevented them from invoking more stringent laws in the case.

Now, the restaurant, ranked among the most prestigious eateries in the city, is likely to reopen by Thursday evening or on Friday for normal business, official sources said.

--IANS

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As part of its assistance to Afghanistan, India on Thursday handed over two Mi-24 attack helicopters to Kabul to battle terrorism.

The two helicopter gunships will replace the four supplied in 2015, giving more fire power to the Afghan armed forces.

Indian ambassador to Afghanistan Vinay Kumar, acting Minister of Defense Asadullah Khalid, Air Force Commander Gen. Abdul Rahim Ramin and others attended the handing over ceremony at Kabul air base.

India started supplying offensive military platforms to Afghanistan in recent years.

The gunships are being refurbished for Afghanistan by Belarus with financial support from India though Indian Air Force (IAF) is phasing out its own Russian-origin stack helicopters replacing them with Apaches.

--IANS

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US Navy Chief Admiral John Richardson said that his recent visit to India was a "critical opportunity" to strengthen ties between the two navies with their shared vision of an open Indo-Pacific region.

"Our mutual commitment and shared vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific enables even more opportunities for the future," a US Navy press release quoted him as saying after his visit ended on Tuesday.

Richardson met India's Navy Chief Admiral Sunil Lanba and other senior military and national security officials during his three-day visit to New Delhi.

"We took the opportunity during the visit to discuss specific steps that will set the stage for further cooperation between our two navies.

"This visit provided a critical opportunity to strengthen the partnership between the Indian Navy and the US Navy," said Richardson.

He praised Lanba, who is retiring later this month, saying he has had "a very impactful term as Chief of the Indian Navy".

"He has been a strong advocate for a closer partnership between our two navies, and we've made significant progress.

"Our mutual commitment and shared vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific enables even more opportunities for the future," Richardson added.

The US Navy said that Richardson also met the US Ambassador of India, Kenneth Juster to discuss how to further strengthen relations between the two countries and navies.

(Arul Louis can be reached at arul.l@ians.in and followed on Twitter @arulouis)

--IANS

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Iran is committed to the 2015 nuclear agreement it signed with a group of world powers despite the withdrawal of the US from the landmark pact, the Gulf country's Foreign Minister said on Thursday, calling the reimposing of the sanctions by Washington "unacceptable".

Mohammad Javad Zarif during a visit to Japan talked about the nuclear deal in a meeting with his Japanese counterpart Taro Kono and said that Tehran "did not intend to escalate tensions but if the country was under threat, it would respond to it and defend it", Japanese state broadcaster NHK reported.

Iran had signed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) with six nations -- the US, Russia, China, the UK, France and Germany - and the EU. Washington pulled out of the agreement in May 2018.

Zarif urged the rest of the signatory countries that if the international community benefits from the historic agreement, it must be prepared to invest in it to stop the US from propagating illegality and anarchy, state-run Kyodo news agency reported.

It said that Kono urged Iran to comply with its commitments in the pact following Tehran's decision to suspend some of them in response to stricter sanctions imposed by the US.

Kono, during his meeting with Zarif, said it was important to maintain the pact not only for their bilateral relations but also for peace and stability in the Middle East along with international non-proliferation, the report said.

Zarif was later received by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe who expressed concerns over the growing tensions in the Middle East and Tokyo's will to maintain and develop bilateral relations.

Zarif's visit comes during the year of 90th anniversary of the establishment of the bilateral relations between Iran and Japan.

After US President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew from the nuclear pact that was signed by his predecessor Barack Obama, the US reimposed sanctions on Iran and increased pressure on the country, an escalation of the situation which Zarif called "unacceptable".

Responding to the fresh sanctions, Iran last week announced that it would not abide by the condition set under the agreement to sell its enriched uranium and heavy water beyond specified limits.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani had issued a 60-day deadline for the rest of the signatories of the pact to fulfil Tehran's demands and save the country's banking system and oil trade from international sanctions.

--IANS

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With the Lok Sabha elections being in the last leg, the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) of West Bengal has sensed that the BJP has gained ground in the state, possibly at the cost of the Left, due to polarization efforts of the saffron party.

The state, which has witnessed the most bitter electioneering this time between the TMC and the Bharatiya Janata Party, will have polling on the remaining nine of the 42 Lok Sabha seats on Sunday, the seventh and last phase of elections.

The TMC, which swept the 2014 general elections in the state by bagging 34 Lok Sabha seats, is unsure about repeating the same performance this time.

According to a senior TMC leader, the Left votes will be the key factor this time to determine how many seats the Mamata Banerjee-led party would get in the ongoing elections.

In the 2014 polls, the TMC had increased its tally by 15 seats over the 2009 election results by wresting seats from the Left Front.

The Left parties had won only two seats, which was a decrease of 13 seats it had bagged in the 2009 elections.

The BJP had won two Lok Sabha seats in 2014, up from one which it got the previous time.

In these polls, the TMC got a vote share of 39.05 per cent, up by 8.13 per cent from the previous elections.

The BJP had got 17.02 per cent votes, an increase of 10.88 per cent from the 2009 elections.

The TMC hopes to win 30 seats in the state this time but feels that if even 10 per cent of Left votes swing towards the BJP, then its tally could drop as low as 25, meaning a loss of 19 seats from the last time.

There is an assessment in the party that the leaders of Left parties themselves might be asking their supporters to vote for the BJP, since they feel they cannot defeat the TMC and that the BJP was in a better position to do so, the TMC leader said.

The TMC feels that polarization efforts of the BJP were helping the saffron party and it could gain in some 15 seats having Hindu majority. So the tally of BJP could go up to even 10 seats, the TMC feels.

The BJP has gone all out to make electoral gains in West Bengal, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself holding several rallies. Party chief Amit Shah has also addressed many public meetings besides holding road shows in the state.

The state has witnessed the most bitter election campaign this time, which was accompanied by violence during all the six phases of polling.

The latest episode of violence was witnessed during a road show of Amit Shah on Tuesday, with the statue of Ishwar Chandra Bandyopadhyay, an icon of West Bengal, being vandalised.

In view of the violence, the Election Commission (EC) on Wednesday took an unprecedented step of curtailing poll campaign in the state by a day as it ordered stoppage of poll campaigning from 10 p.m. on Thursday in the remaining nine Lok Sabha constituencies.

The campaigning would have normally ended at 5 p.m. on Friday along with 50 other seats across six other states and one Union Territory.

The EC also removed with immediate effect the state's Principal Secretary (Home) Atri Bhattacharya for "having interfered" in the poll process and relieved controversial IPS officer Rajeev Kumar from his post of ADG CID, with orders to report for duty in the Union Home Ministry in New Delhi at 10 a.m. on Thursday.

The poll body invoked for the first time Article 324 of the Constitution which gives it special powers to control and give directions for holding elections.

The decisions have been "taken as an action on violence in West Bengal on Tuesday", an EC official told the media about the action .

"This is probably the first time that ECI has invoked Article 324 in this manner but it may not be the last in case of repetition of lawlessness and violence which vitiate the conduct of polls in a peaceful manner," the official said.

The constituencies going to polls on May 19 are Dum Dum, Barasat, Basirhat, Jaynagar, Mathurapur, Diamond Harbour, Jadavpur, Kolkata (South) and Kolkata (North).

--IANS

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India wants to keep her date with the global 5G roll out in 2020.

With Lok Sabha elections entering its last phase, the 100-day action plan prepared by the Department of Telecom (DoT) has put 5G technology trials and its experimentation with spectrum on top of the agenda of the new government.

The new government at the Centre will have the task of issuing 5G network trial licenses to the telcos along with the spectrum.

The allocation will take place as soon as the new government takes charge, which could be in June, and depending on their readiness, the telcos could start the initial 5G run in the same month. The network trial licenses will be issued before that, said an official source.

"In the 'Enabling 5G in India' programme, the 100-day action plan of the DoT includes 5G technology trials, policy on experimentation and trial spectrum for technologies, policy on participation in standardisation and international standards bodies, regulatory policy and application and use case labs," the source said.

The plan also pushes for early giving away of licenses for 5G spectrum trials along with use case experimentations.

"Simplifying the process of obtaining experimental licenses and establishing regulatory sandboxes like simplifying and fast-tracking approvals for products and services for experimental purposes through delicensing and other mechanisms and promoting establishment of test beds, incubations and innovation centres in collaboration with the industry and the academia are on the agenda," said the 100-day action plan document.

As the DoT is getting ready for the government with continued action plan and fast-track implementation scheme, the much-awaited network trial for 5G services in the country is slated to start from June itself.

A Telecom Ministry panel has recommended spectrum for the test run to the incumbent telcos for a three-month period, which would be scalable to six to 12 months on special cases for further experimentation.

The panel, which deliberated on the quantum and duration of the spectrum trial, has recommended 5G spectrum to the incumbents Airtel, Vodafone Idea and Reliance Jio initially for three months, which can be scaled up to one year in case they need more time for network stabilisation.

The three equipment vendors who have got the green signal from the panel are Samsung, Nokia and Ericsson, sources said.

As of now, Jio is likely to partner with Samsung, Nokia with Airtel and Vodafone Idea with Ericsson for the trial. The DoT has so far not taken any call on whether Chinese firm Huawei will be a part of the trial for any telecom services company.

5G technology is being used for functions such as remotely-performed robotic surgeries, remote operations of mine equipment or cars driven by someone sitting hundreds of miles away.

Regulators, networking device makers, telecom companies and industry partners state that apart from meeting the massive consumer demand for data, 5G will throw open new and game-changing uses across sectors and industries.

5G will not only provide the fastest internet access, but will mean that fewer transmitters are needed to cover larger areas. While we will hopefully see 5G deployments in India by 2020, it will take another 3-4 years for the mass proliferation of the technology, said one operator.

(Anjana Das can be contacted at anjana.d@ians.)

--IANS

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Known as one of West Bengal's most porous border areas with Bangladesh and a hub of illegal migration, Basirhat is set to witness a high octane electoral battle between Nusrat Jahan, Bengali screen actress and Trinamool Congress candidate, and Sayanta Basu, state Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) general secretary, in the final phase of the Lok Sabha polls on May 19.

Situated around 70 km northeast of state capital Kolkata, Basirhat town is dotted with sugar mills, metalware manufacturing units and is a major trade depot for rice, jute, mustard, dates and potatoes produced in the surrounding areas.

In the semi-urban and rural parliamentary constituency, comprising seven Assembly seats of Baduria, Haroa, Minakhan, Sandeshkhali, Basirhat Dakshin, Basirhat Uttar and Hingalgunj, Muslims dominate by accounting for over 50 per cent of the population.

In July 2017, Basirhat, located on the southern bank of the river Icchamati, shimmered with communal tensions following a derogatory social media post on Prophet Mohammad. The trouble begun in Baduria and spilled over to rest of the constituency, turning the area into a no-go zone for almost a week.

Mobs attacked local police station in Baduria, and temples and houses of Hindus in Basirhat. Though the tension was contained after a week, it seems to have created a strong undercurrent of communal polarisation.

In the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, Trinamool's Idris Ali defeated Communist Party of India's (CPI) Nurool Hooda by over one lakh votes. While Ali secured around 38 per cent votes, his nearest rival Hooda received around 30 per cent. BJP's Samik Bhattacharya, though a distant third, had secured over 18 per cent votes, increasing the party's vote share by 11.81 per cent compared with 2009 elections.

In 2019, Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee replaced sitting MP Idris Ali, who played a key role in organising Muslim protests against controversial Bangladeshi author Taslima Nasreen in Kolkata, with a political greenhorn Nusrat Jahan.

The Congress nominee is a veteran local leader Abdur Rahim Kazi, while the CPI has fielded Pallab Sengupta.

The choice of Trinamool candidate is being seen as its attempt to dilute, if not completely undo, the communal polarisation that now characterises Bashirhat.

But a section of conservative Muslims in Basirhat has been upset with the Trinamool candidate, particularly after videos of Jahan speaking against triple talaq, an Islamic practice banned by the apex court, went viral on social media.

During her election rally in the constituency, Banerjee termed Jahan as "a young girl who does not have deep understanding of politics" and appealed people not to take her (Jahan's) statements to heart.

The BJP candidate, banking upon "rashtravaad and vikaas" (nationalism and development), is hoping that conservative Muslim backlash against Jahan will damage the TMC's prospects. He himself has, however, courted controversies by asking the central force to shoot potential miscreants in the chest.

"If Trinamool goons come to loot votes on polling day, I will ask the central forces to shoot them in the chest and not feet. The state police work for the Trinamool Congress. We will make sure that they are confined within the police stations, and only CRPF does the poll duty," Basu said during his campaign.

This statement drew sharp criticism and led the Election Commission to issue a show cause notice against him.

Basu, however, is upbeat and believes the BJP promise to implement National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Bengal and drive away infiltrators will give his party major traction among Hindu voters of Basirhat, many of whom are directly affected by infiltration.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, addressing a rally in Taki on Wednesday, wooed locals by promising action against infiltrators, besides stopping crimes, like cow smuggling and human trafficking.

On the other hand, Banerjee's decision to oppose both NRC and Citizenship Amendment Bill should make her party a clear favourite among Muslims.

Jahan, campaigning nearly 12-hour a day, said she was confident that her message of love would win over people across communities as nobody liked violence. "It is not about me. The people know voting for any other party will not cause them any good. I am representing the party that has worked for their good for years," she remarked.

(Milinda Ghosh Roy can be contacted at milinda.r@ians.in)

--IANS

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It's been represented by stalwarts like G.M. Banatwala, Ebrahim Suliamn Sait and E. Ahamad of the IUML but the Ponnani Lok Sabha constituency in North Kerala hasn't returned a single Congress candidate since the first General Election in 1951. That's all of 68 years and it's likely to maintain the record even this time around.

The Congress had ceded the constutuency, one of the very few in the country to have never returned a candidate of the Grand Old Party, to the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), its ally both in Kerala and the centre, and this arrangement is likely to continue for a long time to come.

Since 1969, Ponnani is part of the Malappuram district and prior to the formation of Kerala in 1956, it was part of the Malabar district that was under the administrative control of the Madras presidency.

Ponnani, during the yesteryears, was an important centre for Muslim traders as its port is located on the Arabian sea. It also served as the military headquarters of the erstwhile Kozhikode rulers.

What is surprising is that even Congress top guns like former two time Chief Minister Oommen Chandy are aware of Ponnani's 'track record'.

"Are you sure, this is correct," was Chandy's the first response to a question about Ponnani.

Elaborating on why this has happened, he said Kerala is quite uniquene as it is here that the concept of coalition government's took shape and has stood the test of time.

"Coalition strengthened ever since 1967 after E. M. S. Namboodiripad formed the state government. In 1970, under CPI veteran C. Achutha Menon, the Congress also joined his ministry and from then on coalition has come to stay. From 1977 this has been the seat of our ally, Indian Union Muslim League, and it's quite natural that the Congress party will not get that seat to contest," Chandy explained.

Since the first general election in 1951, Ponnani has been represented 11 times by the IUML and its candidates have been recording a continuous run of victories from 1977 onwards. The incumbent, E.T.Mohammed Basheer, is seeking a hat-trick of wins.

In the past, G.M. Banatwala has represented the constituency seven time and Ebrahim Sulaiman sait and E. Ahamad, the Minister of State in the UPA government (2004-14), once each.

Ponnani was represented by Kisan Mazdoor Praja Party In the first Lok Sabha election, once by the undivided Communist Party in 1962 and in 1967 and 1971 by the Communist Party of India-Marxist.

The Ponnani Lok Sabha seat encompasses seven assembly constituencies, of which six are in Malappuram district, while the Thirthala constituency is located in Palakkad district.

Four of the constituencies were won by the Congress-led UDF in the 2016 assembly polls and three by the with the ruling CPI-M led LDF.

Senior IUML leader Abdurahiman Randathani, who lost the 2016 assembly election from the Tanur constituency, said he too was not aware of Ponnani's unique record.

"I would attribute this to coalition politics. Prior to formation of Malappuram district in 1969, the Congress party and the IUML had contested against each other. With the formation of the present day United Democratic Front Aled by the Congress, Ponnani and Malappuram Lok Sabha seats have always been contested by the IUML and this has come to stay, given the profile of the district," Randathani said.

The IUML had contested 23 seats in the 2016 assembly polls won 18. In Malappuram district alone the IUML contests from 12 out of its 16 assembly seats, clearly indicating that in the district, even the Congress, which leads the UDF, is relegated to a distant second place with just four seats.

(Sanu George can be contacted at sanu.g@ians.in)

--IANS

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The Communist Party of India (CPI) on Thursday alleged that Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao was trying to split non-NDA parties in the name of a Federal Front.

CPI General Secretary Survaram Sudhakar Reddy said the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) chief was making no effort to meet the leaders of the constituents of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) to invite them to join his proposed Federal Front.

Reddy said while the Left parties had no reservation over efforts to bring together the regional parties, the manner in which KCR was pursuing his efforts had raised serious doubts about his real intentions.

The CPI leader told reporters that the TRS President had so far held talks only with the parties which were either part of the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) or which were likely to support it.

"Why is KCR not holding talks with Akali Dal, the party which was fighting for the rights of the states and for a true a federal set up? Why is he not inviting Ram Vilas Paswan's party to join the Federal Front or making an appeal to other constituents of NDA?" asked Reddy.

The CPI leader said that even before the completion of the Lok Sabha elections, KCR had resumed his efforts to form a Federal Front by visiting various states.

He was referring to TRS leader's recent meetings with Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and DMK leader M.K. Stalin.

Reddy said during the last five years there was not even one instance where KCR criticized the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He said the TRS leader backed every move by the Modi government.

Predicting a fractured verdict and a hung Parliament, Sudhakar Reddy said the formation of a government without the support of either the BJP or Congress was not possible. He appealed to all regional and secular parties to come together to form a non-BJP government.

"More than the power, the country's future should be important. The need of the hour is to protect democracy, secularism and the Constitution ," he said.

Slamming the Election Commission for cutting short the election campaign in West Bengal by a day, the CPI leader alleged that the poll panel had lost its credibility.

He alleged that the BJP resorted to violence during its President Amit Shah's rally in Kolkata and insulted Bengal's culture by vandalizing the bust of Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar.

--IANS

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South African mountaineer Saray Khumalo on Thursday became the first black woman from the continent to reach Mount Everests summit.

Khumalo has been mountaineering for charity and awareness purposes for about six years, as she has been raising funds for the education of her country's children.

"A short while ago, Saray N'kusi Khumalo reached the top of the world. With her birth in Zambia, Rwandan bloodline and now a South African, this sister of Africa has achieved her goal of becoming the first black woman from Africa to summit Mount Everest," Summits with a Purpose, a platform founded by Khumalo in 2013, announced on Facebook.

"It will be two days before she arrives back to Base Camp and shares with everyone about her achievement," they added.

This was Khumalo's fourth attempt to climb Everest, which at 8,848 meters (29,029 feet) is the highest peak on Earth.

Bad weather in 2014 and a devastating earthquake in 2015 in Nepal held her back from reaching Everest's peak.

This journey is dedicated to Thandi Ndlovu Children's Foundation which aims to help marginalized and orphaned children in South Africa.

In 2012, Khumalo climbed Mount Kilimanjaro (5,895 meters) in Tanzania as well as Aconcagua (6,962 meters) in Argentina.

--IANS

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Four days after the murder of Dhruv Tyagi in a west Delhi area, hundreds of locals on Thursday joined the victim's family in a condolence meeting in Basai Darapur village and demanded death penalty for the accused.

During the condolence meeting held at Tyagi Dharamshala, the people demanded the Delhi government pay a compensation of Rs 5 crore to Dhruv Tyagi's family and offer government jobs for his daughter and son.

They also demanded early arrest of all the accused at large and "death by hanging" in punishment for them.

They also alleged that there should be strong police patrolling and tenant verification in the area.

"In similar incidents, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal would meet the victim's family members and offer immediate financial asistance, but in the Dhruv Tyagi case, the Delhi CM has not met the family," said Sudhir Tyagi, a resident.

During the condolence meeting, workers of a Hindu outfit tried to give a communal colour to the event. They shouted religious slogans, but were ignored by the locals. A strong police team, headed by DCP Monika Bharwadwaj, removed the activists from the hall.

The Hindu activists later protested at the main Moti Nagar and Najafgarh road and stopped traffic for some time. They were dispersed by the local police.

Heavy police force was deputed in the area to keep the situation under control.

"We organized a condolence meeting of my brother, Dhruv Tyagi, but some people tried to turn it into a Maha Panchayat. We have made it clear that his death should not be given any communal angle. We have requested police officers to strengthen the police presence as there could be groups in the area who would try to make it a communal issue. Some anti-social elements have already circulated messages on WhatsApp," said Tapeshwar Tyagi, the victims' brother.

"Today I along with Aam Aadmi Party leader, Sanjay Singh, met Commissioner of Delhi Police Amulya Patnaik and told him that there was a police post in the area, but it has been lying vacant for the last couple of years. Patnaik promised us that police presence would be strengthened," He said.

The prime accused, Shamsher Alam, is still at large. The police have arrested his wife and sister, his son, Shamsher Alam and two other juvenile sons.

The incident occurred on Sunday when Dhruv Tyagi, who worked as a businessman, was returning home along with his daughter from a hospital.

When they were near their residence, four of the family members of Shamsher Alam staying in the neighbourhood, passed lewd remarks on Tyagi's daughter following which there was a scuffle.

During the scuffle, the accused persons stabbed Tyagi and his son.

Tyagi later succumbed to his injuries in a hospital while his son is undergoing treatment.

--IANS

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The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has detained four people from Jammu and Kashmir in the state's Latur town for suspected links with militant organisations in Jammu and Kashmir, official sources said here on Thursday.

Following a tip-off, an ATS team from adjoining Nanded district rushed to Latur on Wednesday and detained the four men who were reported to be moving around in a suspicious manner.

However, on interrogation, two of them claimed that they collecting religious donations.

The ATS has identified them as Abdul Razaq, Shabbir Ahmed (both aged 25), Salil Ahmed, and Iftiaz Ahmed, 35 - who arrived in Nanded from Jammu and Kashmir by train a couple of days back.

Hailing from Poonch, they proceeded by road from Nanded to Latur which has a sizeable number of Muslims, who are currently observing Ramadan, the holy month of fasting.

The ATS sleuths have seized their mobile phones and examining their call records to ascertain if they harbour any links with any known militant organisations in their home state.

--IANS

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A majority of Europeans believe that the EU is likely to collapse within 20 years, despite record support for the bloc, according to a new poll.

The YouGov poll published on Wednesday showed that in France, Germany, Belgium, Italy, the Netherlands, Austria, Slovakia, Romania, Greece, the Czech Republic and Poland, a majority of the people surveyed thought European Union disintegration was a "realistic possibility", the Guardian reported.

The figures are particularly stark in France, where President Emmanuel Macron's La Republique En Marche party is trailing behind Marine Le Pen's EU-bashing Rassemblement National (RN) in the polls for next week's European elections.

According to the survey, 58 per cent of the people in France believe that the EU is very likely or fairly likely to fall apart within 20 years, second only to Slovakia (66 per cent).

Of the 14 countries polled by YouGov, it was only in Sweden (44 per cent), Denmark (41 per cent) and Spain (40 per cent) that the proportion predicting implosion dipped below a majority.

Meanwhile, as many as a third of the voters in France and Poland said they believed a war could be possible.

Europeans are also concerned about faltering prosperity. The survey found that just a third of Germans and a quarter of Italians and French had money left over at the month's end for discretionary spending.

The findings reflect widespread concerns over the May 23 elections, in large part sparked by the warnings of European leaders and the emergence of populist governments in several member states.

Macron has pitted himself as the leader of anti-populist forces in opposition to the likes of Matteo Salvini, Italy's far-right Deputy Prime Minister, while the European Commission President, Jean-Claude Juncker, has warned voters against using the elections as a protest vote.

--IANS

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Thursday that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee did not recognize him as her Prime Minister. Instead she treats the Pakistan Prime Minister as her Prime Minister.

Addressing a rally in Mau in Uttar Pradesh, Modi said: "Those who are singing the tune of 'Modi hatao' are now becoming desperate. The expletives used against me by the opposition are increasing by the day.

"The West Bengal Chief Minister does not acknowledge me as Prime Minister - she believes that Pakistan Prime Minister is her Prime Minister. I am going to West Bengal today and will tell the nation about the kind of anarchy that has been spread there."

Modi said that if Didi (Mamata) had her way, she would not even allow his helicopter to land or his rally to take place. Her party workers disrupted the roadshow of BJP President Amit Shah and vandalized the statue of Ishwar Chand Vidyasagar, he stated.

Lashing out at the SP-BSP alliance, the Prime Minister said, "This is an opportunistic alliance which was forged in an air-conditioned room in Lucknow. These leaders are cut off from ground realities and have forgotten their party workers."

He said the nation knew that the 'Modi hatao' slogan was just an excuse and the real purpose was to hide their corruption.

"Those with 8 seats, 10 seats and 30 seats are now aspiring to become the Prime Minister but they do not know that the country has decided "Phir ek baar, Modi sarkaar", he added.

--IANS

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi's persistent attacks on the opposition alliance reveals the real phobia he harbours that a coalition government could replace his rule, the CPI-M has said.

"Not a day passes in this election campaign without Modi attacking the 'mahagatbandhan' or opposition alliance as a 'mahamilavat' (great adulteration) and depicting them as a bunch of power hungry opportunists," said an editorial in the CPI-M journal "People's Democracy".

Modi has argued that a coalition government would jeopardise development, that a weak government cannot ensure national security and that the opposition alliance in Uttar Pradesh and other places is opportunist.

"Such a persistent attack on opposition alliance reveals the real phobia that Modi harbours about the prospects of a coalition government replacing his rule," the Communist Party of India-Marxist said in the editorial.

The editorial pointed out that coalition governments have been the norm, barring some exceptions, since 1977 and that such governments have provided stable administration and their record on "development" is not very different from other governments.

"Unlike what Modi claims, there is no reason to believe that a post-poll alliance based on a common minimum programme cannot form the basis of a stable government," it said.

"In 1998 and 1999, the BJP framed an agenda for government after the elections to underpin a post-poll tie-up, the National Democratic Alliance."

Responding to charges that coalition governments would weaken Indian security operations, the editorial said the Modi government had worsened the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir where the number of terrorist attacks increased from 109 to 626 between 2014 and 2019 and the number of security personnel killed rose from 130 to 483.

"After all, it was a decisive government which had the BJP with a majority in the Lok Sabha that imposed the draconian policy of demonetization. No one has been held accountable for this disastrous step.

"What Modi is seeking to exorcise is the spectre of a post-poll alliance which can form a secular coalition government at the Centre," the editorial said.

"What Modi exhibits through his rant against coalitions is the fear that such a coalition will replace him."

--IANS

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A teacher in Madhya Pradesh's Jhabua district has been remanded to 14-day judicial custody for asking a girl's classmates to slap her 168 times for not completing homework.

The girl is a Class VI student of Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya in the Thandal area of Jhabua. She could not attend school between January 1 to 10.

On January 11, 2018, when teacher Manoj Verma came to know that the girl had not completed her homework he asked her fellow-students to slap her on her both cheeks, said a prosecuting officer on Thursday.

When the girl's father raised the issue with the school management Verma was suspended. After that the father lodged a police complaint, said Ravi Prakash, Additional District Prosecuting Officer.

The Thandal police arrested Verma and presented him in a court on Monday.

The court of Justice Jai Patidar rejected the teacher's bail application and remanded him to 14-day judicial custody.

--IANS

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Unlike in the Bihar Assembly elections, the Muslim vote has split between the Congress and the SP-BSP alliance in the Lok Sabha elections in Uttar Pradesh, former External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid says.

In an interview with IANS, he said Prime Minister Narendra Modi was changing the course of the debate during campaigning because he knew he is "losing and is desperate".

Khurshid, who contested from Farrukhabad in Uttar Pradesh, said the Muslim community in the sprawling state has not voted strategically as it did in the 2015 Bihar Assembly elections and that the votes have fragmented in several places.

"Muslim vote has varied. It has gone very, very concentrated, it's gone to Congress at some places. At some places it is divided between the Gathbandhan and the Congress. At some places it may have predominantly gone to the Gathbandhan. But Muslims did not vote like they voted in Bihar. Last time, Bihar had voted strategically, there was no fragmentation," he said.

The Congress leader said that the minority vote's fragmentation was a sad affair.

"Muslim voter is in two minds in many, many places, which is a sad thing because this is a parliamentary election and their future frankly lies with the Congress or a national party. Fragmenting their vote is not such a good idea but you can't blame the voter. The voter is concerned about local affiliations and other things," he said.

Khurshid, a former Uttar Pradesh Congress chief, said his was a closely contested battle. "I don't know how the dust will settle."

The Congress leader also said that this time Modi was not in control of the campaign as he was in 2014.

"He is changing course because he is desperate. He knows he is losing and he is desperate. You just compare the last campaign with this campaign. He was in control of that campaign but he is not in control of this campaign," he said.

Asked if Congress' thrust on economic issues and those concerning the common man had been lost due to perceived name-calling towards the last phases of Lok Sabha polls, Khurshid said his party had stayed on course.

"Till the time we fought our election, only core issues were there. In later stages, Modi had gone on to an extreme, one or two things have happened. By and large, we have been able to stick to what we were doing... I think we have stuck to our strategy," he said.

Admitting that there had been some sparring between the leaders of the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), he said the Congress candidates were told by the leadership to stick to the manifesto.

"Modi was pushing it very hard but... we stuck to our brief. It was a fairly comfortable argument about the issues we raised and we got a good response."

He said the Congress fought the election the way it had planned. "We have no regrets about anything having got out of our hand or gone wrong."

On the controversial remarks made by Sam Pitroda and Mani Shankar Aiyar, he said these were blown out of proportion and were non-issues.

"The media blew them out of proportion and the party had no option but to take a position. Frankly (these were) non-issues. These are things that have already happened. Whatever is the Congress position on all these things is well known," Khurshid said.

He said dragging something out of context was unfair. "Modi pushes it, he is still saying it in his speeches and the media picks it up. Pitroda apologized, nevertheless, he (Modi) is still going on."

(Prashant Sood can be contacted at prashant.s@ians.in)

--IANS

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A silent community is said to be a dangerous community and the silence of Muslim voters in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections in Uttar Pradesh could upset the BJP apple-cart.

Muslim in Uttar Pradesh, for the first time, refused to be provoked into a religious discourse which could have led to polarization on religious lines.

The community resorted to tactical voting in the true sense of the term, and it is this that has given a surge to the SP-BSP alliance.

"Our top priority was to ensure the defeat of the BJP and we knew that the party would make all possible efforts to provoke us. More than a year ago, we convinced the clerics not to react to any statement because this would ultimately go against us. We cited the instance of 2014 and then 2017 where polarization of votes on communal lines had helped BJP get an overwhelming majority," said a scholar from the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The AMU, incidentally, has been the hotbed of controversy in the past five years -- be it its minority status, the Jinnah portrait or alleged links of students with Kashmir militants.

The Muslims, apparently, have understood that in a communally surcharged atmosphere, they would end up getting completely marginalized.

"In 2014, not a single Muslim was elected to the Lok Sabha from Uttar Pradesh. This complete obliteration of Muslims who form about 20 per cent of the population was shocking, to put it rather mildly. In this election and then in 2017, the BJP proved that it could win elections and form governments without making even a token gesture towards Muslim and this set the community thinking," said Ramesh Dixit, a retired professor of Political Science in Lucknow University.

The Muslims, according to their own admission, have "stopped making mistakes".

"In the ongoing election, the community has resorted to tactical voting. We have voted for candidates who are closer to defeating the BJP. In Saharanpur, Muslims went up to the Congress candidate Imran Masood and apologized for not voting for him. They told him that the SP-BSP alliance candidate is better placed and we want to defeat the BJP so we are going with him," said Javed Siddiqui, a student in Saharanpur.

In Varanasi, Textile Minister Smriti Irani pumped in resources. The Deendayal Hastakala Sankul was set up to facilitate trade for artisans and weavers. But that has not helped because weavers claim that demonetization has left them jobless.

"After notebandi, we have lost business. There are no buyers and most of us are without work," said Rafiq Ahmad, a weaver in Madanpura area.

In Lucknow, Shias - earlier known as BJP supporters - also did not go with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) this time. They are upset with Yogi Adityanath's "Ali aur Bajrangbali' chant and says that the Chief Minister has been mocking at their religion.

A seat-to-seat analysis in Uttar Pradesh clearly shows that Muslims have supported the SP-BSP in a large number of constituencies and have gone with the Congress in constituencies where its candidate was strong.

"The SP-BSP alliance has the support of Yadavs and Jatavs and along with Muslims they emerge as a winning combination. The main issue is to defeat the BJP first," Javed explained.

He admitted that several Muslims had reservations about voting for the BSP which now seems to be a potential ally of the BJP.

"But our main issue was to defeat the BJP. We can deal with the BSP later," Javed added.

--IANS

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Punjab Cabinet Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu on Thursday defended his wife's remarks blaming the state Congress leadership for denying her a ticket from Amritsar.

"My wife has that much strength and moral authority that she will never lie. This is my answer," Sidhu told reporters when asked about his wife's allegations that she was denied party ticket from Amritsar at the instance of Chief Minister Amarinder Singh and party's Punjab affairs in-charge Asha Kumari.

Navjot Kaur, a former Bharatiya Janata Party legislator from Amritsar (East), on May 14 blamed the Chief Minister for denying her a Lok Sabha ticket either from Chandigarh or Amritsar.

She said Sidhu would not campaign for his party in his home state as the Chief Minister has told him not to do so.

Hours after his wife's claim, Sidhu said at an election rally in Bathinda in the presence of Congress Secretary Priyanka Gandhi and Amarinder Singh that he would be returning to Punjab on May 17 to deliver a "knockout punch" to the Badals.

Amid reports that the Minister's health was not allowing him to campaign, his wife also blamed Asha Kumari for not allowing Sidhu to campaign in Punjab.

"Captain Saab is our smaller captain and (Congress President) Rahul Gandhi is our bigger captain and he has given duty to him (Sidhu) in other states and Navjot is busy campaigning there," she told reporters in Amritsar city.

"When Captain saab and Asha Kumari have taken the lead role in ensuring victory of the party in all (13) seats, then what is the need for Navjot (Sidhu) to campaign in Punjab?"

--IANS

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Punjab Cabinet Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu on Thursday defended his wife's remarks blaming the state Congress leadership for denying her a ticket from Amritsar.

Reacting to his colleague's assertion, Chief Minister Amarinder Singh sought to clarify that Sidhu's wife was offered either Amritsar or Bathinda seat, "but she refused to contest on either of the seat."

"My wife has that much strength and moral authority that she will never lie. This is my answer," Sidhu told reporters when asked about his wife's allegations that she was denied party ticket from Amritsar at the instance of Chief Minister Amarinder Singh and party's Punjab affairs in-charge Asha Kumari.

Navjot Kaur, a former Bharatiya Janata Party legislator from Amritsar (East), on May 14 blamed the Chief Minister for denying her a Lok Sabha ticket either from Chandigarh or Amritsar.

She said Sidhu would not campaign for his party in his home state as the Chief Minister has told him not to do so.

Hours after his wife's claim, Sidhu said at an election rally in Bathinda in the presence of Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi and Amarinder Singh that he would be returning to Punjab on May 17 to deliver a "knockout punch" to the Badals.

Amid reports that the Minister's health was not allowing him to campaign, his wife also blamed Asha Kumari for not allowing Sidhu to campaign in Punjab.

"Captain Saab is our smaller captain and (Congress President) Rahul Gandhi is our bigger captain and he has given duty to him (Sidhu) in other states and Navjot is busy campaigning there," she told reporters in Amritsar city.

"When Captain saab and Asha Kumari have taken the lead role in ensuring victory of the party in all (13) seats, then what is the need for Navjot (Sidhu) to campaign in Punjab?"

Denying any role in candidature for Sidhu's wife from Chandigarh, the Chief Minister said she had been offered ticket from Amritsar and Bathinda, but she refused.

Ticket allocation was done by the top Congress leaders in Delhi, and they had chosen not to accept Navjot Kaur's application for ticket to contest from Chandigarh, he said, adding that Chandigarh was not under Punjab and he had no role in selection of candidate from the city.

However, had he been asked, he would have frankly told the high command that Pawan Bansal, the chosen candidate of the party from Chandigarh, was a better choice, said Amarinder Singh in an informal chat with mediapersons.

To another question, the Chief Minister said he would take responsibility and would quit if the Congress was wiped out in the state in these Lok Sabha elections. All ministers and MLAs have been made responsible for the Congress party's performance in the state, and he shared the responsibility with them, said Amarinder Singh.

--IANS

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Twitter account of Myanmar Army chief Min Aung Hlaing, accused of masterminding genocide against the Muslim Rohingya population, has been suspended following complaints about him using the social media platform for hate speech.

Hlaing had his @sgminaunghlaing account taken offline this week. His Facebook account was taken off in August 2018 after the UN called for Myanmar military leaders' prosecution for genocide.

The latest move against the Myanmar Army chief, who claims the Army did not use "excessive force" when about 700,000 Rohingya fled Myanmar in 2017, was hailed by prominent Rohingya activist Tun Kinh as a "massive victory" for members of the ethnic group.

Hlaing had used social media to refer to Rohingya people as "Bengali", implying they were immigrants rather than Myanmar citizens.

On Facebook, he denied Army atrocities and claimed the military was targeting militants rather than committing genocide.

The suspension came after Tun Khin, President of the Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK, met Twitter executives in Silicon Valley last week and asked them why Hlaing's account remained live.

His Twitter account had not been used in about a year, but the suspension was still hailed as a significant gesture.

Tun Kinh said, "The fact that Twitter has joined Facebook in deleting his account, which he used to sow hatred and spew his defensive propaganda, is a massive victory for the Rohingya people."

"Hliang was the mastermind of the Rohingya genocide. It is crucial that Twitter now follows through in deleting other accounts used by the regime for the same purpose," he said.

--IANS

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NASA's Moon orbiting spacecraft has spotted the impact site of the Israeli Beresheet spacecraft on a region of the Moon called "Sea of Serenity" where it crash landed on April 11.

SpaceIL, a non-profit organization, attempted to land its spacecraft on top of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket in the ancient volcanic field on the nearside of the Moon on April 11.

After a smooth initial descent, Beresheet made a hard landing on the surface.

As soon as its orbit placed NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) over the landing site on April 22, LRO imaged Beresheet's impact site, NASA said in a statement on late Wednesday.

LRO took the impact site image from 90 km above the surface.

"The cameras captured a dark smudge, about 10 meters wide, that indicates the point of impact. The dark tone suggests a surface roughened by the hard landing, which is less reflective than a clean, smooth surface," said the US space agency.

LRO could not detect whether Beresheet formed a surface crater upon impact.

Another possibility is that Beresheet formed a small indent instead of a crater, given its low angle of approach, light mass and low velocity.

"There are many clues that we're actually looking at a man-made crater instead of a meteoroid-caused one. This is an important consideration, since the Moon, having no atmosphere, is constantly bombarded by space rocks that leave craters," said NASA.

--IANS

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Vice President of India M. Venkaiah Naidu said on Thursday that nuclear electricity as a reliable and safe energy option can significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions and that it has the potential to meet the ever-increasing energy demand in the country.

Addressing the scientists and staff of the Atomic Minerals Directorate for Exploration and Research (AMD) here on the occasion of 70 years of exploration and research by the organisation, Naidu underlined the importance of nuclear energy in the context of climate change, which was one of the foremost environmental concerns.

Naidu stressed on the need to make modern technologies safer and reliable. Noting that India had a commendable record of operating its nuclear fleet for over 40 years without any serious incident, he exuded confidence that more safety features would be added with constant technological advancements.

The Vice President said India's abiding interest in nuclear energy grew out of a deep conviction that the power of atom could be harnessed to help the country to achieve human and societal development.

He said that India consciously made a strategic choice to pursue a low-carbon growth model in the coming decades and added that reducing pollution was a major challenge.

Appreciating the efforts of the AMD in adopting state-of-the-art exploration techniques in search of different strategic minerals, he said it was heartening to know about the availability of more than 3 lakh tonnes of uranium oxide reserves and around 1,200 million tonnes of beach sand mineral resources in our country.

"More significantly, the quantum leap in uranium resource augmentation by the AMD from around 1 lakh tonnes during the first 60 years of activities and a subsequent addition of around 2 lakh tonnes in the next 10 years is really commendable," he said.

Naidu also expressed confidence that AMD's exploration efforts in different parts of the country, including the Cuddapah basin in Andhra Pradesh, would lead to more uranium mines.

With several favourable geological domains spread across the length and breadth of the country which can host potential uranium, rare metals and Rare Earth Elements (REE) deposits, the Vice President said it would be possible to achieve self-sufficiency in atomic mineral resources for sustainable growth of the country's nuclear power programme.

Considering the steep demand for power in the country, the role of nuclear energy in future would be quite significant. "We need to develop new and more efficient technologies to utilise our resources to the maximum," he added.

Those present on the occasion included AMD Director M.B. Verma and other senior scientists and officials.

--IANS

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The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organisation (CTBTO) has offered India an "Observer" status and access to International Monitoring System (IMS) data.

Addressing a group of Indian journalists at CTBTO headquarters in Vienna Austria, Executive Secretary Lassina Zerbo said, "I'm not asking India to ratify (the treaty)...I know that is not possible now...but I think giving India the opportunity to join as an observer could be a good starting point."

CTBTO runs International Monitoring System (IMS) that constantly monitors the planet for nuclear explosions and shares findings with its member states. At present, IMS has 337 facilities, located in 89 countries.

"I think India will gain a lot with data that you don't have access to now...Nowhere can you get this quality of data necessary for earthquake monitoring and following the radioisotope dispersion," added Zerbo.

CTBT is a global treaty with the objective of banning all nuclear explosions across the world. In 1996, it was opened for signature after being adopted by the UN General Assembly. However, the treaty has yet to come into force as it is considered "discriminatory" by several countries including India.

India has not signed the treaty yet as it favours five nuclear weapon states -- China, US, Russia, France and UK. India wants the treaty to have a clause on complete nuclear disarmament.

Although US and China have signed the treaty but they are yet to ratify it. Pakistan has also not signed the treaty as yet.

Zerbo pointed out that China has agreed to set up five IMS stations on its soil. Pakistan, he said, has joined the organisation as an observer.

He has invited India to attend a science and technology conference scheduled between June 24 and 28 in Vienna.

--IANS

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New York city Mayor Bill de Blasio jumped into the 2020 presidential race on Thursday, joining at least 22 other Democratic candidates for the party's nomination.

The Mayor announced his run with a video released by his campaign.

"There's plenty of money in this world. There's plenty of money in this country. It's just in the wrong hands," De Blasio says at the beginning of the video.

"(President) Donald Trump must be stopped. I've beaten him before and I will do it again... I'm Bill de Blasio and I'm running for President because it's time we put working people first."

De Blasio has travelled to early primary states including Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina and formed a federal Political Action Committee (PAC) called Fairness PAC to bankroll his travels, CBS New York reported.

His entry into the race brings the total number of Democratic candidates to 23, including Indian-origin Senator Kamala Harris and former Vice President Joe Biden, with nearly nine months before the first votes are cast.

De Blasio has sought for years to position himself as a national progressive leader, after racking up accomplishments in his first few years in office including universal pre-kindergarten, paid sick days and living wage legislation and a city ID card available to undocumented immigrants.

But frustrations have built over New York's crumbling public housing system where hundreds of children got lead poisoning after officials lied about doing inspections, and high homelessness.

Polls show the Mayor faces an uphill battle in the race for the White House. One Quinnipiac poll found that 76 per cent of New York City voters did not want him to run.

Under De Blasio, New York City has challenged Trump immigration policies, including family separation, in court and maintained a commitment to fighting climate change, despite the administration's rolling back of environmental regulations and withdrawal from the Paris climate accord.

Trump called De Blasio's bid a "joke".

"The Democrats are getting another beauty to join their group. Bill de Blasio of NYC, considered the worst Mayor in the US, will supposedly be making an announcement for President today. He is a joke, but if you like high taxes and crime, he's your man. NYC hates him!"

The Mayor plans to visit Iowa and South Carolina to close out the week.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Making a feverish pitch for a spectacular show in West Bengal, the BJP has not battled an eyelid in fielding defectors from other parties in the ongoing Lok Sabha polls, while ten per cent of its nominees are even non-Bengalis.

The Bharatiya Janata Party candidates in at least 10 of the state's 42 constituencies have been imported from other parties, or are fresh recruits into the saffron fold.

State BJP President Dilip Ghosh was candid enough in admitting that the party - now in an expansion mode - has to rely on new recruits.

"We have expanded over the last three years. As it happens with a fast-growing party, many have joined our fold in the last two or three years. Many others are joining now, from other parties. Our leadership has given tickets to them after considering their suitability," he said.

The list of political turncoats welcomed with the party ticket includes two sitting MPs from state's ruling Trinamool Congress.

Visva Bharati University Assistant Professor Anupam Hazra, a member of the outgoing Lok Sabha from Bolpur, is in the fray from Jadavpur after crossing over to the BJP following his expulsion from the Trinamool for "anti-party activities".

Another former Trinamool MP Saumitra Khan secured the saffron party's nomination from his old constituency Bishnupur though he is barred from entering the district for six weeks by the Calcutta High Court due to ongoing criminal cases against him.

Khan, was, however, allowed to file his nomination by the court, but the bar on his entry into most areas of the constituency remained, forcing his wife to do the campaigning on his behalf.

Arjun Singh, a Trinamool 'strongman' and MLA from Bhatpara, crossed over to the BJP days after the party leadership turned down his plea for being nominated as a candidate from Barrackpore Lok Sabha seat. The saffron party promptly made him its candidate from Barrackpore to oppose former Union Minister Dinesh Trivedi.

In North Bengal's Cooch Behar, the saffron party gave the poll ticket to Nisith Pramanik, a former Trinamool youth leader against whom, at one time, BJP workers had a litany of complaints.

Again Khagen Murmu, a three-term CPI-M MLA, joined BJP and became its candidate from Malda North.

Formerly a two-time CPI-M lawmaker, Mafuja Khatun's nomination from Jangipur in Murshidabad district made her the only Muslim woman candidate nominated by the BJP in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

In Jangipur's neighbouring constituency Murshaidabad, the BJP chose another turncoat - Humayun Kabir, a former minister in the Trinamool government, who came into the BJP fold last year.

Even in the high-profile constituency of Diamond Harbour, from where Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's nephew and perceived heir Abhishek Banerjee is in the race for Trinamool, the BJP has opted for Nilanjan Roy, a Congress deserter.

Though he is not a turncoat, BJP candidate from Darjeeling Raju Singh Bisht was given the tag of "outsider" by his opponents throughout the poll campaign. An RSS man, the Manipur-born Bisht is an entrepreneur who resides in Delhi.

From Ghatal in West Midnapore district, the BJP nominee is retired IPS officer Bharati Ghosh - once known for her proximity to Chief Minister Banerjee and against whom the BJP had a long list of complaints when she was the district police chief. Ghosh was declared a party candidate only days after she pitched her lot with the BJP.

She took on Trinamool candidate and leading Bengali film hero Deepak Adhikari (Dev), the sitting MP.

Of the BJP candidates - Bisht, Arjun Singh, and John Barla (Alipurduar) - are Hindi-speaking, while Union Minister S.S. Ahluwalia (Burdwan-Durgapur) is a Sikh who is as much adept in Bengali as he is in Hindi and Punjabi.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A delegation of opposition parties on Thursday met the Election Commission and urged it to reconsider its decision to end the campaigning early in West Bengal in the wake of violence during BJP President Amit Shah's roadshow in Kolkata on Tuesday.

The delegation, led by Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi and comprising the Aam Aadmi Party's Sanjay Singh and the Telugu Desam Party's K. Rama Mohan Rao, also sought action against those responsible for the violence during the roadshow.

"We urge that the Commission re-considers its decision and penalize the one who propagated the violence and violated its electoral laws in such a blatant manner. Punishing those who are innocent by taking such an arbitrary decision will result in a grotesque precedent being set," the delegation said in its memorandum submitted to the commission.

Later, talking to reporters, Singhvi said they didn't receive any satisfactory answer from the electoral body.

"The violence has been done by the people of the BJP and we have not got a satisfactory answer from the Election Commission. We reserve our options...," he said.

He said the non-BJP and non-NDA parties have alleged that breaking the statue of social reformer Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar and the "riots" during the roadshow was the direct responsibility of the BJP.

The Congress leader said without any quasi-judicial procedure, the Election Commission had cut short campaigning in West Bengal.

In an unprecedented step, the Election Commission curtailed the poll campaign in the state by a day as it ordered stoppage of electioneering from 10 p.m. on Thursday on the remaining 9 Lok Sabha constituencies going to the polls on May 19.

The poll body invoked for the first time Article 324 of the Constitution which gives it special powers to control and give directions for holding elections.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
BJP's Lok Sabha candidate from Bhopal Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur on Thursday kicked up a major row by describing Mahatma Gandhi's assassin Nathuram Godse as a "deshbhakt" (patriot), a comment which her party immediately condemned and asked her to apologise for her remark.

The comment by Thakur, an accused in the Malegaon blast case, provided fodder to the Opposition Congress to target the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

"Nathuram Godse was a 'deshbhakt', is a 'deshbhakt' and will remain a 'deshbhakt'. People calling him a terrorist should instead look within. Such people will be given a befitting reply in these elections," Pragya told reporters in Bhopal.

She was commenting on the recent remarks of actor and Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) President Kamal Haasan who called Godse the first Hindu terrorist of Independent India. "The first terrorist post-Independence was Nathuram Godse, a Hindu. It started from there. He killed Mahatma Gandhi," Haasan had said.

Unhappy over Thakur's controversial comment, the BJP immediately condemned it.

"We completely disagree with the statement she has made with regard to Mahatma Gandhi and we strongly condemn it. The BJP will ask her why she made such a statement. It would be proper for her to tender a public apology for this objectionable statement," BJP spokesperson G.V.L. Narsimha Rao told reporters at the party headquarters in Delhi.

BJP media cell in-charge for Madhya Pradesh Lokendra Parashar said: "The BJP does not agree with her statement. The party will find out about the circumstances in which she made this statement. One who killed Mahatma Gandhi can't be a patriot."

Slamming the BJP for Thakur's comment, Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala called it an "insult to the country" and said "India's soul is under attack from the successors of Nathuram Godse, the BJP ruling dispensation."

He said the "BJP leaders are describing the murderer of the Father of the Nation as a true nationalist. This is an insult to the country and an attack on Gandhi's ideology."

Senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh, who is pitted against Thakur in Bhopal, termed her comment as "sedition" and demanded an apology from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP President Amit Shah.

It is not the first controversy that Thakur has been embroiled in. She had earlier said that Maharashtra ATS officer Hemant Karkare, who had interrogated her in the Malegaon case and was later killed during the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, had died due to her "curse."

Thakur had also said that she was happy for her role in the demolition of the Babri Masjid. Her comments had earned her a 72-hour-long ban on campaigning ahead of polling for the Bhopal Lok Sabha seat on May 12.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
BJP's Lok Sabha candidate from Bhopal Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur on Thursday kicked up a major row by describing Mahatma Gandhi's assassin Nathuram Godse as a "deshbhakt" (patriot), a comment which her party immediately condemned and asked her to apologise for her remark.

In response, Thakur only said: "Apne sangathan BJP mein nishtha rakhti hun, uski karyakarta hum aur party ki line meri line hai (I have faith in my organisation BJP, am its worker and the party's line is my line."

The comment by Thakur, an accused in the Malegaon blast case, provided fodder to the Opposition Congress to target the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

"Nathuram Godse was a 'deshbhakt', is a 'deshbhakt' and will remain a 'deshbhakt'. People calling him a terrorist should instead look within. Such people will be given a befitting reply in these elections," Thakur has told reporters in Bhopal.

She was commenting on the recent remarks of actor and Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) President Kamal Haasan who called Godse the first Hindu terrorist of Independent India. "The first terrorist post-Independence was Nathuram Godse, a Hindu. It started from there. He killed Mahatma Gandhi," Haasan had said.

Unhappy over Thakur's controversial comment, the BJP immediately condemned it.

"We completely disagree with the statement she has made with regard to Mahatma Gandhi and we strongly condemn it. The BJP will ask her why she made such a statement. It would be proper for her to tender a public apology for this objectionable statement," BJP spokesperson G.V.L. Narsimha Rao told reporters at the party headquarters in Delhi.

BJP media cell in-charge for Madhya Pradesh Lokendra Parashar said: "The BJP does not agree with her statement. The party will find out about the circumstances in which she made this statement. One who killed Mahatma Gandhi can't be a patriot."

Slamming the BJP for Thakur's comment, Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala called it an "insult to the country" and said "India's soul is under attack from the successors of Nathuram Godse, the BJP ruling dispensation."

He said the "BJP leaders are describing the murderer of the Father of the Nation as a true nationalist. This is an insult to the country and an attack on Gandhi's ideology."

Senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh, who is pitted against Thakur in Bhopal, termed her comment as "sedition" and demanded an apology from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP President Amit Shah.

Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, in a tweet, asked: "If the killer of the father of the nation is a patriot does that make Gandhi an anti-national?"

It is not the first controversy that Thakur has been embroiled in. She had earlier said that Maharashtra ATS officer Hemant Karkare, who had interrogated her in the Malegaon case and was later killed during the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, had died due to her "curse."

Thakur had also said that she was happy for her role in the demolition of the Babri Masjid. Her comments had earned her a 72-hour-long ban on campaigning ahead of polling for the Bhopal Lok Sabha seat on May 12.

Following this, the BJP had to keep restraining her and insulate her from direct media interactions.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi, during her roadshow in Varanasi on Wednesday evening, saw that a man in the crowd had fallen down. She immediately got down from her truck and offered water to the man who complained of chest pain.

She asked her security personnel to arrange for a car and made sure that he was taken to a nearby hospital. Later, Gandhi continued her road show,

A few days ago, Gandhi had helped a child with tumour to get treatment at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Delhi. The family of the child had contacted Gandhi and had said that they were unable to afford the treatment for their child.

Gandhi asked party leader Rajiv Shukla to sned the child to AIIMS and her charter plane took the child and her family to Delhi within hours. The child is being treated at AIIMS in Delhi.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Congress President Rahul Gandhi, here on Thursday, said he would not meet a six-year-old rape victim, in a village near here, as it was "not part of his programme".

Gandhi was at Thanagaazi in Alwar to meet the victim of last month's gangrape. After meeting the victim, he spoke about providing justice to her. He also called a press conference away from the victim's residence.

On being asked if he would also be visiting the six-year-old rape victim in a nearby village, Gandhi said, "It doesn't come under my programme. I would have gone, but, unfortunately, have a meeting in Bihar and I can't delay that."

Earlier, Gandhi had said it was not a political but an emotional issue for him.

Alwar hit the headlines last week with three rape cases were reported within 72 hours.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Thursday met the Alwar gang-rape victim, and assured her and the family of justice.

Speaking to the media after the meeting in Thanagaazi, Gandhi said that this was an emotional issue for him and not a political one.

"The victim will definitely get justice. Strict action will be taken against the accused. I have come here to meet the family and not to play any kind of I will take action on whatever I have said here," he said.

"We can't tolerate such things. As soon as I heard about the case, I called (Chief Minister Ashok) Gehlot. We want to give a strong message not only to the people of Rajasthan but to the entire nation so that such heinous incidents are not repeated anywhere."

Gandhi was accompanied by Gehlot, Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot, party state incharge Avinash Pandey and Alwar Congress candidate, Jitendra Bhanwar Singh.

Gandhi was slated to visit Alwar on Wednesday but the trip was cancelled due to bad weather.

Before Gandhi's visit, the family said that they would raise a demand for a job for the couple so that the victim and her husband can be sent to a place where no one identifies them.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
More than 1,100 refugees and asylum seekers in Sri Lanka have been forced to flee their homes due to violent attacks on religious minorities following the Easter Sunday bombings and are living in precarious makeshift shelters in the country, Amnesty International said on Thursday.

The refugees and asylum seekers "had hoped to find safety in Sri Lanka after fleeing the violence of bigoted mobs in their own countries. Now, they are faced with the same fears that forced them here, leaving them unable to leave their shelters where they languish in dire conditions," South Asia Director at Amnesty International Biraj Patnaik said in a statement.

Since the April 21 attacks on three churches, three luxury hotels and two other locations that left over 250 people dead and hundreds wounded, tensions between the Muslim community and the Buddhist majority of the country have escalated.

According to Amnesty, the refugees, many of whom are from Pakistan or Afghanistan, are temporarily living in overcrowded community centres and a police station.

They lack proper places to sleep, clean and adequate sanitation facilities, access to medical attention to treat illnesses that have proliferated in the makeshift shelters, Amnesty said.

The refugees and asylum-seekers include Ahmadi Muslims, Shias and Christians from Pakistan, Shia Hazaras from Afghanistan and political refugees from Iran and Pakistan, according to the human rights organization.

The refugees told Amnesty that the violence erupted after a rumour that Pakistanis were behind the Easter killings, which the authorities blame on local Islamist groups National Thowheed Jamath and Jammiyathul Millathu Ibrahim.

"There was a group of men who came, some of them carrying sticks with nails in them. Some of them were drunk. They said that we were Pakistanis and that we had to leave the area within two hours," Naseem John, 57, a Pakistani Catholic from Karachi, told Amnesty.

"We said that we are also Catholics, like the victims killed in the church. They said, 'It doesn't matter, you're still Pakistani. You have to leave,'" he added.

Habib-ur-Rehman, 35, a Pakistani asylum-seeker, said: "We feel safe here (in the police station), but are too fearful to go outside. The police have said they can protect us here, but not outside."

The UN refugee agency has so far unsuccessfully attempted to relocate some of the refugees and asylum-seekers to other locations inside Sri Lanka. They have been turned away three times.

Following the carnage, Muslim religious authorities decided to temporarily suspend the weekly Friday congregational prayers amid fears of retaliatory attacks.

"The Sri Lankan government has a responsibility to ensure that these people have their dignity restored immediately," said the South Asia Director at Amnesty International.

"They need security to protect them, food to eat, doctors to meet their urgent health needs, comfortable places to sleep in privacy and clean places where men and women can safely and separately bathe and use sanitation facilities," he added.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Controversial IPS officer Rajeev Kumar missed his 10 a.m reporting time for new duty in the Home Ministry on Thursday as ordered by the Election Commission (EC) which relieved him from his post of ADG CID in West Bengal following violence in Kolkata.

Home Ministry sources said Kumar neither joined nor gave any information.

Kumar, the former Kolkata Police Commissioner, has earlier been questioned by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in connection with the multi-crore Saradha chit fund scam.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had in February staged a 70-hour dharna after the CBI made a bid to question Kumar at his residence in Kolkata, which was thwarted by the local police.

The CBI later had to approach the Supreme Court to make the questioning possible.

The EC on Wednesday relieved Kumar from his post of ADG CID, with orders to report for duty in the Home Ministry on Thursday.

The Commission had also removed with immediate effect the West Bengal's Principal Secretary (Home) Atri Bhattacharya for "having interfered" in the poll process and curtailed the poll campaign in the state by a day as it ordered stoppage of electioneering from 10 p.m. on Thursday on the remaining nine Lok Sabha constituencies going to the polls on May 19.

The EC took the decision invoking for the first time Article 324 of the Constitution which gives it special powers to control and give directions for holding elections.

The decisions the EC took "as an action on violence in West Bengal on Tuesday during a road show conducted by BJP President Amit Shah.

The violence had also led vandalisation of Bengali polymath Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar's statue.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The "frightening and scary" scenario that the opposition promises will be responsible for its rout in the Lok Sabha elections, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said on Thursday.

In a blog post, the senior BJP leader said as the seventh and final phase of the election approaches to closure, the groundswell in favour of Prime Minister Modi is becoming stronger.

"The not so positive reason for the Prime Minister's high acceptability levels is the absence of any cogent or coherent alternative. Conventionally, it used to be referred to as the 'TINA' factor. This effectively means that 'There is no alternative'. If the opposition is giving vague assurances of an alternative, the same is either too scary or absolutely frightening," he said.

He said the positive reasons for the Prime Minister's acceptability has been his decisiveness, integrity and performance, his delivery of resources to the poor and his security doctrine which has been a game changer.

"The NDA's strength has been a complete absence of any confusion about leadership or programme. There is an absolute consensus," he said.

Jaitley said the opposition could not forge an alliance in several key states and it did not call a meeting of different like minded parties for the obvious fear that many will not attend the meeting.

"The common thread which brings them together is negativism - to get rid of one person. They have no agreement on either a leader or programme. They are a completely fractured opposition which could not come together before or during the election.

"Who will believe their assurance that they can come together after the election? They are institution wreckers. They do not allow Parliament to function. They attack and intimidate Judges. Now Election Commission is their next target. The attack on the EVMs and the Election Commission is an advance alibi for defeat on May 23," he said.

Slamming the opposition, he said their leaders represent temperamental mavericks, some highly corrupt and many a governance disaster.

"The electorate wonders, if they can ever provide a cogent alternative. Past history belies the longevity of such opportunistic and fragile combinations," he said.

Jaitley said he has long argued that aspirational societies look for a better tomorrow and they are averse to suicidal choices.

"The frightening and scary scenario that the opposition promises will be responsible for its rout. This consolidates the groundswell in favour of Modi. Except in the last few days, not one political analyst had foreseen the velocity of this groundswell even in a state like Bengal. The largest size of the Prime Minister's public rallies have been in Bengal," he said.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is indulged in theatrics since he took over as Prime Minister, he's a self-obsessed man and the people of Punjab or anywhere else can never forget the incident of desecration of their holy scriptures, Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh said on Thursday.

For him, the 1984 anti-Sikh riots were a national tragedy and Sam Pitroda's remarks "what happened in 1984 happened" was shameful and unpardonable, and the Congress, including Rahul Gandhi, has already condemned.

"Coming from Narendra Modi, it is clearly nothing more than a gimmick," the Chief Minister told IANS when asked how he sees Modi touching the feet of Akali Dal patron Parkash Singh Badal, 91, ahead of filing nomination papers in Varanasi.

"We have seen Modi indulging in theatrics since he took over as the Prime Minister. He is a self-obsessed man only interested in publicity and all his actions are designed for that," he said in an exclusive interview here.

"His famous (or infamous) hugs of world leaders, playing drums in Japan -- all were photo ops engineered by him with an eye on publicity. Words like respect for elders etc mean nothing to him. Nobody has forgotten the way he behaved with L.K. Advani, ignoring him completely while shaking hands with everyone else on stage."

The Chief Minister asked: "Do you expect a man like that to have any genuine feelings of respect for Badal or any other elder?"

Balakot strikes were never an issue -- it was just sought to be made an issue by Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) who tried to use it to cover up the all-round failure of their government in the past five years, Amarinder Singh said candidly.

"In Punjab, which has a large number of its sons in the armed forces, this attempt by Modi to take credit for the strikes and invoke the Pulwama martyrs for votes has not gone down well at all with the people.

"They know Modi and the BJP had no role to play in the courageous act -- which was the work of the Indian Air Force. What did Modi do? Just give the orders sitting in a conference room at PMO (Prime Minister's Office)? Any PM would have done the same, as I have maintained all along."

Without mincing words, Amarinder Singh, 77, the scion of Patiala, fought in the 1965 India-Pakistan war, said: "And we, in Punjab, have seen cross-border raids happening more than once in these years."

He is spearheading his electoral campaign against the Akali Dal-BJP combine to ensure the victory of his Congress party on all the 13 parliamentary seats.

But sacrilege is another thing altogether in Punjab than Balakot strikes.

The people of Punjab, or anywhere else for that matter, can never forget an incident of desecration of their holy scriptures. Punjab, in particular, has suffered a great deal at the hands of divisive forces, he said.

They do not want communal disharmony, they want to live in peace. Religion is not something they can tolerate anyone playing with or exploiting for political or electoral gains, which the sacrilege cases here were all about.

"People cannot forget or forgive those who have tried to polarize them for furthering their own interests," the Chief Minister, who was earlier at state's helm from 2002-07, said.

On Modi raking up Congress leader Pitroda's remark in connection with the anti-Sikh riots, Amarinder Singh, who resigned as a Congress MP and left the party in 1984 to protest against the entry of the army into the Golden Temple during Operation Bluestar, said: "Look, they have been trying to rake up the 1984 riots in every election without much success."

"They played this card in 2017 but failed to stop the Congress juggernaut in the Assembly polls. What Pitroda said was shameful and unpardonable, and the Congress, including Rahul Gandhi, has already condemned and made him apologise for his remarks."

Describing the 1984 riots a national tragedy, he said it cannot be wished or washed away by Pitroda or anyone else.

"And as Rahul has also said, those who perpetrated the violence should and will be punished. But if Modi thinks the remarks of Pitroda are enough to make the people of Punjab make this an election issue, forgetting their sufferings at the hands of his government, they are totally mistaken."

The Chief Minister said farmers were "suffering under debts and not getting due remuneration for their crops, youth have no jobs or prospects, Dalits and minorities live in fear and suppression, people lost their hard-earned money due to demonetization, GST (Goods and Service Tax) has forced many traders and small businesses to shut down".

These are issues which matter on the ground to the people, he said.

For him, being a national election the prominent issues are the failures of the Modi government, especially issues like demonetization, GST, farm debts and farmer suicides, which have directly impacted the people of Punjab.

At the same time, he said, local concerns remain in the limelight.

"That means jobs, infrastructural development, industrial revival, problems of farmers -- things which we have tried to correct in the last two years are the issues that are priorities for our people, and for the Congress.

"Our leaders and candidates are focusing in a big way on the promises we have fulfilled in the state in the last two years and our commitment to implementing the remaining in the rest of the three years," said Amarinder Singh, who fought the 2014 Lok Sabha elections from Amritsar and drubbed senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley by a margin of more than one lakh votes.

On the future prospects of the Akali Dal, he said: "People are sick of them. See how Harsimrat has been stopped from entering villages for her campaign. These are all signs that the Akalis have lost the confidence of the people completely and irrevocably."

Parkash Singh Badal's daughter-in-law and Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur and his son Sukhbir Badal are in the fray from Bathinda and Ferozepur seats, respectively.

Punjab will go to the polls for the 13 Lok Sabha seats on May 19.

(Vishal Gulati can be reached at vishal.g@ians.in)

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Enraged by actor-politician Kamal Haasan's 'Hindu terrorist' remark, a person threw his slipper at him at Thiruparankundram in Tamil Nadu.

Haasan was addressing an election rally in support of his Makkal Needhi Maiam candidate when the attack took place on Wednesday night.

Police said the person who threw the slipper has been taken into custody. The slipper fell before the dais and not near Haasan.

At the meeting, a group of people shouted slogans. The police took 11 persons into custody.

On Sunday, at the Aravakuruchi Assembly constituency, Haasan, while campaigning for his party candidate, said about the killer of Mahatma Gandhi: "The first extremist of independent India was a Hindu -- Nathuram Godse. It all started from there."

Tamil Nadu Minister K.T. Rajenthra Bhalaji said the actor-politician's tongue should be cut.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Highway development has been in top gear on massive public spendings, but private sector appetite has remained tepid in the last four years of the NDA rule due to NPA-heavy public sector banks shying away from the sector.

Awarding large number of highway projects on the innovative Hybrid Annuity Model (HAM) and the popular EPC (Engineering, Procurement and Construction) contracting arrangement has given much-needed comfort to the crippled developers, but it was not enough to allow them to bid for the purely BOT (build-operate-transfer) projects.

Moreover, the shifting of financing risks from the private sector to the public sector (National Highway Development Authority or NHAI) has overstretched the latter's balancesheet.

The government has largely awarded road projects on HAM and EPC, which are purely public-funded models. The NHAI on behalf of the government releases 40 per cent of the total cost for a HAM project, which was launched in early 2016, thus kick-starting the project. Only the remaining 60 per cent is arranged by the private developers. Under the EPC model, the entire funding comes from the government agency.

Together the two models have largely driven highway development in the country in the last four years.

But sector specialists now say that even the HAM model has been losing its steam due to banks becoming "very careful and choosy" while funding highway projects.

"The banks are still not convinced about the costing of a lot many highway projects. They are not throwing enough money which will revive the private sector appetite. The HAM projects have definitely taken care of the current liabilities of the developers and it keeps the machines running, but not beyond that," said the chief of a private developer, wishing not to be named.

Vishwas Udgirkar, Partner at Deloitte India, agreed and said that the banking system was not supporting the road sector significantly.

"Private sector interest in the road sector has been limited because developers are in problem and the banks have higher NPA levels," Udgirkar said.

The NHAI had awarded 7,400 km of road in fiscal 2018, with most of the projects being awarded in March. In all, 3,400 km of HAM projects were awarded in 2017-18.

In the first half of fiscal 2019, the NHAI awarded about 300 km road, mostly via HAM. Ever since the HAM was introduced, a total of about 130 projects have been awarded on this model and a combination of BOT (annuity) and EPC.

"About 35-45 per cent of the 120-plus projects awarded on HAM are yet to achieve financial closure," said Sandeep Upadhyay, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Centrum Infrastructure Advisory.

The reasons for the delay in fund tie-ups largely revolve around banks, but weak balancesheets of the private players and doubts about project costs too have contributed to it. There are investors who doubt if the NHAI would stick to its commitments given its overstretched balancesheet.

"Two years later when these projects get commissioned and repayment to banks start, there is the risk that NHAI would make sure that grant on the annuity amount comes. The risk perception is building in the market, leading to less projects getting financial closure," said the chief executive of a firm working with various investors.

(Nirbhay Kumar can be contacted at nirbhay.k@ians.in)

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) on Thursday staged a protest over Election Commission's decision to conduct re-polling in five more polling booths in Andhra Pradesh.

State Minister Amarnath Reddy, TDP candidate from Chandragiri Assembly constituency Pulivarthy Nani and other leaders and party workers staged a sit-in outside the office of sub-collector in Tirupati.

The TDP leaders questioned the poll body's decision to hold re-polling after more than a month. They alleged that the EC was blindly acting on the complaints of YSR Congress Party.

The EC on Wednesday ordered re-polling in five polling stations in Chandragiri constituency.

Re-polling in these five booths for both Chandragiri Assembly seat and Chittoor (Scheduled Caste) Lok Sabha seat will be held between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. on May 19.

This followed a complaint by outgoing MLA from Chandragiri and YSR Congress Party candidate Chevireddy Bhaskar Reddy that voters of one particular community were not allowed to cast their votes on April 11.

Earlier, on May 6, re-polling was held in five polling booths spread over three districts.

Polling to 175-member Assembly and all 25 Lok Sabha constituencies in the state were held in a single phase on April 11.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Authorities imposed curfew and called out the Army on Thursday after suspected cow vigilantes killed a civilian in Jammu and Kashmir's Bhaderwah town in Doda district, triggering group clashes.

Nayeem Shah was reportedly transporting bovine animals in his vehicle when a group of cow vigilantes attacked and killed him early on Thursday morning.

Shah's body was recovered by police in Nalthi Pul area.

The Army was called out to assist the civil administration maintain calm in the town. Officials said the curfew will remain in force till further orders.

Police are investigating the civilian's murder and authorities have appealed to people to maintain communal harmony.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A third gunfight started in the Kashmir Valley on Thursday between holed up militants and security forces in Jammu and Kashmir's Shopian district.

Police said the security forces started a cordon and search operation in Hendew village following information about the presence of militants there.

"As the cordon was tightened, the militants opened fire, triggering an encounter which is going on. Two to three militants are believed to be trapped inside the cordon," a police officer said.

Earlier, a brief shootout took place between the security forces and the militants in Kandi forest area of Kupwara district. There was no report of any casualty.

Five persons, including three Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM) militants, a soldier and a civilian, were killed in another gunfight in Dalipora village of Pulwama district.

Police said one of the three slain militants was a top commander, identified as Khalid Bhai of Pakistan.

He had reportedly masterminded the 2017 attack on the Lethpora CRPF camp in Pulwama district in which five CRPF troopers were killed.

--IANS

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PMK founder S. Ramadoss on Thursday said the Tamil Nadu government should take steps to release the seven persons convicted in connection with former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi's assassination under the Criminal Procedure Code.

Ramadoss also accused the Modi government of following different standards when it came to releasing Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt and the seven convicts in the Gandhi assassination case.

The seven convicts are Perarivalan, Murugan, Nalini, Shanthan, Ravichandran, Jayakumar and Robert Pyas.

Gandhi was assassinated by a Sri Lankan Tamil suicide bomber at an election rally near Chennai in May 1991. The seven, who are Indians or Sri Lankans, were said to be involved in the crime.

In a statement, Ramadoss said the Tamil Nadu government should exert pressure on Governor Banwarilal Purohit to release the seven.

If the Governor does not order their release, then the state government should take steps to release them under the Criminal Procedure Code.

Ramadoss said it had come to light that Dutt was released by the Maharashtra government without getting the central government's nod though the actor was convicted under a central government law for the Mumbai serial blasts.

He said that as per the order of a Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court in 2015, only the central government has the power to reduce the sentence if a person is convicted under a central law.

The PMK founder said if Dutt was jailed under the Arms Act for illegal possession of a gun, then it is only the central government which had the power to reduce his jail term.

But based on the reply for a question raised by Perarivalan under the Right to Information (RTI) Act from the Pune jail where Dutt was imprisoned, the actor was released early because of his good conduct, Ramadoss said.

The PMK leader said the apex court has ordered that the seven convicts can be released based on the recommendation of the Tamil Nadu cabinet.

It is more than 250 days since the cabinet recommended this to Governor Purohit, he said.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples is in Bangkok. His pastoral visit will end on 21 May in Ayutthaya, the cradle of Thai Christianity. The first missionaries to settle in Siam were two Portuguese Dominicans in 1567. Today the country is home to about 300,000 Catholics, 0.46 per cent of the population.

Bangkok (AsiaNews)  Card Fernando Filoni (pictured), Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples, arrived in Bangkok today for the celebration of the 350th anniversary of the creation of the Apostolic Vicariate of Siam in 1669.

Card Filonis pastoral visit will begin tomorrow in the Cathedral of the Assumption, where he will meet Bangkoks Catholic community and the members of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Thailand (CBCT).

Saturday morning, the festivities marking the historic anniversary will open in Sam Phran, a district in the province of Nakhon Pathom, with a solemn Eucharistic celebration. Catholics will come from the capital, as well as the countrys southern and central provinces.

In the afternoon, Card Filoni will meet religious, seminarians and catechists at the church dedicated to Fr Nicholas Bunkerd Kitbamrung (1895-1944). Better known as Fr Benedikto Chunkim, he was the first martyred priest of modern Thailand, whom Pope John Paul II proclaimed as blessed on 5 March 2000.

In the North Catholics can attend instead the Mass in Chiang Mai on the evening of 19 May. Local ethnic and tribal groups live in different communities in the mountains and valleys, amid poverty as well as social and geographical marginalisation.

Representatives of the Lanna and Akha ethnic groups will welcome the Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples. For his part, Card Filoni will express to them the closeness of the universal Church.

The next day, 20 May, he will meet with the Karen from Mae-Porn, with whom he will celebrate another Mass. His visit will end on 21 May in Ayutthaya, Siams ancient capital and the cradle of Thai Christianity.

Today Thailand has about 300,000 Catholics, 0.46 per cent of the total population, served by 11 dioceses, with 436 parishes and 662 priests.

The first missionaries to arrive in the Kingdom were the Portuguese Dominicans Jeronimo da Cruz and Sebastiao da Canto, in 1567. The Franciscan and Jesuit missions followed the Dominican mission, with the goal of proclaiming the Good News in the United Siam of the Ayutthaya period (1351-1767).

Subsequently, at the end of the Council of Trent, Pope Pius V instituted a committee to promote evangelisation, which led to the creation of Sacred Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith (Propaganda Fide) by Pope Gregory XV on 6 January 1622.

To help spread the Gospel, the Society of Foreign Missions of Paris (French: Societe des Missions etrangeres de Paris, MEP) was created. On 29 July 1658, Pope Alexander VII appointed a member of the MEP, Francois Pallu, as apostolic vicar to the Tonkin, which included some parts of China and the Kingdom of Laos.

On 17 August of the same year, Bishop Pierre Lambert de la Motte, MEP, became Apostolic Vicar of the mission in Cochinchina, whose pastoral outreach included the lands south of China.

In 1662, there were 11 Catholic priests in Ayutthaya  four of them were Jesuits, two Dominicans, two Franciscans and three others. Two years later, Bishop Pallu and some newly arrived missionaries organised a synod in Ayutthaya, chaired by Bishop de la Motte, together with Bishop Pallu, five priests and a lay person.

Among the main decisions was the establishment of a seminary for the training of diocesan priests. In 1665, King Narai granted Mgr de la Motte permission to set up such a school.

In 1667, Bishop Pallu returned to Rome for an audience with the Pope, who ordered the creation of the Siam mission on 4 July 1669, under the bishop appointed by Propaganda Fide.

With the blessing of the Holy See, Bishops Pallu and de la Motte chose Don Louis Laneau, a priest with the MEP, as the Apostolic Vicar of the mission to Siam. The bishop's consecration was celebrated on 25 March 1674 in Ayutthaya.
Both the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) and YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) may skip May 23 meeting convened by UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and will wait for a clear picture to emerge after the Lok Sabha battle before responding to her invitation.

Though both the parties have officially denied receiving invitations for the May 23 meeting, they appear to be adopting a wait and watch approach before deciding their next strategy.

Some YSRCP leaders wondered how parties could attend a meeting on May 23 when the counting process would still be underway and a clear picture could emerge only late at night or the next day.

United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Chairperson Sonia Gandhi has invited political heavyweights for the meeting.

TRS President and Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao, who is trying to bring regional parties together under his proposed Federal Front, is likely to take a decision about talks only after all the results were declared.

As KCR is counting on the support of YSRCP and other parties to push for a non-BJP and non-Congress government, he may wait for the final tally before beginning talks with different players, informed sources said.

Both TRS and YSRCP are likely to emerge kingmakers in the event of the Lok Sabha elections throwing a fractured verdict.

In Telangana, which has 17 Lok Sabha seats, TRS is confident of making a clean sweep along with its ally All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), with the latter expected to retain its Hyderabad seat.

In Andhra Pradesh, YSRCP is tipped to win 20-22 out of 25 Lok Sabha seats. UPA's reported invitations to both the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and YSRCP have sparked a debate.

The TDP has already declared its support to Congress and its President N. Chandrababu Naidu is even ready to play the anchor for a non-BJP alliance led by the Congress. It was not clear how Naidu would react to the invitation to YSRCP.

A YSRCP leader termed the May 23 meeting too early.

"As 5 percent VVPAT slips have to be counted, a clear picture will emerge only in the afternoon of May 24," K. Ravichandra Reddy said during a debate on a Telugu channel.

On whether YSRCP will extend support to Congress-led alliance, the party leaders said their stand was clear.

"Our party leader Jagan Mohan Reddy has already made it clear that whichever party comes forward to give special category status to Andhra Pradesh will get our support," another YSRCP leader said.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
US President Donald Trump has moved to ban American telecom firms from installing foreign-made equipment that could pose a threat to national security, White House officials said, stepping up a battle against China by effectively barring sales by Huawei, the countrys leading networking company.

On Wednesday, Trump issued an executive order instructing Commerce Secretary, Wilbur Ross, to ban transactions "posing an unacceptable risk" but did not single out any nation or company, The New York Times reported.

The order came amid an escalating trade war between the US and China, with the two sides imposing hundreds of billions of dollars of tariffs. Trump has accused the Chinese government of unfair trade practices and announced increased tariffs on an additional $200 billion worth of Chinese goods that went into force on May 10.

The executive order was "agnostic", White House officials said in a call with reporters, declining to single out China as the focus.

"This administration will do what it takes to keep America safe and prosperous and to protect America from foreign adversaries" targeting vulnerabilities in American communications infrastructure, White House press secretary, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, said in a statement.

But in a clear strike against Huawei, the Commerce Department separately announced on Wednesday that it had placed the company and its dozens of affiliates on a list of firms deemed a risk to national security.

The listing will prevent it from buying American parts and technologies without seeking US government approval.

"This will prevent American technology from being used by foreign owned entities in ways that potentially undermine US national security or foreign policy interests," Ross said in a statement.

The Commerce Department will also write the rules for reviewing transactions that fall under the executive order's ban over the next 150 days, according to administration officials.

The Department said it would work across the administration on the new rules, consulting with the Attorney General, Treasury secretary and other agency heads.

The order, which applies only to future transactions, however did not detail how the Department will define foreign adversaries and establish criteria to ban companies from selling equipment to the US, reports The New York Times.

The executive action also did not address concerns by rural carriers that the order would hit them particularly hard. Some of them rely on equipment that already contains parts by Huawei and other Chinese companies.

The development comes as American officials have warned allies for months that the US would stop sharing intelligence if they use Huawei and other Chinese technology to build the core of their fifth-generation, or 5G, networks.

The networks promise not only faster cellular service, but also the connection of billions of "Internet of Things" devices, such as autonomous cars, security cameras and industrial equipment, to a new Internet architecture.

Pentagon and American intelligence officials have warned that Chinese firms will be able to control the networks and have expressed concerns not only that secure messages could be intercepted or secretly diverted to China, but that the Chinese authorities could order Huawei to shut down the networks during any conflict, disrupting American infrastructure as diverse as gas pipelines and cellphone networks.

Huawei has denied those charges.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Two men who were involved in stealing 100 new cars over the past two decades in Delhi and adjoining states have been finally arrested, a police officer said on Thursday.

Kunal, 40, a resident of Amar Colony here, and Shahid, 35, who hails from Uttar Pradesh's Muzaffarnagar, were caught on Wednesday night near the Hedgewar Hospital in Shahdara when they had come to steal a new Maruti Suzuki Brezza car.

Four new stolen Brezza cars were recovered from them.

"Working on a tip off, a trap was laid by the police," Deputy Commissioner of Police Meghna Yadav said.

"Our men asked them to surrender but they did not. Instead, Kunal and Shahid reversed their stolen car and hit the police vehicle. They also sped past three policemen. They showed a toy gun and tried to escape but were apprehended," Yadav said.

During interrogation, Kunal disclosed that he had stolen 100 new cars. Police said he was an expert in stealing a car within eight to 10 minutes.

He would sell the car to his contacts for Rs 50-60,000.

While stealing cars, Kunal always put on a mask so that he was not recognized in CCTV footage and wore gloves to avoid leaving fingerprints, the officer added.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Two persons, including a teacher at a private school, have been arrested here for allegedly threatening a toll plaza employee with a toy pistol to demand exemption from the tax.

A complaint was filed against the accused, Kashish Lamba and Mohit, under the Arms Act and other sections of the Indian Penal Code at the Kherki Daula police station.

The incident came to police notice after a video went viral on social media platforms.

Shamsher Singh, the Assistant Commissioner of Police of Crime Branch, said: "Catching the accused was not easy because the car they used was registered on an address of Basai village but they were not living there.

"We used ground level sources to locate their houses. Mohit teaches Physics in a school in Farukh Nagar and lives in an apartment in Sector 86 on Dwarka Expressway while Kashish lives in Sector 17," Singh said.

Kashish and Mohit had dinner at Mohit's flat on May 15 and then left for Sector 17. When they reached the Kherki Daula toll plaza, they had a heated argument with the toll employee when the two demanded that they be exempted from paying the tax, said Singh.

One of them pointed a toy gun at the toll employee and threatened him with dire consequences, said Singh. By the time security personnel reached there, both managed to escape.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Alabama Governor Kay Ivey has signed into law the most restrictive abortion bill in the US, which passes a near total ban on pregnancy terminations, even in cases of rape, and could punish doctors who perform them with life imprisonment.

"Today, I signed into law the Alabama Human Life Protection Act, a bill that was approved by overwhelming majorities in both chambers of the Legislature," CNN quoted Ivey, a Republican, as saying in a statement on Wednesday.

"To the bill's many supporters, this legislation stands as a powerful testament to Alabamians' deeply held belief that every life is precious and that every life is a sacred gift from God."

The Alabama Senate passed the bill 25-6 late Tuesday night. The law only allows exceptions "to avoid a serious health risk to the unborn child's mother", for ectopic pregnancy and if the "unborn child has a lethal anomaly".

Democrats re-introduced an amendment to exempt rape and incest victims, but the motion failed on an 11-21 vote.

Ivey noted in her Wednesday night statement that the new law may be unenforceable due to the Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade decision that legalised abortion in all 50 states. But, the new law was passed with the aim of challenging that decision, she added.

"Many Americans, myself included, disagreed when Roe v. Wade was handed down in 1973. The sponsors of this bill believe that it is time, once again, for the US Supreme Court to revisit this important matter, and they believe this act may bring about the best opportunity for this to occur."

Besides Alabama, anti-abortion campaigners have successfully enacted a ban on all or most abortions in six Republican-led states: Arkansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Dakota, Ohio and Georgia.

Yashica Robinson, an obstetrician at the Alabama Women's Center for Reproductive Alternatives who provides abortion services, told CNN on Wednesday the law would have a "devastating impact" on patients.

She said that she was unclear under what circumstances the law would allow an abortion based on "reasonable medical judgment" and health of the mother.

The bill has elicited a wave of protest from Democrats, including 2020 hopefuls.

Washington Governor Jay Inslee, Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders and former Texas Representative Beto O'Rourke slammed the legislation as unconstitutional.

New Jersey Senator Cory Booker, California Representative Eric Swalwell, former Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper, and Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren vowed to protect the Roe order.

Former Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton called the bill an example of "appalling attacks on women's lives and fundamental freedoms".

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The US Department of Homeland Security has announced the "immediate suspension" of commercial passenger and cargo flights between the US and Venezuela.

"Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Kevin K McAleenan determined that conditions in Venezuela threaten the safety and security of passengers, aircraft, and crew," Efe news quoted the department as saying on Wednesday.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo assented to the suspension of flights based on McAleenan's finding, while implementation of the measure is in the hands of the Department of Transportation.

"This determination is based on the ongoing political instability and increased tensions in Venezuela and associated inadvertent risk to flight operations," according to the statement from Homeland Security.

The suspension will remain in effect until US officials deem that conditions in Venezuela have changed sufficiently to accommodate the resumption of flights, Homeland Security said.

American Airlines, the last major US carrier providing scheduled service to and from Venezuela, suspended flights indefinitely on March 28.

Texas-based American Airlines had operated routes from Miami to Caracas and Maracaibo.

United and Delta halted service to Venezuela in 2017.

Venezuela broke diplomatic relations with the US in January, after Washington recognized Juan Guaido, speaker of the opposition-controlled National Assembly, as interim president of the oil-rich country.

The Venezuelan opposition, backed by the US and some Latin American governments, says that the May 2018 re-election of leftist President Nicolas Maduro was illegitimate.

The US imposed sanctions on Venezuela in 2015, when Barack Obama was President, but Donald Trump sharply escalated the measures after taking office in January 2017.

More than 50 other countries have joined the US in recognizing Guaido, who was known to fewer than 20 percent of Venezuelans before he proclaimed himself acting head of state.

Russia, China, India and Japan are among the upwards of 120 nations that continue to acknowledge Maduro as Venezuela's president.

Guaido has repeatedly called on the Venezuelan armed forces to rise up against Maduro, most recently on April 30, when the opposition leader went to a Caracas airbase with several dozen military defectors.

The uprising fizzled within hours.

Last weekend, Guaido said he had instructed his envoy in Washington to formally ask the US military for "cooperation" in ousting Maduro.

The Trump administration says that "all options are on the table" in the standoff with the Maduro government.

--IANS

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A teenaged girl, who was recently arrested for allegedly murdering her mother, was found dead at a rehabilitation centre here in Uttarakhand, police said on Thursday.

Vinita Chauhan was arrested last month by the Haridwar police on charges of murdering her mother in the Kankhal area of the district.

Chauhan was found lying unconscious in the bathroom of the girls rehabilitation centre on Wednesday night. She was rushed to the government Doon hospital where the doctors declared her dead.

Police said that the girl was depressed. Her father had refused to meet her despite several messages being sent, police said.

Usha Negi, Chairperson of the Uttarakhand State Commission for Protection of Child Rights, told the media that the girl was mentally disturbed after she lost her mother and was worried about her two siblings.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Vicky Kaushal, who has a successful streak in Bollywood, turned 31 on Friday. While the actor is in New York to spend his special day, the film fraternity wished him good luck for the journey ahead.

Veteran actress Neetu Kapoor, who recently met Vicky for the first time in New York, was all praise for the "humble, well brought up boy", who she said has "goodness written all over him".

Actor Anil Kapoor said he could not wait to work with Vicky in Karan Johar's "Takht". "Happy Birthday Vicky. May you continue to give heart-winning and power-packed performances. Looking forward to working with you in 'Takht' soon. Have a great year ahead! Lots of love," said Anil Kapoor.

Vicky's "Raazi" co-star Alia Bhatt called him a "lovely human" and wished him a "super day".

Actor Abhishek Bachchan tweeted: "To the brother...Happy birthday. Live it large"

Actress Taapsee Pannu, who shared screen space with Vicky in "Manmarziyaan", wrote: "Happy birthday... Cheers to growing older."

Actress Yami Gautam, who co-starred with Vicky in "Uri: The Surgical Strike", said he is the only actor who makes her look tall. "Stay this awesomesttt munda that you are Vicky," she said.

After working as an assistant on Anurag Kashyap's film "Gangs of Wasseypur", Vicky made his Bollywood debut with "Luv Shuv Tey Chicken Khurana" in 2012. But it was 2015 film "Masaan" that brought the actor in the spotlight.

Later, Vicky received phenomenal success with his roles in "Raazi", "Sanju" and "Manmarziyaan" and "Uri: The Surgical Strike", which made it to the Rs 100 crore club.

Vicky will next be seen in Shoojit Sircar's "Udham Singh" and in a horror comedy opposite Bhumi Pednekar. He also is reportedly a part of a movie being directed by Aditya Dhar.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
In its latest Android beta update, Facebook-owned messaging app WhatsApp is not allowing users to save profile pictures of individuals on their devices, the media reported.

"WhatsApp has removed the possibility to save profile pictures in latest Android beta updates and WhatsApp Business beta for iOS 2.19.60.5," web portal WABetaInfo tweeted on Wednesday.

The feature was first spotted by an India-based beta tester of the app who tweeted to WABetaInfo inquiring about the update.

"In the latest beta version 2.19.319, the option to save profile pictures is no longer there. It is only there for groups. Please confirm if this is a bug or it is going to remain that way? (Android 9)" Swarup Mondal tweeted.

On reading into the beta feature, WABetaInfo confirmed that WhatsApp was, in fact, still allowing people to save group icons.

Details about the public roll-out of the feature remain unknown as of now.

Earlier in April, the instant messaging app was testing an 'Authentication' feature which would bar users from taking screenshots of their private conversations.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Rome, May 16 (IANS/AKI) Italian Premier Giuseppe Conte had a lengthy meeting with Libya's eastern warlord Khalifa Haftar on Thursday and told him of Italy's "concern" at the "extremely critical" situation in war-wracked Tripoli.

"We had a long meeting during the course of which I asked for an update and conveyed Italy's concern at the highly critical situation (in Libya).

"We urge a ceasefire and are confident that we can find the path to a political solution (of the conflict)," Conte told reporters after the meeting.

The fighting in Tripoli began when Haftar's militia began an assault on April 5 and met with resistance from forces loyal to the beleaguered UN-backed government. The warfare has killed at least 454 people, injured at least 2,154 and displaced some 60,000, the UN said in its most recent update six days ago.

--IANS/AKI

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In his cri de coeur, the Chaldean primate cites cases in which Christians are victims of sectarian bias. The countrys leaders must "put their political differences aside" to counter extremism, a mortal sin. Subjecting Christians to the decisions of Islamic courts is an issue.

Baghdad (AsiaNews)  Iraqi leaders and the powers-that-be must "put their political differences aside, and be the voice of moderation, national sovereignty and tolerance," writes Patriarch Card Louis Raphael Sako in a message on "minorities and migrations" sent to AsiaNews.

In his note, the head of the Chaldean Church calls on the countrys religious and political leaders to eliminate the root causes of its problems, especially those that lead to divisions, such as religious extremism that uses violence.

Looking at the spiral of violence that began with the US invasion in 2003 until the rise of the Islamic State (IS) group, Card Sako calls the offences committed in the name of God and religion "mortal sins".

To do the right thing, the Iraqi government must seriously undertake fundamental reforms, including: the application of the law with no fear or favouritism; disarming militias; providing security and stability; [and] combating extremism, discrimination, terrorism and corruption".

Iraqs constitution must guarantee respect for "peaceful coexistence in light of the countrys "diversity", adopting policies that promote the values of citizenship and the common good.

The countrys charter should be inspired by "the principles of freedom, dignity, democracy, social justice and the relationship among all Iraqi citizens regardless of their religious, cultural and ethnic affiliations. It must also "promote coexistence with Muslims."

However, principles and good intentions often clash with reality, one in which minorities are marginalised and discriminated, Christians included, as the cardinal suggests by citing a couple of examples.

One case involves Maryam Maher, a young Christian graduate with high grades, who was listed by the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research (HESR) among the outstanding college graduates for the academic year 2016-2017, with a recommendation to be appointed, which the implementing agency ignored because she is Christian.

Another example refers to an official letter from the Secretary General of the Council of Ministers Dr. Mahdi Mohsen Al-Alak, on 27 January 2019, calling for replacement of the current head of Hamdanyia University with a more able professor, a Christian, a decision that was not implemented. Here too, religion played a role.

These are two examples among many, but they are symptomatic of the countrys "institutional weakness, of the chaos that prevails when it comes to justice and equality, as well as of the interplay of personal interests at the expense of integrity and principles".

Historically, Christians have played a leading role in Iraqs social, economic and cultural development, not to mention in education, public administration and social services.

The countrys diversity constitutes "a beautiful mosaic of ethnic, religious, cultural, linguistic and traditional components". However, rise of the Islamic State in recent years and the violence it perpetrated  the worst since the Armenian, Assyrian and Chaldean massacres of the First World War  have reduced the Christian population to a paltry 2 per cent through emigration.

"Iraqi laws ought to provide good conditions that guarantee Christians and other religious minorities full citizenship and freedom to explicitly practise their faith and preserve their heritage (archaeological and historical) as an integral part of Iraqi civilisation, thus enabling them to continue to live with dignity.

Lastly, the cardinal notes that, unlike Muslims, Christians and other minorities do not have their own "special courts" and often have to abide by the decisions of Islamic courts in spiritual and religious matters, such as marriage, inheritance, etc. In light of this, We may wonder why we dont apply civil law to all Iraqis.
He may be one of the oldest candidates in the fray but former Madhya Pradesh chief minister and the Congress candidate from Bhopal Digvijaya Singh is way ahead of many younger politicians when it comes to using social media. Election Commission (EC) figures show that at Rs 1.5 lakh, Singh has spent the maximum amount on social media.

For the first time, the EC is keeping a record of the expenses incurred on platforms such as Twitter and Facebook and adding them to the total expenses incurred by candidates. The interim list from Madhya Pradesh, one of the states with one phase of polling ...
Tax filing may seem scary at first due to lack of adequate knowledge about required documents and the filing process, it actually is an easy and swift procedure if you know what you are doing.

With all the hullaballoo around filing ITR, its easy to get confused, especially if you are a first-timer. Here is a simple list of dos and donts you can follow for hassle-free ITR filing this season: DOs Know which tax slab you fall under For example, you are required to file ITR if: You are below 60 years of your age and your total annual gross income ...
Ten students were injured, three of them critically, after a minivan carrying them to their college crashed into a road divider on the Yamuna Expressway Thursday, police said.

There were 10 students inside the vehicle en route to the Galgotia University in Greater Noida when the incident took place around 2.30 pm under Danakur police station limits, they said.

"It appears that the vehicle was driving at a high speed and the driver lost the control over it. As a result, the vehicle crashed into a divider and overturned along the Yamuna Expressway," Circle Officer, Greater Noida 2nd, Amit Kishore Shrivastav said.

He said all students on board suffered serious injuries and they have been admitted to Kailash Hospital.

Three of them are in a critical condition, Shrivastav added.

Station House Officer, Dankaur, Samresh Kumar Singh said most of the students injured in the incident belonged to Noida and Delhi.

The students were going to the college to appear for exams, police said.

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Glass found in the Egyptian desert was created by a meteorite impact rather than atmospheric airburst, say scientists, unravelling a nearly 100-year-old mystery.

The findings, published in the journal Geology, have implications for understanding the threat posed by asteroids.

Researchers from Curtin University in Australia examined tiny grains of the mineral zircon in samples of Libyan desert glass, which formed 29 million years ago and is found over several thousand square kilometres in western Egypt.

Nearly pure silica, the canary yellow glass was famously used to make a scarab that is part of King Tut's Pectoral.

Lead author Aaron Cavosie, from Curtin University, said zircons in the glass preserved evidence of the former presence of a high-pressure mineral named reidite, which only forms during a meteorite impact.

"It has been a topic of ongoing debate as to whether the glass formed during meteorite impact, or during an airburst, which happens when asteroids called Near Earth Objects explode and deposit energy in the Earth's atmosphere," Cavosie said.

"Both meteorite impacts and airbursts can cause melting, however, only meteorite impacts create shock waves that form high-pressure minerals, so finding evidence of former reidite confirms it was created as the result of a meteorite impact," he said.

Cavosie said the idea that the glass may have formed during a large atmospheric airburst gained popularity after a dramatic airburst over Russia in 2013, which caused extensive property damage and injury to humans but did not cause surface materials to melt.

"Previous models suggested that Libyan desert glass represented a large, 100-megatonnes (Mt) class airburst, but our results show this is not the case," Cavosie said.

"Meteorite impacts are catastrophic events, but they are not common.

"Airbursts happen more frequently, but we now know not to expect a Libyan desert glass-forming event in the near future, which is cause for some comfort," he said.

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At least 20 people were injured in an explosion at a private bank on Thursday in Sadiqabad area of Pakistan's Punjab Province, according to a media report.

The bank building was completely damaged in the blast and the area has been cordoned off, Geo TV reported.

Initial reports suggest that the blast occurred due to a gas cylinder explosion, police said.

Security forces have launched a search and rescue operation, while the injured have been shifted to a nearby medical facility for assistance.

Chief Minister of Punjab Usman Buzdar asked authorities to submit a report on the incident within 24 hours.

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Impact of e-waste and plastic waste on human health was the agenda at the three COP meetings held for over 10 days in Geneva with over 180 countries adopting amendments to restrict dumping of e-waste in developing countries by the developed ones after the Indian government expressed concern over it.

The triple COP (Conference of the Parties) meetings, involving the conferences of the parties to the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions, were held in Geneva from April 29 to May 10 on the theme 'Clean Planet, Healthy People: Sound Management of Chemicals and Waste' with over 180 countries as participants.

A delegation of Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MOEFCC), and other ministries such as agriculture, chemicals, and electronics and information technology participated in the meeting held in Geneva, Switzerland.

Under the Basel Convention, a major achievement was the decision to amend the convention to include unsorted, mixed and contaminated plastic waste under PIC (Prior Informed Consent) procedure and improve the regulation of its trans-boundary movement.

"This is a significant step taken towards addressing plastic pollution which has become a major environmental concern across the globe," an Ministry official said.

"These steps will help prevent the illegal dumping of plastic wastes in developing countries. India has already imposed a complete prohibition of import of solid plastic waste into the country," the official said.

India has also made an international commitment to phase out single-use plastic.

"India fully supported this exercise and one of the members of the Indian delegation was co-chair in the contact group which negotiated this agreement for amendment in the annexes of Basel Convention to bring plastic waste under PIC procedure," the official said, adding that many rounds of multilateral and bilateral negotiations happened under the aegis of the Convention Secretariat in order to address India's concerns.

The concerns were supported by a large number of other developing countries and on the final day of the COP, a modified decision was adopted in which all the concerns raised by India were incorporated, a statement from the ministry said.

In Basel Convention, two important issues were discussed and decided -- technical guidelines on e-waste and inclusion of plastic waste in the PIC procedure.

"The draft technical guidelines stipulated the conditions when used electrical and electronic equipment destined for direct reuse, repair, refurbishment or failure analysis should be considered as non-waste," an official statement from the ministry said.

It said that India had major reservations regarding these provisions as in the name of re-use, repair, refurbishment and failure analysis there was a possibility of dumping from the developed world to the developing countries, including India, in view of the growing consumption of electronic equipment and waste across the world.

"The Indian delegation strongly objected the proposed decision on these guidelines during plenary and did not allow it to be passed by the conference of the parties (COP)," it said.

Signed in 1989, the Basel Convention is comprehensive international environmental agreement on hazardous and other wastes with 187 parties.

The Rotterdam Convention aims to promote shared responsibilities in relation to importation of hazardous chemicals and pesticides, which is jointly administered by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and United Nations Programme (UNEP).

The Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants is a treaty to protect human health and the environment from chemicals that remain intact in the environment for long periods. The legally-binding convention has 182 parties.

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Egypt's army on Thursday said 47 militants and five of its troops were killed as part of its military offensive in the restive Sinai Peninsula, where it is fighting the Islamic State group.

The suspected militants had "guns of different makes, ammunition, explosive devices in northern and central Sinai" in their possession, according to a slickly produced video statement posted on the armed forces' social media accounts.

As part of the wide-ranging operation to secure Egypt's borders, 158 "criminal elements" were arrested.

The armed forces also neutralised 385 explosive devices that insurgents planted targeting security forces.

The army did not specify when the deaths and arrests took place, saying only that they happened as part of "recent efforts" against jihadists.

The Sinai Peninsula, in the north-east of the country, is the epicentre of a hardened Islamist insurgency spearheaded by IS.

In February 2018, the army launched a nationwide operation against militants, focusing mainly on the North Sinai region.

Some 650 militants and around 45 soldiers have been killed since the start of the offensive, according to the armed forces.

No independent statistic are available to verify the deaths and the region is largely cut off to journalists.

Terror attacks have surged following the 2013 military ouster of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi, who was replaced by former army general Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.

The Egyptian president has presented himself as a bulwark against terrorism and a rock of political stability amid a region in turmoil.

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As many as 519 people, most of whom were children, have been tested HIV-positive in the last two weeks in Pakistan's Sindh province, with health officials attributing the cause to the use of unsanitary equipment, unsafe blood transfusion and rampant malpractice -- often at the hands of quack doctors.

According to a UN report, Pakistan now has the second-fastest growing rate of HIV in Asia, with about 20,000 new infections in 2017 alone.

On Wednesday, 39 cases of HIV were detected during screening of people in Larkana district, taken the HIV positive cases to over 500 in the last 17 days, health officials said.

As many as 23 children and five women were tested HIV-positive in the latest screenings carried out in Ratodero town, where the highest number of such cases have been detected in the district.

Last month, provincial health authorities were alarmed when the number of HIV-positive cases rose to 39, which included over a dozen children.

According to an inquiry by the health authorities, most of the infected children had visited a private clinic of a local paediatrician named Dr Muzaffar Ghangar, who himself is an AIDS patient, in Ratodero for other ailments.

Ghangar, who is also employed at a public hospital in Ratodero, is accused of infecting more than 50 patients, mostly children, by repeated use of single contaminated syringe.

The doctor has been arrested and is currently under police custody.

Sindh Health Minister Dr Azra Pechuho said more blood screening camps are being set up in the district to speed up the process of detecting HIV positive cases.

Sindh health secretary Dr Saeed Ahmed Awan said majority of those tested HIV positive were children and the reason for this was apparently a surge in infection rates across country due to the use of unsanitary equipment, unsafe blood transfusion and rampant malpractice often at the hands of quack doctors.

According to UNAIDS, around 600,000 quack doctors are operating across Pakistan and around 270,000 are practicing in the Sindh province.

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At least 605 private schools in the national capital may lose their recognition if they do not deposit Rs 5 lakh environmental compensation for failing to install rainwater harvesting system mandated by the National Green Tribunal (NGT), according to Delhi government officials.

The NGT had in 2017 directed all Delhi government and private schools as well as colleges to install rainwater harvesting systems in their premises within two months at their own cost.

The green panel had stated that any institution that fails to install the rainwater harvesting system within the stipulated period shall be liable to pay environment compensation of Rs 5 lakh.

"Taking cognisance of the non-compliance of the earlier directions, 605 private schools were found defaulters of either not having rainwater harvesting system installed or having a yet to be made functional system," an official of the Directorate of (DoE) said.

While the construction has not started at 331 private schools, the rain water harvesting plants are yet to be made functional in 274 private schools in the city.

"The NGT had asked the DoE in February this year to direct the default schools to deposit the compensation within two weeks. Most of the schools did not comply by the order.

"We have issued final notices to the schools to deposit the compensation within three days. This shall be treated as final opportunity, failing which further necessary action for withdrawal of recognition of concerned schools shall be taken without any further opportunity," the official said.

The NGT had earlier directed schools and colleges to approach a committee constituted by it for inspecting the premises and granting permission to institutions for operating the system.

If it was not possible to install the rainwater harvesting system, the institution should have approached the committee, it had said.

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by Shafique Khokhar

Neha had also resisted rape and beatings, but then succumbed when the torturers threatened to throw her little brother off the roof. The husband, already married before, wants her back home and has filed a complaint for insulting Islamic laws. The Church is helping the family.

Karachi (AsiaNews) - "If you do not get converted, we will throw your brother off the roof": This was the threat that forced the 15-year-old Christian Neha to convert to Islam after which she was married to a 45-year-old Muslim, already married and with three children. The young woman had resisted with all her strength, even after being violently raped and beaten. But the death threats against her two and a half year old brother broke her.

Later she managed to escape with the help of one of her husband's daughters. She returned to her family and now lives in fear. Speaking to AsiaNews Fr. Saleh Diego, director of the National Commission for Justice and Peace, says: "We are certain that we will get justice. We ask Prime Minister Imran Khan to protect minorities in all these situations and bring peace to the country. "

Neha is the daughter of Parvaiz and Jamila Masih. She was born on 8 October 2003 and lives in the city of Itihad, near Karachi. Her story goes back to last April 28, when her aunt Sundas, her mother's half-sister, asked her parents to be able to take Neha with her for a few days, to get help her sick and hospitalized son at Jinnah Hospital. The family agreed because Sundas, who converted to Islam by marrying Muhammad Rehan a few years ago, was still a trusted relative.

Sundas, instead of taking Neha to the hospital, took her home with her younger brother. There waiting for them was Mohammad Imran and Azra, brother and sister of Rehan (husband of Sundas), who tortured the Christian girl and force her to marry Imran. She refused, was taken by Imran to a nearby room and raped; and still she refused. At that point the threat: "If you don't convert and you don't marry Imran, we will throw your brother off the roof." Eventually Neha agreed.

The next day the girl was taken to the Maulana (Islamic religious) where she embraced the Islamic faith, her name was changed to Fatima and the wedding was celebrated. Then the new husband took her home, where she was forced to satisfy her spouse's sexual desires for a week. Finally she managed to escape and returned to her parents. On hearing her story, they were shocked because they believed that their daughter was still in the hospital helping her sick cousin.

The family tried to register a complaint, but the police refused to hear their statement. Meanwhile, Imran's family has filed a counter-complaint accusing the girl's parents of wanting to hide the wife Fatima / Neha, which goes against Islamic law.

On May 13, police finally filed their complaint thanks to the support of activists and Church leaders. Rev. Gazala Shafiq, pastor of the Church of Pakistan [protestant], complains that "marriage for girls under 18 is punishable under the Penal Code. Neha is scared, she huddles in a corner and just repeats that if she is forced to go home, nobody will help her anymore. His heart is broken. We must be close to her and demand justice ".
Fifty-two Pakistani immigrants deported by the US have arrived here by a special chartered flight amid tight security, a media report said Thursday.

Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi informed the National Assembly Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs on Tuesday that US authorities detained and prosecuted the Pakistani nationals for immigration violations, criminal conduct and other serious charges.

Dawn newspaper, quoting immigration sources, reported that 53 Pakistanis were scheduled to be deported, but only 52 people arrived on Wednesday as one person fell sick at the US airport and was not sent back.

US security officials were guarding the Pakistani deportees when they arrived at the Islamabad International Airport on a special chartered flight. Soon after landing, they asked the Pakistani authorities to take custody of the deportees who had been arrested by the US police.

The Trump administration recently launched a crackdown on the foreigners who stayed in the US even after the expiry of their visas. The 52 Pakistanis were among those who overstayed in the US, the report said.

A senior official of the Federal Investigation Agency said the deportees were allowed to go after verification of their travel documents. The official parried a question about the fate of those involved in petty crimes and deported by the US, the report said.

Qureshi had also confirmed that the US denied visas to three senior Pakistani officials following a row between the two countries over deportation of dozens of Pakistanis in America for their visa overstay and other allegations.

The Pakistani officials who faced US visa restrictions are an additional secretary, a joint secretary of the interior ministry and the director general passports, the minister said on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, nine Pakistani illegal immigrants deported from Greece were taken into custody after their arrival at Islamabad International Airport by a separate flight and shifted to the FIA's Anti-Human Trafficking Cell.

The FIA official said the deportees were kept at the cell's jail for further legal proceeding as they had gone to Europe through land route and were later caught by the Greek authorities.

He said that since the nine deportees belonged to Gujrat district in Punjab province, they would be shifted to FIA Gujranwala for further legal proceeding.

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The AAP Thursday hit out at Pragya Thakur, the BJP's Lok Sabha candidate from Bhopal, for calling Mahatma Gandhi's assassin Nathuram Godse a "patriot", and asked why the BJP leadership is silent on it.

In a statement, the Aam Aadmi Party strongly condemned Thakur's remark and accused the BJP of "destroying the country beyond repair".

The party said all democratic-minded countrymen need to understand this "danger" before it is too late.

"Entire country is in a state of shock at the latest statement of terror accused BJP Pragya Thakur praising Nathuram Godse, the assassin of Mahatma Gandhi. Who could have ever imagined that Indians would ever hear Godse being praised by a mainstream political party and that too India's ruling party," it said.

"We want to know why top BJP leadership is silent? Why are they not expelling her from the party and apologising to the nation?" the party said in the statement.

Earlier in the day, Malegaon blast accused Thakur termed Godse a "patriot".

"Nathuram Godse was a deshbhakt (patriot), he is and will remain a deshbhakt. Those calling him a terrorist should instead look at themselves. They will be given a befitting reply in this election," the controversial leader said in Agar Malwa in Madhya Pradesh while attending a roadshow.

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An accused in the August 2012 low-intensity blasts case in Pune surrendered before the special court here Thursday.

The accused, Aslam Shabbir Shaikh, surrendered before special court Judge V S Padalkar after the Supreme Court refused to set aside the order passed by the Bombay High Court cancelling his bail.

The trial of the case is being conducted by the special MCOCA court in Mumbai.

Expressing doubt over the prosecution's case of linking Shaikh with the blasts, the high court had granted him bail in October 2015.

The ATS, which probed the case, had sought the cancellation of his bail after he violated its term, chief public prosecutor Jaisingh Desai said.

According to his bail term, he was required to visit the ATS police station, but he failed to do so.

On August 1, 2012, a series of low-intensity explosions had taken place on Jungli Maharaj Road in Pune, injuring one person.

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Uttar Pradesh



Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said Thursday that by asking the caste of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the opposition is plotting to weaken the country.

Training guns at the Congress, he said the party ignored farmers, soldiers and the youth during the UPA regime.

Adityanath said due to foreign policy of the Modi-led dispensation at the Centre, India is globally known for its power.

"Now the terrorists are also aware of the fact that because of the stringent rules, they cannot even think of harming our country," he said.

The chief minister said the BJP is committed towards the development of the country and in the last five years, the party has worked for the marginalised sections of society.

"By asking the caste of Modi, the opposition is plotting to weaken the country. The PM has extended the benefits of government schemes like concrete houses, gas, electricity and toilets, etc. to crore of poor families without any discrimination," he said.

Before the last phase of polling in the state, Adityanath addressed two rallies in Gehmar of Ghazipur and Gulhariya of Pipraich on Thursday.

"SP-BSP goons were occupying the land during their government's tenure but when we came in power, we freed the land and opened hospitals, cow shelters and leased out the remaining land to the poor," he claimed.

"Gorakhpur fertilizer factory, which is going to start soon, will not only create job opportunities for the youth but farmers will get benefited too," Adityanath said.

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Election officials in Afghanistan should do more to ensure delayed presidential polls can take place in September, the US embassy in Kabul said Thursday.

The election was initially slated for April 20, but as the date drew close it grew obvious that overwhelmed poll officials were unprepared -- owing to them still tallying results from a nationwide parliamentary ballot in October.

Amid the push to finalise those results, officials first delayed the presidential election until July 20, and then again to September 28. Final results were only announced this week.

In a statement, the US embassy urged the Independent Election Commission and Afghan authorities "do their part to take the decisions and actions necessary to give the Afghan people their voice at the ballot box this year."



Among its recommendations, the embassy said the election commission should present a clear plan and budget request, as well as hire and train sufficient staff to complete voter registration and preparations.

"The Afghan people deserve the opportunity to choose their next leadership through transparent elections in September," the statement read.

"We are prepared to continue supporting this process."



The embassy statement comes after Alice Wells, the principal deputy assistant secretary of state for South and Central Asian affairs, met with Afghan leaders in Kabul this week, when she stressed the importance of holding the September election.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani's term technically expires May 22, and his opponents have said his administration should make way for a caretaker government until presidential elections can be held.

The supreme court however has said he can remain in power until the next election.

The delayed elections come as the United States tries to negotiate a peace deal with the Taliban, and some had speculated the polls were being deliberately stalled to create more space for those talks.

Negotiations however appear to be making slow progress, with the two sides at loggerheads over several key issues.

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Keeping up the pressure on Kamal Haasan, the ruling AIADMK Thursday asked the MNM chief to express regret for his "free India's first extremist was a Hindu" remarks and warned that people would boycott him if he tried to "disturb" peace in the State.

The Makkal Needhi Maiam filed a complaint with police and election officials against AIADMK leader and state minister Rajendra Bhalaji, who wanted Haasan's tongue to be cut off for his remarks.

On Sunday, Haasan had said "free India's first extremist was a Hindu", referring to Nathuram Godse who killed Mahatma Gandhi.

The remarks drew sharp response from the BJP and AIADMK even as the Congress and Dravidar Kazhagam jumped to Haasan's defence.

Targeting the actor-turned-politician, senior AIADMK leader and state Fisheries minister D Jayakumar said in Madurai Thursday that most utterances by Haasan were "unacceptable" and asked him not to "sow seeds of venom."



"He only utters unacceptable remarks which are bound to see a reaction...he should ponder over it. People are living harmoniously, transcending religion and caste and no one should sow seeds of venom," he told reporters.

This applied not just to the Makkal Needhi Maiam founder but to anyone in public life as only good things should be said in politics, the minister added.

There has been so much of opposition to his remarks that Haasan should express regret as "all will accept that," he said, adding Tamil Nadu has been a peaceful state.

"Tamil Nadu is (a) peaceful (state). And if he attempts to derive mileage by disturbing peace, he will for sure will be boycotted by people and forced to face the law," Jayakumar said.

"What stops him from expressing regret. Does he not like Tamil Nadu to remain peaceful and desires violence," he asked.

He recalled that even in the aftermath of the Babri Masjid demolition in 1992, there was no communal violence in the State as then Chief Minister, the late J Jayalalitha, had handled law and order "with an iron fist."



Earlier, stoking a controversy, Haasan had said "free India's first extremist was a Hindu.""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) starts," he had said in bypoll bound Aravakurichi.

Meanwhile, the MNM filed a complaint against Milk and Dairy Development Minister Rajendra Balaji, who said Haasan's tongue should be cut off for his remarks on Godse, saying the statement does not befit an elected representative.

MNM functionary and party's candidate for the Perambur assembly bypoll, U Priyadarshini, filed the complaint with the office of Chief Electoral Officer Satyabrata Sahoo, as well as with the Chennai city police, seeking action against the minister.

His remarks amounted to inciting violence, she said in her complaint.

The bypoll was held on April 18 along with the Lok Sabha election and by-election to 17 other assembly segments.

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Three employees of a government college in Faridabad, including an associate professor, were placed under suspension on Thursday by Haryana's higher education department following allegations of sexual harassment levelled against them by a girl student, officials here said.

A junior laboratory assistant and a peon have also been suspended and a committee has been formed to look into the allegations against the three accused, they said.

The complainant alleged that the accused would befriend girl students at the time of admission and later they would target those who had to reappear for exams, promising to help them in every manner, the officials said.

She alleged that the accused sought sexual favours from the girls in exchange for helping them in the exams, they said.

The officials said the matter came to light when the complainant recorded her conversation with the laboratory assistant and narrated the incident to the college principal.

The incident triggered outrage, with senior Congress leader and Kaithal MLA Randeep Singh Surjewala demanding strict action against the culprits.

"It should be ensured that the victim girl students get justice," he said in a tweet.

Taking a dig at the ruling BJP, Surjewala said such incidents show that "Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao" (Save the Daughter, Teach the Daughter) was just a "jumla" (rhetoric) in Haryana.

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The Austrian government Thursday warned internet users to shun an online cow-kissing challenge, calling it a "dangerous nuisance".

A Swiss app called Castl launched the #KuhKussChallenge ("Cow Kiss Challenge") on Wednesday, encouraging users in Switzerland and other German-speaking countries to kiss cows -- "with or without tongues" -- to raise money for charity.

But Austrian Agriculture Minister Elisabeth Koestinger branded the challenge a "dangerous nuisance" in a statement on Thursday.

"Pastures and meadows are not petting zoos -- actions like these could have serious consequences," she added, pointing out that cows could become aggressive when defending their calves.

Balancing the activities of tourists and cattle farmers is a sensitive topic in Austria's mountain regions, with both being key pillars of the region's economy.

In February, a court in the Tyrol region caused uproar after ordering a farmer to pay 490,000 euros (USD 555,000) in compensation to the widower of a woman who was trampled to death by a herd of his cows in 2014.

The farmer is appealing the verdict and is being supported by Austria's farmers' federation, which has warned of the "end of our mountain pastures" if the verdict is allowed to stand.

The government has tried to prevent such incidents by publishing a "code of conduct" for mountain walkers and hikers, advising them to avoid herds of cows wherever possible.

"Actions like this challenge fly in the face of our efforts to promote co-existence on the pastures. I simply can't understand it," said Koestinger.

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The BJP's Guman Singh Damor, who made a successful electoral debut in the 2018 Madhya Pradesh Assembly polls, is locked in a high-stakes battle with Congress MP from Ratlam-Jhabua, Kantilal Bhuria -- also the father of the former's rival last year, Vikrant.

After retiring as engineer-in-chief from the public health department, Damor contested from the Jhabua assembly seat on BJP ticket last year and defeated Vikrant with a margin of nearly 10,400 votes.

Now, Damor is challenging Bhuria Senior -- a five-time Congress MP who has lost only one election.

Bhuria was defeated by Congress turncoat and BJP candidate Dileep Singh Bhuria in the 2014 general election. However, he wrested the seat from the saffron party in the 2015 bypoll, which was necessitated after Dileep Singh's death.

He defeated the late BJP MP's daughter, Nirmala, with a margin of 88,000 votes.

The electoral battle for Ratlam-Jhabua -- a tribal-dominated seat in western Madhya Pradesh which is considered a Congress stronghold, has witnessed a high-pitched poll campaign.

The BJP's star campaigner Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress stalwarts including party president Rahul Gandhi and general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra have addressed rallies in the constituency.

Damor exuded confidence that Bhuria will lose this time as people are unhappy with his work.

"Wherever I go, people welcome me with an open heart and they are not at all happy with the sitting MP as he failed to do anything for them despite being a member of the Lok Sabha for 20 years and a Union minister," Damor told PTI.

"In this election, people will vote for making Modi the prime minister again and therefore, Bhuria's defeat is certain," he said.

The Congress, on the other hand, is hoping that the minimum income guarantee scheme, announced by Gandhi in March, will help the party retain the seat.

"The NYAY scheme (Nyuntam Aay Yojana) announced by party president Rahul Gandhi, which will ensure payment of Rs 6,000 per month and Rs 72,000 per year (to the poorest 20 per cent in the country), will change the lives of the poor people. It will prove to be a game changer for the party," Jhabua district Congress president Nirmal Mehta said.

He also denied Damor's charge that Bhuria had not done anything for the development of his constituency.

During the Congress MP's tenure, Navodaya Vidyalayas and Industrial Training Institutes (ITI) were opened and stoppage of a number of trains crossing the nearby Meghnagar station was granted, providing major relief to the people, Mehta said.

The Ratlam-Jhabua Lok Sabha seat comprises eight assembly segments -- Alirajpur, Jobat, Jhabua, Thandla, Petlavad, Ratlam Rural, Ratlam City and Sailana.

Of these, the Congress holds Jobat, Alirajpur, Petlawad, Thandla and Sailana, while the remaining three are with the BJP.

Polling in this constituency will be held in the last phase of Lok Sabha elections on May 19.

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Bihar BJP on Thursday objected to a painting resembling symbol of a national party at three polling stations under Patna Sahib constituency and demanded reinspection of all booths in the district in view of this.

A party delegation led by Bihar BJP vice-president Devesh Kumar met Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) H R Srinivasa and submitted a memorandum objecting painting resembling the symbol of a political party (Congress' hand).

Other members of the delegation were Prashant Kumar Verma, Radhika Raman, Nikhil Anand, Pankaj Singh, Rakesh Kumar Singh and Rajiv Ranjan, all Bihar BJP functionaries.

Expressing the hope that the Election Commission would maintain its objectivity and neutrality, the BJP team drew the CEOs attention towards the painting at polling stations 149, 150 and 167 under Bankipore assembly segment of Patna Sahib Parliamentary constituency which the party workers found during a visit.

The party (BJP) demands the Commission that it should take suo motu cognizance of the matter and take appropriate action against officials responsible for the painting.

It also sought removal of the painting without any delay besides suspending the erring officials.

Patna district has two lok sabha constituencies of Patna Sahib and Pataliputra.

Union Minister and BJP's nominee Ravi Shankar Prasad and actor-politician Shatrughan Sinha fighting on Congress ticket are locked in an intese contest at Patna Sahib.

While another union minister and BJP's nominee Ram Kripal Yadav is taking on Lalu Prasad's eldest daughter and RJD candidate Misa Bharti on Pataliputra seat.

When contacted, the Chief Electoral Officer told PTI that the painting has not been carried out by the district administration, rather it seems that it might be done by some children after colouring their hands.

We have asked officials to remove the painting from the booths, Srinivasa said.

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The group includes 156 children, most under six, thought to be children of foreign fighters. At least 4,000 young people from Central Asia have been recruited by the Islamic Caliphate. It is important to neutralise the threat imposed by terrorists before they return home on their own, says one experts.

Nur-Sultan (AsiaNews/Agencies)  Kazakh authorities have repatriated 231 Kazakh citizens from Syria many of whom are believed to be members of the Islamic State group in that country, said Kazakh caretaker President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev[i] said.

On Monday, Kazakh Deputy Foreign Minister Yerzhan Ashikbayev told a press conference that the group includes 16 men, 59 women and 156 children, most under six with 18 orphans. The authorities believe that some of the fathers are foreign fighters.

Upon landing in Nur-Sultan,[ii] all the men and four women were taken into custody for ties to Islamic terrorism. In January, another 47 Kazakh nationals were repatriated from Syria.

The Central Asian nation is not the only former Soviet Republic to have detained alleged terrorists. Earlier this month, Tajikistan brought home 84 minors from Iraq (picture 2), the offspring of Tajik women married to fighters, in jail or on trial for IS membership.

The recruitment of young Muslims for ISs war against Western powers is a long-standing issue In Central Asia. According to official sources, at least 4,000 people left the region through Russia and Middle East to fight in Syria and Iraq.

In 2015, the Kyrgyzstans ulema issued an edict to excommunicate the Islamic State as a way to counter the organisations ideological appeal. "True Islam has always opposed extremism and the killing of innocents," said one cleric.

To counter radical ideas among youth, the Kyrgyz government also banned Hajj (pilgrimage) to Makkah for those under 35.

Over the years, a number of Central Asians have been involved in international terrorism. Sayfullo Saipov, author of the Halloween massacre in New York in October 2017, came from Uzbekistan; Akbarzhon Jalilov, responsible for the St Petersburg metro attack in April 2017, was from Kyrgyzstan; Abdulkadir Masharipov, the jihadist behind the New Year's massacre at the Reina club in Istanbul in 2017, was Uzbek; Gulmurod Khalimov, a well-known commander in Tajikistan special forces, joined IS in 2015 and was killed in Syria in 2017.

Amanzhol Urazbayev, a reserve KNB[iii] colonel who frequently comments on security matters, said that Kazakhstans mission is not only humanitarian. Also important is that the evacuation allows Kazakhstan to neutralise the threat imposed by terrorists before they return home on their own, he explained.

However, other experts highlight the risk that Islamic terrorism can be used as a pretext by governments to suppress internal dissent.

[i] Mr Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev will hold office until June when presidential elections will be held, following long-time President Nursultan Nazarbayev's surprise resignation.

[ii] On 20 March 2019, the capital of Kazakhstan was renamed from Astana to Nur-Sultan in honour of the long-serving Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev.

[iii] National Security Committee of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
Left parties Thursday hit out at the BJP over its Bhopal Lok Sabha candidate Pragya Singh Thakur's remark that Mahatma Gandhi's assassin Nathuram Godse was a "patriot", alleging that the saffron party remains inspired by the killers of the Father of the Nation.

Talking to a channel in Madhya Pradesh earlier in the day, Thakur said, "Nathuram Godse was a desh bhakt (patriot), he is and will remain one. Those calling him a terrorist should introspect. They will be given a befitting reply in this election."



Reacting to her remarks, the Left parties said that facts should always be kept in mind when talking about Godse.

"The truth about where RSS-BJP stands on terror gets clearer all the time. A senior minister in (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi's Cabinet said Godse was not a terrorist, now terror-accused Pragya Thakur calls the murderer of Gandhi ji a 'desh bhakt'. The BJP remains inspired by the killers of the Mahatma." CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury said.

CPI leader D Raja said that BJP distancing itself from Thakur's comments shows its duplicity.

He alleged that the party allows its leaders to make all sorts of divisive statements and then conveniently distance itself from it.

"It's a fact that Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated and the incident was a well-planned one to spread hatred, create fear and to send out a message. This assassination was carried out by Nathuram Godse. If the BJP thinks Godse was patriot then what was Mahatma Gandhi?" he asked.

Meanwhile, PDP president and former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti said, "Gandhi ji certainly didn't die to let history repeat itself. The BJP should be ashamed for endorsing a candidate who praised Bapu's assassin. He (Godse) was a terrorist & those who admire him are nothing else but Nathuram Godse 2.0 in the making."



Mehbooba said she took pride in being called an "anti-national" when Godse is hailed as a nationalist.

"I take pride in being called an anti-national when a Hindu fanatic who gunned down Gandhi ji is hailed as a nationalist. Aisi nationalism aur desh bhakti humaray bas ki naheen. Yeh aapko mubarak ( I am not capable of such nationalism. You. May keep it), " she added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Boeing said Thursday that it completed its software update on the 737 MAX after two deadly crashes resulted in a global grounding of the aircraft.

The proposed fix, which addresses a problem with a flight handling system thought to be a factor in both crashes, must now win approval from US and international regulators before the planes can return to service.

"With safety as our clear priority, we have completed all of the engineering test flights for the software update and are preparing for the final certification flight," said Chief Executive Dennis Muilenburg said in a statement.

"The accidents have only intensified our commitment to our values, including safety, quality and integrity, because we know lives depend on what we do." Boeing's announcement sent shares up 2.6 per cent to USD 354.44 in afternoon trading. The halt to the 737 MAX has dented Boeing's revenues and clouded the company's earnings outlook.

Boeing said it has flown 737 MAX with updated software for the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System for more than 360 hours on 207 flights.

Boeing is providing additional information to the Federal Aviation Administration in anticipation of a certification test flight, a key step in winning regulatory approval, the company said.

In both the Lion Air and Ethiopian Airlines crashes, the MCAS pointed the plane sharply downward based on a faulty sensor reading, hindering pilot control after takeoff, according to preliminary crash investigations.

The FAA has called a May 23 meeting of international civil aviation regulators in Texas to discuss the FAA's process for clearing the 737 MAX to resume service.

Acting FAA Administrator Daniel Elwell told a congressional panel on Wednesday that he hopes the gathering builds support for international bodies to approve the 737 MAX soon after the United States gives it the green light.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The CBI Thursday withdrew from a Delhi court its application that had sought permission to further probe the politically sensitive Rs 64-crore Bofors payoff case.

The agency told Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Navin Kumar Kashyap that it wanted to withdraw the application filed on February 1, 2018 which was allowed by the court.

The CBI had moved the trial court seeking permission for further probe in the matter saying it had come across fresh material and evidence.

The agency on Thursday submitted before the court that decision on further course of action would be taken by it and wanted to withdraw the application for now.

Taking note of CBI's stand, the judge said: "For the reason best known to the CBI, in case they want to withdraw the application, they have the right as they are the applicants."



The court also took note of the virtual u-turn of advocate Ajay Agarwal, who had filed a separate application before the trial court seeking further probe in the matter but wanted to withdraw his plea now.

"Why should we not impose a cost on you? You have wasted time of the court with your application. I am imposing cost (Rs 100) so that persons like you do not come and waste time. CBI is the probe agency and it has a right. What is your locus (standi)," the judge asked.

Agarwal, who had fought Lok Sabha election from Rai Bareli against UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi in 2014, submitted that the cost should not be imposed on him and he be allowed to argue that he has got a locus in this case.

The court then posted the matter for arguments on July 6.

The apex court had on October 18, 2005 admitted Agarwal's petition which was filed after the CBI failed to approach the top court with the appeal within the 90-day deadline following the May 31, 2005 Delhi High Court judgement quashing charges against the Europe-based industrialists, the Hinduja brothers.

The court on December 4, 2018 had questioned as to why the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) required its permission to further probe the matter.

The CBI had also filed an appeal in the Supreme Court in February 2, 2018 against the May 31, 2005 verdict of the Delhi high Court discharging all the accused in the case.

The apex court had on November 2, 2018 dismissed CBI's appeal in which it had sought condonation of the 13 year delay in filing the appeal against the high court judgment.

The apex court had said that it was not convinced with the grounds of the CBI to condone over 4,500 days' delay in filing the appeal.

However, one of the appeals is still alive in the apex court in which CBI is one of the respondents and the top court on November 2, 2018 said that the agency can assist in the matter as respondent.

The apex court said the CBI can raise all grounds in the appeal against the high court verdict filed by Agarwal who has also challenged the judgement.

Agarwal, who has now become a rebel BJP leader after he was denied Lok Sabha ticket from Rai Bareilly in Uttar Pradesh, in 2005 had challenged the high court verdict after the CBI did not file the appeal in the mandatory 90 days period.

The agency had swung into action for a permission for further probe in the case after the Attorney General had orally given it a go ahead to file the appeal in the case in which it cited the October 2017 interview of private detective Michael Hershman, alleging that the then Rajiv Gandhi government had sabotaged his probe.

Justice R S Sodhi (since retired) of the Delhi High Court had on May 31, 2005 quashed the CBI case in the Bofors pay-off scam.

Before the 2005 verdict of Justice Sodhi, another judge of the Delhi High Court, Justice J D Kapoor (since retired), had on February 4, 2004 exonerated the late prime minister in the case and directed the framing of charge of forgery under section 465 of the IPC against Bofors company.

The Rs 1,437-crore deal between India and Swedish arms manufacturer AB Bofors for the supply of 400 155mm howitzer guns for the Indian Army was entered into on March 24, 1986.

Swedish Radio on April 16, 1987 claimed that the company had paid bribes to top Indian politicians and defence personnel.

The CBI on January 22, 1990 registered the FIR for alleged offences of criminal conspiracy, cheating and forgery under the India Penal Code and other sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act against Martin Ardbo, the then president of AB Bofors, alleged middleman Win Chadda and the Hinduja brothers.

It alleged that certain public servants and private persons in India and abroad had entered into a criminal conspiracy between 1982 and 1987 in pursuance of which the offences of bribery, corruption, cheating and forgery were committed.

The first charge sheet in the case was filed on October 22, 1999, against Chadda, Ottavio Quattrocchi, the then defence secretary S K Bhatnagar, Ardbo and the Bofors company.

A supplementary charge sheet was filed against the Hinduja brothers -- S P Hinduja, G P Hinduja and P P Hinduja -- on October 9, 2000.

A special CBI court in Delhi on March 4, 2011, had discharged Quattrocchi in the case, saying the country could not afford to spend hard-earned money on his extradition which had already cost Rs 250 crore.

Quattrocchi, who had fled from India on July 29-30, 1993, never appeared before any court in India to face prosecution. He passed away on July 13, 2013. The other accused who died are Bhatnagar, Ardbo and Chadda.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A Delhi court Thursday proposed imposing Rs 100 as cost on a rebel-BJP leader for wanting to withdraw his application which had sought further probe in the politically sensitive, Rs 64-crore Bofors payoff case.

Advocate Ajay Agarwal, who has become a rebel after being denied the Lok Sabha ticket by the party from Rai Bareilly in Uttar Pradesh, had moved a separate application in the case seeking further probe. After that prosecuting agency CBI also moved a similar plea on February 1, 2018.

However, after CBI told the court Thursday that it wanted to withdraw its application, Agarwal also sought the same liberty, which irked the court.

Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Navin Kumar Kashyap, while allowing CBI to withdraw its application, proposed to impose a cost on Agarwal, saying that he "wasted" the judicial time.

"Why should we not impose a cost on you? You have wasted time of the court with your application. I am imposing cost so that persons like you do not come and waste time. CBI is the probe agency and it has a right. What is your locus (standi)," the judge asked, after taking note of the u-turn of Agarwal.

Agarwal, who had fought Lok Sabha election from Rai Bareli against UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi in 2014, submitted that the cost be not imposed on him and he be allowed to argue that he has got a locus in this case.

The court then posted the matter for arguments on July 6.

The apex court had on October 18, 2005 admitted Agarwal's petition which was filed after the CBI failed to approach the top court with the appeal within the 90-day deadline following the May 31, 2005 Delhi High Court judgement quashing charges against the Europe-based industrialists, the Hinduja brothers.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Amid election fever in Varanasi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's popularity in this holy city can be seen from streets to stands, with booksellers saying titles written on him are flying off the shelf ahead of the polls in his constituency.

Among the books doing well are "The Real Modi" and "Narendra Modi: Ek Sakaratmak Soch", according to booksellers in the temple town.

While the first one is an old paperback edition in Hindi, it is the second title that is catching the eyes of readers in the temple town.

Printed by publisher Apurva Shah of Ahmedabad, "Narendra Modi: Ek Sakaratmak Soch" is an unusual book as it is shaped like a cut-out put up during election rallies.

Amit Singh, proprietor of the nearly 50-year-old Universal Book Company, located near the famous Godowlia Chowk in the city, pointed to a row of standing miniature Modi cut-outs stacked on a bookshelf next to a Shiv Khera title.

"Those cut-outs are not poll merchandises, but actually a book published by Navrang Printers and people are lapping it up for its quirky design. This book and 'The Real Modi' are selling like hot cakes, or should I say hot chai," Singh told PTI.

The book cover shows a image of Modi wearing a khadi kurta over a churidar pyjama and the content is printed bilingually, one side completely in English and the other side in Hindi.

"During Modi's roadshow here ahead of filing nomination for the 2019 polls, a life-size version of the same book was put up as part of the rally," Singh said.

The book, which is about 11 inches long, saw a third edition coming out in March, and the number of pages correspond to Modi's age, he said.

It is divided into several segments and in the preface written by Shah, reference has been made to the surgical strike and the airstrike, besides Modi government's flagship schemes like 'Swachh Bharat' and 'Beti Bachao-Beti Padhao'.

From Modi's birthplace Vadnagar in Gujarat, the unique-looking book takes readers to his work regimen at 7, Race Course Road, the official residence of the prime minister.

Singh claimed "The Real Modi" is a bestseller throughout the year, but lately its sales have gone up, given the election fever gripping the people here.

At Indica Books, publisher of a popular graphic novel-styled book "A Pilgrimage to Kashi", a dummy book cover of "From Mahatma Gandhi to Modi" dangles outside the shop. A staff said, "We are awaiting copies of his book, people want to read about Modi and his life."



Universal Book's Singh said other titles are also selling well.

"One such book is 'RSS 360 degrees' and during election there is a renewed interest among readers about this book," he said.

But, it's not just bookshelves that are filled with publications on Modi this election season, in streets and in corner shops, Modi banners and posters can be seen.

Several autorickshaws plying in Varanasi can been carrying a poster of Modi's poll campaign, bearing slogans like -- 'Modi hai to mumkin hai' or 'Aatank ko muhtod jawab'.

"At DLW Maidan, some BJP workers pasted these Modi posters behind my auto," said an autorickshaw driver, who did not wish to be identified.

At busy Godowlia Chowk near Dashashwamedh Ghat, several shops selling paan, lassi or Misrambu -- a local sweet beverage -- can also be seen sporting a 'Modi clock' -- a specially designed wall clock that projects the image of Modi and his various schemes.

Varanasi, the ancient city know also by other names, Banaras and Kashi, will go to polls on May 19.

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A Delhi court Thursday allowed former ICICI Bank CEO Chanda Kochhar's brother-in-law Rajiv Kochhar, a suspect in a bank loan fraud and money laundering case, to travel abroad for 10 days.

Special Judge Anju Bajaj Chandna allowed Rajiv to travel to New York on a personal bond of Rs 10 lakh and directed the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to suspend the look out circular (LOC) till then.

The court kept his application, seeking cancellation of LOC, for hearing on June 3 after ED's special public prosecutor Nitesh Rana said the agency needed time to file a detailed reply on the issue.

Chanda and her husband Deepak along with Rajiv have been questioned by the ED which is probing the case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

In his application, moved by senior advocate Sidharth Luthra, Rajiv said his "younger son is studying in New York University and has his 'graduating ceremony' on May 21 and 22 in New York, USA. The occasion marks an important and significant day/event in the life of the son and the applicant..."



Rajiv, founder of Singapore-based Avista Advisory, informed the court that the CBI has already cancelled the LOC issued against him.

He told the court that he has cooperated in the probe and further undertakes to assist the agency in future as and when required.

He further claimed that he and his family were estranged from his brother Deepak and sister-in-law Chanda due to a family fall out because of which the applicant has started his own independent business and has no business or personal connection, of any nature, either with them or any of their companies.

ED registered a criminal case under the PMLA early this year against Chanda, Deepak, Videocon promoter Venugopal Dhoot and others to probe alleged irregularities and corrupt practices in sanctioning Rs 1,875-crore loans by ICICI Bank to the corporate group, the probe agency's advocate A R Aditya said.

The action was based on an FIR registered by the CBI.

Rajiv has been questioned by the CBI as well in the same case in the past. He was asked by CBI sleuths about the help he had extended to Videocon in relation to a loan from ICICI Bank, which was part of a Rs 400-billion credit given by a consortium of 20 banks to the group's main promoter, Dhoot.

The searches were conducted at the premises of Chanda, her family and Dhoot in Mumbai and Aurangabad.

CBI has named the three as also Dhoot's companies -- Videocon International Electronics Ltd (VIEL) and Videocon Industries Limited (VIL) -- in its case.

It also named Supreme Energy, a company founded by Dhoot, and NuPower Renewables, a company controlled by Deepak, in the FIR.

The CBI alleged that Dhoot had invested in Nupower through his firm Supreme Energy in a quid pro quo to loans cleared by ICICI Bank after Chanda took over as the CEO of the bank on May 1, 2009.

The ownership of Nupower and Supreme Energy changed hands through a complex web of shared transactions between Deepak and Dhoot, the CBI alleged.

During its preliminary enquiry, the CBI found that six loans worth Rs 1,875 crore were sanctioned to the Videocon Group and companies associated with it between June, 2009 and October, 2011 in alleged violation of laid-down policies of ICICI Bank, which have now become part of the probe.

"Existing outstanding in the accounts of these private group companies were adjusted in Rupee Term Loan of Rs 1,730 crore sanctioned by ICICI Bank under refinance of domestic debt under consortium arrangement on April 26, 2012," the CBI had said.

The loans were declared non-performing assets in 2012, causing a loss of Rs 1,730 crore to the bank, it alleged.

The ED, the sources said, is also probing at least two other instances of loans given by ICICI Bank (during Chanda Kochhar's tenure) to Gujarat-based pharmaceutical firm Sterling Biotech and to Bhushan Steel group.

The agency is investigating these two instances of alleged bank loan fraud under the PMLA.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
China Thursday asked US to stop carrying out the executive order barring American companies from using telecommunications equipment made by Chinese company Huawei and its 70 subsidiaries, saying that it would be a mistake if Washington went ahead with it.

Escalating the bruising trade war with China, President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Wednesday barring American companies from installing the foreign-made telecom equipment posing a national security threat, a move apparently aimed at banning Huawei from US networks.

His decision risks escalating tensions with China as the world's two largest economies clash over whether Huawei - the world's largest provider of telecommunications equipment - poses a spying risk to Western infrastructure networks.

The US and China are already locked in a trade battle that has seen mounting tariffs, sparking fears the conflict will damage the global economy.

"The executive order is an abuse of national security and unilateral trade sanctions," state-run CGTN quoted Chinese Ministry of Commerce spokesperson Gao Feng as saying.

The US should respect market economy rules and build a transparent and unbiased commercial environment for foreign companies, he told the media.

Earlier, Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang warned of retaliation against Trump's order that effectively barred Chinese telecom giant Huawei from the US market, saying Beijing will take "necessary measures" to safeguard rights and interest of its business firms.

Reacting sharply to Trump's move, Lu told a media briefing here that China will take measures to defend the interests of Chinese companies.

"We have noted the US department of Commerce decision. China always asks its business to comply with laws and regulations in export control and fulfil their international obligations. We always ask them to abide by other country's laws regulations in their overseas business," Lu said.

"But we are against other countries' unilateral sanctions based on domestic law and practices that abuses export control measures. We urge the US to stop such practice and create favourable conditions for business cooperation. China will take necessary measures to safeguard Chinese business' legitimate rights and interests," he said.

He, however, parried questions over what measures China would take, saying the commerce ministry would come out with a response.

Asked whether China would now target US firms in retaliation, Lu said, "as for the foreign firms, so long their operations are lawful, they should not be concerned. In international trade, the basis is mutual respect and mutual benefit".

Separately, Huawei in a statement said that "unreasonable restrictions" by the US infringed on its rights.

"Restricting Huawei from doing business in the US will not make the US more secure or stronger; instead, this will only serve to limit the US to inferior yet more expensive alternatives," the telecom giant said.

"In addition, unreasonable restrictions will infringe upon Huawei's rights and raise other serious legal issues," it said.

Huawei is already fighting a major legal battle against US to stave off the extradition of its CFO Meng Wanzhou, who has been arrested in Canada, to face prosecution for violations of American sanctions against Iran.

Meng, the daughter of Huawei owner Ren Zhengfei, has been accused of misleading banks about the company's business dealings there.

Huawei alleges that the US is stifling its business as it has emerged as a major competitor for the next generation 5G telecom technology.

In the media briefing, Lu while replying to a question whether China view Trump's move as a major escalation of trade war, said, "we are opposed to other countries making every issue a national security and using that as pretext to suppress other businesses.

"China will defend its business' rights and interests. As for China's view on the executive order (of Trump) we can say that nobody say this as constructive and friendly gesture," he said.

Lu also gave a lukewarm response to remarks made by US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, one of the lead American negotiators, that he anticipates going to China for more trade talks in the near future.

China always stands for consultations and negotiations to resolve differences, he said, adding that Beijing opted for talks even when US turned away from negotiations in the past.

"But I have to point out that in negotiations there has to be good faith," he said, emphasising respect, equality and mutual trust and good faith.

"One must match words with action. There should be no flip-flopping," he said.

Also in a related issue, Lu confirmed that China has formally arrested two Canadians who have been detained in December last year on suspicion of endangering national security.

Michael Kovrig, a former Canadian diplomat, and Michael Spavor, a Canadian businessman based in China, have been arrested in what Canada alleged as tit-for-tat retaliation to Huawei CFO Wanzhou's detention.

The timing of their charges also coincides with US ban on Huawei.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
China has formally arrested two Canadians who have been detained for months on national security grounds, a Canadian newspaper reported on Thursday, in a case that has inflamed tensions between Ottawa and Beijing.

A Canadian government source told The Globe and Mail that neither Michael Kovrig, a former diplomat, nor Michael Spavor, a China-based businessman who organised trips to North Korea, have been formally charged.

"Canada strongly condemns their arbitrary arrest as we condemned their arbitrary detention on December 10," the Canadian foreign ministry said in a statement to the newspaper.

Though no link has been officially made, the detention of Spavor and Kovrig is thought to be in retaliation for Canada's December 1 detention on a US extradition request for Meng Wanzhou, a top executive of Chinese telecom giant Huawei who is accused of violating Iran sanctions.

The men were first accused of activities that "endanger China's security" - a phrase often used by Beijing when alleging espionage.

China later announced it suspected Kovrig of spying and stealing state secrets and alleged that Spavor had provided him with intelligence.

Two other Canadians convicted of drug trafficking, meanwhile, have been sentenced to death. And Beijing recently blocked Canadian shipments of canola and pork worth billions of dollars.

Meng - who is currently fighting extradition to the US - is allowed to live in her Vancouver mansion, although her mobility is limited.

Meanwhile, a group of Canadian parliamentarians had earlier complained to Chinese officials that Kovrig and Spavor have been denied access to lawyers, and remain in "completely unacceptable" detention conditions.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
China on Thursday warned retaliation for US President Donald Trump's order that effectively barred Chinese telecom giant from the US market, saying Beijing will take necessary measures to safeguard rights and interest of its business firms.

Escalating the bruising trade war with China, President Trump signed an executive order on Wednesday barring American companies from installing the foreign-made telecom equipment posing a national security threat, a move apparently aimed at banning from US networks.

Trump's decision risks escalating tensions with China as the world's two largest economies clash over whether - the world's largest provider of telecommunications equipment - poses a spying risk to Western infrastructure networks.

The US and China are already locked in a trade battle that has seen mounting tariffs, sparking fears the conflict will damage the global economy.

Reacting sharply to Trump's move, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang told a media briefing here that China will take measures to defend the interests of Chinese companies.

"We have noted the US department of Commerce decision. China always asks its business to comply with laws and regulations in export control and fulfil their obligations. We always ask them to abide by other country's laws regulations in their overseas business," Lu said.

"But we are against other countries' unilateral sanctions based on domestic law and practices that abuses export control measures. We urge the US to stop such practice and create favourable conditions for business cooperation. China will take necessary measures to safeguard Chinese business' legitimate rights and interests," he said.

He, however, parried questions over what measures China would take, saying the commerce ministry would come out with a response.

Asked whether China would now target US firms in retaliation, Lu said, "as for the foreign firms, so long their operations are lawful, they should not be concerned. In trade, the basis is mutual respect and mutual benefit".

Separately, Huawei in a statement said that "unreasonable restrictions" by the US infringed on its rights.

"Restricting Huawei from doing business in the US will not make the US more secure or stronger; instead, this will only serve to limit the US to inferior yet more expensive alternatives," the telecom giant said.

"In addition, unreasonable restrictions will infringe upon Huawei's rights and raise other serious legal issues," it said.

Huawei is already fighting a major legal battle against US to stave off the extradition of its CFO Meng Wanzhou, who has been arrested in Canada, to face prosecution for violations of American sanctions against Iran.

Meng, the daughter of Huawei owner Ren Zhengfei, has been accused of misleading banks about the company's business dealings there.

Huawei alleges that the US is stifling its business as it has emerged as a major competitor for the next generation 5G telecom technology.

In the media briefing, Lu while replying to a question whether China view Trump's move as a major escalation of trade war, said, "we are opposed to other countries making every issue a national security and using that as pretext to suppress other businesses.

"China will defend its business' rights and interests. As for China's view on the executive order (of Trump) we can say that nobody say this as constructive and friendly gesture," he said.

Lu also gave a lukewarm response to remarks made by US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, one of the lead American negotiators, that he anticipates going to China for more trade talks in the near future.

China always stands for consultations and negotiations to resolve differences, he said, adding that Beijing opted for talks even when US turned away from negotiations in the past.

"But I have to point out that in negotiations there has to be good faith," he said, emphasising respect, equality and mutual trust and good faith.

"One must match words with action. There should be no flip-flopping," he said.

Also in a related issue, Lu confirmed that China has formally arrested two Canadians who have been detained in December last year on suspicion of endangering national security.

Michael Kovrig, a former Canadian diplomat, and Michael Spavor, a Canadian businessman based in China, have been arrested in what Canada alleged as tit-for-tat retaliation to Huawei CFO Wanzhou's detention.

The timing of their charges also coincides with US ban on Huawei.
The Congress on Thursday demanded an unconditional apology from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and punitive action against Pragya Singh Thakur, including withdrawal of her candidature from Bhopal Lok Sabha seat, over her remarks calling Mahatma Gandhi's assassin a "patriot".

In a stinging attack, Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala alleged that "insulting martyrs is in the BJP DNA" and the "soul of the nation" has been hurt with Thakur's remarks who has "now crossed all limits".

"It is clear, the BJP people are the descendants of Godse. BJP people say Godse was a patriot and martyr Hemant Karkare was a traitor. Culture of violence and insulting martyrs is the DNA of the BJP," he told reporters.

"India's soul is again under attack by the successors of Godse, the current ruling BJP dispensation. BJP leaders are describing the murderer of 'Father of the Nation' Mahatma Gandhi, Nathuram Godse, as a true nationalist while declaring those who sacrificed their life for the nation like Hemant Karkare as anti-national," he said.

The BJP, through its leaders, is repeatedly launching "malicious attacks" on the Father of the Nation's thinking, path and ideology, Surjewala alleged.

"This is a conspiracy to insult Gandhian principles. This is an unforgivable crime which the country will not forgive," he said.

"The simple question is, when Prime Minister abuses the first Prime Minister of India, is he carrying forward the same culture. We call upon the Prime Minister to tender an unconditional apology to the nation and take punitive action against Pragya Thakur.

"Otherwise, it will be more than proved that all such acts of denigrating the Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi by the ilk of Pragya Thakur has the active concurrence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and its leadership," he said.

Surjewala said Pragya's remarks are an "insult to the Indian way of life and to the Gandhina culture" and PM Modi and Amit Shah must come forward and punish Pragya Thakur, withdraw her candidature as also apologize to the nation.

He said that only recently Pragya Thakur describes the 26/11 Mumbai terror martyr Hemant Karkare as "anti-national" and chose phrases about his family that are unacceptable in our civil society.

"This is an insult to the Indian way of life the Gandhian way of life that lives in India's soul, that lives in the very ethos that India espouses. This is an unpardonable sin The truth is that insulting India's martyr and denigrating them has become the culture of BJP," he alleged.

Malegaon blast accused Thakur kicked up a row after she called Mahatma Gandhi's assassin a "patriot".

The BJP, however, condemned her statement and asked her to tender a public apology.

"We completely disagree with her statement with regard to Mahatma Gandhi. We strongly condemn this statement. The party will seek clarification from her as to why she gave this. It would be proper for her to seek and tender a public apology for her objectionable statement," BJP spokesperson G V L Narasimha Rao said in a statement in Delhi.

Asked about BJP distancing itself from the remarks, Surjewala said it has become a unique culture of the BJP "by first asking Pragya Thakur to abuse martyr Hemant Karkare and then distance".

"Prime Minister does not utter a word. Amit Shah Ji does not utter a word and a junior spokesperson proceeds to say something and brush it aside," he said.

"Why is Narendra Modi silent? Why did not Narendra Modi take any action against Pragya Thakur. Why Amit Shah chose to remain silent? Why did they not withdraw her candidature the first time around.... Just because a junior spokesperson is saying something will not do," he said.

Talking to a channel in Madhya Pradesh, Thakur said, "Nathuram Godse was a deshbhakt (patriot), he is and will remain a deshbhakt. Those calling him a terrorist should instead look at themselves. They will be given a befitting reply in this election."



Thakur's remarks came in response to a question over actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan's comments that free India's first extremist was a Hindu, a reference to Godse.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
At least nine military posts hit in the center of Sana'a and on the outskirts of the capital. Yesterday there were heavy clashes between rebels and pro-Saudi government in the port city of Hudaydah. Unconfirmed loyalist sources announce the killing of a hundred fighters.

Sana'a (AsiaNews / Agencies) - This morning the Saudi-led Arab coalition carried out a series of air raids in the Sana'a region (capital of Yemen) against Houthi targets, in response to recent attacks by rebels against oil facilities in the kingdom. The news has been confirmed by several inhabitants of the area and Houthi sources, broadcast by the al-Arabiya satellite channel.

An eye witness reported a "strong explosion" in the center of Sana'a. The Houthi-controlled Al-Massirah television chain spoke of bombings by Saudi aggressor aircraft. According to various witnesses, the air raids have centered nine military positions of Shiite rebels - supported by Iran - in the city and in the suburbs.

Yesterday the clashes between the two fronts also concerned the port city of Hudaydah, where a peace agreement mediated by the United Nations had been brokered by has been so far ignored. The fighting represented yet another violation of the ceasefire and could further complicate troop withdrawal operations as envisaged by the agreement

May 11 the Houthi rebels began operations to withdraw from three strategic ports in the country, including that of Hudaydah. From here come primary goods like food, humanitarian aid and medicine, to feed millions of reduced Yemenis threatened by famine and conflict.

The Saudi government media, meanwhile, claim the killing of a hundred Houthi by loyalist forces loyal to Riyadh. Added to this is the capture of at least 120 fighters during a surprise attack in the central region of Dali. However, the information cannot be independently verified and the Houthis have not yet wanted to confirm or deny the news.

This takes place the day after the insurgents announced that they had hit and damaged a series of oil pipelines in Saudi Arabia with a drone attack. A further signal of the escalation of tension in the region between Iran and the United States, and their respective allies in the Middle East region. Meanwhile, the Houthi rebels threaten new operations against strategic economic targets for Riyadh.

The war in Yemen broke out in 2014 as an internal conflict between pro-Saudi government and Shiite Houthi rebels close to Iran, but later degenerated in March 2015 with the intervention of the Arab coalition led by Riyadh.

So far it has registered over 10 thousand deaths and 55 thousand injured. Independent bodies set the toll (between January 2016 and end of July 2018) at about 50 thousand deaths. Since it only concerns the combatants, not the "indirect victims" (civilians) who have died from malnutrition or cholera.

Children are the primary victims of what is being described as the worst humanitarian crises in the world. Thousands have died as a result of bombs or very serious malnutrition: at least 85,000 children under the age of five, according to various international humanitarian agencies. Recently UN experts have said that at least 14 million people are at risk of starvation. Moreover there are an estimated 2500 child soldiers.
Hitting out at the BJP over its Bhopal Lok Sabha candidate Pragya Singh Thakur's remarks calling Mahatma Gandhi's assassin a "patriot", the Congress Thursday alleged that insulting martyrs is in the "BJP DNA" and demanded an apology from Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The opposition party also asked Modi to punish Thakur for her remarks.

"It is clear, the BJP people are the descendants of Godse. BJP people say Godse was a patriot and martyr Hemant Karkare was a traitor. Culture of violence and insulting martyrs is the DNA of the BJP," Congress' chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said.

"Modi-Amit Shah ji's favourite BJP leader, Pragya Thakur once again insulted the whole nation by calling Gandhi's killer, Nathuram Godse 'a true patriot'," he said in a statement.

The BJP, through its leaders, is repeatedly launching "malicious attacks" on the Father of the Nation's thinking, path and ideology, Surjewala alleged.

"This is a conspiracy to insult Gandhian principles. This is an unforgivable crime which the country will not forgive," he said.

"If Modi ji has some wisdom then he should punish Pragya Thakur and apologise to the country," Surjewala said.

Malegaon blast accused Thakur kicked up a row after she called Mahatma Gandhi's assassin a "patriot".

The BJP, however, condemned her statement and asked her to tender a public apology.

"We completely disagree with her statement with regard to Mahatma Gandhi. We strongly condemn this statement. The party will seek clarification from her as to why she gave this. It would be proper for her to seek and tender a public apology for her objectionable statement," BJP spokesperson G V L Narasimha Rao said in a statement in Delhi.

Talking to a channel in Madhya Pradesh, Thakur said, "Nathuram Godse was a deshbhakt (patriot), he is and will remain a deshbhakt. Those calling him a terrorist should instead look at themselves. They will be given a befitting reply in this election."



Thakur's remarks came in response to a question over actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan's comments that free India's first extremist was a Hindu, a reference to Godse.

Earlier also Thakur found herself in the eye of a storm for her controversial statements that her "curse" killed decorated IPS officer Karkare in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack and that she was proud to have participated in the 1992 demolition of the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara Thursday asserted that the Congress-JDS coalition government would not collapse even as state BJP chief B S Yeddyurappa claimed hisparty's tally would increase in the assembly after by-polls and Lok Sabha election results.

"Kumaraswamy is the Chief Minister, on his behalf as Deputy Chief Minister in this government I'm making this statement that the government will not collapse for any reason" Parameshwara said.

Speaking to reports in Kalaburagi, he said, "Not on May 23, 24 or 25.... we will run the government for remaining four years.

As promised to the people of the state while taking oath, we will give a good and pro people government in the state."



"So government won't fall, even if Yeddyurappa makes 'japa' (chanting about government collapse) another hundred times," he added.

Meanwhile, revealing the number game that will emerge in the assembly after bypoll and Lok Sabha election results, Yeddyurappa said, there would be "political alterations" in thestate after that.

"To bring a change in the state we have asked peopleto support both our candidates (in Chincholi and Kundgol) and strengthen BJP.

By winning bypoll to both the seats our strength will raise from 104 to 106," Yeddyurappa told reporters in Hubballi.

Also, claiming the support of three independent and small party MLAs, which will take the BJP's tally to 109, he said, "any kind of political alterations may happen after that. So we have asked for cooperation and I'm confident that peoplewill definitely support us."



The Karnataka assembly has 224 members, in which BJPhas 104 MLAs, Congress-77, JD(S)-37, BSP (1), independent (1) (both currently supporting the ruling alliance), one KPJP, andone Speaker.

Two seats, Chincholi and Kundgol are vacant, forwhich bypolls would be held on May 19.

Recently, Yeddyurappa had claimed that there was an "atmosphere" for BJP to form the government in the state.

He had also said the longevity of the coalition government woulddepend on the stand taken by about 20 "disgruntled" Congresslegislators after the Lok Sabha election results.

There are already talks within political circlesthat any adverse results for the coalition in the Lok Sabhapolls, which they fought in alliance, would have itsimplications for the government.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Congress is not averse to supporting any regional party leader for the Prime Minister's post even if it emerges as the single largest party, Congress leader Gulam Nabi Azad said on Thursday.

"My party high command has already made it clear that the Congress is not averse to making a prime minister from any regional party," Azad told reporters here.

He was asked if the Congress will be ready to support any regional party leader for the PM's post even if it emerges as the largest party in a hung Parliament.

Speaking in the same vein in Patna on Wednesday, Azad had said the Congress will not make it an issue if the PM's post is not offered to it.

Azad's remarks assume significance as the Congress has been asserting that it would be the fulcrum of any non-NDA government, which was seen as its claim for the PM's post and had led some major regional parties to maintain a distance from it.

"It will be good if there is a consensus on Congress leader's name for heading the government at the Centre after the Lok Sabha election results are out but we are not going to make it an issue that we (Congress) will not let any other (leader) to become the PM, if it is not offered to us (Congress)," Azad had said in Patna, in an apparent mellowing of Congress' stand.

The Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha had said the sole objective of the Congress is to stop the NDA from forming the government at the Centre and installing a non-NDA government.

Taking a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Azad said here that he should prepare for installing his own statue.

Asked about Modi's assurance of constructing a 'grand statue' of 19th century reformer Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar at the same spot where his bust was vandalised in Kolkata, the Congress leader replied, 'Now he should prepare for installing his own statute.'



However, Azad was quick to add that "some alive persons also erect their statutes as BSP supremo Mayawati had done in UP".

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Jammu and Kashmir unit of Congress Thursday expressed concerns over the situation in Bhaderwah area of Doda district, where violence erupted over the killing of a person in a firing incident whose kin alleged that he was targeted by cow vigilantes.

Curfew was clamped in the communally-sensitive area after members of a community attacked a police station and damaged several vehicles during a protest against the killing. Internet services too have been blocked.

The Doda district administration, however, ruled out cow vigilantism as the reason behind the murder and said that some people were trying to give communal colour to the incident to flare up the situation.

Expressing concerns over the situation, the Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) asked the government to identify the culprits and bring them to book.

"We express grave concern over the situation in Bhaderwah following the killing of one person. The government to identify the culprits and book them under law of the land for award of stern punishment," JKPCC president G A Mir said here.

The Congress also appealed to the people to help maintain communal harmony in the area.

The firing incident took place at around 2 am on Thursday, killing one person and injuring another.

"One person with the name of Nayeem was coming from Chatergala side during midnight. When he reached near Nalthi area, he was killed and another person with him suffered splinter injuries (in a firing incident)," IGP Jammu Zone, M K Sinha told PTI.

Two suspects, who allegedly had opened fire, have been arrested and five others detained, he said.

Although relatives of the deceased have alleged that he was victim of cow vigilantism and was targeted as he was involved in cattle trade, Deputy Commissioner of Doda Sagar Doifode refuted the allegations.

"There is no cow vigilantism involved in this incident. Some people are deliberately giving it a communal colour," Doifode said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Pakistan on Thursday said it is considering to move international forums against the acquittal of the 2007 Samjhauta train blast case suspects that left 68 people, mostly Pakistanis, dead.

The blast in Samjhauta Express took place near Panipat in Haryana on February 18, 2007, when the train was on its way to Attari in Amritsar, the last railway station on the Indian side.

A special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court in Haryana's Panchkula on March 20 acquitted Naba Kumar Sarkar, alias Swami Aseemanand, and three other accused in the case.

"Swami Aseemanand, the mastermind who confessed to this heinous act of terrorism before a magistrate, was acquitted. Such a decision cast aspersions on the credibility of the Indian judicial system," Foreign Office spokesman Mohammad Faisal told a weekly media briefing here.

He said Pakistan has been regularly raising this issue with India, especially "after the acquittal to which India has no reply".

"Presently, we are considering different options to take up this case with the relevant international forums," he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Delhi government will devise an Equal Opportunity Policy (EOP) for people with disabilities living in the national capital, officials said.

According to an official, Social Welfare Minister Rajendra Pal Gautam Thursday held a meeting with senior officers to discuss the modalities of the new policy.

The EOP will be prepared in consultation with the disability commissioner, people with disabilities and non-governmental organisations (NGOs)," the official said.

"Under the proposed policy, in cases of discrimination, a gazetted officer will head a committee consisting of an employee with disability and and a disability expert from outside," she said.

There will also be identification of post for Persons with disabilities (PwD) which will be done within two months. Preference in transfer and posting and providing accommodation will be included in the Equal Opportunity Policy, she also said.

To cater to the needs of the 21 categories in the PwD, the social welfare minister has already announced a dedicated department for them, the officer added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The stakes are high for the Trinamool Congress in its decade-long bastion of Diamond Harbour, the parliamentary seat from where Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's nephew Abhishek is seeking a re-election, as the result here is likely to have a bearing on the party's internal dynamics and on West Bengal

The state's opposition parties claim the result in this seat will be seen as "people's verdict" in favour of or against the TMC supremo herself.

Situated on the banks of the Hooghly river in the South 24 Parganas district, the constituency was a Left pocket borough since the late sixties until the TMC, riding on winds of change, breached it in 2009 with then TMC leader Somen Mitra snatching the seat from four-time MP Samik Lahiri.

But Mitra left the TMC and returned to the Congress in early 2014 and is now its state unit chief.

In 2014, just three years after his baptism in as a leader of the Trinamool Youth Congress, Abhishek Banerjee was given ticket from this seat and won it by polling more than 40 per cent votes.

Since then, he has only grown in stature within the party and is its de facto number two. This rise has not only raised some eyebrows in state but also among some party veterans, who allegedly feel sidelined.

Mukul Roy was one of those whose fall in TMC was proportional to Abhishek Banerjee's rise. Roy quit the party in 2017 to join the BJP.

Five years ago, the TMC's South 24 Parganas district unit was united and worked together to ensure that Abhishek Banerjee wins by a huge margin. But since then, much water has flown down the river Hooghly and the scenario within the ruling party and in the state has changed drastically.

The Trinamool Congress, which was then literally unchallenged in Bengal is now facing a tough fight from the BJP, with chief minister's nephew being one of the target. The inner-bickering of the ruling party has also come out in open.

According to a TMC leader, who did not wish to be named, Abhishek Banerjee's victory of is a foregone conclusion but "what bothers the party is whether it would be able to increase the margin or not".

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his poll campaign at Diamond Harbour, had even said that Abhishek would be defeated and his office in the area would shut down after the elections.

TMC sources say a victory by a margin bigger than that in 2014 would help him not only quash allegations against him but also cement his position in the party.

BJP state president Dilip Ghosh said this election will prove whether Abhishek Banerjee is a true leader or not.

"The TMC is trying to project him as the leader after Mamata Banerjee. He along with his aunt are the star campaigners. But the question is whether he would be able to retain his own seat.

"Last time, the opposition was weak and he won. But this time, things are different. If he loses, which he is most likely to, it will be the end of his political journey," Ghosh claimed, adding, "His victory is Mamata Banerjee's victory, his defeat is her defeat."



The BJP has fielded Nilanjan Roy from the seat, who has been booked under the POCSO Act for allegedly sexually molesting a girl inside a house at Falta in West Bengal.

Terming the charge a "ploy by the TMC" to malign him, he said, "The people in this area are fed up with the Trinamool Congress. They would teach the TMC a lesson by defeating them in the polls."



Although all the seven assembly constituencies under this Lok Sabha seat are presently held by the TMC, and had given huge lead to the party in 2014, the absence of former district president Sovan Chattopadhyay from active politics might be felt during the polls this time.

He was one of the main architects behind the TMC's victory from this seat in 2014 and a section of TMC leaders and cadre, who are followers of Chattopadhyay, have become inactive in the area.

In the last general elections, the BJP had secured around 16 per cent votes whereas the CPI(M) got 34 per cent votes. To win the seat, the saffron party has to not only eat into the CPI(M)'s vote share but also cut into the TMC's share.

The factors which is likely to act in favour of the TMC in this seat is a divided opposition, strong grass-root organization of the ruling party and a huge minority population in the area.

"We have been with the masses throughout the year. We are not like those political parties which come to visit the area only during polls. The people of Bengal are with us," Abhishek said.

This is one of the few seats in the state, where the CPI(M) is in the second position in terms of fighting against the TMC. The left party has fielded Fuad Halim, a doctor by profession, from the seat and he has been actively campaigning in the area.

Halim has been attacked thrice, allegedly by "TMC goons" during his poll campaign.

"It is been propagated that only the BJP is in the fight against the TMC. But had that been true, why is the TMC attacking the CPI(M) cadre in the area? This only shows that the ruling party is afraid of the CPI(M)," he said.

Apart from Abhishek Banerjee, Halim, Nilanjan Roy and the Congress' Soumya Aich, six other candidates are also in the fray from the seat where polling would be held on May 19, in the last phase of the general elections.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Opposition DMK in Tamil Nadu Thursday criticised the Election Commission for curtailing campaigning in West Bengal by 20 hours, throwing its weight behind West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee-led TMC.

DMK President MK Stalin alleged the EC had different set of rules for the "ruling party", apparently referring to the BJP, and the opposition.

"Ban on campaign in nine constituencies in #WestBengal. The EC has one set of rules for the Opposition and another for the ruling party. Highly condemnable," he said in a tweet.

In first such action in India's electoral history, the EC had on Wednesday ordered campaigning in nine West Bengal constituencies to end at 10 pm on Thursday, a day before its scheduled deadline, following violence between BJP and TMC workers in Kolkata during a roadshow by the saffron party chief Amit Shah.

The EC had invoked Article 324 of the Constitution to curtail the campaigning for the last phase of the election on May 19.

Stalin had earlier attended a TMC sponsored mega rally of opposition parties in Kolkata.

Referring to the vandalism of a bust of 19th century Bengali icon Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, Stalin said the "BJP follows a typical pattern".

"The BJP follows a typical pattern. Vandalises Periyar statue in Tamil Nadu and (that of) Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar in West Bengal," he said.

A BJP worker had been arrested for damaging a statue of the Dravidian icon in Tamil Nadu last year, following which he was expelled from the party.

Further, BJP National Secretary H Raja had also courted controversy when he supported the removal of statues of the social reformer in Tamil Nadu.

His remarks had been made in the aftermath of a statue of Communist icon, Vladimir Lenin, being pulled down in Tripura after the BJP government assumed power in that state last year, unseating the decades-old Left front government.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A homeopathic doctor has been arrested for allegedly posting derogatory remarks on a social networking site against BJP's Bhopal Lok Sabha seat candidate and Malegaon blast accused Pragya Singh Thakur, police said Thursday.

Sunilkumar Nishad (38), a resident of Kalyan, who also has a clinic and another house in Vikhroli Parksite, was arrested on Wednesday, an official said.

"Nishad had allegedly posted some derogatory comments against Pragya Singh Thakur on Facebook. The post also talked about the involvement of Hindus and Brahmins in terrorism," he said.

Senior police inspector Vilas Jadhav said an activist, Ravindra Tiwari, had lodged a complaint against Nishad at Parksite police station in Vikhroli for his comments against Pragya Singh.

Accordingly, an FIR was filed against Nishad on Saturday under IPC section 295 (A) (deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs), he said.

Nishad was arrested on Wednesday, the official said, adding that he was granted bail by a local court.

Pragya Singh Thakur, 48, is contesting the Lok Sabha election from Bhopal against senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh. Polling for this seat will be held on May 19.

Out on bail, she has been discharged by a court on charges under the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) in the 2008 Malegaon blast case, but is still facing trial under other criminal provisions, including the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Chief Minister said Thursday Bengal does not need money from the BJP, it has enough resources to rebuild the Vidyasagar statue that was vandalised at a Kolkata college following Amit Shah's roadshow.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during a rally in Uttar Pradesh, had promised to install the statue at the same spot where it stood before being desecrated on Tuesday.

Addressing a rally here, Banerjee said, "Modi has promised to rebuild the Vidyasagar statue in Kolkata. Why should we take their (BJP's) money, Bengal has enough resources."



She also attacked the BJP, claiming that vandalising statues was one of its habits and that the party has done so in as well.

"The has destroyed 200-year-old heritage of West Bengal, those supporting the party will not be accepted by the society," she warned.

Hitting out at the saffron party over its posts, the supremo also said that the had been spreading canards over and

"The is trying to instigate people and cause riots with its fake posts on social media," she added.

(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.)
Police raided a house in the capital arresting the women for human trafficking and acting as intermediaries for surrogacy. Some of the women gave birth behind bars. If they tried to sell their babies, they could be tried and get at least 15 years in prison.

Phnom Penh (AsiaNews/Agencies)  Cambodian authorities have released 11 surrogate mothers on bail, after they agreed to keep their children, the National Anti-Human Trafficking Committee announced yesterday.

The 11 women were taken into custody in November for human trafficking and acting as intermediaries for surrogacy agents after police discovered them in a raid on a house in the capital Phnom Penh.

The women, who have been in jail since the raid with some giving birth behind bars, have refused to tell authorities whose babies they were carrying, noted Chou Bun Eng, vice-president of the National Anti-Human Trafficking Committee.

They were released on bail last month after they promised not to give up their babies, she explained, but they could be prosecuted at any time if they sell the babies.

Rights groups have criticised authorities for coercing women to raise babies who bear no biological ties to them to avoid jail time.

But for Chou Bun Eng, Cambodian law means they must take care of the babies. They are the mother of the children, she said.

In December, another 32 Cambodian women paid to carry babies for Chinese clients were released on bail after agreeing to keep the children. If they do not, they could get at least 15 years.

Cambodia banned commercial surrogacy in 2016, but the country remains a popular destination for infertile couples  mostly from China  seeking to have children, and willing to pay between US$ 40,000 to US$ 100,000 for a Cambodian woman to carry their child in her womb.

Surrogates are typically from poor communities and receive a fraction of the sum paid to agents  typically between US$ 10,000 and US$ 15,000  to carry a child to term.
Several dozen people have been detained at a rally to protest the construction of a cathedral in a popular park in Russia's fourth-largest city.

Russian agencies on Thursday quoted local court officials as saying that 33 people were detained in the early hours and are expected to face the court for an illegal gathering. OVD-Info, a group that monitors arrest of civil activists, says it logged 70 detentions.

Protests in Yekaterinburg entered their third consecutive day on Wednesday as riot police were dispatched to the park in the city center where two local tycoons are planning to build a new cathedral.

Opponents say that the building would take away rare green and recreational space in this city of 1.5 million people.

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An international racket involving smugglers from Pakistan, China, Myanmar and India to import high-end drones (remotely-piloted aircraft) into the country through the north-eastern border, has been busted, the Ahmedabad unit of the DRI has said.

While the shipment of drones and other related items, worth Rs 1 crore, was intercepted and seized by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) in March, the Ahmedabad-based mastermind, whose identity was not revealed, was arrested on Thursday, a release by the DRI.

The drones were smuggled into India from China through Myanmar. It was also revealed that some Pakistan-based smugglers and their firms were also involved in the entire racket.

"After these China-made drones reached Myanmar from China, these items were then illegally transported across the international border into India through Moreh and Imphal," the DRI said.

"Then, these drones were transported to Ahmedabad from Imphal using domestic airlines by misdeclaring the prohibited cargo as camera stand, household goods, electronic items, etc to misguide the agencies," it added.

Once in Ahmedabad, the drones were supplied to various locations across the country by using private couriers, the release said.

The money against the smuggled drones were sent by the Ahmedabad based smuggler, who has been arrested, to the Chinese company through hawala channels operating out of Mumbai, it added.

While part of the smuggled cargo was seized in March from a mini truck near the air cargo complex at Ahmedabad, another lot was seized from the the kingpin's shop in Paldi area of the city, said the release.

According to the DRI, this racket had been operating from 2017 and thousands of drones valued at over Rs 10 crore and involving duty evasion of nearly Rs 3 crore were smuggled into the country.

The agency said "drones can pose a threat to national security as they can be used for espionage and sabotage purposes by the enemy States and anti-national and terrorist groups".

Considering the security risk involved, various permissions, including Equipment Type Approval from the Department of Telecommunication and import clearance from Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) are required for the import of drones into India, the agency said.

It added that the nature of goods and the involvement of Pakistani and Chinese firms and the specialised nature of smuggling operations with different smugglers handling different segments of the operation "give rise to national security concerns".

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The East Delhi parliamentary constituency saw the highest turnout of transgender voters among the seven Lok Sabha constituencies in the national capital, according to data.

Out of 79 registered transgender voters, 28 turned up to cast their votes accounting for 35.44 per cent polling percentage, the data shared by the Chief Electoral Office in Delhi stated.

Chandni Chowk saw the second highest turnout at 32.58 per cent as 43, out of 132 transgender voters exercised their franchise.

In the Northeast Delhi constituency, 27 transgender voters, out of 86 cast their ballots, the data stated.

Out of 24 transgender voters in New Delhi, eight cast their ballots while 14 such voters exercised their mandate in West Delhi.

According to the data, South Delhi saw the least turnout of third gender voters at 13.85 per cent. Out of 130 registered transgender voters, only 18 turned out to vote in the constituency.

Northwest Delhi had the maximum number of transgender voters but saw a turnout of 15.19 per cent. Out of 158 transgender voters on electoral rolls, only 24 turned out to vote.

Delhi has 693 transgender voters and 23.09 per cent of them exercised their franchise on May 12.

This is the first time that they voted under the category since the Supreme Court had declared them as "third gender" in 2014.

Earlier, they had to vote as male or female.

The Delhi poll body had sought the help of NGOs to conduct a door-to-door survey to enrol transgender voters and they could enrol by furnishing a self-declaration along with a report from the block level officer.

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The Election Commission's order curtailing the time period for campaigning in West Bengal drew sharp criticism from opposition parties, with the Congress accusing the poll body of losing its credibility and independence and wondering if model code has become "Modi code of misconduct".

The Congress also said time has come to review the process of the poll panel's appointment as it has "completely abdicated" its constitutional duty and has given a "parting gift" to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

With leaders of various parties openly attacking the EC over its order, Mamata Banerjee emerged as a "rallying point" for opposition, as leaders like Mayawati, Akhilesh Yadav, M K Stalin and N Chandrababu Naidu stood behind her and the TMC chief thanking them.

Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said the EC order curtailing campaigning in West Bengal by 20 hours is a "dark spot" on India's democracy and institutions like the poll panel.

In the first such action in India's electoral history, the poll panel on Wednesday invoked Article 324 of the Constitution to end campaigning in nine West Bengal constituencies at 10 pm on Thursday, a day before its scheduled deadline, following violence between BJP and TMC workers in Kolkata.

"The Election Commission has completely abdicated its constitutional duty under Article 324 to ensure a level playing field, besides negating the due process under Article 14 and 21 of India's Constitution," Surjewala told reporters in a blistering attack against the Election Commission.

"Time has come to review the process of appointment of Election Commission. Should it only remain an appendage to the ruling dispensation or is it a constitutional body which is so intrinsically important to our democracy that its appointment requires to be mandated and tapered through a fair, transparent process like in many other cases," he asked.

The debate, in his view, must happen for democracy to thrive and survive and the entire process of appointment of the Election Commission needs to be reviewed.

"Has the MCC now become 'Modi Code of Misconduct' to be applied to BJP's political opponents, with total immunity for the PM and the BJP president," he asked.

The Congress is a responsible political party and has never cast unwarranted aspersions on the actions of constitutional bodies, Surjewala said.

"But we are deeply saddened to say that Election Commission of India has completely lost its independence and abdicated its constitutional integrity," the Congress leader added.

"Modi ji's chair, the prestige and independence of the Election Commission and democracy, all three are now in danger on account of the actions that we have seen in the last 24 hours. People are the final masters in this country and when all else fails, democracy prevails," he said.

Rallying behind Banerjee, BSP supremo Mayawati accused Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah of targeting her as part of a conspiracy and said it reflected a "dangerous attitude".

Mayawati claimed the poll body acted under pressure of the central government.

Coming down hard on the poll body, she said, "It is unfortunate that the Election Commission acted under pressure of the Centre in curtailing electioneering in West Bengal while the prime minister could address two rallies today."



It is now clear that under the present Chief Election Commissioner, Lok Sabha elections are not being held in a free and fair manner, Mayawati charged.

The DMK in Tamil Nadu threw its weight behind the TMC.

DMK President Stalin alleged the EC has different set of rules for the "ruling party". He tweeted, "Ban on campaign in nine constituencies in West engal. The EC has one set of rules for the Opposition and another for the ruling party. Highly condemnable."



National Conference leader Omar Abdullah said, "The BJP can team up with the EC in West Bengal, they can have a tailor-made campaign designed to fragment and polarise the electorate, they can have all their model code violations overlooked. None of it will matter because on the 23rd Mamata didi will sweep West Bengal."Surjewala said instead of punishing the goons and hooligans of the BJP led by Shah, the Election Commission is punishing democracy, per se. It has created a fear psychosis by admitting ECI's inability to hold a free and fair poll. The order of the ECI is an "unpardonable betrayal" of the Constitution, he said.

Every citizen is questioning the independence, impartiality, objectivity and fairness of the Election Commission, he said and asked whether the Election Commission has become "a mere helpless pawn in the hands of Modi-Shah duo".

"Does the EC now take orders from the BJP headquarters rather than from the mandate of the Constitution," Surjewala asked.

"As democracy is under attack from the ruling BJP, time for EC to submit before people of India, instead of being stifled by PM Modi...," he said.

"... Wasn't EC's order aimed at solely giving a free pass to the two public rallies of Narendra Modi being organised today afternoon and evening at Mathurapur and Dum Dum? Can there be a more glaring instance EC's being muzzled into submission by the ruling party," he asked.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The EU on Thursday defended its push to reform the European defense industry in a retort to US accusations that the overhaul would shut out allies such as Washington from European projects.

The skirmish over military spending comes as transatlantic ties are at a long-time low with fears running high that cooperation at NATO could be endangered.

In a letter seen by AFP, two senior officials said that the European Union "remains fully committed to working with the US as a core partner in security and defense matters" despite the planned changes.

However, the EU officials also insisted that the mooted reforms are merely a reflection of rules already imposed by the US.

"The transatlantic trade balance is resolutely in favour of the US," they insisted.

The US concerns, set out in a letter on May 1 from two of President Donald Trump's top defence officials, focused on the European Defence Fund (EDF), a seven-year 13-billion euro (USD 14.6 billion) pot approved by the European Parliament last month, and a key new EU defence cooperation pact known as PESCO.

Washington warned the proposed rules "would not only damage the constructive NATO-EU relationship we have built together over the past several years but could potentially turn the clock back to the sometimes divisive discussions about EU defence initiatives that dominated our exchanges 15 years ago."



Along with the warnings, the US officials also make a veiled threat to hit back, saying the EU would object to similar US restrictions "and we would not relish having to consider them in the future".

EU countries launched PESCO in late 2017 to try to harmonise a highly fragmented approach to defence spending.

Under the pact, countries cooperate on projects to develop new military equipment and on support systems such as military hospitals and training centres.

The US letter chimed with bitter divisions within the bloc on what rules to set for non-EU allies such as the US, Norway -- and for Britain after Brexit -- who want to contribute to future defence projects.

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The Dallas-Fort Worth South Asian Film Festival (SAFF), focusing on issues affecting the Indian subcontinent, begins Thursday.

The fifth annual DFW SAFF, a four-day movie gala, boasts 21 shorts, documentaries, feature films and Q&A sessions with attending filmmakers-actors.

The screenings will take place at various locations including Victory Park, Addison and the Design District.

The festival kicks off with the world premiere of Gaurav Sharma's short film "That Man in the Picture", followed by the Texas premiere of Rohena Gera's "Sir", starring Tillotama Shome and Vivek Gomber.

One of the big highlights of the festival is the US premiere of Vasan Bala's action-packed film "Mard Ko Dard Nahin Hota". The film marks the acting debut of Bollywood actor Bhagyashree's son, Abhimanyu Dassani.

Bala and Dassani will both be attending the film festival. The movie will screen at the AMC Village on the Parkway 9 on Saturday, followed by an after-party at Saffron House in Addison.

The festival closes with the Texas premiere of Aijaz Khan's heartfelt Kashmiri drama about a boy in search of his missing father in "Hamid". The screening will be followed by a Q&A with Khan.

"This is our most ambitious, comprehensive and well-balanced programming to date; it has the greatest number of international premieres," Jitin Hingorani of JINGO Media, founder and festival director, told PTI.

"For the first time since its existence, DFW SAFF will awards films, to be selected by an esteemed panel of jurors. The theme of this year's festival is 'Five Years: Five Awards'."



Categories include Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress and Best Short. Two additional special mention awards will be selected by the audience-at-large. They are Audience Favourite and Best Child Actor, Hingorani added.

Presented by Toyota, the festival runs till May 19.

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Five people were killed on Thursday when a two-storey Shanghai commercial building collapsed on construction workers who were renovating it, the city government said.

Chinese fire rescue authorities had earlier maintained that 19 out of 20 people buried in the rubble had been pulled to safety.

But the Shanghai city government later said on an official social media account that five of those pulled out were dead.

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A special court Thursday sentenced five men to 10 years imprisonment for raping and killing a woman and murdering her cousin brother in Uttar Pradesh's Muzaffarnagar district.

Judge Ram Sudh Singh also imposed a fine of Rs 15,000 each on Arvind, Pramod, Monu, Shenki and Praveen.

According to prosecutor Sandeep Singh, police had booked the five accused under the Gangster Act after they were found involved in a case of gange-rape and double murder.

The girl was raped and murdered at Kurthal village under Budhana police station area in the district on June 6, 2014.

She was accompanied by her cousin brother who was also murdered by the five men when he opposed the assault.

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Heavy floods claimed 15 lives Thursday in the Malian capital Bamako along with serious property damage, authorities said.

A statement said the flooding claimed a "provisional toll" of 15 dead and two injured.

"Teams are in place to rescue the distressed people," the government said, calling on residents to be "prudent" in the face of the disaster.

Flooding is common in Mali, located in the semi-desert Sahel region.

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DENPASAR, BALIPOST.com  The Singapore government has confirmed about the presence of monkeypox virus in the country. The virus was carried by a Nigerian visiting Singapore on April 28 and tested positive for monkeypox on May 8.

Director of Bali Mandara Hospital (RSBM), Bagus Darmayasa, explained the monkeypox is a rare disease caused by a virus. This disease is transmitted to humans through animals, such as rats or other rodents, especially in Central and Western Africa.

Someone can be exposed to the monkeypox virus through contact with blood, body fluids or mucosa (mucous membranesEd) of infected animals. Quoted from the World Health Organization (WHO), the symptoms of new monkeypox appear 14 to 21 days from the time the virus first infects. Before the symptoms appear, monkeypox usually begins with an incubation period of six to 16 days.

Based on a circular from the Ministry of Health of the RI regarding the alertness of importation of monkeypox disease, it is mentioned that Central and West Africa are endemic areas of the monkeypox. Monkeypox is transmitted by animals, especially rodents that contain monkeypox viruses.

Transmission occurs through bites, scratches as well as direct contact with blood, body fluids or lesions on the skin or mucosa of animals and consumption of improperly cooked meat. Human-to-human transmission can be possible but very limited, through respiratory secretions or lesions on the skin.

Monkeypox symptoms are similar to smallpox (chickenpox) but are lighter. Incubation period lasts for 5 to 21 days and symptoms that arise include fever, severe headache, lymphadenopathy (enlarged lymph nodes), back pain, muscle aches and weakness.

This rash develops from red spots such as smallpox (maculopapula) blisters filled with clear fluid (vesicles), pus-filled blisters (pustules) and then hardens. It usually takes up to three weeks for the rash to disappear.

Monkeypox is usually a disease that can recover itself with symptoms that last for 14-21 days. Severe cases are more common in children and are associated with levels of exposure to the virus, patient health status and severity of complications. Death cases vary but less than 10 percent of the cases reported, where most of them are in children. In general, younger age groups appear to be more susceptible to monkeypox disease.

Based on data from SINKARKES from January to May 10, most ship arrivals were from Singapore (18,176 ships) and flights from Singapore were relatively large so that the possibility of the spread of monkeypox disease in Indonesia can occur, although according to the Singapore Ministry of Health the risk of spread is low in Singapore.

Meanwhile, the arrivals from Singapore to Bali are also quite large or ranked eighth in international arrivals, reaching 14,606 people by air and 7 people through seaport in March 2019.

To anticipate and be aware of the importation of monkeypox disease, it is instructed to the Health Agencies throughout Indonesia, the Harbor Health Office, hospitals and health centers to disseminate information about monkeypox to the public and health care facilities in the region.

If getting a report on suspected monkeypox case, immediately make initial control efforts and report to the Director General of Disease Prevention and Control through PHEOC within 1 x 24 hours via email. Indonesian Ministry of Health also asked the CTF to conduct more intensive supervision against crews and travelers from Singapore, western and central African countries, conduct health checks on crews and travelers detected with fever or illness suspected of being associated with monkeypox.

They also improve monitoring and inspection of transportation means to ensure rodent free, as well as improve monitoring and inspection of transportation equipment health document. At hospitals and health centers, the Ministry of Health requests that health officers when provided health services should always use personal protective equipment (at least masks and gloves). (Citta Maya/balipost)
A myopic approach to careers focusing solely on job placements tends to ignore the value of holistic professional growth of students, legal experts said Thursday.

They also said that as Artificial Intelligence (AI) redefines the work of lawyers educators must provide a skill-based

Founding Vice Chancellor of OP Jindal Global University C Raj Kumar said that legal at JGLS enables its graduates to setup their own practice of law, or join a senior and start practising in the courts.

"A myopic approach to careers focussing solely on job placements of its graduates tends to ignore the value of holistic professional growth of the students along with providing the broadest possible horizon of professional opportunities to its students," he said in a statement.

Assistant Dean of Careers at JGLS, Professor Anuranjan Sethi said: "As AI redefines the work of lawyers in an ever more complex business and social world, legal educators' approach to its graduates' careers must provide a diverse skill-based and experiential than a mere theoretical one."



The outgoing batch of Jindal Global Law School (JGLS) has secured jobs with leading law firms, top corporate recruiters and major think tanks of the country, among others, the JGLS statement said.

Kumar said JGLS has developed over 200 structured internship relationships across classical and emerging segments of legal sector and has also institutionalised on-campus professional training programme for preparation of civil services examination.

Besides 57 corporate law firms, JGU students have received offers from 30 higher education institutions from world class universities, offers of judicial clerkships and positions at in-house legal departments, the statement said.

Over 60 organizations across the legal industry have already recruited from JGLS this year, it said.

Vice-Dean of JGLS, SG Sreejith said the JGLS curriculum factors a robust internship programme and it supplements classroom learning of principles of law with an understanding of their application in practice.

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In a bid to increase the speed of counting of votes on May 23, the Election Commission (EC) has allowed to increase the number of tables in some Lok Sabha and assembly constituencies in the Maharashtra.

According to a letter the Kolhapur district collectorate has received from the EC, there will be 20 tables each instead of 14 in Kolhapur and Hatkanangale Lok Sabha constituencies.

The EC also allowed to increase the number of tables in Maval and Panvel assembly constituencies, which are part of Maval Lok Sabha seat.

"The decision is taken mainly due to the number of polling stations in these Lok Sabha and assembly segments. With more number of polling stations, the actual counting procedure with only 14 tables will take over 10 hours to finalise the results," Sanjay Shinde, resident collector of Kolhapur, said.

"Similar is the case with Maval and Panvel assembly segments, which are part of Maval Lok Sabha seat. Both the assembly segments have more than 800 polling stations, whereas general average is of 700-800 polling stations in every assembly segment," an official from Pune district collectorate said.

"Hence, the EC has permitted to use more tables, so that counting of more polling stations can commence at once," he said.

The VVPAT machines as well as service voters' papers with bar-codes are going to be counted as well, Shinde said.

"The bar-code feature is going to increase the counting time. Hence, the state officials have requested the ECI to increase the counting tables and deploy more people for this procedure," he added.

These requests have been accepted as well. A detailed communication will be shared soon, the official from Pune said, adding that the ECI has already started training sessions for the counting day.

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France's prime minister on Thursday defended the interrogation by the secret service of three reporters who published details over French arms sales to the Gulf, after an outcry by press freedom activists.

Two reporters from the investigative site Disclose and one correspondent with Radio France were interrogated this week by the General Directorate for Internal Security (DGSI), France's domestic intelligence organisation.

They had worked on a Disclose story based on a leaked military intelligence dossier, which showed how French tanks, artillery and ships sold to France's allies Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates were being used in the war in Yemen.

Geoffrey Livolsi and Mathias Destal of Disclose were questioned on Tuesday and Radio France's Benoit Collombat on Wednesday. Livolsi and Destal subsequently denounced their questioning as an "attempt at intimidation".

But Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said while he respected the journalists' right to report, there were also matters which should remain confidential.

"Firstly, I don't think that it intimidates them and secondly it is not done to intimidate them," he told Franceinfo radio.

He described as "very respectable... the desire of journalists to look for information and present it to their readers and their listeners." "But from where I stand, with the responsibilities that I have, as prime minister, I must also respect law and notably the provisions related to confidentiality," he added.

There has been huge controversy in France over whether French arms have been used against civilians in Yemen.

The Paris government denies this. But the arrival of a Saudi ship earlier this month off the French port of Le Havre provoked a new outcry and the vessel never docked.

Relief agencies say the Yemen conflict, which has lasted more than four years, has killed tens of thousands, including many civilians.

Livolsi and Destal issued a statement saying they had maintained their right to silence during questioning.

But they also stated they had "acted as part of their mission to inform the public, thus contributing to a debate of general interest on the export of arms".

Collombat said he had been presented with seven pages of questions like those presented to the Disclose reporters and "did not respond", pointing to his right to keep sources secret.

"It sends a clear signal to journalists who want to investigate a subject that concerns all our citizens," he told AFP.

The three reporters were questioned as part of a preliminary investigation overseen by the anti-terror department of Paris prosecutors.

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/ -- Bags the coveted Seatrade Award Recognised for 'Investment in People' Synergy Group, with over a decade of experience as a leading shipmanager, has been awarded the prestigious Seatrade Award in the 'Investment in People' category. The award recognises Synergy's significant contribution to the recruitment, training, retention and advancement of the industry's most valuable asset - its people. The award is a testimony to the Group's commitment to safety at sea, seafarer welfare and female empowerment in the maritime workforce.

While thanking the judges for recognising training, development and encouragement of personnel as Synergy's core values, Captain Rajesh Unni, CEO & Founder, Synergy Group, said, "We are delighted to be recognised at such a prestigious platform. This is yet another pivotal milestone in Synergy's history. At Synergy, it is our constant endeavour to create benchmarks and constantly reinvent and to this end, our biggest investment are our people. We want people who work with us to feel cared for and we are consciously and continuously working towards it. This ethos sits at the heart of all our initiatives. We also understand that long-term sustainable growth can only be achieved with good talent; and for this we ensure that we find, train and retain the right people it's an incessant process."



Among Synergy's recent achievements, the judges lauded the establishment of a new wellness 'at sea Helpline' in October 2018 called iCALL, a nine-language service designed to reduce seafarer suicides and enhance the general mental health and wellness of all maritime personnel. The service is available 24x7, free of charge via phone, e-mail and a chat-based nULTA App.

The judges also took note of Synergy's long-standing commitment to gender equality. The last one year has seen a major increase in female seafarers employed at Synergy and its subsidiaries, including the recent appointments of the first female Master Mariner to the Synergy fleet and the first Filipino female cadet onboard an LPG carrier.

Synergy's investment in safety training for staff was also commended by the judges.

Accepting the award in London, Captain Rajesh Kumar Singh, a Serving Master Mariner with Synergy Group, praised the shipmanager's long-term commitment to investing in people which was reflecting in its world class seafarer retention rates.

"As a serving seafarer, I am extremely humbled to accept the 'Investment in People' award on behalf of Synergy," he added.

"I was taken by surprise when Captain Rajesh Unni requested I attend this prestigious award ceremony. It is a tremendous honour to receive this award not only on behalf of the 10,000+ 'Synergian' seafarers, but also the 1.6 million seafarers who continue to play a pivotal role in underpinning the global trade."



About Synergy GroupThe Synergy Group, with over a decade of experience as a leading shipmanager, offers end-to-end maritime solutions and services tailored to the specific requirements of clients. In-depth technical expertise and a diverse product portfolio enable Synergy to generate efficiency and productivity gains to enhance the customer experience for all clients.

Headquartered in the globally connected city-state of Singapore, Synergy has 12 offices located in six key maritime centres. With over 225 vessels under management, Synergy supervises a diverse range of ships including LPG tankers, chemical tankers, oil tankers (VLCC, Suezmax, Aframax, LR2, LR1 and MR), container vessels in the 1,800 TEU-20,000+ TEU range and every size of bulk carrier.

The hallmark of Synergy Group, named 'Shipmanager of the Year' at the 2018 Lloyd's List Asia Pacific Awards, is its through-life approach to asset management along with maritime solutions which are custom-designed to client requirements.

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US and European police said Thursday they have smashed a huge international cybercrime network that used Russian malware to steal USD 100 million (89 million euros) from tens of thousands of victims worldwide.

Prosecutions have been launched in Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine and the United States over the scam, while five Russians charged in the US remain on the run, the EU police agency Europol said.

The "organised crime network behind USD 100 million in malware attacks" targeted "more than 41,000 victims, primarily businesses and their financial institutions," Europol said.

Police in Germany and Bulgaria were also involved.

The cyber gang used GozNym malware to infect victims' computers, steal their online banking login details and then siphon money from their accounts.

The stolen money was then laundered in US and other accounts.

Scott Brady, the US Attorney General for the western district of Pennsylvania where the US indictment was unsealed, said the operation was an "unprecedented" international effort.

"Unsuspecting European and American victims thought they were clicking on a simple invoice, but were instead giving hackers access to their most sensitive information," Brady added.

The alleged leader of the GozNym criminal network, Alexander Konovolov, 35, of Tbilisi, who goes by the online name "NoNe", was arrested in the former Soviet state of Georgia, the US Department of Justice said.

His alleged technical assistant Marat Kazandjian, 31, aka "phant0m," was also arrested in Georgia.

Konovolov recruited hackers who advertised their services on "Russian-speaking online criminal forums", and eventually controlled the malware-infected computers of more than 41,000 victims, Europol said.

The five Russians charged in the US included the alleged developer of the malware, identified as Vladimir Gorin, but they cannot be extradited because Russia does not send suspects abroad.

Gorin "oversaw its creation, development, management and leasing to other cyber criminals" including the Georgian alleged leader of the group, Europol said.

One of the Russians, Viktor Eremenko, was arrested in Sri Lanka at the request of US authorities in 2017 but "through the intervention of the Russian government" was freed on bail, after which he fled to Russia.

Bulgarian Krasimir Nikolov was arrested and extradited to the United States in 2016 and has already pleaded guilty to the charges in the indictment, the DOJ said.

Ukrainian police meanwhile arrested Gennady Kapkanov, 36, also known as "firestarter", on suspicion of hosting a so-called "Avalanche" network that provided services to more than 200 cybercriminals including the Georgians.

He allegedly fired an assault rifle through the door of his apartment at police, the DOJ said.

Europol announced the smashing of the Avalanche network in a major operation in 2016, saying that it had infected half a million computers in 188 countries.

The latest operation was a follow-up from that, Europol said.

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Union minister Nitin Gadkari Thursday said Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant faces the tough task of running the coalition government in the state, as keeping all the alliance partners together is a challenge.

Gadkari, who was in Goa to address the party's public meeting in support of candidate Siddharth Kunkolienkar for the Panaji bypoll, said the stability of the government was an important criterion for Goa's future development as envisaged by late chief minister Manohar Parrikar.

The by-election to Panaji Assembly segment is scheduled to take place on May 19.

"While taking ahead the vision of Parrikar, the journey of chief minister Pramod Sawant is not going to be easy," he said, adding that it may be difficult for him keep all the alliance partners together.

"Goa's pace of development will face hurdles if there is instability in the state. The results of this election (Panaji by-election) is directly linked to the stability of the government," the minister said.

Recalling the time when Parrikar agreed to resign as the Defence minister and take over the reigns of the state after the 2017 Goa Assembly elections, Gadkari said the late CM had done a great sacrifice for the people of the state by giving up the post in central cabinet.

He said he was personally against Parrikar's return to Goa

"But Parrikar had Goa in his heart. He always wanted to work for the people of the state," Gadkari said.

The by-election to Panaji Assembly constituency is necessitated due to the death of Parrikar on March 17, 2019.

Taking a dig at the Congress, Gadkari said the opposition party has fielded a candidate who has all the qualities.

The minister was referring to the criminal cases, including rape, against Congress's Panaji bypoll candidate Atanasio Monserratte.

He also said that former Goa RSS chief Subhash Velingkar is contesting on the Goa Suraksha Manch (GSM) ticket to defeat the BJP candidate, "which is unfortunate".

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A man was caught on camera snatching a gold chain from a woman on morning walk in West Delhi, prompting police to register a case.

The woman, Roja (38), an employee of a multinational company based in Gurugram, was out for morning walk when two men on a motorcycle attacked her in the Inderpuri area on Monday, said a senior police officer.

"A case has been registered and several suspects are under scanner. Efforts are on to ascertain the identity of the man who was caught in the CCTV camera footage," said the officer.

The woman tried to seek help from those present on the spot, but no one came forward, they said.

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The ageing hero meets the poll hardened warhorse in the border constituency of Gurdaspur with a dash of filmy flair as political novice and BJP candidate Sunny Deol, action star of the 1990s, contests against Congress' sitting MP Sunil Jakhar.

With the BJP making national security its poll plank in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, 62-year-old Deol, popular for his role in 'patriotic' films like "Border" and "Gadar: Ek Prem Katha", fits in well with the saffron party's scheme of things.

The actor has been playing his part, sometimes holding aloft a handpump, referencing a scene from "Gadar...", a high-pitched drama on Partition and its aftermath, and other times mouthing dialogues from his popular films -- wooing voters with a thundering "Dhai kilo ka hath" from the 1993 film "Damini" or "Hindustan zindabad hai, zindabad rahega" from "Gadar...".

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also tweeted a picture with Deol and used the "Hindustan zindabad..." dialogue.

Deol's father, legendary star Dharmendra, has been campaigning for him as well.

Acknowledging that he doesn't know much about politics, Deol calls himself a patriot. Faced with the accusation of being an outsider with no knowledge of Punjab issues, he has tried to silence his critics saying, I am not here to reply to what all is being said. I have come here to work and serve people and do my job.

This is the second time the BJP is playing a celebrity card in Gurdaspur. The party had earlier nominated actor Vinod Khanna from Gurdaspur in 1998 and managed to unseat veteran Congress leader and five-time MP Sukhbans Kaur Bhinder.

Jakhar, 64, won the seat in 2017 following Khanna's death.

Deol, a Jat Sikh whose real name is Ajay Singh Deol, attracted huge crowds with his first roadshow, giving the BJP enough confidence to smell a win.



However, his political rival Jakhar, MP and three-time MLA from the Abohar assembly seat under Ferozepur Lok Sabha constituency, is unimpressed.

So far, he (Deol) has not shown here anything beyond dialogue delivery and that is causing concern among voters here, Jakhar told PTI.

Taking a dig at the actor, Jakhar said the BJP nominee will prove to be a misfit in politics and has shown nothing beyond film dialogue delivery.

His charm without any substance will fade away soon, said Jakhar.

He said he is banking on development projects and reminds people of the Congress' contribution for the Kartarpur Sahib corridor which will enable devotees to visit Gurdwara Sahib in Kartarpur, the final resting place of founder of Sikhism Guru Nanak Dev in Pakistan.



The BJP may be sure of registering a win by encashing Deol's popularity, but it won't be easy, add political watchers.

Of the nine assembly constituencies in Gurdaspur parliamentary constituency, seven Dera Baba Nanak, Fatehgarh Churian, Pathankot, Dinanagar, Qadian, Gurdaspur and Bhoa -- are represented by MLAs of the state's ruling Congress. Of the other two, Batala is with the Shiromani Akali Dal and Sujanpur with the BJP.

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh has already warned his ministers and MLAs to perform or perish.

Gurdaspur was traditionally considered a stronghold of the Congress, but BJP held on to it four times. After Khanna won from this border seat in 1998, the party also bagged it in the 1999, 2004 and 2014 elections.

The constituency witnessed two terror attacks in Dinanagar in 2015 and at the Pathankot air force base in 2016.

Besides Deol and Jakhar, the others in the fray are Aam Aadmi Party's Peter Masih and Punjab Democratic Alliance's Lal Chand.

The Gurdaspur constituency, which has an electorate of 15.95 lakh, will vote on May 19 in the last phase of the Lok Sabha elections. The votes will be counted on May 23.
A Pakistan Sikh committee has approved the design for the commemorative coins and postage stamps which will mark Guru Nanak's 550th birth anniversary in November, according to a media report.

The Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (PSGPC) on Wednesday said during a meeting that one side of the coin will have the image of Janam Asthan Nankana Sahib, while the other side will have the words Islamic Republic of Pakistan and the number 550, The Express Tribune reported.

The postage stamps, which will be worth Rs8 and could be used commonly, will also have the image of Janam Asthan Nankana Sahid and the number 550.

The PSGPC expressed their satisfaction over the preparations made by the Evacuee Trust Property Board (EPTB).

For the Sikh pilgrims who will come to the country from across the world makeshift tents will be set up in Nankana Sahib and could accommodate 25,000 pilgrims, the report said.

The year 2019 marks the 550th birth anniversary year of Sikhism founder Guru Nanak Dev, whose birthplace is Sri Nankana Sahib in Pakistan.

Last November, both India and Pakistan agreed to set up the Kartarpur corridor to link the historic Gurdwara Darbar Sahib the final resting place of Guru Nanak in Pakistani town of Kartarpur with Dera Baba Nanak in Punjab's Gurdaspur district.

Kartarpur Sahib is located in Pakistan's Narowal district across the river Ravi, about four kilometres from the Dera Baba Nanak shrine.

The corridor will facilitate visa-free travel of Indian Sikh pilgrims to the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur.

Pakistan has committed to open the corridor in November this year on the occasion of the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak.

EPTB Chairman Dr Amir Ahmed assured PSGPC officials that all arrangements will be completed in time for Guru Nanak Devji's 550th birthday.

Sikh pilgrims from all over the world will be welcomed and provided accommodation and security, he said. He added that special trains will also be made operational for the pilgrims.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Taking note of the pendency of sexual assault and business dispute cases, the Delhi High Court Thursday directed the Delhi government to place before the Cabinet the requirement for 18 more fast track and 22 commercial courts.

A bench of Chief Justice Rajendra Menon and Justice A J Bhambhani said the high court had sanctioned certain posts of judges for establishing fast track and commercials courts but the matter has been pending before the government for over two years.

"Once the high court made the demand, government is duty bound to process it," the bench observed.

The court was informed that as on day, 6,414 cases under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and over 2,800 cases of sexual offences, particularly rape, are pending in Delhi.

It noted that the mandate of Section 309 CrPC contemplates that cases of rape under the IPC and of sexual offences against minors under the POCSO Act should be decided in two months after the filing of the charge sheet.

Considering the pendency, the court said it is "humanly impossible" unless adequate number of courts are sanctioned.

The court was hearing a plea for making fast track courts a permanent feature at the district level.

Prag Chawla, in his plea, has contended that the Registrar General of the high court has made representations to authorities to make fast track courts (FTC) a permanent feature by sanctioning more posts of judges and ancillary staff, but till date no action has been taken.

The petition, filed through advocate Sumit Chander, has claimed that FTCs at the level of additional district or session judge (ADJ/ASJ) was being run on ad-hoc or temporary basis and the Supreme Court in 2012 had directed that either they be discontinued or made permanent.

Advocate Anupam Srivastava, representing the Delhi government, gave the details of a written by the state in which it wanted to know how many more courts are required to be set up.

The court noted that under the Commercial Courts Act, the state is bound to create these courts and dispose of the commercial disputes and that the demand for 22 commercial courts is still pending with the government.

"We direct that requirement for 22 commercial courts an 18 FTCs as demanded by the high court be placed before the Cabinet," the bench said.

The requirement has to be placed before the Cabinet till the end of this month and a report has to be filed before the high court. The matter is listed for further hearing on May 30.

The court said if there is any further query, the government will give the details to the registrar general by May 18 and he will then furnish the details to the law secretary by May 20.

The court had earlier sought AAP government's response on the petition in which Chawla has said that after the apex court's decision, the high court had sent a letter in July 2012 to the Delhi government requesting it to continue the FTC scheme as a permanent feature.

In 2013 the high court had again written to the Delhi government to expedite the setting up of permanent FTCs and to sanction 20 posts of additional district and sessions judges along with 95 posts of ancillary staff, the petition has said.

The government, however, sanctioned the FTCs only for one more year, the plea has claimed and added that this sanction was given year after year whenever a letter was sent by the high court to make it permanent.

"However, no such court (FTC) has become functional against this sanction as no appointment to such courts can be made on an ad-hoc basis," the petition has claimed.

It has also claimed that there is a shortfall of over 200 judges in the subordinate judiciary which has led to an increase in pendency of cases, including those of sexual assault against minors and rape, in the lower courts.

The petition has also alleged that there is a shortage of commercial courts at the district-level and has sought creation of 22 posts with ancillary staff for this purpose.

"The present petition is necessitated in view of the delay by the Government of NCT of Delhi to take any action or decision in respect of the establishment of FTCs on a permanent basis and its insistence on extending the scheme on an ad-hoc basis," the plea has said.

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The Delhi High Court Thursday restrained the Income Tax Department from taking any action against VVIP chopper deal scam accused Gautam Khaitan against whom a black money case has been lodged.

A bench of Justices Siddharth Mridul and Anu Malhotra said Khaitan, an advocate by profession, has made out a "good prima facie" case for grant of interim relief and grave prejudice would be caused to him if the authorities are not restrained at this stage from proceeding further.

"The respondents (I-T department and Finance Ministry) are, therefore, restrained from taking and/ or continuing any action against the petitioner (Khaitan), pursuant to the impugned order dated January 22, passed by the respondent No 2 (IT department), till the next date of hearing. Renotify on July 4," the bench said.

The court's interim order came on a plea by Khaitan, represented by senior advocates P V Kapur and Siddharth Luthra, challenging a central government notification which gave retrospective effect, from July 2015, to the black money law which was enacted in April 2016.

Khaitan is one of the accused in the Rs 3,600 crore AgustaWestland VVIP chopper scam. He has challenged the legality of various provisions of the Black Money (Undisclosed Foreign Income and Assets) and Imposition of Tax Act, 2015.

In the petition, filed through advocate Pramod Kumar Dubey, Khaitan has also challenged the I-T department's January 22 order granting sanction to lodge a criminal complaint against him under section 51 of the Act which provides for jail term between 3 to 10 years if found guilty of wilfully attempting to evade tax.

The bench said, "... at this stage we are prima facie of the considered view that, the official respondents could not have exercised powers granted to it under the provisions of Sections 85 and 86 of the said Act, prior to the enactment itself coming into force, in terms of the provisions of sub-Section (3) of Section 1 of the said Act."



The high court had earlier asked the Centre as to how it gave retrospective effect - from July 2015 - to the black money law which was enacted in April 2016 to deal with undisclosed foreign income and assets.

Khaitan has contended in the plea that action was being taken against him under the Act for assets which ceased to exist before the law came into force.

Earlier, his counsel had argued that before issuance of show cause notice and grant of sanction, tax assessment has to be carried out for the years in question which has not been done in the instant case as the assessment year was 2019-20.

However, the tax department had opposed the contention saying that when there was an undisclosed foreign asset, there was no need to wait for completion of the assessment.

Khaitan, in his plea, has sought a declaration that under the black money law, the assessing officer was "not entitled to charge tax on a foreign undisclosed asset, which ceased to exist prior to the Act coming into force, only on the ground that such asset came to the notice of the assessing officer after the Act came into force".

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The Madras High Court Thursday stayed the termination of services of teachers who have not passed the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) so far.

It also observed that the teachers would be seriously prejudiced if no interim order was granted as the state government had not conducted the test in 2018.

A division bench of Justices C V Karthikeyan and Krishnan Ramasamy passed the interim order on a batch of appeals from teachers working in the government and aided schools in Tiruvannamalai and Kallakurichi districts challenging the April 30 order issued by a single judge.

The bench also directed the appellant teachers to appear for the test scheduled to be held on June 8 and 9.

It restrained authorities concerned from taking action against them till then and posted the matter for further hearing to June 12.

On Wednesday, the Teachers Recruitment Board (TRB) had declared that the TET would be conducted on June 8 and 9.

Justice S M Subramaniam had last month ordered the government to issue a show-cause notice, returnable in two weeks, to all 'unqualified' teachers, who have not cleared the TET.

In respect of implementing the qualifications, there could not be any leniency or misplaced sympathy by the state government as this would be detrimental to the national educational policy, as well as in the interest of to be imparted to the children, he had said.

The appellants had contended that they did not find any amendment to the RTE Act fixing March 31, 2019 as the dead line for passing the TET, as pointed out by the judge.

In the absence of a date prior to March 31, it is impossible for the appellants to pass the TET before that date, they had said.

According to the RTE Act, it is mandatory for the primary and upper primary teachers to clear the TET to get employment as secondary grade teachers and BT assistants (graduate teachers).

When the matter came up Thursday, the government counsel could not offer any explanation for not conducting the TET in 2018.

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Ahead of the monsoon season, the health ministry has asked all centre-run hospitals to set up 'dengue corners', dedicated areas to provide treatment to dengue patients, as part of the National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme (NVBDCP) guidelines.

The 'Dengue Corners' will have designated staff that will cater to dengue patients.

"The aim of setting up these dengue corners is to provide seamless and efficient healthcare service to the patients during surge in dengue incidence. These instructions are part of the guildelines of the NVBDCP," Dr Ashutosh Biswas, a professor of medicine at the AIIMS, said.

With no specific drug and vaccine currently available in the country to cure dengue, AIIMS Director Randeep Guleria said that a good supportive treatment accompanied with early diagnosis helps in the treatment of the mosquito born viral disease.

According to Dr Guleria, the India Council of Medical Research (ICMR) is conducting research on the safety and efficacy of the vaccine on the Indian population.

"The problem with the vaccine is that it can be effective if given to a person who previously was infected with dengue. If given to a person who had never suffered from dengue, it can create complications and also can cause harm, that is why the vaccine has been withdrawn even after being introduced in several countries," Dr Guleria said.

At AIIMS, the mortality rate in dengue is around 7 per cent. It is less than 2 per cent across India.

According to Dr Biswas, the mortality rate at the AIIMS is high because all the serious cases are referred to the hospital.

AIIMS is also providing training to its resident doctors, para-medical staff and nurses on dengue management, he said.

"When there is a surge in cases, a special ward for dengue patients is also set up," Dr Biswas explained.

He further said dengue symptoms range from common self-limiting ailment to complicated cases wherein patients are required to be admitted in the hospital.

Dengue is caused by Aedes aegypti mosquito, which breeds in clear water, doctors said.

Dr Biswas advised people to take precautions to ensure that there is no breeding of mosquito larvae around them and urged them to wear full-sleeves and use mosquito nets.

Water coolers should be dried up when not in use as dengue infection-carrying mosquitoes breed there a lot.

Dr Biswas informed that the AIIMS has also set up a Disease Prevention Outbreak Cell to be vigilant about the outbreak of such vector borne diseases in the campus.

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Actor-turned-politician Hema Malini Thursday participated in a roadshow here to support Union minister and SAD candidate for Bathinda seat Harsimrat Kaur Badal and lauded her efforts towards women empowerment in Malwa region.

Hema Malini, an MP from Mathura, appealed to the people to vote for her "sister" for all round development of Punjab and asked voters not to get swayed by the "false promises" of the Congress.

The roadshow passed through markets of Mansa, Maur and Rama, where she addressed public gatherings.

Standing atop a vehicle, the actress lauded Badal for bringing the prestigious AIIMS institute in Bathinda.

"Harsimratji has also done yeoman service to society through her charitable organisation 'Nanhi Chhan' which has reduced female infanticide in the Malwa region and also given training to more than 12,000 women to stand up on their own feet," she said.

Hema Malini said, "Modiji has not only strengthened India with his firm policies but also made India count for itself in the comity of nations".

She also promised to bring her husband and actor Dharmendra and daughter Esha Deol to Mansa next time she visits the city.

Badal said, "I am confident that my appeal will find a place in your hearts and you will put your contribution in the movement for progress and prosperity of our country under the leadership of the NDA government".

Badal is seeking a third consecutive win from Bathinda seat. She is pitted against Congress candidate Amrinder Singh Raja Warring, AAP's Baljinder Kaur and Punjabi Ekta Party chief Sukhpal Singh Khaira.

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flagship firm on Thursday reported a 37.4 per cent decline in standalone profit to Rs 235.82 crore for the quarter ended March 31.

The company had posted a standalone profit of Rs 376.97 crore in the year-ago period, said in a filing to BSE.

However, the company's standalone income during January-March quarter increased to Rs 12,733.23 crore, over Rs 11,892.06 crore a year ago.

Ltd is a global major in aluminium and copper.

In the statement, the company said, "PAT (profit after tax) for Q4 FY19 stood at Rs 506 crore (Rs 616 crore in Q4 FY18), primarily due to weaker macros and higher input costs in the last quarter."

ALSO READ: Hindalco Industries eyes lithium to strengthen its aluminium business

The consolidated profit 2018-19 fell to Rs 5,495.01 crore, over Rs 6,082.87 crore in the year ended March 31, 2018.

The company's board of directors "recommended dividend @ of 120 per cent i.e. Rs 1.20 per equity share of face value of Re 1 each for the financial year ended 31st March, 2019, subject to approval of the shareholders at the ensuing annual general meeting," the filing said.

Hindalco Industries Managing Director said, "Our FY19 consolidated profits reached an all-time high in spite of a difficult business environment. This resilient performance reflects the strength of our integrated business model, excellent operational capabilities, stable operations and our enriched product portfolio.

Novelis' innovative products and customer-centric approach helped it deliver its best-ever performance. In India, our increased focus on downstream is already showing encouraging with record aluminium value-added product volumes this year. In copper, too, the share of value-added products (copper rods) has risen, helping the business maintain profitability despite lower volumes," he said.

He said the company expects the impetus provided by India's growth to boost demand for aluminium.

"Rising imports of aluminium and copper, however, pose a threat and we look forward to suitable steps to provide a level-playing field," he added.

Shares of the company were trading up by 1.57 per cent at Rs 193.95 apiece on the BSE.
An Army clerk posted at Mhow cantonment area near here was Thursday arrested for allegedly sharing strategic information to a woman, who had honey- trapped him through social media, police said.

The 28-year-old clerk was sharing secret information of strategic importance through social media platforms like Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram with a woman for a long time, a senior police officer told PTI on a condition of anonymity.

The Indian intelligence agencies suspect that the information was reaching Pakistan and for which, money was paid, he said.

The social media accounts of the arrested clerk are being investigated.

An FIR in the case under relevant sections is registered in a police station in Bhopal and an investigation into the matter is underway, the official added.

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With the hospitality sector in Odisha taking a hit following Cyclone Fani, an association of hoteliers on Thursday sought the state government's support to restore tourist spots in Puri, Cuttack and Bhubaneswar.

In statement issued on Wednesday, the Hotel & Restaurant Association of Odisha (HRAO) said it has come up with both short-term and long-term plans to revive the tourism industry.

"It is estimated that the hotel industry has incurred losses of around Rs 500 crore. The government must come up with relief measures to compensate this loss," HRAO Chairman J K Mohanty said.

Tourism and Culture Minister Ashok Panda, on his part, claimed that the state government has been working on a war footing to restore infrastructure and revive business.

Panda also underlined that necessary support was being extended to the hotel industry, which suffered extensive damage during cyclone Fani.

The "extremely severe" cyclone, which barrelled through Odisha on May 3, left behind a trail of destruction and claimed more than 60 lives.

Noting that Odisha is not one of the preferred destinations of foreign tourists in India, Mohanty said it was necessary to draft a long-term strategy to attract visitors from across the globe.

The short-term plan, he suggested, must include ways to ensure 24-hour power supply, immediate reconstruction of the sewerage system and installation of street lights.

Stressing that all financial institutions must be instructed to give a two-year moratorium on existing term loans, he said banks should rather lend money for the restoration and rehabilitation work.

"Similarly, the state must direct all insurance companies to disburse 50 per cent of the amount claimed by the policyholders by May 30," the HRAO chairman said.

Mohanty also proposed the formation of a high-level committee, to be administered by the tourism secretary and professionals of the hotel industry, for removal of bottlenecks on a priority basis.

"The state government must undertake promotional activities through video films, print ads and road shows in major cities to woo back tourists," he insisted.

Talking about long-term plans, Mohanty said, "The number of domestic tourists visiting Odisha would double if the state makes provisions for direct flights to Varanasi, Bodh Gaya, Pune and Ahmedabad."



The HRAO chairman also recommended the constitution of a tourism development authority for upgrading infrastructure from time to time.

"Unless Odisha has more number of star-category hotels, with modern and advanced amenities, we cannot expect increase in foreign tourist footfall," he added.

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Over 2,000 agile commandos on ground, 120 young supervisory officers, thousands of bullet rounds, first-aid kits and volumes of intelligence data sheets. This is what it takes for the central forces to ensure a watertight VIP security cover everyday to politicians campaigning across the country during the ongoing polls.

While Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress president Rahul Gandhi are protected by the elite Special Protection Group (SPG), other prominent politicians are guarded by central forces like the NSG, CRPF, CISF and ITBP, as they travel thousands of kilometres each day canvassing for their parties.

"In all, about 2,000 commandos are on ground and are rotated in shifts, apart from 120 young officers as party of the central security cover to the politicians. A huge amount of paraphernalia of logistics, weapons and intelligence and operational dossiers are put at their disposal everyday when the teams head out with their VIPs for campaigning in the country," a senior official in the VIP security establishment told PTI.

The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) has been entrusted with the responsibility to guard 78 VIPs, including BJP President Amit Shah who is under their top category 'Z+' security cover.

Shah, the only one for whom an advance security liaison is done on the lines of SPG protectees, Wednesday said that it would have been difficult for him to survive an attack on his convoy during his road show in Kolkata had it not been for the CRPF cover.

Sources said the force has mobilised a team of officers in the ranks of Assistant Commandants and Deputy Commandants to carry out advance recce of the venues to be covered across the country by Shah, who faces serious security threats.

Over 54 such officers have been deployed in various parts of the country to keep a track of prominent protectees under the cover of the CRPF. They are assisted by ground units from 28 various bases of the force activated for the special task, they said.

These commandos of the country's largest paramilitary force also provide proximate security cover to Union ministers Nitin Gadkari, Ravi Shankar Prasad among others and are armed with sophisticated AK series and MP5 assault rifles, loaded magazines, pistols, mobile body armour and even ropes and sticks for crowd control and special circumstances.

A 24X7 control room at a CRPF base in Noida remains in constant touch with a similar operational centre at the Ministry of Home Affairs in North Block that coordinates every move that these teams undertake and is in regular touch with them over the wireless and mobilephone.

"VIP security is a game of sharp reflexes and nerves of steel. One has to be very very meticulous while rendering the VIP security task as there are virtually no second chances," the official said.

Commandos hailing from the local area are also deputed with these VIPs at times so that they are able to catch every murmur or voice that emerges from the crowd, he said.

They also carry first-aid kits to help the VIP in case of an injury, motion sickness or tiredness, the official said.

The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), that has been entrusted with the security of 93 VIPs, has a tough job at hand as it has been recently asked to protect over a dozen new people in West Bengal, most of whom are trying their luck at the hustings.

About 40 officials have been deployed in supervisory roles to keep a track of the various protection teams that are out on field.

They camp in the local area and ensure the preparedness, logistics, food and other requirements of the commandos on move, the official said.

The prominent VIPs under the CISF cover are RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat (Z+), Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath (Z), Ministers of State in the Modi cabinet Mahesh Sharma and Manoj Sinha, former IPS officer and BJP candidate Bharti Ghosh and a host of other Lok Sabha candidates of the saffron party in the state ruled by the TMC.

The CISF VIP security unit has specially-trained personnel and they are called Special Security Group (SSG).

The National Security Guard (NSG) has an all-time low of 13 VIPs under its cover but the task to guard them is very enduring as they include Union home minister Rajnath Singh, former Chief Ministers like Akhilesh Yadav and Mayawati and serving CMs like Yogi Adityanath and N Chandrababu Naidu, among others.

The NSG has fine-tuned its security drills before Lok Sabha elections were declared and the 'black cats' are now armed with smart communication gadgets, body armour shields. They also conduct an advance recce of the venue for some VIPs like the home minister and others, the official said.

"The commando teams are pre-positioned when the VIP takes a flight or helicopter to travel from one place to the other. When one team securely leaves the VIP at point A, the other receives him when he lands at point B," the official explained.

A good number of VIP security trained drivers have been deployed with these teams on ground as they are a very vital cog of the unit as they can swiftly manoeuvre and rush out the protectee in case of an attack, ambush or bombing incident, he said.

The Indo-Tibetan Police Force guards about 16 VIPs like senior BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi (Z+), former Jammu and Kashmir CMs Omar Abdullah, Mehbooba Mufti among others.

The seven-phase elections will end with the last polling day on May 19 and the counting of votes is scheduled for May 23.

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National Conference leader Omar Abdullah Thursday attacked Pragya Singh Thakur, the BJP's Lok Sabha candidate from Bhopal, for terming Nathuram Godse, who assassinated Mahatma Gandhi, a "patriot".

"If the killer of the father of the nation is a patriot does that make Mahatma Gandhi anti-national?" Abdullah said in a tweet, though he did not name Thakur.

Earlier in the day, Thakur said, "Nathuram Godse was a desh bhakt (patriot) and will remain so. People calling him a terrorist should introspect. They will be given a befitting reply in these elections."



The Madhya Pradesh BJP, however, distanced itself from the statement.

"The BJP does not agree with her statement. The party will talk to her (and ask) under which circumstances she gave the statement. One who killed Mahatma Gandhi can't be a deshbhakt," state BJP media cell in-charge Lokendra Parashar told PTI.

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India Thursday strongly condemned the drone attacks targeting oil installations in Saudi Arabia two days ago.

The drone strikes hit two pumping stations on Saudi Arabia's east-west pipeline on Tuesday, resulting in shutting down of a major pipeline which can carry five million barrels of crude per day.

"We strongly condemn the drone attacks on May 14, targeting oil installations in Saudi Arabia. We reiterate our resolve to fight terrorism and violence in all its forms and manifestations," Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said.

He was responding to a query on the drone attacks.

According to reports, the drone attacks have been claimed by Iran-aligned Yemeni rebels.

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India and Iran explored ways to further enhance people-to-people contact and promote friendly exchanges during a joint consular committee meeting here.

In the meeting on Tuesday, the two sides discussed issues of mutual interest, including early conclusion of agreement on mutual legal assistance on civil and commercial matters and extending longer duration of e-visa to people of the two countries, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said.

It said the 11th joint consular committee meeting primarily focused on reviewing the status of ongoing cooperation in consular and visa related issues.

"The meeting provided an opportunity to review the status of ongoing cooperation in consular and visa related issues and to discuss ways and means to further expand people to people contacts and promote friendly exchanges between India and Iran," the MEA said.

The Indian delegation was led by Amit Narang, Joint Secretary in the MEA, while the Iran delegation was headed by Ali Asghar Mohammadi, Director General for Consular Affairs in Iranian Foreign Ministry.

"Both sides discussed issues of mutual interest including early conclusion of Agreement on Mutual Legal Assistance on civil and commercial matters, extending longer duration of e-visa for each other's nationals on reciprocity, visa facilitation for greater people to people contacts," the MEA said.

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The ongoing trade war between the and will help India tap export opportunities in both the countries in areas such as garments, agriculture, automobile and machinery, according to trade experts.

Professor at Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT) Rakesh Mohan Joshi said the has broadly targeted intermediate components from China, particularly machinery and electronics, whereas is targeting American automotive and agricultural products including Soybean.

"These areas offer huge opportunities for India. Strong opportunity is unfolding for India in apparel and readymade garments as after China, India is the only country in the world to match the scale of operations and integrate its supply chain for global customers," Joshi said.

He added that India needs to make use of this opportunity to significantly enhance its exports especially in Information and Communications Technology (ICT) and the automotive sector.

"To effectively harness the emerging opportunities, India needs a carefully crafted strategy and its meticulous implementation at the grass-roots level," he said.

Sharing similar views, the Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) said the trade war between the and is benefitting India.

President Ganesh Kumar Gupta said India's exports to the US went up by 11.2 per cent in 2018, while to China it rose 31.4 per cent in the same year.

"China is also more willing than ever before to provide better market access to India on a wide range of agriculture and processed food products. India would be getting better access to Chinese market as China would like to prove to its citizen that the tariff war has little or no impact on it," he said.

The US and China are significantly raising import duties on each others' products. In commerce parlance, trade war means increasing import duties by trading partners.

Recently, the US increased import duties from 10 per cent to 25 per cent on $200 billion worth of Chinese imports. The US is demanding China to reduce the massive trade deficit which last year climbed to over $539 billion.

Director General Ajay Sahai said it is a "God-sent opportunity" for India to seek huge investments from companies located in China.

"All investments in China with prime focus on the US market may seek relocation and India would definitely be the option. There is a need to move aggressively to woo such investors before they are allured by others," Sahai said.

Assistant Professor and expert on agri economics, Chirala Shankar Rao, said India should work on tapping export opportunities in the agriculture sector in both the countries.

"Indian exporters have all the potential to increase agricultural exports in both these countries," Rao added.

Echoing similar views, Ludhiana-based exporter and former president S C Ralhan said enormous opportunities are there in the engineering and machinery sector in both the countries and "we have to tap that".

Council for Leather Exports Chairman P R Aqeel Ahmed said the trade war will help India increase footwear exports to the US. "India's footwear exports to the US currently is about $300 million and Chinese exports to the US is $11 billion. Even if we get 10 per cent of this, our exports to the US can grow four times," Ahmed said.

India's bilateral trade with China and the US stood at $89.71 billion and $74.5 billion, respectively, in 2017-18.
US Navy chief Admiral John Richardson has said that his recent visit to India was a "critical opportunity" to strengthen ties between the two navies and sharing views on a multilateral approach in maintaining maritime domain awareness in the strategic Indo-Pacific region.

Richardson, who was on a three-day visit to India, met his Indian counterpart Admiral Sunil Lanba and other senior officers and discussed joint exercises between the two navies amid rising Chinese influence in the Indo-Pacific region.

"This visit provided a critical opportunity to strengthen the partnership between the Indian Navy and the US Navy," a US Navy press release quoted him as saying after his visit ended on Tuesday.

"The two heads of navy also discussed the strategic importance of growing the two navies' partnership and the need to focus on information sharing and exchange. They also discussed their shared view on a multilateral approach in maintaining maritime domain awareness in the Indo-Pacific region,"the release said.

"Our mutual commitment and shared vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific enables even more opportunities for the future. We took the opportunity during the visit to discuss specific steps that will set the stage for further cooperation between our two navies," he said.

China has been trying to spread its influence in the resource-rich Indo-Pacific region. To counter Beijing, the US has been pushing for a broader role by India in the strategically important region.

India, the US and several other world powers have been talking about the need to ensure a free, open and thriving Indo-Pacific in the backdrop of China's rising military maneuvering in the region, which is a large swathe of land and sea stretching all the way from the west coast of the US to the shores of east Africa.

Richardson also praised Admiral Lanba's vision and said that the Indian Navy chief, who is retiring later this month, has been a strong advocate for a closer partnership between our two navies, and "we have made significant progress."



"We took the opportunity during the visit to discuss specific steps that will set the stage for further cooperation between our two navies," he said.

The US Navy said that Richardson also met the US Ambassador of India, Kenneth Juster to discuss how to further strengthen relations between the two countries and navies.

Richardson's visit follows Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's statement that the US was "banding together with like-minded nations like Australia, India, Japan and South Korea to make sure that each Indo-Pacific nation can protect its sovereignty from coercion".

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An Indian man who stalked a woman over a period of 18 months after she attended to him just once in a shop in London has been jailed for 29 months.

Rohit Sharma was jailed at Isleworth Crown Court in London on Wednesday after pleading guilty to stalking, harassment and failing to appear in court. The 28-year-old Indian national will be deported back to India at the end of his sentence.

"Stalking and harassment has a devastating impact on the lives of those targeted. There is intrusion into the victim's life, and they are left to feel vulnerable, distressed and threatened," said Detective Constable Nicola Kerry from the Metropolitan Police West Area Command Unit, who led the investigation.

"Sharma was incessant in his pursuit of his victim. He would phone her up to 40 times a day and use around 15 different numbers to contact her, making it near impossible to block his calls, and would also get friends and relatives to contact her on his behalf," she said.

The man began stalking his victim, aged in her 20s, after she served him in a shop in Wembley, north-west London, in November 2017. After that brief interaction, Sharma returned later that same day with his father and asked her to marry him.

Four days later, the victim changed jobs but Sharma found out where she worked and managed to obtain her phone number.

His behaviour escalated and he bombarded the victim with multiple messages via phone, text and social media, the Met Police said.

The victim reported Sharma to police and in February 2018 he was issued with a harassment warning.

However, the court was told that this did not deter him and his campaign of stalking and harassment continued. This consisted of the victim receiving up to 40 calls a day and Sharma continually watching her at her place of work.

In July 2018, Sharma was charged with harassment but after being bailed from court he continued to pursue his victim. He failed to attend a court hearing in November 2018 and was circulated as wanted by police.

"Sharma's stalking continued persistently to such a point that the victim quit her job and moved away from the area in an attempt to get away from him. However, this only seemed to fuel his campaign and he systematically began contacting people who knew the victim, trying to find out where she had gone," the Met Police said.

In April 2019, Sharma was arrested by police after intelligence linked him to an address in Wembley. He was subsequently charged and, due to the weight of evidence against him, was left with little option but to plead guilty at court.

In a statement, the unnamed victim said: "This whole experience has completely shattered my nerves, I have gone from being a confident young woman to constantly feeling scared and on edge. I have no desire to socialise or meet new people, which has really taken its toll and ruined the university experience I had always envisioned.

"I cannot understand why this male became so obsessed with me. It is so unfair and completely undeserved. I just want him to realise what he has done and to know that he cannot do this to me or anyone else. I now want to move on knowing that he is locked away and cannot harm or hurt anyone else like he has done to me."



"The victim has been left devastated by Sharma's actions and I can only hope that his imprisonment offers some form of respite for her. She has shown immense bravery in reporting him to police and supporting this court case," added detective constable Kerry.

Sharma was handed down a sentence of 22-month imprisonment for stalking, six months for harassment, and one month for failing to appear at court.

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An India-based sect has won the right to build a spiritual and meditation centre in Swan Valley in Western Australia, ending a five-year legal battle with the local council that banned the construction of places of worship in the rural area.

The State Administration Tribunal passed the order last week allowing the Radha Soami Satsang Beas (RSSB) Australia to construct a spiritual and meditation centre, The West Australian reported on Thursday.

RSSB's lawyer Tim Houweling said his clients were overwhelmed and excited that their fight to build the centre has come to an end.

There seems to be an unwarranted fear in our community of the establishment of places of worship," he said, adding, "I can assure surrounding residents that theSB will be great neighbours."



It is not clear to me why places of worship are being singled out in planning, and treated differently from other uses that have greater impact,'' he said.

Houweling clarified that the tribunal after hearing the evidence has made clear that there is no impact on horticulture or agriculture activity in the Swan Valley Rural zone.

Earlier, the City of Swan voted to change its planning scheme to not allow any more places worships including churches, mosques, temples to be built in the rural, winery region, in order to preserve the agricultural character of the area.

However, theSB Australia argued it has met all planning requirements and took its fight to the court.

The Tribunal said the centre would be low impact and would not cause any adverse impacts to traditional agricultural activities in the area.

Council chief executive Mike Foley said the city would not appeal against the decision of the Tribunal.

"The decision [to refuse the application] was formed on the basis that the application was not for a traditional activity and was not consistent with the rural character of the locality," he said.

"The city accepts the Tribunal's decision and will continue to work with theSB to ensure the final development is in keeping with the character of the Swan Valley," he said.

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At least 100 prisoners are on the run from an Indonesian jail, authorities said Thursday, after the Southeast Asian nation's second mass prison escape in less than a week.

Prisoners fled the from the jail for narcotics convicts in North Sumatra province Thursday after starting a fire in response to complaints about the treatment of a fellow prisoner, authorities said.

"They were angry and burned prison officers' motorbikes," said Solden, a local resident who like many Indonesians goes by one name.

Hundreds of inmates intially escaped from the detention centre, but most were soon recaptured.

At least 100 others are still at large.

"They should surrender and serve the remainder of their sentences," North Sumatra police chief Agus Andrianto said.

"Running away won't solve the problem -- it will only create more problems," he added.

Thursday's jailbreak comes after more than 100 inmates escaped Saturday from another jail in Sumatra following a riot that broke out after guards beat several inmates who were caught using methamphetamine.

Three detainees suffered stab wounds and a policeman was shot during the rioting, the local health office told AFP.

Some prisoners were recaptured but dozens are still on the run, authorities said.

Jailbreaks are not uncommon in Indonesia where inmates are often held in crowded, unsanitary conditions.

There was a spate of breakouts in 2013, including one where about 150 prisoners -- including terror convicts -- escaped from a jail.

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India's second largest IT firm Infosys Thursday said it proposes to grant stock incentives worth Rs 10 crore to CEO Salil Parekh, as part of an new programme that aims to incentivise employees for performance.

The company's board has approved an 'Expanded Stock Ownership Program 2019' that intends to allocate five crore shares to a broad base of employees.

The 2019 Plan will be effective on and from the date of receipt of approval of the shareholders, the company said in a regulatory filing.

The Benguluru-based company said it is proposed that CEO and Managing Director Salil Parekh be granted annual performance-based stock incentives in the form of restricted stock units (RSUs) worth Rs 10 crore under the 2019 Plan.

The company has also tweaked the vesting period of Parekh's annual performance equity grant from the current three years to one year.

Parekh, who had joined Infosys in January last year, has charted out a three-year transformation road map. In the first year, his focus was on stabilising the company, followed by building momentum in year two and accelerating growth in the third year (2020-21).

For COO U B Pravin Rao, Infosys has proposed grant of annual performance-based stock incentives in the form of RSUs worth Rs 4 crore that will vest 12 months from the date of each grant.

In a regulatory filing, Infosys termed the latest programme '2019 Plan' as being "distinct" from previous plan of 2015 where the granted shares largely vested based on time.

"...whereas under the 2019 Plan, the grants will vest strictly on performance. Accordingly, it is proposed to allocate a maximum limit of five crore shares (about 1.15 per cent of the equity share capital) of the company under the 2019 Plan," it said.

It added: "This unique plan, which sets out challenging performance criteria aligned to shareholder value creation, will deepen employee ownership of the company...Further, it will incentivise, retain and attract key talent through this performance-based stock incentive plan amongst an expanded employee base."



At the end of March 2019 quarter, Infosys had a total employee base of over 2.28 lakh people. Its attrition (annualised consolidated) in the said quarter was at 20.4 per cent compared to 19.5 per cent in the year-ago period.

In April, Infosys had said it will roll out an incentive scheme this year for employees equipped with digital skills and will aggressively re-deploy staff on projects offering opportunities to work on new technologies.

The '2019 Plan' "builds on the strong legacy of meritocracy that was established by the founders, and strengthens the company's efforts towards wealth creation for employees, enhanced shareholder returns and delight for customers", it says.

The grants allocated to employees over a period of seven years will vest based on challenging performance criteria of relative Total Shareholder Return (TSR) against an industry peer group; relative TSR against domestic and global indices; and operating lead performance metrics.

"Our employees are our biggest asset, and through this program we aim to recognise and reward individuals who are committed to driving value creation for all stakeholders... By making employees owners, they get an opportunity to be beneficiaries in the long term success of the company," Parekh said.

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Committee of Administrators member Diana Edulji said Thursday she wanted to present the IPL winners' trophy as she felt that BCCI acting president C K Khanna had "disregarded the protocol" by not presenting the award during the ODI against Australia in Delhi.

Edulji wanted to present the IPL winners' trophy to the champion team but was overruled by her CoA colleague Lt Gen Ravi Thodge, who felt that convention of president giving away the trophy should be followed. Khanna, in the end, gave away the trophy.

While presenting trophies has always been paramount for Khanna, Edulji, in a long statement, didn't clarify as to why it was equally important for her.

"To set the facts straight, in the COA meeting dated 8th April, the topic was discussed. During the discussion, I had mentioned that as the Acting President (CK Khanna) had abdicated his right to give away the trophy during the BCCI bilateral match in Delhi," Edulji said in a press release.

"He (Khanna) had shown disregard for the protocol and an office bearer of a state association was allowed to give the trophy away and hence for the IPL Final COA members should give the trophy. This was because the Acting President had shown disregard to the office of the President of the BCCI," said Edulji.

She claimed she had mentioned in that meeting that if CoA chief Vinod Rai is present during the final, he should give away the trophy or else it should be presented jointly by her and Lt Gen Thodge.

What seemed to have irked Edulji is that Khanna presented a two-year old email from acting secretary Amitabh Chaudhary where the former IPS officer had also written in favour of convention being followed.

"A few days before the final Mr. Khanna forwarded a mail from the Acting Secretary Mr Amitabh Choudhary written sometime in the year 2017 in which he had said that as per protocol the BCCI President gives away the trophy," said Edulji.

Time and again, Edulji asked why Khanna didn't follow the protocol during the Australia ODI when DDCA president Rajat Sharma gave away the trophy.

"Till date, even after numerous e-mails including from the Acting Secretary asking for reasons on what grounds the Acting President allowed the DDCA representative to give away the trophy, Khanna has not bothered responding and explaining about the reasons due to which he took that decision."



Edulji accused Khanna of walking around with Amitabh's e-mail in his pocket.

"On the day of the final as usual, his interest seemed only limited to the presentation of the trophy since he was carrying around an e-mail of 2017 in his pocket," Edulji wrote.

Edulji also alleged that "few people in BCCI worked behind the scenes" to stop her from presenting the trophy.

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Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif is set to visit China on Friday for talks on "regional and international issues", state agency IRNA reported.

Coming amid soaring tensions between Washington and Tehran, the visit would be an opportunity to discuss the 2015 nuclear deal from which the United States unilaterally withdrew a year ago, IRNA said.

The China trip comes after Zarif visited Turkmenistan, India and Japan in the past week.

China is one of the five remaining signatories to the Iran nuclear deal, in addition to Britain, France, Germany and Russia. It is also a major importer of Iranian crude oil.

In Tokyo, Zarif accused the United States of an "unacceptable" escalation of tensions and said Tehran was showing "maximum restraint" despite Washington's withdrawal from the nuclear deal.

Tensions were already high after President Donald Trump walked away from the accord in May 2018, but they have ratcheted up recently with the US deploying an aircraft carrier group and B-52 bombers to the Gulf over alleged threats from Iran.

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Iranian saffron worth Rs 60 lakh was seized from a passenger who arrived here from Dubai Thursday, customs officials said.

The department's air intelligence unit intercepted the 42 -year-old man and found the contraband concealed in his two trolley bags.

"Iranian saffron of Behrang brand Grade I and Badiee brand Grade II in 25 gram pouches, totally weighing 31 kg valued at Rs 60 lakh were concealed in the bags...," a customs release said.

The passenger hailing from Thanjavur has been arrested, it said.

According to officials, smuggling of saffron has been on the rise due to high price of the Indian variety and high import duty.

In another incident, officials intercepted a passenger on his arrival here from Bangkok.

The sleuths recovered a 400 gm gold cut bar valued at Rs 13.3 lakh concealed in his underwear, the release added.

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Israel has proposed India to be the focus country at Jerusalem Film Festival next year during a meeting between the delegations of the two countries at the Cannes International Film Festival on Thursday.

Indian film "Newton", starring Rajkummar Rao, has created a buzz in Israel, the Israeli delegation said.

The Indian delegation at Cannes is led by Information and Broadcasting Secretary Amit Khare, while Eti Cohen, Director of Film Department and Council, Ministry of Culture and Sports, led the delegation for Israel.

Israel also proposed the idea of making concept-based films in India, with a focus on regional and small budget film, according to a release by the Information and Broadcasting Ministry.

No Indian film has made the cut at Cannes this year but a host of celebrities including Priyanka Chopra, Deepika Padukone, Aishwarya Rai and Sonam Kapoor will walk the festival's red carpet to represent their brands.

The Indian delegation also met Film Commissioners of participating countries at Cannes Film Festival to highlight the country as the go-to destination for filming.

To make the process of obtaining permissions easy, the Indian team highlighted the Film Facilitation Office which ensures single-window clearance for film-makers.

The delegation also focused on co-production opportunities with the participating countries and forage opportunities of collaborations for films with international production houses.

Khare talked about the possibility of filmmakers of different countries coming together under bilateral co-production agreements which would also forge new markets and wider audiences by making India a hub for shooting world class international movies.

The countries which participated included Austria, Costa Rica, Norway, Philippines, Italy, Netherlands, Sweden, Taiwan and Canada.

The delegation also met Marc Tessier, President, Film France, and talked about amendments in already existing co-production treaty between India and France to include animation, gaming and visual effects.

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A Tel Aviv court on Thursday charged a 65-year-old Israeli man for allegedly spitting at the Polish ambassador, the police said, amid heightened diplomatic tensions between the two countries.

Polish ambassador Marek Magierowski was sitting in his car on Tuesday when a man approached and "spat at him", police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said.

Eric Lederman, from the city of Herzliya north of Tel Aviv, was charged with assault against the diplomat and with threatening his driver, the police said Thursday.

Israel's envoy to Poland Anna Azari was summoned to the Polish foreign ministry in Warsaw over the incident, Polish foreign ministry spokeswoman Ewa Suwara said.

Poland's Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki called it a "xenophobic act of aggression" while President Andrzej Duda said it appeared to be an "anti-Polish act of hatred".

Israeli foreign ministry spokesman Emmanuel Nahshon expressed "our fullest sympathy to the ambassador and our shock at the attack."



The alleged incident came a day after Poland 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.

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 Poland's ire by quoting late Israeli prime minister Yitzhak Shamir 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.

Lederman is set to appear in court again on June 23, and is banned from approaching Poland's embassy in Tel Aviv for 30 days.

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He is back as the director of "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" after much drama but director James Gunn says he felt like it was the end of the road when Disney fired him in 2018 over controversial old tweets.

The cast and fans rallied around Gunn when Disney severed its ties with the director in July last year. Gunn was reinstated as the director in March this year.

Recalling the day of his firing, Gunn told IndieWire,"That first day, I'm going to say it was the most intense of my entire life."



"There have been other difficult days in my life, from the time I got sober when I was younger, to the death of friends who committed suicide. But this was incredibly intense. It happened, and suddenly it seemed like everything was gone. I just knew, in a moment that happened incredibly quickly, I had been fired. It felt as if my career was over," he added.

The director said the outpouring of love from his girlfriend, the "Guardians' cast" and other in the industry kept him sane during that period.

Gunn had issued a statement to apologised for the tweets when the controversy first broke out over his old tweets, in which he had joked about pedophilia and molestation.

The director said Disney had the right to fire him over the tweets.

"I don't blame anyone. I feel and have felt bad for a while about some of the ways I spoke publicly; some of the jokes I made, some of the targets of my humor, just the unintentional consequences of not being more compassionate in what I'm putting out there," Gunn said.

"I know that people have been hurt by things that I've said, and that's still my responsibility, that I wasn't as compassionate as I should be in what I say. I feel bad for that and take full responsibility. Disney totally had the right to fire me. This wasn't a free speech issue. I said something they didn't like and they completely had the right to fire me. There was never any argument of that.

After exiting Disney, the director moved on to write and direct Warner Bros "Suicide Squad", which he will complete first before returning for the "Guardians" franchise.

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Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte held talks with Libyan strongman Khalifa Haftar during a surprise visit to Rome on Thursday, calling for an end to his month-long assault on Tripoli.

"It was a fairly long meeting, a lengthy exchange of information," Conte told journalists.

"I informed him of the government's position. We want a ceasefire and we feel that the political path is the only solution."



Italian media reported that Haftar would head to Paris for talks with French President Emmanuel Macron after the previously unannounced visit to Rome.

Conte said last week that he wanted to meet Haftar after talks with the UN-backed premier Fayez al-Sarraj on May 7.

Haftar's bid to unseat Sarraj and take control of the Libyan capital has reached a military and political impasse after a month of fighting.

The European Union on Monday called for all sides in the conflict to put down their arms and commit to UN talks, saying the offensive was a threat to international peace.

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Homebuyers and lenders of debt-laden Infratech Thursday started voting on state-owned NBCC's bid to acquire group's realty firm and complete the construction of over 20,000 flats.

The voting process will end on Sunday and the outcome would be declared on May 20.

The financial creditors would vote for the second time on the resolution plan for Infratech, a subsidiary of (JAL). On May 3, the financial creditors rejected Mumbai-based Suraksha Realty's bid through voting process.

As many as 13 banks represent 40.71 per cent voting rights in the Committee of Creditors (CoC) while over 23,000 homebuyers have around 59 per cent vote.

Majority of homebuyers are likely to vote in favour of the NBCC's bid but many also fear that lenders may reject it as they do not want to take up to 60 per cent hair-cut against their claim of Rs 9,782 crore, sources had said.

Earlier this week, the CoC decided to put on vote the revised offer of NBCC, with homebuyers favouring the voting process while bankers dissenting.

Bankers had opposed putting the NBCC's bid to vote and pitched for further negotiations. Banks even made a plea before the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) for a stay on the voting process, but did not get relief.

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 as well as to banks and completion of flats construction by July 2023 in order to settle an outstanding claim of Rs 23,723 crore of financial creditors.

The bankers' opposition came against the backdrop of NBCC Monday ruling out dilution of certain conditions, including exemption from tax liability, in its revised offer.

Bankers even proposed taking control of and roping in NBCC as Project Management Consultant (PMC) to complete delayed flats, sources had said.

However, Kuldeep Verma, who represents homebuyers in the CoC, wanted NBCC's offer to be put to vote without any delay.

Verma's views prevailed as homebuyers have nearly 60 per cent voting rights in the CoC, sources had said.

A minimum 66 per cent vote of financial creditors (bankers and homebuyers) is required for the approval of any resolution plan.

Last week, lenders had written to NBCC seeking clarifications on certain relief and concessions put forward by the public sector firm in its resolution plan.

However, NBCC 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.

Clarifications from the NBCC were sought in the wake of the Interim Resolution Professional (IRP) flagging to the lenders that NBCC's bid was conditional and non-binding.

Jaypee Infratech's IRP Anuj Jain had written to the CoC that NBCC's revised bid was conditional as the plan would not be binding unless key relief measures such as extinguishing of income tax liability and exemption from seeking consent of YEIDA ( Industrial Development Authority) for any business transfer.

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 matter is listed on May 21, with the bench of (NCLT).

Meanwhile, has shown interest to bid for but creditors have not sought resolution plan from Adani so far. Jaypee Group's promoters too have put in a bid, under Section 12A of Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, to retain control of the company.

went into insolvency in 2017 after the 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.

JAL had submitted Rs 750 crore in the registry of the for the refund to buyers and the amount is lying with the NCLT.
With over 60 speakers including Nobel laureate Venki Ramakrishnan and Bollywood actor Manisha Koirala, the 6th JLF London will mark the beginning of this year's international editions of the literary festival, the organisers announced Thursday.

Organised by Teamwork Arts, the "annual celebration of books, creativity, dialogue and diversity will bring South Asia's multilingual literary heritage" to the British Library in London from June 14-16.

"We're back for our sixth edition in London with a colourful bandwagon of books, ideas and dialogue that capture our imaginations and explore the dynamic and challenging times we live in.

"ZEE JLF at the British Library will look at history as well as current affairs, explore scientific works and the creative worlds of cinema, literature and poetry. This year we have also partnered with the British Museum for an evening of conversations," Sanjoy Roy, managing director of Teamwork Arts, said.

The London edition will witness speakers including historian and former Labour MP Tristram Hunt, acclaimed travel writer Pico Iyer, award-winning author and journalist Christopher de Bellaigue and famous fiction author Jeffrey Archer.

The "grand feast of ideas" will travel for the first time to Belfast as its second stop in the UK from June 21-23, exploring themes that bind India and Northern Ireland such as border and partition, and the concepts of identity and migration, among others.

Hosted in partnership with the Arts Council of Northern Ireland and the British Council, the festival in Belfast will see Pico Iyer, acclaimed travel writer; esteemed writers Brian Keenan and Patrick Gale and award-winning poet Ruth Padel among others.

After the UK, the festival will head to North America in the fall with editions in Houston, New York, and Boulder, Colorado, followed by its first outing in Toronto and finally to Adelaide in Australia.

In the fall, the second edition of JLF Houston on September 1314; the second edition of JLF New York on September 18 and the fifth edition of JLF Colorado on September 20-22 will be organised.

From September 27-29, the festival will travel to Toronto for the first time featuring a dynamic programme encompassing readings, discussions, outdoor performances, art installations, culinary offerings, and a colourful street festival.

The final leg of the international festivals this year will be JLF Adelaide in collaboration for a second year with the OzAsia Festival for a three-day event set to take place in November.

The dates and programme details for the US, Canada and Australia will be announced soon, the organisers said.

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Amid incidents such as hurling of stones and footwear during his bypoll campaign, Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) founder Kamal Haasan Thursday asked his fans to be maintain decorum and "not to be drawn into the violence".

Haasan had stoked a controversy on Sunday by saying "free India's first extremist was a Hindu", referring to Nathuram Godse who killed Mahatma Gandhi.

"Dear MNM family and fans, this is an acid test for our decorum and demeanour. Do not listen to their noises and be drawn into their violence," he said in a tweet.

"They are extremists who are slighted by the Truth. Naalai Namadhey! (Tomorrow belongs to us), " he added.

While footwear was thrown during the actor's bypoll campaign at Thirupparankundram in Madurai on Wednesday, stones and eggs were hurled during a public meeting on Thursday at Aravakurichi in Karur district by unidentified persons.

MNM workers had allegedly beaten up the persons suspected to have thrown stones and eggs.

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Accusing the Election Commission of being "biased", Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal asked why the poll panel ordered campaign be stopped in West Bengal at 10 pm Thursday after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's rallies in the state.

In the first such action in India's electoral history, the poll panel on Wednesday invoked Article 324 of the Constitution to end campaigning in nine West Bengal constituencies at 10 pm on Thursday, a day before its scheduled deadline, following violence between BJP and TMC workers in Kolkata on Tuesday.

Polling for the nine Lok Sabha seats in West Bengal will be held on May 19.

During his election campaign at Moga in Punjab, Kejriwal told reporters that he strongly condemns the "attitude" of the EC.

"We strongly condemn the attitude of the Election Commission. Why was the campaign ordered to be stopped after Modiji's rallies. We have never seen this biased EC in the history of the country," the AAP national convener said.

Expressing his support to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, he hoped that the people of the state "will teach Modi a lesson in the polls".

Meanwhile in New Delhi, Aam Aadmi Party volunteers joined in a protest Mobile Torch Rally in Chittaranjan Park area with a group of citizens to protest the violence in West Bengal.

AAP spokesperson Saurabh Bharadwaj, who participated in the protest, said, "What is happening in West Bengal is extremely serious and shows our democracy is in danger."



"The Election Commission has failed in its impartiality test. Its oft-repeated slogan of level playing field has been reduced to a joke. If the situation was so serious that the EC felt campaigning had to be stopped then why was it not stopped immediately?" he posed.

"It is extremely shameful the bust of one of the greatest social reformers Shri Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar-ji was destroyed. There is video evidence that the BJP was behind this shameful act. All of us need to stand in solidarity with Mamata Banerjee and the people of West Bengal," he added.

BJP and TMC supporters Tuesday fought pitched battles on the streets of Kolkata during a massive road show by Amit Shah, who escaped unhurt but was forced to cut short the jamboree and had to be escorted to safety by the police.

Parts of the city plunged into a welter of violence as his convoy was attacked with stones by alleged TMC supporters from inside the hostel of Vidyasagar College, triggering a clash between supporters of the two parties.

Furious BJP workers retaliated, and during the clash a bust of polymath-social reformer bust of Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar inside the college campus was damaged.

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Police have rescued a 11-year-old student of Army Public School in Jammu's Kalu Chak, who was kidnapped on May 6 when he was returning home from school, and arrested six people.

According to the police, the class 5 student was kidnapped on May 6 afternoon when he was returning home and the kidnappers had demanded a ransom of Rs 1 crore.

The arrested have been identified as Balbir Singh,Dheeraj Singh, Blaith Singh, Dheeraj Singh, Sachin Kumar and Angrez Singh.

Two vehicles used in crime were seized, a police spokesman said.

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Attacks against minority Muslims only fulfils the agenda of extremist militants among the community who want to divide people, Muslim political leaders said here Thursday as they appealed to the radical elements to shun violence, amid widespread communal riots following the Easter blasts.

Anti-Muslim riots have killed one person and caused extensive damage to homes, businesses and mosques in Sri Lanka this week.

The communal violence is a fresh backlash from the Easter Sunday 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 258 people and injuring over 500 others.

"Those who attack Muslims only fulfil the agenda of extremist militants. Terrorist want other communities to target Muslims. They wanted to divide us," Imtiaz Bakeer Markar, a senior Muslim politician told reporters.

"We are not with them and a majority of Muslims do not approve it (the Easter Sunday attacks)," Ferial Ashraff, a former minister said.

She said the Muslim community had volunteered to give information to security forces in their operations to nab the extremists.

"Please do not push them towards divisive groups by attacking them," Ashraff said.

Responding to criticism that Muslims have become religiously more aggressive living among the majority Buddhist community, Kabir Hashim, a minister said, "We are not ashamed to do soul searching, we may have made mistakes in the past, but we are ready to correct them. We are ready to move forward as one nation".

Earlier, a group of opposition legislators moved a motion in Parliament for a vote of no trust against Industry and Trade Minister Rishath Bathiyutheen who leads a small Muslim party, a coalition partner in the government, for alleged complicity with the jihadists.

The motion accuses Bathiyutheen of applying pressure to release the supporters of the jihadi group, supplying empty ammunition to a copper factory owned by one of the suicide bombers and being friends with the rich father of the two suicide bombers, a Muslim preacher who is under arrest.

Sri Lanka has faced condemnation for the recent anti-Muslimn violence.

"The United Nations welcomes the unequivocal condemnation expressed on many occasions by political, religious and other community leaders towards the hate-mongering and violence carried out by a few," the UN statement in a said.

"As a country, Sri Lanka remains at a critical juncture where a unified rejection of hate is of paramount importance for sustaining peace," it said.

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) said it was closely monitoring the anti-Muslim attacks that have taken place at various locations.

"The OIC calls on the authorities in Sri Lanka to ensure the safety and security of the Muslim community in the country and combat the rising tide of violence, extremism and hate speech, which is spreading fear and mistrust among the communities," it said.

The European Union while welcoming the arrests stressed the need to ensure the rule of law.

The Sri Lankan police said over 70 people have been arrested for attacking the Muslims.

The attacks are a fallout of the April 21 attack.

The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack, but the government has blamed local Islamist extremist group, the National Thawheed Jamaath (NTJ), for the bombings.

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Lebanon on Thursday laid to rest the former patriarch of its Maronite church Nasrallah Boutros Sfeir after a packed religious service for the respected power-broker.

Sfeir, who wielded considerable political influence during the country's civil war and was an ardent advocate of a Syrian troop withdrawal, was buried in the seat of the Maronite church in the northern town of Bkirki.

Hundreds of mourners took part in the funeral, including clergymen and local and foreign dignitaries, among them French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian.

"He was a man of peace," Le Drian said. "Throughout his entire life, he was an architect of Lebanese national reconciliation." Cardinal Leonardo Sandri led a delegation from the Vatican.

Sfeir was a "free and courageous man" who sought reconciliation and sovereignty for his country, Sandri told mourners.

The former patriarch died on Sunday, two weeks after he was hospitalised with a chest infection.

"Sfeir's death is a loss to the nation," said the incumbent Patriarch Beshara Rai. "He is the patriarch of national reconciliation," he added.

Sfeir was a respected power broker during the 1975-1990 civil war, which saw bitter infighting between rival militias including opposing Christian factions.

His backing of the 1989 Taif agreement, which brought the 15-year civil war to an end, bolstered Christian support for the accord.

Sfeir also spearheaded the opposition to Syria's three decades of military and political domination over Lebanon.

His outspokenness helped swell the anti-Syria movement in 2000.

It eventually led to the withdrawal of thousands of Syrian troops from the country five years later, following the assassination of former prime minister Rafik Hariri, whose murder the opposition blamed on Damascus.

During his tenure, Sfeir also played a key role within Lebanon's fractious political scene, often adopting stances that earned him stiff rebukes from some of the country's rival factions, such as Hezbollah and its Christian allies.

After he stepped down in 2011, Sfeir's opinion and advice continued to be sought by politicians of all stripes, not only Christians, until his death.

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A family from the Kanjarbhat community in Thane district of Maharashtra has approached the police after it faced social boycott for opposing the practice of virginity test of women, an official said on Thursday.

Based on the family's complaint, the Thane police on Wednesday night booked four persons from Ambernath town here under the Maharashtra Prohibition Of People From Social Boycott (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, he said.

The complainant, Vivek Tamaichikar, told the police that his family was facing a boycott by their community's jati (caste) panchayat for the last one year for opposing the custom whereby a newly-wed woman has to prove that she was virgin prior to the marriage.

He alleged that their panchayat instructed all members of the community not be have any association with his family.

"The community members went to such an extent that when my grandmother died on Monday, they did not come for her funeral," Tamaichikar told reporters here on Wednesday.

On the contrary, the same day, the community members participated in a pre-wedding celebration in the locality with loud music while there was a death in his family, he rued.

Tamaichikar said in a progressive society, such boycotts were unwarranted.

Following his complaint, four persons were booked, an official at Ambernath police station said, adding that no arrest was made so far.

Notably, the Maharashtra government in February this year said it will soon make forcing a woman to undergo virginity test a punishable offence.

"Virginity test will be considered a form of sexual assault...after consultations with the law and judiciary department, a circular will be issued declaring it a punishable offence," Maharashtra's Minister of State for Home Ranjeet Patil then said.

The demeaning custom is allegedly followed in the Kanjarbhat community, among others. Some youths from the community have launched an online campaign against it.

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The Maharashtra government has received permission from the Election Commission (EC) to promulgate an ordinance for Maratha reservation in post- graduate medical courses.

Sources said the issue would be discussed in the state cabinet meeting to be held on Friday.

Promulgation of ordinance will pave the way for admissions to post-graduate medical courses under the Maratha quota.

On March 8, the Maharashtra government had written a letter to the Directorate of Medical and Research (DMER) to incorporate the Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBC) quota from the 2019 academic session in the post-graduate medical courses.

However, in its order earlier this month, the Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court had said that the 16 per cent reservation for the Maratha community under the SEBC category will not be applicable for the post-graduate medical courses this year.

The high court had contended that the government's decision to introduce the quota was unconstitutional. The division bench of justices Sunil Shukre and Pushpa Ganediwala had said that the March 8 notification (about the new quota) shall not be applicable to the admission process, which had started earlier.

The apex court had also upheld the high court order, cancelling the 16 per cent SEBC quota for post-graduate medical seats in Maharashtra.

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A 28-year-old man and his parents have been booked by the Thane police in Maharashtra after he allegedly divorced his wife by sending a 'triple talaq' message on her mobile phone, an official said on Thursday.

The 25-year-old woman, in her complaint lodged last week, said she got married to a man from Kalyan town here on May 18, 2014 and that they have a four-year-old son, Bhoiwada police station's inspector Kalyan Karpe said.

She alleged that her in-laws constantly harassed her and sometime back, her husband demanded Rs 5 lakh from her and threw her out of the house, he said.

The woman, currently staying at a relative's place in Bhiwandi town here, further alleged that she on March 12 this year, she received a 'triple talaq' message on WhatsApp from her husband. When she tried to call him, he refused to speak to her, the official said.

Based on the woman's complaint, the police registered a case on Wednesday against her husband Nadeem Shaikh and in- laws under IPC Sections 498-A (cruelty), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) and 504 (intentional insult with an intent to provoke breach of peace), and the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Act, he added.

The Supreme Court in August 2017 ruled that the practice of triple talaq among Muslims was "void", "illegal" and "unconstitutional".

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Maharashtra State Cooperative Bank is looking to enter infrastructure and retail lending segments, to broaden its borrower profile, a senior bank official said Thursday.

The bank continues to be under a Reserve Bank of India-appointed administrator, after its elected board was alleged to have mismanaged the bank.

"We cannot have all our lending to the sugar factories (cooperatives) alone. What if they go down? Therefore, we have decided to diversify and start infra and retail lending," its administrator Vidyadhar Anaskar told reporters here.

Anaskar said it will focus on automobile, home and personal loans under the retail segment, while the infrastructure loans will be for projects which will benefit the state.

He said co-operative banks are allowed to write unsecured loans of up to Rs 2 lakh, which can go up if a salary-linked account is attached to it.

When asked if it is looking to open more branches beyond 57, he said this task will be accomplished through mergers.

It is conducting diligence and negotiations to merge two struggling co-operative banks, one each based in Mumbai and Pune, with itself, he said.

The bank has reported a net profit of Rs 316 crore for the fiscal year 2018-19, up from the year-ago period's Rs 201 crore, while the stock of gross non-performing assets improved to 7.35 per cent from 9.91 per cent in the Rs 19,700 crore book.

Its capital adequacy stood at 16 per cent as against the mandatory requirement of nine per cent, while the overall net worth was Rs 2,717 crore.

When asked for a timeline by when the bank will go back to being run by an elected board, Anaskar said the matter is subjudice and will be decided by the Bombay High Court.

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West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Thursday rejected Prime Minister Narendra Modi's offer to install a new bust of social reformer Pandit Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar at the same spot where it was vandalised saying that Bengal has the money for it.

She said that it were BJP "hooligans" who had destroyed a heritage of the state by breaking the bust in the the violence during BJP Amit Shah's roadshow.

It is a matter of shame for Bengalis that the bust of Vidyasagar was vandalised, she said at a poll rally at Mandirbazar in support of Trinamool Lok Sabha candidate C M Jatua.

"Bengal does not seek alms from BJP. We have the money for a new bust of Vidyasagar, who was part of Bengal Renaissance. Don't you (BJP) feel ashamed saying that Bengal has been reduced to a state of being a pauper".

Banerjee was referring to a comment by Shah at a poll rally at Canning earlier this week in which he had said that under Banerjee government "sonar(golden) Bangla has become kangal(pauper) Bangla".

The prime minister said at a poll rally at Mau in Uttar Pradesh that his government is committed towards Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar's vision and promised to install his grand statue made of "panch dhatu" (five metals) at the same spot where it was vandalised by "TMC goondas".

Hitting back, the fiesty TMC supremo called Modi is a liar, the "like of which was never seen in the country".

"He (Modi) should squat holding his ears for destroying a heritage of the state," she said.

"The media has shown how Vidyasagar's bust was broken. Bengalis' pride is hurt that they will not spare BJP. They will not give it (BJP) a single vote .... It will be very surprising if Modi gets a single vote from Bengalis," Banerjee claimed.

Nine Lok Sabha seats in south Bengal will go to the polls in the last phase.

Banerjee accused the prime minister for holding a public meeting in a nearby area on land owned by a person who runs an unlicensed micro-finance institution.

"I am going to file a case against the person who owns the land. Is BJP getting a share of the pie from him? I have come to know that the person is raising crores," she said.

She alleged that the BJP is spreading fake messages on the social media and warned the voters not to fall prey to it.

Later speaking at another rally at Diamond Harbour, from where her nephew Abhishek Banerjee is seeking re- election, Banerjee said BJP has develeoped a sense of fear of losing the elections.

"As the last phase opf elections is approaching you (Modi) have become mad and are talking nonsense.

"Modi had promised to usher in achhe din but see how the prices of diesel, gas and petrol are being increased. The government is going to close down companies like Burn Standard, BSNL and AirIndia if it comes to power.... The BJP government is now killing adivasis and minorities.

"Narendra Modi you are a facist, a torturer and you should go," she said.

Regretting the Election Commission (EC)'s decision to declare today the last day of campaigning before Sunday's last phase of elections, Banerjee said "I thought the EC is impartial but it seems it is sold to BJP. I am ready if I have to go to jail for saying this".

Banerjee said in the last six phases of the general elections Modi's votes have touched the bottom. "Modi has already lost the elections".

She urged the Trinamool Congress workers to be careful so that miscreants were not able to tamper with the EVMs which are kept now in the strongrooms.

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A man and his two cousin sisters were tied to a tree and severely beaten for several hours by around nine persons in Madhya Pradesh's Dhar district after he allegedly eloped with a married woman, police said Thursday.

The two sisters, including a minor, were also allegedly molested by the accused, including husband of the married woman, over suspicion that they helped their cousin in running away with the woman, they said.

Five persons have been arrested in connection with the incident, a video of which has gone viral on social media, they said.

In the video, a group of persons were purportedly seen thrashing the three victims while some people stood there as mute spectators.

The married woman's husband on Tuesday asked the three victims to come to his house in Arjun Colony here on the pretext of settling the issues they had with each other, Superintendent of Police Sanjeev Mule told PTI.

But when the three cousins came to meet him, he and his family members allegedly tied them to a tree and thrashed them, the official said.

The accused also allegedly molested the two sisters, he said.

The victims later filed a complaint with the police.

"We have arrested five persons, including the married woman's husband, and efforts are on to nab the others involved in the offence," Mule said.

The accused have been booked under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POSCO) Act, he added.

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A 30-year old man was arrested for allegedly strangulating his three-and-a-half-year daughter to death as he suspected that his wife was having an extra-marital affair and did not want his child to grow up under her influence, police said Thursday.

The man - Malkit Singh - who had a stressful relationship with his wife, later tried to hang himself but could not succeed.

Singh lived with his wife and daughter at a rented house in Udai Vihar, which comes under the Nihal Vihar police station.

The incident took place on the intervening night of Tuesday and Wednesday.

The couple were suspected to be under the influence of alcohol although a medical report is awaited.

Police said the couple fought even before the incident.

A case was registered and the accused father was arrested, Seju Kuruvilla, DCP (Outer) said.

Singh and his wife often fought as he suspected that she was having an-extra marital affair. Fed up with constant fights, the couple had initially planned to end their life and send their daughter to her grandparents, police said.

On the night of the incident, when his wife fell asleep, Singh allegedly tried strangulate his three-and-a-half-year-old daughter with bare hands.

However, when he failed, he strangulated her using a "dupatta" and later tried to hang himself, the officer said.

When his wife woke up, she raised an alarm and found the body of her child.

The couple fought again during which Singh threatened his wife that he would kill her if she reported the incident to anyone, police said.

They took the body of the child to Singh's house in Tilak Nagar where his parents used to stay. The duo told them that the child had been ill and that led to her death, another senior officer said.

Meanwhile, the landlord of the Udai Vihar house informed the police on Wednesday morning that Singh had killed the child. When police reached the house, they learnt that the couple had gone off to Tilak Nagar.

The accused father was arrested from Tilak Nagar while the child was rushed to a nearby hospital where she was declared brought dead, the police officer added.

The body has been sent for post-mortem and the reports are awaited.

During interrogation, Singh told the police that he suspected his wife of having an illicit relationship and did not want his daughter to be under her influence, so he decided to first kill his daughter and then kill himself.

"So, when his wife fell asleep, he strangulated his daughter to death," the officer said.

Singh worked as a delivery boy with a food joint and left his job two months ago after failing to get incentives.

He was addicted to alcohol. His wife, a house maker sometimes worked at private firms. The couple got married in 2014, police said, adding investigation is underway to ascertain the sequence of event.

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Global card payments major which has announced an investment of $1 billion (Rs 7,000 crore) in India in the next five years, Thursday said it expects the existing headcount to double during the same period in the country.

"In 2013, the total staff of in India was 29 people. Today we are 2,000. All are highly technical qualified staff. This 2,000 represents 14 per cent of Mastercard's global strength. We continue to grow, I believe so," senior vice-president-market development, South Asia for said at a press conference here.

"It (headcount) would easily double in the next 5 years. If you had to take the last $1 billion investment (in India) for 2,000 people, we believe fresh investment of another $1 billion would easily add another 2,000 (employees)," he added.

Betting big on the growth of Indian digital payments market, Mastercard recently announced an investment of $1 billion over the next five years on increasing infrastructure.

The company has already invested $1 billion in the Indian market in the last five years.

said one-third of the freshly announced investment will go into stepping up "on soil processing capabilities" at Pune.

As per recent RBI guidelines, data pertaining to Indians transacting in India should remain on Indian soil.

Mastercard has already stared "on soil processing" in in its Pune facility during October last year.

"This is the first time that we will be going out of USA for an on soil processing one. After USA this (India) will be the first time Mastercard is going to setup an on soil processing capability outside USA with end-to-end capability," the official said.

He also said over Rs 2,000 crore (part of $1 billion fresh investment) will be spent on setting up "Services Hub" for value added services such as identification, tokenisation, security and analytics support.

"This will be for India and most probably for the rest of the world. Approximately one-third of the investment ($1 billion) or about $300 million will go into soil processing and an equal sum will go into services hub," he explained.

Quoting market reports, said the total digital payments market in India is likely to touch $1 trillion by 2023.

According to him, there are nearly 991 million cards in India including 46 million credit cards.
In yet another personal attack on the prime minister, BSP chief Mayawati Thursday said how can one expect Narendra Modi to respect women when he cannot do so for his wife.

Addressing an election rally here along with Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and RLD's Ajit Singh, Mayawati targeted Modi and BJP president Amit Shah, saying the "government of guru and chela (disciple)" would be ousted from power on May 23, the day results of Lok Sabha polls would be announced.

The BSP again alleged that women in the BJP are scared of their husbands meeting the prime minister fearing they might also "abandon their wives".

"As the election is coming to an end Modi now remembers women and talk about giving them respect....How can one expect Modi, who cannot respect his wife, to do so for mothers and sisters," Mayawati said.

She alleged Modi is also "troubling" West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

In a press statement earlier this week, Mayawati had said, "I have come to know that in 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."



"Under such circumstances, I request all the women of the country not to give their votes to such a person. This would also be their real respect to the deserted wife of Modiji," she had said.

Addressing the rally in Varanasi, the BSP chief also questioned the prime minister on his caste.

She claimed Modi has "lost his sleep" after it became clear that the BSP-SP-RLD grand-alliance was winning.

Varanasi, where Modi is pitted against alliance candidate Shalini Yadav, goes to poll in the seventh and last phase on May 19.

Addressing the rally, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav said that after May 23, the country will get a new prime minister.

He accused Modi of selling "false dreams" to the people and then "betraying" them.

He said the BJP and Modi had promised to transform Varanasi into Kyoto (city of Japan), but failed.

Modi was unable to clean the river Ganga though he had displaced boatmen from their places where they earned their livelihood, Yadav alleged.

Referring to sacked BSF jawan Tej Bahadur, the SP leader alleged how can one expect Modi to fight terrorists on the border when he could not contest election against a jawan.

Tej Bahadur's nomination was cancelled by the poll authorities.

He also criticised the BJP government in the state over encounter killings of history-sheeters.

RLD chief Ajit Singh alleged that Modi failed to provide jobs to youths and bulldozed institutions such as the CBI and the RBI.

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Rallying behind Mamata Banerjee, BSP supremo Mayawati Thursday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP President Amit Shah of targeting the West Bengal chief minister as part of a conspiracy and said it reflected a "dangerous attitude".

A day after the Election Commission curtailed campaigning in West Bengal, Mayawati charged that the poll body acted under pressure of the central government.

Addressing a press conference here, she said, "Everyday we are getting some kind of from Bengal for which the BJP and RSS are responsible."



"As far as election-related violence is concerned there, it can be seen clearly that BJP and the government led by PM Narendra Modi and his chela (follower) BJP President Amit Shah, under a planned conspiracy, have been targeting the Mamata Banerjee government," Mayawati said.

"During Lok Sabha elections, Mamata Banerjee and her government are being targeted under a conspiracy to divert peoples attention from failures of the Modi government," the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister charged.

The manner in which the 'guru' and 'chela' are after the Mamata Banerjee government is also indicative of a "dangerous attitude which is not only wrong but unjustified," she said.

"Such a conspiracy to defame Mamata Banerjee and her government is unbecoming of a PM," she said.

Coming down hard on the poll body, she said, "It is unfortunate that the Election Commission acted under pressure of the Centre in curtailing electioneering in West Bengal while the PM could address two rallies today".

It is now clear that under the present Chief Election Commissioner, Lok Sabha elections are not being held in a free and fair manner, Mayawati charged.

The Election Commission curtailed campaigning in West Bengal under pressure of central government, she further charged.

The Election Commission on Wednesday ordered campaigning in nine West Bengal constituencies to end at 10 PM on Thursday, a day before its scheduled deadline, in the wake of violence between BJP and TMC workers in Kolkata.

Deputy Election Commissioner Chandra Bhushan Kumar had said thta it was for the first time that such an action has been taken using constitutional powers of the poll panel.

The EC's action came after parts of Kolkata witnessed widespread violence during BJP president Amit Shah's massive road show in the city. A bust of 19th century Bengali icon Ishwarchandra Vidyasagar was also vandalised during the violence.

The order said it has been brought to the notice of the Commission that there have been growing incidents of disruption and violence during the political campaigns and processions in West Bengal during the ongoing elections.

The EC invoked Article 324 of the Constitution to curtail the campaigning for the last phase of the election on May 19.

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The Meghalaya government Thursday approved setting up of a commission to look into the problem faced by farmers.

State cabinet approved the proposal made by the Agriculture Department to set up the Farmers' Commission in line with the resolution passed at the 'farmers' parliament', deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong said.

The 'farmers' parliament', first of its kind in the country, was organised here last December and was attended by scientists, bureaucrats, apart from farmers, to discuss issues related to the agri situation in the state.

Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma had then announced setting up of the commission to address concerns of the farming community.

The deputy chief minister also said the government was planning to observe 2020 as a year for farmers.

The state cabinet Thursday also approved a draft policy on persons with disabilities.

The policy is as per the national policy for empowerment of persons with disabilities, Tynsong said, adding that it is in regards to their rights for reservations in education and jobs.

Talking to reporters, Tysong also said that Sangma will be meeting Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal in June to discuss development projects along the interstate- border and find a resolution to the border dispute between the two states.

The last meeting between chief ministers of the two states was held on April 1, 2017.

It will be the first meeting after the BJP-backed Meghalaya Democratic Alliance stormed to power in March last year.

Tynsong said, during the meeting the recent skirmishes in Ri-Bhoi district leading to the arrest of Michael Warjri, a general secretary of the Hima Nongspung -- areas under the jurisdiction of a tribal chieftain -- will also been taken up.

A mob of about 100 people from Assam had last week allegedly ransacked Warjri's home in Balakhawa village along the inter-state border under Ri-Bhoi district.

Warjri had taken the Assam government to court for trying to construct a road and this enraged the people from Assam which led to the attack, according to officials.

He was subsequently arrested by Assam police and released on bail.

Skirmishes have often been reported along the disputed inter-state border of Meghalaya and Assam. There have also been a few instances where the Assam Police stopped construction of school buildings and community halls.

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The Mizoram unit of the BJP Thursday organised a sit-in demonstration here to protest against what it called was "violation of democracy" by the Trinamool Congress in West Bengal.

Carrying placards which read 'Save Democracy, Save Bengal', the BJP workers raised slogans against the TMC government, alleging that the Mamata Banerjee-led party obstructed poll campaigns by Amit Shah and Yogi Adityanath.

A press statement issued by the BJP here said similar protests were held across the country.

In the statement, the party also claimed that "many of its leaders and workers were killed and injured while resisting violence unleashed by the TMC".

"The TMC, led by Mamata Banerjee, had resorted to violent means to stop our political leaders, including party chief Amit Shah, from launching campaigns in Bengal. Such arrogance is against the spirit of democracy and the Indian Constitution," it said.

The TMC-BJP rivalry touched a new low on Tuesday when the supporters of the two parties clashed with each other in north Kolkata, leading to the desecration of polymath Iswar Chandra Vidyasagar's bust in one of the reputed colleges of the city.

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The MNS would organise a demonstration of farmers in Thane city of Maharashtra on Friday to protest against their alleged exploitation by local politicians, party chief Raj Thackeray said.

The move comes after activists of the BJP and MNS last week clashed in the Thane city, neighbouring Mumbai, over the issue of mango stalls set up by hawkers on footpaths.

Thackeray alleged that around 10 ten corporators of Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC), BJP's district president and other leaders were involved in threatening local farmers against selling their produce in the region.

The MNS is raising its voice against such injustice, he said in a statement on Thursday.

"The MNS has taken up an issue of a farmer who was stopped from selling his produce in Thane city. We noticed that local BJP corporators and leaders are exploiting farmers and causing financial losses to them. The rally is against such exploitation," he said.

The farmers' rally will commence from Gamdevi ground in Thane and culminate at the TMC headquarters.

MNS Thane district president Avinash Jadhav said farmers from across the state were expected to participate in the demonstration.

Last week, hawkers associated with the MNS set up mango stalls on footpaths in Thane's Naupada locality which was opposed by BJP workers on the ground that they were blocking the movement of pedestrians, the police earlier said.

Personnel from the anti-encroachment department of the TMC arrived at the scene to remove the stalls, but faced stiff resistance from MNS activists.

The issue triggered a clash between local BJP and MNS workers, prompting the police to wield canes to disperse them.

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With 'Bengali pride' firmly pitchforked into electoral discourse, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee Thursday accused each other's "goons" of vandalising the bust of Bengal Renaissance pioneer Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar's bust at a Kolkata college.

Days after the social reformer-polymath's statue was smashed to pieces, the echo was felt in faraway Mau in Uttar Pradesh where Modi declared his government's commitment to the "vision" of Vidyasagar and promised his grand statue will be installed at the very place where it was vandalised.

He said Trinamool Congress "goons" had committed a "sin" by wrecking the statue and alleged that the Banerjee government was trying to destroy evidence to save them.

Addressing rallies in Mandir Bazaar and Diamond Harbour in West Bengal, Banerjee rejected Modi's offer for installing a new bust of Vidyasagar and said 'Bengali pride' was hurt by the incident.

"He should do squats holding his ears (as a mark of repentance) for destroying the cultural heritage of the state. Media has shown how Vidyasagar's bust was broken. Bengali pride is hurt and people will not spare the BJP. It will not get a single vote in Bengal," the West Bengal chief minister said.

The two leaders attacked each other with vengeance as they made a last gasp push to shore up the prospects of their candidates for the nine Lok Sabha seats before the truncated deadline for electioneering ends at 10 p.m. tonight.

Stakes are too high for Banerjee in the last phase of polling schedule for May 19 as the TMC had won all these nine seats.

Modi addressed two rallies on Thursday, while Banerjee also held public meetings and a roadshow with thousands of party supporters and workers, many carrying framed photographs of Bengali icons like Rabindranath Tagore, Swami Vivekananda, Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay and Sri Aurobindo.

"Dedicated as we are to the vision of Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, our government will install a panchdhatu (an alloy of five metals) statue at the very spot and give a befitting reply to TMC goondas," Modi declared in Mau.

In West Bengal, Banerjee went for Modi's jugular, saying she does not want "alms" from the BJP.

"Bengal does not seek alms from BJP. We have the money for a new bust of Vidyasagar, who was part of Bengal Renaissance. Don't you feel ashamed for saying that Bengal has been reduced to a pauper state?"



Banerjee was referring to a comment by BJP president Amit Shah at a poll rally earlier this week where he had said that under Banerjee "sonar (made of gold) Bangla has become kangal (pauper) Bangla".

Addressing a rally at Mathurapur in West Bengal later in the day, Modi said Banerjee had "lost her cool in the face of imminent defeat".

"TMC goons are spreading violence, they vandalised the statue of Vidyasagar. CCTV cameras were installed in the college. The way the state government erased evidence of Narada and Saradha scam, it is trying to remove evidence here too," he alleged and demanded the most stringent of punishments to the perpetrators "for the unpardonable sin".

Kolkata witnessed widespread violence during Shah's massive roadshow Tuesday on Tuesday after his convoy was pelted with stones during which the bust of the 19th century Bengali social reformer was smashed to smithreens at a college named after him.

"Didi has lost her cool in the face of imminent defeat and has become frustrated. She is now threatening me to put behind bars," he said.

Modi also targeted Banerjee's nephew Abhishek, who is seeking re-election from the Diamond Harbour seat, claiming the 'bua-bhatija' duo was running a "Tolabaji syndicate" (extortion racket) in the state.

The BJP, he asserted, will win a majority of the state's 42 Lok Sabha seats and more than 300 in the entire country.

"Democracy has been tarnished by TMC's goondaism. The TMC has problem with people celebrating Durga Puja, Saraswati Puja and even chanting Jai Shree Ram. It is a crime in Bengal," Modi said.

He also referred to Banerjee's remark at a poll rally on Wednesday that if she wants she can capture the BJP's head office in New Delhi "in a trice".

"You and your party are known for grabbing land. Because of this habit, people have lost confidence in you and have made up their mind to defeat you," he said.

Calling Banerjee "sticker didi", the prime minister accused her of claiming credit for central schemes.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi Thursday said his government was committed towards Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar's vision and promised to install his grand statue at the same spot in Kolkata where it was vandalised by "TMC goondas".

Lashing out at Mamata Banerjee, the prime minister said he was going for a rally in Dum Dum later in the day but was not sure if the West Bengal Chief Minister will allow his helicopter to land.

"We have been witnessing the attitude of didi for long and now the country is also seeing it. Dedicated to the vision of Ishwar Chand Vidyasagar, our government will install a panchdhatu (made up of five metals) statue at the very spot and give a reply to TMC goondas," he said while addressing a poll rally here.

"The statue of Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar was broken by TMC goondas during the road show of BJP President Amit Shah. Those involved in this act should be given strong punishment," the prime minister said.

Kolkata witnessed wide-spread violence during BJP president Shah's massive road show on Tuesday. A bust of 19th century Bengali icon Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar was vandalised during the violence.

Modi charged that "anarchy" was spread by TMC workers during his earlier meetings in West Midnapore and Thakurnagar.

"In Cooch Behar in Bengal where a dais was to be set up for my rally, didi got a grand dais made for her party. I have been seeing this attitude of didi since long but now the country is seeing it," he said.

"I have a rally in Dum Dum. Let us see if didi allows it. If she has her way she will not allow the helicopter to land, Modi said.

Hitting back at BSP supremo Mayawati, who had attacked him over violence in West Bengal, Modi said, "The manner in which the West Bengal government has been targeting UPiites, Biharis and those from Purvanchal, I thought behenji will give a befitting reply but she is more concerned about power".

Lashing out at the SP-BSP alliance, he said those raising "Modi-hatao slogans are today frustrated.Uttar Pradesh has made their arithmetic all wrong and so their abuses have increased".

"Actually the country has come to know the truth of these mahamilavatis...they all know that Modi hatao was just a slogan but actually their aim is to hide their corruption," he said, adding they somehow want a 'khichdi' and weak government which can be "blackmailed" as per their needs.

"SP-BSP have made an opportunistic alliance. They have struck a deal at the top but on the ground their workers are still attacking each other," he said.

"They are mistaken in thinking that SP and BSP votes will be transferred.They take some castes as their slaves," he said, adding it appears they did not understood situation in 2014, 2017 polls but will now understand in 2019 that castes should not be treated as slave.

In the name of castes they gained power and used it for making bungalows and make their relatives 'crorepatis' and 'arabpatis', he charged.

"Be it bua or babua they have distanced themsleves from people, created a tall wall of 'darbaris' and yes men that they cannot see the 'sukh dukh' of the poor," he said.

While accusing the Opposition of creating hurdles in freeing Muslim daughters of the curse of triple talaq, he said, "Your sewak wants to empower daughters".

He said 'mahamilawatis' have fielded a candidate from Ghosi seat who is a rape accused and absconder.

The history of Samajwadi Party, the prime minister said, is known by the people of UP "but behenji, will you seek votes for such a candidate. All know what was the situation of betis during the Samajwadi Party rule but behenji your stand on the rape of a dalit daughter in Alwar has brought your behaviour also under question".

The government in Rajasthan is being run with the support of behenji but it tried to keep the rape incident hidden in view of elections... this attitude of behenji shows that for selfish interest anyone can be betrayed, he said.

Stressing that his government was committed to security of women, Modi said it was his government which brought death penalty in rape cases and pressing the button on lotus will mean death penalty for rapists.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Thursday fired yet another salvo at Prime Minister Narendra Modi accusing him of speaking lies, and claimed even a website now "catalogues the best 'Modilies'".

Gandhi tweeted that "Modilies" is a new word that has become popular worldwide. "Now there's even a website that catalogues the best Modilies!" the Congress president said on twitter, along with a link to the website "Modi Lies: The Most Accurate List of PM Modi's Many Lies," he said.

On Wednesday, he had lampooned the prime minister saying "Modilie" is a new word in dictionary and had tweeted a screenshot of a photoshopped page of an English dictionary explaining the meaning of the word.

Oxford Dictionaries, however, replied to Gandhi's tweet saying the word does not exist in its dictionaries and the the image shown is a "fake".

The BJP used the tweet of Oxford Dictionaries to take a dig at is rival.

"Slapped," tweeted BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya.

Gandhi has been accusing Modi of speaking "lies" on various issues, including on the Rafale jet deal.

In the fabricated page tweeted on Wednesday, "Modilie" was described as a "mass noun". It listed three meanings and examples of the usage of the word.

Oxford Dictionaries on its Twitter handle said, "We can confirm that the image showing the entry 'Modilie' is fake and does not exist in any of our Oxford Dictionaries.

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East Delhi, New and South parliamentary constituencies saw more women turning out to vote as compared to men, officials said Thursday.

recorded a turnout of 60.52 percent in the polls on May 12, five percentage points down from 2014.

According to official data, 60.82 per cent male voters and 60.15 per cent female voters exercised their right this time.

The East Delhi constituency, which is seeing a triangular contest between BJP's Gautam Gambhir, Congress's Arvinder Singh Lovely and AAP's Atishi Marlena, saw 61.80 per cent women exercising their right to vote as compared to 61.50 per cent of male voters.

The constituency, which has many VVIP voters, recorded the lowest voter turnout among all seven constituencies in Delhi at 56.86 per cent, but saw a better turnout of women than men. According to the data, 57.21 per cent of women voters cast their votes while 56.58 per cent men exercised their franchise in the seat.

South Delhi, which had the second lowest turnout of voters, saw 58.89 per cent of women voters as compared to 58.60 per cent of male voters.

The Northeast Delhi Lok Sabha constituency, where former Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, Delhi BJP chief and AAP'S Dilip Pandey are contesting, recorded the highest voter turnout at 63.67 per cent.

While 64.46 per cent of men cast their votes, 62.72 per cent women turned out to vote.

In a first for the city, as many as 17 booths with all women polling officials were established for the Lok Sabha elections in the seven constituencies of Delhi.

Out of the 17 booths, 10 had been set up in East Delhi constituency, two in Chandni Chowk and one each in North East Delhi, West Delhi, South Delhi, and North west Delhi.
A government school teacher in Madhya Pradesh's Jhabua district has been arrested and remanded in 14-day judicial custody by a court here for allegedly directing some students to slap their classmate 168 times for not completing her homework.

Thandla tehsil's Judicial Magistrate First Class Jai Patidar on Monday turned down the bail plea of Manoj Verma, 35, additional district prosecution officer Ravi Prakash Rai said.

Verma allegedly directed students to slap the girl, then studying in Class 6 at Jawahar Navodaya School in Thandla town, in January last year, he said.

According to the victim's father Shiv Pratap Singh, his daughter did not go to school from January 1 to 10, 2018 as she was unwell.

On January 11, when the girl went to school without completing her homework, Verma told her classmates to slap her as a form of punishment following which 14 girls slapped her two times every day for six days.

Singh lodged a complaint with the school management which constituted a committee to probe the incident.

The panel found the teacher guilty and suspended him, the prosecutor said.

In the meantime, Singh also lodged a complaint with the police against the teacher under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act.

He told police that his daughter was distressed and fell ill following the incident and had to be admitted to a local hospital. She also refused to go to school.

The teacher was arrested in connection with the offence on Monday and denied bail by the court the same day.

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: An urgent medical evacuation of a comatose patient from a hospital in Lakshadweep to Kochi was carried out by the Navy Thursday.

The evacuation from the Indira Gandhi Hospital, Kavaratti, to Kochi was done by the southern naval command (SNC) on a request received from the administration of Lakshadweep and Minicoy, according to a defence press release here.

Cheriyabi PP (43), a resident of Kalpeni, was critically ill as she has been suffering from cerebro vascular accident (CVA) with cerebral haemorrhage and in need of urgent medical evacuation to the mainland, the release said.

A naval advanced light helicopter (ALH) was immediately launched by the southern naval command from INS Garuda, with medical personnel to evacuate the patient from Kavaratti to Kochi.

The naval liaison team at Kavaratti provided assistance in transferring the patient, along with medical escort, to the helicopter, the release said.

The patient, along with the escort, was flown to INS Garuda, Naval base, Kochi, for handing over to a medical team for further treatment at VPS Lakeshore Hospital at Ernakulam.

The island administration and naval officer in- charge (L&M), in consultation with SNC, coordinated the entire activity for the swift evacuation of the patient to the mainland, it added.

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Nepal's Finance Minister Yuvraj Khatiwada on Thursday urged more Indian companies to invest in the Himalayan nation owing to the existing political stability that can pave way for perfect atmosphere of business growth.

Speaking at the closing ceremony of the two-day Nepal-India Franchise Investment Expo and Conclave here, Kathiwada also sought from Nepal's youth to venture their own business by forging franchise collaboration with the renowned companies of India instead of searching employment opportunities in foreign countries.

"There is a big scope for investment in the country from both domestic as well as foreign investors with the country attaining political stability," Kathiwada said at the event which



primarily focused on building the relations between India and Nepal through entrepreneurship development.

The event was organised by the Indian embassy here in collaboration with the Federation of Nepalese Chamber of Commerce and Industries and was attended by over 12 Industries and trading companies from both sides.

Calling for more Indian companies to invest in Nepal, Kathiwada said: "I welcome franchise partnership from Indian companies. We can learn a lot from them".

Present during the occasion, Indian Ambassador to Nepal Manjeev Singh Puri, also underlined the need of more collaborations between Nepalese and Indian companies for mutual benefits.

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Nepali nationals wishing to fly out to any other country via India would require a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Nepalese Embassy in New Delhi for clearance from the Indian immigration, according to a notice issued by the police here.

The applicants need to submit an application letter to the Nepali Embassy stating the reason of travel along with the visa of that country, a copy of passport, air ticket and past travel history except India.

Those going abroad for employment purposes need to furnish an employment permit issued by the department of foreign employment, police said, quoting a statement issued by the Nepali embassy in New Delhi.

Nepali students and entrepreneurs based in India would require to furnish documents related to their professions along with other documents to obtain NOC prior to travelling abroad via New Delhi, the Himalayan Times reported.

The Nepalese Embassy would then issue the NOC after scrutinising all the documents, it said.

There are 4 million Nepalese working and studying in India, according to the Nepal foreign ministry.

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Kami Rita Sherpa, the veteran mountain guide who scripted history by scaling the Mount Everest 23 times, has decided to attempt summiting the peak once again, a media report said on Thursday.

The 49-year-old sherpa on Wednesday broke his own record of reaching atop the world's highest peak for the 23rd time, becoming the only to achieve the milestone.

Rita said that he is set to start another attempt to scale the 8,848-metres Mt Everest for the 24th time on Saturday, the Kathmandu Post reported.

"Kami Rita will leave Everest Base Camp on Saturday (May 18), Mingma Sherpa, chairman of Seven Summit Treks, Rita's expedition company, was quoted as saying by the paper.

Mingma said that they would inform the Department of Tourism regarding Rita's second ascent this season.

Rita has been climbing Mt. Everest since 1994. He couldn't climb the Everest in 1995 after his client got sick on the way to summit, My Republica, another prominent daily in the Himalayan nation, reported.

In 1995, he abandoned the summit bid after the deadliest avalanche killed expedition teams.

In 2017, Kami became the 3rd person to climb Mt. Everest for 21 times, equalising the achievement of Apa Sherpa and Phurba Tashi Sherpa, both of whom have since retired.

Kami broke record for set record of most summits on Mt. Everest in 2018.

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Nine militants were killed, while four Pakistani security forces were injured on Thursday in a counter-terrorism operation in Pakistan's Balochistan province, police said.

Acting on a tip-off about a safe house of militants in Kabo Ko Mehran area of Balochistan's Mastung district, Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) personnel raided the area.

"During the raid, there was a heavy exchange of firing between both sides in which nine suspected militants were killed, while four police commandoes were injured," a senior police official said.

A huge cache of ammunition, explosives and weapons were also recovered from the hideout, he said.

The raid was part of a clean-up operation launched in the trouble-hit areas of Baluchistan after a spate of terror attacks in the province this month.

Earlier this month, militants killed 14 security personnel in Omara. Similarly, five people, including a Navy personal, were killed when armed militants stormed a five-star hotel in Gwadar town last week. Security forces shot dead three of the attackers and cleared the hotel after a nearly 12-hours operation.

Two days after the attack on the hotel, a roadside bomb hit a police mobile van in Quetta, killing four policemen and injuring nine others.

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The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) said independent investigators found no evidence of bullying and harassment by senior executives during a stormy meeting last year which addressed the lifting of a drugs ban against Russia.

WADA had hired external legal investigators to conduct an investigation following accusations of bullying leveled against senior officials by Canadian cross-country skier Beckie Scott.

Scott, who had spoken out against WADA's plans to lift sanctions against Russia's anti-doping agency (RUSADA), said she had been treated with a "level of disrespect" by fellow WADA officials at the meeting in the Seychelles.

But a 58-page report by independent investigators concluded that while colleagues had treated Scott in an "aggressive, harsh and disrespectful" manner, it did not constitute bullying.

The report recommended a series of measures to be implemented, including training of executive committee members on boardroom dialogue.

"Although the investigation found there was no bullying or harassment, at its next meeting in September the ExCo will consider the recommendations relating to the Agency's governance policies, training and protocols and remains ready to make improvements where it can," WADA said in a statement.

"The discussion related specifically to those recommendations aside, the ExCo now considers the investigation to be closed."



The controversy had erupted after Scott claimed she was ridiculed when she produced a list of athlete committees who had spoken against lifting the ban on Russia over its doping scandal.

"There was laughter when I read the list of athlete committees who had produced statements and who were confronting the decision," Scott told the BBC last year.

"It was all, it was a combined effect that left me feeling as though there is very little respect, there is very little appreciation, and there is very little value for the contribution that the athletes have at this table."



Scott said neither WADA's president nor director general had challenged officials who made "gestures that were inappropriate."Investigators however said there was no credible evidence that anyone at the meeting had laughed at Scott when she spoke.

However the report provided insight into the tensions within WADA between various stakeholders, with International Olympic Committee member Francesco Ricci Bitti suggesting that Scott had acted "victimistic."



"The athlete plays a good role, but they have to keep their place as everybody," Ricci Bitti said.

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Scientists have developed a new material that can make solar cells more affordable and efficient, an advance that may allow us to better utilise the most abundant renewable energy.

The study, published in the journal Science, describes the new material called a tandem perovskite solar cell which could be used in full-sized solar panels in the near future.

"We are producing higher-efficiency, lower-cost solar cells that show great promise to help solve the world energy crisis," said Yanfa Yan, a professor at University of Toledo in the US.

The efficiency of the new solar cell is about 23 per cent, according to the researchers including those from the US Department of Energy.

In comparison, silicon solar panels on the market today have an efficiency rating of about 18 per cent.

Perovskite -- a compound material with specific crystal structure -- may replace silicon, conventionally used in solar cells for converting sunlight into electrical energy.

The breakthrough discovery could prove to be a sustainable alternative to silicon-based panels.

"The meaningful work will help protect our planet for our children and future generations. We have a problem consuming most of the fossil energies right now, and our collaborative team is focused on refining our innovative way to clean up the mess," Yan added.

"Our research is ongoing to make cheaper and more efficient solar cells that could rival and even outperform the prevailing silicon photovoltaic technology," said Zhaoning Song, from the University of Toledo.

"Our tandem solar cells with two layers of perovskites deliver high power conversion efficiency and have the potential to bring down production costs of solar panels, which is an important advance in photovoltaics," Song said.

Although the team has managed to improve the quality of the materials and the process to manufacture them at lower costs, they say that a lot still remains to be done.

"The material cost is low and the fabrication cost is low, but the lifetime of the material is still an unknown. We need to continue to increase efficiency and stability," Song said.

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Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu Thursday said nuclear electricity could significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions and has the potential to meet the increasing energy demand in the country.

Addressing scientists and staff of Atomic Minerals Directorate for Exploration and Research (AMD) here on the occasion of 70 years of exploration and research by the organisation, he said climate change was one of the foremost environmental concerns today.

Stating that the need of the hour was to ensure modern technologies were safer and reliable, he said nuclear power was one of the reliable and safe energy options and commended India's record of operating its nuclear fleet for over 40 years without any serious incident.

"Nuclear electricity is generated through very low carbon emitting technologies and can significantly reduce emission of greenhouse gases," he added.

The Vice President said it has the potential to meet the ever-increasing demands of energy in the country, especially at a time "when we as a nation are making attempts to move beyond the polluting fossil fuels."



"Considering the steep demand for power in the country, role of nuclear energy in future would be quite significant and we need to develop new and more efficient technologies to utilise our resources to the maximum," he said.

Naidu said India's abiding interest in nuclear energy grew out of a deep conviction that the power of atom could be harnessed to help the country achieve human and societal development.

He said India has consciously made a strategic choice to pursue a low-carbon growth model in the coming decades and added reducing pollution was a major challenge.

Appreciating the efforts of AMD in adopting state-of-the-art exploration techniques in search of different strategic minerals, the Vice President said it was heartening to know about the availability of more than three lakh tonnes of uranium oxide reserves and around 1,200 million tonnes of beach sand mineral resources in the country.

"More significantly, the quantum leap in uranium resource augmentation by AMD from around one lakh tonnes during first 60 years of activities and a subsequent addition of around two lakh tonnes in the next 10 years is really commendable," he added.

Naidu also expressed confidence that exploration efforts of AMD in different parts of the country, including Cuddapah Basin would lead to more uranium mines.

"I am also informed that to cater to the needs of the Rare Metals in Nuclear Power Programme of India and to meet the growing requirement of Rare Earth Elements (REE), AMD is carrying out exploitation of rare metals like Niobium, Tantalum, Lithium and Beryllium and exploration for rare earth resources, based on indigenous technology and expertise," he said.

He said with several favourable geological domains spread across the length and breadth of the country which can host potential uranium, rare metals and REE deposits, it would be possible to achieve self-sufficiency in atomic mineral resources for sustainable growth of our nuclear power programme.

"I am sure that huge beach sand mineral resources, potential hard rock, inland rare metal and REE resources are likely to contribute in the indigenous growth of Indian industries under the aegis of "Make in India," Naidu added.

AMD Director M B Verma and other senior scientists and officials were present.

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In a bizarre case, a death row convict languishing in jail for 24 years for killing seven people including two kids should not have been given death penalty as he was a juvenile at the time of the crime, according to a report filed in the Supreme Court on Thursday.

"Capital punishment can never be imposed on a juvenile," said the apex court while perusing the report it had ordered on the issue earlier this year.

The convict was arrested in 1994 and availed almost all his legal remedies right from the trial court stage to seeking the President's pardon in the past two decades. At every stage the concurrence was that he deserved the gallows.

However, it turns out that the man, as per the report of the Principal District and Sessions Judge, Pune, in pursuance of the direction of the top court, was 12 years of age at the time of the gruesome crime, but could not have been given death sentence.

Acknowledging the change in fortune of the condemned prisoner, a vacation bench of Justices Indira Banerjee and Sanjiv Khanna granted seven days parole to the convict to attend the last rites of his father with the direction that the juvenility report would be scrutinised by the regular three-judge bench hearing his review plea in July.

"Prima facie there is a report of the Principal District and Sessions Judge, Pune to the effect that on August 24, 1994, the age of the petitioner/applicant... was 12 years and six months. In other words, the petitioner was a juvenile on the date of the offence alleged," said the bench.

"Capital punishment can never be imposed on a juvenile. However, the issue of whether the petitioner was a child on the date of the alleged offence has to be finally decided," it said.

Advocate Shadan Farasat, appearing for the petitioner/man said that his father had passed away on May 10 and his last rites are to be held on the 12th and the 13th day from the date of his death.

"The petitioner shall be released on parole for a period of seven days to enable him to attend the last rites of his deceased father on such conditions as the concerned authorities might deem appropriate.

"The jail/police authorities shall take necessary steps to safeguard the security of the petitioner and to ensure that the petitioner does not abscond/escape by providing police escorts/guards to keep watch on the petitioner," the bench said.

The apex court had on January 29, referred the application of the man raising the claim of juvenility to the Principal District and Sessions Judge, Pune, to decide the juvenility under provisions of Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act.

The top court had directed the district judge, Pune to submit the report within six weeks.

The case, which has traversed up and down the ladder of judiciary for more than two decades came to be re-opened after a constitution bench in 2014 held that review of death penalty cases will be heard in open court by not less than three-judges.

On August 24, 1994, five women and two kids aged below three years were killed in a flat in Kothrud, a sub-urban town of Pune City.

Three persons were arrested on September 5, 1994, for the gruesome crime and were charged under various sections of IPC.

One of the person arrested later turned an approver in the case and based on his testimony apart from other evidences, two of them were convicted and sentenced to death on February 19, 1998, by the Pune court.

On July 22, 1999, the Bombay High Court upheld the trial court order and confirmed the death sentence.

The apex court dismissed the appeals of the two convicts in the case and upheld the death sentence on September 5, 2000.

The top court dismissed the review petitions on November 24, 2000.

In a landmark verdict on September 2, 2014, the Supreme Court held that review pleas of death row convicts will be heard in open court of hearing.

In August 2015, the then President Pranab Mukherjee rejected the mery petition of both the convicts.

One of the convict, the petitioner moved the apex court in 2016, seeking re-opening of his review petition.

In 2018, the petitioner moved an application claiming that he was a juvenile at the time of commission of offence and cannot be awarded death sentence.

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Premium smartphone maker OnePlus Thursday said its latest marketing and brand campaign will feature Hollywood actor Robert Downey Jr.

The campaign featuring Robert Downey Jr, who is popular for his role as superhero Iron Man, will appear in a series of brand creatives across mediums in India and China starting with the OnePlus 7 Series launch, a statement said.

"The long-term campaign celebrates the disruptive role that OnePlus has played in the smartphone industry... Riding on the immense popularity of the iconic actor, the new ad creative will talk about OnePlus' much-awaited upcoming flagship," it added.

The Chinese company, which competes with the likes of Apple and Samsung in the premium smartphone segment, had unveiled the latest generation of smartphones -- OnePlus 7 and OnePlus 7 Pro, priced at Rs 32,999 onwards, earlier this week.

The flagship OnePlus 7 Pro features 6.67-inch display and is fitted with a triple-lens rear camera setup (48MP+16MP+8MP) and has 4,000 mAh battery. Its 12GB RAM variant will retail for Rs 57,999 in India.

India is a key market for OnePlus and accounted for a significant part of the company's total revenue last year. The company has previously stated that India is set to become its "second home ground".

According to Counterpoint Research, Samsung had 44 per cent share of the premium smartphone (Rs 30,000 and above) market in India in the March 2019 quarter. OnePlus and Apple had 26 per cent and 19 per cent share, respectively, in the said quarter.

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The main opposition party in Nepal warned of a strong protest if the federal government went ahead with the discussion in Parliament on the controversial Media Council Bill that aims to curtail press freedom by imposing strict penalty on media outlets.

Nepal on Friday proposed the new media bill aimed at imposing a hefty fine of up to Rs 1 million on media outlets found guilty of damaging anyone's reputation, raising alarm among journalists who say the government seeks to punish the press in the name of regulation.

The new Media Council bill aims to replace the existing Press Council Act and will have more authority to issue hefty fines and give the government more say in the hiring and firing of the council members.

A meeting of the Nepali Congress parliamentary party chaired by the party chief and former prime minister Sher Bahadur Deuba on Wednesday decided that they would protest on streets if the government forwarded the discussion in the Parliament.

Similarly, the party also demanded that the government put on hold discussions on National Human Rights Commission Bill and National Defence Council Bill as they are also objectionable.

All three bills are against the spirit of the Nepalese Constitution. The government should withdraw them, party chief Bal Krishna Khand told media after the meeting.

If the bills are forwarded forcefully, the party will go to the street against them, he said.

Meanwhile, the National Human Rights Commission has said that the proposed media bill is against democratic norms and the freedom of expression enshrined in the Constitution.

Press freedom, human rights and the rule of law are integral part of democracy and an attack on them adversely affects the democratic system the country has established after a long struggle, the human rights watchdog said in a statement.

Earlier, the council could ask for clarification, apology, blacklist certain press organisations, direct to the court for compensation, but now the bill aims to give the council authority to issue monetary punishment ranging from Rs 25,000 and up to one million.

The provisions in the proposed bill will also give the council greater power to write to the concerned authority to take action against media organisations if they violate press ethics as defined by the government.

It also proposes punishment for violating the code of conduct which includes suspension of press pass of media persons and downgrading of the classification of print media outlets.

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Unidentified miscreants looted over Rs 12 lakh from an automated teller machine (ATM) of a nationalised bank in Rajasthan's Bharatpur district, police said Thursday.

Miscreants decamped with Rs 12.40 lakh cash deposit from the ATM of State Bank of India located in Gopalgarh town of the district Wednesday night after cutting the safe box with gas welding machine, SHO, Gopalgarh police station, Ram Naresh Meena said.

He said the ATM guard was not on duty when the incident occurred.

The police came to know about the theft Thursday morning, he added.

We are trying to identify the miscreants on the basis of footage of CCTV cameras installed near the ATM facility, Meena said.

A CCTV camera installed in the ATM was not functioning at the time of the incident, he said.

ATM supervisor Amit Chaudhary has filed a complainant against the unidentified men in the matter. Police is investigating the case, the SHO said.

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A court in Pakistan Thursday rejected the bail pleas of 11 Chinese nationals in a case linked to alleged fake marriages, forced prostitution and organ trade of Pakistani girls in China.

Judicial Magistrate Amir Raza rejected the bail pleas after listening to the arguments from both sides, Dawn newspaper reported.

The defence counsel, Saleem Ahmed Khan, contended that his clients were arrested in a fake case. "The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) arrested the suspects after fabricating a story," the counsel said, adding that the Chinese nationals came to Pakistan for business purpose.

"There is no proof against the suspects on the record of the case," he claimed.

The counsel for the FIA, Munem Chaudhry, argued that the suspects deceived Pakistani girls into fake marriages. They sexually exploited the girls after fake marriages, he argued.

He requested the magistrate to reject the bail plea.

On May 8, the FIA had arrested 11 Chinese nationals in multiple raids at several locations in and around Lahore on a tip off.

According to an FIA press release, the agency came to know through a victim about the suspected ring, which involves large sums of money changing hands for the contracting of fake marriages between vulnerable Pakistani women and Chinese men. The women were allegedly trafficked into prostitution in China.

The Pakistani woman said that some people in China were running a business of luring Pakistani women into China to force them into prostitution, and that the suspects were also running an organ trade racket, the FIA press release stated.

Her family then informed the FIA about the incident and a request was sent to the Pakistan High Commission in China, and the woman was repatriated to Pakistan.

Back home, the woman informed the FIA of the ringleader's residence in Lahore, after which raids were conducted and multiple arrests were made, the report said.

The Chinese Embassy in Islamabad has launched an investigation into 142 cross-border marriages that took place in 2018, a Chinese diplomat told UrduNews.

Deputy chief of mission at Chinese Embassy Lijian Zhao said that last year about 142 Pakistani women had applied for wedding visas after marrying Chinese nationals. This year, so far 140 Pakistani brides had applied for such visas, he added.

The embassy, the envoy said, had withheld at least 90 visa applications and alerted the Pakistani authorities.

Talking about recent reports of abuse, the diplomat denied claims in media about Pakistani women being subjected to forced prostitution and organ sale in China.

He said that out of 142 marriages, only a few isolated cases of harassment or torture had been reported. All marriages, he claimed, were legal and registered after due process.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
An anti-terrorism court in Pakistan on Thursday upheld death sentences for three men but acquitted two others including a cleric who had incited people to burn alive a Christian couple accused of blasphemy on the outskirts of Lahore in 2014.

The victims - Shahzad Masih and his pregnant wife Shama - worked as labourers at the brick kiln of Yousaf Gujjar in Kot Radha Kishan. A mob of around 1,000 people allegedly led by the kiln owner lynched and brutally killed the couple on charges of blasphemy in November 2014.

In November 2016, the anti-terrorism court (ATC) had awarded death sentence to five suspects including cleric Hafiz Ishtiaq.

In March 2018, the court acquitted 20 other suspects accused of burning alive the Christian couple, giving them a benefit of doubt.

On Thursday, the Lahore High Court acquitted convicts - cleric Ishtiaq and Mohammad Hanif - and upheld death sentences of other three convicts - Mehdi Khan, Riaz Kambo and Irfan Shakoor.

The lawyer for the convicts told the court that the ATC awarded them death without taking the law into consideration. The (five) convicts had been nominated at a later stage in the case and pleaded for their acquittal, he said.

Lahore High Court Justice Muhammad Qasim Khan ordered acquittal of Ishtiaq and Hanif and dismissed the plea of other three convicts.

Ishtiaq had allegedly provoked the villagers through announcement from area mosques against the Christian couple. The couple was severely tortured, dragged and thrown into the furnace of the kiln by the mob.

The police had booked 660 villagers and nominated 60 of them in the FIR. The autopsy report submitted to the Supreme Court in December 2014 stated that the victim couple was still alive when they were thrown into the kiln.

In 2015, the ATC had indicted over 100 suspects under Pakistan's anti-terrorism act for 'the use or threat of action to coerce and intimidate the government or the public or create a sense of fear or insecurity in society.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Venise Felizor lay on a mattress in a warehouse-turned-shelter on a hot, sticky afternoon with her 20-month-old son, Wesly, in her arms, the boy coughing and wailing after suffering from diarrhea for days.

Originally from Haiti, they recently appeared in this tiny Panamanian village after a six-day hike through the jungle along the Colombian border, where armed robbers stole her husband's backpack containing the $1,000 that he had saved from two years working in Chile. The thieves raped three women in their group.

"The way was very dangerous," said Felizor, 26. "I thought my son was going to be lost. I saw scenes of death."



Panamanian authorities are struggling to contend with a spike in the number of migrants passing through what is known as the Darien Gap, a roadless, lawless region of tropical isthmus that is one of the most dangerous stretches for people heading north from South America, usually toward the United States or Canada.

It's the biggest migratory crisis Panama has faced since 2015-2016, when about 60,000 people crossed the Darien Gap, an exodus that prompted governments to temporarily close borders in Panama, Costa Rica and Nicaragua.

According to the National Border Service of Panama, or Senafront, 7,316 migrants came through the Gap this year as of April 18. Such traffic tends to fall off during the imminent rainy season, but the numbers are still on pace to well exceed the 9,678 who made the passage last year and potentially rival 2015-2016.

In interviews, the migrants say they are fleeing poverty, misery, discrimination, political conflicts, war and extremist violence.

"I think what is happening at the Colombian-Panamanian border is a reflection of what is happening on an international level. ... It is a search for hope, for opportunities, for well-being, for a vital minimum that is not being provided by the state where they come from," said Johanna Fernanda Navas, a researcher on migration and human rights at the Catholic University of Colombia.

Most in the surge in Panama are migrants from Haiti or Cuba, with smaller numbers coming from African nations such as Cameroon and Congo, plus the South Asian countries of India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

Cubans have for years flown to Ecuador to begin their journey, though recently many have begun to opt for abbreviated routes beginning in Panama or Nicaragua. Haitians came to South America years ago following their country's disastrous 2010 earthquake, more recently deciding to move on when work dried up.

African and Asian migrants tend to arrive by boat or air in Brazil, crossing the Amazon to Peru and turning north through Ecuador to Colombia, where they hire smugglers to shepherd them through the Gap.

"Our jungle is a bad jungle. ... That journey is very dangerous (with) unscrupulous people, 'coyotes,' who guide them through the jungle and abandon them to fate," said Jos Samaniego, eastern brigade chief for Senafront in the town of Meteti, one of the last outposts along the Pan-American Highway before it ends on this side of the Darien Gap.

The Gap's perils are numerous. Tales are common of robberies and sexual assault by marauding bands of armed Colombians and Panamanians, and encounters with the drug trafficking "mules" who walk the same paths as the migrants.

"The jungle aspect of it was so terrible because it was the survival of the fittest, you understand?" said Afolabi Ojo, who fled his home in northern Nigeria after the extremist group Boko Haram killed his entire family.

"The environment was so deadly. You can imagine somebody coming from the bush, from the forest."



Darien's rivers can rise suddenly and furiously, and in recent weeks at least 10 migrants were reportedly swept to their deaths. Samaniego said the toll could be higher, but there is no way of knowing given the remote and unforgiving nature of the area.

A Congolese man who gave his name as just Kerlo said a person traveling in his small party drowned. "We could not even bury him because the current took him away," the man said through tears, pointing at the river.

The International Organization for Migration's Panama branch says migrants who traverse the Darien jungle often arrive "in very bad shape." Senafront says the most common maladies are diarrhea, vomiting, skin inflammation, foot mold and dehydration.

Emerging from the Gap, most migrants pass through the hamlets of Bajo Chiquito or Canaan Membrillo before making their way by foot or by boat along the Chucunaque River to Penitas.

In normal times, Penitas is an indigenous village with fewer than 200 inhabitants who ply the river in narrow wooden skiffs. They have no running water, cellphone coverage, medical clinic or regular transportation.

These days Penitas is overwhelmed by migrants, who sleep on bunk beds and floor mats in the warehouse or outside in tents. They wash clothes in the muddy waters of the Chucunaque, hang things to dry on clothes lines and chain link fencing and relieve themselves in blue portable toilets set up outside the shelter.

Samaniego estimated on a recent day that there were more than 1,500 migrants at the Penitas camp, which was planned to hold only 100 to 200 and just a few months ago was housing around 80 or 90 on a given day.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A PDP worker, who was injured in a militant attack last week, succumbed to injuries at a hospital here on Thursday, police said.

Irfan Sheikh and Muzaffar Ahmad, both PDP workers, were shot at by militants in Zainapora area of Shopian district of Jammu and Kashmir on May 8.

"Irfan Sheikh, who was shot by militants in the thigh, succumbed to injuries," a police official said.

PDP president Mehbooba Mufti expressed grief over the demise of Irfan Sheikh.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Animal rights activists urged Kenya Thursday to ban the slaughter of donkeys for Chinese medicine, a practice which has soared in recent years, decimating populations of the animal in Africa.

Donkey skins are exported to China to make a traditional medicine known as ejiao, which is believed to improve blood circulation.

It was once the preserve of emperors but is now highly sought after by a burgeoning middle-class.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) told AFP that an investigation inside Kenyan slaughterhouses showed animals being cruelly beaten by workers, or dead after long truck journeys from neighbouring countries.

"PETA is calling for Kenya to join many other African nations in banning the slaughter of donkeys. There is simply no need for this cruelty, (the medicine) is not even something that has been shown to be effective," said PETA spokeswoman Ashley Fruno.

China is increasingly looking to Africa to satisfy demand as its own donkey population has nearly halved in recent years.

Several African countries have banned the export of donkey skins and closed Chinese-owned slaughterhouses, meaning thousands are now trucked long distances into Kenya from countries like Ethiopia, Uganda and Somalia.

"There are virtually no laws against the abuse of animals on farms or in slaughterhouses in Kenya, so none of the violence captured in the footage is punishable from a legal standpoint," PETA said in a statement.

The government has not responded to a request for comment.

John Kariuki, the manager of a slaughterhouse where alleged abuse was observed, told AFP: "Whoever saw donkeys beaten inside my slaughterhouse is a liar and should look for something else to talk about."



Alex Mayers of the UK-based animal welfare organisation The Donkey Sanctuary said stories about the trade first began emerging in 2016, with tales of people waking up in the morning to find all of their donkeys had been stolen in the night, often skinned a short distance away.

"It started to happen across all corners of Africa, then even wider to Brazil, Peru, Pakistan, all over we were seeing the same photos, the same stories." An investigation by the body in 2017 found the donkey skin trade was inhumane and "completely unsustainable", he said.

As the main export is the skin, "it doesn't really matter if a donkey is beaten or bruised by the time it is slaughtered, there is no incentive at all to keep donkeys in good welfare," said Mayers.

In Tanzania, there had been cases of slaughterhouse workers using sledgehammers to kill donkeys, he added. "We've seen cases in Botswana where donkeys have been rounded up and machine-gunned. In South Africa slaughter operators have admitted using hammers to kill the donkeys, or... skinning them alive.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee were on Thursday locked in a blame game over the vandalisation of the bust of Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar in the violence at BJP chief Amit Shah's roadshow in Kolkata and traded barbs over building a new statue of the 19th century Bengali icon.

As the bitter campaign in the TMC-ruled West Bengal that was curtailed by a day headed to a close tonight, Modi said his government was committed towards Vidyasagar's vision and promised to install his grand statue at the same spot in Kolkata.

Rejecting Modi's offer, Banerjee said Bengal does not need BJP's money and that the state has enough to rebuild the statue. "We do not seek alms from the BJP."



The prime minister and the Trinamool Congress(TMC) supremo also traded charges as to who was responsible for the vandalisation of the bust.

While Modi said the bust was vandalised allegedly by "TMC goondas". Banerjee claimed it was BJP "hooligans" who had destroyed a heritage of the state.

"We have been witnessing the attitude of didi for long and now the country is also seeing it. Dedicated to the vision of Ishwar Chand Vidyasagar, our government will install a panchdhatu (made up of five metals) statue at the very spot and give a reply to TMC goondas," he said addressing a poll rally in Mau in Uttar Pradesh.

"The statue of Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar was broken by TMC goondas during the road show of BJP President Amit Shah. Those involved in this act should be given strong punishment," the prime minister said.

Addressing another rally at Mathurapur in West Bengal, Modi alleged that the West Bengal Police, in connivance with the state government, was trying to wipe out evidence of the vandalisation.

He also repeated the charge that workers of the TMC was responsible.

"TMC goons are spreading violence, and they vandalised the statue of Vidyasagar. The way the state government erased proof of the Narada and Sarada scams, in the same manner, it is trying to remove evidence in this incident," he said.

"Those involved in the act of vandalising the statue should be given exemplary punishment."



Police officers are trying to wipe out the evidence of the incident in order to save the TMC goons, Modi alleged.

"The TMC and their goons have made Bengal a hell. Those involved in this act, in this sin should be given strong punishment," said Modi repeating his statement targeting the ruling party.

Banerjee told a rally in Mandirbazar that it is a matter of shame for Bengalis that the bust of Vidyasagar was vandalised.

"Bengal does not seek alms from BJP. We have the money for a new bust of Vidyasagar, who was part of Bengal Renaissance. Don't you (BJP) feel ashamed saying that Bengal has been reduced to a state of being a pauper".

Banerjee was referring to a comment by Shah at a poll rally at Canning earlier this week in which he had said that under Banerjee government "sonar(golden) Bangla has become kangal(pauper) Bangla".

Hitting back at Modi's charge that TMC goondas were responsible, the feisty TMC supremo called the prime minister a liar, the "like of which was never seen in the country".

"He (Modi) should squat holding his ears for destroying a heritage of the state," she said.

"The media has shown how Vidyasagar's bust was broken. Bengalis' pride is hurt that they will not spare BJP. They will not give it (BJP) a single vote .... It will be very surprising if Modi gets a single vote from Bengalis," Banerjee claimed.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday claimed that the West Bengal Police, in connivance with the state government, was trying to wipe out evidence of the desecration of Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar's statue.

Addressing a rally here, Modi said Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, "frustrated over her imminent defeat", has threatened to put him behind bars after the general elections.

"TMC goons are spreading violence, and they vandalised the statue of Vidyasagar. The way the state government erased proof of the Narada and Sarada scams, in the same manner, it is trying to remove evidence in this incident," he said.

Those involved in the act of vandalising the statue should be given exemplary punishment, the PM insisted.

Police officers are trying to wipe out the evidence of the incident in order to save the TMC goons, Modi alleged.

"The TMC and their goons have made Bengal a hell. Those involved in this act, in this sin should be given strong punishment," he said.

Kolkata witnessed widespread violence on Tuesday at BJP president Amit Shah's massive road show in the city. A bust of 19th century Bengali reformer and polymath Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar was desecrated during clashes.

"Didi has lost her cool in the face of imminent defeat and has become frustrated, and is now threatening to put me behind bars," Modi said.

Taking a dig at Banerjee's nephew, Abhishek, the prime minister said the "aunt-nephew 'jodi' is only interested in looting Bengal and running the 'tolabaji' syndicate (extortion racket)".

The days of the 'bua-bhatija' (aunt-nephew) government in the state are numbered going by the mood of the people, Modi said, adding, the BJP will win the majority of the 42 Lok Sabha seats in the state and over 300 seats in the country.

Abhishek Banerjee, who is considered the number two in the TMC, is seeking re-election from the Diamond Harbour Lok Sabha seat.

"Democracy has been maligned by violence in Bengal. The TMC has problem with Durga Puja, Saraswati Puja and even chanting 'Jai Shree Ram' is a crime in Bengal," the PM said.

It is the BJP which is fighting to restore democracy in Bengal, Modi asserted and claimed that the chief minister had even threatened to capture its party offices in the state, he said.

"You and your party are now known for grabbing land. Because of this, people have lost confidence in you and have made up their mind to defeat you," Modi said.

Dubbing Banerjee as "sticker Didi", Modi said she is not interested in the development of Bengal, but keen on putting her own stickers on central projects.

He said the TMC supremo does not have faith in the country's prime minister, but she doesn't hesitate from praising the prime minister of Pakistan.

In an apparent reference to the recent arrest of BJP youth wing activist Priyanka Sharma, who walked out of jail on Wednesday after being arrested for posting a morphed picture of Banerjee on Facebook, Modi said she puts saffron party workers behind bars, but lets TMC goons out in the open to "torture the masses".

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday asserted that the West Bengal Police, in connivance with the state government, was trying to wipe out evidence of statue desecration in Kolkata.

Addressing a rally here, Modi said Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, "frustrated over her imminent defeat", has threatened to put him behind bars after the general election.

"It was the TMC goons who were involved in vandalism. They were the ones to desecrate the bust of Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar. The police officers are trying to wipe out evidences of the incident to protect the TMC goons. The TMC and their goons have made Bengal a hell," he claimed



Those involved in the act of vandalizing the statue should be given exemplary punishment, he insisted.

Kolkata witnessed widespread violence on Tuesday during BJP president Amit Shah's massive road show.

A bust of 19th century Bengali reformer and polymath Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar was desecrated during the clashes.

"Didi has lost her cool in the face of imminent defeat. She has become so frustrated that she is threatening me that she will put me behind bars," he said.

Taking a dig at Banerjee's nephew and TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee, Modi also said that the "aunt-nephew jodi is only interested in looting Bengal".

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
BJP's Bhopal Lok Sabha candidate and Malegaon blast accused Pragya Singh Thakur Thursday sparked a fresh row as she called Mahatma Gandhi's assassin Nathuram Godse a "patriot", she apologised for the remark hours later and withdrew the statement.

The distanced itself from her statement saying it did not agree with her, as "Mahatma Gandhi's killer cannot be a patriot".

This is the second time in a month that Pragya Singh has apologised for a controversial statement made by her.

Last month, she had stoked a controversy when she said that IPS officer Hemant Karkare had died during the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks as she had "cursed" him for torturing her. She had apologised for the controversial remark later and also retracted that statement.

Talking to a news channel in Agar Malwa in on Thursday afternoon, Thakur said, "Nathuram Godse was a 'deshbhakt' (patriot), he is and will remain a 'deshbhakt'. Those calling him a terrorist should instead look at themselves. They will be given a befitting reply in this election."



She said this in response to a question over actor-turned politician Kamal Haasan's remark that free India's first terrorist was a Hindu", a reference to Nathuram Godse.

Pragya Singh was in Agar Malwa to take part in a road-show of Mahendra Solanki, BJP's candidate from Dewas Lok Sabha seat.

Hours later, her spokesperson and leader Dr Hitesh Bajpai said that she has apologised for her remark.

"Pragyaji has apologised for her statement," Bajpai told PTI.

When asked whether she has apologised to the state president, Rakesh Singh, Bajpai said, "That is not an issue, but she has apologised and took back her statement."



The BJP distanced itself from her statement.

"BJP does not agree with her statement. The party will talk to her under what circumstances she gave the statement. One who killed Mahatma Gandhi can't be a deshbhakt," state BJP media cell in-charge Lokendra Parashar said.

Condemning her statement, senior Congress leader said in Ujjain that praising Godse was not patriotism, but an "anti-national" act.

He also demanded an apology from Prime Minister and BJP chief Amit Shah over her remarks.

" ji, Amit Shah ji and BJP leaders from should apologise to the country. I condemn the words used against the Father of the Nation. Nathuram Godse was a killer and eulogising him is not patriotism, but an anti-national act," the former Madhya Pradesh chief minister told reporters in Ujjain.

Kamal Haasan, while addressing an election campaign rally at Aravakurichi (Tamil Nadu) on May 12, had 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.
BJP's Bhopal Lok Sabha seat candidate and Malegaon blast accused Pragya Singh Thakur Thursday kicked up a row as she called Mahatma Gandhi's assassin a "patriot".

The Madhya Pradesh BJP, however, distanced itself from her statement saying it did not agree with her as Mahatma Gandhi's killer cannot be a patriot.

Talking to a channel here, Thakur said, "Nathuram Godse was a deshbhakt (patriot), he is and will remain a deshbhakt. Those calling him a terrorist should instead look at themselves. They will be given a befitting reply in this election."



Thakur said this in response to a question over actor-turned politician Kamal Haasan's remarks that free India's first terrorist was a Hindu", a reference to Nathuram Godse.

Pragya Singh was in Agar Malwa for a road-show for Mahendra Solanki, BJP candidate from Dewas Lok Sabha seat.

Addressing an election campaign rally at Aravakurichi (Tamil Nadu) on May 12, Haasan had 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."



The Madhya Pradesh BJP distanced itself from Pragya Singh's statement.

"BJP does not agree with her statement. The party will talk to her under which circumstances she gave the statement. One who killed Mahatma Gandhi can't be a deshbhakt," state BJP media cell in-charge Lokendra Parashar told PTI.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
BJP's Bhopal Lok Sabha candidate and Malegaon blast accused Pragya Singh Thakur Thursday lauded Mahatma Gandhi's assassin Nathuram Godse as a "patriot", sparking an outrage from the Opposition with the Congress alleging that "insulting martyrs is in the DNA" of BJP, which also condemned her remarks.

"Nathuram Godse was a deshbhakt (patriot), he is and will remain a deshbhakt. Those calling him a terrorist should instead look at themselves. They will be given a befitting reply in this election," the controversial leader said in Agar Malwa in Madhya Pradesh while attending a roadshow.

She was replying to a question over actor-politician Kamal Haasans remark that independent India's first "extremist was a Hindu", a reference to Godse.

Her remarks created a major row with the opposition parties attacking her and the BJP with the NCP saying people can now see the "real face" of the Amit Shah-led party and the Congress demanding an apology from Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The BJP immediately got into damage control and distanced itself from Thakur's statement and asked her to tender a public apology.

While BJP leader Hitesh Bajpai, speaking on her behalf, said that she has apologised for her remark, Thakur refrained from categorical apology.

"I have faith in my party. And party's line is my line," she said later.

Earlier, condemning her comments, BJP spokesperson G V L Narasimha Rao in a statement said,"We completely disagree with her statement with regard to Mahatma Gandhi. We strongly condemn this statement. The party will seek clarification from her as to why she gave this. It would be proper for her to seek and tender a public apology for her objectionable statement."



Attacking the BJP and Thakur, Congress' chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said,"it is clear, the BJP people are the descendants of Godse. BJP people say Godse was a patriot and martyr Hemant Karkare was a traitor. Culture of violence and insulting martyrs is the DNA of the BJP."



"Modi-Amit Shah ji's favourite BJP leader, Pragya Thakur once again insulted the whole nation by calling Gandhi's killer, Nathuram Godse 'a true patriot'," he said in a statement.

Maharashtra NCP chief Jayant Patil tweeted that Nathuram Godse, who has murdered Mahatma Gandhi, is being defended by BJP's candidate Pragya Thakur and is being called a patriot.

People can now see BJP's real face through Sadhvi Pragya MP, he further said.

National Conference leader Omar Abdullah attacked Thakur and tweeted, "If the killer of the father of the nation is a patriot does that make Mahatma Gandhi anti-national?" though he did not name Thakur.

Bajpai had said,"Pragyaji has apologised for her statement."



When asked whether she has apologised to the state BJP chief, Bajpai said, "That is not an issue, but she has apologised and took back her statement."



Meanwhile, the election commission has asked the state chief electoral officer to submit a "factual report" by tomorrow about Thakur's remarks.

This is the second time in a month that Pragya Thakur has apologised for a controversial statement made by her.

Last month, she had stoked a controversy when she said that IPS officer Hemant Karkare had died during the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks as she had "cursed" him for torturing her. Later, she apologised and took back her controversial remark.

Thakur was also temporarily banned from campaigning for her hate remarks.

Condemning her statement, senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh said in Ujjain that praising Godse was not patriotism, but an "anti-national" act.

"Narendra Modi ji, Amit Shah ji and BJP leaders from Madhya Pradesh should apologise to the country. I condemn the words used against the Father of the Nation. Nathuram Godse was a killer and eulogising him is not patriotism, but an anti-national act," the former Madhya Pradesh chief minister told reporters in Ujjain.

PDP president and former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti said, "Gandhi ji certainly didn't die to let history repeat itself. The BJP should be ashamed for endorsing a candidate who praised Bapu's assassin. He (Godse) was a terrorist and those who admire him are nothing else but Nathuram Godse 2.0 in the making."



Mehbooba said she took pride in being called an "anti-national" when Godse is hailed as a nationalist.

"I take pride in being called an anti-national when a Hindu fanatic who gunned down Gandhi ji is hailed as a nationalist. Aisi nationalism aur desh bhakti humaray bas ki naheen. Yeh aapko mubarak ( I am not capable of such nationalism. You. May keep it), " she added.

Both CPI and CPI (M) also criticised Thakur for her controversial.

"It's a fact that Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated and the incident was a well-planned one to spread hatred, create fear and to send out a message. This assassination was carried out by Nathuram Godse. If BJP thinks Godse was patriot then what was Mahatma Gandhi?" CPI leader D Raja said.

Kamal Haasan, while addressing an election campaign rally at Aravakurichi (Tamil Nadu) on May 12, had said, "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.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
BJP's Bhopal Lok Sabha candidate and Malegaon blast accused Pragya Singh Thakur Thursday lauded Mahatma Gandhi's assassin Nathuram Godse as a "patriot", sparking an outrage from the Opposition with the Congress alleging that "insulting martyrs is in the DNA" of BJP, which also condemned her remarks.

"Nathuram Godse was a deshbhakt (patriot), he is and will remain a deshbhakt. Those calling him a terrorist should instead look at themselves. They will be given a befitting reply in this election," the controversial leader said in Agar Malwa in Madhya Pradesh while attending a roadshow.

She was replying to a question over actor-politician Kamal Haasans remark that independent India's first "extremist was a Hindu", a reference to Godse.

Her remarks created a major row with the opposition parties attacking her and the BJP with the NCP saying people can now see the "real face" of the Amit Shah-led party and the Congress demanding an apology from Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The BJP immediately got into damage control and distanced itself from Thakur's statement and asked her to tender a public apology, which the controversial leader did.

"We completely disagree with her statement with regard to Mahatma Gandhi. We strongly condemn this statement. The party will seek clarification from her as to why she gave this. It would be proper for her to seek and tender a public apology for her objectionable statement," BJP spokesperson G V L Narasimha Rao said in a statement.

Attacking the BJP and Thakur, Congress' chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said,"it is clear, the BJP people are the descendants of Godse. BJP people say Godse was a patriot and martyr Hemant Karkare was a traitor. Culture of violence and insulting martyrs is the DNA of the BJP."



"Modi-Amit Shah ji's favourite BJP leader, Pragya Thakur once again insulted the whole nation by calling Gandhi's killer, Nathuram Godse 'a true patriot'," he said in a statement.

Maharashtra NCP chief Jayant Patil tweeted that Nathuram Godse, who has murdered Mahatma Gandhi, is being defended by BJP's candidate Pragya Thakur and is being called a patriot.

People can now see BJP's real face through Sadhvi Pragya MP, he further said.

BJP leader Hitesh Bajpai, while speaking on her behalf, said that she has apologised for her remark.

"Pragyaji has apologised for her statement," Bajpai told PTI.

When asked whether she has apologised to the state BJP chief, Bajpai said, "That is not an issue, but she has apologised and took back her statement."



Meanwhile, the election commission has asked the state chief electoral officer to submit a "factual report" by tomorrow about Thakur's remarks.

This is the second time in a month that Pragya Thakur has apologised for a controversial statement made by her.

Last month, she had stoked a controversy when she said that IPS officer Hemant Karkare had died during the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks as she had "cursed" him for torturing her. Later, she apologised and took back her controversial remark.

Thakur was also temporarily banned from campaigning for her hate remarks.

Condemning her statement, senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh said in Ujjain that praising Godse was not patriotism, but an "anti-national" act.

"Narendra Modi ji, Amit Shah ji and BJP leaders from Madhya Pradesh should apologise to the country. I condemn the words used against the Father of the Nation. Nathuram Godse was a killer and eulogising him is not patriotism, but an anti-national act," the former Madhya Pradesh chief minister told reporters in Ujjain.

Both CPI and CPI (M) also criticised Thakur for her controversial.

"It's a fact that Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated and the incident was a well-planned one to spread hatred, create fear and to send out a message. This assassination was carried out by Nathuram Godse. If BJP thinks Godse was patriot then what was Mahatma Gandhi?" CPI leader D Raja said.

Kamal Haasan, while addressing an election campaign rally at Aravakurichi (Tamil Nadu) on May 12, had said, "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.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Advocate Prashant Bhushan has urged the Ministry of to destroy Bt brinjal, a genetically modified crop, planted in farms and prosecute those responsible behind its illegal cultivation.

In a letter to Union Minister Harsh Vardhan, Bhushan alleged that the ministry's 2010 moratorium on the commercial planting of Bt brinjal was being flouted.

"l am constrained to say that we are looking at a collective failure of our regulatory bodies and connected institutions, with the final blame falling squarely on the apex regulator, the GEAC (Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee) in your ministry, the body solely responsible for all environmental releases of GMOs," he said in the letter.

"The illegal planting of Bt Brinjal demonstrates the vacuum that exists in the oversight of GMOs in lndia," Bhushan added.

He sought that the crop be uprooted and destroyed in farms and an exercise be undertaken for testing of seeds.

"Uproot and destroy planted Bt brinjal in farms and seedlings in nurseries. Undertake a scaled-up exercise of testing of seeds and plantings for which a well laid out and coordinated plan is required with members of civil society as part of a joint advisory and monitoring committee," the letter stated.

"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," it read.

The letter also gave the test report of a private lab in Ahmedabad which says brinjal samples collected from a farm in Haryana's Fatehabad have tested positive for genetically modified traits.

Recently, farm activists demanded immediate action against officials responsible for spreading seeds of Bt brinjal and its genetically modified (GM) variants in the country.

Bt brinjal farming was banned in India in 2010 after it was recognised as hazardous to health and

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Britain's Prince Harry on Thursday settled for "substantial damages" and an apology from a agency that hovered over his home in a helicopter, taking photos directly into his living room and bedroom earlier this year.

Lawyers for the Duke of Sussex told the UK High Court that the photographs showed the Oxfordshire home's interior and "very seriously undermined" his safety.

The images, which were taken in January and published in UK newspapers and online, showed the living area, dining area and "directly into the bedroom".

Justice Warby heard a statement in open court at the Royal Courts of Justice in London in relation to Harry's privacy and data protection complaints and ruled in favour of the royal.

"The syndication and publication of the photographs very seriously undermined the safety and security of the Duke and the home to the extent that they are no longer able to live at the property, Barrister Gerrard Tyrrell told the court.

"The property had been chosen by the Duke for himself and his wife given the high level of privacy it afforded given its position in a secluded area surrounded by private farmland away from any areas to which photographers have access," he said.

Tyrrell, who read a statement in court on Prince Harry's behalf, said the couple had subsequently felt unable to live at the home near the Cotswolds village of Chipping Norton in Oxfordshire.

The agency Splash admitted an "error in judgment" and apologised to the 34-year-old royal.

"We apologise to the Duke and Duchess for the distress we have caused," it said in a statement.

The agency has promised to "cease and desist from selling, issuing, publishing or making available the photographs. It also said it will not repeat its conduct by using any aerial means to take photographs or film footage of the Duke's private home, which would infringe privacy or data rights or otherwise be unlawful activity.

Buckingham Palace said Prince Harry "acknowledges and welcomes the formal apology from Splash News and Picture Agency".

Prince Harry and 37-year-old Meghan Markle, who recently became parents to new-born son Archie, have since moved into their family home at Frogmore Cottage on Queen Elizabeth II's Windsor Castle estate.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
In a veiled dig at Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Union minister Smriti Irani Thursday said the Congress general secretary offered 'namaz' in Amethi "for votes" and then also visited Mahakal temple in Madhya Pradesh.

"The Congress was so flustered in Amethi that its general secretary, after offering namaz for votes there, now visited the revered Mahakal temple in MP's Ujjain district," Irani said in a public meeting without naming Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.

Irani contested the Lok Sabha election against Congress chief Rahul Gandhi from Amethi seat, where his sister played a key role in drumming up support for him.

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra had visited the Mahakal temple two days back and offered prayers there. She had held a road show in Ujjain.

Irani further accused the Congress chief of spreading lies.

"Before last year's MP assembly elections, Rahul Gandhi had promised loan waiver to farmers, but after his party came to power in the state he has betrayed them. Now he is saying that he does not have a magic wand," she said.

Ahead of MP assembly polls, Rahul Gandhi had said that money would be given to unemployed youth, but this did not happen, she said.

The Union minister said the Congress government formed in MP in December has failed on all the fronts.

"Power cuts have become the order of the day," she added.

Irani later addressed an election rally at Satvas area in Dewas district under Khandwa Lok Sabha seat and slammed the Congress saying it has cheated the farmers on the loan waiver promise.

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The CBI probe into the Bofors case pertaining to the alleged Rs 64 crore kickbacks in the purchase of Swedish artillery guns will continue, officials said Thursday.

"In view of certain revelations made by one Michael Hershman, CBI sought the permission of the trial court to conduct further investigation in the Bofors case," CBI spokesperson Nitin Wakankar said.

He said on May 8, the court had observed that when independent right and power is available with the CBI to further investigate the matter on its own, if in its wisdom it is necessary to do so then, why still such application is being filed in the court.

"After obtaining legal opinion, CBI filed an application on May 16, 2019 in the court of CMM, Rouse Avenue Courts, New Delhi, stating that for conducting further investigation under section 173(8) of CrPC, permission of the court is not mandatorily required by CBI and an intimation to the court in this regard will suffice," he said.

Wakankar said the probe in the Bofors case will continue.

The agency's response came after it withdrew from a Delhi court its application to seek permission to further probe the politically sensitive Rs 64-crore Bofors payoff case.

The agency had swung into action for a permission for further probe in the case after getting a go ahead from the Attorney General to file the appeal in the case in which it cited the October 2017 interview of private detective Hershman, alleging that the then Rajiv Gandhi government had sabotaged his probe.

In an interview to private channels, Hershman, president of the US-based private detective firm Fairfax, had claimed that Rajiv Gandhi was "furious" when he had found a Swiss bank account Mont Blanc.

He was hired by the Finance Ministry which was under V P Singh, Gandhi's bete noire, to investigate outflow of alleged black money during Congress government, Hershman had claimed in an interview to DNA newspaper.

Justice R S Sodhi (since retired) of the Delhi High Court had on May 31, 2005 quashed the CBI case in the Bofors pay-off scam.

Before the 2005 verdict of Justice Sodhi, another judge of the Delhi High Court, Justice J D Kapoor (since retired), had on February 4, 2004 exonerated late prime minister Rajiv Gandhi in the case and directed the framing of charge of forgery under section 465 of the IPC against Bofors company.

The Rs 1,437-crore deal between India and Swedish arms manufacturer AB Bofors for the supply of 400 155mm howitzer guns for the Indian Army was entered into on March 24, 1986.

Swedish Radio on April 16, 1987 claimed that the company had paid bribes to top Indian politicians and defence personnel.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The probe into the case pertaining to alleged Rs 64 crore kickbacks in the purchase of Swedish artillery guns will continue, officials said Thursday.

"In view of certain revelations made by one Michael Hershman, sought the permission of the trial court to conduct further investigation in the case," spokesperson Nitin Wakankar said.

Nitin said the court had observed that when independent right and power is available with the CBI to further investigate the matter on their own, if in their wisdom it is necessary to do so then, why still such application is being filed in the court.

"After obtaining legal opinion, CBI filed an application on May 16, 2019 in the court of CMM, Rouse Avenue Courts, New Delhi, stating that for conducting further investigation under section 173(8) of CrPC, permission of the court is not mandatorily required by CBI and an intimation to the court in this regard will suffice," he said.

He said the probe in the case will continue.

The agency's response came after it withdrew from a Delhi court its application to seek permission to further probe the politically sensitive Rs 64-crore Bofors payoff case.
Protests were staged in the national capital on Thursday over the destruction of social reformer Ishwarchandra Vidyasagar's bust in Kolkata.

The Delhi state organising committee of SUCI (Communist) staged a protest at Jantar Mantar and demanded immediate arrest of the culprits involved in vandalising the bust.

Shouting anti-BJP and anti-RSS slogans, the protesters said the bust of Vidyasagar, instrumental in bringing the Hindu Widows' Remarriage Act in 1856, was demolished at a time when the entire country is preparing to celebrate his 200th birth anniversary.

"The demolition of the statue of the great Vidyasagar should not be mistaken as just a part of electoral violence, but it is a well-planned conspiracy to muzzle the secular and scientific thinking," K C Tiwari, a member of SUCI (Communist), said.

Kolkata witnessed widespread violence during BJP president Amit Shah's road show Tuesday. A bust of Vidyasagar was vandalised during the violence. This also led to a blame-game between the BJP and the Trinamool Congress over who was behind the act.

Another protest took place in Chittaranjan Park, known as the Bengali hub in Delhi.

Anup Tagore, who participated in the protest, said nearly 100-150 people participated in the march from Market No. 1 to Market No. 2 of Chittaranjan Park.

"Vidyasagar is a Bengali icon. He was a scholar and a social reformer and we all felt that his name should not be dragged into politics. We also demand strict action against those who vandalised his statue.

Aam Aadmi Party volunteers also joined the protest at Chittaranjan Park.

Local MLA and AAP spokesperson Saurabh Bhardwaj, who participated in the protest, said, "What is happening in West Bengal is extremely serious and shows our democracy is in danger."



Born as Ishwarchandra Bandyopadhyay in 1820, he earned the title 'vidyasagar' -- the 'ocean of knowledge' for a good reason. He brought the magic of William Shakespeare alive in Bengali by translating a number of the bard's dramas as well as a number of Sanskrit classics.

He simplified Bengali typography and interpreted complex notions of Sanskrit grammar in easy legible Bengali language.

Besides his work in the field of education, he was a powerful voice against oppression of women in 19th century Bengal.

Vidyasagar opened a school for women and was instrumental in bringing the Hindu Widows' Remarriage Act in 1856, for which he endured the wrath of conservative Hindus.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
BJP president Amit Shah Thursday accused Congress chief Rahul Gandhi of remaining silent after his party leader Mani Shankar Aiyar hurled abuses at Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Addressing a rally here, he termed Aiyar "guru ghantal" (shrewd).

"Mani Shankar Aiyar used abusive words against PM Modi but Rahul baba remained silent," Shah said.

Aiyar had stirred a controversy recently through an article in a newspaper, reminding readers of his "neech aadmi" comment made against Modi in 2017. He was suspended from the party for his statement.

"Can anyone tolerate abusive words against the prime minister," Shah asked voters.

Referring to the Balakot airstrike, the BJP president claimed that while there was excitement in the country and people were distributing sweets, there was mourning at the offices of Rahul Gandhi and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav.

"The glow on their faces had vanished as if their own had died," he alleged.

Referring to Zakir Naik, Shah said the controversial Islamic preacher believed that if the Congress or the Mayawati-Akhilesh Yadav alliance came to power he would not be caught.

Zakir Naik, now abroad, has been accused of delivering inflammatory speeches besides money laundering.

Due to his influence, hundreds of people were killed in terror attacks in Sri Lanka. This person is promoting terrorism and inciting people. When someone asked him when would you go to India, he replied, when the Congress comes to power," Shah claimed.

"I want to tell him that the BJP is going to form the next government and If you dared to enter the country, you would be brought to book, Shah said.

Shah also claimed that during the 55 years when the Gandhi family called the shots, no initiative was introduced for free medical treatment.

Our Ayushman Bharat scheme has benefitted around 26 lakh people. Our government tried to improve the living standards of 50 crore people of the country," the BJP chief said.

He said the support for the BJP was coming from the hearts of the people.

I have visited many states. Wherever I went, I only heard Modi-Modi. This is not an election slogan. It is coming from the hearts of the people."



The voting in Maharajganj will take place on May 19. The Congress has fielded former journalist Supriya Shrinate against BJP's Pankaj Choudhary.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Congress president Rahul Gandhi Thursday met a Dalit woman who was allegedly gang-raped in front of her husband in Rajasthan's Alwar district, party sources said.

Gandhi was accompanied by Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, deputy CM Sachin Pilot and Congress national general secretary Avinash Pandey, they said.

"Such things will not be tolerated. The victim will get justice. The moment I got to know about the incident, I called Gehlot ji and told him that I want to come. This is not a political issue for me but an emotional issue," Gandhi told reporters here.

He said, a message should go across the country, not just in Rajasthan that "this will not be tolerated."



Responding to a question about his conversation with the victim's family, Gandhi said, "They spoke about justice. They will get justice and action will be taken against the people involved in the crime."



On charges levelled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi that state government was negligent in the case, he said, "I am not here to do politics over the issue but to meet the family. The family will get 'Nyay' (justice)."He was earlier scheduled to arrive here Wednesday.

On April 26, six miscreants 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.

An FIR was lodged on May 2 and the accused circulated a video clip of the crime on May 4. Subsequently, five accused, who allegedly raped the woman, and the one who shot and circulated the video clip, have been arrested.

The incident triggered widespread protests in Alwar, Jaipur, Dausa and nearby areas and a protest march led by BJP's Rajya Sabha MP Kirori Lal Meena had turned violent in Dausa on Tuesday, leaving over half-a-dozen people injured.

Prime Minister Modi, BSP supremo Mayawati and other leaders have condemned the incident.

Hitting out at PM Modi, Chief Minister Gehlot said, "Entire country knows he (Modi) is doing politics. He speaks lie, which is unfortunate. The entire BJP is holding protest, it shows who is indulging in politics."



Clarifying on government action in the gang-rape case, the CM said, "The FIR in the case was lodged on May 2. Charge sheet in the case will be filed in next seven days. For the victim a job will be managed."



Gehlot announced to divide Alwar into two districts for policing.

"Alwar is a critical district. We have done a study. Crime in the district is more than any other district. Looking into which we have decided to divide the district in two parts for policing," he said.

The accused will get punishment and effective monitoring of the case will be done, he added.

Gehlot said after the incident the state government has decided that a victim woman can lodge a complaint at the SP office if she faces problem at police station.

In addition, the government is going to appoint a woman nodal officer of deputy SP rank at the district level on the lines of nodal officer to deal with the cases related to atrocities on SC/STs.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Thursday took out a roadshow in the Bihar capital and said if voted to power, his party will provide a government which considered the people as maalik (masters).

Maalik aap ho (you are the masters). When we form the government we will not be asking you to listen to our 'mann ki baat', rather we will always look towards you for your inputs as your mann ki baat based on which our policies would be formulated, Gandhi said upon the conclusion of the roadshow wherein he was joined by local Congress candidate Shatrughan Sinha and alliance partner RJDs Tejashwi Yadav among others.

Modi had promised to the people of India five years ago that he will be against corruption. I challenge Modi to listen to the people of Patna and hear what they have to say about him, said the Congress president before making the crowds chant Chowkidar chor hai a slogan he has been repeatedly using to rankle the BJP over the Rafale deal and the scams which have rocked public sector banks.

Coming down heavily on the Modi government for the demonetization drive of 2016 when Rs 500 and Rs 1000 crore notes were invalidated, Gandhi said pointing towards the dozens of furniture shops situated in the Kadam Kuan area of the city - it is not just farmers, but also small businessmen like these who were hit by notebandi.

Anything of the sort will never be done by us as we will be taking our decisions by consulting the people, taking their feedback about their own needs. We will also reform the GST which at present has created more problems than it could solve, a reason why I call it Gabbar Singh Tax, Gandhi said.

I am told that Shatrughan Sinhas home is just a stones throw from this place. He is the pride of Bihar. You all have come out in huge numbers. Please show the same enthusiasm in voting for him on the polling day, Gandhi said.

The Congress president arrived in the city from Bikram in Pataliputra Lok Sabha constituency where he addressed a rally in support of Lalu Prasads eldest daughter Misa Bharti.

His helicopter landed at the Moin-ul-Haq Stadium in Rajendra Nagar area from where he moved in a procession, perched atop an open roof vehicle with Sinha, Yadav and other leaders by his side and workers from all parties constituting the Mahagathbandhan marching along carrying their respective flags.

Slogans calling Rahul Gandhi the next Prime Minister reverberated as the roadshow moved at a snail pace towards Kadam Kuan, a couple of kilometres from the point where it originated.

As the rally concluded, Yadav raised the slogan 23 May, Bhajpaa gayee (BJP will be gone on May 23) and took potshots at Chief Minister Nitish Kumar saying paltu chacha bhagao Bihar bachao (save Bihar by driving away uncle turncoat).

Sinha, who was visibly moved by the huge turnout, said the crowd today is at least ten times bigger than what was witnessed at the roadshow of BJP president Amit Shah last week.

The BJP, which has become a one man show and two man army, had said that Shahs roadshow was intended to make me show my aukaat (worth). Today, the people of Bihar is showing them their aukaat and they would be doing so again on May 19 when votes will be cast, Sinha who seeks to retain Patna Sahib seat for the third consecutive term, said.

The actor-politician is locked in an intense contest at Patna Sahib seat, that will see voting in the last phase on May 19, with Union minister and BJP candidate Ravishankar Prasad.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
BJP president Amit Shah Thursday accused Congress chief Rahul Gandhi of remaining silent after his party leader Mani Shankar Aiyar hurled abuses at Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Addressing a rally in Maharajganj, he termed Aiyar "guru ghantal" (shrewd).

"Mani Shankar Aiyar used abusive words against PM Modi but Rahul baba remained silent," Shah said.

Aiyar had stirred a controversy recently through an article in a newspaper, reminding readers of his "neech aadmi" comment made against Modi in 2017. He was suspended from the party for his statement.

"Can anyone tolerate abusive words against the prime minister," Shah asked voters.

Referring to the Balakot airstrike, the BJP president claimed that while there was excitement in the country and people were distributing sweets, there was "mourning" at the offices of Rahul Gandhi and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav.

"The glow on their faces had vanished as if their own had died," he alleged.

Referring to Zakir Naik, Shah said the controversial Islamic preacher believed that if the Congress or the Mayawati-Akhilesh Yadav alliance came to power he would not be caught.

Zakir Naik, now abroad, has been accused of delivering inflammatory speeches besides money laundering.

"Due to his influence, hundreds of people were killed in terror attacks in Sri Lanka. This person is promoting terrorism and inciting people. When someone asked him when would you go to India, he replied, when the Congress comes to power," Shah claimed.

"I want to tell him that the BJP is going to form the next government and If you dared to enter the country, you would be brought to book," Shah said.

Shah also claimed that during the 55 years when the Gandhi family called the shots, no initiative was introduced for free medical treatment.

"Our Ayushman Bharat scheme has benefitted around 26 lakh people. Our government tried to improve the living standards of 50 crore people of the country," the BJP chief said.

He said the support for the BJP was coming from the hearts of the people.

"I have visited many states. Wherever I went, I only heard Modi-Modi. This is not an election slogan. It is coming from the hearts of the people," he said.

The voting in Maharajganj will take place on May 19. The Congress has fielded former journalist Supriya Shrinate against BJP's Pankaj Choudhary.

Later addressing a rally in Ballia, Shah said when soldiers were brutally killed by Pakistan in the previous Manmohan Singh government, which was supported by the SP and the BSP, they did nothing and kept mum.

"Our government will not compromise with the security of the country. Omar Abdullah, a friend of Rahul Gandhi, Akhilesh Yadav and Mayawati, is talking of a separate prime minister for Jammu and Kashmir. He wants the state's separation from India," Shah said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A coalition of progressive parties will come together to form the next government and Congress president will play a "central role" in the formation of the new dispensation, leader said on Thursday.

Asserting that the has failed to deliver on its slogans, including 'Achhe din', 'kala dhan vapsi (return of black money)' and 'beti bachao beti padhao', he alleged that the party has intensified its "hate-filled politics" to avoid being questioned on its promises.

Tejaswi's Rashtriya Janata Dal is fighting the polls in Bihar in alliance with the Congress, Rashtriya Lok Samta Party, Hindustan Awam Morcha and Vikassheel Insan Party. He also claimed the 'mahagathbandhan' will sweep the polls in the state.

"Those who colluded in flouting people's mandate will be defeated. Uttar Pradesh and Bihar have always been key to forming central governments, that will not change," he told PTI in an interview.

"I recognise that there is a strong anti-incumbency wave across India and each state will count," he said.

His remarks come ahead of the seventh and final phase of the Lok Sabha polls on May 19 when polling will be held in eight constituencies in Bihar -- Nalanda, Patna Sahib, Pataliputra, Arrah, Buxar, Sasaram, Karakat and Jahanabad.

Yadav, the younger son of supremo Lalu Prasad, also expressed confidence that a coalition of progressive parties will come together to form the government at the Centre.

Asked if Gandhi is the best bet among opposition leaders to lead the country as prime minister, Yadav said the Congress chief has shown "great maturity" in his style of leadership.

"He launched a very spirited and a truly pan India criticism of the government's policies. So yes, I feel he will be playing a central role in the formation of the new government," the former Bihar deputy chief minister said.

"Rahul ji is the president of India's oldest party, he has been a parliamentarian for the last 15 years, and five chief ministers are working under his able leadership. You tell me why he is not more suitable than the current PM," he asked.

At a rally in Samastipur last month, Yadav also urged people to make Gandhi the prime minister.

Asked if the will back Gandhi's name for prime minister if the opposition gets the required numbers, the RJD leader said, "I have been repeating it for months now. He (Gandhi) has been very consistent in providing an alternative vision of governance with 'Nyay' (justice) and that is in sync with our core philosophy."



Yadav also slammed the for its narrative during the election campaign, alleging that in contrast to the 2014 polls when the promise of 'achhe din' was the BJP's main poll plank, Modi has been grappling with various tropes but has not been able to rally the people around any one narrative.

"Anybody who is paying attention to social media in India today or has bothered to talk to the unemployed, daily wage poor, the middle-class salaried people, or the farmers, would know that the BJP, and PM Modi personally, have not been able deal with the anti-incumbency sentiments among these segments of Indian voters," he claimed.

The put in efforts in intensifying its brand of "hate-filled politics" because it cannot afford to remind the electorate of the slogans around "achche din, kala dhan, beti bachao etc", the 29-year-old leader said.

Yadav asserted that there is a wave against the Modi government and not an undercurrent.

"If a wave is not shown on television, does it become an undercurrent? History will judge the opposition mounted by the 'gathbandhan' parties in the face of intimidatory tactics of the BJP -- the way they used state institutions to wage a war against the opposition and employed cheap tactics of denying basic rights, such as bail to popular leaders like Lalu Yadav ji," he added.

According to the seat-sharing arrangement among 'mahagathbandhan' constituents in Bihar, the RJD was given 20 seats, out of which one went to CPI(ML) and the Congress is contesting on nine seats. Upendra Kushwaha's Rashtriya Lok Samata Party is fighting on five seats with former Bihar chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi's Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) and Mukesh Sahni's Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) contesting three seats each.

The 'mahagathbandhan' in Bihar is up against the NDA. As per the seat sharing deal of the NDA, the JD(U) and the BJP are contesting 17 seats each, while Ram Vilas Paswan's Lok Janshakti Party is contesting the remaining six seats.
Pakistan on Thursday said it was ready to discuss the issue of terrorism with India as it claimed that New Delhi is "reluctant" to cooperate on the matter, which is also a "primary concern" for Islamabad.

Pakistan wants constructive engagement with India as per the policy of Prime Minister Imran Khan, Foreign Office spokesman Mohammad Faisal told media at a weekly briefing here.

"Pakistan is also ready to discuss terrorism which is also a primary concern for Pakistan," he said.

India has made it clear to Pakistan that terrorism and dialogue will not go hand-in-hand.

Faisal said Khan wrote to his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi on September 14, 2018 reiterating "our principled position of resolving all outstanding issues, including the Jammu and Kashmir dispute, through peaceful dialogue".

However, India, he said, has been "reluctant to cooperate on the issue of terrorism".

His comments came ahead of a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meeting to be held in Kyrgyzstan on May 21-22, which will be attended by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and her Pakistani counterpart Shah Mahmood Qureshi.

The relationship between the two neighbouring nations currently is at all-time low after a Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) suicide bomber attacked a CRPF convoy in Pulwama in Jammu and Kashmir on February 14 that killed 40 soldiers.

Amid mounting outrage, the Indian Air Force (IAF) carried out a counter-terror operation, hitting what it said was a JeM training camp in Balakot, deep inside Pakistan on February 26.

The next day, the PAF retaliated and downed a MiG-21 in an aerial combat and captured IAF Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, who was later released and handed over to India on March 1.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu Thursday criticised the Election Commission's order to hold repolling in five booths in the Chandragiri Assembly constituency as unethical and unconstitutional.

Thirty-four days after voting was held in the constituency, the EC ordered repoll based on a report by the Andhra Pradesh Chief Electoral Officer, and without waiting for the recommendations of a panel set up for this purpose, Naidu alleged.

On the contrary, the poll panel on May 15 relieved West Bengal Home Secretary Atri Bhattacharya for having interfered in the elections process by directing the state's CEO, he said.

In a representation to the EC about the repolling ordered in his state, the incumbent Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister said, "...it is injustice. (It is) unfortunate, unethical and unconstitutional."



Naidu demanded the EC play a "neutral role" to facilitate free and fair election without being "partisan at the instance of any particular party".

"Hence, the Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissions are requested to take steps to restore the confidence of the people in the EC and to create a level-playing field between the BJP-allies and other parties in the country," he added.

Chandragiri, located in Chittoor district, is one of the 175 assembly constituencies in the state. There are total 25 parliamentary constituencies.

Both assembly and Lok Sabha elections were held together in Andhra Pradesh on April 11. The votes will be counted on May 23.

The Election Commission Wednesday ordered repoll on May 19 in five polling stations in the Chandragiri Assembly segment, under Chittoor LS constituency.

Repoll would be held at polling stations 321, 104, 316, 318 and 313 of both Assembly and Lok Sabha segments, the state CEO said in a release Wednesday.

YSR Congress MLA and contesting candidate Ch Bhaskar Reddy lodged a complaint with the Election Commission early this month that voters belonging to a particular community were not allowed to exercise their franchise when polling was conducted on April 11.

The CEO reportedly received some other complaints over the polling in the constituency from other sources as well.

In West Bengal, the EC had on may 15 ordered the removal of West Bengal Principal Secretary (Home) Atri Bhattacharya and Additional Director General, CID, Rajeev Kumar, from their posts in the wake of violence between BJP and TMC workers in Kolkata.

Deputy Election Commissioner Sudeep Jain, who is in charge of West Bengal, had said action was taken against Bhattacharya "for having interfered in the process of conducting elections" by directing the state chief electoral officer, which he was not supposed do.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The resident doctors of Hindu Rao hospital, run by the North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC), abstained from duty for three hours Thursday morning over delay in payment of their salaries.

The doctors warned to go on an indefinite strike from Monday if the civic body failed to pay them their salaries pending for the last three months.

A senior NDMC official said that arrangements were being made to release the salaries of the doctors.

Around 450 resident doctors and interns of the hospital did not attend duties from 9.30 am to 12 noon, demanding payment of their salaries.

"We will go on an indefinite strike from Monday, if the NDMC administration does not release our salaries," said Rahul Chaudhary, the president of Resident Welfare Association at the hospital.

He said that salaries of the doctors were pending for the last three months.

The municipal corporation, suffering financial crisis, has been facing hardships in regular payment of salaries to its employees, including sanitation workers and those serving in other departments.

"We will pay the salaries as soon the funds are ready," said the NDMC officer.

Chaudhary said the strike by the doctors was held to protest over delay in payment of salaries by the administration and it had nothing against the patients.

"We are making special efforts like working extra hours to ensure the patients do not have to suffer. But, we can not work like this for long and an indefinite strike will be there if the administration fails to redress the salary issue," Chaudhary said.

Hindu Rao is the largest hospital operated by the NDMC. A medical college was also opened by the civic body in 2013.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The lenders of Essar Steel Thursday informed the NCLAT that out of Rs 42,000 crore coming from the resolution plan of ArcelorMittal, Rs 2,500 crore has been marked as the working capital of the debt-laden firm.

The Committee of Creditors (CoC) submission before a National Company Law Appellatre Tribunal (NCLAT) implied that only Rs 39,500 crore would be available for distribution among the financial creditors and operational creditors.

Senior advocate Gopal Subramanium representing the CoC informed the appellate tribunal that the actual upfront amount is Rs 39,500 crore and the rest Rs 2,500 crore has been committed as working capital for Essar Steel.

In Monday's hearing, Standard Chartered, one of the secured financial creditors, claimed that bankers have clubbed Orissa Slurry Pipeline Ltd (OSPL) with Essar Steel in the auction to recover unpaid loans.

It alleged that Rs 2,500 crore, which should have been paid to Standard Chartered, has been diverted to lenders of OSPL.

On this, the COC clarified that the current resolution plan is only for Essar Steel Ltd and OSPIL Ltd is not part of it.

"It is a fact that in the Supreme Court offer was made for Rs 42,000 crores. But in the final judgment, the Supreme Court only referred to the previous offer of Rs 35,000 crore. Ultimately, after a lot of discussion it was raised to Rs 39,500 crore," Subramanium submitted.

He further said: "Then there was a discussion on working capital. We said please guarantee Rs 2,500 crore. So total upfront payment is Rs 42,000 crore."



According to him, this Rs 2,500 crore is the minimum guarantee to the creditors of Essar Steel irrespective of whether the company is in profit or loss during the pendency of the insolvency resolution process.

"We wanted a guarantee that if it was a minus, at least Rs 2,500 crore you must commit. If, however, there is actually profit, whatever is actually profit, will be given to lenders. We said alright," he said.

Subramanium added: "If it is negative, there is Rs 2,500 crore and . Whatever excess of Rs 2,500 crore is there, it would be given back to the creditors."



A two-member NCLAT bench headed by Chairman Justice S J Mukhopadhaya also directed the CoC to submit a distribution chart of the money coming from ArcelorMittal.

Over claims of the Standard Chartered Bank, the CoC said it is a secured financial creditor and "one among us" but the flow of money given by it was outside India.

"We agree that Standard Chartered is a secured creditor," said Subramanium, adding that their justification for giving the money was of totally different in nature.

"The money was transferred from India to a Mauritian entity for a US-based step down unit," he said adding "in normal circumstances, we would have given money to them."



The matter would now come on May 20 before the NCLAT for hearing and ArcelorMittal may argue its side on that day.

Over the issue of OSPIL, Subramanium said that it was a step-down firm and separate insolvency is going for that.

"Orissa Slurry would not be a part of this resolution procees, he said adding "Bhubaneshwar-based National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) has already admitted Insolvency proceedings against it on May 13."



Earlier, senior counsel Kapil Sibal appearing on behalf of Standard Chartered had alleged before the NCLAT that ArcelorMittal is in effect paying Rs 39,500 crore and not Rs 42,000 crore for buying Essar Steel as the remaining sum is being adjusted towards outstanding of an associate business.

Standard Chartered, which is seeking to be treated at par with the secured financial creditor for its claim, said bankers have clubbed OSPL with Essar Steel.

OSPIL, Sibal said, is a separate entity owned by SREI Infrastructure and Essar Steel, and was not part of the original offer to sell Essar Steel. Clubbing it with Essar Steel in the sale would benefit Lakshmi Mittal-run firm, he said.

Sibal argued that acceptance of Rs 39,500 crore as the bid amount by the CoC of Essar Steel is contrary to the undertaking given by ArcelorMittal to the Supreme Court.

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The rupee appreciated marginally by 9 paise to 70.25 against the US dollar in opening trade Thursday, driven by weakening of the greenback in overseas markets and positive opening in domestic equities.

Forex dealers said, weakening of the American currency in the overseas markets supported the rupee, while rising crude prices, US-China trade concerns and foreign fund outflows weighed on the domestic currency.

The rupee opened at 70.26 at the interbank forex market, and touched a high of 70.25, displaying gains of 9 paise over its last close.

The local unit however, pared some gains and was trading at 70.28 at 0957 hrs.

The rupee Wednesday had appreciated 10 paise and closed at 70.34 against the US dollar.

Meanwhile, foreign institutional investors net sold equities worth Rs 1,142.44 crore on Wednesday, provisional data available with stock exchanges showed.

Brent crude futures, the global oil benchmark, rose 0.57 per cent to USD 72.18 per barrel.

Domestic equity benchmarks BSE Sensex and NSE Nifty started on a tepid note Thursday. The 30-share index was trading 8.25 points, or 0.02 per cent, higher at 37,123.13. The broader NSE Nifty was also trading 2.05 points, or 0.02 per cent, up at 11,159.05.

On the global front, President Donald Trump has signed an executive order barring American companies from installing the foreign-made telecom equipment deemed a national security threat, a move apparently aimed at banning Chinese giant Huawei from US networks.

The decision taken on Wednesday risks escalating tensions with China as the world's two largest economies clash over whether Huawei the world's largest provider of telecommunications equipment poses a spying risk to Western infrastructure networks.

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It is religion and not nationalism, unlike in most parts of the country, which is dominating the political discourse in Punjab.

However, issues of drug abuse, farmers stress and unemployment also have resonance on the ground.

While the Congress is raking up incidents of sacrilege of the holy book of Sikhs that took place in 2015 in its campaign, for the Shiromani Akali Dal, the 1984 anti-Sikh riots and Operation Bluestar are some issues on which it is relying to revive its fortune.

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, in his rallies, has been making a strong case for punishing the culprits for 'beadabi of Guru Granth Sahib' (sacrilege of the holy book of the Sikhs), while suggesting that the Badals are responsible for it.

Countering his allegations, SAD president Sukhbir Badal in his rallies had wished that the Almighty may "wipe out the entire khandan (clan)" of those who are behind the sacrilege of the Guru Granth Sahib.

He is also critical of the Congress and its leader Sam Pitroda for his controversial "hua to hua" (whatever happened, happened) comment on the 1984 riots.

Many people in the state are more vocal about unemployment, farmers' distress and drugs.

Randhir Singh, a resident of Panniwala Patta in Muktsar district, says, "Sacrilege of the holy book has hurt the sentiments of people and so has Pitroda's comments. But the anger is more for Guru Grant Sahib's beadabi."



At the same time, Randhir, a farmer by, emphasises that farmers in the state are facing problem of low productivity due to depleting ground water and the younger generation is migrating due to unemployment.

Echoing similar sentiments, Rajwinder Sodhi, who runs a dhaba along the Jalandhar-Amritsar highway, says farmers in his village are under debt and selling their land and at the same time nothing has been done to check the drug abuse.

Describing the drug issue as "most critical" in Punjab, Roshan Lal, a doctor by profession, says parties are not talking about it.

Talking about the political scenario in the state, Jagroop Sakhon, head of the department of political science in Guru Nanak Dev University in Amritsar, says the studies carried out by him clearly underline that issues such as unemployment, drugs and distress in farm sector are more relevant for common man in Punjab.

"Unemployment, distress in agriculture and drugs abuse are more important and relevant issues for people in Punjab even more than religious issues," Sakhon says while quoting the study.

On the question of AAP, Sakhon says it appears to be a "finished story". It had got 24.4 per cent votes in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls and 23.7 per cent in the 2017 assembly elections.

The AAP had emerged as a third alternative in the Punjab, which has normally witnessed a two-way fight between the Congress and the SAD, but infighting and lack of clarity in terms of ideology led to his decimation, he says.

According to Sakhon, it is a bipolar contest in Punjab between two traditional rivals SAD and Congress.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Sanatam Dhadam Sabha, an organisation of Hindus, Thursday demanded the constitution of a special investigation team (SIT) to probe the death of a person in firing in Bhaderwah in Jammu and Kashmir.

"We suspect a well-planned and coordinated action of anti-social and anti-national elements to disturb the peaceful situation in the Bhaderwah area. We demand constitution of an SIT to probe the case," the organisation's spokesman said here.

The organisation also requested the governor to take action against erring officials.

Curfew was clamped in communally-sensitive Bhaderwah valley in Doda on Thursday after members of a community attacked a police station and damaged several vehicles in protest against the killing. Internet services too have been blocked.

The family of the deceased alleged that he was targeted by cow vigilantes.

The Doda district administration, however, ruled out cow vigilantism as the reason behind the murder and said that some people were trying to give communal colour to the incident to flare up the situation.

The firing incident took place at around 2 am on Thursday.

"One person with the name of Nayeem was coming from Chatergala side during midnight. When he reached near Nalthi area, he was killed and another person with him suffered splinter injuries (in a firing incident)," IGP Jammu Zone, M K Sinha told PTI.

Two suspects, who allegedly had opened fire, have been arrested and five others detained, he said.

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Goa Deputy Chief Minister Vijai Sardesai has called on officials of the Israel's foreign affairs ministry to discuss how the coastal state and the West Asian country could work in cooperation with each other.

Sardesai, who is on a private visit to Jerusalem, on Wednesday met a delegation, including Israeli's Agency for International Development Cooperation (MASHAV) head Gil Haskel, deputy head Yuval Fuchs, overseas programme director Daniel Zonshine and South East Asia director Yaron Mayer.

"A discussion took place on concrete projects of cooperation between Goa and Israel. We are looking forward to more cooperation on various fronts with them (Israel) in the near future," Sardesai said in a statement.

The deputy chief minister said he will be holding more meetings with officials of other departments for ties with Israel in fields like water resources, rural development and others, which are their key expertise areas.

Sardesai, who holds the agriculture portfolio in the Pramod Sawant-led ministry, is head of the Goa Forward Party, which is an ally of the ruling BJP in the state.

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A Saudi-led coalition air strike on the rebel-held Yemeni capital on Thursday killed at least six people and wounded 10, a doctor said at a Sanaa hospital.

The casualties were all brought into the Republican Hospital from the same Sanaa neighbourhood, Dr Mokhtar Mohammed told AFP.

The coalition carried out 11 strikes on the capital in all, among 19 across rebel-held territory, the rebels' Al-Masirah television reported.

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Saudi Arabia's deputy defence minister, Khalid bin Salman, accused Iran Thursday of ordering drone attacks on two of its oil pumping stations that were claimed by Yemen's Huthi rebels.

Tuesday's "attack by the Iranian-backed Huthi militias against the two Aramco pumping stations proves that these militias are merely a tool that Iran's regime uses to implement its expansionist agenda in the region," the prince said on Twitter.

"The terrorist acts, ordered by the regime in Tehran, and carried out by the Huthis, are tightening the noose around the ongoing political efforts.

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Regulator Sebi Thursday slapped a fine of over Rs 1 crore on Basil International Ltd and its three individuals for not complying with earlier orders to refund money pooled from investors.

Susanta Kumar Jana and Nirmalendu Bhowmik are present directors of the firm, while Mohammed Afaque Ahmed is a former director, according to Sebi's order.

The regulator in May 2013 had asked the firm and its directors not to collect any money from the investors it was found that the firm had pooled Rs 92 crore till March 2012 from various investors through issuance of redeemable preference shares (RPS) in violation of public issue norms.

Subsequently, in February 2015, the regulator directed the entities to refund the money to investors.

In its fresh order, the regulator has said the entities not only failed to refund the money as directed but also collected about Rs 5 lakh even after the May 2013 order.

"Failure to comply with direction for refund and directions prohibiting raising of further money/funds is a serious irregularity affecting the interest of a large number of investors, who were duped into giving further funds into schemes held to be in violation of law," the regulator said.

The quantum of penalty needs to be sufficient to deter such non-compliance in order to safeguard the interest of investors, it added.

Accordingly, a fine of Rs 1 crore was imposed on the firm and two directors to be paid ''jointly and severally.''



Apart from the Rs 1 crore fine, a separate fine of Rs 10 lakh was levied on Ahmed, two present directors and the firm.

In a separate order, Sebi slapped a total penalty of Rs 14 lakh on two promoters of Action Financial Services for failing to make requisite disclosures upon change in their shareholding in the firm.

Milan Ramniklal Parekh and Bakul Ramniklal Parekh are the two promoters.

Besides being promoters, Milan Ramniklal Parekh is also the chairman and managing director of the company while Bakul Ramniklal Parekh is a joint manager director of the firm.

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Seven workers were killed on Thursday when a wall of a factory, which was being demolished, collapsed on them in China's Shanghai province, officials said.

The wall collapsed on Zhaohua Road in Changning district, trapping an unspecified number of people at the site, the municipal bureau of emergency management said.

So far 21 people have been pulled out of the debris. Of them, seven workers died and the rest have been admitted to hospitals, state-run Xinhua agency reported.

The incident happened when the factory building was being demolished.

The accident is under investigation as rescue efforts continue, the report said.

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/ -- Simplilearn, an India-based global ed-tech company and a leading digital skills training provider, today announced its goal is to achieve INR 500 crore in revenue by 2021. The company, as per latest 2017-18 RoC data had recorded revenues of INR 149 crore for the year ending 2017-18 and is currently at the revenue run rate of INR 300 crore.

(Logo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/535442/Simplilearn_Logo.jpg )



Founded in 2010, Simplilearn has maintained its leadership position in the space of digital skilling solutions for learners, corporates and enterprises. The company has been rapidly growing year-on-year has increased its employee strength from 400 in 2017 to over 1000 in 2019.

The company aims to reach INR 500 crore revenues by 2021 at the back of four pillars -



International Operations: Over 60% of company's business comes from its international business. There are more than 300,000 learners upskilling via Simplilearn from U.S. and other markets. Simplilearn will continue to expand its international operations by strengthening its presence in core markets like U.S. and Singapore. The company has two offices in the U.S. - San Francisco and Raleigh (North Carolina) and a distributed workforce in other major cities like New York, Boston, Seattle and San Diego. Domestic operations - While 70% of domestic business comes from Bangalore, Mumbai and Delhi, the company has set strong targets from other markets like Chennai, Hyderabad, Pune, Kolkata where the demand for digital skilling is growing at a double-digit rate. In March 2019, the company has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) to upskill learners in digital skills. As a part of the MoU, 33 of Simplilearn's courses are accredited by NSDC, making Simplilearn a key contributor to the government's Skill India program. Deeper curriculum in key skills areas: The company's main focus is to get deeper into categories that are going to dominate the tech space which includes Cloud, Data Science, Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence Growing enterprise segment: Simplilearn derives around 30% of its business from enterprise reskilling and upskilling. Currently the company is working with 200+ enterprises across the globe. On a cumulative basis, the company has around 1000 enterprise customers including fortune 100 organizations. Krishna Kumar, Founder and CEO at Simplilearn, said, "We are witnessing a great demand for digital skilling certification courses amongst individual professionals and enterprises. Further, we have been able to grow very efficiently, running at roughly break-even, making us one of the most successful companies in the ed-tech space. Our high-engagement model - live classrooms, experienced trainers and contextualized training solutions -- has helped over a million professionals secure better jobs at one end, and on the other it is helping enterprises in retaining, upskilling its talented workforce. We are committed in helping India build a relevant, future-ready digital workforce in the next five years as our economy, and the whole world, goes digital."About SimplilearnSimplilearn enables professionals and enterprises to succeed in the fast-changing digital economy. The company provides outcome-based online training across digital technologies and applications such as Big Data, Machine Learning, AI, Cloud Computing, Cyber Security, Digital Marketing and other emerging technologies. Based in San Francisco, CA, Raleigh, NC and Bangalore, India, Simplilearn has helped more than one million professionals and 1000 companies across 150 countries get trained, acquire certifications and reach their business and career goals. The company's high-engagement curriculum blends self-paced online learning, instructor-led live virtual classrooms, hands-on projects, student collaboration and 24/7 global teaching assistants. Simplilearn was recognized by Training Industry as a Top 20 IT Training Company for 2018. For more information, visit https://www.simplilearn.com.

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Six militants were killed Thursday in encounters in with security forces in Shopian and Pulwama districts of Jammu and Kashmir while a civilian and a soldier also lost their lives, police said.

While three Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorists, a civilian and a soldier were killed in the encounter in Pulwama, three militants were eliminated during a gun battle with security forces in Shopian district, a police spokesman said.

"On a credible input, a cordon and search operation was launched this morning by police and security forces at Delipora area in district Pulwama," the spokesman said.

He said as the security forces were evacuating the target house, the hiding militants started firing indiscriminately.

"One army jawan Sepoy Sandeep attained martyrdom and one civilian Rayees Dar also lost his life," the spokesman said.

In the retaliatory action, three terrorists were killed and their bodies were retrieved, he said.

"They were identified as Naseer Pandith of Kareemabad Pulwama, Umar Mir of Shopian and Khalid from Pakistan," he said.

The spokesman said according to the police records, the slain militants were affiliated with proscribed terror outfit JeM. They were wanted by law for their complicity in a series of terror crimes including attack on security establishments and civilian atrocities, he added.

"Naseer Pandith had a long history of terror crime records before joining terrorist organization and several terror crime cases were registered against him for planning and executing terror attacks in the area after joining proscribed terror outfit JeM. He was also involved in the killing of a policeman Mohammad Yaqoob Shah of Pulwama in 2018 on the eve of Eid," the spokesman said.

Pandith was also involved in several weapon snatching incidents reported from the area, he said.

He said Khalid, who was operating as a JeM commander, was involved in several terror attacks on security establishments and civilian atrocities in the area.

Incriminating material including arms and ammunition were recovered from the site of encounter.

In Shopian, a cordon and search operation was launched by security forces in Handew area following credible inputs about presence of ultras there, the spokesman said.

"During the search operation, the hiding terrorists fired on the search party. In the initial exchange of fire, one army jawan identified as Sepoy Rohit also sustained injuries. He has been hospitalized and is undergoing treatment," the spokesman said.

He said the security forces retaliated the firing, leading to an encounter.

"In the ensuing encounter, three terrorists were killed and the bodies were retrieved from the site of encounter," he added.

The identities and affiliations of the killed terrorists is being ascertained, the spokesman said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Three terrorists, a civilian and a soldier were killed Thursday in an encounter in district of Jammu and Kashmir, army said.

Security forces launched a cordon and search operation in Delipora village of following information about presence of terrorists there, a police official said.

He said the hiding ultras opened firing on the search party, who retaliated, triggering off a gun battle.

An army official said three militants were killed in the gun battle while one jawan also lost his life in the operation, which was going on till last reports came in.

The identity and group affiliation of the slain terrorists was being ascertained.

A police officer said two brothers were also injured during the exchange of firing between the two sides.

One of them -- identified as Rayees Ahmad -- succumbed while his brother Mohammad Younus was taken to a hospital, the officer said.

Meanwhile, authorities have snapped internet services in the district as a precautionary measure.
Sri Lanka's army chief said Thursday that other groups of Islamic extremists could be operating in the country independent of the one that carried out Easter Sunday bomb attacks.

"There could be other groups, definitely," Lt. Gen. Mahesh Senanayake said.

"To what extent are they offensive, what is the equipment they carry, what is the time frame, who are their handlers, these are all matters under discussion," he told reporters.

More than 250 people were killed in coordinated suicide bomb attacks at three churches and three tourist hotels on Easter Sunday that were claimed by the Islamic State group and carried out by a local radicalized Muslim group.

Seven suicide bombers blew themselves up at their targets and another killed himself and two guests at a motel after his device failed to explode at a fourth tourist hotel. A ninth suicide bomber killed herself and her children as police surrounded her home.

Senanayake said the military is developing a two-year plan to eliminate the new terrorist threat.

The attacks took place a month before the 10th anniversary of the end of Sri Lanka's 26-year civil war between government forces and separatist ethnic Tamil rebels.

Senanayake said the army has organized a series of events to mark the anniversary. People have been asked to light an oil lamp in their homes and offices in honor the fallen soldiers.

Senanayake said the military will not interfere with Tamil civilians remembering their dead relatives in areas where the final battle took place in 2009.

Sri Lanka's military has been accused of deliberately targeting civilians and using disproportionate force that killed thousands of civilians in the final months of fighting.

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The staff association of St Stephen's college will hold a protest on Friday against the inclusion of a member of institution's Supreme Council in the interview panel for selection of students.

The protest call prompted college authorities to put up a notice signed by Principal John Varghese on Thursday, saying there should be no "disturbance of working environment" in the college and those doing that will be dealt within the Central Civil Services (Conduct) Rules.

The college has also banned the entry of media persons in the premises.

Teachers said the CCS rules apply to bureaucrats and not to them.

According to the Central Civil Services Conduct Rules, no government servant shall make any statement of fact or opinion which has the effect of an adverse criticism of any current or recent policy of the central government or a state government.

The notice put up by the college authorities also stated that there are examinations being conducted at present in the institution and any form of disruption to the exams will be dealt with strictly.

The Supreme Council is a subset of six members of the Governing Body (Managing Committee) and comprises all members of the Church of North India.

According to the college constitution, the Supreme Council of the college shall have the control of the religious and moral instruction of students of the college and of all matters affecting its religious character as a Christian college of the Church of North India.

Three members of the governing body -- Nandita Narain, N P Ashley and Abhishek Singh -- condemned the "illegal and unacademic decision taken by the Principal", that "could compromise the academic integrity of our admissions process" while demanding its withdrawal. They were also issued warning letters.

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The Socialist Unity Centre of India (Communist) Thursday demanded strong action against those involved in vandalising the bust of Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar during BJP president Amit Shah's roadshow in Kolkata and asserted that the incident was a "well-planned conspiracy" to muzzle secular and scientific thinking.

The Delhi state organizing committee of SUCI (Communist) staged a protest at Jantar Mantar and demanded immediate arrest of the culprits involved in vandalising the bust.

Shouting anti-BJP and anti-RSS slogans, the protesters said the statue of Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagr has been demolished at a time when the entire country is preparing to celebrate his 200th birth anniversary.

"The demolition of the statue of the great Vidyasagar should not be mistaken as just a part of electoral violence, but it is a well-planned conspiracy to muzzle the secular and scientific thinking" KC Tiwari, a member of SUCI (Communist) said.

Kolkata witnessed wide-spread violence during BJP president Amit Shah's massive road show on Tuesday. A bust of 19th century Bengali icon Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar was vandalised during the violence.

Demanding strong action against those involved in the act, the protesters at Jantar Mantar said "BJP is the carrier of the traditional medieval feudal thinking, which suits the interests of the decadent capitalism today which fears progressive, secular and scientific thought as promoted by Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar".

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Basai Darapur in Delhi, where a 52-year-old businessman was stabbed to death, continued to remain tense as members of his community staged a protest after a 'mahapanchayat' on Thursday.

Police said the protest by the members of the Tyagi community -- to which the deceased belonged -- was largely peaceful and was also joined by others.

Traffic was affected in the area in west Delhi due to the large gathering, the police said.

The community called for a 'mahapanchayat' to mourn the death of the businessman who was stabbed multiple times by some neighbours when he objected to lewd remarks on his daughter in the early hours on Sunday.

The victim's 19-year-old son was also stabbed when he tried to intervene.

A 45-year-old man and his 20-year-old son have been arrested in connection with the killing. The police apprehended two juvenile sons of the main accused. His wife and daughter were also arrested.

The protesters demanded death sentence for the accused and compensation for the victim's family.

"We have decided that no Muslim migrant should be given any house or shop on rent in the villages of Delhi. We do not have any issue with local Muslims. We live peacefully here. But Muslims from outside Delhi are the ones who create trouble here," Amreesh Tyagi, General Secretary of the Tyagi community, told PTI.

Family members of the deceased, however, distanced themselves from the remarks against the minority community.

"If it was a Muslim who stabbed my uncle, then it was also a Muslim who tried to save him and my cousin and rushed them to the hospital. We do not have anything against any community and our family does not support anyone who is trying to give the communal angle to this incident," said a nephew of the deceased who did not wish to be named.

A delegation of the Aam Aadmi Party MPs met the Delhi Police Commissioner and condemned the attempts to "communalise the crime".

The protesters also demanded compensation from Delhi government for the victim's family and sought government jobs for his two daughters.

Anticipating tension, the police had already beefed up security in the area.

Over 50 Delhi Police personnel were deployed and senior officers, including Joint Commissioner of Police (West) Madhup Tiwari and Deputy Commissioner of Police (West) Monika Bhardwaj, were present at the protest venue, a senior official said.

The official added patrolling has been intensified in the area and a company of women police personnel has been deployed in the area to ensure that no untoward incident happens.

Police also said they have started door-to-door police verification of tenants staying in and around the neighbourhood to ensure no such incident takes place in the future.

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British Prime Minister Theresa May on Thursday agreed to set a firm date for her resignation as Conservative Party leader to make way for a new leader in Downing Street by next month.

After a crunch meeting with the party's influential 1922 Committee of backbench MPs, it was agreed that May would set out an exact timetable for her exit after her Brexit deal goes through the House of Commons for a fourth time in early June.

It had been announced earlier this week that May intends to bring her controversial Brexit Withdrawal Agreement, already defeated three times by British MPs, back for another vote in the week beginning June 3.

In a joint statement after the crucial meeting, Graham Brady, Chair of the 1922 Committee, said: "The Prime Minister is determined to secure our departure from the European Union and is devoting her efforts to securing the 2nd Reading of the Withdrawal Agreement Bill in the week commencing 3 June 2019 and the passage of that Bill and the consequence departure of the United Kingdom from the European Union by the summer.

"We have agreed that she and I will meet following the 2nd Reading of the Bill to agree a timetable for the election of a new leader of the Conservative and Unionist Party."



The move effectively sets the clock ticking for May, who has been under pressure from within her Tory party to set a definitive date for her Downing Street departure.

Brady clarified later that during the frank exchange with May, it was agreed that the exit timetable would be set regardless of what the vote is on the Bill whether it passes or whether it fails".

May had announced earlier in the year that she would make way for a new Prime Minister once she had seen an exit agreement through Parliament. However, her deeply divided party continued to mount pressure on her to name a specific date for her exit as the likelihood of her controversial Withdrawal Agreement clearing the Commons hurdle a fourth time remains elusive.

The biggest stumbling block, the so-called Irish backstop, continues to divide the parliamentary votes as many fear it would be used as a backdoor to keep the UK tied to EU rules even after Brexit.

Meanwhile, Boris Johnson confirmed publicly for the first time on Thursday that he will run to replace May as leader of the Conservative Party and the new prime minister.

Speaking at a private event in Manchester, the former Cabinet minister told the gathering: "Of course, I'm going for it. I don't think that is any particular secret to anybody. But you know there is no vacancy at present.

Johnson had been widely seen as a frontrunner pro-Brexit candidate alongside Dominic Raab, the former Brexit minister who had similarly resigned from May's Cabinet last year due to differences over the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement.

Other contenders widely speculated to throw their hat in the leadership ring include Cabinet members such as Michael Gove, Amber Rudd, Sajid Javid, Jeremy Hunt and Penny Mordaunt.

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Actor Isaac Kappy, best known for his role in "Thor", died after he committed suicide by jumping off a bridge. He was 42.

The actor reportedly "forced himself" off a bridge on Monday onto the highway in Arizona.

Two teens even attempted to stop the actor from jumping but it was of no avail as he was hit by a passing vehicle.

The broke after the Arizona Department of Public Safety officials confirmed to USA Today that Kappy died on the scene.

The actor posted a string of ominous messages on his Instagram account before his death, with "Beware the man that has nothing to lose, for he has nothing to protect."



"Over the course of the last week, through introspection that should have happened MANY years ago, I have come to some stark revelations about my character. I believed myself to be a good guy. I HAVE NOT been a good guy. In fact, I have been a pretty bad guy throughout my life, Kappy wrote.

In the post, he also opened up about his protracted struggles with alcohol and drug abuse. He went on to apologise to Jesus, President Donald Trump and "the MANY people I have acted abusively toward."



Kappy was allegedly referencing to his public feud with actor Seth Green, whom he accused of being a paedophile.

The actor, who originally hailed from New Mexico, starred in various small roles in major films. He played the role of a pet store clerk in the 2011 superhero film, "Thor."



He also appeared in "Terminator Salvation" and cult AMC series, "Breaking Bad".

He was also a part of a band called Monster Paws.

According to his band mate, Nate Santa Maria, Kappy used to be strong-willed and eccentric.

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Three Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terrorists, a civilian and a soldier were killed Thursday in an encounter in Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir, police said.

Incriminating material including ammunition were recovered from the encounter site, a police spokesman said.

"On a credible input, a cordon and search operation was launched this morning by police and security forces at Delipora area in district Pulwama," he said.

He said as the security forces were evacuating civilians from the neighbourhood of the target house, the hiding terrorists fired indiscriminately.

"In the process, one Army Jawan Sepoy Sandeep attained martyrdom and a civilian Rayees Dar also lost his life," the spokesman said.

In the retaliatory action by security forces, three terrorists were killed in the ensuing encounter and their bodies were retrieved, he said.

"They were identified as Naseer Pandith of Kareemabad Pulwama, Umar Mir of Shopian and Khalid from Pakistan," he said.

The spokesman said according to the police records, the slain ultras were affiliated with proscribed terror outfit JeM. They were wanted by law for their complicity in a series of terror crimes including attack on security establishments and civilian atrocities, he added.

"Naseer Pandith had a long history of terror crime records before joining terrorist organisation and several terror crime cases were registered against him for planning and executing terror attacks in the area after joining proscribed terror outfit JeM," the spokesman said.

Naseer was also involved in the killing of a policeman Mohammad Yaqoob Shah of Pulwama in 2018 on the eve of Eid, he said, adding the terrorist was also involved in several weapon snatching incidents reported from the area.

He said Khalid, who was operating as JeM commander, was involved in several terror attacks on security establishments and civilian atrocities in the area.

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Three opposition parties, including the Congress, on Thursday approached the Election Commission over its order curtailing the time period for campaigning in West Bengal, terming it "violative" of the doctrine of level-playing field and urged the poll body to give at least half a day more for electioneering.

A delegation comprising Congress' Abhishek Manu Singhvi and Ahmed Patel, TDP leader C M Ramesh and AAP's Sanjay Singh presented their stand before the EC on the issue.

The opposition parties requested for urgent and necessary review of the order prohibiting election campaigning in West Bengal after 10 pm Thursday, claiming it was violative of the doctrine of level-playing field and Article 14 of the Constitution which provides for equality before the law.

In first such action in India's electoral history, the EC on Wednesday ordered campaigning in nine West Bengal constituencies to end at 10 pm Thursday, a day before its scheduled deadline, in the wake of violence between the BJP and TMC workers in Kolkata on Tuesday.

The EC's action came a day after parts of Kolkata witnessed wide-spread violence during BJP president Amit Shah's massive road show in the city. A bust of 19th century Bengali icon Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar was vandalised during the violence.

In their memorandum to the poll watchdog, the opposition parties said the EC, instead of enforcing a level-playing field, has "arbitrarily" decided to cut off campaigning to the "prejudice" of all other parties.

This, in fact, benefits the BJP which has two rallies scheduled, they said, adding this order of the EC, truncating the campaign period, "fails to meet the standard of reasonableness or even of application of mind".

"We urge that this commission re-considers its decision and penalise the one who propagated the violence and violated its electoral laws in such a blatant manner. Punishing those who are innocent by taking such an arbitrary decision will result in a grotesque precedent being set," the parties said.

Singhvi told reporters outside the EC office, "I would say that if the EC considers the facts presented by us, it can allow campaign for half a day more. The final decision is in their hands. All options are open for us."



The delegation also requested the Election Commission for urgent and necessary directions to election officials to order re-polling in Domariyaganj Lok Sabha constituency in Uttar Pradesh.

They also called for various safeguards for the EVMs to ensure electoral integrity and free and fair elections.

The leaders also raised the issue of "failure" to provide security to MLA Aditi Singh in Rae Bareli. The Congress on Wednesday condemned the attack on its Rae Bareli legislator Aditi Singh, blaming it on what it called the "hired goons of the BJP" in Uttar Pradesh.

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Tunisia on Thursday rejected a United Nations claim that an arms expert arrested in the North African country has diplomatic immunity and should be released.

Moncef Kartas, a member of the UN panel of experts on Libya, is a Tunisian-German dual national who was detained on arrival in Tunis on March 26.

The world body has reviewed case documents from Tunisian authorities and on Wednesday called for the charges to be dropped, making clear the files were unconvincing.

UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric called for Kartas's immediate release and stated the expert holds diplomatic immunity, a claim rejected by Tunisia on Thursday.

Kartas "does not have immunity, he entered Tunisia with his Tunisian passport, and (the allegations) are not within the framework of his work at the UN," said Sofiene Sliti, spokesman for anti-terror prosecutors.

The UN expert is being prosecuted for having "collected information in relation to terrorism unofficially, which constitutes a dangerous crime," said Sliti.

The case files include "material used to check civil and military aviation, the use of which requires official authorisation," he added.

Kartas's lawyers have said that the charges were linked to the arms expert's possession of a device allowing him to have access to data on flights of civil and commercial aircraft.

His panel of experts investigates allegations of violations of the arms embargo and other sanctions imposed on Libya.

It has reported that arms and ammunition deliveries continue to reach warring parties despite the UN embargo -- with the involvement of member states.

Libya, which borders Tunisia, has seen an uptick in violence since commander Khalifa Haftar launched an offensive on April 4 to take the capital Tripoli from the UN-recognised government.

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Turkey has lifted a ban on lawyer visits to imprisoned Kurdish rebel leader Abdullah Ocalan, the justice minister said on Thursday.

"The ruling that prevents meetings has been lifted and the opportunity to meet with him has been allowed," Abdulhamit Gul told reporters in Ankara.

Ocalan, imprisoned on Imrali island near Istanbul, met his lawyers for the first time in eight years on May 2.

Gul said those convicted had the right to see their lawyers but this could be limited when there were concerns over security risks.

After the meeting earlier this month, his lawyers read out a message from Ocalan in which he said "Turkey's sensitivities" should be taken into account in Syria where a US-backed Kurdish YPG militia has spearheaded the fight against the Islamic State extremist group.

Ocalan remains a key figure for Kurdish separatists in Turkey and also Syria.

Turkey says the YPG is a "terrorist offshoot" of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) co-founded by Ocalan and which has waged an insurgency against Turkey since 1984.

The PKK is proscribed as a terrorist organisation by Ankara and its Western allies.

Ocalan was caught in February 1999 in Kenya and jailed a few months later after he was found guilty of treason, separatism and murder.

Ocalan's brother was allowed to visit him in January for the first time since 2016.

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Two Indian climbers have died in Nepal due to altitude ailments after one of them successfully scaled Mount Kanchenjunga, the world's third tallest peak, an official said Thursday.

Biplab Baidya (48) and Kuntal Karar (46) died Wednesday night above Camp IV after they were unable to continue their descent from near the 8,586-meter summit due to hypothermia and snowblindness.

"Biplab made it successfully to the summit point while Kuntal fell sick on his way. The Indian duo died while climbing down from the peak," Mira Acharaya, a staffer at Nepal's Ministry of Tourism team deployed at the base camp, told PTI.

According to fellow climbers, the incident occurred when the duo were being brought to Camp IV from an altitude of 8,400 metres through a herculean rescue operation carried out by Project Possible team leader Nirmal 'Nims' Purja along with the fellow members.

"Later, they succumbed to high altitude sicknesses," Pasang Sherpa, Manager at Peak Promotion Pvt Ltd told The Himalayan Times.

They were part of a five-member team of climbers from West Bengal, Sherpa said.

"Two Indian climbers and a German mountaineer who also suffered from serious frostbite will be evacuated from the high altitude camp as early as possible," he said.

Another climber from Chile is missing from above Camp IV of Mount Kanchenjunga since last evening.

Rodrigo Vivanco from Chile went missing on the descent after he reportedly made it to the summit late on Wednesday, Sherpa said, adding that a team has already left for Camp IV to conduct a search operation.

Mount Kangchenjunga is the third highest mountain in the world. It rises with an elevation of 8,586 metres in a section of the Himalayas called Kangchenjunga Himal delimited in the west by the Tamur River, in the north by the Lhonak Chu and Jongsang La, and in the east by the Teesta River.

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Two men have been arrested for stealing cash and jewellery from a house in south Delhi's Gautam Nagar, police said Thursday.

The accused identified as Vinay Mavi (31) and Kamal (48) were arrested from Gautam Nagar on Tuesday, they said.

The incident took place on April 20 after the complainant and his wife left for office at around 9 AM, police said.

According to complainant, at about 5 pm, when he returned, the lock of the main door of his house was found replaced.

"He managed to open the door with the help of a key maker and found Rs 1 lakh cash, three branded watches and gold jewellery weighing 200 to 250 gm missing from his house," Vijay Kumar, Deputy Commissioner of Police (south) said.

A case was registered at Hauz Khas police station and an investigation was initiated, he said.

The two suspects were identified after seeing CCTV footage and their location was traced to Gautam Nagar, he added.

Interrogation revealed that the duo had committed many burglaries in Delhi in the last four-five months, the officer said.

Two watches, Rs 2,200 cash stolen from Gautam Nagar were recovered from the accused persons, he said.

Instruments used in theft were also recovered, he added.

One jeweller from Bhogal area, who received the stolen gold was also arrested, police said, adding, further investigations are on.

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Two key pro-Iran Iraqi armed groups Thursday rejected a US claim of an "imminent" threat against American personnel that prompted Washington to order the evacuation of some staff from its Baghdad embassy.

Nasr al-Shomari, a military commander for the Iran-backed Harakat al-Nujaba, told AFP the claim was "a pretext" by Washington to create "an uproar" in Iraq.

A leader of the pro-Iran Asaib Ahl al-Haq group, Layth al-Azari, said the allegations were part of a "psychological war" by the United States.

The two groups are key factions within the Shiite-dominated Hashed al-Shaabi organisation which played a key role in the battle to defeat the Islamic State jihadist group in Iraq.

On Wednesday the United States ordered the evacuation of non-emergency staff from its Baghdad embassy, citing an "imminent" threat from Iranian-linked armed groups in Iraq.

It came as tensions soared in the region amid a stand-off between Washington and Tehran.

The evacuation order, also covering the US consulate in Arbil, came 10 days after the Pentagon deployed an aircraft carrier task force and B-52 bombers to the Gulf to fend off an unspecified alleged plot by Tehran to attack US forces or allies.

Senior US State Department officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the threat came from Iraqi militia "commanded and controlled" by Tehran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

"It is directly linked to Iran, multiple threat streams directly linked to Iran," said one official.

"This is an imminent threat to our personnel," said a second official.

But Shomari dismissed the allegations, telling AFP the United States "is trying to create an uproar in Iraq and in the region under any pretext".

"If we put out a statement concerning the United States, they consider it a threat, but if the United States carries out an attack, isn't that a threat?," he added.

Azari echoed his remarks, saying the US claim and its recent action in the region "are a provocation aimed at escalating a psychological war" due to the prevailing tensions with Iran.

Shiite-majority Iraq has been under pressure from the US to limit its ties with neighbouring Iran, particularly after Washington last year withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal with Tehran and hit it with sanctions.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Thursday accused the United States of an "unacceptable" escalation of tensions.

Zarif, who is in Japan and is set to visit China on Friday, said Iran was exercising "maximum restraint".

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Two terrorists and a soldier were killed Thursday in an encounter in Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir, army said.

Security forces launched a cordon and search operation in Deliporavillage of Pulwama following information about presence of terrorists there, a police official said.

He said the hiding ultras opened firing on the search party, who retaliated, triggering off a gun battle.

An army official said two terrorists were killed in the gun battle while one jawan also lost his life in the operation, which was going on till last reports came in.

The identity and group affiliation of the slain terrorists was being ascertained.

According to intelligence inputs,a top self styled commander of Hizbul Mujahideen was believed to be among those trapped in the security forces' cordon.

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: The University Grants Commission (UGC) is proposing a 'National Academic Credit Bank' in higher and if the proposal comes through, inter-university degrees can be a reality soon, a senior UGC official said Thursday.

UGC vice-chairman professor Bhushan Patwardhan, speaking on the sidelines of the ongoing three-day Training of Teachers (ToT) for Student Induction Programme (SIP)here, said the proposal was similar to that existing in some foreign universities.

The initiative proposed in the place of the current system of CBCS (credit-based choice system) would allow students to join in one university, pursue it in another university and earn a degree from a different university, a press release quoted Patwardhan as saying.

This would give a lot of flexibility to the students, the release further quoted him as saying.

The UGC has appointed a committee which met a couple of times to study the proposal, the release said.

The proposal was made recently in Pune and was still in deliberation stage, he said adding with the National Academic Credit Bank, inter-university degrees can be a reality in the near future in India.

"Once this goes through proper deliberations and accepted, we would like to roll it out on an experimental basis or on a pilot project basis in any one of the Universities by the academic year 2021, Patwardhan said.

The current system is teacher and institution-centric, which has to be changed. It has to become student-centric, he added.

Around 225 faculty and teachers from different institutes across Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Tamil Nadu attended the programme that included workshops and interactive sessions.

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The UK government announced on Thursday that two expert advisers will be appointed to lead a new study on establishing a working definition of Islamophobia.

Responding to a debate on the issue of adopting a formal definition to tackle anti-Muslim hate crime in the UK, Communities Secretary James Brokenshire told the House of Commons that he acknowledged the need for a formal definition of Islamophobia.

However, as had been expected, the government rejected the definition proposed by the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on British Muslims due to practical and legal challenges.

I am deeply concerned at hatred which is directed against British Muslims and others because of their faith or heritage. This is utterly unacceptable and does not reflect the values of our country, the minister said.

To get a firmer grip on the nature of this bigotry and division we agree there needs to be a formal definition of Islamophobia to help strengthen our efforts, he said.

Acknowledging the strong feelings on this issue, he said two new experts will work closely with the cross-government Anti-Muslim Hatred Working Group to examine the options available on such a definition that ensures "wide-ranging acceptance and will have the positive effect intended".

Formed in 2012, the Anti-Muslim Hatred Working Group comprises independent experts, academics and British Muslim community representatives. Brokenshire said its input in arriving at a new definition of Islamophobia was essential and that the process to select the two expert advisers will kick off soon.

The government move follows a row over the APPG on British Muslims definition, which reads: Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.

The UK's National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) had warned that the definition was too broad and could hinder their counter-terrorism work.

Scotland Yard's Indian-origin Assistant Commissioner Neil Basu, the head of counter-terror policing for the UK, also said the definition was simply too broad to be effective.

It would potentially allow those investigated by police and the security services for promoting extremism, hate and terrorism to legally challenge any investigation and potentially undermine many elements of counter-terrorism powers and policies on the basis that they are Islamophobic'. That cannot be allowed to happen, he warned.

The police chiefs' view found the backing of a number of other groups, including the UK's Network of Sikh Organisations, which issued an open letter for UK Home Secretary Sajid Javid signed by a cross-section of religious and non-religious representatives.

We are concerned that allegations of Islamophobia will be, indeed already are being, used to effectively shield Islamic beliefs and even extremists from criticism, and that formalising this definition will result in it being employed effectively as something of a backdoor blasphemy law, the letter noted.

The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB), which had made a resounding call for political leaders to adopt the APPG on British Muslims definition when it was released at the end of last year, had countered the attacks.

At the end of the parliamentary debate on the issue, the APPG said it would continue to work with the government, Muslim representatives and other groups on a definition of Islamophobia that would be more widely adopted.

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The Guwahati Police on Thursday arrested a person acting as a "sleeper cell" of the ULFA and a woman accomplice for their role in the grenade blast here that injured 12 people.

The police identified the woman as author and actress Jahnabi Saikia.

The police also recovered 20 kg of gunpowder, one 9 mm pistol, 25 rounds of live ammunition, ULFA documents, mobile phones and other "incriminating materials" from their rented accommodation at Panjabari locality in the city, Guwahati Police Commissioner Deepak Kumar told reporters here.

"We have arrested Pranmoy Rajguru, who is a pro-talk faction ULFA militant. He was acting as a sleeper cell of the outfit and was responsible for arranging all the logistics," he said.

ULFA chief Paresh Baruah had reportedly claimed the responsibility for the blast minutes after it occurred, but the police was tight-lipped about the involvement of the outfit till these recoveries.

At least 12 people, including two SSB personnel and a woman, were injured in the grenade blast in front of a shopping mall in the heart of the city on Wednesday evening.

Rajguru, Kumar said, had joined the militant group in 1986 and is a senior cadre of the outfit.

"The woman, identified as author and actress Jahnabi Saikia, was his accomplice in the crime. The house was rented by her and they moved there on May 1. They keep changing their locations," the police commissioner said.

Kumar said both of them have confessed to their involvement in the grenade blast.

He added that the police have identified two-three more people for their role in the crime and investigation is underway to nab them.

"No one involved in this bomb blast will be able to escape. They will be arrested and punished. Strict instructions have been issued to the DGP in this regard," Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said on Thursday.

Kumar had Wednesday told PTI that two people riding a motorcycle hurled the grenade in front of the shopping mall located at arterial R G Baruah Road, just opposite the state zoo around 8 pm.

Visiting the spot, DGP Kuladhar Saikia had said that a police barricade was set up in front of the mall to conduct routine checks of vehicles, and it is suspected the grenade was hurled aiming the police party.

The Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) jawans were on patrolling duty with Assam Police personnel near the barricade.

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Belgium, Germany and Kuwait on Wednesday requested an urgent meeting of the UN Security Council to discuss the upsurge in fighting in northwest Syria, diplomats said.

Syrian forces and their Russian allies have stepped up attacks on the jihadist-controlled Idlib region since late April, raising alarm that a full-on offensive is imminent to seize the territory.

The public meeting, expected to be held this week, would follow up on a closed session of the council held on Friday during which several countries expressed concern over a potential humanitarian catastrophe from an all-out assault.

Belgium, Germany and Kuwait, three non-permanent members of the council, lead efforts to address the humanitarian crisis in Syria, now in its ninth year of war.

More than 1,80,000 people have been displaced by the latest violence, according to the United Nations, while 119 civilians have been killed in bombardment since late April, according to the Syrian Observatory of Human Rights.

The war in Syria has killed more than 3,70,000 people and displaced millions since it started with the brutal repression of anti-government protests in 2011.

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Escalating the trade war with China, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Wednesday banning American telecom from installing foreign-made equipment that could pose a threat to national security.

Soon after the executive order -- "Securing the Information and Communications Technology and Services Supply Chain" -- was signed, the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) of the Department of Commerce announced that it will be adding Technologies Co. Ltd and its affiliates to its Entity List.

The Department of Commerce alleged that is engaged in activities that are contrary to US national security or foreign policy interest. As a result, sale or transfer of American technology to a company or person on the Entity List requires a license issued by the BIS, and a license may be denied if the sale or transfer would harm US national security or foreign policy interests.

The listing will be effective when published in the Federal Register.

"This action by the Commerce Department's Bureau of Industry and Security, with the support of the President of the United States, places Huawei, a Chinese-owned company that is the largest telecommunications equipment producer in the world, on the Entity List," Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said.

This will prevent American technology from being used by foreign-owned entities in ways that potentially undermine US national security or foreign policy interests, Ross said, adding that it has been done at the direction of the president.

In the executive order, the president determined that the unrestricted acquisition or use in the US of information and communications technology or services that are subject to the jurisdiction or direction of foreign adversaries augments the ability of those foreign adversaries to create and exploit vulnerabilities in information and communications technology or services and that can have potentially catastrophic effects, and thereby, constitutes an unusual and extraordinary risk to our national security, foreign policy and economy.

Trump "is incredibly" committed to preventing adversaries from turning American information and communications infrastructure into a liability as opposed to an asset, a senior administration official said.

The executive order addresses this imperative by empowering the Secretary of Commerce to prohibit transactions involving information and communications technology or services that are designed, developed, manufactured or supplied by persons owned by or controlled by or subject to the jurisdiction or direction of a foreign adversary, the official said.

Responding to questions, the official said the executive order is company and country agnostic. It is directed at any transaction involving information and communications technology or services and controlled by or subject to the jurisdiction of a foreign adversary that meets the criteria enumerated in the executive order.

Regulations issued by the Department of Commerce in the coming days will detail how determinations will be made on whether a transaction meets the criteria listed in the executive order, the official said.

Cutting across party lines, US lawmakers praised the administration's announcement.

"This is a needed step and reflects the reality that and ZTE represent a threat to the security of US and allied communications networks. Under current Chinese security laws, these and other based in China are required to provide assistance to the Chinese state," Senator Mark Warner said.

This executive order places a great deal of authority in the Department of Commerce, which must ensure that it is implemented in a fair and responsible fashion as to not harm or stifle legitimate business activities, he added.

"Huawei is a state-directed instrument of national power used by the Chinese government and Communist Party to destroy their competitors, undermine US companies, spy on foreign countries and steal intellectual property and trade secrets," Senator Marco Rubio said.

Strongly supporting the president's executive order and Ross's decision to issue a denial of export privileges against Huawei, Rubio said the administration deserves enormous credit for its efforts to comprehensively tackle the threat that Huawei and other foreign state-directed telecommunications pose through their efforts to undermine and endanger critical US systems and infrastructure.

"Earlier this year, Congress acted well within our constitutional authority to block Huawei from our telecommunications equipment market due to concerns with the company's links to China's intelligence services," he said.

"As the administration continues to seek a fair and enforceable trade deal with China, I urge them to stand strong on Huawei and hold the Chinese government and its state-owned and state-directed enterprises accountable for their hostile actions threatening US economic and national security," Rubio added.

"Let's cut to the chase: China's main export is espionage and the distinction between the Chinese Communist Party and Chinese 'private-sector' businesses like Huawei is imaginary," said Senator Ben Sasse.

"The Trump Administration is right to recognise this reality and issue this order. Huawei's supply chain depends on contracts with American companies and the Commerce Department ought to take a careful look at how we can effectively disrupt our adversary," he added.
Escalating the bruising trade war with China, President Donald Trump has signed an executive order barring American companies from installing the foreign-made telecom equipment deemed a national security threat, a move apparently aimed at banning Chinese giant Huawei from US networks.

The decision taken on Wednesday risks escalating tensions with China as the world's two largest economies clash over whether Huawei the world's largest provider of telecommunications equipment poses a spying risk to Western infrastructure networks.

Under the order that will take effect in the coming days, Huawei will need a US government license to buy American technology.

Soon after the executive order - "Securing the Information and Communications Technology and Services Supply Chain" - was signed, the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) of the Department of Commerce announced that it will be adding Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd and its affiliates to its Entity List.

The Department of Commerce alleged that Huawei was engaged in activities that are contrary to US national security or foreign policy interest. As a result, sale or transfer of American technology to a company or person on the Entity List requires a license issued by the BIS, and a license may be denied if the sale or transfer would harm US national security or foreign policy interests.

The listing will be effective when published in the Federal Register.

"This action by the Commerce Department's Bureau of Industry and Security, with the support of the President of the United States, places Huawei, a Chinese-owned company that is the largest telecommunications equipment producer in the world, on the Entity List," Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said.

This will prevent American technology from being used by foreign-owned entities in ways that potentially undermine US national security or foreign policy interests, Ross said, adding that it has been done at the direction of the president.

In the order, Trump determined that the unrestricted acquisition or use in the US of information and communications technology or services that are subject to the jurisdiction or direction of foreign adversaries augments the ability of those foreign adversaries to create and exploit vulnerabilities in information and communications technology or services and that can have potentially catastrophic effects, and thereby, constitutes an unusual and extraordinary risk to US national security, foreign policy and economy.

Trump "is incredibly" committed to preventing adversaries from turning American information and communications infrastructure into a liability as opposed to an asset, a senior administration official said.

The executive order addresses this imperative by empowering the Secretary of Commerce to prohibit transactions involving information and communications technology or services that are designed, developed, manufactured or supplied by persons owned by or controlled by or subject to the jurisdiction or direction of a foreign adversary, the official said.

Responding to questions, the official said the order was directed at any transaction involving information and communications technology or services and controlled by or subject to the jurisdiction of a foreign adversary that meets the criteria enumerated in the executive order.

Regulations issued by the Department of Commerce in the coming days will detail how determinations will be made on whether a transaction meets the criteria listed in the executive order, the official said.

Cutting across party lines, US lawmakers praised the administration's announcement.

"This is a needed step and reflects the reality that Huawei and ZTE represent a threat to the security of US and allied communications networks. Under current Chinese security laws, these and other companies based in China are required to provide assistance to the Chinese state," Senator Mark Warner said.

"Huawei is a state-directed instrument of national power used by the Chinese government and Communist Party to destroy their international competitors, undermine US companies, spy on foreign countries and steal intellectual property and trade secrets," Senator Marco Rubio said.

Rubio said the administration deserved enormous credit for its efforts to comprehensively tackle the threat that Huawei and other foreign state-directed telecommunications companies pose through their efforts to undermine and endanger critical US systems and infrastructure.

"Earlier this year Congress acted well within our constitutional authority to block Huawei from our telecommunications equipment market due to concerns with the company's links to China's intelligence services," he said.

"As the administration continues to seek a fair and enforceable trade deal with China, I urge them to stand strong on Huawei and hold the Chinese government and its state-owned and state-directed enterprises accountable for their hostile actions threatening US economic and national security," Rubio added.

"Let's cut to the chase: China's main export is espionage and the distinction between the Chinese Communist Party and Chinese 'private-sector' businesses like Huawei is imaginary," Senator Ben Sasse said.

The Trump administration is right to recognise this reality and issue this order, he said.

The US and China are locked in a trade battle that has seen mounting tariffs, sparking fears the conflict will damage the global economy.

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Fifty-two Pakistani immigrants deported by the US have arrived here by a special flight amid tight security, a media report said Thursday.

Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi informed the National Assembly Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs on Tuesday that US authorities detained and prosecuted the Pakistani nationals for immigration violations, criminal conduct and other serious charges.

Dawn newspaper, quoting immigration sources, reported that 53 Pakistanis were scheduled to be deported, but 52 arrived on Wednesday as one person fell sick at the US airport and was not sent back.

US security officials were guarding the Pakistani deportees when they arrived at the Islamabad International Airport. Soon after landing, they asked the Pakistani authorities to take custody of the deportees who had been arrested by the US police.

The Trump administration recently launched a crackdown on the foreigners who stayed in the US even after the expiry of their visas. The 52 Pakistanis were among those who overstayed in the US, the report said.

A senior official of the Federal Investigation Agency said the deportees were allowed to go after verification of their travel documents. The official parried a question about the fate of those involved in petty crimes and deported by the US, the report said.

Qureshi had also confirmed that the US denied visas to three senior Pakistani officials following a row between the two countries over deportation of dozens of Pakistanis in America for their visa overstay and other allegations.

The Pakistani officials who faced US visa restrictions are an additional secretary, a joint secretary of the interior ministry and the director general passports, the minister said on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, nine Pakistani illegal immigrants deported from Greece were taken into custody after their arrival at Islamabad International Airport by a separate flight and shifted to the FIA's Anti-Human Trafficking Cell.

The FIA official said the deportees were kept at the cell's jail for further legal proceeding as they had gone to Europe through land route and were later caught by the Greek authorities.

He said that since the nine deportees belonged to Gujrat district in Punjab province, they would be shifted to FIA Gujranwala for further legal proceeding.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Pakistan Thursday described the developments in the Persian Gulf as "disturbing" and asked all sides to show restraint as a miscalculated move can transmute into a large-scale conflict.

"The US decision to deploy aircraft carrier and bombers has added to the tensions and the existing precarious security situation in Middle East. We expect all sides to show restraint as a miscalculated move can transmute into a large-scale conflict," Foreign Office spokesman Mohammad Faisal said.

He said the issues between US and Iran should be resolved through negotiations and talks as war was not an option.

Responding to a question, Faisal said that Prime Minister Imran Khan is expected to participate in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Heads of State meeting being held on June 13-14 in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan.

He said Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi would pay an official visit to Bishkek from May 21 to 22 to participate in the SCO Meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers.

Faisal said that the issue of deportation of Pakistani nationals from US has been part of the bilateral agenda between the two countries for quite some time.

He said Pakistan's position has been consistent and clear that only those individuals can be deported to Pakistan who have exhausted all legal remedies to stay in the US and have also been duly verified by the government of Pakistan as Pakistani nationals.

He also confirmed that around 50 deported Pakistani arrived in Islamabad through a chartered flight on Wednesday.

Faisal clarified that the interior ministry and Chinese Embassy were jointly working towards streamlining the procedures for marriages involving Chinese and Pakistani nationals.

He said a probe was going on against those involved in fake marriages but said that there were no reports regarding trafficking of women from Pakistan for organ harvesting.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A vehicle from RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat's convoy suffered a tyre burst at Varora in Chandrapur district on Thursday, in which one of its occupants reportedly got injured, police said.

Bhagwat was returning to Nagpur from Chandrapur when the incident took place, an RSS functionary from Nagpur said.

"A tyre of one of the vehicles from Bhagwat's convoy burst and one person traveling in it reportedly suffered injuries," Chandrapur superintendent of police Maheshwar Reddy told PTI.

The incident occurred around 5 pm on Varora-Nandori Road in Chandrapur district, he said.

Bhagwat is fine, the RSS functionary said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Opposition leader Juan Guaido said Thursday he sent delegates to Norway as part of an attempt by Oslo to mediate in the Venezuela crisis, but denied talks were underway with President Nicolas Maduro's government.

"There are some envoys in Norway," Guido told a political rally in Caracas. He said Oslo "is trying to mediate" in the crisis.

It was the first official confirmation that negotiations were being attempted between the government and opposition after a months-long power struggle.

Norway's NRK radio and television network, quoting anonymous sources, earlier reported that talks had taken place at a secret location in the Norwegian capital for "several days" and the delegations were due to return to Caracas on Thursday.

"We can neither confirm nor deny Norway's involvement in peace processes or dialogue initiatives," a Norwegian foreign ministry spokeswoman, Ane Haavardsdatter Lunde, told AFP.

Several South American media outlets, such as daily ALnavio, also reported talks were held in the Scandinavian country.

Venezuelan Communications Minister Jorge Rodriguez and the governor of Miranda province Hector Rodriguez represented Maduro's government, media reports said.

The opposition was represented by former deputy Gerardo Blyde, former minister Fernando Martinez Mottola and the vice president of the National Assembly Stalin Gonzalez.

Norway, home of the Nobel Peace Prize and the now-defunct Israeli-Palestinian Oslo accords, has a long tradition of playing the role of "facilitator" in peace processes around the world, including that in Colombia between the government and the FARC rebels in 2016.

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Curfew was clamped in communally-sensitive Bhaderwah valley in Doda on Thursday after members of a community attacked a police station and damaged several vehicles in protest against killing of a person who, they alleged, was targeted as he was involved in cattle trade.

The Doda district administration, however, ruled out cow vigilantism as the reason behind the murder and said that some people were trying to give communal colour to the incident to flare up the situation.

The authorities have blocked internet services in the district.

"One person with the name of Nayeem was coming from Chatergala side during midnight. When he reached near Nalthi area, he was killed and another person with him suffered splinter injuries (in a firing incident)," IGP Jammu Zone, M K Sinha told PTI.

He said that two suspects, who allegedly opened fire, have been arrested and five others have been detained.

The body was sent for post mortem, he said adding the reason behind the firing incident in the area was being investigated.

The killing triggered protests as a large number people belonging to a community, including the kin of the deceased, pelted stone on Bhaderwah police station. They damaged several vehicles and set afire a three-wheeler, officials said.

The protesters also pelted stones on premises belonging to another community, forcing police to cane charge and use teargas shells to disperse the mobs.

The relatives of the deceased alleged that he was victim of cow vigilantism and was targeted as he was involved in cattle trade.

Residents of Nalthi village told the police that two to three persons were found moving under suspicious circumstances at around 2 am in the area which led to the firing.

Deputy Commissioner of Doda Sagar Doifode, said, "There is no cow vigilantism involved in this incident. It is not such an incident. Some people are deliberately giving it a communal colour."



He said that police are investigating the case and asked the people not to spread rumours.

"The situation is tense but under control. Curfew has been imposed in the town," the IGP said.

Pervaiz Ahmed Sheikh, president of Anjuman-e-islamia Bhaderwah, has given a call for a shutdown and accused the saffron outfits of being behind the incident.

Sanatan Dharam Sabha (SDS), Jammu condemned the violent protests and alleged the community which is in minority in the area was being targeted.

"We suspect this is a well planned and coordinated action of anti-social and anti-national elements to disturb the peaceful situation in Bhaderwah area," a spokesman of SDS said.

Senior officials of administration, police and the army were camping at Bhaderwah to assess the situation.

Authorities have appealed to the people to remain calm and assured them that all the culprits will be brought to book.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Expressing concern about political discourse hitting a new low in Election 2019, Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Badal says should not become an "India versus Pakistan" situation.

The chief of one of BJP's oldest allies hailed Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a decisive and strong prime minister and said he is the only choice to steer the NDA after the Lok Sabha election results.

We need a strong prime minister...after so many years we got a prime minister who is decisive. You can't let the country run on auto mode...we need a leader who can take the country on the path of faster growth, Badal told PTI in an interview.

He also articulated his concerns about personal attacks against leaders and the quality of leaders in the ongoing Lok Sabha election, now in its last lap.

"We politicians are not enemies...we are not like India-Pakistan... should not be like India versus Pakistan, which it is unfortunately becoming.

Everyone has their own views but still we are all Indians and the interest of the country is important for us, Badal said.

"There may be a platform where we may have to be together against a common enemy, Badal added.

Asked if the NDA might need new partners after the results and demand a change of leadership, he said, "People are voting for him (Modi) and he is the right person to lead the country. I think we should stick with him post results. He is the only choice.

Asked whether the NDA would otherwise be ready to sit in opposition, Badal nodded and said, Yeah, yeah.

Badal is contesting Lok Sabha elections after 15 years as the SAD-BJP candidate from the Ferozepur Lok Sabha constituency, which votes on May 19 in the last round of the seven-phase Lok Sabha elections.

Discussing the situation in Punjab, Badal said the biggest issue in the state is non-performance of the Congess government led by Captain Amarinder Singh which has failed on all fronts.

The SAD is contesting 10 of Punjab's 13 Lok Sabha seats and the BJP three.

Amarinder Singh is the most incompetent chief minister in the country. In Punjab, there is very strong sentiment against the chief minister. He doesn't travel through the state, the SAD chief said.

Taking on the Gandhi family, he described them as a liability for the Congress in the state "in terms of sentiments.

He also referred to Operation Bluestar, the Army operation to flush out militants in 1984 when Indira Gandhi was prime minister, and the anti-Sikh riots that followed her assassination.

"The biggest sacrilege was done by Congress, they attacked Golden Temple. There can't be bigger sacrilege than this... it is also responsible for killing innocent Sikhs in 1984 in the national capital.

When asked about AAP's prospects in Punjab, Badal said the people have discarded the party and it no longer has any relevance in the state.

It is typical Punjabi nature to try something new. Once they found it is of no benefit or of new use they discard it... the same is the case with AAP in Punjab,



He said his priority will always be his state.

I am contesting elections as party workers in Ferozepur demanded a candidate from the family. But my focus will be Punjab, said the son of party stalwart Parkash Singh Badal.

Sukhbir Badal's wife Harsimrat Kaur Badal is contesting from the Bathinda Lok Sabha constituency.

Confident of SAD-BJP alliance's better performance than 2014, when it won six of 13 Lok Sabha seats in the state, Sukhbir Badal said the developmental work done by the alliance government in the state and the leadership of Modi at the centre will be the biggest strength of the two parties in this general election.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The worry gnawing Indians attending the 72nd Cannes Film Festival is the nation's absence in the event's official selection. That is the broad drift of the pronouncements being made in India Pavilion on the French Riviera, where filmmakers from the world's most populous nation gather to explore wider avenues.

Two men who have seen better times in Cannes Delhi-based producer Bobby Bedi and Malayali filmmaker Shaji N Karun are among those who are making the trip to the French Riviera this year. Twenty-five years ago, in 1994, both Bedi and Shaji had a film each playing on the Croisette.

Bedi has already arrived in Cannes; Shaji is expected to fly in on Friday along with two Mumbai filmmakers, Rahul Rawail and Madhur Bhandarkar, to complete the Indian delegation here led by Amit Khare in his official capacity as the information and broadcasting secretary.

While Shaji's "Swaham" was in the main Competition in 1994 that was the last time India had a film in the running for the festival's Palme d'Or Shekhar Kapur's "Bandit Queen", produced by Bedi, was in the Directors' Fortnight programme.

In the quarter century that has passed since then, India's presence in the festival has been at best patchy despite the nation's thriving movie industry growing significantly in terms of numbers. Quality, however, has remained under a cloud.

Lyricist and Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) chief Prasoon Joshi admits that India requires far greater "creative presence" in the Cannes Film Festival.

"Business efforts are definitely needed, networking is also required but nothing could be better than greater creative participation in the festival," he said while addressing a session in the India Pavilion here.

He began his talk by emphasising the feeling that the Pavilion in the Cannes Film Festival serves as "a home away from home" for Indian movie industry professionals who attend the event.

"The first thing I did on getting here was order a masala chai," Joshi said.

"I suggest that everybody should order one. Masala chai sums up the spirit of the India Pavilion."



Younger Indian filmmakers such as Rima Das, here for the fourth year in a row, credit the Cannes Film Festival with exposing them to the wider world of cinema.

"Cannes has been a great teacher. I have learnt a great deal here as a filmmaker," she said.

Masala chai might give Das and her ilk a high like it invariably does no matter who imbibes brew, but nothing can compensate for the global openings that a festival such as this offers.

Most Indian filmmakers, especially those working in the regional movie-making centres, which have in recent times delivered some strikingly good cinema, need to appreciate the advantages of cracking Cannes open for their works.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Heritage walks, curated programmes dedicated to persons with disabilities and underprivileged children, and talks by experts will be some of the events held during a week-long celebration of International Museum Day across the country.

Organised by Sahapedia, an online encyclopedic resource on art and culture, the programmes will aim to raise public awareness about museums as repositories of history and culture.

Themed around 'Museums as Cultural Hubs: The Future of Tradition', the events will kick off with a heritage walk at the Archive of North Indian Classical Music at Jadavpur University in Kolkata on May 17, a day ahead of the International Museum Day.

"Our aim is to trigger interest among people to not only understand their histories and traditions through artefacts and knowledge conserved by museums across the country, but also make them vital stakeholders in the preservation and transmission of their heritage.

"Additionally, we are hoping to encourage communities to re-take control over their own heritage, in a bid to bring ecological and cultural sustainability and responsibility to each one of our doorsteps," Vaibhav Chauhan, Secretary, Sahapedia, said.

On May 18, a total of 12 heritage walks will be organised in cities including New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Prayagraj, Varanasi, and Mumbai.

Some of the museums involved in these walks are -- National Museum, Delhi; Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya, Mumbai; Antiques Museum, Patiala; Kamal War Museum, Shillong; and Architecture Museum, Chandigarh.

In South India, Kochi will host a heritage walk at Kerala Museum, while Bengaluru will host one at Central Library.

As part of its 'Anubhuti' initiative, Sahapedia has curated programmes for underprivileged children at the Partition Museum in Amritsar, and for the visually impaired at Drishyakala Museum in Delhi on May 18, the organisers said.

Not just museums and heritage sites, the events will also be hosted on social media websites.

Apart from a #MeraMuseum contest on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook till May 19, Sahapedia will also host Tweet Chats as well as Facebook and Instagram Live sessions with experts from different domains, encouraging conversations on museums.

History enthusiasts will be able to benefit from expert talks, 'Baithak', in New Delhi, Kolkata and Guwahati.

The programmes will end with a Baithak on May 24 where archaeologist Sanathana Y S will speak on the subject "Temple Walls as Exhibition Spaces: Symbolism in Indian Temple Architecture" at Assam State Museum in Guwahati.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Madhya Pradesh Law Minister P C Sharma Thursday said that if necessary, the state government would reopen former RSS pracharak Sunil Joshi murder case, in which BJP Lok Sabha candidate from Bhopal Pragya Singh Thakur was acquitted by the court.

Pragya Singh, along with seven others, were acquitted by a court in Dewas on February 1, 2017 in the Sunil Joshi murder case due to lack of concrete evidence against them. Joshi was shot dead on December 29, 2007 in Dewas Industrial Area police station limits.

When asked whether the decision of the lower court to acquit Pragya and others in the Sunil Joshi murder case will be challenged in the high court, Sharma said, "The matter has not been brought to my notice yet. I will see to it tomorrow or the day after when I reach Bhopal."



"After studying it, if necessary, we will definitely reopen the case and also appeal against the (lower court) judgement," he said.

Sharma also condemned Pragya Singh's controversial statement made earlier in the day, in which she called that Mahatma Gandhi's killer Nathuram Godse a "patriot".

"The murder of Mahatma Gandhi by Godse is the first incident of terror in independent India. Since Pragya is associated with terrorism, she is approving it," Sharma said.

"She had also made a controversial statement about ATS chief Hemant Karkare, saying he had died in the Mumbai terror attacks as she had cursed him," the minister added.

"I understand that the BJP, as per its well thought- out plan, makes people like Pragya give such statements to enrage the people for getting political benefits," he added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Qatar Airways, which has sought additional seat capacity on temporary basis for its flights from Indian cities to Doha, Thursday said it will "seriously" consider any proposal for partnership from

The blockade on Qatar and withdrawal of 28 weekly between Doha and cities of New Delhi and Mumbai has increased the pressure on available seat capacity in Qatar-India routes, the airline said.

Jet Airways shut down operations temporarily on April 17 after it ran out of cash.

" is always open for partnership with other airlines, including We will seriously consider any proposal for partnership from Indian carriers," the airline said in a statement to PTI.

The Gulf carrier has submitted a formal request to the Indian authorities for an additional capacity on a temporary operating permit basis to meet the air traffic demand in Qatar-India routes.

The airline asked the civil aviation ministry to favourably consider its request for additional seat capacity "to help evacuate the stranded Indian passengers in Doha".

Airfares have already significantly increased due to the unexpected unavailability of restricted capacity during this summer peak season, it added.

The allocated seat capacity in the Qatar-India aviation market has not been increased since 2009.

Bilateral air traffic rights are negotiated between the two countries.

According to the airline, the "illegal blockade" imposed on Qatar in June 2017 by the UAE, Saudi, Bahrain, and Egypt has restricted the movement of not only Qataris but also Indian expats living in Qatar.

People do not have the flexibility of travelling to nearby airports in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, and Manama, for their travel to India. This has reduced their options for air connectivity and further increased the pressure on the available seat capacity in Qatar-India routes, the statement said.

"Salt in the wound Jet Airways' sudden, unexpected, unplanned, and immediate withdrawal of 28 weekly passenger flights during summer peak season between Doha and two Indian cities: New Delhi and Mumbai.

"All these have resulted not only in lesser available seat capacity but also significantly higher air ticket fares, which is set to continue for at least another three months," the airline said.

(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.)
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has urged people of the Bihar capital to vote for BJP candidate from Patna Sahib, Ravi Shankar Prasad, calling him the 'pairokar' (advocate) for Ram temple.

His achievements as Union minister also included a clampdown on triple talaq and improved connectivity through Digital India, the BJP leader said at an election meeting in the city late on Wednesday night.

He is not only the pairokar of Ram temple but also the man responsible for ensuring justice to 'aadhi aabadi' (half the population a Hindi colloquial used to describe women) by attacking the custom of triple talaq, the UP chief minister said evoking frenzied applause from the crowd.

I am thankful that you waited till so late to hear me. It was important for me to come here since you are going to elect a person who is needed by millions of Ram Bhakts across the country, he said.

Prasad, who is pitted against sitting MP and Congress candidate Shatrughan Sinha, was the counsel for one of the petitioners in the Ayodhya title suit which was decided by the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court in 2010, the appeal against which is pending before the Supreme Court.

As Law minister, he had played a crucial role in introducing the controversial ordinance making triple talaq punishable with imprisonment which was opposed by NDA partners like the JD(U) which was followed by a bill in Parliament, where it met with stiff resistance.

The UP chief minister, who heads the Gorakhnath Dham shrine of Gorakhpur, also praised Prasad who holds the IT and telecommunication portfolio before training his guns at Trinamool Congress supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

In Bihar, which is ruled by JD(U), BJP and LJP together, the environment is very good. But today I am coming from a state (West Bengal) where law and order has collapsed, chaos prevails and there is dictatorship in the guise of democracy, Adityanath said on a day when the EC cut short the campaign period in West Bengal in the wake of violence between BJP and TMC workers in Kolkata.

The BJP leader claimed that he had three rallies scheduled in West Bengal earlier this week, permissions for which were denied.

I said permission had been withdrawn in an immoral way. I will come to Bengal and urge its people to dislodge from power a government which believes in such high- handedness. Finally, I got permissions to hold rallies on Wednesday which, they ensured, reached me late so that it became difficult for me to visit the venues, he said.

Nevertheless, I addressed the rallies before coming here.

"You all have seen how Amit Shahs roadshow was attacked... The Trinamool Congress, Lalu Prasad's RJD in Bihar these are all birds of a feather (ek hi thaili ke chatte batte). The entire country is reverberating with the cry



'Phir ek baar Modi Sarkaar'. And this is why all these opponents of the BJP are in panic, the BJP leader said.

Patna Sahib goes to polls, along with seven other Lok Sabha seats of Bihar, in the final phase of general elections on Sunday.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A youth, who had sustained grievous injuries in clashes during protests at Pattan against the rape of a three-year-old girl, died at SKIMS hospital here, officials said Thursday.

Arshad Dar succumbed to injuries at the hospital late Wednesday night, the officials said.

Over 45 security personnel, including an officer, and seven civilians were injured in the clashes during protests at Pattan on Srinagar-Baramulla highway on Monday, a police official had said.

Youths had pelted stones at security forces at several locations in Baramulla district in north Kashmir, he said.

Kashmir witnessed violent protests against the rape of a minor girl allegedly by her 20-year-old neighbour last week.

The accused has been arrested and a special investigating team formed for expeditious probe of the case.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The is likely to be delayed this year as its arrival expected on 6 June, five days after its normal onset date, the Meteorological Department said on Wednesday.

"This year, the statistical model forecast suggests that the onset over is likely to be slightly delayed," the IMD said. "The onset is likely to set over on 6th June with a model error of plus or minus 4 days."

"Conditions are becoming favourable for advance of over the southern part of Andaman Sea, Nicobar Islands and adjoining southeast Bay of Bengal during May 18-19," it added.

The normal onset date for monsoon over is 1 June, which also marks the official commencement of the four-month rainfall season.

The IMD and private weather agency Skymet were unanimous on the prediction of the late arrival of monsoon this year. The Skymet had said on Tuesday that the monsoon would hit the Kerala coast on 4 June, with an error margin of two days.



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The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has shut down a Haldiram's outlet in Nagpur after a family complained of finding a dead lizard in ''vada sambar'' served to them.

The incident happened at the Ajni square outlet of Haldiram's Planet Food on Tuesday morning. The picture showing dead lizard in ''vada sambar'' has gone viral on social media.

"The man and a woman accompanying him, both from Wardha, had ordered vada sambar at the outlet. But while eating, the man found a dead lizard in the food. They brought this to the notice of the outlet's supervisor, who later on threw it away," Assistant Commissioner of FDA (Nagpur) Milind Deshpande told news agency PTI.

"They were later admitted to a private hospital and discharged on Wednesday," he added. However, the complainants have not lodged a complaint in this regard, the agency reported.

Also Read: Uber launches 'Quiet Mode' to avoid conversations with chatty drivers

"The FDA was informed about it in the evening, after which we immediately visited the Haldiram's outlet and conducted an inspection. We found certain deficiencies in its kitchen. The windows of the kitchen need to be fitted with nets, which was missing," Deshpande said.

"The FDA has closed the outlet till they complete the compliance as per the Food Safety and Standards (Food business licences and Registration) regulations 2011. They have submitted a compliance report to us. We will inspect the premises and if we find the steps taken are satisfactory, only then we will allow it to reopen," he added.

Speaking on the incident, a senior official of Haldiram's told PTI that "we have submitted a compliance report to the FDA" in this regard.

(With inputs from PTI)

Edited by Chitranjan Kumar

Also Read: Corporate affairs ministry amends rules related to incorporation of companies
After the stock of InterGlobe Aviation crashed near 9 per cent today over reports of dispute between the promoters of the company, IndiGo CEO Ronojoy Dutta has written to the employees assuring them the growth strategy of the airline is fully in place. Dutta's letter said that the management of the airline has the board's mandate to implement the growth strategy.

"You are all aware of the press reports regarding alleged disagreements between our two promoters, Rahul Bhatia and Rakesh Gangwal. I want to assure you that the growth strategy of the airline remains unchanged and firmly in place, and the management is fully charged by the Board to implement it," Dutta said in the email. The InterGlobe aviation stock declined nearly 10 per cent in intra-day trade on Thursday. Paring some of early losses, shares of InterGlobe Aviation closed trade at Rs 1,466.60 apiece, down 8.82 per cent.

The CEO said that the company would remain focused on creating value for its shareholders, customers, and employees. "We will continue our focus on creating value for all our shareholders, our customers, our employees and the communities we serve. Thank you for your dedication to our values of safety and courteous, hassle-free service to our customers," he further wrote.

The email comes after reports emerged of a serious rift between its founders, Rahul Bhatia and Rakesh Gangwal over the airline's expansion strategy. Both these industry stalwarts disagree on some clauses in the shareholders' agreement and the airline's management control, reports suggest.

Also Read: Crisis in IndiGo as promoters Rahul Bhatia, Rakesh Gangwal differ over airline control, expansion; hire law firms

The dispute between the promoters has reportedly escalated in the past few weeks, with Bhatia unsure about Gangwal's aggressive approach to expanding overseas. Bhatia also fears that Gangwal is trying to take greater control over the airline as he has hired his own team, including some top-level executives, on key posts in the recent past. The two have also reportedly hired law firms JSA Law and Khaitan & Co to settle issues of dispute.

Founded in 2006, InterGlobe Aviation, also known as IndiGo, was a joint venture between Bhatia and Gangwal. As of March 31, Rahul Bhatia has a family stake of 38.26 per cent stake in IndiGo, while Rakesh Gangwal, along with his family, owns 36.68 per cent in the low-cost carrier, which got listed in 2013. The Bombay Stock Exchange had sought a clarification from the company regarding the differences between the promoters, citing media reports. IndiGo in the clarification to the exchange said, "The company is not in a position to comment on such news as it relates to the promoters of the company."

Edited by Chitranjan Kumar

Also Read: Hindalco net profit slips 10% to Rs 5,495 crore in FY19, revenue up 13%; board declares dividend
Just when it seemed curtains down on the long dispute between the world's largest burger chain McDonald's and Vikram Bakshi, one of its two partners in the country, the Housing and Urban Development Corp (HUDCO) has thrown a spanner in the works. Bakshi's Connaught Plaza Restaurants (CPRL) handled the fast-food chain's 165 outlets in the northern and eastern regions.

The state-owned NBFC approached the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) on Monday seeking to recover Rs 195 crore from Bakshi for Ascot Hotels Pvt Ltd. So a two-member NCLAT bench led by justice SJ Mukhopadhaya yesterday decided to withhold approval for the out-of-court settlement between McDonald's India and Bakshi announced on May 9.

The counsels for both McDonald's and Bakshi were also seeking a vacation of previous orders by the National Company Law Tribunal, bringing their dispute to a close, The Economic Times reported. In 1995, the two partners had formed a 50:50 joint venture, CPRL, to open McDonald's outlets in India for a period of 25 years. But things started souring in 2008, when the Chicago-headquartered giant tried to buy out Bakshi's 50% stake. Then, in August 2017, McDonald's terminated CPRL's franchise agreement citing non-payment of royalties, but Bakshi continued using the brand name and operating the outlets as usual while battling it out with the chain in various legal forums, including NCLT, NCLAT and the Delhi High Court.

The estranged partners had finally reached an out-of-court settlement last week, under which US-based fast food major bought out Bakshi's stake in CPRL and he resigned from the position of managing director and CEO. The NCLAT was expected to pass its order on this agreement on May 15, before HUDCO filed its petition. "There cannot be any settlement whereby Mr. Bakshi seeks to transfer those [CPRL] shares to either McDonald's or anybody else. The matter is pending and there is a judicial order," senior counsel for Hudco, solicitor general Tushar Mehta, reportedly told the appellate tribunal.

The bench then asked Bakshi's counsel to reach a settlement with HUDCO to apply a "final touch" to the settlement with McDonald's India. "The order of Debt Recovery Tribunal remains. We have to respect the other tribunal. We cannot annul the other tribunal's order," the bench added.

In 2013, HUDCO had filed a criminal case against Bakshi under the Negotiable Instruments Act against Bakshi in a 2012 cheque bounce case related to his privately held Ascot Hotels. The NBFC had also filed cases against Bakshi under the Securitization and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Security Interest (SARFAESI) Act and had subsequently moved the debt recovery tribunal to recover its Rs 60 crore loan. The amount owed by Bakshi has since ballooned to around Rs 195 crore with accrued interest.

The intervention application filed by HUDCO pleaded 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, could be transferred to him. The next hearing on this matter is reportedly scheduled for May 27.

So McDonald's will have to wait a while longer to get its hands on the outlets controlled by CPRL, and it's surely not 'lovin' it'.

With PTI inputs

Also read: McDonald's vs Vikram Bakshi finally over! American fast food giant buys out estranged partner's stake

Also read: NCLAT admits HUDCO's intervention plea claiming Rs 195 cr dues from Vikram Bakshi
The CBI probe into the Bofors case pertaining to the alleged Rs 64 crore kickbacks in the purchase of Swedish artillery guns will continue, officials said on Thursday.

"In view of certain revelations made by one Michael Hershman, CBI sought the permission of the trial court to conduct further investigation in the Bofors case," CBI spokesperson Nitin Wakankar said.

He said on May 8, the court had observed that when independent right and power is available with the CBI to further investigate the matter on its own, if in its wisdom it is necessary to do so then, why still such application is being filed in the court.

"After obtaining legal opinion, CBI filed an application on May 16, 2019 in the court of CMM, Rouse Avenue Courts, New Delhi, stating that for conducting further investigation under section 173(8) of CrPC, permission of the court is not mandatorily required by CBI and an intimation to the court in this regard will suffice," he said.

Wakankar said the probe in the Bofors case will continue.

The agency's response came after it withdrew from a Delhi court its application to seek permission to further probe the politically sensitive Rs 64-crore Bofors payoff case.

The agency had swung into action for a permission for further probe in the case after getting a go ahead from the Attorney General to file the appeal in the case in which it cited the October 2017 interview of private detective Hershman, alleging that the then Rajiv Gandhi government had sabotaged his probe.

In an interview to private channels, Hershman, president of the US-based private detective firm Fairfax, had claimed that Rajiv Gandhi was "furious" when he had found a Swiss bank account Mont Blanc.

He was hired by the Finance Ministry which was under V P Singh, Gandhi's bete noire, to investigate outflow of alleged black money during Congress government, Hershman had claimed in an interview to DNA newspaper.

Justice R S Sodhi (since retired) of the Delhi High Court had on May 31, 2005 quashed the CBI case in the Bofors pay-off scam.

Before the 2005 verdict of Justice Sodhi, another judge of the Delhi High Court, Justice J D Kapoor (since retired), had on February 4, 2004 exonerated late prime minister Rajiv Gandhi in the case and directed the framing of charge of forgery under section 465 of the IPC against Bofors company.

The Rs 1,437-crore deal between India and Swedish arms manufacturer AB Bofors for the supply of 400 155mm howitzer guns for the Indian Army was entered into on March 24, 1986.

Swedish Radio on April 16, 1987 claimed that the company had paid bribes to top Indian politicians and defence personnel.

ALSO READ: Delhi court allows Chanda Kochhar's brother-in-law to attend son's graduation in US

ALSO READ: Chanda Kochhar, husband appear before ED again in ICICI-Videocon case
India joined France, New Zealand, Canada and several other countries on Wednesday in launching a major initiative in Paris to combat terrorism and extremism online and secure the internet.

The initiative -- 'Christchurch call to action' -- was named after the New Zealand city where 51 people were killed in an attack on mosques, officials said.

"A free, open and secure internet is a powerful tool by which to promote connectivity, enhance social inclusiveness and foster economic growth," the declaration on Christchurch call to action said.

It said the internet is, however, not immune from abuse by terrorist and violent extremist actors, and there was a need for collective efforts globally to secure the internet from terror groups.

"This was tragically highlighted by the terrorist attacks of 15 March 2019 on the Muslim community of Christchurch terrorist attacks that were designed to go viral.

"The dissemination of such content online has adverse impacts on the human rights of the victims, on our collective security and on people all over the world," it said.

The declaration said the Christchurch attack highlighted the urgent need for action and enhanced cooperation among the wide range of actors with influence over this issue, including governments, civil society, and online service providers, such as social media companies, to eliminate terrorist and violent extremist content online.

The event to launch of the initiative was attended by several world leaders and high-ranking officials including from India, diplomatic sources said.

The initiative outlines collective, voluntary commitments from governments and online service providers intended to address the issue of terrorist and violent extremist content online and to prevent the abuse of the internet.

"All action on this issue must be consistent with principles of a free, open and secure internet, without compromising human rights and fundamental freedoms, including freedom of expression.

"It must also recognise the internet's ability to act as a force for good, including by promoting innovation and economic development and fostering inclusive societies," it said.

The countries which were of the initiative expressed commitment to ensure effective enforcement of applicable laws that prohibit the production or dissemination of terrorist and violent extremist content, in a manner consistent with the rule of law and international human rights law, including freedom of expression, according to the declaration.

It said they will also to counter the drivers of terrorism and violent extremism by strengthening the resilience and inclusiveness of their societies.

Those who are part of the initiative will also encourage media outlets to apply ethical standards when depicting terrorist events online, to avoid amplifying terrorist and violent extremist content.

They will also support frameworks, such as industry standards, to ensure that reporting on terrorist attacks does not amplify terrorist and violent extremist content, without prejudice to responsible coverage of terrorism and violent extremism.

It was also decided to implement immediate and effective measures to mitigate the specific risk that terrorist and violent extremist content is disseminated through live-streaming, including identification of content for real-time review, said the declaration.

Also read: Christchurch mosque massacre: New Zealand bans military type semi-automatic weapons after its worst mass shooting

Also read: Facebook removes 1.5 million videos of the Christchurch attack
A Delhi court on Thursday allowed former ICICI Bank CEO Chanda Kochhar's brother-in-law Rajiv Kochhar, a suspect in a bank loan fraud and money laundering case, to travel abroad for 10 days.

Special Judge Anju Bajaj Chandna allowed Rajiv to travel to New York on a personal bond of Rs 10 lakh and directed the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to suspend the look out circular (LOC) till then.

The court kept his application, seeking cancellation of LOC, for hearing on June 3 after ED's special public prosecutor Nitesh Rana said the agency needed time to file a detailed reply on the issue.

Chanda and her husband Deepak along with Rajiv have been questioned by the ED which is probing the case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

In his application, moved by senior advocate Sidharth Luthra, Rajiv said his "younger son is studying in New York University and has his 'graduating ceremony' on May 21 and 22 in New York, USA. The occasion marks an important and significant day/event in the life of the son and the applicant..."

Rajiv, founder of Singapore-based Avista Advisory, informed the court that the CBI has already cancelled the LOC issued against him.

He told the court that he has cooperated in the probe and further undertakes to assist the agency in future as and when required.

He further claimed that he and his family were estranged from his brother Deepak and sister-in-law Chanda due to a family fall out because of which the applicant has started his own independent business and has no business or personal connection, of any nature, either with them or any of their companies.

ED registered a criminal case under the PMLA early this year against Chanda, Deepak, Videocon promoter Venugopal Dhoot and others to probe alleged irregularities and corrupt practices in sanctioning Rs 1,875-crore loans by ICICI Bank to the corporate group, the probe agency's advocate A R Aditya said.

The action was based on an FIR registered by the CBI.

Rajiv has been questioned by the CBI as well in the same case in the past. He was asked by CBI sleuths about the help he had extended to Videocon in relation to a loan from ICICI Bank, which was part of a Rs 400-billion credit given by a consortium of 20 banks to the group's main promoter, Dhoot.

The searches were conducted at the premises of Chanda, her family and Dhoot in Mumbai and Aurangabad.

CBI has named the three as also Dhoot's companies -- Videocon International Electronics Ltd (VIEL) and Videocon Industries Limited (VIL) -- in its case.

It also named Supreme Energy, a company founded by Dhoot, and NuPower Renewables, a company controlled by Deepak, in the FIR.

The CBI alleged that Dhoot had invested in Nupower through his firm Supreme Energy in a quid pro quo to loans cleared by ICICI Bank after Chanda took over as the CEO of the bank on May 1, 2009.

The ownership of Nupower and Supreme Energy changed hands through a complex web of shared transactions between Deepak and Dhoot, the CBI alleged.

During its preliminary enquiry, the CBI found that six loans worth Rs 1,875 crore were sanctioned to the Videocon Group and companies associated with it between June, 2009 and October, 2011 in alleged violation of laid-down policies of ICICI Bank, which have now become part of the probe.

"Existing outstanding in the accounts of these private group companies were adjusted in Rupee Term Loan of Rs 1,730 crore sanctioned by ICICI Bank under refinance of domestic debt under consortium arrangement on April 26, 2012," the CBI had said.

The loans were declared non-performing assets in 2012, causing a loss of Rs 1,730 crore to the bank, it alleged.

The ED, the sources said, is also probing at least two other instances of loans given by ICICI Bank (during Chanda Kochhar's tenure) to Gujarat-based pharmaceutical firm Sterling Biotech and to Bhushan Steel group.

The agency is investigating these two instances of alleged bank loan fraud under the PMLA.

ALSO READ: Chanda Kochhar, husband appear before ED again in ICICI-Videocon case

ALSO READ: Chanda Kochhar, family got Rs 500 crore as kickbacks in Videocon case: ED
Lok Sabha Election 2019 live Updates: West Bengal Mamata Banerjee today tore into Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP Chief Amit Shah calling the PM shameless and Shah a goonda. Addressing a rally in Mathurapur in West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee also accused Modi and Shah of torturing people. In a brazen attack on the Prime Minister and BJP, she that the EC is the 'brother' of BJP and is sold out to the party. West Bengal will vote in the seventh phase of Lok Sabha election 2019.

Catch all the latest updates on Lok Sabha Election 2019 on BusinessToday.In live blog.
India has signalled its intent to strike enemy targets with devastating force early on in a conflict. Following the success of the Balakot raid by 12 Mirage-2000 fighters using Israeli ground penetrator bombs, the Indian Air Force (IAF) is planning to test fire the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile from its Sukhoi Su-30MKI air dominance fighter. This will allow the IAF to carry out punitive air strikes deep in enemy territory from safe standoff distances.

The air-launched BrahMos-A has an estimated operational range of between 300 km and 400 km and can be dropped from 1,640 to 46,000 feet. The missile, named after the Brahmaputra in India and the Moskva river in Russia, is currently the world's fastest cruise missile.

Individually, the Su-30 and BrahMos are powerful weapons. But when the one of the most supermanoeuvrable fighters in the world is armed with a uniquely destructive cruise missile, together they are a dramatic force multiplier.

The BrahMos' 3,000 km per hour speed - literally faster than a bullet - means it hits the target with a huge amount of kinetic energy. In tests, the BrahMos has often cut warships in half and reduced ground targets to smithereens. The Sukhoi's blistering speed of 2,100 km per hour will add extra launch momentum to the missile, adding to its destructive power. Plus the aircraft's ability to penetrate hardened air defences means there is a greater chance for the pilot to deliver the missile on to its designated targets.

ALSO READ: Lockheed's F-16 hard sell: Pros and cons of buying the American fighter

The extended range of the BrahMos-A will allow IAF pilots to destroy Balakot type targets from at least 150 km within Indian territory. The Sukhois can also launch their missiles against Pakistani targets from the southwest while flying over international waters, thereby complicating the enemy's defences.

While Pakistani air defences - and its terrorists in Balakot - were literally caught napping during the February 26 raid, at least the Pakistani military woke up after the Indian bombs exploded, and the PAF was able to scramble a few jets. In theory, if the Pakistanis had detected the intrusion early, they could have alerted the jehadis to vacate the buildings. But a BrahMos-A barrage by Sukhois taking off from Halwara air base in Punjab will take less than 60 seconds to crash into the terror complex in Bahawalpur, Pakistan, giving no time to the jehadis to even say their prayers.

As Brahmos Corp General Manager P. Pathak told Defence iQ, "The (missile's) accuracy makes it especially useful in attacking military targets in urban areas where reduced collateral damage is a priority. Indeed, cruise missile technology has been developing alongside the rapid development of computer technology, positioning systems and propellant technology. As a result, India is able to field a system from the air, without the need for additional aircraft."

The BrahMos-A was first flight tested from a Sukhoi in July 2018 over the Bay of Bengal. The cruise missile will kick off its final developmental trials in later 2019, including two launches against a naval and a ground target. The IAF wants two squadrons of Sukhois to be modified to carry the BrahMos-A and the timeline for conversion is 2020-21.

ALSO READ: Ejection from a fighter jet: What are the risks?

Likely targets

While terror targets, such as Balakot, will be provided on a real time basis by Indian intelligence and space agencies, the war time targets are obvious. A two-squadron attack can within minutes utterly cripple Pakistan's command and control centres; nuclear power plants, including Kahuta where the so-called Islamic Bomb is manufactured; the Sargodha Central Ammunition Depot west of Lahore where these warheads are stored; ballistic missile bases in Gujranwala, Okara, Multan, Jhang and Dera Nawab Shah; Pakistani Army Corp headquarters in Rawalpindi; the Karachi Port, Pakistan's only major harbour and its Naval HQ; and ordinance factories that manufacture tanks and fighter aircraft.

In previous conflicts, the IAF avoided attacks on non-military infrastructure, with the political leadership believing that hitting civilian targets in Pakistan would anger Indian Muslims. So for instance, in the 1971 War, while the IAF and the Indian Navy attacked the oil storage farms in Karachi port - which burned for a week - they spared railway stations and airports.

The decision to equip the Sukhois with the BrahMos signals a new intent. Since the aircraft's radar can detect tall buildings at a distance of 400 km and small building at 120 km, in the next war expect a lot of damage to enemy infrastructure - dams, power stations, strategic bridges are all going to be included in the list of likely targets.

ALSO READ: Foxbat fury: When IAF MiG-25s flew unchallenged over Islamabad

The supersonic BrahMos armed with a conventional warhead can theoretically penetrate hardened command, control and communication centres. However, there is no guarantee these targets will be 100 per cent destroyed unless the BrahMos is nuclear tipped. A pre-emptive nuclear strike will therefore ensure that Pakistan's offensive capability is effectively neutralised and it is never again a threat to India.

Against China, the Sukhoi-BrahMos tactic may not have the same impact as Chinese targets are located deep inland or on the east coast. However, Chinese military infrastructure in Tibet and its strategic railway lines connecting the illegally annexed province to the Han heartland can easily be destroyed should the dragon try and come to the aid of its client state Pakistan.

Indigenous innovation

The BrahMos-A is a slimmed down version of the original Brahmos cruise missile, but it is still a massive weapon weighing 2.5 tonnes. Because heavy modifications were necessary for integrating such a heavy missile onto the Su-30MKI, initially the Russians were reluctant to go along. But after HAL decided to go solo, Sukhoi - not wanting to miss out on juicy developmental contracts - came on board in 2011.

Modifications include reinforcing the aircraft's undercarriage in addition to various mechanical, electrical and software upgrades. The integration process also involves hardening the aircraft's electronic circuitry to withstand the electromagnetic pulse of a nuclear blast, indicating that the BrahMos can be mated with a miniaturised nuclear warhead, if required.

ALSO READ: Move on, Masood: Why China threw its favourite terrorist under the bus

According to Aviation Week, "Work is also underway on a modified lighter and smaller-diameter version of the BrahMos for deployment on the Indian navy's MiG-29K and, potentially, the Dassault Rafale." This is the BrahMos-NG (Next Generation), weighing around 1.5 tons, making it 50 per cent lighter and three meters shorter than its predecessor. Despite its compact size, 'BrahMos Lite' will be the fastest of them all at Mach 3.5 or 4,174 kph. As well as MiG-29s, it could become the standard air-to-surface strike weapon of the Tejas and Mirage fighters.

The next generation BrahMos will have a much longer range. And with the planned increase in speed, the missile will have considerably enhanced kinetic energy despite its smaller size optimised for relatively smaller aircraft.

Well before India was admitted into the Missile Technology Control Regime - a largely Western club which was aimed at restricting the range of Indian missiles to 300 km or less - the DRDO and its Russian partner NPO Mashinostroyeniya had decided to quietly increase the range, signalling the country's immunity from Western sanctions. In today's transformed geopolitical climate, with the US describing India as a trusted defence partner, there are no more such constraints. DRDO's Pathak says increasing the missile's range to 800 km is now possible after India's entry into the MTCR.

ALSO READ: Mission ASAT: Why India needs a satellite killer

Sukhois as strategic platform

In September 2010 India's newly constituted tri-services Strategic Forces Command (SFC) submitted a proposal to the Defence Ministry for setting up two dedicated squadrons of aircraft comprising 40 Su-30MKI fighters. The task of this "mini air force" is to deliver nuclear weapons.

The picture became clearer in October 2012 when the Cabinet Committee on Security green lighted a programme to carry out structural and software modifications on 42 Su-30MKIs and acquire 216 air-launched BrahMos missiles. Until then, the BrahMos was for exclusive use by the Navy.

The Su-30MKI is an obvious choice. According to Strategy Page, "The SFC does not want untested fighters but the ones which can be relied upon to deliver nuclear-tipped missiles. The aircraft has a titanium airframe strong enough to fly a high-speed terrain following profile. The batch of 42 Sukhois will also have hardened electronic circuitry to shield them from the electromagnetic pulse of a nuclear blast."

Having a dedicated aircraft for the nuclear attack role offers India's war planners strategic flexibility and increases the odds of success. Because ballistic missiles are used only as a weapon of last resort, they cannot really be deployed at will. Once released, they cannot be recalled and if shot down are not easily replaced. Fighter aircraft, on the other hand, can perform repeated sorties and be directed to bomb targets as they move. For instance, if Pakistan moves it warheads out of the Sargodha depot, which is presumably under constant watch by Indian satellites, the Sukhois can be vectored against military convoys transporting their nuclear cargo.

For those in the cross hairs of the BrahMos here's a message - don't bother to say your prayers, you won't have the time to finish.

The author is a New Zealand-based defence and foreign affairs analyst.
16 May 2019, 2:36 PM

Trump's proposal on immigration policy may benefit Indian green card aspirants

In a major policy speech Thursday, US President Donald Trump is all set to announce a new proposal to overhaul the country's immigration policy that would give preference to foreigners based on merit rather than the existing system that gives preference to family ties, a move that could end the agonising Green Card wait for hundreds and thousands of Indian professionals. Brainchild of Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, the new plan primarily focusses on strengthening border security and revamping the system of Green Card.

US blacklists Huawei, places it on entity list

Escalating the bruising trade war with China, President Donald Trump has signed an executive order barring American companies from installing the foreign-made telecom equipment deemed a national security threat, a move apparently aimed at banning Chinese giant Huawei from US networks. The decision taken on Wednesday risks escalating tensions with China as the world's two largest economies clash over whether Huawei. Under the order that will take effect in the coming days, Huawei will need a US government license to buy American technology.

India's trade deficit grows to $15.33 billion, exports improve only a little in April

India's trade deficit widened to a five-month high in April due to rise in crude oil imports coupled with muted growth in export amid rising concerns over US-China trade war, government data showed on Wednesday. The trade deficit, a gap between exports and imports, expanded to $15.33 billion in April 2019.

World leaders, tech execs pledge to curb online violence

A dozen countries and global tech giants including Facebook, Google and Twitter pledged Wednesday to find ways to keep internet platforms from being used to spread hate, organize extremist groups and broadcast terror attacks. World leaders led by French President Emmanuel Macron and tech executives gathered in Paris to compile a set of guidelines dubbed the "Christchurch Call to Action.". Part of the attack in New Zealand had been broadcast live on Facebook, drawing public outrage and fueling the debate on how to better regulate social media.

Jet Airways crisis: Qatar Airways seeks addition of seats on flights to India

Qatar Airways has asked the Indian authorities to allow them to increase the number of seats on their flights to India. Qatar Airways has sought the addition of more seats on high volume routes such as Mumbai, New Delhi and Bangalore. The arrangement has been requested on a temporary basis and without formal changes to the existing weekly seat capacity entitlement under the 2009 Qatar-India bilateral aviation framework.

Ola pumps $60 million into international unit to run Australia, UK operations

Homegrown ride-hailing platform Ola revealed in its regulatory filings, sourced from Singapore's Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority, that it pumped in about $60 million in its international operations in the past 15 months. These tranches of funding will equip the cab aggregator to in its rivalry with the American giant, Uber in international markets including Australia, New Zealand and the UK.

China ready to enhance Sri Lanka's counter-terrorism capabilities: Prez Xi tells Srisena

Chinese President Xi Jinping has promised his Sri Lankan counterpart Maithripala Sirisena full support in combating terrorism and boost the country's counter-terrorism capabilities, nearly a month after the massive Easter Sunday bombings. Expressing China's strong condemnation of the terror attacks in Sri Lanka, Xi said China is ready to stand alongside the Sri Lankan government and people.

IndiGo to start six new flights connecting Kolkata from July 20

IndiGo on Wednesday announced that it will start six new domestic flights to and from Kolkata from July 20. Moreover, the no-frills airline said it will start a third direct flight on Delhi-Kathmandu route from July 4. IndiGo is the country's largest carrier as it had 44.3 per cent share of the domestic passenger market in first quarter of 2019, according to DGCA data.
Ride-hailing firm Ola has introduced its credit card in collaboration with SBI Cards, one of India's largest credit card issuers and Visa on Thursday. The newly launched Ola Money Credit Card seeks to transform the customer experience by offering a simplified application process, eliminating joining fees and providing transparent, flexible and convenient payments to Ola customers.

"We are excited to launch the Ola Money SBI Credit Card and we look forward to taking this to millions of Indians over the next few years. Mobility spends form a significant wallet share for users and we see a huge opportunity to transform their payments experience with this solution," said Bhavish Aggarwal, Co-founder and CEO of Ola.

According to company's statement, Ola is targeting 10 million Ola Money-SBI Credit Cards to be issued by 2022.



Were excited to launch India's most rewarding Credit Card: the Ola Money SBI Card in association with @SBICard_Connect, @Visa_IND. This card will be a driving force for India's digital economy, making cutting edge payment solutions accessible to millions https://t.co/jK6rSSsr8X pic.twitter.com/y01yD7PMSc Bhavish Aggarwal (@bhash) May 15, 2019

Meanwhile, Hardayal Prasad, MD & CEO, SBI Cards expressed his joy on this new collaboration with Ola. "The launch of Ola Money SBI Card underlines our penchant to provide innovative and industry-first payments solutions to our customers. Ola is considered a pioneer in the mobility industry and we believe this partnership will play a key role in further strengthening our card portfolio," he said.

The Ola-SBI Card partnership is India's first of its kind credit card in the mobility segment, added Prasad.

Ola's suite of digital financial offerings ranges from the Ola Money wallet to postpaid billing and micro-insurance for rides taken on the Ola platform.

Ola users will be able to apply, view and manage their Credit Card directly on the Ola app with a few taps.

"The Ola Money Credit Card card will help transition of Ola consumers from cash to secure, reliable and convenient digital payments not only for their daily commutes but for other expense categories as well," said TR Ramachandran, Group Country Manager - India & South Asia at Visa.

Further, the Bengaluru-based firm said that the Ola Money Credit Card will offer cash-back and rewards, instantly credited to the users' accounts in the form of Ola Money which can be redeemed against Ola rides, flight and hotel bookings, with lifetime validity.

Additionally, early this week Paytm tied up with Paytm to launch a co-branded credit card with a slew of incentives. Besides, last year in October, Amazon Pay tied up with ICICI Bank to launch a co-branded credit card.

Also read: Ola pumps $60 million into international unit to run Australia, UK operations

Also read: Citi Bank ties up with Paytm to launch co-branded credit cards
Hot on the heels of Jet Airways crisis, India's biggest airline IndiGo is also seeing some turbulence with its founders, Rahul Bhatia and Rakesh Gangwal, having serious differences over the airline's expansion strategies. Reports say both these industry stalwarts disagree on some clauses in the shareholders' agreement and the airline's management control. Analysts say these differences may be disastrous for the Indian aviation sector, which is already in trouble after the recent shutting down of Jet Airways.

The dispute between the promoters has reportedly escalated in the past few weeks, with Bhatia unsure about Gangwal's aggressive approach to expanding overseas. Bhatia also fears that Gangwal is trying to take greater control over the airline as he hired his own team, including some top-level executives, on key posts in the recent past. Both of them, however, are trying to sort out these differences, and have hired JSA Law and Khaitan & Co to settle issues, reported the Economic Times.

Rahul Bhatia has a family stake of 38.26 per cent in IndiGo, while Rakesh Gangwal, along with his family, owns 36.69 per cent in the low-cost carrier, which has a market capitalisation of Rs 61,833 crore. Founded in 2006, Interglobe Aviation, also known as IndiGo, was a joint venture between Bhatia and Gangwal. The company was listed in 2013, a time when both of them held a 99 per cent stake in the airline. Gangwal was driving force behind making IndiGo a global carrier, while Bhatia looked at the airline's affairs in India.

The issues cropped up in 2018 after Gangwal sought aggressive expansion to tap into India's aviation market while Bhatia called for a balanced and cautious approach. Gangwal in February 2018 had claimed to increase the airline's capacity to 250 from 155 (almost 52 per cent). The proposal didn't go down well with IndiGo management, including Aditya Ghosh who subsequently resigned from the airline as its whole-time director in April 2018. Questioning Gangwal's approach, the Bhatia camp had reportedly raised the issue of "overcapacity" and "yield". The crises deepened after Gosh's exit and the appointment of foreign executives on key management posts, including Gregory Taylor as its CEO. Most of these employees were hired by Gangwal from United Airlines. Interestingly, Gangwal himself is an aviation veteran and had worked with United Airlines and US Airways before he launched IndiGo.

Right now, both the parties are reportedly weighing in all the possible option with the help of their law agencies, which are monitoring the situation. Since the talks are at initial stages, no one has reportedly called for buying each other's stake and exiting from the airline. Though both believe that they can grab the space left by the apparent closure of Jet Airways, both have different strategies. While Bhatia believes wide-bodied aircraft could be helpful in achieving IndiGo's international dream, Gangwal says narrow-bodied aircraft like Boeing 737 for all its operations, and codeshare agreements with other global carriers to cater to long-haul passengers, could help it gain the global market share. With a market share of 47 per cent, IndiGo has a fleet of 225 aircraft right now. The airline runs 1,400 daily flights to 54 domestic and 17 international routes (March figures).

Jet Airways crisis: Qatar Airways seeks addition of seats on flights to India

IndiGo and SpiceJet shares surge after Jet Airways stock falls over key management exits

Richest Lok Sabha candidate worth Rs 1,107 crore is employed in private sector, earns Rs 5.81 lakh per annum
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Union Bank of India (UBI) Wednesday said it plans to raise up to Rs 6,000 crore this fiscal through securities to meet its capital requirement.

The board of the company, in a meeting held on Wednesday, approved raising "total capital fund up to Rs 6,000 crore during FY 2019-20," UBI said in a regulatory filing.

Approval of the shareholders for raising the equity capital would be sought at the Annual General Meeting of the company, to be held on June 28, 2019.

Also read: CBI registers fraud cases worth Rs 74 crore in Union Bank of India

Alos read: Govt may soon invite PNB, Union Bank, BoI, other PSBs to discuss merger plan
Despite the pressure of business in the US, pharma major Lupin Limited recorded a 5.2 per cent rise in revenues to Rs 16,369.4 crore in FY19, as compared to Rs 15,559.8 crore in the previous year. Annual net profit at Rs 606.6 crore shot up 141.4 per cent from Rs 251.3 crore in the previous year.

If Lupin had to earmark an impairment provision of Rs 1464.4 crore on certain intangible assets acquired as part of the highly paid Gavis group acquisition in FY 2018, this year, it had to make a provision of Rs 340 crore for a fine imposed by a court in Europe. The court in December 2018 had upheld a decision to impose a fine of Euro 40 million (over Rs 325 crore) on the company by the European Commission (EC) for striking deals with other companies to prevent entry of cheap versions of blood pressure lowering drug, Perindopril.

ALSO READ: Lupin net profit slips 32% to Rs 946.60 crore in FY19, net sales up 5.2%

Lupin's North America business, hampered by market issues like wholesaler consolidation and a bad acquisition of Gavis, recorded a 5.1 per cent fall to Rs 5592.4 crore from the previous year's Rs 5893.9 crore. This was offset by a good growth in the domestic market. Sales in India grew 12.4 per cent during the year to Rs 4638.2 crore from the Rs 4125.3 crore in the earlier year. While the North America market contributed 34 percent of the sales, India's accounted for around 29 per cent. Lupin's active pharmaceutical ingredient sales also grew 23.2 per cent to Rs 1346.4 crore during the year. While Asia Pacific, European, Middle East and Africa business grew slightly during the year, its Latin American market business fell by 2.3 percent. Capital expenditure for FY2019 was Rs 685.1 crore.

Lupin, the third largest pharmaceutical player in the US by prescriptions, has 176 products in the US generics market and launched 31 products during the year. Revenue expenditure on R&D for the year amounted to Rs 1573.1 crore, which is 9.6 percent of sales. It was 11.9 percent in the previous year. The company said cumulative ANDA (marketing applications in the US) filings with the U.S. FDA stand at 422 as of March 31st 2019, with the company having received 265 approvals to date. The Company now has 40 First-to-Files (FTF) filings including 15 exclusive FTF opportunities.

ALSO READ: Can Indian pharma weather the twin-storm in US of price-fixing and quality?
In a nationwide inspection last year, regulators found that more than 30% of private equity firms were in violation of laws and regulations. Photo: IC Photo

Chinas securities regulator stepped up scrutiny of the private equity industry, issuing warnings and corrective orders in multiple provinces to several private equity firms on a broad range of violations.

The administrative measures are part of a sweeping new round of inspections of the countrys 12.8 trillion yuan ($1.9 trillion) private equity industry that started earlier this year. In a nationwide inspection last year, the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) found that more than 30% of private equity firms were in violation of laws and regulations.

The Guangdong branch of the CSRC issued correction orders Tuesday to Hengqin Ping An Real Estate Equity Investment Management Co., Hengqin Runhong Investment Management Co. and Huizhou Timesbole Private Equity Investment Management Co. Hengqin Ping An is backed by the Chinese insurance giant Ping An Insurance Co. of China. Hengqin Runhongs major shareholder is the state-owned conglomerate China Resources Group.

The private equity firms were found to have committed violations including raising funds from unqualified investors, illegal commitments of guaranteed returns and failure to disclose key information to investors and regulators.

Last week, the Qingdao branch of the CSRC issued three warning notices to Qingdao Dingheshuo Investment Co. for failure to fulfill due diligence and for reporting inaccurate information. The company was required to submit a written report by June 5.

The Zhejiang and Hubei branches of the CSRC also recently told private equity investment funds in their jurisdiction to start a comprehensive self-check, including registration records, information disclosure, investor protection, internal governance and risk controls.

According to the notice of the Zhejiang regulator, the self-check will focus on whether some funds, through multiple sales outlets, tried to pitch themselves to the public or to a certain number of investors exceeding the regulatory limit, raised funds from investors who invested less than 1 million yuan to a single fund or raised new funds to repay old ones.

Private equity funds, especially startup investment funds and equity investment funds, play a unique role in promoting industrial transformation and economic restructuring, but the current industry has also exposed many problems, the Hubei regulator said. Illegal fundraising and poor governance have seriously undermined the industry and are jeopardizing the healthy development of the capital market, the regulator said.

As of the end of March, there were 24,361 private equity fund managers registered with the Asset Management Association of China, down 19 from the previous month. Assets managed by these funds reached 12.79 trillion yuan, up 21 billion yuan from February.

Contact editor Han Wei (weihan@caixin.com)
Government of Canada to announce funding to prevent gender-based violence for LGBTQ2S communities

Media advisory

On behalf of the Honourable Ginette Petitpas Taylor, federal Minister of Health, Matt DeCourcey, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, will attend the OUTShine Summit where he will make a funding announcement for projects that prevent gender-based violence for LGBTQ2S communities in Canada.

May 16, 2019, Fredericton NB  On behalf of the Honourable Ginette Petitpas Taylor, federal Minister of Health, Matt DeCourcey, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, will attend the OUTShine Summit where he will make a funding announcement for projects that prevent gender-based violence for LGBTQ2S communities in Canada. Date

May 17, 2019 Time

6:00 PM (ADT) Location Fredericton Convention Centre

670 Queen Street

Fredericton NB

E3B 1C2

Contacts

Media Inquiries:

Thierry Belair

Office of Ginette Petitpas Taylor

Minister of Health

613-957-0200

Media Relations

Public Health Agency of Canada

613-957-2983

hc.media.sc@canada.ca
Dal Engineering Group wins multiple orders

16 May 2019

Dal Group has reported the signing of a number of new orders in the cement sector in Colombia, Russia, Egypt and Qatar.



Dal Machinery & Design (Dal Engineering Group) has been awarded the contract for delivering two surface feeders with a capacity of 2x200tph to Cementos Argos' Rio Claro cement plant in Colombia. According to the planned schedule, the installation of two surface feeders was executed in December 2018 and they are now fully operating. Dal Machinery & Design's surface feeders are part of Argos' calcined clays project in the municipality of Rio Claro, Antioquia. The same equipment was installed in the cement plant Studen Agrana in Bosnia-Herzegovina where a Dal Machinery & Design surface feeder had been operating for 10 years, designed for long-term use and without any maintenance.



Meanwhile, Dal Teknik Makina (Dal Engineering Group) began converting a grey cement line to white cement production at the Zhigulyovsk Building Materials plant in Russia in November 2018. Dal Teknik Makina supplied engineering and procurement of certain equipment, including an upgrade to the kiln unit at the Zhigulyovsk Cement plant. Together with the unique raw material base of the plant, the converted cement works will meet the highest requirements for strength, quality and aesthetic characteristics of the white cement produced, claims Dal Teknik Makina.

Furthermore, Heidelberg-owned Helwan Cement plant in Egypt approached Dal Teknik Makina in February 2019 to improve its process performance on clinker production Line No1. Dal Teknik Makina (DAL Engineering Group) has taken all required data to evaluate the existing situation during a three-day technical audit, carried out discussions with the plant staff and evaluated an audit report to optimise the Line 1 pyro-processing system. Dal Teknik Makina also offered solutions with particular focus on reducing specific heat consumption, increasing the plant's alternative fuel substitution rate, lowering energy consumption and raising kiln throughput.



In addition, Dal Teknik Makina has been awarded a project to install a pilot-scale plant for calcium sulphoaluminate clinker production line in Qatar. Following a request from doctorate researchers from Gulf Organisation for Research & Development, Dal Teknik Makina engineers will evaluate the concept, identify potential operations issues and supply the complete engineering/instrumentation for the whole project.

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Cement prices rise 43% in the Dominican Republic

16 May 2019

The president of the Cibao Housing Promoters and Builders Association, Anthony Canaan, has denounced a 43 per cent price hike in cement prices in the Dominican Republic, according to the Dominican Today. Mr Canaan noted that stability in the exchange rate and prices of different raw materials means there is no justification for the increase.

"In recent days we have received an unjustified increase in the raw material for construction," said Mr Canaan. "Currently the different cement distributors have billed the bag at DOP315 (US$6.20), when just a year ago the cement was sold at DOP220, this means an increase of 43 per cent," he said.

The president of the association also commented that the rise makes the sector les competitive, despite it being the Dominican economys top employer.

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Arabian Cement records 96% fall in profit

16 May 2019

Egypts Arabian Cement has reported a 96.3 per cent YoY decline in consolidated profits for the first quarter of 2019, declining to EGP5.97m (US$350,284) from EGP162.01m in the year-ago period.



Sales fell to EGP827.85m in the 1Q19, compared to EGP913.93 in the corresponding period of last year.



Stand-alone results show a 97.4 per cent decrease in profits to EGP4.23m from EGP160.95m.

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Moroccan cement deliveries stable in April

ICR Newsroom By 16 May 2019

Cement deliveries in Morocco remained stable in April 2019 at 1.241Mt when compared with the 1.233Mt sold in April 2018, according to the countrys Ministry of Urbanisation and Housing.



Of this total, sales in the distribution segment, the largest domestic market, fell by 4.1 per cent YoY, but those in the ready-mix sector, the second-largest segment, advanced by 15.8 per cent to 211,949t. Deliveries to the housing sector improved 37.9 per cent to 66,651 while the prefab industry increased its off-take by 6.3 per cent to 110,348t. Infrastructure noted the largest fall at 22 per cent YoY to 38,043t.



January-April 2019

For the first four months of 2019, dispatches advanced 5.9 per cent YoY to 4.808Mt. In the 4M18 deliveries reached 4.532Mt. The housing sector reported the largest increase in deliveries, up 37.4 per cent to 272,426t when compared with the 4M18, followed by the ready-mix market, which saw off-take rise 20.6 per cent tot 827,760t. Smaller advances were noted by the prefab market (up 8.4 per cent to 423,909t) and the distribution segment (+2.1 per cent to 3,122,876t). Infrastructure deliveries fared less well as cement sales to this part of the construction market were down 22.8 per cent to 160,882t.

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Officials of Stay Alfred, the nations leading provider of travel apartments, said they "will soon invite business travelers and vacationers from across the world to stay in vibrant and upscale units" inside Market City Center in downtown Chattanooga.

Through the travel apartment concept, Stay Alfred said it "introduces a new experience that combines the space, furnishings and local feel of a vacation rental with the consistency, reliability and customer support of a hotel.

Stay Alfred partners with developers and property managers to master-lease Class-A downtown apartment buildings, delivering improved net operating income and reduced absorption time."

The location is the 700 block of Market Street next to the SunTrust Bank Building.

Stay Alfred is a fantastic addition to Market City Center, which already includes retail, office and residential spaces. This addition, paired with more exciting announcements to follow, will make Market City Center a destination in itself, said Boyd Simpson, owner of The Simpson Organization, which owns the property. We will continue to create all-inclusive urban destinations, like Warehouse Row, through this meaningful new partnership.

Stay Alfred at Market City Center marks the companys first Chattanooga property to offer the new brand of hospitality. There will be 53 travel apartments available to book beginning in July.

Market City Center has everything we look for in partnering with a property, said Jordan Allen, Stay Alfred founder and CEO. We only offer travel apartments in downtown locations, and Chattanooga is no exception. Stay Alfred at Market City Center will offer guests an ideal location right in the heart of downtown, close to restaurants, shopping and outdoor recreation. Chattanooga is so much more than a day-trip destination; this is a great city to explore with a lot to offer.

Chattanooga joins the ranks of other major cities with Stay Alfred locations including Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Miami, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Seattle and Washington, D.C.

Chattanooga is a world-class destination, not only for adventurers and vacationers, but also business travelers who are inspired by the citys energy and innovative spirit. The opportunity to partner with Stay Alfred will incite additional tourism and growth for the city, said Mr. Simpson.

Stay Alfred at Market City Center will offer one- and two-bedroom travel apartments. Each unit will have living space, full kitchen, washer and dryer, free Wi-Fi and a self-guided check-in process. In addition, guests have access to the building amenities of each unique property, which at Market City Center include a fitness center, lounge and rooftop terrace.

As part of the Stay Alfred community, all long-term building residents will enjoy exclusive perks, including complimentary friends and family stays at their own building and discounts at any Stay Alfred property across the nation in perpetuity, it was stated.

Additional details will be announced in the coming weeks.
The 2019 Mel Bedwell Small Business Person of the Year clearly reflects the commitment to customer service and community that earned Jeff Wolfenden recognition by the Cleveland/Bradley Chamber of Commerce, as winner of this years prestigious small business award, presented at a special luncheon on May 15.

Staying power, growth in number of employees, increase in sales or unit volume, innovativeness of product or services offered, response to adversity, and evidence of contribution by the nominee to aid community-oriented projects form the basis for this award.



Jeff Wolfenden, owner of Wolfenden Family Pharmacies, has been serving the community as a pharmacist since the eighties. He gained initial work experience from area chain pharmacies before becoming a pharmacist for Mr. Robert Crawford, owner of Crawfords Pharmacy. When Mr. Crawford began to think of enjoying his retirement, he thought of Mr. Wolfenden as an excellent candidate to offer to sell the business to, stated nominator Cassie Keller. Mr. Wolfenden jumped at the chance to be a pharmacy owner.



After securing the purchase of Crawfords Pharmacy in 1997, Mr. Wolfenden decided to build a pharmacy from the ground up in 2000, which he opened in his home town of Athens, Tennessee. He designed the Madison Avenue Pharmacy building and hired qualified people to staff the new location, shared Keller.



Jeff Wolfenden is the 21st individual to receive the Bedwell Small Business Person of the Year award since its renaming to honor the contributions of the late Mel Bedwell and 26 to receive the award since this recognition program began. Bedwell was one of the most loyal and supportive members of the Small Business Committee of the Chamber of Commerce, which coordinates Business Development Month.

He has seen the pharmacy industry go through significant changes during his career, according to Ms. Keller. Initially the focus of the pharmacies were to provide medication to the patient with little information about the medicine that was being provided. However, as the industry has grown and changed, so has Wolfenden Family Pharmacies. Ms. Keller added, Jeff has been on the forefront of the changes that have affected the pharmacy industry.

Mr. Wolfenden also recognized the need for adherence packaging and opened Pharmacy Home Care (PHC) of East Tennessee in 2004. The aging population and the increased occupancy of assisted living homes created a demanding market for a pharmacy to provide the needs of this population. PHC packages medication for residents in assisted living homes, provides immunization clinics on site, offers training to staff of the facilities on proper medication management and other services needed by this patient group. Jeff goes above and beyond the normal call of duty for many of his patients at all three of his pharmacies, said Margarete Barrie, Pharmacist in Charge, at Pharmacy Home Care of Tennessee. He is happy to stop by a patients home to help them with the medications or check in on them.

Mr. Wolfenden began the business operations eighteen years ago with ten employees, which has currently grown to 40 full-time employees. Ms. Barrie added As an employee, I appreciate how much Jeff treats his employees like his own family. He cares about our families and always puts his family first and expects us to put our families first too.

Crawfords Pharmacy has increased sales by 140% since being purchased by Mr. Wolfenden and dispenses 87,000 prescriptions per year. Additionally, the Madison Avenue Pharmacy dispenses 64,000 prescriptions annually and Pharmacy Home Care dispenses 72,000 prescriptions per year. Jeff started a new business (Pharmacy Home Care of East Tennessee) from scratch that grew with its first year to take on a new account caring for over 300 beds. This is a testament to his smart business savvy along with his interpersonal skills, said Ms. Barrie.

Through all of his professional success Mr. Wolfenden still made the time to support the Cleveland community by sponsoring the Great Strides Walk of Cleveland and the Forgotten Child Fund throughout the holidays. He is actively involved in student mentoring initiatives in Bradley, Polk, and McMinn Counties. He especially enjoys participating in the Cleveland/Bradley Chamber of Commerce job shadowing events facilitated by the Chambers workforce development program.

Jeff Wolfenden joins an impressive list of previous winners of the Small Business Person of the Year: Bob McIntire, McIntire & Associates Insurance, Inc.; Jeff Cocks, Corporate Networking Solutions; Greg Hicks, Impressions Catering; Roger Pickett, MurMaid Mattress Inc.; Debbie Melton, Don Ledford Automotive Center; Shannon Ritzhaupt, Cafe Roma; Ed Jacobs, Ed Jacobs & Associates Inc. and Northwestern Mutual Financial Network; Hal Roe, Bradley Rentals; Jim Workman, Bender Realty LLC; Don Geren, Cleveland/Bradley Business Incubator; Steve Robinson, Cleveland Plywood; Lynn Jones, Lynn Jones Enterprises; Ross Tarver, Tarver Distributing Co. Inc.; Loye Hamilton, Coldwell Banker, Hamilton & Associates; Kenneth Higgins, Santek Environmental Inc.; Kay Jenkins Cowan, Jenkins Restaurant & Deli, Dan Cooke, Cookes Food Store and Panera Bread; Catherine Boettner, Cleveland Tubing; Jim Duggan, Robinson Building Center; Reba Garrison, State Farm Insurance; Ron Braam, Manufacturers Chemicals LLC; Susan Shelton, Bradley News Weekly; Larry McDaniel, Town Squire; Mel Bedwell, Cleveland Business Machines and Pam Nelson, Ocoee Insurance Services.

The Small Business Committee of the Cleveland/Bradley Chamber of Commerce sponsors Business Development Month as part of the Chambers commitment to the business development of its members, the economic growth of the region, and the highest quality of life in our community.


Habitat for Humanity of Tennessee has generated more than $107 million in economic activity last year. The nonprofits 45 affiliates have built more than 4,600 homes since its establishment in 1978, including 278 homes built by Habitat for Humanity of Greater Chattanooga Area. Habitat for Humanity also created the equivalent of 1,200 jobs statewide last year.

The Business and Economic Research Center in the Jones College of Business at MTSU partnered with Habitat for Humanity of Tennessee to produce the study. BERC compiled and analyzed data regarding Habitat-related expenditures in each of the four districts, including District 3, which is led by Habitat for Humanity of Greater Chattanooga Area.



Habitat for Humanitys vision is a world where everyone has a decent place to live and our local affiliates have worked for 41 years to make that reality for thousands of Tennesseans, said Colleen Dudley, executive director of Habitat for Humanity of Tennessee.



But that positive impact goes beyond the families we serve. Habitat creates property taxpayers; we create jobs and were a leader in our industry, said Ms. Dudley. Our work affects entire communities and extends across the state and we were happy to partner with BERC to quantify our impact and tell that story.

According to the study, almost 28,000 volunteers contributed to Habitat operations in 2017. The nonprofit also operates 33 ReStores across the state, including two located in the Greater Chattanooga Area, that encourage citizens to donate furniture, appliances and building materials to be sold. These ReStores accounted for $16 million in total business revenue and 226 jobs in 2018, according to the study.

Locally, Habitat has built 278 homes and provided homes for more than 1,000 men, women and children. Dozens more have benefitted from repairs and renovations provided by Habitat volunteers which provides the continued stability of a home. With homes located across Chattanooga, Habitat not only makes a difference for residents but also for the neighborhoods in which their homes are built.

Providing jobs and economic stimulation are just a couple examples of how Habitat for Humanity positively impacts the community in addition to providing homeownership, said David Butler, president and CEO of Habitat for Humanity of Greater Chattanooga and board member of Habitat for Humanity of Tennessee. We look forward to building on our success in providing strong and stable homes in the local community and contributing to the effectiveness of Habitat for Humanity of Tennessee.



The full study can be found by visiting BERCs website at https://mtsu.edu/berc/ and clicking on the appropriate link.


In recognition of its "commitment to improved experiences and outcomes for first-generation college students," the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga has been selected for the inaugural cohort of U.S. universities chosen by the Center for First-generation Student Success.



Universities selected for First Forward designationan initiative of National Association of Student Personnel Administrators and the Suder Foundationreceive professional development, community-building experiences and get a first look at the Centers research and resources.



"UTC is welcoming students who are the first in their families to go to college with 'learning communities' designed specifically for these students and their first-generation peers who have a shared understanding of their unique perspective and challenges," officials said.

"For residential first-generation students, UTC also is offering living-learning communities that enable these students to become better acquainted outside the classroom."The first-year studies course to help new students transition into college will offer a first generation-specific section, as will new student and family orientation. In addition, UTC debuts a mentoring program in fall 2019 pairing first-generation students with UTC faculty and staff who are first-generation college graduates.The center is so pleased to welcome the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga into our inaugural cohort of First Forward institutions. Through the application process, it was evident that UTC is not only taking steps to serve first-generation students but is prepared to make a long-term commitment and employ strategies for significant scaling and important advances in the future, said Sarah E. Whitley, senior director of the Center for First-generation Student Success.UTC Vice Chancellor for Enrollment Management and Student Affairs Yancy Freeman noted the Universitys commitment to ensuring educational opportunity for all students.

Education transforms lives, and transformation starts by providing access, Vice Chancellor Freeman said. UTC is committed to access to higher education for talented students, so we are thrilled about this First Forward designation from NASPA and the Suder Foundation. Our institutional goal of providing access and resources to first-generation students is intended to open the gateway to improved life outcomes.



As a First Forward Institution, select UTC faculty and staff have multiple opportunities to engage with both actual and aspirational peer institutions who also are working to create environments that enhance experiences and outcomes for first-generation students. Selected institutions will send student support officials to the First Forward Workshop in Orlando in June, and those officials will participate in monthly phone meetings, virtual professional development, goal setting, blogging on efforts and progress, annual reporting and more. After two successful years in the program, institutions can apply for the Advisory Leadership designation.



First Forward is an exciting opportunity for the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga to join an elite community of professionals prepared to share evidence-based practices and resources, troubleshoot challenges, generate knowledge and continue to advance the success of first-generation students across the country. We are excited to see a groundswell of activity from the First Forward cohort and know UTC will be a significant contributor, said NASPA President Kevin Kruger.
The Chattanooga and Hamilton County Medical Society and Medical Foundation of Chattanooga has announced the names of 25 area school students selected for the 2019 Youth Leadership Forum taking place June 3-6. The Youth Leadership Forum encourages rising high school juniors and seniors to consider careers in medicine. During the course of the week, students will enjoy daily roundtable discussions with physicians and shadow a different physician each day.



Hosted at CHI Memorial, Erlanger, and Parkridge hospitals, the Forums programming is designed to:

-Provide rising high school juniors and seniors the opportunity to learn more about life as a physician and inspire them to consider a career in medicine;

- Educate students about options available to assist with the cost of medical education;

- Provide students and local physicians with a community-based mentoring/teaching experience; and

- Assist with efforts to increase the pipeline of health care providers in Southeastern Tennessee.



The 25 students selected for this honor were selected from applications received from schools throughout the region. The participants represent 16 private and public schools. They are:



Baylor School - Chase Radpour, Mark Wilson

Bledsoe County High School - Alana Holland

Boyd Buchanan High School - Dominick Cortes Coker, Alexander Coker, Tejit Pamidi

Chattanooga Christian School - Donald Cameron Bradley

Chattanooga School for the Arts and Sciences - Lana El-Etr, Jamisen A. Mobley

East Hamilton High School - Struti Patel, Jason Tran

Girls Preparatory School - Ruchi Patel

Hixson High School - Ezza Zahid

Lee University - Blaire Terrell

Lookout Valley High School - Jacob Scott Hale

Notre Dame High School - Mason Jurka, Jennifer Swope

Ooltewah High School - Anna-Yazin Iparraguirre-Garcia, Louis D. Ramirez

Red Bank High School - Sandy Chen, Avianna Harris

Silverdale Baptist Academy - Curtis Hyde Dearing

South Pittsburg High School - Skyller Beason

The McCallie School - Denver Oliver, Nathan Wagoner



Mark Brzezienski, MD, founder of the Youth Leadership Forum expressed his optimism for this years class. This program is a great way to educate students on the realities of the field of medicine. These young men and women are always so full of hope and optimism. They inspire us as much as we hope to inspire them to pursue a career in the field, Dr. Brzezienski said.
Raymond Bertani, 83, passed away on Tuesday, May 14, 2019, at Erlanger Hospital following a brief illness.

Born on Sept. 7, 1935, in Astoria, NY. He attended New York University, served as a sergeant, first class in the New York National Guard from 1955-1961.



In 1953 he began his career with Ciba-Geigy Corporation as a lab technician.



He married the love of his life, Rosemarie, on May 9, 1959.



In 1961, the family moved to Chattanooga, where he began work as the lab manager for the Tennessee division.



From 1973 to 1975, the family lived in Texas while Ray was the branch manager for the Dallas division of the company.



The family returned to Chattanooga in 1975 and Ray worked as branch manager for the Atlanta division.



In 1992, Ray became the executive director of the Carpet Team. In 1995, after 42 years of service, he retired from Ciba-Geigy.



From 1995 to 2000, he worked with Polychem Subsidiary of JLM Industries, Rite Industries, Global Chemical Solutions, and Manufacturers Chemical Co. in sales management and marketing.



He was a 50-year member of the AATCC (American Association of Textiles, Chemists, and Colorists).



Ray was a founding member and active parishioner of St. Stephen Catholic Church in Chattanooga, where he previously served on the parish council and as a lector, and most recently as an usher. He was very active in the Knights of Columbus, Holy Family Council #6099 and was a 4th Degree Knight.



Ray happily spent his retirement years as a volunteer at the Tennessee Aquarium and at Memorial Hospital. He enjoyed dancing with the Choo Choo Shag Club, playing bocce, attending the Chattanooga Symphony, and traveling with friends. He also loved going on beach vacations and spending time with his beloved family.



He was preceded in death by his parents, Frank and Mae Bertani of Queens, NY.



He leaves behind his wife of 60 years, Rosemarie Bertani; his sons: Raymond (Michelle) and Chris (Christine) of Chattanooga, TN, David (Elizabeth) of Nashville, TN, and Mike (Susan) of Leeds, AL; seven grandchildren: Nick, Mia, Max, Joey, Will, Liza, and Benjy; brother, Richard (Sue) Bertani of Windsor, CA; nephews and niece: Jon Bertani, Todd Bertani, and Amy Snow; and many close friends.



Everyone who had the privilege of knowing Ray would tell you that he was a well-respected person of great integrity and outstanding character. He was lovingly called Papa and Papa Ray by his grandchildren who cherished and adored him.



Ray and Rosemarie recently celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary. They have been a shining example to all of the true meaning of the sacrament of marriage.



A Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 11 a.m. on Friday, May 24, at St. Stephen Catholic Church with Father Manuel Perez officiating.



In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to St. Stephens Catholic Church.



Visit www.heritagechattanooga.com to share condolences and view the memorial tribute.



The family will receive friends from 5-8 p.m. (Rosary at 7:45 p.m.) on Thursday, May 23, at Heritage Funeral Home, 7454 E. Brainerd Road.


For the third consecutive month, Tennessees preliminary statewide unemployment rate for April 2019 remains at the all-time low of 3.2 percent, according to data released today by the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development (TDLWD).

Tennessee first set its all-time low unemployment rate in February and it has remained at a seasonally adjusted 3.2 percent each month since establishing the record. Over the last 12 months, unemployment across the state dropped by 0.4 of a percentage point when compared to data from April 2018.

The latest unemployment numbers demonstrate consistent economic stability, said TDLWD Commissioner Jeff McCord. We have not experienced much movement in unemployment for nearly two years. And thats really good news.

Tennessee employers added 5,000 new nonfarm jobs between March and April. The professional/business services sector experienced the biggest increase, adding 2,600 positions. The leisure and hospitality sector was close behind with 2,400 new jobs added during April.



Between April 2018 and April 2019, Tennessee gained an estimated 51,600 new nonfarm jobs.



The April preliminary unemployment rate for the United States stands at 3.6 percent, which is 0.2 of a percentage point lower than Marchs national rate.



The statewide and national unemployment rates are seasonally adjusted to eliminate the influences of weather, holidays, the opening and closing of schools, and other recurring seasonal events from an economic time series.



You can find complete analysis of the April 2019 unemployment rate for the state of Tennessee here.



Tennesseans searching for new employment can log on toJobs4TN.gov, the states workforce development website. It has over 150,000 active job listings, as well as free online resume assistance, job interview skills training, and other best practices to help with job searching.



The state of Tennessee will release the county unemployment rates for April 2019 Thursday, May 23, 2019, at 1:30 p.m. CT.


Shane Allen Wheat, 35, formerly of 1210 Good Hope Road, Dalton, was sentenced on Tuesday by Superior Court Judge Jim Wilbanks to serve the remainder of his life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Wheat was convicted by a Whitfield County jury on March 28, of trafficking in methamphetamine, possession of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute, possession of methamphetamine, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony (two counts), obstruction of a law enforcement officer, possession of drug related objects and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon (two counts).

Wheat received concurrent time on all charges other than the possession with intent to distribute, except for the two counts of possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, which by law must be run consecutively to any other sentence imposed.

Wheat had six prior felony convictions between 2003 and 2015 including a prior sale of methamphetamine (Murray County, 2003), a prior trafficking in methamphetamine (Gwinnett County, 2007), a prior possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine (Whitfield County, 2015), and two prior possession of methamphetamine (Murray County, 2003 and 2011). He also had a prior felony theft conviction (Murray County, 2001).

Wheat had been sent to prison five prior times serving a total of 130 months since 2003 prior to his arrest in October of 2017. That is almost 10 years out of 15 behind bars. "Each time he paroled out he would reoffend, usually within a matter of months," said District Attorney Bert Poston.

Wheat has been in custody since his arrest on the current case on Oct. 4, 2017.



Under Georgia law, the Court has authority to impose a life sentence on a second or subsequent sale or possession with intent to distribute of a schedule I or II controlled substance. Methamphetamine is schedule II. This was Wheats third conviction under that statute.

Also under Georgia law, when a person has three or more prior felony convictions, any subsequently ordered prison time must be served without the possibility of parole. Wheat has six prior felony convictions.

DA Poston said he appreciates Judge Wilbanks serious consideration of the options available to him and his decision to impose the maximum possible sentence given the defendants repeated failure to take advantage of opportunities to change his life. "It was particularly important to the safety and security of the community given the pattern of crimes and Wheats possession of two firearms in connection with his drug distribution business," said DA Poston.

The case was presented to the jury in March by Assistant District Attorney Ben Kenemer and by Detective Cameron Cox of the Whitfield County Sheriffs Office who was also the lead detective on the case.


Robert Scott Brehm, formerly of 1178 Highway 225, Chatsworth, was sentenced on Wednesday by Superior Court Judge Jim Wilbanks to serve 10 years in prison followed by 10 years on probation.

Brehm was convicted in February by a Murray County jury on sexual abuse charges against a single underage victim which occurred over a period of about a year.

Judge Wilbanks imposed standard sex offender convictions on Brehm including requirements that he not have contact with minors and not reside in any home where children also reside.



The states case was presented by Assistant District Attorney Ben Kenemer and by Brett Morrison, formerly a detective with the Murray County Sheriffs Office who investigated the case.

Evidence came out at trial that Brehm agreed to take a polygraph examination, but prior to the start of the exam, admitted to some, but not all of the alleged touching.

Brehm was represented at trial and at sentencing by Dalton attorney Jerry Moncus. Brehm maintained his innocence and advised the Court that he would be appealing his conviction.



Under Georgia law, he has 30 days to file a motion for new trial or notice of appeal to begin that process.


The Mary Smith Lockwood Founders Medal honors an individual who has shown outstanding achievement through service and leadership in promoting education outside the formal educational process. The Judge David Campbell Chapter and the Tennessee and National Societies Daughters of the Revolution presented this DAR Founders Medal to Dr. Linda Morrison Hooper.

Dr. Hooper is the embodiment of the ideal educator: intelligent, selfless, creative, and inspirational, said officials. She is the former principal of the Whitwell Middle School, located in rural Marion County.

Last year marked the 20th anniversary of the Childrens Holocaust Memorial which Dr. Hooper set into motion in 1998. Dr. Hooper was concerned about the growing hate and school violence across the country, and increasing bullying and intolerance even in her own school, and she recognized that the people of her community had little opportunity to practice tolerance for other races, religions or cultures. Whitwell is primarily made up of people surrounded by other people who look just like them, think just like them, worship just like them, and are pretty content to remain right where they are, never venturing into the world beyond their own county. At the time of the project's inception, her school population of 425 included six African-Americans, one Hispanic, no Asians, no Catholics, and no Jews. "Our community is white, Christian, and very fundamentalist," said Dr. Hooper at the time she launched the program. "We just have to give our children a broader view of the world. We have to crack the shell of their white cocoon, to enable them to survive in the world out there."



A question from a student  What does six million look like? and the decision to collect six million paperclips to represent the people who died in the Holocaust has resulted in the Childrens Holocaust Memorial. Its paper clip project has resulted in donations of more than 30 million paperclips from around the globe and has become a means to foster tolerance, inspiring pilgrimages to and from Whitwell for students of all ages to learn about the past and work toward a future where hate cannot take hold. It has inspired a moving documentary film, "Paper Clips," which has been acclaimed across the world.

Its collection of Holocaust-related literature is now the largest in the southeast, and all the books, and artifacts have been contributed by people who have been inspired by the project. Another poignant part of the memorial is the authentic German rail car, used to transport Jews and other of Hitler's "undesirables" to the death camps, which was donated by German citizens in response to the project.

The memorial has never received public funding for anything except the utilities that serve the school as a whole. Throughout its time, Dr. Hooper has served as the guiding light and the chief laborer, receiving no financial benefit beyond her normal compensation as a principal in the county school system.

Dr. Hooper's unselfish devotion to the continuation and growth of the project every year, even in her retirement years, is an inspiration to all who know her. Dr. Hooper is the epitome of the noble educator, and deserves every honor and accolade for her accomplishments and for the example she has set for the rest of us, said officials.
Its that time of year when we see changes in leadership across the state in our schools. Superintendents will leave and be replaced. It matters to all of us whomever a school board places in leadership. In some cases, you will see districts go outside their district and pick new leadership while others will promote from within. There are good choices and there are bad choices out there. So, to all school boards, we say: choose wisely. In my circle, we call this time of the year the Dance of the Lemons and/or the Parade of Favorites.

A school district must have competent leadership in managing the daily operations of the school district. A good superintendent leads the districts educational, financial and administrative performance; facilitates the performance of all personnel; and responds to and informs stakeholders and policymakers about the performance and leadership of the district. Probably one of the most important duties of the superintendent is to make sure district students are learning and achieving at the highest level possible.

A superintendent must understand effective academic practices and be supportive of the teachers and administrators in the district. Leadership, vision, and strategic thinking are critical skills for every superintendent. A successful superintendent should also be an effective and excellent communicator. If the only voice a superintendent will listen to is his/her own, or a few members of the school board, public education will eventually lose community support. Does that mean that we simply accept decisions from superintendents, without challenging them? Of course not!

Stakeholders and policymakers must particularly hold superintendents accountable in regard to educational, financial and administrative performance. However, we should provide them latitude in regards to leadership, vision and strategic thinking on how to address the performance in those areas. And we must expect them to communicate effectively to all stakeholders.

Superintendent, like principals, must also demonstrate a keen understanding of teaching, learning and what works for students. As a change leader, a successful superintendent should emphasize the efficient use of resources, personnel, and data to break down resistance and drive systemic change; empower board and personnel to set goals, measure results, develop accountability, and support planning, evaluation, and resource allocation.

As far as degrees and experience, that really depends on the person. Practical knowledge is likely more important than theoretical knowledge. We have all seen people with advanced degrees who were unable to apply that knowledge to the real world. I think executive experience might be critical in a larger district. Keep in mind that education is a business, as much as it is a service. In most districts, the school system is one of the largest employers in the community. Teaching experience and some building-level administrative experience is strongly suggested because it gives the person in charge at least a background of what the educators in the schools face on a daily basis.

In my own experience, I am never concerned with the WHO in a position. I would look at the philosophy of the person, their background and their vision. A smart school board would not focus on what an applicant would do similar to continue the work of the exiting predecessor, but rather on how he or she would differentiate from the previous occupant. You must have a plan to build on the work of the previous administration, not merely maintain the status quo.

Probably the greatest weakness of some superintendents, in my opinion, has been the lack of empathy toward educators. It is one thing to be relentless in support of excellence for children, it is another to manage completely by fear. Personnel drives policy. How you treat your employees is also a reflection of character. Several districts are well-known for unnecessarily treating educators harshly. These districts must understand that schools are not factories, students are not widgets, and personnel are not simply interchangeable on a whim.

Certainly, some educators have been forced to leave their school system for subjective reasons, rather than objective reasons. Actions speak louder than words. In some cases, dismissal may have been warranted, but in many cases, it appears circumstances were little more than personality conflicts and people not fitting into a certain educational or political environment. We have lost some good educators in our state because of this subjectivity, and I would argue many of these educators deserve another chance to keep their career going.

No matter who your district hires---whether from within or bringing in an experienced educator from outside---give that new leader a chance. Dont be afraid to hold them accountable. Make sure that your local school board has fully vetted the candidate, and takes the time to select the best person for the children, educators, parents, and taxpayers in your community.

J.C. Bowman

Executive Director of Professional Educators of Tennessee
Although Meghan Markles family has mostly been in the news for the wrong reasons, there was a time when Markle enjoyed a close, loving relationship with her estranged relatives.

Markles father, Thomas Markle Sr., has become infamous for his staged photo shoots and tabloid banter. It seems as though he wasnt always so focused on the fame game, but rather, ensuring his young daughter was able to get the best possible start in life.

How did Meghan Markle grow up?

Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex | Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images

Meghan Markle was born to Thomas Markle Sr. and Doria Ragland in Los Angeles, California, in 1981. Her mother worked as a social worker and yoga instructor (no doubt giving Markle some of her passion towards social causes) and her father was a lighting director who worked on the popular television show General Hospital.

Her father had been married before, with two older children: Thomas Markle Jr. and Samantha Markle.

Although Thomas Markle Sr. and Doria Ragland separated when Markle was only two years old, formally divorcing four years later, Markle still saw a lot of her father during the years following the split.

Was she close to her father as a child?

"The most hard working Father you can imagine"  Meghan Markle. #ThomasMarkle https://t.co/9jCVqQeImA  Rebecca Elizabeth James (@RebeccaEliJ) May 11, 2019

After the divorce, young Meghan Markle started spending a lot of time with her father on the set of the new show he was working, Marriedwith Children.

Prior to becoming a royal, Meghan Markle ran a lifestyle blog called The Tig, and on the blog, she frequently discussed what it was like spending time with her father as a child. She admitted that she would be on the set of the show, watching her father work. It is likely that this early exposure to the world of television and film helped inspire Markles passion for acting and the dramatic arts.

On her blog, which was deleted during the early days of her relationship with Prince Harry, Meghan Markle paid tribute to her dad, saying that he was the one who inspired her strong work ethic. She also detailed how he paid a lot of money to send her to ballet lessons and all the best private schools.

Thomas Markle Sr. even dedicated a great deal of time to work on young Meghan Markles school plays, rigging the lighting to help make the production seem more professional. It seems as though their relationship, while she was growing up, was truly picture-perfect.

Will Markle and her father ever reconcile?

So reports now claim that #ThomasMarkle fabricated his heart surgery to get out of the wedding! Im so happy that the things we knew are finally being reported! pic.twitter.com/fQH7N6lKQ9  The Royal Truth (@TheRoyalTruth2) May 8, 2019

Somewhere along the line, things went wrong for Meghan Markle and her father. While it isnt clear when or how the relationship first started to dissolve, it is clear that Thomas Markle Sr. started to experience some problems with his health a little in advance of the royal wedding.

However, shortly before the wedding, paparazzi photos were leaked that showed Thomas Markle Sr. getting fitted for a tuxedo, ostensibly for the wedding. It was clear that the photos were staged. Between the photos and his apparent heart health problems, he was not invited to the ceremony. Prince Charles was the one who walked Meghan Markle down the aisle to meet Prince Harry at the altar.

In the months since the drama hasnt ceased between Markle and her estranged father. He leaked the contents of a private letter that Markle wrote to him in confidence, and that seems to have sealed his fate, at least for now.

It seems as though Meghan Markle has no intentions of reconciling with her father at this time, and with a brand-new baby on her hands, might not turn her thoughts that direction for quite some time. Thomas Markle Sr. has spoken out and said that he was filled with joy at the news of the babys birth  so perhaps there is hope for reconciliation after all.

No matter what the future holds for Meghan Markle and her father, hopefully, all parties involved are able to find some peace and happiness in the years ahead.
Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle both became hugely popular when they married into the British royal family. Their names and faces started appearing on every magazine and their respective royal weddings were watched by many people around the world.

Although both ladies can garner attention like no other, a lot of fans often wonder: which one is more popular with the common folks? Is it really Kate Middleton, who has been in the royal family since 2011? Or could it be Meghan Markle, the newer actress-turned-duchess? Read on below to find out.

Kate Middleton is more popular with British public in recent poll

Kate Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge and Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex | Samir Hussein/WireImage

According to a poll conducted by U.K.-based research center, Opinium, 62% of the British public has a positive view on Kate Middleton. However, only 39% said the same thing about Meghan Markle.

Kate Middletons popularity is topped by people like Queen Elizabeth, Prince William, and Prince Harry  all of whom had a positive rating of 70% or higher.

Meanwhile, Meghan Markle is the second least-liked female royal. She is just ahead of Prince Charles wife, Camilla Parker Bowles, who is only approved by 24% of the public.

Kate Middleton has generally been well-liked by people

Kate Middletons high rating perhaps isnt surprising considering the fact that the Duchess of Cambridge has been well-liked by the British public ever since she joined the royal family.

Although Kate has received her fair share of criticisms, especially concerning her work ethics, many people generally approve of her being in the royal family. She is seen as relatable given her more common background and her parenting style has been praised by onlookers.

Meghan Markle has had a rough start in the royal family

Unlike Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle has had to weather controversies and negative press just in her first year of being in the royal family, which no doubt plays a role in her low approval rating.

From family members trying to smear her image to constant rumors about her feuding with many people in the royal household and staff, its no wonder some members of the public do not have a good view of Meghan Markle.

Moreover, another reason for Meghans negative rating is also the fact that she is different from the rest of the royal family. Meghan Markle is a biracial divorcee who likes to do things her own way and does not follow traditions that she disagrees with.

There are definitely many people who love Meghan for being a breath of fresh air, but at the same time, its obvious that some are not happy with a royal family member who is so different from what they have come to know.

Can Meghan Markle increase her popularity?

Its important to note this poll is not an end-all, be-all. Popularity ratings change all the time and theres hope that public opinions of Meghan Markle can get more positive as time goes on.

For example, Camilla Parker Bowles was extremely unpopular when she married Prince Charles in 2005 because of her involvement in Prince Charles and Princess Dianas marriage.

However, Camillas approval rating has gone up over the years due to her commitment to charity work and the other royals showing her love and respect.

Meghan Markle is in a different situation than Camilla, but the public can definitely warm up to her with time. It also helps that she is now a mother. Kate Middletons approval rating with the public (as well as the queen) went up when she had children and people saw how well she was raising them, so theres no doubt the same thing can happen to Meghan in the near future.
A little more than a week after Meghan Markle gave birth to baby Archie Harrison, his aunt, and uncle  Prince William and Kate Middleton  finally got to meet the newest member of the royal family. A palace rep confirmed that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge visited Frogmore Cottage to see their new nephew, and Middleton brought baby Archie the sweetest gift.

Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, pose with their newborn son Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor | Photo by Dominic Lipinski  WPA Pool/Getty Images

Kate Middleton met with school children before visiting baby Archie Harrison

Before heading to Frogmore Cottage, Middleton visited a secret WWII spy base in Bletchley Park, and a group of school children gave her four animal toys for her three children  Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis  and baby Archie.

According to Hello! Magazine, the children presented her with an owl, squirrel, rabbit, and fox, and the Duchess told the kids that her children loved wild animals and would lovingly look after the toys.

Its not clear which one she gave to her nephew.

William and Kates visit with baby Archie did not include George, Charlotte, and Louis, even though they were dying to meet their new cousin.

Prince George and Princess Charlotte have already been asking their parents when they can meet their new cousin, they are as excited as anybody, an insider told The Mirror.

Prince Harry has continued working

Even though he just became a dad, Prince Harry has kept his royal engagements. He traveled to the Netherlands just after Archies birth to launch The Invictus Games The Hague 2020, but the Duke of Sussex kept talking about his newborn.

His friend, JJ Chalmers, revealed that Harry said being the parent of a new baby is hard work. The new dad also shared that Archie Harrison slept for the first 24 hours, and then he woke up.

Harry also visited the Oxford Childrens Hospital and spoke to Amy Scullard, the mom of a two-year-old boy who is fighting cancer.

He [Prince Harry] said hes getting used to the baby and how Archie has fitted into family life. He said he just feels part of the family and he cant imagine life without his son, said Scullard.

During his visit to the hospital, one royal fan gave Prince Harry a teddy bear for baby Archie.

The Queen was the first royal to meet Archie Harrison

Just two days after Archies birth, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle introduced Queen Elizabeth to their son, and the meeting led to a historic photo. When Archie met his great-grandparents  Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip  Meghans mom Doria Ragland was also present.

Cameras captured the memorable moment that featured Queen Elizabeth with the first biracial member of the royal family and the very first black grandmother of a royal baby.

Tessy Ojo, the chief executive of the Diana Award which is a charity that honors Harrys late mother, Princess Diana, says that Archies birth is monumental because he is the first biracial grandchild of the Queen. And, the beautiful photo celebrates the joining of cultures.

Like Harry and Meghans wedding, changes the landscape in terms of bringing visibility around race and inclusion, said Ojo.

Prince Charles is next

When Markle gave birth to Archie, Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, were in Germany for a three-day tour. The proud grandpa said that he and his wife were looking forward to meeting the new royal baby, and they couldnt be more delighted at the news of his birth.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have enjoyed their first days as parents. Their first weekend with baby Archie Harrison just happened to include Mothers Day, and the couple celebrated the holiday while also enjoying visits from friends.
A team of scientists has created a bowl-shaped electrode with 'hot edges' which can efficiently convert CO 2 from gas into carbon based fuels and chemicals, helping combat the climate change threat posed by atmospheric carbon dioxide.

The research team, from the University of Bath, Fudan University, Shanghai, and the Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, hopes the catalyst design will eventually allow the use of renewable electricity to convert CO 2 into fuels without creating additional atmospheric carbon - essentially acting like an electrochemical 'leaf' to convert carbon dioxide into sugars.

Using this reaction, known as the reduction of carbon dioxide, has exciting potential but two major obstacles are poor conversion efficiency of the reaction and a lack of detailed knowledge about the exact reaction pathway.

This new electrode addresses these challenges with higher conversion efficiency and sensitive detection of molecules created along the reaction's progress - thanks to its innovative shape and construction. The bowl shaped electrode works six times faster than standard planar - or flat - designs.

The bowl-like shape of the design, technically known as an "inverse opal structure" concentrates electric fields on its hot edges - the rim of the bowl - which then concentrates positively charged potassium ions on the active sites of the reaction, reducing its energy requirements.

The Copper-Indium alloy electrode can also be useful to sensitively study the reaction process via measuring the Raman signal, which is higher compared to a typical electrode.

Professor Ventsislav Valev, from the University of Bath's Department of Physics, said: "There is no more pressing human need than breathing. Yet for hundreds of million people this most basic activity is a source of anxiety over lowering life expectancy, rising child mortality and climate change. There is evidence that CO 2 increases surface ozone, carcinogens, and particulate matter, thereby increasing death, asthma, hospitalization, and cancer rates. It is therefore crucial to keep researching new ways for lowing the CO 2 levels in the atmosphere."

The team wants to continue research to develop the most efficient catalyst to perform carbon reduction.

Professor Liwu Zhang, from Fudan University, said: "CO 2 is causing climate change, making our planet warmer. By using clean electricity, we can convert CO 2 into chemical fuels, which can be used again. This builds a cycle of CO 2 , with no increment of CO 2 concentration and will help save our world.

"However, to improve the efficiency of transforming CO 2 into chemical fuels, it is extremely important to know the reaction pathway, and find the most suitable catalyst.
Actress Alyssa Milano has been making headlines for years. In 2017, she was instrumental in the #MeToo movement. She has advocated for vegetarianism, supported political candidates, and crusaded against abortion restrictions. She even called for a sex strike to protest Georgias recently passed heartbeat bill.

Accordingly, you can imagine viewers surprise when Milano told Cuomo Prime Time that she is pro-life. She explained: I dont think theres a human on the planet that is not pro-life. Nobody wants to get an abortion. Nobody. We are all pro-life.

Then she qualified her statement: But there are circumstances that we cannot avoid. Theres the mothers health. Theres just not being ready, ya know, and what that means financially and for someones destiny. This is an economic issue.

So, Alyssa Milano is pro-life unless the life of the child conflicts with being ready, someones destiny, or an economic issue.

Tragically, she speaks for many.

Producing more light than heat

The abortion ban passed by the Alabama state Senate on Tuesday was signed into law yesterday by the states governor. It joins fetal heartbeat laws recently passed in Ohio and Georgia. Numerous commentators are pointing to the likelihood that the Supreme Court will eventually determine the status of such legislation. The Court could even overturn Roe v. Wade.

As the abortion debate accelerates and the political season intensifies, it will be important for Christians to respond in ways that produce more light than heat.

To lay the foundation for such a strategy, lets begin with David Brooks latest New York Times column. He notes: A society is healthy when its culture counterbalances its economics. That is to say, when you have a capitalist economic system that emphasizes competition, dynamism and individual self-interest, you need a culture that celebrates cooperation, stability and committed relationships.

Lets utilize Brooks logic differently: Our capitalist economic systems emphasis on subjective self-interest needs a culture that emphasizes objective truth and communal well-being. However, we have endorsed autonomy not just in our financial system but with truth itself.

Alyssa Milano can claim to be pro-life with no reference to the way the term has historically been understood because our culture has little regard for historical truth. Our courts have granted themselves the right to discover rights to abortion and same-sex marriage nowhere stated in the Constitution. Moral standards are no longer standard. Truth is what gets someone elected.

Those of us who stand for biblical truth can simply condemn our culture and refuse to engage in its debates. But theres a biblical precedent we should heed.

My people go into exile for lack of knowledge

In Isaiah 5, the Lord likens his chosen people to a vineyard on a very fertile hill (v. 1). However, he warns them: I will remove its hedge, and it shall be devoured; I will break down its wall, and it shall be trampled down (v. 5).

Why?

God looked for justice, but behold, bloodshed; for righteousness, but behold, an outcry! (v. 7). He added: Woe to those who join house to house, who add field to field. . . . Woe to those who rise early in the morning, that they may run after strong drink, who tarry late in the evening as wine inflames them! They have lyre and harp, tambourine and flute and wine at their feasts, but they do not regard the deeds of the Lord, or see the work of his hands (vv. 8, 1112).

Bloodshed instead of justicedoes this describe abortion? Those who join house to housedoes this describe our materialistic society? Those who run after strong drinkdoes this describe the substance abuse epidemic of our day? Those who do not regard the deeds of the Lorddoes this describe our irreligious culture?

Heres the result: Therefore my people go into exile for lack of knowledge; their honored men go hungry, and their multitude is parched with thirst (v. 13).

A reminder from my trip to Israel

Heres my point: My people go into exile included everyone. When the nation fell, every person in the nation was affected. Daniel and Ezekiel were just two of the godly faithful who suffered in exile because of the sins of their people.

Rather than simply condemning the culture and withdrawing from it, we should answer Gods call to be salt and light in every way we can.

The same is true for Christians in America. Rather than simply condemning the culture and withdrawing from it, we should answer Gods call to be salt and light in every way we can. Not just for the sake of the lost who do not understand biblical truth (cf. 1 Corinthians 2:14)but for our sake and that of our children and grandchildren as well.

Consider an analogy.

I returned yesterday from spending three weeks leading study tours in Israel. Each time I return to the Holy Land, I am impressed again by the smallness of the nation and the solidarity of her people.

Israel is roughly the size of New Jersey. Its politics are chaotic in the extreme (forty-four parties participated in last months elections, for example). But the people are passionately united in their commitment to their nation and its future.

The reason is simple: They know that what happens to some of them happens to all of them. An attack on any part of Israel is an attack on all of Israel.

If you had the cure for all cancer

Americas Christians should feel the same way about our nation.

We are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us (2 Corinthians 5:20a). Our message to our people is urgent: We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God (v. 20b). Our hope is transforming: For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God (v. 21).

If you had the cure for all cancer, would you condemn cancer patientsor would you do all you could to save them?

NOTE: Is God going to judge America? Or has he already?

If you read even just a few headlines, you may think you know the answer. But, thankfully, Gods ways are not our ways.

In my newest book, How Does God See America?, I wrestle with twelve cultural issues that reveal how God might view America.

To request your copy today, click here.

For more from the Denison Forum, please visit www.denisonforum.org.

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The attempt to remake our country into a secular wasteland continues unabated.

Even the U.S. House of Representatives has begun leaving God out when swearing in witnesses.

For example, a video of such an omission is beginning to make the rounds.

Graham Ledger, the host of The Daily Ledger on One America News Network, showed the video of this purposeful omission of God at a swearing in; and he commented: So God is gone now. Poof. No more God in the peoples House. This is not about a religious test. This is about the founding of this republic. We are a country built on a core belief in God and Judeo-Christian values. Thus, the Declaration of Independence is now under de facto assault by this crew. One nation under God, divisible by one political party that seeks to attack liberty and justice for all.

In the video, we see Democratic Congressman Steve Cohen from Tennessee, who is the chairman of this particular committee, swearing in guests. Cohen is perhaps best remembered as the congressman eating KFC on the Congressional floor in a publicity stunt recently.

Cohen asks some witnesses about to testify: Do you swear or affirm under penalty of perjury that the testimony youre about to give is true and correct, to the best of your knowledge, information, and belief?

Congressman Michael Johnson (R, LA) politely interrupts with a parliamentary inquiry. He states: I think we left out the phrase so help me, God.

Cohen replies directly to Johnson, We did. Johnson asked if the witnesses could swear in again, but this time with the traditional phrase, So help me God, added. Chairman Cohen shakes his head and says, No. And he adds, If they want to do itbut some of them dont want to do it.

Johnson states, Well, it goes back to our founding history. Its been part of our tradition for more than two centuries, and I dont know that we should abandon it now. Cohen looks at Johnson, and his face seems to communicate, What planet is this guy from?

Johnson adds, Could I ask the witnesses if they would choose to use the phrase? Then Congressman Jerome Nadler (D-NY), shuts this discussion down, saying, We do not have religious tests for office or for anything else, and we should let it go at that.

I once interviewed Michael Johnson for Christian television. As an attorney, he specialized in religious liberty. He told me, Can the government acknowledge the role of God in human affairs? Now we know that the founders have always done that since the beginning  the founding of the nation. So, the answer is yes.

Johnson also added, Americans intuitively have an appreciation for absolute truth and justice. We were programmed that way by our Creator, and thats what the founders acknowledged from the very beginning The enemies of the faith would have us remove all vestiges of Christianity, all vestiges of the God of the Bible from the public square; and thats not what the Constitution says, and thats not what were required to do.

Another Republican Congressperson weighs in on this issue. Liz Cheney from Wyoming says: It is incredible, but not surprising, that the Democrats would try to remove God from committee proceedings in one of their first acts in the majority... They really have become the party of Karl Marx.

When my brother-in-law saw this clip, he responded: If you think about it, our rights are inalienable because they are endowed by our Creator. If we no longer believe in a Creator, how soon will our rights no longer be inalienable? Exactly. That is whats at stake in this debate on a seemingly arcane subject.

The founders followed the classic tradition of swearing in on the Holy Bible and in the name of God. Why are oaths taken that way? Because they recognized that we are accountable to God who sees all and who will one day judge us all.

I remember in seminary, one of my professors said, Its not what we (professors) expect that matters. Its what we inspect. Inspection means accountability. It means we have to do the assignments, which they will then inspect.

In his Farewell Address, George Washington said, Let it simply be asked: Where is the security for property, for reputation, for life, if the sense of religious obligation desert the oaths which are the instruments of investigation in courts of justice? Take God out of oaths, and they have no real meaning.

Thomas Jefferson asked, Can the liberties of a nation be secure when we have removed a conviction that these liberties are the gift of God?

Acknowledgment of God is another victim, it would seem, of todays culture war. And with Him goes any assurance that the witness is telling the truth.

###

Jerry Newcombe, D.Min., is an on-air host/senior producer for D. James Kennedy Ministries. He has written/co-written 31 books, e.g., The Unstoppable Jesus Christ, American Amnesia: Is American Paying the Price for Forgetting God?,What If Jesus Had Never Been Born?(w/ D. James Kennedy) & the bestseller, George Washington's Sacred Fire (w/ Peter Lillback) djkm.org @newcombejerry www.jerrynewcombe.com.

Photo courtesy: Getty Images/Wavebreak Media
The respective directors of The Force Awakens, The Rise of Skywalker and Get Out say they will donate money to fight a new Georgia law that prohibits abortion after an unborn babys heartbeat is detected.

J.J. Abrams and Jordan Peele are executive producers of HBOs Lovecraft Country series, which is expected to begin filming in Georgia in the coming weeks. Both say they oppose the law signed this month by Republican Gov. Brian Kemp.

In a few weeks we start shooting our new show, Lovecraft Country, and will do so standing shoulder to shoulder with the women of Georgia, Abrams and Peele said in a joint statement, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Governor Kemp's Fetal Heartbeat Abortion Law is an unconstitutional effort to further restrict women and their health providers from making private medical decisions on their terms. Make no mistake, this is an attack aimed squarely and purposely at women.

Abrams directed the 2015 Star War film The Force Awakens and is the director of the new Star Wars film The Rise of Skywalker, which will release later this year. Peele directed Get Out(2017) and Us (2019).

The two men say they will donate Lovecraft Country proceeds to fight the new Georgia law.

We stand with Stacey Abrams and the hardworking people of Georgia, and will donate 100 percent of our respective episodic fees for this season to two organizations leading the charge against this draconian law: the ACLU of Georgia and Fair Fight Georgia, their statement read. We encourage those who are able to funnel any and all resources to these organizations.

Kemp said he signed the bill into law because Georgia is a state that values life.

Catherine Davis, founder and president of the Restoration Project, said Kemp had the courage to do what other governors did not do. She attended the signing ceremony.

This governor, Davis said, is standing [and] restoring  protection for a class of people who had the protection stripped from them in Roe v. Wade  just like Plessy v. Ferguson stripped away protection from a class of people, just like [the] Dred Scott decision stripped away protection from a class of people  so did Roe v. Wade, and [it] began to define a class of people as objects to be gotten rid of.

Related:

Georgia Gov. Defies Hollywood Threats, Signs Pro-Life Heartbeat Bill

Stacy Abrams Calls Georgia Heartbeat Bill 'Evil' and Says it's 'Bad for Business'

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

Michael Foust is a freelance writer. Visit his blog, MichaelFoust.com.

Photo courtesy: Agnieszka Kowalczyk/Unsplash
The U.S. State Department has ordered the withdrawal of all non-emergency personnel from the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad and U.S. Consulate in Erbil amid mounting tensions with Iran and threats to U.S. government employees.

According to ABC News, government sources have warned of clear indications that Irans Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is planning imminent attacks on American forces both on land and at sea. The U.S. Embassy called the measures "appropriate given the current security conditions," but did not name any specific threats. Last week, Pompeo stated that the threats "were imminent."

The State Department insisted that the withdrawals were necessary after receiving "increased intelligence reporting" regarding potential Iranian military operations.

"We do not make these decisions lightly," the U.S. Embassy said in a statement. "The safety and welfare of US government personnel and US citizens is the department's highest priority. We are confident in the Iraqi security services determination to protect us, but this threat is serious and we want to reduce the risk of harm. We remain committed to partnering with Iraq to advance our mutual interest."

While diplomatic relations have been poor for some time, Pompeo insisted that the increasingly serious nature of the Islamic Republics threats would not go unanswered.

"Our position hasn't changed," Pompeo declared. "We've made clear to the Iranians if American interests are attacked we most certainly will respond in an appropriate fashion.

When asked by a White House reporter Thursday if the United States was going to war with Iran, President Trump quickly replied, I hope not.

Germany has also taken steps to secure its troops, suspending all military training operations in Iraq, according to the Independent. A spokesperson insisted that there was "no concrete threat, but that Germany was simply "orienting itself toward partner countries, which have taken this step."

According to the New York Times, the Trump administration is preparing to send some 120,000 troops to the region in light of the most recent threats and in readiness for any future warfare.

Photo courtesy: Getty Images/Romanista
I used to tell my wife and friends that I needed a non-small-group small group. Then I began to wonder if I just needed an AA group. I am not an alcoholic. Alcohol just doesnt do it for me. But Alcoholics Anonymous does. I attended an AA group while writing a book called Addiction and Virtue, and Ive missed it ever since.

I am a Christian, or at least I am trying to be. I want to be a disciple of Jesus. But small groups just dont interest me. Ive attended many and they have all been more or less disappointing.

I know Im not the only person who has encountered something spiritually vital in AA that is missing from small groups. My students at Biola University, where I teach a class on addiction that requires their attendance at AA meetings, often express this sentiment. Despite being immersed in the evangelical subculture of our university, most of them describe AA as the most spiritually real community theyve ever witnessed.

This is not an especially new insight. Devotionals and leadership books and church bloggers have long tipped their hats to lessons that can be learned from AA. This magazine, too, has featured an ongoing conversation about the spiritual power of AA.

But in my teaching and research I have yet to see anyone take the comparison between AA and Christian community all the way, indulging it and carrying it to its full conclusion: If we took AA as our guideall of ithow would we do small groups differently? What, if anything, would change? The question is not too farfetched, since AA began as an offshoot of a once-potent Christian discipleship movement.

AA and transformation

AA founders Bill Wilson and Bob Smith were acolytes of the ...

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Why many multisite churches are now moving toward autonomous congregations

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Pastor David Chadwick was torn when he raised the question as he stepped down from Forest Hill Church in Charlotte, North Carolina, in the final weeks of winter.

Churches all over the country are doing it with videos shown on the screen in other places, he said in March. Elevation (Church) is probably the primary example here in Charlotte. You know, I just began to wonder more and more  how effective is that?

For nearly 40 years, Chadwick had led the 4,000-member, six-campus ministry which he had built from a 180-member congregation. As he ended his tenure at the church, however, Chadwick revealed he had started to have doubts about Forest Hills multisite model where lead pastors mainly connect with the congregation through video.

I know Im a good communicator  I can have people come and listen. But doesnt a pastor need to speak to his people? I began to struggle with that, he admitted.

At the time, said Chadwick, Forest Hill had already begun considering making each of the churchs campus pastors more autonomous.

As of 2012, multisite churches  congregations that host worship services at more than one physical location  numbered more than 5,000 in the U.S.

While Chadwick and several leaders of multisite congregations contacted by The Christian Post have declined to publicly comment on a growing discussion among the cohort on transitioning to autonomous churches, experts with knowledge of the industry say it is happening.

The popular multisite NewSpring Church in South Carolina, which struggled after founder Perry Noble was fired in 2016 for alcoholism and other failures, declined to speak about their own experience with the model.

The churchs chief communications officer, Suzanne Swift, said, however, that she is aware that many [multisite] churches are considering transitioning to autonomous congregations.

Concerns

Paul Marzahn, senior pastor of Crossroads Church, a multisite operation in Lakeville, Minnesota, told CP that he and other ministers have been studying the phenomenon for a while. He highlighted several reasons why he believes many multisite churches are looking at transitioning to autonomous churches.

Its a valid concern on a couple fronts. One is, some fairly large churches have had moral failures, and if you have your whole system based on one person primarily,  if that person fails then the whole system goes down, he said, acknowledging ongoing turmoil at Willow Creek Community Church and more recently Harvest Bible Chapel in Illinois.

Theres an economic and just kind of a practical aspect. The system is set up pretty much on a personality of one pastor who is highly effective, but if that highly effective pastor has any moral issues or even dysfunction  depression, alcoholism  it can really shut down all the campuses, he said.

While some multisite churches, like Rick Warrens global Saddleback Church based in California, have systems in place to deal with stressors that can affect leadership, some dont, said Marzahn.

I think there has been some exceptions to that. For example, Rick Warren, I know him personally. When his son committed suicide, he almost took a whole year off but he had a system in place to handle that. Not every multisite does, Marzahn explained.

He noted too that the typical multisite church model may not always serve young church leaders well.

At the doctoral study level, were talking about how do you train, raise up and even disciple the next generation of teaching pastors and effective pastors? And this kind of sidesteps that approach. Its sort of like saying were not going to take the time to mentor and train and raise up other really effective communicators. Were going to take our best communicators and just multiply that by campuses [aided] by video screens, he said.

Personally, Ive tackled that one where I started with some video screen campuses and now through internship programs, mentoring and teaching, Ive seen the value in raising up the next generation of teachers. I think Andy Stanley has been doing that too; its a great example of kind of having a common theme or element that all the campuses are doing but allowing the live preaching to take the major tenets of that message, Marzahn explained.

The Minnesota leader said he believes many multisite church leaders are avoiding discussing the issue publicly because they do not want to be seen as having a problem.

I think there is a fear factor. Organizations like that, if youre breaking up, somethings wrong because there have been ones that have had moral failures, there have been ones who are breaking up because of a problem that they dont want that association maybe. I think they should just be bold and say, 'Hey, were thinking were changing our model,' he said.

Willow Creek came out with a survey several years ago called Reveal. They realized that their  approach wasnt producing disciples and they finally said, 'You know what? Youre right. Were a shallow church; we need change.' And they just owned up to it and said,'Our model isnt working and so because this model isnt producing disciples were going to change our model.' And I think there are some campuses that arent producing disciples."

Speaking from his own experience with the multisite church model, Marzahn said he wouldnt classify trying, then moving on from it as a failure.

I wouldnt say they failed. I think it was a bold experiment. I think they still produced some disciples but its not as effective as it could be, so theyre re-evaluating that. But there are some churches who are afraid to say, 'Hey, maybe we made a mistake in planting a multisite the way we did it,' he said.

He said he personally made a number of mistakes in how he implemented the model but has learned from them.

I can just say, 'Hey, I did it with the best intentions but Im learning as I go. Ive never done it before.' I think the way were moving now is more healthy and I think it produces more disciples and it produces more leaders. Thats how I discussed it, he said.

It doesnt mean in 2011 I was a bad pastor and egotistical and thought everybody should watch my videos. I just thought I want to start new churches, these churches are dying, Im an effective teacher, a lot of these churches that I got complained they didnt have effective teaching. As I got these churches going I thought well, I dont need to be the only teacher. We can train up others and we can do this differently."

The Village Church transition

In 2017, The Village Church in Texas, led by Matt Chandler, pledged to transition all their campuses into autonomous churches by 2022 under a new initiative called Multiply.

Chandler said he had come to realize that the multisite model comes with an expiration date.

In the years in which we felt the most stress, the most pressure at The Village Church, we were out of space. We didnt know what else to do except enter into a season of prayer and fasting and just ask the Lord to do something that we had not been able to figure out by ourselves, he said. That started multisite for us in which we believe God was saying, Hey, in this season, the life of the church, this is how youre going to make disciples, this is how Im going to move and bless The Village Church.'  We ended up with five campuses and all of them doing really well in regards to reaching their local contexts. Its just really been a rich beautiful season.

Beau Hughes, pastor of The Village Church Denton, the first campus of The Village Church to become autonomous, said that from the outset of their multisite journey, Chandler did not settle on the model as a long-term plan.

I remember Matt even saying in one of the first meetings that we werent even sure where this was heading and eventually it might even head toward the campus becoming a local church. So as that moved on in terms of just our life together, that conversation was always there at least on Matts heart in so many different ways, about what to do with the campus long term, he said.

After much prayer and eight years after starting as a campus, The Village Church Denton transitioned into a local church.

The success of the Denton church, watching them really in a contextual place be freed up to engage where they were was really a beautiful thing and it shone light on how we were doing ministry and it shone some light on weaknesses that this thing that were doing, as beautiful as it is, its got an expiration date, Chandler said.

He said they continued to pray about what was happening until all the elders of the church came to a unanimous decision to work toward making all five campuses of The Village Church autonomous by 2022. This would allow for increased localized and global missions and those churches could also move on to plant more churches as well.

In recent responses to questions from CP, David Roark, communications and resources director at The Village Church, said two more campuses will make the transition to autonomous churches this year.

"On the whole, it's been going well," he said of the process.

"Two of our campuses, Plano and Dallas, will be transitioning off this year, and the staff and members of those churches are eager and excited about the future; in fact, the votes in favor to transition those campuses from members were both above 95 percent. The rest of the campuses are planning and putting the pieces in place to do the same in the next few years," he explained.

And while the transition has not been easy, Roark said, the transition team continues to move forward with grace.

"On the one hand, there is much momentum and excitement around Multiply, yet it's come with challenges. The general reality of saying 'goodbye' to people you've worked closely with for years and years is no small thing (we call these 'gospel goodbyes' because they're both extremely good and extremely hard), and there's just been a continued learning curve for each campus to start thinking more locally and individually in light of Multiply while also trying to remain connected and unified," he said. "That's not always easy and we've made mistakes, pushing too hard one way or the other, but I think we've all acknowledged the need to extend an extensive amount of grace to one another during this season."

The Village Church has been careful to note that their transition from the multisite model should not be interpreted as a critique but a capitalization on an opportunity.

When asked if the model would have been sustainable for The Village Church in the long term, Roark said he wasnt sure. He was sure, however, that it wouldnt have been as effective or healthy.

I'm not sure if we can say whether or not it would have been sustainable (I'm sure we could make it work since we have for more than a decade), but I think we can say that it wouldn't be as effective and healthy, he said. That's not a broad statement about multisite, but it's a specific statement for us here. I can't speak for other multisite models, and it's good to recognize how they're all different with various strategies and contexts, but we believe releasing campuses to be local, autonomous churches gives everyone the best shot at local contextual ministry in the long term.

Roark also shot down speculation that economics may have been part of the driving force behind the decision to transition away from the multisite model.

That hasn't been a factor. In some ways, going in the direction of Multiply has caused some new financial challenges that we've not historically faced because giving and budgeting has always been centralized, and we're having to look at things differently in light of campus transitions, he told CP.

After seeing the success of the Denton transition and driven by the Holy Spirit though, they remain inspired by the initial outcomes.

"We believe the Holy Spirit has been working through all these things, but it all started with the first campus that rolled off in Denton. They led by example, really stepping out in conviction and courage, and we quickly saw the fruit of that initial transition. There were some challenges for them no longer being a campus of The Village, but we saw the body of Christ, the members, stepping up in a way they never had, taking ownership, and we saw the flexibility and opportunity it gave the Denton church to be a city on a hill in their community that simply wasn't able to happen while they were a part of our multisite model," Roark said.

Even though the Southlake campus of The Village Church was the last one to be launched in 2016, the church has continued to expand in other ways.

"Beyond campus transitions, we planted four separate churches last year: three in Dallas Fort Worth [and] one in Rancho Cucamonga, California; we have two new church plants in the pipeline this year," he said. "Our focus now is to transition the rest of our campuses, with the timeline of 2022, while continuing to plant churches locally and globally and to train and send missionaries globally."

And while it's still early to draw hard conclusions, Roark explained that The Village Church's experience with the multisite model so far presents it as an effective "church planting strategy."

"We're right in the middle of things, still learning as we go. Yet with the fruit we've seen so far and even with the state of the broader culture, it seems as if the multisite model could be leveraged more and more as a church planting strategy, and that could be a really good thing for those local bodies and for their communities," he said.

Growing pains?

Marzahn likens the issues some churches have had with the multisite model as growing pains and believes it will endure as a viable model for churches into the future.

I still think multisite has great potential if they can figure out a way to harness that side of the affiliation without it being so controlling from the top down, he said.

I really think they are [growing pains]. But what I hope doesnt happen, because Ive seen this happen, is the flipside backlash where the mother church [says], Oh theyre going to take off on their own so good luck with that.' And they just cut them loose. I did that to one campus once a long time ago because I think I was immature and Im just like 'my youth pastor wants to start a church' and Im just like good luck with that versus being mature and saying, 'How can I help you? How can I support you in this transition?'
I committed murder: Violent gang member-turned-pastor reveals moment that changed everything

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Casey Diaz was once a gang member and murderer who took pleasure in the violence and chaos that was inherent to his lifestyle  until an encounter with the Bibles message of hope changed his life in the most profound ways imaginable.

Diaz, who tells his life-affirming story his new book, The Shot Caller: A Latino Gangbangers Miraculous Escape from a Life of Violence to a New Life in Christ, recently appeared on PureFlix.coms Pure Talk to reveal the ins and outs of his unlikely transformation.

The former gang leader said life started to get complex after he and his family immigrated to America from El Salvador when he was just 2 years old. By the time he was 8, familial chaos raged, with drugs and alcohol entering the home and his mother facing abuse from his dad.

READ ALSO: John 3:16 Meaning: Understand This Transformative Bible Verse

Its one of those things that no kid should ever see, Diaz said of the violence.

Watch Diaz share his transformation from violent gang leader to Christian pastor:

In addition to fighting in the home, Diaz saw extreme violence in the streets, recounting a truly disturbing moment he observed as a child.

It was a normal broad daylight day and a guy in this alley parked his car, walked over to three guys  and gunned them down, all three of them, he said. Youre seeing violence in your apartment and your family, and then youre seeing violence in your alley.

All of this added to the perception that life is cheap and that harming someone else is no big deal. With these tragic ideas taking root, Diaz joined a gang by the time he was 11 years old  a decision that led him on a truly destructive path.

That was the beginning of a rough road in violence, he said.

It started with stabbing a rival gang member and, over time, committing even more serious crimes, as Diaz was overtaken by the criminal life he had entered into.

READ ALSO: I Was an ... Addict: Inside Mike Lindells Amazing Transformation

You start to enjoy it, and it sounds sick because it is, he said. But you really enjoy partaking in the violence of it.

As Diaz entered his teen years, he was in and out of courts and jail  until another more serious crime sealed his fate.

At 16 years old, I committed murder and I was a fugitive for 21 days, he said. I was caught by the Los Angeles Police Department  I was captured and arrested.

Diaz ended up continuing his gang activities in prison, landing himself in solitary confinement. But when a baptist church started visiting the prison and a woman asked if she could approach his cell, Diaz had no idea how much his life would change.

She came in there and asked the guards to approach my cell, he said. She said, Im going to pray for you. Im going to put you on my hit list. Im going to pray for you.  and Jesus is going to use you.

He recalled thinking, This lady is nuts, but over the course of the next year, she continued coming, and Diaz eventually had a life-altering moment that forever changed his trajectory.

I had a moment  where Christ [made] himself very real in my cell, he said. I knew for a fact that I had sinned before God. That became the pivotal point of change for me.

Diaz accepted the Christian faith and was eventually released from prison. Today, hes married, has three kids and is the pastor of a church in Burbank, California.

READ ALSO: How Incurable Cancer Transformed This Christian Professors Faith

He shares his story of remarkable life change through speeches and his book, The Shot Caller. Its a story that shows the true power that God can have over the human life and heart.

Thats what Christ does in the life of anybody, he said of Gods power to transform.

Looking for transformation in your own life? Consider the message in John 3:16 and how it applies to us all. Also, consider grabbing a copy of our Inspirational Movie Guide to watch some films that can uplift your spirits and show you the importance of life change.

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.
21 Christian leaders: Equality Act would gut religious freedom protections

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Twenty-one prominent conservative Christian leaders including Franklin Graham and James Dobson are calling on congressional leaders to oppose the pro-LGBT Equality Act because of the threats to religious liberty the legislation poses.

In the letter sent to both House and Senate leaders as well as Vice President Mike Pence, the religious and political leaders decried the much talked about bill that, among other things, would codify discrimination protections on the basis of gender identity and sexual orientation in federal law.

Not only is it incompatible with Gods Word (the Bible) and the historic teaching of the church, but the Equality Act is also riddled with threats to religious liberty and the sanctity of human life, the letter stresses. For these reasons, we must state that we adamantly oppose this proposed legislation.

The Equality Act  also known as H.R. 5  has been labeled by critics the most extreme LGBT bill ever written that at the same would be the largest expansion of taxpayer-funded abortion this country has ever seen.

The act would expand the 1964 Civil Rights Act to not only protect on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity but also protect on the basis of pregnancy, childbirth, or a related medical condition.

"[T]he Equality Act is unacceptable because it is anti-life and creates a right to demand abortion from health care providers, the letter contends. The termination of human life in the womb is unacceptable to any biblically and historically faithful Christian. The responsibility to care for the least of these (Matt. 25:40) is a fundamental responsibility of Christs church, and any proposal that undermines a culture of life must be rejected.

Along with Dobson and Graham, the letter was signed by leading social conservative activists Tony Perkins from the Family Research Council and Ralph Reed of the Faith & Freedom Coalition.

Other signatories include Texas megachurch pastors Robert Jeffress, Robert Morris and Todd Wagner, former Republican presidential candidate Michele Bachmann, televangelist James Robison, former Southern Baptist Convention president Jack Graham, African-American Maryland Bishop Harry Jackson, Oklahoma Wesleyan University Everett Piper and conservative talk show host and author Eric Metaxas.

[T]he ideology enshrined in the Equality Act  which falsely equates ones sexual conduct with immutable characteristics like skin color and ethnicity  is a falsehood that openly contradicts the scriptural mandates we were given for our good (1 Thess. 4:3-8), the letter reads. We cannot remain silent and allow this lie to harm countless men, women, and children  whether in this or any other legislation.

The leaders argue that passage of the bill would lay the groundwork for the lie of LGBT equality to enter classrooms across the nation. They also fear that public educators could be compelled to teach it to their students.

[T]he Equality Act would gut religious freedom protections  even the freedom currently enjoyed by houses of worship, the letter argues.

Under its changes to the employment nondiscrimination provisions in Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, some houses of worship would be barred from ensuring their leaders and other employees abide by their beliefs about marriage, sexual behavior, and the distinction between the sexes.

The leaders warn that women who identify as men would have to be accepted as men and be potentially eligible to serve in positions reserved for men, such as a Catholic priest or Jewish rabbi.

The conservative leaders warn that religious employers who fall under Title VII law could be forced to offer insurance coverage for hormone therapy, sex reassignment surgery or other procedures that violate their consciences.

[T]he Equality Act would expressly do away with the Religious Freedom Restoration Acts application to its provisions, thereby precluding any religious freedom claims which clergy or others might bring, the letter adds. Under such restrictions, the pathway for the gospel would slowly be closed off.

While the Equality Act has been praised and supported by LGBT activists and Democrats, conservative-leaning think tanks and legal organizations have voiced concerns that the bill would impact those who dont affirm the gender ideology pushed in the bill.

The Equality Act was reintroduced by Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi in March. Critics have contended that it could compel speech, lead to the closing of nonprofit adoption and foster care providers, allow biological men to compete in womens sporting events and even coerce medical professionals to do procedures that go against their consciences.

As some parents have already lost custody for their refusal to support a childs wishes for gender transition, critics feel such a situation will become more common if the Equality Act were to pass.

In an op-ed this week, Perkins, a Baptist pastor, stressed the fact that the Equality Act expands the meaning of the 1964 Civil Rights Act to include pregnancy, childbirth, or a related medical condition.

In other words, under the terms of this proposal, pregnancy, childbirth, or a related medical condition shall not receive less favorable treatment than other physical conditions, Perkins wrote.

Under this big new umbrella of discrimination, any American who doesnt want to fund, offer, perform, or participate in abortion on demand will have no real choice. They can conform  or they can be punished.

If the Equality Act were to pass in the House, it would likely stall in the Republican-controlled Senate.
'God led us': Missing Kentucky toddler found alive after spending three days alone in woods

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Kenneth Howard, the 22-month-old boy who vanished from his family home in Kentucky on Sunday, has been found alive and in remarkably good condition, prompting authorities to credit divine intervention for his miraculous survival.

Following a three-day multi-agency search, the 22-month-old was found sitting on a 50-foot rock ledge less than 2,000 feet away from his home in rural Kentucky, reported CBS News affiliate WYMT. Rescuers say they heard the boy crying and found him on a cliff area.

The child was taken quickly by an emergency medical services helicopter to be examined, but while he was dehydrated and exhausted, he appeared otherwise healthy. After he was rescued, Kenneth said repeatedly, "Here all night," according to rescuers.

Carter Conley, of Magoffin Search and Rescue, said Kenneths rescue was nothing short of miraculous: I told the father that its a proud day, Conley said. It was a team effort, and God led us in the hands and to move that way.

"I have been on a lot, and this is one of few that were successful," he said. "I'm very thankful this one was successful. It was all a team effort."

Kenneth spent more than 60 hours alone and outside after wandering off from his family's home on Mother's Day, according to NBC affiliate WSAZ. A search involving the state police, more than 300 volunteers, helicopters, drones with thermal cameras, off-road vehicles and dogs ultimately returned him safely to his parents.

His father, who told WSAZ he had feared Kenneth had been abducted and offered a $5,000 reward for his return, said his son's safe recovery was the "best thing that ever happened to me."

Disbelief for a while till they told me they were sure it was him," said Elden Howard. "I saw a picture of him and said thats my boy. It tickled me to death.

Kenneth's sister Tasha Howard, told WSAZ her brothers recovery was evidence of Gods presence: Its been difficult, but I never did give up because I have faith," she said. "I know God is with us because we wouldnt have found him.

The Kentucky State Police are still investigating the circumstances surrounding the boy's disappearance. Family members believe he may have walked out the back door of the house while his father was in the front yard.

At the time, Trooper William Petry of the state police told People that the toddler was likely at risk for hypothermia, as he disappeared without a jacket on amid low temperatures. He added there are coyotes, bears and red foxes in the area, saying, We have a large amount of wildlife that could be a danger to the child.

Following Kenneths disappearance, vigils were held across Eastern Kentucky to show support for the boys family. Hundreds gathered to lift each other with prayer and song, hoping for the boy's safe return, WKYT reported. Pastors at one vigil urged gatherers to pray for Kenneth every hour on the hour until he was found, the outlet reported.

"If there's one miracle from God left out there, just please let it be for him, WKYT quoted one attendee as saying.

On Thursday, the Magoffin County Sheriff Department celebrated the boys return: Thanks to all who prayed, searched and helped in any way!! This is the best news ever !!!
Southern Baptist 'deep state'? Cryptic Falwell Jr. tweet highlights SBC turmoil

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Southern Baptists are responding to the idea of a "deep state" within their denomination amid comments from Jerry Falwell Jr. and the recent removal of stained glass windows from an SBC seminary.

Crystallizing this notion was a Monday tweet from Liberty University President Falwell Jr. where he said that his friend Jerry Vines, who is both a former SBC president and former pastor of First Baptist Church in Jacksonville, Florida had told him that Adam Greenway, the new president of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, is not a part of a "deep state regime" within SBC ranks. This "regime" is supposedly led by Russell Moore, the current president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Convention, the SBC's policy arm.

My good friend @jerryvines just told me Dr. Adam Greenway is a wonderful man and not part of the @drmoore SBC deep state regime trying to subvert the will of the church members! So glad to hear this news! @toddstarneshttps://t.co/ra7vCnutj9  Jerry Falwell (@JerryFalwellJr) May 14, 2019

Greenway was nominated to serve as the new president of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in February.

Those who do believe that such an operation exists within the SBC say that Moore and like-minded Southern Baptists are leading denomination in a more progressive direction theologically, one that many parishioners do not support and say is a departure from their values.

Falwell's tweet came on the heels of his remarks at Liberty University's baccalaureate service Friday in which he praised Vines, the baccalaureate speaker, for his role in what is known as the "conservative resurgence" in previous decades, when theological conservatives wrested control of key denomination agencies and seminaries.

Vines was instrumental in returning the SBC to to more accurately reflect the values of most Southern Baptist members," Falwell said.

Falwell added: [U]nfortunately, a new generation has taken the Convention away from those values in many ways.

Falwell's church, Thomas Road Baptist Church in Lynchburg, gained a place in Southern Baptist life when it became a part of the Southern Baptist Conservatives of Virginia and gave to the mission causes of the state convention and the national convention before the 1998 SBC annual meeting in Salt Lake City, according to a bio of Jerry Falwell Sr. in Christian Index. Falwell and several of his members attended the 1998 Utah convention and voted as messengers. Before that, Falwell and Thomas Road were independent Baptist.

In the lead-up to its annual meeting in Dallas last year, the denomination endured somewhat of a crisis as numerous reports emerged regarding SBC leaders mishandling instances of sexual misconduct in churches and affiliated institutions. Old audio footage resurfaced of an interview where former SWBTS president Paige Patterson offered what many saw as dangerous advice to a woman who was being abused by her husband. Patterson was eventually ousted from his post at SWBTS and the seminary ultimately removed stained glass windows of key SBC figures in the conservative resurgence from their premises.

The windows were reportedly paid for with donations and Falwell Jr. wanted two of them back  Falwell Sr. and Vines.

The Capstone Report, a conservative Southern Baptist site that believes the SBC is trending liberal and needs to be preserved, is vocally backing Falwell. CR writers insisted Monday that Falwell's deep state comment was said in jest but "it does have some truth in it." They argued that Southern Baptist Theological Seminary President Al Mohler's "disciples" now lead SBC entities and that a number of appointments have been made to key SBC entities that promote "Woke Theology."

According to Liberty University, "Falwell demanded that SWBTS return the money donated for the windows and sent a plane to Fort Worth, Texas, this week to retrieve them."

The Falwell Sr. and Vines stained glass windows will be displayed in the Jerry Falwell Museum on Liberty's campus.

Among the other windows, Paige Patterson and his wife Dorothy are depicted, as are California megachurch pastor and author Rick Warren, former SBC presidents W.A. Criswell, Adrian Rogers, Charles Stanley, Ed Young and Ronnie Floyd, who has been recently elected to serve as the new SBC executive committee president.

Meanwhile, Relevant magazine noted Tuesday the tense intra-denominational dynamics and events in recent years that have contributed to the ongoing divide within the SBC, particularly Moore's comments in opposition to then-candidate Donald Trump in the months leading up to the 2016 presidential election.

Since then "Moore has been relatively quiet on the Trump front following a private meeting with the SBC higher-ups, but apparently, thats not good enough for Falwell, who still sees him as part of the 'SBC deep state,'" the magazine explained.

"Given the conspiratorial verbiage, its a little hard to take an accusation like this seriously  but it is nevertheless a pretty serious accusation."

Yet other Southern Baptists took to Twitter to joke about the idea of such a thing, believing it to be ridiculous.

"#SBCdeepstate people are on Libertys campus too," Southern Baptist Pastor Alan Cross wrote in a lengthy tongue-in-cheek tweet thread response. "Anyone who follows Jesus, sacrifices their life, seeks Gods Kingdom first, and refuses to bow the knee to the culture/state can join."

"Members of the SBC Deep State are loudly decrying and mocking its existence, which is *exactly* what you would expect them to do  ergo, it obviously exists," tweeted Jacob Denhollander, a graduate of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and husband to Rachel Denhollander, an attorney who spearheaded the effort to expose USA gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar and has made repeated calls for churches to do better with regard to handling sexual abuse allegations.

National Review writer and former Alliance Defending Freedom attorney David French, criticized Falwell.

"This tweet is a spectacular example of Trumpism infecting the church. 'Deep state regime' isnt a theological argument. Its a petty personal insult based not on faith but instead on a weird sort of Christianized populism  when nothing about Christianity is populist," he said in response to Falwell's "deep state" jab.

A Bonfire campaign intended to respond to Falwell's remark with humor was set up and is selling custom t-shirts with the words "SBC Deep State" printed on them.

Malcom Yarnell, a professor at SWBTS voiced support for Moore, in an apparent attempt to dispel the idea of a SBC deep state. He tweeted Monday that he wrote an essay in a collection of writings published in honor of Vines, and shared his passion for Scripture, and is privileged to serve with Greenway at the seminary.

"And I am blessed to serve @drmoores @ERLC Research Council advocating biblical ethics," he said in defense of the ERLC leader.

The Christian Post reached out to Vines for comment on this article but received no response.

Likewise, no representative from the ERLC was available to respond, the group's staff told CP in a Wednesday email.

Moore is presently on vacation.

The phrase deep state has become more common on the American political right in recent years and is often spoken of in conspiratorial tones. "Deep state" has come to mean layers of corrupt government officials attempting to govern the nation as they see fit, undermining democratic processes and President Trump's actions in particular.
Tens of Thousands to Gather in Nation's Capital for 'America's Tent of Meeting': Awaken the Dawn

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Tens of thousands of Christians are expected to assemble on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. this weekend to pray and implore God for divine intervention and to rescue the next generation for a nation in crisis.

"America's Tent of Meeting" sponsored by Awaken the Dawn will be held from 5 p.m. Friday to 6 p.m. Monday and feature 58 large tents  one for each American state plus eight regional ones  stationed on the grounds of the National Mall. Round-the-clock prayer and worship will be happening in these tents as well as evangelistic outreach equipping sessions.

"We really just want to gather around the work of Jesus and the presence of God," said David Bradshaw in a phone interview Tuesday with The Christian Post. Bradshaw is the director of the Fredericksburg, Virginia-based Prayer Furnace, one of ATM's organizers, who will be speaking on stage. The goal is "to throw a public, audacious, bold, visible celebration of Jesus' worth," he said, noting that worship and prayer are at the center of the event.

Speakers and musicians involved in the event include: Francis Chan of We Are Church, Heidi Baker of IRIS Global, Lou Engle of The Call, evangelist Todd White, Bethel Music, Lindy Conant, and many others.

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"We believe that, as the Psalms say, God inhabits the praises of His people. And in the midst of the bold, costly celebration of Jesus at the center of our nation that He is going to move in power and bring transformation and change and dwell in the midst of the praises of His people," Bradshaw said.

Awaken the Dawn, he added, is on a "rescue mission" for this generation and he believes we are living in a time when the Church of Jesus Christ must come together to stand in the gap and pray and proclaim the Gospel in order to see a substantive spiritual shift in America and reach the youth of today with "a new Jesus movement." Patterned after this weekend's event in the nation's capital, ATD hopes to visit every state capital and as many university campuses that they can in 2018 for a subsequent prayer initiative called "Tent America."

America's Tent of Meeting happens to coincide with the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles, which began Wednesday, and marks the 20th anniversary weekend of Promise Keepers, where hundreds of thousands of Christian men gathered on the National Mall to rededicate themselves to God and recommit themselves to their families.

Tens of thousands of Christians from every state are expected to attend this weekend's event, Bradshaw told CP, and he believes that the time frame of this event is significant and strategic.

During their initial planning meetings about a year ago they were pondering dates for a national prayer gathering and felt strongly that the Lord led them to this particular week, against their original plans for 2018.

"In a very unusual way the Lord spoke to us, to do [America's Tent of Meeting] in 2017," Bradshaw said, marveling at God's omniscience given not only the spiritually significant anniversary of a massive prayer gathering in the exact same spot and the Jewish holiday, but especially in light of recent harrowing events.

"That it would land in the week of the worst mass shooting [in modern U.S. history], not to mention the natural disasters, not to mention the situation in Puerto Rico, not to mention the existential crisis of a whole generation ... I do believe, absolutely, yes, that this is a moment for repentance, for cleansing, and prayer for healing."

He emphasized that this is a moment to come together in unity in the spirit of John 17:21, Jesus' prayer that His followers would be one just as He and the Father are one.

"God is looking for us to respond rightly and to engage with Him in this moment," Bradshaw said.
Thousands of Women to Repent for Racial Sins of America in Worship Rally on National Mall

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This weekend's worship festivities on the National Mall will culminate on Monday in the form of a day-long women-led worship rally in which people from all across the United States will be called to pray for a "Jesus Movement" to sweep the nation and foster racial reconciliation, gender equality, and for an end to abortion.

Thousands of women are expected to gather in Washington, D.C. for "Rise Up," a worship-focused revival calling on Americans to repent for the country's history of racial and gender-based injustices and for the country's embrace of abortion.

The women's worship rally comes just over 20 years after hundreds of thousands of Christians gathered on the National Mall on Oct. 4, 1997, for the male-centered Promise Keepers' Stand in the Gap rally.

Organized by Lou Engle's The Call, Rise Up will occur as Christians from all 50 states set up tents on the National Mall for three days over the weekend to hold prayer and worship at America's Tent of Meeting sponsored in-part by Awaken the Dawn.

"Rise Up is sort of the culminating event for that three days of prayer and worship," Rise Up organizer Kristina Sabestinas told The Christian Post. "We would like to see another Jesus Movement birthed for a new generation and believing supernaturally that the presence of God would move across this nation and draw people to Him. We believe prayer is a really important part of that."

With the call for women to "rise up" being the central theme of the event, those who gather on Monday will be called to follow the biblical examples of women like Deborah, the only female judge in the Bible who told that God Commanded Israel's troops to attack the forces of the oppressive King Jabin, and Esther, who saved her people from possible genocide.

"When her nation was in a time of crisis, there was a statement that said, 'I Deborah arose as a mother for her nation.' And we are really calling on women to step up and rise up on behalf of their children and the coming generation, and pray that God would move in our country," Sabestinas said. "Although in Esther it doesn't mention God specifically, she is a model of someone who used her influence to help other people."

The worship gathering, which will last from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., will be broken into various worship segments and prayer segments.

"There will be different themes throughout the day and one of the themes is racial reconciliation and healing. We will be praying and repenting for the oppression of minorities in our nation and asking for forgiveness and believing for reconciliation to be part of what happens in that day," Sabestinas added. "We will also be praying on behalf of the oppression of women in our country and how they have treated women and how women have sometimes been marginalized and thought that they can't lead."

"Also, a key part of what we are doing with Rise Up is drawing attention to the abortion issue and asking women to use their influence to take a stand for life and make a public stand for life," Sabestinas added. "We draw a lot from Esther because she did take a stand for people who were appointed to die."

Sabestinas asserted that women in America can have an impact just as Esther did.

"Her whole people were potentially facing genocide," she continued. "We see similarities in believing that women can actually be a voice on the [abortion] issue and not be afraid to stand up and say we want to see Roe v. Wade overturned  that we want to take a stand for life, we want to see an adoption movement start in our nation and be an answer and a resource to women in crisis and not continue this pattern of killing off the next generation."

A number of pro-life activists are scheduled to speak at the event, including Concerned Women for American's Penny Nance and the Susan B. Anthony List's Marjorie Dannefelser.

Regardless of how many turn out for the Rise Up gathering, Sabestinas told CP that she knows the event will make an impact one way or another.

"When you dream about something like this, we just want the masses to show up. But we believe that even if there is 100 or a 1,000 or 10,000 women there that our prayers are going to make a different and matter and God takes that seriously," she said. "He hears the cry of the people who will humble themselves before Him and pray."
UMC Bishops advance 'full communion' agreement with Episcopal Church

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The United Methodist Churchs Council of Bishops approved sending a resolution to the 2020 General Conference to approve a full communion agreement with The Episcopal Church.

Bishop Gregory V. Palmer, co-chair of the United Methodist-Episcopal Dialogue Committee, told those gathered at a meeting last week where they approved the resolution by a unanimous voice vote, that it was important to explain what the full communion proposal is and what it is not.

Its not an organic merger, two denominations becoming one, but the reminder that we see in one another the signs of church  one holy catholic and apostolic church, said Bishop Palmer, as reported by the United Methodist News Service.

As part of the agreement, the UMC and the Episcopal Church will officially acknowledge each other as partners in ministry, recognize each others baptism and communion and share clergy.

The bishops approved a resolution brought by the Dialogue Committee, which came from a committee meeting held in Austin, Texas, on April 29-30.

In a statement released on May 1, the committee acknowledged that their resolution comes amid great internal debate within the UMC over LGBT issues, which they believed might introduce sharp and as yet unanswered questions about the prospects for full communion between our churches.

And yet, we believe that what we are experiencing in the various crises of our denominational life is the birth pangs of something remarkable, something new, stated the committee.

We believe that the forces of polarization, mistrust, and animosity in our society and in our ecclesial life will not have the last word.

Earlier this year, the UMC reaffirmed its official opposition to homosexuality, gay marriage, and the ordination of noncelibate homosexuals at a special session of General Conference.

By contrast, over the years The Episcopal Church has become increasingly supportive of the LGBT movement, allowing openly gay clergy and same-sex marriage, which has prompted many congregations and members to leave the denomination in protest.

The two mainline Protestant denominations officially began their bilateral dialogues in 2002, with the Dialogue Committee announcing the draft proposal for full communion in 2017.

"The relationships formed over these years of dialogue, and the recognition that there are presently no theological impediments to unity, paved the way for this current draft proposal," stated the committee in 2017.

"We believe that this proposal represents a significant witness of unity and reconciliation in an increasingly divided world and pray that you will join us in carrying this work forward."

Last November, the Council of Bishops voted to approve the preparation of legislation for the 2020 General Conference that would carry out the full communion proposal.

"We are blessed in that neither of our churches, or their predecessor bodies, have officially condemned one another, nor have they formally called into question the faith, the ministerial orders, or the sacraments of the other church," noted a committee statement from last year.
Democrats nix So help me God from swearing-in oath; conservatives rankled

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Since taking control of the House, Democrat leaders of several key committees have nixed the phrase so help me God from a swearing-in oath for individuals testifying before them.

I think God belongs in religious institutions: in temple, in church, in cathedral, in mosque  but not in Congress, Democrat Rep. Steve Cohen of Tennessee, the chairman of the Judiciary Committees Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Civil Liberties told The New York Times. What Republicans are doing, he continued, is using God.

And God doesnt want to be used, he said.

Rev. Franklin Graham, who serves as president of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association has blasted the move as backward.

Why has the Democratic Party turned its back on God? @RepCohen of TN said, I think God belongs in religious institutions: in temple, in church, in cathedral, in mosquebut not in Congress, Graham said in a series of tweets Tuesday in response to the report.

We need more of God, not less! What @RepCohen is suggesting is what Communism did in Eastern Europe & is still doing in places around the world like Cuba. Communism only allows worship inside approved churches, he continued. God is our Creator & the maker of the universe. He is present everywhere; He is not limited to churches or temples. The root of the issue is that many politicians dont want God in any part of their politics or our countrys business because His standards condemn their sins.

Republican lawmakers, The New York Times reported, are also staging a form of protest, by pointing out each time the phrase is omitted in real time.

I am a sinner, I make mistakes every single day, but I do think that we could use a little more of God, not less, Representative Garret Graves of Louisiana reportedly told his colleagues seated around the dais of the House Natural Resources Committee.

When Democrat Rep. Diana DeGette of Colorado, who leads the House Energy and Commerce oversight subcommittee, recently omitted the phrase to swear in a witness earlier this year, Republican Rep. Jeff Duncan of South Carolina, pointed out that the oath was incorrect and incomplete.

This is the oath we use, and thats the oath were going to use today, DeGette insisted.

Degette was praised by a coalition of secularist groups, led by the Center for Inquiry.

The rest of Congress could learn something from Chairwoman DeGettes support for the constitutional separation of church and state, Jason Lemieux, Director of Government Affairs for the Center for Inquiry said in a statement. She stuck to her guns in upholding the secular character of our government, and lo, the world did not come to an end. Instead, she helped the approximately 95 million nonreligious Americans feel represented by their government.

Rep. Mike Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana, who is lobbying for the oath to return to its original form, argues that some would believe including so help me God is mere symbolism but it has much greater meaning for those who believe.

The intention behind it was to express the idea that the truth of what was being said was important not just in the moment, but would go into eternity, and someone was watching and would ultimately be our judge, Johnson said. Some would call that mere symbolism, but to many of our founders, it was deeper than that.
Will Democrat and Republican evangelicals put Gospel before party for 2020 election?

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NEW YORK  Its Friday night in Bedford Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, and about 50 people are quietly listening to Justin Giboney talk about his big idea for evangelical Christians.

Whats needed today, we really believe  is nothing less than a paradigm shift. A completely different way of perceiving and engaging politics, Giboney, an attorney and political strategist from Atlanta said to the diverse group of Democrats and Republicans.

Through a growing coalition called the AND Campaign, already operating in several major cities like Chicago and Atlanta, the strategist, who is also president and co-founder of the initiative, believes he and his team can convince evangelicals in cities across America to unite and vote the right way come 2020 regardless of the party they support.

And the right way for evangelicals to vote, he argues, is with the principles of their faith dictating the way they engage with politics.

We stand first for the proposition that faith must be at the center of Christian civic engagement. And that we must ultimately transcend partisanship and political ideology. Those things may be helpful tools but they can never be the masters of our social action, Giboney said as his audience listened politely with a few heads sometimes nodding in agreement.

His message sounded at times like a pastor and at others a professor of history and theology as he argued how Christian luminaries like Fannie Lou Hamer, Dorothy Day, and Frederick Douglas worked with political parties without sacrificing their Christian ideals.

 These folks, while they were willing to partner with, and work within political parties and secular tribes, they werent defined by them, thats not where they found their identity. Their public witness wasnt limited to these worldly theories and philosophers. It transcended those things, he said.

The truth is, if they would have allowed themselves to be limited by partisanship and secular ideology, they would have never really served their purpose. Maybe never even been worth claiming. But their witness was bigger than those things because they werent seeking validation or affirmation from the world, he argued.

We have to be able to partner with others and wrestle with theory without being converted because cultural and political ideologies proselytize. ... They seek to convert us to their beliefs by nature. Thats what ideas, ideologies do. They seek to convert you. Can we wrestle with those things without being converted? Can we take whats good from those things without being converted? Giboney asked.

The Atlanta attorney admits that he is making a big ask of evangelicals already entrenched in the framework of the Democrat and Republican parties but believes the request is necessary.

In the two and a half years since he co-founded AND Campaign with recording artist Sho Baraka and Angel Maldonado, lead pastor of The Path Church in Atlanta, Giboney says he has already seen signs that the grassroots activism he is advocating among urban evangelical Christians can be effective while preserving the freedom of Christian principles.

The debate

The debate on evangelicals engaging politically through the framework of their faith isnt new. In fact, before he was elected president, Donald Trumps candidacy created a divide between evangelicals who wanted to win and those who were concerned about his fidelity to Christian ideals and what supporting candidate Trump would say about their faith.

Trump is a misogynist and philanderer. He demeans women and minorities. His preferred forms of communication are insults, obscenities and untruths. While Christians have been guilty of all of these, we, unlike Trump, acknowledge our sins, ask for forgiveness and seek restitution with the aid of the Holy Spirit and our community of believers, The Christian Posts editors warned in 2016 among a chorus of evangelicals who echoed similar concerns.

Pastor Robert Jeffress, leader of the influential 12,000-member First Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas, dismissed Republicans who refused to support Trumps candidacy however as "fools."

He told CP in an interview that year, that while the Bible does not specifically address how Christians should vote, Christians should apply both faith and reason in voting.

"If the Bible gave a checklist for how to choose a candidate, how to vote for a candidate, it would be a simple matter but the Bible provides no such checklist because voting didn't exist when the Bible was written," he said.

"You didn't get to vote for kings or for emperors. And I believe there are a lot of criteria that ought to be used in selecting a candidate. His faith is one issue, his character, his leadership ability, his electability are all legitimate criteria to use in selecting a candidate," Jeffress explained at the time.

Evangelicals were encouraged, as Giboney is asking now, to vote according to their faith. The results of that appeal in the 2016 general election, however, yielded a sharp disparity between white and minority evangelical voters.

White evangelical voters united to vote in high numbers for Trump, 80-16 percent, according to exit poll results. It was the most they had voted for a Republican presidential candidate since 2004, when they backed President George W. Bush by a margin of 78-21 percent.

For evangelicals of color however, the picture looked quite different. Only 7 percent of black born-again Christians voted for Trump in 2016. Some 31 percent of the Hispanic vote went to Trump, while only 37 percent of Asian American born-again or evangelical Protestants gave him their vote.

Many voters from both camps presented arguments that they were voting for the lesser of two evils. While black and white evangelicals have very little disagreement about God, the groups disagree sharply over race and social justice.

Social justice

On Friday night, as Giboney and his team launched the New York City chapter of AND Campaign, they pointed to initiatives that will increase awareness of the cash bail system and help push for reform, encourage civic engagement on issues affecting Christians in the city, and provide diverse biblical perspectives on social issues and messaging through digital media platforms.

We believe that at certain times and on certain issues, Christian principles compel us to defy both political conservatism, and political progressivism. When conservatism means preserving unjust systems and institutions then it must be opposed. When progressivism means moving further and further away from Gods truth, it too must be opposed. Because when it comes to political ideology  to be conservative or to be progressive at all times on every single issue, is not only intellectually lazy, and easily manipulated, we would argue that its not faithful, the Atlanta attorney said.

Giboney believes that the right way for Christian voters to engage politics is to vote in line with biblical principles they profess and not in lockstep with the agenda of their political party, or separate their faith convictions from the social issues they care about.

He argues that he is not asking Christians to abandon their political parties but urges them to hold political leaders accountable on issues such as social justice or abortion and not be afraid to vote against agendas that do not align with their values.

While some white evangelicals see social justice as a threat to the Gospel, Giboneys team described it as how we express love for our neighbor.

He is fully aware that what he is asking of individual believers might seem like a daunting and futile effort, but he believes collectively, Christians can advocate together for more than just the issues. They can advocate for biblical values that benefit the common good such as taking a stand against abortion among Democrats or standing against policies that harm minorities among Republicans.

As an individual thats very hard. I can move around and whatever, how effective is that? Thats the point of the AND Campaign. You do it as a coalition, Giboney told CP after his presentation. Our framework is this  social justice and moral order. In our politics now, its separate. When you talk about social justice now thats Democrats. When you talk about moral order thats Republicans. Were saying no. The Gospel is both so we have to be both. So thats the framework. So its love and truth, compassion and conviction framework.

And that framework, Giboney says is biblical.

You dont define your politics by your opposition. Regardless of what white folks and Republicans are doing or these folks over here are doing I have to do whats right. So I think where we get caught up is, the framework comes from the parties, the framework comes from the ideology, were saying the framework should come from the Bible, he said.

I talk a lot about identity. If my identity is with progressives then Im not gonna vote the right way when it comes to abortion because Im too stuck on what my identity is there. We advocate to be in a party but my identity is not in the party. Once I have a separate identity, I still can go against that party, he said.

The night also featured a panel discussion with professionals involved in social justice work. They were Nena Ruth Ugwuomo, founder and president of Student Dream, a non-profit that trains urban kids to build wealth; Pastor Zac Martin, executive director of Trellis, another nonprofit that helps build neighborhood collaborations to address injustice; and Yolanda Solomon, a ministry fellow for Christian Union at Columbia University.
Woman, 61, fighting to stay alive after Texas hospital pulls life support against familys wishes

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A 61-year-old Texas mother is now fighting to stay alive two days after a local hospital removed her from life support against her familys wishes after declaring their efforts to save her life futile under the 1999 Texas Advance Directive Act.

The law allows health care facilities to discontinue life-sustaining treatment ten days after giving written notice if the treating medical team considers further life-sustaining treatment futile.

The mother, Carolyn Jones, had been living with the help of a ventilator at Memorial Hermann Southwest Hospital in Houston for the last six months and gave her until May 13 before they pulled the plug, her daughter Kina Jones told 12NEWS. Two days later however, Carolyn Jones is still fighting to stay alive after suffering a stroke in 2017.

"They've refused all requests to wing her off of the ventilator and to try breathing on her own," Kina said of the medical team. "They were just saying she's not stable enough or she's in a critical condition."

In an appeal Tuesday seeking to raise $50,000 to help keep the defiant mother alive, Texas Right to life said: Carolyn was originally scheduled to die on Monday when the hospital used the abominable 10-Day Rule to shut down her ventilator. And when that didnt work (didnt kill her), hospital administrators withheld dialysis from the conscious woman. (Carolyn was undergoing dialysis before her hospitalization.)

If they don't give her dialysis , she's going to succumb to the fluid in her," Kina told 12News.

"This is not right for people to be able to make a decision for anyone to live or die when they are alive," Donald Jones, Carolyn's husband added.

While they were not able to comment specifically on Carolyns case due to patient privacy laws, Memorial Herman Southwest Hospital said in a statement to 12NEWS that we are committed to delivering patient-centered care and respecting the rights of our patients and their loved ones.

We understand how painful it can be when difficult medical decisions must be made, and our hearts go out to families in these circumstances. End-of-life decisions are made by physicians after careful and thorough consultation with patients, their families, the healthcare team, and a medical ethics committee. The decision-making process is outlined in Texas law and can take many months. The law provides a tool to balance the tough choice between carrying out patients and families wishes and the ethical duty not to increase or prolong patients suffering, the statement said in part.

A GoFundMe campaign is now seeking to raise $35,000 to help keep Carolyn alive.

Carolyn Jones is STILL ALIVE! Now the family faces another heartless act by Memorial Hermann Hospital Southwest campus refusing to give dialysis care EVEN THOUGH she is still alive and responsive. There have been a facility to come forth and agree to accept Mrs. Jones and provide care but this requires funding... please find it in your heart to help Mrs. Jones stay alive and beat the 10-day rule!! the campaign which had raised just under $1,000 as of Wednesday morning said.

On Tuesday, the Texas Senate approved a bill that would give families that disagree with a hospital's decision to withdraw life-sustaining treatment from a gravely ill patient up to 45 days to find a different hospital or health care facility instead of the current 10.

"Everyone, I think, agrees: That is not long enough," Mineola Sen. Bryan Hughes said, according to the Texarkana Gazette. "Many times these folks are at the end of their lives, and so their families, rather than spending time in communing with them, praying with them and enjoying their company, instead their families are fighting feverishly to keep them alive, calling hospitals, calling doctors, trying to find someone who will take their loved one and allow them to pass away naturally."

Hughes said Texas 10-day rule is among the shortest such time constraint among similar legislation nationwide and noted that his bill would move Texas to the middle ground.

He said cases involving families and hospitals disagreeing over the application of the law is very rare.

"Most hospitals and doctors in Texas are not taking advantage of this law," he said. "We are blessed with wonderful hospitals filled with caring people, physicians, nurses, all kinds of professionals unfortunately, because of holes in the law, there are a few places where these cases continue to arise."

The bill had initially proposed requiring treatment be provided indefinitely but studies, he said, show that 45 days would be enough.

"Of all the cases we're aware of 45 days would be long enough to transfer each one of those people or for them to die a natural death," he said. "These families aren't expecting miracles, but they don't want their loved ones' deaths to be hastened by the withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment."
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A civil war is coming to America, only this time, it will be abortion, rather than slavery, that divides the nation. And while I hope will all my heart that it will not be a physically violent war, the ideological conflict will certainly be violent and intense.

We witnessed some of this during the hearings for Brett Kavanaugh, when the opposition to his confirmation was fierce to the point of screaming and pounding at the Senates doors.

This brought to my mind the famous line, Hell hath no fury like that of a woman scorned, based on which I wrote an article titled, Prepare for the Wrath of the Pro-Abortion Militants. The article ended by saying that hell hath no fury like that of the militant pro-abortionists.

The very same day my article was posted on the Stream, Jennifer Hartline posted an article on that same website, titled, Its Not Kavanaugh. Its Roe. Her article ended by saying, They hate Kavanaugh because they love abortion and he does not. Hell hath no fury like womens rights scorned.

We were hearing the same message!

This is part of what I refer to as Jezebels War with America (the title of my forthcoming book), where the forces of radical feminism come together with the extreme pro-abortion movement (among other spiritual and cultural forces) in an attempt destroy America.

The only way to describe this is war.

Confirmation for this comes from the response to Alabamas pro-life bill, just passed by the Senate.

As expected, the reaction from the left has been fierce and intense.

Note the highlighted words in these tweets and comments.

Alabama just passed a near-total ban on abortion. No exceptions for rape or incest. Doctors could face 99 years in prison for providing abortions. This is a waron women, and it is time to fightlike hell. (Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand).

This ban is dangerous and exceptionally crueland the bills authors want to use it to overturn Roe v. Wade. I've lived in that America and let me tell you: We are not going backnot now, not ever. We will fight this. And we will win. (Sen. Elizabeth Warren)

Womens rights are under attack. This relentless and cruel Republican assault on womens health is designed to force a court battle to destroy Roe v. Wade. Democrats will be ready to defend health care and womens reproductive freedom. (Rep. Nancy Pelosi)

The reaction from Hollywood echoed the sentiments of Washington.

According to John Legend, These statehouses are waging all-out waron women and their right to control their reproductive decisions. This is awful.

Alyssa Milano tweeted, There have been nearly 30 bans on abortion introduced, passed, or signed into law in statehouses around the country this year alone. This is Trumps anti-choice agenda and part of the GOPs waron women.

On Instagram, Tracie Lee Ross, with 6.5 million followers, wrote, WE MUST FIGHT ~ this is terrifying.

And John Cusack tweeted, This only ends with impeachment - and people in the streets.

As summed up by author Amber Tamblyn, Good morning, women. Make no mistake. This is war.

Do we need this spelled out any more clearly? We are being told that those who stand for Roe v. Wade will fight like hell, that there will be people in the streets, that this is a battle, a war. We dare not miss the meaning.

Again, I fervently hope that this is not a physically violent war. I sincerely hope there will not be violent attacks by pro-abortion extremists leading to retaliation by those being attacked. (By definition, if you are pro-life, you will not seek to take the life of an innocent person.)

But if Trumps election could stir massive women marches with Madonna expressing her desire to blow up the White House, what will the overturning of Roe v. Wade bring about? (This is part of the reason I refer to all this as Jezebels war with America.)

We must also be reminded by how heartless the pro-abortion movement can be, as represented by this tweet from comedian Michelle Wolf: Do what the Alabama government refuses to do: help women by donating to the https://yellowhammerfund.org. Donating is as easy as flicking an embryo out of a uterus should be (my emphasis).

Yes, a tiny baby is just something to be flicked!

If this is how the left views a helpless baby in the womb, how will it view those who seek to overturn Roe v. Wade?

Recently, there has been an uptick of physical attacks on peaceful pro-lifers. (See here and here and here for examples.) And it is likely that such attacks will only increase in the days ahead.

All the more reason, then, that we keep working to change hearts and minds, that we pray for divine intervention, and that we reply with calmness and measured speech rather than angry rhetoric of our own.

A civil war is certain. The only thing to be determined is how bloody it will be. Much of that depends on us. Let us pursue the cause of life.
4 killed during Catholic procession in Burkina Faso; third attack on Christians in 2 weeks

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Four Catholics carrying a statue of the Virgin Mary were killed in northern Burkina Faso Monday, one day after a priest and five other congregants were killed by gunmen in a neighboring province.

Fides, a news agency of the Vatican, reports that an attack on Monday occurred as four Catholics were bringing the statue back to church after a Marian procession took place in the northern municipality of Zimtenga in the countrys Bam province.

The Catholic news agency notes that the procession started in the victims home village of Singa and ended in the village of Kayon, which is located about 6 miles away.

A spokesman for the Ouagadougou Cathedral told AFP that a group of terrorists intercepted the worshipers as they were moving through the village of Ouahigouya.

One source told the Burkina Faso News Agency that the perpetrators halted the procession and let minors go. However, four adults were executed and the statue of Mary was destroyed.

AFP reports that Paul Ouedraogo, the president of the Episcopal Conference of Burkina Faso and Niger, told an assembly of bishops in the nations capital Ouagadougou that individuals attacked the procession claiming four victims.

Christians in the West African nation, a former French colony, have suffered three attacks in a little over two weeks as the country is experiencing a rise in Islamic extremist violence.

Mondays attack followed an assault by gunmen on a church in neighboring Sanmatenga province during mass. Reports suggest that between 20 to 30 militants attacked the church, leading to the deaths of the parish priest, Simeon Yampa, and five churchgoers.

Gunmen also reportedly burned the church and other buildings in the area.

In late April, a pastor and five others were killed during an attack on a Protestant church in Silgadji. At the time, it was said that the April 28 attack was believed to be the first attack targeting a church in Burkina Faso.

Although Burkina Faso is majority-Muslim and only about one-quarter Christian, the country has been a place where Christians and Muslims have largely been able to co-exist peacefully.

But over the last few years, attacks attributed to Islamic extremist groups linked to outfits like Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State have increased in frequency.

According to an AFP tally, 400 people have been killed since 2015, mostly in hit-and-run raids.

In addition to the attacks on Christian worshipers, attacks have been carried out against Muslim clerics who are not considered extreme enough by the terrorists, security sources told AFP.

In late April, extremists attacked a school in the eastern province that killed five teachers and a municipal worker.

Voice of America News reports that Burkina Faso has seen more than 230 attacks in just over three years, adding that more than 65 people died in ethnic clashes inflamed by Islamic extremists in April.

They're trying to target the resilience of this community, which has lived in harmony for thousands of years, U.S. Ambassador to Burkina Faso Andrew Young told Voice of America. There are Muslims and Christians who are in the same family, and those terrorist groups [are trying] to break down a stable society and attack a fragile democracy.

In 2016, American missionary Michael Riddering was among dozens of civilians killed when terrorists believed to be affiliated with Al-Qaeda attacked a cafe in Ouagadougou.

In January, a Canadian man was found dead after he was believed to have been kidnapped in the Oudalan province.

Last week, French soldiers freed four hostages  two French citizens, a South Korean and an American woman  during a raid in Burkina Faso that left two soldiers dead. No responsibility has been claimed for the kidnappings.
Xem them

(Construction) - On December 3, in Hanoi, the Ministry of Construction held a conference to appraise the General Plan for Construction Project of Cao Bang Border Gate Economic Zone to 2040.

...

Tin bai cuoi cung

Khong con du lieu e load
After Sri Lanka bombings, 60 Christian refugees flee homes over revenge threats

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Persecuted Christian refugees and asylum seekers in Sri Lanka are in hiding inside a police station as a result of death threats from angry Sri Lankans following last months Easter Sunday bombings that claimed the lives of over 250.

Multiple human rights organizations are raising an alarm as several migrant communities in Sri Lanka who originated from South Asia or the Middle East have been forced to seek legal protection as communal revenge violence has escalated in the wake of the bombings.

Although enraged Sri Lankans have primarily targeted peaceful Muslims and their property in response to last months bombings claimed by the Islamic State, asylum-seeking Christians from Afghanistan and Pakistan who fled the country over religious persecution are also in fear for their lives.

Anton Kyanq, a Sri Lankan pastor who has traveled the country to bring assistance to Christians in need, told The Christian Post in an interview that as many as 60 Pakistani and Afghani Christian refugees are currently housed inside of a police station in Negombo (one of the three cities where the Easter suicide bombings have occurred).

Kyanq has worked with the London-based charity British Pakistani Christian Association to provide aid to the displaced Christian refugees at the Negombo police station. He estimates that as many as 160 asylum seekers are being sheltered at the station.

Sri Lanka is home to about 1,600 asylum seekers from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Iran who fled religious, political or ethnic persecution in their homelands. About 800 asylum seekers live in rented homes in Negombo with the backing of United Nations assistance.

The other 100 migrants house at the station are of the Muslim faith, he said.

People were told it was a terrorist attack from an Islamic background. So they thought maybe [since] these people are also from a background similar, maybe these people are also connected to these groups, Kyanq explained. So they were angry at them.

Inside the police station, Kyanq said that the migrants have been given nothing but mats to sleep on and must deal with the mosquito bites, the cold breeze, and the rain.

The migrants are allowed to go back to their rented homes and come back to the police station should they want to risk their safety.

For the time being, the protection is fine but we cannot say what will happen tomorrow, Kyanq explained. We dont see any progress.

Kyanq said that the UNHCR is providing food to all the asylum seekers in the police station, even those that had been rejected by the agency for resettlement in another country. However, Kyanq stressed that the food the UNHCR gives out is not good.

Throughout Negombo, hundreds of Ahmaddiya Muslims, who follow a sect of Islam that advocates for peace and tolerance, have been forced to flee their rented homes.

Kyanq said the Pakistani Christians and Ahmadi Muslims in Sri Lanka essentially live as part of the same community as persecuted minorities from a hardline Muslim-majority country.

They live as a community together. Even the Christians also get along with Ahmadi Muslims because both of them are persecuted, Kyanq explained.

One Christian asylum seeker from Pakistan told the Daily Mirror that she was forced from her home the day after the April 21 Easter bombing claimed around 100 lives at St. Sebastian's Church in Negombo.

I was cooking when a group of people arrived and shouted at us to leave, the asylum seeker named Hafza was quoted as saying. Then, the house owner said if we dont leave, he would also be attacked by them. We just had to leave with our kids.

According to Kyanq, the government plans to eventually move the asylum seekers out of the police station to some sort of restricted area where they could be protected.

Such place will be selected and they would be put into the camp or something. The government will handle everything. This is what they say, Kyanq said. But now the [government] allows people to leave if they want, but some people don't find it's safe for them to move.

Human Rights Watch, a leading international human rights watchdog organization, reported that hundreds of asylum seekers have sought shelter in an Ahmadiyya mosque in Negombo while others have been sheltered at a local school.

HRW joined over a dozen other human rights agencies in issuing a joint statement last week calling on the Sri Lankan government to deploy adequate law enforcement to ensure the protection of the vulnerable refugee communities seeking shelter in mosques, police stations, and other locations.

The joint statement estimates that about 1,200 people from Pakistan and Afghanistan, most of them Muslims, have fled their homes in Sri Lanka due to the fear, threats, and intimidation following the Ester bombings.

The organizations call for the Sri Lankan government to urgently relocate refugees seeking shelter in the Negombo police station and houses of worship to appropriate locations with adequate sanitation, sleeping space, and security.

The joint statement stresses that the Sri Lankan government should work with UNHCR to ensure that the settlements for these refugee communities are not de facto detention centers.
Elderly couples committing 'joint suicides' in nations where legal: 9 in Netherlands in 2018

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The phenomenon of elderly couples committing suicide together in nations where euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide is legally permitted appears to be on the rise.

In 2018, nine elderly couples in the Netherlands died in this fashion.

"The Dutch believe that transparency is more important than right and wrong. So, they allow a continually expanding euthanasia license  but are careful to make sure they report later on what death doctors are doing. Hence, the government publishes a yearly, coldly statistical report about how many of their citizens were killed by doctors and why," Wesley Smith of the Discovery Institute noted on the blog of National Review Wednesday.

The Netherlands is known for its ever-loosening laws on euthanasia and doctor-facilitated death, though some in recent years have expressed that matters have gotten out of control.

The reasons for couples taking their lives together under the Dutch euthanasia and assisted suicide regime are not listed but at least one was a man with terminal cancer whose wife had multiple sclerosis. She reportedly requested to die with him since she would not be able to live independently and did not want to be cared for by strangers.

In total there were 6,126 deaths that occurred by euthanasia or assisted suicide, a seven percent decrease from 2017.

"But when you consider other forms of patient eradication, such as terminal sedation (putting in a coma until the patient dehydrates to death), about 25 percent of deaths in the Netherlands are 'induced,' Smith noted.

Out of all those deaths, 67 were facilitated by psychiatrists and other doctors for mental illness. Three children between the ages of 12 and 17 were put to death, the numbers indicate.

"Once euthanasia consciousness grabs a culture by the throat, it never stops squeezing," he quipped.

In August, Belgium was scrutinized as reports emerged detailing the number of people legally put to death in that nation through euthanasia, including children as young as 9 and 11.

The 2018 statistics come amid increasingly positive framing of the issue in mainstream outlets including an in-depth account of a Canadian elderly who opted to die together.

As The Christian Post reported in April of 2018, the Canadian Globe and Mail captured the death of George and Shirley Brickenden  who, between the two of them were suffering from a combination of rheumatoid arthritis and fainting linked to heart problems  as the final moment in a long love affair.

The story described their initial engagement, decades of marriage, and deep love for each other, and noted how neither one was apprehensive about dying. The Brickendens were not the first couple to receive physician-assisted suicide simultaneously but were reportedly the first to speak about it publicly.

The couple ended their lives with the support of Andrew Asbil, the Anglican dean of Toronto and rector of St. James Cathedral.
Five children killed in bomb attack while playing near monastery in Syrian Christian town

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Five children were killed while playing near a monastery in the Syrian Christian town of al-Suqaylabiyah in what is believed to be an attack carried out by Islamic extremists.

According to the nonprofit NGO International Christian Concern, Syrian opposition forces fired rockets into a regime-held Christian-majority town in northwestern Syria on Sunday, May 12.

Those killed included five children aged 6 to 10, and one woman on a nearby street. Eight others, including six children, were wounded.

The kids went out to play after some days of calm, Father Maher Haddad, a local priest, told the Associated Press. The report continued, A rocket struck near a group of children, instantly killing five and wounding others  the woman was killed in a nearby street by a separate rocket.

The Greek Orthodox town also suffered widespread material damage as a result of the attack.

While no group has claimed responsibility for the attack, the AP notes the rockets were fired from nearby Idlib, where Al-Qaeda affiliate Tahrir al-Sham and the Free Syrian Army remain active. Tahrir al-Sham has a history of attempting to seize Christian towns in the area of al-Suqaylabiyah.

Syrian state media says that the regime retaliated against the al-Suqaylabiyah attack by firing shells toward insurgents on the southern edge of Idlib province, the last major rebel stronghold in the country.

Fighting has escalated between government forces and non-state armed groups in northwest Syria in recent weeks, according to UK-based monitoring group the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR). Since April 30, Syrian troops have been on the offensive and have repeatedly launched airstrikes against rebel forces there.

The escalation in violence has prompted the displacement of more than 180,000 people in the territory and killed more than 120 people, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

Claire Evans, ICCs Regional Manager for the Middle East, said the ongoing Syrian Civil War is a sad example of the indiscriminate killing of civilians and senseless violence.

As the situation escalates in Idlib, many have warned that an increase of targeted massacres would be the result, she said. It has started  with Christians paying a high cost as they are often viewed as vulnerable, second-class citizens. Their villages have become a pawn in a greater strategy for the multiple factions involved in the civil war. We must keep the families of the deceased in our prayers, and offer up continued prayers for the safety of those believers who find themselves caught between Syrias warring sides.

Open Doors ranks Syria as the 11th worst country in the world when it comes to the persecution of Christians on its 2019 World Watch List.

The persecution watchdog notes that the countrys ongoing civil war has left the country in turmoil, and Christians have not been spared from that suffering.

In government-controlled areas, there is less monitoring of Christians, due to the circumstances of war, it says. The political reputation of denominations, churches and local church leaders plays an important role in the level of persecution or oppression they face from groups that are fighting President Assad.

In September 7, 2018, 12 Christians  including six children  in Mardeh, a Christian village in northeast Syria, were killed in a bomb attack. Twenty people were injured in this attack, which was reportedly committed by an al-Qaeda-linked opposition group and the Free Syrian Army.
Alabama Governor Kay Ivey defends abortion ban

Alabama Governor Kay Ivey is standing by an abortion ban passed by state lawmakers this week.

If the bill is signed into law, Alabama will have the most restrictive regulations on abortion in the US, denying the procedure in cases of rape and incest, and allowing it only where there is a "serious health risk" to the mother.

The new law goes further in its reach than women seeking an abortion to make it a Class A felony for doctors to perform an abortion and a Class C felony for attempting to perform an abortion in six months.

The bill, which has won praise from pro-lifers and scorn from the pro-choice movement, was passed 25-6 in the Senate on Tuesday night, having previously passed in the Alabama House.

Defending the bill, Ivey told reporters that "all human life is precious".

Already anticipating a potentially costly legal challenge, Ivey suggested to reporters that a fight in the Supreme Court was not a strong enough reason to hold back on such legislation.

"You certainly cannot deter your efforts to protect the unborn because of cost, even if it means going to the United States Supreme Court," she said.

Senator Bernie Sanders was among those strongly criticising the bill.

"The Alabama Senate voted to outlaw nearly all abortions. These hypocrites decry 'big government,' yet they want to control every aspect of women's bodies, private decisions, and futures. Our job is to fight at every step to protect reproductive rights," he said on Twitter.

Staci Fox, president and chief executive of Planned Parenthood Southeast Advocates, told The New York Times, that the passing of the bill was a "dark day" for women in Alabama and across the US.

"Banning abortion is bad enough. Imprisoning doctors for providing care goes beyond the brink," she said.

"Alabama politicians will forever live in infamy for this vote and we will make sure that every woman knows who to hold accountable."

Live Action founder and President Lila Rose disagreed. She said she was "proud" of Alabama for seeking to protect the unborn.

"Of all the women and men that stood up against the abortion industry and the crusade of lies, misinformation and fear-mongering, and said we will fight so our laws protect life. We will make our states a safer home for mothers and children," she tweeted.
Diocese of Egypt opens up documents dating back to early 1800s for public access

Scholars, researchers and members of the public interested in researching Egyptian history will now be able to access a treasure trove of church documents dating back to the early 1800s.

The Episcopal Diocese of Egypt has just opened a new research centre in Cairo as part of a newly renovated archive facility.

The research centre contains nearly two centuries of registers of baptisms, marriages and deaths, minute books, correspondence, orders of service, maps, plans, newsletters and printed pamphlets.

Alongside the archive, a library of academic books acts as a further resource for people interested in the history, topography and architecture of Egypt and the Middle East.

The Diocese of Egypt has been in existence since 1839 and was originally created as a chaplaincy to the British Victorian-era expat community.

Today, the diocese also covers the Horn of Africa and is part of the Anglican Province of Jerusalem and the Middle East, although the Anglican Communion is deliberating whether to turn it into an independent province.

"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 opening ceremony for the new research centre was joined by the British Ambassador to Egypt, Sir Geoffrey Adams, the Bishop of Egypt, Mouneer Anis, Dr James Moore of the University of Leicester, and Dr Richard Gauvain from the British University in Cairo.

The centre is a collaboration with the University of Leicester in the UK and follows the careful digitisation of all the diocese's documents and manuscripts - a process that started in 2015.

The renovation work included redesigning existing diocesan facilities to safely store the documents for future generations.

In addition to opening its doors for research, the research centre will host regular events, including workshops and seminars.

"It's 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 diocese's head archivist, Monica Emil, back in 2016, when the project was still in its early stages. "It's dusty work, that's for sure, but what we're doing here is worth it."
Former magistrate challenges sacking after saying adopted children were best placed with a mother and father

A former magistrate has challenged his removal from the judiciary after saying that it was best for adopted children to be placed in families headed by a mother and father.

Richard Page, of Headcorn, Kent, is accusing the Lord Chancellor and Lord Chief Justice of discrimination on the grounds of his Christian beliefs.

His barrister, Paul Diamond, of the Christian Legal Centre, told an appeal tribunal in London this week that judges should not be removed "because of political pressures".

"Saying a child needs a mother and a father is not derogatory or deriding of people. It's simply a statement," he said.

Mr Page was sacked from the bench in 2016 for "serious misconduct" after airing his views about placing adopted children with heterosexual couples during a TV appearance on the BBC the previous year.

This followed disciplinary action against Mr Page by the Lord Chancellor and Lord Chief Justice after he had raised objections in 2014 with fellow magistrates in private about placing children for adoption with homosexual couples.

In an unusual intervention, the then justice secretary, Michael Gove and Lord Thomas said Mr Page was being dismissed from the judiciary because his comments about gay adoption suggested he was "biased and prejudiced against single-sex adopters".

He also lost a position as a non-executive director at an NHS trust.

Naomi Ling, representing the Lord Chancellor and Lord Chief Justice, told the tribunal this week that Mr Page's comments had "undermined the judiciary".

"Mr Page went on national television. The statements he made publicly show that he would bring his personal views to bear, not just the evidence before him," she said.

"He undermined his own impartiality, therefore he undermined the judiciary."

The panel hearing his appeal this week decided to reserve judgement.

Andrea Minichiello Williams, director Christian Concern and Christian Legal Centre, said the case was "fundamental" to the freedom of Christians to be able to express their faith and views on the family in the public square.

"We want to be free as British citizens to speak," she said.

Mr Page is also in the process of a separate appeal against the loss of his NHS post. A ruling has not yet been made in that case. He claims he was unfairly dismissed by Kent and Medway NHS and Social Care Partnership Trust because of his views. An employment tribunal last year upheld the 2016 decision to remove him.
The Stieglitz Circle  icons of American Modernism

Specialists Eric Widing and Paige Kestenman look at highlights from The Michael Scharf Family Collection, while below Jessica Lack tells the story of a group of artists who instigated a transformation in the development of Modern American art

In 1908, a small exhibition of Auguste Rodins nude drawings opened in Manhattan. Organised by Alfred Stieglitz (1864-1946), photographer, editor, and proselytiser of the European avant-garde, it was one of several subsequent exhibitions designed to expose the bewildered American public to new ideas in modern art. The show shocked society, and according to the Mexican artist Marius de Zayas it took another 11 years of hard labour to convince the city that artists such as Cezanne, Picasso and Matisse had merit. Much of that was down to Stieglitz, who tirelessly promoted both European and American artists at his Manhattan galleries, first at the Little Galleries of the Photo-Secession (colloquially known as 291), then at The Intimate Gallery, and finally at An American Place. Today, Stieglitz is regarded as a visionary protagonist in the birth of American modern art, and on 22 May in New York a comprehensive array of early, primarily abstract works by the American artists he promoted and who became members of his circle will be offered from The Michael Scharf Family Collection. These artists were often influenced by their contemporaries in Europe, and yet succeeded in creating a new and distinctly American genre.

Marsden Hartley (1877-1943), Abstraction, 1912-13. 46 x 39 in (118.1 x 101 cm). Estimate: $4,000,000-6,000,000. Offered in American Art on 22 May 2019 at Christies in New York

Stieglitz did not always enjoy the reputation he has today. In the early 1900s he was considered by many to be little more that a minor curiosity, one who offloaded impossible travesties on the public. As Christies Deputy Chairman Eric Widing explains, There was virtually no critical discussion around modern art in New York at that time, which meant Stieglitz was either ignored or dismissed. Yet Stieglitzs indomitable belief in the possibility of an American modernism persisted. He gathered about him a group of talented, young, native artists, among them Marsden Hartley, John Marin, Arthur Dove and Charles Demuth, Max Weber and, later, his wife Georgia OKeeffe. It was these artists who provided the genesis of such an idea.

Stieglitz was promoting a group of artists who were not popular at the time. He needed to be tough  Eric Widing

Stieglitz was, and remains, a fascinating character. Having spent his early twenties in Berlin studying chemistry and experimenting with photographic techniques, he returned to New York and was dismayed by the parochialism and commercialism of the art establishment. His 291 gallery was originally set up to promote photography as a fine art, staging shows by Edward Steichen, Ansel Adams and others, but it soon became the centre of New Yorks fledgling art scene. Soon, he began to represent painters, too. The key to Stieglitz was his understanding of how to sell, when, and to whom. He remained intractably uncommercial, and could be brutally dismissive of clients. His gallery assistant, Herbert Seligmann, described him as vain and theatrical; he could be vindictive and cruel. He could go to extremes in his admiration and in his subsequent depreciation of people. He was a romantic. He erupted with the continuing energy of a volcano. Widing agrees, although he suspects that some of this was an act: Certainly he was gruff and difficult and stubborn, but you have to remember he was promoting a group of artists who were not popular at the time. He needed to be tough.

It worked. Stieglitz established a refined, intellectual aura around his young, soulful artists, and collectors began to take notice. There seems to be something indicative of art excitement in New York doesnt there? wrote Marsden Hartley. I hope that it counts for something, I suppose it cannot always be futile. One distinctive element of the Stieglitz circle was their interest in nature, says Widing. While they drew heavily on what was happening in Europe, their consistent passion was for the natural world and this is what set them apart. The paintings by the Stieglitz Circle offered for sale from The Michael Scharf Family Collection are united by this overriding consideration.

For these artists, the American landscape was a spiritual place and, at times, an existential quandary. We cannot express the light in nature because we have not the sun, said Arthur Dove. We can only express the light we have in ourselves. Dove dredged up symbols of psychic states from the bottom of a river bed, while OKeeffe found her light in the bleached bones of a disembodied skull.

Stieglitz recognised the escapism that these depictions of a vast, untamed and mystical wilderness offered the downtrodden metropolitan masses. As the novelist Sherwood Anderson wrote in the catalogue to their 1925 show, Here are seven artists bringing to you city dwellers their moments of life. They also are as tired as you are tired; life presses down upon them as it presses down upon you. See them here in their moments of life  when life, pumped through their bodies crept down into their fingers. In recent years, The Stieglitz Circle has emerged from the shadow cast by mid-century Abstract Expressionism. Georgia OKeeffe had a major show at Tate Modern in London, and Marsden Hartley has recently been exhibited in Berlin, says Widing. They are starting to get international recognition. Twenty years ago, this just wasnt the case. Last year, Americas Cool Modernism, an exhibition at the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford, featured many members of the Stieglitz Circle and was lauded by critics; Laura Cummings of The Observer argued that it presented a new story in the history of American art. These artists played a key role, maintains Widing. The story of American Modernism begins with them: they represent the dawn of a new age. Key members of The Stieglitz Circle Charles Demuth (1883-1935) Born in Lancaster Pennsylvania, Charles Demuth was a highly skilled watercolourist who searched for meaning in the vast great wilderness of the American landscape. Like Marsden Hartley, he was inspired by early modernist writers, and spent time in an artist colony in Provincetown with the playwright Eugene ONeill, where he became fascinated with symbolism.

For much of his life he suffered from ill health: it is thought that he contracted either tuberculosis or polio as a child, which led to his premature death at the age of 51. In his later years he invented a style of painting known as Precisionism, a vibrant interpretation of industrial America as it hurtled towards the future, which is now considered to be the forerunner of Pop art. Arthur Dove (1880-1946) Arthur Doves first exhibition of abstract pastels at 291 in 1912 was proclaimed by critics as absolutely original. The focus on pattern, light, colour and form was considered revolutionary by the gallery-going public, and established Dove as a pioneer of American abstraction  a far cry from his beginnings as a commercial illustrator for the The Saturday Evening Post.

Dove immersed himself in the American landscape, viewing everything in close-up, be it the clay on a river bed or the undulating grooves of sand left by the outgoing tide. It led his friend and fellow artist Georgia OKeeffe to describe him as the only American painter who is of the earth. The son of a wealthy brick merchant, Doves love of nature was nurtured by his childhood neighbour, the naturalist Newton Weatherby.

Marsden Hartley (1877-1943) Marsden Hartley had his first one-man show at 291 in 1909, after which Stieglitz encouraged the painter to move to Paris, financing his trip and putting him in touch with members of the European avant-garde. A withdrawn and melancholy figure, Hartley was intimidated by Paris and its flamboyant exhibitionism, preferring the reticence of Berlin, where he became acquainted with Wassily Kandinskys Der Blaue Reiter group.

Marsden Hartley (1877-1943), Abstraction, 1916-17. 24 x 20 in (61 x 50.8 cm). Estimate: $1,200,000-1,800,000. Offered in American Art on 22 May 2019 at Christies in New York

On his return to New York he began to write and to develop a synthetic Cubist style, which consisted of vertical arrangements of flat planes of muted colours partly inspired by sailboats and the seashore. I want my work in both writing and painting to have that special coolness, he explained, for I weary of emotional excitement in art. Together with John Marin, he spent much of his artistic career in Maine, his childhood home, capturing the everyday life of the fishing community he encountered there. John Marin (1870-1953) It was the photographer Edward Steichen who discovered John Marin in Paris in 1906; the young American painter was making his living in the city selling picturesque watercolours to tourists. Impressed by his uninhibited style, Steichen put the artist in contact with Stieglitz, who gave Marin his first solo show at 291 in 1909.

John Marin (1870-1953), Movement, Sea and Sun, 1921. 13 x 17 in (34.3 x 43.2 cm). Estimate: $70,000-100,000. Offered in American Art on 22 May 2019 at Christies in New York.  Estate of John Marin / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

They quickly became friends, with Stieglitz writing that Marin is a rare artist  and an extraordinarily modest fellow  a fine character. Marins greatest subject matter was the rocky, windswept coastline around Maine. He was captivated by the constantly changing light, colours and textures.

During an era of industrial inhumanity, these misty seascapes came to be seen as escapism for the soul by the American public. Of all the Stieglitz artists, he was one of the most celebrated during his lifetime, having a retrospective at the Museum of Modern Art in 1936, and being awarded an honorary degree from the University of Maine. Georgia OKeeffe (1887-1986) A farm girl raised in the dry-dust of Wisconsin, Georgia OKeeffe was the most famous member of The Stieglitz Circle. Having resolved to be an artist at the age of 11, she went to study at the Art Institute of Chicago, then moved to New York before returning to her childhood home of Amarillo.

In 1919 she began to paint flowers  dark irises and fleshy white calla lilies  that were tightly cropped and magnified so that they appeared almost abstract. When you take a flower in your hand and really look at it  its your world for a moment. I want to give that world to someone else, she explained.

Georgia O'Keeffe (1887-1986), Inside Red Canna, 1919. 22 x 17 in (55.9 x 43.2 cm). Estimate: $4,000,000-6,000,000. Offered in American Art on 22 May 2019 at Christies in New York.  2019 Georgia OKeeffe Museum / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

In 1924 she married Stieglitz, who became her greatest champion, describing the painter as the first female modernist. Yet his wandering eye and demanding personality left OKeeffe exhausted and claustrophobic. In 1949 she escaped the hyper-density of New York for the uncompromising wilderness of New Mexico, where she remained until her death in 1986.

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Max Weber (1881-1961) Max Weber was the black sheep of the Stieglitz Circle, as uncompromising and intransigent as his gallerist. He had a brief, intense and turbulent working relationship with Stieglitz, which ended in 1911 after his show of paintings was excoriated by the press.

Today his early experiments with Cubism are celebrated as forerunners of American Abstract Expressionism, but in the early 1900s they were considered travesties.
Houston employer-based health plans are paying hospitals more than double, and in some cases quadruple, what Medicare would pay for the same treatment, a new national study has found.

The findings by the RAND Corporation, released last week, examined what hospitals charged employer health plans in 25 states from 2016 to 2018. The biggest gap came in out-patient payments, which in Houston were as high as 448 percent of Medicare. That means a procedure that be might cost Medicare $1,000 would cost an employer-based plan $4,480.

This is significant as the trend continues toward out-patient care over traditional in-patient hospitalization. The study also comes as health pricing and medical billing under heightened scrutiny by lawmakers.

RELATED: It cost what? Medical pricing shrouded in secrecy, leaving patients in the dark

Across Texas, prices paid for privately-insured patients by their employers were on average 240 percent of what federal Medicare would have paid, the study showed. That puts Texas among the highest of employer-paid health costs among states studied.

Houston employers fared slightly better, but still paid more than double what Medicare does, said Chris Skisak, executive director of the Houston Business Coalition on Health, a nonprofit that represents employers purchasing health plans. Medicare is often considered a benchmark in medical pricing.

"They're paying more than what's reasonable to hospitals," he said on Thursday. "Employers should be pushing harder for better pricing."

Data from payments to 29 Houston area hospitals by nine large Houston employers was studied, Skisak said. That translated to about 200,000 people seeking care.

Health care providers, including hospitals, have long complained that comparisons to Medicare pricing is flawed because the federal payment is unrealistically low. Skisak, however, rejected that argument, saying that hospitals are overcharging and should be forced to be more cost-efficient.

Typically, negotiated rates of payments to hospitals and other providers are a closely-guarded secret. The RAND study was the first time pricing on such a broad swath of hospitals has been revealed.

RELATED: Cracking the Code: How facility procedure codes can become weapons

"The widely varying prices among hospitals suggests that employers have opportunities to redesign their health plans to better align hospital prices with the value of care provided," said Chapin White, the RAND study's lead author and senior policy researcher, in a statement.

The Texas Hospital Association has previously said factors, such as individual insurance contracts and market forces, make accurate price comparisons for procedures difficult if not impossible.

Only self-funded plans were included in the Houston data, which means that companies make the payments to hospitals and contracted insurers manage plans and negotiate rates.
NOTE: This story was updated at 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 15.

Costco is beloved by customers for its low prices, wide selection of products and generous return policy. But it's also a pretty good place to work, especially if you rise to the rank of store manager.

Less than a week after Walmart revealed how much it paid its U.S. store managers, Readers Digest dug up Glassdoor figures on Costco salaries for comparison.

They showed that general managers of the big-box chain make on average $106,000 a year, with top earners clearing $180,000. Not bad, right?

But Costco reached out to us Wednesday to inform us that those figures were grossly underreported by Glassdoor.

Patrick Callans, Costco executive vice president, administration, said the actual annual salary of a general manager was $138,000. But that's just a fraction of the compensation package for the position.

"Adding bonus and stock-based compensation, a Costco GM can earn approximately triple that amount," Callans wrote in an email.

MORE: The search for the Bay Area's cheapest alcohol

Walmart earlier reported its store managers earn $175,000 salary annually on average.

Meanwhile, the average Walmart worker makes $14.46 per hour, or about $25,000 a year for 34-hour weeks, which is considered full-time at Walmart. That's not enough to stay above the poverty line for a family of four.

At Costco, the average hourly employee pay is $22.50.

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Read Mike Moffitt's latest stories and send him news tips at moffitt@sfgate.com.

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Houstons home values may be at their peak.

According to Zillow, the housing market is already on its way down. The real estate website released a report Thursday morning saying Houston-area home values fell 0.3 percent in April from the month before.

Nationally, home prices have been growing by less each month since March 2018, but they were still on the rise, according to the Case-Shiller Price Index of home values. That changed last month when, for the first time since February 2012, Zillows data show home values nationwide fell 0.1 percent month-over-month.

This most certainly hasnt happened in a long time, said Skylar Olsen, Zillows director of economic research. Its not common. And its definitely not common for it to happen without a recession to match it.

While past downturns were caused by a combination of job loss and predatory loans, this one is being driven by prices rising more quickly than buyers can afford.

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This truly is a market adjustment, Olsen said. Home values grew incredibly quickly. You shook some people: Oh, can I afford to actually buy a home at this moment? Perhaps now is not the time to buy.

While economists are unsure how long the correction will last or how significant it will be, many agree that it is coming.

Dallas, Houston and Denver are some of the most overpriced markets in the country, said Ken H. Johnson, a real estate economist who created the Beracha, Hardin & Johnson Buy vs. Rent Index, which compares the returns of someone who buys a home to the returns of someone who rents a similar quality home and invests the money that would have otherwise been put toward homeownership. The most recent index found that market conditions in Houston placed significant downward pressure on the demand for homeownership.

However, Olsen and Johnson also agreed that the correction will be nothing like the 2008 housing bubble.

Will this be a catastrophe, like 2009 was for the rest of the country? Probably not, Johnson said. Youre not going to see the foreclosure in massive droves. Youre going to see property appreciation stop. Youre going to see a hard time selling your house.

Javier Vivas, director of economic research for the National Association of Realtors, said the longterm trend in Houstons housing market has been a gradual decline. The number of homes on the market have been rising, and the average time it took to sell a home has been growing longer.

Large numbers of homes have also been selling for less than their list price. And even though mortgage rates have fallen since November, sales volumes were not growing quickly.

Altogether, those are signs that the market is slowing, Vivas said.

But Vivas pointed out a softening market probably wont impact all homes equally.

You could look at existing homes and even the condo market, and you could see those slow down, he said.

The exception to the trend are new, entry-level single-family homes.

The new home market, particularly the entry level, could perform very well, Vivas said. The demand is there.
Oil soared to a two-week high as Saudi Arabia accused Iran of ordering this week's attack on its key oil facilities, fueling tensions between two of the world's oil-producing superpowers.

Futures in New York advanced 1.4% on Thursday. Saudi Arabia's vice-minister of defense and brother of the country's de facto ruler said on Twitter that Tuesday's drone attack was ordered by Iran.

His comments came as Saudi-led forces launched retaliatory airstrikes against Houthi positions in Yemen, where the United Nations is working to end a four-year war. The escalation also follows the U.S. ordering non-emergency staff to leave neighboring Iraq due to increasing threats in the region.

EARLIER: Oil advances as shrinking U.S. gasoline supply brightens outlook

"Anyone who knows the Middle East knows that there are plenty of tripwires and the risk of escalation is always there," said Tamar Essner, director for energy at Nasdaq Corporate Solutions in New York. "With every attack that goes off, the risk and the stakes go higher."

While Saudi's pipeline has reopened, officials from all sides are warning that a string of recent events have pushed the region closer to a potentially devastating conflict. Recent attacks on oil tankers highlight regional tensions in the Persian Gulf as relations between the U.S. and Iran also deteriorate. That's put a damper on any demand concerns related to the intensifying trade war between the U.S. and China.

In the physical market, Brent-linked crudes remain tight after supply outages and contamination issues roiling European refiners and traders.

SUPPLY: U.S. petroleum stockpiles surge by nearly 15 million barrels

West Texas Intermediate crude for June delivery gained 85 cents to settle at $62.87 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange, the biggest gain since late April.

Brent for July settlement rose 85 cents to end the session at $72.62 a barrel on the London-based ICE Futures Europe exchange. The global crude benchmark traded at a $9.56 premium to WTI, the widest gap since February.

Tensions have flared after the White House vowed to squeeze Iranian oil exports to zero and later dispatched an aircraft carrier group to the region. Meanwhile, the Iraqi Oil Ministry contradicted a report that Exxon Mobil Corp. employees were being evacuated.

Crude was also riding a rebound in equity markets, with the S&P 500 headed for its biggest three-day rally in four months, boosted in part by solid corporate earnings and strong housing data.

--With assistance from James Thornhill, Sharon Cho and Grant Smith.

2019 Bloomberg L.P.
Saudi Arabia accused Iran of ordering this weeks attack by Yemeni rebels on a key oil pipeline, stoking concerns that the worlds largest oil-producing region is edging toward another war. Crude prices rose.

Prince Khalid Bin Salman, the vice minister for defense and brother of Saudi Arabias de facto ruler, said on Twitter that Tuesdays drone attack, claimed by Iran-backed Houthis, had undermined political efforts to ease tensions in Yemen.

The terrorist acts, ordered by the regime in Tehran, and carried out by the Houthis, are tightening the noose around the ongoing political efforts, Prince Khalid said, without providing evidence of Iranian involvement. These militias are merely a tool that Irans regime uses to implement its expansionist agenda in the region.

RELATED: Oil climbs on falling U.S. gasoline stockpiles and Gulf tension

Saudi-led forces launched retaliatory airstrikes against Houthi positions in the divided country, where the United Nations is working to end a four-year war thats killed thousands and left millions facing hunger and disease.

The attacks on two Aramco oil pumping stations forced the temporary closure of an important east-west pipeline in the kingdom this week and added to growing friction in the Gulf, where the U.S. has tightened sanctions against Iran, demanding it stop supporting militias across the Middle East, including Yemens Houthis. The Saudi pipeline has since reopened, but officials from all sides have warned that a string of recent events have left the region at risk of sliding into a potentially devastating international conflict.

Oil markets briefly moved higher after Prince Khalids comments, with Brent rising to $72.44 at about 10:30 a.m. in London. The mounting political dangers are set to dominate a meeting of the OPEC oil-exporting group taking in place in Jeddah this weekend.

Gulf tensions have spiked since the U.S. stopped granting waivers to buyers of Iranian oil early this month, tightening sanctions slapped on the Islamic Republic after President Donald Trump pulled the U.S. out of the landmark 2015 nuclear deal a year ago.

TRADE WAR: Oil is already trade war's collateral damage even without duties

With an economic crisis looming, Iran announced last week it would gradually withdraw from the multi-lateral accord intended to curb its nuclear program unless the remaining parties throw it an economic lifeline.

The Houthi drone attacks came a day after four ships were sabotaged off the coast of the United Arab Emirates as they made their way toward the Strait of Hormuz, the worlds foremost oil shipping channel. On Wednesday, the U.S. cited growing yet unspecified threats as it ordered the departure of non-emergency staff from Iraq, where Iran provides material and political support to several powerful militia groups.

Saudi Arabia and the U.A.E. entered the Yemen war back in 2015 and have long accused Iran of providing their Houthi foes with support. The Houthis control the Yemeni capital, Sanaa, and have lobbed missiles toward Riyadh. Despite its overwhelming military superiority, the Saudi-led coalition has yet to defeat the Houthis on the battlefield.

Prince Khalids comments marked an escalation in rhetoric, and he was joined by Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Adel Al-Jubeir, who called the Houthis an indivisible part of #Irans Revolutionary Guard Corps (#IRGC) and subject to the IRGCs orders.

2019 Bloomberg L.P.
Escalating trade tensions with China could jeopardize or delay proposed liquefied natural gas projects on the Gulf Coast by raising construction costs in the United States and prices in China, hurting the emerging industry's competitiveness in one of the world's biggest energy markets, analysts and economists say.

China's decision to impose 25 percent tariffs on U.S. LNG comes as developers are poised to make final investment decisions for several Gulf Coast projects, including Driftwood LNG near Lake Charles, La., and Calcasieu Pass LNG in Cameron Parish, La. Cheniere Energy of Houston also is nearing a final investment decision on an expansion of its Sabine Pass complex in Louisiana.

The trade war adds uncertainty into long-term planning for energy projects, said Peter Rodriguez, dean of the Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of Business at Rice University.

RELATED: Fear spreads across Texas, as U.S.-China trade war escalates

"If you were thinking this escalating trade war is bad for growth  then you have to think your future scenarios for energy prices look a little darker than before the weekend," Rodriguez said. "It's terrible news for LNG projects under way  not that they won't finish, but I think their expectation is this is going to harm prices."

The tariffs come with China poised to become the world's largest importer of liquefied natural gas. The research and consulting firm Rystad Energy forecasts that Chinese demand for liquefied natural gas will reach 95 million metric tons per a year in 2025 up from 53 million metric last year.

Rystad Energy said that Chinese tariffs would make U.S LNG less attractive than that of competitors, such as Australia, and give Chinese buyers more bargaining power. In addition, the continued standoff between the United States and China could make Chinese buyers reluctant to sign long-term contracts with U.S. suppliers, which in turn rely on those contractors to obtain financing for multibillion dollar LNG production and export complexes.

Cheniere Energy, for example, negotiated a 20 year deal, estimated in media reports as worth $18 billion, with the Chinese energy company Sinopec. But the agreement has yet to be signed as the trade conflict drags on, Rystad noted.

TRUMP TOUTS LNG: Sempra Energy's Cameron LNG starts production

"Rystad Energy expects China to be one of the biggest contributors in sponsoring new LNG projects over the coming years," Sindre Knutsson, a senior analyst, said in a statement, "and there will be a reluctance to signing new deals with US projects as long as this trade war persists."

The United States is the fastest growing LNG exporter thanks to growing Asian demand. Rystad Energy projects that U.S. export volumes will nearly quadruple in coming years, reaching 84 million metric tons per a year by 2025, based on sanctioned projects.

RISKS: China trade war risks thousands of chemical industry jobs, billions of dollars

Ed Hirs, an economist and energy fellow with University of Houston, said there's still opportunities for U.S. producers to sell to other Asian countries and Europe. But the ongoing trade war could hit energy projects in the works by raising costs of steel for pipelines and plants, Hirs said. And in in the long run, if the trade war drags on and triggers a recession, demand for energy could fall, which would certainly hit home in Houston.

"These little headwinds over time change the course of the ship or the economy," Hirs said. "Most U.S. producers are looking at these trade wars and thinking with any luck they'll be temporary and so they haven't changed their capital allocation this year but if these tariffs are in place for long we're going to start seeing capital moving around the world."

Trump has downplayed the impact on the U.S. economy, tweeting that he expected many industries would leave China for Vietnam and other Asian nations to avoid the U.S. tariffs. The latest round of talks reportedly broke down over the Trump administration's insistence that China stop subsidizing its domestic industries, a tactic that Chinese companies undercut foreign competitors and drive them out of global markets.

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Whataburger  with its yellow-wrapped burgers, fries and Spicy Ketchup  is as familiar to Texans as H-E-B and as beloved as the Dallas Cowboys when theyre having a good season.

Now the San Antonio fast-food chain is looking to put its iconic orange-and-white stores on many more street corners, and its turned to Wall Street for help.

Whataburger confirmed Thursday it has hired investment banking firm Morgan Stanley to help the company determine how best to fuel its expansion.

That will mean considering several potential strategies: selling the company or part of it, re-franchising, finding large private investors or selling Whataburger shares through an initial public offering.

For now, company officials are vague about their next steps.

Our company is growing and is always attractive to investors, and weve brought in Morgan Stanley to help us explore our options, a spokesperson for Whataburger Corporate Communications said in an email. We have always evaluated the opportunities that can accelerate growth and maintain the success of our brand, and we will continue to do so in the future.

On ExpressNews.com: Whataburger urged by activists to stop using Styrofoam cups, containers

The company has more than 820 locations, with more than 670 in Texas alone.

Whataburgers other restaurants are located in the South and Southwest, including Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico and Oklahoma. Most are company-owned.

Whataburger has increased its slice of the market as other fast-food companies have struggled in an intensely competitive industry, an industry expert said.

Like other businesses, restaurants are grappling with a staffing crunch amid historically low unemployment rates, fewer workers looking for jobs and rising wages. Another hit: meat alternatives are becoming more popular.

The company ranked seventh among U.S. burger brands by 2017 sales, raking more than $2.2 billion, restaurant publication QSR reports.

That put it behind fast-food heavyweights such as McDonalds and Burger King for sales. But it was ahead of Hardees, which generated more than $2.1 billion in 2017 sales, and nipping at the heels of Jack in the Box, which brought in more than $3.4 billion.

The company reported $2.4 billion in 2018 sales for an upcoming report by Nations Restaurant News. That marks a 6 percent uptick, the publication noted, and Whataburger added more restaurants.

Founded by Harmon Dobson in 1950, the company remains family-owned to this day.

When Dobson opened the first Whataburger restaurant in Corpus Christi, he made $191 in the first three days selling burgers, according to the company. Victory came on the fourth day: Big day$141.80ChristWhat a workhorse. 551 burgers, Dobson wrote in his diary.

The company had swelled to more than 17 locations by the early 1960s and opened the first of its A-frame restaurants.

Dobson died in a plane crash in 1967, and his wife, Grace, stepped in. The company expanded, branching into more states and adding hundreds of restaurants.

Son Tom Dobson took over the business in 1993 and Grace Dobson died in 2005. Whataburger continued growing, and in 2009 it moved to San Antonio.

The company, with its corporate office at 300 Concord Plaza Drive, is run by siblings Tom, Lynne and Hugh Dobson. But its current CEO, Preston Atkinson, took over from Tom Dobson in 2012.

Atkinson started building and designing locations for Whataburger in 1986. He joined the company in 1998 and held several executive positions before becoming its leader, the company says.

madison.iszler@express-news.net
The retro chic TWA Hotel at John F. Kennedy International Airport wants you to think of the Brat Pack, the Beatles, and the soaring grace of Eero Saarinen's futuristic terminal, dedicated to the then-new jet age.

What the hotel doesn't want is for guests to hear even a murmur of jet-engine noise from adjacent taxiways. To achieve this solitude, the hotel sheathed both wings of the new 512-room hotel with a 4.5-inch glass curtain wall, second-thickest in the world, to hush JFK's madding bustle.

Draw shut the blackout shades in every room, and you're in a virtually silent chamber save for the low whoosh of air conditioning. Jet engine noise and auto traffic at the adjacent Terminal 5 aren't issues. "We want to give you the experience of aviation without making you hear it," says Erik Palmer, the hotel's managing director.

What that glass curtain couldn't silence: a chorus of complaints on the first night. The TWA Hotel opened its doors to customers May 15 with abundant kinks to exterminate and a deep sense that things could have been much, much smoother had the hotel waited a week or two to complete its finishing touches, 57 years nearly to the date Saarinen's original Trans World Flight Center was dedicated on May 28.

Many of the elevators went on strike around 4 p.m. just as the first guests checked in; the cashless hotel suffered glitchy point of sale system processing as servers tried to ring up drink orders, and the rooftop infinity pool deck was off limits because construction isn't finished. (The pool itself is ready, though.)

The hotel has returned the TWA Flight Center's original Lisbon Lounge for cocktails and Paris Cafe, the latter run by celebrity chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten. A restored Lockheed Constellation painted in TWA's livery sits outside the glass-walled lobby as a year-round cocktail lounge. In total there's a restaurant, three bars and a food hall, in varying states of readiness on the first day.

The 1960s design motifs extend to the guest rooms, which are geared to inspiring visions of 1962, the year of the first Jetsons episode, a time when Boeing's 707 was rapidly supplanting propellers for a speedier, more glamorous form of air travel.

Each room has dark wood, red chairs or a red seating platform, and a terrazzo tile entrance foyer. The tile is a recreation of the design pattern used at St. Louis's Gateway Arch, another Saarinen icon completed in the 1960s. Each room has a black rotary-dial telephone, a well-stocked cocktail minibar-including Tab soda-a jar of sharpened red No. 2 pencils and lamps of '60s-era design. Bathrooms have Frette towels and wash cloths.

Among the hotel's best amenities: Blazing fast Wi-Fi throughout, very likely faster than whatever you have at home. (Download speeds top out near 400 Mbps.) "We paid extra for that," Palmer quipped-and so do guests with a mandatory $10 resort fee.

The hotel also has 50,000 square feet of event space. Weddings, bar/bat mitzvahs, and corporate meetings are the primary sales targets. JetBlue Airways Corp. will be the first large event customer, with a sit-down dinner for 500 on May 16.

As you'd expect, rooms have that "new hotel smell" and despite its location at a busy, 24-hour airport, guests can enjoy a fine rest in king or double bed rooms, so long as the housekeeping staff isn't overly chatty. There are also suites. And all should succeed in offering quiet.

The hotel's developer, MCR Development, has 94 hotels in 24 states and spent months evaluating the proper "aesthetic" for the rooms' sound design. How to eliminate airport noise was, of course, a key design consideration, said Victoria Cerami, chief executive officer of Cerami & Associates, the acoustical design firm that worked on the project, noting that the glass wall encircling the two room wings-Hughes and Saarinen-is seven panes, thicker than any other glass curtain wall save the U.S. Embassy in London.

Most people don't notice their sound environment "unless you become annoyed, and once you're annoyed you become hyper-vigilant" to the particular sounds causing your displeasure, Cerami said, sitting in a sound-isolated listening booth constructed inside the firm's midtown Manhattan office.

The booth is akin to a recording studio but one where clients can listen to the various effects of different materials architects use to shape and tame an acoustic environment. The field of acoustic engineering has experienced dramatic growth due to its importance to office buildings, hotels and hospitals.

"People think about their space in a much more sophisticated way," than in the past, Cerami said. She declined to reveal costs of the overall $300 million project but noted that acoustic design and engineering is typically less than 1 percent of a project budget.

Once all the rough edges are smoothed, and the staff find their groove, the hotel will be a nice experience for the sort of traveler who wants a certain no-nonsense aesthetic and doesn't mind New York prices. (Hello, $6 cup of average drip coffee to go.)

TWA Hotel rates start at $249 with discounts for advanced payment; the hotel also has four-12 hour partial-day options for weary travelers wanting a nap, starting from $149. Premium rooms with runway views are more expensive. The TWA is not a luxurious hotel-you'll get in-room Pringles and a box of Junior Mints but no room service, for example-nor is it trying to be.

What it does offer is an homage to a past era of aviation, restful sleep in quiet rooms, and the kind of marketable "story" with Instagrammable photos like sipping a cocktail while sitting inside a Lockheed Connie delivered to TWA in 1958.
Oilfield service giant Schlumberger is exiting the tubulars business after agreeing to sell three specialized subsidiaries to a Houston company in a $400 million deal.

Schlumberger announced early Tuesday morning that it has sold DRILCO, Thomas Tools, and Fishing & Remedial Services to Houston oilfield technology firm Wellbore Integrity Solutions.

The three subsidiaries being sold by Schlumberger specialize in making, providing tools for and servicing a special type of oilfield pipeline known as tubulars.

Expected to close by the end of the year, the $400 million deal includes DRILCO's manufacturing plant off Rankin Road in far north Houston.

In a statement, Schlumberger President of Bits & Drilling Tools Kristi Vilay said the three companies being sold would have greater opportunities for growth under Wellbore Integrity Solutions.

"This divestiture will enable Schlumberger to focus on its core drilling strategy, including the development of automation technologies that can be enhanced by digital enablement," Vilay said.

Workplace: Millennials now make up majority of Schlumberger's workforce

Formed in January 2017 and backed by New York private equity firm Rhone Capital, Wellbore Integrity Solutions is expected to have nearly 1,100 employees and operate in 25 nations once the deal is complete.

DRILCO specializes in making oilfield and drilling pipe known as tubulars. Thomas Tools makes tool and tubulars. Fishing & Remedial Services specializes in equipment and techniques for the removing of junk, debris or "fish" from a well.

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Founded in 1926 and headquartered in Paris, Schlumberger set up its U.S. headquarters in Houston. The company finished 2018 with a $2.2 billion profit on $32.8 billion of revenue.
Struggling oilfield service company Weatherford International is now trading as a penny stock after being delisted from the New York Stock Exchange.

In a Thursday afternoon filling with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Weatherford reported that the company received a letter from NYSE stating that it's stock had been suspended and that it was going to be delisted.

The NYSE decision comes days after the Swiss company with principal offices in Houston announced it had reached a deal with its top creditors and plans to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy by July 15.

DOWNWARD SPIRAL: How Weatherford found itself delisted, in Chapter 11

Traded on NYSE under the stock ticker symbol WFT, shares of Weatherford had been trading below $1 per share since mid-November.

Weatherford's stock is now being traded on the "pink sheets" section of the OTC Markets under the stock ticker symbol WFTIF.

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"The company intends to appeal NYSE's decision to delist the company's ordinary shares in accordance with the NYSE rules," Weatherford officials said the SEC filing.

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With roots in Texas going back to 1941, Weatherford is one of the largest oilfield service companies in the world. The global company had 67,000 employees at the beginning of 2014 but today, employs around 26,500 people in 80 nations. The company has seven locations in Texas, including four in the Houston area.

The company posted a $2.8 billion loss on $5.7 billion of revenue in 2018. Under a transformation plan released in Feb. 2018, the company has sold off its non-core assets and now focuses on drilling equipment and digital services.
Fulshear Police are searching for a man accused of taking photos up a woman's skirt at a local H-E-B store Tuesday morning.

Police said the man "brazenly walked up" next to the woman at the Cross Creek H-E-B and used his cell phone to take a photo from under her dress. Taking photos in this way is also known as "upskirting" and is considered a felony offense under the charge of invasive visual recording.

The man was so quick, the woman almost did not realize what had happened at the time of the crime, police said. After the incident, the woman "felt like something was wrong" and notified management before she was escorted to her car.

FORT BEND COUNTY: 9 arrested on felony sex crime charges in March

Police confirmed with store video footage the man did use his phone to take the photos. He was seen leaving the store in a white four door sedan.

"This is a sad reminder that no matter how safe we feel, how comfortable we are, we must always look after ourselves and others," Fulshear Police said in a Facebook post.

Anyone that recognizes the suspect or the vehicle is asked to call 281-346-8888 or email Investigator Villa at bvilla@fulsheartexas.gov.

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


Some visitors to Precinct 4 Constables Office in New Caney are privy to the Coca-Cola treatment. People taken into custody by the deputies are not served a soft drink, but they are placed in a makeshift cell made of repurposed Coke vending machine cages.

They were nearly discarded by a nearby park 10 years ago when Constable Rowdy Hayden found an alternative use for them.

If you have to buy the cages, theyre real expensive, so Constable said, No. We want to repurpose this and use it as a holding cell, Cpt. Buck Clendennen said.

Precinct 4 is using limited resources and ingenuity to make the building located at 21130 U.S.59 run effectively.

The ceiling and floor tiles have been replaced since Precinct 4 moved in about 10 years ago.

When we came in this office was in dire straits. It was bad, but we worked hard, he said.

Recently the floor tiles were replaced again.

Theres about eight years of dirty cops tracking their feet through here with mud and rocks and whatever else comes off of them, Clendennen said. They just began to deteriorate.

To supplement tax dollars, some of the equipment repairs or replacements are paid through a contingency account subsidized civil asset forfeiture funds, property value seized from a suspect on the premise it is linked to a crime being committed.

The process was completed in coordination with the Montgomery County District Attorneys Office to ensure funds were not abused, Clendennen explained.

We set very high thresholds on that before we say, Oh, you have $5,000? Let me hold on to that until you prove its yours. Thats nonsense. Thats not a way to operate, he said.

The whole office is laid out to operate within budgetary reach. The office handcuffs are painted pink to alert busy deputies who may add them to their patrol cars. The conference room also serves as the press room, a lectern standing adjacent to a long conference table.

But Precinct 4 is running out of space. A bulky piece off a weightlifting machine leaned idle in a narrow hallway as the office weight room was sacrificed to store files.

Its wall to wall of boxes in there, he said.

With about 50 deputies on the force, Clendennen said more room is needed in the office working out of Montgomery Countys most criminally active area.

Were to the point. Were on the brink, he said, quickly adding we have a good attitude about it.
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A small fire that erupted Wednesday night at an Alief ISD elementary school has prompted its closure until Monday at the earliest, district officials said.

The fire broke out at Outley Elementary School at 12355 Richmond Ave around 6 p.m., according to fire officials.
Pearland police recently investigated numerous cases of theft and burglary in which items reported stolen ranged from motor vehicle parts to a cocktail ring filched from a bedroom. Police also arrested seven people suspected of driving while intoxicated.

Theft

Two men dressed as women were arrested after allegedly stealing merchandise from a business May 8 in the 11200 block of Broadway Street, police said.

Theft occurred May 4 in the 3200 block of Broadway Street, according to a May 6 police report.

Theft of motor vehicle parts or accessories occurred between April 6 and May 6 in the 2800 block of Miller Ranch Road, according a May 6 police report.

Police filed a theft report May 7 in the 6600 block of Broadway Street.

Theft was reported May 8 in the 2700 block of Sterling Fields Drive, police said.

Police filed a theft report May 8 in the 800 block of Woodfern Glen Lane.

Theft was reported May 8 in the 4200 block of Summer Lane, police said.

Police arrested a Caldwell woman, 37, for shoplifting May 8 in the 1700 block of Broadway Street.

A U-Haul dolly was taken from a business between May 7 and May 9 in the 3100 block of Main Street, police said.

Police said an unknown person caused damage to a city building and attempted theft of a county-owned van May 8 or May 9 in the 2400 block of South Park Avenue.

A cocktail ring was reported stolen from a victims bedroom between April 17 and May 9 in the 3000 block of Pearland Parkway, police said.

Attempted vehicle theft was reported May 9 in the 3500 block of Broadway Street, police said.

A company cell phone was stolen from a business between March 14 and March 19 in the 11200 block of Broadway Street, according to a May 9 police report.

Police filed a shoplifting report May 10 in the 11200 block of Broadway Street.

Shoplifting was reported at Sprint, 11011 Shadow Creek Parkway, police said.

Police took a Houston man, 34, into custody for shoplifting May 10 in the 1700 block of Broadway Street.

Police charged a La Porte man, 33, with theft and fraudulent use or possession of identifying information May 11 in the 1700 block of Main Street. A 43-year-old Pearland woman also was arrested for fraudulent use or possession of identifying information, police said.

A complainant reported a wristlet and its contents stolen from her garage during a yard sale May 11 in the 4700 block of Chaperel Drive, police said.

Police filed a theft report May 11 in the 7000 block of Bailey Road.

Theft was reported May 11 in the 11200 block of Broadway Street, police said.

Police filed a motor vehicle theft report May 12 in the 1700 block of Broadway Street.

Theft was reported May 12 in the 2100 block of Main Street, police said.

Burglary

A residence was burglarized May 6 in the 11900 block of Shadow Creek Parkway, police said.

Burglary of a habitation was reported May 7 in the 11900 block of Shadow Creek Parkway, police said.

An unknown person entered a victims unlocked vehicles April 23 or April 24 in the 4200 block of Summer Lane, according to a May 8 police report.

An unknown person attempted to force entry into a vehicle through the drivers side front window May 8 in the 2700 block of Kingston Manor Lane, police said.

Tools were taken from a building May 8 or May 9 in the 2300 block of North Grand Boulevard, police said.

Police filed a motor vehicle burglary report May 9 in the 1800 block of Pearland Parkway.

Attempted burglary of a pickup truck was reported May 9 in the 1700 block of Preserve Lane, police said.

Property was taken from an unlocked vehicle May 9 in the 2700 block of Teal Sky Court, police said.

Police filed a report for attempted motor vehicle burglary May 9 in the 2700 block of Kenton Hills Court.

Motor vehicle burglary was reported May 9 in the 2700 block of Kingston Manor Lane, police said.

Police filed a motor vehicle burglary report after an attempted theft May 10 in the 13900 block of Texas 288.

Police filed two motor vehicle burglary reports May 12 in the 1500 block of Cullen Parkway.

Burglary of a habitation was reported May 12 in the 2700 block of Old Alvin Road, police said.

Property was taken between May 9 and May 12 from a residence in the 3100 block of Wagon Trail Road, police said.

Burglary of a building occurred between April 28 and May 12 in the 1900 block of Washington Irving Drive, according to a May 12 police report.

Driving while intoxicated

Seven people suspected of driving while intoxicated were arrested in Pearland last week, according to police records.

A Houston man, 29, was arrested for DWI May 7 in the 12800 block of Shadow Creek Parkway, police said.

Police arrested a Pearland woman, 35, for DWI May 9 in the 2300 block of Old Alvin Road.

Police took a Houston man, 25, into custody for DWI May 11 in the 11100 block of Shadow Creek Parkway.

A 62-year-old Pearland woman was taken into custody for DWI May 11 in the 3200 block of Broadway Street, police said.

Police arrested an Alvin man, 46, for DWI May 12 in the 3500 block of McLean Road.

A Pearland woman, 43, was taken into custody for DWI May 12 in the 3200 block of Flower Field Lane, police said.

Police arrested a 27-year-old Houston man for DWI May 12 in the 11600 block of Shadow Creek Parkway.

Robbery

Police filed a robbery report May 6 in the 2600 block of Easton Springs Court.

Assault

Police took a Houston man, 37, into custody for assault and resisting arrest May 6 in the 11200 block of Broadway Street.

Assault, family violence was reported May 7 in the 11200 block of Palm Bay Court, police said.

A student was slapped in the face May 7 or May 8 in the 2300 block of North Galveston Avenue, police said.

Police completed an assault, family violence report May 9 in the 4200 block of West Orange Street.

Police filed an aggravated assault report May 10 in the 2700 block of Lambeth Drive.

Family violence was reported May 11 in the 4800 block of Linden Place, police said.

Police arrested a Houston woman, 44, for assault May 11 in the 1700 block of Old Alvin Road.

Two Pearland women, 41 and 43, were arrested for assault, family violence May 11 in the 2800 block of Ochoa Street, police said.

Assault occurred May 12 in the 12400 block of Shadow Creek Parkway, police said.

Police filed an assault report May 12 in the 2000 block of Linwood Oaks.

Threats, harassment

Police filed a terroristic threat report May 6 in the 2500 block of Cullen Parkway.

Terroristic threat was reported May 7 in the 13100 block of Castlewind Lane, police said.

Invasive visual recording was reported May 12 in the 2500 block of Dry Bank Lane, police said.

Narcotics

Police arrested an Alvin man, 33, for possession of a controlled substance May 6 in the 4900 block of Main Street.

Fraud, forgery

Credit or debit card abuse was reported May 6 in the 2800 block of Business Center Drive, police said.

A complainant told police his ex-wife opened a loan online using his identity, according to a report filed May 6 in the 4300 block of Summer Lane.

Police filed a credit card abuse report May 6 in the 2400 block of Laura Lane.

A counterfeit bill was used to purchase food May 6 in the 9400 block of Broadway Street, police said.

Identity fraud was reported May 12 in the 8000 block of Broadway Street, police said.

Failure to identify

A Houston woman, 33, was arrested for failure to identify and possession of a fictitious drivers license May 6 in the 1000 block of Bass Pro Drive, police said.

Police arrested an Alvin woman, 25, for failure to identify May 6 in the 4400 block of Main Street.

A 26-year-old Houston man was arrested for failure to identify May 9 in the 6000 block of Broadway Street, police said.

Resisting, evading arrest

Police took a Pearland man, 26, into custody for resisting arrest and warrants May 6 in the 2800 block of Oak Road.

A juvenile male suspect was detained for evading arrest May 7 in the 2700 block of YMCA Drive, police said.

Public intoxication

Police arrested a Houston woman, 26, for public intoxication May 8 in the 11200 block of Broadway Street.

Criminal mischief

Police filed a criminal mischief report May 7 in the 6000 block of Broadway Street.

Criminal mischief was reported May 7 in the 3600 block of Lee Lane, police said.

Police filed a reckless damage report May 7 in the 2400 block of Anthony Lane.

A vehicles right rear window was broken May 8 in the 11000 block of Shadow Creek Parkway, police said.

The front end of a pickup truck was scratched May 8 or May 9 in the 2800 block of Wagon Trail Road, police said.

Police filed a criminal mischief report May 12 in the 2100 block of Rose Street.

Traffic

Police arrested a Webster man, 35, for driving while license invalid May 9 in the 2300 block of Cullen Parkway.

A Pearland man, 29, was taken into custody for fictitious or altered license plate and a warrant May 11 in the 2600 block of Sherwood Drive, police said.

Police arrested a Dickinson man, 36, for no drivers license May 12 in the 3400 block of Main Street.

A 20-year-old Alvin man was arrested for no drivers license May 12 in the 4500 block of Dixie Farm Road, police said.
The Spring ISD board of trustees approved funds for security, construction for two future ninth grade centers and change orders for a new stadium and middle school as part of its $330 million bond approved by voters in 2016.

A change order for the Springwoods Village Middle School for $1.2 million was approved to accelerate the construction of the new school that is scheduled to open in August.

This is to get us to the finish line for that project, so that the contractors can work nights and evenings and weekends and do whatever it takes to get us completed on the project, said chief operations officer Mark Miranda.

The new school, which is expected to house up to 725 students, is being built north of the Grand Parkway and east of the North Freeway.

The school board approved a change order for the districts future stadium. The change order for $378,000 is for the construction of a street that will be named Cypress Heights Drive. The new street, which will be approximately a city block in length, will connect to Quailgate Drive on the other side of Cypresswood Drive.

As soon as school is out, were going to be connecting an intersection near the stadiums side, Miranda said.

One lane on either side of Cypresswood Drive is expected to close while the construction is ongoing and the stoplights at the intersection will also be redone, he said.

The board also approved $9 million in construction for two of its three new ninth grade centers that are currently under construction.

Its all part of the building. Its not the full building. Each GMP is another bigger expanded part of the building, Miranda said.

The third guaranteed maximum price for the Spring High School Ninth Grade Center for $6.6 million will cover roofing, elevators, plumbing, electrical work and a pre-engineered ROTC building, Miranda said.

The Dekaney High School Ninth Grade Center will have $2.3 million as its third guaranteed maximum price that will cover structural metal frames, waterproofing, elevators, plumbing, and electrical systems.

The board will also approved a fifth guaranteed maximum price for $2.7 million for safety and security upgrades at Spring High School and Dekaney High School.

Weve been doing safety and security packages since the fall and every campus in our district is getting safety and security upgrades. Specifically, perimeter security, which is access control and intruder alarms along with surveillance cameras, Miranda said.

mayra.cruz@chron.com
Communities around the nation recently saluted their first responders in blue in recognition of National Police Week. Missouri City joined the nationwide effort.

To highlight the excellence of Missouri Citys Finest and their commitment to serving the citizens, MCPD members were presented a City Council Proclamation at the Monday, May 6, Regular Meeting by Mayor Yolanda Ford. A video of the presentation can be seen at http://bit.ly/2Hbemul.

The citys police department is comprised of 105 sworn officers and 44 civilian staff, manages crime prevention and safety programs, maintains an open data initiative, oversees Code Enforcement and is dedicated to building community partnerships. To learn more about the Departments award-winning operations, go to www.missouricitypolice.org.

An ongoing focus on public safety by Show Me City residents, City Council members, staff and stakeholders is a key reason Missouri City has been recognized nationally. Missouri City is also the only Platinum Scenic City in the region, thanks in large part to greenspaces and strict development regulations.

To further set the Police Department apart as a leader in law enforcement, Missouri City earned Re-Recognized Accreditation Status for the third time in 2017. Police Chief Mike Berezin said this accomplishment is significant in that roughly 2,000 municipal police organizations are eligible for this recognition, only 146 have been recognized, only 58 have been recognized twice and only 23 in the State have been recognized three times and the Missouri City Police Department is among those that have achieved this status.

The accreditation program is conducted by the Texas Police Chiefs Association, which audits agencies to gauge their compliance with 164 Texas Law Enforcement Best Practices. These practices were developed by state law enforcement professionals to assist entities in the efficient and effective delivery of service, the reduction of risk and the protection of individuals rights.

Innovative strategies, community partnerships and prevention programs have helped MCPD reduce crime to record lows citywide in the past five years, Berezin said.

Berezin, a 30-year veteran of the citys police department, pointed out that one of MCPDs programs  DDACTS (Data-Driven Approach to Crime and Traffic Safety)  has been essential to achieving crime reduction goals.

The initiative is aimed at reducing the incidence of crime, crashes and traffic violations by drawing on the deterrent of highly visible traffic enforcement and the knowledge that crime often involves the use of motor vehicles.

The departments public safety initiatives are so effective that many of the worst felonies, classified as Part 1 crimes, dropped double digits over the past five years.

The citys Police Department also manages Code Enforcement. In Fiscal Year 2018, Code Enforcement officers conducted more than 14,500 inspections. That is almost 1,200 inspections per month; a significant metric given that the Citys Code division only has a staff of 8 officers, and one supervisor.

This performance is reflective of the priority City Manager Anthony J. Snipes and his team has placed on maintaining the Platinum Scenic City status through the Nuisance Abatement Team, which consists of members of Code Enforcement, the Police Department, Municipal Court, Development Services, the City Managers Office, Communications and the Legal Department.

The performance is also reflective of the widespread utilization of SeeClickFix by residents citywide; this online reporting tool allows citizens to assist staff by directly notifying the City of potential code issues, thereby helping to improve operational efficiencies.

The safety of our citizens and the community at-large is a strategic priority and I commend Chief Berezin and his team for using innovative programs like DDACTS, for earning the competitive re-accreditation designation, for their transparency in reporting and for the high quality of service they provide to our residents and businesses, Snipes said.

Another key performance component in the Police Department is community engagement, resulting in the Show Me City:

Making SafeHome.orgs 2017 list of the Safest Cities in the U.S., ranking No. 13 in Texas.

Ranking among the top safest municipalities in Texas by the Home Security Advisor, an online resource website. The Show Me City was listed at No. 42 among all cities rated in the report and at No. 5 among cities with a population of 50,000 or more; learn more:http://bit.ly/2PYNbpp.

Earning the No. 30 rank in a list of 136 Texas cities rated by Alarms.org, the official site of the National Council for Home Safety and Securityan association of licensed alarm companies, installers, contractors and trade groups. Learn more: http://bit.ly/2JBTfmp.

These accolades and MCPDs longstanding partnerships illustrate why their reform initiative DDACTS and other programs like it have helped the city maintain its safe streets in all areas. The achievements serve as a foundation that elected officials, citizens and stakeholders can build on for decades to come.

The city has achieved so much by being proactive and not reactive, by leveraging our resources and by building on our partnerships, Snipes said. And through it all, we never lose sight of our city credo  Together, we excel!
A man who previously went on the run during a murder investigation is once again missing, leaving Fort Bend County Crime Stoppers and various law enforcement agencies searching for the man.

Giuseppe Briguglio, 20, is wanted after he allegedly cut off his GPS ankle monitor in February and has not been seen since. Locally, Briguglio has ties to Katy, Fort Bend County and the Memorial area.

Briguglio was charged with murder in connection with the Jan. 1, 2018, shooting death in Stafford of William James Outlaw, 22, of Missouri City. Also present and charged with murder was then 17-year-old Jessica Lynn Musante, who is currently out of jail after posting a $91,000 bond. Her next court date is June 7, according to Fort Bend County District Clerk records.

Following the murder, Briguglio was found to be at a home in Ansonia, Conn., on Jan. 11, 2018. Musante, who is from Sugar Land but previously lived in Connecticut, was also arrested at the home.

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Outlaw was discovered shortly before 2 a.m. Jan. 1, 2018, after police were called to investigate reports of gunfire at the Estates of Fountain Lake apartments, 10498 Fountain Lake Drive. A body in an apartment breezeway was later identified as Outlaw, Stafford police said at the time.

Stafford police did not release information about a possible motive for the slaying at the time but said their investigators along with Texas Rangers developed information that led to Briguglio and Musante being identified as possible suspects in the fatal shooting.

Police in Connecticut confirmed Musante is originally from Shelton, a town about five miles away from where she was eventually arrested along with Briguglio. It was officers from Musante's hometown who discovered a possible address where she could be found in Ansonia.

As Stafford investigators were securing arrest warrants in Fort Bend County for Briguglio and Musante, police in Ansonia were surrounding the home where they were found.

"We ordered the occupants out of the house over our (public address) system," Lt. Patrick Lynch with the Ansonia Police Department said previously. "There was no weapon recovered in the (Stafford homicide) and we weren't sure they were still armed.

"There was no resistance. They were taken into custody.

RELATED: Connecticut police arrest Katy man in New Year's slaying

Briguglio had at least three incidences reported to the court while out on bail.

The first incident happened Sept. 7, 2018, when he allegedly failed to recharge his ankle monitor which caused it to lose power. For 2 hours, 21 minutes, his whereabouts were unknown. His bond was not revoked but he was instead sent to jail for 30 days, after which his bond conditions were modified to include weekly drug testing and he was ordered to live with his grandparents in the Energy Corridor area.

On Jan. 25, 2019, a hair sample was taken and tested for substance abuse/alcohol. The test came back positive for heroin metabolite, according to court records.

Then on Feb. 1, 2019, at 5:06 p.m., Briguglios ankle monitor indicated a strap alert, which can indicate the GPS anklets strap has become separated from the ankle, according to a pretrial bond supervision report.

Briguglios whereabouts have been unknown ever since.

Anyone with information on the location of any of Briguglio is urged to call the Crime Stoppers anonymous REWARD hotline at (281) 342-TIPS (8477) or submit a Web Tip at www.fortbend.crimestoppersweb.com.

Reporter Mike Glenn contributed to this report.

rkent@hcnonline.com
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - The crowds were packed along that same stretch of beach, cameras ready. Their eyes trained on the site that sent men to the moon 50 years ago but had now been reborn as the perch for another powerful rocket ready to fly.

The scene here last month was at once familiar and nostalgic, the past revived. But it was also altogether different. The rocket on the pad, the Falcon Heavy, was developed not by NASA but by a private company, SpaceX.

Many in the crowd weren't born when Walter Cronkite narrated the lunar landing for millions and this stretch of coastline held a sacrosanct spot in the national consciousness. Instead, in the years since the Apollo era, the Cape had become a symbol of the abandoned dreams and diminished ambitions that ultimately led to the retirement of the space shuttle eight years ago and the end of human spaceflight from U.S. soil.

Now, though, the Space Coast is coming back. A host of companies have laid claim to the old government launchpads. Buildings left vacant have been torn down or rebuilt. And the Cape is once again on the verge of sending humans back to space for the first time since 2011, the crescendo of a new, reinvigorated space age that many hope will restore the flag-waving pride of a bygone era.

As new life is being breathed back into this venerable coastline, the resurrection is coming in fits and starts, and in an entirely new form that is far more unstable and unpredictable than the one infused by government cash in the 1960s. Today, the new space age is built on the fortunes of private enterprise, subject to the whims of the economy. And like the next chapter of America's grand adventure in space, the future of the Space Coast is far from guaranteed.

Having seen the devastation that can come when a town reliant on a single industry buckles, local leaders have gone to great lengths to try to diversify their economy. They've put in special taxing districts and offered incentives to woo all sorts of businesses to create a better sense of stability.

But this is a place where kids go to Astronaut High School, where the area code, 321, is designed to mimic the launch countdown and reminders of the Space Age are everywhere, including monuments to astronauts and streets named Apollo Road and Tranquility Boulevard.

This is where the Space Age was born, with heroes named John Glenn, Neil Armstrong and Sally Ride. This is where the crowds crammed the beaches before launch, counting down in unison, and captured the world's imagination.

And then it didn't.

The question now is: Can it again?

- - -

At the dawn of the Space Age, this swampy stretch of coastline quickly became a thriving boomtown. Fueled by the Cold War to beat the Soviet Union to the moon, the population soared with engineers and rocket scientists. Astronauts with the "right stuff" trained by running on the beach during the day and partied at night on the Cocoa Beach strip full of jazz clubs and restaurants.

It was "a glamorous honky-tonk town with young girls twisting in bars, gamblers playing poker upstairs, lots of noise," as Gay Talese wrote in the New York Times in 1965.

"It was total excitement," said Roy Tharpe, 78, who grew up in the area and started working for NASA in 1963. "It seemed like we were launching rockets every three or four days - and they would explode all the time."

If the Cape had a cathedral, it was Launch Complex 39A. Built for the Apollo missions, its spire stood more than 500 feet tall and launched the Apollo astronauts to the moon in July 1969 on a Saturn V rocket so powerful it felt like an earthquake.

After Apollo, 39A was reborn as the host for space shuttle launches. But when the shuttle program was shuttered after a 30-year run, the venerable launch site started rusting away in the salt air, joining the many other abandoned pads that dot the Cape like the ruins of a once-great civilization.

At the peak of the recession, the unemployment rate in Brevard County, where the Space Coast is largely based, spiked to 12 percent. The real estate market plunged. The median price for single-family homes fell from nearly $250,000 in 2007 to less than $100,000 by 2011.

"What we didn't anticipate was that [the shuttle retirement] would coincide with the recession - the deepest, longest recession," said Lynda Weatherman, the president and CEO of the Space Coast Economic Development Commission. "I saw the numbers, and it was bad. And Florida was a bad place, and Brevard was particularly bad, especially for the housing markets. So we got clobbered."

By 2013, maintenance on pad 39A was costing NASA $100,000 a month and even a spokesman admitted at the time that the launchpad had "not been kept up." Since the facility is on the National Register of Historic Places, it could not be torn down. NASA was desperate to find someone to use it - even a start-up company that improbably was leading the commercialization of space.

SpaceX, the California venture founded by Elon Musk, was looking for a new launchpad and won the rights to take over the site. The company had secured contracts from NASA to carry cargo to the International Space Station and was winning back the commercial launch contracts that had gone overseas. With a growing manifest, and perhaps a quixotic faith in the future, SpaceX was looking to expand.

Others soon followed.

Blue Origin, founded by Jeff Bezos, had made a last-minute bid to lay claim to 39A, touching off a feud with Musk's SpaceX. But without a rocket capable of flying from the site, Blue Origin was rebuffed. (Bezos owns The Washington Post.)

Instead, it set its sights on another fading relic, launchpad 36, just down the road. Home to 145 launches, including the Mariner missions, which sent probes deep into the solar system, it, too, was wasting away. In 2015, Blue Origin reached a deal to take it over for the new rocket it was developing, called New Glenn.

"The pad had stood silent for more than 10 years - too long," Bezos said at the time. "We can't wait to fix that."

Blue Origin has also built a massive rocket manufacturing facility nearby with plans to expand. Across the street, OneWeb, a satellite company that wants to create a worldwide Internet system delivered from space, also has a new plant.

Boeing has taken over an old space shuttle processing facility where it is building a spacecraft designed to fly NASA astronauts to space from another nearby launchpad.

And NASA is developing a massive rocket, the Space Launch System, that it hopes will help get astronauts to the moon within five years. NASA is scrambling to get its first launch, with the Orion crew capsule, built by Lockheed Martin, off the ground next year.

- - -

The future of the Space Coast is also being written by the smaller start-ups beginning to emerge in an industry once dominated by big government programs and military industrial complex contractors.

A San Francisco-based company called Relativity, founded by former employees from Blue Origin and SpaceX, is working on a rocket that's built entirely by 3-D printing. The goal is to be able to launch small satellites quickly and affordably. Recently, the company signed an agreement to take over the Cape's launchpad 16.

Next door, at launchpad 20, another start-up, Firefly, intends to launch the rockets it plans to build at a nearby facility.

Taken as a whole, the activity is helping NASA fulfill its goals of turning the Kennedy Space Center from a government-dominated facility to one with multiple tenants that showcases a new space economy.

"When you consider that in all of human history, only three nations have sent humans to space: the United States, Russia and China," said Robert Cabana, the director of NASA's Kennedy Space Center. "Today, there are several U.S. companies building space vehicles to take humans to space."

Outside the gates of the Kennedy Space Center, developers are building residential communities up and down the coastline. The unemployment rate dropped to below 4 percent earlier this year. The tax base has bloomed with monthly taxable sales rebounding from a low of nearly $450 million in 2010 to over $850 million last year. And housing prices are back where they were before the recession.

The coast was known first and foremost "as a launch site," said Weatherman, the head of the local economic development commission. "But we knew we could do more than that."

The city of Titusville put out a video recently highlighting all the development going on across the town: an 18,000-square-foot day-care enter, a 170-unit subdivision, a new Hyatt and a new Marriott.

The Miracle City Mall, torn down after the recession, has been rebuilt as a new shopping center, with a new Harley Davidson dealership. Nearby, there's a trendy new brewpub that serves oxtail mac and cheese and fancy cocktails like the "creamsicle fizz."

"We got our very own Starbucks," said Jim Hale, who works as a volunteer with the Air Force Space and Missile Museum here. "That was big. . . . Now everything is new again."

In the end, the double blow of the loss of the shuttle program and the recession was devastating, leaving streets filled with empty buildings. But it was not as bad as it could have been. "We were preparing for a Category 5 hurricane," said Robin Fisher, a former county commissioner. "We got a Category 3."

By the time the shuttle program was ending, a new commercial space industry was starting to take form. It was unclear what its future was or how successful it would be. But there was an enthusiasm surrounding it, and local officials embraced it.

"That was the second act for space in our county," Weatherman said.

Still, space is a risky business. While many new entrants are trying to make their mark on the Cape, not all of them will survive. And for all of the success stories here, there have been missteps. SpaceX has had two rockets explode, one destroying a pad at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. Then, just recently, one of its spacecraft blew up during an engine test, sending a huge plume of smoke over the Cape.

NASA has turned over a few facilities to private companies that showed promise but ultimately faltered.

"Not everything worked," Cabana, the director of the Kennedy Space Center, said. Some "lost contracts they thought they were going to get, and the bottom line was they were unsuccessful."

There is a lot of excitement and enthusiasm for the commercial space industry. The investment money is pouring in. New companies seem to pop up every day. But some may be reminded of the old maxim: The quickest way to become a millionaire in space is to start out as a billionaire.

- - -

They had packed the beaches once again. This time for the launch of the Falcon Heavy, the most powerful rocket in the world currently in operation.

At liftoff, it christened pad 39A on a warm Thursday evening in April, thundering away on a towering pillow of smoke.

On the beaches, the crowds came not just for the launch, but a bit of rocket artistry unimaginable a generation ago.

Instead of ditching its rocket boosters into the ocean after flight, SpaceX flies them back so they can be reused - a bit of aerial acrobatics the company says helps lower the cost of spaceflight.

On this day, both side boosters flew back to one of the newest structures on the Cape: a pair of landing pads. The crowds craned their necks skyward to watch the boosters touching down in unison, twin sonic booms announcing their arrival.

Hale, the Air Force museum volunteer, watched from a nearby park with his wife, awestruck, as this new chapter evoked a memory of the old - and a question: "Where is Walter Cronkite when you need him?"
He was a Connecticut preacher with a reputation for seducing female congregants. She was a young woman who fell under his spell and wound up pregnant. Two hundred years before Alabama effectively banned abortion this week, the scandal surrounding their relationship led to the nation's first abortion law.

Like the new Alabama statute, which would sentence abortion providers to up to 99 years in prison, the Connecticut law passed in 1821 sought to punish people who provided women with abortion-inducing medicines.

It was a "direct response" to the sex scandal involving Ammi Rogers and Asenath Smith, says law professor Lolita Buckner Inniss, who has studied the case extensively for an upcoming review in the UCLA Women's Law Journal.

Rogers was an Episcopalian preacher who had been controversial since his days at Yale in the 1790s. According to his memoir, religious leaders didn't like him because he supported separation of church and state. And despite being banned from ministry in his home state of Connecticut, he had a loyal following.

More for you Missouri's GOP-led Senate passes strict antiabortion bill

"Just like there are ministers now in the contemporary world who have this huge popular following, and they dress well, and people, especially women, love them," Inniss told The Washington Post. "That's who Ammi Rogers was."

And Rogers loved those women right back, getting involved with young female congregants throughout his career. Around 1817, when Rogers was approaching 50, he turned his attention toward Asenath Smith, the granddaughter of a dying woman to whose bedside he was called.

Although prosecutors later depicted her as a teenager, census records indicate she was about 21 when her sexual relationship with Rogers began. Smith and the other women in her family were also "independent, intelligent, bright, probably pretty well-educated, fairly autonomous," Inniss said. "Certainly people had been whispering about the Smith household before this even happened."

At the time, "a huge number" of brides in New England were already pregnant when they married, Inniss said, and it was "fairly typical" for parents and grandparents to ignore premarital sex if nuptials were expected, as was the case with Smith and Rogers.

But then he reneged.

According to trial transcripts, when the young woman became pregnant, Rogers told her they couldn't marry unless she terminated her pregnancy. A baby born less than nine months after a marriage might be ignored in most cases, but for a man of his renown (and reputation), it wouldn't go unnoticed.

First, he procured medicine for her that was supposed to induce abortion. It didn't work. She continued to feel the fetus's movements - known then as "quickening" - which generally starts in the fourth or fifth month of pregnancy.

Next, he acquired a "tool" to induce a mechanical abortion. Despite causing bleeding, that didn't appear to work either. So he fled.

Soon afterward, Smith's family called a physician. She complained of intense pain and subsequently delivered a stillborn child. The doctor later testified that he could not say for certain the attempted abortions caused the stillbirth.

Rogers was investigated, arrested and put on trial in 1820, an uncommon occurrence at a time when most sexual crimes weren't prosecuted unless it led to a homicide or some other extreme outcome.

"Rogers was such a huge social iconoclast that, as far as I can tell, that's why they were prosecuting his case," Inniss said.

But there was a problem: Nothing he had done was technically illegal. There was no "seduction" law in the state; and although abortion after quickening was against "hazy" common law, there was no actual statute banning it. Abortion before quickening was not considered a crime. According to historian James Mohr in "Abortion in America," most domestic guides described methods to eliminate "obstructed menses" - a euphemism for early pregnancy.

The first trial collapsed when Rogers, still promising Smith marriage, essentially abducted her and her sister so they couldn't testify. Months later, at a second trial, the sisters refused to testify. But their prior statements to local authorities were used as evidence. Additionally, an enslaved man named Sam Wheeler testified he had seen the couple having sex.

Rogers was convicted of sexual assault and sentenced to two years in prison. It was a relatively light punishment; he could have been sentenced to life. He spent the rest of his days proclaiming his innocence, writing and revising at least six memoirs in which he claimed that all those visits to the Smith household were purely ministerial and that Smith had actually become pregnant by a doctor.

Connecticut authorities didn't waste any time in clamping down. In 1821, the General Assembly passed a bill banning medicinal abortion after quickening, with those who provided the medicine - not the pregnant woman - facing prosecution. Within 20 years, 10 of 26 states followed suit with similar laws.

Mohr, the historian, notes that many abortion-inducing substances could also cause the death of the mother in larger quantities, so the law "might best be characterized as a poison-control measure."

Mechanical abortion was noticeably absent from the ban. Inniss said the disparity is probably due to who was performing the different methods of abortion. Mechanical abortions were mostly done by the fledgling medical establishment, which was white and male, "whereas many medicinal abortions were done by grannies and midwives, many of them immigrants and formerly enslaved women, or even enslaved women," she said.

Smith wasn't there to witness any of that. Rogers said she fled the country; Inniss believes she may have gone to Canada. She disappeared from the record.

The controversy over laws triggered by her pregnancy has not.
With more and more conservative states pushing stringent antiabortion legislation, Republican lawmakers in Missouri passed a bill that aims to make it what the governor called "one of the strongest pro-life states in the country."

Early Thursday morning - just hours before a Friday deadline to pass legislation - Missouri's Republican-controlled Senate voted 24-10 to pass the bill, which would ban abortions at eight weeks of pregnancy, according to The Associated Press. The bill is headed to the Republican-controlled House for approval and, if it passes, it will be sent to Republican Gov. Mike Parson for signing.

State House spokesman Trevor Fox said the bill will be voted on sometime before 6 p.m. Friday, when the legislative session ends.

The governor has showed strong support for the bill, tweeting before the Senate vote, "It's time to make Missouri the most Pro-Life state in the country! Thanks to leaders in the House and Senate, we are one vote away from passing one of the strongest #ProLife bills in the country - standing for life, protecting women's health, and advocating for the unborn."

The action in Missouri comes after similar antiabortion bills have passed in Georgia, Mississippi and Ohio, aiming to ban abortions as soon as a doctor can detect a fetal heartbeat.

On Wednesday, Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey, a Republican, signed into law the most restrictive abortion bill in the United States. The near-total ban would allow abortions only in dire circumstances, such as when the mother's life is in danger or when the fetus would not be able to survive after birth.

The Missouri bill would make it illegal for a woman to get an abortion after the eighth week of pregnancy and provide no exceptions for rape or incest, only for medical emergencies.

The bill defines a medical emergency as "a condition which, based on reasonable medical judgment, so complicates the medical condition of a pregnant woman as to necessitate the immediate abortion of her pregnancy to avert the death of the pregnant woman or for which a delay will create a serious risk of substantial and irreversible physical impairment of a major bodily function of the pregnant woman."

Doctors who violate such a law could face five to 15 years behind bars, the AP reported.

After the vote in the Senate, the Missouri State Republicans tweeted "HISTORY MADE!"

Sens. Dave Schatz and Caleb Rowden said in a joint statement that Missouri had "passed one of the most pro-life bills in the United States."

"This comprehensive, life-affirming legislation prohibits abortions once a heartbeat has been detected, prohibits abortions when a baby is capable of feeling pain, and would outlaw abortion in Missouri upon the reversal of Roe v. Wade," the senators said.

However, State Sen. Scott Sifton, a Democrat, called the bill "unconstitutional."

"Democrats succeeded in removing many provisions, but the final product violates Roe v. Wade and unduly burdens the constitutional rights of Missouri women," he said on Twitter.

As the bill made its way to the House on Thursday, M'Evie Mead, director of Planned Parenthood Advocates of Missouri, said state lawmakers "are putting the health and lives of Missouri women at risk in their race to make our state the one that overturns Roe v. Wade at the Supreme Court."

"These bans on safe, legal abortion will have real costs - expensive legal costs and human costs for the women and families who need reproductive health care," Mead said in a statement to The Washington Post. "At a time when maternal mortality is increasing in our state, we must be doing everything we can to increase access to health care - not cut it. The House must sh
WASHINGTON - District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser, a Democrat, said she opposes President Donald Trump's plan to put himself at the center of a redesigned Fourth of July celebration in the nation's capital, expressing concerns about what could be major logistical changes and the resulting strain on police and emergency services.

During an interview Thursday, Bowser said she would prefer that the event on the Mall - which has not undergone wholesale changes to its planning since the aftermath of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001 - remain in its current format.

"We are very happy to host the nation's fireworks here every year, and over the years it's become a pretty well-oiled machine," Bowser said. "That is our primary concern: How do people have a good time, celebrate and be safe on the Mall and getting home."

The Washington Post reported last week that Trump wants to overhaul the nation's premier Independence Day event, which attracts hundreds of thousands of people and is broadcast live on national television. The president wants to move the massive fireworks display from its usual place on the Mall and perhaps deliver a speech from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.

The news ignited fears among the president's critics that he might try to transform one of Washington's most popular and nonpartisan traditions into what would effectively be a campaign rally. Some Democratic lawmakers said his appearance could inject partisan and divisive notes into what is normally a celebration of national unity.

Trump has become intimately involved in planning the details of the new event, which would be called "A Salute to America," administration officials told The Post.

For the city, however, the president's designs entail a host of planning headaches.

The president's appearance would require moving the fireworks to a new location. Federal officials said last week that the likely new launch spot would be West Potomac Park, less than a mile southwest of the usual location near the Washington Monument.

That could require a new police presence in that area, Bowser said, as well as additional security to cover the president's movements to and from the Mall for his speech.

"If we have to put more police to cover his movements, more police for the fireworks and an additional location for police where the fireworks are going to get set off, that puts a strain on us," Bowser said. "We won't allow it to impact neighborhood safety. So the chief will have to think about if he needs additional resources."

The closure of roads for Trump's travel could affect visitors' access to nearby Metro stations, which are heavily used on that day, as bus service is typically limited and parking is nearly impossible.

D.C. Deputy Mayor for Public Safety and Justice Kevin Donahue said the relocation of the fireworks could also have "ripple effects" on where the crowd gathers as people jostle for a better view of the show.

"Anytime you're dealing with fireworks I think you have to be very careful, and a system of setting off the fireworks with that many thousands of people has worked for us pretty well," Bowser said. "We're concerned about that. And anytime you move the president, if the president is moving during that time, figuring out how to get people in and out . . . could be problematic."

Asked whether she would prefer that the event remain as is, Bowser simply said: "Yes."

"The president can speak at any event that he wants to speak at," she added. "And my great hope would be that he recognizes that the event is a unifying event that celebrates the birthday of our nation."

White House Deputy Press Secretary Judd Deere said planning for the event among federal agencies is moving forward.

"President Trump loves America and wants to help all Americans celebrate our Nation's Independence on July 4," Deere wrote in an email. "The White House, along with the National Park Service and the Department of Interior, continue to make preparations for the day's activities."

Trump lashed out at D.C. officials after the collapse of his last effort to organize a marquee patriotic event centered on himself and his supporters.

In August, after Trump canceled a military parade in the District amid concerns about its high cost, the president blamed the city in a tweet.

"The local politicians who run Washington, D.C. (poorly) know a windfall when they see it," Trump wrote on Twitter. "When asked to give us a price for holding a great celebratory military parade, they wanted a number so ridiculously high that I cancelled it."

Bowser responded with her own tweet: "Yup, I'm Muriel Bowser, mayor of Washington DC, the local politician who finally got thru to the reality star in the White House with the realities ($21.6M) of parades/events/demonstrations in Trump America (sad)."

Donahue said federal officials have been "verbally briefing" the District's law enforcement and fire and emergency medical services agencies on the evolving Fourth of July plans. However, final details for the event have not been shared, and no cost estimates have been produced.

Terrence Gainer, a former executive assistant police chief for the District, said the sudden changes sought by the president will be difficult, but not impossible, to pull off.

"This will be painful to manage," said Gainer, who oversaw the city's July 4 security plans in the aftermath of 9/11. However, he said the city's long experience with hosting protests and large events such as the presidential inauguration showed they could rise to the challenge.

If the president speaks, officers will have to anticipate a boisterous, rally-like atmosphere similar that of a campaign event, Gainer said. That would require tighter security, with more roads, transit and bridges closed.

"He's sure to be a gigantic draw," Gainer said. "There's going to be a lot more people. . . . It's just going to be a lot of work. A lot more people to move. A lot more law enforcement. It's going to be a huge event. Apparently that's what [Trump] likes."

Kim Dine, a former assistant D.C. police chief and former chief of the U.S. Capitol Police, likened preparing for July 4 as "being in a ballet," with "police as the conductor."

"There are so many agencies and jurisdictions that have to be coordinated," he said. "It's not as simple as locking down this area or that area. There has to be a plan . . . if the president comes, that adds another host of concerns, in terms of traffic and safety."

- - -

The Washington Post's Juliet Eilperin, Josh Dawsey and Marissa Lang contributed to this report.
Family members of Pamela Turner, the woman fatally shot by a Baytown police officer Monday night, said the grandmother of three was a loving woman with a mental illness, but wasnt a monster.

My sister was a human being who had rights, sister Tracy Frazier said on Thursday. She did not deserve to be killed and murdered.

The family gathered in front of the Harris County civil courthouse with a large legal team of prominent civil rights attorneys, who said theyre pushing for a murder charge on the unidentified Baytown police officer who pulled the trigger.

Turner, 44, was shot during a confrontation with the officer, who said he was serving an arrest warrant on the woman. He struck her with a Taser, and she then grabbed a hold of the weapon and used it on him, Baytown police said. He then shot at her five times, which was captured on a video taken by a bystander.

Turners family members said that she struggled with paranoid schizophrenia and had previously complained about encounters with the same officer who had shot her.

Baytown police spokesman Lt. Steve Dorris identified the officer as Juan Delacruz.

Delacruz said he was serving an arrest warrant on the woman when they began to struggle, according to Baytown police. The two had "prior dealings," Dorris said.

The officer struck Turner with a Taser, after which she grabbed a hold of the weapon and used it against him, Dorris said. He fired five shots, all heard on a now-viral video taken by a bystander.

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Delacruz remains on paid administrative leave, officials said.

The police department will investigate whether Turner had mental health issues, and whether that was known to the officer at the time.
A woman whose caged tiger was found sitting in a bed of rotting meat, maggots and its own filth inside a foreclosed Houston home has been arrested in connection with her alleged treatment of the wild feline, according to court records.

Police took Brittany Garza into custody Wednesday afternoon, said Jay Cohen, an attorney for the former tiger owner. The Harris County District Attorney's Office pursued the misdemeanor charge of cruelty to a non-livestock animal, court records filed Monday show.

Garza, who is expected to return to court on May 22, was released from custody after posting a $100 bond.

The 24-year-old woman is accused of failing to give the male tiger adequate food, water, veterinary care and shelter, according to the probable cause document.

The three-page document elaborated on the health of the 350-pound tiger on Feb. 11 and the "deplorable" conditions it was kept in when a pot-smoking 311 caller found the big cat stashed in a cramped cage in the garage of the ramshackle home at 9415 E. Avenue J.

HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM: Officials seek tighter restrictions on wild pets

Officers with Houston Police Department and BARC who were dispatched to the home confirmed the sighting and detected the unmistakable smell of ammonia associated with cat urine.

The odor was "overwhelming even in a ventilated area," the HPD officer wrote in a sworn statement.

The tiger had urine scalding and abrasions to its legs and a "lack of muscle development in his hind end" that is common in captive animals, a veterinarian concluded.

A closer look at the cage  big enough for the tiger to sit up and turn around in  revealed that it had been lying on a layer of "trash, feces, urine and rotting meat," according to the veterinarian. The foul mixture also contained maggots and mold.

The cage had been unkempt long enough for the feces on the outer edge to dry out, the officer wrote.

The officer believed the tiger had been kept in the home for more than a month.

During that time, the veterinarian also "suspected the tiger was not being fed a complete diet," the document continued.

The bizarre find that week prompted the Cleveland Amory Black Beauty Ranch in Murchison to volunteer its refuge to temporarily house the tiger. A judge ruled in April that the North Texas could keep the cat. During the same hearing, Garza identified herself as the tiger's owner but refused to say how she obtained the exotic animal.

The judge ordered Garza to pay up more than $11,600 for the cost to care for her seized tiger from Feb. 12 to March 29. It was not yet known if she has paid that amount.

The cat has since called a five-acre habitat his forever home. The refuge, located about 70 miles southeast of Dallas, announced this week it is renaming the tiger  who BARC officials had dubbed Tyson for the professional boxer Mike Tyson  to either Ezekiel, George, Loki or Navi.

Relatives to Garza have commented on the refuge's Facebook page calling for the tiger to keep its given name of Raja.

Garza was previously arrested for promoting prostitution in 2016 and later pleaded guilty to the misdemeanor charge.

nicole.hensley@chron.com
A father accused of beating his newborn daughter to death in January is now behind bars, Houston police say.

The baby girl, Yeimy Lizcano, was barely two weeks old when police say her father  21-year-old Adrian Lizcano  violently and fatally beat him shortly after midnight Jan. 30 inside his home in north Houston. He was arrested Thursday after a judge signed off on a murder warrant, records show.

Lizcano lived with his wife, Yeimy and their other two-year-old daughter, police said. Yeimy's grandmother and the grandmother's boyfriend also lived in the household.

The day before her death, Yeimy's parents brought her to the doctor for a routine hearing test before the three took a trip to Target along the North Freeway at Cypresswood Drive, Houston Police Department homicide detectives said in court documents. While there, deputies arrested Yeimy's mother on a shoplifting charge, meaning the two children were left with Lizcano for the ride home, according to court documents.

2016 INCIDENT: Ex-METRO officer sentenced in beating of sleeping man at rail station

Later that night, Lizcano, the grandmother, her boyfriend and the two children went shopping bond companies to help bail Lizcano's wife out of jail. Their attempts to bail her out that night were apparently unsuccessful, court records show.

The five returned home around midnight that night, and the grandmother and her boyfriend went to sleep, court records show. It was between then and around 4 a.m. that Yeimy was injured.

The family barged into the emergency room at Memorial Hermann Greater Heights Hospital at 4:11 a.m. that morning with Yeimy appearing lifeless, records show. She was pronounced dead by a doctor a mere seven minutes later.

When speaking with detectives, Lizcano said he left Yeimy in the care of his two-year-old daughter on his bed while he washed dishes in the kitchen, court records show. He claimed that the older daughter ran into the kitchen and said Yeimy fell off the bed, police said.

Lizcano then told police that he told his older daughter to pick up her younger sister, which is when she accidentally dropped her again on her face, records show. He told detectives that the couple typically allowed the older daughter to carry Yeimy, they said.

FAMILY: Woman fatally shot by Baytown police was not a monster

When police interviewed Lizcano's wife, who was released from jail the day after Yeimy was killed, she said they never allowed the older daughter to carry Yeimy. She also picked up on other inconsistencies that detectives noticed, such as Lizcano's frequently changing story, detectives said.

She indicated to detectives that she believed Lizcano was angry because he might have thought the baby was fathered by another man, court records show.

Ultimately, an autopsy determined that Yeimy died of multiple skull fractures and a brain bleed, none of which were consistent with Lizcano's story or could have been caused accidentally, police said.

Detectives filed charges against him Wednesday. He's facing up to life in prison, if he's convicted.

Jay R. Jordan covers breaking news in the Houston area. Read him on our breaking news site, Chron.com, and our subscriber site, HoustonChronicle.com | Follow him on Twitter at @JayRJordan | Email him at jay.jordan@chron.com | Text CHRON to 77453 to receive breaking news alerts by text message
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A controversial lawsuit seeking to ban street prostitution on a notorious strip of Bissonnet in southwest Houston will come before a state judge Thursday as lawyers address whether the proposed injunction violates the constitutional rights of the accused prostitutes, pimps and johns it seeks to prohibit from the zone.

The Houston Chronicles three-part series this month, The Track, explored the origins of the nuisance lawsuit and the range of reactions to the rare legal approach to addressing the harms caused by prostitution.
Bellville is a quiet community about 50 miles northwest of Houston. But recent vandalism with apparent racist and anti-religious overtones is causing quite a stir.

On Monday, the Bellville Police Department posted photos of some vandalized street signs with swastikas spray painted on them.

"It's irritating," said Lt. Jason Smalley, public information officer for Bellville PD. "We have no leads. Typically when kids are involved, they snitch on each other. But in this case, we have nothing," added Smalley.

SPIRIT WEEK: Students' attire sparks outrage at high school

The vandals have apparently strayed beyond the Bellville city limits. On Thursday morning, the Austin County Sheriff's Office received a call about similar vandalism in Piney Creek, a subdivision northwest of Bellville.

"They were discovered this morning, and it is under investigation," said Sheriff Jack Brandes.

The vandals spray painted swastikas and anti-religious graffiti laced with profanity, according to Brandes.

Both law enforcement agencies encourage anyone with information about the vandalism to call Austin County Crime Stoppers at 979-865-2949. Tip remains anonymous and could pay up to $1,000.

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Sprint will begin selling a smartphone and mobile hotspot later this month that will work with its next-generation, 5G cellular data service, which is expected to be available in Houston before May is out.

Sprint will offer the LG V50 ThinQ 5G smartphone and a 5G mobile hotspot, the HTC 5G Hub, on May 31. Preorders begin Friday, according to a news release.

The LG smartphone has a list price of $1,152, though Sprint is offering it on an 18-month lease for $24 a month. It uses the Android 8.1 operating system and has a 6.4-inch OLED display. Sprints $80-a-month Unlimited Premium data plan is required for use with the phone.

The HTC hotspot lists for $600, with a $12.50-a-month payment plan. The service plan for the device is $60 a month for 100 gigabytes of data.

Houston will join Atlanta, Dallas and both Kansas City, Kan. and Kansas City, Mo., as the first cities to have the 5G hardware and service. Next on the list are Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, Phoenix and Washington, D.C.

NOT YET: Wait a while before jumping on the 5G train

Sprint has not revealed exactly when its 5G service will launch, saying only in the Thursday release that it will happen in the coming weeks. In an earlier statement, Houston was in the second group of launch cities. The first group of cities was given at the time an expected 5G service launch of May.

A Sprint spokesperson said Thursday the May launch for the service was on track for Houston.

5G is considered the successor to LTE, or 4G, data cellular service. It is promised to dramatically increase data speeds and reduce latency, the time it takes a remote computer to respond to a request for information.

AT&T is the only carrier with mobile 5G service in Houston, though it is on an invitation-only basis  the average customer cant sign up for it.

Verizon is marketing a wireless home broadband service as 5G, and it is available in some locations around the city.

T-Mobile and Sprint have announced plans for a merger, though recent news reports indicate that federal regulators arent thrilled with the idea. But the combined companies have said their 5G plans would accelerate should the merger be approved.

dwight.silverman@chron.com

twitter.com/dsilverman

houstonchronicle.com/techburger
Two companies seeking a Houston foothold have moved into the University of Houston's Technology Bridge, a research park that offers 30,000 square feet of incubator space and 700,000 square feet for laboratories and light manufacturing.

The companies' goals are to establish a Houston presence while interacting with UH faculty and students, according to a news release.

More on the Technology Bridge: UH Energy Research Park to refocus on tech commercialization

Belgium-based Oleon makes chemicals from natural, renewable materials such as canola and soybean oils. In the U.S., it will use soybean oils to make drilling fluids and agricultural crop protection.

The company's previous U.S. presence was a sales operation in South Carolina. The UH Technology Bridge, located just east of the university, has allowed Oleon to start creating product for customers. It ultimately plans to build a Houston-area plant.

Southern California-based Saratech is an engineering, software and 3D printer sales company with offices across the country, including Austin. Its office in Houston will focus on 3D printing and other additive manufacturing technologies.

The company plans to hire interns to work in 3D modeling and parts design.

"We believe one of the critical things that is required to get the new technologies to market and a new way of doing things is education," Saratech Senior Vice President Rick Murphy said in the news release.

In addition to established companies launching local operations, the UH Technology Bridge houses 23 startups.
Data and big data analytics are the lifeblood of any successful business. Getting the technology right can be challenging but building the right team with the right skills to undertake data initiatives can be even harder  a challenge reflected in the rising demand for big data and analytics skills and certifications.

If youre looking to get an edge on a data analytics career, certification is a great option. Certifications measure your knowledge and skills against industry- and vendor-specific benchmarks to prove to employers that you have the right skillset. The number of data analytics certs is expanding rapidly.

Below is our guide to the most sought-after data analytics and big data certifications to help you decide which cert is right for you.

If you would like to submit a big data certification to this directory, please email us.

The top 11 data analytics and big data certifications

Associate Certified Analytics Professional (aCAP)

Certification of Professional Achievement in Data Sciences

Certified Analytics Professional

Cloudera Data Platform Generalist

EMC Proven Professional Data Scientist Associate (EMCDSA)

IBM Data Science Professional Certificate

Microsoft Certified Azure Data Scientist Associate

Microsoft Certified Data Analyst Associate

Open Certified Data Scientist

SAS Certified Advanced Analytics Professional Using SAS 9

SAS Certified Data Scientist

Associate Certified Analytics Professional

The Associate Certified Analytics Professional (aCAP) credential is an independent, entry-level analytics certification that shows education in the analytics process though the individual may not have practical experience yet. The certification focuses on the seven domains of the analytics process: business problem framing, analytics problem framing, data, methodology selection, model building, deployment, and lifecycle management.

Organization: INFORMS

Price: $200 for INFORMS members; $300 for nonmembers

How to prepare: A list of study courses and a series of webinars are available through registration.

Certification of Professional Achievement in Data Sciences

The Certification of Professional Achievement in Data Sciences is a nondegree program intended to develop facility with foundational data science skills. Candidates are required to complete a minimum of 12 credits, including four required courses: Algorithms for Data Science, Probability and Statistics for Data Science, Machine Learning for Data Science, and Exploratory Data Analysis and Visualization.

Organization: Columbia University

Price: Students pay Columbia Engineerings rate of tuition ($2,196 per credit). The online program includes an additional nonrefundable technology fee of $395 per course.

How to prepare: An undergraduate degree and prior quantitative and introductory to computer programming coursework are required.

Certified Analytics Professional

The Certified Analytics Professional (CAP) credential is a vendor- and technology-neutral analytics certification that certifies end-to-end understanding of the analytics process, from framing business and analytic problems to acquiring data, methodology, model building, deployment, and model lifecycle management. It requires completion of the CAP exam and adherence to the CAP Code of Ethics.

Organization: INFORMS

Price: $495 for INFORMS members; $695 for nonmembers; team pricing available for organizations

How to prepare: A list of study courses and a series of webinars are available through registration.

Cloudera Data Platform Generalist Certification

Cloudera has discontinued its CCP and CCA certifications in favor of the new Cloudera Data Platform (CDP) Generalist certification, which verifies proficiency with the platform. The new exam tests general knowledge of the platform and applies to multiple roles, including administrator, developer, data analyst, data engineer, data scientist, and system architect. The exam consists of 60 questions and the candidate has 90 minutes to complete it. Specialized certifications are planned, including CDP Certified Administrator, CDP Certified Administrator  Public Cloud, CDP Certified Data Developer, and CDP Certified Data Analyst.

Organization: Cloudera

Price: $300

How to prepare: Cloudera recommends candidates take the Cloudera Data Analyst Training course, which has the same objectives as the exam.

EMC Proven Professional Data Scientist Associate (EMCDSA)

The EMCDSA certification demonstrates an individuals ability to participate and contribute as a data science team member on big data projects. It includes deploying the data analytics lifecycle, reframing a business challenge as an analytics challenge, applying analytic techniques and tools to analyze big data and create statistical models, selecting the appropriate data visualizations and more.

Organization: Dell EMC Education Services

Price: $230 for exam voucher

How to prepare: EMC offers training courses, available via instructor-led classes (physical or virtual) or on demand.

IBM Data Science Professional Certificate

The IBM Data Science Professional Certificate is a beginner-level certificate that demonstrates an individuals skills in data science topics, including open source tools and libraries, methodologies, Python databases, SQL, data visualization, data analysis, and machine learning. Earning the certificate requires completing nine courses (taking roughly three months at 12 hours per week), during which the candidate will complete several hands-on assignments and build a portfolio of data science projects. At the end, candidates earn a Professional Certificate from Coursera and a digital badge from IBM recognizing proficiency in data science.

Organization: Coursera

Price: $39 per month for access to graded materials and a certificate

How to prepare: No prior computer science or programming knowledge is necessary.

Microsoft Certified Azure Data Scientist Associate

The Microsoft Certified Azure Data Scientist Associate credential is a measure of a candidates ability to define and prepare Azure development environments, prepare data for modeling, perform feature engineering, and develop models. The exam requires the candidate to use applications involving natural language processing, speech, computer vision, and predictive analytics. The credential does not expire.

Organization: Microsoft

Price: $165 for the exam

How to prepare: Microsoft offers free online training and a paid, instructor-led course.

Microsoft Certified: Data Analyst Associate

The Data Analyst Associate certification is one of several role-based certifications that replaces the Microsoft Certified Solutions Expert (MCSE): Data Management and Analytics certification that Microsoft will retire in January 2021. This certificate demonstrates subject matter expertise in enabling businesses to leverage their data assets using Microsoft Power BI. Holders of this certificate can design and build scalable data models, clean and transform data, and enable advanced analytic capabilities.

Organization: Microsoft

Price: $165 per exam

How to prepare: Microsoft offers free online training and a paid, instructor-led course.

Open Certified Data Scientist

The Open CDS is an independent global certification that qualifies the skills, knowledge, and experience of data scientists. Open CDS requires candidates demonstrate their skills and experience against a set of conformance requirements through written applications and peer interviews. It does not include training courses and there are no written exams. Attaining the certification follows three stages: First, the candidate must obtain four to five milestone badges; second, the candidate must complete the Experience Application Form; finally, the candidate must attend a board review. The certification lasts for three years, after which the holder may re-certify.

Organization: The Open Group

Price: $400 for a Level 1 certification, $500 for a Level 2 certification, and $550 for the Level 3 certification. Each certification requires the completion of certain milestone badges, which carry an additional fee. There is no specific recertification fee, but there are fees to maintain milestone badges.

How to prepare: The Open CDS certification is an evaluation of a candidates skills and experience. Candidates should use the certification self-assessment tools on the certificate authoritys website to validate their readiness to certify at the level and discipline theyve selected.

SAS Certified Advanced Analytics Professional Using SAS 9

The SAS Certified Advanced Analytics Professional Using SAS 9 credential validates the ability to analyze big data with a variety of statistical analysis and predictive modeling techniques. Candidates should have experience in machine learning and predictive modeling techniques and their application to big, distributed, and in-memory data sets. They should also have experience with pattern detection, experimentation in business, optimization techniques, and time series forecasting. The certification requires passing three exams:

Predictive Modeling Using SAS Enterprise Miner 7, 13, or 14

SAS Advanced Predictive Modeling

SAS Text Analytics, Time Series, Experimentation and Optimization

Organization: SAS

Price: The Predictive Modeling Using SAS Enterprise Miner exam is $250, while the others are $180 each

How to prepare: SAS recommends candidates prepare using its Applied Analytics Using SAS Enterprise Miner training and SAS Academy for Data Science: Advanced Analytics training or several eLearning courses. It also recommends answering sample questions it provides and taking a practice exam.

SAS Certified Data Scientist

The SAS Certified Data Scientist credential validates the ability to manipulate and gain insights from big data with a variety of SAS and open source tools, make business recommendations with complex machine learning models, and deploy models at scale using the SAS environment. The certification requires a combination of the SAS Data Curation Professional, SAS Advanced Analytics Professional, and SAS AI & Machine Learning Professional credentials.

Organization: SAS

Price: $180 for each exam

How to prepare: SAS recommends candidates prepare using its SAS Academy for Data Science, or several eLearning courses. It also recommends answering sample questions it provides and taking a practice exam.
Just 20 years ago, New York City was racked with crime: murders, burglaries, drug deals, car thefts, thefts from cars. (Remember the signs in car windows advising no radio?) Unlike many cities crime problems, New Yorks were not limited to a few inner-city neighborhoods that could be avoided. Bryant Park, in the heart of midtown and adjacent to the New York Public Library, was an open-air drug market; Grand Central Terminal, a gigantic flophouse; the Port Authority Bus Terminal, a grim gauntlet for bus passengers dodging beggars, drunks, thieves, and destitute drug addicts, as the New York Times put it in 1992. In July 1985, the Citizens Crime Commission of New York City published a study showing widespread fear of theft and assault in downtown Brooklyn, Fordham Road in the Bronx, and Jamaica Center in Queens. Riders abandoned the subway in droves, fearing assault from lunatics and gangs.

New Yorks drop in crime during the 1990s was correspondingly astonishingindeed, one of the most remarkable stories in the history of urban crime, according to University of California law professor Franklin Zimring. While other cities experienced major declines, none was as steep as New Yorks. Most of the criminologists explanations for itthe economy, changing drug-use patterns, demographic changeshave not withstood scrutiny. Readers of City Journal will be familiar with the stronger argument that the New York Police Departments adoption of quality-of-life policing and of such accountability measures as Compstat was behind the citys crime drop.

Yet that explanation isnt the whole story. Learning the rest is more than an academic exercise, for if we can understand fully what happened in New York, we not only can adapt it to other cities but can ensure that Gothams crime gains arent lost in todays cash-strapped environment.

As New York suffered, an idea began to emerge that would one day restore the city. Nathan Glazer first gave it voice in a 1979 Public Interest article, On Subway Graffiti in New York, arguing that graffitists, other disorderly persons, and criminals who rob, rape, assault, and murder passengers . . . are part of one world of uncontrollable predators. For Glazer, a governments inability to control even a minor crime like graffiti signaled to citizens that it certainly couldnt handle more serious ones. Disorder, therefore, was creating a crisis that threatened all segments of urban life. In 1982, James Q. Wilson and I elaborated on this idea, linking disorder to serious crime in an Atlantic story called Broken Windows (see below).

Yet it wasnt just intellectuals who were starting to study disorder and minor crimes. Policymakers like Deputy Mayor Herb Sturz and private-sector leaders like Gerald Schoenfeld, longtime chairman of the Shubert Organization, believed that disorderly conditionsaggressive panhandling, prostitution, scams, drugsthreatened the economy of Times Square. Under Sturzs leadership, and with money from the Fund for the City of New York, the NYPD developed Operation Crossroads in the late 1970s. The project focused on minor offenses in the Times Square area; urged police to develop high-visibility, low-arrest tactics; and attempted to measure police performance by counting instances of disorderly behavior.

Despite some initial success, Operation Crossroads was ultimately aborted, and the NYPD returned to business as usual. Later, the police employed similar tactics in Bryant Park after Parks Commissioner Gordon Davis threatened to close it; again they met with early success, but again they eventually abandoned the attempt.

As soon became clear, sporadic police programs werent enough. Only when a wide range of agencies and institutions began to work on restoring public order did real progress begin. In 1980, a second attempt to fix Bryant Park took off: the Bryant Park Restoration Corporation, headed by Dan Biederman, used environmental design, maintenance, private security, and other approaches inspired by the success of Rockefeller Center. Similarly, in 1988, the Grand Central Partnership (also led by Biederman) began reducing disorder in the 75 blocks surrounding Grand Central by employing private security and hiring the homeless to clean the streets. Thirty-two more Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) were developing similar approaches in New York.

Public transportation was another area where public order became a priority. In 1984, David Gunn, president of the New York City Transit Authority (NYCTA), began a five-year program to eradicate graffiti from subway trains. Then, in 1989, Robert Kiley, chairman of the board of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, asked the transit police (then located within the NYCTA) to focus on minor offenses; a year later, he hired as its chief William Bratton, who immediately zeroed in on disorder, especially fare beating. And in the early nineties, the NYCTA adopted similar policing methods for Penn Station and Grand Central Terminal.

Neighborhood organizations, too, began demanding that order be restoredeven the local community board in the Tompkins Square Park area, which had once been quite tolerant of disorderly behavior. And the judiciary branch got involved as well, with the 1993 opening of the Midtown Community Court, which swiftly handles those who commit minor offenses.

In sum, a diverse set of organizations in the citypursuing their own interests and using various tactics and programsall began trying to restore order to their domains. Further, in contrast with early sporadic efforts like Operation Crossroads, these attempts were implemented aggressively and persistently. Biederman, for example, worked on Bryant Park for 12 years. When Kiley was struggling to restore order in the subway, he had to withstand pressure from powerful opponents: the New York Civil Liberties Union, the mayors office (which had suggested bringing portable kitchens and showers into the subway for the homeless), the police commissioner, and the transit police. In fact, it was after the transit cops resisted Operation Enforcement, Kileys first effort to restore order, that he hired Bratton.

By the early 1990s, these highly visible successes, especially in the subway, had begun to express themselves politically. Better than any other politician, Rudy Giuliani understood the pent-up demand for public order and built his successful 1993 run for mayor on quality-of-life themes. Once in office, he appointed Bratton, who had orchestrated the subway success and understood the importance of order maintenance, as New Yorks police commissioner.

Under Bratton, the NYPD brought enormous capacities to bear on the citys crime problemparticularly Compstat, its tactical planning and accountability system, which identified where crimes were occurring and held local commanders responsible for their areas. Giuliani and Bratton also gave the forces members a clear vision of the business of the NYPD and how their activities contributed to it. In short, a theory previously advocated largely by elites filtered down toand inspiredline police officers, who had constituted a largely ignored and underused capacity.

Once the NYPD joined the effort, the order-maintenance movement expanded even more. Port Authority, initially skeptical about Kileys approach in the subway and Grand Central and Penn Stations, took similar action to restore order; the Midtown Community Court spawned the Center for Court Innovation, a nonprofit organization that helped develop the Red Hook Community Court in 1998; and BIDs increased from 33 in 1989 to 61 in 2008.

Clearly, Giuliani and Bratton were heroes in reclaiming public spaces. But Glazer, Sturz, Gunn, Kiley, Biederman, and others were stalwarts as well. They set the stage for what was to follow. Current mayor Michael Bloomberg and police commissioner Ray Kelly also deserve kudos; rather than overturning the Bratton/Giuliani innovations and going their own wayas new administrators are wont to dothey adopted, refined, and strengthened them.

As New York confronts a fiscal crisis, its leaders need to remember that the city owes its crime decline to a broad range of public and private agencies. Maintaining the NYPDs commitment to its proven crime-fighting methods is crucial, of course. But so is the broader citywide emphasis on public order.

Top Photo: andykazie/iStock
This week, NYPD Officer Daniel Pantaleo is finally being prosecuted  but not criminally. The New York City Civilian Complaint Review Board can, at most, get him fired for his role in the death of Eric Garner on Staten Island five years ago. A Staten Island grand jury decided in December 2014 not to charge Pantaleo with any crime.

Since the grand jurys decision, more than 4,000 people have been killed in the United States by police officers. African Americans make up just 13% of the U.S. population, but about 23% of these deaths. The data for young African American boys and men are even more startling. According to one 2015 study, African American males between ages 15 and 34, roughly 2% of the U.S. population, made up more than 15% of all deaths caused by police.

This is why African American parents like me have the talk with our children about police stops: keep your hands in sight; no quick movements; yes, I want you to know and invoke your constitutional rights, but first and foremost, I want you to come home alive.

For families who lose a son or a daughter, accountability for police conduct remains elusive. Criminal charges are rarely brought against the police officers involved, and generally, families receive no information about why criminal charges were not brought. Of the thousands of police shootings between 2005 and 2015, only 54 officers were charged. Very few cases end with a conviction.

Three straightforward steps  while not a panacea  can start to change this painful situation. First, change who prosecutes these cases. Second, change the applicable laws. Third, require prosecutors to disclose their investigative findings in situations where no criminal charges are brought.

First, these cases, like most potential crimes, are investigated by local district attorneys. The intertwined relationship between a district attorney and the local police department  who work together day in and day out  can affect the course of justice when a police officer is under investigation. For this reason, in cases involving police actions leading to the death of an unarmed civilian, states should require the appointment of special prosecutors who do not regularly work with local police, or, as happened in New York state, the appointment of a standing special prosecutor with this responsibility.

I was New Yorks first special prosecutor, working in the state attorney generals office, under an order issued by Gov. Andrew Cuomo. My experience confirmed the merit of this approach. About a year after New York made this change, Rensselaer County District Attorney Joel Abelove quickly cleared Sgt. Randall French, who shot and killed a civilian, Edson Thevenin. Our subsequent investigation resulted in criminal charges against the district attorney, alleging that he withheld key evidence from the grand jury and improperly shielded the officer from prosecution by granting him immunity. There is still no resolution of this case, as the charges were initially dismissed and are currently on appeal, but the spotlight on the district attorneys actions helped lead to his electoral defeat.

Second, the laws governing these cases, including in New York, need to change. These cases often turn on a self-defense argument: If an officer reasonably believes deadly force is necessary to save his or her own life, then the officer may lawfully use deadly force. Obviously, police officers have dangerous, life-threatening jobs and perform a very valuable public service. But it cannot be that no matter the circumstances, every officer is always reasonable in believing that the use of deadly force was necessary. Yet juries almost invariably conclude that this was the case. New laws should make it clear that necessary means that the officer exhausted all other options and had no reasonable alternative to the use of deadly force. In other words, necessary means absolutely necessary. This subtle change underscores the gravity of an officers decision to use deadly force. It would also likely affect prosecutors decisions to charge officers and, ultimately, decisions by juries to convict.

Third, even with new legal standards, there will inevitably be cases where no charges are warranted. Currently, in many such cases, prosecutors attribute the decision not to charge an officer to the grand jury that heard the case, even when that may have been where the prosecutor led the grand jury. The proceedings of grand juries are generally legally sealed, providing no information for anyone seeking transparency. That is why prosecutors should be required to issue public reports of their investigative findings when no charges are brought. Crime scene photos, firearm tests, autopsy reports, body camera videos and other key evidence are all within the hands of the government and can be the subject of a public report without violating the secrecy rules of grand juries. In addition to stating investigative findings, these reports should point out ways to improve law enforcement practices that might avoid future tragedies.

These three steps would lead to fairer, more transparent investigations and, where appropriate, a greater likelihood of prosecutions and convictions of officers that use deadly force. They would also help restore at least some semblance of faith in the system, which for too many communities, has all but disappeared.
The cohesion of the New York labor movement has historically given it a policymaking clout that unions across the country envy. But as the debate over climate change and fossil fuel divestment heats up, fault lines are emerging over whether or not pension investment decisions should be used as an instrument for setting environmental policy.

In Albany, the Fossil Fuel Divestment Act is picking up momentum with just weeks to go before the end of the session. The bill, sponsored by state Sen. Liz Krueger and Assemblyman Felix Ortiz, would require state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli to divest from 200 of the largest fossil fuel corporations over the next five years, with a more expedited sell-off for poorly performing coal companies. The $210 billion state retirement fund reportedly is holding $13 billion in fossil fuel stocks.

As we all know, the fossil fuels are really detrimental to our state, and to our country, so were looking forward to getting this bill to a compromise, hopefully passing both houses and then getting it into law, Ortiz said at an April 30 hearing on the controversial proposal.

In the state Senate, 27 lawmakers have signed on as co-sponsors to the bill, still a few votes short of passing. In the Assembly, it has more than 30 co-sponsors. In both houses, the bill remains in committee.

Among labor unions, on one side are those that believe the states public pension funds have only one purpose: generating the maximum return for public sector workers. They assert that the big fossil fuel companies are reliable market performers.

On the other side of the debate are unions that argue that divesting from fossil fuel stocks can help slow climate change and insulate the states retirement portfolio from financial losses that their experts project will only get heavier as the world shifts to renewable energy.

At the center of the controversy is DiNapoli, who under the state constitution is entrusted with guaranteeing the state meets its fiduciary obligation to pensioners. DiNapoli has been a longtime advocate of using shareholder resolutions and corporate boardroom activism as the best way to get fossil fuel companies to meaningfully address climate change. He has had some success wielding his clout on issues like corporate boardroom diversity and greater transparency for CEO compensation thanks to New Yorks massive pension. The states Common Retirement Fund does not actively invest in private prison or gun company stocks, but because the state comptroller doesnt actually pick many of the companies that it invests in, the fund does invest in those types of companies through index funds, which hold stocks to match major indices like the S&P 500.

DiNapolis office says the fossil fuel legislation goes too far. It is important to note that the bill as currently written requires the fund to lose over $1 billion due to divestment, and then write a report documenting the loss, before taking any remedial action, Anastasia Titarchuk, the interim chief investment officer at the Common Retirement Fund, said at an April 30 hearing, according to her prepared remarks. This so-called safety valve is not safe at all, is inconsistent with the comptrollers fiduciary duty, and could result in significant impact for the 3,000 employers and affected taxpayers across the state.

New York State AFL-CIO President Mario Cilento said in a recent interview that he supports DiNapolis less drastic approach. Similarly, the Civil Service Employees Association, which represents 300,000 active and retired public employees, opposes what it contends is overreach by the Legislature that will set a dangerous precedent.

The Common Retirement Fund has never been a tool to make political statements and we do not believe that it should start now, testified Fran Turner, CSEAs legislative director. The enactment of this legislation will lead to additional divestment proposals for industries that are currently out of favor with legislators. This micromanaging could lead to diminished returns, a more unstable pension fund and increased contributions by government employers.

Leading up to the legislative hearing, the Suffolk County Association of Municipal Employees released an analysis that divestment from fossil fuel stocks to green energy companies would substantially underperform fossil fuels and result in state pension shortfalls requiring a $33.4 billion cash infusion over 30 years. The Subway Surface Supervisors Association, the New York State Supreme Court Officers Association and the New York State Troopers Police Benevolent Association oppose divestment.

However, the Working Families Party and other groups that traditionally are allied with organized labor have advocated for fossil fuel divestment. In New York City, a joint effort by Mayor Bill de Blasio and City Comptroller Scott Stringer to divest the citys pension funds of fossil fuel holdings has gotten the enthusiastic support from the United Federation of Teachers and District Council 37, the citys biggest public sector unions. For the sake of future generations, we support the call by the mayor and the comptroller for responsible divestment from fossil fuels, DC37 Executive Director Henry Garrido said in a statement last year.

One labor group even testified in favor of the Krueger-Ortiz divestment bill at the state hearing. In a resolution submitted for the hearing, the Albany County Central Federation of Labor claimed that fossil fuel divestment is the fastest growing global movement the world has ever seen, with institutions such as the California State Teachers Retirement System and hundreds of colleges and universities joining the movement. The union added: If the planet is to continue to be habitable for human life, scientists indicate that most of the fossil fuel reserves will need to be left in the ground.
Environmentalists have ambitious plans in Albany this year: codifying aggressive targets to wean the state off of fossil fuels; a moratorium on gas pipelines; and divesting billions of dollars in state pension funds from fossil fuel companies like Exxon Mobil Corp. Already this year, lawmakers approved a statewide ban on plastic bags and passed a package of bills cracking down on toxic chemicals in consumer products.

Gone are the days when we debated the doubts about whether climate change is happening or not, Peter Iwanowicz, executive director of Environmental Advocates of New York, said at a recent press conference with Democratic lawmakers. For far too long, commonsense environmental measures that would protect our air, water and our health had little chance of becoming law in New York.

But while several major environmental measures should be easier to advance since Republicans lost control of the state Senate, time is running out in this session for Democrats to check the remaining boxes on their environmental agenda.

Three big environmental issues remain up in the air. The first is putting the state on a path to effectively eliminate greenhouse gas emissions statewide. The leading legislative proposal is the Climate and Community Protection Act, which mandates the elimination of all human-caused greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Lawmakers are also pushing for a new law that would impose a moratorium on new fossil fuel infrastructure like power plants and pipelines. A recent legislative hearing on state divestment from fossil fuel companies highlighted the third front in lawmakers climate efforts.

These efforts all face significant opposition from energy companies and real estate developers, but the biggest obstacle may be Gov. Andrew Cuomo  and limited time. The governor said as recently as late April that he does not see any need for additional action on the environment in the coming weeks. Issues like recreational marijuana legalization, rent regulations and a possible expansion of prevailing wages are top priorities for the governor, he told WAMC in April.

It is not that Cuomo is actively opposing environmentalists goals; he just has a different timeline in mind. One of the key sticking points in ongoing negotiations over the Climate and Community Protection Act is the extent to which the state needs to set specific dates for emission reduction goals.

Cuomos Green New Deal contains numerous provisions that increase the states renewable energy goals, including a $1.5 billion investment in clean energy and plans to dramatically growing offshore wind, solar and energy storage in the coming years. But Cuomos approach does not go as far as lawmakers want in battling climate change. We need a plan, a roadmap that is going to guide our policy, our programs and our investment in New York state, state Sen. Jen Metzger, a Democrat, said at a May 6 press conference.

A similar dynamic is playing out with the Fossil Fuel Divestment Act. The legislation, sponsored by state Sen. Liz Krueger and Assemblyman Felix Ortiz, would require the state Common Retirement Fund to divest from the 200 largest publicly traded fossil fuel companies within five years. A panel established by Cuomo and state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli issued a report on April 16 recommending that divestment happen by 2030. A legislative hearing on the divestment bill on April 30 demonstrated growing support for the bill, but Cuomos silence on the report and hearing suggest that he is in no hurry to address the issue. The same could be said about efforts to block new infrastructure projects that use fossil fuels.

The Cuomo administration did side with environmentalists by announcing on May 15 that the Department of Environment Conservation was denying a water quality permit for the Williams pipeline, which would transport natural gas from New Jersey to Long Island. National Grid has threatened to impose a moratorium on new gas hookups on Long Island in response, but that has not dampened some lawmakers enthusiasm for stopping as many new fossil fuel infrastructure projects as they can. One bill, sponsored by state Sen. Jen Metzger and Assemblywoman Nily Rozic, would ban new power plants and pipelines that use fossil fuels. The legislation would also require the state to eliminate fossil fuels from electrical generation statewide as early as 2030 and no later than 2040. By contrast, Cuomos Green New Deal aims to reach 70% renewable energy by 2030. Like the divestment and climate change proposals, Cuomo agrees with activists and lawmakers in principle, but disagrees on how aggressively to move forward.

A big X-factor in transitioning the state away from fossil fuels is the rate at which technology advances. Solar and wind power technologies have made leaps in recent years, but a recent report by the New York Independent System Operator  the organization responsible for managing the states electric grid  shows how far the state still needs to go. If the state is to move away from exhaust-spewing automobiles and power plants, it will need more renewable energy, better transmission lines and more efficient  and cheaper  energy storage. Theres no one silver bullet, said Richard Dewey, the organizations executive vice president. Theres no magic element thats going to come in and make these goals achievable. Its going to be continued innovation.

As things currently stand, the state is a Tale of Two Grids, according to the New York Independent System Operators Power Trends 2019 report that was released in May. Upstate New York generates nearly 90% of its electrical energy from nuclear power or hydropower, which do not emit greenhouse gases. Additional solar or wind farms are only useful insofar as the power they generate can be sent downstate, where 70% of energy is generated from fossil fuels. About 97% of the states transmission facilities are 30 or more years older. It will take time and money to update them to allow upstate to send more electricity downstate.

Another issue is that solar and wind energy are produced intermittently. The New York Independent System Operator needs enough generation capacity to accommodate electrical customers at peak hours. The state can require as much as about 33,000 megawatts during its busiest hours of the year, but only an additional 3,000 megawatts of battery power is currently scheduled for deployment by 2030, according to the organization. Unless battery storage technology takes a big leap forward in the coming years that would allow wind and solar power to be stored, natural gas plants to fulfill peak demand will be needed in the future to keep the electric grid going, according to group.

Climate change will not wait for technological developments or political breakthroughs on environmental policy. The U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report from October warned that humans have until 2030 to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 45% from 2010 levels. New York state, which produces a few tenths of a percent of total global emissions, cannot save the world by itself, but its lawmakers are determined to ensure the state does its part.
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
The town of Kotzebue sits low on a gravel spit where three rivers meet, 26 miles north of the Arctic Circle in Western Alaska. It is believed to be the oldest continuous human settlement in the Americas9,000 years for the Inupiat, who still comprise 75 percent of the population. Wild musk ox graze the stark landscape outside of town, where the sun doesnt set for six weeks every summer. The Red Dog Mine, 90 miles north, stains the river banks red and sickens the towns children. When 10-year-old Ashley Johnson-Barr disappeared from a playground there in September 2018, search teams used boats to scan the shorelines around Kotzebue Sound, Swan Lake, and Kotzebue Lagoon. They found her body on the tundra.

Kyle Hopkins, who is special projects editor at the Anchorage Daily News, flew in to cover Ashleys murder. On September 23, the suspect was charged with kidnapping, sexually assaulting, and strangling Ashley. Through interviews with the suspects relatives, Hopkins discovered that the suspect, a local, had raped girls since he was at least 12, but had never been charged and was not a registered sex offender.

The suspects sister had never spoken about his pattern of assault. Then she met Hopkins. Once they started talking, family members described 40 rapes, Hopkins says. For two family members, it started very, very young.

Weeks later, in October, Hopkins and his team at the Daily News covered an assault in Nome, 180 miles south across the Seward Peninsula. This time, the victim contacted Hopkins because she had seen another report he did about a case ignored by police.

Hopkins wondered about the extent of sexual violence in Alaska. How many victims are there? Why wasnt Ashleys killer a registered sex offender? What does that say about the state? Rape rates in Alaska are three times higher than the next highest state, and the majority of victims are indigenous women and female children. Alaska Natives represent 15 percent of the population, but make up more than half of sexual-assault victims. In 2015, 370 felony sexual assaults were reported per 100,000 people in Western Alaska, where the problem is worst. (By comparison, Kings County, New York, had 25.4.)

Hopkinss team at the Daily News published a simple Google form, asking Alaskans to share their experiences. The paper received over 200 responsesmore than they had the resources to investigate. So Hopkins applied to a grant from ProPublicas Local Reporting Network, which funded Hopkinss salary and benefits for the year, plus occasional reporting expenses, such as records requests.

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The first story in Hopkinss investigative series, Lawless, published today, reveals that one in three communities in Alaska has no local law enforcement. No state troopers to stop an active shooter, no village police officers to break up family fights, not even untrained city or tribal cops to patrol the streets, Hopkins writes. Almost all of the communities are primarily Alaska Native and often lie miles from the nearest road. The absence of state-funded public safety services, Hopkins argues, means Native villagers live on the front lines of the addiction, suicide, and sexual assault crises that plague their communities.

The police protection study published today is the most comprehensive investigation of its kind in Alaska, Hopkins says. He frames the story around a sexual assault case in a village where there is one poorly paid, poorly trained police officer.

The mayor of the Yukon River village of Russian Mission said that within the past couple years, residents duct-taped a man who had been firing a gun within the village and waited for troopers to arrive, Hopkins writes. In nearby Marshall, villagers locked their doors last year until a man who was threatening to shoot people had fallen asleep, then grabbed him and tied him up. Elsewhere, tribes mete out banishment for serious crimes from meth dealing to arson. Rape survivors are told not to shower and must fly to hub cities or even hundreds of miles to Anchorage to undergo a sexual assault examination.

More than 20 villages hired officers with criminal records, violating state standards for police officers over the past two years, Hopkins reports. Two officers are registered sex offenders. Lets say youre a 5-year-old living in a Native community, Hopkins says. Why dont you have the basic services taken for granted by most Americans? A toilet that flushes and a running sink in your home. A school. And if you dial 911, someone answers.

Also today, ProPublica published a revamped version of the Daily Newss rudimentary outreach form from last year, to encourage native Alaskans to volunteer information about sexual violence in the state. ProPublica assigned two engagement specialists, Beena Raghavendran and Adriana Gallardo, to help Hopkins conceive of outreach opportunities. It also plans to launch a private Facebook advisory group to solicit input from Alaska Native victims advocates and others on how to best serve communities.

ProPublica launched its Local Reporting Network program in 2018 with seven local-newsroom partnerships. This year, the initiative will partner with 20. Reporters and newsrooms get the full slate of ProPublica resources, Raghavendran says. We share sources, provide the engagement team and strategy, news app support, data, research, and design services.

Part of ProPublicas objective in Alaska is to build accountability mechanisms that might make it easier for victims to find police records or approach law enforcement. To fill the gaps of accountability within the system there, the Newss ability to connect locally will be vital, Raghavendran says.

They are also planning local events to raise the works visibility, Gallardo says. The first will bring the entire team to Kotzebue on June 6, where a panel will include a state representative, staff members of a local clinic in town that provides services to victims of sexual assault, elders from the community, and, Gallardo hopes, a survivor from Kotzebue who has written a book on her experience. Even people in Anchorage dont really know what life is like off the road system, Hopkins says.

Data support from ProPublica is already making a difference. A big piece fell into place when we were able to negotiate a sex crimes records request with the Anchorage Police Department, Hopkins wrote in an email. They initially wanted $40,000 in research fees and estimated the dig would take 6 months. ProPublica and the Daily News worked with the IT department to file the request as a database query and got most of what they needed for $200.

Those data sets will come into play later in the series. For now, the stories on the lack of cops in rural Alaska are more of a brute force records effort, Hopkins says. Hundreds of emails, phone calls, letters. ProPublica and the Daily News asked more than 560 traditional councils, tribal corporations, and city governments representing 233 communities if they have police protection.

The biggest challenge, according to Hopkins, is getting people to open up. Indigenous families in Alaska do not openly discuss assault. The window of opportunity to talk is small, Hopkins says. There is no press in these communities. Its so easy to do it wrong, parachuting in and asking intrusive questions of people who are traumatized. As he gets to know a new source, he is careful to let them know he has female colleagues they can speak with if they prefer. No one has taken me up on that yet, he says.

Kyle is the bridge, Raghavendran says. The ProPublica model is a local reporter side-by-side with engagement reporters. Hes on the ground, the human element, and were galvanizing people.

If you are an Alaskan with a story to share about sexual assault or the states legal system, you may wish to take part in the Anchorage Daily Newss confidential survey. If you have a tip or want to talk privately with a reporter, email Kyle Hopkins at [email protected] or call him directly at 907-257-4421.

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Amanda Darrach is a contributor to CJR and a visiting scholar at the University of St Andrews School of International Relations. Follow her on Twitter @thedarrach.
On this weeks episode, CJR Editor and Publisher Kyle Pope speaks with Israeli journalist Anat Kamm. She supplied the newspaper Haaretz with secret documents, and has accused it of giving her up to the authorities under questioning. Israeli courts sentenced her to years in prison for leaking classified documents. She has just won a lawsuit which she says will help other sources in Israel in the future.

SHOW NOTES:

Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today

Amanda Darrach is a contributor to CJR and a visiting scholar at the University of St Andrews School of International Relations. Follow her on Twitter @thedarrach.
Any hopes of getting corn and soybean planting back on track in the U.S. may be washed away starting Friday as a pair of storms threaten to deliver a one-two punch of soaking rain and tornadoes across the Great Plains and Midwest through next week.

As much as 3 to 5 inches of rain will soak soils from South Dakota and Minnesota south to Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas, according to the U.S. Weather Prediction Center in College Park, Maryland.

The severe weather starts on Friday and continues for several days after that, said Marc Chenard, a senior branch forecaster at the Weather Prediction Center. Another one arrives early next week  Sunday into Monday. It is kind of like a one-two punch with multiple days of severe weather and heavy rainfall.

Floods and drenching rains have mired planting progress across the Great Plains, Mississippi Delta and Midwest for months with corn, soybeans, cotton and rice all lagging behind the five-year average through May 12, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture weekly crop progress report released Monday.

The grass is greener for grazing cattle, though. The extra rain has led to deep, rich pastures, said Troy Vetterkind, owner of Vetterkind Cattle Brokerage in Thorp, Wisconsin. That means animals could stay on fields longer, which may curb some meat production and be mildly supportive for markets, he said. Pasture conditions in the U.S. were 63% good or excellent in the week ending May 12, compared with just 43% the prior year, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Farmers across the central U.S. that raise crops, however, have been looking for stretches of dry weather to plant seeds. For some, the clock is ticking away. In Iowa, for example, corn needs to be planted by the end of May and beans by mid-June, Mike Naig, the states secretary of agriculture, said by telephone Friday.

There is some time here, he said. If we get some sunny days and the conditions are right, our farmers can move very quickly and get a lot of acres planted. I am still hopeful. As we look to the end of the month we are going to see things really break open.

The weather hasnt been on the side of U.S. farmers since last summer, delivering rural communities another blow amid a multi-year downturn in prices and a yearlong trade war with China. The contiguous U.S. had its third wettest year on record in 2018 and the heavy rain and snow has continued into 2019, according to the National Centers for Environmental Information in Asheville, North Carolina.

Last years saturated soils froze in place through winter leaving melting snow and early rains this year no place to go, said Brad Rippey, a U.S. Department of Agriculture meteorologist in Washington. This set up widespread flooding along many rivers including the Mississippi, Missouri and Red River of the North.

Chenard said another week of rain could push those rivers above their banks again.

Since then, there has been little let up from a constant parade of storms, said Jim Rouiller, chief meteorologist at Energy Weather Group in Philadelphia. High pressure ridges have set up across southwestern Canada and the Pacific Northwest, along with another in the Atlantic, which has left a low pressure trough stretching from the southern Great Plains to the Great Lakes that has acted as a storm boulevard.

I see this going at least into the first part of June, Rouiller said.

Rippey also serves as one of the authors of the weekly Drought Monitor, which has tracked soil conditions for almost 20 years. Only 2.28% of the contiguous U.S. was a in drought three weeks ago, a record for the monitor and it has only ticked up to 2.53% last week

Its record low in the 20-year history of the Drought Monitor, Rippey said. So on the bright side we arent worried about drought in the U.S. right now.
U.S. aviation regulators expect to receive Boeing Co.s proposed software fix for the grounded 737 Max as soon as next week and will then begin a review that will include test flights and input from a technical advisory board.

We will not allow the 737 Max to fly in the U.S. unless it is absolutely safe to do so, Daniel Elwell, acting administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration, told lawmakers Wednesday without offering an estimate for how long the review would take.

A technical advisory board named by the agency will provide a third set of eyes, and its recommendations will directly affect the timing of the grounded Maxs return to service, Elwell said at a hearing in Washington.

Boeing is also working on a service bulletin describing the flight control system revisions, Elwell told the House aviation subcommittee at a hearing on the status of Boeings best-selling jet, which has been grounded since March after two crashes in a five-month span.

The FAA has come under fire for approving a feature known as the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System, or MCAS, and for giving the planemaker too much authority to oversee itself. After a sensor on 737 Max jets in Indonesia and Ethiopia malfunctioned, MCAS continually pushed down the aircraft nose until pilots lost control. Boeing is redesigning the system to make it less prone to operate in error.

Sensor Failure

Lawmakers grilled Elwell during the hearing, quizzing him about the certification process that allowed the plane to fly. His counterpart at the National Transportation Safety Board also appeared at the hearing.

Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Peter DeFazio, an Oregon Democrat, complained about the pace of receiving records. Boeing has yet to provide a single document, DeFazio said. Im hoping they will provide the documents weve requested voluntarily and in the not too distant future.

The company and committee investigators are in talks about how to protect proprietary information contained in records, DeFazio said after the hearing.

Boeing is fully committed to providing the committee with all of the information needed on this issue, and we have already answered many questions and provided materials requested, said spokesman Charles Bickers. As soon as there are assurances that protections are in place, the company will supply the records, Bickers said.

DeFazio said he was disappointed that a single sensors failure had led to the crashes. We shouldnt have to be here today, he said.

Elwell said the agency was directly involved in approving the flight-control system, participating in a test flight of the system that drove down the nose in the two accidents.

The FAAs acting chief criticized Boeing for not disclosing to the FAA or to airlines for more than a year that a 737 Max display supposed to show whether a sensor was malfunctioning wasnt working.

I think thats an issue, sir, Elwell said under questioning by DeFazio. It shouldnt take a year for us to find out.

While Elwood expressed frustration with Boeings tardy disclosure, he said the so-called angle-of-attack sensor disagree light was advisory on the 737 and useful for maintenance teams  but wouldnt have made a difference in either crash. The alert lights up when twin vanes that measure a planes nose against the air stream provide divergent readings to flight control computers.

They Deserve Answers

DeFazio said the committee is still in the early stages of its review of how the plane was certified by FAA. But the tragedies are shocking, including for families of victims, he said.

They deserve answers and accountability, as does the general flying public, DeFazio said.

The highest ranking Republican on the committee, Representative Sam Graves of Missouri, urged caution before blaming Boeing for the accidents. In his opening statement, he listed what he called multiple errors by pilots and airline maintenance workers in the accidents that he said should be considered along with Boeings design.

To focus on one single factor misses the forest for the trees, Graves said.

The FAA is hosting a meeting of foreign aviation regulators on May 23 in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and Elwell said part of the purpose was to repair what he called a perception that there is a crisis of confidence in the agencys leadership.

Regulator Meeting

Because so many nations grounded the 737 Max in March before FAA felt it had enough data to do so, Elwell said the aviation system wasnt as collaborative as it had historically been. The FAA plans at the meeting to discuss what it knows about the efforts to fix the plane and the steps it plans to take before approving it for flight.

The NTSB is assisting Ethiopian and Indonesian authorities in their investigations of the two crashes, Chairman Robert Sumwalt testified.

The 737 Max, Boeings best-selling aircraft, was grounded on March 13 after it became clear that an Ethiopian Airlines crash three days earlier had similar underlying causes to a Lion Air crash on Oct. 29 near Jakarta.

MCAS was added to the 737 Max to make it less likely to enter an aerodynamic stall. It automatically commands a relatively modest dive if it senses a planes nose has gotten too high. In the accidents, it repeatedly pushed down the nose despite efforts by the pilots to counter it. The crashes killed 346 people.

Senate Hearing

At a separate hearing Wednesday, senators pressed the nominee to become FAA administrator, Stephen Dickson, on whether the agency needs to change procedures that led to certification of the 737 Max. Several lawmakers focused on the use of aircraft manufacturers employees to sign off on designs.

Whatever corrective actions need to be taken or process changes need to be put in place, I can guarantee you that those will be accomplished, Dickson said.

He also said its very important not to jump to conclusions.

Working with the private sector with the proper controls and protocols is going to allow the regulator to be much more effective and add a lot more safety value that just throwing extra resources at it, Dickson said.
California investigators have determined that PG&E Corp.s power lines ignited the deadliest blaze in state history, opening the door for more liabilities that the company has already warned may exceed $30 billion.

A transmission line owned by PG&E sparked the Camp Fire that killed 85 people and destroyed an entire town in November, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said in a statement Wednesday. The agency forwarded its investigation to the Butte County district attorney, a move that may suggest the company was in violation of regulations.

The news came just as PG&Es new chief executive officer, Bill Johnson, was explaining to state legislators in Sacramento why he is the right person to lead the power giant, which filed for Chapter 11 in January to deal with crippling wildfire liabilities. Its bankruptcy, the biggest for a utility in U.S. history, has attracted some of the largest names in distressed debt, including Elliott Management Corp. PG&E has asked for six months to develop a restructuring plan. California Governor Gavin Newsom wants one sooner.

Junk Rating

PG&E shares were little changed in after-hours trading after plunging by as much as 5.9% after the states report. They cratered 48% in the last three months of 2018, marking the stocks worst quarterly performance ever. By the time PG&E had declared bankruptcy, mounting wildfire liabilities had already wiped out $60 billion worth of the companys market value, its debt had been downgraded to junk and dozens of lawsuits had been filed.

As news spread of the findings on the Camp Fire, Johnson was vowing to state legislators that he would fix PG&Es problems so that there would be no more big events for the company. We cannot restore trust without results, he said. We cant restore relationships with rhetoric.

After being told about the report, he responded: I made the assumption, when I got here, that PG&E equipment caused the fire  thats the best place to start.

Under a legal doctrine known as inverse condemnation, California utilities including PG&E and Edison International may be held responsible for damages from wildfires their equipment causes, even if they arent found negligent. The power companies have been fighting to kill this doctrine since a series of wildfires devastated parts of Northern Californias wine country in 2017.

While Cal Fire placed blame on PG&E, the states brief press release failed to answer the most important question  whether the utility acted negligently in maintaining the power line that sparked the blaze, said Paul Patterson, an analyst with Glenrock Associates.

Its not just whether their electrical line was involved, he said. Whats really key is whether or not the companys operation or maintenance of the system was in fact at fault.

Californias findings came just as activist shareholder Appaloosa LP disclosed it had more than doubled its stake in PG&E in the first quarter. The fund now holds about 4.4% of the companys outstanding shares. Baupost also boosted its holdings by 58% to 24.5 million shares valued at $436.1 million, regulatory filings show.

PG&E has already disclosed that a criminal grand jury in Butte County is investigating the Camp Fire and has requested documents related to its operations and maintenance. The company said its cooperating with prosecutors in collecting physical evidence at the fire site.
CLEVELAND, Ohio  State tax credits that aid in construction or renovation of affordable housing will flow to eight projects totaling 464 units in Northeast Ohio this year.

The Ohio Housing Finance Agency this week announced the awards totaling $280 million from its Housing Tax Credit program. Out of 92 applicants from across the state, 34 projects encompassing 2,198 units will receive the credits over a 10-year period. The program requires property owners to maintain affordable rent and limit occupancy to low- and moderate-income tenants for at least 30 years.

Nearly half of all renters pay more than a third of their income on housing, OHFA Acting Executive Director Holly Holtzen said in a statement. The "award announcement is an important step toward tackling the growing affordability problem for Ohios renter households.

The following projects in Northeast Ohio received awards, with project information based on summaries provided to OHFA by applicants:
MEDINA, Ohio -- Its been a busy end of the year at the Highland elementary schools.

Highland Local Schools had six teams competing in the Medina County Science Olympiad, held at Medina High School on May 4.

Two teams from each elementary school in the district (Granger, Hinckley and Sharon) participated, among a total of 15 teams countywide. Students are in third through fifth grade and work outside of the classroom to prepare for the competition.

Highland's elementary schools earned five of the top six places at this years event. Sharon Elementary's "Green Team" earned first place honors, while Hinckley Elementary's "Yellow Team" placed third.

Students competed in 15 events pertaining to various scientific disciplines, including earth science, biology, chemistry, physics and engineering.

The Highland teams were coordinated by parent volunteers and funded by their schools PTOs.

Students have been preparing for the Olympiad for months by training together in workshops provided by members of the Highland High School Science Club under the direction of Kristine Chierici. Students also received training by local experts at the Wolf Creek Environmental Center and Suzie Dills of the Hoover-Price Planetarium.

Meteorology competitors had a special station visit and were featured on a weekly STEMbassadors segment with Betsy Kling, chief meteorologist at WKYC-TV Channel 3.

Why participate in an Olympiad? According to http://www.medinascienceolympiad.com, the reasons include:

To create a passion for learning science by developing an elementary Science Olympiad tournament with an emphasis on teamwork and a commitment to excellence

To improve the quality of K-12 science education throughout our community by changing the way science is perceived and the way it is taught (with an emphasis on problem solving and hands-on, minds-on constructiveness learning practices)

To celebrate and recognize the outstanding achievement of both students and teachers in the areas of science and technology by helping schools organize teams and sponsoring competitive tournaments, where medals and ribbons are given out to celebrate accomplishments

To promote partnerships among community, businesses, industry, government and education.

Career Exploration Day

Following that adventure, Granger Elementary hosted its first Career Exploration Day on May 10 as part of its Keys to Success initiative. All students had the chance to hear from various professionals, including an orthodontist, orthopedic surgeon, veterinarian, an active member of the U.S. Air Force and others.

Leading up to the career day, students participated in Theme Days to help get them excited, by wearing college gear, dressing for a job Interview and dressing like the career you want to have as an adult.

Special thanks is extended to The Highland Foundation for its support of this event and the Keys to Success initiative.

Read more news from the Medina Sun and Brunswick Sun.
LYNDHURST, Ohio --

Noise disturbance, Fairlawn Road

At 3:50 a.m. May 12, a resident called police about a neighbor who was making noise while using a sledgehammer.

Police spoke with the neighbor, 55, who said he was busy taking down a shed. The man agreed to complete the task later in the morning.

Driving under suspension, Richmond Road

At 1:30 p.m. May 12, an officer stopped a car that was displaying an expired license plate. It was subsequently learned that the driver, a Cuyahoga Falls man, 25, showed two suspensions on his license and was wanted on a Portage County Sheriffs Office warrant.

The man was cited for driving under suspension and arrested on the warrants.

Customer trouble, Cedar Road

At 7:45 p.m. May 10, police received a call from a manager at the Cheesecake Factory, 24265 Cedar Road in Legacy Village, where a male diner had left the premises without paying. The suspect was believed to have been told to stay away from the restaurant, as he once before had left without paying.

Officers found the suspect, 32, of Cleveland Heights, on the Legacy Village grounds. In his possession was a credit card belonging to a woman, which he said he had found and which had expired a year ago.

The mans mother was called to the scene and used her credit card to pay her sons bill. The restaurant did not pursue charges.

Intoxication, Cedar Road

At 11:15 p.m. May 9, a woman reported that she was on the grounds of the Georgetown of Lyndhurst Condominiums, 29033 Cedar Road, with a woman who was bruised, battered and had a bloody nose as a result of being assaulted.

Police investigated and found that the victim, a Lyndhurst woman who lives at the condominium complex, had not been assaulted. The woman, it was learned, was intoxicated and had fallen. Her fall was captured on a neighbors doorbell camera.

The woman was taken for treatment to Hillcrest Hospital.

OVI, Edgefield Road

At 3:45 a.m. May 8, an officer stopped a car that was seen weaving. The driver, a Lyndhurst man, 40, was found to be intoxicated. The man had a blood-alcohol content of .205, above the state minimum for drunken driving of .08.

The man was charged with OVI.

OVI, Anderson Road

At 9:05 a.m. May 7, police stopped an auto that had struck a parked car. The driver, a South Euclid man, 37, was found to be intoxicated.

After refusing to take a breath test, the man was charged with OVI.

Theft, Mayfield Road

At 4:10 p.m. May 7, an employee at Pet Supplies Plus, 5092 Mayfield Road, hid a ferret under his shirt and left the store without paying. The suspect then drove away. Police were unable to locate the suspect.

Assault, Cedar Road

At 3:55 p.m. May 6, a staff member at LA Fitness, 25145 Cedar Road, reported that an altercation had taken place involving a man and a woman. The woman ran out of the business front door, got into an SUV and drove away.

Police found the womans SUV as it was stopped at a red light at the Legacy Village exit. The woman was returned to LA Fitness.

Police investigated and found that the woman had struck the man after a moment of jocularity got out of hand. The woman, 25, of Cleveland, was charged with assault and her membership to the club was revoked.

If you would like to discuss the police blotter, please visit our crime and courts comments page.

See more Sun Messenger news here.
HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ohio --

Indecent exposure, Wilson Mills Road

Two off-duty officers observed a man urinating between vehicles in the Qdoba parking lot May 10. Responding officers cited the man, 63, for public intoxication and urinating in public.

He was found to have active warrants with Shaker Heights and University Heights police, but both departments refused to pick him up due to his drunken state. His wife subsequently arrived to pick him up.

Family dispute, Kenbridge Drive

Officers responded to a home around 8 a.m. May 8 after a man reported that he had locked his son out of the home and that the boy, 16, had broken a window in an attempt to return.

They learned that the incident occurred after an argument about the boy going to school. The boy subsequently returned to the home and was taken to the hospital for treatment of minor cuts. No charges were filed.

Theft, Wilson Mills Road

A man and a woman were suspected of stealing a $400 pair of eyeglasses from an optometry business May 8. Responding officers did not locate them in the area.

General assistance, Wilson Mills Road

A woman reported May 8 that she had a decal sticker removed from her vehicle while she was shopping at Kohls or Home Depot the previous week. She said the sticker was a memorial, depicting her father. No suspects were identified.

Fraud, Colony Drive

A resident reported May 9 that he had learned there were fraudulent attempts made to open accounts in his name with Sprint and Big Lots. There was no monetary loss attributed to the incidents and no known suspects.

General assistance, West Glengary Circle

A woman reported May 9 that she had received a call from her husband, who stated he was coming home from Hillcrest Hospital. She said she did not want him at the home due to an incident with her son in Florida earlier in the week.

The man arrived at the home about an hour later and officers spoke to both him and his wife, who decided to stay separated in the home for the night.

General assistance, Highland Road

A man and a woman came into the police station arguing May 12, but the man left on his own before an officer arrived to speak with them. An officer spoke to the woman and learned that they live together in Cleveland Heights and had been arguing over utilities and other civil issues as they were driving through Highland Heights. There was no violence between them.

Read more news from the Sun Messenger here.

If you would like to discuss the police blotter, please visit our crime and courts comments page.
STRONGSVILLE, Ohio -- The Ohio Flags of Honor Memorial will visit Strongsville May 31 through June 2. The traveling display, which will be erected on the Commons (corner of Pearl and Royalton roads), pays tribute to Ohioans who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our country in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The event was arranged by Strongsville VFW Post 3345. There will be an opening ceremony at 6 p.m. Friday, May 31. A closing ceremony is set for 2 p.m. Sunday, June 2.

Memorial Day: The annual Memorial Day parade will start at 11 a.m. May 27. The parade will begin at St. Joseph Church and travel south on Pearl Road to Zverina Lane. It will end at the Freedom Trail gazebo, where a ceremony honoring the nations fallen military heroes will take place. The events are sponsored by Strongsville VFW Post 3345.

SHS is the best: Strongsville High School has been named a 2019 U.S. News Best High School and earned the No. 73 spot in rankings of Ohio high schools.

In the previous two years, Strongsville High School ranked 95 in 2018 and 115 in 2017 in this annual list. Strongsville High School also ranks 2,075 nationally.

U.S. News ranked 17,245 public high schools across the United States. There were 736 Ohio schools that earned a place on the list of ranked institutions. The rankings compile and review school-specific data on enrollment, college readiness, student ethnicity, location, school type and results of state assessments and Advanced Placement tests.

We are proud to be recognized by U.S. News in their annual rankings. Our students are engaged in meaningful learning at Strongsville High School. Our teachers, staff and administrators remain focused on preparing our students for life after graduation, whether that path is college, career or military. This recognition speaks to the outstanding work that happens on a daily basis at Strongsville High School, said Dr. Mark Smithberger, principal.

Perfect attendance: Nick Frostino, who lives in Strongsville and will be graduating from Padua High School soon, has had perfect attendance for his entire school career. Not just high school, but all 13 years, beginning in kindergarten. He was recognized at St. Joseph and John School in Strongsville for nine years of perfect attendance (kindergarten through eighth grade).

Its something hes worked very hard to achieve and is proud of his commitment to his schools, says his proud father, Nino.

Remarkably, his younger brother Benny (a freshman at Padua) is on the path to accomplish the same.

Congrats to Nick on this special achievement. It certainly says a lot about his strong character and upbringing.

Adopt a duck: The Rotary Club of Strongsville will host the annual Duck Race and Kids Fest from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. June 1 at the Cleveland Metroparks Chalet. Thousands of rubber ducks will be released into the river at 2 p.m., with the top five finishers winning cash prizes from $100 to $2,500.

The race finishes at the Cleveland Metroparks Chalet. Visit strongsvilleduckrace.com to Adopt-A-Duck -- one duck/$10, flock of three ducks/$20, raft of 10 ducks/$50.

The Kids Fest runs from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., with pony rides, inflatables, food, face painting, Touch-a-Truck and more. Its free and open to all.

Library lineup: Strongsville library has a fun summer planned for all. Here are some upcoming programs:

 The Grand Slam Summer Reading Game runs June 1 through Aug. 3. All ages are invited to play for a chance to earn prizes. Register at the local branch or online. Sponsored by the Cleveland Indians, Chipotle and Mitchells Ice Cream. For more information and to play, visit ccplsummerreading.org.

 Year-Round Story Times sessions are offered for children ages birth to 5. The summer story time sessions are in full swing. Call the library or stop by the Childrens Desk for more information.

 The Strongsville Branch Library has audio and video recording studios open to the public. Customers interested in using Garage Band, iMovie and Adobe Suite to create sound recordings, video recordings and more are welcome to sign up for studio time up to one week in advance.

In order to use the studio, customers must first attend an orientation session. Drop-in orientations will be held on Tuesdays -- audio studio orientation from 2:30 to 3 p.m. and video studio orientation from 3 to 3:30 p.m. -- and Saturdays -- audio studio orientation from 9:30 to 10 a.m. and video studio orientation from 10 to 10:30 a.m. No registration is needed. Please show up on time for these orientations.

For more information on the studio and how to book studio time, call 440-238-5530.

 Computer classes are offered for beginners to advanced users. Many of the classes offer Northstar Digital Literacy Certification. All classes are free. Registration begins 30 days before each class date. Classes are for adults age 18 and older. To see a full class list, descriptions and to register, visit https://www.cuyahogalibrary.org/Events/Computer-Classes.aspx

Let the Strongsville community know what is going on with your organization, church, school, business or family. Email me at shirleymac48@att.net.

Read more news from the Sun Star Courier.
Mr. Cars double murder verdict: Jury reaches sentencing recommendation in death-penalty trial of Joseph McAlpin, who was found guilty last month of aggravated murder and other charges in deaths of Michael Kuznik and Trina Tomola. Posted by cleveland.com on Thursday, May 16, 2019

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A jury on Thursday recommended the death penalty for a 32-year-old man convicted of killing a couple during a break-in at their Cleveland car lot.

Joseph McAlpins fate now rests in the hands of Common Pleas Court Judge Brian Corrigan. The judge is set to determine Tuesday if he will accept the jurys recommendation and condemn McAlpin to death row, or sentence him to life in prison.

Friends and relatives of Michael Kuznik and Trina Tomola sobbed when Corrigan announced the jurys recommendation, and thanked jurors out loud as they left room. McAlpin, who was the first defendant in a capital trial to represent himself in the countys history, showed little emotion as courtroom deputies placed him in handcuffs.

Jurors reached their decision after less than hour of deliberating Thursday.

Prosecutors put forth no additional evidence during the sentencing phase, instead relying on evidence from the first phase of the trial. Assistant Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Christopher Schroeder said evidence showed McAlpin carried out a course of conduct in which he executed the couple in cold blood as part of a burglary and robbery that targeted a mom-and-pop business that had been a community staple for 40 years.

And McAlpin did this, Schroeder said, all for a few used cars and the cash that Kuznik had in his back pocket.

Youve heard a lot of pathetic things in this courtroom over the last two months, Schroeder said. Dont forget thats the most pathetic thing of all.

McAlpin, in his closing arguments earlier Thursday, said he had not wanted to present any evidence to sway jurors away from recommending his execution during the sentencing phase of the trial. He maintained his innocence, and said he didnt want his family members to become props in a circus.

He accused prosecutors of fabricating his case for the papers and vowed that he would continue his fight to prove his innocence, whether all the way to his execution or to a courtroom if he wins a new trial.

Either way, its ordained by Allah," he said.

MCAlpin on Monday called several of his relatives, who testified that he was a good kid. That testimony opened the door for prosecutors to bring up McAlpins criminal history, including a long list of juvenile court convictions.

McAlpin also gave an unsworn statement on Monday in which he again declared his innocence and called himself a sacrificial lamb.

McAlpin riled prosecutors when he portrayed himself as a victim who was fighting for his life. McAlpin used that portrayal to say he understands the losses the Kuznik and Tomola families have endured.

Assistant Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Brian Radigans voice gradually raised as he pointed out the difference between the two circumstances. In McAlpins case, the U.S. Constitution afforded him the rights to have a judge oversee his case, to help pick his own jury, and to have lawyers on standby to advise him.

Kuznik and Tomola had no such rights, Radigan said.

Joseph McAlpin was the judge, the jury and the executioner that day, Radigan said. Dont compare what hes going through to what they went through.

Radigans voice boomed as he walked over to the table and pointed his finger at McAlpin.

You have no idea what they went through, he said.

Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael OMalley said after the verdict was reached that the evidence against McAlpin was overwhelming.

Hes got a long, uphill fight if he thinks hell ever get this conviction overturned, OMalley said.

Cleveland City Councilman Mike Polensek, whose ward includes the car lot, called McAlpin a demonic killer and a pathetic s.o.b. in statements to reporters after the verdict was read.

What he got today was what he deserves, Polensek said.

To comment on this story, please visit Thursdays crime and courts comments page.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A Cleveland judge set bond at $500,000 for a man accused of raping a 13-year-old girl earlier this month in the citys Clark-Fulton neighborhood.

Francisco Pedraza, 43, is charged with rape in a May 10 incident, according to court records.

Pedraza is accused of raping the girl, identified in court records as someone previously known to him, at a West Side home. He was arrested the same day, court records say.

Detectives from the Cleveland police departments Sex Crimes and Child Abuse Unit described the rape as heinous in a high bond request filed in municipal court.

They also said Pedraza is a flight risk because he has few ties to the community and has previously been convicted of failing to appear in court in Oakland, California. Details about his criminal history in California were not immediately available Wednesday afternoon.

Pedraza waived his right to a preliminary hearing when he appeared Monday in Cleveland Municipal Court. The case was bound over to a Cuyahoga County grand jury.

In Cuyahoga County, Pedrazas criminal history includes only a misdemeanor conviction for an unsafe vehicle, court records show.

To comment on this story, visit Wednesdays crime and courts comment page.
CLEVELAND, Ohio  A Strongsville man died from injuries he suffered after he crashed a dump truck into the underside of a pedestrian footbridge near Interstate 77 in Cleveland.

Joseph Gammalo, 76, was hospitalized after the April 30 crash on East 49th Street at Chard Avenue, in the Broadway Slavic-Village neighborhood. He died May 10, according to his obituary.

Gammalo was charged with a full time and attention violation and an unsafe vehicle violation, both minor misdemeanors, following the crash. Those charges were dismissed when he died, according to Cleveland Municipal Court records.

Attorney Mark Immormino confirmed Thursday that Gammalos death was related to injuries from the crash, but he declined to disclose those injuries.

Gammalo was driving a dump truck under the bridge about 7:30 a.m. when the trucks raised bed struck the underside of the bridge. The impact raised the front of the truck into the air.

Crews helped Gammalo down and took him to a hospital for evaluation.

Crews closed several lanes on Interstate 77 as they removed the truck. The Ohio Department of Transportation also assessed the bridge, fire officials said.

A YouTube user also posted video which showed the dump truck driving under the bridge before it got stuck.

To comment on this story, visit Thursdays crime and courts comments page.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Its being said that U.S. Attorney General William Barr has become President Trumps Roy Cohn. Has National Security Adviser John Bolton now become Trumps Dick Cheney, when it comes to Iran? Or has Trump become John Boltons George W. Bush?

The Trump administration ringing the alarm bells on Iran recalls Cheney cherry-picking intel and trotting out General Colin Powell to say Iraq WMDs had been found, in order to justify the Iraq invasion.

Bolton has long wanted to attack Iran and overthrow its ruling regime. If it was President Bolton, the U.S. would have already bombed Iran, and in his mind, quickly toppled its government, and who knows, installed Dick Cheney as the General MacArthur-type governor of Iran until democratic elections were held.

In the past week, the Trump administration has suggested that U.S. intel indicated that Iran directly, or through proxy fighters, could be planning to attack American operations or coalition allies in the Iran-Iraq region.

Following the initial Iran alarm bell, the State Department ordered the evacuation of non-emergency staff from the U.S. Iraq embassy, and issued an Iraq travel warning to Americans.

The Defense department sped up the deployment of aircraft carriers to the Persian Gulf. That followed reports that the new Defense Secretary Pat Shanahan had prepared a plan to deploy 120,000 troops to the region.

" Any attack on United States interests or on those of our allies will be met with unrelenting force," declared John Bolton

Bolton banging the war drum was met with scepticism by the commanding British military officer in the fight against Islamic State terror groups in the region.

British major general Chris Ghika said this week that there is no increased threat from Iranian-backed forces to U.S. coalition forces in the region.

Trump dismissed the British generals claim and denied that the Defense department had plans to send 120,000 troops to the region, but said it would be far more when and if they did.

Now, would I do that? Absolutely. But we have not planned for that. Hopefully were not going to have to plan for that. If we did that, we would send a hell of a lot more troops than that, said Trump when asked about the reported troop deployment plans.

A war with Iran would go against Trumps campaign rhetoric, and his previous actions of calling for the withdrawal of troops from Syria, as Senator Mitt Romney pointed out.

Its close to inconceivable that the president, the administration would consider a war with Iran. The president made it clear when he ran for president that one of the worst foreign policy mistakes in American history was the decision to go to war with Iraq. And that we would repeat that [is] unthinkable and something I cant imagine the president or his senior staff would consider.

Romney should know by now, that when it comes to President Trump, nothing is unthinkable.

Is this a Wag the Dog move by Trump? I dont know. But it sure looks like a Wag the Trump move by Bolton.
CLEVLAND, Ohio  Nike is taking fans on a trip back to one of the most important days in Cleveland Cavaliers history.

The company will release the LeBron 16 Low Draft Day on May 24. The sneaker will feature an all-white upper half, paying homage to the suit LeBron James wore when the Cavs drafted him back in 2003.

The shoe will also feature red and gold (Cavs colors) as well as the numbers 6-26-03 representing the date James was taken No. 1 overall. The LeBron 16 Low Draft Day is set to retail for $160. Check it out, below:
MEDINA, Ohio  Cruise down the curvy Pearl Road in Medina County, and the sign for Planted Flag Brewery is easy to miss.

It's not a brewery yet. It's a field of gravel and weeds, but owners Aaron and Karen Wirtz broke ground Wednesday with friends, family and supporters.

It actually was more than a groundbreaking. Aaron Wirtz thanked everyone involved, including support and advice from local brewers - Vaughn Stewart of Bookhouse Brewing, Karl Spiesman of Brick and Barrel, Corey Miller of Hansa Brewery, Shaun Yasaki of Noble Beast Brewing, Mike Piazza of Blue Heron Brewery, and Wirtz' boss, Matt Vann of The Jolly Scholar.

Wirtz is head brewer for The Jolly Scholar, which is currently seeking his replacement.

Planted Flag's target construction completion date is mid- to late October with opening by the end of the year, Wirtz said.

The nearest breweries would be Medina County neighbors Lager Heads, about 3 miles to the south; Blue Heron Brewery, about 7 to 8 miles away; and Wadsworth Brewing, about 15 miles away. Fat Head's Brewery is about 16 miles up Interstate 71.

When completed at 3594 Pearl Road, the 3,100-square-foot, 60-seat restaurant-brewery will be "a reflection of its owners and community," Wirtz said.

Its name "represents a serious journey to the past and to future adventures. Each flag is a chance to share our stories."

Both are Air Force veterans: Aaron was a pilot-turned-teacher. Karen, originally from Michigan, was a linguist.

Their travels took them overseas to Okinawa, Japan; and throughout the United States to North Dakota, Oklahoma and Hawaii.

It was in Hawaii that Wirtz attended a beer tasting (a gift from Karen). A brewery rep told Wirtz: "A great story can make great food and beer better."

That bit of advice has stuck with Wirtz.

"My love of teaching is matched only by my love of beer," he said.

Family will be at the root of this brewery - literally.

Wirtz, who lives in Medina and is from Parma, attended St. Ignatius High School in Cleveland's Ohio City neighborhood. He ran on a track at St. Ignatius, adjacent to Great Lakes Brewing Co. and not far from where August, his widowed great-great grandfather - and a brewer - worked more than 100 years ago.

In fact, for a time August worked at a bottling company in Cleveland. His 13-year-old daughter- Tilly, for Matilda - would haul his lunch to him. As a familial homage Wirtz plans to make a beer called "Tilly's Lunch Run."

Wirtz aims to produce what he calls "three spheres of brewing:"

 Hoppy ales - India Pale Ales, Pale Ales, and the like.

 Farmhouse ales - Saisons, Belgian ales with "local rustic ingredients." Wirtz already deals with Barn Talk Hops in Wadsworth and West Branch Malts in Brunswick.)

 And because of his German heritage, German-style lagers.

Home is where your heart is, Wirtz said, and our hearts are firmly planted in Medina Township.
In response to the May 10 letter to the editor, Politicians lose track of whom they represent, maybe they need to take some time to visit their old stomping grounds.

I attended a Valley Forge High School Vietnam Memorial dedication ceremony on May 10. The VF history club of Parma Heights saw a need for a memorial to honor these 15 young servicemen from VFHS who lost their lives during the war. What this amazing group of teachers and students did was remind us of our responsibility and connection to those who came before us and to the communities of which we are part of. Again, just maybe by taking this walk back home, our politicians might see that time is short and that they need to quit bickering.

These young men had around 20 years of life. They did what was asked of them, they defended our country at any cost. The VFHS had it right about the Founding Fathers! They represented we the people with their Vietnam Memorial. Hats off to these young role models. Maybe, our politicians at the federal level can learn from them.

Mary Kay Ruvolo,

Cleveland
CLEVELAND, Ohio  The Cuyahoga County Jail and county officials offered no explanation for the mistaken release of an 18-year-old bank robbery suspect arrested as part of an FBI investigation.

Datuan Whitfield, 18, faces felony charges in three separate cases, including one that accuses him of robbing a Warrensville Heights bank at gunpoint as part of ring that included members of Clevelands Rack Gang.

Cuyahoga County Juvenile Court Judge Michael Ryan on March 20 ordered Whitfield held in the jail on $200,000.

The jail released him April 29 even though he didnt post bond, according to court records. Cuyahoga County spokeswoman Mary Louise Madigan did not offer an explanation for his release.

He was arrested on Wednesday and booked into the jail about 2 p.m., according to Cuyahoga County Sheriff spokesman John OBrien. OBrien did not respond to questions regarding the circumstances of Whitfields arrest.

Whitfield was 17 at the time of three felony separate felony offenses hes accused of committing.

He was initially booked into the jail on Feb. 14 on charges related to two felony cases. The bank robbery case was transferred to adult court on March 20.

The first two cases were bound over to adult court in December 2018. Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Judge Daniel Gaul set bonds in those cases at $2,500 and $50,000.

His bank robbery case was bound over to the adult court on March 20 after Ryan held a hearing. Ryan set Whitfields new bond at $200,000, and the case was transferred to adult court.

Ryan said in an interview Wednesday that he considered a number of factors when setting Whitfields bond, including the danger he believed Whitfield posed to the public.

Hes a pretty dangerous guy, Ryan said. Thats why I set his bond so high.

Ryan said once he made the order for the case to be transferred to adult court, his involvement with the case ended.

Whitfields case file was sent from Juvenile Court to the Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Clerk of Court April 19, according to court records.

Ten days later, Whitfield posted the lower bonds in the first two felony cases, according to court records. His $200,000 bond remained.

Assistant Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Ryan Bokoch on May 10 wrote in court records that Whitfield was released without posting bond in the bank robbery case.

Cuyahoga County Judge Peter Corrigan issued the warrant for Whitfields arrest.

Whitfields most serious charge stems from an FBI investigation into a string of armed robberies of area banks.

Whitfield took part of one that took place Feb. 20, 2018, according to prosecutors. The ringleader, Rack gang member Aaron Nickerson, drove Whitfield and another robber to the U.S. Bank on Forest Hills Boulevard in East Cleveland, according to court records.

One them put a gun to a security guards head, while the other demanded cash from the teller.

The duo stole $12,988 and sped off in Nickersons car, court records say. Nickerson pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Cleveland and faces 20 years in prison, according to his plea agreement.

Whitfield is also charged in connection with an April 28, 2018 armed robbery, having a weapon under disability, carrying a concealed weapon, failing to comply with police and drug possession.

Ohio State Highway Patrol troopers spotted him driving a stolen car on May 1, according to police reports and court records.

He sped away from troopers until he stopped on East 133rd Street and Shaw Avenue and ran. Troopers arrested him and found suspected cocaine in his pocket and a gun in the car, according to court records.

Whitfield also faces a felony grand theft charge in connection with the Feb. 12, 2018 theft of a 2015 Kia Optima from a Family Dollar store on East 121st Street and St. Clair Avenue. The car was found eight days later parked behind an abandoned building.

He was sentenced in 2017 to a minimum of six months in the Ohio Department of Youth Services prison for felonious assault and aggravated rioting after a November 2016 incident in the Cuyahoga Hills Juvenile Correctional Facility.

Whitfield has previous convictions in juvenile court for receiving stolen property, falsification, criminal damaging, harming property controlled by a governmental entity, unauthorized use of a vehicle over state lines and domestic violence.
Five states announced Thursday that they are taking legal action against Purdue Pharma and members of the Sackler family who control the drug company, accusing them of deceptively pushing powerful painkillers and misrepresenting the drugs' safety as the pills sparked the opioid crisis.

Attorneys general of West Virginia, Maryland, Kansas, Iowa and Wisconsin took part in the coordinated effort against the manufacturer of the powerful narcotic OxyContin. All but Kansas targeted at least one member of the Sackler family, former Purdue President Richard Sackler, and Maryland named seven family members but not the company in an administrative filing.

In a news conference, West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey said his state was seeking to hold the company and Richard Sackler responsible for deaths and other harms from the worst drug epidemic in U.S. history.

"Even when it became apparent that thousands of people were dying of opioid abuse, Purdue doubled down by continuing its relentless and deceptive campaign" to persuade doctors to write prescriptions for OxyContin, Morrisey said.

Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh said his state's efforts were based on "two foundational falsehoods" that Purdue promoted widely: that the risk of becoming addicted to Purdue's drug was very low and that undertreating pain could cause great harm.

At least 40 other states have sued companies involved in manufacturing, distributing or dispensing opioids. About 1,600 cities, counties, Native American tribes and others have also filed claims that have been consolidated in an enormous federal lawsuit in Cleveland.

Recent state lawsuits are increasingly including Sackler family members, in part because of evidence that they may have transferred billions of dollars out of the company and into personal accounts over about a decade. Some of the attorneys general also said Richard Sackler controlled the company's strategy to push high doses and increasing amounts of the drug.

In a statement issued Thursday, Purdue said the "complaints are part of a continuing effort to try these cases in the court of public opinion rather than the justice system. The states cannot link the conduct alleged to the harm described, and so they have invented stunningly overbroad legal theories, which if adopted by courts, will undermine the bedrock legal principle of causation."

In March, Purdue agreed to a $270 million out-of-court settlement with Oklahoma, where the company faced its first trial on these issues. Members of the Sackler family will pay $75 million of that total from personal funds over five years.

Last week, Purdue won a victory in state court when a North Dakota judge dismissed the state's lawsuit against Purdue.

Purdue's president and CEO, Craig Landau, said in March that declaring bankruptcy is an option the company might have to explore if jury verdicts or settlements become too costly.

Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller said Thursday that the states had been negotiating with the company but decided to abandon that approach in favor of legal action.

Thursday's announcement came a day after New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art became the latest cultural institution to say it would no longer accept donations from members of the Sackler family, who are major philanthropists to art museums and educational institutions around the world.

Overdoses caused by legal and illegal opioids are responsible for more than 400,000 deaths since 1999, with about half from prescription narcotics, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The states are seeking compensation for the costs of responding to overdose deaths and addiction during the two-decade drug crisis that began after Purdue introduced OxyContin in 1996. The company aggressively promoted the drug to physicians for a wide variety of aches and pains, though experts say it should be used primarily for end-of-life care and the pain of cancer and surgery.

In documents released in February as part of its lawsuit, Massachusetts said members of the Sackler family aggressively directed sales representatives to push extremely high doses of the drug and persuade doctors to write more prescriptions for more frequent use.

The state's attorney general, Maura Healey, accused the company of engaging in frequent acts of deception and misconduct to make as much money as possible.

In a court filing responding to the lawsuit, lawyers for members of the Sackler family said Healey's lawsuit contains "misleading and inflammatory allegations" and takes internal company emails out of context.

New York state also has targeted the Sackler family in its lawsuit.

In 2007, Purdue and three of its executives pleaded guilty to criminal charges of misleading doctors, regulators and the public about the dangers of the drug and collectively paid $635 million in fines.

Morrisey noted that West Virginia had sued Purdue in 2001, recouping $10 million in a settlement with the company. But he said the state was legally entitled to pursue Purdue again because it had not changed its practices.

He promised to get as much as we possibly can for the state of West Virginia, which, he said, had suffered far too much senseless death and many ruined lives.

(c) 2019, The Washington Post  Lenny Bernstein
CLEVELAND, Ohio  Cuyahoga County Executive Armond Budish and his sustainability director, Mike Foley, on Thursday rolled out more details about their plan for combating climate change at the local level.

The plan includes boosting the number of charging stations for electric vehicles, creating a green bank to encourage environmentally friendly projects and giving homeowners and businesses better access to solar energy.

Budish referenced the initiatives during his state-of-the-county address last month, and his administration on Thursday posted the plans on the county website. Included is information about how different areas and groups of people in the county might be vulnerable to the effects of climate change.

Here are some details Budish and Foley shared in a meeting with cleveland.com:

Electric-charging stations

Only about 50 electric-charging stations now exist in the county, leaving the county woefully behind other areas in the ability to accommodate the growing numbers of electric vehicles, Foley said.

With the help of the Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency, a regional planning organization, the county intends to apply this fall for federal money to develop a plan for increasing the number of charging stations.

The county then wants to apply for $1 million in 2020 and 2021 to begin installing a network of public charging stations. That money might be used to help private businesses install stations on their property, but Foley said the county still is working out the details about how that might work.

Green bank

The county envisions raising $25 million from public, private and philanthropic sources to serve as a fund, or green bank, to finance environmentally friendly projects.

For example, such a fund could offer low-interest loans to people who want to install solar arrays on their homes or businesses. Foley said the upfront costs often dissuade people who are otherwise interested in solar energy.

Foley said the money for the fund would ideally come by the end of 2019, from institutions with benevolent investment strategies. He cited the city of Cleveland, KeyBank, the Cleveland Foundation and the Gund Foundation.

Solar power

The county is in the process of adding privately-owned solar panels to the roofs of the Medical Examiners Office in Cleveland, the animal shelter in Valley View, and the new Harvard Road Public Works garage in Newburgh Heights.

The county will then buy the electricity generated by the panels at a discounted rate from Enerlogics Solar LLC. That is expected to save the county about $900,000 over 25 years, Foley said.

A purchase agreement with Enerlogics also will allow other public entities in the county, such as city governments, to piggyback off the same discounted electricity rates the county is receiving.

Sixteen entities have already shown interest.

It could be a really big way to ramp up solar in the community, Foley said.

Transit-oriented development

Budish said he wants to support public transit by offering low-interest loans to development projects that agree to locate near RTA bus and rail lines and by encouraging businesses to offer RTA passes to employees.

The county would coordinate its plans with RTA, which is now in the process of mapping out future transit lines, Budish said.

Greenway

The county is aiming to better connect trails that already exist, such as the Towpath Trail and Lake Link Trail. That could mean incorporating bike and pedestrian-friendly lanes into future county and federal road projects.

Roads could be constructed wider to allow for safety striping, dedicated paths, or protective barriers.

Half a million dollars will be set aside from a $2.5 million fund used to pay for annual road projects, and another $250,000 will be used for striping, Budish said.
By Amy Collier Artman. Foreword by Kate Bowler. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2019. Xii + 282 pages.

I seem to remember catching a glimpse or two of Kathryn Kuhlman, "the miracle lady," on TV during my early teen years. It was during this period that I was drawn to a charismatic form of faith. Although I've focused my attention on the story of Aimee Semple McPherson, Kathryn Kuhlman is a name Ive known for many years. She died during my senior year in high school, while I was a member of a congregation affiliated with the denomination founded by Aimee Semple McPherson. The two women are different in some ways but similar in others. While Kathryn Kuhlman shied away from rooting her own ministry in that of Sister Aimee, it seems to me that Sister Aimee Semple McPherson paved a path for people like Kuhlman, though she clearly created her own sense of identity along the way. While Kuhlman may have faded from our memories, she left a legacy that for good or ill has continued to this day. Thus, she is worthy of a serious and scholarly biography. I seem to remember catching a glimpse or two of Kathryn Kuhlman, "the miracle lady," on TV during my early teen years. It was during this period that I was drawn to a charismatic form of faith.Although I've focused my attention on the story of Aimee Semple McPherson, Kathryn Kuhlman is a name Ive known for many years. She died during my senior year in high school, while I was a member of a congregation affiliated with the denomination founded by Aimee Semple McPherson. The two women are different in some ways but similar in others. While Kathryn Kuhlman shied away from rooting her own ministry in that of Sister Aimee, it seems to me that Sister Aimee Semple McPherson paved a path for people like Kuhlman, though she clearly created her own sense of identity along the way. While Kuhlman may have faded from our memories, she left a legacy that for good or ill has continued to this day. Thus, she is worthy of a serious and scholarly biography.





Library of Religious Biography series (a series that includes When I saw that Eerdmans was publishing a biography of Kuhlman in itsseries (a series that includes Edith Blumhofer's excellent biography of Sister Aimee ), I decided I needed to read it. Thanks to Eerdmans generosity, I was provided with a review copy and commenced reading. In this biography, I discovered the true story of a woman whose image was implanted in my mind man years ago, but whose story remained largely unpacked. Now, that has changed.





The Miracle Lady was written by Amy Collier Artman, a professor of religious studies at Missouri State University. She devoted her Ph.D. dissertation at the University of Chicago to exploring Kuhlman's life, along with her impact on the development of Charismatic Christianity. Though Kuhlman began her faith journey within traditional Pentecostalism, she forged a pathway that led to the emergence of a gentrified Charismatic movement that took root not only in traditional Pentecostal circles but Mainline Protestantism and Catholicism as well. This, in many ways, is why her story is so important. was written by Amy Collier Artman, a professor of religious studies at Missouri State University. She devoted her Ph.D. dissertation at the University of Chicago to exploring Kuhlman's life, along with her impact on the development of Charismatic Christianity. Though Kuhlman began her faith journey within traditional Pentecostalism, she forged a pathway that led to the emergence of a gentrified Charismatic movement that took root not only in traditional Pentecostal circles but Mainline Protestantism and Catholicism as well. This, in many ways, is why her story is so important.





Although at the peak of her popularity from the mid-1950s into the mid-1970s, her fame and media presence rivaled that of Billy Graham. While Graham was known for his evangelistic work, Kuhlman was known for her healing work (though she consistently rejected the title of faith healer). While healing was at the center of her ministry, she largely attributed healings that occurred or were reported to occur at her meetings to the Holy Spirit, not her own actions. Though she pioneered television ministry, she sought to project an image of decorum that contrasted with stereotypical healing ministries. Despite her impact on the emerging Charismatic Movement that has continued to thrive in the twenty-first century, in large part she has faded into obscurity. One reason for this is that she didn't institutionalize her ministry the way Sister Aimee did. McPherson built a church and a denomination; she launched a college and provided for a succession plan, leaving the leadership of her ministry first to her son and then to his successors. Kuhlman's legacy, however, was co-opted by others, including Oral Roberts. Some of the healing evangelists that sought to claim her mantle have damaged her legacy (Benny Hinn). Having a serious biography might restore her name and legacy.





Artman takes us from Kuhlmans early life in Concordia, Missouri through her decision to follow her sister Myrtle and Myrtle's husband on the revival trail and the beyond to prominence. It was Myrtle who introduced the young Kuhlman to Pentecostalism and to the ministry of healing. This was in the 1920s, at about the time that Sister Aimee was gaining fame. After spending several years following her sister, she went off on her own, having gained a sense of calling to her own ministry of preaching. She started off emphasizing evangelism, with healing ministry emerging only later.





As I read the book, I couldnt help but keep Sister Aimee in mind. Both women lived flawed lives, and yet they persisted in a work that was largely closed to women. They forged their way forward in ways that were similar. Both women were strong leaders, who kept tight control over their ministries and yet sought to project an aura of femininity. They didnt root their call in their rights as women, but in a call from God that couldnt be set aside. They would rather be housewives, but they could do no other. In other words, they knew how to navigate an age that resisted giving women leading roles within the religious world. Kuhlman was almost two decades younger than McPherson, and her emergence as a leading religious figure came after McPherson's death. What is interesting is that despite evidence to the contrary, Kuhlman tried to distance herself from McPherson, not because she disagreed with her older contemporary, but because she had this sense that her own calling was unique. To identify with McPherson would undercut that vision of herself.





The book takes us through her early efforts at ministry, which included a disastrous marriage to a fellow evangelist, and a divorce that corresponded with her emergence on a broader scene. The key to her broadening popularity came as she moved into television. While Aimee Semple McPherson pioneered radio, Kuhlman was able to find an audience on TV, while ministering in the Pittsburgh area. What made her unique was the way in which she sought to distance herself from what Artman notes were the "'ranting' Pentecostals and the more extravagant independent healers" (p. 59). While she was criticized by the religious establishment, she largely overcame the criticism by tightly controlling her ministry and her image. One thing we learn here is how she and others made their way onto TV at a time when network space was given free to Mainline Protestants through the National Council of Churches, but unavailable to those who were not connected with the NCC. Thus, she was forced to purchase time for her broadcasts. She and others like her built media empires that continue to this day, long after that free coverage disappeared for Mainline churches, which largely have no TV presence. Necessity created an entrepreneurial spirit that others picked up from her.





I Believe in Miracles. This show looked and felt a lot like a Dinah Shore program. She did celebrity interviews and shared testimonies, all of which was accompanied by music. She had a choir (all men) and a favorite pianist and soloist, and for ten years she utilized this vehicle to expand her ministry. The use of media is an important component of Kuhlman's rise to popularity. While Kuhlman began using TV during the 1950s, she developed her own sense of how it could be used effectively. She understood that there was a difference between what could be broadcast and what could be experienced in person. So, with few exceptions, Kuhlman didn't broadcast the healings. Instead, she invited those who claimed to be healed to offer testimony on her shows. Thus, we hear but we do not see. This allowed her to maintain a more controlled presentation that proved to be attractive to an audience not predisposed to a more exuberant Pentecostalism. While she began using TV in the 1950s, it was in the 1960s, when she adopted the newly emerging talk show platform, that she gained her largest audience. She launched in the 1960s a syndicated program. This show looked and felt a lot like a Dinah Shore program. She did celebrity interviews and shared testimonies, all of which was accompanied by music. She had a choir (all men) and a favorite pianist and soloist, and for ten years she utilized this vehicle to expand her ministry.





Though powerful in her own way, she projected a traditionalist image. She opposed the rising feminism of the 1960s, and though not married or having children herself, she supported traditional visions of life for women. This helped her overcome criticism. It made her appear as if she wasn't stepping into roles she shouldn't take up, even though she was taking up roles generally limited to men. It is through this vehicle that she was able to influence the direction of the newly emerging charismatic movement. She highlighted the stories of people like Dennis Bennett, a charismatic Episcopal priest, and Catholic charismatics as well. Hers was something of an ecumenical, post-Pentecostal message, that was well crafted, as was her image.Though powerful in her own way, she projected a traditionalist image. She opposed the rising feminism of the 1960s, and though not married or having children herself, she supported traditional visions of life for women. This helped her overcome criticism. It made her appear as if she wasn't stepping into roles she shouldn't take up, even though she was taking up roles generally limited to men.





It's an intriguing story of a woman who crafted an image of herself as depending on solely on God's Spirit. She tried to separate herself from those who influenced her life, including and perhaps most especially Aimee Semple McPherson. We see in this story, like that of Sister Aimee, the attempts by a woman to navigate a religious world that was largely hostile to women in ministry. Like McPherson, she claimed she could do no other than preach. Unlike McPherson, she didn't institutionalize her legacy, and thus her image faded with time. The ending of the story is sad. She fell under the influence of unscrupulous figures, who deprived her ministry of resources that could have extended its life. After her death, scandals arose that marked many of the ministries that tried to take hold of her legacy. Artman points out that many of those who followed after her moved in theological directions that Kuhlman always rejected, including the prosperity message that emerged largely after her death.





As I noted at the beginning, I read this biography with the story of Aimee Semple McPherson in mind, because I could see the similarities, even in the way they chose to dress (generally white flowing gowns). In addition, I noted that both women lived largely lonely lives and died younger than one might expect, though the causes of death were very different. On the other hand, Kuhlmans unwillingness to venture out in support of women in ministry, something that McPherson was more willing to do, proved disappointing to me. Nevertheless, we learn in the course of the story, why she made these choices. It wasnt time yet, or so it seems.





The Miracle Lady. The story itself is well-told. Artmans biography is both accessible and scholarly. It will help readers of our day, who know not her story, to learn something about the emergence of the Charismatic Movement. It is also a moving story in its own right. If there is anything that I wish was different about this book, is the lack of images. Artman describes in detail the way that Kuhlman presented herself, with her flowing pulpit dresses and bright red hair carefully coiffed. We read about her dramatic style, but we don't see it. I realize that photos make publishing more expensive, but a few images would have been helpful to gain a better sense of her life and ministry. That is especially important here, for the image was important to the ministry. That being said, I hope this book gets a wide readership. I think it will help us better understand the nature of the Charismatic and Pentecostal movements of our day. Thus, Artman has given us a gift in




CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Cleveland is home to the states largest downtown population, according to a report by the Downtown Cleveland Alliance.

About 1,500 new apartments are predicted to open in the next two years.

How does the city plan to accommodate its rapidly growing downtown population? Whats next for making sure downtown keeps expanding, but other Cleveland neighborhoods arent neglected?

The head of the Downtown Cleveland Alliance, Joseph Marinucci, will be part of a panel on Thursday at the City Club of Cleveland to discuss downtowns future. The other two members are leaders from Minneapolis and Milwaukee.

Michael Langley is the former CEO of economic development organization Greater MSP, Minneapoliss answer to Clevelands Greater Cleveland Partnership. Elizabeth Weirick is the leader of the Milwaukee Downtown Business Improvement District.

The trio will discuss economic development issues facing the Midwest, including transportation and residential growth issues.

You can watch the discussion live at 12:30 p.m. in the video viewer above.
COLUMBUS, Ohio  A bill named for Aisha Fraser, the former wife of an ex-judge and ex-state lawmaker who is accused of stabbing her to death in Shaker Heights, could be fast-tracked for passage by the Ohio House of Representatives.

House Bill 3, or Aishas Law, was among the priority bills Republican House Speaker Larry Householder unveiled on Thursday in a news conference at the Ohio Statehouse. Householders stamp of approval bodes well for the bills eventual passage, as does the potential support of Republican Gov. Mike DeWine, whose office is reviewing the bill with keen interest, according to a spokesman.

The bill would take a variety of steps aimed at protecting domestic violence victims. That includes requiring courts to make new restraining orders available at all times; requiring local law enforcement to create a separate track for high-risk domestic-violence cases that would include additional monitoring of accused perpetrators; allowing additional types of evidence, like text messages or recordings, and evidence of a defendants previous acts of domestic violence, to be admitted into court during domestic violence cases; and requiring prosecutors to file child-endangerment charges if domestic violence is committed in the presence of children.

The bill automatically sends people accused of strangling someone during a domestic-violence episode to the high-risk track. Research has shown people who strangle a domestic partner are much more likely to eventually kill them.

State Rep. Janine Boyd, a Cleveland Heights Democrat, said she modeled the law in part after one used by San Diego County in California, and that shes worked with law-enforcement groups, court officials, domestic-violence experts, the governors office and others to shape the bill. For example, after hearing concerns from a prosecutors group, she eliminated part of the bill that would have forbidden prosecutors from pleading down domestic-violence charges. Frasers family also has been publicly supportive of the bill.

The bill is co-sponsored by Rep. Sara Carruthers, a Cincinnati-area Republican, and has numerous Republican and Democratic co-sponsors.

Boyd said believes Fraser would be alive today if the law were in place before she was killed in November 2018. Lance Mason, a former Cuyahoga County Common Pleas judge and former state lawmaker, was still on probation over a 2015 domestic-violence conviction when police say he stabbed his ex-wife to death in November 2018. He has pleaded not guilty to the murder.

He previously had brutally beaten Fraser in August 2014 in public in front of their two children. In June 2016, he was released from prison  after numerous elected officials and other influential community figures put in a good word for him  after serving nine months of a two-year sentence.

I believe the kinds of evidence that could have been admitted would have likely created a situation where the prosecutor could not have pleaded him down further, and he might have served a much longer sentence and not been released as early as he was, Boyd said Thursday.

Householder and House Minority Leader Emilia Sykes, an Akron Democrat, unveiled four other bills on Thursday as House leadership continues to announce the top 15 priority bills for the ongoing two-year legislative session. All the priority bills announced so far, including a previous batch of four on Monday, have at least one Republican and one Democratic sponsor.

The bills would require approval from the Republican-controlled Ohio Senate and DeWines signature to become law.

The other four bills announced on Thursday are:

- House Bill 4, aimed at streamlining credentialing of skilled workers.

- House Bill 10, which would create a central Office of Drug Policy  which lawmakers have referred to as a Drug Czar within the governors office to coordinate statewide drug-related efforts. DeWine already had created the office with an executive order, but the bills sponsor, Republican Rep. Richard Brown, said the law aims to expand the office and make it permanent.

- House Bill 11, which aims to reduce infant mortality through educational outreach efforts, the development of group prenatal care programs and requiring Medicaid to cover tobacco cessation medications and therapies.

- House Bill 13, targeted at expanding internet access by giving grants to cities and townships that could be used to entice private companies to install broadband networks.
Rotunda Rumblings

Dems fightin words: As Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder looks for enough votes to pass House Bill 6, which would kill the states green-energy mandates in favor of ratepayer-funded clean-energy credits to power generators, House Energy and Natural Resources Committee Chair Nino Vitale isnt doing the speaker any favors with Democrats. As cleveland.coms Jeremy Pelzer writes, the five Dems on Vitales committee left a Wednesday hearing for more than an hour after Vitale refused them time to question a witness from TimkenSteel.

In other HB6 news: On a party-line vote, the committee adopted another round of GOP-authored changes to the bill, including language that appears to more explicitly allow coal and other fossil-fuel plants to get clean-energy credits if they reduce pollutants.

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.

Court battle begins: The American Civil Liberties Union and ACLU of Ohio filed a lawsuit on behalf of several Ohio abortion providers over the heartbeat bill, which is supposed to go into effect July 11, cleveland.coms Laura Hancock writes. The plaintiffs want a judge to temporarily block the law, then ultimately throw it out for being unconstitutional. Abortion opponents hope the case gets to the U.S. Supreme Court and the now more conservative court reverses Roe v. Wade.

Speaker of the ($330,000) house: Former Ohio House speaker Cliff Rosenberger bought a $330,000 house in Warren County after he resigned last year, reports Laura Bischoff of the Dayton Daily News. Rosenberger, whose relationship with the payday lending industry is the focus of an FBI investigation, reported on his financial disclosure statement that he had no sources of income in 2018 other than the legislative post that he quit in April and less than $1,000 in interest from a bank account, Bischoff writes.

Coming soon: Gov. Mike DeWine says he expects the states prisons agency to unveil a new lethal-injection method in the next several weeks," according to Ohio Public Medias Karen Kasler. While the governor has delayed executions on hold until the state can find a new lethal-injection cocktail, the Ohio Supreme Court this week scheduled a July 2024 execution date for Youngstown murderer Scott Group.

Payroll problems: A federal suit filed this week says that employees of a hemp manufacturing company owned by a man who promised to bring 650 jobs into Clevelands impoverished Glenville neighborhood have not been paid. Cleveland.coms Eric Heisig has details of the dispute.

China tariffs: In a Wednesday conference call with reporters, Democratic U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio faulted President Donald Trump for failing to show a strategy or work with U.S. allies like Europe, Japan and Canada as he imposes tariffs on China. Brown called tariffs a temporary tool to get to a long term policy. While he said that Trump hasnt done this in the best way, Brown said hes still hopeful that it gets us to an agreement.

Hoping for the green light: Brown also told reporters hes pushing for a prompt vote by the full U.S. Senate on Cleveland industrialist Ed Crawfords nomination to be U.S. ambassador to Ireland. Brown said that he and Ohio Republican Sen. Rob Portman have urged Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell to move forward with the nomination.

Park repairs: Portman joined a bipartisan group of Senate and House members at a Wednesday press conference to push legislation to make nearly $12 billion worth of long-delayed repairs at National Park Service facilities. Portman noted that the Cuyahoga Valley National Park has leakage in its visitor center and a bridge thats falling apart.

Police training: Brown teamed up with Rocky River Republican U.S. Rep. Anthony Gonzalez Wednesday to introduce a bill that would provide $15 million to train police on how to interact with individuals with mental health issues. The goal of the bill, introduced during National Police Week with endorsements from the sheriffs of Medina and Wayne counties, is to reduce deaths and injuries from incidents where mental health plays a role.

Something not to look forward to: Lake Eries 2019 annual harmful algal bloom is predicted to be more severe than last year, thanks to heavy April rains, cleveland.coms Laura Johnston reports.

Full Disclosure

Five things we learned from the May 13, 2019 ethics disclosure statement of state Rep. John Rogers, a Democrat from Mentor-on-the-Lake:

1. Besides his $65,584 legislative salary, in 2018 Rogers earned $50,000 to $99,999 for serving as executive director of the Lake County Land Reutilization Corporation.

2. In 2018, he held stock in KeyCorp, ExxonMobile, General Mills, General Motors and Procter & Gamble. Each of those companies paid him a dividend of less than $1,000 last year.

3. Besides his home, Rogers owns properties in Mentor-on-the-Lake and in nearby Concord Township. In 2018, he was paid rent from these properties totaling $11,000 to $34,998.

4. At some point last year, Rogers had more than $1,000 left to pay off on a law-school loan. Rogers earned his law degree in 2002 from Cleveland State University and a master of laws degree in 2013 from the University of Alabama School of Law.

5. The Ohio House reimbursed him $6,854 in 2018 for mileage between his home and Columbus.

On The Move

Glen Cobb is the new chief of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Parks and Watercraft. Cobb previously served as a deputy director for ODNR.

Yianni Varonis, a former spokesman for U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown and Hillary Clintons 2016 presidential campaign in Ohio, is now working as communications director for Democratic U.S. Rep. Zoe Lofgren of California, according to Agri-Pulse.

Straight From The Source

Tax levels are simply not the be-all and end-all of business investment or prosperity. Otherwise, why would high-tax California be the home of businesses that Cleveland dreams of?

- Zach Schiller, research director of Policy Matters Ohio, arguing in an op-ed on cleveland.com that income tax cuts have not translated to a major improvement in Ohios economy.

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  This month, the Ohio House of Representatives took Gov. Mike DeWines already children-friendly state budget and made it even friendlier.

A recent ride-along Republican House Speaker Larry Householder took with a social worker in his rural Southeast Ohio district in part may help explain why.

Householder described the trip to reporters on May 2, the day he unveiled a state budget plan that doubled state funding for county childrens services  which DeWine already had proposed increasing  and expanded DeWines plan to spend hundreds of millions of dollars on wraparound support services for at-risk students. The new spending would be paid for in part by trimming a tax deduction for small businesses and eliminating another for fractionally-owned private jets.

He told the story again on Monday, when he, along with House Democratic Minority Leader Emilia Sykes, announced priority bipartisan legislation aimed at increasing the number of eligible foster-care parents and helping people who temporarily take in relatives during a family crisis.

Weve talked here recently about the tremendous amount of work going to addiction in the stateBut not quite as much about those people who have been impacted by that addiction, Householder said Monday. There are young children out there right now who in many ways are raising themselves.

DeWine and Householders interest in helping children has impressed advocates for childhood development programs. The Public Children Services Association of Ohio issued a statement after the unveiling of the House budget with a two-word headline: Blown away.

I think you have two really solid public servants who recognize that Ohio hasnt been able to manage this crisis as well as it could have, said Scott Britton, the childrens services associations assistant director. It hasnt been able to get the kinds of outcomes that we really want for children and families and theyre doing something about it.

Householders policy focus has been a cornerstone of his early governing partnership with DeWine, whose political persona long has been focused on children. The result has been an agenda that, besides a sweeping ban on abortion signed into law in March, has largely been moderate since the two men assumed their respective positions in January.

Whats evident here is that he [Householder] understands whats really needed in the real world, and the two of them coming together on this is impressive, said Curt Steiner, a Republican political consultant in Columbus with longstanding connections to DeWine.

Householders approach also has helped him find common ground with House Democrats, who helped elect him speaker over a competing Republican candidate. Sykes and other Democrats have used that leverage to get Republicans to reach across the aisle and adopt some of their ideas and priorities.

In an interview, Sykes described the come to Jesus moment people can experience after seeing the effects of poverty first-hand, and said Householders interest in addressing poverty poses an opportunity for state legislators to address issues like infant mortality and inequities in school funding.

Quite frankly, how he got there doesnt matter, she said. Hes here and were going to take full advantage of the opportunity to provide for our children.

Sykes added: Politically, it makes sense. You have a governor whos talking about it. You have a large percentage of the minority caucus that has been talking about it for decades. And when all these kinds of stars align and that window of opportunity is there, why not take it?

Not everyone has been a fan of Householders approach. Some on the right, like the Buckeye Institute, a conservative Columbus think-tank, have raised alarms that the House budget increases spending to unsustainable levels.

The ride-along

A couple years ago, Job and Family Services officials in Coshocton  a rural county of about 37,000 people  invited Householder, the countys state representative who wasnt yet House speaker, to get an up-close look at poverty. They did the same with their other Statehouse representative, Sen. Jay Hottinger.

Danny Brenneman, Coshocton Countys JFS director since October 2017, told cleveland.com his predecessor thought it would be a good way to bring into sharper focus the increase in poverty that has accompanied the rise in drug addiction in rural Ohio.

Householder agreed, and accompanied a childrens services investigator as she checked on a couple of children who had been reunited with their family after being temporarily taken out of the home over safety concerns.

A little girl and her younger brother answered the door, Householder told reporters on Monday.

And the questions were, do you have enough milk and cereal, or any clothes you need to have cleaned? When was the last time you saw your mommy, when was the last time you saw your daddy? And the answer was weeks, weeks, Householder said.

The girl was providing her little brother with the best care she could and hoping that someone from the state of Ohio will stop by every once in a while and check on her to make sure that she and her brother are okay.

That's devastating thing, Householder said.

Denise Wilson, the county social worker whom Householder accompanied, said Householder observed a typical case.

I think for the public to see how people live on the other side can be a real eye-opener, which I think it was for him, Wilson said.

Brenneman said foster-care cases in Coshocton County, which gets most of its funding from a small local tax levy, have tripled in the past four years. While the particular case Householder observed wasnt drug-related, drug abuse or addiction is a factor in four out of five of the countys foster-care cases, he said.

Of the funding increases proposed by Householder, Brenneman said: I think overall, its really going to help address some of the ills in the state, and Im feeling optimistic for the first time in a long time about the state of Ohio.

The policies

Here are some of the children-centric programs the House has either proposed or modified. All would require approval from DeWine and the Republican-controlled Ohio Senate, which is considered to be a more conservative chamber.

- DeWine in his state budget plan proposed spending $550 million over two years on wraparound services  things like mental-health treatment, tutoring, after-school programs, extra food and clothing  for at-risk students. The House added another $125 million, specifically targeted at students in rural areas.

- DeWine had proposed spending an additional $35 million annual on childrens services funding, almost double the previous level. The House doubled it again to about $125 million, which can be spent on foster-care recruitment and placements, as well as basic services.

- The House budget added a property-tax exemption to certain state licensed child-care centers if at least one-quarter of the kids under their care live in households that receive public assistance. If more than half the children are from poor homes, the exemption would be worth 75%.

- A priority bill Householder and Sykes, the Democratic House minority leader, rolled out on Monday would change the way the state certifies foster parents with the goal of getting more parents into the system. The bill would allow the state Job and Family Services department to administratively tweak those certification requirements, rather than requiring a new law be passed every time they are changed.

- Another priority bill released on Monday would create a kinship navigator program, which would help people who have taken in family members during a crisis by referring them to state and community resources.
COLUMBUS, OhioIn the past couple of years, a growing number of Ohio prisons have prevented volunteer groups from sending books to inmates. Now, the states prisons agency says its working to change that.

For years, non-profits have shipped hundreds of books -- everything from dictionaries to science-fiction novels -- requested by inmates at many of the states 31 prisons.

But in the past two years, officials with the groups say, theyve received notices from inmates at least eight Ohio prisons that no used books at all are allowed. While policies have varied from prison to prison, many institutions have only permitted inmates to receive books theyve purchased themselves directly from the publisher  a policy that critics say makes reading materials too costly for many inmates.

Its a minimal access issue. It doesnt pose any kind of threat to the correctional setting, said Madeleine Smith, a volunteer with Redbird Books, a Columbus-based book donation group. To the extent that people have to be incarcerated at all, they should be afforded livable conditions, including access to basic things like reading materials.

Since 2013, the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction has had a statewide policy in place allowing Redbird and other distributors to send reading materials to inmates, department spokeswoman Sara French stated in an email. Despite this, French added, wardens at some prisons have been allowed to ban such donations.

But after WOUB Public Media did a story late last month about the problems Redbird has encountered with mailing books, French said, the DRC is now working to set up a statewide policy allowing such groups to send donated books to inmates and is discussing it this week with wardens.

We are working to create a consistent screening process that will allow donated books across the state per our policy unless that organization has previously violated or violates our policy in the future, French said in a statement. Policy violations would include things like hiding contraband in the books they send, French added.

The DRCs announcement was cautiously welcomed by Bengt George, president of Kent Books To Prisoners, a Kent State University student group that has mailed inmates about 20 donated books per week, on average, since 2011.

It sounds good on paper, but Im hesitant to call it a victory because I know how they operate, George said, referring to prison officials. I think theyll find reasons to call something a violation or call something contraband and all of a sudden a group is banned from sending books forever.

For example, George said, one Ohio prison prevented his group from sending a biology textbook to an inmate because the anatomical drawings in it were labeled nudity.

And even when prisons officially allow donated books, George said, there are still a number of other reasons that reading materials dont end up in inmates hands  such as the whims of a prison mailroom staffer.

If we send Malcolm Xs autobiography and [mailroom workers] dont like that, they can call it contraband, George said. Or they can just throw it away and give everything else to the prisoner and the one book just kind of disappears. We know thats happened before.

The new policy only applies to third-party distributors such as Redbird and Kent Books to Prisoners. Under a 2013 administrative rule, family and friends of inmates will still be prohibited from sending them any printed materials without the prior approval of their prisons administration.

Inmates can also buy e-books through kiosks run by JPay Incorporated, a prison technology company that Annette Chambers-Smith worked for before becoming DRC director a few months ago. French stated that inmates can often access free e-books, but when they pay for them, the price is 99 cents on average.
Carnegie Mellon Educational Software Slated for Pilot Project in Zambia

May 16, 2019

RoboTutor LLC, a team based at Carnegie Mellon University that was a finalist in the $15 million Global Learning XPRIZE, has announced that its educational apps will be used to teach 10,000 children basic reading, writing and mathematical skills in the Republic of Zambia.



Two other finalists  Kitkit School from South Korea and the United States, and onebillion from Kenya and the United Kingdom  on Wednesday were named the winners in the Global Learning XPRIZE, sharing the $10 million grand prize donated by entrepreneur Elon Musk. Each team in the competition developed educational apps to run on Android tablets that would enable children ages 7-10 to teach themselves basic literacy and numeracy without the aid of an adult.



The winner was chosen based on a 15-month field test in Tanzania of the software developed by five finalists, involving more than 2,700 children in 170 villages. Before the field test, 74% of the participating children were reported as never attending school, 80% reported as never being read to at home and over 90% could not read a single word in Swahili. Following the trial, that number was cut in half.



"We salute the KitKit School and onebillion teams for their achievement. But we also are incredibly proud and delighted by the performance of RoboTutor and I can't thank enough the more than 180 people around the world who contributed to its development," said Jack Mostow, leader of the RoboTutor team and an emeritus research professor at CMU's Robotics Institute.





"Though we didn't win the big prize, it was an honor to participate in this grand educational effort," Mostow said. "At Carnegie Mellon, we like to say that we work on solutions to real-world problems; I can't think of a bigger educational challenge than the 250 million children on this planet who lack basic literacy and numeracy."



Just as RoboTutor will move forward with plans for its pilot project in Zambia, Mostow said he hoped all of the finalists will continue to develop and deploy their educational software.



"If RoboTutor and the other finalists in this competition can help compensate for the shortage of teachers in so many areas of this world, we will all have accomplished something great. Today marks only the beginning," he added.



In Zambia, Carnegie Mellon will partner with Anchor of Hope Charities, which serves 50,000 children in Zambia with food and shoes. The pilot study for a national education program for Zambian children has been endorsed by Zambia's Ministry of General Education. Though 10,000 children initially would be involved, hopes are to expand the program to include 8 million students in Zambia.



Mostow established RoboTutor LLC as a spinoff of Carnegie Mellon for the purpose of pursuing the Global Learning XPRIZE and licensed some learning technologies from the university.



Going forward, RoboTutor will be under the umbrella of the Simon Initiative, CMU's campus-wide effort devoted to learning engineering and an early RoboTutor sponsor.



"We really believe in this work and are committed to see it continue," said Norman Bier, executive director of the Simon Initiative. About half of the $4 million cost of the pilot project has been raised thus far, and CMU is seeking additional donors for the effort.



RoboTutor software already is part of the OpenSimon Toolkit, a suite of open-source tools, educational resources and underlying codebase that the Simon Initiative has made available to catalyze a revolution in learning and teaching.



RoboTutor is based on decades of research on human learning, including an automated Reading Tutor, developed by Mostow's Project LISTEN team, that helped children learn to read. RoboTutor employs artificial intelligence to recognize children's speech and handwriting. It includes a number of activities that children can choose that help develop reading, comprehension and numeracy skills. It assesses each child's performance, providing help when needed and adjusting the activities to match the student's skill level.



Each of the finalists prepared software in both English and Swahili. The Swahili version was used for the field test in Tanzania. The English version of RoboTutor will be used in the pilot program in Zambia.



A group of children in Tanzania wave for a photo.



"Carnegie Mellon is all about using knowledge to solve big problems and RoboTutor fits squarely within that CMU tradition," said Tom Mitchell, interim dean of CMU's School of Computer Science. "We are optimistic that the software developed by the RoboTutor team and the other finalists will make headway against illiteracy in an age where education grows ever more important. Congratulations to the entire RoboTutor team and best of luck in implementing the software more broadly."



In addition to Mostow, leaders of the RoboTutor team included Amy Ogan, Thomas and Lydia Moran Assistant Professor of Learning Science in the Human-Computer Interaction Institute (HCII), who spearheaded efforts to adapt RoboTutor to the Tanzanian culture; and Judith Uchidiuno, the project manager and a Ph.D. student in HCII.



Others include Leonora Anyango-Kivuva, a consultant for the National Foreign Language Center, a former Swahili instructor at Pitt and the voice of RoboTutor; Judy Kendall, director of Anchor of Hope Charities; Kevin DeLand, software architect and developer; and Janet Mostow, enterprise architect and RoboTutor LLC board member.

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 4.




Doug Hirsch, co-founder and co-CEO of digital pharmacy GoodRx, is on a mission to save people from health care-induced bankruptcy, he told CNBC's Jim Cramer in San Francisco on Wednesday.

The average deductible costs more than $1,500, leaving the average American in a bind, Hirsch said. In particular, the majority of millennials don't have enough money saved to cover a $1,000 emergency.

"That means most Americans would literally go bankrupt before they can actually afford to get coverage from their insurance," Hirsch said in a one-on-one with the "Mad Money" host.

GoodRx, No. 6 on this year's CNBC Disruptor 50 list, leverages technology to help find and compare prescription drug prices. When he launched the company in 2011, Hirsch said he wanted to build relationships between health insurance companies and pharmacies to offer discounts and promote the best options for customers.

Hirsch, a former Yahoo executive, co-founded GoodRx alongside fellow tech veterans Trevor Bezdek and Scott Marlette.

With a $2.8 billion valuation and backing from Silver Lake, GoodRx has 10 million monthly users and impacts about 2% of U.S. prescriptions, Hirsch said, "so we got a long way to go to help all Americans."

The company claims to have helped people save more than $10 billion on prescriptions.

More from CNBC Disruptor 50:

A big breakthrough in feeding the world may be spotted from outer space

Inside Impossible Foods' mission to create the burger of the future

Why the next Uber may come from trucking

"We have a great relationship both CVS and Walgreens because they actually want consumers to get an affordable price for their drug," Hirsch said. "We always start from the premise: Whatever is best for the consumer is what we're gonna show them first."

GoodRx also partners with Target, Kroger, and Walmart and provides real-time prices at 70,000 stores across the country.

The health-care system has been criticized for its lack of transparency and the prevalence of predatory prescription pricing. The industry has been a hot political topic, with several Democratic presidential candidates advocating for various forms of universal health care to broaden coverage.

Leaders of both major political parties have also argued, while reform is needed, that the market should dictate prices. In efforts to increase transparency, the Trump administration last week announced plans to require drug companies to reveal prices in television advertising.

In its quest to lower costs at the pharmacy counter, GoodRx provides coupons and started listing online telemedicine options, or remote health-care service providers.

GoodRx uses its database of pricing information across various pharmacies and can direct consumers to options that could exist at drug store around the corner, Hirsch explained.

"[Pharmacies] need to work with insurance companies," he said. "They need to work with people like us to come up with a price so that they can again provide an affordable price to a consumer and at the same time be able to make some money."

In order to make their own money, GoodRx has multiple options including a subscription product called GoodRx Gold, referral fees, and advertising, Hirsch said.

Hirsch said that about half of U.S. doctors recommend us "because they want their patients to take the meds they prescribe."
Peter Thiel, American entrepreneur, venture capitalist, and hedge fund manager. Adam Jeffery | CNBC

Palantir  the Silicon Valley data analytics company co-founded by PayPal founder and Trump advisor Peter Thiel  has made the CNBC Disruptor 50 list for six years running. But this year was perhaps the most disruptive of all for the company, which has attracted $2.8 billion in funding, raising its valuation to $20.5 billion, according to PitchBook. In 2019, Palantir was able to leverage a favorable landmark 2017 court decision to break through government contracting barriers that formerly kept the firm out of the running for some of the Pentagon's most lucrative contracts. Palantir, ranking No. 34 on the 2019 CNBC Disruptor 50 list, is expected to build and upgrade an Army intelligence system known as DCGS-A for $800 million. Palantir beat out Raytheon, a defense industrial mainstay, for the contract, raising its profile in D.C. to a new level. Announced in March, the contract makes Palantir a "defense program of record," a critical designation for government contracting. Behind the scenes, Palantir had fought for years in the U.S. Court of Federal Claims to gain access to this designation. The Army had specifically requested Palantir as far back as 2011, but because of contracting rules, couldn't get it. Palantir said in its court filing that one Army unit had tried repeatedly and failed to get Palantir to use in high-risk operations in Kandahar, Afghanistan. Now that the company has proved it can fight hard for and win contracts in the deeply entrenched government space, it opens other important doors as Palantir approaches a possible 2019 IPO.

Straddling the line between DC and Silicon Valley

Palantir has both suffered and benefited from a reputation as "highly secretive," a throwback to its roots as a company initially funded by the CIA's In-Q-Tel venture capital organization. The company is a Silicon Valley paradox: Seen as innovative and forward-thinking like its California counterparts, but clandestine and hawkish like its D.C. competitors. While employees for Google, Apple and Amazon have loudly protested to their companies' involvement in government work with private data, Palantir's CEO has embraced the role of big tech companies in Washington.

Palantir office known as the "Jewel Box" in Palo Alto, California. Mark Neuling | CNBC

"I don't know how you stand up and talk to a Marine or a special operator and explain to them how you have a piece of software that will allow them to come home  or more likely allow them to come home  and you're not going to allow them to use it," CEO Alex Carp told Andrew Ross Sorkin in September. "I think it's a nearly impossible argument to make outside the Valley without people being legitimately pretty upset." The company offers two primary platforms, one for government-backed investigations and geospatial missions called Palantir Gotham, and another focused on enterprise called Palantir Foundry. Gotham is used by government bodies in the U.S. and elsewhere, including intelligence, law enforcement and defense agencies. It allows customers to search and analyze data from a wide range of sources, and importantly, transfer that data securely when it is classified. Case studies for Gotham include allowing soldiers to plan missions, evaluating where to land and how to evacuate if things go wrong. Afterwards, it can allow them to analyze whether missions are meeting up with their strategy. In law enforcement, detectives have used the platform to set up alerts on open cases, which they receive when new data about a suspect is entered into a wider range of systems.

Alexander Karp, CEO of Palantir Technologies Inc. Getty Images

Foundry has several high-profile clients and provides many of the same data-integration services, but with more practical tools for business. Foundry can use a company's data to prioritize vendor deliveries or pinpoint areas that could be turned into sales opportunities. Customers include Airbus, Chrysler, Ferrari, Merck, BP, Credit Suisse, RBC, Sanofi and others. More from CNBC Disruptor 50:

Peter Thiel's company Palantir just won a major Pentagon contract

Airbnb to collaborate on NYC hotel

Uber CEO says he's building the next Amazon One key component for Foundry is a suite of tools meant to give more employees the ability to use the software so companies don't need data scientists or engineers to get some use out of the platform. Foundry can also be integrated into other software tools that businesses already have, so they won't have to justify buying an entirely new platform. In health care, scientists have used Foundry to provide a full-scope view of cancer patients in order to personalize care. In the shipping and logistics field, companies use the platform to monitor work orders and timing for shipping containers. In the automotive world, car plant leads use the platform to detect defects on vehicles in the assembly line, according to case studies from the company. In the case of Airbus, Palantir created the joint partnership Skywise in 2017, which in part aims to ease aerospace supply-chain problems through an open data platform. In mid-2018 the company added suppliers to the Skywise platform, including Premium Aerotec, a key supplier for Airbus that produces 30 million parts per year.
No one said that life is easy. Each person's journey is filled with hurdles, hardships and downright shocks to the system  yet for each event endured, the stronger you become. And that's not just in our personal lives, but our professional lives too. Take AllBright for instance. As a business that supports women at all stages of their careers, the co-founders received a lot of setbacks when starting out and finding ways to raise capital. "Not everyone is going to like your idea, and that's okay. You just have to keep going until you find the people that do," Debbie Wosskow, AllBright co-founder told CNBC Make It over the phone. In the newly-released book "Believe. Build. Become.", the co-founders Debbie Wosskow and Anna Jones, offer practical advice for those hoping to develop their skills and mentality, including how to bolster resilience levels.

AllBright co-founders: Debbie Wosskow OBE (L) and Anna Jones (R) Photo credit: Taran Wilkhu | Courtesy of AllBright

A recipe for resilience

1) Everyone has setbacks No matter what your background is, you've probably dealt with setbacks and failure  and so has everyone else. This may be tough to remember when you're dealing with a crisis, but it's important to keep in mind, Wosskow explains in the book. "When Anna and I started out on AllBright, we got a lot of 'no's' and we got quite a lot of criticism," Wosskow told CNBC. While the co-founder admits that receiving criticism on any scale can sting, it's important to think about using "these experiences to grow." 2) Set boundaries "If people are making unreasonable or unrealistic demands on you, be prepared to tell them how you feel and say 'no'," Wosskow writes in "Believe. Build. Become." While being assertive isn't always easy, it's crucial to ensure your work life isn't negatively impacting your well-being or personal life.

Aziz Ansari as Tom Haverford and Retta as Donna Meagle on NBC's "Parks and Recreation." NBC | Getty Images

3) Hold your nerve In the face of adversity, sometimes, gritting your teeth and persevering can be the best option. When it comes to being resilient, Wosskow has her own mantra to hand: the three Gs. "The first is graft, you just need to work really, really hard," Wosskow told CNBC. "The second is grace. And that's one of the hardest things, especially when you're under pressure and that's something we always work on, to be gracious, be gracious with people around you." "The final 'g' is Grit. And grit is another way of talking about resilience and for entrepreneurs in life, it's about how do you keep going when you don't feel like it." 4) Inner confidence is key When it comes to resilience, a large chunk of this can come from having confidence in yourself and bouncing back when troubles arise. Instead of letting impostor syndrome or your inner critic take over, it's important to embrace your self-worth. AllBright offers a range of suggestions to go about this, such as incorporating your own mantra, taking time out to focus on your well-being, and making the most out of the life you live outside work. 5) Be realistic Life is filled with its ups and downs, and the same goes for work, so it's important to "manage your expectations," Wosskow writes. By accepting the fact that not everything will always go as planned, this can help people realign their expectations and not set themselves up for an unexpected drop, the co-founder adds in "Believe. Build. Become."

Tetra Images | Getty Images

6) 'Rhino hide' Having established in 2018, what's been claimed as the first-of-its-kind members' club for working women in Britain, the co-founders of AllBright, have dealt with a fair share of criticism and sexism. When dealing with conflict however, the co-founders will remind each other of the phrase "rhino hide," to encourage each other not to worry about what critics may think. Put simply, embrace having a thick skin. So, whether you're receiving negative feedback, or having to deal with a dispute with someone from work, Wosskow states in the book that it's important to try and "absorb it and then find a way to use the experience to grow." 7) Give yourself a break We are often our harshest critics, especially when failure or rejection crops up  but we needn't be. "Most people think that they have to punish themselves into better routines, but that doesn't work," Hazel Gale, author and cognitive therapist, told CNBC in 2018, when discussing the importance of self-love. "A better way is to help ourselves to feel okay in those situations, and get ourselves to a place of autonomy, where we can actually make decisions based on what's really right for us." Need an instant push? Whatever the challenge you're facing, imagine what you'd say to your closest friend if they were in the position you're facing  and channel that energy, AllBright's book suggests. 8) Develop a personal structure Having a routine or structure to your day can offer a wide range of benefits, from supporting your well-being, to becoming more productive.

Arbobogg Imagery | iStock / Getty Images Plus | Getty Images

For Wosskow, she chooses to start each day with hitting the punchbag, saying it helps keep her fired up and ready for the day. "I think repetition and discipline, working out what your version of that is  not everybody wants to get up at half five to hit a punch bag  figure out what yours is," Wosskow told CNBC. By having small rituals, this can offer you the opportunity to establish healthy habits. "A structure is part of your armor and it helps you battle through," Wosskow writes. 9) Reframe stumbling blocks When it comes to handling setbacks, typically they can either be handled or not. If they can't, this offers you an opportunity to examine what went wrong and learn from it for next time. In other cases, failure can lead to beneficial outcomes in the long run. Christine Lagarde, for instance, may not have become the IMF's managing director, if she hadn't have failed to secure a place at Ecole Nationale d'Administration, a prestigious college in France, which she was hoping to attend, to pursue a career in senior civil service. As Brit + Co founder Brit Morin said in 2017, many successful people "have failed dozens of times," but you can also deal with "micro" failures along the way too. "You have to just try and try again." 10) Lean on your support network Having a strong, reliable support system can be exactly what you need when your resilience levels aren't as robust as you'd like.
A pedestrian walks by an advertisement for JUUL on the door of a smoke shop in New York.

Altria shareholders grilled CEO Howard Willard on his $12.8 billion bet on e-cigarette giant Juul at the company's annual shareholder meeting Thursday.

Analysts and investors worried Altria paid too much for its 35% stake in the company and very little say over its operations, especially with the e-cigarette giant facing regulatory scrutiny.

Willard on Thursday defended the terms of the deal, saying the e-cigarette market wasn't growing much before Juul entered it. Altria's own MarkTen products hardly gained traction, prompting Altria to stop selling them in the fall before signing the deal with Juul.

"I'm very pleased for the opportunity to make the investment and believe it will pay dividends down the road," he told analysts.

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.

Juul finds itself facing public and regulatory scrutiny from critics who say the company fueled a teen vaping "epidemic." A number of lawsuits accuse Juul of intentionally hooking teens on nicotine, the Food and Drug Administration is investigating the company's marketing practices and on Wednesday, the North Carolina attorney general sued Juul.

"JUUL targeted young people as customers. As a result, vaping has become an epidemic among minors," North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein said in a statement. "JUUL's business practices are not only reckless, they're illegal. And I intend to put a stop to them. We cannot allow another generation of young people to become addicted to nicotine."

Willard in response to a shareholder question on how Altria would make itself less vulnerable to Juul's legal risks said Altria was aware of early litigation when he made the investment in Juul. He said Altria is committed to reducing youth e-cigarette use, including with its support of raising the minimum tobacco buying age to 21.

A judge on Wednesday ruled the Food and Drug Administration needs to start reviewing applications for e-cigarettes. Former FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb in 2017 pushed the deadline to 2022, though the FDA earlier this year said it would move that up to 2021.

Willard said Altria will study the decision and he expects the legal process to continue through the next few months or possibly even years with appeals.
Auto stocks in Asia were mixed on Thursday amid concerns over U.S.-China trade, after seeing an earlier jump following reports that the U.S. may delay tariffs on the sector.

Shares of Kia Motors rose 0.95%, while Hyundai Motor saw its shares decline 0.39%. Stocks of the two South Korean automakers initially surged more than 5% in early trade.

In Japan, shares of Toyota fell 1.04% and Honda slipped 0.61%, but Nissan gained 0.17%.

The moves followed overnight developments that U.S. President Donald Trump's administration may push back auto tariffs by up to six months, multiple sources told CNBC. That news sent auto stocks in the U.S. higher.

The White House has until Saturday to decide on whether to slap duties on imports of cars and auto parts, amid concerns over national security. After Saturday, the administration would have another 180 days to come to a decision as long as it is negotiating with its counterparts.

The latest development came amid an escalating trade fight between the U.S. and China, after Washington raised tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese imports last week. In retaliation, Beijing also increased tariffs on $60 billion worth of American goods earlier this week. The U.S. has raised the possibility of slapping tariffs on an additional $300 billion in goods from China.

"In our view, the US-China trade conflict is inevitable," economists at ANZ Research wrote in a note.

The trade imbalance between China and the U.S. stems from the greenback's global reserve currency status, they said. "Import tariffs cannot alleviate the situation. Only if the US is willing to sacrifice the USD's dominance or the world shifts to an RMB (Chinese yuan) regime, will economic order be restored again."

Recent data releases have also fueled concerns over the protracted trade war's impact on world economic growth.

 CNBC's Kayla Tausche, Jacob Parmuk and Fred Imbert contributed to this report.
A U.S. firm attempting to bring commercial supersonic air travel back will use a design package owned by a European aerospace giant.

Boom Supersonic announced Wednesday that it has bought the cloud-based design system from Dassault Systemes called 3DEXPERIENCE. The system, typically used by designers of new small planes, generates a three-dimensional visualization of a plane's components and how they fit together.

In its press release, the aerospace start-up claimed the design tool would cut development time of its first prototype in half as well as improving the plane's build quality.

Boom's founders hope to develop a 55-seater plane called "Overture" that will break the speed of sound but be 30 percent more efficient and 30 times quieter than the Concorde.

If it reaches the production and certification stage, Overture would fly at a top speed of Mach 2.2, allowing journeys from New York to London in just over 3 hours and from Tokyo to San Francisco in 5 and a half

Boom has said it is targeting the mid-2020s for it to enter service.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom discusses his revised state budget that includes a proposed $21.5 billion surplus during a news conference Thursday, May 9, 2019, in Sacramento, Calif.

LOS ANGELES  Gov. Gavin Newsom is pushing new taxes and fees even as California enjoys a huge surplus, but lawmakers, including his fellow Democrats, appear to have little appetite for new taxes.

On Wednesday, a budget subcommittee of the state Senate axed the governor's plan to slap a water tax on Californians to fund a safe drinking water program in disadvantaged communities. Newsom endorsed the tax in January and highlighted it last week in his May budget revision.

Newsom's record $213.5 billion revised budget seeks other fees or taxes, including a health-care tax. It comes as California enjoys a projected surplus of roughly $21.5 billion  larger than the budget sizes of at least 20 other states.

"We're talking about close to $2.4 billion in new taxes," said Republican state Sen. Patricia Bates, who represents portions of Orange and San Diego counties. "Everything in California is costing more and incomes are less."

The budget proposes a health tax or "individual mandate" penalty starting in 2020 for Californians not having health insurance to fund expanded subsidies for Covered California, the state's insurance exchange. Penalty revenue is expected to top $1 billion over three years.

"Without the mandate, everybody's premiums go up," Newsom said this week in pitching the plan.

At the same time, the governor's budget proposes to more than double the existing earned income tax credit for low-income Californians by investing $1 billion projected to be generated by closing certain tax loopholes for mainly business income. The loopholes get closed by bringing the state into conformity with several 2017 federal tax law changes impacting business taxes.

"The legislature is getting the choice to basically take some of the revenues that were given away in tax breaks and provide those to low-income communities," said Chris Hoene, executive director of the California Budget & Policy Center, a nonpartisan public policy research group.

Newsom also reiterated support last week for extending the family leave for parents of newborns to six months, up from the current six weeks program that is funded by mandatory employee payroll deductions. In 2004, California became the first state to provide partial income during a family leave to care for a sick family member or bond with a new child.

The governor expressed support in January for a phone tax to modernize the state's 911 emergency system. Enacting new taxes or fees requires a two-thirds vote in each chamber of the state legislature, where Democrats have a super majority, to override a gubernatorial veto or pass budgets.
B. Riley FBR said the global motorsports company should see "further inflection" after spending the last few years "foundation building" with the Formula One teams.

"We are upgrading shares of Liberty Formula One, from Neutral to Buy, and raising our price target, from $35 to $46. While our valuation for the core F1 racing league, at $10.6B, is little changed from our initial January 2017 outlook, FWONK's 33% stake in Live Nation (LYV) has more than doubled since then, to $4.5B. After bottoming-out below $30 a share in late December, FWONK has recently throttled back towards all-time highs. This time, however, we see FWONK poised for a further inflection as it begins to harvest the benefits of two-plus years of foundation building and fostering better alignment with the 10 F1 teams. Moreover, our sentiment checks suggest interest in F1 is surging YTD, which bodes well for rights fee step ups heading into a group of major broadcast renewals in 2021, as well as new sponsorship and hospitality opportunities. Our base case provides 23% upside from current levels; but we also see the risk/reward here as favorably skewed, with a bull case yielding 54% upside and a bear case implying 20% downside."
Former U.S. Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning addresses reporters before entering the Albert Bryan U.S federal courthouse May 16, 2019 in Alexandria, Virginia. Manning, who previously served four years in prison for providing classified information to Wikileaks, could face additional jail time for refusing to cooperate in an additional grand jury investigation.

A federal judge ordered Chelsea Manning back to jail on Thursday after she again refused to cooperate with a grand jury investigating a release of documents by WikiLeaks.

U.S. District Court Judge Anthony Trenga had Manning remanded and sentenced her to pay a fine of $500 per day if she doesn't comply in 30 days and $1,000 after 60 days pass.

"I would rather starve to death than change my position in this regard," Manning told the court.

Earlier this month, Manning was freed following 62 days in a Virginia jail after refusing to testify before a previous grand jury in the WikiLeaks case.

She was released when the term of that grand jury expired. But then Manning was ordered to appear before a different panel in Alexandria on Thursday.

Federal prosecutors in Alexandria recently unsealed an indictment issued in secret in late 2017 against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who had been holed up in Ecuador's embassy in London before his arrest by British authorities last month.

Manning, a former Army intelligence analyst, has said she objects to the secrecy of the grand jury process.

She also claims to have revealed everything she knows about WikiLeaks at her court-martial, where she was found guilty of leaking a trove of military and diplomatic documents to the anti-secrecy website.

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Even before walking into court on Thursday, she told reporters outside she wasn't going to cooperate.

"No matter what happens today ... whether I'm placed in confinement or not, I'm not going to comply with this grand jury," the U.S. Army whistleblower said.

The threat of being locked up, Manning said, will have no effect on her.

"It doesn't frighten me or disturb me," she said. "I mean, I've already been to jail. I've already been to prison, so attempting to coerce me with a grand jury subpoena is just not going to work."

Manning was sentenced to 35 years behind bars and served seven years of that term before then-President Barack Obama commuted her sentence.

"The goal here is to re-litigate the court martial," she said before courthouse on Thursday. "They didn't like the outcome, I got out. This is a way of placing me back into confinement."
Barclays, Citigroup, J.P. Morgan, MUFG and Royal Bank of Scotland have been fined a total of 1.07 billion euros ($1.2 billion) by EU antitrust regulators for rigging the spot foreign exchange market for 11 currencies.

Swiss bank UBS was exempted from a 285 million euro fine since it alerted the existence of two cartels to the European Commission. The financial industry has been hit with billion euro fines worldwide in the last decade for rigging key benchmarks.

"Companies and people depend on banks to exchange money to carry out transactions in foreign countries. Foreign exchange spot trading activities are one of the largest markets in the world, worth billions of euros every day," EU Commissioner Margrethe Vestager said in a press release Thursday.

"Today we have fined Barclays, The Royal Bank of Scotland, Citigroup, J.P. Morgan and MUFG Bank and these cartel decisions send a clear message that the Commission will not tolerate collusive behavior in any sector of the financial markets. The behavior of these banks undermined the integrity of the sector at the expense of the European economy and consumers," Vestager added.

The EU investigation that has been ongoing for the past six years revealed that some individual traders from various banks in charge of forex trading  a form of trading executed on an intra-day basis  exchanged sensitive information and trading plans through various online professional chat rooms.

"The information exchanges.....enabled them to make informed market decisions on whether to sell or buy the currencies they had in their portfolios and when," the Commission said in its report.

It further stated that most of the traders knew each other on personal basis and logged into multilateral chatrooms on Bloomberg terminals for the whole day, engaging in extensive conversations about a variety of subject, including updates on their trading activities.

Barclays declined to comment when contacted by CNBC. Meanwhile, a spokesperson from RBS told CNBC the bank is happy to reach a settlement with the regulators.

"Today's fine is a further reminder of how badly the bank lost its way in the past and we absolutely condemn the behaviour of those responsible. This kind of behaviour has no place at the bank we are today; our culture and controls have changed fundamentally during the past ten years," the spokesperson said.

A similar case with the U.S. regulators is ongoing where Barclays, BNP Paribas, Citigroup, J.P. Morgan, Royal Bank of Scotland and UBS have entered related guilty pleas, and been collectively fined more than $2.8 billion.

U.S. regulators said the foreign exchange rate rigging was allegedly done through chat rooms with such names as "The Cartel," "The Mafia" and "The Bandits' Club," through tactics with such names as "front running," "banging the close," "painting the screen" and "taking out the filth."

Shares of Barclays and RBS were trading lower, but UBS edged a bit higher on the news. Meanwhile, J.P. Morgan and Citigroup shares were down slightly in pre-market trading.

Reuters contributed to this report
A German start-up has unveiled a five-seater, all-electric air taxi prototype. In an announcement Thursday, Munich-based Lilium said that its jet-powered air taxi had completed its maiden flight earlier this month.

The full-scale prototype, which can take-off and land vertically, is powered by 36 all-electric jet engines and can travel up to 300 kilometers in one hour, according to the company.

The aircraft does not have a tail, rudder, propellers or gearbox. In terms of its environmental impact, Lilium said it had "zero operating emissions."



The jet flew for the first time on May 4. The prototype, which is remotely controlled by an operator on the ground, is now undertaking a series of flight tests.

The plan is to eventually offer an on-demand air taxi service, with consumers using an app to find their nearest "landing pad" and then book their trip.



In 2017, the start-up completed flight testing for a two-seater prototype. "In less than two years we have been able to design, build and successfully fly an aircraft that will serve as our template for mass production," Daniel Wiegand, Lilium's co-founder and CEO, said in a statement.

"Moving from two to five seats was always our ambition as it enables us to open up the skies to many more travelers," he added.

The way we move around our towns and cities is undergoing a radical change. In October 2018, Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority announced trials for what it described as the region's first autonomous taxi.

In the field of aerial taxis, Uber plans to launch a "shared air transportation" service for urban areas in 2023. The company is working with partners to launch small, electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft in Dallas and Los Angeles.
Former Apple retail boss Angela Ahrendts is joining Airbnb's board, the company announced Thursday.

The former Burberry CEO led Apple's retail and online stores for five years before the company announced her departure earlier this year.

Ahrendts had been one of the highest-paid employees at Apple with a total compensation of $26.5 million in 2018, according to Apple's proxy statement from Jan. 8, 2019. During that same year, CEO Tim Cook made $15.7 million in total compensation that year, according to the filing.

At Apple, Ahrendts used the company's physical stores to attract customers and develop the brand through in-store programs like "Today at Apple." In the announcement, Airbnb said her work around "building community among customers" would be an asset to the board.

Ahrendts is now Airbnb's third independent, non-affiliated board member, the company said. She joins former American Express CEO Ken Chenault and former Pixar CFO Ann Mather as an independent board member.

The board announcement comes as Airbnb is preparing for an initial public offering, which CEO Brian Chesky told CNBC could be ready as soon as later this year.

Watch: CNBC's 2017 conversation with outgoing Apple retail chief Angela Ahrendts
PARIS  French President Emmanuel Macron poured cold water on the idea of implementing protectionist measures on tech companies like Huawei.

Asked by CNBC's Karen Tso Thursday about U.S. pressure on the Chinese telecommunications giant, he said: "We have some restrictions but (are) totally focused on what is related to this national security, nothing more."

"There is no over-protectionism vis-a-vis any of the big global tech (firms) because we need them to fertilize our ecosystem, we want to be stronger and stronger and create maximum jobs."

However, he added: "For sure on some issues we have restrictions, not focused on Huawei, but to preserve our national security and our sovereignty for critical reasons."
The investment management arm of Goldman Sachs scaled back its "overweight" exposure to emerging market assets Thursday, amid rising trade tensions between the U.S. and China.

"We have scaled back overweight exposure to EM (emerging market) currencies and EM debt until we gain clarity on the direction of travel for both U.S.-China trade relations and global growth, with the two being interconnected," Goldman Sachs Asset Management (GSAM) said in a note published Thursday.

Flows into emerging markets can be dependent on cheap capital from the Federal Reserve and are very sensitive to a change in monetary policy in the U.S. Add to that domestic factors such as high current account deficits, weak currencies and a dependence on commodities, these markets can make for a risky investment.

High risk may lead to higher returns, but for now the MSCI emerging markets index has fallen more than 11% over a 12-month period. Meanwhile, the major stock indexes stateside are all down more than 3% this month.

Last week, the U.S. raised tariffs on $200 billion worth of imports from China from 10% to 25%. In addition to this, President Donald Trump indicated that more tariffs will be applied to roughly $300 billion worth of goods imported from China.

China retaliated with tariffs worth $60 billion of goods imported from the U.S. from June 1. "These events mark an abrupt escalation in U.S.-China trade tensions after a period of relative calm since the fourth-quarter of 2018," GSAM said in a note.

Trade worries were eased slightly on Wednesday after CNBC reported Trump's plans to postpone auto tariffs by up to six months. The White House faces a Saturday deadline to decide whether to slap duties on car and auto part imports over national security concerns.

However, this didn't last long as Trump declared on Wednesday a national emergency over threats against American technology. The U.S. Department of Commerce announced the addition of Huawei Technologies and its affiliates to the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) Entity List, making it more difficult for the Chinese telecom giant to conduct business with U.S. companies.
Haven, the health joint venture formed last year by Amazon, Berkshire Hathaway and J.P. Morgan, has lost Chief Operating Officer Jack Stoddard just nine months into his new role.

Stoddard, who was most recently general manager for digital health at Comcast, confirmed to CNBC on Thursday that he departed Haven for personal reasons, including the length of his commute from his home in Philadelphia to Haven's headquarters in Boston. Stoddard was Haven's second hire in 2018, following Atul Gawande, the renowned author and surgeon who was named CEO last June.

"Jack played an important role in the early stages of Haven, but we understand his decision to leave the company for family reasons," a spokesperson from Haven said in a statement. "We want to thank him for all of his contributions."

Stoddard officially ended his tenure at Haven last week, and no replacement has been named.

Losing such a key executive so early in the process could be a big setback for Haven, which has laid out an ambitious effort to bring down health-care costs, starting with the combined 1.2 million employees at the three companies. The entity, which is set up as a nonprofit, was named Haven in March and at the time had about a dozen people.

Other key executives include Chief Technology Officer Serkan Kutan, formerly of ZocDoc, and Dana Gelb Safran, who Haven hired from Blue Cross Blue Shield in Massachusetts to run analytics projects.

Prior to joining Haven, Stoddard worked at Accolade, a health-technology start-up, and at Comcast, the parent company of CNBC. He said the the frequent travel to Boston  five hours by car and around 90 minutes by air each way  was taking him away from his family.

"I wish Atul and the group the best," he said.
Today, Mike Bezos is the father of the richest man in the world, Jeff Bezos. But in 1962, Mike Bezos came to America from Cuba wearing a jacket his mother had hand-stitched from cleaning rags. He was a teenager traveling by himself and he spoke almost no English.

"When he came here from Cuba at 16, not only was he all alone, but he only spoke Spanish. His grit, determination, and optimism are inspiring," Bezos tweeted about his father Wednesday.

TWEET grit

Mike Bezos was joined by his son Wednesday night at a gala recognize the new Statue of Liberty Museum at Ellis Island in New York City  stars from Jeff Bezos to Oprah Winfrey and Hillary Clinton were in attendance. The Bezos Family was one of the donors to the museum, which officially opened Thursday.

Though Mike Bezos is not Jeff's biological father, he raised him. Jeffrey Preston Jorgensen was born to 17-year-old high school student Jacklyn Gise on Jan. 12, 1964 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Though his biological parents married, Jeff's biological father did not stay in the picture long. Gise divorced Jorgensen in 1965, and in 1968 married Mike Bezos.

In a video he tweeted Thursday, Jeff Bezos, who is currently worth $117 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, commends his father's bravery.

TWEET video

In the video, Jeff Bezos says he has "a hard time even imagining" arriving in a new country with no family. He says his father's parents sent him because under Cuba's then-leader Fidel Castro, "they felt like they had to, to protect him."

"My parents were not allowed to go into the airport with me, so they dropped me off," says Mike Bezos in the video, a more complete version of which is available on Amazon. "I got on an airplane and landed in Miami 45 minutes later."

Mike Bezos says he could only bring with him three pairs of pants, three shirts, three pairs of underwear and one pair of shoes.

And then there was his coat.

"His mom imagined America must be super cold. So she made him something special for his journey, which we still have," Jeff Bezos says in the video.

"Out of those cleaning rags and knitting materials, she made  with the help of my sister  she made a coat," says Mike. "In her mind, I needed a heavy coat."

TY TWEET

Bezos' father first stayed in Camp Matecumbe, a refugee camp in Florida, for three weeks. He was later sent to Wilmington, Delaware to attend high school, where he got a scholarship to go to college in Albuquerque.

"I had very little idea at that time where Albuquerque was," Mike says. That is where he met Gise and her son Jeff.

"It is truly unbelievable. I look back on my life and I had lived the American Dream 30 years ago," Mike Bezos says. "It is really just out of this world."

See also:

How Amazon founder Jeff Bezos went from the son of a teen mom to the world's richest person

The majority of billionaires in the world are self-made

Amazon's Jeff Bezos: Why success depends on not being efficient sometimes
Pedestrians walk past a stock indicator board showing the share price index of the Tokyo Stock Exchange (C, top) in Tokyo on December 25, 2018. -

To avoid doing something you'll regret, you might have decided to look away from your investments until all those trade war headlines start to subside.

The problem: that may not happen for a while.

"I think this is going to go on for quite some time," said Nick Giacoumakis, founder and president of New England Investment & Retirement Group in North Andover, Massachusetts.

In the meantime, there are steps you can take, he said. Investors should check their portfolios and make sure they're comfortable with their allocation.

"If you had a position in a technology fund that was supposed to be 8% of your portfolio and, because of the run-up in technology over the past few years, that position is now a 20% holding, that would be a scenario where you'd want to trim it back," he said.

Recent volatility could also be a buying opportunity for long-term investors, he said. Giacoumakis said his firm has recently added money to the real estate and health-care sectors, which he said remain relatively undervalued.

"If you were to invest like you own a grocery shop, you'd be among the shrewdest of investors," Giacoumakis said. "If something is on sale, you stock up on it."

Scott Wren, senior global equity strategist at Wells Fargo Investment Institute, said the bank recently cashed out between 6% and 8% of its portfolio and is optimistic about investing outside of the U.S.

"We had such a big bounce from the Christmas Eve low," Wren said. (The has risen more than 15% in 2019.)

"We think emerging markets have the highest return potential between now and the end of the year," he said.

Investors should make sure they understand their allocations, Wren said, so they can take advantage of these dips in the market. "These tend to be fleeting opportunities, and you need to be able to have a plan and then pull the trigger," he said.

Nicholas Scheibner, a certified financial planner at Baron Financial Group in Fair Lawn, New Jersey, said the trade war between China and the U.S. provides a "prime example" of the benefits of low-cost index funds, which can spread out risk by allowing investors to own hundreds of companies.

"It's very hard to predict which companies will be hit the worst," Scheibner said.

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PARIS  Solving the question of "digital trade" is just as crucial to trade talks between the United States and China as conversations around resolving tariffs on physical goods, IBM CEO Ginni Rometty told CNBC Thursday.

"I'm hopeful that these things get resolved," Rometty told CNBC's Karen Tso, speaking about trade tensions between the two countries. "But I also say that with all the talk about tariffs and the like around physical goods, some of what needs to be resolved are the rules around digital trade."

Rometty defined such digital trade as the flow of data between countries, arguing that the exchange of information was as important as lifting trade barriers when it comes to physical imports.

"That's almost more important that there be free flow of data across borders and there not be localization of data," she said. "So those are all very serious issues to be worked on and I'm hopeful the trade talks address those things."
The flags of ING Bank and insurance company Nationale Nederlanden (NN) wave in front of the ING head offices in Amsterdam, Netherlands.

Insurer NN Group on Thursday beat expectations with a 50% surge in first-quarter core profit at 468 million euros ($524.6 million), as the performance of its Dutch life insurance business improved.

Analysts polled by Reuters on average expected operating result to rise to 415 million euros from 313 million euros in the year-ago period.

The year "2019 started of well", Chief Executive Lard Friese said, as he singled out a 72% increase in new sales.

All business segments contributed to this increase, Friese said, especially in Japan, where NN benefitted from changing tax rules for corporate-owned life insurance.
The Japan Display Inc. logo is displayed atop the company's plant in Mobara, Chiba Prefecture, Japan, on Monday, June 3, 2013.

Cash-strapped Japan Display warned it cannot guarantee a return to profit this year as demand for smartphone screens stays weak, and turned in yet another quarterly loss, casting doubt over its proposed bailout deal with a Chinese-Taiwanese group.

The supplier for Apple also said it would slash about 1,000 jobs, or a tenth of its workforce, as it continues to bear the brunt of its late shift to organic light-emitting diode screens and disappointing sales of the iPhone XR, the only model with a liquid crystal display (LCD) screen.

Japan Display's net loss for the three months ended March was 98.6 billion yen, versus a 147 billion yen loss a year earlier, its ninth consecutive quarterly loss.

"We took some restructuring measures before, but they turned out to be not enough to offset a worse-than-expected drop in demand for smartphone (screens)," acting CEO Yoshiyuki Tsukizaki said at an earnings briefing on Wednesday.

"The tough environment in the smartphone segment is likely to continue through the first half," he said, adding the company cannot promise it will return to profit this year after five consecutive annual losses.

Japan Display's results will be closely watched by its Chinese-Taiwanese suitors, who delayed an up to 80 billion yen investment this week to reassess the company's prospects.
Former President Jimmy Carter speaks to the congregation at Maranatha Baptist Church before teaching Sunday school in his hometown of Plains, Georgia on April 28, 2019.

Former President Jimmy Carter was released from the hospital Thursday, three days after he broke his hip while getting ready to go on a turkey hunt.

The 94-year-old Carter was admitted Monday to Phoebe Sumter Medical Center in Americus, Georgia, where doctors performed hip replacement surgery. He will undergo physical therapy and plans to resume his Sunday School teaching this weekend at his church, the Maranatha Baptist Church in nearby Plains, Carter Center spokeswoman Deanna Congileo said in a statement.

Carter's wife, Rosalynn, was also admitted to the hospital Wednesday after complaining of feeling faint. The 91-year-old former first lady underwent tests and left the hospital with her husband, Congileo said.

Carter, the nation's 39th president, broke a hip after falling in his home in Plains, while preparing to go turkey hunting, the Carter Center said.

"President Carter said his main concern is that turkey season ends this week, and he has not reached his limit," the center said in a statement earlier this week. "He hopes the State of Georgia will allow him to rollover the unused limit next year."
President Donald Trump is "doing the right thing" by increasing tariffs on China, billionaire and longtime Republican supporter Ken Langone told CNBC on Thursday.

"It's got teeth," said Langone, also co-founder of Home Depot.

Langone also praised U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer's hard line approach in negotiations with China. "I give Trump a lot of credit for backing him up," he added.

"The only way you're going to get somebody to a table for negotiations is when they have something to lose," Langone argued in a "Squawk Box" interview.

The Trump administration is attempting to strike a trade deal with China to end the escalating conflict. The world's two largest economies increased tariffs on one another in recent days, with the U.S. making the first move by increasing duties on $200 billion worth of Chinese products from 10% to 25%. The tactic amplified a fight that has rattled financial markets and threatened to drag on the global economy.

On Wednesday, China reported surprisingly weaker growth in retail sales and industrial output for April, adding pressure on Beijing to roll out more stimulus as the trade war with the United States escalates.

However, Langone acknowledged that in the long-term tariffs are bad for business. "God forbid if this is a permanent thing," he said. But he doesn't think that's going to happen.

Langone also speculated Chinese officials may be betting that Trump won't be re-elected as a flood of Democrats, including former Vice President Joe Biden, look to take back the White House in 2020.

That would be a mistake, he said. "The American people, deep down in their heart, are going to say, 'What's right for America, is right for me.'"

Langone, also founder of investment bank Invemed Associates, ended up backing Trump in the 2016 election after first supporting Chris Christie and then John Kasich.
Nobel laureate Robert Shiller sees the U.S-China trade war creating more stock market jolts.

But he suggests it's not because fundamentals are out of whack. Rather, Shiller blames an overreaction to the drama surrounding the negotiations.

"I think of it as theater. We have two strong politicians, Xi and Trump," the Yale University economics professor told "Trading Nation" on Wednesday. "This is a human interest story which bleeds over into the markets."

Since President Donald Trump's series of tweets on May 5 threatening new tariffs, stocks have been on a roller-coaster ride. It hit a climax on Monday when the Dow dropped more than 600 points before rebounding over the next two sessions.

The CBOE Volatility Index is also reflecting the wild swings. It has jumped by more than 33% in the past month.

"We've seen volatility pick up right in response to this crisis," said Shiller. "Volatility once stirred does have some persistence, and it could continue for months."

According to Shiller, it's challenging to estimate the size and scope of the pullbacks because so much of the market activity is being driven by emotions.

"Tariffs can be evaded by shifting flows around. They're not the end of the world," he said. "The market is driven a lot by how investors view what other investors are doing or are likely to do."

Shiller is hopeful there will ultimately be a deal because President Xi Jinping and Trump have an incentive to make one before damaging their respective economies.

"We might see some accord reappearing," Shiller said.
Flynn, a former national security advisor, not only told investigators about these communications but also provided the special counsel's office with a voicemail of one instance. Prosecutors said in their filing that they were not aware of some of these attempts until Flynn informed them.

In a filing attached to his sentencing memorandum, federal prosecutors said Flynn "informed the government of multiple instances, both before and after his guilty plea, where either he or his attorneys received communications from persons connected to the Administration or Congress that could have affected both his willingness to cooperate and the completeness of that cooperation."

A federal judge has ordered prosecutors to file transcripts of the voicemail as well as transcripts of any other recordings of Flynn, including his conversations with Russian officials. Judge Emmet Sullivan said they have until May 31 to file the transcripts, and also requested the actual audio recordings.

It appears that the Mueller report did contain a transcript of a recording Flynn provided to special counsel investigators. In the special counsel report, investigators said shortly after Flynn agreed to cooperate, he withdrew from a joint defense agreement he had with the president. Flynn's lawyer told Trump's personal lawyer that the former national security advisor would no longer be able to have confidential communications with the president. The president's lawyer then left a voicemail for Flynn's counsel which said:

"I understand your situation, but let me see if I can't state it in starker terms. ... [I]t wouldn't surprise me if you've gone on to make a deal with ... the government. ... [I]f ... there's information that implicates the President, then we've got a national security issue, ... so, you know, ... we need some kind of heads up. Um, just for the sake of protecting all our interests if we can .... [R]emember what we've always said about the ' President and his feelings toward Flynn and, that still remains ...."

Mueller's office had recommended a light sentence for Flynn, who pleaded guilty in 2017 to lying to federal investigators about conversations he had with the Russian ambassador.

Investigators said Flynn's cooperation was "particularly valuable because he was one of the few people with long-term and firsthand insight regarding events and issues under investigation by the [special counsel's office]." They also said Flynn's assistance was useful because of its timeliness, as he "began providing information not long after the government first sought his cooperation."

WATCH: The saga of Trump's taxes
President Donald Trump speaks at the 38th Annual National Peace Officers Memorial Service on Capitol Hill in Washington, May 15, 2019. Carlos Barria | Reuters

Chinese internet giants like Alibaba and Tencent are unlikely to be targeted in the same manner as telecommunications giant Huawei amid escalating trade tensions between Beijing and Washington, an analyst told CNBC on Thursday. First and foremost, the deterioration of U.S.-China relations will likely hurt Chinese firms that compete with American companies, according to Gil Luria, director of research at D.A. Davidson. "The focus on Huawei appears to be motivated by concerns regarding secrecy and intellectual property, but Huawei is also a main competitor to many American telecom equipment companies," Luria told CNBC. "Companies that are domestic Chinese focused such as Alibaba and Tencent are less likely to be directly targeted," he said, adding that the former's sales in the U.S. are negligible and that outgoing Chairman Jack Ma has done a "masterful job of positioning himself as friendly to the U.S." Still, he said, those firms would be unable to escape the secondary effects of a slowing Chinese economy  which has partially been pressured by heightened American tariffs.

'Long-reach' implications

U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday declared a national emergency over threats against American technology by signing an executive order that allows officials to block transactions involving information or communication technology that "poses an unacceptable risk" to American national security. While Alibaba, Tencent, and even Baidu, may be spared from stringent restrictions on doing business in the U.S., other Chinese information technology firms could potentially suffer. "The scope of the order is potentially far-reaching and could impact upon many mainland Chinese manufacturers of telecommunications equipment as well as communications services suppliers," Rajiv Biswas, chief economist for Asia Pacific at global data provider IHS Markit, told CNBC.

The latest escalation of the technology war between the world's two largest economies was reflected in the May 10 decision by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission to reject an application by China Mobile to provide communications services in the U.S. on national security grounds, Biswas said. Following the executive order, the U.S. Department of Commerce said it was adding Huawei and its affiliates to the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) Entity List, which would make it more difficult for the Chinese telecom giant to do business with American companies. Wednesday's moves from the Trump administration is a "grave escalation with China that at minimum plunges the prospect of continued trade negotiations into doubt," Paul Triolo, geo-technology practice head at political consultancy Eurasia Group, wrote in a note. "Unless handled carefully, this situation is likely to place U.S. and Chinese companies at new risk." Huawei's networks of customers around the world could potentially be hit if the U.S. fully implements its moves against the Chinese firm because the company would be "unable to upgrade software and conduct routine maintenance and hardware replacement" since it would no longer have access to U.S. suppliers, according to Triolo.
Former FBI Director Robert Mueller at the US Capitol in Washington, DC on June 21, 2017.

His comment comes as House Democrats escalate their fight with the Justice Department over the unredacted version of the special counsel's report on Russian election interference and potential obstruction of justice by Trump.

"It's Bob's call whether he wants to testify," Barr said, the Journal reported early Thursday.

Robert Mueller will decide whether he will testify to Congress, Attorney General William Barr told The Wall Street Journal. President Donald Trump had earlier said that it would be up to Barr to decide whether Mueller would testify.

Previously, the president had said Mueller shouldn't testify. Trump has repeatedly claimed that the Mueller report exonerated him. However, on the question of obstruction, Mueller said he did not exonerate the president. Barr, along with now-departed Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, decided not to charge Trump with any obstruction crimes.

The attorney general has been at odds with House Democrats, particularly Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler of New York, who is continuing to seek Mueller's testimony.

In an interview with CNBC's John Harwood, Nadler said: "Bill Barr is just a liar. And, he's just representing the president."

Nadler's committee voted to hold Barr in contempt for refusing to comply with a subpoena for the unredacted Mueller report. Trump had asserted executive privilege over the full report. A redacted version of the document was released to the public in April. Mueller completed his probe in March.

The White House, likewise, is waging its own battle with House Democrats. White House lawyer Pat Cipollone warned Nadler and his colleagues not to "pursue an unauthorized 'do-over'" of the special counsel's probe, calling for the Judiciary Committee to "discontinue the inquiry."

Nadler rejected the White House's demand. "Our investigation into this as well as other troubling conduct by this administration will continue," he said.

A spokesman for the special counsel declined to comment.

WATCH: Rep. Jerry Nadler says Bill Barr 'just a liar'
Chipmaker Nvidia saw shares rise as much as 7% and then scale back on Thursday after it reported better-than-expected earnings for the first quarter of fiscal 2020.

Here are the key numbers:

Earnings: 88 cents per share, excluding certain items, vs. 81 cents per share as expected by analysts, according to Refinitiv.

88 cents per share, excluding certain items, vs. 81 cents per share as expected by analysts, according to Refinitiv. Revenue: $2.22 billion, vs. $2.20 billion as expected by analysts, according to Refinitiv.

Nvidia said in a statement that revenue declined some 31% year over year in the quarter, which ended on April 28. Revenue has now fallen for two quarters in a row.

The first-quarter decline had to do with the "absence" of $289 million in revenue from graphics processing units for mining cryptocurrencies, in addition to performance in the gaming and data center markets, Nvidia said.

Net income in the quarter excluding certain items fell to $543 million, or 88 cents per share, from $1.29 billion, or $2.05 per share.

With respect to guidance, Nvidia is calling for revenue of $2.55 billion, plus or minus 2%, in the fiscal second quarter, which implies a year-over-year decline of 18.3%. Analysts surveyed by Refinitiv were looking for $2.54 billion in fiscal second-quarter revenue.

"Our Q2 outlook is somewhat lower than our expectation earlier in the quarter, when our outlook for fiscal 2020 revenue was flat to down slightly from fiscal 2019," Nvidia's chief financial officer, Colette Kress, told analysts on a Thursday conference call. "The Data Center spending pause around the world will likely persist in the second quarter and visibility remains low."

Kress also pointed to challenges Nvidia faces in gaming.

"A CPU shortage, while improving, will affect the initial ramp of our laptop business," said Kress, who said the company won't be providing full fiscal year guidance.

Following those comments Nvidia's stock moved lower but did not lose all of its post-earnings gains.

Kevin Cassidy of Stifel wrote in a Monday note that Nvidia likely cleared out channel inventories in the quarter for its graphics processing units for gaming. Revenue in Nvidia's gaming business segment will be down 14% in the full 2020 fiscal year, "due to a challenging beginning of the year and increased competition pressuring" prices, Cassidy wrote.

Kress did address the channel inventory issue on the call.

"Going forward, we will probably reach normalized levels for gaming, somewhere between Q2 and Q3, similar to our discussion that we had back at Analyst Day, at the beginning of the quarter," she said.

Nvidia said its gaming segment exited the quarter with $1.06 billion in revenue, down 39% year over year but above the $933.5 million consensus among analysts polled by FactSet.

The company's Data Center business segment had revenue of $634 million, less than the $663.7 million FactSet consensus estimate. Kress said there was a slowdown in spending on among so-called hyper-scale providers -- companies that operate popular online services for consumers or cloud infrastructure for third-party developers.

"While demand from some hyperscale customers bounced back nicely, others paused or cut back," Kress said. "Despite the uneven demand backdrop, the quarter had significant positives."

The Professional Visualization business contributed $266 million in revenue, lower than the $290 million estimate, while Automotive came in barely bigger than the $164 million revenue estimate, at $166 million.

Nvidia's stock is up 20% since the beginning of the year, but is still about 45% off its record high reached in October.

In March, Nvidia announced its intent to buy Israeli networking hardware company Mellanox for almost $7 billion to help boost its data center business.

WATCH: Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang on Mellanox acquisition
South Africa: Artists invited to submit works to ArtbankSA

Artists with ambitions of being considered for the ArtbankSA programme, have until 12 July to submit their applications.

The Department of Arts and Culture (DAC) has invited South African artists to apply for their contemporary artwork acquisition with the ArtbankSA.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Department said the ArtbankSA is part of the Mzansi Golden Economy (MGE) strategy implementation and is hosted by the National Museum Bloemfontein.

The programme annually considers acquiring special pieces of art for its own growing permanent collection, the department said.

Arts and Culture Minister Nathi Mthethwa launched the programme in 2017 and was subsequently followed by a provincial exhibition launch in Durban.

The ArtbankSA was tasked with purchasing artworks from South African artists, particularly that of emerging artists in order to lease and sell the artworks to South African government departments, private companies and private individuals, said the department.

The vision of the ArtbankSA, the department said, is to promote, foster and stimulate a vibrant market for the collection of South African contemporary visual art.

The ArtbankSA is expected to achieve this vision by, among other things, curating a definitive collection of contemporary South African visual art. The programme is also anticipated to promote financial sustainability for the artists and Art Bank of South Africa through the leasing of art.

It also sought to nurture emerging South African artists by expanding the market for their work and providing skills development opportunities.

Prospective applicants are urged to send submissions via email or post. Artists are also required to meet the following criteria:

- A detailed submission form is required with each submission. Submission forms can be found on the Art Bank of South Africa Facebook Page and the National Museum Bloemfontein website www.nasmus.co.za

- Artists may submit a maximum of five original artworks for consideration.

- Artwork can be submitted in any medium.

- Artwork must have been created by the artist after September 2018.

- Artwork must be of a superior quality and representative of South African contemporary art.

- The artist/artist representative will be required to register on the Central Database System (CSD) and be SARS tax compliant.

The artbankSA Acquisition Committee consists of nine members who will oversee the selection process; approve and make recommendations of artworks for purchase.

All completed submissions must be emailed to artbank2@nasmus.co.za or posted for ATT: ArtbankSA, National Museum Bloemfontein, 36 Aliwal Street, Bloemfontein, 9300. Queries must be submitted in writing to the artbank2@nasmus.co.za.  SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2019-05-16. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
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...
Samsung's Galaxy Fold screen is broken after just two days of use. This phone costs $2,000.

Samsung has fixed problems that caused its folding phone to break and is planning to begin selling the Galaxy Fold next month, according to Korea's Yonhap News Agency.

Samsung told Yonhap it has started to test the redesigned model with three wireless carriers in Korea.

Samsung had originally planned to release the Galaxy Fold on April 26 after accepting preorders, but reviewers, including CNBC, found issues with the display that caused it to break easily. Some reviewers peeled off a protective film on top of the phone's new foldable display that was not meant to be peeled off. In response, Samsung delayed the launch of the phone indefinitely.

According to Yonhap, Samsung solved part of the phone's problems by tucking the protective film under the frame of the device, which will make it harder to accidentally remove.

Samsung has said it will work to improve messaging on the phones it ships to customers so they know not to peel off the layer. Yonhap said another fix includes minimizing the amount of the hinge that's exposed, which should prevent objects from getting under the screen and causing damage.

The company told CNBC on May 9 that a new release date for the Galaxy Fold would be revealed in the coming weeks. However, Samsung also said it will automatically cancel preorders if customers don't reach out to confirm interest in the phone if it is not able to ship by May 31.

Samsung declined to comment on the Yonhap report.

Read more on Yonhap.
Williams-Sonoma CEO Laura Alber and Advanced Micro Devices CEO Lisa Su have both occupied their roles for several years now, but since their companies have surpassed the Fortune 500 revenue theshold of $5.575 billion, they are now ranked among the CEOs on this year's prestigious list.

In the last 12 months, Northrop Grumman appointed Kathy Warden as CEO, Land O'Lakes appointed Beth Ford and Best Buy appointed Corie Barry, who will step into her role on June 1.

Not only is it the highest number of women to ever helm Fortune 500 companies at the same time, it's a considerable increase from last year's total  24 women.

A record number of women now hold the top spot at Fortune 500 companies. Of the companies that make up the 2019 Fortune 500 list , released today, 33 have women CEOs .

Though considerable gains have been made within the last year, women still make up just 6.6% of CEOs at the companies on Fortune's list. Women of color make up an even smaller percentage of this group.

Mary Winston was appointed interim CEO of Bed Bath & Beyond earlier this week, making her the first black woman to head a Fortune 500 company since Ursula Burns stepped down from her role at Xerox more than two years ago. PepsiCo's Indra Nooyi and PG&E CEO Geisha Williams have both left their roles since their companies appeared on last year's Fortune 500 list.

Utah State University professor Christy Glass tells Fortune that in her research with co-author Alison Cook on gender inequality and race in the workplace, she's seen that "when boards are well-integrated with women, women are much more likely to be appointed CEOs." And, she says, when women are on boards they are also more likely to recruit and promote people of color.

According to data from Fortune, women held 15.7% of board seats at Fortune 500 companies 15 years ago. Today, women hold 25.5% of those seats.

"Our research suggests that when women lead companies at the board rank and as CEOs, [there's] more attention [paid] to equality policies and practices," she says. "So one added bonus of the growth of women directors is that CEOs place more emphasis on recruiting, retaining and advancing people of color."

While progress has been made, women in leadership still face an uphill climb. Fortune notes that women CEOs in the Fortune 500 tend to have shorter stints than their male counterparts  on average, women serve 42 months as CEO, versus 60 months for men.

At the time of Nooyi's departure, Lisa Mann, CEO and founder of Think Marketing, told CNBC's "Power Lunch" that "companies should be embracing their VPs and SVPs who are women and nurturing them to be leaders in business."

If that doesn't happen, both Mann and CNBC contributor Suzy Welch say that more women will continue to leave corporate America to create their own opportunities. "There is an off-ramp of women who want to be in business and have more control and run their own thing," Welch said on CNBC's "Power Lunch."

"If you're going to have pain," Welch said, "then you might as well control it more  and you can do that as an entrepreneur."

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Don't miss: As Indra Nooyi steps down, companies must support a dwindling pipeline of women leaders
Travel group Thomas Cook said economic and political uncertainty would affect profits this summer after it reported higher first-half losses on Thursday, adding it had received multiple bids for its airline unit after it was put up for sale.

The oldest travel company in the world stumbled badly last year when a heatwave in northern Europe deterred holiday makers from booking lucrative last minute deals, leading to two major profit warnings and talk of a need to raise funds.

The company said it made an underlying loss before interest and tax of 245 million pounds ($315 million) in the six months to March 31, compared with a loss of 65 million pounds in the same period a year earlier, reflecting pressure on margins.

It forecast second-half underlying earnings before interest and tax would be below the same period last year, and that it had agreed a 300 million pound bank facility to provide more liquidity for the 2019/20 Winter season.

"Trading for the Group has been challenging to date, reflecting an uncertain consumer environment which has led to a slower pace of bookings across all markets," it said.

Thomas Cook company said consumer uncertainty from factors such as Brexit was causing competitive pressure, meaning it was having to spend more on promotional activity.

In February, the firm said it was willing to sell its profitable airline business to raise cash to fund its fight back from losses racked up in 2018 and to cope with a tough year ahead.

It said on Thursday it had received multiple bids for all and part of Group Airline, which consists of Germany's Condor, as well as British, Scandinavian and Spanish divisions.

Lufthansa has said it wants to buy Condor with an option to acquire the remaining airlines, while Virgin Atlantic is also reportedly interested in the UK-based long-haul part of the business.

Thomas Cook added it had taken an impairment of 1.1 billion pounds relating to a 2007 merger with MyTravel.

The firm's shares were down 17% during morning trade, reaching their lowest level since November 2012.
The headquarters of the Central Chinese Television (CCTV). Axel Schmidt | DDP | Getty Images

China's state-run media outlets have come out in force this week after keeping relatively quiet in the wake of U.S. President Donald Trump's surprise announcement of tariff increases on Chinese goods. Whether it's the mouthpiece of the Communist Party or the national television broadcaster, the latest commentary exudes confidence about China's ability to stand up to the U.S. That's in contrast to a more muted press in preceding weeks. In an environment of tight government control of what messages are allowed to surface, the shift can shed light into what Chinese leaders are thinking about the drawn out trade negotiations.

"I expect it was ordered by the top leadership to forward the narrative of the U.S. as bully and China as victim," said Scott Kennedy, director for the project on Chinese business and political economy at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. "Putting the talks in broader normative terms gives (Beijing) leverage  'I can't make big concession because my society will be angry'  but it also makes it harder for both sides to dispassionately find common ground," Kennedy added. The world's two largest economies have been embroiled in a trade dispute for more than a year. While Trump has focused on the U.S. trade deficit with China, issues include complaints that Beijing has fostered an uneven playing field with the alleged forced transfer of technology and a lack of intellectual property protections. The two sides appeared close to a deal, until Trump tweeted on Sunday, May 5, Washington time, that tariffs on $200 billion worth of goods imported from China would increase to 25% from 10% that coming Friday. He cited a lack of progress on trade talks, and also threatened 25% tariffs on an additional $325 billion worth of Chinese goods would come "shortly."

Having experienced more than 5,000 years of disturbances, what kind of battle formation have the Chinese people not seen? Kang Hui Chinese television announcer
Dream vs. reality: A rendering of California's high-speed rail project that is supposed to connect San Francisco and Los Angeles

LOS ANGELES  The Federal Railroad Administration announced Thursday that it terminated a 2010 agreement with the California High-Speed Rail Authority and will pull a nearly $929 million federal grant.

In a release, the FRA  part of the U.S. Department of Transportation  said California's rail authority "repeatedly failed to comply with the terms of the FY10 agreement and has failed to make reasonable progress on the project. Additionally, California has abandoned its original vision of a high-speed passenger rail service connecting San Francisco and Los Angeles, which was essential to its applications for FRA grant funding."

In addition, the FRA said it "continues to consider all options regarding the return of $2.5 billion in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds awarded to CHSRA."

In February, President Donald Trump called for California to return $3.5 billion in federal funds for the high-speed rail line planned between San Francisco and Los Angeles. The DOT followed by announcing its intention to cancel $929 million in grant funds awarded previously but not yet paid out.

Trump's call for the return of money followed Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom at his first state of the state address on Feb. 12 announcing a reeling in of the state's high-speed rail project, saying the current plan "would cost too much and take too long." He added, "There simply isn't a path to get from Sacramento to San Diego, let alone from San Francisco to LA."

"The Trump administration's action is illegal and a direct assault on California, our green infrastructure, and the thousands of Central Valley workers who are building this project," Newsom said in a statement Thursday.

The governor added, "Just as we have seen from the Trump administration's attacks on our clean air standards, our immigrant communities and in countless other areas, the Trump administration is trying to exact political retribution on our state. This is California's money, appropriated by Congress, and we will vigorously defend it in court."

Construction is underway on the first leg of the bullet train, a 119-mile section in the state's Central Valley. More than $6 billion has already been spent on the California high-speed rail project.

Back in 2008, California voters approved Proposition 1A, authorizing nearly $10 billion in bond money for the construction of the high-speed rail system. Since the vote, though, the project been plagued by delays and cost overruns.
US President Donald Trump (L) greets Switzerland's President Ueli Maurer before a meeting at the White House on May 16, 2019, in Washington, DC.

Meanwhile, members of Congress blasted the Trump administration for leaving them in the dark about details of the situation with Iran  and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Trump lacks authority to declare war on Iran.

Within hours of Trump making that public comment, The New York Times reported that the president has told acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan that he does not want to go to war with Iran.

That answer to a reporter's question during a photo opportunity at the White House with Swiss President Ueli Maurer came amid growing concern about a conflict between the U.S. and Iran.

President Donald Trump said "hope not" when he was asked Thursday if the United States is going to war with Iran.

"The responsibility in the Congress is for Congress to declare war," said Pelosi, D-Calif.

"So I hope the president's advisors recognize that they have no authorization to go forward in any way. They cannot call the authorization, AUMF, the authorization for the use of military force, that was passed in 2001, as any authorization to go forward in the Middle East now," she said.

"I like what I hear from the president that he has no appetite for this," Pelosi added added. "One of the places that I agree with the president is that both of us in our opposition to the war in Iraq and I hope the same attitude will prevail with the president of the United States even though some of his supporters are rattling sabers."

The Trump administration has sent an aircraft carrier strike group and bombers to the Middle East in response to what it has characterized as "troubling and escalatory indications and warnings" from Iran.

Those indications include a purported threat from Iran against U.S. diplomatic posts in Iraq, as well as worry that Iran is setting the stage to place rocket launchers on ships in the Persian Gulf.

On Wednesday, the U.S. State Department ordered nonemergency government employees to leave the American embassy in Baghdad and the consulate in Erbil.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., a member of the Armed Services Committee, told reporters Thursday: "The American people have been kept in the dark. It is disgraceful and despicable that we're on the verge of war, and the American people are given this kind of confused and chaotic picture of what the situation is on the ground."

Blumenthal said that he and other senators have heard that "we are supposedly going to have a briefing on Tuesday" from the Trump administration about the Iran situation.

But, Blumenthal added, "we're hearing it may be too late because hostilities may have begun or there may be an escalation on the military situation."

That would be "petrifying," he said.

Later Thursday, three sources told NBC News that all senators will be receiving a classified briefing next Tuesday to update them on the situation involving Iran and the Middle East.
The U.K. government said it will make its own decision as to whether to include Huawei technology as it builds out its 5G network. The United States has asked allies to reject Huawei's infrastructure on fears it could open up avenues to Chinese spying, a claim the tech firm has repeatedly rejected. The U.S. has even blacklisted Huawei, among other firms, effectively blocking the company from sourcing components and tech from America. The U.S. Commerce Department said in a statement Wednesday that the move aimed to protect U.S. technology from "foreign-owned entities" that could undermine national security. In response, Huawei said that it is willing to work with U.S. officials to ensure product security.

On Thursday, the U.K.'s Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, Jeremy Wright, told CNBC's Karen Tso that Britain would decide on Huawei equipment after its own review. "The United States has to make its own decisions. We need to make ours," he said, before adding: "The view that we've taken is that it is more sensible to do a properly-based review of the security of the whole telecoms supply chain."
Alibaba Chairman Jack Ma makes speech during 'Back to the Classroom' event as part of the Jack Ma Rural Teacher Award Ceremony on January 13, 2019 in Sanya, Hainan Province of China.

PARIS  Jack Ma, the billionaire founder of Chinese e-commerce titan Alibaba, is worried about Europe.

Why? Because Europe is worried about technology, he says, and is tightening regulations that restrict companies' ability to innovate.

"Everything they do is full with rules and laws," he told attendees at the Viva Technology conference in Paris Thursday. "And everything they think about, they start to worry. When they worry, they make rules and laws."

He said that, when faced with problems, Chinese entrepreneurs "start to solve the problems, then think about rules and laws."

"I worry about Europe," Ma added. "I worry about the worries of Europe. Africa does not worry. Asia does not worry. What are they worried about?"

Ma suggested that this was the reason why Europe has been something of a laggard with respect to tech. The region has not produced massive tech firms in the same way that the U.S. and China has, and is largely seen as falling behind the world's two largest economies on that front.
Walmart on Thursday reported fiscal first-quarter earnings that topped analysts' expectations despite a recent string of investments weighing on margins.

The world's largest retailer said the results put it in a "good position" to achieve its full-year goals, even though it will face tougher comparisons during the second quarter because of weather-related benefits it reaped in 2018.

Walmart's investments  in its supply chain, grocery business and website  appear to be paying off, as sales continue to climb. And its e-commerce revenues are rising at a rapid pace compared with the industry. Still, first-quarter sales fell short of expectations, impacted by currency headwinds, which dragged on its overseas business.

Walmart shares rose more than 3% by Thursday afternoon, with investors applauding the results.

Here's what Walmart reported compared with what analysts were expecting, based on Refinitiv data:

* Earnings per share: $1.13, adjusted, vs. $1.02 expected

* Revenue: $123.93 billion vs. $125.03 billion expected

* U.S. same-store sales: growth of 3.4% vs. increase of 3.3% expected

Walmart has been pouring money into new technology that helps it fulfill online orders faster, grow its massive grocery business, stock shelves with merchandise and even train its employees. Competing with Amazon online, Walmart just this week announced it is starting to roll out next-day delivery across the country for more than 200,000 items, though it didn't disclose exactly how much money it will be spending to do that. That was after Amazon said on April 25 it will be making free, one-day shipping a new perk for Prime members.

"We're continuing our transformation to become more of a digital enterprise," Walmart CEO Doug McMillon said Thursday in a statement.

E-commerce sales grew 37%, boosted by its home and fashion businesses, Walmart said. That was better than online sales growth of 33% a year earlier, but moderated from a 43% increase during the holiday quarter.
BY THE NUMBERS

IN THE NEWS TODAY

STOCKS TO WATCH

XPO Logistics (XPO) investors rejected a shareholder proposal calling for an independent chair, and also approved the logistics company's executive compensation plan. The debate over executive compensation came amid a 50% drop in shares over the past eight months and a profit forecast for 2019 that has been lowered twice. Sony (SNE) announced it would buy back 4.8% of its stock, about $1.8 billion worth, through the end of the current fiscal year next March. Sony had announced its first-ever share buyback plan in February. At Home Group (HOME) remains on watch after jumping 8.2% in Wednesday trading. The jump followed a Reuters report that Kohl's (KSS) approached the home decor retailer about possibly acquiring it. Flowers Foods (FLO) reported adjusted quarterly profit of 32 cents per share, 2 cents above estimates, and the maker of Wonder Bread and other baked products also saw revenue beat forecasts. Higher prices helped overcome slower sales. Dillard's (DDS) beat estimates by 19 cents with quarterly profit of $2.99 per share, with the retailer's revenue in line with forecasts. However, comparable store sales were flat, compared to expectations of a 1.3% increase. KB Home (KBH) was upgraded to "outperform" from "sector perform" at RBC Capital Markets, which pointed to improvements in the home builder's pricing.

WATERCOOLER
As Beijing continues to battle headwinds from the ongoing trade war, one investor is placing a bigger bet on Southeast Asia than China.

From a market perspective, Southeast Asia is proving to be "quite a bit more resilient at the moment," said James Thom, investment director of Asian equities at Aberdeen Standard Investments.

"Whilst there is a second load of fallout from the trade issues between the U.S. and China impacting Southeast Asia, there is also an opportunity," Thom told CNBC's "Street Signs Asia" on Wednesday. "We have been seeing signals of companies relocating supply chains and manufacturing out of China and into some of the Southeast Asian countries."

"We are positioned in favor of Southeast Asia," Thom said. "And we're light in China and in North Asia generally  so (South) Korea, Taiwan."

Beijing on Monday upped the ante in the ongoing trade war when it announced that China would raise tariffs to as high as 25% on more than 5,000 U.S. products starting June 1, a retaliation to Washington's hike in levies last Friday.

The U.S. has said it may impose another raft of duties on an additional $300 billion worth of Chinese goods.
Romania and Hungary are pushing the EU to make it easier for orchard farmers to distil their own fruit brandy, a traditional practice in the east and central Europe that is restricted in the bloc on health grounds.

The former communist states, both of which have clashed with the EU over accusations of undermining civil rights, have taken to describing the right to distil fruit brandy as a fight for freedoms.

At the initiative of Romania, which holds the EU rotating presidency through June, the issue will be discussed by EU finance ministers at a meeting on Friday, just ahead of European parliamentary elections next week.

EU rules now ban distilling at home, although orchard owners who bring their own fruit to distilleries to be made into brandy are allowed to take some home for personal use, paying half the usual rate of excise tax.

Romania, known for its "tuica" plum brandy, wants to lift the ban on home distilling and give countries the option to remove excise tax altogether for brandy produced for the fruit grower's own use.

It is backed by Hungary, whose president Viktor Orban changed Hungary's laws to allow home distilling in 2010 but was forced to backtrack by the EU's top court, which ruled the changes illegal in 2014. Hungarians are known for "palinka", brandy from apricots, plums, cherries, apples or pears.

Fruit growers in Hungary and Romania are already allowed to produce more brandy for personal use, taxed at the lower rate, than in other EU countries, up to 50 litres a year per grower.

A tweak to an EU legislative proposal suggested by Romania would allow countries to charge no tax rather than just lowering it. The personal use threshold would be raised to 100 litres in Romania and Hungary, and 50 litres elsewhere in the EU.

The reform would also legalise home distilleries, a move that would be welcomed by other states, including Austria, officials said. Homemade beers and wines are already legal and duty-free in the bloc.

A Romanian official said the higher ceiling was meant to allow large households in the countryside to produce their own spirits in line with ancient traditions.

The proposal, which needs the backing of all EU states to be approved, is opposed by Germany, Italy, Sweden and Bulgaria, according to an EU document seen by Reuters.

Sofia fears the reform would allow cheaper Romanian brandies to be sold illegally across the border and disrupt local production, a Bulgarian official said.
The Missourians Opinion section is a public forum for the discussion of ideas. The views presented in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Missourian or the University of Missouri. If you would like to contribute to the Opinion page with a response or an original topic of your own, visit our submission form
Sandy Davidson is a professor at the Missouri School of Journalism and a Curators Teaching Professor at MU and is an attorney for the Missourian.
In the grand scheme of things, for an Android enthusiast, Google's Pixel 3a phone really doesn't seem all that electrifying.

And it's no wonder: The Pixel 3a, on its surface, is a lower-end remake of the premium Pixel 3 model that came out last fall. When we have devices showing up that are foldable, poppable, and packing more screens than a TV station's control room (for better or maybe for worse), a decidedly muted midrange model of a phone we already know seems downright mundane.

But you know what? The most important announcements often aren't the most exciting ones. Having lived with and closely considered the Pixel 3a for several days now, I'm more convinced than ever it has the potential to be one of the most significant and impactful announcements to come out of any Google I/O conference  an announcement whose force could be felt and looked back upon for years to come.

The simplest way to understand why is to think back on another unassuming, mundane-seeming phone from several years ago. I'm talking, of course, about the original Moto G.

The Pixel 3a's 2013 connection

Let's bring ourselves back to the summer of 2013 for a second. Tinder and Snapchat were the hot new apps of the moment; "selfie," "phablet," and "emoji" had just been added into the Oxford online dictionary; and countless parents were hearing "Let It Go" for the first of what would be approximately 7.2 million times. (If the song's chorus didn't automatically just start playing in your head, congratulations: You're far more sane than the rest of us.)

[Get fresh tips and insight in your inbox every Friday with JR's Android Intelligence newsletter. Exclusive extras await!]

That same year, Motorola came out with its first phone created entirely under Google's guidance: the original Moto X. (Remember, Google bought Motorola in 2011, but phones are typically under development for a full couple of years before they see the light of day.)

The Moto X, to put it mildly, was a critical darling. Android enthusiasts and professional phone reviewers (myself included) heaped praise upon the phone for its unusual approach, especially for that time, in which specs were de-emphasized and Motorola instead focused on creating a device with an exceptional all-around user experience  one that added thoughtful and genuinely valuable features into the existing Android framework without arbitrarily changing things simply for the sake of change.

To wit: That inaugural Moto X piloted the idea of always-on voice activation "one of the coolest and most useful smartphone innovations to come along in years," as I put it at the time  along with the now-standard notion of having relevant info flash on your screen when the phone isn't actively in use. It introduced an automatic driving detection system before such technology was in any way commonplace and gave phone-owners the opportunity to quite literally design their own devices in a manner we haven't seen attempted since.

And yet, for all its positives and the many factors the phone got right, the Moto X was not, by any accounts, a commercial success. The phone gave Motorola plenty of geek cred and helped set the stage for the kind of company it'd become during that brief Google-owned era  and it certainly gave all of us plenty to talk about  but it didn't rake in much dough or turn Moto into anything close to resembling a major force within the Android ecosystem.

Fast-forward now four months to that same November: In an understated event held in Brazil, Motorola announced a different device called the Moto G (which would come to the U.S., too, a couple weeks later). It wasn't an exciting phone, by any means; it was a lower-end but eerily similar version of the more enticing Moto X.

The Moto G was "technologically boring," as Wired said at the time. And yet, it was "striking just how similar it [was] to the Moto X when you handle[d] it," The Verge noted  going on to say:

Without comparing the two directly, you'd be hard pressed to tell the difference between them. Motorola tells us that this was intentional: The Moto X look is the company's design language, and it isn't concerned with the Moto G distracting customers from its flagship.

There was one immediately noticeable difference between the devices: The Moto G cost a mere $180  roughly half the price of the Moto X, which sold for $380 unlocked at the time of its launch.

The tech world issued a collective yawn, but guess what? While the Moto X failed to make much of a commercial splash, the Moto G was a smash hit. The phone was credited with single-handedly "resurrecting" Motorola in certain markets, driving record phone sales across the globe, and eventually becoming the company's best-selling smartphone ever. As recently as last year, Motorola said it had sold 70 million Moto G devices since that first model's launch and that the phone had served as a key part of the company's long-term success story.

A lot of random-seeming history, I realize, but stick with me: All of this is critically important context for what we're seeing take shape with the Pixel 3a today. Time to zip our way back to the present  with one more quick pit stop along the way.

Pixel 3a parallels

With its first-gen Pixel phone in 2016, Google had a critical darling on its hands. It was a "home run," as The Verge put it  "pure Android at its absolute best," in the words of CNET. And yet, despite similarly glowing reviews for the phone's second-generation model and an ample amount of enthusiasm for 2018's third-gen version, the Pixel has remained a niche product.

It's true that, despite a recent quarter in which Google fell victim to the same sales slump being experienced by almost every phone-maker around the world, the Pixel has been gaining impressive ground and seeing significant growth within the smartphone market  especially when you factor in all the caveats associated with the device. But still, in the big picture, it's but a tiny drop in the bucket of the broader Android ecosystem.

So what did Google do? As seemed inevitable from get-go, it came out with a cheaper model  one that offers the same sort of experience as the regular Pixel but in a less premium package and, oh yes, at roughly half the price.

Using the Pixel 3a doesn't feel like using a "midrange phone"; it feels like using a Pixel

After using the Pixel 3a for roughly a week now, I've been blown away by the parallels between this phone  and the apparent strategy surrounding it  and what we saw six years ago with that first Moto G. Just like the Moto G, the Pixel 3a is strikingly similar to its higher-end sibling. The phone is so similar to the regular Pixel, in fact, that I often can't which is which at a glance and end up grabbing the wrong device by mistake.

More important, though, using the Pixel 3a doesn't feel like using a "midrange phone"; it feels like using a Pixel. The user experience is almost identical across the two devices, from the design language and software all the way down to the outstanding camera  something you certainly don't tend to see in a sub-$400 device. Heck, the 3a's camera is arguably better and more capable than any non-Pixel phone's camera, even in the $800-and-up range.

And, zooming out to an even bigger-picture view, the Pixel 3a comes with the same Pixel-standard guarantee of timely and reliable OS and security updates for a full three years from the device's launch. Compared to the embarrassingly poor post-sales support you get with almost every other Android device these days  even those you pay a thousand dollars to own (and yes, even with Project Treble in the equation)  that's a pretty phenomenal kind of feature to have. And it goes a tremendous way in increasing the phone's value over the time you're likely to own it.

See where this is going? Just as the Moto G brought a previously unheard of level of quality to the budget realm in 2013, the Pixel 3a is bringing the type of user experience you used to be able to get only via a high-priced Pixel phone into the midrange arena. Sure, the phone's plastic exterior is less premium than the regular Pixel's glass-based body  but it certainly doesn't look or feel cheap, and quite frankly, some people may prefer the more durable polycarbonate material to the more easily shattered glass casing. And yes, the 3a's screen and processor are a step down from what's present in its pricier sibling, but lemme tell ya: Unless you're unusually tuned into that type of thing or crazy enough to be doing precise side-by-side comparisons, you aren't gonna give any of that a single ounce of thought.

Back to the Moto G for a moment: In 2013, then-Motorola-CEO (and Google employee) Dennis Woodside said something telling, as paraphrased by The New York Times:

The low-end smartphone's goal is not to be a flashy piece of gadgetry representing the latest innovation. It is an effort by Motorola to return to growth by reaching as many people as possible.

It's true that no one was jumping up and down with excitement when the Moto G first came out  because, yes, it was by most measures a pretty boring phone. But you know what it accomplished? It brought a previously unattainable level of quality to the budget phone domain. From the looks of it, the Pixel 3a could take a page from its playbook and do the exact same thing with the midrange realm  particularly in the areas of camera quality, user experience, and post-sales software support, all three of which are incredibly important parts of the phone-using picture and yet are areas that have remained largely neglected in the midrange market.

There are still plenty of questions to be answered about how the Pixel 3a saga will play out and where exactly Google will go from here. And without a doubt, the biggest variable of all is how well Google itself will manage to sell the 3a's message and convince prospective phone-buyers that it's the right device for them (particularly now that the phone is available on almost all the major U.S. carriers  a privilege the regular Pixel phone hasn't even enjoyed up til now).

If Google figures out how to sell the thing, though, the Pixel 3a has the potential to seriously shake up the midrange Android phone market and go down in history as the company's modern-day Moto G  the affordable product that brought its message to the masses and made it into a serious smartphone player.

The seeds are certainly planted. Now it's up to Google to grow them into something significant.

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[Android Intelligence videos at Computerworld]
India showcases BrahMos at Singapore Expo, eyes South East Asia market

BrahMos Aerospace is showcasing "world's fastest" and the most accurate ever cruise missile at International Maritime Defence Exhibition Asia 2019 (IMDEX Asia 2019) in Singapore, as India eyes South East Asia market for its indigenous weapons and fighter jets.

"A number of South East Asian countries are ready to buy our missiles. It will be our first export and we have received increasing interests in the missiles from the Gulf countries," reports widely quoted Commodore S K Iyer, Chief General Manager at BrahMos Aerospace, as saying at the exhibition which opened on May 14.

A mock up of the future air launched cruise missile BrahMos NG on LCA Tejas showcased at Aero India 2019. Photo courtesy: BrahMos Aerospace

However, Iyer did not name the countries or elaborate the type of missiles that are up for sale, but all indications point to BrahMos and Akash SAM (Surface to Air Missile) for which Vietnam and India are already at an advanced level of talks.

Last March, India showcased its Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas at Langkawi International Maritime & Aerospace Exhibition or LIMA'19 in Malaysia as Kuala Lumpur scouts for fighter jets in the market near home. As a reciprocal measure, Malaysia intends to cut defence imports from European Union which has restricted palm oil imports on the environmental concerns such as rapid plantation of palm trees by felling the lowland Malaysian forests, the only known home to the Great Asian Ape orang-utan which now faces extinction.

New Delhi is keen to move in the South East Asian market where demand has been fuelled among the smaller nations wary of China's military power projection and base construction activity in the South China Sea.

Lauding the speech of Singapore Defence Minister Dr Ng Eng Hen at the opening of IMDEX 2019, Indian High Commissioner to Singapore Jawed Ashraf said he was "pleased to join Deputy Chief of Naval Staff [M S Pawar] on the tour of the exhibition, including our own BrahMos and Larsen and Toubro."

Meanwhile, Indian Navy's INS Kolkata and INS Shakti also arrived on the Singapore coast to participate in the IMDEX 2019 and 26th annual bilateral exercise SIMBEX 2019.

Indian Navy's INS Kolkata and INS Shakti arrive in Singapore to participate in the IMDEX 2019 and 26th annual bilateral exercise SIMBEX 2019. Photo courtesy: Indian Ministry of Defence

"Regular participation by the Indian Navy in the IMDEX and SIMBEX reflects the importance India attaches to the exercises and the broader strategic partnership with Singapore, and it also reaffirms our Act East Policy. India is also represented by leading engineering and shipbuilding firm Larsen & Toubro, and BrahMos which makes state of the art air, sea and ground-launch cruise missiles," a statement from the High Commission of India in Singapore said.

INS Kolkata is an advanced stealth destroyer capable of engaging multiple threats from the air, sea and underwater, and has been designed and built in India. INS Shakti is a fleet support ship to provide fuel, provisions and munitions to warships at sea.

Following IMDEX, Indian Naval ships together with an Indian Navy aircraft P8I will participate in the 26th edition of SIMBEX scheduled from May 16 to 22, 2019 which is the longest uninterrupted naval exercise that India has with any other country. The 26th SIMBEX is taking place six months after the last edition which took place in the Andaman Sea and Bay of Bengal from November 11 to 21, 2018 and involved live weapon firings and complex military manoeuvres including those of aircraft and submarines.

SMS Defence Heng Chee How, accompanied by High Commissioner Jawed Ashraf and DCNS Vice Admiral MS Pawar visited INS Kolkata on 15 May 19 during IMDEX-19. pic.twitter.com/qEMjnCymxi  India in Singapore (@IndiainSingapor) May 16, 2019

The Indian Army and the Singapore Army recently also held their 12th edition of the Annual Exercise Bold Kurukshetra, an annual joint training exercise for Armoured Units from April 8-12, 2019, at the Indian Army training facility at Babina in Uttar Pradesh. Air Forces of both countries will also exercise together later this year in India.

"India and Singapore share a strong and rapidly growing defence relation which is the key pillar of India Singapore strategic partnership based on deep mutual trust and goodwill and shared interest in rules-based order, maritime security and an open, inclusive and peaceful Indo-Pacific region. Our defence relations include annual ministerial dialogue, Secretary level defence policy dialogue, Staff talks between the three wings of the armed forces, mutual logistics support, regular exercises and exchange of ship visits," the statement added.

Full scale model of BrahMos air launched cruise missile integrated with the Su-30MKI fighter aircraft on static display at Aero india 2019. Photo courtesy: BrahMos Aerospace

On November 22, 2017, IAF created a history of sorts by successfully firing the BrahMos air version anti-ship missile from its frontline Su-30 MKI fighter aircraft off the Eastern Coast. The launch from the aircraft was smooth and the missile followed the desired trajectory before directly hitting the ship target.

The crew successfully tested the 2.5-ton supersonic cruise missile with a range of 400 km plus. The IAF is the first Air Force in the world to have successfully fired an air-launched 2.8 Mach surface attack missile of this category. The integration BrahMos on the aircraft is a very complex process involving mechanical, electrical and software modifications on aircraft.

The BrahMos missile provides Indian Air Force with a much-desired capability to strike from large stand-off ranges on any target be in sea or land with pinpoint accuracy by day or night and in all weather conditions. The capability of the missile coupled with the superlative performance of the Su-30 aircraft gives the IAF a strategic reach and allows it to dominate the ocean and the battlefields.
Singapore business summit involves envoys from 18 countries; HCI Jawed Ashraf to deliver keynote speech

Singapore-based publishing company Sun Media will commemorate its 20th anniversary with a multinational investment conference on May 22 at the Fullerton Hotel.

The World Opportunities Forum (WOF) will see 18 countries represented by their ambassadors and high commissioners present the latest on business opportunities, policies, and next steps for investments. This is the first time that the diplomats will collectively present information to CEOs, SMEs, entrepreneurs and investors, reflecting the event objective of using Singapore as a hub to Create, Connect and Cross invest.

HE Jawed Ashraf, High Commissioner of India, Singapore, has always highlighted the potential and desire for partnership between India and Singapore. As at the Inspreneur Summit last year, he will be speaking on investment opportunities in India at the WOF. Photo: Connected to India

According to HE Jawed Ashraf, Indian High Commissioner to Singapore and WOF Panelist, Singapore is an ideal place to hold this event as it is one of the most globally integrated and open countries in the world and therefore, the Forum presents both opportunities around the world as well as opportunities to advance economic relations in this region.

He will be the main speaker in the Keynote Session of the forum on 'India presents opportunities in the age of disruption'.

The WOF is presented by Sun Media Pte Ltd to commemorate its 20th year as a custom publishing house that specialises in creating newsletters, magazines and content. Sun Media has worked with more than 50 foreign diplomatic missions in Singapore and the region since 1999. It is supported by Enterprise Singapore, the Singapore Manufacturing Federation and the Singapore Business Federation. While contemplating how to celebrate this milestone, we zeroed into something that has remained consistent and constant in all the countries we have been promoting, and that is, attracting the investment dollar. Investment binds nations, businesses, people and changes lives, said Nomita Dhar, Managing Director of Sun Media.

Nomita Dhar, Managing Director of Sun Media. Photo courtesy: Sun Media

The publisher and Editor-In-Chief based in Singapore added that the forum is a means to find ways to Connect, Create and Cross invest for a larger good in todays world of disruption.

India is the Partner Country for the Forum and the other participating countries are Argentina, Brazil, Egypt, Finland, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Nigeria, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Russia, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Asia Europe Foundation. Together, they will present valuable market intelligence and insiders information.

We think that the Forum is going to bring opportunities in Saudi Arabia for Singaporeans who are interested in investing and doing business or having projects over there. We are going to talk about these projects and opportunities in the Forum, said HE Saad Saleh I Alsaleh, Ambassador of Saudi Arabia to Singapore, who will be taking part in the session on Saudi Arabia's 'Vision 2030 & Next Steps for Investors'.

The envoy added that his country is hoping to see more businessmen and women and companies coming and sharing their views about what they are hoping to see in Saudi Arabia and also what they are willing to do for the country.

HE Saad Saleh I Alsaleh, Ambassador of Saudi Arabia to Singapore. Photo courtesy: Sun Media

The tailor-made sessions on the countries will focus on the Investment Climate, Policy & Projects and The Next Steps, making accessible, a unique platform where diplomats, policymakers, CEOs, entrepreneurs, innovators and thought leaders will come together to create opportunities for growth.

V Srivathsan, Managing Director/ CEO, Africa & Middle East, Olam International, will be speaking in a panel discussion on 'Africa, the next Investment Frontier' involving representatives from Egypt, Nigeria, Rwanda and South Africa and Singapore companies.

Connecting and Cross investing is the hot topic of the day, and we at Olam are very excited to participate and support this forum. Personally, I am looking forward to hearing the various speakers and also share my two bits in my panel, he said.

V Srivathsan, Managing Director/ CEO, Africa & Middle East, Olam International. Photo courtesy: Sun Media

The Guest of Honour for the event is Mr Douglas Foo, president of Singapore Manufacturing Federation and Nominated Member of Parliament. The sessions will be moderated by Ambassador Ong Keng Yong, Executive Deputy Chairman, Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Mr Johan Burger, Africa Specialist & Lecturer in African Studies (Singapore and South Africa), Mr Vikram Khanna, Associate Editor, The Straits Times, Mr Rahul Pathak, Associate Editor, The Straits Times, Mr Shivaji Das, MD & Partner, Frost & Sullivan, Asia Pacific and Mr Syed Mohamad Alsagoff, Middle East Specialist & Partner-Yamako Pacific & IConsilium Pte Ltd.

Ambassador Ong Keng Yong. Photo courtesy: Sun Media

Ambassador Ong said, It is an event to zero in on potential prospects and, moving forward, this Forum can be an avenue to create more than what we have today.

Ambassadors and high commissioners from 18 countries will present the latest business opportunities for investments to companies and entrepreneurs at the forum.

World Opportunities Forum

Date: Wednesday, May 22, 2019

Time: 8:30 AM  5:00 PM

Venue: The Fullerton Hotel, Ballroom 1, Singapore
Holly Whitbread: We must not let disenchantment with national politics open the doors to extremists

Cllr Holly Whitbread is an Epping Forest District councillor and currently works as a parliamentary researcher.

As the dust settles on local elections, many Conservative councillors will be licking their wounds. The results were disheartening for Conservatives across the county. The many losses were largely down to national politics, which were out of the control of hard-working councillors and candidates.

What is clear is that this disappointing result is a reflection of frustration and disenchantment with the national picture and politics more broadly. Our core vote failed to turn out to support us, and some voted against the Conservatives in protest. Many historically Conservative voters told us on the doorstep that they would never vote Conservative again or that they would not vote Conservative again until Brexit was delivered.

An unprecedented number of ballot papers were destroyed in this local election. Many brandished the words none of the above or simply had Brexit boldly written upon them.

In Epping Forest, after an extremely hard-fought campaign, we were lucky, to somewhat buck the national trend. Whilst individual Conservative majorities were slashed, overall we only lost three seats. Therefore, we managed to retain a large majority on the District Council.

However, where we did lose seats it was certainly symptomatic of the collapse of our core vote. Where majorities were slashed, smaller and more independently minded parties were snapping at our heels. As disappointed as we were to see the victory of Liberal Democrats and the Green Party, one dark cloud hovered over the Epping Forest count  the election of a For Britain Movement Candidate.

Julian Leppert was a former councillor for the British National Party in Redbridge. He took the Waltham Abbey Paternoster seat from a long-serving Conservative Councillor. Winning by less than 100 votes.

The For Britain Movement, is a far right, fascist group. It has previously received the endorsement of Tommy Robinson. It is led and was established by far-right political activist, Anne Marie Waters, who cried tears of joy at her partys victory in Epping Forest. Ms Waters was labelled too extreme by her former party, UKIP. For Britains principle policies centre around anti-Islamic sentiment. The newly elected Cllr Leppert previously made headlines for driving a car with a Nazi number plate.

This toxic form of politics has no place on the benches of our town halls and civic offices. The battle is now on to ensure that our local authorities are not polluted with any more extremists.

We cannot let extremists, like For Britain have any route into any form of power or any platform.

On a local, grassroots level, we must start campaigning now, and asking local residents, what can these people achieve for your community? Their only purpose is to whip up hatred and chaos.

On the ground, we must expose what this far-right political movement actually believes in. We must ensure people understand what they are voting for when they vote for this group and the wider political implications that this may have.

In Epping Forest, we have had BNP councillors previously in Debden. We eventually saw them off by exposing their record of inaction for the communities they were elected to represent.

On a national level, this election, and the collapse of our core vote, raises questions and should act as a catapult for politicians to deliver Brexit, as the people were promised. People need to be able to believe in our democratic systems.

It is clear that For Britain used the fact that Brexit had not been delivered to attract the politically homeless. Their slogan of forgotten people in their literature painted a misguided, yet powerful narrative. It played on peoples emotions and vulnerability. Not all of those people who voted for For Britain will be extremists, indeed, this may have been a blind protest. However, we must stem the growth of this dangerous group by exposing them for what they are. And we must deliver Brexit so as not to further aggravate this delicate political climate which we are currently living through.
Fiyaz Mughal is the Founder and Director of Faith Matters and was the Founder of Tell MAMA, the national anti-Muslim hate monitoring service.

There is little that I can disagree with in Mohammed Amins articleon this site arlier this week about the state of anti-Muslim prejudice  and the impacts on the Conservative Party and its reputation. However, perhaps I can provide some further context on why and how the Conservatives have found themselves in a dire position in which they are being buffeted by charges of anti-Muslim hatred and racism, which is being levelled at some candidates and councillors and, as Amin suggests, occasionally at senior Tory MPs such as Boris Johnson.

I have met with the Conservative Party Chairman twice. Brandon Lewis genuinely cares about the need to tackle all forms of intolerance, including anti-Muslim hate. I have found him to be personable, and with a strong desire to tackle charges of anti-Muslim hatred that are levelled against Party members, though he has found himself having to work with local associations resistant to change or any sense of imposition from the Central Party, as well as Party rules that are archaic and blunt in dealing with complaints. On the latter, Lewis has taken direct control of the suspension and expulsion of Party members, though this required some rule changes, which in turn meant that the Party was viewed as dragging its heels when complaints were initially made.

Nonetheless, the management of charges of Islamophobia or anti-Muslim bigotry have been handled poorly, and have induced self-inflicted wounds by the Conservatives which need not have happened. It is evidently clear that the Conservatives have chosen to handle issues internally  even when advice which I and others have given to them is to get independent groups to look at the systems and processes of affected local associations to review what works and what doesnt. The Party machinery have listened, and then carried on being protective and internalised in their handling of issues, thereby disregarding the very principle that if you are not transparent, then the public will not trust what you say even when it may be true.

Next, the problems of Islamophobia within the Conservative Party do not compare to the systemic issues of antisemitism that traverse up and down the Labour Party. On the basis of numbers, complaints and the scale of the issue, the two issues within the two political parties do not match up. But this does not give the Conservatives a free pass, since they need to wake up to the fact that the public are increasingly seeing the two issues on a par with each other. This goes back to the issue of a lack of transparency by the Conservative Party machinery which has created a fog through which people have started to make the assumption that there is something to hide.

Poor communications by the Conservatives is nothing new though. If you look at the Blair years, which many of us regarded as the most socially liberal Government in the last two decades, nothing was achieved in terms of setting up systems to monitor anti-Muslim hatred or in challenging it. The Conservatives have achieved this, beginning with the previous Coalition Government in partnership with the Liberal Democrats, which supported work on monitoring anti-Muslim hate and in highlighting the massacres of Muslims in Srebrenica.

It has been this Conservative Government that pushed for all police forces to have an Islamophobic monitoring flag in hate crimes, and it was a Conservative Government that amended and altered the Prevent strategy, so that it was not just exclusively focussed on Muslim communities, which it had been when it was developed and implemented by Labour through the Preventing Violent Extremism programme.

It has also been this Government that has set up a scheme for faith institutions, such as mosques, to get access to capital funds for their security. Yet if you listen to young Muslims, you would think that the Conservatives are literally, working against them. This is truly bizarre  though you cant blame the public because public messaging by the Conservatives has been so poor and so haphazard. Furthermore, the Conservatives find it very difficult to talk about or effectively handle issues of race, religion or culture, and this inaction is publicly seen as being some form of guilt or that charges laid against the Party must be true.

The only way that the Conservatives are going to get out of this self-inflicted disaster is to 

Acknowledge there is a problem with anti-Muslim prejudice among some of their members, and that local associations will be provided with training on how to handle issues of bigotry and prejudice, and by recognising what it looks and sounds like in relation to communities.

Arrange for dip tests to take place in local associations on the types of complaints they have received, and the way that they have handled complaints around diversity, bigotry and prejudice.

Ensure that any diversity champions in Associations have the relevant support to be able to be critical friends when they need to be.

Take a zero tolerance approach to racism and prejudice. This does not mean having a revolving door policy of suspending and re-instating people without clear reasons that are listed on the Party web-site. The public need to be told why someone is being re-instated and in the end, a political party rises and fall on the issue of public confidence.

Communicate its successes in working with black and minority ethnic communities and

Develop a code of conduct that reflects comments made on digital platforms, and discuss the possible ramifications for people who transgress it. This needs to be circulated to all members so that they are aware of any changes.

These are some initial steps that the Party shou;d take and they must do so immediately. That however, will not be the end of the matter. It is a start of a process to ensure that the Conservatives reflect a modern Britain, one which is proud and confident of its pluralism and diversity. Failure to do so and the continued lack of transparency only means that the Islamophobia charges against the Party will become a shadow that come to haunt it for years.
Tom McLaren is a Conservative Councillor for Brentwood Borough Council, and number 4 on the Conservative Party list for the Eastern Region in the upcoming European Elections.

I once sat down with a new British citizen who was considering her first ever vote, and helped her look through the available options.

In the interests of fairness we looked at all the parties on offer in alphabetical order, and I quickly found myself having to carefully explain why acting in the national interest didnt necessarily mean what she thought it did when it came from the BNP. Believing party manifestos is a dangerous game.

Nonetheless, on the single key issue of the upcoming European elections, we should expect our main political parties to deliver a straightforward, deliverable, commitment  either leaving the European Union (Conservatives), or overturning the referendum result (Liberal Democrats). And indeed each party has very clearly set out their stall on this key issue  all, that is, except Labour.

Labours standard position on Brexit, particularly on the chances of a Peoples Vote, has typically depended on what day of the week it was and who you were asking. Indeed, just this week Keir Starmer and Tom Watson have made contradictory statements, the former seeking a confirmatory referendum under any circumstances, the latter seemingly ruling it out in certain circumstances. Bizarrely, this chimeric policy of being all things to all people seems to have worked to date.

Of course, any such positioning can only last so long, as eventually a party has to put their policy into words via a manifesto, and it would seem fortunate then that Labour has indeed published a Euro manifesto to which we can refer. Yet even here they have attempted to fudge the issue, with a choice of words that tries offer something to everyone.

Labours manifesto says that they oppose the negotiated withdrawal agreement, oppose no deal, and will push for their own deal (whatever that means) or a general election. Should none of that be possible, they will back a second referendum. With me so far?

The implication of this is that a second referendum is a last option, and Leavers are safe in voting Labour. The truth, however, falls some way short of their mealy-mouthed manifesto promises. Let me explain.

As confirmed in the manifesto, Labour opposes both the Withdrawal Agreement and no deal. In addition, and despite the Prime Ministers efforts, it seems likely that The House of Commons will not support any kind of Labour deal, either as a cross-party amendment to the Withdrawal Agreement or as some kind of customs union lite. This leaves Jeremy Corbyn pushing for a general election, with a second referendum as a fallback position.

Lets imagine that, with the momentum they generate by finishing second in the European elections, Labour not only get their general election but manage to win it. The EU will be rubbing their hands at that prospect, as Labours compromised position on Brexit will give the EU very little incentive to negotiate a new or revised withdrawal agreement. Coming into these new talks Michel Barnier will know that the harder the negotiations, the higher the probability that Labours fallback position of a new vote will become a reality. The talks will be short and robust, with the terms on offer so unpalatable that a second referendum will be almost certain.

Of course, in the situation where Labour get their general election and lose, then their position must logically shift to backing a new referendum, whilst a minority Labour government would see a deal with the SNP, and their almost fanatical belief in making people voting until they get the answer they want.

Of course, taking the Labour Partys manifesto at its word with regards to Brexit is a dangerous game  even more so when those words are specifically designed to try and hold together a fragile truce between two sides of the party with little regard for the national interest. One thing is, however clear: no matter the outcome of the current negotiations between the Conservatives and Labour, or indeed the European elections, the probability of a second referendum under Labour is greatly undervalued.

In attempting to straddle both sides of the argument, their ill-advised policy fudge has clearly and significantly increased the probability of a Peoples Vote, and served to highlight the fact that there is only one party which has both the ability and the desire to deliver Brexit  the Conservative Party.
Once May has been dragged out of Downing Street, perhaps it will be seen that she was pursuing a noble Anglican compromise

In just over three weeks time, if she lasts that long, Theresa May will have remained in office for two full years since the general election which she so unfortunately arranged to be held on 8th June 2017.

When asked what is going to happen next in British politics, I generally reply that all my recent predictions have been wrong. Like the Prime Minister, I thought the Conservatives would end up with a much bigger majority at that election.

The party instead lost the slim overall majority it had gained under David Camerons leadership in 2015. It found itself with 13 fewer seats, while Labour under the despised Jeremy Corbyn had gained 30 seats. The Conservatives had increased their share of the vote, but here too Labour had gained more.

Could May carry on after such a grievous blow? She cobbled up a deal with the ten Democratic Unionists, which in the short term meant she could stay in office, but she was now vulnerable to even a minor parliamentary rebellion.

In October 2017 I had to reach some sort of provisional verdict about how long she was going to survive, because the deadline had arrived for the account of her which I was writing for my book, Gimsons Prime Ministers: Brief Lives from Walpole to May.

My view was that she would probably be gone within the month, so I warned the publishers that we might well need at the last moment to replace, with the news that she had been overthrown or had found the burden too heavy to bear, my final paragraphs, which began by touching on the impact of the 2017 general election result:

This was a heavy blow to Mays authority over her own party. Her imperious manner began to seem like the self-defence mechanism of a limited woman, and Cabinet ministers started to squabble openly between themselves. Since the party was far from agreed on who to replace her with, and afraid of having to fight another general election, and each faction feared it might end up with someone less amenable to pressure than May, it decided she should nevertheless be given the chance to struggle on, and to try to cope with the complexities of Brexit. At the party conference held in Manchester in the autumn of 2017, she tried to regain the initiative, but instead advertised her vulnerability by grinding repeatedly to a halt during her own speech, overcome by fits of coughing. She evoked pity rather than respect, and it seemed unlikely she could continue for long to sustain the burden of high office. Even sooner than most of her predecessors, May had demonstrated the precarious and transitory nature of a tenancy at 10 Downing Street.

Yet here she is in May 2019, still in Downing Street. Conventional opinion holds that she is on her way out, and will very soon be gone.

But conventional opinion has been wrong before. She possesses far greater tenacity than most of us realised: a characteristic shown also in her long tenure of the Home Office.

May, in short, has been underestimated. Condescending men, a category in which I include myself, neither predicted until very shortly before the event that she was going to become Prime Minister, nor understood her power to hold on to that office.

Her professionalism is discounted. Because her answers are boring, they are dismissed as useless. That is seldom the case. She is a good judge of what it is safe to say on any given topic.

If she did not possess that judgment, we would condemn her as a loose cannon. Once the conventional judges have taken against someone, they can generally find the supporting evidence, even if what actually sways them is the opinion of people exactly like themselves.

The conventional judges took against Corbyn. They decided he was useless, so were surprised by his ability in the 2017 election to appeal to the wider public.

Corbyn conducts himself according to a socialist creed which is regarded as hopelessly out of date, and indeed hopelessly unrealistic in the first place, by most people who write about him.

This week, at Prime Ministers Questions, he accused the Government of being in the pockets of an elite few. He engaged in old-fashioned class warfare. This kind of appeal could turn out to be less unpopular than well-paid pundits would like it to be.

May conducts herself according to an Anglican creed which is regarded, by those same pundits, as hopelessly out of date, and indeed hopelessly unrealistic in the first place.

I would guess she emerges refreshed from her Sunday devotions in a way few of them can even imagine. There, in plain sight, for how often has she been photographed coming out of church, is one of the main reasons for her resilience.

She is not just dependent on party politics. Her faith gives her strength. So does the whole idea of duty with which she was brought up. She knows you do not just give up just because something is difficult and painful and you seem to be getting nowhere.

If you have not been brought up to believe this, it is almost impossible to understand, or at least to convey to others, especially if, like May, you have no real gift of language (there comes the male condescension breaking in again).

At Cabinet this week, May spoke of the need for compromise. That is a quintessentially Anglican idea: the national Church saw the need to unite the country round a compromise which can be regarded, according to taste, as either Catholic or Protestant, or indeed as both.

Dogmatists of both persuasions threw up their hands in horror, which is what has happened during Brexit. Nothing is pure enough to satisfy the most dogmatic Leavers and Remainers ideas of purity.

So it is not difficult to find a stick, or indeed two sticks, with which to beat the Prime Minister.

I had not expected, when I started this article, to end up defending her. For I am a conventional person, and accept the conventional verdict that she is finished.

But once she has been dragged out of Downing Street, perhaps it will be seen that her deal, her compromise, was not so bad after all. She has tried to hold us together through difficult times, and that is a noble endeavour.
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Prof Aryeeteys reflections on the controversial decision:

Gandhi

Some dissent

The issue of racism

In December 2018, a statue of Mahatma Gandhi was removed from the University of Ghanas campus in response to protests from students and staff. They argued that Gandhi was a racist who denigrated black Africans. Here, Professor Ernest Aryeetey, who was the universitys Vice-Chancellor when the statue was erected, he explains why the university under him made the decision to accept the statue, a gift from the Government of India in 2016. Currently Professor of Economics, University of Ghana, Aryeetey suggests , in an article in a prominent US e-journal The Conversation, that though Gandhi, when in South Africa as a young lawyer, did make very racist remarks during his campaign, he significantly changed over time when he came face to face with the Indian caste system. Not without reason, Nelson Mandela as also Ghanas own Kwame Nkrumah learned from Gandhi.I received a request in early 2016 through my secretary that the Indian High Commissioner would like to come and see me. We knew each other quite well from several events at which wed met. When he came, he indicated that the President of India was going to pay a state visit to Ghana, and wanted to visit our university.He also informed me that it was customary for the President to make a presentation to the people of any country he visited. Traditionally, this had been a statue of Mahatma Gandhi, world famous for his role as the father and architect of Indian independence in 1947. My first thought was, Is the President going to carry a statue all the way from New Delhi to Accra? The answer was yes.The High Commissioner informed me that the visit and the gift had already been discussed and agreed with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Office of the President of Ghana. We ended the meeting with me assuring him that we would think about it and get back to him.I used the time to read quite a bit about Gandhi and came to understand better what he stood for.I learned that he was 23 years old when he went to South Africa and lived there for many years. I read things attributed to him that were undoubtedly racist under any circumstance.I read how he referred to blacks as kaffirs in some of his early writings and immediately remembered that derogatory expression from my reading of the Christian leader Prester John at school. It was obvious to me that in the early days, he saw his fight to liberate Indians from oppressive laws imposed by white men, as being different from that of the struggle of the black man.I also read that he later joined hands with some black groups to resist white oppression. As I read more and more about him, I couldnt help seeing that the Gandhi that came to the attention of the world in the 1930s and 1940s, and gave the British Empire so many headaches, was very different from the young lawyer who had arrived in South Africa a few years after leaving the UK.I understood that Gandhi was celebrated for the things he taught the world in his later years, through his writings, ideas and lifestyle. He was celebrated for seeking peace for all the peoples of the world.Having understood the context of Gandhis fame and renown, I had no difficulty in informing a meeting of the senior management of the university that I thought we should accept the request. There was some resistance, but ultimately the meeting decided that the statue was acceptable to the university. It was to be located at the recreational quadrangle behind the Balme Library.A couple of weeks after the Presidents visit and the statues unveiling, I saw an email on the universitys mail system questioning the appropriateness of having the statue of Gandhi on the campus. The main argument was that Gandhi was racist. A few others responded, echoing this belief.Rather uncharacteristically, I decided to respond. I knew full well how such misinformation could get out of hand. I had also experienced first-hand at South Africas University of Cape Town how the Rhodes must fall campaign had been hijacked by self-seekers.So I wrote a carefully crafted response on the intranet, and also indicated to the authors of the misinformation that I was ready to debate them. It was obvious that they were not used to debates, even though they were on a university campus. They were used to sending out poor opinions and no one questioning them. After my intervention the misinformation fizzled out.I completed my term as Vice-Chancellor in July 2016. Weeks later, the issue flared up again and the statue was ultimately removed.There is still no doubt whatsoever in my mind that the University of Ghana had the authority to take the decision it did to accept and erect the statue. The proper procedures were followed. And the countrys government fully endorsed our actions.I have come to view the experiences of Gandhi as very similar to the transformation of Saul into Paul in the Bible . Once I accept the conversion of Paul, I can very easily forgive the early Gandhi. There are no explicit accounts of a transformation like Sauls, but the tone of Gandhis writings changed significantly over time.The young lawyer made what I would easily describe as very racist remarks in his campaign to gain more rights for the Indian in South Africa. He showed very little interest in the affliction of the black man and believed that the black mans fight was different from that of Indians.When he left South Africa and returned to India, and came face to face with the Indian caste system, he saw it as being as dehumanising as what Indians and black people went through in South Africa. He found the poor Indian to be not any better off than the Indians in South Africa.In his writings about self-government and independence, he emphasised peaceful coexistence with all races. He spent time teaching people how to resist oppression in a peaceful way. It is this pursuit of peaceful coexistence of the races that caught the worlds respect and attention. This is what attracted Martin Luther King to his ideas. It is this same ideal that he shared with Nelson Mandela. Indeed, this is what inspired Ghanas own Kwame Nkrumah to speak about what he learned from Gandhi.
2 A Star Is Born Hints At The Depressing Ending Right From The Start

One of the biggest moments of the 2018 A Star Is Born is its bummer of an ending. Like the roughly 50,000 other versions of the story, the movie ends with its male lead (in this case, Bradley Cooper's Jackson Maine) committing suicide. While most of the other variations on his character opted for drowning, he hangs himself in his garage. It's a shocking end, unless you were paying attention to the background. (Or had seen one of the other A Star Is Borns.)

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At the beginning of the movie, Jackson is being driven around town looking for a bar to satiate his drinking problem and keep his voice a full octave lower than it should be. At one point the car stops next to an electronic billboard, which is oddly filled with a row of nooses against a rainbow flag.

Warner Bros. Pictures "We need a new ad that really brings in the customers. Something that says 'inclusive' but also 'auto-erotic asphyxiation club.'"

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In retrospect, silhouetting Maine against an image of nooses isn't exactly subtle. As for the rainbow motif, that may symbolize his future wife Allie, who sings "Somewhere Over The Rainbow" during the opening credits. If only it was a different billboard. Perhaps his destiny would have merely involved a trip to Arby's, which would have been (marginally) less depressing.
The MS Magellan has been hit with a 700,000 NOK (approx. $80,000 USD) for allegedly violating fuel sulphur limits in the world heritage fjords. The fine was issued by the Norwegian Maritime Authority (NMA).

On March 1, new environmental requirements for emissions and discharges in the world heritage fjords the Nryfjord, Aurlandsfjord, Geirangerfjord, Sunnylvsfjord and Tafjord entered into force.

The NMA said it had received notes of concern about smoke emissions from the Magellan, which was berthed in Flam. These were followed up by an inspection onboard when the ship arrived at Geiranger the next day. The NMA surveyors measured the sulphur content of the ships fuel to be 0.17 %. In the world heritage fjords, the maximum allowed sulphur content is 0.10 %, according to a statement.

Tracking of the vessel's AIS signal shows that the vessel made ports of call at both Eidfjord and Flam in the days preceding the port of call at Geiranger.

Both of these ports are located within the North Sea ECA. The ship came to Eidfjord from Tilbury in the UK, where it left port on April 13.

Our documentation shows that the ships had entered two world heritage fjords with sulphur values far beyond the legal limit values, said Bjrn Pedersen, Head of Department of Legislation and International Relations in the NMA.

The NMA also said: The extent of the violation is significant in this case, where a ship has sailed a considerable distance within the emission control area using a fuel with an excessive sulphur content. Furthermore, as an aggravating factor, emphasis is put on the fact that the new rules concerning the world heritage fjords were violated. Overall, this implies that violation fines at a historic high level are imposed on the company.
Coral Expeditions is building a sister ship to the recently launched Coral Adventurer. The new vessel, the Coral Geographer, is under construction at VARD in Vietnam, according Paul Chacko, managing director of the Australian expedition brand.

Delivery is scheduled for December 2020, Chacko told Cruise Industry News.

By 2021, Coral Expeditions will transition to a modern, all blue-water fleet of highly capable expedition ships, he noted.

The company welcomed its new 120-guest ship, the Coral Adventurer, in April, taking delivery on April 1, with a first cruise departing from Singapore on April 24.

The newbuild joins the companys existing three-ship fleet, including the 72-guest Coral Discoverer, 46-guest Coral Expeditions I and 42-guest Coral Expeditions II.

The Coral Adventurer, built at VARD in Vietnam, was ready ahead of its delivery date.

Built for 120 guests, the Coral Adventurer is the biggest ship in the companys fleet, but the guest number was said to be the perfect balance, based on deployment and the guest experience.

Also playing a part are the Xplorer boats, the companys unique tenders. The fast boats can each take 60 guests and five expedition team members, and sail at speeds over 20 knots. The open air boats feature bathrooms, comfortable seating and refreshments aboard. Guests board the smaller boats on the main deck of Corals cruise vessels, and the boats are then are lowered in the water via a complex hydraulic system.

The Coral Adventurer was built with a shallow draft for its South Pacific and Australia deployment profile, as well as with 1,000 square meters of open deck space including a wrap-around promenade deck with panoramic views.

Guests can look forward to an intimate experience aboard the newbuild, even including engine room tours. There is also the Navigator lounge adjacent to the bridge which gives passengers a glimpse at ship operations.

Single seating dining includes a communal wine table, while the galley is of the showcase variety, allowing guests to view the chefs in action.
Adonis today announced that is has partnered with Mystic Cruises to implement the complete Adonis Maritime Suite to manage recruitment, crewing, payroll and crew self-service across their entire new fleet of expedition vessels.

Mystic will launch their first ocean ship, the World Explorer, this year and five more ships are set to follow, according to the cruise ship orderbook.

We are honoured to partner with Mystic Cruises and look forward to providing their organization with comprehensive HR support, allowing them to focus on making their tours of Antarctica such memorable experiences,  said Sigrid Kviteberg, Delivery Director at Adonis. Our partnership with Mystic is the most recent in a series of new contracts with expedition cruise lines, further underscoring the value our Maritime HR Suite and confirming our leadership within this segment of the maritime industry.

Mystic Cruises is focused on creating memorable experiences for our guests aboard our cruises, be they in the Antarctica or the Norwegian Fjords. explained Mario Ferreira, CEO of Mystic Cruises, For that we need a highly skilled and motivated crew, and that is only possible if we can properly manage them, offering the best conditions and opportunities to develop a career in the cruise industry with our company. We looked at different softwares and we quickly realized that Adonis was the right partner for our operation."

David Sagrista, operations manager, Mystic, said: "To be able to be the best in a competitive industry such as the expedition cruises segment, you need to have the proper tools available in the market. For us Adonis Maritime HR Suite offers the perfect expertise and flexibility we need to ensure that we can do a great job at sea and in our corporate offices. Thanks to Adonis we can streamline our processes between our ships and offices, comply with maritime rules around the world, control our multinational crew payroll and effectively manage crew turnarounds and time cards, allowing us to be cost efficient and focused in this area which is extremely important to the company success."
The innovative capabilities of technology  as well as the potency of that technology  are advancing at a remarkable pace, creating new possibilities in todays digital economy. This is mostly wonderful, with one large caveat: we must keep in mind that just because we have the ability to deploy a new technological innovation does not mean that we should. The need to prioritize digital ethics is becoming increasingly important for all organizations that are mindful about the imprint that they are leaving on society.

The transformative ways in which new technologies  particularly artificial intelligence  are being utilized call for deeper discussions around the ethical considerations of these deployments. Depending on the organization and its level of ambition for implementing these technologies, that might even include the need for a chief ethics officer to ensure these issues receive appropriate attention at high levels of the organization.

Not every organization will have the need or the capacity to invest in a new role overseeing ethics, but virtually all organizations should have their chief information security officer  or other security leadership  devote sufficient time to anticipating and addressing how their organizations technological innovations could be misused by those with ill intent.

Last month, the European Commission took a worthwhile step toward acknowledging this new imperative, putting forward a series of recommendations that emphasizes the need for secure and reliable algorithms and data protection rules to ensure that business interests do not take precedence over the publics well-being. As the Commissions digital chief, Andrus Ansip, put it, The ethical dimension of AI is not a luxury feature or an add-on. It is only with trust that our society can fully benefit from technologies.

Elsewhere around the globe, the Australian government is exploring policy that would seek to ensure that AI is developed and applied responsibly. AI has the potential to provide real social, economic, and environmental benefits  boosting Australias economic growth and making direct improvements to peoples everyday lives, said Karen Andrews, the countrys minister for industry, science and technology. But importantly, we need to make sure people are heard about any ethical concerns they may have relating to AI in areas such as privacy, transparency, data security, accountability, and equity."

While governmental agencies should absolutely play a leading role in addressing these new challenges, a more comprehensive global response is needed. Encouragingly, some corners of academia are recognizing and acting upon the challenge, with Stanford and Massachusetts Institute of Technology among the institutions that are investing heavily in human-centered AI education.

Existing professionals also will need guidance on how to account for the ethical implications of AIs accelerated usage. The potential for malicious uses of AI has generated deep concern from global researchers and industry leaders, yet seldom is given due deliberation when products are being ideated and developed. The stakes are becoming far too high to tolerate such oversights. ISACA research on digital transformation shows that social engineering, manipulated media content, data poisoning, political propaganda and attacks on self-driving vehicles are leading, top-of-mind concerns for security practitioners when it comes to threats posed by maliciously trained AI.

Emerging digital ethics concerns are impacting a wide array of sectors, many of which carry inherent public health and safety ramifications, such as military training, medical research and law enforcement. Virtually all sectors are benefiting from technology advancements with the potential to drive forward huge benefits for society, but also face serious ethical questions that should not be discounted. Published data from nearly 70,000 OkCupid users raised an after-the-fact ethical firestorm about what manner of data harvesting and public release should be considered above-board.

Police increasingly are facing difficult decisions in balancing new capabilities in surveillance with the privacy rights of those they are charged to protect. While AI understandably is drawing much of the recent attention when it comes to digital ethics, the ethical challenges stemming from digital transformation extend much further. Another emerging technology, augmented reality, raises several ethical gray areas, not the least of which being how to view the blurring of lines of which aspects of an experience are real.

Blockchain implementations also open the door to ethical conundrums, such as how private information recorded on a blockchain could potentially be exploited. And ethical considerations will become more magnified in the coming decade, as quantum computing advancements come into sharper focus, setting in motion new ethical and security risks involving sensitive, encrypted data.

These are just a sampling of the serious issues that professionals and their organizations need to be prepared for when it comes to ethics in the digital transformation era. Increasing adoption of AI and other high-impact technologies comes with upside worthy of great optimism, but the risks, too, are increasing.

Organizations owe it to the public to make sure that the rush to innovate does not make a new deployments trendiness or potential profitability the only measure of whether it should be greenlighted.
BRIDGEPORT  Not everyone is sold on the idea of making the old Harding High School the temporarily new Bassick High School.

City Council member Eneida Martinez, who represents the 139 district where the old Harding is situated on Central Avenue, is so opposed to idea she has promised to picket in front of the newly vacated building, if necessary.

As an elected official on the East End, I will be setting up a protest to prohibit this movement, Martinez said on Thursday. This is totally unacceptable.

The citys Board of Education voted Monday to ask the City Council to bond $2.5 million, enough to bring the 251,600-square foot old Harding to the point it can be reopened once Bassick is torn down and rebuilt in a year.

The board did so at the request of a council committee that wanted assurances the district intended to use the old Harding beyond the two years it would be a temporary space for Bassick.

Plans for a new $115 million Bassick are in the hands of the state, with the state legislature expected to foot as much as 70 percent of the project.

A search for another place to put the 884 students attending Bassick reportedly came up empty. The school has 48 classrooms. How many are in use, Bassick Principal Joe Raiola would not say.

Despite its own concerns that putting West Side teens on the East Side would not be safe, given the level of gang violence in the city, a majority of the board voted to move ahead with the plan.

At the same time, Hernan Illingworth, chairman of the school boards Facilities Committee, said he would consult with city police to develop a security plan for the move. The thought is that Bassick students would be bused in and out of the citys East End each day.

Martinez said that is not good enough.

The city needs to come up with an alternative, she said, noting that perhaps there is a vacant, city-owned building that could be used. She also floated the idea of putting Bassick students in one wing of the old school while construction commences on the the other.

When students and staff were left in Central High School as it was renovated, it was deemed by the board and citys School Building Committee as a huge mistake because it lead to cost over-runs, unhealthy conditions and tacked years onto the construction timetable.

Beyond safety concerns, Martinez said that a new Harding was built because the old one had rodents and health issues, including mold. If the building wasnt good enough for Harding students, how could it be good enough for Bassick students, she asked.

City Council Member Ernie Newton, who also represents the 139th, agreed.

I think its a bad idea one reason  our city has become territorial, Newton said.

He suggested the city look to the University of Bridgeport or Housatonic Community College for swing space.

Last fall, George Estrada, a vice president of facilities at UB, said the south end campus is full.

As for space, we are at capacity and actually struggling with scheduling at times, Estrada said. The days of empty are long gone.

Albert Benejan, a parent leader at Bassick, is also not happy with the proposed placement.

I want a better place to have all the students, Benejan said. Thanks, Mrs. Martinez.

Martinez said she has gotten at least 40 calls and email messages decrying the planned move. She said there are other council members prepared to reject the funding request.

School Board Chairman John Weldon said Thursday that if Martinez can find an alternative location for Bassick students, he is open to hearing about it.

As it stands, 1735 Central Avenue is the only building we have access to that would fulfill that need, Weldon said. I am confident the district will be able to work out any issues related to the logistics of such a temporary relocation including those related to safety and transportation.

lclambeck@ctpost.com; twitter/lclambeck
Comedian Vincent James, who grew up in Port Chester, N.Y., and now lives and performs in New York City, says hes thrilled to be making his debut at Stamfords Palace Theatre, having grown up nearby.

James will be at the Palace Friday, June 28, 8 p.m.

He is described as a ball of energy on stage, combining his quick wit, physical comedy and sharp storytelling to give the audience a memorable, laughter-filled experience.

Sign up to get events, interviews with artists and more delivered to your inbox for free.

James has been seen on the MSG Network and heard on SiriusXM radio. He is also one of the most sought after MCs in the business having hosted over 20 concerts and conferences around the world.

He has performed with talents such as Magic Johnson and John Legend.

The Palace Theatre, 61 Atlantic St. Stamford. $19. 203-325-4466.
TRUMBULL - Two New York men who tried to use stolen credit cards at the Trumbull mall have been arrested.

Elijah McNair, 35, and David Raysor, 31, both of Mount Vernon, N.Y.first tried using a stolen credit cards to buy four pairs of sunglasses from the Sunglass Hut. The card was continiously denied.

The men then went to Michaels Jewelers and attempted to buy two gold necklaces, but those credit cards were also denined.

Lt. Brian Weir said no merchandise was obtained by the two during the attempted transactions.

As Trumbull officers began to investigate, Raysor had already entered a black Chevrolet Tahoe and left the area, as McNair left the area on foot, Weir said in a release.

After talking to merchants, police confirmed the illegal activity involving both McNair and Raysor.

The Chevrolet, operated by McNair, was eventually stooped on Madison Avenue. During the police investigation, Raysor took off running, but was later apprehended by police nearby. McNair was taken into custody a short distande away.

Weir said multiple credit cards, a credit card skimmer and New York state identifications that were not issued to Raysor or McNair were also located. McNair also had a counterfeit $100 bill in his possession.

The two were charged with unlawful possession of a personal identifying device, conspiracy to commit identity left, credit card theft, illegal use of a scanning device,and criminal impersonation. They were boh released after posting a $25,000 bond.

McNair was additionally charged with first-degree forgery and is scheduled to appear in court on May 21.

Raysor was also charged with interfering with police and has a court date of May 22.
A Florida woman who made national headlines last year when she smiled in her mugshot after a drunk driving crash was sentenced to prison Thursday.

Angenette Welk-Missett, of Ocala, was sentenced to 11 years in prison after she pleaded no contest to a charge of driving under the influence manslaughter and two counts of DUI with property damage.

The judge said Welk-Missett must serve at least four years before she is eligible for release.

Welk-Missett was driving down U.S. Highway 27 in Marion County on May 10, 2018, Florida Highway Patrol troopers said, when she rear-ended a Hyundai Elantra that then slammed into a semi-truck.

Sandra Clarkston, 60, of Sarasota, died four days later from injuries suffered in the crash.

Welk-Missett spoke during sentencing and said she is a changed person.

"I am very very sorry for your loss, your mother is woven into my DNA. I think about her every single day and I dream about her every single night, and I am truly sorry and if I could change spots with your mother, I would in a heartbeat," she said.

The family of the victim was very clear about letting the woman heading to prison know how they felt.

"All because of her choice, I will never see my mom again," Clarkston's daughter Keonna Sciacca said.
Enough with the cheap labor and the extended family members, and it's time to be a little more discerning about the tired, poor and huddled masses yearning to come to America.

Such is the mantra of the Trump administration this week as it outlined a new plan to overhaul the U.S. immigration system.

President Donald Trump has spent the first half of his presidency pushing aggressively for policies that he believes will halt the flow of Central American migrants across the U.S. southern border. But he's not opposed to immigration, his aides say. He just wants a different kind of immigrant.

More specifically, according to the plan described Wednesday by senior administration officials, Trump wants English-speaking doctors or engineers with high-salaried job offers and the ability to pass an AP civics test.

"Professional specialized vocations - that's the heart of the proposal," a senior administration official said Wednesday in a meeting with Washington Post reporters and members of the editorial board.

The administration wants doctors, nurses, engineers and computer programmers; "individuals who provide a cure for cancer or build that first subdivision on Mars," the official said. It wants the next Nelson Mandela.

"We see immigration as really a competitiveness issue," another senior official said. "And our hope is that we can create a system that really is in line and allows us to be competitive with the rest of the world."

The Trump administration's latest proposal for immigration restructuring, unfurled by the president's son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner in meetings with Republican lawmakers this week, seeks to recalibrate American immigration around a point system.

Immigrant hopefuls would be deemed eligible and competitive based on the points they accrue through a set of criteria, including educational specialty or degree, age, English proficiency and high-salaried job offer. They would need to show that they "like our way of life," a senior official said, and that they are capable of "patriotic assimilation." They could demonstrate that quality by passing a civics test much like the kind someone might encounter at a U.S. college.

Trump - who has called Central American migrants "animals" and has denigrated African countries - has broached the concept of a "merit-based" system before. His aides on Wednesday sought to portray the plan as one that would eliminate bias for nationality by doing away with the diversity visa lottery, limiting family-based visas to spouses and children, and eliminating country quotas.

"This system would open it up to all corners of the globe," one official said. "So, you could see doctors from Malawi coming here. You could see engineers from Malaysia coming here."

But it is unclear whether the proposal - the precise details of which have yet to be released - could pass muster in Congress.

The description offered by administration officials closely resembles an earlier bill, backed by the White House, that was introduced in 2017 by Sens. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., and David Perdue, R-Ga. That bill also advanced a point system, but it never attracted wider support.

The concept of a merit-based system has found appeal on both sides of the aisle. Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., who supported a more recent bipartisan bill that would eliminate the country quotas for immigrant visas while also increasing the number of available green cards, said his state could benefit significantly from a system that encourages more high-skilled immigration.

"My state of North Dakota is experiencing a workforce shortage, needing more physicians, engineers, and software developers," Cramer said in a statement. "The Fairness for High-Skilled Immigrants Act lifts arbitrary per-country caps because the United States should not penalize highly skilled legal immigrants for where they were born. At the same time, I support plans put forward that include diversity safeguards to ensure smaller countries do not face discrimination."

The administration's plan would favor people such as Ashish Patel, a 40-year-old computer engineer in Utah, who came to the United States in 2005 with fluent English, an advanced degree and a high-salaried job offer. Or Sri Obulareddy, an oncologist in Washington state. Both are Indian nationals who have been waiting more than eight years for green cards, and both were championed in a recent opinion piece by Cramer and Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah.

But critics say a point-based system is impractical and runs counter to the basic laws of economics.

"My read on this now is that this type of proposed system would recruit skilled engineers, but not skilled farmworkers," said Ali Noorani, executive director of the National Immigration Forum, an immigration advocacy group. "The fact is, our economy needs both."

Another expert, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he has consulted the administration on its immigration policy, said the new system would rank people based on how talented they are as opposed to the current system, which has employers requesting individual people from other countries and explaining specifically why they need them.

"This would make it more focused by the foreign nationals themselves," the expert said. "But the problem with this is you have the possibility - or probability - that you end up with 100,000 marine biologists. Well, good for us, what do we do with that?"

Administration officials didn't address how the points breakdown would work or whether there would be a minimum number of points that would make people eligible for visas. The similar, previous bill, the RAISE Act, would have created a 30-point minimum for immigrant eligibility, but no threshold that would guarantee citizenship, effectively pitting immigrants against immigrants in a contest of relative value.

Even then, someone such as Patel would not have been able to reach the 30-point minimum for eligibility under the RAISE Act because he was too young to get the maximum age points when he applied, and his salary offer - while higher than the median household income in Utah at the time - was still too low to win him points.

Patel supports the idea of eliminating country quotas; like many in the backlog and many lawmakers, he thinks it is unfair that his nationality should be held against him. As he and immigration attorneys have pointed out, if he were from an underrepresented country, rather than India, he would have gotten his green card years ago. But he is also skeptical of any immigration plan that doesn't have bipartisan support.

He said he doesn't know the details of the administration's latest plan, "and that's why I can't really say whether merit-based would be better than family-based. That's why bipartisan is the best solution."
Victim in White, standing with well wishes in front of burnt home Whatsapp

The Military has been accused of burning down some houses in Mile 8 Mankon, North West region, after two of theirs were killed by armed separatists in that locality.

Some owners of these houses have been counting their losses following this attack. A pastor of the Cameroon Baptist Church Reverend Tah Charles who runs the Berean Baptist Church in the area, is amongst those affected. His house was reduced to ashes, following a mission led by the military to hunt down separatists.

Family, friends and other church leaders have been to his vicinity this Thursday May 16, to console him and reassure him of their support. One of those who paid the consolatory visit, is the Senior Pastor of Musang Baptist Church, Reverend Ngangkeng Eric, followed by some Christians.

Ambazonia fighters killed two soldiers in Mile 8 Mankon on Wednesday, May 15. This led to a retaliation and man-hunt exercise from the military said to have destroyed several houses, a local clinic and cars amongst others.B rigadier General Agha Robinson today called for greater collaboration between the military and the population. He asked the population to give their greatest assistance to the military and continue to count on them for their protection.

Civilians in the Anglophone regions have been accused of collaborating with armed separatists, making it difficult for the army to fish them out their enemies, and win the ongoing war.

This attack comes few days after Prime Minister, Dr. Dion Ngute, was on a peace mission to Bamenda, and dialogues with some members of the civil society, political parties, journalists, trade union representatives amongst others.

He however made it clear that the Head of State, President Paul Biya has approved the holding of a dialogue platform to solve the ongoing problem, with a condition that separation is not amongst the issues discussed.

Separatists want to form an independent state they call Ambazonia and have been battling against the Cameroonian army, to the disadvantage of civilians, who are caught between the two.
The debate over tolls has drawn in Connecticuts lawmakers of both parties as well as the states residents for the better part of the past year. While the debate over moving forward with the tolling plan has been controversial and divisive, no one denies the need for upkeep and improvements on our states roads, bridges and transit systems. Connecticuts infrastructure discussion has been focused on transportation, but the fact is, there are critical infrastructure needs across all sectors, including Americas water infrastructure.

Connecticut is fortunate to be considered a water-rich state. When we turn on our tap, we expect to see clean, high-quality water, and its easy to take for granted how this water actually gets to us from the source, whether that be lakes, rivers or groundwater. A lot goes into it, from water quality testing, treatment and filtration at water treatment plants, to transport through pipes underground, to the thousands of water professionals who make reliable, uninterrupted service possible.

While Connecticut has high-quality and generally well-maintained water systems, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that water systems across Connecticut need an investment of over $4 billion to maintain existing infrastructure over a 20-year period (2015-2034). Connecticut Water Co. is mindful of these infrastructure needs and has a strong record of proactively investing in our water systems to meet the water service needs for current and future generations.

Some people may be surprised to learn that water system infrastructure is often 50 to 100 years old. In order to maintain reliable service and provide safe drinking water, aging systems need significant investment to fund rehabilitation and replacement. Public Utilities Regulatory Authority-regulated water utilities, which typically do not get state or federal money for infrastructure investments, are well positioned to invest in water systems. These improvements are primarily funded through customers rates, which are reviewed by state utility regulators; the company must prove the work is necessary and the project costs are reviewed before the utility is allowed to recover the investment from its customers.

Through forward-looking planning, this continued investment maintains and enhances dependability and water quality. Locally, this includes Connecticut Waters Rockville Water Treatment Plant, which had been serving customers in north central Connecticut since 1970 and was replaced in 2017 at a cost of $36.3 million. We are actively replacing aging pipeline  124 miles at a cost of $145 million since 2008  which benefits customers and the environment. The Connecticut legislature had the foresight to adopt legislation over a decade ago that authorizes PURA-regulated companies to seek recovery of eligible infrastructure replacement projects through a Water Infrastructure and Conservation Adjustment surcharge, which results in modest charges on bills while encouraging important infrastructure investments.

In addition, these local water infrastructure investments support economic development and create jobs for Connecticut residents. For example, a $17 million investment by Connecticut Water, which serves 59 towns, is estimated to have supported 177 jobs in the state, based on data provided by the U.S. Department of Commerces Bureau of Economic Analysis. In addition, water infrastructure is necessary for towns to grow and sustain businesses so these investments support local economic growth. Finally, replacement of aging water system infrastructure conserves water in the distribution system and helps sustain valuable water resources.

A lot of good work is happening already thanks to cooperation from all parties. This includes water conservation efforts  due in large part to residents willingness to voluntarily conserve and install water efficient fixtures  which have had a significant impact in reducing per capita water usage. Improvements to Connecticuts water infrastructure are underway but this issue requires constant attention from water utilities, lawmakers and residents in our state.

With Infrastructure Week taking place from May 13-20, its a great time to focus on this issue and talk about how we can tackle big projects and build for tomorrow. I think wed all agree that sustained investment and thoughtful planning is worth it so we can continue to rely on clean, safe drinking water each day.

David Benoit is president and CEO of the Connecticut Water Co., based in Clinton.
NXIVM's files on 'enemies' debated in court

TProsecutors want to introduce documents; defense claims they're bogus

The Albany Times-Union/May 15, 2019

By Robert Gavin

New York  Federal prosecutors want jurors in Keith Raniere's trial to see the purported financial records of "enemies of NXIVM" such as federal judges, journalists and political consultant Roger Stone.



Assistant U.S. Attorney Moira Penza told Senior U.S. District Judge Nicholas Garaufis on Tuesday that she plans to introduce the evidence that was uncovered by federal agents during a March 2018 search of NXIVM president Nancy Salzman's Oregon Trail residence in Halfmoon.



The evidence, she said, would be entered during the testimony of a federal task force agent, State Police Investigator Charles Fontinelli. He would be the third person to testify in the trial of NXIVM spiritual leader Keith Raniere, 58, in U.S. District Court in Brooklyn. Raniere's charges include racketeering, sex trafficking and forced labor.



The trial of the man known within NXIVM as "Vanguard" was adjourned without testimony on Tuesday because an alternate juror fell ill. It is scheduled to resume Wednesday with the continuing testimony of former senior NXIVM member Mark Vicente, who has not yet been cross-examined by Raniere's defense team.



Penza told the judge that Fontinelli discovered the documents in file folders in a plastic box in Salzman's residence. The same search uncovered more than $520,000 in cash stashed throughout the residence. Salzman pleaded guilty in March to one count of racketeering conspiracy; Raniere is the only one of the six original defendants in the case who has not pleaded guilty.

The prosecutor said the material was identified as bank records of Edgar Bronfman Sr., the Seagram's tycoon and father of top NXIVM supporters Clare and Sara Bronfman; cult expert and longtime NXIVM adversary Rick Ross; as well as politicians, judges overseeing NXIVM litigation, political consultants such as Stone and Buffalo-based fixer Steve Pigeon, NXIVM's own lawyers and employees of the Times Union.



Stone  currently facing federal charges of lying to Congress and witness tampering  told Newsweek last year that he was introduced to NXIVM by former state Senate Majority Leader Joseph L. Bruno of Brunswick.



Stone, a self-described "dirty trickster" and longtime associate of President Donald J. Trump, said that he attended one of NXIVM's classes and concluded it was a self-improvement program with special appeal for women.



"I worked for them for two months, in which I convinced them that they needed a lawyer, not a lobbyist," Stone told the magazine.



In September 2015, the Times Union reported that former high-ranking NXIVM member Kristin Keeffe had accused the organization of hiring a Canadian investigative firm, Canaprobe, to sift through the financial records of Ross, six federal judges, including four based in Albany: then-Chief Judge Gary L. Sharpe; since-retired U.S. Magistrate Randolph Treece; bankruptcy Judge Robert E. Littlefield Jr., and Senior U.S. District Judge Thomas J. McAvoy. The judges all presided over cases involving NXIVM or something in which it had an interest.



The other judges, based in New Jersey, included U.S. District Judge Dennis M. Cavanaugh and U.S. Magistrate Mark Falk, who both presided over a 2006 lawsuit that NXIVM filed against Ross. Keeffe had alleged NXIVM also targeted the financial records of Times Union Publisher and CEO George Hearst, Editor and Vice President Rex Smith and former reporter James Odato, who had written extensively about NXIVM.



Keeffe for years played a pivotal role as a "legal liaison" for NXIVM and was part of Raniere's inner circle. She abruptly left the organization with her young son with the assistance of a State Police investigator.



Keeffe's allegations were in emails and recorded conversations attributed to her that had been filed in Albany County Court in a computer trespass case against former NXIVM financial advisor Barbara Bouchey and several other NXIVM adversaries. The charges against Bouchey were dropped in February 2016.



Keeffe had alleged that Clare Bronfman ordered the collection of records at the request of Raniere.

Last Thursday, Vicente testified that he believes Keeffe and Raniere have a son together.



On Tuesday, Penza said she also wants to admit two collections of emails in accounts she characterized as "entirely criminal."



Raniere attorney Marc Agnifilo told the judge the documents are hearsay and assembled on the orders of Keeffe. Agnifilo suggested Penza wants to avoid calling Keeffe to the stand.



Agnifilo also said the bank records gathered by Canaprobe were bogus. Court records filed in Canada indicate Canaprobe had allegedly provided the Bronfman sisters with concocted reports.



"None of this is true. None of this is valid," Agnifilo said. "They didn't actually check on anybody."



Penza responded that whether they were real or fake was irrelevant, while the question of whether NXIVM believed they were genuine was of significant import in Raniere's case, which has already involved extensive testimony about NXIVM's strategy of using litigation to attack opponents, including former members.



"This is not the type of evidence that can just be dumped in a jury's lap," Agnifilo said. "They're making a judgment decision not to call (Keeffe) because they're afraid of the cross-(examination) and maybe they should be."



"Mr. Agnifilo is the one afraid of Kristin Keeffe, because the defendant tortured her," Penza responded. "That's why he hasn't spoken to her."



Penza said NXIVM "laid down with dogs and maybe they got fleas and maybe they got defrauded."



Garaufis said he would review the materials and issue a decision.

To see more documents/articles regarding this group/organization/subject click here
STORY LINK Pound New Zealand Dollar (GBP/NZD) Exchange Rate Sinks as Kiwi Traders Await Business PMI Figures

GBP/NZD Exchange Rate Falls despite Increasing US-China Trade Tensions

GBP/NZD Exchange Rate Sinks as Mays Leadership is Challenged

NZD/GBP Exchange Rate Rises despite Easing Chinese Industrial Production

GBP/NZD Outlook: Brexit Developments to Remain in Focus

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The Pound New Zealand Dollar (GBP/NZD) exchange rate is down by 0.3% today and is currently trading around NZ$1.9521 at the time of writing.The New Zealand Dollar (NZD) edged higher against the Pound (GBP) despite US-China trade tensions being exacerbated by the US blacklisting the Chinese telecom giant, Huawei.This came following Donald Trumps declaration of a national emergency, seeing foreign telecom countries as a possible threat to national security.Many Kiwi traders will be awaiting the publication of the New Zealand business PMI figures for April today, which are expected to improve.The Pound, meanwhile, has struggled following Theresa Mays announcement that she would go ahead with a vote on her Brexit deal as early as June, however this has left many Sterling traders jittery on fears of a possible no-deal scenario.Theresa May has also come under increasing pressure from the 1922 Committee executive today, with a number of influential Tory MPs urging May to reveal a departure date  whether her deal proves successful or not in June.Boris Johnson, the former Foreign Secretary, also announced that he would be willing to stand for leadership, saying Of course Im going to go for it.With signs that Mays leadership is coming under increasing strain, this has tended to drag on Sterling with cross-party talks also showing no signs of emerging on a Brexit compromise.Rebecca Long Baily, the shadow Business Secretary, said:In terms of the customs union, weve been repeatedly pushing them on this point, and they havent reached the position that we would like them to get to by any stretch at the moment.The New Zealand Dollar lost some of its gains on the Pound following last nights publication of the Chinese industrial production figures for April, which eased at 5.4%.Ongoing US-China trade tensions are providing a drag on the Kiwi, but following Trumps promising of a trade deal emerging, fears have been quelled somewhat.Hu Xijin, the Editor in Chief at the Global Times, was critical, however, saying:China may stop purchasing US agricultural products and energy, reduce Boeing orders and restrict US service trade with China. Many Chinese scholars are discussing the possibility of dumping US Treasuries and how to do it specifically.Kiwi traders will be looking ahead to Mondays New Zealand retail sales figures for the first quarter, and with any signs of an improvement, this could buoy the NZD/GBP exchange rate higher.Pound investors, meanwhile, will be focusing Brexit developments in the coming weeks, and with Mays leadership increasingly challenged, this is tending to weigh on confidence in the Governments ability to form a Brexit consensus.

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.

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Simon Fobi Nchinda, Depute SDF Archives

Hon Fobi Nchinda Simon, SDF Member of Parliament for Bamenda/Bali Constituency has said after offering the services of Ni John Fru Ndi, National Chairman of the Social Democratic Front (SDF) party to mediate an end to the on-going crisis in Cameroons North West and South West Regions, the belligerents must now agree to a ceasefire and release prisoners of war before negotiations and dialogue can proceed.

The lawmaker says an all-inclusive dialogue will welcome all shades of opinions as well as individuals who hold same. He insists that no elections should be organised in the country until such a time when peace returns. Read on:-

How realistic are the four points raised by the SDF?

We raised four points all of which we think are realistic. The first point we raised had to do with an immediate bilateral ceasefire. As you know, there is a genocide going on in the North West and South West regions and the entire country is suffering very seriously as a result of no peace, no security in these two regions. So we do not see any discussion for peace taking place unless the guns stop so it is a necessary condition.

The second point had to do with the liberation of all prisoners of war. Nobody can sit down and talk peace with you when their people are in jail. I think that the release of these prisoners of war will make the discussion conducive.

Thirdly, as far as the debate itself is concerned, there are three issues involved; the first is that a mediator, facilitator must be appointed. That is necessary because there is a lot of preparation that must be done. For the actual debate to take place, the mediator or facilitator must go round and meet all the people first and get them agree that they are coming on a particular date and they give you the ideas that they might want to discuss so that, the debate can be structured.

Secondly, independent observers must also be appointed so that from the ceasefire they will be able to follow up both parties to respect the ceasefire all the time until the peace is settled. The SDF has proposed the services of our National Chairman for the post of mediator and we think that he has the necessary credentials to succeed in the task. We can still remember vividly how he brokered peace among the arabshouer-kotoko in the North and in not too far away Bafanji. Ni John Fru Ndi has a record of a peace broker and he is a brave man who has no fear and above all, he is someone who loves the country so that he cannot be intimidated by any side.

Once that is done on the time of negotiation, we are insisting that the debate be a structured one because we know that Cameroon has had experiencing of what they called large debate or grand debat or through twitter as we have seen them do. We should talk to each others as brothers and sisters with each one putting his or her points in view of getting a greater country in peace.

And the fourth condition we talked about was that no elections take place before the restoration of peace in the North West and South West regions. One scandal we lived was during the presidential election when we know there was no election in these two regions. The security and peace conditions are such that there was no presidential election and we have reasons to believe that there will be no election if the problems at hand are not solved in these areas.

At the end, we reminded the government that time was not in our favour because the genocide is accelerating at a higher speed and if the government cannot stop it, the international community will come in on the basis of protecting the people and the obligation to stop the genocide.

Given that Sisiku Julius Ayuk Tabe through his lawyer is rejecting Fru Ndi as mediator arguing that SDFs position is already known by all, what will you people do now?

First, we all know that a mediator must be acceptable by both sides in a conflict. If one side refuses a mediator, you cannot force him on them. Secondly, let me remind the lawyer of Sisiku that on the other hand is Biya, who cannot also serve as a mediator nor his Prime Minister especially as he was an agent of La Republique in the case that took place in Banjul. So, we agree with him, if that is the case, lets look for someone who can be acceptable by both sides.

Hon Fobi Nchinda, how soon can genuine dialogue begin in Cameroon?

First and foremost, it should have begun 57 years ago. After the ruling in Banjul, the Banjul court in Gambia obliged Cameroon and gave 180 days for the government to hold the talks, these talks should have thus begun 10 years ago. After that the African Union met in Libya and validated the judgement of the Banjul court and even put the African Union Commission at the disposal of Mr Biya for the negotiation, the regime still wasted such an opportunity. As you can see, it could have begun long time ago, we are late on it.

As someone who already knows how the regime functions, dont you think those four points raised will rather be a stumbling block on the path to dialogue?

Well we think that the first thing to do right now is to appoint a mediator and once that is done, the process is already put in place. He will immediately get to work setting the date with the two sides on the ceasefire. If he says, on the 18th of May 2019 for instance at exactly midnight, we want a ceasefire; both sides must be declaring the same thing. Observers will be there to observe that the ceasefire has effectively begun. As you can see, a mediator is the first person to be appointed and if that is not done, everybody will note that you are the one unfortunately delaying the peace process. And if you delay the peace process, you are directly opening the door to the international community to come in on grounds of protecting lives and preventing genocide.

Now that government is excluding secession on the dialogue table, what types of topics are we expecting to see?

The SDF has asked for dialogue that has no conditions. It is for the mediator to draw up the calendar and draw up issues for the contending parties. Each party will give the lists of what they will like to see feature on the discussion table. It is not something that will take one day but once the ceasefire is operational and the observers are in place you can take the time now to negotiate. And because there is peace and security, schools can be going on at the same time with negotiations.

And lastly, Hon Fobi, has the SDF changed its position as regard boycotting or stopping upcoming elections within the present dispensation?

SDFs position as we advised the Prime Minister Dion Ngute is that it does not make sense to go in for an election when there is no peace and no security. We repeat that presidential election never took place in the North West and South West regions. Why go on to do something that is very stupid given that about 80% of ELECAM staff and even some administrative officials have fled these regions because of insecurity. Who then will run or secure elections in such areas? Who is fooling who?
Our own Bruce Siwy and Eric Kieta talk about their true-crime cases in Return To View: The Roundtable
Wednesday, May 15, 2019 at 10:31PM

Embed from Getty Images

If youve seen Avengers: Endgame already, there must be loopholes you were thinking about. One of them is what happened to Loki? The films directors Anthony and Joe Russo have an explanation for that. Well be delving a little bit into the film so were going to keep the rest of this story under the cut for those who havent seen it yet.

After taking the Space Stone in the past timeline from Iron Man and Ant-Man, Loki disappeared and wasnt seen for the rest of the film. According to the Russo brothers, Loki created a divergent timeline with the stunt he pulled.

When they were asked by Business Insider if Captain America was able to fix the messed up timelines at the end of the film, the directors talked about multiverses in the MCU. Joe said, The intent was that he was going to correct the past timelines at the point that the stones left. Loki, when he teleports away with the Time Stone, would create his own timeline. It gets very complicated, but it would be impossible for [Cap] to rectify the timeline unless he found Loki. The minute that Loki does something as dramatic as take the Space Stone, he created a branched reality.

Anthony added, Were dealing with this idea of multiverses and branched realities, so there are many realities.

Source: IGN
Wednesday, May 15, 2019 at 7:43PM

Google joined the no headphone jack club when it launched the Pixel 2 devices. The reasoning behind it was they wanted to establish a mechanical design path for the future. According to Googles Mario Queiroz, We want the display to go closer and closer to the edge. Our team said, if were going to make the shift, lets make it sooner, rather than later. Last year may have been too early. Now there are more phones on the market. And when the Pixel 3 came out, we got those almost all-screen devices.

But now with the launch of the Pixel 3a, Googles Sonyia Jobanputra explains in an interview why the headphone jack makes a comeback. In a nutshell, she says its about convenience and affordability. This midrange phone targets consumers who dont exactly want to invest in wireless or USB-C headphones, especially since they probably have 3.5mm headphones already.

She said, We debated on this headphone jack but we really felt that consumers at this price point in this price tier really needed flexibility, and thats what that headphone jack gives you. We still support digital audio, and it is the ultimate way to consume your audio. You can either use the USB-C adapter on the bottom, or you can use Bluetooth headphones. And digital audio is incredible. But, a lot of people have headphones, and we didnt need to create anymore e-waste in the world so weve decided to put a 3.5mm headset jack in so that people could use the accessories that they already had available to them.

Dont expect to get new headphones with the Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL, though. These dont come with headphones in the box.
Dear Editor:

I read the profiles of the four Kingston school board candidates in the May 14 Daily Freeman. All acknowledge an increased demand for English-as-a-second-language learning in our district. Only one candidate seemed concerned about a projection of a low-80s graduation rate this year.

It is my understanding that ESL is but one class period in a school day, the remainder being presented in English. I cant imagine sitting in a classroom as a German immigrant trying to learn English for one hour per day and listening with limited understanding of what is being taught the remainder of the day. And at the end of the school year, I take a test to determine if I learned it all. How could I, when I couldnt grasp most of what was said during the day? And then the state grades the school district on how well its doing, and we throw more money at the problem.

Rather than toss more money at a flawed concept, consider a new approach, as I had to do many times as an engineer. If English is a challenge entering our district, have a program that places the student in a total school day devoted to reading, writing and understanding English. Upon successful completion of the program, the student is welcomed into the general school population as an equal. It doesnt matter the age of the student entering that program; completion admits the student to the appropriate learning level.

What were doing now isnt working. At least explore a new approach rather than throw money at a failed idea.

Ronald Dietl

Kingston, N.Y.
When you hear the words vision and brand, you can be sure that a terrible idea will soon follow.

So it has proved in the village of Lancing, in West Sussex, where the Parish council set up a Lancing Vision Group a couple of years ago, in the hope of attracting more visitors.

In the past, Lancing has attempted to establish an identity for itself by claiming that it is the largest village in Britain. This is an odd boast. After all, the whole point of villages is that they are small.

The Lancing Vision Group has devised a slogan, which it intends to put on a new set of roadsigns: Lancing-on-Sea. Be At The centre. This seems very weak. Visitors to the Sussex town are pictured above

Claiming to be the largest village is as silly as boasting that you own the warmest fridge, or that you are the tallest dwarf.

As it happens, no fewer than eight British cities  St Davids, City of London, Wells, Armagh, Bangor, St Asaph, Ripon and Truro  have smaller populations than Lancing.

The Lancing Vision Group has also commissioned a Lancing sign, showing five pretty little houses and a church, all nestling beneath a hill.

As it is, the population of Lancing is currently around 19,000. This means each pretty little house is occupied by 3,800 people. Even allowing for surprisingly spacious cupboards and shelves, this sounds a bit cramped.

Lancing is probably best known for its public school with its unfeasibly tall chapel towering menacingly over the surrounding landscape. It so happens that Sir Tim Rice is one of its most famous old boys. With his knack for lyrics, Im sure he would be happy to lend a hand

The Lancing Vision Group has also come up with the idea of rebranding the village Lancing-on-Sea, to rival Bexhill-on-Sea and Shoreham-by-Sea.

The only trouble with this is that, allowing for climate change, thousands of other places in Britain will soon be able to make a similar claim. Who knows? In 20 years time, signs along the M6 may well say Birmingham-on-Sea.

Finally, the Lancing Vision Group has devised a slogan, which it intends to put on a new set of roadsigns: Lancing-on-Sea. Be At The centre. This seems very weak. How many slogans did they reject before hitting upon Be At The Centre? Was there no call for Be On The Outskirts?

Perhaps The Lancing Vision Group should now be subject to a rebranding itself. Given its obvious love of hyphens, might I suggest The Lancing Lack-of-Vision Group?

Otherwise, they might think of sending a bright spark over to America, where virtually every village, town, city and state seems to have a slogan.

Of course, some of their slogans are better than others. The town of Emerald Isle in North Carolina has the slogan, Nice Matters, which seems a bit wishy-washy.

Swanton, Nebraska has the folksy slogan Dear Hearts And Gentle People, while the slogan of Madisonville, Kentucky glows with optimism: The Best Town On Earth.

Many towns choose to highlight their most famous feature: the state of Wisconsin includes the towns of Reedsburg: Butter Capital of America, Sauk City: Cow Chip Throwing Capital of Wisconsin and  my personal favourite  Green Bay: Toilet Paper Capital of the World.

The town of Lancing is pictured above. If, on the other hand, they decide to stick with Lancing-on-Sea, the slogan could be either Enhancing Your Fee, to attract the financial community, or Glancing For Free, for voyeurs and/or nosy-parkers [File photo]

Wisconsin itself employs two slogans: Americas Dairyland and the optimistic Youre Among Friends. America is not famous for its negativity, which makes the sign Where The Battle Wasnt greeting visitors to Gettysburg in South Dakota doubly attractive.

Others are more deadpan and down-to-earth: Little Valley in New York State is simply A Municipal Electric Community, and Bangor in Michigan carries the mixed-message Train City USA In The Heart of Apple Country. Perhaps the villagers of Lancing would prefer to seek inspiration in puns.

The town of Gravity in Iowa welcomes visitors with the slogan Were Down To Earth. If Gravity Goes We All Go, and Moscow in Maine is Best Town By A Dam Site, while San Andreas in California has the downbeat Its Not Our Fault.

But back to Lancing, which is probably best known for its public school, with its unfeasibly tall chapel towering menacingly over the surrounding landscape. It so happens that Sir Tim Rice is one of its most famous old boys. With his knack for lyrics, Im sure he would be happy to lend a hand.

In many ways, Lancing is a lyricists dream, as it rhymes with two of the most popular words in the songwriters lexicon. Lancing: The Village For Romancing, or the jauntier Come Dancing In Lancing would both be a great improvement on Be At The Centre.

If, on the other hand, they decide to stick with Lancing-on-Sea, the slogan could be either Enhancing Your Fee, to attract the financial community, or Glancing For Free, for voyeurs and/or nosy-parkers. With such a wealth of choice, who needs a vision?
When I am at my desk, I usually have Radio 2 playing on the stereo and Sky News on the TV, with the sound turned off, just in case something newsworthy happens.

So imagine my excitement when I looked up from the wordface to see the bright yellow banner running along the bottom of the screen screaming at me:

Breaking news from Downing Street . . .

Unfortunately, the Breaking News from Downing Street did not relate to the long-overdue resignation of Theresa May, rather an investigation into Love Island

Theresa May, pictured, has failed Brexit, destroyed the Tory Party and alienated our closest ally over the Chinese telecom deal

This is it, I thought. The Big One. The last surprise announcement from No 10 was back in 2017, when Mother Theresa wrong-footed everyone by calling a snap General Election.

Surely this was the newsflash wed all been waiting for  Mrs May has finally bowed to reality and is resigning with immediate effect.

Hallelujah! Trebles all round!

I muted Radio 2 and pumped up the volume on Sky, eagerly awaiting the historic bulletin.

The Prime Ministers spokesman . . .

Yes, yes, get on with it.

. . . has said that the death of a guest on the Jeremy Kyle Show is deeply disturbing.

What?

She has also breathed new life into Nigel Farage, pictured here eating some fruit cake

Broadcasters and production companies have a responsibility for the mental health and well-being of participants and viewers of their programmes. We are clear they must have appropriate levels of support in place.

Im sorry, Ill just read that again. In the middle of the greatest national crisis since Suez, the Prime Minister interrupted Ken Bruces PopMaster quiz to make an official comment about a daytime television programme?

Why? Its not as if she hasnt got anything better to do, what with failing miserably to implement Brexit; destroying the Tory Party; and alienating our closest allies over a cheap-as-chips Chinese telecoms deal, which threatens our national security.

Not to mention breathing new life into Nigel Farage and making Marxoid throwback O.J. Corbyn odds-on favourite to form the next government. You might have thought that would be enough to be going on with, without bothering to put in her three-pennorth over a trash TV freak show.

But no. Like all other politicians, May is desperate to pretend that she shares the concerns of ordinary people. So the Downing Street propaganda machine is marshalled to issue a formal statement designed to demonstrate just how much she cares.

Oh, and dont forget to chuck in a few platitudes about mental health, well-being and appropriate levels of support. This is Mental Health Awareness Week, after all.

Marxoid throwback O.J. Corbyn odds-on favourite to form the next government

Frankly, I doubt whether May knows the difference between Jeremy Kyle and Jeremy Vine. Politicians think TV is for appearing on, not watching.

Ive never seen the Kyle show  and I work from home. So I wouldnt have thought May has, either. Nor have many of her fellow MPs, if truth be told. But that hasnt stopped them wading into the controversy, parading their faux compassion and calling for Kyles head on a spike.

And now theyve got the taste, theyre like a dog with a juicy bone. Theyve gone completely berserk and set up a full Parliamentary inquiry into so-called reality TV.

Damian Collins, chairman of the Commons Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee  the Ministry of Free Tickets  said despite the fact that ITV had dropped Kyles show like a radioactive potato, that should not be the end of the matter.

Yes, it should.

Still, theres no accounting for MPs insatiable thirst for cheap publicity and appetite for displacement activity.

They may not be able to do anything about the real problems facing the country, but that wont stop them posturing as our moral guardians.

They refuse shamefully to take responsibility for carrying out the clear instructions of the 17.4 million people who voted Leave in the EU referendum.

They clearly havent learned the lessons of the expenses scandal and continue cynically to fill their boots at taxpayers expense.

They pretend to stage meaningful votes on Europe, while failing conspicuously to pass a single meaningful piece of legislation on anything else.

But, hey, they are going to leave no stone unturned in their quest to investigate Love Island on ITV2. You couldnt make it up.

Actually, you probably could, given their track record. MPs love rubbing shoulders with celebrity, even the Z-listers who clutter up the little-watched daytime and fringe channel schedules.

And just look at the way they fawned over the repulsive Russell Brand, when they invited him to Westminster to share his learned opinions on the legalisation of drugs.

Labour PM Harold Wilson started it all when he gave gongs to The Beatles in the hope some of their stardust would rub off on him.

But things really began to get worse under Tony Blair. He even intervened in a Coronation Street storyline, joining the fictional Free The Weatherfield One campaign, after the character Deirdre Rachid was jailed for credit card fraud. At least Jeremy Kyle is a real person.

Not satisfied with inserting himself into one of the nations favourite soap operas, Blair also issued a tearful statement of official condolence when Frank Sinatra died.

He was the Peoples Crooner.

So perhaps we shouldnt have been surprised when that other Jeremy (Corbyn) used Prime Ministers Questions to pay tribute to Doris Day, who died this week.

Talk about a Dead Wood Stage. This weeks PMQs was a theatre of the Living Dead, as our zombie Parliament stumbles towards its inevitable extinction, with the stench of decay seeping from every pore.

Incidentally, as I write this, Sky News is excitedly promoting another nugget of breaking news. Apparently, Boris Johnson has confirmed that of course he will stand in any forthcoming contest to choose a new Tory leader and Prime Minister.

And  this just in!  after a frank exchange with the backbench 1922 Committee, Mother Theresa has refused yet again to name a resignation date and still intends to bring her dismal, defeatist deal back to the Commons for a fourth time.

How long before MPs launch a Parliamentary inquiry into what bears do in the woods?

Police have issued a 90 fine to a man who tried to cover his face to hide his identity. When he learned that officers were testing facial recognition equipment, the pedestrian pulled down his cap and pulled up his jumper to conceal his mouth and nose.

As he walked past the cops, they stopped him and then, when he complained, threatened to arrest him, and issued the fine for disorderly behaviour.

Police say they need the technology to spot known criminals and terrorists.

Police have issued a 90 fine to a man who tried to cover his face to hide his identity. When he learned that officers were testing facial recognition equipment, the pedestrian pulled down his cap and pulled up his jumper to conceal his mouth and nose

But if you give them the power, they will always, always abuse it. This incident, in Romford, Essex, was caught on film by a BBC camera crew.

Yes, the police have a duty to keep us safe. But our surveillance society is already the most intrusive in the so-called free world.

San Francisco this week became the first city in the U.S. to ban the use of facial recognition technology. Others are expected to follow suit.

What bothers me, apart from the principle of indiscriminate state snooping on innocent individuals, is who will be targeted. Can you imagine the Met setting up cameras at Marble Arch and threatening to arrest any woman in a burka who refuses to lift her face veil?

And during the recent climate emergency demos in London, protesters were allowed to wear masks and, when they refused even to give their names after being arrested, were simply let off by the courts. Were in danger of ending up with one law for masked middle-class eco-mentalists  and another for white, working-class men from Romford.

And on next... The Only Way is Ethics

You cant turn on the news these days without having to suffer a lecture about the impending climate emergency. But even this is not enough for some people. They want TV dramas to be forced to include storylines designed to raise awareness of climate change and promote positive environmental behaviours.

Soon therell be no escape from green propaganda. Bafta, best known for handing out awards to luvvies, has even appointed a Head of Industry Sustainability, whatever that is.

Baftas Aaron Matthews said: We cannot rely solely on current affairs and natural history programmes, we must look for other ways to bring sustainability messages to our screens that are both optimistic and inspirational.

Coming soon: Emmerdales farmland is covered in windmills and solar panels; Albert Square is dug up and given over to growing vegetables; thousands of patients are admitted to Holby City suffering from skin cancer, caused by the hole in the ozone layer; Coronation Street becomes a dedicated cycle lane; and Broadchurch is wiped out by a tsunami. The heart sinks.
A Royal Marine whose post-traumatic stress disorder caused him to 'lose his mind' and rendered him unable to look after his own children claims climbing the world's highest mountains has helped him to 'recognise himself again'.

Joe Winch, 40, from Exeter, likens his mental health condition to a 'poison' in his body, while his wife Amy, 40, views it as a 'third party'.

The father-of-three, who joined the marines in 2002 when he was 23, puts his PTSD down to the 'incredible amount of death and loss' he experienced during his 10-year career in the military - especially his two tours of Afghanistan, which saw him lose 40 to 50 close friends and colleagues.

While the impact of the chronic trauma he'd experienced was very subtle to begin with, it became unbearably acute after he failed a routine hearing test two years ago.

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Joe Winch, 40, from Exeter, likens his mental health condition to a 'poison' in his body, while his wife Amy, 40, views it as a 'third party'

The father-of-three, who joined the marines in 2002 when he was 23, puts his PTSD down to the 'incredible amount of death and loss' he experienced during his 10-year career in the military. Pictured on one of his tours of Afghanistan

Having struggled with his focus and concentration at work and feeling constantly exhausted due to sleepless nights, Joe suddenly began to experience what felt like 'electric shocks' in his body as a result of noise.

Living in a house with three young children, this quickly became unbearable and Joe made an appointment to see his doctor, who diagnosed him with PTSD.

He was signed off on sick leave and began a course of therapy and medication, with Amy becoming his full-time carer.

Describing his recovery as 'learning to live all over again', Joe told how a call from former Royal Marines Commando Richie Morgan from 65 Degrees North - a not-for-profit organisation that seeks to help rehabilitate wounded, injured or sick current or ex-servicemen and women through adventure - was the unexpected lifeline he needed.

Joe told how he was rendered unable to look after his children - Bethany, seven, Alfie, six, and Lexi, two (pictured) as a result of his PTSD

Joe joined the group on an expedition to the Alps, and has since climbed Denali, the tallest mountain in North America. He's currently with a team at the Base Camp of Mount Everest, due to make their ascent to the summit today.

Speaking about his inspirational journey, he told FEMAIL: 'The mountains have really been incredible to my recovery.

'I'd gone from being this capable lieutenant colonel in the Royal Marines to barely being able to look after myself, let alone walk my children to school. I didn't really exist anymore as far as I could see it.

'Almost immediately as I stepped onto the mountain, I started to relax and feel at ease, which was the first time I'd felt like that in a decade.

'I realised just how lucky I was with my family and how much I've got to be grateful for in life, which improved my attitude towards my diagnosis and my recovery.'

Joe joined the group on an expedition to the Alps, and has since climbed Denali, the tallest mountain in North America (pictured)

Joe said he believes the clock began ticking on his PTSD when, two weeks into his first tour of Afghanistan in October 2006, his good friend Gaz was killed just a couple of hundred metres from him.

'I didn't wake up the next morning suddenly having flashbacks and nightmares,' he said.

'Over that four or five year period of tours, I must have lost 40 or 50 good friends and colleagues, and it happened very gradually.

'I didn't become a wreck - in fact I appeared to be excelling. I got promoted, met Amy, we got married, bought a house and had our first child, so on the face of it, it looked like I was doing really, really well.

'I think for me, that's the problem with the idea of resilience. You can talk about resilience and appear to be resilient, but unless you're consciously dealing with the stresses and traumas of life, it doesn't just disappear.

Joe, pictured left in 2014 as OC Bravo Company 40 Commando Royal Marines and right in his Royal Navy uniform, told how he lost 40 to 50 close friends and colleagues over a five year period

'It builds up like a poison in your body, and inevitably when you reach your limit, it all comes crumbling down - which happened to me almost 10 years to the day after my friend Gaz was killed.'

Joe told how, around two years ago, he began to find work and home life increasingly difficult.

'It started with me struggling to sleep and hold focus and concentration at work,' he said.

'Amy and I normalised the problem as I had lots of reasons why I might feel like this - I'm in a high tempo career, we had a new baby and I was on course for another promotion.

'But very quickly, sleep became almost impossible and my focus went completely; I would get very confused and frustrated, because all of these things that I'd always taken for granted - looking after my children, helping Amy around the house, doing things at work - suddenly became these Herculean tasks that would flummox me.

'Over the course of a few more months, that led to anger, and then pretty quickly I became very dysfunctional.

Proud dad Joe, pictured with daughter Bethany after graduating from Portsmouth University in 2014 with an MSc in Leadership and Management with Distinction

'I became suddenly aware of just how offensive noise was to me. I could feel it throughout my body and if it was slightly louder it would send what felt like electric shocks throughout my body.'

Amy told how she began to notice her husband's hypersensitivity to noise, recalling a time he dived onto the ground after hearing a bang in a supermarket car park.

She also observed how Joe was less involved with their third child Lexi, now two, than he'd been with their other two - Bethany, seven, and Alfie, six.

She told FEMAIL: 'I think the noise was causing him pain but he didn't realise it, he just couldn't be in the room with a screaming baby.

Joe pictured in 2014, when his unit received the Freedom of Weston-Super-Mare. It was also the year of the 350th anniversary of the Royal Marines

'I was exhausted with doing everything with the baby and the other two, and it got increasingly worse. The impact of PTSD on the family is massive; it's tiny little things that you don't even realise. I can't load the dishwasher with him in the room, I can't do hoovering or any of those normal things. I can't leave Joe with the children.'

Joe admitted his PTSD diagnosis in May 2017 hit him 'like a bombshell'.

'I had assumed that I'd got through the war and come through it unscathed - I still had all my limbs,' he explained.

When Joe, pictured on his Everest adventure, was contacted by 65 Degrees North about joining them on a trek, Amy admitted she was apprehensive at first due to him having to go to a 'noisy' airport

'Then all of a sudden you get told you didn't get through it unscathed and in fact you're very seriously unwell. In that moment, all those assumptions I'd made about myself start to unravel.

'I started to lose all reference to who I was, where I was, what I'd done and where I was going, so it was extremely disorientating.

What is post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)? Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is an anxiety disorder caused by very stressful, frightening or distressing events. People with PTSD often suffer nightmares and flashbacks to the traumatic event(s) and can experience insomnia and an inability to concentrate. Symptoms are often severe enough to have a serious impact on the person's day-to-day life, and can emerge straight after the traumatic event or years later. PTSD is thought to affect about one in every three people who have had a traumatic experience, and was first documented in the First World War in soldiers with shell shock. People who are worried they have PTSD should visit their GP, who may recommend a course of psychotherapy or anti-depressants. Combat Stress operate a 24-hour helpline for veterans, which can be reached on 0800 138 1619. Advertisement

'I had the sudden realisation that I'd experienced all that death and loss and hadn't really thought too much about the extreme amount of trauma I'd gone through, and the spectacular damage it had done to my brain and my body.

'The life I'd led to that point suddenly crumbled to pieces and I started to properly lose my mind.'

Amy told how she and the children began to view Joe's PTSD as a 'third party' as a coping mechanism - an attitude that Joe claims has 'greatly helped' his recovery.

'Joe's always been such a quiet, calm, placid sort of guy, very easy-going, but when he was tired and irritable he would fly off the handle very easily,' Amy explained.

'He would just snap if things got on top of him. If the house was getting noisy and he was tired, he would get angry, which would make very difficult experiences at home, trying to deal with upset children and an angry man.

'Now, because Joe has worked so hard to do everything in his power to make things right, it makes it very easy for us to see that it's not him.'

When Joe was contacted by 65 Degrees North about joining them on a trek, Amy admitted she was apprehensive at first.

'Joe had always really like the idea of the mountains - being outdoors and in an open space really helps with mental health conditions,' Amy explained.

'It took a considerable amount of thought, because airports are busy, noisy places - but they were flying from Bristol, which is a small local airport that we'd been to before, and not flying too far away if anything went terribly wrong.

'He went on that and had a great time. Afterwards they got back in touch again and he was selected for the team to climb Denali.

'The whole experience for us as a family was amazing. The change in him... You can't expect a Royal Marine to go off on sick leave and sit at home and get better. They need to be doing adventurous activities with likeminded people. He'd gone from struggling to get out of bed to being part of a team.'

Amy said she's seen a massive difference in Joe, pictured on his way to Everest's Camp One from Base Camp, since he became involved with 65 Degrees North

Joe said he believes PTSD is every bit as life-changing as any other catastrophic physical life-changing injury - and the recovery goes on forever.

'I'm constantly on the edge of being overwhelmed at home because of my symptoms,' he said.

'I love being with my children and my family, but it's ever so difficult; it's exhausting and really tough.'

He added: 'PTSD is often associated with suicide or someone's life caving in completely, which is true a lot of the time, but it's not always the case.

'I want to give a really positive story  that's not to say for a moment that my life is easy, it's still a tremendous struggle and I still struggle with my symptoms every day. But that struggle is so worth it because life is amazing, and I've got such a better relationship with my children and my wife now than I had even before the PTSD.'

Joe, pictured on his trek to Mount Everest (which can be seen in the background), said the mountains have had an incredible impact on his recovery

Despite the inevitable strain Joe's condition has put on their relationship, he admitted the past couple of years have brought him and Amy closer.

'I've come to lean incredibly heavily on her and she's been absolutely amazing with me, as I've become somebody that neither of us recognised,' he admitted.

'Her support has been relentless. I can't believe her patience; as I've been crazy and dysfunctional and aggressive, she always manages to see through it and recognise what's me and what's the PTSD.'

Secretary of State for Defence Penny Mordaunt called Joe an 'inspiration' for attempting to reach the summit of Mt Everest

Amy added: 'I think he's an amazing man. For everything we've been through, it's definitely not affected our relationship. I think so much more of him now - I'm so proud of him.'

Speaking about Joe's epic adventure, Secretary of State for Defence Penny Mordaunt said: 'Lt Col. Joe Winch shows us that with determination and the right support we can prevail over the very worst.

'He will be an inspiration to all and I wish him the best as he attempts to reach the summit of Mount Everest.'

To donate to 65 Degrees North, visit their JustGiving page.
We're all used to paying extra charges when booking with budget airlines, but they can really add up, especially when it comes to luggage.

Now, a consumer survey for Channel 5's Shop Smart, Save Money has revealed exactly how much luggage you can take on board for free when flying with three popular budget airlines.

A team of experts found that Jet2 has a particularly generous allowance, allowing passengers to carry on one small suitcase and a handbag at no extra cost - three times the size of what Ryanair offers.

EasyJet allows a suitcase of the same size as Jet2, but no extra handbag, while Ryanair only allows a small 40cm x 20cm bag.

A consumer survey for Channel 5 Shop Smart Save Money found that not all airlines are equals when it comes to free luggage allowances. Pictured: The Jet 2 allowance includes a small case and an extra item, such as a handbag or laptop bag

Budget airlines' free hand luggage allowance Jet2 56 x 45 x 25cm case 1 small handbag easyJet 56 x 45 x 25cm case No extra handbag Ryanair 40cm x 20cm x 25cm small bag Advertisement

Ryanair recently changed its policy so that passengers can only bring a small bag measuring 40cm x 20cm x 25cm on board free of charge.

The bag needs to be small enough to fit under the seat in front of you, and any larger bags will carry an extra charge.

Experts from the show said the dimensions of the bag are so small that even the lightest packers might struggle to fit everything they'd need for a long weekend.

Ryanair passengers have to pay 6 to 12 to fly with a larger bag, but at 55cm x 40 cm x 20 cm, the size is still smaller than what easyJet or Jet2 allow for free.

Pictured: On an easyJet flight, you'll be able to carry a small case measuring 56 x 45 x 25cm with you free of charge

With Ryanair, the luggage allowance gets smaller and smaller, You'll only be able to bring a small weekend bag measuring 40cm x 20cm x 25cm (example pictured)

However, testers said that the free luggage allowance is on the small size across the board, and they had to take bulkier items such as phone chargers, kindles and swimming goggles from their suitcases and hide them in their jackets in order to fit everything in.

MailOnline has contacted Ryanair for comment.

The show also reveals that extra cost for luggage also vary from one airline to the other.

Pictured: Examples of all the airlines' luggage allowances next to one another. From left to right: Ryanair, easyJet and Jet2 - which has the most generous free allowance

If you turn up at the gate with baggage that goes above the allowance, Jet2 charges 45 for extra luggage, and easyJet 50.

However, Ryanair is the cheapest and charges 25 at the gate for extra luggage.

Airlines created apps to help customers measure their luggage to make sure they respect their limitations. However, the show suggest results vary drastically from one app to the other, meaning a margin of error still exists.

The apps don't account for weight either, and while not all airlines check the weight of cabin bags, they usually shouldn't exceed 10kg.

Shop Smart, Save Money airs on Thursdays on Channel 5 at 8pm.
Viewers of new Channel 4 drama The Virtues slammed the show last night, claiming they couldn't hear anything that the characters were saying.

The new series, written by This is England creator Shane Meadows, follows struggling alcoholic Joseph, who is left heartbroken after his ex-partner takes their son to live in Australia.

Many expressed how excited they'd been to see Line of Duty star Stephen Graham return to their screens, but claim the show was spoilt by the disappointing sound quality.

One tweeted: 'Please Channel 4, is the sound quality fixable on The Virtues? I really want to watch this series but it's just awful. I can hardly make out a word they're saying.'

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Viewers said they were excited to see Stephen Graham in the new Channel 4 programme, but begged the broadcaster to do something about the poor sound quality of the show

Another commented: 'Sound quality is terrible in #TheVirtues. Please sort it out! Have been looking forward to this!'

The drama brings together many of the team from popular film This is England, as Shane co-created the show with fellow writer Jack Thorne.

The Virtues is based on director Meadows' own childhood and repressed memories of sexual abuse.

The story was borne out of his own experience of being sexually assaulted by an older child when he was just nine years old.

In emotional scenes within the first 10 minutes of the programme, Joseph sat down for a last supper with his ex-girlfriend, her new boyfriend and son before they move to Australia and leave him behind - leaving many viewers in tears.

In a particular tragic moment, Joseph tells his son that it's okay if he calls his new stepfather 'Dad', leaving the little boy confused.

The new Channel 4 drama sees Stephen Graham play alcoholic Joseph, who struggles with his drink problem after his ex-partner takes their son to live in Australia

Viewers slammed the programme as they were left bitterly disappointed over the sound quality

The devastated father later heads to a pub, where he ends up ordering drinks for the whole bar - although he's unable to pay for any of them - and getting blind drunk.

Towards the end of the episode, Joseph boards a ferry bound for Ireland to confront his hazy childhood memories of growing up in the care system.

He is reunited and chooses to stay with his sister Anna, played by Helen Behan, who also featured in This is England '88 and '90, whom he hasn't seen since he was a boy.

Joseph sat down for a last supper with his ex-girlfriend, her new partner, and his son before the new family move to Australia, leaving him behind

Viewers praised Stephen for his emotional acting, but were left disappointed byu the sound quality

The four-part drama is based on the life of This is England writer Shane Meadows. Joseph heads to Ireland to confront his past in care at the end of the first episode

But many viewers said they'd been forced to turn their TVs up to maximum volume to hear what was going on - and some claimed they'd resorted to putting subtitles on.

One questioned whether the show had been recorded 'on an old Casio', while another asked: 'Am I going deaf... Can't hear a thing.

'So looking forward to this and have to watch it with subtitles?!?'

Another commented: 'Giving up on The Virtues because I can't hear a word of it and the sound's turned up to 26.'

Viewers were left flabbergasted by the sound quality in the programme, with many saying they had had to turn on subtitles

One viewer tweeted: 'What the hell is wrong with the sound? Had to turn my TV volume up really loud and when the adverts came on had to turn it back down again!! Not good, you can hardly hear them talk.'

'Is it just me or is it really hard to hear what they're saying on The Virtues?' another asked.

Meanwhile one viewer tried to reason why the sound level would be lower, suggesting: 'Going for a natural realistic sound. I wonder if it's because it's supposed to feel like you are eavesdropping on private moments or about how we don't truly listen, only when we should?

'I think the sound is quiet for a reason. Do quite like this though.'

The four-part drama continues next Wednesday on Channel 4 at 9pm.

While in Ireland he is taken in by his sister, who convinces her husband to give him a job on his building site
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex's Instagram account is on the verge of taking over the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's following - less than two months after unveiling it.

Harry, 34, and Meghan, 37, who recently welcomed baby son Archie, launched their own profile, Sussex Royal, in April after separating their royal household from Kate, 37, and William, 36.

And just over month later their fanbase already stands at a staggering 8 million followers, while the Kensington Royal account is just ahead of them with 8.8 million.

While the Sussex account has just 26 posts and follows 16 people, the Cambridge account features 1,792 posts and follows 129 people.

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The Duke and Duchess of Sussex's Instagram account is on the verge of taking over the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's following - just less than two months after unveiling it. They are seen during their Australia tour last year

Harry, 34, and Meghan, 37, who recently welcomed baby son Archie, launched their own profile, Sussex Royal , in April

Similarly, Harry and Meghan seem to pull in more likes - perhaps helped by their larger American audience, with the first picture of their son racking up 2.9 million double-taps.

Meanwhile Kate and William's recent post celebrating their eight anniversary racked up just under 1 million likes.

In April Harry and Meghan's Instagram account broke the world record for the fastest time to gain one million followers on Instagram.

The profile racked up a staggering 150,000 followers in the 30 minutes after it was unveiled, and by the following morning had accumulated a record-breaking 2.2 million followers.

The Kensington Royal account is just ahead of them with 8.8 million, but launched years ago and has 1,792 posts - Kate Middleton is seen planning the Royal Horticultural show this year

The Guinness World Records confirmed they had broken the record by reaching the 1 million milestone in just 5 hours and 45 minutes, taking the title from K-Pop star Kang Daniel, who achieved 1 million followers in 11 hours 36 minutes in January.

Before this, the record holder was Pope Francis, who reached one million in 12 hours after debuting his verified Vatican media channel franciscus in 2016.

The Sussex Royal profile picture is an image bearing a white version of couple's royal cypher  the entwined initials H and M below a coronet  on a navy background.

Their first post - a picture gallery- is kicked off with the same blue background featuring their monogram, and a welcome message written in a mix of italics and upper case fonts.

The carefully chosen pictures featured in the gallery, highlight the work they are most passionate about, and include their recent visit to a girl's school in Morocco, Harry's work with African conservation charities and Meghan's cooking project with the Grenfell community.

More recent additions include the announcement the arrival of their son, the first picture of Archie and the unveiling of his name.

Last month the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's new social media account, Sussex Royal, broke the world record for the fastest time to gain one million followers on Instagram. Among the gallery of their highlights the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are pictured during their visit to Sussex last October

A day later the account had accumulated a jaw-dropping 2.1 million followers - despite following just 23 people, including Kensington Palace and Princess Eugenie

Lat month Kensington Palace's account, which is now assigned to Kate and William, stood at 7.1million followers.

Ex-Suits star Meghan used to have her own personal Twitter and Instagram accounts, as well as a lifestyle website thetig.com, but closed them down ahead of her wedding to Harry.

The Sussexes' new Instagram account was introduced less than a month after the royal family published new guidelines for members of the public interacting with them on social media.

It warned that trolls who post offensive or abusive messages on official royal channels will be blocked, and may even be reported to the police.

Harry and Meghan seem to pull in more likes - perhaps helped by their larger American audience, with the first picture of their son racking up 2.9 million double-taps.
A stunning teenage model has shared photos and video of her 'Instagram vs reality' body to prove that even models get bloated and have 'bad body days'.

Aeva Andersson, 19, from County Donegal, Ireland, claims she spent years feeling self-conscious about her swollen tummy, which makes her look 'pregnant', but has since learned to love it.

After suffering years of discrimination due to her 6ft 2in frame - which is 6ft 7in in heels - Aeva became a model last year and signed with Models of Diversity to break down the industry's stereotypes.

Now the catwalker, who took to the runway for New York-based designer Malan Breton at London Fashion Week, is using social media to prove to others how normal a 'model body' can be.

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Model Aeva Andersson, 19, from County Donegal, Ireland, has shared photos and video of her 'Instagram vs reality' body to prove that even models get bloated and have 'bad body days'

Aeva, who claims she was deemed 'plus size' for being a size 12, said: 'I want to use social media in my own unique way by not only posting professional modelling photos, but showing my real side also.

'I am still discriminated daily for my height and size but I've still managed to achieve my dreams to become a model - so I want people to know that models aren't just tall, size zero girls.

'I don't want girls looking up to me as this tall 'skinny' girl who doesn't take a bad photo, which is not true, I get rejected for not being skinny enough and for being too tall.

'So I want to share the reality and not cover it up by only posting the good days.'

Aeva, who now lives in London and is pictured at London Fashion Week, became a model last year and has since been working with Models of Diversity to break down the industry's stereotype

Despite now having the confidence to post her 'bloated' stomach on her Instagram profile, Aeva admits it was once her biggest insecurity.

'The extremity of my bloating belly was a huge insecurity for me growing up,' she explained.

'All I wanted was to be a model and therefore I wanted a stereotypical flat tummy.

'Given that I had already been labelled plus size, I would try my best to watch what I ate to minimise the bloating - but now I've learned to love it.

Aeva said she wants to use social media in her 'own unique way' by not only posting professional modelling photos, but showing her real side also

Despite now having the confidence to post her 'bloated' stomach on her Instagram profile, Aeva admits it was once her biggest insecurity

'I like to make people feel good and laugh - humour is what got me through the rejection and mental torture of trying to he a model, so as an ambassador my goal is to he relatable, real and inspiring.

'I thought that a model posting her 'pregnant' belly would be an effective way of doing so.'

Since posting the 'real' representation of herself to social media, the model, who now lives in London, has received a positive reaction to the 'unusual' post.

Since posting the 'real' representation of herself to social media, the model has received a positive reaction to the 'unusual' post

Standing tall at 6 foot 2 inches, Aeva struggled to become a model and is now trying to break down discrimination in the industry. Pictured with a friend

Aeva said: 'The post got some positive and supporting comments, but I can imagine some people thought I was crazy exposing myself in this way.

'I think this proves that there needs to be more of these kind of posts.

'Instagram is mostly full of people posting the most perfect representation of themselves that they can - trying to fit the stereotype, only showing the photos with skinny angles, edited to perfection, that give them thigh gaps and snatched waists.

Aeva has always towered over her friends, sizing up to around 6ft 7in when wearing heels

The model said people get caught up in creating perfect social media feeds and layout - but claims life is too short to worry about it too much

'The pressure and mental torture girls go through to get to the top and become models is heartbreaking.

'Growing up not accepting and loving my body has made me learn not to be as hard on myself when I bloat up.

'People get so caught up on creating perfect media feeds and layout - but life's too short!'
Crown Princess Mary of Denmark showed that style doesn't mean splashing out on a new outfit as she attended the Fashion Summit in Copenhagen today.

Thrifty Mary, 47, wore a cream midi skirt she first first sported in 2015, and paired it with a dark green shirt and a thin belt, as she attended day two of the event.

Keeping her accessories to a minimum, she didn't carry a handbag - but paired her outfit with a pair of trendy Rockstud court shoes by Valentino.

Mary Crown Princess of Denmark with Eva Kruse, President and CEO of Global Fashion Agenda pictured on the second day of the Copenhagen Fashion Summit

Mary stunned in a recycled midi skirt, which she wore with a dark green shirt and stylish studded heels

The royal was joined by Eva Kruse, CEO & President of Global Fashion Agenda at the event, who looked chic in a white jumpsuit and coral accessories.

The two women were greeted by the DR PigeKoret, the Danish National Girls' Choir as they arrived at the summit earlier this morning.

It was only fitting that the royal would recycle an outfit, as the Copenhagen Fashion Summit has established itself as the worlds leading business event on sustainability in fashion.

The event, which is celebrating its tenth edition this week, convenes major fashion industry decision makers on a global scale. It has become the nexus for agenda-setting discussions on the most critical environmental, social and ethical issues facing our industry and planet.

Members of the DR PigeKoret (Danish National Girls' Choir) seemed pleased to greet the Crown Princess upon her arrival (pictured)

The two women were greeted by the DR PigeKoret (Danish National Girls' Choir) as they arrive at the summit

Mary looked in good spirits as she met Eva (right) in front of the Copenhagen Concert Hall where the event takes place

The Summit takes place at the Copenhagen Concert Hall under the patronage of HRH The Crown Princess of Denmark.

Mary made a solo appearance at the event, taking a break from her busy family life.

Mary married Prince Frederik in 2004, and the couple share four children Prince Christian, 13, Princess Josephine, 12, and twins Princess Isabella and Prince Vincent, eight.

The love story between Princess Mary and Prince Frederick has been well documented; the couple met in a Sydney bar and Mary, born in Tasmania, moved to the northern hemisphere to be with Frederik.

The event has become the nexus for agenda-setting discussions on the most critical environmental, social and ethical issues facing our industry and planet

Copenhagen Fashion Summit takes place on 15-16 May 2019 at the Copenhagen Concert Hall under the patronage of HRH The Crown Princess of Denmark (pictured)

The two women looked like visions in white and kept it light on accessories and makeup, putting the focus on their stylist outfits

In a previous candid interview with Australian Women's Weekly, the Crown Princess revealed that moving to the other side of the world was difficult.

She said: 'I did experience a feeling of loneliness - short-term - when I first moved to Denmark,' she told the magazine.

'Moving to Denmark was a huge change in my life - a new culture, new language, new friends, and another way of life.

'So, I see it as quite natural that at times I felt quite alone or a little bit like I was on the outside looking in.'
A retired psychiatric nurse has been given a new lease of life through one of his more peculiar passions - sex doll photography.

Dean Bevan, 59, from Ipswich, shares his home with a harem of 12 plastic women and interchangeable heads, regularly mixing-up their look by applying their makeup and dressing his dolls in a collection of outfits.

The father-of-two, who became lonely following his divorce, says the fascination with his synthetic subjects began after watching the Channel 4 sci-fi drama Humans.

Unable to shake the allure, Dean promptly purchased Sarah - a voluptuous blonde who boasts a 30DD bust, who is among the dolls he talks to and displays in pictures around the home.

Dean Bevan, 59, from Ipswich, shares his home with a harem of 12 plastic women and interchangeable heads, regularly mixing-up their look by applying their makeup and dressing his dolls in a collection of outfits

The former mental health nurse acknowledges he doesn't have a physical relationship with all of his dolls, although he confesses, he is very fond of Sarah, sometimes sharing a bed with her.

Dean told Barcroft TV: 'I became intrigued what it would be like to have something that looked real and human in the house; and whether that would give me some sense that I had some company here.

'When I ordered Sarah, I wasn't really sure what I had in mind, it was just one of those things - like an itch I watched to scratch.

'Within hours I stopped seeing her as a thing and more as something else.

Unable to shake the allure, Dean promptly purchased Sarah - a voluptuous blonde who boasts a 30DD bust, pictured

The father-of-two, who became lonely following his divorce, says the fascination with his synthetic subjects began after watching the Channel 4 sci-fi drama Humans. Pictured: The doll Athena

'I haven't gone down the rabbit hole where I speak to my dolls, I do speak to some of them sometimes, but I don't expect them to answer back.'

These days the walls of Dean's home are proudly adorned with the lovingly captured images of his plastic companions - but this wasn't always the case.

Initially the father-of-two decided to protect his children from his private pastime fearing it would cause them discomfort.

He said: 'I had this thing that I didn't want to cause them any embarrassment.

These days the walls of Dean's home are proudly adorned with the lovingly captured images of his plastic companions - but this wasn't always the case

A picture of one of Dean's dolls, Magda, who he has dressed up and photographed

The former mental health nurse acknowledges he doesn't have a physical relationship with all of his dolls, although he confesses, he is very fond of Sarah, sometimes sharing a bed with her, seen

'But when they started spending longer away from home that's when I got Sarah.

'I thought I was being clever, and they didn't know about it but I had started being careless and leaving clues around the house.'

His daughter Rhiannon, 19, eventually stumbled upon a framed photograph of one of her father's 'love dolls'  it began a frank conversation about how he had been feeling since retirement.

Dean said: 'I hadn't admitted to the kids how lonely I was feeling at times because I didn't want to burden them with it.

'After 34 years of working with lots of people - it was just quite a change of not having somebody around.

Dean prefers the term love doll for his female companions  claiming the term sex doll is too limiting

The retiree hopes his photography will change perceptions and open people's minds to the endless possibilities of the plastic people. Dean's doll Bianca is pictured

Dean's doll Sarah is pictured after he dressed her up and made her up before taking a picture of her

'Eventually it came out and I was really relieved to be able to talk about it to them and very pleased they supported me in what I was doing.

'My kids are wonderful, they're very open-minded and I'm very proud of them.'

Although now fully accepting of her father's unusual interest, Rhiannon admits it took time for her to warm to the doll photography.

She said: 'I probably knew for a few months before we had the conversation, I was quite upset and hurt because I thought you had done this thing that was embarrassing.

'I can remember just turning 17 and seeing a picture of Sarah on the mantelpiece, I remember spotting it and thinking, oh wow my dad owns a sex doll.

'I thought if that's a thing that makes you happy then why would I stand in the way of it? I didn't have to like it, but I don't have to be horrible about it.

'And gradually just accepted it and kind of liked it, I thought it was actually kind of cool.'

Dean prefers the term love doll for his female companions  claiming the term sex doll is too limiting.

The retiree hopes his photography will change perceptions and open people's minds to the endless possibilities of the plastic people.
Queen Letizia of Spain knows just how to make a successful entrance.

The Spanish royal, 46, made an appearance at the Foundation Against Drug Addiction (FAD) in Madrid this morning, looking striking in an immaculate white Carolina Herrera power-suit.

She teamed the outfit with suede heels and wore a gold striped top under her jacket.

It's clearly a favourite in her wardrobe, as Letizia wore the same suit just two weeks ago on 3 May 2018 at a presentation of the Electronic Biographical Dictionary by the Royal Academy of History at the Royal Palace of El Pardo in Madrid.

Queen Letizia of Spain, 46, made an appearance at the Foundation Against Drug Addiction (FAD) in Madrid this morning, looking striking in an immaculate white Carolina Herrera power-suit

Queen Letizia of Spain, 46, presided over the Board of Trustees of the Foundation Against Drug Addiction (FAD) in Madrid (pictured)

Queen Letizia (pictured in Madrid today) is really loving that Carolina Herrera white suit, which she debuted during a royal engagement on 3 May 2018 in Madrid

Letizia kept her makeup to a minimum, with just a dash of mascara and lipgloss. Her hair was style in a sleek shoulders-length blow dry.

The wife of Felipe VI presided over the FAD's Board of Trustees meeting. She has been the honorary president of the institution since 2015, after taking over from her mother in law Queen Sofia.

This morning, after the meeting, she posed for a picture with several officials from the FAD and joked with some of the guests in attendance.

The FAD's main mission is to prevent drug use and other risk behaviours that prevent or hinder the development of teenagers, whether personal or social.

Letizia (pictured) met with officials from the FAD and posed for a picture after the 11 o'clock meeting this morning

As per usual, Letizia (pictured) kept her makeup to a minimum, with a dash of eye-shadow and mascara and a coat of lip-gloss

Letizia has been busy this week, with no less than three engagements to date.

On Monday, she attended the 175th anniversary of Spain's national police force with her husband Felipe VI.

The Civil Guard was created in 1844, and its first accomplishment was the suppression of brigandage in southern Spain.

The Civil Guard are responsible for rural areas and highways during their daily duties. They also patrol borders and are involved with marine search and rescue.

The Queen looked relaxed as she walked around the room and met with officials of the FAD after their board of trustees' meeting this morning

On Tuesday, Letizia honoured a solo engagement and attended the Famelab Espana 2019' Scientific Monologues presentation at Gran Maestre Theatre. She donned a navy blue jumpsuit for the occasion.

Letizia is the eldest daughter of Jesus Jose Ortiz Alvarez, a journalist, and Maria de la Paloma Rocasolano Rodriguez, a nurse and hospital union representative.

She attended public high school and did a degree at the Complutense University of Madrid. She later gained an MA in Audiovisual Journalism at the Institute for Studies in Audiovisual Journalism.

She became Queen of Spain in 2014 when King Juan Carlos abdicated in favour of his son, now King Felipe VI.

King Felipe of Spain and Queen Letizia are seen during the act of commemoration for the 175th Anniversary of The Civil Guards on 13 May
BBC Breakfast presenter Steph McGovern has revealed that former media baron Conrad Black's wife once swore at her.

The presenter took to Twitter to reveal the 'true story' following the news that Canadian-born British citizen Black, 74, looks set to be pardoned by President Trump after being convicted of fraud in 2007.

Taking to Twitter, BBC presenter Steph, 36, revealed that Barbara Amiel, famously dubbed the 'empress of excess', called her a s*** after the journalist reported on his trial in Chicago in March 2007.

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Catty: BBC Breakfast presenter Steph McGovern revealed to her followers on Twitter today that she was branded a 's***' by Conrad Black's wife Barbara Amiel during the ex Telegraph owner's high-profile trial for fraud in 2007

Barbara Amiel, now 78, pictured at the trial in Chicago in 2007 in which Black was convicted of siphoning away millions of dollars; it was revealed this week that the ex media mogul is set to be pardoned by Donald Trump

'Still waiting for an apology': McGovern said the cat-calling by Amiel, known as the 'empress of excess', was a 'true story' (Pictured: Black and Amiel in Chicago in 2010 after he was briefly granted bail)

McGovern wrote: 'So Conrad Black, the former media baron, has been pardoned by Trump.'

She added: 'I'm still waiting for an apology from his wife after she called me a 's***' when I was covering his trial in Chicago. #truestory.'

Lord Black, who wrote a flattering biography of President Trump last year, revealed that he'd spoken to the US leader and would be pardoned for the fraud.

At the trial in 2007, he was convicted of siphoning millions of dollars from the sale of newspapers owned by Hollinger Inc and spent three and a half years in a Florida prison.

He was released on bail in 2010 pending a Supreme Court appeal but eventually returned to prison between September 2011 and May 2012, when he was released and deported to Canada.

Amiel, born in Watford, stood by her man and, prior to his downfall, was known mainly for her love of the finer things in life.

In a Toronto department store, the now 78-year-old once racked up $15,000 in a couple of hours, buying a clutch of bags full of shoes, dresses and blouses.

On Twitter, McGovern's remarks garnered plenty of light-hearted reaction on Twitter. Money man Martin Lewis wrote: 'Don't know why but after hearing this I now picture her as the Gran in Catherine Tate!'

Followers suggested that the presenter, 36, might yet be waiting for some time before she receives an apology from Mrs Amiel

@CanineCluster added: 'Surely class that as a badge of honour Steph.'

@Norris23M wrote an apology probably wasn't likely, writing: 'I shouldn't hold your breath.'

@DJTRacing suggested the presenter should publish her memoirs, saying: 'You need to write a book @stephbreakfast then you might get one lol.'

Speaking to the BBC this week, Lord Black said: 'The President phoned me on Monday of last week.

'He said that he was going to give me a full pardon and that there would be a good deal of sniggering but that the White House counsel Pat Cipollone and his legal staff had gone through very carefully the submissions made on my behalf by Alan Dershowitz and a number of other lawyers and they concluded, and he authorized me to say this, that it was an unjust verdict, a bad rap and I should never have been charged, all of which is true.

'The idea that I would commit a crime is nonsense.'

He added: 'The whole thing was a complete sham from A to Z and now its over and the President has recognized that.'




A sex worker who claims she was 'duped' into appearing on The Jeremy Kyle Show has described the experience as 'mortifying', after the host falsely claimed she'd slept with more than 20,000 men while her daughter was in the house.

Charlotte Rose, 37, from Nottingham, said she felt 'dehumanised' after the audience were told to 'heckle' her and her partner 'as much as they wanted'.

The mother-of-two claims she believed she was going on a completely different show with a radical new format, during which she'd discuss the stigma surrounding the sex industry with Kyle, 53, without an audience present.

But when she arrived at the studios, it was 'very much a different story'.

Charlotte Rose, 37, from Nottingham, said she felt 'dehumanised' after appearing on The Jeremy Kyle Show in 2017 - and managed to get the episode pulled

Appearing as a guest on BBC Radio London today, she told presenter Vanessa Feltz: 'We came out on stage, I was introduced as somebody who'd slept with over 20,000 men in our martial home whilst our daughter was in the house.'

Branding the claim 'ridiculous', Charlotte insisted she had refused to tell producers how many men she'd had sex with because she found the question 'derogatory'.

When her partner Colin Chapman, who was already on the stage, pointed out this claim was a fabrication, Kyle allegedly replied: 'OK we'll cut and edit that.'

She said the host was aggressive to her partner, branding him a 'smart a***' when he corrected him, and told how they left the stage to a chorus of 'boos' from the crowd.

Appearing as a guest on BBC Radio London today, she told presenter Vanessa Feltz how she was introduced as having slept with more than 20,000 men - a claim she never made to producers

Charlotte tweeted about her experience on the show after ITV axed it permanently following the suspected suicide of a former guest

Charlotte said they were then locked in the ITV studio room for up to two hours afterwards until Kyle had left the building.

She recalled: 'They knew that if we'd seen him, we'd have approached him and said, "This is what we were told, what on earth was going on?"

'We had all our phones taken away, we were separated so none of us could communicate with each other.'

Timeline of The Jeremy Kyle Show's downfall May 2: Steven Dymond fails a lie detector test when appearing on The Jeremy Kyle Show May 9: Mr Dymond's body is found at his flat in Portsmouth, and paramedics later say he has been dead for days May 13: ITV pulls The Jeremy Kyle Show from its schedule and says it has been suspended indefinitely May 14: Pressure mounts on ITV from MPs to cancel the show May 15: ITV's chief executive says the show has been axed for good Advertisement

Outspoken Charlotte said after the ordeal she shied away from doing any interviews for six months.

'It still affects me now talking about it, thinking what I actually went through, because nobody should have to go through that,' she added.

'It wasn't until after the show we actually found out from somebody we knew who was in the audience that they were purposely riled up, and the comment was, "This is the couple that we're after, we want you to heckle them as much as you want".'

After shooting, Charlotte said she contacted the Jeremy Kyle producers stating that she was lured to appear on the show under false pretences, and the episode was pulled from production and never aired.

She told Vanessa: 'We threatened with solicitors, going to various different organisations - we were lucky in that sense. But I know a lot of other people didn't have the opportunity to do so.'

FEMAIL has reached out to ITV and Jeremy Kyle for comment.

The Jeremy Kyle show was axed permanently yesterday following the suspected suicide of grandfather Steven Dymond, 63, who failed a lie detector test while appearing on the programme.

The Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport Committee announced it will be launching an inquiry into the reality television programme a week after Steven Dymond, 63, was found dead at his home in Portsmouth after appearing on Jeremy Kyle

Charlotte said she and her partner Colin Chapman were locked in an ITV studio room for up to two hours until Kyle had left the building after shooting

Carolyn McCall, ITV's chief executive, said: 'Given the gravity of recent events we have decided to end production of The Jeremy Kyle Show.

'The Jeremy Kyle Show has had a loyal audience and has been made by a dedicated production team for 14 years, but now is the right time for the show to end.

'Everyone at ITV's thoughts and sympathies are with the family and friends of Steve Dymond.'

The Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport Committee announced it will be launching an inquiry into reality television programmes a week after Dymond was found dead at his home in Portsmouth.

Charlotte, who began her career in the sex industry at the age of 17 and won Sex Worker of the Year in 2013 at the Sexual Freedom Awards, is a campaigner for sexual freedom

Earlier today Charlotte tweeted the host, admitting that despite their 'horrific ordeal' on Jeremy's show, she and her partner don't blame him personally

Charlotte said she believes cancelling the show was 'definitely' the right thing to do, adding that she was offered no aftercare following her appearance.

'One of the biggest problems with this type of show is you've either got a winner or a loser,' she said.

'There's no real resolution between the show. So if somebody is not having that aftercare, this unfortunately is what happens.'

Earlier today she tweeted the host, admitting that despite their 'horrific ordeal' on Kyle's show, she and her partner don't blame him personally.

Charlotte said she believes pulling the show was 'definitely' the right thing to do, adding that she was offered no aftercare following her appearance

'It's down to the the production team in my humble opinion,' she wrote.

'I hope that you come out the other side of this swiftly and without too much personal trauma.'

Charlotte, who began her career in the sex industry at the age of 17 and won Sex Worker of the Year in 2013 at the Sexual Freedom Awards, is a campaigner for sexual freedom and often speaks out about the positivity that sex work can bring to society.

She once claimed to be the most expensive escort in South West England, charging 200 an hour, and is keen to become Britain's number one sex guru.
A Belgian appeals court has ruled that the country's former monarch, must pay 5,000 for each day that he refuses to provide DNA in a case brought by a woman who claims to be his love child.

King Albert II, 84, was ordered by the Brussels court to attend an appointment and provide a DNA sample in the presence of a justice official. He will be fined for each day he fails to respect that appointment.

Artist Delphine Boel, 46, has been trying to establish paternity for years and her story has often made headlines.

Albert has never publicly denied being her father but has refused to provide DNA despite a November court order to do so.

If Boel's case was successful, she would be 15th in line for the Belgian throne.

King Albert II, 84, was ordered by the Brussels court to attend an appointment and provide a DNA sample in the presence of a justice official

Artist Delphine Boel, 46, has been trying to establish paternity for years and her story has often made headlines

In November last year the court ruled that King Albert must provide the DNA which came as a surprise after a lower court ruled Delphine Boel could not rely on such forensic evidence to establish paternity.

Boel claims that King Albert II had an affair with her mother Sybille de Selys Longchamps.

The ruling gave Albert three months to provide a DNA sample which would be used to determine if he was Ms Boels father.

Boel started court proceedings in 2014 and her lawyer Alain De Jonge at the time said that his client is not motivated by money as she is a member of a major Belgian industrial family worth $1 billion.

In November last year the court ruled that King Albert must provide the DNA which came as a surprise after a lower court ruled Delphine Boel could not rely on such forensic evidence to establish paternity

Boel's case came to light in 1999 with the publication of a biography of Queen Paolo, Albert's Italian wife.

It said Albert had formed an extra-marital relationship resulting in the birth of a daughter in the 1960s, when his brother Baudouin was king.

He has never commented on the possible existence of such a daughter but did refer in his 1999 Christmas message to a crisis in his marriage 30 years earlier, the time of Boel's birth.

Albert abdicated to his son Philippe in 2013 due to health reasons.
Tess Holliday has revealed she had an abortion as a mother-of-two because she couldn't mentally handle being pregnant again after suffering postpartum depression.

Using the viral hashtag #YouKnowMe, the 33-year-old plus-size model took to Instagram on Thursday to open up about her abortion in response to Alabama's decision to impose a near-total ban on the procedure, including those for victims of rape or incest.

'Im from Mississippi, living in California, married with 2 kids, & I had an abortion,' she wrote. 'If I was still down south, I might not have been able to get the abortion I wanted & needed.'

Honest: Tess Holliday took to Instagram on Thursday to reveal she had an abortion because she couldn't mentally handle being pregnant again after having postpartum depression

Opening up: The 33-year-old said having an abortion as a mother-of-two was ultimately the best decision for her and her family

Tess, who has been candid about her struggles with postpartum depression on social media, has a two-year-old son named Bowie with her husband Nick Holliday and a 13-year-old son named Rylee from a previous relationship.

'My mental health couldnt handle being pregnant again & I made the best decision for ME & ultimately my family. It wasnt the "easy thing to do", it was excruciating on many levels, but necessary,' she explained. 'Do I regret it or question my choice? Not at all.'

Tess noted that many people in Alabama have had similar experiences, explaining that the 'majority' of those who had abortions in the state in 2017 were already parents.

'Did you know 1-4 women have had an abortion?' she asked. 'This isnt something that only affects women either.

Family: The plus-size model has a two-year-old son named Bowie with her husband Nick Holliday and a 13-year-old son named Rylee from a previous relationship

Looking back: Tess suffered from postpartum depression for more than a year after she had Bowie. She is pictured at age 21 with Rylee (left) and at age 31 with Bowie (right)

'In the words of my friend @alokvmenon: "Abortion is a queer issue. Abortion is a trans issue. Abortion is a non-binary issue. A lot of people still mistakenly believe that only cis women & heterosexual people can get pregnant / have abortions & this rhetoric erases queer women, trans men, and non-binary people who have a disproportionately difficult time accessing abortions."'

She stressed that 'abortion is healthcare' and people who are 'living down south need safe access to abortions.'

At the end of her post, she shared that she just donated to the Yellowhammer Fund, a grassroots organization funding safe abortion access in Alabama.

She urged her 1.8 million followers to follow in her footsteps and either donate to The Yellowhammer Fund or similar organizations, including The National Network of Abortion Funds, NARAL Pro-Choice America, and SisterSong Women of Color Reproductive Justice Collective.

Honest: 'It felt like the water was boiling over and things were coming to the top again,' Tess said of her postpartum depression

Healthy outlook: The model has started working out with a trainer to help her mental health

'Dont let these old white men tell us what we should do with our bodies. #prochoice #abortionisahumanright,' she wrote.

Tess suffered from postpartum for more than a year after she welcomed her youngest son Bowie in June 2016.

Speaking with Cosmopolitan UK last year, she said she was in 'the worst mental state of my life.'

'It felt like the water was boiling over and things were coming to the top again,' she recalled. 'I remember very vividly driving in the car with Bowie and I thought to myself, "I wish I could just disappear. I wish I could vanish."'

Fight: Tess's Instagram post was in response to Alabama's decision to impose a near-total ban on the procedure. Protesters are pictured outside of the Alabama State House on Tuesday

Votes: The new bill makes all abortions illegal unless they are required to save the mother's life. The bill was passed 25-6 on Tuesday and all of the votes in favor of it were from men (pictured)

As she explained in her candid Instagram post, having an abortion was necessary for her mental health.

Alabama's new bill makes all abortions illegal unless they are required to save the mother's life. It was passed 25-6 on Tuesday and all of the votes in favor of it were from men.

The law  HB 314  is set to come into effect in six months, and doctors who defy the law could face 99 years in prison.

Thousands of women have shared stories about their abortions using the hashtag #YouKnowMe after news broke about the near-ban.

Busy Philipps started the conversation on Tuesday when she tweeted: '1 in 4 women have had an abortion. Many people think they don't know someone who has, but #youknowme. So let's do this: if you are also the 1 in 4, let's share it and start to end the shame. Use #youknowme and share your truth.'

Hitting back: Thousands of women have shared stories about their abortions using the hashtag #YouKnowMe after news broke about the near-ban

The 39-year-old actress, who wrote about having an abortion at age 15 in her memoir 'This Will Only Hurt a Little,' defended the rights of 'women and their doctors' during an episode of her late night talk show on Tuesday night.

She decried the new controversial law in Georgia that prohibits doctors from performing abortions after they can detect 'fetal cardiac activity,' which occurs at about six weeks into a pregnancy.

'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.'

Busy told the New York Times that Tina Fey, who is an executive producer on her show, reached out to her after the episode aired and told her that she had struck a chord with viewers.

'She said, "I think you hit on something, which is 'you know me.' It makes it very personal. I think you should think about starting that hashtag,"' she explained.

Using her platform: The hashtag was started by Busy Philipps, who defended the rights of 'women and their doctors' during an episode of her late night talk show on Tuesday night

Power of the people: The 39-year-old actress started the conversation on Tuesday when she shared this tweet

Trauma: Busy wrote about having an abortion at age 15 in her memoir 'This Will Only Hurt a Little'

'It was the day after I had done the show. I felt overwhelmed already by the responses to my show. I had to think about it.

'Then, last night, I went to dinner with my girlfriends, and we were on our phones reading about the Alabama law. I told them about the hashtag and they said, Just do it right now. This is the right time to do it."'

The hashtag spread like wildfire as women openly shared their personal abortion stories, which varied from those who said they had been raped to people whose babies would have been born with painful, life-altering disabilities.

'Learning I was pregnant the same week I decided to leave my abuser could have tied me to him forever,' one woman wrote.

'I was 12. Need I say more?' another commented.

'Had an abortion at 15... my only regret is allowing people to judge me for MY choice,' someone else tweeted.
Ivanka Trump opted for a demure red dress that was buttoned up to her collar to promote a White House workforce initiative in Indiana, Indianapolis, on Thursday.

The 37-year-old first daughter visited Salesforce's Indianapolis office to participate in a panel discussion with trainees. The San Francisco-based tech company has pledged to provide skills training to 500,000 people as part of the Trump administration's push to boost career opportunities among Americans.

Ivanka donned a long-sleeve button-down midi dress that she paired with a black patent leather belt and matching heels to the event at Salesforce Tower, which was part of the company's inaugural Trailblazer Day.

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Travels: Ivanka Trump, 37, visited Salesforce's office in Indianapolis, Indiana, on Thursday. She met with the tech company's founder Marc Benioff (center) and some of its trainees

Outfit of the day: The first daughter wore a demure red dress that was buttoned up to her collar

Accessories: Ivanka paired the A-line frock with a black patent leather belt that cinched her waist and matching heels

The White House senior adviser wore her hair loose around her shoulders, this time opting to have her hair straightened instead of curled in loose waves.

Ivanka spoke with individuals who have participated in Salesforces Trailhead training program during a panel discussion that was moderated by Marc Benioff, the billionaire founder, chairman, and co-CEO of the company.

The first daughter shared that her goal is to make sure everyone has access to training opportunities, explaining that today's workers need to be lifelong learners because many of the jobs of the future remain unknown.

'We constantly have to be sharpening our skills,' she said, according to the Indianapolis Business Journal.

Success: At the event, Salesforce signed the Trump administration's Pledge to America's Workers, an initiative that asks companies to commit to expanding education and training

Happy: The White House senior adviser smiled brightly while greeting audience members

Focus: Ivanka spoke with individuals who have participated in Salesforces Trailhead training program during a panel discussion that was moderated by Benioff (far left)

It was at the event that Salesforce signed the Trump administration's Pledge to America's Workers, which was launched last year.

The initiative asks companies to commit to expanding education and training programs for American workers.

On Thursday, Salesforce committed to teaching 500,000 workers the skills they need to obtain jobs at the company over the next five years.

During the panel discussion, Ivanka also touched upon the need to close the gender pay gap and develop better family-leave policies.

'We really think were just at the beginning of this mission,' she said.

Words: 'We constantly have to be sharpening our skills,' she said during the panel discussion

Proud: Ivanka took to Instagram Stories to share footage of Zac Otero, an Einstein Analytics administrator at Salesforce, discussing his experience with the company's training program

Making memories: Ivanka also posted images of herself at the podium and posing with trainees at the event

Sweet moment: In one snapshot, she can be seen hugging a trainee named Stephanie

After the session, Ivanka shared a photo of herself smiling alongside Benioff and members of the company's training program.

'Today, we heard stories of lives transformed by rewarding careers through @salesforce visionary approach to online learning.,' she captioned the image.

'Thank you @Benioff for signing our #PledgetoAmericasWorkers and committing to investing in the skills + talents of 1 MILLION more Americans!  Wow!'

Ivanka also took to Instagram Stories to share photos of her visit to Salesforce Tower as well as footage of Zac Otero, an Einstein Analytics administrator at Salesforce, discussing his experience with the company's training program.

'Since I started down my path, I've learned a lot of things. I've learned a lot about myself. I've learned a lot about community. I've learned a lot about Salesforce, obviously. But I learned a lot about learning. I discovered how I learned best.'

She's off: On Wednesday, Ivanka shared a video of her plane taking off, saying: 'Indiana here we come'

Intimate gathering: After she landed, she enjoyed a sit-down meal with Benioff and Salesforce's employees as part of the company's Trailblazer Day

Strike a pose: The first daughter wore a sleeveless black dress with a mock turtleneck and classic black heels

The images posted on Ivanka's Instagram Stories show her shaking hands with audience members, addressing the crowd a the panel discussion, and hugging one of the trainees.

On Wednesday, Ivanka shared a video of her plane taking off, saying: 'Indiana here we come.'

After she landed, she enjoyed a sit-down meal with Benioff and Salesforce's employees as part of the company's Trailblazer Day.

The first daughter wore a sleeveless black dress with a mock turtleneck and classic black heels. Her hair was pulled back in a loose bun, which showed off her drop earrings.

Ivanka happily posted a group photo from the evening, writing: 'With these Trailblazers.
Lara Trump has paid tribute to her beloved rescue dog Ben on the three-year anniversary of his adoption.

The 36-year-old, who is six months pregnant with her second child with her husband Eric Trump, took to Instagram on Thursday to share photos of the beagle throughout the years, including heartwarming images of the pooch with their one-year-old son Luke.

'Three years ago today we took in a depressed, forgotten, abused, hopeless, sick dog. A dog who, like far too many still out there, had been let down by humans,' she wrote.

Too cute: Lara Trump took to Instagram on Thursday to pay tribute to her rescue dog Ben on the three-year anniversary of his adoption, sharing photos of the pup with her son Luke

Adoption story: The 36-year-old explained that she and her husband Eric planned on fostering Ben until he found a home, but they fell in love with him. They family is pictured on Halloween

The first image was taken when she and Eric first took Ben home. At the time, the dog was covered in mange and in the process of healing.

The stray beagle was so sick when he was brought to City of San Antonio Animal Care Services in April 2016 that he had to stay at a veterinary hospital for a month.

The poor dog was so covered with mange that much of his fur was gone, leaving his raw, sore, pink skin showing through.

When Ben was finally ready to leave, he was picked up by a Rescue Dogs Rock NYC, a New York-based rescue group. From there, the dog made its lucky way to Eric and Lara, who agreed to foster him.

Heartbreaking: Before they adopted Ben, he was sick and so covered with mange that much of his fur was gone, leaving his raw, sore, pink skin showing through

Best friends: One of the sweet throwback snapshots shows Luke crawling towards Ben on a lounge chair as a baby

Getaway: Lara and Eric also have a beagle named Charlie, and in one of the photos, Ben is lying next to his big brother on a lounge chair at the Trump family's Mar-a-Lago resort

'We took him in as a foster with no intention to keep him longer than a few months, when we hoped he would be adopted by his forever family,' Lara explained in her heartfelt post.

'Within the course of a few short months, with a little love and patience, what we saw was miraculous. We saw a changed dog who developed confidence and was happy. A dog who played like any other dog and snuggled up to us at night.

'Needless to say, we couldnt let him go,' she added. 'Happy #adoptaversary Ben, we love you so much!! (thank you to @rescuedogsrocknyc for saving our precious Ben!!) #AdoptDontShop #FosterSavesLives #RescueIsTheBestBreed.'

Lara and Eric also have a beagle named Charlie, and in one of the photos, Ben is lying next to his big brother on a lounge chair at the Trump family's Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida.

Feel the burn: Earlier this week, Lara shared a video of herself working up a sweat at the gym during a session with her trainer Mike Maloney

Growing family: Lara and Eric (pictured with Luke on Easter) are expecting there second child together

Maternity style: Lara, who is six months pregnant, showed off her baby bump in a form-fitting pink dress while attending a friend's baby shower last week

Other images show little Luke growing up alongside the dog, including a heartwarming throwback snapshot of him crawling towards Ben on a lounge chair as a baby.

Months later, Luke was photographed walking alongside Ben in his home. Lara also included a family shot of herself and her husband posed with their son and their two dogs last Halloween.

Charlie and Ben immediately warmed up to Luke, who will be turning two years old in September, and the couple has shared plenty adorable snapshots of the trio playing around the house.

Earlier this week, Lara shared a video of herself working up a sweat at the gym during a session with her trainer Mike Maloney.

He'll always be her baby: Lara shared this sweet photo of herself giving her son a kiss on the cheek on Wednesday. Luke is turning two years old in September

All together: Lara celebrated Mother's Day with her husband, son, and mother-in-law Ivana Trump

The soon-to-be mother-of-two worked out through her entire first pregnancy and shared a video of herself at the gym when she was 39 weeks along.

Lara seems to be just as dedicated to fitness this time around, and in her latest video, she can be seen doing a one-arm kettlebell row in a funky tie-dye tank that hung down, hiding her baby bump.

She paired the baggy blue tank with a pair of purple tie-dye leggings, and she couldn't help but poke fun at her look when posting the video.

'Even in the dark this morning, I somehow managed to pick out this sweet tie-dye outfit for my workout with @teammaloney,' she joked.
Thousands of doctors are turning to alcohol amid the unprecedented pressure that is buckling the NHS, research suggests.

Scientists who quizzed hundreds of consultants found around one in 20, or five per cent, would be classified as dependent on alcohol.

Almost one in ten, or eight per cent, displayed clear signs of a binge-eating disorder - a common way to combat emotional distress.

The study comes amid an NHS crisis, with a record 4.23million-long waiting list for routine hospital treatment spiral to record levels.

Scientists who quizzed hundreds of consultants found around one in 20, or five per cent, would be classified as dependent on alcohol

A&E waits of four hours or more have plummeted to some of the lowest ever levels, and patients are having to wait weeks to see their GP.

Experts say the pressure is being fuelled by an ageing population battling multiple conditions and a shortage of staff and funding.

Around 420 doctors were quizzed by researchers at Birkbeck, University of London and University College London.

Almost half were consultants - senior doctors who have completed training, while the rest were either GPs or junior doctors.

The doctors who were surveyed in the study, of which the results were published in BMJ Open, had an average age of 47.

Slightly more than half (53 per cent) confessed to drinking at least twice a week.

NHS GP SHORTAGE IS A 'DESPERATE SITUATION' Official figures showed in 2018 that 41 per cent of GPs  around 10,000 doctors  are 50 or over and are expected to quit within the next five to ten years. And 2.5 million patients are at risk of their local GP surgery closing because so many are relying on doctors who are close to retirement. At the same time, fewer young doctors are choosing to specialise as GPs and are opting for other career paths as surgeons or specialists. Many GPs are retiring in their 50s, moving abroad or leaving to work in the private sector, increasing the pressure on those who still work in the sector. Appointment waiting times are getting longer and more people are going to A&E for minor illnesses because they can't see a doctor. Despite an NHS a plan to recruit 5,000 extra GPs by 2021, numbers of family doctors are falling. And 762 GP practices across the UK could close within the next five years, according to the Royal College of Nursing. Rachel Power, chief executive of the Patients Association, told The Times: 'This is a desperate situation with potentially serious consequences for patients.' Advertisement

Work stress was listed as the biggest driving factor, with a third (34 per cent) saying it was the reason they drunk.

The researchers did accept, however, that the prevalence of alcohol dependency among doctors was lower than the general population.

But they found eight per cent of doctors have signs of a binge-eating disorder. In contrast, the figure is three per cent among the public.

The findings form part of a much larger trial, which looked at the effects of work-related stress on the health of NHS doctors.

It has showed that 55 per cent of doctors meet the criteria for burnout - defined as emotional exhaustion.

This, the researchers claim, doubles their risk of suffering insomnia and recurring bouts of diarrhoea, which can be triggered by stress.

Figures suggest there are around 150,000 doctors working across NHS hospital, community and primary care settings.

Dr Caroline Kamau, co-author of the research, warned that burnout suffered by doctors 'has real health consequences'.

She said: 'Doctors are not to blame for having burnout. It is a normal, human reaction to external stressors so doctors must not be stigmatised.

'What we need is for the NHS to solve the causes of burnout and prevent it from harming the health of our doctors.'

Dr Asta Medisauskaite, the other author of the study, said: 'Work-related stress is often ignored as not being a priority.

'But our research shows that stress among doctors is associated with health problems and risky health behaviours like alcohol use.

'Stress can no longer be ignored because it can lead to doctors suffering severe health problems and losing even one doctor is a great loss for the NHS.'

Professor Helen Stokes-Lampard, chair of the Royal College of GPs, said: 'The results of this research are deeply concerning and shine a light on the harsh reality of the pressures currently facing not just GPs and their teams, but our colleagues across the wider NHS, as we all work harder and in difficult circumstances.

'We already know that burnout is a real risk for professionals working in todays healthcare system and, as this study shows, some doctors turn to potentially dangerous coping mechanisms as they try to deal with the demands they face.

'For others, the stress of the job has become so much that they have decided to leave entirely, draining the system of experienced and talented doctors.'

An NHS spokesperson said: 'While these findings are based on a small survey, the NHS is now introducing the most comprehensive national mental health support offer to doctors of any health system in the world.'
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A series of terrifying interactive maps highlight how a measles epidemic could sweep across the US, as the nation struggles with spiralling rates of the life-threatening infection.

The maps lay bare how the virus could spread across entire cities if current vaccination rates dropped from 95 per cent to 80 per cent.

The simulation, developed by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh, projects the infection rate across every major city in the US over a six-month period.

Interactive maps showing New York County after a measles infection highlight how the epidemic could sweep across the region in just six months if vaccination rates dropped to 80 per cent

The simulation, developed by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh, projects the infection rate across every major city (Los Angeles County, shown) in the US over a six-month period

WHAT IS MEASLES, WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS AND HOW CAN YOU CATCH IT? Measles is a highly contagious viral infection that spreads easily from an infected person by coughing, sneezing or even just breathing. Symptoms develop between six and 19 days after infection, and include a runny nose, cough, sore eyes, a fever and a rash. The rash appears as red and blotchy marks on the hairline that travel down over several days, turning brown and eventually fading. Some children complain of disliking bright lights or develop white spots with red backgrounds on their tongue. In one in 15 cases, measles can cause life-threatening complications including pneumonia, convulsions and encephalitis. Treatment focuses on staying hydrated, resting and taking painkillers, if necessary. Measles can be prevented by receiving two vaccinations, the first at 13 months old and the second at three years and four months to five years old. Source: Great Ormond Street Hospital Advertisement

They begin with a single child contracting measles and show the possible spread of the disease. Red dots highlight infected people and blue dots represent recovered patients.

If more than a few cases appear, herd immunity has been lost, and the disease spreads easily. If only a few cases appear, herd immunity is still in place.

Herd immunity is a form of indirect protection from infectious disease that occurs when a large percentage of a population has become immune to an infection, providing protection for individuals who are not immune.

The simulation includes two maps - one that assumes that 80 per cent of children six-months-old to 15 are vaccinated against measles.

In the other, it is assumed that 95 per cent of children 6 months old to 15 years old are vaccinated against measles.

In most cases, the difference between the 80 per cent coverage map and 95 per cent map is dramatic.

Researchers concede the maps don't anticipate the effects of any public health interventions during an emergency.

But they say the model shows the importance of a high vaccination rate in providing protection for the entire community.

Global measles vaccination rates have plummeted in recent years, partly driven by anti-vaccination propaganda on social media.

More than 800 Americans have contracted measles this year in the biggest outbreak in decades, figures showed on Monday.

And the measles outbreak in Europe is on track to eclipse last year's toll, as official figures showed 34,000 have already been struck down by the killer infection in the first two months of 2019. In the entire of 2018 there were 83,540 cases recorded in the European region  this year the numbers were almost halfway there already in April.

Measles is a highly contagious viral infection that spreads easily from an infected person by coughing, sneezing or even just breathing.

Symptoms develop between six and 19 days after infection, and include a runny nose, cough, sore eyes, a fever and a rash.

The maps begin with a single child contracting measles and show the possible spread of the disease (Philadelphia, pictured). Red dots highlight infected people and blue dots represent recovered patients

Hypothetical maps show what could happen if Houston was to face a measles outbreak. Researchers concede the maps don't anticipate the effects of any public health interventions during an emergency

UNICEF estimates more than 2,500,000 children in the US were not vaccinated against measles between 2010 and 2017.

A controversial 1995 study by disgraced British researcher Dr Andrew Wakefield claimed the MMR jab was linked with an increased risk of autism.

The research was later found to be flawed and Wakefield was struck off by the General Medical Council.

A recent investigation confirmed no link between the inoculation and autism after scientists analysed data on more than 650,000 children given the jab.

Pauline Castres, Senior Policy Adviser on Child Health at Unicef UK, told MailOnline: 'These figures are indicative of the fact we are currently in the midst of a global measles crisis.

'Cases have soared across the world, including in places where measles had previously been eliminated, like the US. This year alone to date, the US has already seen its second-greatest number of cases since 2000.

'Measles is severe and contagious disease, which can lead to death. Yet at Unicef we know that globally children are missing out on lifesaving vaccines often due to parents delaying or refusing to vaccinate their children.

'Every child has the right to lifesaving vaccinations. It is vital for governments and health professionals, in the US and globally, to make sure the public are educated about the urgent need for measles vaccinations and that services are accessible and affordable, so every child receives their vaccines at the right time.'
Google's parent company, Alphabet, is now pouring funds into a start-up wants to gene-edit heart disease out of existence using a one-time injection.

Verve Therapeutics hopes to leverage its CEO's discovery of a gene he believes is linked to lower heart disease risks to 'fix' the DNA of people at high risk of heart disease.

And the company plans to use CRISPR - the costly, controversial gene editing tool used by Chinese scientists to rid twin girls of HIV in the womb - to accomplish it.

Verve plans to inject people with CRISPR carrying a copy of the protective gene, in theory cutting their heart disease risks by up to 80 percent.

It's a bold and novel plan, but one that could do more to widen already-gaping disparities in heart disease or tackle basic risks like obesity.

Google's parent company, Apple, is helping to fund Verve Therapeutics, a start-up that wants to make a single gene-editing injection to protect people against heart disease

One in four deaths in the US each year are due to heart disease.

It remains the leading cause of death, costing American taxpayers $200 billion a year.

Now, Google's parent company Alphabet, is throwing some private money at deadliest disease in the country.

Alphabet got into the venture capital and health technology games through GV and Verily, respectively, NBC reported.

GV invests in companies, startups and other ventures that its umbrella company sees potential in, while Verily, a now-independent company that got its start in Alphabet's incubator, tackles a diverse smattering of health research projects.

Verily rounded up an additional $1 billion in external funding last year, some of which will go to its partnership with Verve, while GV added the better part of another $60 million in funding to the pot shared by Verily and Verve last week.

To Verve's efforts, Verily plans to add its research on nanoparticles, which it believes will provide the best system by which to deliver Verve's gene-editing vaccine.

Nanoparticles are still in their early days, but because their small size allows them to enter hard-to-access tissues undetected by the immune system and deliver extended release treatments there.

Now, Verily wants to use them to help Verve deploy CRISPR to the DNA of heart disease-prone patients.

For its part, Verve has made it its mission to 'safely edit the adult genome and confer lifelong protection from cardiovascular disease.'

The basis for its moonshot effort is CEO Dr Sekar Kathiresan's - formerly a geneticist at Massachusetts General Hospital - research on a gene called PCSK9.

PCSK9 plays an important role in the regulation of blood cholesterol, and certain mutations of the gene cause a form of high cholesterol called hypercholesterolemia, which is passed down in families.

Other variants of the gene, however, seem to have protective effects, and people with these copies have lower cholesterol, fewer heart attacks and good overall health, Verve claims.

One study on PCSK9, done in 2006, found that black people - who generally have higher risks of heart disease - who had 'nonsense mutations' in the gene had 28 percent lower cholesterol and 88 percent lower risk of heart disease.

White people with the same mutation had a 47 percent reduction in their heart disease risk.

CRISPR edits genes by finding a target segment of DNA, 'snipping' out copies variants that create diseases or disease risks and replacing them with a new bit of DNA.

'Verve aims to develop therapies, administered as a single dose, that mimic naturally protective variants to confer lifelong protection against coronary artery disease in adults,' the company explains on its website.

The company says its goal is to replace the daily cocktail of pills many have to take to keep heart disease at bay.

It sounds like a simple, elegant and lasting solution.

But gene-editing is anything but - and we don't even know what the potential fallout would be.

CRISPR is still in its nascent clinical stages. Although scientists suggest therapeutics that use it could be made at $65 dose, that doesn't include the research needed to design the 'vaccine' Verve promises.

And we have only begun to understand the complex network through which genetic and environmental risk factors interact.

A protective gene, for example, might lessen the effects of obesity on cholesterol - but it won't prevent obesity itself, a more complicated risk factor for the disease.

DNA itself is still a relatively opaque subject, and even in past year, we've discovered new cascades of consequences for genes that have already been edited.

For example, the gene that Chinese scientists edited in the pair of embryos - now twin girls, over a year old - in order to protect them from HIV they would've inherited from the father was discovered to alter brain function as well shortly after the girls were born.

We don't yet know what other advantages - or disadvantages - the nonsense-mutated PCSK9 gene might confer to those Verve wants to inject with it in the years to come.
A girl was rushed to hospital when she fell onto the sharp end of a pencil which penetrated her neck.

The unidentified youngster's accident occurred while the 11-year-old was playing during break time at school.

She was whisked to The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto with the pencil still lodged in the left side of her neck.

A CT scan revealed the pencil was completely obstructing her left common carotid artery, stopping blood going to her brain.

The girl was taken for surgery, where doctors managed to remove the pencil. After an 'uneventful recovery', she was discharged two days later.

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An 11-year-old girl, who has not been named, was rushed to hospital after a pencil penetrated her neck (pictured) when she fell on the sharp end while playing during school break time

A CT scan revealed the pencil (circled) had penetrated the muscle and completely obstructed her left common carotid artery. Along with the right artery, this provides blood to the head

The operation was led by Dr Graham Roche-Nagle, associate professor of vascular surgery.

Penetrating neck injuries are defined as those that go through the platysma muscle, which runs from the chest to the jaw, Dr Roche-Nagle wrote in a BMJ Case Report.

These can occur due to bullets, stabbings or falling debris, like glass, and are rare in children.

The injuries can damage a person's airways, digestion or nervous system, and may be worse in children due to their 'small anatomy'.

The girl was initially taken to a local health centre before being rushed to hospital.

When she arrived, doctors found no bleeding or swollen clots of blood at the site of the injury.

She also did not appear to be in respiratory distress, a life-threatening condition that occurs when the lungs cannot provide the vital organs with enough oxygen.

Due to her stable condition, medics chose to 'define her anatomy' before operating.

A CT scan revealed complete obstruction of her left common carotid artery. Along with the right artery, this provides blood to the head and neck.

The girl was given antibiotics and blood thinners before going under the knife.

Surgeons managed to 'clamp' her arteries and the pencil was removed.

The medics then 'refreshed' the edges of her left common carotid artery and 'irrigated' the wound with 'copious amounts of sterile saline'.

Once discharged, the girl was told to take aspirin, a blood thinner, for three months.

A follow-up appointment revealed her wound had healed well. To keep track of her progress, she underwent a duplex ultrasound, which evaluates blood flow through the arteries and veins, at six weeks.

She then had the ultrasound every six months for a year, which was reduced to annually for two years. A check-up three years after the incident revealed no abnormalities.


England purchased more drugs on the dark web than any other country in the world except Finland, figures show.

More than one in four recreational drug users admitted ordering substances on the encrypted network in the last 12 months.

It marks a four per cent jump in dark web purchases compared with 2018, according to the study looking at more than 120,000 substance-users worldwide.

The most popular drugs ordered on the dark net were MDMA, LSD and cannabis, followed by amphetamines such as speed and ADHD medication Adderall.

More than one in four recreational drug users purchased substances on the dark web in the last year, according to figures from a global survey looking at more than 120,000 people

Although less common, large increases were seen in the purchase of psychedelic drugs including DMT, ketamine and 2-CB over the last five years, the Global Drug Survey found.

England came only second to Finland, where almost half - 45.2 per cent - of the drug-using population said they'd bought illegal substances from the dark web.

Elsewhere, the number of purchases on the dark web plummeted from 18.1 per cent to 11.9 per cent in the US - following a crackdown on online drug dealers by the FBI.

Purchases also fell slightly in Australia, from 17.2 per cent to 14.9 per cent, and in New Zealand where numbers dropped from 2.8 per cent to 2.4 per cent.

The same survey also found Englands MDMA users to be some of the worlds biggest dosers, taking 40 per cent more on a single day of use than the global average.

Users in England take half a gram of MDMA powder - or 1.4 pills - compared to 0.3grams and one ecstasy pill globally.

Graph breaks down the thirteen drugs that hospitalised male and female users in the last 12 months globally

But most consumers use the drug infrequently, with the average being seven days a year. In England, the average is 10 days per year.

The survey also found that England has the highest rate of people who have tried cocaine in the world.

In England, 74 per cent of participants reported having used cocaine at some point in their lives, compared with 43 per cent globally.

Use of the drug in the past year among people from England who responded went up from 43 per cent in 2018s survey to 64 per cent this year.
Blood deliveries to large hospitals could be stalled when couriers plan to go on strike.

Around 100 cyclists, van drivers and motorcyclists travel plan to stop work for two days next week, according to a union.

The couriers, who service more than 50 NHS and private hospitals in London and the south-east, plan to strike over their pay and conditions.

Workers are outraged that directors of The Doctors Laboratory (TDL) are receiving huge pay rises in the meantime.

Blood deliveries to large hospitals could be stalled when couriers plan to go on strike next week over their pay. Stock photo

Over the past two years, the union Independent Work's Union of Great Britain (IWGB) have challenged couriers' rights.

In 2018, couriers won full employment rights, giving them access to holiday pay, maternity leave and minimum wage.

It followed the TDL arguing its couriers were self-employed with no employment rights beyond basic health and safety and anti-discrimination rules.

The out of court settlement offered hope of job security for workers both within the company and among similar set-ups, such as Uber and Deliveroo.

But IWGB claim the company has reduced work and asked employees to cover the cost of their own equipment, the Guardian reports.

IWGB, the first to secure rights for the 'gig economy', the group of self-employed, said TDL was trying to employ more people under these circumstances.

The union is also calling for 1million in holiday pay to be returned to workers with the TDL.

While fighting to get better pay, those at the top of the company are raking in huge pay cheques, according to research by Corporate Watch.

TDL's highest paid director had doubled his pay since 2013 to 1.6million, with the top three directors together making 3million.

Sonic Healthcare  the company's Australian owner  last year paid out 180million to its shareholders, including the super-rich.

Alex Marshall, a TDL courier and IWGB member, told the Guardian: 'While TDL investors and managers get fat off NHS contracts, the couriers that risk their lives every day to deliver blood and pathology samples are being left to suffer under a regime of pay cuts and neglect.'

According to TDL, every courier is paid above the London living wage and receives holiday pay and pensions contributions.

A spokesperson for TDL said: 'It's exceptionally disappointing that a minority of our couriers, already some of the best paid in London have elected to strike.

'Their intention is to disrupt the transportation of medical samples from GP surgeries, clinics and hospitals to our laboratories.

'Our customers and their patients should be reassured that TDL has robust plans in place to mitigate any impact on our service.'
Gruesome footage captures the moment a doctor removed two wriggling leeches from a man's nose.

The man, known only by his surname Cao, sought help from an ear, nose and throat specialist after enduring ten days of near-constant nosebleeds.

Cao, who works as a citrus farmer in southern China, confessed to a habit of washing his face in water that has not been sterilised.

Dr Zhou Fucui, the lead ear, nose and throat specialist at Guangji Hospital in China's, Guangdong province, is pictured pulling a leech out of a man's nose. Known only by his surname Cao, he went to her after enduing ten days of near-constant nosebleeds

One of the well camouflaged leeches is circled after being found via an endoscope

Little did he know two blood-sucking leeches were inside his nostrils. It is unclear how they may have caused his nose bleeds.

Cao went to see Dr Zhou Fucui, who is the lead ENT specialist at Guangji Hospital in the Guangdong province.

'Uncooked water often contains leech eggs which are not visible to the naked eye,' Dr Fucui said.

She inspected the inside of Cao's nose with an endoscope, where she discovered the two parasites.

ARE LEECHES DANGEROUS? Contrary to popular belief, most leeches dont rely on drinking blood to survive. Some eat other small animals and some feed off decomposing bodies. Blood-sucking leeches only suck about a teaspoon of blood and when theyre full they naturally fall off. For humans, blood loss from a single leech would not be significant enough to be harmful, and their bites are not very painful becuase their saliva contains a numbing agent. Bites may bleed after the leech has gone because the saliva stops blood clots, but this usually heals on its own. Leech bites may cause infection in some circumstances but this should be easily treatable. Source: Mehdi Leech Therapy Advertisement

The worm-like creature were able to hide themselves in Cao's narrow nostrils, which made them tricky to remove them.

Dr Fucui eventually managed to grab the leeches, which were 5cm long, with forceps.

'Leeches are very hardy, so it's easy for them to survive in the human body,' she said.

In February, doctors in the south-western Sichuan Province found a 10cm leech had lived in a 60-year-old man's throat for two months after he drank contaminated water.

A leech is a type of segmented worm that has suckers at both ends of its body, one of which contains the mouth and is used to suck blood for the creature to feed on.

Leeches can range in size from minuscule to 20cm (eight inches) or even longer when stretched out, and are found all over the world.

They feed on blood by making small cuts in their prey's skin then covering it in their saliva, which numbs the area and increases blood flow.

The two leeches (pictured) measured up to 5cm long and were difficult to pull out

Dr Fucui eventually managed to grab the leeches with forceps
There has been a sharp rise in the number of parents forking out to freeze part of their baby's umbilical cord, figures show.

Some 27,028 Britons had the stem-cell-rich umbilical-cord blood stored in special bio-banks' in 2018 compared with 16,965 in 2014.

The hope is that the process could one day provide a cure for a range of medical conditions  and may help not just the child but other family members.

Critics argue that, as the science that allows the use of these cells in treatments is still in its infancy, it may simply be an expensive gamble.

The number of parents paying thousands of pounds to freeze parts of their baby's umbilical cord in case they get ill has risen sharply (file image)

Private companies offer to freeze the cords for thousands of pounds and charge hundreds each year for storage fees.

There are seven private cord blood banks are licensed by the Human Tissue Authority to store stem cells from umbilical cords and placentas, a rich source of the regenerative cells, and store them in liquid nitrogen for upwards of 20 years.

WHAT ARE STEM CELLS? Stem cells are a basic type of cell that can change into another type of more specialized cell  such as bone, muscle or cartilage  through a process known as differentiation. Think of stem cells as a fresh ball of clay that can be shaped and morphed into any cell in the body. Babies have more stem cells because they grow in embryos as embryonic stem cells, used to help the rapidly growing baby form the millions of different cell types it needs to grow before birth. In adults they act as repair cells, used to replace those we lose through damage or ageing. The use of the cells is increasingly being used in medicine because they have a unique ability to naturally repair a wide range of injuries inside the body. They have so far been used to regrow torn Achilles tendons and could repair heart muscle which is damaged when the organ fails. Advertisement

At an average cost of 2,000, the procedure is promoted as offering potential clinical benefits for the whole family  siblings have a 25 per cent chance of being a perfect match and a 75 per cent chance of being a partial match, similar enough to be used in treatments.

Private storage in the UK is proving so popular that Cells4Life, one of the countrys biggest bank with 110,000 samples  50 per cent of the UK market  recently announced it was expanding to cope with demand.

Figures from Human Tissue Authority showed the number of umbilical cord tissue units processed privately almost doubled between 2014 and 2018, rising from 6,289 to 11,950, the BBC reports.

One couple who chose to store their umbilical cord blood as an investment believe it has already paid dividends.

Kyle and Carla Poppleton banked the cells with private company Smart Cells when their daughter, Paige, was born in London in March 2013.

Mrs Poppleton, 32, who lives in Lincolnshire, told The Mail on Sunday in October: It is the best investment we could ever have made for our daughter.

At six months old, Paige was unable to sit up, and kept her right hand in a fist and her toes curled up.

At about 12 months old she was diagnosed with cerebral palsy, a condition linked to the abnormal development of the brain which affects the ability to control muscles.

Stem-cell treatment for the condition is still highly experimental. It involves infusing the body intravenously with stem cells from umbilical cord blood in the hope that they repair damage to the nervous system and muscles before it becomes permanent, potentially reducing the extent of mobility issues.

A clinical trial of the treatment involving 63 children at Duke University in North Carolina reported in 2017 that those who received a single dose of stem cells from their own umbilical-cord blood had greater mobility a year later than those who did not, or had received a lower dose of stem cells.

Mrs Poppleton and her husband Kyle, 35, a professional cyclist, who now also have two sons  Tyler, two, and three-month-old Ethan  travelled to Duke in May 2014 after Smart Cells exported Paiges cord blood. By July, the couple noticed a difference.

Mrs Poppleton said: Paige was crawling, and later climbed the stairs, pulled herself up on to furniture and stood while holding my hand.

It is also possible for mothers giving birth at some UK hospitals to donate cord blood to a public stem-cell bank  the NHS Cord Blood Bank  run in conjunction with British charity the Anthony Nolan Trust.

Thanks to this bank, patients with blood cancers such as leukaemia  often children  get lifesaving stem-cell transplants if they are found to be a suitable match.

At six months old, Paige was unable to sit up, and kept her right hand in a fist and her toes curled up

The charity Leukaemia & Myeloma Research UK also funds its own Model Cell Biobank.

This free service stores cord blood for eligible families: those in receipt of benefits who also have a family history of cancer or other conditions where there is a proven treatment involving stem cells.

Private banks are distinct from NHS or charity-run cord blood banks, as the banked cells are stored only for the patients personal use.
Five state attorneys general have announced new lawsuits against the maker of OxyContin as they seek to hold the drug industry responsible for an opioid crisis.

On Thursday, officials in Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, West Virginia and Wisconsin all filed suits accusing Purdue Pharma of downplaying the addiction risks of its powerful prescription drug.

Wisconsin is also separately suing Richard Sackler, former president and chair of Purdue, for his involvement in the opioid epidemic, attorney general Josh Kaul announced.

The new lawsuits bring the total to 45 states now taking legal action against OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma, as well as 1,500 cities.

Several states are also suing other drugmakers or distributors.

Five state attorneys general announced lawsuits Thursday seeking to hold the drug industry responsible for an opioid addiction crisis that has become the biggest cause of accidental deaths across the country and in many states

Pennsylvania's attorney general also announced a suit this week against Purdue, saying the company was not working in good faith on a settlement agreement. Purdue disputes that.

The company had a legal win this month when a North Dakota judge dismissed that state's claim against the company.

'There's far too much senseless death in West Virginia and many ruined lives,' that state's Attorney General Patrick Morrissey said Thursday.

'We cannot and will not tolerate companies that allegedly use false and misleading information to deceive medical personnel and patents.'

States' suits are among the highest-profile claims in flood of litigation over the crisis.

Opioids, including prescription painkillers and related drugs such as heroin and fentanyl, were involved in nearly 48,000 deaths in the US in 2017 - more than AIDS killed at the peak of that epidemic and more than auto accidents kill annually. The death toll since 2000 is 391,000.

The states and about 2,000 local and tribal governments that have sued assert that Purdue and other companies downplayed the addiction dangers of the drugs and used sales representatives to encourage doctors to prescribe even more of them.

But the legal cases are complicated. Purdue points out that the majority of the recent deaths are linked to heroin or fentanyl - not prescription drugs. States say most users, though, start with prescription pills, whether they're prescribed to them or diverted.

A judge in North Dakota last week dismissed all of that state's claims against Purdue, perhaps the company's biggest court win in a round of litigation.

In a written ruling that the state says it will appeal, Judge James Hill questioned the idea of blaming a company that makes a legal product for the deaths.

'Purdue cannot control how doctors prescribe its products and it certainly cannot control how individual patients use and respond to its products,' the judge wrote, 'regardless of any warning or instruction Purdue may give.'

Mark Cheffo, a lawyer for Purdue, said he's hoping other judges will reach similar conclusions as they delve into the cases.

All the cases filed by state governments except one are working their way through state courts.

Alabama's case is among about 1,500 in federal court and being overseen by one federal judge based in Cleveland. He has rejected arguments to dismiss the suits and has scheduled an initial trial in October for the claims of two Ohio counties.

The looming trial could put pressure on Purdue and other companies to settle the cases - something the judge has said he wants to see.

In March, Purdue and the Sackler family, which owns the company, settled with Oklahoma for $270 million. Purdue also settled with Kentucky in 2015 for $24 million, and a handful of other companies have entered deals with other states in the last few years.

Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro, one of the leaders of a multistate investigation of the opioid crisis, announced a lawsuit earlier this week against Purdue, saying the company was not working in good faith on a settlement.

Cheffo, the Purdue lawyer, disputed that in a phone interview Tuesday.

'While we recognize the complication of a resolution process involving so many different parties and interests and certainly cannot get into the details of them, we remain optimistic and believe that both sides are participating in good faith in an effort to try to reach some resolution that is in the best interests of the parties and the public health.'

A lawyer representing members of the Sackler family has also said the family would like to settle.

For some states, there's a political element in deciding to join the litigation now.

For instance, Wisconsin didn't sue earlier because Republican Attorney General Brad Schimel opted to join a multistate investigation instead. Schimel argued that it would be a faster way to hold them accountable.

But Schimel was defeated in November by Democrat Josh Kaul, who campaigned on a platform that included filing opioid lawsuits. Kaul's suit named Purdue and Richard Sackler as defendants.
A life-saving handbook for children severely injured by explosive weapons has been launched by a team of British doctors.

It is designed to help medics in war zones - who often lack specialist training -treat children with wounds from weapons such as airstrikes, artillery and landmines.

Earlier this month the Paediatric Blast Injury Field Manual was handed out for the first time to emergency units across northwest Syria, including Idlib and Aleppo.

Alia, 10, lost her right leg and was left wheelchair-bound after an IED went off as she played in Ghouta, Syria

The guide will be deployed later in the year to other conflict zones including Yemen and Afghanistan.

Step-by-step instructions cover situations ranging from resuscitating children on the battlefield and saving limbs, to rehabilitation and psychological care.

The handbook is durable, lightweight, and readable in low-light conditions, doctors say.

It was developed by the Paediatric Blast Injury Partnership (PBIP), a team of doctors and experts founded by Save the Children and Imperial College London.

Saed, seven, lost his legs as a toddler when his family were caught in an airstrike as they fled Aleppo

Dr Paul Reavley, a former UK military doctor and the lead author of the manual, said: 'I've seen medics overcome with emotion when children come in with blast wounds.

'In a war zone, you're mentally prepared for the adults. You expect to treat injured soldiers, and even civilian adults.

'But the sights and sounds of a young child torn apart by bombs are something else.

'I remember in Afghanistan having to resuscitate an eight-year-old girl, who had three limbs blown off by an IED.'

He added: 'She was about the same age as my own daughter. I'm a trained paediatrician, but that connection shook me hard.

'And it hits you just when your mind needs to be at its clearest. Until this manual, there really hasn't been anything to prepare doctors for dealing with the horror of children injured by blasts.

'For the first time it tackles psychological, as well as the physical, challenges. It's not just a guide to practical procedures  it's a crucial emotional crutch.'

He was critically injured by a piece of shrapnel when he was one-and-a-half. Two of his siblings were killed in the blast

Dr Malik, paediatrician and medical manager at Syria Relief, currently leading distribution of the manual to Syrian doctors, said: 'For more than eight years we've seen children dying on the operating table from wounds that adults have survived. The tragedy is these deaths could have been prevented with basic training.

'This manual is designed for anyone with a medical degree and a scalpel. I'm excited this is going to doctors in Syria. It's a simple solution that will undoubtedly save lives.'

Most medical studies are based on injured military personnel, making definitive estimates for the scale of blast injury in children almost impossible.

But existing research, while limited, suggests children suffer unique patterns of injury and are far more likely to die from blast wounds than adult conflict casualties.

The little boy is now learning to adjust to walking with two prosthetic legs and is said to be in constant pain

A study in 2017 by Imperial College London found children injured by explosive weapons are far more likely than adults to suffer penetrating injuries to the head, severe burns and complex injuries which require multiple surgeries.

Research also suggests children are seven times more likely to die from blast injuries than adults involved in the fighting.

In Afghanistan, new analysis by Save the Children found explosive weapons were the primary cause of death for 84 per cent of 1,580 child conflict fatalities across a two-year period, compared to 56 per cent of civilian adult deaths.

Compared with adult casualties, children were twice as likely to be killed by mortars, rockets and grenades.

A life-saving handbook for children severely injured by explosive weapons has been launched by a team of British doctors. Pictured: Prosthetic limbs and walking aids for children injured in war

Major General Michael von Bertele, former director general of British Army Medical Services, said: 'The sad reality is most medics just haven't been trained to treat children injured by blasts.

'Nearly all the textbooks and procedures we have are based on research on injured soldiers, who are usually fit adults.

'We know children's bodies are different. They aren't just small adults. Their skulls are still not fully formed, and their undeveloped muscles offer less protection, so a blast is more likely to damage their brain and lungs or tear apart organs in their abdomen, even when there's no visible damage.

'And when children suffer severe injuries to their legs and arms, it takes highly specialised knowledge to know where to amputate so that you can factor in future growth. Without that, children are left with even worse disabilities, and often intractable pain for life.'
Doctors are fueling an opioid crisis in the UK by over-prescribing the powerful painkillers, a report has warned.

Governments should treat the opioid epidemic as a public health crisis urgently, experts have now said.

Up until now, efforts to combat opioids have largely focused on US - where 400,000 people have died of overdoses between 1999 and 2017.

But data shows that the abuse problem is booming in other leading economies too, including the UK, with deaths rising by almost 50 per cent in the last five years.

The drugs are causing more than an estimated 2,000 deaths every year in England and Wales, according to the data.

Increasing availability and over prescription of the highly addictive drug is at the root of the problem, officials said, as well as illicit trade.

Doctors are fueling an opioid crisis in the UK by over-prescribing the powerful painkillers as deaths have risen by almost 50 per cent in England and Wales.

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), who pulled the data together, said: 'The United States is by no means alone in facing this crisis.

'Opioid over-prescribing is considered one of the most important root causes of the crisis.

'The influence of pharmaceutical manufacturers on pain management has been considered significant, by conducting marketing campaigns targeted mainly at physicians and patients, downplaying the problematic effect of opioids.'

Opioids, or opiates, including codeine, morphine and methadone, are normally prescribed by doctors to treat pain associated with certain medical conditions or following surgery.

They can be very effective short-term. However, when taken for longer than prescribed, or when abused, they can cause severe harm.

The OECD referred to a 'surge in overdose deaths' and a growing burden on health and social care services by increasing hospitalisation.

Of all countries for which data are available, the average of opioid-related deaths has increased by more than 20 per cent in 2011-2016.

WHAT ARE OPIOIDS AND WHY DO PEOPLE BECOME ADDICTED? Opiates are drugs that can relieve severe pain; they do so by depressing the central nervous system. Opiate drugs are derived from opium, the chemical that originates in the poppy plant. Opioids work in the same way as the brain chemicals endorphins, acting on receptors within the brain that are in the region responsible for pain and pleasure. Opioids mimic natural endorphins are released to fight pain and to induce feelings of pleasure, but they are much more powerful. These intense feelings of pleasure that can hijack the reward centre in the brain of some people, making them want to take the drug again to replicate the experience. Taking opioids repeatedly can result in a tolerance to the effects. So, rather than recreating the intense feelings of pleasure, many individuals find that the experience is far less enjoyable than it once was, leading to a cycle of abuse. Advertisement

The rise has been most pronounced in the US, Canada, Sweden, Norway, Ireland, and England and Wales, the Paris-based policy forum revealed.

England and Wales placed sixth for the highest opioid death rate out of the 25 developed countries analysed. Deaths have risen from 28 per million inhabitants to 41 million 2011 and 2016 - an increase of 46 per cent. There is no UK-wide data available.

Gabriela Ramos, OECD chief of staff, said: 'Governments need to take decisive action to stop the tragic loss of life and address the terrible social, emotional and economic costs of addiction with better treatment and health policy solutions. But the most effective policy remains prevention.'

She also said the opioid epidemic has hit the most vulnerable hardest, including pregnant women in the US on low incomes.

Having a mental health disorder was associated with a two-fold greater use of prescription opioids in the US.

The prevalence of opioid use disorders in Europe was less than one per cent among the general public but averaged 30 per cent in the prison population.

Social and economic conditions, such as unemployment and housing, have also contributed to the epidemic, the report said.

Prescriptions for opioid-based medication have increased 60 per cent in the UK over the past decade, from 14million to 23million annually.

Leading addiction treatment experts at UK Addition Treatment Centres (UKAT) has UKAT has seen a 33 per cent rise in the number of patients being treated for opioid prescription drug addiction in the last two years.

Eytan Alexander, chief executive of UKAT said: 'The OECD echo what we have been saying for some time now; that this country is in the grips of an opioid crisis, fueled by the over-prescribing of opioids.

'Instead of taking learnings from what happened in the US, we've continued on the path to destruction and now, our Government need to take their head out of the sand and apply focus and action with immediate effect.'

UKAT suggestive tackling the complex health issue with the implementation of three preventative healthcare protocols.

Mr Alexander said: 'Patients requiring pain management should be offered alternative pain therapies first.

'If an opiate is prescribed, patients should be monitored closely and should not be repeatedly prescribed these addictive drugs for five, ten, 15 plus years.

'There should be an automated IT-based process to red-flag when someone is over-using. These three changes will go a long way to preventing future generations being hooked on prescription opioids.'
A building at a Virginia veteran's hospital was evacuated due to a 'unknown chemical odor' that turned out to be a urine sample.

On Wednesday afternoon, staff members at the behavioral health center at the Hampton VA Medical Center reported a 'pungent' smell that was spreading.

By 2.30pm, the building was evacuated while local firefighters and a hazmat team entered to investigate the situation, multiple local news outlets reported.

A few hours later, officials determined that the smell was actually coming from a urine sample that had been dropped off by a veteran.

The behavioral health center at the Hampton VA Medical Center in Virginia (pictured) was evacuated on Wednesday due to a 'pungent' smell that turned out to be from a urine sample

The Hampton Fire Department told WTKR that it received a call around 2.15pm that an unknown substance had been detected in Building 144.

The smell started on the first floor but then began spreading to the second floor.

Spokesman John Rogers said that, as a precaution, mental health patients and staff members, were evacuated.

According to 13 News Now, approximately 50 staff members and patients were outside during the ordeal.

A veteran named Jay expressed concern over the toll the evacuation process took on the patients.

'You have a lot of older disabled veterans here, and to get them out of here it takes time,' he told 13 News Now.

Hampton VA Medical Center officials later revealed that it was determined the small was coming from a urine sample that a veteran had dropped off.

'There were no contaminants, no hazardous material, according to the hazmat team and the fire department, so all is clear,' Dr Taquisa Simmons, interim director fort the medical center, said at a press conference.

Two staff members who came into contact with the urine sample did receive medical attention at a hospital released, but have since been released.



'They are doing fine. They are doing well,' Dr Simmons said. 'They got evaluated, no major issues. They were released. We expect to see them in the morning.'

Rogers told The Daily Press that the hazmat team entered the building at least twice and tested the air quality.

It is currently unclear if any substances were mixed into the urine, but the sample has been sent to laboratories in Richmond for further testing.

According to The Press, fire and police vehicles blocked the streets surrounding the building until around 6pm.

The facility posted on Facebook that the local fire department cleared the building for operations at 6.45pm. It reopened at 7am on Thursday morning.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez led a grilling of a pharmaceutical CEO over the $2,000 price tag on an HIV-prevention drug which costs less than $10 in other markets.

Truvada, which reduces the risk of contracting HIV by 99 percent, costs $1,780 a month in the US, $8 in Australia, and $6 in South Africa.

Experts say that the US could end HIV transmissions by 2030 if 1million more Americans were taking the drug, known colloquially as PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis).

But the price has made it inaccessible to many, leading to thousands more HIV diagnoses in the past four years alone - as Gilead rakes in $3 billion a year in revenue.

At a committee hearing on Thursday, Rep Ocasio-Cortez demanded Gilead CEO Daniel O'Day to explain why they would not lower the price.

Ocasio-Cortez asked why the drug would be so expensive since it was developed by research funded by the US taxpayer

'There's no reason this should be $2,000 a month. People are dying because of it and there's no enforceable reason for it,' Ocasio-Cortez said.

O'Day responded that Truvada is patent-protected in the US, unlike in the rest of the world.

Generics will be available when the drug comes off-patent in September 2020, at which point Gilead has allowed an Israeli company, Teva, permission to make a competitive drug.

However, activists say one competitor is not enough to reduce the price significantly.

What's more, in recent months it emerged the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) does hold patents on PrEP, a drug which was developed by US taxpayer-funded research, to the tune of roughly $50 million.

Gilead CEO Daniel O'Day said that Truvada is patent-protected in the US, unlike in the rest of the world

James Krellenstein, an AIDS activist and co-founder of PrEP4All Collaboration, was the first to be informed about the patent last year, after he wrote an op-ed in the New York Times calling for cheaper PrEP.

He received a call from a scientist at the CDC, who informed him the government agency has held patents since 2015, and since then 150,000 more Americans have contracted HIV.

A review of the patents, conducted independently by Yale University School of Law confirmed their validity.

Now, as senators interrogate Big Pharma, Krellenstein and other activists are demanding answers from the CDC, including holding a protest at a speech given by CDC director Dr Robert Redfield.

'The US government routinely sues companies for patent infringement, they routinely sue generic companies to enforce their patents. And yet, they have never sued over Truvada,' Krellenstein told DailyMail.com.

'The CDC has given zero reasons for how they could be so negligent.'

DailyMail.com has contacted the CDC for a comment.
US regulators have approved the first blood-thinner for children to treat congenital heart disease, cancer, trauma and infection.

Until now, doctors have been unofficially using adult products to treat kids.

But the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has now approved the widely-used injection made by Pfizer, called Fragmin, to be used for pediatric patients over one month old.

'Most children who have VTE are fighting a serious underlying primary illness such as cancer or congenital heart disease,' director of the FDA's Oncology Center of Excellence, Richard Pazdur, MD, said.

'Not only are they fighting a serious illness, having a condition like VTE can then lead to significant complications and even death.'

After years of calls from doctors to provide an official treatment for kids, the FDA has given it a green light, following a three-month study on 38 pediatric patients that saw progress in 21, regression in seven, and no changes in two of the patients

The treatment, an infusion of dalteparin sodium, was approved for adults in 1994.

It blocks enzymes that fuel blood clots, lowering the risk of strokes and heart attacks.

Now, after years of calls from doctors to provide an official treatment for kids, the FDA has given it a green light, following a three-month study on 38 pediatric patients that saw progress in 21, regression in seven, and no changes in two of the patients.

Robert H. Pass, Chief of the Division of Pediatric Cardiology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and Mount Sinai Kravis Childrens Hospital, hailed the move as 'significant'.

'At the present time, many and perhaps most medications that we use in pediatrics are being used in an "off label" manner,' Dr Pass said.

That means that the drugs were 'approved for adults but are being borrowed and utilized to treat children despite not being approved by the FDA for this purpose.'

Approving Fragmin for kids, he says, 'represents one of the first agents used to treat venous thrombosis that has been formally approved for this indication in small children.'

'We have used other unapproved agents for this purpose for over 40 years, particularly in very small children who have suffered a complication in the groin vessels following cardiac catheterization.

'Having this agent approved for this use by the FDA is hopefully the first in many further approvals of agents for the treatment of venous thrombosis in children as well as other agents to treat many other pediatric diseases going forward.'
Once More We Saw Stars

By Jayson Greene (Hodder 16.99, 256 pp)

Jayson Greene never expected to become a connoisseur of the best places to scream, unheard, in New York.

But when a chunk of masonry fell eight storeys and killed his two-year-old daughter, Greta, in August 2015, the music journalist often needed to yowl out his rage and grief.

He recommends: Early morning malls, before the shops have raised their shutters; one-way streets in Brooklyns industrial sector, surrounded by nothing but parked trucks and vacant warehouses . . . I make the city quake, rattling loose screws and hearing myself bounce off the walls.

His wife Stacy screamed in the car. Her brother Jack drank. Her mother Susan struggled to leave her apartment.

Jayson Greene's daughter Greta, two, pictured together, was killed when a brick fell eight storeys and landed on her head

Susan had been looking after Greta for the weekend when the accident happened. She was sitting on a bench with her granddaughter when the brick fell, striking her legs and Gretas head. It was a random catastrophe that nobody could process.

Reporters later interviewed the aide of the elderly woman whose windowsill had crumbled: It was like an evil force reached down . . . she said.

It should have been me, said Susan, when Jayson and Stacy arrived at the hospital. Doctors did their best to save Greta, but the childs injuries were too severe. Instead, they sat around her bed, willing her to keep breathing until her organs could be removed to help others.

Despite the staples holding her tiny head together, Jayson felt a strange urge to pull out his phone and snap one final photo, but a kindly nurse stayed his hand.

Jayson had spent the past two years protecting his daughter from choking hazards and sharp corners. Then this. The story is almost unbearable. Yet Greenes account of his loss is remarkably uplifting. Its hard-won proof that love can survive our worst fears and our darkest, most desperate emotions.

His memoir, pictured, reveals what Jayson and his wife did after their daughter died

Cut adrift by their grief, the couple attend a variety of workshops to help them learn to live with it. They attend seminars and write letters to their lost child.

Jayson is cynical about the slick catchphrases of the bereavement industry  but surprises himself by how much the sessions release in him. The lonely screamer is encouraged to punch pillows in a room full of people bawling along with him: I hate happy families!

Lifelong sceptics, the pair visit a medium and travel to the desert to engage in a spiritual journey to make peace with Greta.

Theres a ritual with a dead dove and some tobacco. Later, they will lie down while a man beats a drum to invoke their spirit animals. Jayson has a vision in which an eagle rips his heart from his chest: I become Greta and Greta becomes me.

Their second child, a boy called Harrison, arrived one year and three months after Gretas death.

Jayson looks at a shelf of diapers: I remember, briefly, when I wasnt buying diapers any more because my kid was dead. My chest compresses and I take some odd gulping breaths to avoid sobbing in the checkout line.

But, with each breath, Harrison is teaching them: Sometimes, children live. We are still here, and we must learn to embrace our fragile lives.
Fabulosa!

By Paul Baker (Reaktion 15.99, 328pp)

Language is not only a means of general communication, oiling the social wheels. With codes, ciphers and passwords, it can form a secret, private dialect, the keys to its meaning made available only to those in the know.

Examples include public school slang, military acronyms and the deliberately baffling jargon in le Carres security services or TVs Line Of Duty (Alert SOCO, theres an OCG. Youll need to send an ARU!). In these worlds-within-worlds, language is the badge of an elite club, double dutch.

When it comes to sheer inventiveness, however, the vocabulary, phrases, idioms, grammatical rules, pronunciation and spelling of Polari, Britains secret gay language, are hard to beat.

Polari, Britains secret gay language, was heard by millions each week, between 1964 and 1968, in the radio programme Round The Horne staring Kenneth Williams, pictured

Polari was spoken by a class of people . . . on the margins of society  the homosexuals who reacted to the risk of arrest, shame and blackmail with camp flamboyance and bravery and who evolved a lingo of ironic self-parody and comic exaggeration.

Polari  from the Italian parlare (to speak)  was heard by millions each week, between 1964 and 1968, in the radio programme Round The Horne, when Kenneth Williams and Hugh Paddick, as the out-of-work chorus boys Julian and Sandy, wittered about their odd jobs. How bona to vada your dolly old eke! Williams would say to Kenneth Horne How nice to see your friendly face!

The award-winning script was by Marty Feldman and Barry Took, who loved slipping in double entendres (I used to stand there with it fizzing in me and), in the hope of outraging Mary Whitehouse.

Despite her campaign against dirt, promiscuity, infidelity and drinking in the media, Polari, alas, went quite over Marys head, even when Williams regretted: Scharda theres nada in the larder  which, in addition to meaning theres no food in the cupboard, to gays meant, its a shame he has a small willy.

A dictionary of Polari shows the derivations from outlaw origins.

New book Fabulosa! reveals history of the language and its origins in harassment

Author Paul Baker, a professor of English, who is not above terminology such as performativity theory and sociolinguistic coding orientation, traces the lexicon back to 18th-century thieves and vagabonds slang  cove, cull, cully  to do with picking locks and evading magistrates.

Bevy meant a drink, a mish was a shirt, kip meant lodgings, i.e. where one slept, and the Smoke was London.

Fairground words were also appropriated  homey meant a man; scarper, to run; gear, ones stock. There was Yiddish (vonka, for nose; schvartza-homie, for black man), and any amount of Cockney rhyming slang: minces for eyes (mince pies); plates for feet (plates of meat); aris for bottle (Aristotle) and, by extension, bottle-and-glass for a**e. Back slang gave riah (hair), efink (knife) and ecaf  often shortened to eke  (face).

Owing to the number of Italian pedlars in 19th-century cities, Polari had munjury (mangiare) for food, letty (letto) for bed, and two pounds, three shillings and ten pence halfpenny came out as dewey funt, tray bionk daiture soldi medsa, which, to this day, would be understood on the streets of Naples.

Baker informs us of the influence of the Romany tongue, used by the gypsies of Eastern Europe.

Del Boys cushty comes from kushtipen, chavi is girl and boona is good, hence bona. The most modern words were Americanisms, imported when the GIs arrived during World War II: butch, fruit and naff. Naff off! was yelled at Press photographers by Princess Anne, when she fell off her horse at Badminton.

Polari wasnt simply the language and the words, however. It was the attitude that went with them  the courage of the omee-palones (men-women), the queens, queers, pooves and poofs, as they were offensively called, who were persecuted for hundreds of years by the police, known as Betty Bracelets or Hilda Handcuffs.

The script of Round The Horne by Marty Feldman and Barry Took loved slipping in double entendres in the hope of outraging Mary Whitehouse (pictured)

It is still only slowly fading, of course, but homosexuality carried a terrible stigma and was made a capital crime by Henry VIII in 1533.

The Offences Against The Person Act (1828) and the Criminal Law Amendment Act (1885) extended the reach of the law into private lives, as gross indecency covered a multitude of sins, from cuddling onwards.

Between 1806 and 1861, 56 men were actually executed.

Oscar Wildes trial at the end of Victorias reign was a classic example of the mass hysteria and tyrannous hypocrisy that erupted, and the best sections of Fabulosa! deal with the social and cultural attitudes behind and within the Polari dialect  language as sanctuary.

It sounds crazy now, but, just as girls caught with condoms were charged with prostitution, any man owning a pot of Vaseline faced jail.

Mary Whitehouse, pictured in 1971, campaigned for public decency and to Clean Up Television

There were newspaper articles as late as 1963 warning right-thinking citizens against men who were over-groomed, fussy dressers and fond of wearing fluffy sweaters.

I remember in Wales being told never to speak to a man in suede shoes.

To be middle-aged and unmarried meant you were under suspicion, the object of sneering gossip  sad chaps lived with their mum or entered into hopeless, unfulfilling courtships. There was always the Catholic church, of course, or school-mastering, the theatre and the merchant Navy. Running a hotel in Brighton was popular.

Baker has researched Polari in many of these venues. It was in this climate of state oppression, he says, that Polari came into its own.

Yet the oppression amounted to systematic torture. Prisoners would be given aversion therapy or chemical castration  Alan Turing grew breasts as a consequence of the treatment, which contained oestrogen, after he was prosecuted for gross indecency and given the choice of prison or the treatment  and killed himself with cyanide (he was posthumously pardoned in 2013).

Author Paul Baker traces Polari's lexicon back to 18th-century thieves and vagabonds slang. Pictured stars of radio programme Round the Horne

Polari began fizzling out with legalisation in 1967  but Hilda Handcuffs, instead of catching real criminals, still enjoyed rounding up homosexuals, raiding pubs and clubs popular with actors, arresting people for licentious dancing.

Between 1976 and 1991, James Anderton, the monstrous chief constable of Greater Manchester, thought he was on a mission from God to clean up the streets.

Polari was seen as uncool and old-fashioned by the more contemporary, militant gays, who didnt want to be associated with limp-wristed Kenneth Williams, Charles Hawtrey, John Inman or Larry Grayson  personalities who, paradoxically, were favourites with everyones grannies.

According to the University of Cambridge, Polari today is officially endangered. On the other hand, the Bible has been translated into the idiom, where God is called Gloria. Hi-de-Hi! actress Su Pollard, who delights in Polari, also likes to keep the tongue alive.

Though a language smacking of Carry On films and saucy seaside postcards, its the tragic torment and harassment that gave rise to Polari in the first place that must not be forgotten and which is why this book is important.
FRANKISSSTEIN By Jeanette Winterson (Cape 16.99)

FRANKISSSTEIN

By Jeanette Winterson (Cape 16.99)

Dont let that terrible title put you off. This artificial intelligence (AI) love-story-of-sorts is a clever comic romp that teases at the nature  and future  of life, death and what it is to be human, without ever being ponderous.

We begin in Switzerland, where Mary Shelley has just had the idea for Frankenstein: this is 1816 and the world is on the brink of seismic change. Then we leap to Brexit Britain, to underline parallels with the present day.

Here, young transgender doctor Ry falls for AI genius Victor Stein. And mummys boy Ron Lord is about to make big bucks from sex-bots, a strand with which Winterson has huge fun.

The brushwork is often as broad as the humour, but, as the storylines mesh, theres also shade: our fantasies stem not just from hubris and vanity, the author suggests, but grief and loneliness, too.

In a nutshell, first-rate beach fare.

Buy this book

SALTWATER By Jessica Andrews (Sceptre 14.99)

SALTWATER

By Jessica Andrews (Sceptre 14.99)

The twentysomething debut author Jessica Andrews apparently cut up the manuscript of her millennial coming-of-age novel and rearranged it on the kitchen floor.

It might sound gimmicky, but the resulting narrative, which progresses via lyrical, numbered instalments, reflects narrator Lucys struggles to find a shape and space to inhabit  both metaphorically and literally.

We begin in Irelands coastal County Donegal, to where Lucy has fled after graduating from a posh London uni.

She drifts along and conducts a half-hearted affair, but we are also taken back to her Sunderland childhood and her sometimes painfully close relationship with her mother.

These visceral, high-definition sections  which also record Lucys growing awareness of, and estrangement from, her working-class background  are highlights.

Authenticating references are over-egged (fake tan, Matey bubble bath, Skips crisps), and theres a temporary loss of momentum mid-way, but this is nonetheless a sharply observed and poignant first outing.

Buy this book

RAINBIRDS By Clarissa Goenawan (Corsair 8.99)

RAINBIRDS

By Clarissa Goenawan (Corsair 8.99)

You could be forgiven for mistaking the narrator of this enjoyable page-turner for a terse gumshoe from a classic Chicago noir.

Rainbirds even has a jazz soundtrack, not to mention a backdrop of rainy skies and night-time streets.

But what makes this atmospheric debut so piquant is its Nineties Japan setting. After the brutal, unsolved murder of his beloved older sister, Ren Ishida heads to the small-town scene of the crime to find answers.

Taking a job at the school where his sister worked, he finds himself haunted by ominous dreams and infatuated by a cynical, chain- smoking student, all the time realising how little he knew about his secretive siblings life.

This is a book in which the darkest depths  not least young Rens  are mostly skirted, rather than plumbed, and the quiet resolution will be too neat for some tastes.

But the dialogue snaps, and I found the subtle creepiness very moreish.

Buy this book
CARI MORA By Thomas Harris (Heinemann 20)

CARI MORA

By Thomas Harris (Heinemann 20)

The first novel in 13 years from the creator of the inimitable Hannibal Lecter (and the first for more than 40 years not to feature the Chianti-drinking cannibal) is a literary event.

Thomas Harris is a supreme thriller writer  for not only does he create memorable and monstrous villains, but he also gives us formidable female protagonists.

There is no Clarice Starling here, but her place is taken by the Colombian-born Caridad Mora, trained as a child soldier by the FARC guerrillas deep in the jungles of her native country.

As a teenager she escapes to the U.S., where she settles in Miami Beach under Temporary Protected Status, which can be withdrawn at any time.

Cari works as a caretaker in a grand mansion once owned by the druglord Pablo Escobar. What she doesnt know is that $25 million in gold is hidden under the house.

Rumours of its existence have circulated for years, but now its whereabouts have been discovered by Hans-Peter Schneider, who makes a living out of trafficking body parts and human victims to rich men with depraved appetites. A vicious battle to get the gold erupts  with Cari at its heart.

Violent, brutal and action-packed, yet told with Harriss typical wry wit, it crackles from first page to last.

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SECRET SERVICE By Tom Bradby (Bantam 12.99)

SECRET SERVICE

By Tom Bradby (Bantam 12.99)

The former political editor and current anchor of ITVs News At Ten has built up a formidable reputation as a thriller writer, drawing on his experience in the Palace of Westminster and the runnels of the Civil Service machine.

In this enthralling and fast-moving story, Bradby poses an intriguing question  what if MI6 discovered that a candidate to replace the departing prime minister was a Russian spy, planted at the heart of the British Establishment years earlier?

Senior MI6 operative Kate Henderson is charged with a covert investigation into the backgrounds of the two leadership candidates.

Packed with details of modern tradecraft in the twilight world of spooks, against a background of politics at its most Machiavellian, it is the stuff headlines are made of.

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THE PARIS DIVERSION By Chris Pavone (Faber 14.99)

THE PARIS DIVERSION

By Chris Pavone (Faber 14.99)

A sequel to Pavones hugely successful debut The Expats, this again features Kate Moore, an American mother living in Europe with her husband and family.

But shes a woman with a past and a secret: shes the leader of a covert U.S. intelligence cell, now based in Paris.

The action takes place on a single day, when an Islamic terrorist wearing a suicide vest and carrying a briefcase thought to contain a dirty bomb stands outside the Louvre, surrounded by armed police and snipers.

At precisely the same time, other devices are found at famous landmarks in the city. Is this a massive, co-ordinated terror attack  or are there other forces at work?

Intricately plotted, its an intensely satisfying thriller that has a spectacular twist.

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QUEEN VICTORIA By Lucy Worsley (Hodder 10.99, 528 pp)

QUEEN VICTORIA

By Lucy Worsley (Hodder 10.99, 528 pp)

Queen Victoria died in 1901, but public fascination with her seems as keen now as it was in her lifetime.

Alongside recent films and TV series, a plethora of biographies record her life and 63-year reign  the longest of any British monarch, until that of her great-great-granddaughter, Queen Elizabeth II.

Historian Lucy Worsley has been fascinated by Victoria since childhood, when she composed a piece of music entitled Purple Velvet For Queen Victoria.

Here, she composes a portrait of the Queen through a series of snapshots, describing in detail the events of 24 individual days to offer an intimate glimpse of the woman whose mother warned her, when she was only 16: You will be more severely observed than anyone else in the world.

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THE FEMALE PERSUASION By Meg Wolitzer (Vintage 8.99, 464 pp)

THE FEMALE PERSUASION

By Meg Wolitzer (Vintage 8.99, 464 pp)

Wolitzers 12th novel tells the coming-of-age story of Greer Kadetsky, a shy college student whose life is changed by a chance encounter with Faith Frank  a charismatic feminist activist whose signature look is a pair of tall, sexy suede boots.

Greer and her high school sweetheart, Cory, grow up in a Massachusetts town.

Outstanding pupils, they are offered places at top universities  but Greers feckless stoner parents have failed to complete the necessary paperwork, and so, while Cory goes to Princeton, Greer ends up at dim Ryland college.

There, she meets Faith, who gives her a business card and tells her to call.

After graduating, Greer is hired to work at Faiths feminist foundation. But, as she and Cory begin their life together, their plans are derailed by a fatal accident. Wolitzers warm, wise novel is perceptive about fate, friendship and contemporary feminism.

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THE HUMAN KIND By Dr Peter Dorward (Green Tree 9.99, 352 pp)

THE HUMAN KIND

By Dr Peter Dorward (Green Tree 9.99, 352 pp)

To become a good doctor requires years of study and hard work, plus another quality  harder to define, though just as important: empathy.

The Scottish GP and author Dr Peter Dorward puts it like this: The facts of a case . . . the smart diagnoses and the cleverness of the person who spotted them  these things are of great but passing interest.

What changes us  or me, at any rate  are the people attached to those facts.

Drawing on case studies from his 30-year practice (and his own experience as a patient), Dr Dorward describes, with sensitivity and acute insight, the ethical and emotional dilemmas doctors face every day: how best to help patients who resist help, how to work with dislikeable patients (early in his career one attacked him with a chair) and how to understand pain, both emotional and physical.

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Ford is reportedly set to cut 550 UK jobs as part of an operations restructuring announced earlier this year.

The American car maker confirmed in March that it had offered voluntary redundancy programmes to around 5,000 employees in Germany, while an undisclosed number of workers in Britain would also be impacted.

Originally it was suggested that 1,150 staff could be affected, though sources told City A.M. that it will be 500 to 550 'white collar, salaried employees' including those in management positions at Ford UK's headquarters in Essex.

Automotive job cut misery continues: Ford UK is set to announce that it will offer redundancy packages to between 500 and 550 staff in Essex, reports claim

Job cuts across the continent are part of a wider 14 billion global cost-trimming programme to make Ford's European outputs more efficient.

In a statement released on two months ago, the brand said: 'The goal is to significantly decrease structural costs, reduce bureaucracy, empower leaders and managers, and eliminate less value-added work.

'Within this context, in March we confirmed that we would offer voluntary separation programmes for employees in Germany and the UK to help accelerate the plan and return to sustainable profitability.

'Through these programs and other initiatives, we expect to reduce in excess of 5,000 jobs in Germany, including temporary staff. The total number of positions impacted in the UK is still to be determined.'

City A.M. said the forthcoming announcement is not expected to impact the 5,000-strong UK manufacturing workforce that's spread across factories in Dagenham, Bridgend and Halewood.

Ford hopes the cost-cutting exercise will help the company increase its pre-profit earnings by up to $11million (8.2million) over the next three to five years.

As well as reducing the workforce, Ford will also restructure its range and axe a number of less popular cars.

Most of these will be MPVs aimed at families, as more customers opt for SUVs for their means of transport.

Production of the C-MAX and Grand C-MAX models in Germany will be halted, and Fords gearbox factory in Bordeaux, France - employing some 800 staff, is also due to close.

Production of the Ford C-Max and Grand C-Max will cease in Germany due to fall in demand for MPVs

More than 1,000 job cuts will be made at Ford's Bridgend engine plant in Wales, though this is said to be unrelated to the wider restructuring of European operations

Ford has recently cut 370 jobs in Bridgend in Wales, with a further 900 set to go by 2021, though this is said to be unrelated to this latest operations restructuring process.

The manufacturer employs around 13,000 people in the UK and around 54,000 in Europe.

The reports are the latest in a raft of body blows delivered to Britain's automotive sector.

Earlier this week Honda confirmed its intentions to close its Swindon plant by 2021, resulting in 3,500 job losses.

There have also been claims that Jaguar Land Rover will be sold by current owner Tata to the PSA Group (Peugeot and Citroen) with the brand racking up substantial losses and culling some 6,000 jobs.
The number of driver details sold to private parking companies reached a new high last year, according to analysis of government figures.

The RAC Foundation found 6.8million sets of vehicle keeper records were released to parking management firms in 2018 to 2019, up a fifth from 5.65million a year earlier.

The figures from the DVLA, which looks after the records of more than 48million motorists, work out as 18,653 sets of records sold every day, or 13 every minute.

A recent Freedom of Information request revealed the DVLA made 16.3million in 2017 to 18 from selling details.

The number of details sold to private parking companies by the DVLA has increased a thousandfold over the last decade - from 687,000 in 2008-9 to 6.8million in 2018-19

Parking companies can apply to the DVLA to request details for 2.50 a pop in order to charge them for 'breaching' contracts, which is how they then issue fines to motorists who have parked without a valid ticket.

This is provided they are members of either the British Parking Association or the International Parking Community.

The rise of the widespread use of Automatic Numberplate Recognition Cameras, known as ANPR, combined with the DVLA's willingness to sell on details has led the number of private parking tickets being issued soaring.

Firms currently do not have to explain why they are asking for details and often issue tickets for minor infringements and use hardline tactics for dispute cases.

This is Money has campaigned since last autumn to make it harder for drivers' details to be sold and for a crackdown on private parking tickets.

In March a private member's bill introduced by Conservative MP Sir Greg Knight, which could potentially bar parking companies from accessing driver's records if they break the rules of a new independent code, came into law.

Car parks that saw a flurry of parking charges issued could also face an audit under the proposals, with local government minister Rishi Sunak writing in This is Money that 'the rogue operators are on their way out for good.'

This is Money's Parking Sharks campaign This is Money began its campaign against the private parking sharks last October after being inundated with emails from affected readers. In short, we call for common sense, after some shocking cases that have seen motorists chased, bullied and harassed over private parking charges for dubious and minor infringements. We have called for three simple changes in our 'stop the private parking sharks' campaign: 1. To give drivers the option to stop the DVLA allowing private firms to buy their details for 2.50 a pop; 2. The independent appeal process to be made fairer; 3. The DVLA to investigate when large numbers of applications are made for a specific location frequently to see if the charge is fair.

This is Money has previously calculated that it only requires a private parking firm to claw back a 60 charge from one in every 24 drivers to break even on the cost of buying your details.

Meanwhile, 24 per cent of drivers surveyed by comparison site Go Compare said they had received at least one parking charge from a private company.

The rise in charges slapped on motorists has coincided with the introduction of the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012, which lets private firms pursue the recorded keepers of vehicles for parking infringements when the driver cannot be identified.

The parking companies often routinely turn down appeals made to them directly by motorists, often for reasons that lack common sense.

This forces drivers to take it to independent appeal body POPLA, but charges can often spiral above 100 if unsuccessful.

The RAC Foundation said the figures suggested as much as 680million could be being demanded from drivers, if penalty charge notices reach three figures.

It also broke down the figures according to which parking companies obtained the most vehicle records. Parking Eye bought a staggering 1.85million sets of records in 2018-19, nearly three times as many as the firm in second place. That was Euro Car Parks, which bought 672,000 sets of details.

The numberplate shopping spree 125 parking companies obtained keeper data from the DVLA in 2018-19. The five who bought the most were: 1. ParkingEye Ltd  1.85m records 2. Euro Car Parks  672,000 records 3. Ranger Services Ltd for Highview Parking Ltd  454,000 records 4. Smart Parking Ltd  391,000 records 5. Civil Enforcement Ltd  368,000 records

Smart Parking, which made the lives of Basildon residents and shoppers a misery for several months with its management of the Westgate Shopping Centre car park, came in fourth place, purchasing 391,000 details.

Steve Gooding, director of the RAC Foundation, said: 'These staggeringly high numbers stand as a vindication of the urgent need for the measures in Sir Greg Knight's Act to be put in place  a single, tighter code of practice, a single, consistent appeals body, and strict audit of parking companies' compliance.

'Businesses who employ private companies to manage their car parks should be taking a close look at how they are operating, the implications for the drivers who will often be their own customers and, ultimately, what that means for their own reputation.

Businesses who employ private companies to manage their car parks should be taking a close look at how they are operating Steve Gooding, RAC

'We have never advocated a parking free-for-all, but for a system that is clear, transparent and fair for drivers and landowners alike.'

The DVLA has previously said it is allowed to disclose details of a vehicle's keeper under data protection laws, and that without such data-sharing motorists would be able to drive or park anywhere they wanted, without being responsible for their actions.

It added: 'The DVLA does not profit from the release of information from its registers. The 2.50 fee is set to recover the cost of providing the information.'
Thomas Cook shares plunged by 20 per cent today as the holiday firm reporting an eye-watering 1.5billion loss and blamed Brexit for swathes of Brits delaying summer trips abroad.

Looking ahead to this year's peak summer season, the stricken travel group said: 'There is now little doubt that the Brexit process has led many UK customers to delay their holiday plans for this summer.'

A large portion of the loss was down to a 1.1billion one-off cost related to its merger with MyTravel over a decade ago in 2007.

The dismal half-year results, which are the worst in the group's history since it was founded in 1841, have sent Thomas Cook's share price plummeting by a fifth to 18.43p this morning.

Loss: Thomas Cook sank to a 1.5billion loss in the six months to 31 March

On Brexit, Thomas Cook said: 'In the UK, the political uncertainty related to Brexit over recent months has led to softer demand for summer holidays across the industry.

'While our booking position remains ahead of the capacity reductions in the tour operator, the trading backdrop remains highly competitive, leading to increased levels of promotional activity.

'We have seen no tangible change to booking patterns in recent weeks since the announcement of a delay to Brexit, although we will shortly start to lap a weaker comparative period.'

The group's customer base fell by 295,000 to 2.9million over the period, the results show. The firm's net debts have risen to 1.25billion.

Poll Have you delayed your holiday plans because of the Brexit saga? Yes No Have you delayed your holiday plans because of the Brexit saga? Yes 39 votes

No 165 votes Now share your opinion





Thomas Cook warned 'challenging' trading over this year's peak summer season looked set to put its full-year results under further pressure.

It now expects underlying earnings to fall over the second half as holiday firms cut prices to boost Brexit-hit demand and costs of fuel and hotels continue to rise.

The travel group is looking to implement further cost cutting measures in the second half in a bid to offset sluggish sales and swelling costs. In March the group announced plans to close a further 21 stores and cut around 300 jobs.

Thomas Cook also revealed today that 'multiple' bids had been made for all or part of its airline arm, which was put up for sale back in February.

The group said it was in the process of assessing all the bids that had come through so far.

Up for sale: Thomas Cook also revealed today that 'multiple' bids had been made for all or part of its airline arm, which was put up for sale back in February

Deal: The group confirmed it had secured a a further 300million financing deal with its lenders to help boost its balance sheet

Peter Fankhauser, chief executive of Thomas Cook, said: 'The prolonged heatwave last summer and high prices in the Canaries reduced customer demand for winter sun, particularly in the Nordic region, while there is now little doubt that the Brexit process has led many UK customers to delay their holiday plans for this summer.'

He added: 'As we look ahead to the remainder of the year, it's clear that, notwithstanding our early decision to mitigate our exposure in the 'lates' market by reducing capacity, the continued competitive pressure resulting from consumer uncertainty is putting further pressure on margins.

'This, combined with higher fuel and hotel costs, is creating further headwinds to our progress over the remainder of the year.'

Tough times: Peter Fankhauser, chief executive of Thomas Cook

The group confirmed it had secured a a further 300million financing deal with its lenders to help boost its balance sheet.

The debt-laden company has struggled recently, as a fall in demand for package holidays and intense online competition has resulted in the firm issuing a string of profit warnings.

Mr Fankhauser said customers are 'having a great deal this summer' as a price war rages in the sector.

It confirmed its steep interim losses came after it wrote down the value of its MyTravel business, which merged with the group in 2007, though it usually makes a seasonal loss in the half-year.

The group's latest results also reveal a slump in customer numbers during the first half of the year, down 295,000 to 2.9 million.

Neil Wilson, chief market analyst at Markets.com, said: 'A whopper of a loss and a profits warning  it's tough times for Thomas Cook.

'Just as well it's got many suitors for its airline business and has secured an extra 300m in funding to help cover the 2019/20 winter season.

'Net debt has risen to 1.25bn - this is the biggest worry. The loan buys it time to flog the airline without it becoming a distressed purchase. But selling Condor is no silver bullet.

'For sure Thomas Cook needs to see a good summer season to try and offset a miserable winter, but struggling under substantial debts and with structural headwinds combining with cyclical weaknesses in some markets, it's still a very bumpy journey ahead.

Soaring debts: Thomas Cook's net debts have risen to 1.25billion

'The question now is whether c17 per cent shareholder Fosun simply decides to come in and take it over  once the airline is sold a major obstacle to the Chinese group making a bid will have been removed. An approach may well be in the offing. Shares are on the floor and dropped 17 per cent on the open to trade below 20p.

'First half losses jumped to almost 1.5bn - its biggest ever  as it took a 1.1bn write-down on My Travel. Underlying EBIT losses increased by 65 million to 245 million, which was down mainly to margin pressure in package holidays.'

He added: 'Britain is tough - UK consumers remain on edge because of Brexit and are unwilling to plan their summer holidays on the continent. Thomas Cook says the political uncertainty related to Brexit over recent months has led to softer demand for summer holidays.'

Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell, said: 'Times are tough for travel operators at the moment and the problem for Thomas Cook is that its ability to navigate a difficult market is hindered by its unwieldy borrowings. Little wonder the company is in a tailspin and descending to new record lows today.

'While the seasonal nature of their business means travel companies are nearly always loss-making in the first half of their financial year, booking a 1.45bn loss is something else entirely. Dont just book it Thomas Cook it indeed.

'Although this number looks very scary, as much of this relates to a write-off related to a merger from more than a decade ago, it is also worth keeping in perspective.

'Of much greater concern is a major profit warning and the creeping increase in net debt above the 1bn mark, with the company going cap in hand to lenders for another 300m to get it through the next winter season.

'Brexit uncertainty and other headwinds like rising fuel costs, excess capacity and a competitive industry environment give management little room for manoeuvre.

'Speculation over an emergency fundraise, which mounted at the end of 2018, is only likely to ramp up from here despite the companys plan to flog off its airline operations. Alternatively, could Chinese major shareholder Fosun step in with a bid?'
It has been a torrid week for the travel industry as two of the biggest players in the UK and wider European market reported decidedly shoddy results.

On Wednesday Tui, which until 2017 operated in the UK as Thomson, reported half-year losses had swelled from 148million to 261million. Then today Thomas Cook topped that with a 1.46billion loss.

The holiday companies like other types of business, most notably retailers, are very quick to blame one thing in particular. You guessed it, Brexit.

It has been a torrid week for the travel industry as Thomas Cook and Tui reported decidedly shoddy results

As sure as night follows day, when you run your eyes through a less than impressive set of results for a UK company the B word will feature.

Now, it is not entirely unreasonable to mention Brexit. It is true the lengthy process and related uncertainty has had an impact on the ability of both businesses and individuals to commit to financial decisions.

The issue with it is that it is being used in many cases as a get out jail free card to try and cover for other shortcomings. It is far easier for company bosses to highlight something which is totally out of their control as the reason for their troubles than admit it is their fault.

It is also much more attractive to portray your difficulties as the result of something transient that will pass in time, as Brexit eventually, theoretically will (even if it doesnt seem like it now).

The truth however is that Brexit is one part of a complex picture, and it may be a small part in the case of holiday companies.

Of even less credibility is the claim a hot summer has counted against holiday firms. This is very difficult to prove one way or another but it seems a stretch to suggest a large proportion of people see less merit in getting away on holiday somewhere if its warm at home.

Im sure some people go to Spain or Greece simply because its usually hot there, but there is far more behind most peoples proclivity to visit other parts of the world than the weather.

First and foremost the motivation is to see new things and immerse yourself in a different environment, with getting a tan being a secondary goal.

Of far more importance is the underlying business model of the travel firms. It has not significantly changed for decades. It has been tweaked and trimmed around the edges but it needs wholesale change for a few key reasons.

Firstly, it has not yet truly stepped up to the challenge from online only travel companies. Having no bricks and mortar presence makes them much cheaper to run. A simple but inescapable fact.

The traditional agents will always struggle to compete on price alone so must aim to compete on service, personal tailoring and the like.

Next there is suspicion that the brands of the traditional travel agents are seen as dated and tired and badly in need of a revamp. This was pointed to by the dropping of the Thomson brand in favour of parent company name Tui, but much more than that is required.

Another difficulty is terrorism, or more specifically the fear of terrorism. In recent years there has been a consistent string of high profile attacks on Western tourists across the North African countries where the likes of Thomas Cook did a large amount of their trade, and most recently in Sri Lanka.

This is largely out of their hands, but the travel companies can work with the foreign office and security services to minimise risks and educate potential tourists better.

More challenges are lurking around the corner. We have only just started to see the beginning of action against climate change.

Air travel is one of the biggest drivers of carbon emissions and seems certain to face a huge green tax clampdown

Air travel is one of the biggest drivers of carbon emissions and seems certain to face a huge green tax clampdown as the politicians seek to demonstrate they are taking action.

This is not good news for travel companies. Holiday prices will have to go up if these kind of taxes come in as seems likely.

It will of course be the people in the middle and lower income brackets who will have to reduce the frequency of their air travel and holidaymaking as a result; precisely the customers big mainstream travel agents rely on.

The wealthy will continue to travel on planes as much as they like of course, able to pay whatever the price is, but they dont tend to use the high street travel agents.

A separate but related issue in the oil price, with many reasons to believe it could rise a lot over the coming years. That would put an additional squeeze on airlines and the travel firms that rely on them.

These companies are far from beyond saving, but the time has come for radical change if they are to prosper and their share prices are to head skyward again.

I wont be putting my money into them any time soon.
Shares in troubled Metro Bank jumped by 26 per cent today after it struck a 375million rescue deal last night.

The lender, which admitted customers have been scrambling to withdraw their money amid fears for its future, raised the cash by issuing new stock at 500p per share  almost 90 per cent less than the 4040p peak it hit in March last year.

Metro had planned to raise 350million but said demand was so strong among investors it raked in an extra 25million.

Shares in the bank rose by 18.5 per cent to 635.66p in morning trading, to end the week 26 per cent higher.

Life line: Metro's founder, flamboyant US billionaire Vernon Hill, is putting in 5m while Donaldson is forking out 350,000 and finance chief David Arden will buy 75,000 of stock

Sources close to the bank claimed that investors controlling more than $1billion (780million) wanted to take part.

Metro also revealed last night that a weekend panic over its stability had led to savers withdrawing funds, but that the situation is stabilising.

Shares have tanked since January when it revealed a major accounting error. They dropped again during trading yesterday, by 8.1 per cent, or 47.5p, to 536.5p.

A mix of existing and new backers have pumped in money to support the bank, with Metro's bosses agreeing to hand over cash themselves as part of the deal. And it will slash up to 120million of annual costs.

How the Mail forced the bank to come clean in January

Chief executive Craig Donaldson will be hoping the agreement ends widespread concern over Metro's financial health, sparked by a revelation in January that it had miscalculated the riskiness of some property loans.

But the firm risked being labelled disingenuous as it sought to partly blame its troubles on a weak economy.

It also took aim at watchdogs for imposing a string of costly rules  a claim likely to raise hackles at the Bank of England where Metro is already thought to be treading on thin ice.

In an announcement released after markets closed, the bank said: 'The macro-economic backdrop in the UK has been particularly challenging over recent quarters and Metro Bank has not been immune to these pressures.'

The economy grew by a robust 0.5 per cent in the first three months of the year, and employment is at record highs.

Metro did concede that its problems were also partly due to the mistake over loans.

There were long queues at some branches last weekend after rumours were spread on messaging service WhatsApp that Metro Bank was going bust

The Mail exposed how this error was discovered by regulators at the Bank of England, not Metro's own staff as it had initially suggested. This triggered further questions over bosses' credibility.

Ordinary savers picked up on the problems at the weekend, resulting in long queues at some branches after rumours were spread on messaging service WhatsApp that it was going bust.

A spokesman for the lender said: 'As may have been expected, Metro Bank experienced a short period of deposit net outflows following the intense press speculation between May 10 and 13. The position is stabilising.'

Metro raised the 375million by 8pm last night through a quickfire issue of new stock overseen by investment banks RBC, Jefferies and Keefe, Bruyette & Woods.

Metro's chairman and founder, flamboyant US billionaire Vernon Hill, 73, is putting in 5million while Donaldson is forking out 350,000 and its finance chief David Arden will buy 75,000 of stock.

Non-executive directors will stump up another 405,000 between them.

The bank also said it plans to save up to 75million by slashing costs in branches and at its head office.

It is already cutting 70 jobs in its commercial lending arm, and would not be drawn on whether further positions could go. Up to 45million more will be saved by opening smaller branches in future.

The 500p offer price is 6.8 per cent lower than Metro's closing share value last night, even after months of falls, suggesting investors drove a hard bargain before agreeing to take part.

New stock will account for 43 per cent of the total shares in the bank, meaning any investors who do not take part will see a steep cut in the size of their existing stakes.

Once the deal has gone through, attention is likely to turn to the future of Hill and Donaldson. Even before the drama of the past few days, investors were seeking management change at Metro  and those calls are likely to intensify.

There are also questions over whether City regulators will demand fresh blood at the top of the bank.
A pregnant mum has been captured on terrifying CCTV footage being brutally bashed before her tormentor crashes his car through the front of a service station as she attempts to hide from him.

Didier Lam Kee Shau, 38, of Coburg in northern Melbourne knew his victim was 18 weeks pregnant when he bashed her.

The sickening attack happened in the early hours of September 17 last year after the pair attended Shau's niece's first communion celebration in Carrum Downs - in Melbourne's southeast.

Didier Lam Kee Shau drove his car into a Caltex service station after savagely bashing a woman up outside. The attendant was injured in the attack, which lefts tens of thousands of dollars worth of damage to the business

Didier Lam Kee Shau was captured on CCTV from the Caltex service station punching, dragging and kicking his victim. She escaped into the service station before Shau drove his car into it

Carnage: A Honda SUV driven by Didier Lam Kee Shau remained lodged in the service station after he drove it at speed into it. Shau had bashed a pregnant woman outside moments earlier

Daily Mail Australia has been asked by the County Court of Victoria not to identify the woman, whom was known to Shau - a qualified chef.

Harrowing CCTV footage taken from the Caltex service station on Blackburn Road, Glen Waverley, caught the woman's desperate attempts to escape Shau.

Footage shows the car door fling open and the bloody woman run for the service station doors.

'Help me please,' she shouted.

Service station bashing explained A woman driving Didier Lam Kee Shau pulls up and makes a run for it Shau grabs her and repeatedly punches her before dragging her and beating her again He returns to his car for some unknown reason Shau returns moments later and bashes the woman again Eventually she escapes inside and collapses near a fridge Unable to get in, Shau gets in the car and drives it into the servo The attendant jumps out of the way and the smashed counter almost hits the pregnant woman Police arrive and arrest him Advertisement

The attendant would later tell police he was in such a state of panic that he couldn't remember the triple-zero number to call police.

Video captured Shau repeatedly punching the woman to the ground before dragging her by the hair and pounding her head into the ground repeatedly.

At one point she is seen rolling into a ball and trying to protect her baby.

'I'm probably going to die today,' she thought.

Eventually, the attendant managed to open the door and she staggered inside.

Shau tried to get in as the battered woman crawled to a fridge to hide.

He is seen walking back to the Honda SUV where he gets in and lines up the attendant's booth.

Shau puts his foot down and crashes the car through the wall, sending the attendant flying back into cupboards in an explosion of debris.

The pregnant woman stumbles onto the floor of the service station near an ice-cream fridge after being savagely bashed outside. Didier Lam Kee Shau drove his car into the servo moments later

Didier Lam Kee Shau drags the pregnant woman along the road before repeatedly stomping on her head. When she escaped inside he returned to his car and drove it through the service station

Miraculously, he sustained only minor injuries.

When police arrested Shau he refused to be breathalysed.

He claimed he couldn't remember any of what he'd just done to the woman, or the $93,954 worth of damage he did to the service station when he crashed his car into it.

The court heard Shau started drinking whiskey earlier in the evening, and by midnight he was drunk and angry.

The woman would later tell police she wasn't quite sure why, but she saw his relatives trying to calm him down.

She convinced him to get in the car so she could drive him home.

A Caltex service station attendant attempted to call the police but couldn't remember the number. Didier Lam Kee Shau drove his car into him seconds later

Didier Lam Kee Shau stalks the pregnant woman outside the service station doors, which had been locked by the attendant. Shau returned to his car and drove through the building

At one point during their trip, Shau accused her of speeding.

She looked at the speedo and pointed out that she was doing 80kmh in a 100kmh zone.

'I don't f--kin care,' Shau yelled. 'You're being a big woman arguing with me. You don't f--king argue with me. You understand.'

He then punched her in the face three times.

The Caltex service station on Blackburn Road where a woman was savagely bashed. Didier Lam Kee Shau then drove his car into it, injuring the attendant

Didier Lam Kee Shau drove his car into a Caltex service station after brutally bashing a pregnant woman outside. He was sentenced to jail over the horrific crime

Shau then asked for his phone, but the woman didn't have it.

He demanded she call his mum, spitting vile abuse at her.

Shau punched her in the face and jammed her head between her legs.

Bloody and bruised, she begged to be released.

Shau let her go and the nightmare drive home continued.

Again Shau complained about her speed and he began to punch her some more.

Fearing for her life, the woman headed for the nearest service station.

A 24-year old student was working the night shift.

Shau's female victim attended the County Court of Victoria to watch her attacker plead guilty to his crimes.

Seated with her newborn baby, she could not bring herself to look at the big screen television bolted to the wall of the courtroom.

Workers attend the destroyed service station. Didier Lam Kee Shau caused more than $93,000 worth of damage to it after he drove his car at speed directly into it

Students who walked in during the viewing of the CCTV footage could hardly watch what was going on either.

Moments earlier the woman had proudly shown-off her baby to a friend in the court.

Shau pleaded guilty to one charge of recklessly causing injury to the woman and one count of conduct endangering life over his attack on the servo.

He also admitted to refusing the breath test.

The charges carried a maximum sentence of five years a piece and two years off the road.

Judge Richard Smith sentenced Shau to five years in jail, with a non-parole period of three-and-a-half years.

With time already served, Shau could be released in a little over two years.

In sentencing, Judge Smith said he accepted Shau had hit the woman 'as hard as he could'.

'It was a brutal assault by you on a five-month pregnant woman,' he said. 'It's all but miraculous she was not more seriously injured ... she was the softest of targets for your aggression.'

Judge Smith said the attendant was also lucky not to be seriously injured and it was only a split-second decision by him to move right that saved him.

The court heard Shau had a prior conviction for being drunk in public and assaulting police.

Judge Smith said it was an aggravating factor that Shau committed his 'vicious' crime in an act of domestic violence.

And although he was unable to sentence Shau for the higher offence of 'intentionally' causing injury, he deemed the attack at the 'high-end' of the offence he pleaded guilty to.

Shau was also fined and put off the road for four years starting from the day of his sentence.
There has always been high drama in the House of Seagram and the Bronfman family. Heirs to the great liquor fortune have often been at the center of some of its most sensational stories; from Prohibition to the NXVIM sex procuring charges - the Bronfmans are no strangers to scandal, controversy and intrigue. What is little remembered, however, is that Samuel Bronfman was once the center of a madcap kidnapping scheme.

On the evening of August 15, 1975, Edgar Bronfman Sr., the late billionaire scion of the Seagram's liquor fortune found himself waiting by a payphone outside Kennedy International Airport in Queens, New York for a very important phone call. A ransom tape sent to his New York apartment the day prior specified that he drive to the parking lot behind the International Arrivals terminal at 8:00pm and wait for further instruction. His son, 21-year- old Samuel Bronfman Jr. had been kidnapped eight days earlier and failure to follow directions would result in his death.

Samuel Bronfman (left) celebrates the wedding of his father, Edgar Bronfman Sr. (right) to Georgiana Webb one week after he was released from being kidnapped in 1975. Webb was Edgar Bronfman's third wife who he married twice and divorced twice. It was alleged that Samuel Bronfman, aged 21 at the time, staged his own kidnapping and ransom in order to bilk money out of his father

Seagram Liquor heir Samuel Bronfman Jr., sitting next to his father Edgar Sr, held a news conference after Mel Patrick Lynch and Dominic Byrne were acquitted of kidnapping charges. Edgar Sr. stood by is son's story and vehemently refuted claims made against him, but years later it was rumored that Edgar Sr. looked over his eldest son when passing over control of his billion dollar company due to the incident

The kidnappers demanded $2.3 million in small bills; the entire amount was recovered hiding under a bed in a nearby Brooklyn apartment. Edgar Bronfman Sr was alone when he passed off two 75 pound trashbags of cash to his son's 'kidnappers' on a dark street in Queens, New York. Undercover police standing nearby traced the license plate number of the rust-colored '71 Oldsmobile back to Lynch's apartment in the Flatbush neighborhood of Brooklyn

The Bronfman's palatial Fifth Avenue apartment turned into a de-facto FBI headquarters. Sam Jr.'s captors were demanding $2.3million in ransom to be delivered in small bills, for his safe return. At 9:12pm the phone rang and he was ordered to drive to an undisclosed underpass in the shadow of the Queensborough Bridge, put his car in park and wait 15 minutes.

Mel Patrick Lynch, the man accused of kidnapping his son, jumped into Bronfman's idling car and demanded that he circle the block while he counted the money - 49 bundles were stuffed into two large, plastic trash bags that weighed 75 pounds each. By 3:00am, Bronfman was asked to stop his car on a street corner in Woodside, Queens where his co-conspirator, Dominic Byrne, aged 57, was waiting to load the ransom bags into the trunk of a 1971 rust-colored Oldsmobile and the two criminals drove off.

Undercover agents nearby wrote down the New York license plate number that was registered to Lynch's Brooklyn home address. 25 hours later; Samuel Bronfman, loosely bound, disoriented and blindfolded was saved by federal agents that stormed the apartment.

It was only two years prior to Bronfman's kidnapping that John Paul Getty III, the wealthy 16 year old heir to an oil fortune, had been abducted for ransom and held for five months. Another heiress, Patty Hearst was taken from her Berkeley, California apartment in 1974; the public had been primed to believe that Bronfman's kidnapping was real.

Nobody suspected that it could have been a hoax; one that was purportedly masterminded by Bronfman himself in an effort to bilk his billionaire father out of the ransom money. Mel Lynch, the 37-year-old New York firefighter arrested for Bronfman's kidnapping, alleged that the entire abduction was staged. Furthermore, he said that he had been deeply involved in a romantic relationship with Bronfman for over a year and accused him of using blackmail in order to go along with the scam.

Mel Patrick Lynch in handcuffs is escorted from the federal courthouse in New York, Aug. 28, 1975. Lynch. a New York City firefighter testified that he and Bronfman were involved in a romantic relationship when he was roped into Bronfman's kidnapping scheme. He said that Bronfman threatened to tell his employer of the affair if he didn't go along with it

Limousine driver, Dominic Byrne (center) celebrates his early release from prison for charges of grand larceny in 1977. Mel Lynch maintained that Byrne was never privy to the scheme and was under the impression from the minute he got involved in the crime that it had been a real kidnapping. Lynch said that he would keep appearances and 'play act' in Byrne's company until the evening before Bronfman was rescued when he confessed to his co-conspirator that the whole abduction was a dupe

An FBI agent carries a bag containing part of the $2.3 million ransom paid by Edgar Bronfman for the release of his son Samuel Bronfman II, at FBI headquarters in New York, Aug. 17, 1975. Byrne got nervous when he thought cops were staking out his apartment and ended up confessing to the crime around the same time agents had already been closing in

Lynch testified that his accomplice, Dominic Byrne believed the kidnapping was real from the moment he got involved. It wasn't until the evening before cops stormed the apartment that Byrne was told the true nature of the dupe.

The trial against, Lynch and Byrne took place in White Plains, New York a year later in October, 1975. Bronfman maintained his story that Mel Lynch held him at gunpoint while he parked his green BMW in the driveway of his mother's Westchester County home late in the night on August 9, 1975. He said that Lynch handcuffed and blindfolded him before throwing him in a getaway car driven by Dominic Byrne and driven to the Flatbush neighborhood of Brooklyn where he was held captive for eight days in a shoddy apartment.

Both Lynch and Byrne were Irish nationals with no previous criminal record and were beloved by co-workers, friends and acquaintances. Lynch admitted to his role in what he said was a 'fake kidnapping' and testified to a panel of jurors that Bronfman threatened to expose his homosexual affair to the his employer, the New York City Fire Department if he didn't go along with the plan.

As reported by The New York Times, the defendant said he met Bronfman a year prior at Uncle Charlie's South - a Manhattan gay bar in 1974 and the two carried out a relationship that took place at his own apartment and the pool house of the Westchester County estate.

When Lynch took the stand to answer questions from his lawyer, Walter Higgens about Bronfman's first July 1974 visit to his apartment, he said, 'We talked about sex.' Inquired more on the matter, Lynch specified, 'We had sex.'

He claimed that Bronfman's original scheme was to kidnap his younger brother Adam, who was just 13-years-old at the time, but eventually settled on 'something more realistic.'

The New York Times quoted Lynch telling the jury: 'Sam promised that, if anything wrong happened, he would speak to his father and his father would straighten things out. He said that if I had to go to jail, it would be only for a few days, and he promised that if I lost my job, I would be compensated financially.'

Samuel Bronfman II faces reporters as he arrives at the Westchester County Courthouse, Nov. 16, 1976. The heir to the Seagram distillery fortune took the stand as the star witness against two men charged with holding him captive for nine days and stood by his story that he had been abducted from the driveway of his mother's home. He called the acquittal, 'a miscarriage of justice'

Mel Patrick Lynch said that he met Bronfman a year prior to the kidnapping at Uncle Charlie's South, a Manhattan gay bar in 1974 and the two carried out a relationship that took place at his own apartment and the pool house of the Upstate New York estate. Lynch said that he was 'in the grip of panic' trying to stage the scene when Feds began to storm the apartment. 'Sam's left hand was not tied. We had only gotten to his right hand as the door was being pushed open,' said Lynch in his testimony

Bronfman vehemently denied ever knowing his captors before his abduction and the Assistant District Attorney put up a strong case on his behalf; making the point that Bronfman was in no need of money  as the son of one of the wealthiest men in America. But a series of inconsistencies, witness testimonials, evidence and tantalizing accusations that surfaced during the trial began to chip away at Bronfman's credibility.

The defense introduced a damning affidavit, sworn and signed by a Bronfman family friend named Willie Dunn. Dunn's affidavit asserted that Samuel Bronfman approached him about a similar scheme in 1974 (a whole year prior to when the kidnapping took place) and alleged that Bronfman wanted to extort money from his family with the use of a pornographic film.

Bronfman arranged to meet Dunn for drinks at Uncle Charlie's South (the same establishment, he supposedly met Mel Lynch for the first time, just a few months later). As reported by The New York Times, the affidavit stated: 'his plan involved making a pornographic film, which would include himself and another individual and that the film would be a tool to extract money from his family, alleging that he was being shaken down by a third party.'

Dunn's statement said that Bronfman propositioned him with an business offer to manage a new gay bar, and suggested that if he was seriously interested then he would need to help Bronfman raise funds for the bar 'as well as some other things that he was interested in doing.'

During cross-examination, Bronfman admitted that Dunn had been known to a few of his family members over the years but insisted that he had never met him during that time. Indeed, Dunn had a curiously close relationship with Bronfman's maternal uncle, Arthur Loeb. Loeb had bailed Dunn out of jail on a number of occasions, co-signed for his apartment and even allowed him to be an authorized user on his credit cards.

Lynch's co-conspirator, Dominic Byrne poses with his wife. Courtroom sketch artist, Ida Libby Dengrove said that 'Dominic Byrne was smiling and genial throughout the trial.' Both defendants were Irish nationals with no previous criminal record and were beloved by co-workers, friends and acquaintances

Samuel Bronfman smiling with his wife Melanie Mann on their wedding day, March 27, 1976. It was only months before that he had been embroiled in accusations that he staged his own kidnapping by rumored lover, Mel Patrick Lynch

Dunn's condemning affidavit continued: 'He told me that I knew his family long enough to know how difficult it is to get cash for projects that do not totally meet the family's approval.'

Other things started to not add up. Sam Jr.'s ransom tapes were played during the trial. In one clip, Bronfman appears to sound impassioned while pleading with his father to pay the ransom immediately. At the end of his petition, Bronfman is heard telling his captors in a normal voice: 'Hold it, I'll do it again.'

In another instance, Bronfman said that he was closely guarded by at least one person for the entire period that he was kidnapped but work records revealed in the trial showed that both Lynch and Byrne were gone for the entire day of August 15. And one juror, Amelia Dricot, explained to The New York Times that the cloth used to blindfold Bronfman was a simple 'flap' that could easily be lifted.

Lynch testified that the weapon used during the 'stick up' was provided for and purchased by Bronfman himself. Another juror, William Link took issue with Bronfman's conflicting statement that he was unfamiliar with guns but knew that Lynch's weapon was a .38-caliber pistol  to gun experts, the unusual revolver looked much more like a .45-caliber gun instead. Link insinuated that only someone very familiar with the weapon would know otherwise. He told The New York Times, 'I know something about guns and even I thought at first that it was a .45caliber.'

Adding to the inconsistencies, the two jurors revealed that the flimsy rope used to bind Bronfman's hands during captivity was a piece of knotted cord taken from Venetian blinds that apparently 'came apart' while jurors looked at it.

Georgiana Webb, (mother to NXIVM cult members Clare and Sara Bronfman) stands next to her soon-to-be-husband Edgar Bronfman at the East River Heliport in New York City during the time Edgar's eldest son Samuel was kidnapped; their marriage had to be delayed one week while Bronfman was held captive

Sara and Clare Bronfman were born to their fathers third wife and are 20 years younger than some of their half-siblings. Sarah (left) introduced her sister Clare (right) to NXIVM in the early 2000s. The cult's leader, Kieth Raniere is accused of coercing members into having sex with him and of branding and enslaving female followers. On April 19 2019, Clare pleaded guilty to two different charges for her affiliation with the sex cult

Law enforcement busted open the front door of Lynch's apartment to find Bronfman blindfolded and loosely tied. Knowing that the cops were closing in, Lynch and Bronfman decided to continue the appearance of a kidnappingmasking his eyes and making a small effort to tie his hands. 'Sam's left hand was not tied. We had only gotten to his right hand as the door was being pushed open,' said Lynch in his testimony. He also added, 'I was sweating, I was in the grip of panic.'

The jury was not convinced that Mel Lynch and Dominic Byrne were guilty of kidnapping Samuel Bronfman, a preliminary vote taken by jurors counted eight for acquittal, two for conviction and two undecided. By the end of deliberations, they decided to convict them of a much smaller crime  grand larceny for extorting money from Edgar Bronfman. Lynch was sentenced to 4-12 years in prison and got out after six. Byrne was given 3-9 years and was paroled after five.

There was not enough evidence to conclude that Bronfman faked his own kidnapping either. When reporters asked the DA if his office intended to investigate Bronfman for perjury, his response was: 'Absolutely not, the verdict has not changed our opinion at all.'

In public, Edgar Bronfman vehemently defended his eldest son's honor; but it wasn't lost on anyone years later when it came time for Edgar Sr. to pass on the torch for his billion dollar empire - instead of selecting Samuel, he chose is second son, Edgar Jr. to take over the company.
The White House is not endorsing a global pledge to step up efforts to keep internet platforms from being used to spread hate, organize extremist groups and broadcast attacks, citing respect for 'freedom of expression and freedom of the press'.

World leaders led by French President Emmanuel Macron and executives from Facebook, Google, Twitter and other tech companies gathered in Paris to compile a set of guidelines dubbed the 'Christchurch Call,' named after the New Zealand city where 51 people were killed in a March attack on mosques.

Much of the attack was broadcast live on Facebook, drawing public outrage and fueling debate on how to better regulate social media. Facebook said before the meeting that it was tightening rules for livestream users.

But in a statement on Wednesday, the White House said it will 'continue to be proactive in our efforts to counter terrorist content online' while also protecting free speech.

The Christchurch Call 'is a global response to a tragedy that occurred on the shores of my country but was ultimately felt around the world,' said New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, who has played a leading role pushing for globally coordinated efforts to eliminate online extremism.

French President Emmanuel Macron and New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern attend a meeting at the Elysee Palace on Wednesday

Delegates gather during a 'Tech For Good' summit in Paris on Wednesday. Several world leaders and tech bosses are meeting in Paris to find ways to stop acts of violent extremism from being shown online

'Fundamentally it ultimately commits us all to build a more humane internet, which cannot be misused by terrorists for their hateful purposes,' she said at a joint news conference with Macron.

The French and New Zealand governments drafted the agreement - a roadmap that aims to prevent similar abuses of the internet while insisting that any actions must preserve 'the principles of a free, open and secure internet, without compromising human rights and fundamental freedoms.'

The call was adopted by US tech companies that also included Amazon, Microsoft and YouTube, along with France's Qwant and DailyMotion, and the Wikimedia Foundation. Countries backing France and New Zealand were Britain, Canada, Ireland, Jordan, Norway, Senegal, Indonesia and the European Union's executive body. Several other countries not present at the meeting added their endorsement.

The meeting in Paris comes at a pivotal moment for tech companies, which critics accuse of being too powerful and resistant to regulation. Some have called for giants like Facebook to be broken up. Europe is leading a global push for more regulation of how the companies handle user data and copyrighted material. The tech companies, meanwhile, are offering their own ideas in a bid to shape the policy response.

Unlike previous official attempts to regulate the internet, 'the Christchurch Call is different in that it associates all actors of the internet' including the tech companies themselves, Macron said.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern (center left) is greeted by French President Emmanuel Macron (center right) as she arrives at the Elysee Palace in Paris on Wednesday

French President Emmanuel Macron greeting British Prime Minister Theresa May at the Elysee Palace, in Paris on Wednesday

He said he hopes to get broader support for the agreement in coming months, with technical questions to be discussed by June.

In Wednesday's agreement, which is not legally binding, the tech companies committed to measures to prevent the spread of terrorist or violent extremist content. That may include cooperating on developing technology or expanding the use of shared digital signatures.

They also promised to take measures to reduce the risk that such content is livestreamed, including flagging it up for real-time review.

And they pledged to study how algorithms sometimes promote extremist content. That would help find ways to intervene more quickly and redirect users to 'credible positive alternatives or counter-narratives.'

Amazon, Facebook, Google, Microsoft and Twitter issued a joint supporting statement, outlining in further detail actions they would take individually or together to combat abuse of technology to spread extremist content. They include making it easier for users to flag up inappropriate content, using enhanced vetting for livestreaming and publishing transparency reports on material that's removed.

Facebook, which dominates social media and has faced the harshest criticism for overlooking the misuse of consumer data and not blocking live broadcasts of violent actions, said separately it is toughening its livestreaming policies.

Founder of Alibaba group Jack Ma arrives for the Tech for Good summit on Wednesday. World leaders and tech bosses meet Wednesday in Paris to discuss ways to prevent social media from spreading deadly ideas

Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi as he arrives for the Tech for Good summit in Paris

It's tightening the rules for its livestreaming service with a 'one strike' policy applied to a broader range of offenses. Activity on the social network that violates its policies, such as sharing an extremist group's statement without providing context, will result in the user immediately being temporarily blocked. The most serious offenses will result in a permanent ban.

Previously, the company took down posts that breached its community standards but only blocked users after repeated offenses.

The tougher restrictions will be gradually extended to other areas of the platform, starting with preventing users from creating Facebook ads.

Facebook, which also owns Instagram and WhatsApp, said it's investing $7.5 million to improve technology aimed at finding videos and photos that have been manipulated to avoid detection - a problem the company encountered with the Christchurch shooting, where the attacker streamed the killing live on Facebook.

'Tackling these threats also requires technical innovation to stay ahead of the type of adversarial media manipulation we saw after Christchurch,' Facebook's vice president of integrity, Guy Rosen, said in a blog post.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau addresses reporters after visiting Notre Dame cathedral in Paris on Wednesday

IBM CEO Virginia Rometty (right) and French cosmetics giant L'Oreal CEO Jean-Paul Agon arrive for the Tech for Good summit

The Christchurch Call was drafted as 80 CEOs and executives from technology companies gathered in Paris for a 'Tech for Good' conference meant to address how they can use their global influence for public good - for example by promoting gender equality, diversity in hiring and greater access to technology for lower income users.

Ardern and Macron have insisted that the Christchurch guidelines must involve joint efforts between governments and tech giants. France has been hit by repeated Islamic extremist attacks by groups who recruited and shared violent images on social networks.

Free speech advocates and some in the tech industry bristle at new restrictions and argue that violent extremism is a societal problem that the tech world can't solve.

Former U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, a member of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, said that while 'a higher level of responsibility is demanded from all of the platforms,' it is necessary to find a way to not censor legitimate discussion.

'It's a hard line to draw sometimes,' he said.
Relatives of a jailed Alabama woman are questioning how the woman became pregnant.

Latoni Daniel, 26, has been jailed for 17 months and is set to give birth to her first child this month, Al.com reports.

She is eight months pregnant.

The U.S. National Guard veteran became pregnant while at a Coosa County jail in Rockford, but she says she has no memory of having sex.

Attorney Mickey McDermott says he believes his client was raped while taking sedatives prescribed to treat seizures.

Daniel's brother, Terrell Ransaw, says Daniel didn't have seizures before she was jailed.

Latoni Daniel, 26, is eight months pregnant despite the fact that she has been in jail for more than a year

Daniel is due to give birth to a baby boy later this month, though she says she doesn't remember having sex while in jail

County District Attorney Jeff Willis says Daniel's pregnancy is under investigation.

Daniel is accused of being the getaway driver in a fatal shooting and is charged with capital murder.

Her boyfriend at the time allegedly shot and killed Thomas Virgil Chandler, 87.

She was transferred to another jail once her pregnancy was revealed.

'She wasnt pregnant when she went to jail,' Ransaw said.

Family members and court documents indicate that Daniel was honorably discharged from the Army National Guard.

She also does not have any prior felony convictions.

Her attorney believes she was raped while behind bars at Coosa County Jail (seen above)

It is unclear if Daniel can afford to make bail. Ransaw said the family will do whatever is possible to get her out of jail before the birth of her son.

'The baby will be well taken care of and loved, regardless,' Ransaw said.

He said his nephew will live with his grandmother while he will provide financial support.

'One thing she wasnt going to do was have an abortion,' Ransaw said of his sister.

'A lot of people would probably consider giving the baby up for adoption or having an abortion.

'She believes its a blessing from God - no matter the situation.'
Pope Francis has given a joyride in his Popemobile to eight migrant children who recently arrived in Italy from Libya.

Francis picked up the children, who hail from Syria, Nigeria and Congo, at the start of his weekly general audience on Wednesday and zoomed around St Peters Square with them in the backseat.

Some waved, others gave a thumbs up before bidding Francis goodbye with hugs and a selfie.

Pope Francis has given a joyride in his popemobile to eight migrant children who recently arrived in Italy from Libya

The Vatican said some of the children had arrived in Italy on a migrant boat a few months ago, while others arrived on April 29 with their families via a humanitarian corridor.

They were being cared for by a humanitarian group in Rome.

The 82-year-old has made defence of migrants a cornerstone of his papacy.

Francis picked up the children, who hail from Syria, Nigeria and Congo, at the start of his weekly general audience on Wednesday and zoomed around St Peters Square with them in the backseat

Some waved, others gave a thumbs up before bidding Francis goodbye with hugs and a selfie

In April, he donated half a million dollars in aid for migrants who had been stopped on the US-Mexico border.

The funds were to be distributed among 27 projects promoted by sixteen Mexican dioceses and religious congregations who had been providing food, lodging and basic necessities to migrants.

In 2016, the Pope made the extraordinary gesture of bringing 12 Syrian refugees to Italy on his official plane after rescuing them from a camp in Lezbos, Greece.

His stance on refugees and migrants contrasts heavily with that of the Italian government, which has taken a hardline stance against migrants trying to enter the country.

Pope Francis smiled as one migrant used his smartphone to take a picture of the group
A Chinese boy has expressed his love for his mother in the cutest way possible.

Nine-year-old Guo Yifan from the province of Anhui took his mother and two of his piggy banks to a jeweller because he wanted to buy a ring for his mother to thank her for raising him.

After his mother picked the design she liked, Guo smashed his piggy banks in front of the sales staff and paid for the present with hundreds of coins.

Staff at the shop in China count the coins (right) after Guo smashed two of his piggy banks (left). The nine-year-old wanted to buy a ring for his mother to thank her for raising him

'My mother works very hard and she doesn't have pretty jewellery,' Guo (pictured) said

Guo said he had saved the money for more than two years, according to Chinese video news website Pear.

'My mother works very hard and she doesn't have pretty jewellery on her hands,' said the boy who lives in the county of Linquan.

He said he wanted to thank his mother for bringing him up.

'I have thought about buying a ring for my mother as a gift for a long time,' he added.

Guo took his mother to the store in Linquan on May 12 which was celebrated as the Mother's Day in China.

Guo's mother (pictured) said she was 'extremely happy' when she found out about Guo's plan

CCTV from the shop, released by Pear Video, shows Guo taking his mother to pick the gift

One member of staff at the store told Pear that he was surprised to see Guo taking two piggy banks from his backpack when his mother decided on one ring.

The boy then smashed the containers with a bike lock and hundreds of coins poured out of them and fell to the shop floor.

Sales staff counted the coins and found them to be worth 1,500 yuan (170).

Guo's mother said she was 'extremely happy' when she found out that her son was trying to buy a present for her.

'I think my son is great,' she said.

Apart from the ring, Guo also bought a necklace for his grandmother with the savings, according to shop staff.
This is the extraordinary moment a group of musicians perform a song near the north pole with instruments carved entirely from ice.

Breaking the record for 'the world's most northern concert', the quartet play on an ice-sculpted cello, a horn, chimes and percussion for a song called Ocean Memories.

Other than smashing the remarkable feat of staging an ice gig in the bitter -12C Norwegian chill, the group, who teamed up with Greenpeace, also aimed to send a powerful ecological warning.

Terje Isungset, the lead musician, said: 'You have to treat ice with respect, otherwise it breaks. We should do the same with nature.'

A group of musicians perform a song near the north pole with instruments carved entirely from ice

Breaking the record for 'the world's most northern concert', the quartet play on an ice-sculpted cello, a horn, chimes and percussion for a song called Ocean Memories

Greenpeace's Halvard Raavand added: 'By putting the spotlight on the Arctic ocean and ice loss, we want to emphasise the immediate need for ocean sanctuaries not only for the north pole but for the entire planet.'

The instruments were made from ice collected in the Arctic waters to highlight the record-breaking melting rate which is devastating the region.

The video starts by showing the four musicians wrapped up in warm clothing and trudging through the snow pulling a sled which is carrying blocks of ice.

It then cuts to the band standing in a circle next to their instruments and a woman begins to rustle finely cut shingles of ice with a pair of ice claves.

A man then begins to beat a minimalist staccato rhythm on percussion - a thin slab of square ice - before another blows into a horn which creates a muffled sound.

The video starts by showing the four musicians wrapped up in warm clothing and trudging through the snow pulling a sled which is carrying blocks of ice

The ice horns made by artist Bill Covitz is seen at an ice music concert stage on the ice near Svalbard

An ice cello is being transported by sledge to the ice music concert to raise awareness for melting caps

Greenpeace radio operator John Murpy attaches a mic on the Aashild Brunvoll's ice cello

More instruments are gradually introduced as the four-minute clip builds in tempo and switches the beat.

Throughout the music video, the camera pans to footage of melting ice caps and oceans and ends with a long horn blast as Terje's global warming warning is shown.

Mr Halvard said: 'Over the next year, governments are negotiating at the United Nations towards a Global Ocean Treaty that could pave the way for the creation of a network of ocean sanctuaries.'

'This is a unique opportunity for governments to work together and create healthy oceans that are our best ally against a changing climate.

'The science is clear: our oceans are in crisis. All we need is the political will to protect them.'

Throughout the music video, the camera pans to footage of melting ice caps and oceans and ends with a long horn blast as Terje's global warming warning is shown

The instruments were made from ice collected in the Arctic waters to highlight the record-breaking melting rate which is devastating the region
Residents of an affluent Sydney suburban area are being terrorised by a group of 200 children who have gone on a series of crime rampages while under the influence of alcohol and drugs, police say.

A group of 21 teenagers were found drunk and wandering the streets on Sydney's northern beaches last weekend and had to be collected by their parents.

Northern Beaches Commander Superintendent Dave Darcy is so concerned about the problem that he was written a letter to principals from schools in the area pleading with them and parents to control their children.

'There has been a significant deterioration in the behaviour of young people in the area. Teens, ages ranging from 13 to 18, from local schools, are out at all hours of the night, fuelled up on alcohol and drugs, both illegal and prescription,' he wrote in the letter.

Two hundred children have gone on a rampant crime spree, terrorising residents in an affluent Sydney suburb. Pictured: The aftermath of a fight in Newport in March

Northern Beaches Commander Superintendent Dave Darcy is so concerned about the problem that he was written a letter to principals from schools. Pictured: Children being spoken to after a fight in Newport

'They're reacting angrily and aggressively towards members of the public, bus drivers and police.

'It's behaviour that's escalated from the problematic to, in some cases, the criminal. People, including police, are being attacked and injured.

'I am also surprised at the freedom enjoyed, particularly by the 13 and 14-year-olds who are roaming our streets at midnight under the influence of alcohol or drugs.'

Mr Darcy said officers wearing cameras had captured footage of the children behaving inappropriately.

'I have seen this video, and even with more than three decades as a police officer I find the levels of anger and aggression some young people are bringing to the streets particularly confronting,' he wrote.

'Enforce with them that our ability to find those committing criminal offences has improved markedly and that they will be found and held to account.'

Mr Darcy said the children involved in the crime spree communicate with each other using Facebook.

A government source told the Daily Telegraph that there had been 25 school expulsions in the area in 2019 - five times as many as last year.

'It's behaviour that's escalated from the problematic to, in some cases, the criminal. People, including police, are being attacked and injured,' Mr Darcy wrote

The New South Wales Education Department said expulsion and suspension rates in the northern beaches were 'consistent' for the past two years.

A vicious fight involving 150 teenagers broke out outside a McDonald's restaurant in Warriewood, on the northern beaches, about 11.30pm on May 4.

Some of the children involved in the brawl had to be subdued with capsicum spray.

A witness said the fight started when two girls had a disagreement.

'It was absolutely wild, a lot of them were really drunk... I reckon there was about seven girls I saw sprayed. Parents were running in with water bottles to wash their eyes out,' the witness said.

In March, an off-duty police officer was caught up in a wild street fight on the northern beaches which resulted in three boys being led away in handcuffs.

A group of passersby tried to break up a fight between boys in Newport before being attacked themselves.

'Girls were screaming and there were numerous young people milling about, some wearing school uniforms,' a neighbour told The Manly Daily.

'I was told that an adult stepped in to break it up and the kids turned on him before the brawl escalated.'
Some have reacted with outrage after a teacher portraying an active shooter during a staff safety drill donned an Arab-style keffiyeh as part of a disguise.

The controversy was stirred when video clips emerged this week of the staff-only training drill that took place in western Pennsylvania's Penn-Trafford School District on January 21.

The training was for teachers only, but students in the A/V Club filmed part of it, and recent posted the video online to show off their work. The video has now been removed, and the school district refuses to let news outlets publish it, saying it was never intended for the public.

At issue is a teacher seen wearing a keffiyeh, a headscarf associated with Palestinians - though the district says it was part of a random disguise that also consisted of a long blonde wig and paintball mask.

Some alumni expressed outrage after a teacher portraying an active shooter during a staff safety drill donned an Arab-style keffiyeh as part of a disguise

But the school district said that the video clip didn't accurately portray the disguise, which was a random assortment of the headscarf, a paintball mask, and a blonde wig (above)

Alicia McElhaney, a 2012 Penn-Trafford graduate currently working as a journalist in Brooklyn, led the online outrage, tweeting that the incident was 'unacceptable' and vowing to organize a response to the video.

'I believe it's implied that this person is a person of color,' McElhaney told the Tribune-Review. 'I think that's wrong.'

John Sakoian, who runs Command Excellence, a business that conducted the active shooter drill, told the newspaper that the costume was not approved, and the teacher's involvement in the drill was 'accidental'.

In a statement, the school district said that the intent of the costumes used in the active shooter drill was 'to alter their appearance so that they were not readily recognizable by their co-workers.'

'There was no intent to represent any particular culture or religion,' the district said.

'Screen captures of the video shared on social media fail to show the full costume worn by the volunteer,' the statement continued.

The entrance to Penn-Trafford High is seen above. The active shooter drill occurred on January 21 but video of the event leaked online only recently

'The individual wore a long blonde wig with a scarf tied around his head and a paintball/tactical mask over his face. He was dressed in a dark zip-up sweatshirt and dark pants. There was no intent by the District, police department or consultant as part of the training to provide an identity to the volunteers as anything other than an active shooter,' the district said.

Penn-Trafford High has a student body of about 1,300 student, 98 per cent of whom are white.

McElhaney was not satisfied at the explanation, tweeting: 'honestly, still not a good look.'

Others connected to the school were less certain in their condemnation.

'I just thought they they could've done a normal person, so it wouldn't offend anyone,' one sophomore at Penn-Trafford High told KDKA-TV.

Another parent at the school told the CBS affiliate: 'I'm not sure why they would choose to put a scarf on this person. Does it offend me personally? No. I guess I'm not really sure what to think about that.'
Uber and Lyft say they have revoked the driving privileges of a Somali man who has been accused of war crimes, including torture and directing mass executions.

The ride-sharing apps say they will no longer allow Yusuf Abdi Ali to earn money on their platforms after a CNN reporter went undercover and filmed the suspected Somali war criminal working for Uber.

I do this full time, said Ali as he was transporting the CNN reporter in suburban Virginia.

Ali told CNN he prefers to work on weekends because thats where the money is.

According to CNN, Ali was listed on Uber as an Uber Pro Diamond driver with a 4.89 rating.

Ali told CNN that he had no trouble getting approved as an Uber driver.

They just want your background check, that's it, he said.

Yusuf Abdi Ali is seen above driving an Uber in the Washington, DC, area recently

Ali is also alleged to have committed war crimes during his tenure as a colonel in the Somali military. He is seen left

Uber told CNN that it has dropped Ali from its service after it was made aware of the allegations against him

If you apply tonight maybe after two days it will come, you know, everything.

Ali has denied all allegations made against him.

Uber told CNN that it has suspended Ali from its service. Lyft said Ali has not used its service in 18 months, though his name has been removed from its systems.

'The safety of our community is our top priority and we are horrified by the allegations described,' a spokesperson for Lyft told CNN.

'Before giving a ride on the Lyft platform, all driver-applicants are screened for criminal offenses and driving incidents in the United States.'

While Ali has not been convicted of a crime, an internet search of his name reveals numerous press stories detailing allegations of atrocities he is said to have committed during the Somali civil war in the 1980s.

Ali is also being sued in a Virginia court for his alleged past activities.

Farhan Warfaa, a Somali village elder, is set to testify against Ali.

Warfaa alleges Ali was leading the notorious Fifth Brigade which rounded up him and other young men of the Isaaq clan from his village during the Somali Rebellion.

Ali (seen above heading into a Virginia court where he is being sued) is alleged to have led the notorious Fifth Brigade which rounded up young men of the Isaaq clan from a village during the Somali Rebellion

Colonel Ali, reputedly known as 'Tokeh', meaning 'the crow' in his army days, was discovered by a CNN news crew working as a security guard at Washington DC's Dulles airport in 2016.

He served in the Somali army during the 22-year dictatorship of president Mohammed Siad Barre, who was overthrown by rebels in 1991, plunging the country into anarchy.

The case was was brought on Warfaa's behalf in 2004 by California's Center for Justice and Accountability (CJA).

'He is hoping to achieve some measure of accountability for the abuses that he alleges he and others have suffered,' CJA legal director Carmen Cheung told The Guardian.

'Even though these crimes took place a long time ago, even though a Virginia courtroom seems very far away from where these acts took place, it is in some ways the only forum.

Somali village elder Farhan Warfaa of the Isaaq clan with his U.S. attorneys from the Center for Justice and Accountability. Warfaa flew from Somalia to the U.S. to testify against Ali

'The case is an important one not just for those people from Somaliland but also for us as Americans,' Cheung added.

'What gives me hope is that this case is going forward in an American federal district court willing to allow a U.S. jury to listen to these claims and make an adjudication.'

In his opening statement on Monday, CJA lawyer Ben Klein said Warfaa was jailed for several months and was regularly stripped naked and beaten, Klein said.

He was also bound in a stress position called the 'Mig,' which Klein said 'was so excruciatingly painful, so unbearable, it would cause Farhan to go unconscious.'

Colonel Ali personally supervised many of the interrogations, Klein claimed.

In a final interrogation in early 1988, Klein said resistance fighters attacked Colonel Ali's brigade in the middle of questioning.

At that point, Klein said, Colonel Ali shot Warfaa five times while he lay on the ground, shackled.

Ali served in the Somali army during the 22-year dictatorship of president Mohammed Siad Barre, who was overthrown by rebels in 1991, plunging the country into anarchy. The image above shows armed fighters in Mogadishu, the Somali capital, during the civil war in 1992

Warfaa lost consciousness and was presumed dead, Klein said, so Colonel Ali ordered him buried

But the soldiers realized Warfaa was alive and solicited a bribe from his family to let him live.

Ali's attorney Peter Drennan insisted last week that his client 'denies every one of the allegations.'

Drennan told the court that Ali was a professional soldier who received training in the U.S., and claimed the case was brought out of motives of 'clan vengeance.'
A young mother who attacked a police officer when she was caught stealing a phone at a pub has been let off without a conviction.

Tarlah Hardy appeared in Chinchilla Magistrates Court, north-west of Brisbane, this month after she went on the violent rampage while at the Torquay Hotel in December.

The mother-of-one was charged with two counts of stealing, wilful damage to a police vehicle and obstructing and assaulting a police officer, The Chronicle reported.

Tarlah Hardy (pictured) appeared in Chinchilla Magistrates Court, north-west of Brisbane, this month after she went on the violent rampage while at the Torquay Hotel in December

The young mother attacked a police officer after she was caught stealing a phone at a pub but has been let go without a conviction

Security at the venue called police after they realised the she had stolen a phone and was caught on CCTV putting it down her pants.

When police arrived, two female officers searched Hardy and found the stolen phone, before handcuffing the young mother and putting her in a police car.

However, Hardy quickly turned violent and began to thrash around and kick as she was being placed in the car.

'Ms Hardy continued to kick violently at the rear passenger side window of the police car,' police prosecutor Sergeant Derek Brady told the court.

She was taken out of the car in an attempt to prevent her from damaging police property, but she continued to be violent.

Hardy then violently kicked a female officer in the arm, causing her pain.

Security at the venue called police after they realised the she had stolen a phone and was caught on CCTV putting it down her pants

When police arrived, two female officers searched Hardy and found the stolen phone, before handcuffing the young mother and putting her in a police car (pictured: Torquay Hotel)

'This is certainly not a low-end assault, but I do take into consideration her somewhat limited history at this particular time, so I think a fine is within range and if it goes beyond that it is certainly only to be a probation period,' Sgt Brady said.

Lawyer for the young mother, Joe Millican, appealed for leniancy as Hardy was a young mother of a 10-month-old daughter and had limited criminal history.

Mr Millican said Hardy was ashamed of her behaviour and was apologetic for her actions, which were out of character.

Despite having a violent history while drunk, Mr Millican said he believes the behaviour was that of a young person, and she would grow out of it.

While Magistrate Robbie Davies was stern on the young mother, she was let off without a conviction but was ordered to pay a $300 fine.
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Visitors attending the grand opening of the TWA Hotel at John F. Kennedy International Airport on Wednesday found rooms that weren't ready, elevators that didn't work, exposed wires and construction.

The landmark Trans World Airlines Flight Center, which first opened in 1962, has now been transformed into the only on-site lodging at JFK in Queens, New York, though it wasn't exactly camera-ready for opening day.

Travel industry analyst Jamie Larounis who had a reservation for Wednesday night spoke exclusively with DailyMail.com about his experience at the property, which opened its doors for the first time in 20 years to reveal a sleek lobby and bar amid the greater disarray.

'They should never have opened the property today and that was their mistake,' Larounis told DailyMail.com. 'I've never really been to an opening night where it was in such shambles, this is a unique instance for me.'

DailyMail.com reached out to TWA Hotel via email and over social media, as no phone number is listed on its site, but did not receive a reply to our request for comment.

Instead, the company replied with an automatic email with frequently asked questions about booking and amenities at the hotel, which also did not include direct contact information beyond links to the website.

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The landmark Trans World Airlines Flight Center, which first opened in 1962, has now been transformed into the only on-site lodging at JFK in Queens, New York, though it wasn't exactly camera-ready for opening day

Travel industry analyst Jamie Larounis who had a reservation for Wednesday night spoke exclusively with DailyMail.com about his experience at the property, which opened its doors for the first time in 20 years to reveal a sleek lobby and bar amid the greater disarray

Larounis was part of a group of about 20 friends and acquaintances who had reserved a stay for the first possible night at the iconic and historically decorated hotel.

He said he was told the opening was supposed to be two weeks from now over Memorial Day weekend, but it was moved up due to an unnamed celebrity booking for Wednesday's launch, which ultimately fell through.

'Then rooms were already booked, so the hotel was stuck opening this weekend,' he said.

TWA went out of business in 2001, which is when the Flight Center closed its doors after first opening in 1962 (file image)

It has been completely transformed into the only on-site lodging at JFK in Queens, New York, though it wasn't necessarily camera-ready for opening day

People walk through the sleek lobby of the famous winged TWA terminal at New York's John F. Kennedy Airport on Wednesday

Larounis had arrived on site at about 9.30am for a ribbon cutting, where models greeted guests in aviation-inspired uniforms

But by 7pm Eastern on Wednesday, Larounis said about half of the rooms for the people in his group were still not ready, though he was able to check in right away.

'Check in started at 3pm and rooms are still not ready,' Larounis said, nothing that his door had boxes in front of it.

He added: 'To make matters worse, no elevators are working. People are needing to walk up.'

In a reply to a social media post, one person told Larounis, 'Sadly this opening day sure turned into a "soft opening" without telling any of us staying here until we found out ourselves.

'What a mess. Def asking for a refund for tonight's stay. Very disappointed. But on a positive note I enjoy the historic atmosphere, just feels like this was opened way too soon.'

Despite the mess around some of the hotel, many of its unique features were operational, like the cocktail bar inside an airplane

Larounis said the Managing Director of the TWA Hotel told him during a tour that the hotel was approximately 75 percent open, and that everything open was booked. A woman is shown pouring cocktails inside the bar in the plane

Despite the mess around some of the hotel, many of its unique features were operational, like the cocktail bar inside an airplane.

Larounis said the Managing Director of the TWA Hotel told him during a tour that the hotel was approximately 75 percent open, and that everything open was booked.

He had arrived on site at about 9.30am for a ribbon cutting ceremony where models greeted guests in aviation-inspired uniforms, and was given free reign of the hotel with others from about 12.30pm to 2pm.

During that that time, Larounis said he saw 'wet paint, carts with tools on them, men in hard hats, drilling, loose wires hanging and other electrical issues.'

He added: 'There were doors to rooms missing because they still needed to be installed. It wasn't until around 2pm that access became limited to the areas under construction.'

The exterior of the TWA Hotel looks sleek and beautifully finished, but behind the facade lies some disarray for the launch

One person wrote, 'What a mess. Def asking for a refund for tonight's stay. Very disappointed. But on a positive note I enjoy the historic atmosphere, just feels like this was opened way too soon'

'They should never have opened the property today and that was their mistake,' Travel industry analyst James Larounis told DailyMail.com

Larounis said he saw 'wet paint, carts with tools on them, men in hard hats, drilling, loose wires hanging and other electrical issues'

Larounis said there were boxes in front of his door at the hotel, though he was able to check in on time. An unfinished room is pictured

He saw carts with tools on them throughout the public spaces, amid active construction areas

Those areas included the pool where Larounis saw 'tons of construction equipment' and witnessed a confrontation between a security guard and a reporter, who Larounis said was trying to capture the scene.

Larounis described the public spaces of the hotel as not exactly becoming of a place fetching a nightly rate of $269, as his room cost.

'The floors aren't mopped and you can see tools under the bar,' he said. 'There is no way this place can command a $250 rate as it stands now with the construction.'

Larounis described the public spaces as not exactly becoming of a place fetching a nightly rate of $269, as his room cost

'The floors aren't mopped and you can see tools under the bar,' he said. A spill can be seen on the floor surrounding one bar area

'There is no way this place can command a $250 rate as it stands now with the construction,' Larounis said of its current state

Later, Larounis shared photos of his own room, praising the aspects of the hotel that were actually finished.

'In fairness, the TWA Hotel really does have some gorgeous rooms,' Larounis tweeted after speaking with DailyMail.com.

'The public spaces are not well at all  but the rooms are really quite terrific, and remind me very much like a swanky Kimpton hotel.'

'In fairness, the TWA Hotel really does have some gorgeous rooms,' Larounis tweeted after speaking with DailyMail.com

Travel blogger Max Prosperi, 20, from St. Louis Missouri, told DailyMail.com he had booked a night at the hotel as a gift for his 58-year-old mother, who worked as a TWA flight attendant for 19 years.

'This hotel should not be open tonight for paying guests,' he said. 'They don't have ice machines, and there are holes in the ceiling because light fixtures are missing.'

Prosperi also had issues checking in, first being told to wait until 4pm and then suffering through a 40 minute ordeal with staff who he said seemed rude and unwilling to help.

But that wasn't the worst of his experience, as the travel blogger had been told a week ago that he'd be able to walk-in and get a table at The Paris Cafe by chef Jean-Georges, but that didn't work out for him and his parents.

'This hotel should not be open tonight for paying guests,' travel blogger Max Prosperi said. 'They don't have ice machines, and there are holes in the ceiling because light fixtures are missing'

Prosperi, 20, from St. Louis Missouri, told DailyMail.com he had booked a night at the hotel as a gift for his 58-year-old mother, who worked as a TWA flight attendant for 19 years. Propseri had been told a week ago that he'd be able to walk-in and get a table at The Paris Cafe by chef Jean-Georges (shown), but that didn't work out for him and his parents

'I didn't make reservations for any of the restaurants at first, which was my mistake, but I emailed the hotel a week ago and was told I'd be allowed to walk-in as a hotel guest at any restaurant on site,' Prosperi said, who had to have a snack at the Sunken Lounge instead

'I didn't make reservations for any of the restaurants at first, which was my mistake, but I emailed the hotel a week ago and was told I'd be allowed to walk-in as a hotel guest at any restaurant on site,' Prosperi said.

'My father came too, and when we all showed up to the French restaurant the hostess said they're not accepting any walk-ins whatsoever.

'When I told her I had an email that said otherwise, I asked her if the hotel had lied to me, and she said, "I guess they did, they told you incorrect information."'

Prosperi said they ended up having meat and cheese plates with some mixed nuts for dinner.

Prosperi said they ended up having meat and cheese plates with some mixed nuts for dinner

'It's unfortunate because TWA means so much to my family, to me and my mom, but this is not a good representation of the cop many for us,' Prosperi said

In 2014, developer Tyler Morse came up with the plan to reinvent the defunct terminal into a modern hotel but still preserving period pieces from the building's heyday (shown)

'We may do Postmates for a burger or something,' he said. 'This was really unfortunate because I really wanted to bring my mom to this really great French restaurant.

'It's unfortunate because TWA means so much to my family, to me and my mom, but this is not a good representation of the company for us.'

TWA went out of business in 2001, which is when the Flight Center closed its doors.

The hotel features the old flight board on display and red plush furniture in lounges and inside its more than 500 guest rooms

The flight board is shown as it was during full operation of the TWA terminal at JFK

Historic flight attendant uniforms on display at the TWA Hotel at JFK Airport in New York

In another nod to the company's 1960s beginnings, there are rotary phones throughout the property on all-white tables

In 2014, developer Tyler Morse came up with the plan to reinvent the defunct terminal into a modern hotel while still preserving period pieces from its heyday, CBS reported.

The hotel prominently features the old flight board, with red plush furniture in its lounges and inside its more than 500 guest rooms, along with historic flight attendant uniforms on display.

In another nod to the company's 1960s beginnings, there are rotary phones throughout the property.

Once its properly up and running, guests will have access to dozens of meetings rooms and a rooftop infinity pool.

Until then, patrons should watch their step for dirt and dust, Larounis said.

Once its properly up and running, guests will have access to dozens of meetings rooms and a rooftop infinity pool. Until then, patrons should watch their step for dirt and dust, Larounis said
A shop owner has staunchly defended using the C word to greet customers because he says it is part of Aussie slang and a term of affection.

Fishing R Us, in Auburn in Sydney's west welcomed visitors with a poster on its front door reading 'Ya Sic C###'.

The shop had colourful language plastered on its inside walls including WTF and its website describes their success as a 'rag to #SICC###story'.

Welcoming shoppers as 'Sic C###s' outside the front of Fishing R Us (pictured)

The signs sparked controversy with customers calling into a radio station to complain and forced the local council to order the signs be removed.

Fishing R Us owner Yahya Tuameh removed the sign on Wednesday but said the language was not offensive and he planned to put it back up.

Mr Tuameh and his wife Daniela were in Bali on holiday when the Daily Mail told them about the controversy.

The pair was confused with the sudden outrage as they said the signs had been up for years without complaint.

The couple said people shouldn't take the sign so seriously as it's just a colloquial term Australians often use.

'The term is used as something you would call your mates and should not be seen as offensive' Mr Tuameh said.

'We removed the sign yesterday but it will 100% be put back up,'

Yahya and Daniela Tuameh (pictured) think the sign is not offensive and will be put back up

The business faces Parramatta Road, one of the busiest streets in Sydney's inner west.

Mr Tuameh and his wife believe the complaint was issued by a competitor.

'We are a family run business that has worked hard for years and the sign was not meant to offend,' she said.

The couple said there were more offensive shops that were inappropriate for children and that their slogans were just a bit of fun.

Fishing R Us features a range of bait and fishing equipment and has many families with young children entering the store.



The outlet is on one of Sydney's busiest roads, Parramatta Road (pictured)
Texas police investigating child sexual abuse on Wednesday raided offices of the Catholic diocese in Dallas, after alleging that church officials had not been fully cooperative.

Police served search warrants at the headquarters of the diocese, a storage location and offices of a local church.

The raids were connected to the investigation of a fugitive priest named Edmundo Paredes and at least five new allegations of abuse against other suspects, police said.

'These investigations stem from additional allegations made after the case against Mr. Paredes became public,' Major Max Geron of the Dallas police said.

Authorities conduct a raid on the Catholic Diocese of Dallas on Wednesday

Police served search warrants at the headquarters of the diocese, a storage location and offices of a local church

Paredes is charged with sexual abuse of a child and accused of molesting at least three other minors.

He disappeared from the suburban Dallas church where he served for decades and is believed to have fled to his native Philippines.

The Dallas diocese said the raids did not involve any suspects who had not been publicly disclosed on a list of 31 predator priests going back to the 1950s.

The raids were connected to the investigation of a fugitive priest named Edmundo Paredes (above) and at least five new allegations of abuse against other suspects, police said

The diocese released the list in January.

'The diocese has been cooperating with the ongoing investigation of these priests,' Dallas Bishop Edward Burns told reporters.

A judge approved the warrants after police alleged that church officials had not been fully cooperative, according to The Dallas Morning News, which obtained a copy of court records.

'To date, the Dallas Police Department has not been given the number of priests' files flagged for sexual abuse,' the newspaper quoted police as saying in an affidavit.

Police accused the church of hiding allegations against priests or providing incomplete information, according to the newspaper.

'We believed at this point that executing search warrants was wholly appropriate for the furtherance of the investigation,' Geron said.
A schoolboy who slammed his head on his desk during a meet and greet with Tony Abbott four years ago has admitted he was hoping the act would get him attention.

The then prime minister visited a grade four class at Seaforth Public School in Sydney's Northern Beaches in August 2014, where he was discussing persuasive writing with students.

One student went viral after he was pictured with his head down on the desk right under Mr Abbott's nose.

The schoolboy who slammed his head on his desk during a meet and greet with Tony Abbott admitted he was hoping the act would get him attention

Five years on, the now 16-year-old has republished the photo on his Reddit account ahead of the Federal election on May 18.

The student, who operates under the handle GrumpyandFat, said the photo is 'pretty relevant in my electorate at the moment' as Mr Abbott gears up to challenge independent Zali Steggall to keep his previously safe Liberal seat in Warringah.

'Also, this is the closest to fame I'll ever get,' he admitted.

'I believe I just wanted to get on the news. I wanted attention, I was a big clown.'

One student went viral after he was pictured with his head down on the desk right under Mr Abbott's nose

Mr Abbott has held the electorate since 1994 and it has been considered one of Liberal's strongest seats ever since

He went on to say he would 'ride the achievement for the rest of Tony's career.'

But the teenager said he doesn't expect Mr Abbott to retain his seat on Saturday.

He said while he is not old enough to vote, not only is he expecting Ms Steggall to win, but he wants the change, too.

'My brother goes to school with Zali Steggall's son, so I'm hoping for her to win,' he said.

Mr Abbott has held the electorate since 1994 and it has been considered one of Liberal's strongest seats ever since.

But Ms Steggall is polling strongly, and there is an argument that the barrister and former Olympic skiier may edge Abbott out during Saturday's election.

Mr Abbott (left) gears up to challenge independent Zali Steggall (right) to keep his previously safe Liberal seat in Warringah
The Brexit Party's logo guiding people towards their ballot paper box didn't cost them a penny because it was done in-house, MailOnline can reveal today.

The symbol of Nigel Farage's movement is a forward-pointing arrow with the party's name written inside and will win them more votes next week, an award-winning British designer has said.

With May 23 ballot papers now printed, this arrow points towards the box where Brexit Party voters will draw their cross and could help swing the EU elections, it has been claimed.

Ben Terrett, who won a British design of the year award in 2013, said: 'That's going to get a lot of Xs. A helluva lot of Xs. They are a single issue, probably single election party, and this is a very clever piece of graphic design.'

He added: 'I hate Brexit. I hate Farage even more. I just voted in the Euro elections (postal) and here's a thing: It's a massive arrow pointing at the box where you mark your X with the word BREXIT written in big font'.

MailOnline understands that the Brexit Party didn't employ an expensive design agency to create the logo, instead one of Mr Farage's aides drew it up, saving the party up to 50,000, which the Tories paid for a redesign.

A source close to Mr Farage said: 'The team knocked a few ideas around. We also considered black and white as an option before rejecting it for the blue logo'.

On this postal ballot paper the Brexit Party logo appears to guide voters to mark their cross next to Nigel Farage's party. A British designer said it was a 'very clever piece of design'

Farage shows off the party logo during a rally in Merthyr Tydfil, Wales, on Wednesday ahead of next week's European Parliament elections

Remainers have complained that the Electoral Commission should have banned it and have even started an online petition - but Brexiteers hit back by saying that official 2016 referendum literature on how to vote showed a pencil hovering over the Remain box.

The Electoral Commission told MailOnline today that the logo is legal and its experts don't accept claims it will 'mislead a voter'.

A spokesman said: 'The emblem directs voters to the correct place to cast their vote for the party and does not encourage or discourage voters from casting their vote for other parties, or in any other way not to cast their vote correctly'.

He also contrasted it with the Change UK logo which has been widely ridiculed.

The breakaway group's emblem features four horizontal bars, with the party's name on the right - although the layout of those words has been altered.

Brexiteers hit back by pointing out this official paperwork from the 2016 referendum, which showed the pencil

An earlier version of the Change UK logo was rejected by the Electoral Commission last month.

That symbol showed the letters TIG for The Independent Group with #Change underneath.

But the Electoral Commission said it was 'likely to mislead voters' and was unhappy with the use of an hashtag with clear links to online content.

The party also faced a row over its name as petition group Change.org suggested the rebel Tory and Labour MPs had chosen a title too similar to theirs.

Polls have shown Mr Farage's party with a strong chance of victory in the May 23 European elections.

As Mr Terrett's post indicates, some voters have already begun sending in postal ballots.

Nigel Farage (left) and a Brexit Party MEP candidate for Wales, Nathan Gill (right), react as they visit an e-cigarette and vape shop in South Wales yesterday

Change UK had this logo banned because it used a hashtag, the Electoral Commission said

The logo of breakaway group Change UK (pictured) has been widely ridiculed

Some surveys have shown the Conservatives falling as low as fifth amid voter fury over the protracted Brexit process.

The elections were never supposed to happen at all but the Brexit delay until October 31 has forced Britain to take part in the continent-wide poll.

Change UK has made less of an impact, ranging between one and seven per cent in recent polls.

The party faced a further blow when its lead candidate in Scotland dropped out and backed the Liberal Democrats.

David Macdonald said a 'diluted' Remain vote could give Nigel Farage's Brexit Party the chance to get an MEP in Scotland.

Change UK spokesman Chuka Umuna said it was a 'disappointing' move.
New York's Metropolitan Museum announced on Wednesday that it will cease accepting gifts from the billionaire Sackler family, amid allegations that it profited off the sale of the opioid OxyContin that is blamed for tens of thousands of deaths.

The move came after similar rejections by the Guggenheim museum in New York and the Tate in London as legal troubles mount for the Sacklers and their company Purdue Pharma, which manufactures the drug.

'The Sackler family has graciously supported The Met for 50 years and has not proposed any new contributions,' the Met's president and CEO Daniel Weiss said in a statement.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City (above) says it will no longer accept gifts from the Sackler family

The Met's Sackler Wing, which was dedicated in 1978, was built at a cost of $9.5million, according to The New York Times . The Sacklers donated a substantial portion of that sum, though the exact amount has not been revealed.

'Nonetheless, in consideration of the ongoing litigation, the prudent course of action at this time is to suspend acceptance of gifts from individuals associated with this public health crisis.'

The announcement came the same day that the American Museum of Natural History in New York said it had made a similar decision, without giving details.

Public anger at the family is on the rise as Purdue Pharma is profiting off the sale of powerful opioids that are being blamed for the deaths of tens of thousands of Americans every year. Mortimer and Jacqueline Sackler are seen left. Jonathan Sackler is seen right

The Centers for Disease Control blamed opioids for two-thirds of the 70,000 overdose deaths in the US in 2017, adding that 1.7 million people were suffering from addiction to painkillers like OxyContin in the same year.

The highly addictive drug is now subject to more than 1,000 lawsuits over its role in the opioid crisis with the Sacklers and their company accused of pushing for its prescription despite knowing how addictive it is.

The drug OxyContin has been widely blamed for the opioid crisis

As public fury has mounted against the family, Sackler-supported museums and cultural institutions have faced calls to reject the family's generosity.

Britain's National Portrait Gallery earlier in March canceled a 1million ($1.3million) donation from the Sackler Trust, the same month that the Tate and Guggenheim cut ties.

The Met's announcement came after months of public pressure, and in announcing the move Weiss emphasized the extent to which the prestigious American institution relies on donor funding.

The museum didn't immediately respond when asked how much money it had received from the Sacklers, or when the most recent donation came in.

But an entire gallery bears the family's name - an honor reserved only for the most generous of donors.

The wing, which was dedicated in 1978, was built at a cost of $9.5million, according to The New York Times.

The Sacklers donated a substantial portion of that sum, though the exact amount has not been revealed.

In today's money, that is roughly equivalent to $36million.

The museum said it has no plans yet to rename the gallery.
A deputy principal suspended for pinning down a student while breaking up a brawl has been reinstated after an outpouring of support, but says next time he would use words to calm tension before intervening.

Grant Walton, from Eaton Community College near Bunbury in West Australian, was suspended after footage of the March incident circulated on the internet.

The decision sparked controversy and attracted more than 7000 signatures on a Change.org petition demanding the suspension be lifted.

The teacher has now been reinstated by the WA Education Department and will be back at work on Thursday.

'I'm really, really happy to be going back to work. This is where I want to be,' he told Today.

When asked if he would handle things differently in future, he said he would try to calm the situation and use verbal prompts to try to stop a fight from escalating.

'I certainly agree with the Director-General that intervening in a fight physically is a last resort,' Mr Walton said.

'We are here to do a job and keep people safe. If it comes up where I'm in a situation where somebody requires that level of assistance, of course, you do.

'But on the whole, you do what the training tells you to do, which is to try and calm the situation,'

Mr Walton, who has 30 years teaching experience, said he was aware he was being filmed when he intervened in the playground fight between two teen boys.

He pinned one 13-year-old to the ground but when the boy was released he challenged Mr Walton with his fists.

'I even asked a staff member to film the event. I was completely conscious of the fact that it was being filmed,' he said.

WA Education Department Director General Lisa Rodgers said he would receive extra training.

'As I mentioned earlier in the week, the community has really gotten behind Mr Walton - and indeed the wider teaching profession - and I look forward to seeing him back at work,' she said in a statement.

Supporters of the Mr Walton praised the move and said it was a good step forward for common sense.

'Glad the education department did the right thing and supported their staff,' one person said.

'Best outcome for Mr Walton, the students and the community,' said another.

'Common sense has prevailed,' one person commented.
Sajid Javid will today back a radical overhaul of small business taxes amid growing evidence that the Tories are losing the support of entrepreneurs.

The Home Secretary will launch a think-tank report which calls for drastic simplification of the tax system to reduce red tape.

The Centre for Policy Studies study by Nick King, a former special adviser to Mr Javid, includes findings that small company owners are losing faith in the Conservative Party.

Sajid Javid, pictured, will address the failing relationship between the Conservative Party and business at the launch of a report at an influential think tank

Mr Javid, who is planning a leadership bid to replace Theresa May in Downing Street said the government should slash red tape in an effort to help small businesses

Around 62 per cent of small firms bosses said the Government is not on their side. And 49 per cent of the Conservative-voting public said their own party does not back small enterprises, while just 24 per cent said it did.

In a significant departure from his normal home affairs brief, Mr Javid will give an introductory speech at the launch of the report today.

He is among potential Conservative leadership candidates who are jockeying for position amid speculation that Theresa May will step down within weeks.

Before the studys publication, Mr Javid said his party must do more for growing companies and attacked the burden of bureaucracy they face.

Small businesses are the engine of the British economy and the millions of people who run businesses up and down the country deserve the Governments full support, he said.

This report shows how bureaucracy and paperwork are stifling the growth of our small businesses, and offers a series of compelling ideas for how Government can roll back the tide and show that the Conservatives are backing entrepreneurs.

The CPS report takes aim at the confusing array of taxes imposed on companies.

At present, business owners face separate bills for VAT, business rates, national insurance and corporation tax.

The think-tank suggests that firms with revenues of less than 1million a year should have the option of paying a single simple consolidated tax instead.

If the rate of this tax was set at 12.5 per cent it would raise just as much money as the four other taxes but would be much less complicated, the CPS said.

The findings have been endorsed by Andy Street, a former managing director of John Lewis who is now the Tories West Midlands mayor. He said: During my decades in industry, I have seen up close the challenges faced by those setting up small businesses  such as getting people with the right skills, accessing the capital they needed to grow, and in particular dealing with the paperwork and administration now required by Government departments and agencies.

Nick Kings excellent report is aimed at supporting any and all small businesses, a laudable ambition that should be shared by anyone within local or central Government.

I strongly urge the Government to examine the central recommendation, the consolidated tax, which would offer a significant simplification of the tax landscape for small firms.
The U.S. military is set to build tents and other shelters at six locations near the Mexican border to temporarily more than 7,500 house migrants, the Pentagon said.

Department of Defense spokesman Chris Mitchell said they will not be responsible for 'detention or custodial support', and that the facilities will be run by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Acting Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan must sign off on the request, which Mitchell said would happen 'very soon.'

The defense department also announced on Wednesday that the US Army Corps of Engineers had awarded two companies contracts worth $788million to build a 'barrier wall replacement' and a 'vehicle and pedestrian barrier replacement' along the U.S.-Mexico border in California and Arizona.

The barrier will be completed early next year.

The U.S. military is set to build tents and other shelters at six locations near the Mexican border to temporarily more than 7,500 house migrants, the Pentagon said. Pictured: the border wall in Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua state, Mexico, earlier this month

The announcements come ahead of President Donald Trump's expected Thursday unveiling of a new immigration policy proposal, which The Washington Post reported will focus on 'merit-based' migration.

More than 100,000 migrants were arrested after crossing the US-Mexico border in April, according to a US government tally, the second month in a row detentions reached that level.

In total, almost half a million people have been stopped at the border since October 2018.

Overcrowding at border emergency shelters has forced authorities to release some migrants from detention as they await a review of their asylum applications.

The majority of migrants who cross the US-Mexico border without authorization surrender to authorities and file for asylum.

Most come from Central American countries such as Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador, from which they say they are fleeing due to high levels of violence and poverty.
PC Mia Kerr came across two members of the public trying to save a badly wounded victim in a courtyard. The young officer drew her baton and guarded the courtyards entrances so they could treat 36-year-old Frenchman Sebastien Belanger

Paramedics did not know where at least four victims of the London Bridge terror attack lay dying, an inquest heard yesterday.

Ambulance crews waited 100 yards away for nearly 40 minutes as members of the public and police officers desperately tried to save the seriously injured.

As the atrocity unfolded, junior police officers made a series of frantic radio calls for paramedics to help them. But senior ambulance staff claimed they never received those calls from the police or their own control room.

Instead, they were preoccupied with setting up incident command structures, rather than treating the injured, the Old Bailey heard.

Senior paramedic Andrew Beasley even admitted he still did not know where four victims lost their lives, two years after the attack.

The absence of paramedics meant badly wounded victims had to be carried to ambulances.

PC Clint Wallis, who was one of the first officers to arrive, tried in vain to save the lives of three victims by giving them CPR.

Gareth Patterson QC, acting for six victims, said it must have been immediately obvious that a lot of paramedics and ambulance service personnel would be needed.

PC Wallis agreed, saying: We were asking members of the public if they could see paramedics to flag them down and ask them to assist us. It became quite clear there were no ambulances or paramedics being sent to us and they were probably being held at a rendezvous point away from the scene.

As three knife-wielding fanatics rampaged through the streets, PC Mia Kerr came across two members of the public trying to save a badly wounded victim in a courtyard. The young officer drew her baton and guarded the courtyards entrances so they could treat 36-year-old Frenchman Sebastien Belanger.

PC Kerr received a bravery commendation for her efforts in trying to save Sebastien Belanger - who was one of the eight victims killed during the attack on London Bridge and Borough Market

Police said it was difficult to find paramedics on the night of the 2017 attack, pictured

PC Kerr, who later received a commendation for bravery, admitted she was scared, adding: I was exposed. I felt like I was the only person people were looking to for help. I only had a years service on the response team.

The policewoman said she had been asking for paramedics on her radio right from the word go but none arrived for more than half an hour. Mr Patterson thanked PC Kerr for her role in trying to save the French chef, who died minutes later. She arrived at London Bridge at 10.12pm  six minutes after Kharum Butt, 27, Youssef Zaghba, 22, and Rachid Redouane, 30, launched their attack.

Before being shot dead by police, they murdered Christine Archibald, 30, and Xavier Thomas, 45, with a van and fatally stabbed Sara Zelenak, 21, Alexandre Pigeard, 26, Kirsty Boden, 28, James McMullan, 32, and Ignacio Echeverria, 39, as well as Mr Belanger. Another 48 people were injured. The inquest continues.
The Queen has appointed her first female Dean of Her Majestys Chapels Royal since the post was created in the Middle Ages.

Bishop Sarah Mullally, who was also appointed Bishop of London in March 2018, will take over from the retiring holder, The Rt Revd and Rt Hon Lord Chartres, this summer - which means one of her first tasks could be to baptise little Archie Mountbatten-Windsor, the newborn son of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

Mother-of-two Bishop Mullally is a self-described feminist, who ordains both men and women, and has been described as a theological liberal. The role means she is the primary representative of the Church in the Royal Court.

Bishop Sarah Mullally, who was also appointed Bishop of London in March 2018, will take over from the retiring holder, The Rt Revd and Rt Hon Lord Chartres

But she recently said: I am very respectful of those who, for theological reasons, cannot accept my role as a priest or a bishop. My belief is that Church diversity throughout London should flourish and grow; everybody should be able to find a spiritual home.

The move was announced by Buckingham Palace yesterday which confirmed that Lord Chartres, who has been Dean of the Chapels Royal since 1995, would be retiring after his 72nd birthday this summer.

He officiated at royal events including the confirmation of Prince William and the wedding of Lord and Lady Frederick Windsor, and has taken part in a variety of others, including the National Service of Thanksgiving to mark The Queens Diamond Jubilee.

A confidante of the Prince of Wales for many years, he said: It has been a privilege to serve The Queen as Dean. I have hugely enjoyed the partnership with other members of the Royal Household and the superlative team in Her Majestys Chapels Royal.

Bishop Mullally, who worked in the health service for 20 years and previously held the role of Chief Nursing Officer, was ordained in 2001.

She said: It is an honour and a privilege to be appointed as Dean of the Chapels Royal. The role is one of great historical significance, playing an important role to this day, supporting Her Majesty and the Royal Family.

The Dean of the Chapels Royal is an honorary appointment but in 1349 was historically the most important representative of the Church at the Royal Court, travelling with the Monarch at all times.

They were often called upon to administer solemn oaths upon a Bible when treaties or alliances were made in the field after some battle. He also arranged services in great country houses or wherever the monarch settled on a Royal progress.

By 1748, as the Royal Household became more established at the palaces based in London, the roles of Bishop of London and Dean of the Chapels Royal were usually held by the same person, while remaining separate offices. In this case, however, Lord Chartres kept the role on even after retiring as Bishop of London.

The Chapels Royal in England consist of The Queens Chapel; the Chapel Royal, St Jamess Palace; the Chapel Royal, Hampton Court Palace; the Chapel of St Peter ad Vincula (Tower of London); the Chapel of St John the Evangelist (Tower of London); and The Queens Chapel of the Savoy.
Jeremy Corbyn will today unveil plans to renationalise energy network firms at less than their market value.

The Labour leader wants to take the National Grid and regional distribution firms out of the hands of private shareholders and into public ownership.

The price paid would be adjusted to account for pension fund deficits, asset stripping since privatisation... and state subsidies.

The Labour leader wants to take the National Grid and regional distribution firms out of the hands of private shareholders and into public ownership

The Tories said the move would hit pension funds that hold shares in the power firms, reducing the retirement income of millions of workers.

Liz Truss, Chief Secretary to the Treasury, said: Appropriation of private property. Who would be next? Why would anyone invest in Britain?

Neil OBrien, Conservative MP for Harborough, said: Labours plan to literally steal from pensioners is outrageous. Its shocking  and this is only what they admit before an election.

Labours plan is for new local energy boards to take over the running of the power network. The Treasury would compensate investors, adding billions to the national debt.

Rebecca Long-Bailey, Labours business spokesman, will announce the move during a visit to Salford with Mr Corbyn this morning. She said: Its an insult and an injustice to our people and our planet for companies operating the grid to rip customers off, line the pockets of the rich and not invest properly in renewable energy.

Liz Truss, Chief Secretary to the Treasury, said: Appropriation of private property. Who would be next? Why would anyone invest in Britain?

But Matthew Fell of the CBI business group said renationalisation was unaffordable, adding: Loose talk of renationalisation is already hitting the pockets of nearly six million pensioners. This will only increase if the plans are delivered.

Much-needed investment is drying up under Labours threats, which seriously risk hampering efforts to tackle climate change, and puts in doubt the innovation that will deliver a net-zero carbon economy.

A National Grid spokesman claimed the plans would delay progress towards green energy. He said: National Grid is one of the most reliable networks in the world. We are also at the heart of the decarbonisation agenda. Only a few days ago we broke the record for the longest period of time the country has gone without coal generation. We deliver reliability, investment and innovation for 3 per cent of the average energy bill.

There are 14 electricity distribution networks owned by six groups: Electricity North West, Northern Powergrid, Scottish and Southern Energy, Scottish Power Energy Networks, UK Power Networks and Western Power Distribution.

The eight gas networks are owned by SGN, Northern Gas Networks, Wales and West Utilities and Cadent Gas.
Girls are growing up faster than ever before, watching pornography, discussing terrorism and wearing makeup before their teens, according to parenting experts.

Enlighten Education chief executive Dannielle Miller said 10 was the new 15 for children growing up in the age of social media.

'Girls today are dealing with increasingly adult problems but with child-like strategies to deal with them,' she told the West Australian.

'Theyre exposed to porn a lot earlier than we were. Theyre constantly hearing the culture around them critiquing them.'

Collective Shout campaigns manager Caitlin Roper says girls are influenced into wearing make-up from a young age because of the pressure to be sexually appealing (stock image)

Guildford Grammar School student Ella Velupillay, 11 told the publication that girls were wearing makeup at her age while Riley Wight, 12, said they often discussed terrorism and domestic violence.

Collective Shout campaigns manager Caitlin Roper told Daily Mail Australia that social media was a contributing factor to children trying to jump straight to adulthood.

'The trend is for girls to appear older than they are and the pressure is all about how you look and how hot you appear to others,' she said.

Ms Roper said Girls were exposed to pornography at a young age because the material was becoming increasingly accessible through smart phones.

'Kids on smartphones can easily access all sorts of pornography  even the most hardcore, violent and misogynistic forms,' she said.

Ms Roper added 'softcore porn' had migrated from adult websites to advertising online, in shopping centres and on the street, increasing accessibility to the content.

Collective Shout is an Australian grassroots movement campaigning against the sexualisation of girls and women.

Girls as young as 10 are being exposed to pornography and pressured into wearing make-up (stock image)

The campaign noted global research saying young girls were becoming conditioned to view their primary value based on their sexual appeal, as a consequence of 'growing up in a high-tech culture steeped in relentlessly sexualised, sexualising and sexist messaging from media, advertising and popular culture'.

'It's a problem that girls feel pressured to wear make-up at such a young age,' Ms Roper said.

Ms Roper said the impacts of sexualisation in young girls come with a range of mental and physical problems.

'The research literature highlights a range of negative physical and mental health outcomes, including mental health problems like anxiety and depression,' she said.

'They may also feel shame and disgust about their bodies, which may lead to self-harm and eating disorders.'

Ms Roper said there was a need for parents to be more 'vigilant of the content kids are accessing online'.

'Parents are doing their best a lot of the time but it is impossible for them to monitor completely and they can't fight the $100 billion porn industry alone,' Ms Roper said.

Ms Roper is urging for the Government to employ a pornography age verification system like the UK, where viewers must prove they are at least 18 years of age.
A childcare worker who was accidentally paid $12 million by the tax office has been ordered to pay back the $2,000 she spent on bills and her unwell parents.

Auckland woman Savana Taihia only discovered something was wrong with her bank balance when she visited her ANZ branch to withdraw some money.

'They kept asking me, "was I expecting funds from IRD, and how much?''' she told Newshub.

Ms Taihia said she was expecting a small tax rebate from Inland Revenue (the New Zealand tax office), but thought she'd only received $12,000.

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A woman got the shock of her life when she looked at her bank account and found an extra $12 million

When the bank informed her there was $12 million in her account rather than $12,000, she realised she'd misread the number of zeros and immediately called her cousin, Doniele, who shared her shock.

'I was like 'faaaaar. How can they... that's not.. that's not simple! That's so much money',' Doniele said.

The IRD refused an interview but released a statement admitting fault, claiming it was a case of human error and the money was intended for another customer.

Since Ms Taihia was expecting a rebate and misread the figure, she used $1,000 to pay her bills, and gave another $1,000 to her parents who were struggling financially due to her father's coming heart operation.

ANZ are now ordering her to pay the money back, and have frozen her account until the payment is received.

As a result, she can't afford to take public transport to her job as a childcare worker.

'She can't access it. She's not able to get to work because she can't get any funds out,' said Doniele.

Ms Taihia said she was happy to pay back the money but wanted an apology and explanation from ANZ.
Australia's fashion icons have weighed in on what they think about our politicians in the lead up to the federal election.

The models and designers quizzed at this year's Mercedes-Benz fashion week said climate change was their biggest concern and dubbed Penny Wong as the most stylish politician.

There was much conflict over who to vote for with one notorious model and influencer saying she has already submitted an empty ballot paper during pre-polling.

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Christian Wilkins and boyfriend Andy Kelly (pictured) will be voting labour in the upcoming election

Labour has won the vote of podcasters Christian Wilkins, 24, and Andy Kelly, 29.

'Last time I went to vote I was fresh out of school, and I don't think our education system teaches us much about politics or what the parties stand for' Mr Wilkins told the Sydney Morning Herald.

'This year I have taken more of an interest and my mum actually said she is voting Labor herself, so I think I'm going to follow suit.'

Penny Wong was also deemed the new fashion queen as the duo said she out styled previous favorite Julie Bishop.

Foreign Affairs Minister Julie Bishop has been replaced as style queen by none other than Penny Wong

'She's a queen!' Podcaster Andy Kelly said Labor senator Penny Wong (pictured) was the most stylish politician

'Penny f***ing Wong! She's a queen!' Mr Kelly said, also voting Labour.

Climate change was the biggest issue concerning the fashion heavyweights.

Musician Nicole Millar, 26, said she was a big advocate for anti plastic, saying she would either vote for the Greens or Labour.

Anastazia Grybowski, design student, 22, had similar views saying climate change is the issue she cares most about but remained undecided over who to vote for.

Abel Heagney, model and HSC student, 18 is voting Liberal hoping Scott Morrison will take remain as Prime Minister.

Mr Heagney said climate change was the most important issue and supported the Liberal party because they were making active changes about nuclear energy.

Sarah Jane Adams (pictured) handed in a blank ballot paper saying she did not understand Australian politics

Some were not so interested in politics with model and influencer, Sarah Jane Adams, 64, already handing in a blank voting sheet.

Ms Adams claimed not to understand the Australian political system.

Fashion blogger, Aicha Robertson, 27 said her interest lied in small businesses and that her style icon was Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk.

Annastacia Palaszczuk won Aicha Robertson's (pictured) vote for most stylish

Stylist Jana Bartolo, 32, and tattoo artist Lauren Windsor, 30, are both undecided in who they will vote for.

The pair said they didn't think any of the current batch of Australian politicians were particularly stylish.
A stretch of Australia's most pristine beaches has been turned in to a rubbish tip, strewn with plastic bottles, pool noodles and lethal toxic gas canisters.

Marine conservation group Tangaroa Blue has released images of heavily polluted beaches between Cairns and the tip of Cape York after collecting more than 20 hours of aerial footage.

Beaches found near the very top of Queensland were found to suffer from the heaviest amount of pollution.

Remote areas of Cape York that are home to sea turtles, crocodiles and dugongs were some of the most heavily affected.

Much to the alarm of volunteers, poisonous gas canisters used to fumigate grain cargo ships were also found in the clean up.

'These canisters started washing up in 2012 in the Torres Strait Islands, and since have been found all the way down in Tasmania,' sister organisation Reef Clean said on Facebook.

'These can be fatal if the contents are ingested or inhaled so please don't touch! Call the fire brigade on 000 to report.'

Marine conservation group Tangaroa Blue recently released images of heavily polluted beaches between Cairns and the tip of Cape York following a collection of over 20 hours of aerial footage

Poisonous and potentially fatal gas canisters used to fumigate grain cargo ships were found

Managing director Heidi Taylor said the footage was 'heartbreaking' and noted there was a clear contrast to the beaches of Cairns where the population is denser, according to the Cairns Post.

'We can walk down the beach here in Cairns and not see a huge amount of debris,' she said.

'That's because there's a lot of local effort from councils and local communities, cleaning up all the time.'

Commercial industries are at least partially to blame with volunteers finding more than 45 fishing floats within a 200m stretch of a beach north of Lockhard River.

A Japanese glass fishing float was found full intact and was one of many found during the search

Ms Taylor said they also located a large amount of pool noodles that are suspected to have originated from the dive industry in Queensland's far north

'Pool noodles are used to make sure we don't have tourists drowning, but when they're left out in the sun, the microfibres that these objects are releasing into the Reef is pretty horrifying,' she said.

Mayor Peter Scott of the Cook Shire council at the top of Queensland agreed and has proposed a toll on divers to help ease the cost of waste management in the area.
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Prime Minister Scott Morrison visited the Sydney Markets on Thursday as he tried to grab voters' attention ahead of Saturday's election - and he certainly caught the eye.

Mr Morrison and his wife Jenny were seen mingling with local vendors, browsing the shops and even sampling produce on Thursday morning at the Homebush facility in the city's inner west.

But it was the PM's attire - rather than his policies - that raised eyebrows, with some criticising the decision to force the prime minister to wear a high-vis jacket.

The commercial facility, which stocks fruit, vegetables, produce, fish and other goods for restaurants and vendors, requires guests to dress wear safety gear as part of their protocol.

Scott Morrison and his wife Jenny visited the Sydney Markets making his final pitch to voters ahead of this weekend's federal election

Critics were quick to blast the decision to force the prime minister to wear safety gear at a market

The prime minister and his wife Jenny were seen mingling with local vendors, browsing the shops and even sampling produce on Thursday morning at the facility in the city's inner west

Politicians appear to be no exception to that rule, as opposition leader Bill Shorten was also seen sporting a vest during his appearance at the market last month.

Imre Salusinszky, the former media director for former NSW Premier Mike Baird, took to Twitter to criticise the system saying there should be exceptions to the rule.

'It appears that, however powerful you are in this country, you are not powerful enough to say to lowly officials"No, I am not wearing ridiculous safety gear on this visit,"' he tweeted on Thursday morning.

Mr Salusinzky told Daily Mail Australia the policy represents the 'petty officialdom' in the country.

'I can imagine places a politician goes where there could be injury, but when a visit has been prepared for weeks... it's sometimes just utterly ridiculous to think an accident is going to happen,' he said.

'What are the chances that Scott Morrison is walking through the markets, where there are journalists and cameras following him around...what kind of forklift driver is going to mow him down?'

Mr Salusinzky recalled his own experiences on the campaign trail when Mr Baird's team was required to change into safety gear before a public appearance at a new Sydney light rail station.

Politicians appear to be no exception to health and safety regulations, as opposition leader Bill Shorten was also seen sporting a vest during his appearance at the market last month

Mr Morrison eats a blueberry at Flemington markets as he tried to grab voters' attention ahead of Saturday's election

'We were directed into a room and into wearing not just a helmet, not just a hi-vis jacket, but work boots to replace our shoes.

'The reason it frustrated me was because with Mike Baird, he's someone who is very well-mannered in appearance and that's something you want to emphasize.

Poll Is Australia too obsessed with occupational health and safety? YES NO Is Australia too obsessed with occupational health and safety? YES 42 votes

NO 11 votes Now share your opinion





'As soon as you put on a helmet and hi-vis - which is such a stupid look - you immediately make them look silly.

'[Prime Minister]John Howard, to his credit, refused because he thought he looked silly in one. I reckon politicians today should follow that'.

Mr Salusinzky suggested the regulations point to perhaps a bigger issue of the bureaucratic laws governing people in power.



'When you dress our politicians in this ridiculous garb it shows we are letting our rules drive us.

'Sometimes it's over the top. As we've seen recently, it is important to have safety regulations for workers. But this morning shows it's over the top.

'The bureaucrats and their rules always end up winning.'

Earlier this morning Mr Morrison made the rounds at the market stalls trying to swing voters in the home stretch of the prime ministerial race.

But he may have divided some workers with a deeply controversial opinion.

A stall holder hands his pineapple hat to Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison at Flemington markets

'I love coriander,' the prime minister declared on Thursday, when asked to name his favourite herb.

He arrived at the Sydney Markets before dawn to talk to small businesses.

Bill Shorten made the same pilgrimage at the start of his five-week campaign.

Voters in Reid have bucked the national trend of high pre-polling, leaving the seat vulnerable to late swings at the federal election on Saturday.

The Liberal Party is trying to hold onto the electorate, which it holds by 4.7 per cent, following the retirement of former minister Craig Laundy.

Joined by wife Jenny and Liberal candidate Fiona Martin, the prime minister was quick to snaffle an armful of herbs, insisting on paying for his haul.

'The coalition always pays its bills,' he joked.

Mr Morrison was warmly received as he wound his way through the aisles.

'Let's hope you come good on Saturday,' one stall holder said.

He later stopped to sign a 'Vote 1 for Liberals' sign scrawled on the back a cardboard box.

Mr Morrison will today tell Australians that 'now is not the time to turn back' during his final major speech of the campaign.
Hampshire Police have released this facial reconstruction image of a man whose body was found in a disused barn off Bazeley Copse Lane, Micheldever

Detectives have released a facial reconstruction image of a man whose body was found 18 months ago in a farm building in Hampshire where it had lain undiscovered for at least a year.

The body was found in the disused barn off Bazeley Copse Lane, Micheldever on December 1 2017 by police carrying out inquiries into an unrelated burglary.

The man is thought to have been sleeping rough in the barn but his DNA matches that of no missing person on file.

As well as the human remains, the officers found items including a sleeping bag, a rucksack, a Sony Walkman, a Martina Cole novel and a Winchester street atlas.

But the items were unable to help identify their owner and the man's identity still remains a mystery.

A Hampshire police spokesman said: 'We believe the remains had been in the barn for at least a year.

'Despite extensive forensic and DNA examinations, detectives have been unable to identify this man, and we are now appealing for help from the public.'

The man is described as being white, aged between his 30s and 60s, about 5ft 6in tall, with short fair brown hair.

Officers also said he had a narrow face with an overbite.

A rucksack that was with the body found in the barn off Bazeley Copse Lane, Micheldever where the man is believed to have been sleeping rough

A blue hooded jumper was also recovered from near the body, which had been in the barn for at least a year before it was found on December 1 2017 in Hampshire

A road atlas and a black glove were also discovered in the farm building by police carrying out inquiries into an unrelated burglary

Detective Constable Clare Hughes said: 'Our priority is to identify this man, make contact with those who knew him and give them some degree of closure.

'We believe that the man had been sleeping rough in the barn, and was possibly following the railway line to walk to or from Winchester.

'We have a DNA profile of the man, but we have had no matches for other missing people in the UK, where DNA is available.'

The force spokesman said that a post mortem was unable to find a cause of death and there were no signs that the man had been attacked or restrained.

He said: 'Detectives are treating the death as unexplained but non-suspicious.'

Officers found items including a pair of glasses (pictured) a sleeping bag, a rucksack, a Sony Walkman, a Martina Cole novel and a Winchester street atlas.
A new map has revealed the extent of HIV in Africa in incredible detail - showing how far there is to go if the world is to meet the UN's target of eliminating the epidemic by 2030.

The study, published in Nature, tracks the prevalence of the virus down to regions of three miles by three miles.

In some areas, more than 30 per cent of people are living with HIV and in many places the rate has increased since the turn of the millennium.

In addition, the report's authors warn that spending on HIV prevention and treatment has been declining in some countries.

A new map has revealed the extent of HIV in Africa in incredible detail. The darker purple areas have a higher rate; the lighter orange and yellow areas have a lower one. There is no data for the areas in grey

One map shows the prevalence of HIV in regions sized three miles by three miles (five kilometres by five kilometres).

It shows the highest prevalence in southern sub-Saharan Africa, including in Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia and South Africa.

WHY HIV IS SO HARD TO CURE In 1995, researchers discovered why HIV manages to come back even when it seems to have been defeated. The virus buries part of itself in latent reservoirs of the body, lying dormant as 'back-up'. In 1996, it was discovered that anti-retroviral therapy (ART) could suppress the virus, and prevent it from resurging, if the medication was taken religiously. But once that blanket is lifted, the virus swiftly rebuilds itself. Despite decades of attempts, we still don't know how to get at those hidden parts of the virus. The most promising approach may well be a 'shock and kill' technique - awakening the virus out of its hiding place then blitzing it. But we don't yet know how to wake it up without harming the patient. Advertisement

The country with the worst rate was Swaziland, where around 27.2 per cent of people are estimated to be infected.

In one part of the country more than 30 per cent of people aged between 15 and 49 are believed to suffer from HIV.

Another map shows how the prevalence of HIV had changed since the turn of the millennium.

The findings showed progress in some parts of Zimbabwe, where the infection rate had fallen by almost 15 per cent since 2000.

However, there were 16 countries where the estimated HIV prevalence had actually increased in the last two decades, including South Africa.

There was also huge variation within countries, the report's authors said.

Researchers also warned that even in places with lower infection rates, many people were not receiving any treatment.

HIV/AIDS remains the most common cause of death in sub-Saharan Africa, the report said.

The study's authors said: 'Our analysis highlights several challenges to bringing HIV infection under control in Africa.

This map, again calculated down to areas of three miles by three miles, shows how the prevalence of HIV has changed since 2000

'Growing population size coupled with continued high incidence of new HIV infections and increased life expectancy among people living with HIV has led to an increase in the number of people living with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa since 2000.

'Despite this increase, spending on HIV in sub-Saharan Africa has declined in recent years, largely as a result of a reduction in development assistance for health.

'Despite progress in recent decades, HIV continues to impose a substantial health burden on countries in sub-Saharan Africa..

'Renewed commitment and new tools are required to get the world on track to bring HIV infection under control, in sub-Saharan Africa and globally.

'Local data on the current prevalence of HIV are such a tool, providing a means to target resources and interventions more efficiently.'

The UN has set a so-called 90-90-90 target with the aim to eliminate Aids by 2030.

This target calls for 90 per cent of people living with HIV to be diagnosed, that 90 per cent of people diagnosed are receiving antiretroviral therapy and 90 per cent of people on treatment are virally suppressed and unable to pass on the infection.
A Mildura man has been charged with the murder of his own elderly aunt almost nine years after her death.

Steven Hainsworth, 44, allegedly killed 64-year-old grandmother Beverley Hanley, who was found dead in her home in Elizabeth North, Adelaide, on October 6, 2010.

He was arrested by police in Victoria on Thursday and was extradited from Melbourne to Adelaide on the same day.

Steven Hainsworth (pictured), 44, has been accused of killing 64-year-old grandmother Beverley Hanley, who was found dead in her home in Elizabeth North, Adelaide

Beverley Hanley (pictured) suffered severe head injuries, her house had been ransacked and her handbag had been stolen

Police investigators believe Ms Hanley was killed between 7.30am and 11am on the day her body was found.

She had suffered severe head injuries, her house had been ransacked and her handbag had been stolen.

Hainsworth was living with a friend in Mildura, regional Victoria, when he was arrested.

The cold case breakthrough follows a 16-month investigation by a police taskforce that has been examining three unsolved murders.

Hainsworth (right) was seen arriving with detectives at Adelaide Airport on Thursday
We're all fed up of paying too much for booze - including Bill Shorten.

The Labor leader has revealed his hack for getting more bang for his buck when stocking on alcohol, just in time for election night parties on Saturday.

Appearing on radio on Thursday morning. Mr Shorten was quizzed about whether he'd been to Dan Murphy's ahead of polls closing.

He then revealed how he plays the discount liquor chain off against rival First Choice.

'This is a little, if you like, a shopper's hack and potentially a very useful thing,' he told KIIS FM Melbourne.

With the finish line for the federal election edging tantalisingly closer, Bill Shorten (pictured) has given thrifty advice to those hoping to save money on alcohol

Quizzed about whether he'd been to Dan Murphy's (pictured) ahead of polls closing, Mr Shorten revealed he plays the discount liquor chain off against rival First Choice

He then said he takes advantage of the major liquor chains' promises to match competitors' prices if a customer points out a product is cheaper elsewhere.

Dan Murphy's has the Lowest Liquor Price Guarantee, with a team dedicated to comparing prices to those of competitors to offer customers the best deals.

'If a competitor's price does slip by us, let us know and we'll beat it on the spot,' the website reads.

First Choice Liquor also has a similar policy called the Price Beat policy where they can offer a better price in store to their competitors.

Both store's policies have conditions, such as the store needs to be within 10km of the competitor, the advertisement must be current and items have to be identical.

The competitor must also have the item in stock, and the price must be available on the day.

The two outlets' price-matching policy pays dividends, according to the opposition leader.

'See, I'm not just another pretty face am I?' Mr Shorten said.

BILL'S GENIUS HACK Both Dan Murphy's and First Choice Liquor have policies in place where they promise to beat competitor's prices. All customers have to do is take proof of a better deal to the counter of the store. 'If a competitor's price does slip by us, let us know and we'll beat it on the spot,' Dan Murphy's website reads. However, both store's policies have conditions: Competitor needs to be within 10km

Advertisement must be current

Items have to be identical

Competitor must have item in stock

Price must be available on the day

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Mr Shorten will make his last pitch to voters in his final major address of the election campaign on Thursday.

The Labor leader will give a speech at Blacktown's Bowman Hall in Sydney's west, where Gough Whitlam delivered his 'It's Time' address at the start of the 1972 election campaign.

All the numbers are pointing in Labor's favour ahead of Saturday, with many experts - and betting markets - saying the ALP will win comfortably.

The major polls sit at 51-49 per cent on the two-party preferred vote. Some polls put it at 52-48.

The Coalition is already in minority and needs to win back seats to hold power.

Newspoll shows the Coalition's primary vote in Queensland is down 7.2 per cent compared to where it was under Malcolm Turnbull.

The key theme for Shorten's speech on Thursday is 'vote for change', with the address not expected to heavily hark back to Mr Whitlam.

Instead it will show this election, like 1972, is a generational decision for voters.

First Choice Liquor (pictured) and Dan Murphy's price-matching policy pays dividends, according to the opposition leader

Mr Shorten will argue a new generation, in a new decade, has a new decision and 'the door stands ajar', with climate change a major feature of the speech.

Mr Shorten will also warn of the risks posed by what he terms a coalition of chaos - with a Morrison government having to do deals with One Nation and Clive Palmer's United Australia Party in the Senate.

Mr Shorten will be joined by Labor's leadership group, western Sydney MPs and hundreds of supporters.

Mr Whitlam's 1972 speech began a tradition of him beginning with the words first delivered by wartime Labor prime minister John Curtin: 'Men and women of Australia!'
What first springs to mind when you think of the Womens Institute, better known as the WI? For me its the word cheering, along with the image of a smiling, wholesome woman, her apron sprinkled lightly with flour, pulling a batch of fresh scones from the oven.

Perhaps you think of the Queen, a member since 1943; or do you picture a dusty church hall full of ladies of a certain age, lustily singing Jerusalem while jars of newly made jam cool on the kitchen windowsills?

Whatever this most traditional of institutions conjures up in your mind's eye, I'm sure that the connotations will be entirely nourishing.

Of all the crazy health-and-safety dictums I've heard in my long career as a food writer, this is the one that has exasperated me the most (stock image)

Now, imagine that your health has failed you and, sadly, you have reached the end of your life. You're spending your last days in a hospice, your loved ones at your bedside. I think it's fair to say you'll be feeling pretty rotten.

If anyone could do with a bit of cheering up, then surely, in those circumstances, you do. So, should some kindly lady from the WI happen to drop by with a Tupperware box containing a slice of delicious cake, who would think to deny you the simple pleasure of eating it?

Unfortunately, I can tell you exactly who: some officious health and safety officer, wearing a white coat and a pair of blue plastic gloves, who's decided that a hermetically sealed, mass-produced version of cake is going to be a far safer bet.

Yes, the world really has gone that mad.

It emerged yesterday that the Leicestershire and Rutland branch of the WI has been banned  that's right, banned  from baking cakes for a local hospice following a ruling by the local council's health and safety bosses.

WI members were informed via the 'environmental health' department that the hospice can accept cakes only from kitchens that have been visited by health inspectors and issued with a hygiene certificate. That's despite the fact that these selfless women have spent 40 years providing the 2,500 annual patients of the hospice Loros (Leicestershire and Rutland Organisation for the Relief Of Suffering) with baked treats.

Women's Institute members have been stopped from baking cakes for Loros Hospice in Leicestershire due to health and safety rules

As a result, instead of enjoying something made with sympathy and concern by a genuine cook  doubtless in a scrupulously clean kitchen  the dying will have to make do with something put together in a factory and often stuffed with additives and processed rubbish.

As a member of the Cossington WI said: 'It's awful  upsetting and penalising everyone for no good reason.'

Of all the crazy health-and-safety dictums I've heard in my long career as a food writer, this is the one that has exasperated me the most. And that's for two reasons.

First, let's take the emotion out of the situation and look at this purely from a food-hygiene perspective. Cakes, as it happens, are about the lowest-risk foodstuff that any of us might decide to cook.

Baked goods have been been subjected to high temperatures for a long time, enough to destroy any bacteria lurking within them.

That means there is very little harm that can be done by a Victoria sponge, a slice of banana bread or a scone spread with butter and delicious WI jam.

These items contain very few ingredients, and the ingredients they do contain are likely to be of higher quality than anything used in a factory. Even if the end result is sometimes less than perfect, a soggy bottom never killed anyone.

Loros can only accept cakes and pastries from people who have baked them in registered kitchens which have received a council food safety rating

Of all the foodstuffs that could make you ill  and let's face it, if you're in a hospice you're probably past worrying about things like that  I'd put a homemade cupcake at the bottom of the list.

Far riskier are packs of supermarket salad, the contents of which are eaten raw. If, as sometimes happens, your lettuce has been contaminated at some point on the production line, you're not going to be cooking it and killing the germs when you get home.

The same goes for anything you eat raw from the shops, including sandwiches or dips  which the council has yet to ban in the Loros hospice.

The point is that just because something has been made on a vast scale, with lots of 'due diligence' boxes ticked in the process, doesn't guarantee it'll be safe. Otherwise, we would never see products recalled off supermarket shelves  as we regularly do.

Now, the second reason that I feel so incensed by this ridiculous decision. If you are lying in a hospice bed, then the sad truth is that your end is probably near. That means that you have reached a place where loving gestures truly have the highest currency.

And I don't care how corny this sounds: when somebody sets aside the time to bake a cake for another person, they can't help but stir a little of themselves into it along with the sugar and flour.

If the day ever comes when I find myself in a hospice, please, someone, fling the packet of Mr Kipling in the bin and smuggle me in a proper WI scone

Baking really does contain something spiritual. Ask anyone who has received a wonky homemade birthday cake from someone they love whether they would have preferred to be presented with something 'perfect' from the supermarket  and you'll know I'm right.

A hospice is a place where holding onto a sense of home and family, and of being cared for, matter deeply. Personal touches mean everything  not just to the souls that are soon to depart but to the loved ones sitting by their bedsides. What says 'home' more to those going through such an existential experience than eating something baked in one?

One of the nation's favourite programmes is, of course, Great British Bake Off. Millions love it partly it because of the way it plays on a quintessentially British identity, but also because baking somehow always puts a smile on your face.

When it's on, I'm certain that there will be people in hospices  patients, visitors and staff  watching the show, with all thoughts of dying momentarily forgotten. If ever there were an example of cognitive dissonance, then it would surely be forcing those same viewers to eat a 'safe' slice of something, taken from a plastic packet.

Even Bake Off's own kitchen fell foul of the health and safety police: last year Prue Leith, a judge on the show, said that the production team are banned from enjoying the exquisite leftovers.

'We're not allowed to take anything home because of health and safety, which is sad really,' she told a magazine.

Sadder still is that all common sense in this area appears to have vanished.

Of course, whoever we're cooking for, we need to do so in a clean kitchen. But absurd bureaucracy such as like this must be resisted, or school bake-sales and village fetes will be next.

If the day ever comes when I find myself in a hospice, waking up each morning wondering whether I will live or die that day, please, someone, fling the packet of Mr Kipling in the bin and smuggle me in the real thing: a proper WI scone, homemade with love and care.
Donald Trump Jr on Wednesday blamed Mayor Bill de Blasio for New York Citys filthy streets, but he used video from an area where fans of the Korean boy band BTS camped outside for a week to see a free concert.

The presidents eldest son on Wednesday trolled New Yorks mayor by posting video to social media showing Manhattans Fifth Avenue strewn with litter and trash.

Rather than do a PR stunt run for President (we all know its going nowhere) maybe @NYCMayor should clean up his backyard first, Don Jr tweeted.

This video from this morning should tell you all you need to know about his leadership.

Donald Trump Jr posted video to his social media on Wednesday showing trash on a Manhattan sidewalk while blaming Mayor Bill de Blasio for the litter and homelessness in New York

The video shows the sidewalk on Fifth Avenue adjacent to Central Park in Manhattan

Rather than do a PR stunt run for President (we all know its going nowhere) maybe @NYCMayor should clean up his backyard first, Don Jr tweeted

What a clown show!!!

The video showed the area on Fifth Avenue near 72nd Street, where diehard fans of BTS - the so-called BTS ARMY - camped out in the rain for days since last Tuesday to get a glimpse of the band.

The Korean pop sensation, which has taken the country by storm, performed a free outdoor concert in Central Park on Wednesday morning.

The event was televised by ABCs Good Morning America.

On social media, people pointed out that Don Jr failed to put the video in proper context.

One Twitter user tweeted: 'Dude, this is stuff people left after camping out to see BTS on GMA.

Twitter users later posted photos of the area after it was cleaned up by BTS fans

Barricades set up by the NYPD are seen in the photo above as people tidy up the area

Twitter users that the area is normally not as filthy as portrayed in the video posted by Don Jr

'If you pause the video at 4seconds you see a sign that was put up by GMA for the event.

'NYPD has a tweet with a photo showing it and people camping out last night.

'You're the clown show for even tweeting this.'

One BTS fan posted an image of the area after spectators tidied up the place.

Another Twitter user tweeted: 'There was a concert in Central Park but look at all the dummies that believe you!'

One Twitter user tweeted: 'Dude, this is stuff people left after camping out to see BTS on GMA'

Another Twitter user tweeted: 'There was a concert in Central Park but look at all the dummies that believe you!'

One self-described member of the 'BTS ARMY' tweeted: 'Btw thanks to the team and everyone else who helped clean up the place you know who you are, we finished in about an hour and a half even though we were so tired so lets hope next time we can be a lil more respectful.'

'This video is of the aftermath of K-Pop fans who camped out for a week waiting to see BTS in Central Park today,' tweeted another Twitter user

Ivan Jarden tweeted: 'Isn't that where all those people were camped out up until today to catch that K-Pop show? I guess they didn't snap the garbage up fast enough for you?'

'This video is of the aftermath of K-Pop fans who camped out for a week waiting to see BTS in Central Park today,' tweeted another Twitter user.

'It has already been cleaned up.

'This isnt what it typically looks like along Central Parks perimeter wall.'

One self-described member of the 'BTS ARMY' tweeted: 'Btw thanks to the team and everyone else who helped clean up the place you know who you are, we finished in about an hour and a half even though we were so tired so lets hope next time we can be a lil more respectful.'

Ivan Jarden tweeted: 'Isn't that where all those people were camped out up until today to catch that K-Pop show? I guess they didn't snap the garbage up fast enough for you?'

Don Jrs tweet was meant to mock de Blasio, who is said to be on the verge of announcing his run for president.

The mayor announced travel plans to a pair of early voting states ahead of an expected entry Thursday into the crowded 2020 Democratic presidential race.

De Blasio is scheduled to appear on ABC's Good Morning America on Thursday morning.

A spokeswoman says he will travel to Iowa later Thursday and will hold events in that state Friday and in South Carolina on Saturday.

What Don Jr neglected to mention in the post is that the area being filmed was where fans of the Korean pop group BTS had been camped out for nearly a week

Despite the rain and cold, fans of BTS slept on the sidewalk along Fifth Avenue near 72nd Street since at least last Tuesday

Fire: BTS made sure to give an incredible show for thousands of fans to open Good Morning America's Summer Concert Series at Central Park in New York on Wednesday morning

The spokeswoman, Olivia Lapeyrolerie, declined to confirm Wednesday that de Blasio is entering the race.

It doesnt appear as if de Blasio can count on the support of the Trump family.

Don Jrs younger brother, Eric, said on Monday the city has 'gone to s***' under the mayor's leadership.

Eric and Donald Trump Jr slammed de Blasio on Monday after the mayor accused them and their father, President Trump, of evading taxes and stiffing workers for decades.

The fact that the Mayor of a major city would attack an iconic organization (which employs thousands of hardworking New York taxpayers) for his own political gain is an abuse of power, unethical and simply counterintuitive, Eric Trump tweeted on Monday.

'Most Mayors do all they can to support great businesses - here in NYC, businesses are attacked for headlines and "political points" and is this very mentality that is causing people to leave our great city in droves.

Don Jr's tweet is the latest salvo in the Trump family's Twitter war against the mayor. Eric Trump (left) and de Blasio (right) got into a heated feud on Monday. Trump was reacting to de Blasio's news conference in the lobby of Trump Tower in Manhattan on Monday

Trump slammed de Blasio for 'attacking an iconic organization for his own political gain'

Trump said de Blasio was 'causing people to leave our great city in droves'

Eric, who is executive vice president of the Trump Organization, called de Blasio's news conference in the lobby of Trump Tower on Monday 'simply childish'

'Maybe one of these days we can work together, an invitation which remains open to you anytime,' Eric Trump tweeted at de Blasio

'If [de Blasio] ever think[s] there is an initiative that would be great for New York, I would be happy to come to city hall and visit [him] anytime.

'But forcing a pop-up press conference in our lobby is simply childish.

'Maybe one of these days we can work together, an invitation which remains open to you anytime.

'I wish you and our great city the best.'

Eric was referring to the chaotic news conference that de Blasio staged in the lobby of Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan on Monday.

While touting a city anti-pollution law, the mayor was heckled by President Trump's supporters and said he will announce this week whether he's running for president.

De Blasio commandeered the Trump Tower lobby on Monday to threaten the Trump Organization with massive fines for flouting the city's global warming law, but protesters made the event a circus

Speaking at a podium steps from the spot where Trump announced his own run in 2015, the Democrat said he had come to warn the president that Trump Organization buildings could face a combined $2.1 million in annual fines by 2030 if they don't comply with a new law requiring skyscraper owners to cut greenhouse gas emissions.

'President Trump, you're on notice. Your polluting buildings are part of the problem,' he said.

But de Blasio's speech was all-but drowned out by a throng of Trump supporters who demonstrated behind him on the building's escalators, booing, whistling, chanting and holding up signs with messages including, 'Failed mayor' and 'Worst mayor ever.'

The mayor responded to Eric Trumps tweets on Tuesday, writing: Spare me. You and your dad have spent decades evading taxes and stiffing your workers. NYCs Green New Deal is one law the Trumps wont get away with breaking. Fix your buildings or pay the price.

This prompted Eric Trump to respond: Spare me? First you have never created a job in your life. Second, our great city has gone to s*** under your leadership'

De Blasio then posted a graphic which showed the potential fines that the Trump Organization could face for carbon emissions

The mayor responded to Eric Trumps tweets on Tuesday, writing: Spare me.

You and your dad have spent decades evading taxes and stiffing your workers.

NYCs Green New Deal is one law the Trumps wont get away with breaking.

Fix your buildings or pay the price.

This prompted Eric Trump to respond: Spare me? First you have never created a job in your life. Second, our great city has gone to s*** under your leadership.

Crime is up, the men & women of the NYPD detest you, homelessness is rampant, our streets are dirty and people are leaving our city in record numbers.

Under de Blasio, New York has seen record number of homeless people in shelters and in the streets.

When de Blasio took office as mayor in 2014, the city's homeless population stood at 67,800, according to the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

In 2016, the homeless population grew to 75,523, according to Patch.

The next year, there were 76,501 homeless people either sleeping in shelters or on the streets.

According to the federal government, there are more than half a million homeless people in the United States - most of whom are clustered in Los Angeles and New York.

Other cities that have seen a rise in homelessness, like Seattle, San Francisco, Boston, and Washington, DC, attribute it to sharp rent increases, according to Zillow.

Erics brother, Donald Trump Jr, chimed in: Owned!!! It seems @NYCMayor has been a bit too busy getting whopping crowds of 4 & 5 people in the primary states to see the damage hes inflicted on NYC.

'I look forward to his presidential run being even less successful than his time as mayor... if thats even possible.'

The mayor then posted another tweet accusing the Trump children of 'throwing a temper tantrum.'

'[President Trump] is running scared from NYCs Green New Deal,' de Blasio tweeted.

Eric Trump's older brother, Donald Trump Jr (left), and former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani (right), also took aim at de Blasio

Erics brother, Donald Trump Jr, chimed in: Owned!!! It seems @NYCMayor has been a bit too busy getting whopping crowds of 4 & 5 people in the primary states to see the damage hes inflicted on NYC'

Giuliani, who was mayor of New York from 1994 to 2001, backed up the Trumps and attacked de Blasio with a tweet of his own. It is painful to see the quality of life, in the city I love, deteriorate, Giuliani, who is now working as a lawyer for President Trump, tweeted

'The temper tantrum his organization threw at Trump Tower today is proof.

'You're on notice, Donald: we won't let you mortgage our future for your real estate.

'Fix your buildings or pay the price. We WILL collect.'

De Blasio then posted a graphic which showed the potential fines that the Trump Organization could face for carbon emissions.

Rudy Giuliani, who was mayor of New York from 1994 to 2001, backed up the Trumps and attacked de Blasio with a tweet of his own.

It is painful to see the quality of life, in the city I love, deteriorate, Giuliani, who is now working as a lawyer for President Trump, tweeted.

'Mayor Bloomberg preserved it. The incumbent inherited a well run, and maintained, city.

'It took awhile for him to ruin it but now everyone sees it and comments on it. Its a shame.'
A man jailed for plotting a terror attack in Australia was involved in a fight with a prison officer sparked by a dispute over a halal meal.

Agim Kruezi pleaded guilty to unlawful assembly in Brisbane District Court after fellow inmate Kane Alan Smith assaulted an officer in a dispute over whether his meal was halal.

Smith injured the officer during a struggle after he threw his meal on the ground and said, 'f*** this shit'.

The 26-year-old agreed he was involved in a breach of the peace after the assault, when he refused to move away from an airlock Smith had been taken into.

The pair both faced sentencing on Thursday.

A man jailed for plotting a terror attack in Australia was involved in an altercation with a prison officer sparked by a halal meal

Kruezi, from Logan, south of Brisbane, was jailed for 17 years in 2018 for plotting to use improvised explosives in a domestic terror plot and trying to travel to Syria to fight for a terrorist organisation.

He was given a non-parole period of 13 years.

Kruezi was stopped by customs officers in March 2014 while attempting to fly to Syria to fight with al-Qaeda affiliate Jabhat al-Nusra.

With his passport cancelled, he turned his attention to an attack on home soil.

He obtained materials to build Molotov cocktails only months later, and was arrested in September 2014.

He pleaded guilty to preparing for incursion into a foreign state and preparing or planning for a terrorist act.
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.)
Media mogul Conrad Black has revealed Donald Trump called him personally to tell him he was being pardoned over a fraud conviction.

The former publisher, 74, a Canadian-born British citizen, was found guilty of siphoning millions of dollars from the sale of newspapers owned by Hollinger Inc - where he was the chief executive and chairman.

Today Lord Black, who once owned Britain's Daily Telegraph as well as the Chicago Sun-Times, said President Trump called him last week to tell him he would be pardoned following the 'bad rap' although he warned him he would face 'a good deal of sniggering'.

He added the case against him was 'nonsense' and denied committing any of the crimes he was accused of.

Lord Black, who wrote a flattering biography of the President last year, was convicted of fraud in 2007 and spent three and a half years in a Florida prison.

He was released on bail in 2010 pending a Supreme Court appeal but eventually returned to prison between September 2011 and May 2012, when he was released and deported to Canada.

Lord Black, who once owned Britain's Daily Telegraph as well as the Chicago Sun-Times, was convicted in 2007 and spent three and a half years in a Florida prison

Two of his three fraud convictions were later voided, and his sentence was reduced.

Speaking to the BBC today, Lord Black said: 'The President phoned me on Monday of last week.

'He said that he was going to give me a full pardon and that there would be a good deal of sniggering but that the White House counsel Pat Cipollone and his legal staff had gone through very carefully the submissions made on my behalf by Alan Dershowitz and a number of other lawyers and they concluded, and he authorized me to say this, that it was an unjust verdict, a bad rap and I should never have been charged, all of which is true.

'The idea that I would commit a crime is nonsense.'

He added: 'The whole thing was a complete sham from A to Z and now its over and the President has recognized that.'

After being asked by BBC Radio 4 presenter John Humphrys how he felt from going from mogul to 'jailbird', he said: 'I was not a jailbird, I object to that word, I was an incarcerated person and that is not necessarily an undignified position.

'Im well acquainted with the fluctuation of human fortunes. I also try to make the best of my situation and I believe that all lives are sacred and its a privilege to be alive and I make the most of it.

'So I was bailing out of the newspaper industry anyway - its a dying industry  and now Im rebuilding my fortune. Life goes on and this is a great occasion.'

Lord Black, who was made a peer by The Queen in 2001, said he was now 'rebuilding his fortune' through a private company but refused to shed any light on what it was.

He added: 'Its doing well. It has nothing to do with newspapers. All my life, from the age of seven, I wanted to be a newspaper owner and I became a prominent newspaper owner but it withered as an industry so I was leaving anyway.

'I learned the virtues of private companies. Theres no legitimate public right to know about them. Its no ones business but mine.'

The glowing biography extolled the virtues of Trump, and included the opening paragraphs: 'The traits that elevated Donald Trump to the White House are the traits of America'

In 2018 his book 'Donald J. Trump: A President Like No Other' was published.

The glowing biography extolled the virtues of Trump, and included the opening paragraphs: 'The traits that elevated Donald Trump to the White House are the traits of America.

'It was not a country of a culture and language of its own; but a land of dreams and discovery, of aspiration and mystery, with its carefully devised mythos of freedom and opportunity.

'Like the country he represents, Donald Trump possesses the optimism to persevere and succeed, the confidence to affront tradition and convention, a genius for spectacle, and a firm belief in common sense and the common man.'

Pictured: Black's criminal mugshot

In announcing the pardon of Black, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said Black 'has made tremendous contributions to business, and to political and historical thought.

'Lord Black's case has attracted broad support from many high-profile individuals who have vigorously vouched for his exceptional character.

'Consistent with his distinguished reputation for helping others, while in prison, Lord Black served as a tutor for 150 students, helping them achieve their educational goals,' it added.

'In light of these facts, Mr Black is entirely deserving of this Grant of Executive Clemency.'

In a 1,700 word statement, Black thanked the president, writing: 'When my assistant said there was a call from the White House, I picked up, said "Hello" and started to ask if this was a prank, (suspecting my friends in the British tabloid media).

'But the caller spoke politely over me: "Please hold for the president," and two seconds later probably the best known voice in the world said "Is that the great Lord Black?"

'I said "Mr. President, you do me great honor telephoning me.'"

The former newspaper publisher then added: 'He could not have been more gracious and quickly got to his point, that he was granting me a full pardon, that would "Expunge the bad wrap you got."

Lord Black, who once owned Britain's Daily Telegraph as well as the Chicago Sun-Times, was convicted in 2007 and spent three and a half years in a Florida prison (pictured)

In a 2004 interview with Vanity Fair magazine, Trump backed his longtime friend Black, and predicted he would bounce back from his then legal ongoing troubles.

He said: 'In 1990 or 1991, when I owed billions of dollars, some people shied away from me.

'And now everyone is kissing my ass and begging me to sit at their right-hand side at the table. Conrad is a tremendously strong man who will overcome these obstacles in the end. He will prevail.'
Scott Morrison has come under pressure to explain why two Rwandan men accused of hacking eight tourists to death were allowed to move to Australia as refugees.

Accused terrorists Leonidas Bimenyimana and Gregoire Nyaminani were re-settled in Australia as part of a secret refugee deal struck by former PM Malcolm Turnbull and former US President Barack Obama.

The men were accused of killing the tourists with machetes and axes in a Ugandan rainforest in 1999.

Under a contentious refugee swap negotiated by former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull and former US President Barack Obama, two of the men were brought to Australia in November

Rwandan men accused of murdering eight tourists 20 years ago have recently moved to Australia as part of a secret refugee deal

Bimenyimana and Nyaminani were arrested under terrorism charges and faced the death penalty, US media outlet Politico reported.

However, the case was dropped in 2006 when a US judge found their confession was obtained under torture and they were held in a Virginia immigration detention facility.

The men arrived in Australia in November after being accepted as 'humanitarian' entrants, or refugees.

Mr Turnbull's successor as prime minister, Scott Morrison, has come under pressure to explain why Australia agreed to take in the alleged killers, but did not comment directly on the case.

'[I] simply assure Australians that they are the processes that we undertake and these are the same security agencies that have thwarted 15 terrorist attacks,' he said.

He was pressured by reporters on Thursday, but said he doesn't 'intend to make a commentary on allegations that have been made'.

'Simply to assure Australians that they are the processes that we undertake and these are the same security agencies that I worked with five-and-a-half years ago to put an end to the border chaos that we inherited,' Mr Morrison said.

'Matters of national security aren't things that I have ever canvassed in specifics in open forums such as this. Allegations, I know, have been made out there in the public forum.'

'But what I can assure Australians of is this - our government will always ensure that those character and national security considerations are undertaken for anyone who seeks to enter this country.'

A bloody attack in the Ugandan rainforest in 1999 saw eight tourists killed with machetes and axes, and three Rwandan men were arrested and taken to the US

The men are accused of killing eight vacationers who were on a gorilla-watching tour at the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.

Among them were two Americans, Susan Miller and husband Rob Haubner, two New Zealanders and four British tourists.

Expecting to wake up by the sounds of the forest, the tourists woke up to gunfire and saw 100 to 150 fighters armed with AK-47s as well as self-made weapons and spears.

The fighters charged into the grounds and collected terrified vacationers and within minutes they were taken prisoner.

The rebels were members of the Army for the Liberation of Rwanda, who wanted to end their aid to Tutsi-led government in Rwanda.

Up to 17 people were taken and forced to walk through the jungle without shoes, with one American woman escaping by faking an asthma attack and others left behind because they were too slow.

At the time, New Zealand Foreign Ministry officials said Rhonda Avis, 27, and Michelle Strathern, 26, were believed to have been slain, while Ms Avid's husband survived.

Among the four Britons killed include Mark Lindgren, who was 23 and a new graduate of Nottingham University, and Steven Roberts, 27, from Edinburgh.

Joanne Cotton, 28, and Martin Friend, 24, were the other two British tourists killed.

Survivors of the brazen attack said the execution-style killings came after some of the women in the group were raped, The New York Times reported.

Among the people who were killed were Americans Susan Miller (pictured left) and her husband Rob Haubner (pictured right)

The Australian Home Affairs Department refuses to comment on the matter, but according to Politico, the men were relocated thanks to the undisclosed deal with Australia.

In November, the two men moved to Australia with no public announcement.

The controversial 'refugee swap' deal was made in 2016, and in November the men dropped a legal challenge and promised never to re-enter the US.

The US agreed to accept up to 1250 refugees from Manus Island and Nauru who passed detailed security vetting, but weren't going to be allowed into Australia.

While the deal was accepted by Mr Turnbull and President Obama, current US President Donald Trump was angered by the deal - as he doesn't believe it's in the country's interest.

Australia also agreed to re-settle people the Obama Administration wanted to get out of the US in what Politico described as a 'secret arrangement'.

Current US President Donald Trump was angered by the deal - as he doesn't believe it's in the country's interest

Despite taking two men, it was reported that Australia refused to take the third alleged killer, Francois Karake, as he was involved in a fight with a US jail guard in 2015.

The report said it was unclear whether accepting the Rwandan men was a precondition of the deal with the US, but may have been a 'reciprocal gesture that could nudge the swap deal along'.

President Trump expressing his views on the deal during an intense phone call with Mr Turnbull in 2017.

Mr Turnbull outlined the deal to the US President, including the promise to accept people the US didn't want.

Details of the 'people swap' remain classified, but according to a transcript of the call leaked to the Washington Post, Mr Turnbull promised to take more people.

'We will take more. We will take anyone that you want us to take,' he said.
A missing pregnant teenager has been found dead and her baby cut from her womb after allegedly being lured to a woman's home who offered to give her children's clothes.

Marlen Ochoa-Uriostegui was found strangled to death behind a house in Chicago and her unborn son was 'forcibly removed' from her body after the murder, authorities said.

The 19-year-old's body was discovered after several people were taken into custody at the home, according to police.

Her family said they believe she went to the home on Chicago's Southwest Side after a woman on Facebook said she had a stroller and baby clothes to swap, the Chicago Tribune reports.

Marlen Ochoa-Uriostegui went missing after visiting a home in Chicago to pick up baby clothes for for unborn son, her family said

Ochoa-Uriostegui reportedly met a 46-year-old woman on a Facebook group called 'Help a Sister Out' who offered to give her the items for free.

She was reported missing after not arriving to pick up her three-year-old son from daycare.

Her remains were found in a garbage can just after midnight on Wednesday night.

The Cook County medical examiner's office identified the victim on Wednesday as that of Ochoa-Uriostegui.

No charges against those in custody have been announced.

Marlen Ochoa-Uriostegui was nine months pregnant when she was murdered

Cecelia Garcia, a spokeswoman for Ochoa-Uriostegui's family, said: 'She was giving clothes away, supposedly under the pretense that her daughters had been given clothes and they had all these extra boy clothes.'

Chicago Fire Department spokesman Larry Merritt told the Chicago Tribune paramedics were called to the home for a newborn with problems breathing on the same day the woman disappeared.

'We believe that she was murdered and we believe that the baby was forcibly removed following that murder,' said Chicago police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi.

He added the baby was admitted to hospital and is in 'grave' condition and is on life support after being cut from the mother's body.

The medical examiner's office announced Ochoa-Uriostegui died of ligature strangulation, and her death is considered a homicide.

Ochoa-Uriostegui was nine months pregnant when she disappeared April 23 after leaving her high school.

Hours after disappearing a woman called 911 for help, claiming she had given birth to the boy at the home and suffering 'post-delivery issues', according to the Chicago Sun-Times.

The woman then reportedly set up a GoFundMe page to raise $9,000 for the baby's funeral, claiming the boy was sick and about to die.

The family of Ochoa-Uriostegui appealed for help tracing her before officers found her remains in a trash can at a Southwest Side home

But an anonymous tip led detectives to check the DNA of the baby and it was found to be Ochoa-Uriostegui's child.

Giovanni Lopez, her husband, said the family were determined to get justice.

He told Fox News 32: 'We're gonna have justice with those responsible. We're gonna go hard after them. We won't let it go. They don't know the pain they've caused. They don't know.'

Guglielmi said investigators are interviewing the people taken from the home about the slaying of Ochoa-Uriostegui.

He added: 'We believe all of them played some role in this unspeakable act of violence.'

Neighbors said there was a lot of police activity on Wednesday night with detectives removing huge amounts of evidence and searching the backyard and basement, according to WGN News.

Police were reportedly questioning a 46-year-old woman, her boyfriend and her daughter, with charged expected to be brought soon.
Iconic Australian brand R.M. Williams has been put up for sale for a rumoured $500million.

The current owner - private equity firm L Catterton Asia, sponsored by the owners of Louis Vuitton - is reportedly selling the company.

Investment bank Goldman Sachs will search for potential buyers and organise an auction of the company later this year, the Sydney Morning Herald reported.

Iconic Australian shoe brand R.M. Williams has gone up for sale for a rumoured $500million

R.M. Williams, founded in Adelaide, has been operating in Australia since 1932.

The company's iconic boots are a popular item both locally and overseas, and the brand has stores in New York, London, New Zealand and in Scandanavia.

R.M. Williams' owners are hoping to collect up to $500million from the sale.

The brand's sales increased to from $126million in 2017 to $142million in the most recent financial year.

L Catterton Asia - the private equity owners of R.M. Williams - bought a 49.9 per cent stake in the company from former News Corp boss Ken Cowley in six years ago, before it took control of the company together with superannuation fund IFM Investors in 2014.

L Catterton Asia is backed by LVMH Moet Hennessy, a French luxury goods business that owns Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior, Givenchy and Moet Henessy champagne.
A two-year-old migrant child died after crossing the US-Mexico border, becoming the fourth known death of a minor after being detained by the Border Patrol since December.

A Guatemalan official confirmed that the toddler was stopped as he entered the United States with one of his parents at El Paso, Texas, in early April.

Tekandi Paniagua, the consul for Guatemala in Del Rio, Texas, said on Wednesday that the boy had a high fever and difficulty breathing.

Authorities took him to a children's hospital where he was diagnosed with pneumonia.

The boy remained hospitalized for about a month before dying Tuesday, according to the Washington Post that first reported his death.

Migrants are gathered inside the fence of a makeshift detention center in El Paso, Texas, in March when Border Patrol in city said that they are overwhelmed with unprecedented number of migrants at over 12,000 currently in custody

Migrants from Central America seeking asylum gather in a shelter in El Paso, Texas, yesterday

A Customs and Border Protection (CBP) told CBS News the family were apprehended by Border Patrol agents at Paso Del Norte Bridge on April 3.

Three days later the mother was advised the child was ill and he was take to a nearby hospital.

The family crossed the border just days after acting Homeland Security Secretary Kevin McAleenan said at a press conference in El Paso that the surge of Central Americans was pushing the system to the 'breaking point'.

He said there is 'unprecedented humanitarian and border crisis all along our southwest border, and nowhere has that crisis manifested more acutely than here in El Paso'.

Record numbers of families from Guatemala and other Central American countries have arrived at the border seeking asylum.

Last month saw a surge to 100,000 crossings, making April the highest month in a decade.

US Customs and Border Protection didn't respond to a request for comment Wednesday.

Migrants board buses to take them to shelters after being released from detention in El Paso

Advocates have long questioned the Border Patrol's ability to care for the thousands of parents and children in its custody.

The White House has begged Congress for $4.5 billion in aid and increased border enforcement and facilities as thousands of migrants are left in cramped shelters, putting lives at risk.

The agency says it's overwhelmed by the surge of migrant families crossing the US-Mexico border.

Earlier this month a 16-year-old Guatemalan migrant died in a hospital in Brownsville, Texas, while in the custody of the US government after his health steadily declined due to a severe brain infection.

He also entered the United States near the border city of El Paso and was detained by US border patrol agents on April 19.

The boy was then sent to a shelter nearly 700 miles away in Brownsville and had surgery to relieve pressure in his head but he passed away.

In December two children died while in US border Patrol custody, one passing away on Christmas Eve.

In December, eight-year-old Felipe Gomez Alonzo died on Christmas Eve from influenza and a rapid, progressive infection that led to organ failure shortly after crossing the border

Young migrant girl Jakelin Caal Maquin also died in a hospital in El Paso, Texas, in the early hours of the morning on December 8.

The seven-year-old and her father, Nery Caal, were traveling with a group of 163 migrants who arrived at the New Mexico border from her home in northern Guatemala.

After they were taken into custody December 6, the father told a US agent that the girl was sick and vomiting.

Felipe Gomez Alonzo, eight, from Guatemala, lost his life on Christmas Eve after being held at a detention center by the US Customs and Border Protection.

His mother, Catarina Alonzo, 32, revealed she had allowed him to join his father Agustin Gomez, 47, on the journey through Mexico with the hopes of being granted asylum at the US border.

Felipe was transported to a local hospital after showing possible signs of influenza.

Two weeks ago US border agents found the body of a 10-month-old boy after the raft his family were travelling in capsized while crossing the Rio Grande near Eagle Pass in Texas.

The same week a seven-year-old Honduran boy was dramatically rescued after nearly drowning in the Rio Grande while trying to cross the border.

The young child was rescued from the river, which separates the US-Mexico border, by Border Patrol agents after trying to cross on inflatables.

On Tuesday President Trump denied any knowledge of a shelved plan by Homeland Security officials who were reportedly considering arresting thousands of illegal immigrant families who are still in the US.

Homeland Security officials were said to have wanted to target parents and children in 10 cities with large populations of immigrants living in the US illegally, including New York, Los Angeles and Chicago.
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First Lady Melania Trump wowed those in attendance at the White House Historical Association Dinner on Wednesday.

Appearing alongside her husband, the first lady wore a floor-length sleeveless black gown.

The gown appears to be a similar version of a gown designed by Akris, which sells for $5,990.

President Trump, who wore a black bow tie, and the first lady spoke at the start of the gala, which was held Wednesday in the East Room.

The annual event is a celebration of the nonprofit group founded by Jacqueline Kennedy in 1961.

President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump hosted the White House Historical Association Dinner in the East Room of the White House on Wednesday

The first lady wore a floor-length sleeveless black gown to the event

The president wore a black bow tie. He is seen above addressing the attendees in the East Room on Wednesday

The president planted a kiss on his wife's cheek during the evening on Wednesday as the dinner got underway

The White House Historical Association has been a real partner with my office over the past three years, helping to fund this work and promote the important history and timeless beauty of the White House, the first lady said.

I want to thank you all for being here tonight.

This is an evening I look forward to every year.

The White House on Wednesday night was also lit blue in honor of Peace Officers Memorial Day.

Earlier on Wednesday, Trump used a ceremony for fallen law enforcement officers to criticize big-city prosecutors he asserts dont go after criminals who pose a severe threat to public safety.

The president and first lady share a moment at the podium on Wednesday night at the start of the dinner

Trump holds the first lady's hand as he escorts her to a table nearby in the East Room as guests look on

The president taps his wife's shoulders as she is seated next to guests at the White House Historical Association Dinner

Trump pledged to the families of fallen officers that the country will 'never, ever leave your side, never disappoint you' but went beyond memorializing for much of the annual event.

He singled out prosecutors in Philadelphia and Chicago as being part of a 'dangerous trend' by deciding not to prosecute 'many criminals who pose a severe threat to public safety and community well-being.'

While the president and first lady were hosting an event at the White House, the opening of a new museum at the Statue of Liberty temporarily turned the 14-acre Liberty Island into a teeming hive of billionaires and stars.

The Trumps purposely avoided the star-studded gala in New York Harbor that was attended by the president's numerous enemies in politics and media.

The White House on Wednesday night was also lit blue in honor of Peace Officers Memorial Day

At one table, Hillary Clinton was spotted chatting with Oprah Winfrey. Before long, billionaire IAC chairman Barry Diller, in attendance with wife Diane von Furstenberg, sat joined Clinton and Winfrey at the table.

For deep pockets, nobody could compete with richest man in the world Jeff Bezos, the CEO of Amazon, who gushed in a tweet that his Cuban immigrant father would be honored at the museum with a 'Liberty Star.'

The festivities took on a subtle but unmistakable political bent, with attendees eager to highlight Lady Liberty's role as a sight seen by many immigrants arriving at nearby Ellis Island.

President Donald Trump declined to attend the party, instead sending Interior Secretary David Bernhardt, who runs the National Park Service, which supervises Liberty Island and Ellis Island.

Hillary Clinton and Oprah Winfrey attend the Statue Of Liberty Museum Opening Celebration on Saturday at Ellis Island

Clinton, Barry Diller and Winfrey mingle at the Statue Of Liberty Museum Opening Celebration on Saturday at Ellis Island

Michael Bloomberg (left), Diane von Furstenberg and Jeff Bezos take a boat to Liberty Island for the celebration

Guests attend the Statue Of Liberty Museum Opening Celebration on Saturday at Ellis Island in New York City

Trump had originally planned to attend the party, but backed out when he learned the crowd would likely be highly hostile, a source told the New York Daily News.

In addition to Clinton, Trump's political nemeses on the guest list include New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, Mayor Bill de Blasio, Rep. Jerrold Nadler and Senator Chuck Schumer.

The new museum at the Statue of Liberty is giving visitors another opportunity to explore its history and the impact the iconic structure has had on the world.

The 26,000-square-foot museum on Liberty Island, scheduled to open to the public on Thursday, is the new home for the statue's original torch and other artifacts which had previously been in a smaller museum space inside the statue's pedestal, which is accessible only to the fraction of the more than 4 million annual visitors who manage to get limited-availability statue entry tickets.

'We looked at this small museum and thought, wouldn't it be wonderful to ... move it out to a place where more people could experience it,' said John Piltzecker, National Park Service superintendent of the Statue of Liberty National Monument and Ellis Island.

The new space, located somewhat away from the entrance to the statue, is open to anyone who comes to Liberty Island, with admission included in the price of the ferry ticket. From the outside, the glass walls and copper-colored roof appear to be rising out of the earth, with a giant staircase rising to a rooftop terrace at the center.


A heavily pregnant Chelsea Clinton showed off her baby bump as she attended the opening of a museum on Liberty Island in New York City on Wednesday night.

The daughter of former president Bill and 2016 presidential candidate Hillary joined her mother for the soiree in the shadow of Lady Liberty, for an evening in celebration of immigration to the United States.

Chelsea, 39, who rubbed shoulders with a host of billionaire business and showbiz figures including Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos and Oprah Winfrey, was pictured sharing an intimate embrace with husband Marc Mezvinsky.

Chelsea Clinton, 39, showed off her growing baby bump on Wednesday night as she attended a glittering soiree alongside her mother, former presidential candidate Hillary

Tender: The expectant mother was also joined at the party by her husband, Marc Mezvinsky

Out on the town: Chelsea, who already has two children with her husband, Charlotte, four, and Aidan, two

She looked lovely in a long-sleeve black dress, which she paired with black pointed-toe heels.

The published author is pregnant with her third child after Charlotte, four, and Aidan, two, with Mezvinsky, and is due to give birth over the summer.

Chelsea shared the happy news on Twitter in January, posting a simple statement to her account, while revealing her joy over the pregnancy.

'Marc and I have loved watching Charlotte be such a wonderful big sister and were excited to watch Aidan become a big brother!' she wrote.

'We cannot wait to meet our newest addition later this summer.'

Friends: The happy couple were joined by a pal as they made their way inside the soiree on Liberty Island, which was also attended by Jeff Bezos and Oprah Winfrey

Nearly there... Chelsea has not yet shared her due date, however she is thought to be expecting her third child in the summer

A-listers: Nicky Hilton was also a guest at the event, and the two moms paused to have a quick catch-up before going into dinner

The published author is pregnant with her third child after Charlotte, four, and Aidan, two, with Mezvinsky, and is due to give birth over the summer

However, while Chelsea and Marc are both thrilled about their new arrival, Chelsea recently admitted that it's going to be a big change, but also said she's had lots of advice.

'Well, my husband's one of 11  yes  it's actually really wonderful because so many of his older siblings are actually parents of three, so we're getting really good advice for how to manage the transition from two to three,' she said during an appearance on GMA.

'But we know we're gonna be outnumbered. That's inevitable.'

At the time, she also spoke about her parents' role as grandparents, admitting that they tend to be a lot more relaxed about the rules than her and Marc.

'My husband and I are much more precise about saying "Nope, 7:30, lights out,"' she said.

'My parents are much more easily persuadable. "Oh course you want one more story!"' she said

Friendly: Chelsea sat alongside Oprah and Henry Louis Gates Jr. (center) who is the Director of the Hutchins Center for African and African American Research at Harvard University

Hello! Chelsea's mother Hillary wore an all-white outfit for the occasion

The former presidential hopeful sat alongside Oprah, with the two women looking very deep in conversation at one point during the evening

She has been kept busy of late, jet-setting around the country promoting her latest illustrated children's book

She stopped by the Los Angeles Times Festival Of Books in April to talk about Don't Let Them Disappear, her new kids' book about animals and endangered species.

The festivities took on a subtle but unmistakable political bent, with attendees eager to highlight Lady Liberty's role as a sight seen by many immigrants arriving at nearby Ellis Island.

President Donald Trump declined to attend the party, instead sending Interior Secretary David Bernhardt, who runs the National Park Service, which supervises Liberty Island and Ellis Island.

Instead, Trump remained in Washington, D.C. where he will reveal his own sweeping proposal to reform the immigration system on Thursday.

Trump had originally planned to attend the party, but backed out when he learned the crowd would likely be highly hostile, a source told the New York Daily News.
Donnie Johnson, 68, (pictured), was sentenced to death for the murder of his wife Connie Johnson in Memphis. He has asked for his final meal to be given to the homeless and wrote to his children asking them for forgiveness

A Tennessee death row inmate who murdered his wife asked for his final meal to be given to a homeless person and wrote to his children asking them for forgiveness.

Donnie Johnson, 68, was sentenced to death for the murder of his wife Connie Johnson in Memphis. He suffocated her in 1984 by shoving a 30-gallon trash bag down her throat when she was 30 and he was 33.

Inmates in Tennessee can spend up to $20 on a last meal before they are executed. He is sentenced to die by lethal injection on Thursday.

Johnson declined to choose a meal and will instead get what other prisoners receive at Riverbend Maximum Security Institution, The Tennessean reported.

Public Defender Kelley Henry said Johnson had requested that a vegetarian pizza be delivered to a homeless person instead of him getting his final meal, but this request was denied.

Fox 17 reported him as saying: 'Mr. Johnson realizes that his $20 allotment will not feed many homeless people.

'His request is that those who have supported him provide a meal to a homeless person.'

In recent weeks religious leaders, including the president of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, where Johnson is a member, had asked Tennessee Governor Bill Lee to grant Johnson clemency in his case.

His supporters claimed the inmate underwent a religious conversion and now preaches to other prisoners, Fox 17 reported.

However Lee announced that he would be denying clemency for Johnson and would allow his death by lethal injection to proceed.

Donnie Johnson, 68, was sentenced to death for the murder of his wife Connie Johnson, (picured), in Memphis. He suffocated her in 1984 by shoving a 30-gallon trash bag down her throat when she was 30 and he was 33

In a letter, Johnson wrote to his children Cindy and Jason and to his former wife's family pleading with them to forgive him - describing himself as a 'monster' at the time of her death

'After a prayerful and deliberate consideration of Don Johnsons request for clemency, and after a thorough review of the case, I am upholding the sentence of the State of Tennessee and will not be intervening,' Lee told Fox 17.

In a letter, Johnson wrote to his children Cindy and Jason and to his former wife's family pleading with them to forgive him - describing himself as a 'monster' at the time of her death.

'I truly regret my life and what I became in the process,' he wrote.

'I am and will continue to carry the pain of all the grief that I have caused others to endure and that I have hurt so many others.

'It was the life that I had chosen that lead to the darkest day I had ever experienced and not until I took the responsibility for my wife Connie's death could I receive forgiveness and start on that road to healing.'

According to the state Correction Department, during deathwatch an inmate is put in a cell next to the execution chamber and kept under 24-hour observation with limited visitation.

Johnson's legal team had asked the state for a reprieve, claiming that he turned his life around s from 'a liar, a cheat, a con man and a murderer' to an ordained elder in the Seventh-day Adventist Church 'with a flock in prison.'

Johnson's stepdaughter Cynthia Vaughn, Connie Johnson's daughter from an earlier marriage, was among those that asked Governor Bill Lee to give him clemency.

Public Defender Kelley Henry said Donnie Johnson, (pictured), had requested that a vegetarian pizza be delivered to a homeless person in lieu of his last meal, but this request was denied.

But his son with Connie, Jason, believed that he should have been executed a long time ago.

Connie had worked at a doctor's office in Memphis  and met Donnie Johnson, Clark said. They later married and had their son Jason together.

In 1984, Donnie Johnson was working at Force Camping Center in Memphis.

Connie Johnson also worked there until about 18 months before her death as she decided to stop because her daughter was starting school, according to The Tennessean.

Johnson had killed his wife there. A Shelby County medical examiner claimed that she had cuts and bruises on her head and had bled internally. Her body also showed signs of a struggle, indicated that she fought back as Johnson killed her.

Donnie Johnson's coworker, a work release inmate, helped him move her body to her van, which they left in a shopping mall parking lot.

Johnson is sentenced to die by lethal injection on Thursday at Riverbend Maximum Security Institution in Tennessee, (pictured)

Johnson is now a member of the Seventh-day Adventist Church 'with a flock in prison'

Donnie Johnson had spoken about divorcing her before her death, witnesses testified in the trial. He also said that he had previous divorces and couldnt afford another one.

Police investigating the murder also believed there were signs that Connie Johnson was going to leave her husband, the Tennessean reported.

'There was testimony that she would have been conscious during the terrifying ordeal and that from one to four minutes would have elapsed before she expired,' Tennessee Supreme Court Justice William Harbison wrote in an opinion after the murder conviction.

'The homicide was inhuman and brutal to an almost indescribable degree.'

Johnson had admitted to being previously unfaithful to Connie although he denied involvement with another woman at the time of his wife's death.

Over a year before her death, Connie Johnson had purchased a life insurance policy and named Donnie as the primary beneficiary and her sister as contingent beneficiary.

Following her death, both her sister and Johnson had made claims for the policy proceeds of $50,000.

In an interview with WKRN in 2006 from prison, Johnson claimed: 'I developed a personal relationship with the Lord which transcends anything that words could really express.

'But I have a peace now because of that relationship that allows me to deal with whatever I have to deal with here.'
Negotiators from the opposing camps have spoken in Oslo 'for several days'

Representatives of Venezuela's regime and the opposition are holding 'peace negotiations' in Oslo this week, Norwegian media reported Thursday.

Venezuela has been in political turmoil since assembly speaker Juan Guaido declared himself acting president in January in a direct challenge to President Nicolas Maduro's authority.

The NRK radio and television network, quoting anonymous sources, said peace talks have taken place at a secret location in the Norwegian capital for 'several days' and are expected to conclude on Thursday.

Talks between Maduro's regime and Guaido's opposition at taking place at a 'secret location' in the Norwegian capital, Oslo. They are expected to conclude the talks today

Nicolas Maduro did not directly comment on the talks during televised remarks, but he said Rodriguez was on a 'very important' mission outside Venezuela.

It is the second time that such talks have been held in Oslo between Maduro's regime and Guaido's representatives, NRK said.

It said negotiations have also taken place in Cuba.

'We can neither confirm nor deny Norway's involvement in peace processes or dialogue initiatives,' said Norwegian foreign ministry spokeswoman, Ane Haavardsdatter Lunde.

Venezuelan Communications Minister Jorge Rodriguez and the governor of Miranda province Hector Rodriguez represented Maduro's government, NRK said.

Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro (right) accompanied by his Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez, waves upon his arrival to Fort Tiuna, in Caracas, Venezuela in May 2019

The opposition is represented by former deputy Gerardo Blyde, former minister Fernando Martinez Mottola and the vice president of the National Assembly Stalin Gonzales.

In Caracas, Maduro said Jorge Rodriguez 'is overseas, on a very important mission'.

Guaido, the leader of Venezuela's opposition-controlled legislature, is locked in a bitter power struggle with Maduro, who has presided over a spiralling political and economic crisis in Venezuela since taking over from late leftist leader Hugo Chavez in 2013.

Venezuela's opposition leader and interim president Juan Guaido, speaks during a press conference at his campaign office in Caracas, Venezuela in May 2019

Maduro was re-elected to a second term in May 2018, in a vote boycotted by the opposition and rejected by much of the international community.

Guaido declared himself acting president on January 23, calling Maduro's re-election illegitimate. The opposition leader has since been recognised by more than 50 countries, led by the United States.

Norway however has merely called for new free elections in Venezuela, a position seen as illustrating a willingness to act as a mediator between the two sides.

At the end of January, Norwegian Foreign Minister Ine Eriksen Soreide said her country was 'ready to contribute if and when the parties so wish'.

A supporter of Venezuela's opposition leader and self-proclaimed interim president Juan Guaido, waves a Venezuelan flag marked with the letters 'SOS', during a rally in Caracas, Venezuela, Saturday, May 11, 2019. Guaido has called for nationwide marches protesting the Maduro government, demanding new elections and the release of jailed opposition lawmakers. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)

However there is still conflict on several key issues hoped to be addressed by the Oslo meeting. The opposition has insisted that Maduro was illegitimately elected last year and that he must step aside to make way for elections. Maduro, in turn, accuses the opposition of being U.S. stooges intent on illegally seizing power.

The Norway dialogue comes as a mostly European group of nations prepares to send a high-level delegation to Venezuela to propose solutions to the country's protracted crisis. The International Contact Group consists of eight European countries, the European Union and four Latin American countries.

The group formed after Guaido declared himself Venezuela's interim president early this year in a direct challenge to the rule of Maduro, who says his government champions the socialist principles of his predecessor, Hugo Chavez.

Guaido's opposition, which is backed by the United States and about 50 other nations, says Venezuela's dire economic state is the result of years of corruption and mismanagement. Maduro blames the country's problems on U.S. sanctions that were imposed more recently.

There is also speculation that the United States, the main backer of the Venezuelan opposition, might be considering military action as a way to end the crisis in the near term.

Officials have previously said they are focusing on diplomatic and economic measures to force out Maduro, though opposition leader Juan Guaido said his Washington envoy will meet with the head of the U.S. Southern Command on Monday.

The United States suspended all commercial passenger and cargo flights between the U.S. and Venezuela, saying the political unrest and tensions there pose a risk to flights.

American Airlines also stopped its flights in mid-March after union leaders told pilots not to go there due to safety concerns. Some other international airlines quit flying to Venezuela years ago because of the country's deteriorating economy.


A woman has had to have her leg amputated in life-saving surgery after a car pinned her against a wall in a horror freak accident.

Sarah McClure was at a property in Bathurst, in the NSW Central Tablelands, when the life-changing accident happened last Tuesday.

A runaway Nissan X-Trail rolled down a steep hill and pinned the 31-year-old against the wall of the house, Illawarra Mercury reported.

For two hours she stayed pinned to the spot, while emergency services tried to stop the front wall of the house falling over and crushing her.

A woman has had to have her leg amputated in life-saving surgery after a car pinned her against a wall in a horror freak accident (pictured, Sarah McClure)

Sarah McClure was at a property in Bathurst, in the NSW Central Tablelands, when the life-changing accident happened last Tuesday

Ms McClure sustained large amounts of blood loss and was airlifted to Westmead Hospital in western Sydney for surgery.

'They rushed her straight into surgery and had to amputate her leg because the blood loss was so severe,' her friend Lauren Peterson said.

'She died in the helicopter. They put four bags of blood through her just in the helicopter.'

Doctors moved to amputate her leg to stem the bleeding and pumped more blood into her before placing her into the Intensive Care Unit.

Ms Peterson said she visited her friend shortly after the surgery, and that the blood transfusion had puffed up Ms McClure so much that she was slightly unrecognisable.

Ms McClure was placed into an induced coma in what was supposed to last a week, but she came out of it in a matter of days.

'They put her into an induced coma and wanted to keep her that way for a week to avoid her having to deal with so much pain but the strong bugger fought her way out of the induced coma in 30 hours,' Ms Peterson said.

Ms McClure stood up for the first time on Monday and has since been undergoing physiotherapy.

She can only handle five minute sessions at a time because of intensity of the pain, and sometimes asks her friends to scratch her toes before she remembers they're not there anymore.

Ms McClure has remained positive with the many months of recovery ahead of her.

She already plans to walk and drive again, and hopes to walk Mount Kosciusko in a year's time.

Her friends have kickstarted an online fundraiser to speed up her independence and will use the money to modify Ms McClure's car and home.

As soon as Monday Ms McClure stood up for the first time and has since been undergoing physiotherapy
Renown surgeon Dr. Leonard Bailey, who gained worldwide recognition for transplanting a baboon heart into a tiny newborn in 1984, has passed away at the age of 76.

Bailey was a controversial figure, gaining both worldwide acclaim and condemnation for his baboon-to-baby heart transplant to Stephanie Fae Beauclair - known as 'Baby Fae'.

He passed away on Sunday May 12 following a long battle with tongue cancer, the Loma Linda University Health announced in a statement.

He was diagnosed with cancer in 2001 and made his condition public.

Bailey worked at Loma Linda University Health near Los Angeles for more than four decades, specializing in children's heart surgeries.

He is survived by his two sons, Brooks and Connor, and two grandchildren. His wife Nancy passed away earlier this year on April 7.

Renown surgeon Dr. Leonard Bailey, who gained worldwide recognition for his transplanting a baboon heart into a tiny newborn in 1984, has passed away at the age of 76. Bailey pictured above with a patient in 2009

His controversial yet groundbreaking transplant paved the way for today's human-to-human infant heart transplants. He worked at Loma Linda University Health specializing in children's heart surgeries for 42 years

Leonard Lee Bailey was born on August 28, 1942, in Takoma Park, Maryland.

He graduated from the nearby Columbia Union College (now Washington Adventist University) in 1964 and earned an MD from Loma Linda University School of Medicine in 1969 and did his residency at Torontos Hospital for Sick Children, where he saw babies die from congenital heart defects.

The 1984 surgery established Bailey as a leading authority and pioneer of human-to-human heart transplants, skyrocketing the small-town doctor to fame.

But his surgery raised moral and ethical questions on the use of animals as an organ supermarket and cross-species transplants.

The backlash by animal rights activists and critics was so strong, he was suggested to wear a bullet-proof vest when he was scheduled to deliver a talk on the ethics of the Baby Fae operation. He ended up cancelling that appearance altogether.

'The hate mail and threats poured in for a long time, so much so that the ... police wanted us to let them open our mail and things like that,' Bailey recalled in an interview with a Loma Linda publication in 2007.

In that operation on October 26, 1984 he gave Baby Fae - whose real name was Stephanie Fae Beauclair - a new chance at life as she was born premature with a congenital heart defect called hypoplastic left heart syndrome.

'At that time, babies born with certain kinds of exotic heart disease weren't even treated - they were set aside to die. And they uniformly did that,' Bailey said in the 2007 interview.

'I had encountered some of those babies. We tried various things to see if we could prolong their lives. Mostly we prolonged their dying, maybe by a few days. But we had no success at all in saving them,' he added.

At the time Bailey and others had been experimenting with cross-species transplants in the laboratory.

The 1984 surgery established Bailey as a leading authority and pioneer of human-to-human heart transplants, skyrocketing the small-town doctor to fame. Pictured in undated photo

Baby Fae pictured above following the baboon heart transplant in 1984

A diagram of Dr. Bailey's baboon heart transplant for Baby Fae on October 26, 1985 above

With no human infant heart available for transplant, Bailey decided on a radical procedure: when Baby Fae was 12 days old, he transplanted the tiny heart of a baboon into her body.

She died 21 days later - two weeks longer than any other previous inter-species transplant recipient. The operation was seen as a pioneering scientific feat.

'Baby Fae helped absolutely transform the landscape of pediatric heart transplants, generating unprecedented levels of public awareness,' Loma Linda said on its website. 'People everywhere learned of the pressing need for infant organ donation. In addition, an entire generation of students was inspired to follow in Dr. Bailey's footsteps and become pediatric surgeons.'

The year after Baby Fae's operation, Bailey performed the first successful human infant-to-infant heart transplant.

Bailey went on to perform nearly 400 infant heart transplants at Loma Linda, where he was a professor and surgeon-in-chief at Loma Linda University Children's Hospital.

Loma Linda University Health announced his death on Sunday. He passed away following a battle with cancer

Bailey was known to roam the halls of the hospitals wearing neckties featuring Snoopy or Looney Tunes characters to humor his young patients.

Many of his infant heart-transplant patients came back to visit him as teenagers and adults and at least one went on to attend medical school.

'When we operate on these babies, the hope is that they will live longer than us. Its nice to know thats playing out,' Bailey said in 2017 after a 36-year-old former patient visited him. 'Often when we start a case we thank the Almighty that He has put us in this position to help and that the outcomes will be according to His will.'

'His work also propelled Loma Linda University Health to become the world's leading pediatric heart transplant center and led to innovations that enable surgeons to repair certain complex congenital heart defects instead of patients having to undergo a transplant,' the hospital said.

A memorial service for Bailey is being planned.
Four teens have been arrested over a brawl that left two girls stabbed near a Melbourne mall on Tuesday night.

The 30-girl stoush broke out at Max Pawsey Reserve in Narre Warren - just a few hundred metres away from Westfield Fountain Gate shopping centre.

A 16-year-old sustained a serious stab wound to her back and arm, while another suffered a gash to her hand.

Two other were treated for non-life threatening injuries.

Victoria Police executed warrants at homes in Pakenham, Keysborough and Boronia on Thursday morning.

A 30-girl stoush broke out at Max Pawsey Reserve in Narre Warren on Tuesday night - just a few hundred metres away from Westfield Fountain Gate shopping centre

Photos posted on social media show police at the scene. One girl was rushed to the hospital with a stab wound, another stab victim took herself to the hospital, while another woman was treated at the scene

An 18-year-old from Boronia was charged with affray but was granted bail. She is expected to appear at Dandenong Magistrates Court on August 13.

Two 16-year-old Pakenham girls were charged with affray and were remanded in custody before appearing in a children's court today.

Another 16-year-old from Doveton was quizzed in relation to affray but was later released.

Police believe the fight between two groups of girls had been planned on social media.

'A fight did occur and a number of girls were injured,' Detective Senior Sergeant Trevor Smith told the Herald Sun.

'It's unusual to have an arranged fight between females.

'I was a little bit surprised.'

Bloodstains were found at the park as well as at a bus stop 500 metres from Westfield Fountain Gate mall.

Victoria MPs have taken to social media to weigh in on the ongoing issue and calling action

The wave of crime at Fountain Gate Westfield, in Melbourne's south-east, has prompted centre management to hire more security guards in an effort to regain control. Pictured above

In 2017 a woman was attacked with an axe in the salon she worked in and was rushed to hospital (pictured)

Authorities only learned of the incident after the stab wound victim arrived at the hospital, Detective Senior Sergeant Trevor Smith told reporters.

By the time officers arrived, most of the girls had fled the scene.

It came just days after the mall hired more security to patrol the shopping centre following a crime wave involving a string of robberies and assaults.

Business owners had expressed concern over groups of up to a dozen teenagers storming stores, damaging and stealing items.

Several retailers told the Cranbourne Leader their stores had been 'ransacked' by gangs in recent weeks and a poll of 3000 locals found 74 per cent admitted they steered clear of the centre due to fears of violence.

Victoria MPs, incluing La Trobe MP Jason Wood, had taken to social media to weigh in on the ongoing issue and calling for the government to take action.

'Gang violence is absolutely out of control, once again youth gangs have targeted Fountain Gate. I have laws to deport foreign-born thugs, and now the AFP will be targeting violent gangs in the South East,' Mr Wood said.

'Bill Shorten and Labor are still opposing this, and say I'm overreacting as there is NO youth gang problem,' he said in a Facebook post on Wednesday.

Gembrook MP Brad Battin also took to social media saying, 'this is not the Fountain Gate we have known for decades.'

In March two teenage girls (pictured) attacked a chicken shop worker and stole the days earnings of $5,000 in the middle of the shopping centre

'Shop owners say they are helpless, parents fear for their children as robberies increase, and now overnight, reports of a riot and possible stabbing', he said.

'How can we stop this rot, how can we make it safer?'

An army of security guards, dressed in cream coloured khakis and blue polo shirts, have been patrolling the mall that has been dubbed the 'most unsafe' in Victoria.

Earlier this month one cafe worker told how one group of teens came to her shop and 'literally went through and flipped up all the tables and chairs'.

A woman said her 14-year-old son was attacked and mugged by a gang of six teenagers in the food court last month.

'One of his friends was asked by the gang to hand over his jacket or he'd be stabbed. The boys were then told they would be bashed if they didn't hand over all of their cash,' she said.

In February 2016 a 14-year-old girl was sexually assaulted in a brazen daylight attack near the shopping centre.

The mother was disappointed with how security and management had handled the incident, saying that security didn't call to let her know what happened, and that police weren't even notified about the incident by security.
Thousands of drivers are set to be slapped with 100 fines and penalty points against their license for ignoring warning signs on smart motorways.

The new technology will allow police to use traffic cameras to penalise motorists who don't abide with the lane closures on 300 miles of the network.

New rules under the Road Traffic Offenders Order 2019 will come into effect from June 10 and Highways England have insisted that cameras won't be used to penalise drivers until 'late summer' to allow for testing.

The Home Office has been criticised for a delay in authorising cameras which will detect drivers swerving around breakdowns and accidents, leading to fines  as it was thought the new process would have been implemented 12 months ago.

New rules under the Road Traffic Offenders Order 2019 will come into effect from June 10 and Highways England have insisted that cameras won't be used to penalise drivers until 'late summer' (stock image of speed cameras)

Smart motorways controversially operate without a hard shoulder and at present use red 'X' warnings on overhead gantries to close lanes, which can indicate stranded vehicles in the road ahead.

The fear, is that too many drivers are ignoring the signs and swerving around incidents, therefore risking a crash.

The present system means that Highways England issues written warnings to drivers pictured ignoring the red X.

According to The Times, more than 180,000 letters have been sent since the start of 2017, which tots up to almost 1,500 a week.

The Home Office has approved the use of cameras to fine the motorists. It signed off the legislation last week which will allow gantry-mounted cameras to issue fixed penalties to motorists who ignore lane closures of illegally drive on the hard shoulders.

This system is used on motorways including the M1, M4, M6, M25 and M62

Police forces will obtain data directly from cameras, allowing them to give drivers fines of 100 with three penalty points. In the past, drivers could only be fined if they were seen to be breaking the rules by traffic officers.

The change has been implemented amid safety concerns on smart motorways, where the hard shoulder is removed to create extra capacity and lay-bys are positioned up to 1.5 miles apart for drivers to pull off the road.

This system is used on motorways including the M1, M4, M6, M25 and M62.

Edmund King, president of the AA, said: 'Although it has taken far too long, this is a welcome measure to improve safety on motorways.'

He said the red X is put up to warn of an obstruction, so drivers must get out of the lane when they see them.

'We have had several incidents recently where AA members' cars have been hit in a live lane on smart motorways.'

Despite the technology being implemented, a tolerance will be built into the camera system to take account of drivers who pass under a gantry just as a red X has been displayed.

Highways England's executive director for safety, Mike Wilson, said: 'Our motorways are already among the safest in the world but this move will make them even safer. Red X signs over closed lanes help protect drivers from dangers ahead.

'Most drivers comply with lane closures, but the minority of people who don't are putting themselves and other road users at real risk. We welcome this auto-enforcement and the increase to driver safety it will bring.'

Across the UK, the smart motorway network covers 416 miles of motorway, or 208 miles in each direction. Highways England said red X signs were used on 297 miles.

Last months it was revealed that Highways England planned to almost double the length of the network to 788 miles by 2025.

MailOnline has contacted the Home Office.
As California fire investigators officially concluded that the deadliest U.S. wildfire in a century was caused by Pacific Gas & Electric Corp. power lines, lawmakers expressed deep skepticism about whether the utility had made the dramatic changes needed to prevent another deadly blaze.

The company's new chief executive, Bill Johnson, made his first appearance before lawmakers Wednesday, who peppered him with questions on his plan to lead the troubled utility.

'We shouldn't have to be reliving this,' said Democratic Assemblywoman Eloise Reyes. 'We need to know what the lessons learned are.'

State fire officials said transmission lines owned and operated by the San Francisco-based utility started the November 8 fire that wiped out nearly 15,000 homes in the town of Paradise and killed 85. Many of those killed were elderly or disabled; the oldest was 99.

In this Nov. 8, 2018 file photo a home burns as the Camp Fire rages through Paradise, Calif. California fire authorities say that Pacific Gas and Electric equipment caused the blaze

Pacific Gas & Electric crews work to restore power lines in Paradise on November 9

'Investigators determined there were violations of law,' Cal Fire deputy director Mike Mohler said relating to Wednesday's report, but he said he hadn't read the report and didn't know the nature of the violations.

Cal Fire did not release its full investigative report, saying it had been forwarded to the Butte County district attorney's office, which is considering criminal charges against the utility.

Johnson said he expected when he began the job two weeks ago that PG&E would be found responsible for sparking the wildfire, noting the utility had said it was probable in recent filings.

'It's a disappointment that this happened,' he said. 'Let's not do it again.'

He takes the helm both as California prepares for another wildfire season and as PG&E is in the midst of Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings. The utility filed in January as it faced potentially tens of billions of dollars in liability from wildfires.

California law makes utilities financially liable for damages from wildfires sparked by its equipment, and PG&E is already facing lawsuits from insurance companies and wildfire victims from the Paradise fire.

California fire authorities say that Pacific Gas and Electric equipment was responsible for the deadliest and most destructive wildfire in state history

State fire officials have determined that PG&E caused 18 fires in 2017, and they referred 12 for possible criminal prosecution.

In preparation for the upcoming fire season, Johnson said the utility has begun inspecting every one of its power and transmission lines, a process that could cost $600 to $900 million including repairs. It's also proposed a dramatic expansion of planned electrical outages.

The findings Wednesday bring 'even greater urgency to our need to inspect, repair, have a power safety shut off plan,' Johnson told reporters after the legislative hearing.

He said he hopes to redeem PG&E in the eyes of lawmakers and customers but understands the process won't be easy.

'There's nothing we can say that matters one bit unless we live up to our words and our commitments,' he said. 'You cannot restore trust without results; you cannot restore relationships with rhetoric.'

Homes leveled by the Camp Fire line Valley Ridge Drive in Paradise in December

Nurse Cassie Lerossignol hugs as coworker as the Feather River Hospital burns while the Camp Fire rages through Paradise on November 8

Democratic Assemblyman Jim Wood offered personal insight into the grim reality of wildfires caused by PG&E and other utilities. Wood, a forensic dentist from Santa Rosa, helped identify bodies in the fire that ripped through his hometown in 2017 as well as the Paradise wildfire and the 2010 deadly explosion of a PG&E natural gas pipeline.

'I'm tired of identifying victims - and all of those have a link to a utility,' he said.

Butte County District Attorney Mike Ramsey said in a statement that he is still weighing possible criminal charges against the utility, a decision that could take months. He called Cal Fire's decision to forward its report to Butte County 'strictly symbolic' because it has been long known that PG&E's equipment caused the fire.

Attorney Mike Danko, who represents 2,000 victims of the fire, said he was encouraged by the fact that Cal Fire sent its latest report to the district attorney, which could mean it has evidence that the utility was negligent on safety issues.

'We know from our work that PG&E knew its towers in the area were corroded and were at risk of failing,' Danko said.

Paradise Mayor Jody Jones said she was not surprised to hear Pacific Gas & Electric power lines sparked the blaze that decimated her town and she hopes the findings help the city's legal case against the utility.

'It's nice to have a definite answer,' Jones said.
Voters hoping to protest against the major parties by leaving a 'donkey vote' on ballot papers during the election have been warned some votes may still count.

The donkey vote will count if volunteers find a legible attempt to cast a vote or order preferences.

Some voters think by writing their preferences in the order they appear on the ballot they invalidate their vote.

But the Australian Electoral Commission still counts this process as a 'formal' attempt at voting, meaning the ballot will not be discarded and each preference will count.

Some voters think by writing their preferences in the order they appear on the ballot they invalidate their vote

Politicians argue by counting this method of donkey voting, those parties and persons listed at the top are being given an unfair advantage.

The AEC said for a vote to count it must be considered 'formal'.

Scribbling all over the ballot, not writing anything at all or writing obscenities are all considered an 'informal vote' and will not be counted toward polling.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Opposition Leader Bill Shorten are going head to head on Saturday.

Bill Shorten will make the case for a 'vote for change' in his final major address of the election campaign.

Mr Shorten will argue a new generation, in a new decade has a new decision and 'the door stands ajar'.

Voters hoping to protest against the major parties by leaving a 'donkey vote' on ballot papers during the election have been warned some votes may still count

Climate change will be a major feature of the speech.

Mr Shorten will also warn of the risks posed by a coalition of chaos, a Morrison-Palmer-Hanson minority government.

He will urge Australians to vote for a united and stable alternative with a vision for the future.

Mr Morrison is expected to focus his pitch on the coalition's central theme of economic growth.

'My message is this: now is not the time to turn back,' he is expected to say.

'Now is the time to get on and keep on with the work of building our economy by backing in the choices Australians are wanting to make every day and to enable them to plan for their future with confidence.'

The prime minister will also take aim at Labor's alternative 'big taxing, big spending' agenda.
Three men armed with a toy gun have been charged after allegedly opening fire on a packed Queensland school building with gel pellets.

The men, two aged 20 and the other 19, allegedly drove past Stanthorpe State High School, south-west of Brisbane, on Wednesday afternoon.

Shots were allegedly fired from a gel blaster gun and the school was peppered with pellets as a ute drove by the school about 1pm.

The men, two aged 20 and the other 19, allegedly drove past Stanthorpe State High School (pictured), south-west of Brisbane, on Wednesday afternoon

Several gel pellets were fired at the school and hit office window, according to The Courier Mail.

One of the men left the vehicle and spoke to the deputy principle before getting back into the car and fleeing the scene, police allege.

Queensland Police found and stopped the men a short while later, allegedly finding the gel blaster in the ute.

The men have been charged with going armed to cause fear and will face Stanthorpe Magistrates Court on June 19.

The attack comes just days after a woman in Toowoomba was left shocked and with bruising after she was shot in the stomach by a gel pellet from a passing car.

The woman, 29, was walking down a street when she saw a gun barrel appear through the front passenger window of the car, felt a sharp pain in her stomach and heard gunshots about 1pm on Tuesday.

Shots were fired from a gel blaster gun (stock image pictured) and the school was peppered with pellets as a ute drove by the school about 1pm

The woman took to Facebook to share what happened to her, with the caption: 'Just been shot at with a pellet gun rifle by two little p****s.'

Police say a man, 35, and a woman, 30 have been assisting with their inquiries since detectives raided an Arrowfield Street address and found a grey sedan and three gel blaster guns.

The 'firearms' concerned are toy guns which fire a gel pellet that has been soaked in water.

The toy firearm slots in somewhere between a paintball gun and an airsoft gun and can leave welts on the skin.
A woman says she wants the relatives of Freddie Starr to take a DNA test in order to find out if he was truly her father.

Jo Billam was told she was Starr's daughter by her mother, as a result of a fling she had with the comic when he had been performing in Bournemouth in the 1970s.

Following the 76-year-old's death at his home in the Costa del Sol earlier this month, Jo, 44, says it became more important to her than ever to learn the truth.

The mother-of-two said she understands how it will look and that she believes people will think she's 'just after Freddie's money'.

Jo Billam (pictured above) was told by her mother that she is the daughter of Freddie Starr

Speaking to The Mirror she said: 'I could not care less about that. All I want is to end the agony of not knowing who my real dad is.'

Jo, who works as a dementia care nurse said her mother, who died aged 70, in 2017, had confided in her about Starr on her 16th birthday.

'My dad, who turned out to be my step-dad, told me I needed to ask my mum about who my real dad was.

Freddie Starr (pictured above) is said to have had a relationship with Jo's mother in the 1970s

'I could not believe what I was hearing. She told me she was working as a waitress at a hotel in Bournemouth when one night Freddie Starr stepped in to save her from two punters who were harassing her. They hit it off and a relationship formed from there.

'They would see each other at his place in Westbourne whenever he played in Bournemouth and I was the result.'

She said she had been upset when she first discovered the news, but hadn't really given it a second thought until she had children of her own.

She added: 'If he is my dad, and if he had illnesses, as much as anything I would simply like to know about things like that, things that could save one of my children.'

Jo has now appealed to his family for help and said it would 'mean the world' to her if just one relative would agree to do a DNA test.

Freddie Starr was found dead earlier this month at his home in the Costa del Sol (pictured above)

'All I am asking for is closure.'

She added that she had previously tried to contact Starr, his management and other members of his family.

'I just wanted to get the message to them that I am not a threat, I simply want answers. It's terrible not knowing who your real parent is.

'It is so strange to think the dad you loved to bits growing up is not your dad. I still love him more than anything, and he totally supports me in this.'

In 2015 Starr fled to Spain after accusations that he groped a 15-year-old girl in Jimmy Saville's dressing room in 1974.

The comedian, who became a household name in the 1970s, sued the woman for defamation but lost the case.

While living in Spain he became a recluse and his health deteriorated.

Jo highlighted that her mother told her that Freddie had been a 'gentleman' during their time together, from 1973 to 1974.

Jo said: 'She repeatedly said she did not recognise any of the accusations being made against Freddie.'

'When I think that he died alone and that he needed a carer, which is what I do, it does make me sad. It is quite sad no one was around to help him, it must have been terrible, awful.'
The currrent 25km/h speed limit of Lime Scooters in Queensland may be slashed by the State Government.

Transport Minister Mark Bailey said the government was reviewing the speed of the electric scooters following a number of accidents, including one death.

A 50-year-old rider died in hospital after crashing down a set of stairs at Brisbane's South Bank on May 8.

In February, Jordan Madigan, 26, had his heel ripped open after the Lime scooter he was using to ride to work seized up and threw him off.

Mr Bailey noted Adelaide had already has implemented a trial, which reduced the scooter's speed limit to just 15 km/h.

The currrent 25km/h speed limit of Lime Scooters may be slashed by the Queensland Government

'Given that this is still a a very new way of moving, we're looking at other jurisdictions and how they do it,' Mr Bailey said.

'If we can make improvements to safety, we will.'

The 50-year-old suffered traumatic head injuries and went into cardiac arrest. Paramedics revived the man but he died in hospital the following day.

Investigators are still trying to confirm whether his heart attack was a result of his fall and injuries.

The city council, which is currently in the middle of a tender process that could see a second scooter company licensed to operate in Brisbane, is waiting on the results of a investigation into the death.

'The information that we receive from that investigation will help us, going forward, to make a decision on e-scooters,' Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner said.

'Obviously anything that comes out of this investigation is something we'll take very seriously.'

Mr Madigan was forced to get stitches after the ordeal and needed antibiotics and crutches for a few days, after his heel was torn off.

Brisbane man Dylan Pires (pictured) suffered horrific facial injuries after the hire Lime scooter he was riding suddenly locked up

Last month, Brisbane man Dylan Pires suffered horrific facial injuries after the hire Lime scooter he was riding suddenly locked up.

He had been riding to a supermarket during his work break when he was sent flying over the scooter's handlebars and hit the pavement.

Mr Pires, who was not wearing a helmet at the time of the accident, woke up in hospital suffering a broken nose, broken cheek, fractured sinus and stitches to his forehead.

He also needed to have pins inserted in his cheeks as a result of the incident.

At the time a spokesperson for Lime said it had not been confirmed the incident was caused because the scooter wheels locked.

The scooter threw him off so suddenly that it whipped around and struck his foot - which was enclosed in sneakers - so hard that it tore the skin right off.

Jordan Madigan (pictured), 26, had his heel ripped open after the Lime scooter he was using to ride to work seized up and threw him off

Safety advocates have urged for Brisbane City Council to ban the scooters immediately or else more people may die.

The Pedestrian Council of Australia said the death of a rider shows how dangerous they are.

The group's chief Harold Scruby said riders on footpaths are ducking and weaving among pedestrians at 25km/h, and the risks cannot be safely managed.

'A man has now died. What more evidence do you need that these things have got to be banned,' he told the ABC.

'France is just banning all scooters on all footpaths, only last week. From September in LA, where they invented the things, you cannot ride a scooter on a footpath.'

Mr Bailey noted Adelaide had already has implemented a trial, which reduced the scooter's speed limit to just 15 km/h

Lime insists its scooters are safe, despite the ambulance service revealing 80 people wound up in hospital over a two-month period as a result of scooter incidents. Of those, 12 needed surgery.

Company spokesman Mitchell Price said a scooter malfunction had been ruled out as a factor in the man's death.

He attacked Mr Scruby for his 'insensitive and inappropriate' comments about scooter safety, saying the focus should be on caring for the dead man's family.

'Lime scooters are safe,' Mr Price said.

'It is far too early for us to be changing anything, to be commenting on this accident that has happened.'

Mr Scruby said anyone who tried to take a walk through Brisbane would beg to differ with scooter riders - often without helmets and doubling other people - risking people's safety.

He wants Lime scooters off the streets but is open to the idea of a 10km/h speed limit, something backed by Vision Australia amid concerns for the vision impaired.

Mr Bailey has urged for all riders to use their common sense and adhere to road rules, while the speed limit is under review.
Britain has raised the threat level to troops and diplomats in Iraq because of a 'heightened security risk' from Iran, security sources have claimed.

It comes after the US evacuated non-essential embassy staff from Iraq on Wednesday over what it called a 'credible threat' by forces loyal to Tehran.

America and the UK had gotten into a war of words over the threat after British Major General Chris Ghika said he had seen no evidence of an increased in danger, only to be slapped down by US Central Command in an 'unprecedented' move.

The move appears to be an attempt to smooth relations between two close allies in a region where tensions have increased significantly in recent days.

Britain has raised the threat level to its troops and diplomats in Iraq because of security threats from Iran, following a spat with US top brass (pictured, British forces train in Kuwait for deployment in Iraq)

Charles Hollis, ex-British diplomat to Iraq and Syria, said the disagreement between the UK and US was 'unprecedented' while Lord Dannatt, former head of the army, called it 'unusual'

Sky News first reported the change, attributing it to unnamed 'sources'.

A Ministry of Defence spokesman said: 'We keep the security of our deployed personnel and assets under constant review.

'There is a range of threats to UK and coalition forces in this part of the world: that is why we have a very robust range of force protection measures.

'The UK has long been clear about our concerns over Irans destabilising behaviour in the region.'

It comes after Charles Hollis, former British diplomat to Iraq and Syria, said he ' could not remember a precedent' for such a stark disagreement between two close allies, and 'certainly not one that is so public.'

Tory MP Bob Blackman said the comments sounded complacent and the UK should be in step with the US.

Spat came after Major General Chris Ghika said he was not aware of an increased Iranian threat, and was slapped down by the US

The US is absolutely right to be taking the action it is taking, both in terms of sanctions and sending warships to the Gulf, he told MailOnline.

General Lord Dannatt, former head of the British Army, echoed Mr Hollis's surprise at the disconnect, saying it was 'pretty unusual'.

'The UK was accused by the US from time to time of slightly going our [own] way in southern Iraq and southern Afghanistan,' he told The Times.

'But that was respected as operational divergences of opinion, which is something different from straight contradiction.'

Another Western diplomat backed General Ghika, saying he had seen 'nothing more specific' than the US designating Iran's Revolutionary Guard a terror organisation.

The row began Wednesday as General Ghika briefed journalists on the threat from ISIS in Syria and Iraq, when he was questioned about growing US tensions with Iran.

Asked specifically whether he had seen an increased threat from Iranian forces, he replied 'no' though he later clarified, saying they posed a persistent threat.

Ghika denied that his remarks were out of step with Washington, though US Central Command later issued a rare rebuke to an allied military officer.

The general's remarks 'run counter to the identified credible threats', a spokesman said, adding: 'As a result, (the coalition) is now at a high level of alert as we continue to closely monitor credible and possibly imminent threats to U.S. forces in Iraq.'

Norwegian oil tanker Andrea Victory, one of the four damaged boats, pictured with a large dent in its stern on Monday morning

Saudi Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih said attacks on the pipeline (file picture) from the oil-rich Eastern Province to the Red Sea took place early this morning and called it 'an act of terrorism' that targeted global oil supplies

Britain's Ministry of Defence later backed their general, while at the same time denying he was contradicting Washington.

'Major-General Ghika speaks as a military officer in the US-led coalition focused on the fight against Daesh [Isis] in Iraq and Syria,' a spokesman said.

'His comments are based on the day-to-day military operations and his sole focus is the enduring defeat of Daesh.

'He made clear in the Pentagon briefing that 'there are a range of threats to American and coalition forces in this part of the world. There always have been, that is why we have a very robust range of force protection measures.'

'The UK has long been clear about our concerns over Iran's destabilising behaviour in the region.'

Washington is now facing accusations that it is trying to manufacture a case for war with Iran by 'goading' the regime into lashing out and justifying an assault.

Ned Price, a former intelligence officer, told CNN: 'I think what we're seeing now is our own administration goading Iran into taking ill-advised and tremendously foolish actions that would provide them with justification to ... use force against the Iranian regime.'

Tom Collina, policy director at an anti-nuclear-weapons think tank, added: 'I see all the pieces being put on the table, by John Bolton primarily, setting up a situation where the United States gets drawn into war with Iran in a way that the Trump administration can deny blame.'

President Trump himself has said he is sure that Iran will come to the negotiating table 'soon' as the US ramps up pressure on the regime.

However, critics have warned that American abandoning the nuclear deal and reinstating sanctions on Iran risks driving moderate President Hassan Rouhani from power and replacing him with a hardliner.

President Hassan Rouhani (pictured last night) has warned Iran is 'too great to be intimidated by anyone' after the Pentagon claimed Tehran used explosives to sabotage four commercial ships anchored off the UAE coast

Donald Trump is mulling over the idea of sending 120,000 troops to the Middle East while Iran's President Hassan Rouhani has warned his country is 'too great to be intimidated by anyone'. Tensions were increased further today in the region as Iran-aligned Houthi rebels claimed to have carried out drone attacks on Saudi oil installations

When he succeeded firebrand leader Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in 2013, Rouhani was seen as an establishment figure who would do little to end Iran's long standoff with the West.

Two years later, his administration signed the nuclear deal with six world powers that spurred hopes for wider political change.

Rouhani's authority is now waning: his brother, a key adviser on the 2015 deal, has been sentenced to jail on unspecified corruption charges.

Meanwhile a hardline rival heads the judiciary and his government is under fire for responding too softly to U.S. President Donald Trump's sanctions squeeze.

Rouhani's rivals 'couldn't ask for a better ally than the Trump administration,' said Ali Vaez, director of the Iran project at the Crisis Group.

Tensions between the US and Iran, which have been mounting for months, spiked on Sunday when four oil tankers were attacked off the coast of the UAE using what America said were Iranian underwater mines.

While Washington has no evidence of direct Iranian involvement, sources said Tehran had given its 'blessing' for the attack.

Tensions heightened further Tuesday after two pumping stations on a major Saudi oil pipeline were attacked by explosive-laden drones, halting the flow of crude along it.

Iranian-backed Houthi rebels took responsibility for the attack, and said it was carried out using explosive-laden drones.

The Houthis are fighting against Saudi-backed forces in Yemen's civil war, which has been raging since 2015.
Two British teachers have been locked up in a 'hellhole' jail in Oman after being accused of stealing dogs.

Jennifer Green, 33, and a female friend have been held for the past 12 days but claim they were 'trying to rescue abused animals' from a 'cruel' owner.

Relatives say they are worried sick and Ms Green's brother Mike said he has been trying to fly to Oman to help.

The women were working as English Language teachers for the British Council  which promotes UK culture abroad - in Muscat before they were arrested.

Jennifer Green, 33, pictured, and a female friend are being held in Oman after being accused of trying to steal dogs and public intoxication

Mr Green, of Stockton-on-Tees, County Durham, said the women were trying to 'save two mistreated dogs' who had been left out in 'scorching' heat.

He accused Omani officials of imprisoning them on 'trumped up' charges including drink driving and public intoxication 'without evidence'.

He told The Sun: 'I'm worried sick. She's being locked up in prison for the last twelve days and because it's Ramadan, nothing is happening.'

Mr Green, 35, who is currently in New Zealand on business, added one of his sister's friends has told him the authorities are trying to pressure the women into admitting crimes they didn't commit.

He said they were initially released by police after agreeing to pay the dogs' owner 4,000 but that when it went to court the judge called for a further investigation because he thought they had been drinking.

He added: 'I'm really worried and so is the entire family. Initially she was just brought to the police station but was let go.

'She phoned me when she was released and she didn't seem too bothered about it at the time but it has obviously escalated since then.'

Ms Green has been in Oman for more than a year and it is understood the British Council has been in touch with Omani officials to try to resolve the situation.

A British Council spokesperson said: 'We are aware of an incident in relation to two British teachers employed locally in Oman.

'We cannot discuss the details of an ongoing legal case and await the outcome of due process by the Omani authorities.'

It is understood the British Council has also been in touch with the British consulate over the case.

A spokesperson for the Foreign Office added: 'We are providing support to two British women, and their families, following their arrest in Oman. We are in contact with the Omani authorities.'

Radha Stirling, CEO of Detained in Dubai, a firm that represents foreigners abroad, said the case was a 'reminder there are vast cultural and legal disparities between the West and the Gulf States'.

Ms Green's (pictured) brother Mike said the pair were being held on 'trumped up' charges and had been trying to 'rescue the dogs from a cruel owner'

She added: 'Jenny Green and her friend were in Oman working for the British Council, specifically to help promote UK culture in the country.

'They allegedly intervened to save abused animals, which is something honourable in Britain, but is a crime in Oman.

'Abusing animals apparently is not a crime in Oman, and rescuing an animal can apparently lead to abuse by the legal system. I would encourage the Omani government to intervene in this case before the suffering of these young women is prolonged any further.

'The absence of due process and a genuine rule of law defines the legal culture in the Gulf; from the UAE to Qatar, from Saudi Arabia to Oman. As we see in this case, the original charges of 'theft', which were wrongful in the first place; appear to have been arbitrarily compounded with charges related to alcohol by judicial caprice; reportedly because the judge in the case 'thought the women may have been "intoxicated".'

She added 'Conditions in Omani prison are well known to be dismal, with little or no access to medical care, overcrowding, the mixing of violent convicts with people still on trial for nonviolent offences, harsh and abusive treatment by guards, and extreme restrictions on access to communication.

'It is outrageous that Jenny Green and her friend are enduring this blatant mistreatment, and the UK government needs to step in to secure their release.

'There is an abject failure throughout the Gulf States in police and prosecutorial investigations, so I have no doubt that the animal abuse which prompted the young women to rescue the dogs, has neither been investigated nor prosecuted.

'The women allegedly took actions which are praiseworthy in Great Britain, they no doubt assumed it would be appreciated in Oman as well. This case comes down to a cultural misunderstanding, and these two young women do not deserve to be locked up in prison over it.'
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Lego has revealed a new Stranger Things special edition set in a late-night launch at its London flagship store that prompted superfans to queue for more than 12 hours to get their hands on the model.

Dozens of enthusiasts lined up outside the Leicester Square shop from mid-morning on Tuesday ahead of the Upside Down set going on sale at midnight yesterday.

Information about the new model, which costs 179, had been kept a secret before its official release, but many fans had guessed its connection to the Netflix series after a number of teaser shots on Lego's Instagram page.

Philip Thorne, from Port Talbot, South Wales, waited for more than nine hours for the 'special occasion'. He said: 'The joy of Lego is so exciting, my kids are so excited.'

Tasha, a fan from London, wore Stranger Things-themed fancy dress for the launch. She said: 'I love Lego and I love Stranger Things. This is a merging of two worlds that I love.'

Lego whipped up excitement on social media ahead of the launch by sharing famous moments from the series replicated with pieces. The third season of the hit show is due to launch in July.

A fan from Inverness, named only as Jack, queued up since 10.30am on Tuesday. 'I've grown up with Lego, but I've never really grown out of it,' he said. 'This is the first time I've ever joined a midnight queue for anything.'

Lego has recreated moments from the big and small screen in the past, with Star Wars, Harry Potter, Flintstones and Scooby-Doo sets proving popular. Zac Bird, from Welling, London, bought his 2,000th Lego set on Tuesday.

He queued up for the midnight launch, but admitted: 'I don't know much about Stranger Things. I know it's on Netflix, but I don't have an account. Who knows, maybe this will convince me to invest.'

Lego superfans queued for more than 12 hours to get their hands on a Stranger Things special edition Upside Down set

Some fans wore Stranger Things-themed fancy dress for the launch at the Lego flagship store in London's Leicester Square

Dozens of Lego superfans form a queue outside the company's flagship store in Leicester Square for the new set's release

Lego whipped up excitement online ahead of the launch by sharing famous moments from the series replicated with pieces

The special launch of the Stranger Things set in London comes as the third season of the show is due to launch in July

Information about the new model, which costs 179, had been kept a secret before its official release yesterday

Many fans had guessed the set's connection to the Netflix series after a number of teaser shots on Lego's Instagram page

Several dozen enthusiasts lined up outside the Leicester Square shop from mid-morning on Tuesday ahead of the release
The mother of an Australian au pair who was killed during the London Bridge attacks in 2017 has revealed the last thing her daughter said to her.

Sara Zelenak had been on a 'trip of a lifetime' in London with her brother when she was stabbed to death by terrorists.

Now her mother Julie Wallace has spoken of the last few hours of her daughter's life, who she described as being 'the happiest she had ever been', after speaking to her just hours before her death.

Speaking on Good Morning Britain she said: 'She wanted to go and see the world. She wanted to go to London because it was one of the fashion capitals of the world and she had an au pair family that she was looking after two little boys for three months and then travelling on to Europe.

'Then then we were meeting her in Paris in 27 sleeps, that was the last thing she said to me.'

Sara Zelenak, 21 (pictured in handout photo) had met up for drinks with her friend near London Bridge before terrorists killed her and seven others on June 3 2017

Julie Wallace (pictured above) spoke of the last thing her daughter said to her before she went on her night out

Julie said the 21-year-old had called her that night to discuss their upcoming trip together.

'On that night she was the happiest she had ever been, she was doing all the things 21-year-olds should do before you have children, before you get into your career, before you do all those things.

'I encouraged her to do all those things, we all did, we told her to do it now because otherwise you have to wait until youre like 50.

'She was really happy and we were just counting down the days to see her and to have a family holiday. Meeting her in Paris on the 30th June.'

The family believed that Sara was working on that fateful night on June 3, however her plans changed when she managed to get the evening off.

Her stepfather Mark Wallace said there had been a lot of things leading for Sara to have been where she was that night.

'From having the night off and then contacting a girlfriend to say lets go out. It was something where when she went out she wanted to get all dressed up and go somewhere classy  that was what she was saying and they were going to Soho

'That was the first point she was going to go and then that changed and there were a few more sliding doors to lead her to end up where she was.'

Julie and Mark Wallace (pictured above) said they had originally thought that Sara was a missing person

The morning after the family were contacted by friends who informed them there had been a terrorist attack in London.

Mark added: 'It was just something like 'oh it happens on the other side of the world and it had happened again'. There was no thought of Sara being involved and even to the point and within the next 24 hours there was never the thought that it could be Sara.'

The family headed to London under the impression that Sara was a missing person.

Julie said they had been stopping over in Abu Dhabi when he son called to deliver the fateful news.

'We were actually stopping down in to refuel in Abu Dhabi and she was a missing person and my son rang and said mum the DNA results prove that Saras dead and I thought I was going to have a heart attack.

Australian Ms Zelenak was stabbed in the neck after she fell over in her high heels. She is pictured earlier that evening

'I was actually on the plane with my seat belt on and I couldnt breath I was just buckled over and I just went into shock.

'They actually wanted to get it on the 6 o'clock news so we were actually the last ones to find out in the world that she had died and it was really horrible circumstances to find out that way.

'It was horrendous, I felt like I was going to have a heart attack, it was terrible'.

The family have now launched a charity called Sar's Sanctuary, a non-profit trauma retreat.

Julie and Mark (pictured above) said it was a 'horrible' situation and Julie said she felt like she was going to have a heart attack

The family have now launched a charity to help those who are trying to deal with trauma

Julie said: 'One of our main events is called 'meet us in Paris', we were meant to meant Sara in Paris on 30th June which we couldnt and now its an annual event.

'We have 50 riders, riding from Borough Market where she was killed to the Eiffel Tower in Paris and that will take about seven days.

'We want to offer a five day healing retreat programme for people. They come in and they can have holistic healing so they can do yoga, mindfulness, meditation, massage, organic food and its a personal journey when you have grief so you can chose to do as much or as little as you need.'
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At least seven people were killed after the roof of a car dealership building collapsed in Shanghai today as it was undergoing renovation, authorities said.

The accident occurred around 11:30am (0330 GMT) in the financial hub's Changning district, leaving more than 20 people trapped, the fire rescue bureau of China's Ministry of Emergency Management said on its official social media account.

By mid afternoon, rescuers had pulled out 21 people from the collapsed building, which was a former branch of the Dongchi Mercedes-Benz dealership. Seven of them died in hospital, according to the Shanghai Emergency Management Bureau.

At least 20 people were trapped after a car dealership building collapsed in Shanghai today as it was undergoing renovation

Firefighters lifting an injured worker on a stretcher. By mid afternoon, rescuers had pulled out 21 people alive from the site

The accident occurred around 11:30am (0330 GMT) in the financial hub's Changning district, the fire rescue bureau of China's Ministry of Emergency Management said on Weibo

Rescuers pulled out 21 people from the collapsed building that was undergoing renovation. Seven of them died in hospital

The bureau did not provide details of any injuries suffered by those who were rescued, and authorities sealed off the area shortly after the accident. The remaining injured persons are in stable condition, it added.

The posting by China's Ministry of Emergency Management shows pictures of emergency rescue personnel pulling bloodied and dust-covered construction workers out of piles of rubble.

Video footage released by Beijing News shows collapsed concrete pillars and shattered wooden beams.

The low-rise building had closed earlier this year for renovation works as the area is being converted into a commercial complex housing restaurants, shops and offices scheduled to open by the end of the month, according to East Day News

The bureau did not provide details of any injuries suffered by those who were rescued

Video footage released by Chinese media of the site shows a cloud of dust covering the collapsed concrete

By mid afternoon 21 people had been pulled from the rubble and taken to hospital, a statement from the fire service said

The posting by China's Ministry of Emergency Management shows pictures of rescuers pulling bloodied and dust-covered construction workers out of piles of rubble

The bureau did not provide details of any injuries suffered by those who were rescued, and authorities sealed off the area shortly after the accident

The building in Changning district was formerly a Dongchi Mercedes-Benz repair plant, which closed earlier this year

The low-rise building had closed earlier this year for renovation works as the area is being converted into a commercial complex housing restaurants, shops and offices scheduled to open by the end of the month, according to East Day News.

The building covered an area of 3,000 square metres (32,291 square feet) and a third of it has collapsed.

The bureau said 24 emergency vehicles and more than 150 rescuers have been dispatched to the scene. It did not say how the building collapsed.

The building covered an area of 3,000 square metres (32,291 square feet) and a third of it has collapsed

The emergency bureau said a total of 24 emergency vehicles and more than 150 rescuers have been dispatched

Firefighters pull out a survivor from the rubble after the roof of the building collapsed

'I thought it was an explosion at first,' said a witness who was taking a nap when the accident happened

Rescuers remove a large slab of concrete on the site with heavy machinery to search for survivors

A local resident told AFP she was taking a nap when her bed suddenly began shaking as if in an earthquake. She then heard a loud bang.

'I thought it was an explosion at first,' said the woman, who declined to give her name.

China has suffered a spate of industrial accidents in recent months.

A major fire in Shanghai in 2010 destroyed a 28-story apartment building that was under repair, killing at least 58 people. Authorities blamed sparks from a welder's torch.

The bureau did not provide details of any injuries suffered by those who were rescued, and authorities sealed off the area shortly after the accident. The identities of those still trapped are still unknown

China has suffered a spate of industrial accidents in recent months. A major fire in Shanghai in 2010 destroyed a 28-story apartment building that was under repair, killing at least 58 people

A local resident told AFP she was taking a nap when her bed suddenly began shaking as if in an earthquake

The 21 people rescued have been taken to hospital for treatment, the bureau said. It did not say how the building collapsed

The posting by China's Ministry of Emergency Management shows pictures of rescuers pulling bloodied and dust-covered construction workers out of piles of rubble

The building covered an area of 3,000 square metres (32,291 square feet) and a third of it has collapsed

The bureau said 24 emergency vehicles and more than 150 rescuers have been dispatched to the scene
This is the dramatic moment a jet has a very near miss with a group of construction workers carrying out maintenance on a runway.

The shocking video shows the six workers from Paraguay's civil aviation agency (DINAC) repairing a patch of the runway on the country's main national airport in Luque.

Dressed in hi-viz orange suits, the five men plus the one filming are standing in the middle of the concrete stretch with a pick-up truck.

A group of construction workers carry out repairs on the runway of the Silvio Pettirossi Airport in Paraguay

They appear to be repairing a hole when suddenly one of them points out the incoming plane.

They slowly move to the side of the runway as one of the workers gets in the front of the car and drives out of the plane's trajectory.

The Gulfstream aircraft comes to land and flies just yards above the car as it moves out of the way.

The worker filming the video alerts the others to the incoming plane and they start to move out of its path to the side of the runway

They slowly move to the side and one of the workers gets in the front of the pick-up truck and starts to drive out of the plane's trajectory

The workers do not appear particularly concerned by the very near miss having sauntered to the side of the runway not even looking at the potential collision.

The video is believed to have been filmed four or five years ago but has recently come to light after going viral on social media in Paraguay.

The president of DINAC Edgar Melgarejo told Gatechecked there would be an investigation into the incident and suggested a lack of communication between the pilot and air traffic control was the reason behind it.

In a tweet translated from Spanish, DINAC Paraguay said: 'The maintenance works on the runway are constant and carried out with all the safety rigour.

The Gulfstream plane narrowly misses the car as it comes in to land on the runway

The president of the civil aviation agency Edgar Melgarejo said there would be an investigation into the incident

'Coordinated and informed with time via the Notice to Airmen, it works as is required by the international procedure which the Institution submits to.

'Each operation is looked after by the Control Tower and each aircraft receives instructions for every action - this is independent of the Notice to Airmen which is previously issued.

'The aircraft pilot is obliged to respond to the directives of the Air Traffic Controllers and it is their obligation to be aware of each Notice to Airmen issued by them.'

The runway of the Silvio Pettirossi Airport has had a number of problems due to its poor construction and maintenance.

The Paraguayan Government has since announced plans to fund works on the runways and build a second terminal.
A Brazilian minister has been mocked for claiming the Disney character Elsa is turning children into lesbians.

Footage of Brazil's Human Rights Minister Damares Alves speaking at an event in Divinopolis called the Defense of the Family Lecture has been widely shared online.

Speaking in front of missionaries and pastors, Alves claimed the 'Frozen' character was teaching young girls to grow up dreaming of marrying women rather than their 'Prince Charming'.

Human Rights Minister Damares Alves made the claims at an event called the Defense of the Family Lecture

'You know why she only ends up alone in an ice castle, because she is a lesbian!' Alves explained at the lecture last year.

The minister also warned that the kiss that the blonde heroine gave Sleeping Beauty to wake her up is proof of her homosexuality.

After receiving widespread criticism on social media, Alves responded on her Instagram account.

She expressed surprise that her comments had drawn such vitriol and said her aim was to protect children from over-sexualized cartoons.

'My criticism is known to all, I am criticizing the attempted interference of gender ideologists in our children's identities,' adding that children need play with toys and study rather than thinking about gender and sexuality.

There have been rumours and discussion among the film's production team about Queen Elsa coming out in the yet-unreleased 2019 sequel.

Disney's producers have previously hinted that Elsa could come out in the upcoming sequel to Frozen
A father-of-three is set to receive a new lease on life after a stranger stepped up with a generous donation.

Perth electrician Gennaro Rapinese, 39, has been admitted into Fiona Stanley Hospital, where he will undergo an extensive chemotherapy before the surgery.

Mr Rapinese was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia, a type of blood cancer, in 2015. He was in remission for three-and-a-half years, before his cancer returned in February.

Doctors told his family that only a bone marrow transplant could save his life.

Electrician and father-of-three Gennaro Rapinese (pictured) has been admitted into Fiona Stanley Hospital, where he will undergo an extensive chemotherapy before the bone marrow transplant surgery

The desperate family started a bone marrow donor registry and received an overwhelming support from people in Australia and overseas.

Mr Rapinese's wife Joanne couldn't conceal her excitement after hearing the news about the donor.

'We want to shout it from the rooftops, from the highest of mountains to the furtherest of lands, far and wide, that with the happiest of hearts, the biggest of smiles and tears in our eyes, we have the best news to share...A donor has been found for Gennaro!' she said.

'We don't know anything about this very special soul, other than that they are a perfect match - 12/12!!! (G, you're not as unique as you once thought).

'This person is our saviour. They are giving us the greatest of all gifts - gifting our family with the opportunity of a second chance at life.'

Mr Rapinese was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia, a type of blood cancer, in 2015. He was in remission for three-and-a-half years, before his cancer returned in February

Mr Rapinese is expected to be in hospital for about four to six weeks followed by a six month rest at home.

His family has decided to continue supporting the Australian Bone Marrow Donor Registry.

'There are still a couple of bone marrow drives coming up over the next couple of weeks. If you are booked in to join the registry, please honour your commitment,' Ms Joanne said.

'Just like G has relied on a stranger to save him, a stranger is relying on you to save them. We really do hope the momentum keeps going.
Fears that Iran was about to attack American targets in the Middle East were sparked by pictures of fully-assembled missiles loaded on to the back of boats in the Persian Gulf, it has been claimed.

Iranian paramilitary forces were seen loading the weapons on to small craft, amid concern that the Revolutionary Guards would fire them at US navy vessels.

Additional intelligence reported threats to commercial ships and potential attacks by Iranian-backed militias on American troops in Iraq, which, taken together, led the US to believe an attack was imminent.

The rockets were seen moving to locations that were within range of US bases, a source told the Washington Times.

American warnings of a 'credible threat' against its forces in the Middle East have sent tensions across the region soaring, as Arab nations including Saudi, UAE and Iran insisted they were ready for a war but didn't want one.

Amid the mounting crisis in the Middle East, Saudi Arabia this morning directly blamed Iran for ordering drone attacks on its oil pipelines on Tuesday.

Iran-backed Houthi rebels in neighbouring Yemen had claimed responsibility for the attacks which saw explosive-laden drones hit two Aramco pumping stations.

Overhead images of fully-assembled Iranian missiles on boats in the Persian Gulf sparked fears they would be fired at US ships and prompted warnings of a 'credible threat' (pictured, USS Abraham Lincoln carrier group on May 8, on its way to Arabian Peninsula)

US embassy personnel were evacuated from Iraq as the Abraham Lincoln carrier group (pictured) was moved to the region, sending tensions soaring

Saudi Arabia's deputy defence minister, Khalid bin Salman said Tuesday's 'proves that these militias are merely a tool that Iran's regime uses to implement its expansionist agenda in the region,' the prince said on Twitter.

'The terrorist acts, ordered by the regime in Tehran, and carried out by the Houthis, are tightening the noose around the ongoing political efforts.'

The remarks threaten to further escalate tinderbox relations in the region.

Attacks by Houthi drones inside Saudi Arabia's territory also shows a level of sophistication not previously seen in attacks of this kind, Al-Jazeera reported.

While Houthis have been using weaponised drones in attacks since at least last year, their range has been relatively limited.

However, the two pipelines attacked on Tuesday were 800m inside Saudi territory, meaning the Houthis likely had to use satellite technology to guide the drones to their targets - technology they were not previously known to possess.

Today, three security sources told the New York Times pictures of missiles being loaded on to the back of boats in the Persian Gulf presented a new kind of threat to the one previously seen from Iran, prompting embassy evacuations on Wednesday.

President Trump's security team, and in particular National Security Adviser John Bolton, took the threat seriously enough to order the withdrawal of non-essential embassy staff from Iraq, which has been completed.

Tensions between the US and Iran, which have been building for months, peaked in recent days following attacks on oil tankers and pumping stations that Washington has blamed on Tehran.

American security experts believe Iran gave its 'blessing' to tanker attacks, which hit two Saudi crude oil tankers, a UAE-flagged fuel bunker barge and a Norwegian-registered oil products tanker off Fujeirah near the Strait of Hormuz.

The head of Iran's Revolutionary Guards Hossein Salami (pictured) insisted he was 'fully prepared for a confrontation with the enemy', despite Ayatollah Khameni saying Iran did not want conflict

The source said the United States believes Iran's role was one of actively encouraging militants but indicated the United States does not now have evidence that Iranian personnel played any direct operational role.

Houthi rebels, who are back by Iran, have already claimed responsibility for the attacks on two Saudi oil pumping stations earlier this week.

Iran's Foreign Ministry has called the tanker attacks 'worrisome and dreadful' and called for an investigation.

The precariousness of the situation was underlined Wednesday as multiple nations emphasised that they are ready for war, while insisting it is the last thing they want.

Iran's Revolutionary Guards said it is 'fully prepared for a confrontation with the enemy' and was backed by defence minister Amir Hatami who insisted 'we will defeat the United States' in any military confrontation.

Meanwhile Saudi Arabia struck Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen after they launched drone attacks against oil pipelines

They spoke out as foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said Iran would show 'maximum restraint' despite increased threats from Washington.

On a visit to Tokyo, Zarif defended Iran's right to respond to the U.S. pullout from the nuclear deal last year and the imposition of sanctions.

'We believe that escalation by the United States is unacceptable and uncalled for. We have exercised maximum restraints,' he said. In other comments carried on the semi-official Mehr news agency, Zarif was quoted as saying 'a multilateral deal cannot be treated unilaterally.'

Ayatollah Khameni said earlier in the week that Iran is not seeking a conflict.

Meanwhile the United Arab Emirates said it is also committed to showing restraint and de-escalation during a 'difficult situation', which it said was caused by Iran.

However, the government also warned that it would 'retaliate hard' against the Houthis if any of their oil infrastructure in Yemen comes under attack.

Saudi Arabia launched airstrikes against rebel positions in Yemen on Thursday following the pipeline attacks - part of its ongoing proxy-war in the country.

Meanwhile Qatar announced that its foreign minister had been to Tehran in recent days to try and calm the situation down.

Qatar hosts the forward headquarters of the U.S. military's Central Command at its vast Al-Udeid Air Base, but has grown closer to Iran after it was blockaded by Saudi and four other Arab nations as part of a political dispute.

Questions have been raised about the validity of American intelligence on Iran, however, after a senior British general said he had seen no increased threat.

Major General Chris Ghika, deputy commander of anti-ISIS forces in Iraq and Syria, told reporters that he was monitoring Iran and its proxy forces but had seen no evidence of imminent danger.

The remark put him at loggerheads with US Central Command, which issued a rare rebuke to an allied commander, saying Ghika's remarks 'run counter to the identified credible threats.'

John Bolton (right), President Trump's National Security Adviser, is thought to have been particularly alarmed by the threat of missile strikes

It comes after four oil tankers were hit with underwater mines in an attack that the US says was given Iran's 'blessing'

Houthi rebels also flew bomb-laden drones into two pipelines in Yemen, prompting a further escalation in tensions

The spokesman added: 'As a result, (the coalition) is now at a high level of alert as we continue to monitor credible and possibly imminent threats to U.S. forces in Iraq.'

Tensions began building on Sunday when four oil tankers - including two belonging to America's ally Saudi Arabia - were apparently sabotaged off the UAE coast.

U.S. investigators were asked to get involved and subsequently blamed Iran and its allies, with divers saying it appeared magnetic explosives were used.

That sparked a furious exchange of words between the US and Iran, with a key adviser to Iranian president Rouhani warning of a looming conflict.

He also mocked Trump's National Security Adviser John Bolton, saying: 'That's what happens when you listen to the mustache.'

Tensions heightened further Tuesday after two pumping stations on a major Saudi oil pipeline were attacked by explosive-laden drones, halting the flow of crude along it.

Saudi Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih said attacks on the pipeline from the oil-rich Eastern Province to the Red Sea took place early yesterday morning, and called it 'an act of terrorism' that targeted global oil supplies.

Iranian-backed Houthi rebels took responsibility for the attack, and said it was carried out using explosive-laden drones.

The Houthis are fighting against Saudi-backed forces in Yemen's civil war, which has been raging since 2015.
A wave of young far-right politicians are leading the surge of nationalist support across Europe as extremist parties use baby-faced poster-boys to recruit young voters.

Using social media, and in particular Instagram, the new generation of far-right leaders entice Millennials to join these rebranded versions of nationalist parties.

They are strikingly young, but emphatic that they should not be considered newcomers. Rather, they are claiming the mantle of Old Europe at its most traditional.

Several of this year's far-right candidates in Europe are well under 30 - as are some of their most ardent supporters.

Telegenic Dries Van Langenhove, who is among the top picks on the list for Belgium's far-right party Vlaams Belang, is 26.

In France, the head of the National Rally slate for the upcoming European elections is 23-year-old Jordan Bardella and has been a card-carrying party member since the age of 16.

Far-right Vox supporter Amanda Puiggros, 22, distributing flyers after a party meeting in Barcelona, Spain. Europe's far-right parties are going after young voters by fielding strikingly young candidates

Jordan Bardella, 23, the head of the National Rally list for the European elections addressing supporters during a political rally for the European elections in Metz, France, earlier this month

Vlaams Belang president Tom Van Grieken, 32, delivering a speech at the new year's reception of Flemish far-right party in Brugge in January

MARINE LE PEN'S 23-YEAR-OLD FAR-RIGHT PROTEGE Jordan Bardella, 23, poses for portrait in Nanterre, outside Paris Jordan Bardella is the head of France's National Rally party slate for the upcoming European elections. The 23-year-old has been a card-carrying party member since the age of 16 when he joined Marine Le Pen's National Front before she rebranded it following her defeat in the presidential race at the hands of Emmanuel Macron. In Rome this year he gave a brief speech to a young audience of far-right activists that hit many of the same notes as Le Pen's years earlier. He raised by a single mother in a suburban Paris housing project. Advertisement

Denmark's Danish People's Party lead candidate is a 29-year-old who is already a veteran campaigner. And in Spain, the chief spokesman for the Vox party is 27-year-old Manuel Mariscal who was elected to parliament last month.

The party's vice secretary for youth is 24-year-old Luis Felipe Ulecia.

These candidates are part of a growing attempt by Europe's far-right parties to gear their anti-migration, Euroskeptic message to the young, with everything from beer nights for adults and bouncy castles for kids to an outsized presence on social media, the Associated Press has found.

Young European voters are responding with a rightward shift sometimes faster and farther than their elders - as illustrated by voting results or party rolls from Italy, France, Spain and Austria.

The trend could have major implications for this month's elections, which decide the makeup of the European Parliament as well as some national governments, as in Belgium.

Belgium's Vlaams Belang has a 32-year-old president, Tom Van Grieken and is hoping its message of economic protectionism will help the party, which has forged links in France with Marine Le Pen's National Rally party.

It also has the loose far-right alliance that includes Italy's League, Austria's Freedom Party, Britain's UKIP, the German far-right AfD and the Danish People's Party.

In March, the young far-right leaders from all those parties and more gathered in Rome, where a 23-year-old raised by a single mother in a suburban Paris housing project was one of the stars. Bardella's brief speech to a young audience hit many of the same notes as Jean-Marie Le Pen's from decades ago.

Peter Kofod, 29, is the Danish People's Party lead candidate and is already a veteran campaigner of the far-right scene

The chief spokesman for the Vox party is 27-year-old Manuel Mariscal (pictured), who was elected to parliament last month in the country's general election

Supporters of the far-right NPD political party gather for a rally on the eastern city outskirts on May Day on May 1, 2012

Van Langenhove has 31,000 Instagram followers and a strong presence on social media. Until recently isolated as racist by the rest of the political spectrum, the Flemish independence party Vlaams Belang whose slate he leads in Flemish Brabant has a handful of seats in the parliament and a plan to more than double that.

In Denmark, Peter Kofod, 29, has risen steadily since his first election in 2014 to city council.

The following year, he became chairman of the youth wing of the anti-immigrant, populist Danish People's Party, which drew votes from a fifth of young voters.

BELGIUM'S FAR-RIGHT VLAAMS BELANG PARTY Belgium's Vlaams Belang party has a 32-year-old president, Tom Van Grieken (pictured) Tom Van Grieken, president of Belgium's Vlaams Belang party. He is hoping its message of economic protectionism will help the party gain more support. Dries Van Langenhove, who is one of the party's top candidate's, has 31,000 Instagram followers and a strong presence on social media. Until recently isolated as racist by the rest of the political spectrum, the Flemish independence party Vlaams Belang whose slate he leads in Flemish Brabant has a handful of seats in the parliament and a plan to more than double that. Advertisement

Julia Ebner, a researcher with the Institute for Strategic Dialogue, a left-leaning think tank, said: 'The far right has made a very explicit effort to pander to younger audiences. They've essentially rebranded themselves.'

'Far-right political parties have been most active in engaging with social media users.'

The far right has also succeeded at picking up on existing grievances and fears among young people and at using their language and cultural reference points, she said.

It's a significant change from where the far right found itself in Europe's postwar era: identified with the Nazis and a Holocaust that killed 6 million Jews, marginalised by governments and eclipsed by a unifying Europe.

Opponents say today's far-right candidates have given new window-dressing to old racist beliefs and an implicit call for violence, pushing a pro-Christian, anti-Islam ideology that Belgium's security services describe as 'extreme right in a white collar.'

Only now they're appealing to a demographic with no memories of where extremist beliefs once led the continent - to a world war that left almost all of Europe in rubble.

Supporters of the far-right German National Democratic Party (NPD) make an NPD salute as they wait for the start of the election campaign of their Party in the northern German city of Hanover in 2007

Schild en Vrienden founding member Dries Van Langenhove, 26, pictured during the meeting of Flemish far-right party Vlaams Belang, in Ninove earlier this month

Supporters of the far-right NPD political party shout slogans as they gather near the Reichstag to protest against what they call the 'Islamization' and 'Americanization' of Europe on the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II in 2015

SPAIN'S VOX PARTY'S USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA AND YOUTH EVENTS TO GAIN SUPPORT Luis Felipe Ulecia, 24, far-right Vox party vice secretary for youth, speaking during a meeting for supporters in Barcelona, Spain Far-right Vox has a 24-year-old vice secretary for youth in Luis Felipe Ulecia. The party's gains have come at the expense of traditional conservatives, who were slow to counter the upstart party's rise among the young. It has done so with youth events such as the popular 'Pints for Spain' evenings at bars, nightclubs and cafes, where no one over 25 is allowed through the door. Under Manuel Mariscal, the 27-year-old Vox spokesman and a newly elected MP, the main Instagram channel has more than 300,000 followers, more than half of them younger than 34. A lot of its outreach happens on WhatsApp, where Vox's Madrid youth operation has nearly 1,750 active members. Advertisement

Every country defines and measures its young voters slightly differently. But the trend is unmistakable.

Across Europe, the right has gained ground with the electorate in general, but its strength among young voters who traditionally lean left has come as a surprise, according to poll estimates.

In Italy, 17 percent of voters aged 18 to 34 voted for the League in 2018, compared to just 5 percent in 2013. In Austria , 30 percent of the youngest voters chose the Freedom Party in 2017, up from 22 percent in 2013, making it the most popular party among those ages 16 to 29.

And in Germany, the AfD's gains were notable while support from the youngest voters for the Green Party barely changed. France's vote showed similar trends.

Van Langenhove is also the leader of Schild en Vrienden, a Flemish nationalist movement known for anti-immigration stunts and named in Belgium's annual report last year on extremist groups as national security concerns.

The report did not accuse the group of violence but noted that the movement 'deserves our attention.'

On a recent spring holiday in a historic park, Van Langenhove's larger-than-life photo was plastered across the Vlaams Belang campaign vans.

They were parked alongside the cars of thousands of party supporters and their children, who split their time between anti-immigration speeches inside and an outside festival that included face-painting, bouncy castles and a stand for the book 'The Kidnapping of Europe.'

Louis Beernaert, 27, has been coming to Vlaams Belang meetings with his father and sister since he was a child.

Now his sister's husband and their toddler have joined also. They were all in flavour of the party's new faces, which include its 32-year-old president, Tom Van Grieken.

'It needed to get younger,' Beernaert said. 'Their ideas are the same, but they say them in a less radical way.'

Vox's Luis Felipe Ulecia, 24, is one a rising number of young far-right activists across Europe

National Front president Marine Le Pen, waving to supporters during a meeting in Frejus, southern France. She re-branded her father's far-right National Front party as the National Rally after losing the presidency to Emmanuel Macron in 2017

A number of Belgian right-wing associations participated in the 'March against Marrakesh' in Brussels to protest a UN migration pact last year

Van Langenhove, who holds his torso like a boxer, posed for selfies and chatted with party leaders sometimes decades his senior without a flicker of deference.

He avoids direct discussion of race in favour of what he calls identity. But he routinely posts on social media about 'replacement,' a term used by white supremacists in the U.S. and Europe for the idea that European populations are being culturally and ethnically replaced by minorities. 'Our People First' is the Vlaams Belang slogan.

Even though migration to Europe has slowed to a trickle, the continent is still grappling with the after-effects of the hundreds of thousands of people who arrived in the past few years alone.

Belgium's foreign-born population went from just under 12 percent to nearly 17 percent between 2006 and 2017, not including people who slipped in illegally. In France, asylum requests last year topped out at 123,625 - an increase of 23 percent from 2017, when they had already risen 17 percent.

In repeated surveys of young Europeans, including one released this month by the TUI Foundation, migration and asylum are described as Europe's most pressing issue. The environment comes in a distant second.

Demonstrators hold torches during a far-right Thuegida rally in Jena, Germany. Young voters tend to turn out less than older voters, but AP has found that in many countries they've recently gone right further and faster

Supporters of the 'Der Dritte Weg/Der III Weg' (The Third Path/The III Path) far-right and neo-Nazi party walk through Plauen, eastern Germany, during a demonstration on Labour Day this year

Vlaams Belang's decision to name Van Langenhove came after the Belgian network VRT linked him to racist and sexist messages in closed chat rooms.

He dismissed the show as a 'smear,' but it prompted protests at the Ghent campus where he was studying law and got him banned briefly.

Later, he was suspended from Facebook for content that violated the social network's terms of service. He is now more circumspect online and in front of the camera.

'Everything is on the table right now, it's an all-in game. And that's why more young people are taking the risk of associating themselves with right wing nationalist groups and organisations,' he told The Associated Press.

'Young people are right in the middle of the problems. Older people, they move to the countryside, they move to areas where there's not a lot of foreigners. But young people have to move to the cities for their jobs, for their education.'

Jobs are a sore point, with youth unemployment at around 15 percent in Belgium, just above the European Union average, and 20 percent in France.

Bardella, the National Rally candidate, tweeted on March 29: 'Another challenge of our generation will be immigration. Confronted with the demographic bomb that is Africa, it is the survival of our peoples, our civilisations, our Christian roots that is at stake today.'

Marine Le Pen re-branded her father's far-right National Front party as the National Rally after losing the presidency to Emmanuel Macron in 2017.

An illuminated cross with a sticker reading 'Refugees not welcome' is displayed during a demonstration by PEGIDA (Patriotic Europeans against the Islamization of the West), near the Frauenkirche church in Dresden, eastern Germany

Supporters of Golden Dawn far right party held an antigovernment demonstration in the center of Thessaloniki

Despite the loss, she made important inroads among young French voters over her previous attempt in 2012, easily outstripping all the traditional parties in polling among the young as well as the far-left candidate.

She clearly took something away from the experience. The head of her party list this year is Bardella, an acolyte who joined the National Front at age 16 and swiftly rose to lead its youth movement and that of its successor.

Bardella is nearly as explicit as Van Langenhove about the young leading the way against waves of mass migration and rules from Brussels.

While Van Langenhove used a medieval Flemish castle in an elaborate stunt against pro-migrant activists, Bardella uses Old France as his backdrop - casks of Cognac, golden fields, even the classic French comic book characters Asterix and Obelix.

He is growing increasingly confident about campaigning on his own, especially with recent stumbles by Macron's party.

'The generation that is committed to nationalist political movements today is the generation that tomorrow will be called upon to lead Europe,' Bardella told The Associated Press.

That is exactly what Pawel Zerka fears. A researcher with the left-leaning European Council on Foreign Relations, he said the mainstream parties have barely made an effort to appeal to younger voters, seeing them as a lost cause because so few actually turn out.

A protester holding a poster with a manipulated image of German Chancellor Angela Merkel wearing a headscarf and the Reichstag with a crescent on top, during a rally by the group Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamization of the West (PEGIDA) in Dresden, Germany

NPD politician Torsten Heise speaks to a journalist outside the venue of the 'Schild und Schwert' (Shield and Sword) neo-nazi festival, in the small eastern German town of Ostritz in April last year

'So many young voters across Europe don't believe the future will be better than today and they believe the past was better than today,' he said, citing repeated surveys. 'The current European Union or the [mainstream] parties don't offer a credible or attractive vision for the future for the young.'

The far right is stepping in. In Spain, Vox's gains have come at the expense of traditional conservatives, who were slow to counter the upstart party's rise among the young.

Its events include the popular 'Pints for Spain' evenings at bars, nightclubs and cafes, where no one over 25 is allowed through the door.

Under Mariscal, the 27-year-old Vox spokesman and a newly elected lawmaker, the main Instagram channel has more than 300,000 followers, more than half of them younger than 34.

A lot of its outreach happens on WhatsApp, where Vox's Madrid youth operation has nearly 1,750 active members.

'A young kid who is highly motivated is capable of convincing many others. He talks to friends, he debates constantly with others, with family, that enthusiasm is contagious,' said Luis Felipe Ulecia, the 24-year-old vice secretary for youth.

Far-right Vox party supporters attend an election campaign event in Madrid. Vox's gains have come at the expense of traditional conservatives, who were slow to counter the upstart party's rise among the young

Vlaams Belang party candidate Dries van Langenhove, 26, speaking with attendees at a debate with other party leaders in Zemst, Belgium

A bracelet with the Spanish flag around his left wrist, he spoke to AP at a working-class bar in northern Madrid about the party's effort to recruit among the young.

'We are not looking for high-and-mighty young leaders... they need to be street-smart; they need to know about Spain's countryside; and they need to have been to the poligonos,' he said in reference to the factory hubs in the cities' periphery.

He later led a small outing of well-dressed young supporters in unfriendly territory in Barcelona, handing out pamphlets to anyone willing to take them and at one point carefully confronting leftist activists.

Although the party has a tiny footprint in Spain - elections in April made it the No. 5 political party in the parliament's lower house - it's already influencing the political debate on migration or the country's territorial unity. Still, Vox's vote total was far lower than its social media following would indicate.

This shows a possible ceiling for the ability of far-right groups to translate likes to votes, according to Manuel Mostaza Barrios, an analyst at the Madrid-based Atrevia consulting group.

As he put it: 'The candidates most followed on social media aren't necessarily those that get the most votes.'
Austrian lawmakers have approved plans to ban girls in primary schools from wearing headscarves, a move that would add to existing restrictions on veils.

Members of the governing coalition of Chancellor Sebastian Kurz's conservative People's Party and the anti-migration Freedom Party supported the measure late on Wednesday.

Kurz's party conceded that the new headscarf ban is likely to face challenges at Austria's Constitutional Court.

The parties who proposed it openly admitted that the measure is 'specifically targeted at Muslim girls'.

A police officer asks a Muslim woman to unveil her face in Zell am See, Austria after an earlier ban in 2017

The new headscarf ban will affect people of all religions and is likely to face challenges at Austria's Constitutional Court (pictured: a Sikh family wearing traditional head coverings)

A child wearing a yarmulke - skullcaps worn by Orthodox Jewish men - plays with legos during the Mega Challah Bake at the local Chabad community's Kosher Festival

The measure bans wearing 'ideologically or religiously characterized clothing' that covers the head, and specifies that it refers to items 'that cover the whole or large parts of the hair.'

Mr Kurzs government introduced a ban on burkas and other full-face coverings in 2017. The new ban is seen as an extension of the current restrictions.

Austria's previous government prohibited full-face veils in courts, schools and other 'public places' and banned police officers, judges, magistrates and public prosecutors from wearing headscarves.

In June last year Austria's government announced the closure of seven mosques and plans to expel imams in a crackdown on 'political Islam' and foreign financing of religious groups.

Chancellor Sebastian Kurz shut a hardline Turkish nationalist mosque in Vienna and dissolved a group called the Arab Religious Community that runs six mosques.

The actions by the government are based on a 2015 law that, among other things, prevents religious communities from getting funding from abroad.

An information pamphlet about new Austrian restrictions banning the wearing of burqas and other items covering the face in public places and buildings

The rules will ban 'ideologically or religiously characterized clothing' from schools including yarmulkes (Pictured: Hanukkah celebrations at the Jewish Museum in Vienna)

Interior Minister Herbert Kickl said the residence permits of around 40 imams employed by ATIB, a group that oversees Turkish mosques in Austria, were under review.

The conservative Kurz became chancellor in December 2017 in a coalition with the anti-migration Freedom Party.

In campaigning for the 2017 election, both coalition parties called for tougher immigration controls, quick deportations of asylum-seekers whose requests are denied and a crackdown on radical Islam.

'Parallel societies, political Islam and tendencies toward radicalization have no place in our country,' Kurz told reporters in Vienna. He added that the government's powers to intervene 'were not sufficiently used' in the past.
Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos honored his Cuban immigrant father by buying him a Liberty Star at a new museum's opening last night.

The world's richest man, 55, spent $2million on the item which forms part of the 'Stars and Stripes' mural at the entrance of the Statue of Liberty museum in New York.

The artwork, thought up by Edwin Schlossberg and fundraising chair Diane von Furstenberg, was created as a way to generate money for the museum honoring 19th and 20th century immigrants to America.

Created by Anh Duong, there are 50 stars for donors to buy, as well as stripes made from iron bars on the statue's original armature, reports Harper's Bazaar.

Jeff Bezos shared a clip of he and his father Miguel near the Statue of Liberty at the new museum's opening night

He paid tribute to his father, who goes by Mike, saying: 'His grit, determination, and optimism are inspiring'

Bezos shared a sweet clip of he and his father Miguel raising a toast with the iconic national monument in the background on Twitter as he paid tribute to him with the gift.

He said: 'At the Statue of Liberty, where my dad's being honored with a Liberty Star as part of the new museum's opening.

'When he came here from Cuba at 16, not only was he all alone, but he only spoke Spanish. His grit, determination, and optimism are inspiring.'

Bezos is the biological son of Jacklyn and Ted Jorgensen, but the pair split soon after he was born. Jacklyn then remarried with Miguel, who goes by Mike, in 1968.

Within months of the wedding, Mike legally adopted Bezos, who was then age four, and raised him as if he was his own son.

When asked about his biological father in 1999, Bezos told Wired: 'The reality, as far as I'm concerned, is that my dad is my natural father.

'The only time I ever think about it, genuinely, is when a doctor asks me to fill out a form.'

Miguel, who goes by Mike, legally adopted Bezos at age four when he married his mother in 1968. Bezos previously said of Mike: 'The reality, as far as I'm concerned, is that my dad is my natural father'

His biological father lost contact with the family, and only discovered the Amazon founder was his son after a reporter writing a biography on Bezos contacted him.

According to Page Six, the pair never reunited before Jorgensen died in 2015.

Shortly after getting married, Mike graduated in math and computer science from University of Albuquerque in New Mexico. He then was offered a job with Exxon, and the family moved to Houston, Texas.

The family moved around with the company, and Bezos eventually went to Princeton where he graduated in 1986.

His supportive parents invested $245,573 in Amazon back in 1995 - despite Bezos warning them it was incredibly risky, reports Bloomberg.

That stake, around 3.4 per cent of the company, could now be worth up to $30billion, although it is not known exactly how much they still own.

Speaking of their investiment in the past, Mike said: 'We were fortunate enough that we have lived overseas and we have saved a few pennies so we were able to be an angel investor.

'The rest is history.'

Their son is now worth an estimated $131billion - making him the world's richest man, ahead of Bill Gates in second place with $96.5bn.
Poachers have been pictured sickeningly laughing while they hold the bloodied corpse of a rare clouded leopard in Malaysia.

The photographs were brazenly uploaded to Facebook by a used named as Max Mantra who took them in the town of Tampin, in the west of the country.

They showed the grinning hunters lifting the beast, holding up its blood-stained head and slinging it over their backs.

The clouded leopard is an extremely rare species, with an estimated total of just 10,000 across the world in an ever decreasing population.

The poachers laugh as they hold the corpse of the clouded leopard in the town of Tampin, western Malaysia

Men pose for pictures beside the outstretched corpse of the leopard, in front of others in blue uniforms and orange berets thought to be officers of the Malaysian Civil Defence Force

One of the photos showed men in blue uniforms and orange berets in the background.

These are officers of the Malaysian Civil Defence Force, according to Siva Nadarajan who took screen shots of Mantra's original upload.

The pictures were quickly deleted by Mantra, but not before Nadarajan posted them on the Facebook group Hiking and Camping Around Malaysia.

Nadarajan said in his post that he tried to call the Department of Wildlife and National Parks about the incident, but they told him 'everyone has gone home' and he could not make the complaint.

It is unclear whether he tried to report the poachers again.

One of the men holds up the lifeless head of the clouded leopard, whose fur is blood-stained after the hunt

Another image shows one of the group with the majestic animal slung over his shoulders, while another two pose for the camera

Mantra's post on Facebook stated, 'Caught in Tampin' before the images were soon deleted

According to the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the clouded leopard is considered 'vulnerable'.

Its natural habitat extends from the Himalayan foothills to the jungles of Malaysia.

The majestic cat has been extinct in Singapore and Taiwan for decades.
Sir Roger Scruton (pictured) has suggested that getting rid of universities could end what he says is discrimination faced by conservatives

Sir Roger Scruton says that getting rid of left-wing universities could end discrimination he believes conservatives face on some campuses.

The philosopher thinks 'we have completely lost control' of state-sponsored institutions.

The 75-year-old told a London conference on the future of Europe that universities could be founded outside the rubric of state control.

Giving the University of Buckingham as an example, he suggested that private institutions would be preferable.

But he added that scrapping state universities altogether could be another option, The Times reports.

'But theres the other way forward, which is to get rid of universities altogether. That is to say, make sure their sources of funding dry up,' he said.

'They are essentially state-sponsored institutions. Withdrawing the grants that they enjoy would bring them right down to the level to which they are actually approaching.'

His remarks come after a study found that just 11 per cent of academics supported the Tories in 2015, with 70 per cent backing Labour.

In 1960 about 33 per cent supported the Conservatives and 45 per cent backed Labour.

Sir Roger, who is acquainted with Hungary's right-wing prime minister Viktor Orban, was sacked as a government adviser on housing last month.

His dismissal followed an interview in the left-wing New Statesman in which he made comments derided as racist.

The philosopher was previously branded anti-Semitic because he said George Soros (pictured) had an empire in Hungary

The writer addressed the authoritarian Chinese government and said that it was creating replicas out of its people.

He also said Hungarians had been 'extremely alarmed by the sudden invasion of huge tribes of Muslims' and said the word Islamophobia was 'invented by the Muslim Brotherhood to stop discussion'.

The conservative thinker was also branded anti-Semitic because he said that Jewish investor George Soros had an 'empire' in Hungary.

In 2007 he was criticised for perceived homophobia because he said that homosexuality is 'not normal' in a Daily Telegraph article.

He has since defended his comments and said that he intended merely to say that heterosexuals are in the majority.
This is the heartwarming moment a quadriplegic former pilot's dream came true when he enjoyed his first paragliding flight.

Canadian Jim Ryan, 59, was paralysed after being hit by a wave when he was diving underwater in Central Pacific island Maui in 2016 while on holiday with his family.

The former commercial airline pilot wanted to take to the skies again ever since and his ambition was realised with the help of paragliding enthusiast Greg Hemingway a flight officer - who Jim flew with when he was a captain.

Jim and Greg took off from a mountain in Harrison Mills, British Columbia and then enjoyed magical tandem flight through a valley.

Jim and Greg took off from a mountain in Harrison Mills, British Columbia and then enjoyed magical tandem flight through a valley.

In the flight, which was recorded on Greg's body cam, Jim is heard laughing loudly.

When the pair touched down, a grateful Jim, who is an advocate for people with disabilities, says: 'What a ride, thank you Greg'.

Afterwards Jim said: 'For someone in a wheelchair who misses flying every day, this is one of the incredible experiences that make life worthwhile.'

In the flight, which was recorded on Greg's body cam, Jim is heard laughing with joy

Jim had wanted to complete a paragliding flight ten years ago when he was a pilot for Canada's low-cost airline WestJet but his work commitments meant it wasn't possible.

But his dream was made possible after he approached Greg a few months ago to ask him if he would take him paragliding - and to his delight his former colleague said yes.

Jim, who posted a video of his flight on Facebook, took to the skies in a specially made buggy for disabled paragliders, which has a backpack attachment to allow people to do tandem flights.

The chair is low to the ground and has specially made straps that cover every part of the body.

Jim, 59, was paralysed after being hit by a wave when he was diving underwater in Central Pacific island Maui in 2016 while on holiday with his family

Afterwards Jim expressed his gratitude to the four kind paraglider pilots who helped carry him up the mountain and helped strap him into his seat.

He said: 'It is through the phenomenal help of friends and new acquaintances that make this all work.'

Jim acts a motivational speaker for those with disabilities in his community.

He has received the Courage to Come Back award for his work and has spent the past three years trying to live his life to the fullest to prove that disabilities don't limit people.

Last year Jim was taken sturgeon fishing by well-known advocate Rick Hansen and even steered the boat.
A mother was horrified when her children found a severed chicken head looking up at them from a plate of Iceland wings.

Ceanne Reid has quit meat after her family were greeted by a face looking up at them from the supermarket's Let's Eat American BBQ Chicken Wings.

Her 14-year-old niece declared she had discovered a 'face' on her plate, leading her aunt to think she was reporting a mere resemblance of facial features.

Ceanne Reid (pictured, left) was outraged to find the severed chicken's head (right) in among the wings

But when the laughing business management student asked to see what she was talking about, her giggles turned to gasps.

The 25-year-old said her two sons were retching as she raced to get the meal out of the room.

Sickened by the discovery the family lost their appetite and the children refused to snack on anything other than crisps and yoghurts.

Iceland said their investigation found it was an isolated incident and that 'extreme measures' have been taken by the supplier to prevent recurrence.

The mother-of-three had hoped to feed her children a nice family meal but found a head resting on their plate

It is believed that the employee responsible will be 'disciplined' and a camera is to be installed in the 'cutting room' area of the processing plant.

Ms Reid, from Birmingham, West Midlands, took the head into the store in a tupperware container demanding answers.

'I was totally disgusted, I couldn't believe it when I saw it,' she said. 'I remember thinking, "is it really a chicken head?".

'I nearly threw up as I'd just taken my wings off that plate, even thinking about it now makes me feel sick. The thought I could have picked it up and put it in my mouth makes me feel queasy.

'Everything is intact - you could see where the eyes were, the beak, even the little red wattles underneath. You can also see where it's been cut off from the neck.

'As far as I'm aware everything inside the head must be still in there too - the eyeballs and the brain is still in there. Since then I haven't eaten meat, it's really put me off.

'We were going to cook spaghetti bolognese for their dinner that night and in the end I made a pasta bake.'

She picked up the 1.50 bag of frozen chicken wings from an outlet inside The Range in West Bromwich on April 24.

A firm favourite with the family, she had bought it to feed eight children including her two children, nieces, nephews and young cousins.

Ms Reid cooked the chicken wings as usual and plated them up for people to help themselves to when her niece made the grim discovery.

'I didn't analyse to see what's a wing and what wasn't because I wasn't expecting to find anything other than chicken wings,' she said. 'If it says chicken wings on the packet I'm not looking for a severed head.

'My niece suddenly said "aunty there's a face", I thought she meant the chicken wings were in the shape of a face on the plate.

The head (pictured on the plate) had been fried along with the wings and found its way into an Iceland meal

'It was only when I saw something pointy that I took another look and realised what it was.

'The meal came to an end pretty quickly after the chicken head was found, everybody stopped eating at that point. The kids then refused to eat anything else and instead had crisps and yoghurts.'

The next day Ms Reid went back into the store and was stunned to discover the product was still being sold despite the possibility of another head floating around.

Ceanne said: 'I wanted to keep hold of the head so that the issue didn't get brushed under the carpet.

Ms Reid (pictured) was disgusted to discover a chicken head in the meal and stormed into the store to show them

'I put it in a tupperware container and took it back into the store that day to show somebody what I'd found.

'I went back in the next day to see if the wings were still on the shelf as I thought 'if it's in my bag, god knows what's going on in the rest of them?'

'I couldn't believe they were still on sale - wouldn't you want to take them off the shelves to prevent it happening to anyone else?

'I feel that I've been passed from pillar to post when complaining about this, it's ridiculous. I've spoken to so many people about it without a decent outcome.

'I would have liked to see the product pulled from the shelves, I think that would have been the best thing to do - how do they know it's not in any other packets?

'I usually shop regularly at Iceland but it's put me off buying from there - I'll definitely be swapping where I shop from now on.'

An Iceland spokesman said: 'Iceland takes great pride in the quality of its own label food and we naturally take all complaints extremely seriously.

'We can confirm that Ms Reid contacted us about a bag of BBQ American chicken wings that clearly did not meet our usual standards.

'Our customer care team was alerted immediately and has investigated the issue alongside our buying team and supplier, and concluded that it was an isolated incident; extreme measures have been taken by our supplier to guard against any recurrence.

'We have offered our customer our sincere apologies and our customer care manager has been in frequent contact with Ms Reid.

'An exceptional goodwill gesture was offered in recognition of the upset caused but we have yet to get a response from Ms Reid.'
Armed police smashed their way into seven properties this morning in a bid to bring down a gang linked to 120 violent offences.

Dawn raids were carried out at seven locations in Oldham, Greater Manchester, in the early hours of today, with police in riot gear seen breaking down doors and windows.

Officers arrested five men, aged between 22 and 38, who have been linked to a gang believed to be responsible for 120 crimes, including aggravated burglary, robbery, car theft, assault and violent disorder.

Dawn raids were carried out at seven locations in Oldham, Greater Manchester today as part of a crackdown on an organised crime group believed to be behind 120 offences

Officers arrested five men, aged between 22 and 38, who have been linked to a gang believed to be responsible for 120 crimes, including aggravated burglary, robbery, car theft, assault and violent disorder

The officers were dressed head-to-toe in protective gear and armed with face guards and crow bars.

They emerged dragging the five men into a police van before they were driven to a police station for questioning.

Warrants to raid the properties were granted as part of Greater Manchester Police's Operation Hansford, set up to target an organised crime group believed to be behind offences in Manchester, West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, Lancashire and Derbyshire.

The officers were dressed head-to-toe in protective gear and armed with face guards and crow bars to smash windows

Armed police are pictured breaking in to a property in Oldham, Greater Manchester today

Chief Superintendent Neil Evans, GMP's Territorial Commander for Oldham said: 'Today we have five people in custody and that is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the team here in Oldham, who have worked tirelessly in order to disrupt this organised crime group.

'Today's action has been supported from officers across GMP; however I would also like to take this opportunity to thank our colleagues from West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, Derbyshire and Lancashire  all of whom have supported this investigation from the very outset.

'The importance of our investigation and the severity of the crimes committed should not be underestimated.

Warrants to raid the properties were granted as part of Greater Manchester Police's Operation Hansford

'Organised criminal activity destroys people's livelihoods and blights communities.

'I hope that today's action demonstrates to those who have been affected by such criminality just how dedicated we are in bringing those responsible to justice, as well as our absolute commitment to making the streets of Greater Manchester a safer place.

'I would also like to emphasise that Operation Hansford remains very much ongoing.'

Anyone with information should contact police on 101 or the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111
China has formally arrested two Canadian citizens for endangering the country's national security after detaining them since late last year.

Michael Kovrig, a former diplomat, is accused of scouting Chinese national secrets and intelligence for overseas entities.

While Michael Spavor, a China-based businessman who organised trips to North Korea, is said to have stolen Chinese national secrets and provided the information to foreign sources.

It remains unclear when their trials will be, but they could face death sentences if they are found guilty, according to Chinese law.

Michael Kovrig (pictured), a former Canadian diplomat, was detained in China on December 10

Michael Spavor (pictured) is a China-based businessman who organised trips to North Korea

Their detentions last December have been viewed as China's retaliation on Canada after Meng Wanzhou, an executive of Huawei, was arrested in Vancouver under the request of the U.S.

Washington accuses Huawei of using a Hong Kong shell company to sell equipment to Iran in violation of U.S. sanctions. Meng is facing extradition to the U.S.

The formal arrests of Kovrig and Spavor, confirmed by Beijing today, are likely to further increase the tensions between Ottawa, Beijing and Washington.

The two Canadians were detained separately in China shortly after Canada arrested Huawei's Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou on December 1.

The news came after two other Canadians had been sentenced to death by Chinese courts over drug dealing this year.

The detentions have been viewed as China's retaliation on Canada after Meng Wanzhou (pictured), an executive of Huawei, was arrested in Vancouver under the request of the U.S

China has not drawn a direct link between its detention of the two Canadians and Meng's arrest, but Beijing-based Western diplomats have called the cases a tit-for-tat reprisal

Beijing said that Kovrig and Spaover were formally arrested 'recently' without giving further details.

'According to Chinese prosecutors' approval, Michael Kovrig, due to being suspected of crimes of gathering state secrets and intelligence for foreign (forces), and Michael Spavor, for being suspected of crimes of stealing and illegally providing state secrets for foreign (forces), have in recent days been approved for arrest according to law,' China's foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang said at a daily news briefing.

China has taken the measures in accordance with the law, he said.

China hoped Canada 'will not make irresponsible remarks' about China's law enforcement and judicial proceedings, Lu said.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and US President Donald Trump have denounced China's 'arbitrary detention' of two Canadians.

The Canadian embassy in Beijing did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Canadian diplomats have been allowed to visit the two men in detention.

The arrest of Meng, the CFO of Chinese tech-giant Huawei, has sparked political tensions between China, Canada and the United States. Meng is awaiting extradition proceedings

Both Kovrig and Spavor were detained in December and have been held by Beijing for months

Beijing has previously accused Kovrig and Spavor of working together to spy on the nation.

Chinese authorities said in March that the 'stolen' intelligence had been passed onto Kovrig by Spavor, according to an article on China's state-run Global Times in March.

Kovrig was working for the Crisis Group, a non-profit organisation, when he was detained in Beijing on December 10.

Authorities alleged that Kovrig had been collecting state secrets since 2017 by entering China with an ordinary passport and business visas.

Michael Spavor was said to have been 'an important contact' for Kovrig and provided intelligence for him.

China has said it is fully guaranteeing both men's lawful rights. Kovrig also holds Hungarian citizenship.

The Crisis Group said today that Kovrig had been 'unjustly detained' and then 'unjustly arrested'. The organisation insisted on Kovrig's innocence and urged China to free him immediately.

In a statement, the group said: 'After 158 days of arbitrary detention, Michael still hasn't been allowed to see his family or a lawyer.

'His work was completely transparent and out in the open for all to see, including for Chinese officials.'

Robert Malley, the President and CEO of the Crisis Group, said: 'Nothing Michael did was harmful to China.

'On the contrary, his work helped inform both China's global policies and those around the world who make policies toward China in a manner that contributes to preventing and resolving conflict.'

China's foreign ministry spokesperson Lu Kang (pictured) said the two Canadians were formally arrested 'recently' without giving further details at a daily press briefing today

With their formal arrest, Kovirg and Spavor could soon face trial, though it is unclear when that may be.

According to the Chinese Criminal Law, any individuals who steal, scout, purchase or illegally obtain national secrets and intelligence could face jail terms between five and 10 years.

But those whose behaviour causes 'particularly serious damage to the country and its people' and whose crime is 'particularly serious' can be given death sentences, according to clause number 113.

Justin Trudeau voiced strong concern over the charges put against Kovrig in March.

'We are obviously very concerned with the position that China has taken,' Trudeau told reporters.

Trudeau reiterated that Canada considers China to have arbitrarily detained both the former diplomat and his compatriot Spavor.

Huawei's Chief Financial Officer, Meng Wanzhou, is seen leaving British Columbia Supreme Court in Vancouver on May 8. She has vowed to vigorously fight extradition to the U.S.

Meng, 47, is the daughter of Huawei's billionaire founder, Ren Zhengfei.

She was arrested at Vancouver's airport in December on a U.S. warrant and is fighting extradition on charges that she conspired to defraud global banks about Huawei's relationship with a company operating in Iran.

Meng was released from jail in December on C$10 million ($7.5 million) bail and must wear an electronic ankle bracelet and pay for security guards. She has been living in a Vancouver home that was valued at C$5 million in 2018.

Both she and the company have denied the U.S. charges.

Meng vowed to vigorously fight extradition to the U.S. when she appeared at a Vancouver courthouse earlier this month to set a timetable for her upcoming extradition hearing.

Her arrest has sparked ongoing political tensions between China, Canada and the United States.

China has not drawn a direct link between its detention of the two Canadians and Meng's arrest, but Beijing-based Western diplomats have called the cases a tit-for-tat reprisal.

Earlier this year, more than 100 academics and former diplomats called on China to release Kovrig and Spavor in a letter addressed to Chinese President Xi Jinping.

The letter said the arrests of the two Canadians sent a worrisome signal to those who work in policy and research in China.
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From bedraggled youngsters posing on the kerb to others standing around a fountain, this remarkable series of photographs reveals the desperate lives of poor children in Victorian Britain.

The recently unearthed images were taken across London in the 1880s and 90s by photographer Paul Martin, who was known to have had a fascination with the lower classes and capturing 'ordinary' people on camera.

One of the most striking pictures showed three children looking mischievous as they sat on the edge of the pavement in 1892 filthy clothes and their faces covered in dirt - with only one of them wearing shoes.

Mr Martin wrote in a caption to the image: 'I called them human squirrels, for when they caught the sight of the school inspector, they were over a six-foot paling in a flash, and made off to Lambeth Walk.'

Another one of the remarkable photographs shows children dancing to Pas de Quatre, made famous by Swan Lake. Mr Martin wrote: 'The dance entails plenty of leg twisting, which is restricted by the children's clothing.'

Other pictures show sad characters, such as two people sleeping on a bench at St James's Park, while a picture captured in the 1880s entitled 'Old Surrey Tramp' shows a melancholic-looking man sat on the River Mole.

A further image shows three children larking around showing off for the photographer's camera by doing head stands on a beach, while another picture documents how a street lamp became a maypole for other children.

The 19th century brought a population explosion in Britain, with London suffering from severe overcrowding and the poor living in cramped and filthy conditions amid a major housing shortage.

Many poor children survived by stealing and were unable to go to school because their families relied on them to bring in extra money to help. But by the 1870s education started to improve, with every child given a place.

However, this was only mandatory for children aged five to ten, although the leaving age was increased to 11 by 1893 - although many parents still stopped them going to school because they were making money working.

This followed an earlier idea of Ragged Schools led by volunteers in the mid-1840s, which were the only chance of education for children from families who couldn't get into charitable or church schools or pay for their entry.

Poor families living in a town in Victorian Britain would have spent most of their weekly budget on bread, milk, cheese and potatoes - and could generally only afford meat once a week, which would have been on a Sunday.

Three children look mischievous as they sit on the kerb in London in filthy clothes and their faces covered in dirt in 1892 - with only one of them wearing shoes. Victorian photographer Paul Martin described them as 'human squirrels' in a note

Filthy-looking children stand around a street fountain in Battersea, South West London, in the 1880s. This photograph is just one of a remarkable series of recently unearthed images which reveal the desperate lives of poor children in Victorian Britain

A street lamp becomes a maypole for these children in London in 1892. This is among the images taken by photographer Paul Martin, who was known to have had a fascination with the lower classes and capturing 'ordinary' people on camera

Three street children pose for the camera on a street in London in 1892. Mr Martin wrote: 'I called them human squirrels, for when they caught the sight of the school inspector, they were over a six-foot paling in a flash, and made off to Lambeth Walk'

Children follow an ice cart along a road in Lambeth in 1892, as they collect the pieces that fall off. Ice used to be distributed around the capital having being stored in underground areas, until commercial electric refrigeration became widespread

This street scene from 1893 was taken as part of the photographer's series called 'the children of the poor in the Nineties'. The recently unearthed images were taken across London by Paul Martin, who documented their desperate lives

Street children play on Bankside in London, with St Paul's Cathedral visible in the background in 1893. The cathedral in its current form dates back to 1697, so had already been an established feature of the London skyline for two centuries

Another one of the remarkable photographs taken by Mr Martin shows children dancing to Pas de Quatre, made famous by Swan Lake. Mr Martin wrote: 'The dance entails plenty of leg twisting, which is restricted by the children's clothing'

A further image taken by Victorian photographer Mr Martin shows three children larking around showing off for the photographer's camera in 1893 by doing head stands on a beach at an unknown location that appears to be outside London

Other photographs show sad characters, such as these two people sleeping on a bench at St James's Park in the 1890s

A group of children speak to a man and woman at an ice cream vendor's cart in Lambeth in 1892, in this photo by Mr Martin
Carl Beech, 51, alleged powerful men including MPs and generals sexually abused and killed children in the 1970s

The vicar's son who sparked a VIP sex ring enquiry only mentioned the names of two of his alleged tormentors when he first made a complaint to the police - his step-father and Jimmy Savile - a jury heard today.

He alleged Savile raped him on all 'three or four' occasions he was in Savile's company, saying he never saw his face but heard Savile 'laughing or issuing orders that he wanted me to do'.

Carl Beech, 51, is accused of inventing stories about child murders and sexual assaults by political and military luminaries including former PM Ted Heath, Commander in Chief of the Army Lord Bramall and the MP Harvey Proctor, sparking a 2m police enquiry which ended in 2016 with no arrests.

Beech first came to the attention of the police under Operation Yewtree, which was then focusing primarily on the crimes of Savile, in October 2012.

He said he remembered Jimmy Savile as part of 'The Group'.

He said: 'It was his voice I remember, I don't think I saw his face. I heard him laughing or issuing orders that he wanted me to do.

'He did what they all did. He had a gold necklace, quite a long necklace, it was quite thick. I was nine or 10 I think, it happened in a house there were about five or six other people present I suppose.'

The court heard Beech had conducted online research into Jimmy Savile, and his victims' compensation claims. Pictured: a screenshot from his laptop shown to the jury

He claimed that Savile raped him every time he was with him, which was three or four times.

Beech made sex assault allegations against the disgraced TV star and also against his step-father Major Raymond Beech.

However at that stage there was no mention of Edward Heath, Harvey Proctor, Leon Brittain or any other senior intelligence and military figures he went on to accuse in 20 hours of police interviews two years later.

The allegation against Savile and his step-father moved on to claims against military top brass who he called 'The Group' - the name he later used to encompass some of the best known political figures of the 1970s.

Giving evidence at Newcastle Crown Court, Detective Sergeant Mark Lewis of Wiltshire police was asked which names Beech had mentioned when he first came forward.

He said: 'He did not disclose any apart from his step-father and Jimmy Savile.'

Beech fled to a remote cabin in wooded northern Sweden (pictured) and lived under several false names as he tried to evade capture

The jury were shown pictures of Carl Beech aged around 10 in his final year of primary school when he claimed the abuse began

When Beech was asked by Detective Sergeant Lewis in the first police interviews he gave whether he knew the names of any of the other people involved he said: 'A lot of them just blur into one really, I don't know which bits go with which.'

The court heard that Beech's mother, Rev Charmian Beech, met Major Beech, then aged about 40, six months before their wedding in 1976 and that she and Beech moved in with him and his youngest daughter in officers' accommodation in Wilton, Wiltshire.

Beech claims that his step-father began to abuse him and then took him to other senior military figures at unnamed army bases for them to abuse him. He said Savile was also part of 'The Group'and had raped him at least three times.

The jury were played a video of an interview conducted by Detective Sergeant Lewis at a specialist sexual offences suite in Swindon on December 6th 2012.

Beech, dressed in an 'Animal' branded hoody and chinos, sat with his head bowed and his hands in his lap as he made his first disclosures about his step-father.

He said that Major Beech began by kissing him on the forehead and cheek and then on the mouth before he started to commit sexual acts at bath-time and bedtime.

That moved on, according to Beech, to taking him to meet other paedophiles in the senior ranks of the military at unnamed army bases in the Wiltshire or Oxfordshire areas.

In his police interview Beech described one occasion he claimed happened around 1976.

Field Marshall Lord Brammall, pictured with his wife of 64 years Dorothy, who died before his name was cleared

Police researched Beech's 'violent' step-father's army records Carl Beech's stepfather had a drink problem and a history of domestic violence, a court has heard. Beech told Wiltshire Police in 2012 he had been sexually abused by his late stepfather Major Ray Beech. Detective Constable Mark Lewis told Newcastle Crown Court he later made inquiries into the late Major Beech's Army records. Official papers revealed the major was an unremarkable officer, of above average intelligence and had a drink problem. He was retired from the Army on mental health grounds once it was known he had a history of domestic violence on both his wives - one of whom was the defendant's mother - and a live-in housekeeper, the court heard. The defendant's mother and stepfather married in 1976 and divorced four months later. She obtained a non-molestation order against him. Advertisement

Wiping away tears he told Det Sgt Lewis: 'My father took me into an office and then walked out and left me.

'I remember then man being there, he had a crown on his epaulettes like my father and he had a diamond underneath that.

'He didn't say anything, my father didn't say anything, he just left. I had to stand there and he touched my face which seemed to go on for ages.

'He kept touching my hair and then he undid my shirt and took it off, then pulled down my trousers and pulled my pants down.

'He kept looking at me, I don't know how long I was standing there for until my father came back in.'

He said Major Beech seemed pleased with him but he didn't know why.

Later that night he claimed: 'He bathed me later and told me that I was to do exactly as I was told without question.

'Then he put me under the water, I could not breathe, every time he let me up he asked me 'do you understand?' and then he would do it again. I didn't know what I had done.'

He went on from there to make allegations against 'The Group' of military figures on bases.

He said he did not know names and his descriptions of the people involved were not specific but he said that he was passed around among high ranking army men and subjected to increasingly serious sexual assaults including rape.

Court sketch of Carl Beech, 51, from Gloucester, known as Nick, at Newcastle Crown Court

Former Tory MP Harvey Proctor was accused of rape and murder by Beech. The court heard he is still 'enraged' by the accusations

Over the first two days of the case, as prosecutors laid out their claims against Beech, the court was told that:

Beech is a convicted paedophile who pleaded guilty after police found indecent images of young boys, including some recorded by Beech, on devices in his home

He fled to Sweden once police closed in and lived in a remote cabin in the woods, shown in police footage above, under a series of assumed identities and false names

He claimed to have sketched the locations at which abuse took place from memory - but his laptop showed he had googled them before speaking to police

He claimed not to have researched the men he accused - but had googled them

He claimed his abusers mowed down and killed a boy, 'Scott', whom he tried to befriend - but the boy did not exist. He was shown in police footage telling officers about this fictitious incident

He claimed a fellow victim, 'Fred' could corroborate his story - but in fact he made up the friend and posed as 'Fred', fabricating emails to police

He claimed he had been regularly taken out of school to be abused by multiple men at 'parties' - but his attendance at his schools was exemplary

He claimed he had a lifelong fear of water, abused by the men, who dunked him and threw him off boats - but photos show him snorkelling on honeymoon

He produced an 'abuse map' of the places and ways his body was tortured - but his medical records show no evidence of abuse

He claimed he was abused on beds in cabins on Ted Heath's yacht - but the vessel was a racing yacht and only had hammocks

He claimed Mp Harvey Proctor had threatened to cut his genitals off with a pen-knife Proctor later gifted to Beech. He gave the knife to police asking for forensic tests - but his estranged wife told police he'd kept it in a 'happy memories' box

He had googled how victims of Jimmy Savile received compensation

He bought a 64,000 convertible Mustang with the compensation payout he received for the alleged abuse

He was indebted and living grossly beyond his means, intending to make money on the international speaking circuit, speaking about his 'abuse'

The charges relate to claims Beech made that former prime minister Edward Heath (left), ex-home secretary Leon Brittan (right) and others were part of a child abuse ring

Timeline of Beech's alleged falsehoods and the investigations they launched 2014/2015: Over more than 20 hours of recorded police interviews, Carl Beech makes lurid allegations of child rape and murder against senior Establishment figures including Ted Heath and Lord Brammall. November 2014: The Met Police launch Operation Midland, which raids the homes of several elderly men looking for evidence to support Beech's claims. A detective calls the accusations 'credible and true'. April 2015: D-Day veteran and former Army chief Lord Brammal interviewed. June 2015: Former Tory MP Harvey Proctor, whom Beech accused of child murder, interviewed under caution. March 2016: Beech notified no further action was to be taken in respect of the allegations he had made. 2016: Northumbria Police conclude Beech's claims are 'totally unfounded, hopelessly compromised, and irredeemably contradicted by other testimony'. November 2, 2016: Police arrive to raid Beech's home in Gloucester. January 23, 2018: Beech got 60,000 as an early pension from the NHS February 6, 2018: He travels to Calais preparing to flee to Sweden, where he buys a cabin in the woods and lives under a series of assumed identities, travelling hundreds of miles from city to city to stay on the run October 1, 2018: He was tracked down by Swedish and British police and arrested in advance of a 20-hour train journey to Gothenburg booked in the name of 'Samuel Karlsson'. 2018: A highly critical review of Operation Midland reports police 'acted like they were searching for bodies' during raids on homes. 2018: Beech pleads guilty to possessing indecent images of children, in a separate trial. December 2018: restriction on reporting of Carl Beech's real identity lifted. May 2019: Beech goes on trial for perverting the course of justice. Advertisement

Beech's claims led to raids on the homes of prominent and elderly people including former army chief, D-Day veteran Lord Brammall, whose wife of 64 years died during the investigation, before his named was cleared.

Beech's extraordinary unfounded accusations were levelled against a list of prominent men including:

Former PM Sir Edward Heath: he said he was sexually abused at Heath's home in London and on his yacht

Former head of the army Lord Brammall: he said Brammall repeatedly raped him and was present at the first meeting of 'the group'

Former Tory MP Harvey Proctor: he said Proctor demanded oral sex, abused him with a pen knife, and murdered two children, one after tying him to a table, raping, and stabbing him

Former head of MI5 Michael Hanley, and former head of MI6 Maurice Oldfield: said to be responsible for abuse and torture including spiders being tipped over him, electric shocks, and having darts thrown at him, culminating in threats 'to make him disappear'

His step-father, Major Ray Beech: he said his step-father frequently and repeatedly abused, raped, and beat him, the first time in a public toilet at a wildlife park

Former Home Secretary Leon Brittan: He said Brittan murdered a child, describing him as a 'mini-Harvey' who was sadistic and enjoyed putting his head under water

In all, Beech accused 12 men: Major Ray Beech, his step-father; Lt General Beach; General Gibbs; Lord Brammall; Jimmy Savile; Peter Hayman; Harvey Proctor; Leon Brittan; Greville Janner; Edward Heath; Michael Hanley; Maurice Oldfield.

Prosecutor Tony Badenoch QC said the 12-week trial would show Beech's accusations against the men were 'demonstrably untrue.'

The Metropolitan Police's disastrous 2 million Operation Midland investigation into Beech's unsubstantiated and unsupported claims collapsed in 2016 with no arrests, despite a senior detective saying Nick's stories were 'credible and true'.

The Met has since paid six-figure sums in compensation to distinguished former Field Marshall Lord Brammall and to Lady Brittan whose late husband Leon was also accused by Beech.

The Met Police spent 18 months and 2m on Beech's claims of a Westminster paedophile ring

The Met is yet to agree any compensation deal with former Tory MP, Harvey Proctor, 70, who was falsely accused of rape and murder and lost his home and his job as a result.

It is thought Mr Proctor, who received a personal apology from the then Met Commissioner, Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe, is seeking more than 500,000 for loss of earnings and damage to his reputation.

Leon Brittan and another accused, Greville Janner, both died within a year in 2015, the year following these allegations.

Dorothy Brammall, who was married to Edwin Brammall for 64 years, died during the course of the investigation and before Lord Brammall's name was cleared.

During the probe, teams of more than 20 officers mounted dawn raids on the homes of some of the suspects, many of them now old and in poor health.

Last year a review of the flawed investigation, conducted by retired High Court judge, Sir Richard Henriques, said the police had acted as if they were 'looking for bodies or bodies parts', when carrying out the searches.
A man and his two cousins were tied up and brutally thrashed by an angry mob as hundreds watched after he was accused of running off with a married woman in India.

Horrifying footage shows the three victims wincing in pain as villagers whipped them with ropes and beat them with sticks in Madhya Pradesh's Dhar district.

There are reports that the two females, who had been accused of helping their male relative, were also molested. It is understood to have been organised by the husband of the married woman.

A man in a blue shirt, who allegedly eloped with a married woman, is beaten while tied to a tree in a small village as hundreds of the villagers gawp at the incident

Hundreds of people gathered for the Medieval-style of punishment in which the three victims were lashed to a tree.

The three victims were brutally whipped on their backs with a series of objects including, at one point, a branch.

The man, who is alleged to have eloped with a married woman, pleaded for mercy from someone who held a weapon aloft.

Several women also took turns to lash the two females who were struck repeatedly around their legs and backs.

One of the females tries to block the blows, but an elderly man twists her arm as another man and a woman continue whipping here.

The punishment is said to have gone on for several hours before the victims were untied.

A child (bottom left) looks on as women from the crowd, believed to be the family of the eloped husband, take it in turns to beat the man and his two cousins

It is also alleged that the two women were molested by people in the crowd as revenge for their cousin eloping.

Local police have since filed a case against nine people, with four of them still on the run.

'We have arrested five people, including three women, and they have been sent to jail. We hope to arrest the four absconders soon,' CSP Sanjay Muwel told the Times of India.

A man twists the arm of a woman attempting to block herself from being beaten in the punishment that is believed to have last for hours

One of those wanted is named Mukesh, the husband of the woman who is believed to have eloped with one of the victims.

Officer Muwel said the wife ran away with her lover a few days ago, and that he had gone to file a missing person's form at Dahi police station.

But he soon tracked her down and contacted his wife's lover to invite him to the Arjun Colony area for a 'compromise'.

The man decided to accept the offer, but when he arrived with his cousins, Mukesh and his family allegedly molested the girls and beat all of them.
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When the Kim dynasty seized power following the collapse of Imperial Japan, they rebuilt North Korea in the communist image.

The small view outsiders have of the hermit state show a hard concrete face, dedicated to its series of dictators without much of a hint of any previous history.

But now, a cache of fascinating photos has revealed the face of a land untouched by their regime.

The set of images were taken before Kim Il-sung - the current ruler's grandfather - took power in 1948, and show a country almost unrecognisable today.

Having been ruled by hundreds of monarchs up to 1910. These images show the first years of Imperial Japan's grip on the relatively undeveloped country, which still held much of its heritage.

A colourised photo, taken sometime between 1908 and 1922, shows women with their trouser legs rolled up toiling in rice paddy fields beside a rural Korean village watched over by a group of young boys. The Korean peninsula was less developed than Imperial Japan, who seized the country to compete for control in Asia against the large European powers

Nurses at the Haeju Hospital in Haeju, a city around around 80 miles from the capital Pyongyang. It has been inhabited for thousands of years and is an attraction for Korean historians, particularly its Puyong Hall, a gable-roofed pavilion which stands in a lotus pond which was built in 1500

Children play with Western-style doll houses at a Kindergarten in Korea. Before Pyongyang became a model of Soviet-style brutalism, it was comprised of a mix of traditional Korean homes and western-style buildings

A group of schoolboys are pictured crowded into one dormitory room at Pyongyang High School in what is now the capital. Many facilities run by the state have received only minimal investment in recent years due to sanctions from the international community

Doctors - including one who appears western - and nurses treating patients at Haeju hospital - Haeju is located in North Korea today, a city of some 200,000 which has experienced huge food shortages. It is an important junction today for freight vehicles for the chemical and cement industries

They show Christianity was widespread, with large groups of believers gathering in public to study the bible and worship - today there is no freedom of religion in the North.

They also show that railroads ran from one end of the Korean peninsula to the other - a journey that is now impossible.

While Pyongyang today is a model of Soviet-style brutalism, the photos reveal how it used to be a mix of traditional Korean homes and western-style buildings.

There are even a few things caught on camera that did survive to today, namely the Chilsong Gate and Kija's Tomb in Pyongyang.

Kija's Tomb - which still exists on Pyongyang's Moran Hill - it is said to be the tomb of Kija, believed to have founded capital city Pyongyang. Constructed in 1102, Kija's legend says he arrived from China bringing with him agricultural and weaving skills. It was later heavily promoted when the country was under Japanese rule, fuelled by their desire to temper nationalism and give the message that Korea flourished under a foreigner

A Bible study takes place in Korea in the 1920s - the country's founder Kim Il-Sung was himself the son of a Presbyterian mother and in his memoir he wrote: 'I do not think the spirit of Christianity that preaches universal peace and harmony contradicts my idea advocating an independent life for man'. Christianity was allowed under Imperial Japan but would later be banned in the Kim dynasty

An exhibition train which was used by the British American Tobacco Company to establish their foothold in Korea during the early 20th century. Many Koreans in both North and South still smoke today, perhaps most famously of all Kim Jong-un who is often seen with a cigarette as he goes about his duties

Livestock employed in heavy hauling, as they still are in North Korea today. The men wear large conical hats seen throughout Asia, but known in Korean as satgat, they provide excellent protection for those labouring in the sun and torrential downpours

A congregation wearing Sunday robes stand outside a Church built in the traditional style. Today Christians in North Korea are represented officially by the Korean Christian Federation, a state-controlled organisation. In Pyongyang there are five church buildings - one Catholic, three Protestant and a Russian Orthodox Church

A rural dirt road in Korea winds around a calm lake surrounded by mountains and trees. Labourers can be seen in the distance walking down the road and others with cargo on horseback

The Pyongyang 'anchor stones' which, according to tradition, anchored the city to the spot. Korean folklore describes Pyongyang as a vessel floating in the waters of the surrounding rivers. Another interpretation describes them as masts for the boat, rather than an anchor

The Pyongyang cityscape in the 1920s. While Pyongyang, today a model of Soviet-style brutalism, is shown to have comprised a mix of traditional Korean homes and western-style buildings

The Yongmyongsa Temple in the 1930s. It was tragically destroyed in the Korean War, before which the Buddhist temple had stood since around 700AD. It underwent extensive restorations during Japanese rule in the 1920s, only to be wiped out by American carpet bombing in the war

Korean studies lecturer Dr Owen Miller said the city was transformed after being reduced to rubble in the war that followed the North's invasion of the South.

'The city was pretty much flattened by the US Air Force during the Korean War,' he said.

'That's not to say it wouldn't have changed anyway, but war is a great accelerator of change.'

Instead of rebuilding what was lost or allowing the city to take shape naturally, the Kim regime set about realising their vision of a socialist paradise.

'I think the North Korean state and Kim Il-sung saw themselves as having a mission to create a modern, prosperous society and everything that went with modernity,' said Dr Miller.

'That meant good living conditions in modern apartments, big boulevards, cultural facilities and concert halls, and all those kind of things.'

A family sit on a tree trunk outside a spirit house - they are intended house spirits who would otherwise cause trouble if not given shelter. As well as Korea, similar structures can be found throughout Asia which are intended for a similar purpose

A train passes in the distance across the peaceful stillness of a lake in Korea - the train tracks once ran the entire length of the peninsula which has not been possible since the Kim dynasty seized full power during the Korean War following the collapse of Japanese control at the end of World War II

Pyongyang City Hall in the 1920s. Most of the North Korean capital, including the hall, was heavily shelled during the Korean War which raged from 1950-53. The casualties were heavy and it involved the United States as well as the United Kingdom. The guerilla-style fighting the British encountered in the jungles was a factor in deterring them from joining the subsequent war in Vietnam

A tram runs along Yamatomachi Street in the Sosong District of Pyongyang in the 1920s, having been built in 1923 during Imperial Japanese rule. It is believed that North Koreans were taught to feel negatively about this period, because it was part of Japan's 35-year-long occupation of the country

A street scene in the rural landscape outside of capital Pyongyang. Tourists who visit North Korea are generally kept well with the confines of the capital city, and may only see this side of the country from their train window. The Kim dynasty has tried to portray an image of wealth and success that does not reflect its rural heritage

A villager sits against a stone wall and works on a contraption. To this day a large proportion of North Korea's population still rely on farming as their only or main form of income

He continued: 'Old-fashioned traditional or colonial buildings were not what they saw themselves as being about.

'This was the 1950s and it wasn't just limited to North Korea or the socialist bloc, it was kind of universal.

'This was the age of looking forward to the future; an age for optimism and the creation a new model world.

'They were also kind of modelling themselves on the Soviet Union and the Soviet way of living.'

Other photos, however, reveal how little things have progressed in the decades since.

One image shows how livestock, then as now, was used to move goods in North Korea due to a lack of mechanised transport.

And agriculture in the North, like in the pictures, is still very reliant on manual labour.

Hall Memorial Hospital in Pyongyang. It was supported jointly by Methodists and Presbyterians, each providing a missionary doctor. The doctors were supported by two Korean physicians as well as graduate nurses. In one recent year, 20,000 dispensary patients were treated and 600 operations were performed. In Pyongyang, there is also the Women's Hospital and Dispensary operated by The Women's Foreign Missionary Society

Japanese flags fly outside of a train station in Pyongyang in another fascinating image taken before the Kim dynasty in Korea. Dr Miller, of SOAS University of London, said it was a period that North Koreans were taught to feel negatively about, because it was part of Japan's 35-year-long occupation of the country

A group of three Korean men playing a board game that looks similar in style to chess on the side of the street, with mathematical workings written on a board behind them. The images were captured before the Kim dynasty came along

This images shows the construction of a new high school in Pyongyang. All photos were taken at some point between 1908 and 1922

Dr Miller, of SOAS University of London, said it was a period that North Koreans were taught to feel negatively about, because it was part of Japan's 35-year-long occupation of the country.

One photo actually shows Japanese flags outside a railway station.

He said: 'The period before 1945 is seen very negatively - as a period of misery, a combination of feudal and colonial rule, with very cruel Japanese occupiers.

'It's seen extremely negatively in every possible way, apart from the resistance to it by partisans and nationalists.'

For a brief period beginning in 1897, Korea was an independent nation. The Korean people had gained their freedom from Russian rule, formed their own empire, and finally won the opportunity to develop and revel in their own culture.

Another image shows the Chilsong Gate in Pyongyang, which still stands today in what has become the North Korean capital. It is classified as a 'National Treasure' by the government, having stood firm since its construction which dates back to 1712

Photo shows labourers using a shovel on agricultural ground, designed to be usable by up to 10 people at once. For a brief period beginning in 1897, Korea was an independent nation. The Korean people had gained their freedom from Russian rule, formed their own empire, and finally won the opportunity to develop and revel in their own culture

Pyongyang is pictured from the top of a hill where a statue of 'Eternal Leader' Kim Il-sung now stands. The buildings are built in a traditional style that is in contrast to the stark architecture seen in the capital now

Capital city Pyongyang was largely destroyed during the Korean War as shown in this picture taken during the conflict. With a near blank canvas, the Kims would rebuild the city with a communist ideology at heart, taking inspiration from Moscow in the USSR and other cities in the Iron Curtain countries

Dr A.H. Norton operating at Haeju hospital - many missionaries arrived in Korea throughout the country's history, but particularly in the early half of the 20th century the Japanese made efforts to kerb the spread of the Bible. They saw the religion as a way in which the ideology of the west could take hold of their territory

But not long after Korea had won its freedom, the Japanese swept in and took it away. By 1905, Korea was a protectorate of Japan and by 1910, they were completely annexed by Japan.

Japanese rule was harsh and Korea underwent drastic changes during this time. Their Emperor - Sujong of Korea - and currency were abolished and Koreans were forced to speak Japanese.

The country remained under their rule until the end of the Second World War in 1945 when the allied armies defeated the Japanese. With this victory, it seemed, for a brief moment like there would be a free and united Korea once more.

However Korea was then divided into two zones. Two separate governments were established - one in the North and one in the South, backed by the Soviets and the US respectively, each claiming to be the legitimate government of the whole peninsula. Korea remains divided to this day.
This is the moment a mother confronts her ex-boyfriend and demands 6,000 in unpaid child maintenance after she followed him to Tesco.

Rebecca Desmond, 33, claims her ex Rob Atkinson told Child Maintenance officials he was unemployed and that is why he fell behind with payments for their daughter Freya.

But Ms Desmond was fuming when he she spotted him at Tesco Express in Armthorpe, Doncaster wearing a high-viz jacket and getting into his work van.

She filmed the confrontation on March 30 and said she would 'see him in court' after seemingly catching him coming home from work.

Rebecca Desmond, 33 (left), claims her ex Rob Atkinson, 33 (right), owes her 6,000 in child maintenance so she followed him to Tesco Express in Doncaster where she spotted him buying beers after work - despite her claims he told officials he was unemployed

Ms Desmond, of Armthorpe, Doncaster, said: 'The whole thing brings tears to my eyes.

'Fair enough don't see her, don't pay for her but don't strut around our local supermarket.

'He's rejected Freya and here's a high chance she could have bumped into him there, it's just sick.'

The mother-of-one claims she decided to turn detective and follow the father of her child into the store after three and a half years of child support totted up.

She claims to have heard rumours Mr Atkinston, also 33, was working for the firm Traffic Direct and wanted to see if she could catch him in the act.

She added: 'The man owes me thousands in unpaid maintenance but he's covered head to toe in tattoos. He's told everyone he doesn't work.

'I've made it my mission to look at every single Direct Traffic van that I pass. It was only going to be a matter of time.

'That day I looked at the van as I was driving past and lo and behold who was driving it? Rob Atkinson.

She claims Mr Atkinson told officials he was unemployed, so she was fuming when she saw him wearing a high-viz jacket and getting into a Direct Traffic van

'I used my initiative and turned round straight away and went back to the Tesco.

'I approached a man sat in the van and asked if the man driving the van was called Rob Atkinson, he said 'yes' so I got my phone ready as I was walking.

'Rob didn't know what to do. He called me a weirdo then he huffed a little bit, had a 'big man walk' back to the van and that was it.

'He couldn't get out of there quick enough. He was buying two bottles of beer on a Saturday in work gear and was getting back into a work van.'

The couple split up 10 years ago after four years of dating when Freya was just nine months old.

Ms Desmond claims Freya's father has had little to do with her since then.

She claims Mr Atkinson sent her a card to promise to stop being such a 'rubbish dad' and promised to pay a bigger part in her life.

Her mother claims the youngster was ecstatic when her father told her he was getting married to his new partner in Mexico and that she was going to be a bridesmaid.

Mr Atkinson denied he was unemployed. He claims he has received payments from the Army since he left for medical reasons three and a half years ago

But Mr Atkinson denied he was unemployed or that he is getting married.

He claims he has received payments from the Army since he left for medical reasons three and a half years ago.

The 33-year-old has four children with three different woman and maintains he is up to date on all child maintenance payments.

He said : 'I've got four children. Every single one of the other mothers are all up to date with all their payments, everything's up to date, everything's sorted. [Rebecca] is the trouble.

'I was on my way home [as] I'd done a shift in Armthorpe. It's crackers this, absolutely crackers.

'I picked up some beers on my way home from work, what's wrong with that?

'It's absolutely madness, all it is, is I picked two beers up on my way home from work, I had a bit of weekend work, then went home.

'Not regular weekend work. I'm on a self-employed basis - they just gave me a couple of days work.

'I'm not working with them now, there's no set days to who and when and where I work. I work for myself.

'I'm getting little bits of work here and there, couple of days here and couple of days there.

'For me to turn down a day's work in Armthorpe on the off-chance I might see a daughter who I actually want to see, have you heard what you're saying?

'I only left the army three-and-a-half years ago. I had an attachment of earnings until then.

'For the first 18 months I didn't work at all but [the CMS] thought I was still working. I was medically unwell.

'I've not been working what they [the CMS] think I've been working. I've just put all my tax accounts in, my tax accounts don't lie.

Mr Atkinson is seen buying two beers at Tesco Express in Armthrope, Doncaster on March 30

'6,000 is what she must have totted up from how much they work out a year - 200 a month [over] three years.

'[I never claimed I was unemployed], I wasn't claiming benefits or nothing.

'[My] income is based on [my] Army pension until [my] tax code comes in. And now my tax has gone in, now I'll work out what I have to pay for CSA [Child Suport Agency] then [Rebecca and Freya] will get the CSA. What I need to do is I need to ring the CSA.

'There's not a wedding happening, [so there was] no mention of [Freya] being a bridesmaid.'

But Ms Desmond added: 'I've had to work really hard for 10 years to make sure Freya's got what she has now.

'Now he's disappeared again and she's not heard from him since. It's really cruel, I can't ever forgive him for that.'

A DWP spokesman said they could not comment on individual cases.

The spokesman said: 'We're committed to recovering owed child maintenance and recently introduced tougher powers to take people's assets into account  including property, savings and investments and self-declared income.

'If someone suspects their ex-partner of avoiding paying child maintenance, they should inform us straight away so we can investigate fully.'

Direct Traffic Management Ltd said they could not comment because of data protection laws.
A contender for the EU's top job has mocked British politics as 'Game of Thrones on steroids' amid the Brexit crisis.

Frans Timmermans, currently the commission vice-president, delivered the jibe as he made his pitch to take over from Jean-Claude Juncker this summer.

But the reference to the hit show, in which cities are laid to waste and an army of the undead threatens to wipe out humanity, could further heighten tensions with the UK.

Mr Timmermans was taking part in a debate with his chief rivals, German MEP Manfred Weber and EU competition commissioner Margrethe Vestager, last night.

He said the Brexit chaos in the UK should be a warning to other countries tempted to try to break away from the bloc.

Frans Timmermans, currently the commission vice-president, delivered the jibe as he made his pitch to take over from Jean-Claude Juncker this summer

Mr Timmermans is a known GoT fan - once calling it the 'Zeitgest' of EU politics - but comparing the chaos caused by Daenerys Targaryen in Westeros to Theresa May's plight in Westminster has caused some disquiet

The sniping came as Theresa May desperately scrambles to find a way through the stand-off at Westminster.

The PM has announced she will try to force a Withdrawal Bill through Parliament next month - despite her deal already being voted down by MPs three times.

Talks with Labour on a compromise to deliver Brexit have also seemingly stalled as the party demands a permanent customs union with the EU and another referendum.

Mr Weber, from the centre-right EPP group, said during the TV debate that he wanted to 'open a new chapter' as head of the commission.

Ms Vestager, is aiming to be the first woman to lead the commission.

'It's important to show that we do change and the most visible way to do it is to have a gender balanced commission, the same number of men as the number of women - that reflects our society,' she said.

The leaders of EU member states will theoretically have the final say on who takes the presidency - although they will be under pressure to approve the candidate from the political group that does best in European elections next week.

In Game of Thrones (pictured) cities are laid to waste and an army of the undead threatens to wipe out humanity

Czech Republic's Jan Zahradil, Spain's Nico Cue, German Ska Keller, Dane Margrethe Vestager, Dutchman Frans Timmermans and German Manfred Weber pose ahead of last night's Eurovision presidential debate

Jean-Claude Juncker, President of the European Commission, kisses the head of his First Vice-President of European Commission Frans Timmermans, who is one of the favourites to replace him

Theresa Mays Brexit deal could be dead in weeks, Cabinet ministers warned yesterday.

It came as Tory hardliners, the DUP and Labour lined up to say they would vote it down a fourth time.

Brexit Secretary Steve Barclay and International Trade Secretary Liam Fox both warned that another rejection could lead to Brexit being cancelled.

The Prime Minister will today appeal to Tory grandees for a stay of execution while she makes a final attempt to pass her Brexit deal in just over a fortnight.

The executive body of the 1922 Committee of backbench Tory MPs will meet Mrs May this morning to decide whether to change the partys leadership rules and allow a fresh contest that could see her forced out within weeks.

Asked if the new vote would be considered a confidence vote for Mrs May, a No 10 source said: Thats not the world we are currently in but clearly the significance of this legislation cant  and I suspect wont  be underestimated.

Mr Barclay told MPs the deal negotiated by Mrs May with Brussels would be dead if MPs rejected it again, raising questions about whether the UK would ever leave the EU.

Dr Fox, meanwhile, told an event in London: MPs will have to look and see if they want to continue down a path that inexorably takes us to either the potential revocation of Article 50 or leaving without a deal, and ask themselves if thats the best course democratically or economically for the UK. MPs will have to face that decision.

Last night Eurosceptic MPs were lobbying members of the 1922 Committees 18-strong executive to ignore Mrs Mays pleas and pull the plug on her today.
Germany's top court has ordered a public broadcaster to air a neo-Nazi party's election campaign advert.

The decision overturns a ban on the advertisement imposed on grounds that it amounted to incitement against foreigners.

Last month the broadcaster, ARD, refused an advert by the National Democratic Party (NDP) for its European Parliament election campaign in which it calls for the creation of 'safe zones' for Germans who have become 'victims' of mass immigration.

A Berlin court rejected an NPD appeal against ARD's decision. The Federal Constitutional Court overturned that decision, saying it infringed on the NPD's right to campaign and put it at a disadvantage against other parties.

'A constitutional complaint (by the NPD) is therefore at the moment neither inadmissible nor unfounded,' the court ruled.

Germany's top court has ordered a public broadcaster to air a neo-Nazi party's election campaign advert

The NPD is hoping to make gains in the European Parliament, where it has one lawmaker, in elections later this month.

Two years ago, the Constitutional Court said the NPD resembled Adolf Hitler's Nazi party but stopped short of banning it because it was too weak to endanger democracy.

Nationalist, anti-EU parties in the European Parliament blame the EU's open border policy for a surge in migrant arrivals in 2015, mainly Muslims fleeing wars in the Middle East.

The NPD doesn't belong to any bloc in the European Parliament.

Its advertisement features a voice-over saying: 'Since the arbitrary opening of the border in 2015 and the uncontrolled mass migration that followed, Germans have become almost daily victims.' The voice-over is accompanied by images of crime scenes and names of victims of violence, including murder.

The NPD and Germany's main far-right opposition party, the Alternative for Germany (AfD), both say crime is on the rise because of an influx of mainly young Muslim men.

Germany's interior minister said earlier this week that anti-Semitic crime had risen 20% last year and blamed most incidents on individuals espousing far-right world views.

Germany's Jews are alarmed by the rise of the AfD, whose leaders have been accused of playing down Nazi crimes and for having described a national memorial to the victims of the Holocaust as a 'memorial of shame.'

The AfD entered the Bundestag (national lower house of parliament) for the first time in an election in 2017, a feat that has eluded the NPD since its founding in the 1960s.
Girls at a 37,000-a-year boarding school opened their English Literature papers yesterday to find with dismay they had been taught the wrong book.

Outrage from parents at Malvern St James girls' school has come thick and fast with one mother demanding a refund and even suggesting the mistake over the International GCSE course could 'scar students for life'.

The private school in Worcestershire, which counts among alumni the Duke of Gloucester's mother, Princess Alice, and Green Party MP Caroline Lucas, has apologised and begged exam board Cambridge International for 'special consideration'.

Malvern St James independent boarding school in Worcestershire costs as much as 37,000 a year to attend. One parent said 'for that amount of money they should not be making mistakes'

A parent told The Independent her daughter had been left 'stressed out' by the incident, adding it could 'scar students for life'.

The teenager and her classmates had been studying Spies by Michael Frayn - but there were no questions about the book.

Online the 2019 syllabus for the Cambridge International's UK English Literature IGCSE says available texts include Hard Times by Dickens and Mansfield Park by Jane Austen - but there is no reference to Frayn's work.

The mother said: 'It has been a complete utter waste of time for two years. They have let her down completely.'

She said she had lost faith in the fee-paying school, adding that 'for that amount of money they should not be making mistakes.'

She told the paper: 'I want compensation and I want heads to roll. You have to be responsible of what your teachers are doing. For two years they have been studying the wrong book. It is a joke.'

The school has launched an investigation into the incident after discovering pupils spent two years studying the wrong book

Left: The school counts among its alumni Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester, pictured here attending a film premiere in 1969. Right: Michael Frayn's Spies was not on the syllabus

What books were on the GCSE paper? An online syllabus suggests four books were among those about which pupils were tested in the prose section of the exam: Jane Austen - Mansfield Park

Willa Cather - My Antonia

Charles Dickens - Hard Times

Kate Grenville - The Secret River Three other books were on last year's exam but not that in 2019: Chinua Achebe - No Longer at Ease

Michael Frayn - Spies

R K Narayan - The English Teacher Advertisement

An IGCSE is an alternative international qualification to GCSEs, preferred by many independent schools.

In a statement the headmistress, Mrs Olivera Raraty, said: 'There was an issue with one section of an IGCSE English Literature paper sat by one group of students in Year 11 on May 15th 2019. One of the texts taught to this group was incorrect.

'The problem was identified immediately, and we are now working with the exam board in question, so that no girl should be disadvantaged by this.

'Fortunately, all exam boards have procedures in place to deal with this type of incident and we meet the criteria for "special consideration".

'Meanwhile a full internal investigation is underway and we are unable to provide further comment at this time. We apologise wholeheartedly for this, and will continue to work to resolve this issue as soon as possible.'

A spokesperson for Cambridge International, said: 'We were contacted by the school today as they discovered they had taught the wrong English Literature text.

'We recognise that this is distressing for the students involved. We have asked the school to follow our procedures for rare situations like this by submitting a request for special consideration on behalf of the students affected.'

Among the books which students were tested on were Mansfield Park and Hard Times

Cambridge International sets out strict rules for applying 'special consideration', - a post-exam adjustment to a candidates mark, usually given to individual candidates who face difficult personal circumstances including illness or bereavement.

Cambridge warns even where marks are changed, they will only make 'minor adjustments' to the mark awarded, saying that to do more than would 'jeopardise the assessment standard'.

A brand new addition to its handbook foresees yesterday's eventuality and - fortunately for the girls of Malvern St James - allows for special consideration under these exact circumstances.

Rule 5.5.8 explains: 'Where a syllabus lists set works (e.g. set texts in a literature syllabus) and where candidates have been prepared for an incorrect work, we may, at our discretion, consider applications for special consideration'.

But the exam board will only consider cases where 'there is evidence candidates have been fully prepared for the assessment objectives in the syllabus' or where 'the incorrect work studied was assessed in the previous year or is listed in the same syllabus booklet'.

It warns applications will be assessed on a 'case by case basis', adding sternly: 'the Head of Centre must make sure candidates are taught the correct works'.
Missouri's Republican-led Senate has passed a wide-ranging bill to ban abortions at eight weeks of pregnancy, acting only hours after Alabama's governor signed a near-total abortion ban into law.

The Missouri bill needs another vote of approval in the GOP-led House before it can go to Republican Gov. Mike Parson, who voiced support for an earlier version Wednesday.

It includes exceptions for medical emergencies, but not for pregnancies caused by rape or incest. Doctors would face five to 15 years in prison for violating the eight-week cutoff. Women who receive abortions wouldn't be prosecuted.

Republican Senate handler Sen. Andrew Koenig described it on Thursday as 'one of the strongest' abortion bills yet passed in the U.S.

Abotion activists in Missouri are gearing up for new rounds of protests following Alabama's legislative shocker; the Show-Me State's Senate has voted to ban abortions after the eighth week of pregnancy

During debate in the Missouri Senate in Jefferson City on Wednesday, freshman senator Karla May listened to opposing arguments

Anti-abortion protesters are hopefully awaiting a day when Roe v. Wade can be reopened in light of 46 years of shifting public sentiments on abortion rights, and new legislation in Alabama, Missouri and other states could be the catalyst

Missouri U.S. Senator Josh Hawley, a conservative who replaced liberal Claire McCaskill this year, said Thursday on 'Fox & Friends' that the wave of abortion bills is a backlash against more and more permissive laws that have gone over the edge.

'Its a direct response  to the extremism weve seen in places like New York and Virginia,' Hawley said.

'It's just incredible the extremism that we're seeing. And I think you're seeing these states responding.'

'Democrat politicians are actually advocating abortion in the final weeks of pregnancy,' Hawley said. 'These are policies  that only a few countries in the world  like Iran, like China  allow. Weve got to stop this kind of extremism.'

Hawley said he believes Roe v. Wade was 'wrongly decided,' and that individual states should be free to make their own reproductive rights laws.

Missouri U.S. Sen Josh Hawley, a Republican, said Thursday on 'Fox & Friends' that 'extremism' in increasingly permissive Democratic abortion policies is creating the backlash seen in Alabama and Missouri

Missouri Republican Gov. Mike Parson is poised to take action on the latest GOP-dominated proposal emboldened by the possibility that a more conservative Supreme Court could overturn its landmark ruling legalizing abortion

This photograph released by the state shows Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey signing a bill that virtually outlaws abortion in the state on Wednesday

Missouri is joining a movement of GOP-dominated state legislatures emboldened by the possibility that a more conservative Supreme Court could overturn its landmark ruling legalizing abortions.

Its senators voted only hours after Alabama's governor signed the most stringent abortion ban in the nation on Wednesday, making performing an abortion a felony in nearly all cases.

Outnumbered Missouri Senate Democrats launched into an attack on the bill before Republican supporters had a chance to bring it up for debate on the Senate floor.

'So much of this bill is just shaming women into some kind of complacency that says we are vessels of pregnancy rather than understanding that women's lives all hold different stories,' St. Louis-area Democratic Sen. Jill Schupp said.

Missouri is among a growing number of states where abortion opponents are working with renewed enthusiasm following President Donald Trump's appointment of more conservative high court justices.

Kentucky, Mississippi, Ohio and Georgia have approved bans on abortion once fetal cardiac activity can be detected, which can occur in about the sixth week of pregnancy. Similar restrictions in North Dakota and Iowa have been struck down in court.

Supporters say the Alabama bill is intentionally designed to conflict with the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion nationally in hopes of sparking a court case that might prompt the justices to revisit abortion rights.

Missouri's bill also includes an outright ban on abortions except in cases of medical emergencies. But unlike Alabama's, it would kick in only if Roe v. Wade is overturned.

If courts don't allow Missouri's proposed eight-week ban to take effect, it includes a ladder of less-restrictive time limits ranging from 14 to 20 weeks.

Roe v. Wade legalized abortion up until viability, which is usually at 22 to 24 weeks.

'This is not a piece of legislation that is designed for a challenge,' Missouri's Republican House Speaker Elijah Haahr said. 'This is the type of legislation that is designed to withstand a challenge and to actually save lives in our state.'

Republicans and Democrats worked for hours to reach a compromise on the bill, which included an expansion of tax credits for donations to pregnancy resource centers, and waters down other provisions.

The approved version of the wide-ranging bill bans abortions based solely on race, sex or a 'prenatal diagnosis, test, or screening indicating Down Syndrome or the potential of Down Syndrome.'

WHERE SUPREME COURT JUSTICES STAND ON ABORTION Swing vote Chief Justice John Roberts George W. Bush appointee. Voted in favor of abortion restrictions until Justice Anthony Kennedy left the bench. In only abortion case since then, voted to provisionally block new restrictions in Louisiana. As swing justice, seen as wanting to avoid the Supreme Court being associated with entrenched political positions. Could do his best to avoid a Roe v. Wade challenge coming to the court. Position if one did is now unclear Liberal wing Stephen Breyer Clinton appointee. Warned in May that that the conservative majority could overturn a 1992 decision upholding Roe v. Wade. Has consistently voted pro-choice Elena Kagan Obama appointee. Has consistently voted pro-choice Ruth Bader Ginsburg Clinton appointee. Has consistently voted pro-choice Sonia Sotomayor Obama appointee. Has consistently voted pro-choice Conservative wing Clarence Thomas George H.W. Bush appointee. Said this year that Roe v. Wade was 'notoriously incorrect' and compared it to Dred Scott, the case which upheld slavery before the Civil War. Has consistently voted for anti-abortion positions Samuel Alito George W. Bush appointee. As a federal appeal judge, he voted to uphold a Pennsylvania law which required women to tell their husbands they planned to have an abortion. As Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania v. Casey, his ruling was overturned in the Supreme Court the next year, in a ruling Stephen Breyer says could be overturned itself. Has consistently voted for anti-abortion positions Neil Gorsuch Trump appointee. Only vote on abortion-related case was in February, on whether to block restrictions on clinics in Louisiana pending a full appeal. Gorsuch voted for them to go into place but the block was kept in place by Roberts voting with the liberal wing. Federal court career has no abortion votes. Seen as likely to vote for anti-abortion positions Brett Kavanaugh Trump appointee. Like Gorsuch, only vote on abortion-related case was in February, on whether to block restrictions on clinics in Louisiana pending a full appeal, when he joined Gorsuch in losing minority. As federal appeal court judge had one significant abortion vote, against allowing a 17-year-old illegal immigrant in detention to seek a termination without delay. Seen as likely to vote for anti-abortion positions Advertisement

A growing list of tough abortion bans seem designed to prod the Supreme Court to reconsider a constitutional right it announced 46 years ago in the landmark Roe v. Wade decision

It also requires that both parents be notified for a minor to get an abortion, but a change was made after hours of late-night negotiations to remove the requirement when a parent lacks legal or physical custody.

Current law requires written consent from only one parent.

Still, some lawmakers on both sides of the debate walked away unhappy.

Democrat Schrupp said even after changes, it's 'an extreme and egregious piece of legislation that puts women's health at risk.'

'It is outrageous that it has no exemptions for victims of human trafficking, rape or incest,' she said.

Republican Sen. Bob Onder said negotiators went too far to compromise, leaving the bill 'a shadow of what it once was.'

'This should be entitled not the 'Missouri Stands for the Unborn Act,'' Onder told colleagues on the Senate floor, 'but the 'Missouri Stands for the Unborn Act, sort of kind of only after the minority party and the strongest Planned Parenthood lawyers in the country were done with the bill.''
Labour has become engulfed by a top level row over whether to vote against Theresa May's Brexit deal or remain neutral.

Two members of Jeremy Corbyn's senior frontbench team publicly said the opposition would definitely oppose the Withdrawal Agreement Bill (WAB) when it is put to the vote in June.

Shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry and shadow Brexit minister Sir Keir Starmer left no room for doubt when they insisted the party would not sit on the fence.

But party leader Mr Corbyn was later less explicit, only saying that the party would not vote for the deal if it fails to meet its demand for a customs union and other concessions.

That left open the possibility of abstaining when the bill is voted on in the firts week of June.

Mr Corbyn's official spokesman yesterday refused six times to rule out telling its MPs to abstain on the bill's second reading when it takes place in the week beginning June 3.

Pressed by reporters on a visit to Salford, Greater Manchester this afternoon, on whether Labour would vote against the bill, Mr Corbyn said: 'We haven't seen the Withdrawal Agreement Bill yet.

'We've put to the Government a very strong position that we want a customs union with the European Union to protect jobs and trade, as well as trade access, and we want to protect the rights at work, consumer rights and environmental rights.

'The Government is in disarray, finding it very difficult to talk to a Government that is in disarray and we haven't yet seen the bill.

'Our view is there has to be a relationship with Europe which guarantees those things and if that bill doesn't do it then we won't support it.'

Sir Keir Starmer said today that 'Labour will vote against at second reading' of the Withdrawal Agreement in the first week of June

Mr Corbyn (pictured today in Manchester with Rebecca Long_Bailey) said: 'Our view is there has to be a relationship with Europe which guarantees those things and if that bill doesn't do it then we won't support it'

Ms Thornberry, last night told ITV's Peston: 'I am the elected politician. We are going to oppose this'

Steve Barclay argued that the Government has been looking at whether changes can be made to the Withdrawal Agreement to ensure it commands a 'wider body of support'

Sir Keir spoke this morning when he confronted Brexit Secretary Steve Barclay in the Commons, asking if a fourth meaningful vote would be held before the legislation is introduced next month.

'I would have thought it was perfectly clear that if the Prime Minister's deal was put for a fourth time - if it's allowed - it will fail, just as it has failed three times already,' Sir Keir told the minister.

Few voters think Tories OR Labour have a clear vision of Brexit - poll The scale of the problem facing the two main parties over Brexit has been laid bare in a new poll which reveals fewer than one in five people think Labour or the Conservative Party have a clear policy. Research from YouGov shows that 13 per cent of voters think Labour has a clear Brexit policy, while 17 per cent think the Conservatives do. Just 21 per cent of Labour voters in 2017 thought Labour had clear Brexit policy, while 26 per cent of their Tory counterparts said the same of the Conservatives. The two largest parties were the least clear on Brexit of all the national parties, according to the poll. In the YouGov poll, the Brexit Party was the only party that a majority thought was clear on the issue, with 59 per cent of respondents saying it had understandable policy. The Liberal Democrats were perceived to be the clearest of the anti-Brexit parties, with 41 per cent of the whole sample and just over half of Remain voters saying they thought policy was clear. The Greens and Change UK, which are both campaigning for a second referendum on Brexit, saw around a third of people (34 per cent and 31 per cent respectively) that thought their policy was clear. YouGov surveyed 1,655 adults in Britain between May 13 and 14. Advertisement

'I want to make it clear that Labour opposes the idea of passing the WAB without an agreed deal.

'That would put the cart before the horse and Labour will vote against at second reading on that basis.

'How on earth does the Secretary of State think that a Bill to implement a deal that isn't before the House can pass in two weeks' time?

'Or is this about keeping the Prime Minister in office for another week to give her a lifeline for today's meeting of the 1922 Committee?'

Yesterday a spokesman for Mr Corbyn insisted Labour would not be backing the deal unless stalled talks with the government came up with a compromise.

But he repeatedly refused to confirm that the party will vote against the Bill - leaving open the possibility that it could abstain.

'There is no agreement and we need the Government to make further moves,' the spokesman said.

'Without an agreement and real compromise and movement by the Government coming out of these talks then we are talking about a Withdrawal Agreement Bill that is based on the same botched Brexit deal that has been rejected three times already by Parliament.'

In the wake of his comments, Ms Thornberry, last night told ITV's Peston: 'I am the elected politician. We are going to oppose this.'

Both MPs have appeared to be at odds with the leader's office in recent weeks, speaking in support of a second referendum.

Mr Barclay argued the Government has been looking at whether changes can be made to the Withdrawal Agreement to ensure it commands a 'wider body of support', adding it will be for MPs to decide if they back the Bill.

He said: 'It will be an issue for the House to decide when it sees that legislation whether it does command a majority of the House.

'It may be that his personal position is that it's irrelevant what's in that text because he personally wants a second referendum.

Theresa May arriving at Parliament today ahead of a meeting with senior backbench members of the 1922 Committee. Labour frontbenchers have said they will block her latest attempt to pass a Brexit deal

Labour is increasing the gap between them and the Tories, a new opinion poll has revealed

'That's not the basis on which the discussions have been held, that may be his personal position, it is not - as I understand it - the official position of the Leader of the Opposition.

'But it will be for the House to make a decision, and what the Prime Minister has made clear is there'll be an opportunity to do that in the week after recess.'

Mr Barclay also reiterated no-deal Brexit planning is continuing ahead of the October 31 deadline and described a second referendum on Mrs May's deal as a 'bad idea'.
China's social credit system, which rates its 1.4 billion citizens based on their daily behaviour, will help the country restore morality, state media reported.

'China's ongoing construction of the world's largest social credit system will help the country restore social trust,' a report published in the state-run tabloid Global Times on Monday said.

As of March, 13.49 million individuals in China have been classified as untrustworthy, according to data released by the National Development and Reform Commission.

Authorities have blocked more than 20.47 million attempts to buy plane tickets and more than 5.71 million attempts to buy high-speed train tickets from 'discredited individuals' (file photo)

Authorities have blocked more than 20.47 million attempts to buy plane tickets and more than 5.71 million attempts to buy high-speed train tickets from these 'discredited individuals', according to the NDRC at a press conference last month.

With a tagline of 'once discredited, everywhere restricted', China's government-led social credit system vows to punish 'untrustworthy' citizens in as many ways as possible.

The system, which Beijing aims to complete by 2020 after being unveiled in 2014, will assess individuals, enterprises and government agencies on credit in four areas - administrative affairs, commercial activities, social behavior, and the judicial system, according to an outline issued by the State Council in 2014 cited by Global Times.

'China's ongoing construction of the world's largest social credit system will help the country restore social trust,' state-run tabloid Global Times on Monday said in a report (file photo)

Train passengers could face travel bans if they endanger railway safety, smoke on high-speed trains, sell on tickets, produce fake tickets and occupy unassigned seats (file photo)

Uncivilised behaviour such as failing to pay municipal parking fees, eating on the train, and frequently changing jobs with 'malicious intent' are some of the new offences that could land people in trouble, the report said.

Train passengers could face travel bans if they endanger railway safety, smoke on high-speed trains, sell on tickets, produce fake tickets, dodge tickets and occupy unassigned seats, according to People's Daily.

Air passengers could be banned from future flights for behaviours including spreading rumours about terror attacks, breaking into runways, assaulting the crew and causing disruption on flights.

Other individuals with low ratings would be barred from buying premium insurance, wealth management products or real estate, and their personal information would also be listed in public.

The Global Times also waved off concerns about privacy and authoritarianism by arguing that Western minds were too 'ignorant' to understand the benefits of the system.

As part of a nation-wide effort to promote the social credit system, the Chinese Communist Youth League released a music video titled Live up to Your Word' featuring popular celebrities

'Chinese experts said how China, with a population of 1.4 billion people, processes the huge volumes of data is beyond the understanding of Western countries,' the article read. 'The hypothetical theories of the West are based on their ignorance, Chinese experts say.'

'The purpose of the social credit system is not to monitor citizens or classify citizens into 'good' and 'bad' categories but to better serve people with good credit and warn dishonest people,' Zhentao, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences on finances, was quoted as saying.

The social credit system will help the country restore social trust, which is supported by the vast majority of Chinese people, said Wu Ken, Chinese Ambassador to Germany.

As part of a nation-wide effort to promote the social credit system, the Chinese Communist Youth League last week released a music video titled Live up to Your Word' featuring hugely popular celebrities.

Lyrics of the song, which is catered to a teenage audience, urge listeners to be 'trustworthy youngsters' and 'put credibility in your heart.'
Rohit Sharma, 28, faces deportation back to India at the end of his sentence for stalking, harassment and failing to appear at court

A stalker who started a campaign of harassment after asking a woman to marry him hours after she served him in a shop was jailed for two years and faces deportation to India.

Rohit Sharma, 28, made the shop worker's life hell for 18 months, bombarding her with up to 40 phone calls a day from 15 different numbers as well as texting and contacting her on social media and watching her at work.

Sharma was jailed for a total of two years and five months at Isleworth Crown Court after pleading guilty to stalking, harassment and failing to appear at court - and faces deportation back to India at the end of his sentence.

He began stalking his victim, who was aged in her 20s, after she served him in a shop in Wembley, north west London, in November 2017, the court heard.

Following their brief encounter, Sharma returned later that same day with his father and asked her to marry him.

The woman changed jobs four days later, but Sharma found out where she worked and managed to obtain her phone number.

His behaviour escalated and he bombarded her with multiple messages via phone, text and social media.

The woman reported Sharma to the police and he was issued with a harassment warning in Feburary last year, but he was undeterred, continuing his campaign of stalking.

Sharma was jailed for a total of two years and five months at Isleworth Crown Court after pleading guilty to stalking, harassment and failing to appear at court

The court heard that as well as bombarding the woman with calls, he continually watched her at her place of work.

Sharma was charged with harassment last July, but after being bailed from court he continued to pursue his victim, the court heard.

He failed to turn up for a court appearance on November 5 and continued stalking his victim to such an extent that she quit her job and moved away from the area in an attempt to get away from him.

But the court heard that only seemed to fuel his campaign and he began contacting people who knew her, trying to find out where she had gone.

Sharma was finally arrested by police last month at an address in Wembley.

He was subsequently charged and pleaded guilty at court.

The Judge ordered that Sharma - an Indian national living in Wembley - be considered for deportation on the completion of his prison sentence.

In a statement, the victim said: 'This whole experience has completely shattered my nerves.

'I have gone from being a confident young woman to constantly feeling scared and on edge.

'I have no desire to socialise or meet new people, which has really taken its toll.'

She added: 'I cannot understand why this man became so obsessed with me. It is so unfair and completely undeserved.

'I just want him to realise what he has done and to know that he cannot do this to me or anyone else.

'I now want to move on knowing that he is locked away and cannot harm or hurt anyone else like he has done to me.'

Investigating officer Detective Constable Nicola Kerry, of the Met's West Area Command Unit, said: 'Stalking and harassment has a devastating impact on the lives of those targeted.

'There is intrusion into the victim's life, and they are left to feel vulnerable, distressed and threatened.

'Sharma was incessant in his pursuit of his victim.

'He would phone her up to 40 times a day and use around 15 different numbers to contact her, making it near impossible to block his calls, and would also get friends and relatives to contact her on his behalf.'

She added: 'The victim has been left devastated by Sharma's actions and I can only hope that his imprisonment offers some form of respite for her.

'She has shown immense bravery in reporting him to police and supporting this court case.'
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The founder of Blade announced that the 'Uber for helicopters' would be lowering its prices without compromising safety just one week before one of its choppers crashed into the Hudson River.

Rob Wiesenthal, who launched Blade Urban Air Mobility Inc in 2014, spoke to Bloomberg last week about the company's price cuts of up to 93 percent, crediting the adoption of new, more fuel-efficient Bell 206 Long Range helicopters.

That's the same model that had to be fished out of the Hudson on Wednesday afternoon after it spiraled out of control following takeoff from the West 30th Street Heliport in Manhattan.

A Blade representative told DailyMail.com that the helicopter, which had the company's logo emblazoned on the side, was not servicing one of its flights at the time that it went down but was being repositioned for fueling by the contractor, Zip Aviation.

It is unclear what caused the helicopter's sudden descent some 150 feet short of the helipad.

The Blade representative said: 'Because there were no injuries, the incident is being treated as an emergency landing and NTSB (National Transportation Safety Board) will not be investigating.'

Authorities reported that there were two non-life-threatening injuries sustained by the pilot, who cut one of his hands, and a worker at the helipad who slipped and injured his wrist while trying to get out of the way of the falling aircraft.

The NTSB released a statement later Wednesday evening contradicting the one from Blade.

'The recovery of a Bell helicopter that crashed in New York's Hudson River Wednesday, revealed the helicopter was substantially damaged, as such, NTSB will investigate the event as an accident,' it said. 'NTSB investigators will not travel to the scene.'

The founder of Blade announced that the on-demand short-distance flight service billed as the 'Uber for helicopters' would be lowering its prices without compromising safety just one week before one of its choppers crashed into the Hudson River. The wrecked aircraft emblazoned with the Blade logo is seen being pulled from the murky water on Wednesday afternoon

A Blade representative told DailyMail.com the helicopter was not servicing one of its flights at the time that it went down but was being repositioned for fueling by the operator, Zip Aviation. Recovered pieces of aircraft were towed by boat to Brooklyn

Blade, an on-demand short-distance flight service, initially offered short trips between Manhattan and nearby airports John F Kennedy, Newark and La Guardia before expanding flight offerings to other destinations including the Hamptons and Martha's Vineyard.

The company has recently made an effort to broaden its service by significantly reducing its prices. A flight from Midtown to JFK that used to cost $3,000 is now as low as $195. It hopes to drop airport transit prices to as low as $70 per seat in the next three years to five years.

Rob Wiesenthal, who launched Blade Urban Air Mobility Inc in 2014, spoke to Bloomberg last week about the company's price cuts of up to 93 percent, crediting the adoption of new, more fuel-efficient Bell 206 Long Range helicopters

In an interview with Bloomberg published last Wednesday, Wiesenthal claimed that Blade had been able to reduce fares 'without compromising safety'.

He said the key to its lower-priced service was a new, fuel-efficient chopper model from Bell Helicopter that appears to be the same one involved in yesterday's crash.

Blade's head of corporate development Will Heyburn told Bloomberg: 'We're using the most fuel-efficient jet engine that Bell has available.

'You used to have to charter an entire aircraft, and people were using the wrong aircraft for the missionan expensive, gas-guzzling helicopter.'

By changing the model and increasing the number of people on each aircraft, Blade has increased its efficiency enough to lower costs dramatically, according to Heyburn.

Blade champions itself as the first continuously scheduled helicopter flight service, which Wiesenthal says is perfect for 'someone who works in Midtown, has lunch at a great restaurant at Hudson Yards, and walks across the street at 1.30pm and makes a 3.30pm flight'.

The founder says the biggest misconception surrounding the service is that it's not affordable, though he is working hard to change that.

Blade champions itself as the first continuously scheduled helicopter service offering flights from Manhattan to local airports as well as Martha's Vineyard, the Hamptons and other trendy destinations (file photo)

Blade has recently made an effort to broaden its service by significantly reducing its prices. A flight from Midtown to JFK that used to cost $3,000 is now as low as $195. A photograph posted to the company's Instagram page is seen above

The map above shows Blade flight paths within the greater New York City area, servicing JFK, Newark and La Guardia airports

Heart-stopping footage recorded by onlookers shows the pilot battling to keep the Bell 206 helicopter in the sky as the tail rotor visibly slows before the emergency float is deployed just moments before impact

A wall of water flew up around the helicopter as it made contact with the river about 150 feet from the helipad

Thirty-five-year-old pilot Eric Morales, the only person on board, is seen clinging to the wreckage as he waits to be rescued

Wednesday's incident will likely pose a large headache for Blade as it attempts to attract a larger customer base.

The crash was immortalized in heart-stopping footage recorded by onlookers, which shows the pilot battling to keep the Bell 206 helicopter in the sky as the tail rotor visibly slows before the emergency float is deployed just moments before impact.

'All of a sudden, he felt the helicopter go down,' NYPD Assistant Chief Stephen Hughes told reporters.

'I'm shocked. I've never seen anything like this. I thought it was almost like a stunt at first,' witness Anthony Rainsly told CBS2.

History of helicopter crashes in NYC Wednesday's Hudson River crash was one of a number of helicopter crashes New York has witnessed in recent years. In 2018, a sight-seeing helicopter crashed into the East River off of the Upper East Side Manhattan, killing five of the six passengers on board. Only the pilot survived the horror crash, which was caused by engine failure. The pilot, who was not attached to the aircraft by an additional harness, unbuckled his standard restraint and escaped. All five passengers drowned after the helicopter rolled over into the water as they were trapped by their harnesses. In the aftermath of the crash, a controversial bill was introduced attempting to legislate the entire helicopter tourism industry in the city out of existence. Before that, nine people died in a collision between a sightseeing helicopter and a small plane in 2009, not far from the scene of Wednesday's mishap. Advertisement

Another onlooker told the outlet he looked up after hearing a 'boom' just as the helicopter took off.

'It wasn't very high and it started spinning out of control. And it was spinning and kind of slow but then the airbags deployed and it dropped into the water. And that is when I grabbed my phone and I ran over and took video.

'There were no flames. It just started you know, spinning in a circle. Spinning, spinning and the airbags deployed and it fell to the water.'

Brenda Gaydos, who was in town from Plano, Texas, told the WSJ: 'It just hovered and went down. We didn't know what was going on.

'Immediately, we saw helicopters and boats responding to the crash. They were here pretty quick.'

Dozens of emergency personnel flocked to the scene by land and by water to help winch the helicopter from the river as it was kept afloat by the pontoon.

The pilot Morales could be seen clinging to the wreckage as he waited to be rescued. According to his LinkedIn page, Morales has been employed by Zip Aviation since January, having previously flown for Helicopter Adventures in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

A source told the DailyMail.com that the heavy winds may have contributed to the pilot's difficulties: '[The pilot] appeared to make a choice to attempt a hard landing on the water, possibly in a bid to avoid the nearby tarmac.'

The source speculated that with tall buildings nearby and heavy traffic just meters away, the pilot deliberately landed on the water to avoid the possibility of being blown directly into a heavily populated area.

Video recorded after the crash shows the damaged helicopter being pulled from the water, its top completely crushed and tail broken off.

All of the recovered debris was taken by boat to Brooklyn, officials said.

DailyMail.com has reached out to the NTSB, Federal Aviation Administration and New York state Department of Transportation for comment on the crash.

Blade recently began flying fuel-efficient Bell 206 Long Range choppers in order to cut costs and increase its customer base

The sunken helicopter is pulled from the Hudson following the crash, which took place on Wednesday afternoon. The floats which were deployed before impact can be seen beneath the chassis of the helicopter

The pilot, who miraculously only suffered minor injuries to his hand, was flying solo away from the fueling area to another part of the West 30th Street Heliport, and had trouble as he reapproached the facility, NYPD Assistant Chief Stephen Hughes said
An MP who served in Northern Ireland during the Troubles today expressed outrage at plans to launch a fresh round of probes into veterans stationed there.

Bob Stewart, 69, was speaking in the House of Commons this morning at an urgent question posed by Mark Francois MP.

It prompted debate on the proposed plans to set up a 150million unit to investigate incidents during the Troubles.

In an impassioned speech, Mr Stewart, who completed seven tour of Northern Ireland, said: 'I lost many men and I was involved in fatality shootings.

'I was investigated along with others. The investigations were thorough, aggressive and bloody awful to go through.'

Bob Stewart (pictured), 69, who served in Northern Ireland, said that investigations into veterans during the Troubles had been 'bloody awful to go through'

Among those currently facing prosecution is a former soldier, known as Soldier F, who has been charged with the killing of two people during Bloody Sunday in 1972 (pictured)

He noted that when the investigations were completed, soldiers sometimes had to go and prove they'd acted in accordance the yellow card - designed to ensure a solider acted within the law.

He continued: 'I told two soldiers in 1978 [...] that because they'd been to court and been proved innocent [...] they would never ever be asked to do such a thing again.

'How the hell can our government allow such people to be possibly investigated again?'

His comments come just one day after Defence Secretary Penny Mordaunt said she was determined to end the 'chilling' threat of repeated investigations into those who served during the Troubles.

She unveiled plans for a new law that will stop soldiers from being probed over incidents more than ten years old unless compelling new evidence comes to light.

While the amnesty will not immediately extend to those who served in Northern Ireland, Ms Mordaunt said it was a 'personal priority' of hers to make this a reality in the future.

Penny Mordaunt yesterday unveiled proposals for a law that will stop soldiers being investigated over incidents more than ten years old unless compelling new evidence comes to light

The cabinet minister (pictured last week) said she hopes to extend protection to troops from repeated investigations into historical allegations to cover veterans of Northern Ireland

Such a move would be at odds with plans by the government's own Northern Ireland office, which will soon announce a new taxpayer-funded unit tasked with investigating the alleged offences of Northern Ireland veterans.

It comes after a public consultation found an 'overwhelming majority' did not support such an amnesty, while there was 'broad support' for such a body set up to examine 1,700 deaths during the Troubles dating back to 1968.

Speaking at the Royal United Services Institute in London, Ms Mordaunt said she hoped the measures could offer a way forward for those who served during the Troubles.

'I do think it should cover Northern Ireland,' she said during a conference at the Royal United Services Institute.

'The problem is that we have failed to make progress on the whole 'lawfare' issue because we have been held up waiting for other things to happen.

'It is not going to be resolved overnight. It is a personal priority of mine that we get this resolved and we stop this chilling effect that is claiming veterans who really deserve our care and respect.'

Ms Mordaunt, making her first major speech as Defence Secretary, faced immediate criticism for not extending the amnesty to veterans of the Troubles (pictured)

Among those currently facing prosecution in relation to the Troubles is a former soldier, known as Soldier F, who has been charged with the killing of two people during Bloody Sunday in Londonderry in 1972.

While the former head of the Army, General Lord Dannatt, said peers would try to amend the legislation to extend it to Northern Ireland when it comes to the House of Lords.

'Soldiers did their duty, got up in the morning, sometimes they came under attack. They returned fire,' he said.

'They didn't set out to murder people. Terrorists set out every morning to murder people and successfully did so. There is a huge distinction to be drawn.'
Tony Abbott has been slammed for a 'graceless' tribute to Bob Hawke full of jibes at the Labor party and one thoughtless mistake.

Labor's longest serving prime minister received an outpouring of support from both major parties after he passed away on Thursday at 89.

Abbott made a statement dated as May 17 despite Hawke passing away on May 16.

The Liberal candidate said Hawke 'had a Labor heart, but a Liberal head' in a statement just hours after his death.

Abbott made a statement dated as May 17 despite Hawke passing away on May 16

Abbott said Hawke 'went against the Labor grain' and 'the Coalition supported nearly all his big reforms'.

He highlighted Hawke's policies on financial deregulation, tariff cuts and planting the seeds of privatisation.

The former prime minister was criticised online for his 'graceless' tribute to a fellow former PM.

Tony Abbott and former Prime Minister Bob Hawke shake hands at the state memorial service for Gough Whitlam in 2014

'You could have said nothing and it would have been more respectful than this,' one man replied on Twitter.

'Seriously, how do you f*** up a memorial tribute?' another man said.

'Read the room mate,' another said.

Abbott was dragged online for a 'profoundly disrespectful' tribute to the late Bob Hawke

Former Prime Minister Bob Hawke (pictured with his wife Blanche d'Alpuget) received an outpouring of support from both parties following his death

He was then accused of 'backpedalling' with a follow up tweet of a picture of himself and Hawke 'catching up' in 2015.

'He had the capacity to reach out to everyone across party lines,' the caption read.

'Too late, weve read your statement,' one man replied.

'Should've run with that first time around,' another man said.

Damage control: Abbott made a follow-up tweet after his first statement faced immense backlash online
Drivers stuck in Los Angeles' traffic jams could soon be able to enjoy a burger brought to their car door when Burger King introduces a new hi-tech delivery service.

The company debuted 'The Traffic Jam Whopper' in Mexico City, one of the most congested cities in the world.

And now it is now looking to expand the food delivery service to cities including Los Angeles.

Burger King delivers food directly to the customer's car while they are stuck in the traffic

Customers can use the Burger King app and voice commands to get the food delivered quickly

Real-time traffic monitoring helps the company determine which are the most congested areas and also what time they get the most traffic.

When potential customers are located within 1.9 miles of a Burger King branch, prompts are pushed on digital billboards and adverts appear on the Waze traffic app, encouraging drivers to order some food.

Hungry drivers are then directed to the Burger King app, where they can order with voice commands to avoid texting while at the wheel.

'The Traffic Jam Whopper' debuted in Mexico City, one of the busiest cities in the world

Billboards and ads encourage drivers to order food from the Burger King app

Burger King says the new service increased BK app downloads by 44 percent and increased daily delivery orders by 63 percent in the trial area

The adverts remind drivers how much time they have left to order on the app, as this varies depending on the traffic.

Once ordered, the billboards change to alert customers when food is on the way.

The delivery people will use Google Maps to find the drivers and deliver the food directly to their car.

The delivery people locate the drivers with Google Maps and deliver the food on motorbike

Real-time traffic monitoring checks jams within three 1.9 miles of a Burger King branch

Burger King says the new service increased BK app downloads by 44 percent and daily delivery orders by 63 percent in the area, Autoblog reports.

After the experiment in Mexico City, the company is now looking to expand the service to other big cities, including Los Angeles, Shanghai and Sao Paulo.

The idea was developed with the help of We Believers agency.

Mail Online has contacted Burger King for comment.
The German hotel owner who found three corpses of sex cult victims has spoken for the first time about his 'horror discovery' in the mysterious crossbow murder-suicide case in which five died at two locations.

Claus Ortmeier pushed open a bedroom door to be confronted by the gruesome sight of a man and two women shot dead with crossbow bolts in Passau on Saturday.

Torsten Weiss, 53, the suspected leader of the cult, and Farina Caspari, 30, were both killed by bolts through their hearts, while the suspected shooter, Kerstin Enders, 33, had a self-inflicted arrow wound through the neck.

Two days later, 400 miles north of the bloody scene in Bavaria, Caspari's partner, Gertrud and Carina U. were discovered dead at Caspari's apartment in Wittingen. It has not yet known how they died.

In an exclusive interview with MailOnline Mr Ortmeier said: 'The man's eyes were closed but the woman who was alongside him and holding his had had hers open.

Claus Ortmeier, owner of Gathof Pension Zur Trftsperre in Passau, said: 'It was only when I got a bit closer that I saw the crossbow bolt sticking out of his body'

Farina Caspari, 30 (left and right), has emerged as the trigger-woman behind at least three of the five deaths in Germany's 'crossbow killings'

Caspari is thought to have killed Torsten Weiss (left) and Kerstin Enders (right) with a crossbow bolt to the heart each before turning the weapon on herself in an elaborate murder-suicide

'They really did look like they were just sleeping and I first thought they had taken a drugs overdose.'

Claus said he looked across the room and saw the body of another woman partially hidden by a bath towel draped over chair.

He then saw a pool of blood on the floor and immediately ran down the stairs to call police.

Claus, 27, had been at the front desk of the family run Zur Triftsperre hotel in Passau when Weiss, Caspari and Enders checked in on Friday evening.

'The women were dressed all in black and had heavy black make up round their eyes. They also had piercings, but that is not unusual.

'They paid 300 euros in advance for three nights and the man said they did not want breakfast.

German police are investigating five deaths more than 400 miles apart which they say are linked, but are not sure how. The case has captivated the nation

From left to right: Kerstin Enders, Farina Caspari, Gertrud Caspari and Carina U appear in this dark and bizarre photo

Weiss has emerged as the link between the four female victims, who appeared to be part of a 'sex cult'. He is pictured here alongside Carina U, 19, who was found dead at a separate address

'He just said that they were going to sleep and that we would not see them until Monday.

I just assumed that they might be taking drugs.'

Caspari signed her name on the hotel register and listed her home address in the town of Wittingen, where two more dead women would be found on Monday.

The three guests checked into room 20 on the second floor of the two star hotel.

The sparsely furnished room contained a double bed and single bed.

Claus said: 'They did not have any luggage but the women went out to their car about 10.30pm and came back with bag. I was finishing for the night but that was the last I saw them until the morning.'

The guesthouse in Passau, Bavaria where Weiss, Enders and Caspari were discovered dead from crossbow wounds on Saturday

It is thought the four female victims knew each other through Weiss (pictured), who was described as a domineering figure who isolated them from their families

Weiss and Enders were living together in Westerwald at the time of their deaths , where they ran a bizarre medieval-themed shop (pictured)

Shortly before midday last Saturday a hotel cleaner alerted him after opening the door to No 20 and seeing the two people lying on the bed.

'The cleaner thought something was wrong so called me,' said Claus.

'The man had turned white. It was obvious he was dead. He was wearing a green jacket and was side by side with the woman.

'It was only when I got a bit closer that I saw the crossbow bolt sticking out of his body. The duvet had been pulled up. I then could see some blood on the pillow.

'I saw a pool of blood on the floor and then saw the other woman. Her body was part hidden by a chair with a towel. '

Police believe Caspari shot dead the other two before pointing the crossbow at the base of her throat and pulling the trigger.

The six inch long metal bolt went through her neck to her spinal chord killing her instantly.

Weiss kept a mannequin dressed in ripped lingerie and spattered with fake blood on the counter, with chains and ropes around her neck and arms

Farina's lover, 35-year-old Gertrud Caspari was found dead in Wittingen alongside Carina U, 19 (pictured, bodies are carried out of the property)

Undertakers carry a body bag from the house in Wittingen on Monday as police investigate the deaths of two other women connected to the deaths in Passau

Claus, whose family had run the hotel since the 1950s, said he saw two crossbows lying on the floor.

One was a large crossbow about two feet in length while the other was much smaller.

A third crossbow was still in a bag on the third single bed in the room.

He believes all three must have taken drugs to sedate themselves as no one in the hotel heard them scream out or make any noise.

Officers trying to inform Caspari's partner of her death then stumbled into another murder scene in Wittingen

'All the rooms on the floor were occupied and no one heard anything. Not a single shout or scream which is strange as they were shot,' he said.

The room remains sealed on the orders of the Passau prosecutor as it is a crime scene.

Claus said he is puzzled why the three chose his hotel to carry out the murder suicide and concerned it will put people off from staying.

'They have never stayed here before and did not say why they wanted to come here. The only thing they said was that they had a long drive.'

The other two women were discovered at Caspari's apartment on Monday in the north of the country. There were no signs of violence or use of crossbows as in Passau and it remains unclear as to how they died.

'Investigators suspect they were all members of a kind of sex circle with a focus on the Middle Ages. Torsten Weiss may have been the guru of the group,' reported RTL after interviewing several people who knew them.

Caspari was a baking assistant in a civil partnership with Gertrud - while the others were isolated from their families and appear to have fallen under the spell of Weiss.

The case has, as yet, stumped police, with Passau prosecutor Walter Feiler admitting: 'We have five dead, that much is clear. Everything else is in doubt.'
Nurse Helen Kennett arrives for the London Bridge inquests at the Old Bailey today

An NHS nurse has told how she stared into the 'sorrowless, evil, empty' eyes of an ISIS-inspired killer and asked him 'what's wrong with you?' - before he slashed open her neck in the London Bridge attack.

Helen Kennett was off-duty drinking prosecco to celebrate her birthday with her mother and sister in the courtyard of Boro Bistro when she heard the terrorists' van crash on the street above, an inquest heard today.

When she saw the extremists descend the stairs from the bridge to Borough Market, she thought they were innocent people seeking help after a car accident.

But as she approached to give them first aid, she saw one of the killers, Rachid Redouane, 30, stabbing 26-year-old Alexandre Pigeard from behind and realised it was a deliberate attack.

Giving evidence at the Old Bailey, Ms Kennett said: 'I looked up at the attacker. I did exchange words with him. I looked at him and I said: 'What's wrong with you?'

'He immediately looked at me and said: 'No, what's wrong with you.' Before I could process what was happening he stabbed me in the neck on the left side.

'He was dark-skinned, I'm sure, he had a bit of a whispy beard, not a proper one. I just remember his eyes, they were completely sorrowless, evil, empty.'

Despite his fatal injuries, Mr Pigeard warned the NHS nurse to run away before she was also stabbed by Redouane and left for dead in the incident on June 3, 2017.

Ms Kennett recalled 'slipping in my own blood' as she desperately tried to reach her family in an alleyway near the restaurant.

Rachid Redouane (pictured left), 30, was the terrorist who stabbed nurse Helen Kennett and killed waiter Alexandre Pigeard. One of his accomplices Youssef Zaghba, 22, is pictured right

Khuram Butt walked over to a tap, ran his knife under it to clean off the blood, and wiped it, first on one side of his face, then the other. He was shot dead by police

Her hug from victim's father The family of Alexandre Pigeard thanked Helen Kennett yesterday for trying to save his life seconds before being attacked herself. In emotional scenes, the nurse was embraced by the 26-year-old Frenchmans father, Philippe. She wept as she was formally thanked for trying to help even though knife-wielding terrorists were running amok just yards away. Mr Pigeard, from Caen in Normandy, had been living in London for just over two years. His father, a musician and poet, said yesterday: Im present here as a desolated father who has lost a child in such circumstances  an inconsolable father who for 703 days has not been close to his son. Advertisement

The three fanatics, Kharum Butt, 27, Youssef Zaghba, 22, and Redouane, murdered Christine Archibald, 30, and Xavier Thomas, 45, with a van, and fatally stabbed Mr Pigeard along with Sara Zelenak, 21, Kirsty Boden, 28, James McMullan, 32, Ignacio Echeverria, 39, and Sebastian Belanger, 36. Another 48 people were injured.

Ms Kennett said it felt as though someone had 'thrown a bucket of warm water' over her as her blood streamed out of her wound.

'I felt this rushing all down my body and I thought: 'Oh no, I've been stabbed as well.'

Ms Kennett, who had been celebrating a family birthday with her sister Louise and their mother, said she was certain she was going to die.

She remembers hearing 'screaming and shouting' as two of the terrorists hacked away at victims near the Boro Bistro restaurant.

She added: 'I knew at this point I couldn't help people and I thought I was going to die. But I didn't want to die there, I wanted to die around the corner with my family.'

Alexandre Pigeard, 26, was killed in the London Bridge attack on June 3, 2017

After reaching her family members, she told them how to treat her wound, and they stemmed the blood with tea towels and a shirt.

She had to walk to an ambulance near the Bunch of Grapes pub on St Thomas Street before she was taken to Kings Cross Hospital. 'I was very conscious of what was happening,' she said.

'I knew that my airway was punctured, I knew my oesophagus was punctured, I thought if my artery has been punctured I may have a few minutes and that's all.'

Recalling the moments the terrorists came down the staircase after crashing their van, she said: 'I presumed they had come down because of an accident and they have come down for us to help them after the accident.

'The first time I noticed [Mr Pigeard] was when I saw him bleeding a lot and the attacker standing behind him.

'I thought that he had been involved in the car crash and the man standing behind him had dragged him down the stairs for us to help him.

'I went to him because I thought I had to do something, he was bleeding a lot. As I got closer I'm sure there was a cut right across his neck.

Mr Pigeard was killed just three yards away from diners he was serving in Bore Bistro

'I looked at his injuries, I looked at the man, then I saw the knives, I saw his throat. I immediately knew in my mind that that was an unsurvivable injury and this was very serious.'

Ms Kennett said the attacker had an arm around Mr Pigeard and had a knife raised in his other hand ready to stab him again.

Describing Mr Pigeard's dying moments, she said: 'I spoke to him, I put my arm out to him. I said: 'Let me help you, I'm a nurse.' He shook his head. I don't know what he knew. I'm sure he told me to run.'

The inquest also heard from Geoffrey Huet who saw the second attack from outside the bistro and said he believed Redouane was trying to 'finish off' Mr Pigeard.

'I looked at the killer in the eyes and saw the flash of the blade,' he said. 'He had this craziness in his eyes, this anger, he looked furious.'

Alexandre was seen writhing on the floor holding his throat with his hands after it was slashed open by Redouane.

The inquest heard brave NHS nurse Kirsty Boden, 28, also rushed to his aid before being knifed repeatedly.

The three terrorists strapped fake explosive belts made from water bottles on to their torsos in a bid to strike fear into the hearts of officers attempting to stop them

The terrorists tied 12-inch knives to their wrists with tape before they launched their attack

Tomasso Clemente, who was also out with friends at Boro Bistro, saw her brutal murder.

He said: 'I saw this guy, he was bent over her. He was stabbing this girl.

'At the beginning I thought he was trying to help her to stand up, but then I saw he pulled a knife from her belly.

'Next to her there was a guy lying on the floor, I recognised him as a waiter because I had seen him around the place.

'I noticed he was covered in blood and he was holding his throat with his hands.'

Mr Clemente said Alexandre was laying on his back 'rocking' from side to side as he died in a pool of blood.

Dubbed the 'Angel of London Bridge' for her efforts to help victims, Ms Boden desperately tried to fend off her killer as she was hacked to death.

'She was lying on the floor and she was trying to protect herself with her hands,' said Mr Clemente.

'She was covering her chest and belly. I saw the knife going through her two or three times.'

The witness described seeing the ISIS fanatic raising his 12-inch blade above his head and plunging it down into the victim repeatedly during the horrifying attack.

A map of the London Bridge area shows where each of the victims were injured

Earlier, the inquest heard from a diner who saw the terrorist stab her waiter to death and told how she feared she would die next as the 'smiling' killer scoured the scene for his next victim.

Andzelika Abokaityte and her boyfriend were celebrating a friend's birthday at Boro Bistro on the evening of June 3, 2017 when Mr Pigeard, who had been serving them, was brutally killed.

Mr Pigeard, 26, was one of eight victims of the three terrorists who had taped armed with 12in ceramic knives.

The couple heard the terrorists' van crash into the railings above them, sending debris down onto the tables in the courtyard below.

'My friends stood up and they were looking at what happened above us and they said a van crashed into the bridge,' she told the inquest into the deaths.

One friend was hit on the arm by glass or a brick from above, she said and she was asking him if he was OK when she heard people screaming.

'Shortly after I was looking and I could see a man holding our waiter,' she said.

The man was three metres away, grasping Mr Pigeard from behind. She said: 'I could only see his face. He looked evil and he was smiling.

'He was dark skinned, I think, with dark hair. I think he had a little beard. He was holding the waiter and stabbing him from behind.

'I think two times and then I looked at my friend and asked him to run.

'When I looked around and, I don't know if it was the same person, I saw him slicing the neck.'

Pictured: the battered Renault van used by terrorists during the attack on London Bridge in 2017, leaving it with its bumper hanging off

The man was 'looking around as if to find the next person to stab', she said. 'I remember thinking I was going to die. The whole thing was horrific'.

The couple retreated inside the restaurant from where a friend jumped through the window, to rescue his wife from under one of the tables and they then escaped through the emergency exit.

'There was a man holding his neck with a lot of blood trying to stop it and there was a woman lying down, I'm not sure if she was alive.

'I think there were her friends standing around. I think she was wearing a multi coloured dress with flowers on it. She wasn't moving, her eyes were open.'

Mr Pigeart's colleague, Dimitri Gabriel, heard the crash and went out to investigate with Mr Pigeart leading the way.

'The last word he said to me is let's go up and see what happened. Maybe it's an accident on the bridge,' Mr Gabriel told the inquest.

They went through a stone arch and up some stairs, where other witnesses suggest Mr Pigeart was stabbed in the neck before retreating.

'He was just in front of me,' Mr Gabriel said. 'He went towards the arch. As soon as I reached that arch he was already going up the stairs.

'There were loads of people screaming and so I decided to go back. The screams were coming from the top of the stairs. People were coming down.'

He retreated down an alleyway and then returned to the restaurant. 'I decided to go and check on the customers and when I went back outside I saw him.

He was laying down right in front of the restaurant. 'My colleagues were saying it's Alexandre, it's Alexandre. I said no. One of my colleagues took a blanket to cover him.

'He was face down but my colleagues together we were in shock as well. We didn't know what to do.'

The inquest continues into the deaths.

Who were the victims of the London Bridge terror attack?

Ignacio Echeverria

Spaniard Ignacio Echeverria was stabbed to death as he tried to fight off the terrorist attackers with his skateboard.

The 39-year-old had been in the UK for over a year was working as a financial crime analyst at HSBC.

Mr Echeverria joined unarmed police constables Wayne Marques and Charlie Guenigault in fighting off the three attackers as they set upon Marie Bondeville, hitting at least one terrorist with his skateboard.

'His courageous efforts were to seek to stop the attack,' Chief Coroner Mark Lucraft said.

Kirsty Boden

Mr Echeverria was the youngest of five siblings and was a Catholic who went to mass every week. He could speak English, German and French fluently.

Nurse Kirsty Boden was fatally stabbed as she tried to tend to the wounded and the dying.

Miss Boden, 28, moved to London in 2013 from the small town of Loxton, in South Australia.

She was a senior staff nurse at Guy's and St Thomas' Hospital and lived with her British boyfriend James Hodder in a flat in Hampstead.

Mr Hodder said: 'She loved people and loved her life helping others. To Kirsty, her actions that night would have been an extension of how she lived her life.'

Alexandre Pigeard

Alexandre Pigeard was working as a waiter at Boro Bistro when he was attacked.

The 26-year-old Frenchman had moved to London to further his ambitions as a dance music DJ.

Minutes before he was fatally stabbed, he video-called his father Philippe during a break from work at the French restaurant.

Mr Pigeard had planned to return to France in the autumn of 2017 to help open a restaurant in Nantes and to record an EP with his musician father.

Mr Pigeard senior told the inquest: 'I'm present here as a devastated father who has lost a child in such circumstances - an inconsolable father.'

James McMullan

James McMullan was stabbed in the chest near the Barrowboy and Banker pub while he was celebrating getting financial backing for his online education company.

The British-Filipino entrepreneur was watching the Champions League final with friends in the pub.

The 32-year-old, from Hackney in East London, was attacked when he stepped outside to have a cigarette.

He had dreamed of helping children without access to education through his e-learning company.

Mr McMullan's father Simon described his son as 'funny, charming and clever' and said 'his fearlessness could never be underestimated'.

Sebastien Belanger

The mother of chef Sebastien Belanger said she does not forgive the terrorists who 'mutilated and killed him'.

Her 36-year-old son was drinking at the Boro Bistro when he was stabbed repeatedly in the chest.

His mother Josiane Belanger said: 'We miss him so much, his smile, his joie de vivre. I do not forgive what they did to him.'

Originally from Angers in western France, Mr Belanger started work at the Coq d'Argent in the City and was promoted to the role of head chef.

Australian au pair Sara Zelenak was on the 'trip of a lifetime' when she was stabbed to death while on a night out with a friend.

Sara Zelenak

Miss Zelenak's mother Julie Wallace said 'every sliding door' put her daughter in 'harm's way'.

'She was meant to be working and at the last minute she got the night off,' Mrs Wallace said.

'At 10pm Sara's phone rang and her friend said 'I've finished at the rugby' and so she left her safe haven and walked out into a terrorist attack and was stabbed to death.'

Before leaving for UK in March 2017, Miss Zelenak worked with her stepfather Mark as a crane truck operator in Brisbane to save up for her trip.

Her parents have since set up Sarz Sanctuary to help other families to cope with grief.

Xavier Thomas

Xavier Thomas was walking over London Bridge with his girlfriend Christine Delcros when they were hit by the van.

The 45-year-old father-of-two was catapulted into the Thames and his girlfriend suffered life-changing injuries. His body was recovered downstream three days later.

Mr Thomas, who had arrived in London on the day of the attack, lived near Paris and worked for American Express.

Miss Delcros said: 'Since Xavier disappeared in such tragic and traumatic circumstances our whole world has fallen apart.'

Canadian tourist Christine Archibald told her fiance Tyler Ferguson she loved him seconds before she was mowed down.

Christine Archibald

Miss Archibald and Mr Ferguson were walking across London Bridge after dinning at a nearby restaurant when the atrocity unfolded.

Her fiance said: 'At one point Chrissy stopped me out of nowhere, grabbed me close and gave me a passionate kiss after telling me she loved me.

'I remember it being a warm summer's evening and the sun had just gone down.. And then the attack took place and Chrissy was killed.

'No words can express how I felt when this happened. I was absolutely devastated and inconsolable. Nothing has ever been the same since.'

Miss Archibald's engagement ring was lost during the attack, but later recovered from the bridge. Mr Ferguson now wears it on a chain around his neck.
Labor leader Bill Shorten says Bob Hawke's legacy will live forever in an Australia he brought together.

The former Labor prime minister died on Thursday, two days before Mr Shorten is favoured by polls to lead the party back to government.

'Tonight the nation and Labor are in mourning. We have lost a favourite son,' Mr Shorten said in Sydney.

Labor leader Bill Shorten says Bob Hawke's legacy will live forever in an Australia he brought together

'Bob Hawke loved Australia and Australia loved Bob Hawke,' Mr Shorten said.

'But his legacy will endure forever. Bob Hawke changed Australia for the better. He brought people together, he brought Australia together, he modernised our economy, he transformed our society, he protected our environment.'

Mr Shorten said he last saw Mr Hawke at his Sydney home last week.

'He had the sun on his face, a crossword in front of him, a cup of tea. He didn't speak about himself to me. He did, as he always does, asked about the ALP and the election,' Mr Shorten said.

'We all loved Bob Hawke. We'll miss him a great deal. May he rest in peace.

'The condolences of my party and my movement to the great Bob Hawke.'
Nigel Farage's Brexit Party bandwagon has pitched up at the Essex nightclub loved by TOWIE's stars as a new poll made him more popular than Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn.

Mr Farage spoke to crowds in a Merthyr Tydfil car park last night and today he addressed crowds at the Sugar Hut in Brentwood including club owner Mick Norcross and boxer Dereck 'Del Boy' Chisora.

He told the crowded room: 'The Only Way Is Brexit' and revealed his party is starting to select general election candidates as they are expected to clean up at the European elections next Thursday.

And today as the Brexit carnage poured down on Labour and the Conservatives, new YouGov revealed that the public like Mr Farage more than the two main party leaders.

Nigel Farage poses for a selfie during a Brexit Party campaign event at the Sugar Hut nightclub loved by TOWIE'S stars

Mr Farage signs a placard for Brexit Party supporters at the Brentwood nightspot

The Brexit Party leader laughs as boxer Derek Chisora pins on his rosette outside the Sugar Hut

Nigel Farage is now seen more favourably than Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn among voters

Theresa May's net favourability score has slumped from -39 in late March to a new all-time low of -49.

But her main rival Jeremy Corbyn is still liked less at -50, marginally better than his score of -53 in March, which was itself his own all-time low.

May and Corbyn's scores make the two party leaders less popular than Nigel Farage with the Brexit Party leader having a net favourability score of -39. The least unpopular party leader is Change UK's Heidi Allen, with a net favourability score of -11. Lib Dem Sir Vince Cable sits on -18.

The Brexit Party founder Mick Norcross ahead of next week's European elections.

Boxer Dereck Chisora was among the crowd, which also included many international media representatives.

Mr Farage said: 'I thought if we won the Brexit battle our politicians would simply have to deliver it.

'I've now learnt that this battle is about far more than Brexit, this battle actually is about democracy.

'It's about whether we are a democratic nation, it's about whether we have a bond of trust between us and those that govern us, it's about how the rest of the world looks at us.

'We used to be an admired country. This Prime Minister and our Parliament have turned us into a laughing stock.'

Asked by a journalist whether he thought the top rate of tax should be 45% or if that is too high, he said: 'We'll deal with that in our manifesto when we've won the European elections on the issues of trust and democracy.'

Brexit Party chairman Richard Tice with club owner Mick Norcross, who is no longer on TOWIE

But his club is the favoured nightspot for TOWIE stars past and present including Amy Childs and Lauren Pope

No trendy ad agencies required! How the Brexit Party devised its clever arrow logo in-house by 'knocking a few ideas around' (and it cost nothing)

The Brexit Party's logo guiding people towards their ballot paper box didn't cost them a penny because it was done in-house, MailOnline can reveal today.

The symbol of Nigel Farage's movement is a forward-pointing arrow with the party's name written inside and will win them more votes next week, an award-winning British designer has said.

With May 23 ballot papers now printed, this arrow points towards the box where Brexit Party voters will draw their cross and could help swing the EU elections, it has been claimed.

Ben Terrett, who won a British design of the year award in 2013, said: 'That's going to get a lot of Xs. A helluva lot of Xs. They are a single issue, probably single election party, and this is a very clever piece of graphic design.'

He added: 'I hate Brexit. I hate Farage even more. I just voted in the Euro elections (postal) and here's a thing: It's a massive arrow pointing at the box where you mark your X with the word BREXIT written in big font'.

MailOnline understands that the Brexit Party didn't employ an expensive design agency to create the logo, instead one of Mr Farage's aides drew it up, saving the party up to 50,000, which the Tories paid for a redesign.

A source close to Mr Farage said: 'The team knocked a few ideas around. We also considered black and white as an option before rejecting it for the blue logo'.

On this postal ballot paper the Brexit Party logo appears to guide voters to mark their cross next to Nigel Farage's party. A British designer said it was a 'very clever piece of design'

Farage shows off the party logo during a rally in Merthyr Tydfil, Wales, on Wednesday ahead of next week's European Parliament elections

Remainers have complained that the Electoral Commission should have banned it and have even started an online petition - but Brexiteers hit back by saying that official 2016 referendum literature on how to vote showed a pencil hovering over the Remain box.

The Electoral Commission told MailOnline today that the logo is legal and its experts don't accept claims it will 'mislead a voter'.

A spokesman said: 'The emblem directs voters to the correct place to cast their vote for the party and does not encourage or discourage voters from casting their vote for other parties, or in any other way not to cast their vote correctly'.

He also contrasted it with the Change UK logo which has been widely ridiculed.

The breakaway group's emblem features four horizontal bars, with the party's name on the right - although the layout of those words has been altered.

Brexiteers hit back by pointing out this official paperwork from the 2016 referendum, which showed the pencil

An earlier version of the Change UK logo was rejected by the Electoral Commission last month.

That symbol showed the letters TIG for The Independent Group with #Change underneath.

But the Electoral Commission said it was 'likely to mislead voters' and was unhappy with the use of an hashtag with clear links to online content.

The party also faced a row over its name as petition group Change.org suggested the rebel Tory and Labour MPs had chosen a title too similar to theirs.

Polls have shown Mr Farage's party with a strong chance of victory in the May 23 European elections.

As Mr Terrett's post indicates, some voters have already begun sending in postal ballots.

Nigel Farage (left) and a Brexit Party MEP candidate for Wales, Nathan Gill (right), react as they visit an e-cigarette and vape shop in South Wales yesterday

Change UK had this logo banned because it used a hashtag, the Electoral Commission said

The logo of breakaway group Change UK (pictured) has been widely ridiculed

Some surveys have shown the Conservatives falling as low as fifth amid voter fury over the protracted Brexit process.

The elections were never supposed to happen at all but the Brexit delay until October 31 has forced Britain to take part in the continent-wide poll.

Change UK has made less of an impact, ranging between one and seven per cent in recent polls.

The party faced a further blow when its lead candidate in Scotland dropped out and backed the Liberal Democrats.

David Macdonald said a 'diluted' Remain vote could give Nigel Farage's Brexit Party the chance to get an MEP in Scotland.

Change UK spokesman Chuka Umuna said it was a 'disappointing' move.
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Remarkable photos show the construction of the USS Akron which later crashed into the Atlantic Ocean leaving 73 people on board and two rescuers dead.

Despite the high death toll making it the world's deadliest airship disaster, the USS Akron has largely been forgotten - compared to the famous Hindenburg tragedy which claimed the lives of 36.

On 4 April 1933, the world watched in horror as reports came in of a calamitous airship crash off the coast of new Jersey following a fierce thunderstorm.

The USS Akron - the largest aircraft in the world when it was built by the US Navy - had crashed, killing 73 of the 76 crewman and passengers.

Another two lives were lost in the rescue operation, resulting in a total of 75 deaths.

A thorough investigation into airship construction was conducted, with thousands of photos analysed by the Joint Committee to Investigate Dirigible Disasters to determine responsibility for the crash.

These iconic photos include an inside look of the hull of the ill-fated ship, a snapshot of the a 785-foot dirigible floating serenely above Manhattan, and a photo of the three men who survived that fateful day.

The nose section of USS Akron being fitted. It would later crash into the Atlantic Ocean, claiming 73 lives of the 76 crew and passengers as well as two rescuers trying to save people from the sea

How the rear end of USS Akron looked after its completion. The USS Akron, a 785-foot dirigible, was in its third year of flight when a violent storm sent it plunging tail-first into the Atlantic Ocean shortly after midnight on April 4, 1933

US Navy servicemen in the dirigibles engine room. The Akron crashed off the community of Barnegat Light just a few hours after taking off from Lakehurst. So many people died largely because the ship had no life vests and only one rubber raft

USS Akron flying serenely over Manhattan. When considering airship crashes, most will jump to the Hindenburg tragedy in 1937 with the devastating photos of the dirigible bursting into flames. However, over twice the amount of people died when a violent storm sent USS Akron plunging tail-first into the Atlantic Ocean as compared to the Hindenburg

A stunning photograph of the Interior Hull of a Dirigible before helium Gas Cells were installed. There were no life vests on board the doomed USS Akron and many of the passengers drowned in the cold, swirling waters of the ocean in the dead of night

The wreckage of the naval dirigible USS Akron as it is brought to the surface of the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of New Jersey on April 23, 1933. It was in its third year of flight when a violent storm sent it crashing tail-first into the Atlantic Ocean shortly after midnight on April 4, 1933

USS Akron approaches a mooring mast while landing. It is rumored the top of the Empire State Building was constructed as a landing zone for these mammoth airships. In June 2002, the Navy ordered a mission to explore the wreckage of the Akron. The NR-1 explored several hundred feet of debris 120 feet deep

Crew bunks aboard USS Akron. Were these men among the fatalities? The only three survivors included Lieutenant Commander Herbert Wiley, Moody Erwin and Richard Deal who were pulled from the frigid waters by a German tanker that had been nearby. Erwin and Deal had been hanging on a fuel tank. Wiley was clinging to a board, according to an account he gave to a newspaper the next day

USS Akron in the Goodyear-Zeppelin Dock in Ohio. The sense of scale compared to the men and women working on the project hints at its overall size. A thorough investigation into airships was conducted, with thousands of photos analysed by the Joint Committee to Investigate Dirigible Disasters to determine responsibility for the crash

Looking Down at a Emergency Control Station of USS Akron. In the 1930s, rigid airships, or dirigibles, were seen as the technology of the future. They were used in World War I for scouting and even bombing attacks, while after the war the US Navy believed it could use the dirigibles as airborne aircraft carriers

USS Akron nearing its final stages of completion. Predictions that airships would be the next generation of long distance travel had to be revised after USS Akron was involved in several minor crashes in its two years of service before it was eventually claimed by the sea

Survivors of USS Akron disaster receiving commendations from the Secretary of the Navy, in his Navy Department office shortly after the airship's loss on 4 April 1933. Those present are (from left to right): Assistant Secretary of the Navy Henry A. Roosevelt; Secretary of the Navy Claude Swanson; Admiral William V. Pratt, Chief of Naval Operations; Lieutenant Commander Herbert V. Wiley, senior survivor; Boatswain's Mate 2nd Class Richard E. Deal, survivor; and Aviation Metalsmith 2nd Class Moody Erwin, survivor. Erwin, whose left hand is bandaged, is apparently wearing a borrowed uniform, as its insignia is that of a Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class

The world's largest helium-filled airship, the USS Akron, leaving its dock. It appears the crash of the Hindenburg four years later - with the infamous distressed cries of 'Oh the Humanity!' heard as footage caught the ship go up in flames - sealed the airships fate as their use was scaled back

One of the first main frames of USS Akron. It would end up at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of New Jersey. Part of the wreckage was lifted from the sea a few weeks after the accident

Captaining the airship that led to the deadliest disaster in the world. It was plagued by problems from the start. The Akron was involved in three accidents before its final doomed flight, including one in which its tail slammed into the ground several times. Another accident killed two sailors

The airship's control car in place below her framework, during construction in the Goodyear-Zeppelin Corporation air dock hangar at Akron, Ohio

Rescue planes fruitlessly search for survivors of the USS Akron disaster. Two more men would die while attempting to rescue survivors (Photo courtesy of Loyd D. Reckner). A day after the Akron disaster, a blimp sent out to look for bodies malfunctioned and crashed in Barnegat Light, killing two more crew members

The external covers of a dirigible of the Akron are pulled back to show its workings below. In 1930 a British R-101 airship crashed and burned, resulting in 48 deaths, followed by the terrible losses on USS Akron three years later but as the tragedies were not captured on film, the impact of these terrible accidents were not felt as much as the 1937 Hindenburg inferno

Men in the crew's mess on board USS Akron on October 15, 1931. Following the terrifying footage of the Hindenburg disaster, airships, once seen as the future of international travel, were relegated to history. A year after the Akron disaster, survivor Wiley was the commanding officer on the USS Macon when it was lost in a storm off of Port Sur, California, also killing two crew members. Wiley survived that crash as well
A pensioner has drowned in a swimming pool in central China after she was left struggling for more than 10 minutes while the lifeguard was on his phone.

Horrifying footage last Friday shows the 62-year-old woman struggling to keep her head above water in the pool at the Spruce Fitness facility in Zhengzhou city, Henan province.

However, the lifeguard, standing just 30 feet away, does not notice the drowning woman as he is seen glued to his mobile phone.

Horrifying footage last Friday shows the woman struggling to keep her head above water in the pool at the Spruce Fitness facility in Zhengzhou city, central China's Henan province

However, the lifeguard, standing just 30 feet away, does not notice the drowning woman as he is seen glued to his mobile phone

The unnamed victim is seen flailing her arms around in the water while the lifeguard is seen pacing along the edge of the pool, looking down at his phone and making a call.

Eventually, more than 10 minutes later, the footage shows the lifeguard dashing towards the victim after being notified by other gym-goers.

The pensioner was declared dead shortly after being pulled out of the water, according to Henan Television.

The unnamed victim is seen flailing her arms around in the water while the lifeguard is seen pacing along the edge of the pool, looking down at his phone and making a call

Family members of the victim (pictured above) said she had retired just two years earlier and had been in 'excellent health'

Family members of the victim said she had retired just two years earlier and had been in 'excellent health'.

The man was the only lifeguard on duty, according to the report.

'The lifeguard didn't even look at the pool once during those ten minutes. This is dereliction of duty and poor management,' one family member told reporters.

A spokesperson for the gym said the company 'would not avoid responsibility' over the tragic accident.

A spokesman for the gym said the company 'would not avoid responsibility' over the accident

Local authorities have revealed that the gym does not have the required licence to operate a pool, as swimming is listed as a 'high risk' activity in China

Local authorities have revealed that the gym does not have the required licence to operate a pool, as swimming is listed as a 'high risk' activity in China.

Officers added that the gym was fined last month for failing to renew an expired hygiene certificate.

Further investigations are ongoing, the report added.
A man shot and killed a firefighter and seriously injured a police officer in Wisconsin after he called 911 asking for medical attention, according to police.

Police and firefighters responded to a medical emergency call at the Transit Center, in Appleton, at around 5:30pm yesterday but treating the patient quickly escalated into shots being fired, authorities said.

Four people were injured in the incident and rushed to hospital. Among them was a police officer and a member of the Appleton Fire Department.

On Thursday morning, Fire Chief Jeremy Hansen confirmed the stricken firefighter had died in hospital overnight.

His name has not been publicly released, but in a statement it was revealed that the firefighter had been with the department for 14 years.

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On Thursday morning, the stricken firefighter was confirmed to have died in hospital from his injuries. He served for the department for 14 years

A police officer was also injured in the incident and said to be 'recovering' in hospital, following the incident at the Transit Center in Appleton, WI

The police officer is said to be recovering in the hospital. Conditions of the other two victims are not yet known.

Appleton Police say theyre still working to determine what led to the shooting and exactly how many shots were fired.

It's believed the same man who called 911 for medical attention opened fire at the emergency responders.

Police declined to comment whether a suspect was in custody, but eyewitnesses recalled seeing a man being handcuffed while lying on his stomach on the sidewalk, according to ABC2.

Spokesperson for the police department, Meghan Cash. Said there is no ongoing threat to the community.

It was a very quick scene...we had to get people to the hospital quickly. So we're just happy we could get them there and get them the medical attention they needed, Cash said.

Police and firefighters responded to a medical emergency call at the Transit Center, in Appleton, at around 5:30pm yesterday but treating the patient quickly escalated into shots being fired

A procession was held overnight in Milwaukee as the fallen firefighters body was escorted to the County Medical Examiners Office

Tori Mourning, a witness, told WBAY that at first it sounded like a lawnmower backfiring and then 'I heard it again - I looked up because we can see the bus stop from my bedroom window.'

'I saw the guy shoot a female, and she went down,' Mourning added, 'and another shot was fired, and there was another male, and he went down, and then I saw the shooter flee.'

Appleton resident Danielle Morris, who lives near the Transit Center, told Post Crescent she witnessed the commotion.

It sounded like real loud firecrackers, like consistent pow pow pow, and I was thinking it was too loud for fireworks, so I looked out the window, Morris said. It seemed like a hostile situation.

Multiple other witnesses reported hearing multiple gunshots and observing armed officers running towards the scene with their weapons drawn.

A procession was held overnight in Milwaukee as the fallen firefighters body was escorted to the County Medical Examiners Office in a convoy of emergency vehicles, with the victims saluting colleagues lining the streets.

Appleton Police say theyre still working to determine what led to the shooting and exactly how many shots were fired

The Appleton Fire Department is saddened to announce the line of duty death of a 14-year veteran of the fire department, a spokesperson said in a statement.

The firefighter was shot, along with three other people, while at the scene of a medical emergency in the City Wednesday. The firefighter later died at a local hospital.

One of the other people shot was an Appleton police officer who is recovering in a local hospital.

Funeral arrangements for the firefighter are still pending. The investigation into the incident is ongoing.

Cash said she is particularly disheartened by the incident, as it occurred just hours after police paraded in front children at the Houdini plaza as part of a National Police Week celebration  an event organised to recognize the sacrifice of emergency responders.

It's going to be a hard day for us, especially during Police Week, to have something like this happen, Cash said.
Lazaro Benito Rocha is accused of sending sexually explicit messages to an undercover officer who posed as a 14-year-old girl

A Catholic school teacher in Texas has been arrested after he allegedly sent explicit messages declaring he wanted to have sex with a minor on his classroom desk

Lazaro Benito Rocha, 26, reportedly logged onto an internet chatroom May 6 and began talking to a person he believed was a 14-year-old girl - unaware that the person at the other end of the screen was actually an undercover police officer.

Rocha, who has worked as a music teacher at a school in Corpus Christi, was taken into custody three days later, accused of sending X-rated texts to the 'teen'.

According to an arrest affidavit, Rocha is accused of striking up the initial conversation, before saying: 'Anyone 18 and older can get in trouble if they were to be found with someone your age'.

The following day he reportedly wrote: 'I'm not complaining. Are you?'

The teacher is then accused of asking for the 'teen's' cell phone number so they could exchange texts.

He allegedly sent a photo of his genitals and asked whether she was a virgin.

Rocha was employed as a part-time music teacher at Incarnate Word Academy - a Roman Catholic elementary school in Corpus Christi

Rocha was apprehended on May 9, before being charged with online solicitation of a minor and distribution or display of harmful material to a minor.

He posted $110,000 bail on Sunday.

Rocha was employed part-time at Incarnate Word Academy - a Roman Catholic elementary school in Corpus Christi.

School officials says he will not return to work there.

The arrest affidavit alleges that Rocha sent the sexually explicit messages while he was on school grounds.

Meanwhile, Rocha was also listed as a 'Director of Music' with St. Peter, Prince of the Apostles Catholic Church.

Rocha was also listed as a 'Director of Music' with St. Peter, Prince of the Apostles Catholic Church

A Diocese official told The Corpus Christi Caller Times that his employment has been terminated, and his listing on the church website has been scrubbed

A Diocese official told The Corpus Christi Caller Times that his employment has been terminated, and his listing on the church website has been scrubbed.

Rocha's arrest came as part of five-day Crimes Against Children Task Force operation.

According to a news release, the operation targeted suspects who were 'actively seeking to solicit inappropriate pictures of underage children or in some cases meet with children for the purpose of sexual activity'.
The volunteer-led search for missing Texas girl Maleah Davis has been suspended after a string of dead end tips including one where suspect Derion Vence said he knew where to hide a dead body.

Four-year-old Davis went missing April 30 while in the care of her stepfather, Vence, 26. Law enforcement believes she is dead after finding blood in his vehicle and Vence was arrested and held on $45,000 bail for tampering with a body.

'He actually said to his mother-in-law a year ago that, "Man, if I ever killed anybody, I've got some places down in Rosharon they'd never find the body",' Texas EquuSearch volunteer Tim Miller told Khou 11. 'I talked to Brittany on the phone to see if that was correct or just a rumor, and she said, "Yeah, that was correct".'

Miller said Wednesday they didn't feel they were getting any closer to finding Davis after going over a rural area in Rosharon where her mother Brittany Bowens confirmed Vence had previously said would be good for disposing of a corpse.

Searchers said Wednesday they may pause searching for missing four-year-old Maleah Davis

Texas EquuSearch said her stepfather spoke about what he'd do if he killed someone. The girl's mother confirmed Derion Vence told his mother-in-law he knew places to hide a dead body

He was a mailman in the area from June 2017 to August 2018, ABC 13 reported.

However after two days of combing through fields, using trucks to check ditches, flying helicopters to look for burn sites and walking through neighborhoods, they were beginning to give up hope.

Heavy rain had made the search more difficult and there was concern ATVs used by the crew could push evidence further into the ground.

'We feel as though there is a strong possibility that she was burned,' Miller said. 'Many of these areas are under water. We've tried to find burn spots. We've tried to find whatever we can by the air. 'Are we going to have to redo these areas as water goes down? Of course, we will.'

Suspect Vence claims Davis was abducted along with a silver Nissan Ultima he was driving with his young son also inside on May 3.

It was reported that she had vanished on May 4 near the Eastex Freeway and Greens Road in northeast Houston. Vence showed up at a hospital in Sugar Land making the claim they'd been attacked.

The volunteers started working to find Davis around the area that Vence claimed they were attacked on May 6.

Vence was a mailman in the area when he worked for the Rosharon Post Office from June 2017 to August 2018

Texas EquuSearch on May 14 headed to the Rosharon area and looked around a haunted house. They had explored around highways including the 526 (pictured), 1462 and 288

Helicopters hunted for burn sites but roaming ATVs may have harmed evidence on the ground

The search moved to the southwest part of the city as Vence said he woke up on the Southwest Freeway with his two-year-old son 24 hours after being attacked.

Their apartment was examined after May 3 surveillance footage showed Vence emerging carrying a black trash bag in a basket and what appeared to be a container of gasoline on the day of the alleged attack.

Investigators found blood consistent with DNA on the child's toothbrush in the hallway and bathroom of the home. It's the last spot Davis was seen alive on April 30 but she was never spotted leaving after entering.

Texas EquuSearch suspended their hunt May 8 due to flooding but when they resumed May 9, the car was discovered at a shopping center on Highway 6 in Missouri City. Dogs detected a scent of human decomposition in the vehicle.

May 14 took Texas EquuSearch to the Rosharon area following the most recent tip alleging Vence had spoken about where he'd hide a dead body.

They looked near a haunted house in the 12800 block of Valley Vista Drive.

'We're following up every call, every tip, but at this point I don't think we're any closer to finding her than we were when we started,' Miller continued Wednesday.

Search team said they are 'following up every call' but don't think they're closer to finding her

'This is taking an emotional toll on searchers.

As more tips roll in, Miller said they were thinking about halting operations until they could narrow down an area.

He explained they had explored around highways including the 526, 1462 and 288 to no avail.

'We're seriously flirting with the idea of suspending the search at the end of the day, hoping that some new information comes in. We're actually leaving and going over to a spot in Rosenberg where a lady reported that she is about positive she seen the car over there.

On Wednesday loved ones and well wishers attended a balloon release ceremony where hundreds of pink and blue inflatables were symbolically sent up to the sky for 'Houston's Angel'.

Mother Bowens has been communicating with the media through a Black Panther-leader representative, Quanell X. She believes Vence killed her daughter out of revenge after she broke off their engagement and told him she thinks he's gay.

Quanell X has claimed Vence was abusive to Davis and her mother  who left the child in his care while she left town.

May 9, the car was discovered at a shopping center on Highway 6 in Missouri City. Searchers headed to Rosenberg Wednesday where a lady reported she had seen the car

She noticed something was awry when Vence didn't collect her from the airport so called another ride. Vence claims he was on his way to collect her when he heard a noise, pulled over and 'Hispanic' assailants attacked.

Davis was removed from her mother's care over last year 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 after six months staying with a relative.

The girl's father Craig Davis has blasted Bowens for leaving her daughter with Vence.

Vence's next court appearance is July 10.

Anyone with information on Maleah's whereabouts is urged to contact HPD at 713-308-3600 or Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS.
An audience member of the axed Jeremy Kyle Show has claimed Steve Dymond had been so desperate to appear that he had called its producers up to '300 times'.

The 63-year-old is said to have made the confession to an audience member during filming for the popular ITV daytime show.

Steve was found dead at his bedsit in Portsmouth from a suspected suicide, just days after taking the show's famous lie detector test.

Now, Aiden Dugdale, who was at the filming of the show has said that he explained to the audience that it wasn't the first time he had tried to get on the famous stage.

Steve Dymond (right) had appeared on the Jeremy Kyle show to do a lie detector test after being accused of cheating on his girlfriend Jane (pair pictured together, left)

Jeremy is said to have joked about Steve's persistence to come on the show and said 'Does ITV ever answer the phone?'

Speaking to The Sun, the 20-year-old said: 'He said he'd called about 300 times. Jeremy even joked about it, saying: 'Does anyone at ITV ever answer the phones?'

Steve, who was originally from Hampshire, had appeared on the show in order to prove his innocence after he had been accused of being unfaithful to his girlfriend Jane Callaghan, 48.

The father-of-one failed a lie detector test- resulting in the couple splitting up after the filming of the show.

The show was scrapped yesterday, and host Jeremy today said that he had been left 'absolutely devastated'.

'Our thoughts and sympathies are with Steve's family and friends at this incredibly sad time', he said.

This is while insiders have said that bosses at ITV had been looking for an excuse to get rid of the show, which had sat in a line up which included Good Morning Britain and This Morning.

One ITV source told The Sun: 'Carolyn and some of the other senior executives always thought the Kyle show was a thorn in the side of daytime  the format was very negative and in this day and age had become a bit toxic.

It comes as Steve's ex-wide Dianne (right) said Steve (left) had turned violent during their relationship

'It wasn't fluffy and wholesome like the other shows but it was hugely popular  the best rated programme across the whole day until tea time.

'It would have been extremely brave to axe it out of nowhere, so a controversy gave them a reason to do it.'

In a statement, Dame Carolyn said: 'Given the gravity of recent events we have decided to end production of The Jeremy Kyle Show.

'The Jeremy Kyle Show has had a loyal audience and has been made by a dedicated production team for 14 years, but now is the right time for the show to end.

'Everyone at ITV's thoughts and sympathies are with the family and friends of Steve Dymond.'

Now, Steve's estranged wife Dianne Healing, has also come out and spoke of the abuse she suffered while she had been married to Steve.

The couple wed in 2004 but split after he 'picked her up and threw her across the room'.

She said: 'I used to think he was a gentle giant when I first met him but it couldn't have been further from the truth. On one occasion, I was standing on the doorstep by the patio door at home and I was challenging him on his behaviour.

'He grabbed me around the shoulders and lifted me up as though I was as light as a feather and then hurled me onto the ground. From that moment on, I knew he wasn't to be trusted and I left him.'

If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article then you can call the Samaritans on 116 123, alternatively you can visit the website at by clicking here.
Tough as nails 7.30 host Leigh Sales struggled to contain her emotion when news of Bob Hawke's death came through in the middle of her show.

Sales, 46, interrupted prerecorded interviews with Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Opposition Leader Bill Shorten to deliver the tragic news that Hawke had died.

'It's my very sad duty to break the news this evening that the former Australian PM, Bob Hawke, has died aged 89,' she said.

'Mr Hawke was Australia's 23rd prime minister. It's very difficult to overstate what a giant he is of the Labor Party and of the Labor movement.'

News of Hawke's death broke when his wife Blanche d'Alpuget released a statement revealing he passed away 'peacefully at home'.

'Shortly we will play you an obituary of Bob Hawke, but as Bob Hawke knows more than anybody, politics has to go on,' Sales said.

'We are in the middle of an election campaign, so firstly we will bring you our interview with Bill Shorten as planned, in the interests of fairness and balance.'

Former Australian Prime Minister Bob Hawke (pictured) died 'peacefully at home' at 89 on Thursday

Sales' colleague Barrie Cassidy later revealed he regretted not visiting Hawke before he died on ABC News 24.

Cassidy last saw Hawke a few months ago and worked as his press secretary from 1986 to 1991 while he was prime minister.

Former Labor MP Craig Emerson urged Cassidy in recent weeks to visit the former PM 'sooner rather than later'.

'And I didn't,' a distraught Cassidy said.

'I didn't because of the campaign. I was going to do it after the campaign and I didn't.'

Host Karina Carvalho told Cassidy 'not to be too hard on himself'.
A local Alaska man is being hailed a hero for jumping into action and helping victims after two tourist sea planes crashed mid air.

On Monday, the planes crashed at about 3,300 feet in the air, killing six people on board including a pilot and injuring the 10 survivors.

Retired fisherman Chuck Hanas was out on his boat with his wife Colleen when they saw the violent mid-air crash and the planes crash into the water.

'It was just me. I was at the right place at the right time,' Hanas said to the Today show.

'I got in close and saw people bobbing all over the place. I didnt know how many. And then they had seen me and one lady said "Help, Help!"' he added.

Hero retired fisherman Chuck Hanas pulled victims of Monday's sea plane crash in Alaska onto his boat after seeing the planes plunged into water and victims 'bobbing in the water'

He was out on his boat when he saw the two tourist sea planes suddenly crash mid air, ki8lling six people on board and injuring 10

'I got in close and saw people bobbing all over the place. I didnt know how many. And then they had seen me and one lady said "Help, Help!"' he recalled. Pictured above with wife

I didnt really think anything other than I was just trying to get the people out of the water. A Good Samaritan, who was the first to arrive at the scene of the deadly midair collision between two seaplanes in Alaska, exclusively speaks to @mollymhunter pic.twitter.com/mcGuFZMFbP  TODAY (@TODAYshow) May 16, 2019

They called the Coast Guard after seeing the plane horrifically crash and one fall in the George Inlet in southeast Alaska.

'It was shocking to see an airplane hit the water that hard and rip the floats off and turn upside down at the same time. Im not sure anybody was even able to get out of there,' he said.

'I was kind of running on autopilot at that point. I didnt really think anything other than I was just trying to get the people out of the water,' he added.

He said he saw an injured pilot with bloody lacerations to his face also scramble to get passengers to safety.

'He didnt speak but he did shake my hand,' Hanas recalled on working together to pull the passengers out of the icy water before hypothermia set in.

Six people died in the collision including four Americans, a Canadian, and an Australian.

Among those victims was a newly married couple ready to start a family, a pilot who used his family's savings to buy his own plane, a devoted family man from Australia and an office manager at an insurance company.

Ryan, 39, and Elsa Wilk, 37 got married last year and they both worked in the tech center. They were planning to move from British British Columbia to their new home in a Salt Lake City suburb with the hopes of starting a family at the time of the crash

Randy Jason Sullivan, 46, was piloting the de Havilland DHC-2 Beaver (above) owned by Mountain Air Service that collided with a larger sightseeing plane on Monday

He was a father of two and been a pilot with mountain Air since 2012, flying tour groups over the rugged wilderness of Alaska's Inside Passage, a popular cruise ship route

There were a total of 14 passengers and two pilots on the two planes. The passengers were from the cruise ship Royal Princess that was on a seven-day trip in Alaska that offered the sea planes trip as an excursion off the port community of Ketchikan.

Alaska State Troopers identified the passengers who died as 46-year-old Louis Botha of San Diego, 56-year-old Simon Bodie from Tempe, New South Wales, Australia, 62-year-old Cassandra Webb from St. Louis, 39-year-old Ryan Wilk from Utah and 37-year-old Elsa Wilk of Richmond, British Columbia, Canada. Also killed was the pilot of one of the planes, 46-year-old Randy Sullivan of Ketchikan.

Simon Bodie was the sole Australian on the sea plane. He was a 56-year-old businessman from Tempe, New South Wales and was described by Australian media as a 'devoted family man' with two kids.

Ryan and Elsa Wilk got married last year and they both worked in the tech center. They were planning to move from British British Columbia to their new home in a Salt Lake City suburb with the hopes of starting a family.

Wilk, 39 and from Salt Lake City Utah, was a cybersecurity expert and a vice president for the Canadian firm NuData Security, a division of MasterCard.

'I can tell you my brother was an amazing man, son, husband, brother and uncle. We are completely devastated,' his sister, Shannon Wilk, told Salt Lake City television station KSL.

'Ryan was a very kind man with a fun personality. I loved how much we laughed together,' Daniela Veliz Llaguno, Wilk's first wife, told The Associated Press.

Six people were killed in the devastating crash including four Americans, a Canadian, and an Australian. One of the crashed sea planes pictured above in the George Inlet near Ketchikan, Alaska

Emergency crews pictured above transporting an injured passenger on Monday

The two sea planes crashed midair at 3,300 feet after taking off from Ketchikan, Alaska. One plane then fell into the George Inlet

Elsa Wilk, 37 and from British Columbia, was a fierce black belt taekwondo competitor and worked as a marketing director for different tech companies in Vancouver. She traveled around the world to compete in the sport.

'Everyone knew them as a wonderful couple, they were totally in love,' their friend Mark Pashley said.

Elsa's brother Louis Botha of San Diego was also on board and died in the crash.

Pilot Randy Jason Sullivan, 46, was a father of two and been a pilot with mountain Air since 2012, flying tour groups over the rugged wilderness of Alaska's Inside Passage, a popular cruise ship route.

In an interview to the Los Angeles Times in 2015 he said he know the perils of flying.

'The danger its on peoples minds. Always,' he said.

His wife Julie said she kissed him before each flight as a gesture of good luck and love.

The NTSB is now interviewing survivors, the surviving pilot, and most of the wreckage has been removed from the site as the investigation continues.

The larger of the floatplanes was recovered and put on a barge to be transported to Ketchikan, National Transportation Safety Board member Jennifer Homendy said Wednesday. The NTSB has a team of investigators from Washington, D.C., at the scene.
New details have emerged about how rescuers found a 22-month-old Kentucky boy alone on a rugged hill three days after he wandered from his front yard while he was playing.

Kenneth Howard was found on Wednesday afternoon when a search team heard his cries 50 feet up a hill near an old strip mine.

He was only a third of a mile from his home.

Aside from being dehydrated, the young boy was in a good condition and is now being treated in the hospital.

It's unknown if he had anything to eat or drink during his time in the wilderness. When he went missing, he had nothing with him other than the sweatpants and t-shirt he was wearing.

He spent the night at Cabell Huntington Hospital in West Virginia, with his parents and other family members by his side.

Kenneth's father, Elden Howard, told the station WYMT he was initially in a state of disbelief and had rescuers show him a photo of the child found on the hill as proof.

'I said, "that's my boy,"' the parent recounted. '[It] tickled me to death. Best thing that ever happened to me in my life.'

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Kenneth Howard was found dehydrated but otherwise unharmed near an old strip mine three days after wandering away from his eastern Kentucky home. Pictured: Kenneth is being examined by medics on the scene

The little boy was loaded onto a gurney to be airlifted to a hospital. Rescuers was shocked by her surprisingly good condition

Safe: The toddler is pictured with his parents in a West Virginia hospital after his rescue from a rugged hill in rural Kentucky Wednesday

Kenneth, nicknamed 'Kentucky mountain boy,' was found up a hill after a 67-hour search

A doctor who was treating the boy said Kenneth was eating animal crackers and drinking apple juice, and was in good spirits, reported Good Morning America.

One official marveled at the child's ability to make his away across the treacherous terrain and get as far as he did, calling him 'a true Kentucky mountain boy,' reported WYMT.

Prestonsburg Fire Department Chief Michael Brown recounted for 'Good Morning America' how in the middle of the intense search for Kenneth, crew members took a break on Wednesday to regroup when one firefighter said he thought he heard cries.

'We all got quiet and started calling the childs name, and at different times, sporadically, he would give us a cry and we had to try to pinpoint his location,' Brown said. 'We got three or four cries from him, and two of the guys made their way back up the hill and he was sitting up at top of a little flat there.'

Prior to that, rescuers were beginning to think that it had become a recovery, rather than a search mission, given the time that had passed and the difficult conditions on the ground.

Kenneth's parents, including father Elden Howard (second right), were overwhelmed and in a state of disbelief upon learning of Kenneth's rescue

Kenneth is pictured riding in a fire department vehicle out of the wooded area where he was found Wednesday

'I was froze [sic] to death and wet and every time I would think I was cold, I would think about that baby and then I'd about start crying,' South Magoffin Fire Department Assistant Chief Brent Handshoe told WYMT. 'I just didn't want to give up on him.'

News outlets reported earlier that Magoffin County Emergency Management Director Robert Prater said the original search area was a half-mile radius from the home but widened to about 1 mile and included the old, overgrown mining operation.

Chief Conley said crews and volunteers were using bloodhounds, horses, ATVs, helicopters and drones with thermal cameras to comb through the rugged terrain in search of the toddler.

Kentucky State Police spokesman William Petry previously said there was no evidence of foul play.

One of the rescuers is seen holding Kenneth in his arms in the woods where he was found at around 2pm on Wednesday

A search and rescue team is pictured jumping for joy after learning that Howard has been found alive and well

Kenneth was last seen playing in the yard of his family's home in Magoffin County (pictured) at 7.30pm on Mother's Day

Kenneth was last seen in his front yard at Racoon Hill at around 7.30pm on Sunday and was reported missing by his family an hour later.

His mother, Samantha Moore, said in an emotional interview with WTVQ on Tuesday that her son was outside their home with his father late on Mother's Day when he went around the back of the house.

When Kenneth's dad, Elden Howard, went looking for him, the boy was nowhere to be found.

'Its like he just disappeared,' Moore said in a barely audible, hoarse voice. 'Like hes just gone.'

In a separate interview with WYMT, Elden Howard speculated that someone may have taken his son, given that so far all their search efforts have come to naught.

'I would just like to see him come home safe,' the father said. 'I can't rest, can't eat.'

Howard described his young son as a curious toddler full of energy. He was offering a $5,000 reward for the boy's safe return.

Vigils were held Tuesday night in eastern Kentucky, with attendees praying for Kenneth and his family.
Denis Castillo Hernandez (pictured), 21, a possible MS-13 member from Herndon, was charged with first-degree murder in November for killing Alexander Alfaro Castillo, 40, in May 2018

Police said a chilling note left on the body of a murder victim was planted there by a possible MS-13 gang member to mislead investigators.

Authorities found Alexander Alfaro Castillo, 40, dead at his mother's house in Herndon, Virginia, in May last year with what appeared to be underwear stuffed in his mouth and the letters 'MS' carved into his forehead.

There were photos of a young woman placed on his chest next to the message: 'He raped me when I was drunk so I killed him.'

Recently unsealed search warrants filed in Fairfax County court revealed these disturbing details, according to the Washington Post.

Police said Castillo 'sustained trauma to the upper body that resulted in his death', but they found no evidence it was a revenge killing.

'The investigation did not reveal any supporting evidence that a sexual assault occurred,' said Lisa Herndon, a Herndon Police Department spokesperson.

'Evidence left on the scene appears to have been left in an effort to distract and deter law enforcement investigative measures.'

Police found the body of Castillo (pictured) with underwear stuffed in his mouth and a note on his chest implying it was a revenge killing for raping a young woman. Authorities believe the evidence was planted on Castillo's body to distract them from the real killer

Police declined to comment on a motive because it is an active investigation.

Denis Castillo Hernandez, 21, of Herndon, was charged with first-degree murder on November 26 for killing Castillo.

The man is allegedly a member of international criminal group MS-13, although police said the slaying was not gang-related.

The victim, Alexander Alfaro Castillo, earned his living working at a Marriott hotel and as a waiter at the Amphora restaurant near his home

Police said the suspect and victim were not related but 'were known to each other'.

Authorities released few details of the case last year, with the newly released court documents providing the first real insight into the disturbing crime scene.

Herndon police responded to a report of a dead man on May 26, 2018.

Castillo was lying on the floor in underwear and a black shirt in a downstairs bedroom of his mothers home in the 400 block of Patrick Lane.

Officers called a hazmat team to remove a white powder from the body, which turned out to be salt.

The Washington Post reports that Castillos mother revealed to detectives her son had told an unknown caller 'come pick me up at my moms house' on the evening of May 24.

Neighbors said they heard banging, screaming and Castillo saying he hurt his head early on May 25, according to the search warrants.

Residents discovered him dead the next day.

Detectives later learned Castillo had been texting a number that was traced back to the suspect's father.

Hernandez had a history of violence.

Fairfax County police took him into custody in May 2018 in connection with a stabbing. Officers found a picture of Castillo in his wallet.

Hernandez is behind bars at the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center. His trial starts on July 8.

Maria Ines Alfaro, the victims sister, said on a GoFundMe page that her brother was 'a great person' and that she 'just can't believe someone did this'.

Castillo worked at a Marriott hotel and as a waiter at the Amphora restaurant near his home.

He studied Agriculture Engineering at the Central American University in Nicaragua, according to his Facebook page.

He was originally from El Salvador.

MS-13, the gang Hernandez is believed to be a member of, is a transnational criminal organization that has committed horrific acts of violence across America.

The gangs motto is mata, viola, controla which means kill, rape, control'.

President Donald Trump said last May that he 'is committed to protecting communities from the violent animals of MS-13'.

There are more than 10,000 MS-13 members in the US and more than 30,000 worldwide.
The body of James Holloway, 25, was discovered by one of his fellow Marines on the bridge of a Royal Navy supply ship when it was moored in Dubai for maintenance

A Royal Marine Commando was found dead with a gunshot wound to the head days after splitting up from his girlfriend, an inquest heard today.

The body of James Holloway, 25, was discovered by one of his fellow Marines on the bridge of a Royal Navy supply ship when it was moored in Dubai for maintenance.

Friends and colleagues told an inquest in Sleaford, Lincolnshire he had recently split up with his girlfriend after she visited him in the UAE.

His friend Victoria Palframan said she became concerned after receiving texts from him on October 28 2017 saying he was responsible for live ammunition and a rifle. He was found dead in the early hours of October 30.

In a written statement Royal Marine Daniel Hilton said Holloway had looked at his phone when he took over from him on the bridge of their vessel just before 1am on October 30.

Hilton said he was aware Holloway had split from his girlfriend during the last few days and was not his normal self.

He told the inquest: 'He seemed very withdrawn, closed, keeping himself to himself, not the James we knew.'

'I was under the belief he was dealing with his break-up in his own way.'

He said he tried to engage his colleague in conversation, but only got a one word reply of 'EE' when he asked him which mobile phone network he was with.

Hilton said he was aware Holloway had previously received a phone call from his then girlfriend in which she told him she needed an operation and would be taking her ex-boyfriend along.

This clearly had an impact on Holloway and he went to the gym to work out his frustrations, Hilton added.

One of Holloway's closest childhood friends told the inquest she became aware of the split and texted both his mother and two of his fellow Marines with her concerns.

In a written statement Miss Palframan said she had been due to visit Holloway in Dubai but it was then decided his girlfriend 'Holly' would go instead.

The inquest heard Holloway had been given shore leave to visit Holly in Dubai in the week before his death.

She said in a written statement: 'On the day she left she told James the relationship wasn't working.

Royal Marine Holloway's medical records showed no history of mental health problems and he had not taken alcohol or drugs before his death, the inquest heard today

She said James later texted her and told her the relationship was over.

She added: 'I knew he would be blaming himself.'

Miss Palframan went on: 'He was saying they trusted him with live ammunition and a rifle for 90 minutes at a time.'

In a text message to Royal Marine Jason Hicks, Miss Palframan explained that she and his family could sometimes talk him out of a 'dark place', but on this occasion it was 'out of their hands.'

But she said she believed the reason her concerns were not passed on to officers on this occasion was because of the impact it would have on her friend's career.

Royal Marine Holloway's medical records showed no history of mental health problems and he had not taken alcohol or drugs before his death, the inquest heard.

He last visited a doctor complaining of shoulder pain in December 2016 and had required two days bed rest after collapsing during a five-mile speed march in May 2016.

The Assistant Coroner for Lincolnshire, Richard Marshall, will return a verdict in to Royal Marine Holloway's death tomorrow.

Holloway, who was born in Sleaford, Lincolnshire, was serving with 42 Commando based at RM Bickleigh near Plymouth.

Standard bearers and armed forces veterans line the streets to pay their respects to Royal Marine James Holloway after his death in 2017

Wellwishers gathered to pay their respects to him after his body was brought back to Britain.

He had set off on the the Navy ship's six month stint in its bid to aid allied warships in the fight against terrorism, drug trafficking, piracy and smuggling in the Middle East.

His colleagues and bosses paid tribute to his 'jaw-dropping levels of fitness', adding that he was nicknamed 'Barrel' because of the size of his chest.

Family members described him as a 'truly extraordinary son and brother' in a tribute at his funeral at St Andrew's Church, Billingborough, near Sleaford on November 30, 2017.

They added in a statement: 'His smile and quick wit could raise any spirits and people warmed to him wherever he went.

'We are so proud of his achievements and his enduring determination to fulfil his life-long goal to become a Royal Marine and consistently strive for perfection.

'James was bright, funny and his amazing warmth and kindness endeared him to everyone he met.

'A loving, caring son and brother, he will be eternally missed and forever remembered.

'His loss is beyond devastating. A true gift to the world and certainly our world is a lesser place without him.'

Former serviceman and women lined the streets in a mark of respect to Royal Marine Holloway in Oxfordshire after his death in October 2017

In a eulogy released by the Royal Navy, colleagues said it was his 'childhood dream' to serve his country.

He joined Commando Training Centre Royal Marines in November 2015 and was 'tested' a number of times through injury.

Commanding Officer Lt Col Mark Totten added: 'Energy, enthusiasm and irrepressible good humour were James Holloway's hallmarks.

'A true professional, his desire to be the best Marine he possibly could was evident in all he did: he was quick to take notes, quick to ask questions, quick to learn new skills.

'Only recently, he was singled out as a top-performer during rural training and he relished any chance to hone his Close Quarter Battle skills.

'His approach was an example for his fellow Marines and, through his jaw-dropping levels of fitness, he set the standard.

'James sought to squeeze all he could out of his time and was never one to put his feet up  his Tough Mudder record alone showed us all that he lived the commando spirit off duty as well as on.

'Ever popular, he lifted any team he was a member of and was welcomed across the Commando. We mourn his passing now and will miss him always.'

For confidential support in the UK 24 hours a day 365 days a year, you can call the Samartians on 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org
Michaella McCollum was set to release her book House of Women last year detailing her time in the prison in South America before the publication was delayed

Peru Two drugs mule Michaella McCollum has been fined 150 for breaking the speed limit by 39mph 'because she panicked while overtaking'.

McCollum, from County Tyrone, Northern Ireland, was jailed in 2013 after she and friend Melissa Reid tried to smuggle 1.5million worth of cocaine from Peru into Spain.

McCollum, who 20 years old at the time, worked as a dancer and nightclub hostess in Ibiza.

Glasgow-born Melissa Reid, who was also 20 years old, worked as a sales assistant.

McCollum, now 25, was handed a 150 fine and four Penalty Points at Dungannon Magistrates Court, Belfast Telegraph reported.

The court was previously told police had been monitoring vehicle speeds on March 23 at the A4 Annaghilla Road, Ballygawley, which has a 60mph speed limit.

Officers noticed a Suzuki Vitara, which registered a speed of 84mph, and when she was spoken to at the scene, the paper reports McCollum said: 'I panicked. I felt I had to speed up to overtake'.

Her barrister had claimed the acceptance of speeding was immediate, adding: 'There is no history of driving offending and no previous of relevance.

'This was a well-known part of road and my client accepts she had no business being in the outside lane as a restricted driver. She didn't realise the road was coming to an end.'

Pictured: Michaella McCollum and Melissa Reid are put in front of the media answer questions, Lima, Peru, 2013

Michaella McCollum from County Tyrone, Northern Ireland, was jailed in 2013 after she and friend Melissa Reid tried to smuggle 1.5million worth of cocaine from Peru into Spain

As McCollum was using R-Plates, her speed should not exceeded a maximum of 45mph, putting her 39mph over the limit.

McCollum reportedly passed her driving test in July last year in order to help her mother and 'ease the burden' of travel.

It was also said that as she is the mother of one-year-old twins, McCollum needed a licence for their needs, according to reports.

The defence also revealed that McCollum has been offered a place at Queen's University in Belfast to study international business and economics - with the condition that she passes a maths exam.

District Judge John Meehan fined McCollum 150 and gave her four penalty points.
An heroic security guard who disarmed an AK47-wielding masked man who threatened to shoot schoolchildren and shoppers has been praised by police.

Philip Weirs, 31, leapt into action after Sean Monger, 51, started to make threats towards the youngsters outside a Tesco Express in Exeter on November last year.

Loading the decommissioned Kalashnikov as he crossed a street, Monger marched up to an 11-year-old and shouted - 'Get on the f******g ground'.

But courageous Mr Weirs, who had no idea the gun was a fake, stepped in and single-handedly disarmed Monger despite the threats.

He has now been handed a reward of 1,000 from public funds by a judge. And has been commended by the police and the judge for his bravery tackling Monger.

Philip Weirs (left), 31, leapt into action after Sean Monger (right), 51, started to make threats towards the youngsters outside a Tesco Express in Exeter on November last year.

Dashcam footage shows Monger walking towards the Tesco Express in Exeter armed with his fake Kalashnikov rifle. He threatened shoppers and schoolchildren with the imitation firearm

The AK-47 (pictured) was a fake, but Mr Weirs did not know this and bravely stepped in to disarm Monger. He then helped restrain Monger until the police arrived

Monger yesterday pleaded guilty to possessing an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear or violence. He was jailed at Exeter Crown Court by judge Timothy Rose for four years and six months.

Speaking after the case Mr Weirs said: 'I saw him coming around the corner with a gun in his hands. He took aim at three youths outside the store, shouting 'get down' at them and was threatening to shoot.'

He continued: 'I immediately saw it was an AK47 and I did think he was going to start shooting. I stepped in then he aimed the gun at me. I lunged forward and grabbed it and tried to get it off him.'

Mr Weirs had no idea the gun was fake, but despite this he continued to wrestle the Kalashnikov away from Monger.

A passing car captures Monger on dashcam as he makes his way to threaten people outside a Tesco Express store in Exeter

He continued: 'The gun looked and felt real as it was cold and made of metal. I knew there were other people around, but it all happened so fast and I managed to restrain him.

'The police and victim care team have been brilliant and have really supported me. I was just doing my job, really, but was glad and relieved when the cops turned up.'

After the case police praised the 'amazing bravery' of Mr Weirs, who has now been awarded a judge's commendation. Devon and Cornwall Police have also nominated him for a national award.

Superintendent Matt Lawler said: 'It is obvious to say that this incident caused extreme distress, especially to the children who were instructed by Monger to lie down on the floor as he threatened them.

'There was absolutely no way anyone could have known at the time that it was a deactivated weapon. The response of the store security guard, Phil Weirs, was simply heroic.

'His instinctive bravery in stepping forward and wrestling the weapon away was incredibly courageous and selfless - he put himself between the rifle and the children.'

The mask worn by Monger as he went on a terrifying walk around Exeter armed with a fake AK-47 rifle. Two young schoolgirls reported seeing a man in the mask that afternoon

Minutes before the afternoon raid, two 14-year-old girls had been barged into by a man wearing a black and red mask. He reportedly drew a replica rifle on them.

Gemma Isaac, the mother of one of the girls, said: 'The man had his hand over his face and he barged into my daughter. They saw he was wearing a black mask with holes in it and red stripes.

'He had a large bag with him and a camping bag. They pulled a rifle on them. They started to run all the way back home, terrified. They were so scared.'

Mr Weirs hasn't been able to work since the incident, but the police hope he will receive national recognition for his brave actions.

Monger yesterday pleaded guilty to four charges relating to the possession of an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear,.

He also pleaded guilty to five charges relating to the possession of stun-guns/Tasers following searches at his home.
Jeremy Corbyn defended his plan to renationalise energy network firms today, claiming that shareholders' cash would be better spent on buying solar panels to combat the 'climate emergency'.

The Labour leader unveiled the plan to take the National Grid and regional distribution firms out of the hands of private shareholders and into public ownership below their market value.

Speaking on a visit to Salford in Manchester he said the party's policy was 'win-win' and 'crucial' at a time of global climate change.

He said: 'The National Grid has just declared profits of 3billion in one year and is paying dividends out to shareholders.

'I think that money would be much better spent on investing in renewable energy.

'It would mean lower bills, it would mean they were all making a contribution to the issues we have got to face about how we deal with the climate emergency and it will mean that the poorest people will get the most benefit from it because they will get free electricity that's generated from the roof of their homes.'

Mr Corbyn (pictured today in Manchester) said shareholder dividends would be 'much better spent on investing in renewable energy' for British homes

Under the plans, Labour would create a National Energy Agency which would protect energy as a 'human right'

Jeremy Corbyn's plot to renationalise energy network 'like something from socialist Venezuela' Jeremy Corbyn's plan to renationalise energy networks on the cheap has been likened to something from socialist Venezuela - and could cost the taxpayer billions. Dan Neidle, a partner at law firm Clifford Chance said that the proposal could break international law because it would not fully compensate shareholders. He told the BBC that every major UK nationalisation since the Second World War, including the Bank of England and the coal and gas industries, had resulted in shareholders being give the market rate for their holding. 'What we havent seen is a government trying to price chip and get a cut-price nationalisation for less than market value,' he said. 'The courts have never said that's acceptable and the various decisions of the European Court of Human Rights and international arbitration tribunals go completely in the other direction. 'You have to look quite hard for governments that have done that. 'The one in recent times is Venezuela which has nationalised dozens of companies, often for less than market value and they ended up in dozens of international arbitration tribunals and shelling out billions of dollars in compensation. 'So that is where this goes.' Mr Corbyn has previously voiced support for the regime in Venezuela, which is currently battling to retain control in the face of a growing economic and humanitarian crisis, with hyperinflation and food shortages under Nicolas Maduro. Advertisement

Under the plans, Labour would create a National Energy Agency to replace the National Grid which would own and maintain the transmission infrastructure while overseeing targets for decarbonisation, and protect energy as a 'human right'.

Regional Energy Agencies (REAs) would replace the existing Distribution Network Operators, and hold a statutory responsibility for decarbonising electricity and heat.

But the proposals have been widely criticised, with the National Grid - set up in 1990 after power was privatised - saying it is the "last thing" needed to help tackle climate change.

A spokeswoman said the proposals would delay the progress being made to move to green energy, saying: "National Grid is one of the most reliable networks in the world, we are also at the heart of the decarbonisation agenda.

"These proposals for state-ownership of the energy networks would only serve to delay the huge amount of progress and investment that is already helping to make this country a leader in the move to green energy.

"At a time when there is increased urgency to meet the challenges of climate change the last thing that is needed is the enormous distraction, cost and complexity contained in these plans."

The Tories said the move would hit pension funds that hold shares in the power firms, reducing the retirement income of millions of workers.

Liz Truss, Chief Secretary to the Treasury, said: 'Appropriation of private property. Who would be next? Why would anyone invest in Britain?'

Neil O'Brien, Conservative MP for Harborough, said: 'Labour's plan to literally steal from pensioners is outrageous. It's shocking  and this is only what they admit before an election.'

Labour's plan is for new local energy boards to take over the running of the power network. The Treasury would compensate investors, adding billions to the national debt.

Rebecca Long-Bailey, Labour's business spokesman, will announce the move during a visit to Salford with Mr Corbyn this morning. She said: 'It's an insult and an injustice to our people and our planet for companies operating the grid to rip customers off, line the pockets of the rich and not invest properly in renewable energy.'

Liz Truss, Chief Secretary to the Treasury, said: 'Appropriation of private property. Who would be next? Why would anyone invest in Britain?'

But Matthew Fell of the CBI business group said renationalisation was unaffordable, adding: 'Loose talk of renationalisation is already hitting the pockets of nearly six million pensioners. This will only increase if the plans are delivered.

'Much-needed investment is drying up under Labour's threats, which seriously risk hampering efforts to tackle climate change, and puts in doubt the innovation that will deliver a net-zero carbon economy.'

There are 14 electricity distribution networks owned by six groups: Electricity North West, Northern Powergrid, Scottish and Southern Energy, Scottish Power Energy Networks, UK Power Networks and Western Power Distribution.

The eight gas networks are owned by SGN, Northern Gas Networks, Wales and West Utilities and Cadent Gas.
Police in Texas attempted to arrest a black man in his own yard as he played with his children after mistaking him for a different black man who had a warrant out for his arrest.

Clarence Evans uploaded a video of the arrest to social media on May 8, where he accuses the police of racial profiling after they tried to handcuff him as he played in his front yard with his children.

In the tense clip, Deputy Garrett Lindley from the Harris County Police Department can be seen holding Evans arm behind his back, and repeatedly calling him by a different name, insisting he has a warrant out for his arrest in Louisiana.

You dont know my name, so how can you tell me I have a warrant in Louisiana? Evans asks the officer.

Clarence Evans uploaded a video of attempted wrongful arrest to social media on May 8, which has since been viewed more than five million times

During the five minute long exchange, the white deputy repeatedly asks to see Evans ID, referring to him as Quentin - the name of the fugitive - and questions him about a stolen dog.

My name is not Quentin, Evans says while refusing to show his identification. No, Im not going to be the next [black person] you kill, no.

Im not going to let you put me in handcuffsYoure in my yard, on my propertyyou need to step back and calm down Evans adds.

Shortly afterwards, another officer pulls up outside the home in Houston and shows Evans a photograph of the man theyre said to be searching for.

Doesnt that look a lot like you? Deputy Lindley can be heard asking.

No, that dont look like me, Evans retorts, later elaborating in his caption of the video that the officers had shown him a photo of a black man with dreadlocks who appeared to be over 50-years-old.

What are you trying to say? the father-of-two continues. I look like him because Ive got dreads and Im black?

The outburst prompts the second deputy to glance once more at the photo, before separating Evans and Lindley, who can be heard saying he wants to file a report on the incident as he walks away.

Deputy Garrett Lindley from the Harris County Police Department can be seen holding Evans arm behind his back, and repeatedly calling him 'Quentin', before asking to see his ID

My name is not Quentin, Evans says while refusing to show his identification. No, Im not going to be the next [black person] you kill, no

Evans later reflected on the incident, saying he feared the confrontation couldve turned violent at any moment.

Ive always been the one to say all cops arent bad but this racist mf just proved me wrong, he remarked on Facebook.

Now I see how unarmed innocent black men get shot down by cops.

Evans has since hired an attorney, KTRK-TV reported, however authorities say he has not yet filed a complaint with the department.

Precinct 4 Constable Mark Herman said the deputy went to Evans house because someone else had reported he was a wanted man.

Herman described Evans to KTXH as an uncooperative, vulgar-mouth citizen who shouldnt act disobey officers.

Our deputy responded, he saw a gentleman that fit the description, a black man with dreadlocks, so he approached, Herman later told HuffPost. This was a call for police service.

Theyre trying to make it appear its a profiling case, that were profiling black people and all that, which is totally ludicrous and not true, Herman added to the outlet.

He added that the officers left after the guy turned out to just be a gentleman in his front yard.

Deputy Lindley (left) is a former officer of the Houston Police Department. In 2013, he was indicted by a grand jury for allegedly kicking a handcuffed suspect in the head in a detention room. Evans (picture right with his partner) said he feared his altercation with Lindley could have turned violent at any moment

A criminal investigation has been launched into the incident, though the constable insists its not officer Lindley whos being investigated.

He said Evans had failed to cooperate and identify himself to a police officer, but said he is unlikely to face charges.

Our guys backed away, they could have arrested him, Herman said. Im happy with the way it turned out. They didnt get into an altercation with this guys  [even] with his attitude.

Deputy Lindley is a former officer of the Houston Police Department. In 2013, he was indicted by a grand jury for allegedly kicking a handcuffed suspect in the head in a detention room.

According to court documents, he struck the suspect in the face after he became violent while he and another Houston PD officer attempted to take his fingerprints.

He was also investigated for his role in a shooting in March 2018, but a grand jury decline to file charges, documents show.

Evans has since hired an attorney, however authorities say he has not yet filed a complaint with the department

Relations between black Americans and police have continued to fray in recent years, following the death of unarmed teenager Michael Brown in 2015.

Browns death thrust a number of other similar violent incidents  usually at the hands of white officers  into the public spotlight, where the deaths of Sandra Bland, Walter Scott, and many others sparked public outrage across America.

The prophecy that a black person is likely to be treated in a more hostile way than a white suspect has long been held among the African American community, but recent studies show the fears are backed up by statistics.

One 2016 study discovered that black people were 2.8 times more likely than a white person to be killed in an encounter with police. A Stanford University study from this year also found that a black motorist is 20% more likely to be pulled over than a white driver.

Among recent high-profile deaths, 22-year-old Stephon Clark was shot dead in his own backyard after police responded to a call of a man smashing car windows.

Believing Clark to be in possession of a gun, officers shot him dead. It later turned out that he was holding a cell phone.

Neither of the two officers involved in his death faced charges, after Sacramento District Attorney Anne Marie Schubert hinted they believe Clark attempted to commit suicide by cop and that both policemen had acted lawfully.
Another hometown hottie is competing for clicks in Maxim Canada's cover girl competition.

Kirsten Martell lives in Kelowna B.C. and is a personal trainer at Gravity Fitness Centre.

Martell reached out to Castanet through social media to ask for help, "hi I'm a personal trainer and a mama from Kelowna! I am currently running to be the next Maxim cover girl and was wondering if I could get some local support!"

Martell went to Mount Boucherie Senior Secondary School and on her Maxim vote page says, " WHATS UP! My booty is big but my heart is bigger. I have a beautiful daughter & I help women gain confidence through fitness."

If she wins she stands to earn $10,000 dollars and says she would, "BUILD MY BUSINESS. Put money away for my little lady. Aaaaaaand honestly not going to lie - GO SHOPPING probably for align lulus because they are the best leggings to ever be put on this universe!"

Voting in this group wraps up on Thursday, Martell currently sits in second spot in her group.
A 'rogue doctor' allegedly caused 500 cases of HIV in Pakistan after using a contaminated needle.

Health authorities were forced to screen more than 14,000 people in the district of Larkana over the past month - with more than 400 children testing positive for the disease.

Dr Sikandar Memon, the regional coordinator of the Aids Control Programme, told the country's Dawn newspaper that another 29 patients tested positive in the most recent round of blood screening on Wednesday at the main hospital in Rato Dero.

A Pakistani paramedic takes a blood sample from a baby for a HIV test at a state-run hospital in Rato Dero

Officials have accused a doctor of causing the epidemic after repeatedly using a single contaminated syringe.

Dr Muzaffar Ghangharo, who officials said is himself living with HIV, has been in police custody since the outbreak began in April but denies the allegations.

'We are working on war footing to examine the suspects as well as those wishing to get themselves tested after a large number of cases were reported from Larkana and other districts,' Dr Memon said.

Anger and fear continue to swell in the desperately poor village hit hard by the epidemic, which authorities say could also be linked to gross negligence in the wider medical community.

'They are coming by the dozens,' says a doctor at the makeshift clinic, beset by a lack of equipment and personnel to treat the surging number of patients.

Provincial health officials say patients are at particular risk of contracting diseases or viruses at clinics where injections are pushed as a primary treatment option

Nisar Ahmed arrived at the clinic in a furious search for medicine after his one-year-old daughter tested positive three days earlier.

'I curse [the doctor] who has caused all these children to be infected,' he says angrily.

Nearby Imam Zadi accompanied five of her children to be examined after her grandson tested positive.

'The entire family is so upset,' she said.

Others worry their children's futures have been irreparably harmed after contracting HIV, especially in a country whose masses of rural poor have little understanding of the disease or access to treatment.

Parents nervously watch over their children as they jostle in line to be tested for HIV in a village near Pakistans Larkana

'Who is she going to play with? And when she's grown up, who would want to marry her?' asks a tearful mother from a nearby village, who asked not to named, of her four-year-old daughter who just tested positive.

Pakistan was long considered a low prevalence country for HIV, but the disease is expanding at an alarming rate, particularly among intravenous drug users and sex workers.

With about 20,000 new HIV infections reported in 2017 alone, Pakistan currently has the second fastest growing HIV rates across Asia, according to the UN.

Pakistan's surging population also suffers the additional burden of having insufficient access to quality healthcare following decades of under-investment by the state, leaving impoverished, rural communities especially vulnerable to unqualified medical practitioners.

'According to some government reports, around 600,000 quack doctors are operating across the country and around 270,000 are practicing in the province of Sindh,' said UNAIDS in a statement.
Police are hunting a racist bus passenger who accused a man of being a terrorist before pulling a box cutter on him in New Jersey.

CCTV footage from the vehicle, which was driving through Bergen County, shows the suspect getting on to the bus and stepping on the victim's foot, reports CBS.

The victim, who has not been named, then asks him to watch where he is going - at which point the suspect asks if he is Indian before launching an expletive-filled racist rant.

The victim moves seats to avoid the confrontation, but the man then pulls a box cutter on him before saying: 'Don't look at me. I'll cut you. I'll cut you. My father died on 9/11. Your people. I'll cut you. Get the f*** off next stop.'

In the clip, filmed on a bus in Bergen County, New Jersey, the passenger asks if the victim is Indian before calling him a terrorist and going on a racist rant

He moves away from him, but the suspect then pulls out a box cutter and says: 'My father died on 9/11. Your people. I'll cut you. Get the f*** off next stop'

He also spat on the victim, and slashed his back pack with the weapon. The victim left the bus before calling police.

Paramus police have released the footage and asked the public to help identify the suspect. The incident happened on a Jitney bus at around 3.45pm on May 2.

Detective Sal Cosentino told CBS: 'We haven't had something of this magnitude in bias crime that I've seen come across my desk. Every time I watch it it gets a little more disturbing.

'He's an aggressive individual and based on using the box cutter in the manner he did, as a weapon, so he is considered armed and dangerous  just something that we need to get him off the street.'

The suspect is described as between 40 and 50 years old, and was wearing camo pants and a shirt with NYC Carpenters Union Political Action Team on it.
President Donald Trump's White House is asking the public to report social media companies if they suspect 'political bias' resulted in their account being suspended or banned by platforms such as Facebook or Twitter.

Trump has repeatedly attacked Google, Facebook and Twitter for what he claims is bias in their treatment of conservatives - a theme he is likely to expound on during the 2020 election.

Now the White House wants data on the tech giants's actions along with information on the user reporting them - including the person's citizenship status and contact information.

The White House is asking the public to report social media companies if they suspect 'political bias' resulted in their account being suspended or banned

President Trump has repeatedly attacked tech companies like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram - accusing them of bias against conservatives

'The Trump Administration is fighting for free speech online. No matter your views, if you suspect political bias has caused you to be censored or silenced online, we want to hear about it!,' the White House tweeted from its official account, which has 18.5 million followers.

The link takes the user to a form that asks for identifying information - including names and whether or not the person reporting a problem with their account is a U.S. citizen.

Additionally there is a request for an email address and an option to give your phone number.

'SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS should advance FREEDOM OF SPEECH. Yet too many Americans have seen their accounts suspended, banned, or fraudulently reported for unclear violations of user policies,' the introduction to the form reads.

'No matter your views, if you suspect political bias caused such an action to be taken against you, share your story with President Trump.'

The form asks which platform took action and gives the user the option to pick out Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube or Other.

It also requests details about what happened and whether a specific posting caused the issue.

Additionally, the form requests a screen shot of any notifications from the company.

There's an option to stay informed about 'President Trump's fight for free speech' via newsletters the user can opt in to receive.

And, finally, to prove the user is not a bot, the form requests: 'One more thing, just to confirm you aren't a robot. The Declaration of Independence was signed in what year?'

Tech companies have denied all accusations of bias.

But that hasn't stopped the Republican drum beat, which included hauling tech executives before them on Capitol Hill to give them a verbal spanking.

Google CEO Sundar Pichai testified before the House Judiciary Committee last year after notably skipping a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing where Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey and Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg testified.

And Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg testified last year before the Senate Judiciary and Commerce Committee and the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

Dorsey also met with Trump in the Oval Office in April where the president spent much of the meeting questioning Dorsey about why he had lost some Twitter followers and suggesting the platform is biased against conservatives, according to a source briefed on the meeting.

Dorsey explained that the company was working to remove fraudulent and spam accounts and that many famous people, including Dorsey himself, had lost followers as a result, the source said.

President Donald Trump tweeted this photo in April, showing his meeting with Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey (right) and Twitter Legal, Policy and Trust & Safety Lead Vijaya Gadde (right, foreground); also present were White House senior adviser Jared Kushner (3rd right) and White House Director of Social Media Dan Scavino (2nd right), and an unidentified man at left

The president considers Twitter his most important communications megaphone and credits its for much of his political success - he has 60.3 million followers - but accused the tech company in April of mistreating him.

He cited a Fox Business Network segment in which an analyst had said that 'the best thing that ever happened to Twitter was Donald Trump.'

'So true,' the president tweeted, 'but they don't treat me well as a Republican. Very discriminatory, hard for people to sign on. Constantly taking people off list. Big complaints from many people. Different names-over 100 M ... But should be much higher than that if Twitter wasn't playing their political games.'

'No wonder Congress wants to get involved,' Trump added, 'and they should. Must be more, and fairer, companies to get out the WORD!'

One of the conservatives leading the charge against the tech companies is InfoWar's Alex Jones, who has been banned from Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for violating the terms of service.

The companies argue he and others who have been given the boot violated rules on harassment and hate speech but were not targeted for their political opinions.

And, in March, White House social media director Dan Scavino accused Facebook of bias after it had blocked him from replying to comments on his personal Facebook page.

Facebook said happened because its systems had mistakenly flagged Scavino as a bot.

Additionally, Republican Congressman Rep. Devin Nunes has sued Twitter and three of its users for $250 million in damages.

He alleges he was defamed and that the social media platform engages in the 'shadow-banning' of conservative opinions - a charge Trump himself has made.
A Latina college soon-to-be graduate, whose parents are immigrant farm workers from Mexico, paid tribute to them, saying they are responsible for her success.

Anna Ocegueda, 22, will become the first person in her family to graduate from a four-year university on Sunday.

She recently posted a photo on Twitter paying tribute to her parents, whose hard work allowed her to graduate from the University of California, Merced.

Anna Ocegueda, pictured with her parents, said their hard work helped her succeed

The picture caption, in Spanish, reads 'Por Ustedes y Para Ustedes', which means 'Because of you and for you'.

Ms Ocegueda and her four siblings are the children of Mexican migrant workers, who have been picking seasonal fruits in Orange Cove, California for more than 25 years.

On Sunday, she will receive her bachelor's degree in psychology and a minor in Spanish from the University of California, Merced

The photo she posted features the young student, with her graduation cap and stole, standing between her parents who wear their typical work clothes.

The post came as Ms Ocegueda and her classmates had to portray a political issue through art for a global arts studies class at university.

Her sister took the photo in the orange groves where their parents work, creating a strong contrast.

'I did this to inspire people and let them know that regardless of your hardships growing up, you can still do it,' she said.

The young student said the juxtaposition shows how her parents' hard work had led her to success.

'Knowing they're out there working in the hot sun kept me going and doing it for them,' Ms Ocegueda told NBC News.

She received a big amount of support and her tweet now has over 17,000 likes and 4,400 retweets.

'I think it touched home for a lot of people.' Ocegueda said. 'They felt moved by it.'

One user wrote: 'Woow, this is amazing!! Congrats. I remember you and your dad from when I first started working in the fields picking oranges. He's such a great man and influence. Tell him I said hi. I hope you guys are doing great.'

Another person commented: 'This is so touching. I am grateful for all parents who sacrifice so much to ensure a better life for their children. My 80 yo Mom worked hard in the fields to allow things to happen for me.'

This Sunday, Ms Ocegueda will receive her bachelor's degree in psychology and a minor in Spanish from Merced.

Once graduated, she plans to move to the San Francisco Bay Area to work with children.
An Instagram influencer has made a grovelling apology after footage was posted of her appearing to smash the nose off a post-war angel statue with a hammer.

Young model Julia Sonska, who has more than 5,900 followers, can be seen laughing to the camera before repeatedly hammering the nose off of a sculpture.

A friend recorded the shocking act in the Swiss Valley Park, Warsaw, Poland.

Julia Sonska poses next to the statue, before turning and making a few hammer blows that knock the nose clean off of the sculpture

The pair then continue to laugh as the statue, covered in graffiti and now without a nose, is left to be found by park authorities.

It is believed the video was done as a prank to attract social media followers after the footage was uploaded to a pal's Instagram account tagging the influencer in the clip.

Yet when Ms Sonska received backlash from angry viewers appalled at her disregard for the historic monument, the video was removed and the influencer's Facebook has since been deleted.

In a grovelling apology Ms Sonska is reported to have said: 'What happened yesterday should not have taken place at all and seriously, I regret that I did it.

Model Julia Sonska has stopped posting her regular updates on her Instagram and has turned off comments after receiving a serious backlash from her 'prank'

'I'm so stupid. I will not say what was driving me, why I did it, because it is more of a private affair, but I really wanted to apologise to everyone.. [translated from Polish]'

There have also been claims online the influencer had been dropped from an advertising campaign after the video emerged over the weekend.

Poland's first fully-online bank, mBank, also spoke out against the footage as they are believed to have been working with the influencer.

mBank posted on Instagram: 'We definitely do not support such behaviour, and the appropriate services should deal with it.

Stone chips fall from the sculpture after a it takes a hit, but after a couple more knocks the nose flies off towards the floor. The video sparked outrage among her fans and other social media users

It is believed the video was done as a 'prank' to attract social media followers after the footage was uploaded to a pal's Instagram account tagging the influencer in the clip

'As for the responsibility for what the actress does many weeks after the completed photos are taken - we cannot be responsible for the individual choices of such people.

'In this case, it's a role for carers. We do not plan to involve this girl in the next spots.'

The disgraced social media star has not posted to her Instagram page since the incident - as hundreds of fans expressed their shock.

Blazej Falkus said: 'In the normal world she is called a w****r and not an influencer.'

Marcin Zielinski said: 'I hope the police will come to her tomorrow [Monday] at 6.00 a.m.'

There has since been a repair job made on the statue.

In a grovelling apology Ms Sonska said: 'I'm so stupid. I will not say what was driving me, why I did it, because it is more of a private affair, but I really wanted to apologise to everyone'
Former JLS star Oritse Williams arrives at Wolverhampton Crown Court yesterday

The friend of a 'spaced out and zombified' woman allegedly raped by Oritse Williams has told a court how the JLS star was told to stop but 'carried on anyway'.

Williams, 32, is accused of raping the woman after plying her with alcohol and inviting her back to his hotel room in the early hours of December 2, 2016.

The alleged victim and her friend went back to a hotel room with Williams and his tour manager Jamien Nagadhana following a solo gig at a nightclub.

After the two women left the room, the woman claims she returned alone moments later to retrieve her phone, which was when Williams pounced on her.

The alleged victim's friend told Wolverhampton Crown Court how she then had 'a panic attack' before waking up on the hotel floor.

She added that when she eventually 'came round', her friend how revealed to her what happened in the hotel room.

The Sun reported the friend as saying to the court: 'She said she had been picked up and put on the bed and she was telling him to leave her alone and stop it and he carried on anyway.

'His friend he was sharing a room with came over to the two of them while she was telling him to stop and was touching her and then she was telling him to stop.

'I started freaking out, I think I was having another panic attack and ran out the room to ask for help.'

Williams, 32, of Croydon, south London, denies raping the woman while Nagadhana denies charges of sexual assault and assault by penetration.

The complainant said she had a 'bits and pieces' memory of the night of the alleged attack after drinking Malibu, sambuca and shots.

During questioning by defence counsel Mark Cotter QC, representing Williams, he asked the complainant: 'Are you able to order the bits and pieces or is it impossible?'

Giving evidence from behind a curtain shielding her from the public gallery, the woman answered: 'It's not impossible, I could give it a good guess. The memories I do have, I know took place.'

During around two hours in the witness box, the woman said she could remember kissing a female friend in the nightclub, and that her friend was 'grinding' on Williams' lap.

Jamien Nagadhana (pictured in October 2018) has pleaded not guilty to sexual touching and assault by penetration

The complainant added that she did not have a memory of sitting on Williams' lap at the club before she and her friend travelled with him in a taxi to his hotel.

Rejecting claims that she returned to Williams' room and said she wanted to have sex with him, the woman told jurors she was attempting to collect belongings she had left behind.

After the woman claimed the alleged rape ended when she asked to see her friend, who was in a different room, Mr Cotter told the court: 'I suggest that's not true.

'He was unable to perform sexually and that is how it came to an end. It was all rather embarrassing wasn't it?'

The woman responded: 'It is true.'

It was then put to the woman that her friend - who had said she wanted to be her girlfriend - had an 'extreme reaction' after being told of the encounter with Williams.

The jury was told the friend asked somebody else to get help, leading to police attending the hotel.

During his cross-examination, Mr Cotter suggested that 'nothing bad at all' had happened in the hotel room and that what took place was consensual.
England's first Muslim MP today agreed that the Government was right to refuse to enshrine a definition of Islamophobia in law.

Labour's Khalid Mahmood, who represents Birmingham Perry Barr, said the move would only divide the country more and lead to increased segregation of Muslim communities.

He told the Commons during a debate on the issue: 'I am for equality for all - but I oppose this. We as Muslims should be proud of who we are and try to move away from a victim mentality'.

Supporters of the idea including the All-Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims say that formalising the term will help to counter hostility toward Muslims.

But Mr Mahmood said: 'I have been the victim of hate mail and actions from the far right and the Islamist community as well. I am proud to be a British Pakistani Muslim MP - the first Muslim to be elected in this Parliament from England. I will take no lessons from anyone who says I'm an Islamophobe or too much or a Muslim'.

Mr Mahmood also said the proposed definition focussed too much on what a Muslim man or woman would traditionally wear - rather than protecting British Muslims who choose to dress differently.

He said: 'How do you protect those Muslims who dress normally in society but have the religion in their heart? The definition of 'Muslimness' as it is described in this report categorises people who dress a particular way and those who don't. By defining it in this way you are excluding those who don't'.

Yesterday he said the term Islamophobia had been weaponised by hardline groups and could be used to stifle the 'operation of a free media'.

Labour's Khalid Mahmood, pictured today, who represents Birmingham Perry Barr, said the move would only divide the country more and lead to more segregation of Muslim communities

Downing Street said last night the suggested definition of Islamophobia had not been broadly accepted, adding: This is a matter that will need further careful consideration.

More than 40 religious leaders and experts including Mr Mahmood wrote to Home Secretary Sajid Javid yesterday, telling him that the definition could be a backdoor blasphemy law and limit free speech.

Naz Shah, who represents Bradford West, said Muslims in Britain were being denied the same rights as other races or religions in the UK.

Proposals for an official definition of Islamophobia were rejected by the Government yesterday after advice from anti-terror police and concerns it could be a 'back door' blasphemy law.

What is the UK law on Islamophobia? There is no specific law against Islamophobia in the UK. However, there are numerous laws which might be used to prosecute offenders. Stirring up religious hatred is an offence under the Public Order Act 1986. It can carry a sentence of up to seven years in prison. Criminals may also be handed longer sentences for other offences if they are found to have been motivated by racial or religious hostility. There are separate laws covering online abuse. In addition, the Equality Act 2010 stops discrimination based on 'protected characteristics' including religion. If a new, official definition is adopted, it could be used to block government actions in the courts. Terror legislation could be subject to such judicial reviews, it is claimed. An unofficial 1997 wording defined Islamophobia as 'unfounded hostility towards Muslims'. The suggested new one says: 'Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.' Advertisement

Supporters of the idea say that formalising the term will help to counter hostility toward Muslims.

Mrs Shah said: 'If it is down to women to define the experience of feminism, the experiences of people of colour to define racism, the experience of Jews to define anti-Semitism, the experience of the LGBTQ+ communities to define homophobia, I ask the minister how dare he tell the British Muslims that our experiences can not define Islamophobia.

'If that isn't a pernicious form of racism then what is it?'

She called the Conservatives a 'party in denial' of its own problem with Islamophobia, who are 'not serious about the safety and security if British Muslims'.

Labour's Wes Streeting accused the Conservatives of making 'the same mistakes' over dealing with Islamophobia within the party as Jeremy Corbyn did with anti-Semitism.

During a Commons debate on Islamophobia today, he told MPs: 'I have watched with some amazement and even greater despair the Conservative Party making exactly the same mistakes over Islamophobia within their party, as my party has with anti-Semitism.

'The same miserable, inexcusable pattern of dismissal, denial and delegitimisation of serious concerns raised by prominent Muslims about racism within their ranks.'

He added: 'As we recoil in horror at the deafening silence of decent people in the Conservative Party about racism within their ranks, I would respectfully say to some quarters in my own party: 'that is the same silence you demand of me'.

'It is a silence on anti-Semitism you will never receive'.

The definition is supported by political parties including Labour, the Liberal Democrats and the Scottish Conservatives.

Home Secretary Sajid Javid, pictured, has been warned that tightening the definition of Islamophobia could hit police anti-terror operations while stifling the freedom of the press

Ministers are expected to appoint two independent advisers to draw up a 'less legally problematic' definition, the Times reported.

Labour's Naz Shah, who represents Bradford West, said Muslims in Britain were being denied the same rights as other races or religions in the UK.

Police warned it could undermine counter-terrorism operations.

MPs and peers on the all-party parliamentary group on British Muslims want the Government to define Islamaphobia as 'rooted in racism or a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness'.

However, the letter's signatories, who include prominent Muslims, said: 'We are concerned that allegations of Islamophobia will be  indeed already are being  used to effectively shield Islamic beliefs and even extremists from criticism, and that formalising this definition will result in it being employed effectively as something of a backdoor blasphemy law.

'Evidently abuse, harmful practices, or the activities of groups and individuals which promote ideas contrary to British values are far more likely to go unreported as a result of fear of being called Islamophobic.

'We are concerned that the definition will be used to shut down legitimate criticism and investigation.'

Ian Murray of the Society of Editors said 'badly-worded descriptions of what Islamaphobia is taken to include' could 'prevent sensible and genuine debate' and would 'undoubtedly have a chilling effect on Press freedom'.

Martin Hewitt of the National Police Chiefs' Council added: 'We are concerned the definition is too broad as currently drafted, could cause confusion for officers enforcing it, and could be used to challenge legitimate free speech on the historical or theological actions of Islamic states. There is also a risk it could also undermine counter-terrorism powers, which seek to tackle extremism or prevent terrorism.'

The definition has already been accepted by Labour, the Liberal Democrats and London Mayor Sadiq Khan.

The Labour Party was forced last September to adopt an internationally-agreed definition of anti-Semitism following months of controversy.
Jill Meagher's murderer and Sarah Cafferky's killer have bashed each other in a vicious prison brawl.

Adrian Bayley, 47, and Steven Hunter, 54, punched on for three minutes in the maximum security Barwon Prison near Geelong in Victoria on Friday, May 10.

Bayley raped and murdered Irish woman Ms Meagher, 29, when she was walking home from a pub in Brunswick, an inner suburb of Melbourne, in September 2012.

Hunter stabbed to death law student Sarah Cafferky, 22, at his Bacchus Marsh unit in Melbourne before dumping her body in a wheelie bin in 2012.

Irish woman Jill Meagher (pictured), 29, was raped and murdered by Adrian Bayley when she was walking home from a pub in Brunswick, an inner suburb of Melbourne, in September 2012

Bayley (pictured), 47, and Steven Hunter, 54, punched on for three minutes in the maximum security Barwon Prison near Geelong in Victoria on Friday, May 10

Bayley came out on top in the fight, The Herald Sun reported.

Hunter suffered head injuries and was taken to hospital before being returned to jail.

What caused the prisoners to come to blows is unknown.

The pair are kept separate from the rest of the prison since their safety is at risk from other inmates who are disgusted by their violent crimes against women.

Serial sex offender Bayley has raped or attempted to rape 12 women, which makes him a target in the rest of the prison.

A former inmate said 'he'd be dead in a few minutes' in the mainstream areas.

He is serving 40 years in prison and is eligible for parole in 2055.

Hunter suffered head injuries and was taken to hospital before being returned to prison. He is pictured after being sentenced for murder at the Supreme Court in 2013

Law student Sarah Cafferky (pictured), 22, was stabbed to death at Hunter's Bacchus Marsh unit in Melbourne before her body was dumped in a wheelie bin in 2012

Hunter, who previously served 13 years for killing a woman in 1986, was jailed for life without parole for Ms Cafferkey's murder.

Her body was found nine days later in a wheelie bin at a Point Cook home.

Corrections Victoria reported the fight to police.

'Corrections Victoria takes all assaults very seriously, and refers all allegations of criminal activity to Victoria Police for investigation,' the spokesman said.

Serial sex offender Bayley (pictured) has raped or attempted to rape 12 women, which makes him a target in the rest of the prison
Billy Chemirmir (pictured), 46, who is suspected of being involved with more than 1,000 unexplained deaths in Texas, has been charged with 12 murders

A healthcare worker living in the US illegally is suspected of being involved with more than 1,000 unexplained deaths in Texas.

Billy Chemirmir, 46, has been charged with smothering 11 murders.

The Kenyan worked as a home healthcare aide, was initially charged in 2018 with the murder of 81-year-old Lu Thi Harris.

On Tuesday, Chemirmir was indicted on six more murder charges.

According to Dallas News, Chemirmir has now been charged with killing Phyllis Payne, 91, on May 14, 2016; Phoebe Perry, 94, on June 5, 2016; and 85-year-old Norma French on October 8, 2016.

He was also charged with the murders of Doris Gleason, 92, on October 29, 2016; Rosemary Curtis, 76, on January 17, 2018; and Mary Brooks on January 31, 2018.

He has been charged with five other murders, but those identities have not been released.

Chemirmir is also charged with three counts of attempted murder.

He is being held in Dallas County Jail on $9million bond.

He is also facing immigration-related charges for being in the U.S. unlawfully.

Chemirmir who worked as a home healthcare aide, was initially charged in 2018 with the murder of 81-year-old Lu Thi Harris (left). On Tuesday, Chemirmir was indicted on six more murder charges, including the murder of Doris Gleason (right), 92, on October 29, 2016

Chemirmir was also charged with the murder of Phyllis Payne (left), 91, on May 14, 2016, and Norma French (right), 85, who was killed October 8, 2016

Chemirmir, who worked as a nurse in his native Kenya, is at the center of an investigation into nearly 1,000 unexplained deaths in Texas, according to KRLD.

He was arrested in March 2017 for allegedly smothering Harris with her pillow and stealing her jewelry box.

Police had been watching him in relation to another woman, 91, who he had allegedly tried to smother to death in the same fashion and robbed before fleeing.

At the time, officers observed Chemirmir putting something in a dumpster at his apartment block before executing an arrest warrant they had out on him in relation to the attempted capital murder.

Inside the dumpster, police found a box with jewelry inside, and a piece of paper they were able to link to a woman in Dallas.

They contacted local police to do a welfare check on Harris, and officers found her dead inside.

A general view showing Block 6600 of Warm Breeze Lane, where Dallas Police conducted a welfare check and found Harris murdered

Chemirmir's initial attempted murder charge stemmed from an incident in Frisco in October 2017.

At that time, Chemirmir allegedly posed as a maintenance worker at the home of a 93-year-old woman living in assisted care in Frisco.

The woman told police she was smothered with a pillow, and robbed of jewelry.

Afraid for her life, the woman said she was praying out of fear she would die.

In March 2018, Chemirmir allegedly stormed into a 91-year-old woman's home and told her: 'go to bed, don't fight me.'

After her face was covered with a pillow, she lost consciousness, but was later revived by Plano Fire and Rescue, where she revealed her attacker had stolen jewelry from her.

Chemirmir was named a suspect after his car was seen on CCTV leaving the scene, and it was just one day after the attempted murder of the woman in Collins County he was busted throwing out Harris' effects.

He is still being investigated for nearly 1,000 unsolved deaths or attacks, and the victims are mostly elderly women who were in nursing homes.
Federal investigators have determined that a Tesla driver who was involved in a fatal car accident had the vehicle operating on its semi-autonomous Autopilot system.

Jeremy Beren Banner, 50, was killed on March 1 when his Tesla crashed into a semitrailer which was turning onto a highway in Delray Beach, Florida.

The Tesla became trapped beneath the trailer after the collision, and it was dragged along the road for 500 meters. According to authorities, the car's roof was sheared off, and Banner was pronounced dead at the scene.

The crash, which is currently under investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), raises questions about the effectiveness of Tesla's Autopilot feature, which uses cameras, long-range radar and computers to detect objects in front of the cars to avoid collisions.

In this case, it appears the Tesla did not notice the the semi trailer as it turned out in front of the car.

Jeremy Beren Banner, 50, was killed when his Tesla collided with a semitrailer on March 1. The vehicle became stuck beneath the truck and its roof was sheared off (pictured)

Tesla has maintained that the system is designed only to assist drivers, who must pay attention at all times and be ready to intervene.

In a preliminary report on the March 1 crash, the NTSB said that initial data and video from the Tesla show that the driver turned on Autopilot about 10 seconds before the crash on a divided highway with turn lanes in the median.

From less than eight seconds until the time of the crash, the driver's hands were not detected on the steering wheel, the NTSB report stated.

The Telsa Model 3 was driving down a highway 68 miles per hour when it hit the trailer, when it failed to register the truck turning out. The vehicles collided

Neither the data nor the videos indicated the driver or the Autopilot system braked or tried to avoid the trailer, the report stated.

The Tesla was travelling at a speed of 68 miles per hour when it hit the trailer.

In a statement Thursday, Tesla said it was saddened by the crash and that drivers have traveled more than one billion miles while using Autopilot.

'When used properly by an attentive driver who is prepared to take control at all times, drivers supported by Autopilot are safer than those operating without assistance,' they said.

The circumstances of the crash echo one that occurred in May 2016 near Gainesville, Florida.

Joshua Brown (pictured) was traveling in a Tesla Model S on a divided highway and using the Autopilot system when he was killed in May 2016

Joshua Brown, 40, of Canton, Ohio, was traveling in a Tesla Model S on a divided highway and using the Autopilot system when he was killed.

Neither Brown nor his car braked for a tractor-trailer, which had turned left in front of the Tesla and was crossing its path. Brown's Tesla also went beneath the trailer and its roof was sheared off.

After that crash, Tesla CEO Elon Musk said the company made changes in its system so radar would play more of a role in detecting objects.

David Friedman, the vice president of advocacy for Consumer Reports, said he was surprised the agency didn't declare Autopilot defective after the Gainesville crash and seek a recall.

He says this year's crash that killed Banner reinforces that Autopilot is being allowed to operate in situations it cannot handle safely.

'Their system cannot literally see the broad side of an 18-wheeler on the highway,' Friedman said.

'Tesla has for too long been using human drivers as guinea pigs. This is tragically what happens,' he added.
Photo: Facebook

Okanagan MP Dan Albas has brought forth a private member's bill intended to give the legal system more teeth when dealing with looting during evacuation orders.

The bill is in response to numerous incidents in which homes have been looted while property owners were out of their homes during evacuation orders for floods or wildfires.

"There is a small segment of the population consisting of individuals who use evacuation orders as an opportunity to engage in criminal actions such as looting, vandalizing and stealing from evacuated families' homes," said Albas, Conservative MP for Central Okanagan-Similkameen-Nicola.

"These despicable acts occurred (in 2017) to evacuated homeowners in communities such as Williams Lake and 100 Mile House."

He also cited examples during flooding events in Atlantic Canada and a tornado strike that occurred in Quebec.

Albas says culprits must be held accountable.

"My bill proposes to amend the Criminal Code so that committing a crime and taking advantage of an evacuation order for those experiencing a natural disaster or emergency is to be considered an aggravating circumstance for sentencing purposes.

"Ultimately, this bill, if passed, would create new legal tools for judges when it comes to sentencing those found guilty of looting."

Albas says it's unclear if there is the necessary support among Liberal, NDP or Green MPs for the bill to pass.
A Belgian man has been remanded in custody after 'attempting to get into the cockpit' of a plane flying from Amsterdam to Manchester.

Police arrested Zeno Alexander Bolkziel, 30, at Manchester Airport after the incident on board an Amsterdam to Manchester flight on May 8.

They charged him with intentionally interfering with the performance of an aircraft member's duties after reports of someone trying to enter the cockpit.

He appeared at Manchester and Salford Magistrates Court today where he did not enter a plea.

Bolkziel, who the court was told has Asperger's syndrome and had taken a 'concoction of drugs' before the flight, will appear at Minshull Street Crown Court on June 13.

Zeno Alexander Bolkziel, 30, was arrested by police at Manchester Airport (file image) after an incident on an Amsterdam to Manchester flight on May 8

A Greater Manchester Police spokesman said in a statement yesterday: 'A man has been charged after an airline passenger tried to access the cockpit of a plane bound for Manchester.

'Alexander Zeno Bolkziel from Ghent, Belgium has been charged with intentionally interfering with the performance of an aircraft crew members duties.

'At around 9.30pm on Wednesday 8 May 2019, officers were alerted by the captain of a flight from Amsterdam to Manchester that a passenger was trying to access the cockpit of the aircraft.

'Police met the flight at Manchester Airport and arrested a man.'
Hailstones the size of eggs battered a city in north China last night, leaving a trail of destruction.

Residents in Chengde city, Hebei province are facing ruin after a freak thunderstorm led to a sudden downpour of icy hail yesterday evening.

Chunks of ice pounded on the city, knocking down trees and destroying homes and roofs. No casualties have been reported, according to Chinese media.

Hailstones the size of eggs battered Chengde city in north China's Hebei province last night

Roofs, windows and roads all sustained damage during the 10-minute hailstorm

Footage released by Beijing News shows locals holding sizable hailstones in their hands or collecting them in washing bowls.

Some hailstones were as big as eggs and others were the size of chestnuts, the Hebei Meteorological Bureau said in a statement on their official Weibo account.

Roofs, windows and roads all sustained damage during the 10-minute hailstorm, which has also affected neighbouring Tangshan city.

Footage released by Beijing News shows locals holding sizable hailstones in their hands

Hail is formed when strong upward air currents, called updrafts, carry water droplets to a height where they freeze in the middle of a storm

One clip shows the tiles of a roof falling off piece by piece as the massive lumps of ice hit it. A man is seen clearing a road that had been completely covered with hail.

The adverse weather also left batches of chestnut trees barren, another clip shows.

'My chestnut trees are gone! No chestnuts for us to eat this year,' one woman was heard exclaiming.

The thunderstorm also battered the Jinshanling section of the Great Wall at 5pm local time, the bureau added.

One clip shows the tiles of a roof falling off piece by piece as the massive lumps of ice pounded on it. Another shows a woman's chestnut trees being knocked down during the hailstorm

Some hailstones were as big as eggs and others were the size of chestnuts, the Hebei Meteorological Bureau said in a statement on their official Weibo account

Hail is formed when strong upward air currents, called updrafts, carry water droplets to a height where they freeze in the middle of a storm.

It falls to the ground when the updraft weakens or can no longer support the weight of the ice. The stronger the updraft, the larger the hailstone.

Local authorities are currently calculating the economic loss caused by the adverse weather, according to Beijing News.

The weather bureau has also advised residents to stay indoors and take precautionary measures.

The thunderstorm also battered the Jinshanling section of the Great Wall (pictured above)
America should launch 'surgical strikes' against Iran, a state-affiliated Saudi newspaper has said.

The Arab News argued the US had 'set a precedent' with strikes against Bashar al Assad's regime in 2017 following the chemical strikes in Khan Sheikhoun.

Iran should be targeted following attacks against Saudi oil infrastructure - first bomb attacks on two Saudi tankers, followed by drone strikes on two pumping stations - the paper said in an English-language editorial.

America 'set a precedent' when it bombed targets in Syria in 2017 (pictured) and should now carry out 'surgical strikes' against Iran, a Saudi state newspaper has said

The Arab News said the strikes would be in retaliation for bomb attacks against two Saudi oil tankers near the UAE, which the US says were carried out with Iran's 'blessing'

'Crown Prince Mohammed was clearly correct when he argued that appeasement does not work with the Iranian regime, just as it did not work with Hitler,' it said.

'The next logical step  in this newspaper's view  should be surgical strikes.

'The US has set a precedent, and it had a telling effect: The Trump strikes on Syria when the Assad regime used Sarin gas against its people.

'We argue this because it is clear that sanctions are not sending the right message.

The editorial continues: 'Our point of view is that they must be hit hard. They need to be shown that the circumstances are now different.

'We call for a decisive, punitive reaction to what happened so that Iran knows that every single move they make will have consequences.'

Arab News is owned and managed by members of the Saudi royal family, and is considered a government-aligned publication.

The call comes amid spiralling tensions between the US and Iran which have been building for weeks but peaked this week amid fears the two were heading for war.

Houthi rebels, who are backed by Tehran, also attacked two Saudi pumping stations with drones and must be punished, the paper said

The US launched 59 Tomahawk missiles against the Shayrat air base in Syria in 2017 after Bashar al-Assad used chemical weapons against his own people

Despite both sides insisting that a conflict is not in their interests, America is moving two strike carrier groups to the region, while the Revolutionary Guard has said it is 'fully prepared for a confrontation with the enemy'.

That statement was backed by Iranian defence minister Amir Hatami who insisted 'we will defeat the United States' in any military confrontation.

Donald Trump dismissed claims that the US was spoiling for a war, and said on Twitter that Iran would be willing to negotiate 'soon'.

But foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif later said there was 'no possibility' of negotiations to reduce tensions, describing US pressure as an 'act of suicide'.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said there was 'no possibility' Tehran would negotiate with the US

Zarif's comments came after the US on Wednesday ordered non-emergency staff evacuated from its Baghdad embassy due to an 'imminent' threat from Iranian-linked Iraqi militias.

Despite international scepticism, the US government has been pointing to increasing threats from Iran, a long-time enemy and also a rival of US allies Israel and Saudi Arabia.

Senior State Department officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the threat came from Iraqi militia 'commanded and controlled' by Tehran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

'It is directly linked to Iran, multiple threat streams directly linked to Iran,' said one official.

'This is an imminent threat to our personnel,' said a second official.

'There is no doubt in my mind that under the circumstances, a partial ordered departure (from the embassy) is a reasonable thing to do.'

Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Tuesday insisted the showdown with the United States was a mere test of resolve.

'This face-off is not military because there is not going to be any war. Neither we nor them (the US) seek war,' he said.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo echoed that sentiment, saying in Sochi, Russia: 'We fundamentally do not seek a war with Iran.'

Donald Trump has insisted the US is not spoiling for a fight and predicted that Tehran will come to the negotiating table 'soon'

Despite the insistence that neither party wants conflict, world powers have rushed to urge calm and voiced concern over the escalating tensions.

Washington says it has received intelligence on possible attacks by Iranian or Iranian-backed forces, possibly targeting US bases in Iraq or Syria.

But US allies continued to show skepticism over Washington's alarm bells.

Britain's Major General Chris Ghika, a spokesman for Operation Inherent Resolve, the coalition fighting the jihadist Islamic State group, said Tuesday there was no special heightened alert.

After Ghika's comments drew a sharp retort from the US Central Command, Britain's defence ministry said Wednesday they have 'long been clear about our concerns over Iran's destabilizing behaviour in the region' - while still not confirming any new imminent danger.

Some observers speculate Tehran is seeking to retaliate over Washington's decision in April to put Iran's Revolutionary Guards on a terror blacklist - a move designed to stymie their activities across the Middle East.

But since the first US warning on May 5, the only incident has been a still-mysterious 'attack' Monday on tankers anchored off Fujairah, an Emirati port located at the strategically crucial entrance to the Gulf.

One or more vessels incurred light hull damage, but what caused the damage and who was behind it remains unknown.
An emerald and diamond necklace once owned by Catherine the Great has sold for 3.3million at auction.

The necklace featured a 107.67-carat pear-shaped emerald, which belonged to the Russian Imperial collection for over a century.

Catherine the Great, who had the longest reign of any female Russian leader, would wear extra emerald jewels when she had a tough meeting with her generals. She left her children an impressive jewellery collection.

In 1874, Tsar Alexander II gave the emerald to Grand Duchess Vladimir for her wedding to his son Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich of Russia, according to auctioneers Christie's.

A necklace which used to be worn by Catherine the Great, featuring a 107.67-carat pear-shaped emerald, sold at Christie's in Geneva on Wednesday

Catherine the Great (left) owned the necklace before it was handed down in the Russian royal family and worn by Grand Duchess Vladimir (right) for her wedding to Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich in 1874

Grand Duchess Vladimir reportedly had the largest private jewellery collection of the early 20th century.

Upon her death, her jewels were divided between her children, and her son, Grand Duke Boris, was bequeathed her emeralds.

Cartier bought the stone from the Russian royal family in 1927. Following the recommendation of famed gem dealer Paphael Esmerian, they had the rectangular-shaped stone recut to improve its clarity, resulting in an exceptionally high-quality pear-shaped emerald.

The emerald was then mounted on a Payne Whitney family necklace by Cartier and subsequently sold to John D Rockefeller Jr., according to Christie's.

Cartier bought the stone from the Russian royal family in 1927. They had the rectangular-shaped stone recut to improve its clarity, resulting in an exceptionally high-quality pear-shaped emerald

The necklace was auctioned in Switzerland in 1971 and was acquired by Esmerian.

The current owner, a private collector whose identity Christie's did not disclose, possessed the emerald for over two decades and remounted it on a more contemporary diamond setting.

The piece was sold on Wednesday at a Christie's jewels sale at the Four Seasons Hotel de Bergues, Geneva.

Meanwhile Dame Helen Mirren will play Catherine the Great in a new Sky Atlantic four-part series which 'delves into the politically tumultuous and sexually charged court of the most powerful female monarch in history.'

The four-part drama will chart the latter years of Catherine's 34-year reign and was filmed in Russia, Latvia and Lithuania.

Dame Helen was confirmed in January to be playing the role of the Russian Queen who had an extremely colourful love life.

Following the assassination of her husband Emperor Peter III in 1762, Catherine was rumoured to have had a string of male lovers and children through illicit affairs.

The series is due to air later this year.

Dame Helen has Russian ancestry and was born Ilyena Mironov, as her grandfather was an aristocrat and diplomat who was stranded in Britain by the Russian revolution in 1917. His son married a British woman and anglicised the family name to Mirren when the actress was ten.
A driver in China has crashed a 567,000 Ferrari seconds after borrowing it from a friend to satisfy his cravings for supercars.

The man, known as Mr Jin, also landed himself massive bills of more than 45,000 after causing damage to the luxurious car as well as four other vehicles.

Mr Jin lost control of the luxurious car as soon as he stepped on the accelerator on Monday, according to police in Tongli, Jiangsu Province.

Mr Jin from China starts swerving left and right after he pressed the accelerator of the Ferrari

He crashes the Ferrari into a passing black car and pushes it towards the opposite traffic lanes

Surveillance footage of the crash shows the nervous Ferrari driver swerving left and right on a four-lane road before slamming into a passing black car.

The black car was pushed into the traffic lanes on the opposite direction before crashing into a grey car and two motorised scooters parked on the pavement.

The white Ferrari slowly came to a halt and stopped at one side of the road.

Firefighters rushed to the scene to rescue the driver of the black car who was trapped in the mangled vehicle.

He was taken to the hospital and found to sustain injuries on the neck as well as scratches around his body, according to a report from Suzhou Radio and Television Station.

The black car and another grey car stand on their side after the traffic accident on Monday

Rescuers take the driver of the black car into an ambulance after freeing him from the vehicle

The driver of the Ferrari was said to have scratches on the arms.

There was no one in the grey car or on the two motorised scooters.

The TV report from yesterday claimed the Ferrari was worth five million yuan (567,810), but did not mention the model.

It is reported that Mr Jin had always wanted to try driving expensive cars. He had borrowed the Ferrari from a friend, Mr Zhou, who in turn had borrowed the car from his friend.

Mr Jin said he crashed the Ferrari because he was not familiar with the car's condition.

Mr Zhou claimed to police he had asked Mr Jin to drive the Ferrari that day to return the car to its original owner.

Tongli Traffic Police ruled that Mr Jin should bear the sole responsibility of the accident.

One officer said Mr Jin could face repair bills amounting to 400,000 yuan (45,424) for the five vehicles.

The officer told Suzhou Radio and Television Station the Ferrari would cost around 100,000 yuan (11,335) to fix while the black car would cost Mr Jin a further 200,000 yuan (22,700).
Ex-MI6 chief Sir Richard Dearlove, pictured, says allowing Chinese firm Huawei a role in building the UK's 5G network puts China in a 'potentially advantageous exploitative position' for the future

A former MI6 boss has joined calls to bar Chinese telecoms giant Huawei from working on the UK's 5G network after claiming the firm poses an 'unnecessary risk to national security'

Sir Richard Dearlove said using Huawei equipment could place the Chinese government in a 'potentially advantageous exploitative position' in the UK's future telecoms network.

He is the latest in a number of senior figures voicing concerns after it was reported last month that Theresa May is ready to give the green light to the firm supplying 'non-core' elements of the system.

The row also led to the dismissal of Gavin Williamson as Defence Secretary after he was blamed for the information leaking to the public from a National Security Council meeting.

In a foreword to a new report by the Henry Jackson Society (HJS) think tank, Sir Richard said the involvement of Huawei had to be viewed as a 'potential security risk' to the UK.

He said: 'The fact that the British Government now appears to have decided to place the development of some its most sensitive critical infrastructure in the hands of a company from the People's Republic of China (PRC) is deeply worrying.

'The PRC uses its sophisticated technical capabilities not only to control its own population (to an extreme and growing degree), but it also conducts remotely aggressive intelligence gathering operations on a global scale.

'No part of the communist Chinese state is ultimately able to operate free of the control exercised by its Communist Party leadership.

'To place the PRC in a potentially advantageous exploitative position in the UK's future telecommunications systems therefore is a risk, however remote it may seem at the moment, we simply do not need to take.'

The Government has insisted no final decision has been taken on Huawei's involvement in the UK network, although the issue remains highly sensitive in Whitehall.

Britain is considering working with Huawei despite objections from the US and Australia

Sir Richard said the Government - which has been seeking to build economic links with China - should not be influenced by fears of economic reprisals by Beijing if Huawei is excluded.

'If Australia can blackball Huawei as its 5G provider, the UK can certainly do the same without undue concern about the consequences,' he said.

In its report, co-authored by Conservative MP Bob Seely, the HJS said that while Huawei claims to be a private company, in China it acts like - and is treated like - a state-owned enterprise.

It said the company's organisational structure is 'opaque' and it is subject to China's National Intelligence Law, which means it could be required to assist China's intelligence agencies in their operations and research and development.

It also questioned claims the risks to UK security could be 'mitigated' by excluding it from the 'core' elements of the network and restricting it to 'dumb' components like antennas.

The report said: 'Our technical advisers have indicated that antennas can be modified at both the hardware and software level.

'Indeed, as 5G means moving more and more to software-networking, the ability of a manufacturer to re-purpose an antenna without detection will increase.'

Huawei dismissed the report as 'long on politically-motivated insinuation but short on fact', saying there had been no significant cyber security issues with its equipment in 32 years.

Sir Richard, pictured, should not fear economic reprisals from Beijing if Huawei is excluded

A spokesman added: 'We are an independent, employee-owned company which does not take instructions from the Chinese government.

'We hope and expect that any decision on Huawei's participation in Britain's build-out of 5G networks will be based on solid evidence, rather than on unfounded speculation and groundless accusations.'

Sir Richard's intervention comes as US President Donald Trump signed an executive order effectively banning American firms from using foreign telecoms deemed to pose a threat to national security.

Although it does not name Huawei, it is widely considered to be aimed at the firm following repeated warnings by US officials that it could be used by the Chinese state to spy on or sabotage foreign networks.

A UK Government spokesman said individual countries are taking 'a range of different approaches' to the issue of 5G security.

He added: 'There are no universal solutions.

'Whatever final decision the UK Government takes about 5G network infrastructure, the UK is not considering any options that would put our national security communications at risk, within the UK and with our closest allies.'
New information has emerged about a viral photo of four California teachers holding up a noose, suggesting that it might be connected to a shocking child abuse case that left a boy dead and sent his father to death row.

During an emotionally charged Town Hall meeting at Summerwind Elementary School on Tuesday, a special counsel for the Palmdale School District floated a theory that the photo was taken to celebrate an anniversary of the sentencing of Gabriel Fernandez's parents.

Gabriel was a student at Summerwind Elementary School in 2013 when he was beaten to death by his parents.

Scroll down for video

Was it about Gabriel? A theory has been floated that these four California teachers posed with a noose to celebrate an anniversary of the sentencing of a couple convicted of killing one of their students, Gabriel Fernandez

Jennifer Garcia, pictured far left in the noose photo, testified at the trial of eight-year-old Gabriel Fernandez's parents in 2017 (pictured on the stand, left). The boy (right) was in Garcia's class as a first-grader

The eight-year-old boy was whipped with a belt, starved, tied up, locked in a cabinet, shot with a BB gun and once had his teeth knocked out with a bat. He also had a fractured skull, broken ribs and burns all over his body.

His mother, 34-year-old Pearl Fernandez, pleaded guilty to murder in February 2018 and was sentenced in June of that year to life in prison.

Her boyfriend, Isaurio Aguirre, was convicted of murder and given the death penalty after a jury found that he intentionally tortured the boy to death because he believed he was gay.

The teacher in the maroon sweater posing on the far left and pointing at the noose with a smile on her has been identified as Jennifer Garcia, who was Gabriel's first-grade teacher and testified during his parents' trial in 2017.

Isaurio Aguirre (left) was convicted of murder and given the death penalty for torturing Gabriel to death. Gabriel's mother, Pearl Fernandez (right), pleaded guilty to murder in February 2018 and was sentenced in June of that year to life in prison

The eight-year-old was whipped with a belt, starved, tied up, locked in a cabinet, shot with a BB gun and had his skull fractured

Garcia recounted from the stand how she first noticed bruises on the boy's face and said that Gabriel eventually confided in her that he was being beaten at home.

The teacher repeatedly reported the abuse allegations to the county children's services, but Gabriel continued suffering at the hands of his parents.

Emily Carranza, a cousin of Gabriel's who has been advocating for justice for the boy through a Facebook page, sought to distance the case from the noose photo, dismissing the suggestion that the two were related.

Do not tie that horrible picture with my cousin, she told Los Angeles Times. Thats not how you celebrate someones conviction. That noose represents everything Gabriel went through.

Bonafacio Garcia, the school districts lawyer, said another working theory being considered by the investigation is that the photo-op was meant as an inside 'hang in there' joke among teachers, reported NBC Los Angeles.

Jennifer Garcia, her three colleagues seen in the now-infamous image and Linda Brandt, the principal of Summerwind Elementary School, have been suspended with pay pending the outcome of the internal investigation.

The district's attorney is expected to present his findings by June 1.

After the photo leaked, another emerged of a noose hanging from a wall within the school.

While some suspect the photo may be have been a 'back-to-school necklaces'  an insider joke among educators that suggests they want to kill themselves just thinking about returning to their job after the school break  the picture has been slammed as insensitive or outright racist by others.

The principal reportedly shared offensive images in an email sent to all teachers earlier this month and it quickly spread on social media

The older brother a student at the school explained how let him know the image is an offensive reminder of a time when slavery was prevalent among African Americans. 'I showed her the picture of her teacher and of someone hanging from a tree,' Randle Jr. told Yahoo Lifestyle. 'She's sad and shocked that her teacher would hold a torture device.'

Teacher Michele Lemaire opined a 'lack of people of color' teaching at Summerwind is a 'huge issue'.

She said a third of the students there are black and another third Hispanic but there are only a few black teachers.

Teachers at Summerwind Elementary School in Palmdale were told to go home on Thursday after protests from parents

Linda Brandt, the principal of Summerwind Elementary School in Palmdale, shared the photograph in an email to all teachers earlier this month. She was placed on leave Wednesday

Parent Breyon Clemmons said that one of the teachers in the image has been the subject of racial controversy before.

Clemmons said her younger daughter is now having issues with a teacher at the school.

She told Fox 11: 'I've requested that my kid be taken out of one classroom because that teacher, in particular, has shown prejudice discrimination against my kid and when I requested the black teacher I got grief for that.'

According to a teacher at the school who didn't want to be identified, all the unidentified teachers pictured look after first grade students.

A parent at the school reacts to the noose photo circulating online this week

The Palmdale School District didn't immediately respond to DailyMail.com's request for comment.

Clemmons let her fourth-grade daughter skip class Thursday as they held a protest.

'I don't want to come to school because I feel like they're going to hurt me or do something with the noose that they're not supposed to do,' 10-year-old Camille Clemmons told Antelope Valley Press.

Prior to the scandal Brandt was being considered for a promotion to Palmdale School District Superintendent.

Brandt was the first to be placed on leave last Wednesday after the incident 'involving the discovery of a noose and possibly inappropriate responses to that discovery' were brought the attention of the district that afternoon.

'The Principal has been placed on administrative leave pending an investigation of the matter,' Current Superintendent Raul Maldonodo said in a statement Thursday morning.

'Our Palmdale Promise to our students and community is to ensure the following: EQUITY for all our students, schools, and communities as reflected in outcomes and opportunities.

'Facilitating and supporting every student's achievement by BUILDING ON THEIR STRENGTHS, CULTURES, LANGUAGES, and experiences to create new successes. MULTILINGUALISM and MULTICULTURALISM as individual, community, national, and global assets in the 21st century. INTEGRITY AND COMMUNITY based on trust and the common purpose that empower individuals and communities.'

As parents protested last Thursday the teachers were sent home.

'You hate them little black babies. You hate them little Spanish babies. All them little minorities,' Darrin Harper expressed as he spoke of his upset to Fox 11. 'You hate them just of where they're from. Because of the color of their skin you hate them? They're innocent. My babies.'

The Superintendent previously said he didn't know the context of the noose image.
Protests by conservative Muslim parents, angrily claiming that school lessons which include information about LGBT relationships 'promote' homosexuality or 'indoctrinate' children, have spread nationwide.

In March more than 600 children were pulled out of a school in Birmingham, attended overwhelmingly by children of Muslim parents, over the 'No Outsider' curriculum which teaches children about LGBT people and families.

A parents' group said the pupils were pulled from the classroom because the school was 'undermining parental rights and aggressively promoting homosexuality', and parents waived placards reading 'education not indoctrination'

Now an investigation by the BBC Newsnight programme has found letters opposing the lessons have been sent to schools in Birmingham, Bradford, Bristol, Croydon, Ealing, Manchester, Northampton and Nottingham.

Some have also been sent from Christian parents in Kent.

Parents kept their children out of lessons at Anderton Park Primary School for the first hour of the day in March's protest

The children involved in the exodus represent about 80 per cent of the school's entire enrolment, which is attended by children of parents 98 per cent of whom are Muslim

Police were called to the protest outside the primary school in the Saltley area of Birmingham

One of the protests' leaders Amir Ahmed told the BBC: 'It's not about gay lesbian rights and equality. This is purely about proselytising a homosexual way of life to children.'

When asked if he believed children could be 'recruited to be gay', Mr Ahmed said: 'You can condition them to accept this as being a normal way of life and it makes the children more promiscuous as they grow older.'

He added: 'Whether they become gay or not, they can still enter into gay relationships.

'They want to convert you, they want to convert your morality and that's just wrong.'

Last week the protesters threatened to withdraw pupils from schools again, if the school doesn't suspend the teaching of LGBT lessons, and promised to ignore a legal threat to resume their demonstration outside the Anderton Park Primary School gates in Birmingham.

Parents' anger is aimed at the school's assistant head Andrew Moffat (pictured), who is behind the 'No Outsiders' lessons

Birmingham parents' anger is aimed at the school's assistant head Andrew Moffat, who is behind the No Outsiders lessons.

He created the scheme to teach children about the Equality Act and British values.

Pupils at the school  rated outstanding by Ofsted  have five of these lessons a year, covering areas outlined in the Act: age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation.

The programme was first piloted at the school in 2014 and is now also taught at dozens of other schools in the country.
A deputy principal who was suspended for pinning down a student while breaking up a brawl has been met with cheers as he returned to work.

Grant Walton, from Eaton Community College near Bunbury in Western Australia, was suspended after footage of the March alleged fight circulated on the internet.

The decision sparked controversy and attracted more than 7000 signatures on a Change.org petition demanding the suspension be lifted.

But when he returned to work on Thursday he was met with cheers and hugs from students, parents and staff.

'Thank You, Thank You guys, you're awesome. It's great to see so many ex-students and so many kids here supporting the school,' he said, according to Perth Now.

'Lets get on with the business of the school and go to class and go home and keep raising your children the way you have. Thank you so much.'

One parent said they feel a lot safer with their kids going to school there because of Mr Walton not being afraid to get involved.

When he was cleared on Wednesday he was excited to return to work.

When asked if he would handle things differently in future, he said he would try to calm the situation and use verbal prompts to try to stop a fight from escalating.

'I certainly agree with the Director-General that intervening in a fight physically is a last resort,' Mr Walton told the Today Show.

Grant Walton, from Eaton Community College near Bunbury in Western Australia, was suspended after footage of the March alleged fight circulated on the internet. However when he returned to work on Thursday he was met with cheers and hugs from students, parents and staff

'We are here to do a job and keep people safe. If it comes up where I'm in a situation where somebody requires that level of assistance, of course, you do.

'But on the whole, you do what the training tells you to do, which is to try and calm the situation,'

Mr Walton, who has 30 years teaching experience, said he was aware he was being filmed when he intervened in the playground fight between two teen boys.

He allegedly pinned one 13-year-old to the ground but when the boy was released he challenged Mr Walton with his fists.

'I even asked a staff member to film the event. I was completely conscious of the fact that it was being filmed,' he said.

WA Education Department Director General Lisa Rodgers said he would receive extra training.

Mr Walton said that violence was obviously a last resort but said his job is to keep people safe

'As I mentioned earlier in the week, the community has really gotten behind Mr Walton - and indeed the wider teaching profession - and I look forward to seeing him back at work,' she said in a statement.

Supporters of the Mr Walton praised the move and said it was a good step forward for common sense.

'Glad the education department did the right thing and supported their staff,' one person said.

'Best outcome for Mr Walton, the students and the community,' said another.

'Common sense has prevailed,' one person commented.
A 65-year-old mayor donned his robe and chains as he proposed to his 49-year-old girlfriend at his inauguration, declaring his hometown is the 'city of love'.

Councillor William Routley got down on one knee and popped the question to his long-term partner Alison Robbins as he was sworn of as mayor of Newport, South Wales on Tuesday.

Wearing his traditional red robe and gold chains he asked her: 'As the first citizen, and you are indeed and always have been my first lady, my love, would you do me the honour of entering into the time honoured tradition of engagement?'

Ms Robbins beamed with tears of joy in her eyes and replied: 'Yes I will.'

Councillor William Routley, 65, got down on one knee and popped the question to his long-term partner Alison Robbins, 498, as he was sworn in as mayor in Newport, South Wales on Tuesday

The couple, pictured on holiday together, got to know one another while they both worked for the NHS in 2011

Cllr Routley said Newport is the 'city of love' after getting engaged at his inauguration and being overwhelmed with support following the death of his grandson.

Jordan Routley, 21, died after being hit by a car in the area just before midnight on April 23.

His grandfather and father-of-three said: 'The love that I have felt and the love that has been given to my family and myself during these situations that we have found ourselves in has been enormous.

'The love has come from the people of Newport.'

Cllr Routley is pictured with his new fiancee Alison Robbins. They live together in Newport

He added: 'The 10-year-old boy now stands before you because he dared to dream and his dream has come true.'

The crowd cheered and the couple kissed after Ms Robbins accepted the unusual proposal.

He presented her with '12 red roses to symbolise love' after putting the engagement ring on her finger.

Jordan Routley, 21, died after being hit by a car in the area just before midnight on April 23

Cllr Routley met his fiancee when they were both working in the NHS in 2011.

The couple live together in the Langstone area of the city and will begin planning their wedding in due course.

Newport City Council leader Debbie Wilcox said: 'I know he is incredibly proud to be given this opportunity to serve his home city and this is something that has become particularly poignant for him personally given the tragic events of the last few weeks.'
Photo: Wayne Moore - File Photo Mayor Colin Basran

The man who allegedly made an online threat against Kelowna Mayor Colin Basran has a long criminal history, including assault and uttering threats.

Bruce Edward Taylor, 52, is alleged to have made the threat Tuesday after the mayor asked council to reconsider a previously defeated development in South Pandosy. It narrowly passed Monday.

Public court documents show Bruce Edward Taylor has been arrested and convicted on numerous charges dating back to the late 1990s.

These include multiple charges of uttering threats in Coquitlam and Burnaby in February of 2002. He was sentenced to 30 days in jail.

Taylor was also charged with assault causing bodily harm for incidents in Surrey in November of 1999 and August of 2000. He was handed a one-year probationary sentence for the 1999 incident.

Over the years, he was also charged with resisting a peace officer, mischief under $5,000, theft under $5,000, breach of probation and undertaking, fraud and production of a controlled substance and possession for the purpose of trafficking.
It was the titillating trial and salacious scandal of 1820s Connecticut that has ramifications that resonate today. A love affair between an older magnetic preacher and a young woman that led to pregnancy, botched attempts to end it and then a stillbirth  all amid a broken promise to marry.

The state wanted to throw the book at Ammi Rogers, a controversial reverend, but there were no laws banning abortion in 1820. Rogers, who spent the rest of his life proclaiming his innocence, was instead convicted of sexual assault and sentenced to two years in prison.

He impregnated 21-year-old Asenath Smith, the granddaughter of one of his congregants. When she fell pregnant, he first gave her a medicine to end the baby's life but when that did not work, used a 'tool' to end the pregnancy.

Smith's family ended up calling a doctor because she was in extreme pain. She delivered a still born not long afterwards.

The furor over the court case pushed Connecticut to pass the nation's first abortion law the next year, in 1821. Other states followed suit and by the end of the 19th Century, 49 states had some type of law regulating abortion, with Kentucky passing legislation in 1910.

A through line can be drawn from that court case and subsequent legislation in 1821 to the landmark 1973 Supreme Court decision Roe v. Wade to the signing Wednesday of one of the nation's most restrictive abortion laws in Alabama.

While the two laws are separated by nearly 200 years, their aim is the same: punish those that provide women with abortions. In the 1820s, a women, like Asenath Smith, Rogers' lover, would have been given some sort of medicine to get rid of the pregnancy. Now, those who provide abortions could be sentenced anywhere from 10 years up to 99 years when the Alabama law takes effect.

In 1817, Reverend Ammi Rogers was called to minister to the bedside of a woman who was dying. He met her granddaughter Asenath Smith and they soon struck up a relationship. When Smith realized she was pregnant, she went to Rogers. He asked that she end the pregnancy before they marry, and after two botched attempts, Smith delivered a stillborn child and Rogers fled. Above, a look at Ammi Rogers' memoir

Ammi Rogers was a Episcopalian reverend that the church establishment in Connecticut tried to bar from preaching in the state. After Asenath Smith gave birth to a stillborn child, Rogers was arrested and put on trial in 1820. However, using medicines to induce abortions was not illegal at the time and he was convicted of sexual assault and sentenced to two years in prison. The next year, in 1821, Connecticut banned the abortion-inducing medicine and those who provided it would face prosecution. Above, a sketch of St. Peter's Church in Connecticut where reportedly Rogers was a pastor

Ammi Rogers was a Yale-educated Episcopalian reverend. Others with the church tried to bar him from preaching in Connecticut, which he put down in his memoirs to the fact he publicly advocated for the separation of church and state. Rogers, however, refused to stop ministering. He was even sued several times but he won each case, according to The Day.

Despite being hindered and hampered by the establishment, Rogers was a well-liked preacher that people flocked to.

'Just like there are ministers now in the contemporary world who have this huge popular following, and they dress well, and people, especially women, love them,' Lolita Buckner Inniss, a law professor, told The Washington Post.

'That's who Ammi Rogers was.'

Rogers was married at one point but his wife died. After her death, he relocated to another part of the state, bringing his three children with him and becoming the 'rector of four Connecticut churches that prospered,' according to The Day article.

Reportedly Rogers was involved with several of his young congregants. After being called to the bedside to minister to a dying women, Rogers noticed her granddaughter, Asenath Smith, according to the Post article.

It was 1817, Rogers was almost 50 and Smith was likely 21-years-old. (Reports have different ages for Smith, some calling her a teen, and some mention that she was a seamstress.)

When Smith realized she was pregnant, she went to Rogers, who at first promised to marry her. However, he changed his mind, saying Smith had to end the pregnancy before they could get married, according to the trial transcripts, The Post reported.

There are other accounts that have Smith involved with another man as well at the time, and that she herself took things to end the pregnancy. According to the Post article, Rogers was the one who got her medicine to induce the abortion but it didn't work, and she 'continued to feel the fetus's movements - known then as "quickening" - which generally starts in the fourth or fifth month of pregnancy.'

He next tried some of type of 'tool,' according to the article, to end the pregnancy but it didn't work.

Meanwhile, Smith's family called a doctor due to 'intense pain and subsequently delivered a stillborn child,' according to the Post article.

In 1820, Rogers was put on trial for what happened.

Inniss, a law professor, told The Post: Rogers was such a huge social iconoclast that, as far as I can tell, thats why they were prosecuting his case.

However, the botched abortion attempts were not illegal, and Rogers was convicted of sexual assault and sentenced to two years in prison, according to the Post article.

After the trial, Connecticut passed a law that banned the use of medicines to induce abortions, and, in addition, those who provided the medicines would face prosecution.

The law was the direct response to the sex scandal, Inniss told The Post.

After Connecticut passed its law, other states quickly followed suit and by the end of the 19th Century, 49 states had some type of law regulating abortion, with Kentucky passing legislation in 1910. Above, an engraving of William Buchan, who wrote the book, Domestic Medicine, which likely would have been in most homes during the 1820s and 'included instructions to eliminate obstructed menses - a euphemism for early pregnancy, according to a Washington Post article
The New York Yacht Club is hoping to secure a 2021 America's Cup win, working with Airbus to create a 'flying boat' that can go miles without touching the water.

The club's official racing team, American Magic, employed an army of 40 designers and six Airbus engineers to work on a 38 foot test vessel, which rises up on hydrofoils and slices across the top of the waves.

Known as the Mule, the prototype was completed late last year, and American Magic spent the winter testing the boat in Penascola, Florida.

The team's executive director, Terry Hutchinson, told Boat International that the Mule is 'the fastest 38 footer in the world' having 'sailed through 40 knots of boat speed'.

The speeds are possible because of the hydrofoils, which lift the hull out of the water so it sails through the air and drag time is decreased.

The New York Yacht Club has worked with Airbus to create a 'flying boat' known as the Mule (pictured)

The hydrofoils on the boat are shaped like the wings of the Airbus aircraft, lifting the vessel out of the water so it can cut across waves and decrease drag time

When the crew gets 'the right breeze direction' they 'can do 16 miles of sailing out of the water'.

HOW DOES THE MULE RISE ABOVE WATER? In order for the hull of the boat to lift off the surface of the water, the helmsman must pick the correct angle, the sails need to be trimmed, and the foils and rudder must be adjusted. The hull is then lifted into the air. In full flight, the boat rides on foils on the rudder and the leeward foil arm, with the windward foil arm out of the water. When the boat tacks, the foil arms switch positions. Airbus says they created the hydrofoils to be shaped like the wings of their aircraft. Airbus says: 'Wings produce lift while sails generate thrust, but both cut through the air in a similar way. When the hull of American Magic lifts out of the water, aerodynamics become crucial to speed and stability. Full technological details haven't been revealed as America's Cup competitors are all currently working on their prototypes, but Airbus say the project is 'innovative' and involves company members from around the world Advertisement

Hutchinson even boasted that when the crew gets 'the right breeze direction' they 'can do 16 miles of sailing out of the water'.

In Pensacola, the crew completed 'dry laps', meaning the Mule's hull never touched the water as it flew on foils all the way around a course that's roughly six miles long and two miles across.

The hydrofoil technology could help American Magic snare the America's Cup.

'We all know that the boat that can stay out of the water for basically the entire race and achieve 100 percent fly rate, that's going to be a hard boat to beat,' Hutchinson recently told Associated Press.

He added that, with the Mule, it feels like the crew are 'sailing a flying boat'.

However the Mule is only around half the size of the 75-foot boats that'll be raced in the 2021 America's Cup, meaning some of the technology may not translate to a larger vessel.

'There's a lot of work to do. Just because we do it here doesn't mean it will happen straightaway in the 75 footer,' Hutchinson explained.

The crew completed 'dry laps', meaning the Mule's hull never touches the water as it flies on foils

The New York Yacht Club is currently working on their full-size, 75 foot yacht which will be similar to the one they hope to use at the 2021 America's Cup, to be held in New Zealand.

The club once held the the America's Cup trophy for 141 years, but they haven't seen victory since Australia snared the prize back in 1983.

They're hoping the Mule test boat can change their fortunes and end the 38-year drought.

In order for the hull of the boat to be lifted out of the air, the helmsman must pick the correct angle, the sails need to be trimmed, and the foils and rudder are adjusted
The billionaire Asos owner who lost three 'beloved and beautiful' children in the Sri Lanka terror attacks has thanked the Scottish public for its outpouring of affection in the aftermath of the horrific Easter Sunday bombings.

Anders and Anne Holch Povlsen, who own more than 200,000 acres of land in the Highlands, took out adverts in two regional newspapers to show their 'deepest appreciation' to those who expressed condolences at a time of deep personal tragedy.

Alfred, five, Agnes, 12 and Alma, 15, were three of some 253 victims killed in a series of church and hotel explosions on April 21 which shook the world on a day of Christian celebration.

Only their youngest daughter, Astrid, ten, survived the attacks and the couple said that they remain 'genuinely grateful' that she is still alive.

Anders and Anne Holch Povlsen, who own more than 200,000 acres of land in the Highlands, took out adverts in two regional newspapers to show their 'deepest appreciation' to Scottish people

Alfred, five, (middle) Agnes, 12 (left) and Alma, 15, (right) were three of some 253 victims killed in a series of church and hotel explosions on April 21

In the Press and Journal and Scotsman newspapers, they wrote: 'We extend our heartfelt gratitude for the condolences, sympathy and many warming thoughts we have received following the tragic loss of our three beloved and beautiful children; Alfred, Agnes, and Alma.

'The Scottish Highlands has granted us abiding, special memories for our family. It is for this reason that the many words of comfort have fortified us and touched our hearts.'

They sent their thoughts and condolences to the many other innocent families who lost their loved-ones in the attacks.

They added: 'In the immense sadness, we are genuinely grateful that we remain united with our daughter, Astrid.

In the Press and Journal and Scotsman newspapers they sent their thoughts and condolences to the many other innocent families who lost their loved-ones in the attacks

They wrote: 'We extend our heartfelt gratitude for the condolences, sympathy and many warming thoughts we have received following the tragic loss of our three beloved and beautiful children; Alfred, Agnes, and Alma'

'The loving memory of our three children, their wonderful spirit and souls will always be in our hearts.'

The letter carries the initials of the three children who died and an image of three floating feathers.

Mr Holch Povlsen - Denmark's wealthiest man - has a net worth of 7.9bn US dollars (6.1bn), according to Forbes.

The businessman owns the international clothing chain Bestseller and is the biggest single shareholder in fashion retailer Asos.

He and his wife have acquired several Highland estates over the years, including Glenfeshie in the Cairngorms, Strathmore in Sutherland and Braeroy in Fort William.

They set up the company Wildland in 2007 with the aim of restoring and conserving landscapes for future generations.
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The lobby of the brand new TWA Hotel at John F Kennedy International Airport has been flooded with delayed passengers desperate for a more comfortable place to sleep than the concourse.

The landmark Trans World Airlines Flight Center opened its doors for the first time in 20 years on Wednesday after being transformed into the JFK's only on-site lodging.

Travel blogger Max Prosperi was among the first guests to check in to the hotel and told DailyMail.com that he was far from impressed by the state of the accommodations, which were hardly camera-ready thanks to exposed wires, construction and out-of-order elevators.

Prosperi, of St Louis, Missouri, said the 'cherry on top' of his disappointing stay was the people sleeping in the lobby area modeled after TWA's original lounge dubbed the Ambassador's Club.

He photographed several of the passengers he claimed TWA management has been allowing to sneak through the airport tube connecting JFK to the lobby and set up camp on the benches and booths.

'The Ambassadors Club area is unmonitored and quiet making it the perfect space,' Prosperi said.

'It is currently serving as a place of refuge for around a dozen stranded passengers.'

TWA Hotel has not returned DailyMail.com's multiple requests for comment.

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The lobby of the brand new TWA Hotel at John F Kennedy International Airport in Queens, New York, has been flooded with delayed passengers desperate for a more comfortable place to sleep than the concourse

Travel blogger Max Prosperi, one of the first guests to check in to the hotel, told DailyMail.com the 'cherry on top' of his disappointing stay was the number of people sleeping on benches and on the floor in the lobby area

Prosperi photographed several passengers he said TWA management allowed to sneak through the tube connecting JFK to the lobby and set up camp

'The Ambassadors Club area is unmonitored and quiet making it the perfect space,' Prosperi said

The landmark Trans World Airlines Flight Center opened its doors for the first time in 20 years on Wednesday after being transformed into the only on-site lodging at John F Kennedy Airport in Queens, New York

Prosperi said he booked a night at the hotel as a gift for his 58-year-old mother, who worked as a TWA flight attendant for 19 years.

'This hotel should not be open tonight for paying guests,' he said. 'They don't have ice machines, and there are holes in the ceiling because light fixtures are missing.'

Prosperi also had issues checking in, first being told to wait until 4pm and then suffering through a 40 minute ordeal with staff who he said seemed rude and unwilling to help.

But that wasn't the worst of his experience, as the travel blogger had been told a week ago that he'd be able to walk-in and get a table at The Paris Cafe by chef Jean-Georges, but that didn't work out for him and his parents.

'I didn't make reservations for any of the restaurants at first, which was my mistake, but I emailed the hotel a week ago and was told I'd be allowed to walk-in as a hotel guest at any restaurant on site,' Prosperi said.

'My father came too, and when we all showed up to the French restaurant the hostess said they're not accepting any walk-ins whatsoever.

'When I told her I had an email that said otherwise, I asked her if the hotel had lied to me, and she said: "I guess they did, they told you incorrect information."'

Prosperi said they ended up having meat and cheese plates with some mixed nuts for dinner.

'We may do Postmates for a burger or something,' he said. 'This was really unfortunate because I really wanted to bring my mom to this really great French restaurant.

'It's unfortunate because TWA means so much to my family, to me and my mom, but this is not a good representation of the company for us.'

Propseri had been told a week ago that he'd be able to walk-in and get a table at The Paris Cafe by chef Jean-Georges (shown), but that didn't work out for him and his parents. 'I didn't make reservations for any of the restaurants at first, which was my mistake, but I emailed the hotel a week ago and was told I'd be allowed to walk-in as a hotel guest at any restaurant on site,' said Prosperi, who had to have a snack at the Sunken Lounge instead

Prosperi and his parents ended up eating meager meat and cheese plates with some mixed nuts for dinner

'It's unfortunate because TWA means so much to my family, to me and my mom, but this is not a good representation of the company for us,' Prosperi said after the disappointing dining experience Wednesday evening

TWA went out of business in 2001, which is when the Flight Center closed its doors after first opening in 1962 (file image)

Travel industry analyst Jamie Larounis also shared his experience at the property with DailyMail.com.

'They should never have opened the property today and that was their mistake,' Larounis said. 'I've never really been to an opening night where it was in such shambles, this is a unique instance for me.'

The frequent flyer was part of a group of about 20 friends and acquaintances who had reserved a stay for the first possible night at the iconic and historically decorated hotel.

He said he was told the opening was supposed to be two weeks from now over Memorial Day weekend, but it was moved up due to an unnamed celebrity booking for Wednesday's launch, which ultimately fell through.

'The rooms were already booked, so the hotel was stuck opening this weekend,' he said.

The landmark Trans World Airlines Flight Center, which first opened in 1962, has now been transformed into the only on-site lodging at JFK in Queens, New York, though it wasn't exactly camera-ready for opening day

Travel industry analyst Jamie Larounis spoke with DailyMail.com about his experience at the TWA Hotel's grand opening. Boxes of snacks are seen stacked in the hallway outside the rooms after staff ran out of time to put them where they belong

The mid-century time capsule has been completely transformed into the only on-site lodging at JFK in Queens, New York

Larounis had arrived on site at about 9.30am for a ribbon cutting, where models greeted guests in aviation-inspired uniforms

But by 7pm Eastern on Wednesday, Larounis said about half of the rooms for the people in his group were still not ready, though he was able to check in right away.

'Check in started at 3pm and rooms are still not ready,' Larounis said, nothing that his door had boxes in front of it.

He added: 'To make matters worse, no elevators are working. People are needing to walk up.'

In a reply to a social media post, one person told Larounis, 'Sadly this opening day sure turned into a "soft opening" without telling any of us staying here until we found out ourselves.

'What a mess. Def asking for a refund for tonight's stay. Very disappointed. But on a positive note I enjoy the historic atmosphere, just feels like this was opened way too soon.'

Despite the mess around parts of the hotel, many of its unique amenities were operational, like the cocktail bar inside a plane

Larounis said the Managing Director of the TWA Hotel told him during a tour that the hotel was approximately 75 percent open, and that everything open was booked. A woman is shown pouring cocktails inside the bar in the airplane

Despite the mess around some of the hotel, many of its unique features were operational, like the cocktail bar inside an airplane.

Larounis said the Managing Director of the TWA Hotel told him during a tour that the hotel was approximately 75 percent open, and that everything open was booked.

He had arrived on site at about 9.30am for a ribbon cutting ceremony where models greeted guests in aviation-inspired uniforms, and was given free reign of the hotel with others from about 12.30pm to 2pm.

During that that time, Larounis said he saw 'wet paint, carts with tools on them, men in hard hats, drilling, loose wires hanging and other electrical issues.'

He added: 'There were doors to rooms missing because they still needed to be installed. It wasn't until around 2pm that access became limited to the areas under construction.'

The exterior of the TWA Hotel looks sleek and beautifully finished, but behind the facade lies some disarray for the launch

One person wrote, 'What a mess. Def asking for a refund for tonight's stay. Very disappointed. But on a positive note I enjoy the historic atmosphere, just feels like this was opened way too soon'

'They should never have opened the property today and that was their mistake,' Travel industry analyst James Larounis told DailyMail.com

Larounis said he saw 'wet paint, carts with tools on them, men in hard hats, drilling, loose wires hanging and other electrical issues'

Larounis said there were boxes in front of his door at the hotel, though he was able to check in on time. An unfinished room is pictured

He saw carts with tools on them throughout the public spaces, amid active construction areas

Larounis described the public spaces as not exactly becoming of a place fetching a nightly rate of $269, as his room cost

Those areas included the pool where Larounis saw 'tons of construction equipment' and witnessed a confrontation between a security guard and a reporter, who Larounis said was trying to capture the scene.

Larounis described the public spaces of the hotel as not exactly becoming of a place fetching a nightly rate of $269, as his room cost.

'The floors aren't mopped and you can see tools under the bar,' he said. 'There is no way this place can command a $250 rate as it stands now with the construction.'

Later, Larounis shared photos of his own room, praising the aspects of the hotel that were actually finished.

'In fairness, the TWA Hotel really does have some gorgeous rooms,' Larounis tweeted after speaking with DailyMail.com.

'The public spaces are not well at all  but the rooms are really quite terrific, and remind me very much like a swanky Kimpton hotel.'

'In fairness, the TWA Hotel really does have some gorgeous rooms,' Larounis tweeted after speaking with DailyMail.com

'This hotel should not be open tonight for paying guests,' travel blogger Max Prosperi said. 'They don't have ice machines, and there are holes in the ceiling because light fixtures are missing'

In 2014, developer Tyler Morse came up with the plan to reinvent the defunct terminal into a modern hotel but still preserving period pieces from the building's heyday (shown)

The hotel features the old flight board on display and red plush furniture in lounges and inside its more than 500 guest rooms

The flight board is shown as it was during full operation of the TWA terminal at JFK

Historic flight attendant uniforms on display at the TWA Hotel at JFK Airport in New York

In another nod to the company's 1960s beginnings, there are rotary phones throughout the property on all-white tables

TWA went out of business in 2001, which is when the Flight Center closed its doors.

In 2014, developer Tyler Morse came up with the plan to reinvent the defunct terminal into a modern hotel while still preserving period pieces from its heyday, CBS reported.

The hotel prominently features the old flight board, with red plush furniture in its lounges and inside its more than 500 guest rooms, along with historic flight attendant uniforms on display.

In another nod to the company's 1960s beginnings, there are rotary phones throughout the property.

Once its properly up and running, guests will have access to dozens of meetings rooms and a rooftop infinity pool.

Until then, patrons should watch their step for dirt and dust, Larounis said.

Once its properly up and running, guests will have access to dozens of meetings rooms and a rooftop infinity pool. Until then, patrons should watch their step for dirt and dust, Larounis said
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The San Francisco apartment where disgraced Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes lived with her hotel heir fiance is now available for rent, and will set you back $5,395 a month.

The pad is listed on RentSFnow.com and is described as having 'beauty, grace and views that kill', but is surprisingly modest for the 35-year-old, who in 2014 was dubbed the youngest woman to become a self-made billionaire.

The property at 1340 Lombard Street is a humble two-bedroom, two-bathroom abode compared to the mansion she lived in before her spectacular fall from grace, but it includes jaw-dropping views of the Golden Gate Bridge.

Holmes has now moved out as she awaits trial on multiple accounts of fraud for lying to doctors and patients about her blood-testing startup, and faces 20 years in prison if convicted.

The Lombard Place Apartments home Elizabeth Holmes lived in is for rent as the disgraced former Theranos CEO moves out

The biggest perk of #303 at 1340 Lombard Street is the glorious view of the Golden Gate Bridge and San Francisco Bay

Interior images show the bridge in the left hand corner of one of the rooms at the two-bedroom home by the bay

Elizabeth Holmes arrives at the Robert F. Peckham U.S. Federal Court on April 22, 2019 in San Jose, California (left). She is pictured with her hotel heir fiance and roommate Billy Evans (right)

Images of the Russian Hill apartment show the iconic landmark through one of the many windows lining the walls and letting light flow in.

The raised Lombard Place Apartments property is described as 'bright, and airy' with 'top-of-the-world views and expansive interiors'.

Upon entering the apartment, the kitchen is the first thing visitors see. Double doors separate other rooms.

'Perks include beautiful hardwood floors, top-notch finishes in the kitchen and bath, and built-in storage throughout,' the listing states.

The 'cable-ready' also comes equipped with a dishwasher, efficient appliances, and a washer-dryer.

The apartment that comes cable-ready is situated in the Russian Hill neighborhood of the city known for its small spaces

Lombard Place Apartments is described in the online rental listing as being 'beautiful' and having 'grace'. The entrance to the building is pictured

The building includes a bright and plush lobby area that residents and their guests walk through to get to apartments

Dogs and cats under 40 pounds are welcome at the pad and there's certainly enough room for pets to roam around in the city which is known for its tiny living spaces at sky-high prices.

But the next renter will have to pay up an extra $40 per month to have a furry friend stay.

Holmes enjoyed the perk as she resided with her Siberian husky named Balto.

No. 303's next renter won't even need to put down a security deposit as long as they pass credit checks.

As part of a $95 move-in special the person or people moving in will only have to pay the non-refundable fee plus the first month's rent.

Perks include hardwood floors, top-notch finishes in the kitchen and bath, and built-in storage throughout the apartment

This is a view of from one of the windows in the property that Holmes is leaving. The bridge is visible as part of the backdrop

The spacious apartment with double doors separating rooms, must be snapped up by May 31. Now deposit is required but the resident is responsible for any damage costs when they move out

However the resident is responsible for any damage costs when they move out.

But those who see themselves living in the abode had better act quickly - the lease must be signed by May 31.

There's a good chance those interested in living where Holmes, 35, stayed with her Evans Hotel Group heir fiance Billy Evans, 27, may have seen her in the recent documentary The Inventor: Out for Blood in Silicon Valley.

It documents how the woman Forbes in 2014 named the youngest self-made female billionaire, fell from grace when it emerged she had lied about revolutionizing pinprick blood testing.

When the company was valued at $9billion, Holmes lived in Los Altos, near the HQ, which closed a few months after she and former Theranos President Ramesh 'Sunny' Balwani were charged with 11 counts of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud in June 2018.

Holmes was pictured arriving at the Robert F. Peckham U.S. Federal Court on April 22 in San Jose, California.

Her trial date is set for July 8 and she could spend 20 years in prison if convicted.

Upon entering the apartment, the kitchen is the first thing visitors see. It comes equipped with appliances

The property has two bathrooms and is described as 'light and airy'. But the new renter must sign before May 31
A North Carolina teacher was arrested on Monday after police say she stored a gun in her classroom for a student, shortly before they posed with the weapon on Snapchat and threatened to shoot-up the school.

Sarah Melissa Wilson, 25, was arrested and charged with aiding a minor to possess a firearm on educational property, after investigators discovered a gun at the Paisley Magnet School in Winston-Salem last Thursday.

Police believe Wilson stored a Raven .25-caliber handgun in a draw in her classroom after a student asked her to look after it for them.

She then reportedly returned the weapon to the minor at the end of the school day.

Sarah Melissa Wilson, 25, was arrested and charged with aiding a minor to possess a firearm on educational property on Monday

Police believe Wilson stored a Raven .25-caliber handgun in a draw in her classroom after a student asked her to hide it for them (file photo)

The discovery of the gun was made after a resource officer at the school began investigating a report of Snapchat video allegedly depicting a student posing on campus with the firearm and making a series of threats relating to a school shooting.

Further investigation determined the gun has also been present at the school during the week of April 22, when police believe Wilson stored the gun for the minor.

The language arts teacher, who has worked at the school since August 2017, voluntarily surrendered herself for arrest on Monday and was released shortly afterwards following a written promise to appear in court on May 30.

At Paisley, last week our team was alerted that a student may have seen a weapon on campus, Interim Superintendent of the district, Kenneth Simington, said in a statement to Winston-Salem Journal.

Administrators worked to help police to begin conducting interviews to determine if indeed a weapon had earlier been at school.

By early Friday, investigators communicated to us there was evidence that a weapon had been on campus and as soon as we had those facts, we alerted parents to the investigation.

Police say the same weapon was involved in last weeks incident and the apparent firearm sighting on campus in April.

Two different students are believed to have been in possession of the gun over the past week.

The discovery of the weapon was made after a resource officer at the school began investigating a report of Snapchat video allegedly depicting a student posing on campus with the gun

The school resource officer was purportedly shown a social media video of one of the students posing on campus with the gun, who then made a series of threats towards the school.

Police believe the juvenile is the same student who apparently temporarily surrendered the weapon to Wilson last month.

The second student was said to be found in possession of the gun on Thursday, after police searched the minor on campus.

Authorities confirmed theyre seeking criminal charges against both juveniles.

We take these matters seriously and both school officials and the police worked cooperatively and in a timely manner to keep our students safe, School officials said in a statement. 

We appreciate students and parents making us aware any time they see something that concerns them.

Investigators are currently working to determine if the threats were credible or part of a tasteless joke, Simington said.

Wilson has been suspended without pay and will appear at the Forsyth District Court on May 30.

We want students to feel safe and comfortable at school, Simington said. We want social media to be filled with accolades and accomplishments, achievements and expressions of high expectations fulfilled.
Millionaire insurance tycoon Arron Banks spent close to half a million pounds funding Nigel Farage's lavish lifestyle, according to the findings of a Channel 4 News investigation.

The investigation to be broadcast tonight reports that Rock Services Ltd, a company owned by Mr Banks, leased a 4.4m 3-bedroom Chelsea home with garage for Mr Farage at an estimated rent of 13,000 a month in the summer of 2016.

It is claimed Mr Banks also fitted and furnished the house, buying crockery, chairs and bathroom accessories and even a shower curtain for Mr Farage.

Former UKIP leader Farage - who now fronts the Brexit Party - was also said to have been handed a Land Rover Discovery, valued at 32,300, for his personal use.

Millionaire Arron Banks (left) with current Brexit party leader Nigel Farage. Mr Banks has reportedly been funding Mr Farage's lavish lifestyle since 2016 - providing him with a 4.4m Chelsea home over the summer and a 32,000 Land Rover Discovery with close protection driver (pictured together in 2014 after Mr Banks donated 1 million to UKIP, Mr Farage's former party)

Mr Farage's bolthole was this three-bedroom Georgian house, worth an estimated 4.4 million, in a quiet Chelsea side street

Mr Banks, 53, paid 20,000 for a close protection driver and sought to raise a further 130,000 from unnamed supporters to cover Mr Farage's security, it is claimed.

Channel 4 News reports that it has seen invoices, emails and other documents which lay bare the extent of Nigel Farage's financial reliance on Arron Banks after he announced he was standing down as UKIP leader following the referendum in 2016. Mr Banks dismissed the claims as 'smears'.

The investigation also reported that Mr Banks funded a private office space for Mr Farage at 40 Great Smith Street in Westminster, and paid the salary of a personal assistant.

Mr Farage, 55, continued to serve as a member of the European Parliament representing South East England on a salary of 100,000 a year plus expenses.

The documents are said to reveal that Mr Banks, through his companies, organised and funded multiple visits to the United States in the year following the Brexit vote.

Channel 4 News claims that for the year after the EU referendum Mr Banks, through his companies, organised and funded multiple visits to the United States for Mr Farage (pictured in June 2016)

In July 2016, Mr Banks reportedly flew Mr Farage business class to Cleveland, Ohio to attend the Republican National Convention.

Mr Banks, through Southern Rock, is also said to have paid American lobbying firm Goddard Gunster 64,064 for a 'Nigel Farage Brexit Policy Luncheon'.

Mr Banks paid American strategist Gerry Gunster, through his company Goddard Gunster, to organise the event.

This included paying Fox News anchor Tucker Carlson 11,305.41 to interview Mr Farage at the event, the investigation reports.

At the RNC, Mr Farage met Republican Senator Bob Corker and John Bolton, currently serving as Donald Trump's National Security Advisor. The meetings were coordinated by the American strategy firm.

Mr Banks, through Southern Rock, paid American lobbying firm Goddard Gunster 64,064 for a 'Nigel Farage Brexit Policy Luncheon' and paid Fox News anchor Tucker Carlson (pictured) 11,305.41 to interview Mr Farage at the event

The following month Mr Farage, Mr Banks and his associate Andy Wigmore flew to Jackson, Mississippi where they were hosted by the Governor Phil Bryant and first introduced to Donald Trump.

Mr Farage also addressed a Trump rally, the first British politician to do so.

In autumn 2016, Channel 4 News reports that Rock Services arranged for Farage and Wigmore to travel to America on multiple occasions, including visits to St Louis, Missouri. Farage and Wigmore also flew to Las Vegas for the Presidential debates, and stayed at the Hard Rock Hotel.

Banks, Wigmore and Farage also travelled to New York for election night in November 2016 and stayed at the luxurious Waldorf Astoria Hotel.

Mr Farage was the first British politician to meet the president elect where he was photographed in front of a gold lift at Trump Tower.

At Donald Trump's inauguration, emails seen by Channel 4 News suggest Mr Banks paid more than 15,000 to fly Nigel Farage to and from Washington, approximately 1000 on a room at the plush Mayflower Hotel.

The investigation also cites invoices that reportedly show Goddard Gunster billed 108,684 for a lavish party in Farage's honour at the Hay-Adams Hotel.

(Left to right) Gerry Gunster, Arron Banks, Donald Trump, Nigel Farage, Andy Wigmore, Raheem Kassam. Nigel Farage was the first British politician to meet President Elect Donald Trump at the Trump Tower in front of the gold lift in 2016

The Channel 4 News investigation claims that, the day before Mr Farage was photographed with President Trump in Trump Tower, Gerry Gunster, of Goddard Gunster, proposed capitalising on Farage's celebrity to establish a new international political consultancy.

Goddard Gunster International would be an 'international political powerhouse' which was 'uniquely positioned with key executive staff that are closely aligned with the new US administration.'

The organisation would cover 'strategy, lobbying, creative services and paid advocacy,' with 'counsel provided by Mr Nigel Farage.'

The proposal reportedly suggested a 50/50 'division of profits' between Gerry Gunster and Arron Banks, with a 'separate agreement with Nigel Farage.'

Gunster and Banks are said to have discussed a number of business opportunities and held meetings with prospective clients.

Mr Farage does not appear to have declared any of the visits funded by third parties to the European Parliament. It is not clear whether he was obliged to declare these costs under EU rules governing members of the European Parliament. Had Mr Farage been a Westminster MP, he would have had to declare the costs.

Mr Farage denies any wrongdoing.

Mr Banks is currently under investigation by the National Crime Agency over the source of money used to fund his Leave.EU referendum campaign.

Mr Farage (right) was the first British politician to meet Donald Trump (left) when he was president elect

His companies are also subject to an investigation by the Information Commissioner's Office. Leave.EU has been found to have breached electoral rules and was fined by the Electoral Commission.

Mr Farage has repeatedly denied Mr Banks has made any donations to the Brexit Party, or has any involvement with it.

He has previously refused to name a donor to the party claiming he would be 'hounded' if his identity was revealed.

Another donor, Jeremy Hosking, has revealed he donated 200,000 to the group.

Farage has consistently defended Mr Banks, claiming that the allegations surrounding his business deals, his campaign and his relationship with Russia are 'unfounded.'

In a statement Mr Banks said that Channel 4 was attempting to 'smear myself and Nigel' before the European elections this months

Channel 4 News said it made repeated requests to Mr Farage for an interview to answer these questions raised by our investigation.

At an event in Merthyr Tydfil on Wednesday, it was reported that Mr Farage again refused to answer questions saying 'no comment'.

A video from the campaign trail, Channel 4 News' Matt Frei can be heard asking the Brexit Party leader: 'You pride yourself on being an ordinary man in touch with the people but are you in fact a kept man?'

After Mr Farage offers no real response, Mr Frei can be heard saying: 'It's a legitimate question about the money you were paid by Arron Banks between 2016 and 2017 funding your lifestyle and your political operation to the tune of almost half a million pounds.'

To which Mr Farage responds: 'Oh three or four times that i'd have thought.'

Mr Farage is then shown repeatedly refusing to answer Mr Frei's questions - repeating 'no comment' and 'not really' when asked to respond to the figures being quoted to him regarding Mr Banks' spending.

'You rail against the elite... and yet you're living the lifestyle of the elite... financed by very rich friends,' Mr Frei can be heard saying.

'Terrible isn't it?,' Mr Farage replies.

In a statement Mr Banks said: 'Channel 4 attempts to smear myself and Nigel... at a time when the Brexit Party is riding high in the polls, so it should come as no surprise to anyone.'

Channel 4 News said Mr Gunster declined to provide a statement but claimed the programme's information was 'not credible'.

The full investigation will be broadcast today on Channel 4 News at 7pm.
Attorney General William Barr says it is up to special counsel Robert Mueller whether he will testify before Congress about the 448-page report he worked on for nearly two years.

Barr, who has said previously he does not object to making Mueller available, spoke about the prospect days after President Trump weighed in and said Mueller should not testify.

'It's Bob's call whether he wants to testify,' Barr told the Wall Street Journal as he made his way to El Salvador, where he will focus on the gang MS-13 gang.

IT'S UP TO YOU! Attorney General William Barr said it was 'Bob's call' whether Mueller would testify before Congress amid deep divisions over the Mueller report

'I'm trying to break away from Washington and do the real work of the attorney general,' he said.

Mueller has given no public indication that he wants to testify  although he penned a letter to Barr disputing the way the attorney general characterized his report during the period before a redacted version was made public.

He is currently a Justice Department employee, and the administration is able to block him from appearing. When he wraps up his tenure, he might be able to appear anyway absent the administration's consent.

US President Donald Trump (L) and US Attorney General William Barr listen during the 38th Annual National Peace Officers Memorial Service on Capitol Hill May 15, 2019, in Washington, DC. Barr said it was 'Bob's call' whether he wanted to appear

President Trump wrote that Mueller should not testify

President Trump initially expressed a willingness for Mueller, whom he has ripped as 'highly conflicted,' to testify. But amid a standoff with congressional Democrats over providing information, Trump tweeted May 5: 'Bob Mueller should not testify.' He also said there should be 'No redos for the Dems!'  a posture taken up by the White House counsel in a pointed 12-page letter to the House Judiciary Committee Wednesday.

Mueller in March penned a letter to Barr complaining that the AG's four-page letter on the conclusions of the report 'did not fully capture the context, nature, and substance' of it.

Barr had written that Mueller didn't find evidence of a conspiracy between Trump campaign members and the Russian government, and wrote that Mueller did not make a determination on obstruction.

He did not reveal at the time that Mueller had included detailed information on 10 episodes of potential obstruction, and had stated that guidelines shielding a president from being indicted while in office were considered as part of the decision not to make a determination on charging.

Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerold Nadler has said he may issue a subpoena if necessary to compel Mueller to testify.

With Mueller before the committee, Democrats will be able to put his statements up against some of Barr's, including Barr's characterization of a phone call between the two men that followed up on Mueller's letter to him.

According to the Justice Department, Barr is meeting with U.S. government officials in El Salvador 'to advance key Department priorities, including interdicting illegal narcotics, dismantling MS-13, the 18th Street Gang and other transnational criminal organizations, and combatting illegal migration and human trafficking.'

Trump has made battling MS-13 and stopping illegal immigration a priority, and also has called for a cut-off in funds to El Salvador and other Central American nations who make up the bulk of would-be caravan migrants.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she hopes it isn't necessary to fine administration officials who don't comply with subpoenas.

She blasted a White House counsel letter to the Judiciary Committee questioning the legitimacy of its investigating a 'joke' and called it 'beneath the dignity of the president of the United States.'




This is the bizarre moment that a monkey appears to take an Indian bank employee hostage by sitting on his back - before humping him.

The animal bares its sharp teeth at anyone people watching as it sits on the head and neck of the man in Axis Bank in Nirman Vihar, New Delhi, India.

The terrified man looks up briefly before keeping his head on his desk and staying still as the monkey draws laugh by humping his back.

This is the bizarre moment that a monkey appears to take an Indian bank employee hostage by sitting on his back - before humping him. The terrified man looks up briefly before keeping his head on his desk and staying still as the monkey draws laugh by humping his back

The animal then sits upright and looks around the room before pushing its arms down and humping the man again.

But, having drawn the audience, the monkey eventually gets bored and jumps off the employee's back and on to the floor.

One local said: 'The customers watched this incident with amusement and they laughed at the action of the monkey.

'He also tried to hump the workers head a few times before leaving.'
The head of the Scottish Refugee Council's father has been denied entry to the UK to see his son receive an honorary doctorate and meet his grandchildren for the first time.

Sabir Zazai, 44, is due to receive the award from the University of Glasgow for his services to civil society in the UK over the last 20 years.

Mr Zazai, the 2019 winner of the Lord Provost's award for human rights, fled to the UK in 1999 to escape conflict in his home city of Kabul, Afghanistan.

The head of the Scottish Refugee Council, Sabir Zazai, 44, has been told his father will not be allowed into Britain to see him receive an award for his services to civic society in the UK over the past 20 years since he arrived in the country from his native Afghanistan

He lived in Coventry, West Midlands and was awarded a degree in human resource management and a masters in community cohesion management from Coventry University.

The father-of-three moved to Glasgow two years ago to take up the position as head of the Scottish Refugee Council.

But Mr Zazai has been left devastated after the Home Office refused his father's visitor visa application.

His father Mohammed Zahir - who cannot speak English - received a letter from the Home Office confirming that his visitor visa application to the UK had been denied.

Mr Zazai branded the decision by the Home Office 'cruel and inhumane' and has 'shattered' the occasion which he was hoping to share with his family.

Mr Zazai's father, Mohammed Zahir, 79, had previously visited the UK in 2011, but was denied permission to return in 2013

He said: 'It's sad for me and my family but it's just an example of the Home Office separating loving families.

'Many others live in silence in these situations.

'I know many cases where people's family members have been denied.'

Mr Zazai's father, 79, last visited him in 2011 but has since been denied entry to the UK to attend his son's graduation in November 2013 and from attending his 40th birthday.

The elderly grandfather has also missed his granddaughter's fifth birthday and has only seen one of his grandchildren once when they were a new born.

Mr Zazai said: 'This would have been the first time he'd seen my children.

'We had plans to take him around Scotland and now it's all been shattered by a cruel and very inhumane decision by the Home Office.'

Mr Zazai said the reason for the Home Office's decision was because it doesn't believe his father would return home to Afghanistan.

He said: 'We included in the visa application everything about my dad's connection to Afghanistan but they said he didn't provide enough information about his connections with Pakistan.

'Why should he prove his connection to Pakistan, that's like someone from Scotland being forced to prove their connections to France or Spain.

Mr Zazai said the reason for the Home Office's decision was because it doesn't believe his father would return home to Afghanistan

'Because of my background they're discriminating against my children as well because of where their father's from and they don't have the right to have their father next to them.

'I don't think the Home Office has given any consideration to my situation and just given the standard response.

'There's no appeal rights for visitors' visas either - it created a very hostile environment.

'How long is this vicious circle going to continue.'

Mr Zazai does not think his father will make his ceremony on June 11.

He said: 'I think with the Home Office I've very little faith in what they do.

'I've been living here, paying taxes and I'm integrated but the Home Office hasn't accepted me as a citizen by denying my family life and my children's family rights.

'It's a blanket rejection machine and I hope my case will raise awareness of many others.'

Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, pictured, condemned the Home Office decision and called on officials to allow Mr Zazai's father attend the Glasgow ceremony

Scotland's first minister Nicola Sturgeon described the Home Office's decision as 'shameful and utterly inexplicable'.

Mr Zazai is due to pick up his honorary doctorate on June 11 at the University of Glasgow.

She told the Scottish Parliament: 'For those who know Sabir Zazai, they will know that he has made a significant contribution over 20 years in the UK in supporting refugees in communities," said Ms Sturgeon.

'Let me take the opportunity today to thank him for the contribution he makes to this country and I am delighted the University of Glasgow has also chosen to recognise that.

'It is entirely natural that he would want to share this outstanding achievement with his father.

'It's quite hard to comprehend the disappointment that he must feel that his father's visa has been refused.

'I think that is shameful and utterly inexplicable, and I would call on the UK Government to reflect very carefully on it.'

She said Communities Secretary Aileen Campbell MSP had written to UK Immigration minister (Caroline Nokes MP) to ask her to look into this case.

Labour MP Ged Killen, who raised the issue of Mr Zazai's case in the House of Commons on Wednesday, tweeted: 'The Home Office has got this badly wrong, but under the Tories it is incapable of acting with compassion or acknowledging mistakes.

'I raised Mr Zazai's case in Parliament yesterday and I will continue to fight to have this nonsensical decision reversed.'

The Home Office has said that it is urgently looking into the case and will be in touch with the applicant in due course
Photo: VicPD

The caretaker of a vacant Victoria hotel that burned down last week is still missing, but police have released images of him, in hopes someone may have seen him.

Mike Draeger hasn't been seen since before the Plaza Hotel was destroyed by fire on May 6.

VicPD released security camera images Wednesday of a bearded Draeger at local businesses, CTV News reports.

Hopefully, these will spur some interest in the public and we can locate him, said Const. Matthew Rutherford.

Police hope the photos will help locate Draeger, or someone who may know where he was the morning of the fire.

Investigators are still combing through the rubble of the fire.

 with files from CTV Vancouver Island
Police in New York City have arrested a 62-year-old man suspected of sexually assaulting an elderly female hospital patient in The Bronx while she was unconscious.

Roberto Marcucci, of Queens, turned himself in to police on Wednesday evening after learning that they were looking for him in connection to the attack at Lincoln Hospital on Monday afternoon.

The suspect was visiting someone at the hospital when he walked into a comatose woman's room, which she shared with another patient who was conscious, at approximately 3pm on Monday, the NYPD said in a release.

Scroll down for video

Caught: Police arrested Roberto Marcucci, 62, who they say is seen in this screenshot from a surveillance video leaving Lincoln Hospital in The Bronx after allegedly sexually assaulting a comatose patient

The suspect walking with a limp fled after allegedly performing a sex act on a 68-year-old patient in her hospital bed in front of a witness

The eyewitness reported seeing the man climb on top of her comatose neighbor and perform a sex act on her, which included kissing and touching, before she alerted a nurse, reported PIX11.

The suspect fled before a security guard arrived on the scene.

He was last seen walking with a limp towards an elevator.

Police later received information suggesting that Marcucci was the attacker, which led to the man's surrender at the 40th Police Precinct on Wednesday. The 62-year-old now faces sexual abuse charges.

ABC 7 NY reported that Marcucci has a prior criminal record that includes three arrests on charges of drug possession, assault and petit larceny.

The victim has been in a coma since April 21.
A nurse accused of killing almost 100 hospital patients could become Germany's worst peacetime serial killer.

Prosecutors want Niels Hoegel, 42, to get life in prison for the killings as he is already behind bars after earlier trials.

Hoegel, dubbed the 'angel of death', confessed to giving scores more intensive-care patients drug overdoses because he enjoyed the thrill of trying to reanimate them at the last moment.

During his trial since October, Niels Hoegel, 42, has admitted to 43 killings, denied five and not ruled out more than 50 others, saying he could not remember. Statistics later showed that patient deaths, as well as the use of certain cardiac drugs, soared while Hoegel was on duty

He stands accused of a revised toll of 97 murders, down from 100 as three cases could not be proved, a prosecutor told the Lower Saxony state court in Oldenburg.

Some investigators, however, believe Hoegel may have killed hundreds more by injecting them with deadly drugs while he worked between 2000 and 2005 at clinics in Oldenburg and nearby Delmenhorst.

But because the deceased were buried or cremated long ago, autopsies have not been possible in all cases, and in some the post mortem examinations were inconclusive.

Hoegel, dubbed the 'angel of death', confessed to giving scores more intensive-care patients drug overdoses because he enjoyed the thrill of trying to reanimate them at the last moment. He is pictured in court earlier today

He was caught in 2005 while injecting an unprescribed medication into a patient in Delmenhorst, pictured above in a file photo. Hoegel was first sentenced in 2008 to seven years in prison for attempted murder [File photo]

A lawyer for the bereaved families, Gaby Luebben, recalled that Hoegel had once said the victims' souls haunted his dreams, but that he couldn't remember their names.

'That's why I will now show them to you,' said Luebben, who then used a beamer to show photos of the dead patients, each one honoured by a moment's silence in the courtroom.

During his trial since October, he has admitted to 43 killings, denied five and not ruled out more than 50 others, saying he could not remember.

Prosecutors require clarity on each death because 'just calling him the worst serial killer in history isn't enough to convict him,' said Schiereck-Bohlmann.

Prosecutors say Hoegel was motivated by vanity, the desire to show off his skills at saving human lives, and simple boredom. Some colleagues had reportedly nicknamed him 'Resuscitation Rambo'.

A psychologist testified in court that Hoegel suffers from a narcissistic personality disorder but could be considered fully culpable for his crimes.

At the start of the trial, Hoegel apologised to the families of the victims aged between 34 and 96.

Aside from the monstrosity of the killing spree, the Hoegel case has raised deeply troubling questions about how the hospital hierarchies failed to stop him for so long

'If I knew a way that would help you, then I would take it, believe me,' he said last year. 'I am honestly sorry.'

He was caught in 2005 while injecting an unprescribed medication into a patient in Delmenhorst. Hoegel was first sentenced in 2008 to seven years in prison for attempted murder.

A second trial followed under pressure from victims' families and he was found guilty in 2015 on charges of murder and attempted murder related to six deaths.

He was given the sentence of life imprisonment, which in Germany usually translates to a maximum of 15 years behind bars.

In requesting a second life term, prosecutors Thursday also urged the court to determine the 'special severity' of the crimes to rule out an early release.

It was after his second trial that Hoegel confessed to his psychiatrist to dozens more murders at Delmenhorst, which prompted a far wider probe.

More than 130 bodies of patients who died on Hoegel's watch were exhumed in Germany, Poland and Turkey in a case investigators called 'unprecedented in Germany'.

Hoegel uses a folder to disguise his face in court in October

Aside from the monstrosity of the killing spree, the Hoegel case has raised deeply troubling questions about how the hospital hierarchies failed to stop him for so long.

Statistics later showed that patient deaths, as well as the use of certain cardiac drugs, soared while Hoegel was on duty.

Several doctors and head nurses were later charged with manslaughter for failing to stop the killer nurse.

In the current trial, presiding judge Sebastian Buehrmann has ordered perjury investigations against some of Hoegel's former colleagues on suspicion they withheld evidence to cover up their culpability.

When the Oldenburg hospital encouraged Hoegel to resign in late 2002, it offered him a glowing letter of reference to ensure he left.

Hoegel later testified he was never explicitly told why the hospital wanted him gone but that the request made him feel as though he 'had been caught'.

'Without the mistakes of some people in Oldenburg... this series of murders by Niels Hoegel could have been stopped,' Christian Marbach, whose grandfather was one of the victims in Delmenhorst, told AFP last year.

The verdict and sentencing are scheduled for June 6.
Internet users have been warned to shun an online cow-kissing challenge by the Austrian government, who called it a 'dangerous nuisance'.

A Swiss app called Castl launched the #KuhKussChallenge ('Cow Kiss Challenge') on Wednesday, encouraging users in Switzerland and other German-speaking countries to kiss cows - 'with or without tongues' - to raise money for charity.

But Austrian Agriculture Minister Elisabeth Koestinger branded the challenge a 'dangerous nuisance' in a statement on Thursday.

Internet users have been warned to shun an online cow-kissing challenge by the Austrian government, who called it a 'dangerous nuisance'. In a Youtube video of people performing the challenge one man clutches a bunch of flowers as he presses his lips to a cow to get it to 'kiss' him.

In a Youtube video of people performing the challenge one man clutches a bunch of flowers as he presses his lips to a cow to get it to 'kiss' him.

Apparently successful, he then laughs into the camera.

Another man laughs loudly when his lips and nose are smothered by a cow's tongue.

However, Ms Koestinger said the craze was a 'dangerous nuisance' as she pointed out that cows with calves could become aggressive.

She added: 'Pastures and meadows are not petting zoos - actions like these could have serious consequences.'

Balancing the activities of tourists and cattle farmers is a sensitive topic in Austria's mountain regions, with both being key pillars of the region's economy.

In February, a court in the Tyrol region caused uproar after ordering a farmer to pay 490,000 euros ($555,000) in compensation to the widower of a woman who was trampled to death by a herd of his cows in 2014.

This man laughed into the camera after being kissed by his chosen cow

However, Austria's agriculture minister said the craze was a 'dangerous nuisance' as she pointed out that cows with calves could become aggressive

The farmer is appealing the verdict and is being supported by Austria's farmers' federation, which has warned of the 'end of our mountain pastures' if the verdict is allowed to stand.

The government has tried to prevent such incidents by publishing a 'code of conduct' for mountain walkers and hikers, advising them to avoid herds of cows wherever possible.

'Actions like this challenge fly in the face of our efforts to promote co-existence on the pastures. I simply can't understand it,' said Koestinger.
Chinese telecoms equipment maker Huawei has a hidden 'backdoor' on the network of a major Dutch telecoms firm, making it possible to access customer data, newspaper De Volkskrant said on Thursday, citing unidentified intelligence sources.

The newspaper said Dutch intelligence agency AIVD was looking into whether the situation had enabled spying by the Chinese government.

In a statement, Huawei said it was 'surprised' by the Volkskrant report and that it would not respond to its core allegations because they came from anonymous sources.

In a statement, Huawei said it was 'surprised' by the Volkskrant report

Earlier, a company representative was quoted in De Volkskrant as saying Huawei complied with all laws in every country where it operates, and 'keeps the door closed to governments or others who want to use our network for activities that would threaten cybersecurity.'

A spokesman for the AIVD said the agency would not comment on the Volkskrant report.

In April, the agency said it was 'undesirable for the Netherlands ... to depend on the hardware or software of companies from countries running active cyber programs against Dutch interests,' naming China and Russia.

Foreign Minister Stef Blok said at a press conference on Wednesday the panel would deliver a decision 'soon' on whether Huawei would be allowed as a vendor

Of the three large Dutch telecommunications companies, KPN and VodafoneZiggo declined to comment on the report, while T-Mobile/Tele2 said it was not aware of any AIVD investigation.

The report comes a day after U.S. President Donald Trump banned Huawei from buying vital U.S. technology without special approval and effectively barring its equipment from U.S. telecoms networks on national security grounds.

KPN said last month it would exclude Huawei equipment from the 'core' of its mobile network in the future, but would continue to use Huawei radio towers.

A Dutch government panel is currently reviewing security guidelines to prevent spying ahead of the construction of the country's 5G mobile networks.

Foreign Minister Stef Blok said at a press conference on Wednesday the panel would deliver a decision 'soon' on whether Huawei would be allowed as a vendor.

The Volkskrant story did not contain any details of whether the alleged 'backdoor' was hardware or software, how it works, or whether it has actually been used.
Benjamin Field, 28, from Olney, Buckinghamshire, is accused of conspiring to murder the 83-year-old pensioner

A 28-year-old church warden schemed to trick an 83-year-old pensioner into adding him to her will by writing a string of love letters before plotting her murder, a court heard today.

Benjamin Field from Olney, Buckinghamshire, toyed with retired teacher Anne Moore-Martin in a year-long 'gaslighting' campaign by sending her romantic postcards and poems as well as discussing marriage plans.

The manipulation saw Ms Moore-Martin, who has since died of natural causes, erect a 'shrine' to Field on her bedside table and declare her love for him to her family.

Field stands accused, along with suspected accomplice Martyn Smith, 32, of conspiring to murder the elderly woman - which they would then allegedly cover up as an accident, such as dying during sex, falling down the stairs, choking on her dentures, or suicide, having got her to change her will.

Oxford Crown Court heard the defendant had been introduced to her by neighbour, university lecturer Peter Farquhar, 69, who Field was lodging with.

In one letter Field writes: 'I am not sure that I have been as candid and forthright as I should have been in my poems and our conversations.

'We have, from time to time, spoken of marriage and loneliness and of beauty.

Retired teacher Anne Moore-Martin was subject to a year-long 'gaslighting' campaign by Field who sent her romantic postcards and poems as well as discussing marriage plans

The manipulation saw Ms Moore-Martin, who has since died of natural causes, erect a 'shrine' (pictured) to Field on her bedside table and declare her love for him to her family

'When these things have crossed our minds and lips I have been a great deal too shy. I have not said, as perhaps I should, that I desire you, and desire to woo you; that my earnest hope is that you would see me as I see you; I see you as a beautiful, fun, lovely insightful woman of faith and grace.'

The letter continues: 'My first poem to you is a courtly overture of sorts, an invitation to romance and a declaration of my love and intent.

'Every time I have come to your house I have taken some things away with me. I have taken joy away in my breast pocket, close to my heart; I have smuggled your words out with me under my hat, close to my head; and I have carried the image of your gorgeous face with me in my trouser pockets.

'I would like to take some other things as well. I would like to take away your tiredness, your loneliness and your sadness. I am sure that I could, if you allow it, these things would need to be replaced.

In one letter Field writes: 'I am not sure that I have been as candid and forthright as I should have been in my poems and our conversations. 'We have, from time to time, spoken of marriage and loneliness and of beauty'

Field has admitted fraudulently beginning a relationship with Miss Moore-Martin as part of a plot to get her to change her will

A letter sent by Field who writes that 'I long to make a life with you, a life of sharing, of mutual nourishment, in love and grace'

'Your loneliness must be replaced with my company; your tiredness with my energy; and your sadness with our new happiness together.'

The jury was also shown a photograph Field had secretly taken on his mobile phone of Miss Moore-Martin performing a sex act upon him.

Prosecutors allege Field targeted Miss Moore-Martin a few months after allegedly murdering Peter Farquhar (pictured) in the village of Maids Moreton, Buckinghamshire

He has admitted fraudulently beginning a relationship with Miss Moore-Martin as part of a plot to get her to change her will but he denies conspiring Smith, a magician, to murder her.

The pensioner, who had told family she loved Field, died in May 2017 from natural causes.

Prosecutors allege Field targeted Miss Moore-Martin a few months after allegedly murdering Mr Farquhar in the village of Maids Moreton, Buckinghamshire.

Field has admitted defrauding Miss Moore-Martin of 4,000 to buy a car but he denies, along with his brother Tom Field, 24, and Smith, of defrauding her of 27,000 to buy a dialysis machine.

They claimed that Tom Field was seriously ill and needed the hi-tech equipment to help him study at Cambridge University, otherwise he would die.

As part of the dialysis fraud, Benjamin Field is accused of writing messages with white marker pens on mirrors in the deeply religious Miss Moore-Martin's home purporting to be from God.

A letter from Field to Ms Moore-Martin seems to show him thanking her for letting him stay at her house, 'which was made all the sweeter for knowing I was staying with you'

Field and Smith deny charges of murder, conspiracy to murder and possession of an article for the use in fraud.

Field, of Wellingborough Road, Olney, Buckinghamshire, also denies an alternative charge of attempted murder. But he has admitted four charges of fraud and two of burglary.

In addition Smith, of Penhalvean, Redruth, Cornwall, denies two charges of fraud and one of burglary.

Tom Field, also of Wellingborough Road, Olney, Buckinghamshire denies a single charge of fraud.

The trial was adjourned until Monday.
Daniel Valerivich Starikov, 33, was arrested after police reviewed surveillance footage of the attacks

Police in Florida on Wednesday arrested an allegedly anti-Semitic man who they said spat on a Jewish couple as they left their synagogue.

Daniel Valerivich Starikov, 33, of Hollywood, Florida was taken into custody Wednesday for the alleged March 22 incident that happened in the village of Bal Harbour about 12 miles northeast of Miami.

Starikov is originally from Britain, according to police, but his social media indicates that he is from Ukraine.

He was charged with two counts of battery with prejudice on a person 65 or older, assault on a person 65 or older, and assault with religious prejudice before being released on a total $15,000 bond.

Authorities said Starikov was jogging in the 9600 block of Collins Ave around 11pm eight weeks ago when he saw and confronted a group of Jewish men wearing yarmulkes and wide-brimmed Hasidic hats as they walked home from temple.

There are five synagogues nearby and it is unclear which one the groups had come from.

Witnesses told police that the 33-year-old suspect clenched and banged his fists together in a threatening manner as he approached the victims, according to a police report obtained by the Miami Herald.

The attack happened in the 9600 block of Collins Ave around 11pm on March 22 during the Sabbath. There are five synagogues nearby

'I'll show you. I'm going to shove my d--- down your throats. You Jews, I'm gonna get you,' Starikov told the group, according to the report.

A short time later, Starikov confronted another group of Jews in the 9900 block of Collins Avenue after the first group fled to a nearby apartment building, police said.

This time he spat on two elderly people in the group while appearing to blow a raspberry with his mouth.

Both groups of victims told police they believe Starikov targeted them because of their faith.

Police reviewed video footage captured by surveillance cameras located between Bal Harbour and Sunny Isles Beach, before arresting Starikov Wednesday.

County records show Starikov was out on bond for battery against a law enforcement officer or firefighter, resisting arrest with violence and threatening a public servant for an unrelated incident.

Starikov, 33, had a previous felony warrant for battery against a law enforcement officer or firefighter, resisting arrest with violence and threatening a public servant
Every student taking the SAT will now be given an 'adversity score' to level the playing field between people with different social and economic backgrounds, but critics say children of affluent parents could be penalized by the new system.

The scoring system was established by the national College Board, the nonprofit which administers the test, according to The Wall Street Journal.

The new system will use 15 different factors to weigh a student's adversity score, based on things such as the crime and poverty rates in the neighborhood where the teens grew up.

Other elements of the adversity index include housing values, family median income, whether a student is a child of a single parent, or speaks English as a second language.

This graph breaks down the average (mean) score for all test takers, as well as for those of different races. Source: The College Board

The new system will use 15 different factors to weigh a student's adversity score, based on things such as the crime and poverty rates in the neighborhood where the teens grew up. Source: The College Board

The quality of the high school that students attend will also be factored into the final adversity score.

'There are a number of amazing students who may have scored less (on the SAT) but have accomplished more,' David Coleman, chief executive of the College Board, told The Journal. 'We can't sit on our hands and ignore the disparities of wealth reflected in the SAT.'

We can't whittle down people's background and experience into a number and assume that will give us a good idea of who they are and if they will succeed in college. -Mary Clare Amselem, The Heritage Foundation

The score does not include race as a factor. Students will be rated on a scale of one to 100, with an adversity score of 50 considered average. Anything higher indicates hardship, while scores lower than 50 indicate privilege.

Mary Clare Amselem, a policy analyst with the right-leaning Heritage Foundation said the new system is 'wildly dehumanizing.'

'We can't whittle down people's background and experience into a number and assume that will give us a good idea of who they are and if they will succeed in college,' she told DailyMail.com.

The College Board did not immediately return requests for comment by DailyMail.com, and declined to share details with The Wall Street Journal on how the scores are calculated.

Students will never learn their own scores, but universities will have access to them when reviewing applications.

'I find it extremely problematic that students won't know what number is assigned to them you have people behind the scenes working to determine what kind of a student you will be in college,' Amselem said.

The change comes in the wake of a college admissions bribery scandal that has ensnared more than 50 people including actresses Lori Loughlin and Felicity Huffman, who were accused of paying big money to get their teen daughters into top universities.

The scandal has raised serious questions about how privilege helps many students buy their way into the nation's best schools - or at the least allows wealthy families to pay for tutors, extra-curriculars and SAT test prep that low-income households could never afford.

This file photo shows a student taking the SAT, which will now incorporate an 'adversity score' to factor in the cultural and socioeconomic challenges affecting each student

The new scoring system has already been tested in 50 different colleges, with plans to extend to 150 universities this fall, followed by a broader expansion in 2020.

Yale University is among the schools that has started implementing the adversity score measure.

Smart, poor students have less chance of growing up wealthy than their low-performing rich peers In America, rich children who perform poorly on tests have 71 percent chance of being affluent by the time they're 25, while their brilliant  yet poor  counterparts only have a 31 percent chance of achieving wealth, according to a new report by Georgetown University's Center on Education and the Workforce. Researchers describe the trend as 'the great sorting of the most talented young people into the haves and have-nots' and said the phenomenon begins long before students are applying for college. In fact, the process starts as early as kindergarten, where top-scoring children from poor families who earn a college degree have a 76 percent chance of achieving wealth by age 25, compared to 91 percent among their low-scoring but rich peers who earned college degrees. Nearly 40 percent of poor kindergarteners in America grow up to become low-income adults. Researchers say the disparity is largely due to the fact that wealthier students tend to have safety nets that keep them on track academically when they start to struggle, while lower-income students are more likely to fall behind. Poor kids even start out further behind, with just 23 percent of the poorest kindergartners scoring in the top half in math, compared to 74 percent of the wealthiest students. As they get older, some students are able to rebound, but it is more likely among the richest kids. High income families invest an average of $8,600 on education and recreation on each child  nearly five times the average $1,700 that America's poorest families are able to spend. Advertisement

The school has already made an effort in recent years to increase the number of low-income and minority students it accepts, nearly doubling the number of those students to reach 20 percent of admissions, Jeremiah Quinlan, the dean of undergraduate admissions at Yale, told The Journal.

'This (adversity score) is literally affecting every application we look at,' he said. 'It has been a part of the success story to help diversify our freshman class.'

John Barnhill, assistant vice president for academic affairs at Florida State University, told The Journal that wealthier parents who have kids attending high-performing high schools will be frustrated by the change.

'If I am going to make room for more of the (poor and minority) students we want to admit and I have a finite number of spaces, then someone has to suffer and that will be privileged kids on the bubble,' he said.

However, some believe the new effort is a step in the right direction, including Sandra Timmons, president of the New York City-based nonprofit A Better Chance, which promotes diversity and works to develop leaders within minority communities.

'We all know and acknowledge that the playing field is not level,' she told DailyMail.com. 'This new score appears to combine a number of mostly objective, quantifiable factors that can reflect this disparity without considering race.'

'This appears to be a step in the right direction to ensure that all hard-working students have a fair look and a better chance for success in the college admissions process,' she added.

The issue of how to factor in a student's race and class into admissions decisions has been controversial, finding its way to the center of a lawsuit against Harvard University.

A group of Asian-American students brought the case against the Ivy League school claiming they were being unfairly discriminated against by being held to a higher standard.

The suit claims the university has artificially limited the number of Asian-American students it will accept because that population is disproportionately high performing.

Similar suits have been filed against the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and against the University of California system.
Norway's Princess Martha Louise and the shaman who stole her heart have revealed he has already met her parents as he declared his love for her in their first joint interview together on Norwegian television.

Princess Martha, 47, and her new boyfriend Shaman Durek, 44, whose real name is Derek Verrett, appeared together on Good Morning Norway on Thursday just days after revealing their relationship to the world on Instagram.

The couple said Durek had already been introduced to King Harald V and Queen Sonja but declined to reveal exactly what they spoke about.

Durek went on to describe the King and Queen as 'lovely, wonderful, amazing'.

'It was the most beautiful experience,' he said of meeting them.

At one point during the interview, Durek took Princess Martha's hand and kissed it as she was answering questions.

Princess Martha, 47, and her new boyfriend Shaman Durek, 44, whose real name is Derek Verrett, appeared together on Good Morning Norway on Thursday just days after revealing their relationship to the world on Instagram

The couple laughed when asked if a marriage proposal was on the horizon and if they could already see their relationship going the distance.

While Princess Martha shrugged the question off, Durek went a step further and spoke of his admiration for his girlfriend and their future.

'We're very transparent with each other. We don't put these ideas of the future because we know it doesn't exist. We know that every moment exists - this moment that we have and that we share,' he said.

'If we stay in this open, loving place, this unconditional place, then yes, of course. But you can never tell. We just know that what we feel is real.

'How can you not love this woman? I look at her sometimes and I just can't stop staring at her. I stare for hours.'

The couple also addressed the recent controversy surround Durek's work and his spirituality.

He denied claims that he could cure cancer and that he could defy aging.

Durek said he had never claimed he had the cure for cancer. saying that science and medicine were so important to him.

The couple said Durek had already been introduced to King Harald V and Queen Sonja but declined to reveal exactly what they spoke about

Princess Martha and her new boyfriend were pictured arriving at the TV studio on Thursday morning for their first joint interview since revealing their romance publicly

During the interview, Durek kissed his girlfriend's hand before declaring his love for her. The couple also addressed the recent controversy surround Durek's work and his spirituality

'What we are doing is helping to facilitate and awareness of self,' he said.

'When people come to me, it's mostly because they have ailments they are dealing with from the therapies they are going through - it could be mental, it could be emotional - so I help them with these types of situations.'

Princess Martha said she had no desire to give up her royal title, despite being urged to do so by some in her country due to her chosen spiritual lifestyle.

'I am a princess. I have chosen this way of living,' she said. 'I am part of that family and it'll stay that way.'

Their interview came soon after Durek arrived in Oslo on Tuesday and was greeted by his girlfriend at the airport.

Starting this weekend, he and the princess will embark on a five-city tour of Denmark and Norway where they will take paying crowds 'on a journey into the mysteries of life' that will focus on 'shamanic exercises and meditation'.

The couple announced their romance on Instagram on Monday in separate posts

Writing on Instagram about her new love, the princess penned: 'Durek has changed my life, like he does with so many' Pictured, the couple together. It is unclear how or when they met

Tickets to the two events - which are called The Princess and the Shaman and the more intense, Activating Divinity - are being sold online for between $65 and $140 each.

The announcement of their romance also comes just as he begins promotion for his new book, Spirit Hacking, which will be released this October.

Princess Martha divorced her husband, Ari Behn, in 2016 after 14 years of marriage. At the time they said they had simply grown apart but that they planned to share custody of their three children.

She has not had any notable romances since then until meeting Durek.

In announcing their relationship on Instagram, the princess said Durek was her 'twin flame'. It is unclear where they met or when but photographs of them together date back to November last year.

Sources told DailyMail.com they are 'madly in love' and that she was one of his clients.

Princess Martha Louise, 47, the eldest child of King Harald and Queen Sonja,took to Instagram to reveal she has found love with 'spiritual hacker' Durek Verrett. The loved-up royal shared the announcement alongside this photo of them together

The mother-of-three, who divorced husband Ari Behn in 2017, described her beau as her 'twin flame' and vowed to love him from 'this eternity to the next' in the gushing post, pictured

Durek, who was born in Sacramento, claims he first became 'aware' of his shamanic abilities when he was five but that he didn't start training until age 11 and that he is a 'sixth generation healer'.

His mother, who he says was who exposed him to the spirit built when he was a baby, was Norweigan-Indian and his father was African-Haitian.

Durek, who on social media says he is romantically interested in both men and women, claims she predicted his romance with the divorcee royal.

'When I was a teenager my mother told me that one day someone from her heritage in Norway would find me and bring so much joy in my heart.

'I asked her "who mother"? She said a princess... she was right my kindred spirit found me,' he said in a recent Instagram post.

After spending 'years' training, Durek has cultivated a strong celebrity following and now counts Gwyneth Paltrow, Nina Dobrev and other stars among fans.

He is regularly featured on Hollywood shows and on his website, he sells meditation tracks for around $10 each. He also has a collection of books on Amazon.
Donald Trump expressed optimism Thursday that U.S. and Iran are not barreling toward a military conflict with one another.

Trump was awaiting the Swiss president when he made the comment, in response to a shouted question from a nearby reporter.

'I hope not,' he replied from the door of the West Wing as the motorcade of Swiss Confederation President Ueli Maurer arrived at the White House.

Donald Trump said Thursday he's optimistic that U.S. and Iran are not barreling toward a military conflict with one another

U.S. President Donald Trump stands with Swiss Federal President Ueli Maurer as he arrives for meetings at the White House

A press release on the unexpected visit said the two leaders would 'discuss the partnership' between the nations, 'including matters such as Switzerlands role in facilitating diplomatic relations and other international issues'

A press release on the sudden visit said the two leaders would 'discuss the partnership' between the nations, 'including matters such as Switzerlands role in facilitating diplomatic relations and other international issues.'

It was interpreted as a reference to the escalation in tensions between the U.S. and Iran. Switzerland has sometimes acts as a backchannel for conversations between the countries.

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Tuesday that Tehran does not seek war with the United States despite the increasingly frosty relations the two arch-enemies over Iranian nuclear capabilities and its missile program.

In comments to senior officials carried by state television, Khamenei also reiterated that the Islamic Republic would not negotiate with the United States on another nuclear deal.

'There won't be any war. The Iranian nation has chosen the path of resistance,' Khamenei was cited as saying by the state media.

'We don't seek a war, and they don't either. They know its not in their interests.'

President Trump withdrew the United States a year ago from a 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and global powers under which Tehran curbed its uranium enrichment capacity, a potential pathway to a nuclear bomb, and won sanctions relief in return.

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei (above) said his country is not seeking war with the United States

Since then, Trump has ratcheted up sanctions on Iran, seeking to reduce its lifeblood oil exports to zero, to push Tehran into fresh negotiations on a broader arms control deal, targeting in part the Iranian ballistic missile program.

'(Such) negotiations are a poison,' Khamenei said.

The United Arab Emirates reported on Sunday that four commercial vessels including two Saudi oil tankers had been sabotaged offshore from the UAE emirate of Fujairah just outside the Strait of Hormuz.

U.S. national security agencies believe proxies sympathetic to or working for Iran may have been behind the attacks.

Iran has rejected the allegation and Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Tuesday that 'extremist individuals' in the U.S. government were pursuing dangerous policies, stoking a war of words with Washington over sanctions.

Trump warned on Monday Iran would 'suffer greatly' if it targeted U.S. interests after Washington deployed an aircraft carrier and B-52 bombers to the Middle East.

President Trump warned on Monday Iran would 'suffer greatly' if it targeted U.S. interests after Washington deployed an aircraft carrier and B-52 bombers to the Middle East

Coalition forces in Iraq and Syria sent conflicting signals Tuesday over Iran's alleged threat, with a British general appearing to take issue with Washington's alarms over an imminent danger posed by Tehran to the U.S. and its allies.

Major General Chris Ghika, a British spokesman for Operation Inherent Resolve, the coalition fighting the Islamic State group, said that they did not sense any intensified threat from Iran in the region, even though the U.S. military was boosting its forces in the Gulf.

'There has been no increased threat from Iranian-backed forces in Iraq and Syria,' Ghika told reporters via teleconference at the Pentagon.

That brought a sharp retort from the U.S. Central Command, which in the past nine days has accelerated the deployment of an aircraft carrier task force to the Gulf, adding to it B-52 bombers, a Patriot missile battery and an amphibious assault ship, in the face of the alleged Iranian threat.

The image above from May 9 shows the Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group being deployed to the Persian Gulf on orders from the White House

A B-52H Stratofortress bomber is being refueled in mid-air over Southwest Asia on Sunday. The White House ordered the aircraft to deploy to the Persian Gulf region

Ghika's comments 'run counter to the identified credible threats available to intelligence from U.S. and allies regarding Iranian backed forces in the region,' Central Command spokesman Captain Bill Urban said.

The mixed signals underscored questions about the U.S. ramping up its forces in the Gulf without having explained the intelligence behind the move.

On May 5, White House National Security Advisor John Bolton announced that the Pentagon was sending the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group and a bomber task force to the region 'in response to a number of troubling and escalatory indications and warnings' related to Iran.

In the week since, the Pentagon said it would also position a Patriot missile battery and an amphibious assault ship in the region as a warning to Tehran.

Iran has denied planning anything and U.S. allies have warned of the danger of escalation, saying it heightens the chance that an accident could set off a major conflict.

Both Washington and Tehran said Tuesday that they were not seeking war - but, in Sochi, Russia, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo again issued a warning.

'We have also made clear to the Iranians that if American interests are attacked, we will most certainly respond in an appropriate fashion.'

The news comes after an American military team claimed Iranian or Iranian-backed proxies used explosives to blow large holes in four ship (pictured, A. Michel, one of the tankers damaged) anchored off the coast of the United Arab Emirates on Sunday

Norwegian oil tanker Andrea Victory, another of the four damaged boats, pictured with a large dent in its stern on Monday morning

Ghika's comments, and the lack of any details on what Washington believes Tehran was planning, has fed suspicions among critics that President Trump's administration was firing up tensions in the region without justification.

'We've seen no change in the posture or laydown' of the Shia Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), an Iraqi paramilitary group with close ties to Tehran, Ghika said.

'Of course PMF is a very broad range of groups. Many of them are compliant and we have seen no change in their posture since the recent exchange between the U.S. and Iran.'

Ghika denied he was contradicting his U.S. partners, and said the Inherent Resolve forces were already postured against a range of threats.

'I don't think we're out of step with the White House at all,' Ghika said.

But Central Command's Urban said that in fact alert levels had been stepped up due to the Iran threat.

'U.S. Central Command, in coordination with Operation Inherent Resolve, has increased the force posture level for all service members assigned to OIR in Iraq and Syria,' he said in a statement.

'As a result, OIR is now at a high level of alert as we continue to closely monitor credible and possibly imminent threats to US forces in Iraq.'
A New York police officer shrugged off the notification of Eric Garner's death as 'no big deal' in a text message, a disciplinary board heard during a department trial on Thursday.

Garner died on July 17, 2014, after he was placed in a chokehold by Officer Daniel Pantaleo.

Just moments after Garner took his last breath, the text exchange occurred between Lt Christopher Bannon and Sgt Dhanan Saminath, according to the New York Daily News.

'Danny and Justin went to arrest Eric Garner and he resisted when they took him down,' Saminath wrote. 'Eric went into cardiac arrest. He's unconscious, might be DOA.'

Bannon then asked if the arrest over 'smokes'.

'Yeah,' Saminath said. 'They observed him selling. Danny tried to grab him, they both went down. They called (an ambulance) ASAP. He's most likely DOA. He has no pulse.'

Scroll down for video

Lt Christopher Bannon shrugged off the notification of Eric Garner's (right) death as 'no big deal' in a text, a disciplinary board heard during a department trial on Thursday. Garner died on July 17, 2014, after he was placed in a chokehold by Officer Daniel Pantaleo (left)

On Wednesday, Medical Examiner, Dr Floriana Persechino, who performed an autopsy on Garner, detailed her findings in testimony at Pantaleo's disciplinary trial. She said the officer's chokehold set into motion 'a lethal sequence of events' that led to Garner's death

Bannon then wrote: 'No big deal, we were effecting a lawful arrest.'

But Bannon claimed during Pantaleo's disciplinary trial that he was in a meeting when he responded, and sent the text to comfort Pantaleo.

'My reasoning behind that text message, not to be malicious, it's to make sure the officer knew was put in a bad situation to try to bring him down to a level where you put him at ease,' Bannon said, according to the Daily News.

'That was my intention.'

On Wednesday, Medical Examiner, Dr Floriana Persechino, who performed an autopsy on Garner, detailed her findings in testimony at Pantaleo's disciplinary trial.

She said the officer's chokehold set into motion 'a lethal sequence of events' that led to his death five years ago.

Persechino said hemorrhaging in neck muscles was indicative of a chokehold that set off an asthma attack and led to his death.

She also reviewed video of the confrontation as well as security video showing Garner an hour earlier.

Persechino also said Garner suffered from obesity and an enlarged heart - factors Pantaleo's lawyers say caused his death.

Garner died in 2014 after Pantaleo grabbed him and wrestled him to a Staten Island sidewalk. In this still image Garner is seen on the ground unresponsive as officers try to talk to him

Her testimony came a day after NYPD Inspector Richard Dee testified that Pantaleo used a lethal chokehold that had been banned since the 1990s to wrestle Garner to the ground.

Cell phone video of the July 2014 confrontation shows Garner coughing after Pantaleo wrapped an arm around his neck - an indication that pressure on Garner's windpipe obstructed his breathing, Dee said in testimony at a disciplinary trial that could lead to Pantaleo's firing.

'I'm not saying he intentionally did that, but that's where his arms are,' Dee, who is in charge of training recruits for the department, testified.

He said the restraint technique Pantaleo used on Garner 'meets the definition' of a chokehold.

Dee is the latest high-ranking official to say what Garner's family has long believed: that Pantaleo's conduct in grabbing Garner and wrestling him to a Staten Island sidewalk violated department rules and ran counter to his training and the repeated warnings officers receive to avoid tactics that could hinder breathing.

'When I heard that, I was just wondering: Why is Pantaleo still on the payroll? Because that sounds like it should be immediate - I mean, immediate - dismissal,' Garner's mother, Gwen Carr, said after Dee testified on the second day of a trial that could last two weeks.

The NYPD banned chokeholds in 1993 after a spike in deaths of people being apprehended or in police custody.

The department's patrol guide, a mammoth volume of practices and procedures, states that officers 'will NOT use chokeholds'.

It defines the ban to include 'any pressure to the throat or windpipe, which may prevent or hinder breathing or reduce intake of air'.

A section on chokeholds in the police academy manual issued to Pantaleo in 2006 puts it more bluntly: 'they're deadly.'

At first, Dee said, it appeared Pantaleo was going for an arm bar, arm lock or what's known as a 'seat-belt hold' as he grappled with the 350-pound Garner. All of those are approved restraint techniques.

Protesters have been outside One Police Plaza since Pantaleo's trial began on Monday

Garner's mother, Gwen Carr (pictured), has also been among the protesters this week

Then, Dee said, Pantaleo is 'kind of just wrapped around his neck and shoulder and is trying to just throw him down'.

'He's kind of taking a little ride on his back,' he said.

Pantaleo's lawyer and union contend he was using the 'seat-belt hold'. They say his training instructor will testify that he taught Pantaleo the technique at the police academy.

Dee questioned that, saying the academy didn't teach the technique until 2011 - five years after Pantaleo joined the force. Dee said there's no indication in police department records that Pantaleo learned the move during later training sessions.

'With something as serious as a takedown, it would not be appropriate to teach something that wasn't approved and wasn't in the lesson plan,' Dee said.

Pantaleo (pictured in 2014) denies wrongdoing. He has been on desk duty since Garner's death

In the days after Garner's death, Mayor Bill de Blasio and the police commissioner at the time, Bill Bratton, both said it appeared to them that Pantaleo had used a chokehold, and the medical examiner ruled that a chokehold caused Garner's death.

The autopsy is expected to be the focus of Wednesday's testimony.

An internal affairs investigation completed five months after Garner's death also reached the conclusion that a chokehold was used and that Pantaleo should face disciplinary charges.

But the police department put its case on hold, saying it was deferring to federal prosecutors who were looking into potential civil rights charges.

Last year, however, police officials said they were out of patience and cleared the way for a police watchdog agency to pursue a disciplinary case against Pantaleo.

The NYPD's disciplinary process plays out like a trial in front of an administrative judge.

Normally the purpose is to determine whether an officer violated department rules, but that's only if disciplinary charges are filed within 18 months of an incident.

Because Pantaleo's case languished, the watchdog Civilian Complaint Review Board must show that his actions rose to the level of criminal conduct, even though he faces no criminal charges and is being tried in a department tribunal, not a criminal court.

The final decision on any punishment lies with the police commissioner. Penalties range from the loss of vacation days to firing.

Pantaleo denies wrongdoing. He has been on desk duty since Garner's death.
Photo: Contributed Michael Kors smartwatch, Jewlr custom bar bracelet, Rothys point flats.

From Elons and Jeffs rockets to the latest-and-greatest smartphones, technology is advancing at a blistering pace.

However, few people notice the correlation between our growing scientific know-how and fashion.

But like almost every other industry, what we wear is being dramatically shaped by technological marvels.

How? Check out these examples:

Smartwatches

This is probably the most obvious example of wearable tech. It started with fitness trackers like Fitbit and Garmin, and was taken to another level when Apple introduced its smartphone-connected watch.

Currently, there are numerous brands making smartwatches that do everything from monitoring your heart rate and sleeping patterns to answering your phone and paying for purchases.

Apples latest watch version even will call 911 for you if it detects youve fallen or are in distress.

Dont like the look of those digital faces?

Fashion designers are now getting into the act. Michael Kors and Fossil are creating stylish timepieces that include smartwatch features.

Fabrics

The divide between natural and synthetic fibres used to be quite clear:

natural was good

fake was yuck.

In the 1970s, advances in chemistry and manufacturing led to the creation of new semi-synthetic fibres derived from the cellulose in wood pulp.

Tencel and modal are softer yet stronger than cotton, resistant to shrinkage, and have moisture-wicking properties.

Lululemon and its more upscale off-shoot Kit and Ace use variants of such fibres to create what they call technical clothing, both comfortable and durable.

More recently, new shoe makers are crafting footwear from innovative and sustainable materials.

Rothys says theyve repurposed more than 20 million bottles in the past three years crafting their washable (yes, washable) flats.

Allbirds makes sneakers from wool and tree pulp, and their sweetfoam soles come from renewable sugarcane.

Customization

Made-to-measure tailored garments sound like a luxury, something only available to yesteryears aristocracy. Thanks to todays computer technology, custom-fit garments are affordable and available to all.

Sene Studio clothing company makes bespoke every-day essentials by taking your measurements and fit preferences online.

Because each piece is made to order, the process results in significantly less waste than fast fashion brands.

Have problems finding comfortable footwear? Wiivv created an app to help customers measure their footbed and arches to craft custom-made sandals and arch supports.

You can also design your own unique baubles at Jewlr.ca. The site allows you to choose from many types of metals, real and synthetic gemstones, and engravings for personalized necklaces, bracelets and rings.

Kickstarter

Many of these innovative fashion companies got their starts from crowd-funding sites like Kickstarter and Indiegogo.

Knix was one of the first clothing brands to raise more than $1 million on Kickstarter with what it claims is the worlds most comfortable bra.

Since their initial success, Knix has expanded their product offerings to underwear and swim gear.

Ministry of Supply, another made-to-order brand, went to Kickstarter to fund their space-age Mercury Intelligent Heated jacket, which uses artificial intelligence to adjust its temperature and can even change your phone.

A current Kickstarter campaign from Via Design Lab is promoting a 100% waterproof high-top sneaker made from ocean plastics.

If you want to check out the latest tech advances in style, keep your browser bookmarked to Kickstarters fashion category.

Whats next?

We are sure to see more innovations in the fashion industry thanks to technology.

Just yesterday, I discovered that famed speaker-maker Bose has created audio sunglasses with tiny speakers and a microphone built into the frames.

Now, you can listen to music and take phone calls without those ugly headsets.

Will wonders never cease?
German Chancellor Angela Merkel has dismissed speculation she will take a top EU job after standing down as leader at the end of her fourth term.

She said she would not take another political post, 'no matter where it is' after she leaves the chancellery.

Mrs Merkel last year gave up the leadership of her center-right party and said she wouldn't seek a fifth term as chancellor. She said then that she doesn't want another political job after she leaves office.

Chancellor Angela Merkel, pictured, at the German National History Museum, said she will not seek another political post after leaving the chancellery at the end of her current term

Speculation has linked Mrs Merkel to a top European post but she said she is not interested

Last month, outgoing EU Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker said he 'simply cannot imagine that Angela Merkel will disappear without trace' and that 'she would be highly qualified' for a European position.

In an interview published with the Sueddeutsche Zeitung earlier today, Mrs Merkel admitted 'many people are concerned about Europe, including myself.'

She said she had an 'even greater feeling of responsibility to take care, together with others, of the fate of this Europe'.

At a news conference later Thursday, Merkel said what she meant is that 'it is right for me as German chancellor to strengthen, rather than not, my efforts to ensure a good, functioning Europe in view of the situations we have and in view of the polarisation'.

She said the pledge she made last year stands, 'namely that I am not available for any other political office, no matter where it is, including in Europe'[.

Speculation has flourished in part because it remains unclear how much longer Merkel will be German chancellor.

The next election isn't due until late 2021. However, there are questions over whether the fragile governing coalition of Merkel's conservatives and the center-left Social Democrats will last that long, or whether Merkel might try to hand over the chancellery before then to her successor as party leader, Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer.
Three Britons and a South African have died after the small plane they were flying crashed near Dubai airport.

The Diamond Aircraft DA62 aircraft crashed three miles south of the international airport according to the Dubai media office.

The UK-registered aircraft is owned by Flight Calibration Services Ltd based in Kent.

The crashed aircraft, a Diamond DA62, pictured, was owned by Flight Calibration Services. The company won a competition to calibrate the navigation aids at Dubai Aiport in November

Initial indications suggest the crash was the result of a technical malfunction.

The two-year-old aircraft had been operating out of the Middle East since October.

The DA42 has twin diesel-powered engines.

A spokesman said: 'All operations at the Dubai airport are running smoothly after a slight delay and diversion of some flights as a precautionary measure to ensure security,' it added.

Dubai's international airport is one of the world's busiest aviation hubs.

The aircraft was on a mission to calibrate terrestrial navigation systems at the airport, the statement said.

An investigation is underway.

Air traffic at the airport has since returned to normal, it said.

The aircraft was calibrating navigation equipment at Dubai international airport, pictured

The company told MailOnline: 'We have no comment to make at this time.'

A Foreign Office spokeswoman said: 'We are working closely with the Emirati authorities following reports of a small aircraft crash in Dubai.'

US engineering and aerospace company Honeywell said it had hired Flight Calibration Services and the DA42 plane for work in Dubai.

In a statement, Honeywell said: 'We are deeply saddened by todays plane crash in Dubai, and our heartfelt condolences are with the victims families.

'The plane was not owned or operated by Honeywell but by a third party engaged by Honeywell. We are waiting for more details.'
The Palestinian terror group Hamas has officially thanked Jeremy Corbyn for his support, MailOnline can reveal.

In a carefully worded statement issued this evening, the militant organisation, whose armed wing is responsible for the deaths of thousands of civilians, saluted the Labour leader after he sent a message to a major anti-Israel rally in London last weekend.

We have received with great respect and appreciation the solidarity message sent by the British Labor (sic) Party Leader, Jeremy Corbyn, to the participants in the mass rally that took place in central London, the statement said.

We also salute Mr. Jeremy Corbyn for his principled position in rejecting the so-called Trump Plan for the Middle East.

The Palestinian terror group Hamas has officially thanked Britain's opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn for his support (pictured: Mr Cobyn leaving his home in London yesterday)

The Labour leader sent a support message to a protest organised by the Stop the War Coalition and Palestine Solidarity Campaign in support of the Palestinian people on May 11, which was attended by thousands (pictured)

Mr Corbyn and the terror group have a long and warm history, exemplified in him referring to the group as friends on camera in 2009.

The Labour leader later said he regretted his choice of language. But he has visited Hamas leaders many times in the past, and invited senior members of the group to Parliament in 2015, the year he was elected leader.

Mr Corbyn's statement expressed support for Palestinians and criticism of the Israeli leadership.

It said: 'A Labour government will recognise a Palestinian state and press for an immediate return to meaningful negotiations, aimed at achieving a lasting settlement based on UN resolutions, international law and justice that has been too long denied.'

The message was read out to a huge crowd in central London at a rally that was slammed by anti-racist campaigners as anti-Semitic.

According to the Campaign Against Anti-Semitism, the march saw open anti-Semitism from attendees, with one speaker telling the crowd that Jewish organisations are in the gutter and part of the problem.

Members of the National Front and the Muslim Brotherhood were reportedly in attendance.

Mr Corbyn has nurtured links with many extremists and terrorists in the past, including Hamas and Hezbollah

A statement from Mr Corbyn was read out by the Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott to wild cheering from the marchers.

The rally was organised by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, of which Mr Corbyn is chairman.

Richard Burgon MP, Shadow Secretary of State for Justice  who gave a speech saying Zionism is the enemy of peace and vehemently denied having done so until video evidence emerged  also addressed the crowd.

Gideon Falter, chairman of the Campaign Against Anti-Semitism, said: Only one leader of a British political party could expect to be saluted by Hamas, the a genocidal anti-Semitic terrorist organisation.

Clearly Hamas feels that when it comes to Jews, Jeremy Corbyn is a brother in arms. Who could say that they are wrong after this weekends chilling anti-Semitic rally?

It was so filled with Jew-hatred that both the National Front and the Muslim Brotherhood came along to support it.

A Labour spokesman said: Jeremy has a long and principled record of solidarity with the Palestinian people. That is the right thing to do.'

The armed wing of Hamas (pictured) is responsible for the deaths of thousands of civilians in Palestine

Mr Corbyn has nurtured links with many extremists and terrorists in the past, including Hamas and Hezbollah, convicted IRA members, Gerry Adams, President Assad of Syria, as well as President Maduro of Venezuela.

In 2014, he attended a peace conference in Tunisia with many Hamas leaders, where he laid a wreath near the graves of Palestinian terrorists responsible for the massacre of Jewish athletes at the 1972 Olympics in Munich.

Officials from the Lebanese group Hezbollah, classified by the US government as a terror organisation and which has called for the destruction of Israel, were invited by Mr Corbyn to a meeting in 2009. He said: It will be my pleasure and honour to host an event in Parliament where our friends from Hezbollah will be speaking.

It comes as a petition entitled 'Jeremy Corbyn is an anti-Semite and is unfit to hold any public office' reached 55,000 signatures.
Boeing says it's completed a software update for its 737 MAX jets, which have been grounded worldwide since March after they were involved in two fatal crashes across a five-month period.

The airplane manufacturer said on Thursday that it would also be providing additional information on the software to address requests from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

Such details are set to include more rigorous instructions for how pilots should interact with controls and displays in different flight scenarios.

Once the requests are addressed, Boeing will then work with the FAA to schedule its certification test flight and submit final certification documentation, the company said.

Boeing says it's completed a software update for its 737 MAX jets, which have been grounded worldwide since March

The FAA is planning a meeting on May 23 in Fort Worth, Texas, with air regulators from around the world to update them on reviews of Boeing's software fix and new pilot training.

The aviation regulator said Boeing had not yet submitted its final software package to the agency for approval.

On Wednesday, acting FAA Administrator Dan Elwell said he expected Boeing to make its formal submission for its software update in the next week or so.

The 737 MAX was grounded following a fatal Ethiopian Airlines crash that killed all 157 on board, just five months after a similar crash of a Lion Air flight that left 189 people dead in Indonesia.

Boeing hopes the software upgrade and associated pilot training will add layers of protection to prevent erroneous data from triggering an anti-stalling system called MCAS, which was activated in both crashes.

Boeing said it has completed associated simulator testing and its engineering test flight and developed training and education materials that are now being reviewed by the FAA, global regulators and airline customers so that the jets can be returned to service.

To date, Boeing has flown the 737 MAX with updated software for more than 360 hours on 207 flights, the company said.

Weeks after a Lion Air flight crashed in October, American Airline pilots urged Boeing to address safety concerns regarding the new MCAS anti-stall system (pictured: AA Boeing 737 Max 8 takes off from JFK, March 2011)

One pilot asked Boeing executives at the meeting to consider a software upgrade to the 737 MAX 8 - which probably would have required the planes be grounded for some time - in the wake of the Lion Air disaster (Rescue workers lowered parts by the plane crash Lion Air JT 610 aircraft on Saturday 3 November 2018

'With safety as our clear priority, we have completed all of the engineering test flights for the software update and are preparing for the final certification flight,' said Boeing Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer Dennis Muilenburg in a statement.

'Were committed to providing the FAA and global regulators all the information they need, and to getting it right. Were making clear and steady progress and are confident that the 737 MAX with updated MCAS software will be one of the safest airplanes ever to fly.

'The accidents have only intensified our commitment to our values, including safety, quality and integrity, because we know lives depend on what we do.'

The announcement comes just two days after new audio footage revealed how members from the American Airlines pilots urged Boeing to address issues with MCAS system just weeks after the Lion Air crash.

The call for action, which could have required the best-selling aircraft model to be temporarily grounded, was made during a November 27 meeting between the American Airlines pilots union and officials from the aircraft manufacturer.

Pilots voiced a particular concern about the jets anti-stall system during the conference, but Boeing executives resisted, insisting they didnt want to rush out a fix and they believed pilots would be capable of handling any glitches in the system.

Boeings Vice President, Mike Sinnett, said the company was investigating potential design flaws with the aircraft  including the anti-stall software  but refused to take more any further action saying the circumstances surrounding the Lion Air Crash that killed 198 people were still unclear.

No one has yet to conclude that the sole cause of this was this function on the airplane, Sinnett can be heard saying in November, according to The New York Times.

The worst thing that can ever happen is a tragedy like this, and the even worse thing would be another one.

Less than four months after, another 737 MAX 8 crashed in Ethiopia, leaving no survivors among the 157 people on board.

An investigation into each of the crashes has since suggested that the contentious anti-stall system played a part in each of the disasters.

No one has yet to conclude that the sole cause of this was this function on the airplane, Sinnett can be heard saying in the November meeting

Alongside Boeing, the Federal Aviation Administration also faced fierce scrutiny for its part in certifying the jet as well as waiting several days before grounding the MAX after the second crash.

In Novembers meeting, held at the Fort Worth headquarters of the American Airlines pilots union, members expressed that they werent told enough about the MCAS system, a new feature of the 737 MAX 8.

These guys didn't even know the damn system was on the airplane, nor did anybody else, said Mike Michaelis, head of safety for the pilot's union.

In the conference, Michaelis urged Boeing to push the FAA to enact an emergency airworthiness directive.

The FAA had previously issued a directive after the Lion Air flight crashed, in which they instructed airlines to amend their flight manuals to include information on how to respond to an MCAS malfunction.

But in a letter obtained by AFP, Michaelis said the instructions weren't sufficient for pilots to know how to handle malfunctions with the anti-stall system.

Another 737 MAX 8 crashed in Ethiopia (above) in March, leaving no survivors among the 157 people on board. The aircraft was been grounded globally since

Boeing assured the pilots it would make software changes, projecting a six week completion period, but said it didn't want to rush anything. That fix was still in development when the second 737 Max crashed four months later

The New York Times said Michaelis asked Boeing executives at the meeting to consider a software upgrade to the 737 MAX 8 - which probably would have required the planes be grounded for some time.

'I don't know that understanding this system would've changed the outcome on this,' Sinnett told the congregated pilots, insisting the Lion Air crash would be an isolated incident.

'In a million miles, you're going to maybe fly this airplane, maybe once you're going to see this, ever. So we try not to overload the crews with information that's unnecessary so they actually know the information we believe is important.'

But tensions became heated, with one dissatisfied pilot saying: 'We're the last line of defense to being in that smoking hole. And we need the knowledge.'

Boeing assured the pilots it would make software changes, projecting a six week completion period, but said it didn't want to rush anything.

'We want to make sure we're fixing the right things,' an official said in CBS' exclusively obtained recording.

'That's the important thing. To make sure we're fixing the right things. We don't want to rush and do a crappy job of fixing the right things, and we also don't want to fix the wrong things.'

That fix was still in development when the second 737 Max crashed in March, leading to the worldwide grounding of the plane.

As the meeting drew to a close, spokesperson for the union, Dennis Tajer, asked the Boeing board if they were still confident in the aircraft.

Do you feel comfortable that the situation is under control today, before any software fix is implemented? Tajer asked.

Sinnett replied: Absolutely.

Boeing predicts the 737 MAX will take to the skies worldwide again by August.
Murderers who fail to reveal the whereabouts of victims bodies could spend longer in jail thanks to a new law.

The change marks a victory for the mother of Helen McCourt, who has been campaigning to stop the release of her daughters killer.

Last night Marie McCourt said the change, dubbed Helens Law, means the 22-year-old insurance clerk will never be forgotten.

The development comes weeks after the Mail revealed her killer, Ian Simms, was being readied for release.

Miss McCourt was killed in 1988 and Simms, 62, has always refused to reveal the location of her remains

Miss McCourt was killed in 1988 and Simms, 62, has always refused to reveal the location of her remains.

Mrs McCourt responded with fury in March after it emerged Simms was enjoying day release after spending almost double his 16-year sentence behind bars.

Whitehall sources have now confirmed that new rules will make it much harder for killers who fail to reveal such details to be released from prison.

Helens Law will force parole boards to take an offenders refusal to disclose the location of bodies into account when they apply to be freed.

It means murderers who fail to co-operate could spend much longer in jail once they have served their minimum tariff.

Mrs McCourt, 74, said: Until now parole boards have only had to follow guidelines. Now, they will be bound by law to consider the terrible toll that crimes like these takes on innocent families when deciding to let these killers out of jail.

My daughters name on the British statute books means she will never, ever be forgotten. This is a huge step forward for the campaign. It is not just for Helen, but for every single missing murder victim out there and their families.

Pictured for the first time in 30 years, Ian Simms guilty of the murder of Helen McCourt stands by a bus stop in the Midlands on Friday afternoon heading back to prison

The tide is finally turning towards supporting victims rather than the rights of criminals. Hopefully, this will start to make a difference and save other innocent families from enduring the torture of never being able to say goodbye to their loved ones. The news follows a meeting Mrs McCourt and her MP Conor McGinn had with Justice Secretary David Gauke on Wednesday. She hopes the law could be passed in time to keep Simms in jail.

Although Government proposals fall short of her desire for no body, no parole legislation  which would stop killers ever being released unless they revealed the whereabouts of their victims body, or at least co-operate  she said it would make a huge difference.

A Whitehall source said: The Secretary of State is sympathetic to the need for a Helens Law... hes been incredibly moved by Maries story.

Mr McGinn, Labour MP for St Helens North, said: We must secure justice for Marie and other grieving families who are also unable to bury their loved ones because of a killers silence.

Helen vanished on her way home from work. Pub landlord Simms was convicted thanks to DNA evidence but her remains have never been found.

She was a regular at Simmss pub in the village of Billinge, Merseyside, and police believe she encountered the married father of two as she walked past it in February 1988.

A Ministry of Justice spokesman said: Not knowing the whereabouts of a loved one causes tremendous additional pain, and we have immense sympathy with Helen McCourts family. The Justice Secretary recently held a positive meeting with Marie McCourt and her MP, and we look forward to working with them on this important issue.
Former Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning has been sent to jail - again - for refusing to testify to a grand jury.

A judge on Thursday ordered Manning back to the Alexandria Detention Center until she agrees to testify to a grand jury investigating Wikileaks or until the grand jury term expires in 18 months.

Manning, 31, has already served two months in jail but was released last week when that grand jury term expired.

Judge Anthony Trenga was not impressed with her rationale and said that jail time may cause her to reflect differently on the issue.

Manning told the judge that she would 'rather starve to death' than change her opinion.

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Former Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning (pictured Thursday) has been sent to jail - again - for refusing to testify to a grand jury that is investigating WikiLeaks and founder Julian Assange

Judge Anthony Trenga was not impressed with her rationale and said that jail time may cause her to reflect differently on the issue. Manning told the judge that she would 'rather starve to death' than change her opinion

Judge Trenga also ruled that if Manning does not comply with the grand jury subpoena after 30 days she will be fined $500 a day.

The fine would go up to $1000 a day if she continues to refuse to testify after 60 days.

Just before she was ordered back to jail Manning declared that she would rather stay in jail forever than testify before the grand jury.

Manning, who spent seven years in military prisons for leaking US military and diplomatic secrets to WikiLeaks in 2010, said she would not bow to the threat of another contempt sentence.

'No matter what happens today, whether I am placed in confinement or not, I'm not going to comply with this grand jury,' she told journalists outside the Alexandria courthouse before she was sent back to jail.

Manning, was recently released from an Alexandria jail after spending two months there on contempt of court charges.

She has accused the government of seeking to revive her original court martial case. Manning said prosecutors were unhappy over her 2017 pardon by president Barack Obama.

'The goal here is really to re-litigate the court martial. They didn't like the outcome -- I got out.'

Manning was called early this year to testify to a grand jury - a panel investigating major crimes that operates in secrecy - about her work with Assange and WikiLeaks nine years ago.

She said the government was abusing the grand jury process and refused to testify, saying she had answered all the questions years before anyway.

A judge found her in contempt and on March 8 she was jailed indefinitely.

She was released last week when the grand jury's mandate expired, and was called to testify before a new one on Thursday which she said was seeking answers to the same set of questions.

Manning was released on May 7 from a northern Virginia jail after 62 days in custody for contempt. Following her release, Manning said President Donald Trump's administration wants 'to go after journalists' while being interviewed on CNN

Following her release, Manning said Donald Trump's administration wants 'to go after journalists'.

Manning was interviewed by CNN's Brian Stelter on Sunday on Reliable Sources after she spent 62 days at the Alexandria Detention Center.

'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.'

While she was not at liberty to discuss the specifics of the investigation, she indicated that it also was a probe of Assange and WikiLeaks' actions in 2010.

The US Justice Department has asked Britain to extradite Assange to stand trial in the United States for 'conspiracy' in advising Manning on breaking into a restricted US government computer.

Assange, now committed to a British prison for a year and also facing an extradition effort from Sweden, asserts that he is a journalist with the right to publish purloined secrets.

Manning, a transgender woman whom supporters call a whistleblower, said the new grand jury case is meaningless since the Justice Department already unveiled its charges against Julian Assange (pictured in April)

Manning, a transgender woman whom supporters call a whistleblower, said the new grand jury case is meaningless since the Justice Department already unveiled its charges against Assange.

'The case doesn't make sense, it's very bananas,' she said. 'Ultimately this is an attempt to place me back into confinement.'

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 Obama.

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.

Manning (pictured in April) was called early this year to testify to a grand jury about her work with Assange and WikiLeaks 9 years ago

He was found guilty in April of breaking those bail conditions, and sentenced on May 1 to 50 weeks in jail.

After Assange was taken 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 US 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'.

Manning also said she was suffering disproportionately in jail because of physical problems related with inadequate follow-up care to gender-reassignment surgery.
Since she stepped into her royal role last year, there have been rumors that the Duchess of Sussex can be difficult to work with.

But her friends have rallied in her defense  and insist that Meghan is certainly no diva.

They told this to Gayle King, one of the Duchess' close friends and a guest at her recent baby shower in New York City.

She is one of the Americans in Markle's inner circle, with another being Oprah Winfrey, who was not only a guest at the royal wedding but is also developing a special with Prince Harry for Apple.

King was able to get Markle's confidantes to speak about their friend's new life - and her baby joy.

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The scoop: Meghan Markle's close friends are opening up for a new CBS special hosted by Gayle King

Chatting: To have the Royal Family bring a child of color into the world, its pretty awesome,' said Janina Gavankar (left)

Markle's friends say she is being misrepresented and doesnt deserve the negative headlines. They have also revealed that she has longed to be a mother for years.

Meghan and I have talked about her being a mother for over a decade. Shes always wanted to be a mom, said actress Janina Gavankar.

She added the birth of baby Archie last week was hugely significant due to his historic place in the Royal Family.

There are still a lot of us who didnt even grow up with dolls that look like us, said Miss Gavankar.

So, to have the Royal Family bring a child of color into the world, its pretty awesome.

King also interviewed Daniel Martin, Meghans long-term friend and make-up artist, who told her: Their child is going to represent what the world is now. Its the dawn of a new generation.

He added that Prince Harry is so good with kids and said of the Sussexes: I feel like this is their time to really share who they are and what they stand for.

He added: When they were doing the family portrait after the wedding with everybody, he was on the floor playing with the kids. And thats when I knew he was going to be the coolest dad.

The 37-year-old duchess was surrounded by her American friends including Mr Martin at her lavish baby shower in New York.

They are highly protective of her in extracts of the interview released by the CBS, firmly rebutting widespread reports that she is difficult with palace staff.

Whats so frustrating is that you hear these stories and theres no truth to them, said Mr Martin.

Its not the same person. In the years Ive known her, the years Ive worked with her, shes never had a diva fit, never. He became tearful as he added: I think because I know her so well, and I know she doesnt deserve all this negative press.

Miss Ganvankar said her royal friend avoided her media coverage. She doesnt read the bad or the good because... she knows the metrics that you have for your own life cannot be based on a headline that somebody else wrote, she said.

Oprah herself had previously praised Markle during an appearance on CBS This Morning.

The Queen of Daytime TV said that the American princess 'is not only everything that we perceive of her as being - graceful and dynamic in holding that position - but she just has a wonderful, warm, giving, loving heart.'

Host Gayle King, who is also a new friend of Markle and attended her baby shower in New York City last month, jumped in to add: 'She's very kind. She doesn't seem to buy into [her bad press] though.'

Oprah then revealed that Markle does not read any of her press, before going on to speak about working with Prince Harry on a new docuseries for Apple about mental health.

'She actually does not read anything, which I find, you know remarkable,' said Oprah.

'I think that's remarkable in spite of all that's going on, she doesn't read anything.'

Oprah said that she has been spending a great deal of time in London recently as she works with Prince Harry on their new series.

Speaking about how it came together, she said: 'I asked the question what do you think are the most important issues facing the world right now, and he said there are two. He said climate change and mental wellness, mental fitness and mental health.

'As you know, he's spoken about his own issues and what he went through after his mother died and how being able to talk about it has benefited him, Oprah said.

'So it's a passion of his and, at the end of the conversation, I said, "Oh, I'm going to be doing this thing with Apple. It's a big concern of mine too and I want to try to erase the stigma."

'And he said at the end of the conversation, "If there's anything I can do to help..."'

That is when Oprah said she pitched the idea of Harry coming on to help build the series, and the TV titan said he has been incredibly involved in the project ever since.

'He's co-creating and executive producing, she said. We've had several meetings, secret meetings in London. I've flown there with the crew, sitting in sessions, talking about the directions we're going to take.

'Our hope is it will have an impact on reducing the stigma and allow people to know that they're not alone and allowing people to speak up for it and identify with it.'
A Flybe flight's emergency landing that led to two passengers suffering injuries was caused by a rogue cable tie stopping the nose door from closing.

The Bombardier Dash 8 propeller plane was flying from Belfast City airport to Inverness when it was forced to divert on to the runway at Belfast International.

The 53 passengers and four crew on flight BE331 endured a tense two hours circling above the Irish Sea to burn fuel before making their descent.

As the aircraft swooped down on to the tarmac without its nose landing gear, the pilot told everyone to 'brace' before it screeched on to the runway where it finally came to a stop, tipping forward on its nose.

A Flybe flight's emergency landing that led to two passengers suffering injuries was caused by a rogue cable tie stopping the nose door from closing

As the aircraft swooped down on to the tarmac without its nose landing gear, the pilot told everyone to 'brace' before it screeched on to the runway where it finally came to a stop, tipping forward on its nose

The Bombardier Dash 8 propeller plane was flying from Belfast City airport to Inverness when it was forced to divert on to the runway at Belfast International

The emergency diversion, which happened in 2017, came when cockpit diagnostics revealed that nose landing gear doors had not closed after they had been retracted.

The Department of Transport's Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) found that a damaged electrical harness affected the readings of a sensor so that the nose landing gear doors started to close while the landing gear was still moving.

This then caused the gear to become jammed in the 'up' position, so that it would not extend when commanded by the crew.

The investigation determined that the harness had been secured with a non-flexible cable tie which restricted it from flexing, leading to a fatigue failure of the harness.

An evacuation was carried out 'in an orderly manner'. Two people suffered minor injuries.

The AAIB said the aircraft manufacturer has taken measures to rectify the landing gear problem.

The AAIB's report said: 'The aircraft touched down at 1332 hrs on the main wheels and the nose was held off as the speed decayed and gently lowered onto the runway.

As the aircraft came to a stop, both engines were shut down and when stopped, the commander ordered the evacuation

The 53 passengers and four crew on flight BE331 endured a tense two hours circling above the Irish Sea to burn fuel before making their descent

'As the aircraft came to a stop, both engines were shut down and when stopped, the commander ordered the evacuation. The cabin crew responded and described the passengers as being calm.

'The forward left door and the rear left and right doors were opened. The forward left door, which has built-in stairs, lay flatter than normal as it could not achieve its full downward travel.

'This made exiting the aircraft more difficult, but no one fell whilst using it. At the rear, some passengers were reluctant to jump given the door sill height but some of the passengers who had left the aircraft returned and assisted them from below.

'Smoke and a smell of burning entered the flight deck and so the flight deck door was opened which allowed it to clear.

'The flight crew used the 'on ground emergencies' checklist to ensure they had completed all the required actions before leaving the flight deck and checking there was nobody on the aircraft. They then vacated the aircraft.

'The passengers had been gathered together by the Fire Service and were transported to the terminal on buses provided.'
He created kitschy pornographic depictions of him and his Italian porn star wife, spent 20 years perfecting a sculpture of a giant lump of Play-Doh and even considered Michael Jackson and his pet chimp Bubbles a worthy artistic subject.

Jeff Koons has polarised opinion like no other contemporary artist. Hes a purveyor of banal gimmickry whose talent is far outweighed by his salesmanship, chorus his many critics.

Others revere an American genius who they insist has been a seminal influence on contemporary art.

Jeff Koons has polarised opinion like no other contemporary artist. Hes a purveyor of banal gimmickry whose talent is far outweighed by his salesmanship, chorus his many critics

But the worlds most expensive balloon clown, as hes been dubbed, has notched up another victory over his detractors.

A shiny stainless steel sculpture inspired by a childs inflatable toy that he created in 1986 sold at Christies in New York on Wednesday night for $91.1million (71million).

It broke the record at auction for a work by a living artist, set last November by British painter David Hockney.

The winning bid for the sculpture Rabbit  one of four Koons produced  came from Robert Mnuchin, an art-dealer and the father of Donald Trumps current Treasury Secretary, Steven Mnuchin.

A multi-millionaire former Goldman Sachs banker, Mr Mnuchin Sr is just the sort of mega-rich art connoisseur whose patronage of Koonss shiny, often gargantuan pieces has pushed the sale prices of his works to staggering heights.

The former Wall Street commodities broker has certainly made a commodity of art. His gaudy creations have been hailed as the ultimate trophy for billionaires  hes popular with Russian oligarchs  who prefer spectacle over subtlety.

But the worlds most expensive balloon clown, as hes been dubbed, has notched up another victory over his detractors. A shiny stainless steel sculpture inspired by a childs inflatable toy that he created in 1986 sold at Christies in New York on Wednesday night for $91million (71million)

Rabbit is only 41 inches tall, titchy by Koonss standards  his famous balloon dogs are 12ft long and 10ft high  but is regarded as a seminal work.

Damien Hirst and other Brit Art stars cite Koons, 64, as a critical influence. The Pennsylvania native says his eye-catching creations are a commentary on the emptiness of the American Dream.

Detractors say thats tosh: pretentious sales patter to hook rich, gullible art collectors, many of whom Koons has cynically befriended.

The late, respected art critic Robert Hughes claimed Koons couldnt carve his name on a tree.

He was particularly infuriated that Koons doesnt physically craft his objects himself but leaves it to his 148-strong team of assistants.

The winning bid for the sculpture Rabbit  one of four Koons produced  came from Robert Mnuchin, an art-dealer and the father of Donald Trumps current Treasury Secretary, Steven Mnuchin

Sceptics compare Koons to the pop artist Andy Warhol, who memorably said art is what you can get away with.

Koonss art has included Puppy, a 43ft-high West Highland terrier covered with living flowers (which costs its owner 64,000 a year to maintain), and Play-Doh, a 10ft-high multi-coloured mountain of the childrens modelling compound, made from aluminium and which he says was inspired by something his toddler son made.

The son of an interior decorator, Koons showed money-making flair as a child by selling sweets and wrapping paper door-to-door.

He began art lessons at the age of seven.

By nine he was painting copies of old masters, which his father sold in his showroom.

Koons was studying art in Maryland when he fathered a child with a fellow student. The child was put up for adoption by the girls parents.

Koons claims he sought fame in part because his visibility would help his daughter find him. They met decades later after she had come of age, and are now close.

After moving to New York, he produced artworks including inflatable plastic toys placed on mirrors and kitchen appliances encased in brightly lit glass display cases.

These were financed by a high-pressure job on Wall Street. His first major art success was a 1988 show called Banality, which included porcelain figurines of a nearly life-size Michael Jackson and Bubbles, and another of a semi-naked blonde embracing the Pink Panther.

In 1991, Koons married La Cicciolina, an Italian porn star whose real name was Ilona Staller. She was also an Italian MP who once offered to have sex with Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein if he freed hostages.

In 1991, Koons married La Cicciolina, an Italian porn star whose real name was Ilona Staller. She was also an Italian MP who once offered to have sex with Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein if he freed hostages

After seeing her in a porn magazine, Koons flew to Rome and went backstage after one of her notorious stage performances involving a live snake.

He persuaded her to collaborate on a controversial series of sculptures and paintings called Made In Heaven, in which he was naked and she barely clothed.

One piece had an unprintable name; another, Silver Fish, was a full-frontal portrait of Ms Stallers genitals, framed by a pair of her fishnet stockings.

Critics were appalled but Koons insisted it wasnt pornography because sex with love is a higher state.

Ignoring the advice of friends and family, he married her. They celebrated by posing in a New York Gallery in front of glass sculptures of themselves in tantric positions.

In 1992 they had a son, Ludwig, but separated the following year, partly because Staller refused to stop making porn.

Staller took Ludwig, then 18 months old, back to Italy in contravention of a court order, alleging Koons had subjected her to physical and emotional abuse.

Koon's 2004 Balloon Dog, which sold for $58.4million (42million), is one of the many works of his which has attracted criticism

Claiming he was the victim of child abduction, Koons fought a decade-long but unsuccessful legal battle which cost him millions of dollars.

He was so furious with his ex-wife that he destroyed all the remaining works he had from their Made In Heaven collaboration.

He says he poured his sorrows into his art during the 1990s, basing much of his work on childrens toys, including the balloon dogs.

Koons said he hoped his absent son would see them and know he was thinking of him. Sadly, he has yet to return.

The artist has six other children by his second wife, South African artist Justine Wheeler.

The artist has six other children by his second wife, South African artist Justine Wheeler

Koons has repeatedly been found guilty of copying other peoples work, most recently last November in a $170,000 (133,000) payout to a French adman over a picture of a woman lying in the snow, being nuzzled by a pig.

Friends say his innocent, romantic aura  he talks like a motivational speaker  is genuine.

Others insist its an act put on by a crafty showman who knows what sells.

Either way, rarely has a child-like love of toys made a man so rich.
A woman has died in hospital after she was attacked by her own dog on Thursday.

Police were called to a home Wilton, south west Sydney to reports of a dog attack at 1.30pm.

Officers found a 74-year-old man and his wife, 72, suffering large cuts and bite marks.

A woman has died in hospital after she was attacked by her own dog on Thursday (stock image)

Both were treated at the scene and taken to Liverpool Hospital where woman's condition got worse and she died.

The dog - a Staffordshire bull terrier-Ridgeback cross - has been seized by Wollondilly Council Rangers.

A report will be prepared for the information of the Coroner.

Inquiries continue.
Kelowna Mayor Colin Basran called for civility and a commitment to civil discourse after he was the subject of an online death threat over a controversial apartment development in South Pandosy.

Flanked by his wife Leanne, two children, mother and councillors Gail Given and Loyal Wooldridge, Basran said the incident is not acceptable under any circumstances.

"It's unacceptable to me, it's unacceptable to my family, and I am sure it's unacceptable to the majority of society," he said.

RCMP arrested a 52-year-old Kelowna man after an online post attributed to Bruce Edward Taylor said "put a bullet in the (expletive)."

Basran stated decisions made by elected officials face public scrutiny and criticism, but Tuesday's comment encouraging violence "is where I draw the line."

"The bigger issue here is about civility, and a collective commitment to civil discourse.

"More than ever, it's vital to challenge those who use personal attacks, online bullying or vulgar language to stifle opposing points of view.

"Simply put, it is sad that I have to stand here before you and make a plea for civility and talk about why bullying and harassment is intolerable."

Despite the hurt the threat caused Basran and his family, he said this is an opportunity for the community to grow.

Basran says it's a reminder that we can disagree, but do so respectfully.

Earlier in the day, Basran issued a brief statement via Instagram saying in part, "If this is the new norm for elected officials, I want no part of it."

The mayor did not address that last comment specifically during his speech, or whether he contemplated stepping down at any point during the past 24 hours.
Bob Hawke's wife Blanche d'Alpuget shared an emotional moment with interviewer Leigh Sales as they discussed the legendary Australian leader's death.

Mr Hawke died peacefully at home in Sydney on Thursday aged 89 after serving his country as Prime Minister from 1983 to 1991.

He was in poor health for months before his death, and 7.30 host Leigh Sales spoke to Mr Hawke's wife Ms d'Alpuget about preparing for his passing in February 2018.

'He has no fear of death and we've talked about it quite a lot. And we've talked about his funeral, and what he would like to happen at his funeral. I've bought the graves and I'm going ahead and planning that,' Ms d'Alpuget said.

Bob Hawke's (left) wife Blanche d'Alpuget (right) shared an emotional moment with interviewer Leigh Sales as they discussed the legendary Australian leader's death

Sales asked Ms d'Alpuget if she thought she could continue living her life as normal without her husband.

'With difficulty, Leigh, with difficulty. Oh dear,' Ms d'Alpuget said before pausing and becoming emotional.

Sales asked Ms d'Alpuget (pictured) if she thought she could continue living her life as normal without her husband

'I'm sorry,' Sales said, before Ms d'Alpuget said it was 'all right'.

Fighting through tears, Ms d'Alpuget said: 'He's my best friend'.

'It strikes me that the flipside of having been so fortunate to have such a great and wonderful love - I'm so sorry that I've made you upset ... is that later on you just have such intense suffering,' Sales said, before the tough-as-nails interviewer began to cry herself.

'That's right,' Ms d'Alpuget said.

'Look at us, what a couple,' Sales said as both women showed their emotions.

'And you're crying!' Ms d'Alpuget said.

'Well I've brought it on myself by even raising that,' Sales said.

Sales interrupted her 7.30 show on Thursday night to deliver news of Mr Hawke's death, and again became emotional.

She halted pre-recorded interviews with Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Opposition Leader Bill Shorten to speak about Mr Hawke.

'It's my very sad duty to break the news this evening that the former Australian PM, Bob Hawke, has died aged 89,' she said.

'Mr Hawke was Australia's 23rd prime minister. It's very difficult to overstate what a giant he is of the Labor Party and of the Labor movement.'

'With difficulty, Leigh, with difficulty. Oh dear,' Ms d'Alpuget (pictured with Mr Hawke) said before pausing and becoming emotional

The longest serving Labor Prime Minister suggested his health was getting the better of him in an interview with The Courier-Mail at the end of 2018.

Mr Hawke, speaking at Queensland's Woodford Folk Festival, gave an honest account when he was asked about if he had plans for the new year.

'I've had my time, just stick around for a little while. [My health has] been terrible,' Mr Hawke said.

Known for singing Waltzing Matilda, Mr Hawke said he sung his 'last verse' in 2018.

Mr Hawke, who had become wheelchair dependent, struggled with ailing health throughout last year.

He was taken by ambulance to Sydney's Royal North Shore Hospital for what was reported as 'the wobbles' and was also admitted to hospital in July.
Bill Cosby spends his time in prison cracking jokes to make other inmates laugh and relies on his wheelchair to get about, two of his former cellmates have revealed.

The disgraced comedian, 81, who was sentenced last year to between three to ten years in prison for sexual assault, appears to be in good spirits, despite being considered legally blind, Don Jones and Raheem Shackleford told Inside Edition.

In a staggering fall from grace for one of America's most recognizable celebrity figures, Cosby was convicted of three counts of sexual assault, in a addition to a slew of other accusations of sexual misconduct that never made it to court.

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Bill Cosby spends his time in prison cracking jokes to make other inmates laugh and relies on his wheelchair to get about, two of his former cellmates have revealed

The octogenarian, once considered 'America's Dad', is incarcerated at a prison outside of Philadelphia where he gets 'no special treatment,' Shackleford said.

'He's just a person convicted and he's serving his time. Nobody bothers him. Nobody threatens him.'

Though, the men added that Cosby caused a stir when he first arrived, following the high profile court saga and six decade career.

'When he first got there, the guards, they were a little star struck,' Jones said. But despite his celebrity, it now appears he has been treated exactly the same as others.

The disgraced comedian, 81, who was sentenced last year to between three to ten years in prison for sexual assault, appears to be in good spirits, despite being considered legally blind, Don Jones and Raheem Shackleford told Inside Edition (the pair are pictured)

Jones also described what a typical day is like for Cosby, who protested his innocence relating to the accusations of sexual assault, some of which dated as far back at the 1960s.

'He'd come out about 7 o' clock, push down to the chow hall, eat his meal,' said.

'Come back to the block, watch TV, go to the gym if he wants to, which he never does.'

Shackleford told Inside Edition that he will always remember the first time he spoke with Cosby.

He recalled: 'I said, 'How are you, Mr. Cosby?' He said, 'I'm rather fine.' So I said, 'How are they treating you back there?' He said, 'First class service.' He keeps his humor.'

Jones was released from the prison last week and is now in a halfway house.

Shackleford got out a few weeks ago, after serving 21 years. Both men did time for murder and robbery convictions.

Cosby once admitted that he bought Quaaludes to give to women with the intent of having sex with them, according to court documents. At that time he admitted to giving the drug to at least one woman and 'other people.'
Bill Shorten has spoken of his gratitude to Bob Hawke and how he feels lucky to have seen him one last time just days before he died.

The former Labor prime minister died on Thursday, two days before the election which Mr Shorten is the favourite to win.

Mr Shorten appeared on Sunrise on Friday morning to share his thoughts on his final meeting with Mr Hawke last week.

Leader of the opposition Bill Shorten has spoken of his gratitude to Bob Hawke and how he feels lucky to have seen him one last time just days before he died

'We'd been in regular touch over the years - when I was in year 11 at school, he became Prime Minister of Australia, so he was my first political hero of my contemporary life,' the Labor leader said.

'I've been in touch and he's mentored me across the years.'

Mr Shorten had the opportunity to recently visit Mr Hawke at his home to discuss the federal election and give his views on the Labor leader's policies.

'He had the crossword in front of him because he had a very keen mind, and he was his usual generous self,' he said.

'We had a lovely conversation. You know when people pass, as they do, sometimes you get to talk to them before they pass, and other occasions you don't get there in time.'

'I feel indescribably lucky that we were able to have that time just to chat about politics and life and him.'

The former Labor prime minister died on Thursday, two days before Mr Shorten is favoured by polls to lead the party back to government

'He had the crossword in front of him because he had a very keen mind, and he was his usual generous self,' Mr Shorten told Sunrise

He then went on to make a 30-second final election pitch to voters and urged Australians to 'vote for change'.

'It's time for a change. We don't want three more years of the last six years,' Mr Shorten said.

'Vote for change to stop the chaos. Vote for change for real climate action.'

'Vote for change because we are the united Australian team seeking your vote on Saturday. We won't let you down.'

Bob Hawke led Labor to four election wins in a row between 1983 and 1991.

The legendary politician's wife Blanche d'Alpuget said in a statement that her husband died peacefully at home.

'Today we lost Bob Hawke, a great Australian  many would say the greatest Australian of the post-war era,' she said.

She will hold a private funeral with his children Sue, Stephen, Rosslyn and stepson, Louis, and his grandchildren and a memorial service will be held in Sydney in coming weeks.

Mr Shorten had the opportunity to recently visit Mr Hawke at his home to discuss the federal election and give his views on the Labor leader's policies

Bob Hawke's wife Blanche d'Alpuget said in a statement on Thursday that the former Prime Minister died peacefully at home

Mr Hawke has been remembered by all sides of politics as a man who made Australia better, his death coming two days a predicted Labor return to government.

He was the longest-serving Labor Prime Minister and had a string of achievements during his eight years in office.

He introduced Medicare in 1984, which became the country's first affordable and universal health insurance.

That same year he outlawed gender discrimination in the workplace by introducing the Sex Discrimination Act.

Mr Hawke also took steps to reconcile with Indigenous Australians through a treat and by replacing the Department of Aboriginal Affairs was replaced with an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission.

Mr Hawke has been remembered by all sides of politics as a man who made Australia better, his death coming two days a predicted Labor return to government
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Portrait of Captain Nick Cooke-Priest OBE, who was sacked from his role as Commanding Officer of HMS Queen Elizabeth

Former military commanders have criticised the Royal Navy's decision to sack the captain of the UK's most famous aircraft carrier for 'using his official car at weekends'.

Commodore Nick Cooke-Priest, a married father-of-three, had been the captain of the 3 billion HMS Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier, also known as 'Big Lizzie', since October.

The Royal Navy confirmed last night that the 50-year-old had been fired, after driving the ship's Ford Galaxy 'as if it was his own'.

Admiral Alan West, former First Sea Lord and security adviser to Gordon Brown, said: 'Nick Cooke-Priest is a very good officer and highly competent and nice officer and I would be surprised he has done anything dishonest but I don't know the details so I cannot comment further.'

Cooke-Priest had taken over command of the ship in October and prior to that he had been working with the Ministry of Defence in the Corporate Strategy Group, before joining the Standing Joint Force Headquarters as the assistant chief of staff of operations, during which the HQ achieved Full Operational Capability.

This is while insiders claimed he was never warned that the car was for official duties only, and he is said to be 'gutted' after discovering he had breached the rules by making personal journeys in the Galaxy.

A retired commanding officer of a Royal Navy aircraft carrier said that without knowing the terms of the lease of the vehicle to Cdre Cooke-Priest, he felt the decision to remove him from his position was an over-reaction to a minor error.

He said: 'On the face of it it seems quite harsh but it would depend on the terms on which it was leased. A number of people in government use cars for all sorts of purposes.

'I know of him and he is seen as a fine chap, it seems somewhat harsh and smacks of political correctness.'

Captain Nick Cooke-Priest (pictured with Prince Charles) was fired over the 'misuse' of HMS Queen Elizabeth's official car

After being appointed to the role in October last year, Cooke-Priest tweeted that it was an 'immense honour' and that he was 'thrilled to be leading the QE team'

HMS Queen Elizabeth (pictured) is one of the largest warships ever built for the Royal Navy and capable of carrying up to 60 aircraft

Captain Stephen Moorhouse OBE (pictured above) will take over the command of HMS Queen Elizabeth, a date has not yet been confirmed as to when he will start the role

Big Lizzie's big problems: How 6bn aircraft carrier went over budget and was hit by flooding The recent sacking of Big Lizzies captain is not the only issue the UKs most famous aircraft carrier is facing. The ship is enormously expensive and has absorbed around 6billion worth of investment, as well as taking 10 years to come to fruition. One issue with the ship is that the navy is said to not have enough surface combat vessels to properly support ships of this size and importance. Traditionally, carriers like this one would have large fleets to back them up. There are also concerns that vessels such as Big Lizzie could become defunct in a modern naval battle due to continuous developments in the technological space. The UK also seems to be at somewhat a disadvantage to other carriers such as those belonging to the US and France which are nuclear-powered. Nuclear-powered carriers only actually need refuelling once over their 50-year lifespan. This could be a problem for Big Lizzy, which needs to be refuelled every 10,000 nautical miles. In 2017 divers had to be sent in to conduct work on the aircraft carrier after a fault was found near the propeller shaft - meaning it was taking 200 litres of water every hour. In 2018 it was hit by another flood when a sprinkler system misfired. Advertisement

Cooke-Priest, who received an OBE in 2016, was dismissed this week after a Top Brass investigation found him guilty of an 'error of judgement'.

He was then relieved of his duties commanding the carrier, which is currently docked in Scotland, has a crew of 700 and is capable of carrying up to 60 aircraft including the new Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II. There is no allegation of fraud and the officer, who joined the Royal Navy in 1990, paid for his own petrol.

However, it remains unclear what personal trips the Ford Galaxy was used for.

Cooke-Priest currently sits as the Chairman of the UK Armed Forces Equestrian Association and is a Liveryman of the Honourable Company of Air Pilots. It is not yet known whether or not these roles will be changed following his dismissal.

The respected officer had commanded a 700-strong crew, but an insider said his position had become 'untenable' as he could not properly discipline his sailors after breaking the rules himself.

After being appointed in October last year, he said: 'It's an immense honour to have taken command of HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH and week one has been fabulous! Much brilliant trials work done, many new challenges ahead. Thrilled to be leading the QE team as we re-generate our sovereign Carrier Strike capability.'

He last tweeted on April 6, and praised his crew for their effort and work, he said: 'To team Portsmouth for their tremendous work over the past 3 months, Forth Pilots for their utter professionalism bringing us into Dry Dock today, and my outstanding Ship's Company for their enduring commitment, thank you.

'Another milestone on the road to Carrier Strike.'

It is understood that proceedings are ongoing to determine whether he will receive any formal punishment.

A minor punishment is likely but taking into account Captain Cooke-Priest's age and senior rank, it could mark the end of his high-flying navy career.

The Queen Elizabeth crew were told yesterday that their captain was being moved on.

The ship is currently docked at Rosyth naval dockyard in Fife, where local workers and residents told MailOnline that the move to sack Cdre Cooke-Priest as 'heavy-handed' and a 'disgrace'.

The Royal Navy confirmed that Captain Nick Cooke-Priest has been 'reassigned to a new role' but declined to say what it was

One local hospitality worker said: 'It's a bloody disgrace. He was paying for his own petrol anyway. What was going to happen to the car if he wasn't driving it? It would've just sat in a car park somewhere.'

And local pensioner Simon Morris, 74, said: 'I don't understand the logic behind it. Why would they get rid of him like that without disciplining him and telling him not to do it again? It doesn't make sense at all.'

Stay-at-home mother Felicity Sturrock, 41, said the captain should have been given a second chance, adding: 'That man's lost his livelihood and it will have damaged his reputation, and for what, really?'

Who is Commodore Nick Cooke-Priest? Commodore Cooke-Priest had specialised as a Lynx helicopter observer after joining the Royal Navy. A decade of flying appointments followed, primarily at sea, and included an instructional tour and as Flight Commander of HMS Exeter. He was promoted to Commander in 2009 and that year in HMS Kent escorted the Queen during a royal tour. On HMS Iron Duke, he was deployed to the Arabian Gulf and in 2011 to Libya as part of Operation Ellamy. Assuming command of HMS Bulwark, the Fleet Flag Ship, in January 2015 and leading the UK's contribution to the Gallipoli centenary commemorations in the same year are other highlights of his successful career. He is a married father of three sons and was awarded an OBE in 2016. In his spare time he enjoys skiing, sailing and shooting. Advertisement

And Liam Anderson, 33, a bricklayer, said: 'I saw it online earlier and just thought it was a bit heavy handed from the Navy. I feel sorry for the guy. He's worked his way up his entire career and to be let go like that is really poor.'

Captain Steven Moorhouse, who was commander of sister ship HMS Prince of Wales, will take charge of the warship.

In the meantime Cooke-Priest has been assigned a 'new role' in the Navy - though it was not clear what this involves - and he will be replaced as the captain of HMS Queen Elizabeth by the Prince of Wales' skipper Steve Moorhouse.

A Navy source told The Sun: 'We're sacrificing one of our best operational Commanding Officers to ensure we're beyond whiter than white.

'Queen Elizabeth's sailors have lost an exceptional and popular captain because of a policy which looks like it's politically driven.

'A few years ago, all he would have got is a slap on the wrist.'

The 'exceptional and popular captain' was dismissed for allegedly driving the ship's Ford Galaxy (similar to above) 'as if it was his own'

HMS Queen Elizabeth goes under the Forth Rail Bridge, and Queens Ferry Crossing in Scotland as it returns to the docks for scheduled maintenance last month

The HMS Queen Elizabeth was built at the Rosyth Dockyard in Fife and will now return in preparation for official service

Image of the HMS Queen Elizabeth, seen here in October last year coming into New York Harbour with the Statue of Liberty in the foreground

Hundreds of sailors and officers are pictured taking in the views on HMS Queen Victoria's deck in New York Harbor

The Royal Navy said: 'We can confirm Captain Nick Cooke-Priest has been reassigned to a new role. We can only say management action is ongoing and it would therefore be inappropriate to comment further.'

Commodore Cooke-Priest had specialised as a Lynx helicopter observer after joining the Royal Navy. A decade of flying appointments followed, primarily at sea, and included an instructional tour and as Flight Commander of HMS Exeter.

In 2003 he joined HMS Marlborough as an Operation Officer after completing the Principle Warfare Officer Course, where he specialised in Anti-Submarine Warfare.

Personnel on board 'Big Lizzie' waved and took pictures of Manhattan upon their arrival in the Big Apple

Plenty of room: 'Big Lizzie' weighs a whopping 70,000 tons and features a four-acre flight deck

He spent two years on the staff of Flag Officer Sea Training, this was prior to an assignment to HMS Gloucester as the Executive Officer, which included deployment to the South Atlantic during the austral winter.

He was promoted to Commander in 2009 and that year in HMS Kent escorted the Queen during a royal tour.

He commanded the Frigates Kent and Iron Duke, and escorted Her Majesty the Queen during her Western Isles tour. He also conducted the final security patrols around the Iraqi Oil Platforms and Naval Gunfire Support missions into Libya where he was deployed to the Arabian Gulf and in 2011 to Libya as part of Operation Ellamy.

Assuming command of HMS Bulwark, the Fleet Flag Ship, in January 2015 and leading the UK's contribution to the Gallipoli centenary commemorations in the same year are other highlights of his successful career.

So what would modern Top Brass make of this lot? The blunders, cover-ups and affairs of some of historys greatest military leaders who kept their jobs Throughout history military commanders have made mistakes, conducted extramarital affairs and covered up their shortcomings. But these indiscretions have often gone without punishment and, in some cases, even resulted in promotion. Lord Horatio Nelson lived with his best friend's wife during an affair that saw the couple have a daughter together, the Duke of Wellington let thieves get away with their spoils without so much as a slap on the wrist and the founder of the Scouts, Lord Baden-Powell, has been accused of illegally executing an African warrior chief. The Duke of Wellington beat Napoleon during the Battle of Waterloo in 1815 but, as a junior officer, left theft unpunished The Duke of Wellington rarely punished the men who thieved and pillaged on his watch Famed for victory over Napoleon during the Battle of Waterloo in 1815 this famous politician and commander of the British Army often refused to punish men found stealing under his command when he was a junior officer, according to The Telegraph. Lord Horatio Nelson, Vice Admiral of the British Fleet, was having an affair, and living with, his best friend's wife Leaving his wife Frances Nelson in Norfolk, Lord Nelson lived with Lady Emma Hamilton, the wife of one of his closest friends Sir William Hamilton, in Merton, near Wimbledon. And together they had a daughter, Horatia, in 1801. In late February, Nelson met his daughter, who was living with a Mrs Gibson, her wet nurse and carer, in London. Nelson's family were aware of the pregnancy, and his clergyman brother wrote to Emma praising her virtue and goodness. Nelson and Emma continued to write letters to each other when he was away at sea, and she kept every one. His wife Frances, known as Fanny, was left heartbroken and wrote letters begging her husband to end his relationship with Lady Hamilton and return to her. Nelson, however, returned them unopened and never lived with his wife again. Leaving his wife Frances Nelson in Norfolk, Lord Nelson lived with Lady Emma Hamilton, the wife of one of his closest friends Sir William Hamilton, in Merton, near Wimbledon General Montgomery was largely responsible for an operation known as 'Garden Market' in 1944 when the allied army were to take control of five Dutch bridge's before crossing the Rhine in to German occupied territory Field Marshal Viscount Montgomery was responsible for one of World War II's biggest blunders General Montgomery was largely responsible for an operation known as 'Garden Market' in 1944 when the allied army were to take control of five Dutch bridge's before crossing the Rhine in to German occupied territory. But the last bridge in the battle, in Arnhem, could not be taken and was later dubbed 'a bridge too far' by historian Cornelius Ryan. The mistake meant allied forces did not cross in to the Rhine until March 1945. He kept his post and became one of the most revered World War II officers. The founder of the Scouts, Lord Baden-Powell, has been accused of illegally executing an African warrior chief Baden-Powell, who will forever be associated with the scouting movement which he founded in 1907, was accused of ordering the execution of a tribal chief against the orders of his superiors while serving in Africa with the army in 1896. He even altered his diary entries to reflect his version of the story - claiming that Uwini, the leader of the tribe in Matabeleland - now Zimbabwe - was captured in battle, rather than surrendering. Baden-Powell is accused of ignoring a promise made to Uwini to spare his life if he surrendered peacefully, as well as dismissing an order to hand him over to civilian authorities. Baden-Powell, who will forever be associated with the scouting movement which he founded in 1907, was accused of ordering the execution of a tribal chief against the orders of his superiors while serving in Africa with the army in 1896 In Colonel James Wilkinson's report to congress on the Battle of Saratoga he embellished his own role and was promoted to General Brigadier Instead, Uwini was placed before a military tribunal, which the Sunday Times reported was not presented with the full facts of his capture, and then shot by a firing squad. Baden-Powell was later cleared by an inquiry and said he had been released from the army 'without a stain on my character'. But his biographer, Tim Jeal, called this a 'most shameful episode' in a life which has been much praised ever since. Colonel James Wilkinson added flourishes to his report of a battle during the American Revolution In his report to congress of the Battle of Saratoga the colonel embellished his own role and was promoted to General Brigadier. And, on his way to lie to congress, he stopped see his girlfriend for a few days. Dozens of British marines were ordered to storm a beach thought to be Gibraltar but was actually a Spanish resort The British marines were on a training exercise when they stormed a beach thought to be Gibraltar, overseas territory since 1704, but found themselves on a beach resort in La Linea, Spain, instead. They realised their mistake only once concerned locals and two police officers had informed them of where they were. Bad weather was blamed for the confusion, and the marines were later mocked for not noticing the beach did not have Gibraltar's iconic 1,400ft tall rock. Advertisement

Inside Britain's most powerful warship, HMS Queen Elizabeth At 280 metres long, with a lifespan of half a century and a flight deck of four acres, HMS Queen Elizabeth is Britain's largest and most powerful warship ever built. Here are the facts and figures behind the vessel which was officially commissioned into the Royal Navy December 7, 2017 HMS Queen Elizabeth, pictured, weighs some 65,000 tonnes and has a top speed of 25 knots and a four-acre flight deck The aircraft carrier weighs 65,000 tonnes and has a top speed in excess of 25 knots.

A number of ship building yards around the country were involved in the build - these include Govan and Scotstoun in Glasgow, Appledore in Devon, Cammell Laird in Birkenhead, Wirral, A&P on the Tyne in Newcastle and Portsmouth.

A total of 10,000 people worked on construction of the ship, made up in sections at yards around the UK and transported to Rosyth, Fife, where it was assembled.

It is the second ship in the Royal Navy to be named Queen Elizabeth.

The ship has a crew of around 700, that will increase to 1,600 when a full complement of F-35B jets and Crowsnest helicopters are embarked.

There are 364,000 metres of pipes inside the ship, and from keel to masthead she measures 56 metres, four metres more than Niagara Falls.

Facilities onboard include a chapel, a medical centre and 12-bed ward, staffed with GPs, a nurse and medical assistants, as well as a dentist and dental nurse.

There are also five gyms on the warship which include a cardiovascular suite, two free weight rooms and a boxing gym.

Regular fitness circuit sessions and sporting activities such as basketball and tug of war are held in the hangar and on the flight deck, with weights and other items stored inside the flight deck ramp.

The Captain of the ship was Angus Essenhigh

There are five galleys on the warship which is where the food is cooked and those on board eat their meals everyday. This includes two main galleys, the bridge mess and an aircrew refreshment bar.

The distribution network on board manages enough energy to power 30,000 kettles or 5,500 family homes.

Its flight deck is 280 metres long and 70 metres wide, enough space for three football pitches.

The entire ship's company of 700 can be served a meal within 90 minutes, 45 minutes when at action stations.

Recreational spaces enjoyed by the crew feature televisions and sofas, as well as popular board games including the traditional Royal Navy game of Uckers.

Each of the two aircraft lifts on HMS Queen Elizabeth can move two fighter jets from the hangar to the flight deck in 60 seconds.

The warship has a range of 8,000 to 10,000 nautical miles, and has two propellers - each weighing 33 tonnes and with a combined 80MW output of power - enough to run 1,000 family cars or 50 high speed trains. Advertisement
Children should be banned from going to school unless they are vaccinated against measles, experts have said.

A study warned that current vaccination policies are not sufficient to prevent a deadly resurgence of the disease in the next three decades.

Researchers said the UK should consider making vaccination compulsory for children before they start school.

A study warned that current vaccination policies are not sufficient to prevent a deadly resurgence of the disease in the next three decades

Scientists at the Bruno Kessler Foundation and Bocconi University in Milan, Italy, looked at vaccination trends in countries including the UK, Ireland, Australia, Italy and the US.

Existing research shows that 92.5 per cent of a population must be vaccinated against measles to protect the wider population through herd immunity. The figure currently stands at 96.3 per cent across all ages in Britain.

However the study, published in journal BMC, found that plummeting vaccination rates mean the proportion of the UK population that is immune will fall below the threshold needed to control measles by 2050. It called for the Government to introduce a policy of compulsory measles vaccination in the future.

Author Dr Stefano Merler said: Most of the countries we have studied would strongly benefit from the introduction of compulsory vaccination at school entry.

This strategy would allow the UK, Ireland and the US to reach stable herd immunity levels in the next decades.

Last month, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said that he wouldnt rule out such a ban but that the UK was not there yet.

He blamed fake news spread on social media  the antivaxx campaign  for the declining uptake after it was revealed half a million children in the UK were not vaccinated against measles between 2010 and 2017.

Last month, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said that he wouldnt rule out such a ban but that the UK was not there yet

Uptake of the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) jab fell for the fourth year running last year  while measles cases in England almost quadrupled to 966.

Simon Stevens, chief executive of NHS England, said that vaccine deniers  known as antivaxxers  are risking a public health timebomb. He said it is grossly irresponsible for anybody to spread scare stories and social media firms should have a zero-tolerance approach.

Professor Sonia Saxena, of Imperial College London, said the policy risks disenfranchising parents and carers as well as a rise in unvaccinated children being excluded from school  which could carry stigma for children whose parents do not comply.

Universities have been told they must play a role in identifying and inoculating students who are in danger.

For the first time, Public Health England has estimated the number of young adults left unvaccinated after the MMR scare of the early 2000s as 248,586.

Many parents refused to have their children vaccinated after British gastroenterologist Andrew Wakefield claimed in 1998 that it could cause autism.

Even though his findings were shown to be wrong and he was struck off, his claims led to the anti-vaxxer movement of those who believed vaccination was harmful.

Many children who were not immunised are now at university. Dr Mark Ramsay, head of immunisation at Public Health England, told The Times: We know concerns were higher among parents and vaccine coverage decreased at the time Wakefield was in the media.

These children are todays teenagers and young adults and, although most parents are now much more confident, the children may not have been offered another chance to be vaccinated.

Senior health officials have identified the Wakefield cohort as children who missed the jab between 1998 and 2005 and will still be susceptible to measles. A further 365,000 under 14 are also thought to be unvaccinated. Uptake of the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) jab fell for the fourth year running in the UK last year, when there were 966 cases of measles in England  an increase on 259 cases in 2017.

Dr Ramsay added: Any group missing out on vaccines leaves them and others vulnerable to serious or even fatal infections. Teenagers are a greater concern because they mix with more individuals.
Frenchman Edouard de Laboulaye first proposed the idea of a monument dedicated to freedom and liberty for the United States in 1865.

It was agreed that the American people were to build the pedestal, and the French people were responsible for the Statue and its assembly here in the United States.

The Statue was completed in France in July 1884 and arrived in New York Harbor in June 1885 aboard the French frigate 'Isere.' In transit, the Statue was reduced to 350 individual pieces and packed in 214 crates.

The Statue was reassembled on the pedestal in four months' time. On October 28, 1886, President Grover Cleveland oversaw the dedication of the Statue of Liberty in front of thousands of spectators.

The Statue of Liberty was dedicated in 1886. It stands just over 305 feet tall

The Statue is 305 feet, 1 inch from the ground to the tip of the flame. It is the equivalent height of a 22-story building. In 1886, it was the tallest structure in New York.

Visitors can climb an interior staircase to an observation area inside the statue's crown. The torch has been closed since the 'Black Tom' explosion of July 30, 1916, which was one of the largest acts of sabotage to the nation prior to the event of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941.

The torch is a symbol of enlightenment. The Statue of Liberty's torch symbolically lights the way to freedom showing us the path to Liberty.

Even the Statue's official name represents her most important symbol: 'Liberty Enlightening the World'.

The Statue's current replacement torch, added in 1986, is a copper flame covered in 24K gold.

It is reflective of the sun's rays in daytime and lighted by 16 floodlights at night. The original torch was removed in 1984 and has been put on display in the new museum on Liberty Island.
Ancient DNA has been recovered from rudimentary chewing gum spat out by a Stone Age human who lived in Sweden around 10,000 years ago.

The gum  which still bears the mark of its chewers' teeth - was made from tar created from the bark of birch trees.

The DNA the people left behind in their gum is the oldest known human DNA from Scandinavia, a region that has produced few human skeletal remains so far.

Analysis suggests that, despite using tools of eastern hunter-gatherer origin, the gum chewers were related to more western populations.

'This supports the theory that culture and genetic imports into Scandinavia came from two distinct routes  one from western Europe and the other from the east, in what is today Russia.

Ancient DNA has been recovered from rudimentary chewing gum (pictured) spat out by Stone Age humans who lived in Sweden around 10,000 years ago

The lumps of ancient chewing gum were unearthed from an archaeological site called Huseby-Klev, located on the west coast of Sweden, which has been dated back to around 10,000 years ago.

The early Mesolithic hunter-fisher peoples that lived at Huseby-Klev made the chewing gum from birch bar tar.

Along with being chewed, this material was also used by Stone Age peoples as a glue for the production of tools and other technologies.

Researchers from the University of Oslo and Stockholm University found that the DNA in the gum had been left behind by three individuals, specifically two women and a man.

Imprints of the three chewers' teeth can still be seen in some of the gum pieces.

The researchers were 'overwhelmed' by the results they got from the lumps of gum, said paper first author Natalija Kashuba, who is now based at Uppsala University.

'We stumbled into this almost "forensic research", sequencing DNA from these mastic lumps, which were spat out at the site some 10 000 years ago,' she said.

It is only thanks to recent advances in DNA sequencing technology that this studies like this are now achievable.

The Huseby Klev site was excavated in the 1990s, when it was not possible to sequence human DNA at all  let alone that preserved outside of human remains.

The team had been initially hesitant about the prospect of studying the ancient gum, Ms Kashuba added.

However, she said, they were 'really impressed that the archaeologists took care during the excavations and preserved such fragile material.'

Researchers found that the DNA in the gum had come from two women and a man. Imprints of the three chewers' teeth can still be seen in some of the ancient pieces of gum (pictured, a piece of gum, centre, with two casts on either side. Teeth imprints can be seen on all three)

'Demography analysis suggests that the genetic composition of Huseby Klev individuals show more similarity to western hunter-gatherer populations than eastern hunter-gatherers', said Stockholm University's Emrah Kirdok, who undertook the computer-based analysis of the ancient DNA.

These western hunter-gatherers included other populations in Sweden and early Mesolithic populations from Ice Age Europe.

But the tools archaeologists have found at the Huseby Klev site were based on a type of stone-based technology known to have been brought into Scandinavia from the East European Plain, in what today is Russia.

These findings support previous suggestions that migrations of culture and genetics into Scandinavia came along two different routes.

The Huseby Klev site was excavated in the 1990s (pictured). At this time, it was not possible to sequence human DNA at all  let alone that preserved outside of human remains

Few human bones from this time have been unearthed in Scandinavia and many of them have not being preserved well enough to yield DNA for analysis.

The successful sequencing of DNA from these pieces of ancient chewing gum reveals a second source of human genetic information that may also serve as a good proxy for ancient human bones in the field.

'DNA from these ancient chewing gums have an enormous potential,' said paper author and archaeologist Per Persson, of Oslo's Museum of Cultural History.

'Not only for tracing the origin and movement of peoples long time ago, but also for providing insights in their social relations, diseases and food,' he added.

'Much of our history is visible in the DNA we carry with us,' added fellow paper author Anders Gotherstrom, who is an archaeologist at Stockholm University.

'So we try to look for DNA where ever we believe we can find it.'

The full findings of the study were published in the journal Communications Biology.

The lumps of ancient chewing gum were unearthed from an archaeological site called Huseby-Klev, located on the west coast of Sweden, which dates back to around 10,000 years ago
Prescriptions such as wearing pigeons as slippers and diagnoses like 'witchcraft' leave the 17th century physicians with little in common with modern doctors.

But in one respect they are identical: their appalling handwriting.

Until now the illegible medical notes of self-taught 'celebrity doctors' Simon Forman and his protege Richard Napier have remained a mystery

However, researchers at the University of Cambridge have deciphered the texts of their 80,000 cases and placed some of the records online.

The doctors paraded through Elizabethan England professing to be able to heal people of anything from witchcraft to 'bloody flux'.

Consultation of the stars and a plethora of absurd treatments, including pigeon slippers, inscribed cheese and dog's liver.

The pair were considered 'quacks' by the medical field as they focused heavily on witchcraft and consulted angels to help treat their patients.

Many of their remedies focused on a combination of symbolism, religion, witchcraft and astrology alongside parts of the real world.

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The pair left behind notes on every one of their 80,000 cases, but it was written in almost illegible writing and has long remained a mystery. Researchers at the University of Cambridge have now deciphered the texts and placed some of the bizarre records online

The infamously poor writing of medical experts included these 17th-century astrologer-physicians, with experts calling their penmanship 'atrocious', 'messy' and 'archaic'.

Hence, it took ten years of ongoing research for their words to be understood.

A select record of the most intriguing and incredulous remedies has now been made readable to the modern audience online.

They spent centuries at Oxford's Bodleian Library and were in 66 calf-bound volumes.

Simon Forman (right) and his protege Richard Napier (left) paraded through Elizabethan England professing to be able to heal people of anything from witchcraft to 'bloody flux'. Consultation of the stars and a plethora of absurd treatments, including pigeon slippers, deer dung and boiled crab, were prescribed to patients

Treatments

Many of the cures involve purges, brews or the release of blood in a bid to realign the four humours - a belief that human health relied on a balance of phlegm, blood, yellow bile and black bile.

Often treatments focused on removing excess of one in order to counteract another.

It was a popular theory first founded by Hippocrates and abandoned as the world emerged from the Dark Ages and learned more about medicine and the body.

Harmful or suicidal thoughts were often considered to be witchcraft or demonic visitations, and the astrologers sold 'counter-spells' of incantations, sigils or blessed amulets.

Bad dreams, depression and love-sickness were just some of the phenomena they professed to cure - alongside venereal disease, animal bites and witchcraft.

The treatments often included a combination of magic, astronomy and primitive pharmaceuticals and made myriad unsupported and untrue claims.

Witchcraft

The records reveal a remarkable amount of their patients were crippled by witchcraft.

The remarkable tale of Edward Cleaver, who was a sickly 50-year-old who had blood let seven times in one year.

His affliction involved being 'sorely tempted with profane & ungodly thoughts & sometimes with an inward smiling & laughing in his heart'.

It is thought his ill thoughts ('kisse myne arse') stemmed from the witchery of a puppy-suckling neighbour.

Joan Broadbrok, who thought 'her children to be rats & mice' was another patient who was diagnosed with witchcraft.

The married 40-year-old was visited by the pair of doctors on Friday 14 June 1605 at 6:45am and she claimed to be possessed by an 'ill spirit'.

'The spirit tells her that he will burn her & drown her & seems to speak within her,' the notes reveal.

'A great rising in her stomach. Will take nothing. Cannot sleep at all. Mind much distempered this 7 years worse than others. Thinks her children to be rats & mice.'

Depression

Temperance Negoose of Dunton in Bedfordshire, 30 years, was visited on Tuesday 27 April 1619 at 9.38 am and appeared to struggle with symptoms of depression.

They write she was 'Despairing & offering to drown herself' as well as doubting God.

They prescribed her pigeon slippers ('a pigon slitt & applied to the sole of each foote') to help cure her affliction. There is no mention of if it was successful.

Angels

Mr Napier enjoyed employing the use of leeches and sought second opinions from angels. They allegedly offered simple diagnoses, such as 'he will die shortly'.

This specific patient, John Mobs of Wolverton, 53, angel Asariel disagreed with the other angel, Michael, and said: 'He is dead'.

Joan Carter of Denton, 27 years, was visited on Monday 17th June 1611, 9.25am and the doctors write that they again consulted the angel Asariel.

The angel, they say, told them: 'It will do her good by gods grace.'

Venereal disease

One of the most notable cases of someone suffering from a sexually transmitted disease is that of John Wilkinson.

He lost his hair to the 'French disease' and claimed the pain was akin to being 'thrust with a rapier in his privy parts'.

One patient suffered with the 'pox, with boils and itch' and was prescribed a combination of roses, violets, boiled crabs and deer dung.

Animal bites

There are a host of animal-related issues, including bites.

Richard Read of Alderton, 21 years, was bitten on the hand by a mad dog and the doctor's suggesting the offending animal's liver as well as a two step course of action.

The doctors write: '1 Cup him thrice with scarification. 2 Garlic herb of gare(?) salt treacle. Apply it & drink of the same for a weeks space.'

Edmond Hannell of Heath and Reach was 24 when he was seen by the doctors.

He had also been bitten by a mad dog, this time on the wrist.

Their treatment recommendation was: 'Take a piece of cheese with certain words written on it & also the dogs liver.'

WHO WERE SIMON FORMAN AND RICHARD NAPIER? Simon Forman (pictured) paraded through Elizabethan England professing to be able to heal people of anything from witchcraft to 'bloody flux' Simon Forman and his protege Richard Napier paraded through Elizabethan England professing to be able to heal people of anything from witchcraft to 'bloody flux'. Consultation of the stars and a plethora of absurd treatments, including pigeon slippers, deer dung and boiled crab, were prescribed to patients. Simon Forman was a rake and master of occult arts who turned to healing after allegedly curing himself of plague in 1592. He set up shop in London as a doctor who could use the stars to determine disease or predict solutions to problems as diverse as hauntings, heart pains and lost hawks. Richard Napier (pictured) was the protege of Richard Napier and carried on his work after he died in 1611 He was hounded by the medical establishment of the time, who considered him a 'quack', but his popular practice was continued by Richard Napier, a country rector and his astrological protege, when he died in 1611. Napier died in 1634. The astrologers worked in an unusual way. Their patients asked them a question and they would consult the stars to received a divine answers. They hastily scribbled notes of times and dates that were of interest in treating the patient and added other information - such as names, locations and the customer's query. Their notes - which have remained illegible for centuries - included hand-drawn astrological charts, a 'judgement' and prescribed remedies. Advertisement

'Our transcriptions are the very tip of the iceberg: thousands of pages of cryptic scrawl full of astral symbols, recipes for strange elixirs, and details from the lives of lords and cooksmaids suffering with everything from dog bites to broken hearts,' said Professor Lauren Kassell, from Cambridge's History and Philosophy of Science Department.

'It's taken ten years to sift through, edit and digitise all of the cases of Forman and Napier.

'The Casebooks Project has opened a wormhole into the grubby and enigmatic world of seventeenth-century medicine, magic and the occult.

'Channelled through the astrologers' pens are fragments of the health and fertility concerns, bewitchment fears and sexual desires from thousands of lives otherwise lost to history.'

The long project allowed the team to develop an intuition, they claim, for the meaning of the words, which enabled them to crack it.

The transcriptions include punctuation and modern spelling whereas the entire library is untouched.

'Napier produced the bulk of preserved cases, but his penmanship was atrocious and his records super messy,' said Professor Kassell.

'Forman's writing is strangely archaic, like he'd read too many medieval manuscripts. These are notes only intended to be understood by their authors.'

They say the presence of evil spirits was prevalent throughout the casebooks and their unusual approach may have worked as a 'proto-therapy'.

'For example, many women talked openly about their sex lives and fertility fears,' Professor Kassell added.
The oldest and biggest crater on the moon was likely created by a powerful asteroid impact that threw up material from deep inside, scientists say.

Analysis of data from China's Chang'e-4 mission has revealed substances from the moon's interior on the surface of the crater where the probe landed.

The discoveries at the Von Karmann crater, where the mission landed in January, provides further evidence that an enormous collision occurred at least 3.9 billion years ago.

Researchers on the study have suggested the possibility of bringing the material back to Earth for further study.

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The oldest and biggest crater on the moon likely came from a powerful asteroid impact that penetrated deep into the satellite's. The Yutu-2 rover has been studying material found in the landing site, known as the Von Karmen crater (pictured), that lies in the SPA basin

Chinas Change-4 mission landed on January 3. The mission's rover Yutu-2 has been studying material in the landing site, in the smaller Von Karman crater that lies within the South Pole-Aitken (SPA) basin.

The largest and oldest crater on the Earth's satellite, the SPA basin is located on the lunar far side measuring about 2,500-km-diameter wide.

The Yutu-2 rover has been roaming the Von Karman crater and collecting samples which it has now measured.

Looking at rock minerals found in the crater, China's Chang'e-4 probe has found parts of the moon's inner mantle on the crater's surface. The image above shows where the SPA lies in relation to the moon's south pole

Professor Chunlai Li and colleagues from the Chinese Academy of sciences saw differences between the spectral data that they obtained compared that observed belonging to typical surface material found on the moon.

The findings from the crater suggest the presence of low-calcium pyroxene and olivine minerals, which may originate from the upper mantle, on the surface.

The authors of the study argue that this material was dug up by an event that penetrated below the SPA surface layer at a nearby crater 72-km-diameter Finsen crater event, and transported to the landing site.

It likely came from a massive asteroid collision that happened billions of years ago.

The authors wrote: 'A basin this large would be the best candidate to have penetrated below the crust and deep into the lunar interior, excavating lunar mantle and distributing it on the surface in the form of ejecta and impact melt deposits.'

This discoveries indicate that a collision event which happened at least 3.9 billion years ago penetrated deep into the interior and brought it up to the surface. The image shows the Chang'e-4 lander

Chinas ChangE-4 mission's Yutu-2 rover (pictured) has found presence of material from the moon's deep layers at its landing site on the far side of the moon

'Evidence obtained from orbiting spacecraft shows that the floor of the SPA basin is rich in mafic [richer in iron and magnesium] minerals, but their mantle origin is controversial and their in situ geologic settings are poorly known.

Continued exploration by Yutu-2 will target these materials on the floor of the Von Karman crater to understand their geologic context, origin and abundance, and to assess the possibility of sample-return scenarios.

The detailed structure of the Moons mantle has eluded investigators for years and, in order to solve this problem, attention has focused on impact craters.

It is thought that the events leading to their creation may have penetrated the crust into the lunar interior, excavating parts of the mantle and distributing them on the surface.

The findings could provide further insights into the composition of the Moons mantle.

The full report is published in Nature.

WHAT IS THE SPA BASIN? The South Pole-Aitken (SPA) is the oldest and largest crater or 'impact basin' on the moon. It's diameter is roughly 2,500 km or 1,550 miles. The moon's circumference is just under 11,000 km, meaning the basin stretches across nearly a quarter of the moon. The basin is more than 8 km (5 miles) deep and is dotted with smaller craters that lie within, covers almost a quarter of the satellite's circumference. Lunar samples suggest that most of the major basins on the moon formed around 3.9 billion years ago in a period called the late heavy bombardment. Scientists are trying to gather more information about this episode and its wider significance for the solar system. During this period, a large number of big impacts occurred at nearly the same time and scientists think this impact created the SPA basin, either 3.9 billion years ago or earlier. Such a large number of big impacts occurring at nearly the same time may have been due to unusual gravitational dynamics in the early Solar System. If so, that impact is strong evidence that it was an extreme event that would have affected all of the planets in the solar system, including Earth. If the basin is much older than 3.9 million years, however, then it a a peak earlier on and much more spaced out events. Scientists are sampling materials from the interior of the basin and using radiometric age-dating techniques to determine when they were last molten, to find out their age. Heat from the impact would have melted a large volume of material, resetting radiometric clocks. But the basin is so old that its surface has been cratered many times over, meaning that some of the rocks would have had their radiometric ages reset by these subsequent impacts. So it may be difficult to find rocks with ages that truly reflect the SPA event without careful consideration of the local geology. Advertisement

The Chinese mission made the first-ever landing on the far side at 10.26am local time (2.26am GMT),

The far side of the moon - colloquially known as the dark side - actually gets as much light as the near side but always faces away from Earth. This is because the moon is tidally locked to Earth, rotating at the same rate that it orbits our planet, so the far side - or the 'dark side' - is never visible from our planet.

This relatively unexplored region is mountainous and rugged, making a successful landing much harder to achieve.

The Chang'e-4 will has been studying the famous Von Karman crater in the Aitken basin, the largest impact crater in the entire solar system at eight miles (13 km) deep and 1,600 miles (2,500 km) in diameter.

It has been tasked with carrying out mineral and radiation tests, presenting scientists with the first-ever chance to examine materials from the far side of the moon.

The landing site on the Moon of space shuttle Chang'e-4 has was officially named 'Statio Tianhe' or The Milky Way Base, at a Beijing conference in February.

The name, along with others for three craters and a peak nearby, were agreed by the China National Space Administration, Chinese Academy of Sciences and the International Astronomical Union.

Naming landing locations on planets is common practice, led by the United States and the former Soviet Union on their lunar explorations.

The Chinese names allude to ancient folklore, with the term Tianhe meaning Milky Way, its literal translation being 'sky-river' in Mandarin.

The Lunar explorer touched down at 10.26am local time (2.26am GMT). While stationed on the moon, Chang'e-4 will attempt to recce the Von in the Aitken basin, the largest impact crater in the entire solar system at eight miles (13 km) deep and 1,600 miles (2,500 km) in diameter

There have been numerous landings on the moon as a result of the 20th century space race between the US and the USSR. After Luna 24 landed on August 18 the next lunar landing was the Chinese mission Chang'e-3 on December 14 2013. Chang'e-4 is the first spacecraft to land on the far side of the moon

Previous spacecraft have seen the far side of the moon, but none has landed on it.

Beijing is pouring billions into the military-run programme, with hopes of having a crewed space station by 2022, and of eventually sending humans to the moon.

The Chang'e-4 lunar probe mission - named after the moon goddess in Chinese mythology - launched last December from the southwestern Xichang launch centre.

It is the second Chinese probe to land on the moon, following the Yutu rover mission in 2013.

China has announced that in honour of this success the rover on-board Chang'e-4 has been named Yutu 2.
There'll be no hiding behind the sofa to watch the newest episode of Doctor Who, as virtual reality puts viewers inside the TARDIS with current Doctor Jodie Whittaker.

The interactive story  which is now available for free on the Oculus Store, Vive Port, and the BBC's VR app  makes fans into companions of the time-travelling hero.

In the VR experience, the fate of the universe is at stake as the Doctor tries to save a lost but powerful entity who is being chased by a squad of galactic busybodies.

For UK fans without virtual reality, the adventure is also showing at certain libraries as part of the BBC VR Hub's tour.

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There'll be no hiding behind the sofa to watch the newest animated episode of Doctor Who, as VR puts viewers inside the TARDIS with current Doctor Jodie Whittaker (pictured)

Written by Victoria Asare-Archer and directed by Mathias Chelebourg, Doctor Who: The Runaway allow fans of the long-running science fiction show to become the Doctor's latest travelling companion by donning a VR headset.

Equipped with a sonic screwdriver, viewers will help the Doctor return a lost, teenaged alien entity home to his parents before he explodes  all while fending off the nefarious plans of a 'squad of galactic busybodies'.

The adventure features an animated version of the Doctor's current regeneration as played by Jodie Whittaker, who voices the mysterious time-traveller in the special virtual reality offering.

'The show has been pushing boundaries for over 55 years, and VR enables Doctor Who to explore a whole new dimension of storytelling,' said Zillah Watson, who is the the head of the BBC's VR Hub that helped produce the experience.

'Viewers truly are in for a treat  for those who ever dreamed of helping to pilot the TARDIS, this is your opportunity,' said Jo Pearce, creative director of the BBCs digital drama team.

'Fans will find themselves at the centre of this wonderfully animated story, helped by the natural charm and humour of Jodie Whittaker, in an adventure that really captures the magic of Doctor Who.'

Doctor Who: The Runaway premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival, in New York City, on April 26, 2019.

The adventure will be available to experience in two different versions.

High-end virtual reality systems such as the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive will be able to play a 13-minute-long interactive version.

Meanwhile, an 11-minute 360 video of the story will be available in the BBC VR app for mid-range headsets such as the Oculus Go and Samsung Gear VR.

The dramatic experience is underscored by original music written by the show's current composer, Segun Akinola.

The interactive story  which is now available for free on the Oculus Store, Vive Port, and the BBC's VR app  puts fans at the side of the time-travelling hero

The fate of the universe is at stake as the Doctor tries to save a lost but powerful entity who is being chased by a squad of galactic busybodies

WHAT PERILS AWAIT VIEWERS IN DOCTOR WHO: THE RUNAWAY? The BBC has released the following teaser: Youve been in a collision. You wake inside the TARDIS. The Doctor introduces you to the person, or thing, you collided with. Hes a strange and magnificent ball of living energy called Volta. Part surly teenager, part bomb, Volta is very unstable. In fact, hes primed to explode. Big time. Unless he can be returned to his home planet, sharpish. The problem is, a squad of galactic busybodies has other plans for Volta. Bad ones. Drawn into a frantic chase, you become the Doctors unlikely assistant as she races against time to get Volta home to his parents. Armed with a sonic screwdriver, it is down to you to help the Doctor as she faces the forces of evil, and teenage angst, in this animated 13-minute VR adventure from the team behind Doctor Who Series 11. Advertisement

Ms Watson said she hopes that the interactive story will inspire more people to try out virtual reality.

'This is the most ambitious project yet from our team in the BBC VR Hub, she said.

'The result is a magical adventure that Doctor Who fans everywhere will simply love.

'It also shows the enormous potential that virtual reality has for creating new kinds of experiences that appeal to mainstream audiences.'

For those whovians who don't have VR headsets at home, the adventure is also being made available at certain local libraries in the UK, as part of the BBC VR Hub's tour.

The tour schedule, which is updated weekly, can be seen on the BBC website.

Written by Victoria Asare-Archer and directed by Mathias Chelebourg, Doctor Who: The Runaway allow fans of the long-running science fiction show to become the Doctor's latest travelling companion by donning a VR headset
Photo: merica.aljazeera.com

Last summer, the Vancouver Sun reported that the RCMP suspect that arson could be behind as many as 29 different wildfires near communities such as:

Naramata

Okanagan Falls

Osoyoos

Oliver

Penticton

Summerland

Lake Country.

More concerning is that many of these fires were deliberately set in areas close to residential housing.

This not only threatens public safety, but frequently creates the need for an evacuation order.

While wildfires, flooding and other disasters often bring out the best in people as they work together to save lives, animals and homes, it can also bring out the worst.

There is a small segment of the population who use evacuation orders as an opportunity to engage in criminal actions such as looting, vandalizing and stealing from evacuated family's homes.

These despicable acts occurred last year to evacuated homeowners in communities such as Williams Lake and 100 Mile House.

Looting is not unique to B.C.; it has also occurred after floods in Atlantic Canada and the tornado strike that occurred in Quebec.

The threat of looting creates anxiety and even resistance to evacuate a residence, which is not only a threat to public safety, it can also considerably increase the challenges for first responders.

In my view, those individuals who use disasters as an opportunity to abuse public trust and prey on people at their most vulnerable times must be held accountable.

That is why I have proposed a private members bill, Bill C-447, to take action against looting.

My bill proposes to amend the Criminal Code so that committing a crime and taking advantage of an evacuation order for those experiencing a natural disaster or emergency is to be considered an aggravating circumstance for sentencing purposes.

Ultimately this bill, if passed, would create new legal tools for judges when it comes to sentencing those found guilty of looting.

I believe it is important that Canadians experiencing the trauma of a natural disaster have the increased confidence that our criminal justice system has their back.

As my bill was only just tabled this week, it is unclear whether the Liberals, NDP and Green Party will support of it.

My question this week:

Are you supportive of my latest private members bill?

I can be reached at [email protected] or call toll free 1-800-665-8711.
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The 'heavenly' tropical islands that inspired Charles Darwin's first paper and book are now almost completely covered in 414million pieces of plastic.

Once famed for their unspoilt beauty, the Cocos Islands off the coast of Australia were an important stop on the biologist's Beagle voyage in 1836.

However, the islands are now overrun by rubbish, including millions of pieces of plastic, scores of water bottles and hundreds of thousands of toothbrushes.

About 90 per cent of the overwhelming 238 tonnes of waste on the islands is buried beneath the surface.

The 'heavenly' tropical Cocos Islands that inspired Charles Darwin's first paper and book are now almost completely covered in 414million pieces of plastic (pictured)

Scientists from the University of Tasmania collected plastic, glass, wood, and metal items from 25 beaches on seven islands across 110 sq m.

About 25 per cent of the rubbish collected was disposable plastics, including straws, bags, and toothbrushes.

The remote Cocos Islands - also known as the Keeling Islands - are located between Australia and Sri Lanka in the Indian Ocean. Only two of its 27 coral islands are inhabited.

Just over half of the rubbish on the islands is made up of small pieces known as micro-debris that are between 2 and 5mm in length.

Dr Jennifer Kavers, who surveyed the islands as part of the study, said they were 'canaries in a coal mine'.

'It's increasingly urgent that we act on the warnings they are giving us,' she said.

'Our estimate of 414million pieces weighing 238 tonnes on Cocos is conservative, as we only sampled down to a depth of four inches (10cm) and couldn't access some beaches that are known debris 'hot spots'.

Famed for their unspoilt beauty, the beaches of the Cocos Islands were visited by Charles Darwin in 1836 during his Beagle voyage. Pictured: Dr Jennifer Lavers

The remote Cocos Islands - also known as the Keeling Islands - are located between Australia and Sri Lanka in the Indian Ocean

'The plastic on Cocos was largely single-use consumer items such as bottle caps and straws, as well as a large number of shoes and thongs.'

Report co-author Dr Annett Finger, from Victoria University in Melbourne, called for a decrease in the amount of plastic produced globally.

'An estimated 12.7million tonnes of plastic entered our oceans in 2010 alone, with around 40 per cent of plastics entering the waste stream in the same year they're produced,' Dr Finger said.

'As a result of the growth in single-use consumer plastics, it's estimated there are now 5.25 trillion pieces of ocean plastic debris.

Around 25 per cent of the rubbish (pictured) collected in the latest study were classified as disposable plastics, including straws, bags, and toothbrushes

'Plastic pollution is a well-documented threat to wildlife and its potential impact on humans is a growing area of medical research.'

Darwin's visit to Cocos in 1836 provided him with the opportunity to look for support for his theory, and became central to his theory of coral reef development that led to his first paper and book on the subject.

He argued that volcanic islands in the tropical Pacific Ocean slowly allowed the formation of an living system that included ringed reefs, barrier reef, and a circular island.

The islands are lined with exotic palm trees while its turquoise waters offer world-class diving, snorkelling and excellent fishing.

Report co-author Dr Annett Finger, from Victoria University in Melbourne, called for a decrease in the amount of plastic produced globally

Brad Farmer released a book crowning Cossies Beach in the Cocos Islands as the best in Australia, calling it 'near to perfect', while travel writers have described the islands as being 'heaven on Earth'.

Dr Finger said the large scale of plastic production meant cleaning up the oceans was 'currently not possible'.

'The only viable solution is to reduce plastic production and consumption while improving waste management to stop this material entering our oceans in the first place,' she said.

The full report is published in the journal Scientific Reports.
German air taxi startup Lilium has announced the first test flight of its full-scale, all-electric five-seater air taxi.

The company, which has built the jet-powered flying car, flew an unmanned test flight of its vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) system earlier this month.

It was the latest in a series of successful tests from various companies in the electric flight industry indicating that we could be seeing flying cars in the skies soon.

The jet has 36 engines which allow it to take off vertically, and has a maximum top speed of 80mph (300 kmph) and a range of 80 miles.

According to the tech firm, its flying taxi would allow users to travel from London to Manchester in less than an hour.

The Lilium jet, which can operate with a pilot or in drone mode, is a relatively simple design - with no tail, no rudder, no propellers and no gearbox.

This has allowed the design team to focus on more passenger-friendly features, including panoramic windows and gull-wing doors.

They hope to have a fleet of the systems flying in cities worldwide by 2025, providing a flying taxi service, similar to Uber.

Passengers would book a taxi from a local landing strip or purpose-built landing pad, to fly them on short haul trips, according to the firm.

In a video provided by the company, Lilium's unpiloted aircraft can be seen taking off vertically like a helicopter, hovering briefly, and then landing.

German air taxi startup Lilium has announced the first test flight of its full-scale, all-electric five-seater air taxi. The company, which has built the jet-powered flying car, flew an unmanned test flight of its vertical takeoff and landing

Although it may seem liek a small step, the successful flight already pust them much farther than many of its competitors who are also building electric aircraft.

'We have been working on this test for the last 20 months,' said Remo Gerber, chief commercial officer at Lilium.

'Just on the take off and landing. What will come next is a test flight programme that will put it through its paces to get certified.'

Mr Gerber would not provide any details about the jets weight capacity, but he insisted that it will eventually be able to carry five passengers and a pilot.

Lilium's 'payload ratio is industry-leading, and that's what is going to make the difference,' he told the Verge.

It was the latest in a series of successful tests for the nascent electric flight industry indicating that we could be seeing flying cars in the skies soon. The jet has 36 engines which allow it to take off vertically, and has a maximum top speed of 80mph (300 kmph) and a range of 80 miles

The Lilium jet, which can operate with a pilot or in drone mode, is a relatively simple design - with no tail, no rudder, no propellers and no gearbox. This has allowed the design team to focus on more passenger-friendly features, including panoramic windows and gull-wing doors

The firm claim to have built aircraft in under two years, having grown its team from just 30 people in 2017 to more than 300.

This follows an injection of $90m (70m) from investing giants such as China's Tencent and venture capital firm Atomico.

Other companies are also looking to launch their own flying taxi service.

Uber has promised it will launch a fleet of air taxis in a pilot project in Dallas and Los Angeles by 2023 and Boeing is also building its own electric flying taxi aircraft.
Glass found in the Egyptian desert was created by a meteorite impact around 29 million years ago, unravelling a riddle almost a century in the making.

Researchers believe that the origin of the so-called Libyan Desert Glass scattered across the Saharan desert in Egypt and Libya formed when an asteroid exploded in the Earths atmosphere.

Glass forms naturally when molten material cools so quickly that the molecules can't settle into an ordered structure, like a crystal.

The glass has been found in ancient jewellery, including a scarab carved from the material which features in pectoral jewellery buried beside Tutankhamun.

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Glass found in the Egyptian desert was created by a meteorite impact around 29 million years ago, unravelling a riddle almost a century in the making. Researchers believe that the origin of the so-called Libyan Desert Glass scattered across the Saharan desert in Egypt

Previous studies have claimed that the tiny greenish-yellow fragments were caused by an atmospheric air burst when asteroids, or Near Earth Objects, explode and shoot particles through the Earth's atmosphere.

They say that the resulting airblast would have washed over the Egyptian desert, dumping vast amounts of heat into the sand.

The researchers, from Curtin University in Australia, examined the tiny grains of the mineral zircon in samples of the glass, which is found over several thousand square kilometres in western Egypt.

Zircons in the glass preserved evidence of the former presence of a high-pressure mineral named reidite, which only forms during a meteorite impact.

'It has been a topic of ongoing debate as to whether the glass formed during meteorite impact, or during an airburst,' said Aaron Cavosie, from Curtin University, who led the study.

'Both meteorite impacts and airbursts can cause melting, however, only meteorite impacts create shock waves that form high-pressure minerals.'

Mr Cavosie said that finding evidence of former reidite confirms it was created as the result of a meteorite impact.

The idea that the glass may have formed during a large atmospheric airburst gained popularity after a dramatic airburst over Russia in 2013.

Glass forms naturally when molten material cools so quickly that the molecules can't settle into an ordered structure, like a crystal. The glass has been found in ancient jewellery, including a scarab carved from the material which features in pectoral jewellery buried beside Tutankhamun

Previous studies have claimed that the tiny greenish-yellow fragments were caused by an atmospheric air burst when asteroids, or Near Earth Objects, explode and shoot particles through the Earth's atmosphere. Pictured, the Coffinette for the Viscera of Tutankhamun

The researchers, from Curtin University in Australia, examined the tiny grains of the mineral zircon in samples of the glass, which is found over several thousand square kilometres in western Egypt

The airburst caused extensive property damage and injury to humans but did not cause surface materials to melt.

'Previous models suggested that Libyan desert glass represented a large, 100-megatonnes (Mt) class airburst, but our results show this is not the case,' Mr Cavosie said.

'Meteorite impacts are catastrophic events, but they are not common.

'Airbursts happen more frequently, but we now know not to expect a Libyan desert glass-forming event in the near future, which is cause for some comfort,' he said.

The findings could help scientists understand the possible threat posed by potential asteroid strikes.

The findings were published in the journal Geology.
There will be a new striker coming to the Premier League next season in the shape of Maxi Gomez, according to reports.

The Guardian claims that the Celta Vigo star has attracted interest from West Ham, Tottenham and Liverpool.

The 22-year-old has a 43million release clause but according to Estadio Deportivo that would be slashed to 21.7m if Celta were relegated this season.

Celta Vigo striker Maxi Gomez is being eyed up by Liverpool, Tottenham and West Ham United

Celta sit three points above the relegation zone in La Liga with one game to go. Going into Saturday night's finale they host already-relegated Rayo Vallecano.

Gomez has endured a mixed campaign at the Estadio Balaidos. Despite scoring 13 goals in La Liga this season, he has has netted just five in his last 21 appearances.

In the 2017-18 term he scored 17 goals as Celta finished 13th.

Overall the Uruguayan has hit 30 La Liga goals in 67 starts since joining from Defensor Sporting in 2017.
Manchester United have made an approach for Robert Lewandowski as he continues to stall on a new Bayern Munich deal, according to reports in Germany.

The Bundesliga giants are attempting to get their star man to commit to a new deal this summer but Lewandowski has doubts over extending his stay at the Allianz Arena.

According to German publication Kicker, Bayern will make one final push to get the striker to sign a new contract following the German Cup final against RB Leipzig on May 25.

Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski is wanted by Manchester United this summer

The 30-year-old's current deal expires in the summer of 2021 and Bayern want to extend that by a further year.

However, the Poland international could be swayed by a move away having been the subject of enquiries from United, as well as Ligue 1 giants Paris Saint-Germain.

Lewandowski has caught the eye of United for a while now and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is looking to rebuild his squad after a disappointing sixth-placed finish in the Premier League.

United are searching for a striker to lead the line and fire them back into the Champions League at the first time of asking.

Lewandowski has scored 22 goals in 32 Bundesliga appearances for Bayern this season

Lewandowski is set to yet again win the Bundesliga Golden Boot, having scored 22 times in 32 appearances in the German top-flight this season.

The striker sits four goals clear of Borussia Dortmund's Paco Alcacer in the goalscoring charts with just one match remaining.

Lewandowski is also on the verge of winning yet another Bundesliga title with Bayern, with his side needing just a point from their final game against Frankfurt.
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An airport in midtown Manhattan, a Gothic tower in Union Square and a Grecian-inspired monument on Roosevelt Island.

They might seem like wacky throwaway ideas.

But they were all once ambitious, considered plans that could have changed the face of New York forever.

Of course, none of these schemes went ahead - the amount of money it would have cost to bring them to life proved too much.

But luckily these fascinating illustrations show just what the Big Apple could have looked like had these plans been given the green light.

Scroll down to step into the New York that might have been...

Midtown Manhattan Airport

In 1946, it was reported that a hugely ambitious construction project called 'New York Citys Dream Airport' was in the works. The proposed airport would have stretched for 144 blocks from 24th to 71st Streets and from Ninth Avenue to the Hudson River. The design for the airport was by real-estate mogul William Zeckendorf, who at the time owned the famous Chrysler Building and the Astor Hotel. The airport would have risen 200 feet above street level and would have had piers and docks for commercial and passenger ships to anchor at

Of course, the idea for the airport never came to fruition. Maybe because the estimated construction cost was $3billion - the equivalent of $39billion today. Despite the eye-watering cost, Zeckendorf was confident that the airport would pay for itself within 55 years, thanks to the level of rental income generated by the many retail units, restaurants and companies that would have occupied the space beneath the landmark runway

Roosevelt Island

In response to frustration surrounding New York's lack of civic centres at the turn of the 20th century, Thomas J George proposed regenerating Blackwell's Island (now known as Roosevelt Island) in 1904 from a collection of insane asylums, workhouses and quarantine hospitals into a neo-classical, Grecian-inspired civic centre complex

Georges design would truly have been a sight to behold with the municipal building stretching over seven blocks and standing at a height of 600 feet. The re-design for the island came around the same time that many American architects were keen on replicating the style of the Acropolis and the neo-classical principles of symmetry, splendor and balance

How Roosevelt Island looks today. It lies in the East River between Manhattan and Queens with the Queensboro Bridge running overhead. Most of the buildings on the island today are residential

Roosevelt Island was originally called Blackwell's Island before becoming known as Welfare Island in the 1920s, due to its hospitals and asylums. In 1973 it was renamed Roosevelt Island after President Franklin D Roosevelt

George Washington Monument

In 1822, Calvin Pollard proposed the George Washington Monument, which was officially approved by the City. The monument was to be 425 feet high, located within Union Square and had an estimated build cost of $400,000 (311,000) - that's about $8,200,000 (6,395,180) in today's money

The monument was to be built from granite in a Gothic style. It would have been almost double the height of any other building in the city and would have contained over 400,000 books within a library. The second floor was to house a statue of George Washington holding the Declaration of Independence

A cornerstone ceremony even took place for the monument, which is believed to have later been incorporated into the foundation of Mount Sinai Hospital in its previous location on Lexington Avenue. However, one of the main objectors to the project was the Broadway Journal despite the publication previously complaining about the lack of commemorative monuments in the city

Pollard's proposal was never constructed due to objections over the design and a lack of available funds for the monument

On the July 4, 1856, a bronze statue of George Washington on horseback, sculpted by Henry Kirke Brown, was unveiled in Union Square. It is still on show today

Times Square Tower

As recently as the 1970s, Times Square had a reputation for being crime ridden and seedy. To change this the Municipal Art Society and the National Endowment for the Arts launched a competition in 1984 for ideas to regenerate the area. One entry was by George Ranalli, who proposed building a totem-style tower in the middle of the tourists mecca

The tower would have featured a sphere nestled within the body of the building and a pyramid design at the top. It was intended to reflect the theatrical and eccentric nature of Times Square

The competition to regenerate Times Square offered a $10,000 prize for the winner and received more than 500 entries ranging from the classical to the bizarre - though none of the submissions were actually built

Now, Times Square draws in 50million visitors each year, more than any other US attraction. There are also laws in place that require buildings within the district to have a minimum amount of display lighting
Footage has emerged from the rave inside a protected marine park near Ibiza that saw 17 boats blast non-stop dance music for 13 hours.

A party boat company is now potentially facing a huge fine after police were called to the island of Formentera following complaints from fed-up residents about the noise.

Now a video from the party, which started at 10am on Sunday, has been posted on social media showing revellers drinking, dancing and whizzing around on jet skis.

Pictures have emerged of revellers on party boats that moored inside a protected marine park near Ibiza for 13 hours

Video from the party on Sunday, which started at 10am, has been posted on social media showing revellers drinking, dancing and whizzing around on jet skis

Small yachts can be seen lined up close to the shoreline of the Freus nature reserve - a site of community interest - and party-goers on flyboards can be seen hovering above the water.

Fifteen of the boats, of various lengths, were moored side by side about 30 metres from the coast with two, which played the music, nearer the shoreline.

The Civil Guard's nature protection service, Seprona, has since filed a report against the charter company for breaching the rules.

Party-goers on flyboards hovered above the water and small yachts lined up close to the shoreline of the Freus nature reserve - a site of community interest

Formentera, pictured, is one of the smallest Balearic islands

The Spanish press says the party was organised by a boat company based in Ibiza, which offers different services and nautical experiences with their boats.

However, the name of the company has not yet been confirmed by the local council or Civil Guard.

Formentera Council has filed a complaint with the Civil Guard and maritime authority and says it will be asking the Balearic Government to impose sanctions.

Police have warned they will be carrying out regular patrols this summer and any illegal party boats will be raided and the organisers fined.

If boats cause damage in the protected area, they can face fines of between 6,000 to 450,000 euros (5,225 to 392,075), according to local media.
Southern Charm star Kathryn Dennis claims her ex Thomas Ravenel 'removed' her from her circle of family and friends when she became pregnant with their daughter Kensington, and kept the news under wraps.

'He moved me immediately to a different state, kept my pregnancy a secret until the day I gave birth,' Dennis, 27, told People Wednesday ahead of her show's sixth season premiere.

Dennis shares two kids - daughter Kensington, five, and son Saint Julien, three - with Ravenel, 56. She said she was still unaware how many people knew she was expecting Kensington until she began receiving inquiries from media outlets about her newborn.

The latest: Southern Charm star Kathryn Dennis, 27, claims her ex Thomas Ravenel, 56, 'removed' her from her circle of family and friends when she became pregnant with their daughter Kensington, and kept the news under wraps

'It was just very, very odd circumstances,' the reality star said. 'I received a call in the hospital bed. And then it was, "Okay, now people know."'

Dennis said Ravenel 'was not necessarily present, even mentally' for her during the time-frame, leaving her feeling 'sad and scared and lonely and confused and quarantined and isolated.'

Said Dennis: 'I was just trying to understand what was going on with the other person... I'd cry a lot, it was all new. I didn't have anyone.'

Dennis and Ravenel have been embroiled in a bitter custody battle over the past three years, with Ravenel receiving full custody of the two children in 2016 after Dennis had tested positive for marijuana use.

At odds: Dennis and Ravenel currently have joint custody of two kids, daughter Kensington, five, and son Saint Julien, three

Better times: Ravenel and Dennis embraced at an event in March of 2015

Dennis subsequently finished rehab and a court has subsequently granted her joint custody; last fall, she asked a Charleston, South Carolina court for full custody of the children in the wake of Ravenel's arrest in connection with assault and battery charges; via his attorney, Ravenel has denied the allegations against him.

DailyMail.com this week obtained a deposition his children's former nanny Dawn Ledwell gave in the custody clash, which included a series of jarring claims against Ravenel. They included allegations of him abusing cocaine and alcohol, and perpetrating acts of domestic violence against Dennis.

Southern Charm airs Wednesday on Bravo at 8/7c.
The Bachelor's Brooke Blurton has opened up about her 'fungal' skin condition, after fans noticed unusual marks on her back in photos.

Taking to Instagram on Wednesday, the 24-year-old youth worker explained that people had been asking her for a while to explain her 'spotty' back.

She wrote: 'You guys asked me about the "spots" on my back. It's actually a skin pigmentation. I get it occasionally, usually in the summer. It's a type of "fungal".'

Mystery solved! The Bachelor's Brooke Blurton has revealed the surprising reason she has a 'spotty' back - after fans noticed the unusual marks in photos

She added: 'I know, gross. It's a fungal/bacteria of the skin, leading it to spread.

'When I've been in the sun for too long, they come out more. Then in the winter, I treat them and they go away. I'm in the process of treating them right now.'

Brooke explained she has suffered from the skin condition since she was a little girl.

'It's actually a skin pigmentation': Taking to Instagram on Wednesday, the 24-year-old youth worker explained that she gets white spots on her back in the summer months

'They've always been a part of me since I was young. They got me to a point where they covered most of my chest but they've not been that bad since,' she wrote.

Brooke manages the condition by practicing sun safety measures.

'I use sunscreen and don't roast myself as [much as] I used to!' she added.

Issue: Brooke explained she has suffered from the skin condition since she was a little girl

Meanwhile, Brooke is living her best life after debuting her new boyfriend Nick Power last month.

Shortly after her departure from Bachelor in Paradise, she shared a handful of photos of the couple alongside caption: 'I am so happy to announce that I have found love.

'It's with a beautiful beautiful man who I cannot express how lucky I am to have in my life. You have no idea how relieved I am to openly and honestly say this out loud!

'Thank you for all that have been on my journey to find love.'
She's currently busy carving out a Hollywood career for herself in Tinsletown.

And Home and Away's Pia Miller, 35, was cheering on her son, Isaiah Powell, from across the pond on Wednesday when he made his big debut at Fashion Week in Sydney.

Isaiah, 15, took to the catwalk at Sydney's Luna Park stage to model for American designer Justin Cassin.

Following in his mother's footsteps! Pia Miller's son Isaiah Powell, 15, made his modelling debut at Sydney Fashion Week on Wednesday evening

Proud! Pia, who is currently in Los Angeles for work, was cheering on her teenage son from across the pond

Looking right at home, Isaiah stormed the runaway in an edgy, all-black outfit to the sounds of audience cheers and a dance-hall soundtrack.

While Pia couldn't attend the show, she had several spies in the audience to cheer him on.

Fellow Home and Away actors Caleb Alloway and Jackson Heywood, who were among the stadium-sized crowd, made sure to update the proud mum of her son's efforts by tagging her in all their Instagram stories.

Proud mum: On her own account, Pia gushed over her 'little man' in a series of snaps taken from the show

On her own account, Pia gushed over her 'little man' in a series of snaps taken from the show.

'Oh man, my heart,' she wrote in one post.

In another, Pia thanked Olympic swimmer Michael Klim, who also modeled in the show, for looking after him.

Passing down the baton: Michael Klim posed with Pia's son backstage at the show

In a photo taken by Michael, 41, the pair were seen posing for a a selfie backstage.

The gold medalist captioned the picture: 'the very old and the new'.

Isaiah's debut comes after reports emerged that Pia and her fiance Tyson Mullane, 30, have ended their engagement.

Pia and Tyson first sparked split rumours in January when fans took to Instagram to ask about the status of the couple's relationship.

Mentor: Pia thanked the Olympic gold medalist for looking after her son

The Daily Telegraph claimed that Pia and Tyson had ended their engagement after 18 months.

The paper alleged that the couple have 'recently moved out of their shared home' but that the split is amicable and they remain 'close friends'.

Pia shares on Lenny, 12, with former AFL star Brad Miller, while Isaiah is from a previous relationship.
Photo: Contributed

North Okanagan tourism operators will have an opportunity to discuss the future of the industry with federal Tourism Minister Melanie Joly.

On May 23, Joly will take part in a breakfast roundtable hosted by the Armstrong Spallumcheen and Greater Vernon chambers of commerce at Fairways Bistro in Armstrong. Joly will speak about the new federal tourism strategy and how it will create new opportunities and jobs for the middle class in the tourism sector across Canada.

"We are excited that Minister Joly is visiting the North Okanagan and is taking time to meet directly with tourism operators to learn about their success stories but also what challenges they face as businesses," said Patti Noonan, executive director of the Armstrong Spallumcheen Chamber of Commerce.

"The visit of Minister Joly is a great opportunity for our chamber to work with our counterparts in Armstrong Spallumcheen as the benefits of tourism know no boundaries," said Dione Chambers, general manager of the Greater Vernon Chamber of Commerce.

Registration for the roundtable event begins at 8:15 a.m. and Fairways Bistro is located at 2440 York Ave.

Tickets are $15, including a light breakfast, and are available through the Armstrong Spallumcheen Chamber of Commerce.
Jenelle Evans' husband David Eason was behind $4,100 on his monthly child support to his ex Olivia Leedham, leading the recently-fired Teen Mom 2 personality to pay his tab to keep him out of jail.

Evans, 27, and Eason, 30, have been in the news as of late amid her firing from the MTV series after he fatally shot the family's pet dog Nugget, claiming the French bulldog had behaved aggressively toward their two-year-old daughter Ensley.

North Carolina judge Melinda Crouch on May 3 ordered Eason to settle up his tab with Leedham, who he shares two kids with (daughter Maryssa, 11, and son Kaden, five), according to court docs in the case posted on Radar.

The latest: Jenelle Evans' husband David Eason was behind $4,100 on his monthly child support to his son's mother Olivia Leedham, leading the recently-fired Teen Mom 2 personality to pay his tab to keep him out of jail. The couple was snapped with their daughter Ensley, two

Eason's payments to Leedham ceased last November 2018, according to the court docs, and his last payment came in March for a sum of $1,000.

Jenelle shares Ensley with Eason and is mother to sons Jace, nine, and Kaiser, four, from past relationships; as result of Eason shooting the dog, local Child Protective Services have removed the children from the home.

The judge rejected Eason's claim that he could not work to earn the money to pay Leedham because his time is occupied homeschooling his daughter Maryssa, saying it was 'in bad faith' and displayed 'a naive indifference' to the importance of maintaining 'his court ordered obligation to pay child support.'

The judge said Eason 'has chosen not to look for work and his lack of employment is motivated by the desire not to comply with a court ordered obligations.'

Sad: Evans was pictured with her late dog Nugget, who Eason shot in a rage amid claims the dog had been aggressive toward their toddler

Debt: Eason's child support payments to his ex ceased last November 2018, according to the court docs, and his last payment came in March for a sum of $1,000

Eason told the court 'that he suffers from vitiligo, a skin condition, and that having vitiligo prevents him from working outside or outdoors,' according to the docs, but the judge rejected the excuse.

Both Evans and Eason had submit testimony about their family finances to the court on April 23, which revealed that Evans was paid more than $400,000 last year by MTV for her work on Teen Mom 2.

Evans also bought Eason a $6,000 boat, 'showing that he had assets,' according to court docs.
She's known for her head turning looks at glitzy events and soirees.

And Elizabeth Hurley still managed to dazzle in a gorgeous gown despite nearly suffering a wardrobe malfunction while getting out of a taxi as she attended the Breast Cancer Research Foundation's hot pink party in NYC on Wednesday.

The actress, 53, looked sensational in the bold pink dress which had to be lifted off the ground and released from a trapped car door by a helping hand as she arrived at the venue.

Sensational: Elizabeth Hurley nearly suffered a wardrobe malfunction as she attended the Breast Cancer Research Foundation's hot pink party in NYC on Wednesday

Known for her fabulous figure, Elizabeth commanded attention in the flowing chiffon ensemble which accentuated her curvaceous physique.

The age-defying model looked every inch the glamorous goddess as she styled her honey-coloured locks in effortless waves.

Showing off her signature winning smile, Elizabeth opted for a smokey eye, rosy cheeks and a pop of lip gloss to her pout.

Elizabeth finished the look with a pair of gold strappy heels, a green metallic clutch bag and a glittering earrings and a rig from Gismondi1754.

Dazzling: The actress, 53, looked sensational in the bold pink dress which had to be lifted off the ground and released from a car door by a helping hand as she arrived at the venue

Hot pink: Known for her fabulous figure, Elizabeth commanded attention in the flowing chiffon ensemble which accentuated her curvaceous physique

Goddess: The age-defying model looked every inch the glamorous goddess as she styled her honey-coloured locks in effortless waves

The Hampshire native's outing comes after the beauty candidly spoke to Harper's Bazaar about her statement designer gown at the Four Weddings and a Funeral premiere in 1994.

Elizabeth reflected on the night she wore the dress as she admitted she was 'unprepared' for the impact the ensemble holds in today's fashion industry.

While she made a bold style statement during the glitzy evening with her then-boyfriend Hugh Grant, the Royals star confessed the process of achieving the striking look was less than glamorous.

Wow: Showing off her signature winning smile, Elizabeth opted for a smokey eye, rosy cheeks and a pop of lip gloss to her pout

Flowing dress: Looking every inch the vixen, Elizabeth finished the look with a pair of gold strappy heels, a green metallic clutch bag and silver glittering earrings

Pink lady! Elizabeth later arrived at the star-studded Hot Pink Party

Legs for days: The Royals star put on a very leggy display as she strutted down the pink themed carpet

Leading the glamour: Liz posed up a storm for cameras as she arrived at the gala

Pals: Liz was joined by William P Lauder on the pink carpet

The honey-blonde beauty shared: 'I was so unprepared for what happened that night.

'I urgently needed to find a dress to wear for Hughs premiere, and in those days I had no idea about fashion.

'I remember going to an office where they literally fished a dress out of a white plastic bag. I took it home and did my own hair and makeup, fighting Hugh for the mirror, which wasnt even full-length, in our tiny one-bedroom flat.'

Time for bed! After the night, Liz headed back to her hotel in a taxi

'Unprepared for impact': This comes after the beauty candidly spoke to Harper's Bazaar about her iconic Versace gown at the Four Weddings and a Funeral London premiere in 1994 (pictured)

The mother-of-one, who dated screen star Hugh, 58, for 13 years until 2000, added: 'It was all very unglamorous compared to how things get done these days.'

Liz revealed she can still fit into the racy pin ensemble she wore nearly three decades ago.

Speaking on maintaining her figure, the Aria star detailed: 'I dont exercise, but I am very active. But just because it still fits doesnt mean I would wear it today it wouldnt be appropriate!'

The ex files: The mother-of-one dated screen star Hugh, 58, for 13 years until 2000 (pictured together in 1999)

Best foot forward: Later, Liz could be seen leaving the event, looking just as put-together as when she first arrived
Stacey Solomon has hit back at a troll who suggested she 'couldn't have got into university' following a debate over whether further education is worth it.

The TV presenter, 29, told the Loose Women panel during Wednesday's show that university isn't 'imperative' and she doesn't feel like 'less of a person' for not going.

However one Twitter user suggested that even if she had wanted to attend, she isn't intelligent enough, and if it wasn't for X Factor she would be 'working in a cafe'.

Slammed: Stacey Solomon has hit back at a troll who suggested she 'couldn't have got into university' following a debate over whether further education is worth it

But Stacey was quick to retaliate, informing her criticiser that she she was 'intelligent and capable' and received the equivalent of three As at A-level.

In response to a Loose Women post which shared a clip of Stacey's viewpoint, the commenter wrote: 'Not being funny here, but I really doubt Stacey could have gotten into a university.

'And truth be told if it wasn't for a lucky break on X Factor, then she'd probably still be working in a cafe (nothing wrong with cafe work), but she certainly wouldn't have the same money.'

Honest: The TV presenter, 29, told the Loose Women panel during Wednesday's show that university isn't 'imperative' and she doesn't feel like 'less of a person' for not going (pictured in 2009)

Harsh: However one Twitter user suggested that even if she had wanted to attend, she isn't intelligent enough, and if it wasn't for X Factor she would be 'working in a cafe'

Stacey informed the troll that the reason behind her nonattendance at university wasn't down to her so-called lack of intelligence, but rather a lack of funding.

She said: 'I have a national diploma equivalent to 3 As at A-level & could have gone to university, if I could afford it. I'm an intelligent capable human.'

The star also suggested that the opinion was based on 'stereotypical traits', possibly referring to her own lovable ditzy demeanour.

Intelligent: But Stacey was quick to retaliate, informing her criticiser that she she was 'intelligent and capable' and received the equivalent of three As at A-level

The mother-of-two added: 'Your opinion demonstrates a lack of education & ability to see past stereotypical traits in a human that society deems unintelligent.'

Stacey gave birth to her first child, Zachary, aged 17 and was first cast into the spotlight during her time on the X Factor a year later.

The Loose Women panellist is currently pregnant with her third child - her first with boyfriend Joe Swash - and lamented her pregnancy nearly being over during the show.

Surprise! Speaking on Wednesday's instalment of Loose Women, the panellist, also dished all on her baby shower, admitting that it was a 'lovely surprise' organised by her sister

Speaking of her pregnancy Stacey revealed: 'I'm almost getting a little bit sad about the end of this whole thing.

'I'm almost missing pregnancy already, even though it hasn't happened yet' before confessing: 'I can't wait to face-plant on my bed and sleep on my stomach. I need a hole in the bed!'

Dishing all about her baby shower, Stacey revealed:' It was really lovely. A big surprise which my sister organised.

'It was really nice to spend time with friends and family. I was trimming my hedges for a good few weeks,' she revealed.
Two-time Grammy nominee Christina Milian got wet and wild on a beach in Malibu on Wednesday while shooting House Of Fine Gold's new swimwear campaign.

The 37-year-old mother-of-one showcased her petite 5ft2in figure in her lifestyle brand's plunging beige and black one-piece.

Hair and make-up artist David Rodriguez made sure the New Jersey-born Latina's long raven locks and glowing complexion were looking their best in natural light.

Photo shoot: Two-time Grammy nominee Christina Milian got wet and wild on a beach in Malibu on Wednesday while shooting House Of Fine Gold's new swimwear campaign

Making a splash! The 37-year-old mother-of-one showcased her petite 5ft2in figure in her lifestyle brand's plunging beige and black one-piece

Milian (born Flores) also donned a bright yellow monokini featuring cut-outs for cleavage and at the waist line.

Christina and co-founder George Khalife (aka George The Jeweler) originally launched House Of Fine Gold as a jewelry line in 2017 but it has since expanded into a clothing collection.

'[I find inspiration] everywhere I look. Old, new, vintage stores, in my travels or just using our creative minds. Sometimes I tell George, "I have a gut feeling people will really like this,"' the Ouh Na Na video vixen told The Knockturnal last month.

'We have challenged ourselves to try new things and I want to be able to provide something for all of our customers in every price range and any style. I am a consumer at the end of the day still too so I kind of have a good idea what I think girls and women like.'

Perched: Hair and make-up artist David Rodriguez made sure the New Jersey-born Latina's long raven locks and glowing complexion were looking their best in natural light

Itsy bitsy, teenie weenie: Milian (born Flores) also donned a bright yellow monokini featuring cut-outs for cleavage and at the waist line

Look out for the wave! Christina and co-founder George Khalife (aka George The Jeweler) originally launched House Of Fine Gold as a jewelry line in 2017

The Ouh Na Na video vixen told The Knockturnal last month: '[I find inspiration] everywhere I look. Old, new, vintage stores, in my travels or just using our creative minds'

The Family Guy star's seaside sighting came the same day her ex-husband The-Dream announced that he welcomed his ninth child - daughter Elysees - who arrived eight weeks early, weighing 3lbs, on May 6.

The fertile 41-year-old's third wife LaLonne Martinez 'lost a lot of blood' and underwent 'five blood transfusions' after her emergency c-section due to a 'placental abruption.'

'This birth was by far the hardest,' 31-year-old LaLonne wrote on Instagram.

'Our baby girl [is] doing well...She is a fighter and she is thriving. Baby girl you are strong, you are fierce, and you are so loved.

Newborn girl Elysees: The Family Guy star's ex-husband The-Dream announced Wednesday that he welcomed his ninth child, who arrived eight weeks early, weighing 3lbs, on May 6

Almost died: The fertile 41-year-old's third wife LaLonne Martinez 'lost a lot of blood' and underwent 'five blood transfusions' after her emergency c-section

'@thekingdream Thank you for being my rock and being able to keep calm (on the outside) through the chaos...and functioning off -7 days of proper sleep. I dont know how you do it...I love you immensely and appreciate you!'

The four-time Grammy winner and Martinez are also parents to a three-year-old son Heir, two-year-old son Lord, and 21-month-old daughter Maverick.

The-Dream (born Terius Nash) has three children - daughter Navy, 13; and twin sons London & Chris, 12; - with ex-wife #1 Nivea.

31-year-old LaLonne wrote on Instagram: 'Our baby girl [is] doing well...She is a fighter and she is thriving. Baby girl you are strong, you are fierce, and you are so loved'

'Tribe!' The four-time Grammy winner (born Terius Nash) and Martinez are also parents to son Heir, 3; son Lord, 2; and daughter Maverick, 21 months (pictured May 2)

The Menage a Trois rapper has a five-year-old son with a woman called Lydia.

Christina co-parents nine-year-old daughter Violet Madison with The-Dream, whom she legally separated from just three months after their 2009 wedding.

Career-wise, Milian traveled to New Zealand in February to shoot her role as city girl Gabriela in the upcoming Netflix movie Falling Inn Love with Australian actor Adam Demos playing her Kiwi contractor love interest.

Father-of-nine: Christina co-parents nine-year-old daughter Violet (L) with The-Dream (R), whom she legally separated from just three months after their 2009 wedding (pictured July 12)
She was hospitalized for mental health issues last November.

And now Heather Locklear is back in rehab seeking treatment, Access reported Wednesday.

The news comes six months after she was placed on a psychiatric hold amid fears for her well being.

She was hospitalized for mental health issues last November. And now Heather Locklear is back in rehab seeking treatment, UsWeekly reported Wednesday. She's pictured in 2016

According to Access' source, Locklear has been in the rehab facility for two weeks.

The source claimed that she 'continues to drink and abuse the people around her', adding: 'She doesnt seem to be making any kind of progress.'

It's been a rough couple of years for Locklear who has been dealing with substance abuse issues and run-ins with the law.

In February 2018 she was arrested for domestic violence and for battery against a police officer who attended the incident at her mansion in Thousand Oaks, California.

In June, she was arrested again for allegedly verbally and physically abusing an ambulance EMT who responded to her home following a call for help.

Then in November, she was placed on a 5150 hold after her therapist determined that she was experiencing a mental breakdown.

Locklear was arrested in February 2018 for battery against a police officer and again in June for allegedly verbally and physically abusing an ambulance EMT. Pictured is her June mugshot

The actress had been receiving outpatient care since she left rehab just before Christmas and was living at her home, pictured, with her parents as caretakers

According to RadarOnline, Locklear's return to rehab was sparked by a nasty fight with her on/off boyfriend Chris Heisser in late April.

'Heather and Chris got into a screaming match, and after they finally cooled down she realized shed lost control again and decided she needed to head back to rehab!' an insider told the website.

The actress and Heisser had been high school sweethearts and they reconnected in 2017.

'This is always the way it goes with Heather,' Radar's source claimed. 'She goes off the deep end and gets into it with Chris or whoever else is around, and then she realizes she needs to get help! Were all praying that this time it will work.'

According to RadarOnline, Locklear's return to rehab was sparked by a nasty fight with her on/off boyfriend Chris Heisser in late April. The two are pictured in a 2018 Instagram snap

Locklear was previously married to rocker Richie Sambora with whom she shares daughter Ava, 21. They're pictured together in a post she shared to Instagram in November 2017

Locklear was previously married to rocker Richie Sambora with whom she shares daughter Ava, 21.

She first found fame as Sammy Jo Carrington on the 1980s hit primetime soap Dynasty and also starred opposite William Shatner on the 1980s TV series T.J. Hooker.

In 1993 she was cast as Amanda on Melrose Place that ran for seven seasons, ending in 1999.

The show was revived by The CW in 2009 but the reboot was canceled after one season.
She's the British stunner who was recently declared a Victoria's Secret Angel.

And model Leomie Anderson has paid a special visit to the lingerie giant's Bond Street store in London on Wednesday to launch the new Incredible collection.

The 26-year-old beauty showcased her lithe physique in a purple bra and a sheer robe with an opaque white underskirt.

Stunning: Model Leomie Anderson paid a special visit to Victoria's Secret's Bond Street store in London on Wednesday to launch the new Incredible collection

Her racy look was teamed with a pair of sky-high silver stilettos, elevating her statuesque figure.

Leomie's brunette locks were styled in soft waves that cascaded down her delicate shoulders.

Meanwhile the Wandsworth native's make-up was kept minimal - defined brows, mascara, a hint of peachy blush on her cheeks and glossy lips - to highlight her flawless complexion.

Racy: The 26-year-old beauty showcased her lithe physique in a purple bra and a sheer robe with an opaque white underskirt

Fun: Her racy look was teamed with a pair of sky-high silver stilettos, elevating her statuesque figure

The LAPP fashion designer kept accessories to a minimum for her stylish appearance, teaming a silver bangle with a crucifix-pendant necklace.

Inside the store, the runway darling posed by the underwear on display and posed with a shop assistant.

The model later struck a saucy pose in the doorway, drawing attention to her leggy display.

Saucy: The model later struck a saucy pose in the doorway while drawing attention to her leggy display

Last month Victoria's Secret announced that Leomie was among a small group of models who were given the coveted title of a Victoria's Secret Angel.

In an Instagram post she wrote: 'Mate I am still in shock... this is something I was even scared to dream about because I never thought it would come true but I am insanely excited to announce that I am Victoria's Secret's newest ANGEL!! I can't even believe it..."

Anderson has modelled for the American brand since 2015.
The Bachelor is set to return later this year, starring a rather unlikely suitor.

And Daily Mail Australia can reveal several of the potential contestants vying for the heart of handsome astrophysicist Matthew Agnew.

As first discovered by fans on the Bachelor and Bachelorette Spoiler Forum, the 2019 'lineup' includes an Instagram model, a lip filler fanatic and a wannabe actress.

An Instagram model, a lip filler fanatic and wannabe actress: Meet the glamorous women vying for Matthew Agnew's heart on The Bachelor 2019

The first 'confirmed' bachelorette is YouTuber and model Vakoo Kauapirura.

She is no stranger to the spotlight, having been signed as a model by Scoop Management several years ago.

Vakoo has also worked alongside Tammy Hembrow, appearing in a campaign for her activewear range Saski Collection.

Will she win? The first 'confirmed' bachelorette is YouTuber and model Vakoo Kauapirura

She's no stranger to the spotlight! Vakoo is signed to Scoop Management and has previously modeled alongside Tammy Hembrow

Jewellery designer Cassandra Mamone will also likely be appearing on The Bachelor, fans have discovered.

The Adelaide local has previously designed pieces for celebrity clients, including Carrie Bickmore and Jesinta Franklin.

Reality stars Sarah Roza and Laurina Fleure even supported her at the launch of her latest collection in Melbourne last year.

Laura Byrne 2.0? Jewellery designer Cassandra Mamone will also likely be appearing on The Bachelor, fans have discovered

Celebrity friends! Reality stars Sarah Roza and Laurina Fleure supported Cassandra at the launch of her latest collection in Melbourne last year

Lingerie designer Monique Morley is also believed to be starring on the show.

The stunning Sydneysider launched her brand INTIMATES by Monique back in 2014, and describes herself on social media as a 'travel addict'.

Monique is followed by Jessika Power and Justin Hemmes on Instagram, which suggests she already has friends in high places.

Stunning! Lingerie designer Monique Morley (pictured) is also believed to be a contestant

Furthermore, Keely Spedding is rumoured to be taking part in the program.

She recently switched her Instagram to private and deleted her StarNow profile, a tell-tale sign she has entered the Bachelor mansion.

Before it was removed, Keely described herself on StarNow as an 'actor and extra' with an 'extreme interest' in launching a TV career.

Future reality star? Keely Spedding (pictured) is rumoured to be one of Matt's stunning ladies

Why so shy? Keely recently switched her Instagram to private and deleted her StarNow profile (pictured), a tell-tale sign she has entered the Bachelor mansion

Fans also suspect that Sogand Mohtat will feature as a contestant.

Sogand, who was born in Iran and lives in Sydney, may prove to be an intellectual match for Matthew thanks to her career as a civil engineer.

She is also passionate about lip fillers, and is even the brand ambassador of a cosmetic clinic in Parramatta.

Will she? Fans also suspect civil engineer Sogand Mohtat (pictured) will feature as a contestant

Plumped pout! Sogand is passionate about lip fillers, and is even the brand ambassador of a cosmetic clinic in Parramatta

Another possible contestant is chemical engineer Chelsie McLeod - but, like the others, her involvement is yet to be confirmed.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Channel 10 for comment.

The Bachelor is expected to air on Channel 10 in early August
The Spice Girls are set to thrill fans with their upcoming reunion tour, which kicks off next week in Ireland.

And it seems that Carrie Bickmore could be one of the girl band's biggest supporters in Australia.

While presenting her Hit Network radio show this week, the 38-year-old dressed up as Ginger Spice in a sparkly Union Jack dress.

Spice up your life! Carrie Bickmore (right) dressed up as Geri Halliwell in THAT iconic Union Jack dress (left, in February 1997) while hosting her Hit Network radio show this week

Unlike the iconic mini dress Geri wore at the Brit Awards in February 1997, Carrie's featured glittery sequins throughout.

The mother-of-three accessorised with a long red wig, which completely covered her naturally blonde hair.

Carrie dressed up as part of a segment for her 2Day FM radio show, Carrie & Tommy.

Just for fun: Carrie dressed up as part of a segment for her 2Day FM radio show

Carrie revealed on air that she and co-host Tommy Little will be heading to London for the Spice Girl's concert with a handful of lucky listeners.

In a short clip shared to Instagram on Wednesday, Carrie jumped for joy as confetti shots into the air - before a piece of debris hit her in the eye.

In the caption she wrote: 'Just remembering today... when we got the news we are going to London with listeners to watch the Spice Girls - and I almost lost my eye at the same time. Oh the joys!'

Pop icons! The Spice Girls, known for the global hits including Wannabe and Stop, are touring the UK and Ireland. Pictured at the Brit Awards in February 1997

The Spice Girls, known for the global hits including Wannabe and Stop, are touring the UK and Ireland.

Victoria Beckham will not be joining the tour due to prior work commitments.

They are performing at London's Wembley Stadium on June 13, 14 and 15.
She's one of Hollywood's most loved stars due to her kind and caring nature.

So it was no surprise that Jenna Dewan ensured she made time for her friends on Wednesday, stepping out for a brunch with the ladies.

The 38-year-old was oozing with style in a Spring inspired Madewell maxi dress as she headed to Gracias Madre in West Hollywood.

Gorgeous: Jenna Dewan put on a very chic Spring display when she stepped out for brunch with her friends in West Hollywood on Wednesday

Jenna's ensemble featured a low v-neck that gave a slight peek at her ample cleavage.

She teamed the look with some black buckle boots and a fedora hat of the same color.

The professional dancer opted for a gold necklace and carried with her a cream bag as she headed to brunch.

Peaking out: Jenna's Madewell dress featured a low v-neck that gave a slight peek at her ample cleavage

Style: She teamed the look with some black buckle boots and a fedora hat of the same color

Natural beauty: Jenna's brunette tresses were styled out into a loose wave and her glam kept simple to a brush of mascara and sweep of blush.

Friends: Joining her for brunch was actress Odette Annable

Jenna's brunette tresses were styled out into a loose wave and her glam kept simple to a brush of mascara and sweep of blush.

Joining her for brunch was actress Odette Annable.

Odette stunned in a black top and duster with some mom jeans underneath.

This way! Dewan made her way outside of the building

Fashionista! Odette stunned in a black top and duster with some mom jeans underneath

Saying their goodbyes! And it appears as though the ladies had a lovely time at the vegan Mexican joint, with Jenna and Odette giving each other a friendly kiss from the car as they left

She took to Instagram to share a shot of their ladies brunch and showcased their delicious food and coffee on the table.

'It wasn't a birthday brunch for me, not at all... but you know it's still May and so... it was my birthday brunch! ;)'

Joining Jenna and Odette was intuitive healer and psychic medium, Peggy Rometo, hair stylist, Christine Symonds, and James Van Der Beek's wife, Kimberly.

And it appears as though the ladies had a lovely time at the vegan Mexican joint, with Jenna and Odette giving each other a friendly kiss from the car as they left.
She was one of Nick Cummins' jilted finalists on last year's season of The Bachelor.

But Brittany Hockley hasn't given up on her dreams of starting a family, and found herself feeling surprisingly clucky while attending Fashion Week on Wednesday.

The 31-year-old radiographer couldn't resist touching fellow Bachelor star Laura Byrne's baby bump at Carriageworks in Redfern, Sydney.

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Baby fever! The Bachelor's Brittany Hockley found herself feeling surprisingly clucky during a Fashion Week event on Wednesday, after her chance meeting with a pregnant Laura Byrne

Sharing a photo of herself and Laura to Instagram afterwards, Brittany joked that she now has babies on the brain.

She wrote in the caption: 'I love this photo. It would be easy to confuse this with me being clucky (the hand placement, body language and overly excited look on my face doesnt help my cause).

'But truth be told this glamazon [Laura] looks like a delicious, wrapped-up piece of candy and, let's be real, we've all got time for that.'

Brittany concluded: 'On an unrelated note, I need a dog. To help with the cluckiness that I don't have. Obviously.'

Feeling clucky? Sharing a photo to Instagram of herself and Laura at Sydney's Carriageworks, Brittany joked that she now has babies on the brain

'Where did I go wrong?' It comes after Brittany addressed her dating life since appearing on The Bachelor, asking her followers for advice on how to write a good Tinder bio

It comes after Brittany addressed her dating life since appearing on The Bachelor.

She wrote on Instagram last month: 'Whilst floundering around this rock pool today, a girlfriend asked me about dating, single life and what to write for a dating bio.

'It got me thinking about my old Tinder bio... "Perpetually wandering, hopeless (no, literally hopeless) romantic that laughs too much, usually at her own jokes."

'"Takes life as seriously as the British took Brexit. Can put away a family size pack of Maltesers with no family involved. Addicted to red wine, fitness and dogs. So if you're a red wine drinking, fitness loving dog run at me".'

Still single! Brittany made her reality television debut last year on Channel 10's The Bachelor

Brittany added that while Tinder did not work for her personally, she appreciates that it does help many people find The One.

Reflecting her on lack of success, she asked her followers for advice on how to write a good bio that will attract the right sort of man.

She wrote: 'So tell me, where did I go wrong? No, really. What do you guys that have a solid success rate write on these things [bios]?

'While Tinder (and The Bachelor, for that matter) didn't work for me, I know many people it did work for!'

Oh, dear! She was one of two dozen women vying for the heart of Nick Cummins, but was left heartbroken when her dumped her at the last hurdle

Brittany made her reality television debut last year on Channel 10's The Bachelor.

She was one of two dozen women vying for the heart of Nick Cummins, but was left heartbroken when her dumped her at the last hurdle.

In a shocking twist, the rugby player rejected both Brittany and her fellow finalist Sophie Tieman, leaving the show a single man.
Photo: APTN

MPs have condemned video of a Kelowna RCMP officer's questioning of a young native girl.

The teen, who was reporting a sexual assault in 2012, was asked: "Were you turned on during this at all, even a little bit?"

The questioning drew outrage in Ottawa, Wednesday, CTV News reports.

The video came to light after it was released in relation to a civil lawsuit against the B.C. Ministry of Child and Family Development.

Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations Carolyn Bennett called it: "Totally inappropriate ... I don't know where people get that kind of right to re-victimize somebody, it's disgusting.

The questioning goes on for more than two hours after the girl reported a sexual assault while in the care of MCFD.

Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer said he was shocked and horrified by the video.

"Obviously, this line of questioning was appalling and insensitive to the young woman who was coming forward with her story," Scheer said.

Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale said: "The apparent attitudes and techniques that were on display in 2012 are profoundly outdated, offensive, and wrong," to a standing ovation.

NDP MP Nathan Cullen called for an investigation and said the officer should be reprimanded.

 with files from CTV News
She recently revealed she receives styling tips from her boyfriend's mum.

And Hana Cross' outfit no doubt received Victoria Beckham's stamp of approval, as she stepped out in an stylish ensemble at a magazine launch event on Wednesday.

The model, 21, cut a chic figure in a semi-sheer lace blouse as she joined her beau Brooklyn at issue launch for Man About Town magazine at Novikov in London.

Stylish: Hana Cross' outfit no doubt received Victoria Beckham's stamp of approval, as she stepped out in an stylish ensemble at a magazine launch event on Wednesday

Hana's monochrome lace garment flashed her black bra underneath, while she teamed the blouse with a pair of straight-legged satin trousers.

She added height to her pint-sized frame with a pair of navy court shoes, which boasted white bow detailing on the sides of the heel.

The brunette beauty wore her glossy locks in loose waves, while opting for a fresh-faced look with only light touches of make-up enhancing her pretty features.

Date night: The model, 21, cut a chic figure in a semi-sheer lace blouse as she joined her beau Brooklyn at issue launch for Man About Town magazine at Novikov in London

So cool: Hana's monochrome lace garment flashed her black bra underneath, while she teamed the blouse with a pair of straight-legged satin trousers

Brooklyn looked casually cool in a white T-shirt which he layered with a blue and white striped shirt and a pair of beige wide-legged trousers.

He completed his look with a pair of worn Vans and accessorised with a gold chain necklace complete with a pendant, and a grey baker boy hat.

Brooklyn's appearance at the event comes after he shot a series of pictures for the magazine ahead of the upcoming Rocketman biopic.

Alongside an article interviewing lead star Taron Egerton, Richard Madden and Jamie Bell, the stars posed for photographer Brooklyn.

Petite: She added height to her pint-sized frame with a pair of navy court shoes, which boasted white bow detailing on the sides of the heel

Glowing: The brunette beauty wore her glossy locks in loose waves, while opting for a fresh-faced look with only light touches of make-up enhancing her pretty features

Hana has been dating Brooklyn since November 2018, where they were spotted enjoying a romantic date at Hyde Park's Winter Wonderland in London.

But the couple have had a rollercoaster romance. Late last month, the pair were pictured having a tearful heated discussion while in Beverly Hills.

And that same month, they appeared to be having yet another row, which saw Brooklyn's little brother Romeo, 16, in a bid to calm things down.

The pair appear to be back on track in recent days though as they put on a very passionate display in Richmond Park on Friday.

Casual: Brooklyn looked casually cool in a white T-shirt which he layered with a blue and white striped shirt and a pair of beige wide-legged trousers
Ray Hadley has become a grandfather for the second time.

The 64-year-old broadcaster announced on Thursday's 4BC breakfast show that his son Daniel Hadley had welcomed a boy called Noah with his partner Cass Janes the previous day.

The happy news comes after Daniel, a 29-year-old former policeman, had a cocaine possession charge dismissed on mental health grounds in December.

'He's absolutely gorgeous': Radio broadcaster Ray Hadley announced the birth of his grandson Noah William on Thursday's 4BC breakfast show

'As you can imagine, from a smitten granddad, he's absolutely gorgeous,' Ray told listeners on Thursday. 'Noah will bring much joy to our lives. He has already.'

Ray revealed that the birth was 'long and difficult', with Cass requiring an emergency C-section, but both baby and mother are healthy and doing well.

The outspoken radio personality went on to praise Daniel for turning his life around after his legal troubles last year.

First-time parents: Noah is the first child for Ray Hadley's son Daniel and his partner Cass Janes

Bundle of joy! 'Noah will bring much joy to our lives, he has already,' Ray told his 4BC listeners

'It has been a difficult time for my family, but my family is very strong and my son is very strong,' Ray said.

'I'm very proud of the leaps and bounds he's made over the past 12 months when his life was in crisis. It's no longer in crisis. It's just much joy.'

Daniel, who left the police force last year, met Cass when she was a bartender at The Great Australian Brewery in Sydney's Rouse Hill.

In August 2018, Daniel was arrested and charged with cocaine possession while off-duty at the same pub.

He resigned as a senior constable in September, before his case was eventually dismissed on mental health grounds.

Personal turmoil: Ray also praised Daniel for 'making leaps and bounds' in the past 12 months, after his cocaine possession charge was dismissed on mental health grounds

Daniel told Parramatta Local Court in December that he was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.

The court heard that Daniel was being treated for mental health issues even before he was arrested in the hotel car park.

The magistrate accepted that he was suffering from several work-related psychological problems and was undergoing treatment.

The charge for possession of cocaine was dismissed under Section 32 of the Mental Health (Forensic Procedures) Act.

Daniel separated from his wife Tahnee Anderson in early 2018, with Cass reportedly moving into his home just a few months later.
As a Victoria's Secret model she is required to have a flawless complexion.

And Georgia Fowler revealed one of the secrets behind her glowing skin on Tuesday, stepping out for a treatment at the facialist-to-the-stars Melanie Grant Skin in West Hollywood.

The 26-year-old Kiwi - who has modelled for the likes of Prada and Chanel - looked relaxed on the day wearing a chic beige linen jumpsuit.

She's glowing! Victoria's Secret model Georgia Fowler showcased her flawless complexion on Tuesday, after visiting Melanie Grant Skin in Los Angeles

The stunner - who recently chopped off her long locks in favour of a long bob - appeared to have just washed her hair, wearing it out in loose wet curls.

She carried a red handbag over her shoulder and sipped on a water as she left the clinic.

She took to Instagram to thank Australian skincare expert Melanie for the visit, sharing a short clip on her Stories.

Her go-to! In January, Georgia told Marie Claire that she enjoys oxygen facials and often visits Melanie at her Sydney clinic when she visits Down Under

Runway beauty! Georgia is a Victoria's Secret model

In January, Georgia told Marie Claire that she enjoys oxygen facials and often visits Melanie at her Sydney clinic when she visits Down Under.

'Melanie Grant in Sydney is my go-to favourite anytime I have some spare time,' the New York-based runway star revealed to the publication.

Talking about her skincare routine, Georgia said she cleanses, uses a serum and then moisturises to keep her skin looking its best.

How she does it: Talking about her skincare routine, Georgia said she cleanses, uses a serum and then moisturises to keep her skin looking its best

'Luckily, I've managed to get away with a less is more approach, but the more I'm working, (and flying) I've realised how important it is to look after my skin,' she explained.

She said that during the day she uses a moisturiser with SPF for added protection.

Georgia added that she uses an exfoliator a few times a week and prefers Dr. Barbara Sturm's moisturiser, that starts from $254 a tub.
A glowing Sylvia Jeffreys enjoyed a family day out in Brisbane earlier this month.

The former Today star, 33, was photographed doting on her two young nieces while enjoying a picnic in the park with her mother.

She kept warm for the outing by wearing a stylish baggy black jumper teamed with denim jeans.

She's getting clucky! Sylvia Jeffreys wore a baggy jumper and jeans as she doted over her nieces during an outing with her mother in Brisbane earlier this month

Sylvia couldn't contain her joy while playing with the small children.

At one point, she carried her younger niece around the park on her shoulders as they captured selfies together.

Appearing quite clucky, Sylvia then strolled through the leafy suburb while holding hands with both of the children.

It suits you! At one point, she carried her younger niece around the park on her shoulders as they captured selfies together

Feeling broody? Appearing quite clucky, Sylvia then strolled through the leafy suburb while holding hands with both of the children

Sylvia later enjoyed a conversation with the adult family members.

The blonde beauty completed her casual look with a pair a black sunglasses and a pair of comfortable trainers.

The ACA reporter's husband Peter Stefanovic, who she married in 2017, was not present during the outing.

Autumn chill! For the outing, the beauty wore an over-sized black jumper which she styled with a pleated white collar beneath

Sunday, funday! She completed the look with a pair of trendy three-quarter length slim jeans, black sunglasses and a pair of comfortable trainers

In 2017, Sylvia told The Australian Women's Weekly that while she and Peter are in no rush to have a baby, they are 'excited' to start a family one day.

'Sadly, it's not happening in the immediate future,' she said.

'We're not in a rush to get there. Life is good and we are only seven months married, so we are looking to enjoy our time as much as we can.

'We're also very understanding of the fact that things don't go to plan for everyone so we look forward to that time in our lives and we'll be excited when it happens.'
Married at First Sight's Martha Kalifatidis launched her own YouTube channel earlier this week, sharing her first video on Tuesday.

And it appears that Martha's former co-star Jessika Power has similar ideas about how to capitalise on her 15 minutes of fame.

On Wednesday, Jessika announced via Instagram that she planned to start vlogging on YouTube in the near future.

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What will Martha Kalifatidis say? Married at First Sight's Jessika Power (pictured) has copied her fellow bride by launching her own YouTube channel

'Happy hump day babies! Ive just spent an amazing week in Melbourne but am so eager to get home to Brisbane and see my family,' Jessika wrote.

'I'll be starting a YouTube channel soon also so please drop your ideas in the comments below and tell me what you'd like to see.'

Jessika's announcement came just 24 hours after Martha dropped her first YouTube video: a 20-minute Q&A session with fans.

Hmm! 'I'll be starting a YouTube channel soon also so please drop your ideas in the comments below and tell me what you'd like to see,' Jessika told her Instagram followers on Wednesday

During the video, Martha controversially claimed that the 'biggest bully' from her season of MAFS was fan favourite Jules Robinson.

'I found Jules to be the biggest bully,' said the 30-year-old makeup artist.

'I feel like she was the reason for the divide between a lot of the girls. She was so self-righteous.'

Copycat? Jessika's announcement came just 24 hours after Martha (pictured) dropped her first YouTube video: a 20-minute Q&A session with fans

Two weeks ago, Martha signed with Sydney-based talent agency MGMT.

According to its official website, MGMT 'represents digital influencers and content creators in beauty, fashion, lifestyle and travel'.

Meanwhile, Jessika has signed with Markson Sparks!, the agency founded by legendary publicist Max Markson.
As Channel Seven's Sunday Night prepares to launch a blistering expose of Married At First Sight, another former contestant has spoken out against the reality show.

Lauren Huntriss claimed on Wednesday that she felt uncomfortable during filming last year after producers asked to document her morning routine.

While the 31-year-old makeup artist didn't go into details about what happened, she encouraged her followers to 'reconsider' applying for the program.

Speaking out: Married At First Sight's Lauren Huntriss (pictured) has claimed she 'felt uncomfortable' while filming the show last year

She added: 'I won't say anything more until the time is right... Channel Nine, you picked the wrong girl.'

Lauren's post comes after MAFS season two star Clare Verrall was featured in a trailer for Sunday Night's upcoming expose, which will air on May 19.

In the preview, Clare criticised the MAFS producers and said that she believes 'someone could die' if things don't change soon.

'I just wanted a love story and I thought that this was the way that it was going to happen,' the 35-year-old explained.

Allegations: Lauren (pictured with her on-screen husband Matthew Bennett) claimed she felt uneasy when producers asked to document her morning routine

'I didn't sign up to have my life completely ripped to shreds.'

Despite being promised that MAFS' relationship experts would find her a perfect match, Clare claimed she never even met the psychologists until filming began.

'That never happened! And I never met the psychologists until we were filming and I was already matched,' she said.

Speaking out: It comes after season two star Clare Verrall (pictured) was featured in a trailer for Sunday Night's upcoming MAFS expose, which will air on May 19

'That someone was nearly me': In a preview for Sunday Night, Clare predicted that 'someone will die' as a result of appearing on Married At First Sight

Tracey Jewel: 'I overdosed on pills' In a moment of desperation, season five MAFS star Tracey Jewel overdosed on medication in a Berlin hotel room in late July 2018. The mother-of-one had been relentlessly trolled as a result of her appearance on the show. After returning to Perth, she checked herself into a mental health facility. Horror story: Tracey Jewel overdosed in July 2018 after appearing on MAFS season five Advertisement

She then issued a chilling warning about the possible future of the reality series, saying: 'Someone will die... That someone was very nearly me.'

A voice over also said in the trailer that MAFS producers are 'destroying the lives they claim to help', before promising to 'expose their dirty tricks' in the episode.

Clare is already receiving support for speaking out, with MAFS season five star Jo McPharlin commenting on Instagram: 'Very brave to come out publicly, hun.'

Former Bachelor star Steph Dixon also wrote: 'I think this is the start of a whole new world [of] exposing reality television.'

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Channel Nine's publicity department for comment but has yet to receive a response.

Meanwhile, this is not the first time Clare has publicly criticised MAFS and Channel Nine.

The recruitment officer has spoken out against the series and the network behind it on several occasions, describing her experience as 'traumatic'.

Flashback: Clare was paired with Jono Pitman (pictured) on Married At First Sight season two

In an Instagram post on Tuesday, Clare revealed the reason she agreed to be interviewed on Sunday Night.

'I want to get the message out... As these shows become more and more supersized, the absolute lack of duty of care for the cast all in the name of ratings is horrific,' she wrote.

'Viewers should know that as soon as the network has made money from you, then [they] simply kick you to the curb, leaving you to scramble around in the dirt, trying desperately to piece your life back together.'

She concluded: 'What will it take for Australia to wake up to what we are watching and therefore supporting?'

Whistleblower: This is not the first time Clare has publicly criticised MAFS and Channel Nine. Pictured on December 1, 2018 in Melbourne

Clare, who was paired with tradesman Jono Pitman on MAFS in 2016, confessed earlier this year that she 'tried to take her own life' due to the pressure of the show.

She claimed that many of the scenes Jono appeared in were edited to portray him in a negative light and that she believed he also struggled afterwards.

'There is a lot more to my experience, and many others, than any of us would ever share publicly,' she said at the time.
She's locked in a bitter custody battle with ex-husband Jason Hoppy over their nine-year-old daughter Bryn.

And on day three of court proceedings in New York, Bethenny Frankel interrupted Hoppy's testimony in an emotional outburst, RadarOnline reported.

As he spoke about how 'furious' he was that Frankel did interviews about their failed marriage, the Real Housewives Of New York star yelled at him: 'You tortured me. You tortured me!'

Outburst: Bethenny Frankel, left in November, interrupted testimony by ex-husband Jason Hoppy, right in February 2018, during court proceedings Wednesday, yelling 'You tortured me'

The judge then reprimanded Frankel, reminding her that it was her former husband's time to testify, and then ordered a break in proceedings.

According to Radar, the reality star and Skinnygirl businesswoman 'stormed out' of the courtroom and was then seen speaking with her current boyfriend Paul Bernon.

Frankel and Hoppy married in 2010 shortly before the birth of their daughter Bryn in May that year.

They separated in December 2012 and Frankel filed for divorce in January 2013. It was finalized in 2016 following a bitter fight over the division of property.

Exes: The two, who married in March 2010 and separated in December 2012, are locked in a bitter custody battle over their nine-year-old daughter Bryn. They're pictured February 2012

Famous mom: The Real Housewives of New York star is seeking sole custody of Bryn, saying she wants more time with her and not have to be in contact with Hoppy over day-today care

Dad: Hoppy, pictured with Bryn in 2016, has told the court that his marriage faltered after Frankel started her Skinny Girl brand in 2012 and made it seem 'like I was beneath her'.

During cross examination by Frankel's attorney, Hoppy told the court that the marriage faltered after Frankel started her Skinny Girl brand in 2012.

He explained, according to Radar: 'Prior to the deal, we were on equal footingwe were a team and a partnership. Then the deal happened, and it seemed like I was beneath her.'

'She made a lot of money in that deal, and my job was meaningless,' he said.It was no longer a partnership. And anything I would do was not good enough.'

For her part, Frankel has repeatedly accused her ex of abusing and torturing her.

In 2017, Hoppy was arrested for stalking and harassing Frankel but the charges were subsequently dropped.

The Bravo reality star is seeking to gain sole custody of their daughter.

She has previously testified that she wants to spend more time with Bryn and not have to be in contact with Hoppy over her day-today care.

Hoppy has said he is satisfied with the current shared custody arrangement.
After leaving Bachelor In Paradise brokenhearted over Alex Nation, his fans were thrilled when he had announced he'd finally found love.

But it may have all come to a devastating end for James Trethewie.

After just two weeks, the 33-year-old has appeared to have ending things with his girlfriend.

Over already? Bachelor In Paradise's James Trethewie has wiped his Instagram feed clean of images of his girlfriend (pictured right)

Wiping his Instagram completely clean of the stunning brunette, the unlucky-in-love financial adviser added fuel to the fire by posting a series of solemn quotes.

In one particular post, a lengthy quote cryptically points to saying goodbye to a lover.

'People come into you life for a reason, a season or a lifetime,' the quote began.

Emotional: In one particular post, a lengthy quote cryptically points to saying goodbye to a lover

'They are there for the reason you need them to be. Then without any wrongdoing on your part, or at an inconvenient time, this person will say or do something to bring the relationship to an end.'

'Thank you for being a part of my life, whether you were a reason, a season or a lifetime,' the quote concluded.

The following post read: 'And even if you're not here to stay, I'm happy the universe allowed your soul to stop by'.

Appreciative: The following post read: 'And even if you're not here to stay, I'm happy the universe allowed your soul to stop by'

Wiped clean: While the quotes allude to an amicable separation, James' decision to wipe his Instagram completely clean of the brunette may suggest otherwise

While the quotes allude to an amicable separation, James' decision to wipe his Instagram completely clean of the brunette may suggest otherwise.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted James for comment.

James debuted his relationship on Instagram in late April, just days after walking off the Channel 10 program because Alex Nation wanted to date Brooke Blurton instead.

In 2017, James also failed to find love with Sophie Monk on The Bachelorette after he was sent home in a shock double elimination.
The annual Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week is happening in Sydney right now.

But on Thursday, British supermodel Rosie Huntington-Whiteley put on her own runway show while stepping out in Sydney's Surry Hills.

Showing why she's world class, the 32-year-old stunner turned heads while strolling to a cafe for a coffee, wearing an all-leather outfit and snakeskin heels.

Turning the streets into a catwalk! Supermodel Rosie Huntington-Whiteley stunned as she grabbed a coffee in Sydney's Surry Hills on Thursday

Rosie looked immaculate in coordinated leather pants and shirt for the outing.

She styled the look with a white clutch bag, printed white heels and a pair of black designer sunglasses.

With minimal makeup on, Rosie framed her flawless visage with her blonde tresses perfectly parted down the middle and over her shoulders.

Flawless: With minimal makeup on, Rosie framed her flawless visage with her blonde tresses perfectly parted down the middle and over her shoulders

Going hell for leather! Rosie looked immaculate in coordinated leather pants and shirt for the outing

Flanked by what appeared to be a security guard, the beauty stepped out of a chauffeur driven car to personally collect her order.

Showing no sign of her superstar status, she happily mingled among other diners while walking past their tables to the counter.

Hours earlier, Rosie landed in Sydney after flying from Los Angeles.

Rosie is Down Under to attend the beauty event of the year, Meccaland, which runs from May 17-19.

Just like the rest of us! Showing no sign of her superstar status, she happily mingled among other diners while walking past their tables to the counter

Superstar outing! Flanked by what appeared to be a security guard, the beauty stepped out of a chauffeur driven car to personally collect her order

Down Under: The bareMinerals Beauty Ambassador will hit the stage for a beauty masterclass in Sydney on Friday at Meccaland

The bareMinerals Beauty Ambassador will be joined by Hollywood makeup artist and fellow bareMinerals ambassador, Nikki DeRoest, on the stage for a beauty masterclass in Sydney on Friday.

Rosie appeared to be travelling solo, leaving her husband Jason Statham and their son Jack, one, back in LA.

The former Victoria's Secret star and her beau have been together since 2010, and got engaged back in January 2016.
Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week is usually a magnet for many of Australia's most stylish A-listers.

However, many of the industry's biggest names have been noticeably absent from this year's shows.

The usual Fashion Week attendees, like Jessica Gomes, Lara Worthington, Jesinta Franklin, Rachael Finch and Shanina Shaik have yet to make an appearance.

Where are they? Fashion Week regulars like Jesinta Franklin (pictured), Shanina Shaik and Jessica Gomes have been absent from this year's showing so far

In their place, there's been a seemingly endless parade of C-list reality TV rejects doing the Fashion Week rounds.

Former Married At First Sight stars have been the worst offenders, with the likes of Jules Robinson and Blair Rachel even managing to make the front row at some shows.

Bachelor In Paradise stars like Elora Murger and Megan Marx have also infiltrated Fashion Week, attending multiple shows in outlandish, flesh-baring outfits.

Ditching it this year? Each year, the official event organisers invite an international celebrity guest, but no big name has attended as of yet. Pictured: Jessica Gomes

Will she make an appearance? Shanina Shaik is another A-lister who has yet to attend this year

Imogen Anthony is another one, with the socialite even attending one show with 'Z list' painted across her face.

Each year, the event organisers invite an international celebrity guest, but no big name has attended as of yet.

However, it's been rumoured that supermodel Rosie Huntington-Whiteley may make an appearance as she touched down in Sydney on Thursday morning.

Stealing the show! Reality TV rejects have flooded Fashion Week this year, with former Married At First Sight stars like Blair Rachel (pictured) being the worst offenders

Grabbing attention: Bachelor In Paradise stars like Elora Murger (pictured) have also infiltrated Fashion Week, attending multiple shows in outlandish, flesh-baring outfits

Last year saw Chris Hemsworth's wife Elsa Pataky make an appearance when she sat front row at the Camilla and Marc show.

In 2017, Australian model Jordan Barnett was rumoured to be paid over $100,000 to walk for mens label Justin Cassin for one minute.

In 2016, American supermodel Bella Hadid walked the runway for Misha Collections Resort.
Photo: Google Street View

The RCMP says its handling of sensitive sexual assault investigations has evolved since the 2012 questioning of a First Nations teenager in Kelowna that caused ripples in Ottawa Wednesday.

In an email to Castanet News, E Division spokesperson Sgt. Janelle Shoihet referenced an RCMP effort titled "The way forward: The RCMPs sexual assault review and victim support action plan."

"We do understand there is a greater discussion taking place around sexual assault investigations. The RCMP has been public in the past around the evolution of police investigational standards and training," she said.

"Those efforts have included strengthening police training and awareness, investigative accountability, victim support, and public education and communication."

The 2012 questioning of the teen girl sparked outrage in parliament Wednesday as MPs and ministers on all sides of the Commons branded police handling of the incident as outdated, inappropriate and insensitive.

Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale said: "The apparent attitudes and techniques that were on display in 2012 are profoundly outdated, offensive, and wrong."

The teen had reported a sexual assault and was asked by an investigating officer: "Were you turned on during this at all, even a little bit?"

Video of the questioning came to light as it is part of a civil lawsuit against the B.C. Ministry of Child and Family Development, where recent allegations of wrong-doing have caused heads to roll at the Kelowna branch.

Shoihet said new training for RCMP officers continues to be a priority.

"Training on myths surrounding sexual assault and consent law is already available to employees through the RCMPs online learning portal. A course on interviewing witnesses and victims was recently updated. Cultural competency training, trauma-informed investigations training and an advanced course for sexual assault investigators are under development. We are developing this training with subject matter experts in psychology, advocacy, and sexual assault investigations."

Shoihet said the RCMP is "not in a position to provide further context or perspective" as the case is subject to restrictions under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, an ongoing Criminal Code matter and civil litigation.

"However, we believe that the ongoing judicial processes may allow for a fulsome disclosure of all the 2012 investigative findings and actions for assessment."

The RCMP is also establishing an external review model, she said, that can be adapted to fit various jurisdictions and includes developing national guidelines.
Sarah Silverman and Sacha Baron Cohen were all smiles at a For Your Consideration event for Cohen's controversial series Who Is America?

The seven-episode series debuted in July, and was quite the hot topic after its premiere episode, where Baron Cohen debuted a number of new characters and interviewed Bernie Sanders and Sarah Palin.

The controversial series could be nominated for a number of awards when the Emmy nominations are announced on July 12.

Happy comedians: Sarah Silverman and Sacha Baron Cohen were all smiles at a For Your Consideration event for Cohen's controversial series Who Is America

Cohen was wearing a brown shirt under a black zip-up coat, black pants and pristine white sneakers.

Silverman was wearing a light pink and white striped shirt with a black tie under an orange sweater vest with dark blue jeans and black boots.

They were both seen hugging on the red carpet before the For Your Consideration event for Cohen's show.

Red carpet outfit: Cohen was wearing a brown shirt under a black zip-up coat, black pants and pristine white sneakers

Cohen has been long known for creating colorful characters like Ali G, Borat and Bruno, but in Who Is America, he created a slew of new characters like Billy Wayne Ruddick Jr., PhD.

The premiere episode, where Cohen, as Ruddick, interviewed Bernie Sanders, which was so controversial Showtime released a statement to stop the spread of misinformation.

'Baron Cohen did not present himself as a disabled veteran, and viewers nationwide who watched the premiere on Sunday can now attest to that. In Sunday's episode, during an interview with Senator Bernie Sanders, Baron Cohen in character as Dr. Ruddick was asked by the Senator if he is disabled, and he stated that he is not and uses a mobility scooter to conserve his energy,' the statement said.

New characters: Cohen has been long known for creating colorful characters like Ali G, Borat and Bruno, but in Who Is America, he created a slew of new characters like Billy Wayne Ruddick Jr., PhD

While Cohen rarely grants interviews when he's out of character, he told The Hollywood Reporter in December that there will be no second season of Who Is America?

'No. I will never be able to get a politician to bare his buttocks while screaming "God bless America!" and screaming the N-word.'

'It's like The Ali G Show in England  I did one season. And the idea is not to make it a Seinfeld or an SNL,' Cohen added.

No Season 2: While Cohen rarely grants interviews when he's out of character, he told The Hollywood Reporter in December that there will be no second season of Who Is America?

Who Is America drew in an average of 3.4 million viewers each week, and also drove a record number of new Showtime subscribers.

Cohen has been attached to star as the title character in Mandrake the Magician, and as Abbie Hoffman in writer-director Aaron Sorkin's The Trial of the Chicago 7.

Silverman is coming off the hit animated sequel Ralph Breaks the Internet: Wreck-It Ralph 2.

Big hit: Who Is America drew in an average of 3.4 million viewers each week, and also drove a record number of new Showtime subscribers
Sarah Jessica Parker took to Instagram Wednesday evening to rip the National Enquirer after she received an email from the publication asking for comment on an alleged fight the tabloid said witnesses saw between she and her husband Matthew Broderick.

The Sex & The City actress, 54, posted the email on her social media account, which has more than 5.4 million followers, with a detailed caption in which she ripped the publication and its repeated efforts 'to fabricate and undermine' her marriage to the Ferris Bueller's Day Off actor, 57.

In the email asking the actress for comment, National Enquirer editors said witnesses in London 'were stunned to see them arguing just days before their 22-year wedding anniversary' (which is approaching on May 19) in a row over Broderick's recent work on stage in England.

Retort: Sarah Jessica Parker, 54, took to Instagram Wednesday evening to rip the National Enquirer after she received an email from the publication asking for comment on an alleged fight the tabloid said witnesses saw between she and her husband Matthew Broderick, 57. The couple was snapped in NYC last year

Parker, who starred as Carrie Bradshaw on Sex & The City, wrote a detailed caption describing the longtime difficulties she's had with the publication.

'Just like clockwork,' she said. 'Over a decade of the same untrue, disgraceful nonsense. As usual, days ahead of our anniversary on May 19th, The National Enquirer is making its annual best effort to fabricate and undermine, this time a blissful 4 days with my husband in London.'

Parker said that reports of a fight were lies, as 'there was no "screaming match" as alleged in a restaurant or on the street, nor was there a confrontation as alleged about his time in London.

'My children and I are enormously proud of the work he is doing,' she said. 'After much thought I have decided to share a typical letter of "inquiry" from these people.'

Brought the receipts: Parker shared the email the publication sent her with her Instagram followers

Boosters: The comment received plaudits from celebrities such as Bravo's Andy Cohen and actress Gwyneth Paltrow, who called her letter 'brilliant'

Milestone: Parker and Broderick, seen last fall in NYC, celebrate their 22nd wedding anniversary May 19

She noted the pointlessness of the letter, implying that the National Enquirer would never let the truth get in the way of a good story.

'As if the truth, a response or any comments from me or my publicist had any bearing on what they threaten to "report,"' she wrote. 'Hey National Enquirer and your sister publications, why not celebrate a marriage of 22 years and relationship of 27 years?

'Because, despite your endless harassment and wasted ink, we are nearing 3 decades of love, commitment, respect, family and home. There's your 'scoop' From a 'reliable source'.#tabloidharassment'

The comment received plaudits from celebrities such as Bravo's Andy Cohen and actress Gwyenth Paltrow, who called her letter 'brilliant.'

The National Enquirer has come under intense scrutiny in recent years for its illegal 'Catch and Kill' efforts to bury negative stories about President Donald Trump in his run up to the 2016 presidential election; and its demand earlier this year that Amazon founder Jeff Bezos put out a statement in their support (over a separate issue) or it would publish nude selfies of the billionaire.
They announced they were expecting just a week prior.

And Johnny Galecki and girlfriend Alaina Meyer proudly displayed more than just her growing baby bump.

The 43-year-old Big Bang Theory actor and his 21-year-old ladylove could not keep their lips off one another at the star-studded Statue Of Liberty Museum Opening Celebration on Wednesday evening.

Sweet: Johnny Galecki and Alaina Meyer could not keep their lips off one another at the star-studded Statue Of Liberty Museum Opening Celebration on Wednesday evening

Quite the gathering: The 43-year-old Big Bang Theory actor and his 21-year-old ladylove arrived at the New York City gala also attended by Hillary Clinton, Nicky Hilton Rothschild, Jeff Bezos, and David Letterman

The two happily kissed as they arrived at the New York City gala also attended by Hillary Clinton, Nicky Hilton Rothschild, Jeff Bezos, and David Letterman.

Johnny looked dapper in a long grey coat over patterned dress shirt, tie, navy slacks and black leather dress shoes.

His hair was elegantly disheveled as he sported a bit of scruff on her face.

Sweet smooch: The happy couple couldn't keep their lips off one another

Handsome: Johnny looked dapper in a long grey coat over patterned dress shirt, tie, navy slacks and black leather dress shoes

Gorgeous: Alaina looked angelic in a low cute white midi dress with a thigh high split which accentuated her burgeoning belly

Loved up: The two posed together for a sweet snap

Alaina looked angelic in a low cute white midi dress with a thigh high split which accentuated her burgeoning belly.

She kept the look monochrome adding a pair of black leather heels and a matching clutch.

Her brunette tresses were worn down into waves flowing over her shoulders as she her make-up included smokey eye and shiny pink lip.

This comes just a week after Galecki opened up about becoming a father on The Talk.

Johnny also talked about the birth of his first child, revealing he had hoped to have a girl.

Finale talk: Last week Galecki talked the final episodes on The Talk on Thursday morning

All's well that ends well: The 44 year old actor was asked by The Talk co-host Sharon Osbourne if he was happy with the way the show ended, with the actor responding he was 'extremely happy'

Speaking of the finale, he explained: 'Of course, for years, we've been pontificating and hypothesizing how it could end, and there have been so many brilliant finales to so many wonderful shows.'

'I know it was important to the writers that these characters live on in these relationships, and not that somebody moves to Switzerland or something like that.

'Boy, I just think the writers nailed it, they really did,' he added. 'I was asked a few months ago what my top favorite shows (episodes) were, and it was kind of impossible to answer.'

'I can now, and this isn't just because they're the last three to air, the last three episodes are truly my favorite,' Galecki said.

Strong ending: 'I know it was important to the writers that these characters live on in these relationships, and not that somebody moves to Switzerland or something like that

Nailed it: 'Boy, I just think the writers nailed it, they really did,' he added. 'I was asked a few months ago what my top favorite shows (episodes) were, and it was kind of impossible to answer'

'They wrapped it up in a beautiful way. I don't think any fan will think, "What the hell were they thinking?"'

The actor also announced last week that he's expecting his first child with his 21-year-old girlfriend Alaina.

The Talk co-host Sara Gilbert revealed that Galecki told her they were expecting during a casual conversation on The Big Bang Theory set, which caused Gilbert to burst into tears.

First child: The actor also announced last week that he's expecting his first child with his 21-year-old girlfriend Alaina Meyer

Burst into tears: The Talk co-host Sara Gilbert revealed that Galecki told her they were expecting during a casual conversation on The Big Bang Theory set, which caused Gilbert to burst into tears

Osbourne also pointed out that two of his nails were painted pink, and Galecki had a strange but very good reason for it, while admitting that he would prefer his first child to be a girl.

'I get a little bored looking exactly the same for nine and a half months every year playing Leonard, so we wrapped and I put some blue in my hair,' he said.

'Then I got superstitious that I was like manifesting a boy... when I kinda prefer a girl... don't play this tape for my child years from now... so I painted my nails pink to kinda even out the energy there,' he said.

Pink: Osbourne also pointed out that two of his nails were painted pink, and Galecki had a strange but very good reason for it, while admitting that he would prefer his first child to be a girl

Boy or girl: 'I get a little bored looking exactly the same for nine and a half months every year playing Leonard, so we wrapped and I put some blue in my hair,' he said

Johnny and Sharon: 'Then I got superstitious that I was like manifesting a boy... when I kinda prefer a girl... don't play this tape for my child years from now... so I painted my nails pink to kinda even out the energy there,' he said

Galecki has played Leonard Hofstadter on CBS' The Big Bang Theory, which wraps up its 12-season run Thursday, May 16 with a special one-hour episode.

Galecki was named by Forbes as the second highest paid TV actor in 2018, earning a whopping $25 million.

He finished just shy of his The Big Bang Theory co-star, Jim Parsons, who earned $26.5 million for playing Sheldon Cooper, and for narrating and executive producing The Big Bang Theory spin-off Young Sheldon.

Galecki: Galecki has played Leonard Hofstadter on CBS' The Big Bang Theory, which wraps up its 12-season run Thursday, May 16 with a special one-hour episode

Big paycheck: Galecki was named by Forbes as the second highest paid TV actor in 2018, earning a whopping $25 million
It's been a tough few weeks for Ashton Kutcher as he was named as one of the potential 250 witnesses in a case against a serial killer.

And Mila Kunis ensured to enjoy a low-key stroll with the handsome actor in Los Angeles on Wednesday.

The actress, 35, kept things casual in a striped red and white number as she enjoyed the outing hand-in-hand with her husband.

Casual outing: Mila Kunis enjoyed a low-key stroll with Ashton Kutcher in Los Angeles on Wednesday

With her brunette locks piled high into a ponytail, Mila completed her look with a pair of baggy jeans and white Converse trainers.

Ashton, who married his former That 70s show co-star in 2015 after three years of dating, looked trendy in a shearling lined denim jacket and jeans.

The lovebirds, who are parents to daughter Wyatt born in 2014, and son Dimitri, born in 2016, looked in high spirits as they sauntered out into the sunshine.

This comes after Ashton's name was mentioned by prosecutors as one of a potential 250 witnesses in the case against accused serial killer Michael Gargiulo, 43, whom authorities said murdered two California women and a Chicago teen.

Low-key: The actress, 35, kept things casual in a striped red and white number as she enjoyed the outing hand-in-hand with her husband

Slower pace of life: With her brunette locks piled high into a ponytail, Mila completed her look with a pair of baggy jeans and white Converse trainers

The victims included Ashley Ellerin, a 22-year-old model and student Kutcher was dating in 2001, and slated to go out with on the evening prosecutors said she was murdered.

Ellerin had been prepared to go out with the actor to a post-Grammy bash on the night of her murder, Deputy District Attorney Dan Akemon said in court Thursday, according to KABC.

Kutcher had made an innocent assumption against a likely-grim reality when he showed up at her apartment in the Hollywood Hills to pick Ellerin up for the party, according to Akemon.

Happy: The pair married in 2015 after three years of dating, and they are parents to daughter Wyatt born in 2014, and son Dimitri, born in 2016

'Mr. Kutcher looked in the window and saw what he thought was spilled wine on the floor,' the prosecutor said.

'We believe that was actually blood, and Ashley had already been murdered.'

Kutcher left, thinking she wasn't home, and a friend subsequently discovered her body - she had been stabbed 47 times, officials said - the following day.
She was the picture of glamour as she attended the premiere of Les Miserable during the Cannes Film Festival on Wednesday.

And Amber Heard was every inch the style chameleon as she donned another chic ensemble while stepping out for lunch at La Plage du Martinez in the French city on Thursday afternoon.

The Hidden Palms actress, 33, set pulses racing as she went braless underneath a nude low-cut vest, teamed with a burgundy leather maxi skirt before another glam change into a slinky black dress.

Sensational: Amber Heard was every inch the style chameleon as she donned a chic ensemble while stepping out for lunch at La Plage du Martinez during Cannes Film Festival on Thursday

Highlighting her enviable figure, the Justice League star boosted her frame in a pair of metallic strappy heels for her stroll along the stunning holiday hotspot.

The award-winning thespian continued to display her flair for fashion with her choice of accessories, including a chain-strap handbag and a bold bangle.

With her tresses styled into loose waves, the blonde complemented her out-of-this-world beauty with matte foundation, winged eyeliner and faint pink lipstick.

Looking good: The Hidden Palms actress, 33, set pulses racing as she went braless underneath a nude low-cut vest, teamed with a burgundy leather maxi skirt

Commanding attention: Highlighting her enviable figure, the Justice League star boosted her frame in a pair of metallic strappy heels for her stroll along the stunning holiday hotspot

Style maven: The award-winning thespian continued to display her flair for fashion with her choice of accessories, including a chain-strap handbag and a bold bangle

Radiant: With her tresses styled into loose waves, the blonde complemented her out-of-this-world beauty with matte foundation, winged eyeliner and faint pink lipstick

Hi, there: She beamed with delight as she waved at onlookers during her fashionable walk

A couple of hours later and Amber was back in work mode, swapping one chic look for another as she filmed for L'Oreal.

Amber looked gorgeous in a fitted black dress with button detail running up the edge.

A thigh-high split flashed a glimpse of her long legs, which she accentuated with her delicate gold sandals.

All change: A couple of hours later and Amber was back in work mode, swapping one chic look for another as she filmed for L'Oreal

Chic: Amber looked gorgeous in a fitted black dress with button detail running up the edge

Animated display: A thigh-high split flashed a glimpse of her long legs, which she accentuated with her delicate gold sandals

Working hard: The blonde put her all into the filming

In the zone: She was pictured writing the beauty brand's slogan 'worth it' along a board with a black felt tip pen

Sultry: The star rocked green jewellery, adding a pop of colour to her black dress

Earlier that day, Amber commanded attention as she sported a satin cream blouse, embellished with intricate lace detailing - before bumping into fellow face of L'Oreal, Eva Longoria.

Upping the style ante, the screen star tied in her short-sleeved top with a pair of light-wash denim jeans, teamed with heeled ankle boots in a suede texture.

The Pineapple Express actress added a pop of colour to her look as she showcased her fresh dark red manicure, while opting for minimal accessories.

Model behaviour: Amber broke out her best poses as she took snaps in front of a red backdrop

Cover girl: She was in her element as she wrote the slogan throughout the shoot

Red carpet style: The actress looked every inch the Hollywood star during the sunny shoot

Action! Amber looked in good spirits during her busy day at the world famous film festival

The star was seen warmly greeting Eva, 44, with the pair sharing a sweet hug as they chatted during the prestigious festival.

Eva flaunted her toned legs in a navy dress paired with a sleek three-quarter-length jacket as she attended Cannes.

The Desperate Housewives star wore her caramel flecked brunette locks in glossy waves while metallic shadow and rose gloss accentuated her stunning features.

Amber looked sensational as she attended the premiere of Les Miserable during the Cannes Film Festival on Wednesday.

Reunited: Earlier that day, Amber commanded attention as she sported a satin cream blouse, embellished with intricate lace detailing - before bumping into fellow face of L'Oreal, Eva Longoria

Cute: The star was seen warmly greeting Eva, 44, with the pair sharing a sweet hug as they chatted during the prestigious festival

Chatty: . The Desperate Housewives star wore her caramel flecked brunette locks in glossy waves while metallic shadow and rose gloss accentuated her stunning features

The Aquaman star showcased her sensational frame in the off-white gown, which featured dramatically long sleeves which swept along the floor beside her.

Amber'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.

She 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.

Yummy: She appeared in great spirits as she wolfed down a snack by the beach

Fashion savvy: Amber commanded attention as she slipped her enviable physique into a satin cream blouse for her first outfit of the day, embellished with intricate lace detailing

Standing tall: Upping the style ante, the screen star tied in her short-sleeved top with a pair of light-wash denim jeans, teamed with heeled ankle boots in a suede texture

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.

Chic display: She teamed her ensemble with a cropped patterned blazer coat

Hungry: She looked pensive as she continued to snack on food during the 72nd event

A-list treatment: The Texas beauty relaxed on beach chairs as her hairstylist groomed her tresses

Busy bee: Amber engaged in conversation with crew members during her time on the beach

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.

Wow-factor! The blonde bombshell looked sensational as she attended the premiere of Les Miserable during the Cannes Film Festival on Wednesday
She recently enjoyed a Caribbean vacation with her teen daughter.

And Courteney Cox looked relaxed as she enjoyed a walk whilst carrying juice in a mason jar in Beverly Hills on Thursday.

The actress, 54, put on a casual chic display as she donned a black jumper over figure-hugging grey denim jeans.

Stylish: Courteney Cox put on a casual chic display in a black jumper and figure-hugging jeans as she enjoyed a stroll in Beverly Hills on Thursday

Courteney stepped out in black, faux-fur trimmed slip-on shoes, while she kept her accessories simple by wearing gold hoop earrings.

The Friends star brushed her raven tresses in sleek waves, and her hair was styled with a middle parting.

Opting for a more natural look, Courteney wore light touches of make-up and completed her look with a pair tinted shades.

Pretty: Courteney stepped out in black, faux-fur trimmed slip-on shoes, while she kept her accessories simple by wearing gold hoop earrings

Attention to detail: Courteney stepped out in black, faux-fur trimmed slip-on shoes, while she kept her accessories simple by wearing gold hoop earrings

In April, Courteney enjoyed a spring break getaway to The Bahamas with her 14-year-old daughter Coco.

The star - who is now dating Johnny McDaid from Snow patrol - enjoyed a beach break with Coco, sharing cute selfies with the teen.

Courteney hit the big time after playing Monica Gellar in the hit series Friends, which follows the lives of a group of 20-somethings living in New York City.

Simple look: Opting for a more natural look, Courteney wore light touches of make-up and completed her look by wearing tinted shades

Busy schedule: Courteney seemed to be chatting on her phone as she walked around the city

Fans got a blast from the past when the actress revisited the famous apartment the show was set at, in an Instagram video posted last month.

'Good night guys, going home!' the actress told the camera as she approached the iconic building, just as music from the show faded into the background.

'The One Where My Rent Went Up $12,000 #friends #mollymcnearney #missthosedays,' she captioned the video.

Courteney starred opposite Jennifer Aniston and Matt LeBlanc in the show, which aired from 1994 to 2004.

On holiday: In April, Courteney enjoyed a spring break getaway to The Bahamas with her 14-year-old daughter Coco
Soap fans will remember her as brunette beauty Vanessa Villante on Neighbours.

But these days, Alin Sumarwata looks much different than she did on the Australian soap.

Her bouncy, shoulder-length waves are gone, with the Iranian-born actress now sporting an edgy pixie cut, with one side of her head completely shaved.

New look! Former Neighbours star Alin Sumarwata looks drastically different these days thanks to a short haircut. (Pictured left in 2012 and right in 2018)

Her tough makeover appears to be related to her role as Lance Corporal Gracie Novin in the action series Strike Back.

Alin started acting in her teens, winning a scholarship to the Australian Theatre of Young People at age thirteen.

She got her big break with a small role in the big budget Australian miniseries, The Incredible Journey of Mary Bryant.

Makeover: Her tough makeover appears to be related to her role as Lance Corporal Gracie Novin in the action series Strike Back (pictured)

Things picked up with a short stint on Home and Away in 2009, followed by a roles in shows like East West 101 and Rescue: Special Ops.

However, it wasn't until she joined Neighbours in 2012 that Alin truly shot to fame.

The star brought plenty of drama to the series as Italian chef Vanessa Villante, who was known for stirring the pot.

Flashback! Alin shot to fame as brunette beauty Vanessa Villante on Neighbours

Her character had memorable romances with Lucas Fitzgerald and Rhys Lawson, the latter which culminated in a 'sham wedding' storyline.

Alin now stars alongside Daniel MacPherson in the British/American action series Strike Back.

The series currently airs on Sky One in the UK and Cinemax in the US.
Adam Thomas spent Wednesday in hospital after dropping a weight on his face during an accident at the gym.

The former Emmerdale star was rushed to A&E by his brother Scott after the workout mishap, with the popular social media stars both documenting the hospital dash on Instagram.

Sharing a selfie from his hospital bed Adam jokingly appealed to others who had incurred a similar injury to make themselves known so people know if they are 'an idiot'.

Ouch: Adam Thomas spent Wednesday documenting his hospital stay on Instagram after dropping a weight on his face during an accident at the gym

Showing his bruised and cut eye, Adam wrote alongside the snap of him and Scott: 'Not sure that everyone knows yet but today I dropped a weight on my face !! ... and then 3hrs in a&e with this guy.'

'Don't know which one was worse haha but am glad he was there by my side x' he joked.

'If you too have dropped a weight on your face please get in touch as it's hard to talk to anyone about my experience unless you've actually been through it ... I know your out there and I know your ashamed but it's about time we spoke out and let others know that if your an idiot... gyms are dangerous places (sic).'

Brotherly love: Sharing a selfie from his hospital bed Adam joked that he didn't know what was worse, being in hospital or spending hours with his brother Scott (right)

Adam earlier shared a snap of his injuries while dressed in a hospital gown, as he quipped that at least he doesn't need to worry about time off work.

'Feeling really sorry for myself don't think I'll be able to work for a week... good job I dont have a job. I only dropped 50kg on my face I don't need a gown but I'll take on,' he wrote.

Scott made the long hospital wait bearable though, providing a bedside feast from M&S and making his brother laugh as he pointed out in an Insta video that just before the mishap Adam had declared it was 'going to be a good day.'

Joker: Scott shared a photo of a forlorn Adam waiting to have his bruised and cut eye checked as he told his followers 'train safe kids'

VIp treatment: Adam was thankful for Scott's supermarket haul during the long day in a&e

After being treated, the boys continued the jokes as they danced along to a Nelly hit in the car, after pointing out the resemblance between Adam and the rapper thanks to his new plaster.

The accident didn't seem to put the gym-fans off working out, as both boys were back on Thursday morning to lift weights, with Adam sporting a black eye on Scott's Instagram.

Adam received support from his brother, former 'Coronation Street' actor Ryan Thomas (Jason Grimshaw), who admitted that is the sort of injury he would incur.

Look familiar? The boys continued the jokes as they danced along to a Nelly hit in the car, after pointing out the resemblance between Adam and the rapper thanks to his new plaster

Family: Adam shared selfie from bed with his wife Caroline and son Teddy as he recovered on Thursday morning

He wrote under his photo: 'I love you so much adam to be fair something I would do #idiots (sic)'#

Lisa Snowdon posted: 'Ouch! Adam! Bloody hell (sic)' while Adam's former 'Emmerdale' co-star Mike Parr (Ross Barton) wrote: 'Heavy news bro!!! (sic)'

Adam left his Emmerdale role in 2018 after eight years playing Adam Burton, and now works part-time as a property scout in Manchester.

Back at it: The accident didn't seem to put the gym-fans off working out, as both boys were back on Thursday morning to train

Injury: Adam was sporting a black eye and his plaster as Scott filmed him at the gym
Jessika Power and Heidi Montag are fast on their way to becoming firm friends after giving one another a shoutout on their respective Instagram Stories on Thursday.

It all started when NW magazine branded the 27-year-old former Married At First Sight star 'the Aussie Heidi'.

The 32-year-old former Hills star saw the article and shared a screenshot of it on her Instagram Stories, writing: '@jessika_power love it!'

Two of a kind: Jessika Power and Heidi Montag are fast on their way to becoming firm friends after giving one another a shout-out on their respective Instagram Stories on Thursday

This then led to Jessika reposting Heidi's post on her own Instagram Stories and giving the former reality star an equally complimentary shout-out.

'@heidimontag babe!' she responded.

The spotlight-loving pair appear to be a match made in reality star heaven, with both mastering the art of extending their 15 minutes of fame.

Watch your back: It all started when NW magazine branded the 27-year-old former Married At First Sight star 'the Aussie Heidi'. Pictured at the 2018 MTV Video Music Awards in New York

Seeing double: The 32-year-old former Hills star saw the article and shared a screenshot of it on her Instagram Stories, writing: '@jessika_power love it!'

'Jess doesn't mind the comparison to the surgery-loving fave from The Hills,' wrote NW magazine.

In an interview with the publication earlier this month, Jessika admitted she actually enjoys the comparisons between herself and Heidi.

'I'd rather be compared to Heidi than a Bunnings snag,' she told NW.

Mutual appreciation: Jessika shared Heidi's post on her own Instagram Stories and gave the former reality star an equally complimentary shout-out

Famous for doing nothing: The spotlight-loving pair appear to be a match made in reality star heaven, with both mastering the art of extending their 15 minutes of fame

'She's hot... But almost dying from too much surgery is taking it a bit too far. You should never put your life in danger for beauty goals.'

She added: 'Even I know when enough is enough.'

Jessika has spoken openly about all of the cosmetic procedures she's had done, admitting to getting veneers, Botox, lip and cheek fillers, and a brow lift.
TV presenter Sally Obermeder's young daughter, Annabelle, was rushed to Sydney's children's hospital on Wednesday night.

The seven-year-old required urgent medical attention after she was struck on the head by a falling shelf in the family's home.

Staying overnight at the hospital as doctors tended to Annabelle, the mother-of-two said the incident occurred while the youngster was cleaning her room.

Recovering: Sally Obermeder's daughter Annabelle (right), seven, was rushed to Sydney's Children's Hospital on Wednesday with a head injury after being hit by a shelf in their Bondi home

Sally, 45, told her Instagram followers on Thursday: 'We spent last night at the children's hospital getting her head put back together after a shelf fell on her, when she slipped and pulled it down as she fell (while cleaning her room.)'

Finding humour in the unfortunate situation, the media personality added: 'She (Annabelle) said to the doctor at the hospital 'well I am NEVER cleaning my room EVER AGAIN'.'

She let her fans know Annabelle is recovering well with a few sweet selfies, captioning them: 'So happy this little monkey is better.'

'So happy this little monkey is better': Sally told fans Annabelle is recovering well and joked her daughter was using the incident as an excuse to never clean her room again

Sally's daughter Annabelle was conceived via In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) in January 2011, after several unsuccessful years of trying to conceive with husband Marcus.

Annabelle was born in October 2011, the same week Sally was diagnosed with stage-three breast cancer.

After 16 rounds of chemotherapy and two mastectomies in 2012, she was given the all clear from breast cancer.

Her little miracle: Annabelle (middle) was born in October 2011, the same week Sally (left) was diagnosed with stage-three breast cancer

The Daily Edition star desperately wanted to grow her family in the years that followed her cancer diagnosis, but doctors advised the couple that another natural pregnancy could cost her life.

The couple later welcomed their second child, daughter Elyssa, via a surrogate in the United States of America in December 2016.

Sally and husband Marcus, who wed in 2001, live in Bondi with their two daughters.
Photo: Thinkstock

A federal ban on tanker traffic off British Columbia's north coast has been defeated in a Senate committee.

On a 6-6 vote, the Senate's transportation and communications committee rejected Bill C-48 Wednesday night.

The bill would put into a law a rule forbidding ships carrying more than 12,500 tonnes of crude oil from loading or unloading between the northern tip of Vancouver Island and the Alaska border.

Conservatives in the Senate say defeating the bill is a win for Canada's energy industry.

The House of Commons passed the bill a week ago and its failure in a Senate committee doesn't mean it's dead, but the vote is a defeat for the Trudeau Liberals.

Along with Bill C-69, which is meant to reform the federal assessment process for national-scale construction projects, Bill C-48 has enraged many backers of the Canadian oil industry, including Alberta Premier Jason Kenney.
Victoria's Secret model Kelly Gale, 24, suffered a broken arm in a freak accident in Mexico last month.

But on Wednesday, the Australian-Swedish model showed her determination when she hit the gym in Los Angeles.

Taking to Instagram, Kelly made sure to turn plenty of heads while clad in a skimpy white crop top and peach-hued tights.

Abs-olutely ripped! Victoria's Secret model Kelly Gale flaunts her toned tummy as she hits the gym after having surgery on broken arm

Clearly in high spirits following the sweat session, Kelly could be seen smiling widely after finishing her gruelling workout in the gym.

Kelly's broken arm could be seen in the snap, with her wrist plastered in fiberglass to the elbow.

Celebrating her birthday on Tuesday, Kelly wrote: 'Was able to workout today for the first time in 2.5 weeks,which was an amazing gift.''

Sweat session: Kelly looked to be in high spirits after her workout

She continued: 'Thank you Mary Miller for kicking my butt, making me sweat and helping me with modifications. Feels incredible to be up and running again.'

Kelly has been recovering from the break and numerous fractures since a traumatic horse-riding accident in Mexico last month.

The beauty had only just arrived on the idyllic vacation when it was sadly cut short.

She shared hospital photos from an examination room, with her left arm in a cast and sling.

The Victoria's Secret model said the accident occurred while 'horse back riding'.

'A ton of fractures and broken bones but I'm alive... Back to the US now I think,' she wrote on Instagram.
Love Island star Kaz Crossley was displaying her incredible figure in a patent black leather miniskirt as she exited the Tape nightclub in London on Wednesday.

The reality star, 25, put on a leggy display in an all-black ensemble as she left a a Sleek MakeUP event amid her ongoing spat with ex Josh Denzel, 27.

Kaz hit back at Josh with a scathing social media post after he hinted that she had moved on just three weeks after they had split as it was rumoured she had coupled up with Love Island 2017 star Theo Campbell, 27.

Chic: Love Island star Kaz Crossley, 25, put on a leggy display as she exited the Tape nightclub in London amid her ongoing spat with ex-boyfriend Josh Denzel, 27

Kaz cut a stylish figure as she teamed the black patent paper bag skirt with a Bad Habits slogan t-shirt for the event.

The former makeup artist finished her ensemble with black lace-up ankle boots and she carried her essentials in a matching chain-strap bag.

Kaz finished her fun-filled outfit with a statement red lip as she made a jovial exit from the cosmetics event, after hitting back at ex Josh in a scathing social media post.

Glamorous: The reality star put on a leggy display in the matching skirt and slogan t-shirt as she left a cosmetic influencer's bash

Jaw-dropping: Kaz finished her ensemble with black laced ankle boots and a matching chain-strap bag

Jovial: The former makeup artist stepped out after she hit back at Josh, who appeared to criticise her for moving on just three weeks after their split

Josh began by commenting on a post, which stated: 'Girls that move on before it's been 3 years after a break up. 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 sharing a screenshot of the original post.

The star joked: 'Ppl move so brave after they've blocked you.'

Sly dig: Josh had commented: 'Three years? How about three weeks?!' in relation to Kaz's rumoured new romance with Theo Campbell, leading the star to furiously hit back

Exes at war: Kaz and Josh split in January after just six months of dating. The couple had met in the Love Island villa last summer (above)

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.

Questions: Josh shared the scathing comment after it was rumoured that Kaz was dating Love Island 2017 star Theo Campbell (above). They are yet to officially confirm their romance

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 at sushi restaurant, Syon Lounge, in London last week.

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.'
Amy Pejkovic stepped out in style when she attended Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week on Thursday in Sydney.

The 26-year-old model was at a party hosted by liqueur company Disaronno, and happily posed for photos ahead of the event.

She added an element of cheekiness to her ensemble, stepping out in a sheer black tulle dress.

Chic: Amy Pejkovic stepped out in style when she attended Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week on Thursday in Sydney

The ankle-length dress featured a full skirt with intermittent ruffles and sheer panelling.

It then flowed up to the bodice, and featured off-the-shoulder sleeves with ruching at the shoulders.

Underneath the sheer dress, Amy opted to wear a black bodysuit with what appeared to have been a Brazilian cut.

Strike a pose: The 26-year-old model was at a party hosted by liqueur company Disaronno, and happily posed for photos ahead of the event

Revealing: Amy added an element of cheekiness to her ensemble, stepping out in a sheer black tulle dress

Baring all: She shared a photo from the back of the revealing outfit on Instagram Stories and captioned it: 'Bit cheeky'

Skirting the issue: The ankle-length dress featured a full skirt with intermittent ruffles and sheer panelling

She shared a photo from the back of the revealing outfit on Instagram Stories and captioned it: 'Bit cheeky'.

Amy toughened up her otherwise feminine ensemble with a black leather moto jacket draped over her shoulders and white sneakers.

But according to her, the sneakers were more of a necessity than a fashion statement.

Added elements: Amy toughened up her otherwise feminine ensemble with a black leather moto jacket draped over her shoulders and white sneakers

Ouch: Taking to Instagram Stories on Thursday, she shared a photo of blisters on the heels of her feet, and captioned it: 'How is Fashion Week going?'

Flat out: She later shared a photo of her sneakers as she sat on the backseat of a car en route the the party, writing: 'Feet are dead. Could not even try to wear heels'

Stunning: She also wore her shoulder-length blonde hair loose in waves, and donned natural-looking makeup, showing off her bronzed skin

Taking to Instagram Stories on Thursday, she shared a photo of blisters on the heels of her feet, and captioned it: 'How is Fashion Week going?'

She later shared a photo of her sneakers as she sat on the backseat of a car en route the the party, writing: 'Feet are dead. Could not even try to wear heels.'

She also wore her shoulder-length blonde hair loose in waves, and donned natural-looking makeup, showing off her bronzed skin.
She married in an idyllic ceremony last year.

And it seems Priyanka Chopra, who tied the knot with Nick Jonas, is in no rush to leave her bridal status behind as she was seen touching down in Cannes on Thursday morning while sporting a dazzling white ensemble.

The 36-year-old actress looked sensational as she strutted her stuff through Nice Airport while leading a host of stars in arriving for the 2019 Cannes Film Festival.

All white? Priyanka Chopra, who tied the knot with Nick Jonas, is in no rush to leave her bridal status behind as she was seen touching down in Cannes on Thursday morning while sporting a dazzling white ensemble

Priyanka looked sensational for the outing as she blended business and pleasure with a slick shirt and trouser combo paired with a vast handbag.

She wore wide-leg trousers with the ensemble while boosting her height with a pair of pointed nude heels to best highlight her statuesque figure.

Hot on her heels in a near-identical ensemble was model Taylor Hill, who also wore matching trousers with a racy sheer top and trench.

She scraped her hair into a high bun while shielding her eyes with a pair of tortoise shell sunglasses which were the perfect superstar touch.

A vision: The 36-year-old actress looked sensational as she strutted her stuff through Nice Airport while leading a host of stars in arriving for the 2019 Cannes Film Festival

In a blur: She was strutting her stuff as she arrived for the all-star event

The 2019 Cannes Film Festival takes place at the iconic Palais des Festivals after kicking off on Tuesday and continuing to 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.

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.

Stunner: Priyanka looked sensational for the outing as she blended business and pleasure with a slick shirt and trouser combo paired with a vast handbag

All white? She looked incredible as she boosted her height with a pair of nude pointed heels

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.

Matching! Taylor Hill wore an extremely similar ensemble as she strutted out
Lisa Vanderpump reportedly has no desire to return to The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills if it's renewed for another season.

According to TMZ, the reality TV star, 58, feels as though the other Housewives have 'ganged up on her' and are 'jealous' of the success of her spin-off show, Vanderpump Rules.

It is also claimed that many of her co-stars are trying to divert the attention away from their family financial woes - with the likes of Kyle Richards, Erika Jayne and Dorit Kemsley being served million-dollar lawsuits.

'Grown tired of the negativity': Lisa Vanderpump, 58, reportedly has no desire to return to The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills if it's renewed for another season

A source close to Lisa told the publication that she thinks the drama surrounding is 'unfair' and she's grown tired of the negativity.'

MailOnline has contacted representatives for Lisa for further comment.

In her latest drama, Lisa announced she would not be attending Camille Grammer's wedding in a dramatic tete-a-tete on Tuesday on The Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills.

The longtime friends met at Lisa's Beverly Hills mansion Villa Rosa to mend fences in the wake of Puppygate, the dog-adoption scandal that revealed long-simmering tensions between the cast.

Claims: According to TMZ , the TV star feels as though the other Housewives have 'ganged up on her' and are 'jealous' of the success of her spin-off show, Vanderpump Rules

'Unfair': It is also claimed that many of her co-stars are trying to divert the attention away from their family financial woes

'I've always really cared about you,' Lisa told Camille, pointing out that she'd been the one to encourage Kelsey Grammer's ex to get remarried.

'I just. ...I can't make the wedding,' she said.

In a confessional, Lisa explained: 'As much as I want to see Camille get married, I'm not going to put myself in that situation, with them all against me. Let the real b****es of Beverly Hills go on their own.'

Lisa has been feuding with her co-stars during the current ninth season of RHOBH on Bravo and a source recently told Page Six: 'She was bullied off the show.'

Lisa was no longer speaking with cast members after a dog adoption by her friend Dorit Kemsley went awry.

The London native during the current season also has been shown struggling with the death of her older brother Mark who died in April 2018 from a drug overdose suicide.

Not going: In her latest drama, Lisa announced she would not be attending Camille Grammer's wedding in a dramatic tete-a-tete on Tuesday on The Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills

Bride to be: The friends met at Lisa's Beverly Hills mansion Villa Rosa to mend fences in the wake of Puppygate, the dog-adoption scandal that revealed long-time tensions

Lisa during the recent Vanderpump Rules reunion episode recenty revealed that she sought anti-depressants to cope.

'I've never taken pills in my life. Two Advil is a big deal for me. I'm always kind of British, stiff upper lip, but I guess I have feelings, too. And I didn't do well this year, at all. At all,' she said before becoming overcome with emotion and leaving the set.

Lisa is an original cast member of RHOBH and has been starring on the show since its premiere in October 2010.

Bravo in 2013 launched the spin-off show Vanderpump Rules that follows Lisa and her staff at her restaurant SUR in West Hollywood, California.
She made her first red carpet appearance since giving birth a month ago the night before.

And Vincent Cassel's stunning wife Tina Kunakey, 22, looked relaxed as they were seen enjoying their first family outing with their newborn daughter Amazonie during Cannes Film Festival on Thursday.

The French model kept it casual in a pretty floral dress as she enjoyed the sunshine with her director other half, 52, who proudly pushed their little one in her pram.

Lovely: Vincent Cassel and his stunning wife Tina Kunakey, 22, were seen enjoying their first family outing with their newborn daughter Amazonie during Cannes Film Festival on Thursday

Vincent also showed off his summer style in a simple top, a baker boy cap and shades.

The family enjoyed an al fresco meal in the Cannes sunshine at the Martinez Hotel while Amazonie snoozed beside them.

Vincent couldn't hide his smile as he pushed his daughter to the car after their family lunch.

Family: The French model kept it casual in a pretty floral dress as she enjoyed the sunshine with her director other half, 52

Doting dad: Vincent pushed his daughter to the car after their family lunch

Tina made her first red carpet appearance since giving birth as she attended the premiere of Les Miserables at the Cannes Film Festival on Wednesday.

The Parisian beauty looked radiant as she arrived at the star-studded event wearing a strapless navy gown, complete with a satin belt around her waist.

Tina's gown boasted a full and pleated skirt which consisted of both velvet and satin panels, which also featured in the structured top half of the garment.

Time out: The family enjoyed an al fresco meal in the Cannes sunshine while Amazonie snoozed beside them

She added glitz to her look with a pair of bejewelled perspex stilettos which were adorned with a glittering sun-shaped emblem on the toe.

The mother-of-one added further detailing to her ensemble with a pair of statement earrings which were embellished with delicate diamonds.

Tina wore her curly locks in a loose and voluminous style, while accentuating her natural beauty with light touches of make-up in bronze hues.

Summer chic: The couple looked relaxed as they made the most of their sunny setting

Looking good: Vincent showed off his summer style in a simple top, a baker boy cap and shades

French actor Vincent, 52, announced the birth of baby daughter Amazonie, his third child but first with Tina, in a sweet Instagram post last month entitled 'Amazonie est nee (Amazonie is born).'

The post showed a waterfall in the idyllic Brazilian rainforest, and prompted more than 62,000 of the La Haine actor's followers to like the post.

The baby's name is an apparent tribute to Brazil, where the happy couple reside for part of the year, though Vincent had shared the image from Paris, France.

New mama! This comes after Tina made her first red carpet appearance since giving birth as she attended the premiere of Les Miserables at the Cannes Film Festival on Wednesday

Glowing: The Parisian beauty looked radiant as she arrived at the star-studded event wearing a strapless navy gown, complete with a satin belt around her waist

Storming the red carpet: Tina's gown boasted a full and pleated skirt which consisted of both velvet and satin panels, which also featured in the structured top half of the garment

Tina and The Black Swan actor announced their pregnancy in a sweet Instagram post in January this year, just four months after their wedding.

The couple posed on a beach during their romantic getaway to Bahia, with Vincent cradling his wife's growing belly, to break the news to fans.

Vincent and Tina married in a private ceremony at the city hall in Bidart, south-west France, on August 24 last year.

Joy: French actor Vincent announced the birth of baby daughter Amazonie, his third child but first with Tina, in an Instagram post last month entitled 'Amazonie est nee (Amazonie is born)

The couple were first linked back in July 2016 when Tina, then 19, shared a social media snap of herself cuddling up to the then 49-year-old actor while smoking a cigarette.

Vincent rose to fame in Matthieu Kassovitz's 1995 film La Haine (Hate) and starred in Ocean's Twelve and Ocean's Thirteen, as well as Eastern Promises and Black Swan.

He married Italian actress Monica Bellucci, 53, in 1999 after meeting on the set of their 1996 film The Apartment.

The couple welcomed two daughters, Deva, 13, and Leonie, eight, before divorcing in 2013 after 14 years of marriage.
He and his wife Amal Clooney boast a friendship with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

And George Clooney has revealed he hopes to meet Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's newborn son Archie during his fleeting London trip, where he has been promoting his latest miniseries Catch-22.

Speaking at the premiere of the dark comedy on Wednesday evening, the 58-year-old actor joked the royal baby has 'stolen his thunder' as the pair share the same birthday, May 6.

George Clooney has revealed he hopes to meet Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's newborn son Archie during his fleeting London trip, where he has been promoting his latest miniseries Catch-22 (pictured on Wednesday with wife Amal, 41)

When asked by BANG Showbiz whether he would be seeing baby Archie while in London, the screen star said: 'I hope so, that would be nice.'

In George's true comedic fashion, the screen star poked fun at the pair's common birthday during another interview at the premiere as he told presenter Jenni Falconer: 'Baby Archie has stolen my thunder!'

Royal couple Harry, 34, and Meghan, 37, welcomed their son Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor into the world earlier this month, and George previously admitted he doesn't want to be the child's godfather.

Special day: Speaking at the premiere of the dark comedy on Wednesday evening, the 58-year-old actor joked the royal baby has 'stolen his thunder' as the pair share the same birthday, May 6 (pictured with parents the Duke and Duchess of Sussex two days after he was born)

Plans: When asked by BANG Showbiz whether he would be seeing baby Archie while in London, the screen star said: 'I hope so, that would be nice' (pictured with Amal's mother Baria Alamuddin)

The ER actor admitted he believes it would be a 'bad idea' if they chose him to be a supporting figure in their son's life at his christening later this year.

During a recent appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, George, who shares 23-month-old twins Alexander and Ella with wife Amal, 41, said: 'That would be a bad idea. I shouldn't be the [godfather]. I'm a father of twins I can barely do that.'

Asked if he would turn down the role if it was offered to him, the Hollywood star replied: 'I'm not going to be the godfather. I promise you that. I'm fairly sure.'

Pals: The Hollywood couple boast a close friendship with the royal family, with the pair attending their much-talked about wedding last year (pictured)

George sat in the director's chair for his latest project, an adaptation of the novel Catch-22, which premiers on Hulu May 17, and stars Christopher Abbott and Hugh Laurie.

Early reviews were released for the six-part military tale this week, with 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.
She landed in the French city for a press trip with ice cream brand Magnum on Wednesday.

And Millie Mackintosh displayed her sartorial flair as she stepped out for a stroll during the Cannes Film Festival in France on Thursday afternoon.

The former Made In Chelsea star, 29, garnered attention as she rocked a bold yellow maxi dress, complete with structured ruffled detailing throughout.

Making a stylish arrival: Millie Mackintosh displayed her sartorial flair as she stepped out for a stroll during the Cannes Film Festival in France on Thursday afternoon

Turning heads with her bold display, the TV personality's ensemble featured a bondage-style sweetheart neckline and a buttoned bodice.

The reality star ensured all eyes were on her as she boosted her frame in a pair of nude strappy heels, and accessorised with two-tone cat-eye sunglasses.

Styling her dark blonde locks into a straight fashion, Millie complemented her radiant complexion with matte foundation and rose-tinted lipstick.

Catching the eye: The former Made In Chelsea star, 29, garnered attention as she rocked a bold yellow maxi dress, complete with structured ruffled detailing throughout

The bigger, the better: Turning heads with her bold display, the TV personality's ensemble featured a bondage-style sweetheart neckline and a buttoned bodice

Standing tall: The reality star ensured all eyes were on her as she boosted her frame in a pair of nude strappy heels, and accessorised with two-tone cat-eye sunglasses

Lucky for some! The blonde landed in the French city for a press trip with ice cream brand Magnum on Wednesday, documenting her trip on Instagram

Her trip to Cannes comes just a week after she enjoyed a gifted trip to East Portlemouth, Devon, with her husband Hugo Taylor, 32, during the bank holiday weekend.

Millie has recently visited Ibiza, the Maldives, Azerbaijan and Finland in the past three months all on gifted stays, reaping in the benefits of her influencer status.

Earlier this year, the TV star was among 16 stars and influencers who had breached Advertising Standards Authority rules surrounding paid posts on Instagram.

She is far from alone in having flouted advertising guidelines in this way as Instagram is often flooded with famous faces who promote products, arguably without making it clear they are being paid for the sponsorship.

Smitten: Her Cannes break comes a week after she enjoyed a gifted trip to East Portlemouth, Devon, with her husband Hugo Taylor, 32, during the bank holiday weekend earlier this month

That is why the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) conducted an investigation into concerns that social media stars are not properly declaring when they have been paid, or otherwise rewarded, to endorse goods or services.

All the stars identified in the investigation, which began last August, agreed to change their ways.

Under consumer protection law, influencers are required to clearly state if they have received payment for products they endorse - either in gifts, money, or by loan of the products.
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She's been ruling the red carpet during the Cannes Film Festival since arriving.

But Alessandra Ambrosio, 38, took some time out from her hectic schedule to soak up the sun at the Eden Roc Hotel during the 72nd annual festival on Thursday.

The supermodel looked in her element as she flaunted her envy-inducing figure in a tiny black bikini while packing on the PDA with her handsome beau, Nicolo Oddi.

Bikini babe: Alessandra Ambrosio, 38, took some time out from her hectic schedule to soak up the sun at the Eden Roc Hotel during the 72nd annual festival on Thursday

Pucker up: The supermodel looked in her element as she packed on the PDA with her handsome beau, Nicolo Oddi

All focus was on the catwalk queen's sensational figure which consisted of the bandeau style bikini top and matching bottoms.

She showed off her stylish flair by propping a colourful knitted shawl on her shoulders while shielding her features with a pair of shades.

The former Victoria's Secret Angel relied on her naturally striking features with only a simple slick of make-up while her chestnut coloured locks billowed in the breeze.

Wow: All focus was on the catwalk queen's sensational figure which consisted of the bandeau style bikini top and matching bottoms

Gorgeous: She showed off her stylish flair by propping a colourful knitted shawl on her shoulders while shielding her features with a pair of shades

The former Victoria's Secret Angel relied on her naturally striking features with only a simple slick of make-up while her chestnut coloured locks billowed in the breeze

Her love was evident for Nicolo Oddi, who founded and runs the Italian knitwear brand Alanui, as they smooched away.

Nicolo also opted for a matching cardigan style ensemble as he joined her gorgeous other half on the balcony of the hotel.

The smitten couple were joined by a slew of pals as they chatted away and made the most of their time in the sunshine.

Bronzed: Alessandra took some time to herself as she soaked up the sun on the balcony

Jet setter: Despite her international travels, Alessandra didn't sport a hint of fatigue

Handsome: Nicolo also opted for a matching cardigan style ensemble as he joined her gorgeous other half on the balcony of the hotel

Busy: Earlier on in the day, the pair were hand-in-hand as they were seen strolling out and about during the 72nd annual Cannes Film Festival

Chic: Alessandra proved to be more covered-up in a striped navy and red turtleneck top, which she teamed with a pair of tiny white shorts

Pins on parade: Further emphasis was put on Alessandra's toned legs as she strolled along in a pair of white sandals while toting her belongings in an orange shoulder bag

Earlier on in the day, the pair were hand-in-hand as they were seen strolling out and about during the 72nd annual Cannes Film Festival.

Alessandra proved to be more covered-up in a striped navy and red turtleneck top, which she teamed with a pair of tiny white shorts.

Further emphasis was put on Alessandra's toned legs as she strolled along in a pair of white sandals while toting her belongings in an orange shoulder bag.

Beginning: Alessandra and Nicolo were first linked together in July 2018, when they were seen getting close at the HQ2 Nightclub in Atlantic City, New Jersey, according to Page Six

A source revealed: 'The two were very affectionate with each other, kissing and, when she wasn't dancing, they had their arms around each other'

Alessandra and Nicolo were first linked together in July 2018, when they were seen getting close at the HQ2 Nightclub in Atlantic City, New Jersey, according to Page Six.

'The two were very affectionate with each other, kissing and, when she wasn't dancing, they had their arms around each other,' a source told the site at the time.

Since then, the two have been nearly inseparable. Prior to that, Alessandra was engaged to the father of her children, Jamie Mazur, for ten years.

The couple split in March of last year, though they reportedly have an amicable relationship due to their two shared children Anja, 10, and Noah, six.
She recently arrived back in Britain after a sun-soaked honeymoon in Dubai.

But Danielle Lloyd still managed to enjoy the spring sunshine on Thursday, as she enjoyed a fun-filled day with her family at the park in Birmingham.

The reality star, 35, was effortlessly chic in a snakeskin dress as she played ball games with her four sons and new husband Michael O'Neill, 31, after the couple tied the knot in a romantic Dubai ceremony last month.

Summer fun: Danielle Lloyd, 35, cut a chic figure in a snakeskin shirt dress as she enjoyed a day at the park with her sons and husband Michael O'Neill, 31, in Birmingham on Thursday

Danielle cut a stylish figure in her chic snakeskin printed dress as she larked about in the sunshine with sons Archie, eight, Harry, seven, George, five and Ronnie, one.

The former Celebrity Big Brother star opted for comfortable sandals with her look as she showed off her new honeymoon tan.

Danielle's proud husband Michael, 31, could be seen playing close by as they threw ball around after recently returning from their lavish honeymoon.

Lovely: The star, 35, cut a stylish figure in a chic snakeskin shirt dress as she larked about in the sunshine with her family, after recently returning from her Dubai honeymoon

Danielle and Michael said 'I Do' in Dubai following a three-year engagement last month, and stayed on in the United Arab Emirates for the honeymoon.

The former model and her new spouse married on the beach before celebrating their nuptials at the Summersalt Beach Club with a boozy Champagne-filled reception.

Danielle and Michael had announced their engagement in March 2016 after just six months of dating.

Mr and Mrs: Danielle and Michael tied the knot in Dubai last month over three years after announcing their engagement

Lavish: The couple shared a glimpse of their lavish nuptials on Instagram, including the moment Danielle tossed her bouquet

On Loose Women in 2016, Danielle revealed that Michael presented her with a stunning sparkler which he designed and had made by a jeweller.

The couple had to delay their wedding after Danielle became pregnant with their first child together, Ronnie, who was born in September 2017.

Their baby was a welcome addition to the bombshell's young brood, three sons - Archie, George and Harry - who she shares with ex-husband Jamie O'Hara.
Photo: The Canadian Press Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau delivers a speech at the Viva Technology conference in Paris, Thursday May 16, 2019.

The federal government says it will launch a new digital charter that will dictate how the country will combat hate speech, misinformation and online electoral interference in Canada.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made the announcement today in Paris during a speech at the VivaTech conference, an international summit that brings together startups and technology leaders.

The announcement was short on details, which Trudeau says will be revealed in the coming weeks.

But the prime minister says he's confident the proposed framework will restore the faith of citizens while holding platforms accountable.

Trudeau met with New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern earlier in the day and held a working lunch with French President Emmanuel Macron.

He was set to meet Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales later Thursday.
Married life appeared to suit Jude Law and new wife Phillipa Coan as they arrived at a busy Gatwick airport on Wednesday.

The happy couple, who exchanged vows in at intimate ceremony at Marylebone Registry Office in April, looked completely smitten while making their way across the terminal arm-in-arm.

Jude, 46, looked relaxed in a ripped white T-shirt and jogging bottoms teamed with a collarless jacket and trainers during his latest appearance with Phillipa.

Hey Jude: Married life appeared to suit Jude Law and new wife Phillipa Coan as they arrived at a busy Gatwick airport on Wednesday

The celebrated actor added to his low-key look with a raffish Trilby hat and sunglasses as the couple made their way towards the airports departure lounge.

Joining her husband, Phillipa, 32, looked equally relaxed in a simple black T-shirt and generously cut striped trousers.

The business psychologist and behavioral specialist completed her stylish summer look with a loose-fitting cardigan and white trainers that appeared to be an exact match to those worn by her husband.

Affectionate: The happy couple, who exchanged vows in at intimate ceremony at Marylebone Registry Office in April, looked completely smitten while making their way across the terminal arm-in-arm

A Law unto himself: Jude, 46, looked relaxed in a ripped white T-shirt and jogging bottoms teamed with a collarless jacket and trainers during his latest appearance with Phillipa

The talented Mr. Trilby: The celebrated actor added to his low-key look with a raffish hat and sunglasses as the couple made their way towards the airports departure lounge

Having already exchanged vows in a small London service, the couple are believed to be planning a larger ceremony surrounded by showbiz pals.

According to The Sun, Jude will marry Phillipa again in France this spring, and has asked his eldest son Rafferty, 22, to be his best man.

A source told the publication: 'The wedding itself will be a good old fashioned knees up with plenty of booze and dancing.

Off on The Holiday: Having already exchanged vows in a small London service, the couple are believed to be planning a larger ceremony surrounded by showbiz pals in France this summer

He's a jovial Jude: The actor kept his new wife entertained as they prepared to fly out of the United Kingdom

'All his old pals are going from when he was growing up in London and just starting out in his career.

'Jude and Phillipa have been going out together for years and get on really well, so this is the next natural step.'

It is thought the nuptials will be an A-list affair with several of Jude's actor pals reported to attend, among them Jonny Lee Miller, Ewan McGregor, Brad Adams and Sean Pertwee.

She's got your back: Phillipa draped an arm across her beaming husband's shoulders

Jude previously opened up about his romance with Phillipa in an interview with Modern Living.

He said: 'Shes mine and no one elses. Im very, very happy. Our relationship is a very private thing, and I think part of the fact it works so well is exactly because of that.'

This will be the second time lucky for father-of-five Jude, who was previously married to designer Sadie from 1997 until their divorce in 2003.

The former couple share three children together, Rafferty, 22, daughter Iris, 18 and 16-year-old Rudy.

Jude also has an nine-year-old daughter Sophia with model Samantha Burke and Ada, three, with musician Catherine Harding.

The star famously dated fellow A-lister Sienna Miller, with Jude famously issuing a public apology to her after having an affair with his children's nanny.
She famously kissed her legal career goodbye to become a social media star, amassing millions of followers across Instagram and YouTube in the process.

But on Thursday, Pia Muehlenbeck looked a little different than her flattering selfies when she stepped out for the official Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week after party in Sydney.

The 27-year-old's visage looked remarkably tight, while her lips and cheeks were full and puffy.

Frozen in time: Pia Muehlenbeck flaunted her taut visage when she stepped out for the official Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week after party in Sydney on Thursday

Wearing a stylish black pantsuit and accessorising with a matching hat, the brunette beauty posed up a storm in front of the media wall.

Once inside the event, she flashed a rigid smile while clutching a glass of white wine.

Speaking exclusively to Daily Mail Australia last year, cosmetic surgeon Dr Jeremy Hunt speculated about Pia's changing looks by comparing old photos of the star to recent images.

'Her appearance is highly suggestive of rhinoplasty, as the nasal bones in the upper part of the nose are narrowed,' said Dr Hunt.

Pose: Wearing a stylish black pantsuit and accessorising with a matching hat, the brunette beauty posed up a storm in front of the media wall

'The tip of her nose appears smaller and the bridge seems narrower.'

A rhinoplasty would have set Pia back a cool $15,000, with recovery time extending to around two weeks.

Dr Hunt also claimed that Pia appears to have had fillers in both her upper and lower lip, both of which look fuller compared to older photos.

'The natural proportion of the lips has been lost and the upper lip is too large compared to the lower lip resulting in the 'trout pout',' he said.

Tight: Once inside the event, she flashed a rigid smile while clutching a glass of white wine

This non-surgical procedure would have likely cost around $1,000.

Pia may have also had fillers in her cheeks, a procedure that costs approximately $2,000 and requires two days of recovery time.

Dr Hunt added that Pia's changing face shape may be the result of a Buccal fat pad removal, which costs around $5,000.

'The lower cheek is hollower with less volume, leading to a more heart-shaped face,' the celebrity surgeon observed.

With other procedures, like a breast augmentation added on, Pia could have possible spent up to $50,000 on plastic and cosmetic surgery procedures.
He recently said that starring in the classic Disney remake was 'one of, if not the best experience' of his career.

And Will Smith continued to portray his excitement for the film as he attended the Japanese premiere of Aladdin in Tokyo on Thursday.

The actor, 50, who plays the Genie in the film, cut a dapper figure in a burgundy suit as he put on an animated display at the glitzy event.

Greetings: Will Smith continued to portray his excitement for the film as he attended the Japanese premiere of Aladdin in Tokyo on Thursday

The snazzy rouge two-piece consisted of a satin blazer and matching trousers, which he teamed with a T-shirt in a similar hue.

The star put on an lively display as he posed for pictures and played up to the cameras at the event.

Will happily waved and smiled to the crowd, before joining the Japanese voice-over stars for the film.

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air legend took to the red carpet with actors Kazuki Kitamura, Koichi Yamadera, Tomoya Nakamura and Haruka Kinoshita, as well as composer Alain Menken.

Looking fresh: The actor, 50, who plays the Genie in the film, cut a dapper figure in a burgundy suit as he put on an animated display at the glitzy event

Dapper: The snazzy rouge two-piece consisted of a satin blazer and matching trousers, which he teamed with a T-shirt in a similar hue

Channeling his inner Genie, Will showed off his comedic side as he larked about on stage and put on an upbeat performance alongside Tomoya Nakamura.

At one point, the Hollywood star even clutched his own video camera, as he documented his exploits at the event.

Will's buoyant display comes as he revealed to reporters in Amman, Jordan, that remaking the 1992 original was a highlight of his career.

He also explained how he 'called upon every talent I cultivated' during his years as an actor and rapper to play the role made famous by the late, Robin Williams.

All together: The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air legend took to the red carpet with actors Kazuki Kitamura, Koichi Yamadera, Tomoya Nakamura and Haruka Kinoshita, as well as composer Alain Menken

Snappy dresser: Will turned heads in a smart burgundy blazer and trousers,m which she paired with a T-shirt and black boots

Showman: The star put on an lively display as he posed for pictures and played up to the cameras at the event

He previously revealed at the European gala premiere of the film that it was 'daunting' stepping into Robin's shoes.

He said: 'It was quite stressful and daunting, Robin Williams didnt leave much room to improve on the genie.'

However, despite the Men in Black star's enthusiasm, his performance as Genie has left fans 'disappointed' after a teaser clip was aired ahead of the film's release.

This week, Disney released a preview clip from the movie, in which Genie sings the popular song 'Prince Ali' while Aladdin himself, disguised as a prince, is ushered through town in the middle of a parade.

Fun times: Channeling his inner Genie, Will showed off his comedic side as he larked about on stage and put on an upbeat performance alongside Tomoya Nakamura

Hey guys: The Hollywood star happily smiled and waved at fans as he signed autographs and posed for pictures

Thrilled: Will happily waved and smiled to the crowd, before joining the Japanese voice-over stars for the film

But whereas the musical number was an exciting comedic high point of the original animated film, many fans are saying this version falls flat and is lacking energy.

The one-minute video shows just the beginning of the musical number, as the Genie begins singing at the beginning of Prince Ali's parade.

Yet from that short clip, social media critics have found a lot lacking, calling it 'boring,' 'underwhelming,' and even 'horrendous.'

Animeted: At one point, the Hollywood star even clutched his own video camera, as he documented his exploits at the event.

Great experience: Will's buoyant display comes as he revealed to reporters in Amman, Jordan, that remaking the 1992 original was a highlight of his career

'Wow! It's like the original but way more boring and lacking in energy or exaggeration? Who would've thought that getting rid of animation would get rid of the creativity too?' tweeted one.

'Have they ever seen Aladdin? This song is one of the hype but the scene is shot so slowly wheres the hype wheres the /life/ why is this a thing cmon now,' complained another.

'This has the same energy of a chili's staff 'happy birthday' song,' quipped one user.

Aladdin hits cinemas Friday 24th May 2019.
Australian bikini model Natasha Oakley has slammed Alabama's decision to impose a near-total ban of abortions in the southeastern U.S. state.

Alabama's Republican Governor Kay Ivey signed the most stringent abortion ban in the nation on Wednesday after the bill passed the state senate 25-6.

Tash, who resides primarily in the U.S., took to Instagram to condemn the 25 men who voted to pass the controversial abortion bill.

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'This is just madness!' Australian bikini model Tash Oakley slams Alabama's new abortion laws and condemns the 25 male state senators who voted to pass the controversial bill

Alabama's near-total ban on abortion was passed late Tuesday by a group of 25 male Republican state senators. Just six state senators, all Democrats, voted against it.

Tash shared a CNN graphic depicting those who supported the bill, writing: 'Lucky they have no chance of getting pregnant or being impregnated by a rapist so they have nothing to worry about.'

'Lucky they have no chance of getting pregnant or being impregnated by a rapist': Tash called out the group of 25 male Republican state senators who supported the new abortion law

For the six state senators who opposed the law change, the 28-year-old wrote: 'Thank you for trying!'

Tash also shared CNN court footage of Democratic state Senator Bobby Singleton's tearful speech in opposition to the new law.

'You just said to my daughter: "You don't matter. You don't matter in the state of Alabama",' he said from his podium.

Tash simply captioned the emotional clip: 'This is just madness!'

'Thank you for trying!' Tash, who resides primarily in the U.S., addressed the six state senators who opposed the law change in Alabama

Alabama's near-total ban on abortion was passed late Tuesday by a group of 25 male Republican state senators. Just six state senators, all Democrats, voted against it.

Republican Governor Kay Ivey signed the measure on Wednesday. The law will make performing an abortion at any stage of pregnancy a felony punishable by 10 to 99 years or life in prison.

The law contains an exception for when the pregnancy creates a serious health risk for the woman, but not an exception for rape or incest.

There would be no punishment for the woman receiving the abortion, only for the abortion provider.

'You just said to my daughter: "You don't matter!"' Tash also shared CNN court footage of Democratic state Senator Bobby Singleton's tearful speech in opposition to the new law

The new law will not go into effect for six months, and in the interim abortions will remain legal in Alabama, which has three abortion clinics.

In Australia, abortion is a crime for women and doctors in New South Wales, while other states only deem the procedure lawful if a womans physical and/or mental health is in serious danger.

Meanwhile, new Queensland legislation came into effect in December that decriminalising abortion, within certain restrictions and safety parameters.
Prince and Blanket Jackson have started their own YouTube series.

The 22-year-old and 17-year-old brothers - who are the sons of the late King of Pop Michael Jackson - have teamed up for a movie review show on the online platform, with their first review of Avengers: Endgame.

Taking to Instagram, he wrote: "We are very excited to announce that we are starting a movie review channel.'

Family: Prince (far right) and Blanket (far left) Jackson have started their own YouTube series. The 22-year-old and 17-year-old brothers - who are the sons of the late King of Pop Michael Jackson - have teamed up for a movie review show on the online platform, with their first review of Avengers: Endgame

Prince said: 'Right now you can go see our first ever video on my YouTube channel (link in bio) we know that this is a very rough first video but we want to take you on the journey with us as we improve and develop the show.'

Adding: 'As usual all input is welcome here or in the YouTube comments. Expect more to come y'all #avengersendgame.'

Prince and Blanket were joined for the YouTube movie review by Taj Jackson and special guest James Sutherland; Prince, Blanket (listed as Bigi Jackson) and Taj were named as hosts.

The video was published on Prince's YouTube page,

Passion: Taking to Instagram, he wrote: "We are very excited to announce that we are starting a movie review channel'

Prince had previously vowed to carry on his father Michael's charity work.

Speaking as he collected the Motif Lifetime Medal of Honor, he said: 'This is a really special moment for me. My dad did some cool things, but his biggest passion was helping others.'

He continued: 'I learned how important that was from him. We called the foundation Heal L.A., because the goal was to further the cause of dad's Heal the World organisation and start locally by helping out at home.'

Prince said: 'John and I got together with a few of our friends at school and decided to do little things to help out. All of a sudden, it just got bigger and bigger.'

Adding: 'We were giving more and hosting more events, and all of these amazing people started helping. Let's heal L.A. and Heal the World.'

Good times: Prince said: 'Right now you can go see our first ever video on my YouTube channel (link in bio) we know that this is a very rough first video but we want to take you on the journey with us as we improve and develop the show'

On Saturday, Prince graduated from Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles with Blanket in attendance.

Their sister Paris Jackson, 21, was also in attendance for the big day.

Prince first enrolled in the college in 2015 following his graduation from the Buckley School, where Kim Kardashian previously was a student.

Support system: On Saturday, Prince graduated from Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles with Blanket in attendance
Today show star Richard Wilkins went public with his relationship with Virginia Burmeister in October 2017.

And on Thursday night, the couple looked as loved-up as ever as they enjoyed a glamorous date night at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in Sydney.

Attending the Carla Zampatti runway show, Richard, 64, cuddled up to Virginia for photos before enjoying the show from the prestigious front row.

She wears the pants! Richard Wilkins' girlfriend Virginia Burmeister stuns in plunging white suit during date night at Sydney's Fashion Week

Virginia, 51, stunned in an all-white suit, with palazzo-style trousers and a plunging jacket that showed her decolletage.

She appeared to accessorise with a leather fringed bag and hoop earrings.

Leaving her blonde locks down, Virginia kept her makeup in natural hues as she posed with her dapper boyfriend at the event.

Richard was dressed in a white collared shirt, jeans, a dark suede blazer and boots.

Fashion pack! During the evening they posed for a group photo with former Minister for Foreign Affairs Julie Bishop, Vogue Australia's editor-in-chief Edwina McCann, and Richard's socialite son Christian, who attended with boyfriend Andrew Kelly

The couple, who attend red carpet events regularly, appeared to bump into many of their close friends.

During the evening they posed for a group photo with former Minister for Foreign Affairs Julie Bishop, Vogue Australia's editor-in-chief Edwina McCann, and Richard's socialite son Christian, who attended with boyfriend Andrew Kelly

Known for their bold fashion choices, Christian and Andrew turned heads in their statement ensembles.

Standing out from the crowd! Richard's socialite son Christian and his boyfriend Andrew Kelly turned heads in their statement ensembles

The couple confirmed their relationship in late 2017 when they attended Lisa Wilkinson and Peter FitzSimon's vow renewals in Sydney.

Virginia, who previously was a dancer at Le Lido Paris in the 1980s, is the estranged wife of investment banker Mark Burmeister, and is a mother to three children.

Meanwhile, Richard has six children, has been married to Michelle Burke and once had a high-profile relationship with designer Colette Dinnigan.
They starred together on Coronation Street for seven years between 2011 and 2018.

And soap stars Samia Longchambon and Catherine Tyldesley reunited as they headed to a lunch at a Macclesfield furniture store on Thursday.

Samia, 36, who has played Maria Connor since 2009 and Catherine, 35, who played Eva Price from 2011-2018, looked delighted as they arrived at the Arighi Bianchi store ahead of their spring meal - although their characters famously feuded on-screen.

Corrie veterans: Samia Longchambon and Catherine Tyldesley reunited as they headed to a lunch at a Macclesfield furniture store on Thursday

Former Dancing On Ice star Samia revealed her toned legs in a chic black skirt with a thigh-split as she strolled along.

The stylish skirt was adorned with white and pink floral print, with a band of emerald green adding an extra dimension of colour.

The beauty paired this with a black crop-top which teased her taut midriff, and completed the ensemble with cream platform sandals.

Her caramel tresses were styled in loose waves while a pair of stylish aviators shielded her eyes from the sun.

Pals: Samia, 36, who has played Maria Connor since 2009 and Catherine, 35, who played Eva Price from 2011-2018, looked delighted as they arrived at the Arighi Bianchi store

Catherine took a walk on the wild side in a striking leopard print shirt dress which cinched in at her slender waist with a tan and gold belt.

The gorgeous gown flowed into an asymmetric skirt which exhibited the star's lithe legs and ivory stilettos.

Her brunette locks were worn in soft waves parted in the middle while a rich palette of make-up enhanced her pretty features.

The pair's characters got into an infamous spat on-screen in 2017 when Maria was outed as Eva's fiance Aiden Connor's mistress on their wedding day.

Catherine has been focusing on herself and her family since she decided to leave Coronation Street last year.

Chic: Catherine took a walk on the wild side in a striking leopard print shirt dress which cinched in at her slender waist with a tan and gold belt

Laugh out loud: Former Dancing On Ice star Samia wowed in a chic black skirt with a thigh-split as she strolled along

Banter: They starred together on Coronation Street for seven years between 2011 and 2018

While she admitted she may make a return to the cobbles, the star recently laid out her plans to travel as a family with her husband, Tom Pitford, and her young son Alfie, four.

She told Manchester Evening News: 'The timing seemed right. My son Alfie doesnt start at school for another two years so as a family we wanted the chance to travel.

'I have relatives in Australia, but we didnt want to go for just a couple of weeks, wed like to go over there and spend six weeks or more over there and then visit as many countries as possible.

'Tom and I had always talked about travelling and we are keen for Alfie to visit different cultures.'

The star is currently appearing in Channel Five murder drama, 15 days.

She is also filming new BBC comedy, Scarborough.
He reached the top of the dance charts in Italy and Dubai with his song Plastic World.

And Human Ken Doll Rodrigo Alves proved he was a born performer as he took to the stage with his plastic surgeon Giancome Urtis to perform his smash hit in Rome earlier this week.

The television personality, 35, was due to perform the hit at this year's Eurovision contest but had to pull out due to flying restrictions.

Wow! Human Ken Doll Rodrigo Alves showed he was every inch the showman as he took to the stage with his plastic surgeon Giancome Urtis to perform Plastic World in Rome this week

In his typical debonair style, Rodrigo showed off his surgically-enhanced torso in a sheer sparkly shirt and black corset.

He paired the look with glittering gold trousers with a tailored black blazer, which came complete with fringed metallic detailing.

Joined by a group of backing dancers, Rodrigo put on an animated display and showed off his impressive dance moves.

Devastating blow: The television personality, 35, was due to perform the hit at this year's Eurovision contest but had to pull out due to flying restrictions

Working it: In his typical debonair style, Rodrigo showed off his surgically-enhanced torso in a sheer sparkly shirt and black corset

Rodrigo was due to appear in this year's Eurovision contest but had to pull out due due to flying restrictions.

As the Celebrity Big Brother star recently visited Dubai he isn't allowed to enter Tel Aviv, where the competition is being held this year.

Speaking about having his dreams crushed when he discovered he could not perform at this year's ceremony in Israel he told MailOnline: 'The Eurovision team tried their best to get me out there.

Sparkly display: He paired the look with glittering gold trousers with a tailored black blazer which came complete with fringed metallic detailing

reached the top of the dance charts in Italy and Dubai with his song Plastic World.

'Three weeks ago I got the confirmation that it would not be possible for me to be there and open the song contest with my hit, Plastic World.

'Initially I was going to represent San Marino but then I turned it down and I asked if I could represent the public instead of a country.

'The theme this year is very inspirational and it fits very much who I am. I am a fighter and a dreamer.

There he goes! Joined by a group of backing dancers, Rodrigo put on an animated display and showed off his impressive dance moves

Sad: Rodrigo was due to appear in this year's Eurovision contest but had to pull out due due to flying restrictions

He will be missed: As the Celebrity Big Brother star recently visited Dubai he isn't allowed to enter Tel Aviv, where the competition is being held this year

'I do what is right for me and makes me happy and I dont care what people say.

'I dare to dream and most of my dreams have come true I am.'

Speaking about his chart-topping single Plastic World, in which he splashed out $150k to film a cowboy-themed music video, Rodigo described it as the 'fruit of his imagination and everything I always wanted to be in my life'.

He told us: 'The song matches my soul and body, I couldnt be any happier in life.

Fighter and a dreamer: 'The theme this year is very inspirational and it fits very much who I am. I am a fighter and a dreamer'

'Since I couldnt not be in Israel this year, I decided to have my very own live performance at a venue in Rome for 400 people and it was a blast.'

The plastic surgery addict added that as fans have liked his song so much, he will jet to LA next month to work on his next single.

His success comes after Rodrigo confided in MailOnline with his concerns that his body can't take any more surgery, just four days after getting the 'perfect' chin.

The star revealed his 'very swollen face' had left him unable to drink or eat following the operation in Istanbul where he has been filming a TV documentary.
Ruby Rose is ready to protect Gotham City on Sunday nights this fall.

The 33-year-old Australian beauty showcased her fit superhero frame as she stepped out at an Upfront event for The CW on Thursday in New York City.

Her upcoming comic book series Batwoman debuts this fall on expanding the network's popular Arrowverse.

Superhero! Ruby Rose showcased her fit superhero frame to promote her new series Batwoman on Sunday nights this fall at an Upfront event on Thursday in New York City.

Rocking menswear at the event, Ruby cut quite a sleek figure in a large seventies inspired grey suit with oversized lapels on the blazer.

She flaunted her toned tummy in a simple black ribbed crop top underneath and paired the look with funky white sneakers that had fluorescent yellow soles.

Ruby's signature pixie cut was styled high and blown out slightly to one side and she rocked glowing skin with fresh-faced glam.

The CW Network released a brief trailer for Ruby's upcoming series Batwoman this week announced that the show would debut on Sunday nights this fall.

Style star! Rocking menswear at the event, Ruby cut quite a sleek figure in a large seventies inspired grey suit with oversized lapels on the blazer

Batwoman will air in the 8pm slot before fan favorite Supergirl.

Rose made her debut as Kate Kane, a.k.a. Batwoman in the Arrowverse crossover Elseworlds on The CW, which brought characters for Arrow, The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow and Supergirl together.

The two-night Elseworlds crossover aired in early December, and in January, The CW issued a pilot order for Batwoman, which has since been ordered to series.

Coming soon! Ruby is set to protect Gotham City at Batwoman which will air at 8pm on Sunday nights before Supergirl this fall on The CW

The trailer doesn't reveal too much, showing Rose's title character in her full costume, standing atop a building with her red and black cape flowing in the wind.

Her Batwoman signal light is seen briefly in the trailer, before Rose turns to the camera, showing off her blazing red hair and matching red Batwoman symbol across her chest.

Ruby Rose was cast as Batwoman in August, for the Elseworlds crossover and the stand-alone series that was being developed.

Teaser: A short trailer for the comic book television series was released this week by the network and showed Rose in her full costume as Batwoman

Who is she? The character is described as having, 'a passion for social justice and a flair for speaking her mind,' with Kane also said to be, 'an out lesbian and highly trained street fighter primed to snuff out the failing city's criminal resurgence.'

The character is described as having, 'a passion for social justice and a flair for speaking her mind,' with Kane also said to be, 'an out lesbian and highly trained street fighter primed to snuff out the failing city's criminal resurgence.'

Kane isn't quite ready to be a hero yet, though, with the series following her overcoming her own demons, 'before embracing the call to be Gotham's symbol of hope.'

After being cast in August, Rose took to Instagram to deliver a heartfelt message to her fans and supporters.

'The Bat is out of the bag and I am beyond thrilled and honored. I'm also an emotional wreck.. because this is a childhood dream,' Ruby said on social media upon landing the role

'The Bat is out of the bag and I am beyond thrilled and honored. I'm also an emotional wreck.. because this is a childhood dream,' she began.

'This is something I would have died to have seen on TV when I was a young member of the LGBT community who never felt represented on tv and felt alone and different,' she added. 'Thank you everyone. Thank you god.'

Also starring in the Batwoman TV series is Dougray Scott as Jacob Kane, Elizabeth Anweis as Catherine Hamilton-Kane and Rachel Skarsten as Alice.
April Love Geary fired up her Instagram Stories this Wednesday to fawn over a dashing photo of her fiance Robin Thicke.

'GET ME PREGNANT AGAIN,' wrote the 24-year-old, who shares two daughters with Robin, including their little girl Lola born 11 weeks ago.

'Jk dont but like Omg,' the brunette model added, tagging her 42-year-old husband-to-be and adding a drooling emoji.

Bombshell: April Love Geary fired up her Insta Stories this Wednesday to fawn over a dashing photo of her hunky fiance Robin Thicke, writing: 'GET ME PREGNANT AGAIN'

In the snapshot, Robin stared enigmatically over his shoulder while modeling a blazer and a dress shirt, leaving a couple of top buttons beguilingly undone.

April recently treated her Instagram following to a sweet snap of her firstborn daughter Mia sitting with Robin on the sofa.

The couple lost their home to the California wildfires last autumn. But April was the recipient of happier news when Robin proposed on Christmas Eve.

Selfie maven: 'Jk dont but like Omg' the brunette model added, tagging her 42-year-old husband-to-be and adding a drooling emoji

It was an eventful year for April and Robin, who welcomed their first child together, a daughter named Mia Love, near the end of February 2018.

April, who joked on her 23rd birthday that Robin was 'gonna have to swap me out for a younger chick soon,' has just given Robin his third child.

Robin has an eight-year-old son named Julian by Paula Patton, whom Robin had married in 2005 after dating since they were teenagers in the 1990s.

'We made these!!!!': April and Robin share two daughters - Mia, one, and Lola, 11 weeks - and he has an eight-year-old son called Julian by his ex-wife Paula Patton

After they separated in February 2014, Robin waged a public campaign to get Paula back, including an album named Paula with a lead single entitled Get Her Back.

These efforts availed him naught, and the 43-year-old Paula filed in October 2014 for a divorce that was ultimately finalized the following March.

Paula and Robin waged a rancorous custody battle over Julian - one that they settled weeks before April told the world she was pregnant with Mia.
Photo: Valley Transit

A firefighter responding to a medical emergency has been killed in a shooting in Wisconsin that left three others injured, officials said.

The shooting happened after police and firefighters responded to a medical emergency around 5:30 p.m. Wednesday at Valley Transit, a bus station in downtown Appleton, fire and police officials said. Appleton Officer Meghan Cash said there was no ongoing threat to the community, but she didn't say if anyone was in custody.

A procession was held overnight in Milwaukee as the firefighter's body was brought to the Milwaukee County Medical Examiner's Office. Firefighters lined the street as emergency vehicles escorted the body. The flag-draped coffin was then brought into the medical examiner's office. The firefighter was a 14-year veteran of the Appleton Fire Department.

Fire officials say funeral arrangements for the firefighter are pending and that the investigation into the incident is ongoing.

Appleton is about 120 miles (193 kilometres) north of Milwaukee.
Jade Goody and Jeff Brazier's son Bobby discussed his exam stress on Thursday on Instagram.

The 16-year-old explained that he was finding it all tough and shared a bored looking selfie.

He wrote: 'How are your exams going? Its 9:05 and here i am sat watching "im becoming a genderless monster" chemistry is not my cup of tea...'

Who could blame him>? Jade Goody and Jeff Brazier's son Bobby Brazier, 16, took to Instagram on Wednesday to discuss his exam stress ahead of his GCSEs

Love and loss: His mother Jade passed away on Mother's Day, 10 years ago, aged just 27, when Bobby and his brother Freddie, were just five and four years old (pictured)

He shared another picture on social media a week ago, writing: 'Exams are actually happening. All a bit nuts.'

Bobby recently shared a picture of himself giving a speech at his father's wedding to Kate Dwyer last year.

His mother Jade passed away on Mother's Day, 10 years ago, aged just 27, when Bobby and his brother Freddie, were just five and four years old.

Overwhelming: He shared another picture on social media a week ago, writing: 'Exams are actually happening. All a bit nuts'

Single father: His dad Jeff has spoken the heartbreaking moment Jade told their sons that she had cancer, a week before she died

Jeff, 39, revealed that Jade told their sons about her cancer a week before she had died, describing the experience as 'the hardest moment' of his life.

Jeff praised Jade for her strength in her darkest time adding it was important for their sons to know truth about her condition.

'The fact that [Jade] had the strength and took the responsibility to tell them, it gave them a chance to be able to start processing in that particular moment even though they went into the play room and carried on,' he explained.

Happier times: 'It was just the right thing to do. It was love, it was her loving them enough to say I'm going to say the hardest thing that's ever going to pass my lips,' he said (Jade and Jeff in 2002)

'It was just the right thing to do. It was love, it was her loving them enough to say I'm going to say the hardest thing that's ever going to pass my lips.'

He continued: 'For her to say "Jeff I'm gonna tell them, I don't want you to be in the room and I'll send them out just look after them as soon as they come out of the room," it was like I was there ready to catch them.

'It's the hardest moment of my life probably,' he said, 'why wouldn't it be, poor boys, we did it for the boys.'

Jeff said that even at the end of their relationship he and Jade always made their sons their priority.

'It was always out priority, we wanted to do everything right for the kids and that was the case right up until the moment, and it didn't stop at that point. That's when the boys really needed us to be on each other's side and we were.'
Emily Ratajkowski let it be known that she is not pleased with the recent Alabama law prohibiting abortions.

The 27-year-old actress posed naked for a photo shared on Instagram where she decried the '25 old white men' who approved HB 314, a comprehensive bill essentially banning abortions even in the event of rape and incest.

Emily kept her arm over her chest and positioned a pink flower below for the daring photo posted on Thursday morning.

Revealed: The 27-year-old actress posed naked for a photo shared on Instagram where she decried the '25 old white men' who approved HB 314, a comprehensive bill essentially banning abortions even in the event of rape and incest

'This week, 25 old white men voted to ban abortion in Alabama even in cases of incest and rape,' she wrote online. 'These men in power are imposing their wills onto the bodies of women in order to uphold the patriarchy and perpetuate the industrial prison complex by preventing women of low economic opportunity the right to choose to not reproduce.

'The states trying to ban abortion are the states that have the highest proportions of black women living there. This is about class and race and is a direct attack on the fundamental human rights women in the US deserve and are protected by under Roe vs. Wade. Our bodies, our choice.

She posed in the nude against a stark white backdrop, seemingly only wearing eyeliner and mascara with a flower perfectly positioned for minimal modesty.

Respect female existence: Emily later shared a throwback photo on her story from when she joined hundreds of thousands of people to protest against Brett Kavanaugh's nomination to the Supreme Court in October

Louder: She also shared some sentiments across a bold red background: 'abuse of power comes as no surprise'

Emily later shared a throwback photo on her story from when she joined hundreds of thousands of people to protest against Brett Kavanaugh's nomination to the Supreme Court in October.

Ratajkowski carried a sign which read 'respect female existence or expect our resistance' and was later arrested at the event alongside Amy Schumer.

She also shared some sentiments across a bold red background: 'abuse of power comes as no surprise.'

The law, which follows similar restrictions in states including Ohio, Mississippi, Kentucky, Georgia, Iowa and North Dakota, would block abortions in the event of rape and incest, and features an exception only in cases where the pregnant persons health is at risk.

Standing strong: Rihanna, Kylie Jenner, Jameela Jamil, Minka Kelly and Busy Philipps are just a few of the many names protesting against the restrictive bill

HB 314 was approved by a vote of 25-6 in the Republican-led Senate and is set to come into effect in six months, and doctors who defy the law could face 99 years in prison.

Rihanna, Miley Cyrus, Kylie Jenner, Jameela Jamil, Minka Kelly and Busy Philipps are just a few of the many celebrity names protesting against the restrictive bill and using the #YouKnowMe tag.

The image circulating of the 25 Republican Alabama senators includes (from left to right, top to bottom): Sam Givhan, Clyde Chambliss, Will Barfoot, Arthur Orr, Jabo Waggner, Shay Shelnutt, Greg Reed, Cam Ward, Greg Albritton, Dan Roberts, Andrew Jones, Tim Melson, Tom Butler, Larry Stutts, Steve Livingston, Jim Mclendon, Garlan Gudger, Gerald Allen, Clay Scofield, Donnie Chesteen, David Sessions, Randy Price, Chris Elliott, Del Marsh and Jack Williams.

US News and World reported that the state of Alabama received the second lowest overall ranking in annual scorecards evaluating education, environmental and economic standards in each state.

Miley Cyrus posted this to her Instagram Stories to drive home the message

Disgusted: Kylie Jenner told her 135million followers that the new Alabama law 'makes me sick' before sharing a similar photo of the state's representatives to her Instagram story

'Our country hates women,' April Love Geary captioned a post which included quotes from state lawmakers

'When I was younger I had an abortion,' Minka Kelly admitted in a post for the #YouKnowMe movement. 'It was the smartest decision I couldve made, not only for myself & my boyfriend at the time, but also for this unborn fetus,' she wrote; seen in February

'When I was younger I had an abortion,' Minka Kelly admitted in a post for the #YouKnowMe movement. 'It was the smartest decision I couldve made, not only for myself & my boyfriend at the time, but also for this unborn fetus,' she wrote.

'For a baby tove been born to two people  too young and completely ill equipped  with no means or help from family, would have resulted in a child born into an unnecessary world of struggle.

'Having a baby at that time would have only perpetuated the cycle of poverty, chaos and dysfunction I was born into.'

Milla Jovovich recounted her emergency abortion at '4 1/2 months pregnant' while shooting on location in Eastern Europe.

'I went into pre term labor and told that I had to be awake for the whole procedure,' she wrote. 'It was one of the most horrific experiences I have ever gone through. I still have nightmares about it.'

'I went into pre term labor and told that I had to be awake for the whole procedure,' Milla Jovovich wrote. 'It was one of the most horrific experiences I have ever gone through. I still have nightmares about it'

Difficult: Busy Philipps previously revealed having an abortion at the age of 15, and decried the new controversial law in Georgia which prohibits doctors from performing abortions after they can detect 'fetal cardiac activity,' which occurs at about six weeks into a pregnancy

Busy Philipps previously revealed having an abortion at the age of 15, and decried the new controversial law in Georgia which prohibits doctors from performing abortions after they can detect 'fetal cardiac activity,' which occurs at about six weeks into a pregnancy.

Bella Thorne, 21, shared a bikini selfie to her Instagram along with her thoughts about the issue.

'They don't care about us, or about the future us,' she wrote about the lawmakers who passed the anti-abortion legislation.

'They want to step on our choice, a choice we have been fighting so long tohave, she said, adding that the politicians only really care about 'control and power.'

Back in January 2018, the former Disney star revealed that she had endured years of abuse, saying she had been molested in her bed at night 'from the day I can remember till I was 14.'

On Thursday she pointed out that if she was being abused now and became pregnant as a result, she 'wouldn't have a choice.'

'They want to take something from us, they want to hide us away to never come out and play, they teach us to be strong but they take everything from us when we stand up, we could cry and beg but what will that really do?' Bella Thorne wrote on Instagram Thursday

In January 2018, the former Disney star revealed she had been molested for years until age 14. On Thursday she pointed out that if she was being abused now and became pregnant as a result, she 'wouldn't have a choice'

Jameela Jamil wrote. 'This anti-abortion law  is so upsetting, inhumane, and blatantly demonstrative of a hatred of women.'

'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.'

Amber Tamblyn went public with her story, saying on Twitter that she had had an abortion in 2012.

The actress, 36, wrote: 'It was one of the hardest decisions I've ever had to make. I still think about it to this day. But these truths do not make me regret my decision. It was the right choice for me, at that time in my life. I have not a single doubt about this.'

The Sisterhood Of The Traveling Pants star is now mom to a two-year-old daughter with husband, actor and comedian David Cross whom she wed in October 2012.

Amber Tamblyn, 36, went public with her story, saying on Twitter that she had had an abortion in 2012 and that it was 'one of the hardest decisions' she'd ever made

The Sisterhood Of The Traveling Pants star, who is now mom to a two-year-old daughter with husband David Cross, said she doesn't regret terminating her previous pregnancy

Matthew Koma posted an infograph detailing the 'reasons why women have abortions' with all percentages equaling 100 percent 'nobody's business.'

'MY BODY! MY CHOICE!! DNC we gotta get a plan in PLACE PRONTO,' Kelly Rowland captioned an image.

Sofia Richie shared a post which read: 'New rule: If you ban abortion before you ban military-style assault rifles that massacre children in schools, you've lost your right to call yourself "pro-life".

Ellen DeGeneres used her platform to reveal 'I stand with the women in Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, Ohio, Missouri, and everywhere, who have the right to decide what happens to their bodies, as we all do.

'I have so much respect for women': Liam Payne took to Instagram to also post a photo of the Alabama lawmakers despite not usually commenting on politics

Matthew Koma posted an infograph detailing the 'reasons why women have abortions' with all percentages equaling 100 percent 'nobody's business'

Powerful: Sofia Richie shared a post which read: 'New rule: If you ban abortion before you ban military-style assault rifles that massacre children in schools, you've lost your right to call yourself "pro-life"

Advocate: Ellen DeGeneres used her platform to reveal 'I stand with the women in Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, Ohio, Missouri, and everywhere, who have the right to decide what happens to their bodies, as we all do

Support: Sean Combs  more often known as Diddy  posted a black-and-white image of repetitive lines with the sentence: 'Men shouldn't be making laws about women's bodies'

Sean Combs  more often known as Diddy  posted a black-and-white image of repetitive lines with the sentence: 'Men shouldn't be making laws about women's bodies.'

Mandy Moore posted a few infographs to her social media accounts, with Data for Progress revealing support for banning abortion reaches less than 25 percent across all states.

Another one of Moore's posts stated: 'You can be prochoice and a mother. You can be prochoice and support adoption. You can be pro choice and never get an abortion/be against abortion yourself.'

Facts: Mandy Moore posted a few infographs to her social media accounts, with Data for Progress revealing support for banning abortion reaches less than 25 percent across all states
Wendy Williams is finally starting to enjoy herself again after a challenging few months in her personal life.

The 54-year-old talk show host got choked up on-air as she told the audience about her fun evening out with Blac Chyna during Thursday's live episode of The Wendy Williams show.

The outing comes as Wendy has been dealing with a particularly nasty divorce from her husband of two decades, Kevin Hunter.

Emotional: Wendy Williams was moved to tears on her show Thursday as she recounted her fun night out with Blac Chyna after months of personal struggle

On Wednesday night the New Jersey native stepped out in NYC with a group that included reality star Blac Chyna and Wendy's 18-year-old son Kevin Jr.

The reality star was a guest on Wendy's show earlier that day where she revealed plans for a new docu-series following her life post Rob Kardashian.

During the show the following day, Wendy shared some details about the evening with her studio audience, telling them how they had a great time dancing to the music.

'Everybody was so embarrassed in a fun way, you know what I mean?' she said with a big smile.

Mom's night out: On Wednesday night the New Jersey native stepped out in NYC with a group that included reality star Blac Chyna and Wendy's 18-year-old son Kevin Jr

'Everybody was so embarrassed in a fun way, you know what I mean?' she said with a big smile.

Wendy then started to get emotional as she explained that her son got to witness his mom having some good-natured fun.

'Kev looks at me like "look at mommy have fun," she said. Adding that it was 'appropriate fun.'

An important distinction since the iconic daytime television host has struggled with a relapse into her drug and alcohol addiction over the last year.

She continued: 'Look at my boy over there, you know, looking at his mom have fun.'

Vulnerable moment: Wendygot emotional as she explained that her son finally got to witness his mom having some good-natured fun

Tough times: The iconic daytime television host has struggled with a relapse into her drug and alcohol addiction over the last year and during her recovery she filed for divorce from her husband of over 20 years

At this point Wendy couldn't hold back her tears and as she broke down, the audience cheered in support of the beloved star.

'It's nice,' she said through the tears.

An audience member shouted: 'We love you Wendy!'

Williams seemed genuinely touched by the support of her fans and responded with, 'I love you more.'

An audience member shouted: 'We love you Wendy!' Williams seemed genuinely touched by the support of her fans and responded with, 'I love you more.'

'It's nice:' After all she has gone through recently, having her 18-year-old son see her have some was a welcomed moment

While Wendy and Chyna stepped out together, Williams told a TMZ cameraman that the single life was 'wonderful' and she was 'making friends.'

A night of fun seemed long overdue for Wendy who has been going through a bitter split from her husband following the revelation that he had a longterm mistress, which subsequently led to her addition relapse.

Their split was both personal and professional. Wendy fired Kevin as an executive producer on her talk show and as her manager after she served him with divorce papers.

Hunter is demanding spousal and child support from his bread-winning former boss.

Girls night: Williams' night out was with reality star Blac Chyna after she joined Wendy on set Wednesday

In addition, Hunter requested that Wendy be financially responsible for Kevin Jr.'s college expenses.

Kevin's response comes weeks after Wendy served him with divorce papers at her television studio in New York.

Wendy filed marriage dissolution paperwork after DailyMail.com broke the news of Kevin's decade long affair with a massage therapist named Sharina Hudson.

News of the affair and, subsequently, the love child that Sharina quietly gave birth to earlier this year, pushed Wendy to an unfortunate relapse into drugs and alcohol abuse.

On the home front: Wendy's split from Kevin Hunter was both personal and professional; Wendy fired Kevin as an executive producer on her talk show and as her manager after she served him with divorce papers

She took a prolonged absence from her talk show at the end of 2018 and through the start of the new year and, at the time, claimed it was for medical reasons.

After DailyMail revealed that she was actually seeking treatment for substance abuse, Wendy shared her story with fans.

Following the continuation of Kevin's affair, which he flaunted in front of the public by taking the mistress out to dinners decked out in pricey clothes and in expensive cars, Wendy decided enough was enough.
She's in Cannes with ice cream brand Magnum - right in time for the French city's 72nd International Film Festival.

And Millie Mackintosh showed off her movie star style as she went for a saunter by the ocean on Thursday night.

The former Made In Chelsea star, 29, garnered attention as she rocked a crisp white jumpsuit, with flared trousers, reminiscent of the ladies of 70s TV series Charlie's Angels.

Evening out: Millie Mackintosh showed off her movie star style as she went for a saunter by the ocean on Thursday night in Cannes

Doing her best Farrah Fawcett, the fashionista wore a matching belt secured around her honed waist, and tan boots.

She wore styling dark shades and left her locks sleekly around her shoulders.

She let her bronzed complexion do the talking, sporting a deep tan, as she strolled in the evening sunshine.

Turning heads: The former Made In Chelsea star, 29, garnered attention as she rocked a crisp white jumpsuit, with flared trousers, reminiscent of the ladies of 70s TV series Charlie's Angels

Catching the eye: Doing her best Farrah Fawcett, the fashionista wore a matching belt secured around her honed waist, and tan boots

Sunkissed: She wore styling dark shades and left her locks sleekly around her shoulders. She let her bronzed complexion do the talking, sporting a deep tan, as she strolled in the evening sunshine

Her trip to Cannes comes just a week after she enjoyed a gifted trip to East Portlemouth, Devon, with her husband Hugo Taylor, 32, during the bank holiday weekend.

Millie has recently visited Ibiza, the Maldives, Azerbaijan and Finland in the past three months all on gifted stays, reaping in the benefits of her influencer status.

Earlier this year, the TV star was among 16 stars and influencers who had breached Advertising Standards Authority rules surrounding paid posts on Instagram.

She is far from alone in having flouted advertising guidelines in this way as Instagram is often flooded with famous faces who promote products, arguably without making it clear they are being paid for the sponsorship.

Lucky for some! The blonde landed in the French city for a press trip with ice cream brand Magnum on Wednesday, documenting her trip on Instagram

Smitten: Her Cannes break comes a week after she enjoyed a gifted trip to East Portlemouth, Devon, with her husband Hugo Taylor, 32, during the bank holiday weekend earlier this month

That is why the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) conducted an investigation into concerns that social media stars are not properly declaring when they have been paid, or otherwise rewarded, to endorse goods or services.

All the stars identified in the investigation, which began last August, agreed to change their ways.

Under consumer protection law, influencers are required to clearly state if they have received payment for products they endorse - either in gifts, money, or by loan of the products.
Last week she admitted she felt more confident with her clothes off, when she took part in The All New Monty on ITV.

And Megan Barton Hanson appeared to back up these claims on Thursday as she stepped out at the Fragrance Foundation Awards 2019 in London, in a very revealing number.

The former-Love Island bombshell, 25, turned up in a lacy black top, with a sheer floral design and short peplum sleeves.

Racy lacy: Megan Barton Hanson stepped out at the Fragrance Foundation Awards 2019 in London, in a very revealing number on Thursday

She nipped her waist with a black and gold belt, adorned with pearls, and completed the look with a matching skirt, which fell in layers around her pins and also sported a lace frill.

The look was finished with black peep-toe heels and statement gold earrings.

She tied her dark blonde locks back from her features, which were generously made up with bronzer, red lipstick and thick mascara.

Glamour gal: The former-Love Island bombshell, 25, turned up in a lacy black top, with a sheer floral design and short peplum sleeves

Beauty: She nipped her waist with a black and gold belt, adorned with pearls, and completed the look with a matching skirt

Got the look: Her skirt fell in layers around her pins and also sported a lace frill

Megan's appearance comes a couple of days after she admitted that she was suicidal at her lowest point two years ago, before finding fame, revealing that she 'wanted to give up' and 'didn't want to be here anymore' following a relationship breakdown.

She told heatworld of her low point two years ago: 'I just felt like I wanted to give up, like there wasn't any positive times, there wasn't any sad times, I just felt a whole cloud over me of just like numbness and nothingness

'I remember crying to my mum and saying basically "I really am not happy, I don't wanna be here anymore".'

Megan insisted that, although she was certain at that point that she would always feel unhappy, she found effective ways to improve her mental health.

She said: 'I thought there was no way I could get better - but there always is, and I did get better for me, therapy, meditation and yoga really help.'

Pretty: The look was finished with statement gold earrings

Stepping out: She tied her dark blonde locks back from her features

Discussing how she adjusted to life in the limelight after finding fame overnight on Love Island, Megan admitted that reading comments about her online made things difficult.

She told the publication: 'When I first came out the villa it was so difficult. I was on such a high but then I read some comments on a news article about me - they were absolutely awful.'

The former stripper admitted that initially she found it difficult to speak out about her mental health, but reiterated the importance of those with a platform to use theirs to raise awareness.

She said: 'I found it so difficult to open up because I just thought, "Am I crazy? Am I mental?"... I hate saying that because I think that's where all the stigma comes from.

Pouty: Her features were generously made up with bronzer, red lipstick and thick mascara

Also there: Jess Wright joined Megan at the event on the red carpet in a long puce gown

Arrival: Megan turned up at the event which was held at The Brewery, London

Gent: A male pal carried her purse for her on arrival

'Everyone with a big platform needs to speak out about it because everyone suffers on some level.

'So, it shouldn't be taboo and more people need to realise that it's okay to feel, like, down or anxious.

'I think we're slowly getting better with mental health in the UK. We're speaking about it more openly but it's still something we need to talk about more.'

To get help on mental health issues and find out how you can support the campaign so mental and physical health are given equal treatment at work go to www.wheresyourheadat.org
She's overhauled her fitness routine since becoming a mother to daughter, Sunday, in 2017.

And Ferne McCann showed off the results of her workout regime as she enjoyed a spot of dinner at The Ivy in Soho, London, on Thursday.

The former TOWIE star, 28, cut a casual figure in a skimpy grey vest stop which she teamed with a pair of ripped skinny jeans.

Yummy mummy: Ferne McCann showed off the results of her workout regime as she enjoyed a spot of dinner at The Ivy in Soho, London, on Thursday

Opting for a double denim look, Ferne completed her ensemble with a cropped jacket and white heeled sandals.

The reality star added some glamorous accessories which included a white leather handbag and brown sunglasses.

Ferne swept her blonde highlighted locks into a high ponytail as she added just a slick of make-up, which enhanced her stunning facial features.

Just yesterday, on Wednesday, the reality star looked every inch the doting mother as she enjoyed quality time with her daughter, Sunday, in a play-park in Essex.

Braless: The former TOWIE star, 28, went braless for her evening out in a skimpy grey vest stop which she teamed with a pair of ripped skinny jeans

Details: Opting for a double denim look, Ferne completed her ensemble with a cropped jacket and white heeled sandals

The blonde shares adorable daughter Sunday, 18 months, with ex-boyfriend Arthur Collins, who she split from when he carried out an atrocious acid attack at an east London nightclub in April 2017.

Arthur was found guilty of five counts of grievous bodily harm and nine of actual bodily harm, and was jailed for 20 years.

Since splitting from the convicted criminal, Ferne's love life has been relatively quiet, but she recently admitted she is now ready to 'find love and move on' from the horrific incident two years ago.

Speaking on her ITVBe reality show, First Time Mum, she said: 'I would love to find true love it's one of the best feelings when you're in love with someone and the feeling's mutual.

Finishing touches: The reality star added some glamorous accessories which included a white leather handbag and brown sunglasses

Motherhood: Just yesterday, on Wednesday, the reality star looked every inch the doting mother as she enjoyed quality time with her daughter, Sunday, in a play-park in Essex

'I feel like it's just such a nice feeling. I feel like I'm, ready to move on and find true love and I feel like I deserve it.'

The devoted mother also revealed it had been almost two years since she had been intimate with a man, adding: 'It's coming up to two years, I'm basically a born-again virgin. I need to clean away the old cobwebs!'

Speaking in an interview with MailOnline earlier this year, Ferne revealed she was back on the 'dating scene' after making it her new year's resolution to make more effort to meet men.

Ferne said: 'I'm on the dating scene. That was my new years resolution and I've stuck to it. I'm enjoying myself. I don't want to make myself exclusive to anyone. My dating life has completely changed [since becoming a mum]. I can't just go on a date.'
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Former Pussycat Dolls star Nicole Scherzinger is currently in Sydney, where she is filming the first round of auditions for Australia's Got Talent.

And the 40-year-old songstress has certainly picked a luxurious place to stay during her weeks in the Harbour City.

When she's not taping the show in Luna Park, Nicole is relaxing at the five-star Langham Hotel on Kent Street, where suites cost up to $2,500 per night.

She has expensive taste! Take a look inside the five-star Langham Hotel in Sydney, where Nicole Scherzinger is staying while filming Australia's Got Talent in nearby Luna Park

New role: Nicole (pictured) flew into Sydney last Friday to film season nine of Australia's Got Talent. She will serve as a judge on the show alongside Manu Feildel, Shane Jacobson, and Lucy Durack

In one of the most expensive suites, guests can expect to find three plush seating areas within a room featuring marble floors and opulent ceilings.

The room is furnished with green velvet chairs and cushions, large mirrors, various artworks and even orchids.

Beds at The Langham are world famous for their comfort, and are located near oversized windows that offer breathtaking views of Sydney Harbour.

Lavish: Located on Kent Street, the five-star hotel boasts bespoke furnishings and sweeping views of Sydney Harbour

Plush: Beds at The Langham are world famous for their comfort, and are located near oversized windows that offer breathtaking views

Guests at The Langham can also enjoy a complimentary swim in the 20-metre indoor heated pool, which features a sky ceiling and ornate columns.

Nicole, who originally hails from Hawaii, jetted into Sydney last Friday ahead of filming the upcoming ninth season of Australia's Got Talent.

On Thursday, she visited Sydney's famous Bondi Icebergs saltwater pool, sharing several photos to Instagram of herself enjoying the sights of Bondi Beach.

Plenty of room! In one of the most expensive suites, guests can expect to find three plush seating areas within a room featuring marble floors and opulent ceilings

Lap of luxury! Guests at The Langham can also enjoy a complimentary swim in the 20-metre indoor heated pool, which features a sky ceiling and ornate columns

Welcome to Sydney! On Thursday, Nicole visited Sydney's famous Bondi Icebergs saltwater pool, sharing several photos to Instagram of herself enjoying the sights of Bondi Beach

Nicole was announced as a judge on Australia's Got Talent earlier this month, alongside Manu Feildel, Lucy Durack and Shane Jacobson.

In an statement, the Don't Cha hitmaker said she was excited to watch 'undiscovered talent come into their own'.

'It takes a lot of courage to get up on a stage with millions watching, and I want to be that voice of encouragement to help these contestants ultimately become the best versions of themselves,' she added.

'It's really wonderful to see everyday people come on a stage and show their talent.'

Nicole sold more than 60 million albums worldwide as a member of The Pussycat Dolls. She left the band in 2009.
Nasser Sultan threw an epic tantrum on Tuesday after being refused entry to a runway show at Australian Fashion Week.

But the Married At First Sight star had better luck on Thursday, when he was spotted at the Carla Zampatti show at Carriageworks in Redfern, Sydney.

Unfortunately, the 52-year-old personal trainer still wasn't able to get himself a seat and was relegated to standing at the back with the volunteers and interns.

No seat for you! Married At First Sight's Nasser Sultan was forced to stand at the back with interns and volunteers during the Carla Zampatti runway show at Australian Fashion Week

Nasser dressed casually for the occasion in jeans, a white T-shirt and denim jacket.

He filmed the runway show on his iPhone while standing next to 'row E', surrounded by a handful of media types.

The Trial By Kyle star seemed to be in happy and relaxed spirits, after an unfortunate incident at the same venue earlier in the week.

How embarrassing! Nasser, 52, stood next to 'row E' at the Carriageworks venue in Redfern, Sydney after failing to get a seat

Nasser was left furious on Tuesday when Fashion Week staff denied him entry to a runway show at Carriageworks.

After arriving dressed to the nines for the People Vs runway show, organisers told him that he had the wrong media pass.

Moments later, he was seen frantically calling his 'people' on the phone and telling them to 'sort this f**king mess out'.

Bad times: Nasser was left furious on Tuesday when Fashion Week staff denied him entry to a runway show at the same venue

According to a source, Nasser's pass only gained him entry into the forecourt, where he was photographed by the media wall.

But it did not allow him access to the runway show itself.

An onlooker told Daily Mail Australia: 'Nasser was furious and screaming down the phone. He was literally turning purple with rage.'
Jenelle Evans appeared in a Columbus County courtroom on Thursday with disgraced husband David Eason by her side.

The 27-year-old MTV star was in court to 'fight a judge's order' which removed her three children from their North Carolina home following an incident where David shot and killed their family dog Nugget, according to TMZ.

Shortly before Jenelle and David were seen leaving the Columbus County court room, three children with blankets on their heads were 'placed in a CPS vehicle and driven away.

Legal: Jenelle Evans appeared in a Columbus County courtroom on Thursday with disgraced husband David Eason by her side

Eason quickly followed Jenelle out of the courthouse and was asked: 'Why did you kill the dog?'

Another question went unanswered when Jenelle was asked: 'What happens if you have to choose between your kids and your husband?'

The couple then drove off together in Jenelle's white SUV.

Their two-year-old daughter Ensley was the last of the children living in their home to be removed by child protective services and placed in the care of his mother, where Eason's daughter from another relationship, Maryssa, is also staying.

Trouble: The 27-year-old MTV star was in court to 'fight a judge's order' which removed her three children from their North Carolina home following an incident where David shot and killed their family dog Nugget, according to TMZ

Driving away: Eason quickly followed Jenelle out of the courthouse and was asked: 'Why did you kill the dog?'

Barbara, Jenelle's mother who is also regularly featured on Teen Mom 2, has custody of Evans' nine-year-old son Jace.

The site reported that while Jenelle does have visitation rights with Jace, a judge does not want him near Jenelle's home.

Kaiser  her four-year-old son with ex fiance Nathan Griffin  was picked up from school by CPS and placed in Nathan's mother's care on Friday.

Sad: Jenelle has three children: Jace, nine, Ensley, two, and Kaiser, four

Terrible: Eason regularly boasted about his arsenal of weapons and ammunition stored on his land before news broke that he shot and killed the family dog Nugget; seen on Instagram

David videotaped Ensley playing with their French Bulldog and shared the clip to his followers on one of his many social media accounts.

As Ensley tried to kiss the puppy named Nugget, the dog  who is clearly uncomfortable as it cowers and pulls away from the little girl  nipped back at the girls face while the video continued to roll on.

The Blast reported that David 'grabbed the dog by the throat and slammed it on the ground' before throwing the helpless animal into the kitchen table.

Horrible: The Blast reported that David 'grabbed the dog by the throat and slammed it on the ground' before throwing the helpless animal into the kitchen table; seen on Instagram

Gone: Shortly after the news broke that David had killed the puppy, MTV fired Jenelle from the show after parting ways with Eason last year following his homophobic and transphobic comments posted online; seen on Instagram

He then threw the dog's body out of the door before grabbing a pistol and shotgun and returning outside to shoot the puppy to death, only to return to the home 'covered in blood.'

Shortly after the news broke that David had killed the puppy, MTV fired Jenelle from the show after parting ways with Eason last year following his homophobic and transphobic comments posted online.

'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," MTV said in a statement following the news of the killing. '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 former reality star has been married to David for nearly three years and was 'very grateful' for the opportunity to appear on Teen Mom 2 (a spin-off from the network's 16 and Pregnant), a representative said in a statement.
She was attending the premiere of her very first movie, Me & My Left Brain.

And former Miss Universe Australia Laura Dundovic made sure all eyes were on her at the screening of the film, held at the Randwick Ritz on Thursday evening.

The 31-year-old opted for a daring yet sophisticated look, going braless in a plunging black tuxedo.

Taking centre stage! Former Miss Universe Australia Laura Dundovic went braless in a plunging tuxedo as she attended the premiere of her new movie, Me & My Left Brain, in Sydney on Wednesday night

She teamed the chic two-piece with a pair of strappy stilettos and a black leather Chanel handbag.

The statuesque stunner kept her beauty look simple, wearing her blonde locks in beachy waves pulled back with a black headband by Pixies Bows.

She also flaunted a sunkissed glow, letting her natural beauty shine through a minimal makeup palette.

Having been bitten by the acting bug, Laura is now eyeing a role on Home and Away.

'I'd definitely consider it,' she recently told The Daily Telegraph when asked if she'd ever join the soap.

'Look at the success of the Australian actors we've had on our soaps and how well they go overseas,' she added.

Stunning: The 31-year-old looked stylish in the two-piece ensemble for her big night

Laura's new movie Me and My Left Brain will be released in Australia on May 16.

The blonde beauty meanwhile, has been dating rugby superstar Quade Cooper since the end of 2014.

And earlier this year, she revealed she 'indeed' wants to start a family with her Melbourne Rebels partner, 31, in the future.

Star support: Laura was joined at the premiere by her best friend and former Bachelor star Lana Jeavons-Fellows

Cute: The pair cuddled up for pictures outside of the cinema

The socialite shared the exciting news with her followers during an Instagram Q&A session.

Do you plan on having kids?' one fan asked the former beauty pageant queen.

'Indeed! Just three fur babies for the moment. Boss, Chuck and Riddick,' she replied.

Laura has previously hinted that she'd like to get engaged to Quade, but the couple still appear to be dating.
Photo: The Canadian Press

China has formally arrested two Canadian citizens it's been holding since December in an apparent effort to pressure Canada into releasing a Chinese telecom executive.

The move brings the two men, Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor, closer to trial on vaguely defined state security charges.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said Thursday that Kovrig and Spavor have been arrested for allegedly stealing state secrets, but gave no other details.

Global Affairs Canada also confirmed the arrest, while reiterating Canada's demand that the two men be released.

Kovrig is a former Canadian diplomat and expert at the International Crisis Group, and Spavor is a businessman with lengthy experience in North Korea.

Both were arrested on Dec. 10 after Meng Wanzhou, a senior executive with telecom giant Huawei, was arrested in Vancouver on Dec. 1 at the request of U.S. authorities who want her extradited to face fraud charges.

"Canada strongly condemns their arbitrary arrest as we condemned their arbitrary detention on Dec. 10," Global Affairs spokeswoman Brittany Fletcher said in a statement.

"Canadian consular officials have made recent consular visits to the two men and will continue to provide consular services to them and their families."
More details have emerged of a bungled police arrest which will likely leave a Melbourne man with a permanent disability and has sparked intense scrutiny of the officer's actions.

Nik Dimopoulos remained in hospital on Tuesday after extensive surgery to repair serious injuries sustained to his arm when officers raided a Fitzroy property overnight Friday in pursuit of a carjacker.

"Nik was in bed upstairs," friend and state MP Fiona Patten told 3AW radio.

"Talk, flashlights, stomping big boots coming up, no one said 'police' at any time and so Nik fled thinking it was some type of homophobic attack.

"Police chased him down and tackled him."

Ms Patten visited Mr Dimopoulos in hospital on Monday.

"He's lucky. He nearly lost his arm. He was just very lucky we have some brilliant surgeons at St Vincent's Hospital that really worked miracles because he had no shoulder when he arrived at St Vincent's. It was petty awful," she said.

"He's going to make a recovery but probably not a full recovery. He will probably have a permanent disability."

Mr Dimopoulos was arrested outside the Hares and Hyenas gay bookshop after officers mistook him for the carjacker.

Police apologised for the botched raid and say it was in no way targeted at the gay community.

Victoria's corruption watchdog will investigate.

"(It's) very clear to us that police stuffed this one up," Assistant Commissioner Luke Cornelius said.
Bill Shorten will campaign on wage rises, climate change action and health as he ramps up the pace leading up to the federal election.

The Labor leader will campaign in Tasmania and South Australia on Tuesday, with health the key issue in the island state ahead of Saturday's poll.

Mr Shorten has written to the Fair Work Commission, signalling his intention to withdraw the current government submission on award rates and resubmit his own if elected to government.

It further signals Labor will put the pressure on the independent umpire to give a wage rise to 2.3 million low-paid workers.

Labor has also released a new attack advertisement focusing on climate change.

The ad accuses Tony Abbott of denying climate change, Malcolm Turnbull of getting dumped over it and Scott Morrison of ignoring it.

It also takes a shot at Barnaby Joyce for bungling climate action.

"And they'll suffer from it," the voiceover says as a picture of children is shown.

"The chaos within the Liberal-National government is out of control but it's nothing compared to the chaos of a Morrison-Palmer-One Nation government."

In Tasmania, Labor will focus on waiting times for elective surgery and access to emergency departments.

The party's health spokeswoman Catherine King said the election was a choice between health and handouts for the "top end of town".

"Mr Morrison's cuts are hurting our hospitals and they are costing lives," she said.

"The statistics don't lie - under Mr Morrison, there's been a record number of deaths from people waiting for elective surgery."

She said in the last year of reporting, the number of people who died waiting for elective surgery - or who could not be contacted - rose 10 per cent to 8271.

Mr Shorten switched from attack to defence after campaigning in Liberal-held seats in NSW on Monday.

School students mobbed him in Gosford, but unfortunately for the Labor leader the teenage girls were mostly not old enough to vote.

After visiting Reid in Sydney's west and Robertson on the NSW Central Coast, he headed south to Launceston where Labor is trying to hold Bass.

Labor MP Ross Hart is aiming for re-election, but the Liberal Party has paid significant attention to the seat despite a 5.4 per cent buffer.

Bass has changed hands at the past two elections.

The neighbouring electorate of Braddon is also in play, with Labor MP Justine Keay holding the seat by 1.7 per cent after a by-election last year.
If elected prime minister Bill Shorten will promptly scrap the coalition's "insipid" wage submission and ask the industrial umpire to raise award wages.

A Shorten government would axe the coalition's submission to the annual wage review and file a new proposal to raise workers' wages as soon as July 1.

In a letter on Monday, the opposition leader told the Fair Work Commission president to expect a proposal to increase award rates if Labor wins Saturday's election.

Labor argues the coalition government's submission on award wages has failed workers and it must be replaced.

"In the event we're elected next Saturday, one of our first acts will be to withdraw from the old government's meaningless, insipid, useless submission," Mr Shorten told reporters in Burnie.

He said it was "unprecedented" for a government to argue so strongly for the independent umpire to increase wages.

"But it is unprecedented to live in a time where we have chronic wages stagnation, which is effectively eating into the household incomes of millions of Australian workers," Mr Shorten said.

The Labor leader said he would argue on the first day of government for a real increase to award rates.

The opposition has made wages a key election issue, arguing sluggish growth in earnings is being outstripped by cost of living pressures and corporate profits.

Mr Shorten's promised intervention comes after the Australian Council of Trade Unions signalled it would get involved in the minimum wage review.

ACTU president Michele O'Neil will become the first person in that role to address a minimum wage case before the industrial umpire in decades.

She will present the union movement's case, for a six per cent rise or about $43 a week, to a Fair Work Commission hearing in Sydney on Wednesday.

"The minimum wage should not just be enough to stop you starving, it should be enough to provide for a decent life for all full-time workers," she said.

Labor has also promised to boost wages for childcare workers, as well as restore penalty rates.

Company profits have risen 39 per cent while wages have gone up five per cent, Labor argues.
More than $600,000 worth of cocaine has been found hidden inside children's books imported to Sydney from Portugal.

The books arrived in two shipments, on May 1 and May 4, police said.

Australian Border Force officers X-rayed and inspected the shipments and found 1.72kg of cocaine, with an estimated street value of up to $645,000.

A 31-year-old man was arrested in Vaucluse in Sydney's east on Friday, prompting the search of a home where electronic items, documents and a small amount of cannabis was seized.

The man will face the Central Local Court on Tuesday charged with importing a commercial quantity of a border-controlled drug.

He has also been issued with two cannabis cautions.
FEDERAL ELECTION CAMPAIGN: DAY 34

--

WHERE THE LEADERS ARE CAMPAIGNING

* Prime Minister Scott Morrison: is starting in Adelaide, before heading to Geelong then Tasmania.

* Labor leader Bill Shorten: is starting in Tasmania before heading west to Perth.

--

WHAT THE COALITION WANTS TO TALK ABOUT

How Labor's business policy will give tax breaks to big business and multi-nationals, and not crack down on them.

--

WHAT LABOR WANTS TO TALK ABOUT:

Getting a decent wage for the lower paid and how it will deliver on health services.

--

WHAT IS MAKING NEWS:

* A new opinion poll indicates a third of Queenslanders have turned off the Greens, thanks mainly to the Bob Brown-led anti-Adani convoy that drove throught the state over Easter. Just 12 per cent of the 848 people surveyed in the Courier-Mail YouGov/Galaxy poll said they would be more likely to vote for the Greens in Saturday's election because of the convoy. Another 34 per cent said they were less inclined to vote for the Greens.

* Labor leader Bill Shorten's role in the Beaconsfield mine disaster again resurfaced when he met Peter James, a paramedic involved in the rescue mission. Mr Shorten shot to prominence in 2006 when he was Australian Workers' Union supremo, representing the two trapped men who were eventually rescued after days trapped underground. "Beaconsfield was an amazing rescue though wasn't it?" Mr Shorten said. "It was," Mr James said.

* Clive Palmer, who has spent around $50 million on advertising to get his United Australia Party into parliament, has been spotted at a resort in Fiji just days before Saturday's election. A picture of him dining with friends appeared on social media, but Mr Palmer says he was visiting a terminally ill friend. A spokesman told News Corp the Queensland billionaire would be back on the campaign trail within 24 hours.

--

THEY SAID WHAT?

* "If Australians decide against six more years of cuts and chaos from a Morrison government and vote for change, a Shorten Labor government will not delay the pay rise that Australian workers deserve." - Labor's letter to the Fair Work Commissioner.

* "I don't see it that way at all." - former foreign minister Julie Bishop on Scott Morrison describing China as a customer of Australia.

* "I will not stand by and allow Labor-Union thugs to intimidate women, and I will certainly not allow anyone to verbally abuse my wife." - Swan Liberal MP Steve Irons after he was filmed angrily lashing out at Labor campaigners.
A 70-year-old man is among 15 environmental activists who have been charged after the group allegedly blocked security and protested on the Sydney Harbour Bridge to demand action on climate change.

Security staff spotted the male and female activists, aged between 21 and 70, on the bridge just after 5am on Tuesday, police said in a statement.

The group allegedly blocked security to allow six members to lower themselves from the public walkway and under the iconic structure.

Nine of the activists were arrested on the walkway while three managed to get under the structure and three abseiled from the bridge.

Calling on the major federal political parties to declare a "climate emergency", the hanging trio unfurled banners - emblazoned with "100% renewables" and "make coal history" - and bright red flags as they dangled beneath the bridge for several hours.

Officers from NSW Police, with help from PolAir, marine and rescue crews eventually removed and arrested the remaining six activists by 9.30am.

All 15 were charged with risking the safety of another by climbing a structure, wilfully preventing free passage of a person/vessel, climbing on any part of a bridge and entering enclosed land without lawful excuse.

They have all been granted conditional bail to appear at Downing Centre Local Court on June 5.

Greenpeace Australia Pacific chief executive David Ritter brushed off questions about the legality of the protest action, describing the activity "like a smoke alarm when the house is on fire".

"It's a wake up call to the prime minister who is not acting in the face of this climate emergency," he told AAP.

"He still has time before polling day to make a statement."

The protest comes four days before the federal election.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison told reporters in Adelaide on Tuesday that he's "passionate about a lot of things but I don't want to stop traffic on the Sydney Harbour Bridge because that would be inconsiderate."

Opposition leader Bill Shorten said he, too, disapproved of the illegal protest.

"What I say to millions of Australians who are concerned about climate change - you can make a really effective protest on Saturday," he told reporters in Tasmania.

"You can vote Labor for re-election on climate change."
Police in Adelaide have tasered and shot a man who had been threatening them with a lit gas cylinder.

They were called to a house in Ingle Farm just before 2.30am on Tuesday after reports of a domestic violence incident when they were confronted by a 20-year-old man carrying the cylinder and a knife.

The man lit the cylinder and dropped it before threatening officers with the knife, and police shot the man in the arm after a taser failed to subdue him.

He was taken to hospital and his injuries are not considered life-threatening.

The internal investigation section is investigating the shooting.

1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732)

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The Queensland government is facing calls to immediately remove children from adult watch houses after revelations they are being held for weeks at a time and without adequate medical care.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk and her ministers were on Tuesday asked during question time to explain how a girl was held in the same area as two alleged male sex offenders in the Brisbane City Watch House.

The ABC's Four Corners program on Monday detailed that incident and other cases of children enduring lengthy periods in adult holding cells because the state's youth detention centres are full.

"That is a serious allegation and that matter is currently under a full investigation," Ms Palaszczuk told state parliament.

"I spoke to the director-general this morning.

"She has advised me that the matters that were raised on the Four Corners program, that the (Child Safety Minister Di Farmer) was not aware of and that I was not aware of, will be fully investigated."

Her office later clarified those remarks, and said the Department of Premier and Cabinet's Acting Director General, Rachel Hunter, has held meetings across government since the allegations were raised by Public Guardian Natalie Siegel-Brown, and briefed the premier.

It says the department was advised by Queensland Police that the young girl was in an adjacent cell to the men, that there was never any ability for personal or physical interaction and that she was moved when alternative areas were cleared.

The premier on Tuesday repeated her suggestion the issue could be solved with youth employment, and Child Safety Minister Di Farmer has been unable to say when the practice will stop.

The Opposition has joined calls from child advocacy and legal groups for an immediate end to the practice.

"Imagine as a kid, you have to put a blanket over your head because you are in 24 hours of light," LNP leader Deb Frecklington said.

"In Queensland we don't even do that to adult prisoners, let alone children."

Ms Frecklington wants the children to be removed from watch houses and instead housed in temporary accommodation.

"Anything would be better than the accommodation that they're in at the moment," she said.

"You can build a mine camp in less than four days, so surely we can get these kids out into temporary accommodation."

Doctors and the Queensland Law Society have called for the age of criminal responsibility to be raised from 10 to 14, a proposal Ms Frecklington does not support.

Last month, the 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.
Scott Morrison wants independent candidates to declare which side of politics they will support if they get elected, so people know what they're getting.

The prime minister believes voters deserve to know whether or not their independents would support the coalition or Labor, whoever wins the May 18 federal election.

"For those who are running as independents, I think that is entirely reasonable for them to be declaring that, so their voters know what their position is," he told ABC Radio Adelaide on Tuesday.

"As we know, this is going to be a very close election."

But Labor leader Bill Shorten says the coalition needs to ask itself why so many Liberal women are now so disgruntled with the party they are running as independents.

The push comes as coalition seeks to win a swag of seats from Labor and independents, and hold on to the ones it has, if it is to have any chance of retaining power.

"Kerryn Phelps over in Wentworth was pretending to be a Liberal, she's voted with Labor 75 per cent of the time," Mr Morrison told Sydney radio 2GB.

"People present themselves as being middle of the road, but when they get in there, that's what they do.

"It's like Forrest Gump's box of chocolates - you never know what you're going to get with these guys."

Mr Morrison said that includes Centre Alliance MP Rebekha Sharkie, who Liberal candidate Georgina Downer is hoping to defeat in the South Australian seat of Mayo.

"If you get Georgina Downer then you know that she's supporting the Liberal-National government, but with others, you never know what you're going to get."

Hopeful independent Zali Steggall, who is closing in on Tony Abbott's seat of Warringah, has said she's inclined to support the coalition, especially on economic matters, but is concerned about its lack of action on climate change.

Mr Shorten said the coalition should look at why so many women are running as independents in Liberal seats.

"Cathy McGowan used to work for a Liberal pollie but ran as independent," Mr Shorten told reporters in Burnie.

"Rebekah Sharkie used to work for a Liberal pollie but she's had to run as an independent. Zali Steggall has never voted Labor, according to her, in her life.

"Julia Banks has touched a chord and she represents a strand of Liberals who this extreme right-wing Liberal Party no longer represents."
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has dismissed fresh claims the federal coalition pressured government scientists to rush through a key approval for the multi-billion dollar Adani coal mining project.

Groundwater plans for the proposed central Queensland mine were approved by federal environment minister Melissa Price on April 8, two days before the May 18 national election was officially called.

In announcing her decision, Ms Price, who has been largely absent from the coalition's national election campaign, said she had acted on "scientific advice".

Queensland is a key battlefield for the coalition, which is fighting to retain government in the face of polls projecting a Labor win.

Now documents obtained by the ABC under Freedom of Information laws imply the Commonwealth decision to approve the water plan was rushed after environment department officials pushed for a result on the afternoon of Friday April 5.

The documents also imply the assessment of the CSIRO cited by Ms Price as approving the plan was not as clear cut as suggested.

But Mr Morrison says CSIRO and Geoscience Australia took part in an earlier review of the plans, later confirming Adani had met requirements before being granted final approval.

"If they don't want to support something, then they won't, and they certainly wouldn't do that in writing if they weren't 100 per cent behind it," he said.

"And they did."

Federal Labor leader Bill Shorten called on Ms Price to explain herself, despite saying an elected Labor government would not review the decision.

The documents obtained by the ABC include an email by a senior CSIRO research director saying the agency was being careful "not to be categoric" in its response because "the devil is in the detail we do not have".

The Australian Conservation Foundation said this showed key CSIRO officials had reservations about Adani's groundwater plans.

"These documents show political pressure was put on CSIRO to quickly back Adani's groundwater plans and provide cover for the rushed approval by the Environment Minister just days before the election," ACF campaigner Christian Slattery said.

The mine's final approval now rests with the Queensland government, which must sign off on plans to manage groundwater and the endangered Black-Throated Finch before construction can start.

It has asked for reviews of the latest version of those plans.

Adani says it has asked to see specific questions the Queensland government has now put to CSIRO and Geoscience Australia, but its request has been refused by the state Environment Department.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk denies her government is holding up the project, saying it is going through the same standard of approval as any other mining project.

"It's not just one rule for Adani and one rule for everyone else," she said this week.

But the state's peak resources lobby said that's not the case.

"No one could say with a straight face that the Carmichael coal project has been treated like any other mining project," Queensland Resources Council chief executive Ian Macfarlane said.

Ms Palaszczuk on Tuesday announced Pembroke's $1 billion Olive Downs coal mine project in the Bowen Basin had been granted conditional approval.
Photo: Contributed A GoFundMe page has been started by friend Kim Schnell with a goal of raising $5,000 to replace Maurice Strong's bike.

Friends are rallying around a Vernon man who had his three-wheeled bike stolen earlier this week.

Several years ago, Maurice Strong suffered a head injury that put him in a wheelchair.

The bike helped him get around he was devastated when it was stolen.

A GoFundMe page has been started by friend Kim Schnell with a goal of raising $5,000 to replace Strong's bike.

Maurice's specialized yellow bike was recently stolen from his Alexis Park area home. Maurice uses his bike as his mode of transportation while towing his wheelchair behind giving him his independence. This bike takes Maurice where his wheelchair can not. Maurice, with his adventurous spirit, travels on his bike to his doctors' appointments in town, Kelowna and as far as Coeur d' Alene, Idaho, wrote Schnell on the GoFundMe page.

It's not just a bike. I can't walk so the trike is my only way around, said Strong. How would you feel if someone took your legs?

Strong is hoping someone will spot the unique bike and contact police.
Ruralco's first-half profit has dipped 3.7 per cent to $15.5 million after a jump in one-off costs including those associated with the agribusiness company's proposed acquisition by Canadian fertiliser maker Nutrien.

Revenue rose 2.7 per cent to $686.1 million and Ruralco raised its interim dividend after underlying profit was stable in line with guidance, but a $626,000 increase in restructuring and acquisition related costs hit its bottom line.

Nutrien's $462 million all-cash offer was announced in February and Ruralco, whose board recommended the $4.40 per share bid, said on Tuesday the competition watchdog had provisionally scheduled its ruling on the proposal for June 13.

The Foreign Investment Review Board also needs to green light the offer, but Ruralco said it expects shareholders to vote at a scheme meeting and the deal to complete some time in the second half of the current financial year.

Ruralco said it was cautious about short-term seasonal conditions with a drier than average autumn forecast for parts of eastern and western Australia, but it called recent rainfall in some areas "helpful".

"For the second half, management remains focused on executing our successful strategy, as evidenced by the resilient first-half earnings performance, and doing everything necessary to progress the Nutrien transaction," chief executive Travis Dillon said.

At 1053 AEST, Ruralco shares were 0.7 per cent lower at $4.40, outperforming a 1.2 per cent decline for the Australian share market as a whole.

RURALCO'S ROBUST HALF

* Net profit down 3.7pct to $15.5m

* Revenue up 2.7pct to $686.1m

* Interim dividend up one cent to 10 cents, fully franked
Worried family members will make a public plea to help find missing Melbourne woman Penelope Deans.

The 72-year-old dementia sufferer hasn't been seen since leaving a care facility at Frankston, mid-afternoon Monday.

"She may appear disoriented due to her condition," police said.

Ms Deans son will on Tuesday join police to appeal for information about the missing woman, who requires medication for a range of conditions.

She is described as about 150cm tall, with grey hair and was last wearing a pale grey jacket and a broach which read 'Penny'.
A mother could be sent back to a Sri Lankan village where her then-fiance and five other men were burned to death before her eyes.

The High Court on Tuesday refused the woman, Priya, her husband, Nadesalingam, and their Australian-born daughers, Kopika and Tharunicaa, special leave to appeal last year's Federal Court ruling that they could not stay in the country.

The couple came to Australia separately by boat in 2012 and 2013 following Sri Lanka's civil war and quickly became much-loved members of the Biloela community, in central Queensland.

Nadesalingam was a valued employee at the local meatworks and Priya used to take her homemade curries to the doctors at Biloela Hospital.

Their daughters don't know any other country but Australia.

They were taken into custody by Australian Border Force officials during a dawn raid last year and have spent the past 14 months in a Melbourne detention centre.

The family fear they could be deported at any moment, says the Tamil Refugee Council's Aran Mylvaganam, who described the court decision as "heartbreaking".

He called on the prime minister, immigration minister and home affairs minister to intervene for their safety.

"In the case of Priya, she fled Sri Lanka after witnessing her fiance and five other men from her village burned alive by the Sri Lankan army," he said.

"Someone with that memory would never never feel safe to go back to that country."

He said Nadesalingam's life could be in danger if he was sent back to Sri Lanka due to links to the Tamil Tiger separatist organisation.

He said cases of people "disappearing" still happened in Sri Lanka.

"Torture is still being used against Tamils. Nades(alingam) is someone who has presented a credible case of being in danger if he goes back to Sri Lanka," he said.

"Since (he) fled Sri Lanka the intelligence services have made visits to his house and that's a clear indication his life will be in danger if he is sent back."

Family friend Angela Fredericks begged Immigration Minister David Coleman to "have a heart" and intervene in the case.

"He can step up, he can make all of this go away," she said.

"Please, have a conscience, have a heart and help this family."

"They know the military has still been knocking on Nadesalingam's family's door saying 'let us know when they're back' - they're waiting for them."

The minister's office has been contacted for comment.
Downer has won a $220 million contract with Chorus Limited to build and maintain network infrastructure for New Zealand's largest telecommunications company.

The engineering firm said the 2 3/4-year contract will expand its New Zealand footprint when it begins on July 1.

"Downer has a long term relationship with Chorus and our New Zealand team is the leading provider of end-to-end technology and communication solutions," chief executive Grant Fenn said on Tuesday.

"This contract doubles our geographic spread and we will work with Chorus on the construction and maintenance of their network."

Downer build and sustain assets, infrastructure and facilities primarily in Australia and New Zealand, but also the Asia-Pacific region, South America and Southern Africa.

Most of New Zealand's telephone infrastructure is owned by Chorus Limited, which is installing the majority of the ultra-fast broadband fibre.

Downer shares dropped 1.8 per cent to $7.79 at 1038 AEST against the backdrop of an overall decline in the Australian share market.
A South Australian man who kidnapped and raped a European backpacker in a pig shed on his regional property has been jailed for 18 years.

Gene Charles Bristow held the 24-year-old woman for two days after he answered a Gumtree advertisement she posted in search of farm work in 2017.

The 54-year-old showed no emotion as District Court judge Geraldine Davison handed him the sentence and set a non-parole period of 12 years, six months on Tuesday.

She said Bristow lied to the woman to lure her to the farm at Meningie, 150km southeast of Adelaide, then chained her hands and legs "in what must have been a terrifying experience for her".

"You took her mobile phone and disposed of it, and left her alone in that shed in the middle of nowhere," she said.

"You raped her on a number of occasions."

While she was in the shed, Bristow threatened to shoot her and told her fake stories about police corruption and his involvement in a kidnapping ring.

"It is impossible to understand how alone and devastated she must have felt as you humiliated and degraded her in a foreign country," Judge Davison said.

But she said it was the woman's courage, resourcefulness and practicality which led Bristow to eventually release her in Murray Bridge.

"She managed to undo the chains and to use her computer to alert others that she needed assistance," Judge Davison said.

"She also remained submissive to you and did not attempt to aggravate and annoy you."

Judge Davison said the woman, who returned to Australia for Bristow's trial, said in her victim impact statement she felt like an animal or a slave while she was held in the shed against her will.

The judge said Bristow showed no remorse or rehabilitation and had changed the course of his victim's life.

"She had, prior to your offending, been an outgoing, adventurous woman, who had travelled the world and experienced life," she said.

"Your offending has left her as a person who feels she cannot trust others."

Taking into account time already served, Bristow will be eligible for parole in 2029.
Infratil and Canada's Brookfield Asset Management have agreed to jointly acquire Vodafone NZ for $NZ3.4 billion ($A3.2 billion).

Infratil said on Tuesday the acquisition of New Zealand's largest mobile phone provider from UK-based Vodafone Group would be "transformational" for the Wellington-based infrastructure investment firm.

"Vodafone NZ increases Infratil's exposure to long-term data and connectivity growth and complements the acquisition of Canberra Data Centres," the dual-listed company said in a statement to the ASX and NZX.

Vodafone NZ generated $NZ2 billion in revenue and $NZ463 million in earnings for the 12 months to March 31, and the acquisition implies a value of 6.9 to 7.4 times this year's earnings, Infratil said.

"The acquisition is strategically compelling for Infratil and validates our ability to generate proprietary investment opportunities for our shareholders," chairman Mark Tume said.

Infratil and Toronto-based alternative asset company Brookfield will each pay $NZ1.03 billion, with the balance funded from Vodafone NZ level debt.

Infratil expects to fund its contribution in part through a fully underwritten equity raising of up to $NZ400 million.

The deal is subject to local regulatory approval.

Stewart Upson, a managing partner of Brookfield's Asia Pacific arm, said the purchase presented the firm with a unique opportunity.

"Data has been one of the fastest growing commodities in the world," he said.

"We expect this rapid growth to persist for the foreseeable future, driven by greater smartphone penetration, increasing video consumption, the advent of 5G networks and new and evolving uses."

Infratil's ASX-listed shares came out of a two-day trading halt on Tuesday and, at 1033 AEST, were down 4.6 per cent at $A4.15 amid a broad slump in the Australian market.
Kathmandu has appointed Chris Kinraid as chief financial officer as the New Zealand-based company makes a change it hopes will help it expand internationally.

The outdoor clothing and equipment retailer said Tuesday it was splitting the previously combined CFO and chief operating officer roles, with Reuben Casey continuing as the latter with additional responsibilities.

The appointment of Mr Kinraid, who will also become company secretary, takes effect immediately.

The company said the move was "part of a structural change aimed at enhancing its focus on international expansion while continuing to strengthen its Australasian operation".

Kathmandu acquired US hiking boots wholesaler Oboz last year in a deal chief executive Xavier Simonet said gave the company two brands "with significant growth potential in North America and Europe".

Kathmandu shares on the ASX were down 2.39 per cent to $2.04 at 1100 AEST amid an overall decline in the Australian share market.
A woman is dead after a three-car crash in suburban Melbourne.

She was the driver of a car at Springvale on Tuesday morning and died at the scene as her male passenger was taken to hospital.

Her car was hit head-on by a spinning vehicle, which had moments earlier been struck by another car.

"A 20-year-old man who was driving the first vehicle was taken to hospital for observation and is now assisting police with their inquiries," police said in a statement.

"The exact circumstances surrounding the collision are yet to be established and the investigation is ongoing."

The latest road death takes the 2019 state toll to 121, compared to 80 at the same time last year.
Flyers attacking Anne Aly have been distributed in the West Australian Labor MP's electorate.

The flyers refer to Dr Aly by her full Egyptian given name and says she supports banning any criticism of Islam "just like Saudi Arabia".

One Nation leader Pauline Hanson, who is in Perth, said her party had nothing to do with it but rejected descriptions of the material as racist.

"That word is just thrown around too easily these days. You can't have an opinion or say anything without being called racist," Senator Hanson told ABC radio on Tuesday.

She said it was a personal attack on Dr Aly and she didn't agree with it.

"We don't fight in the gutter. It's not my way or my candidates' (way)," she said.

Senator Hanson confronted Dr Aly on Monday during a chance encounter in Cowan, which the counter-terrorism expert holds with a margin of 0.7 per cent, complaining about her speaking to a journalist about a private lunch they had three years ago.

Dr Aly appeared surprised, asking Senator Hanson why she was bringing it up now.
Grinning gunman Dale Edward Stone has been jailed for more than two decades after murdering a Melbourne neighbour over a long-running parking dispute.

The victim, Wayne Binse, was shot in the groin and face in December 2017 on the nature strip of the Deer Park street where both men lived.

Stone grinned after firing the shots that killed the half-brother of notorious crime figure Christopher "Badness" Binse.

"This was a premeditated, at least in-part planned, execution of an entirely innocent man," Justice Paul Coghlan said in his sentence on Tuesday.

On the day of the murder the 50-year-old broke the windows and shut the gate of Mr Binse's property.

When Mr Binse and his partner arrived home, Stone approached the rear of their car and fired a 12-gauge shotgun, hitting the victim in the groin.

He asked Mr Binse "do you think you're smart now?" and shot him in the head at close range, smiling afterwards.

"The pain and anguish of all the victims is clear but in particular that of the members of the family," Justice Coghlan said.

"That is particularly so because this was a pointless murder."

The judge did note a fight had broken out between the men earlier in 2017 which left Stone with relatively serious injuries.

In his sentence the judge took into account Stone's deteriorating mental health before the shooting, and his alcohol and drug abuse.

Justice Coghlan found Stone had a real possibility of improved mental health and was a reasonable prospect for rehabilitation.

The victim's half-brother, armed robber Christopher Binse, infamously taunted police by sending them postcards while on the run and shot at officers during a siege.

Family of Wayne Binse on Tuesday thanked the judge and clapped after the sentence.

Stone was ordered to spend 21 years and three months in prison for the murder and possessing an unregistered handgun.

He will be eligible for release on parole after serving 18 years behind bars.

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A Nova Scotia woman survived a knife attack on the Appalachian Trail by playing dead after being beaten and stabbed  and then ran 10 kilometres for help, police in Virginia say.

James Jordan, 30, of West Yarmouth, Mass., is charged with murder and assault with intent to commit murder in the attack, which left an Oklahoma man dead.

Wythe County Chief Deputy Charles Foster says Ronald Sanchez Jr., 43, was found dead early Saturday, about 100 yards from where the suspect was arrested.

Foster did not have the name of the injured woman, but said it was his understanding that she was from Nova Scotia.

He said police in neighbouring counties had received reports of a man chasing hikers on the trail, and that the man was using a trail nickname of "Sovereign."

He said at 2:21 a.m. police were notified by an "international emergency co-ordination centre" that they had received a SOS alarm from a keyholder on the trail.

"He had sent messages stating that there was a male subject who offered him a knife earlier on the trail and was trying to fight him. He also knew this guy as having the nickname of Sovereign," Foster said.

At 3:12 a.m., the Wythe County 911 centre received a call from a woman to say she had been stabbed several times, he said.

"She gave dispatch a clothing description and the actual name of the suspect, which was James Jordan, and that he went by that nickname. She also told us he had a dog with him."

Foster said the woman told the dispatcher that she had been beaten and stabbed, and played dead until her attacker left to go after his dog.

Foster said the injured woman had to run for about 10 kilometres before she found someone to help her.

She was airlifted to Bristol Regional Medical Centre, just across the state line in Tennessee.

Police hiked about eight kilometres into the Jefferson National Forest and found the suspect using the ping from the male victim's SOS call and the location given by the woman.

"A dog came off the ridge which alerted us and we saw a male subject right behind him in a thicket. We took him down at gunpoint and it ended up being our suspect," Foster said.

The FBI has taken over the case, but so far has not released the woman's name.
A Greens candidate for the north-west NSW seat of Parkes has stood down, despite denying he questions the Port Arthur massacre.

David Paull posted on a Facebook page in November that he believed Martin Bryant hadn't been responsible for the killings, The Australian reported on Tuesday.

"There is only one sure thing in my mind -- Bryant didn't do it and so a great crime on the Australian people was committed," the comment read, according to the paper.

Mr Paull rejects that he espouses that view, but has stood down nonetheless.

"David absolutely rejects the views he is quoted as supporting, but has stood down to not become a distraction from the important issues The Greens are focused on," a NSW Greens spokesman said.

"The Greens will take down all campaigning material in his name."

The candidate has admitted to The Australian that he made the post but only in an effort to investigate Port Arthur conspiracy theorists.

"I made those comments after an admin asked new members to justify their presence in the group. I absolutely do not believe, and have never believed, that Port Arthur was a conspiracy, nor do I have any doubt Martin Bryant was guilty of that horrendous crime," he told the paper.

Greens senator for Tasmania Nick McKim says he wasn't impressed with the Facebook commentary.

"I was appalled by those comments, they've got no place in our party. That's why the candidate has now stood down and I'm very pleased that he has," he told reporters in Hobart.

The party will review its processes for checking over candidates on the other side of the election, the senator added.

"I think you could mount an argument that every single political party could improve its vetting processes."
Scammers have attempted to fly people into the Australia from Southeast Asia to work in call centres that are designed to rip people off by pushing dodgy investments.

The Australian Border Force says officers stopped four Taiwanese nationals after they arrived at Brisbane Airport on a flight from Taipei on Saturday.

Five others from the same flight were discovered when officers examined the group.

In a statement, ABF said officers found evidence which indicated the group had travelled to Australia to take part in the illegal activity.

On Sunday another six people arrived at Brisbane on a flight from Taipei.

An investigation found another 20 people offshore who planned to travel to Australia to take part in the schemes.

The ABF said the so-called "boiler room" scams often involve foreign nationals brought to Australia on student or tourist visas.

They are forced to live and work in poor conditions and carry out the phone scams which usually attempt to swindle money from victims.

ABF Queensland Regional Commander Terry Price said the discovery had uncovered a "highly organised" criminal enterprise.

"Preventing these travellers from coming to Australia will have a significant impact on their operations," Commander Price said.

"The criminals behind this activity not only harm the victims of the phone scams, but are also taking advantage of foreign nationals, who are often brought to Australia on false promises."

"These workers are usually underpaid, forced to live and work in poor conditions and may be subject to other exploitation like having their passports withheld and being forced to repay a false debt."

The first nine people are in detention with cancelled visas, it is unclear where the other six are.

Investigations into those behind the scam continue.
Former prime minister John Howard has thrown his support behind minister Ken Wyatt, joining him on the campaign trail in Perth.

Mr Wyatt, who holds the marginal seat of Hasluck, was buoyed by Mr Howard's presence at a Midland shopping centre on Tuesday as they schmoozed with locals eager for a photo with the ex-PM.

Mr Howard told voters he "thoroughly recommended" Mr Wyatt, describing him as a good man.

He later told reporters Mr Wyatt was the "epitome of dignity and grace in public life".

"He's contributed a great deal of knowledge and wisdom and experience in his ministerial portfolios, he's widely admired in the federal parliamentary party, he's had a wonderful background in health and public service matters, and understands the practical needs of indigenous communities in Australia in a way that few other people do," Mr Howard said.

"When you add all of that together, he's somebody really worth having in the parliament and the Liberal party is very proud."

Mr Wyatt remains hopeful of being returned to the seat despite his small margin.

"If you've been genuine, if you've shown integrity and if you've worked hard for the people who elected you then they'll return you," he said.

Mr Howard said every seat in every state played a role in the election outcome.

"This is going to be tough. We started behind, everybody knows that. But gee, we've made up ground," he said.

"I think Scott Morrison has done a really terrific job. I admire him immensely for the work that he's done."

Asked whether Clive Palmer was fit for parliament, Mr Howard said that was a matter for voters.

"On the measure of extremities, the most extreme political movement on offer in this election is the Greens," he said.

"The Greens are far more extreme than Clive Palmer or One Nation."
An 18-year-old man is expected to be charged with the sexual assault of a woman after she alighted a tram in Melbourne's north, a day before an Israeli student was raped and murdered in the same area.

Police on Tuesday said the teenager was arrested and questioned overnight and released pending summons.

The 20-year-old woman was sexually assaulted after getting off a tram in Plenty Road, Preston on January 15.

She was sexually assaulted before her attacker fled on foot.

The body of Israeli student Aiia Maasarwe, 21, was found the next morning, on January 16, by a passer by in the neighbouring suburb Bundoora. She was reportedly walking home from her tram stop when attacked.

Aspiring rapper Codey Herrmann has been charged with her rape and murder.
Two men have been charged in Sydney over their alleged involvement in the importation of $900,000 worth of MDMA hidden inside water filters from Switzerland.

Australian Border Force officers discovered six kilograms of the drug inside two separate consignments of water filters that arrived in Sydney in March.

The MDMA has an estimated street value of $900,000, NSW Police said in a statement on Tuesday.

Diego Ardimento, 30, and a 22-year-old woman were arrested in Paddington on April 1.

Ardimento, an Italian national, was charged with attempting to import a commercial quantity of border-controlled drugs.

The woman was released pending further inquiries.

Following further investigations, detectives searched a Bondi Junction unit a few days later and seized prohibited drugs, cash, electronic items and documentation.

A 24-year-old man who lived at the unit couldn't be found at the time but was arrested on Monday and charged with importing a commercial quantity of drugs.

Both men were due to appear in Sydney courts on Tuesday.

Ardimento's bail was continued with his matter next listed for July 9 at Downing Centre Local Court.
A court case for a woman accused of taking part in a sex romp on the back seat of a bus in NSW's Hunter region has been delayed after she called in sick.

Wonder French, 31, had been due to appear at Toronto Local Court on Tuesday charged with offensive behaviour, inciting the commission of crimes, using offensive language and travelling on the bus without a valid ticket.

But magistrate David Price said court officers had received a call from French saying she was unwell and unable to attend court.

Mr Price said French had asked for more time to seek legal advice. He adjourned the case to June 5 at Belmont Local Court.

French claimed she was recovering after a recent stint in hospital to treat a leg infection, court documents reveal.

French's alleged sex partner on the bus, 23-year-old Ryan Jones, has denied the six charges he faces over the incident.

Detectives allege Jones and French, both from Windale, had sex on the bus as it travelled between Charlestown and Warners Bay at Lake Macquarie on a Friday morning in late March.

Jones, who had been on parole at the time but is now in custody, allegedly spat at the driver who ordered the couple to stop having sex and booted them off his bus.

The unemployed and homeless man is charged with assault, behaving in an offensive manner in a public place, travelling on the bus without a valid ticket, intentionally or recklessly damaging property, affray and stalking.

He has pleaded not guilty and is due to appear in Newcastle Local Court on May 23.

Court documents state Jones spat on the bus's Opal card reader and the driver's partition before threatening two men - causing them to fear for their safety.

The bus had to be removed from service to be professionally cleaned.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has accused Bill Shorten of taking a cheap shot at him over his response to a question on whether gay people go to hell.

Mr Morrison released a statement clarifying his position after earlier avoiding a direct answer to the question from a journalist.

"No, I do not believe that. It was a desperate, cheap shot from Bill Shorten who is looking to distract attention from his housing tax that will undermine the value of people's homes," Mr Morrison said in the statement on Tuesday.

He later repeated his criticism of Mr Shorten, telling reporters in northwest Tasmania the Labor leader was trying to "cynically exploit an issue that has nothing to do with this election".

Earlier, Mr Shorten said Mr Morrison should have immediately ruled out the idea that gay people go to hell, when asked about it on Monday.

"I support the law of the country and I always don't mix my religion with politics and my faith with politics," Mr Morrison told reporters in Perth at the time.

The question was put to the Pentecostal prime minister amid a furore over Australian rugby player Israel Folau who posted a biblical passage on social media saying "drunks, homosexuals, adulterers, liars, fornicators, thieves atheists and idolators" would go to hell unless they repent.

Mr Shorten says he can't believe the issue is even being raised in the campaign, but that Mr Morrison's response wasn't good enough.

"I cannot believe that the prime minister has not immediately said that gay people will not go to hell," he told reporters in Tasmania.

"This country needs to really lift itself and the political debate and coverage needs to lift itself in the next four days."

The Labor leader said his own views were firm.

"I don't believe gay people, because they're gay, will go to hell. I don't need a law to tell me that. I don't believe it," he said.

Senior Labor MP Penny Wong says the Liberals should dump two of its candidates who don't support gay marriage and believe gay couples shouldn't be able to have children.

"It's a little late - we did," said Senator Wong, who has two children with her wife.

While being questioned on Monday, Mr Morrison would not say whether his personal opposition to same-sex marriage had changed since it was legalised after 62 per cent of the country voted yes in 2017.

"It's law, and I'm glad that the change has now been made and people can get on with their lives," he said.
Halfback Mitchell Pearce reckons he's back to his best form and takes pride in his role to lead Newcastle out of their early-season NRL mire.

The inspirational skipper's name is being whispered in louder tones each week as the unlikeliest of NSW State of Origin recalls, such has been his stirring form during the Knights' three-game winning streak.

Pearce, 30, has been central in resounding wins over the Eels, Warriors and Bulldogs on the back of five successive losses, a streak he conceded had left him feeling "sour".

However, his belief never waned that the new-look Knights would find their mojo and he hopes it continues into Sunday's key mid-table showdown with St George Illawarra in Mudgee.

"When you're losing with a new group and you're trying to build trust with each other, it can make it a bit harder," Pearce told reporters on Tuesday.

"But I'm a believer; I felt like form was going to come for us. I've been around footy long enough to know a team that's good, and (has) quality people and players.

"We've worked hard enough to turn it around the last three weeks and we've got to keep that attitude."

Pearce was criticised more than anyone when their losses mounted but negativity had been a common thread throughout the 30-year-old's career and become something he has learned to deal with.

In this case, he simply put his head down on the training paddock.

"I feel like I've got back to playing my best footy," he said.

"It is always tapping on your shoulder, the dark side, so you've got to keep focused and keep working hard.

"Whenever you get criticism, something I pride myself on and something I grew up learning was to grit your teeth and keep fighting."

Pearce said Newcastle were far from perfect in their 22-10 win over the Bulldogs in Brisbane, having jumped out to a lead but become loose as the match wore on.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will head to the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi to meet President Vladimir Putin

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".

Britain's Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said he was "very worried" about the risk of a conflict in the Gulf

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."

EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini gave a chilly response to news of Pompeo's visit

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".

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani last week issued an ultimatum to the Europeans to press them for sanctions relief

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.

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Protest leaders and Sudan's ruling generals have reached a breakthrough agreement on transitional authorities to run the country

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.

Several people were wounded when shots were fired at a protest sit-in outside the army complex in Khartoum

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".

- 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."

Protestors blocked Nile Street, a major avenue in Khartoum, to press their demand for a handover to civilian rule

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.

Protesters have been encamped outside Sudan's army headquarters for more than a month

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.

Men and women prepare food for the demonstrators just before the time for breaking the fast during the holy month of Ramadan

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.
Photo: Contributed

An observant employee help police nab a pair of bad guys.

Thursday morning, May 16 at 8:30 a.m., employees from the Esso gas station on Columbia Street reported a suspicious vehicle was parked behind the building.

Officers attended and found two men sitting inside of the pick-up truck. When the license plate was checked, it was found to have been stolen out of Saskatchewan. The man sitting in the drivers seat, 26-years-old, was arrested without incident. The male passenger, 24-years-old, resisted arrest but was ultimately taken into custody, said Cpl. Jodi Shelkie.

It was found that both men were breaching conditions from Saskatchewan. As well, the passenger had a warrant for his arrest from Saskatchewan.

All information will be forwarded to the British Columbia Prosecution Service who will determine charges.
Apple failed in its bid to dismiss a class-action suit from iPhone owners alleging it abuses its monopoly for its App Store, with the Supreme Court allowing the case to proceed

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 the tech giant was merely an intermediary with app developers.

The class-action lawsuit from 2011 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 and the case must now go back to a lower court for trial.

- "We're not a monopoly' -

Apple, which is seeking to generate more revenue from services, had argued that consumers did not have standing for an antitrust class action alleging monopoly abuse at its App Store

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.

"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," Gorsuch wrote.

Apple said it believed it would be successful in the lower court hearing the merits of the case.

"We're confident we will prevail when the facts are presented and that the App Store is not a monopoly by any metric," the company said in an emailed statement.

"We're 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."

- Dealing with 'techlash' -

iPhone owners won the right to sue Apple for illegally monopolizing its online App Store in a ruling by the US Supreme Court

The ruling comes amid a growing backlash against major tech companies that dominate key segments of the online economy. Democratic presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren has argued that big firms such as Facebook, Google and Apple should be broken up through antitrust enforcement.

And Apple faces charges in Europe of abusing its platform by discriminating against rival apps, including one complaint from streaming music service Spotify.

John Lopatka, a professor of antitrust law at Penn State University, said the latest ruling does not address the merits of the lawsuit but adds to the pressure on companies like Apple.

"If you're a platform monopolist, you're a sitting duck. You're a target for antitrust challenges," Lopatka said.

Apple could sidestep the controversy, according to Lopatka, by allowing apps to be purchased through certified outside parties.

"Once you allow iPhone users to get apps elsewhere, the case disappears," he said.

The newest Supreme Court member, Justice Brett Kavanaugh, wrote the opinion in a 5-4 high court ruling against Apple

Some activists meanwhile hailed the decision as a victory in the battle against tech monopolies.

"This is an important win in the public's fight against monopoly in the tech sector and elsewhere," said Sandeep Vaheesan of the Open Markets Institute, a think tank focused on antitrust issues.

But Morgan Reed, president of ACT/The App Association, which represents 5,000 app makers and developers, said the ruling could open litigation floodgates.

"We are extremely disappointed in the decision from the US Supreme Court to reward trial lawyers rather than developers," Reed said.

"Platforms of all kinds have provided three key benefits for developers -- trust, reduction of overhead and global access to consumers."

Ed Black of the Computer & Communications Industry Association, a trade group, said the ruling opens up digital platforms to liability for their role as "matchmaker companies" that connect consumers with services.

"The decision may unintentionally expose businesses offering digital platform services to unintended liability," Black said in a statement.
During a meeting with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, President Donald Trump congratulated France on the "great job" they did freeing four kidnapped tourists in Burkina Faso, one of whom was American

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.
A rickshaw driver passes campaign posters in front of Baseco Elementary School in Manila on midterm election day, which left administration loyalist candidates for Senate headed for a resounding win

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.

Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte, showing the ink on his finger after voting in Davao City, Mindanao, remains hugely popular among Filipinos fed up with elite politicians

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.

No caption

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.

People wait for their turn to vote at Baseco Elementary School in Manila during the ballot to fill half the Philippines Senate seats and nearly 300 in the lower House of Representatives, as well as local posts

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.
Facebook said it is boosting pay for contract workers in high-cost cities and taking steps to help content moderators deal with stress from viewing offensive content

Facebook on Monday said it will boost pay and support programs for US contract workers hammered by the stress of having to review offensive content flagged at the social network.

The changes come as part of a move by the leading social network to increase wages above the level it set in 2015 for contractors of $15 an hour in high-cost areas and to address concerns of duress being faced by its numerous content reviewers.

Contract content reviewers living in New York City; Washington, DC; and the San Francisco Bay area where costs of living are high will be paid at least $22 hourly.

Those working in Seattle will be paid $20 per hour, while those living in other US metropolitan locations will get hourly wages of at least $18, according to the leading social network.

"Their work is critical to keeping our community safe, and it is often difficult," Facebook vice presidents Janelle Gale and Arun Chandra said in a joint online post.

Facebook is bolstering counseling and other "well-being" resources available to content reviewers, whether they are employed full-time by the social network or contracted through vendors.

Content reviewers already get health care benefits and access to counselors at work sites.

"We're now requiring all vendor partners to provide on-site counseling during all hours of operations, not just certain hours of each shift," Chandra and Gale said.

- Blurring the bad -

Facebook has added thousands of employees and contractors to help filter out hate speech, violence and other offensive content -- jobs that may generate high levels of stress

Facebook is working with vendors to provide training in well-being, and is adding features such as allowing reviewers to have graphic images blurred by default until they are ready to peer at the content, according to Chandra and Gale.

The California-based social network intended to foster consistency among its vendors around the world with requirements such as overtime and premiums for night or weekend shifts, as well as healthcare that meet standards of the US Affordable Care Act.

Facebook will begin formal, unannounced checks at vendor job sites along with informal audits of conditions, according to Chandra and Gale.

The social network contracts with outside companies for an array of services, such as meals or transportation for employees.

Facebook said that next year it will increase hourly minimum pay for all contracted workers in cities with a high cost of living.

"We're working to develop similar standards for other countries," Chandra and Gale said.

In 2015, Facebook set a minimum wage standard of $15 for contract workers and required them to receive benefits such as parental leave and at least 15 paid days off for holidays, sick time and vacation.

"In the years since, it's become clear that $15 per hour doesn't meet the cost of living in some of the places where we operate," Chandra and Gale said.
Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban (L) and US President Donald Trump shake hands before a meeting in the White House Oval Office

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."
Jimmy Carter, 94, was the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981

Former US President Jimmy Carter broke his hip in a fall on Monday while leaving his house to go turkey hunting, but was recovering after surgery, the Carter Center said.

"He is recovering comfortably from surgery to repair a broken hip," the organization said in a statement. "His surgeons stated that the surgery was successful."

Carter, who served from 1977 to 1981 as the 39th US president, has been in remission from cancer since undergoing surgery in 2015 to remove a small mass on his liver.

In 2017, the 94-year-old former president was treated for dehydration while building houses in Winnipeg, Canada, for Habitat for Humanity.

He has continued to build houses with Habitat in years since, but conceded that this year's hunting season was over for him.

"President Carter said his main concern is that turkey season ends this week, and he has not reached his limit," the statement said. "He hopes the State of Georgia will allow him to rollover the unused limit to next year."
Yemeni coast guards walk at Saleef port in the western Red Sea Hodeida province after their redeployment following the withdrawal of Huthi rebel fighters, on May 13, 2019

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.
New York Mayor Bill de Blasio organized a protest in Donald Trump's building, demanding that they be greener

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.
Bayer announced in April 2019 that over 13,000 lawsuits related to the weedkiller Roundup had been launched in the US

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.
Eric Garner's mother Gwen Carr speaks to reporters in front of police headquarters in New York

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? -

People protest outside New York police headquarters while a disciplinary hearing takes place for officer Daniel Pantaleo

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.

"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.

Civil rights activist Al Sharpton said the "New York Police Department is on trial" over Garner's death

"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.
Photo: RDOS Renders for a now-cancelled cannabis grow facility in Okanagan Falls.

The former site of the Weyerhaeuser mill in Okanagan Falls is back on the market.

Sunniva Inc. announced last month it was suspending plans for a 740,000-square-foot cannabis production facility on the site in order to focus on California operations.

The "suspension" left the project in an appearance of limbo, but company CEO and Penticton resident Dr. Tony Holler has now clarified plans for the site moving forward.

In an interview with cannabis business newsletter Lets Toke Business, Holler said Sunniva is actively looking to sell the property along with its chain of medicinal cannabis dispensaries.

So our objective is to sell the Canadian assets and use the money to expand our California operations, he said, explaining the company has spent about $20 million dollars on the now-dead Okanagan Falls project, including the $7M purchase price, design, architecture and engineering.

Holler told Lets Toke Business they are into discussions with potential buyers and "you wont have long to wait" for news of a potential sale.

Its hoped the Okanagan Falls property and chain of dispensaries will be sold off  together or separately  by the end of the year.

Weve been working on this for a while and we do have interested parties," he said in the interview.

Holler is also the owner of the Poplar Grove and Monster wineries on the Naramata Bench. He is the former CEO of ID Biomedical, a vaccine maker that sold to GlaxoSmithKline in 2005 for $1.7 billion.
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

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.
Saudi Arabia said two of its oil tankers, including the Al-Marzoqah pictured here, suffered significant damage in sabotage attacks

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."

The managers of the Norwegian tanker Andrea Victory said it had a hole in the hull after being struck by an unknown object

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".

The US has sent an aircraft carrier task force to the Gulf

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."

Fujairah has the only port in the UAE located on the Arabian Sea coast, bypassing the Strait of Hormuz

"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.
Colombia's coca plantations keep on spreading and have reached record levels, the United Nations says

The US government announced Monday it will provide $160 million in funding to Colombia to help implement the historic peace accord signed between the state and now-disarmed FARC rebels.

The funds have been allotted for the "implementation of peace" and to "formalize land" in areas ravaged by half a century of armed conflict, US Agency for International Development Administrator Mark Green told reporters in Bogota.

FARC rebels laid down their arms and formed a political party following the historic peace accord signed in December 2016 by the left-wing guerrillas and then-president Juan Manuel Santos.

"These funds are destined for important work, for the implementation of peace, to promote reconciliation, to help rural communities, to improve security for citizens and to strengthen the protection of human rights," said Green.

Green's announcement came during the rubber-stamping of an amendment to the binational agreement whereby the United States has given $754 million to Colombia for socioeconomic development programs, USAID said in a statement.

Colombia's President Ivan Duque said the funds would primarily be used in productivity projects involving former FARC militants.

But he said they would also to improve security in areas where FARC guerrillas were present and to "close gaps" in the access to services and marketing of products in such isolated regions.

The announcement comes at a time of heightened tension between the two countries, which are historical allies, over the fight against drug-traffickers.

US President Donald Trump has harshly criticized Colombia over the rise in illegal drug plantations in the country -- 2017 saw a record 171,000 hectares (423,000 acres) of land used to produce coca, according to the United Nations.

Trump has demanded Colombia take measures to tackle the problem or face a reduction in US aid.

Duque assumed power in August having won an election while trumpeting a tough line on crime and drugs.

He has vowed to wipe out at least 142,000 hectares of coca plantations and has even examined the possibility of reintroducing the use of glyphosate -- suspended since 2015 due to the weedkiller's potentially harmful effects on nature and public health -- in aerial fumigations.

Colombia is the world's largest producer of cocaine -- whose primary ingredient is coca leaves -- much of which heads to the lucrative US market.
Ruth Elizabeth Gomez left her children Dorian (left), 5, and Alejandra, 8, behind in Honduras when she attempted to emigrate to the United States, only to be deported home

Honduran Ruth Elizabeth Gomez gave up on her American dream after US immigration authorities locked her in a cold cell and then deported her back home.

After reaching Mexico by foot, the 25-year-old had paid a "coyote" to smuggle her across the US border by boat, only to be arrested after arriving in Texas.

"After the whole journey, (the detention) was the hardest part. Until then I had never suffered, even though I'd walked for long days feeling hungry," Gomez told AFP.

After leaving her five and eight-year-old children with her mother, Gomez and her brother Jose Tulio joined the first Central American caravan that set off from San Pedro Sula in Honduras on October 13.

She left in the hope of joining her father, a taxi driver who emigrated to the United States 14 years ago and hasn't returned home since.

Despite US President Donald Trump sending troops to guard the country's southern border with Mexico and making threats to cut off aid to the Central American countries of Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador if they didn't halt the flow of migrants heading northwards, new caravans have continued to set off on the long journey.

Things hit rock bottom for Gomez on November 25, when she tried to scale a border wall between Mexico and the US.

She was among 2,000 migrants at whom US immigration agents fired tear gas to force them back.

"At that moment I felt like I was going to lose consciousness... I was on top (of the wall), I fainted and fell," she said.

She was transferred to the northwest Mexican border city of Tijuana, where she spent six hours in a hospital and received treatment for her injured back.

- 'The worst experience' -

Honduran migrants leave San Pedro Sula heading for the border with Guatemala in April 2019 in the hope of one day reaching the United States

She remained in Mexico, working in a supermarket before deciding to try her luck again.

She was caught and deported on January 19 to San Pedro Sula, with her "hands and feet in chains."

Though her brother has remained in Mexico working in construction, Gomez says she won't try heading north again "for fear of American migration."

"For me it was the worst experience," she said.

Gomez said she was kept in a "cooler," a very cold room where she had to sleep on the floor.

The detention center was "totally overcrowded," she added.

While she's given up on the hope of a new life in the US, Gomez said she met some people who had far more to lose than her.

"A friend took her three children. She went because (gangs) wanted her oldest son, who's 12, to sell drugs," said Gomez.

Migrant caravans usually set off after dozens or even hundreds of people respond to a social media message announcing a gathering point.

"That's the power of social media," said Sally Valladares, who studies the migration phenomenon.

But the motivation comes from elsewhere.

"People are totally desperate because of the lack of work and the violence," Valladares said in an interview.

- Migrant caravans here to stay -

Migration experts say that a lack of work and the desire to flee violence in their homeland is what motivates many people to leave Central America and head for a new life in the United States

The Honduran government blames people smugglers and political opponents for organizing and instigating this form of collective mass migration, though Gomez say the fault lies with President Juan Orlando Hernandez himself and that "the situation was better" with previous governments.

Meanwhile, experts say socioeconomic conditions are the caravans' real drivers.

"It doesn't matter who calls them, the caravans are... formed due to unemployment, violence and for family reunification," said Ricardo Puerta, who studies migration.

More than a million Hondurans live in the US and send home upwards of $4 billion a year in remittances, a staggering amount that makes up a fifth of the country's gross domestic product.

"Water doesn't enter a coconut, the coconut grows on its own. That's how caravans are... They're formed of people who have no money and have decided to emigrate," said former opposition lawmaker and journalist Bartolo Fuentes.

A group of mostly Honduran migrants walk through Mexico in the hope of reaching the United States in April 2018, despite threats from Donald Trump that they would be turned away

Puerta said caravans are here to stay as that's how migrants have always traveled.

And while Trump rails against the waves of migrants heading for the US, Puerta said the brash president is the person who stands to benefit most from migration.

He's used it both as a campaign theme during last year's midterm elections, and also pointed to it to justify his project of building a wall stretching across the US's border with Mexico -- an issue popular with his core supporters.
Detectives like Pandit are in high demand from political parties to dig up dirt on the opposition

As India's best-known female private eye, Rajani Pandit has posed as crazy, blind and deaf to solve murders and unmask unsuitable fiances. But election time is boom time for the woman dubbed "Miss Marple".

In the world's biggest election ending on Sunday, Pandit and others like her are in high demand from political parties to dig up dirt on the opposition and make sure their own candidates are squeaky clean.

"It's confidential but whenever a party finds one of its own candidates or an opposition candidate suspicious they ask us to investigate them," Mumbai-based Pandit told AFP.

"Often we are asked to look into their finances and how they have procured money to fund their campaigns. We try to maintain a low profile," the 57-year-old added.

- Inundated -

Hindu nationalist Prime Minister Narendra Modi is up against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in the world's largest democratic exercise, which is awash with cash. Some experts say the polls could cost $10 billion.

Pandit has been conducting covert operations across India for over 30 years

Pandit says her team has been busy "integrating" themselves into political parties since January, inspecting finances and attending rallies before submitting reports to their clients.

"There's usually a surge of cases ahead of the elections. We've been inundated with requests and were only able to take on a few," she said.

Kunwar Vikram Singh, chairman of India's Association of Private Detectives and Investigators, said "there's a lot of due diligence".

"(A candidate's) local reputation, influence, his stance in his own caste... all these things are looked into," Singh told AFP.

- Magnifying glass -

Private detective agencies are popular in India, with sleuths tasked with solving everything from petty household thefts to business deals gone wrong.

Pandit has won numerous awards, written two books, and says she has completed more than 80,000 cases

Pandit has been conducting covert operations across India for over 30 years out of her small office in the Asian giant's financial capital.

The investigator -- who does own a magnifying glass -- was dubbed India's first female private detective by media outlets when she began cracking cases in the early 1980s.

She has been featured in countless newspaper articles, often referred to as India's "Miss Marple" or "Nancy Drew", Agatha Christie's fictional spinster sleuth and the ever-evolving US amateur detective.

This has encouraged scores of women in male-dominated India to follow in her footsteps.

Several women-dominated investigative firms now operate in the country, such as Lady Detectives India and Venus Detective which are both headquartered in the capital New Delhi.

"Clients are open a lot more to having a female investigator. They feel we are more empathetic and that they can talk to us," Lady Detectives CEO Tanya Puri told AFP.

- A suitable boy -

Pandit first started snooping as a 22-year-old at college, informing the parents of a fellow student that their daughter was drinking, smoking and hanging out with boys.

Her most difficult case was when she worked undercover for six months as a maid for a woman who was suspected of poisoning her husband to death and then killing her son through a hitman.

She gathered evidence and handed it over to police who arrested the hitman and the woman.

Pandit has won numerous awards, written two books, and says she has completed more than 80,000 cases -- most of them pre-matrimonial investigations.

Parents in the ultra-conservative country seeking a suitable husband or wife for their offspring will ask her to investigate the potential spouse and their family.

She looks into whether they have the job they say they have and tries to find out if there is anything in their past that might be deemed to bring shame to the family they are marrying into.

Pandit has had to be the master of subterfuge to gather evidence, including donning "various disguises". But she says she received no formal training.

"Detectives are born, not made. I will keep doing this job until I am no longer alive," she said.
Sudan's long-time leader Omar al-Bashir had been charged over the killings of protesters during anti-regime protests that led to his ouster on April 11

Sudan's ruling military council said Tuesday that a brother of ousted president Omar al-Bashir who it previously announced had been detained was actually not in custody.

On April 17, the military council had announced that it had detained two of Bashir's five brothers -- Abdallah Hassan al-Bashir and Al-Abbas Hassan al-Bashir.

"This statement was not accurate," military council spokesman Lieutenant General Shamseddine Kabbashi told reporters early on Tuesday.

He said on April 17 Abdallah had been arrested, and the next day Abbas was seen in an area bordering with a neighbouring country.

"Sudanese authorities have been in contact with this country but it has refused to hand him over to us," he said without naming the country.

"Then news came that he is in Turkey," Kabbashi said without specifying whether he was referring to recent media reports of Abbas being in Turkey.

Ousted leader Omar al-Bashir (shown in a file picture) is being held in Kober prison in Khartoum

Bashir himself is being held in Khartoum's Kober prison, according to the council.

On Monday, Sudan's prosecutor general's office said Bashir had been charged over the killings of protesters during anti-regime protests that led to his ouster on April 11.

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, the prosecutor general's office said in a statement.

Ninety people were killed in protest-related violence after demonstrations initially erupted in December, a doctors' committee linked to the protest movement said last month.

The official death toll is 65.

On Monday, five protesters and an army major were shot dead in Khartoum, according to the committee, just hours after protest leaders and the ruling generals reached a breakthrough agreement on transitional authorities to run the country.

The army rulers who took power after Bashir's ouster and protest leaders are engaged in negotiations over handing of power from the generals to a civilian administration.
Kinshasa and Brazzaville lie on opposite sides of the Congo River

Twenty years ago, Congo-Brazzaville's new president urged conflict refugees to come home across the River Congo from Kinshasa. Then 353 returnees disappeared who were widely believed to have been murdered.

"It's like it happened yesterday," said 75-year-old Marcel Touanga, grief-stricken for his son, one of those listed as missing in a troubling episode in the long career of President Denis Sassou Nguesso.

In May 1999, the oil-rich central African nation was trying to turn the page on three successive civil wars since 1993.

Sassou Nguesso, a military man, took power back in 1997 from Pascal Lissouba, with the stated aim of achieving "national reconciliation" in the former French colony.

He encouraged people who had fled over the broad river to the capital of the newly named Democratic Republic of Congo (the former Zaire) to return via the "Beach" -- Brazzaville's port area.

The two Congos on opposite shores jointly signed a repatriation agreement with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), and people who were prepared to return did so during the week of May 5-14, 1999.

- 'Shot on the spot' -

"Once on the Beach, a kind of sorting process took place, with women on one side and men on the other. The men were subjected to a full body search" for firearms, said Touanga, who heads the main support group for families of the missing.

The authorities were at the time hunting members of the rebel Ninja militia loyal to former prime minister Bernard Kolelas, who were active in Brazzaville's Bacongo district and a forested region adjoining the capital known as The Pool.

Kolelas said that the Ninja insurgency had only been crushed when Angolan soldiers moved in to support Sassou-Nguesso and secure the city.

Sentenced to death in his absence in May 2000 on charges of kidnapping, rape and illegal arrests by Ninjas, Kolelas was granted amnesty in 2005. He died after receiving medical treatment in Paris in 2009.

"We have inventoried 353 missing youths, but there were many more because some bodies were burned," said Touanga, who now lives in France.

"There was brutality, there were executions. Some people were shot on the spot and their bodies were thrown into the water," he added.

"They didn't even give me his body," Touanga said of his 28-year-old son, a paramilitary policeman.

Some of the missing were executed on the premises of the security forces, including the General Directorate of Presidential Security, according to a 2012 UN report based on testimony by people claiming to be survivors.

- 'Truth and reconciliation' -

Under pressure from families, Congo's parliament launched a probe in 2002, broadening the scope to cover all forced disappearances recorded in the country since 1992.

A trial finally opened in Brazzaville three years later with 15 defendants in the dock, mostly serving officers in the security forces. They were all acquitted in August 2005.

However, the court ordered the state to pay compensation to close kin of 86 of the 353 missing men, to the tune of 15,000 euros ($16,850) for each victim.

Separately in France, several human rights NGOs joined forces and went to court with a suit alleging "crimes against humanity, disappearances and torture."

The case, lodged in early 2002, targeted President Sassou-Nguesso and three senior officials in his regime.

Congo asked the International Court of Justice in The Hague to freeze the French legal proceedings.

In April 2004, Sassou-Nguesso's police chief, Colonel Jean-Francois Ndenguet, was jailed in France on a charge of crimes against humanity.

But he was freed on the grounds that he held a diplomatic passport, which led rights activists to cry scandal.

"French justice for the moment remains the only hope for justice and truth," Tresor Nzila, executive director of the Congolese Organisation of Human Rights (OCDH), said in Brazzaville.

However investigations in France have ground to a standstill.

"Twenty years on, the case remains unfortunately bogged down," said prominent French lawyer William Bourdon.

"The pain is still there," said Vincent Niamankessi, the 70-year-old father of one of the missing. "We are finding that our missing children are simply victims with no perpetrators."
Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin stand on the Moon on July 20, 1969

NASA's next mission to the Moon will be called Artemis, the US space agency announced Monday, though it's still looking for the money to make the journey happen by its accelerated 2024 deadline.

In March, US President Donald Trump's administration moved the date for the next American lunar mission up by four years from its original goal of 2028 while pledging to get a female astronaut to the Moon's surface for the first time.

NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine told reporters the agency would need an additional $1.6 billion to pay for the new ground and space vehicles needed to meet the deadline.

"This additional investment, I want to be clear, is a downpayment on NASA's efforts to land humans on the Moon by 2024," he said.

Bridenstine said the mission was named Artemis after the Greek mythological goddess of the Moon and twin sister to Apollo, namesake of the program that sent 12 American astronauts to the Moon between 1969 and 1972.

NASA's total annual budget is approximately $21.5 billion, and in the 2019 fiscal year, the agency spent about $4.5 billion on developing the Orion spacecraft, the Space Launch System (SLS) heavy rocket and a new lunar orbital mini-station, three elements essential to the Artemis mission.

But many experts and lawmakers are concerned that NASA cannot meet the accelerated deadline, especially given the major delays in development of the SLS, which is being built by aerospace giant Boeing.

Asked how much the new mission would cost in total, Bridenstine demurred, telling a reporter: "I would love to tell you that."
UN chief Antonio Guterres said 'Hate speech is spreading like wildfire in social media'

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres warned hate speech was spreading online "like wildfire" at a meeting with victims of the Christchurch mosque shootings Tuesday, vowing the world body will lead efforts to extinguish the problem.

Guterres visited the Al Noor mosque, one of two Muslim centres in the New Zealand city where a self-described white supremacist killed 51 people in a March 15 shooting that the attacker live-streamed on Facebook.

The UN chief is travelling the South Pacific to highlight the impact of climate change but said he also wanted to show his support for Christchurch's Muslim community during Ramadan.

"I know there are no words to relieve the hurt and sorrow and pain, but I wanted to come here personally to transmit love, support and total and complete admiration," he said.

He told victims of the worst mass shooting in modern New Zealand history that there had been "a dangerous upsurge in hatred" as social media was exploited to promote bigotry.

"Hate speech is spreading like wildfire in social media. We must extinguish it," the Portuguese diplomat said.

"There is no room for hate speech -- online or offline."

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern (C) will will co-host a meeting of world leaders and tech firms to promote a 'Christchurch call' aimed at curbing online extremism

He highlighted a previously announced plan for his special adviser on genocide prevention Adama Dieng to combat online extremism.

He said Dieng's mission was to "bring together a United Nations team to scale up our response to hate speech and present a global plan of action".

His remarks come as New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, who hosted Guterres when he arrived in Auckland on Sunday, embarks on her own quest to tame social media in Paris this week.

Ardern will co-host a meeting of world leaders and tech firms to promote a "Christchurch call" aimed at curbing online extremism.

She has been highly critical of social media giants in the wake of the Christchurch killings, saying they should be "taking ownership and responsibility over their platforms".
Alaska fatal plane crash

Five people died and one person was missing Monday after two floatplanes collided mid-air in Alaska while carrying passengers from a cruise ship's sightseeing expedition, officials said.

The two aircraft -- a Beaver floatplane and an Otter floatplane -- had been carrying 16 passengers from the Royal Princess cruise ship when they crashed near Ketchikan around 1:00 pm (2100 GMT), Princess Cruises said in a statement circulated by US media.

The dead included four passengers and a pilot, according to Princess Cruises. Ten people were rescued and were receiving medical care.

The US Coast Guard said three people were confirmed dead and that it was searching for three others near George Inlet, along with help from partner agencies -- including the US Forest Service and Alaska state troopers -- and good Samaritans.

Helicopters and boats were deployed by the Coast Guard for the search-and-rescue operation.

"In a remote area such as this, given our limited resources, we rely on our partner agencies and appreciate the support that good Samaritans have rendered to this point," said Captain Stephen White, Coast Guard Sector Juneau commander.

"With the loss of life in this case, we know that the impact to Alaska is immense and our thoughts are with the community here."

The National Transportation Safety Board said it was launching a "Go Team" to investigate the cause of the accident.
Photo: The Canadian Press Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond

B.C.'s former child representative Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond says the "heinous" treatment of an Indigenous teenager during a 2012 RCMP interrogation in Kelowna reflects a pattern she has seen over and over.

On Wednesday, politicians expressed outrage after APTN published a 2012 video of a male officer asking pointed questions of a young woman disclosing a sexual assault she experienced in the B.C. foster care system.

Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale told the House of Commons the contents of the video were "absolutely abhorrent" after he was asked about it by Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer.

In 2016, Turpel-Lafond produced a report showing at least 109 girls were the victims of sexualized violence while in government foster care and that 74 of them were Aboriginal.

The 2012 case was among them.

She says young women who face sexualized violence and then get inappropriate treatment by police are less likely to get support and more likely to be preyed upon.
Mauritanian soldiers at a G5 Sahel task force command post in the southeast of Mauritania near the border with Mali

Still reeling from shock attacks on churches, Burkina Faso appealed to world powers on Thursday to form an international coalition to help the Sahel region fight jihadists.

"The struggle against terrorism in the Sahel is a struggle for the survival of the states of the Sahel," Burkina Faso's Foreign Minister Alpha Barry told the UN Security Council.

The council was meeting to discuss the rise in attacks in the Sahel, where Burkina Faso and four other countries, known as the G5, have established a regional force to try to beat back the insurgents.

The foreign minister argued that the threat from extremists in the Sahel should be tackled with same determination shown by world powers in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"It is time for the international community to consider creating an international coalition that would tackle terrorism on the territories of the G5 and in the entire Sahel," he said.

The council has been divided on how to support the G5 countries, with France leading calls for UN funding for the regional force, a move opposed by the United States.

The G5 countries Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger, are spending a large part of their budgets -- 18 to 32 percent -- on security, said Barry.

The foreign minister said addressing the threat from extremists was a "major emergency to prevent a collapse of our states and avert generalized chaos on our continent, which would have multiple repercussions for the rest of the world."

A priest and five parishioners were killed during mass services in northern Burkina Faso on Sunday, and four Catholics were gunned down during a religious procession on Monday.

More than 300 people have died this year in inter-communal violence, according to the foreign minister.

Barry also urged the council to come up with a united position on how to address the fighting in Libya, which he described as the main destabilizing factor in the region.
FUJAIRAH, United Arab Emirates (AP) - 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 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.

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)

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.

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 traveling 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 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 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.

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 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."

Underlining 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 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."

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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.

This photo provided by the United Arab Emirates' National Media Council shows the Norwegian-flagged oil tanker MT Andrea Victory 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)

An Emirati coast guard vessel passes an oil tanker 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)

An Emirati coast guard vessel passes an oil tanker 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)

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)

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)
BRUSSELS (AP) - European foreign ministers urged the United States and Iran to show restraint Monday amid fears of tensions tipping them easily into armed conflict, while Secretary of State Mike Pompeo briefed his counterparts on the threats Washington sees emanating from the Islamic republic.

The foreign ministers of Britain, France and Germany, joined by the European Union's foreign policy chief, made the appeal after Saudi Arabia said two oil tankers were sabotaged Sunday off the coast of the United Arab Emirates, one 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 there to counter alleged threats from Tehran.

European countries that were co-signatories to a nuclear accord between Tehran and six world powers have been racing to salvage the deal since the U.S. pulled out last year. The foreign ministers of Britain, France and Germany, parties to Iran agreement, and EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini, who supervises the way the 2015 agreement is enacted, met in Brussels on Monday.

"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.

"What we need is a period of calm to make sure that everyone understands what the other side is thinking," Hunt said.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, center, arrives for a meeting of the US and the E3 at the Europa building, Monday, May 13, 2019. The EU backers of the Iran nuclear deal meet with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to discuss ways to keep the pact afloat. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo)

In withdrawing from the nuclear accord, the U.S. said the agreement did nothing to stop Iran from developing missiles or destabilizing the Middle East. The Europeans insist the agreement was never meant to address those issues but has been effective in curbing Tehran's nuclear ambitions.

Tensions mounted last week, when Iranian President Hassan Rouhani gave the remaining signatories 60 days to come up with a plan to shield his country from sanctions imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump after the U.S. withdrew from the deal.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian described the remarks suggesting that Iran might renege on the agreement as "very worrying," given that the EU is still respecting the deal and trying to keep financial supply lines open to Tehran to bolster its economy.

U.S. Iran envoy Brian Hook told reporters traveling with Pompeo that in Brussels, the secretary of state "shared information and intelligence with allies" since "Europe shares our concerns about stability in the Gulf and the Middle East."

"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 said.

Mogherini said Pompeo "heard clearly" in Brussels that "we are living a crucial, delicate moment, where the most responsible attitude to take is, and we believe should be, that of maximum restraint and avoiding any escalation on a military side."

She and Hook said the reported attacks on the two tankers had been discussed, but neither linked the incidents to Iran.

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said the Europeans underlined to Pompeo the importance of nuclear deal.

"I don't see that there's a better one, or any proposals for a better agreement," Maas said. "That's why I think it's responsible to hold onto what one has and do everything to prevent the situation there from escalating further."

As the U.S. sanctions bite, domestic pressure is increasing on Rouhani to demonstrate that Iran can still benefit from an agreement based on providing it with economic opportunities in exchange for limiting nuclear development.

Maas said the Europeans "are working on the assumption that Iran won't withdraw step by step from this treaty, but rather meet all of its commitments."

Despite the tensions, the Europeans insist only the International Atomic Energy Agency can judge whether Iran remains in compliance with the nuclear agreement.

Inspectors from the agency have issued more than a dozen reports showing Tehran has held up its end of the deal so far. A new report is due at the end of May.

Pompeo was due to travel Tuesday to Russia for talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Sochi.

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Associated Press writers Matthew Lee in Washington, Frank Jordans in Berlin and Nataliya Vasilyeva in Moscow contributed to this report.

From left, European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas and British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt pose for a photo prior to a meeting at the European Council in Brussels, Monday, May 13, 2019. (Francois Lenoir, Pool Photo via AP)

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, left, poses with Britain's Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt at the European Council in Brussels, Monday, May 13, 2019. 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 is still expected to meet Tuesday in Sochi with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. (Francois Lenoir/Pool Photo via AP)

British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt, center, arrives for a group photo of EU foreign ministers and their Eastern partner countries at the Europa building in Brussels, Monday, May 13, 2019. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo arrives for a meeting with European foreign ministers at the Europa building in Brussels, Monday, May 13, 2019. The EU backers of the Iran nuclear deal meet with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to discuss ways to keep the pact afloat. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, right, speaks with German counterpart Heiko Maas, center, and British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt during a meeting at the European Council in Brussels, Monday, May 13, 2019. (Francois Lenoir, Pool Photo via AP)

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian speaks with the media as he arrives for a meeting with European foreign ministers at the Europa building in Brussels, Monday, May 13, 2019. The EU backers of the Iran nuclear deal meet with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo Monday to discuss ways to keep the pact afloat. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo)

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, center, leaves after a meeting at the Europa building in Brussels, Monday, May 13, 2019. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini waits for the start of a round table meeting of EU foreign ministers and Eastern Partnership nations at the Europa building, Monday, May 13, 2019. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo)

European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini, right, speaks with Spanish Foreign Minister Josep Borrell, center, during a meeting of EU foreign ministers at the Europa building in Brussels, Monday, May 13, 2019. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt, left, waits for the start of a meeting at the European Council in Brussels, Monday, May 13, 2019. (Francois Lenoir, Pool Photo via AP)

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, left, and German counterpart Heiko Maas arrive for a meeting at the European Council in Brussels, Monday, May 13, 2019. (Francois Lenoir, Pool Photo via AP)

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, left, poses with Britain's Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt at the European Council in Brussels, Monday, May 13, 2019. 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 is still expected to meet Tuesday in Sochi with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. (Francois Lenoir/Pool Photo via AP)
LOS ANGELES (AP) - In 2006, TV critics swooned over "30 Rock," part of a new breed of comedy that dared to fly without a laugh track and whose ranks included "Arrested Development," ''The Office" and "Everybody Hates Chris."

Then a misfit nerd crashed the party. "The Big Bang Theory" was crafted in the style of 1950s groundbreaker "I Love Lucy," with the requisite studio-audience tapings and recorded guffaws intact. Even some of those making the CBS comedy that debuted in 2007 questioned its chances, said Jim Parsons, who stars as Sheldon Cooper, one of the show's brilliant and socially inept scientists.

"'We're making the last great buggy wagon in the age of the Model T, but the Model T is here. So how long does this go?'" was how one writer framed the contrast between old-school and 21st-century TV comedies, Parsons recalled in a recent interview.

As the enduringly popular series prepares to bow out Thursday with an hour-long finale, the question is raised anew: Will viewers, awash in such creatively bold and sophisticated players as "Atlanta" and "Veep," accept another traditional sitcom? Discounting the resurrection of "Will & Grace" and "Roseanne"-turned "The Connors," can the old-school formula score the new hits it needs to survive?

Who better to ask than Chuck Lorre, who created "The Big Bang Theory" with Bill Prady and whose mastery of the genre has produced winners including "Two and a Half Men" and "Mom," but also makes Netflix's contemporary-style "The Kominsky Method." The Hollywood veteran hedges his reply - "I've been around long enough to know that a prognosis is a really wonderful way to carve into stone how stupid you are. Or arrogant" - then admits to faith in the format known as a "multi-cam," for the multiple cameras used in tapings.

"I still believe that shooting a show in front of an audience is a wonderful way to tell a story," Lorre said. "I don't think the audience watches ('The Big Bang Theory') and counts cameras. They watch the show because they love the characters and it delivers on the comedy."

Johnny Galecki, from left, Jim Parsons, Kaley Cuoco, Simon Helberg, Kunal Nayyar, Mayim Bialik and Melissa Rauch, cast members of the TV series "The Big Bang Theory," pose at a hand and footprint ceremony at the TCL Chinese Theatre on Wednesday, May 1, 2019 at in Los Angeles. (Photo by Willy Sanjuan/Invision/AP)

There's support for Lorre's optimism, said Robert Thompson, a Syracuse University professor of TV and popular culture.

"Many people talk about the studio audience sitcom being something right out of Colonial Williamsburg, as way past its prime," Thompson said. "Whenever anybody would make that argument, the first thing I would say is 'The Big Bang Theory' has been sitting at top or near the top of the ratings," even against the strengthening headwinds of streaming platforms including YouTube and Netflix.

The series' third-to-last episode on May 5 was the most-watched program on broadcast or cable TV with 12.5 million viewers , pushing aside HBO's behemoth "Game of Thrones," which wraps its eight-season run May 19.

There's also the sheer weight of history on the multi-cam's side. It's descended from radio comedies and their roster of stars, including the Nelson family in "The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet" and Ethel Waters in "Beulah," who were among the first to add pictures to their punchlines - although it took Desi Arnaz, the "I Love Lucy" producer who starred opposite wife Lucille Ball, to popularize filming sitcoms with three (now four) cameras, in part for efficiency.

Look further back to see the art form the sitcom represents, said Prady.

"It's going to a play," he said. And while viewers embrace a show like Donald Glover's "Atlanta," he said they may also choose TV's version of a stage production.

Competition from streaming platforms, along with established basic and premium cable players such as FX, HBO and Showtime, will continue eroding the broadcast networks' audience, outside of live draws like sports, and thus sitcoms' share of the pie.

When "Cheers" left the TV stage in 1993 after an 11-year run, it drew more than 80 million viewers, a number "Big Bang Theory" can't hope to touch and which now belongs only to the Super Bowl. Ten years before that, an astounding 100 million-plus viewers tuned it to the two-hour "M-A-S-H" finale.

Sitcoms airing on the major broadcast network - ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox - also are increasingly elbowed out of the industry's highest-profile awards, the Emmys. While single-camera "Modern Family" had a lock on the best comedy series trophy for five years, from 2010-14, the last multi-cam series to claim the award was "Everybody Loves Raymond" in 2005.

True enough, said Syracuse's Thompson. But he recalls dire predictions of the genre's death in the 1980s, until "The Cosby Show" single-handedly provided the coattails needed to revive the format. And the popularity of multi-cams remains strong enough to create a financial bonanza from reruns, with shows as unalike as "The Golden Girls" and "Seinfeld" still popular well after their 20th-century heydays.

"There's a lot of people out there who would like to do be the person who creates the next 'Big Bang Theory' and, someone's going to do it," he said.

It might even be Lorre himself, who produced a four-camera pilot for CBS, one of more than a dozen multi-cams vying this week for a broadcast home in the 2019-20, against a roughly equal number of one-camera competitors.

"If you have something worthwhile, I don't think it matters whether it's single-camera, four-camera, 18 cameras or if it's a flip book," Lorre said. "If it's really good, it's going to find an audience. Maybe that's naive or overly optimistic. But I have to proceed on that basis."

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Lynn Elber can be reached at lelber@ap.org and on Twitter at http://twitter.com/lynnelber .

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This story corrects show co-creator Bill Prady's first name from Jim.

FILE - In this Jan. 13, 2019, file photo, Chuck Lorre accepts the creative achievement award at the 24th annual Critics' Choice Awards at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, Calif. The end of "The Big Bang Theory" means the beginning of a familiar debate: is the traditional sitcom, complete with laugh track, a thing of the past? The hit CBS comedy concludes its 12-year run on Thursday, May 16. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP)

Johnny Galecki, from left, Jim Parsons, Kaley Cuoco, Simon Helberg, Kunal Nayyar, Mayim Bialik and Melissa Rauch members of the cast of the TV series "The Big Bang Theory," show their hands after placing them in cement during a hand and footprint ceremony at the TCL Chinese Theatre on Wednesday, May 1, 2019 at in Los Angeles. (Photo by Willy Sanjuan/Invision/AP)
BEIRUT (AP) - Syrian troops on Monday captured five small villages and a hill on the edge of the northwestern province of Idlib, the last major rebel stronghold in the country, pro-government media said.

The extremist leader of the main rebel group in the region released a video calling on every able person to "perform his religious duty" and join the fight.

The pro-government Syrian Central Military Media said government forces captured the villages of Hawash, Jabrieh, Tawbeh, Sheikh Idriss, Jub Suleiman and Hawash hill on the southern edges of Idlib. The villages are near the strategic village of Kfar Nabuda, which Syrian troops entered last week.

Abu Mohammed al-Golani, leader of the al-Qaida-linked Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS, claimed in a video interview with a local activist that government troops suffered many losses while trying to advance into rebel-held areas over the past few days. Dressed in military uniform and holding an automatic rifle while seated under a tree, he claimed his militant group was gaining more fighters each day.

Al-Golani also said insurgents have the right to strike at a Russian base in Syria because "more than 90 percent of the Russian airstrikes are targeting women and children."

Syrian troops have been advancing on the rebels for nearly two weeks under the cover of Syrian and Russian airstrikes. In turn, the rebels have been blamed for firing rockets into Russia's air base in the nearby coastal province of Latakia.

In this photo released by the Syrian official news agency SANA, Syrian army soldiers flash the victory sign as they stand on their tank in the village of Kfar Nabuda, in the countryside of the 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)

Russia joined Syria's war in 2015, tipping the balance of power in favor for President Bashar Assad's forces. Opposition activists say Russian warplanes have been bombarding rebel-held areas intensely in recent weeks.

Much of Idlib is controlled by HTS, the largest and most powerful group in the area. Most of its fighters belonged to al-Qaida's affiliate in Syria, formerly known as the Nusra Front.

The United Nations said it was "alarmed by the ongoing reports of violence and hostilities in northwestern Syria, resulting in at least 100 civilians dead or injured and more than 180,000 displaced since the end of April."

U.N. deputy spokesman Farhan Haq said at U.N. headquarters in New York that the United Nations reiterated its call on all parties to protect civilians "at all costs," to stop destroying hospitals, schools and other civilian infrastructure, and to fulfill their obligations under international humanitarian and human rights laws.

He said that in the past two weeks, 18 health facilities had reportedly been struck, including 11 in Hama, six in Idlib and one in Aleppo governorates. He said at least four health workers had been killed. "At least 17 schools and three internally displaced settlements have reportedly been affected as well," Haq added.

France, Germany and Britain issued a joint statement calling for an end to the escalation of violence in northwestern Syria between government forces and HTS and "other terrorist groups."

The three European nations said that the presence of extremist groups in Idlib "remains of grave concern," but said the current Syrian advance "is not about fighting terrorism. It is about pushing forward the ruthless reconquest by the regime."

"We urge all the parties to avoid any military offensive in the region," the joint statement said.

The capture of more territory by Syrian troops comes as part of the latest push by government forces against the rebel-held enclave. So far, dozens have been killed and more than 150,000 have been displaced. Idlib is home to some 3 million people, many of them internally displaced from other parts of the country.

Opposition activists also reported government airstrikes and shelling of different areas in Idlib.

Syrian state media reported that insurgents fired rockets into the Christian government-held town of Suqailabiyah, killing one person and wounding five. The shelling came a day after a rocket attack on the town killed five children and a woman.

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Associated Press writers Geir Moulson in Berlin and Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations contributed to this report.
GREENBELT, Md. (AP) - 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 magistrate's 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 magistrate's 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 didn't order Hasson's 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 can't leave it to Hasson's relatives to serve as his custodians and ensure the public's 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 haven't filed any terrorism-related charges against him since his Feb. 15 arrest.

FILE - This undated file photo provided by the Maryland U.S. District Attorney's Office shows firearms and ammunition confiscated from Coast Guard officer Christopher Paul Hasson, accused of stockpiling guns and compiling a hit list of prominent Democrats and network TV journalists. Hasson, who was arrested on Feb. 15, 2019, sought release from federal custody, but a federal judge in Maryland blocked his release on Monday, May 13, 2019. (Maryland U.S. District Attorney's Office via AP, File)

Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Windom said the government has no doubt that Hasson's arrest prevented bloodshed.

"Nothing is more serious than murder. And, plain and simple, that's what the defendant was going to do," Windom told Hazel.

Hasson can appeal Hazel's decision. His attorney, assistant public defender Liz Oyer, declined to comment after the hearing.

Day's 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 haven't filed terrorism-related charges against Hasson because they haven't found any evidence to back up those allegations. She accused prosecutors of seeking to punish Hasson for "private thoughts" that he never shared.

"They're 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 fulfill a desire to commit violent acts. The judge also noted that prosecutors said they couldn't account for two weapons that Hasson owned.

"That's 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 MSNBC's Chris Hayes and Joe Scarborough and CNN's 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 Hasson's 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.
TRENTON, N.J. (AP) - Gov. Phil Murphy signed legislation Monday to ease restrictions on when childhood sexual abuse victims can seek damages in court, an action that comes after a wave of details last year about the abuse of minors in the Roman Catholic Church.

Murphy said in a statement that he recognized opponents' worries that the expanded statute, which allows victims to sue institutions, will expose organizations to financial liability. But that is outweighed by concern over victims, the first-term Democrat said.

"I cannot deny victims the ability to seek redress in court for sexual abuse that often leaves trauma lasting a lifetime," he said in a statement accompanying his signature.

The legislation allows child victims to sue up until they turn 55 or within seven years of their first realization that the abuse caused them harm. The current statute of limitations is age 20 or two years after first realizing the abuse caused harm.

The bill also would give a two-year window to victims who were previously barred by the statute of limitation. It also allows victims to seek damages from institutions.

The state's Catholic Conference opposed the bill during committee hearings. In a statement Monday, the Archdiocese of Newark said it was committed to "comprehensive healing of those harmed."

"(The) Catholic community, the legislature, and the Governor sincerely agree on one key position - the need to restore justice for the victims of sexual abuse in New Jersey," archdiocese spokeswoman Maria Margiotta said in a statement.

Supporters of the new law gathered later Monday for an at-times emotion news conference.

Democratic Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg teared up while thanking survivors who testified earlier about the bill.

"(The) stories were so painful, and so graphic," she said. "Thank God we're standing here today."

While the Catholic Church has been a focal point of debate on the legislation, other institutions like the Boy Scouts would also be liable under the new law. Attorneys in New Jersey and elsewhere have begun recruiting people to sue the organization, which along with the church says it now has policies in place to sharply curtail abuse.

Many states have overhauled their criminal and civil statutes of limitations since the 2002 Boston Globe reporting detailing abuse in the Catholic Church. But just a handful, including California, Delaware, Hawaii and Minnesota, have created so-called lookback windows for lawsuits. New York enacted a bill earlier this year that creates a window similar to the one in New Jersey, which already has no statute of limitations on criminal charges.

The legislation has been on lawmakers' radar for nearly a decade, but it comes soon after the state's five Catholic dioceses released the names of 188 priests credibly accused of sexually abusing minors over a period of decades. It also comes after they announced in February the creation of a compensation fund for victims.

New Jersey's attorney general launched a task force in September to investigate the clergy abuse scandal. That investigation came on the heels of a lengthy grand jury investigation in Pennsylvania that concluded more than 1,000 children had been abused over a span of decades by about 300 priests.

The bill had broad support from lawmakers and victims' advocacy groups. The committee hearings on the bill featured hours of emotional testimony, including a family of sisters who said they were preyed on by a now-deceased priest who came to their Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, parish in the 1980s after working in New Jersey.

Among those opposed to the measure were the state Catholic Conference and the New Jersey Civil Justice Institute.

Patrick Brannigan, the conference's executive director, told lawmakers that the New Jersey church is fully cooperating with state law enforcement officials who are investigating abuse claims in the state.

The church, he added, "sincerely regrets that some in the church failed to protect children."

The church agrees with the intent of the bill but differs on its approach, asking instead that the bill's take-effect date of Dec. 1, 2019, be made later, Brannigan said.

Murphy also said that lawmakers have committed to send him a new bill correcting an error in the new law. Specifically, Murphy said, part of the law fails to establish a standard of proof for cases against public entities.

Failing to hold them to the same standard as other institutions would be "unjustified," Murphy said, and the new legislation would hold public entities to the same standard as other organizations.
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 used the trail nickname of "Sovereign," was arrested in Tennessee 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's public defender declined to comment following the hearing.

Jordan had 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.

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 charges and was later released. Hensley said the judge ordered Jordan not to return to the Appalachian Trail, but he was not charged with assault 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."
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.

This undated photo provided by Rachel Short shows Kendrick Castillo, who was killed during a shooting at the STEM School Highlands Ranch on Tuesday, May 7, 2019, in Highlands Ranch, Colo. (Rachel Short via AP)

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.
TIRANA, Albania (AP) - Anti-government protesters in Albania hurled gasoline grenades and flares at riot police in front of the main government building and national police headquarters Monday, hours after U.S. diplomats and European Union lawmakers appealed for order and calm.

Thousands of demonstrators, many holding umbrellas, marched in driving rain that at times mixed with clouds of white smoke from flares. Police officers did not respond.

"It is a march of protest against the illegitimate government," said Lulzim Basha, leader of the main opposition center-right Democratic Party.

The march route would pass five locations "symbolizing the institutions captured" by the government, Basha said: the prime minister's office, the national police headquarters, the parliament building, the Interior Ministry and the Tirana city police department.

Opposition supporters marched to each destination as planned, hurling Molotov cocktails, flares, firecrackers and other objects, and breaking windows of the police buildings.

Police kept a low profile, posting few visible officers in front of the buildings. One police officer was injured at national police headquarters, according to a police statement.

Protesters shout slogans during a rally in Tirana, Monday, May 13, 2019. Anti-government protesters in Albania hurled firebombs and flares at riot police standing in front of the main government building Monday, hours after the U.S. and European Union lawmakers called for restraint. (AP Photo/Hektor Pustina)

Opposition parties have held protests since mid-February, accusing government officials of corruption and of stealing votes in the parliamentary election two years ago. They are demanding an early election and a temporary government put in place to run Albania until then.

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 Monday's 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."

"Today we showed there is no power on earth to stop us in our cause for free and fair elections," Basha said at the end of Monday's march.

A statement from the U.S. Embassy in Tirana called on opposition leaders to "ensure that all future public protests are orderly and peaceful" and to "engage in a constructive dialogue aimed at bringing an end to the political impasse."

"Violent demonstrations are damaging Albania's democratic reform efforts and the country's prospects for moving forward on the EU path," the embassy statement said.

European Union lawmakers 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."

Albania expects to hear in June whether the EU will grant its request to launch full membership negotiations.

The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe denounced the alleged "attempted intimidation" directed at the OSCE's presence in Albania. On Sunday, threatening words were written at the building where the OSCE ambassador in Tirana lives.

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Follow Llazar Semini on Twitter: https://twitter.com/lsemini

Protesters throw petrol bombs at the National Police Headquarters during clashes in Tirana, Monday, May 13, 2019. Anti-government protesters in Albania hurled firebombs and flares at riot police standing in front of the main government building Monday, hours after the U.S. and European Union lawmakers called for restraint. (AP Photo/Hektor Pustina)

A protester holds a flare as others hold umbrellas read in Albanian "Go" outside the Government building during a rally in Tirana, Monday, May 13, 2019. Anti-government protesters in Albania hurled firebombs and flares at riot police standing in front of the main government building Monday, hours after the U.S. and European Union lawmakers called for restraint. (AP Photo/Hektor Pustina)

Protesters take part in a rally in Tirana, Monday, May 13, 2019. Anti-government protesters in Albania hurled firebombs and flares at riot police standing in front of the main government building Monday, hours after the U.S. and European Union lawmakers called for restraint. (AP Photo/Hektor Pustina)

A protester takes part in a rally in Tirana, Monday, May 13, 2019. Anti-government protesters in Albania hurled firebombs and flares at riot police standing in front of the main government building Monday, hours after the U.S. and European Union lawmakers called for restraint. (AP Photo/Hektor Pustina)

A protester gestures during clashes near the Parliament building in Tirana, Monday, May 13, 2019. 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. (AP Photo/Visar Kryeziu)

A protester removes a fence near the Parliament building during clashes in Tirana, Monday, May 13, 2019. 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. (AP Photo/Visar Kryeziu)

A protester holds an Albanian flag during a rally outside the main Government building in Tirana, Monday, May 13, 2019. 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. (AP Photo/Visar Kryeziu)

Protesters remove the fences near the Parliament building during clashes in Tirana, Monday, May 13, 2019. 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. (AP Photo/Visar Kryeziu)

A protester tries to remove a fence during clashes in Tirana, Monday, May 13, 2019. Anti-government protesters in Albania hurled firebombs and flares at riot police standing in front of the main government building Monday, hours after the U.S. and European Union lawmakers called for restraint. (AP Photo/Hektor Pustina)
Photo: Manitoba Court of Queen's Bench

One of five women involved with a man accused of killing one of them testified Thursday that the death came after days of the victim being tortured and abused.

"He was beating her up with cords, a hammer, knives," Jessica Reid, 36, told jurors Thursday at Perez Cleveland's first-degree murder trial.

Cleveland, 46, has pleaded not guilty to killing 42-year-old Jennifer Barrett, whose body was found in a barrel behind their Winnipeg home in December 2016.

Court heard earlier this week that Cleveland shared the house with his adult daughter and five women described by the Crown as Cleveland's domestic partners.

Reid testified that Barrett was being kept in the basement of the home that summer, because Cleveland claimed she had been flirting with other men. After a few days of physical abuse, Barrett left the home for a few hours. Things got worse when she returned, Reid said.

Reid testified she was in the basement when she saw Barrett stumble out of the laundry room. It looked like she had a concussion, Reid said, and the woman ended up falling over.

Cleveland used a Taser on Barrett's leg to try to get her moving, Reid said.

"It didn't work. I knew something was wrong. I freaked out."

Reid said she went into the laundry room and there was blood everywhere.

Cleveland moved Barrett's body into a plastic storage bin in the garage, Reid said. He told her and another woman to deal with it then left to go stay at a hotel.

The stench was awful, Reid said, and they eventually came up with a plan to put the body in a sealed barrel in the backyard.

Reid is charged with being an accessory after the fact, but her case has not yet gone to trial.

Jurors have been told some of the women had been in a romantic relationship with Cleveland for many years when Barrett joined them in 2012.

Reid testified she met him in 2015 when she was buying methamphetamine and their relationship soon turned romantic. When Reid was evicted from her apartment, she moved in with Cleveland and the others.

She said she didn't leave Cleveland because she was dependent on him for a place to live, for drugs and for money. She was also scared.

"I knew what he would do if he found me."

The women had roles in the house to cook or clean and were punished when they didn't follow the rules, Reid said.

One night she woke up to see Cleveland pointing a gun at her, she told court.

Just before Barrett died, Reid said she was locked in the laundry room and tortured for days to teach the other women a lesson.
WASHINGTON (AP) - Democrats from Congress to the 2020 presidential campaign trail on Monday demanded that Republicans apologize to Rep. Rashida Tlaib for mischaracterizing her remarks about the Holocaust in the latest uproar over Muslim House members and their remarks about Israel.

The Michigan Democrat told a Yahoo News podcast over the weekend that she gets "a calming feeling" when she thinks of "the tragedy of the Holocaust," the suffering of her Palestinian ancestors and the new state of Israel. The remark instantly ignited an online fight, with Republicans incorrectly describing Tlaib's words as reflecting her feelings about the genocide itself that cost millions of lives, including those of 6 million Jews. Before the day was out, progressive allies key to Democrats' hopes for election gains in 2020 were fundraising off the notion that Republicans had used the Holocaust for a "cheap, racist" and "political" attack.

But the blowback against the GOP came from the top of Democratic ranks.

"Republicans' desperate attempts to smear @RepRashida & misrepresent her comments are outrageous," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi tweeted. "President @realDonaldTrump & House GOP should apologize to Rep. Tlaib & the American people for their gross misrepresentations."

Added Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, a White House hopeful: "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."

The issue had its roots in Tlaib's remarks on the Yahoo News podcast "Skullduggery," in which she was asked about her backing of a one-state solution to the conflict over Israel. She replied by noting the U.S. recently commemorated Holocaust Remembrance Day.

FILE - On this Jan. 17, 2019, file photo, Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., speaks at a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington. Democrats on Monday, May 13, defended Tlaib after President Donald Trump and his allies mischaracterized her remarks about the Holocaust to accuse her of anti-Semitism. Tlaib told a Yahoo News podcast that she gets "a calming feeling" when she thinks of how her Palestinian ancestors suffered under the creation of the state of Israel. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File)

"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," Tlaib, one of the first Muslims to serve in Congress, said around the halfway point in the 55-minute podcast dated Friday. "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 horrific persecution of Jews across the world at that time."

She continued: "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 one-state, I think about the fact that, why couldn't we do it in a better way?"

Republicans pounced on a two-word phrase from that statement - "calming feeling" - and suggested they described Tlaib's feelings about the Holocaust itself. And that, they argued, is part of a pattern of anti-Semitism on which Pelosi and other Democratic leaders should clamp down.

President Donald Trump tweeted Tlaib "obviously has tremendous hatred of Israel and the Jewish people." That echoed earlier comments by House Republicans, who called on Democrats to stand against what House GOP Conference Chair Liz Cheney called "anti-Semitism."

"All of us, regardless of party, must stand as Americans against the evil of anti-Semitism," Cheney, R-Wyo., said in a statement. "If the Democratic leadership continues to stand by in silence, they are enabling the spread of evil."

Democrats, who earlier this year rebuked Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota for her words questioning Israel's influence in Washington, sharply disputed that Tlaib's comments were bigoted. Progressive groups fired out tweets and an email noting that Cheney is considering a run for Senate next year. MoveOn.org slammed Cheney, Trump and House Republican Whip Steve Scalise for trying to "politicize the Holocaust."

"Please help her fight back and keep this bold progressive fighter in Congress. Donate $3 to Rashida's campaign today," wrote the Progressive Change Campaign Committee in an email to what it said were nearly 1 million members.

Democratic lawmakers staunchly defended 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. "They must stop, and they owe her an apology."

"Obviously I don't think that she hates Israel or hates Jews," said Rep. Dan Kildee, D-Michigan, on Fox News. "She's not a hateful person. She's not a bigoted person."

Tlaib shot back in a tweet and a statement that Republicans were twisting her words.

"Policing my words, twisting & turning them to ignite vile attacks on me will not work," she said. "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."

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Follow Laurie Kellman on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/APLaurieKellman
BRUSSELS (AP) - The European Union called on Monday for a cease-fire in Libya, saying the conflict around the capital of Tripoli is a threat to international peace and security.

The self-styled Libyan National Army, led by Field Marshal Khalifa Hifter, launched an offensive on Tripoli last month. His force, based in eastern Libya, is battling rival militias loosely allied with the U.N.-supported government in the capital.

In a statement, EU foreign ministers called "on all parties to immediately implement a cease-fire and to engage with the United Nations to ensure a full and comprehensive cessation of hostilities."

They said that "indiscriminate attacks on densely populated residential areas may amount to war crimes" and that those responsible should be held to account.

The head of the Tripoli-based government, Fayez Sarraj, met with the ministers Monday.

Ghassan Salame, the United Nation's special envoy for Libya, briefed the EU Foreign Affairs Council on Monday about the situation in Libya and also met with the NATO secretary-general and Germany's foreign minister, U.N. spokesman Farhan Haq said in New York.

European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini, right, speaks with Spanish Foreign Minister Josep Borrell, center, during a meeting of EU foreign ministers at the Europa building in Brussels, Monday, May 13, 2019. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

"Salame stressed that more than a month after the outbreak of fighting, it is becoming clear to everyone that a military solution cannot replace a political solution, and that it is high time now to return to the negotiating table," Haq said.

He said the U.N. remains "extremely concerned about the mounting impact of the fighting on civilians in and around Tripoli," citing reports of casualties over the weekend and the deepening humanitarian impact of clashes.

The International Organization for Migration, the U.N.'s migration agency, reports that "nearly 67,000 people have now been driven from their homes, while an estimated 100,000 more people are thought to remain in front-line areas," Haq said.
ST. LOUIS (AP) - A businessman already accused of bribery as part of former St. Louis County Executive Steve Stenger's pay-to-play scheme is facing fraud accusations from a state agency.

The Missouri Secretary of State's office said Monday that its securities division has issued a cease-and-desist order against John Rallo, accusing him of defrauding six investors out of more than $1 million. Five of the investors are from the St. Louis area, and one is from Utah.

Rallo's attorney, John Rogers, declined comment.

Stenger, a Democrat, pleaded guilty on May 3 to federal charges for directing county contracts to campaign donors. Federal prosecutors cited businesses operated by Rallo, who was indicted last week and pleaded not guilty on Friday.

Sheila Sweeney, the county's former economic development chief, pleaded guilty Friday to one federal count for helping to cover up Stenger's crimes. Both Stenger and Sweeney face sentencing in August. Sentencing guidelines suggest he could get up to four years in prison, and she could get up to a year.

The cease-and-desist order alleges that Rallo, 53, sought investors in Food for Health International LLC, a company he said would sell coconut powder to Costco and Sam's Club as a sweetener and for use in food products. The state claims that Rallo largely used the investments for his other businesses.

In this Friday, May 10, 2019 photo, businessman John Rallo, right, and his lawyer John Rogers leave federal court in St. Louis after Rallo pleaded not guilty to three counts of honest services mail fraud/bribery. (David Carson/St. Louis Post-Dispatch via AP)

The state said the individual investments ranged from $83,000 to $400,000.

The order seeks restitution of $1.36 million, which includes interest and fines.

Stenger admitted in his guilty plea that he took actions to ensure that county contracts went to two Rallo-owned companies - Cardinal Insurance and Cardinal Creative Consulting; and to ensure that another Rallo company obtained options to buy two properties that were held by the county's Land Clearance for Redevelopment Authority.

Stenger also took action to ensure that an unnamed company obtained a state lobbying contract from the St. Louis Economic Development Partnership, an agency headed by Sweeney, a Stanger appointee.

The bribery indictment against Rallo claimed he gave Stenger tens of thousands of dollars in donations in the understanding that his companies would get contracts.

Stenger, 47, resigned on April 29, the same day his indictment was announced. Now, he may also lose his county pension.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that Republican County Council member Tim Fitch is pushing an ordinance that would prevent any county elected official from collecting a pension if convicted of a felony while serving in office.

Stenger would currently qualify for a pension when he turns 60. He would earn $1,660 per month starting March 1, 2032, and that would increase to $1,963 per month on March 1, 2037, after he turns 65, the Post-Dispatch reported.
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - 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 colors in the world start to fade out," Smith said. "The things that gave you a lot of joy, there's 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 isn't 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.

FILE - In this March 5, 2019 file photo Sen. Tina Smith, D-Minn., speaks during a Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington to examine vaccines, focusing on preventable disease outbreaks. Smith 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. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster, file)

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 wasn't just saying, 'Hey, I'm 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 don't 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 counselor in Stewartville.

Making treatment available directly in schools "would make a lot of sense for a lot of families," Dierling said.

Smith's measure only has support from Democrats in the GOP-controlled Senate at the moment.

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Information from: Star Tribune, http://www.startribune.com
HONOLULU (AP) - 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 wouldn't 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 Kealoha's uncle for stealing their home mailbox in an attempt to cover up financial fraud that supported their lavish lifestyle.

FILE - In this Oct. 20, 2017 file photo former Honolulu Police Chief Louis Kealoha, right, and his wife, Katherine Keahola leave federal court in Honolulu. Kealoha and his wife, a city prosecutor, have pleaded not guilty to federal corruption charges. Jury selection is expected to begin in a closely watched corruption scandal involving the highest levels of Honolulu law enforcement. Because of the intense publicity surrounding the case, 400 prospective jurors are needed for the initial phase of jury selection Monday May 13, 2019. (AP Photo/Caleb Jones)

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 court's 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 center as the venue for initial jury selection.

The center is comprised of an arena, a concert hall and an exhibition hall. Prospective jurors - 413 of them - gathered in the Pikake Room. It 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 wouldn't have been able to fit in a normal courtroom. It's the most he's 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. "Have you ever had mail stolen from your mailbox," was one of the questions. They were given a list of potential witnesses and others involved in the case. 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.

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The version corrects that jury selection will resume at a later date, instead of Tuesday.

In this Thursday, May 7, 2019 photo The Neal Blaisdell Center is seen in Honolulu as officials get ready to use the large event venue for jury selection in a corruption case involving the highest levels of the city's law enforcement. The U.S. judge presiding of the case against former police chief Louis Kealoha and his wife Katherine Kealoha, a former deputy city prosecutor, is concerned the courthouse wouldn't accommodate some 400 jurors needed for the high-profile case, so he reserved a room at the center. (AP Photo/Jennifer Sinco Kelleher)
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) - A man was detained Monday after he tried to walk into Argentina's presidential palace with a pistol while seeking a meeting with the president.

Security agents stopped Francisco Ariel Muniz when he sought to enter the Casa Rosada - or Pink House - with a .44-caliber Taurus revolver inside a briefcase. Officials said he claimed to have a private audience with President Mauricio Macri.

The man fled, but was detained by presidential security agents at a subway station. Security Minister Patricia Bullrich said that he would be given a medical examination and that the gun was not loaded.

The Telam state news agency later said that explosives experts were sent to a building next to the lower house of Congress and the presidential palace following bomb threats.

Local media then reported that other bomb threats forced an evacuation of the capital's two main train stations.

It was not clear if the incidents were related.

In this photo released by the Argentine Federal Police, a man is taken into custody outside the government house, La Casa Rosada, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Monday, May 13, 2019. According to officials, a man they identify as Francisco Ariel Muniz tried to enter the government house with a gun in a briefcase. (Argentine Federal Police via AP)

A van from the Argentine Federal Police Explosion Brigade sits parked outside Congress after bomb threats in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Monday, May 13, 2019. Bomb threats were received at the annex building of the Chamber of Deputies and in the Casa Rosada, according to the official news agency Telam. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)
WASHINGTON (AP) - 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 Hungary's 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 that's OK. That's OK. You've done a good job and you've kept your country safe."

Trump's 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 favor 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."

President Donald Trump welcomes Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban to the White House in Washington, Monday, May 13, 2019. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

Asked about democratic backsliding in Hungary, Trump called Orban "a tough man," but added that he's "a respected man," too.

"He's 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 they've 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 China's unfair trade and investment practices.

Orban's 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 country's air defense 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 don't 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 president's time."

Orban is not the only hard-liner Trump has engaged with.

Trump didn't hesitate to meet - twice now - with North Korea's 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 Erdogan's visit with Trump in Washington, Erdogan's bodyguards attacked peaceful protesters gathered outside the Turkish ambassador's 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.

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Associated Press writer Barbara Ortutay in San Francisco contributed to this report.

President Donald Trump welcomes Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban to the White House in Washington, Monday, May 13, 2019. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
EL PASO, Texas (AP) - U.S. authorities have begun using aircraft to move migrants to less-crowded areas for processing, while asylum-seeking families were being bused north to Colorado to alleviate the strain on overwhelmed shelters along the border in Texas and New Mexico.

Several dozen migrants arrived by bus early Monday in Denver as part of the effort to help crowded shelters in El Paso and neighboring Las Cruces, New Mexico, where one facility reported running low on food.

Non-government organizations in Las Cruces were growing weary and overwhelmed, said Claudia Tristan, spokeswoman for Democratic New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, whose office is aiding the transfers,

"They're experiencing a bit of burnout, particularly with the volunteers that have been dealing with this," Tristan said.

Unauthorized border crossings have surged since the start of this year, with El Paso being one of the busiest regions. In April alone, the Border Patrol apprehended nearly 99,000 people for crossing illegally, with more than two-thirds being unaccompanied children and adults traveling with children.

About 4,500 migrants passed through Las Cruces in the past month, making it likely that bus trips will continue to Denver, where migrants can use the robust bus and airline services to reach relatives and sponsors throughout the U.S. while they await immigration proceedings.

FILE - In this Oct. 23, 2018, file photo, women in Tijuana, Mexico, look on as numbers and names are called to from a list of asylum seekers who want to cross the border into the United States. Tijuana is the busiest border crossing, with about 70,000 people crossing each way every day in cars and about 40,000 on foot. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull, File)

Meanwhile, Customs and Border Protection is planning to build a second tent facility at its temporary processing site in Donna, Texas. The first tent opened last week and already is about 100 people over its 500-person capacity, said Carmen Qualia, executive officer of operations for CBP in the Rio Grande Valley.

"This traffic, this flow, is really unprecedented," Qualia said.

The situation in El Paso is no different, where agents are taking in far more people on a daily basis than tents there can house.

Customs and Border Protection has also scheduled daily flights out of the Rio Grande Valley at least through Tuesday for some migrants, and they may continue depending on demand.

It's rare for the Border Patrol to use aircraft to send migrants to another location within the U.S. for processing. At a cost of about $6,000 each, the flights are managed by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which has a network of contracted planes it uses to deport people.

The flights aim to ensure adults don't slip through the cracks as agents scramble to process the increasing number of families crossing the border.

Single adults are the only demographic to whom immigration authorities can currently apply a consequence, Border Patrol Chief Carla Provost told Congress last week.

"My greatest concern is that we will no longer be able to deliver consequences and we will lose control of the border," she said.

The bus to Denver cost New Mexico about $4,000. The governor's office hopes to minimize taxpayer expenses by soliciting charitable donations for additional trips.

The office announced in late April that it would make dormitories available to asylum seekers at the state fairgrounds in Albuquerque, though no one has stayed there so far. Prior bookings for a film production means the dormitories won't be available for migrants until later this month.

Santa Fe, just north of Albuquerque on the way to Denver, has declined suggestions that it provide shelter to migrants, but charitable fundraising efforts are underway.

Three Christian congregations in Denver volunteered to provide shelter to a busload of migrants.

The city had no role in coordinating or funding the effort, but politicians were praising the community for its eagerness to help.

"Denver will always be a welcoming place for people seeking refuge," Mayor Michael Hancock said.

New York also is seeing a significant increase in the number of unaccompanied minors who arrive and stay temporarily before being released to sponsors elsewhere.

Since October, more than 3,000 unaccompanied migrant children have been served by Catholic Charities in New York, a number that's likely to hit about 8,000 by this coming October, said Mario Russell, the group's director of Immigration and Refugee Services.

Some shelters have expanded their capacity to take more children, he said.

"That's a challenge and that is stretching our resources," Russell said. "We are working every day to expand our legal capacity, our physical capacity to do this and obviously it is something that is developing day by day."

___

Lee reported from Santa Fe, New Mexico. Associated Press writers Colleen Long in Washington, Nomaan Merchant in Houston; Colleen Slevin in Denver; and Claudia Torrens in New York contributed to this report.
BEND, Ore. (AP) - World War II veteran Bob Maxwell, the nation's oldest Medal of Honor recipient, has died in Oregon more than seven decades after grabbing a blanket and throwing himself on a German hand grenade in France to save his squad mates. He was 98.

Maxwell died Saturday in Bend, The Bulletin newspaper of Bend reported .

The death was confirmed Monday by U.S. Rep. Greg Walden, a Republican from Oregon, who said Maxwell represented the "best of what Oregon and America have to offer."

Maxwell earned the nation's highest military honor while fighting in Besancon, France, on Sept. 7, 1944, the newspaper reported. The bomb severely injured him, but the blanket saved his life by absorbing some of the impact.

He was also awarded two Silver Stars, two Purple Hearts, a Bronze Star and two French combat awards - the French Croix de Guerre and the Legion d'Honneur - for his service in World War II.

Maxwell had been the oldest living recipient of the Medal of Honor, which is bestowed for "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty."

FILE - In this Nov. 8, 2013 file photo, Medal of Honor recipient Bob Maxwell, center, salutes at a ceremony at Bend High School in Bend, Ore., where he received a commemorative set of postage stamps honoring the few surviving Medal of Honor recipients from World War II. Maxwell, the nation's oldest Medal of Honor recipient, has died in Oregon more than seven decades after grabbing a blanket and throwing himself on a German hand grenade in France to save his squad mates. He was 98. Maxwell died Saturday, May 11, 2019, in Bend, Ore. (Andy Tullis/The Bulletin via AP, File)

Born on Oct. 26, 1920, in Boise, Idaho, Maxwell was drafted into the U.S. Army during World War II. Though he was a Quaker, he declined conscientious objector status and entered the service in Colorado.

Trained to string heavy wire for telephone lines at the battlefront, he served in Italy and then France, becoming a technician fifth grade and wearing two stripes - the equivalent of a corporal.

Prior to throwing himself on the grenade, Maxwell sustained a leg injury in Italy in January 1944 while maintaining telephone wires under intense artillery fire.

He spent several months in a hospital in Naples, returned to his unit and was sent to France.

After the war, Maxwell became a car mechanic and taught classes on auto repair and service at a Bend high school and two community colleges.

In 2000, at age 79, he received his high school diploma.

He also served as director of the Bend Heroes Foundation and helped efforts to build veterans' memorials throughout Oregon.

A bridge in Bend is named after Maxwell and he was present last year to watch as an Oregon Medal of Honor Highway sign was unveiled on U.S. Highway 20 near Bend.

In a Dec. 16, 2017 photo, Robert "Bob" Maxwell, 97, America's oldest living Medal of Honor recipient, places a wreath in front of the U.S. Army flag while taking part in the Wreaths Across America ceremony at First Presbyterian Church in Bend, Oregon. Maxwell, the nation's oldest Medal of Honor recipient, died Saturday, May 11, 2019 in Bend, Oregon more than seven decades after grabbing a blanket and throwing himself on a German hand grenade in France to save his squad mates. He was 98. (Ryan Brennecke/The Bulletin via AP)
NEWARK, N.J. (AP) - A New Jersey doctor who authorities said referred to himself as the "El Chapo of Opioids" prescribed painkillers without seeing the patients who were receiving them, often communicating via text message, and falsified records to cover his tracks, according to a criminal complaint released Monday.

Robert Delagente was scheduled to appear in court Monday afternoon. The Oakland-based Delagente is charged with distributing a controlled dangerous substance and obstruction.

The U.S. attorney's office alleges that for the last five years, Delagente used his practice, North Jersey Family Medicine, to illegally prescribe opioids for patients, often allowing them to choose their own dosage.

According to the criminal complaint, one patient received nearly 500 doses of Percocet, Oxycontin and other opioids over a seven-week period without visiting Delagente's office. One week after receiving a 10-day supply of Percocet and a 30-day supply of clonazepam, the patient texted that the medication wasn't "working like it used to." Delagente then prescribed an additional 30-day supply of Oxycontin and a 25-day supply of Percocet, the complaint alleges.

Another time, he allegedly texted a patient that he was sending the patient's prescription on a different day than a similar prescription to the patient's mother "to not draw any suspicion."

The complaint also charges Delagente with altering medical records to hide his activities.

Both charges are punishable by up to 20 years in prison.

The complaint also alleges Delagente didn't monitor whether his patients were becoming addicted to the painkillers, and prescribed the drugs to people he knew were already addicted.

An attorney listed as representing Delagente didn't immediately return an email seeking comment on the charges.
Photo: Burnaby Now

B.C. drivers are getting hosed at the gas pump, the Canadian Taxpayers Federation says.

The CTF released its 21st annual Gas Tax Honesty Day report Thursday, to show just how much of each litre goes to tax.

B.C. drivers are being taken for a ride by politicians who are using them like tax-grab ATMs, said CTF director Kris Sims. Metro Vancouver drivers will be paying 54 cents in taxes per litre of gasoline this summer.

Drivers in Metro Vancouver and in Victorias capital region pay six different taxes to three levels of government, while the rest of B.C. forks out five different gasoline taxes.

The CTF called for the reduction of Metro Vancouver's TransLink tax to 10 cents per litre, and elimination of GST paid on top of the other taxes, creating a tax on a tax.

Drivers in Vancouver are currently paying 168.9 cents a litre for gasoline. In Kelowna, the price is 139.9.

Across the line in Washington state, Seattle residents pay the equivalent of about $1.18 CAD.

Politicians say they care about these record-breaking gasoline prices, while they block pipelines and jack up taxes, said Sims. British Columbians are planning their summer road trips to places like the Island and up north, and the Kootenays, but with these gas prices they might not be able to afford it.
EL PASO, Texas (AP) - The girlfriend of a man charged in the fatal shooting of a Texas sheriff's deputy during a traffic stop has also been charged in the officer's 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 Sheriff's 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 didn't 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 don't 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 Herrera's handgun, according to the affidavit. Investigators said that the blood on Pina's 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.
WASHINGTON (AP) - President Donald Trump pledged Monday not to use information stolen by foreign adversaries in his 2020 reelection campaign, even as he wrongly insisted he hadn't used such information to his benefit in 2016.

During a question-and-answer session with reporters in the Oval Office, Trump said he "would certainly agree to" that commitment.

"I don't need it," he said as he met with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. "All I need is the opponents that I'm looking at."

But Trump also insisted erroneously that he "never did use, as you probably know," such information, adding: "That's what the Mueller report was all about. They said no collusion."

While special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation didn't establish a criminal conspiracy between Russia and Trump's campaign, Trump repeatedly praised WikiLeaks in 2016 and celebrated information exposed by Russian hackers on the campaign trail.

Indeed, Mueller's report described Trump's campaign as eager to exploit the release of hacked Democratic emails to hurt rival Hillary Clinton. At one point, Trump even called on Russia to help find missing Clinton emails - a call he now says was a joke.

President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban in the Oval Office of the White House, Monday, May 13, 2019, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Trump also announced Monday that he will be meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin during a gathering of the leaders of the Group of 20 major economies in Osaka, Japan next month - the pair's first face-to-face since the Mueller report's release.

Trump and Putin did speak by phone for more than an hour earlier this month, discussing a range of issues, including what Trump again dismissed as the "Russian Hoax," a possible three-party arms control pact with China, and the crisis in Venezuela, where Moscow is propping up the current government over the U.S.-backed opposition. At no point, however, did he warn Putin not to meddle in the next election.

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Follow Colvin on Twitter at https://twitter.com/colvinj
SALEM, Ore. (AP) - 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 body's 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 doctor's 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.

In a May 10, 2018 photo, Sergeant at Arms Leta Edwards stands in the foreground as Democratic senators talk among themselves on the Senate floor on after the Senate failed to reach a quorum for the fourth straight day because of a Republican boycott in Salem, Ore. Republican senators began their walkout on Tuesday, May 7, 2019, to protest an education-funding bill that imposes a tax on some businesses. (AP Photo/Andrew Selsky)

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 senator's 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 R's Hideout, whose followers include Democrats and journalists.

"We're running low on beef jerky and Linthicum won't 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 neighboring 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 bill's 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 morning's 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 Oregon's Senate and House of Representatives, enabling them to pass tax-raising measures without getting Republicans on board. But they didn't have enough seats for a quorum.

"The tactic of denying a quorum doesn't mean we shut them down forever," Baertschiger said on the Lars Laron Show, a conservative talk radio program. "We all know that we're 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 O'Connor in Springfield, Illinois contributed to this report.

___

Follow Andrew Selsky on Twitter at https://twitter.com/andrewselsky

Enough Republican state senators returned to the Oregon Senate in Salem on Monday, May 13, 2019, to end a standoff in its fifth day, in which GOP senators kept the Senate from reaching a quorum. Seen here, from left in the foreground, are Republican senators Fred Girod, Dennis Linthicum, Herman Baertschiger, Jr., Tim Knopp and Kim Thatcher as they listen on Monday to debate on an education-tax bill. (AP Photo/Andrew Selsky)

In this May 10, 2019 photo, Sergeant at Arms Leta Edwards of the Oregon Senate knocks on the office door of Republican Sen. Fred Girod in order to bring him to the Senate floor and reach a quorum in Salem, Ore. Girod was not in. Republican senators began their walkout on Tuesday, May 7, 2019, to protest an education-funding bill that imposes a tax on some businesses. (AP Photo/Andrew Selsky)

In this May 10, 2019 photo, Senate President Peter Courtney, third from left, attends a subcommittee hearing in Salem, Ore., alongside Republican Sen. Fred Girod, an hour after Courtney had to cancel the day's Senate session because Republican senators, including Girod, stayed away. Only one GOP senator showed up for Senate floor session. Girod was able to elude Senate Sergeant at Arms Leta Edwards but appeared for the subcommittee. (AP Photo/Andrew Selsky)
NEW HAVEN, Conn. (AP) - A weekend fire at a Connecticut mosque is being investigated as arson.

New Haven Fire Chief John Alston said Monday investigators found evidence showing the fire at the Diyanet Mosque was intentionally set and a criminal investigation involving state and federal authorities has begun.

Police and fire officials declined to disclose the nature of the evidence, saying they did not want to say anything that could hinder that investigation.

"We are taking this very serious," said New Haven interim Police Chief Otoniel Reyes. "We are working with our federal and state partners to make sure that there is no underlying issue to the greater community and to the greater religious community."

The fire, which occurred during the holy month of Ramadan, broke out at about 4 p.m. on Sunday, starting on the first floor of the mosque and spreading to the second.

One person was inside when flames broke out, but they escaped, Alston said. No one was hurt.

In this photo provided by Lina Biroscak, a fire burns at a mosque, Sunday, May 12, 2019, in New Haven, Conn. It was not immediately clear what caused the fire. (Lina Biroscak via AP)

The front of the mosque was under construction, but some areas were still being used for worship.

Alston said fire officials were working with the mosque on Monday to help salvage religious artifacts. The building, he said, is currently unusable.

Mosque president Haydar Elevli said area churches have offered his congregation a place to hold services.

Democratic Gov. Ned Lamont visited the mosque and said he finds "an attack like this especially hurtful and hateful when you attack an institution for what people believe."

Lamont said the state will do everything it can to ensure that members of the mosque can return to worship "right here in this place."
NEW YORK (AP) - The Latest on a hearing about the fate of the Woodstock 50 festival (all times local):

4:50 p.m.

There's no resolution yet in a court fight over the future of the Woodstock 50 festival.

A hearing is set to continue Tuesday in the clash between organizers and a former financial partner.

A New York City judge began hearing arguments and testimony Monday.

The two sides traded accusations of broken promises as they argued over money, control and whether the festival can go forward. It's set for Aug. 16-18 in Watkins Glen, New York.

Investor Amplifi Live LLC has said it's canceling the concert amid health and safety concerns.

Organizers Woodstock 50 LLC say it's still on.

They're suing Amplifi Live, saying it's trying to tank the event and should be stopped.

Amplifi Live says the organizers were incompetent, so it took control of the festival and nixed it.

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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. It's set for Aug. 16-18 in Watkins Glen, New York.

Investor Amplifi Live LLC announced the festival's cancellation April 29, amid health and safety concerns.

Organizer Woodstock 50 LLC says it's still on.

The LLC is suing Amplifi Live, saying it's trying to tank the event and should be stopped.

Amplifi Live says the organizers were incompetent, so it took control of the festival and can't be forced to put it on.

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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 canceling the event amid health and safety concerns.

Organizers Woodstock 50 LLC say it's still a go.

They sued last week and said Amplifi Live sabotaged the festival, can't 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.
SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic (AP) - Drug and money-laundering investigators joined by U.S. federal agents raided a villa linked to one of Venezuela's 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 wasn't present and is believed to be in Venezuela.

This Sunday, May 12, 2019 photo released by Dominican Republic police shows watches seized from the property of fugitive Venezuelan billionaire businessman Samark Lopez Bello in Veron, Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. Bello was recently indicted by federal prosecutors in New York for allegedly violating sanctions on Venezuela. (Dominican Republic Police via AP)
HONOLULU (AP) - The Latest on jury selection in Hawaii corruption case (all times local):

9:45 a.m.

Hundreds of prospective jurors are filling out questionnaires in the first step for selecting jurors to serve on a closely watched corruption case involving the highest levels of Honolulu law enforcement.

Because of the intense publicity surrounding the case, 400 prospective jurors were called for the initial phase of jury selection on Monday.

There wasn't enough space for them all at courtroom so they showed up at a venue called the Neal Blaisdell Center where concerts, expos and other large events are usually held.

Honolulu's former police chief Louis Kealoha and his wife Katherine Kealoha, a former city prosecutor, are accused of abusing police resources to frame a relative.

In this Thursday, May 7, 2019 photo The Neal Blaisdell Center is seen in Honolulu as officials get ready to use the large event venue for jury selection in a corruption case involving the highest levels of the city's law enforcement. The U.S. judge presiding of the case against former police chief Louis Kealoha and his wife Katherine Kealoha, a former deputy city prosecutor, is concerned the courthouse wouldn't accommodate some 400 jurors needed for the high-profile case, so he reserved a room at the center. (AP Photo/Jennifer Sinco Kelleher)

Prosecutors say they framed Katherine Kealoha's uncle for stealing their mailbox to cover up financial fraud that supported their lavish lifestyle.

___

8 a.m.

Jury selection is expected to begin in a closely watched corruption scandal involving the highest levels of Honolulu law enforcement.

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 wouldn't be able to accommodate that many people, so he reserved a room at the Neal Blaisdell Center a few miles away.

It's normally a venue for concerts, expos and other large events.

Honolulu's former police chief Louis Kealoha and his wife Katherine Kealoha, a former city prosecutor, are accused of abusing police resources to frame a relative.

Prosecutors say they framed Katherine Kealoha's uncle for stealing their mailbox to cover up financial fraud that supported their lavish lifestyle.

FILE - In this Oct. 20, 2017 file photo former Honolulu Police Chief Louis Kealoha, right, and his wife, Katherine Keahola leave federal court in Honolulu. Kealoha and his wife, a city prosecutor, have pleaded not guilty to federal corruption charges. Jury selection is expected to begin in a closely watched corruption scandal involving the highest levels of Honolulu law enforcement. Because of the intense publicity surrounding the case, 400 prospective jurors are needed for the initial phase of jury selection Monday May 13, 2019. (AP Photo/Caleb Jones)
PORTSMOUTH, R.I. (AP) - Rhode Island's last one-room schoolhouse could close if funding is withdrawn.

The nonprofit Prudence Island School Foundation and Portsmouth School District have an agreement in which the district funds the education program and the foundation runs the program and maintains the building.

The foundation in a statement Saturday said the district wants to halt funding by the end of the academic year.

If the school closes, students would be educated off Prudence Island.

Parents say that new commute would take elementary school kids away from home for 10 hours a day.

District leaders have referred to the schoolhouse education as a kind of home-schooling and said in December they had to pay $15,000 toward a roof replacement.

The foundation was to make its case at Monday's Portsmouth Town Council meeting.
COMMERCE TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) - A Holocaust survivor welcomed a U.S. Army veteran to her suburban Detroit home on Monday and thanked him for taking part in the 1945 liberation of the German concentration camp where she was being held.

Sophie Tajch Klisman greeted Doug Harvey with a hug and thanked the 95-year-old for taking part in the liberation of the Salzwedel camp, telling him: "You gave me my life."

Harvey said he "can't take credit for the entire 15,000 guys in" his 84th Infantry Division, to which Klisman replied: "But you were one of them ... and I'm very fortunate to meet you."

The two then went inside Klisman's house in Commerce Township, sat on the living room couch and chatted with reporters about their experiences during World War II.

"They rolled in with tanks and came and opened the gates. And they were telling us: 'The war is over. You are free. You survived,'" Klisman said. "So, that kind of feeling. We were barely alive. I mean, we were all like skeletons. A lot of the soldiers that looked at us, they cried."

Harvey, of nearby Sterling Heights, learned about Klisman while reading a recent story in The Detroit News about her plan to return to Poland and Israel as part of the "From Holocaust to Independence" mission of the Friends of the Israel Defense Forces (FIDF).

Doug Harvey, 95, and holocaust survivor Sophie Tajch Klisman, 89, right, greet each other in Commerce Township, Mich., Monday, May 13, 2019. Harvey, was a US Army soldier in the 84th Infantry Division, which helped liberate the Salzwedel concentration camp in Nazi Germany and free its captives including Klisman. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

The two were able to connect and they met in person on Monday. Klisman, 89, returned from the trip over the weekend.

In addition to Salzwedel, Klisman, along with her sister Felicia, survived the Auschwitz and Bergen-Belsen concentration camps.

The sisters immigrated to the U.S. in 1949, settling in the Detroit area. The rest of their family were killed during the war.

Klisman, surrounded by photos of her children and grandchildren, told Harvey that he and his fellow soldiers "gave a lot of prisoners, the survivors, life" and pointed out that "if it wouldn't be for guys like" him, she wouldn't have her "beautiful family."

"We defeated Hitler. And the Jewish people will survive and thrive. Hard to describe, hard to describe," said Klisman, who on several occasions during the meeting removed her glasses to dry her eyes.

Doug Harvey, 95, and holocaust survivor Sophie Tajch Klisman, 89, right, greet each other in Commerce Township, Mich., Monday, May 13, 2019. Harvey, was a US Army soldier in the 84th Infantry Division, which helped liberate the Salzwedel concentration camp in Nazi Germany and free its captives including Klisman. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya

Doug Harvey, 95, and holocaust survivor Sophie Tajch Klisman, 89, right, hug in Commerce Township, Mich., Monday, May 13, 2019. Harvey, who was a US Army soldier in the 84th Infantry Division during WWII, which helped liberate the Salzwedel concentration camp in Germany and free its captives including Klisman. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

Doug Harvey, 95, and holocaust survivor Sophie Tajch Klisman, 89, right, greet each other in Commerce Township, Mich., Monday, May 13, 2019. Harvey, was a US Army soldier in the 84th Infantry Division, which helped liberate the Salzwedel concentration camp in Nazi Germany and free its captives including Klisman. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
BILOXI, Miss. (AP) - The Latest on the funeral of a police officer killed in Mississippi (all times local):

3:35 p.m.

One of Mississippi's 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.

McKeithen's 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.

Pamela McKeithen, widow of officer Robert S. McKeithen, second from left, hugs a mourner as a member of a law enforcement agency honor guard, stands watch, as people pay their respects to McKeithen and his family in the First Baptist Church of Biloxi, Monday morning, May 13, 2019, prior to the funeral service. McKeithen was killed outside headquarters May 5. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)

Investigators have charged 19-year-old Darian Atkinson with capital murder in McKeithen's death. Atkinson's brother and three others are charged as accessories after the fact.

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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. McKeithen's body lies in an open casket, dressed in his uniform.

Investigators have charged 19-year-old Darian Atkinson with capital murder in McKeithen's death. Atkinson's brother and three others have been charged as accessories after the fact.

Members of the Biloxi Police Department Honor Guard salute the body of officer Robert McKeithen after escorting him into the First Baptist Church of Biloxi, Miss., Monday, May 13, 2019, prior to visitation. McKeithen was killed outside Biloxi's police station May 5. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
WASHINGTON (AP) - Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Bernie Sanders rallied support for the Green New Deal on Monday night, with the New York congresswoman saying there should be "no middle ground" when it comes to climate change and the Vermont senator calling for a political revolution.

Sanders, who is seeking the Democratic nomination for president, called for an end to all tax breaks and subsidies for the oil and gas industry as the first step of the Green New Deal, which seeks to shift the U.S. away from fossil fuels such as oil and coal and replace them with renewable energy sources.

"How do we take on an industry with unlimited power, money and resources? We need a political revolution," Sanders said at the "Road to the Green New Deal Tour" rally at Howard University.

The Green New Deal, introduced by Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Ed Markey of Massachusetts, has been blocked in the Senate, and Democratic House leaders refuse to take it up, but activists and politicians who back the plan are pushing to make it a top issue in the 2020 campaign.

The rally comes as Sanders and others seeking the Democratic presidential nomination criticize another 2020 rival, former Vice President Joe Biden, over his yet-to-be-released climate plan. Published reports suggest Biden is seeking "middle ground" on climate, a phrase that drew loud boos from the mostly young crowd at Monday night's rally, along with the mention of Biden's name.

Ocasio-Cortez, the chief House author of the Green New Deal, drew applause when she criticized "conservatives from both sides of the aisle" who have cautioned her to go slow or who have urged more fracking for oil and natural gas.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., addresses the Road to the Green New Deal Tour final event at Howard University in Washington, Monday, May 13, 2019. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen)

"We cannot accept anything less than a path to save ourselves, which this is," she said.

Biden has chafed at reports that he's considering a less-ambitious approach to climate change than many of his rivals have endorsed, but he's also expressed skepticism at the Green New Deal.

"We do need to finish this green revolution in a way that is rational, that we can do it, afford it and get it done now," he said Monday in Hampton, New Hampshire. "There's so much we can do."

Biden said he would be making a "major speech" to detail his environmental policy by the end of the month.

The Green New Deal calls for virtual elimination by 2030 of greenhouse gas emissions responsible for global warming and meeting 100 percent of U.S. power demand through renewable and zero-emission energy sources, including nuclear power. The proposal has broad support among Democratic activists and 2020 presidential contenders, putting it at the forefront of the party's sprawling presidential primary.

Republicans say the plan would devastate the economy and lead to a huge tax increase. They call it more evidence of the creep of "socialism" in the Democratic Party, along with "Medicare for All" and a sweeping elections reform package that would allow public financing of congressional campaigns.

Markey, who also spoke at the rally, said Republicans who denounce the plan as socialism ignore more than a century of tax breaks for the oil industry. Referring to wind and solar power and other renewable energy sources, Markey said, "Give us some of that socialism that the oil and industry has been enjoying for so long."

Senators including Markey and Sanders unanimously shunned a chance to take up the Green New Deal in March. Democrats called the vote scheduled by GOP leaders a political stunt, since Republicans widely oppose the plan, and declined to support a procedural motion to consider the nonbinding resolution.

The vote carried its own political risk for Republicans by appearing to mock climate change, an issue that a growing number of Americans care deeply about.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., meanwhile, has rejected calls to schedule a vote on the plan and has given no timetable for when or if it will reach the House floor.

About 1,500 people attended Monday night's rally, which featured remarks by author Naomi Klein; Alexandra Rojas, executive director of Justice Democrats; and activist Rhiana Gunn-Wright.

Organizers promise a nationwide campaign to make the 2020 election a referendum on the Green New Deal, with a "major demonstration" planned at a Democratic presidential debate in Detroit in July.

The Sunrise Movement called on all Democratic presidential candidates to sign a pledge not to accept campaign contributions from fossil fuel companies and make the Green New Deal a "Day One priority" if elected president.

___

Associated Press writer Bill Barrow in Hampton, New Hampshire, contributed to this report.

Rep. Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., addresses The Road to the Green New Deal Tour final event at Howard University in Washington, Monday, May 13, 2019. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen)

Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., walks onstage to address The Road to the Green New Deal Tour final event at Howard University in Washington, Monday, May 13, 2019. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen)

Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., addresses The Road to the Green New Deal Tour final event at Howard University in Washington, Monday, May 13, 2019. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen)

Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., addresses The Road to the Green New Deal Tour final event at Howard University in Washington, Monday, May 13, 2019. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen)

Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., waits backstage to address The Road to the Green New Deal Tour final event at Howard University in Washington, Monday, May 13, 2019. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen)

Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., addresses The Road to the Green New Deal Tour final event at Howard University in Washington, Monday, May 13, 2019. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen)

Sunrise Movement co-founder Varshini Prakash addresses The Road to the Green New Deal Tour final event at Howard University in Washington, Monday, May 13, 2019. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen)

People wait in line to attend The Road to the Green New Deal Tour final event at Howard University in Washington, Monday, May 13, 2019. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen)

A volunteer prepares information packets for The Road to the Green New Deal Tour final event at Howard University in Washington, Monday, May 13, 2019. Presidential candidates Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Rep. Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., will address the rally. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen)
LOS ANGELES (AP) - 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 attempt to discover who was leaking information to the news media, according to lawyers who received the corrupted messages.

The defense attorneys told The Associated Press the intrusion may have violated constitutional protections against illegal searches, guarantees of lawyer-client privilege and freedom of the press, and may constitute prosecutorial misconduct.

"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 for allegedly stabbing to death an injured teenage militant 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 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 from the brig to Naval Medical Center San Diego, where he is currently confined.

FILE - This 2018 file photo provided by Andrea Gallagher shows her husband, Navy SEAL Edward Gallagher, who has been charged with murder in the 2017 death of an Iraqi war prisoner. Lawyers on Gallagher's defense team told The Associated Press that emails they and a reporter received from military prosecutors in the case contained tracking software. (Andrea Gallagher via AP, File)

The Navy has previously acknowledged it's investigating document leaks and said it had limited the number of people who have access to the information. Defense lawyers said the leaks appear to be coming from the government because they've learned about some information from news media before they received documents from prosecutors - and the information has not helped their clients.

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 how far the monitoring went.

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. 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 questionable on an intellectual level."

The prosecutor, Cmdr. Christopher Czaplak, declined to comment Monday.

Navy spokesman Brian O'Rourke said an investigation into leaked documents is ongoing and it was inappropriate to comment.

Navy prosecutors have said Gallagher during his eighth deployment indiscriminately shot at Iraqi civilians and stabbed to death a captured Islamic State 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 May 28 and Parlatore said prosecutors should focus on that and not on sending communications intended at spying on defense lawyers.

The emails were sent 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 the time and location where they opened the email 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.

David Glazier, a professor at Loyola Law School and Navy veteran, said the ploy had opened the door for the defense to seek getting prosecutors booted from the case and having it dismissed for prosecutorial misconduct.

They also risked tainting public opinion of a case that's already politically charged.

"If there ever was a case where the prosecution should be toeing the line to keep their conduct above board, this would be it," Glazier said.

McCue, one of Portier's lawyers, said he notified Air Force cybersecurity experts who recommended 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.

The tactic has effectively sidelined Prine, who said he's in a "really weird position" as the possible target of the investigation and can't report on the case because his objectivity could be questioned. He's also concerned about his sources and wants to know what else the government might be intercepting.

"This is a novel thing. We hadn't considered this before - a Trojan horse they put on the system to do this," Prine said. "What else is in our system? What's on my phone? ... Are they listening now?"

___

Associated Press writer Julie Watson in San Diego contributed to this report.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Tennessee's Republican House speaker pushed back Monday against calls for him to resign, arguing that if a handful of "base" text messages can run someone out of office, then no one is qualified.

Speaker Glen Casada's comments came just hours before Tennessee's Black Caucus of State Legislators issued a rare announcement that its 17 members - made up of both Senate and House lawmakers - were requesting the Republican be removed from his leadership post.

The caucus took the step after deliberating for more than six hours on Monday, at times with Casada, but largely secluded in a private meeting in a legislative conference room with various members either in attendance or calling in.

While meeting with the caucus, Casada apologized for racist texts sent by a former top aide, among other discussions. Particularly, Casada says he was on one group text with a racist message from then press secretary of the House Republican Caucus Cade Cothren, but claims he didn't see it.

"There's a requirement upon elected officials, as they assume higher office, to have more moral compass than has been exhibited by the speaker," said Rep. G.A. Hardaway, chairman of the Black Caucus.

Casada has been the center of several growing scandals for more than a week, including one involving recently revealed texts he exchanged years ago with his former chief of staff containing lewd remarks about women. He has also fielded a question on whether Cothren tampered with evidence involving a young black activist's criminal case.

Embattled Republican House Speaker Glen Casada speaks with reporters at Tennessee's Cordell Hull legislative building Monday, May 13, 2019, in Nashville. (AP Photo/Jonathan Mattise)

At least seven Republican House members have called for Casada's speakership resignation publicly so far, though some lawmakers have hinted the number could be higher.

However, Casada has remained undeterred in the calls for his resignation and has said he welcomes an ongoing push to hold a House GOP caucus meeting, which could involve a vote of confidence on whether he should remain the House's top leader.

"I think that it's important that I stay because if two texts run someone out of office, then there is no one qualified," Casada told reporters of two recently revealed text threads. "We've got members all across the community that have done things that are not excusable and they're still in leadership roles. I did those two texts. I've sought and received forgiveness for it, and so now it's time to put the House back together."

After the text messages were released, Casada assured GOP caucus members during an emergency conference call last week that no more scandalous texts were left to be discovered. He told those Republicans: "Let me be very clear, there's nothing else to come out."

However, Monday evening, WTVF-TV reported newly leaked messages from 2016 showing Casada and former chief of staff Cade Cothren - then the Tennessee House Republican caucus press secretary - joking about the ages of two women and asking if they were 21 years old.

According to the text texts, Cothren responded that "it only takes 18," Casada answered "Lol!!! And true!"

Cothren resigned last week after the initial rounds of text messages were unveiled and he acknowledged using cocaine in his legislative office several years ago.

Asked if there is a racism issue in the Tennessee House, Casada replied that the texts that came out from his former chief of staff speak volumes.

"I think you can't refute what he put out," Casada said. "It pained me. It hurt me. I mean, it was like a punch to the gut when I saw that come out. We have to face that some people think the way they do. This is 2019. We've got to change that. That's nonsense."

Separately on Monday, the chairman of the House Ethics Committee met individually with members and attorneys to discuss formulating an advisory opinion requested by Casada to look into Cothren's resignation.

According to Rep. Matthew Hill, a Republican appointed to oversee the panel by Casada, the entire ethics committee was scheduled to meet Monday. But he says they postponed the gathering after realizing that such meetings require a certain amount of public notice as to when the meeting should take place.

However, under House rules, ethics committees are closed to the public when discussing advisory opinions. That means, while the public is allowed to know when the ethics committee will meet, the public is not allowed to sit in.
HOUSTON (AP) - 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 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.

Tom Burton, Vence's attorney, said he couldn't comment because he hadn't 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?"

Brittany Bowens, facing camera, the mother of the missing 4-year-old, Meleah Davis is hugged by Taneshia Brown, after protesters demanding "Justice for Meleah", followed Bowens down the street and confronted her in a parking garage, after the court postponed a court appearance for Derion Vence, who is charged with tampering with evidence in the case of Meleah Davis' disappearance, Monday, May 13, 2019, in Houston. Brown, one of the protesters handed Bowens a poster, and said later, "It's like someone failed you (Bowens) and you failed your baby. It's hurtful." (Karen Warren/Houston Chronicle via AP)

As Quanell X spoke to reporters, he was drowned out by a group of people, including some of Maleah's father's 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 Vence's care while Bowens attended her father's funeral out of state, Quanell X declined to comment, saying, "I'm 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 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.

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.

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Follow Juan A. Lozano on Twitter: https://twitter.com/juanlozano70

This undated photo released by the Houston Police Department shows Maleah Davis. Houston police are trying to determine what happened to the 4-year-old girl after the ex-fiance of her mother said she was taken by men who released him and his 2-year-old son after abducting them as well. An Amber Alert was issued Sunday morning, May 7, 2019, for Maleah Davis. (Houston Police Department via AP)

Quanell X walks out of the courtroom with Brittany Bowens, the mother of the missing 4-year-old, Meleah Davis after the court postponed a court appearance for Derion Vence, who is charged with tampering with evidence in the case of Meleah Davis' disappearance, Monday, May 13, 2019, in Houston. ( Karen Warren/Houston Chronicle via AP)

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, Monday, May 13, 2019, in Houston. ( Karen Warren/Houston Chronicle via AP)
RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) - 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 Temer's 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, Temer's lawyer says he will appeal to the Supreme Court.
DALLAS (AP) - The CEO of Ethiopian Airlines says his airline might never fly the Boeing 737 Max again after a deadly crash in March, and if it does, it will wait until other carriers use the plane first.

Tewolde Gebremariam told NBC News that Ethiopian won't use the plane unless the airline, its pilots and passengers are convinced that it is safe.

"If we fly them again, we will be the last airline to fly them again," he said.

A Boeing spokesman, Charles Bickers, said the company "is working closely with pilots, airlines and global regulators to update the Max and help prevent this tragic loss of life from happening again."

Nearly 400 Max jets operated by dozens of airlines remain grounded around the world while Boeing works to fix flight-control software implicated in two accidents that killed 346 people, including 157 on Ethiopian Flight 302.

Boeing's changes are designed to reduce the software's ability to pitch the nose of the plane down in some circumstances, and to make it easier for pilots to control.

FILE - In this March 23, 2019 file photo, an Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 Max 8 sits grounded at Bole International Airport in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The CEO of Ethiopian Airlines says his airline might never fly the Boeing 737 Max again after a deadly crash in March, and if it does, it will wait until other carriers use the plane first. (AP Photo/Mulugeta Ayene, File)

Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg said last month that the Chicago-based company had flown more than 130 test flights with an update to the software. Boeing expects the next step, a certification flight with Federal Aviation Administration people on board, "in the near term," he said.

However, that final test has not been scheduled yet, raising questions about how quickly Max jets can be retrieved from storage and put back in service.

In the U.S., Southwest Airlines and American Airlines have steadily pushed the return of the Max farther into the future. Both have removed it from their schedules into August, although executives suggested last month that the plane could be back before then. United Airlines, the only other U.S. carrier to operate the Max, took them out of the schedule until early July.

Boeing has not given Southwest a timeline for the plane's return, said Brandy King, a spokeswoman for the Dallas-based airline.

"It seems that there are too many variables at play," King said. She said it would take 30 to 60 days for Southwest to take the planes out of storage and get them ready to fly.

Also, extra training will be required for pilots, although the nature of that training is not settled. Boeing is pushing for computer-based tutorials that would be much quicker than training sessions in flight simulators.

American Airlines is working with Boeing, the FAA and its pilots, "and if necessary, will make additional adjustments to our schedule," said airline spokesman Ross Feinstein.

The FAA won't say how long its review of Boeing's changes will take. Spokesman Gregory Martin said FAA "will take whatever time is necessary to have the safety analysis we need to make an informed decision."

Industry experts believe that regulators in other countries will take longer than the FAA to let the Max fly again. Other regulators have indicated they want to conduct their own reviews, and they could impose additional conditions.

Canada's transport minister, for example, has said he wants pilot training to include time in flight simulators, which would delay the plane's return in that country.

The Justice Department is investigating Boeing. The FAA's 2017 decision to certify the Max has also come under scrutiny by the Transportation Department's inspector general and Congress. A House subcommittee plans to question acting FAA chief Daniel Elwell at a hearing Wednesday.

The FAA, as part of a plan to win international support for its handling of the situation, will meet with aviation-safety experts from other countries next week in Fort Worth, Texas.

Boeing has a backlog of about 4,600 orders for the Max and has avoided major cancellations despite the deaths of 189 people in an Oct. 29 crash of a Lion Air Max off the coast of Indonesia and the March 10 Ethiopian crash near Addis Ababa, which killed all 157 aboard.

Gebremariam, the Ethiopian Airlines CEO, said he couldn't say whether the airline will ever use the Max again.

"It takes a lot of effort to convince everybody that the airplane is safe," he said.
NEW YORK (AP) - A 55-year-old stepmother has been convicted in the 2016 death of her child who was found strangled in the bathtub of her New York City home.

Prosecutors said Monday that Shamdai Arjun faces up to 25 years to life in prison after a jury on Friday found her guilty of murdering 9-year-old Ashdeep Kaur in 2016.

During the trial, prosecutors say an eyewitness observed Arjun and her ex-husband leaving the Queens home with two grandchildren. The eyewitness asked about the stepdaughter and was told she was in the bathroom.

Prosecutors say the eyewitness called the victim's father who told her to break down the bathroom door. She did and found the girl strangled in the bathtub.

The ex-husband was arrested for obstructing governmental administration. The status of his case wasn't immediately clear.
SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador (AP) - A former El Salvador first lady has pulled out of a deal with prosecutors to plead guilty to corruption charges after they demanded she return $17.3 million in allegedly ill-gotten gains.

Ana Ligia de Saca's deal would have given her an abbreviated legal process and community service instead of three years in prison, in exchange for confessing her role in laundering $25 million in public money.

Prosecutor German Arriaza said Monday that Ligia's lawyers argued the agreement didn't include returning the money.

Defense attorney Miguel Flores confirms the deal was scrapped and says he is confident Ligia can prove her innocence.

Her husband, Tony Saca, was El Salvador's president in 2004-2009. He is serving a 10-year sentence for diverting $300 million in public funds to his companies and others.
WASHINGTON (AP) - The Trump administration wants to shift money for Pell Grants for college education to fund new spending, including a $1.6 billion bump for NASA to return American astronauts to the moon by 2024.

Under a budget amendment sent to Congress Monday evening, the administration would use an additional $1.9 billion in surplus Pell Grant money to fund other budget priorities, including an infusion of new cash for NASA "so that we can return to Space in a BIG WAY!" President Donald Trump tweeted.

A series of proposed changes reverses some of the most controversial cuts Trump's administration had proposed, including slashing funding for the Special Olympics. The White House can send such requests, called "rescissions," to Congress to clawback unspent money the administration views as wasteful or unnecessary. Congress, however, must approve.

Officials insisted the re-allocation of the Pell Grant money would have no impact on those currently receiving grants, which help low-income students pay for college.

"This does not cut any spending for Pell Grant programs as the budget continues to ensure all students will get their full Pell Grant and keeps the program on sound fiscal footing," Office of Management and Budget spokesman Wesley Denton said in a statement.

Enrollment in the program has declined since 2011, leading to a surplus of nearly $9 billion, according to the budget office. The administration had originally proposed using $2 billion of that surplus to fund other spending. The new request brings that total to $3.9 billion, which OMB described as similar to its request in the 2018 budget. The administration proposed a similar cancellation of unobligated Pell grant money for 2019, but later backed off the idea.

President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban in the Oval Office of the White House, Monday, May 13, 2019, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

The decision to bolster NASA's budget had been announced earlier Monday in a series of tweets in which Trump promised a new era of space exploration.

"Under my Administration, we are restoring @NASA to greatness and we are going back to the Moon, then Mars," he wrote.

Vice President Mike Pence has called for landing astronauts on the moon within five years, and has said NASA needs to achieve that goal "by any means necessary." This summer marks the 50th anniversary of the first manned moon landing.

The request for the NASA funding comes as the White House has been signaling its reluctance to endorse a deal to increase spending "caps" for domestic programs backed by both parties on Capitol Hill. In negotiations on a long-sought hurricane and flood disaster aid bill have gone frustratingly slowly, in large part because Trump has been opposed to giving Puerto Rico more rebuilding funds to help the island recover from back-to-back 2017 hurricanes.

Trump had previously announced plans included in Monday's request to reverse several of his administration's own proposed budget cuts, including efforts to gut federal funding for a wide-ranging Great Lakes cleanup program.

Trump told a rally crowd in Grand Rapids, Michigan, in March that he was reversing course on the proposed cuts and would support allocating $300 million this year for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative after three Republican lawmakers from the state lobbied him during a ride from the Grand Rapids airport.

Trump's initial budget proposal had sought to cut the program's federal financing by 90%.

Trump also announced that day that he would be reversing his budget's call to slash $17.6 million in funding for the Special Olympics in the face of withering criticism from Capitol Hill.

Trump tweeted Monday that he had "officially updated my budget to include $18 million for our GREAT @SpecialOlympics, whose athletes inspire us and make our Nation so PROUD!"

And Trump said he would push for $200 million for Army Corps of Engineers restoration work in the Florida Everglades this year, calling on Congress "to help us complete the world's largest intergovernmental watershed restoration project ASAP!"

In a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi formally requesting the changes, Trump said they were "necessary" to correctly reflect his administration's priorities and would not require any new discretionary spending beyond his earlier request.

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Associated Press writers Andrew Taylor, Collin Binkley and Seth Borenstein contributed to this report.
WASHINGTON (AP) - Leaders of churches and a synagogue that were victimized by violent hate crimes met Monday evening to talk about how they helped their congregants heal.

The leaders met at the Washington National Cathedral along with District of Columbia religious leaders and law enforcement.

Officials said it's the first time they have all gathered.

Leaders from Emmanuel AME in Charleston, S.C., the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh and the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, attended the meeting, district officials said.

Nearly four dozen people were shot and killed in separate attacks at their institutions.

Metropolitan Police Chief Peter Newsham said bias crimes are up in the district and D.C. police are enhancing security efforts.

Christopher Rodriguez of the district's homeland security and emergency management agency said it is working to stop the prevalence of violent hate crimes, and hoped to learn from the leaders how to develop tools other religious groups can use.
UNITED NATIONS (AP) - Cameroon is facing worsening violence and conflict and the number of people needing humanitarian assistance has increased 30 percent from last year to 4.3 million people, the U.N. humanitarian chief said Monday.

Mark Lowcock told an informal Security Council meeting on the humanitarian situation in the central African nation that this means one in six Cameroonians need aid - more than half of them children.

The United States organized the informal meeting over objections from the council's three African members - and strong opposition from the Cameroonian government.

Cameroon is divided along lines created during colonialism by European powers and was first ruled by Germans and then divided among the French and British. As a result, there are English- and French-speaking regions, with English speakers estimated at about 20 percent of the population.

English-speaking separatists in the Northwest and Southwest regions allege years of marginalization by the government of the largely French-speaking country. President Paul Biya, in power since 1982, has branded the separatists as terrorists. Hundreds have been killed as fighters from a number of armed groups battle government forces and attempt to economically paralyze the regions.

Lowcock, the undersecretary-general for humanitarian affairs, said eight of Cameroon's 10 regions are affected by one of three concurrent humanitarian crises.

He said the situation in the Northwest and Southwest regions "has rapidly deteriorated" as a result of fighting, and "the level of the crisis today is more alarming than ever," and continues to deteriorate.

"In 2018, 160,000 people were estimated to need humanitarian assistance in the Northwest and Southwest regions," he said. "Today, there are more than 1.3 million people, or at least eight times as many, in need - and that amounts to a third of the local population."

He said a half million people are internally displaced and thousands of homes and entire villages have been destroyed across the two regions.

In the East and North regions, meanwhile, Cameroon is hosting more than 270,000 refugees from the conflict in Central African Republic, putting "a significant burden" on already very poor host communities, Lowcock said. And, he said, in the Far North region, which is affected by the Lake Chad basin crisis, about 1.9 million people, including at least 100,000 refugees from Nigeria, "need urgent assistance."

Lowcock said the biggest challenge is lack of funding, noting that last year the U.N. appeal for Cameroon was among the least-funded globally. This year, he said, the U.N. and non-governmental groups are seeking $299 million to reach 2.3 million people, one-third of them in the Northwest and Southwest regions. So far, only $38 million has been received.

Cameroon's U.N. ambassador, Michel Tommo Monthe, defended the government and denied it is provoking violence. He said it is engaging in dialogue with opposition figures, but he stressed that it must deal with separatism, "terrorism and insurrection - and we will face that."

"We want to be helped," he said, but "we don't want people working for Cameroon. We want people who work with Cameroon. That's very different. We're not half dead. We're standing tall and we want people who will work with us to put an end to this."
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) - Three people were killed after two sightseeing airplanes carrying cruise ship tourists collided in midair Monday near a southeast Alaska town, the Coast Guard said.

Three others are missing after the collision about 10 miles (16 kilometers) from Ketchikan, Coast Guard Lt. Brian Dykens said.

The Coast Guard had a cutter onsite and planned to work overnight to find the missing.

The National Transportation Board was sending an elite investigative team from Washington, D.C., to investigate the crash, another deadly mishap for cruise ship passengers taking side excursions off cruise ships in Ketchikan.

The floatplanes with passengers from Princess Cruises' Royal Princess ship collided under unknown circumstances, Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Allen Kenitzer said in an email to The Associated Press. Floatplanes have pontoons mounted under the fuselage so they can land on water.

Eleven people were inside Taquan Air's single-engine de Havilland Otter DHC-3 when it went down as it returned from Misty Fjords National Monument, which is part of the Tongass National Forest, the nation's largest. Ten were taken to a Ketchikan hospital.

Emergency response crews transport an injured passenger to an ambulance at the George Inlet Lodge docks, Monday, May 13, 2019, in Ketchikan, Alaska. The passenger was from one of two float planes reported down in George Inlet early Monday afternoon and was dropped off by a U.S. Coast Guard 45-foot response boat. (Dustin Safranek/Ketchikan Daily News via AP)

All patients were in fair or good condition, according to Marty West, a spokeswoman for PeaceHealth Ketchikan Medical Center.

The three people who died were among five people aboard the second plane, a single-engine de Havilland DHC-2 Beaver, according to Dykens.

Local emergency responders worked with state and federal agencies and good Samaritan vessels to help rescue and recover victims.

"It's been a long day and the crews have been working really hard to rescue people and recover the deceased. They're still working on a search and recovery of three more individuals," Deanna Thomas, a spokeswoman for the Ketchikan Gateway Borough, the local government, said Monday evening.

All 14 passengers were on sightseeing flights. The plane with 11 on board was operated by Taquan Air. A spokeswoman for the flightseeing company said Taquan has suspended operations while federal authorities investigate the deadly crash. The other four, Princess Cruises said in a statement, were on an independent tour.

"We are devastated by today's incident and our hearts go out to our passengers and their families," Taquan said in a statement. "At this time, we are in the midst of an active crisis response, and our focus is on assisting these passengers, the pilot, our staff, their families and loved ones, and first responders."

Cindy Cicchetti, a passenger on the Royal Princess cruise ship, told the AP that the ship captain announced that two planes were in an accident Monday. She said the ship is not leaving as scheduled and there weren't any details as to how the accident will affect the rest of the trip.

The ship left Vancouver, British Columbia, on May 11 and is scheduled to arrive in Anchorage on Saturday.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with those who lost their lives and the families of those impacted by today's accident. Princess Cruises is extending its full support to traveling companions of the guests involved," Princess Cruises said in its statement.

Weather conditions in the area on Monday included high overcast skies with 9 mph (14 kph) southeast winds.

A pilot and eight cruise ship passengers died June 25, 2015, when a de Havilland DHC-3 Otter operated by Promech Air Inc. crashed into mountainous terrain about 24 miles (38 kilometers) from Ketchikan, also as it was returning from Misty Fjords.

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Associated Press journalist Michelle A. Monroe in Phoenix contributed to this report.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - The Latest on $2 billion verdict against Monsanto (all times local):

7 p.m.

A Northern California couple both stricken with cancer they say was caused by Monsanto Co.'s weed killer say they still resent the company even after a jury awarded them over $2 billion.

Alberta Pilliod said Monday that she and her 74-year-old husband have each been battling cancer for the last nine years. The 76-year-old says she and her husband Alva Pilliod are unable to enjoy the same activities they participated in before their cancer diagnosis.

The Pilliods addressed the media at a San Francisco press conference a few hours after the jury delivered its verdict.

One of the Pilliods lawyers, Michael Miller, conceded that the $2 billion punitive damage award was likely to be reduced on appeal. But he argued that whatever Monsanto was likely to appeal any damage award and the Pilliods' lawyers are prepared for a long legal battle.

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4 p.m.

A law professor says it's likely a trial judge or appellate court will significantly reduce a Northern California jury's $2 billion punitive award against Monsanto Co.

University of California, Hastings School of Law professor David Levine said the ratio between the $2 billion in punitive damages and $55 million in compensatory damages is too high. He said judges rarely allow punitive damages to exceed four times actual damages awarded and often reduce awards with even lower ratio.

Alva and Alberta Pilliod claimed they used Roundup for more than 30 years to landscape their home and other properties. They were both diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

The California Supreme Court ruled in 2016 that any punitive damages exceeding 10 times the compensatory damages are likely unconstitutionally high. The state high court didn't propose a ratio it felt correct, but said punitive damages should almost never exceed nine times actual damages.

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3:10 p.m.

A jury ordered agribusiness giant Monsanto Co. to pay a combined $2.05 billion to a couple who claimed the company's popular weed killer Roundup Ready caused their cancers.

The Oakland jury on Monday delivered Monsanto's third such loss in California since August.

Alva and Alberta Pilliod claimed they used Roundup for more than 30 years to landscape their home and other properties. They were both diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

A federal jury in San Francisco previously ordered the weed killer maker to pay a man $80 million and a San Francisco jury in August awarded $289 million to a former greenskeeper, though a judge later reduced it.

The trials were the first of thousands of lawsuits against Monsanto involving 13,000 plaintiffs.

German chemical giant Bayer owns Monsanto and said it will appeal.

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This item has been corrected to say that there are more than 13,000 plaintiffs in lawsuits against Monsanto.
TALKEETNA, Alaska (AP) - An injured snowboarder and a climbing partner were rescued off North America's tallest mountain four days after the climber was injured in a snowboarding accident.

Denali National Park's helicopter pilot and rangers conducted the airlift of the two climbers Sunday off the mountain about 180 miles north of Anchorage.

The climber was injured in a snowboard fall while descending Windy Corner. They used a satellite phone to alert authorities and then waited out a storm and high winds at the 13,500 feet.

The ranger patrol and a nurse were able to climb to the pair Saturday to conduct a medical assessment and fortify them with more supplies until they could be rescued.

Weather cleared on Sunday, and the park's high-altitude helicopter was used in the rescue of the two.
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - China's announcement Monday of higher tariffs on $60 billion of American exports - retaliation for President Donald Trump's latest penalties on Chinese goods - hit particularly hard in the farm belt. China's vast consumer market has been a vital source of revenue for American farmers.

Since December, when U.S. and China negotiators called a truce to tariffs and began signaling that an agreement might be reached, soybean farmers had been holding out hope that sales to China would resume, said Todd Hultman, an Omaha-based grain market analyst with agriculture market data provider DTN. In the meantime, the farmers had been storing a record stockpile of nearly 1 billion bushels.

The latest news of a new round of tariffs, with no agreement in sight, spooked the financial markets and some farmers who had been tentatively optimistic.

"This is hitting the market at a very emotionally distressful time," Hultman said. "The rug of hope was pulled out from under us and especially with the announcement this morning that China is going to retaliate with higher tariffs of their own."

In a statement Monday, the American Soybean Association reacted with frustration edged with anxiety.

"The sentiment out in farm country is getting grimmer by the day," said John Heisdorffer, a soybean farmer in Keota, Iowa, who is chairman of the ASA. "Our patience is waning, our finances are suffering and the stress from months of living with the consequences of these tariffs is mounting."

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)

A slowdown in soybean sales, and the huge stockpiles that result, has a ripple effect. Farmers in many parts of the corn belt have suffered from a wet and cooler spring, which has prevented them from planting corn. Typically when it becomes too late to plant corn, farmers will instead plant soybeans, which can grow later into the fall before harvest is required. Yet now, planting soybeans with the overabundance already in bins and scant hope for sales to one of the biggest buyers in China, could raise the risk of a financial disaster.

"This is the fifth year of low prices, basically, for crops," Hultman said. "I think time is just wearing us out."

To Brent Gloy of Grant, Nebraska, many farmers like him appear to be facing only bleak alternatives for planting.

"There's just not a lot people can do," Gloy said. "You're looking at late corn planting through part of the corn belt. They would normally go to soybeans. Man it's just a mess."

On Monday, Trump told reporters that a new program to relieve U.S. farmers' pain is being devised and predicted that they will be "very happy." The administration last year handed farmers aid worth $11 billion to offset losses from trade conflicts.

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 equaled $19.5 billion in 2017 - before his trade war began taking a toll on agricultural sales to China.

Gloy, an agriculture economist and a partner in the online research website Agriculture Economic Insights, said he fears there may be no end in sight to the Trump administration's trade dispute with China. And he noted that most crops that farmers could plant aren't profitable right now.

He also said that some fellow farmers he speaks with are beginning to sound notes of discontent with the Trump administration.

"Farmers I talk to, I've been surprised they're supportive as they are, but I think it's starting to wane," he said. "I've personally been very frustrated with it. I think it's just a lack of a coherent plan."

He said worries that the entire agriculture sector could face severe trouble if the dispute lasts indefinitely.

"It's going to get louder and louder because there's going to be severe financial distress in agriculture," he said. "We've been getting teaser deals for six months, and everybody kind of thought it's going to happen and now I just think the reality of the situation is that's not in the cards."
WASHINGTON (AP) - Fresh out of his job as deputy attorney general, Rod Rosenstein said Monday that the Justice Department's investigation into Russian election interference was "justified," that he would have never allowed anyone to interfere with it and that closing it had not been an option.

He also took aim at former FBI Director James Comey, characterizing him as a "partisan pundit" busy selling books and earning speaking fees. The barbs continued an extraordinary public spat between the two law enforcement officials, coming days after Comey said in a television interview that he didn't view Rosenstein as a person of high character.

The speech before a Baltimore advocacy group for business and civic leaders marked Rosenstein's most expansive remarks on the recently concluded probe into Russian election interference and potential coordination between the Trump campaign and Russia. In it, Rosenstein repeatedly distanced himself from President Donald Trump - who has decried the investigation as a hoax and witch hunt - and sought to burnish a legacy for himself as a protector of the Justice Department's independence who tried to do what he thought was right regardless of public criticism.

"I was responsible for overseeing that investigation," Rosenstein said, according to his prepared remarks. "I knew from preliminary briefings with the agents and prosecutors that it was an important investigation. If it was not done correctly, there would always be lingering doubts about the scope of Russian efforts and the extent of American involvement.

"I would never have allowed anyone to interfere with the investigation," he added.

Rosenstein's resignation took effect last week, but the speech Monday night made clear he is likely to remain a public figure in the months ahead and underscored a desire to explain and even justify a decision-making process that has come under heavy scrutiny by Democrats and Republicans alike.

Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein speaks during a farewell ceremony in the Great Hall at the Department of Justice in Washington, Thursday, May 9, 2019. Rosenstein is set to step down as Deputy Attorney General May 15th. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

He used his speech, his second of the day, to defend some of the most contentious actions of his tenure, including his role in Comey's firing - he wrote a memo the White House held up as justification for it - and his subsequent appointment of special counsel Robert Mueller to lead the Russia investigation.

He said Mueller's appointment was necessary to preserve public confidence in the Justice Department and to resolve the investigation in a way that would protect America from foreign adversaries. He said he knew not everyone was happy with the move - a likely reference to Trump and congressional Republicans - and it would be unpleasant for him and his family.

"But at my confirmation hearing, I promised that I would conduct the investigation properly and see it through to the appropriate conclusion," Rosenstein said. "In my business, you keep promises. And in my business, the appropriate conclusion is the one that results when you follow the normal process and complete an independent investigation."

Perhaps his most pointed comments were reserved for Comey, whom he had criticized in a May 2017 memo for his handling of the Hillary Clinton email investigation, including his decision to publicly announce that the FBI was not recommending charges.

He said in his speech that though he did not blame Comey for being upset with him, "now the former Director is a partisan pundit, selling books and earning speaking fees while speculating about the strength of my character and the fate of my immortal soul.

"That is disappointing," Rosenstein added. "Speculating about souls is not a job for police and prosecutors. Generally we base our opinions on eyewitness testimony."

He also said the memo was "correct" and "reasonable under the circumstances," even if Trump's reasons for firing Comey were different from his own.

Two days after firing Comey, Trump acknowledged in a television interview that he was thinking of "this Russia thing" when he made the move. Rosenstein said no one had told him what reasons for firing Comey should be put in the memo - though Mueller's report says Rosenstein had been asked to reference Russia, a request it says he rejected - and said he was never told that dismissing Comey was meant to shut down the investigation. He said he did not believe that firing Comey would affect the investigation.

In a clear break from Trump, though, he said that if he had been in charge of Comey's firing, "the removal would have been handled very differently, with far more respect and far less drama."
MANAGUA, Nicaragua (AP) - A fugitive former El Salvador president who received asylum from Nicaragua in 2016 said Monday that he has been working there as a paid adviser to the government of President Daniel Ortega.

Mauricio Funes engaged in a Twitter exchange with Nicaraguan journalist Carlos Fernando Chamorro, who had reported that the ex-leader and his son, Diego Funes Canas, are both receiving government payments.

The elder Funes wrote that he didn't see the big deal. He said he has the expertise to advise on matters of Central American integration. He said it also shows he is earning an honest living.

El Salvador President-elect Nayib Bukele criticized the arrangement.

Salvadoran prosecutors allege that during Funes' 2009-2014 administration, some $351 million in government funds were diverted to accounts tied to him and family members.
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) - The Latest on floatplanes down in Alaska (all times local):

6:40 p.m.

National accident investigators will be heading to Alaska to investigate a fatal midair collision between two sightseeing airplanes near a southeast Alaska town.

National Transportation Safety Board spokesman Peter Knudson says the investigative team from Washington, D.C., is expected to arrive in Ketchikan Tuesday afternoon.

The Coast Guard says it plans to search through the night for three people missing after the floatplanes collided Monday.

Three others were killed. Ten others have been hospitalized in Ketchikan in serious or fair conditions.

Chief Petty Officer Matthew Schofield says a Coast Guard cutter is remaining at the site of the crash near Ketchikan.

Those on board the planes were passengers of the cruise ship Royal Princess, and were taking sightseeing flights.

Princess Cruises says in a statement it is "deeply saddened" by the news and providing help to the families affected by the crash.

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5 p.m.

The Coast Guard says three people have died after two sightseeing airplanes collided in midair Monday in southeast Alaska.

Coast Guard spokesman Jon-Paul Rios says three others remain missing. Ten others have been hospitalized in Ketchikan, one in critical condition.

The passengers were off the cruise ship Royal Princess were on sightseeing flights, one of which was operated by Taquan Air.

A spokeswoman for the Ketchikan flightseeing company says Taquan has suspended operations while federal authorities investigate the deadly crash.

The Federal Aviation Administration says it isn't immediately known what caused the crash.

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4:40 p.m.

A passenger on the Royal Princess cruise ship says 14 people on the two floatplanes that crashed in mid-air Monday in Alaska were cruise passengers.

Cindy Cicchetti tells The Associated Press that the ship captain announced that two planes were in an accident Monday and said the conditions of the passengers wasn't immediately known.

Cicchetti says the ship is not leaving as scheduled and there weren't any details as to how the accident will affect the rest of the trip.

The Federal Aviation Administration says it's not known what caused the planes collide in mid-air near Ketchikan in southeast Alaska.

There were 11 people on one plane, and Petty Officer Jon-Paul Rios says the 10 injured were from that plane, one critically. He says the 11th person is missing from that plane. The other plane had five people aboard, and he says they are also missing.

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4:20 p.m.

The Federal Aviation Administration says two floatplanes collided in mid-air Monday near the southeast Alaska town of Ketchikan.

Spokesman Allen Kenitzer says in an email to The Associated Press that the planes collided under unknown circumstances.

Eleven passengers were on a de Havilland Otter DHC-3. Ten of those passengers have been taken to a Ketchikan hospital. One patient is in critical condition, and the others are in fair or good condition.

The Coast Guard says the 11th person on board that plane is missing.

Five people were on a de Havilland DHC-2 Beaver. The Coast Guard says these people are unaccounted for.

The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating.

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4:05 p.m.

At least 10 people have been hospitalized after two floatplanes went down in the water near the southeast Alaska town of Ketchikan.

A spokeswoman for PeaceHealth Ketchikan Medical Center says one patient is in critical condition, three are in good condition and the others are in fair condition.

Spokeswoman Mischa Chernick had no other information on other passengers and referred questions to the Alaska State Troopers.

The Coast Guard said it's not known what caused the planes to go down or if they crashed into each other.

There were 11 people on one plane, and Petty Officer Jon-Paul Rios says the 10 injured were from that plane. He says the 11th person is missing from that plane.

The other plane had five people aboard, and he says they are unaccounted for.

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3 p.m.

The Coast Guard says six people are unaccounted for after two floatplanes went down in the water in southeast Alaska.

Petty Officer Jon-Paul Rios says one of the planes carried 11 people and the other plane carried five. Authorities say 10 of the people were accounted for.

The fate of the other six people wasn't immediately known.

The Ketchikan Daily News reported injured passengers were being taken to a nearby lodge, where the local emergency medical services department was staging. Their conditions were not immediately known.

Rios says it's not immediately clear if the planes crashed or had anything to do with each other going down Monday.

Weather conditions included high overcast skies with 9 mph (14 kph) southeast winds.
NEW YORK (AP) - A giant shipping conglomerate owned by the Chinese government has declined to lease space in a building it owns in lower Manhattan to the U.S. chapter of Amnesty International, an organization that's been critical of China's human rights abuses.

Amnesty International U.S.A. told The New York Times that just as it was about to sign a lease last week for office space in Wall Street Plaza, the building's owner, Orient Overseas, said its new parent company, Cosco Shipping Holdings Co., put a stop to it.

The human right group says they were told they were "not the best tenant" for the 33-story tower on Pine Street.

The Times says Cosco did not respond to messages seeking comment.

Amnesty International has urged action against China's mass internment of ethnic minority Muslims.

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Information from: The New York Times, http://www.nytimes.com
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.

Aziz said he was honored to meet the U.N. leader.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, second from right, delivers a statement as he stands with Al Noor mosque Imam Gamal Fouda, right, during a visit to the mosque in Christchurch, New Zealand, Tuesday, May 14, 2019. Guterres is on the final day of his three-day visit to New Zealand as part of a trip to the South Pacific to highlight the problems of climate change. (AP Photo/Mark Baker)

"To come here and share the pain with us, it means a lot," Aziz said.

Guterres also attended a climate alliance event while on his visit to several South Pacific countries primarily to highlight the problems of climate change. His trip comes ahead of the Climate Action Summit that he plans to convene in September in New York.

United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, left, delivers a statement as he stands with Al Noor mosque Imam Gamal Fouda, right, during a visit to the mosque in Christchurch, New Zealand, Tuesday, May 14, 2019. Guterres is on the final day of his three-day visit to New Zealand as part of a trip to the South Pacific to highlight the problems of climate change. (AP Photo/Mark Baker)

United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, left, receives a hongi from Arapata Reuben on his arrival at a climate change and agriculture event hosted by Ngai Tahu iwi and the Global Research Alliance on Agricultural Greenhouse Gases in Christchurch, New Zealand, Tuesday, May 14, 2019. Guterres is on the final day of his three-day visit to New Zealand as part of a trip to the South Pacific to highlight the problems of climate change. (AP Photo/Mark Baker,Pool)

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, left, receives a hongi from Sir Tipene O'Regan upon his arrival at a climate change and agriculture event hosted by Ngai Tahu iwi and the Global Research Alliance on Agricultural Greenhouse Gases in Christchurch, New Zealand, Tuesday, May 14, 2019. Guterres is on the final day of his three-day visit to New Zealand as part of a trip to the South Pacific to highlight the problems of climate change. (AP Photo/Mark Baker, Pool)

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, left, walks with Al Noor mosque Imam Gamal Fouda, second from left, during a visit to the mosque in Christchurch, New Zealand, Tuesday, May 14, 2019. Guterres is on the final day of his three-day visit to New Zealand as part of a trip to the South Pacific to highlight the problems of climate change. (AP Photo/Mark Baker)

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, center, sits with cabinet minister Damien O'Connor, right, during a climate change and agriculture event hosted by Ngai Tahu iwi and the Global Research Alliance on Agricultural Greenhouse Gases in Christchurch, New Zealand, Tuesday, May 14, 2019. Guterres is on the final day of his three-day visit to New Zealand as part of a trip to the South Pacific to highlight the problems of climate change. (AP Photo/Mark Baker,Pool)
WASHINGTON (AP) - President Donald Trump celebrated the month of Ramadan Monday evening as a time when people join forces in "pursuit of hope, tolerance and peace."

Trump held an iftar dinner for ambassadors and members of the diplomatic corps representing Muslim-majority nations.

The dinner breaks the daylong fast that Muslims follow during Ramadan. They have been held regularly at the White House since the Clinton administration as a form of outreach to the Muslim world.

Trump said it's been a rough period recently for people of all faiths. He cited attacks on Muslims in New Zealand, Christians in Sri Lanka and Jews in California and Pittsburgh.

"In their blessed memories, we resolve to defeat the evils of terrorism and religious persecution so that all people can worship without fear, pray without danger and live by the faith that flows from their heart," he said.

House earlier, Trump had harshly criticized one of two Muslim women in Congress, Democratic Rep. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, claiming in a tweet that "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?"

President Donald Trump joins an iftar dinner, which breaks a daylong fast, celebrating Islam's holy month of Ramadan, in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington, Monday, May 13, 2019. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

Republicans have seized on her use of the words "calming feeling" when she thinks of the "tragedy of the Holocaust," the suffering of her Palestinian ancestors and the state of Israel.

The remark instantly ignited an online fight, with Republicans incorrectly describing Tlaib's words as reflecting her feelings about the genocide that cost millions of lives. Democrats defended Tlaib, saying her words have been twisted and turned into a "right-wing smear campaign."

Acting Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan joins an iftar dinner, which breaks a daylong fast, celebrating Islam's holy month of Ramadan, in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington, Monday, May 13, 2019. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) - Two former Cambodian refugees facing deportation for crimes committed as young adults were among seven people granted clemency Monday by California Gov. Gavin Newsom in his first pardons since taking office in January.

Newsom pardoned Kang Hen, of San Jose, who pleaded guilty to being the getaway driver during an attempted armed robbery in 1994. Hen, who was brought to the U.S. when he was 9, surrendered to immigration authorities April 1 after he was notified he was wanted for deportation.

The governor, a Democrat, also issued a pardon for Hay Hov, of Oakland, who was convicted of solicitation to commit murder and participation in a street gang in 2001.

Hov, a naturalized citizen, was taken into custody by immigration officials in March.

Both men immigrated to the U.S. lawfully as children. They petitioned Newsom for pardons, saying they have moved past their troubled youth to become respectable men with jobs and families.

Pardons don't automatically halt deportation proceedings, but they eliminate the criminal conviction judges often base their decisions on, according to the governor's office.

FILE - In this March 13, 2019, file photo, Hay Hov waves to supporters as he and his wife, Catherine Depooter-Hov, enter the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement offices in San Francisco where he turned himself over to ICE officials. Hov and another former Cambodian refugees facing deportation for crimes committed as young adults were among seven people granted clemency Monday, May 13, by California Gov. Gavin Newsom in his first pardons since taking office in January. (Carlos Avila Gonzalez/San Francisco Chronicle via AP, File)

In Hen's case, a pardon may eventually allow him to stay in the U.S. Hov, whose green card was recently re-instated by a 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 governor's office said in a statement. "Their deportation would be an unjust collateral consequence that would harm their families and communities."

The pardons are a rebuke to President Donald Trump's administration, which has cracked down on immigrants who committed crimes. Since Trump took office, a large number of people have been detained and deported to Cambodia, according to advocates.

Newsom's predecessor, Gov. Jerry Brown, pardoned five Cambodian refugees who faced deportation last year.

Newsom on Monday also pardoned five other people who had convictions more than 15 years old - including business owners, students and at least one grandparent, the governor's office said. Their crimes ranged from forgery to drug-related offenses.

None of those pardoned had multiple felonies and all had completed their sentences, Newsom's office said.

Newsom's highest profile use of his clemency powers came in March, when he placed a moratorium on executions for the 737 people on California's death row. His action temporarily halted the death penalty in the state.
MEXICO CITY (AP) - Mexico City authorities are investigating the shooting deaths of three men in the Tepito neighborhood, which is known for its expansive street market and counterfeit goods trade.

The city prosecutor's office says a shootout Monday evening left two dead in the street and a third dead inside an electronics market. A fourth person was wounded. The motive was under investigation.

Separately, Mexico City prosecutors say a man was shot to death in the upscale Polanco neighborhood Monday afternoon. The man died in the street.

In a third case, authorities say a woman in an SUV asked someone for help unloading a package in the north side neighborhood of Zona Escolar. That person summoned police, who found a man's body wrapped in blankets. The woman fled before officers arrived.
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) - A consumer activist group released a report Tuesday outlining the collapse in communications that beset Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria, and it urged the U.S. government to investigate the problems to avoid a repeat of the situation as the island prepares for another storm season.

The report by the group Free Press said the Federal Communications Commission should hold telecommunication companies responsible for the problems that emerged after the storm and also convene an independent commission to investigate the blackout similar to the one it formed after Hurricane Katrina ravaged New Orleans.

"There are still so many questions, and the FCC has failed to be transparent about the communications crisis in Puerto Rico and what carriers did or didn't do to help," said Carmen Scurato, senior policy counsel for Free Press.

The storm that hit on Sept. 20, 2017, caused a communications outage that prevented local and federal officials from learning about the extent of the damage and people's needs in the days and weeks that followed, with the storm knocking 96 percent of cellphone transmission sites out of service. One month later, 36 percent of sites were still not working, and in December 2017, the FCC noted that cable and landline phone services were "generally nonexistent."

The Free Press report includes 52 complaints filed by Puerto Rican customers after the hurricane that were obtained under the Freedom of Information Act. Complaints range from being charged for services never received to failed promises of waiving excessive data-usage fees.

Scurato said the group is still waiting for additional information requested, including how carriers responded to the complaints.

FILE - In this Sept. 23, 2017 file photo, personnel from Liberty Cable work to restore fiber optic lines on the third day after the impact of Maria, a Category 5 hurricane that crossed the island, in Carolina, Puerto Rico. A report issued Tuesday, May 13, 019, by the group Free Press, a consumer activist group, is calling on the U.S. government to investigate the collapse of communications in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria to avoid a repeat of the situation as the island prepares for another storm season. (AP Photo/Carlos Giusti, File)

The FCC rejected the report and said it has worked to provide short- and long-term funding to restore and improve Puerto Rico's telecommunications system, including the creation of a $750 million fund announced last year.

"It's terribly misleading to claim that establishing a commission would be a more effective use of time and resources than the work we did and continue to do," the FCC said.

The report was released a day before the House Committee on Energy and Commerce holds an oversight hearing of the FCC, which issued a report earlier this month saying that communication outages in the Florida Panhandle after Hurricane Michael were lengthened by wireless carriers' poor preparation and coordination.
DETROIT (AP) - Two national organizations pushing for federal legislation on reparations for descendants of African American slaves are bringing their agendas and messages to Detroit.

The Detroit-based Reparations Labor Union has scheduled a summit in June, which later the same week will be followed by the national conference for the Washington-based National Coalition of Blacks for Reparations in America, also known as N'Cobra.

Both events come as a national dialogue on reparations is underway and other issues related to race are attracting increasing attention. A number of Democratic candidates for president have come out in support of discussing some form of repayment to descendants of slaves. The U.S. has no reparations policy when it comes to African Americans, though legislation creating a study commission has been introduced in Congress.

But "the recognition of (reparations) has now gotten more validation," said Jumoke Ifetayo, N'Cobra's southeast regional representative. "I think that is going to help the movement. More and more people are saying 'Hey, this really could happen in my lifetime.'"

The practice of bringing enslaved Africans to what would become the United States appears to have started in 1619 when about 20 slaves were brought to Jamestown, Virginia, then a British colony. Over the next two centuries, more than 300,000 men, women and children arrived in what is now the U.S. after being forcibly taken from Africa, according to the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade Database. They primarily worked the fields and plantations in the southern colonies and later the Southern states.

Slavery in the U.S. officially ended in 1865 when the 13th Amendment was ratified. Union Army General William Sherman promised compensation to freed slaves in the form of land and mules to farm it - hence the phrase "40 acres and a mule" - after the North's victory over the South in the Civil War. But President Andrew Johnson took away the offer.

In this April 10, 2019, photo, Reparations Labor Union founder Anita Belle talks about slave reparations during an interview in Detroit. The Detroit-based organization and the Washington-based National Coalition of Blacks for Reparations in America, also known as N'Cobra, pushing for federal legislation on reparations for descendants of African American slaves, are bringing their agendas and messages to Detroit. Belle wants U.S. presidential candidates to attend the organization's summit in Detroit, but so far none has pledged to attend. (AP Photo/Corey Williams)

More than 120 years later, then-Rep. John Conyers, a Detroit Democrat, first introduced H.R. 40. He reintroduced it in every congressional session until he resigned in 2017. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, a Texas Democrat, reintroduced the bill last year.

In April, presidential candidate and Democratic Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey filed the Senate companion to H.R. 40.

Other candidates have shared their ideas in recent weeks.

Sen. Kamala Harris of California pledged to sign legislation creating a commission to study reparations. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont prefers a broader policy on poverty, but said he would sign that reparations bill. Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts supports a congressional proposal to study a framework for reparations.

Beto O'Rourke, a former Texas congressman, has said he would support legislation that would create a reparations study commission.

"The proof is in the pudding with people signing on to (reparations) legislation and people actually endorsing the legislation," said Ron Daniels, president of The Institute of the Black World 21st Century and convener of the National African American Reparations Commission, which has hearings and town hall meetings around the country.

"If the Democratic Party wants to continue to have black support it must hold to its word," Daniels said.

But activists say Democratic politicians often take the black vote for granted. Anita Belle, a 58-year-old Detroit grassroots activist who founded the Reparations Labor Union in 2013, said the inactivity in Washington on reparations prompted her to file paperwork this year to run for president herself as a Democrat.

"This is our issue. If you want our vote, address our issue," she said.

One of the biggest stumbling blocks to any reparations discussion is the massive amount of money that could be sought.

Coming up with some form of reparations would be complicated but not impossible, said Stan V. Smith, president of Smith Economics Group, a Chicago company that has given expert testimony on evaluating damages in court cases.

"Giving away land because the government has it has an appeal because (people receiving it) are basically saying 'We don't have to pay any money for it,'" Smith said.

But there is a problem with awarding federally owned land, he said.

"A lot of land doesn't have value unless it's developed," Smith said. "Also, it would be difficult to find equal value of land for millions of people. How you might value an acre and how I might value an acre might be different."

Paying reparations to millions of descendants of enslaved blacks also certainly would add to the U.S. debt, Smith said.

"We can increase the debt to a certain degree and pay for it over the years," he said. "We're a rich country and a productive country, but it does create stress on people who do pay taxes. We could also offer a menu to people where they could choose - some of it cash over time, some of it in land, some in terms of college education or tax credits."

A more effective reparations policy would be to fix the capitalistic system behind the injustices and legacy of slavery, said Marlene Daut, associate professor of African Diaspora Studies and associate director of the Carter G. Woodson Institute at the University of Virginia.

"How much money would it take to make you feel better about slavery?" Daut said. "There is no amount. What matters more is what happened to people in the past and what is happening to them in the present. The only way to repair that is to end the capitalist system that made slavery possible and profitable."
MUSKOGEE, Okla. (AP) - Authorities say there has been an explosion at a paper plant in north-central Oklahoma.

Muskogee County officials say an explosion and fire were reported late Monday night at the Georgia-Pacific plant in Muskogee, about 50 miles (80.46 kilometers) southeast of Tulsa.

Muskogee County Commissioner Ken Doke says the building has been evacuated and all company staff has been accounted for.

Authorities are asking that the public stay away from the scene as first responders work.

No further information was immediately available.
BEIJING (AP) - China's auto sales sank 17.7% in April from a year earlier, the 10th straight month of decline amid trade tension with Washington and an economic slowdown.

Drivers in the industry's biggest global market bought 1.6 million sedans, SUVs and minivans, according to an industry group, the China Association of Auto Manufacturers. Total vehicle sales, including trucks and buses, fell 14.6% to 2 million.

Jittery consumers are less willing to make big purchases amid a tariff war with Washington and unease about China's economic outlook. Growth in the second-largest global economy held steady in the latest quarter but that was supported by government stimulus spending and higher bank lending.

The downturn is squeezing Chinese and global automakers that are pouring money into meeting government targets to develop electric vehicles.

Auto sales for the first four months of the year are off 14.7% from a year earlier at 6.8 million, according to CAAM.

Sales by Chinese brands in April plunged 27.9% from a year earlier to 585,000. Their market share contracted by 5.2 percentage points to 37.1%.

FILE - In this April 16, 2019, file photo, Chinese automaker Geely Auto displays a sedan from its new electric brand Geometry during the Auto Shanghai 2019 show in Shanghai. China's auto sales sank 17.7% in April from a year earlier, the 10th straight month of decline amid trade tension with Washington and an economic slowdown. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan, File)

Purchases of electric and gasoline-electric hybrid SUVs and sedans rose 18.1% to 97,000. That was a bright spot for the industry but well below growth rates of as much as 100% in previous months.

Beijing has promoted electrics with billions of dollars in research grants and buyer subsidies. But subsidies are due to end next year and regulators are shifting the burden to automakers by imposing mandatory sales targets for electrics.

So automakers need to develop electrics that can compete with gasoline-powered vehicles.

Sales of SUVs fell 15.8%, CAAM said, without giving a total.

Last year's auto sales suffered their first decline in nearly three decades, falling 4.1% from 2017 to 23.7 million.

The downturn has prompted suggestions Beijing will cut sales taxes or offer other incentives.
DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) - Syrian state TV says six people were killed when insurgents lobbed missiles into a government-controlled displaced people's camp in the country's northwest.

Al-Ikhbariya TV said the dead from Tuesday's attack on the Nayrab camp southeast of Aleppo city included two children.

An Al-Ikhbariya journalist in Aleppo said the missiles landed around sunset, when Muslims observing the holy month of Ramadan break their fast.

The camp houses displaced Syrians and Palestinian refugees who have been living in Syria.

The attack on Nayrab comes amid an unprecedented escalation between the government and insurgents who have a last foothold in northwestern Syria, adjacent to Aleppo city. Government troops have been advancing on the insurgent stronghold that is home to 3 million people, gaining ground on its southern edge and displacing tens of thousands.
LOS ANGELES (AP) - The Latest on the competition for the XPrize For Global Learning (all times local):

8 p.m.

A US company founded by game-developer parents who wanted to help their special-needs son and a London-based educational nonprofit have won a $10 million award for software they developed to teach illiterate children to teach themselves to read.

California's Kitkit School and London's onebillion nonprofit were announced Wednesday as grand-prize winners of the XPRIZE For Global Literacy.

The two teams will split the $10 million and they and three other finalists will receive $1 million apiece as part of the $15 million XPRIZE funded by Elon Musk to promote global learning for all.

The top winners prevailed in a 15-month field test that put open-sourced software on thousands of tablets that were used by illiterate youngsters in remote Tanzanian villages to teach themselves to read, write and do arithmetic.

Members of Kitkit School embrace after winning the XPRIZE for Children's Literacy, Wednesday, May 15, 2019, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

___

10:21 p.m.

It's one thing to teach a child to read, but can children teach themselves to read?

That was the global literacy challenge nearly 200 teams from 40 countries accepted more than a year ago when they joined a competition to win the next $10 million XPRIZE, a coveted international award with the goal of making the world better through technology.

After months of testing software designs on tablets given to illiterate children in more than 140 villages in Tanzania, the competition was winnowed to five finalists.

The winner to be announced Wednesday night at a Los Angeles gala will be tasked with using the prize money to develop a literacy program that can be applied throughout the world.

The winner's open-source technology will also be made available to anyone.

Representatives from onebillion, Jamie Stuart, third from left, and Andrew Ashe, fourth from left, and representatives from KitKit School, Sooinn Lee, third from right, and Gunho Lee, second from right, receive the XPRIZE Children's Literacy award from XPRIZE Executive Director Emily Church, far left, founder and Executive Chairman, Peter Diamandis, second from left, Telsa CEO Elon Musk, fourth from right, and XPRIZE CEO Anousheh Ansari, far right, Wednesday, May 15, 2019, in Los Angeles. The Berkeley-based Kitkit School and London's onebillion educational nonprofit were declared co-winners of the XPRIZE For Global Learning and will share a $10 million award. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

onebillion CEO Andrew Ashe, third from right, and CTO Jamie Stuart, third from left, receive the XPRIZE Children's Literacy award from XPRIZE Founder and Executive Chairman, Peter Diamandis, far left, Telsa CEO Elon Musk, second from left, XPRIZE CEO Anousheh Ansari, second from right, and Executive Director Emily Church, far right, Wednesday, May 15, 2019, in Los Angeles. The Berkeley-based Kitkit School and London's onebillion educational nonprofit were declared co-winners of the XPRIZE For Global Learning at a presentation Wednesday night and will share a $10 million award. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

Tesla CEO Elon Musk, left, shakes hands with XPRIZE founder and Executive Chairman, Peter Diamandis, during the presentation of the XPRIZE for Children's Literacy Wednesday, May 15, 2019, in Los Angeles. A California company founded by game-developer parents who wanted to help their special-needs son is sharing a $10 million XPRIZE award with a London-based educational nonprofit for programs created to teach illiterate children how to teach themselves to read. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

Tesla CEO Elon Musk, center, joins XPRIZE founder Peter Diamandis, left, and CEO Anousheh Ansari during the presentation of the XPRIZE for Children's Literacy Wednesday, May 15, 2019, in Los Angeles. The Berkeley-based Kitkit School and London's onebillion educational nonprofit were declared co-winners of the XPRIZE For Global Learning at a presentation Wednesday night. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

Actor LeVar Burton speaks during the presentation of the XPRIZE for Children's Literacy, Wednesday, May 15, 2019, in Los Angeles. The Berkeley-based Kitkit School and London's onebillion educational nonprofit were declared co-winners of the XPRIZE For Global Learning at a presentation Wednesday night. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

XPRIZE Executive Director Emily Church speaks during the presentation of the XPRIZE for Children's Literacy Wednesday, May 15, 2019, in Los Angeles. The Berkeley-based Kitkit School and London's onebillion educational nonprofit were declared co-winners of the XPRIZE For Global Learning at a presentation Wednesday night. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) - A Yemen rebel drone strike this week on a critical Saudi oil pipeline shows that the otherwise-peaceful sandy reaches of the Arabian Peninsula now are at risk of similar assault, including an under-construction nuclear power plant and Dubai International Airport, among the world's busiest.

U.N. investigators said the Houthis' new UAV-X drone, found in recent months during the Saudi-led coalition's war in Yemen, likely has a range of up to 1,500 kilometers (930 miles).

That puts the far reaches of both Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, the two main opponents of the Iranian-allied Houthi rebels in Yemen, within reach of drones difficult to detect and track. Their relatively simple design, coupled with readily available information online, makes targeting even easier, analysts say.

"These installations are easily findable like on Google Earth," said Tim Michetti, an expert on illicit weapons technology with experience in Yemen. "Once you get in the vicinity, that alone has that kind of effect of showing that the reach is there."

The drone attacks come amid heightened tensions between Iran and the U.S., a year after President Donald Trump pulled America out of Tehran's nuclear deal with world powers. The White House has ordered an aircraft carrier and bombers into the region over a still-unexplained threat from Iran, while nonessential employees at U.S. diplomatic posts in Iraq have been ordered to leave the country.

On Sunday, the United Arab Emirates alleged four oil tankers off its eastern coast were targeted by sabotage. On Tuesday, the Houthis say they launched seven drones to target Saudi Arabia. The drones stuck pumping stations along the kingdom's crucial East-West Pipeline, causing minor damage, Saudi officials say.

In this undated photograph obtained by The Associated Press, a UAV-X drone flown by Yemen's Houthi rebels is seen in Hodeida, Yemen. A Yemen rebel drone strike this week, likely by UAV-Xs, on a critical Saudi oil pipeline shows that the otherwise-peaceful sandy reaches of the Arabian Peninsula now are at risk of similar assault, including an under-construction nuclear power plant and Dubai International Airport, among the world's busiest. (AP Photo)

A satellite photo obtained by The Associated Press of one of the pumping stations showed two black marks near where the pipeline passes that weren't there the day before.

In the months after the March 2015 start of the war in Yemen, Houthi rebels began using drones in combat. The first appeared to be off-the-shelf, hobby-kit-style drones. Later, versions nearly identical to Iranian models turned up. Iran denies supplying the Houthis with weapons, although the U.N., the West and Gulf Arab nations say Tehran does.

The rebels have flown drones into the radar arrays of Saudi Arabia's Patriot missile batteries, according to Conflict Armament Research, disabling them and allowing the Houthis to fire ballistic missiles into the kingdom unchallenged.

Some have been used for surveillance purposes, while others have been loaded with explosives and ball bearings to deadly effect. In January, a bomb-laden Houthi drone detonated at a military parade near Aden, killing at least six people, including the commander of military intelligence for Yemen's internationally recognized government.

Saudi officials haven't offered any photographs of the sites attacked, nor given any explanation of what kind of drone the Houthis used Tuesday. However, the UAV-X is a likely culprit.

The drone, with a wingspan of 4.5 meters (14.7 feet), has a V-shaped tail fin. It's powered by a rear-mounted engine and has been found with what appears to be extra fuel tanks welded it to, a U.N. panel of experts found. It carries a 18-kilogram (40-pound) warhead.

The drone is likely programmed to strike a specific latitude and longitude and cannot be controlled once out of radio range, Michetti said. In the case of Tuesday's attack, the latitude and longitude of the pumping stations could be easily found online.

The U.N. put the drone's maximum range at 1,500 kilometers.

"It would give credence to the claims by the Houthis that they have the capability to hit targets such as Riyadh, Abu Dhabi and Dubai," the U.N. panel said.

For Saudi Arabia, that range puts the oil fields of its Eastern Province in range. Saudi Aramco declined to comment when reached by the AP.

In the neighboring UAE, an immediate target is the under-construction Barakah nuclear power plant, which is deep in its western desert. The $20 billion, four-reactor plant being built with help from South Korea, has been considered a target by the Houthis since December 2017, when they claimed without offering evidence to have fired a cruise missile at it, something immediately denied by the UAE.

Asked about the possible drone threat, the UAE's Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation said it had "in place regulations to ensure the protection of the nuclear power plant from all kinds of threats, including physical or cyberattacks," without elaborating.

Also within reach is the skyscraper-studded city of Dubai, a crucial link in worldwide global travel. Dubai International Airport bills itself as the world's busiest for international travel.

Officials at the airport declined to comment, referring the AP to the UAE's General Civil Aviation Authority. The authority did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Houthis have claimed without evidence to have targeted both airports in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, something denied by authorities.

Speaking to journalists Wednesday night, a top Emirati diplomat sought to play down the danger faced by the federation of seven sheikhdoms, while still acknowledging the threats to regional stability.

"We live in a region where we can't come and be happy because we are the only house in the neighborhood that has not been arsoned or burgled," said Anwar Gargash, the UAE's minister of state for foreign affairs.

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Follow Jon Gambrell on Twitter at www.twitter.com/jongambrellAP .
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.

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.

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.

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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.

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.

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.
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.

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.

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.

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.
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.

Conor McGregor (PA)

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.
Theresa May is to brief senior ministers on the state of cross-party Brexit negotiations with Labour after the latest round of talks failed to achieve a breakthrough.

The meeting took place at Westminster amid signs the Prime Minister will face calls to finally abandon the talks when she chairs the weekly meeting of the Cabinet on Tuesday.

Following the talks, Downing Street insisted efforts to find an agreed way forward that would allow Britains orderly withdrawal from the EU would continue.

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, a spokesman said.

Jeremy Corbyn faced calls from Labour MPs to clarify the partys position on Brexit (Joe Giddens/PA)

We continue to seek to agree a way forward in order to secure our orderly withdrawal from the EU.

Labour also said that the shadow cabinet and the trade unions would be updated on what had been discussed.

However there is growing impatience among Tory MPs, fearful the continuing deadlock will see them suffer a drubbing at the hands of Nigel Farages Brexit Party in the European elections on May 23.

Meanwhile Jeremy Corbyn has come under fire from both pro-Remain and pro-Brexit MPs in his party amid complaints that confusion over Labours position had cost them votes in the English council elections earlier this month.

At the weekly meeting of the Parliamentary Labour Party, the pro-Remain MP Peter Kyle told the Labour leader their message on a second referendum had been too complicated and had left voters perplexed.

I urge you to simplify our policy so people realise we are speaking with absolute sincerity, he told Mr Corbyn.

The pro-Brexit MP John Mann called on Mr Corbyn to give Labour MPs a free vote on Brexit issues to reflect the divisions within the party and the country.

Labour voters are divided in a very big way. If you dont get this right you cannot be prime minister, he told him.

Mr Corbyn acknowledged the MPs frustrations and said he understood the need to simplify their message, telling them: I get that.

A Labour source said: Our message is about bringing the country together.

That means people who voted Leave and people who voted for Remain.

Earlier, shadow Brexit secretary Sir Keir Starmer and Labour deputy leader Tom Watson threw their weight behind calls for any Brexit deal to be put to a second referendum  something Mr Corbyn has resisted.

Sir Keir Starmer has warned Labour MPs will not back a Brexit deal without a second referendum (Dominic Lipinski/PA)

Sir Keir told the Guardian that probably 120 if not 150 of the partys 229 MPs could vote against a deal unless it was linked to a second referendum.

And he said: 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.

Mr Watson said a confirmatory ballot on Mrs Mays Withdrawal Agreement offered a way out of the impasse at a time when it seemed unlikely any deal could win a Commons majority.

My idea of a confirmatory ballot is not a religious point or a point of ideology, its just how do you get an outcome, how do you sort this out? he told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme.

And one way to do it are these two minority positions  the Prime Ministers deal and those that think the people should have a say on the deal  plug them together and you build a majority.

Mr Watson went on to use a speech on Monday to plead with voters to back Labour in the European elections to counter the threat posed by Mr Farage.

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, he said.

(PA Graphics)

Mr Farage, campaigning in the Labour heartlands, said a confirmatory referendum was the most outrageous proposal he had ever seen and would lead to a party like his winning a majority in Parliament at the next general election.

It means we stay in the European Union as we are, or we nominally leave and stay permanently part of a customs union and with single market rules, he said.

They wouldnt even give the public the option of actually leaving.

If the cross-party approach is abandoned, Mrs May has signalled that a series of votes would be held in the Commons with the aim of finding a Brexit plan that could command a majority, ideally with the support of Labour.
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.

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.

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.
The Prince of Wales paid tribute to his sons mental health charity work and acknowledged the challenges of the future, as he marked the centenary of a veterans charity.

Speaking at a reception for mental health organisation Combat Stress, Charles praised the awful stigma of our society giving way to a more positive and caring attitude.

He added: The armed forces have made a concerted effort in this regard and so, I am proud to say, have my sons.

The Duke of Cambridge and the Duke of Sussex are both patrons and founders of the Heads Together initiative, which raises funds for mental health services.

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 St Jamess Palace event was in aid of Combat Stress At Ease appeal, launched in the charitys 100th year as it attempts to raise 10 million.

Then known as the Ex-Servicemens Welfare Society, the charity launched in 1919 to help men returning from the front line of the First World War.

More than 2,000 veterans turn to Combat Stress for assistance each year, and 17% of servicemen and women who served in Iraq or Afghanistan are predicted to develop post-traumatic stress disorder.

Dean Porter received assistance from Combat Stress when he reached rock bottom after serving with the Royal Anglian regiment in the 2000s.

The Prince of Wales meets veteran Dean Porter during the reception (Tristan Fewings/PA)

He credits the charity with helping him recover after everything came crashing down. Now a personal trainer, Mr Porter had found himself with gambling problems and was bitter towards the Army for a while, before the therapies helped in his recovery.

Veterans Minister Tobias Elwood also paid tribute to the charitys work.

Commenting on how military attitudes towards mental health have changed since he served in the Army, Mr Elwood said personnel have shifted away from being stubborn, to think theres a stigma about saying that theres something wrong with them.

He praised the modern aim for an advanced society that is very proud of the professionalism of its armed forces but also one that should look after them, and acknowledges they may need support.
Britain should be prepared to decisively raise the proportion of national income it spends on defence once it has left the EU, Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt has said.

Mr Hunt said major increase in military spending would demonstrate the the UKs commitment to defending democratic values at a time of growing global uncertainty.

Addressing the Lord Mayor of Londons banquet at the Mansion House, he said the additional funding should be for new capabilities, such as cyber and artificial intelligence, rather than plugging gaps in existing plans.

At the same time, he warned that it was not sustainable to expect the US to carry on spending 4% of its GDP on defence while other Nato allies spent only 1% to 2%.

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 said.

The outcome of such investment should demonstrate beyond doubt that when we say Britain stands for the defence of democratic values, when we promise never to leave our great ally, the United States, to perform this task alone, then we are as good as our word and in doing so we encourage other democracies who share our values to follow suit.

Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt (Victoria Jones/PA)

The Foreign Secretary is widely expected to be a contender for the Tory leadership when Theresa May steps down, and his address will be seen as a pitch to Conservative MPs concerned about the level of defence spending.

He acknowledged the UK currently accounted for almost 20% of total EU defence spending, and that British forces possessed a hugely disproportionate share of some key capabilities such as heavy lift transport aircraft.

But at a time of evolving threats, he said the country needed to be prepared to do more to defend its traditional values.

We are in a multipolar world without the assurance provided by unquestioned American dominance, he said.

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.

At the same time the nature of warfare is changing.

The conflicts of tomorrow could well start with a cyber attack, then escalate into precision strikes by hypersonic missiles followed by swarms of unmanned aircraft.

The new domains of space and cyber and the immense capabilities of artificial intelligence will transform the conduct of warfare.

If we want Britain to defend the Enlightenment values that owe so much to our finest thinkers, like David Hume in Edinburgh and Adam Smith in Glasgow, then we need to be leaders in these areas too.

Mr Hunts comments were dismissed by Labours shadow defence secretary, Nia Griffith.

She wrote on Twitter: Jeremy Hunt has been a Cabinet Minister since 2010. Since then the Tories have cut defence spending by 9 billion in real terms. If he was so bothered, youd have thought he might have said something a bit sooner?

Mr Hunt, who backed Remain in the referendum but has since sought to appeal to Brexiteers, said it was essential to honour the 2016 vote by leaving the EU cleanly and properly.

Mr Hunt, who backed Remain in the referendum but has since sought to appeal to Brexiteers, said it was essential to honour the 2016 vote by leaving the EU cleanly and properly.

To do so is to live up to a democratic promise, he said.

And to fail would betray the promise of a democracy.

It would also fail the values that Britain has always stood for.

How could we defend democracy on the international stage if a large part of our population believes we are ignoring it at home?
The Jeremy Kyle Show guest who died days after recording the episode reportedly split from his partner following an attempt to prove he was not a cheat.

The confrontational talk show has been pulled off air indefinitely by ITV following the death of the guest, named by The Sun as 63-year-old Steve Dymond, a week after the programme was filmed.

Mr Dymond took a lie-detector test to convince fiance Jane Callaghan he had not been unfaithful but they split after he failed, according to The Sun.

Ms Callaghan told the newspaper: We got engaged Christmas Day 2017. He was crying, the love was real. He was the most generous and loving person.

He was quietly struggling and we didnt know at the time. He cheated on me, I know he did. I cant forgive but I just want him to be alive.

She praised the shows team for their after-care efforts, telling the newspaper: They were brilliant. They were there when he needed help. They were really persistent in offering him help.

The Jeremy Kyle Show off the air indefinitely following death of guest (Ian West/PA)

Ms Callaghan said that just before they went on the show Mr Dymond had convinced her he had not cheated.

She told The Sun the pair split up after the show, reportedly filmed on May 2, and last saw him four days later before Mr Dymond was found dead last week.

She added: I cant see Steve taking his life without explaining it to me first. But he always said he would never love someone else.

Monday mornings episode of the talk show did not air and ITV has now wiped all episodes of the programme from its on-demand service the ITV Hub, and episodes will not air on ITV2.

The broadcaster said the episode featuring the participant who died will be submitted for a review due to the seriousness of this event.

Filming and broadcasting of the programme will be suspended while the review is being conducted.

An ITV spokeswoman said: Everyone at ITV and The Jeremy Kyle Show is shocked and saddened at the news of the death of a participant in the show a week after the recording of the episode they featured in and our thoughts are with their family and friends.

ITV will not screen the episode in which they featured.

A celebrity edition of the show starring former X Factor contestant Christopher Maloney and ex-EastEnders actress Danniella Westbrook was due to air on Tuesday, but will be rescheduled, according to both stars.

The tabloid talk show sees host Kyle and psychotherapist Graham Stanier help the guests talk through their personal issues in front of a studio audience.

The programme has had its regular daytime morning slot on ITV since 2005.

Damian Collins, chairman of the Commons Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee, told the Daily Mail: TV companies have a duty to care to the people who take part in their programmes.

For confidential support call the Samaritans on 116123, or visit a local Samaritans branch. See samaritans.org
The partner of Alastair Campbell has said depression could change the personality of the former spin-doctor and make him cruel and manipulative.

Fiona Millar claimed the alcohol abuse and undiagnosed depression of her partner became a struggle to understand and live with.

Campbell could become aggressive and cruel, according to Millar, and his drinking at one time was epidemic.

Millar has said that not enough is offered to discuss or support being a partner of someone suffering from depression, an illness which Campbell explores in a new BBC documentary.

Speaking to Radio Times magazine, Millar, who worked with her partner at Number 10 under Tony Blair, has said she never considered leaving Campbell despite the depths of his moods.

Millar admitted she was once asked by her father whether she wanted to remain with Campbell after the former Daily Mirror journalists drinking began to spiral out of control, and has been hurt by his silences since.

Fiona Millar has spoken about the illness of husband Alastair Campbell (Andrew Milligan/PA)

But she has said that with diagnosis, medication and psychiatric help, life with Campbell is better than ever, and she has come to understand more about his illness.

Millar added: There was emotional manipulation and mental cruelty at times. 

She described Campbells bout of alcoholism: A change of job in the mid-1980s followed by a period of intense stress saw Alastairs drinking reach epidemic proportions. His behaviour became erratic and aggressive.

Thanks @BBCBreakfast for Mental Health Awareness Week chat re my documentary on depression out next Tuesday BBC2 9pm as one of a series of mental health docs. pic.twitter.com/SJZy6vo4Xj  ALASTAIR CAMPBELL (@campbellclaret) May 13, 2019

Millar added on his depression after quitting alcohol: He is also loyal, funny, brilliant in a crisis and can be very kind, especially to friends in need, but his behaviour can tip into something more dangerous.

Only now do I realise his depressions could change his personality.

Millar has said that Campbell would be affectionate with his three children and rally himself for work despite being unable to leave bed on the weekend during depressive episodes. His moods would range from happy to suicidal.

She struggled to understand why the emotional impact of his black dog moods was reserved for her.

Millar has said that despite the struggles, she remained with him and her intentions were always to help Campbell get better.

She has said the partners of those with depression should have greater support and a growing awareness of mental health can make the illness bearable and understandable.

The full interview can be read in Radio Times magazine, out now.
Theresa May is under renewed pressure to abandon Brexit talks with Labour amid warnings she risks losing the loyal middle of the Tory Party if she gives ground on a customs union.

Some 13 former ministers, together with the chairman of the backbench 1922 Committee, Sir Graham Brady, have written to the Prime Minister urging her not to concede Labours key demand, The Times reported.

The signatories were said to include Gavin Williamson, who she sacked as defence secretary, as well as potential leadership contenders Boris Johnson and Dominic Raab.

Sacked defence secretary Gavin Williamson is among the ex-ministers warning against a customs union (Peter Byrne/PA)

Their intervention comes as Mrs May prepared to brief senior ministers on the state of the talks  which began in April  at the weekly meeting of the Cabinet in Downing Street on Tuesday.

Meanwhile the PMs Brexit negotiator, Olly Robbins, was said to be travelling to Brussels for talks with EU officials.

The BBC reported that discussions will include whether the political declaration could be changed  and how quickly  if it allowed the Government and Labour to break the impasse.

The two sides negotiating teams, led by David Lidington, Mrs Mays de facto deputy, and shadow Brexit secretary Sir Keir Starmer, met again on Monday.

However a group of former ministers, who also include Sir Michael Fallon and Maria Miller, warned the Prime Minister stands to lose the support of more Tory MPs in the Commons than she gains Labour backers if she breaks her solemn promise not to enter a customs union.

The group, who made the point they all backed the Withdrawal Agreement in the last Commons vote in March, said Mrs May could not bind her successor to a deal so any agreement with Labour was likely to be at best temporary, at worst illusory.

We believe that a customs union-based deal with Labour will very likely lose the support of Conservative MPs, like us, who backed the Withdrawal Agreement in March  and you would be unlikely to gain as many Labour MPs to compensate, they wrote, according to The Times.

More fundamentally, you would have lost the loyal middle of the Conservative Party, split our party and with likely nothing to show for it.

No leader can bind his or her successor so the deal would likely be at best temporary, at worst illusory.

Their intervention comes amid growing frustration among Tory MPs, both with Mrs Mays leadership of the party and the continued Brexit deadlock.

Nigel Farage fronts the Brexit Party (Danny Lawson/PA)

Many fear they are heading for a mauling at the hands of Nigel Farages Brexit Party in the European elections on May 23 having already suffered heavy losses in the English local council elections earlier in the month.

Following Mondays talks with Labour, a No 10 spokesman said they were still trying to find an agreed way forward that would allow Britain to leave the EU with a deal.

In preparation for an update to Cabinet, todays meeting took stock across the range of issues discussed in talks over the last few weeks, he said.

We continue to seek to agree a way forward in order to secure our orderly withdrawal from the EU.

Meanwhile, Jeremy Corbyn has come under fire from both pro-Remain and pro-Brexit MPs in his party amid complaints that confusion over Labours position cost them votes in the council elections.

At the weekly meeting on Monday of the Parliamentary Labour Party, the pro-Remain MP Peter Kyle told the Labour leader their message on a second referendum had been too complicated and had left voters perplexed.

I urge you to simplify our policy so people realise we are speaking with absolute sincerity, he told Mr Corbyn.

The pro-Brexit MP John Mann called on Mr Corbyn to give Labour MPs a free vote on Brexit issues to reflect the divisions within the party and the country.

Labour voters are divided in a very big way, he told him.

If you dont get this right you cannot be prime minister.

Mr Corbyn acknowledged the MPs frustrations and said he understood the need to simplify their message, telling them: I get that.

A Labour source said: Our message is about bringing the country together.

That means people who voted Leave and people who voted for Remain.

Earlier, Sir Keir Starmer and Labour deputy leader Tom Watson threw their weight behind calls for any Brexit deal to be put to a second referendum  something Mr Corbyn has resisted.
The death of a Jeremy Kyle Show guest days after recording an episode is among the leading stories on Tuesdays papers.

The Sun leads with the death of Steve Dymond who reportedly took a lie detector test on the show in a bid to prove he had not been unfaithful to his partner.

Tomorrow's front page: Jeremy Kyle Show guest died of a drug overdose after failing lie detector test that exposed cheating https://t.co/q7LYbsRBrP pic.twitter.com/32GFTXKVGK  The Sun (@TheSun) May 13, 2019

The Daily Mail reports the 63-year-old had been left humiliated and labelled a liar when he failed the test.

Pictured: Grandfather, 62, who killed himself after being humiliated' by failed Jeremy Kyle Show lie detector test https://t.co/6aOSWs4e7m  Daily Mail U.K. (@DailyMailUK) May 13, 2019

A friend told the Daily Mirror Mr Dymond had expressed feeling suicidal to his landlady.

Tomorrow's front page: Jeremy Kyle guest 'kills himself' after failing lie detector test #tomorrowspaperstodayhttps://t.co/RGmH7j4ldJ pic.twitter.com/4Uwe3Zo4xa  The Mirror (@DailyMirror) May 13, 2019

ITV pulled the popular daytime show from its schedules after the death emerged, the Daily Star reports.

In tomorrow's @Daily_Star

- #JeremyKyle death tragedy

- Jodie Comer kills at the #BAFTAs

- @piersmorgan has a pop at Ant McPartlin pic.twitter.com/zgElFSOGcU  Daily Star (@dailystar) May 13, 2019

Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt has said Britain should be prepared to decisively raise spending on defence after Brexit, the Daily Telegraph reports.

What the papers say - May 14 (PA)

The front page of tomorrows Daily Telegraph: Hunt calls for boost to defence spending pic.twitter.com/wI9xvIYYmZ  The Telegraph (@Telegraph) May 13, 2019

The US-China trade dispute leads the Financial Times.

Just published: front page of the Financial Times UK edition Tuesday May 14 https://t.co/6i91AyHXIr pic.twitter.com/FBsDSW2iYF  Financial Times (@FinancialTimes) May 13, 2019

Senior Tories have warned Theresa May she risks splitting the party by striking a Brexit deal with Labour, The Times reports.

More than 180,000 individuals are linked to organised crime in the UK, according to warnings by the National Crime Agency reported by the Daily Express.

In tomorrow's @Daily_Express

- 'Organised crime now deadliest threat we face'

- RIP #DorisDay

- Nigel Farage predicts Labour wipeout in #EUelections2019 pic.twitter.com/Y6k7jbJdrj  Daily Express (@Daily_Express) May 13, 2019

The Guardian carries a Nobel prize-winning economists warning that inequality in Britain could rise to levels seen in the US.
A team of federal accident investigators is expected to arrive in Alaska on Tuesday to try to piece together what caused a deadly midair collision between two sightseeing planes.

Four people were killed after the floatplanes carrying cruise ship tourists collided on Monday near the southeast Alaska town of Ketchikan, the US Coast Guard said.

Two others were missing, said Petty Officer Jon-Paul Rios, a Coast Guard spokesman.

The Washington, DC-based investigative team from the National Transportation Safety Board is expected to arrive in Ketchikan ON Tuesday afternoon, agency spokesman Peter Knudson said.

He said board member Jennifer Homendy also is travelling with the so-called Go Team, which investigates major accidents.

Emergency response crews transport an injured passenger in Ketchikan, Alaska (Dustin Safranek/Ketchikan Daily News via AP)

The floatplanes collided under unknown circumstances, Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Allen Kenitzer said in an email to The Associated Press.

Floatplanes have pontoons mounted under the fuselage so they can land on water.

The passengers were from the cruise ship Royal Princess and were on sightseeing flights, one of which was operated by flightseeing company Taquan Air.

Eleven people were inside Taquans single-engine de Havilland Otter DHC-3 when it went down as it returned from Misty Fjords National Monument, which is part of the Tongass National Forest, the nations largest.

Ten people were taken to a Ketchikan hospital.

All patients were in fair or good condition, according to Marty West, a spokeswoman for PeaceHealth Ketchikan Medical Centre.

Three people who died were among five people aboard the second plane, a single-engine de Havilland DHC-2 Beaver, according to Coast Guard Lt Brian Dykens.

It is unclear which plane carried the fourth victim, whose body was recovered during a Monday night search, Mr Rios said.

Local emergency responders worked with state and federal agencies and good Samaritan vessels to help rescue and recover victims.

Its been a long day and the crews have been working really hard to rescue people and recover the deceased, Deanna Thomas, a spokeswoman for the Ketchikan Gateway Borough, the local government, said on Monday evening.

A spokeswoman for Taquan Air, operator of the Otter, said the company had suspended operations while federal authorities investigate the deadly crash.

We are devastated by todays incident and our hearts go out to our passengers and their families, Taquan said in a statement.

Cindy Cicchetti, a passenger on the Royal Princess cruise ship told the AP that the ship captain announced that two planes were in an accident on Monday.

She said the ship is not leaving as scheduled and there were not any details as to how the accident will affect the rest of the trip.

The ship left Vancouver, British Columbia, on May 11 and is scheduled to arrive in Anchorage on Saturday.

Our thoughts and prayers are with those who lost their lives and the families of those impacted by todays accident. Princess Cruises is extending its full support to travelling companions of the guests involved, Princess Cruises said in a statement.

The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating.

Weather conditions in the area on Monday included high overcast skies with 9mph south-east winds.
WhatsApp has rushed to roll out a security fix after concerns were raised hackers could inject surveillance software on to phones via the call function.

The app discovered a vulnerability that allowed attackers to install malicious code on iPhones and Android phones by ringing up a target device.

The code could be transmitted even if users did not answer their phones and a log of the call often disappeared, the Financial Times reported.

The company, which is owned by Facebook, said the attack bore a resemblance to spyware developed for intelligence agencies.

There are concerns that the software was used in attempts to access the phones of human rights campaigners, including a UK-based lawyer.

We believe a select number of users were targeted through this vulnerability by an advanced cyber actor, WhatsApp told the FT.

The company is owned by Facebook (PA)

WhatsApp has just pushed out updates to close a vulnerability. We believe an attacker tried (and was blocked by WhatsApp) to exploit it as recently as yesterday to target a human rights lawyer. Now is a great time to update your WhatsApp software https://t.co/pJvjFMy2aw https://t.co/e8VQUraZWQ  Citizen Lab (@citizenlab) May 13, 2019

This attack has all the hallmarks of a private company known to work with governments to deliver spyware that reportedly takes over the functions of mobile phone operating systems.

We have briefed a number of human rights organisations to share the information we can, and to work with them to notify civil society.

The firm is said to have alerted officials at the US Department of Justice after discovering the vulnerability in early May.

WhatsApp claims to have 1.5 billion users around the world and it released a software update on Monday.

According to the Financial Times, the spyware was developed by NSO Group, an Israeli cybersecurity and intelligence company.

The company told the paper: Under no circumstances would NSO be involved in the operating or identifying of targets of its technology, which is solely operated by intelligence and law enforcement agencies.

NSO would not, or could not, use its technology in its own right to target any person or organisation, including this individual (the UK lawyer).

Amnesty International engages in legal action to stop NSO Group's web of surveillance https://t.co/inacKZeSfA  Amnesty Tech (@AmnestyTech) May 13, 2019

The vulnerability and suspected attacks have been investigated by Citizen Lab, a research group at the University of Toronto.

We believe an attacker tried (and was blocked by WhatsApp) to exploit it as recently as yesterday to target a human rights lawyer, the lab said.

On Monday, Amnesty International said it was backing legal action against the Israeli Ministry of Defence demanding that it revokes NSO Groups export licence.

Danna Ingleton, deputy director of Amnesty Tech, said: NSO Group sells its products to governments who are known for outrageous human rights abuses, giving them the tools to track activists and critics.
Formula One could be heading to Morocco after it was revealed that discussions have been staged to hold a race in Marrakesh.

Just days after announcing the Dutch Grand Prix will return to the calendar next year, the sport has expressed its desire for a race in Africa.

While Kyalami, a track in South Africa which last staged a grand prix in 1993 is in pole position to land the continents first grand prix in over a quarter-of-a-century, F1s commercial chief, Sean Bratches revealed that F1 has also been in talks with Morocco.

We race on five continents and the last habitable continent that we dont race in is Africa, said Bratches.

We have proactively been approached by Morocco and Marrakesh to take a grand prix there. There is a high degree of interest.

Formula One raced in South Africa before  there is a historic track in Kyalami  but I have been told that due to political considerations historically, that ceased.

We are looking in the short term to have a race there. It is really important to us to have a race in Africa.

Stirling Moss won the last Formula One race in Morocco (Nick Ansell/PA)

Stirling Moss won the last Formula One round in Morocco, staged near Casablanca in 1958. But the race was overshadowed by the death of British driver Stuart Lewis-Evans who was killed after his car caught on fire.

Formula E, the electric series, has raced in Marrakesh for the past three years, but the 1.8-mile circuit is shorter than all of the current F1 venues.

The addition of Zandvoort in Holland, and a street race in Hanoi, Vietnam means there will be two new rounds on the schedule next year.

The future of the British grand prix remains in doubt (David Davies/PA)

But there are five races, including the British Grand Prix, whose contracts expire at the end of the year. There is a growing feeling that the rounds in Spain and Mexico will not be renewed, and Bratches confirmed the schedule will not expand.

We are optimistic about the prospect of a 21-race calendar again next year, he added. I dont think we are going to have more than that.

Silverstone chiefs meanwhile, are keen to wrap up an extension to their contract before this years race on July 14. Asked if that is realistic, Bratches, speaking at the Sport Industry Breakfast Club in London, said: We will see. We are having productive discussions with multiple parties.

Silverstone has been a central and seminal part of the race calendar since 1950. Those discussions are ongoing.
Theresa May announcing a date for stepping down would not make the slightest difference to Brexit negotiations, the international development secretary has said.

Rory Stewart called on parties to reach across the political divide and compromise to get the Prime Ministers Brexit deal through so that the country can move on to dealing with issues such as climate change, international development and housing.

He said that the problem is not the Prime Minister but Brexit itself, which has left the country split absolutely down the middle.

Mrs Mays Withdrawal Agreement Bill (WAB) will be brought to the Commons for the fourth time in early June.

Really proud to be in East Kilbride this morning with our @DFID_UK headquarters - everything from a great Scottish role in UK development to brave and important work on Syria. Thank you pic.twitter.com/XcnbDNoy0S  Rory Stewart (@RoryStewartUK) May 16, 2019

Asked whether it would pass, Mr Stewart told the Press Association: I think literally anybody who pretends they can prophesy what is going to happen with Brexit is fooling you.

The reality is that it seems to be checkmate in every direction.

International Development Secretary Rory Stewart said the Prime Ministers deal is a good package (Victoria Jones/PA)

My instinct is weve just got to get this through by hook or by crook, theres got to be some way of driving this thing through because this is not good for business, its not good for citizens.

Were stuck in a kind of limbo, people voted to leave, some people disagree with that, I voted to remain but in the end the majority voted to leave and we have to get on and deliver that

Im arguing about getting this deal done so that we can move on to other things, to the climate, to the environment, to international development, to sorting out housing in the United Kingdom.

He said the deal was a skilfully negotiated thing and called on other parties to support it.

Mr Stewart was speaking on a visit to the Department for International Development in East Kilbride to meet staff, his first visit since being appointed international development secretary in a reshuffle on May 1, following Gavin Williamsons sacking as defence secretary.

Some senior Tories are demanding Mrs May sets a firm resignation date, however Mr Stewart said he doesnt think this would affect the negotiations.

He said: I dont think the MP setting a date when she is going to leave makes the slightest difference. People said it would be two months ago when she announced that she was stepping down and it didnt help her get votes through the House of Commons.

The problem is not the Prime Minister, the problem is Brexit.

The problem is the country is split absolutely down the middle  Scotland against England , London against the north, young people against old and its a very divided, fractious issue which is why weve got to get it resolved and move on.

Mr Stewart also said that the world is facing a climate cataclysm and has pledged to tackle climate change in his new role.
Royal Bank of Canada operates as a diversified financial service company worldwide. The company's Personal & Commercial Banking segment offers checking and savings accounts, home equity financing, personal lending, private banking, indirect lending, mutual funds and self-directed brokerage accounts, guaranteed investment certificates, credit cards, and payment products and solutions; and lending, leasing, deposit, investment, foreign exchange, cash management, auto dealer financing, trade products, and services to small and medium-sized commercial businesses. This segment offers financial products and services through branches, automated teller machines, and mobile sales network. Its Wealth Management segment provides a suite of advice-based solutions and strategies to high net worth and ultra-high net worth individuals, and institutional clients. The company's Insurance segment offers life, health, home, auto, travel, wealth, annuities, and reinsurance advice and solutions; and creditor and business insurance services to individual, business, and group clients through its field sales force, advice centers, and online, as well as through independent insurance advisors and affinity relationships. Its Investor & Treasury Services segment provides asset, cash management, transaction banking, and treasury services to institutional clients; correspondent banking and trade finance services for financial institutions; and short-term funding and liquidity management services. The company's Capital Markets segment offers corporate and investment banking, as well as equity and debt origination, distribution, sale, and trading services for corporations, institutional investors, asset managers, governments, and central banks. Royal Bank of Canada has a strategic partnership with Royal College Of Physicians & Surgeons Of Canada to support the needs of Canada's medical specialists. The company was founded in 1864 and is headquartered in Toronto, Canada.

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The following companies are subsidiares of Mohawk Industries: A&S Energie NV, A&U Energie NV, Aladdin Manufacturing Corporation, Aladdin Manufacturing Of New York LLC, Aladdin Manufacturing of Alabama LLC, Alsace Logistique S.A., Avelgem Green Power CVBA, Avon Pacific Holdings Ltd, B&M NV, BGE Mexico S. de R. L. de C.V., Berghoef GmbH, Berghoef-Hout B.V., Bienes Raices y Materiales del Centro S. de R.L. de C.V., C.F. Marazzi S.A., Canterbury Spinners Ltd, Carpet Foundation Ltd, Cevotrans BV, Ceramus Bahia S/A  Produtos Ceramicos, DT Mex Holdings LLC, DTM/CM Holdings LLC, Dal Italia LLC, Dal-Elit LLC, Dal-Tile Chile Comercial Limitada, Dal-Tile Colombia S.A.S., Dal-Tile Distribution Inc., Dal-Tile Group Inc., Dal-Tile I LLC, Dal-Tile Industrias S. de R.L. de C.V., Dal-Tile International Inc., Dal-Tile Mexico Comercial S. de R.L. de C.V., Dal-Tile Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Dal-Tile Operaciones Mexico S. De R.L. De C.V., Dal-Tile Peru SRL, Dal-Tile Puerto Rico Inc., Dal-Tile Services Inc., Dal-Tile Shared Services Inc., Dal-Tile Tennessee LLC, Dal-Tile of Canada ULC, Daltile, Daltile, Dekaply NV, Durkan, Dynea NV, Eliane Argentina Sociedad Anonima, Eliane S/A - Revestimentos Ceramicos, Emilceramica India Pvt Ltd., Emilceramica S.r.l, Emilgermany GmbH, Emilgroup Asia Ltd, Explorer S.r.l., F.I.L.S. Investments Unlimited Company, Feltex Carpets Ltd, Feltex Carpets Pty Ltd, Feltex New Zealand Ltd, Fibremakers Australia Pty Ltd, Flooring Foundation Ltd, Flooring Industries Limited S.a r.l., Flooring XL B.V., Floorscape Limited, Godfrey Hirst & Co Pty Ltd, Godfrey Hirst (Singapore) Pte Ltd, Godfrey Hirst Australia Pty Ltd, Godfrey Hirst Group, Godfrey Hirst NZ Ltd, Hytherm (Ireland) Limited, IVC BVBA, IVC Far-East Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., IVC France S.a r.l., IVC GROUP LIMITED, IVC Green Power NV, IVC Group, IVC Group GmbH, IVC Luxembourg S.a r.l., IVC Rus OOO, IVC US Inc., International Flooring Systems S.a r.l., International Vinyl Company - Vostok OOO, KAI Group, KAI Keramica Ltd, KAI Mining EOOD, KERAMA CENTER OOO, Kerama Baltics OOO, Kerama Export OOO, Kerama Marazzi OOO, Kerampromservis (LLC), Khan Asparuh - Transport EOOD, Khan Asparuh AD, Khan Omurtag AD, Koninklijke Peitsman B.V., Kraj Kerama OOO, MG China Trading Ltd., MI Finance SRL, MUD (Holding) Brazil Ltda., Management Co EAD, Marazzi Acquisition S.r.l., Marazzi Deutschland G.m.b.H., Marazzi France Trading S.A.S., Marazzi Group, Marazzi Group F.Z.E., Marazzi Group S.r.l., Marazzi Group Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Marazzi Iberia S.L.U., Marazzi Japan Co. Ltd., Marazzi Middle East FZ LLC, Marazzi Schweiz S.A.G.L., Marazzi UK Ltd., Mohawk Assurance Services Inc., Mohawk Australia Pty Ltd, Mohawk Canada Corporation, Mohawk Capital Finance S.A., Mohawk Capital Luxembourg SA, Mohawk Carpet Distribution Inc., Mohawk Carpet Foundation Inc., Mohawk Carpet LLC, Mohawk Carpet Transportation Of Georgia LLC, Mohawk Commercial Inc., Mohawk ESV Inc., Mohawk Europe BVBA, Mohawk Factoring II Inc., Mohawk Factoring LLC, Mohawk Finance S.a r.l., Mohawk Foreign Acquisitions S.a r.l., Mohawk Foreign Funding S.a.r.l, Mohawk Foreign Holdings S.a r.l., Mohawk Foreign Investments Inc., Mohawk Global Investments S.a r.l., Mohawk Holdings International B.V., Mohawk Industries Inc., Mohawk International (Europe) S.a r.l., Mohawk International (Hong Kong) Limited, Mohawk International Capital N.V., Mohawk International Financing S.a.r.l, Mohawk International Holdings (DE) LLC, Mohawk International Holdings S.a r.l., Mohawk International Luxembourg S.a r.l., Mohawk International Netherlands B.V., Mohawk International Services BVBA, Mohawk KAI Luxembourg Holding S.a r.l., Mohawk KAI Luxembourg S.a r.l., Mohawk Luxembourg Capital S.A., Mohawk Luxembourg Financing S.a r.l., Mohawk Luxembourg Holdings S.a r.l., Mohawk Luxembourg Investments S.a r.l., Mohawk Luxembourg Pacific S.a r.l., Mohawk Marazzi International BV, Mohawk Marazzi Russia BV, Mohawk New Zealand Limited, Mohawk Operaciones Mexicali S. de R.L. de C.V., Mohawk Operations Luxembourg S.a r.l., Mohawk Pacific Investments S.a r.l., Mohawk Resources LLC, Mohawk Servicing LLC, Mohawk Singapore Private Limited, Mohawk Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd, Mohawk Unilin Luxembourg S.a r.l., Mohawk United Finance B.V., Mohawk United International B.V., Mohawk Vinyl Financing S.a r.l., Molber Beheer B.V., Monarch Ceramic Tile Inc., P.F. Onroerend Goed B.V., PF Beheer B.V., Pergo, Pergo (Europe) AB, Pergo Holding BV, Pergo India Pvt Ltd, Polcolorit S.A., Premium Floors Australia Pty Limited, RR Apex LLC, Rata International Pty Ltd, Recubrimientos Interceramica S. de R.L. de C.V., Riverside Textiles Pty Ltd, S.C. KAI Ceramics SRL, Sibir Kerama OOO, SimpleSolutions USA LLC, Soft Step (Australia) Pty Ltd, Spano Group, Spano Invest BVBA, Spano NV, Stroyagromekhzapchast ChaO, Stroytrans OAO Orelstroy, Summit Wool Spinners Ltd, The Flooring Federation Ltd, Tiles Co OOD, Unilin (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Unilin ApS, Unilin Arauco Pisos Ltda., Unilin BVBA, Unilin Beheer BV, Unilin Distribution Ltd., Unilin Distribution Ukraine LLC, Unilin Finland OY, Unilin Flooring India Private Limited, Unilin Flooring SAS, Unilin GmbH, Unilin Holding BVBA, Unilin Insulation BV, Unilin Insulation SAS, Unilin Insulation Sury SAS, Unilin Italia S.R.L., Unilin North America LLC, Unilin Norway AS, Unilin OOO, Unilin Panels SAS, Unilin Poland Sp.Z.o.o., Unilin SAS, Unilin Spain SL, Unilin Swiss GmbH, Unilin s.r.o., World International Inc., Xtratherm, Xtratherm Limited, Xtratherm S.A., and Xtratherm UK Limited.
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.

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Vanguard High Dividend Yield ETF's stock was trading at $75.66 on March 11th, 2020 when Coronavirus (COVID-19) reached pandemic status according to the World Health Organization. Since then, VYM shares have increased by 46.0% and is now trading at $110.46.

View which stocks have been most impacted by COVID-19.
Ashanti Gold Corp. engages in the exploration and development of gold and other mineral properties in Western Africa. Its flagship project is the Kossanto East project covering an area of 66.41 km2 in western Mali. The company was formerly known as Gulf Shores Resources Ltd. and changed its name to Ashanti Gold Corp. in August 2016. Ashanti Gold Corp. was founded in 1993 and is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada.

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HSBC Holdings plc provides banking and financial products and services worldwide. The company operates through Wealth and Personal Banking, Commercial Banking, and Global Banking and Markets segments. The Wealth and Personal Banking segment offers retail banking products and services, such as current and savings accounts, mortgages and personal loans, credit and debit cards, and local and international payment services for ultra high net worth individuals; and wealth management services, including insurance and investment products, global asset management services, investment management, and private wealth solutions. The Commercial Banking segment provides credit and lending, treasury management, payment, cash management, commercial insurance, and investment services, as well as commercial cards, and international trade and receivables finance services; and foreign exchange products, and capital raising and advisory services to small and medium sized enterprises, mid-market enterprises, and corporates. The Global Banking and Markets segment is involved in the provision of financing, advisory, and transaction services, including credit, rates, foreign exchange, equities, money markets, and securities services, as well as principal investment activities to government, corporate and institutional clients, and private investors. The Global Private Banking segment provides a range of services to high net worth individuals and families with complex and international needs. HSBC Holdings plc was founded in 1865 and is headquartered in London, the United Kingdom.

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First BanCorp (Puerto Rico) is a holding company, which engages in the provision of personal, commercial, and corporate banking services through its subsidiaries. It operates through the following segments: Commercial and Corporate Banking, Consumer (Retail) Banking, Mortgage Banking, Treasury and Investments, United States Operations, and Virgin Islands Operations. The Commercial and Corporate Banking segment consists of the company's lending and other services for large customers represented by specialized and middle-market clients and the public sector. The Consumer (Retail) Banking segment includes consumer lending and deposit-taking activities conducted mainly through FirstBank's branch network in Puerto Rico. The Mortgage Banking segment focuses on the origination, sale, and servicing of a variety of residential mortgage loan products and related hedging activities. The Treasury and Investments segment deals with treasury and investment management functions. The United States Operations segment represents all banking activities conducted by FirstBank on the United States mainland. The Virgin Islands Operations segment includes all banking activities conducted by FirstBank in

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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.

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The following companies are subsidiares of Abbott Laboratories: 3A Nutrition (Vietnam) Company Limited, ABON Biopharm (Hangzhou) Co. Ltd., AGA Medical Belgium, AGA Medical Corporation, AGA Medical Holdings Inc., ALR Holdings, AML Medical LLC, APK Advanced Medical Technologies LLC, ATS Bermuda Holdings Limited, ATS Laboratories Inc., Abbott, Abbott (Jiaxing) Nutrition Co. Ltd., Abbott (UK) Finance Limited, Abbott (UK) Holdings Limited, Abbott AG, Abbott Asia Holdings Limited, Abbott Asia Investments Limited, Abbott Australasia Holdings Limited, Abbott Australasia Pty Ltd, Abbott B.V., Abbott Bahamas Overseas Businesses Corporation, Abbott Belgian Investments, Abbott Bermuda Holding Ltd., Abbott Biologicals B.V., Abbott Biologicals LLC, Abbott Bulgaria Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Capital India Limited, Abbott Cardiovascular Inc., Abbott Cardiovascular Systems Inc., Abbott Delaware LLC, Abbott Diabetes Care Inc., Abbott Diabetes Care Limited, Abbott Diabetes Care Sales Corporation, Abbott Diagnostics GmbH, Abbott Diagnostics International Ltd., Abbott Diagnostics Technologies AS, Abbott Doral Investments S.L., Abbott Equity Holdings Unlimited, Abbott Equity Investments LLC, Abbott Established Products Holdings (Gibraltar) Limited, Abbott Finance Company SA, Abbott Financial Holdings SRL, Abbott France S.A.S., Abbott Fund Tanzania Limited, Abbott Gesellschaft m.b.H., Abbott GmbH & Co. KG, Abbott Health Products LLC, Abbott Healthcare (Puerto Rico) Ltd., Abbott Healthcare B.V., Abbott Healthcare Costa Rica S.A., Abbott Healthcare LLC, Abbott Healthcare Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Healthcare Private Limited, Abbott Healthcare Products B.V., Abbott Healthcare Products Ltd, Abbott Holding (Gibraltar) Limited, Abbott Holding GmbH, Abbott Holding Subsidiary (Gibraltar) Limited, Abbott Holding Subsidiary (Gibraltar) Limited Luxembourg S.C.S., Abbott Holdings B.V., Abbott Holdings LLC, Abbott Holdings Limited, Abbott Holdings Poland Spoka z ograniczona odpowiedzialnoscia, Abbott Hungary Korlatolt Felelossegu Tarsasag, Abbott Iberian Investments (2) Limited, Abbott Iberian Investments Limited, Abbott India Limited, Abbott Informatics Asia Pacific Limited, Abbott Informatics Canada Inc, Abbott Informatics Corporation, Abbott Informatics Europe Limited, Abbott Informatics France, Abbott Informatics Germany GmbH, Abbott Informatics Netherlands B.V., Abbott Informatics Singapore Pte. Limited, Abbott Informatics Spain S.A., Abbott Informatics Technologies Ltd, Abbott International Corporation, Abbott International Enterprises Ltd., Abbott International Holdings Limited, Abbott International LLC, Abbott International Luxembourg S.ar.l., Abbott Investments Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Ireland, Abbott Ireland Financing Designated Activity Company, Abbott Ireland Limited, Abbott Japan Co. Ltd., Abbott Kazakhstan Limited Liability Partnership, Abbott Knoll Investments B.V., Abbott Korea Limited, Abbott Laboratories (Bangladesh) Limited, Abbott Laboratories (Chile) Holdco (Dos) SpA, Abbott Laboratories (Chile) Holdco SpA, Abbott Laboratories (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Abbott Laboratories (Mozambique) Limitada, Abbott Laboratories (Pakistan) Limited, Abbott Laboratories (Philippines), Abbott Laboratories (Puerto Rico) Incorporated, Abbott Laboratories (Singapore) Private Limited, Abbott Laboratories A/S, Abbott Laboratories Argentina Sociedad Anonima, Abbott Laboratories B.V., Abbott Laboratories C.A., Abbott Laboratories Finance B.V., Abbott Laboratories GmbH, Abbott Laboratories Inc., Abbott Laboratories International LLC, Abbott Laboratories Ireland Limited, Abbott Laboratories Limited, Abbott Laboratories Limited - Laboratoires Abbott Limitee, Abbott Laboratories NZ Limited, Abbott Laboratories Pacific Ltd., Abbott Laboratories Poland Spoka z ograniczona odpowiedzialnoscia, Abbott Laboratories Products B.V., Abbott Laboratories Residential Development Fund Inc., Abbott Laboratories S.A., Abbott Laboratories SA, Abbott Laboratories Services Corp., Abbott Laboratories Slovakia s.r.o., Abbott Laboratories South Africa (Pty) Ltd., Abbott Laboratories Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Abbott Laboratories Trustee Company Limited, Abbott Laboratories Uruguay S.A., Abbott Laboratories Vascular Enterprises, Abbott Laboratories d.o.o., Abbott Laboratories de Chile Limitada, Abbott Laboratories de Colombia S.A., Abbott Laboratories de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Abbott Laboratories druzba za farmacijo in diagnostiko d.o.o., Abbott Laboratories s.r.o., Abbott Laboratories(Hellas) Societe Anonyme, Abbott Laboratorios S.A., Abbott Laboratorios S.A., Abbott Laboratorios del Ecuador Cia. Ltda., Abbott Laboratuarlari Ithalat Ihracat ve Ticaret Ltd.Sti, Abbott Laboratorios Lda, Abbott Laboratorios do Brasil Ltda., Abbott Limited Egypt LLC, Abbott Logistics B.V., Abbott Management GmbH, Abbott Management LLC, Abbott Manufacturing Singapore Private Limited, Abbott Mature Products International Unlimited Company, Abbott Mature Products Management Limited, Abbott Medical (Hong Kong) Limited, Abbott Medical (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Abbott Medical (Portugal) Distribuicao de Produtos Medicos Lda, Abbott Medical (Schweiz) AG, Abbott Medical (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Abbott Medical (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., Abbott Medical (Thailand) Co. Ltd., Abbott Medical Australia Pty. Ltd., Abbott Medical Austria Ges.m.b.H., Abbott Medical Balkan d.o.o. Beograd (Novi Beograd), Abbott Medical Belgium, Abbott Medical Canada Inc./ Medicale Abbott Canada Inc., Abbott Medical Danmark A/S, Abbott Medical Devices Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Abbott Medical Espana S.A., Abbott Medical Estonia OU, Abbott Medical Finland Oy, Abbott Medical France SAS, Abbott Medical GmbH, Abbott Medical Hellas Limited Liability Trading Company, Abbott Medical Ireland Limited, Abbott Medical Italia S.p.A., Abbott Medical Japan Co. Ltd., Abbott Medical Korea Limited, Abbott Medical Korlatolt Felelossegu Tarsasag, Abbott Medical Laboratories LTD, Abbott Medical Nederland B.V., Abbott Medical New Zealand Limited, Abbott Medical Norway AS, Abbott Medical Overseas Cyprus Limited, Abbott Medical Sweden AB, Abbott Medical Taiwan Co., Abbott Medical U.K. Limited, Abbott Medical spoka z ograniczona odpowiedzialnoscia, Abbott Middle East S.A.R.L., Abbott Molecular Inc., Abbott Morocco SARL, Abbott Nederland C.V., Abbott Nederland Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Netherlands Investments B.V., Abbott Norge AS, Abbott Nutrition Limited, Abbott Nutrition Manufacturing Inc., Abbott Operations Singapore Pte. Ltd., Abbott Operations Uruguay S.R.L., Abbott Overseas Cyprus Limited, Abbott Overseas Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Overseas S.A., Abbott Oy, Abbott Point of Care Canada Limited, Abbott Point of Care Inc., Abbott Poland Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Procurement LLC, Abbott Products (Philippines) Inc., Abbott Products (Spain) S.L., Abbott Products Algerie EURL, Abbott Products B.V., Abbott Products Distribution SAS, Abbott Products Egypt LLC, Abbott Products Limited, Abbott Products Limited Liability Company, Abbott Products Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Products Operations AG, Abbott Products Operations LLC, Abbott Products Romania S.R.L., Abbott Products Tunisie S.A.R.L., Abbott Products Unlimited Company, Abbott Resources Inc., Abbott Resources International Inc., Abbott S.r.l., Abbott Saudi Arabia Trading Company, Abbott Scandinavia Aktiebolag, Abbott Sociedad Anonima de Capital Variable, Abbott South Africa Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Strategic Opportunities Limited, Abbott Trading Company Inc., Abbott Universal LLC, Abbott Vascular Devices (2) Limited, Abbott Vascular Devices Limited, Abbott Vascular Inc., Abbott Vascular Instruments Deutschland GmbH, Abbott Vascular International, Abbott Vascular Japan Co. Ltd, Abbott Vascular Limitada, Abbott Vascular Netherlands B.V., Abbott Vascular Solutions Inc., Abbott Ventures Inc., Abbott West Indies Limited, Abbott drustvo sa ogranicenom odgovornoscu za trgovinu i usluge, Advanced Neuromodulation Systems Inc., Alere, Alere (Shanghai) Diagnostics Co. Ltd., Alere (Shanghai) Healthcare Management Co. Ltd., Alere (Shanghai) Medical Sales Co. Ltd., Alere (Shanghai) Technology Co. Ltd., Alere A/S, Alere AB, Alere AS, Alere AS Holdings Limited, Alere BBI Holdings Limited, Alere Bangladesh Limited, Alere China Co. Ltd., Alere Colombia S.A., Alere Connect LLC, Alere Connected Health Limited, Alere Connected Health Ltd., Alere Diagnostics GmbH, Alere DoA Holding GmbH, Alere GmbH, Alere GmbH (Austria), Alere GmbH (Germany), Alere HK Holdings Ltd., Alere Health B.V., Alere Health BVBA, Alere Health Corp., Alere Health Sdn Bhd, Alere Health Services B.V., Alere Healthcare (Pty) Limited, Alere Healthcare Connections Limited, Alere Healthcare Inc., Alere Healthcare Nigeria Limited, Alere Healthcare S.L., Alere Holdco Inc., Alere Holding GmbH, Alere Holdings Bermuda Limited, Alere Holdings Pty Limited, Alere Home Monitoring Inc., Alere Inc., Alere Informatics Inc., Alere International Holding Corp., Alere International Limited, Alere Lda, Alere Limited, Alere Limited (New Zealand), Alere Medical BVBA, Alere Medical Co. Ltd., Alere Medical Pakistan (Private) Limited, Alere Medical Private Limited, Alere North America LLC, Alere Oy Ab, Alere Philippines Inc., Alere Phoenix ACQ Inc., Alere Pte Ltd, Alere S.A., Alere S.r.l., Alere S/A, Alere SAS, Alere San Diego Inc., Alere Scarborough Inc., Alere Spain S.L., Alere Switzerland GmbH, Alere Technologies GmbH, Alere Technologies Holdings Limited, Alere Technologies Limited, Alere Toxicology AB, Alere Toxicology Inc., Alere Toxicology S.r.l., Alere Toxicology Services Inc., Alere Toxicology plc, Alere UK Holdings Limited, Alere UK Subco Limited, Alere ULC, Alere US Holdings LLC, Alere s.r.o., Alisoc Investment & Co, Amedica Biotech Inc., Ameditech Inc., American Generics S.A.S., American Medical Supplies Inc., American Pharmacist Inc., Antares S.A., Apica Cardiovascular Limited, Aquagestion Capacitacion S.A., Aquagestion S.A., Arriva Medical LLC, Arriva Medical Philippines Inc., Arvis Investments Limited, Atlas Farmaceutica S.A., Avee Laboratories Inc., Axis-Shield AD III AS, Axis-Shield AD IV AS, Axis-Shield AS, Axis-Shield Diagnostics Limited, Axis-Shield Ltd., BBI Animal Health Limited, BBI Diagnostics Group 2 Public Limited Company, Banco de Vida S.A., Bioabsorbable Vascular Solutions Inc., Bioalgae S.A., Biohealth LLC, Biosite Incorporated, Bosque Bonito S.A., Branan Medical Corporation, Brandex Europe C.V., British Colloids Limited, CFR Chile S.A., CFR Interamericas EL Salvador Sociedad Anonima de Capital Variable, CFR Interamericas Nicaragua Sociedad Anonima, CFR Interamericas Panama S.A., CFR Pharmaceuticals, California Property Holdings III LLC, CardioMEMS LLC, Caripharm Inc., Cephea Valve Technologies, Cephea Valve Technologies Inc., Colibri Medical Aktiebolag, Comercializadora y Distribuidora CFR Interamericas Honduras S.A., Concateno South Limited, Concateno UK Limited, Consorcio Tecnologico en Biomedicina Clinico-Molecular S.A., Continuum Services LLC, Cozart Limited, Dextech S.A., Diagnostik Nord GmbH, Distribuciones Uquifa S.A.S., Domesco Medical Import-Export Joint-Stock Corporation, Duphar International Research B.V., Endocardial Solutions, Epocal (US) Inc, Esprit de Vie S.A., European Chemicals & Co, European Drug Testing Service EDTS AB, European Services S.A., Evalve Inc., Evalve International Inc., FARMINDUSTRIA S.A., Fada Pharma Paraguay Sociedad Anonima, Fadapharma del Ecuador S.A., Farmaceutica Mont Blanc S.L., Farmacologia Em Aquicultura Veterinaria Ltda., Farmacologia en Aquacultura Veterinaria FAV Ecuador S.A., Farmacologia en Aquacultura Veterinaria FAV S.A., Fernwood Investment S.A., First Check Diagnostics LLC, Focus Pharmaceutical S.A.S., Forensics Limited, Forestcreek Overseas S.A., Fournier Pharma Corp., Fournier Pharma GmbH, Fournier Pharmaceuticals Limited, Framed B.V., Gabmed GmbH, Garden Hills LLC, Global Analytical Development LLC, Globapharm & CO LP, Glomed Pharmaceutical Company Limited, Golnorth Investments S.A., Gynocare Limited, Gynopharm Sociedad Anonima, Gynopharm de Centroamerica S.A., Gynopharm de Venezuela C.A., Hi-Tronics Designs Inc., IDEV Technologies Inc., IG Innovations Limited, IMTC Finance B.V., IMTC Holdings B.V., IMTC Technologies Inc., Ibis Biosciences LLC, Igloo Zone Chile S.A., Igloo Zone S.L., Inmobiliaria Naknek S.A.C., Innovacon Inc., Instant Tech Subsidiary Acquisition Inc., Instant Technologies Inc., Instituto de Criopreservacion de Chile S.A., Integrated Vascular Systems Inc., Inverness Canadian Acquisition Corporation, Inverness Medical (Beijing) Co. Ltd., Inverness Medical Innovations Australia Pty Ltd., Inverness Medical Innovations Hong Kong Limited, Inverness Medical Innovations SK LLC, Inverness Medical Investments LLC, Inverness Medical LLC, Inverness Medical Shimla Private Limited, Inversiones K2 SpA, Inversiones Komodo S.R.L., Ionian Technologies LLC, Irvine Biomedical Inc., Kalila Medical, Kangshenyunga S.A., Knoll UK Investments Unlimited, LLC VeroInPharm, Laboratoires Fournier S.A.S., Laboratorio Franco Colombiano Lafrancol S.A.S., Laboratorio Franco Colombiano del Ecuador S.A., Laboratorio Internacional Argentino S.A., Laboratorio Synthesis S.A.S., Laboratorios Lafi Limitada, Laboratorios Naturmedik S.A.S., Laboratorios Pauly Pharmaceutical S.A.S., Laboratorios Recalcine S.A., Laboratorios Transpharm S.A., Laboratory Specialists of America Inc., Lafrancol Dominicana S.A.S., Lafrancol Guatemala S.A. Sociedad Anonima, Lafrancol Internacional S.A.S, Lafrancol Peru S.R.L, Lake Forest Investments LLC, Lightlab Imaging Inc., Limited Liability Company Abbott Laboratories, Limited Liability Company Abbott Ukraine, Limited Liability Company VEROPHARM, Lung Fung Hong (China) Limited, Mansbridge Pharmaceuticals Limited, MediGuide LLC, MediGuide Ltd., Medscreen Holdings Limited, Metropolitana Farmaceutica S.A., Midwest Properties LLC, Murex Argentina S.A., Murex Biotech Limited, Murex Biotech South Africa, Murex Diagnostics Inc., Murex Diagnostics International Inc., Natural Supplement Association LLC, Negocios Denia Sociedad Anonima, Neosalud S.A.C., Nether Pharma N.P. C.V., NeuroTherm LLC, Normann Pharma-Handels GmbH, North Shore Properties Inc., Novamedi S.A., Novasalud.com S.A., Nutravida S.A., OJSC Voronezhkhimpharm, Omnilab Iberia Sociedad Limitada, OptiMedica, Orgenics France SAS, Orgenics International Holdings B.V., Orgenics Ltd., PBM-Selfcare LLC, PDD II LLC, PDD LLC, PT Alere Health, PT. Abbott Indonesia, PT. Abbott Products Indonesia, Pacesetter Inc., Pantech (RF) (PTY) LTD, Pembrooke Occupational Health Inc., Penagos S.A., Pharma International Sociedad Anonima, Pharmaceutical Technologies (Pharmatech) S.A., Pharmatech Boliviana S.A., Polygon Labs S.A., Quality Assured Services Inc., RF Medical Holdings LLC, RTL Holdings Inc., Ramses Business Corp., Recben Xenerics Farmaceutica Limitada, Redwood Toxicology Laboratory Inc., Rich Horizons International Limited, SC VEROPHARM, SJ Medical Mexico S de R.L. de C.V., SJM International Inc., SJM Thunder Holding Company, SPDH Inc., Saboya Enterprises Corporation, Salviac Limited, Scanax AS, Sealing Solutions Inc., Selfcare Technology Inc., Shandong Abbott Dairy Product Co. Ltd., Shanghai Abbott Medical Devices Science and Technology Co. Ltd., Shanghai Abbott Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., Shanghai Si Fa Pharmaceutical Company Limited, Sinensix & Co., Spinal Modulation LLC, St. Jude Medical, St. Jude Medical AB, St. Jude Medical ATG Inc., St. Jude Medical Argentina S.A., St. Jude Medical Asia Pacific Holdings GK, St. Jude Medical Atrial Fibrillation Division Inc., St. Jude Medical Brasil Ltda., St. Jude Medical Business Services Inc., St. Jude Medical Cardiology Division Inc., St. Jude Medical Colombia Ltda., St. Jude Medical Coordination Center, St. Jude Medical Costa Rica Limitada, St. Jude Medical Europe Inc., St. Jude Medical Export Ges.m.b.H., St. Jude Medical GVA Sarl, St. Jude Medical Holdings B.V., St. Jude Medical India Private Limited, St. Jude Medical International Holding, St. Jude Medical LLC, St. Jude Medical Luxembourg, St. Jude Medical Luxembourg Holdings II, St. Jude Medical Luxembourg Holdings NT, St. Jude Medical Luxembourg Holdings SMI S.a r.l., St. Jude Medical Luxembourg Holdings TC S.a r.l., St. Jude Medical Mexico Business Services S. de R.L. de C.V., St. Jude Medical Middle East DMCC, St. Jude Medical Operations (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., St. Jude Medical Puerto Rico LLC, St. Jude Medical S.C. Inc., St. Jude Medical Systems AB, St. Jude Medical Turkey Medikal Urunler Ticaret Limited Sirketi, Standard Diagnostics Inc., Standing Stone LLC, Swan-Myers Incorporated, TC1 LLC, Tendyne Holdings Inc., Tendyne Medical Inc., Thoratec Delaware LLC, Thoratec Europe Limited, Thoratec LLC, Thoratec Switzerland GmbH, Tobal Products Incorporated, Topera GmbH in Liquidation, Topera Inc., Tremora S.A., Tuenir S.A., TwistDx, UAB Abbott Laboratories, UAB Abbott Medical Lithuania, Union-Madison Realty Company Inc., Unipath Limited (dba Alere International/aka Cranfield), Unipath Management Limited, Unipath Pension Trustee Limited, Veropharm, Veropharm Limited Liability Partnership, Vida Cell Inversiones S.A., Vida Cell S.A., Vivalsol, W&R Pharma Handels GmbH, Western Pharmaceuticals S.A., X Technologies Inc., Yissum Holding Limited, ZonePerfect Nutrition Company, eScreen Canada ULC, eScreen Inc.,      ( ), and Abbott Laboratories Baltics.
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..
DTE Energy Co. operates as a diversified energy company, which engages in the provision of electricity and natural gas sales, distribution and storage services. It operates through the following segments: Electric, Gas, Non-Utility Operations, and Corporate & Other. The Electric segment engages in the generation, purchase, distribution and sale of electricity to residential, commercial and industrial customers in south-eastern Michigan. The Gas segment engages in the purchase, storage, transportation, distribution and sale of natural gas to residential, commercial and industrial customers throughout Michigan and the sale of storage and transportation capacity. The Non-Utility Operations segment engages in gas storage and pipelines, power and industrial projects, and energy trading. The Corporate & Other includes various holding company activities, holds certain non-utility debt, and holds energy-related investments. The company was founded in January 1995 and is headquartered in Detroit, MI.

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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.
Xcel Energy, Inc. operates as a holding company, which engages in the generation, purchase, transmission, distribution and sale of electricity. It operates through the following three segments: Regulated Electric Utility, Regulated Natural Gas Utility and All Others. The Regulated Electric Utility segment generates, transmits and distributes electricity primarily in portions of generates, transmits and distributes electricity in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, North Dakota, South Dakota, Colorado, Texas and New Mexico. In addition, this segment includes sales for resale and provides wholesale transmission service to various entities in the United States. It also includes commodity trading operations. The Regulated Natural Gas Utility segment transports, stores, and distributes natural gas primarily in portions of Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota, Michigan and Colorado. The All Others segment engages in steam, appliance repair services, nonutility real estate activities, processing solid waste into refuse-derived fuel and investments in rental housing projects that qualify for low-income housing tax credits. The company was founded in 1909 and is headquartered in Minneapolis, MN.

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The Bridge Progressive Arts Initiative and The Fralin Museum of Art at the University of Virginia are teaming up with the Queen Charlotte Society to present the fifth annual Queen Charlotte Day from 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday at The Bridge at 209 Monticello Road.

Expect music, poetry, art, cupcakes and a sense of community. Attire is casual or royal; crowns are welcome.

Charlottesville gets its name from Queen Charlotte, wife of King George III. She was a patron of the arts, an amateur botanist and a supporter of orphanages and hospitals. The event is for all ages.

The queen had African ancestry through the Portuguese side of her family, so the event offers an opportunity to celebrate black women throughout world history and in the life of Charlottesville. For details, go to thebridgepai.org.

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The FBIs 2017 hate crime report did not include Heyers death or any of the injuries caused by Fields; only one later incident, a simple assault, was reported in Charlottesville.

I would like it, as part of the record, stated that Heather was killed primarily because Mr. Fields was aiming to kill someone who he thought was black, Bro testified. He drove into a crowd to kill people [who were there] in support of Black Lives Matter.

In her prepared testimony, Bro said it was imperative that Congress address underreporting of hate crime through legislation and that doing so would be a unifying first step.

What I would ask of the FBI is, why? she asked. What is your reason for what has been termed a lackadaisical attitude? Why are you not fulfilling that dream of being that gold standard? Why are you allowing your edges to become tattered?

Bro also frequently stressed that anti-racism efforts should not focus on her or her daughter.

I have been given a huge platform  because Im white, and many black parents lose their children, many Muslim parents lose their children, Jewish parents lose their children, and nobody pays attention. And because we have this myth of the sacredness of the white female, Ive been given a platform, so Im going to use that platform to keep drawing attention back to where the issues are.

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A March police chase that ended with a car crash, an escape and the discovery of firearms and marijuana led to the arrest of a man in Albemarle County this week, according to the Virginia State Police.

Courtney Teyon Howard, 28, whose residence is listed in court records as Staunton, was arrested Monday on 11 counts related to the chase and subsequent search of his residence.

The charges include two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm and one count each of felony eluding police, possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, possessing or receiving a stolen firearm and removing the serial number on a firearm.

He also faces charges of being a felon in possession of ammunition, driving with an open container of alcohol, driving with a suspended or revoked license, failure to stop at the scene of an accident and failure to obey highway signs.

He is currently being held at the Albemarle-Charlottesville Regional Jail pending a June 6 bond hearing.
Supervisor Ann H. Mallek said she wanted the requirements for the special exceptions to be more specific.

If you have a tiny little piece of property, its going to impact tremendously whether you can meet parking requirements and circulation and emergency access and any number of different things, she said.

Later this year, the county will start a second phase of consideration that will look at how to evaluate whether an agricultural operation is a primary use devoted to the bona fide production of crops, animals or fowl for the purpose of qualifying for events and what the meaning of farm to table dinners is, as related to allowed events.

I think in phase two we can see if there are more specific special exception criteria that are applicable, said Amelia McCulley, the countys director of zoning. We dont really have enough experience to know yet, because we havent had any, and I think were going to learn as we go.

During the public hearing, Sean Tubbs, with the Piedmont Environmental Council, and Morgan Butler, with the Southern Environmental Law Center, both said they support the changes.

We want agriculture operations to be successful, but as we will hear more in the second phase of this exercise, theres still work to be done to make sure that we dont have people calling themselves farms just to hold events, Tubbs said.

Allison Wrabel is a reporter for The Daily Progress. Contact her at (434) 978-7261, awrabel@dailyprogress.com or @craftypanda on Twitter.

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His buildings added elegance to landscapes worldwide with their powerful geometric shapes and grand spaces. Among them are the striking steel and glass Bank of China skyscraper in Hong Kong and the Fragrant Hill Hotel near Beijing. His work spanned decades, starting in the late 1940s and continuing through the new millennium. Two of his last major projects, the Museum of Islamic Art, located on an artificial island just off the waterfront in Doha, Qatar, and the Macau Science Center, in China, opened in 2008 and 2009.

Pei painstakingly researched each project, studying its use and relating it to the environment. But he also was interested in architecture as art  and the effect he could create.

"At one level my goal is simply to give people pleasure in being in a space and walking around it," he said. "But I also think architecture can reach a level where it influences people to want to do something more with their lives. That is the challenge that I find most interesting."
They knew how important it was for us to be involved, Runion said.

That trait, he said, has translated to success at his Harrisonburg business, Eddie Edwards Signs, which he has owned since 1991.

Weve been successful because we have a great team here.  Something I have been very proud of, Runion said. Weve gone from four employees to about 30.

The 60-year-old, who this year will mark his 39th year of marriage to his wife, Jennifer, has deep roots in the Valley, with his family coming to the region before 1800. He stayed west of the Blue Ridge for his education, earning an accounting degree at Virginia Tech and later an MBA from James Madison University.

We moved to Bridgewater when we got married, Runion said. We both said western Virginia is a special place, and I feel blessed and privileged to live here. Im pleased to say we live three miles from where we started out.

He is as unabashed about his conservative Republican beliefs as he is about the feelings he has for the region hes called home all his life.
Journalist Leslie Cockburn, who became the eventual Democratic nominee after securing the most delegates, had favored caucusing, which tends to put an emphasis on grassroots organizing rather than advertising.

Roger Dean Huffstetler, another 5th District Democratic hopeful, had supported a primary election during early committee discussions. Despite raising more than $1 million in campaign funds prior to the May 2018 convention, Huffstetler ended up securing the third-most delegates, falling behind Cockburn and Andrew Sneathern.

The fourth candidate  Charlottesville native Ben Cullop  withdrew from the race after not securing any delegates during the first week of district caucuses. However, after Cockburn lost the November general election to Republican Congressman Denver Riggleman, she pledged to support Cullop in 2020.

Only Huffstetler has announced his intentions to run for the 2020 Democratic nomination, pledging to foster economic opportunities in the sprawling 5th District.

Riggleman, who took office in January, has not yet announced whether he plans to seek re-election.

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Briefly suspending their warnings about the rising tide of socialism, a large majority of Senate Republicans recently joined with almost all their Democratic colleagues in affirming the essence of socialism, which is government allocation of capital. The Senate's revival of the Export-Import Bank is a redundant reminder that the rhetorical discord between the parties exaggerates their actual differences.

The Ex-Im Bank has been reauthorized 16 times since it was created in 1934 as a filigree on the New Deal's overarching project of politicizing the allocation of financial resources. The reauthorization requirement is a way of pretending to refute Ronald Reagan's axiom that there is nothing as immortal as a temporary government program, because programs acquire "reliance interests" the way a ship acquires barnacles.

Between 2015 and the Senate's recent confirmation of three board members, Ex-Im has been without a quorum and hence unable to approve guarantees of large loans (those over $10 million). So, we have had a sustained test of the theory that Ex-Im is vital to U.S. exporting in general, and to the few giant corporations that get the lion's share of benefits from Ex-Im's subsidies of foreign entities. The theory has been slain by many facts.
Nurses are often the first people patients see when visiting hospitals. According to the United States Department of Health and Human Services Health Resources Services Administration, there were 2.8 million registered nurses, including advanced practice RNs, and 690,000 licensed practical nurses, or LPNs, in the United States between the years of 2008 and 2010.

Nurses fill many roles in the medical community, assisting doctors and helping to make in-patient stays more comfortable for men and women who are ill or injured. Specialized nurses, such as nurse practitioners, may even serve as the primary healthcare provider, offering diagnoses and writing prescriptions.

While there is a specific week set aside to show appreciation to nurses, many people agree that they deserve recognition throughout the year. Any instance is a good time to give back to nurses, and the following are a few ways to honor the nurses in your life.

* Play caretaker to him or her. Nurses tend to the needs of others all the time, but some nurses do not get the respite they deserve. Those who want to show appreciation to a nurse who has helped them in their lives can present the nurse with a gift card for a massage and soothing spa treatment.

* Cater a meal. Offer to cater a meal at the hospital or medical office so that all nurses on staff can benefit. If there is one nurse in particular you want to treat, give that nurse a gift card to a nearby restaurant.

* Provide foot relief. Nurses spend hours on their feet, and that can cause pain or stiffness throughout the body. Present a gift card to a store that specializes in comfort shoes or custom orthotics. A certificate for a pedicure or foot massage would no doubt be appreciated as well.

* Create a charmed existence. Charm bracelets are the rage right now, and nurses may appreciate a bracelet that highlights their career path with specific charms. For something they can wear on the job, treat nurses to a Steth-o-CharmTM, which is a charm that slides securely onto stethoscopes. These charms come in many designs and can make for a memorable gift.

* Give a decorative badge reel. Nurses must wear identification or have swipe cards on their person to gain access to areas of hospitals. Many badges are standard items without any flare or style. A colorful or decorative badge reel can be a nice way to brighten up a nurses day.

* Give verbal or handwritten thanks. One of the easiest and most heartfelt ways to show your appreciation to nurses is to simply tell them how you feel. Offer a handwritten note or speak with a nurse in person. Such a simple gesture does not take much effort, but it is bound to make an impact.

Story courtesy of Metro Creative Connection
MG Hector to reportedly get four variants - Style, Super, Smart and Sharp.

MG Hector to reportedly get four variants - Style, Super, Smart and Sharp.

Entry-spec Style variant doesnt get 10.4-inch touchscreen infotainment system or cruise control.

Only top-spec variant gets panoramic sunroof, six airbags, rain-sensing wipers and auto headlamps.

Safety features such as ESP, traction control, vehicle stability management, hill hold control and rear disc brakes offered as standard.

Petrol engine will be available with and without mild-hybrid tech.

Diesel engine will be available with manual transmission only.

Petrol-hybrid powertrain not available on base variant.

Automatic transmission wont be available with petrol-hybrid powertrain.

The MG Hector has been unveiled inside out and now a leaked document has revealed the variant-wise features, powertrain options, and fuel efficiency details. According to the leaked document, Hector will be available in four variants - Style, Super, Smart and Sharp. Bookings are supposed to begin in early June, ahead of its launch in the same month.

The leaked document suggests that both petrol and diesel engines will be on offer across the variant lineup with a manual transmission option. Only the petrol engine will be available with a dual-clutch automatic transmission, that too in top two variants -- Smart and Sharp. MG will offer a 48V mild hybrid system with the Hectors petrol engine in all variants apart from the base Style.

While MG has already revealed the engine output, the leaked document reveals claimed fuel efficiency figures of both the petrol and diesel engine. The petrol engine will reportedly return 14.16kmpl with the manual transmission and 13.96kmpl with the automatic. MG says the 48V mild hybrid setup can increase fuel economy by up to 12 per cent, so we can expect the Hector hybrid to deliver somewhere around 15.5kmpl. For the diesel engine, the fuel efficiency figure mentioned in the leaked document is 17.41kmpl. Heres how the Hector compares against its rivals as far as engine specs are concerned.

Petrol

MG Hector Tata Harrier Jeep Compass Mahindra XUV500 Hyundai Tucson Displacement 1.5-litre NA 1.4-litre 2.2-litre 2.0-litre Max Power 143PS NA 163PS 140PS 155PS Peak Torque 250Nm NA 250Nm 320Nm 192Nm Transmission 6-speed MT/DCT NA 6-speed MT/7-speed DCT 6-speed AT 6-speed MT/6-speed AT ARAI Fuel Efficiency 14.16kmpl / 13.96kmpl NA 14.3kmpl/14.1kmpl 13.85kmpl 13.03kmpl/12.94kmpl

Diesel

MG Hector Tata Harrier Jeep Compass Mahindra XUV500 Hyundai Tucson Displacement 2.0-litre 2.0-litre 2.0-litre 2.0-litre Max Power 170PS 140PS 173PS 155PS 185PS Peak Torque 350Nm 350Nm 350Nm 360Nm 400Nm Transmission 6-speed MT 6-speed MT 6-speed MT 6-speed MT 6-speed MT/6-speed AT ARAI Fuel Efficiency 17.41kmpl 16.79kmpl 17.1kmpl 14kmpl 18.42kmpl/16.38kmpl

Before getting into the variant-wise feature details, heres what will be on offer from the base variant onwards:

Dual front airbags

ABS with EBD and brake assist

Reverse parking sensors

ISOFIX child seat mounts

Electronic stability program and vehicle stability management

Traction control system

Hill hold control

Disc brakes on all four wheels

The variant-wise features as per the leaked doc are as follows:

Hector Style

MG Hector Style is the base-spec variant. It will be equipped with the following features:

Comfort - Fabric seats, rear AC vents, driver armrest and storage space, centre armrest with cupholders in the 60:40 split-folding rear seats, 12V charging ports and rear seat recline.

Audio - 4 speakers for audio system.

Exterior - Roof rails, LED indicators on the ORVMs.

Hector Super

One step above, the Hectors Super variant is better equipped. While the prices will be announced in June, in terms of features, this is the entry-variant one should consider. Heres what it offers over the previous variant:

Safety - Rear parking camera

Exterior - LED tail lamps, LED rear fog lamps, Comfort - Cruise control

Infotainment - 10.4-inch touchscreen infotainment display with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay compatibility, 2 tweeters

Hector Smart

The Smart variant of the Hector is one step below the top variant while being the entry point for the petrol-automatic option. It offers the following features over the previous variants:

Safety - Side airbags for a total of four.

Comfort - Power folding ORVMs, 7-inch MID on the instrument cluster, tyre pressure monitoring system, leather seats, a six-way power-adjustable driver seat, push-button start-stop and electronic parking brake (AT only)

Exterior - 17-inch machine-cut alloys

Audio - 8 speakers and a subwoofer

Technology - e-SIM internet connectivity with remote car operation

Hector Sharp

This is the top-spec variant of the MG Hector mid-size SUV with all the bells and whistles. Heres everything the upcoming Harrier rival has to offer on top of the previous variants:

Safety - Six airbags.

Comfort - Four-way power adjustable front passenger seat, panoramic sunroof, sunglass holder, heated ORVMs, rain-sensing wipers, an eight-colour mood lighting, auto headlamps and a 360-degree surround view camera.

The MG Hector will face off against the likes of the Tata Harrier, Jeep Compass, Mahindra XUV500 and Hyundai Tucson too. It is expected to be priced between Rs 15 lakh to Rs 20 lakh.

Source

Disclaimer: This article has not been edited by Deccan Chronicle and is taken from a syndicated feed. Photos: CarDekho.
The company has divided its energy space business into two segments -- energy storage and mobility solutions.

New Delhi: Diversified technology firm Panasonic India is betting big on its energy-related business and expecting to clock around Rs 700 crore in revenue by 2021 from this vertical, said a top company official.

The company has divided its energy space business into two segments -- energy storage and mobility solutions, Panasonic President and CEO Manish Sharma said.

Panasonic on Wednesday introduced its smart electric vehicle charging service 'Nymbus' to tap emerging opportunities in the mobility sector.

"This is a very important segment for us. Over all, from all energy related business by 2021, we are looking at a revenue of Rs 700 crore," Sharma told PTI.

According to him: "The market opportunity would be around Rs 5,000 crore by then. This would include battery energy and electric charging business."

Nymbus is a charging service that combines charging stations, swap stations, on board charges, telematics systems and the virtual components like cloud service, analytics, intuitive dashboard and artificial intelligence.

The company has presently introduced Nymbus in Delhi NCR region and is currently available for two and three-wheelers only.

Panasonic has plans to expand charing solutions for other vehicle categories and to expand to 7-8 cities in the next three years.

"We have currently deployed our solutions in Delhi NCR. We aim to expand to 25 cities in the next five years targeting approximately one million vehicles," said Panasonic India Head Energy Systems Division Atul Arya.

As part of the first phase, Panasonic has partnered with electric mobility service providers' SmartE and qQuick, wherein Panasonic will be deploying the EV charging service on 150 SmartE electric three-wheelers and on 25 Quick 2-wheelers in the Delhi NCR region.

Panasonic is also expanding its storage battery system, which is based on Lithium Ion battery.

"This business is going on with reasonable pace, in line with the the rate of adoption which is happening in our country," he said adding that such adoptions is happening in the areas of telecom towers and ATMs.

"I believe that in the next three years, it would have rapid expansion in critical applications, where diesel gensets are used such as hospitals, data centres etc," Sharma said.

Panasonic energy business is part of its B2B business in India, which is presently contributing around 25 per cent in its revenues.

The company expects that in the next five years, its B2C and B2B to equally contribute 50:50 in its revenue, Sharma said.
WeWork is at the forefront of a structural shift in how real estate is bought, leased and consumed that will leave behind the landlords and investors who ignore the disruption. (Photo: AFP)

New York: The We Company, parent of workspace provider WeWork, said on Wednesday it has created a USD 2.9 billion real estate investment platform with funding from one of Canadas largest pension funds, building on ties with private equity firm the Rhone Group.

The platform, called ARK, has gained USD 1 billion from Canadas Ivanhoe Cambridge, the property arm of Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec, the Montreal-based company said.

WeWork, founded in 2010, is now New Yorks largest tenant as it leases space from landlords to clients ranging from startups to Fortune 500 companies on a short-term basis.

WeWork is at the forefront of a structural shift in how real estate is bought, leased and consumed that will leave behind the landlords and investors who ignore the disruption, said Jonathan Pearce, and executive vice president at Ivanhoe Cambridge.

WeWork and other flexible workspace providers are creating a new marketplace for real estate and reducing the industrys multiple inefficiencies, he said.

We dont think this is a fad, Pearce said in an interview. Every single aspect of the business is going to change.

ARK marks an evolution in the real estate investment strategy of The We Company, it said in a statement, and will build on an investment advisory group, WeWork Property Advisors, that was established between Rhone and WeWork in 2017.

The WeWork-Rhone venture spearheaded the purchase of the former Lord & Taylor building on Manhattans Fifth Avenue from Canadas Hudsons Bay Co later that year.

ARK will be chaired by Steven Langman, a Rhone co-founder and a board director of The We Company, which will own the majority of the newly formed venture with USD 2.9 billion in equity.

The venture adds another dimension to WeWork that does not compromise the companys balance sheet, said spokesman Dominic McMullan.

ARK will focus on acquiring, developing and managing properties in gateway cities around the world and high-growth secondary cities that will benefit from WeWorks tenant base, it said in the statement.

WeWork, valued at about USD 47 billion in a series of private fundraisings, filed paperwork in April for what could be the largest initial public offering this year after ride-hailing firm Uber Technologies Inc went public last week.
India's bilateral trade with China and the US stood at USD 89.71 billion and USD 74.5 billion, respectively, in 2017-18.

New Delhi: The ongoing trade war between the US and China will help India tap export opportunities in both the countries in areas such as garments, agriculture, automobile and machinery, according to trade experts.

Professor at Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT) Rakesh Mohan Joshi said the US has broadly targeted intermediate components from China, particularly machinery and electronics, whereas China is targeting American automotive and agricultural products including Soybean.

"These areas offer huge opportunities for India. Strong opportunity is unfolding for India in apparel and readymade garments as after China, India is the only country in the world to match the scale of operations and integrate its supply chain for global customers," Joshi said.

He added that India needs to make use of this opportunity to significantly enhance its exports especially in Information and Communications Technology (ICT) and the automotive sector.

"To effectively harness the emerging opportunities, India needs a carefully crafted strategy and its meticulous implementation at the grass-roots level," he said.

Sharing similar views, the Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) said the trade war between the US and China is benefitting India.

FIEO President Ganesh Kumar Gupta said India's exports to the US went up by 11.2 per cent in 2018, while to China it rose 31.4 per cent in the same year.

"China is also more willing than ever before to provide better market access to India on a wide range of agriculture and processed food products. India would be getting better access to Chinese market as China would like to prove to its citizen that the tariff war has little or no impact on it," he said.

The US and China are significantly raising import duties on each others' products. In international commerce parlance, trade war means increasing import duties by trading partners.

Recently, the US increased import duties from 10 per cent to 25 per cent on USD 200 billion worth of Chinese imports. The US is demanding China to reduce the massive trade deficit which last year climbed to over USD 539 billion.

FIEO Director General Ajay Sahai said it is a "God-sent opportunity" for India to seek huge investments from companies located in China.

"All investments in China with prime focus on the US market may seek relocation and India would definitely be the option. There is a need to move aggressively to woo such investors before they are allured by others," Sahai said.

Assistant Professor and expert on agri economics, Chirala Shankar Rao, said India should work on tapping export opportunities in the agriculture sector in both the countries.

"Indian exporters have all the potential to increase agricultural exports in both these countries," Rao added.

Echoing similar views, Ludhiana-based exporter and FIEO former president S C Ralhan said enormous opportunities are there in the engineering and machinery sector in both the countries and "we have to tap that".

Council for Leather Exports Chairman P R Aqeel Ahmed said the trade war will help India increase footwear exports to the US. "India's footwear exports to the US currently is about USD 300 million and Chinese exports to the US is USD 11 billion. Even if we get 10 per cent of this, our exports to the US can grow four times," Ahmed said.

India's bilateral trade with China and the US stood at USD 89.71 billion and USD 74.5 billion, respectively, in 2017-18.
if you are not skilled at managing money, or think that corpus would not be managed well if you receive it all at once, then its better to opt for EPS.

In a recent move, upholding the judgment of the Kerala High Court, the Supreme Court directed the Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) to allow the pension to the employees based on their full salary. Before we dive into the impact of the apex court's decision on the employees, lets check out the EPFO rule that was applicable before the judgment.

EPFO RULE BEFORE THE JUDGMENT

As per earlier the EPFO rule, all employees who qualified for EPF deduction were required to contribute at least 12 per cent of their salary, i.e. basic plus dearness allowance (DA). The employer was also required to make an equal contribution to EPS at the rate of 8.33 per cent of the salary or Rs 1,250 whichever was higher and rest to the employees EPF account. Employers considered a maximum salary up to `15,000 for calculating the EPS amount. So the employers contribution to EPS was restricted to a maximum of Rs 1,250.

WHAT HAS CHANGED NOW?

After the courts ruling, 8.33 per cent of your last drawn salary will go to EPS, if you choose the higher pension option. The pension is calculated as the number of years in service multiplied by last drawn salary and divided by 70. The salary in this context is basic plus DA. Earlier the salary was capped at `15,000 but now the last actual drawn salary will be considered for employees contribution.

Lets unde-rstand this with the help of an example. Suppose a person A was getting a monthly salary (basic + DA alone) of `8,000 in the year 2001-02 and the salary increased at a rate of 12 per cent every year, leading to a current monthly salary of `54,938. According to the earlier EPFO rule, A would have received a pension of `3,857 (as per salary of `15,000/month). But if if A opted for EPS based on the higher salary amount of `54,938, the pension would be `14,127. Employees who want to get a higher pension amount would be required to transfer an additional amount from their EPF account to their EPS account. Therefore, the EPF corpus will be eroded due to the transfer from EPF to EPS. To exercise this option, a person needs to have sufficient balance in the EPF account. The deduction from his EPF account would be 8.33 per cent of his salary and interest thereof with retrospective effect.

ADVANTAGES TO EMPLOYEES

The employees who received heavy salary increments in the last stages of their career will benefit more in comparison to employees who get periodic increments, or low increments later in their careers.

Under the new rule, the portion of contribution to EPF fr-om the employers contribution will go down, and the amount allocated to EPS will go up.

If you are looking to manage your pension income in retirement, then having a bigger corpus in the EPF would be more beneficial for you. However, if you are not skilled at money management, or think that your retirement corpus would be mismanaged if you receive it all at once, then its better to transfer fund to EPS and get an increased pension income after retirement.

There are many cases of mis-selling in which retired/retiring people are convinced against their interests to invest in low-quality investment products. But by investing in the new EPS such individuals can ensure a higher pension and protect their retirement fund from unscrupulous people.

But on the flip side, pension income is taxed. So if you fall in a higher tax bracket, you may want to avoid a higher pension option and look to invest the retirement corpus in other avenues like debt funds with a Systematic Withdrawal Plan, or small savings schemes such as the Senior Citizens' Savings Scheme. If you fall in a low tax bracket, you can explore the option of investing in EPS for a higher pension amount.

STEPS TO USE OPPORTUNITY

Further clarity is required on issues like eligibility for availing new EPS rule by the recently retired employees. If you want to avail the benefit of the new rule and want to increase your pension corpus, you have to submit an application to the EPFO. The application must be submitted through your employer allowing EPFO to deduct 8.33 per cent of your salary and transfer it to EPS along with interest thereof retrospectively till date while adjusting the due from the PF corpus.

 The writer is CEO, BankBazaar.com
Mumbai: Bharat is all set to release and every outing of the film is creating a rage amongst the audience. Now, Ali Abbas Zafar is marking his debut as a lyricist and a composer for the upcoming song 'Zinda' which is also the film's anthem. The director has penned and set it to tune with Julius Packiam, who has also worked on the background score for the period-drama.

Salman Khans upcoming Eid release, Bharat, will have half-a-dozen songs celebrating the different festivals and the spirit of its leading man.

Talking about the first time experience as a lyricist and composer Ali Abbas Zafar shared, "It was originally a poem which I had written while scripting the film, informs Ali, saying the idea stems from Bharats journey through seven decades as he endeavours to keep the promise he made to his father. The core message of the film is that belief and conviction keep you alive."

Ali reveals that the track plays during the most vulnerable moments when Bharat is on a high or has hit a low. It is an uplifting track and infuses him with the strength of purpose, said Ali. It is sung by Vishal, from the composer duo of Vishal-Shekhar, who have collaborated on the album of the film. We composed it keeping Vishals voice in mind, its powerful and grungy", added the director.

On giving surprise to the leading man Salman Khan, Ali shared, "Bhai doesnt know yet, we dont share these small details, he knows I keep doing something or the other. But this time I think he will be surprised. Of course, hell pull my leg, saying, So now, youve starting writing songs too, now you will ask for an extra cheque. Thats the kind of bond we share".

The film stars Salman Khan, Katrina Kaif, Tabu, Disha Patani, Sunil Grover and Jackie Shroff. It traces India's post-independence history from the perspective of a common man and follows his life from the range of 18 to 70 years of age, as a journey.

Bharat is produced by Atul Agnihotri, Alvira Agnihotri, Bhushan Kumar, Krishan Kumar under the banner of Reel Life Production Pvt Ltd. and Salman Khan Films, presented by T-Series. The film is an upcoming Indian Hindi-language historical period drama film written and directed by Ali Abbas Zafar.
Mumbai: Veteran filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt on Wednesday condemned the desecration of the statue of Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar during a road show violence in Kolkata, saying the attack on the social reformer is akin to an attack on the Bengali language.

Clashes broke out between BJP supporters and student activists and those of the Left and Trinamool Congress Chatra Parishad (TMCP) during BJP President Amit Shah's roadshow on Tuesday.

Officials said the trouble began after stones were pelted at Amit Shah's convoy as it passed through College Street and the arterial Bidhan Sarani on its way to Swami Vivekananda's residence in north Kolkata, a little over 3.5 km from Esplanade in the heart of the city, where it began.

"To attack Pandit Vidya Sagar is to attack Bangla language. To begin with, he simplified Bangla for studying through Borno Porichoy (Introduction to Letters)" Bhatt tweeted, tagging TMC spokesperson Derek O'Brien.

A college named after Iswarchandra Vidyasagar, a key figure in the Bengal renaissance, was ransacked and a bust of the 19th-century educationist was shattered.

Both BJP and TMC are blaming each other for the destruction of the statue.

Through "Borno Porichoy", a series of books which is considered a classic, Vidyasagar reconstructed the Bengali alphabet and simplified Bengali typography.

He was a campaigner for remarriage of windows, which was eventually legalised on 26 July 1856 by the British government of that time.
It appears actor and producer Vishal is running into increasing opposition in Nadigar Sangam.

Actor-producer Udhaya, who had campaigned for Vishal during the previous elections, is said to have announced he would be contesting against Vishal in the upcoming elections because he is miffed with Vishals double standards with respect to release of small films including his Uttaravu Maharaja.

Another producer turned hero, RK Suresh, is also up in arms and is opposing the Sandakozi actor in the polls. Speaking at the audio launch of his upcoming bilingual film in Tamil and Malayalam titled Cochin Shadi at Chennai 03, Suresh said he would not support Vishal and would in fact be joining a team to work against him.

Since I am a member of Nadigar Sangam only for the last four years, I cannot contest in the upcoming elections. I would support Nasser sir or Karthi and for that matter all others who contest except Vishal. He has already lost many supporters. Udhaya and a few others have joined in forming a new team. I would work for them in the elections.

I am not throwing corruption charges at Vishal. He is not that kind of a person. But, I feel he is an opportunist. He would use people for his own needs and would not hesitate to drop them once his job is done. Thats the reason many who were close to him including late JK Riteesh left him later, he went on to explain.

One of Sureshs charges against Vishal is that the suffering drama artistes have not received any aid till today despite all the promises made by Vishal. He is also peeved at Vishals remarks that his film Billa Pandi did not have good content.

Vishal had said in an interview that my film Billa Pandi did not have good content and thats why it didnt run in theatres. I am sure he would not even have watched my film. It is not in good taste. I wonder what made him say this. Let Vishal stick to his acting profession and leave these administrative organisations for others to manage.
Interesting data has also come out about grammar snobbery from the survey by Landmark Bookstores.

How often do you take delight in spotting a grammatical error in text or as a friend speaks? Does it get your gander up when you spot such errors in published books?

It was quite revealing when book lovers in the age group of 26 to 35 took a survey regarding their reading habits. It seems women are bigger grammar snobs than men. As many as 79 % of women surveyed claimed to be grammar snobs compared to men, the survey showed.

One of the more bizarre facts to come out of the survey is that 28% Chennaiites have fought with their spouse over poor grammar skills. Whether in the workplace or on social media, people of the opposite sex have a peculiar tendency to apportion blame for silly grammatical errors. And even some people dont think twice about unfriending peers on social media for poor grammar.

On being asked regarding unfollowing people on social media for poor grammar, 32% said they would unfollow people for cringe-worthy grammar while 68% said they couldnt be so pernickety because grammar is almost dead in social media, according to the survey.

However, some people go to the extent of giving up close relationships, says the survey. Six per cent of respondents said they had broken up over bad grammar. Indeed, 11% respondents from Chennai derive sadistic pleasure out of rectifying errors on social media.

More than half the children have a bone to pick in their mothers grocery list if items are misspelled. But more often grammar is a bone of contention between couples as 31% Chennaiites agreed to always correcting peoples grammar while 55 % said they will rectify depending on their mood.

There are, however, romantics who believe that love conquers all, including bad grammar. According to the survey, 71% say love conquers all. So no issues, not even wrong spelling or wrong words or usage can separate them.

Interesting data has also come out about grammar snobbery from the survey by Landmark Bookstores. At workplaces, 61% want to write directly to their boss in case of grammatical errors while 25% wouldnt react and prefer being in their boss good books. On the contrary, to 75% will point out grammatical errors to their subordinates. Even some of the surveyed people responded that if they see a sign with grammatical errors, 32% will cringe about the error while only 19% would inform the owner about the error.

The survey covered over 2,500 people across the country by Landmark Bookstores.
This is a new triumph for the controversial visual artist, who has sparked endless conversations since his emergence in the 1980s over the artistic and commercial value of a work. (Photo: AFP)

Washington: A sculpture by American artist Jeff Koons was sold recently for $ 91.1 million in auctions organised by Christie's in New York, a record for a living artist. The "Rabbit", a steel casting of an inflatable rabbit, blew the "Portrait of an Artist (Pool with Two Figures)" painting by British painter David Hockney, who had reached 90.3 million in mid-November, already at Christie's in New York.

The star sculpture of Christie's Spring Sale was sold for $ 80 million, the same hammer price as Hockney's canvas, but broke the record by adding commission and fees, with a final price of $ 91.075 million dollars.

Unusually for a work of this award, this rabbit, which is part of a series of three by Jeff Koons in 1986, was awarded to a person in the room. The 64-year-old visual artist recovered the record he held before being briefly dethroned by David Hockney.

His "Balloon Dog (Orange)", sold $ 58.4 million in 2013, had held five years. The "Rabbit" is one of the best-known works of the artist who has shaken up the conventions of the world of arts. Top 104 cm, it comes from the collection of SI Newhouse, former boss of the press group Conde Nast (deceased in 2017), which includes magazines Vanity Fair, Vogue and The New Yorker.

For Alexander Rotter, president of post-war and contemporary art at Christie's in New York, "Rabbit" is "the most important piece of Jeff Koons," he told AFP during the presentation auctions. "I would go even further, it is the most important sculpture of the second half of the twentieth century," he added. "It's the end of the sculpture, it's the anti-David, as I call it," he said, referring to Michelangelo's masterpiece (1501-04).

For Alexander Rotter, "you cannot go further than David while remaining figurative and in traditional sculpture". This is a new triumph for the controversial visual artist, who has sparked endless conversations since his emergence in the 1980s over the artistic and commercial value of a work.

An outstanding salesman, he regularly raised controversies, notably with his paintings and sculpture in which he copied with the former Italian film star La Cicciolina, whom he married in 1991 (divorce in 1994).

His studio is still based in New York, where he arrived in 1976. In 2015, before parting with his team, he employed more than 100 people, working with absolute mastery of materials, to obtain the rendering longed for.
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres raised concerns Thursday that a concrete dome built last century to contain waste from atomic bomb tests is leaking radioactive material into the Pacific. Speaking to students in Fiji, Guterres described the structure on Enewetak atoll in the Marshall Islands as "a kind of coffin" and said it was a legacy of Cold War-era nuclear tests in the Pacific

"The Pacific was victimised in the past as we all know," he said, referring to nuclear explosions carried out by the United States and France in the region. In the Marshalls, numerous islanders were forcibly evacuated from ancestral lands and resettled, while thousands more were exposed to radioactive fallout.

The island nation was ground zero for 67 American nuclear weapons tests from 1946-58 at Bikini and Enewetak atolls, when it was under US administration. The tests included the 1954 "Bravo" hydrogen bomb, the most powerful ever detonated by the United States, about 1,000 times bigger than the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima.

Guterres, who is touring the South Pacific to raise awareness of climate change issues, said Pacific islanders still needed help to deal with the fallout of the nuclear testing. "The consequences of these have been quite dramatic, in relation to health, in relation to the poisoning of waters in some areas," he said.

"I've just been with the President of the Marshall Islands (Hilda Heine), who is very worried because there is a risk of leaking of radioactive materials that are contained in a kind of coffin in the area." The "coffin" is a concrete dome, built in the late 1970s on Runit island, part of Enewetak atoll, as a dumping ground for waste from the nuclear tests.

Radioactive soil and ash from the explosions was tipped into a crater and capped with a concrete dome 45 centimetres (18 inches) thick. However, it was only envisaged as a temporary fix and the bottom of the crater was never lined leading to fears the waste is leaching into the Pacific.

Cracks have also developed in the concrete after decades of exposure and there are concerns it could break apart if hit by a tropical cyclone. Guterres did not directly address what should be done with the dome but said the Pacific's nuclear history still needed to be addressed.

"A lot needs to be done in relation to the explosions that took place in French Polynesia and the Marshall Islands. This is in relation to the health consequences, the impact on communities and other aspects. Of course there are questions of compensation and mechanisms to allow these impacts to be minimised," he said.
Bengaluru: If your child is suffering from eye allergy and rubbing eyes too often, it should not be taken lightly. They may be suffering from keratoconus, which could lead to blindness if left untreated.

Doctors claim that rise in pollution and long exposure to mobile phone screens have increased the risk of eye allergies among children.

Opthamologists at Dr Agarwal's Eye Hospital have launched a campaign to raise awareness about keratoconus. The ailment leads to the thinning of cornea, causes blurred vision and blindness in later stages.

Dr Ravi, Medical Director, Agarwal Hospitals, said, About one child in 1,500 in India suffers from keratoconus. Children between 10 and 15 years are vulnerable. If the eye allergy is severe, children as young as eight years can suffer from the condition.

He explained that if timely treatment is not taken, keratoconus can lead to worsening of vision. Cases of keratoconus have risen by 10% in India in the last five years, mainly due to rise in the incidence of eye allergies among children. Luckily, with advances in diagnostic tools, it is possible to diagnose the condition in early stages.

Elaborating on the link between pollution and artificial lights with eye allergies, Dr Raghu Nagaraju, said, The incidence of eye allergies among children is rising due to increasing pollution. Widespread exposure to artificial lights, computer and mobile phone screens is also causing dry eyes. Dryness and inflammation is a vicious combination, which leads to eye allergies. When allergy affected children frequently rub their eyes it could leads to keratoconus.

Doctors claim a corneal transplant (optical keratoplasty) can drastically improve the patients vision.

Dr Preethi, a consultant ophthalmologist at the hospital listed a few preventive measures. Any child who is rubbing eyes frequently needs treatment for allergy, as well as eye examination by a corneal specialist to rule out keratoconus. This condition is also suspected in cases where blurred vision does not improve even after wearing glasses. As precaution, parents should limit exposure of children to dust, get treatment for allergies, avoid too much artificial light, limit exposure to computer, phone or TV screens.

When asked about challenges doctors face to diagnose the disease, Dr Ravi said, "We need proper diagnostic instruments. Previously we didn't have all that, but now with good diagnostic tools we can detect it in the early stages and take up treatment."
Weighing less than 2.5 kilos at birth is closely linked to high rates of neonatal mortality and ill health later in life. (Photo: AFP)

Washington: More than 20 million newborns in 2015, one in seven, came into the world weighing too little, according to a global assessment of birthweight, published Thursday.

Over 90 per cent of babies tipping the scale at less than 2.5 kilos (5.5 pounds) when born were in low- and middle-income countries, researchers reported in The Lancet Global Health. Worldwide, just under 15 per cent of 2015 newborns in the 148 countries canvassed had low birthweight, varying between 2.4 per cent in Sweden and nearly 28 per cent in Bangladesh. That's down from a global average of 17.5 per cent in 2000.

But meeting the World Health Organization target of cutting low birthweight 30 percent between 2012 and 2025 "will require more than doubling the pace of progress," said lead author Hannah Blencowe, a professor at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine.

In sub-Saharan Africa, the number of low birthweight live births actually increased from 2000 to 2015, from 4.4 to 5 million. Southern Asia is estimated to have had 9.8 million in 2015, nearly half the world total.

Weighing less than 2.5 kilos at birth is closely linked to high rates of neonatal mortality and ill health later in life: more than 80 per cent of the world's 2.5 newborns who die every year are low birthweight.

Underweight newborns who survive also have a greater risk of stunting as well as developmental and health problems, including diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

"National governments are doing too little to reduce low birthweight," Blencowe said in a statement.

Undernourished mothers

"To meet the global nutrition target of a 30 per cent reduction by 2025 will require more than doubling the pace of progress." The reasons for low birthweight are very different in poor and rich regions.

In South Asia and parts of sub-Saharan Africa, a large percentage of underweight babies are born at term but are stunted because their mothers were undernourished.

In North America and Europe, higher shares of low birthweight babies are preemies. Adolescent pregnancies, a high prevalence of infection, high levels of fertility treatment, and a high rate of caesarean sections, especially in the United States and Brazil, can all be factors, the study found.

An international team of researchers analysed national government databases to estimate the prevalence of low birthweight in 148 nations from 2000 to 2015. Overall, the study took into account 281 million births. Several countries, including India, were not included for lack of data.

"Every newborn must be weighed, yet worldwide we dont have a record for the birthweight of nearly one third of all newborns," said co-author Julia Krasevec, a statistics and monitoring specialist at UNICEF.

Besides Sweden, other countries with relatively few low birthweight babies included Finland (4.1 per cent), Iceland (4.2) Serbia (4.5), Norway (4.5), Albania (4.6), China (5), Croatia (5.1) and Cuba (5.3).

Many large advanced economies fell in the 6-8 per cent range, including France, the United States, Britain and Germany, Mexico and Brazil. Five countries, including Bangladesh, had low birthweight rates above 20 per cent: Comoros, Guinea-Bissau, Nepal, and the Philippines.
On Tuesday, Prabhakar visited them drunk and in a fit of rage, picked an axe and attacked them. (Representational Image)

Warangal: A 60-year-old woman Onnala Lakshmi died after her son-in-law Palle Prabhakar attacked her with an axe at her residence in Chennapur village of Regonda mandal in Jayashankar Bhupalpally district.

According to the police, the accused and his wife Sujatha have been fighting over his excessive drinking habit.

A week ago, Sujatha left home along with their two daughters and came to her mother's house in the same village.

On Tuesday, Prabhakar visited them and asked her to return home, but she refused. Later that same night, he again visited the house drunk and began arguing with them.

In a fit of rage, he picked an axe lying there and attacked them. Onnala Lakshmi died on the spot, while Sujatha sustained severe injuries. Neighbours came to their rescue hearing the screams of the women.

Prabhakar fled the spot. Sujatha was rushed to the MGM hospital in Warangal in a serious condition. On Wednesday, doctors stated her condition to be out of danger. Police registered a case and is on the look out for the

accused.
Police said the accused identified as Siva( 34), hearing and speech impaired, a resident of Anna Nagar East hailed from Ariyalurm worked as a caterer at a famous vegetarian restaurant in Anna Nagar. (Representational image)

Chennai: The Anna Nagar police on Thursday arrested a caterer who had stolen money from five closed shops in the locality.

Police said the accused identified as Siva( 34), hearing and speech impaired, a resident of Anna Nagar East hailed from Ariyalurm worked as a caterer at a famous vegetarian restaurant in Anna Nagar.

According to police, acting on the complaints from around five shop keepers in Anna Nagar that their shops were broke open and cash were stolen from the cash box, a special team headed by assistant commissioner Sudharsan was formed to investigate the case.

The special team on Wednesday combed through the CCTV footages from five shops in Anna Nagar. All the recovered videos showed a man in his early 30s breaking the shutters of the shop open and stealing cash. The video also showed the man walking in and out of the Anna Nagar East metro station.

Meanwhile, the police team in plainclothes waiting outside the metro station in the wee hours of Thursday nabbed the man when he tried to burgle another shop in the locality. He was arrested. Police said the man used to spend the stolen money on buying fancy clothes and eating at fancy restaurants at the city malls. Further investigations are on.

In another case, the Chrompet police arrested an employee of an IT firm for snatching chain from a 42-year-old woman on Wednesday evening.

The victim identified as Thangamagal( 42) a resident of Tiruvottiyur, working at an auditing company in Chromepet was walking towards Chromepet railway station when the accused snatched her chain. However, the man identified as Alex Pandian( 32) was nabbed by the public and handed over to the chromepet police.
Srinagar: A top Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM) commander is among three militants killed in a gunfight with security forces in Jammu and Kashmirs southern Pulwama district early Thursday, officials here said.

A local resident and an Army jawan also died during the clash. Two Army soldiers have been injured, the officials said.

Meanwhile, a fierce gun battle between militants and security forces is raging in woods of Kandi area of frontier Kupwara district. SSP Kupwara Ambarkar Shriram Dinkar said that fighting broke out after a joint team of Armys 28 and 47 Rashtriya Rifles and J&K polices counterinsurgency Special Operations Group (SOG) launched a cordon-and-search operation at Portel Nad and Razdan Nad  upper reaches of Kandi connecting Lolab forests.

The killing of militants and civilian in Pulwamas Dalipora village set off fresh tensions in southern parts of the restive Kashmir Valley prompting the authorities to impose curfew-like restrictions in Pulwama town and surrounding villages. A shutdown is being observed in neighbouring Shopian district to mourn and protest the killings, reports received here said.

The police have identified the slain JeM commander as Khalid Bhai, a Pakistani national. Also killed with him were two local militants identified as Naseer Ahmad Pandith and Umar Ahmad Mir.

The police said that sepoy Sandeep Kumar of the Armys 55 Rashtriya Rifles laid down his life while fighting militants who were hiding in a private house at Dalipora. A local resident identified as Rayees Ahmed and believed to be the son of the house-owner also died during the clash whereas his brother Muhammad Yunus Dar who was critically injured has been brought to a Srinagar hospital for specialized treatment.

The Army and police officials said that the encounter between the holed up militants and security forces began shortly before dawn after the latter laid siege to Dalipora on learning about the presence of militants in the village.

The gunfight began after the joint team of security forces launched a cordon-and-search operation in Dalipora area. As the security forces intensified the searches towards the suspected spot, the terrorists hiding in a house opened fire leading to a gunfight, a police spokesman here said. He added, In the ensuing gunfight three terrorists were killed and the bodies have been retrieved from the site of encounter.

The officials said that strict security restrictions are being enforced in Pulwama town and its neighbourhood as a precautionary measure in view of the heightening tensions following the killing of militants and civilians in Dalipora encounter. A report from Shopian said that clashes between surging crowds of youth and the security forces have broke out at some places in the district and that the authorities have rushed in police and paramilitary reinforcements to control the situation. The security forces fired teargas canisters and used bamboo sticks to quell stone-pelting mobs at a few places in Shopian where a spontaneous shutdown is also being observed, the witnesses said.

Meanwhile, several Shia-dominated areas of the Valley erupted on Thursday morning after the word about the death of community youth who was among over two dozen persons injured in clashes with security forces during protests earlier this week spread. These protests were held against the alleged rape of a 3-year-old girl by a boy from her neighbourhood in Sumbal area of northern Bandipore district.

The police and hospital sources said that the 23-year-old Arshid Ahmed Dar died in Srinagars Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) late Wednesday night. He had been critically injured after being hit in the head by a teargas canister fired by the security forces to quell violent protests in his native village Chanabal in Pattan area of north-western Baramilla district on May 14.

The death of the youth sparked off protests by huge crowds in several parts of the Valley following which the authorities imposed curfew-like restrictions Shia-dominated areas of Baramulla and Bandipora districts including Mirgund, Hanjiwara, Chanabal, Inderkoot, Shadipora, Panzinara and Shilvat. Various areas of capital Srinagar with sizeable Shia population have also witnessed protests over the death of the youth.

The authorities have closed or suspended class work in higher secondary schools and colleges in the Valley as a precautionary measure. The student community has been in the forefront of protests against the alleged rape of the minor girl. The mobile internet speed has been reduced in parts of Kashmir including Budgam, Baramulla, Bndipore and Srinagar districts.

The family of the minor girl has alleged that she was raped by her neighbour after luring her to a nearby school in Sumbal area on the evening of May 8. The relatives of the accused have, however, denied the charge and said that he has been framed due to a property dispute running between the two families of the area belonging to two different sects of Muslims.

The police said that it has arrested the accused and that a Special Investigation Team (SIT) is probing the alleged incident. J&Ks Director General of Police, Dilbag Singh, said, We will take the investigations to logical conclusion and people must remain calm.

Various political, social and religious organisations of the Valley have demanded a fast-track investigation into the case and exemplary punishment for the culprit. The incident has also set off sectarian tensions in some parts of 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. Amid widespread outrage, both Shia and Sunni Muslims have taken part in protest demonstrations across the Valley against the incident.

The J&K high court have while taking suo moto cognisance of the alleged rape sought reports on status of investigation of the case registered, medical treatment of the victim, her counselling, legal aid and compensation.

A division bench of Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice Tashi Rabstan, after treating the matter as a Public Interest Litigation, on Wednesday also asked for identifying the media reports that had revealed the identity of the victim and called for immediate action against the persons responsible for such reports.

The Court directed the IGP Kashmir to report by May 17 the steps taken for effective investigation into the matter as well as protection given to the victim and her family.

A report from eastern district of Doda said that a local resident identified as Nayeem Shah was shot dead by unknown assailants in Nalthi Pull village of Bhaderwah area of the district around 2 am on Thursday. Security restrictions have been imposed in Bhaderwah which has almost 50:50 population of Hindus and Muslims as a precautionary measure following the killing of Shah. A desi (local) gun was reportedly used in the crime.

Meanwhile, Irfan Ahmed Sheikh, among two activists of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) shot at by suspected militants in Zainapora of Shopian recently has succumbed to his injuries in a Srinagar hospital. The police said that Sheikh and the other PDP activist Muzafar Ahmed Bhat were targeted by gunmen after taking them along to a nearby orchard from their chemist shop in Zainapora on May 8.
Ouagadougou-based Air Burkina has just completed a fleet upgrade and is preparing to strengthen its network as the government begins to study options for re-privatising the airline. Victoria Moores reports.

Air Burkina, which was originally known as Air Volta, has been operating continuously since 1967. We have never stopped, said Air Burkina director of management control and internal audit, Youssouf Zongo.

A lot has changed since Zongo joined Air Burkina in February 1992.

The airline was privatised in 2001, when the Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development (AKFED) and IPS(WA) consortium came on board as a shareholder alongside the Burkina Faso Government. However, the airline was returned to state ownership in May 2017.

Zongo said the government is now looking to re-privatise. Studies are in progress, he said. The airline will be privatised once the analysis is complete, with further news expected during 2019. Theres no deadline, but the objective is there, he said.

In the meantime, Air Burkina has been refreshing its fleet. Since November, the airline has taken delivery of two Embraer E195s and one E175, leased from regional aircraft specialist Nordic Aviation Capital (NAC).

The Embraers replaced a wet-leased Bombardier CRJ900, which has since been returned, and an Embraer 170 that is now undergoing engine maintenance. Air Burkina hopes to buy the E170 from AKFED.

The airline plans to use the additional capacity to increase frequencies on its existing routes, which comprise Abidjan (Ivory Coast), Accra (Ghana), Bamako (Mali), Bobo-Dioulasso (Burkina Faso), Cotonou (Benin), Dakar (Senegal), Lome (Togo) and Niamey (Niger).

Zongo said the airline is also looking to add new destinations in central and western Africa from the second half of 2019. Specifically, Air Burkina is planning to add flights to Abuja (Nigeria), Conakry (Guinea), Libreville (Gabon) and Pointe-Noire (Republic of the Congo).

By 2022-23, the five-year leases on the new Embraers will be coming to an end. Around that time, Zongo said, Air Burkina plans to be operating five to six aircraft.

We want to consolidate and establish the financial situation for the company as our first objective, he added.

He stressed that Air Burkina plays an important role for the development of Burkina Faso, especially given its geographical location as a landlocked country.

The carriers priority is opening up Burkina Faso to the rest of the world, transporting people and goods to boost the national economy. (africanaerospace, photo Air Burkina: wikiwand)
Hyderabad: Two members of Darsgah Jihad-o-Shadat Shahadat (DJS) were taken into custody when they reached Ministers Quarters to seek an appointment with home minister Mr. Mohammed Mahmood Ali to discuss the demolition of Amberpet Masjid. They were released in the evening before the Iftaar.

DJS secretary Advocate Mohammed Khalid confirmed that their two members Mr. Shahnawaz Khan and Mr. Mohammed bin Umar were taken into custody when they tried to meet the home minister. He condemned the police action.

Meanwhile, senior BJP leader Mr. G. Kishan Reddy alleged that MIM was creating a law and order problem in the city over a piece of land in Amberpet by claiming the existence of a mosque, which was demolished by the GHMC authorities for road widening. He claimed that there was never a mosque on the land and government records showed it was a private property for which GHMC paid compensation.

He said there were shops on the acquired land facing the road and the house behind it. Replying to a question, he said, We have no objection in reconstructing the mosque in case it is proved that a mosque existed there.

He also criticized the functioning of the Waqf Board and said it utterly failed to protect the Wakf properties. He asked whether Wakf Board authorities were sleeping, when a case was pending before the Court and GHMC was paying compensation. Why are they now claiming the property?

He demanded that state government make its stand clear on the issue. An all party delegation would meet Chief Secretary Mr. S. K. Joshi over the issue, he added.

Police authorities are also trying to pacify the Muslims. A meeting was convened by the police at Madarsa Tajweed ul Quaran, Azad Nagar. DCP East Zone M. Ramesh, Addl. DCP T. Govinda Reddy and ACP Malakpet M. Sudarshan and others spoke to the local youths and asked them to cooperate with the authorities.
Chennai: BJP state unit president Tamilisai Soundararajan took a swipe apparently at the Congress for supporting Kamal Haasan in the controversy over remarks independent India's first terrorist was a Hindu and his name was Nathuram Vinayak Godse, who killed Mahatma Gandhi.

Those who lost their leader to extremism were now backing the actor on his controversial statement, she said, apparently referring to the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi by the LTTE.

BJP national secretary H Raja lashed out at Kamal for defending his Godse statement in his poll campaign speech on Wednesday.

India became independence on 15 August, 1947 and Mahatma was assassinated on 30 January, 1948. What has Kamal Haasan to say about the rape and murder of thousands of Hindus during the partition? Is he (Kamal) aware of a place called Pallapatti in TN, where the Jamath had issued a diktat to the Hindu men they should not come out in the evening time when their (Muslim) women go out for shopping?" Raja asked.

He said, "Even now, there is no police station at Pallapatti and if someone has to make a complaint, he/she must approach the Jamath".

Meanwhile, a Vaishnavite saint warned Kamal that if he continued to make such remarks, the people would rise in anger.

"He is saying such things for his own benefit. He is a good actor, and is now acting in public. All Hindus are against him and if he repeats such statements, his free movement will be hindered. We will hold protests against him," Chendalankara Sampath Kumara Ramanuja Jeeyar of Mannargudi told reporters at Tiruchy.

He wondered if Kamal was hobnobbing with banned Islamist outfits and was therefore making such remarks against Hindus.
Reports received here said that 50-year-old Nayeem Ahmed Shah was shot dead by assailants in Kathi- Nalthi Pull locality of Bhaderwah around 2 am on Thursday. (Photo: Representational)

Srinagar: Curfew was imposed in Bhaderwah valley of Jammu and Kashmirs eastern Doda district on Thursday following protests and incidents of violence over the killing of a local resident allegedly by cow vigilantes.

The police said that it has detained seven persons for questioning but the main accused is absconding.

Reports received here said that 50-year-old Nayeem Ahmed Shah was shot dead by assailants in Kathi- Nalthi Pull locality of Bhaderwah around 2 am on Thursday, using a desi (country-made) gun. Shah was along with another person returning home in Mohalla Qilla of Bhaderwah along with a herd of cattle. In the shooting incident, Shah died on the spot while as his associate escaped with minor injuries.

The murder sparked off widespread protests and outrage in Bhaderwah, forcing the district administration to impose curfew in the picturesque town also known as Chota Kashmir and surrounding villages.

The police sources said that a group of violent protesters hurled rocks at the local police station where the suspects had been brought for questioning. Violent mobs torched two auto rickshaws and a motorcycle in Bhaderwahs Seri Bazaar, Takia Chowk and Pasri Bus Stand areas, the witnesses said.

The police sources said that the detainees have claimed that they opened fire after they found the men roaming under suspicious circumstances in the area on Wednesday night. However, the local Muslims including the family of the deceased termed it cold-blooded murder and alleged that the same was committed at the behest of the BJP, RSS and Shiv Sena goons who are hell bent to polarize the situation in Bhaderwah.

In view of the alarming situation, the Deputy Commissioner Doda Sagar Doifode, SSP Shabir Ahmed Malik and Commander of 4 Sector of Army Rashtriya Rifles Brig N.J.Singh have rushed Bhadarwah to assess the situation.

Bhaderwah which has almost 50:50 populations of Hindus and Muslims is politically as well as communally sensitive area. While Bhaderwah was immediately brought under indefinite curfew, security has been beefed up in neighbouring Doda and Kishtwar towns as a precautionary measure, the officials said.

Meanwhile, Irfan Ahmed Sheikh, among two activists of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) shot at by suspected militants in Zainapora of the Kashmir Valleys southern Shopian recently succumbed to his injuries in a Srinagar hospital on Thursday. The police said that Sheikh and the other PDP activist Muzafar Ahmed Bhat were targeted by gunmen after taking them along to a nearby orchard from their chemist shop in Zainapora on May 8.
'The form will be made public soon,' a senior Personnel Ministry official said. (Photo: Screengrab | website:lokpal.gov.in)

New Delhi: The central government will soon come out with a format for lodging a complaint with anti-corruption ombudsman Lokpal, officials said Thursday.

As per norms, a complaint shall be filed in the prescribed form to be notified by the central government.

"The form will be made public soon," a senior Personnel Ministry official said.

Although the form for filing a complaint has not yet been notified, Lokpal decided to scrutinise all the complaints received in its the office till April 16, 2019, in whatever form they were sent, according to the anti-corruption ombudsman's website which was inaugurated Thursday.

"After scrutiny, complaints that did not fall within the mandate of the Lokpal were disposed off and complainants are being informed accordingly," it said, without giving details of the complaints.

The website -- www.lokpal.gov.in -- was inaugurated by Lokpal chairperson Justice Pinaki Chandra Ghose in the presence of all the eight members of the anti-corruption ombudsman.

As per the website, the office of Lokpal is at 'The Ashok' hotel in Chanakyapuri in the national capital. President Ram Nath Kovind had on March 23 administered the oath of office to Justice Ghose as the chairperson of Lokpal. Justice Ghose, 66, retired as the Supreme Court judge in May 2017.

He had last served as a member of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC). The Lokpal's eight members were administered the oath by Justice Ghose on March 27.

Former chief justices of different high courts -- justices Dilip B Bhosale, Pradip Kumar Mohanty, Abhilasha Kumari and Ajay Kumar Tripathi -- had taken oath as judicial members of the Lokpal.

Former first woman chief of Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) Archana Ramasundaram, ex-Maharashtra chief secretary Dinesh Kumar Jain, former IRS officer Mahender Singh and Gujarat cadre ex-IAS officer Indrajeet Prasad Gautam were sworn-in as the Lokpal's non-judicial members.

According to the rules, there is a provision for a chairperson and a maximum of eight members in the Lokpal panel.

Of these, four need to be judicial members. The Lokpal Act, which envisages appointment of a Lokpal at the Centre and Lokayuktas in states to look into cases of corruption against certain categories of public servants, was passed in 2013.
Kulsum Banu said that an agent named Abrar had offered her a job in Muscat of that of a beautician in a beauty parlour with a salary of Rs 30,000. (Photo: ANI)

Hyderabad: A woman from Hyderabad who was trafficked to Oman on the pretext of a job was rescued after five months. Kulsum Banu thanked External Affairs Ministers Sushma Swaraj for her help in the matter.

Kulsum Banu said that an agent named Abrar had offered her a job in Muscat of that of a beautician in a beauty parlour with a salary of Rs 30,000.

But after reaching Muscat, Kulsum Bano was made to work as a housemaid by her employers.

"Even then I worked for one month and later I refused to work there," she said.

She also accused the agency of locking her up in a room for ten days without food and beating her up.

"Later I approached Indian Embassy there. The officials kept me in the embassy for four months. Then I contacted my daughter and explained to her my problem," she said.

Kulsum Banu told news agency ANI that after her daughter complained about the matter to the Union minister, the Indian Embassy paid a fine amounting to a sum of five thousand Riyal imposed on her and sent her back to India.

"I reached Hyderabad on May 8 with the help of EAM Sushma Swaraj and Indian Embassy in Oman. I would like to thank Sushma Swaraj and Indian Embassy," she told ANI.
He met the survivors family and said 'justice will be done'. (Photo: ANI | Twitter)

Alwar: Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Thursday met the Alwar gangrape survivor. He met the survivors family and said justice will be done.

Soon after I heard about the incident, I spoke to Ashok Gehlot ji. This is not a political issue for me. Justice will be done and action will be taken against the culprits, said Gandhi addressing the media.

The Congress government in Rajasthan has faced criticism over lack of prompt action in the case. The Rajasthan police allegedly delayed the filing of a FIR. An FIR was filed only after a video of the sexual assault began circulating on social media.
The incident came to public attention when Habeeb Mohammed, his neighbor, shared the video through social media.

Kochi: In a gruesome act, a man from Pathanadu, Kottayam, brutally killed and publicly hung two kittens that entered his home, an act which he 'did not like'. Ajay Kumar killed two kittens by hitting them with an iron rod and then hung them.

He was arrested by the Karukachal Police based on a complaint registered by animal right activists.

The incident came to public attention when Habeeb Mohammed, his neighbor, shared the video through social media.

Ajay Kumar was hostile when questioned about the cruel act and reportedly challenged Habeeb Mohammed to 'do whatever he can'.

An FIR was filed in the Karukachal Police station under Indian Penal Code section 428 (mischief by killing or maiming animal of the value of Rs.10), section 429 (mischief by killing or maiming cattle, etc., of any value or any animal of the value of fifty rupees) and section 11 1 (a) (Treating animals cruelly) of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act.

The complaint was filed by Sally Varma, an animal rights activist with Humane International/India, with the Kottayam SP, which was then transferred to the Karukachal SI.

"People who commit such acts of cruelty to animals don't stop there and many of them move on to do the same to humans later on. A lot of people are unaware that crimes towards animals are punishable," added Sally Varma.
Mumbai: Have you missed any news today? Here are the top national, international headlines of the day.

CJI sexual harassment case: The former woman court staffer, who levelled allegations of sexual harassment against CJI Ranjan Gogoi, will soon file an appeal against the clean chit given to the CJI by an in-house panel of the apex court.

Read: Woman to appeal against clean-chit to CJI in sexual harassment case

PM Modi attacks Bengal government: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday asserted that the West Bengal Police, in connivance with the state government, was trying to wipe out evidence of statue desecration in Kolkata.

Read: Police trying to wipe out evidence of statue desecration: PM Modi

Oppn party meet: In an effort to oust Narendra Modi-led BJP to come to power again, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi has taken it upon herself to play host to all Opposition parties. There were reports that Gandhi has called a meeting in New Delhi on the day of the results, May 23.

Read: Sonia Gandhi writes to Oppn parties, calls meeting on May 23?

Haasan's "Hindu terrorism" remark: BJP's Pragya Singh Thakur on Thursday stoked yet another controversy by terming Nathuram Godse, the man who assassinated Mahatma Gandhi, as a 'deshbhakt' (patriot).

Read: Nathuram Godse was, is and will be 'deshbhakt': Sadhvi Pragya on Gandhi killer

Mamata on EC's decision: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday thanked the leaders of opposition parties, who came out in her support as she protested against the Election Commission's decision to cut short the poll campaign duration in the state.

Read: Mamata thanks Oppn for backing her over EC's decision to curtail campaigns

Slipper hurled at Kamal Haasan: During campaigning, slippers were thrown at actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan on Wednesday evening in Madurai. The attack came three days after Haasan said: Indias first extremist was a Hindu, referring to Nathuram Godse.

Read: Slipper hurled at Haasan amid Godse remark, 11 named in complaint

Mamata vs PM Modi: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee slammed the Election Commission on Thursday, stating it had sold out to its brother the BJP. I feel sad but I don't have anything more to say, I am ready to go to jail for saying this. I am not scared to say the truth, Mamata said.

Read: EC used to be neutral, but today it is sold out to BJP: Mamata

Alwar gangrape case: Soon after I heard about the incident, I spoke to Ashok Gehlot ji. This is not a political issue for me. Justice will be done and action will be taken against the culprits, said Rahul Gandhi after he met Alwar gangrape survivor.

Read: 'Justice will be done': Rahul Gandhi after meeting Alwar gangrape survivor

Racial attack in US: Ravi Bhalla, the first ever Sikh mayor of a city in New Jersey, has been allegedly racially targeted after his photoshopped image as an Arab dictator was published on a local website.

Read: Photoshopped image shows first-ever Sikh Mayor as Arab Dictator in US

Jamal Khashoggi murder: Hatice Cengiz, the fiancee of slain Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, criticised US governments response to his killing on Wednesday. She said Trump administration has failed to uphold American values by allowing the Saudi government to avoid meaningful consequence for the crime.

Read: Failed to uphold US values: Khashoggi fiancee slams Trump response to his killing

Porn audio in UK train: Passengers travelling on a London train recently had an erotic experience when the driver accidentally played porn on the public announcement system.

Read: UK train driver mistakenly broadcasts porn over sound system, video goes viral

Crime in Madhya Pradesh: A man and his two cousin sisters were tied to a tree and severely beaten for several hours by around nine persons in Madhya Pradesh's Dhar district after he allegedly eloped with a married woman, police said on Thursday.

Read: Man, cousin sisters tied to tree and thrashed in MP; 5 held
Bengaluru: Residents of Pottery Town have launched a campaign against the upcoming Metro line that runs between Gottigere and Nagawara as part of Phase 2 of Namma Metro. Around 40 families face the threat of displacement as the Metro line runs through the 200-year-old neighbourhood, the campaign was launched to convince the Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) to spare their properties and to provide for alternate arrangements.

BMRCL is constructing an underground metro station and soil testing for the process has already commenced. Pottery Town is home to many families that depend on the art of pot making for a living. The small lane located in Benson Town acts as a manufacturer and whole-sale distributor of pots and other clay work. It is famous for its Ganesha idols during festival season and with the recent plastic bans business has only started booming.

G.Rajshekhar, one of the artisans who has been working in Pottery Town for the past 30 years, said, The BMRCL didnt give us any notice, they just marked our properties for the Metro project. They havent even gotten back to us after we made a request for compensation or rehabilitation.

Like Rajshekhar, about 42 other artisans and their families have been asked to move out of their current establishments with no promise of compensation or rehabilitation. The people insist on preserving their art and have alleged that they have been asked to vacate without prior notice.

We are not asking for money. All we want is a place to work. Said Dinakaran, another member of the heritage site. Pottery and clay making require effort and space, which is why we are pleading the government to not take away our only means of income.

The potters have requested the BMRCL to leave at least half of the land so that they can continue their work.

We have requested the government to save some of the land for us. However, we still have no clue as to what is being removed and what will stay. said Chandru, another artisan.

Currently, the Featherlight Public School is being used as a storage site for the construction materials of the project. The premises of the school have been marked by the BMRCL and entry is restricted.

When asked about their plans if the Metro project comes to fruition, all the artisans said they had no plan for the future as it would be very difficult for them to shift out of their current establishments and open shops somewhere else.

Dinakaran said We have no option, well have to look for other jobs. One or two families may adjust but there are 40 families depending on this line of work. We dont know what else we can do.

We didnt have time to plan for such things, we never thought something like this would happen. If the town is destroyed, all the talented artists will get unemployed and it will be very difficult for them to find a job. All the talent will go to waste and four generation of heritage will come to an end. warned Rajshekhar.
'In view of certain revelations made by one Michael Hershman, CBI sought the permission of the trial court to conduct further investigation in the Bofors case,' CBI spokesperson Nitin Wakankar said. (Photo: AFP | File)

New Delhi: The CBI probe into the Bofors case pertaining to the alleged Rs 64 crore kickbacks in the purchase of the Swedish artillery guns will continue, officials said Thursday.

"In view of certain revelations made by one Michael Hershman, CBI sought the permission of the trial court to conduct further investigation in the Bofors case," CBI spokesperson Nitin Wakankar said.

He said on May 8, 2019, the court had observed that when independent right and power is available with the CBI to further investigate the matter on their own, if in their wisdom it is necessary to do so then, why still such application is being filed in the court.

"After obtaining legal opinion, CBI filed an application on May 16, 2019 in the court of CMM, Rouse Avenue Courts, New Delhi, stating that for conducting further investigation under section 173(8) of CrPC, permission of the court is not mandatorily required by CBI and an intimation to the court in this regard will suffice," he said.

He said the probe in the Bofors case will continue. The agency's response came after it withdrew from a Delhi court its application to seek permission to further probe the politically sensitive Rs 64-crore Bofors payoff case.
Hyderabad: The Hyderabad traffic police on Wednesday issued a traffic advisory in view of Vice-President M. Venkaiah Naidu visiting the city on Thursday.

The traffic will either be stopped or diverted at the following places/routes:

On Thursday at 9 am in the morning, the Vice-President will arrive at the Begumpet Airport and will visit the Atomic Minerals Directorate for Exploration and Research, Begumpet, near Government Girls College. The V-P will

further proceed to his residence at Jubilee Hills, via Panjagutta flyover, Jubilee Hills check post at 11 am in the morning.

Additional commissioner of police traffic Anil Kumar requested all the citizens to take a note of the above programme and plan their movements accordingly and co-operate with the Hyderabad traffic police.
'They can kill me or send me to jail but I am not afraid. I feel that the people of Bengal will give a suitable reply to you (Modi and Shah) through the ballot,' she said. (Photo: File)

Kolkata: Attacking the Election Commission of India for curtailing the campaigning for the last phase of polls in West Bengal, TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee Wednesday said it is an "unprecedented, unconstitutional and unethical gift" to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah by the poll panel.

Banerjee, also the chief minister, said she had never seen this type of EC which is "biased and full of RSS people".

"There is no such law and order problem in West Bengal that Article 324 can be clamped. It is unprecedented, unconstitutional, unfair, unethical and politically biased decision" against which the state will move the Supreme Court, she said.

"Mr EC has given a gift to Narendra Modi and Amit Shah (by invoking Article 324) in West Bengal for vandalising the statue of Vidyasagar," she claimed at a press conference held at her Kalighat residence.

Kolkata witnessed wide-spread violence during BJP president Amit Shah's massive road show Tuesday. A bust of 19th century Bengali icon Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar was vandalised during the violence. No violence had taken place during any other rally of Modi or Shah in the state earlier, she said and asked, "So where is the lawlessness?"

"The ECI is taking all the decisions at the behest of the BJP. I have never seen this type of ECI ever. I think all the RSS people have been included in the ECI. The ECI is biased," she alleged. In the first such action in India's electoral history, the EC on Wednesday invoked Article 324 of the Constitution to curtail the campaigning for the last phase of the election on May 19 in the wake of violence between BJP and Trinamool Congress workers in Kolkata on Tuesday. It ordered that campaigning in nine seats will end at 10 pm on Thursday, a day before its scheduled deadline.

"I have never criticised any constitutional body but today the people of Bengal are under attack, the federal structure is under attack. The great son of this soil is under attack. There is a limit to humiliation and insult," she said. The chief minister said she and the people of the state will fight this battle boldly.

"They can kill me or send me to jail but I am not afraid. I feel that the people of Bengal will give a suitable reply to you (Modi and Shah) through the ballot," she said.

Banerjee also alleged that Shah was solely responsible for carrying out Tuesday's violence in the city which was a "pre-planned criminal conspiracy". "You (EC) have not taken any action against the culprits. There was no problem in any of the rallies other than that held by Amit Shah yesterday. Why was he (Shah) not showcaused? The EC is doing whatever the BJP is asking it to do," the TMC chief said.

Questioning the timing of the curtailment of campaign, Banerjee said, "Why hasn't the EC stopped campaigning from this moment? Is it because Modi has two rallies scheduled for tomorrow?" She said the state government will move the Supreme Court to challenge the decision of the EC. "Of course we will go to the Supreme Court after the elections. Now, the people are supreme and we will go to the people. They know everything," she said.

The poll panel also ordered the removal of Principal Secretary (Home) Atri Bhattacharya and Additional Director General, CID, Rajiv Kumar from their postings in West Bengal. Banerjee said, "What wrong has the home secretary done? He has only written a letter asking the EC to take help of the local police. Law and order is a state subject." Describing Rajiv Kumar as a good officer, she said, "Why are you (BJP) scared of Rajeev Kumar? You removed him because he is capturing hawala operators.

Both the officers were removed not by the EC, but by Modi and Shah." Banerjee has been claiming in her poll rallies that the BJP brought crores of rupees through hawala to be distributed among the people to buy votes. She said till the sixth phase of the polling in West Bengal, only the central forces had opened fired and not the state police.

Keep yourself updated on Lok Sabha Elections 2019 with our round-the-clock coverage -- breaking news, updates, analyses et all. Happy reading.
Hyderabad: Predicting a hung parliament, the CPI has decided to support a non-BJP alliance at the centre. At present the Congress-led UPA is the only non-BJP alliance at the centre.

Speaking to the media on Thursday, CPI general secretary Suravaram Sudhakar Reddy said that there was no chance for the Federal Front proposed by the Telangana state Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao to form the government at the Centre. He said that in the event of a hung parliament, without support from the BJP or the Congress, a government could not be formed by regional parties. In this context, he urged the political parties to support a non-BJP alliance at the centre to protect the Constitution.

He added that no party would support Mr Chandrasekhar Raos Federal Front after supporting the BJP for five years.

He alleged that Mr Rao was not meeting pro- BJP parties but only those in favour of the UPA, with the intention to split it.

The CPI leader condemned the West Bengal incident and said that the demolishing of Ish-war Chandra Vidyasa-gars statue was tantamount to insulting Bengali culture.

CPI secretary K. Narayana alleged that the Election Commission was working as per the directions of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. There is a need for change in the election process, he said.
Coimbatore: Complaints were registered by Hindu leaders in various police stations against Kamal Hassan following his recent controversial remarks. According to a source, the Hindu leaders reportedly condemned his statement, and police complaints have been lodged against him.

A complaint was registered at Saravanampatti police station by Hindu Munnani north secretary Govindan on Wednesday, while another complaint by Tirupur north district president Subramaniyam was lodged at the Karumathampatti police station.

Another complaint was lodged at Annur police station by Hindu Munnani district secretary Kutti alias Rajendran.

Executive committee member of Hindu Munnani, Ashok Kumar, lodged a complaint at Kovilpalayam police station.

Another executive committee member Manikandan also lodged a complaint at Thudiyaloor police station, on Thursday.

A protest also was staged on Wednesday evening by members and the functionaries of the All India Hindu Mahasabha near the South Taluk office, condemning Kamal Haasan's statement.
The fighting broke out at Handew after a joint team of the Army's 44 Rashtriya Rifles, J&K police's counterinsurgency SOG and CRPF launched a cordon-and-search operation on Thursday afternoon.

Srinagar: A top Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM) commander is among three militants killed in a gunfight with security forces in Jammu and Kashmir's southern Pulwama district early Thursday. The police have identified him as Khalid Bhai, a Pakistani national. A local resident and an Army jawan also died.

Two Army soldiers and a civilian were injured. Three more militants were killed and an Army soldier was injured in another incident in Handew area of Shopian district on Thursday.

The fighting broke out at Handew after a joint team of the Army's 44 Rashtriya Rifles, J&K police's counterinsurgency SOG and CRPF launched a cordon-and-search operation on Thursday afternoon.

Meanwhile, a fierce gun battle between militants and security forces is raging in woods of Kandi area of frontier Kupwara district. SSP Kupwara Ambarkar Shriram Dinkar said that fighting broke out after a joint team of Army's 28 and 47 Rashtriya Rifles and J&K police's counterinsurgency SOG launched a cordon-and-search operation at Portel Nad and Razdan Nad - upper reaches of Kandi connecting Lolab forests.
Chennai: AIADMK senior and State Fisheries Minister D. Jayakumar hit out at actor-politician Kamal Haasan for his free Indias first extremist was a Hindu  Nathuram Godse remark, saying one should not sow seeds of poison in politics.

It is unfortunate that even in his films, he (Kamal Haasan, Makkal Needhi Maiam founder) had not said good things. Now after he entered politics, the moment he opens his mouth to talk, he utters something that is unacceptable, Mr. Jayakumar said on Thursday. Speaking to reporters at Vilachery in Madurai, the Minister said Kamal and even other politicians, should refrain from sowing poisonous seeds in politics.

There was so much spontaneous opposition to him as the actor had uttered something that is undesirable, Jayakumar emphasised.

While campaigning for his party candidate in Aravakurichi on Sunday, Kamal had said free Indias first extremist was a Hindu. And he was Nathuram Godse (who assassinated Mahatma Gandhi). His controversial statement drew instantaneous protests from various quarters including the BJP and the AIADMK. AIADMK senior and State Minister for Milk and Dairy Development K. T. Rajendra Bhalaji, reacted sharply saying if Haasan continued to speak in similar vein, someone would chop off his tongue, one day.

Mr. Jayakumar further said that people of the State have been living harmoniously, transcending religion and caste and that no one should sow seeds of venom. Not only Kamal Haasan but also others should not sow seeds of poison, he advised. Those in public life should say good things in politics, the Minister said and added that it was for the court to decide on Kamals remark.
Preliminary inquiries established that the concerned revenue officials had sent the cards to the Postal Department for distribution. It was alleged that instead of delivering the cards, postal department employees threw them into river Mulliyaru. The police are investigating. Several attempts to reach concerned officials at the postal department went unanswered.

Tiruvarur: Residents of Kattimedu Ellai Nagaladi village near Thiruthuraipoondi reportedly discovered three gunny bags packed with more than 3,000 undistributed Aadhaar cards near river Nulli on Thursday.

According to official sources, the discovery caused a pandemonium in the area, with residents of five neighbouring villages rushing in to hunt for their cards. The officials, when they reached the spot to retrieve the cards, had to literally wade through, warning the crowd off, which was not an easy task as the locals werent pleased with the irreverence shown to the most important identification card of these times.

Sources said that men who went to the dry Nulli riverbed early on Thursday morning to attend natures call, found three gunny bags thrown there. They opened one and found Aadhaar cards.

They opened one and found Aadhaar cards. On closer inspection, they realised the addresses in the first handful of cards were pretty much in the vicinity. Given the issues that one might have to go through for simply not having the Aadhaar card, the news spread fast. Everybody who was awaiting their cards made a beeline to the spot. When officials reached later in the morning, a sizeable crowd was sifting through the cards, all strewn on the river bed by then.

A team of revenue department officials, led by Thiruthuraipoondi Tahsildar Rajanbabu, collected the remaining cards and filed a complaint at the Thiruthuraipoondi police station. Reportedly, the cards all belonged to residents of Kattimedu, Athirangam, Paamani, Vadapathi, and Thenpathi villages. Preliminary inquiries established that the concerned revenue officials had sent the cards to the Postal Department for distribution. It was alleged that instead of delivering the cards, postal department employees threw them into river Mulliyaru. The police are investigating. Several attempts to reach concerned officials at the postal department went unanswered.

Two senior officials from the postal department, on condition of anonymity, told this correspondent that a departmental enquiry has been launched. Reportedly, the cards were issued in 2013-14 and it is unclear if the cards were discarded before or after delivery. Police have sought the names of officials who served at the Thiruthuraipoondi post office in 2013-14, and the department was committed to helping with the enquiry. Though they insisted that they could make a conclusion only after the enquiries, both officials opined that there was little chances of the postal department being in the wrong.
A routine walk to the temple and back would become a nightmare for activist Sridhar Pabbisetty and his family on May 14. 80-year-old Adilakshminarayan Shetty, who suffers from memory loss, wandered away from the group and disappeared into the crowd. Their ordeal came to an end late on Wednesday afternoon, when Mr Shetty was spotted by a family friend at Yeshwantpur Railway Station.

"He was hale and hearty, if disorented," said a relieved Sridhar. The family spent all night reaching out to police stations,hospitals and looking through CCTV footage to catch a glimpse of Mr Shetty. Word had also spread widely through social media as well as through a news report, and many residents reached out to Sridhar's family, offering to help. "We thank everyone for their help and for giving us moral support through this trying time," said Sridhar.
Following the remark Opposition demanded an apology from BJP's candidate who is pitched against Congress' Digvijay Singh in Bhopal. (Photo: File)

Bhopal: After stirring controversy over her ''true deshbhakt'' comment for the assassinator of Mahatma Gandhi, BJP leader and candidate for the Bhopal constituency Pragya Singh Thakur apologized to the party.

Earlier on Thursday, while responding to Kamal Haasan's ''Hindu terrorist'' remark, referring to Godse, Sadhvi said: "Nathuram Godse was a 'deshbhakt', is a 'deshbhakt' and will remain a 'deshbhakt'."

Following the remark, Opposition demanded an apology from BJP's candidate who is pitched against Congress' Digvijay Singh in Bhopal.

The ruling party distanced itself from her controversial statement.

This is not the first time when the saffron leader has sparked a controversy with her words.

Pragya Singh Thakur, an accused in the Malegaon blast case, had said Hemant Karkare, who was killed in action during the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, died because she had cursed him.

Karkare, former chief of Mumbai's Anti-Terrorism Squad, was probing the Malegaon case.

The comments not only earned Pragya criticism from all corners but also got her a notice from the Election Commission forcing her to withdraw her statement.

Keep yourself updated on Lok Sabha Elections 2019 with our round-the-clock coverage -- breaking news, updates, analyses et all. Happy reading.
To make up for the shortened time, Mamata has packed Thursday with two rallies and roadshows. (Photo: ANI)

Mathurapur: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee slammed the Election Commission on Thursday, stating it had sold out to its brother the BJP.

I feel sad but I don't have anything more to say, I am ready to go to jail for saying this. I am not scared to say the truth, Mamata said.

Mamatas fiery response came a day after the election Commission curtailed campaigning in Bengal by nearly 20 hours. Campaign in the state  that has one final phase left on Sunday  will be stopped at 10 pm on Thursday instead of 6 pm on Friday.

The poll body took this decision after BJP filed a complaint of violence against Trinamool workers on Wednesday evening. Just a few hours before, a pitched street battle had broken out in the heart of Kolkata during an Amit Shah rally. The ensuing vandalism claimed the bust of 19th Century reformer and educationist Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar.

Th Election Commission did not want us to hold any more rallies after Narendra Modi had finished his in the state. It used to be a neutral body before, Mamata told supporters in Mathurapur.

To make up for the shortened time, Mamata has packed Thursday with two rallies and roadshows.

''Vandalising statues is a habit of the BJP. The party has done so in Tripura too, Mamata said.

Hours after Modi announced to rebuild a grand statue of Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar at the same spot, Mamata refused to take the obligation.

''Why should we take their money, Bengal has enough,'' she said.

She further said the BJP had posted fake videos of the violence on social media to instigate people, and cause riots. She added: BJP destroyed a 200-year-old heritage of West Bengal. Those supporting the party will not be accepted by society.

Keep yourself updated on Lok Sabha Elections 2019 with our round-the-clock coverage -- breaking news, updates, analyses et all. Happy reading.
Mayawati assertied that the West Bengal government had enough money to build it. (Photo: ANI twitter)

Diamond Harbour: The war of words over the vandalisation of the bust of Bengal Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar escalated on Thursday with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee calling Prime Minister Narendra Modi a liar and rejecting his offer to build a grand statue of the late social reformer.

She assertied that the West Bengal government had enough money to build it. She also said that she has never come across a prime minister who kept saying so many lies.

Banerjee took a jibe at the BJP which she said could not build a Ram Temple in the last five years and now was making the promise of building a new statue of Vidyasagar, which was vandalised in clashes during BJP president Amit Shah's roadshow in Kolkata earlier this week.

"In the last five years, you (Modi) could not build a Ram Temple and you want to make Vidyasagar's statue? People of Bengal won't beg before you. We have enough money to build it. Your goons came here and said 'Bangal kangal hai'. Are Bengalis kangal?" a vociferous TMC supremo said making a veiled reference to BJP President Amit Shah who had attacked Banerjee a couple of days

Banerjee was addressing a public meeting while campaigning for her nephew and sitting MP Abhishek. Earlier, addressing a meeting in the state Modi attacked the TMC and offered to build a grand statute of Vidyasagar.

Scoffing at BJP over the promise of making Vidyasagar's statue, Banerjee said, "BJP goons broke Vidyasagar's statue because they did not know him. He has contributed a lot to our society. You (BJP) broke the statue and you are saying we will make another one. Will the old heritage return or what? We do not need your money."ago.

In an unprecedented action in India's electoral history, the EC on Wednesday invoked Article 324 of the Constitution to cut short the last phase of campaigning in West Bengal by a day after violence and clashes between BJP and TMC workers during Shah's roadshow in the state capital on Tuesday.

During the mayhem, Vidyasagar's bust was also vandalised at a college named after him. Since then, both TMC and BJP have been trading accusations against each other.

Vidyasagar, a renowned figure in West Bengal's history, devoted his life to women-centric reforms. He is also credited with bringing more order to the Bengali education system.

Asking the crowd to say 'Chowkidar Chor Hai', Banerjee said, "You have to bid him (Modi) goodbye. First, he called himself a 'chaiwala', now he claims himself to be a 'chowkidar'."

"Will you vote for this 'chowkidar'? We will take revenge for the vandalisation of Vidyasagar's statue. The people of Bengal will give you a befitting reply," she added.

Launching a scathing attack on Modi, the TMC supremo claimed that she never saw a "liar" occupying the top post.

"I have never heard any Prime Minister telling so many lies. How on earth did he become the Prime Minister? He does not have any idea how to run the country," Banerjee said.

She claimed that she had video evidence of BJP supporters disguising themselves as CRPF personnel and threatening the people to vote for the saffron party.

"I have video evidence of BJP supporters wearing CRPF uniforms. They go to the polling booths and threaten people to vote for BJP. They even said that they will change the EVMs in the middle of the night. But we will not keep quiet, we will fight," Banerjee said.

Snapping back at BJP over their claims that the state's democracy is under attack, the TMC supremo said, "Modi babu is so scared of Bengal. Just see, he is so scared of TMC."

Urging the people to vote in huge numbers to oust BJP, Banerjee asserted that the people of the country did not want the "dangerous" saffron party in power "anymore."

"On May 23, we will throw you out. You are here for just a few days only. Vote for TMC and defeat BJP. We do not want any more atrocities. The more quickly you will go, the better it would be," she said.

Elections to 33 seats have taken place in West Bengal in the first six phases of elections. The remaining nine seats will go to polls on May 19 in the last round with the counting set to take place on May 23.

Keep yourself updated on Lok Sabha Elections 2019 with our round-the-clock coverage -- breaking news, updates, analyses et all. Happy reading.
Shah said that Congress was thinking of removing sedition law which the BJP would never allow. (Photo: ANI)

Ballia: BJP President Amit Shah on Thursday asserted that whether the BJP government stays or goes nobody can take Kashmir away from India till party leaders are alive.

"Omar Abdullah said that Kashmir should have a separate Prime Minister. How can a country have two Prime Ministers? These people want to separate Kashmir from India. Rahul Gandhi and Omar Abdullah should know that Kashmir is India's inseparable part and till the day BJP's leaders are alive, nobody can take Kashmir away from us. Reinstate Narendra Modi as our PM and we would remove article 370," he said.

Shah said that Congress was thinking of removing sedition law which the BJP would never allow. "Congress says sedition law will be repealed. People like Zakir Naik who kept spreading terrorism have run away from the country fearing PM Modi.

He says that he will return when a Congress or Gathbandhan government comes to power. We challenge him to set foot on Indian shores; if he does, we will surely put him behind the bars," he said.

He appealed the people of Ballia to not vote for development but vote for national security. He said, "Rahul Gandhi's Guru Sam Pitroda said that attacks like Pulwama happen all the time, why were air strikes required? We said that if you want to appease terrorists, you do it but we would never forgive those who disrupt peace within our borders. If Pakistan fires a bullet, we will surely bomb them."

He spoke about the development initiatives of the BJP government. "Eight crore households have got toilets, 2.5 crore houses have been made for the poor and 2.35 crore people have got electricity for the first time in their houses. Under Ayushman Bharat Yojana, 50 crore people have got the facility of getting upto Rs 5 Lakh for treatment of serious diseases, free of cost," he said.

He appealed to the people of Ballia to vote for BJP. "We will make Uttar Pradesh the number 1 state in India with the help of Modi-Yogi jodi," he claimed.

Elections to 484 constituencies stand completed in the first six phases. The remaining seats amounting to 59 would go to poll on May 19 in the final phase of the elections. The counting of votes will take place on May 23.

Keep yourself updated on Lok Sabha Elections 2019 with our round-the-clock coverage -- breaking news, updates, analyses et all. Happy reading.
Hyderabad: Before the last phase of the Lok Sabha elections, the Congress is concentrating on getting support from anti-BJP parties and neutral parties.

Accordingly, senior Congress leader and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath has been entrusted with the task of reaching out to TRS president and Telangana state Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, YSR Congress president Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy and Biju Janata Dal Chief, Naveen Patnaik in Odisha.

Congress sources said that Kamal Nath would start informal talks with these leaders. Two AICC leaders are likely to accompany Mr Nath, whose brief is to get the opinions and demands of the regional leaders and the likelihood of their parties supporting the UPA to form the government at the Centre.

Mr Jagan Mohan Reddy has openly said that he would support whichever party would grant Special Category Status to Andhra Pradesh. He wants a written, not verbal, commitment.

All India Congress Committee (AICC) member Gulam Nabi Azad said on Thursday that the Congress would have no problem if it does not get the Prime Ministers post, and that the focus of the Opposition was to stop the BJP from forming the government at the Centre.

He said, If there is consensus in favour of the Congress, then the party will take the leadership, but our aim has always been that the NDA government should not come back. We will go with the unanimous decision. We do not want to create any issue at this time that if we dont become, no one else should.

Congress MLA Jagga Reddy, however, said that they have no problem if Congress president Rahul Gandhi becomes Prime Minister even with the support of the TRS.

Speaking to the media on Thursday, he said that power in the state was not important to the party. However, Mr Gandhi becoming PM was more important, he said.
The EC officials in New Delhi have received a request from the state seeking 10 companies of paramilitary forces.

Hyderabad: Anticipating violence after election results are declared on May 23, irrespective of whichever party wins in the politically charged state of Andhra Pradesh, the Election Commission will be dispatching 1,000 personnel of the Central paramilitary forces who will work with the state police force to deal with any outbreaks of violence.

On the face of it, the mood among party workers of both the Telugu Desam and the YSR Congress appears upbeat with both sides confident of victory, but with one side bound to lose, a burst of emotions and display of show of strength by party workers is what is likely to end in violence.

The EC officials in New Delhi have received a request from the state seeking 10 companies of paramilitary forces.
Tuesday was a black day for Kolkata and for West Bengal. Unrestrained violence between the goon squads of the BJP and the Trinamul Congress in the centre of the city  as the outnumbered police force looked on  caused the destruction of the bust of renaissance man Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, whose bicentenary is being celebrated.

While political violence at election time is not unknown in any part of the country, the savagery inflicted on the artistic representation of one who stood for the best civilisational values anywhere moved a leading literary figure and Gyanpith laureate  who has been a critic of chief minister Mamata Banerjee's raj  to speak out against saffron terror. This day of violence will be remembered for long.

This Lok Sabha election has gone remarkably well since the day of the first voting on April 11. The polls were largely violence-free, barring stray incidents in West Bengal with the antagonism rising between the ruling TMC in the state and its principal challenger, the BJP.

Kolkata is no stranger to violence. The rise of the Naxalbari movement in the late 1960s led to bloodshed on the streets of this majestic metropolis, that was once the second city of the British empire after London, as the brutal police crackdown dominated the headlines. This was the first wave of violence in the great city in independent India. The second wave saw violent clashes between Congress workers and cadres of the CPI(M) as the latter was trying to establish itself as West Bengals most significant political force after the late Jyoti Basu became chief minister.

In these violent interregnums, ordinary workers of political parties and groups were involved. On Tuesday, on the other hand, the cadres clashed in the presence of BJP president Amit Shah, who had with him two of his partys election candidates.

The Election Commission will be failing in its duty  as it has done practically all through the poll process for the Lok Sabha election  if it does not consider all aspects of the violence. The state government too is hardly blameless. It must rise above partisan considerations in dealing with the unpleasant situation that has arisen.

Every effort has to be made by the EC and the state administration to ensure that voting is not marred on Sunday by renewed bouts of violence. As the election takes place for parliamentary constituencies in Kolkata and areas around it, the already sharp rivalry between the BJP and the TMC is bound to get heightened.

This calls for a higher level of security precautions. The first two waves of violence in Kolkata coincided with turns in the political road. Is the present round a step in the same direction? We shall know soon, and much depends on the May 23 poll results.
Theres no place online thats really safe for users. The global panic Facebook created with its advice to 1.5 billion users to upgrade their WhatsApp to plug a security hole is a reminder that anything online can be breached. WhatsApp was meant to be the confidential communication platform that is encrypted end to end and secure from eavesdropping. The app promising fast, simple and secure messaging is also known to be wary of giving governments access to users messages or phone calls even if requests are made on national security grounds. The popularity of the Facebook-owned platform is predicated on the protection it offers users from snooping governments in this age when those in authority seem to want to know what their citizens are up to.

WhatsApp could absolve itself of blame over this security breach, that could have been made only by an advanced player in the spy business. Israeli firms have for long been offering professional services like hacking into emails. Even the BCCI was a client once. But specific hacking of human rights activists and journalists suggests this is clearly the work of a governmental client, and should be a warning to anyone holding an opinion in public space that he/she is subject to surveillance. News of serial weaknesses in security leading to outing of personal data of social media users worldwide has of late stung the Mark Zuckerberg stable of Facebook-WhatsApp-Instagram. Its only now Facebook is setting up data and content controls. But theres still no guarantee that anyones data is wholly secure online.
The Sikh Gurus did not believe in giving only textual knowledge but rather they lived those great Sikh values to inspire the Sikhs.

Martyrdom to sacrifice ones life for a noble cause has a special place in Sikhism. Shahidi or shahadat refers to affirmation of truth, justice and faith. A true belief provides courage and inspiration to lay ones life to uphold truth. As says Guru Nanak, Listen O mind, that person who fears nothing nor gives anyone cause to fear has alone obtained true knowledge.

Sikh history is replete with innumerable examples of shahidis. The Sikh Gurus did not believe in giving only textual knowledge but rather they lived those great Sikh values to inspire the Sikhs. From Guru Arjan Dev to Guru Tegh Bahadur to Guru Gobind Singh, all the Gurus proved to be true role models for their followers who had sacrificed their lives so that justice could prevail. The Sikhs, not surprisingly, followed suit and took pride in embracing martyrdom. No wonder there is a saying that the Sikhs have a fondness for death.

One such great martyr was Udham Singh, a revolutionary, a true Khalsa. A witness to the massacre at Jallianwala Bagh, Udham Singh dedicated his life to avenge this injustice and the cruelty inflicted by the British.

Udham Singh was born on December 26, 1899 at Sunam in the Sangrur district of Punjab. He was named Sher Singh by his parents. Unfortunately, he lost his parents at a very young age and was admitted to Central Khalsa Orphanage along with his brother, Mukta Singh. Their initiation into Khalsahood, with the pahul ceremony, also gave them new names. Hence, Sher Singh was now known as Udham Singh and his brother as Sadhu Singh. But Udham Singh was left alone when his brother too died in 1917.

Udham Singh, his spirit undaunted by tragic personal events and infused with patriotism, happened to be present on the day marked as a black day in Indian history. It was a Baisakhi day, a day of the creation of the Khalsa by Guru Gobind Singh. It was April 13, 1919 and the peaceful congregation was attacked by Gen. Dyer without giving any warning and without any kind of provocation from people. He opened fire on unarmed people, not giving them any chance to escape as the park had a single narrow gate that was blocked by Gen. Dyer. Udham Singh witnessed the killing of numerous people. This proved to be a turning point in his life, inspiring him to adopt the path of revolution.

Udham Singh was influenced by Bhagat Singh, a great revolutionary and impressed by the poetry penned by Ram Prasad Bismal, another freedom fighter. Udham Singh had left India and went to the US and then to England as well. He, for all his life, was waiting for an opportunity to avenge the Jallianwala Bagh tragedy. On March 13, 1940, in Caxton Hall, London, Udham Singh fired at Michael ODwyer, who died on the spot. Udham Singh did not even try to escape but surrendered and said he had done his duty for his country. On July 31, 1940 he was hanged to death.

Udham Singh was a noble soul and all the hardships of his life did not deter him from following the path of sacrifice, justice and the right cause. He used to give his name as Ram Muhammad Singh Azad, incorporating all religions and hence, emphasising on unity.

Udham Singh used to call death as his bride whom he was going to wed. A great soul, a martyr, Udham Singh once again proved that a true Sikh does not fear death and is always ready to sacrifice his life for the righteous cause.
RAUV, which has wireless technology with camera, uses video processing to observe and monitor subaqueous nature with less human interventions.

Kozhikode: An electronics engineer from Cochin University of Science and Technology (Cusat) has developed a robot which has applications in underwater research and search and rescue operations.

It can also be used in water quality monitoring based on Internet of Things, military and naval operations and flood and disaster management.

P.M. Jagadees developed this demonstrable prototype of Internet of Things-enabled and remotely-operated autonomous underwater vehicle (RAUV) as part of his final-year M.Tech thesis guided by Dr. M. Rajesh, scientist of National Institute of Electronics and Information Technology (NIELIT), Kozhikode.

RAUV, which has wireless technology with camera, uses video processing to observe and monitor subaqueous nature with less human interventions.

The major advantage of the design is that it is fully solar-powered, Internet of Things-enabled, low cost and can provide video streaming which can be accessed from anywhere in the world with the help of a laptop or smart phone.

The working of the prototype depends on the motor speed. The pressure variation in this design will not affect the module because water flows inside the frame easily so that the pressure of water inside and outside remains the same. I developed the prototype to fulfil my dream to make an IoT-enabled underwater vehicle. A similar prototype has not been developed in India because it is a great risk to do research in this area, said, Jagadees.

The prototype was presented at the first International Conference on Unmanned Ariel System in Geomatics 2019 organised by IIT Roorkee. Enquiries for it came from different government and private agencies, including Border Security Force, NIIT Rajasthan, Indian Flying Lab, We Robotics, Hirakud Dam Agency, Orissa etc.

This model is hybrid and we are planning to upgrade it with more versatile features said M.Rajesh.

Jagadees, a Red Cross volunteer, said the different Red Cross classes he attended motivated him to develop such a prototype. He is also planning to hand over a well-developed robot to the Indian Red Cross Society.

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Cengiz was the last person to see Khashoggi before he entered the consulate to obtain papers for their planned marriage. (Photo: File)

Washington: Hatice Cengiz, the fiancee of slain Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, criticised US governments response to his killing on Wednesday, reported Washington Post.

She said Trump administration has failed to uphold American values by allowing the Saudi government to avoid meaningful consequence for the crime.

Khashoggi had always championed the US as the place you went to challenge the status quo and speak truth to power," Cengiz said adding that Jamal Khashoggi would have been most disappointed of all to see the US response.

These remarks were her strongest till date in the Trump administrations muted reaction to a killing which was widely condemned as an attack on press freedom and violation of human rights.

US President Donald Trump had questioned the CIA's conclusion that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman authorised the operation. Trump administration has resisted imposing any penalty on Middle East ally.

Cengiz, who is scheduled to testify before a House subcommittee on Thursday, said that the Saudi government has not contacted her to offer compensation or even condolences since Khashoggi was killed in Saudis consulate in Istanbul last October.

The kingdom, however, has given millions of dollars in cash and property to Khashoggis four children.

Cengiz was the last person to see Khashoggi before he entered the consulate to obtain papers for their planned marriage. He never exited the building, where according to US and Turkish authorities he was killed and dismembered by a team of assassins dispatched from Riyadh.
Ten days ago, Trump also ordered an aircraft carrier and nuclear-capable bomber planes to deploy to the Gulf. (Photo: File)

Washington: President Donald Trump on Wednesday predicted that Iran will "soon" want to negotiate and denied any discord in the White House over moves that critics say could lead to war in the Middle East.

"Different opinions are expressed and I make a decisive and final decision -- it is a very simple process," Trump tweeted. "I'm sure that Iran will want to talk soon."

Trump blasted media reports about turmoil in the White House over a series of steps taken by the administration to up pressure on Iran, saying "there is no infighting whatsoever."

The United States on Wednesday ordered non-essential staff to leave its embassy in neighbouring Iraq, claiming there is an "imminent" threat from Iranian-linked Iraqi militias.

Ten days ago, Trump also ordered an aircraft carrier and nuclear-capable bomber planes to deploy to the Gulf.

Democrats in Congress demanded that the Trump administration brief them on what it considers to be the Iran threat, warning that the US legislature has not approved military action against Tehran.

Opponents of Trump say that hardliners led by national security advisor John Bolton, who has long advocated toppling the Iranian government, are pushing the country into war.

The White House says that Iran, a long-time enemy and rival of US allies Israel and Saudi Arabia, is sowing instability across the region.

Washington also says that Tehran is secretly pursuing nuclear weapons, despite having agreed to strict controls under an international accord that Trump abandoned after winning election in 2016.
The latest measure comes amidst the escalating trade spat between the US and China. (Photo: File)

Washington: Declaring a national emergency, US President Donald Trump on Wednesday signed an executive order barring American companies from using telecom equipment made by firms believed to pose a "national security risk."

The order gives US President Donald Trump the power to regulate interstate trade under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, according to news agency Sputnik.

"Today, President Trump signed an Executive Order entitled 'Securing the Information and Communications Technology and Services Supply Chain' as part of his commitment to protecting the information and communications technology and services of our Nation," a statement issued by the White House announced.

Adding to this, the release mentions that Trump protects the US from "foreign adversaries who are actively and increasingly creating and exploiting vulnerabilities in information and communications technology infrastructure and services in the United States," by signing the order.

This comes as authorities in Canada arrested Chinese telecom giant Huawei's Chief Financial officer, Meng Wanzhou, in Vancouver last year. She may be extradited to the US, where there are charges against her over suspected violations of the US sanctions against Iran.

"This Executive Order declares a national emergency with respect to the threats against information and communications technology and services in the United States and delegates authority to the Secretary of Commerce to prohibit transactions posing an unacceptable risk to the national security of the United States or the security and safety of United States persons," the statement added.

The latest measure comes amidst the escalating trade spat between the US and China. Washington imposed fresh tariff hikes on Chinese imports amounting to USD 200 billion, alleging that Beijing had backed out of the trade deal as it neared fruition. In response, China announced its intent to increase tariffs on US goods entering the country starting from June 1.
Pakistan lies in the middle of a vital aviation corridor. Flights to India often pass directly over Pakistan. (Representational Image)

Lahore: Pakistan on Wednesday decided not to lift its airspace ban for Indian flights till May 30, as Islamabad is awaiting the outcome of the Lok Sabha polls in India.

Pakistan fully closed its airspace after an Indian Air Force strike on a Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terror camp in Balakot on February 26.

However, Pakistan opened its airspace for all flights except for New Delhi, Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur on March 27.

"The top officials of defence and aviation ministries held a meeting on Wednesday to reconsider opening its airspace for Indian flights. They decided that Pakistan's airspace will remain banned for the Indian flights till May 30," a senior government official told Press Trust of India after the meeting.

He said the Civil Aviation Authority has also notified the decision to the airmen. The authority issued a notification (Notam) after the meeting to pilots, advising them of circumstances relating to the state of flying.

The official said the government will now consider the lifting of the ban on Pakistan's airspace for Indian flights on May 30.

Pakistan's Science and Technology Minister Fawad Chaudhry early this week said that the status quo will remain till the conclusion of elections in India.

"Status quo will remain till the elections are over in India. I don't 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 till Indian polls," Chaudhry told PTI.

Owing to the flight ban on its airspace by India, Pakistan has suspended its operation for Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur which is causing a loss of millions of rupees per day. Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) used to operate four flights to Kuala Lumpur, two to Bangkok and two to New Delhi.

A senior PIA official told PTI that the national flag carrier's loss is running into billions of rupees because of suspension of the flights especially to Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur.

"We are not only facing the huge financial loss but also losing our passengers to other airlines," he said, adding that this matter should now be resolved. "If land and rail routes are operational between Pakistan and India, what's wrong with the air route," the official questioned.

Pakistan lies in the middle of a vital aviation corridor. Flights to India often pass directly over Pakistan.

The airlines and civil aviation authorities of both countries are enduring massive losses. The flights between Europe to Far-East are not only facing huge financial losses, but the flight duration has also increased, while the airlines have also increased their ticket prices.

Pakistan in mid-April had opened one of its 11 air routes for west-bound flights from India and airlines such as Air India and Turkish Airlines have started using it. The operating cost for Air India, which flies to destinations in Europe and the US, reportedly has increased significantly as it had to take longer routes due to the closure of Pakistan airspace.

Keep yourself updated on Lok Sabha Elections 2019 with our round-the-clock coverage -- breaking news, updates, analyses et all. Happy reading.
Putin spoke to reporters after hosting US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in the Black Sea resort of Sochi on Tuesday for the highest-level bilateral talks in nearly a year. (Photo: File)

Sochi: President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday said Moscow was sorry to see Iran's nuclear deal falling apart but stressed Russia was not "a fire brigade" to "rescue everything."

Tensions have sharply escalated between arch-rivals Washington and Tehran since US President Donald Trump withdrew last year from the Iran nuclear deal which removed sanctions in exchange for curbs on Iran's nuclear programme.

Putin spoke to reporters after hosting US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in the Black Sea resort of Sochi on Tuesday for the highest-level bilateral talks in nearly a year.

"We regret that the deal is falling apart," Putin said following talks with Austrian President Alexander van der Bellen on Wednesday.

"After the signing of the agreement Iran was and still is the world's most verifiable and transparent country in this sense." "Iran is fulfilling all of its obligations," said Putin, citing the International Atomic Energy Agency.

He urged Iran not to quit the 2015 agreement but added there was only so much Moscow could do.

"Russia is not a fire brigade," Putin said.

"We cannot rescue everything that does not fully depend on us. We've played our part." Putin also said that after Washington's withdrawal

Europe could do "nothing" to salvage the deal.

Earlier Wednesday Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov expressed concern that tensions over Iran escalated despite assurances from Pompeo that Washington was not seeking war.

"So far we notice the continued escalation of tensions around this subject," Peskov said.

"We are saddened to see the decisions taken by the Iranian side," Peskov added, while arguing that Washington has been provoking Iran.

In Sochi, Pompeo said his country did not want war with Iran, despite a spike in tensions that has seen the Pentagon dispatch nuclear-capable bombers to the region.

Peskov sought to play down those statements.

"There were no assurances from Pompeo," Putin's spokesman said.

"And one can hardly talk about some sort of assurances." Washington last year pulled out of a nuclear deal backed by Europe, Russia and China, which curbed Iran's nuclear ambitions in return for sanctions relief.

Since then it has slapped sweeping sanctions on Iran.

On Sunday, mysterious attacks by unknown assailants against four ships in the region, including two from Saudi Arabia, pushed talk of war up another notch.

Washington has accused Iran of planning "imminent" attacks in the region and on Wednesday, the US ordered all non-emergency staff to leave its embassy in the Iraqi capital Baghdad and consulate in Arbil.
Following a fire at Paris Notre Dame cathedral in April, Russian media outlets in Europe blamed Islamist militants and Ukraines pro-Western government. (Photo: AFP)

Brussels: The European Union has launched a coordinated fight against fake news ahead of this months European Parliament elections, but officials acknowledge there are limits to what can be achieved against a danger barely recognised a few years ago.

The risk is very high, said Lutz Guellner, one of the EUs top officials in charge of the anti-disinformation campaign. Just look at the past, the US elections, what happened in France, Germany.

By funding fact-checking organisations, building up an in-house unit to counter disinformation from Russia, and enlisting Facebook, Google, Twitter and others, Brussels hopes to shield the 427 million people eligible to vote for the 751-seat EU chamber on May 23-26.

Facebook opened a fake news war room in late April, later showing journalists around the Dublin facility, but security experts say that may be too late to uproot the seeds of doubt planted by malign campaigns to undermine one of the worlds biggest elections.

EU officials say they cannot quantify the impact of their efforts. They suffer from limited funding and institutional restraints, and are only just coming to terms with the scale of the problem. The EU cant have a Ministry of Truth, said one senior EU official.

Despite the pan-European nature of the risks, the vote is held as separate elections in each of the 28 EU countries, some of which have been slow to put in place safeguards.

EU governments and NATO allies say Russia is targeting elections to undermine Western democracy. Moscow denies that.

In a case that forced EU officials to pay attention to the real-world impact of fake news, a story in 2016 about a Russian-German girl reportedly raped by Arab migrants sparked a media storm until Germanys intelligence service established it as a Russian attempt to manipulate German public opinion.

Who set fire to Notre Dame?

By alerting people to examples of disinformation, the EU, like other Western governments, hopes to inoculate citizens against fake news, according to Heidi Tworek, a expert on information warfare at the University of British Columbia.

Potentially we will be able to win, but not yet, because we have neglected this for so long, Lithuanias Foreign Minister Linas Linkevicius told Reuters.

Because Mays elections are likely to produce a fragmented parliament, with anti-establishment parties doing well, EU officials are anxious about bad actors disrupting debate.

Turnout for European Parliament elections is traditionally low, making it easier for far-right and far-left groups to focus on voters favouring extremist parties via social media.

Russian media in Europe, while not successful in reaching the broader public, provides a platform for anti-EU populists.

Following a fire at Paris Notre Dame cathedral in April, Russian media outlets in Europe blamed Islamist militants and Ukraines pro-Western government.

Fact-checkers in Germany called out a fake news article circulated on Facebook about Frans Timmermans, the Socialists top candidate in the European elections. The report falsely claimed he wanted mass immigration of Muslim men to Europe.

Non-rapid EU alert system

By threatening regulation, the EU has persuaded Google and Facebook to verify election advertising on its sites, while the companies, along with Twitter and Firefox web-browser Mozilla have agreed to submit monthly reports as part of an EU code of practice.

Google said that in February it detected almost 21,000 EU-based Google Ads accounts that violated its new rules and sought to mislead or scam users, including 4,200 in Italy alone,

Last week, Facebook took down numerous Italian accounts.

Facebooks fact-checking operation is working with 21 partners in 14 European languages. When a story is flagged as false, it is downgraded on the social networks news feed and pages that repeatedly share fake news can be blocked.

But the company says such efforts have their limits. Theres so much shared on Facebook every day that it wont be possible to fact check every single piece, said Antonia Woodford, Facebooks product manager.

In some EU nations, such as Hungary, there are no fact-checkers, and groups partnered with Facebook complain about the lack of data on the impact of their work, particularly as fake news spreads quickly across different platforms and countries.

It does move pretty quickly, said Phil Chetwynd, global editor in chief at Agence France-Presse, which is partnered with Facebook. In most of the locations where we have put fact-checkers, we have been surprised by the scale of what we have been discovering.

The older generation is particularly vulnerable, with people over 55 most likely to spread fake news because they grew up with the printed word and assume published information to be bona fide, EU officials say.

Many EU governments have yet to set up their own disinformation monitoring command posts. A much vaunted EU Rapid Alert System meant to bring national specialists together to fight disinformation is barely used. Its a non-rapid, non-alert, non-system, an EU official said.

However, the EU hopes that a collective effort will at least raise the costs for anyone trying to interfere. If someone wants to do it, it will still be possible, said Heli Tiirmaa-Klaar, Estonias ambassador at large for cyber security.
London: Britains Prince Harry on Thursday settled for substantial damages and an apology from a news agency that hovered over his home in a helicopter, taking photos directly into his living room and bedroom earlier this year.

Splash News admitted an error in judgment and apologised to the 34-year-old royal.

Lawyers for the Duke of Sussex told the UK High Court that the photographs showed the Oxfordshire homes interior and very seriously undermined his safety.

The images, which were taken in January and published in UK newspapers and online, showed the living area, dining area and directly into the bedroom.

Justice Warby heard a statement in open court at the Royal Courts of Justice in London in relation to Harrys privacy and data protection complaints and ruled in his favour.
Days after Jet Airways grounded its entire fleet of aircrafts, in what seems to be more bad news for Indias aviation industry, disputes between IndiGo founders  Rahul Bhatia and Rakesh Gangwal  are speculated to impact the functioning of the carrier.

Business channel ET Now, citing sources, reported that the airlines founders differences over the ambitions and the strategies for the airline have been increased.

Both founders are, however, trying to iron out the differences so that the functioning of the airline isnt impacted. The report also said that the differences have escalated in the past few weeks, however, they are at a very nascent stage for any formal legal dispute.

IndiGo on its part, has called it as mere speculation.

Gangwal, a US citizen, has always been ambitious of the IndiGos growth plans. differences cropped up on several occasions in the last two years, with Gangwal supporting growth at breakneck speed to harness the potential of Indias aviation market and some of the airlines management and on occasion, Bhatia, opting for a more cautious approach.

In fact, in February 2018, Gangwal declared that FY19 would see IndiGo increasing its capacity by 52%, more than it had ever done. The plan was to increase its fleet size to 250 from 155. The move was opposed by its management, including the then president Aditya Ghosh, saying this would create problems of overcapacity and impact yields. Gangwal is said to have brushed aside Ghoshs fears stating that with Indias potential, nothing less than 500 aircraft was too many. This ultimately led to Ghosh resigning from the company.

IndiGo currently has a fleet of 225 and is a market leader with 47% market share. Any impact on the operations will results in a hike in the domestic airfares. The airline operates close to 1,400 flights, across 71 domestic and international destinations.

Gangwal and his family own 36.69% stake in the IndiGo, while Bhatia and his family own 38.26%.
Targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi for ridiculing 'Mahagatbandhan' (Grand Alliance), the CPI(M) said that the "persistent attack" on the opposition alliance reveals the "real phobia" that he harbors about the prospects of a coalition government replacing his rule.

For Modi to now denounce such coalition governments, it said, is "to condemn his own partys coalition governments" under A B Vajpayee.

In an editorial 'Modis Coalition Phobia' in party mouthpiece People's Democracy, the CPI(M) said not a day passes in Lok Sabha campaign without Modi attacking the opposition alliance as a 'mahamilavat' (great adulteration) and depicting them as a "bunch of power hungry opportunists".

"Such a persistent attack on opposition alliance reveals the real phobia that Modi harbors about the prospects of a coalition government replacing his rule," the editorial said.

As the SP-BSP-RLD alliance "threatens to inflict a decisive defeat" in Uttar Pradesh, the CPI(M) said it has become Modi's "main target" but in his "enthusiasm to attack opposition alliances", he forgets that the NDA consists of 40 parties  a mahagatbandhan if there is one.

Pointing out to Modi's claims that a coalition government would be detrimental to the country, the CPI(M) said coalition governments have been the norm, bar some exceptions, since 1977.

"Contrary to what Modi depicts, coalition governments have provided stable governments and their record on 'development' is not very different from other governments which have all been within the framework of capitalist development. In fact, the Vajpayee-led coalition government of 1999-2004 was held up by the BJP as a model of shining India," it said.

It also reminded Modi of the two governments led by Vajpayee which functioned under a common minimum program that set aside BJP's three core demands, including Ram temple, as well as that of the UPA.

Rubbishing as "absurd" the allegation that Maoist menace surged under non-NDA governments and that his government quelled it, the editorial said, "this falsehood of Modi has been exposed during the current election campaign itself". It referred to the Gadchiroli incident where 15 security men were killed and the Dantewada incident where a BJP MLA and four others were killed.

"We have seen how the unadulterated Modi government has worsened the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir where the number of terrorist attacks increased from 109 to 626 between 2014 and 2019 and the number of security personnel killed increased from 130 to 483," it said.

"So the issue is not whether there is a government with a single party majority or a coalition government. It is a question of what policies and programs are pursued by the government," it added.
The Congress party on Wednesday scoffed at BJP President Amit Shah's claims of Bengal being the only state to have witnessed poll violence during the ongoing Lok Sabha elections and accused him of promoting mobocracy to expand his party's footprints across the country.

Recalling the instances of booth capturing in Tripura during the initial phases of the Lok Sabha elections, Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi reminded Shah that the Election Commission had to order a re-poll in the northeastern state.

Have you not heard incidents of violence in Kerala and Tamil Nadu? One doesn't know whether Amit Shah is in India or some other country, Singhvi said here.

The Congress leader also recounted allegations of Haryana minister Manish Grover intimidating voters during the elections to the Rohtak Lok Sabha seat on Sunday last.

Singhvi condemned the violence during Amit Shah's roadshow in Kolkata and accused the Narendra Modi-Shah duo of promoting mobocracy in the country and damaging the cultural identity of the states.

This negative politics of 'destruction, demolition and discretion' are methodically vitiating the political atmosphere of the country. The BJP wants to exert its monolithic supremacy and bigoted agenda on each state, thus weakening the federal polity, he alleged.

The Congress leader alleged that disrespect for national icons and hegemony of its own ideology was reflective of the BJP's mindset. He recalled how BJP's H Raja had pledged to destroy the statue of social reformer Periyar in Chennai.

Wherever the BJP has zero presence, the BJP specialises in creating polarisation, violence divisiveness an atmosphere of tension for cheap political gain, Singhvi said.

BJP general secretary Ram Madhav had actively justified pulling down statues, but no action was taken against him, Singhvi claimed.

Singhvi alleged that a bust of national icon B R Ambedkar was found splashed with red paint in north Chennai and in February this year, members of a fringe right wing group associated with the Sangh Parivar had re-enacted the scene of Mahatma Gandhi's assassination by shooting his effigy with an air pistol.
The Congress on Thursday led the Opposition parties in slamming the Election Commission for abdicating its Constitutional duty to ensure a level playing field in the Lok Sabha polls, by curtailing the campaign period in West Bengal by 19 hours.

BSP supremo Mayawati, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, DMK chief M K Stalin, National Conference chief Omar Abdullah came out in full support of Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee, by launching a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah for targeting the West Bengal Chief Minister.

Congress' chief spokesman Randeep Singh Surjewala said the Election Commission's decision to cut short the election campaign in West Bengal was a dark spot on India's democracy and institutions of oversight such as the EC.

Has EC become a mere helpless pawn in the hands of the Modi-Shah duo, Surjewala asked and described the poll authority as a toothless wonder.

Surjewala also said it appeared that the Election Commission's action was a parting gift to the BJP, to ensure Modi's two pre-announced election rallies in Mathurapur and Dum Dum on Thursday are not hit.

Mayawati claimed that the Modi-Shah duo was targeting the Trinamool government in West Bengal as per a planned conspiracy to divert attention from the failures of the NDA government.

It is unfortunate that the Election Commission acted under pressure of the Centre in curtailing electioneering in West Bengal while the PM could address two rallies today, she said.

Earlier, Akhilesh Yadav had come out in support of Mamata Banerjee, saying that he backed her fight to stop the undemocratic march of the two-and-a-half men who have used and abused every institution of our country for their own gain.

DMK President M K Stalin condemned the Election Commission for having one set of rules for the Opposition and another for the ruling party.

The BJP can team up with the EC in West Bengal, they can have a tailor-made campaign designed to fragment & polarise the electorate, they can have all their model code violations overlooked. None of it will matter, because on the 23rd Mamata didi will sweep West Bengal, Omar Abdullah, a former J&K chief minister said.

Surjewala also said the Congress, as a responsible political party, has never cast unwarranted aspersions on the actions of constitutional bodies.

But we are deeply saddened to say that Election Commission of India has completely lost its Independence and abdicated its constitutional integrity, the Congress leader said.
With increasing disposable incomes and social media-fuelled peer pressure, travel has become an indispensable part of most middle and upper middle-class Indian families.

As common tourist destinations like Europe, Bali and our very own Ladakh become overpopulated, affluent Bengalureans are looking towards other less-explored places.

Prominent among these are icy destinations like Iceland, Greenland and even Antarctica.

There are touristy icy places and there are really offbeat icy places. For examples, Iceland is now like a Singapore in the 90s. It has become a cliched international travel destination; there are tons of people from India, especially Bengaluru, going to Iceland. One of the major attractions there is the Northern Lights (aurora borealis), says Jayanth Sharma, a wildlife photographer and writer and CEO and founder of Toehold, a travel and photography company in the city.



Jayanth Sharma takes tourists to

unique destinations.



Why is there an interest in such places?

One of the more recent fads among wealthy and adventurous millenials is wildlife photography in difficult terrains. So what better than clicking pictures of the famed polar bears or photogenic penguins of Antarctica? So there is a rise in demand for guided tours and expeditions led by experts and photographers. Young executives and retired professionals make up a major chunk of these enthusiastic travellers from Bengaluru, according to several surveys.

And Bollywood too plays a role. After movies like Dilwale hit the screens, which showed Kajol and Shahrukh romancing on icy stretches, the North Indian market showed a steep increase in interest in such places. They want to go to such places, pose in a similar manner like the actors and take a picture. This is exactly what happened to Ladakh around ten years back when 3 Idiots hit the screen, he explains, adding that there is also a regular influx of techies and the IT crowd to such places.

Who goes to these places?

Usually nature-loving tourists. A large number of affluent Indians travel to Bengaluru since it costs only about $2,000-$4,000 per person.

On the other hand, Antarctica doesnt see a huge number as the cheapest Antarctica trip would be anywhere upwards of Rs 5 lakhs. People with a very different economic background opt for these places but I still feel around 3,000-4,000 Indians travel to Antarctica in a year. There are many agents throughout the country who have regular tours to that place, says Jayanth.

He adds, Arctic tours are not that popular as people are still not aware of it. Toehold specialises in tours to a place called Svalbard; tourists dont go here, only serious wildlife photographers and nature lovers undertake the journey to this place. Less than 50 people in a year go there. It costs around $10,000 for a ten-night expedition; it happens just once a year. The number of people who know this place, can afford the money and can take the time off are relatively lesser.

Rajeev Kale, President and country head  Holiday, MICE, Visa, Thomas Cook (India) Ltd.: Indian travellers want Instagram-worthy experiences. An emerging trend is switch seasonal vacation, with tourists travelling to destinations with weather contrary to theirs. We see a rise in demand of over 15-18 per cent for icy destinations this summer.

Some popular destinations are Finland, Switzerland, Antarctica, Iceland, Scandinavia, Norway, Canada and New Zealand. Tourits are usually double-income, no kids couples, womens groups and young couples.

NatGeos luxury expedition cruises

A burgeoning travel industry and a growing appetite among Indians for rich travel experiences has led to the launch of National Geographic Expeditions in India.

National Geographic Expeditions in India will not only be a one-stop solution for immersive travel experiences but also a catalyst for change built on the spirit of sustainable travel. The expeditions are not targetted at a particular age group, its for those who want to explore beyond travelling. For offbeat travel destinations such as Antarctica and Greenland, we have entered into a partnership with Ponant to offer a series of luxury expedition cruise itineraries where travellers can experience ice-covered landscapes and amazing wildlife while travelling with National Geographic experts, explorers and scientists.

Vijay Nair, Associate vice president and country head, National Geographic Expeditions.

Ponant is a French cruise ship operator.

Antarctica: The expeditions typically begin at Ushuaia situated in Argentinas southernmost tip and can range from 11 days to 22 days.

The cost is around Rs 6.5 lakhs onwards per person for double occupancy, depending on the category of the cabin and the duration of the trip.

Greenland and Newfoundland: The expedition begins at Icelands capital, Reykjavik. Cost is around Rs 4 lakhs per person for double occupancy depending on the category of the cabin.
The popularity of Asian cuisine in these parts began with Chinese; it was adapted by Indian kitchens and is sometimes called Indian-Chinese.

Bengaluru houses numerous red lantern restaurants and street vendors serving popular Manchurian dishes, spring rolls, and chilli and soy main courses.

In recent years, Asian food has expanded, with the emergence of Japanese, Thai, Malaysian, Vietnamese and other cuisines, creating pan-Asian choices in the city. Asian cuisine continues to grow in Bengaluru with more and more restaurants looking beyond Chinese. Here is a sample of some restaurants serving non-Chinese Asian cuisine.

Woman chef, Thai ingredients

Thai House

Thai food has grown immensely in popularity since its introduction into Bengalurus food culture. Sourcing all ingredients from Thailand, Thai House in Indiranagar takes pride in the authenticity of its fare. I work for a travel agency and bring students from Thailand to India. I dont want them to miss their food, and also, there is a lot of demand for Thai food in Bangalore, says owner Santosh Gangadharan.

The chef, Kim is from Thailand. She knows the food well and people also enjoy interacting with her, he says.

Popular: Sticky rice mango, basil chicken, tom yum soup and papaya salad.

Meal for two: Rs 1,500

Bean specials from Japan

Japan Travel Cafe Azuki

Located on the third floor of a small house in Residency Road, Japan Travel Cafe Azuki isnt your typical Japanese restaurant. Rie Goto, who runs it, says, Most people are interested in anime and other things related to Japan. So I decided to start a traditional Japanese sweet shop. Initially a dessert place, Cafe Azuki is named so because of the frequent use of Azuki beans in their dishes. We have two chefs that specialise in Japanese cuisine and a Japanese dessert chef. Azuki beans are liked by Indians and thats why I started with sweets, and then people requested me to add main course dishes, which I did, he says. Its not like Indian curry or sweets, Its a concept on its own, says Rie Goto.

Popular: Dorayaki, made popular by the childrens show Doremon.

Meal for two: Rs 400



Nasi Lemak at Hungry Walkerin Indiranagar.



Malaysian fare and more

Hungry Walker

While Hungry Walker in Indiranagar is primarily Malaysian, they also serve Japanese, Indonesian, Thai and Vietnamese cuisine. After frequently travelling to Malaysia, owner Shalini decided to bring the flavours of Malaysia to India. My husband is Malaysian and he is also the head chef. We planned to bring the culture to India, specifically Bangalore, because Malaysian food wasnt really popular here, she says. Apart from products that cant be imported, the restaurant imports all ingredients from Malaysia, she says. About the decor and the philosophy behind the restaurant, Shalini says, We have kept it subtle and minimal.

Popular: Nasi lemak sambal (coconut rice with spicy prawn sauce with sliced cucumber and roasted peanuts), char kway tiao (rice noodles served along with prawns) and Ikan bakar kuah asam (grilled fish with stuffed fresh chilli served with steamed rice and sour sauce), fluffy Japanese pancakes.

Meal for two: Rs 400

Harima

From the Japanese seating to the ambience and food, Harima is as Japanese as it gets. Owner Vinod Kaul says, A couple of years ago, we had more Japanese people coming to our restaurant, but these days we receive more Indians. The trend has reversed. Everything comes from Japan at Harima, including the ingredients. The minimalist Japanese decor is created from Japanese material. We had our interiors done by a Japanese architect. We have a Japanese chef and also Indian chefs trained in Japan, says Kaul.

Popular: Sushi noodles, udon noodles.

Meal for two: Rs 2,000

K-pop spreading

Korean cuisine

Soo Ra Sang

With the growing popularity of K-pop culture in India, Korean food has found its way to Bengaluru too. In Korean, Soo Ra Sang means like a kings meal, or a rich array of diverse ingredients. True to the name, you find a variety of dishes on the menu. The most popular dish is Kimbap, a Korean-style roll with rice, vegetables and meat. The difference between kimbap and Japanese sushi is in the rice and filling: while sushi is seasoned with vinegar, Kimbap is seasoned with sesame oil and is sweeter.

Singh, owner, says the demand for Korean food is on the rise. Many more people like it now. Since we import most ingredients from Korea, it is a little expensive, he says. Of the three chefs at the restaurant, two are Korean.

Popular: Salmon Sushi, Ramen, Tofu Teriyaki.

Meal for two: Rs 2,000

A taste of Myanmar

Burma Burma

This is located in Indiranagar and is part of an all-India chain. Co-founder Ankit Gupta credits the inception of Burma Burma to his Myanmarese (Burmese) roots. Burmese food has an influence of Sri Lankan, Thai, Chinese and Indian flavours and thus appeals to Indian taste buds. We import ingredients like the fermented tea leaf, sunflower seeds and spices and curry powders, he says. Head chef Ansab is Indian but has travelled to Myanmar, learning the various nuances of Burmese cuisine. Burma Burmas Oh No Khow suey is one of the dishes he recommends. We have used artifacts to signify the beauty of Burma. Every year we also a special menu for the Burmese new year Thingyan, says Ankit. Currently, Thingyan is being celebrated with a special Burmese village set.

Popular: Khow suey, Avocado ice creams, salads, tea.

Meal for two: Rs 1,500
Hit by Myanmar Army's recent crackdown on their hideouts, militant groups in the Northeast are desperate to carry out attacks to make their existence felt, security officials in Assam claimed on Thursday.

We have either arrested several Ulfa (I) cadres or forced them to surrender in the past few weeks. We have seized large number of arms and ammunition too. So now they are desperately trying to carry out an attack to show their strength, Assam director general of police Kuladhar Saikia told reporters, here.

The claim comes a day after suspected Ulfa (Independent) militants lobbed a grenade on security forces in front of a shopping mall here, in which 12 persons were injured. Two jawans of Sasatra Seema Bal (SSB) were among the injured.

Sources said at least 20 militants belonging to Ulfa (I) and NDFB (S) have either been arrested or surrendered since Myanmar Armys crackdown in February against militant groups from the Northeast taking shelter in their soil. Myanmar Army took over the headquarters of NSCN (Khaplang) in Sagaing province following which many cadres of NSCN (K), Ulfa (I), NDFB (S) and KLO had reportedly fled Myanmar and got in touch with security agencies to surrender. Security forces, however, stepped up operation along the India-Myanmar border in Nagaland, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh to foil their attempt to sneak into Indian territory.

NSCN (K) heads the United Liberation Front of Western South East Asiaa conglomeration of rebel groups from the Northeast that has kept the region troubled. The forum has been fighting for sovereign Western South East Asia comprising Naga-dominated areas in Myanmar and Northeast India. Jungles of Arunachal Pradesh is used as a transit corridor by the rebel groups from Myanmar to enter Assam.

NSCN (K) is in ceasefire with Myanmar Army but security officials claimed that continuous diplomatic pressure from India prompted the neighbouring country to take over the headquarters of NSCN (K) in February. The Myanmar-based headquarters of the NSCN (K) was the shelter of militants groups from Assam like Ulfa (I), NDFB (S) and KLO but they were reportedly asked to look for alternative shelters following the takeover. Ulfa (I) leader Paresh Baruah is reportedly hiding in an undisclosed location along Myanmar-China borders.

Actress held in blast case

Police here said Jahnabi Das, a television actress was arrested from a rented house at Panjabari here on Thursday morning with a pistol, explosives and bomb-making equipment. According to police, she was involved in the grenade attack in Guwahati on Wednesday. Police said she was in touch Pranamoy Rajguru, a Ulfa leader, whom police suspect to be the kingpin of the grenade attack. Rajguru was also picked up later in connection with the blast.
Long talked about as a futuristic solution to issues like rural deliveries or crop inspection, drones have become a prominent tool in the business world. The Federal Aviation Administration, which regulates drone use, expects the number of the commercial drones in the U.S. to more than triple to 835,000 drones by 2023. As the FAA continues to ease restrictions on where and when commercial drones can fly, Chicago-area companies are exploring new ways to use the machines and training more employees how to operate them.
In the busy RefugePoint program in Nairobi, Kenya, refugees often need basic commodities like rice or money to help pay their rent. The workers there also try hard to make sure to give those they serve something that they've taken to calling a DOB  a dose of benignity.

RefugePoint is a nonprofit organization serving refugees in many countries and the workers have always tried to be kind as they figure out what individuals and families need. But it would be easy to get harried managing so many cases that involve all sorts of dire need, from medicine to livelihood grants.

I was told about the program and the DOBs by Patrick Poulin, Pacific West regional director of the International Rescue Committee, which is headquartered in Salt Lake City. Last November, he was invited to spend a week with RefugePoint Nairobi evaluating their urban refugee case management program. As part of that, he talked to a lot of the refugees receiving commodities and services. One message stood apart, spontaneously repeated over and over

The food, the rent, the material support were crucial to the survival of the refugees. But they needed  and received  something that was just as vital: a sense of their own humanity. They got it because the staff took time to see those refugees as individuals. When time was short and there was a lot to do, they didn't treat people like cars to be run through a car wash, but spent a few minutes in real conversations, learning about what the people they served had gone through and listening to their dreams of the future, sympathizing and rooting for them on a personal level.

Poulin said it struck him that was a needed commodity as much as anything the program  really any program that tries to help those who struggle or suffer  could offer. And he suggested they add that attitude of caring to the list of commodities they routinely provide. Formalizing it, he said, means it happens every time.

I've seen this truth again and again in my decades reporting on the lives of the poor and the marginalized: Stigma attaches where it doesn't belong and it suffocates hope. When people are made to feel "less than" because of circumstance or disability or ethnicity or for any other reason, there's a sorrowing that occurs deep within that stifles progress and relationships and many other aspects of a fulfilling life.

It sometimes flames resentment. It always wounds.

In his proposal to the staff, which happily embraced DOBs as a commodity, Poulin wrote that the human connection was something they "are providing on their own, but it is something that can be better articulated and worth not taking for granted." Listening to staff and refugees, "it became clear that there is a transformative impact staff have on individuals that can easily be underestimated and perhaps even unnoticed."

An impact that must never go away.

DOBs aren't just something for refugees. As he talked about the idea, it occurred to me it might be a way out of our current political climate and the rifts that are cropping up all over the place in America. Lots of people fight these days over political philosophies and religious beliefs. There are rifts between races. We see divisions based on socioeconomics. We can't agree how much to help the frail, the disenfranchised, the poor and when we talk about solutions to some of our enduring challenges, choosing the path forward feels very tricky.

What I don't see is a single case where treating someone like a human, where showing caring and concern on a person-by-person basis, has any downside.

When I was little, someone pointed out that smiling truly comes more easily than frowning. I believe love is easier to maintain than hate. And I know that fanning hope feels good.

So a "dose of benignity" is something I'd most joyfully buy and distribute and be more than grateful to receive.
In the midst of a trade and tariff war with China, politicians pontificate and casually contend that the current squabbles are hurting the farmers of this nation. Sadly, not too many Americans today give much thought to where their food comes from. Few have ever been to a farm and fewer still have friend who is actually a farmer.

I dont know a thing about farming but I do have friend, my brother-in-law Todd Merrill, who is not only a farmer but a farmers farmer. He has taught me a few things, more through the way he lived than what he said. Farmers dont need a lot of words to teach things that transcend making a living off of the land. Todd taught and lived the kind of principles that can transform a dream into a reality and a life into a legacy.

We often celebrate the gutsy entrepreneur who starts a business in their garage and grows it into a thriving organization. We cheer the investor who takes a major risk on the upside potential of a struggling company that turns into gold. We praise those who have stared down a downturn or setback and rebounded to achieve the extraordinary. We rightly applaud these people and the principles that drive them. But anyone who knows an agrarian knows that all of these things are simply a typical day in the life of a farmer.

There are no greater entrepreneurs in the world than the farmers that look out across the land, often parched and rugged, and see a vision of fields filled with wheat and corn or vegetables and orchard. What risk-taker would bet their mortgage on tiny seeds buried in the dirt? Who would risk their life savings on what day to cut wheat or bail hay?

Bad luck, bad weather, bad sleep, bad seed, bad equipment, bad health, bad market  those are just part of the deal. A farmer has no time for self-pity, discouragement or blame. True farmers always turn the bad into good, then give thanks to God for the good they get.

I guess God needed a good farmer in heaven as He called Todd home Wednesday morning after a tough test with a brutal cancer. Todd, just shy of his 53rd birthday, was a great and gentle man who possessed one of the grandest souls I have ever known. His kindness, relentless labor, leadership, commitment to community, faith, faithfulness and love of family will forever represent to me all that is good and godly in the life of a larger-than-life farmer, father and friend.

In honor of Todd, and in tribute to all farmers, I share the 1978 Paul Harvey classic, So God made a farmer:

And on the 8th day, God looked down on his planned paradise and said, "I need a caretaker." So God made a farmer.

God said, "I need somebody willing to get up before dawn, milk cows, work all day in the fields, milk cows again, eat supper and then go to town and stay past midnight at a meeting of the school board." So God made a farmer.

"I need somebody with arms strong enough to rustle a calf and yet gentle enough to deliver his own grandchild. Somebody to call hogs, tame cantankerous machinery, come home hungry, have to wait lunch until his wife's done feeding visiting ladies and tell the ladies to be sure and come back real soon  and mean it." So God made a farmer.

God said, "I need somebody willing to sit up all night with a newborn colt. And watch it die. Then dry his eyes and say, 'Maybe next year.' I need somebody who can shape an ax handle from a persimmon sprout, shoe a horse with a hunk of car tire, who can make harness out of haywire, feed sacks and shoe scraps. And who, planting time and harvest season, will finish his forty-hour week by Tuesday noon, then, pain'n from 'tractor back,' put in another seventy-two hours." So God made a farmer.

God had to have somebody willing to ride the ruts at double speed to get the hay in ahead of the rain clouds and yet stop in mid-field and race to help when he sees the first smoke from a neighbor's place. So God made a farmer.

God said, "I need somebody strong enough to clear trees and heave bales, yet gentle enough to tame lambs and wean pigs and tend the pink-combed pullets, who will stop his mower for an hour to splint the broken leg of a meadow lark. It had to be somebody who'd plow deep and straight and not cut corners. Somebody to seed, weed, feed, breed and rake and disc and plow and plant and tie the fleece and strain the milk and replenish the self-feeder and finish a hard week's work with a five-mile drive to church.

"Somebody who'd bale a family together with the soft strong bonds of sharing, who would laugh and then sigh, and then reply, with smiling eyes, when his son says he wants to spend his life 'doing what dad does.'" So God made a farmer.

Farmers understand like no one else on earth the law of the harvest. They know it applies to seeds and saplings and steers as well as it does to courage and the content of your character. God be thanked for making farmers  especially for the farmers who plant goodness, reap joy and lay up for themselves a legacy that will last for generations to come.
SALT LAKE CITY  Exploring space is all fine and good, but what if its wrecking astronauts bodies?

According to Vox, the weightlessness of space can have weird effects on the human body, like causing swollen eyeballs, weakened bones and high exposure to radiation.

The article notes the limit on spending time in space is currently unclear. An astronaut who spent a full year in space  Scott Kelly  suffered from slower mental function and physical illness, likely due to the shift in gravity.

Here are some other issues that come hand in hand with space travel, according to Vox:

Most issues associated with space and the human body are due to experiencing microgravity environments or heavy radiation.

Astronauts experience gradual muscle atrophy while in space, something that cant be reversed unless they come back to Earth.

An astronaut on a one-way trip to Mars could be exposed to the radioactive equivalent of 24 CAT scans, which is 15 times the radiation limit for nuclear power plant workers.

Isolation and poor living conditions in space could lead to high stress, loss in brain volume and other psychological effects, similar to people who are confined to research bases in Antarctica for the winter.

While astronauts could be heading to the moon and Mars within the next decade, there isnt enough information out there on how space could affect a person long term.

Vox also reports that even after getting off the ground and making it into space, astronauts traveling to Mars could accidentally crash-land on the planet, among other issues.

Space exploration and travel have been a hot topic recently, with the White House directing NASA to plan for a permanent space station to orbit the moon by 2024, the Verge reports. Trips to Mars have also been thrown around by the space agency and business people like Elon Musk.
SALT LAKE CITY  Hanging in the Rio Gallery is a black-and-white photo, supposedly from the 1870s, showing a half-underwater shot of an Australian whale. Just glancing at it, it's hard to remember that underwater photography wasn't possible 160 years ago. And then there's the location. Is that the Great Salt Lake? Plus, two photographs framed next to it show custom-built train cars that apparently shipped the whales from San Francisco to Utah.

Where did this crazy story start? And are these pictures real?

For the first question, let's turn to an article from the June 24, 1890 edition of the Daily Enquirer, a now-defunct Provo newspaper, which reported on the 15-year anniversary of two Australian whales being transported from the Pacific coast to Utah and deposited in the Great Salt Lake.

The article describes how, in 1875, a British scientist named James Wickham hypothesized that whales could live in the salt water of the Great Salt Lake and undertook the responsibility of bearing the project out. According to the article, these whales were each 35 feet long and were shipped to Utah via custom rail cars built to hold them as well as 50 tanks of sea water.

So, was it true?

Sadly, no. But it does lead us to the second question. Because this story was exactly the kind of whimsical, historical joke the photographs' creators, contemporary artists Christine Baczek and David Hyams, were looking for.

"(Hyams) and I, for a long time, have had this idea of trying to bring forgotten history back into the minds of the public," Baczek told the Deseret News. "We're always looking for ways to reference historical photographic processes in a way that's not only about technique but (that's) also about telling the story."

Historical photography requires meticulous, time-consuming work. From the beginning of photography, older methods have been quickly discarded as easier, faster techniques become available. But Baczek and Hyams are artists, not commercial photographers.

"What we're finding is that all that alternative or historical photographic printing is another way to express something," Baczek said. She compares using historical photography to a painter's choice between oil paint or acrylic.

"It's just another tool we have to tell a story," she said.

Luminaria

Baczek and Hyams opened a historical photography studio called Luminaria in Salt Lake City in February 2018. Together, they offer custom portraits and printing as well as workshops where participants can learn how to combine modern technology with historical photographic techniques.

"Dave's expertise is in bridging the digital with the analog," Baczek said. "He can take any digital file and output a digital negative from an inkjet printer  and that way, you don't need a large-format camera, you don't need to work with film. You have the beauty of doing image capture with a digital camera, which is really fun and a lot easier than dealing with negatives, and then you can output this really beautiful, handmade print."

Besides an interest in making artistic tools available, according to their artist statements, Baczek and Hyams use historical photography to examine how events get documented in the historical record and photography's relationship with truth.

"For me, the value of looking back on historical happenings  is (that) you can just learn so much about how ideas persist, and how and what is left in historical knowledge and what is omitted from the history books," Baczek said.

For many people, photographs of an event equal the truth of a historical event. But what about things that didn't get photographed, or things that were only photographed from a certain point of view? Baczek and Hyams are interested in how historical photography can help remake a narrative by showing influential events and people who've been left out in the past.

"You can just learn so much about other people's priorities as individuals and as a unit based on what survives in history," Baczek said.

'Whale of a Tale'

Though a lot of their work focuses on these serious issues, Baczek and Hyams have a playful side. That's why they chose to focus on a ludicrous story about whales in the Great Salt Lake in their most recent piece, "Whale of a Tale."

"From 'Whale of a Tale,' I really hope that people see that art can be fun.  You can get so caught up in having everything be really serious and really profound," Baczek explained. "'Whale of a Tale' was a chance for us to do something a little bit more on the fun side that also had a strong message."

"Whale of a Tale" consists of three full-plate tintypes, one quarter-plate tintype and a few contemporary objects. (Tintype is a type of historical photography in which images are printed through a chemical reaction onto a thin metal plate.) The tintypes imagine what 19th-century photographers would have captured if whales were actually shipped from San Francisco to Salt Lake. The contemporary objects include some materials from the Great Salt Lake Whale Watch Society, a fictional society Baczek and Hyams created whose goal is to preserve the whale habitat in Utah.

Baczek and Hyams aren't concerned that people might encounter the exhibit and think these events really happened. In fact, that's the point of this work.

"We wanted people to walk away wondering, 'Is this real?'" Baczek said. "We wanted it to be realistic enough and compelling enough that they would believe it and have to dig a little further."

"Whale of a Tale" is a playful story, but Baczek and Hyams are aware of current problems that make this exhibit timely.

"We're inundated with this idea of fake news all the time," Baczek said. "With visual literacy and digital literacy not being very strong in a lot of populations in the country, we also wanted to deal with that idea and make people think about what makes you believe something."

If you go 

What: "Whale of a Tale" at the "Transcontinental: People, Places, Impact" exhibit

When: Through June 14, Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.5 p.m. Closed Saturday and Sunday

Where: The Rio Gallery, 300 S. Rio Grande St.

How much: Free

Phone: 801-245-7272

Web: www.artsandmuseums.utah.gov/rio-gallery
SALT LAKE CITY  The Utah Department of Agriculture and Food, with the Utah Department of Health, is working hard to make sure there's enough medicinal marijuana to go around when the law allows that to happen.

"Cannabis is a four-month crop on average," said Andrew Rigby, the state's cannabis program manager. He has filed for an expedited rules process, following the passage of HB3001 in late 2018, to give growers "as much time as possible to do what they do and do it responsibly" and to have product available by March 1. The product could be ready as early as Jan. 1, Rigby told Utah lawmakers during the Health and Human Services Committee's first legislative interim meeting on Wednesday.

The program will put out a request for proposals for cultivators on June 1 and hopes to be issuing licenses for cannabis production by July 1.

"We need to give them time to get plants in the ground or pots in the greenhouses," said Rigby, a Salt Lake City native who worked with the cannabis industry in California and Nevada before heading it up in Utah.

Cultivators, processors and distributors of medicinal marijuana products in Utah must be registered with the state's Department of Agriculture, which will basically monitor and track each and every plant, according to the new law, which replaces Utah voter intentions of making the products more widely available with the 2018 passage of Proposition 2.

More than 600 hemp products are available throughout the state. CBD oil has previously only been available only to patients with a hemp extract registration card, but the new law did away with that requirement.

All of the registered hemp products in Utah, including brand names and manufacturer information, can be found on the Department of Agriculture's online registry and its cannabis program information page.

Only Utahns over age 21 and who have certain qualifying conditions, as specified in the law, will be permitted to use the medicinal marijuana without restriction, though it must be obtained in a medicinal dosage and a legal quantity, pertaining to the law.

However, the law also creates a Compassionate Use Board, made up of seven experienced physicians, including two pediatricians, who will review requests from patients who do not have one of the qualifying conditions or are under 21.

Researchers at the University of Utah are and have been studying medicinal marijuana and told lawmakers that it seems to be having an effect.

"If you grew up in Utah and don't use marijuana or other drugs of abuse, your reaction will be more intense," said Dr. Perry Renshaw, professor of psychiatry at the U. "Life experience has a big impact on reporting the reaction of drugs."

He said the double-blind studies done locally are the first of their kind in the country, and Utah researchers were the first to ask the federal government for permission to study the illicit substance in years. The cannabis being studied is administered to patients in the study by adding it to chocolate pudding, because the plant "is extraordinarily bitter" and, therefore, hard to disguise, Renshaw said.

"We do see a difference in brain chemistry before and after marijuana use," said Deborah Yurgelun-Todd, director of the U.'s Cognitive Neuroimaging Laboratory and professor of psychiatry, also primary investigator with Renshaw on the local study of medicinal marijuana. She said more data will be presented to the committee in six months.

Rep. Brad Daw, R-Orem, committee chairman, said the study will be "groundbreaking."

Lawmakers anticipate filing at least one bill, if not more, to aid in regulation of the newly legalized industry in Utah.
SALT LAKE CITY  Peter Herbertson, program manager of Salt Lake County's Aging and Adult Services, said he and his team have noticed the number of calls from Utah's elderly population struggling to keep a roof over their heads has increased at an alarming rate over the last two years.

And yet, programs and funding are limited.

"We all shudder a little bit when we get the call for affordable housing," Herbertson said. "There's just not a lot of options out there for them."

Not long ago, Herbertson said a 65-year-old woman who was blind made her way to the Salt Lake County Mayor's Office looking for help. She had lived in her apartment for at least 10 years but was facing eviction because she finally reached a breaking point after her landlord raised her rent too high. She had three days before eviction, he said.

"All we could do was support her.  We did the best we could," Herbertson said, lamenting that today he and his team "still don't know what happened to her."

Hebertson and other housing and homelessness advocates on Wednesday painted a gloomy picture for state lawmakers sitting on the Economic Development and Workforce Services Interim Committee, spotlighting how Utah's affordable housing crisis has impacted the state's senior population.

The interim discussion came after the Utah Legislature this year passed a bill encouraging cities to plan and zone for more affordable housing options in communities  but only after stripping $24 million from the bill meant to fund construction of more units to the dismay of homeless and housing advocates. Lawmakers aren't expected to take up the issue again until the next legislative session.

As more of Utah's baby boomer population begins to retire, Paul Leggett, division director of Salt Lake County's Aging and Adult Services, said his agency has "really seen an increase in calls" from seniors seeking help for housing or rental assistance, particularly over the last two years.

"The calls we get now are so much more complex and complicated," Leggett told lawmakers, and yet his team struggles to find ways to help those on fixed incomes and those who are not necessarily homeless yet.

"I'm not talking about chronically homeless seniors," Leggett said. "I'm talking about seniors living on fixed incomes, where five or 10 years ago their income was enough for (market value housing,)" he said.

But now, with rents rising by hundreds of dollars, he said more and more of Utah's elderly are getting priced out.

And wait lists for subsidized housing or other units are two years out, he said.

"Fixed income means just that," Leggett said. "When rents go up from $800 a month to $1,100 a month, there's really no wiggle room in their budget."

The number of Utahns between the ages of 55 and 64 that have reached out for help from Utah homeless services has steadily risen from 923 in 2011 to 2,088 in 2018, according to data presented by June Hiatt, director of policy and advocacy for the Utah Housing Coalition.

"We're seeing this as a growing trend, and it's likely to increase if we don't address it," Hiatt told lawmakers.

Matt Minkevitch, executive director of the Road Home, also told lawmakers his shelters have seen a 100 percent increase in the number of people 60 years or older seeking help at the Road Home.

Nearly 11 percent of Utah's population is 65 years or older as of 2018, and nearly 7 percent of households in Utah led by someone over the age of 65 live below the poverty level, according to the Utah Housing Coalition.

Hiatt said a number of factors are likely aggravating housing affordability for seniors, on top of a shortage of affordable housing and senior housing availability and fixed incomes. Those include mortgage debt, cost of health care, declining physical or mental health, she said.

Hiatt urged lawmakers to consider an array of policy changes to help Utah's seniors, including increasing resources to prevent eviction, creating funding sources for rent gap financing, increasing funding for senior housing and increasing management support for seniors.

All that and a "big check to affordable housing" would make a big difference, Hiatt said, hinting at the $24 million fiscal note stripped out of last year's affordable housing bill, drawing scattered laughs.

"We're working on it," said the bill's sponsor, Sen. Jake Anderegg, R-Lehi. "We're working on it."

Hiatt also suggested Utah review its law prohibiting any more than three unrelated people living together as roommates in one household  a law that could help seniors afford to stay in neighborhoods if they room together.

"Let's create some Golden Girls in our neighborhoods," Hiatt said.

Tuesday's committee didn't take any action but welcomed more discussion during the interim.
SALT LAKE CITY  The Legislature's new tax reform task force is planning on completing an eight-stop tour of the state by the end of July, lawmakers were told Wednesday.

"We'll really focus on why we're doing this and possible solutions," House Majority Leader Francis Gibson, R-Mapleton, the co-chairman of the task force, told members of the Legislature's Revenue and Taxation Interim Committee.

No dates have been set for the town hall meetings and what's being called the Tax Restructuring and Equalization Task Force, appointed by legislative leaders just last week, also has yet to meet.

The interim committee heard a brief reportfrom legislative staff on the state's sales tax revenues lagging as consumer spending shifts from goods to services that aren't subject to the tax.

An attempt last session to extend sales taxes to a wide range of services including haircuts, lawn care and legal assistance while lowering both the sales and income tax rates ended up being scrapped amid protests from the business community.

The report offered four possible solutions: Do nothing, expand the tax base, add a new but unspecified type of tax and eliminate what was referred to as silos, earmarks that restrict how revenues can be used.

Also during the 2019 Legislature, lawmakers looked briefly at starting the process to amend the Utah Constitution, which needs voter approval, to remove the restriction on using income tax collections only for public and higher education.

The committee took no public testimony, but Rep. Robert Spendlove, R-Sandy, said the task force will provide updates throughout the interim. The first status report is required to be made in June.

Gibson said any proposed legislation from the task force will be brought back to the committee.

Re-examining the state's tax structure will be "a monumental task. It's not something I take lightly," said Gibson, who is also a member of the interim committee. "We'll also keep all of you informed."

The goal is "not just put a Band-Aid on something but find a solution that will be lasting 15 to 20 years from now," he said, which "may take political courage. It may take some strength to do it. But I think we were all elected to do hard things."

The House majority leader said the task force was discussed during the closed-door Republican caucus earlier Wednesday. Senate Republicans, who also hold a supermajority, talked about the task force in their closed caucus meeting as well.

Senate Majority Leader Evan Vickers, R-Cedar City, said Senate Republicans also focused on the need for a lasting fix to the state's growing structural budget imbalance.

Vickers said there was no talk of whether tax reform should be dealt with in a special session of the Legislature later this year or to wait until the next regular session begins in late January 2020.

That issue came up a recent Utah Eagle Forum panel discussion on tax reform. The conservative group, which opposes adding sales taxes to services, said tax reform is too complicated to deal with in a special session.

The Senate co-chairman of the task force, Sen. Lyle Hillyard, R-Logan, said in an interview he is "more concerned about doing it right than doing it quick. I would hope we could get it done and have a special session."

Still, the former longtime Senate budget chairman said, "There's no way to predict. This thing is so huge."

Hillyard said he and Gibson plan to sit down Thursday to schedule the town hall meetings.
SOUTH JORDAN  Customer experience platform InMoment announced Wednesday it is being acquired by Chicago-based private equity firm Madison Dearborn Partners.

While the value of the deal has not been released, 17-year-old InMoment has previously drawn some $34 million in venture funding. The company has carved out its own niche in the burgeoning customer experience market by leveraging survey data alongside other customer interaction information to provide its clients with insight about business performance across multiple metrics.

While another Utah-based customer experience company, Qualtrics, has garnered a lot of attention as one of the biggest companies in the sector and was acquired by European enterprise software giant SAP in an $8 billion deal announced late last year, InMoment CEO Andrew Joiner told the Deseret News his company has innovated in areas that distinguish it from its neighbors to the south.

"We think beyond surveys, to get to the heart of the customer experience," Joiner said. "Experiences are complex and dynamic and we have unique way of using our science to understand that."

Customer experience is a term that's been thrown around a lot in the tech realm, particularly as it's a relatively new business sector and one in which Utah companies have found a high level of success in building.

Essentially, the "customer experience" is an individual's net takeaway, or perception, of a company after they've had an interaction, be it a purchase, use of a service or even just an inquiry. Did that person feel like they paid too much? Did the product or service live up to the customer's expectations? Did they interact with an employee and, if so, how did that go? Would they buy from the company again? All questions that customer experience platforms like InMoment not only help a client to answer but, when failures or underperformance are highlighted, help to rectify.

InMoment counts some heavy hitting companies like Starbucks, Tiffany and Co., Nike, VW and others among its clients, and Joiner said the market continues to expand.

"Every company has a need to be able to sift out the signal from the noise when it comes to customer experience," Joiner said. "Our approach is to not just ask more questions but enable a company to obtain value  through creating a better experience for their customers."

Joiner noted one of InMoment's biggest current challenges is keeping up with demand, and the new majority investment will help turbocharge InMoment's growth capabilities.

Concurrent with the acquisition deal, InMoment has appointed John Lewis, former global president of Nielsen Holdings PLC and current executive partner at Madison Dearborn Partners, as executive chairman of the companys board of directors.

Madison Dearborn managing partner Scott Pasquini celebrated the potential of the newly joined efforts in a statement.

InMoments XI Platform offers the customer experience management sector a truly innovative approach, one that enables companies to seamlessly collect and connect first- and third-party data sources to provide unique insights into the experience and sentiment of their customers," Pasquini said. "InMoment excels at taking customer understanding beyond the survey, and we are excited to support InMoments strong momentum as it continues to deliver best-in-class analytics and services to companies globally.
About $2 million to $3 million of the airport's $35 million federal funding request would pay for expansion of two retention ponds at the airport where glycol  the chemical used to de-ice planes  is held while it is treated and cleaned. The clean water is then returned to the Rock River. The airport typically uses about 250,000 gallons of glycol a year to de-ice planes that fly in and out of Rockford. Glycol usage could easily swell to 400,000 gallons a year once the UPS expansion unfolds, Dunn said.
HEBER CITY  A West Valley City man died Wednesday after crashing into the back of a semitrailer near Heber City, troopers said.

About 10:30 a.m., Erick E. Villegas-Rosales, 28, was driving on U.S. 40 just east of Heber City when he crashed into the slower-moving truck in the right lane, the Utah Highway Patrol said.

Troopers said Villegas-Rosales for an unknown reason "failed to brake or take evasive action" before crashing into the semitrailer. The car then swerved off the road and rolled into the median.

The only occupant of the car, Villegas-Rosales was pronounced dead shortly after at Heber Valley Medical Center, according to the UHP.

"We are investigating speed, distraction and failure to wear a seat belt as the causes of the crash and resulting injuries," troopers said.

The semitrailer driver was uninjured in the crash, troopers said. The truck was loaded with diesel fuel, but the collision did not cause fuel to leak.

U.S. 40 eastbound in the area remained closed for several hours after the crash.

Correction: A previous version stated Villegas-Rosales was driving east toward Heber City. He was actually driving east near Heber City.
HURRICANE  A 24-year-old Provo man was found dead Tuesday at Quail Creek State Park after an apparent drowning, officials said. He was engaged to be married next month.

About 7:30 p.m., Zach Mansfield went shore fishing with a friend. However, Mansfield was later fishing on his own when authorities say it appears he drowned in about 2-4 feet of water.

"The friend became worried after a few hours of not being able to contact Zackary and called authorities who responded to the park," according to a statement from Utah State Parks authorities.

Hurricane police and state park crews found Mansfield in the shallow water near the shoreline about 11:30 p.m. He was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the statement.

Washington County Search and Rescue crews helped with the investigation, state parks officials said.

In a statement to the Deseret News, Mansfield's fiancee, Holly Andrew, said, "He died doing what he loved. Zach was pure in heart. He will be dearly missed. We were to be married a month from today."

"If he could fish for a living he would and I'm sure he's fishing up in heaven," she added.

"The Utah Division of Parks and Recreation extends our condolences to the friends and family impacted by this incident," according to the statement from state parks officials.
SALT LAKE CITY  Rep. Kim Coleman, R-West Jordan, isn't giving up on legislation that would give communities an option to split and form their own county  legislation that was born from frustrations of some elected officials on Salt Lake County's west side.

Coleman on Wednesday made her case to the Political Subdivisions Interim Committee to bring back a new version of HB93, a bill that would allow communities to break off and form their own county with a petition and vote of residents without requiring a majority vote from the county they'd leave behind.

"There has been some pretty strong will on part of the county that I live in to consider a formation of a new county," Coleman told the committee.

But that aside, Coleman said her main priority is to address what she viewed as a hole in state code that leaves counties out of a clear process for communities to choose their own destinies related to county government.

"It's really antithetical to a core belief we have to self-direct our community governments," Coleman said.

Her legislation would "mirror" the same process cities use to incorporate and require feasibility studies for both the new county and the county left behind.

After Coleman's bill surfaced during this year's session, some leaders in San Juan County began eying the bill after last year's election gave the San Jan County Commission its first Native American elected officials, even though Navajos slightly outnumber white populations in the county. A judge realigned the commission's district lines after finding gerrymandering favored white residents.

The bill faced backlash, including from Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson, who called any Salt Lake County split an "unrealistic and fiscally irresponsible proposal" that she expected to fail.

The bill failed on a 29-40 vote in the House.

Coleman told lawmakers on Wednesday the issue is worthy of interim study to fill a gap in Utah code.

"Whether or not you are influenced by individual circumstances, if it's in Salt Lake County or San Jan County, our current code is insufficient of a process," Coleman said. "It really should be updated."

Ultimately, the Political Subdivisions Interim Committee adopted its list of interim study items  and included Coleman's bill on the list, so the legislation will likely surface again in next year's legislative session.
SALT LAKE CITY  Utah has made progress in recent years when it comes to personalizing education and broadening opportunities for underserved students  but theres still work to be done.

That was the central message at an education symposium Wednesday, where state officials, policy analysts, and educational leaders gathered to discuss reforms in Utah and elsewhere.

Speakers at the Sutherland Institutes Innovation in Education symposium included BYU-Pathway Worldwide President Clark Gilbert, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Sydnee Dickson, Utah state Sen. Ann Millner, and David Buhler, commissioner of higher education for Utah.

Dickson and Millner, R-Ogden, called for more flexibility and personalization in Utah schools, while Gilbert highlighted some of the nontraditional approaches used by the BYU-Pathway system and other Utah-based colleges. A key component of making educational success more accessible, the speakers emphasized, is meeting students where they are, both literally and figuratively.

"Utah has some great innovation happening" in higher education, Gilbert said in his keynote remarks, citing the competency-based model of Western Governors University, an online school, as one example. "Its amazing the flourishing thats happening in the industry. But it tends to happen from people who are not afraid of doing something different than the system."

Enrollment in the online BYU-Pathway Worldwide program has surpassed enrollment at Brigham Young University's main campus as of 2019, with nearly 50,000 students around the world participating this year. The program, which offers a tuition thats roughly half the typical community college tuition, doesn't require entrants to have a GED or high school diploma. After completing a one-year program that teaches basic literacy and math skills by applying the concepts to practical life situations, students can go on to earn a certificate or degree online.

"We said we need to look at students who never come to campus, who never thought they could access a university, and create different opportunities for them," Gilbert said.

BYU-Pathway Worldwide has the third-highest graduation rate of higher education institutions in the state, with just over 50 percent of students finishing within six years. But Pathway and other Utah colleges still have a long way to go when it comes to graduation rates, Gilbert told attendees.

"Yes, we have a completion problem," he said. "Frankly, its a crisis."

To ensure that students stay enrolled in college, Buhler said, universities have begun to use technology with predictive analytics to identify  and then assist  those who may be struggling.

"There are certain things you can watch for right along the way, so if a student is having trouble you can intervene and not say, 'Oh, youre in trouble'  but be able to work with them in a more intentional way," Buhler said.

Other strategies, such as stackable credentials that let students divide their post-secondary education into shorter segments, are aimed at helping students who are unable to earn their degree all at once. The Utah Board of Regents requested in its 10 year strategic plan, approved in 2016, that colleges create ways for students to complete certificates and associate degrees along the path to earning a bachelor's degree.

There's also been a push statewide at the K-12 level to make schooling more tailored to individual students' needs, including a broader shift to competency-based education with an eye towards introducing different ways of assessing students' capabilities, Dickson and Millner noted. Competency-based education is centered around how well students have mastered a certain skill or concept, rather than moving students through the system based on the amount of time they've spent on a class or subject.

"Were trying to develop a more nimble system and one thats very targeted on personalized education," Dickson said.

This could mean giving schools greater flexibility with scheduling and classroom environments. In response to an audience question about rural schools that have proposed offering classes only four days a week, Millner said she would like to see the state move away from its requirement that schools provide 990 instructional hours over a minimum of 180 school days.

"Having systems that allow us to be more flexible about where (students) learn, how they learn, and the pace that they learn, and having policies around that, is going to be important," Millner said.
SALT LAKE CITY  A family member and neighbors Monday remembered a Utah couple killed when two sightseeing planes collided early this week in Alaska.

Ryan Wilk, 38, was an "amazing man, son, husband, brother and uncle," said his sister, Shannon Wilk.

Wilk and his wife, Elsa Wilk, 37, split their time between their Salt Lake-area home and Vancouver, Shannon Wilk said. Elsa Wilk was from Canada and the couple was awaiting her residency before officially moving to Utah.

The couple both died in Monday's crash, along with Elsa Wilk's brother.

"We are completely devastated that we lost these three loved ones as well as the others and their families," Shannon Wilk said.

She remembered her brother as "the best big brother a girl could ask for."

The planes collided about 12:21 p.m. in southeast Alaska at 3,300 feet. The crash occurred as a de Havilland Otter DHC-3 descended from 3,800 feet and hit a smaller de Havilland DHC-2 Beaver, National Transportation Safety Board member Jennifer Homendy reported Wednesday during a news conference.

The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash.

The combined 14 passengers on the planes had all been traveling on the same Royal Princess cruise ship, according to the Associated Press. Six people, including one of the pilots, died and 10 were injured.

Homendy said preliminary data showed there was nothing abnormal about the descent of the larger plane. That plane was recovered Wednesday afternoon, while crews were expected to finish recovering the smaller plane before the end of the evening.

Investigators will later reconstruct the planes' structures "to see how they came together," Homendy said.

A lot of work on the investigation had been done as of Wednesday afternoon, Homendy said, including interviews with the surviving pilot and passengers.

She said she did not yet know what had been discovered in those interviews.

Neighbors of the Wilks in the Daybreak community remembered the couple as friendly and outgoing. Ryan Wilk worked in the technology industry, according to neighbors.

"We had fun getting to know them the little bit that we did, so when we heard about the accident this morning, it was quite a shock because you don't expect that's going to happen to your next-door neighbor," Emily Farrer said.

Contributing: Mary Richards, Sean Moody
LEHI  A child without parents or a home, Desange Kuenihira believed the bleak predictions for her future because all she'd know was the cruel realities of a Ugandan refugee camp.

"They said a lot of things that put me down, which I actually believed," said Kuenihira, who fled the Democratic Republic of the Congo with her five siblings and an aunt when she was just 2 years old. "They said, 'You're meaningless, girl. Your life has no meaning. You'll never even get your high school diploma. The only meaning you have is the dowry a man will give to marry you.' But coming here changed my mind."

She can't stop grinning when she considers what those same people might think seeing her in a cap and gown, collecting not only a high school diploma but an associate degree at age 18.

"I am proud of myself," she said, beaming. "It's been a journey, overcoming all of the stuff, but I'm graduating with my associate degree, and I'm really proud of myself.  I hope everyone who has supported me is proud too."

War forced Kuenihira and her siblings to flee the country with their aunt. She doesn't want to talk about her parents, except to say that because her parents were from warring tribes, they were picked on and harassed.

"The refugee camp was tough," she said solemnly. "They don't really give enough food for people, and a lot of women die giving birth.  We were not liked well. One day they burned our house down.  I never played with other kids. People picked on my siblings, and I got in fights a lot."

She went to school, but it wasn't engaging or challenging, she said. When she turned 10, her brother and aunt moved them to Kampala, the capital city of Uganda. It was there they waited to learn where they would be resettled in the U.S. When she was 13, they boarded a plane almost completely ignorant of where they might end up living.

They arrived in Utah on a cold October morning. Salt Lake City was completely different than the myth that exists about life in America.

"It's so different than what it's like here," she said, giggling at the memories. "People would think you could pick up money off the street, that you don't have to work for it. You wear clothes once, and then throw them away. It was just a crazy thing. We did not even expect to see soil on the ground."

Because they were without parents, she and her siblings under 18 were sent to different foster homes. Her oldest brother and her aunt attended classes that allowed them to become the guardians for the children, and the family was reunited six months after arriving in Utah.

"It was hard," she said of the pain of being separated, which was eased by weekend visits. "These are the people who we went through everything with, and now we get separated."

Kuenihira said she immediately "fell in love" with school in the U.S. Despite not knowing the language, she earned straight As her first semester of high school, and immediately began searching for a more challenging environment. That led her to Itineris Early College High School, a charter school in West Jordan.

"I love challenge," she said. "I wanted to grow; I wanted something that would make me think differently. This school challenged me. And we are not just a school, we are a family."

Kuenihira said much of her success has come from a supportive family, that now includes the small school's staff and student body. The school gave her a job, and the staff has supported her in many ways, including sponsoring her when she entered a scholarship pageant.

"It was easy to make friends," she said of her sophomore year. "The first year I was the only refugee and black girl in the whole school. It felt like a lot of kids here didn't know about refugees."

So she started a club that brought in speakers and those who worked with refugees, and expanded the world view of her new Utah friends, while they helped her adjust to life as an American teenager.

"I wanted people to understand the reality of being a refugee," she said. "It's not like you choose to be a refugee. You don't have a choice. You leave or die."

Kuenihira said that while she's felt personally supported and embraced by Utah and the U.S., she feels like refugees as a group are misunderstood by most people, who know nothing about the process or why they must flee their home countries.

"When I say I'm a refugee, most people tend to see me as a victim," she said. "I'm not a victim. I'm a warrior. I am someone who has survived something. I'm someone who has left my home, who came here to make something of myself. It's not about being smart, it's about working hard."

Her oldest brother, Fiston Kuenihira, 25, who works with refugees in Utah's foster care system, said what they endured was difficult physically and emotionally.

"As a refugee, you don't have any hope at all," he said. "You just flee from your own country, and you don't know what your life will be. Everything becomes so hard, you just don't know what's next."

He said his sister has always been a leader, and he believes she'll achieve what she wants because she is determined and hard working. He could barely put into words what it's like to see her graduating from high school with her associate degree.

"It's magical," he said. "She works so hard. She is a very courageous girl. I'm always impressed with her courage. She never gives up."

Kuenihira said she doesn't feel cheated that she didn't enjoy the kind of childhood that many of her friends did. She said she is grateful for everything she's experienced in her life because it is part of who she is.

"My past is something that motivates me," she said. "It's my motivation in life, to keep going in life, no matter how hard it gets.  When I was in the refugee camp, that was not the life I wanted, but I was in that position. I had to accept what I had to move on. I was grateful with what I had. I want to live a happy life, so I'm glad my life went the way it went."
SALT LAKE CITY  As trade tension between the United States and China thickens, international relations experts say military action is far from inevitable, yet some are calling on politicians to carefully consider the risk of an economic dispute escalating to armed conflict.

On Monday, China said it would raise tariffs on $60 billion worth of American goods in response to the Trump administration's move to raise tariffs from 10 percent to 25 percent on $200 billion in U.S. imports from China. While Trump tweeted Tuesday that a deal with China will happen when the time is right and that his respect and friendship for Chinese President Xi Jinping is "unlimited," an anchor on China's most-watched state-run news program said Monday, "If you want to fight, well fight you to the end." The sudden barrage of commentaries about the trade war in Chinese media has "struck a note of defiant nationalism," the Economist reported.

The question is, could continued retaliation lead to an actual war?

"It is obvious that the current U.S.-China trade war is stoking geopolitical tensions between the worlds two largest economies and chief political adversaries, as they become more confrontational over their discord on maritime issues in the South and East China seas and over Taiwan," China affairs columnist Cary Huang wrote for the South China Morning Post.

Zachary Keck, Wohlstetter public affairs fellow at the Nonproliferation Policy Education Center, wrote for The National Interest in 2017 that many have dismissed the possibility that the U.S. would go to war with China as "outlandish," citing strong economic ties between the countries, America's military supremacy and the fact that a war among great powers would be widely spurned in the modern era of globalization. Keck, however, sees nuclear weapons and geography as the most compelling reasons for why military conflict between China and the U.S. is highly unlikely.

Despite these factors, Keck admits, "in recent years, many observers have woken up to the fact that a war between the United States and China is not unthinkable."

What the trade war is about

American businesses and citizens have complained that the cost of tariffs imposed on China will be born by consumers in the U.S. However, more is potentially at stake than iPhones becoming more expensive. History suggests that trade wars can lead to violence between nations, according to Huang, who disagrees with Trump's March tweet that says, trade wars are good, and easy to win.

"Example, when we are down $100 billion with a certain country and they get cute, dont trade anymore-we win big. Its easy!" Trump's tweet reads.

A quote often attributed to the 19th-century French economist, Frederic Bastiat presents a more foreboding view: When goods do not cross frontiers, armies will.

According to Huang, in response to tariffs, exporting countries often devalue their currencies, or artificially cheapen their money, to offset the impact. The recent slump in the renminbi indicate China may be doing just that.

"The end of the first World War sparked the first worldwide currency war, starting in Weimar, Germany, in 1921, followed by France in 1925," Huang wrote. "In the end, all the major economies scrambled to devalue their currencies."

In 1930, President Herbert Hoover signed the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act, which intensified the currency war by raising tariffs on more than 20,000 imported products. The act weakened the global economy, triggered retaliation from many U.S. trade partners and stoked nationalism ahead of World War II, according to Huang.

Further, an embargo on exports of iron, aviation fuel and oil to Japan, when Japan was highly reliant on those materials for its military operations, was part of what prompted an attack on Pearl Harbor.

Matt Egan wrote in an article for CNN Business that the trade war between the U.S. and China won't last long and the two countries will reach a trade agreement before things escalate.

"The United States and China don't just coexist," Egan wrote. "Their massive economies are deeply intertwined in ways that make the intensifying trade war unsustainable."

The risks, Egan suggests, are precisely what make trade policy a powerful bargaining tool.

"Optimists hope that the pain from the trade war  for both sides  will limit its duration. Many economists expect Washington and Beijing will eventually come to their senses and reach a trade agreement," he wrote.

A rising power in China

As the United States seeks to maintain dominance in light of China's growing power, the two countries are engaged in a battle for global influence. According to research by Graham Allison, professor of government at Harvard University, in the past 500 years, there have been 16 cases in which a rising power threatened the position of an existing power. Twelve of those cases ended in war.

He calls the dangerous dynamic that occurs when a rising power threatens to displace a ruling power, "Thucydides's Trap," named for the historian of classical Greece who wrote about the drivers that led Athens and Sparta to destroy each other. Allison explains how China and the U.S. fit the model in his book, "Destined for War: Can America and China Escape Thucydides's Trap?"

The United States under the Trump administration sees technology, I think rightfully so, at the crux of this U.S. China competition.  Bonnie Glaser, director of the China Power Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies

China and the United States have clashed on issues ranging from U.S. military aid to Taiwan to freedom of navigation in the South China Sea, criticism of China's Belt and Road global infrastructure program and intellectual property.

"The United States under the Trump administration sees technology, I think rightfully so, at the crux of this U.S. China competition," said Bonnie Glaser, director of the China Power Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, on BBC's Analysis podcast.

Xi's "Made in China 2025" program sets forth a goal for China to be dominant in 10 strategic technologies of the 21st century including semiconductors, self-driving vehicles, the internet plus and artificial intelligence. In an article for The National Interest, Allison wrote that China's growing ambitions are inspiring "alarm, anxiety, and even angst" in Washington as leaders realize China is not only rising, but in many areas rivals or surpasses the United States.

With the Trump presidency, Allison has noted a fundamental shift in the way Washington sees China: from "strategic partner" to "strategic rival" or "adversary."

"America had hoped that economic liberalization would bring China into a greater partnership with us and with the world. Instead, China has chosen economic aggression which has in turn emboldened its growing military," Vice President Mike Pence said in a speech at the Hudson Institute last year, signaling this shift.

Kevin Rudd, former Prime Minister of Australia and president of Asia Society Policy Institute, said on BBC's Analysis that times when the relationship between countries is in flux are particularly dangerous because the "set of rules" by which the countries relate to each other become unclear.

"In the case of the U.S.-China releasionship, we seem to be precisely at that juncture. That's why folks like me who have been looking at this relationship professionally for the last 35 years or so find this a particularly anxiety creating time," Rudd said.

"Am I expecting the current conflict over tariffs to end with bombs or bullets? No," Allison wrote.

"But have we entered a period of fundamental reassessment of the challenge posed by a nation that is rivaling and even surpassing the United States in many domains? Will that reassessment lead to substantial changes in the ways in which Americans and Chinese do business  including trade, investment, supply chain management, and technology and IP sharing? Will the central geostrategic question of this era be whether these two great nations can construct a new form of great-power relations that meets the essential requirements of each without war?"

Allison says yes.
SALT LAKE CITY  On Wednesday, Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey signed into law the most restrictive abortion policy in the U.S., banning abortions at any stage of pregnancy, criminalizing the procedure for physicians, and making no exceptions for rape or incest, The New York Times reported.

The bill was approved by the Alabama House of Representatives earlier this month and the state Senate yesterday.

"This legislation stands as a powerful testament to Alabamians' deeply held belief that every life is precious and every life is a sacred gift from God," Ivey said in a statement.

Here are five things to know about the controversial legislation:

1. The law is designed to reach a Supreme Court audience.

The bills sponsor, Republican Rep. Terri Collins, acknowledged the bills restrictive reach would ensure favorable legislative prospects as well as legal challenges from organizations such as Planned Parenthood, as the Deseret News previously reported.

The bill's creators intended for the legal challenges to rise to the Supreme Court, affording the chance to argue for an overturn of Roe v. Wade, reports The New York Times. With the current conservative majority of the Supreme Court, this overturn becomes a possibility.

Eric Johnston, founder and president of the Alabama Pro-Life Coalition and drafter of the legislation, told the Times, Until now (the appointment of Brett M. Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court), there was no prospect of reversing Roe.  Why not go all the way?

Lower courts will likely strike down Alabamas statute because the current Supreme Court rulings prohibit outright bans on abortion until the fetus is viable outside the womb, says Times reporter and former lawyer Adam Liptak. As a result, a Supreme Court-level argument could take a while, if it happens at all, Liptak said.

2. The U.S. remains solidly divided on the issue of abortion.

When asked whether they consider themselves pro-life or pro-choice, American adults are evenly divided at 48 percent each, according to a recent Gallup poll.

Additionally, Gallup finds a gap of 5 percentage points between men and women on support for legal abortion in all circumstances. Twenty percent of Americans said abortion should be illegal overall and 48 percent call it morally wrong.

Additionally, Pew reports the partisan divide on abortion at its widest in 20 years, with 59 percent of Republicans saying abortion should be illegal in all or most cases and 76 percent of Democrats saying abortion should be legal in all or most cases.

As for Alabama, the number of abortions in the state has fallen 46 percent since 2005, according to the Charlotte Lozier Institute, and represents 0.9 percent of all abortions in the United States, as reported by Guttmacher Institute.

3. Legislatures around the country are introducing stricter abortion laws.

With Justice Kavanaughs Supreme Court appointment in October 2018, the newly majority-conservative bench encouraged many state legislatures to revisit abortion laws. State legislators around the country are taking signals from Trump being in the White House and Kavanaugh being on the court, Rachel Sussman, the national director of state policy and advocacy at Planned Parenthood Action Fund, told Vox.

Conservative activists and lawmakers have been transparent about their intentions to get their legislation in front of a more conservative Supreme Court. Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the anti-abortion Susan B. Anthony List, said in reaction to current abortion law:

It is clearer than ever that Roe (v. Wade) is far from being settled law in the eyes and hearts of the American people, and this is increasingly reflected in state legislatures.  The time is coming for the Supreme Court to let that debate go forward.

Recent legislation such as Georgias heartbeat bill, Ohios ban on insurance coverage for abortions, and Utah Gov. Gary Herberts signing of a bill earlier this year banning abortion after 18 weeks are a manifestation of this approach, as previously reported by the Deseret News.

4. The medical community is concerned about the impact of the new law on physicians and vulnerable populations.

Under the new law, Alabama doctors who perform abortions could face up to 99 years in prison.

Yashica Robinson, an Alabama-based OB-GYN and board member for Physicians for Reproductive Health, told USA Today that signing the Alabama bill into law would be a grave mistake.

Physicians will be unwilling to help patients in need, even when continuing pregnancy is detrimental to a patients health or potentially fatal, out of fear of being scrutinized by the criminal justice system, Robinson said. It is inappropriate for lawmakers to insert their own belief systems into complex, personal health decisions that could affect my daughter and the people I take care of in Alabama.

It is clearer than ever that Roe (v. Wade) is far from being settled law in the eyes and hearts of the American people, and this is increasingly reflected in state legislatures.  The time is coming for the Supreme Court to let that debate go forward.  Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the anti-abortion Susan B. Anthony List

Other opponents say the ban will pose a disproportionate health risk for poor and minority women, The New York Times reported, by driving abortion underground for those who can't afford to leave the state to get an abortion.

Alabama is ranked as the worst place in the U.S. to have a baby, the Birmingham Business Journal reports, ranking 51st overall for maternal and infant health care, 50th for infant mortality and 49th for preterm births and low birth weights.

Alabama is also the sixth poorest state in the U.S. with some 40 percent of the population of some counties at or below the poverty level, according to Alabama Possible.

5. Reactions to the law reflect polarized views about abortion in America.

Democratic presidential candidates reacted swiftly to the Alabama law, characterizing it as extreme. Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts called it dangerous and exceptionally cruel, while Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York labeled it a war on women, reports The New York Times.

On the other side of the political spectrum, televangelist Pat Robertson, known for his anti-gay and anti-abortion stance, also condemned the law on "The 700 Club," saying it went too far, calling it extreme and stating "this is not the case we want to bring to the Supreme Court because I think this one will lose."

Others, such as Lila Rose, president and founder of anti-abortion news source Live Action, voiced support for the law. Rose tweeted that our despair, our lack of imagination in the face of difficulty, our fear, our refusal to see the simple reality & dignity of a little boy or girl  at 21 days in the womb, is our greatest shame.
SALT LAKE CITY  Amazon has drones. It has a website. Its known for delivery. And soon, should everything work out, Amazon will have its very own airport worth $1.5 billion.

Amazon broke ground on a new $1.5 billion airport development outside of Cincinnati on Tuesday.

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos made a brief appearance at the event, lifting the first mound of dirt off the ground using a front loader, Business Insider reports.

"If you're wondering, that's fun," he said of using the machine.

Amazon signed a 50-year lease on more than 900 acres of property from the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, according to the Associated Press. The online retail company signed a deal for the property back in 2017, according to Reuters.

For comparison, the Amazon airport would be about the size for hubs that station top cargo airlines, according to the Associated Press.

Why it matters: Amazon plans to use the airport to have greater control over its shipping process, which would eliminate their need for companies like FedEx, UPS and USPS, according to Business Insider.

Context: The airport would especially help people once Amazon goes all in on Prime one-day shipping. Amazon has already started rolling out its one-day shipping to some Prime members, according to The Verge. In the past, Amazon has only offered one-day shipping to people who spent $35 or more. Now, it will be available for free for Prime customers.

And the airport will help those packages arrive on time.

"This hub is going to let us get packages to customers faster.  We're going to move Prime from two-day (delivery) to one day, and this hub is a big part of that," Bezos said, according to WCPO-TV.

Gary Moore, the top elected official in Boone County's government, told Cincinnati.com that seeing Bezos break ground made him realize the project is real.

"When I got here and I heard his handlers were here and it was happening I just got goosebumps," Moore said.

The airport will likely create more than 2,000 jobs once its completed, Reuters reported.
Theresa Foxley leads Utahs nonprofit economic development organization. Her association, the Economic Development Corporation of Utah, works with private industry and state and local government to attract and grow high-value companies. I recently attended a meeting where Foxley heralded Utahs potential to serve as a cradle for the Fourth Industrial Revolution. I really like her idea.

A French economist in 1837 coined the term Industrial Revolution to describe the transition from an agricultural to industrial economy. Economists today describe this as four tectonic shifts:

The First Industrial Revolution occurred when water and steam powered the manufacturing process. The saw mills, flour mills and other industrial mills spread throughout New Englands canal towns are a great example of this period.

The Second Industrial Revolution occurred when electricity began to power mass production. The manufacturing concentration in the Great Lakes Region is a great example of this period.

The Third Industrial Revolution, which we are still in today, concerns the impact of information technology and electronics on the production process and sharing of information. Microprocessors, computers and other electronics automate the production process creating significant efficiencies and processing power.

We are now at the dawn of the Fourth Industrial Revolution  the fusion of technologies between the physical, digital and biological spheres. Artificial intelligence, the internet of things, autonomous vehicles, 3-D printing, energy storage, biotechnology, and other new technologies enable a new virtual world unlike anything we have ever known.

Klaus Schwab, founder and executive chairman of the World Economic Forum, has written a book on the Fourth Industrial Revolution. He writes, "We stand at the brink of a technological revolution that will fundamentally alter the way we live, work and relate to one another. In its scale, scope and complexity, the transformation will be unlike anything humankind has experienced before."

Many Utah leaders, like Foxley, see Utahs potential to lead in this transition. They see the immense possibilities of billions of people connected by mobile devices, with enormous processing power and exponentially larger storage capacity (both memory and energy). Combine this connectivity and power with new technological breakthroughs and you start to imagine a completely different world.

Thats where Utah economic development leadership becomes relevant. The Beehive State is poised to lead. Foxley notes Utah wisely developed essential industry clusters over a decade ago. These clusters  which include focus areas like aerospace/defense, energy, life sciences, and software and IT  season the ground for major innovations and economic leadership in this new industrial revolution. Weve more than doubled the number of engineers in our state since 2000. The Utah Department of Transportation, in partnership with the Utah Transit Authority, launched a pilot project with a completely autonomous vehicle. And, a recent report by the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute documented Utahs nation-leading growth in tech industry employment over the past 10 years.

All of this potential comes with a word of caution. The Fourth Industrial Revolution will yield tremendous benefits in terms of consumer choices and rising wealth. It will, however, come with the cost of increasing inequality, displacement of workers, violation of privacy, and a potential hollowing out of the middle class. The largest beneficiaries will be those with intellectual capital. Class structures will divide even more between the haves and have nots. Leaders will need to be hyper-aware of these impacts and be prepared to invest in a more generous, but smarter safety net.

The Fourth Industrial Revolution presents mammoth opportunities and challenges. It will change not only what we do, but who we are. We need to make sure we invest in the technologies of the future and seize this moment. We also need to increase our empathy and capacity to serve those who may be left behind. Utah can serve as a cradle for these important changes.
Heres an Old Testament story you probably never heard in Sunday School.

Pharaoh has a troubling dream, so he eventually pulls Joseph out of prison to interpret it. Joseph tells him the dream means Egypt is about to have seven years of plenty, followed by seven years of famine.

But, he adds, he has a plan. If Pharaoh cuts taxes, greatly increases the national debt and gets people to max out their credit cards on useless consumer items, he says, Egypt might be able to keep the good times rolling for awhile  at least until Pharaoh and the other political leaders of the day no longer are in office. After all, let the young leaders of tomorrow take the blame for the famine!

If this had happened, the Good Book wouldnt be quite as good. And yet this is the advice many seem to be following today.

In a recent webcast to investors, Jeffrey Gundlach, the chief executive of DoubleLine Capital and overseer of about $130 billion in assets, said todays economic growth in the United States seems to be exclusively the result of debt  government, corporate and consumer (primarily mortgage) debt.

According to Reuters and various other news accounts of his presentation, Gundlach said the economy would have shrunk already if Washington hadnt added trillions of dollars to the national debt. The economy grew by 4.3 percen over the past five years, but public debt grew by 4.7 percent, he said.

And while Gundlach isnt predicting a recession any time soon, he warned that the current conditions present "very, very dangerous times" for that recession, when it comes.

Thats one persons opinion, of course. You might go broke making investments right before a downturn, but youll almost certainly go broke by gambling on when that downturn will occur.

And yet it certainly will occur. When it does, as in previous recessions, a lot of people with debt will wish they didnt have it.

A new survey from Charles Schwab found that 62 percent of the millennial generation (defined as people between 23 and 38 years of age) live paycheck to paycheck. This is higher than the next older generation, Generation X, for which the figure was 60 percent, and baby boomers, at 53 percent.

All of these figures are dreadful, especially for aging boomers who ought to be gliding comfortably into retirement, and whose health care needs would become acute if they lost their income during a slowdown.

Writing for Forbes.com, Leon LaBrecque, the chief growth officer of Sequoia Financial Group, noted, We are awash in debt, more so than in all other post-WWII recessions. Gross public debt is nearly 105 percent of GDP, in contrast with about 68 percent of GDP at the start of the 2008 recession. Add to that an $800 billion dollar budget deficit, and we have a debt tsunami.

When recessions come, the government typically tries to stimulate growth by spending more money it doesnt have. Is the answer to just keep borrowing? LaBrecque asks.

Of course, some voices say things arent all that bad. A Wall Street Journal story at the beginning of the year cited figures showing how Americans seem to be managing their debt well, paying 5.6 percent of their disposable income to keep current on payments. The average credit card balance was $4,293 as of the third quarter of last year, according to Experian.

An increase in debt, an economist at Citigroup told the Journal, is (a) sign of a strong economy.

But debt is growing right along with the economy which, common sense might tell you, doesnt seem right. If people are doing well, why do they need to spend more than the cash they have at hand? Where will the debt-laden government, which also is racking up debt during good times, get the money to stimulate the economy during the next recession?

If Joseph of the Old Testament really had told Pharaoh to rack up debt, which in those days probably would have meant eating like there was no tomorrow, he probably would have ended up back in the dungeon when the famine came. The wisdom of that story, of course, is that he urged Pharaoh to begin storing excess food during the good times, in order to survive when the bad times hit. Because of that, a lot of good things followed.

That strategy is remarkable because it goes against human nature. Despite the hard lessons learned a decade ago, human nature apparently remains strong.
SALT LAKE CITY  The tiny, translucent infants swathed in plastic wrap in neonatal intensive care units across the nation are oblivious to Roe v. Wade and Alabamas controversial new law that makes most abortions illegal.

But they, and other extremely premature babies, have indirectly played a role in the groundswell of momentum that some people believe could result in the U.S. Supreme Court overturning the decision that made abortion legal in 1973.

That's because these "micropreemies" are tugging at the boundaries of viability, the amorphous stage at which a fetus can survive outside the womb, and a key component of abortion laws.

In the 43 years since Roe v. Wade, medical advances have dramatically changed the outcomes for infants born late in the second trimester of pregnancy. Then, virtually all babies born delivered between 22 and 27 weeks gestation died. Now, many are given treatment that allows many of them to have normal lives.

One example is Quinn Sellers, a third-grader in Taylorsville, Utah, who was born "extremely small and extremely sick" at 25 weeks' gestation and given a 50-50 chance of survival, according to her mother, Jessica Sellers.

Quinn just turned 9 and is a healthy child who has thrived thanks to the medical advances of the past few decades, plus a blessing of geography.

Not all outcomes are as happy.

Forty percent of infant deaths are within the parameters of what the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists calls the periviable stage  from roughly 20 weeks to nearly 26 weeks gestation. And some micropreemies who do survive have lasting neurological and physical challenges.

However, aggressive treatment of both the child and a pregnant woman in danger of preterm delivery, especially in states such as Utah that make it a priority, is allowing more of these infants to survive, and at earlier ages.

In the U.S., the smallest baby to have survived is believed to be Lyla Stensrud, born in San Antonio at 21 weeks in 2014, weighing about 14 ounces.

A boy born last year in Tokyo is said to be the smallest infant to ever be released from the hospital; the infant weighed 258 grams, or about 9 ounces, when he was born at 24 weeks.

And in the U.S., identical twins who were about the size of a dollar bill when they were born last year in Iowa went home earlier this year, as did a Connecticut boy who weighed 11 ounces at birth.

The survival of these children, coupled with publicity surrounding their homecomings, is encouraging more parents facing premature delivery to choose aggressive treatment for the infant, despite its costs and challenges. At the same time, their survival is emboldening abortion opponents, since abortion laws in the U.S. have historically hung on viability.

Were not talking about moving viability; were talking about medical miracles.  Karrie Galloway, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Utah

When you see friends, or even a story on the news, of someone who has survived at 25 weeks, or 22 weeks, then its not a far cry to say, 'Oh, man, I know someone who has been aborted at a later gestational age than that,'" said Dr. Donna Harrison, executive director of the American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists. "It really does change your mind, the reality that these little babies are human beings."

Abortion-rights supporters, however, note that only 1.3 percent of abortions are performed at 21 weeks gestation or later, and say that infants aren't really viable earlier now than they used to be; it's just that physicians are more often able to keep them alive until they are.

Were not talking about moving viability; were talking about medical miracles, said Karrie Galloway, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Utah.

The concept of viability, however, may soon become even more elastic. Researchers in Philadelphia announced in 2017 that theyd been able to keep lamb fetuses alive in an artificial womb they call a BioBag, suggesting that synthetic wombs could one day allow extremely premature human babies to gestate to term.

That technology is years away, however, and comes loaded with ethical questions. Heres how micropreemies like Quinn Sellers are surviving right now, and how they are changing what's known as the "gray zone" of fetal viability.

Medical advances

Forty years ago, we were happy if we had a baby who was born at, say, 28 weeks, which would weigh roughly about 3 pounds, said Dr. Bradley A. Yoder, a neonatologist with the University of Utah School of Medicine and Primary Children's Hospital in Salt Lake City.

Then, the chance of an infant surviving at 28 or 29 weeks gestation was about 50-50; now, more than 95 percent of those preemies survive.

Its very rare that (babies born at 28 or 29 weeks) die unless they have a significant anomaly, said Yoder, who is also a principal investigator with the Neonatal Research Network of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.

Survival rates at 23 and 24 weeks have increased as well. Between 50 percent and 60 percent of babies born at 23 weeks survive, and at 24 weeks, more than 90 percent survive, Yoder said.

Thats because treatments for both the babies and their mothers have improved, and neonatologists and obstetricians frequently work together to develop a cooperative care plan.

One of the most effective interventions is giving steroids to mothers at risk of preterm delivery because of conditions that include diabetes, high blood pressure and preeclampsia. Such treatments have risen dramatically in the past two decades. At the University of Utah and Intermountain Health Care, about 90% of women at risk of preterm delivery take steroids, compared to about 50% two decades ago, Yoder said.

Antenatal steroids, given by injection, help premature babies survive because they accelerate development of the baby's lungs, which are not fully developed until the ninth month of pregnancy. Research has also shown that steroids reduce bleeding in the brain and an inflammation of the bowel called necrotizing enterocoliti.

The incidence of necrotizing enterocoliti has also been reduced with improved nutrition.

Extremely premature babies can't nurse, but doctors are able to feed them donated breast milk, such as that collected by a new milk bank in Utah, along with probiotics, administered through a tube that goes through the baby's nose or mouth into the stomach, Yoder said.

Another threat to micropreemies is respiratory distress syndrome, but a new treatment, called surfactant therapy, was introduced in 1990 and has reduced such deaths by half, said Dr. Aimee Nussbaum, the March of Dimes' director of maternal-child health in Utah and Nevada.

The University of Iowa Stead Family Children's Hospital is keeping up with the tiniest babies worldwide with a database that includes place of birth, gestational age and birth weight.

How hospitals differ

Jessica Sellers had a normal pregnancy until 22 weeks, when her blood pressure suddenly spiked, and her doctor sent her to Intermountain Medical Center, where it was discovered that Quinn didnt seem to be growing.

Over the next three weeks, tests showed that the blood flow to the umbilical cord was compromised, and with preterm delivery increasingly likely, Sellers was given steroids at 24 weeks gestation to hasten Quinn's lung development. She was delivered by C-section the following week.

Sellers said that none of her doctors or members of her family pressured her to authorize extraordinary measures to keep Quinn alive, nor did they urge her to forego the challenges and expense of caring for Quinn by opting instead for comfort care, which amounts to letting the child die naturally.

Lucky for Sellers  and for Quinn  they live in an area where hospitals, including Intermountain Medical Center, use all means possible to help an extremely premature baby survive, if that is the wish of the parents. Not all expectant parents and micropreemies have that advantage.

In a study published in 2015 in the New England Journal of Medicine, researchers examined the outcomes of nearly 5,000 extremely premature infants born at 24 hospitals across the U.S. between 2006 and 2011.

They found widely disparate rates of survival, which they attributed to different hospital policies regarding resuscitation and treatment. Only five of the hospitals in the survey provided "active treatment" to all infants born between 22 and 26 weeks gestation. And all extremely premature babies who were not given treatment to sustain life died within 24 hours, the researchers found.

Of those given treatment, 65 percent survived, and 56 percent had no neurological problems later in life. But the rates of survival declined alongside the gestational age of the fetus. All babies born before 22 weeks of gestation died within 12 hours.

Quinn Sellers was among 209 infants born in Utah in 2010 at 27 weeks gestation or younger, according to Nicole Stone, program epidemiologist with the Maternal and Infant Health Program at the Utah Department of Health.

Of these infants, 78 were 22 to 24 weeks gestation; 131 were 25 to 27 weeks.

In 2017, the last year for which data was available, 85 infants were born at 22 to 24 weeks gestation; 141 at 25 to 27 weeks.

While these figures do not reflect how many of those babies may have died after birth, they follow a nationwide trend of the number of premature births (prior to 37 weeks) increasing overall. The National Center for Health Statistics reported this week that the preterm birth rate in the U.S. had increased for the fourth consecutive year.

Having a baby at 25 weeks is markedly different from having one at 39 or 40 weeks, and not all parents opt for active treatment, even if doctors are willing to provide it, Yoder said.

"There are some families that are unwilling to deal with a baby who is born at 23 or 24 weeks," he said. "We still allow them to make that decision. But in my experience, that is the very rare exception. Most parents want us to do everything we can."

Quinn was in the hospital for 20 weeks, and had to be fed through a tube and given oxygen even after she came home. Both Sellers and her husband worked full time, and Quinn's grandmothers took turns caring for her during the day. In ways large and small, Quinn's parents' lives were radically different from the parenthood they'd imagined when they first found out Jessica Sellers was pregnant. They didn't take Quinn anywhere for a year and joked that they were under house arrest.

Despite the difficult first years, they have no regrets, and Quinn has no known health issues stemming from her early arrival. "If you went to her third-grade class, you probably couldnt pick her out from anyone else, academically, socially, physically," Sellers said.

New 'moral terrain'

Despite the importance of viability, there is no definitive legal or medical definition of when it occurs, and it is a doctor, not a judge, who determines when a fetus is viable on a case-by-case basis. Yet viability has been a component of abortion law ever since the Roe v. Wade ruling in 1973.

"The current U.S. Supreme Court standard holds that states may prohibit abortion after fetal viability so long as there are exceptions for the life and health (both physical and mental) of the woman," the Guttmacher Institute, which tracks abortion legislation, says on its website.

Even states with more liberal abortion laws, like the Reproductive Health Act passed in January in New York, cite viability as a standard for when abortion is allowed. New York's law allows abortion after 24 weeks if a doctor determines the fetus cannot survive outside the mother's womb, with or without medical support.

But seven states, including Utah, have passed laws this year that make most abortions illegal before the faintest hope of viability. If the laws withstand court challenges, abortion would be illegal after 18 weeks in Utah and Arkansas, and after six weeks in Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi and Ohio.

And in Alabama, Gov. Kay Ivey signed into law on Wednesday legislation that bans virtually all abortions, with exceptions that include fetal anomalies that would result in stillbirth or death after delivery.

As such, not only is viability changing as a benchmark, but the pro-life movement is working to dismiss it as a standard completely. "Science has left Roe behind," March for Life president Jeanne Mancini wrote in an op-ed for USA Today earlier this year.

When were talking about abortion, were talking about a whole other issue, and when people conflate things and say Thats why weve got to have a heartbeat bill, we arent talking about anything that is even in the same stratosphere.  Karrie Galloway, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Utah

However, the newest restrictions on abortion  among more than 300 proposals introduced in states this year, Guttmacher says  are also part of an effort to force the Supreme Court to reconsider Roe v. Wade, analysts say. The addition of Justice Brett Kavanaugh to the court has given abortion opponents hope that the landmark ruling could be overturned.

Galloway, at Planned Parenthood of Utah, said that in using the survival of micropreemies to craft arguments against abortion, abortion opponents confuse health care and politics.

When were talking about abortion, were talking about a whole other issue, and when people conflate things and say Thats why weve got to have a heartbeat bill, we arent talking about anything that is even in the same stratosphere, she said. Im sorry, but this is just foolishness.

The issues will become even more complex if researchers in Philadelphia who developed the artificial womb for lambs are able to adapt their fluid-filled BioBag for human fetuses, something that Yoder, the neonatologist in Utah, said could happen within the next two decades.

Such technology could "change the moral terrain" and result in laws that require a woman who wants to terminate a pregnancy to transfer the fetus to an artificial womb between 18 weeks and viability, wrote Harvard Law School professor and bioethicist I. Glenn Cohen in response to news about the Philadelphia research.

Another possibility is that some states might seek to ban both the transfer of the fetus to an artificial womb and abortion at 18 weeks, Cohen said, adding that issue would become more complex both legally and ethically because the technology changes the substance of the right at stake. Currently, abortion is defended as "a right not to be a gestational parent," not a right "not to be a legal or genetic parent," he said.

Medical advances are creating a strange intersection populated by two disparate groups of people: women seeking an abortion at 22 weeks, and parents desperately trying to keep a micropreemie the same age alive.

But for the latter, the study in the New England Journal of Medicine made clear that the choice of hospital matters for parents at risk of preterm delivery, and if parents are willing to take on the challenges of bringing a micropreemie home, they should investigate a hospital's policy or record of treatment of the tiniest babies, said Harrison, an OB-GYN in Michigan.

"I think pretty much every hospital would offer resuscitation to a 26-weeker, but when you get below 26 weeks, then you're going to be in a dicier situation." And, despite all the progress in medicine, nothing has changed the basic timeline of how a fetus develops in utero.

"If no one resuscitated 22-week-old babies, none would live," Harrison said.
SALT LAKE CITY  The first of 164 new markers was installed along the Jordan River Parkway Trail on Thursday in an effort that city officials say will make the trail safer.

The markers, each of which have been assigned a number and letter, will be placed every 250 feet spanning nine miles of the Jordan River Parkway. The exact location of each marker will be entered into Salt Lake City 911s database, making it easier for first responders to find a specific spot along the trail.

Salt Lake Mayor Jackie Biskupski climbed onto a scissor lift Thursday morning to officially install the first marker  number 38 Q  near the Fisher Mansion. The rest of the markers will be installed within the next month between 2100 South and the Davis County line.

Salt Lake City is the first community along the trail to install such markers, though officials say they hope other cities to the north and south will do the same. The first Salt Lake marker starts at 38, rather than 1, for this reason.

"I think its extremely important, as we are trying to make sure we can help people who might need assistance while on the trail," Biskupski told onlookers.

Lisa Burnette, 911 program director for the city, described the new marker system as "monumental," adding "were excited to have this available for all of the public."

Meanwhile, Biskupski has proposed allocating $1 million in city improvements funds to renovate the carriage house behind the Fisher Mansion. Trails and Natural Lands Division Director Lewis Kogan said he envisions the renovated carriage house and surrounding area as a hub for community festivals and events, nature education for local schools, and bike and kayak rentals.

"This is an incredible recreational asset that is right here in our own backyard," Kogan said of the trail. "We want this property to play an important role in this citys future."
SALT LAKE CITY  Federal prosecutors and defense attorneys disagree over whether gruesome photos of a man who died after snorting fentanyl-laced fake painkillers should be allowed in the upcoming trial of the Cottonwood Heights man who allegedly made and sold the drugs.

A close-up of a man identified as R.K. showing his face smeared with blood and mucus and two other pictures are necessary for a jury to decide whether Aaron Michael Shamo is responsible for his death, according to court documents.

"None of the pictures evokes an overpowering emotional response. There are no open, gaping wounds. There is little blood," Michael Gadd, special assistant U.S. attorney, wrote.

But defense attorneys, including Greg Skordas, argue the photos are "extremely prejudicial" and would prevent Shamo from getting a fair trial.

"There is a very real possibility of undue jury hostility toward Mr. Shamo where the claims being made involved the death of an individual," the attorneys wrote. "It invites a jury to convict based on broad concepts of community safety, sympathy, fear and passion."

Whether to allow the photos is among several issues a U.S. District Court judge is considering before Shamo's scheduled four-week trial starts next month.

Prosecutors allege in a 13-count indictment that Shamo intentionally and knowingly distributed a substance containing fentanyl, the use of which resulted in the June 13, 2016, death of R.K.

Shamo, 29, also is charged with continuing criminal enterprise, importation and manufacturing of a controlled substance, possession of drugs with intent to distribute, drug trafficking and money laundering. He is being held in the Salt Lake County jail.

Six codefendants in the case  none of whom were charged with distributing fentanyl resulting in death  have reached plea deals with prosecutors.

Prosecutors allege Shamo ran an international drug trafficking organization that imported fentanyl and alprazolam from China and made fake oxycodone pills and Xanax tablets. The drugs were sold on the darknet  an area of the internet often used for illegal activity  to thousands of people all over the country, at one point raking in $2.8 million in less than a year, court document say.

R.K. and his roommate, identified in court documents as G.L., ordered fake oxycodone pills from Shamo's AlphaBay store on June 6, 2016. The shipment arrived five days later, according to court records.

Late on June 12, R.K. crushed and snorted two of the pills in his room and exhibited effects immediately before falling asleep in his bed, court papers say. G.L. rolled him into the "recovery" position to prevent him from asphyxiating should he vomit during the night.

The next morning, G.L. found R.K. in his bed still in the recovery position and cold to the touch, according to court documents.

Court records say a toxicologist found alcohol, a cocaine metabolite, a cocaine cutting agent and fentanyl in R.K.'s blood. Doctors say the blood and mucus on his face are signs of opioid intoxication, prosecutors wrote.

Prosecutors say they pared down the number of available photos to three, and because there are only three, "there is little chance of overwhelming the jury with blood and gore."

One of the pictures shows R.K.'s body on the floor where paramedics moved him to try to save him. The third photo shows just his legs but includes the mailing envelope that contained the drugs and a battery and "toot-straw" he used to crush and snort the pills.

Defense attorneys contend the photos would likely lead a jury to make improper inferences about Shamo without giving proper weight to the actual evidence connecting him to R.K.'s death. They say there is no evidence that Shamo intended to hurt anyone.
SALT LAKE CITY  Winter is coming  back to Utah.

I know, I know. But its May, right? Well, according to the National Weather Service Salt Lake City, winter is coming back to Utah.

Have the 80 degree temperatures made you long for a return to winter? Well, good news, the NWS Salt Lake City posted on Facebook.

NWS Salt Lake City is predicting wind and strong to severe thunderstorms. Oh, and mountain snow that will fall from Thursday into Friday.

Have the 80 degree temperatures made you long for a return to winter? Well, good news...Wind, strong to severe thunderstorms and mountain snow are coming for Thursday into Friday. Posted by US National Weather Service Salt Lake City Utah on Wednesday, May 15, 2019

The storm is forecasted to bring mountain snow above 6,500 feet falling from Friday morning into Friday night, and some accumulation is expected.

Strong thunderstorms and showers will roll into Utah for the remainder of the week, according toKSL Weather.
Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor returned from their Europe vacation just a couple of days ago. As they toured around Europe visiting places like Switzerland and Lake Como together, rumours mills were rife once again about their impending wedding. It was said that Ralia, as fans love to call them, took this trip to finalize a wedding destination for them. Not long ago Ranbirs former girlfriend Deepika Padukone had tied the knot with Ranveer Singh at Lake Como which is quickly becoming a favorite of Bollywood stars for a destination wedding and so the rumours caught on.

View this post on Instagram soul full of sunshine ? A post shared by Alia ? (@aliaabhatt) on May 9, 2019 at 4:11am PDT

Alia however has finally come out and put all the wedding rumours to rest. In a recent interview with Bollywood Hungama, Alia Bhatt shot down these speculations saying, Kuch bhi!!! This is rubbish. It was just a holiday. Just like that... People say what they want to.

Now we have previously known Bollywood stars like Anushka Sharma and Deepika Padukone maintaining secrecy about their weddings even when it was happening, we dont know what to believe. Both Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt have however always denied these rumours even when it was speculated that a 2020 wedding is on cards.

Ranbir and Alias respective mothers, Neetu Kapoor and Soni Razdan strongly support their relationship and only time will tell when the wedding will happen. Ranbirs father Rishi Kapoor is currently in New York where he was declared cancer free and will return to India in a few months and in the wake of that it is certain that their wedding is plans are still far away.

In the meanwhile, Ranbir and Alia are working on Bramhastra together and the first film of the trilogy will release next year.
Hina Khan walked down the prestigious Cannes Red Carpet today sparkling in a Ziad Nakad sequined gown. The Kasutii Zindagi Kay actress looked drop dead gorgeous on her debut appearance at the French Rivera where she is attending the screening of her film Lines.

Also See: Cannes 2019: Hina Khan's Cannes 2019 Red Carpet Appearance Had Her Sparkling Like A Diamond; See Pictures





Hina Khan who recently bid adieu to her show Kasutii Zindagii Kay had yesterday addressed a press meet about the film looking stellar in a pink pantsuit and has totally topped that with her dazzling red carpet look from Lebanese designer Zaid Nakads spring-summer couture collection 2019. Hina has been accompanied to Cannes by her boyfriend Rocky Jaiswal and the two even enjoyed a quick romantic getaway to Paris before arriving at the French Rivera.

International celebrities like Barbara Meier, Dalida Antoine Khalil, and Shi Yu Fei also walked down the red carpet on Day 1 at the Cannes red carpet also wearing Ziad Nakkad.





Hina wore accessories by Azotiique and was styled by Sayali Vidya.

The biggest celebration of cinema in the world, the Cannes Film Festival is equally well known for as a big fashion event. Bollywood stars like, Deepika Padukone, Priyanka Chopra, Sonam Kapoor, Aishwarya Rai, Kangana Ranaut and Huma Qureshi are also due to walk down the prestigious red carpet this year and Hina Khan has set the perfect tone for it.






Deepika Padukone is ready for another glamorous appearance at the Cannes Film Festival. Deepika shared the first look of her elaborate ensemble for Cannes 2019 Day 1 wearing a custom made Peter Dundas dress.

Also See: Kangana Ranaut Goes Vintage For Cannes 2019 Wearing A Kanjeevaram Saree With A Twist

View this post on Instagram close up to banta hai...!#Cannes2019 @lorealmakeup @lorealhair @lorealskin A post shared by Deepika Padukone (@deepikapadukone) on May 16, 2019 at 8:56am PDT

This is DPs first Cannes appearance after her wedding to Ranveer Singh last year and she looks sharp and stunning in her off white dress which has plunging neckline and an elaborate bow right below it. Styled by Shaleena Nathani for the evening Deepika sure looks gorgeous for her first red carpet look at Cannes this year.

View this post on Instagram Taaaaddaaaaa!!!?? #Cannes2019 @lorealmakeup @lorealhair @lorealskin A post shared by Deepika Padukone (@deepikapadukone) on May 16, 2019 at 8:40am PDT

Deepika arrived in the French Riviera earlier this afternoon and has been teasing fans about her red carpet look and now that ts is here, we simply cannot take our eyes off. It would certainly we wait worthy to see what Ranveer Singh hs to say about it!

View this post on Instagram Taaaaddaaaaa!!!?? #Cannes2019 @lorealmakeup @lorealhair @lorealskin A post shared by Deepika Padukone (@deepikapadukone) on May 16, 2019 at 8:39am PDT

Earlier Kangana Ranaut who is also walking the red carpet at Cannes 2019, shared her regal look for the evening and that is two of the three Bollywood divas we would be seeing at the Cannes red carpet tonight. Now waiting for Priyanka Chopra to share her classic look for her debut appearance at Cannes!

Apart from them, Sonam Kapoor, Aishwarya Rai, Huma Qureshi, and Diana Penty will also be seen gracing the event in the days to come.
Sony SABs most cherished show Tenali Rama has brought the age-old epic folklore of Tenali Rama to life. The show is receiving immense support and love from their audience and has wooed them with an epic historic storyline along with interesting characters. The show showcases two iconic frenemies of all time, Tenali Rama, played by Krishna Bharadwaj and Tathacharya, played by Pankaj Berry. The duo has captivated the audience with their constant clever schemes to one-up another.

Tenali Rama and Tathacharya are always engaged in a tiff with one another in the show but little did we know that things are entirely different off-screen. This fun-loving duo shares the most wonderful bond over the most unexpected of things - their love for khatti meethi teekhi Pani Puri! Krishna and Pankaj were spotted enjoying Pani Puri during their trip to Ahmedabad, where they made stops at several places to relish the variety of flavours that Ahmedabad has to offer for this Indian street snack. Enhancing this unforgettable experience, the two treated themselves with the refreshing chhaas and other tempting street food of Ahmedabad.





When asked about their experience and this special bond over Pani Puri, Krishna Bharadwaj said, Pankaj ji and I share this immense love for Pani Puri and make it a point to stop at at-least one joint while travelling. Even while we are shooting, we often make plans to either go out or order it on our sets. Recently, on our visit to Ahmedabad, I even made Pani Puri by myself on one of the stalls and served it to Pankaj ji. However, we were still not satisfied and made another stop in the evening, while going to the airport, and enjoyed another round of the mouthwatering Pani Puris of Ahmedabad.

Telling us more about their fascination with these lovely puris filled with spicy chutneys and other fillings, Pankaj Berry said, It is always fun when Krishna and I are shooting together. To add a little more flavor to this fun, we share this crazy love for Pani Puri. During our promotional visits across India, we make 2-3 stops sometimes just to enjoy some Pani Puri. We had numerous rounds of Pani Puri during our visit to Ahmedabad and our fans were shocked on knowing that their favorite characters from the 16th century enjoy eating Pani Puri too!

For more such Tellydom updates keep a close tab on Desimartini.com
The Nigerian Stock Exchange has confirmed that MTN has been cleared to list its local operations from today (May 16th) as an introductory offering.

The listing will see MTN Nigeria valued at around $5 billion. Over 20.3 million shares will be made available, each priced at NGN90 ($0.25). Existing shareholders will be able to trade on the NSE as their shares will be listed automatically.

MTN agreed to list in Nigeria in 2016 as part of a conciliatory settlement with the countrys regulator. The operator group had incurred a colossal fine over failing to register subscriber details; it eventually managed to reduce the total penalty to around $1 billion.

Further clashes with the government of Nigeria delayed the listing and even cast doubt over whether it would happen at all. After being accused of illegally repatriating earnings, MTN was able to settle this dispute in January, but it still faces a bill for $2 billion in unpaid taxes.

MTN Nigeria CEO Ferdi Moolman described the introductory offer as just the beginning in a statement, going on to say that MTN was aiming for an IPO to provide more Nigerians greater access to the MTN opportunity.
Realme debuted in India last year, as a sub-brand of Oppo. In that same year, the company announced they will operate as an independent brand with Oppo helping Realme to procure components from the supply chain and lending its manufacturing lines to assemble the devices. With a new smartphone every two months or so, Realme soon expanded into other South Asian markets. Yet, despite having a strong Chinese connection, Realme was conspiciously absent from the Chinese market, till yesterday. At an event in Beijing, Realme announced the Realme X and the Realme X Lite in China. The Realme X Lite is basically a rebranded version of the Realme 3 Pro which launched in India last month. The Realme X, however, has a lot of new things to talk about. I had the phone with me for a few hours after the launch, and here's what I think of it.

Note that this variant of the Realme X is running the Chinese version of ColorOS 6 and features might differ in the global ROM when the phone eventually launches in India. Speaking of which, Madhav Seth, CEO of Realme India, said, the Realme X will indeed launch in India "very soon".

Design and Display

From the back, the Realme X takes a lot of inspiration from the Realme 3 Pro. The blue and purple gradient colour variant we received looked the same as the Realme 3 Pro, with the S-shaped light-trail and the signature yellow ring around the primary camera. It's also made of plastic like the Realme 3 Pro, but from the front, it's a whole new phone. The Realme X is the first phone from the brand to offer an edge-to-edge display. Its 6.3-inch AMOLED panel stretches all the way to the edges, with thin bezels present only at the bottom. This is possible because the 16MP front camera is housed in a pop-up module that stays flush to the body when not in use. Pop-up cameras with bezel-less displays are becoming a desfining trend in 2019 smartphones and it's good to see Realme bring the new design down to the mid-range segment.

The AMOLED display is supplied by Samsung and there's also an optical in-display fingerprint sensor that's supplied by Qualcomm. This is essentially the third smartphone with Qualcomm's tech for authentication, the OnePlus 7 Pro and the Galaxy S10 being the other two. Having used the phone, the fingerprint sensor is fast, but not as fast as the OnePlus 7 Pro and the Galaxy S10. The OnePlus 7 Pro's authentication is the fastest we have seen till date. There's also face unlock assisted by the pop-up camera but that takes around a second to rise up and scan your face. Either way, you will have to wait a good one second to go from the lock-screen to the home-screen.

The Realme X is offered in two standard colour variants. The purple-blue variant that I used, and another white coloured variant. Then there are two special editions inspired by natural textures found on vegetables like onion and garlic. You get straigh-lined patterns on the back which shine when light reflects off of them.

Performance and Software

Contrary to earlier leaks, the Realme X is not a flagship smartphone. Earlier leaks claimed the phone will be powered by the Snapdragon 855 smartphone and while the company is apparently working on a device with the flagship chipset in it, this one is powered by the same Snapdragon 710 SoC that's there on the Realme X Lite aka the Realme 3 Pro. So the performance is expected to be more or less similar. While reviewing, we observed the Realme 3 Pro was slower than the Snapdragon 675-powered Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 Pro in benchmark scores, but in real world usage, both phones work just fine without a hitch. The Realme X however offer up to 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. The top-end variant will retail for 1799 RMB in China, which approximately coverts to Rs 17,000 in India. The Realme X too felt fairly fast with no visible lag or slow-downs. But then again, it's too early to dish out a verdict based on just a few hours of usage.

On the software side, the Realme X runs on ColorOS 6 based on Android 9 Pie. The software is borrowed from Oppo with minimal customisations. It's much refined from before though, with the icons and animations now looking aesthetically better. The Realme X, however, is missing the SD card slot that's there in almost all other Realme devices. The company claimed this was because there wasn't much space left after the pop-up camera and as a result, expanded storage had to be sacrificed. The pop-up module also meant there wasn't much space for a large battery. So the Realme X settles for a 3,765 mAh battery with support for VOOC 3.0 Flash Charge that can apparently charge up to 60 percent of the battery in an hour.

We will test out the Realme X's performance and battery life when it eventually launches in India, so stay tuned for the review.

Camera

The camera is the biggest reason to buy the phone. There's a 48MP Sony IMX586 sensor on the back along with a depth sensor for portrait photos. The 48MP sensor that's now there on a handful of devices in India has a 1/2" sensor size and can combine four pixels into one to get the effective light sensitivity of large 1.6um pixels. The camera also shoots in 12MP by default, after applying pixel binning. You can however switch to the 48MP mode from the camera settings. The company claimed the 48MP mode can capture more details but we are going to be skeptical after most of the 48MP camera phones we tested failed to bring out the details as promised. Nevertheless, the option is there. The camera can also shoot in RAW and there's a colour-enhancing feature called Chroma Boost which essentially boosts the contrasts and saturation to make photos look more lively. The camera also has a dedicated Night Mode that works by combining multiple shots to get the right exposure and sharpness.

Realme also claims the Realme X can shoot 960fps slo-mo videos, but one video we took wasn't as slowed down as the 960 FPS super slo-mo mode in the Galaxy S10. We'd advise to take this feature with a pinch of salt.

On the front, there's a 16MP front camera with the usual AI beauty enhancement algorithms that smoothens skin, remove blemishes and the likes.

First Impressions

The Realme X combines all the trending features of a 2019 smartphone into an affordable package. Bezel-less display, in-display fingerprint sensor, AMOLED panel, pop-up cameras and even a 48MP rear camera. The only other phones that offer this combination of features are the Vivo V15 Pro, Oppo F11 Pro and the OnePlus 7 Pro, all of them retailing above Rs 25,000 with the new OnePlus flagship starting just shy of Rs 50,000. In that space, the Realme X seems like an attractive proposition. But having a maxed-out set of features is one thing, using them to get a better experience is something else completely and we will be on the lookout for how the phone performs and compares against its peers when it launches in India.

Realme paid for the writer's travel and stay for the launch event in Beijing, China.
Redmi India will launch its new Redmi Note 7S in India on May 20. The handset comes equipped with a 48MP sensor and it might be the rebranded Redmi Note 7 that was launched in China with the Samsung GM1 sensor.

Xiaomi seems to be on a roll with its smartphone launches. While it is yet to announce any Mi branded smartphone in India, it launched the Redmi 7 series, the Redmi Note 7 series and the Redmi Y3 in a span of one month. The company recently took a jab at OnePlus and teased the launch of its Flagship Killer 2.0 smartphone, which is expected to be the Redmi K20 with the Snapdragon 855 chipset, that could also be rebranded as the Poco F2. Now, Redmi has announced that it will launch a new handset called the Redmi Note 7S in India on May 20. The upcoming phone is confirmed to feature a dual camera setup where one of the sensors is capable of clicking 48MP images.

The announcement comes via a Tweet, which states, This is the #RedmiNote you've been waiting for! #RedmiNote7S with a Super #48MP camera is coming on 20th May! Currently, the Redmi Note 7 Pro (review) is the companys only phone to feature a 48MP camera. The handset employs the Sony IMX 586 sensor to capture 12MP binned images until one switches over to a special mode to capture photos with 48MP resolution. Our guess is that the Redmi Note 7S is the rebranded Redmi Note 7 that was launched in China with Samsungs 48 MP GM1 sensor, but we shall wait for official details before jumping to conclusions.

Sharing the news on the Mi Community forum, Xiaomi wrote, "We know that you love Redmi Note series, and it shows in numbers, Redmi Note 7 series has already sold 2Mn+ units since its launch in March. So we have decided to get you both #RedmiNote as well as #48MP in our upcoming Redmi Note 7S."

Xiaomi recently tried to drive up the hype for its Redmi Note 7 smartphone by sending it to space. We bring this up as the unit sent to space captured some images of the Earth and the new Redmi 7S launch has been teased with a similar image of the Earth is in the backdrop. While it's still speculation on our part, its likely that the company is rebranding the Redmi Note 7 with the 48MP GM1 sensor to launch it in India as the Redmi Note 7S.
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ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP)  Construction experts are assessing whether the building that houses municipal offices and a library in Eagle River is safe.

Anchorage television station KTVA reports bricks on the facade of Eagle River Town Center were loosened during the magnitude 7.1 earthquake in November.





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BEAVERTON, Ore. (AP)  A Beaverton sheet metal company must pay $98,000 in back wages to 51 employees after an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor.

The Oregonian/OregonLive reports that TT&L Sheet Metal didn't account for time its workers spent driving each week and so didn't pay them full overtime when they worked long hours.





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EUREKA, Nev. (AP)  Authorities say an ore-hauling truck driver died after the vehicle he was driving overturned at an open-pit mine in northern Nevada.

Eureka County Undersheriff James Clark said Tuesday that 57-year-old Dean V. Pilcher of Eureka, Colorado, was killed when the 50-ton ore hauler he was driving overturned Monday morning at McEwen Mining's Gold Bar project.





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While French aristocrat Marie Antoinette was famously misquoted as saying let them eat cake in 1789, millionaire Tim Gurner was correctly quoted in 2017 when he said millennials will never be able to afford their own home, When they are spending $40 a day on smashed avocados and coffees. (The Guardian).

While conservative commentators and politicians had been echoing this sentiment for years, Gurners smug remark was the final straw, with Smashed Avo On Toast soon becoming the symbol of millennial resistance against the patronising comments of myopic baby-boomers (and rich Yuppies like Gurner).

With that, I all agree. But theres a more pernicious reason for millennials not to own propertywhat they do with it. Far scarier than Boomers selling off our environmental assets to offshore companies and taking several hours to read a breakfast menu (held at arms length, squinting through their spouses glasses) is the incendiary ways millennials use the pieces of land they actually get a hold of.

Sober bars.

As reported earlier this week by the BBC, A pub without alcohol is something of an oxymoron  but theyre growing in popularity. The stalwart British Broadcaster then cited Getaway, a stylish bar in Brooklyn, whichat first glanceis like any other Instagram-friendly cocktail spot in New York.

The walls are tasteful green and blue, the space feels cosy enough that you could easily join a neighbouring conversation, and the menu features a list of $13 (10) cocktails with ingredients like tobacco syrup, lingonberry and jalapeno puree.

But, as the BBC reports, There is a crucial difference between Getaway and other Brooklyn bars: Getaway is totally alcohol-free like an aquarium without fish or a bakery that doesnt serve bread.

Ouch.

When you get the BBC riled up you know youve done well (or youre a millennial). But wait: theres more.

In cities like New York and London, where bars often function as second living rooms for apartment dwellers with little space, an alcohol-free nightlife option can appeal to people who, for whatever reason, would prefer not to drink.

Getaway, which opened in April, the report continues, Is part of a growing global wave of nightspots that specifically cater to people who are avoiding alcohol, but still want to go out and socialise in spaces that have traditionally been dominated by drinking.

Part of a movement in which urban millennials reconsider the place of alcohol in their lives, there is, admittedly, some health benefit to socialising without getting absolutely Espresso Martini-ed.

But its also a middle finger in the face of Americas proud history of getting twisted. And much like brunch has become a convenient scapegoat for structural inequality, drinking has become a convenient scapegoat for the rest of societys illswhen the problem is clearly Crossfit.

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The application was handed on Wednesday by Angola's foreign minister, Manuel Augusto, to the director-general of the OIF, Louise Mushikiwabo, in an act that he said marked "the realisation of a publicly expressed desire" on the part of Angola's president, Joao Lourenco.

The decision, he continued, is based on the fact that Angola has "privileged" relations with French-language countries, in addition to the aim of strengthening integration with the neighbours, in particular, and with the French-speaking community in general.

The move has the "strategic goal of putting Angola into the Concert of Nations", stressed Manuel Augusto, who, in the report by ANGOP does not mention any reasons why the country did to submit an application to become a full member.

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Lourenco had announced his intention that Angola join the OIF as an observer in May last year are a meeting with his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, during an official visit to France. Macron expressed his support for the idea.

"I want to reaffirm Angola's willingness to strengthen our relations more and more," Lourenco said at the time. "That is why we have also expressed the interest in being members, in some way, as observers or full-fledged members of the OIF, because of the important role that this organisation plays in the world, but particularly in our continent, in Africa."

Macron replied to Lourenco by saying that he wanted "to thank you for deciding to have an added role in Francophonie - you understand French perfectly - and I hope that in the context of the ambitions for francophonie that we all have, your country can have its full place."

The Angolan foreign minister has been in France since Wednesday morning, at the invitation of his French counterpart, Jean-Yves Le Drian, with whom he was to discuss bilateral relations, as well as current international issues.

Augusto heads a delegation that participates in bilateral multi-sectoral policy consultations with France, with emphasis on the economic partnership, involving areas such as finance, agriculture and bilateral cooperation. Meetings end on Thursday.

The two ministers, as an official statement indicated on Tuesday, are also looking at African regional issues, such as the political, military and social situations in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Central African Republic, Zimbabwe and Burundi.

The European Union after the UK's departure, the European Parliament elections, the fight against terrorism and the management of immigration in Europe are also on the agenda.

In addition to Manuel Augusto, the delegation includes Angola's minister of culture, Carolina Cerqueira, and the secretary of state for trade, Amadeu Leitao Nunes, as well as senior officials from the Ministries of Interior, Finance, Agriculture and Forestry, Telecommunications and Information Technology, and Higher Education.

On the sidelines of the talks, according to the press release, Augusto is to have some bilateral meetings with his counterpart and other members of France's government.

Diplomatic relations between the two countries were established in February 1976, after France recognised Angola's independence, proclaimed on November 11, 1975.

However, only in 1982 were the bases for strong bilateral relations created, with the signing of a general agreement on cooperation.

Lusa
EC relieves Bengal home secretary, calls early halt to campaigning

In perhaps the first serious action against poll violence, the Election Commission (EC) on Wednesday relieved West Bengal home secretary Atri Bhattacharya of his duties and asked state chief secretary to handle the additional responsibility.

Bhattacharya is accused of interfering in the election process in West Bengal by directing the CEO (Chief Election Officer) vide his letter dated May 13, 2019, the Election Commission said. It asked the chief secretary to send a compliance report latest by 10 am on Thursday.

In the wake of violence between TMC workers and the BJP in Kolkata and elsewhere, the EC also invoked Article 324 of the Constitution to order an end to campaigning in nine constituencies in the state at 10 pm on Thursday night, a day ahead of schedule.

Polling in these constituencies is scheduled to take place as part of the last phase of Lok Sabha polls, on 19 May.

The EC also relieved Rajiv Kumar, Additional Director-General, CID, from duty and directed him to report to the union ministry of home affairs latest by 10 am on Thursday.

Kumar, who was previously the Kolkata Police Commissioner, was facing a CBI enquiry in connection with the chit fund scam in Bengal.

BJP and TMC clashed in Kolkata after the TMC supporters pelted stones at a BJP rally led by its president Amit Shah. BJP hit back and Amit Shahs massive road show turned into a spectre of massive violence.

Mamata Banerjee blamed Amit Shah for the violence and accused the Election Commission of dancing to BJPs tune.
Lokpal gets its website; govt to soon notify format for filing complaint

Lokpal chairperson Justice Pinaki Chandra Ghose today inaugurated the Lokpal website in the presence of all eight members of the anti-corruption watchdog today.

The Website, developed by National Informatics Centre (NIC), provides the basic information with respect to the working and functioning of the Lokpal. The Website can be accessed at http://lokpal.gov.in.

Lokpal is the first institution of its kind in independent India, established under the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013 to inquire and investigate into allegations of the corruption against public functionaries who fall within the scope and ambit of the above Act.

The government appointed Justice Pinaki Chandra Ghose as the first chairperson of the Lokpal who was administered oath on 23 March 2019 by the President of India. The government also appointed four judicial and four non-judicial members.

The office of Lokpal is temporary functioning from Hotel Ashok, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi.

The process of notifying the rules and regulations including the format for receiving complaints is being developed. All complaints which were received till 16 April 2019 have been examined by the office of Lokpal and disposed of accordingly. The complaints received thereafter are under examination, an official release stated.

As per norms, a complaint shall be filed in the prescribed form to be notified by the government. The central government will soon come out with a format for lodging a complaint with anti-corruption ombudsman Lokpal, officials said on Thursday.

"The form will be made public soon," a senior Personnel Ministry official said.

Although the form for filing a complaint has not yet been notified, Lokpal decided to scrutinise all the complaints received in its the office till April 16, 2019, in whatever form they were sent, according to the anti-corruption ombudsman's website which was inaugurated Thursday.

"After scrutiny, complaints that did not fall within the mandate of the Lokpal were disposed of and complainants are being informed accordingly," it said, without giving details of the complaints.

Justice Ghose, 66, retired as the Supreme Court judge in May 2017. He had last served as a member of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).

The Lokpal's eight members were administered the oath by Justice Ghose on 27 March.

Former chief justices of different high courts - justices Dilip B Bhosale, Pradip Kumar Mohanty, Abhilasha Kumari and Ajay Kumar Tripathi -- had taken oath as judicial members of the Lokpal.

Former first woman chief of Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) Archana Ramasundaram, ex-Maharashtra chief secretary Dinesh Kumar Jain, former IRS officer Mahender Singh and Gujarat cadre ex-IAS officer Indrajeet Prasad Gautam were sworn-in as the Lokpal's non-judicial members.

According to the rules, there is a provision for a chairperson and a maximum of eight members in the Lokpal panel. Of these, four need to be judicial members.

The Lokpal Act, which envisages appointment of a Lokpal at the Centre and Lokayuktas in states to look into cases of corruption against certain categories of public servants, was passed in 2013.
Trump declares national emergency over threats to US telecom

US President Donald Trump on Monday declared a national emergency over threats to the countrys telecommunication services. Trump signed an Executive Order - Securing the Information and Communications Technology and Services Supply Chain - declaring that threats to the information and communications technology and services supply chain by foreign adversaries are a national emergency.

The order does not name specific countries or companies but appears to target Chinese tech giant Huawei, the world's biggest supplier of network gear used by phone and internet companies. The Executive order is widely seen as another US trade measure against China.

The Executive Order prohibits transactions that involve information and communications technology or services designed, developed, manufactured, or supplied, by persons owned by, controlled by, or subject to the jurisdiction or direction of a foreign adversary whenever the secretary of commerce determines that a transaction would pose a threat to national security, as articulated in the Executive Order.

The secretarys determination would be based on consultations with the Attorney General, the secretaries of treasury, state, defence, and homeland security, the United States Trade Representative, the director of National Intelligence, the administrator of General Services, the chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, and the heads of other appropriate agencies. In carrying out this mission, the Department of Commerce will issue regulations within 150 days to establish procedures for reviewing such transactions.

"President Trump is acting once again to protect US national security. This Executive Order addresses the threat posed by foreign adversaries to the nation's information and communications technology and services supply chain," said commerce secretary Wilbur Ross. "Under President Trump's leadership, Americans will be able to trust that our data and infrastructure are secure."

The commerce secretary, in consultation with the secretary of state, is authorized to submit reports to Congress on the national emergency declared in the Executive Order.

The director of National Intelligence is required to produce an assessment within 40 days of the Executive Order on the risks to the United States government, critical infrastructure, and the American people from information and communications technology or services designed, developed, manufactured, or supplied by persons owned by, controlled by, or subject to the jurisdiction or direction of a foreign adversary.

The secretary of homeland security, in coordination with sector-specific agencies and coordinating councils, must produce a written assessment within 80 days of the Order evaluating vulnerabilities in hardware, software, and services that threaten the national security of the United States. This assessment will also evaluate to what extent the hardware, software, or services are relied upon by service providers and critical infrastructure entities.

Within one year of the Executive Order, the commerce secretary, in consultation as appropriate with the secretaries of treasury, homeland security, state, defence, the Attorney General, the United States Trade Representative, the director of National Intelligence, and the chairman of the Federal Communications Commission must report to the President whether the actions taken are sufficient and continue as necessary to mitigate the risks identified in the Order.

US justice and intelligence officials say Chinese economic espionage and trade secret theft are rampant.

US officials, however, have not presented any evidence of Huawei equipment in the US or elsewhere being compromised by backdoors installed by the manufacturer to facilitate espionage by Beijing. Huawei vehemently denies involvement in Chinese spying.

Reports citing unidentified US administration officials said the order was "company and country agnostic" and that it would not be retroactive. Officials said "interim regulations" were expected before final rules were set but were vague on what that meant.

In a statement, Federal Communications Commission chairman Ajit Pai called the executive order "a significant step toward securing America's networks."

"It signals to US friends and allies how far Washington is willing to go to block Huawei," said Adam Segal, cyber security director at the Council on Foreign Relations. Many in Europe have resisted a fierce US diplomatic campaign to institute a wholesale ban on the Chinese company's equipment in their next-generation 5G wireless networks.

Democratic Sen. Mark Warner, vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee and a former telecoms executive, called the order "a needed step" in a statement endorsing the State Department's contention that Chinese law compels Huawei to act as an agent of the state. He cautioned, however, that its implementation not "harm or stifle" legitimate business.

The order's existence in draft form was first reported by The Washington Post last June. Segal said that with U.S.-China trade talks at a standstill, the White House "felt the time had finally come to pull the trigger."

It is a "low-cost signal of resolve from the Trump administration," Segal said, noting that there is little at stake economically.

All major US wireless carriers and internet providers had already excluded the use of Chinese-made equipment after a 2012 report by the House Intelligence Committee that Huawei and ZTE, China's No 2 telecoms equipment company are acting as enablers of Beijing-directed espionage.

Last year, Trump signed a bill that barred the US government and its contractors from using equipment from the Chinese suppliers.

The FCC also has a rule in the works that would cut off subsidies for companies that use any equipment banned as posing a national security threat. Huawei's handsets are virtually nonexistent in the US, and last week the FCC rejected a Chinese phone company's bid to provide domestic service.
There was both profound shock and sadness in Donegal town on Monday morning when the news broke that John Hanna had passed away earlier that morning in the Beacon Hospital.

The 73-year-old businessman was the founder of the world renowned Hanna Hats, an enterprise that grew out of his father, Dave Hanna's tailoring business.

Very much an integral part of the social and commercial fabric of Donegal town, John passed away surrounded by his wife Mary and his family, after a very brief illness.

In days when we hear so much about entrepreneurship, John Hanna was simply an entrepreneur before the word was invented.

He had that unique ability to identify gaps in the market place and the gut instinct drove him. In those earlier days there was not much time for market research, mood boards and networking - this man could see an opportunity before others and simply went out there and made it happen.

John took great pride and inspiration in carrying on the legacy left by his father Dave, a very special man in his own right.

Dave, who hailed from Belfast, was the man who hand made our first suits as young fellas both for communion and confirmation and on top of that taught us all how to swim down on the Holmes Beach.

The family were synonymous with Castle Street which, even to this day, is very much a family occupied street with its own sense of community.

From my very first memories of John growing up he was simply the man that never aged either in mind or looks - he always looked the same and spread the same enthusiasm that he had as a young man.

To us who were younger at the time John was a hero - he was Donegal's answer to Cassius Clay - a competent boxer who entertained many of us in the old picture house.

I have very vague memories of a tournament there where John took on the famous Paddy Doherty from Ballyshannon. The place was packed for what was essentially a derby fight -,eventually after a good slugging match, the Ballyshannon man walked away victorious.

Indeed the picture house became a very familiar place for the young Hanna.

Having met his wife Mary Fisher who worked in the Central Hotel, the couple enjoyed their courtship taking in some of the Hollywood blockbusters like Ben Hur from the balcony in the cinema.

John also loved his fishing and along with his brother Eddie and great friend Billy Johnston and the late Anthony O'Malley Daly. spent many great days on the river and out on the lake. Having spent practically all his young life on the edge of the river it is no surprise that he became a man of the water.

In recent years John took a back seat in the business in the day to day operations and handed over the reins to his daughters Amanda Jane and Eleanor who have brought their own skills and passion into firmly establishing Hanna Hats as a global brand.

People may not know that the now famous Hanna Hat is an integral part of the highly successful TV series Peaky Blinders - a move that greatly enhanced the popularity of their caps.

Just over a month ago I was privileged to meet up with John who was entertaining a group of Boston politicians as part of the Donegal Connect initiative. John entertained the Bostonians with great yarns.

I took the opportunity to record that afternoon on video and I will share that with his family when the time is appropriate. Hopefully it will provide the family with some comfort remembering a man who will never be repaced but one who will always be held warmly in the hearts of the people of Donegal.

John was one of the most innovative marketing persons in Donegal marrying his brand to the heritage of the county.

He is survived by his wife Mary, daughters Amanda Jane, Eleanor and Bernadette and son John Patrick. The funeral mass will take place in Killymard on Friday morning at 11 am with burial afterwards in St. Agatha's Cemetery in Clar.
Failte Ireland together with Discover Bundoran and Magh Ene College, Bundoran, is piloting a programme which sees 20 transition year students complete Failte Irelands Customer Service Excellence programme as part of their tourism studies module.

The course is normally reserved for those working in the industry with several Bundoran establishments achieving the business award for staff who have undertaken the training. The course includes an introduction to the Wild Atlantic Way, service excellence philosophy, the importance of upselling, cultural awareness and complaint handling.

Bundoran Tourism Officer Shane Smyth believes its a great chance for the students to get a recognised qualification in the tourism industry: "We first approached Failte Ireland late last year with the idea of having the TYs trained in customer service. Many of these young students are the ones who will end up in summer jobs in bars, restaurants and accommodation providers around town and will become ambassadors for Bundoran.

"Both Failte Ireland and Magh Ene College agreed to pilot the scheme and we are grateful to trainer Edward Meade for coming to deliver the course in person."

Martina Bromley, Head of Enterprise Development and Hospitality at Failte Ireland said: "We are delighted to be able to facilitate this pilot programme for the TY students at Magh Ene College. Bundoran is recognised as one of the leading seaside resorts and domestic tourism destinations in the country and it is great to get these students trained in customer service excellence. This is a qualification which will stand to them as they go on the hunt of a summer job and will no doubt help to improve the overall quality of the Bundoran offering for the 2019 season."

Pat Tighe of Magh Ene College said: "This is a great opportunity for our students to be trained professionally in customer service excellence and make themselves more employable in various outlets around Bundoran and further afield during the summer months. We would like to thank Failte Ireland and Discover Bundoran for facilitating the training session."
Shanghai (Gasgoo)- Geely is enjoying a sound development with all operational targets being implemented satisfactorily and the so-called salary reduction doesnt exist, Yang Xueliang, Vice President of Geely Auto Group, said on May 15 via his Sina Weibo account in response to an application saying Geelys employees will voluntarily accept pay cuts.



At the same time, Yang revealed that Geely Auto has officially started works of salary adjustment from May 2019 and some outstanding employees salaries will be increased by up to 30%. In a bit to improve sense of mission, purpose and result for middle-/high-level executives , employees at 8-grade post and higher grades voluntarily join an incentive mechanism to jointly shoulder the corporations operational results, expecting a higher return on target completion.



An application form airing on the Internet a few days ago said that Geelys employees would voluntarily apply for salary cuts and offer their year-end bonus as the funds for a mechanism that inspires staff to jointly undertake the companys operating results as Geely Auto has been in the middle of 2019, a key year for the automaker to achieve 2 million-unit annual sales goal while confronting huge challenges from overall cooling automotive market. The salary adjustment will last nine months (from May 2019 to January 2020) and employees will get the pay as usual afterwards.


For a number of years the community of Gaoth Dobhair has watched as the lights were switched off on a number of businesses in the area.

The community felt disheartened as they watched many of their young leave to find employment in Dublin, London and further afield.

However, the opening of Amharclann Gaoth Dobhair has raised spirits and hopes in the community.

This week, the community received a further boost with news that the planning application to redevelop the Ardscoil Mhuire Gaoth Dobhair site and build housing units, including assist living facilities for adults with intellectual disabilities, has now been lodged.

Community

The move is one that is being brought forward by Sinn Fein Deputy Pearse Doherty and Cllr John Sheamuis O Fearraigh.

Deputy Doherty who lives a short distance from Ardscoil Mhuire said the building is one which retains painful memories for members of the Gaoth Dobhair community.

Mickey Ferry, 64, Carrick Boyle, Derrybeg was jailed for 14 years in 2011 after pleading guilty to 38 sample charges of rape and molestation between 1990 and 2005. Many of the assaults took place in Ardscoil Mhuire.

The place is a scar on the face of Gaoth Dobhair. People do not want to be reminded about what happened there, Mr Doherty said.

New Era

Plans have been ongoing for two years and Deputy Doherty hopes that the plan could mark a new era for the parish: Let's put the lights back on in Gaoth Dobhair - one building at a time, and continue to breath new life into the community.

Cllr O Fearraigh said he hopes the plans which could see 29 families housed in the area could stem depopulation, boost the economy and greatly benefit to the surrounding area.
The Coffee County Schools Board of Education took time to recognize a special student for her accomplishments during its regularly scheduled meeting Tuesday evening.

Mariah Bush, an 8th grader from New Brockton High School, was honored for her accomplishments at the recent State Junior Beta Club Conference in Birmingham. According to Superintendent Kevin Killingsworth, Bush placed first in the poetry competition at the conference, making her the first New Brockton student in history to do so.

Back on March 13-15 in Birmingham, Mariah placed first in the poetry competition at the 2019 Alabama Junior Beta Club Convention, said Killingsworth. She competed against hundreds of other Beta Club members from across the state of Alabama. Mariah was the first student from New Brockton to win first place at the State Junior Beta Club competition. She is invited to attend the National Junior Beta Club Convention that takes place in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma this June.
A sometimes heated discussion followed.

After the vote, Spires took exception to the refusal of other board members to have it placed there, saying hed never seen such micro-managing of a monument proposal. He demanded a reason from fellow board members as to why they were opposed to Potters favored location, but he got no response initially and little more comment as he repeated the question.

Eventually, some board members indicated they thought that the new WW I monument would be more logically placed with the other monument that lists soldiers who died in that war, and that it would be more convenient for visitors to view two monuments placed close together on the corner.

With the meeting going long Tuesday, Spires, a dean and professor at Chipola College, had to leave mid-discussion and was still speaking his displeasure as he left the panels table and headed for the door.

Potters co-presenter on Tuesday, veteran Leon Kelly, also expressed disappointment over the decision of the board.

Along the way, the notion of racial bias arose and commissioners on the prevailing side denied that race was a factor in their preferences for the location of the monument.
Don Owens, owner of Dothan Powersports, has been named the Dothan Area Chamber of Commerce 2019 Small Business Person of the Year.

The selection came during Small Business Week, May 13-17, during which the Chamber honored its small business members during the organization's annual luncheon celebration.

Each year, nominees for the award are ranked on a point system that recognizes leadership in the community, customer satisfaction, business appearance, image and professional and civic involvement. Award nominees must reside in the Wiregrass area and own or operate a business with no more than 25 employees. Owens was selected by his peers for the award from among a slate of five Chamber members.

The 2019 finalists also included Marvin Cook, Scott-Cook Pharmacy; Candice Maddox and Talia Mills, Rock-N-Roll Sushi; Les Pinckard, Edward Jones; and Lance Shepard, Southern Heritage Funeral Home.
A Level Plains man has been charged with murder and abuse of a corpse in connection with a body found inside a burned vehicle on Alabama Highway 167 north of Hartford in Geneva County.

State Bureau of Investigation agents arrested Chad Dewayne Brogdon, 36, on Thursday and placed him in the Dale County Jail with no bond.

The State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) responded on Tuesday to the death investigation at the request of Geneva County Sheriff Tony Helms.

At approximately 5 p.m., Hartford Police and Geneva County Sheriffs deputies responded to a citizens complaint of a burned vehicle on Alabama Highway 167 near the Choctawhatchee River. When officers arrived, they found a vehicle burned beyond recognition along with human remains.

SBI agents arrived and processed evidence at the scene while working with local law enforcement to conduct numerous search warrants and interviews.

The Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences conducted an autopsy on the deceased, whose identity has yet to be confirmed.

On Wednesday, Brogdon was identified as a person of interest. He was located by a Geneva County deputy and taken to the Geneva County Sheriffs Office for questioning. SBI agents obtained arrest warrants for Brogdon on Thursday.

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Home Off beat Fastest Auto-Rickshaw In The World: 119.5 KM/H Gives English Businessman The Record oi-Stephen Neil

Having a Guinness World Record to one's name is a great achievement to many. For petrolheads and auto enthusiasts though, nothing beats the joy of having a land speed record. A businessman from the United Kingdom has successfully attempted to get one of the weirdest Guinness World Records  the world record for the highest speed set in an auto rickshaw.

Matt Everard, a businessman from the United Kingdom set a record for the fastest highest speed achieved in an auto rickshaw by touching a top speed of 74.306mph (119.583km/h). The record was set in Matt Everard's 1971 Bangkok tuk-tuk that was heavily modified just for the record.

Matt Everard ended up buying the tuk-tuk after a 'boozy night's conversation' according to his statement given to the Press Association. He bought the tuk-tuk from a seller on eBay by paying 3,000 Pounds (Rs 2.74 lakh) for it and in order to justify the purchase to his wife, he decided on using it to set a new record.

The 1971 Bangkok tuk-tuk was originally powered by a 350cc two-stroke engine. This engine definitely wouldn't help him set the record. Hence Matt began modifying the tuk-tuk. The first step was a bigger engine and he decided to use a 1.3-litre fuel-injected motor from an old Daihatsu.

Other modifications included, tuning the engine, equipping it with two radiators. In order to keep the auto-rickshaw stable at higher speeds, he widened the track and equipped it with chunkier tyres.

The suspension was lowered and the tuk-tuk was given new wheels, dashboard and seats. All of the above modifications apparently cost him around 20,000 pounds (Rs 18,25 lakh). In order to get the record, Mat Everard had to beat the previous record of 109.43km/h with a passenger sitting at in the back seat.

Matt Everard's cousin Russell Shearman happily played the passenger and the duo set off for the record-breaking run on the runway at the Elvington Airfield in Yorkshire.

Matt Everard was quoted as saying, "I thought it was going to be more wobbly. At a certain speed there was a slight wheel-wobble, but once you went through that speed it kind of evened out again and it was fine. I wasn't scared." Everard plans to modify the tuk-tuk further and then attempt to break his own record by doing 100mph (160km/h).

Thoughts On World Record For Highest Speed In An Auto-Rickshaw

Auto-rickshaws in India are powered by puny single-cylinder engines with a capacity of around 200cc. Even after being so low on power, some rickshaws can be seen doing speeds of above 60km/h while some crazy auto drivers chase after 70km/h.

With a 1,300cc engine, getting the tuk-tuk up to speed shouldn't have been a big problem at all. The problem is with stability issues. Auto-rickshaws are unstable by nature and it is this very fact that could have slowed Matt Everard down. However, for the next run to 160km/h, we're sure he would come back with a lower and more stable tuk-tuk.

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Fifty years from now, I suppose, no one will care about Emanuels need to honor himself. Hes gotten things done, a lot of things, in his eight years as mayor, and the riverwalk, which has brilliantly transformed a harsh industrial-era waterfront into an inviting postindustrial playground, is among his finest achievements.
The law, which will likely be at least temporarily blocked by the courts before it goes into effect, grants full human rights to an unborn child in utero at any stage of development and says doctors who perform abortions are subject to the same Class A felony prison terms as murderers, rapists and kidnappers.
When you step back and see all the fun everyones having, thats why we do this, Tracey Nelson, the race director, said. For so many years it was just so horrible. You just want to remember the great things and the wonderful things about Jeanine and bring joy to her memory and have her name connected to other things instead of just the trials.
As has becoming glaringly obvious, the forced birth lobby in America has been operating in a well-coordinated fashion to end the legal right of women to seek an abortion. Like the Sons of Jacob in A Handmaids Tale, they want to take away a womans right to control her own reproductive decisions and hand those decisions over to misogynistic religious conservatives. And lets be clear, if this was about preserving life from conception forward, wed see mass protests outside fertility clinics where fertilized human eggs are discarded daily.

That is decidedly NOT happening.

Forced birthers WANT this to go to the U.S. Supreme Court. This is why they are passing such cruel laws, laws that in some cases would force a young girl to give birth to her own sibling after having been raped by her father:

If a 12 year old is raped by her father and the father takes her to get an abortion, the evidence of the crime will be destroyed and he will go on molesting his victim for years. If however the child is born, his crime will be discovered and she will be rescued from the abuse. https://t.co/emV8tJifWE  Matt Walsh (@MattWalshBlog) May 15, 2019

Being overly draconian isnt a bug, its a feature. In fact, its the actual intent. In their effort to remake American in the model of the Republic of Gilead, they are pushing things so far that they are guaranteed to be sued which will allow them to take their case to the Trump-stacked Supreme Court which has made it quite clear that precedent, the so-called principle of stare decisis, is nothing but a quaint concept in American jurisprudence today.

As of this week, this is where things stand in America with regard to abortion bans and related laws.

Outright bans on abortion (10 states)

Alabama  Makes performing an abortion at any stage of pregnancy a felony punishable by up to 99 years. No exception for rape or incest

 Makes performing an abortion at any stage of pregnancy a felony punishable by up to 99 years. No exception for rape or incest Arkansas  Bans abortions after 18 weeks. Includes exceptions for rape, incest, and medical emergencies.

 Bans abortions after 18 weeks. Includes exceptions for rape, incest, and medical emergencies. Georgia  Bans abortion after a heartbeat can be detected which can be as early as 6 weeks. Includes exceptions for rape and incest if a police report is filed and to save the mothers life or if the fetus is nonviable.

 Bans abortion after a heartbeat can be detected which can be as early as 6 weeks. Includes exceptions for rape and incest if a police report is filed and to save the mothers life or if the fetus is nonviable. Kentucky  Similar ban to Georgias heartbeat bill. Struck down by federal judge, will go to the Supreme Court.

 Similar ban to Georgias heartbeat bill. Struck down by federal judge, will go to the Supreme Court. Mississippi  Similar ban to Georgias heartbeat bill. Being challenged in court.

 Similar ban to Georgias heartbeat bill. Being challenged in court. North Dakota  Bans most second trimester abortions except in the case of emergency. Punishes doctors only.

 Bans most second trimester abortions except in the case of emergency. Punishes doctors only. Ohio  Similar to Georgias heartbeat bill.

 Similar to Georgias heartbeat bill. Louisiana  Near passage of a heartbeat bill

 Near passage of a heartbeat bill South Carolina  Near passage of a heartbeat bill

 Near passage of a heartbeat bill Missouri  Near passage of a heartbeat bill (no exceptions for rape or incest)

Trigger laws  Complete bans if Roe is overturned (14 states)

Kentucky

Arkansas

Tennessee

Louisiana

Mississippi

North Dakota

South Dakota

Alaska

Colorado

Missouri

Ohio

Oklahoma

Utah

Virginia

Pre-Roe abortion bans still in place (7 states)

Alabama

Arizona

Michigan

New Mexico

Oklahoma

West Virginia

Wisconsin

These are not all happening right now and this quickly by accident. This is a concerted, decadeslong effort by the forced birthers. They are moving quickly now, not because theyve waited for public opinion to sway in their favor (it hasnt, only 23% of Americans support overturning Roe), but because theyve waited for a compliant Supreme Court to be delivered to them. And now, thanks to Donald Trump and Mitch McConnell, that moment has arrived.

The fight for the soul of our country is now underway and its not happening at the federal level so much as its happening the states. If you think you can skip voting because youre somehow not enthusiastic about the eventual Democratic candidate for president in 2020 (or any of the other down-ticket races, for that matter), keep in mind that the conversion of America to the Republic of Gilead isnt happening at the federal level, its happening in the states. And everyone of us should be working overtime to retake Democratic control of our state legislatures.

If you think Republicans are willing to negotiate on this issue, disabuse yourself of that notion pronto. Here in Michigan, House Republicans passed a bill that would prohibit the use of dilation and evacuation procedures to end late-term pregnancies involving nonviable fetuses. When confronted with the fact that D&E procedures are the safest and least painful way to deal with these tragically sad situations, Republican State Sen. Kim LaSata uttered these cruel, heartless words:

Of course it should be hard! And the procedure should be painful! And you should allow God to take over!! And you should deliver that baby!

The women who are put in the position of having to get a D&E are women who have already been pregnant for quite awhile. Many, if not most of them have already bought baby clothes and diapers and have decorated their nursery. Theyve created space in their homes and lives and hearts for their new child. But Ms. LaSata isnt content for them to have to go through that excruciating mental and psychic trauma of losing that baby after all of that. She wants them to deal with physical pain and suffering, too. In her mind, its Gods will. For forced birth proponents, women are simply host bodies, there to deliver children no matter how painful or how dangerous or how potentially fatal that may be for them. Even if the child will be born deceased.

Welcome to Gilead.

[CC image credit: TitiNicola | Wikimedia Commons]
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I just dumped US Mobile after less than four months, setting a new speed record for hitting my tolerance-for-b.s. ceiling. Based on reviews, Id had high hopes for this relatively new mobile virtual network operator, but it turns out I chose poorly.

Switching wireless service providers is one of those things I dont relish doing, but every few years I find that Im in a one-way relationship with my carrier: Im a loyal customer whos taken for granted. When I see my monthly fees creeping up, and my provider isnt willing to offer me the same deal its extending to new customers, my loyalty soon vanishes. Thats what led me from Sprint to US Mobile.

Switching to a new carrier is almost laughably predictable. In the beginning, everything is rosy. The company really wants me on board  so much so that it offers a deal that seems too good to be true. Im skeptical but willing to learn more. Invariably I find that underneath the shiny wrapping paper, the deal is not awesome.

Still, the more time I invest into learning about a plan, the more likely I am to accept it. Its not that Im swayed by the sales pitch  its just that I really dont enjoy this process at all. I dont want to go through the whole thing again with another provider that will lure me with a big come-on, only to methodically wear me down. Although the US Mobile deal was far from spectacular, it seemed good enough. I signed on the dotted line.

After enduring all the annoyances of making the switch  porting the numbers (I have a plan with three lines), buying new phones, configuring the phones, and then coming to terms with the inevitable feature-and-functionality compromises I was forced to make  I settled in with my new provider. My plan cost more than I initially expected it would, and the service was not as great as Id hoped, but I thought I could live with it. Until I couldnt.

Countdown to Cutoff

In US Mobiles case, the cycle lasted only a few months instead of a few years. There wasnt time for me to muster any loyalty, because I was disappointed almost from the start.

US Mobile promises that 99 percent of devices will work with its service. If thats true, I fall squarely into the 1 percent. The iPhone on my plan worked fine, but the two Samsung Galaxy S6 phones had issues. I purchased three different unlocked devices  a Samsung S7 and two different Xiaomi models  and none were sufficiently compatible. I finally got good results with a Nokia 7.1 (which is a really nice phone, by the way) and bought two to replace our old S6s.

Id still be a US Mobile customer, despite the phone hassle, if not for what happened last week. One of the users on my plan received a notification that her data was about to expire. That was puzzling, since I had selected unlimited data for that line.

What I soon learned was that when 20 GB of data are used, US Mobile disconnects the subscriber. Full stop. Yes, you read that right. Built into US Mobiles unlimited data plan is the need for a manual refresh after 20 GB of data are used. The disconnected subscriber needs to contact the company to get data access restored.

Its not possible to trigger the manual refresh prior to being cut off, either. The subscriber is obliged to lose access first. After going through that unpleasantness, the unlimited subscriber who has chosen to pay extra for US Mobiles top-tier ludicrous speed level (4g) once again will have a data connection  but it will be restored at the poky 2g level.

All of this was news to me, but Customer Success Manager Samina assured me that I would find the deets in the companys terms and conditions. Well, pretty much anyone who is not homesteading in Alaska knows that the terms and conditions customers are compelled to sign before receiving a service are a bad joke. The truth is that very few people read them, and of those who do, only a fraction fully understand them. I am not one of those exceptional few.

Top Brass Intervenes, Kinda

It occurred to me to write a column, offering my experience to our readers as a cautionary tale about US Mobiles policies. I asked Samina to transfer me to a supervisor so that I could ask a few questions. She directed me to help@usmobile.com, which I found annoying. I doubted that I would connect with a supervisor by directing a query to a general help address. I wrote anyway.

I was pleasantly surprised to receive a response from none other than US Mobile CEO Ahmed Khattak, who said he had asked the team to extend the data so that there are no interruptions in service.

I immediately wondered why it had required a directive from the CEO to manage that  and if the team could avoid interrupting my service at his behest, then why was it necessary to interrupt it in the first place?

Khattak also told me that I could spend more money to bump up the restored 2g data to full speed. I found that offensive, since I had already signed up for the highest level of service  but more to the point, it wasnt clear to me how to select that option.

I asked Khattak to point me to it on the US Mobile site, but I got no reply.

According to Khattak, the speed slow down after 20 GB is in-fact made obvious when you are buying the plan  if you select the unlimited plan on our website you will see it.

OK, I admit I can be dense at times. I had bought the plan, and I hadnt seen it, so I asked Khattak to point me to the information I had missed. I got no reply.

I also asked Khattak to point me to where customers with an unlimited plan are advised of the need for a manual refresh after 20 GB of data are used. You guessed it  no reply.

In his initial friendly email, Khattak said that US Mobile had put systems in places within the organization that increases transparency. Even at scale with unique sign ups of over 100,000 lines  customer complaints and concerns or feedback gets escalated very quickly within the org  i.e. your case.

Its true that I received attention quickly after sending my initial query, but its worth mentioning that I had CCd the companys press email address.

A D V E R T I S E M E N T

However, when it came to responding to the follow-up questions I sent to Khattak the same day, that responsive attitude had evaporated. A week later, even though Id sent a follow-up to my follow-up, US Mobiles transparency had turned into a brick wall. I can only assume that Khattak did not direct me to the requested information on the US Mobile site because it isnt there.

In the meantime, my unlimited data line was disconnected after all, in spite of Khattaks promise to the contrary, and I had to contact the company to have it restored at the 2g speed, which ironically does fulfill US Mobiles ludicrous claim  but in a bad way.

I wont have to deal with it for long, though, as Ive nearly completed my transition to T-Mobiles Metro PCS, which now has the opportunity to prove its mettle.

Farewell, US Mobile, I hardly knew ye  and good riddance.

The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ECT News Network.
After spending the first nine years of my career as an educator in schools serving low-socioeconomic populations, I became the principal in a high-SES environment in 2017. I immediately noticed a difference in how these different kinds of school systems approach their work with students. This contrast can be classified by two competing notions that both end up hurting students: tough vs. fluff.

This is by no means intended to diminish the fantastic work of educators. There are effective teachers, dedicated staffs, and caring parents in all school systems. There are high-SES schools that are tough and low-SES schools that are fluff. Rather than defend which is better, try to determine your schools current reality and consider what needs to change.

I define tough as the process of engaging students in learning that focuses exclusively on improving their test scores. This process includes worksheets that promote memorization, limited exposure to non-priority standards (those that are not tested at the end of the year), desks in rows to help manage classroom behavior, and an overreliance on summative assessment data. This tough approach creates a system that is largely driven by the desire to have high(er) standardized test scores. In schools where the utilization of tough is the norm, the pressure to perform on standardized assessments often comes at the expense of critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, communication, and cultural sensitivity. One point against Team Tough.

Which approach is better for kids? The answer can be found somewhere between these two processes."

In contrast, fluff is the process of engaging students in learning without working toward a specific standard or grade-level expectation. Seemingly innovative teaching practices that are clever but misaligned, seating options that are beautifully arranged but do not enhance student learning, and creative projects without much content can all fit this definition. In schools where the utilization of fluff is the norm, quite often, student test scores are perceived by the general public as high, but certain subgroup populations are overlooked. Students of color, students who qualify for free- and reduced-price lunch, English-language learners, and students who receive special education services are often the exception to the high test scores. Still, with a majority of students high achieving on standardized tests, there is less relative pressure for schools to raise standardized assessment scores, allowing for additional time spent on the more popular aspects of learning 21st-century skills and competencies. This approach typically maintains student performance and opportunity disparities by not focusing enough on the performance of all student subgroups. One point against Team Fluff.

I have spoken with a number of educators on the tension between these two approaches. Those with skill sets that are more aligned to improving student performance on standardized tests expressed a desire to provide a more balanced educational experience for their students. However, they acknowledged that pressure from their district leaders stifles their ability to move beyond prioritizing test scores.

The educators that I consulted while writing this essay who have skill sets more aligned to innovation all expressed a desire to improve the student performance of specific student subgroups, but also acknowledged pressure from district leaders and local parents to avoid jeopardizing their schools high-achieving reputation. This pressure often trumps the need to truly address performance discrepancies among groups of students.

In both cases, the perception of student achievement differs from the reality. Theres a popular misconception that all urban, low-SES schools have low student performance. While this may often be the case when overall proficiency percentages are compared to more affluent suburban districts, there are urban schools that are outperforming suburban schools when you compare their subgroup populations.

Which approach is better for kids? The answer can be found somewhere between these two processes. The tough model of focusing on quantifiable learner outcomes does not maximize students creativity or problem-solving skills, nor does it allow students to advocate for themselves and others. At the same time, many high-ranking public schools are considered elite because certain underserved student subgroups are only a small portion of their total population. These schools, which embrace the fluff model, are often hesitant to change systems and structures that create disparities for disadvantaged students, out of a fear of disrupting the same system that benefits the white, high-SES majority of students.

I have seen, however, how questioning these approaches can pay off, even in the face of significant adversity. In 2014, I became the principal of an elementary school down the street from where Michael Brown had been shot and killed earlier in the year. I invite you to challenge what you believe you already know about environments like these: low-SES schools with high populations of minority children. Some of the protesters that were on national television were also supportive parents who dropped their children off at our school just hours after protesting. And being so closely associated with what became known as the Ferguson Unrest did not stop our school from rethinking our previously tough approach.

At the time, our district was under state control with the implementation of a state-appointed board of education. We had to increase student performance measures or run the risk of lapsing as a district. While our philosophy started off using a 100 percent tough approach, every year of the three years I was there, we made changes that helped us get closer to a balanced approach. And in those three years, our school consistently increased student proficiency levels in English/language arts, math, and science, which also resulted in an increase of 200 percent on our states Annual Performance Report card.

Education should not be about taking sides, but rather starting discussions with others to benefit all students. If your school focuses solely on standardized-test data, how else could you nurture your students capabilities? If your school is highly ranked but ignores the subgroups of students who are not performing well, what would disruptions to your system look like? A lack of balance between improving student performance and exposing students to non-quantifiable skills is hurting kids. We must provide that balance to score a point for Team Kids.
Kristen Record, a physics teacher from Stratford, Conn., wanted to spend her professional development time collaborating with other science teachers on implementing the new standards, creating lab projects, and thinking through approaches to social-emotional learning.

Instead, at a professional learning day a few years ago, she sat through lengthy PowerPoint presentations on a range of topics like suicide prevention, reading strategies, and drug awareness.

Much of it was required to fulfill state mandates for teacher training, passed by lawmakers over the years. All of the topics were important, Record said, but not all of the training was meaningful, and not all of it felt essential to her work.

For instance, a school safety presentation included details on where a helicopter would land on campus in the event of an emergency, Record recalled. She saw no need for every teacher and staff member to learn those kinds of details that would likely be handled by a team of administrators.

The opportunity to dig deep into topics of direct interest to me and my students gets curtailed when the statutory requirements become burdensome, she said.

As schools work to confront the non-academic factors that can stifle students chances at success, teachers around the country must also comply with a growing list of training requirements.

Those requirementsoften mandates by state legislatures or district administrationcall for professional development about everything from responding to signs of sexual assault and stopping bleeding in emergency situations, to recognizing warning signs of human trafficking.

At the same time, schools are facing urgent calls to address academic issueslike rethinking reading instruction, implementing new learning standards, and tackling the achievement gapthat all require training time as well. Its kind of like you have a plate thats filled with food, and all of the food is good for you, said Kate Field, a teacher development specialist for the Connecticut Education Association. But no one is looking at how not all of the food goes together, and the plate is getting more and more heaped and more and more unwieldy.

Fields was involved with an effort to scale back Connecticuts teacher professional development requirements, which some administrators had called unwieldy.

The effort was conceived by an unlikely alliance of groupsteachers unions, the states department of education, lawmakers, and organizations representing school boards and district leadership. All agreed: The states statutory teacher-training requirements, while well-intentioned, could be streamlined.

Connecticut administrators estimated it would take 90 hours to adequately train teachers on a list of state-required topicseverything from sexual abuse awareness and food allergies to identifying safety threats and adolescent risk-taking behaviors.

Most districts only had 19 or 20 hours of professional learning time in their schedules, and that left many out of compliance with state requirements or rushing through a list of topics to keep up, said Patrice McCarthy, deputy director of the Connecticut Association of Boards of Education. Some also complained that they didnt have the resources to provide meaningful training on some issues.

So in 2016, the coalition worked with the states legislature to create a task force charged with making recommendations to amend state laws and clean up the requirements.

Among their recommendations: Some annual training requirements could be taught less frequently, some could be targeted at smaller groups of employees, and some could be combined.

The group also proposed eliminating some statutory requirements and giving districts a year to adopt future requirements.

Connecticut lawmakers largely adopted those recommendations, but they turned down a plan to create a review board of teachers, union representatives, and education groups that would give feedback on any future proposals for new training mandates.

A Cohesive Approach

Doreen Merrill, an elementary special education teacher in Woodbridge, said she hopes the changes give schools and teachers more choices in what they learn.

Merrill has seen the evolution of professional development and in-service training in her 38 years as an educator. Back in 1980 when I first started, it was more curricular types of things, she said. No one talked about trauma in children, and no one talked about suicide prevention.

Increased flexibility will allow schools to give their teachers in-depth training on issues like student trauma, which some urgently need, Merrill said.

Field agreed. Issues like cultural competency, implicit bias, suicide prevention, and trauma can all have connecting threads that are difficult to recognize when they are treated as discrete issues, she said, and teachers crave time to compare notes on those issues and have practical discussions, rather than absorbing presentations.

When youre talking about teaching the whole child, teachers want that space, Field said. The best work that came out of our task force was creating that space that allows a more cohesive approach.

Done right, professional development on issues like student trauma takes time and resources, teachers around the country said.

For example, teachers at Nashvilles John Overton High School spent a day learning about research on adverse childhood experiences, which examines how events like parental incarceration and exposure to violence can affect students learning and brain development, teacher Meredith McGinnis said. Of the schools 2,000 students, 39 percent are refugees or immigrants whove experienced family separation, interruptions to their education, and violence. Research shows that such experiences can interfere with learning and drive up levels of the stress hormone cortisol, essentially putting students in a perpetual state of fight or flight.

At the training, Overton teachers dug into those studies, learning how to identify the effects of trauma, and reviewed sample student profiles to determine how their out-of-school experiences may affect their behavior in the classroom, McGinnis said. Among the strategies shes adopted since then: Celebrating small, incremental victories for students who may feel defeated by the difficulties theyve lived through. For one student, success may be getting an A on a paper. For another, it may be bringing up a test score by a few points.

I try to show them new patterns of success where before they were just seeing difficulties, she said. Youve got to make the small things big for them because the world seems so huge. Their experiences have been so defining for them.

That training was much more meaningful to McGinnis than an annual suicide-prevention training, which she completed by flipping through a computer module and taking an online test, she said. Its not that the issue isnt important to her; its that the training has become sort of rote.

The Connecticut task force hopes its work will make way for less cookie-cutter professional development and more meaningful conversations between educators, like the work the teachers in Nashville did.

Every time an issue arises or a tragedy occurs, it focuses the attention on that issue, and the legislature wants to be responsive, McCarthy said. They want to say, Of course we need to make sure our educators have these skills so that they can help support students. But if were adding one [requirement], is there anything else that can be taken away?
On Tuesday, I emailed the CBPs press office: I wanted to see if you could provide me with a list of the tariffs on goods imported from China that the Chinese government has paid to Customs and Border Protection since the beginning of this year. If not a detailed list, is there at least a total you could give me or some kind of documentation showing receipt of these payments?
Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, May 16 (EFE).- Chile, Colombia and Peru lead the index of capacity to carry out sustainable public-private partnerships in Latin America, according to the latest Infrascopio index.

"The countries of Latin America and the Caribbean have a strong performance in the area of ??regulations, and PPPs are almost universally accepted as a tool for contracting, generalized adoption of national infrastructure plans and improvements in sustainability indicators," according to a report released on Thursday at an Americas PPP Forum in the Dominican Republic.

The 2019 index, commissioned by the Inter-American Development Bank, placed Chile, Colombia and Peru, which top the list after Jamaica and Guatemala.

Next are El Salvador, Brazil, Costa Rica, Uruguay and Honduras.

The report, , developed by The Economist Intelligence Unit every two years, is based on five categories: regulation, institutions, maturity, investment climate and financing, highlighted regional "advances" in the last decade.

Although regulation is the area where the highest scores were recorded, financing is the one with the lowest, which "shows that institutions to finance infrastructure are incipient in Latin America and the Caribbean."

The report also found that "transparency and accountability during the life cycle of PPPs are essential to ensure that they are well managed and to document successes in order to generate public support for future initiatives."

Ancor Suarez, IDB specialist in PPPs, said that "to achieve the greatest social gains derived from PPPs in the region, and in order to provide more and better quality services to the inhabitants of Latin America and the Caribbean. the Caribbean, it is essential to know the conditions in which these can be implemented."

The region invests around 3.5 percent of its GDP, figures from the multilateral bank estimate that to reach the appropriate level of development should invest between five and six percent, which is a gap equivalent to $1.5 billion over the next few years.

Given the huge volume of financing required, there is not "sufficient" regional funds, so international investors have to be resorted to, and APPS are instruments that can yield beneficial results for both parties, said the official.

The PPP Americas Forum, which finished on Thursday, brought together more than 500 representatives from the public sector and private investors in the region.
OLED materials research New CEO and fresh capital for Cynora 16. Mai 2019, 16:19 Uhr | Markus Haller

Around 120 employees are researching blue OLED emitters at Cynora in Baden-Wurttemberg.

The German materials research company Cynora receives a further 25 million dollars in investor money. They will be used for research and market introduction of more efficient blue OLED emitters. A new CEO was found in Adam Kablanian.

The investors' money comes mainly from international funds such as SRF Partners Group and DBOLED LLC. The existing investors MIG Funds from Germany and swiss Wecken & Cie also participated in the current C financing round. Dan Rubin from the investor SRF joined the Cynora Management Board.

According to Cynora, the funds will be used for the production, sales and technical support of new TADF emitters for OLED displays. They are more efficient than currently used emitters and can significantly reduce the power consumption of smartphone displays. Research on these displays has been carried out in Bruchsal, Baden Wurttemberg, for several years. Currently with around 120 employees.

Market launch of blue OLED emitters 2020

For successful mass production and market launch, it is still necessary to increase the service life by a factor of five to twenty, according to Cynoras CMO Dr. Andreas Haldi in an interview with Elektronik in spring 2019 (Read the full interview in issue 5, 2019). According to the roadmap, this is to begin in 2020.

Our roadmap is aggressive, our talents are strong and our finances are solid, he said in his inaugural speech. In total, the company has raised 80 million dollars in investor funds since its inception in 2008. Major investors include LG Display and Samsung's venture capital company, Samsung Venture Investment.

Adam Kablanian succeeds Gildas Sorin as CEO of Cynora.

With Adam Kablanian, the German materials research company is focusing more strongly on market launches. His predecessor, Gildas Sorin, laid the groundwork for research and development, and Kablanian has experience in bringing research-based technologies to market, including as Managing Director of Virage Logic, a manufacturer of embedded memory modules and now part of Synopsys, and PlasmaSi, the OLED encapsulation provider that was later acquired by Aixtron.

The OLED market is considered a strong growth market. The analysts of Display Supply Chain Consultants (DSCC) expect the market volume to double within the next four years from currently 28.7 billion dollars to 52 billion dollars in 2023.
None of the packaging for any of AnheuserBusch InBevs craft acquisitions included the words AnheuserBusch InBev. Not on the bottle. Not on the can. Not on the cardboard twelvepack. Not anywhere. The closest hint came in the tiny horizontal print on the sides of its bottles and cans. As beer from its craft acquisitions was increasingly offloaded to AnheuserBusch breweries, a pattern emerged: the home market  where the acquired brewery was physically located  was listed first, followed by the location of the AnheuserBusch breweries where the beer was actually made:
Austria approves headscarf ban in schools, voices raise

Lawmakers from the governing coalition of Chancellor Sebastian Kurz's conservative People's Party supported the measure.

A large number of non-governmental organizations, journalists, politicians and activists in Austria are opposed to banning of the religious head covering in primary schools.

HEAD COVERINGS OF SIKH BOYS AND THE JEWISH KIPPA WOULD NOT BE AFFECTED

The law not only contributes to the exacerbation of Islamophobia, but also serves to promote the idea that Muslims are a danger to society, an independent member of Austria's parliament, Martha Bissman told Anadolu Agency in an interview. She said the agitation against Muslims is no more a marginal phenomenon" and has moved to the center of politics with the current government.

Austria's far-right government, led by Chancellor Sebastian Kurz, the youngest leader in Europe, introduced a draft law banning headscarves late last year in the parliament, planning to implement it without support of the opposition. The law bans headscarves for girls under the age of 10 at all primary schools, including private schools across the country. Bissman stressed that the law violates the basic principles of the Austrian State Treaty of 1955 and the constitution. The constitution includes the exercise of religious worship and the use of religious clothes and symbols, as well as the freedom of religion.

Bissman said almost all Muslim representatives during interviews said they are against the coercion of girls to wear the headscarves. Prohibiting headscarves as a political campaign is nothing more than a result of a politically established hysteria for a minority."

Opinion leaders say that the law is only aimed at Muslim children and the ban is in contradiction with the principle of equality and freedom of religion and therefore unconstitutional as the Christians crucifix is currently at every school in the country and that Jewish children are allowed to wear kippa, a religious head cover.

Austria is home to around 700,000 Muslims, including 300,000 of Turkish origin. Many of them are second or third-generation Austrian citizens from Turkish families who migrated to the country in the 1960s.

Amid widespread fears from the refugee crisis and international terrorism, Austrias right-wing parties proposed several controversial measures including strict controls on mosques and Muslim associations and immediately closing them in the case of suspicious activity.

In October 2017, Austria imposed a face-covering ban which prevents people from concealing their face in all public places, including transport facilities.
Daesh terror attacks killed 6 police officers in Kirkuk

In mid-2014, Daesh overran roughly one-third of Iraq, including the northern city of Mosul.

Members of the Daesh terrorist group killed 6 police officers in Iraq's northern Kirkuk province, a police source said late Wednesday.

6 POLICE KILLED

Saad Harbiya, head of the Iraqi armys Kirkuk Operations Command, told Anadolu Agency that terrorists had ambushed the officers in two separate attacks. Large-scale operations were launched in the region where the attacks were carried out, he added.

By late 2017, the Iraqi army with the help of the US-led military coalition had recovered most if not all lost territories from the terrorist group.

Although officials in Baghdad say Daeshs presence in the country has been largely eradicated, the terrorist group has continued to stage sporadic attacks in Iraq's Nineveh, Kirkuk, Diyala, Saladin and Anbar provinces.
Merkel reacts to rerun of Istanbul elections

German chancellor speaks critical of Turkeys EU membership but underlines the strategic importance of good ties with Ankara.

Chancellor Angela Merkel has underlined strategic importance of Turkey for Germany Friday, despite persistent political differences between Berlin and Ankara.

Our political values differ in many areas and yet we have common interests, Merkel said in an interview with the daily Suddeutsche Zeitung.

"GERMANY IS SCEPTICAL ABOUT FULL MEMBERSHIP"

Asked about Ankaras stalled EU membership bid, Merkel expressed ongoing scepticism about a full membership perspective to Turkey.

The current developments after the local elections do not make it more likely that Turkey will join the European Union, she said, adding that she has always been sceptical about a full membership perspective, but favored special relations between the EU and Turkey.

However, Merkel also supported the continuation of accession talks in an open-ended way, as this was promised to Turkey in 2005, before her Christian Democrats (CDU/CSU) came to power in Germany.
Venezuela: We need Turkey to be a protecting power

According to the official statements, the Venezuelan government looks for a third country as a protecting power.

Venezuela has proposed Turkey as a protecting power for its embassy in Washington, its ambassador to the UN said Wednesday.

'THEY MUST ACCEPT OUR PROTECTION POWER'

The US is appointing the Swiss government as the protecting power in Caracas, and we are respecting that. But we also need that they accept our protecting power, Samuel Moncada said during a press conference. We are proposing Turkey, for example. But they responded No. We dont recognize you. We recognize Guaido," he added.

According to the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, if diplomatic ties between two countries are broken off, both sides can choose a third country acceptable to the receiving state as a protecting power.

Venezuela has been rocked by protests since Jan. 10 when President Nicolas Maduro was sworn in for a second term following a vote boycotted by the opposition. Tensions escalated when Juan Guaido, who heads Venezuelas National Assembly, declared himself acting president on Jan. 23, a move which was supported by the US and many European and Latin American countries. Turkey, Russia, China, Iran, Bolivia and Mexico have thrown their weight behind Maduro.
Exchanges like that come more or less straight out of Heller. The novels most incisive passages, such as the old Italian pimps disquisition on Italys glorious losing streak holding the key to its longevity, remain fresh and arresting. (Giancarlo Gianninis perfectly cast here.) Not all of Catch-22 has aged as well. If theres a significant downside to this miniseries adaptation, its the way some of the montages and golden-memory sequences  Yossarian and the boys swimming, laughing  feel designed for the wrong sort of nostalgia, and another kind of war story entirely. The revised ending doesnt quite land, either, though Hellers own antic finish wouldnt work here, or now, just as the 1970 films capper felt slapdash and a little off.
By targeting the pancreas with ultrasound therapy, researchers from George Washington University have been able to increase the amount of insulin in the blood in mice, pointing to new ways to manage diabetes in humans

WASHINGTON, D.C. May 16, 2019 -- The World Health Organization ranks Type 2 diabetes among the most common causes of death in the world. Current treatments can help the body use insulin at various stages of the disease, but they can also be expensive and subject patients to lifelong medication regimens and side effects. Thanks to new therapeutic ultrasound technology, one promising alternative looks to reshape how early Type 2 diabetes is managed.

A group of researchers from George Washington University in Washington, D.C., has used ultrasound therapy to stimulate insulin release from mice on demand. After exposing the pancreas, the body's insulin production center, to ultrasonic pulses, the researchers saw measurable increases in the mice's blood insulin levels.

The team will present their findings at the 177th Meeting of the Acoustical Society of America, which takes place from May 13-17, at the Galt House in Louisville, Kentucky.

"Our work is an important first step in stimulating endocrine tissue," said Tania Singh, an author on the paper.

While ultrasound has traditionally been used as a diagnostic tool, such as during pregnancy, advances have led to its use for therapies ranging from kidney stones to recent trials for Parkinson's disease.

The group's work is the first time ultrasound has been explored as a way to treat diabetes.

As blood sugar levels rise, specialized cells in the pancreas called beta cells ramp up insulin production to counterbalance the higher-than-expected levels of sugar. Early in the disease, beta cells can become overwhelmed, and insulin can build up inside them.

To prevent this buildup from killing the beta cells and worsening the disease, drugs can help ailing beta cells release insulin. It is these drugs that Singh and her group hope to mimic with ultrasound -- without drug side effects.

Blood samples from the mice showed significant increases in insulin levels after receiving the ultrasonic therapy.

Further examination has yet to find any damage done to the pancreas or surrounding organs by ultrasound.

"The pancreas has a number of other roles in addition to producing insulin, including the release of antagonistic hormones and digestive enzymes," Singh said. "It's something we hope to look into in the future."

Interestingly, while the team noticed an uptick in insulin, they did not see the corresponding drop in glucose levels one would expect. This is something Singh hopes to investigate more soon. She also hopes to expand their studies to larger animals and one day develop a device that can work seamlessly with glucose monitors.

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Presentation #4pBAb11, "Therapeutic ultrasound-induced insulin release in vivo" will be at 4:40 p.m., Thursday, May 16, in the Nunn 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.
Philadelphia, May 16, 2019 - A team of researchers at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) affiliated with the CHOP Epilepsy Neurogenetics Initiative (ENGIN) discovered a new gene associated with severe childhood epilepsy using a novel computational approach. The team systematically compared phenotypes, or clinical data, of patients with severe childhood epilepsies through a novel analysis strategy and looked for common genetic causes in patients who had similar clinical presentations.

This is the first time that such an analysis of clinical data has been used to identify novel genetic causes of neurological disorders, and this new computational method has the potential to help patients with a variety of complex and difficult-to-diagnose conditions. The findings were published today in the American Journal of Human Genetics.

"Genetic data are incredibly valuable, but when we do whole exome sequencing, this is really only half of the story," said Ingo Helbig, MD, a pediatric neurologist in the Division of Neurology at CHOP who directs the Genomics and Datascience Core of the CHOP Epilepsy Neurogenetics Initiative. "Genetic epilepsies can present with a wide range of symptoms, and what we really want to understand is which medications work and how we can improve outcome. Genetic testing alone does not give us this information. However, when we merge genetic information with large-scale clinical data, the combination can be very powerful."

Developmental and epileptic encephalopathies are severe heterogeneous brain disorders that often have a genetic cause. However, the genetic basis for these disorders remains unknown in a large portion of affected patients. These disorders can cause aggressive seizures, cognitive and neurological deficits and, in some cases, early death. Many patients do not respond to current treatment options, and identifying a causative gene is often the first step of improving treatment.

Over the last decade, technological advances have made it possible for genetic testing to be performed on a large scale, yielding large sets of genomic data that have enabled researchers to pinpoint a number of important genetic mutations in childhood epilepsies. However, the patient's phenotype - a set of observable characteristics such as type of seizures or developmental disabilities - has historically not been collected in the same standardized manner as genetic data. While new gene sequencing technologies can generate genomic data more thoroughly and quickly, clinical data must be entered by hand, which results in a "phenotypic bottleneck" where clinical data cannot be processed at the same level as genetic data.

To address this discrepancy, other researchers previously developed the Human Phenotype Ontology (HPO), a catalogue that provides a standardized format to characterize a patient's phenotypic features, including neurological findings, and allows for clinical data to be used at a similar level as genetic data.

Since many severe childhood epilepsies have very complex clinical findings, the study team believed that analyzing clinical data in the HPO data through computational methods would be an effective way to identify patients with similar symptoms that may not have been obvious. By combining this phenotypic information with a patient's whole exome sequencing data, researchers wanted to see if similarities in clinical features might reveal information about the genetic basis of the disorder that might otherwise go undetected.

"The main limitation in the past was the lack of large amounts of clinical information in a format that can be analyzed systematically through our informatics approaches," Helbig said. "In our study, we built the computational algorithms to leverage clinical data. We then used these tools to find the genetic cause for a patient's epilepsy."

Helbig and colleagues, including collaborators from the EuroEPINOMICS-RES Consortium and the U.S.-based Genomics Research and Innovation Network, analyzed whole exome sequencing data and clinical data transformed to HPO format for computational analysis in 314 patients with severe epilepsies. The team found a variant in the AP2M1 gene in two individuals with similar phenotypes in their study. Using this information, they looked for variants in AP2M1 in a second cohort of 2,310 individuals and found two additional patients with similar clinical features, including neurodevelopmental disorders and generalized epilepsy.

Upon further examination, the study team determined that this particular disorder caused a functional alteration of the AP-2 complex, which is involved in endocytosis, a process by which brain cells recycle small parts of their membrane to create so-called synaptic vesicles that are important in the communication between brain cells. The authors suggest that the key function of the AP2M1 protein is to regulate the balance between excitability and inhibition, a well-established mechanism in epilepsy.

"This is the first time that clinical patient information in a digital format was used to discover a disease gene," said Ethan Goldberg, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor of Neurology & Neuroscience and Director of the CHOP ENGIN, a recently launched program that integrates genetic testing into the diagnosis and treatment of children with difficult-to-treat or unexplained epilepsies. "This study emphasizes how the large amount of clinical information that is collected in our patients can facilitate gene discovery and enhance our understanding of a gene's function. Increasingly, knowing how defects in a gene cause seizures allows us to better determine which medications might work and to develop new strategies to treat children with epilepsy. "

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This study was supported by intramural funds of Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, the German Research Foundation, the Luxembourg National Research Fund, the German Society for Epileptology and the Genomics Research and Innovation Network (GRIN), a collaboration among Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Boston Children's Hospital and Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center. The study was also supported by the International League Against Epilepsy, a grant from the National Institutes of Health (NS108874), the Israel Science Foundation. a Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award Institutional Research Training Grant, the intramural research funding program of the Faculty of Medicine Tubingen, the Ministry of Health of the Czech Republic and the Boston Children's Hospital Translational Research Program.

For more information on this gene discovery research, see Helbig's comments on the blog "Beyond the Ion Channel" operated on behalf of the Genetics Commission of the International League Against Epilepsy.

Helbig et al, "A recurrent missense variant in AP2M1 impairs clathrin-mediated endocytosis and causes developmental and epileptic encephalopathy." Am J Hum Genet, online May 16, 2019. doi: 10.1016/j.ajhg.2019.04.001

About Children's Hospital of Philadelphia: Children's Hospital of Philadelphia was founded in 1855 as the nation's first pediatric hospital. Through its long-standing commitment to providing exceptional patient care, training new generations of pediatric healthcare professionals, and pioneering major research initiatives, Children's Hospital has fostered many discoveries that have benefited children worldwide. Its pediatric research program is among the largest in the country. In addition, its unique family-centered care and public service programs have brought the 564-bed hospital recognition as a leading advocate for children and adolescents. For more information, visit http://www.chop.edu
ITHACA, N.Y. - Want to win an argument online? Bolstering your social network may be more helpful than rehearsing your rhetorical flourishes.

According to Cornell researchers, social interactions are more important than language in predicting who is going to succeed at online debating. However, the most accurate model for predicting successful debaters combines information about social interactions and language, the researchers found.

They analyzed data from Debate.org, a website that hosts debates on a variety of topics. Users can debate each other, comment on other debates, ask and answer questions, create and respond to polls, and become friends.

"It turns out that the interaction of people on this platform is really predictive of their success," said Esin Durmus, a doctoral student in computer science and first author of "Modeling the Factors of Online Debate," presented at the Web Conference, May 13-17 in San Francisco. "So if someone is trying to win an argument, they should focus on their social interactions, like discussing interesting findings with the people they're friends with."

The study, co-authored with Claire Cardie, professor of computer and information science, has implications for online debaters looking to improve and for developers of artificial intelligence systems seeking to expose humans to different perspectives, Durmus said.

"To assist automated systems that could maybe debate a human, the first thing to understand is what factors are important in persuasion," Durmus said. "If this debater had information about people's backgrounds or past interactions, maybe it could then personalize the types of arguments it uses, to maximize the chances of persuading them."

The dataset, created by Durmus and Cardie from Debate.org's information, includes more than 67,000 debates on 23 topics, including politics, religion, science and health. They also collected nearly 200,000 voter comments on those debates, as well as personal information for more than 36,000 users.

The researchers analyzed personal traits such as gender and political views, as well as social interactions on the website - how frequently users voted on other debates and the degrees of their connections with other users, for instance. For social interactions, they calculated debaters' "hub" and "authority" scores, based on the number and influence of other users connected to them.

They also looked at the linguistic features in the debates, such as the number of personal pronouns, the mirroring of the competitor's language, and the number and diversity of words.

To control for people who are simply better than others at debating, the researchers considered only users who were at first unsuccessful at online debates. They also compared people with equivalent debate experience to avoid skewing results because some debaters had more practice.

They found that a model incorporating social interactions and language was the best at predicting who would win a debate, guessing correctly around 70% of the time. Of the three features, a robust history of social interaction, with high hub and authority scores, was the best predictor of future debate success, Durmus said.

"It's not only participating more - it's having more complex social interactions," she said.

The study builds on previous research by Cardie and Durmus, which found that prior religious and political beliefs were more important than the language used when trying to persuade people to change their minds.

"A lot of researchers are looking at what kind of language is important to be able to persuade people, and they basically look just at language, but here we are saying that to study this you should also consider other factors," Durmus said. "There are compounding factors that will make you unsuccessful if you don't take them into account."

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An open-source RNA analysis platform has been successfully used on plant cells for the first time - a breakthrough that could herald a new era of fundamental research and bolster efforts to engineer more efficient food and biofuel crop plants.

The technology, called Drop-seq, is a method for measuring the RNA present in individual cells, allowing scientists to see what genes are being expressed and how this relates to the specific functions of different cell types. Developed at Harvard Medical School in 2015, the freely shared protocol had previously only been used in animal cells.

"This is really important in understanding plant biology," said lead researcher Diane Dickel, a scientist at the Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Lab (Berkeley Lab). "Like humans and mice, plants have multiple cell and tissue types within them. But learning about plants on a cellular level is a little bit harder because, unlike animals, plants have cell walls, which make it hard to open the cells up for genetic study."

For many of the genes in plants, we have little to no understanding of what they actually do, Dickel explained. "But by knowing exactly what cell type or developmental stage a specific gene is expressed in, we can start getting a toehold into its function. In our study, we showed that Drop-seq can help us do this."

"We also showed that you can use these technologies to understand how plants respond to different environmental conditions at a cellular level - something many plant biologists at Berkeley Lab are interested in because being able to grow crops under poor environmental conditions, such as drought, is essential for our continued production of food and biofuel resources," she said.

Dickel, who studies mammalian genomics in Berkeley Lab's Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology Division, has been using Drop-seq on animal cells for several years. An immediate fan of the platform's ease of use and efficacy, she soon began speaking to her colleagues working on plants about trying to use it on plant cells.

However, some were skeptical that such a project would work as easily. First off, to run plant cells through a single-cell RNA-seq analysis, they must be protoplasted - meaning they must be stripped of their cell walls using a cocktail of enzymes. This process is not easy because cells from different species and even different parts of the same plant require unique enzyme cocktails.

Secondly, some plant biologists have expressed concern that cells are altered too significantly by protoplasting to provide insight into normal functioning. And finally, some plant cells are simply too big to be put through existing single-cell RNA-seq platforms. These technologies, which emerged in the past five years, allow scientists to assess the RNA inside thousands of cells per run; previous approaches could only analyze dozens to hundreds of cells at a time.

Undeterred by these challenges, Dickel and her colleagues at the DOE Joint Genome Institute (JGI) teamed up with researchers from UC Davis who had perfected a protoplasting technique for root tissue from Arabidopsis thaliana (mouse-ear cress), a species of small flowering weed that serves as a plant model organism.

After preparing samples of more than 12,000 Arabidopsis root cells, the group was thrilled when the Drop-seq process went smoother than expected. Their full results were published this week in Cell Reports.

"When we would pitch the idea to do this in plants, people would bring up a list of reasons why it wouldn't work," said Dickel. "And we would say, 'ok, but let's just try it and see if it works'. And then it really worked. We were honestly surprised how straightforward it actually ended up being."

The open-source nature of the Drop-seq technology was critical for this project's success, according to co-author Benjamin Cole, a plant genomics scientist at JGI. Because Drop-seq is inexpensive and uses easy-to-assemble components, it gave the researchers a low-risk, low-cost means to experiment. Already, a wave of interest is building. In the time leading up to their paper's publication, Dickel and her colleagues began receiving requests - from other scientists at Berkeley Lab, JGI, and beyond - for advice on how to adapt the platform for other projects.

"When I first spoke to Diane about trying Drop-seq in plants I recognized the huge potential, but I thought it would be difficult to separate plant cells rapidly enough to get useful data," said John Vogel, lead scientist of plant functional genomics at JGI. "I was shocked to see how well it worked and how much they were able to learn from their initial experiment. This technique is going to be a game changer for plant biologists because it allows us to explore gene expression without grinding up whole plant organs, and the results aren't muddled by signals from the few most common cell types."

The authors anticipate that the platform, and other similar RNA-seq technologies, will eventually become routine in plant investigations. The main hurdle, Dickel noted, will be developing protoplasting methods for each project's plant of interest.

"Part of Berkeley Lab's mission is to better understand how plants respond to changing environmental conditions, and how we can apply this understanding to best utilize plants for bioenergy," noted first author Christine Shulse, who is currently a JGI affiliate. "In this work, we generated a map of gene expression in individual cell types from one plant species under two environmental conditions, which is an important first step."

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JGI is a DOE Office of Science user facility that was originally founded to advance the landmark Human Genome Project. After helping set the stage for a new era of medical and developmental science, JGI turned its focus to investigating how plants and microbes can provide solutions to pressing energy and environmental challenges.

This research was funded by the Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) program. The other authors were Doina Ciobanu, Junyan Lin, Yuko Yoshinaga, Mona Gouran, Gina Turco, Yiwen Zhu, Ronan O'Malley, and Siobhan Brady.

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.
PHILADELPHIA - A new safety scale, that effectively measures the safety climate of a fire department, has been developed by researchers from Drexel's Dornsife School of Public Health, according to a paper published today in the journal Safety Science. The tool helps fire departments gauge their management and supervisor support for safety initiatives that prevent burnout, poor engagement and low job satisfaction - all attributes that many previous studies have shown can increase injuries and deaths in the line of duty.

"We are now going further upstream and measuring the safety climate that influences engagement and job satisfaction," said lead author Jennifer Taylor, PhD, MPH, CPPS an associate professor of Environmental and Occupational Health in Drexel's Dornsife School of Public Health. "By instilling a culture of safety and helping managers and fire department leaders convey safety messages, we are raising employee morale, job satisfaction and other factors that are proven to prevent accidents."

The need is great for the roughly 1,056,200 firefighters in the United States (682,600 volunteers and 373,600 career firefighters). In 2017, there were 14,670 injuries and 3,400 deaths among firefighters in the line of duty.

The survey evaluated a nationally representative sample of 130 fire departments, consisting of 615 stations and 8,575 firefighters, on two domains. The first asked firefighters to grade their department management on seven safety questions, including whether the department "cuts corners on safety" when budgets are tight. The second asked firefighters to grade their direct supervisor on seven similar safety questions. Higher scores in these domains denoted that firefighters perceived management and supervisors to be more committed to safety. Those scoring poorly in those two categories also had poor job satisfaction and engagement and high rates of burnout.

The safety scale is now a component of the larger Fire Service Organizational Culture of Safety survey (FOCUS) developed by the team. The group is based in the Center for Firefighter Injury Research and Safety Trends (FIRST), which is a national-leading research center at Drexel created to collect and analyze data for the United States Fire and Rescue Service.

The FOCUS survey delivers a more comprehensive picture than the safety climate alone, by looking at poor safety behaviors, low job satisfaction and other outcomes that have been shown to lead to on-the-job accidents. Indeed, fire fighters with a higher FOCUS score have a lower injury rate, lower burnout rate, and are more satisfied with their jobs overall. The team found that fire departments that increase their FOCUS score by 10 points see the number of injuries in the department cut by 4 to 9 percent.

"We saw that, on average, firefighters across the country rated their front-line direct supervisors more highly than leadership," said Taylor, who is also director and Principal Investigator of FIRST. "As fire departments grow, and get more stations, communication from central command gets farther and farther away from individual firefighters."

Departments that have completed the FOCUS survey are eligible for a Culture Camp, organized by the FIRST team. At the camps, the FIRST team and fire departments collaborate on tailored steps, based on their survey results, to reach their safety culture goals. The authors note that many fire departments are already putting this data into action. For example, after seeing higher-than-average burnout scores, a fire department in Dallas is now working with psychologists on a resiliency wellness program.

Future long-term studies will look at exposures to carcinogens and other effects of poor safety climate.

Beyond the necessity for keeping fire fighters safe, fire departments are a major factor in what cities pay for liability insurance. Fire departments are also under pressure to minimize workers compensation costs and not worsen their city or town's insurance standard rating, which affects insurance premiums for their city or town.

The safety climate assessment is available to any U.S. fire department here at no cost.

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Additional authors on this research include Andrea L. Davis, Lauren J. Shepler, and Christian Resick of Drexel University; Carolyn Cannuscio of University of Pennsylvania; Jin Lee of Kansas State University; and Dov Zohar from Technion-Israel Institute of Technology.

This research was supported by the Federal Emergency Management Agency FY 2011 Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program, Fire Prevention and Safety Grants.
WASHINGTON (May 16, 2019)-- As many as 90 percent of individuals who have a parent with Huntington's disease (HD) choose not to take a gene test that reveals if they will also develop the fatal disorder -- and a new study details the reasons why.

Understanding the "why" matters as new clinical trials testing therapies for people who haven't yet developed symptoms of Huntington disease requires participants to be tested for the HD gene to be included in the trials.

The study, published today in Clinical Genetics, also suggests that individuals who have chosen not to be tested can benefit from supportive counseling, which is not usually offered.

"Health care providers really need to help individuals at risk for Huntington's disease think through their decision whether or not to participate in a clinical trial that requires testing," says the study's lead investigator, Karen E. Anderson, MD, an associate professor of psychiatry & neurology at Georgetown University Medical Center. "For someone who has not wanted genetic testing for many years, we may be leading people to do a test that has not been and still may not be in their personal interest."

She says, "For those who want testing and are ready to cope with the result, either positive or negative, it is our duty to help them get this information so they can make decisions about future care, financial planning and, possibly, study participation. For those who are not ready to be tested, or never want testing, we need also to support their choices," says Anderson, who is also director of Huntington's Disease Care, Education & Research Center, a joint program of Georgetown University and MedStar Georgetown University Hospital.

Huntington's disease is caused by an inherited defect in a single gene. Inheritance is autosomal dominant: only one copy of a mutated HD gene is needed to pass on the disorder, thus the chance of inheritance is 50 percent. (A person inherits two copies of every gene, one from each parent. A parent with a defective gene can pass on either a mutant or healthy HD gene.)

The disease produces progressive degeneration of nerve cells in the brain, which affects the ability to move and think, and often results in depression and other psychiatric disorders due to functional changes in the brain.

To date, there is no cure for the disease and no way to prevent its onset. It is always fatal. People who have the HD genetic mutation expansion will develop HD (unless they die of other causes before it develops). Anderson says there are effective treatments for the symptoms, and a "pipeline" of drugs that may alter the course of the disease are now in clinical testing. Among them are gene silencing techniques that may lower the level of abnormal protein that is produced by the HD gene.

The age at which a person with the HD genetic mutation develops the disorder depends on the number of times a coding mistake in the gene is repeated. Symptoms in adults can begin as early as age 20, or, more likely, in mid-life, (ages 30-50). Onset after age 80 has been reported. Once they begin, symptoms worsen over 10-25 years until death.

The HD gene that causes the disease was isolated in 1993 and a predictive gene test quickly followed. Studies have been conducted on why people choose to take the gene test, but only one large study has been done on why people don't -- the subject of the Clinical Genetics publication.

This study included 1001 potential HD mutation carriers who had chosen not to learn their HD status. These individuals agreed to participate in the Prospective Huntington At-Risk Observational Study (PHAROS), carried out between 1999 and 2008. Data from a subset of 733 of these subjects were used in the current report by Anderson and others.

The two primary reasons why participants did not want to know their risk was because they felt no effective cure or treatment exists and their inability to undo the knowledge they learned from the test.

"Our subjects were optimistic that a treatment to improve symptoms or postpone treatment would be developed with the next ten years, but they had less certainty about the prospect of preventing the disease," Anderson says.

"Back in 1993, when the genetic mutation causing HD was discovered, we anticipated that many people at risk would want to be tested, just to deal with the uncertainty, but that is not the case. Only about 10-15 percent of people who know they are at risk for HD have been tested since the test became available, and that percentage really hasn't changed much over time. This study shows there are important, relevant reasons why people don't want to be tested," she says.

As part of the PHAROS study, participants gave permission for gene analysis with the understanding that they would not be told the results.

Helping to understand why people chose not to test makes it easier for physicians and genetic counselors to broach the subject with individuals at risk, especially if they are considering a clinical trial, she says.

"We already know that clinicians have fewer conversations with people at risk for Huntington's who chose not to test, compared with people who do seek a test, who receive evaluation and supportive counseling prior to testing. Now we know factors people cite for why they don't want to know their status," says Anderson.

"This study shows us that, as new treatments develop that will require genetic testing for clinical trial participation, we should reassess attitudes about how people at risk for disease approach this life-altering choice. It tells us that we should understand, and respect, decisions not to have that testing," she says.

Currently there are about 30,000 Americans who are symptomatic, and more than 200,000 who are at risk of developing the disease, according to the Huntington's Disease Society of America.

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This study was supported by research grant awards from the National Human Genome Research Institute (HG02449) and the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke of the National Institutes of Health), theCHDI (High Q) Foundation (New York, NY), the Huntington's Disease Society of America (New York, NY), the Hereditary Disease Foundation (Santa Monica, Calif), the Huntington Society of Canada (Kitchener, Ontario), and the Fox Family Foundation (New Jersey). Dr. Anderson's effort was also supported by the Griffin Foundation.

Study co-authors include senior researcher Ira Shoulson, MD, from Georgetown and the University of Rochester, Shirley Eberly, MS, David Oakes, PhD, and Elise Kayson, MS, from the University of Rochester, Karen S. Marder, MD, MPH, from Columbia University, and Anne Young, MD, PhD, from Harvard University.

About Georgetown University Medical Center

Georgetown University Medical Center (GUMC) is an internationally recognized academic medical center with a three-part mission of research, teaching and patient care (through MedStar Health). GUMC's mission is carried out with a strong emphasis on public service and a dedication to the Catholic, Jesuit principle of cura personalis -- or "care of the whole person." The Medical Center includes the School of Medicine and the School of Nursing & Health Studies, both nationally ranked; Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, designated as a comprehensive cancer center by the National Cancer Institute; and the Biomedical Graduate Research Organization, which accounts for the majority of externally funded research at GUMC including a Clinical and Translational Science Award from the National Institutes of Health. Connect with GUMC on Facebook (Facebook.com/GUMCUpdate), Twitter (@gumedcenter) and Instagram (@gumedcenter).
AMES, Iowa - Growing up in a community with or without banks or financial institutions has a long-term effect on how you build and manage credit, according to a new Iowa State University study.

Early exposure to local banking increases financial literacy and trust, said James Brown, Kingland MBA professor and chair of finance in ISU's Ivy College of Business. The research shows individuals who grow up in what are essentially "financial deserts" are slow to apply for credit and as adults have lower credit scores and more delinquent accounts. The research is published in the Journal of Financial Economics.

"The fact that this has a lingering impact is important, because people don't have a lot of control over where they grow up," Brown said. "I remember growing up right across the street from a bank and going with my dad to open my first account. But a lot of people grow up in an environment where banks are not visible and it's not as easy to connect to a financial institution at a young age."

Brown and colleagues J. Anthony Cookson, University of Colorado Boulder; and Rawley Z. Heimer, Boston College, compared credit history data for individuals on Native American reservations with tribal courts to individuals on reservations under the jurisdiction of state courts. Brown says the differences in court enforcement - the result of a 1953 federal law - had an unintended effect on local financial markets.

As a result, tribal court reservations had approximately 20 percent fewer bank branches per capita by the 2000s. The reservations provide an environment for researchers to look specifically at the effects of financial exposure. Brown says the findings extend broadly to any community with no or few financial institutions, and illustrate the effect on borrowers who grow up without finance:

They are 20 percent less likely to have a credit report

They have 7 to 10 point lower credit scores

They have 2 to 4 percent higher delinquency rates

The effect on their credit scores is similar to the effect of reducing annual income by $6,000

Moving to a community with stronger financial markets does partially offset these effects, researchers found. However, it still takes approximately 17 years to overcome the negative effect on credit scores and 12 years to reduce delinquency rates.

Financial literacy, trust

To understand why early exposure affects consumer credit behavior, researchers also looked at data on mandated financial literacy training in high schools across different states. Brown says this helped them determine that formative exposure to financial markets improves financial literacy and trust in financial institutions.

"Exposure and trust go together. If you grow up in an environment with more banks, you're more inclined to trust banks and the financial system," Brown said. "If you grow up in a financial services desert, you're much less likely to trust financial institutions, which may be one reason you don't engage or you don't pay back your credit card bills with the same frequency."

The researchers also surveyed Native Americans about their experiences with banks, attitudes about financial matters and skills for solving basic consumer financial problems. Survey respondents who grew up near a bank had better financial literacy and more trust in banks, Brown said. Researchers controlled for income and education.

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Seller, though, is dealing with a different phenomenon. Even though he acknowledged that Hamilton could run at a profit in Chicago for another year at least, he said he does not want to have to discount any tickets or tolerate empty seats at Wednesday matinees. As previously reported by the Tribune, touring productions of the show are slated to play in cities as close to Chicago as Milwaukee and Madison, Wis., eroding what is known in the commercial theater industry as Chicagos zone of clearance. Discounting ticket prices in Chicago threatens the value of seats in other cities, especially in New York, where good weekend seats routinely command prices north of $500. And national demand for the show remains sky-high, especially in cities that have not been exposed to the production.
Johns Hopkins Medicine scientists say that new experiments with mouse eye tissues strongly suggest that a longstanding "textbook concept" about the way a mammal's retina processes light needs a rewrite.

The enduring concept took root more than 30 years ago when researchers doing experiments in frog retinas found that when a single particle of light, known as a photon, is absorbed by light-sensing cells called rods, it starts a cascade of biochemical reactions that involve around 500 molecules called G proteins.

Now, Johns Hopkins vision scientists say that their experiments, described March 12 in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, show that the number of G protein molecules activated in the cascade of reactions is far fewer -- involving only 10-20 of them in the rods of mice.

The new finding matters, say the scientists, because G proteins belong to a very large family of biochemical signaling pathways called G protein-coupled-receptors, which are among the most abundant signaling pathways in biology, says King-Wai Yau, Ph.D., professor of neuroscience and ophthalmology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

"These pathways are a major target among pharmaceutical companies, because they control many diverse physiological processes, ranging from those that allow us to see images to those tied to heart disease," says Yau.

"We're beginning to understand our visual system better, and the more we understand a system, the better we are to develop treatments for its malfunction," says Daniel Silverman, Ph.D., postdoctoral fellow in Yau's laboratory.

When a photon of light hits a rod in the retina, it is absorbed by a light-sensing protein, called rhodopsin, which is embedded in membranes within the cell. Rhodopsin then activates G proteins, which, in turn, activate other enzymes. It is the number of G protein molecules activated by one rhodopsin molecule that the new experiments challenge, Yau says. He notes that other scientists had speculated that the number of activated G protein molecules may be much less than the many hundred originally proposed, but the number was difficult to directly measure in intact rods.

To do that, Yau and his colleagues devised two ways to measure the response to a single activated G protein in intact rods.

First, the scientists used mice engineered to express a mutant form of rhodopsin that interacts very poorly with the G protein so that most of the time no G protein is activated. But when rhodopsin was successful in interacting with G protein molecules, only one G protein was activated.

Second, the scientists looked at a derivative of normal rhodopsin called opsin, which is generated after rhodopsin is exposed to light. Opsin itself does not absorb light, but it can signal G proteins occasionally and very weakly. Opsin's signal is so weak that it can activate, at most, one G protein molecule, says Yau.

To make quantitative measurements, Silverman and former graduate student Wendy W.S. Yue used a tight-fitting glass pipette thinner than a human hair filled with saline solution and placed the glass pipette around a single rod, which sprouts from the retina of mice like a blade of grass. Then, Silverman and Yue recorded an electrical current from the rod that essentially reflects the signal coming from the rhodopsin/opsin-G protein cascade.

By using mathematical tools to analyze the electrical signal, Yue and Silverman found that the electrical signal triggered by a single G protein molecule was only one-twelfth to one-fourteenth the size of estimates of signals coming from a single rhodopsin molecule. Thus, they estimated that one rhodopsin activates approximately 10-20 G protein molecules.

Yau had previously found that, in a similar signaling cascade that facilitates the sense of smell in mice, one activated receptor molecule has a very low probability of activating one G protein molecule. By comparison, the finding that such signaling systems in vision trigger 10-20 molecules may reflect the visual system's unique need to detect light in very dim light conditions, without having to group together information from multiple rods, which would sacrifice spatial resolution.

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This work was supported by the National Institutes of Health's National Eye Institute (EY006837, EY001157, EY012155 and EY007143), the Antonio Champalimaud Vision Award, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute International Predoctoral Fellowship and the Visual Science Training Program Predoctoral Fellowship.

In addition to Yau, Yue and Silverman, other scientists who performed the experiments and contributed to the research include Xiaozhi Ren from Johns Hopkins; Rikard Frederiksen and M. Carter Cornwall from Boston University; Kazumi Sakai, Takahiro Yamashita and Yoshinori Shichida from Kyoto University; and Jeannie Chen from the University of Southern California.

DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1817781116
BAR HARBOR, MAINE -- The MDI Biological Laboratory has received an award of nearly $18 million from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS), an institute of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), for the renewal of a grant to strengthen biomedical research and research training in Maine.

The grant will fund the renewal of the 18-year-old Maine INBRE (IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence) program for another five years. The MDI Biological Laboratory, located in Bar Harbor, is the founder and leader of the statewide collaborative network of 13 educational and research institutions.

Other INBRE members include the University of Maine and The Jackson Laboratory, as well as partner undergraduate institutions Bates College, Bowdoin College, Colby College, College of the Atlantic, Southern Maine Community College, the University of Maine Honors College, and the Universities of Maine at Farmington, Fort Kent, Machias and Presque Isle.

"The renewal will allow us to continue a very successful program to create biomedical research and research training opportunities across the state, and especially among our undergraduate partner institutions," said James A. Coffman, Ph.D., director of the Maine INBRE and associate professor at the MDI Biological Laboratory. "Maine INBRE provides opportunity where it does not otherwise exist."

The aim of the NIGMS IDeA (Institutional Development Award) program is to build research capacity in the 23 states and Puerto Rico that have historically low levels of NIH funding and lack a strong biomedical research infrastructure.

The INBRE program focuses on creating a technically skilled workforce by providing biomedical research experiences and training to undergraduates and research support and mentorship to young faculty members to increase their competitiveness for independent NIH funding, and by improving the research infrastructure of the INBRE network through core facilities that provide state-of-the-art technology and technical expertise.

Since its inception in 2001, Maine INBRE has played a critical role in supporting the expansion of the biomedical and biotechnology sectors of Maine's economy. In addition to providing $86 million in direct federal funding to the state, it has attracted $80 million in additional federal grants, provided research training for approximately 2,250 Maine students and created more than 100 new jobs.

The most important impact of the program, however, may be the human element underlying these statistics. The program has helped students and young faculty to maximize their potential, realize their career ambitions and contribute to advancements in science that improve human health and well-being. It has also helped the state transition to a modern economy based on information and knowledge.

"Maine is a leader in cutting-edge, biomedical research," U.S. Sens. Susan Collins and Angus King said in a joint statement. "Remaining at the forefront, however, requires maintaining the pipeline of talented graduates of our world-class colleges and universities to research institutions throughout our state. The Maine INBRE program has done extraordinary work to prepare the next generation of scientists by providing support and training to undergraduates and young faculty members."

"This additional funding will continue to facilitate the expansion of our biomedical research facilities, encourage students to find jobs here in Maine and promote discoveries to improve human health that will benefit people in Maine and around the world," the statement continued.

"Maine INBRE is a critical component in building the state's research capacity, including training tomorrow's biomedical workforce," said Joan Ferrini-Mundy, Ph.D., president of the University of Maine and University of Maine at Machias (UMM). "The opportunities this initiative has provided undergraduate and graduate students and faculty at UMaine and UMM demonstrate the value of statewide partnership and what we can accomplish, together, to make a difference in biomedical research and education in the state and beyond."

"As a rural, public liberal arts institution that serves many first-generation college students, our involvement in Maine INBRE has transformed our ability to provide biomedical research training," said Jean Doty, Ph.D., a biology professor at University of Maine at Farmington (UMF). "The faculty training, the resources and the many opportunities for off-site student research training have given our students the skills and knowledge to be successful in both research and healthcare careers."

In addition to programs at participating institutions, Maine INBRE provides mentored undergraduate summer research fellowships and research-intensive "short" courses during the academic year at the MDI Biological Laboratory, including, for example, a recent course in genome engineering for UMF and UMM students. The intensive experience offered by these hands-on programs, which are often the students' first exposure to scientific research, has been influential in shaping career plans and igniting a thirst for scientific inquiry.

"In the labs at school, you are doing cookie-cutter experiments; you're under pressure to get an expected answer," said Colby College student Trisha Mukerjee,19, of Lexington, Mass, who participated in an INBRE short course on the genetic modulators of stress signaling taught by Coffman at the MDI Biological Laboratory earlier this year. "This feels much more tangible than experiments that are spelled out in a lab manual. You are actually creating a path with your thinking -- you are connecting the dots."

Follow-up studies have demonstrated that the Maine INBRE program has led to a 65 percent increase in the number of science majors at participating institutions over the past five years. Nearly 90 percent of program graduates pursue advanced degrees and approximately 20 percent are currently employed in Maine in a wide range of science-, technology- and health-related careers.

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Maine INBRE is supported by an Institutional Development Award (IDeA) from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences of the NIH, number P20GM103423. The content of this release is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the NIH.

About the MDI Biological Laboratory

We are pioneering new approaches to regenerative medicine focused on developing drugs that slow age-related degenerative diseases and activate our natural ability to heal. Our unique approach has identified potential therapies that could revolutionize the treatment of heart disease, muscular dystrophy and more. Through the Maine Center for Biomedical Innovation, we are preparing students for 21st century careers and equipping entrepreneurs with the knowledge, skills and resources needed to turn discoveries into applications that improve human health and well-being. For more information, please visit mdibl.org.
We fare better during health challenges when we have a little help from our friends, family and community. And perhaps an assist from artificial intelligence.

Researchers at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) trained natural language processing (NLP) software to look for mentions of social isolation in clinical notes in the electronic health record (EHR). NLP is a type of artificial intelligence that tries to make human language "readable" to computers. Once trained by the MUSC team, NLP identified socially isolated patients with 90 percent accuracy. The findings are reported in BioMed Central Medical Informatics and Decision Making.

Social isolation is one of the "social determinants of health," aspects of a person's life that affect well-being and health. Other examples of social determinants are income, education, race, and marital status. These social determinants have been shown in clinical trials to affect health outcomes as much as usual suspects such as blood pressure and diabetes.

"We know from careful evidence that social determinants are important to health care and health outcomes," says Chanita Hughes-Halbert, Ph.D., senior author on the article.

"Social isolation is a really important social determinant because it reflects the extent to which people perceive they have a high level of connectedness and support."

Hughes-Halbert is professor of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences at MUSC. She also directs a center funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) focused on precision medicine and minority men's health at MUSC Hollings Cancer Center.

"The mission of our center is to identify the ways in which social, clinical, psychological and behavioral data and genomic information interact with each other to lead to disease risk and affect how men respond to treatment options," explains Hughes-Halbert.

"As part of that, we're really interested in the role that social determinants play."

Like many teams using artificial intelligence to unlock the insights embedded in the EHR, the MUSC team paired a subject matter expert, Hughes-Halbert, and a bioinformatics team.

The bioinformatics team was led by Leslie Lenert, M.D., MS, Chief Research Information Officer for MUSC and director of MUSC's Biomedical Informatics Center (BMIC). Other team members included Vivienne Zhu, M.D., M.S., first author of the article, and Jihad Obeid, M.D, both of BMIC, and Brian Bunnell, Ph.D., of the Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences.

The team came together to find a way to help physicians provide care informed by an awareness of their patients' social determinants of health, including social isolation.

The National Academy of Medicine has called for physicians to document social determinants in the EHR. However, busy physicians do not always have the time to do so. Even when they do, the current EHR has no place to enter information on a number of the social determinants as coded data. At best, physicians can mention a discussion with a patient about social isolation in their clinical notes.

"When people go to the doctor, they do talk about social isolation and other determinants of health. But you won't find that in the coded data," explains Zhu.

"You have to look at the clinical notes - that's where the information is embedded."

It would take a human many months to sort through the notes looking for mentions of social isolation. In contrast, the NLP software combed through the 55, 516 clinical notes comprising 150,990 documents from 3138 prostate cancer patients in the training data set in just eight seconds.

"There were I don't know how many hundreds of thousands of documents in this prostate cancer data set," explains Lenert.

"It's too many for a human being to read through to do the abstractions, but it's relatively easy for a computer."

Once trained, NLP was able to analyze a new set of documents from 1057 patients and identify patients who were socially isolated with 90 percent accuracy.

"It's pretty darned accurate," says Lenert. "It performed well, but the problem remains that some physicians do not comment on these issues and so don't leave a trail for NLP to follow."

Artificial intelligence could help here too. Lenert and the bioinformatics team hope that they can use another type of artificial intelligence known as machine learning to identify which clinical and other traits characterize socially isolated patients. Machine learning could then search for patients with that constellation of traits in the EHR. It would be able to identify socially isolated patients even when the physician made no explicit mention of social isolation in the clinical notes.

Future studies will be needed to develop and test Interventions for socially isolated patients. For now, these patients can be referred for hospital- and community-based support services.

The NLP strategy developed by the MUSC team can be applied to other social determinants of health, particularly those that cannot be entered as coded data, and to other diseases. The team is already using NLP to identify patients with financial insecurity and alcohol abuse.

MUSC owes its expertise in NLP in part to the NIH-funded South Carolina Clinical & Translational (SCTR) Institute. SCTR is a Clinical and Translational Science Award hub housed at MUSC.

"The general expertise in NLP, the infrastructure for the access to the notes, and some of the support for the software comes through SCTR," says Lenert.

In a sense, NLP can help physicians "listen" to their patients better, understand their health challenges in the broader context of their lives, and provide more informed and nuanced care.

"Sometimes physicians focus excessively on the 'medical' problems and don't pay enough attention to the context that people live in and the social aspects that influence their health," says Lenert.

"Our study once again highlights the importance of knowing this information in order to provide patients our very best care."

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This study was funded by the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, and the National Institute on Drug Abuse. The content of the article summarized in this release is solely the responsibility of the authors of the article and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health

About MUSC

Founded in 1824 in Charleston, MUSC is the oldest medical school in the South, as well as the state's only integrated, academic health sciences center with a unique charge to serve the state through education, research and patient care. Each year, MUSC educates and trains more than 3,000 students and 700 residents in six colleges: Dental Medicine, Graduate Studies, Health Professions, Medicine, Nursing and Pharmacy. The state's leader in obtaining biomedical research funds, in fiscal year 2018, MUSC set a new high, bringing in more than $276.5 million. For information on academic programs, visit http://musc.edu.

As the clinical health system of the Medical University of South Carolina, MUSC Health is dedicated to delivering the highest quality patient care available, while training generations of competent, compassionate health care providers to serve the people of South Carolina and beyond. Comprising some 1,600 beds, more than 100 outreach sites, the MUSC College of Medicine, the physicians' practice plan, and nearly 275 telehealth locations, MUSC Health owns and operates eight hospitals situated in Charleston, Chester, Florence, Lancaster and Marion counties. In 2018, for the fourth consecutive year, U.S. News & World Report named MUSC Health the number one hospital in South Carolina. To learn more about clinical patient services, visit http://muschealth.org.

MUSC and its affiliates have collective annual budgets of $3 billion. The more than 17,000 MUSC team members include world-class faculty, physicians, specialty providers and scientists who deliver groundbreaking education, research, technology and patient care.

About Hollings Cancer Center

The Hollings Cancer Center at the Medical University of South Carolina is a National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center and the largest academic-based cancer research program in South Carolina. The cancer center comprises more than 100 faculty cancer scientists and 20 academic departments. It has an annual research funding portfolio of more than $40 million and a dedication to reducing the cancer burden in South Carolina. Hollings offers state-of-the-art diagnostic capabilities, therapies and surgical techniques within multidisciplinary clinics that include surgeons, medical oncologists, radiation therapists, radiologists, pathologists, psychologists and other specialists equipped for the full range of cancer care, including more than 200 clinical trials. For more information, visit http://www.hollingscancercenter.org

About the SCTR Institute

The South Carolina Clinical and Translational Research (SCTR) Institute, a National Institutes of Health Clinical and Translational Science Awards hub, is the catalyst for changing the culture of biomedical research, facilitating sharing of resources and expertise, and streamlining research-related processes to bring about large-scale, change in the clinical and translational research efforts in South Carolina. Our vision is to improve health outcomes and quality of life for the population through discoveries translated into evidence-based practice. For more information, visit https://research.musc.edu/resources/sctr.
Host-cell enzymes called PARP12 and PARP14 are important for inhibiting mutant forms of a coronavirus, according to a study published May 16 in the open-access journal PLOS Pathogens by Stanley Perlman of the University of Iowa, Anthony Fehr of the University of Kansas, and colleagues.

A biochemical process called ADP-ribosylation facilitates the host response to virus infection. This process is catalyzed by enzymes called poly(ADP-ribose) polymerases (PARPs). Several viruses, including all members of the coronavirus family, which cause severe disease in agriculturally important and companion animals as well as humans, encode a macrodomain to reverse ADP-ribosylation and combat this immune response, facilitating viral replication and virulence. As such, viruses with mutations in the macrodomain are highly attenuated and cause minimal disease in organisms. These results suggest that macrodomains counter cellular ADP-ribosylation, but the potential role of PARPs in this process has not been clear.

In the new study, the authors used macrophage cells and mice infected with a coronavirus to identify PARPs, specifically PARP12 and PARP14, as host-cell ADP-ribosylating enzymes important for the attenuation of macrodomain-mutant viruses. The findings showed that the macrodomain is required to prevent PARP-mediated inhibition of coronavirus replication, and enhancement of the production of antiviral proteins called interferons. According to the authors, the results demonstrate a broad strategy of virus-host interactions, unveil previously unknown mechanisms of immune regulation, and indicate that the macrodomain may be a useful target for antiviral therapy.

The authors add, "ADP-ribosylation has increasingly been recognized as a host cell strategy to combat virus infections and viruses have learned how to counter this modification. Here we describe a previously unidentified interaction between the specific host cell enzymes that effect ADP-riboslylation and a viral protein that evades this host response."

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Research Article

Funding: This study was supported in part by grants from the NIH (PO1 AI060699 (S.P.), RO1 AI091322 (S.P.), F32-AI113973 (A.R.F.), CoBRE P20 GM113117-02 (A.R.F.), K22 AI134993 (A.R.F.), R01 AI123231 (C.S.S.), and RO1 HL126901 (M.A.)), the Kowa Company, Ltd., Nagoya, Japan (M.A.), the McDaniel College Student-Faculty Research Fund (D.F.), the Jean Richards Chemistry Endowment (D.F.), and the University of Kansas (A.R.F.). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.

Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Citation: Grunewald ME, Chen Y, Kuny C, Maejima T, Lease R, Ferraris D, et al. (2019) The coronavirus macrodomain is required to prevent PARP-mediated inhibition of virus replication and enhancement of IFN expression. PLoS Pathog 15 (5): e1007756. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal. ppat.1007756

Author Affiliations:

Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, United States of America

Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Texas, Austin, TX, United States of America

Center for Interdisciplinary Cardiovascular Sciences, Cardiovascular Division, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States of America

McDaniel College, Westminster, MD, United States of America

Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, United States of America

In your coverage please use this URL to provide access to the freely available paper: http://journals.plos.org/plospathogens/article?id=10.1371/journal.ppat.1007756
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. Placing a loved one in a nursing home can be a traumatic experience for the entire family with concerns about the care and attention they will receive. Imagine if those concerns were eased, simply by some changes in the way the schedules are done for the staff at that facility.

"The work schedules for employees in these highly stressful jobs can have a significant impact ultimately on the care patients receive," said Ellen Ernst Kossek, the Basil S. Turner Professor at Purdue University's Krannert School of Management and research director of Purdue's Susan Bulkeley Butler Center for Leadership Excellence. "Organizations should strive to do a better job in taking into account the needs of workers when creating schedules, which will lead to less stress, better patient care and less turnover."

Kossek and her co-authors including Purdue Krannert School of Management doctoral student Lindsay Mechem Rosokha and Carrie Leana, the George Love Professor of Organizations and Management at the University of Pittsburgh, examined work-life balance issues and schedules for eight nursing home facilities in the United States. Their work appears online in Work and Occupations. The study was partially funded by the U.S. National Institutes of Health as part of the Work, Family and Heath Network Study.

They found three main ways that the facilities approached worker scheduling. In the "Sharing the Pain" method, the organization randomly assigned schedules without regard to merit or length of employment. The "Reverse Status Rotation" method involved a scheduling approach where first-line managers were required to fill in for their direct reports who unexpectedly missed part or all of their shifts. For the "Work-Life Needs" method, the organizations took a more improvised approach and experimented with different ways to fill in schedules to balance the needs of the workers with patient coverage.

"This last method may produce the best results for workers, the facility and the patients," Kossek said. "Based on this, we suggest that work schedule patching approaches, which are the ongoing adjustments made to plug scheduling holes after schedules are posted, take into account how to effectively manage last minutes schedule changes on the ground in ways that support employee's work-life scheduling by motivating coverage by co-workers who would like to work the schedule, instead of the first approaches which just force others to cover."

Kossek said the research suggested that similar approaches could work well for not just health care, but many industries with scheduled hourly workers ranging from retail, childcare, manufacturing, to police and security.

Kossek said an initial analysis of the data from their study also showed a suggestive link between better work-life scheduling in nursing home facilities and fewer pressure ulcers in patients.

"Pressure ulcers can develop from patients not being moved often, just staying in the same position in bed, or not keeping the skin clean and dry." Kossek said. "It seems from the research that employees with better scheduling options are able to experience less strain and be able to be more focused on patient care."

Kossek has received worldwide attention for her research on work-life balance and has worked with the Purdue Research Foundation on some of her studies.

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The team's work aligns with Purdue's Giant Leaps celebration, celebrating the global advancements in health as part of Purdue's 150th anniversary. It is one of the four themes of the yearlong celebration's Ideas Festival, designed to showcase Purdue as an intellectual center solving real-world issues.

About Purdue Research Foundation

The Purdue Research Foundation is a private, nonprofit foundation created to advance the mission of Purdue University. Established in 1930, the foundation accepts gifts; administers trusts; funds scholarships and grants; acquires property; protects Purdue's intellectual property; and promotes entrepreneurial activities on behalf of Purdue. The foundation manages the Purdue Foundry, Purdue Office of Technology Commercialization, Purdue Research Park and Purdue Technology Centers. The foundation received the 2016 Innovation and Economic Prosperity Universities Award for Innovation from the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities. For more information about funding and investment opportunities in startups based on a Purdue innovation, contact the Purdue Foundry at foundry@prf.org.

Writer: Chris Adam, 765-588-3341, cladam@prf.org

Source: Ellen Ernst Kossek, ekossek@purdue.edu
A new 2m project to improve asthma in African children has been officially launched at an event in Durban, South Africa.

A new project to improve asthma in African children has been officially launched at an event in Durban, South Africa.

The 'Achieving Control of Asthma in Children In Africa' (ACACIA) study, led by Queen Mary University of London, is a 2 million study funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR). It will involve 3,000 children aged between 12 and 16 years old who have symptoms of asthma, and take place over three years in Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa, Uganda, Malawi and Zimbabwe.

The launch event at University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) included a speech by Ben Llewellyn-Jones OBE, British Deputy High Commissioner to South Africa, who announced his support for the study.

Asthma in African children was previously not thought to be a major health issue. But more African children are developing the long-term disease as they move to urban areas. South Africa has one of the highest mortality rates from asthma worldwide. Recent surveys in schools found that between 10 and 20 per cent of children in sub-Saharan Africa aged 13 to 14 have ongoing asthma symptoms.

A similar UK study led by the Queen Mary University of London research group found that 46 per cent of young people had suboptimal asthma control, and that many young people faced a range of barriers to good asthma management, including lack of knowledge, forgetfulness and perceived stigma.

The team will use the new African school survey data to design and test a school-based intervention, which will include the adaption of an existing theatre performance, written by the Nigerian-born playwright Tunde Euba, which addresses asthma knowledge and stigma.

Professor Jonathan Grigg from Queen Mary's Blizard Institute, and Director of the NIHR Global Health Research Group, said: "Children in sub Saharan Africa are increasingly developing diseases of urbanisation, such as asthma. Although other countries, such as the UK, may have higher levels of asthma, the extraordinarily high number of asthma-related deaths in Africa is a major concern. Working with leading paediatricians across Africa, this project will allow us to describe the burden of asthma in children, and the reasons underlying poor asthma control."

Professor Refiloe Masekela, who is conducting the study at UKZN said: "For the first time, this epidemiology study will be looking at the severity of asthma and at factors that impact asthma control and adherence in school-going adolescent children. The outcome of this study will then inform future strategies and interventions to reduce morbidity and mortality among affected children in Africa."

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For more information, please contact:

Joel Winston

Public Relations Manager (School of Medicine and Dentistry)

Queen Mary University of London

j.winston@qmul.ac.uk

Tel: +44 (0)20 7882 7943 / +44 (0)7968 267 064

Notes to the editor

Photos from the launch event are available here: http://bit.ly/2WKRBmp

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.

About the National Institute for Health Research

The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) is the nation's largest funder of health and care research. The NIHR:

Funds, supports and delivers high quality research that benefits the NHS, public health and social care

Engages and involves patients, carers and the public in order to improve the reach, quality and impact of research

Attracts, trains and supports the best researchers to tackle the complex health and care challenges of the future

Invests in world-class infrastructure and a skilled delivery workforce to translate discoveries into improved treatments and services

Partners with other public funders, charities and industry to maximise the value of research to patients and the economy

The NIHR was established in 2006 to improve the health and wealth of the nation through research, and is funded by the Department of Health and Social Care. In addition to its national role, the NIHR commissions applied health research to benefit the poorest people in low- and middle-income countries, using Official Development Assistance funding.
A nanocomposite invented at Rice University's Brown School of Engineering promises to be a superior high-temperature dielectric material for flexible electronics, energy storage and electric devices.

The nanocomposite combines one-dimensional polymer nanofibers and two-dimensional boron nitride nanosheets. The nanofibers reinforce the self-assembling material while the "white graphene" nanosheets provide a thermally conductive network that allows it to withstand the heat that breaks down common dielectrics, the polarized insulators in batteries and other devices that separate positive and negative electrodes.

The discovery by the lab of Rice materials scientist Pulickel Ajayan is detailed in Advanced Functional Materials.

Research scientist M.M. Rahman and postdoctoral researcher Anand Puthirath of the Ajayan lab led the study to meet the challenge posed by next-generation electronics: Dielectrics must be thin, tough, flexible and able to withstand harsh environments.

"Ceramic is a very good dielectric, but it is mechanically brittle," Rahman said of the common material. "On the other hand, polymer is a good dielectric with good mechanical properties, but its thermal tolerance is very low."

Boron nitride is an electrical insulator, but happily disperses heat, he said. "When we combined the polymer nanofiber with boron nitride, we got a material that's mechanically exceptional, and thermally and chemically very stable," Rahman said.

The 12-to-15-micron-thick material acts as an effective heat sink up to 250 degrees Celsius (482 degrees Fahrenheit), according to the researchers. Tests showed the polymer nanofibers-boron nitride combination dispersed heat four times better than the polymer alone.

In its simplest form, a single layer of polyaramid nanofibers binds via van der Waals forces to a sprinkling of boron nitride flakes, 10% by weight of the final product. The flakes are just dense enough to form a heat-dissipating network that still allows the composite to retain its flexibility, and even foldability, while maintaining its robustness. Layering polyaramid and boron nitride can make the material thicker while still retaining flexibility, according to the researchers.

"The 1D polyaramid nanofiber has many interesting properties except thermal conductivity," Rahman said. "And boron nitride is a very interesting 2D material right now. They both have different independent properties, but when they are together, they make something very unique."

Rahman said the material is scalable and should be easy to incorporate into manufacturing.

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Co-authors of the paper are Rice academic visitor Aparna Adumbumkulath, alumnus Thierry Tsafack, graduate students Morgan Barnes, Zixing Wang, Sandhya Susarla, Seyed Mohammad Sajadi, Devashish Salpekar and Hossein Robatjazi, academic visitor Fanshu Yuan, research scientist Ganguli Babu and Rafael Verduzco, an associate professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering and of materials science and nanoengineering; Sampath Kommandur and Shannon Yee of the Georgia Institute of Technology; and Kazuki Nomoto, SM Islam and Huili Xing of Cornell University. Ajayan is chair of Rice's Department of Materials Science and NanoEngineering, the Benjamin M. and Mary Greenwood Anderson Professor in Engineering and a professor of chemistry.

The Army Research Laboratory funded the research.

Read the abstract at https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/adfm.201900056.

This news release can be found online at https://news.rice.edu/2019/05/16/new-way-to-beat-the-heat-in-electronics/

Follow Rice News and Media Relations via Twitter @RiceUNews.

Video:

0520_DIELECTRIC%20video

https://youtu.be/H3Wnm0zmv5o

A lab video shows how quickly heat disperses from a composite of a polymer nanoscale fiber layer and boron nitride nanosheets. When exposed to light, both materials heat up, but the plain polymer nanofiber layer on the left retains the heat far longer than the composite at right. (Credit: Ajayan Research Group/Rice University)

Related materials:

Ajayan Research Group: https://ajayan.rice.edu

Rice Materials Science and NanoEngineering: https://msne.rice.edu

Brown School of Engineering: https://engineering.rice.edu

Located on a 300-acre forested campus in Houston, Rice University is consistently ranked among the nation's top 20 universities by U.S. News & World Report. Rice has highly respected schools of Architecture, Business, Continuing Studies, Engineering, Humanities, Music, Natural Sciences and Social Sciences and is home to the Baker Institute for Public Policy. With 3,962 undergraduates and 3,027 graduate students, Rice's undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio is just under 6-to-1. Its residential college system builds close-knit communities and lifelong friendships, just one reason why Rice is ranked No. 1 for lots of race/class interaction and No. 2 for quality of life by the Princeton Review. Rice is also rated as a best value among private universities by Kiplinger's Personal Finance.
Researchers at The University of Chicago have demonstrated that the type of bacteria living in the gut can influence the development of Alzheimers disease symptoms in mice. The study, which will be published May 16 in the Journal of Experimental Medicine, shows that, by altering the gut microbiome, long-term antibiotic treatment reduces inflammation and slows the growth of amyloid plaques in the brains of male mice, though the same treatment has no effect on female animals.

The community of bacteria that live in the gastrointestinal tractthe gut microbiomeis generally harmless, but, because they affect the activity of the bodys immune system, these bacteria can influence a wide range of diseases, even in distant tissues such as the brain.

Recent evidence suggests that intestinal bacteria could play a major role in various neurological conditions including autism spectrum disorders, multiple sclerosis, Parkinsons disease, and Alzheimers disease, explains Professor Sangram S. Sisodia, director of the Center for Molecular Neurobiology at The University of Chicago.

Alzheimers disease is characterized by the formation of amyloid plaques and the activation of immune cells present in the brain known as microglia. These cells can help remove amyloid plaques, but their activation may also exacerbate the disease by causing neuroinflammation.

Alzheimers patients exhibit changes in their gut microbiome, and Sisodia and colleagues have previously reported that gut bacteria may influence the development of these symptoms in rodents. Long-term antibiotic treatment limited the formation of amyloid plaques and reduced microglia activation in male, but not female, mice expressing mutant proteins associated with familial Alzheimers disease. While compelling, our published studies on the role of the gut microbiome on amyloid plaque formation were limited to a single strain of mice, Sisodia says.

In the new study, Sisodia and colleagues therefore examined the effects of antibiotics on a different mouse model of Alzheimers disease known as APPS1-21. Long-term treatment with a cocktail of antibiotics again reduced the formation of amyloid plaques in male mice but had no effect on females. Antibiotic treatment also appeared to alter the activation of microglia in male mice, changing them from a form that is thought to promote neurodegeneration to a form that helps to maintain a healthy brain.

To prove that these improvements in Alzheimers symptoms were caused by alterations in the gut microbiome, the researchers transplanted fecal matter from untreated mice into antibiotic-treated animals. This procedure restored the gut microbiome and caused an increase in amyloid plaque formation and microglial activation.

But why do alterations in the gut microbiome only affect male mice? Sisodia and colleagues discovered that long-term antibiotic treatment changed the gut bacteria of male and female mice in different ways. The changes in the microbiome of female mice caused their immune systems to increase production of several proinflammatory factors that could influence the activation of microglia.

Our study shows that antibiotic-mediated perturbations of the gut microbiome have selective, sex-specific influences on amyloid plaque formation and microglial activity in the brain, Sisodia says. We now want to investigate whether these outcomes can be attributed to changes in any particular type of bacteria.

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Dodiya et al., 2019. J. Exp. Med. http://jem.rupress.org/cgi/doi/10.1084/jem.20182386?PR

About the Journal of Experimental Medicine

The Journal of Experimental Medicine (JEM) features peer-reviewed research on immunology, cancer biology, stem cell biology, microbial pathogenesis, vascular biology, and neurobiology. All editorial decisions are made by research-active scientists in conjunction with in-house scientific editors. JEM makes all of its content free online no later than six months after publication. Established in 1896, JEM is published by Rockefeller University Press. For more information, visit jem.org.

Visit our Newsroom, and sign up for a weekly preview of articles to be published. Embargoed media alerts are for journalists only.

Follow JEM on Twitter at @JExpMed and @RockUPress.
By analyzing 26.2 million Twitter comments in the Arabic language, researchers found that despite losing territory, ISIS remains successful at inspiring low-level attacks because of its messaging for a "call for lone jihad." The study, "ISIS at its apogee: The Arabic discourse about support for ISIS on Twitter and what we can learn from that," was recently published in SAGE Open.

The researchers analyzed Tweets from July 2014 to January 2015, when ISIS's strength reached its peak and the group was expanding its territory. Assessing the connection between ongoing events and Tweet timing, the researchers found:

1. Heavy media coverage leads to increased expressed support of ISIS online. 2. When online conversations surrounding ISIS surged, many individuals who did not normally engage in the debate entered to express their negative views towards the group. 3. Online support changes according to the target of action. For example, terrorist groups often gain legitimacy by claiming they are acting on behalf of a larger cause, but if they choose a target considered unpopular by their constituents, they lose support. 4. There is no clear evidence of ISIS members backlashing against ISIS leaders for their actions towards prisoners (such as beheadings).

The researchers also noticed that foreign fighters often lived in countries with a lower share of support towards ISIS, geographically isolating them from the group.

"This correlation suggests that ISIS sympathizers living in countries with a lower support towards the group might feel marginalized, leading them to radicalize their views and join ISIS," said the study's authors Andrea Ceron, Luigi Curini and Stefano M. Iacus. "Because they don't have an easily accessible way to join or support the organization in their own country."

The researchers concluded that policy that increases censorship is not a solution to the ISIS threat as decreasing expressed support for the group can favor radicalization.

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The article was recently published as part of a special collection on Social Media and Politics in SAGE Open which grew out of a series of conferences held by Social Media and Political Participation (SMaPP)-Global. You can read the full article on the collection's website.
Machine learning (ML) has found wide application in materials science. It is believed that a model developed by ML could depict the common trend of the data and therefore reflect the relationship between structure and property, which can be applied to most of the compounds. So, by training ML models with existed databases, important properties of compounds can be predicted ahead of time-consuming experiments or calculations, which will greatly speed up the process of new materials design.

While tremendously useful, these models do not directly show the rules and physics underlying the relationship between structure and property. And despite of their decent overall performance, there will always be some exceptions where ML models fail to give accurate predictions. Very often, it is these exceptions that shed some new insights about the underlying physics, and open up new frontiers in science.

A research group led by Prof. Feng Pan, the founding dean of the School of Advanced Materials, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, has recently shown that these models are valuable not only when they succeed in predicting properties accurately, but also when they fail. In their work, a model is built to predict the HSE band gaps of compounds according to their atomic structures only, based on a high-throughput calculation database constructed by the school themselves. The R2 of the model is 0.89, comparable with similar works. They then filtered out those structures with prediction error larger than 2 eV and examined them carefully. Many structures with unusual structure units, or showing other abnormities with similar compounds, like relatively large band gaps or being in different phases. Among these unusual structures, AgO2F raises great interest and a detailed analysis is given. It is found that Ag3+ and O22- coexist in this compound, and while Ag ions are in square planar coordination, there is little hybridization between orbitals of Ag and O. States near the band edges are mainly contributed by O-2p orbitals and the band gap is much smaller than other compounds with Ag3+ ions. This offers a new example for anionic redox property, a hot topic in the investigation of Li-excess electrode materials. These results demonstrate how unusual structures can be discovered from exceptions in machine learning, which can help us to investigate new physics and novel structural units from existing databases.

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Wang is supported by the Director, Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Science (BES), Materials Science and Engineering Division (MSED), of the US Department of Energy (DOE) under Contract No.DE-AC02-05CH11231 through the Materials Theory program (KC2301). This work is also financially supported by National Key R&D Program of China (2016YFB0700600), Shenzhen Science and Technology Research Grant (ZDSYS201707281026184), and Guangdong Key-lab Project (2017B0303010130).

See the article:

Jianshu Jie, Zongxiang Hu, Guoyu Qian, Mouyi Weng, Shunning Li, Shucheng Li, Mingyu Hu, Dong Chen, Weiji Xiao, Jiaxin Zheng, Lin-Wang Wang and Feng Pan. Discovering unusual structures from exception using big data and machine learning techniques. Science Bulletin, 2019, 64(9)612-616; doi: 10.1016/j.scib.2019.04.015

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2095927319302014
Our buddy who works for Rent-A-Center would always have these wonderful stories, Bashir told me last summer during a visit to the set, so we had this epiphany  why dont we use that as the peg to get us into the city? Its an incredible hub that allows you to visit every single neighborhood. Youre up on 63rd and Honore, and then youre on 87th and King Drive. It gets you to meet other characters just by doing the job (delivering or repossessing stock), youre forced to meet the city.
What the spatial pattern of global urban surface area that human depends on is the important issue, which is widely concerned at present. Research have established regression models that estimated the fraction of ISA/UGS in global 30 cities for validation using MODIS NDVI and DMSP/OLS nighttime light imageries. Global impervious surface area and green space (ISA/UGS) was mapped. Furthermore, the fraction of ISA/UGS within built-up area was estimated.

The research revealed the global ISA of 45.26104 km2, accounting for 60.01% of the global urban land area. North America, Europe, and Asia accounted for 84.25% of the world's total ISA. The research also found that the proportion of ISA situated in built-up areas on the continental scale followed the order of Africa (>70%)>South America>Oceania>Asia (>60%)>North America>Europe (>50%), and these areas were mostly in southeastern North America, southwestern Europe, and eastern and western Asia. North America, Europe, and Asia accounted for 89.44% of the world's total UGS. The cities of developed countries in Europe and North America exposed a dramatic mosaic of ISA and UGS composites in urban construction. Therefore, the proportion of UGS is relatively high in those cities. However, in developing and underdeveloped countries, the proportion of UGS in built-up areas is relatively low, and urban environments need to be improved for livability.

The mapping of global ISA/UGS is important for improving the quality of human settlements, guiding urban and regional development planning, and promoting the urban environmental quality toward ecological, livable, and sustainable goals.

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This work was supported by the Major Projects of the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 41590842), the Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Pan-Third Pole Environment Study for a Green Silk Road (Pan-TPE) (Grant No. XDA20040400) and the National High Technology Research and Development Program of China (Grant No. 2013AA122802).

See the article: Kuang, W. (2019). Mapping global impervious surface area and green space within urban environments. Science China Earth Sciences. doi:10.1007/s11430-018-9342-3

This article was published online.
Knowing the introduction routes followed by invasive species helps to prevent their expansion and avoid future invasions. 'Procambarus clarkii' causes severe impacts in the freshwater ecosystems it invades

The researchers have reconstructed the invasion routes followed by the red swamp crayfish during its human-driven expansion based on the analysis of a mitochondrial gene (COI), which was sequenced from 1,412 crayfishes from 122 populations across the Northern Hemisphere.

Invasion routes

The article describes how different invasion scenarios have produced different genetic patterns among invasive populations. "For example, in the US there are two main invasion routes: west- and east-wards from the native area. The invasive populations in the west are genetically more diverse, because they have received more introductions, which probably involved more specimens of crayfish, starting in the 1920s", explains Francisco J. Oficialdegui, CSIC researcher at the Donana Biological Station.

The genetic results show that western US (California), itself an invaded area, was the source of the crayfish populations established in Hawaii and a probable source of the crayfish introduced to Japan, and from there to China, in the late 1920s. The low genetic diversity of all red swamp crayfish populations studied in Asia supports documentary evidence that a small group of some 20 individuals may have been the origin of the Japanese and Chinese red swamp crayfish populations which now number into the millions.

Red swamp crayfish in Spain and Europe

The red swamp crayfish was introduced twice from Louisiana to south-western Spain in 1973 (near the city of Badajoz) and 1974 (in the marshes of the Guadalquivir River). These introductions were promoted by the aristocrat Andres Salvador de Habsburgo-Lorena. Until now, it has been assumed that these introductions were the sole origin of all red swamp crayfish populations established across Europe, but the new study finds evidence of a separate later introduction.

"The large number of individuals involved in the two introduction events (around 500 in Badajoz and 6,000 in the Guadalquivir marshes) has led to the high genetic diversity levels we observed in Iberian populations, although diversity values tend to be lower as populations are further away from the introduction foci. However, in our study we also unexpectedly detected a genetic profile in central-western Europe that is not present in the Iberian Peninsula, a finding that suggests that additional unrecorded introductions of the red swamp crayfish into Europe may have occurred, either from the US or from other invaded territories", adds Oficialdegui.

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Oficialdegui, F. J., Clavero, M., Sanchez, M. I., Green, A. J., Boyero, L., Michot, T. C., Klose, K., Kawai, T., Lejeusne, C. (2019). Unravelling the global invasion routes of a worldwide invader, the red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii). Freshwater Biology. DOI: 10.1111/fwb.13312
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), seven million people worldwide die as a consequence of air pollution every year. For around 20 years, studies have shown that air-borne particulate matter negatively affects human health. Now, in addition to already investi-gated particle sources like emissions from heating systems, industry and road traffic, aircraft turbine engine particle emissions have, in the wake of increasing air traffic, also become more important. As a result, scientific research of the particulate matter from air traffic is important for the development of environmental standards in the aviation sector.

The primary solid particles, i.e. those emitted directly from the source, have the strongest effect on people in its immediate vicinity. However, the toxicity of the solid particles from aircraft tur-bine engines is still widely unresearched. Now a multidisciplinary team, led by lung researcher Marianne Geiser of the Institute of Anatomy at the University of Bern, together with colleagues from Empa Dubendorf and the University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzer-land (FHNW), has shown that primary soot particles from kerosene combustion in aircraft tur-bine engines also cause direct damage to lung cells and can trigger an inflammatory reaction if the solid particles - as simulated in the experiment - are inhaled in the direct vicinity of the engine. The researchers demonstrated for the first time that the damaging effects also depend on the operating conditions of the turbine engine, the composition of the fuel, and the struc-ture of the generated particles. The present study was published in the journal Nature Communications Biology.

Extremely small particles in the nanoscale range

Particles emitted from aircraft turbine engines are generally ultrafine, i.e. smaller than 100 nm. By way of comparison, a human hair has a diameter of about 80,000 nm. When inhaled, these nanoparticles - like those from other combustion sources -efficiently deposit in the airways. In healthy people, the well-developed defense mechanisms in the lungs normally take care of rendering the deposited particles ineffective and removing them from the lungs as quickly as possible. However, if the inhaled particles manage to overcome these defense mechanisms, due to their structure or physico-chemical properties, there is a danger for irreparable damage to the lung tissue. This process, already known to researchers from earlier experiments with particle emissions from gasoline and diesel engines, has now also been observed for particle emissions from aircraft engines.

Unique interdisciplinary experimental setup

In innovative, combined experiments, the researchers investigated the toxicity of particles from the exhaust of a CFM56-7B turbofan, which is the most commonly used aircraft turbine engine globally. The turbine was run in climb mode (simulating aircraft take-off and climb) and at ground idling speed at the SR Technics testing facility at Zurich Airport. Within this framework, the researchers were able to use a globally standardized measurement method, applied for the environmental certification of aircraft engines. Fuel composition was also investigated: the tur-bine engine was run using conventional kerosene Jet A-1 fuel or biofuel. The latter is com-posed of kerosene fuel with 32% HEFA ("hydrogenated esters and fatty acids") from old frying oil, animal fats, algae and plant oils.

An aerosol deposition chamber developed specifically for investigating the toxicity of inhaled nanoparticles in vitro and built at FHNW, made it possible to deposit the generated particulate matter in a realistic way on cultures of bronchial epithelial cells which line the inner surface of bronchi. Thus, the researchers were able to deposit an aerosol directly on human lung cells, which would not have been possible in an experiment with human test persons for ethical rea-sons. Moreover, the particles were analyzed for their physico-chemical and structural properties to examine possible links with the effects of the particles. "This is a worldwide unique experi-ment, combining emission measurement technology with medical analyses under realistic con-ditions", says Benjamin Brem, aircraft turbine engine aerosol researcher at Empa, now at the Paul Scherrer Institute.

Toxicity depends on the operating conditions of the turbines and the type of fuel

The cells were exposed to the aerosol for 60 minutes. During this time, a particulate mass of 1.6 to 6.7 ng (billionths of a gram) per square centimeter of cell surface area was deposited while the turbine was running at ground idling, and 310 to 430 ng while it was in climb mode. This is equivalent to the daily airway intake of mildly polluted rural air with 20 g (millionths of a gram) of particles per cubic meter of air up to heavily polluted air in a large city (100-500 g of particles per cubic meter of air).

Evidence of increased cell membrane damage and oxidative stress in the cell cultures was identified. Oxidative stress accelerates ageing of cells and can be a trigger for cancer or im-mune system diseases. The particles turned out to cause different degrees of damage de-pending on the turbine thrust level and type of fuel: the highest values were recorded for con-ventional fuel at ground idling, and for biofuel in climb mode. These results were surprising. The cell reactions in the tests with conventional kerosene fuel at full engine thrust - compara-ble with takeoff and climb- in particular, were weaker than expected. "These results can be partly explained by the very small dimensions and the structure of these particles," says Anthi Liati, specialized in the nanostructure of combustion aerosols at Empa. Moreover, the cells responded to biofuel exposure by increasing the secretion of inflammatory cytokines, which play a central role in our immune system. "This reaction reduces the ability of airway epithelial cells to react appropriately to any subsequent viral or bacterial infections," explains Marianne Geiser.

Overall, according to the researchers, it has been demonstrated that the cell-damaging effect caused by exposure to particles generated by the combustion of gasoline, diesel and kero-sene fuel are comparable for similar doses and exposure times. Additionally, a similar pattern was found in the secretion of inflammatory cytokines after exposure to gasoline and kerosene fuel particles.

"The state-of-the-art measurement methods used in our study, the interdisciplinary approach, and the resulting outcomes all constitute a further important step in the research on air pollu-tants and their effects on human health," says Geiser.

Aerosols: distance from the source is crucial

Aerosols are the finest solid or fluid substance suspended in the air. In combustion processes, the composition of ultrafine particles is highly variable. In addition, aerosols are unstable, and they are modified after their formation. Primary ultrafine solid particles have a high diffusion velocity. As a result, at high concentrations such particles either stick together or attach to oth-er particles. Therefore, the effect of primary ultrafine particles depends on the distance from the source, implying that there is a difference depending on whether a person is close to the source (such as people at the roadside ) or at a greater distance (aircraft taxiing or taking off). Further research is needed to clarify how strong the impact would be at a greater distance from an aircraft engine. .

Environmental measures already met - Switzerland's special commitment

Since the Swiss "Particulate Matter Action Plan" was introduced in 2006, the Federal Office of Civil Aviation (BAZL) has, based on the precautionary principle, advocated the introduction of particulate matter certification for aircraft engines and a particulate matter emission limit at the International Civil Aviation Organization's (ICAO). The BAZL established a measurement infra-structure and created the foundation for the research at SR Technics specifically for this pur-pose. It has been supporting top-level research in this field, which has significantly improved scientific understanding of aviation emissions and emission measurement technology, through "Special Financing of Civil Aviation" since 2012. The research led to the first global particulate matter standard for measuring particle mass and number in 2016. In February 2019, the ICAO's environment committee, on which all major manufacturing countries were represented, agreed on a recommendation for limits that should apply to new types of engine from 01/01/2023. The results of the present study contributed to establishing these global limits. So far, aviation is the only sector to have introduced global limits on the emissions of ultrafine par-ticulate matter.

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Olive oil classification is currently very costly and slow. In order to categorize oil into extra virgin (EVOO), virgin (VOO) and lampante olive oil (LOO), an offical method is used, consisting of a physicochemical analysis and a sensory analysis in the end. This last part is based on the work of a panel of expert tasters who try each olive oil one by one in order to determine its category. This process is very costly for the bottlers. For this reason, they are keen on developing a complementary analytical classification method. Moreover, there are very few expert olive oil tasters in other countries, hence the urgency to find another way to categorize olive oil that does not involve sensory analysis.

A University of Cordoba research group, headed by Analytical Chemistry Professor Lourdes Arce, has been working on a solution to this issue since 2011, with financial support from the non-profit Spanish Olive Oil Interprofessional Organization (in Spanish Interprofesional del Aceite de Oliva Espanol).

The new methodology is based on analyzing the oil's aromatic fraction -that is to say volatile organic compounds- as if it were the nose of a human taster. This is done by using gas chromatography and ion mobility spectrometry, which is a technique that separates ions when in gas state.

This instrument generates 3D graphics (with retention time, drift time and the intensity of the signal as variables) of each volatile chemical compound in each sample of olive oil, resulting in a large number of data to process, making it difficult for companies to adopt this methodology.

To ease its implementation, the group studied two strategies for dealing with data: the first used spectral fingerprints (as in all the chemical information in each olive oil) and the second used a series of specific signals, 113 of over 200,000 chemical data that make up a spectral fingerprint.

701 heterogeneous olive oil samples were analyzed. These samples came from different kinds of olives at different degrees of ripeness, from different geographical areas and that had been processed and stored in different ways. These samples were provided by the Spanish Olive Oil Interprofessional Organization in partnership with with the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Food and the Environment along with the Andalusian Regional Government's Department of Agriculture, Fishing and Rural Development.

In the end, it was concluded that the strategy based on markers was reliable in predicting the classification of olive oil samples, in addition to being easier to implement within the industry than the strategy of using the whole spectral fingerprint. In any case, the models should be recalibrated each year, and include new oil samples from the current season. The research group continues to work on this line of research in order to determine the minimum number of samples needed for recalibration without losing predictive ability to categorize olive oil.

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Maria del Mar Contreras, Natividad Jurado Campos, Lourdes Arce, Natalia Arroyo Manzanares. A robustness study of calibration models for olive oil classification: Targeted and non-targeted fingerprint approaches based on GC-IMS. FOOD CHEMISTRY https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2019.02.104
New sensational study conducted at the University of Copenhagen disproves traditional knowledge of stem cell development. The study reveals that the destiny of intestinal cells is not predetermined, but instead determined by the cells' surroundings. The new knowledge may make it easier to manipulate stem cells for stem cell therapy. The results have just been published in Nature.

All cells in the foetal gut have the potential to develop into stem cells, a new study conducted at the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences at the University of Copenhagen concludes. The researchers behind the study have discovered that the development of immature intestinal cells - contrary to previous assumptions - is not predetermined, but affected by the cells' immediate surroundings in the intestines. This discovery may ease the path to effective stem cell therapy, says Associate Professor Kim Jensen from the Biotech Research & Innovation Centre (BRIC) and the Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Stem Cell Biology (DanStem).

'We used to believe that a cell's potential for becoming a stem cell was predetermined, but our new results show that all immature cells have the same probability for becoming stem cells in the fully developed organ. In principle, it is simply a matter of being in the right place at the right time. Here signals from the cells' surroundings determine their fate. If we are able to identify the signals that are necessary for the immature cell to develop into a stem cell, it will be easier for us to manipulate cells in the wanted direction'.

Throughout life the organs in the body are maintained by stem cells, which are also able to repair minor tissue damage. A better understanding of the factors that determine whether or not an immature cell develops into a stem cell may therefore be useful in the development of stem cells for therapy and transplantation.

'We have gained greater insight into the mechanisms through which cells in the immature intestines develop into stem cells. Hopefully we are able to use this knowledge to improve treatment of non-healing wounds, e.g. in the intestines. So far, though, all we can say for sure is that cells in the gastrointestinal tract have these characteristics. However, we do believe this is a general phenomenon in foetal organ development'.

Luminescent Cells and Mathematical Collaboration

The surprising findings are the result of a search for understanding of what controls the destiny of intestinal stem cells. Postdoc Jordi Guiu developed a method for monitoring the development of the individual intestinal cells. By introducing luminescent proteins into the cells he could, using advanced microscopy, monitor the development of the individual cells.

After the initial tests, the cells that researchers previously believed to be foetal stem cells were only able to explain a fraction of the growth of the intestines during foetal development. Therefore, they established a collaboration with mathematical experts at the University of Cambridge. And when they studied the data more closely together, they arrived at the surprising hypothesis that all intestinal cells may have the same chance of becoming stem cells. Subsequent tests were able to prove the hypothesis.

'The next step is to determine precisely which signals are necessary for immature cells to develop into the kind of stem cells we need. This is one of our research focusses', says Kim Jensen.

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The project was funded by the European Research Council, the Horizon 2020 research programme, the Lundbeck Foundation, the Novo Nordisk Foundation, the Carlsberg Foundation and the Marie Curie fellowship programme.

The article, 'Tracing the origin of adult intestinal stem cells', has been published in Nature.

Fact box: Stem cells and stem cell therapy

Throughout life stem cells help maintain the organs in the body and repair damaged tissue. However, the stem cells found in the body can only renew and repair minor tissue damage.

Using stem cell transplantation and therapy it is possible to supplement the body's own cells with new, healthy stem cells that can help repair or replace damaged tissue.
Scientists have discovered a DNA mutation linked to breathing problems in popular dog breeds.

Breathing difficulties are most often associated with flat-faced breeds, such as French bull dogs and pugs, but scientists have found the mutation is also carried by Norwich terriers, which have proportional noses.

The finding raises the future possibility of genetic tests that could help vets identify animals at risk and could one day help breeders avoid producing affected pups.

French bulldogs are the most popular dog breed in the UK but underneath their prized features can lie a life-threatening health problem.

The breed - and others such as English bulldogs and pugs - is commonly affected by a condition called Bracycephalic Obstructive Airway Syndrome - or BOAS - which leaves dogs gasping for breath.

Scientists had thought their short faces were the only explanation for their breathing problems. Norwich terriers, suffer from a similar breathing problem called Upper Airway Syndrome, however, despite having proportional noses.

A team led by The Roslin Institute at the University of Edinburgh's Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies analysed DNA from more than 400 Norwich terriers. Vets also carried out clinical examinations of the dogs to check their airways for signs of disease.

The researchers pinpointed a DNA mutation in a gene called ADAMTS3, which is not linked to skull shape and has previously been found to cause fluid retention and swelling.

The mutated version of the gene was also common in French and English bulldogs, which may help to explain why some dogs of these breeds develop breathing problems and complications after surgery to treat them.

Researchers say their findings shift our understanding of breathing problems in dogs. They suggest fluid retention in the tissue that lines the airways could make it more likely that dogs with the mutation will develop breathing problems.

The study, published in PLOS Genetics, also involved experts from the Royal Veterinary College and the University of Bern in Switzerland.

Dr Jeffrey Schoenebeck, of The Roslin Institute at the University of Edinburgh's Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, who led the study said: "BOAS is a complex disease. Although skull shape remains an important risk factor, our study suggests that the status of ADAMTS3 should be considered as well. More studies are needed to dissect the complex nature of this devastating disease."

The Hospital for Small Animals at the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies hosts a specialist clinic for dogs with upper airway problems called BREATHE. Vets use a range of cutting edge technologies to care for affected animals, including whole body scans and a specialist tool that monitors lung function called plethysmography.

Senior specialist surgeon Dr Jon Hall, who leads the BREATHE clinic, said "This discovery is a step change in our understanding of upper airway problems in dogs, which we hope will allow us to identify dogs at greater risk of catastrophic airway swelling before it happens."

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The Roslin Institute receives strategic funding from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council.
LAWRENCE -- The idea of bringing creepy-crawly insects into your home and setting them out on the coffee table could make most people bug out.

But, here's an exception.

A richly illustrated book on insects by a University of Kansas entomologist, recently published to critical praise, has just earned two Nautilus Book Awards in the categories of Animals & Nature and Young-Adult Nonfiction.

Writing about the vast diversity and amazing biology of insects, author Michael Engel, Distinguished Professor of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology and senior curator with KU's Biodiversity Institute and Natural History Museum, compiled the accompanying illustrations in "Innumerable Insects: The Story of the Most Diverse and Myriad Animals on Earth" (Sterling, 2018) by poring over materials in the American Museum of Natural History's rare book collection -- considered by many to be the finest natural-history rare book collection in North America.

"The remarkable works of scientific art produced for these rare books reveal how amazing the most diverse organisms on the planet really are," Engel said. "The book is an amalgam between history, art, biology and the natural history of these groups -- all illustrated using these highly detailed paintings and woodblock carvings of insects from the past -- with vignettes on the history of famous illustrators, researchers and explorers. I tried to keep a scholarly flair while tailoring the text for the layperson, not scientists."

Engel, who came to KU nearly 20 years ago after working at the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) in New York, wrote the book while splitting his time between Lawrence and New York City.

"The writing I did here in Lawrence," he said. "Of course, they've got thousands and thousands of rare books at the AMNH, and during research visits back to New York I would arrange blocks of time to scour through the volumes and figure plates in the rare book collection. I read through a multiplicity of volumes, looking for the best images and reports on interesting early discoveries. At the same time, I'd take photos of paintings and woodcuts along with notes for hundreds of images which I would then bring back to Lawrence where I could ponder things and sketch out text. Inevitably, as things took shape, I'd realize where I needed to fill in historical or taxonomic gaps, like, 'I really need more images of praying mantises,' or, 'I need to look at more of the older volumes from the 1700s,' and this process would guide my rare-book hunting during each subsequent visit to New York."

The rare books put at Engel's disposal included woodcuts and plates dating back to before the printing press was invented in Europe. However, the earliest images the KU researcher ultimately included in "Innumerable Insects" date back to 1602. Paring the total number of images down for inclusion was a challenge as, he said, "There was such a diversity and wealth of incredible artistry that could potentially be included."

Many of the early entomologists and illustrators are well-known to insect researchers, such as the "indefatigable" John Westwood. Westwood was a prolific entomologist and illustrator whose books and etchings are familiar to anyone who studies insects -- an incredible artist as well as a scientist who studied everything from beetles to antiquities.

Yet, even with some famous entomologists and books, there were surprises to be found. For example, Charles Butler, a country vicar and beekeeper, wrote a renowned book on apiculture in Britain and was first to popularize the idea that a ruler of a bee colony was a queen, not a king.

"I sat down with his original book from 1609, titled 'The Feminine Monarchie,' and when Butler gets to a section on the different sounds from the hive -- such as changes in buzzing he felt indicated a hive would swarm -- I was amazed to discover he had composed a four-part madrigal based on these sounds and printed it within his book on bee biology,"Engel. "I became so smitten with Butler and his madrigal that I had to reproduce the latter in my book, along with the stained-glass window honoring Butler from his church in Wootton St. Lawrence, England."

Other researchers and illustrators included in Engel's book aren't as well-known, perhaps because their work focused on insects with an ick factor.

"I'd heard of a book from the mid-1800s on sucking lice by Henry Denny," he said. "As you can imagine, a lot of folios feature beautiful insects -- there aren't a lot of stunning monographs about lice, fleas and other ectoparasites. Yet, Denny's book is simply amazing, and he executed all of the illustrations himself. I was so impressed by Denny that I had to include a vignette dedicated to him and his work. If his illustrations were in a gallery, then one would be struck by the simple beauty of the images -- they are truly sublime. It's not until after one is told that they're of various species of lice that one might react with revulsion."

In his day, Denny's monograph received great attention and in anticipation of an expanded accompanying volume, he received lice specimens from numerous explorers, including from Charles Darwin, who collected material during his voyage around the world on the HMS Beagle.

"Unfortunately, the second monograph was never completed and Denny's work was eventually supplanted by later researchers after his death, but none ever came close to approximating the artistry by which he rendered his subjects," Engel said.

Engel's work bringing together these researchers, illustrators and explorers, along with so many incredible images, has garnered the KU researcher critical praise.

"Engel covers insect diversity, evolution, ecology and physiology, among other topics, while including intriguing vignettes about early entomologists, including Maria Sibylla Merian, Julius T.C. Ratzeburg and Jan Swammerdam," wrote Publishers Weekly. "The images, however, are the stars of this work, which will delight every entomophile who turns its pages." Another reviewer wrote for the Star Tribune, "By pairing his review with historical illustrations, he has created a visually mesmerizing entry point for anyone interested in exploring insects and the history of their study."

The new recognition by the Nautilus Book Awards is a nod to the book's value to building public awareness of the importance of insects to biodiversity and ecology. According to the organization, "Our core mission is to celebrate and honor books that support conscious living and green values, high-level wellness, positive social change and social justice, and spiritual growth."

Recent research suggests up to 40 percent of insect populations are at risk of extinction, primarily due to habitat loss driven by development and changes in land use, pollution, invasive species and climate change, and Engel hopes that his book will "reveal to everyone just how amazing insects are and how vital they are to our survival. Yes, they're in jeopardy, but there are things we can do to help if we act now."

Engel's final chapter focuses on pollination and the importance to humanity of preserving insects in general and pollinators in particular.

"Our world's plants are critically dependent on insects, and by extension we are -- really, our very lives depend on insect success," he said. "We need to conserve them before they are lost and our only record of their myriad lives are from rare books."

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Study reveals key step in production of proteins from genes, which is fundamental to all life

Findings could help our understanding of some cancers and conditions such as motor neuron disease, which are linked to faults in protein production

Process discovered is likely to be similar across many living organisms, from insects to humans

Scientists at the University of Sheffield have discovered how genes create proteins in research which could aid the development of treatments for human diseases.

Proteins are the building blocks of life and our cells make them based on instructions from our DNA. These instructions that have to be transported from the cell nucleus, which holds the DNA, to the cytoplasm where proteins are made.

The research, led by Professor Stuart Wilson from the University of Sheffield's Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, revealed how our cells know when these instructions, known as mRNA, are ready to be transported. The findings will help our understanding of some cancers and conditions such as motor neurone disease, which are linked to faults in protein production.

The research is published today in Molecular Cell.

Professor Stuart Wilson, lead researcher from the University of Sheffield, explained: "If the mRNA is transported before the processing is complete, then it is a disaster for the cell, which can't make proteins and ultimately dies. Faults in this process are behind many human diseases. So it's vitally important, not just that the processing is done correctly, but the cell knows when this is complete."

The team, from the Sheffield Institute for Nucleic Acids, found that molecules known as 'export factors' - which help transport the mRNA - also signal to the cell when the processing is complete by moving their position on the mRNA.

Scientists have long argued over the position of export factors - whether they sit at the beginning of the mRNA or centrally, where the protein-making instructions have been spliced together.

Professor Wilson, working with his co-researchers Dr Nicolas Viphakone and Dr Ian Sudbery, found that in fact, both views are correct. The export factors initially sit at the beginning of the mRNA while the processing takes place, then once it is complete, they move further in, sitting at points where splicing has taken place, to signal that transport can begin.

"This research helps us understand a basic process that is fundamental to life, but which will enable us to develop treatments for diseases in the future," said Professor Wilson. "We can't easily fix a problem until we know what's wrong and we can't know what's wrong until we're clear as to how it's supposed to work.

"Export factors have changed very little throughout evolution, so those found in humans are very similar to those in simpler organisms such as yeast and insects. Our research was in human cells, but we believe that the process we've uncovered will be pretty much the same in any animal on the planet."

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The research was funded through the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council with additional support from the Medical Research Council.

For further information please contact: Emma Griffiths, Media and PR Assistant, University of Sheffield, 0114 222 1034, e.l.griffiths@sheffield.ac.uk

Notes to editors

"Co-transcriptional loading of RNA export factors shapes the human transcriptome", by Nicolas Viphakone, Ian Sudbery, Llywelyn Griffith, Catherine G. Heath, David Sims and Stuart A Wilson, is published in Molecular Cell.

The University of Sheffield

With almost 29,000 of the brightest students from over 140 countries, learning alongside over 1,200 of the best academics from across the globe, the University of Sheffield is one of the world's leading universities.

A member of the UK's prestigious Russell Group of leading research-led institutions, Sheffield offers world-class teaching and research excellence across a wide range of disciplines.

Unified by the power of discovery and understanding, staff and students at the university are committed to finding new ways to transform the world we live in. Sheffield is the only university to feature in The Sunday Times 100 Best Not-For-Profit Organisations to Work For 2018 and for the last eight years has been ranked in the top five UK universities for Student Satisfaction by Times Higher Education.

Sheffield has six Nobel Prize winners among former staff and students and its alumni go on to hold positions of great responsibility and influence all over the world, making significant contributions in their chosen fields.

Global research partners and clients include Boeing, Rolls-Royce, Unilever, AstraZeneca, Glaxo SmithKline, Siemens and Airbus, as well as many UK and overseas government agencies and charitable foundations.
(Salt Lake City) - An app that allows parents and doctors to monitor a child's asthma has a big impact on managing the disease. When families monitored symptoms with eAsthma Tracker and adjusted care accordingly, children had better asthma control and made fewer visits to the emergency department. Using the app also meant that children missed fewer days of school and parents took fewer days off work, improving quality of life. Results of the study were published online in the journal Pediatrics.

"It's exciting to see that using an effective app can not only help improve the lives of children with asthma and their parents, but also allow their providers to give optimal care," says the study's lead author and University of Utah Health professor of pediatrics Flory Nkoy, MD, MS, MPH. He and his team created the app and carried out the research along with collaborators at Intermountain Healthcare and Parent Partners in Salt Lake City.

Despite effective treatments, keeping asthma in check can be particularly tricky. An attack can come seemingly without warning and up to 40 percent of children hospitalized with asthma wind up back in the hospital within a year. A major contributing factor is that signs that precede an attack often go unnoticed.

Scientists and physicians at U of U Health designed eAsthma Tracker as a way to continually monitor a child's disease. Asthma care is typically reactive, focusing on treating recurrent attacks, says the study's senior author and U of U Health hospitalist Bryan Stone, MD, MS. While most children with asthma show signs days to weeks before an attack, parents can easily miss these changes. eAsthma Tracker allows for monitoring at home, opening an opportunity to observe worsening signs and intervene in time to prevent a flare-up.

A unique feature of the app is that it sends parents and doctors data in real-time, and triggers an automated alert when a child's asthma is acting up. When that happens, the app prompts parents to make an appointment with the child's doctor. A doctor receiving an alert may decide to proactively call parents to determine how to address the issue.

"Parents love the idea that they can see how their child is doing and that their doctor is on the other end of the app and working with them," says Stone.

Families who use eAsthma Tracker fill out a brief weekly online survey based on a standard assessment called the Asthma Control Test. The app assigns a score reflecting whether asthma is impeding the child's daily activities and how often they're using medication to control symptoms. It then issues recommendations dependent on being categorized as severe (red zone), under control (green zone) or approaching severe (yellow zone).

More than 300 children and parents at 11 clinics throughout Utah enrolled in the study designed to determine whether the app improved patient outcomes. Researchers found that children who used the app: * improved their asthma control * made significantly fewer visits to the emergency department and hospital * significantly reduced oral steroid use (a surrogate measure for asthma attacks), * missed 60% fewer days of school, and * had an improved quality of life. In addition, their parents missed 70% fewer days of work.

Children and parents showed improvements in all measurements 3 months after starting to use the app, and the benefits persisted 12 months later.

The investigators also compared outcomes from children who used eAsthma Tracker with outcomes from children who did not use the app. Results from this part of the study showed that children who used the app: * made 60% fewer visits to the emergency department and hospital, and * had a 35% reduced use of oral steroids.

The main limitation of the study was the lack of a control group pulled from the same clinics that study participants were recruited from. Although design of this part of the research was not optimal, the reasoning behind the omission was intentional. Based on promising results from a pilot investigation, the parent and community stakeholders that helped design the research recommended against withholding the app from willing participants.

Nkoy and Stone are now working with the university's Center for Technology & Venture Commercialization to conduct market validation and develop a commercialization strategy to expand to other hospital systems.

"We are optimistic that spread of eAsthma Tracker can significantly improve asthma care and reduce asthma related healthcare costs," says Nkoy.

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Video Abstract: https://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/early/2019/05/15/peds.2018-1711

Nkoy and Stone carried out the research with Bernhard Fassl, Victoria Wilkins, Eun Hae Unsicker, Heather Oldroyd, Tom Greene, Xiaming Sheng, and Derek Uchida from University of Utah Health, Joseph Johnson, a private practice pediatrician, Kamella Koopmeiners from Intermountain Healthcare, parent partners Andrea Jensen, Michelle Frazier, Jordan Gaddis, Lis Malmgren, and Stacy Williams, and Christopher Maloney from Children's Hospital and Medical Center, Omaha.

The research was published as "Improved Ambulatory Management of Childhood Asthma Using a Novel Self-management Application" in Pediatrics and was funded by the Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI).

About University of Utah Health

University of Utah Health provides leading-edge and compassionate medicine for a referral area that encompasses 10% of the U.S., including Idaho, Wyoming, Montana and much of Nevada. A hub for health sciences research and education in the region, U of U Health touts a $356 million research enterprise and trains the majority of Utah's physicians and more than 1,250 health care providers each year at its Schools of Medicine and Dentistry and Colleges of Nursing, Pharmacy and Health. With more than 20,000 employees, the system includes 12 community clinics and four hospitals. For nine straight years, U of U Health has ranked among the top 10 U.S. academic medical centers in the rigorous Vizient Quality and Accountability Study, including reaching No. 1 in 2010 and 2016.
When foreign powers try to interfere with the politics of another country by spreading strategic disinformation, research suggests there is no real effect on policies or the balance of power in the targeted country.

In a recent study, a researcher at the University of Waterloo investigated whether foreign powers such as Russia and China can influence an election and political outcomes by spreading disinformation.

Canada's federal government has warned of potential interference from Russia during the upcoming election, according to Alexander Lanoszka, assistant professor of political science at Waterloo. Voters in other democracies, said Lanoszka, should not be too concerned that attempted interference would actually influence an election or other political outcomes.

"Great powers like Russia will of course push narratives about its foreign relations that are not only self-serving, but will also misrepresent true intentions, especially if they are up to no good," said Lanoszka.

The study defined disinformation as a systematic government effort aimed at misleading a particular audience - whether a government or key members of society - in order to influence the political process.

His paper cites three key obstacles that stand in the way of campaigns of disinformation. The first is a fundamental skepticism within potentially targeted countries when an adversary broadcasts information; the second is the prevalence of deeply ingrained identifies and political attitudes among targeted political elites and ordinary citizens; and third is the countermeasures that a targeted country can enact -- such as the Canadian government's forewarning of potential election interference.

Lanoszka points to a 2017 poll that found 59 per cent of Canadians have unfavourable views of Russia, which is well above the global median of 40 per cent. Furthermore, he points out that all three of Canada's leading parties have made statements condemning Russian aggression.

"Since Russia suffers a deficit of trust already with Canadian voters, any information spread by Russia that implicates our election outcome would be viewed with significant suspicion by most Canadian voters," said Lanoszka.

As well, he says a large body of political science research suggests that voters tend to process new information in light of firmly entrenched prejudices and assumptions. This is especially clear in the U.S., where, for example, information on climate change or economics is viewed primarily according to Democratic or Republican allegiances.

"The growing evidence about disinformation is that its effects have largely been limited to a small segment of voters, who likely would have supported extremist parties, anyway."

In the research paper, Lanoszka focuses on the case of disinformation in the Russian campaign against the Baltic states, including the 2014 annexation of Crimea. He says evidence in this case, and in other examples of disinformation, strongly suggests that its intended strategic effects of political interference are exaggerated.

Disinformation in international politics is published in the European Journal of International Security.

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George L. Kelling was born in Milwaukee on Aug. 21, 1935, and graduated from that citys Washington High School in 1952. It was not a better world, he said: Jim Crow was still in force. But in one respect it was better: I was raised in a world in which neither my parents nor I worried a whole lot about my safety.
Changes to alpine streams fed by glaciers and snowfields due to a warming climate threaten to dramatically alter the types of bacteria and other microbes in those streams, according to a research team that included a University of Wyoming scientist.

But streams that are fed by underground ice insulated by rock -- called "icy seeps" -- offer some hope that the impact of climate change will be less severe in some areas, say the researchers, who include Lusha Tronstad, research scientist with UW's Wyoming Natural Diversity Database (WYNDD).

"Our results show that patterns of microbial diversity support an ominous trend for alpine stream biodiversity...," the researchers wrote in the journal Global Change Biology. "Icy seeps, however, represent a source of optimism for the future of biodiversity in these imperiled ecosystems."

Tronstad is an expert on the alpine streams in Grand Teton National Park, where her 2015 discovery of a rare insect called the western glacier stonefly provided information to assist in deciding whether the species should be protected under the federal Endangered Species Act. In the latest research, she joined scientists from the University of Kentucky, Washington State University, Rutgers University, Kansas State University, Missouri State University, the University of Montana and the U.S. Geological Survey to study much smaller organisms in those Grand Teton streams and others in Montana's Glacier National Park.

In those high-mountain streams -- some fed by glaciers, some by snowfields, some by underground ice and some by groundwater -- a wide variety of bacteria and other microbes exist. They provide the foundation for larger organisms such as insects in alpine waters and fish downstream.

In Wyoming, North America's Rocky Mountains and mountain ranges worldwide, glaciers and perennial snowfields are shrinking and, in some cases, disappearing as the climate warms. While previous research detailed expected impacts on insects and other larger species, Tronstad's research team examined the organisms that can't be seen with the naked eye in six alpine streams in Grand Teton and seven in Glacier National Park.

The scientists found that colder streams fed by glaciers and underground ice have less microbial diversity than those fed by snowmelt and groundwater, but the colder streams are home to some bacteria that don't exist in the warmer streams. As warmer temperatures and reduced snowfields and glaciers increase water temperatures and change the flow and variability of the streams, microbial diversity will decline across the alpine waters, the researchers say. That likely will result in broader environmental impacts -- though the scientists acknowledge that "the degree to which environmental shifts will translate to altered ecosystem functioning remains largely unknown."

While the new research expands understanding of microbial diversity across the range of alpine streams, the scientists say the most significant new insights relate specifically to icy seeps, which are fed by rock glaciers -- masses of underground ice surrounded by rocky debris. It's estimated there are more than 10,000 of these rock glaciers across the United States -- about double the number of surface glaciers and perennial snowfields. Icy seeps are closest in temperature to streams fed by surface glaciers, with less seasonal flow variability. One such underground-ice-fed stream that was part of the study originates from Wind Cave in the Targhee National Forest.

Because they're insulated by thick layers of rock, icy seeps may be more buffered against warming atmospheric conditions than glaciers and perennial snowfields, making them less susceptible to climate change.

"Consequently, there is strong potential for icy seeps to serve as (a refuge) for cold-adapted mountain stream species and unique ecological functions on a global scale," the researchers wrote, adding that icy seeps "may represent the last stronghold of meltwater-associated (life forms) in a landscape without glaciers and perennial snowfields."

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WYNDD, based at UW's Berry Biodiversity Conservation Center, offers the most complete source of data for species and vegetation communities of conservation concern in Wyoming. This project was supported by a UW-National Park Service Research Station grant to learn more about alpine streams in Wyoming's Grand Teton National Park. The lead author of the scientific paper is Scott Hotaling, previously at the University of Kentucky and now with Washington State University.

This microbial ecology work complements that of other researchers at UW who are working under a five-year, $20 million National Science Foundation grant that funds researchers and technology to examine the distribution and ecological consequences of microbes in the state.
May 16 , 2019 - An innovative health information technology (IT) program helps primary care providers to detect and manage depression and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in traumatized refugees, reports a study in a special June supplement to Medical Care. The journal is published in the Lippincott portfolio by Wolters Kluwer.

Published today, the supplement presents new research and commentaries on the use of health IT to reduce disparities in healthcare access and outcomes. "Health IT has tremendous potential for promoting health equity for racial and ethnic minorities as well as other disparity populations," according to an editorial by Eliseo J. Perez-Stable, MD, Director of the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD) at the National Institutes of Health, and colleagues.

New Strategies for Using Health IT to Reduce Healthcare Disparities

The supplement collects 12 original research papers, reporting on innovative health IT approaches to promote health equity in populations at risk of disparities. Dara H. Sorkin, PhD, of University of California Irvine and colleagues evaluate a health IT intervention to improve detection and treatment of mental health disorders in Cambodian refugees at two Southern California clinics. Many refugees from Cambodia and other countries have experienced war-related trauma, placing them at high risk for depression and PTSD.

The three-part intervention included an iPad tool to screen for symptoms of depression and PTSD in Cambodian American adults. In addition, primary care professionals were able to access an interactive tutorial on providing "culturally competent, trauma-informed mental health care" for individuals exposed to extreme war trauma. The intervention also included a mobile app providing evidence-based clinical algorithms and guidelines.

Electronic mental health screening suggested that depression might be present in about two-thirds of Cambodian refugees and PTSD in about one-third. Primary care providers assigned to the health IT program were about six times more likely to diagnose depression and 20 times more likely to diagnose PTSD.

The health IT intervention also led to higher rates of evidence-based and trauma-informed care. Increased use of evidence-based care led to decreased depression symptoms at 12 weeks, although PTSD outcomes were not significantly affected. Dr. Sorkin and colleagues conclude, "This innovative approach offers the potential for training primary care providers to diagnose and treat traumatized patients, the majority of whom seek mental health care in primary care."

The supplement also includes five editorials and perspective pieces, providing expert insights on the role of health IT in promoting health equity in a wide range of underserved groups: racial/ethnic minorities, immigrants, rural or urban populations, veterans, and many others. Dr. Perez-Stable writes, "Incorporating modern information systems into an ambulatory care practice has the potential to guide population-based health care to maximize access, comprehensiveness, coordination, and quality."

He highlights the emergence of the electronic health record (EHR) as powerful new tool to help meet the NIMHD's goal: "to promote scientific discovery in an America where all persons have the same opportunity to live a long and healthy life." Dr. Perez-Stable concludes, "The EHR has changed the processes of clinical care and the opportunity to leverage these technological changes to promote health equity is here for the taking."

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Click here to read June's Medical Care Supplement

DOI: 10.1097/MLR.0000000000001112

About Medical Care

Rated as one of the top ten journals in health care administration, Medical Care is devoted to all aspects of the administration and delivery of health care. This scholarly journal publishes original, peer-reviewed papers documenting the most current developments in the rapidly changing field of health care. Medical Care provides timely reports on the findings of original investigations into issues related to the research, planning, organization, financing, provision, and evaluation of health services. In addition, numerous special supplementary issues that focus on specialized topics are produced with each volume. Medical Care is the official journal of the Medical Care Section of the American Public Health Association

About Wolters Kluwer

Wolters Kluwer is a global leader in professional information, software solutions, and services for the health, tax & accounting, finance, risk & compliance, and legal sectors. We help our customers make critical decisions every day by providing expert solutions that combine deep domain knowledge with specialized technology and services.

Wolters Kluwer, headquartered in the Netherlands, reported 2017 annual revenues of 4.4 billion. The company serves customers in over 180 countries, maintains operations in over 40 countries, and employs approximately 19,000 people worldwide.

Wolters Kluwer Health is a leading global provider of trusted clinical technology and evidence-based solutions that engage clinicians, patients, researchers and students with advanced clinical decision support, learning and research and clinical intelligence. For more information about our solutions, visit http://healthclarity.wolterskluwer.com and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter @WKHealth.
May 16, 2019 - Cell therapies including so-called "stem cells" are increasingly being marketed and used for the treatment of musculoskeletal disorders - despite questions about these treatments and their effectiveness. A new tool for standardizing communication about cell therapies is presented in the May 15 issue of The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery. The journal is published in the Lippincott portfolio in partnership with Wolters Kluwer.

Called "DOSES," the new tool provides standards for describing the characteristics and use of cell therapies. Developed by an international expert panel, "The use of this tool may allow clinicians and patients to better understand the characteristics of current and future cell preparations," according to the new report's senior author, Robert F. LaPrade, MD, PhD, of The Steadman Clinic, Vail, Colo.

Consensus Tool Seeks to Clarify 'Misleading, Ambiguous' Terminology

The DOSES tool was designed to meet the need for more transparent, standardized communication in describing cell therapies - often marketed as "stem cells" - for musculoskeletal conditions. "Misleading or ambiguous terminology can result in mistaken assumptions regarding cell origins and characteristics, making interpretation of studies difficult," Dr. LaPrade and colleagues write. "A lack of standards for conveying the characteristics of cell therapies is being increasingly exploited with misinformation of unproven treatments."

An expert working group of 34 clinicians and researchers followed a formal process to reach a consensus (more than 80 percent agreement) on the essential information needed when communicating about cell therapies. The resulting DOSES tool addresses five areas that should be included whenever cell therapies are described or reported on:

Donor : The source of cells - for example, from a donor (allogeneic) or from patients themselves (autologous).

: The source of cells - for example, from a donor (allogeneic) or from patients themselves (autologous). Origin : The type of tissue from which cells were obtained - for example, fat or bone marrow.

: The type of tissue from which cells were obtained - for example, fat or bone marrow. Separation : The methods used to prepare the cells or separate them from other tissues.

: The methods used to prepare the cells or separate them from other tissues. Exhibited cell characteristics : Referring to biologic activity that is believed to affect the therapeutic behavior of the cells./li>

: Referring to biologic activity that is believed to affect the therapeutic behavior of the cells./li> Site of delivery: Referring to where the cells are administered - for example, intravenously or into a joint (intra-articularly).

These five elements should be used in describing cell therapies at every step: from initial scientific reports through product marketing and clinical use. "The DOSES tool can be utilized by researchers, clinicians, regulators, and industry professionals to improve standardization and transparency when describing cell therapies," Dr. LaPrade and coauthors write. They also believe that research journals should make these "core descriptors" mandatory in studies reporting cell therapies.

The DOSES tool provides a much-needed set of standard descriptors, at a time when "stem cells" and other cell therapies are being aggressively marked to consumers and professionals - often without meaningful supporting data. "Clinical research and practice are being undermined by ambiguous terminology that acts as a barrier to understanding the basic attributes of cell therapies," Dr. LaPrade and coauthors write. "The present study has established consensus on the requirement for a descriptive tool to improve cell therapy communication."

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Click here to read "International Expert Consensus on a Cell Therapy Communication Tool: DOSES"

DOI: 10.2106/JBJS.18.00915

About The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery

The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery (JBJS) has been the most valued source of information for orthopaedic surgeons and researchers for over 125 years and is the gold standard in peer-reviewed scientific information in the field. A core journal and essential reading for general as well as specialist orthopaedic surgeons worldwide, The Journal publishes evidence-based research to enhance the quality of care for orthopaedic patients. Standards of excellence and high quality are maintained in everything we do, from the science of the content published to the customer service we provide. JBJS is an independent, non-profit journal.

About Wolters Kluwer

Wolters Kluwer is a global leader in professional information, software solutions, and services for the health, tax & accounting, finance, risk & compliance, and legal sectors. We help our customers make critical decisions every day by providing expert solutions that combine deep domain knowledge with specialized technology and services.

Wolters Kluwer, headquartered in the Netherlands, reported 2017 annual revenues of 4.4 billion. The company serves customers in over 180 countries, maintains operations in over 40 countries, and employs approximately 19,000 people worldwide.

Wolters Kluwer Health is a leading global provider of trusted clinical technology and evidence-based solutions that engage clinicians, patients, researchers and students with advanced clinical decision support, learning and research and clinical intelligence. For more information about our solutions, visit http://healthclarity.wolterskluwer.com and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter @WKHealth.
GBP/EUR FORECAST UPDATE: The Pound to Euro exchange rate continued to fall through Thursday's session with Sterling registering a ninth consecutive day of depreciation and currently on track for a tenth with the GBP last seen trading at 1.1437, close to a three month worst.

Politics look set to remain the dominant factor driving financial markets into the weekend with Brexit continuing to weigh on the  and US-China relations representing a source of risk for global markets.

"The Great British Pound remains under significant pressure and testing important technical levels as concerns increase again around Brexit. A statement from Graham Brady, the head of the UK Conservative backbench 1922 Committee, stated that he will meet with PM May to set a timetable for her departure as party leader following a Parliamentary vote on the EU Withdrawal Bill in the first week of June" wrote Lloyds Commercial Banking strategist Robin Wilkin, adding " Meanwhile, reports suggest that the cross party Brexit talks between the Tories and Labour are set to end today without a deal being struck."

Despite the pressure, the latest Lloyds GBPEUR forecasts put the pair higher at 1.16 by the end of Q2, rising to 1.17 and 1.18 by the close of Q3 and Q4, respectively.

In the near-term however, downside pressure could see the Sterling move lower.

ING strategist, Chris Turner wrote that "Given the prospect of: (a) A Tory drubbing in European elections, (b) Mays Withdrawal Deal being rejected for a fourth time in early June and (c) a formal leadership contest starting shortly thereafter, we doubt investors will want to go anywhere near the pound," adding "There is also a lot of room to re-build speculative GBP shorts after these were completely unwound over the last six months."

With the Pound to Euro exchange rates on track to see out its ninth consecutive day of declines as both global and Brexit-lreated sentiment weigh, the question facing investors is what, if anything, can stem the Sterling's substantial depreciation.

Currently trading at 1.436, the GBP/EUR remained on track to see out it's worst fortnight since May 2017 with losses - at the time of writing - totalling 2.67%.

The slide in the GBP is by no means limited to the Euro cross with Sterling down across the board as Brexit concerns coupled with shapy global appetite for risky assets combine to leave the GBP at the bottom of the G10 pile in terms of recent performance.

While recent economic has been relatively upbeat - enough so that that the Bank of England's latest policy review and subsequent statement release reaffirmed the central bank's bias to policy tightening - the cloud of Brexit has if anything intensified over recent sessions as the perceived probability of no deal rises.

For one, cross-party talks have continued to yield nil in the way of progress. While reports from sources engaged in or close to the talks have been mixed, the failure to present a joint-deal and the decision to instead put the Withdrawal Agreement Bill to a vote in early June speaks volumes about the state of discussions.

Furthermore, pressure is mounting on the Prime Minister to set a firm departure date from office amid fierce criticism from within her own party.

Thursday saw May meet with the Conservative 1922 Committee with investors now awaiting reports on how the discussions went.

"Prime Minister Theresa May this morning meets the 1922 Tory party committee. There is speculation this committee will take another vote on rule changes that would allow Mays leadership to be challenged before December," wrote ING economists, adding "A rule change would increase the chances of a more euroscpetic PM emerging this summer. GBP was the worst G10 performer yesterday..."

Looking ahead, the Pound to Euro outlook remains unsurprisingly politically-coupled with analysts noting the upcoming European parliamentary elections as a potential fresh source of political drama.

"as we close in on the elections to the European Parliament and the Conservatives are expected to lose seats, the pressure is rising on PM May. GBP was the poorest performing G10-currency, losing 1.3% against the USD and 1.6% against the EUR" wrote DNB analysts.

Despite the clear and apparent downside risks facing the UK economic outlook, DNB's latest FX forecasts put the EURGBP exchange rate (currently trading at 0.874) lower over their forecast horizon with the cross tipped to fall to 0.84 over the coming month before edging back towards current levels to reach 0.86 by the twelve-month mark.

Above: DNB ASA: Exchange Rates - Actual, Forwards and DNB Forecasts

Danske Bank analysts, citing a lack of clear directional cues, expect the Euro to Pound exchange rate to remain range-bound over their forecast horizon.

"With the Brexit extension until 31 October and no reason to believe Theresa Mays deal will pass or the cross-party talks will be successful anytime soon, we think it is difficult to see further GBP strengthening near-term," wrote head of FX research, Christin Tuxen, adding "we see EUR/GBP will remain range-bound at 0.85-0.87 in 1-3M. It is more difficult to predict what will happen when we get closer to the new Brexit deadline in October but as we think a further extension is likely, we expect the cross to remain in the 0.85-0.87 range in 3-12M."

Part of the problem with accurately forecasting future Sterling rates, according to some analysts, stems from the fact that diametrically opposite options remain on the table with both no-deal and no Brexit potentially viable options.

Commenting on such scenarios, Reuters options analyst, Robert Howard wrote "Two UK government ministers on Wednesday highlighted two options if MPs reject Theresa May's proposed Brexit agreement for a fourth time. One option would be very good for GBP; the other would be very bad. The very good option for sterling would be for Britain to revoke Article 50 and remain in the European Union. The very bad option would be for Britain to leave the EU with no deal."

Near-term therefore it seems like there's little in the way to alleviate the current downside pressure on the GBP.

"Sterling has fallen to a 1-month low this afternoon as a combination of a lack of Brexit progress and a deterioration in risk appetite make the Pound less attractive," said senior Caxton FX analyst, Michael Brown, adding "With an absence of major economic releases for the remainder of the week, focus remains on political developments in Westminster, with the likely collapse of cross-party talks a potential catalyst for further downside moves."
As I understand it British citizens resident in Spain can only vote in local regional elections but not

Spanish General Elections or European Parliamentary elections, so long as they have registered

to vote and therefore cannot vote for a Spanish MEP.



Or is there a grey area over British residents rights to vote in the European Elections in Spain ?,

as my understanding is that ( as the rules stand at the moment - while the UK is still a member

of the EU ) they can only vote for their British MEP in the UK, as British Overseas Voters; just

that one of the British Expats I met on Tuesday night was agruing that as he's never registered

as a British Overseas Voter but only as a voter on the Spanish electoral role; that entitles

him to vote in European Parliamentary elections as well as local regional Spanish elections.

I hasten to add hes not a Brit who's taken up Spanish citizenship and been in the

country for less than 15 years.
Thursday, May 16, 2019

May 17, 2019, marks the 50th anniversary of the death Captain David R. Crocker, Jr. in Vietnam. We were married on June 9, 1966, the day after his graduation from West Point.

Each year, remembering his death on this date reverberates through whatever Im doing. This anniversary is the only aspect of the experience of his loss that feels anchored in time. Each year I note the weather, then and now, and who I am, presently. I remember that in 1969 it was finally becoming spring-like and trees were blossoming, although it had been chilly in the northeast like this year. By Memorial Day, when his funeral was held, we were jettisoned into summer with temperatures in the 90s. My great-uncle wore a black suit and passed out from the heat when we gathered in the cemetery. I would have liked to have shared my secret then with Uncle Ephraim that Dave wasnt really being buried that morning. Perhaps he wouldnt have collapsed from sadness and the sun. Only our letters and other memorabilia were in the coffin. Daves sister and I would take his ashes to the Eiger in Switzerland later that summer. It was my attempt to control uncontrollable events.

I remember the commencement of disbelief and grief back then as I reabsorb the chain of events from long ago; the notification, the decisions, the identification of the body, the acceptance that it had really happened. Each year since, at this time, I pay more attention than usual to my life navigation and where Ive sailed since that bolt of catastrophe. I went to Vietnam this year in February to see the country for myself. My visit didnt change anything for me but Im glad I had the courage to go. The heat was intense and the scorching sun was the one element I remember from his letters.

The most important thing Ive done in the fifty years since his death is to try to understand the experience of war and loss by writing about it. Richard Hoffman says, about writing difficult stories, that you can never entirely redeem the experience, but you can make it beautiful (human) enough that there is something to balance it. When we restore balance, we integrate our experience and find our own truth. It becomes manageable, even coherent. Writing about this tragedy caused me to dig into understanding who I was when I married at age nineteen and how I managed the unexpected catapult into widowhood at twenty-two.

And when we tell our stories we discover others with important stories.

Among the blessings I have received over the years are my friendships with the men of A Co 2/22 Infantry who served with Dave and also hold him in their hearts. They have helped me immeasurably by sharing their memories with me at reunions over the past fifteen years. They tell stories that help me continue to feel the presence of Dave in the world. Im not sure if time actually heals wounds, but it definitely provides opportunities to understand the wound better. Today and always, I give thanks for the healing effects of time  and good people who are willing to share their stories.

For more stories, visit Ruth at www.ruthwcrocker.com.

Ruth W. Crocker is the author of Those Who Remain: Remembrance and Reunion After War.
Thursday, May 16, 2019

May 16 EXPERTCLICK.COM What happened to Dreamers? 759 wds

What's Happened to the DACA/DREAMERS?

By Peggy Sands Orchowski

The legalization of so-called DREAMERS  those hyper sympathetic young people who as common definition has it "were brought into the country illegally and innocently by . their parents at a young age" -- many say as infants. According to the common story, DREAMERS only learned that they were in the country illegally (aka: that they are in fact unauthorized or "undocumented" immigrants) when they went to get their drivers' licenses or apply to college and were refused on the basis of their immigration status.

The sympathetic personal stories of selected DREAMERS have been featured in long cover stories, features, profiles and television focus stories for years. They became a cause celebre of immigrant advocates. Since 2017, Congress shut down the government three times because a bill to legalize between 700,000 to 4 million DREAMERS was not included as part of the year-end budget.

So why in 2019 have DREAMERS not been included in any of Democratic or Republican immigration reform proposals, encluding the one coming out of the White House today?

I have been covering the DREAM Act since it was first proposed in 2007 by the bi-partisan Senate buddies Orin Hatch (R-UT) and Ted Kennedy (D-MA). I have watched and reported how the definition and very concept of DREAMERS has been spun by both sides and how this most sympathetic group of illegal immigrants - some of whom truly merit special legalization legislation - have become a favorite bait-and-switch issue for politicians across the spectrum.

"Everyone loves the issue of DREAMERS but no one wants to support a solution," lamented former Washington Post publisher Donald Graham at a May 5 meeting at the BiPartisan Institutei in DC. Graham founded and is personally active in TheDream.US, a non-profit organization that supports DREAMERS in college.

Both Republicans and Democrats have suggested stand-alone DREAM Acts but they have always failed. One explanation according to former Mississippi Governor and Senator Haley Barbour is that no one wants to take DREAMERs off the negotiating table because they want to use them as a driver to pass other more controversial immigration issues.

Many polls have confirmed that a good majority of Americans want "children who were brought into the country illegally by their parents" to be legalized. The problem is however that not one word of that defintion is included in the definition and basc qualifications of DREAMERS in any Dream Act proposal nor even in President Obama Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.

The real definition of DACA/DREAMERS is: "anyone who came into the United States before age 16". In 2018, Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer changed that defintion to "under the age of 18", with no upper age limit to apply and applicants required to have been in the country for only four years from the date of the Act's passage.

So by definition and in fact: DREAMERS and DACA recipients don't have to have been brought in by their parents. They can and do come in legally on temporary visas like student and tourist and then overstay them. They don't have to be little innocent children. They can come in as minors (ie under the age of 18) on a first class plane ticket, or on the top of a train or by traffickers or fake relatives or unaccompanied. Once here four years they will qualify for a green card under the Democrat's new DREAM Act.

A DACA/DREAMER is by definition a millennial when they can apply  ages 18-32 and more. Most are not innocent of having entered and living illegally in the US. Most who were teenagers when they entered and at the age of majority, knowingly and purposely broke U.S. immigration laws.

This is not how most generous and compassionate Americans picture DREAMERS.

In 2010 my op ed about "Why The Dream Act Can't Pass" was published in California. It describes how loosy-goosy the Dream Act was with little or no penalty if the applicants lie about their age of entry for instance. The flaws have only been enhanced by the false definition, perpetuated by everyone including reporters and editors too busy to check the three page DACA order or the 20 page Dream Act proposal.

In reality however no one really cares. The DREAMERS whatever their definition are being used to push a larger package. As they become more controversial, assertive and aggressive  even attacking House Speaker Nancy Pelossi in a press conference  the sympathy towards these "little children" is being replaced by infatuation now with the "children" and UAMs (unaccompanied minors most of whom are older teenagers) of families surging across the Mexican border.

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Boeing is temporarily storing some of its 737 Max jets at the companys facility in San Antonio after the airplanes were grounded in the wake of two fatal crashes.

We are using resources across the Boeing enterprise during the pause in 737 MAX deliveries, company spokesman Paul R. Bergman said. The Boeing San Antonio site will temporarily store airplanes as part of our inventory management plan.

On ExpressNews.com: Boeing, StandardAero adding jobs in San Antonio

The crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia involving the Boeing model killed 346 people combined, and the U.S. grounded the aircraft in March.

Faulty software and aircraft features and pilot errors have been blamed for the accidents, multiple media reports indicate. Both Boeing and the Federal Aviation Administration have come under fire for their response to the crashes.

Boeings 168-acre site at Port San Antonio is home to one of the largest freestanding hangars in the world and is one of the largest maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) sites for aircraft.

Bergman declined to specify how many planes are being stored in San Antonio. The company also is storing the planes at facilities around Seattle, he said.

We are working closely with our colleagues in San Antonio to manage our inventory, he said.

The planes in the area, which have been sold, will go back to Washington for delivery to customers, Bergman added.

On ExpressNews.com: San Antonio aerospace company moving to Port, hiring

The companys San Antonio facility is the service depot for the militarys Boeing C-17 Globemaster transport planes and for maintenance of the Air Force One fleet. The company also is upgrading F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter jets at the site, and a new pair of Air Force One planes will be retrofitted locally.

About a quarter of Boeings approximately 3,800 employees in Texas, or about 950, work at the facility. In December, site leader Jay Galloway said the company plans to double that number by mid-2020.

madison.iszler@express-news.net
San Antonio-based physical therapy company Airrosti opened in 2004 with a single employee.

Since then, its ballooned into a practice with 700 employees and that trains health care providers to deliver specialized treatment for musculoskeletal injuries and other conditions. Airrosti has certified more than 250 providers in Texas and four other states: Illinois, Ohio, Washington and Virginia.

Because of its growth, the company, which has contracts with the Dallas Cowboys and CrossFit gyms, recently moved into a new corporate headquarters on the North Side.

The 44,000-square-foot building features a call center, a large treatment area and a training site for chiropractors and physical therapists. The building also includes a yoga room for employees.

Dr. Jason Garrett, the companys clinical director, said the early goal was simple  change the way soft-tissue injuries are treated to improve outcomes while reducing costs.

RELATED: New Orleans-based coffee chain coming to San Antonio

Our most important guiding principle is to never waste a patients time or money, he said. We all want to be healthy and live pain-free lives.

The clinic started out treating athletes, he said, but now anyone with soft-tissue or joint injuries can visit one of more than 200 treatment centers. Garrett said the company plans to hire another 50 providers this year.

Airrostis approach focuses on diagnosing the root cause of pain, then employing targeted manual therapy and rehabilitation exercises to correct the underlying cause and prevent future injuries.

Adopted by large health insurance carriers as an in-network benefit, the program is considered an alternative to surgery, pain management and long-term chiropractic or physical therapy programs. Airrosti claims a patients pain is often resolved in three visits.

RELATED: Report shows costs of medical procedures all over the map

While the privately held company declined to share details on its financial performance, CEO Mark Metcalfe said its fortunate to have shareholders focused on the long-term success of their business.

Because of this and because Airrosti is profitable and able to expand without additional capital, we dont have any plans to go public in the foreseeable future, he said.

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
Shanghai (Gasgoo)- Chinas EV startup Sitech on May 16 announced the completion of a Series B funding round, which is led by an industrial investment fund of Changshou District in Chongqing. Up until now, the startup is valued at over RMB10 billion, almost reaching a unicorn status.

The amounts of the capital raised and more details about the latest financing round will be announced at an upcoming funding conference.



Sitech intends to speed up the R&D of new products, make the sales channels move down closer to consumers and innovate business development modes after the Series B funding round completes, said the startup. Before long, the company will unveil a new mobility strategy and launch its ride-hailing service online. Moreover, it plans to release a next-generation intelligent A0-segment EV model at the Auto Guangzhou 2019.



Founded in September 2017, Sitech is a NEV developer boasting efficient and independent EV R&D capability. From the time being, it has deployed R&D facilities in such cities as Hangzhou, Beijing and Guiyang to independently develop a variety of core technologies like complete vehicle platform, IoV (Internet of Vehicles) and autonomous driving.



In early 2018, the startup finished the angel funding round which was invested by Gui'an New Area Emerging Industry Development Fund and Gui'an New District Development and Investment Co.,Ltd. Then in May last year, it raised hundreds of millions of dollars from its Series A financing round led by CDH Investments.


PCH has awarded more than $400 million in prizes on doorsteps across the U.S. and Canada since it was founded in 1953 as a multi-magazine subscription company. Nowadays, there is a winner every 10 minutes, said Howie Guja, a five-year member of the PCH Prize Patrol Elite, which started in 1989 and only hand delivers checks greater than $10,000. About six or eight times a year, PCH awards prizes over $1 million.
Russian bots may have an easier time getting through Facebooks firewalls than fair housing ads  at least, if the city of Houstons experience is any indication.

The city bought ads on the social media site through the Houston Chronicles promotions department for a campaign during Fair Housing Month in April highlighting the seven classes protected under the Fair Housing Act of 1968: race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status and national origin. The ads ran in the Chronicles real estate section and the newspaper then arranged the purchase of the Facebook ads.

Facebook allowed five of the seven ads but blocked ads regarding race and religion, flagging them as related to politics on an issue of national importance.

Its not political to promote fair housing, said Sarah Labowitz, assistant director of the citys Housing and Community Development Department. There is no other side.

Devon Kearns, a spokesperson for Facebook, pointed to Facebooks policy of requiring third-party authorization to run political ads. Any advocacy around civil rights issues  either for or against  would fall under the requirement, she said, though she didnt give examples how else it could be applied to federal laws.

We agree these ads should be allowed to run, Kearns said. We just ask that people go through these additional steps.

Arranging for the Chronicle to be an authorized third-party buyer for the city on Facebook, however, would not resolve the issue, Labowitz said.

Facebook is applying its own policy inconsistently, she said. It doesnt make sense to let through five of the seven protected classes and then block the last two.

Kearns said allowing the other ads to be published was an error by Facebooks ad review team.

Missed opportunity

Sasha Marshall, a senior planner at the citys housing department, designed the ad campaign, called We Are All Protected, featuring real Houstonians as models.

She called Facebooks block a missed opportunity to educate people about their human rights.

We cant talk about race, we cant talk about religion in a healthy way that applies to a federal act because youre afraid to have the conversation? Marshall asked. Thats not what were about as a nation.

The city learned about the ad denial in late April. Labowitz and Marshall spoke to Facebooks public policy team on April 24. Two days later, Facebook rejected the ads again. After the ads were nixed by Facebook, the Chronicle stepped aside to allow the city to make its case to Facebook, according to Labowitz.

She sent a letter to a Facebook vice president on May 8  and sent a copy to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

We understand your intent in developing the political advertising policy was to shine a light on speech that seeks to influence elections, stoke division, or exploit weaknesses in our civic fabric, like racism, she wrote. But there is a risk that in your attempt to redress Facebooks role in the public debate, the company is suppressing speech that promotes civic virtues, such as fighting racism in housing.

Previous housing concerns

Facebook hasnt had an easy time since the 2016 presidential election, but fair housing specific complaints stretch back at least three years.

HUD sued Facebook for housing discrimination in March, alleging that the way it lets users restrict what types of people could view ads counted as housing discrimination. Kearns declined to comment on the suit, calling it an entirely separate issue.

A ProPublica investigation in 2016 showed that buyers could exclude people from viewing housing ads by race. The Fair Housing Act makes it illegal to limit housing sales and rentals based on race and the other six protected classes that the city of Houston wanted to showcase in its April campaign.

sarah.smith@chron.com
NEW BRAUNFELS  Residents of Lake Dunlap are finding their boats, docks and decks marooned on acres of mud flats after part of a dam failed, releasing a torrent of water and largely draining the lake.

The middle spill gate of the dam abruptly lurched up and forward early Tuesday, slamming down on the spillway below. The dam, almost 90 years old, holds back water from the Guadalupe and Comal rivers, downstream of Canyon Lake.

Within hours, some longtime residents said the level of the 8-mile-long lake east of New Braunfels dropped to the lowest level theyd ever seen. By Wednesday, it looked more like a river channel flanked by fresh mud.

Now Playing: GBRA experienced a spillgate failure Tuesday morning, May 14. This video shows the precise moment the middle gate collapsed resulting in the dewatering of Lake Dunlap. Video: Fox7

The Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority, which owns the dam and five others that form lakes and reservoirs on the Guadalupe, didnt immediately know the cause of the failure, GBRA spokeswoman Patty Gonzales said Wednesday. The agency said there were no reports of injuries or property damage.

While the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers continues to release water from Canyon Lake upstream, GBRA will be hampered in investigating what went wrong, she said.

In 2016, another GRBA dam west of Gonzales partly failed and drained much of Lake Wood. The cause was a failure of structural steel, the GBRA found.

It hasnt been fixed.

On Lake Dunlap, some residents said they dread a similar delay  or longer  in getting their waterfront back.

Before Tuesday, the narrow lake had a surface area of 400 acres and reached a depth of 40 feet near the dam. It attracts boaters, skiers and fishing enthusiasts.

GBRA has been working with engineers to design new spill gates at all six of the dams in our district along the Guadalupe River basin, Gonzales said. Funding is going to be an issue. While the designs are not yet ready, we know it will cost tens of millions of dollars for each individual dam.

The dams were built in the early 1930s to generate hydroelectric power. The bulk of GBRAs revenue comes from water sales. It also sells electricity and handles wastewater treatment.

On ExpressNews.com: Boaters try a compromise on Lake Dunlap

Property owners are miffed at GBRA.

They couldnt care less about us on the lake, said Merlinda Payne, who with her husband, Daryl, owns a home on Lakeside Pass, near the lake.

The Paynes own another piece of land on the water and planned to build a home there. Now, they arent so sure.

If it stays at this level, Daryl Payne said, pointing toward the mud lake bed where several feet of water had been, we wont build.

A more pressing issue for the couple and countless others on the lake is their watercraft now stranded in the mud.

Beneath the 1,400 square-foot concrete deck the Paynes had built over the water were a ski boat and a pair of jet skis, perched above mud.

Top hits: Get San Antonio Express-News stories sent directly to your inbox

Many waterfront houses have their own docks and some owners had their boats out of the water.

Others werent so fortunate.

One property owner, who only would provide his first name, Paul, for fear of retaliation by GBRA, described a pontoon boat that is sitting atop the muddy lake bed. It belongs to a neighbor who was out of town when the dam broke.

Michael Fisher

Another neighbor had just closed on the sale of his lake house but hadnt yet removed his boats. Now, he has no way of retrieving them.

Paul, whos lived full time on the lake for years, pointed to two nearby tree stumps that hed never seen before the lake receded Tuesday.

What are his plans?

Theres nothing I can do but stay here. Nobody is going to buy waterfront property thats mud, he said.

He sent emails to the governor and state Sen. Donna Campbell, R-New Braunfels, asking the state to step in and help. By midday Wednesday, Paul only had received automated responses.

I just cant imagine two or three years, he said. It aint pretty.

Some property owners rely on the lake for income. They offer rentals by the day. One lives in a small apartment on part of lot and rents out the main waterfront house through a website.

Both Paul and the Paynes grumbled about the premium they pay in property taxes for their waterfront properties. If the dam isnt fixed, Daryl said he plans to demand a decrease in their property valuation.

Youre paying a lot of taxes for something that is unusable for the foreseeable future, he said. If this is in the same condition next year, then yes, well protest.

Josh Baugh covers environmental issues in the San Antonio and Bexar County area. Read him on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | jbaugh@express-news.net | Twitter: @jbaugh
The San Antonio City Council decided Thursday to spend up to $141,000 to continue providing humanitarian aid to migrants at its temporary immigrant resource center.

We support the most vulnerable among us because its in our DNA, Mayor Ron Nirenberg said.

The city is here to respond to need. We do that for our entire community. This is no different, he added. Im grateful for what has become an example of what compassion looks like.

The money, approved unanimously, will support nonprofits that are providing services at the downtown center. They include the San Antonio Food Bank and Catholic Charities.

City Manager Erik Walsh asked for the money after U.S. Customs and Border Protection told the city this week there will continue to be a high number of migrants arriving at the downtown Greyhound station.

The city is doubling the size of the resource center by clearing out adjacent offices, city spokeswoman Laura Mayes said. The center is in former Quiznos across from the bus station.

On ExpressNews.com: Migrants inundating San Antonio bus station

Since it opened on March 30, the center has assisted about 8,000 migrants. They have been predominantly families with young children.

The Interfaith Welcome Coalition, along with members of the community and other agencies, have volunteered at the center to give out donated clothes, toys, food and medical treatment during the day.

At night, the Travis Park Church  a block away  opens its doors to shelter them. Nirenberg said he visited the church shelter Wednesday night, and saw about 230 asylum seekers there. Most are waiting for a bus ride and leave within a day or two.

It was a sea of humanity, Nirenberg said. But several rooms overflowing with joy. And not just from the families who were there, safely in San Antonio  getting care from neighbors who were delivering it with servant hearts  but also from the people there providing release.

Officials referenced San Antonios response during Hurricane Katrina, when the city sheltered and aided tens of thousands of people displaced from New Orleans.

We are doing a prevention measure for homelessness, said District 7 Councilwoman Ana Sandoval. Its 8,000 people we dont know where they wouldve gone if they didnt have this assistance.

District 9 Councilman John Courage called on the county for support, and expressed concerns that the nonprofits are losing money meant to aid San Antonio residents because theyre spending it on the unexpected migrant influx.

To him, that was all the more reason for the city to chip in and approve the funding for the nonprofits.

He and other council members also criticized the federal government.

This is something that has pretty much been imposed upon us, Courage said.

The city will seek federal or state reimbursement.

On ExpressNews.com: Eagle Pass company charges migrants high fares

District 10 Councilman Clayton Perry was skeptical about supporting non-residents.

Are we taking city taxpayer money to help subsidize these federal issues? he questioned. Why cant we bring this up later?

About the nonprofits, he asked: If this didnt go through today, when would they go broke?

Walsh expressed concerns about letting nonprofits get to that breaking point.

If we do get to that point, I think it creates more of an emergency, Walsh said.

Ill support this, but this is a one-time thing, Perry said.

Of the total funds, $86,000 will go to Catholic Charities, the San Antonio Food Bank and Travis Park Church.

The remaining money will rely on community donations: For every $2 donated, the city will chip in $1 to those organizations for up to $55,000..

Nirenberg said the decision to fund migrant humanitarian aid was simple and fundamental.

Is there anything more important than what were doing right now? Than helping these folks in need? I mean, really, Nirenberg said.

Silvia Foster-Frau covers immigration news in the San Antonio, Bexar County and South Texas area. Read her on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | sfosterfrau@express-news.net | Twitter: @SilviaElenaFF
A group of San Antonio women leaders, many of them mothers, women of faith and some of them former victims of domestic violence, have been pressed into action to denounce the mayoral candidacy of Councilman Greg Brockhouse.

Within a few days, its members will go before the public to declare that his election would send a terrible message to victims of domestic violence, who are already reluctant to report husbands, boyfriends, co-workers and friends, people who purport to love them but instead hurt them physically, psychologically, professionally and financially.

The grass-roots group, metu: Diversity Defeating Violence, will stand together to warn San Antonians that tolerating domestic violence tells women that abuse wont be treated seriously by law enforcement, and that women can be threatened, beaten up and worse with impunity.

More specifically, metu will express how horrified its members are not only by the two accusations of domestic violence against Brockhouse, but that he remains reluctant to speak about the second incident, from 2009, beyond categorical denials.

The 2009 police report was reported on by San Antonio Express-News journalist Brian Chasnoff, but has disappeared from the public record, apparently because it was legally expunged. As a result, other news organizations have been unable to view the document themselves and report on it.

OnExpressNews.com: Past domestic violence allegations emerge against mayoral candidate Greg Brockhouse

Brockhouse was not charged in either incident and has denied any wrongdoing. In the 2006 episode, he allegedly shoved his estranged second wife and tangled with her boyfriend. Brockhouse contends that the boyfriend sucker-punched him and that he was the victim.

The 2009 police report presents a starker picture. His third and current wife, Annalisa, told police that he grabbed her, threw her to the floor and tried to hit her, relenting only when their children entered the room. After the Express-News reported on the incident, Annalisa disowned her earlier account to police, describing Brockhouse as an exemplary husband and father.

Brockhouse at first told the Express-News he did not remember the 2009 incident. Then he demanded to see a copy of the police report. Then he said he did not want to see it and would not discuss it.

Just before the start of a candidate forum in April sponsored by the Rivard Report, Brockhouse threatened to walk out if he was asked about either of the incidents. The two debate moderators did not raise the subject. Domestic violence similarly went unmentioned during a televised debate sponsored by the San Antonio Chamber of Commerce and hosted by KLRN-TV.

Much is at stake. The nations eyes will be on San Antonio if voters elect a man who has two domestic violence accusations in his past, dodges questions about them and has public safety unions championing his candidacy.

Whatever cachet San Antonio has, it is at risk.

Metus three co-chairs are Ellen Riojas Clark, a UTSA professor emeritus of bicultural-bilingual studies; businesswoman Dorinda Rolle, who holds an MBA and Ph.D. in organizational leadership; and Gina Galaviz Eisenberg, a former television broadcaster and president of a public relations company.

With two diacritical marks, a macron and an accent over the Spanish word for you, its name plays off the #MeToo movements famous hashtag for an international campaign against sexual harassment.

The groups stationery says, No Hitting. No Hating. No Hurting. No Brockhouse.

Metu has gained steam over the last few weeks via calls, texts and emails. In a matter of days, more than 100 women in leadership positions signed on to its one-page statement of purpose.

We are worried what the election of this man would say to our sisters, sons and daughters, it says. We are convinced his election would set the cause of women back decades in our city.

A man who abuses women is not fit to serve as mayor of our city.

RELATED: Mayoral candidate Greg Brockhouse threatened to bolt debate if asked about domestic violence police reports

Metus members worry that under a Brockhouse administration, women will get fewer opportunities to serve in the corridors of power and that domestic violence organizations that receive city funding will lose it if hes elected.

Rolle told me yesterday that domestic abuse, once viewed as normal behavior, is being re-normalized by Brockhouses candidacy.

Its a deadly normal, she said, pointing to the 28 reported fatalities in San Antonio last year related to domestic violence.

We want to draw attention to the issue for the loved ones of the murdered, because it affects so many more, especially the children, Rolle said. Theyve lost mothers, sisters, daughters and aunts, and employers have lost valued employees.

This is unacceptable for the seventh-largest city in the nation, she said. Were better than that.

Metu hopes to start conversations in San Antonio about how to end domestic violence, and those conversations need to happen with our elected officials, in our faith communities and in our families.

What domestic violence isnt, metu says, is a private matter. Its a local problem and a national issue. Its deadly and unacceptable.

Men can be a part of metu, too. Its community-wide campaign and petition drive will be launched Monday, several members said.

According to its statement, the first order of business will be to begin a loud and timely conversation about domestic abuse, how to recognize it, how to escape it, how to end it (and hopefully how not to elect it).

Regardless of who becomes mayor, metu plans to stay the course in the name of the San Antonians who lost their lives from domestic violence.

Elaine Ayala is a columnist covering San Antonio and Bexar County. Read her on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | eayala@express-news.net | Twitter: @ElaineAyala
Drug prices had been shooting through the roof. So early this legislative session, Republican Rep. Tom Oliverson, a physician from Cypress, filed a bill in the Texas House that would demand transparency from pharmaceutical companies every time the price of their drugs rises more than 50 percent in a single year.

It wasnt perfect. The legislation wouldnt have caught huge spikes in insulin prices in recent years, or those for common cholesterol and blood pressure medication that millions of Texans rely on every day. But with the states business-friendly climate and strong drug lobby, Oliverson said he worried that anything stricter would never survive.

Then late last Thursday, as the House was winding down on its final day to pass bills, something extraordinary happened. A successful eleventh-hour amendment by Rep. Senfronia Thompson, D-Houston, turned what many had seen as a weak transparency bill into one of the strongest in the country.

Did you know that in the last four years the pharmaceutical companies have raised the price of insulin 90 percent? I'm talking about 9-0, Thompson said on the House floor. All I'm asking for is to do what the people sent us here to do. Protect them from price gouging. Protect them from big pharma, who wants to stick it to them.

The amendment passed nearly unanimously, with cheers from members in both parties.

Consumer advocates and lobbyists are now fighting frantically over the changes, which seem to have caught everyone off guard and thrown the bills future into question as it moves to the Senate, with a hearing scheduled early Thursday morning.

Texas Take: Get political headlines from across the state sent directly to your inbox

Under the amended version, the state would require pharmaceutical companies to report and turn over extensive documentation every time a drug price jumps over 10 percent annually, a far lower threshold than Oliverson had proposed. The measures, like those in the original bill, would only apply to drugs with a price of at least $100.

I was not aware of any other conservative states that had been that aggressive, and that was my concern  how do we sell something like this in Texas, Oliverson said Wednesday. I think the moral of the story here is there is a much stronger appetite for addressing this than we anticipated.

Pharmaceutical lobby mobilizes

The fight comes amid a nationwide push to increase transparency around drug pricing. The Trump administration is finalizing rules to force pharmaceutical companies to disclose prices during television ads. Texas is one of several states weighing proposals to require drug makers to report annual price spikes and explain the reasons behind them.

Among the strictest are Oregon and Vermont, which already require manufacturers to reveal when annual prices jump by 10 and 15 percent respectively, according to the National Academy for State Healthy Policy.

For subscribers: States bring price-fixing suit against generic drug makers

Spikes in drug costs have affected patients across the country. About 25 percent of Americans who use insulin to treat their diabetes are rationing the medicine because of skyrocketing costs, according to a recent study in the Journal of American Medicine. The effects are especially pronounced in Texas, where an estimated one in seven adults suffer from the disease.

The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, a trade association that represents drug companies, opposes the bill and has been lobbying senators ahead of Thursdays hearing. It argues that the reporting requirements would add unnecessary paperwork for both their members and the state, and would not reduce prices for patients.

Ultimately the price that patients pay out of pocket is determined by a multitude of factors over a complex supply chain, said Nick McGee, a spokesperson for PhRMA. This does nothing to address what their real out-of-pocket costs are.

Sen. Kelly Hancock, R-North Richland Hills, who chairs the Business and Commerce Committee that will hear the bill Thursday, declined to comment.

A real wake-up call

The amended bill, HB 2536, calls for the Health and Human Services Commission to create a website where Texans could track price spikes and explanations from pharmaceutical companies for those increases. It would also separately require pharmacy benefit managers, which act as middlemen between drug companies and the pharmacies that dispense drugs, to disclose when theyre keeping rebates from patients - a concern from some industry groups.

Blake Hutson, a lobbyist for the AARP who said he crafted the amendment for Thompson, called last weeks vote a really exciting moment for consumer advocacy.

The general assumption for groups like AARP is it's really hard to beat PhRMA with all their money, but the tide is changing for consumers around health care costs, Hutson said. It's late in the session, but the bill is alive, and we hope it gets across the line. This is on par with as good as it gets with price transparency. This is progressive state strong.

Thompson said she felt compelled to strengthen the bill because of concerns from constituents, and even her own experience with rising drug costs. Two years ago, she paid $45 for a 5-milliliter bottle of eye drops. Today, she said a prescription for half as much medicine costs $105.

Im concerned about the little guys, Thompson said, those people who need medication and cant afford those increases.

Thompson said she had expected the amendment to pass, but not nearly by the margin it did: 134-4. Similar legislation from Rep. Sarah Davis, R-West University Place, which would have lowered the annual price spike threshold to 15 percent, died quietly in committee weeks ago.

Oliverson, who had feared the amendment would sink the bill, returned the next day in full support.

This is a real wake up call for everybody involved in the whole pharmaceutical supply chain, he said Wednesday. That citizens expect change. Change is a-coming.
AUSTIN  Less than a week after the first-ever Texas LGBTQ House Caucus celebrated its defeat of whats come to be known as the Save Chick-fil-A bill, a new version of the legislation passed in the Senate on Wednesday.

The bill got its nickname after the San Antonio City Council in March voted to bar Chick-fil-A from opening airport concessions due to the fast-food chain owners' record on LGBT issues.

Senate Bill 1978, sponsored by state Sen. Bryan Hughes, R-Mineola, would bar governments from punishing people and companies for affiliating or donating to a religious organization. It passed on a 19-12 vote Thursday and is now headed to the House.

This time, the LGBTQ Caucus will likely find it more difficult to derail. House Speaker Dennis Bonnen told Spectrum News on Wednesday that he supports the bill and believes it would pass in the House.

Hughes offered an amended version of the bill Wednesday that changed the description of the type of person protected by the bill to those with membership in, affiliation with, or contribution, donation or other support provided to a religious organization.

For subscribers: Texas Democrats kill bill inspired by San Antonios Chick-fil-A flap

Previously, it applied to those with sincerely held religious belief or moral conviction, including beliefs or convictions regarding marriage.

Democrats in the Republican-led Senate tried to defeat the bill through prolonged questioning, amendments and other procedural actions but did not find success like their fellow party members in the House.

State Sen. Jose Menendez, D-San Antonio, tried to raise a point of order Wednesday evening, the same type of procedural move that had killed the bill in the House, but it was overruled.

Im concerned because there are many people who do cloak themselves in religious organization and yet run nefarious and discriminatory activities, Menendez said during discussion on the floor.

He added: It seems like session after session, we end up entertaining legislation that sends a message to my LGBT staff members and other LGBT staff members around the building that they feel theyre coming under attack.

Throughout debate on the floor Wednesday, Hughes repeatedly defended the bill by saying that it would not cloak anyones illegal activity.

This bill is only about action the government takes against us, Hughes said. The intent is not  its the furthest thing from discrimination. This protects everyones religious freedom and free speech.

Jonathan Saenz, president of Texas Values Action, cheered the preliminary passage of the bill Wednesday as essential for religious freedom and government accountability.

Its late, but there is still enough time for this must-pass bill to get approval in the House and go to Gov. Abbott for his signature, Saenz said.

Meanwhile, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender advocates and other civil rights groups denounced the vote, saying the state and federal law already protect religious freedom.

We have seen supporters of the bill use Chick-fil-A as a dog whistle and this measure as a tool for suggesting that treating LGBT Texans with the same respect and dignity we all deserve is somehow a threat to religious freedom, said Texas Freedom Network President Kathy Miller. Now were all being asked to trust that this bill, if passed, wont be used to justify discrimination. The bills supporters simply have not earned that trust.

State Sen. Carol Alvarado, D-Houston, read the First Amendment aloud and questioned Hughes over why the bill was necessary given that the Constitution guarantees the right to religious freedom.

So many of us are scratching our heads and wondering, We already have that protection within the Constitution, Alvarado said. I wonder what the authors of the Constitution and Bill of Rights would be saying today.

taylor.goldenstein@chron.com

twitter.com/taygoldenstein
Baby Doe, who was eventually retrieved from the alley by his grandmother and then taken to a fire station, had to be resuscitated and was without oxygen for an extended period of time. He was hospitalized and now is in the foster care system. His young parents, whom the Tribune is not naming because they are juveniles, face attempted murder charges, and his grandmother Karla Antimo is charged with felony disorderly conduct after police say she lied about how she found the baby.
Texas lawmakers are not pursuing meaningful criminal justice reform this session, so the public and media should quit using that term to describe the Damon Allen Act.

Its misleading. This is not meaningful criminal justice reform. This bill would establish basic standards for magistrates who set bail, and it would create a uniform pretrial risk assessment tool for defendants. But the bill is defined more by what it is lacking in political conviction and statutory language than what it seeks to accomplish.

Named after state Trooper Damon Allen, who was murdered in 2017 during a traffic stop, this legislation is a priority for Gov. Greg Abbott. He would like to strengthen the system to ensure defendants who are potentially dangerous to the public are not released pretrial.

This is a goal we support, too. But if state officials are serious about assessing risk, then they have to be serious about addressing the plight of low-level nonviolent offenders languishing in Texas jails simply because they cannot afford to make bond. This bill does nothing on this front. It has no language underscoring the presumption of release for defendants or requiring that bail conditions be as least restrictive as possible.

And as we have seen from recent drama surrounding the Damon Allen Act, there are vested interests seeking to bend this bill in the other direction, potentially locking more people up pretrial.

Consider an amendment from state Rep. Oscar Longoria, D-Mission, that would have wiped out personal recognizance bonds for tens of thousands of Texans. This is when people are released from jail pretrial without having to pay a cash bond. Obviously, if your business is money bail, you dont want people to receive PR bonds.

Longorias amendment would have eliminated the possibility of a PR bond for anyone who has in the preceding two years, failed to appear after being released on personal bond or has had a bond found to be insufficient.

It also would have eliminated the possibility of PR bonds for anyone who was charged with an offense while out on a bond, community supervision or parole. And it would have eliminated a PR bond for anyone charged with possession of four grams or more of drugs.

Longorias amendment was passed, and then later stripped out of the House version of this bill following deserved widespread bipartisan criticism. He has said he was addressing concerns about public safety, but his amendment was clearly criminalizing poverty and almost certainly would have invited lawsuits. For example, experts have noted most people miss court dates because they have work or childcare commitments. Under this amendment, a wealthy person who missed a court date could always pay for a cash bond. But a poor person would be stuck in jail.

Longorias amendment would have made the Damon Allen Act terrible. Instead, its merely lackluster. As of this writing, the bill would require magistrates to receive at least four hours of training about setting bail and not have been impeached. And it would create a uniform risk assessment tool through the Office of Courts Administration. Done right, such a tool could be good. It would create consistency for evaluating risk across Texas counties, and help officials weigh public safety and personal liberty. But done wrong, it would be a vehicle for placing more people in jail, and unfairly target minorities and poor people (a problem that has arisen with some of these tools).

And, of course, weighing risk wont matter if low-risk defendants end up with bonds they cant afford. The best hope for the Damon Allen Act is that language from Longorias amendment does not return in the Senate, and that state Sen. John Whitmire, D-Houston, an expert on criminal justice issues, is able to incorporate language that addresses the inequities of cash bail.

Short of that, dont call this criminal justice reform.
Re: Uber, Lyft drivers protest across the U.S., overseas, ExpressNews.com, May 8:

Can anyone tell me why Uber and Lyft drivers are protesting when they volunteered to be sweatshop labor for these companies?

Maybe they should brush up on their first grade math and figure out there isnt a way to make money with what Uber and Lyft are charging passengers. Theres an easy solution: Quit and move on.

Scott Sands

Nirenbergs strength

Re: Brockhouse proves electability, but whose side will he energize? by columnist Gilbert Garcia, Metro, Sunday:

I consider the Chick-fil-A airport contract a minor issue compared to the firefighters union wanting a stranglehold on the city budget. Apparently, some dont read up on complex subjects.

Granted, a vote for Greg Brockhouse is a vote for the union, and they can be pretty popular and obviously have a lot of money still. Im amazed the vote for mayor was so close.

Mayor Ron Nirenberg rightfully takes mature paths on issues and doesnt always bend to one side or the other. As Gilbert Garcia said, Nirenberg tends to frustrate people on both ends of the political spectrum.

I, for one, think thats a good thing.

Bill Hurley

Read the Bible much?

Re: Divine intervention, Your Turn, Monday:

Tillie Hamilton says Steven Botts should consider the biblical phrase: God works in mysterious ways. The problem with that is such a quote does not appear anywhere in the Bible  not the Old Testament or the New Testament. Its not even a misquote.

This well-illustrates the fact that the Bible is the most revered and least read book in America.

Joan Raab

Shouldve stayed local

Re: Beto ORourke plans reintroduction as 2020 buzz fizzles, mysa.com, Saturday:

The reason Beto ORourkes 15 minutes of fame went by so fast was because of all the competition out there.

ORourkes ideas were the same as all the other candidates already in the race, so he couldnt possibly stand out. He didnt have a problem in Texas because it was one-on-one for the U.S. Senate seat, but thats not going to be true in the Democratic presidential primary. He will even have a problem in Texas because he has Julian Castro to contend with.

How many Democrat voters actually think that a close loser is really a winner when it comes to politics?

Sorry, Beto, you should have stuck with Texas politics and not branch out because people said you were popular nationally.

Robert M. Louie, Houston

Shootings horrifying

I am pretty old, but I am not too old to not remember my carefree days in high school. We thought about boys, getting into the pep squad, being in clubs and, of course, our special friends.

Never was there any thought of being shot or being harmed in any way! I never heard of an assault weapon. The very idea of one of my friends being killed by an anonymous shooter  anathema. Not conceivable!

How have we come to so strange and terrifying a place? How could this horrifying scenario become a common occurrence?

We should be questioning ourselves. We should be questioning our leaders. Why isnt something being done? Why are we so complacent when our childrens lives are being threatened this way? Something seems terribly wrong, and it cant just be in my mind.

Kay Mijangos
Katy, Texas, isnt where youd normally expect to find one of the fastest supercomputers in the world. But Thursday, an Australian company will fire up a digital behemoth in a data center near that Houston suburb that, when it is fleshed out by the end of the year, will have world-class computing power.

Coyly dubbed DUG McCloud, the system takes up a 22,000-square-foot room at the Skybox Data Center on Franz Road in Katy, with another identically sized room in waiting for expansion. When completed by the end of the year, it will be comprised of 40,000 processors. All this hardware is immersed in a chilled, non-toxic oil to keep it cool.

Now Playing: This supercomputer is operated by DownUnder GeoSolutions at Skybox Data Centers in Katy. There are 5,000-6,000 processors submerged in oil for cooling. When its finished, there will be 40,000 processors. Video: Dwight Silverman, Houston Chronicle

DownUnder GeoSolutions, based in Perth, Australia, conducted a global search for the data center to house its creation and settled on Katy, just a few miles from its Houston office. Two big reasons: cheap electricity and fast connectivity.

Elizabeth Conley, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer

We looked at power costs and fiber-optic availability, said Matthew Lamont, DownUnders chief executive and co-founder. We found this beautiful new facility, and its in Houston, where the oil industry lives. It makes sense having it in Houston.

QUANTUM LEAP: Strangeworks, indeed: Quantum computing comes to the enterprise

The 21st century oil and gas industry thrives on hardcore computing power, crunching data derived from seismic testing to find oil deep in the ground and below the sea. Supercomputers speed up the process of analyzing and visualizing that data, and the faster they are, the better. DownUnder declined to disclose the names of any customers.

Orders of magnitude

While the laptop on your desk or the smartphone in your pocket are certainly powerful computers, they pale in comparison to supercomputers. While PCs and mobile devices typically have a single microprocessor handling computational chores, Supercomputers have thousands of them.

Traditional computers tackle one problem at a time, but supercomputers are designed to take a problem and break into many smaller pieces, with many processors working to solve them. In the case of DUG McCloud, the system has between 5,000 and 6,000 processors from Intel, with more on the way. By the end of the year, there will be 40,000, said Phil Schwan, DownUnders chief technology officer.

Basically, Intel cant make them fast enough, Schwan said. We are their primary customer for them.

The system is built on a type of Xeon Phi processors from Intel, which makes DUG McCloud a rare machine. Many supercomputers are built on GPUs, or graphical processing units, which have the same kind of architecture as the chips found in high-end video cards. But there are features of the Intel chips that make them better suited for what DownUnder wants to do, Schwan said.

Elizabeth Conley, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer

Timothy Pickett Morgan, co-editor of Next Platform, a trade publication focused on high-performance computing, said DownUnder has done a good job of making Intels processors, which are an older model released in 2016, sit up and bark with their code.

They are the last buyer of any size for the Knights Landing processors, he said, referring to the generation name of Intels Xeon Phi chips. Theyve got this marvelous code that would normally run on GPUs and theyve done a great job of tuning that code for these processors.

Built to expand

Morgan said DownUnders business model is similar to that of Google or Amazon Web Services, which sell access to high-performance systems and can expand as needed. To that end, theres another 22,000-square-foot room at Skybox reserved for DUG McCloud, and a 10-acre building is in the works for even more expansion.

Theyre running a supercomputer as a service, he said. And doing that involves finding ways to cut costs and boost profits.

For example, DownUnder has a method of connecting the processors to each other that dramatically reduces the amount of wiring, and thus the cost.

Elizabeth Conley, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer

Because the hardware is submersed in oil to stay cool, fans and costly air conditioning systems arent required, reducing power costs. The Skybox Data Center is located next to a CenterPoint power substation, so the electricity flowing into it is stable  and inexpensive.

Houston has some of the lowest electricity costs in the country, Lamont said. He would not say how much DownUnder is paying for power.

ACADEMIA: UT-Austin gets funds to build fastest university supercomputer

Fast, in its way

Modern supercomputer speeds are measured in petaflops, which is one thousand million million floating point operations (thats where -FLOPs comes from). Schwan said at its current configuration, DUG McCloud is a 30-petaflop system. But when it hits its planned 40,000 processors, it will be at 250 petaflops, based on whats called single-precision computations.

With those specs, Lamont said, it should be one of the fastest in the world. But because of the nature of supercomputing metrics, it wont necessarily show up on the canonical list of the speediest systems.

Top500, found online at top500.org, lists the 500 most powerful supercomputers in the world. It is updated twice a year, and was last updated in November 2018. A system named Summit at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, operated by the U.S. Department of Energy, is currently at the top of the list at about 200 petaflops.

Elizabeth Conley, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer

Operators of supercomputers can make the list by submitting the results of a benchmark test called Linpack. But that program doesnt run well on DUG McCloud because its tuned for oil and gas applications, not for benchmark programs. Schwan said that, as a result, DownUnder wont be seeking inclusion on the list.

Gerard Gorman, a computer scientist on the engineering faculty at the Imperial College of London, said many powerful supercomputers dont make this list.

Its not really representative of engineering applications, Gorman said, adding that some supercomputing operators are hostile to the Top500 list.

He cited the case of Blue Waters, a system at the National Center for Supercomputing Applications at the University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign, whose operators famously spurned the list in a scathing public statement over its irrelevance.

The only benchmarks that are really relevant is the application you need to run on it to make money or change society, Gorman said.

dwight.silverman@chron.com

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houstonchronicle.com/techburger
Fairfield, MT (59436)

Today

Cloudy with snow showers mainly during the evening. Low -17F. Winds NNW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of snow 40%..

Tonight

Cloudy with snow showers mainly during the evening. Low -17F. Winds NNW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of snow 40%.
Elmer J. Baker Jr. (1889-1964), a longtime commentator on the farm implement scene, wrote of the short-lived Deere-Clark car in a 1962 issue of Implement & Tractor magazine.

In mentioning the Deere car, we are not alluding to the Velie. The Velies were John Deere kin and made buggies in Moline until the advent of the motor age caused them to switch to automobiles. Lots of John Deere dealers bought them, sold them and used them.

But the Deere car was something different. We never heard much about it and never saw or rode in one but once. We dont know who committed the company to it nor who dropped it like a hot potato, but we know why. We doubt if anyone else now alive does.

The particular Deere car of our acquaintance was a four-passenger run-about, very sporty looking. The seat backs were quite low, and, buggy-style, there were no side entrance doors. You just stepped up and in.

This Deere car was owned by a Chicago newspaper man named Elton Lauer, who, in 1908, was appointed president of the Chicago Civil Service Commission. Lauer was a tough disciplinarian and cleaned up much of the graft and corruption in the police force. But one time his discipline failed and it was right in his own family.

His little daughter liked to sit in the Deeres front seat, normally her mothers place. One Sunday she begged leave to sit in front beside her daddy, permission was granted and Mrs. Lauer sat behind. They were on an improved road; it was gravel and not just dirt. Like almost all such roads it weaved and waved up and down, and occasionally there was quite a thump or bump. There were no recoil shock absorbers then.

It was the rule that when the little girl was riding beside the driver, she must keep perfectly quiet so as not to distract him. She had always done so, but on this occasion, she suddenly exclaimed: Daddy! Mr. Lauer frowned and said: You know the rule.

Yes, but Daddy, Mama is not here. Mr. Lauers turn of his head and his jamming on of the brakes at the same time was automatic. His wife was not in the back seat. The road was winding and they had just passed a bend a short distance behind.

Mr. Lauer got the car turned around and started back. Maybe a furlong from the bend, there was Mrs. Lauer sitting disconsolately in the middle of the road, crying.

When they got to her, she said that the car had hit a bump, she was tossed into the air and when she came down the car was not there. She landed sitting in the roadway. A careful check showed nothing broken, and she was helped back into the Deere car  in front. Later investigation disclosed bruises but no serious injury.

From this episode maybe one can figure out why the Deere folk discontinued production of the neat, racy, low-seat-back Deere car.

Deere and cars

Long before tractors were a gleam in the eye of farm machinery giant Deere & Company, Charles Deere, the firms president, and son of John Deere himself took a flier in the automobile business.

A man named W.E. Clark had a manufacturing company in Moline during the 1890s and built a one-cylinder, air-cooled auto-buggy in 1897. By 1901, the car was improved and a four horsepower runabout was sold to a doctor in Rock Island.

Blackhawk

No more cars were built until 1903 when the Clark Manufacturing Co. finally began producing an automobile. Named the Blackhawk, the new car was air-cooled, had tiller steering and a planetary transmission, and was available in either a single-cylinder engine model at $750, or a two-cylinder version costing $850.

Only 50 Blackhawks were built before production was halted for unknown reasons.

Deere-Clark

Clark didnt give up and searched for capital to begin again and in 1906, after an injection of $10,000 from Charles Deere, he introduced the Deere-Clark, A car designed to satisfy.

Deeres investment was apparently his own money, as theres no evidence Deere & Company was involved with Deere-Clark, nor were the cars ever sold by Deere dealers.

A factory was built in Moline and Charles Deere himself is said to have driven the first car in July, and plans were made for 100 cars to be built during the rest of 1906, but only about half that many were actually made.

The car had a four-cylinder, 30 horsepower, water-cooled engine, a selective gear transmission, disc clutch and shaft drive.

The 1906 Deere-Clark was available as a five-passenger touring model costing $2,850, or as a limousine for $3,500.

For 1907, a Type A Gentlemans Roadster was added to the lineup in addition to the Type B touring car and the limousine.

The roadster cost $2,500, was low slung and sporty looking, and is said to have been painted red. It had the usual two front seats, along with a smaller seat behind (this is probably the one Elmer Baker wrote of).

By mid-1907, Deere-Clark was dealing with a machinists strike and several lawsuits, and financing dried up.

There were possibly as many as 200 cars built before Deere-Clark declared bankruptcy in September 1907 and its assets were bought for $37,500 by Charles H. Pope, although Charles Deere must have retained an interest.

Midland

Pope reorganized the firm into the Midland Motor Car Co. A picture of the 1908 Midland Model G-9 roadster, which was called The Motoring Sensation of 1908 looks identical to the preceding Deere car and 200 of them were made that year.

Production grew each year until 1911, when Pope retired and the Deere estate assumed control (Charles Deere had died Oct. 29, 1907).

Midland production in 1912 totaled 613 cars, with 671 built in 1913, but there was trouble in the office.

It seems Pope had been a little shady. Payroll discrepancies, bank overdrafts, and altered and missing records were discovered, and almost 50 new cars had disappeared without a trace.

Unfortunately, by the time all this was discovered, C.H. Pope had gone to his heavenly reward, and none of the missing money was recovered. Said to be the largest bankruptcy in Illinois up to that time, the Midland Motor Car Co. was liquidated and all assets sold.

And that was the end of the Deere involvement with automobiles.
Sanford Bishop and Sonny Perdue go way back. So far back that Bishop, now a 14-term, Democratic congressman from south Georgia, remembers when Perdue, now the secretary of agriculture under President Donald J. Trump, was a Democrat.

Their friendship was tested April 9 when Perdue appeared before the House Appropriations ag subcommittee to defend the Presidents 2020 budget request for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

Bishop, as chairman of the subcommittee, oversees every taxpayer nickel USDA receives.

During his question time, Bishop roasted the secretarys plan to move two USDA agencies, the Economic Research Service (ERS) and the National Institute for Food and Agriculture (NIFA), out of Washington, D.C.

No one, he said, favors the move except Perdue. Not only that, Bishop went on, Perdue was moving ahead with his plan despite the subcommittee not receiving a cost-benefit analysis on it that the secretary had promised.

In fact, he continued, Perdues rush to shuffle ERS and NIFA out of town just seems to be a solution in search of a problem.

When asked to comment on those facts  especially that no one with any working knowledge of his plan endorsed it  Perdue went full farm folksy: Mr. Chairman, he said, Im just amazed that all those people you mentioned could all be wrong.

He then grinned weakly. Bishop is just the latest public official to question Perdue on his ERS/NIFA plan.

All  like Perdue himself  have seen no evidence to support it because, in fact, there is no evidence to support it.

Moreover, Perdue cant explain it in any terms other than nonsense like getting ERS closer to its customers.

On May 7, however, Politico, a Washington-based news service, reported that the plan was the Trump Administration retaliating against the ERS for publishing reports that shed negative light on White House policies

Specifically, ERS has run afoul of Perdue with its finding on how farmers have been financially harmed by President Donald Trumps trade feuds, the Republican tax code rewrite and other sensitive issues

Politico then quoted a current ERS employee who said Perdues push to send the ERS and NIFA packing was retaliation to harm the agency and send a message (from) the administration.

Additionally, the piece continued, the retaliation was spurring an exodus of talent from ERS that included six (economists) quitting the department on a single day in late April.

None of this matters to Perdue. On May 3  despite Bishops April 9 warning that the Ag Appropriation subcommittee needed more information before the secretary proceeded  USDA announced it had three finalists for the potential new locations of the ERS and NIFA.

If Perdue heeds the White Houses worst instincts and continues to retaliate against bearers of bad ag news, the secretary wont have much time left to address the torrent of bad news headed his way.

For example:

Trade wars that the White House continues to ratchet up as commodity prices continue to ratchet down;

U.S. ag export markets being overtaken by competitors even as White House trade talks stumble toward breakdown;

Net farm income, despite rising 10 percent in 2019, remains 40 percent below its 2013 high;

Perdues inability to help broker a compromise between Congress and the White House on the long overdue disaster relief package and

Saving any legislative goodwill to help secure a likely, even bigger ag bailout this fall.

Each one of those reasons is reason enough for the secretary to simply let go of a departmental reshuffle he cant explain and, legally, cant do without Congressional consent.

Emerging evidence, however, points to why hes wasting our time and his credibility in doing it: the White House doesnt like ERS telling the truth about the effects of Trumps trade and tax policies. Looking at todays farm prices and the bleak future they promise, farmers and ranchers  just like Perdue and the White House  know ERS got it right.

As such, Perdue needs to step away from all the White House claptrap and stand up for rural America.

If he cant, he, like dozens of other Trump appointees, needs to step aside.
SALEM, Ohio  A love for Hereford cattle has been passed down three generations at Creek Bottom Farm in Navarre, Ohio. The farm has been in Jeff Johnsons family since the 1800s. Jeff and his wife, Jane, moved onto the farm in 1974, and he taught at Wayne County Schools Career Center, retiring in 2003 after 31 years. Together, they raised three children on the farm: Jeremiah Johnson, Jamie Young and Jennifer Reeves.

All three are now raising their own children in agriculture and Hereford cattle. Jeremiah, road superintendent for Paint Township/ Wayne County, has two daughters Jillian, 8, and Evelyn, 5, who both help with the cattle. Jamie is a registered veterinary technician and clinical manager at Hometown Veterinary Service and is married to Aaron Young. Her three children are also involved in the farm: McKenna Baney, 13; Madelynn Baney, 11; and Mason Young, 4. Jennifer and her husband Brian live in Washington Court House, Ohio, where they raise hogs with their two daughters, Emily and Alison.

History

Before the Johnson family raised beef cattle, they had a dairy operation, but in 1960, the family sold the dairy cattle. The Johnsons bought their first Hereford cattle in 1974 when Jeff and Jane were first married. They began buying bottle calves that were half Holstein, half Angus or half Holstein, half Hereford. They now have 60 head of Hereford cattle and club calf cows, 40 of which are Hereford.

The family owns 207 acres and rents an additional 60 acres. A large portion of this land is pasture and on the rest of the ground they produce hay and corn. Jeff, Jane and Jeremiah run the day-to-day operation.

Genetics

The family takes pride in their Hereford genetics and can trace almost every Hereford on their farm back to one of their original calves. The herd has always been artificially inseminated, Jeff said, and COBA does their breeding. They use a variety of semen, some sexed, in their herd, also buying from other Hereford farms, Streamline Genetics, Reed Enterprises, Select Sires, Cattle Visions and Genex, among others.

We arent specific to one company, said Jeff. Youve got to use the bulls that are popular now. Even in the club calf industry, youve got to use the popular bulls if you want to sell the calves.

Fifteen years ago, they began conventionally flushing the cattle. They put the eggs in at the home farm and at a satellite farm. Occasionally, they purchase eggs from other herds, both Hereford and calf club. They plan spring calving from the first of January and finish up in April. They also calve in fall, so that the Hereford females can fall into different classes at the shows, said Jeremiah.

Operation changing

According to Jeremiah, the operation has changed over time. When he was showing, they had a fair amount of Hereford cattle, but started adding club calf cattle to the operation. Now that the club calf market is flooded, they have transitioned back to having more Herefords.

The biggest thing is keeping up with the way the cattle are changing. I would say the show cattle now are better suited for being able to be production cattle than what they were 15 years ago, said Jeremiah.

Jeremiah began adding his own cattle into the herd in high school and has been doing so ever since. Jeff and Jane plan to reduce their numbers gradually.

We will go as long as we can, just help him, said Jeff. But we will gradually keep reducing the number of cows that we have and he will keep increasing the number he has.

Showing

The Johnsons have been showing since 1984. They started out just going to county fairs, then gradually began going to the Ohio State Fair and national shows. Their first Junior National was in Perry, Georgia, and theyve traveled to Fort Worth, Texas; Billings, Montana; Kansas City, Missouri; Louisville, Kentucky; Des Moines, Iowa; East Lansing, Michigan; Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; Grand Island, Nebraska; Madison, Wisconsin; Denver; Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Thats been our vacation, said Jeff.

The family has enjoyed the years spent in the industry, Jeremiah said.

Going to the cattle shows was the most fun for me and doing good at them, and learning that in order to do good at the show, you had to do your work at home.

Kids that you showed with now have kids that are starting to show, so you have that same group of people, said Jane, When we go to Junior Nationals, we travel two, three, four trailers together.

After he was no longer a junior, Jeremiah traveled to different shows and sales, fitting cattle for people. Now, he helps his children and nieces in their showing career. They also show at the Eastern Ohio Hereford Association Junior Show, which is always held the second Sunday in June. Jeff and Jane have been in charge of this show for over 10 years as Jeff is association president and Jane is secretary.

Past winnings

At the 2018 Ohio Hereford Futurity, the family received premier breeder, premier exhibitor and reserve champion cow/calf pair honors. In 2017, they received premier breeder, premier exhibitor, champion cow/calf pair and reserve champion prospect steer at the Ohio Hereford Futurity. In 2015, they were named Hereford premier breeder at the Ohio State Fair.

Third generation

McKenna, Madelynn and Jillian all participate in junior shows. They give speeches at the junior nationals, compete in judging contest at junior nationals, the county 4-H judging team and they are apart of Dalton Kidron Big 4 4-H club in Wayne County. They have had success in their showing careers, even at an early age. But they typically show against each other, and it gets really competitive, said McKenna.

Sales

Participating in sales is also a large part of the operation. They send Hereford cattle to the Ohio Beef Expo, the J&L and Guest Sale and the Switzerland of Ohio Polled Hereford Association sale in the spring. The family also does many private sales of both Hereford and club calves throughout the year online or in person.

Focus on feeding

Right now the biggest challenge is getting them fed right, said Jeremiah. You can have a good animal, but if you dont feed them right ,youre not going to do any good. And you can have an average animal, feed them right and do really well.

Organizations

The family is involved in many organizations  Stanwood Community Church, Stark County Cattlemens Association, Ohio Farm Bureau, Ohio Cattlemens Association, Buckeye Hereford Association, Buckeye Junior Hereford Association, American Hereford Association and the National Junior Hereford Association. Jeff served on the Wayne County beef committee for 30 years and Jeremiah has served on and off since high school and is currently serving a term. Jeremiah is also an adviser for the Kidron Dalton Big 4 4-H. Jamie is on the Buckeye Hereford Association board of directors.

Standing out

Jeremiahs goal for the farm is to continue a good reputation of supplying quality breeding cattle and show steers.

In our cattle, the biggest thing that stands out is the functionally of the animal. After somebody buys something, its going to go on and be functional and productive, he said.
AMES, Iowa  With research confirming that swine viruses can be transmitted through feed and feedstuffs, new studies are looking at how to prevent the spread of foreign animal diseases, such as African swine fever (ASF).

Based on new research, the Swine Health Information Center (SHIC), the National Pork Board, the National Pork Producers Council and the American Association of Swine Veterinarians have revised the information for feed holding times (see adjacent table).

The new details decrease holding times over the initial estimations, which were calculated in October 2018 based on the available research, and give additional assurances of further viral degradation if the feed ingredients are contaminated.

The science on viral transmission through feed and feedstuffs is still relatively young, but it has yielded some interesting and potentially useful information on mitigating the spread of costly viruses, such as ASF, said Paul Sundberg, DVM, Swine Health Information Center executive director.

Lots of variations

But not all imported feedstuffs are manufactured and handled in the same way, Sundberg cautioned. Its important to know whether ingredients are produced under biosecure conditions and how they were shipped.

Variations of the same feed components might cause disparity in holding time confidence, added David Pyburn, DVM, National Pork Board senior vice president, science and technology.

For example, according to research using Senecavirus A (Seneca Valley virus), which is suggested to have the longest holding time of studied viruses, increasing holding times by an additional 30% would give an opportunity for 99.999% degradation of contaminating viruses, Pyburn said.

More research would be needed to confirm that the results could be extrapolated to other feed ingredients in like classes to those studied.

The updated information shows new holding times details for general informational and educational purposes. They should not be considered as to be recommending or advocating any specific course of action.

What to watch

Continued diligence on feedstuffs origin, the manufacturing processes, the shipping methods and born on date is essential, Liz Wagstrom, DVM, National Pork Producers Council chief veterinarian, said.

Feedstuffs manufactured, sealed, handled, and shipped under biosecure conditions produces an ingredient free of pathogens and reduces the risk of post-processing contamination, resulting in little to no risk to animal health.

For example, vitamins and amino acids are typically shipped in sealed or secure containers. Anything produced under unknown conditions or unsealed can pose an animal health risk.

Imported soybean meal and DDGS are often transported in non-sealed or non-secure containers. Knowing the origin of ingredients and the disease status of the region or country is essential.
Issues such as Brexit and the impact of climate change are increasingly affecting farmers' mental wellbeing, according to the NFU.

Mental health support for rural areas will become 'ever more important' as the farming industry comes up against 'some of its greatest challenges', NFU Vice President Stuart Roberts said.

The comments were made during the Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution's (RABI) annual general meeting.

The welfare charity offers financial support to farming people in hardship of all ages.

Last year, payments sent to struggling farmers increased by a significant 47 percent following a particularly difficult year for the industry.

Speaking at the meeting, Mr Roberts said more resources are needed to help the growing number of farmers with mental health problems.

He emphasised the need for greater NHS resource in rural areas to help those who are struggling.

Mr Roberts said: The British farming industry is on the brink of momentous change, not only on a national scale with Brexit but in the universal fight against climate change.

These challenges, alongside the hugely diverse issues that running a farm business entails, can be incredibly stressful and have a negative impact on mental wellbeing.

He said that mental health is an area that farmers have often been reluctant to talk about.

Many farmers struggling with their mental health have turned to charities for support and these services will undoubtedly become even more important in the future.

Mr Roberts added: But this needs to go beyond charity support. We need to see government providing more medical resource in rural communities to ensure farmers can get the help they need and deserve.

The meeting comes as Mental Health Awareness Week gets underway from Monday 13 to Sunday 19 May.

The BBC has recently released a short film which was met with huge applause after it tackled the topic of mental health in the farming industry.
The European Union has agreed a Brexit package of 43m (50m) for Irish beef farmers who fear price losses as a result of the UK leaving the bloc.

The EU Commission has agreed the significant package for Irish beef farmers, meaning the Irish government is expected to provide matching funding of 50m, bringing the total package to 100m (87m).

The Irish Farmers' Association (IFA) welcomed the news, saying the beef sector has suffered 'savage price losses' due to Brexit.

IFA President Joe Healy said he spoke directly to EU Agricultural Commissioner Phil Hogan on Tuesday 14 May, and they met in Brussels on Monday.

Beef farmers have suffered savage price losses due to Brexit uncertainty and it is a welcome development that the EU Commission has recognised this and responded to the IFA proposal, he said

IFA National Livestock Chairman Angus Woods said that while the finer details of the scheme had to be finalised, he said it is 'vital' that 'every cent goes directly to farmers'.

Mr Woods is in Brussels on Thursday where he is due to meet with EU Commission officials and members of Commissioner Hogans Cabinet to work through some of the details on the aid package.
Farmers in Northern Ireland have complained of a shortage of stockproof fencing which is preventing some from meeting an environmental scheme's deadlines.

Farmers are having difficulty meeting the 1 June deadline for the Environmental Farming Scheme (EFS) because of a shortage of suitable fence posts.

The Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) has acknowledged the problem.

Advice was offered for those having difficulty in securing posts: Where participants are finding difficulty locating fence posts to the required specification they should obtain, and retain for inspection, written evidence of their attempts to do so prior to 1 June 2019.

This could include a dated order placed with a post supplier/contractor or a dated receipt for a paid deposit. This evidence will be accepted by inspectors and additional time will be permitted to complete the work.

Options requiring protective fencing such as hedge planting will be treated in a similar manner.

Another option for participants would be to reduce their claim by submitting an EFS SAF 3 to reflect the length of fencing actually completed but this can only be done if you havent been informed of an inspection or that there is a problem with your claim.

The DAERA spokesperson went on to confirm that penalties would apply if the length of fencing claimed is less than the length found on the ground.

If a claim is inspected and the amount claimed differs by more than 10% from the amount determined by the inspector, penalties will be applied unless there is acceptable evidence of attempts to obtain posts.

Its in everyones interest to get this work completed as soon as possible or have evidence that you have attempted to obtain fence posts but were unable to do. If neither of these are possible, your claim should be reduced accordingly.

The EFS, which is designed to address specific environmental needs, is part of the NI Rural Development Programme and is part funded by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development.
Farmers, landowners and gamekeepers are counting their losses 'everyday' after the sudden revocation of three General Licences.

The ongoing crisis means those who are affected by the revocation are seeing crops, livestock, gamebirds and wildlife damaged 'everyday' by 'problematic' wildbirds.

Defra has launched a call for evidence on the impact of Natural Englands decision to revoke licences.

In evidence submitted to Secretary of State Michael Gove, the National Gamekeepers' Organisation (NGO) condemns Natural Englands (NE) replacements.

The body's new General Licences for crows, woodpigeons and Canada geese are 'unworkable', says the NGO, whilst NE's interim Individual Licensing Scheme has proved a 'disaster' for being 'legally chaotic'.

Numerous rural bodies have criticised the new licences due to a perceived lack of a proper consultation or advance notice.

In its submission, the NGO calls on Michael Gove to issue 'simple, pragmatic' licences so that bird control can be resumed.

Liam Bell, Chairman of the NGO said: What makes this situation even more absurd is that documents released on Friday by Wild Justice, led by Chris Packham, reveal that the threat of a legal challenge was limited to a single ground only, which could easily have been addressed by Natural England in other ways.

Basically NE caved in and this has precipitated a rural crisis. The ultimate losers in this catastrophe are vulnerable wild birds, livestock and farm incomes. We now look to the Secretary of State to sort it out without delay.

Its submission includes the background that led to the General Licences being introduced in 1992 as well as supporting evidence which identifies nine crucial elements as to what the new general licences should look like.

Mr Bell added: Every day lost to the ongoing crisis sees more gamebirds, wildlife, crops and livestock damaged by these very common problematic birds.

The result of this is devastating for those of us who strive hard to maintain the careful balance in our countryside. It will take many years to rectify the damage that has been inflicted on our wildlife and rural environments by Natural Englands atrocious actions.
Researchers have warned that there could be 'significant departures' from current pesticide legislation once the UK leaves the EU.

Pesticides which have been labelled carcinogenic under current EU legislation could make its way into the UK due to a 'significant weakening' of enforcement arrangements.

The new analysis by the UK Trade Policy Observatory indicates that what should be a technical formality of transferring EU powers into national law when the UK leaves the EU could instead 'open the gates' to outlawed pesticides.

The group, which is a partnership between the University of Sussex and think-tank Chatham House, says such pesticides have been shown to alter human reproductive, neurological, and immune systems.

It has uncovered a significant weakening of enforcement arrangements covering the approval of pesticides as part of legislative changes carried out under the EU Withdrawal Act.

They include the removal of a blanket ban on Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals (EDCs), potentially allowing for their use on UK land despite.

This is despite evidence suggesting that the chemicals raise the risk of some cancers, birth defects, and other developmental disorders.

EDCs are permitted for use in Canada and the US and both governments view the EU ban as an undue trade barrier.

The new analysis observes this barrier has now effectively been lifted in advance of UK-US and UK-Canada future trade negotiations.

Dr Emily Lydgate, Fellow of the UK Trade Policy Observatory, said: While the stated aims of the EU Withdrawal Act was to bring existing EU pesticide regulations into UK law without major changes to policy, our analysis reveals that there are significant departures from EU pesticides legislation.

The new legislation consolidates powers to UK ministers to amend, revoke and make pesticide legislation, and weakens both enforcement arrangements and the requirement to obtain scientific advice.

The researchers also warn that the EU system of checks and balances is being cast aside for a new regulatory process which places power into the hands of UK ministers and away from scientific advisors.

EU requirements place scientific advice as integral to the approval process, but they warn that the commitment to scientific evidence will be significantly watered down in the future.

This is because UK ministers will only be required to consider scientific evidence at their discretion, which may open the door to deregulation in the future.

Dr Lydgate outlined the concerns to the Committee on Exiting the European Union on Wednesday 15 May.

She warned there is already provisions to overhaul EU safeguards regardless of what kind of Brexit is finally agreed.
Among those slights, Matthews said, was an incident in which Melgar, while riding a motorcycle to a party at a diplomatic embassy in the capital city of Bamako, drove off from the two Marines following in another vehicle. Matthews suggested that the Marines felt Melgar had abandoned them in an urban setting that has been the target of terrorist activity.
Tech Cold War : The growing rivalry between the US and China

The trade conflict has permanently undermined trust between the two governments. When it comes to technology, the EU should be on Americas side.

When President Donald Trump accused China of backtracking on promises made during trade war negotiations and then increased US tariffs on $200 billion of Chinese goods, he also increased the risk that the US-China conflict will continue for many months  perhaps even through the US presidential election next November.

But the trade conflict, whenever it ends, has permanently undermined trust between the two governments. And the growing rivalry between them will center on issues more consequential than the flow of consumer goods.

The current fight could be closer to resolution than we think. Its possible that Trumps latest move is a negotiating ploy designed to push a deal across the finish line. As a businessman and as president, hes made a habit of striking an aggressive pose to push his target onto the defensive before offering a seemingly magnanimous compromise.

He could be trying to increase his leverage to force final concessions on controversial questions, such as state subsidies that give Chinese companies a competitive advantage, the practice of forcing foreign companies to share technologies in exchange for access to Chinese markets, cybertheft of intellectual property, Beijings willingness to write its concessions into Chinese law, and to create a system that ensures China is keeping its promises.

Expanded access to the Chinese marketplace

But its also possible that Trumps more hawkish advisors, led by lead trade negotiator Robert Lighthizer, have persuaded the president that the current deal isnt tough enough, and that short-term pain created by new tariffs will yield long-term gain. Signs of a strong US economy is probably reinforcing Trumps confidence that an extended trade conflict with China is a war he can win.

Eventually, Chinas President Xi Jinping will offer Trump some of what US negotiators want most. His likeliest victories will include expanded access for US companies to the Chinese marketplace, agreements on currency management, more Chinese purchases of American soybeans, and promises in principle to address other US demands.

But Trump cannot persuade Xi to fundamentally compromise Chinas economic model. Beijing knows that Chinese companies need every competitive advantage their government can offer if they are to become global players, and capacity for technological innovation will be crucial for 21st century prosperity.

China will continue to subsidize state-owned companies and privately-owned national champions, tilting the international competitive playing field in their favor. It will continue to develop its capacity for technological innovation to compete with US and European firms in the most important economic sectors of the 21st century. On these subjects, in particular, whatever Xi promises Trump or Chinese officials say publicly, they will not compromise.

There is also a political logic to Xis refusal to bargain away crucial parts of his economic plan. Xi has accumulated enormous power within an authoritarian system, and any public show of weakness is even more dangerous for him than an economic slowdown. This is mainly because potential threats to his leadership come not from unemployed workers but from others within the elite. Xi may also believe that if he can keep talks going through the next US election, a possible change in the White House will provide China with a less aggressive negotiating rival.

Relations are fundamentally broken

Here's the more important point: Whenever Presidents Trump and Xi shake hands on a final deal, its already clear that relations between the worlds established and rising power are fundamentally broken. Trust between Washington and Beijing has reached its lowest point in 30 years, and each government will continue a long-term project of making its side less vulnerable to pressure from the other. Just as an international financial crisis that began in the United States a decade ago proved to Chinas leaders they must increase the pace at which they shift Chinas economic engine from one powered by sales of consumer goods to the US, Europe, and Japan, so Trumps show of strength has underlined the dangers of a relationship that depends too heavily on economic interdependence with the US.

There is little doubt that the US-China will create pressure on Europe. An emerging Tech Cold War, in which the US and China will each work to ensure that its rules and standards carry the day in development of 5G communications technologies, will force EU countries to side with Washington to protect rule of law and consumer rights against Chinas use of data to protect its authoritarian political model.

Yet, Chinas trade with and investment in Europe already surpasses Americas in many areas, and countries that are increasingly reliant on Chinese investment will be reluctant to comply with the broader EU regulatory approach to the tech sector, opening another important divide in EU politics that undermines Europes global influence.

How should Europe respond? Frustration with Trump aside, there is no third way in technology development, and European governments have every reason to protect core EU values by working toward a common Western strategy to Chinas more authoritarian approach to information and data. Brussels, and Berlin, have every reason to push back against Trump administration policies on Nato, trade, Iran and many other issues, but that should not block close EU-US collaboration on technology where it matters most for individual liberty, freedom of speech, and democratic values.

Europe is not simply a junior partner in this project. The EUs regulatory authority gives it real power to shape the future of communications technology, and a US-European partnership is the most effective solution to the problem of state control of data as a tool of authoritarian control.

Ian Bremmer is the president of Eurasia Group and GZERO Media and author of Us vs. Them: The Failure of Globalism.
The Hindi film industry is always on the lookout for an actor who has a mass appeal and acting talent in equal measure. Now, it seems the filmmakers, have another star on their hands that they can always rely on. Initially, when the trailer of Raazi came out in 2018, people assumed that Vicky kaushal was just trying to fit into a more mainstream Bollywood zone after Masaan, which wasnt exactly a commercial masala film. However, once the film released, it was evident that he has what it takes to be the best as he made a successful impact in a film that was tailor made for Alia Bhatt. In the second half of the year, he emerged as a surprise package in Rajkumar Hiranis Sanju, a film which completely revolved around Ranbir Kapoors character Sanjay Dutt. He also tried his hand successfully in the digital space with Love Per Square Feet and played lead in Karan Johars short film in the Netflix Original Lust Stories. He also became the latest entrant of the Rs. 200 crore club with his last release URI: The Surgicial Strike, which proves that he also has the power to attract audiences to theatres and does not require another superstar in the cast to play off. Many people believe Masaan to be his first film, however, he did have small cameos in films like Luv Shuv Tey Chicken Khurana and Bombay Velvet. While hes still in a relatively early stage of his career, Vicky has been able to portray a range of emotions through his roles and has done more than enough to convince us he can pull off just about anything. So, on the occasion of this rising stars birthday, we profile his work so far.





1.Deepak Kumar - Masaan



Director: Neeraj Ghaywan

Release date: 24 July 2015





Neeraj Ghyawan throws you right into the tragedies of these people from the very start of the film and the intensity of it is so substantial that a feeling of discomfort and unjust takes over you literally 5 minutes into the film. Unjust, as you are forced to see the catastrophic consequences of greed, corruption, and casteism. In Masaan , Vicky played Deepak, a Varanasi boy from the Dom community which traditionally carries out the duties on a cremation ground. Masaan is a film set in the holy city of Benaras and tells the story of a few ordinary people whose lives intertwine in two tales of love and loss. Directorthrows you right into the tragedies of these people from the very start of the film and the intensity of it is so substantial that a feeling of discomfort and unjust takes over you literally 5 minutes into the film. Unjust, as you are forced to see the catastrophic consequences of greed, corruption, and casteism.

2.Dilsher - Zubaan

Director: Mozez Singh

Release Date: 4 March 2016

Vicky Kaushal had shot for Zubaan even before he had started working for Masaan, but the release of this film had been delayed. In the film, he played a man who stammers while talking but can sing surprisingly well. Vickys performance in the film didnt seem to have the same impact he had with Masaan but that also could be down to the poor writing of the film.

3.Raman Raghav 2.0

Director: Anurag Kashyap

Release date: 24 June 2016

serial killer.

With Raman Raghav 2.0 , Vicky Kaushal was seen playing a character completely opposite to his two previous roles. In the film, he played an unlikable, abusive, coke-snorting police officer whos battling his own dark demons even as he chases a

4.Iqbal Syed - Raazi

Director: Meghna Gulzar

Release Date: 11 May 2018

Raazi, without a doubt, was Alia Bhatts film but Vicky Kaushal portrayal of Iqbal Syed who is torn between the love for his wife and nation will always be remembered by the audience.



He infused the character with kindness and love which is completely opposite of the demonic depiction of a Pakistani officer that you would expect from a Hindi film. Both Alia and Vicky got into the skin of their characters and was the most important factor that made Raazi click with the audience.

5.Kamlesh "Kamli" Kanhaiyalal Kapasi - Sanju

Director: Rajkumar Hirani

Release Date: 29 June 2018

Ranbir Kapoor walks away with a star on his shoulder for his effort in Sanju, but If Vicky showcased his tenderness in Raazi, he gave us a glimpse of his goofiness through Sanju. Often the role of the heros friend goes unnoticed by the audience and is not given enough significance. However, Vicky made his presence felt with his portrayal of Kamli. While there are no doubts about the fact thatwalks away with a star on his shoulder for his effort in Sanju, but Vicky Kaushal , who plays Sanju's Gujarati NRI friend who has his heart in the right place, stays with you long after you watch the film... and so do his Sex-spearean quotes.

6.Vicky Sadhu - Manmarziyaan

Director: Anurag Kashyap

Release Date: 14 September 2018

As far as the looks are concerned, Anurag Kashyap gave Vicky Kaushal a complete makeover in his love triangle Manmarziyaan . Vicky was seen as the quintessential Punjabi brat who wants to become a DJ. The fact that he considers Yo Yo Honey Singh to be one his role model tells us enough about him.

While his character could have easily been stereotyped due to the wild masculinity one generally associates with gypsy driving men of North India, Vicky Kaushal allows his character to be vulnerable and aware of his own weaknesses. His eventual awakening makes for one of the best scenes of the film.





7.Major Vihaan Singh Shergill - URI: The Surgical Strike



Director: Aditya Dhar

Release Date: 11 January 2019



When the director declares that his film is a Tribute to a brave new India, you can assume Nationalism to be written all over it. When the director declares that his film is a Tribute to a brave new India, you can assume Nationalism to be written all over it. URI: The Surgical Strike was based on Indias reply to terrorism after the horrific attack on an Indian Army infantry in Chandel district of Manipur.

Vicky not only rocks an army uniform, but also pitches Shergill just right  neither a chest-thumper nor a brooder, but a patriot whod give anything for his country and also is bit of a ladies man.





Digital







8.Sanjay Chaturvedi - Love Per Square Feet



Director: Anand Tiwari

Release Date: 14 February 2018









Love Per Square Feet was a slice of life romantic comedy with its heart at the right place. The opening frame of Netflixs Love per Square Foot has Vicky Kaushal standing on top of a building, a red gamcha tied around his neck while he brushes his teeth, gazing at a house and its occupants in a neighbouring high rise. This frame sums up what the film is all about  a longing for something better and bigger. The film makes for a fun watch but could have done with a shorter runtime though.





9.Paras - Lust Stories



Director: Karan Johar

Release Date: 15 June 2018







Karan Johars story in this Netflix Director: Karan JoharRelease Date: 15 June 2018story in this Netflix Lust Stories Original probably stood out from the rest as it did not underplay like others and was more in your face. It also features the least complex leads amongst the lot. Paras arent able to sexually satisfy his wife Megha ( Kiara Advani ). This makes her sexually frustrated, and she ends up trying to fulfill her desires through a vibrator. The climax scene really is the highlight of the film when the vibrator (which is inside Megha) goes off in front of the entire family.

This film is as in your face as they come. There are no moments of comic reliefs as you are all but mute spectators to the spiraling lives of the characters and that are nothing but the power of good cinema. Masaan also was the film that got Vicky Kaushal on the map as he was able to portray the angst of his character on losing his loved one with just enough subtlety to make you relate to it.In fact, his character was so complex that Vicky ended up locking himself inside a room for five days just to bring out the dark side in him. It was not only the materialistic things that the actor detached himself from but also his family, who he had asked not to contact him during the process.
Salman Khan is currently busy with the promotions of his upcoming film 'Bharat'. This is the third time the superstar is reuniting with director Ali Abbas Zafar after two blockbuster films- Sultan and Tiger Zinda Hai. Katrina Kaif plays his leading lady in the film and the trailer and the songs have been well-received by the audience.

Meanwhile in a recent interview with Hindustan Times, Salman opened up about the trend of remaking old films. When the superstar was quizzed if he would like star in any remake of an original Hindi film, he said that he won't remake any of his films. But he also added that he felt that his 1991 film Love can be remade by the new boys in Bollywood. Salman shared that Varun Dhawan mentioned to him that it was a wonderful film.

The actor told the leading lady, "It was the first few films that I did and I remember that it didn't do well. But that was a beautiful film and my character was wonderful." Well folks, who do you think would be an apt choice to reprise Salman and Revathy's role from the film?

Coming back to Bharat, Ali Abbas Zafar was recently quoted as saying by Indian Express, "It's a perfect Salman Khan thaali. Whatever are the audience expectations from a Salman movie, are all there in it. He is looking good, cracking some witty jokes, and has some great songs. The female actors are gorgeous and they have a bigger say in the movie."

In yet another interview while speaking about what makes Salman Khan a superhero, Ali said, "His honesty and earnestness. His communication with his audience is very direct. And even when he lives a character, Salman Khan doesn't disappear 100 per cent. Whether its Tiger, Sultan or Bharat, his magical presence in there in the characters."

Bharat is a Hindi adaptation of the Korean film 'Ode To My Father' and has a promising ensemble cast which includes Salman Khan, Katrina Kaif, Disha Patani, Sunil Grover, Tabu, Jackie Shroff and Nora Fatehi. The film is slated to release on June 5, 2019.

Here's How Ali Abbas Zafar Coined Salman Khan's Film As 'Bharat'
Sandalwood actor Darshan is a nature lover and admirer. He has always been vocal about issues concerning the environment. He is a proud owner of several domestic animals and does his bit in protecting the wildlife too. The Yajamana actor loves capturing these wild beings on his camera. Recently, he had exhibited his photography collection in Mysore. And now, Darshan has sold one of his wildlife pictures to a Kannada actor, for a whopping price! The amount spent on it will surprise you.

Sandalwood's comedy actor Chikanna is the one who has bought Darshan's photograph. It is a picture of a wild elephant captured by Darshan from a close distance. And, he's paid Rs 1 lakh for this piece of art. Darshan shared a picture of his and Chikanna on Twitter and thanked him for doing his bit in helping the wildlife.

He wrote, "Our Chikkana has bought the picture of an elephant captured by me for Rs 1 Lakh. I thank him from all my heart for his social work." The amount collected through these pictures will be used as a charity by the Forest Department of Karnataka.

Yash Is Waiting To Unleash The Monster In KGF Chapter 2! Makes A Revelation About Rocky Bhai

Previously too, many actors and others from the industry have bought photographs captured by Darshan. Producer Umapathy also bought one of Darshan's pictures for Rs 10,000 and gifted it to Sandalwood actor Srimurali.
Many might not be aware that not just Kasautii Zindagii Kay 2 actress Hina Khan, but also comedian Krushna Abhishek's wife and actress Kashmera Shah made her Cannes Debut yesterday (May 15, 2019). The actress attended the Inauguration of the Indian Pavilion and was a panelist! The actress looked beautiful in a blue embroidered dress. Kashmira shared her excitement on her Instagram account.

A day ago, Kashmera shared a picture in which she was seen in a white dress. The actress captioned the picture, "My first year at #cannes2019 Surprisingly never came as an actor but have come as a director. I did not bring my film to Cannes... my film got me to Cannes @krushna30 @rishaabchauhaan @keembit_ #krushnaabhishek."



Sharing another picture, the actress wrote, "Had my debut at the 72 nd Cannes Film Festival yesterday where I attended the Inauguration of the Indian Pavilion followed by a Q&A of speakers which included myself."

She further wrote, "Topic was why india should be the place to film in for foreign film makers and how we could make it easier for them in India. I am super proud to be a part of this esteemed panel and I am super proud that I will show them the first look of my film in the evening. Excited for the whole team."

Her husband Krushna, and Ragini Khanna commented that they are proud of her, while Nisha Agarwal wished her luck.

Most Read: Bepanah Pyaar's Pearl V Puri Hits Back At Jennifer-Harshad Fans; Says Even Bepannaah Is Stolen!
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - May 15, 2019) - Enforcer Gold Corp (TSXV: VEIN) (FSE: N071) ("Enforcer" or the "Company") announces that, further to its previous announcements on March 1, 2019 and April 16, 2019, it will cancel the non-brokered private placement of up to 9,000,000 units ("Units") at a price of $0.05 per Unit.

About Enforcer Gold Corp

Enforcer Gold Corp is a Canadian-based mineral exploration company and is earning a 50% interest in the royalty-free Roger project from SOQUEM. Roger hosts the Mop-II gold-copper deposit located 5 km from the historic mining center of Chibougamau, Quebec.

For further information, please visit www.enforcergold.com or contact:

Steve Dunn, President & CEO

T: (416) 361-2827

E: contact@enforcergold.com

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.

This news release contains "forward-looking statements" that are based on expectations, estimates, projections and interpretations as at the date of this news release. Forward-looking statements are frequently characterized by words such as "plan", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate", "suggest", "indicate" and other similar words or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur, and include, without limitation, statements regarding the Company's plans with respect to completion of a share consolidation, the ability to raise the funds to finance its ongoing business activities including the acquisition of mineral projects and the exploration and development of its projects. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such risks and other factors may include, but are not limited to, the results of exploration activities; the ability of the Company to complete further exploration activities; the ability of the Company to complete transactions on terms announced; timing and availability of external financing on acceptable terms and those risk factors outlined in the Company's Management Discussion and Analysis as filed on SEDAR. Enforcer Gold does not undertake to update any forward-looking information except in accordance with applicable securities laws.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/44829
In a second Chicago rally, demonstrators voice their support for the anti-government protests in Egypt. Several hundred people gathered on Illinois Street near the Egyptian consulate for the event. The week before, waving signs and occupying most of a city block near the North Bridge shopping mall, demonstrators rallied in support of the anti-government protesters in Egypt. The rally in Chicago coincided with similar events in other major cities in the U.S. and around the world. The Chicago demonstrators rallied near the Egyptian consulate in the building at 500 N. Michigan Avenue. The demonstration ended without incident.
Real world experience found that the RECELL System could save one US Burn Center up to USD $28MM annually

AVITA Medical (ASX: AVH, OTCQX: AVMXY) announced today that the health economic model of the U.S. burn care pathway, developed in collaboration with Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) and IQVIA, has been published in the peer-reviewed journal, Advances in Therapy. The model demonstrates that utilizing AVITA Medical's RECELL System for the treatment of in-patient burns is cost-saving or cost-neutral and results in reduced length of hospital stay as compared to the standard of care.

"This model is the outcome of an outstanding collaboration between industry, government, medical, and health economics experts to develop the first economic model of U.S. burn care, allowing for robust evaluations of changes to practice including use of new products such as the RECELL System," said Andrew Quick, Chief Technology Officer.

Utilizing this model, health economic data projects that use of the RECELL System to treat in-patient burns could save a major U.S. burn center up to USD $28 million annually compared to treatment with the standard of care. These findings were recently presented at the American Burn Association (ABA) 51st Annual Meeting by Kevin Foster, MD, MBA, FACS, of the Arizona Burn Center. The model calculated savings based on the demographic mix of patients treated at that center in 2018.

Each year nearly half a million Americans suffer acute thermal burns that require medical treatment, resulting in approximately 50,000 hospitalizations and more than 3,000 deaths. Use of split-thickness skin grafts is considered standard treatment; however, skin grafts are associated with significant pain, delayed healing and hypertrophic scarring, each of which contributes to the substantial costs incurred by the healthcare system.

"Use of this model will have broad implications for the U.S. burn care community, allowing burn centers and hospitals to better understand the fiscal aspects associated with the care of patients with severe burn injuries," said Erin Liberto, Chief Commercial Officer. "On average, burn centers can save 14-17% of their costs utilizing the RECELL System. The health economic data coupled with our strong clinical data and reimbursement coverage present an undisputable value proposition to hospital administration and further enhance our ability to penetrate new accounts."

The Advances in Therapy article titled, "Cost-Effectiveness of the Use of Autologous Cell Harvested Device Compared to Standard of Care for Treatment of Severe Burns in the United States," may be accessed online at https://doi.org/10.1007/s12325-019-00961-2. The model employs sequential decision trees to depict the stages of burn care, from initial burn assessment through treatment for definitive closure of the burn wound, and predicts relative differences between use of the RECELL System compared to the standard of care. The model is based on data from the American Burn Association's National Burn Repository database, clinical trials, and real-world use data. Actual costs of care come from three U.S. burn centers, and when combined with Monte Carlo simulation of a burn center patient population, the overall burn center budget impact can be accurately predicted.

Authors of the publication include James H. Holmes IV, MD FACS, Director, WFBMC Burn Center, Professor of Surgery, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, William Hickerson, MD, FACS, Memphis Medical Center, and Kevin Foster, MD, MBA, FACS, Maricopa Integrated Health System at the Arizona Burn Center.

Funding for the model was provided by the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), under the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Funding provided by BARDA, under Contract No. HHSO100201500028C.

ABOUT AVITA MEDICAL LIMITED

AVITA Medical is a regenerative medicine company with a technology platform positioned to address unmet medical needs in burns, chronic wounds, and aesthetics indications. AVITA Medical's patented and proprietary collection and application technology provides innovative treatment solutions derived from the regenerative properties of a patient's own skin. The medical devices work by preparing a REGENERATIVE EPIDERMAL SUSPENSION (RES), an autologous suspension comprised of the patient's skin cells necessary to regenerate natural healthy epidermis. This autologous suspension is then sprayed onto the areas of the patient requiring treatment.

AVITA Medical's first U.S. product, the RECELL System, was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in September 2018. The RECELL System is indicated for use in the treatment of acute thermal burns in patients 18 years and older. The RECELL System is used to prepare Spray-On Skin Cells using a small amount of a patient's own skin, providing a new way to treat severe burns, while significantly reducing the amount of donor skin required. The RECELL System is designed to be used at the point of care alone or in combination with autografts depending on the depth of the burn injury. Compelling data from randomized, controlled clinical trials conducted at major U.S. burn centers and real-world use in more than 7,000 patients globally, reinforce that the RECELL System is a significant advancement over the current standard of care for burn patients and offers benefits in clinical outcomes and cost savings. Healthcare professionals should read the INSTRUCTIONS FOR USE RECELL Autologous Cell Harvesting Device (https://recellsystem.com/) for a full description of indications for use and important safety information including contraindications, warnings and precautions.

In international markets our products are marketed under the RECELL System brand to promote skin healing in a wide range of applications including burns, acute wounds, scars and vitiligo. The RECELL System is TGA-registered in Australia and CFDA-cleared in China.

To learn more, visit www.avitamedical.com.

CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This letter includes forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements generally can be identified by the use of words such as "anticipate," "expect," "intend," "could," "may," "will," "believe," "estimate," "look forward," "forecast," "goal," "target," "project," "continue," "outlook," "guidance," "future," other words of similar meaning and the use of future dates. Forward-looking statements in this letter include, but are not limited to, statements concerning, among other things, our ongoing clinical trials and product development activities, regulatory approval of our products, the potential for future growth in our business, and our ability to achieve our key strategic, operational and financial goal. Forward-looking statements by their nature address matters that are, to different degrees, uncertain. Each forward-looking statement contained in this letter is subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statement. Applicable risks and uncertainties include, among others, the timing of regulatory approvals of our products; physician acceptance, endorsement, and use of our products; failure to achieve the anticipated benefits from approval of our products; the effect of regulatory actions; product liability claims; risks associated with international operations and expansion; and other business effects, including the effects of industry, economic or political conditions outside of the company's control. Investors should not place considerable reliance on the forward-looking statements contained in this letter. Investors are encouraged to read our publicly available filings for a discussion of these and other risks and uncertainties. The forward-looking statements in this letter speak only as of the date of this release, and we undertake no obligation to update or revise any of these statements.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190515006093/en/

Contacts:

U.S. Media

Sam Brown, Inc.

Christy Curran

Phone +1-615.414.8668

christycurran@sambrown.com

OUS Media

Monsoon Communications

Sarah Kemter

Phone +61 (0)3 9620 3333

Mobile +61 (0)407 162 530

sarahk@monsoon.com.au

Investors:

Westwicke Partners

Caroline Corner

Phone +1-415-202-5678

caroline.corner@westwicke.com
Combination of Tata Communications' IZO cloud enablement platform and Cisco SD-WAN eliminates the complexity of enterprise networking in the digital era

The leading global digital infrastructure provider Tata Communications and Cisco have extended their partnership to enable enterprises to transform their legacy network to a customised and secure multi-cloud native hybrid network. The combination of Tata Communications' IZO cloud enablement platform and Cisco SD-WAN is a fully-managed, global solution that gives businesses greater control over their digital infrastructure, the ability to securely connect any user to any application location, and provide the assurance of application performance needed to support successful digital transformation.

The new offering brings together the expertise of two Gartner Magic Quadrant Leaders. Tata Communications has been positioned in the Gartner Magic Quadrant for Network Services, Global1. Cisco has been positioned in the Magic Quadrant for WAN Edge Infrastructure2

Tata Communications' cloud and hybrid networking capabilities are underpinned by the company's global tier-1 Internet backbone and partnerships with major cloud providers, including Amazon, Microsoft, Google and Alibaba. This means that through IZO SDWAN powered by Cisco, enterprises are now able to offer their employees a secure and reliable user experience for and with cloud-based applications and on premise applications seamlessly in more than 150 countries worldwide.

Cisco's SD-WAN solution plays a pivotal role in the Cisco Digital Network Architecture (DNA) for enterprises transitioning to become digital natives and in multi-cloud adoption. With Cisco's DNA, enterprises are able to centrally secure user, device and application policies across wired, wireless and wide area network. Cisco's DNA is the central keystone in assisting organisations with securely managing multi-cloud and multi-domain environments, making it easier for enterprises to accelerate their digital transformation journey.

"We want our customers to be able to harness the power of the Internet and the cloud to transform how they operate, but without jeopardising security or performance," said Song Toh, Vice President, Global Network Services, Tata Communications. "With our new SDWAN solution powered by Cisco, we offer a fully managed hybrid network service that's fit for your digital business. It's a resilient cloud-ready network-as-a-service which can grow and scale as needed, while ensuring predictable and secure access to data and applications. It's designed to give businesses agility and reduce the complexity of network transformation."

Tata Communications has several years of experience in deploying large-scale enterprise SD-WAN solutions across thousands locations. This - combined with its global presence and its ability to design, migrate and manage SD-WANs round-the-clock lowers the barriers for enterprises to move from a legacy infrastructure to a hybrid software-defined network.

"We are excited to partner with Tata Communications on our Cisco SD-WAN platform, which is a critical building block of our multi-cloud, multi-domain architecture," said Vish Iyer, Vice President, Architectures APJC, Cisco. "Cisco SD-WAN is the point of intelligence in application-aware networking for multi-cloud adopted businesses. It can direct each application to the most appropriate transport to use in real-time and that application is free to reside in any cloud or on-premise location. This cloud-native architecture allows organisations to seamlessly transition and adopt cloud-hosted and assisted infrastructure to ultimately allow businesses to accelerate their transformation and innovation agenda."

This new joint SDWAN offering builds on Tata Communications' long-standing partnership with Cisco. The company is a globally certified Master Service Provider in Cisco's Cloud Managed Services Program. This means that Tata Communications integrates its own network, cloud, hosting, security and voice services as part of Cisco's solutions and serves customers globally with this integrated, fully-managed offering to address their diverse business and technology needs.

"Enterprises want SD-WAN's many practical features to have a predictable and secure cloud applications experience, but they often run into unexpected challenges," said Brian Washburn, Practice Leader, Network Transformation Cloud, Ovum. "Ovum recommends enterprises partner with an expert service provider to help with their network transformation. Tata Communications IZO SDWAN with Cisco now offers enterprises a fully integrated, managed SD WAN solution to help with the transition."

Tata Communications' software-defined networking experience includes the deployment and management of networks for customers across 3,000+ sites globally. One of the company's customers is Carlsberg. As the growing use of cloud-based applications has led to 70% of Carlsberg's network traffic being on the Internet, the software-defined hybrid IZO network by Tata Communications has given the brewer 10 times more bandwidth, reduced costs by 25%, and halved the occurrence of network incidents.

Ends

About Tata Communications

Tata Communications is a leading global digital infrastructure provider that powers today's fast-growing digital economy.

The company's customers represent 300 of the Fortune 500 whose digital transformation journeys are enabled by its portfolio of integrated, globally managed services that deliver local customer experiences. Through its network, cloud, mobility, Internet of Things (IoT), collaboration and security services, Tata Communications carries around 30% of the world's internet routes and connects businesses to 60% of the world's cloud giants and 4 out of 5 mobile subscribers.

The company's capabilities are underpinned by its global network, which is the world's largest wholly owned subsea fibre backbone and a Tier-1 IP network.

Tata Communications Limited is listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange and the National Stock Exchange of India, and it serves customers in more than 200 countries and territories worldwide through its technology capabilities and partnerships.

www.tatacommunications.com

Forward-looking and cautionary statements

Certain words and statements in this release concerning Tata Communications and its prospects, and other statements, including those relating to Tata Communications' expected financial position, business strategy, the future development of Tata Communications' operations, and the general economy in India, are forward-looking statements. Such statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, including financial, regulatory and environmental, as well as those relating to industry growth and trend projections, which may cause actual results, performance or achievements of Tata Communications, or industry results, to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. The important factors that could cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from such forward-looking statements include, among others, failure to increase the volume of traffic on Tata Communications' network; failure to develop new products and services that meet customer demands and generate acceptable margins; failure to successfully complete commercial testing of new technology and information systems to support new products and services, including voice transmission services; failure to stabilize or reduce the rate of price compression on certain of the company's communications services; failure to integrate strategic acquisitions and changes in government policies or regulations of India and, in particular, changes relating to the administration of Tata Communications' industry; and, in general, the economic, business and credit conditions in India. Additional factors that could cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from such forward-looking statements, many of which are not in Tata Communications' control, include, but are not limited to, those risk factors discussed in Tata Communications Limited's Annual Reports. The Annual Reports of Tata Communications Limited are available at www.tatacommunications.com. Tata Communications is under no obligation to, and expressly disclaims any obligation to, update or alter its forward-looking statements.

1 Gartner, Inc. "Magic Quadrant for Network Services, Global" by Neil Rickard, Bjarne Munch, Danellie Young, February 25th, 2019 (Tata Communication positioned as a Leader)

2 "Gartner Magic Quadrant for WAN Edge Infrastructure" by Joe Skorupa, Andrew Lerner, Christian Canales, Mike Toussaint, October 18th, 2018 (Cisco positioned as a Leader) Gartner disclaimer: Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in its research publications, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings or other designation. Gartner research publications consist of the opinions of Gartner's research organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Gartner disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190515005731/en/

Contacts:

Kersti Klami

Tata Communications

+44 (0)7917 173 853

kersti.klami@tatacommunications.com



Rick Cohen

Hill Knowlton Strategies

+1 212 885 0563

rick.cohen@hkstrategies.com
Press Release

Outside trading hours - Regulated information*

KBC Group: First-quarter result of 430 million euros



KBC Group - overview (consolidated, IFRS) 1Q2019 4Q2018 1Q2018 Net result (in millions of EUR) 430 621 556 Basic earnings per share (in EUR) 0.98 1.44 1.30 Breakdown of the net result by business unit (in millions of EUR) Belgium 176 361 243 Czech Republic 177 170 171 International Markets 70 93 137 Group Centre 7 -3 5 Parent shareholders' equity per share (in EUR, end of period) 43.1 41.4 40.9

We generated a net profit of 430 million euros in the first quarter of 2019. This is a good result, considering that we - as usual - recorded the bulk of the bank taxes for the full year in the first quarter (382 million euros in the first quarter of 2019). Excluding the bank taxes, the net result even surpassed the previous quarter's net result by 9%, thanks to a slight increase in total income and lower costs (excluding bank taxes), despite somewhat higher loan loss impairment charges. Adjusted for the sale of a legacy portfolio in Ireland last year, lending to customers increased by 5% year-on-year, and deposits including debt certificates rose by 6%. Sales of non-life and life insurance products also went up year-on-year by 9% and 4%, respectively. Our solvency position, which does not include the profit of the first quarter of 2019, remained strong too, with a common equity ratio of 15.7%. Our dividend policy (payout ratio of at least 50%) remains unchanged.

As regards sustainability, we are in continuous dialogue with our customers and stakeholders, aiming to fully live up to society's expectations. In March, for instance, we tightened up our policy towards tobacco and decided not only to exclude the tobacco industry from our lending, insurance and SRI activities, but also start the process to eliminate it from our conventional investment funds and proprietary investment portfolio. Besides that, we signed up to the United Nations charter for tobacco-free financing, which fits in perfectly with the two key focus areas of Health and Population Ageing in our sustainability strategy.

In line with our general strategy, we continued to focus on our core activities and markets. In the weeks following the quarter-end, for instance, we reached an agreement for the sale of our Irish subsidiary's legacy performing corporate loan portfolio of roughly 260 million euros. The transaction is expected to close in the course of 2019, and further solidifies KBC Bank Ireland's core business focus on retail and micro SME clients. A few days later, our Czech subsidiary CSOB reached an agreement to acquire the remaining 45% stake in the Czech building savings bank CMSS for 240 million euros. The transaction will have an impact of approximately -0.3 percentage points on KBC Group's common equity ratio. Furthermore, the revaluation of our already existing 55% stake in CMSS will lead to a one-off gain of roughly 80 million euros on the closing date. As a result of this transaction, CSOB will hold 100% of CMSS and consolidates its position as the largest provider of financial solutions for housing purposes in the Czech Republic. The agreement is expected to close before the end of the second quarter of 2019.

Ultimately,our success is based on the trust that our clients continue to place in us. I'd like to explicitly thank each and every one of them for their long-standing confidence and to assure them that we're more focused than ever in our efforts to become the reference in bank-insurance in all our core countries.

Johan Thijs

Chief Executive Officer

Full press release attached.

* This news item contains information that is subject to the transparency regulations for listed companies

Attachments
16 May 2019

AfriAg Global PLC

('AfriAg' or the 'Company')

Conditional staged investment into Jamaican focused medicinal cannabis pharmaceutical company

AfriAg Global PLC, a company whose shares are admitted to trading on London's NEX Exchange, is pleased to announce it has entered into a conditional subscription agreement to subscribe for shares in Apollon Formularies Ltd ("Apollon").

Background to the investment

The Company has agreed with Apollon a UK incorporated company, to: (1) subscribe for 1.2 million shares in Apollon at a price per share of 0.25 representing approximately 0.71 per cent. of Apollon's issued share capital for an aggregate investment amount of 300,000; and (2) subscribe for 2.8 million shares at a price per share of 0.25 representing approximately 1.63 per cent. of Apollon's issued share capital for an aggregate investment amount of 700,000, which investment is subject to receiving shareholder approval at the General Meeting (the "Investments").

Pursuant to the Investments the Company would need to raise approximately 1m to subscribe for a total of 4.0 million shares in Apollon, representing circa 2.325 per cent. of Apollon's issued share capital. The Company is considering all options in relation to the fundraise.

It should be noted that the par value of the Company's ordinary shares are 0.1 pence per share.

The Company is in discussions with the shareholders of Apollon to be granted right of first refusal to acquire all the issued and outstanding shares owned by those shareholders in consideration for the issue and allotment to those shareholders of new ordinary shares in the capital of the Company at a price of 0.1 pence per new ordinary share ("Right of First Refusal") which values the transaction at circa 40,000,000.

Following exercise of the Right of First Refusal, which will be subject to approvals from (as applicable) (1) all the necessary government authorities, including the cannabis licencing authority (in Jamaica); (2) regulatory authorities; (3) approvals from the Company's shareholders; and (4) approvals from the shareholders of Apollon, the existing shareholders of Apollon will hold circa 93.54 per cent. of the issued share capital of the Company. Following completion of the Investments and should the Company exercise the Right of First Refusal, the resulting enlarged group will be a vertically integrated medicinal cannabis group with operations in Jamaica and with plans to expand elsewhere throughout the world.

A circular to shareholders in the Company is expected to be published shortly ("Circular"). The Circular and notice of a general meeting of the Company to be held on 14 June 2019 ("General Meeting") to, inter alia, pass the resolutions required to authorise the directors of the Company to be able to issue and allot ordinary shares in order to fund the Company's ability to complete the Investments, is expected to be published shortly. Following its publication the Circular will be available on the Company's website at https://www.afriagglobal.com/.

David Lenigas, Executive Chairman of AfriAg Global PLC, commented;

"AfriAg is one of the very few companies in the UK and indeed Europe that is capable of doing a transaction of this type in the legal medicinal cannabis sector. Once the Right of First Refusal is agreed and exercised we will be the first listed company in the UK to be a fully integrated medical cannabis pharmaceutical company. The first 300,000 proposed investment in to Apollon will be targeted towards opening Apollon's first revenue generation businesses at Doc's Place Wellness Center and Apollon's first dispensary and processing facility in Negril, Jamaica and will secure the option to acquire 660 acres of prime agricultural land for future cultivation expansion. I therefore urge shareholders to read this document carefully.

Subject to the Right of First Refusal being agreed and entered into, the exercise of the Right of First Refusal may constitute a reverse takeover under Rule 57 of the NEX Rules."

Business overview of Apollon and its assets

Apollon, an international medicinal cannabis pharmaceutical company, principally conducts business through Apollon Formularies Jamaica Limited ("AFJ"), which is a government licensed medicinal cannabis company located in Jamaica. Apollon, both directly and through its subsidiaries and affiliates such as AFJ, has developed a suite of proprietary, trade secret, medical cannabis strains, technology, pharmaceutical products and therapeutic applications and AFJ is licensed and approved to cultivate, process, manufacture, perform research and develop, sell and distribute within the legalized hemp and medical cannabis industry in Jamaica.

AFJ is licensed and approved to operate on the national (Federal) level in Jamaica via the following licenses and approvals: Retail (Therapeutic) License, Processing License, and Cultivation Conditional Approval pending final inspection of the cultivation facility all issued by the Cannabis Licensing Authority (CLA). AFJ has also received an approval Order for Cultivation and Clinical Trials. Together, these licenses and approvals allow for the cultivation, processing, manufacture, research and development, and retail sales of medical cannabis pharmaceuticals in Jamaica and, export internationally when the forthcoming regulations are finalized by the Jamaican government which is expected in the near future. It is expected that these regulations will allow legal export from CLA Licensed companies in Jamaica to any country where Apollon has purchase agreements and the laws of that country allow import of medical cannabis pharmaceutical products.

Along with patient care and its research and development programme, Apollon, both directly and through subsidiaries and affiliates such as AFJ, has created and obtained proprietary hybrid medical cannabis pharmaceutical strains, technology, formulations, and treatment products. Many of these formulations were created using Apollon's proprietary artificial intelligence techniques and include:

Apollon NAUSEA

Apollon PAIN

Apollon SLEEP

Apollon ANTI-INFLAMMATORY

Apollon SEIZURES

Apollon APPETITE

Apollon CANCER(APM) - High Times Cannabis Cup 1st Place Winner.

The patient treatment side of AFJ's business is accomplished through physician managed clinical treatment wellness resorts and retail locations within Jamaica. In particular, AFJ has an arrangement with Doc's Place International, Inc. ("Doc's Place"), which operates the Global Centre of Excellence for Medical Cannabis Therapy in Negril, Jamaica. Doc's Place is an in-patient and out-patient medical cannabis wellness resort, which is used by international and Jamaican patients needing access to licensed physicians with specific expertise in medical cannabis treatment and to be prescribed medical cannabis products as has been legalised in Jamaica since April, 2015. This wellness centre is located in Negril, on the western side of Jamaica and currently has 5 in-patient treatment rooms and additional accommodations for circa 100 out-patients, with plans to expand to an 80 to 100 room in-patient treatment resort with additional accommodations for circa 500 out-patients via the purchase or rental of a second ocean front wellness resort. Any licensed physician in Jamaica, including the physicians working at Doc's Place, can write prescriptions for AFJ's medical cannabis pharmaceuticals.

The current research-driven areas of AFJ are focused upon the following:

Physician supervised clinical trials for patient outcomes validation, Accurately determined appropriate disease and patient specific formulations created using Apollon's State-of-the-Art proprietary artificial intelligence techniques, Quality dose controlled medical cannabis oil production, Quality controlled legal growth of medical cannabis strains, Extraction methodology, distillation, cannabinoid isolation, purification and pharmaceutical manufacturing. Consistent dosing globally and legally through Apollon's delivery systems including one of the world's first medical cannabis 3D printer capable of precise manufacturing of Apollon's dose - controlled pharmaceutical formulations internationally , and Global brand recognition per a consolidated strategy combined with proprietary medical cannabis strains and products.

AFJ's business objectives include the following items being accomplished in the near future:

Produce commercial volumes of high-grade, full-strength medical cannabis oil that will be processed at its large scale federally legal processing facility. This facility has State-of-the-Art laboratory extraction equipment with a current capacity of producing approximately 15,000 grams of the highest quality medical cannabis oil per day for retail sales in Jamaica and export to all countries where legal import is allowed. Medical cannabis oil is the primary ingredient for medical cannabis based pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, cosmeceuticals, foods and beverages. Initially cultivate Apollon medical cannabis strains in its current greenhouse facility and expand to a 660 acre farm to be acquired or leased. The Company understands this will allow AFJ to grow approximately 1600 pounds of medical cannabis flower per acre per year.As an additional source of revenue, AFJ has established a medical cannabis collective pursuant to which it intends to allow local Jamaican farmers and other international companies to lease portions of its farm to grow medical cannabis strains on a cost plus 20% basis grown through Apollon's farming infrastructure and utilizing AFJ's licences. Own and operate multiple medical wellness resorts, Doc's Place facilities, and retail locations throughout Jamaica offering Apollon's clinical trial tested, pharmaceutical products as produced by AFJ including award-winning Apollon Cancer used to treat cancer patients. Establish and maintain a global market position.

Apollon Formularies Jamaica, Limited

Apollon holds an indirect 49% interest in the issued share capital of AFJ, a limited corporation existing under the laws of Jamaica, through an arrangement with Dr. Stephen D. Barnhill and is entitled to 95% of the net profit of the business of AFJ. Apollon has entered into an agreement with Dr Barnhill pursuant to which Dr Barnhill has agreed to assign his 49% interest (the maximum allowed under Jamaican law) of the stock in AFJ to Apollon immediately on approval of the assignment by the Cannabis Licensing Authority (CLA). In addition to such interests and rights as described above, AFJ currently has several asset purchase agreements and strategic partnerships in place to fulfil the mission of creating an all-encompassing, worldwide medical cannabis corporation that can satisfy the growing global market for legal, medical cannabis pharmaceuticals.

Doc's Place International, Inc.

Apollon has an exclusive right to acquire 90% of the stock of Doc's Place, a corporation organized and existing in the State of Georgia, USA, which includes its Wellness Center, the Global Centre of Excellence for Medical Cannabis Therapy located in Negril, Jamaica. In addition to such interest and right, there exists a leasing arrangement between AFJ and Doc's Place for AFJ to be the exclusive cannabis retail location and treatment operation located on the premises.

CBev Ventures, Inc.

Apollon also has an exclusive right to purchase the assets of CBev Ventures, Inc., a corporation organized and existing in the State of Georgia, USA ("CBev"), a beverage company that develops, markets, distributes and sells functional and craft beverages in the legal hemp and medical cannabis industry.

Roxy Industries Ltd.

Following the acquisition of CBev, Apollon will hold through CBev an exclusive right to purchase the assets of Roxy Industries Ltd., a Jamaican company that bottles, cans, and packages beverages for its customers.

Proposed Transaction Overview:

The Company to subscribe for 1.2 million shares in Apollon at 0.25 per share representing 0.71 per cent. of Apollon's issued share capital for an aggregate investment amount of 300,000, conditional on being able to raise the required funding;

The Company to subscribe for a further 2.8 million shares in Apollon at a 0.25 per share representing 1.63 per cent. of Apollon issued share capital for an aggregate investment amount of 700,000, conditional upon the resolutions at the General Meeting being passed and being able to raise the required funding;  The Company is in discussions with the shareholders of Apollon to be granted the Right of First Refusal to acquire all the issued and outstanding shares owned by those shareholder in consideration for the issue and allotment to those shareholders of new ordinary shares in the capital of the Company at a price of 0.1 pence per new ordinary share which values the transaction at circa 40,000,000. Following exercise of the Right of First Refusal, which will be subject to all the necessary regulatory and shareholder approvals, the existing shareholders of Apollon will hold circa 93.54 per cent. of the issued share capital of the Company.

Subject to the Right of First Refusal being exercised:

The Company may add senior Apollon officials and representatives to the board of the Company. The Company constitute a board of advisors, which will comprise of certain members of the Company's management along with other scientists, physicians and business executives including Dr. Anthony Hall, a US Board Certified Neurosurgeon with special expertise in medical cannabis pharmaceuticals, to join as Chief Medical Officer of the Company



Key Apollon Individuals

About Dr. Stephen Barnhill (Proposed Chairman and Managing Director of the Company, subject to the Right of First Refusal being exercised)

Dr. Stephen D. Barnhill is a physician, Fellowship trained in Laboratory Medicine and Board Certified by the American Board of Bioanalysis. Dr. Barnhill is currently Chairman and CEO of Doc's Place International, Inc., the first Global Centre of Excellence for Medical Cannabis Therapy in Negril, Jamaica, as well as, Chairman and CEO Apollon Formularies, Inc., a U.S. affiliate of Apollon Formularies Jamaica, Limited to which he also serves as President and Board Member.

Dr. Barnhill has been a founder, Chairman and CEO of both private and public companies. He was most recently founder, Chairman and CEO of a U.S. publicly traded international biotech company, which he took from inception to profitability. In addition, he was founder, Chairman and CEO of BCL laboratories, LLC with operations in south-eastern U.S. which was acquired by Corning-MetPath, now Quest Diagnostics, the largest clinical laboratory in the world. Dr. Barnhill served as a Medical Director for Quest Diagnostics for approximately 5 years after the acquisition. Dr. Barnhill was also founder, Chairman and CEO of National Medical Specialty Labs, which was acquired by Horus Therapeutics Inc., a New York based pharmaceutical company. Dr. Barnhill served as President of Horus Therapeutics for several years after the acquisition. Dr. Barnhill is a pioneer in artificial intelligence machine learning (pattern recognition algorithms) and an inventor on more than 40 patents including neural networks and support vector machines ("SVM") including the Hallmark SVM-RFE technique now cited by more than 10,000 publications. His patents were part of the intellectual property portfolio that won 1st Place out of 1600 publicly traded companies and was awarded the MICO award from MDB Capital for the most disruptive intellectual property portfolio. Dr. Barnhill's neural network patents were acquired by Johnson & Johnson. He is also an inventor on patents related to laboratory developed tests and tumour markers. His work includes expertise in the clinical laboratory involving clinical chemistry, haematology, microbiology, blood banking, toxicology and immunology, as well as diagnostic test development relating to cancers of the prostate, pancreas, breast and ovary, cytogenetics, flow cytometry, FISH and imaging in digital mammography, and funduscopic analysis of macular degeneration (AMD). He was part of the team that launched the first iPhone app using SVM for melanoma detection. Dr. Barnhill has negotiated and executed deals with many companies, including Pfizer, Corning-Metpath, Quest Diagnostics, Clarient (now GE Healthcare), LabCorp, NeoGenomics, Abbot, Bruker and others. He has published many peer reviewed papers with academics including those from MD Anderson Cancer Centre, Johns Hopkins University Medical Centre, Stanford University Medical Centre and others. He is a frequently invited speaker to medical conferences in the US and internationally. He has raised millions of dollars in start-up and ongoing financing for both private and public companies.

Dr. Barnhill is or has been a Member or Fellow of the American College of Physician Inventors, the American College of International Physicians, the American Medical Association, the American College of Physician Executives, the American Association of Artificial Intelligence, the American College of Managed Care Medicine, the Association of Clinical Scientists, the American Society of Contemporary Medicine and Surgery, the American Society of Law, Medicine and Ethics, the Southern Medical Society, the American Federation for Clinical Research, the National Federation of Catholic Physicians and the Society of Cannabis Clinicians.

About Dr. Herb Fritsche

Herb Fritsche, Ph.D. is a world-renowned Clinical Chemist and was Professor of Laboratory Medicine and Chief of the Clinical Chemistry Section at The University of Texas, M.D. Anderson Cancer Centre in Houston, Texas. During his 41 years at M.D. Anderson Cancer Centre, Dr. Fritsche focused his research activities on the development and validation of cancer diagnostics. Dr. Fritsche has participated in the validation and FDA clearance process for every commercial serum tumour marker product currently in use in the United States.

Dr. Fritsche has served as President of the Clinical Ligand Assay Society (CLAS) and on many various national committees for both the CLAS and the American Association for Clinical Chemistry (AACC). He is a Fellow of the National Academy of Clinical Biochemistry and was awarded the National Award for Contributions in Education by the AACC; the Outstanding Clinical Chemist Award by the Texas Section, AACC; a Dean's Excellence Award from the University of Texas Graduate School of Biomedical Science; a Distinguished Scientist Award from the CLAS; the Johnson and Johnson Award for Outstanding Research and Contributions to Clinical Biochemistry from the National Academy of Clinical Biochemistry; the Morton K Schwartz Award for Outstanding Achievements in the field of Cancer Diagnostics from AACC; the Carl Jolliff Award for Lifetime Achievements in Immunology and Immunodiagnostics from the Immunology Division of the AACC; and most recently, the Morton K Schwartz for significant contributions to the development of cancer diagnostics from the New York Metro Division of the AACC. Dr. Fritsche served on the Expert Panel for developing Tumour Marker Practice Guidelines for the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) from its inception until his retirement, and he currently serves on the Laboratory Practice Guidelines Committee for the National Academy of Clinical Biochemistry. In addition, he serves on the Editorial Board of six international scientific journals. Dr. Fritsche is a consultant/advisor to the National Cancer Institute and for some major international diagnostic companies and biotech start-up companies. Dr. Fritsche has published over 200 peer reviewed scientific papers, invited articles and book chapters. He holds 3 patents. He has lectured extensively for many years at international and national meetings of medical and professional societies, and he is recognized internationally as an expert in the field of clinical chemistry, cancer diagnostics and laboratory medicine.

Notice Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This announcement includes "forward-looking statements" involving the Company, the other entities referenced in this announcement, and the respective subsidiaries, affiliates and associates of the Company and such other entities (collective, the "Involved Entities"), which include all statements other than statements of historical facts, including, without limitation, those regarding the financial position, business strategy, plans and objectives of management for future operations, and any statements preceded by, followed by or that include forward-looking terminology such as the words "targets", "believes", "estimates", "expects", "aims", "intends", "will", "can", "may", "anticipates", "would", "should", "could" or similar expressions or the negative thereof. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors beyond the control of the Involved Entities that could cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Involved Entities to be materially different from future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are based on numerous assumptions regarding the present and future business strategies of the Involved Entities and the environment in which the Involved Entities will operate in the future. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this announcement. The Company, on behalf of itself and each of the Involved Entities, expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to disseminate any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements contained in this announcement to reflect any change in expectations of any Involved Entities with regard thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statements are based. As a result of these factors, readers are cautioned not to rely on any forward-looking statement.

The directors of the Company accept responsibility for the contents of this announcement.

-ENDS-

For further information on AfriAg Global please visit the www.afriagglobal.com or please contact;

AfriAg Global Plc:

David Lenigas (Executive Chairman)

+44 (0)20 7440 0640

Peterhouse Capital Limited

Guy Miller

+44 (0)20 7469 0930
Press Release 16 May 2019



Terveystalo will buy the operations of Etela-Karjalan Tyokunto Oy by an agreement signed on 15 May 2019. The old customer relationship remains unchanged.

Etela-Karjalan Tyokunto Oy is the largest company providing comprehensive occupational health services in its region. Tyokunto Oy offers versatile occupational health services for South Karelia's Social and Health Services (Eksote), Lappeenranta City and other owners of Eksote. In addition, the company provides occupational health services for businesses, entrepreneurs and farmers. The company employs 58 people. The company has about 890 employer customers and 15,000 occupational health end-users. Revenue in 2018 amounted to approximately EUR 5 million. Tyokunto Oy has 8 clinics in six municipalities.

"With this acquisition, Tyokunto Oy will become a part of the nationwide Terveystalo. Terveystalo is Finland's leading provider of occupational health services and an expert on quality development. The company provides digitally supported services to support employees, work communities, and leadership alike," says Riitta Piironen, Managing Director of Etela-Karjalan Tyokunto Oy.

"We are very pleased to welcome the highly skilled employees of Tyokunto Oy to Terveystalo. With this acquisition, we strengthen our presence in South Karelia, which is a very important area for Terveystalo. This acquisition will enable Terveystalo to grow significantly in the region. We are eager to work together during the integration to design and implement the future service offering, "says Mari Varjonen, Director of Change Management at Terveystalo.

The deal has no impact on customer contracts and the company's employees will be transferred to Terveystalo as old employees. The operations will continue in the former premises.

For more information:

Terveystalo, Mari Varjonen, Director, Change Management, Tel. +358 46 923 4653 mari.varjonen@terveystalo.com

Terveystalo in brief

Terveystalo is a listed company on the Helsinki Stock Exchange. Terveystalo is the largest health care service company in Finland with net sales and network. The company offers versatile primary and secondary health care services for corporate and private customers and the public sector. The nationwide network covers 260 locations across Finland. The clinic network is complemented by 24/7 digital services.
Word from the CEO

"Biomarkers will play an increasingly important role in how we identify and follow up treatments for patients with cancer in the coming years. The development of an increased individual adaptation of treatment is driven by the use of biomarkers which enable diagnosis of which tumor type the patient has and also what treatment the patient should receive.

Thymidine Kinase is an important and exciting biomarker that can provide early detection of therapy response in cancer treatment, which means increased survival and better quality of life for the patient and reduced costs for the healthcare provider."

Michael Brobjer, CEO

Significant events during the reporting period 1 October - 31 December

AroCell signed a distribution agreement with the Beijing based company Gongyingshi for the promotion and distribution of the AroCell TK 210 ELISA in China. AroCell thereby has five distributors covering large parts of Europe, the US, China, and South Korea.

A new scientific publication from AroCell on TK 210 ELISA in prostate cancer was published the peer-reviewed journal "The Prostate" with the title: "The combination of AroCell TK 210 ELISA with Prostate Health Index or protease-specific antigen density can improve the ability to differentiate prostate cancer from noncancerous conditions". The aim of the study was to investigate the diagnostic value of the AroCell TK 210 ELISA together with free PSA, pro PSA and PHI in differentiating prostate cancer from benign urological conditions. The results showed that the combination of TK1 with PSAD or TK1 with PHI has significantly higher sensitivity than those for the individual PSA-related biomarkers.

An abstract from AroCell vas accepted for poster presentation on the American Association of Cancer Research 2019 (AACR 2019) held from March 29 to April 3 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. The Study compares AroCell TK210 ELISA with TK-Liaison assay.

The European Patent Office (EPO) granted Arocell a new patent (nr. 3083698) with the title "Monoclonal Anti-TK1 Antibodies". The patent is referring to AroCell's proprietary technology of specific and sensitive immunological measurement of Thymidine Kinase 1 in serum. More specifically, the monoclonal antibody, XPA210-Ar1, is covered in the patent.

AroCell launched a new website. The goal with the new website is to facilitate for customers, business partners and investors to find relevant information about AroCell.

Significant events after the reporting period

AroCell initiated a collaboration with Corgenix (Corgenix Inc., Colorado USA) to establish the measurement of Thymidine Kinase 1 using AroCell TK 210 ELISA in a CLIA-lab. The AroCell TK 210 ELISA kit vas validated and approved for Thymidine Kinase 1 (TK1) measurements in human samples for preclinical and clinical use at the Corgenix laboratory facility in Colorado, USA.

AroCell established a Scientific Advisory Board to support the company in its planned expansion in the coming years.

AroCell AB signed a distribution agreement with the Mumbai based company Inveniolife Technology Pvt. Ltd. for the promotion and distribution of the AroCell TK 210 ELISA in India.

Reporting period 1 January - 31 March 2019

Net sales were 76 (-) KSEK

Loss before financial items was -5 287 (-4 182) KSEK

Cash flow from operating activities was -4 402 (-3 112) KSEK

Earnings per share before and after dilution were -0,13 (-0,15) SEK

Cash and cash equivalents were at the end of the period 25 332 (14 137) KSEK

Interim report 1st January to 31st of March 2018)

For more information:

Michael Brobjer, CEO

Telephone: +46

AroCell is obliged to make public this information pursuant to the EU Market Abuse Regulation. This information was submitted for publication through the agency of Michael Brobjer, May 16, 2019 at 08:00.

About AroCell

AroCell AB, +46 (0)8 121 576 90.

For more information; www.arocell.com

Attachments
Research by Lenor finds that more than a third of us are wearing our clothes fewer than 10 times before throwing them away

Importance of how to wash and treat clothes confirmed as shoppers claim that clothes lose their fit, feel and colour after fewer than five washes

Adopting the Long Live Fashion Formula means we can quadruple the life of our clothes

Increasing the life of clothes by just 10% could improve the environmental impact of fashion and save three million tonnes of CO2 and 150 million litres of water per year in Europe

Research by Lenor reveals social pressure as one of the drivers of throw away fashion mentality

Lenor in Call to Action to amplify Livia Firth's #30wears challenge

Last night at the Copenhagen Fashion Summit,Lenor encouraged fashion enthusiasts to 'Wash it Better, Love it Longer' by announcing a #30wears challenge Call to Action. By adopting better laundry practices such as the Long Live Fashion Formula cold and quick cycles, using quality detergent and fabric conditioner we can extend the life of our clothes by up to four times, reducing the environmental impact associated with purchasing new garments, and keeping them out of landfill, as well as saving money by buying less new clothing.

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Wash It Better, Love It Longer Infographic (Photo: Business Wire)

Specially commissioned research from Lenor revealed that while 40% of people in the UK planned to wear the last item of clothing they purchased more than 30 times, in reality 43% throw away clothes after less than 10 wears, demonstrating the need for a significant change in consumer behaviour. With 70% saying the main reason they get rid of clothes is because they lose their shape, fade or start to look old, there is significant scope for extending the life of clothing by treating them better. While just over a quarter (26%) of those in the UK are aware that the fashion industry is one of the top 20% polluting industries in the world, encouragingly 91% said they would be willing to change their habits by keeping clothes for longer.

Bert Wouters, Global Vice President Fabric Enhancers at Procter Gamble commented: "Building on our Long Live Fashion Formula, which quadruples the lifetime of clothes, Lenor is delighted to lead this Call to Action of 'Wash it Better, Love it Longer' through the #30wears challenge. By doing so, we aim to drive real industry change through the impact that better laundry habits can make to the longevity of clothing."

Supporting the 'Wash it Better, Love it Longer' initiative and the #30wears Call to Action, Lenor is also pleased to share ambitions for a new global movement spearheaded by a panel of online fashion influencers across multiple countries. These partners will choose a favourite piece of clothing and consciously wear it at least 30 times whilst applying the Long Live Fashion Formula to maximise the longevity of their clothing. They will share their journey on social media to inspire others to do the same.

Virginie Helias, Chief Sustainability Officer at Procter Gamble commented: "The Lenor 'Wash it Better, Love it Longer' program is a great example of how brands inspire and enable responsible consumption, bringing to life our recently announced Brand 2030 criteria. Through this framework our leadership brands can make sustainable lifestyle irresistible for the five billion people we touch each day."

Keeping clothes for longer has a wider positive impact even beyond the environmental savings associated with clothing production. This is demonstrated by P&G's soon to be published academic research (https://rlsd.co/p/1MM_RA), demonstrating that most microfibres are released in the first few washes.

-Ends-

IMAGES AND INTERVIEW REQUESTS: To arrange interviews from the Summit, please contact Becky Hudson. For photography and any other media requests, please contact the press office or go to the multi-media release: https://rlsd.co/p/1MM_RA

Notes to Editors

P&G launched the clothes longevity initiative by Downy and Lenor as one of the first under P&G's Ambition 2030, the company's overarching sustainability goals, aimed at enabling and inspiring responsible consumption among consumers.

According to WRAP, clothing has the 4th largest environmental impact after housing, transport and food. Extending the active life of half of UK clothes by nine months could save 8% carbon, 10% water and 4% waste per tonne, whilst washing and care of our clothes accounts for a third of carbon footprint of clothing and more than 25% of post-consumer clothing ends up in the household waste bin.

We surveyed a sample of 1,000 people per market aged between 18 and 44 across the US, UK, Germany, France, China and Canada in May 2019 on their attitudes towards clothes longevity.

About Procter Gamble

P&G serves approximately 4.8 billion people around the world with its brands. The Company has one of the strongest portfolios of trusted, quality, leadership brands, including Always, Ambi Pur, Ariel, Bounty, Charmin, Crest, Dawn, Downy, Fairy, Febreze, Fusion, Gain, Gillette, Head Shoulders, Lenor, Mach3, Olay, Oral-B, Pampers, Pantene, Prestobarba, SK-II, Tide, Vicks, Wella, and Whisper. The P&G community includes operations in approximately 70 countries worldwide. Please visit http://www.pg.com for the latest news and in-depth information about P&G and its brands.

About Copenhagen Fashion Summit

Since its first edition in 2009, Copenhagen Fashion Summit has established itself as the world's leading business event on sustainability in fashion. Convening major fashion industry decision makers at a global scale, the Summit has become the nexus for agenda-setting discussions on the most critical environmental, social and ethical issues facing our industry and planet.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190516005069/en/

Contacts:

P&G Media Contact in Copenhagen

Becky Hudson

becky.hudson@ketchum.com

+44 (0)7986 279519



Sofiat Kolawole

Sofiat.kolawole@ketchum.com

+44 (0)7577 724697



P&G Media Contact in Press Office

Paula Smedley Baker

Paula.Baker@ketchum.com

+44 (0) 20 3755 6524
Press Release

16 May 2019

Doha, Qatar - Ooredoo Qatar has selected Nokia to build a 5G cloud native core network to support delivery of enhanced mobile broadband services. Nokia's solution will be deployed in Ooredoo's state-of-the-art datacenters in Qatar's capital city Doha.

The cloud-based architecture for core network is scalable, agile and flexible, making it reliable and suitable for extreme mobile broadband and massive/critical machine communication services. Nokia AirFrame, CloudBand, voice and Cloud Packet Core VNFs, and Nuage Networks Software Defined Network (SDN) are being deployed in the core network.

Ooredoo Qatar has emerged as a leader in the global 5G ecosystem and has already tested a number of exciting 5G use cases, including 5G aerial taxis and drones. The company is waiting for the availability of 5G devices to roll out commercial 5G services in the near future. This initiative with Nokia takes Ooredoo Qatar closer to bringing innovative 5G use cases to its customers.

Yousuf Abdulla Al Kubaisi, Chief Operating Officer, Ooredoo Qatar, said: "The modernization of our core network will enhance our capabilities to innovate with new services. It will also help us to meet additional demands for high-speed data services in general as well as bursts in demand, particularly in upcoming mega sporting events. Our 5G network will open the flood-gates for machine learning, automation and micro-services use-cases for consumer and business customers in the country."



Bernard Najm, head of the Middle East Market Unit at Nokia, said: "We are excited to partner with Ooredoo Qatar to set up a 5G core network that is truly 'cloud native' from the ground up, not just an evolution of current core solutions. Our solution supports all flavors of mobile access network technologies and enables our customers to bring new 5G services to market rapidly. The solution provides the low latency, high throughput and content-rich services that will support Ooredoo Qatar's business goals immediately and well into the future."

Overview of the solution

Nokia AirFrame (https://networks.nokia.com/solutions/airframe-data-center-solution) datacenter solution allows service providers to benefit from the IT and open source domains to create a scalable and distributed cloud-based architecture. Nokia AirFrame supports Open Compute Project and helps to bring down energy consumption and to improve cost-effectiveness.

Virtualized Network Functions (VNFs) include Mobile Core for Voice (https://networks.nokia.com/products/circuit-switched-core), with Cloud Packet Core, (https://networks.nokia.com/solutions/packet-core) Subscriber Management Registers (https://networks.nokia.com/products/nokia-registers) and Policy control (https://networks.nokia.com/products/smart-plan-suite) on a cloud platform.

Nokia CloudBand (https://networks.nokia.com/products/cloudband) tames virtual infrastructure management complexity and cost while managing the lifecycles of virtual network functions.

Nokia NetAct (https://networks.nokia.com/solutions/netact) gives the service provider a consolidated view of multi-domain, multi-technology networks, which ensures the best network experience in the 5G era.

Nuage Networks from Nokia SDN (http://www.nuagenetworks.net/) solutions enable datacenter network automation.

Nokia Professional services ensures a smooth migration from legacy core to Nokia's virtualized core network.

Resources

Web page: Nokia 5G Core (https://networks.nokia.com/5g/5g-core)

Whitepaper: Unconstrained data center networks for the cloud era (https://onestore.nokia.com/asset/165438)

Blog: What's central to the success of 5G? The core network of course (https://www.nokia.com/blog/whats-central-success-5g-core-network-course/)



About Ooredoo Qatar

Ooredoo is Qatar's leading communications company, delivering mobile, fixed, broadband internet and corporate managed services tailored to the needs of consumers and businesses. As a community-focused company, Ooredoo is guided by its vision of enriching people's lives and its belief that it can stimulate human growth by leveraging communications to help people achieve their full potential.

Twitter: @OoredooQatar

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ooredooqatar/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ooredooQatar

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/OoredooQatar

Website: www.ooredoo.qa (http://www.ooredoo.qa)

About Nokia

We create the technology to connect the world. We develop and deliver the industry's only end-to-end portfolio of network equipment, software, services and licensing that is available globally. Our customers include communications service providers whose combined networks support 6.1 billion subscriptions, as well as enterprises in the private and public sector that use our network portfolio to increase productivity and enrich lives.

Through our research teams, including the world-renowned Nokia Bell Labs, we are leading the world to adopt end-to-end 5G networks that are faster, more secure and capable of revolutionizing lives, economies and societies. Nokia adheres to the highest ethical business standards as we create technology with social purpose, quality and integrity. www.nokia.com (http://www.nokia.com)

Media Inquiries:

Nokia

Kannan K

Nokia Media Relations

Phone: +971 529 823 406

E-mail: kannan.k@nokia.com (mailto:kannan.k%40nokia.com)

Communications

Phone: +358 (0) 10 448 4900

E-mail: press.services@nokia.com (mailto:press.services@nokia.com)

This announcement is distributed by West Corporation on behalf of West Corporation clients.

The issuer of this announcement warrants that they are solely responsible for the content, accuracy and originality of the information contained therein.

Source: NOKIA via Globenewswire


Bertin Technologies, a subsidiary of CNIM Group, has been chosen by the authorities of Switzerland and by the European Commission on behalf of Armenia to provide tailored radiation monitoring systems.

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(Photo: Business Wire)

These new contracts reassert Bertin's strong expertise in Environmental Radiation Monitoring Systems (ERMS) and demonstrate its flexibility to meet specific requirements.

The Swiss authorities chose Bertin for the renewal of their MADUK1 and NADAM2 radiation monitoring networks. Bertin Technologies also won a tender for ANRA (Armenian Nuclear Regulatory Authority), within the framework of a contract funded by the European Union, to provide equipment and services in order to improve radiation monitoring near and around the Metsamor nuclear power plant3 in Armenia

Bertin's solutions perform the surveillance of radioactivity in air, soil and water around nuclear facilities or for nationwide monitoring purposes to help ensuring human safety

They include a broad range of sensors, including gamma dose measurementsair monitoring, and spectroscopic analysis for radionuclide identification. Collected data is transmitted through secured and emergency proof channels including radio, 4G or satellite. A central data management system allows managing, analyzing and visualizing the situation in real time.

Backed by the in-depth know-how of Saphymo (acquired in 2015), Bertin has developed and optimized cutting-edge instrumentation equipment for the detection and monitoring of ionizing radiation, which comply with the strictest international requirements.

These contracts showcase the expertise of Bertin's teams in the field of radiological monitoring

1 automatic dose-rate monitoring network operated by the Federal Nuclear Safety Inspectorate (ENSI) set up in 1993 in the vicinity of nuclear facilities

2 nationwide emergency monitoring system for gamma radiation operated by NAZ, the federal center of expertise for exceptional incidents, a division of the Federal Office for Civil Protection.

3 Project funded by European Union EuropeAid/139508/DH/SUP/AM ProjectA3.01/15A

ABOUT BERTIN TECHNOLOGIES

Bertin Technologies relies on its long history of innovation to develop, produce and market innovative systems and equipment worldwide. Among its 620 employees, there are 2/3 engineers and high-level managers. The company is active worldwide and its turnover amounts to nearly 100 million euros in 2018.

Its instrumentation business unit is dedicated to innovative measurement and sampling for the key worldwide markets of Nuclear, Defense, Security & Life Sciences.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190516005320/en/

Contacts:

Press Contact

Frederique Vigezzi

frederique.vigezzi@gootenberg.fr

Tel + 33 1 43 59 29 84
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - May 16, 2019) - DELREY METALS CORP. (CSE: DLRY) (FSE: 1OZ) (OTC: DLRYF) ("Delrey" or the "Company") is pleased to announce results from a Phase II prospecting program recently completed on its wholly-owned Star, Porcher and Blackie properties located along tide-water near Prince Rupert, British Columbia. A total of 125 rock samples were collected by Delrey Metals Corp. personnel from the three properties (Porcher - 61, Star - 43, Blackie - 21) with assays returning as high as 0.513% V 2 0 5 (49.3% Fe, 4.01% Ti). Prospecting focused on the strongest magnetic anomalies that were mapped during the Phase I airborne magnetic surveys (see news release dated April 15, 2019), and in all cases ground truthing confirmed that these anomalies are caused by variably mineralized vanadium-rich titaniferous magnetite. The Company is very encouraged by the consistency of V 2 0 5 , titanium and iron enrichment identified by the Phase II work program on all three properties and has submitted five-year area-based permit applications which will allow Delrey to establish up to 40 drill sites on the Blackie, Porcher and Star properties.

Blackie Highlights:

Selective outcrop sample results up to 0.513% V 2 O 5 , with 5 of the 21 samples returning >0.30% V 2 O 5 , and 21 of the 22 samples returning >0.10% V 2 O 5 (Fig. 1). 1

O , with 5 of the 21 samples returning >0.30% V O , and 21 of the 22 samples returning >0.10% V O (Fig. 1). Strong V 2 O 5 enrichment was mapped over an approximately 800m x 300m area centered on the magnetic anomaly identified by the Phase I survey.

Porcher Highlights:

Selective outcrop sample results up to 0.422% V 2 O 5 , with 11 of 61 rock samples returning >0.20% V 2 O 5 along a strike length of 1 km (Fig 2). 1

O , with 11 of 61 rock samples returning >0.20% V O along a strike length of 1 km (Fig 2). An approximately 2.8km x 1.8km strong magnetic anomaly remains to be ground truthed in the southern portion of the property (see news release dated April 15, 2019).

Star Highlights:

Assay results are highlighted by 11 of the 43 selective outcrop samples returning >47% Fe (up to 61.2%) from exposed northwest-southeast oriented semi-massive to massive magnetite outcrops along a strike length of approximately 4.7km. 1

V 2 O 5 enrichment in massive magnetite samples returned as high as 0.10% V 2 O 5 .

O enrichment in massive magnetite samples returned as high as 0.10% V O . Strong V-in-stream sediment results ranging from a low of 447 ppm up to 637 ppm V 2 O 5 , suggest higher V 2 O 5 concentrations in bedrock may occur elsewhere on the property below forest cover.

1Grab samples are selective in nature and not necessarily representative of the mineralization hosted on the property.

Morgan Good, Delrey President and CEO, stated, "The Delrey team is very pleased with our Phase II results as the assays not only show excellent continuity with the previous Phase I geophysical anomalies, but include some impressive vanadium, iron and titanium grades. A systematic approach to exploration at Blackie, Porcher and Star has allowed us to put the second piece of the puzzle into place on our BC assets. We're optimistic we will be in a position to initiate our Phase III work program consisting of diamond drilling this summer at our Blackie, Porcher and Star properties, further enhancing the value of Delrey for its shareholders."

Update on LOI with Triple Nine Resources/Four Corners Project

The Company is also pleased to report it has been working diligently to finalize negotiations on the definitive option and joint venture agreements with Triple Nine Resources for the option to earn 80% of The Four Corners Project in Newfoundland and Labrador. Delrey's CEO Morgan Good, Director Mike Blady, and Qualified Person Scott Dorion P.Geo., visited the Triple Nine team, as well as the project site among other strategic locations last week and the Company expects to be in a position to sign such agreements in the near future.

QA/QC Procedures

All rock samples were placed in polybags and locations marked in the field with labelled pink flagging tape by Delrey Metals Corp. personnel. Sample notes for each sample were recorded using field-ready smartphones and GPS locations were recorded using handheld Garmin devices. Prior to shipment to ALS Global's sample preparation facility in Kamloops, British Columbia, blanks and pulp duplicates were inserted at a ratio of approximately 1 in every 10 rock samples. Delrey is currently working with several laboratories to develop a suitable vanadium standard which will allow the Company to test for calibration errors on future projects. Limiting the chain of custody, the samples were dropped off at the Kamloops preparation facility by the Delrey Metals Corp. field staff. Samples were prepared in Kamloops by crushing the entire sample to 70% passing -2mm, riffle splitting off 1kg and pulverizing the split to better than 85% passing 75 microns. After preparation in Kamloops, the prepared pulps were shipped to ALS Global's analytical laboratory in North Vancouver, British Columbia. The vanadium assays are determined by ME-MS85 lithium borate fusion and reported in parts per million (ppm) and converted by the lab into V 2 O 5 (%). The remaining analytes were determined using ME-ICP61 four acid ICP-AES. The analytical results are verified with the application of industry standard Quality Control and Quality Assurance (QA-QC) procedures.

About Delrey

Delrey is a mineral exploration company focused on the acquisition, exploration and development of mineral resource properties, specifically in the strategic energy minerals space. The Company recently announced a letter of intent to acquire an 80% interest in the Four Corners Project located in Newfoundland and Labrador. The Four Corners Project is an advance stage exploration project with positive historic drilling, metallurgy, and development economics. The Company also recently purchased the Star, Porcher, Peneece and Blackie Fe-Ti-V properties located along tidewater in western British Columbia. Delrey will continue to review and acquire projects showing potential for materials used in the energy storage and electric vehicle markets. The Company is based in Vancouver, British Columbia, and is listed on the CSE under the symbol "DLRY".

Qualified person

Scott Dorion, P.Geo., is the designated Qualified Person of the Company as defined by NI 43-101 and has reviewed and approved the technical information contained in this release.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF

DELREY METALS CORP.

"Morgan Good"

Morgan Good

President and Chief Executive Officer

For more information regarding this news release, please contact:

Morgan Good, CEO and Director

T: 604-620-8904

E: info@delreymetals.com

W: www.delreymetals.com

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements contained in this news release, constitute "forward-looking information" as such term is used in applicable Canadian securities laws. Forward-looking statements in this news release include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the prospective establishment of 20 drill sites on the Company's Blackie, Porcher and Star properties, the initiation of the Company's Phase III work program on its Blackie, Porcher and Star properties and any enhanced value thereof, the anticipated signing of the definitive option and joint venture agreements with Triple Nine Resources, and the continued pursuit by the Company to review and acquire projects showing potential for materials used in the energy storage and electrical vehicle markets. Forward-looking information is based on plans, expectations and estimates of management at the date the information is provided and is subject to certain factors and assumptions, including, but are not limited to, general business and economic uncertainties. Forward-looking information is subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause plans, estimates and actual results to vary materially from those projected in such forward-looking information. Factors that could cause the forward-looking information in this news release to change or to be inaccurate include, but are not limited to, the risk that any of the assumptions referred to prove not to be valid or reliable, which could result in delays, or cessation in planned work, that the Company's financial condition and development plans change, delays in regulatory approval, risks associated with the interpretation of data, the geology, grade and continuity of mineral deposits, the possibility that results will not be consistent with the Company's expectations, the Company's inability to execute the option and joint venture agreements with Triple Nine Resources, as well as the other risks and uncertainties applicable to mineral exploration and development activities and to the Company as set forth in the Company's Management's Discussion and Analysis reports filed under the Company's profile at www.sedar.com. There can be no assurance that any forward-looking information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, the reader should not place any undue reliance on forward-looking information or statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking information or statements, other than as required by applicable law.

Neither the 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.





FIG.1



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FIG. 2



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Spc. Christopher A. Patterson, 20, served as a combat engineer with the 713th Engineer Company of the Indiana National Guard, based out of the Valparaiso Armory in Indiana. Patterson and three other Indiana Guard members were ambushed and fatally injured by a roadside bomb in Kandahar province.
SHANGHAI, May 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Juneyao Air and Finnair have agreed to launch a codeshare partnership starting June 28, 2019, combining synergies of both airlines. This agreement will provide a wider connectivity between China and Finland, and will help to pursue significant cooperation in the near future, allowing the airlines to leverage each other's networks, expertise and assets in benefit of their consumers. The codeshare flights will be open for sale on May 17 and travel effective June 28.

The partnership with Finnair allows Juneyao Air passengers to enjoy seamless connectivity on selected domestic flights within Finland. Under the codeshare agreement, Juneyao Air HO code will be placed on the Helsinki-Shanghai flight by Finnair, and domestic cities in Finland include Rovaniemi, Ivalo, Oulu, Kemi and Kuopio. Moreover, passengers will also benefit from through baggage check-in.

Finnair passengers can also take advantage of Juneyao Air presence in China, with the codeshare to cities including Harbin, Shenyang, Dalian, Xi'an, Chongqing, Qingdao, Xiamen, Kunming, Fuzhou and Nanjing to Xi'an, Chongqing and Zhangjiajie. Meanwhile, Finnair will place its AY code on the Shanghai-Helsinki flight by Juneyao Air. In addition to the codeshare agreement, both airlines will jointly explore opportunities to improve their customer experience.

Juneyao Air and Finnair codeshare agreement will strengthen both airlines' vision, in order to provide new air bridges striving to deliver a better connectivity and variety of options to passengers, while also helping to increase tourism and commercial ties between both nations.

"With the networks connected to both sides, Juneyao Air and Finnair offer more choices, enabling easy connection and communication between China and Europe via Finland. Thus, we are very confident of the codeshare partnership between Juneyao Air and Finnair and look forward to win-win cooperation in the coming season," said Mr Yu Chengji, Executive Vice President of Juneyao Air.

"We warmly welcome this cooperation with Juneyao Air and are delighted to offer our customers more destinations and smooth connections in China," stated Mr Christian Lesjak, Senior Vice President, Network and Resource Management at Finnair. "We also welcome Juneyao Air customers to explore Finland with our domestic flights."

Juneyao Air will launch its Shanghai (PVG) - Helsinki (HEL) daily service June 28 with its brand-new flagship Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, being the only Chinese private-owned full-service carrier with direct long-haul flights to Europe.

About Juneyao Air

Founded in 2006, Juneyao Air is one of the leading private-owned carriers in China, and the first Connecting Partner of the Star Alliance. The airline now reaches more than 120 destinations in Asia and Europe, with a modern fleet of 72 aircrafts. Awarded Skytrax World's Best Regional Airlines in Asia Top 5 in 2018.

About Finnair

Finnair flies between Asia, Europe and North America with an emphasis on fast connections via Helsinki, carrying more than thirteen million passengers annually. Finnair's extensive network connects 20 cities in Asia and 8 cities in North America with over 100 destinations in Europe. The airline, a pioneer in sustainable flying, was the first European airline to fly the next-generation, eco-smart Airbus A350 XWB aircraft and it is the first airline listed in the Leadership Index of the worldwide Carbon Disclosure Project. The only Nordic carrier with a 4-star Skytrax ranking, Finnair has also won the World Airline Award for Best Airline Northern Europe for the past nine years running. Finnair is a member of oneworld, the alliance of the world's leading airlines committed to providing the highest level of service and convenience to frequent international travellers.
STOCKHOLM, May 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ --

EQT sells Coromatic, a leading Nordic critical facility services and provider, to E.ON, a European leader within energy networks and state-of-the-art customer solutions

During EQT's ownership, Coromatic has transformed into a leading Nordic provider of critical facility services and solutions, securing operations against disruptions 24/7, ultimately improving people's lives and protecting the environment through optimized energy consumption

Coromatic has more than doubled revenues and the number employees, and nearly quadrupled EBITDA as a result of strong organic growth and a number of strategic add-on acquisitions

EQT Expansion Capital II ("EQT") has entered into a definitive agreement to sell Coromatic Group ("Coromatic" or the "Company") to E.ON. Coromatic secures access to power and data communication by providing services and solutions to critical facilities, such as data centers, airports, hospitals, transportation and connected workplaces.

During EQT's ownership, Coromatic has transformed from a Swedish-focused data center solutions provider into a service-led Nordic leader. Through the most extensive pan-Nordic critical facilities service network of more than 200 highly qualified technicians, Coromatic secures operations 24/7, contributing to sustainable cities and communities.

An increase in frequency of disruption events, such as power outages or disruptions in digital infrastructure, coupled with a rising cost of downtime, has led to a surge in demand for Coromatic's unique competencies. The Company's development has relied on strong organic growth and an ambitious consolidation strategy, having executed eight add-on acquisitions across the Nordics. Today, Coromatic supports over 5,000 customers, including 60% of the Nordic top 100 companies, out of 17 locations.

Erik Bertman, CEO of Coromatic, said: "Together with EQT, Coromatic has transformed into a Nordic leader, through geographical expansion as well as building competencies and widening the offering. Most importantly, this has allowed us to serve our customers better and faster. We now look forward to continue our ambitious growth journey together with E.ON, pursuing a bold ambition of becoming the frontrunner of the decentralized energy market in Europe. We see this as an ideal fit with a common purpose of securing operations 24/7 through energy efficient solutions and thereby improving people's lives."

"Acquiring Coromatic is an important step towards our strategic ambition of becoming a leading energy solutions company. As artificial intelligence, smart homes and buildings become increasingly prevalent, the need for 24/7 uninterrupted power supply will continue to grow. I see a great potential for both E.ON and Coromatic to jointly capitalize on this trend," says Marc Hoffmann, CEO E.ON Sverige.

Victor Englesson, Partner at EQT Partners and Investment Advisor to EQT Expansion Capital II, added: "EQT is impressed with Coromatic's growth journey, but more importantly, its contribution to society in securing critical infrastructure. This aligns perfectly with EQT's investment approach and focus on sustainability and positive social impact. We are convinced that E.ON will be a great owner of Coromatic and together they will become a trusted partner to businesses looking to ensure their operations 24/7."

The transaction is subject to approval from the relevant authorities and is expected to close in late Q2 or Q3 2019.

Nordea acted as financial advisor and Roschier as legal advisor to EQT.

About EQT

EQT is a leading investment firm with more than EUR 61 billion in raised capital across 29 funds and around EUR 40 billion in assets under management. EQT funds have portfolio companies in Europe, Asia and the US with total sales of more than EUR 19 billion and approximately 110,000 employees. EQT works with portfolio companies to achieve sustainable growth, operational excellence and market leadership.

More info: www.eqtpartners.com

About E.ON

E.ON Sverige is part of the international E.ON-group, one of the world's largest investor owned energy companies. E.ON has about 2 200 coworkers in Sweden.

More info: www.eon.com/en

Contact

Victor Englesson, Partner at EQT Partners and Investment Advisor to EQT Expansion Capital II

EQT Press Office, press@eqtpartners.com, +46-8-506-55-334

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

https://news.cision.com/eqt-ab/r/eqt-sells-coromatic-to-e-on,c2815346

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LONDON, May 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Alpha, a not for profit Housing Association, took the decision to replace its inefficient and laborious systems for managing its fixed assets with a specialist software solution from Real Asset Management (RAM), an MRI Software Company. Previously using a mix of spreadsheets alongside its housing management system to manage the depreciation of its 28 million asset base on an annual basis, it was essential to move from this time consuming process and make it a monthly task to improve efficiency and productivity.

Alpha is based on the Wirral and specialises in sheltered accommodation for the over 55's. Employing approximately 100 staff, it is a long-standing organisation with more than 880 apartments in 11 local authorities across the North of England. Its developments offer residents a place of their own to live, but with the security and company of a dedicated team of Development Managers and Housekeepers close by whenever they are needed.

In terms of timing, Alpha was also in the process of changing its housing management software provider and its preferred choice did not offer a component accounting module, which reinforced its decision to review its fixed asset systems. Gemma Livesey-Scicluna, Assistant Management Accountant at Alpha comments, "Prior to purchasing RAM's software, our property assets were maintained in our housing management software with an import created annually which involved approximately 4 weeks of work between ourselves and the software provider to get the data in and verified. To make matters worse, we were then managing our non-property assets separately via a spreadsheet". Livesey-Scicluna continues, "It was essential to select a system which would support the monthly calculation of depreciation and one which could produce the required journals for our Exchequer finance system."

RAM's component accounting software was swiftly identified and selected as system of choice following a recommendation from its finance system provider as well as receiving a number of positive endorsements from existing RAM clients. Alpha felt assured that the software ticked all of its boxes and offered good value for money.

Going forward, the new software will manage Alpha's 880+ properties which is due to rise to 960 by September 2020. The system will centrally track and control its housing assets consisting of such components as bathrooms, kitchens, boilers and electrics as well as its non-property assets such as computers, mobiles, tables and chairs. Livesey-Scicluna states, "We are fully anticipating to realise quick win benefits from the use of RAM's solution. Having the capability to schedule monthly depreciation calculation runs will not only enable huge time saving efficiencies and simplify procedure at year-end, but crucially, allow us to exercise more stringent control over our month-end accounts, ensuring timely and accurate reporting in compliance with FRS 102".

Essentially, the new system will transform Alpha's ability to manage its asset base. Being able to maintain complete and up to date information on asset status, history and location will increase transparency and visibility whilst having the functionality to process batch events including revaluations and impairments and being able to account for historic cost valuation will significantly automate its manual procedures and improve productivity.

Livesey-Scicluna concludes, "We have been very impressed thus far with the level of service received from RAM. Our implementation manager was an absolute pleasure to work with, always available for assistance regardless of the time of day whilst ensuring that the project ran smoothly at all times. We look forward to a strong working relationship with RAM going forward".

About Real Asset Management

Real Asset Management (RAM), an MRI Software Company, is a leading provider of fixed asset management and logistics software & services. Over the last 30 years, its products have been implemented at thousands of customer sites worldwide.

RAM maintains a global presence with offices located around the world. The product range includes modules for fixed asset accounting, lease accounting, asset tracking, maintenance management and facilities management, making it a powerful and flexible solution to meet all requirements and financial regulations.

The company has developed a powerful range of software modules around a central data repository that enables organisations of any size to manage every aspect of the asset lifecycle.

For further details please contact:

Karen Waite, Marketing Manager

Real Asset Management, An MRI Software Company

Email: kwaite@realassetmgt.com

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/615025/RAM_Logo.jpg
Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
(to be implemented by way of a scheme of arrangement under Part 26 of the U.K. Companies Act 2006)

Regulatory News:

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190516005417/en/

NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, IN OR INTO ANY RESTRICTED JURISDICTION WHERE TO DO SO WOULD CONSTITUTE A VIOLATION OF THE RELEVANT LAWS OF SUCH JURISDICTION

RECOMMENDED CASH ACQUISITION

of

STALLERGENES GREER PLC

by

ARES LIFE SCIENCES I S.A R.L.

(to be implemented by way of a scheme of arrangement under

Part 26 of the U.K. Companies Act 2006)

Scheme of Arrangement becomes Effective

On 21 March 2019 the special committee of independent directors of Stallergenes Greer plc (Paris:STAGR) ("Stallergenes Greer") (the "Special Committee") and Ares Life Sciences I S.a r.l. ("Waypoint") announced that they had reached agreement on the terms of a recommended acquisition by Waypoint of the entire issued, and to be issued, ordinary share capital of Stallergenes Greer not held directly or indirectly by Waypoint (the "Acquisition"). The Acquisition is to be effected by means of a Court approved scheme of arrangement under Part 26 of the Companies Act 2006 (the "Scheme"). At the Court Meeting and General Meeting held on 13 May 2019 to consider the Acquisition, all resolutions were duly passed.

Stallergenes Greer and Waypoint are pleased to announce that, following the delivery of the Court Order to the Registrar of Companies, the Scheme has become Effective in accordance with its terms. This follows the Court's sanction of the Scheme at the Court Hearing held on 15 May 2019 and Waypoint now owns the entire issued ordinary share capital of Stallergenes Greer other than 59,231 Treasury Shares.

The full terms and conditions of the Acquisition were set out in the scheme document published by Stallergenes Greer on 5 April 2019 (the "Scheme Document

Consideration due to Scheme Shareholders

Scheme Shareholders on the Register at the Scheme Record Time, being 19:00 C.E.S.T. yesterday, 15 May 2019, will receive Euro 37.00 in cash for each Scheme Share held.

Suspension, delisting and cancellation of trading of Stallergenes Greer Shares

Dealings in Stallergenes Greer Shares on Euronext Paris were suspended with effect from 09:00 C.E.S.T. on 13 May 2019. The de-listing of the Shares from the regulated market of Euronext Paris is expected to take effect on 17 May 2019.

Resignation of the Independent Non-Executive Directors of Stallergenes Greer

As set out in paragraph 10 of Part 2 of the Scheme Document, each of the Independent Non-Executive Directors has resigned from the board of directors of Stallergenes Greer with effect as of today, 16 May 2019.

Settlement

As further described in the Scheme Document, Waypoint will pay to the Shareholder Paying Agent the aggregate price payable for all of the Scheme Shares no later than 23 May 2019.

The Shareholder Paying Agent will pay (or procure the payment to) each Registered Shareholder and intermediary bank (for and on behalf of the Bearer Shareholders) an amount equal to the Acquisition Price multiplied by the number of Scheme Shares in which that Shareholder is interested. The Shareholder Paying Agent will make these payments in accordance with its normal procedures and as a result Registered Shareholders and these intermediary banks can expect to receive these payments no later than six Business Days from today. Bearer Shareholders should contact their intermediary banks concerning when they can expect to receive payment for the Scheme Shares in which they are interested.

General

Capitalised terms used in but not defined in this announcement have the meanings set out in the Scheme Document.

IMPORTANT NOTICES

Important Notices Relating to Financial Advisers

UBS AG London Branch is authorised and regulated by the Financial Market Supervisory Authority in Switzerland. It is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and subject to regulation by the Financial Conduct Authority and limited regulation by the Prudential Regulation Authority in the United Kingdom. UBS AG London Branch is acting exclusively as financial adviser to Waypoint and no one else in connection with the Acquisition. In connection with such matters, UBS AG London Branch will not regard any other person as its client, nor will it be responsible to any other person for providing the protections afforded to its clients or for providing advice in relation to the Acquisition, the contents or subject matter of this announcement or any transaction, arrangement or other matter referred to herein.

Evercore Partners International LLP, which is authorised and regulated in the United Kingdom by the Financial Conduct Authority, is acting as financial adviser exclusively for the Special Committee and no one else in connection with the matters referred to in this announcement and will not regard any other person as its client in connection with the matters referred to in this announcement and will not be responsible to anyone other than the Special Committee for providing the protections afforded to clients of Evercore, nor for providing advice in relation to the matters referred to in this announcement.

Further Information

This announcement is for information purposes only and is not intended to, and does not, constitute or form part of any offer, invitation, inducement or the solicitation of an offer to purchase, otherwise acquire, subscribe for, sell or otherwise dispose of or exercise rights in respect of any securities, or the solicitation of any vote or approval of an offer to buy securities in any jurisdiction, pursuant to the Acquisition or otherwise nor shall there be any sale, issuance or transfer of any securities pursuant to the Acquisition in any jurisdiction in contravention of any applicable laws.

The Acquisition will be implemented solely pursuant to the terms of the Scheme Document, which will contain the full terms and conditions of the Acquisition, including details of how to vote in respect of the Scheme. Any decision, vote or other response in respect of the Acquisition should be made only on the basis of information contained in the Scheme Document. Shareholders are advised to read the formal documentation in relation to the Acquisition carefully once it has been dispatched.

This announcement does not constitute a prospectus or prospectus-equivalent document.

This announcement has been prepared for the purpose of complying with English law and disclosure requirements under French law. Accordingly, the information disclosed may not be the same as that which would have been disclosed if this announcement had been prepared in accordance with the laws of jurisdictions outside of the United Kingdom and France (as applicable).

Overseas Jurisdictions

The release, publication or distribution of this announcement in, and the availability of the Acquisition to persons who are residents, citizens or nationals of jurisdictions other than France may be restricted by laws and/or regulations of those jurisdictions. In particular, the ability of persons who are not resident in France or who are subject to the laws of another jurisdiction to direct voting of the Scheme Shares in which they are interested with respect to the Scheme at the Court Meeting, or to execute and deliver Forms of Proxy appointing another to vote at the Court Meeting on their behalf, may be affected by the laws of the relevant jurisdictions in which they are located.

Therefore, any persons not resident in France and/or who are subject to the laws and regulations of any jurisdiction other than France should inform themselves about, and observe, any applicable legal and regulatory requirements. Any failure to comply with the applicable requirements may constitute a violation of the laws and/or regulations of any such jurisdiction.

The Acquisition will not be made, directly or indirectly, in, into or from any restricted jurisdiction where to do so would violate the laws of that jurisdiction and no person may vote in favour of the Acquisition by any use, means, instrumentality or form within a restricted jurisdiction or any other jurisdiction if to do so would constitute a violation of the laws of that jurisdiction. Accordingly, copies of this announcement and any formal documentation relating to the Acquisition are not being, and must not be, directly or indirectly, mailed or otherwise forwarded, distributed or sent in, into or from any restricted jurisdiction and persons receiving such documents (including custodians, nominees and trustees) must not mail or otherwise forward, distribute or send them in or into or from any restricted jurisdiction. To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, Waypoint, Stallergenes Greer and persons involved in the Acquisition disclaim any responsibility or liability for such violation by any person.

The receipt of cash pursuant to the Acquisition by Shareholders may be a taxable transaction under applicable national, state and local, as well as foreign and other tax laws. Each Shareholder is urged to consult their independent professional adviser regarding the tax consequences of the Acquisition applicable to him or her.

Further details in relation to Shareholders in overseas jurisdictions will be contained in the Scheme Document.

Notice to U.S. Investors in Stallergenes Greer

The Acquisition relates to the shares of a company organised under the laws of England and Wales and listed on Euronext Paris and is proposed to be effected by means of a scheme of arrangement under the laws of England and Wales (Part 26 of the Companies Act). This announcement, the Scheme Document and certain other documents relating to the Acquisition have been or will be prepared in accordance with English law and French law (in connection with disclosure only), all of which differ from the relevant laws in the United States of America. The Acquisition is not subject to the tender offer rules or the proxy solicitation rules under the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Accordingly, the Acquisition is subject to the disclosure requirements of and practices applicable to a company listed on Euronext Paris which is subject to an English law scheme of arrangement, which differ from the disclosure requirements of the United States of America tender offer and proxy solicitation rules.

Stallergenes Greer's financial statements, and all financial information that is included in this announcement or that may be included in the Scheme Document, or any other documents relating to the Acquisition, have been or will be prepared in accordance with non-U.S. accounting standards that may not be comparable to financial information of companies in the United States of America or other companies whose financial statements are prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.

Neither the United States Securities and Exchange Commission nor any U.S. state securities commission has approved or disapproved the Acquisition, passed upon the merits or fairness of the Acquisition or passed any opinion upon the accuracy, adequacy or completeness of this announcement or the Scheme Document. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offence in the United States of America.

Stallergenes Greer is incorporated under the laws of England and Wales and listed on Euronext Paris. Waypoint is incorporated under the laws of Luxembourg. In addition, some of Stallergenes Greer's and Waypoint's respective officers and directors reside outside the United States of America, and some or all of their respective assets are or may be located in jurisdictions outside the United States of America. Therefore, investors may have difficulty effecting service of process within the United States of America upon those persons or recovering against Stallergenes Greer, Waypoint or their respective officers or directors on judgments of United States of America courts, including judgments based upon the civil liability provisions of the United States of America federal securities laws. It may not be possible to sue Stallergenes Greer, Waypoint or their respective officers or directors in a non-U.S. court for violations of the U.S. securities laws.

The receipt of cash pursuant to the Acquisition by U.S. holders of Shares pursuant to the Scheme may be a taxable transaction for U.S. federal income tax purposes and under applicable U.S. state and local, as well as foreign and other, tax laws. Each U.S. holder of Shares is urged to consult his or her independent professional adviser immediately regarding the tax consequences of the Acquisition applicable to him or her.

Forward-Looking Statements

This announcement contains certain statements which are, or may be deemed to be, "forward-looking statements" which are prospective in nature. All statements other than statements of current or historical fact, are or may be deemed to be, forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on current expectations and projections about future events and are therefore subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results, performance or events to differ materially from the future results, performance or events expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Often, but not always, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking words such as "plans", "expects", "is expected", "is subject to", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates", "believes", "targets", "aims", "projects", "goal", "objective", "outlook", "risks", "seeks" or words or terms of similar substance or the negative thereof, as well as variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "should", "would", "might", "probably" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. Such statements are qualified in their entirety by the inherent risks and uncertainties surrounding future expectations.

Such forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could significantly affect expected results and are based on certain key assumptions. Many factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected or implied in any forward-looking statements. 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 of this announcement. Any forward-looking statements made in this announcement on behalf of Stallergenes Greer or Waypoint are made as of the date of this announcement based on the opinions and estimates of directors of Stallergenes Greer or Waypoint respectively and no assurance can be given that such opinions or estimates will prove to have been correct. Each of Stallergenes Greer and Waypoint and their respective members, directors, officers, employees, advisers and any person acting on behalf of one or more of them, expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking or other statements contained in this announcement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law. Neither Stallergenes Greer or Waypoint or their respective members, directors, officers or employees, advisers or any person acting on their behalf, provides any representation, assurance or guarantee that the occurrence of the events expressed or implied in any forward-looking statements in this announcement will actually occur.

No forward-looking or other statements have been reviewed by the auditors of Stallergenes Greer or Waypoint. All subsequent oral or written forward-looking statements attributable to Stallergenes Greer or Waypoint of their respective members, directors, officers, advisers or employees or any person acting on their behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statement above.

No Profit Forecasts or Estimates

Nothing in this announcement is intended or shall be deemed to be a forecast, projection or estimate of the future financial performance of Stallergenes Greer or Waypoint for any period and no statement in this announcement should be interpreted to mean that cash flow from operations, earnings, or earnings per share or income of those persons (where relevant) for the current or future financial years would necessarily match or exceed the historical published cash flow from operations, earnings, earnings per share or income of those persons (as appropriate).

General

If you are in any doubt about the contents of this announcement or the action you should take, you are recommended to seek your own independent financial advice immediately from an appropriate authorised independent financial adviser.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190516005417/en/

Contacts:

Stallergenes Greer

Youssef Abbas, Investor Relations, +33 1 55 59 78 43

Catherine Kress, Communications, +33 1 55 59 26 05

Evercore

+44 (0) 20 7653 6000

Financial adviser to the Special Committee

Edward Banks, Senior Managing Director

Simon Elliott, Senior Managing Director

Wladimir Wallaert, Managing Director

FTI Consulting

+33 1 47 03 69 48

Investor and media relations adviser to Stallergenes Greer

Arnaud de Cheffontaines

Havas Worldwide Paris

+33 6 13 54 38 91

Media relations adviser to Stallergenes Greer

Claire Olivieri

UBS

+44 (0) 20 7567 8000

Financial adviser to Waypoint

Cailin McGurk, Managing Director

Sarantis Douropoulos, Executive Director

Nicolas Le Ray, Executive Director

Hirzel.Neef.Schmid.Counselors

+41 43 344 42 42

Media relations adviser to Waypoint

Dr Jorg Neef
Prysmian confirms commitment to the offshore wind cable sector in North America

MILAN, May 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Prysmian Group, world leader in the energy and telecom cable systems industry, has been awarded a contract worth approximately 200 million by Vineyard Wind, LLC, a US offshore wind development company 50% owned by funds of Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners and 50% by Avangrid Renewables (part of the Iberdrola Group), to provide a submarine power cable system which will deliver clean energy to the mainland power grid in the US.

With the notice to proceed expected at the end of 2019, Prysmian Group will be responsible for the design, manufacture, installation and commissioning of an HVAC (High Voltage Alternating Current) cable system composed of two 220 kV three-core cables utilising extruded XLPE insulation. The project requires a total of 134 km of power cables. The submarine cables will be produced in Prysmian Group's centres of excellence for the production of submarine cables in Pikkala (Finland) and Arco Felice (Italy). Installation operations will be performed by Prysmian Group's state-of-the-art cable laying vessels Cable Enterprise and Ulisse. Delivery and commissioning of the project are scheduled for 2021.

Prysmian will also provide PRY-CAM permanent monitoring solutions consisting of long range Distributed Temperature Sensing (DTS) and state-of-the-art Real Time Thermal Rating (RTTR) systems collecting and analysing data by ways of an artificial intelligence interface, which generates automated alarm signals if a critical situation is identified. PRY-CAM is the Group's breakthrough technology that allows on-line, accurate and reliable in-depth information to helps electric assets owners to increase uptime, asset longevity and safety, while reducing maintenance costs and risks.

"This contract reinforces Prysmian Group's leading position in the submarine cable market and underpins both our continued role and our commitment to the North American offshore wind sector. Prysmian offers extensive technical expertise, levering on its wide knowledge and historical experience in this industry, where we ensure our close and local support to our customers throughout the complete project life cycle," stated Hakan Ozmen, EVP Projects, Prysmian Group. "The US offshore wind market is now demonstrating a high level of motivation with a promising growth forecast and we are excited to contribute to realising this opportunity in the US market," concluded Ozmen.

With the integration of General Cable, Prysmian Group confirms its wider commitment and presence to the North American power and telecommunication cable market.

Prysmian Group

Prysmian Group is world leader in the energy and telecom cable systems industry. With almost 140 years of experience, sales exceeding 11 billion, about 29,000 employees in over 50 countries and 112 plants, the Group is strongly positioned in high-tech markets and offers the widest possible range of products, services, technologies and know-how. It operates in the businesses of underground and submarine cables and systems for power transmission and distribution, of special cables for applications in many different industries and of medium and low voltage cables for the construction and infrastructure sectors. For the telecommunications industry, the Group manufactures cables and accessories for voice, video and data transmission, offering a comprehensive range of optical fibres, optical and copper cables and connectivity systems. Prysmian is a public company, listed on the Italian Stock Exchange in the FTSE MIB index.

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Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/888331/Prysmian_Group_Logo.jpg
ALBANY, New York, May 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The global travel and tourism market is fragmented and highly competitive. This market is organized and mature as well, reveals Transparency Market Research (TMR). Some of the major players in the global travel and tourism include Carnival Corporation & Plc, Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc., Crown Resorts Ltd, TUI Group, and Accor plc.

The growing use of internet gives wide options to travelers to choose travel options according to their requirements. Thus, pushing the global travel and tourism market towards expansion during the forecast period. The global travel and tourism market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 5.2% from 2019 to 2027. Also, the global travel and tourism market projected to reach the estimated value of US$13,556.4 Bn by the end of 2027.

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On the basis of geography, Asia Pacific currently dominates the global travel and tourism market. This region is expected to continue to rule the market during the forecast period. China is the largest contributor to the global travel and tourism market. Middle East & Africa and Latin America are also predicted to grow in the global travel and tourism market during the forecast period. The industry is segmented into leisure spending and business spending in terms of travel types. The leisure spending segment is expected to dominate the global travel and tourism during the forecast period.

Cultural Heritages to Strengthen Global Travel and Tourism Market

The globe trotters across the world are keen on experiencing a different culture, local monuments, and local places. This attracts heritage tourism across the globe. Thus, the global travel and tourism market is projected to see stellar growth in upcoming years. It is also evident that the travelers across the globe are interested in spending more on experiences as compared to material things such as food, staying facilities, etc. Especially, the millennial crowd wants once in a lifetime adventure experience. This pushes the global travel and tourism market to expand at a fast pace during the forecast period.

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Additionally, the global travel and tourism market is driven by the growing trend of ecological tours. Ecological tours are getting popular due to increasing interests shown by the travelers. Such new trend is expected to provide impetus to the growth in the global travel and tourism market during the forecast period.

Work Life Balance to Boost Growth for Global Travel & Tourism Market

We live in a fast paced world. People are extremely busy with work, business, and meeting deadlines that they hardly get any time for leisure activities. Such scenarios put them at stress, thus making them take a break from their busy life for a few days. They intend to rejuvenate themselves and indulge in leisure experiences. They look for good tour packages as per their requirements. These factors are expected to promote the global travel and tourism market to surge during the forecast period.

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Additionally, rising per capita income in developing economies is expected another key driver to expanding the global travel and tourism market. Moreover, governments of developing economies promote the travel and tourism sector through various programs. Thus, the global travel and tourism market is likely to develop during the upcoming years.

Some of the factors such as Visa regulations, political situations, natural disasters, diseases such as swine flu, Ebola, etc. are expected to hinder growth in the travel and tourism market at times.

Regardless of the restraints, the global travel and tourism is likely to grow due to infrastructural development in some countries. Rising disposable income is also expected to encourage the global travel and tourism market during the forecast period.

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This review is based upon the TMR report titled, "Travel and Tourism Market (Travel Days - Within 7 Days, 7-15 Days, more than 15 Days; Travel Type - Leisure Spending, Business Spending; Application - Domestic Spending, International Spending) - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast 2019 - 2027."

Browse Press Release at https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/pressrelease/travel-tourism-market.htm

The global Travel and Tourism Market is segmented into:

Travel Days

Within 7 Days

7-15 Days

More than 15 Days

Travel Type

Leisure Spending

Business Spending

Application

Domestic Spending

International Spending

Geography

North America

Latin America

Europe

Asia Pacific

Middle East & Africa

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Software and Service Teams Can Dramatically Reduce Integration Cost and Complexity, Improve Customer Experience and Expand Market Opportunity

DENVER, May 16, 2019, a pioneer in API integration, today announced the latest version of its platform with powerful new features that "virtualize" API integration, making it easier for software and service teams to proactively build, manage and scale digital ecosystems that accelerate product adoption and improve customer experience.



The new platform addresses two big challenges for today's development teams: 1) Reducing the pain, cost, and complexity of integration, which sucks up developer time and distracts from product innovation; and 2) Increasing market opportunity by enabling customers to quickly adopt new software that works with their existing applications, while enabling collaboration across their extended ecosystem of customers, prospects, partners and supply chains.

"Our new platform is a true innovation accelerator for software businesses," said Mark Geene, CEO and co-founder, Cloud Elements. "By unifying APIs and virtualizing data models, we eliminate the drudgery of point-to-point integration, so software teams are ready to capitalize on whatever comes next. We give them the power to create a digital ecosystem - so they can sell more software faster and enable customer success with plug-and-play applications."

Changing the Economics of Integration

Cloud Elements 3.0 changes the economics of integration, allowing APIs to work in uniform ways across hundreds of applications while sharing common data models. Instead of requiring developers to build point-to-point connections using inconsistent APIs, Cloud Elements starts by unifying APIs with enhanced capabilities for authentication, discovery, search, error handling and API maintenance. These "Elements" can then be combined into workflows (aka Formulas) that automate business processes across applications. Elements and Formulas can be easily modified, shared and re-used, significantly improving developer productivity. Elements also shield developers from underlying API changes, significantly reducing maintenance costs.

Cloud Elements 3.0 adds a powerful new capability called Virtual Data Hubs, which puts a company's data model at the center of their ecosystem. Virtual Data Hubs provide a normalized view of data objects, like "accounts" or "orders" or "payments," allowing companies to manage data they care about in the structure that is optimized for their application or business. This provides software teams with more control over user experience, eliminating the need for point-to-point mapping of data to each and every new application. For example, developers can use or modify templates for "leads" that work seamlessly across multiple CRM systems, rather than having to create a new connection for each individual platform.

Cloud Elements 3.0 also includes a new visual integration feature, called Conductor, that allows customer success and professional services teams to build and manage workflow without code. These " ad hoc integrators " can now easily customize integrations and build workflows that meet specific customer needs. Conductor features an intuitive visual interface for all skill levels, without sacrificing on power and capability.

"API integration is becoming increasingly critical to business strategy, as evidenced by our latest survey of API enthusiasts," said Ross Garrett, vice president of product at Cloud Elements. "With Cloud Elements 3.0, we're providing more tools to more people, so they can get the job done faster. We're doing the heavy lifting of API integration, so development teams can focus on innovating and creating great experiences for their customers."

Build, Manage and Scale Digital Ecosystems

Enterprise IT leaders have identified integration as a critical barrier to digital transformation - stalling progress for 84 percent of organizations, according to MuleSoft's latest survey . Other reports show the average enterprise uses more than 1,500 cloud applications and services, many of which are operating in silos. Meanwhile, software vendors increasingly realize the importance of building integrations with partner companies , and venture capitalists advocate that software companies should shift their thinking from "products" to "platforms."

To address these needs, Cloud Elements believes enterprises and software providers need to move beyond point-to-point application integration, which can't effectively scale to address the challenge. Instead, they should build dynamic digital ecosystems where data and processes flow seamlessly across dozens to hundreds of applications. This requires unified APIs and data models, a one-to-many technology architecture, and shared focus on integration by software providers and enterprise IT departments. Cloud Elements 3.0 delivers the technology to realize this vision.

London-based Akkroo is one provider that has used Cloud Elements to proactively build its digital ecosystem. Akkroo's event lead capture tool allows B2B sales and marketing teams to turn conversations into qualified leads. "We knew that our ideal customer is already investing in marketing automation and CRM systems," said Andy Higgs, co-founder and chief product officer. "By using Cloud Elements, we have been able to spin up integrations within very short periods, which has been huge for us.  Because we were able to implement five integrations quickly, we now cover 90 percent of the market of systems that our customers use."

Colorado-based TwentyEighty likewise uses Cloud Elements to integrate applications across its portfolio of learning, development and performance businesses, which generate hundreds of millions in revenue. "The Cloud Elements platform allows us to focus on our custom business logic while not worrying about third-party vendors," says Michael Casullo, chief information officer at TwentyEighty. "With Cloud Elements integration between our CRM and ERP applications, we've seen nearly a 60 percent cost reduction when compared to previous manual business processes spend. Because we've integrated from lead to opportunity to invoice, we're able to recognize revenue much sooner in the cycle."

Western Union uses Cloud Elements to deliver more seamless experiences across its fintech ecosystem. "What was exciting was the one-to-many experience, being able to integrate into the Cloud Elements platform and that gave us connectivity to a number of accounting systems. We didn't want to have to go and build those systems point by point," said Scott Johnson, head of product at Western Union Business Solutions.

Cloud Elements' customer base includes large software platform companies like SAP, IBM and Axway; independent software vendors like DoubleDutch, FinancialForce, Microstrategy and Sage; financial technology providers such as Danske Bank, FIS, PaySimple and Western Union; and digital business units of large enterprises like Dun & Bradstreet and Xerox.

Pre-Built Integrations for 200+ Applications

Cloud Elements 3.0 includes more than 200 pre-built integrations for a broad array of cloud applications and services, including ERP, CRM, human capital, finance, e-commerce, field service, payments, marketing, messaging, database, storage, and social applications. The latest platform includes new Elements for popular cloud-based ERP (Workday, Oracle, Microsoft Dynamics) and HCM applications (Workday, Oracle, Ultimate Software, Kronos, ADP Payroll).

Cloud Elements Developer Community

Cloud Elements also launched a developer community that allows developers to share Elements and Formulas via a public GitHub repository . Elements are pre-built integrations with normalized capabilities for authentication, discovery, search, workflows, error handling and API maintenance. Formulas are workflow templates that automate processes across multiple applications, e.g. "hire to retire," "order to cash" and specialized workflows in fintech, healthcare, martech, and other ecosystems.
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - May 16, 2019) - The Yield Growth Corp. (CSE: BOSS) (OTCQB: BOSQF) (FSE: YG3) is pleased to announce that its cannabis product line Wright & Well is planned to launch in Oregon this June. The brand will be offering nine wellness products that incorporate the highest quality CBD, THC, hemp root oil and terpenes to support a healthy lifestyle.





Wright & Well wellness products contain CBD, THC, hemp root oil and terpenes designed to support a healthy lifestyle.



To view an enhanced version of this image, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/6377/44820_yieldgrowth1.jpg

Every aspect of the new Wright & Well products-from strain selection to ingredient extraction to packaging-is the highest quality available. "We studied plant genetics for therapeutic effects," says Bhavna Solecki, Director of Product Development for Wright & Well. "Incorporating modern research and ancient science, we have analyzed the healing and therapeutic benefits of each strain. The hybridization of landrace strains by agriculturists and geneticists has given us a huge range of compound combinations and therapeutic benefits, which we have used in Wright & Well products to target specific ailments."

The philosophy of Wright & Well is to create products using the highest quality bio-active ingredients, so the brand uses a superior method of oil extraction-one that preserves the vital essence and properties of the plant. The resulting honey oil full spectrum concentrate contains all the THC, CBD and terpenes that are known to contribute to an enhanced therapeutic experience. First pass extraction produces cleaner, better tasting and healthier product with complex spice and floral notes. The terpene profile and smells are more prominent-a natural choice for Wright & Well products.

To support the upcoming launch, Yield Growth is working with an established Portland-based media group that has specialized knowledge of the cannabis industry. Leveraging their expertise, the team is designing omni-channel marketing assets for radio, tv and digital channels that are tailored specifically for the Oregon market. In addition, Yield Growth will host a launch event in Portland with brand ambassadors.

The Wright & Well line is being distributed in Oregon by Nova Paths, an Oregon-based distributor that has established relationships with over 400 licensed cannabis retail stores.

The initial products include:

Be ChillSleepy Time Tincture (THC: Hindu Kush, CBD: hemp source)

Be BetterCBD Full Spectrum Tincture (CBD: hemp source)

Be BetterCBD Extra Strength Tincture (CBD: hemp source)

Be FriendlyPMS Capsules (THC: Cherry Chem)

Be NimbleArthritis Capsules (THC: Blue City Diesel)

Be AbleChronic Pain Capsules (THC: Hindu Purple Kush)

Be RelievedAnalgesic Pain Gel (THC: Hindu Purple Kush, CBD: hemp source)

Be Free Pain Balm (THC: Hindu Purple Kush, CBD: hemp source)

Be LovedMassage Oil (THC: Hindu Purple Kush, CBD: hemp source)

The quality of the CBD and THC formulations offers users a new, healthy alternative, with the goal to make Wright & Well synonymous with "pain relief." The new products are in final packaging review before their expected launch in June.

Yield Growth is also in talks with licensed cannabis processing facilities in Canada, California, Nevada, Latin America, Washington and Arizona to license its products for manufacture and distribution.

About The Yield Growth Corp.

The Yield Growth Corp. is disrupting the $4.2 trillion-dollar global wellness market, according to the Global Wellness Institute, by connecting ancient healing with modern science, and harnessing the power of hemp- and cannabis-infused products serving mainstream luxury consumers. The Yield Growth management team has deep experience with global brands including Johnson & Johnson, Procter & Gamble, MAC Cosmetics, Skechers, Best Buy, Aritzia, Coca-Cola and Pepsi Corporation. Its consumer brand, Urban Juve, signed over 100 retail locations to sell its products in North America and is launching e-commerce in China next month through Wechat. It has signed a sales and marketing alliance with the world's largest online beauty community ipsy.

Key ingredients in these products include Cannabis Sativa hemp root oil, created using Urban Juve's proprietary, patent-pending extraction technology. Urban Juve has also filed 12 patent applications in the United States. Through its subsidiaries, Yield Growth is commercializing over 200 beauty and wellness cannabis products and has multiple revenue streams including licensing, services and product sales.

For more information about Yield Growth, visit www.yieldgrowth.com or follow @yieldgrowth on Instagram. Visit www.urbanjuve.com and findyourjuve across social platforms to learn, engage and shop.

Investor Relations Contacts:

Penny Green, President & CEO

Kristina Pillon, Investor Relations

invest@yieldgrowth.com

1-833-514-BOSS 1-833-514-2677

1-833-515-BOSS 1-833-515-2677

The Canadian Securities Exchange has not reviewed, approved or disapproved the content of this news release.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release includes forward-looking information and statements (collectively, "forward looking statements") under applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates, forecasts, beliefs and assumptions that, while considered reasonable, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such risks, uncertainties and factors include, but are not limited to: risks related to the development, testing, licensing, intellectual property protection, and sale of, and demand for, Urban Juve, UJ Topicals, UJ Beverages and UJ Edibles products, general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties, delay or failure to receive board or regulatory approvals where applicable, and the state of the capital markets. Yield Growth cautions readers not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements provided by Yield Growth, as such forward-looking statements are not a guarantee of future results or performance and actual results may differ materially. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date of this press release, and Yield Growth expressly disclaims any obligation to update or alter statements containing any forward-looking information, or the factors or assumptions underlying them, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/44820
JERSEY, Channel Islands, May 16, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Serinus Energy plc ("Serinus", "SEN" or the "Company") (AIM:SENX, WSE:SEN) is pleased to report that at the Annual General Meeting of shareholders ("AGM") held on 16 May 2019, all resolutions were duly passed. The voting results for the Ordinary Resolutions and Special Resolution presented to shareholders in the Proxy Statement and Notice of Meeting dated 23 April 2019 were as follows:



Voting Results

Ordinary Resolution Votes For Votes Against Votes

Withheld Number Percent

(%) Number Percent

(%) 1. Financial Statements 121,710,574 99.99 7,000 0.01 0 2. Re-appoint L Redziniak 121,710,574 100.00 0 0.00 7,000 3. Re-appoint J Auld 121,717,574 100.00 0 0.00 0 4. Re-appoint E Barker 121,710,574 99.99 7,000 0.01 0 5. Re-appoint J Causgrove 121,710,574 99.99 7,000 0.01 0 6. Re-appoint D Jakubowicz 121,717,574 100.00 0 0.00 0 7. Re-appoint T Heck 121,717,574 100.00 0 0.00 0 8. Re-appoint BDO 121,717,574 100.00 0 0.00 0 9. Agree the Remuneration 121,710,574 99.99 7,000 0.01 0 10.Allot Relevant Securities 121,717,529 100.00 45 0.00 0 Special Resolution Votes For

Votes Against

Votes

Withheld Number Percent (%) Number Percent

(%) 11. Article 12 of Articles 121,717,529 100.00 45 0.00 0

Note: A vote "Withheld" is not a vote in law and is not counted in the calculation of the proportion of the votes "For" and "Against" shown.



About Serinus

Serinus is an international upstream oil and gas exploration and production company that owns and operates projects in Tunisia and Romania.

For further information, please refer to the Serinus website ( www.serinusenergy.com ) or contact the following:

Serinus Energy plc +1-403-264-8877 Jeffrey Auld, Chief Executive Officer Calvin Brackman, Vice President, External Relations & Strategy Numis Securities Limited +44 (0) 20 7260 1000 (Nominated Adviser and Joint Broker) John Prior Paul Gillam Emily Morris GMP FirstEnergy +44 (0) 20 7448 0200 (Joint Broker) Hugh Sanderson Jonathan Wright Camarco +44 (0) 20 3781 8334 (Financial PR - London) Billy Clegg Owen Roberts TBT i Wspolnicy +48 22 487 53 02 (Financial PR - Warsaw) Piotr Talarek

Translation : This news release has been translated into Polish from the English original.


Cpl. Conner Lowry, 24, a gunner on a Humvee, was killed last week in Afghanistan. Family and friends of a fallen Marine lined the streets on Chicago's Southwest Side this morning to pay their respects as his body was carried in a procession from Midway Airport.


Capelle aan den IJssel, the Netherlands - 16 May 2019 - All agenda items of the annual General Meeting of Shareholders held today have been approved or adopted by the shareholders in accordance with the proposal.

Note for editor, not for publication:

For further information, please contact Thierry Jaccoud on 0031-10-8851200 or go to www.and.com
WINNIPEG, MB / ACCESSWIRE / May 15, 2019 / Preferred Dental Technologies Inc. ("Company") (CSE: PDTI, US OTC: PDTTF): PDTI reaches an agreement in principle to joint venture in a seed to sale CBD enterprise.

As part of the expanding role of Preferred Dental Implant Corp.'s line of organic CBD based dental products, the Company is very pleased to announce that it has negotiated terms for a joint venture with Gillespie Farmer's Delight Company Ltd. (GFDCL). GFDCL is in development stage of establishing a 240 acre hemp growing and CBD extraction facility located in Jamaica. This agreement in principle is the result of six months of careful vetting and negotiation.

Pending successful completion of legal documents, PDTI will exchange 5,000,000 (5 million) of its common shares for a 22.5% stake in GFDCL. Under the agreement PDTI takes on no obligation for GFDCL's capital needs, the basis of the agreement is to procure a consistent high quality, low cost supply which will enable PDTI to offer a best price on its branded product line. In return for receiving 5 million PDTI shares GFDCL will issue 9,000,000 (9 million) common shares of its equity. Based solely on the property value of the current lease purchase currently under consideration, the value of the property interest to PDTI in this joint venture is in excess of $500,000.00 US, or approximately $650,000.00 Canadian.

The benefits to PDTI are many. Firstly the ability to use shares valued at $0.13 (13 cents) Canadian to secure this asset will add shareholder value on the balance sheet. Successful conclusion of this joint venture also avails PDTI to receive its proportionate share of net profits. Equally important is PDTI gains access to white labelled CBD product at cost-plus preferred pricing, giving PDTI "best price" access. GFDCL has assembled a first-rate team of experienced experts in all aspects of growing hemp as well as extraction of CBD. In addition PDTI will capitalize on the ability to introduce specialized products for the dental market backed with scientific data after assembling an advisory board of dental experts. This will bring the vision of PDT Wellness to the next level.

President and CEO Erik Siegmund stated, "We are very pleased to announce our entry into this joint venture with Gillespie Farmer's Delight Company Ltd. We have worked very closely with founders and their advisory team and feel strongly that a successful conclusion of this JV in the near future will be part of a continuing set of strategic partnerships to bring shareholder value to PDTI. Certainly, in examining similar operations, the potential for future growth is huge, and GFDCL has many options for expansion. We look forward to sharing developments from GFDCL with our shareholders in the coming months. With successful conclusion of this venture, PDTI's stake in GFDCL's early stage has the potential to bring substantial value and revenue to the company. In no way are we distracted from our core business of marketing our custom EAS series of abutments, we view this as a vertical that enhances our overall value proposition in the dental market."

About PDTI

Preferred Dental Technologies Inc. (PDTI) has been established to advance development and commercialization of various evolutionary and disruptive technologies in the dental implant industry.

MISSION - INNOVATIVE & PRACTICAL SOLUTIONS FOR THE DENTAL INDUSTRY

Visit: www.prefdent.com





On behalf of Preferred Dental Technologies Inc.

Erik Siegmund

Chief Executive Officer

Email: info@prefdent.com

Tel: 204.691.3722

www.prefdent.com

On behalf of Gillespie Farmers Delight Company Limited

Errol Gillespie

President

gillespiefarmers@gmail.com

This news release may contain forward-looking information which is not comprised of historical facts.

Forward-looking information involves risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events, results, performance, prospects and opportunities to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Forward-looking information in this news release may include, but is not limited to, the Company's objectives, goals or future plans. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from such forward-looking information include, but are not limited to, those risks set out in the Company's public documents filed on SEDAR. Although the Company believes that the assumptions and factors used in preparing the forward-looking information in this news release are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on such information, which only applies as of the date of this news release, and no assurance can be given that such events will occur in the disclosed time frames or at all. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, other than as required by law. Neither The Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulations 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.

SOURCE: Preferred Dental Technologies Inc.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/545522/Preferred-Dental-Technologies-Inc-Company-CSE-PDTI-US-OTC-PDTTF-PDTI-Reaches-an-Agreement-in-Principle-to-Joint-Venture-in-a-Seed-to-Sale-CBD-Enterprise
Houston, Texas--(Newsfile Corp. - May 16, 2019) - MarijuanaStox announces publication of an article that discusses The Yield Growth Corporation (CSE: BOSS)(OTC: BOSQF). The company has been aggressively addressing demand for health, wellness, and beauty products infused with premium-cannabis and hemp-based products on an international scale with subsidiary, Urban Juve.

Increased Demand for Health and Wellness CBD Products

The cannabis boom is upon us.

It's already disrupting alcohol, cigarettes, food, pharmaceuticals, and even the massive $4.2 trillion global wellness industry. Now, even major retailers are jumping on board, seeing incredible opportunities for industry growth.

DSW for example, has been running tests in its stores with CBD, announcing plans to expand such products to nearly 100 stores. Neiman Marcus is pushing ahead with CBD sales at some of its stores and online. Even companies like Green Thumb Industries are quickly opening retail shops. In fact, it's products are now available in more than 125 retail locations in California and Colorado and via home delivery across California.

Better, it's expected that revenue generated from sales of CBD skin care products could grow to $645 million in 2019, according to Future Market Insights' report, CBD Skin Care Market: Global Industry Analysis and Opportunity Assessment 2019-2027.

As retailers see the opportunity, the cannabis story will continue to take on a life all its own.

The Yield Growth Corporation is Growing Rapidly in the U.S.

One of the companies benefiting is The Yield Growth Corporation and its Urban Juve skincare and wellness subsidiary, which have already established deeper and wider channels to market than expected within months of launching earlier this year. In fact, to date 109 retailer partnerships are confirmed and consumer sales are tracking well for products that are coming to define a new hemp-powered movement in skincare. At the same time, the company announces the launch of its essential channel to market: a new B2B and B2C website at urbanjuve.com.



In addition, the company just announced that its cannabis product line Wright & Well has a planned launch in Oregon this June. The brand will offer nine wellness products that incorporate the highest quality CBD, THC, hemp root oil and terpenes to support a healthy lifestyle.

We studied plant genetics for therapeutic effects," says Bhavna Solecki, Director of Product Development for Wright & Well. "Incorporating modern research and ancient science, we have analyzed the healing and therapeutic benefits of each strain. The hybridization of landrace strains by agriculturists and geneticists has given us a huge range of compound combinations and therapeutic benefits, which we have used in Wright & Well products to target specific ailments."

The Wright & Well line is being distributed in Oregon by Nova Paths, an Oregon-based distributor that has established relationships with over 400 licensed cannabis retail stores. The initial products include Be Chill Sleepy Time Tincture, Be Better CBD Full Spectrum Tincture, Be Bette CBD Extra Strength Tincture, Be Friendly MS Capsules, Be Nimble Arthritis Capsules, Be Able Chronic Pain Capsules, Be Relieved Analgesic Pain Gel, Be Free Pain Balm, and Be Loved Massage Oil.

For more information, visit the company's website at https://yieldgrowth.com.

About MarijuanaStox

MarijuanaStox.com is a leading web destination for all cannabis related companies. Investors can also find current marijuana-related quality financial, medical, legal and social news.

MarijuanaStox.com is a media agency in North America dedicated to the cannabis industry, helping companies that operate in the space to attract quality investors, working capital and real publicity. Since 2005, we have had public companies in the US and Canada have rely on us to grow and succeed.

Legal Disclaimer

Except for the historical information presented herein, matters discussed in this article 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. Winning Media which has a partnership with www.MarijuanaStox.com is not registered with any financial or securities regulatory authority and does not provide nor claims to provide investment advice or recommendations to readers of this release.

For making specific investment decisions, readers should seek their own advice. Winning Media, which has a partnership with www.MarijuanaStox.com, is only compensated for its services in the form of cash-based compensation. Pursuant to an agreement between Winning Media (partners of MarijuanaStox.com) and The Yield Growth Corp, Winning Media has been paid four thousand dollars for advertising and marketing services for The Yield Growth Corp. We own ZERO shares of The Yield Growth Corp. Please click here for full disclaimer.

Contact Information:

2818047972

ty@marijuanastox.com

SOURCE: MarijuanaStox.com

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/44843
Dana Dunne Interviewed at Phocuswright Europe Conference

AMSTERDAM, May 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- eDreams ODIGEO Chief Executive Officer joined fellow key decision makers from the European travel industry at the 2019 Phocuswright Conference in Amsterdam.

During an interview with Lorraine Sileo, Senior VP, Research and Business Operations at Phocuswright, Dana Dunne revealed that eDreams ODIGEO continues to see positive results from its business diversification strategy: "We are now selling over 70 products and services for every hundred flights sold," and explained that the company is well positioned to continue growing its non-flight business as, "70% of customers that fly will also need a hotel, and individuals typically book a flight before they book any other travel product. This represents a great opportunity for us, as we can cross-sell hotels and other products and services."

Dunne explained that the company is focused on further developing its diversification strategy with the aim of solving more traveller needs throughout the entire travel experience, notably, "Investing heavily in the post-booking part of the process." The CEO of eDreams ODIGEO pointed out that, as the leading flight retailer in Europe, the company has access to key insights on "Destinations, travel dates, number of travellers and their preferences," which the Group can leverage to "make a more informed proposal" to customers when it comes to additional travel products and services.

Dunne also announced additional progress in regards to machine-based learning and its application to provide personalised experiences: "We now use autonomous self-learning algorithms to figure out what should be presented to each individual," and explained that, "Many of our teams do sophisticated reinforced machine-based learning. This is definitely a change in the industry landscape versus four years ago."

As a result of these and other investments to improve customer satisfaction, eDreams ODIGEO Chief reported that, "Customer satisfaction has gone up significantly. We are now rated number one in customer satisfaction in Trustpilot versus any other OTA or airline in Europe" and added that, "Customers are increasingly shifting to our mobile app. Now, we are rated 4.7 stars out of 5 in the app stores."

Finally, speaking about the company's growth plans, Dunne highlighted that the recent integration of budgetplaces.com, "Was a great acquisition that has been incredibly helpful for our dynamic packages business," and said that, "We look for organic growth but also for more M&A's," adding that the company is looking for, "Two dimensions: Good technology and scale."

About eDreams ODIGEO

eDreams ODIGEO is one of the world's largest online travel companies and one of the largest European e-commerce businesses. Under its four leading online travel agency brands - eDreams, GO Voyages, Opodo, Travellink, and the metasearch engine Liligo - it offers the best deals in regular and charter flights, low-cost airlines, hotels, cruises, car rental, dynamic packages, holiday packages and travel insurance to make travel easier, more accessible, and better value for the more than 18.5 million customers it serves across 46 markets. eDreams ODIGEO is listed on the Spanish Stock Market.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/888378/Phocus.jpg
CRANBERRY TOWNSHIP, Pa., May 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Westinghouse Electric Company ("Westinghouse") announced today that Jose Emeterio Gutierrez will step down as President and Chief Executive Officer on July 31, 2019, following more than a decade of service with the company. Patrick Fragman, currently Group Senior Vice President at ABB Limited, has been appointed as President and CEO effective August 19. In the interim, an Executive Committee comprised of members of Westinghouse's senior leadership team will manage the day-to-day affairs of the company.

Gutierrez joined Westinghouse in 2008 as technical director of Nuclear Services and Regional Vice President of Spain and took on progressively more senior roles before being appointed interim President and CEO in 2016 and President and CEO in 2017. Under his leadership, Westinghouse successfully emerged from Chapter 11 as a leaner, stronger organization focused on its core business.

Gutierrez will continue to have a strategic role with Westinghouse as a member of a Global Advisory Board, an entity being established to provide guidance on Westinghouse's international strategy to drive global growth.

"It has been an honor to serve as President and CEO of Westinghouse, a truly iconic company and global leader in the nuclear industry," said Gutierrez. "I look forward to continuing to support the company's international growth strategy as a member of the Global Advisory Board."

"On behalf of the Board of Directors, I would like to thank Jose for his contributions as President and CEO during a transformative time for the business," said Denis Turcotte, Chair, Westinghouse Board of Directors. "We look forward to welcoming Patrick, a respected global executive in the sector, with deep expertise of both the industry and markets in which Westinghouse operates. We are confident the business is well positioned to continue to strengthen and grow under his leadership."

Patrick Fragman will bring almost 30 years of global power and energy services experience to the role of President and CEO. Most recently, as Group Senior Vice President of ABB Limited's Grid Integration business, he is accountable for an industry-leading global portfolio delivering leading power transmission systems, services and software solutions. Before joining ABB, Fragman spent 15 years at Alstom in senior roles based in the U.S., France, Canada, and China, most recently leading its nuclear business, contributing to significant growth of customer contracts and new offerings. Earlier in his career, Fragman worked in various energy-focused roles within the French government.

"I am delighted to have the opportunity to lead Westinghouse, an industry leader with a reputation for best-in-class customer service and innovation," said Fragman. "I look forward to working with employees and Westinghouse stakeholders to further build momentum as a leading provider of key services to the world's nuclear fleet."

Westinghouse Electric Company is the world's pioneering nuclear energy company and is a leading supplier of nuclear plant products and technologies to utilities throughout the world. Westinghouse supplied the world's first commercial pressurized water reactor in 1957 in Shippingport, Pa., U.S. Today, Westinghouse technology is the basis for approximately one-half of the world's operating nuclear plants. For more information, please visit www.westinghousenuclear.com.

Westinghouse is a subsidiary of Brookfield Business Partners, a business services and industrials company focused on owning and operating high-quality businesses that benefit from barriers to entry and/or low production costs. Brookfield Business Partners is listed on the New York and Toronto stock exchanges. For more information, visit https://bbu.brookfield.com

Brookfield Business Partners is the flagship listed business services and industrials company of Brookfield Asset Management Inc., a leading global alternative asset manager with more than $365 billion of assets under management. For more information, please visit https://bbu.brookfield.com.

Contact: Sarah Cassella

Manager, External Communications

Westinghouse Electric Company

Telephone: +1 412-374- 4744

Email: cassels@westinghouse.com

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/888167/WESTINGHOUSE_ELECTRIC_Logo.jpg
VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / May 15, 2019 / EastWest Bioscience (the "Company"or "EastWest") (TSX.V: EAST) announces that on May 13, 2019 they signed a Letter of Intent to joint venture with Continental Agro Trade Corporation ("Continental") to secure a ready stockpile of Hemp flower containing CBD for EastWest's production of high-grade CBD isolate. This stockpiled Hemp supply will be ready for processing into CBD isolate within Eastwest's Penticton Facility immediately upon approval for Eastwest's Cannabis Processor license.

Continental will be joint venturing to provide harvested hemp flower containing CBD exclusively to EastWest. The strategic alliance further solidifies EastWest's vertically integrated seed-to-sale strategy and secures the Company's supply of hemp flower to produce CBD isolate, a required ingredient for the CBD consumer products under development.

On October 17, 2018, the Cannabis Act came into force which stated that the legal sale of edible cannabis, cannabis extracts, and cannabis topicals will be permitted no later than October 17, 2019. It curently appears market demand for CBD is going to be higher than anticipated and media suggests supply will be limited in October when edible cannabis, cannabis extracts and cannabis topicals will be permitted. In anticipation of retail stores being able to market CBD products, EastWest is preparing its retail chain Sangster's to carry a variety of CBD products under the Sangster's brand as well as EastWest's own house branded products.

The Sangster's acquisition brought to the Company an extensive catalogue of NPNs (Natural Product Numbers) and valuable consumer behavior data. Combining this with the Company's current CBD product development in the US, its ability to manufacture short runs of new formulations in Canada through Orchard Vale Naturals, EastWest is well positioned to offer consumer CBD products that have been market tested in the US and manufactured in Canada.

This joint venture mirrors the vertical strategy the Company is taking in the USA, by securing supply of high-quality CBD hemp flower, extracting CBD derivatives and manufacturing CBD consumer products within its own group of companies.

"Together with EastWest's brands, manufacturing and US operations, securing this agreement with Continental for our Canadian CBD processing plans is a big win for the Company,"states Rodney Gelineau, CEO of EastWest, "It is a definite win for the company and moves us further toward CBD production in Penticton, BC."

A period of negotiation and exchange of information is required to finalize terms and the definitive and binding Joint Venture Agreement will be complete on or about June 30, 2019.

About EastWest Bioscience Group

EastWest Bioscience is a vertically integrated wellness company with the infrastructure to become a global giant in the Hemp & CBD consumer health market. Since it was founded in 2016, EastWest continues to grow as a high-quality producer, manufacturer and distributor of multiple lines of premium hemp products. EastWest is strategically positioned in mainstream consumer markets with wholistic natural products and has developed distribution channels into mainstream stores and markets in Canada. The Company has a Health Canada licensed, GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices) certified manufacturing facility and produces premium brands offering natural products for a preventive care lifestyle. EastWest consumer product lines are divided into four distinct brands: 1) Natural Advancement - natural biopharmaceutical health supplements; 2) Earth's Menu - all-natural hemp superfoods; 3) Natural Pet Science - pet food and pet supplements; and 4) ChanvreHemp - all-natural health and beauty products. The organization will continue to focus on ongoing development of innovative, hemp-based consumer products through advanced science with clean, natural ingredients to complement its current product offerings.

About Continental Agro-Trade Corporation

Continental Agro Trade Corporation, located in Abbotsford BC, holds an Industrial Hemp Licensed and contracts farmers to grow, harvest, and sell hemp for exclusive acquisition by companies licensed to purchase and process hemp products including CBD. Continental currently sub licenses farms located Western Canada.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

EASTWEST BIOSCIENCE GROUP

"Rodney Gelineau"

Co-Founder, Chief Executive Officer and Director

TSXV - Symbol: EAST

Company Website: www.eastwestbioscience.com

Contact: Nicholas Vincent - Investor Relations on 1-800-409-1930 or investors@eastwestscience.com.

NEITHER THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE.

CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION: This news release includes certain "forward-looking statements" under applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to the terms and conditions of the Acquisition. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to: general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties; and delay or failure to receive board, shareholder or regulatory approvals. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The 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 required by law.

SOURCE: EastWest Bioscience Group

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/545600/EastWest-Bioscience-Signs-Letter-of-Intent-to-Joint-Venture-with-Continental-Agro-Trade-Corporation-a-Canadian-Industrial-Hemp-Grower
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - May 16, 2019) - Cabral Gold Inc. (TSXV: CBR) ("Cabral" or the "Company") is pleased to provide additional results from the 2019 drilling program at the Cuiu Cuiu Project, Para State, Brazil.

Highlights

A single hole 194-19 drilled at the previously untested Morro da Lua target, returned 2.8m @ 19.5 g/t gold from 42.2 - 45.0m including 0.7m @ 70.3 g/t gold

In addition, hole 194-19 cut 0.5m @ 9.1g/t gold from 99.9m and 0.6m @ 14.8g/t gold from 130.9m, indicating the presence of at least three high grade veins

Hole 189-19 which was drilled to test the western extension to the Jerimum Cima zone returned 24m @ 0.7 g/t gold from surface to 24.0m including 0.7m @ 8.9 g/t gold

Morro da Lua

The Morro da Lua target is the most northerly of the ten targets tested during the recent drill campaign (see Figure 1) and is characterised by NE and E-W trending magnetic features, and a moderate gold-in-soil anomaly extending over an area of 1500m E-W x 700m N-S. It is also the location of numerous historic shafts developed by garimpeiro miners, which were notable for producing a high proportion of samples with visible gold. The shafts are located upstream from alluvial workings extending two kilometers to the north. Surface grab samples from vein samples excavated from these shafts during mid-2018 returned results ranging from 5.5 to 162.4 g/t gold (Figure 2) within an area of 220m E-W and 210m N-S (see press release dated 19th June 2018). Channel samples taken during 2018 across two individual veins exposed in narrow underground galleries, returned grades of 0.3m @ 10.9 g/t gold and 0.3m @ 16.3 g/t gold.

A single hole (CC194-19) was completed on this target to a depth of 183m and intersected 2.8m @ 19.5 g/t gold from 42.2 to 45.0m including 0.7m @ 70.3 g/t gold from 42.2m. In addition, the hole intersected 0.5m @ 9.1g/t gold from 99.9m and 0.6m @ 14.8g/t gold from 130.9m indicating the presence of at least three high grade veins.

The drilling at Morro da Lua has confirmed the presence of multiple high-grade veins at depth and more importantly confirmed the continuation of high-grade mineralization at depth. Further drilling will be required to establish the vertical and lateral continuity of these high-grade veins.

Jerimum Cima

One diamond drill hole was completed at the Jerimum Cima ("JC") target which is located approximately 3.5km NW of the Moreira Gomes ("MG") deposit.

Historic drill results at Jerimum Cima include 39m @ 5.1 g/t gold. Surface channel sampling completed during 2018 200m west of the historic drilling returned values of 9m @ 2.0 g/t Au including 5m @ 3.16 g/t gold (see press release dated 21st March 2018), and 12.4m @ 1.9g/t gold, 1.7m @ 15.7 g/t gold and 8m @ 1.1 g/t gold (see press release dated 19th June 2018), and confirmed the presence of an E-W trending zone of alteration and mineralization approximately 20m in width and open to the west.

Hole 189-19 was drilled from the north to the south at 50 degrees across this zone to a depth of 195m and intersected a broad low-grade zone from 0 to 24.0m which averaged 24m @ 0.7 g/t gold from 0 to 24.0m including 0.7m @ 8.9 g/t gold from surface, and 11.1m @ 0.4g/t Au from 60.3m.

The drilling and channel sampling results confirm the continuation of the mineralized zone at least 150m west of the limit of historic drilling and confirm bedrock mineralization associated with the extent of the saprolite workings which extend E-W over 500m. The zone remains open to the west.



Figure 1: Location of mineralized zones (yellow) and resources (red) in the core Cuiu Cuiu area

To view an enhanced version of Figure 1, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/3900/44838_9b1a2c683416dad1_002full.jpg

Other targets

The four reconnaissance drill targets where results were pending returned only trace levels of mineralization (holes 188-19, completed at QB, hole 191-19 at JE, and holes 192-19 and 193-19 at JN). A single hole 190-19, drilled at the JS target, was abandoned at 57.6m prior to reaching the target depth.

Follow-up programs of rock chip and channel sampling are continuing at Machichie, as well as several other targets on the property. New auger and soil sample grids are being established in previously untested areas in the northeast portion of the property.

Alan Carter, President & CEO stated "We are very pleased with the high-grade drill results from Morro da Lua which add to very compelling high-grade intercepts recently released from the Machichie, Machichie East and Seis Irmaos targets. All four of these targets had no previous drilling and further highlight the excellent high-grade potential of the Cuiu Cuiu project. Additional drilling will be required to determine the size and grade of these new discoveries, together with the high-grade zones at the Central and MG deposits, where there are almost 60 historic drill intercepts above 10g/t gold".



Figure 2: Morro da Lua target map showing location of surface samples and recently completed drillhole



To view an enhanced version of Figure 2, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/3900/44838_9b1a2c683416dad1_003full.jpg

About Cabral Gold Inc.

The Company is a junior resource company and is engaged in the identification, exploration and development of mineral properties, with a primary focus on gold properties located in Brazil. The Company owns the Cuiu Cuiu gold project located in the Tapajos Region within the state of Para in northern Brazil.

The Tapajos Gold Province is the site of the largest gold rush in Brazil's history. Cuiu Cuiu was the largest garimpo in the Tapajos and produced an estimate 2Moz of placer gold historically.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:

"Alan Carter"

President and Chief Executive Officer

Cabral Gold Inc.

Tel: 604.676.5660

Dr Adrian McArthur, B.Sc. Hons, PhD. FAusIMM., a consultant to the Company as well as a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101, supervised the preparation of the technical information in this news release.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as such term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward-looking Statements

This news release contains certain forward-looking information and forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities legislation (collectively "forward-looking statements"). The use of the words "will", "expected" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements should not be unduly relied upon. This news release contains forward-looking statements and assumptions pertaining to the following: strategic plans and future operations, and results of exploration. Actual results achieved may vary from the information provided herein as a result of numerous known and unknown risks and uncertainties and other factors. The Company believes the expectations reflected in those forward-looking statements are reasonable, but no assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct.

Notes

Gold analysis has been conducted by SGS method FAA505 (fire assay of 50g charge), with higher grade samples checked by FAA525. Analytical quality is monitored by certified references and blanks. Until dispatch, samples are stored in the company's supervised exploration office. The samples are couriered to the assay laboratory using a commercial contractor. Pulps and rejects are returned to the Company and archived. Drilling results are reported as down-hole length weighted intersections.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/44838
Novartis International AG / Novartis data at ASCO and EHA demonstrate novel approaches to reimagining medicine in cancer and serious blood disorders . Processed and transmitted by West Corporation. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

Overall survival results from MONALEESA-7 with Kisqali (ribociclib)* plus endocrine therapy in premenopausal women with HR+/HER2- advanced breast cancer, to be presented at ASCO



Primary results of GEOMETRY study for capmatinib (INC280)** in METVAR.ex14-mutated advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) at ASCO



Five-year efficacy and safety updates for Tafinlar+Mekinist (dabrafenib + trametinib) in patients with BRAF V600-mutant unresectable or metastatic melanoma, featured at ASCO



Both Congresses to highlight Tasigna (nilotinib) treatment-free remission trial updates after more than 3.7 years of follow-up and the investigational compound asciminib (ABL001) combination data in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML)

Basel, May 16, 2019- Novartis will present data from across its oncology portfolio at the upcoming 55th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), taking place May 31-June 4 in Chicago; and the 24th Annual Congress of the European Hematology Association (EHA), scheduled for June 13-16 in Amsterdam. The more than 100 abstracts to be presented underscore Novartis' relentless commitment to addressing unmet needs in cancer and hematology through innovation and research. Data will focus on a range of disease areas, including breast cancer, lung cancer, melanoma and sickle cell disease, as well as leukemias, other hematologic disorders and solid tumors.

"We are excited to share the latest information about our transformative therapies in cancer and serious blood disorders at ASCO and EHA this year," said Susanne Schaffert, CEO, Novartis Oncology. "New data will showcase our scientific and patient-focused prowess across a range of the most difficult-to-treat diseases in the world."

Novartis data at the 2019 ASCO Annual Congress will highlight the following:

Kisqali overall survival results, and additional data on treatment sequencing and patient reported outcomes in HR+/HER2- advanced breast cancer:

Phase III MONALEESA-7 trial of premenopausal patients with HR+/HER2- advanced breast cancer (ABC) treated with endocrine therapy  ribociclib: Overall survival (OS) results [Abstract # LBA1008; Oral presentation: Tuesday, June 4, 11:57 AM CDT]

Interim results in the full population from CompLEEment-1, a phase 3b study of ribociclib and letrozole as first-line therapy for advanced breast cancer in an expanded population [Abstract #1041; Sunday, June 2, 8:00 AM CDT]

Alpelisib (ALP) + endocrine therapy (ET) in patients with PIK3CA-mutated hormone-receptor positive (HR+), human epidermal growth factor-2-negative (HER2-) advanced breast cancer (ABC): First interim BYLieve results [Abstract #1040; Sunday, June 2, 8:00 AM CDT]

Patient-reported outcomes (PROs) in patients with PIK3CA-mutated hormone receptor-positive (HR+), human epidermal growth factor receptor-2-negative (HER2-) advanced breast cancer (ABC) from SOLAR-1 [Abstract #1039; Sunday, June 2, 8:00 AM CDT]

Alpelisib (ALP) + fulvestrant (FUL) in patients with PIK3CA-mutated hormone receptor-positive (HR+), human epidermal growth factor receptor-2-negative (HER2-) advanced breast cancer (ABC): SOLAR-1 results by therapy line and endocrine therapy resistance (ETR) [Abstract #1038; Sunday, June 2, 8:00 AM CDT]

NATALEE: Phase 3 study of ribociclib (RIBO) + endocrine therapy (ET) as adjuvant treatment in hormone receptor-positive (HR+), human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative (HER2-) early breast cancer (EBC) [Abstract TPS597; Sunday, June 2, 8:00 AM CDT]

First-line ribociclib plus letrozole for postmenopausal women with hormone receptor-positive (HR+), HER2-negative (HER2-) advanced breast cancer (ABC): MONALEESA-2 long-term safety results [Abstract #1078; Sunday, June 2, 8:00 AM CDT]

Continuous dosing ribociclib, everolimus, exemestane in HR+ and HER2- advanced breast cancer post-progression on a CDK4/6 inhibitor [Abstract #1016; Sunday, June 2, 8:00 AM CDT, Poster discussion: 11:15 AM CDT]

In-depth gene expression analysis of premenopausal patients with HR+/HER2- advanced breast cancer (ABC) treated with ribociclib containing therapy in the Phase III MONALEESA-7 trial [Abstract #1018; Sunday, June 2, 11:15 AM CDT, Poster discussion: 11:30 AM CDT]

Long-term and new analyses of the Tafinlar+Mekinist COMBI trials in melanoma:

Five-year analysis of dabrafenib plus trametinib (D+T) in patients with BRAF V600-mutant unresectable or metastatic melanoma confirms long-term benefit [Abstract #9507; Oral presentation: Tuesday, June 4, 11:57 AM CDT]

The anti-PD-1 antibody spartalizumab (S) in combination with dabrafenib (D) and trametinib (T) in previously untreated patients with advanced BRAF V600-mutant melanoma: updated efficacy and safety from parts 1 and 2 of COMBI-i [Abstract #9531; Monday, June 3, 1:15 PM CDT]

Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) kinetics to predict survival in patients with unresectable or metastatic melanoma treated with dabrafenib (D) or D + trametinib (T) [Abstract #9510; Oral presentation: Saturday, June 1, 3:24 PM CDT]

Tumor microenvironment (TME), longitudinal biomarker changes, and clinical outcome in patients with advanced BRAF V600-mutant melanoma treated with 1st-line spartalizumab (S) + dabrafenib (D) + trametinib (T) [Abstract #9515; Monday, June 3, 1:15 PM CDT; Poster discussion: 4:30 PM CDT]

Association between baseline disease characteristics and relapse-free survival (RFS) in patients with BRAF V600-mutant resected stage III melanoma treated with adjuvant dabrafenib (D) + trametinib (T) or placebo (PBO) [Abstract #9582; Monday, June 3, 1:15 PM CDT]

Results from GEOMETRY study investigating capmatinib (INC280) in NSCLC:

Capmatinib (INC280) in METVAR.ex14-mutated advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC): Efficacy data from the phase II GEOMETRY mono-1 study [Abstract #9004; Oral presentation: Monday, June 3, 9:12 AM CDT]

Analyses on treatment of advanced solid tumors and hematologic malignancies with spartalizumab (PDR001) in combination with other agents:

Phase Ib study of MIW815 (ADU-S100) in combination with spartalizumab (PDR001) in patients with advanced/metastatic solid tumors or lymphoma [Abstract #2507; Oral presentation: Sunday, June 2, 10:12 AM CDT]

Phase II, open-label study of spartalizumab (PDR001) and LAG525 for patients with advanced solid tumors and hematologic malignancies [Abstract #2553; Saturday, June 1, 8:00 AM CDT]

A study evaluating Kymriah (tisagenlecleucel)*** in follicular lymphoma:

ELARA: A Phase 2, single-arm, multicenter, open-label trial investigating the efficacy and safety of tisagenlecleucel in adult patients with refractory/relapsed follicular lymphoma (r/r FL) [Abstract TPS7573; Monday, June 3, 8:00 AM CDT]

Long-term treatment-free remission (TFR) data, after Tasigna treatment discontinuation, in patients with CML:

ENESTop 192-week results: treatment-free remission (TFR) in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia in chronic phase (CML-CP) after stopping second-line (2L) nilotinib (NIL) [Abstract #7005; Oral presentation: Saturday, June 1, 4:24 PM CDT]

Treatment-free remission (TFR) following frontline (1L) nilotinib (NIL) in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia in chronic phase (CML-CP): 192-week data from the ENESTfreedom study [Abstract #7013; Monday, June 3, 1:15 PM CDT, Poster discussion: 4:30 PM CDT]

Additional data presented at ASCO include:

The CANOPY Program: Canakinumab in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) [Abstract TPS9124; Sunday, June 2, 8:00 AM CDT]

CANOPY-A: A Phase 3 study of canakinumab as adjuvant therapy in patients with surgically resected non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) [Abstract #7013; Sunday, June 2, 8:00 AM CDT]

Advanced Accelerator Applications, a Novartis company and leader in nuclear medicine theragnostics, will present additional analyses from the NETTER-1 study evaluating Lutathera (lutetium Lu 177 dotatate)**** in patients with progressive midgut neuroendocrine tumors:

Analyses of patient diaries in the NETTER-1 study of 177Lu-DOTATATE versus high-dose octreotide in progressive midgut neuroendocrine tumors [Abstract #4111; Monday, June 3, 8:00 AM CDT]

Sandoz, a Novartis division, the pioneer and global leader in biosimilars, will present data for the company's biosimilar pegfilgrastim:

Cost-minimization analysis for biosimilar pegfilgrastim in the prophylaxis of chemotherapy induced (febrile) neutropenia and expanded access based on budget neutral basis [Abstract #6645; Saturday, June 1, 1:15 PM CDT]

Additional data from Sandoz to be featured online by ASCO include:

A large multi-center, randomized, double-blind, crossover study in healthy volunteers, comparing pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of Sandoz proposed biosimilar pegfilgrastim with EU and US reference pegfilgrastim [online only]

Novartis data at the 2019 EHA Annual Congress will highlight the following:

Retrospective data for investigational compound crizanlizumab (SEG101):

SUCCESSOR: A multicenter retrospective non-interventional follow-up study in patients with sickle cell pain crises who previously participated in the SUSTAIN trial in the United States SUCCESSOR study [Abstract S853; Oral presentation: Saturday, June 15, 11:45 AM CET]

Expert consensus paper on tapering and discontinuation of TPO-RAs and additional results of worldwide ITP impact survey:

Tapering and discontinuation of thrombopoietin receptor agonists in ITP: Expert consensus opinions [Abstract PF709; Friday, June 14, 5:30 PM CET]

Physicians' perceptions on causes of primary and secondary ITP and leading causes of misdiagnosis: Results from the ITP World Impact Survey (I-WISh) [Abstract PF712; Friday, June 14, 5:30 PM CET]

Patient perceptions on splenectomy outcomes: Results from the ITP World Impact Survey (I-WISh) [Abstract PF714; Friday, June 14, 5:30 PM CET]

Differences on perceptions on treatment approaches between physicians and ITP patients: Results from the ITP World Impact Survey (I-WISh) [Abstract PF711; Friday, June 14, 5:30 PM CET]

Data on the investigational compound asciminib (ABL001) in combination with other tyrosine kinase inhibitors in previously treated CML patients:

Combination therapy using asciminib plus imatinib (IMA) in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML): Results from a Phase 1 study [Abstract S883; Oral presentation: Saturday, June 15, 4:30 PM CET]

Combination of asciminib plus nilotinib (NIL) or dasatinib (DAS) in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia: Results from a Phase 1 study [Abstract S884; Oral presentation: June 15, 4:30 PM CET]

Data analyses with a 3.7-year follow-up for Tasigna TFR in CML:

Durability and impact on quality of life of treatment-free remission (TFR) in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia after stopping frontline (1L) nilotinib: [Abstract PF409; Friday, June 14, 5:30 PM CET]

ENESTop 192-week results: Durability and impact on quality of life of TFR second-line (2L) nilotinib [Abstract PF411; Friday, June 14, 5:30 PM CET]

Abstracts analyzing the safety and efficacy of Kymriah in acute lymphoblastic leukemia, and on regrading of adverse events in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma:

Tisagenlecleucel appears effective and safe in pediatric and young adult patients with relapsed/refractory acute lymphoblastic leukemia with high-risk cytogenetic abnormalities [Abstract S1618; Oral presentation: Sunday, June 16, 8:15 AM CET]

Analyses of cytokine release syndrome and neurotoxicity by age and lymphodepleting chemotherapy use in adults with relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma treated with tisagenlecleucel [Abstract PF305; Friday, June 14, 5:30 PM CET]

Safety and efficacy of Jakavi (ruxolitinib)***** in myelofibrosis (MF) and anemia, and additional results from a large-scale survey on the impact of myeloproliferative neoplasms:

Safety and efficacy of ruxolitinib (RUX) in patients with myelofibrosis (MF) and anemia (HB <10 g/dl): Results at week 24 of the REALISE trial [Abstract PS1465; Saturday, June 15, 5:30 PM CET]

Impact of myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) and perceptions of treatment goals amongst physicians and patients in 6 countries: An expansion of the MPN Landmark Survey [Abstract PF681; Friday, June 14, 5:30 PM CET]

New and updated data evaluating the efficacy and safety of Rydapt (midostaurin) in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and different genetic mutational status:

RATIFY post-hoc analyses: Prognostic and predictive impact of NPM1/FLT3-ITD genotypes as defined by 2017 European LeukemiaNet (ELN) risk categorization from randomized patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) treated within the international RATIFY Study (ALLIANCE 10603) [Abstract PF260; Friday, June 14, 5:30 PM CET] Genetic landscape of FLT3-mutated acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients treated within the RATIFY Trial: CALGB 10603 (ALLIANCE) [Abstract PS968; Saturday, June 15, 5:30 PM CET] RATIFY: Prognostic impact of FLT3 tyrosine kinase domain (TKD) and NPM1 mutation status in patients with newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia (AML) treated with midostaurin + standard chemotherapy [Abstract PF256; Friday, June 14, 5:30 PM CET]



Throughout the 2019 ASCO Annual Meeting and EHA Annual Meeting, Novartis will host dedicated content on Twitter (https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__twitter.com_NovartisCancer&d=DwMFAg&c=ZbgFmJjg4pdtrnL2HUJUDw&r=jKuRALCWAcndJhtk4dmdykDAYG1NCANS81WXDHDp5T8&m=-cpDJWiSw_uwmGtcTxKuzq8U2Sv5HBrJRvb1GoDQ_vw&s=Rawva03g_yb4LLMSnRY2Hyl2BlPvRmsx5wJ-TiynAa8&e=), Facebook (https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.facebook.com_NovartisCancer_&d=DwMFAg&c=ZbgFmJjg4pdtrnL2HUJUDw&r=jKuRALCWAcndJhtk4dmdykDAYG1NCANS81WXDHDp5T8&m=-cpDJWiSw_uwmGtcTxKuzq8U2Sv5HBrJRvb1GoDQ_vw&s=s73oj5ilWJ7CjkP2NHTLCeOZmNJzuLOTi5aomPpwOWI&e=), and LinkedIn (https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.linkedin.com_company_novartis-2Doncology&d=DwMFAg&c=ZbgFmJjg4pdtrnL2HUJUDw&r=jKuRALCWAcndJhtk4dmdykDAYG1NCANS81WXDHDp5T8&m=-cpDJWiSw_uwmGtcTxKuzq8U2Sv5HBrJRvb1GoDQ_vw&s=mZ83zx8d6V_IFL4j_rrIH_oGCzTiWAnGcEdXlNdC7wE&e=), featuring leader and patient insights and perspectives on the emerging trends in cancer care and research.

Product Information

Approved indications for products vary by country and not all indications are available in every country. The product safety and efficacy profiles have not yet been established outside the approved indications. Because of the uncertainty of clinical trials, there is no guarantee that compounds will become commercially available with additional indications.

For full prescribing information, including approved indications and important safety information about marketed products, please visit

https://www.novartisoncology.com/news/product-portfolio (https://www.novartisoncology.com/news/product-portfolio).

Disclaimer

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements can generally be identified by words such as "potential," "can," "will," "plan," "expect," "anticipate," "look forward," "believe," "committed," "investigational," "pipeline," "launch," or similar terms, or by express or implied discussions regarding potential marketing approvals, new indications or labeling for the investigational or approved products described in this press release, or regarding potential future revenues from such products. You should not place undue reliance on these statements. Such forward-looking statements are based on our current beliefs and expectations regarding future events, and are subject to significant known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements. There can be no guarantee that the investigational or approved products described in this press release will be submitted or approved for sale or for any additional indications or labeling in any market, or at any particular time. Nor can there be any guarantee that such products will be commercially successful in the future. In particular, our expectations regarding such products could be affected by, among other things, the uncertainties inherent in research and development, including clinical trial results and additional analysis of existing clinical data; regulatory actions or delays or government regulation generally; global trends toward health care cost containment, including government, payor and general public pricing and reimbursement pressures and requirements for increased pricing transparency; our ability to obtain or maintain proprietary intellectual property protection; the particular prescribing preferences of physicians and patients; general political and economic conditions; safety, quality or manufacturing issues; potential or actual data security and data privacy breaches, or disruptions of our information technology systems, and other risks and factors referred to in Novartis AG's current Form 20-F on file with the US Securities and Exchange Commission. Novartis is providing the information in this press release as of this date and does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this press release as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

About Novartis

Novartis is reimagining medicine to improve and extend people's lives. As a leading global medicines company, we use innovative science and digital technologies to create transformative treatments in areas of great medical need. In our quest to find new medicines, we consistently rank among the world's top companies investing in research and development. Novartis products reach more than 750 million people globally and we are finding innovative ways to expand access to our latest treatments. About 105 000 people of more than 140 nationalities work at Novartis around the world. Find out more at www.novartis.com (http://www.novartis.com).

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For questions about the site or required registration, please contact media.relations@novartis.com (mailto:media.relations@novartis.com)

* Kisqali was developed by the Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research (NIBR) under a research collaboration with Astex Pharmaceuticals.

** Capmatinib (INC280) is an investigational, oral and selective MET inhibitor licensed to Novartis by Incyte Corporation in 2009. Under the Agreement, Incyte granted Novartis worldwide exclusive development and commercialization rights to capmatinib and certain back-up compounds in all indications.

*** Novartis and the University of Pennsylvania's Perelman School of Medicine (Penn) have a global collaboration to research, develop and commercialize chimeric antigen receptor T cell (CAR-T) therapies, including Kymriah, for the investigational treatment of cancers.

**** Lutathera is a registered trademark of Advanced Accelerator Applications, a Novartis company.

***** Jakavi is a registered trademark of Novartis AG in countries outside the United States. Jakafi is a registered trademark of Incyte Corporation. Novartis licensed ruxolitinib from Incyte Corporation for development and commercialization outside the United States.

# # #

Novartis Media Relations

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Novartis Global Media Relations

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antonio.ligi@novartis.com (mailto:antonio.ligi@novartis.com) Julie Masow

Novartis Oncology Media Relations

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Novartis Investor Relations

Central investor relations line: +41 61 324 7944

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Central North America Samir Shah +41 61 324 7944 Richard Pulik +1 212 830 2448 Pierre-Michel Bringer +41 61 324 1065 Cory Twining +1 212 830 2417 Thomas Hungerbuehler +41 61 324 8425 Isabella Zinck +41 61 324 7188

Novartis Pharma AG Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation CH-4002 Basel Switzerland  2019 Novartis 5/19 G-ONC-1211773 East Hanover, New Jersey 07936-1080





Media release (PDF) (http://hugin.info/134323/R/2244502/886389.pdf)


Joint webinar will explore how integration with CASQUE SNR adds the highest levels of multi-factor authentication to WSO2 Identity Server's identity and access management

Mountain View, CA, May 16, 2019.



WSO2 Identity Serveris the highly extensible, open source identity and access managementfrom DMS offers identity assurance for people and things by producing keys that are changed dynamically to provide immunity against insider attacks, token clones, and manufacturer compromise. Together, they give organizations superior flexibility, control and protection over the identities they manage.



Additionally, DMS and WSO2 will co-host a webinar, "Securing Applications Using WSO2 Identity Server and CASQUE," which will examine how the integrated products address common vulnerabilities found in many MFA solutions. The webinar will be held on Wednesday, May 22, 2019, at 10:00 a.m. GMT, and it also will be available on-demand.



CASQUE Connector for WSO2 Identity Server

WSO2 Identity Server provides a comprehensive, open source IAM solution for managing customer, partner and employee identities. The software is optimized for identity federation and SSO with comprehensive support for strong, adaptive authentication and API security. Using WSO2 Identity Server, identity administrators can federate identities, secure access to web and mobile applications and endpoints, and bridge identity protocols across on-premises and cloud environments.



Meanwhile, CASQUE SNR enables organizations to overcome the typical vulnerabilities of MFA, which rely on a fixed secret. This secret might be an embedded key in SecurID, a private key in Public Key Infrastructure (PKI), or an attestation key in Fast ID Online 2 (FIDO2). If it is discovered by hackers, calculated through factorization, or disclosed by an insider, the security fails.



Because CASQUE SNR does not rely on a fixed secret, there is nothing to target or disclose. Instead, it relies on the Challange-Response family of protocols to calculate the response in a secure chip embedded in a handheld token. With CASQUE, users can own and control their independent identity access provision without reliance or exposure from manufacturers or managed service delivery partners. Each token has a secure chip that is Evaluation Assurance Level 6 and Federal Information Processing Standard Publication 140-2 Level 3. CASQUE can be deployed both on-premises or on the cloud, and it is specifically designed to control access via mobile devices.



Now with the CASQUE Connector, WSO2 Identity Server customers can leverage CASQUE SNR technology to perform more secure MFA using dynamic secrets. First, WSO2 Identity Server handles the primary username/password authentication, and then it refers the prescribed IDs to CASQUE for secondary browser authentication. The CASQUE challenge, which can be presented as a QR code or smartcard token, is created by the CASQUE Authentication Server Software (Windows or Linux; Physical or Virtual) supplied by DMS.



"It has been both educational and enjoyable working with the WSO2 team to develop an integration architecture that exploits the full flexibility of both our technologies so that high assurance authentication can be deployed where and when required," said DMS Managing Director Basil Philipsz.



"We are pleased to introduce the integration between CASQUE SNR and WSO2 Identity Server," said WSO2 Vice President of Security Architecture Prabath Siriwardena. "Through this integration, the capabilities of WSO2 Identity Server are extended to provide users with an even more secure form of MFA."



Webinar: Securing Applications Using WSO2 Identity Server and CASQUE

Together, Basil Philipsz and Dinali Dabarera, a senior software engineer on the WSO2 IAM team, will examine the vulnerabilities of MFA methods that rely on a fixed secret. Then they will discuss how stronger authentication methods, such as the approach offered by CASQUE, are needed to secure highly confidential information. Next, Basil and Dinali will explore how CASQUE works on a dynamic secret rather than a fixed one that can be targeted or disclosed. Finally, they will explore how the integration between CASQUE and WSO2 extends the functionality of WSO2 Identity Server to provide more secure MFA. To learn more about the webinar and register for the event, visit https://wso2.com/library/webinars/2019/05/securing-applications-using-wso2-identity-server-and-casque.



About DMS

Distributed Management Systems develops and delivers CASQUE SNR, which provides the next generation of identity assurance for both people and things, and has significant advantages over existing products with respect to security, resilience, usability, including defense against insider attacks. CASQUE SNR's keys are changed dynamically and invisibly, removing fixed targets and hence becoming immune to insider attacks, token clones and manufacturer compromise. The first generation of CASQUE from DMS has been previously used by the UK Ministry of Defence. A private limited company, DMS is owned by its directors who are UK nationals based in Feniscowles, near Blackburn, Lancashire, England. For more information, visit https://www.casque.co.uk.



About WSO2

WSO2 is the world's #1 open source integration vendor, helping digital-driven organizations become integration agile. Customers choose us for our broad integrated platform approach to open source, and agile transformation methodology. The company's hybrid platform for developing, reusing, running and managing integrations prevents lock-in through open source software that runs on-premises or in the cloud. Today, hundreds of leading brands and thousands of global projects execute 6 trillion transactions annually using WSO2 integration technologies. Visit https://wso2.comto learn more.





Trademarks and registered trademarks are the properties of their respective owners.
Solution improves order fill rates while reducing inventory levels and compressing lead times

Demand Driven Technologies (DD Tech), the leading provider of Demand Driven MRP compliant supply chain solutions, today announced the signing of an enterprise software agreement with Coca-Cola Beverages Africa (CCBA) to deploy their Replenishment+ supply chain technology to 26 manufacturing facilities and 20 distribution centers across 10 countries in sub-Saharan Africa. The announcement was made at the DD Tech's America's User Conference in Miami, Florida.

"We're delighted to be working with CCBA who have selected Replenishment+ to support their Demand Driven MRP roll-out across a network of manufacturing and distribution facilities in Africa," said Erik Bush, CEO of Demand Driven Technologies.

Replenishment+ dramatically improves materials planning by shifting from forecast to a consumption based planning method improving service levels and reducing inventory. The multi-echelon solution automatically identifies strategic inventory positions in the supply chain, aligns inventory to true market demand and compresses lead times.

Barry Anderson, the Group Demand and Supply Planning Specialist for CCBA commented, "Demand Driven Technologies provide us with a comprehensive range of solutions to address our supply chain requirements. They've also demonstrated a clear understanding of how to support clients in the African market. We look forward to their ongoing contribution to this strategic initiative."

About Demand Driven Technologies

Demand Driven Technologies provides Replenishment+, the first and most widely deployed DDMRP compliant supply chain software solution. The company was formed in 2011 with the singular focus of enabling manufacturing and distribution clients to achieve breakthrough performance through the application of Demand Driven tactics and technologies. As the DDMRP market leader, it is the company's vision to make enterprise-class Demand Driven Supply Chain planning easy and accessible to all. Over 80 enterprises across 6 continents rely on Demand Driven Tech as their trusted partner in continuous supply chain improvement and competitive advantage. For more information: www.demanddriventech.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190516005210/en/

Contacts:

Brad Mitchler

bmitchler@demanddriventech.com
Michelle Obama came to Chicago today for fundraisers and a bill signing with Gov. Pat Quinn. The legislation will allow military spouses and veterans to transfer their professional licenses to Illinois more easily. Michelle Obama says she's "proud" her home state is taking action on the licensing issue for military families.
GUTIAN, China, May 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- In the warm and beautiful days of May, guests and friends come from around the world to gather in Longyan. Recently the 1st Culture and Tourism Industry Development Conference of Longyan, Fujian was officially unveiled in Gutian, Shanghang, a well-known revolutionary holy land of China. It was sponsored by Fujian Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, CPC Longyan Municipal Committee and Longyan Municipal People's Government, and undertaken by Longyan Municipal Culture and Tourism Bureau, CPC Shanghang County Committee and the People's Government of Shanghang County.

The conference's attendees included Huang Qiyu, Deputy Director of the Standing Committee of the People's Congress of Fujian Province and Chairman of the Provincial Federation of Trade Unions, the relevant leaders of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the relevant leaders of General Office of the Fujian Provincial People's Government and the departments directly under the leadership of the provincial government, the investor representatives of the culture and tourism industry, the important travel agency representatives, representatives of Longyan's Olympic champions, and the representatives of cultural and tourist enterprises from Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan.

Wu Xiande, Head of Fujian Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, delivered a speech at the opening ceremony. He pointed out that the cultural tourism is a comprehensive industry which can be an important driver of the economic development. In recent years, the CPC provincial committee and the provincial government have paid high attention to the development of cultural tourism and taken culture and tourism as the key support for Fujian's high-quality growth. Thanks to their frequent adjustments and reforms, a development pattern that underscores the provincial-wide unity has gradually taken shape. The cultural tourism shown good development momentum with optimized environment, quality services, leading brands, and remarkable growth rates. The "Tour around Fujian" brand has drawn wide and active responses, and the "Have all blessings" idea has been well received by the market. With abundant tourist resources, eminent advantages, enormous development potential and broad prospects, Longyan warmly welcomes cultural tourism investors, operators and service providers to build successful businesses by taking advantage of Fujian's and Longyan's cultural tourism resources.

Xu Weize, Secretary of CPC Longyan Municipal Committee, gave a speech and extended a warm welcome to all leaders and guests present on behalf of the CPC Municipal Committee, the Standing Committee of the Municipal People's Congress, the Municipal Government and the Municipal Committee of CPPCC. He indicated that Longyan has thoroughly studied and implemented Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. Longyan has put forward an urban development pattern that covers "one city, two districts and three groups" and the general idea for developing the industrial layout of "five bases, six industries and seven tourist attractions". More efforts have been put in formulating the urban development framework, constructing the industrial development platform and facilitating the city-industry integration. In particular, three major cultures respectively concerning the Red revolution, ecology and Hakka have been have been made part of the plan of the CPC provincial committee and provincial government to build the brand of "Tour around Fujian, Have all Blessings". The Longyan government emphasizes that every county should have its own features, as part of the plan to build a major industry for culture, tourism, health and wellness worth RMB 100 billion. Longyan works to make it a city well known for its "revolutionary holy land, Hakka homeland and wellness resort", an international destination for holistic tourism and a friendlier, more vibrant city featuring cultural tourism. Taking this Culture and Tourism Industry Development Conference as an opportunity, Longyan expects to enhance the communication with others, build the platform for industrial development, deepen the connection among culture and tourism projects and boost the cultural tourism of Longyan, thereby developing the city with better quality and improved efficiency, and making Longyan into an ecological, healthy and livable city and an international destination for holistic tourism.

Other activities at the conference included intangible cultural heritage performances, contract-signing on the cultural tourism projects in Longyan, a presentation of awards for "Top 10 Pioneers in Making a Fortune with Tourism", an awarding ceremony of Tik Tok competitions, an awarding ceremony of "Red Gutian" Longyan National Photography Exhibition, a presentation of the certificate for the tourism ambassador of Longyan, the launch of "Red Gutian" Outdoor Benefit Cards, a launch ceremony of the Culture and Tourism Conference, and others.

Themed by "Revolutionary Holy land, Hakka Homeland and Livable Longyan", this Culture and Tourism Conference is one of the "Tour around Fujian, Have all Blessings" series activities of Fujian Province. This Conference consisted of the four parts, which were revolutionary charm, Hakka culture, touring around Longyan and culture-tourism integration. It included various sub-activities, such as China (Longyan) Red Cultural Tourism Summit, Longyan Folk Performance Carnival, the 1st Culture, Tourism, Health and Wellness Industry Expo of Longyan, Tourism, Food and Culture Festival of Western Fujian, "Red Gutian" Longyan National Photography Exhibition, on-site review on culture, tourism, health and wellness projects and the 1,000 "Red Army Troops" hiking experience.
Seoul Semiconductor Co., Ltd. (KOSDAQ:046890), a leading global innovator of LED products and technology, announced that its SunLike Series natural spectrum LEDs have been identified as a key light source for promoting human well-being, based on the results of a recent comprehensive sleep study conducted by scientists at the University of Basel.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190516005262/en/

Lighting Research Technology (Photo: Business Wire)

Seoul Semiconductor developed SunLike Series natural spectrum LEDs in collaboration with Toshiba Materials' TRI-R spectrum technology in 2017 as the first LED light source to closely match the spectrum of natural sunlight. The two companies have since promoted this natural sunlight spectrum technology through its favorable effects on human well-being and sleep as a key value in the evolution of lighting.

There has been an increase in research activity on the relationship between light and human bio-function, including a recent scientific study focusing on the effects of light spectrum on sleep quality, visual comfort, well-being and daytime alertness conducted by Prof. Christian Cajochen and his team at the University of Basel in Switzerland, entitled: "Effect of Daylight LED on Visual Comfort, Melatonin, Mood, Waking Performance, and Sleep," published in the Journal of Lighting and Research Technology published on March 24, 2019.

It is well established that light is one of the strongest control factors for human circadian rhythms, such as the secretion of the sleep promoting hormone melatonin. Thus, optimal lighting condition during daytime are crucial to prevent circadian rhythm disturbances which can lead to sleep disorders and other life-style related diseases. Over the past ten years, there have been related scientific studies in the fields of sleep, chronobiology, physiology, as well as the impact of light quality in elderly care.

According to Prof. Cajochen's research, LED light sources with the same measured correlated color temperature (CCT) and intensity, but different spectral output, can have different effects on human behavior and physiology. LED light sources with a spectrum close to natural sunlight produced better visual comfort, more alertness, and happier moods in the morning and evening among the test participants, compared to those exposed to conventional spectrum LEDs. The research tested subjects' visual comfort, circadian physiology, daytime alertness, mood, cognitive performance, and sleep after being exposed to both conventional LED light, and natural spectrum LED light for 49 hours in a laboratory setting.

Quoting from the paper: "We have evidence that a daylight [natural spectrum] LED solution has beneficial effects on visual comfort, daytime alertness, mood, and sleep intensity in healthy volunteers. Delta EEG activity (0.75-4.5Hz) was significantly higher after daylight-LED than conventional-LED exposure during the post-light exposure night." [NOTE: Delta EEG (electroencephalogram) measurements record delta waves, the brain waves associated with Stage 3 non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep, or "slow-wave sleep" (SWS), and aid in characterizing the depth of sleep.]

By providing the same spectrum as sunlight and in the visible light range, SunLike Series natural spectrum LEDs deliver benefits to human well-being, consistent with the mechanisms of vision that impact both image forming and non-image forming aspects of the eye, as well as the control of circadian rhythms. While the qualities of artificial light have been described primarily with color and intensity thus far, SunLike Series natural spectrum LEDs have introduced light spectrum as another important factor in determining overall light quality.

"This research conducted by the University of Basel suggests another important aspect to the evolving direction of artificial light over the past eighty years. In addition to the properties of energy efficiency and long life, we have added the factor of 'human well-being' to modern LED light sources," said Nam Ki-bum, sales executive vice-president of Seoul Semiconductor. "As the world's first mass-produced LED devices to achieve natural sunlight quality, SunLike Series LEDs are advancing lighting technology in this important area as we continue to respond to market needs from our customers' lighting applications."

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190516005262/en/

Contacts:

Seoul Semiconductor Inc.

North America

Andrew Smith

Tel: +1 (901) 831-6614

Email: andrew.smith@seoulsemicon.com

Asia and Europe

Jeong-hee Kim

Tel: +82-70-4391-8311

Email: jeonghee.kim@seoulsemicon.com
San Diego, California--(Newsfile Corp. - May 16, 2019) - UPPR (OTC Pink: UPPR) is pleased to announce the closing of its recently announced acquisition of twenty percent of Catch Capital Partners Inc. UPPR has issued five million shares to the Principals of Catch Capital Partners. Catch Capital Partners is a Canadian company actively advancing projects in the outdoor cannabis and hemp space.

Joseph Earle, CEO of UPPR, stated, "We are very pleased to complete this strategic investment. The Catch Capital Partners team is uniquely positioned to capitalize on the dramatic shortfall in supply of recreational cannabis in Canada. Further, they have an innovative plan to create cooperative pharmaceutical grade hemp production in the Canadian market. We believe last week's significant announcement regarding Canadian licensing will benefit Catch Capital, and UPPR shareholders."

Catch Capital CEO Jeff Wareham added, "Last week was a game changer for both cannabis and hemp in Canada and for Catch Capital Partners. This is a huge advantage for Catch Partners and likely will advance our plans quickly. The licensing process for these two critical high value crops has been hindered by an apparently huge volume of applications, where paperwork may be in order, but there exists little chance of raising the necessary capital to complete the projects. Health Canada has made what appears to be a wise decision, choosing to focus on real projects, not unfunded dreams. Further, we feel this will free up limited Health Canada resources to respond to the rapidly evolving global market for hemp and cannabis products. The US Farm Bill has fundamentally changed the hemp market, and Canadians need to catch up. Our new partnership with UPPR ensures we are well positioned to grow our business in this dynamic environment."

Further to our news release of April 25, 2019, below is a corporate update.

UPPR embarked on an ambitious plan in 2018 to become the first and likely the largest cGMP CBD producer and marketing company in the United States and a major player in the global market for what we see as the most significant new market in many years.

In a recent Fortune Magazine article, dated February 25th, 2019, they quoted a new analysis by Cowen & Co - nearly 7% of Americans are already using cannabidiol (CBD), placing the potential for the much-hyped cannabis compound at $35 Billion by 2025. Fortune goes on to say that they "conservatively" see CBD use growing to 10% of U.S. adults or 25 million consumers by 2025.

To date, CBD is promoted as an effective treatment for everything from arthritis to insomnia, the only clinically proven remedies for two rare forms of childhood epilepsy. Upper Street Marketing Inc. (OTC Pink: UPPR) plans to be at the forefront of this change. UPPR intends to be one of the very few integrated "seed to consumer" hemp and CBD companies in the world.

FDA (the U.S. Food and Drug Administration) and that capability to meet FDA rules and regulations for CBDs puts these standards at the forefront of what is emerging in the governmental oversight requirements of the CBD industry. As science confirms that CBDs are effective treatment for a list of maladies and conditions for humans and pets, very large numbers of consumers are going to demand that the products they buy be properly regulated and backed up by solid science, not by product mislabeling or misrepresentations.

We at Upper Street/Growing Springs are at the forefront of that trend, and back it up with our strategic partnership with Primapharma (www.primapharma.net) which we announced on January 22, 2019, to develop fully cGMP CBD oils and isolate, as well as research and clinical studies.

In order to be an integrated "from seed to consumer" CBD company we grow our own hemp, extract the high-quality CBD from our own hemp and with our partnership with Primapharma are developing cGMP products for consumers.

Cautionary Language Concerning Forward-Looking Statements



Statements in this press release may be "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "expect", "intend", and similar expressions, as they relate to the Company or its management, identify forward-looking statements. These statements are based on current expectations, estimates, and projections about the Company's business, based, in part, on assumptions made by management. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks, uncertainties, and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Therefore, actual outcomes and results may, and probably will, differ materially from what is expressed or forecasted in such forward-looking statements due to numerous factors. Such statements could be affected by risks and uncertainties related to: (i) our ability to execute the Company's business plans with the uncertainty of agricultural crops (ii) product demand, market, and customer acceptance of the Company's products, (iii) the Company's ability to obtain financing to expand our operations, (iv) the Company's ability to attract qualified sales representatives, (v) competition, pricing and development difficulties, (vi) the Company's ability to conduct the business if there are changes in laws, regulations, or government policies related to the Company's products, (vii) the Company's ability to conduct operations if it faces product recalls, and (viii) general industry and market conditions and growth rates and general economic conditions. Any forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made, and the Company does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this release.



For Further Information Contact:

Upper Street Marketing Inc.:

Phone: (844) 535-UPPR (8777)

Email: investorrelations@upperstreetmarketing.com

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/44826
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - May 16, 2019) - OSPREY GOLD DEVELOPMENT LTD. (TSXV: OS) (OTCQB: OSSPF) (the "Company" or "Osprey")is pleased to provide additional results from its exploration program at the Caribou Gold Project ("Caribou") located approximately 8 kilometres ("km") north of Atlantic Gold's Touquoy Mine and Moose River Consolidated mill site, and surrounded by Atlantic Gold claim holdings in Nova Scotia, Canada.

The trenching at Caribou included a total of four trenches with the best interval from the latest trench (18ELK-04) returning 1.33 grams per tonne gold ("g/t Au") over 13.80 metres ("m"), with multiple other anomalous zones in the surrounding sediments. These results provide additional support for the Company's concept that disseminated gold mineralization occurs in the sedimentary sequences surrounding historically mined high-grade veins at Caribou. This style of mineralization is similar to that which has allowed Atlantic Gold to build a successful mining operation in Nova Scotia. See the Company's news release dated August 22, 2018 or the Company's website (www.ospreygold.com) for more information on previous trench results. Relogging and sampling historic core last year at the Caffrey zone, southeast of Elk, with an emphasis on previously unsampled "wall rock" intervals, reported results including 70.57 metres grading 1.58 g/t gold, again highlighting the potential for broad zones of disseminated mineralization (see Osprey's news release dated November 20, 2018).

Cooper Quinn, Osprey President commented: "These Elk Zone results continue to build upon the previous work we have completed at Caribou exploring for disseminated mineralization. We know there's significant higher grade mineralization on the project from the historic production and exploration, however especially in the Elk Zone, we're defining potentially significant broad horizons of lower grade mineralization at surface. The four trenches excavated and sampled so far at Elk define a 160 metre strike length of disseminated mineralization that is open in both directions. This is the style of mineralization for which we have specifically been exploring at Caribou and our other projects. It is similar in style to what Atlantic Gold is mining at the Touquoy open pit, and the other projects within the Moose River Consolidated project."





Figure 1- Caribou Project Location and claims

To view an enhanced version of Figure 1, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/5059/44839_f24cb3a1d455c8e8_001full.jpg



About the Caribou Property

Strategically located, 8 km north of Atlantic Gold's Touquoy Mine and Moose River Consolidated mill site and surrounded by Atlantic Gold claim holdings ;





; Historic drill results in high grade stockwork zones include 11.2 m grading 10.86 g/t Au in Hole CM-98-01 and 9.8 m grading 12.2 g/t Au in Hole SB-88-11;





in Hole CM-98-01 and in Hole SB-88-11; Project area includes broad areas of Halifax Group argillites, which overlie the quartzite/ argillite Goldenville Group, host rock for gold bearing quartz veining, and are largely unexplored at Caribou;





Reported past production of over 100,000 gold ounces between 1869 and 1955 , as reported in a historical technical report prepared for Scorpio Gold Corporation by Guy Mac Gillivray, P.Geo. of W.G. Shaw and Associates Limited in a report dated October 8, 2008 (the "Historical Report");





, as reported in a historical technical report prepared for Scorpio Gold Corporation by Guy Mac Gillivray, P.Geo. of W.G. Shaw and Associates Limited in a report dated October 8, 2008 (the "Historical Report"); An inferred historic resource of 94,763 ounces of gold in 350,305 tonnes grading 8.81 g/t Au , uncut (the "Historic Estimate"); and





, uncut (the "Historic Estimate"); and Using a grade cap for gold of 47.0 g/t Au (to compensate for nugget effect) the Historical Estimate for the Caribou Gold Property is 350,305 tonnes grading 5.83 g/t gold, or 67,425 ounces of gold;





Sampling, including wall rock intervals, of historic core from the Caffrey area at Caribou, SE of Elk, reported intervals up to 70.57 metres grading 1.58 g/t gold in hole CM87-43;

Trench 18ELK-04 was completed in three segments along strike approximately 160 m to the northeast of 18ELK-01 and helps define a significant zone of mineralization that is open along strike, and at depth. This zone roughly parallels the main structure in on the project; the Caribou-Cochrane Hill Anticline which hosts Atlantic Gold's Cochrane Hill project approximately 75 km to the northeast.





Figure 2 - Caribou Project overview, showing trenching, Elk Zone mineralized horizon, past drilling, and historic workings



To view an enhanced version of Figure 2, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/5059/44839_f24cb3a1d455c8e8_002full.jpg

Caribou is one of five key projects controlled by Osprey, and is host to an historical mineral resource estimate. Activity at Caribou is the first systematic program undertaken at Caribou since the Company formeded an option to acquire the property in September 2017.

The reader is cautioned that a qualified person has not done sufficient work to classify this Historical Estimate as current resources and Osprey is not treating this Historical Estimate as a current mineral resource. While this estimate was prepared in accordance with National Instrument 43-101, Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101") and the "Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum Standards on Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves Definition Guidelines" in effect at the time, there is no guarantee that it would be consistent with current standards and it should not be regarded as consistent with current standards. The Historical Estimate is relevant to obtain a reference to mineral potential present on the property. The Company has not undertaken any verification of the historical data upon which the historical estimates are based on.

About Osprey

Osprey is focused on exploring five historically producing gold properties in Nova Scotia, Canada. Osprey has the option to earn 100% (subject to certain royalties) in all five properties.

A Quality Control/Quality Assurance program, including the insertion of Standards and Blanks, has been implemented. The exploration program on the Company's properties is performed under the supervision of Perry MacKinnon, P.Geo, Vice-President of Exploration of Osprey and a 'Qualified Person' under NI 43-101. Mr. MacKinnon has reviewed and approved the technical content of this release.

Additional information regarding Osprey and the Goldenville property is available under the Company's profile at www.sedar.com and at www.ospreygold.com.

For further information please contact:

ON BEHALF OF OSPREY GOLD DEVELOPMENT LTD.,

"Cooper Quinn"

Cooper Quinn, President and Director

For further information please contact Osprey at (778)986-8192 or cooper@ospreygold.com

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

All statements in this press release, other than statements of historical fact, are "forward-looking information" with respect to Osprey within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Osprey provides forward-looking statements for the purpose of conveying information about current expectations and plans relating to the future and readers are cautioned that such statements may not be appropriate for other purposes. By its nature, this information is subject to inherent risks and uncertainties that may be general or specific and which give rise to the possibility that expectations, forecasts, predictions, projections or conclusions will not prove to be accurate, that assumptions may not be correct and that objectives, strategic goals and priorities will not be achieved. These risks and uncertainties include but are not limited to exploration findings, results and recommendations, as well as those risks and uncertainties identified and reported in Osprey's public filings under Osprey's SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com. Although Osprey has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Osprey disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise unless required by law.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/44839
Creative spaces online marketplace announces sponsorship of prestigious industry award event.

Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - May 16, 2019) - Spacefy Inc. (CSE: SPFY) ("Spacefy" or the "Company"), the sharing-economy marketplace for inspiring space rentals for the creative industry, today announced a series of new Spacefy-sponsored student films awards, intended to celebrate excellence and creativity in the field of location management.

The new awards are being established in partnership with Sheridan College, Humber College, York University and Ryerson University - four Toronto-area schools with widely-acclaimed film programs.

Spacefy is working with Ryerson University to finalize details for two location management awards - one for the School of Image Arts , and one for the RTA School of Media .

to finalize details for two location management awards - one for the , and one for the . Humber College's award is currently open for online applications, and will be awarded in September.

award is currently open for online applications, and will be awarded in September. The York University award will be presented in the fall of 2019.

award will be presented in the fall of 2019. Sheridan College's award will be presented later this month as part of the Sheridan Screen Arts Academic Awards Ceremony, to be held at TIFF Lightbox in Toronto on May 21st.

"Sheridan's creative, industry-oriented film and TV program requires an appreciation of all aspects of a production," said Michael Kennedy, Program Coordinator for Sheridan's Bachelor of Film and Television program. "Spacefy's innovative award fits perfectly with this philosophy and their generous support of the Location Management team will be much appreciated by the student filmmakers."

Spacefy is honoured to align itself with some of the country's top film schools and is proud to celebrate the role of locations in films at every level.

"Recognizing talented young filmmakers for their achievements is a wonderful way to raise Spacefy's profile - not just with the students and faculty, but also with alumni groups, friends, and industry insiders," said Russ Patterson, Spacefy's CEO. "It feels good to be able to give back and encourage aspiring film students in some small way."

About Spacefy

Spacefy is a marketplace that connects creative professionals with spaces for their projects, productions, and events. Harnessing the power of the sharing economy, Spacefy gives creative professionals access to unique and underutilized spaces while enabling property owners to further monetize their space.

Contact Information

Spacefy Inc.

Russ Patterson

Chief Executive Officer

russ@spacefy.com

Adelaide Capital Markets Inc.

Deborah Honig

Investor Relations

647-203-8793

deborah@adelaidecapital.ca

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/44834
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - May 16, 2019) - Destiny Media Technologies Inc. (TSXV: DSY) (OTCQB: DSNY), the makers of Play MPE, a cloud-based solution for promotional music marketing, announced today the release of new iOS and Android player apps.

The new apps represent a significant step forward with added features:

Google Chromecast and Airplay streaming capabilities for greater recipient collaboration opportunities

Additional playlists, sorting, flagging and archiving of reviewed songs

Improved search abilities

Easier access to release details (artist information, tour dates etc.)

"Providing the industry with an effortless suite of applications is a significant differentiator between Play MPE and our competitors," said Fred Vandenberg, CEO of Play MPE. "Releasing new Player Apps continues to evoke increased collaboration and engagement will provide both our community of tastemakers and record labels with greater value as we expand Play MPE globally."

About Destiny Media Technologies Inc.

Destiny Media Technologies ("Destiny") provides software as service (SaaS) solutions to businesses in the music industry solving critical problems in distribution and promotion. The core service, Play MPE (www.plaympe.com), provides promotional music marketing to engaged networks of decision makers in radio, film, TV, and beyond.

SOURCE Destiny Media Technologies Inc.

For further information:

Contacts:

Fred Vandenberg, fredv@dsny.com CEO,

Destiny Media Technologies Inc., 604-609-7736 x236;

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/44840
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - May 16, 2019) - Advantagewon Oil Corp., (CSE: AOC) (OTCQB: ANTGF) (the "Corporation", "Advantagewon", "AOC") announced today that it had entered into, and that it had completed a purchase and sale agreement whereby the Corporation has sold its entire interest stake in its Saratoga Area Properties located in Hardin County Texas.

The Corporation has sold the Saratoga Property for Four Hundred and Twenty Five Thousand Dollars ("$425,000.00") USD to a private independent operator located in the State of Texas. Advantagewon held the rights to the leases on the Saratoga Property since 2013 and had drilled one oil well in April 2014. The Corporation elected to sell the property, as oil production on the property had declined and, as a deep expensive development area, the Corporation had no further plans for additional drilling. Development will be focused on the core properties in the LaVernia area of Texas.

The Corporation also announced today that it had entered into a debt settlement agreement with Fountain Asset Capital ("Fountain") of Toronto, where the Corporation will eliminate Three Hundred and Fifty-One Thousand, Four Hundred and Twenty-Eight Dollars ("$351,428.00") CDN worth of debt owed by the Corporation to Fountain. The Corporation has agreed to make a one-time lump sum cash payment amounting to Two Hundred and Thirty Thousand Dollars ("$230,000.00") CDN to Fountain. The Corporation has also agreed to issue to Fountain, Four Million and Forty-Seven Thousand, Six Hundred ("4,047,600") Common Shares at a price of Three Cents ("$0.03") CDN per Common Share. After the issuance to Fountain of the 4,047,600 Common Shares, Fountain will control less than 9.9% of the outstanding Common Shares of the Corporation which will not result in a change of control of the Corporation as defined by NP 51-201.

Mr. Charles Dove stated: "With the elimination of the debt owed to Fountain Asset Capital, the Corporation has now eliminated approx. $1.3M CDN in debt from of its balance sheet over the course of the last year and is free of all long term debt. We appreciate Fountain's willingness to settle the debt AOC owed Fountain, and we appreciate that Fountain has continued to hold its position in AOC."

The Corporation further announced that Jason Ewart had resigned from AOC's Board effective immediately. The Corporation's Directors wish to thank Mr. Ewart for his time serving on the Board, and the Directors wish him well in his future endeavours.

About Advantagewon Oil Corp.

Advantagewon is focused on building consistent cash flow from low cost, low risk oil wells in the State of Texas. AOC applies specialized expertise to increase oil recovery from 10-15% to up to 75% for each well. Once the enhanced recovery strategy is successfully applied, AOC will repeat the process throughout the oil pool to maximize output and minimize cost and risk. Advantagewon's common shares are listed on the OTC Markets in the United States and on the Canadian Securities Exchange ("CSE") in Canada. Advantagewon is a member of the CSE Composite Index (CSE:AOC). For more information please visit www.aoc-oil.com.

For further information please contact:

Mr. Charles Dove

CEO & Director

Advantagewon Oil Corp.

T: (403) 815-2440

E: charles.dove@aoc-oil.com

W: www.aoc-oil.com

Mr. Paul Haber

Chairman & Director

Advantagewon Oil Corp.

T: (416) 318-6501

E: paul.haber@aoc-oil.com

W: www.aoc-oil.com

Mr. Frank Kordy

Secretary & Director

Advantagewon Oil Corp.

T: (647) 466-4037

E: frank.kordy@aoc-oil.com

W: www.aoc-oil.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 -

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/44846
CHICAGO, May 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- According to the new market research report "3D Printing Materials Market by Type (Plastic, Metal, Ceramic), End-Use Industry (Automotive, Aerospace & Defense, Healthcare, Consumer Goods, Construction), Form (Powder, Liquid, Filament), Technology, Application, and Region - Global Forecast to 2024", published by MarketsandMarkets, the 3D printing materials market size is estimated to grow from USD 1.5 billion in 2019 to USD 4.5 billion by 2024, at a CAGR of 25% during the forecast period. The 3D printing materials market is witnessing significant growth because of the growing demand from industries such as healthcare, automotive, and aerospace & defense.

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The aerospace & defense end-use industry is estimated to account for the largest share of the 3D printing materials market in 2019

Aerospace & defense is the major end-use industry in the 3D printing materials market. North America and Europe are the key markets due to the presence of the aerospace & defense industry. The automotive industry is expected to grow at the fastest rate due to the increasing adoption of 3D printing in the manufacturing of automotive components.

Prototyping is the largest application of 3D printing materials.

Prototyping is the key application in the 3D printing materials market. The 3D printing materials market in the manufacturing application is projected to register the highest growth rate during the forecast period. This high growth of manufacturing application is attributed to the growing adoption of 3D printing in the aerospace & defense, automotive, and healthcare industries.

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North America is expected to be the largest market for 3D printing materials during the forecast period.

North America is expected to dominate the 3D Printing Materials Market during the forecast period due to the substantial adoption and manufacturing of products based on 3D printing technology. The increasing demand from the aerospace & defense, medical & dental, and automotive end-use industries in North America are also driving the market in the region. In addition, strong support from the governments for 3D printed goods over conventional goods and the presence of key manufacturers in the region are expected to drive the market further.

Major 3D printing material manufacturers are 3D Systems Corporation (US), Stratasys (US), Arkema SA (France), Materialise NV (Belgium), Evonik Industries AG(Germany), and General Electric (US).

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Browse Adjacent Markets: Resins and Polymers Market Research Reports & Consulting

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3D Printing Metals Market by Form (Powder and Filament), Type (Titanium, Nickel, Stainless Steel, Aluminum), End-Use Industry (Aerospace & Defense, Automotive, Medical & Dental), and Region (APAC, North America, Europe, MEA, SA) - Global Forecast to 2023

3D Printing Ceramics Market by Type (Glass, Fused Silica, Quartz), Form (Filament, Powder, & Liquid), End User (Aerospace & Defense, Automotive, Consumer Goods & Electronics, Manufacturing & Construction, Healthcare) - Global Forecast to 2021

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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.

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FDA Cleared and CE Marked, Telescope Enters Global Market with Design Innovations to Enable Smooth Delivery of Coronary Stents and Balloons

DUBLIN - May 16, 2019 - Medtronic plc (NYSE:MDT), a global leader in percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) innovation, today announced its entrance into the guide extension catheter market with the global launch of the Telescope Guide Extension Catheter, a newly designed catheter used to provide additional backup support and access to distal lesions. Guide extension catheters help deliver coronary stents, balloons and other interventional devices during angioplasty procedures that help to restore blood flow through the coronary and peripheral arteries.

Developed alongside interventional cardiologists, many of whom are increasingly challenged with complex cases - such as patients with tortuous anatomies, calcified vessels, and distal lesions - the Telescope guide extension catheter provides operators with superior deliverability1 and is designed to enable smooth delivery of interventional devices in more challenging cases.

"It is not an exaggeration to say that guide extension technologies have greatly impacted the ability to deliver devices to the distal coronary vasculature, especially for cases where traditional guide support may be limited," said Ajay Kirtane, M.D., S.M., director of the NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Cardiac Catheterization Laboratories. "In this light, the Telescope - a guide extension catheter with specific design optimizations aiming to stably deliver devices through tortuous anatomy - is a welcome addition to the interventional toolbox."

The Telescope guide extension catheter combines a solid, round pushwire with a coil-reinforced hydrophilic-coated distal segment to help physicians reach challenging lesions with improved pushability and deliverability.2 Telescope also features a flexible TruFlex soft polymer tip, which is designed to responsively bend and deflect during use. In addition, once Telescope is in position near the target lesion, SmoothPass technology helps to smoothly channel stents, balloons, and other interventional devices into place.

"Before bringing this important technology to market, we collaborated with more than 700 interventional cardiologists to ensure Telescope was addressing unmet needs in complex PCI," said Dave Moeller, vice president and general manager of the Coronary and Renal Denervation business, which is part of the Cardiac and Vascular Group at Medtronic. "We will continue to make investments in cutting edge interventional technologies, clinical evidence expansion, and robust physician training programs, which we believe will make a meaningful difference for physicians and their patients."

In addition to the Telescope guide extension catheter, Medtronic's market-leading coronary portfolio includes the latest-generation Resolute Onyx Drug-Eluting Stent (DES), the Euphora line of pre- and post-dilatation balloon catheters, and a full suite of catheters including the DxTerity TRA Diagnostic Catheter and market-leading Launcher Guide Catheter, all of which are commercially available in the U.S., as well as throughout Europe.

About Medtronic

Medtronic plc (www.medtronic.com (http://www.medtronic.com)), headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, is among the world's largest medical technology, services and solutions companies - alleviating pain, restoring health and extending life for millions of people around the world. Medtronic employs more than 86,000 people worldwide, serving physicians, hospitals and patients in more than 150 countries. The company is focused on collaborating with stakeholders around the world to take healthcare Further, Together.

Any forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties such as those described in Medtronic's periodic reports on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Actual results may differ materially from anticipated results.

-end-

Deliverability bench testing: Telescope GEC 6 F vs. GuideLiner* V3 5.5 F/6 F vs. Guidezilla* II 6F Bench test data. Bench test data may not be indicative of clinical performance. Deliverability bench testing: Telescope GEC 6 F vs. GuideLiner* V3 5.5 F/6 F vs. Guidezilla* II 6 F. Pushability bench testing: Telescope GEC 6 F vs. GuideLiner* V3 6 F vs. Guidezilla* II 6 F. Bench test data may not be indicative of clinical performance.

Contacts:

Joey Lomicky

Public Relations

+1-763-526-2494



Ryan Weispfenning

Investor Relations

+1-763-505-4626





This announcement is distributed by West Corporation on behalf of West Corporation clients.

The issuer of this announcement warrants that they are solely responsible for the content, accuracy and originality of the information contained therein.

Source: Medtronic plc via Globenewswire


Expands reach and provides European-based D2C brands the service and comfort of local presence

Ruby Has, a leading bicoastal ecommerce fulfillment company (Inc. 5000, Crain's Fast 50) has announced the establishment of a European sales office in Milan, Italy. The office will be tasked with servicing European direct-to-consumer brands who are already selling in the U.S. or intend to begin doing so.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190516005186/en/

The newly-opened sales office will be tasked with servicing European direct-to-consumer brands who are already selling in the U.S. or intend to begin doing so. (Photo: Ruby Has Fulfillment)

Ruby Has President Esther Kestenbaum notes that: "Selling in the U.S. can be a daunting prospect for European-based companies particularly as they consider the complexities of fulfillment. We know, because we already serve some wonderful European brands. Having a sales office in Milan will help us to provide even better responsiveness to companies and give them the comfort of more local presence. The needs and concerns of European brands are often unique and we want to offer expertise tailored to those needs. From services to integrations to geographic location, we are continually evolving toward the needs of our customers to offer the most complete solution set possible."

European-based companies wanting to connect with the Ruby Has sales office in Milan are encouraged to contact europeansales@rubyhas.com.

About Ruby Has

Direct-to-consumer brands can boost their customer satisfaction with a full-service fulfillment provider that walks alongside their brand as a committed partner. With a newly opened European sales office, Ruby Has Fulfillment continues to expand globally as a leading third-party logistics company (3PL) with cutting-edge technology, seamless integrations, and an uncompromised commitment to quality. Four warehouse locations across the U.S. and Canada allow growing brands to ship faster and reduce freight costs by up to 45% with bicoastal fulfillment solutions.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190516005186/en/

Contacts:

Richard Ellis

europeansales@rubyhas.com

www.rubyhas.com/european-office
Authorities battle an extra-alarm fire at the historic former Westclox factory building in Peru, Ill. The building, part of a 44-structure complex, was built in 1910. The National Park Service in 2007 deemed the building eligible for the National Registry of Historic Places "because of its significant contributions to the social and economic development of Peru and the nation."
Partners in five countries will discover and develop monoclonal antibodies to treat critical illness from snake venom, which harms nearly 3 million people each year

The International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI) and the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM) today announced a new global research consortium, the Scientific Research Partnership for Neglected Tropical Snakebite (SRPNTS). Funded with 9 million of UK aid from the UK government through the Department for International Development (DFID), this consortium will discover and develop novel monoclonal antibody (mAb) therapies to significantly improve the efficacy, safety, and affordability of snakebite treatment in India and Africa.

Joining IAVI and LSTM in the consortium are the Nigeria Snakebite Research Intervention Centre (Bayero University, Kano), the Kenya Snakebite Research Intervention Centre (Institute of Primate Research, Nairobi), the Indian Institute of Science (Bangalore), and Scripps Research (La Jolla). IAVI will coordinate the snakebite research partnership with funding provided by DFID over three years. The consortium will employ IAVI technologies and capabilities used originally for discovering HIV-specific broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs) to develop new antivenom therapies.

"IAVI and its partners have over a decade of experience in researching broadly neutralizing antibodies against HIV to inform development of biomedical tools for HIV prevention, and we are committed to applying this expertise to help advance treatment and prevention for other diseases," said IAVI President and CEO Mark Feinberg, M.D., Ph.D. "This partnership enabled by DFID allows us to work with LSTM and other experts to apply our antibody expertise to advance next-generation snakebite therapies for the world's most vulnerable people."

The World Health Organization (WHO) in June 2017 added envenoming, or disease caused by injection of snake venom, to its list of priority neglected tropical diseases. Envenoming kills about 100,000 people annually and permanently disfigures or disables an additional 400,000 more. Most snakebite victims are agricultural workers and children in the poorest parts of Africa and India. People in at-risk areas often have difficulty accessing care and cannot afford antivenom treatment; moreover, their local health centers may not stock safe, effective therapies. These barriers to treatment are driven by the challenges that plague antivenom production and use: snakes must be kept and carefully milked for their venom; large animals, usually horses, must be injected with venom and their antibodies harvested in an expensive, time-consuming process; and multi-venom treatments commonly used in Africa and India have weak, unreliable effectiveness against the venom of any single snake species. Many manufacturers in low-income countries are abandoning the antivenom market altogether because of high production costs, further limiting treatment availability.

UK International Development Secretary Rory Stewart said, "In parts of Africa and Asia snakebites are a daily threat, causing life-changing disabilities or in the worst case death. Because of the huge variety of snake venoms, people often do not get the treatment they need in time, if at all. UK aid has invested in research to identify the complex antibodies needed to develop affordable, accessible, effective treatments. This is a fantastic example of how UK aid can make a real difference in the world."

Over the past 50 years LSTM's Centre for Snakebite Research Interventions has been deeply involved in research on the development, testing, and delivery of snake antivenoms. The Centre works with multiple partners on the design of effective, affordable, and culturally achievable interventions to reduce snakebite deaths and disabilities. Professor Robert Harrison, head of the Centre, said, "The SRPNTS consortium aligns the breadth of snakebite research experience, unique resources, and national networks of LSTM and our partners in Nigeria, Kenya, and India with the monoclonal antibody expertise and technical platforms of IAVI. Much of our research over the past two decades has focused on identifying therapies with substantially improved efficacy, safety, and affordability over conventional antivenom treatment. This collaboration with IAVI and other partners is an exciting addition to this research ambition. We are very grateful to the U.K. government because this research funding into snakebite therapy is a much-needed reversal of decades of under-investment in ways to manage the medical and societal burden of this very neglected tropical disease."

Professor Abdulrazaq G. Habib leads the SRPNTS consortium team at Bayero University. His group has managed the treatment of thousands of snakebite patients over the years. He said, "The DFID grant is a unique opportunity that will usher in new snake antivenom therapies, applying state-of-the-art science in advanced immunology and monoclonal antibody and recombinant protein technology."

Consortium researchers will isolate antibodies from animals after exposure to snake venom, as well as from multiply envenomed surviving patients. Team members will identify antibodies that can bind and neutralize a variety of venom types from the most medically important snakes of Africa and India. Research partners in SRPNTS will engineer these antibodies for efficient manufacturing. Lead antibody candidates will be tested for efficacy in animals in preclinical studies. Eventually, the most potent mAbs may advance to clinical testing in humans.

Instrumental in this effort to translate discovery science to effective treatment is the IAVI Neutralizing Antibody Center (NAC) at Scripps Research. This global network of researchers and many others have discovered and characterized more than 200 bNAbs against HIV. Several of these antibodies are being developed for use in potential HIV prevention and treatment products. The NAC's antibody discovery platform has great promise for other disease areas, and the team hypothesizes that, as with HIV variants, variants within a snake toxin type share common characteristics that are targets for antibody neutralization.

IAVI and the SRPNTS consortium look forward to developing the next generation of snakebite therapy, with the goal of increasing access to life-saving snakebite treatments in places where people need them most.

Research at the NAC that contributed to the development of monoclonal bNAb technology was made possible by the generous support of IAVI's donors, including the Bill Melinda Gates Foundation, the Governments of Denmark (through Danida), Ireland (through Irish Aid), The Netherlands (through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs), Norway (through Norad), the United Kingdom (through DFID), and through the generous support of the American people from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), among others. USAID administers the U.S. foreign assistance program providing economic and humanitarian assistance in more than 120 countries worldwide. The contents are the responsibility of IAVI and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States government.

About IAVI

The International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI) is a nonprofit scientific research organization dedicated to addressing urgent, unmet global health challenges including HIV and tuberculosis. Our mission is to translate scientific discoveries into affordable, accessible public health solutions for the people who need them most.

About the IAVI Neutralizing Antibody Center at Scripps Research

The IAVI Neutralizing Antibody Center (NAC) was launched by IAVI in 2002 to solve a fundamental problem in HIV vaccine development: the elicitation of antibodies that can neutralize a broad range of HIV variants. Today the NAC is one of the leading sources of innovation worldwide in the study of broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs) and the design of immunogens that could elicit HIV bNAbs in the human body.

During the past decade, through the efforts of the NAC and many other leading scientific collaborators, more than 200 bNAbs have been isolated from volunteers around the world. The structures of some of the most potent of these antibodies and their targets have also been solved. These discoveries are now being applied to the design of novel HIV vaccine candidates and prevention methods for HIV and other disease areas.

The NAC is headquartered at Scripps Research in La Jolla, California. Together, Scripps and IAVI employ experts in computational immunogen design, structural biology, virology, immunology, and antibody discovery.

About LSTM

Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM) is the world's oldest center of excellence in tropical medicine and international public health. It has been engaged in the fight against infectious, debilitating, and disabling diseases since 1898 and continues that tradition today with a research portfolio over 320 million and a teaching program attracting students from over 65 countries. More information is available at www.lstmed.ac.uk

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190516005692/en/

Contacts:

IAVI Media Contact

Rose Catlos

RCatlos@iavi.org

+1-212-847-1049

LSTM Media Contact

Clare Bebb

Clare.Bebb@lstmed.ac.uk

+44 (0)151 705 3104

+44 (0)7883 535222
BBS - Bioactive Bone Substitutes, an innovator in orthobiologics, today announced the appointment of Paul Watkins to the newly created position of Chief Commercial Officer. With more than 30 years in the field, Paul has profound experience from successfully developing and implementing sales and marketing activities in several life science companies in US and Europe. As the CCO, Paul will primarily focus on continuing to build the company's sales and marketing functions preparing for BBS' first product launch, Artebone paste in 2020.

Paul Watkins has a B.Sc. in Microbiology from the University of Michigan and a M.Sc. in Molecular Genetics from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and more than 30 years of experience within the Nordic and U.S. pharmaceutical and biotech industries. During his career, Paul has as an independent consultant filled leading positions within business development, sales, and marketing but started his career as a scientist. He has contributed to the successful development of the U.S. commercial and sales capabilities of numerous start-ups and emerging growth companies, including Neurotar, BC Platforms and BioMarker Pharmaceuticals. Furthermore, Paul was first the vice CEO of BBS between 2008 and 2010 where he supported the transition of BBS from a R&D spin off into a medical device company. Since then, he has supported BBS through his role in the company's Scientific Advisory Board.

Pekka Jalovaara, CEO of BBS, commented "It is nice to welcome Paul back to BBS in a more hands-on capacity. We are currently in an important stage preparing the company for a product launch. With Paul's previous work with BBS, he already has a good understanding of our company, products and the market. We have the full confidence in his ability to lead our commercialization activities for the Artebone paste."

"Nine years later, it feels great to be back at BBS and see how far the company has come. During the past years, the company, as well as the team behind it, has grown significantly while important research has strengthened the Artebone product family. In my experience, the company has now reached a stage where its ready to transition into a sales organization and I look forward to being part of that development," said Paul Watkins, CCO of BBS.

BBS's product family Artebone is a bone graft substitute with natural growth factors extracted from reindeer bone. The company is currently in the final stages of obtaining a CE-marking for the first Artebone product, a paste in a ready-to-use syringe, which will enable commercialization. The application process for the CE-marking is estimated to be completed in the first-half of 2020.

Contact

Pekka Jalovaara, CEO

Phone: +358 505 52 92 75

E-mail: pekka.jalovaara@bbs-artebone.fi



Paul Watkins, CCO

Phone: +358 404 856 034

E-mail: paul.watkins@bbs-artebone.fi


Natuzzi S.p.A. (NYSE: NTZ) ("Natuzzi" or the "Company") will disclose first quarter 2019 financial results on Friday May 24, 2019 after the market closes.

The Company will host a conference call on Tuesday May 28, 2019 at 10:00 a.m. U.S. Eastern Time (4.00 p.m. Italian time, or 3.00 p.m. UK time) to discuss financial results.

The dial-in phone numbers for the live conference call are +1-800-239-9838 (toll-free) for persons calling from the U.S. or Canada, or 1-323-794-2551 for those calling from other countries.

A live web cast of the conference call will be available on line at https://www.natuzzigroup.com/en-EN/ir/financial-release.html.

A replay of the call will be available shortly after the end of the conference call until Friday June 28, 2019. To access the replay of the conference call, interested persons need to dial +1-844-512-2921 (toll-free) for calls from U.S. and Canada, and 1-412-317-6671 for calls from other countries. The access code for the replay is: 2788623.

_______________________________________________________________________________

About Natuzzi S.p.A.

Founded in 1959 by Pasquale Natuzzi, Natuzzi S.p.A. is Italy's largest furniture house and one of the most important global players in the furniture industry with an extensive manufacturing footprint and a global retail network. Natuzzi is the Italian lifestyle best-known brand in the upholstered furnishings sector worldwide (Brand Awareness Monitoring Report Ipsos 2018) and has been listed on the New York Stock Exchange since May 13, 1993. Always committed to social responsibility and environmental sustainability, Natuzzi S.p.A. is ISO 9001 and 14001 certified (Quality and Environment), OHSAS 18001 certified (Safety on the Workplace) and FSC certified (Forest Stewardship Council).

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190516005696/en/

Contacts:

NATUZZI INVESTOR RELATIONS

Piero Direnzo tel. +39.080.8820.812 pdirenzo@natuzzi.com

NATUZZI CORPORATE COMMUNICATION

Vito Basile (Press Office) tel. +39.080.8820.676 vbasile@natuzzi.com
In connection with the release of Golden Ocean's first quarter 2019 results in the morning (CEST) Wednesday May 22, 2019, a teleconference/webcast will be held as described below:

Teleconference and webcast

A conference call will be held at 03:00 P.M. CEST (09:00 A.M. New York Time) on Wednesday May 22, 2019. The presentation will be available for download from the Investor Relations section at www.goldenocean.bm (under "Presentations") prior to the teleconference/webcast.

In order to listen to the presentation you may do one of the following:

a. Webcast

Click the "Webcast" link on www.goldenocean.bm

b. Conference Call

PARTICIPANTS DIAL IN TELEPHONE NUMBERS

International Dial In/UK Local #: +44 (0) 2071 928000

Norway Toll Free #: 800 518 74

US Toll #: +1 631-5107-495

Participants will be asked for their full name & Conference ID. The Conference ID is 6947906.

There will be a Q&A session after the presentation. Information on how to ask questions will be given at the beginning of the Q&A session.

Please download the presentation material from www.goldenocean.bm (http://www.goldenocean.bm/) in order to follow the presentation slides while listening to the conference.

REPLAY DETAILS (available for 7 days)

Replay Access Number:6947906

International Dial In/UK Local #: +44 (0) 3333 009785

Norway Toll Free #: +47 21 03 42 35

USA Toll #: +1 917-677-7532

Participant list information required: Full Name & Company

May 16, 2019

Hamilton, Bermuda

This information is subject to the disclosure requirements of section 5-12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act.

This announcement is distributed by West Corporation on behalf of West Corporation clients.

The issuer of this announcement warrants that they are solely responsible for the content, accuracy and originality of the information contained therein.

Source: Golden Ocean Group Limited via Globenewswire


BRIDGEWATER, NS / ACCESSWIRE / May 16, 2019 / Silver Spruce Resources Inc. ("Silver Spruce" or the "Company") (TSXV: SSE) (Frankfort: S6Q1) is pleased to announce that the Company has received a $200,000 cash payment from Croesus Gold Corp. (Arizona Mining), ("Croesus"), a private Canadian exploration company that purchased the Kay Mine project from Silver Spruce. According to terms of the sale agreement with Croesus, the Company elected to receive all cash in lieu of shares of Croesus, which intends to complete a go-public transaction later this year.

After that go-public transaction is completed, Croesus will be obliged to pay the Company a final cash payment of $150,000.00, but in any event no later than July 15, 2019. Upon completion of the final payment, Silver Spruce will no longer hold an interest in the Kay Mine project.

"Although we believe the Kay Mine project has good potential, its sale to Croesus has allowed us to significantly reduce our debt and focus on drilling our flagship Pino de Plata project near Coeur Mining's Palmarejo Mine, in western Chihuahua State, Mexico," stated Karl Boltz, President & CEO of Silver Spruce."Drilling at Pino de Plata is scheduled to begin next week."

About Silver Spruce Resources Inc.

Silver Spruce Resources Inc. is a Canadian junior exploration company pursuing development of the Pino De Plata project, located in the prolific Sierra Madre Occidental region of western Chihuahua State in Mexico. Silver Spruce Resources Inc. continues to investigate opportunities that Management has identified or that have been presented to the Company for consideration.

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. The company seeks Safe Harbour.

Contact:

Silver Spruce Resources Inc.

Karl Boltz, President/CEO/Director

(866) 641-3397

info@silverspruceresources.com

www.silverspruceresources.com

SOURCE: Silver Spruce Resources Inc.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/545597/Silver-Spruce-Receives-Additional-200000-Cash-Payment-from-Croesus-Gold-Arizona-Mining-on-Sale-of-Kay-Mine
MUNICH, May 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- REC Group, the leading European brand for solar photovoltaic panels, unveiled on day 1 of Intersolar Europe a ground-breaking new solar panel. The REC Alpha Series delivers industry-beating power of up to 380 watt-peak (Wp), making this the world's most powerful 60-cell solar panel. Based on proprietary panel design with revolutionary cell technology, the new product is already acknowledged by a granted design patent.

CEO Steve O'Neil is thrilled with the Alpha: "At REC, it is the next generation which matters. And we trust in the power of next-generation technology. The Alpha is a completely fresh take on solar power generation. It opens up a big power gap beyond what is commercially available today. By offering such a high value solar panel, REC is again setting new trends, and creating a 'win-win-win' opportunity for REC, our partners and solar professionals, as well as home owners and business who want to make a difference for the next generation."

Emerging from REC's leadership in half-cut cell technology, the Alpha is built around 120 half-cut heterojunction cells (HJT) and advanced connection technology, designed by engineering experts from Germany and Singapore. With HJT, REC combines the benefits of crystalline silicon solar cells with those of thin film technologies for much higher efficiency and energy yield, even at higher temperatures. The Alpha features also REC's pioneering and award-winning 'Twin Panel' design for better performance in shaded conditions and REC's unique thin frame design which allows the Alpha to withstand snow loads of 7000Pa.

The Alpha delivers the world's best power density on a 60-cell module, a key consideration when space is tight - like on any rooftop. With the REC Alpha Series, customers will get over 20 percent more power from the same area and the same number of panels - or, put other way, the same energy output from less space. This reduces the Balance of System (BoS) costs.

About REC Group:

Founded in Norway in 1996, REC Group is a leading vertically integrated solar energy company. Through integrated manufacturing from silicon to wafers, cells, high-quality panels and extending to solar solutions, REC Group provides the world with a reliable source of clean energy. REC's renowned product quality is supported by the lowest warranty claims rate in the industry. REC Group is a Bluestar Elkem company with headquarters in Norway and operational headquarters in Singapore. REC Group employs 2,000 people worldwide, producing 1.5 GW of solar panels annually.

Find out more at recgroup.com and on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/888461/REC_Logo.jpg

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/888460/REC_Alpha_Datasheet.jpg

For further information please contact:

Agnieszka Schulze

Head of Global PR, REC Group

Tel.: +49 89 4 42 38 59 39

E-mail: agnieszka.schulze@recgroup.com



REC Solar EMEA GmbH

Leopoldstrae 175

80804 Munich, Germany

Managing Director: Cemil Seber

Court of Registration: Munich HRB 180306

VAT ID-No: DE266243545
LONDON and ZURICH, May 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The global investment and advisory firm ThomasLloyd announced that it is cooperating with Allfunds, one of the world's leading distributors of investment funds. Following the signing of a global framework agreement relating to ThomasLloyd's fund suite earlier this year, as of today, the ThomasLloyd SICAV-Sustainable Infrastructure Income Fund (SIIF) is accessible via the Allfunds open architecture fund platform.

The new open-ended Alternative Investment Fund (AIF) is domiciled in Luxembourg, structured as a SICAV SA (UCI Part II) and subject to the UCITS V Directive depositary regime. The SIIF represents the world's first fully regulated, open-ended public infrastructure fund and is available in 26 dedicated share classes for both retail and institutional investors. Options include a choice of nine currencies available as accumulating or distributing share classes.

The Fund invests directly in unlisted infrastructure assets in the areas of renewable energy, utilities, transport, social infrastructure and communications with a geographic focus on Asia-Pacific; applying socially responsible investment principles (SRI) whilst reducing investment risks through diversification across countries, sectors, technologies and investment styles. Authorised for sale throughout Europe and a selection of other countries worldwide, SIIF offers investors convenient, direct and instant access to a particularly attractive asset class.

ThomasLloyd's pure-play impact investment strategy is based on an international award-winning process, and is aimed at an increasing number of global investors who are seeking a capital investment that is guaranteed to make a positive ecological and social impact, in addition to its economic objective. The Fund offers first-time access for private and professional investors to an asset class previously only available to few institutional investors globally with extensive in-house experience in the sector. Since launch of the portfolio in January 2011 the investment strategy has enjoyed double-digit annual rates of return whilst simultaneously offering low volatility.

ThomasLloyd Chairman and Group CEO, Michael Sieg, commented: "Offering our open-ended AIF on the global Allfunds fund platform creates a win-win situation. By investing with ThomasLloyd, an accredited partner of the IFC, institutional and private investors can benefit both from our investment expertise in the evolving asset class of infrastructure and add substantially to their ESG quotas in their investment portfolios. At the same time, ThomasLloyd significantly increases its distribution reach by joining this powerful global network."

About Allfunds

Allfunds Group offers integrated fund solutions (operational, analysis and information). Created in 2000, today Allfunds has more than 370 Billion assets under administration and offers close to 64,000 funds from 1,200 fund managers. Allfunds has a local presence in Spain, Italy, UK, Chile, UAE, Switzerland, Colombia, Luxembourg, Singapore and Sao Paolo and has more than 610 institutional clients, including major commercial banks, private banks, insurance companies, fund managers, financial supermarkets, international brokers, and specialist firms from 45 different countries. For more information, visit: www.allfundsbank.com.

About ThomasLloyd Group

ThomasLloyd Group is a leading global investment and advisory firm, solely dedicated to the infrastructure sector in Asia. The Company is based in London and Zurich, as well as 15 other locations in 12 countries in North America, Europe and Asia. The services it provides encompass capital raising, M&A and corporate finance for private and stock-market-listed companies, project financing and management for project developments, and investment consulting, wealth management and funds for private and institutional investors. The ThomasLloyd Group has more than 250 employees and currently manages assets worth around 3.5 billion US dollars. For more information, visit: www.thomas-lloyd.com.

For further information, contact:

ThomasLloyd Group

Press/Communication

Phone +49(0)89-599-890-313

Fax +49(0)89-599-890-323

public.relations@thomas-lloyd.com

www.thomas-lloyd.com
Offering new insight into the high-end customized travel market

SHANGHAI, May 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Ctrip, the largest online travel agent in Asia, and the China Outbound Tourism Research Institute (COTRI) jointly released a new travel report at the 2019 ITB China trade fair in Shanghai. The report examines the trends of Chinese outbound travelers who are opting for more high-end customized travel.

In order to meet the highly personalized travel demands of Chinese travelers, Ctrip's Customized Travel unit was established in January 2016 with one designed especially for high-net-income individuals being launched in March 2019. The platform serves Chinese high-end customers who are increasingly interested in top-quality services and the exclusive use of highly scarce resources. As seasoned travelers who regard travel as a major leisure activity, they are actively in search of services, resources and experiences that are high-quality, unique and niche. Flexible with their time and not bound by cost issues, these customers highly value exclusivity and privacy during their travel experiences.

According to the report, women, couples and those in the 31-40 age group were the most likely demographics to book high-end customized travel packages overseas. Top 5 destinations were Thailand, Japan, Indonesia, Maldives and USA.

In 2018, the number of orders increased 180% compared to 2017. Although Shanghai, Beijing and Guangzhou are the top three markets with the highest demand, growth from other tier cities surpassed that of first-tier cities. Ctrip's data show that the average expenditure per person on a high-end customized travel package was RMB 23,800(USD 3,410).

The demand for unique activities, fine dining, attendance of special sporting events and top accommodation arrangements reflects ongoing interest in higher end, more tailored travel experiences.

Jonathan Xie, General Manager of Customized Travel Business, hopes that efficient connections can be built amongst customers, businesses and travel providers, stating: "The aim is to make travel easy."

View the report: https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/gYFXXc9hyP5mVe0UWSXFUA

About Ctrip

Ctrip is a leading travel service provider of accommodation reservation, transportation ticketing, packaged tours and corporate travel management in China.

About Ctrip Customized Travel

Launched in January 2016, it is the leading platform for customized travel with the largest annual transaction volume and the most qualified customized travel consultants in China.

CONTACT:

International PR

Ctrip.com International, ltd.

Tel: (+86) 21 3406 4880 ext 196455

Email: Pr@ctrip.com

Ctrip Customized Travel

Email: dzyx@ctrip.com

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Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/888301/Ctrip_Photo.jpg
SpendEdge, a leading provider of procurement market intelligence solutions, has announced the completion of their spend management study for an electronics company

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190516005868/en/

Spend management study for an electronics company (Graphic: Business Wire)

Project background

The company wanted to improve their spend management to increase the profit margins in the emerging markets amid US-China trade tensions. The key objectives they aimed to achieve through this engagement are mentioned below.

Objective 1: The company wanted to minimize capital expenditure and reduce excess inventory.

The company wanted to minimize capital expenditure and reduce excess inventory. Objective 2: They also wanted to improve their spend visibility apart from driving organizational value.

They also wanted to improve their spend visibility apart from driving organizational value. Want to gain more information? Request a free demo and know how our solutions can help you identify the factors affecting the cost of finished products and address them.

"Improving spend management is crucial for companies to optimize spend and improve bottom line savings. It helps them to drive organizational value and improve spend visibility," says a procurement expert from SpendEdge.

Key findings and solutions offered

In partnership with SpendEdge, the client a global electronics company - improved spend visibility and boosted process efficiency by optimizing source-to-pay (S2P) processes. The solution offered helped them to:

Increase the managed spend of the company to 46% by improving collaborations between trading partners and cross-functional teams.

by improving collaborations between trading partners and cross-functional teams. Improve revenues by focusing on strategic activities and complying with the contracts.

Wondering how you can improve spend management? Request a free proposal and access our complete portfolio of spend management solutions today!

Outcome: The solution offered by experts at SpendEdge helped the electronics company to analyze different spend categories and reduce the overall expenditure. This allowed the client to optimize source-to-pay (S2P) processes, such as spend analysis, contract management, and strategic sourcing and focus on driving strategic initiatives. The solution offered boosted their process efficiency and improved spend visibility by facilitating cross-functional collaboration in the company. In addition, the solution helped the client to avail early payment discounts and increase managed spend of the company from 27% to 46%.

To access the complete case study on how we helped an electronics company increase their spend under management from 27% to 46%, get in touch with our experts here!

About SpendEdge:

SpendEdge shares your passion for driving sourcing and procurement excellence. We are the preferred procurement market intelligence partner for 120+ Fortune 500 firms and other leading companies across numerous industries. Our strength lies in delivering robust, real-time procurement market intelligence reports and solutions.

Want to gain detailed insights? We're here to help you out! Tell us more about your business challenges.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190516005868/en/

Contacts:

SpendEdge

Anirban Choudhury

Marketing Manager

US: +1 630 984 7340

UK: +44 148 459 9299

https://www.spendedge.com/contact-us
17 accepted abstracts demonstrate growing clinical recognition of Cellvizio as a necessary tool for real-time endomicroscopy imaging in multiple gastrointestinal indications

Regulatory News:

Mauna Kea Technologies (Paris:MKEA) (OTCQX:MKEAY) inventor of Cellvizio, the multidisciplinary probe-based and needle-based confocal laser endomicroscopy (pCLE/nCLE) platform, today announced the presentation of 17 abstracts supporting Cellvizio at the Digestive Disease Week (DDW) Conference, being held on May 18-21, 2019, at the San Diego Convention Center, San Diego, CA, USA. These abstracts focus on Barrett's esophagus, inflammatory bowel disease, food allergy, pancreatic cyst and other gastrointestinal diseases. Studies are focused on how the use of Cellvizio potentially impacts patient management and improved outcomes.

"Real-time in vivo confocal laser endomicroscopy with Cellvizio is once again taking center stage at the Digestive Disease Week as evidenced by the many high-quality studies presented this year," said Robert L. Gershon, Chief Executive Officer of Mauna Kea Technologies. "We are excited to see the large number of studies being presented and discussed that demonstrate the potential significant impact of Cellvizio on patient management. It also shows that Cellvizio is a key driver for improved outcomes and reduced healthcare costs in multiple applications such as pancreatic lesions and inflammatory bowel disease, two widely prevalent conditions in great need for advanced technology to help diagnosis and treatment."

Highlighted featured presentations:

CONFOCAL LASER ENDOMICROSCOPY CAN PREDICT MAJOR CLINICAL EVENTS WITH VERY HIGH SENSITIVITY IN PATIENTS WITH INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASES

Presentation 291

Sunday, May 19; at 8:00 8:15 a.m. PT

Room 2

Presenting Authors: E. Klenske and T. Rath, University Hospital Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany

CONFOCAL LASER ENDOMICROSCOPY REVEALS DIFFERENTIAL RESPONSE IN PATIENTS WITH ACTIVE ULCERATIVE COLITIS UNDERGOING ANTI-INTEGRIN COMPARED TO ANTI-TNF-ALPHA THERAPY

Presentation 292

Sunday, May 19; at 8:15 8:30 a.m. PT

Room 2

Presenting Author: M. Ellrichmann, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Kiel, Kiel, Germany

A HIGH RATE OF IGE-NEGATIVE FOOD ALLERGIES IN PATIENTS WITH IRRITABLE BOWEL SYNDROME

Presentation 946

Tuesday, May 21; at 11:18 11:30 a.m. PT

Room 24ABC C

Presenting Author: A. Fritscher-Ravens, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel, Kiel, Germany

EUS-GUIDED MICROFORCEPS BIOPSY AND NEEDLE-BASED CONFOCAL LASER ENDOMICROSCOPY SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVE THE DIAGNOSTIC YIELD AND HAVE MAJOR IMPACT ON CLINICAL MANAGEMENT OF PANCREATIC CYSTIC LESIONS

Presentation 1125

Tuesday, May 21; at 2:30 2:45 p.m. PT

Room 2

Presenting Authors: R. Cheesman and C. J. DiMaio, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York

QUALITATIVE DERIVATION AND QUANTITATIVE PREDICTION OF DYPLASIA IN INTRADUCTAL PAPILLARY MUCINOUS NEOPLASMS USING EUS-GUIDED NEEDLE-BASED CONFOCAL LASER ENDOMICROSCOPY

Presentation 589

Monday, May 20; at 10:00 10:15 a.m. PT

Room 26AB

Presenting Author: Somashekar G. Krishna, The Ohio State University Medical Center

Featured poster session:

PANCREATIC CYSTIC LESIONS: ACTIVE VERSUS PASSIVE LEARNING AMONG NAIVE OBSERVERS: A CONTROLLED TRIAL FOR DIFFERENTIATING CONFOCAL ENDOMICROSCOPY PATTERNS

Poster Su1454

Sunday, May 19; at 12:00 2:00 p.m. PT

Halls C-E

Presenting Author: Somashekar G. Krishna, The Ohio State University Medical Center

DEVELOPMENT OF AN ENDOMICROSCOPIC INDEX TO EVALUATE IN VIVO HISTOLOGICAL HEALING IN ULCERATIVE COLITIS PATIENTS: THE ENHANCE INDEX FROM THE FRENCH SOCIETY OF ENDOSCOPY (SFED)

Poster Tu1995

Tuesday, May 21; at 12:00 2:00 p.m. PT

Halls C-E

Presenting Author: G. Rahmi L. Peyrin-Biroulet, Gastroenterology, Georges Pompidou European Hospital, Paris, France; CHU Nancy, Nancy, France;

APPLICATION OF MACHINE LEARNING AND ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN THE DETECTION OF DYPLASIA IN INTRADUCTAL PAPILLARY MUCINOUS NEOPLASMS USING EUS-GUIDED NEEDLE-BASED CONFOCAL LASER ENDOMICROSCOPY

Poster Mo2050

Monday, May 20; at 12:00 2:00 p.m. ET

Hall C-E

Presenting Author: Somashekar G. Krishna, The Ohio State University Medical Center

Visitors are also invited to meet the team at booth #5333 in the Exhibit Hall.

Digestive Disease Week (DDW)

Digestive Disease Week (DDW) is the largest international gathering of physicians, researchers and academics in the fields of gastroenterology, hepatology, endoscopy and gastrointestinal surgery. Jointly sponsored by the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD), the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) Institute, the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE) and the Society for Surgery of the Alimentary Tract (SSAT), DDW takes place May 18-21, 2019, at San Diego Convention Center, San Diego, CA, USA. The meeting showcases more than 5,000 abstracts and hundreds of lectures on the latest advances in GI research, medicine and technology. More information can be found at www.ddw.org.

About Mauna Kea Technologies

Mauna Kea Technologies is a global medical device company focused on eliminating uncertainties related to the diagnosis and treatment of cancer and other diseases thanks to real time in vivo microscopic visualization. The Company's flagship product, Cellvizio, has received clearance/approval in a wide range of applications in more than 40 countries, including the United States, Europe, Japan, China, Canada, Brazil and Mexico. For more information on Mauna Kea Technologies, visit www.maunakeatech.com

Disclaimer

This press release contains forward-looking statements concerning Mauna Kea Technologies and its activities. Such forward looking statements are based on assumptions that Mauna Kea Technologies considers to be reasonable. However, there can be no assurance that the anticipated events contained in such forward-looking statements will occur. Forward- looking statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties including the risks set forth in the registration document of Mauna Kea Technologies registered by the French Financial Markets Authority (Autorite des marches financiers (AMF)) on April 27, 2018 under number R.18-0429 and available on the Company's website (www.maunakeatech.com), and to the development of economic situation, financial markets, and the markets in which Mauna Kea Technologies operates. The forward-looking statements contained in this release are also subject to risks unknown to Mauna Kea Technologies or that Mauna Kea Technologies does not consider material at this time. The realization of all or part of these risks could lead to actual results, financial conditions, performances or achievements by Mauna Kea Technologies that differ significantly from the results, financial conditions, performances or achievements expressed in such forward-looking statements. This press release and the information it contains do not constitute an offer to sell or to subscribe for, or a solicitation of an order to purchase or subscribe for, Mauna Kea Technologies shares in any country.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190516005881/en/

Contacts:

Mauna Kea Technologies

United States

Mike Piccinino, CFA

Westwicke, an ICR Company

443-213-0500

France and Europe

NewCap Investor Relations

Alexia Faure

+33 (0)1 44 71 94 94

maunakea@newcap.eu
HELENA, MONT.  A 40-year-old Chicago woman faces nearly four years in federal prison for using fraudulent federal nutrition benefit checks to purchase nearly $220,000 worth of items at Kmart stores in 11 states during a four-month crime spree.
Moody's Analytics, a global provider of financial intelligence, has won Best Vendor Solution for Transactional Reporting (AnaCredit) at the 2019 RegTech Insight Awards.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190516005883/en/

We earned this award for our Transactional Reporting Tool (TRT), part of the Moody's Analytics Banking Cloud platform. Flexible and scalable, the TRT is our first native-SaaS regulatory reporting solution, combining award-winning Moody's Analytics regulatory expertise with cloud-native technology.

Financial institutions in the eurozone use the TRT to generate AnaCredit reports required by the European Central Bank and National Central Banks. An end-to-end solution, the TRT lets firms control the entirety of their AnaCredit regulatory process, from data ingestion using big data technology to validation and submission of reports.

Firms using the TRT also benefit from its integration with another award-winning Moody's Analytics solution, Bureau van Dijk's Orbis. Data gaps, and the presence of poor-quality data, can pose significant challenges. The TRT draws from the Orbis database of more than 300 million companies to enrich counterparty data and identify discrepancies between an institution's current attributes and those in the Orbis database.

"We're honored to earn this recognition at the RegTech Insight Awards," said Pierre-Etienne Chabanel, Managing Director at Moody's Analytics. "Our clients' needs are diverse and ever-changing. In a world where reporting is becoming much more granular, our award-winning solution helps banks use new technology to meet this challenge."

This win in the RegTech Insight Awards adds to our growing list of awards and industry accolades.

About Moody's Analytics

Moody's Analytics provides financial intelligence and analytical tools to help business leaders make better, faster decisions. Our deep risk expertise, expansive information resources, and innovative application of technology help our clients confidently navigate an evolving marketplace. We are known for our industry-leading and award-winning solutions, made up of research, data, software, and professional services, assembled to deliver a seamless customer experience. We create confidence in thousands of organizations worldwide, with our commitment to excellence, open mindset approach, and focus on meeting customer needs. For more information about Moody's Analytics, visit our website or connect with us on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Moody's Analytics, Inc. is a subsidiary of Moody's Corporation (NYSE: MCO). Moody's Corporation reported revenue of $4.4 billion in 2018, employs approximately 13,200 people worldwide and maintains a presence in 42 countries.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190516005883/en/

Contacts:

Justin Bursztein

Moody's Analytics Communications

001.212.553.1163



Tracey Scott

Moody's Analytics Communications

044.207.772.5207



Moody's Analytics Media Relations
Former Perion & Dailyhunt Exec Vishal Anand Joins as Chief Product Officer while co-founder Anand Jain officially takes Chief Strategy Officer role

SUNNYVALE, California, May 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Customer lifecycle management technology provider CleverTap today announced strategic additions to its senior leadership team in support of the company's aggressive product development and market expansion plans. Co-founder Anand Jain is officially assuming the role of chief strategy officer. Additionally, product development and management expert Vishal Anand is joining the company as chief product officer to accelerate growth in the US.

Anand Jain, former CTO and co-founder of Burrp! has over two decades of experience in full life-cycle software development, and co-founded CleverTap in 2013. In his new role, Jain will lead CleverTap's medium and long term strategic initiatives, and develop plans for global expansion and growth. He'll also be in charge of developing key partnerships and new initiatives.

"We are growing at a blazing pace, and in this role I will be tasked with ensuring all moving parts at CleverTap work seamlessly and execute on point," said Anand Jain. "Our geographic expansion plans are aggressive and I'm excited to take CleverTap in to this new phase of growth as it's Chief Strategy Officer."

Vishal joins CleverTap from ad tech company Perion Networks, where he served as VP of Product Management. Prior to that, he was Chief Product Officer at news and content discovery application Dailyhunt. With his extensive experience incubating, building, launching and scaling an array of B2B and B2C products and technologies, he is well-positioned to grow CleverTap's client base across new industries in the US.

"I am excited to be joining CleverTap during such a transformative time in the mobile marketing industry," said Vishal Anand. "With fierce competition to attract new customers and retain their attention, marketers, and businesses are looking for new solutions to effectively engage them. I look forward to working with the team to scale the US market."

"Vishal's stellar product experience will be key to our growth strategy as we continue to accelerate in 2019," says Sunil Thomas, co-founder and CEO, CleverTap. "He has seen CleverTap evolve throughout the years and I'm excited to welcome him on to the leadership team to see what this next stage will bring. I'm convinced that he will add a solid layer of success to all our efforts."

About CleverTap

CleverTap is a customer lifecycle management platform that helps brands deliver delightful customer experiences at scale. Over 8,000 companies around the world, including Vodafone, Star, Sony, Domino's Pizza, GO-JEK, Cleartrip and BookMyShow trust CleverTap to deliver personalized experiences and improve the impact of omnichannel marketing across the entire customer lifecycle. CleverTap is backed by leading venture capital firms including Sequoia India, Tiger Global Management, Accel and Recruit Holdings, and operates out of San Francisco, London, Singapore, Mumbai, and Bengaluru. For more information, visit clevertap.com or follow on LinkedIn and Twitter .

Press Contact

Ketan Pandit

PR for CleverTap

ketan@clevertap.com

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Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - May 16, 2019) - Hydro66 Holdings Corp. (CSE: SIX) (the "Company" or "Hydro66")announces that it has granted an aggregate of 600,000 options to purchase common shares of the Company exercisable at a price of $0.45 per share for a period of three years, to a newly appointed officer of the Company. The common shares issuable upon exercise of the options are subject to a four month hold period from the original date of grant.

About Hydro66

Hydro66 owns and operates a colocation data center in Sweden specializing in Enterprise and HPC hosting. The Company hosts third party IT infrastructure, utilizing 100% green power, at some of the EU's lowest power prices and within an ISO27001 accredited facility. The Company provides 100% green power at a leading price, purpose-built space and cooling, telecoms, IT support services and 24/7 physical security in their facility in Boden, Sweden.

For more information please visit: www.hydro66.com

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:

Paul Morrison

Chief Commercial Officer of Hydro66 UK Limited

Tel: (+44) 7789 915 147

or

Jason Atkinson

Jason.atkinson@hydro66.com

647-938-5266

Neither the CSE nor its Regulation Services Provider accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

This news release contains certain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities law. Forward looking information is frequently characterized by words such as "plan", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate", "may", "will", "would", "potential", "proposed" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur. These statements are only predictions. Forward-looking information is based on the opinions and estimates of management at the date the information is provided, and is 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 information. For a description of the risks and uncertainties facing the Company and its business and affairs, readers should refer to the Company's Management's Discussion and Analysis. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking information if circumstances or management's estimates or opinions should change, unless required by law. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information.

Not for distribution to U.S. Newswire Services or for dissemination in the United States. Any failure to comply with this restriction may constitute a violation of U.S. Securities laws.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/44853
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - May 16, 2019) - Ethos Gold Corp. (TSXV: ECC) (OTCQB: ETHOF) ("Ethos" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has entered into an option agreement to acquire a 100% interest in the Perk-Rocky Project located 225km west of Williams Lake, British Columbia.



Terms of Option Agreement



Ethos can earn a 100% interest in the Perk-Rocky Project by completing the following (all amounts in $Canadian unless otherwise stated):

Paying the vendors $10,000 within five business days of the execution date, $30,000 within five business days of the exchange acceptance, $75,000 on the first anniversary of the agreement, $175,000 on the second anniversary, $400,000 on the third anniversary.

Issuing to the vendors 300,000 Ethos common shares within five business days after Exchange acceptance of the agreement, 450,000 shares on the first anniversary, 700,000 shares on the second anniversary, and 1,450,000 shares on the third anniversary.

Incurring a minimum of $350,000 in exploration costs on or prior to the first anniversary of the execution date.

Following earn-in to 100% ownership in the property, milestone payments of US$3.85 million are payable, with the first of these being US$350,000 on delivery of a 43-101 compliant resource estimate, and the final one being US$2.0 million in the event a decision is made to proceed to commercial production. The vendors also retain a 3.0% NSR, which Ethos can buy down to 1.0%.

The agreement is subject to the acceptance of the TSX Venture Exchange (the "TSXV").

The Perk-Rocky Project

Perk-Rocky is a porphyry copper-gold exploration project located within a 6,700 Ha claim block, approximately 225 km west of Williams Lake, British Columbia. Access is excellent, with road and trail access on the property. The property is located in what is believed to be Stikine equivalent Terrane which hosts the prolific "Golden Triangle" copper and gold deposits. Near the margins of Tertiary Coast Range plutons, the property is covered by Triassic Stikine equivalent volcanics and related sediments that have been thrust onto a Lower Cretaceous sedimentary package which surface in the northern half of the claim block. Alteration and localised mineralisation can be traced along prominent major shear zones and related structures. The property has seen little exploration since the 1970's despite the four known mineral occurrences in the area, two of which are located on the property (Pin: Cu, Mountain Boss: Au, Bluebell:Au, and Briton: Fe). Subsequent follow-up work including; regional geochemistry and geophysics, local silt and soil sampling, rudimentary prospecting and mapping have identified a large-scale hydrothermal system with aluminous, and advanced argillic alteration, indicative of a hidden high-level copper-gold porphyry system. In addition, recent ASTER satellite imagery analysis of the property clearly defines areas of previously unrecognised gossans and alteration types that are consistent with large porphyry systems. As such, Perk-Rocky represents a compelling exploration target previously untested by modern exploration techniques within a highly favourable porphyry district.

The anticipated 2019 exploration program will include property-wide geophysics coupled with detailed geological and alteration analysis that will vector initial drill targets.

Stated Craig Roberts, P.Eng., President and CEO of Ethos: "We are excited to have executed a 100% earn in on this large and favourably located copper-gold porphyry target. In our 2019 program, our plan is to utilize at least C$350,000 of the flow through funds we have available for extensive airborne geophysics,ground mapping and sampling. This program will allow us to evaluate potential drill targets for the next phase of work."

Qualified Person

Work on Perk Rocky is supervised by Jo Price, M.Sc., MBA, P. Geo, VP Exploration of the Company. She is a Qualified Person as defined under National Instrument 43-101 and has read and approved this release.

For additional information please contact Tom Martin at 250-516-2455 or view the Company's website, www.ethosgold.com.

Ethos Gold Corp.



Per: "Craig Roberts"

Craig Roberts P.Eng., President & CEO

Forward-Looking Statement Cautions:

This press release contains certain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation, including: statements regarding the Perk-Rocky option agreement. Although the Company believes that such statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts; they are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects," "plans," "anticipates," "believes," "intends," "estimates," "projects," "aims," "potential," "goal," "objective," "prospective," and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will," "would," "may," "can," "could" or "should" occur, or are those statements, which, by their nature, refer to future events. The Company cautions that Forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of the Company's management on the date the statements are made and they involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Consequently, there can be no assurances that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Except to the extent required by applicable securities laws and the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange, the Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements if management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change. Factors that could cause future results to differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements include the risk of accidents and other risks associated with mineral exploration operations, the risk that the Company will encounter unanticipated geological factors, or the possibility that the Company may not be able to secure permitting and other governmental clearances, necessary to carry out the Company's exploration plans, and the risk of political uncertainties and regulatory or legal changes in the jurisdictions where the Company carries on its business that might interfere with the Company's business and prospects. The reader is urged to refer to the Company's reports, publicly available through the Canadian Securities Administrators' System for Electronic Document Analysis and Retrieval (SEDAR) at www.sedar.com for a more complete discussion of such risk factors and their potential effects

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.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/44852
Richard Anderson will continue to set the standard for customer care within the industry while helping users solve their most pressing digital transformation challenges

Snow Software, the global leader in technology intelligence solutions, today announced Richard Anderson has been named Chief Customer Officer. Most recently the Vice President of Worldwide Customer Success at Snow, Anderson will act as the global champion for Snow's customers, ensuring that their voice and needs continue to be ingrained within every part of the business.

Anderson is the first Chief Customer Officer at Snow as well as the first executive to hold that title in the software asset and cloud management market, highlighting the company's exceptional dedication to its customers.

"Organizations struggle to balance large-scale digital transformation initiatives with the evolution of workforce trends, complex regulatory requirements and constrained budgets," said Vishal Rao, President Chief Executive Officer at Snow. "We pride ourselves on our unique approach to solving these multifaceted challenges, and Richard's deep relationships and strategic involvement with our customers has been critical to our success. As Snow's first Chief Customer Officer, he is perfectly positioned to help us build on our customer-centric vision and continue to set the innovation agenda within the market."

Anderson brings a wealth of enterprise technology experience to the role. As Snow's Vice President of Worldwide Customer Success, he led the global Customer Success, Customer Support and Professional Services teams, adding real value to every customer engagement. Prior to joining Snow, Anderson served as the Vice President of Professional Services in EMEA for Coupa Software, where he built out Coupa's services and partner enablement in the region. He also served in key leadership roles at Atex, Bazaarvoice, SDL International, NetSuite and RightNow Technologies.

"Snow's focus on the customer has been a critical component in our success," said Ashar Khan, Head of the CIO Office at SSE plc. "In addition to actively managing a complex landscape of thousands of devices across a network of 20,000 users, we use the data and insights provided by the Snow platform for strategic initiatives across the organization. Richard has served as our key executive champion along the way, ensuring our program drives value for the business. It is great to see Snow deepen their commitment to customers, and we look forward to continuing to work closely with Richard and his team to deliver excellence at SSE."

"I have always enjoyed customer-facing roles and ensuring customers receive a great experience while assuring measurable outcomes from the mutual partnership," said Richard Anderson, Chief Customer Officer at Snow. "It is a great honor to take on a role that will better empower our customers and so clearly make them priority number one for Snow and the market. I look forward to leading our global teams to help our customers and partners navigate challenges in their digital transformation initiatives, cloud-first strategies and provide more insight into their technology ecosystem. Initiatives such as a seamless customer journey, community engagement and comprehensive onboarding are part of our relentless focus on the customer's success and serve as a key differentiator for Snow."

About Snow Software

Snow Software is the global leader in technology intelligence solutions, ensuring the trillions spent on all forms of technology is optimized to drive maximum value. More than 4,000 organizations around the world rely on Snow's platform to provide complete visibility, optimize usage and spend, and minimize regulatory risk. Headquartered in Stockholm, Snow has more local offices and regional support centers than any other software asset and cloud management provider, delivering unparalleled results to our customers and partners. To find out more about Snow Software, visit www.snowsoftware.com.

For the latest information about Snow, please visit:

Web: www.snowsoftware.com

Twitter: @snowsoftware

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190516006024/en/

Contacts:

Julie Neumann

Snow Software

julie.neumann@snowsoftware.com

+1 615-498-9650
New data on Opdivo (nivolumab) plus Yervoy (ipilimumab) in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma and in melanoma patients with symptomatic brain metastases

New long-term survival data and health outcomes research on Opdivo in combination with Yervoy in advanced melanoma

Eighteen-month efficacy results for Empliciti (elotuzumab) plus pomalidomide and low-dose dexamethasone for relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma

Translational research exploring the use of novel technologies and artificial intelligence to understand the association of inflammation gene signatures with tumor immune cells

Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (NYSE:BMY) today announced the presentation of data from across the company's oncology portfolio at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting 2019 in Chicago, May 31-June 4, and the 24th Annual Congress of the European Hematology Association (EHA) in Amsterdam, June 13-16. Data from over 90 Company-sponsored studies, investigator-sponsored studies and collaborations evaluating oncology compounds and early translational medicine across 20 types of cancer will be featured at the two meetings. Presentations will highlight the role of Immuno-Oncology (I-O) monotherapy and combination approaches in improving survival and quality of life outcomes, as well as translational research investigating novel biomarkers and diagnostics to aid in the selection of tailored treatments for each patient based on their unique disease biology.

2019 ASCO Annual Meeting Highlights of Bristol-Myers Squibb data include:

*All times noted are Central Daylight Time

Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Primary efficacy and safety results from the Phase 1/2 CheckMate -040 study evaluating the combination of Opdivo (nivolumab) plus Yervoy(ipilimumab) in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma, the most common type of liver cancer, will be presented. These data (Abstract #4012), including objective response rate and overall survival, will be featured in a poster display on Monday, June 3 from 8-11 AM CDT, and in a poster discussion from 3-4:30 PM CDT.

Melanoma

Safety and efficacy of Opdivo in combination with Yervoy in patients with symptomatic melanoma brain metastases (Abstract #9501) will be featured in an oral session on Tuesday, June 4, from 9:45 AM-12:45 PM CDT.

in combination with in patients with symptomatic melanoma brain metastases (Abstract #9501) will be featured in an oral session on Tuesday, June 4, from 9:45 AM-12:45 PM CDT. New long-term survival data and health outcomes research evaluating Opdivo in combination with Yervoy in advanced melanoma-in terms of survival outcomes (CA209-004, Abstract #9533), quality of life after four years and during the treatment-free interval following discontinuation of therapy (CheckMate -067, Abstracts #9551 and #9568), and treatment-free survival (pooled data from CheckMate -067 and -069, Abstract 9550) will be featured in a poster display on Monday, June 3 from 1:15-4:15 PM CDT.

Renal Cell Carcinoma

Safety and efficacy of Opdivo in combination with Yervoy in patients with asymptomatic advanced renal cell carcinoma brain metastases (Abstract #4517) will be featured in a poster display on Monday, June 3 from 1:15-4:15 PM CDT, and in a poster discussion from 4:30-6 PM CDT.

Translational Medicine and Tumor Biology

Translational data to identify potentially predictive biomarkers and expand translational research capabilities will be presented. Through the use of gene expression profiling (GEP) and machine-learning modeling, a novel, tumor-associated inflammation gene signature was identified through correlative, immunohistochemistry assessment of CD8 expression on T cells. This CD8-derived signature was then used to assess inflammation of the tumor microenvironment across 12 tumor types (Abstract #2593). Additionally, using an innovative artificial intelligence-based approach, combined with T-cell localization gene signatures by GEP, researchers quantified the abundance of immune cells and their spatial location within the tumor microenvironment (Abstract #2594). Both abstracts will be featured in a poster session on Saturday, June 1 from 8-11 AM CDT.

24th Annual Congress of the EHA Highlights of Bristol-Myers Squibb data include:

*All times noted are Central European Standard Time

Multiple Myeloma

Extended 18-month follow-up data from the Phase 2 ELOQUENT-3 trial (Abstract PS1370) evaluating the addition of Empliciti (elotuzumab) to pomalidomide and low-dose dexamethasone in relapsed/refractory (R/R) multiple myeloma, including a descriptive overall survival analysis for the combination, will be featured in a poster session on Saturday, June 15 from 5:30-7 PM CEST.

Classical Hodgkin and Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma

Updated safety and efficacy results in two patient subgroups from the Phase 2 CheckMate -744 study, the first risk-stratified, response-adapted study of Opdivo and ADCETRIS (brentuximab vedotin), followed by ADCETRIS and bendamustine for suboptimal response, in children, adolescents and young adults with R/R classical Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL), prior to autologous stem cell transplantation (Abstract S822) will be presented in an oral presentation on Saturday, June 15 from 12:30-12:45 PM CEST.

and ADCETRIS (brentuximab vedotin), followed by ADCETRIS and bendamustine for suboptimal response, in children, adolescents and young adults with R/R classical Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL), prior to autologous stem cell transplantation (Abstract S822) will be presented in an oral presentation on Saturday, June 15 from 12:30-12:45 PM CEST. Two-year results from cohort D of the Phase 2 CheckMate -205 study, evaluating Opdivo plus doxorubicin, vinblastine and dacarbazine in patients with newly diagnosed advanced-stage cHL (Abstract S821), will be presented in an oral presentation on Saturday, June 15 from 12:15-12:30 PM CEST.

plus doxorubicin, vinblastine and dacarbazine in patients with newly diagnosed advanced-stage cHL (Abstract S821), will be presented in an oral presentation on Saturday, June 15 from 12:15-12:30 PM CEST. A full analysis of the Phase 1/2 CheckMate -436 study, evaluating Opdivoand ADCETRIS in patients with R/R primary mediastinal large B-cell lymphoma (Abstract S1601), will be presented in an oral presentation on Sunday, June 16 from 9-9:15 AM CEST.

2019 ASCO Annual Meeting Company-sponsored and collaborative data include:

*All times noted are Central Daylight Time

Gastrointestinal Malignancies

Nivolumab (NIVO) ipilimumab (IPI) combination therapy in patients (pts) with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (aHCC): Results from CheckMate 040

Author: Yau

Abstract: #4012

Poster Discussion Session: Gastrointestinal (Noncolorectal) Cancer

Monday, June 3, Poster Display: 8-11 AM, Hall A

Discussion: 3-4:30 PM, Arie Crown Theater

Nivolumab (NIVO) low-dose ipilimumab (IPI) as first-line (1L) therapy in microsatellite instability-high/DNA mismatch repair deficient (MSI-H/dMMR) metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC): Clinical update

Author: Lenz

Abstract: #3521

Poster Session: Gastrointestinal (Colorectal) Cancer

Monday, June 3, Poster Display: 8-11 AM, Hall A

Melanoma

Long-term follow-up of CA209-004: A phase I dose-escalation study of combined nivolumab (NIVO) and ipilimumab (IPI) in patients with advanced melanoma

Author: Atkins

Abstract: #9533

Poster Session: Melanoma/Skin Cancers

Monday, June 3, Poster Display: 1:15-4:15 PM, Hall A

Sensitivity of treatment-free survival (TFS), a novel outcome, to subgroup analyses of patients (pts) with advanced melanoma (MEL) treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI)

Author: Mantia

Abstract: #9550

Poster Session: Melanoma/Skin Cancers

Monday, June 3, Poster Display: 1:15-4:15 PM, Hall A

Patient-reported quality of life (QoL) of advanced melanoma patients in a Phase 3 study of nivolumab (NIVO) with or without ipilimumab (IPI) versus IPI: CheckMate 067 4-year data

Author: Schadendorf

Abstract: #9551

Poster Session: Melanoma/Skin Cancers

Monday, June 3, Poster Display: 1:15-4:15 PM, Hall A

Quality of life (QoL) and symptom burden in patients (pts) with advanced melanoma during the treatment-free interval (TFI) after discontinuation of nivolumab (NIVO) or NIVO plus ipilimumab (IPI)

Author: Taylor

Abstract: #9568

Poster Session: Melanoma/Skin Cancers

Monday, June 3, Poster Display: 1:15-4:15 PM, Hall A

An analysis of nivolumab-mediated adverse events and association with clinical efficacy in resected stage III or IV melanoma (CheckMate 238)

Author: Mandala

Abstract: #9584

Poster Session: Melanoma/Skin Cancers

Monday, June 3, Poster Display: 1:15-4:15 PM, Hall A

Efficacy and safety of the combination of nivolumab (NIVO) plus ipilimumab (IPI) in patients with symptomatic melanoma brain metastases (CheckMate 204)

Author: Tawbi

Abstract: #9501

Oral Session: Melanoma/Skin Cancers

Tuesday, June 4, 9:45 AM-12:45 PM, S406

Presentation: 9:57-10:09 AM, S406

Genitourinary Malignancies

CheckMate 214 post-hoc analyses of nivolumab plus ipilimumab or sunitinib in IMDC intermediate/poor-risk patients with previously untreated advanced renal cell carcinoma with sarcomatoid features

Author: McDermott

Abstract: #4513

Poster Discussion Session: Genitourinary (Nonprostate) Cancer

Monday, June 3, Poster Display: 1:15-4:15 PM, Hall A

Discussion: 4:30-6 PM, Hall D2

Safety and efficacy of nivolumab plus ipilimumab (NIVO+IPI) in patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma (aRCC) with brain metastases: Interim analysis of CheckMate 920

Author: Emamekhoo

Abstract: #4517

Poster Discussion Session: Genitourinary (Nonprostate) Cancer

Monday, June 3, Poster Display: 1:15-4:15 PM, Hall A

Discussion: 4:30-6 PM, Hall D2

Consistent efficacy of nivolumab plus ipilimumab across number of International Metastatic Database Consortium (IMDC) risk factors in CheckMate 214

Author: Escudier

Abstract: #4575

Poster Session: Genitourinary (Nonprostate) Cancer

Monday, June 3, Poster Display: 1:15-4:15 PM, Hall A

Clinical and economic outcomes associated with sequential treatment in patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma (aRCC)

Author: Regan

Abstract: #4566

Poster Session: Genitourinary (Nonprostate) Cancer

Monday, June 3, Poster Display: 1:15-4:15 PM, Hall A

Nivolumab monotherapy in patients with advanced platinum-resistant urothelial carcinoma: Efficacy and safety update from CheckMate 275

Author: Siefker-Radtke

Abstract: #4524

Poster Session: Genitourinary (Nonprostate) Cancer

Monday, June 3, Poster Display: 1:15-4:15 PM, Hall A

Real-world outcomes with IO therapies: A prospective observational cohort study in patients (pts) with advanced melanoma (OPTIMIzE)

Author: Kirkwood

Abstract: e14144

Online Only

Translational Medicine and Biomarkers

Serum IL-6 and CRP as prognostic factors in melanoma patients receiving single agent and combination checkpoint inhibition

Author: Weber

Abstract: #100

Clinical Science Symposium: Fine-Tuning Checkpoint Inhibition: Biomarkers of Response and Resistance

Saturday, June 1, Clinical Science Symposium: 8-9:30 AM, Hall D1

Presentation: 8-8:12 AM, Hall D1

Development of a baseline prognostic cytokine signature that correlates with nivolumab (NIVO) clearance (CL): Translational pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) analysis in patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC)

Author: Wang

Abstract: #2544

Poster Session: Developmental Immunotherapy and Tumor Immunobiology

Saturday, June 1, Poster Display: 8-11 AM, Hall A

Association of an inflammatory gene signature with CD8 expression by immunohistochemistry (IHC) in multiple tumor types

Author: Szabo

Abstract: #2593

Poster Session: Developmental Immunotherapy and Tumor Immunobiology

Saturday, June 1, Poster Display: 8-11 AM, Hall A

CD8+ T cells in tumor parenchyma and stroma by image analysis (IA) and gene expression profiling (GEP): Potential biomarkers for immuno-oncology (I-O) therapy

Author: Szabo

Abstract: #2594

Poster Session: Developmental Immunotherapy and Tumor Immunobiology

Saturday, June 1, Poster Display: 8-11 AM, Hall A

Association of human endogenous retrovirus (hERV) expression with clinical efficacy of PD-1 blockade in metastatic clear cell renal cell carcinoma (mccRCC)

Author: Pignon

Abstract: #4568

Poster Session: Genitourinary (Nonprostate) Cancer

Monday, June 3, Poster Display: 1:15-4:15 PM, Hall A

New and Early Assets

Baseline tumor-immune signatures associated with response to bempegaldesleukin (NKTR-214) and nivolumab

Author: Hurwitz

Abstract: #2623

Poster Session: Developmental Immunotherapy and Tumor Immunobiology

Saturday, June 1, Poster Display: 8-11 AM, Hall A

CA224-060: A randomized, open label, phase II trial of relatlimab (anti-LAG-3) and nivolumab with chemotherapy versus nivolumab with chemotherapy as first-line treatment in patients with gastric or gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma

Author: Feeney

Abstract: TPS4143

Poster Session: Gastrointestinal (Noncolorectal) Cancer

Monday, June 3, Poster Display: 8-11 AM, Hall A

CA045-001: A phase III, randomized, open label study of bempegaldesleukin (NKTR-214) plus nivolumab (NIVO) versus NIVO monotherapy in patients (pts) with previously untreated, unresectable or metastatic melanoma (MEL)

Author: Khushalani

Abstract: TPS9601

Poster Session: Melanoma/Skin Cancers

Monday, June 3, Poster Display: 1:15-4:15 PM, Hall A

A phase III randomized open label study comparing bempegaldesleukin (NKTR-214) plus nivolumab to sunitinib or cabozantinib (investigator's choice) in patients with previously untreated advanced renal cell carcinoma

Author: Tannir

Abstract: TPS4595

Poster Session: Genitourinary (Nonprostate) Cancer

Monday, June 3, Poster Display: 1:15-4:15 PM, Hall A

A phase 3 randomized study of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) alone or in combination with nivolumab (NIVO) BMS-986205 in cisplatin-eligible muscle invasive bladder cancer (MIBC)

Author: Sonpavde

Abstract: TPS4587

Poster Session: Genitourinary (Nonprostate) Cancer

Monday, June 3, Poster Display: 1:15-4:15 PM, Hall A

Clinical Collaborations

Preliminary immunogenicity, safety, and efficacy of JNJ-64041757 (JNJ-757) in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC): Results from two phase 1 studies

Author: Brahmer

Abstract: #9093

Poster Session: Lung Cancer-Non-Small Cell Metastatic

Sunday, June 2, Poster Display: 8-11 AM, Hall A

An open label, multicenter, phase I/II study of RP1 as a single agent and in combination with PD1 blockade in patients with solid tumors

Author: Middleton

Abstract: TPS2671

Poster Session: Developmental Immunotherapy and Tumor Immunobiology

Saturday, June 1, Poster Display: 8-11 AM, Hall A

Ph1/2 study of Rova-T in combination with nivolumab (Nivo) ipilimumab (Ipi) for patients (pts) with 2L+ extensive-stage (ED) SCLC

Author: Malhotra

Abstract: #8516

Poster Session: Lung Cancer-Non-Small Cell Local-Regional/Small Cell/Other Thoracic Cancers

Sunday, June 2, Poster Display: 8-11 AM; Hall A

Discussion: 11:15 AM-12:45 PM, S406

24th Congress of the EHA Company-sponsored and collaborative data include:

*All times noted are Central European Summer Time

Lymphoma

Nivolumab Plus Doxorubicin, Vinblastine and Dacarbazine for Newly Diagnosed Advanced-Stage Classical Hodgkin Lymphoma: 2-Year Extended Follow-Up From Cohort D of the Phase 2 CheckMate 205 Study

Author: Domingo-Domenech

Abstract: S821

Oral Session: Hodgkin lymphoma Clinical

Saturday, June 15, 11:30 AM-12:45 PM, Hall 5

Presentation: 12:15-12:30 PM, Hall 5

Nivolumab and Brentuximab Vedotin-Based, Response-Adapted Treatment in Primary Refractory and in Pediatric Patients with Relapsed/Refractory Classical Hodgkin Lymphoma in CheckMate 744

Author: LeBlanc

Abstract: S822

Oral Session: Hodgkin lymphoma Clinical

Saturday, June 15, 11:30 AM-12:45 PM, Hall 5

Presentation: 12:30-12:45 PM, Hall 5

Nivolumab Combined with Brentuximab Vedotin for Relapsed/Refractory Primary Mediastinal Large B-cell Lymphoma: Efficacy and Safety Results from the Phase 2 CheckMate 436 Study

Author: Zinzani

Abstract: S1601

Oral Session: Aggressive lymphomas First line, combination therapy and real-life data

Sunday, June 16, 8-9:15 AM, Hall 5

Presentation: 9-9:15 AM, Hall 5

Multiple Myeloma

Elotuzumab Plus Pomalidomide and Dexamethasone for Relapsed/Refractory Multiple Myeloma: Efficacy Results After Additional Follow-Up of the Phase 2, Randomized ELOQUENT-3 Study

Author: Dimopoulos

Abstract: PS1370

Poster Session: Myeloma and other monoclonal gammopathies Clinical

Saturday, June 15, 5:30-7 PM, Poster Area

Investigating Mechanisms of Elotuzumab and Lenalidomide in Multiple Myeloma

Author: Richardson

Abstract: PF568

Poster Session: Myeloma and other monoclonal gammopathies Biology Translational Research

Friday, June 14, 5:30-7 PM, Poster Area

Use of Pomalidomide-Based Regimens in Relapsed/Refractory Multiple Myeloma in Four European Countries Findings From PREAMBLE

Author: Moreau

Abstract: PS1405

Poster Session: Myeloma and other monoclonal gammopathies Clinical

Saturday, June 15, 5:30-7 PM, Poster Area

Leukemia

DASCERN 2-Year Extended Follow-Up of Dasatinib Efficacy and Safety in Patients (Pts) with Chronic Myeloid Leukemia in Chronic Phase (CML-CP) Who Have Suboptimal Responses to 3 Months of Imatinib

Author: Saglio

Abstract: PF405

Poster Session: Chronic myeloid leukemia Clinical

Friday, June 14, 5:30-7 PM, Poster Area

DASFREE: 2-Year Update: Dasatinib Discontinuation in Patients (pts) with Chronic Myeloid Leukemia in Chronic Phase (CML-CP) and Deep Molecular Response (DMR)

Author: Shah

Abstract: PF408

Poster Session: Chronic myeloid leukemia Clinical

Friday, June 14, 5:30-7 PM, Poster Area

Growth Rate and Endocrine Effects of Dasatinib Therapy Observed in Retrospective Analysis of a Phase II Clinical Trial for Pediatric Patients with Chronic Myeloid Leukemia in Chronic Phase (CML-CP)

Author: Patterson

Abstract: PF416

Poster Session: Chronic myeloid leukemia Clinical

Friday, June 14, 5:30-7 PM, Poster Area

Dosing Patterns of Dasatinib and Nilotinib Use in SIMPLICITY, an Observational Study in Chronic-Phase Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CP-CML) Patients (pts) in Routine Clinical Practice

Author: Cortes

Abstract: PS1181

Poster Session: Chronic myeloid leukemia Clinical

Saturday, June 15, 5:30-7 PM, Poster Area

Bristol-Myers Squibb: Advancing Oncology Research

At Bristol-Myers Squibb, patients are at the center of everything we do. The focus of our research is to increase quality, long-term survival for patients and make cure a possibility. Through a unique multidisciplinary approach powered by translational science, we harness our deep scientific experience in oncology and Immuno-Oncology (I-O) research to identify novel treatments tailored to individual patient needs. Our researchers are developing a diverse, purposefully built pipeline designed to target different immune system pathways and address the complex and specific interactions between the tumor, its microenvironment and the immune system. We source innovation internally, and in collaboration with academia, government, advocacy groups and biotechnology companies, to help make the promise of transformational medicines, like I-O, a reality for patients.

About Opdivo

Opdivo is a programmed death-1 (PD-1) immune checkpoint inhibitor that is designed to uniquely harness the body's own immune system to help restore anti-tumor immune response. By harnessing the body's own immune system to fight cancer, Opdivo has become an important treatment option across multiple cancers.

Opdivo's leading global development program is based on Bristol-Myers Squibb's scientific expertise in the field of Immuno-Oncology, and includes a broad range of clinical trials across all phases, including Phase 3, in a variety of tumor types. To date, the Opdivo clinical development program has treated more than 35,000 patients. The Opdivo trials have contributed to gaining a deeper understanding of the potential role of biomarkers in patient care, particularly regarding how patients may benefit from Opdivo across the continuum of PD-L1 expression.

In July 2014, Opdivo was the first PD-1 immune checkpoint inhibitor to receive regulatory approval anywhere in the world. Opdivo is currently approved in more than 65 countries, including the United States, the European Union, Japan and China. In October 2015, the Company's Opdivo and Yervoy combination regimen was the first Immuno-Oncology combination to receive regulatory approval for the treatment of metastatic melanoma and is currently approved in more than 50 countries, including the United States and the European Union.

U.S. FDA-APPROVED INDICATIONS FOR OPDIVO

OPDIVO (nivolumab) as a single agent is indicated for the treatment of patients with unresectable or metastatic melanoma.

OPDIVO (nivolumab), in combination with YERVOY (ipilimumab), is indicated for the treatment of patients with unresectable or metastatic melanoma.

OPDIVO (nivolumab) is indicated for the treatment of patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with progression on or after platinum-based chemotherapy. Patients with EGFR or ALK genomic tumor aberrations should have disease progression on FDA-approved therapy for these aberrations prior to receiving OPDIVO.

OPDIVO (nivolumab) is indicated for the treatment of patients with metastatic small cell lung cancer (SCLC) with progression after platinum-based chemotherapy and at least one other line of therapy. This indication is approved under accelerated approval based on overall response rate and duration of response. Continued approval for this indication may be contingent upon verification and description of clinical benefit in confirmatory trials.

OPDIVO (nivolumab) is indicated for the treatment of patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC) who have received prior anti-angiogenic therapy.

OPDIVO (nivolumab), in combination with YERVOY (ipilimumab), is indicated for the treatment of patients with intermediate or poor risk, previously untreated advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC).

OPDIVO (nivolumab) is indicated for the treatment of adult patients with classical Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL) that has relapsed or progressed after autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) and brentuximab vedotin or after 3 or more lines of systemic therapy that includes autologous HSCT. This indication is approved under accelerated approval based on overall response rate. Continued approval for this indication may be contingent upon verification and description of clinical benefit in confirmatory trials.

OPDIVO (nivolumab) is indicated for the treatment of patients with recurrent or metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN) with disease progression on or after platinum-based therapy.

OPDIVO (nivolumab) is indicated for the treatment of patients with locally advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma who have disease progression during or following platinum-containing chemotherapy or have disease progression within 12 months of neoadjuvant or adjuvant treatment with platinum-containing chemotherapy. This indication is approved under accelerated approval based on tumor response rate and duration of response. Continued approval for this indication may be contingent upon verification and description of clinical benefit in confirmatory trials.

OPDIVO(nivolumab), as a single agent, is indicated for the treatment of adult and pediatric (12 years and older) patients with microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H) or mismatch repair deficient (dMMR) metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC) that has progressed following treatment with a fluoropyrimidine, oxaliplatin, and irinotecan. This indication is approved under accelerated approval based on overall response rate and duration of response. Continued approval for this indication may be contingent upon verification and description of clinical benefit in confirmatory trials.

OPDIVO (nivolumab), in combination with YERVOY (ipilimumab), is indicated for the treatment of adults and pediatric patients 12 years and older with microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H) or mismatch repair deficient (dMMR) metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC) that has progressed following treatment with a fluoropyrimidine, oxaliplatin, and irinotecan. This indication is approved under accelerated approval based on overall response rate and duration of response. Continued approval for this indication may be contingent upon verification and description of clinical benefit in confirmatory trials.

OPDIVO(nivolumab) is indicated for the treatment of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) who have been previously treated with sorafenib. This indication is approved under accelerated approval based on tumor response rate and durability of response. Continued approval for this indication may be contingent upon verification and description of clinical benefit in the confirmatory trials.

OPDIVO (nivolumab) is indicated for the adjuvant treatment of patients with melanoma with involvement of lymph nodes or metastatic disease who have undergone complete resection.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

WARNING: IMMUNE-MEDIATED ADVERSE REACTIONS

YERVOY can result in severe and fatal immune-mediated adverse reactions. These immune-mediated reactions may involve any organ system; however, the most common severe immune-mediated adverse reactions are enterocolitis, hepatitis, dermatitis (including toxic epidermal necrolysis), neuropathy, and endocrinopathy. The majority of these immune-mediated reactions initially manifested during treatment; however, a minority occurred weeks to months after discontinuation of YERVOY.

Assess patients for signs and symptoms of enterocolitis, dermatitis, neuropathy, and endocrinopathy, and evaluate clinical chemistries including liver function tests (LFTs), adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) level, and thyroid function tests, at baseline and before each dose.

Permanently discontinue YERVOY and initiate systemic high-dose corticosteroid therapy for severe immune-mediated reactions.

Immune-Mediated Pneumonitis

OPDIVO can cause immune-mediated pneumonitis. Fatal cases have been reported. Monitor patients for signs with radiographic imaging and for symptoms of pneumonitis. Administer corticosteroids for Grade 2 or more severe pneumonitis. Permanently discontinue for Grade 3 or 4 and withhold until resolution for Grade 2. In patients receiving OPDIVO monotherapy, fatal cases of immune-mediated pneumonitis have occurred. Immune-mediated pneumonitis occurred in 3.1% (61/1994) of patients. In patients receiving OPDIVO 1 mg/kg with YERVOY 3 mg/kg, immune-mediated pneumonitis occurred in 6% (25/407) of patients. In RCC patients receiving OPDIVO 3 mg/kg with YERVOY 1 mg/kg, immune-mediated pneumonitis occurred in 4.4% (24/547) of patients. In MSI-H/dMMR mCRC patients receiving OPDIVO 3 mg/kg with YERVOY 1 mg/kg, immune-mediated pneumonitis occurred in 1.7% (2/119) of patients.

In Checkmate 205 and 039, pneumonitis, including interstitial lung disease, occurred in 6.0% (16/266) of patients receiving OPDIVO. Immune-mediated pneumonitis occurred in 4.9% (13/266) of patients receiving OPDIVO: Grade 3 (n=1) and Grade 2 (n=12).

Immune-Mediated Colitis

OPDIVO can cause immune-mediated colitis. Monitor patients for signs and symptoms of colitis. Administer corticosteroids for Grade 2 (of more than 5 days duration), 3, or 4 colitis. Withhold OPDIVO monotherapy for Grade 2 or 3 and permanently discontinue for Grade 4 or recurrent colitis upon re-initiation of OPDIVO. When administered with YERVOY, withhold OPDIVO and YERVOY for Grade 2 and permanently discontinue for Grade 3 or 4 or recurrent colitis. In patients receiving OPDIVO monotherapy, immune-mediated colitis occurred in 2.9% (58/1994) of patients. In patients receiving OPDIVO 1 mg/kg with YERVOY 3 mg/kg, immune-mediated colitis occurred in 26% (107/407) of patients including three fatal cases. In RCC patients receiving OPDIVO 3 mg/kg with YERVOY 1 mg/kg, immune-mediated colitis occurred in 10% (52/547) of patients. In MSI-H/dMMR mCRC patients receiving OPDIVO 3 mg/kg with YERVOY 1 mg/kg, immune-mediated colitis occurred in 7% (8/119) of patients.

In a separate Phase 3 study of YERVOY 3 mg/kg, severe, life-threatening, or fatal (diarrhea of =7 stools above baseline, fever, ileus, peritoneal signs; Grade 3-5) immune-mediated enterocolitis occurred in 34 (7%) patients. Across all YERVOY-treated patients in that study (n=511), 5 (1%) developed intestinal perforation, 4 (0.8%) died as a result of complications, and 26 (5%) were hospitalized for severe enterocolitis.

Immune-Mediated Hepatitis

OPDIVO can cause immune-mediated hepatitis. Monitor patients for abnormal liver tests prior to and periodically during treatment. Administer corticosteroids for Grade 2 or greater transaminase elevations. For patients without HCC, withhold OPDIVO for Grade 2 and permanently discontinue OPDIVO for Grade 3 or 4. For patients with HCC, withhold OPDIVO and administer corticosteroids if AST/ALT is within normal limits at baseline and increases to >3 and up to 5 times the upper limit of normal (ULN), if AST/ALT is >1 and up to 3 times ULN at baseline and increases to >5 and up to 10 times the ULN, and if AST/ALT is >3 and up to 5 times ULN at baseline and increases to >8 and up to 10 times the ULN. Permanently discontinue OPDIVO and administer corticosteroids if AST or ALT increases to >10 times the ULN or total bilirubin increases >3 times the ULN. In patients receiving OPDIVO monotherapy, immune-mediated hepatitis occurred in 1.8% (35/1994) of patients. In patients receiving OPDIVO 1 mg/kg with YERVOY 3 mg/kg, immune-mediated hepatitis occurred in 13% (51/407) of patients. In RCC patients receiving OPDIVO 3 mg/kg with YERVOY 1 mg/kg, immune-mediated hepatitis occurred in 7% (38/547) of patients. In MSI-H/dMMR mCRC patients receiving OPDIVO 3 mg/kg with YERVOY 1 mg/kg, immune-mediated hepatitis occurred in 8% (10/119) of patients.

In Checkmate 040, immune-mediated hepatitis requiring systemic corticosteroids occurred in 5% (8/154) of patients receiving OPDIVO.

In a separate Phase 3 study of YERVOY 3 mg/kg, severe, life-threatening, or fatal hepatotoxicity (AST or ALT elevations >5x the ULN or total bilirubin elevations >3x the ULN; Grade 3-5) occurred in 8 (2%) patients with fatal hepatic failure in 0.2% and hospitalization in 0.4%.

Immune-Mediated Neuropathies

In a separate Phase 3 study of YERVOY 3 mg/kg, 1 case of fatal Guillain-Barre syndrome and 1 case of severe (Grade 3) peripheral motor neuropathy were reported.

Immune-Mediated Endocrinopathies

OPDIVO can cause immune-mediated hypophysitis, immune-mediated adrenal insufficiency, autoimmune thyroid disorders, and Type 1 diabetes mellitus. Monitor patients for signs and symptoms of hypophysitis, signs and symptoms of adrenal insufficiency, thyroid function prior to and periodically during treatment, and hyperglycemia. Administer hormone replacement as clinically indicated and corticosteroids for Grade 2 or greater hypophysitis. Withhold for Grade 2 or 3 and permanently discontinue for Grade 4 hypophysitis. Administer corticosteroids for Grade 3 or 4 adrenal insufficiency. Withhold for Grade 2 and permanently discontinue for Grade 3 or 4 adrenal insufficiency. Administer hormone-replacement therapy for hypothyroidism. Initiate medical management for control of hyperthyroidism. Withhold OPDIVO for Grade 3 and permanently discontinue for Grade 4 hyperglycemia.

In patients receiving OPDIVO monotherapy, hypophysitis occurred in 0.6% (12/1994) of patients. In patients receiving OPDIVO 1 mg/kg with YERVOY 3 mg/kg, hypophysitis occurred in 9% (36/407) of patients. In RCC patients receiving OPDIVO 3 mg/kg with YERVOY 1 mg/kg, hypophysitis occurred in 4.6% (25/547) of patients. In MSI-H/dMMR mCRC patients receiving OPDIVO 3 mg/kg with YERVOY 1 mg/kg, immune-mediated hypophysitis occurred in 3.4% (4/119) of patients. In patients receiving OPDIVO monotherapy, adrenal insufficiency occurred in 1% (20/1994) of patients. In patients receiving OPDIVO 1 mg/kg with YERVOY 3 mg/kg, adrenal insufficiency occurred in 5% (21/407) of patients. In RCC patients receiving OPDIVO 3 mg/kg with YERVOY 1 mg/kg, adrenal insufficiency occurred in 7% (41/547) of patients. In MSI-H/dMMR mCRC patients receiving OPDIVO 3 mg/kg with YERVOY 1 mg/kg, adrenal insufficiency occurred in 5.9% (7/119) of patients. In patients receiving OPDIVO monotherapy, hypothyroidism or thyroiditis resulting in hypothyroidism occurred in 9% (171/1994) of patients. Hyperthyroidism occurred in 2.7% (54/1994) of patients receiving OPDIVO monotherapy. In patients receiving OPDIVO 1 mg/kg with YERVOY 3 mg/kg, hypothyroidism or thyroiditis resulting in hypothyroidism occurred in 22% (89/407) of patients. Hyperthyroidism occurred in 8% (34/407) of patients receiving this dose of OPDIVO with YERVOY. In RCC patients receiving OPDIVO 3 mg/kg with YERVOY 1 mg/kg, hypothyroidism or thyroiditis resulting in hypothyroidism occurred in 22% (119/547) of patients. Hyperthyroidism occurred in 12% (66/547) of patients receiving this dose of OPDIVO with YERVOY. In MSI-H/dMMR mCRC patients receiving OPDIVO 3 mg/kg with YERVOY 1 mg/kg, hypothyroidism or thyroiditis resulting in hypothyroidism occurred in 15% (18/119) of patients. Hyperthyroidism occurred in 12% (14/119) of patients. In patients receiving OPDIVO monotherapy, diabetes occurred in 0.9% (17/1994) of patients. In patients receiving OPDIVO 1 mg/kg with YERVOY 3 mg/kg, diabetes occurred in 1.5% (6/407) of patients. In RCC patients receiving OPDIVO 3 mg/kg with YERVOY 1 mg/kg, diabetes occurred in 2.7% (15/547) of patients.

In a separate Phase 3 study of YERVOY 3 mg/kg, severe to life-threatening immune-mediated endocrinopathies (requiring hospitalization, urgent medical intervention, or interfering with activities of daily living; Grade 3-4) occurred in 9 (1.8%) patients. All 9 patients had hypopituitarism, and some had additional concomitant endocrinopathies such as adrenal insufficiency, hypogonadism, and hypothyroidism. Six of the 9 patients were hospitalized for severe endocrinopathies.

Immune-Mediated Nephritis and Renal Dysfunction

OPDIVO can cause immune-mediated nephritis. Monitor patients for elevated serum creatinine prior to and periodically during treatment. Administer corticosteroids for Grades 2-4 increased serum creatinine. Withhold OPDIVO for Grade 2 or 3 and permanently discontinue for Grade 4 increased serum creatinine. In patients receiving OPDIVO monotherapy, immune-mediated nephritis and renal dysfunction occurred in 1.2% (23/1994) of patients. In patients receiving OPDIVO 1 mg/kg with YERVOY 3 mg/kg, immune-mediated nephritis and renal dysfunction occurred in 2.2% (9/407) of patients. In RCC patients receiving OPDIVO 3 mg/kg with YERVOY 1 mg/kg, immune-mediated nephritis and renal dysfunction occurred in 4.6% (25/547) of patients. In MSI-H/dMMR mCRC patients receiving OPDIVO 3 mg/kg with YERVOY 1 mg/kg, immune-mediated nephritis and renal dysfunction occurred in 1.7% (2/119) of patients.

Immune-Mediated Skin Adverse Reactions and Dermatitis

OPDIVO can cause immune-mediated rash, including Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS) and toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN), some cases with fatal outcome. Administer corticosteroids for Grade 3 or 4 rash. Withhold for Grade 3 and permanently discontinue for Grade 4 rash. For symptoms or signs of SJS or TEN, withhold OPDIVO and refer the patient for specialized care for assessment and treatment; if confirmed, permanently discontinue. In patients receiving OPDIVO monotherapy, immune-mediated rash occurred in 9% (171/1994) of patients. In patients receiving OPDIVO 1 mg/kg with YERVOY 3 mg/kg, immune-mediated rash occurred in 22.6% (92/407) of patients. In RCC patients receiving OPDIVO 3 mg/kg with YERVOY 1 mg/kg, immune-mediated rash occurred in 16.6% (91/547) of patients. In MSI-H/dMMR mCRC patients receiving OPDIVO 3 mg/kg with YERVOY 1 mg/kg, immune-mediated rash occurred in 14% (17/119) of patients.

In a separate Phase 3 study of YERVOY 3 mg/kg, severe, life-threatening, or fatal immune-mediated dermatitis (eg, Stevens-Johnson syndrome, toxic epidermal necrolysis, or rash complicated by full thickness dermal ulceration, or necrotic, bullous, or hemorrhagic manifestations; Grade 3-5) occurred in 13 (2.5%) patients. 1 (0.2%) patient died as a result of toxic epidermal necrolysis. 1 additional patient required hospitalization for severe dermatitis.

Immune-Mediated Encephalitis

OPDIVO can cause immune-mediated encephalitis. Evaluation of patients with neurologic symptoms may include, but not be limited to, consultation with a neurologist, brain MRI, and lumbar puncture. Withhold OPDIVO in patients with new-onset moderate to severe neurologic signs or symptoms and evaluate to rule out other causes. If other etiologies are ruled out, administer corticosteroids and permanently discontinue OPDIVO for immune-mediated encephalitis. In patients receiving OPDIVO monotherapy, encephalitis occurred in 0.2% (3/1994) of patients. Fatal limbic encephalitis occurred in one patient after 7.2 months of exposure despite discontinuation of OPDIVO and administration of corticosteroids. Encephalitis occurred in one patient receiving OPDIVO 1 mg/kg with YERVOY 3 mg/kg (0.2%) after 1.7 months of exposure. Encephalitis occurred in one RCC patient receiving OPDIVO 3 mg/kg with YERVOY 1 mg/kg (0.2%) after approximately 4 months of exposure. Encephalitis occurred in one MSI-H/dMMR mCRC patient (0.8%) receiving OPDIVO 3 mg/kg with YERVOY 1 mg/kg after 15 days of exposure.

Other Immune-Mediated Adverse Reactions

Based on the severity of the adverse reaction, permanently discontinue or withhold OPDIVO, administer high-dose corticosteroids, and, if appropriate, initiate hormone-replacement therapy. Across clinical trials of OPDIVO monotherapy or in combination with YERVOY, the following clinically significant immune-mediated adverse reactions, some with fatal outcome, occurred in <1.0% of patients receiving OPDIVO: myocarditis, rhabdomyolysis, myositis, uveitis, iritis, pancreatitis, facial and abducens nerve paresis, demyelination, polymyalgia rheumatica, autoimmune neuropathy, Guillain-Barre syndrome, hypopituitarism, systemic inflammatory response syndrome, gastritis, duodenitis, sarcoidosis, histiocytic necrotizing lymphadenitis (Kikuchi lymphadenitis), motor dysfunction, vasculitis, aplastic anemia, pericarditis, and myasthenic syndrome.

If uveitis occurs in combination with other immune-mediated adverse reactions, consider a Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada-like syndrome, which has been observed in patients receiving OPDIVO and may require treatment with systemic steroids to reduce the risk of permanent vision loss.

Infusion Reactions

OPDIVO can cause severe infusion reactions, which have been reported in<1.0% of patients in clinical trials. Discontinue OPDIVO in patients with Grade 3 or 4 infusion reactions. Interrupt or slow the rate of infusion in patients with Grade 1 or 2. In patients receiving OPDIVO monotherapy as a 60-minute infusion, infusion-related reactions occurred in 6.4% (127/1994) of patients. In a separate study in which patients received OPDIVO monotherapy as a 60-minute infusion or a 30-minute infusion, infusion-related reactions occurred in 2.2% (8/368) and 2.7% (10/369) of patients, respectively. Additionally, 0.5% (2/368) and 1.4% (5/369) of patients, respectively, experienced adverse reactions within 48 hours of infusion that led to dose delay, permanent discontinuation or withholding of OPDIVO. In patients receiving OPDIVO 1 mg/kg with YERVOY 3 mg/kg every 3 weeks, infusion-related reactions occurred in 2.5% (10/407) of patients. In RCC patients receiving OPDIVO 3 mg/kg with YERVOY 1 mg/kg, infusion-related reactions occurred in 5.1% (28/547) of patients. In MSI-H/dMMR mCRC patients receiving OPDIVO 3 mg/kg with YERVOY 1 mg/kg, infusion-related reactions occurred in 4.2% (5/119) of patients.

Complications of Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation

Fatal and other serious complications can occur in patients who receive allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) before or after being treated with a PD-1 receptor blocking antibody. Transplant-related complications include hyperacute graft-versus-host-disease (GVHD), acute GVHD, chronic GVHD, hepatic veno-occlusive disease (VOD) after reduced intensity conditioning, and steroid-requiring febrile syndrome (without an identified infectious cause). These complications may occur despite intervening therapy between PD-1 blockade and allogeneic HSCT.

Follow patients closely for evidence of transplant-related complications and intervene promptly. Consider the benefit versus risks of treatment with a PD-1 receptor blocking antibody prior to or after an allogeneic HSCT.

Embryo-Fetal Toxicity

Based on their mechanisms of action, OPDIVO and YERVOY can cause fetal harm when administered to a pregnant woman. Advise pregnant women of the potential risk to a fetus. Advise females of reproductive potential to use effective contraception during treatment with an OPDIVO- or YERVOY- containing regimen and for at least 5 months after the last dose of OPDIVO.

Increased Mortality in Patients with Multiple Myeloma when OPDIVO is Added to a Thalidomide Analogue and Dexamethasone

In clinical trials in patients with multiple myeloma, the addition of OPDIVO to a thalidomide analogue plus dexamethasone resulted in increased mortality. Treatment of patients with multiple myeloma with a PD-1 or PD-L1 blocking antibody in combination with a thalidomide analogue plus dexamethasone is not recommended outside of controlled clinical trials.

Lactation

It is not known whether OPDIVO or YERVOY is present in human milk. Because many drugs, including antibodies, are excreted in human milk and because of the potential for serious adverse reactions in nursing infants from an OPDIVO-containing regimen, advise women to discontinue breastfeeding during treatment. Advise women to discontinue breastfeeding during treatment with YERVOY and for 3 months following the final dose.

Serious Adverse Reactions

In Checkmate 037, serious adverse reactions occurred in 41% of patients receiving OPDIVO (n=268). Grade 3 and 4 adverse reactions occurred in 42% of patients receiving OPDIVO. The most frequent Grade 3 and 4 adverse drug reactions reported in 2% to <5% of patients receiving OPDIVO were abdominal pain, hyponatremia, increased aspartate aminotransferase, and increased lipase. In Checkmate 066, serious adverse reactions occurred in 36% of patients receiving OPDIVO (n=206). Grade 3 and 4 adverse reactions occurred in 41% of patients receiving OPDIVO. The most frequent Grade 3 and 4 adverse reactions reported in =2% of patients receiving OPDIVO were gamma-glutamyltransferase increase (3.9%) and diarrhea (3.4%). In Checkmate 067, serious adverse reactions (74% and 44%), adverse reactions leading to permanent discontinuation (47% and 18%) or to dosing delays (58% and 36%), and Grade 3 or 4 adverse reactions (72% and 51%) all occurred more frequently in the OPDIVO plus YERVOY arm (n=313) relative to the OPDIVO arm (n=313). The most frequent (=10%) serious adverse reactions in the OPDIVO plus YERVOY arm and the OPDIVO arm, respectively, were diarrhea (13% and 2.2%), colitis (10% and 1.9%), and pyrexia (10% and 1.0%). In Checkmate 017 and 057, serious adverse reactions occurred in 46% of patients receiving OPDIVO (n=418). The most frequent serious adverse reactions reported in =2% of patients receiving OPDIVO were pneumonia, pulmonary embolism, dyspnea, pyrexia, pleural effusion, pneumonitis, and respiratory failure. In Checkmate 032, serious adverse reactions occurred in 45% of patients receiving OPDIVO (n=245). The most frequent serious adverse reactions reported in at least 2% of patients receiving OPDIVO were pneumonia, dyspnea, pneumonitis, pleural effusions, and dehydration. In Checkmate 025, serious adverse reactions occurred in 47% of patients receiving OPDIVO (n=406). The most frequent serious adverse reactions reported in =2% of patients were acute kidney injury, pleural effusion, pneumonia, diarrhea, and hypercalcemia. In Checkmate 214, serious adverse reactions occurred in 59% of patients receiving OPDIVO plus YERVOY and in 43% of patients receiving sunitinib. The most frequent serious adverse reactions reported in =2% of patients were diarrhea, pyrexia, pneumonia, pneumonitis, hypophysitis, acute kidney injury, dyspnea, adrenal insufficiency, and colitis; in patients treated with sunitinib, they were pneumonia, pleural effusion, and dyspnea. In Checkmate 205 and 039, adverse reactions leading to discontinuation occurred in 7% and dose delays due to adverse reactions occurred in 34% of patients (n=266). Serious adverse reactions occurred in 26% of patients. The most frequent serious adverse reactions reported in =1% of patients were pneumonia, infusion-related reaction, pyrexia, colitis or diarrhea, pleural effusion, pneumonitis, and rash. Eleven patients died from causes other than disease progression: 3 from adverse reactions within 30 days of the last OPDIVO dose, 2 from infection 8 to 9 months after completing OPDIVO, and 6 from complications of allogeneic HSCT. In Checkmate 141, serious adverse reactions occurred in 49% of patients receiving OPDIVO (n=236). The most frequent serious adverse reactions reported in =2% of patients receiving OPDIVO were pneumonia, dyspnea, respiratory failure, respiratory tract infection, and sepsis. In Checkmate 275, serious adverse reactions occurred in 54% of patients receiving OPDIVO (n=270). The most frequent serious adverse reactions reported in =2% of patients receiving OPDIVO were urinary tract infection, sepsis, diarrhea, small intestine obstruction, and general physical health deterioration. In Checkmate 142 in MSI-H/dMMR mCRC patients receiving OPDIVO with YERVOY, serious adverse reactions occurred in 47% of patients. The most frequent serious adverse reactions reported in =2% of patients were colitis/diarrhea, hepatic events, abdominal pain, acute kidney injury, pyrexia, and dehydration. In Checkmate 040, serious adverse reactions occurred in 49% of patients (n=154). The most frequent serious adverse reactions reported in =2% of patients were pyrexia, ascites, back pain, general physical health deterioration, abdominal pain, and pneumonia. In Checkmate 238, Grade 3 or 4 adverse reactions occurred in 25% of OPDIVO-treated patients (n=452). The most frequent Grade 3 and 4 adverse reactions reported in =2% of OPDIVO-treated patients were diarrhea and increased lipase and amylase. Serious adverse reactions occurred in 18% of OPDIVO-treated patients.

Common Adverse Reactions

In Checkmate 037, the most common adverse reaction (=20%) reported with OPDIVO (n=268) was rash (21%). In Checkmate 066, the most common adverse reactions (=20%) reported with OPDIVO (n=206) vs dacarbazine (n=205) were fatigue (49% vs 39%), musculoskeletal pain (32% vs 25%), rash (28% vs 12%), and pruritus (23% vs 12%). In Checkmate 067, the most common (=20%) adverse reactions in the OPDIVO plus YERVOY arm (n=313) were fatigue (62%), diarrhea (54%), rash (53%), nausea (44%), pyrexia (40%), pruritus (39%), musculoskeletal pain (32%), vomiting (31%), decreased appetite (29%), cough (27%), headache (26%), dyspnea (24%), upper respiratory tract infection (23%), arthralgia (21%), and increased transaminases (25%). In Checkmate 067, the most common (=20%) adverse reactions in the OPDIVO arm (n=313) were fatigue (59%), rash (40%), musculoskeletal pain (42%), diarrhea (36%), nausea (30%), cough (28%), pruritus (27%), upper respiratory tract infection (22%), decreased appetite (22%), headache (22%), constipation (21%), arthralgia (21%), and vomiting (20%). In Checkmate 017 and 057, the most common adverse reactions (=20%) in patients receiving OPDIVO (n=418) were fatigue, musculoskeletal pain, cough, dyspnea, and decreased appetite. In Checkmate 032, the most common adverse reactions (=20%) in patients receiving OPDIVO (n=245) were fatigue (45%), decreased appetite (27%), musculoskeletal pain (25%), dyspnea (22%), nausea (22%), diarrhea (21%), constipation (20%), and cough (20%). In Checkmate 025, the most common adverse reactions (=20%) reported in patients receiving OPDIVO (n=406) vs everolimus (n=397) were fatigue (56% vs 57%), cough (34% vs 38%), nausea (28% vs 29%), rash (28% vs 36%), dyspnea (27% vs 31%), diarrhea (25% vs 32%), constipation (23% vs 18%), decreased appetite (23% vs 30%), back pain (21% vs 16%), and arthralgia (20% vs 14%). In Checkmate 214, the most common adverse reactions (=20%) reported in patients treated with OPDIVO plus YERVOY (n=547) vs sunitinib (n=535) were fatigue (58% vs 69%), rash (39% vs 25%), diarrhea (38% vs 58%), musculoskeletal pain (37% vs 40%), pruritus (33% vs 11%), nausea (30% vs 43%), cough (28% vs 25%), pyrexia (25% vs 17%), arthralgia (23% vs 16%), decreased appetite (21% vs 29%), dyspnea (20% vs 21%), and vomiting (20% vs 28%). In Checkmate 205 and 039, the most common adverse reactions (=20%) reported in patients receiving OPDIVO (n=266) were upper respiratory tract infection (44%), fatigue (39%), cough (36%), diarrhea (33%), pyrexia (29%), musculoskeletal pain (26%), rash (24%), nausea (20%) and pruritus (20%). In Checkmate 141, the most common adverse reactions (=10%) in patients receiving OPDIVO (n=236) were cough and dyspnea at a higher incidence than investigator's choice. In Checkmate 275, the most common adverse reactions (=20%) reported in patients receiving OPDIVO (n=270) were fatigue (46%), musculoskeletal pain (30%), nausea (22%), and decreased appetite (22%). In Checkmate 142 in MSI-H/dMMR mCRC patients receiving OPDIVO as a single agent, the most common adverse reactions (=20%) were fatigue (54%), diarrhea (43%), abdominal pain (34%), nausea (34%), vomiting (28%), musculoskeletal pain (28%), cough (26%), pyrexia (24%), rash (23%), constipation (20%), and upper respiratory tract infection (20%). In Checkmate 142 in MSI-H/dMMR mCRC patients receiving OPDIVO with YERVOY, the most common adverse reactions (=20%) were fatigue (49%), diarrhea (45%), pyrexia (36%), musculoskeletal pain (36%), abdominal pain (30%), pruritus (28%), nausea (26%), rash (25%), decreased appetite (20%), and vomiting (20%). In Checkmate 040, the most common adverse reactions (=20%) in patients receiving OPDIVO (n=154) were fatigue (38%), musculoskeletal pain (36%), abdominal pain (34%), pruritus (27%), diarrhea (27%), rash (26%), cough (23%), and decreased appetite (22%). In Checkmate 238, the most common adverse reactions (=20%) reported in OPDIVO-treated patients (n=452) vs ipilimumab-treated patients (n=453) were fatigue (57% vs 55%), diarrhea (37% vs 55%), rash (35% vs 47%), musculoskeletal pain (32% vs 27%), pruritus (28% vs 37%), headache (23% vs 31%), nausea (23% vs 28%), upper respiratory infection (22% vs 15%), and abdominal pain (21% vs 23%). The most common immune-mediated adverse reactions were rash (16%), diarrhea/colitis (6%), and hepatitis (3%).

In a separate Phase 3 study of YERVOY 3 mg/kg, the most common adverse reactions (=5%) in patients who received YERVOY at 3 mg/kg were fatigue (41%), diarrhea (32%), pruritus (31%), rash (29%), and colitis (8%).

Please see U.S. Full Prescribing Information for OPDIVO and YERVOY, including Boxed WARNING regarding immune-mediated adverse reactions for YERVOY.

Checkmate Trials and Patient Populations

Checkmate 037-previously treated metastatic melanoma; Checkmate 066-previously untreated metastatic melanoma; Checkmate 067-previously untreated metastatic melanoma, as a single agent or in combination with YERVOY; Checkmate 017-second-line treatment of metastatic squamous non-small cell lung cancer; Checkmate 057-second-line treatment of metastatic non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer; Checkmate 032-small cell lung cancer; Checkmate 025-previously treated renal cell carcinoma; Checkmate 214-previously untreated renal cell carcinoma, in combination with YERVOY; Checkmate 205/039-classical Hodgkin lymphoma; Checkmate 141-recurrent or metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck; Checkmate 275-urothelial carcinoma; Checkmate 142-MSI-H or dMMR metastatic colorectal cancer, as a single agent or in combination with YERVOY; Checkmate 040-hepatocellular carcinoma; Checkmate 238-adjuvant treatment of melanoma.

About Empliciti

Empliciti is an immunostimulatory antibody that specifically targets Signaling Lymphocyte Activation Molecule Family member 7 (SLAMF7), a cell-surface glycoprotein. SLAMF7 is expressed on myeloma cells independent of cytogenetic abnormalities. SLAMF7 also is expressed on Natural Killer cells, plasma cells and at lower levels on specific immune cell subsets of differentiated cells within the hematopoietic lineage.

Empliciti has a dual mechanism-of-action. It directly activates the immune system through Natural Killer cells via the SLAMF7 pathway. Empliciti also targets SLAMF7 on myeloma cells, tagging these malignant cells for Natural Killer cell-mediated destruction via antibody-dependent cellular toxicity.

Empliciti was initially approved by the FDA in 2015 in combination with lenalidomide and dexamethasone for the treatment of patients with multiple myeloma who have received one to three prior therapies.

U.S. FDA-APPROVED INDICATIONS FOR EMPLICITI

EMPLICITI (elotuzumab) is indicated in combination with lenalidomide and dexamethasone for the treatment of adult patients with multiple myeloma who have received one to three prior therapies.

EMPLICITI (elotuzumab) is indicated in combination with pomalidomide and dexamethasone for the treatment of adult patients with multiple myeloma who have received at least two prior therapies including lenalidomide and a proteasome inhibitor.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

Infusion Reactions

Infusion reactions were reported in 10% of patients treated with EMPLICITI in the ELOQUENT-2 trial [EMPLICITI lenalidomide dexamethasone (ERd) vs lenalidomide dexamethasone (Rd)] and 3.3% in the ELOQUENT-3 trial [EMPLICITI pomalidomide dexamethasone (EPd) vs pomalidomide dexamethasone (Pd)].

In the ELOQUENT-2 trial, all infusion reactions were Grade 3 or lower, with Grade 3 infusion reactions occurring in 1% of patients. The most common symptoms included fever, chills, and hypertension. Bradycardia and hypotension also developed during infusions. In the trial, 5% of patients required interruption of the administration of EMPLICITI for a median of 25 minutes due to infusion reactions, and 1% of patients discontinued due to infusion reactions. Of the patients who experienced an infusion reaction, 70% (23/33) had them during the first dose.

In the ELOQUENT-3 trial, the only infusion reaction symptom was chest discomfort (2%), which was Grade 1. All the patients who experienced an infusion reaction had them during the first treatment cycle.

If a Grade 2 or higher infusion reaction occurs, interrupt the EMPLICITI infusion and institute appropriate medical and supportive measures. If the infusion reaction recurs, stop the EMPLICITI infusion and do not restart it on that day. Severe infusion reactions may require permanent discontinuation of EMPLICITI therapy and emergency treatment.

Premedicate with dexamethasone, H1 blocker, H2 blocker, and acetaminophen prior to EMPLICITI infusion.

Infections

In the ELOQUENT-2 trial (N=635), infections were reported in 81% of patients in the ERd arm and 74% in the Rd arm. Grade 3-4 infections were 28% (ERd) and 24% (Rd). Discontinuations due to infections were 3.5% (ERd) and 4.1% (Rd). Fatal infections were 2.5% (ERd) and 2.2% (Rd). Opportunistic infections were reported in 22% (ERd) and 13% (Rd). Fungal infections were 10% (ERd) and 5% (Rd). Herpes zoster was 14% (ERd) and 7% (Rd).

In the ELOQUENT-3 trial (N=115), infections were reported in 65% of patients in both the EPd arm and the Pd arm. Grade 3-4 infections were reported in 13% (EPd) and 22% (Pd). Discontinuations due to infections were 7% (EPd) and 5% (Pd). Fatal infections were 5% (EPd) and 3.6% (Pd). Opportunistic infections were reported in 10% (EPd) and 9% (Pd). Herpes zoster was reported in 5% (EPd) and 1.8% (Pd).

Monitor patients for development of infections and treat promptly.

Second Primary Malignancies

In the ELOQUENT-2 trial (N=635), invasive second primary malignancies (SPM) were 9% (ERd) and 6% (Rd). The rate of hematologic malignancies was the same between ERd and Rd treatment arms (1.6%). Solid tumors were reported in 3.5% (ERd) and 2.2% (Rd). Skin cancer was reported in 4.4% (ERd) and 2.8% (Rd).

In the ELOQUENT-3 trial (N=115), invasive SPMs were 0% (EPd) and 1.8% (Pd).

Monitor patients for the development of SPMs.

Hepatotoxicity

In the ELOQUENT-2 trial (N=635), AST/ALT >3X the upper limit, total bilirubin >2X the upper limit, and alkaline phosphatase <2X the upper limit were 2.5% (ERd) vs 0.6% (Rd). Of 8 patients experiencing hepatotoxicity, 2 patients discontinued treatment while 6 patients had resolution and continued. Monitor liver enzymes periodically. Stop EMPLICITI upon =Grade 3 elevation of liver enzymes. Continuation of treatment may be considered after return to baseline values.

Interference with Determination of Complete Response

EMPLICITI is a humanized IgG kappa monoclonal antibody that can be detected on both the serum protein electrophoresis and immunofixation assays used for the clinical monitoring of endogenous M-protein. This interference can impact the determination of complete response and possibly relapse from complete response in patients with IgG kappa myeloma protein.

Pregnancy/Females and Males of Reproductive Potential

There are no available data on EMPLICITI use in pregnant women to inform a drug-associated risk of major birth defects and miscarriage.

There is a risk of fetal harm, including severe life-threatening human birth defects, associated with lenalidomide and pomalidomide, and they are contraindicated for use in pregnancy. Refer to the respective product full prescribing information for requirements regarding contraception and the prohibitions against blood and/or sperm donation due to presence and transmission in blood and/or semen and for additional information.

Adverse Reactions

ELOQUENT-2 trial:

Serious adverse reactions were 65% (ERd) and 57% (Rd). The most frequent serious adverse reactions in the ERd arm compared to the Rd arm were: pneumonia (15%, 11%), pyrexia (7%, 5%), respiratory tract infection (3.1%, 1.3%), anemia (2.8%, 1.9%), pulmonary embolism (3.1%, 2.5%), and acute renal failure (2.5%, 1.9%).

The most common adverse reactions in ERd and Rd, respectively (=20%) were fatigue (62%, 52%), diarrhea (47%, 36%), pyrexia (37%, 25%), constipation (36%, 27%), cough (34%, 19%), peripheral neuropathy (27%, 21%), nasopharyngitis (25%, 19%), upper respiratory tract infection (23%, 17%), decreased appetite (21%, 13%), and pneumonia (20%, 14%).

ELOQUENT-3 trial:

Serious adverse reactions were 22% (EPd) and 15% (Pd). The most frequent serious adverse reactions in the EPd arm compared to the Pd arm were: pneumonia (13%, 11%) and respiratory tract infection (7%, 3.6%).

The most common adverse reactions in EPd arm (=20% EPd) and Pd, respectively, were constipation (22%, 11%) and hyperglycemia (20%, 15%).

Please see the full Prescribing Information

About Sprycel

Sprycel is a second-generation tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) designed to help inhibit BCR-ABL, an abnormal protein found on the mutated Philadelphia chromosome in most patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) and some patients with ALL, which can trigger the overproduction of damaged or immature white blood cells. By targeting the BCR-ABL protein, Sprycel can reduce the number of damaged white blood cells in the body, allowing for the production of more normal cells.

Sprycel is currently approved in more than 60 countries for the treatment of adults with Ph+ ALL or Ph+ CML in chronic phase (CP-CML) who are resistant or intolerant to prior therapy, and in more than 50 countries for the treatment of adults with newly diagnosed Ph+ CP-CML. In 2017, Sprycel received its first pediatric indication when it becamethe first second-generation TKI approved for the treatment of patients one year of age and older with Ph+ CP-CML. Sprycel is also approved in combination with chemotherapy for the treatment of pediatric patients with newly diagnosed Ph+ ALL.

In Europe, both pediatric indications for Sprycel include the PFOS formulation, the approvals of which made Sprycel the first TKI with an approved powder formulation for administration in pediatric patients with Ph+ CP-CML and Ph+ ALL. The PFOS formulation is also approved for adult patients with Ph+ CP-CML who cannot swallow tablets.

U.S. FDA-APPROVED INDICATIONS FOR SPRYCEL

SPRYCEL (dasatinib) is indicated for the treatment of adult patients with:

Newly diagnosed Philadelphia chromosome-positive (Ph+) chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) in chronic phase

Chronic, accelerated, or myeloid or lymphoid blast phase Ph+ CML with resistance or intolerance to prior therapy including imatinib

Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia (Ph+ ALL) with resistance or intolerance to prior therapy

SPRYCEL is indicated for the treatment of pediatric patients 1 year of age and older with:

Ph+ CML in chronic phase

Newly diagnosed Ph+ ALL in combination with chemotherapy

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

Myelosuppression:

Treatment with SPRYCEL is associated with severe (NCI CTCAE Grade 3/4) thrombocytopenia, neutropenia, and anemia, which occur earlier and more frequently in patients with advanced phase CML or Ph+ ALL than in patients with chronic phase CML.

Myelosuppression was reported in patients with normal baseline laboratory values as well as in patients with pre-existing laboratory abnormalities.

In patients with chronic phase CML, perform complete blood counts (CBCs) every 2 weeks for 12 weeks, then every 3 months thereafter, or as clinically indicated

In patients with advanced phase CML or Ph+ ALL, perform CBCs weekly for the first 2 months and then monthly thereafter, or as clinically indicated

In pediatric patients with Ph+ ALL treated with SPRYCEL in combination with chemotherapy, perform CBCs prior to the start of each block of chemotherapy and as clinically indicated. During the consolidation blocks of chemotherapy, perform CBCs every 2 days until recovery

Myelosuppression is generally reversible and usually managed by withholding SPRYCEL temporarily and/or dose reduction

In clinical studies, myelosuppression may have also been managed by discontinuation of study therapy

Hematopoietic growth factor has been used in patients with resistant myelosuppression

Bleeding-Related Events:

SPRYCEL can cause serious and fatal bleeding. In all CML or Ph+ ALL clinical studies, Grade =3 central nervous system (CNS) hemorrhages, including fatalities, occurred in <1% of patients receiving SPRYCEL. The incidence of Grade 3/4 hemorrhage occurred in 5.8% of adult patients and generally required treatment interruptions and transfusions. The incidence of Grade 5 hemorrhage occurred in 0.4% of adult patients. The most frequent site of hemorrhage was gastrointestinal.

Most bleeding events in clinical studies were associated with severe thrombocytopenia

In addition to causing thrombocytopenia in human subjects, dasatinib caused platelet dysfunction in vitro

Concomitant medications that inhibit platelet function or anticoagulants may increase the risk of hemorrhage

Fluid Retention:

SPRYCEL may cause fluid retention. After 5 years of follow-up in the adult randomized newly diagnosed chronic phase CML study (n=258), grade 3/4 fluid retention was reported in 5% of patients, including 3% of patients with grade 3/4 pleural effusion. In adult patients with newly diagnosed or imatinib-resistant or -intolerant chronic phase CML, grade 3/4 fluid retention occurred in 6% of patients treated with SPRYCEL at the recommended dose (n=548). In adult patients with advanced phase CML or Ph+ ALL treated with SPRYCEL at the recommended dose (n=304), grade 3/4 fluid retention was reported in 8% of patients, including grade 3/4 pleural effusion reported in 7% of patients. In pediatric patients with chronic phase CML, cases of Grade 1 or 2 fluid retention were reported in 10.3% of patients.

Patients who develop symptoms of pleural effusion or other fluid retention, such as new or worsened dyspnea on exertion or at rest, pleuritic chest pain, or dry cough should be evaluated promptly with a chest x-ray or additional diagnostic imaging as appropriate

Fluid retention events were typically managed by supportive care measures that may include diuretics or short courses of steroids

Severe pleural effusion may require thoracentesis and oxygen therapy

Consider dose reduction or treatment interruption

Cardiovascular Events:

SPRYCEL can cause cardiac dysfunction. After 5 years of follow-up in the randomized, newly diagnosed chronic phase CML trial in adults (n=258), the following cardiac adverse reactions occurred:

Cardiac ischemic events (3.9% dasatinib vs 1.6% imatinib), cardiac-related fluid retention (8.5% dasatinib vs 3.9% imatinib), and conduction system abnormalities, most commonly arrhythmia and palpitations (7.0% dasatinib vs 5.0% imatinib). Two cases (0.8%) of peripheral arterial occlusive disease occurred with imatinib and 2 (0.8%) transient ischemic attacks occurred with dasatinib

Monitor patients for signs or symptoms consistent with cardiac dysfunction and treat appropriately.

Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PAH):

SPRYCEL may increase the risk of developing PAH in adult and pediatric patients, which may occur any time after initiation, including after more than 1 year of treatment. Manifestations include dyspnea, fatigue, hypoxia, and fluid retention. PAH may be reversible on discontinuation of SPRYCEL.

Evaluate patients for signs and symptoms of underlying cardiopulmonary disease prior to initiating SPRYCEL and during treatment. If PAH is confirmed, SPRYCEL should be permanently discontinued

QT Prolongation:

SPRYCEL may increase the risk of prolongation of QTc in patients including those with hypokalemia or hypomagnesemia, patients with congenital long QT syndrome, patients taking antiarrhythmic medicines or other medicinal products that lead to QT prolongation, and cumulative high-dose anthracycline therapy.

Correct hypokalemia or hypomagnesemia prior to and during SPRYCEL administration

Severe Dermatologic Reactions:

Cases of severe mucocutaneous dermatologic reactions, including Stevens-Johnson syndrome and erythema multiforme, have been reported in patients treated with SPRYCEL.

Discontinue permanently in patients who experience a severe mucocutaneous reaction during treatment if no other etiology can be identified

Tumor Lysis Syndrome (TLS):

TLS has been reported in patients with resistance to prior imatinib therapy, primarily in advanced phase disease.

Due to potential for TLS, maintain adequate hydration, correct uric acid levels prior to initiating therapy with SPRYCEL, and monitor electrolyte levels

Patients with advanced stage disease and/or high tumor burden may be at increased risk and should be monitored more frequently

Embryo-Fetal Toxicity:

Based on limited human data, SPRYCEL can cause fetal harm when administered to a pregnant woman. Hydrops fetalis, fetal leukopenia and fetal thrombocytopenia have been reported with maternal exposure to SPRYCEL. Transplacental transfer of dasatinib has been measured in fetal plasma and amniotic fluid at concentrations comparable to those in maternal plasma.

Advise females of reproductive potential to avoid pregnancy, which may include the use of effective contraception, during treatment with SPRYCEL and for 30 days after the final dose

Effects on Growth and Development in Pediatric Patients:

In pediatric trials of SPRYCEL in chronic phase CML after at least 2 years of treatment, adverse reactions associated with bone growth and development were reported in 5 (5.2%) patients, one of which was severe in intensity (Growth Retardation Grade 3). These 5 cases included cases of epiphyses delayed fusion, osteopenia, growth retardation, and gynecomastia. Of these 5 cases, 1 case of osteopenia and 1 case of gynecomastia resolved during treatment.

Monitor bone growth and development in pediatric patients.

Lactation:

No data are available regarding the presence of dasatinib in human milk, the effects of the drug on the breastfed child, or the effects of the drug on milk production. However, dasatinib is present in the milk of lactating rats.

Because of the potential for serious adverse reactions in nursing children from SPRYCEL, breastfeeding is not recommended during treatment with SPRYCEL and for 2 weeks after the final dose

Drug Interactions:

Effect of Other Drugs on Dasatinib

Strong CYP3A4 inhibitors: The coadministration with strong CYP3A inhibitors may increase dasatinib concentrations. Increased dasatinib concentrations may increase the risk of toxicity. Avoid concomitant use of strong CYP3A4 inhibitors. If concomitant administration of a strong CYP3A4 inhibitor cannot be avoided, consider a SPRYCEL dose reduction Grapefruit juice may increase plasma concentrations of SPRYCEL and should be avoided

The coadministration with strong CYP3A inhibitors may increase dasatinib concentrations. Increased dasatinib concentrations may increase the risk of toxicity. Avoid concomitant use of strong CYP3A4 inhibitors. If concomitant administration of a strong CYP3A4 inhibitor cannot be avoided, consider a SPRYCEL dose reduction Strong CYP3A4 inducers: The coadministration of SPRYCEL with strong CYP3A inducers may decrease dasatinib concentrations. Decreased dasatinib concentrations may reduce efficacy. Consider alternative drugs with less enzyme induction potential. If concomitant administration of a strong CYP3A4 inducer cannot be avoided, consider a SPRYCEL dose increase St. John's wort may decrease plasma concentrations of SPRYCEL and should be avoided

The coadministration of SPRYCEL with strong CYP3A inducers may decrease dasatinib concentrations. Decreased dasatinib concentrations may reduce efficacy. Consider alternative drugs with less enzyme induction potential. If concomitant administration of a strong CYP3A4 inducer cannot be avoided, consider a SPRYCEL dose increase Gastric Acid Reducing Agents: The coadministration of SPRYCEL with a gastric acid reducing agent may decrease the concentrations of dasatinib. Decreased dasatinib concentrations may reduce efficacy

Do not administer H2 antagonists or proton pump inhibitors with SPRYCEL. Consider the use of antacids in place of H2 antagonists or proton pump inhibitors. Administer the antacid at least 2 hours prior to or 2 hours after the dose of SPRYCEL. Avoid simultaneous administration of SPRYCEL with antacids.

Adverse Reactions:

The safety data reflects exposure to SPRYCEL administered as single-agent therapy at all doses tested in clinical studies (n=2809) including 324 adult patients with newly diagnosed chronic phase CML, 2388 adult patients with imatinib-resistant or -intolerant chronic or advanced phase CML or Ph+ ALL, and 97 pediatric patients with chronic phase CML.

The median duration of therapy in all 2712 SPRYCEL-treated adult patients was 19.2 months (range 0-93.2 months). Median duration of therapy in:

1618 adult patients with chronic phase CML was 29 months (range 0-92.9 months) Median duration for 324 adult patients in the newly diagnosed chronic phase CML trial was approximately 60 months

1094 adult patients with advanced phase CML or Ph+ ALL was 6.2 months (range 0-93.2 months)

In two non-randomized trials in 97 pediatric patients with chronic phase CML (51 patients newly diagnosed and 46 patients resistant or intolerant to previous treatment with imatinib), the median duration of therapy was 51.1 months (range 1.9 to 99.6 months).

In a multicohort study of SPRYCEL administered continuously in combination with multiagent chemotherapy in 81 pediatric patients with newly diagnosed Ph+ ALL, the median duration of therapy was 24 months (range 2 to 27 months).

In the newly diagnosed adult chronic phase CML trial, after a minimum of 60 months of follow-up, the cumulative discontinuation rate for 258 patients was 39%.

In the overall population of 2712 adult patients, 88% of patients experienced adverse reactions at some time and 19% experienced adverse reactions leading to treatment discontinuation.

Among the 1618 adult patients with chronic phase CML, drug-related adverse reactions leading to discontinuation were reported in 329 (20.3%) patients.

In the adult newly diagnosed chronic phase CML trial, drug was discontinued for adverse reactions in 16% of SPRYCEL-treated patients with a minimum of 60 months of follow-up

Among the 1094 adult patients with advanced phase CML or Ph+ ALL, drug-related adverse reactions leading to discontinuation were reported in 191 (17.5%) patients.

Among the 97 CML pediatric subjects, drug-related adverse reactions leading to discontinuation were reported in 1 patient (1%).

Patients =65 years are more likely to experience the commonly reported adverse reactions of fatigue, pleural effusion, diarrhea, dyspnea, cough, lower gastrointestinal hemorrhage, and appetite disturbance, and more likely to experience the less frequently reported adverse reactions of abdominal distention, dizziness, pericardial effusion, congestive heart failure, hypertension, pulmonary edema and weight decrease, and should be monitored closely.

In adult newly diagnosed chronic phase CML patients: Drug-related serious adverse reactions (SARs) were reported for 16.7% of patients. Serious adverse reactions reported in =5% of patients included pleural effusion (5%) Grade 3/4 laboratory abnormalities included neutropenia (29%), thrombocytopenia (22%), anemia (13%), hypophosphatemia (7%), hypocalcemia (4%), elevated bilirubin (1%), and elevated creatinine (1%)

In adult patients resistant or intolerant to prior imatinib therapy: Drug-related SARs were reported for 26.1% of SPRYCEL-treated patients treated at the recommended dose of 100 mg once daily in the randomized dose-optimization trial of patients with chronic phase CML resistant or intolerant to prior imatinib therapy. Serious adverse reactions reported in =5% of patients included pleural effusion (10%) Grade 3/4 hematologic laboratory abnormalities in chronic phase CML patients resistant or intolerant to prior imatinib therapy who received SPRYCEL 100 mg once daily with a minimum follow up of 60 months included neutropenia (36%), thrombocytopenia (24%), and anemia (13%). Other grade 3/4 laboratory abnormalities included: hypophosphatemia (10%), and hypokalemia (2%) Among chronic phase CML patients with resistance or intolerance to prior imatinib therapy, cumulative grade 3/4 cytopenias were similar at 2 and 5 years including: neutropenia (36% vs 36%), thrombocytopenia (23% vs 24%) and anemia (13% vs 13%) Grade 3/4 elevations of transaminases or bilirubin and Grade 3/4 hypocalcemia, hypokalemia, and hypophosphatemia were reported in patients with all phases of CML Elevations in transaminases or bilirubin were usually managed with dose reduction or interruption Patients developing Grade 3/4 hypocalcemia during the course of SPRYCEL therapy often had recovery with oral calcium supplementation

In pediatric subjects with Ph+ CML in chronic phase Drug-related SARs were reported for 14.4% of pediatric patients Adverse reactions associated with bone growth and development were reported in 5 (5.2%) pediatric patients with chronic phase CML In the pediatric studies, the rates of laboratory abnormalities were consistent with the known profile for laboratory parameters in adults

In pediatric subjects with Ph+ ALL who were administered SPRYCEL in combination with multiagent chemotherapy Fatal adverse reactions occurred in 3 patients (4%), all of which were due to infections Eight patients (10%) experienced adverse reactions leading to treatment discontinuation The most common serious adverse reactions (incidence =10%) were pyrexia, febrile neutropenia, mucositis, diarrhea, sepsis, hypotension, infections (bacterial, viral and fungal), hypersensitivity, vomiting, renal insufficiency, abdominal pain, and musculoskeletal pain Grade 3/4 laboratory abnormalities (=10%) included neutropenia (96%), thrombocytopenia (88%), anemia (82%), elevated SGPT (ALT) (47%), hypokalemia (40%), elevated SGOT (AST) (26%), hypocalcemia (19%), hyponatremia (19%), elevated bilirubin (11%), and hypophosphatemia (11%)



Most common adverse reactions (=15%) in patients receiving SPRYCEL as single-agent therapy included myelosuppression, fluid retention events, diarrhea, headache, skin rash, hemorrhage, dyspnea, fatigue, nausea, and musculoskeletal pain.

Most common adverse reactions (=30%) in pediatric patients receiving SPRYCEL in combination with chemotherapy included mucositis, febrile neutropenia, pyrexia, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, musculoskeletal pain, abdominal pain, cough, headache, rash, fatigue, constipation, arrhythmia, hypertension, edema, infections (bacterial, viral and fungal), hypotension, decreased appetite, hypersensitivity, dyspnea, epistaxis, peripheral neuropathy, and altered state of consciousness.

Please see full Prescribing Information

About the Bristol-Myers Squibb and Ono Pharmaceutical Collaboration

In 2011, through a collaboration agreement with Ono Pharmaceutical Co., Bristol-Myers Squibb expanded its territorial rights to develop and commercialize Opdivo globally, except in Japan, South Korea and Taiwan, where Ono had retained all rights to the compound at the time. On July 23, 2014, Ono and Bristol-Myers Squibb further expanded the companies' strategic collaboration agreement to jointly develop and commercialize multiple immunotherapies as single agents and combination regimens for patients with cancer in Japan, South Korea and Taiwan.

About Bristol-Myers Squibb

Bristol-Myers Squibb is a global biopharmaceutical company whose mission is to discover, develop and deliver innovative medicines that help patients prevail over serious diseases. For more information about Bristol-Myers Squibb, visit us at BMS.com or follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube and Facebook.

Bristol-Myers Squibb Forward-Looking Statement

This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 regarding the research, development and commercialization of pharmaceutical products. All statements that are not statements of historical facts are, or may be deemed to be, forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are based on historical performance and current expectations and projections about our future financial results, goals, plans and objectives and involve inherent risks, assumptions and uncertainties, including internal or external factors that could delay, divert or change any of them in the next several years, and could cause our future financial results, goals, plans and objectives to differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, the statements. No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed. Forward-looking statements in this press release should be evaluated together with the many uncertainties that affect Bristol-Myers Squibb's business, particularly those identified in the cautionary factors discussion in Bristol-Myers Squibb's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018, as updated by our subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The forward-looking statements included in this document are made only as of the date of this document and except as otherwise required by federal securities law, Bristol-Myers Squibb undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, changed circumstances or otherwise.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190516006042/en/

Contacts:

Bristol-Myers Squibb Company

Media Inquiries:

Ken Dominski

609-302-3114

ken.dominski@bms.com

Investors:

Tim Power

609-252-7509

timothy.power@bms.com
NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWS WIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES

VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / May 16, 2019 / First Mining Gold Corp. ("First Mining" or the "Company") (TSX: FF) (OTCQX: FFMGF) (FRANKFURT: FMG) is pleased to announce that due to strong demand, the Company has upsized and closed its previously announced non-brokered private placement offering, raising aggregate gross proceeds of $7,411,508 (the "Offering").

Pursuant to the Offering, First Mining issued 20,412,995 units of the Company (the "Units") at a price of $0.27 per Unit for gross proceeds of $5,511,508, and 5,277,777 flow-through units of the Company (the "FT Units") at a price of $0.36 per FT Unit for gross proceeds of $1,900,000.

Each Unit consists of one common share of the Company (a "Unit Share") and one-half of one common share purchase warrant (each whole common share purchase warrant, a "Warrant"). Each Warrant will entitle the holder to acquire one common share of the Company at a price of $0.40 at any time prior to the date which is three years following the closing date of the Offering.

Each FT Unit consists of one flow-through common share of the Company that qualifies as a "flow-through share" for the purposes of the Income Tax Act (Canada) (a "FT Unit Share") and one-half of one Warrant on the same terms as the Warrants forming part of the Units.

The Unit Shares, the FT Unit Shares and the Warrants issued pursuant to the Offering are subject to a hold period under applicable Canadian securities laws of four months and one day from closing, expiring on September 17, 2019.

The net proceeds from the sale of the Units issued under the Offering will be used by the Company for development and permitting activities at its Canadian gold projects, as well as for general working capital purposes. The gross proceeds raised from the sale of the FT Units under the Offering will be used by the Company to fund exploration programs that qualify as "Canadian Exploration Expenses" ("CEE") and "flow-through mining expenditures", as those terms are defined in the Income Tax Act (Canada), and as "eligible Ontario exploration expenditures" for the purposes of the Taxation Act, 2007 (Ontario).

This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any of the securities in the United States. The securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States 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 (as such term is defined in Regulation S under the U.S. Securities Act) unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or an exemption from such registration is available.

About First Mining Gold Corp.

First Mining Gold Corp. is an emerging development company with a diversified portfolio of gold projects in North America. Having assembled a large resource base of 7.3 million ounces of gold in the Measured and Indicated categories and 3.6 million ounces of gold in the Inferred category in mining friendly jurisdictions of eastern Canada, First Mining is now focused on advancing its material assets towards a construction decision and, ultimately, to production. The Company currently holds a portfolio of 24 mineral assets in Canada, Mexico and the United States, and we may acquire additional mineral assets in the future.

ON BEHALF OF FIRST MINING GOLD CORP.

Daniel W. Wilton

Chief Executive Officer and Director

For further information, please contact:

Mal Karwowska | Vice President, Corporate Development & Investor Relations

Direct: 604.639.8824 | Toll Free: 1.844.306.8827 | Email: info@firstmininggold.com

www.firstmininggold.com

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

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 the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release. Forward-looking statements are frequently, but not always, identified by words such as "expects", "anticipates", "believes", "plans", "projects", "intends", "estimates", "envisages", "potential", "possible", "strategy", "goals", "objectives", or variations thereof or stating that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved, or the negative of any of these terms and similar expressions.

Forward-looking statements in this news release relate to future events or future performance and reflect current estimates, predictions, expectations or beliefs regarding future events and include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to: (i) the use of the net proceeds from the Offering; (ii) the use of the gross proceeds from the sale of the FT Units issued under the Offering to fund exploration programs that qualify as CEE; (iii) the Company's focus on advancing its assets towards production; and (iv) realizing the value of the Company's gold projects for the Company's shareholders. All forward-looking statements are based on First Mining's or its consultants' current beliefs as well as various assumptions made by them and information currently available to them. 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. Forward-looking statements reflect the beliefs, opinions and projections on the date the statements are made and are based upon a number of assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by the respective parties, are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties and contingencies. Many factors, both known and unknown, could cause actual 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 and the parties have made assumptions and estimates based on or related to many of these factors. Such factors include, without limitation: failure to obtain regulatory approval; demand for the Units and FT Units; fluctuations in the spot and forward price of gold, silver, base metals or certain other commodities; fluctuations in the currency markets (such as the Canadian dollar versus the U.S. dollar); changes in national and local government, legislation, taxation, controls, regulations and political or economic developments; risks and hazards associated with the business of mineral exploration, development and mining (including environmental hazards, industrial accidents, unusual or unexpected formations, pressures, cave-ins and flooding); the presence of laws and regulations that may impose restrictions on mining; employee relations; relationships with and claims by local communities, indigenous populations and other stakeholders; availability and increasing costs associated with mining inputs and labour; the speculative nature of mineral exploration and development; title to properties.; and the additional risks described in the Company's Annual Information Form for the year ended December 31, 2018 filed with the Canadian securities regulatory authorities under the Company's SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com, and in the Company's Annual Report on Form 40-F filed with the SEC on EDGAR.

First Mining cautions that the foregoing list of factors that may affect future results is not exhaustive. When relying on our forward-looking statements to make decisions with respect to First Mining, investors and others should carefully consider the foregoing factors and other uncertainties and potential events. First Mining does not undertake to update any forward-looking statement, whether written or oral, that may be made from time to time by the Company or on our behalf, except as required by law.

Cautionary Note to United States Investors

This news release has been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the securities laws in effect in Canada, which differ from the requirements of U.S. securities laws. Unless otherwise indicated, all resource and reserve estimates included in this news release have been prepared in accordance with National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101") and the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy, and Petroleum 2014 Definition Standards on Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves. NI 43-101 is a rule developed by the Canadian Securities Administrators which establishes standards for all public disclosure an issuer makes of scientific and technical information concerning mineral projects. Canadian standards, including NI 43-101, differ significantly from the requirements of the SEC, and mineral resource and reserve information contained herein may not be comparable to similar information disclosed by U.S. companies. In particular, and without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the term "resource" does not equate to the term "reserves". Under U.S. standards, mineralization may not be classified as a "reserve" unless the determination has been made that the mineralization could be economically and legally produced or extracted at the time the reserve determination is made. The SEC's disclosure standards normally do not permit the inclusion of information concerning "measured mineral resources", "indicated mineral resources" or "inferred mineral resources" or other descriptions of the amount of mineralization in mineral deposits that do not constitute "reserves" by U.S. standards in documents filed with the SEC. Investors are cautioned not to assume that any part or all of mineral deposits in these categories will ever be converted into reserves. U.S. investors should also understand that "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, estimated "inferred mineral resources" may not form the basis of feasibility or pre-feasibility studies except in rare cases. Investors are cautioned not to assume that all or any part of an "inferred mineral resource" exists or is economically or legally mineable. Disclosure of "contained ounces" in a resource is permitted disclosure under Canadian regulations; however, the SEC normally only permits issuers to report mineralization that does not constitute "reserves" by SEC standards as in-place tonnage and grade without reference to unit measures. The requirements of NI 43-101 for identification of "reserves" are also not the same as those of the SEC, and reserves reported by the Company in compliance with NI 43-101 may not qualify as "reserves" under SEC standards. Accordingly, information concerning mineral deposits set forth herein may not be comparable with information made public by companies that report in accordance with U.S. standards.

SOURCE: First Mining Gold Corp.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/545652/First-Mining-Closes-Upsized-74-Million-Non-Brokered-Private-Placement-Financing
Until 31 December 2018, Mittal was a shareholder of Navoday Consultants, which in turn was a shareholder in certain companies run by his brothers Pramod and Vinod Mittal, which had defaulted on bank loans.

New Delhi: Prashant Ruia, the promotor of debt-ridden Essar Steel, Wednesday submitted before the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal that the resolution plan moved by ArcelorMittal is in violation of the Insolvency & Bankruptcy Code (IBC).

Senior advocate U K Chaudhary, representing Ruia, said that the proposal of ArcelorMittal India was in violation of IBC code as the proposal if approved negates the right of Subrogation of the Guarantor.

"Item 18 in the adendum of the resolution plan says that Subrogation right of the guarantor would stand extinguished on the approval of the resolution plan," he said.

Subrogation means substitution of one person or group by another in respect of a debt. With subrogation right, a guarantor can step into the shoes of a creditor.

According to Chaudhary, this was illegal and was in violation of the Indian Contract Act and requested the appellate tribunal to quash the plan.

"This is also in violation of IB Code," he said, adding that the resolution plan should either be rejected or this clause should be deleted.

Ruia was one of the personal guarantors to financial creditors, on which they gave money to the company, said Chaudhary.

Meanwhile, senior advocate Haren Raval, representing Essar Steel Asia Holdings Ltd (ESAHL) concluded his arguments.

He submitted that the CoC was aware about the ineligibility of ArcelorMittal and despite that, it went ahead and voted in favour of the resolution plan submitted by it.

It has alleged ArcelorMittal chairman and chief executive officer LN Mittal has suppressed vital facts that would otherwise render him ineligible to offer a buyout plan for the distressed steel mill under Section 29A of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC).

Until 31 December 2018, Mittal was a shareholder of Navoday Consultants, which in turn was a shareholder in certain companies run by his brothers Pramod and Vinod Mittal, which had defaulted on bank loans.

Mittal's association with these companies would make him ineligible as a bidder.

While Karur Vysya Bank has also moved the NCLAT claiming dues worth Rs 3.5 crore for KKS Petron.

Karur Vysya, claimed to be a financial creditor of KKS Petron, in which, Mittal paid around Rs 4,000 crore to clear dues to be eligible to bid for EssarSteel.

The appellate tribunal would continue its hearing on Thursday (today).
By Hideyuki Sano TOKYO (Reuters) - Asian shares steadied on Thursday on news that U.S. President Donald Trump is planning to delay tariffs on auto imports, providing much needed relief to markets hit by a flare-up in trade tensions and on weak U.S. and and Chinese economic data.

By Hideyuki Sano

TOKYO (Reuters) - Asian shares steadied on Thursday on news that U.S. President Donald Trump is planning to delay tariffs on auto imports, providing much needed relief to markets hit by a flare-up in trade tensions and on weak U.S. and and Chinese economic data.

MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan was flat, with both Australia and South Korea little changed.

Japan's Nikkei fell 0.6%, with banks hurt by weak earnings.

On Wednesday, Wall Street shares extended their rebound, with the S&P 500 gaining 0.58% and the MSCI's broadest gauge of world stocks bouncing back from a two-month low hit on Tuesday.

The uptick came after three administration officials told Reuters on Wednesday that Trump is expected to delay a decision on tariffs on imported cars and parts by up to six months.

Hyundai Motor jumped more than 5% but reaction in Japanese carmaker shares was muted.

Also on Wednesday, less than a week after Washington slapped higher tariffs on $250 billion imports from China, U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said he will likely travel to Beijing soon to continue negotiations with Chinese counterparts.

The positive trade developments lifted risk sentiment that had been dampened earlier in the session by weak economic data.

China reported surprisingly weaker growth in retail sales and industrial output for April, with overall retail sales posting the slowest increase since May 2003.

In the U.S., retail sales unexpectedly fell in April as households cut back on purchases of motor vehicles and a range of other goods, while industrial production fell 0.5% in April, the third drop this year.

That prompted the Atlanta Federal Reserve's GDPNow forecast model to cut the second-quarter growth estimate to 1.1% from 1.6% estimated on May 9.

Weak data underpinned U.S. bond prices, pushing down their yields further.

The 10-year U.S. Treasuries yield eased to 2.376 percent, near its 15-month low of 2.340 percent touched on March 28.

The two-year notes yield hit a 15-month low of 2.139 percent on Wednesday and last stood at 2.155 percent.

Fed funds rate futures are fully pricing in a rate cut by the end of this year and more than a 50 percent chance of a move by September.

"The markets are inching step by step in pricing in a rate cut. That is a sea change from a year ago when the consensus was three to four rate hikes a year," said Akira Takei, bond fund manager at Asset Management One.

Oil prices edged up on the prospect of mounting tensions in the Middle East hitting global supplies despite an unexpected build in U.S. crude inventories.

Brent crude rose 0.7% to $72.25 a barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude fetched $62.45 a barrel, up 0.7%.

The United States pulled staff from its embassy in Baghdad on Wednesday out of apparent concern about perceived threats from Iran.

The sabotage of the tankers, for which no one has claimed responsibility, and Saudi Arabia's announcement on Tuesday that armed drones hit two of its oil pumping stations have raised concerns Washington and Tehran may be inching toward conflict.

(Editing by Shri Navaratnam)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
South Africa: Crackdown on unregulated medical practices

The law enforcement authorities are cracking down on unregulated medical practices.

A total of 17 unregistered doctors were arrested in different parts of Gauteng when the authorities raided their practices.

Sixteen of them pleaded guilty and had to pay fines ranging from R5 000 to R20 000 or a jail term not exceeding six months.

The crackdown was led by the National Traffic Anti-Corruption Unit of the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RMTC) in collaboration with the Health Professions Council of South Africa and the South African Medical Products Regulatory Authority.

The authorities carried out similar operations in the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro, where at least two suspects were arrested for allegedly practicing medicine unlawfully while two others were taken in for questioning.

Investigations are continuing and more arrests are expected, the RMTC said on Wednesday.

The RMTC said the arrested doctors allegedly issued medical certificates without subjecting patients to the necessary medical examination.

The RMTIC will also be turning their focus to the fraud pertaining to the issuing of drivers permits - which are a contributor to the high road fatalities.

The Eastern Cape is one of the provinces experiencing a high number of road fatalities and everything needs to be done to assist the province to reduce these fatalities.

According to the RMTC, a total of 9 195 public drivers permits were issued in the Metro last year alone.

It believes that many of these were issued to undeserving individuals.

Investigations are continuing in different parts of the country. Citizens are encouraged to assist the authorities by reporting these unlawful activities on 0861400800 or ntacu@rtmc.co.za.  SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2019-05-16. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Antimo, 37, drove to pick up her son, who was carrying a shopping bag with the baby inside. As they drove off to an unspecified location, Antimo realized the baby was still alive when she heard him making a noise, according to prosecutors. Antimo then drove to a nearby firehouse where firefighters worked to save the boys life.
Slowing vehicle sales, muted consumer spending, low retail loan outflow and struggling factory output are indicating a worrying trend of an economic slowdown in Asias third-largest economy.

Slowing vehicle sales, muted consumer spending, low retail loan outflow and struggling factory output are indicating a worrying trend of an economic slowdown in Asias third-largest economy. But, its not just about the domestic indicators, even foreign trade is showing signs of stress that could weaken the chances of an economic rebound for India in the near-term.

At a time when Indian politicians are celebrating the grand return of competitive populism as a short-cut to win votes, promising free income and job reservations to the majority of Indians, exports are slowing and imports are climbing, further weakening the government's deficit figures. In fact, the export growth dropped to a four-month low of 0.64 percent in April. The dip was visible across segmentsengineering goods, gems and jewellery, leather and other products. On the other hand, imports have gone up by 4.5 percentthe highest growth in the last six months as crude oil and gold shipments shot up in April 2019.

Merchandise exports stood at $26 billion in April while imports at $41.4 billion, leading to a trade gap of $15.33 billion. All this means the trade deficit has widened to a five-month high since November 2018. Economic growth is slowing in important markets. This holds true for China, the United States and Europe, too. In China, industrial production growththe output of industrial sectors in Chinas economy, including manufacturingfell to 5.4 percent from 8.5 percent in March, a report said, adding retail sales, a measure of consumer demand in China, grew by 7.2 percent in April, well below 8.7 percent rate in March and the lowest in 13 years. Remember, this is even before the heat of an ensuing trade war tariffs had taken effect.

In the US, the vehicle sales have been slowing and top executives in auto firms are worried about the state of the falling auto sales figures, the CNBC reported. A host of other indicators too is pointing towards a slowdown phase in that economy. In Europe, things arent better either. That region is on a shaky wicket. If the US-China trade war escalates and the tariff war spills over to Europe, it will take a toll on the region. This will have a direct impact on Indias prospects in a highly integrated world economy. What will be another deciding factor for India is the course of oil prices. Speculations are tilted towards a rise in crude prices if the US-Iran tensions worsen.

For India, which relies on imported oil for 80 percent of its domestic use, a spike in oil prices will not be good news as the government is already running a tight balance sheet. A part of the blame for slowing exports can be blamed on seasonal factors but the reality is a prolonged slowdown is staring at India.

How bad it can be? Rathin Roy, Prime Ministers Economic Advisory Council (PMEAC) recently warned about a middle-income trap in Indian economy. Speaking to NDTV, Roy explained the scenario when the consuming top 100 million middle-income groups cut don their spending, causing a demand lull.

The manufacturing sector, a job creator, is faltering. The Index of industrial production or IIP for March contracted by 0.1 percent as against 5.3 percent growth in the year-ago period. Thats the slowest growth in at least 21 months, revealed data.

In June 2017, IIP growth contracted by 0.3 percent. In the April-March period, the IIP grew by 3.6 percent. During fiscal 2018 (April-March), the factory output had grown 4.4 percent. In April, the Nikkei/IHS Markit Services Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) dropped to 51.0, which is the lowest level since September.

The unemployment situation in the country is largely an undermined issue. The Narendra Modi-government has been refusing to admit it but a set of numbers put out by Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE) shows rising unemployment in the country. According to CMIE data, Indias unemployment rate in April accelerated to 7.6 percent, the highest since October 2016, and up from 6.71 percent in March 2019.

How bad can the economic slowdown be? Are we looking at the start of a recession? Economists rule out a recession for India even though they do not mince words while warning about it.

On the global front trade wars can knock off a few bps from growth but they cannot cause recession. The central banks in advanced countries have already turned dovish. Domestic slowdown is cyclical and needs continuous monitoring. For this fiscal monsoons and oil will play a key role in economic outcome (sic), said D K Joshi, Chief economist at Crisil rating agency.

Gaurav Kapur, the chief economist at IndusInd Bank Ltd, said. Technically a recession is two consecutive quarters of negative growth. India is certainly not looking at that kind of scenario, even if growth is slowing down.

How long will the slowdown phase last for India? Predicting a turnaround is difficult as of now even for seasoned economists. It will take tremendous effort for the country to revive falling demand, get its finances on track and deal with a slowing world economy. There will be no honeymoon period for Indias next government; no amount of window-dressing can work. The task on the economic front is clearly cut out for the next incumbent.

(Data support by Kishor Kadam)
The ongoing trade war between the US and China will help India tap export opportunities in both the countries in areas such as garments, agriculture, automobile and machinery, according to trade experts

New Delhi: The ongoing trade war between the US and China will help India tap export opportunities in both the countries in areas such as garments, agriculture, automobile and machinery, according to trade experts.

Professor at Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT) Rakesh Mohan Joshi said the US has broadly targeted intermediate components from China, particularly machinery and electronics, whereas China is targeting American automotive and agricultural products including Soybean.

"These areas offer huge opportunities for India. Strong opportunity is unfolding for India in apparel and readymade garments as after China, India is the only country in the world to match the scale of operations and integrate its supply chain for global customers," Joshi said.

He added that India needs to make use of this opportunity to significantly enhance its exports especially in information and communications technology (ICT) and the automotive sector.

"To effectively harness the emerging opportunities, India needs a carefully crafted strategy and its meticulous implementation at the grass-roots level," he said.

Sharing similar views, the Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) said the trade war between the US and China is benefitting India.

FIEO President Ganesh Kumar Gupta said India's exports to the US went up by 11.2 percent in 2018, while to China it rose 31.4 percent in the same year.

"China is also more willing than ever before to provide better market access to India on a wide range of agriculture and processed food products. India would be getting better access to the Chinese market as China would like to prove to its citizen that the tariff war has little or no impact on it," he said.

The US and China are significantly raising import duties on each others' products. In international commerce parlance, trade war means increasing import duties by trading partners.

Recently, the US increased import duties from 10 percent to 25 percent on $200 billion worth of Chinese imports. The US is demanding China to reduce the massive trade deficit which last year climbed to over $539 billion.

FIEO Director General Ajay Sahai said it is a "God-sent opportunity" for India to seek huge investments from companies located in China.

"All investments in China with prime focus on the US market may seek relocation and India would definitely be the option. There is a need to move aggressively to woo such investors before they are allured by others," Sahai said.

Assistant Professor and expert on agri economics, Chirala Shankar Rao, said India should work on tapping export opportunities in the agriculture sector in both the countries.

"Indian exporters have all the potential to increase agricultural exports in both these countries," Rao added.

Echoing similar views, Ludhiana-based exporter and FIEO former president S C Ralhan said enormous opportunities are there in the engineering and machinery sector in both the countries and "we have to tap that".

Council for Leather Exports Chairman P R Aqeel Ahmed said the trade war will help India increase footwear exports to the US. "India's footwear exports to the US currently is about $300 million and Chinese exports to the US is $11 billion. Even if we get 10 per cent of this, our exports to the US can grow four times," Ahmed said.

India's bilateral trade with China and the US stood at $89.71 billion and $74.5 billion, respectively, in 2017-18.
The exodus of the top deck in Jet Airways is termed as a major setback to the efforts to revive the debt-laden airline by its lenders.

The exodus of top executives at Jet Airways continues unabatedly even as the lenders to the crisis-hit airline are exploring various options to revive it. Two more top-level officials of the temporarily grounded airline quit on Thursday just two days after the exit of its CEO Vinay Dube and three more senior executives, said media report.

Senior Vice President (Finance) Ravichandran Narayan and Senior Vice-President (Network and Revenue Management) Raj Sivakumar reportedly resigned from their positions, according to CNBC-TV18 quoting sources in the know of the development.

Narayan has over two and half decades of experience spanning treasury, corporate finance and project finance in diversified sectors of manufacturing, international trading, aviation and hospitality in leadership roles, according to the information posted on Jet Airways website. He is a commerce graduate and a qualified chartered accountant.

Sivakumar joined Jet Airways in November 2017 and has nearly two decades of global aviation experience with international carriers like United Airlines. He holds a PhD degree in operations research awarded by the State University of New York, Buffalo.

The cash-starved carrier on Tuesday announced the exit of four executives  Dube, Amit Agarwal-deputy CEO, and Kuldeep SharmaCompany Secretary and, Rahul TanejaChief People Officer. They all left the ailing Jet Airways citing personal reasons.

Shares of Jet Airways are up in morning trade at 4.28 percent at Rs 129 against previous close of Rs 123.70

The exodus of the top deck in Jet Airways is a major setback to the efforts to revive the debt-laden airline by its lenders. The lenders of Jet Airways are yet to give up hopes of becoming it airborne again.

In the latest development, the SBI-led consortium of lenders is looking at a slew of options to resuscitate the ailing airline  from engaging with National Investment & Infrastructure Fund (NIIF), launching a fresh search for a majority investor in Jet Airways and, along with Etihad Airways approach Hinduja Group to come on board as an investor.

The lenders' consortium led by State Bank of India (SBI) and government-backed wealth fund NIIF are expected to meet this week to initiate fresh talks in a bid to strike a deal, said a media report citing people who are aware of the development. The move is seen as a major step towards reviving the embattled airline, which suspended its entire operations on 17 April due to acute liquidity crunch, the report said.

In another development, lenders to Jet Airways and its previous strategic partner Etihad Airways reportedly reached out to Hinduja Group offering a stake in the grounded airline.

Meanwhile, the consortium of lenders are reportedly planning to launch a fresh search for a majority investor in Jet Airways.

In the absence of any major bidders coming up for the stake in Jet Airways, the lenders at a meeting on Monday decided to start another round of search for investors, the report said quoting people aware of the development.
The bank continues to be under a Reserve Bank of India-appointed administrator, after its elected board was alleged to have mismanaged the bank.

Mumbai: Maharashtra State Co-operative Bank (MSC Bank) is looking to enter infrastructure and retail lending segments, to broaden its borrower profile, a senior bank official said on Thursday.

The bank continues to be under a Reserve Bank of India-appointed administrator, after its elected board was alleged to have mismanaged the bank.

"We cannot have all our lending to the sugar factories (cooperatives) alone. What if they go down? Therefore, we have decided to diversify and start infra and retail lending," its administrator Vidyadhar Anaskar told reporters here.

Anaskar said MSC Bank will focus on automobile, home and personal loans under the retail segment, while the infrastructure loans will be for projects which will benefit the state.

He said co-operative banks are allowed to write unsecured loans of up to Rs 2 lakh, which can go up if a salary-linked account is attached to it.

When asked if it is looking to open more branches beyond 57, he said this task will be accomplished through mergers.

It is conducting diligence and negotiations to merge two struggling co-operative banks, one each based in Mumbai and Pune, with itself, he said.

MSC Bank has reported a net profit of Rs 316 crore for the fiscal year 2018-19, up from the year-ago period's Rs 201 crore, while the stock of gross non-performing assets improved to 7.35 percent from 9.91 percent in the Rs 19,700 crore book.

Its capital adequacy stood at 16 percent as against the mandatory requirement of nine percent, while the overall net worth was Rs 2,717 crore.

When asked for a timeline by when the bank will go back to being run by an elected board, Anaskar said the matter is sub judice and will be decided by the Bombay High Court.
Global card payments major Mastercard which has announced an investment of $1 billion (Rs 7,000 crore) in India in the next five years, on Thursday said it expects the existing headcount to double from 2,000 to 4,000 during that period in the country

Hyderabad: Global card payments major Mastercard which has announced an investment of $1 billion (Rs 7,000 crore) in India in the next five years, on Thursday said it expects the existing headcount to double from 2,000 to 4,000 during that period in the country.

"In 2013, the total staff of Mastercard in India was 29 people. Today we are 2,000. All are highly technical qualified staff. This 2,000 represents 14 per cent of Mastercard's global strength. We continue to grow... I believe so," Rajeev Kumar senior vice-president-market development, South Asia for Mastercard said at a press conference here.

"It (headcount) would easily double in the next 5 years. If you had to take the last USD one billion investment (in India) for 2,000 people, we believe it (the fresh USD one billion investment) would easily add another 2,000 (employees)," he added.

Betting big on the growth of Indian digital payments market, Mastercard recently announced an investment of $1 billion over the next five years on increasing infrastructure.

The company has already invested $1 billion in the Indian market in the last five years.

Rajeev Kumar said one-third of the freshly announced investment will go into stepping up "on soil processing capabilities" at Pune.

As per recent RBI guidelines, data pertaining to Indians transacting in India should remain on Indian soil.

Mastercard has already stared "on soil processing" in its Pune facility during October last year.

"This is the first time that we will be going out of USA for an on soil processing one. After the USA this (India) will be the first time Mastercard is going to set up an on soil processing capability outside the USA with end-to-end capability," the official said.

He also said over Rs 2,000 crore (part of $1 billion fresh investment) will be spent on setting up "Services Hub" to add value added services such as identification, tokenisation, security and analytics support.

"This will be for India and most probably for the rest of the world. Approximately one-third of the investment ($1 billion) about $300 million or about Rs 2,000 crore will go into soil processing and an equal sum will go into services hub," he explained.

Quoting market reports, Rajeev Kumar said the total digital payments market in India is likely to touch $1 trillion by 2023.

According to him, there were nearly 991 million cards in India including 46 million credit cards.
Sensex was trading 8.25 points or 0.02% higher at 37,123.13 and NSE Nifty was also trading 2.05 points or 0.02% up at 11,159.05.

Mumbai: Domestic equity benchmarks BSE Sensex and NSE Nifty started on a tepid note Thursday tracking mixed cues from global markets amid sustained foreign fund outflows.

The 30-share index was trading 8.25 points, or 0.02 percent, higher at 37,123.13. The broader NSE Nifty was also trading 2.05 points, or 0.02 percent, up at 11,159.05.

In the previous session on Wednesday, the BSE bourse settled 203.65 points, or 0.55 percent, lower at 37,114.88; and the Nifty shed 65.05 points, or 0.58 percent, to settle at 11,157.

Top gainers in the Sensex pack include Tata Motors, Vedanta, Infosys, Bajaj Finance, PowerGrid, Yes Bank, Axis Bank, Reliance Industries, ICICI Bank, NTPC, Tata Steel, Hero MotoCorp, HUL, HCL Tech and Asian Paints, rising up to 3.39 percent.

On the other hand, Kotak Bank, M&M, L&T, IndusInd Bank, Coal India ITC and HDFC twins fell up to 0.71 percent.

According to traders, sustained foreign fund outflow kept weighing on investor sentiment here.

Foreign institutional investors (FIIs) sold equity worth Rs 1,142.44 crore on Wednesday, while domestic institutional investors (DIIs) purchased shares to the tune of Rs 671.77 crore, provisional data available with stock exchanges showed.

A mixed trend in global equities too kept market mood subdued on Dalal Street, traders said.

Bourses in China, Japan and Korea were trading on a mixed note in their respective early sessions; while, Wall Street indices ended in the green on Wednesday.

On the currency front, rupee appreciated marginally to 70.31 against the US dollar in early trade.

Brent crude futures, the global oil benchmark, were trading 0.56 percent higher at $72.17 per barrel.
By Joey Roulette CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (Reuters) - Elon Musk's SpaceX was due to launch 60 small satellites into low-Earth orbit on Wednesday, part of his rocket company's plan to sell Internet service beamed from space to fund his grander interplanetary ambitions. The billionaire entrepreneur and chief executive officer of Tesla Inc praised the mission and the design of the satellites on a call with reporters ahead of the launch but cautioned that success was far from guaranteed.

By Joey Roulette

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (Reuters) - Elon Musk's SpaceX was due to launch 60 small satellites into low-Earth orbit on Wednesday, part of his rocket company's plan to sell Internet service beamed from space to fund his grander interplanetary ambitions.

The billionaire entrepreneur and chief executive officer of Tesla Inc praised the mission and the design of the satellites on a call with reporters ahead of the launch but cautioned that success was far from guaranteed.

"It's possible that some of these satellites may not work," Musk said. "It's a small possibility that all of the satellites will not work. We've done everything we can to maximize the probability of success."

Musk said he expects launch services revenue to top out around $3 billion per year, making Starlink key to generating the cash that privately held SpaceX needs to fund Musk's larger dream of developing a new Starship capable of flying paying customers to the moon and eventually trying to colonize Mars.

"We think this is a key stepping stone on the way towards establishing a self-sustaining city on Mars and a base on the moon," Musk said.

The first 60 Starlink satellites, stacked together atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, were due to blast off from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida at 10:30 p.m.

Musk plans to send as many as 12,000 satellites into space as soon as 2024 to make high-speed internet available from space across the world.

But he faces stiff competition. In February, satellites built by Airbus SE and partner OneWeb blasted off from French Guiana, the first step in a similar plan to give millions of people in remote and rural areas high-speed internet from space.

Companies LeoSat Enterprises and Canada's Telesat are also working to build data networks with hundreds or even thousands of tiny satellites that orbit closer to Earth than traditional communications satellites, a radical shift made possible by leaps in laser technology and computer chips.

Musk said SpaceX has "sufficient capital" to get Starlink to an operational level but would potentially need to raise money if things go wrong with the multibillion-dollar endeavour.

Musk has faced other challenges. In November the entrepreneur, frustrated with the pace at which Starlink satellites were being developed, fired at least seven people on the program's senior management team at a campus in Redmond, Washington, outside of Seattle, Reuters reported.

(Reporting by Joey Roulette in Cape Canaveral, Florida; Writing and additional reporting by Eric M. Johnson in Seattle; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
By David Lawder and Susan Heavey WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Trump administration hit Chinese telecoms giant Huawei with severe sanctions on Wednesday, adding a new incendiary element to the U.S.-China trade dispute just as Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said he would visit China soon for more talks. The Commerce Department said it was adding Huawei Technologies Co Ltd and 70 affiliates to its so-called 'Entity List' - a move that bans the company from acquiring components and technology from U.S

By David Lawder and Susan Heavey

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Trump administration hit Chinese telecoms giant Huawei with severe sanctions on Wednesday, adding a new incendiary element to the U.S.-China trade dispute just as Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said he would visit China soon for more talks.

The Commerce Department said it was adding Huawei Technologies Co Ltd and 70 affiliates to its so-called "Entity List" - a move that bans the company from acquiring components and technology from U.S. firms without government approval.

Secretary Wilbur Ross said in a statement President Donald Trump backed the decision to "prevent American technology from being used by foreign owned entities in ways that potentially undermine U.S. national security or foreign policy interests."

Trump earlier in the day signed an executive order barring U.S. companies from using telecommunications equipment made by firms deemed to pose a national security risk.

While the order did not specifically name any country or company, U.S. officials have previously labelled Huawei a "threat" and actively lobbied allies to not use Huawei network equipment in next-generation 5G networks.

Speaking earlier in a U.S. Senate Appropriations subcommittee hearing, Mnuchin characterized two days of high-level talks with Chinese officials in Washington last week as constructive.

"My expectation is that we will go to Beijing at some point in the near future to continue those discussions," he said. "There's still a lot of work to do."

He did not say when his China trip might take place.

The Trump administration's rhetoric toward China had cooled in recent days after another round of tit-for-tat tariffs between the world's two largest economies and a selloff on global stock markets.

On Tuesday, Trump denied talks with China had collapsed and sounded an optimistic note about the chance of a deal, saying he had an "extraordinary" relationship with Chinese President Xi Jinping, who he plans to meet at a G20 summit in Japan next month.

Trump also urged China to buy more U.S. farm products.

U.S. agricultural goods have been targeted by China's retaliatory tariffs and American farmers, a key political constituency for Trump, are worried.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has paid $8.52 billion directly to farmers as part of a 2018 aid program designed to offset losses from tariffs imposed by China and other trading partners, a spokesman for the agency said on Wednesday.

The Trump administration had pledged up to $12 billion in aid to help offset losses resulting from Chinese tariffs.

TARIFF PAIN

Trump, who has embraced protectionism as part of an "America First" agenda, has railed against what many U.S. and European officials and companies describe as China's unfair trade practices, including forced technology transfers and intellectual property theft.

But trading partners and close allies in Europe, North America and Asia are also in the U.S. administration's sights.

Mnuchin said the United States was close to resolving a dispute over steel and aluminium tariffs imposed on Canada and Mexico last year as the three countries renegotiated the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer met with Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland in Washington on Wednesday to discuss the tariffs and other issues related to the U.S.-Mexico Canada Agreement (USMCA) which replaced NAFTA.

The three countries have not yet ratified the new deal.

After her meeting with Lighthizer, Freeland declined to say whether the two countries were close to a deal. But she told reporters later that ratification of the agreement would be difficult as long as the tariffs remain in place.

"When it comes to Canada it has still been the case for us that as long as the tariffs remain in place ratification would be very, very problematic," Freeland said on Capitol Hill.

Three Trump administration officials told Reuters that Trump was expected to delay a decision on imposing tariffs on imported cars and parts by up to six months, avoiding opening yet another front in his global trade battles.

The tariffs of up to 25 percent on cars and parts could have a devastating impact on Japan and countries in the European Union, particularly Germany.

Global stock markets, which have swooned in the past week over the rising trade tensions, gained on Wednesday after reports of the planned delay.

'ADVERSE CONSEQUENCES'

As negotiations toward resolving the U.S.-China dispute stalled last week, the United States ratcheted up the pressure by increasing tariffs on a list of $200 billion worth of Chinese imports to 25% from 10%.

China retaliated on Monday with higher tariffs on a revised list of $60 billion worth of U.S. products.

Trump could launch 25% tariffs on another $300 billion worth of Chinese goods when he meets Xi next month. He has not ruled out imposing punitive levies on all of China's imports to the United States.

Another escalation could disrupt global supply lines and damage a slowing world economy.

Beijing is vowing not to succumb to U.S. pressure. But on Wednesday China reported surprisingly weaker growth in its retail sales and industrial output in April.

Data out of the United States, meanwhile, showed U.S. retail sales fell in April as households cut back on purchases of motor vehicles and other goods, pointing to a slowdown in economic growth after a boost from exports and inventories in the first quarter. Other data showed a drop in U.S. industrial production.

The U.S. Congress is uneasy about the potential consequences of tariffs on the economy.

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said U.S. consumers were in the "same boat as farmers" and would end up having to bear the burden of the tariffs. Consumer spending accounts for more than two-thirds of U.S. economic activity.

(Reporting by David Lawder, Susan Heavey, Humeyra Pamuk, Amanda Becker, Alex Alper and David Shepardson in Washington; Additional reporting by David Ljunggren in Ottawa; Writing by Paul Simao and Sonya Hepinstall; Editing by Susan Thomas and Cynthia Osterman)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
By Herbert Lash NEW YORK (Reuters) - The We Company, parent of flexible workspace operator WeWork, said on Wednesday losses narrowed slightly in the first quarter from a year earlier to $264 million as revenue continues to double annually and its customer base surged. The New York-based company, which earlier on Wednesday said it created a $2.9 billion real estate investment platform that marks an evolution in its investing strategy, said interest and other expenses widened to $378 million from $19 million in the first quarter of 2018

By Herbert Lash

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The We Company, parent of flexible workspace operator WeWork, said on Wednesday losses narrowed slightly in the first quarter from a year earlier to $264 million as revenue continues to double annually and its customer base surged.

The New York-based company, which earlier on Wednesday said it created a $2.9 billion real estate investment platform that marks an evolution in its investing strategy, said interest and other expenses widened to $378 million from $19 million in the first quarter of 2018.

Money-losing We Company in April filed paperwork for an initial public offering that could encounter a cool reception after the struggles of Lyft Inc and the underwhelming debut by Uber Technologies Inc.

We Company's net losses declined by $10 million from $274 million a year earlier. Cash on hand was $4 billion and rose by $1 billion on April 15 from warrants due to SoftBank Corp, a major investor in WeWork. The company said it expected a further $1.5 billion from warrants due to SoftBank in April 2020.

Revenues rose to $728.3 million in the first three months of the year and, based on the pace in March, the company estimated yearly revenue of $3.02 billion.

Memberships in the first quarter climbed to 466,000 from 219,000 a year ago as enterprise clients representing companies with at least 1,000 employees rose to 175,000, or 40% of WeWork's customer base.

Enterprise clients have doubled from the first quarter of 2017, when they represented 21% of WeWork memberships.

The number of WeWork locations rose to 485 as its international operations grew to 46% of revenue, up from 38% in the first quarter of 2018.

Adjusted operating earnings, or EBITDA, were a negative $220 million, roughly double the prior year's negative $107 million.

WeWork began publicly disclosing a limited set of its financial statements last year after raising $702 million in a sale of a high-yield bond. Ahead of the report, WeWork's junk bond slipped fractionally in price on Wednesday, with its yield rising to a two-week high of 8.97%.

We Company earlier said it created investment platform ARK with Canada's Ivanhoe Cambridge, the property arm of Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec, which provided $1 billion in funding.

The platform builds on a venture WeWork has with private equity firm the Rhone Group, which spearheaded the purchase of the former Lord & Taylor building on Manhattan's Fifth Avenue.

(Reporting by Herbert Lash; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
BJP President Amit Shah on Thursday asserted that whether the BJP government stays or goes nobody can take Kashmir away from India till party leaders are alive

Ballia: BJP President Amit Shah on Thursday asserted that whether the BJP government stays or goes nobody can take Kashmir away from India till party leaders are alive.

"Omar Abdullah said that Kashmir should have a separate Prime Minister. How can a country have two Prime Ministers? These people want to separate Kashmir from India. Rahul Gandhi and Omar Abdullah should know that Kashmir is India's inseparable part and till the day BJP's leaders are alive, nobody can take Kashmir away from us. Reinstate Narendra Modi as our PM and we would remove article 370," he said.

Shah said that Congress was thinking of removing sedition law which the BJP would never allow. "Congress says sedition law will be repealed. People like Zakir Naik who kept spreading terrorism have run away from the country fearing PM Modi.

He says that he will return when a Congress or Gathbandhan government comes to power. We challenge him to set foot on Indian shores; if he does, we will surely put him behind the bars," he said.

He appealed the people of Ballia to not vote for development but vote for national security. He said, "Rahul Gandhi's Guru Sam Pitroda said that attacks like Pulwama happen all the time, why were air strikes required? We said that if you want to appease terrorists, you do it but we would never forgive those who disrupt peace within our borders. If Pakistan fires a bullet, we will surely bomb them."

He spoke about the development initiatives of the BJP government. "Eight crore households have got toilets, 2.5 crore houses have been made for the poor and 2.35 crore people have got electricity for the first time in their houses. Under Ayushman Bharat Yojana, 50 crore people have got the facility of getting upto Rs 5 Lakh for treatment of serious diseases, free of cost," he said.

He appealed to the people of Ballia to vote for BJP. "We will make Uttar Pradesh the number 1 state in India with the help of Modi-Yogi jodi," he claimed.

Elections to 484 constituencies stand completed in the first six phases. The remaining seats amounting to 59 would go to poll on 19 May in the final phase of the elections. The counting of votes will take place on 23 May.
Hrabar, who has a 14-year-old son, said Thursday she was afraid to go back to her house for several weeks after the story hit the news. Reporters were hounding her, police were trying to serve her with a subpoena to testify and business clients were dumping her because they thought she was a criminal, she said.
The CBI had moved the trial court seeking permission for further probe in the Bofors case saying it had come across fresh material and evidence.

New Delhi: The CBI on Thursday withdrew from a Delhi court its application that had sought permission to further probe the politically sensitive Rs 64-crore Bofors payoff case.

The agency told Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Navin Kumar Kashyap that it wants to withdraw the application filed on 1 February, 2018.

It had moved the trial court seeking permission for further probe in the matter saying it had come across fresh material and evidence.

The agency on Thursday submitted before the court that decision on further course of action would be taken by it and wanted to withdraw the application for now.

Taking note of CBI's stand, the judge said: "For the reason best known to the CBI, in case they want to withdraw the application, they have the right as they are the applicants."

The court on 4 December, 2018 had questioned as to why the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) required its permission to further probe the matter.

The CBI had also filed an appeal in the Supreme Court in 2 February, 2018 against the 31 May, 2005 verdict of the Delhi high Court discharging all the accused in the case.

The apex court had on 2 November, 2018 dismissed CBI's appeal in which it had sought condonation of the 13-year delay in filing the appeal against the high court judgment.

The apex court had said that it was not convinced with the grounds of the CBI to condone over 4,500 days' delay in filing the appeal.

However, one of the appeals is still alive in the apex court in which CBI is one of the respondents and the top court on 2 November, 2018 said that the agency can assist in the matter as respondent.

The apex court said the CBI can raise all grounds in the appeal against the high court verdict filed by advocate Ajay Agrawal who has also challenged the judgement.

Agrawal, who has now become a rebel BJP leader after he was denied Lok Sabha ticket from Rai Bareilly in Uttar Pradesh, in 2005 had challenged the high court verdict after the CBI did not file the appeal in the mandatory 90 days period.

The agency had swung into action for a permission for further probe in the case after the Attorney General had orally given it a go ahead to file the appeal in the case in which it cited the October 2017 interview of private detective Michael Hershman, alleging that the then Rajiv Gandhi government had sabotaged his probe.

Justice RS Sodhi (since retired) of the Delhi High Court had on 31 May, 2005 quashed the CBI case in the Bofors pay-off scam.

Before the 2005 verdict of Justice Sodhi, another judge of the Delhi High Court, Justice JD Kapoor (since retired), had on 4 February, 2004 exonerated the late prime minister in the case and directed the framing of charge of forgery under section 465 of the IPC against Bofors company.

The Rs 1,437-crore deal between India and Swedish arms manufacturer AB Bofors for the supply of 400 155mm howitzer guns for the Indian Army was entered into on 24 March, 1986.

Swedish Radio on 16 April, 1987 claimed that the company had paid bribes to top Indian politicians and defence personnel.

The CBI on 22 January, 1990 registered the FIR for alleged offences of criminal conspiracy, cheating and forgery under the India Penal Code and other sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act against Martin Ardbo, the then president of AB Bofors, alleged middleman Win Chadda and the Hinduja brothers.

It alleged that certain public servants and private persons in India and abroad had entered into a criminal conspiracy between 1982 and 1987 in pursuance of which the offences of bribery, corruption, cheating and forgery were committed.

The first chargesheet in the case was filed on 22 October, 1999, against Chadda, Ottavio Quattrocchi, the then defence secretary S K Bhatnagar, Ardbo and the Bofors company.

A supplementary chargesheet was filed against the Hinduja brothers  S P Hinduja, G P Hinduja and P P Hinduja  on 9 October, 2000.

A special CBI court in Delhi on 4 March, 2011, had discharged Quattrocchi in the case, saying the country could not afford to spend hard-earned money on his extradition which had already cost Rs 250 crore.

Quattrocchi, who had fled from India on 29-30 July, 1993, never appeared before any court in India to face prosecution. He passed away on 13 July, 2013. The other accused who died are Bhatnagar, Ardbo and Chadda.
'In the last five years we had Phailin, Hudhud, Titli and now Fani. In addition to this, we had massive floods,' Naveen Patnaik said.

In the aftermath of Cyclone Fani that battered Odisha, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has demanded special category status for the state.

In fact, this is one of our main demands before the Union government. Odisha faces natural calamities almost every year. The assistance we get from the Centre is mostly for temporary restoration of infrastructure. We have to spend a lot from the states own funds to work for the long-term, Patnaik told PTI.

This puts too much stress on our finances. Precisely for this reason, Odisha should be considered for special category status. In the last five years we had Phailin, Hudhud, Titli and now Fani. In addition to this, we had massive floods, he added.

Patnaik also said, "We are maintaining a growth rate higher than that of the country. We are doing so well in all our economic indicators. Providing special category status will help us accelerate growth.

Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who had conducted an aerial survey of the state on 6 May, had announced an assistance of Rs 1,000 crores.

Incidentally, this is not the first time that Patnaik, who has been at the helm of affairs of the coastal state since 2000, has registered such a demand.

However, Opposition parties do not see any merit in the demand. The Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have termed it a political stunt.

Its a political hoax by Naveen babu, says BJP national secretary Suresh Pujari. Senior Congress leader and former finance minister in Patnaiks government, Panchanan Kanungo says, There is no justification for such a demand. It is nothing but pure politics.

Citing the example of Assam, Kanungo says, Look at the changes that Assam has witnessed. I never believe in special category status; it needs to be done away with.

Even experts arent convinced. The government claims it has already developed the state. If thats true, why is the chief minister demanding special category status? asks veteran journalist Rajaram Satpathy.

Odisha Congress social media chief Abhishek Mahananda agrees with this position. According him, the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) government has been boasting about uplifting Odisha in the nineteen years of its rule. He argues that the government has continuously made unrealistic expenditures by distributing freebies only for political gains, as a result of which the state is staring at a huge debt trap.

The reality is that no progress has been witnessed in the state in the last two decades, Mahananda asserts. He also claims that though a lot of MoUs have been signed, due to the lack of serious intent and follow up action, the government hasnt been able to hold on to investments. The government is not serious about the development of Odisha, he adds.

Pujari says that existing guidelines do not allow states like Odisha to get such assistance. He argues that the the state government should ask for a special package instead of special category status, but prior to that, the government must streamline the delivery mechanism.

According to Pujari, the NDA-led central government has given greater assistance to each state as compared to past governments. He asserts that the Union government is ready to extend all support to the state.

However, the BJD justified the demand for special category status saying that the state, apart from being prone to natural calamities, has a high concentration of people from the SC and ST communities. Former minister Amar Prasad Satpathy says, "Its a realistic demand. We have made a lot of progress, yet poverty continues. The figures are with the central government. They (read Opposition) live in ivory towers, and are far removed from reality."

Regarding the required parameters for special category status, Satpathy, who is also the chief whip of the government, says, Parameters change as per situations and needs.

Rajaram Satpathy, while referring to former Planning Commission deputy chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalias letter in 2013, which rejected the states demand for special category status, says that any state desirous of development can submit a demand for a special package seeking exclusive assistance from the Centre.

You will appreciate that under the existing criteria for approval by the National Development Council, Odisha does not qualify for grant of Special Category Status, Ahluwalia's letter to Patnaik had read.

Ahluwalia had described the states finances as stable and viable with sound indicators of fiscal deficit, outstanding liabilities and interest payments to total revenue receipts.

Ahluwalias communication was in response to Patnaiks letter to then prime minister Manmohan Singh on the matter of special category status for Odisha, written on 24 November, 2011.

Ahluwalia, in the letter, had mentioned that there were five features required for a state to get the status of Special Category State Status. They were: Hilly and difficult terrain, low population density and/or sizeable share of tribal population, strategic location along borders with neighbouring countries, economic and infrastructural backwardness and non-viable nature of state finances.

In response to the Odisha governments request, the Planning Commission deputy chairman said, Odisha does not satisfy the criterion of hilly and difficult terrain, although forests in some areas do pose some difficulties...The density of population of the state relative to general density of population in special category states is not low."
Students from different industrial training institutes are repairing and rebuilding homes affected by Cyclone Fani

Its not yet 9 am, but with almost all the trees gone, one can feel the pinch of the scorching sun. What makes it more painful is the humidity. However, a bunch of young boys, all in the 16 to 18 age group are not complaining. They are all in smiles and excited about the long, hard days work ahead. Does this road lead to Salia Sahi? asked one. Once the direction in confirmed, the boys carrying blue tool boxes, gloves and safety helmets, started marching into Bhubaneswar's largest slum.

The 34 students  split in four groups  from different industrial training institutes (ITIs) are repairing and rebuilding homes affected by Cyclone Fani. These students are from different trades: electrical, technical, fitter and plumbing. They are offering their expertise for free, said assistant technical officer, directorate, technical education and training, Satyabrata Jena.

Prakash Pradhan, 17, is an electrician. Prakash has used his knowledge to good effect in many homes. Its good exposure for me, I am sure all the students get a lot of experience, he said. All of them are happy that the government has roped in the ITIs, which they believe will help them learn a lot of new things to aid in their future.

Sixteen-year-old Trilochan Behera is excited. This is a learning trip for me, its very helpful, he smiled. The government takes care of our food, accommodation and transport. Prakash, Trilochan and their friends are from the Nayagarh ITI. They said there are approximately over 500 such students working in different parts of Bhubaneswar.

However, those who have received skill development training or are undergoing courses are not a part of such jobs. They have done short-term courses, said Himanshu Sekhar Lenka, assistant director, Odisha skill development authority. Such students lack expertise.

Elsewhere in Puri, several international humanitarian agencies run by the Sikh community have been feeding the affected since two days after the cyclone hit. They have been running Langars (community kitches). Many of them are providing water bottles along with khichri and dalma (made of dal and vegetables).

According to Gurpreet Singh of Akaal Channel Aid, a UK-based humanitarian agency, they have provided food in localities within a five-kilometre radius. Our MD Amrik Singh Kooner flew down from London, set up the facility and oversaw the operations for three days, Gurpreet said. They have been distributing food for the past nine days, said Santilata Behera and the other women residents of the Baliapanda slum in Puri.

Pointing to the devastated houses, having lost both home and livelihood, they cant think of a future now. All our hopes ended in smoke. We dont know what lies ahead, said one woman, her eyes fixed on the ground. Other international organisations run by the Sikh community, such as Khalsa Aid and United Sikhs are operating out of the Gurdwara Aarti Sahib, which faces Puri beach.

Khalsa Aid, which has stood by people affected by both natural and man-made disasters in different counties across the globe  India, Bangladesh, Iraq, and Syria  has showcased exemplary commitment to the victims of Fani. It ran a community kitchen in association with the gurdwara in Bhubaneswar while at Puri it served food to 5,000 people regularly. Even satisfaction on one face gives us a huge motivation, said a volunteer.

Apart from feeding those residing in slums, United Sikhs is also distributing torches. We procured small but effective solar torch lights from Delhi, said Harjiwan Singh of Sikh Aid. Baba Samsher Singh, 75, is the head of the gurdwara. He is looking after the food being cooked by volunteers in large containers on the first floor of the building. Heaps of food materials in bags are lying along with potatoes, onions and ghee packets.

No one should stay hungry. Its our motto to ensure that food is provided to all without compromising with quality, Samsher said. We are in touch with the administration and are ready to serve as and where required. According to him, volunteers of different organisations from the UK, USA and India (Delhi, Srinagar, Chandigarh, Ludhiana, Jamshedpur, Kolkata, Bhubaneswar) have been working around the clock for victims.

But there are limitations. All of us depend on the same kitchen, said one volunteer. Jagdeep Singh of Puri gurdwara said they cant contact the donors due to the poor telecom network. We've been cut off from the world for days.

But nothing has stopped them from working for the distressed.
Today's top stories: Narendra Modi, Mamata Banerjee will both hold rallies on what is now the last day of campaigning in West Bengal after EC's Article 324 order; Rahul Gandhi will visit the Alwar rape survivor's family; and more.

All eyes on Bengal: Modi, Mamata to hold rallies today

Campaigning in nine seats of West Bengal, which will be going to polls in the last phase of the Lok Sabha election on 19 May, will now have to an end on Thursday night, following an order by the Election Commission invoking Article 324, amid heightened violence in the state. In a hurriedly-convened press conference, Deputy Election Commissioner Chandra Bhushan Kumar said that campaigning for the last phase will end at 10 pm on Thursday, and mentioned that it was for the first time the poll panel has taken such an action using constitutional powers. Campaigning was originally scheduled to end on Friday. The development came in the wake of Tuesday's violence between BJP and TMC workers in Kolkata, triggering a sharp response from state chief minister Mamata Banerjee.

Accusing the Election Commission of working at the behest of the BJP, TMC chief Mamata called the order an "unprecedented, unconstitutional and unethical gift" to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

On what is now the last day of campaigning in West Bengal, Modi is expected to hold two rallies in the state  at Mathurapur and Laxmikantpur. Modi will be travelling to the state after three rallies in Mau, Chandauli and Mirzapur in Uttar Pradesh. Modi said on Wednesday that TMC "goons" and the state government have teamed up against the people of West Bengal.

Mamata has two public rallies, at Mathurapur and Diamond Harbour, and two roadshows, at Behala and Kolkata, scheduled on Thursday.

Meanwhile, BJP's South Kolkata candidate Chandra Bose will garland a statue of Vidyasagar with a lotus garland.

EC orders Twitter India to remove content related to exit polls

Election Commission of India has ordered Twitter India to remove all the tweets related to 2019 Lok Sabha elections exit polls.

This comes a day after it was reported that the ECI has received complaints against three media houses with respect to displaying poll surveys, predicting results of Lok Sabha elections.

ECI had sought an explanation from these media houses as to why action should not be taken against them for the violation of the provision of Section 126A of Representation of People Act.

Spoke only historic truth, says Kamal Haasan on Godse remark controversy

Actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan Wednesday said he only spoke a "historic truth" after his remark that free India's first extremist was a Hindu, a reference to Mahatma Gandhi assassin Nathuram Godse, triggered a huge controversy.

The Madras High Court, meanwhile, refused to entertain a petition by Haasan, the founder of new political outfit Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM), seeking quashing of an FIR registered against him. The MNM claimed that Haasan's comments had been taken "completely out of context."

In his first response after the Sunday remarks that landed him in trouble with court and police cases, Haasan asked his detractors to make "valid allegations", asking if he could cater to only one section of people after entering active politics. "They got angry for what I spoke at Aravakurichi. What I spoke (there) is historic truth. I did not lure anyone to a brawl," he said during a by-poll campaign at Tirupurankundram near Madurai.

Encounter underway in Pulwama; 2 terrorists holed up in Dalipora

Two militants are currently holed up in a house in the Dalipora area of Pulwama, in an exchange of fire between militants and security forces in Jammu and Kashmir.

Rahul to meet Alwar gangrape survivor between campaign rallies; Amit Shah to tour UP

Congress chief Rahul Gandhi will visit the family of the 19-year-old gangrape survivor in Rajasthan's Alwar on Thursday. The visit, originally scheduled on Wednesday, had to postpone his visit as his chopper could not land in the area due to bad weather. Chief minister Ashok Gehlot, AICC general secretary in-charge of Rajasthan Avinash Pande and deputy chief minister and PCC president Sachin Pilot were to accompany Rahul.

The 26 April incident had provoked anger and protests across the state drawn attacks on the Congress government by Modi as well as BSP chief Mayawati.

Rahul is expected to hold campaign rallies in Kushinagar in Uttar Pradesh and Bikram in Bihar. He is scheduled to end the day with a roadshow in Patna district. Meanwhile, Rahul's BJP counterpart Amit Shah is also expected to hold rallies at Maharajganj, Sikandarpur, Fefna and Deoria in Uttar Pradesh on Thursday.

ArcelorMittal resolution plan violates IB Code, says Prashant Ruia to NCLAT

Prashant Ruia, the promoter of debt-ridden Essar Steel, on Wednesday submitted before the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal that the resolution plan moved by ArcelorMittal is in violation of the Insolvency & Bankruptcy Code.

Senior advocate UK Chaudhary, representing Ruia, said that the proposal of ArcelorMittal India was in violation of IBC code as the proposal if approved negates the right of Subrogation of the Guarantor.

"Item 18 in the addendum of the resolution plan says that subrogation right of the guarantor would stand extinguished on the approval of the resolution plan," he said.

Amicus curiae PS Narsimha says rather than court or CoA, elected bodies should run cricket

Supreme Court-appointed amicus curiae PS Narsimha has said he is confident that the BCCI is moving towards forming a democratically elected body which should actually govern the game rather than the court or its appointed bodies. Narsimha recently submitted a report in the apex court after meeting representatives of various state associations and having made some headway where stakeholders are now getting ready for an election.
In a first, the Election Commission ordered campaigning in nine West Bengal constituencies to end at 10 pm on Thursday, a day before its scheduled deadline, in the wake of violence between BJP and TMC workers in Kolkata

In first such action in India's electoral history, the Election Commission on Wednesday invoked Article 324 to curtail the campaigning in nine West Bengal constituencies a day before its scheduled deadline. The development came in the wake of Tuesday's violence between BJP and TMC workers in Kolkata, triggering a sharp response from state chief minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee.

In a hurriedly-convened press conference, Deputy Election Commissioner Chandra Bhushan Kumar said that campaigning for the last phase will end at 10 pm on Thursday, and mentioned that it was for the first time the poll panel has taken such an action using constitutional powers. "This would be the first time when EC has invoked Article 324 in this manner but it may not be the last in cases of repetition of lawlessness and violence which vitiate the conduct of polls in a peaceful and orderly manner," Kumar said.

"Now, therefore, the Election Commission of India, in exercise of its powers under Article 324 of the Constitution ...hereby directs that no person shall convene, hold, attend, join or address any public meeting or procession in connection with the election," the eight-page order read.

The Election Commission also ordered the removal of Principal Secretary (Home) Atri Bhattacharya and Additional Director General, CID, Rajeev Kumar from their postings in West Bengal.

Deputy Election Commissioner Sudeep Jain, who is in-charge of West Bengal, said Bhattacharya "stands relieved" from his current charge immediately, "for having interfered in the process of conducting elections" by directing the state chief electoral officer, which he was not supposed do. The state chief secretary will look after the charge of the home secretary.

He said Rajeev Kumar has been attached to the Ministry of Home Affairs here and should report to his new assignment by 10 am on Thursday.

The EC's action came a day after parts of Kolkata witnessed widespread violence after BJP president Amit Shah's massive road show in the city. A bust of 19th Century Bengali icon Ishwarchandra Vidyasagar was also vandalised during the violence.

The order also barred any musical concert, theatrical performance to attract people in connection with the polls. It said liquor or similar intoxicants cannot be served in election going areas in bars, hotels and traven shops during the ban period.

The commission said it has been brought to its notice of that there were growing incidents of disruption and violence during the political campaigns and processions in West Bengal during the ongoing elections. "During the review with the observers it clearly came out that while logistics arrangements... are mostly on track... there is distinct resistance and non-cooperation from the district administration and district police when it comes to providing level playing field to all candidates for campaigning and in providing a fearless and free environment to the voters," the order read.



It said the observers pointed out that while on the surface, everything looks fine, in their frank interactions with the public the fear psychosis that is widely prevails comes out.

"They pointed out that utterances of the AITC (Trinamool Congress) senior leaders on the lines of 'central forces will leave at the end of elections, while we will remain, sends a chilling message among the officers as well as voters alike," it said referring to the report of special observers Ajay Nayak, a former IAS, and Vivek Dubey, a retired IPS.

Reading out a statement, Kumar said, the commission is "deeply anguished" at the vandalism done to the statue of Ishwarchandra Bandyopadhyay (who was conferred the title of 'Vidyasagar'). "Besides his many other achievements as a philosopher, academic educator, writer and philanthropist, he worked all his life in the cause of widow remarriage which was unthought and unheard of in the ultra conservative society of those days. It is hoped that the vandals are traced by the state administration," Kumar said.

BJP behind EC's direction, says Mamata

Accusing the Election Commission of working at the behest of the BJP, Mamata called the order an "unprecedented, unconstitutional and unethical gift" to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Mamata said she had never seen an EC of this kind, which is "full of RSS people". Speaking to reporters in Kolkata, she said, "There is no such law and order problem in West Bengal that Article 324 can be clamped... This is not EC's direction; it is the BJP's direction. This is the direction of Narendra Modi and Amit Shah. The EC's decision is unfair, unethical and politically biased. Are you waiting for Prime Minister Modi to finish his two rallies tomorrow (Thursday)? You could have stopped campaigning from today (Wednesday) evening?"

She also asked why the commission did not issue a show cause notice to Shah. "Election Commission is running under the BJP. This is an unprecedented decision. Tuesday's violence was because of Amit Shah. Why has EC not issued a show cause notice to him or sacked him?" Mamata questioned. "BJP goons were brought from outside. They created violence wearing saffron clothes similar to when Babri Masjid was demolished (in 1992)."

Mamata took on the prime minister for not condemning the violent clashes during Shah's roadshow. "Amit Shah created violence through his meeting. Vidyasagar's statue was vandalised, but Modi did not feel sorry for that today. People of Bengal have taken this seriously. Action should be taken against Amit Shah," she said.

Countering claims by BJP that her government was "murdering democracy", Mamata said, "Amit Shah today held a press conference and threatened the EC. Is this the result of that? Bengal is not scared. Bengal was targeted because I am speaking against Modi."

"Bengal is not Jammu and Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar or Tripura. Bengal is Bengal. Barring few incidents where central forces were there, such things would have been avoided had state forces been deployed during elections," she said.

Asserting that she would continue to fight against the prime minister, Mamata said that Modi should be "kicked out" from the country.

"Narendra Modi, you cannot take care of your wife. How can you take care of the country? You should be kicked out of the country. My fight is against you and will continue fighting. People of Bengal will give you a befitting reply," the TMC supremo said.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley took to Twitter to attack the Trinamool Congress after the EC's decision.

A free campaign is not possible and therefore the campaign has to be cut short. This is a classical case of breakdown of the Constitutional Machinery.  Chowkidar Arun Jaitley (@arunjaitley) May 15, 2019

The vandalisation of Vidyasagar's bust and clashes during Shah's roadshow in Kolkata on Tuesday triggered a fierce blame game between BJP and the Trinamool Congress. Shah, at a press conference in New Delhi, alleged that TMC was involved in vandalising the bust and unleashing violence during his roadshow in Kolkata on Tuesday as part of a "conspiracy" to blame the BJP. For its part, the TMC released videos to claim that "BJP goons" damaged the statue of Vidyasagar and said the videos not only establish what the saffron party did, but proved that Shah is a "liar" and a "dhokebaaz" (betrayer). In a show of strength, Mamata also led a 'padyatra' in Kolkata on Wednesday evening.

#WATCH Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee holds a march from Beliaghata to Shyambazar. #LokSabhaElections2019 pic.twitter.com/3p2GYk5VAl  ANI (@ANI) May 15, 2019

The constituencies where campaigning has been curtailed are Dum Dum, Barasat, Basirhat, Jaynagar, Mathurapur, Diamond Harbour, Jadavpur, Kolkata Dakshin and Kolkata Uttar.

Campaigning was originally scheduled to end at 5 pm on Friday for the nine constituencies that will go to polls on 19 May. Voting for nine seats will be held in the seventh and final phase of the general elections on 19 May. Counting of votes will take place on 23 May.
Tension prevailed at a public meeting of Makkal Needhi Maiam founder Kamal Haasan after two unidentified persons allegedly hurled eggs and stones at the dais

Aravakurichi: Tension prevailed at a public meeting of Makkal Needhi Maiam founder Kamal Haasan here Thursday after two unidentified persons allegedly hurled eggs and stones at the dais, police said.

Meanwhile, police in Coimbatore district denied permission for the actor to undertake campaign for the Sulur bypoll on Friday.

No one was injured in the incident at Aravakurichi which happened when Haasan was getting off the stage after completing his address. He was escorted to safety, police said.

MNM workers roughed up the two persons suspected to have hurled stones and eggs, before police rescued them and took then away for questioning. MNM workers staged a protest but police officials held talks with them.

The incident comes a day after footwear was hurled towards a vehicle from which Haasan was addressing an election meeting in the Tirupparankundram Assembly constituency in Tamil Nadu on Wednesday evening.

Haasan, founder of new political outfit Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM), kicked up a controversy this week with his comment that "free India's first extremist was a Hindu", a reference to Mahatma Gandhi's assassin Nathuram Godse Police said permission has not been granted for Haasan to undertake the bypoll campaign in Sulur in Coimbatore in the backdrop of the ongoing controversy.
The suggestion of the Madras High Court with respect to the POCSO Act acknowledges the vast reality of sexual relationships amongst young persons in India.

The Madras High Court in a recent judgment has noted the increasing number of teenagers and young adults unwittingly coming under the radar of child sexual abuse laws for engaging in consensual sexual acts. The High Court had occasion to look into a case of a consensual sexual relationship between a minor girl aged 17 years and a young man who eloped and eventually got married. When the girls family discovered their relationship, the boy was charged with kidnapping under the Indian Penal Code and aggravated penetrative sexual assault under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 (POCSO Act).

The young man was tried and sentenced by a Special Court under the POCSO Act to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment.

The Madras High Court's decision turned down the conviction for lack of evidence and also proceeded to suggest that, in consideration of ground realities, the age of consent should be brought down to 16 years. The court further opined that an exception to statutory rape should be created where the offender is not more than five years older to her in order to ensure that the impressionable age of the victim girl cannot be taken advantage of by a person who is much older and has crossed the age of presumable infatuation or innocence.

The recommendation of the Madras High Court comes in less than two years of the Supreme Courts decision in Independent Thought v. Union of India where the court ruled that the POCSO Acts provisions would also apply in case of marital relationships and marriage would not be a defence to charges under the POCSO Act.

The POCSO Act was passed at a time when a specific statute to address child sexual abuse was critical. It made important strides in addressing the vacuum in law, most importantly the lack of any criminal framework to deal with sexual abuse against boys. The Act also introduced child-friendly methods of investigation, medical examination, and trial in child sexual abuse cases.

These protectionary provisions drafted to protect children from sexual predators and child sexual exploitation are increasingly being used to penalise consensual sexual relationships amongst adolescents or between an adolescent and an adult. Both the POCSO Act and the Indian Penal Code set the age of consent at 18 years and deem minors incapable of giving consent. Where two minors engage in a consensual sexual relationship, in a paradox, they stand both as victims and perpetrators vis-a-vis each other, although ground-level reality results in boys being overwhelmingly treated as perpetrators and girls as victims.

The punishment for having sex with a minor is minimum 10 years imprisonment under the POCSO Act and the mandatory minimum sentences under the law provides absolutely no discretion to judges to consider mitigating factors and impose a lesser sentence.

Read together with the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, which allows the trial of 16 and 17-year-old children as adults in respect of heinous offences, a child above 16 years can now be prosecuted and punished for engaging in consensual sex with a minor and be punished for a minimum 10 years in jail, which can extend to life imprisonment. Pursuant to the Criminal Law Amendment Act of 2018, for having sexual intercourse with a child younger than 16 years, the punishment is a minimum of 20 years imprisonment which may be extended to imprisonment for the remainder of the life of the offender.

These laws, enacted for the protection of children, betray a paternalistic approach under complete ignorance of the increasing sexual exploration among adolescents; a trend that is both healthy and part of the normal development of older children.

According to the National Family Health Survey (2015-16), more than one in four women (26.8 percent) aged 20 to 24 years in India were married off before the age of 18 years and 7.9 percent of 15-19 years old girls were mothers at the time of the survey. Consensual cases are also seen to clog courts meant to address cases of abuse.

A 5-state study conducted by the Centre for Child and the Law, National Law School of India University in the states of Delhi, Assam, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Maharashtra on the functioning of the Special Courts under the POCSO Act reveal that a significant number of cases under the POCSO Act are cases of consensual sexual relationships. The study revealed that cases in which the prosecutrix admitted to a relationship with the accused amounted to 21.2 percent in Andhra Pradesh, 15.6 percent in Assam, 23 percent in Delhi, 21.8 percent in Karnataka (in 3 districts), and 20.5 percent in Maharashtra.

Another study conducted by The Hindu on 600 cases of sexual assault in the state of Delhi in 2013 (on both minors and adults) showed that amongst the cases fully tried, 40 percent dealt with consensual sex typically involving elopement of young couples and criminal complaints filed by the girls parents who object to such a union.

Child marriage still enjoys a vast degree of social acceptance and elopements of young persons are frequent. In several cases of consensual sex, and more particularly where the victim and accused have married, the victim turns hostile and refuses to testify against the accused, leaving courts with no option but to acquit the offender. However, in a few cases where other evidence (such as where the relationship has ended in a pregnancy) is available, young men have been sentenced to long periods of imprisonment. The appeals before the high courts in several cases have been turned down where the judges have refused to set aside the conviction acknowledging the lack of legal discretion to do so. (See here, here, here, here)

Such legal provisions, apart from penalising adolescent sexuality, also prevent adolescents from accessing sexual and reproductive health services. The mandatory reporting provisions of the POCSO Act obligate all persons to report when they have the knowledge or reasons to suspect that a child has been sexually abused or is likely to be sexually abused. These provisions often hinder children from seeking critical services and information in relation to family planning, contraception, pregnancy or protection form sexually transmitted diseases, in the fear of inadvertently triggering the criminal justice system.

Apart from being outrageously unfair, these laws penalising consensual sexual relationships under the ambit of statutory rape laws also gravely violate Indias obligations under the United Nations Convention for the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). The instrument providing the primary international legal framework in respect of child rights does not view children only as a subject of protection but repeatedly recognises the developing and transitional status of childhood and emphasises the need to not only recognize the evolving capacities, and developing maturities but also mandates that state parties respect their autonomy and their need to make decisions that affect their lives.

The treaty body of the UNCRC, the Committee on the Rights of the Child has also addressed the concerns relating to the statutory rape laws around the world and has categorically stated that:

States parties should take into account the need to balance protection and evolving capacities and define an acceptable minimum age when determining the legal age for sexual consent. States should avoid criminalising adolescents of similar ages for factually consensual and non-exploitative sexual activity.

Balancing adolescent autonomy whilst ensuring protection of children from sexual exploitation is being grappled with world over. In the United States of America, age of consent is decided by the applicable states' laws and varies between 16-18 years. Sexual intercourse with a person below this age is considered statutory rape. To address the increasing number of adolescents and young persons being punished for consensual sex, states additionally enacted laws termed as Romeo and Juliet laws which provide for a defence in such cases. Romeo and Juliet laws provide some degree of protection to offenders of statutory rape laws where the minor has consented to the sexual intercourse, and where the age difference between the minor and the alleged offender is less (in many states, the permissible age gap is set at three years).

The suggestion of the Madras High Court not only acknowledges the vast reality of sexual relationships amongst young persons in India, but also calls for law and policy makers to develop a better understanding of adolescent sexuality. The overly protectionist arm of the law fails to consider childrens developing autonomy and the normalcy of sexual maturity amongst teenagers. Instead of criminalising adolescents and young persons, the focus must instead be on ensuring that they are able to navigate this exploratory period in a safe and informed manner.

Shruthi Ramakrishnan is an independent legal researcher in the field of human rights. She has published extensively on child rights law and can be contacted at shruthiramakrishnan0@gmail.com
The result for MHT CET is expected to be announced on 3 June in online mode on the official website.

MHT CET 2019 Answer Key: The State Common Entrance Test Cell, Maharashtra, released the provisional answer keys for the Maharashtra common entrance test (MHT-CET) 2019 on Wednesday (15 May).

Candidates who had appeared for the examination can download the subject wise answer key for the MHT CET through the official website  mhtcet2019.mahaonline.gov.in.

Along with the answer key, the State CET cell authorities have also released the question paper and candidates' responses.

As these are provisional answer keys, candidates have the opportunity to raise objection over them till 18 May, The Indian Express reported. For that, candidates need to pay a prescribed fee of Rs 1,000, plus the necessary service charges as applicable for each objection that they raise. The candidates can request revision of the answer key from 15 May to 18 May till 11.59 pm.

How to download answer keys for MHT CET 2019:

Step 1: Visit the official website  mhtcet2018.dtemaharashtra.gov.in

Step 2: Click on the link that says 'View MHT-CET 2019 Answer Key '

Step 3: Select your exam version according to the subjects

Step 4: The answer will now be displayed on the computer screen

Step 5: Download the answer key and take a print out

The result for MH-CET is expected to be announced on 3 June in online mode on the official website. Candidates who qualify and meet the required eligibility criteria will be called in for the counselling session and will be allowed to participate in the admission process at the different participating institutes.

About Maharashtra common entrance test (MHT CET) 2019:

MHT CET is common entrance test for admission to first year of full time degree courses of technical courses (Engineering and Technology, Pharmacy and Pharm. D.,), Agriculture Courses and Fisheries Science/Dairy Technology courses under MAFSU for the academic year 2019-2020.
The monsoon is likely to be delayed this year as its arrival expected on 6 June, five days after its normal onset date, the India Meteorological Department said on Wednesday

New Delhi: The monsoon is likely to be delayed this year as its arrival expected on 6 June, five days after its normal onset date, the India Meteorological Department said on Wednesday.

"This year, the statistical model forecast suggests that the monsoon onset over Kerala is likely to be slightly delayed," the IMD said. "The southwest monsoon onset is likely to set over Kerala on 6th June with a model error of plus or minus 4 days."

"Conditions are becoming favourable for advance of southwest monsoon over the southern part of Andaman Sea, Nicobar Islands and adjoining southeast Bay of Bengal during May 18-19," it added.

The normal onset date for monsoon over Kerala is 1 June, which also marks the official commencement of the four-month rainfall season.

The IMD and private weather agency Skymet were unanimous on the prediction of the late arrival of monsoon this year. The Skymet had said on Tuesday that the monsoon would hit the Kerala coast on 4 June, with an error margin of two days.

If the monsoon arrives late, it will be third such instance since 2014 when it arrived on 5 June, followed by June 6 in 2015 and June 8 in 2016.

The delay in the arrival of monsoon may not necessarily have an impact on the overall rainfall. Last year, it had hit Kerala on 29 May, three days before the normal onset date. Yet, the country received 'below-normal' rainfall.

Similarly, in 2017, the monsoon arrived in Kerala on 30 May, but the overall rainfall was 95 percent of the long period average (LPA), which falls under the below normal category.

In its initial forecast released in April, the IMD had predicted a near-normal rainfall with an LPA of 96 per cent, which falls on the border of 'below-normal' and 'normal' rainfall category. On the other hand, the Skymet has predicted a 'below-normal' rainfall with an LPA of 93 percent.
Little did they know that the future of their children would remain as dark as it was in Pakistan, as none of them got admission into government schools in Delhi.

New Delhi: Nearly three years after the plight of a Pakistani Hindu refugee girl made it to the headlines after government schools in Delhi denied her admission due to lack of adequate documentation, nine children of the same origin face similar plight in the capital city.

The children belonging to two Pakistani Hindu families which have recently fled from the Islamic nation facing religious atrocities and have been allegedly denied admission by government schools at Bhati Mines in Delhi.

Prem Kumar, a daily wage labourer who was a resident of Sindh province in Pakistan till the month of July in 2018 fled with his wife and six children to India.

It is quite dangerous for a Hindu family to raise a girl child. I am the father of three of them, said Prem Kumar

The father of three girls and three boys child said to Firstpost that numerous incidents of atrocities against Hindus took place in Sindh province before they left Pakistan for good.

In one incident a grown up Hindu girl was abducted by a landlord. We were never allowed to meet her after that. In another incident two young Hindu boys were killed after they fought against a few Muslim men for eve teasing their sister, he said.

His wife Devi, who also fled Pakistan with him said that incidents of persecution against Hindus is commonplace in the neighbouring nation the administration hardly paid heed to the complaints raised by the Hindus.

Prem Kumar left Pakistan after his children faced discrimination from schools.

The exodus of Hindus from Pakistan and Bangladesh to India due to communal persecution is a burgeoning problem for India. As per a BBC report from 2011 till the article published in the year 2015 1,400 immigrants from Pakistan were given Indian citizenship and most of them were Hindus.

There is hardly any data related to the number of Pakistani Hindus who have migrated to India both legally and illegally to India over the years.

Prem Kumar was accompanied by his brother Nazeer and his family with three children. Both the families landed at Bhati Mines, a jhuggi-jhopdi cluster in South Delhi where they have relatives.

But little did they know that the future of their children would remain as dark as it was in Pakistan, as none of them got admission into government schools in Delhi.

We were told by teachers that it was not possible to admit them as none of them had required documents of age and transfer certificate, he said.

In many of the schools, Aadhaar card is mandatory for admissions. But to acquire the Aadhaar card they need other documents which many of them do not possess.

What we have is our Pakistani passports and Indian visas and nothing else as we did not have time to collect other documents when we left, said Prem Kumar.

But this is not the first time in Delhi when refugee students are denied admission in government schools. Three years back another refugee student named Madhu wrote a letter to the Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal after she was denied admission to a government school.

The letter received media glare and she was finally admitted after External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj interfered.

Madhu, till date remains a source of hope for Prem Kumar, Nazeer and their family.

If Madhu can get admission without documents why cant our children. There must be some way out, says Nazeer.

Their hope is backed by Suhas Chakma, Director of a human rights organisation Rights and Risk Analysis Group, who says that refugee children below 18 years of age have equal rights in India as children of bonafide Indian citizens.

India is a signatory nation of United Nations Convention on the Rights of a Child. So the refugee children have all the rights including the right to education like any other Indian child. No one in legal capacity can stop them from getting admitted to a school. If anyone is doing it then it is a crime, he said.

He also added that if any student does not have the required documents than it is the state's responsibility to help acquire them.

Significantly, all the children who claim to have been denied admission are below 18 years of age.

Ashok Agarwal, a leading education activist in Delhi told Firstpost has recently written a letter to the Delhi Chief Minister and Director of Education, South Delhi Municipal Corporation where he says that these children have been denied admission by two schools in Delhi.

Four of these nine students had to be admitted in Delhi government schools and remaining had to be admitted in municipality schools. Both the schools in their locality denied them admission, he said.

Delhi government schools normally cover education from sixth to 12th standard.

The four students who have been denied admission in Delhi government schools are Vinot Kumar, Sunil Kumar, Nomita and Muskan.

On the other hand, municipality schools cover education till Class 5. The students who have been denied admission to South Delhi Municipal Corporation Schools are Deepak Kumar, Arti, Ashan, Anil and Sapna.

A teacher with Government Co-ed Senior Secondary School in Bhati Mines said that the parents of the children approached her but they did not have the required documents.

For admission documents are required. They were asked to get them, said the teacher who was unwilling to be named.

But Anil Kumar Kispota, the vice-principal of the school denied being approached by them.

No one approached me for admission. If they apply for admission then we will certainly look into it, he said.

Shirish Sharma, Director, Education, SDMC said that he has already received a complaint that some refugee students have been denied admission.

I have already strictly communicated to the zonal offices not to deny any child admission to schools. I have also ordered the principal of the schools in the said locality to admit the refugee children also. As per the Right to Education Act, no child can be denied admission on the ground of nationality, he said.

Significantly, the Bhati Mines area in South Delhi has nearly, 2,000 families of Pakistan origin who fled communal persecution. Many children brought up in these localities over the years never received any education due to the refusal by schools to admit them.

Saheba who migrated to India from Sindh five years back and settled in Bhati Mines says her sons never went to school as none gave them admission.

They are grown up boys now and earn their own living by working as daily wage labourers. But they do not know to read and write, she said.
I kept telling them, and they didnt care, Williams said. In my mind, I was saying theyd have to take me to court. Once they take me to court, Im going to go to the court and show them my living conditions because they wont come to fix the problem.
The Lok Sabha polls, fortunately, saw no repeat of 2014 and polling here was completed peacefully in the first phase on 11 April. But a sense of safety and security still eludes the displaced Muslim families.

Editor's Note: A network of 60 reporters set off across India to test the idea of development as it is experienced on the ground. Their brief: Use your mobile phone to record the impact of 120 key policy decisions on everyday life; what works, what doesn't and why; what can be done better and what should be done differently. Their findings  straight and raw from the ground  will be combined in this series, Elections on the Go, over a course of 100 days.

Read more articles from the series here

***

Muzaffarnagar: Kutba-Kutbi village, about 24 kilometres from the district headquarters of Muzaffarnagar, is home to an abandoned mosque. There are no Muslims left in the village to offer prayers there. Fearing violence from the dominant Jat community of this village of 6,800 folks, the 500-odd Muslim residents fled after the August-September 2013 communal riots which claimed the lives of about 60 from both Hindu and Muslim communities. That fear, and distrust remains, even six years after the riots, though villagers claim they want the Muslim families to return and will even help them rebuild their lives, but on the condition that they withdraw their complaints against the Jat families.

They did not help protect the lives of our people at the time of need, how are they going to help us now? asked Mohammed Kayyum, a former resident Kutba village. In his 80s, Kayyum said there is no question of returning to the village and accepting any compromise. Those people (the Jats) will never understand the pain of abandoning ones home built with our lifes savings.

Just a few days ago, the family of one of the Muslims killed in the riots, met the district police chief and demanded the arrest of all the six accused in connection with the death of Shahnawaz Qureshi, whose death sparked the 2013 riots, according to a Business Standard report. According to an NDTV report, seven have been held guilty of killing two men that triggered the violence and were sentenced to life in prison in February. Meanwhile, the district magistrate refused to make any comment on reports that the Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath-led state government, apparently, at the instance of Sanjiv Baliyan, the sitting MP from the region who belongs to Kutba village, recommended withdrawing 38 criminal cases related to the rioting against more than 100 individuals.

It is a move that is not likely to decrease the fear of the displaced Muslim families, who recall the communal frenzy, which started in village Kanwal and soon spread to the entire district and led to the displacement of about 55,000. Most moved to relatives' homes elsewhere or to the rehabilitation camps set up by the administration after selling their homes at throwaway prices.

The clashes began when two boys, Gaurav and Sachin, were killed by one Shahnawaz when they reportedly tried to stop Shahnawaz from eve-teasing their sister. Later, Shahnawaz was killed, which sparked more tension in the district. The police arrested members of both families but later released them. Following these developments, a mahapanchayat was called where Hindu leaders allegedly gave provocative speeches triggering widespread clashes across the town. An indefinite curfew was imposed in Muzaffarnagar.

According to the SIT, 6,000 were booked, 294 arrests made, 36 surrendered and 566 cases of inciting communal violence were registered. Initially, the situation was very much contained. But the shifting of additional superintendent of police and the district magistrate on the orders of the then Samajwadi Party (SP) government stoked the communal fire when BJP leaders such as Sanjiv Baliyan and Sangeet Som made provocative speeches. Baliyan was later sent to jail as a preventive measure. A year later, BJP swept the state in the Lok Sabha polls.

The Lok Sabha polls, fortunately, saw no repeat of 2014 and polling here was completed peacefully in the first phase on 11 April. But a sense of safety and security still eludes the displaced Muslim families.

Rishi Pal, 73, a farmer in Kutba village, said villagers are ready to welcome home the riot victims. The whole village will help to rehabilitate Muslims and will help them in getting their houses repaired, said Pal. But the Muslims will also have to compromise and withdraw the cases against the Jats. Many Jat families were booked for rioting and are fighting their cases in court. But the real issue which no one mentions is that Muslims worked as labourers in the fields of the Jat landowners, who now have no labourers to work their fields.

Irfan Mohammad, 40, a native of Kutba village who now lives in the Shahpur rehabilitation camp, when told that residents of Kutba were ready to welcome them back expressed the fear that no one is ready to take the responsibility that Muslims will not be hurt again. Living in the camp for six years now, which does not have proper electricity, drainage or drinking water facility, Irfan and others like him have built small kuchcha houses in the land allotted to them by the government, which gave each family a solatium of Rs 5 lakh. They are doing this only to get the cases against them withdrawn by us, added Irfan. Irfan, a father of three daughters and a son, talked about how his cousin was killed in the riots and said he cannot risk the lives of his children and wife by returning to the village.

Kaluram, a primary school teacher, one of those facing a riot case, claims he cleans the mosque, repairs it and washes it often. It is the holy place of our Muslim brothers who imposed a false case of rioting on me, but I do not hold any grudge against them, said Kaluram. I am not going to force anyone to withdraw my case but if they want to, then they can. According to Kaluram, he was at his school on the day of the riots and had attended the khap panchayat which was called in the night in the village due to which he thinks his name was registered with the police for rioting.

He said his son has also been booked though he was in Delhi for studies. "I know a lot of persons who have been falsely implicated because the police, without verifying names, age and other things, booked villagers based on the complaints they received. Interestingly, they do not know who the complainant is."

There is a very big space between the Jat and Muslim community of Muzaffarnagar and that space need to be filled, said Muzammil Husaain, 64, a veteran journalist and activist. A lot of leaders including the sitting MP, NGOs and members of the peace community have worked a lot to restore peace but it will take time. Many people affected by the riots still need help. And a lot of people from the Jat community have been working to restore peace and rehabilitating riot-affected people, so it would not be correct to say all Jats want the Muslims to compromise in return for help to return to their villages.

The author is a Lucknow-based freelance writer and a member of 101Reporters

Follow all news from the Lok Sabha Election 2019 campaign here
The people of Saradah are unaware of Congress' Nyuntam Aay Yojana, or NYAY and don't blame Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the lack of development

Editor's note: This is part of a multi-article series on the jobs crisis in the three states crucial to Lok Sabha election 2019: Chhattisgarh, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.

***

Shashikala Maurya, 35, has to walk about an hour and a half before she can hope to land a days job. Residing in the hilly village of Saradah in Uttar Pradeshs Mirzapur district, her options are limited to chopping wood and cutting stone. The nearest junction where I can find work is 15 kilometers from here, she said, draped in green sari. There is no guarantee I will get work either. In a month, I hardly get 10 days of work at Rs 100 per day.

To say Saradah is only 65 kilometers from Varanasi is accurate and misleading at the same time. The first 60 kilometers take an hour and a half. It is a smooth drive, until you have to follow an offshoot of the highway for the last five kilometers, which would even embarrass the kachcha rastas of Uttar Pradesh.

Dried up trees and its branches screeched against the car as we drove through the rocky mountainous road for the next 45 minutes. This is the same bumpy route Sasikala and the residents of Saradah have to traverse on foot if they intend to get work. There is no water, no electricity in the village, she added. The land is barren. We cannot even cultivate food crops to arrange for our basic meals.

The people of Saradah indicated that their income is way below Rs 12,000 a month. However, they are unaware of Nyuntam Aay Yojana, or NYAY.

Towards the end of March, Congress president Rahul Gandhi announced the NYAY scheme, which aims to meet a benchmark earning of Rs 12,000 per family. If a family earns Rs 7,000 per month, the government will chip in with Rs 5,000. It is targeted at the poorest 20 percent of Indians, or about five crore families.

With the announcement coming during the heat of the election campaign, many thought it would mark a tectonic change in peoples voting behaviour. However, I have been on the ground for a month and a half in Uttar Pradesh after Rahuls promise, and there has not been much buzz around the scheme: positive or negative. There is, by and large, a lack of awareness, and the ones who know about it are indifferent. It has failed to set the agenda.

Saradah is an apt representation in that sense. Population around 1200, its residents are mostly non-Yadav OBCs and Dalits.

We do not have TV, said Sasikala. How would we know what Congress has promised? Can you please tell us the details?

I give the brief outline. How would they arrange for so much money? she immediately asked.

The Congress has not divulged details, I told her.

She shrugged her shoulders.

Most villagers are not educated. Some are, and they have smartphones. We mostly get our information from YouTube, and WhatsApp, said Sasikala. Those who have smartphones pass on the knowledge to others. We did not get any forward informing us about NYAY.

In contrast, they have not just heard about Prime Minister Narendra Modis schemes, but know exactly what they are supposed to deliver. Vidawa, 55, a woman from the Musahar community, said the forwards they get keep referring to Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, Ujjwala Yojana, and Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, among others. We also listen to Modis speeches on YouTube, where he speaks about his achievements, she added.

Ironically, the schemes she cited have not reached her village. Even charging a mobile phone is a task in Saradah, for they have to use a solar panel. Do they blame Modi for it? No.

The pradhan of the village is corrupt, said Vidawa. He takes money from us for the schemes and then does not deliver. Modi cannot come to every village and ensure his schemes are being implemented. His job is to come up with programmes for the poor. It is because of the village-level corruption and local officers that we remain deprived. Because of them, we are cut off from the rest of the world.

Being cut off makes it difficult to find work. Sasikala said it is even harder to survive if you are a woman. When so many people are out searching for labour work, those who hire prefer men over women because cutting stone requires a lot of physical strength, she said.

The Centre of Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE) substantiated her argument. According to its report, womens participation in the labour force in Uttar Pradesh is under five percent, as opposed to the national average of just over 11 percent. In contrast, mens participation rate in the labour force stands at just under 70 percent.

Even if the State initiates employment opportunities in towns near Saradah, it would remain disadvantaged because of the restricted mobility. The nearest high school, or hospital is 15 kilometers from Saradah, which is also affected by Naxalism. Last week, when Vidawas health alarmingly deteriorated in the wee hours, the ambulance did not arrive at night. We sat by her side through the night and waited for the ambulance with bated breath, said Sasikala. The ambulance finally arrived in the morning at 7.

Sometimes weeks go by, say villagers, where they cannot step out of Saradah in monsoons. A river running across the village overflows, making it impossible to commute. We have been asking the local MLA for a bridge for years, said Lilavati, 60, who has spent almost her entire life here. In the past four years, two pregnant women have died while giving birth.

The river, an impediment in monsoons, also acts as the villages only water source. There is absolutely no development here, said Lilavati. We drink the same water we bathe our cattle in.

On a sweltering afternoon with warm breeze, Sasikala took me towards the hand pump commonly used in the village. It is parched. When it pumps water, it is yellowish in colour with an oily layer, she said. We need more work opportunities, proper attention from local officers or at least some financial assistance.

Ironically, that is what NYAY claims to offer. I know some farmers who have received Rs 2,000 in their bank account, said Vidawa.

She is referring to the promise Finance Minister Arun Jaitley made during his budget speech, where the government said it would give Rs 6,000 a year to farmers in three installments. I tell her that is a different scheme, and the Congress promises to meet the benchmark household income of Rs 12,000 per month. But then why havent their leaders campaigned with that slogan in our area? she wondered.
Two Indian climbers have died in Nepal due to high altitude sickness near the summit of Mount Kanchenjunga during an expedition to the world's third tallest peak

Kathmandu: Two Indian climbers have died in Nepal due to high altitude sickness near the summit of Mount Kanchenjunga during an expedition to the world's third tallest peak, an official said Thursday.

Biplab Baidya (48) and Kuntal Karar (46) died Wednesday night above Camp IV after they were unable to continue their descent from near the 8,586-meter peak due to hypothermia and snowblindness.

"Biplab made it successfully to the summit point while Kuntal fell sick on his way and could not make it to the top. The Indian duo died while climbing down from the peak," Mira Acharaya, liaison officer at Nepal's Ministry of Tourism team deployed at the base camp, told PTI.

According to fellow climbers, the incident occurred when the duo were being brought to Camp IV from an altitude of 8,400 metres through a herculean rescue operation carried out by Project Possible team leader Nirmal 'Nims' Purja along with the fellow members. "They succumbed to high altitude sickness," said Pasang Sherpa, Director of Peak Promotion Ltd, that carried out the expedition.

They were part of a five-member team of climbers from West Bengal, Sherpa said. "Two Indian climbers and a German mountaineer who also suffered from serious frostbite will be evacuated from the high altitude camp as early as possible," he said.

Another climber from Chile is missing from above Camp IV of Mount Kanchenjunga since last evening. Rodrigo Vivanco from Chile went missing on the descent after he reportedly made it to the summit late on Wednesday, Sherpa said, adding that a team has already left for Camp IV to conduct a search operation.

Mount Kangchenjunga is the third highest mountain in the world. It rises in a section of the Himalayas called Kangchenjunga Himal delimited in the west by the Tamur River, in the north by the Lhonak Chu and Jongsang La, and in the east by the Teesta River.
Kaifinama is a biographical documentary which focuses on Kaifi Azmi's writing, social work with the Communist Party, and family.

Through a window you see a man dressed in white, sitting alone in a room at a wooden desk, cups of black coffee at the side, with a pen in hand, filling blank pages with violently, intensely emotional Urdu poetry.

This is Sayyid Akhtar Hussein Rizvi, better known as Kaifi Azmi, as seen in Sumantra Ghosals film Kaifinama: A Celebration of the Art and Times of Kaifi Azmi, easily described as an ode to this great writer and lyricist.

Ghosal, a seasoned biographical documentary maker, explains that his choice of subjects are people who are uniquely representative of the art or craft they are practising. These are people who are completely rooted in their art and completely grounded in the way they have been brought up and yet done revolutionary things with their art, he says. While his reason for making Kaifinama was simply that Shabana asked me to, he also explains his connection with Kaifi: Most poets are content with words because thats where they live. Kaifi lived both in words, and on the ground, and yes, that made him unique.

With every new project, Ghosal has a clear challenge which he tackles with curiousity. The biggest challenge for any filmmaker, for me at least, in making any film is my ignorance. And your whole journey is one of trying to use that ignorance, because ignorance leads to curiousity, and curiousity leads to questions rather than statements. And I think the journey is from ignorance to some sort of understanding. And if I can go from ignorance to understanding and if I can take fellow viewers on that journey, at the end of it they have understood something, or something has been illuminated for them, as it was for me on my very long journey, then I think, thats the challenge," he explains.

Aided by poetry readings and recitations, Kaifinama uses interviews that Ghosal had conducted almost twenty years ago, in 1998, in the hopes of one day being able to do a film about the Progressive Writers Movement. His interest in them stems from the way they encapsulate idealism, and from what happens to idealism within this dynamic. Explaining his preliminary approach to the process of making the film, Ghosal says: I started with the idea of translating the poetry of Kaifi Azmi, because I thought that if I could immerse myself in the words then I would be dealing not just with text but I would be dealing with context, I would be dealing with subtext, through the words, and I felt that that would allow me to enter the world, so that was the first step.

Besides the writers, the film also showcases interviews with Kaifis family, including wife Shaukat Kaifi, who talks about, among other things, how her family had instructed the local post office to tear up letters sent by him to her in an attempt to keep them apart; son Baba Azmi, who talks about the visual quality and vivid imagery of his fathers poetry; and daughter Shabana Azmi.

Shabana, also the project's producer, features in the film through personal interviews, where she talks about how, at his core, her father was a worker of the Communist Party, which Ghosal seems to have an intimate understanding of, who commends Kaifi for being a poet who combined words with action. What strikes me about him is passion. I think there is a passion not just in the idea of love, which is where most poets are passionate, but he was passionate in the idea of socialism. He was passionate about wanting to bring about social change. And the fact that he acted on his words, which not very many poets do, was an extraordinary thing.

Within this strand, the film focuses on the Kanpur Trade Union that Kaifi formed and the work he did with the Indian People's Theatre Association (IPTA). Shabana also leads viewers through places of historic import for Kaifi, including Raj Bhavan, Red Flag Hall and Mijwan. Ghosals film integrates Kaifis poetry with this social work as seamlessly as the poet lived. This is a man for whom poetry was both a means and an end. He worked very hard at his poetry and the words that he used, which is why they move people still. But he was not content to simply recite those words. He wanted those words to have a greater meaning and context, he says.

That is why Ghosal focuses so starkly on Mijwan. In the last 20 years since he is no longer with us, what he has done in Mijwan has become a model for what can be done with India itself. So the idea of change, the idea of equality, the idea of all of those things in a microcosm. So that has only grown. What he has left behind, you cannot describe it in words. You have to go there and see what has happened to that village, says Ghosal, speaking of the sense of empowerment the women there feel today, which they will probably pass on to future generations.

Besides more interviews, the film is interweaved with insightful commentary explored through excerpts from a discussion Shabana had organised, an afternoon of remembrance for Kaifi, which included, among others, Javed Akhtar, who memorably compares Kaifi and his work to the medium of oil paintings rather than watercolour paintings, terming him a bhaari (heavy) writer.

Another topical instance is the discussions of Kaifis work in film; how this influx of the Progressives into Bollywood was a result of Communist Party leader PC Joshis realisation that culture is an important tool to foster harmony and encourage protest, achieved most effectively through Bollywood which is a medium to reach the masses.

Kaifinama also discusses context and reception around key moments of Kaifis artistic life, including the poems Ek Lamha, Makaan and Aurat, and work in films like the 1951 Buzdil and perhaps most iconic, 1970s Heer Raanjha, a movie he has written entirely in verse, neatly alternating between different characters voices but keeping the rhythm.

The only biographical detail starkly absent from the film is Kaifis death, and Ghosal explains: I wanted my film to be about poetry. To be told through poems, to be told through the idea at least of poetry, as opposed to the idea of prosaic facts. So you dont actually know when he died, and in the film, he doesnt, because I think the film ends with the idea of poetry, it begins with the idea of poetry.

Kaifinamas first public screening in India took place on 30 April at Mumbais National Centre for Performing Arts (NCPA), and at a discussion after the screening, Shabana explains the precise reason she approached Ghosal with the film. What I wanted is that the filmmaker should discover the man as he goes along, through his poetry, she said. She knew her father to be an overwhelming personality and found Ghosal a director who was up to the challenge.

Ghosal's approach to film-making is testimony to Shabana's judgement: What I do as a filmmaker is try and find something that propels the story while retaining, if I can, a sense of wit, and a sense of empathy. So I try and not describe the person, which a lot of factual documentaries do, but I try and empathise with that entire life, enough to be able to bring it out in many more colours than black and white, and that is the real endeavour over the time that I spent trying to make a film. Most of it is made on the editing table, actually, because that is where you discover connections, thats where you discover redundancies, thats where you discover what is working, what is not, what is propelling something forward.

There have been other documentaries about Kaifi, and every filmmaker is using essentially the same material. What is special about Ghosals approach, however, is his enchanting narrative structure. I think what my film does, if people think that its successful, is that it puts that material into both an available and a propelling narrative. And that I think gets to people and makes it more emotional, or thats what I hope.

Kaifinama: A Celebration of the Art and Times of Kaifi Azmi is a celebration of Kaifi Azmi, and since 2019 is his birth centenary, Ghosal predicts the film will be screened on more occasions this year, with plans for a wider release afterwards.
While Mamata Banerjee said that Narendra Modi should 'do sit-ups' for 'destroying' West Bengal's heritage, the prime minister said that state is 'not the private fiefdom' of the TMC chief

A day after the Election Commission took unprecedented action in response to poll-related violence in West Bengal, campaigning for the final phase of Lok Sabha polls came to a close in the state amid sharp (and unusual) barbs between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and All India Trinamool Congress (TMC). While TMC chief Mamata Banerjee said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi should "do sit-ups" for 'destroying' the state's heritage, the prime minister said that West Bengal is "not the private fiefdom" of Banerjee.

On Thursday evening, Banerjee held a padyatra (march) through the streets of Kolkata, where people joined in with black flags and candles to protest against the 14 May violence near Vidyasagar College where social reformer Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar's statue was broken during clashes.

State power minister Sovhandeb Chatterjee, MLC Debashis Kumar, South Kolkata candidate Mala Roy, and Jadavpur candidate Mimi Chakrabarty were also present at the march. Crowds engaged in vociferous sloganeering, chanting "Vande Mataram'" and "Amar deshe bar bar, Mamata dir sarkar (This country needs Mamata Banerjee's government)."

Both the TMC and BJP have blamed each other for damaging Vidyasagar's statue. In response to the saffron party's promise to rebuild it, Banerjee retorted, "In the last five years, you (Modi) could not build a Ram Temple and you want to make Vidyasagar's statue? People of Bengal won't beg before you. We have enough money to build it. Your goons came here and said 'Bangal kangal hai (Bengal is bankrupt)'. Are Bengalis kangal?" Banerjee was referring to a comment by Shah at a poll rally at Canning earlier this week in which he had said that under Banerjee government "sonar (golden) Bangla has become kangal (pauper) Bangla".

On the other hand, Modi said at a rally in Dum Dum, "The youth in Bengal are being put behind bars for chanting 'Jai Maa Kaali' and 'Jai Shri Ram'. For sharing a meme, our daughters are being sent to jail. This won't be tolerated any more. The intruders will be held accountable when the Modi government is formed once again on 23 May." The prime minister's statement came against the backdrop of a Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) activist being arrested for sharing a meme of Banerjee.

'Bengali pride is hurt,' says Banerjee

Banerjee called Modi a liar, the likes of whom "have never been seen in the country". Later, in even stronger statements, she termed him a "fascist" and a "torturer".

Banerjee further said, "He (Modi) should squat holding his ears for destroying a heritage of the state."

"The media has shown how Vidyasagar's bust was broken. Bengalis' pride is hurt and they will not spare BJP. They will not give it (BJP) a single vote.... It will be very surprising if Modi gets a single vote from Bengalis," Banerjee claimed.

#MamataBanerjee has started her padyatra from Sukanto Setu and is heading towards Jadavpur Bus Stand. #LokSabhaElection2019 | Follow LIVE updates: https://t.co/33RCFDKyn3 pic.twitter.com/n7CEZaMuOf  Firstpost (@firstpost) May 16, 2019

Banerjee also accused the prime minister of holding a public meeting, in a nearby area, on a land owned by a person who runs an unlicensed micro-finance institution.

"I am going to file a case against the person who owns the land. Is BJP getting a share of the pie from him? I have come to know that the person is raising crores," she said.

She alleged that the BJP is spreading fake messages on the social media and warned the voters not to fall prey to it. Later speaking at another rally at Diamond Harbour, from where her nephew Abhishek Banerjee is seeking re-election, Banerjee said BJP has develeoped a sense of fear of losing the elections.

"As the last phase of elections is approaching, you (Modi) have become mad and are talking nonsense... Modi had promised to usher in achhe din but see how the prices of diesel, gas and petrol are being increased. The government is going to close down companies like BSNL and Air India if it comes to power.... The BJP government is now killing Adivasis and minorities."

'Bengal not Mamata's fiefdom', says Modi

Modi Thursday tore into TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee's criticism of the Election Commission saying had it not ensured free and fair polls she would have never been able to oust the Left and be the chief minister.

Modi also criticised Banerjee for her comments labelling BJP leaders in the state as "outsiders" and said Bengal is a part of the country and not her personal fiefdom.

"Didi is abusing the EC and central forces today. But there was a time when during the Left rule, she used to demand central forces. Had the EC and the central forces not conducted free and fair polls, she would have never been the Chief Minister of Bengal," Modi said at a poll rally at Dum Dum.

Hitting out at Banerjee for labelling the BJP leaders in the state as "outsiders", Modi said she has problems with people coming from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar but "welcomes infiltrators with open arms".

The Election Commission on Wednesday ordered campaigning in nine West Bengal constituencies to end at 10 pm on Thursday, a day before its scheduled deadline, in the wake of violence between BJP and TMC workers in Kolkata.

Deputy Election Commissioner Chandra Bhushan Kumar said it was for the first time that such an action has been taken using constitutional powers of the poll panel.

EC takes action after poll violence

The EC's action came a day after parts of Kolkata witnessed widespread violence during BJP president Amit Shah's massive roadshow in the city.

The order said it has been brought to the notice of the Commission that there have been growing incidents of disruption and violence during the political campaigns and processions in West Bengal during the ongoing elections.

"During the review with the observers it clearly came out that while logistics arrangements... are mostly on track... there is distinct resistance and non-cooperation from the district administration and district police when it comes to providing level playing field to all candidates for campaigning and in providing a fearless and free environment to the voters," the order read.

It said, the observers pointed out that while on the surface, everything looks fine, in their frank interactions with the public, the fear psychosis that is widely prevails comes out.

"They pointed out that utterances of the AITC (Trinamool Congress) senior leaders on the lines of 'central forces will leave at the end of elections, while we will remain, sends a chilling message among the officers as well as voters alike," it said, referring to the report of special observers Ajay Nayak, a former IAS officer, and Vivek Dubey, a retired IPS officer.

Reading out a statement, Kumar also said, the Commission is "deeply anguished" at the vandalism done to the statue of Ishwarchandra Bandyopadhyay (who was conferred the title of 'Vidyasagar').

In the previous phases of the election, while West Bengal has seen high voter turnouts, the polling process has been marred by numerous instances of violence.

With inputs from 101Reporters and agencies

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While BJP leaders sat in a silence with placards that read 'Save Bengal Save Democracy, for party workers gathered at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi, the message seemed to suggest the need to protect the sacred land of West Bengal, which gave birth to Hindu icons like Swami Vivekananda and Ramakrishna Paramahamsa from Mamata Banerjee and TMC

New Delhi: If politics is the art of storytelling than silence is the last thing one can expect from a politician. BJP took this less trodden path by staging a silent protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi against "attack" during party President Amit Shahs roadshow in Kolkata on Tuesday.

The uneasiness with this unusual silence was felt among reporters who reached Jantar Mantar to cover the protest. Through hours during the protest they had nothing to scribble about in their notebooks and no piece for the cameras.

The stalwarts of the saffron party like Union ministers Jitender Singh, Nirmala Sitharaman and Harshavardhan sat silently on the dais with Save Bengal Save Democracy placards in their hands.

There were chairs for listeners facing the dais with a white background. But the listeners sitting in those chairs too maintained stoic silence with placards in their hands.

Soon after TMC-BJP workers clashed during Amit Shahs roadshow in Kolkata, West Bengal, on Tuesday, a Whats App message was spread among reporters in Delhi that read, A national protest against the cowardly attack on BJPs national presidents roadshow in Kolkata today, would be held tomorrow, Wednesday 15th May at 10.30 am at Jantar Mantar. Please join and register your protest against this goondaism."

It was nowhere mentioned that it would be a silent protest.

Silence means peace. By speaking through silence we want to convey the message to the nation that peace is the need of the hour to save Bengal from the violence perpetuated by Mamata Banerjee and her party. If we cannot save Bengal today we will not be able to save Indian democracy tomorrow, said SP Bagga, a leader in the Delhi BJP in the sidelines of the protest.

Significantly, the narrative of violence by the Trinamool Congress Party against the BJP workers is quite an old one. Only recently, Assam finance minister Himanta Biswa Sarma who is presently camping in West Bengal was heard saying that in the Panchayat election held last year, a woman candidate of the saffron party was physically assaulted by Trinamool Congress workers to prevent her from filing nomination.

But in the times of dog-whistle politics, it seems that the meaning of the slogan Save Bengal Save Democracy has more to it than what meets the eye. At least the different interpretation of the slogan offered by the BJP workers who the reporter met at the protest suggests so.

When asked what the slogan means to him, Ankit Singh a young BJP worker from Karnal said, "West Bengal is a sacred land. It gave birth to icons like Swami Vivekananda and Ram Krishna Paramhamsa. If the land of Bengal is trampled by goons than how can India be safe."

After Sarma entered into the campaign picture in West Bengal, two weeks ago, the BJP has been infusing Hindutva to the sense of Bengali pride, reminding the state's populace of the glory of Swami Vivekananda and Ramakrishna Paramahamsa and the need to protect it.

Only a day clashes took place during Shah's rally in Kolkata, Sarma said in an interview to a local channel, "The sacred land of Bengal gave birth to Swami Vivekananda and our very own Shyama Prasad Mukherjee. We need to ensure that the violence perpetuated by Trinamool Congress does not put out the glow of the light Bengal is showing to the nation.

The BJP leaders silent protest in Jantar Mantar seemed to extend the same narrative to workers outside West Bengal.

But it had its share of skeptics too who doubted whether such programmes would bring about any change in the violence-ridden politics of West Bengal.

"There is hardly any representative from West Bengal in this protest. How is such a programme going to bring about any change there?" asked Asim Sahni, a BJP supporter from Uttar Pradesh.

In contrary to this skepticism, many in the crowd seem to understand that the protest is more about spreading a message across India before the last phase of Lok Sabha polls due on 19 May.

Jogender Davas, president of the Kanjawala district chapter of the BJP explained the utility of the protest. Mamata along with the left is trying to make a Kashmir out of West Bengal. Todays protest sends this message across the nation. It also sends a message to the people of West Bengal that the nation is with them.

Interestingly, the BJP has been sending out messages to connect to its core voter base, right after the violent clashes broke out in West Bengal on Tuesday.

Soon after the incident, Shah said to the media, "I was not allowed to reach Swami Vivekanands house to pay tributes and I am saddened by it.

Amit Shahs roadshow, which began from Esplande and proceeded towards the ancestral home of Swami Vivekananda, could not complete the journey due to clashes between TMC and BJP workers.

Though the leaders maintained silence during the protest, the workers of the party did all the talking and conveyed loaded messages to the media.

But what could be the outcome of this protest when the Lok Sabha polls is on its final phase of campaigning. The last phase of election to be held on 19 May would see polling in the states namely Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Punjab, Chandigarh and Himachal Pradesh.

Replying to the query, Poonam Davas, a BJP councilor at Kanjwalla district in Haryana said, "Our blood boils when we remember that our (party) president was prevented from paying tributes to Swami Vivekananda. But in BJP, we believe in peace. So, we will certainly reach out to people and unite them against such violence."

Rajkumar, a BJP leader at Bawana in Delhi who also fought the election earlier, jumped into the conversation and said, "We have nothing against or in favour of any religion. Our protest is only against violence."

Anyways dog whistles are not meant for the media, but only for the intended groups.

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In reality, Nusrat is every inch a star. She knows Basirhat but as a place where she's done stage shows. She knows how to wave to the crowds like a princess. She refers to them rather regally as 'my people'.

Editor's note: This is a multi-part series of reports from West Bengal's smaller towns and cities. It examines how young urban voters view elections 2019, and what they expect from the political process. Read more articles from the series here

***

"Would you like me to sing?" she asks the crowd. There is a murmur of approval but the crowd mostly gapes. It's Ramzan and the clock is ticking towards Roza hour in this Muslim-dominated area of West Bengal.

"If I don't hear it louder, I'll just end this sabha right now," she says with a mischievous smile. This time the applause is louder. Nusrat Jahan, leading lady of crowd-pleasing Bengali blockbusters like Shotru, Khoka 420 and Love Express bursts into a few lines of a song.

At first sight, Nusrat seems a rather unusual candidate (Trinamool Congress) to be fielded from a sensitive seat like Basirhat. In 2017, an incendiary Facebook post about the Prophet Muhammad triggered riots in this area close to the Bangladesh border. Some say the riots were purposely instigated with outsiders brought in to fan the flames and lead to political polarization. Others say the real issue is anger over cattle smuggling across the border.

Either way, it seems surprising that a political novice like 29-year-old Nusrat has been sent to hold the fortress for Trinamool. The BJP is targeting the seat heavily. Narendra Modi addressed a rally in Basirhat and said that Bengal will help the BJP win more than 300 seats. They hope Basirhat will be one of them.

"BJP has been pouring money into this area," says Ranjit Talukdar, a local businessman, born and brought up in Basirhat. "They are trying to communalise Basirhat."

Nusrat, as an outsider, is presenting herself as an antidote to all this, the bridge over troubled waters. "I'm a speed breaker to this polarisation," she says. "Both my people have liked me irrespective of whatever religion you are, they've liked me as Nusrat Jahan because they like my films. So I'm blessed."

While the Lok Sabha election gets more toxic in the long hot summer, Nusrat remains as cool as her linen sari, adroitly deflecting all inconvenient questions and staying firmly on her peace-and-love-for-all script. Asked how as an artist she deals with police arresting BJP activist Priyanka Sharma for sharing a meme making fun of Didi, she merely says, "The law is doing the needful. The law must take its course." She dismisses the trolling, misogyny and mockery that greeted her own candidature as the work of people desperately craving her attention.

On the campaign trail, she leaves the fire and brimstone to the politicians. Trinamool minister Suvendu Adhikari warn the crowd that the Congress candidate, a local Muslim, Abdur Rahil Quazi aka Dilu-babu is getting support from the BJP. But Nusrat will not publicly badmouth him.

Instead, she says once the Congress conducted a rally close to where she was. When her convoy passed, she says she wished him and did salaam dua. "He said Nusrat bhalo theko (be well). I wished him well and we gave space to each other. It's for people to decide who wins."

"I like her, she smiles and is pleasant," says Sadhana Haldar who has come to see Nusrat. "She's not starry at all," says Chhaya Ghosh standing with a cluster of her friends. "I don't think we will be cheated if we vote for her." The slogans raised by her supporters reinforce the girl-next-door image  "Tomar aamaar ghorer meye, Nusrat Jahan zindabad (All hail Nusrat Jahan, our very own daughter)"

In reality, Nusrat is every inch a star. She knows Basirhat but as a place where she's done stage shows. She knows how to wave to the crowds like a princess. She refers to them rather regally as "my people". Her roadshow moves through the shop-lined main road of Basirhat like a royal wedding procession, complete with tribal dancers in green-and-white saris and sneakers, balancing pots of fake flowers on their heads. At periodic intervals, volunteers hand out water and sweet batashas. Men and women hang out on balconies and rooftops to get a quick glimpse of her. Nusrat's smile and hand-wave never falters.

Even those who don't support her come out for a look. A woman stands in front of the local temple watching impassively and shaking her head. When I ask her if she is impressed, she shrugs and says cryptically, "Wait for 23rd. Then it will be clear what's what." When I ask her name, she shakes her head and says "Just assume something. It doesn't matter. But wait and see."

Sayantan Basu, BJP state general secretary, is hoping for a quiet BJP undercurrent. He already had an FIR lodged against him for saying central forces will be asked to shoot troublemakers in the chest, not in the leg on polling day, and women will hack goondas with the hatchets that are used to chop coconuts. "Let Mamata Banerjee's administration arrest me," Basu said defiantly. The BJP and the RSS allege that Trinamool has been terrorising their supporters and there will be a backlash against the ruling party.

But the hotter Basu blows, the cooler Jahan stays, refusing to go off script. "I want us to celebrate all festivals here with joy," she tells the crowd. "Remember there is only one candidate and that is Mamata Banerjee."

While initially many raised eyebrows at an untested Tollywood star being thrown into the fray, now Ranjit Talukar says she was a wise choice. She's Muslim but without any hardcore communal baggage. A more conservative minority candidate could have raked up old tensions that erupted around Durga Puja a few years ago. In fact her Tollywood charms, her earlier stated views on issues like triple talaq could drive some more conservative Muslims towards Congress' Dilu-babu but clearly Mamata thought that worth the risk.

Mamata is banking on Trinamool's impressive development record here. "All the concrete roads you drive on is thanks to Trinamool," says Ranjit Talukdar. "This used to be a Congress belt. The CPM did nothing for it." He says the spoils of development have become a point of envy, infighting and "chokher bish" (poison to the eye) for some. A "neutral and external" candidate can keep the peace.

He dismisses the stories of cattle smuggling. "Look, this is a border area, some underhand business happens. I won't deny it. Even if you assume Trinamool is involved, how are these cows coming from Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan? How are they getting through BSF across the border? If it is happening, everyone is involved."

But the aftermath violence of 2017 still does linger. Nusrat wants to waft past it. "It was a stupid and silly thing that was given a push," she says. "People remember those hard times for sure but they would not like something like that to repeat again. They are living in peace right now."

The main road remains lined with biryani restaurants, many proudly proclaiming themselves as "beef biryani specialists". The same road also has the Hargouri Bastralaya and Gita Basanalaya. Basirhat seems to be back to business.

However, the scars remain. Shaon Sorkar stands watching the Nusrat cavalcade go past. He runs a dance troupe called Madhuchhanda Nritya Goshti. He is a Hindu. He introduces me to a Muslim man he calls his uncle. He says his dance troupe has been performing here for years. They have performed Shiva dance at Good Friday programmes and Krishna Leela during Eid. "An artist has no religion," he says. "But now people are nervous. We are being told don't do a Hindu dance at a minority programme for example. A division has been created."

As I walk away, he shouts after me. "The BJP has managed to do here what even Pakistan could not  bhedabhed (divisions)." Then he quotes a poem by Kazi Nazrul Islam  "Mora eki brintey duti kusum, Hindu Musalman." We are two flowers on the same stalk - Hindu and Muslim. Reporter dada, remind people of that."
Naidu in a series of tweets alleged that the EC turned a deaf ear towards the woes of West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee-led party.

New Delhi: After the Election Commission (EC) put a blanket ban on campaigning in West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Wednesday accused the polling body of acting on BJP's complaint while ignoring TMC's grievances.

Naidu in a series of tweets alleged that the EC turned a deaf ear towards the woes of West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee-led party. "It is disturbing to see prompt action by the ECI on the complaint by BJP and Amit Shah in West Bengal, while conveniently ignoring the complaints of TMC," Naidu tweeted.

Earlier, the Election Commission decided to cut short the campaign period in the state after the violence broke out during BJP president Amit Shah's roadshow on Wednesday. "No election campaigning to be held in nine parliamentary constituencies of West Bengal, namely Dum Dum, Barasat, Basirhat, Jaynagar, Mathurapur, Jadavpur, Diamond Harbour, South, and North Kolkata, from 10 pm tomorrow till the conclusion of polls," Deputy Election Commissioner Chandra Bhushan Kumar told media. Campaigning was originally scheduled to end at 5 pm on Friday for the nine constituencies that will go to polls on 19 May.

Continuing his tirade against the Election Commission, the chief minister said, "Giving clean chits to Narendra Modi, taking unjustified prompt action after false complaints by BJP, willful inaction on genuine complaints by opposition parties; clearly raises doubts about the neutrality, impartiality, and fairness of the Election Commission of India." "It's high time the ECI acts on the complaints made by opposition parties to restore its credibility and fulfill its constitutional mandate of conducting free and fair elections. The institutional integrity of the ECI and integrity of the democratic process of elections is at stake," he tweeted.

In another tweet, Naidu added, "It is even more disturbing to see conspicuous inaction of the ECI regarding the complaint of 22 political parties of the opposition, to validate EVM counting with the counting of at least 50 percent VVPAT slips in each assembly constituency."

The Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister has been critical of the Election Commission since the beginning of Lok Sabha polls. Time and again the leader has accused the election watchdog of bias.
The Opposition parties requested for urgent and necessary review of the order prohibiting election campaigning in West Bengal after 10 pm on Thursday, claiming it was violative of the doctrine of level-playing field and Article 14 of the Constitution which provides for equality before the law.

New Delhi: Three Opposition parties, including the Congress, on Thursday approached the Election Commission over its order curtailing the time period for campaigning in West Bengal, terming it "violative" of the doctrine of level-playing field and urged the poll body to give at least half a day more for electioneering.

A delegation comprising Congress' Abhishek Manu Singhvi and Ahmed Patel, TDP leader CM Ramesh and AAP's Sanjay Singh presented their stand before the EC on the issue.

The Opposition parties requested for urgent and necessary review of the order prohibiting election campaigning in West Bengal after 10 pm on Thursday, claiming it was violative of the doctrine of level-playing field and Article 14 of the Constitution which provides for equality before the law.

In first such action in India's electoral history, the Election Commission on Wednesday ordered campaigning in nine West Bengal constituencies to end at 10 pm Thursday, a day before its scheduled deadline, in the wake of violence between the BJP and TMC workers during BJp president Amit Shah's roadshow in Kolkata on Tuesday.

A bust of 19th century Bengali icon Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar was vandalised during the Kolkata violence.

In their memorandum to the poll watchdog, the Opposition parties said the EC, instead of enforcing a level-playing field, has "arbitrarily" decided to cut off campaigning to the "prejudice" of all other parties.

This, in fact, benefits the BJP which has two rallies scheduled, they said, adding that the EC order, truncating the campaign period, "fails to meet the standard of reasonableness or even of application of mind".

"We urge that this commission re-consider its decision and penalise the one who propagated the violence and violated its electoral laws in such a blatant manner. Punishing those who are innocent by taking such an arbitrary decision will result in a grotesque precedent being set," the parties said.

Singhvi told reporters outside the EC office, "I would say that if the EC considers the facts presented by us, it can allow campaign for half a day more. The final decision is in their hands. All options are open for us."

The delegation also requested the Election Commission for urgent and necessary directions to election officials to order re-polling in Domariyaganj Lok Sabha constituency in Uttar Pradesh.

They also called for various safeguards for the EVMs to ensure electoral integrity and free and fair elections.

The leaders also raised the issue of "failure" to provide security to MLA Aditi Singh in Rae Bareli. The Congress on Wednesday condemned the attack on its Rae Bareli legislator Aditi Singh, blaming it on what it called the "hired goons of the BJP" in Uttar Pradesh.
Mamata Banerjee's extraordinary tirade against the Election Commission of India on Wednesday night is just one more indication of her callous disregard for the Constitution and its provisions. West Bengal has been suffering from this disease since the Left Front regime but under Mamata's Trinamool Congress it has mutated into a more virulent strain. In fact, the only quibble with the ECI's decision is that it is a tad too lenient on a chief minister who openly threatens to take 'inch by inch revenge' against political rivals.

Mamata Banerjee's extraordinary tirade against the Election Commission of India on Wednesday night is just one more indication of her callous disregard for the Constitution and its provisions. The Election Commission's decision to curtail campaigning in West Bengal by 24 hours applies to all the parties, but Mamata's vitriol against the Constitutional body indicates that she has correctly diagnosed the ECI measure as a resounding slap on the face of West Bengal government and an indictment of the way state's administrative machinery has been subverted into a party functionary unit.

West Bengal has been suffering from this disease since the Left Front regime but under Mamata's Trinamool Congress it has mutated into a more virulent strain. In fact, the only quibble with the ECI's decision is that it is a tad too lenient on a chief minister who openly threatens to take "inch by inch revenge" against political rivals. So vicious is the political climate in Bengal that spokespersons of the ruling party threatened "war" against rivals during ongoing TV debates.

At times on Wednesday, Mamata's irrational reaction and wild allegations against the ECI, berating of even the Supreme Court (not to speak of outbursts against Narendra Modi and Amit Shah) raised questions whether she is aware that a chief minister must conform to certain standards, rules, protocols and proprieties expected from the office.

As a Constitutional authority in charge of administering "free and fair polls" in India, the ECI has been invested with powers that allow it to take a wide range of actions necessary to achieve its objective. Article 324 of the Indian Constitution lays down that "Superintendence, direction and control of elections to be vested in an Election Commission".

Due to the extraordinary mandate of ensuring the sanctity of the election process, the ECI has the right to exercise its plenary powers and issue instructions that it may deem fit including cancellation or postponement of election or acting against/penalising candidates. These actions have time and again been upheld by the court.

The judiciary generally adopts a 'non-interference' policy in decisions taken by the ECI (see here and here for recent examples). This has caused much heartburn among some political leaders who frequently knock on the doors of the Supreme Court challenging the Election Commission's decisions. Mamata, for instance, expressed "anguish" on Wednesday that not even the SC is paying heed to complaints against the Election Commission, whom she accused of working in favour of the BJP.

During her rant against the ECI on Wednesday, Mamata accused it of being "filled with RSS people" and "working under the instruction of the BJP and Modi and Shah", before posing the question: "What does the EC think, they can make Modi win like this?" The Bengal chief minister did not clarify the basis of her allegations.

Her brazen defence of Bengal's political climate, even as the state witnessed sustained violence through all the six phases of Lok Sabha elections, reflect an attitude of desperation that may have crept into the Trinamool camp due to the realisation that BJP has fast developed into a worthy challenger.

To a certain extent, the BJP has benefitted from a presidential mode of elections where the mandate is perceived to be for or against the prime minister. This has allowed the BJP to paper over its organisational lacunae with the aura of 'Brand Modi' and some amount of counter-polarisation among the Hindus against Mamata's perceived minority appeasement policy. The BJP may be bereft of these benefits during Assembly elections but, for now, this is cold comfort for Mamata who can feel the 'Jai Shree Ram' drumbeats getting louder and more confident.

In her Wednesday's reaction, therefore, desperation was writ large.

"There is no such law and order problem in West Bengal that Article 324 can be clamped... This is not the EC's direction; it is the BJP's direction. This is the direction of Narendra Modi and Amit Shah. The EC's decision is unfair, unethical and politically biased," thundered the Bengal CM, adding, "Are you waiting for Prime Minister Modi to finish his two rallies on Thursday? You could have stopped campaigning from today (Wednesday) evening?"

She also compared the desecration of Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar's bust with the demolition of Babari Masjid.

"Election Commission is running under the BJP. This is an unprecedented decision. Tuesday's violence was because of Amit Shah. Why has EC not issued a show cause notice to him or sacked him?... BJP goons were brought from outside. They created violence wearing saffron clothes similar to when Babri Masjid was demolished (in 1992)."

The invective against the prime minister was direct and personal.

"Narendra Modi, you cannot take care of your wife. How can you take care of the country? You should be kicked out of the country. My fight is against you and will continue fighting. People of Bengal will give you a befitting reply."

There is some confusion over the ECI's role in implementing the Model Code of Conduct that some Opposition parties and even a section of the media have interpreted as a license for the ECI to play the speech nanny. This is a misleading narrative.

The point of ECI is not to police free speech and act as a nanny, but to ensure elections that are fair and free of violence and rigging. Free speech is anyway subjected to reasonable restrictions. Had that been the case, even Mamata's tirade against the ECI, the prime minister and the BJP president may have fallen foul of Model Code of Conduct. If every bit of speech during elections is censured, then it will be tantamount to the Election Commission of India deciding on the issues over which the issues will be fought. That is not the ECI's terrain.

To ensure that the purity of the electoral process is upheld is where the Election Commission comes in and it was clear from its comments during Wednesday's press conference that the poll body believes that the election process in West Bengal has been compromised.

The ECI, represented by the deputy election commissioner at the news conference, acknowledged that "this was the first time when EC has invoked Article 324 in this manner but it may not be the last in cases of repetition of lawlessness and violence which vitiate the conduct of polls in a peaceful and orderly manner."

In its removal of the principal secretary (home) Atri Bhattacharya and additional director general, CID, Rajeev Kumar, from their postings in state administration, the ECI essentially expressed its lack of confidence in the Mamata Banerjee government in performing its role as mandated by the Constitution. A more uncharitable interpretation could be that ECI reinforced the narrative of TMC's political rivals who have time and again claimed that Bengal has descended into an anarchy under Mamata Banerjee.

The ECI's message warrants concern. It talks of "distinct resistance and non-cooperation from the district administration and district police when it comes to providing level playing field to all candidates for campaigning" and a damning conclusion, in consultation with observers, that "utterances of the AITC (Trinamool Congress) senior leaders on the lines of 'central forces will leave at the end of elections, while we will remain, sends a chilling message among the officers as well as voters alike."

The blurring of the line between party and state is not new. Under Mamata, however, it has become more brazen. Tuesday's incidents during Amit Shah rally give us further indication that Bengal will maintain its regressive tradition of mindless violence during elections - the levels of which will spike whenever there is a possibility of change in political guard. That remains the true tragedy of this once-progressive state.
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In Independent India, Election Commission has time and again asserted its power to ensure this impartiality and what it did in West Bengal was part of its core responsibility. Mamata Banerjee's targeting of ECI on this ground is completely ill-founded as constitutional provisions, landmark judgments and legal precedents are all in favour of the election watchdog

Article 324 of the Indian Constitution vests the power of superintendence, direction and control of elections to the Election Commission of India. The Election Commission which is a Constitutional body is responsible for conducting elections to the parliament and state legislatures.

The power of superintendence, direction, and control has a wider connotation and goes much beyond mere logistics. Its most important task is to ensure that elections are free and fair.

And in the exercise of this inherent power, the Election Commission on Wednesday decided to bar election campaigning in West Bengal from 10 pm on Thursday. The Election Commission, in a press statement issued on Wednesday evening, clarified that no person shall convene, hold, attend, and join any public meeting in connection with the election."

What immediately provoked the Election Commission to take this decision were reports of "growing incidents of disruption and violence during the political campaigns/processions in the state". On Tuesday, BJP president Amit Shah held a roadshow in Kolkata where violent clashes took place between the workers of BJP and the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC). The convoy of the BJP president was attacked with stones, allegedly by TMC supporters, triggering a clash between supporters of the two parties.

The Election Commission further said in the press statement that deputy election commissioner, in-charge of West Bengal took stock of the preparation and found that "there were distinct resistance and non-cooperation from the district administration and district police when it comes to providing a level-playing field to all candidates for campaigning and in providing a fearless threat-free environment to the voters."

What can be a serious indictment of the West Bengal government, the EC further added that the "observers pointed out that while on the surface everything looks fine, but in the frank interactions with the public the fear psychosis that is widely prevalent come out. They pointed out that utterances of AITC senior leaders on lines of Central Forces will leave after elections while we will remain sends a chilling message among the officers as well as voters alike."

Following the Election Commission's decision, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and other Opposition parties launched a full-blown attack on the poll watchdog. Mamata at a press conference said, "This is an emergency situation arisen because of the EC decision... It's not an Election Commission decision, it's a BJP decision. Modi is afraid of me and afraid of the people of Bengal. Amit Shah held a presser on Tuesday morning and threatened the commission... Is this order a result of that threat?"

While several political parties like Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), CPM, Samajwadi Party (SP) joined the chorus in criticising ECI, they conveniently overlooked, constitutional provisions, numerous High Courts and Supreme Court judgments and legal precedents while attacking the Commission.

The decision by EC to stop campaigning a day in advance is not understood. The first thing being expected by EC was action against the lumpen elements of BJP and TMC for violence yesterday. Why has no action been initiated? #Bengal  Sitaram Yechury (@SitaramYechury) May 15, 2019

If a ban is intended for 72 hours, why is it starting at 10pm tomorrow? Is it to allow the two rallies of the PM before that? https://t.co/wn6MqmmrhD  Sitaram Yechury (@SitaramYechury) May 15, 2019

If there are claims made by both sides, why has EC not released the video recorded by the official EC videographer of the incident? That should have been the first step, as demanded by our state Secretary @mishra_surjya before naming the culprits & punishing them pic.twitter.com/Cn9wRw2l4L  Sitaram Yechury (@SitaramYechury) May 15, 2019

Constitutional Principles

Article 324 talks about superintendence, direction and control of elections to be vested in the ECI. As interpreted and explained by legal expert RD Jain in his essay Electoral Process on the Horns of a Dilemma, the wider interpretation is that the Constitution empowers the Election Commission to lay down the policy to decide administrative matters of importance and also adjudicate electoral disputes. Therefore, besides administrative functions, it may be called upon to perform quasi-judicial duties also.

Landmark Judgments

Aditya Sondhi, a senior advocate practicing at the High Court of Karnataka, writes in the Oxford Handbook of the Indian Constitution, "As regards the powers of the Election Commission, the Supreme Court in Kanhaiya Lal Omar construed the expression superintendence, direction and control in Article 324 to include a specific or general order, and mandated that such power is to be construed liberally so that the object for which the power is granted is effectively achieved. Thereby the Commission was not circumscribed in the exercise of its power and could issue executive orders as may be required to discharge its functions.

In Union of India versus Association for Democratic Reforms, the Supreme Court held that: "Under Article 324, the superintendence, direction and control of the 'conduct of all elections' to Parliament and to the Legislature of every State vests in Election Commission. The phrase 'conduct of elections' is held to be of wide amplitude which would include power to make all necessary provisions for conducting free and fair elections."

The Election Commission on several occasions, in the exercise of its power and responsibility, has regulated elections in a manner that has upset political parties and its leaders. And it was in the exercise of this inherent power only that ECI invoked section 324 to regulate election campaigning in West Bengal.

Precedents

Legislative Assembly of Gujarat, which was constituted in March 1998 and its five-year term was to expire on 18 March, 2003, was dissolved on 19 July, 2002. The last sitting of the dissolved Assembly was held on 3 April, 2002, and as per the requirement of Article 174(1) of the Constitution, the time period between two sittings of Assembly cannot exceed six months. It was, therefore, the duty of the ECI to conduct elections before 3 October, 2002 which was the last date of expiry of six months (from the last sitting of the dissolved Assembly).

However, the ECI while acknowledging that Article 174(1) is mandatory and applicable to an Assembly which is dissolved and further that the elections for constituting new Legislative Assembly must be held within six months of the last session of the dissolved Assembly, was of the view that it was not in a position to conduct elections before 3rd of October 2002".

This led to the then President of India APJ Abdul Kalam (in the exercise of its power under Article 143 of the Constitution) refer the case for the opinion of the Supreme Court. The reference essentially dwelt on one important issue: Can the Election Commission override certain Constitutional provisions (in this case Article 174) to fulfil its responsibility of conducting free and fair elections?

Supreme Court while upholding ECI decision, stated in the judgment, The Constitutional mandate given to the Election Commission under Article 324 of the Constitution is to hold free and fair elections to the legislative bodies. And, in the Commissioner's considered view, if a free and fair election cannot be held to a legislative body at a given point of time because of the extraordinary circumstances then prevailing, Article 174 of the Constitution must yield to Article 324 in the interest of genuine democracy and purity of elections.

Essentially, the apex court held that if the Election Commission believes that conducting free and fair elections is not possible in particular circumstances, it can make decisions that can override even constitutional principles.

While supporting the Election Commission decision and apex court judgment, noted jurist AG Noorani wrote in Frontline, "If this entails a violation of Article 174, President's Rule can be imposed since "the Government of the State cannot be carried on in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution within the meaning of Article 356(1)."

https://frontline.thehindu.com/static/html/fl1918/19180100.htm

Debating for the unified election commission  against separate commissions for states recommended by some other members of the constituent assembly, KM Munshi reasoned certain provincial governments could not be trusted to be as impartial in elections as they should be.

In Independent India, Election Commission has time and again asserted its power to ensure this impartiality and what it did in West Bengal was part of its core responsibility. Mamata Banerjee's targeting of ECI on this ground is completely ill-founded as constitutional provisions, landmark judgments and legal precedents are all in favour of the election watchdog.
The Election Commission (EC) ordered an end to the campaigning in nine West Bengal constituencies at 10 pm on Thursday.

The Election Commission (EC) ordering an end to the campaigning in nine West Bengal constituencies at 10 pm on Thursday is the first such action it has taken in India's electoral history.

Because something like this has never been done in independent India's history, it was expected that the parties opposing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)  especially the Trinamool Congress  would cry foul and claim that the move was anti-democratic.

Already, Congress, Communist Party of India  Marxist (CPM) Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) have criticised the EC's move and alleged that the poll body is biased in favour of BJP.

But whether EC's decision is justified or not needs to be on the basis of the ground reality in West Bengal, not petty political blame games. And the grim facts of the situation in West Bengal are so serious that the desecration of the bust of Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar and the attack on BJP president Amit Shah's convoy  which prompted EC's action  pale in comparison to darker tragedies.

On the day of second phase of polling in West Bengal, 22-year-old BJP Yuva Morcha member Sisupal Sahis was found hanging from a tree in Purulia. BJP alleged that Sahis was murdered by "goons from TMC". The police, however, abstained from linking Sahis' death to the Lok Sabha polls. But a member associated with the ruling party of the country being murdered on the day of second phase of polling in a state ruled by a party bitterly opposed to the party of the deceased is anything but a sign of peaceful polls.

During the third phase on 23 April, 56-year-old Tiarul Kalam was killed during clashes between Congress and TMC in Murshidabad.

Just a day before the sixth phase of polling on 12 May, 42-year-old BJP worker Raman Singh and 55-year-old TMC workers Sudhakar Maity were found dead in Jhargram and Contai of East Midnapore respectively.

Apart from these four deaths, Lok Sabha polls in West Bengal witnessed a series of untoward incidents.

For example, in the first phase, an EVM was ransacked in Sitai, with BJP and TMC blaming each other's workers for the incident. During the second phase, CPM candidate Mohammed Salim's convoy was attacked in Raiganj consituency. Times Now reported that apart from bricks and stones being hurled at the convoy, even bullets were fired at the cavalcade.

On the same day, a vernacular news channel reporter was allegedly attacked by TMC members, The Wire reported. The report had also stated that regional news channels showed visuals of residents of Dighi Colony in Chopra being beaten up by unidentified people, while the state police personnal remained silent.

Crude bombs were hurled by unidentified miscreants outside some polling stations in Malda South. Reuters reported that during the fourth phase, security forces chased away people wielding sticks after workers from BJP took on those from TMC in Asansol. An EC official also said that paramilitary forces fired a blank round inside a polling station in another constituency in the state after a scuffle between voters and troops, who were demanding that mobile phones be kept aside while voting, as rules state.

During the fifth phase, three journalists were injured in a scuffle which broke out between BJP's Barrackpore candidate Arjun Singh and TMC workers, The Times of India reported. A few CPM workers were also attacked and two other people were injured. Villagers of Bishnupur boycotted polling during the sixth phase as they claimed that central forces were harassing the men and not letting women vote.

The Hindu also reported of a video clip from Sunday which showed a group of men sitting on the ground being threatened and hit by another group of men in uniform carrying assault rifles. Thus, the ground reality in West Bengal is that there has been no Lok Sabha election phase during which no major incidents of violence took place, with some of those incidents even leading to deaths.

And it's not like the EC had not taken any action to curb violence in West Bengal. From the fifth phase, EC decided to bring all the polling booths in West Bengal under the central forces. In the fourth phase, 98 percent of the polling booths for constituencies going for polls in the state were under central forces.

Some may argue that EC did not take such action despite poll violence always being a reality in West Bengal, which had also seen several killed in last year's panchayat polls in the state. Poll violence in West Bengal was also a reality during the Left regime in the state.

But the poll body not curtailing campaigning earlier doesn't mean that it shouldn't do the same if the violent situation in a state during election persists. In fact, if the state has a history of consistent poll violence, it makes it all the more important for the EC to take drastic measures to control the situation.

The only justified criticism of the EC's move so far has been about how the body was too late in taking this decision. Some Opposition leaders have also expressed legitimate concerns over why the EC chose 10 pm on Thursday as the deadline for campaigning, giving Prime Minister Narendra Modi enough time to address two rallies in the state.

But as far as the premature end to campaigning itself is concerned, it seems the EC was forced to take such action as the Mamata Banerjee government in the state repeatedly failed to provide a safe and secure atmosphere to its people for voting.

With inputs from agencies
Adityanath claimed that he had three rallies scheduled in West Bengal earlier this week, permissions for which were denied. I said permission had been withdrawn in an immoral way.

Patna: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has urged people of the Bihar capital to vote for BJP candidate from Patna Sahib, Ravi Shankar Prasad, calling him the pairokar (advocate) for Ram temple.

His achievements as Union minister also included a clampdown on triple talaq and improved connectivity through Digital India, the BJP leader said at an election meeting in the city late on Wednesday night. He is not only the pairokar of Ram temple but also the man responsible for ensuring justice to 'aadhi aabadi'(half the population a Hindi colloquial used to describe women) by attacking the custom of triple talaq, the UP chief minister said evoking frenzied applause from the crowd.

I am thankful that you waited till so late to hear me. It was important for me to come here since you are going to elect a person who is needed by millions of Ram Bhakts across the country, he said.

Prasad, who is pitted against sitting MP and Congress candidate Shatrughan Sinha, was the counsel for one of the petitioners in the Ayodhya title suit which was decided by the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court in 2010, the appeal against which is pending before the Supreme Court.

As Law minister, he had played a crucial role in introducing the controversial ordinance making triple talaq punishable with imprisonment which was opposed by NDA partners like the JD(U) which was followed by a bill in Parliament, where it met with stiff resistance.

The UP chief minister, who heads the Gorakhnath Dham shrine of Gorakhpur, also praised Prasad who holds the IT and telecommunication portfolio before training his guns at Trinamool Congress supremo and West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee.

In Bihar, which is ruled by JD(U), BJP and LJP together, the environment is very good. But today I am coming from a state (West Bengal) where law and order has collapsed, chaos prevails and there is dictatorship in the guise of democracy, Adityanath said on a day when the EC cut short the campaign period in West Bengal in the wake of violence between BJP and TMC workers in Kolkata.

The BJP leader claimed that he had three rallies scheduled in West Bengal earlier this week, permissions for which were denied. I said permission had been withdrawn in an immoral way. I will come to Bengal and urge its people to dislodge from power a government which believes in such high-handedness. Finally, I got permissions to hold rallies on Wednesday which, they ensured, reached me late so that it became difficult for me to visit the venues, he said.

Nevertheless, I addressed the rallies before coming here.

"You all have seen how Amit Shah's roadshow was attacked... The Trinamool Congress, Lalu Prasad's RJD in Bihar these are all birds of a feather (ek hi thaili ke chatte batte). The entire country is reverberating with the cry 'Phir ek baar Modi Sarkaar'. And this is why all these opponents of the BJP are in panic, the BJP leader said.

Patna Sahib goes to polls, along with seven other Lok Sabha seats of Bihar, in the final phase of general elections on Sunday.
Lok Sabha Election 2019 LIVE Updates: The Election Commission has sought factual report from Madhya Pradesh Chief Electoral Officer by Friday in the matter of Pragya Singh Thakur's statement, 'Nathuram Godse was, is and will remain a 'deshbhakt''.

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TMC chief and Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee has two public rallies, at Mathurapur and Diamond Harbour, and two roadshows, at Behala and Kolkata, scheduled on Thursday. Meanwhile, BJP's South Kolkata candidate Chandra Bose will garland a statue of Vidyasagar with a lotus garland.

The Election Commission's order invoking Article 324 in West Bengal has made Thursday the last day of campaigning in the state, leading both the BJP and TMC to concentrate last-minute campaign efforts on a turf which has seen violence throughout the Lok Sabha election. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to hold two rallies in the state  at Mathurapur and Laxmikantpur.

On what is now the last day of campaigning in West Bengal, Modi is expected to hold two rallies in the state  at Mathurapur and Laxmikantpur. Modi will be travelling to the state after three rallies in Mau, Chandauli and Mirzapur in Uttar Pradesh. Modi said on Wednesday that TMC "goons" and the state government have teamed up against the people of West Bengal.

TMC chief Mamata has two public rallies, at Mathurapur and Diamond Harbour, and two roadshows, at Behala and Kolkata, scheduled on Thursday. Accusing the Election Commission of working at the behest of the BJP, Mamata had called the poll panel's order curtailing Article 324 an "unprecedented, unconstitutional and unethical gift" to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

BJP president Amit Shah is also expected to hold rallies at Maharajganj, Sikandarpur, Fefna and Deoria in Uttar Pradesh on Thursday. He will end the day with a roadshow in Gorakhpur, a significant choice as the BJP had lost the byelection in the constituency held previously by Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath recently.

Congress chief Rahul Gandhi will visit the family of the 19-year-old gangrape survivor in Rajasthan's Alwar on Thursday. The visit, originally scheduled on Wednesday, had to postpone his visit as his chopper could not land in the area due to bad weather. Chief minister Ashok Gehlot, AICC general secretary in-charge of Rajasthan Avinash Pande and deputy chief minister and PCC president Sachin Pilot were to accompany Rahul.

Congress veteran Ghulam Nabi Azad has said that the aim of the party is to defeat the NDA conglomerate and not to fight for the prime minister's post. "We have already made our stand clear. If a consensus is made in the favour of Congress, then party will take the leadership but our aim has always been that NDA govt shouldn't come. We will go with the unanimous decision," Azad said on Wednesday. Until now, Congress has projected chief Rahul Gandhi as a prime ministerial candidate throughout the election.

Ahead of his five rallies on Thursday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi made an appeal to people on Twitter to follow his meetings on social media.

Congress came down heavily on the Election Commission in a press conference addressed by party communications in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala on Thursday. "Had the Model Code of Conduct now become the Modi Code of Misconduct?" Surjewala asked. He also raised questions on the poll panel's neutrality, questioning the Election Commission's crackdown on campaigning in Bengal and asked how Narendra Modi's two rallies could be allowed in the state on Thursday. Surjewala called the enforcement of Article 324 a 'parting gift' by the Election Commission to the Narendra Modi government.

Stressing that the Election Commission's clamp down of Article 324 has "created a fear psychosis by admitting the poll panel's own inability to hold a free and fair poll", Congress in a press conference on Thursday questioned why the panel delayed the curtailing of campaigns by 24 hours in Bengal. "Was it done so that Narendra Modi could hold his rallies in Bengal on Thursday?" asked Randeep Surjewala, citing how the panel was reduced to a "toothless tiger" even when it came to stopping the streaming of NaMo TV.

Why did EC delay the curtailment of campaigns in Bengal by 24 hours, asks Congress, citing Modi's two rallies in state on Thursday

Congress chief Rahul Gandhi on Thursday shared the link of a website that claims to allegedly catalogue the "lies" told by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Rahul said "Modilie" is a new word that has become popular worldwide and in a previous tweet sought to explain the play on the prime minister's name. Firstpost has not verified the claims of "lies" made in the website.

Like Congress and TMC, Mayawati asked why Election Commission has banned campaigning in West Bengal from 10 pm on Thursday "just because the prime minister has two rallies in the day."

Congress was not the only party which criticised the Election Commission after its invoking of Article 324, curtailing campaigns in West Bengal. "It is clear that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, (BJP president) Amit Shah and their leaders are targeting Mamata Banerjee, it is a planned targeting. This is a very dangerous and unjust trend and one which doesn't suit the PM of the country," BSP chief Mayawati said on Thursday.

After meeting the Alwar gangrape survivor with Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot and deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot, Congress chief Rahul Gandhi refused to politicise the issues and said he would not comment on Narendra Modi's charge that the Congress government had sought to hush up the issue as the polls were on. "Soon after I heard about the incident I spoke to Ashok Gehlot ji. This is not a political issue for me. I met the victim's family and they have sought justice which will be done. Action will be taken against culprits," Rahul said.

At his Mau rally on Thursday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi posited his government as one which looks after the rights and issues of women. He said his government has begun the process of bringing the capital punishment for rape accused and has made the triple talaq unlawful, something he said Opposition did not want to bring about. Modi also made a jibe at Mayawati's support for SP-BSP alliance candidate Atul Rai, who has allegedly been accused of rape. He also blamed Mayawati for condoning the Congress government's role in the Alwar rape.

He also blamed the TMC for disrupting several of the BJP's, including his own rallies, in the run up to and during the Lok Sabha election.

Speaking at his first rally of the day at Uttar Pradesh's Mau, Narendra Modi promised a "grand statue" of Ishwarchandra Vidyasagar at the same spot where it was brought down on Tuesday, while at the same time blaming the TMC for the violence at Amit Shah's roadshow in Kolkata on the day. "We saw hooliganism by TMC workers again during Bhai Amit Shah's roadshow in Kolkata, they vandalized Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar's statue. We are committed to Vidyasagar's vision and will install his grand statue at the same spot," Modi said.

In what signifies a distinct coming together of the Opposition for the first time this election, Mamata Banerjee thanked the likes of BSP chief Mayawati, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu and the Congress for support in criticising the Election Commission over its invocation of Article 324 in West Bengal, curtailing campaigns.

The BJP also demanded that the contact numbers of the 400 Quick Response Teams which are to be deployed across Bengal be made available to the people of the state, so they can contact them on the day of the polls.

A delegation of the BJP comprising senior leaders like Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and Prakash Javadekar knocked on the Election Commission's doors on Thursday, asking that "TMC goons and history-sheeters" be put into preventive detention for the 19 May polls on Sunday. The party has alleged that the TMC government machinery is complicit in the violence that has unfolded across the state in every phase of the election.

Along with BSP, Congress and TDP, Akhilesh Yadav, the head of the Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh, spoke out in support of Mamata Banerjee in the aftermath of the Election Commission's unprecedented decision to call off campaigning in Bengal. Akhilesh called it a move that goes against all norms of democratic fair play.

At his second rally of the day at Chandauli, Narendra Modi amped up the charge against the Opposition alliance, which he often calls 'mahamilavati'. He said while they were initially hell bent upon destroying Modi and had "posed for the camera holding each others' hands", they now spread only words of fear and hatred. Modi also went back to one of his familiar refrains this election season, and asked how Congress and the other parties in the Opposition could manage to question the surgical strikes.

The doctor, identified as Sunil Kumar Nishad, was arrested on 15 May, police said. Based on the complaint filed by an activist Ravindra Tiwari, the Parksite Police in Vikhroli registered an FIR against Nishad under the section 295A (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings by insulting its religion or religious beliefs) of the Indian Penal Code.

On 9 May, BJP had moved the Election Commission accusing Tyagi of fanning communal sentiments while campaigning for Singh, following which the poll panel issued a notice to him. In his reply to the poll body, Computer Baba said the event was not a political program but a religious one.

Bhopal police on Thursday filed an FIR against Namdas Tyagi, also known as Computer Baba, for violating the Model Code of Conduct. Congress' Bhopal candidate Digvijaya Singh, along with Tyagi had, on 7 May, performed a 'havan' at a 'maha yagna' to ensure Singh's victory in the Lok Sabha elections.

Among those who criticised the Election Commission for delaying the enforcement of Article 324 by 24 hours was CPM politburo member Sitaram Yechury who asked if the ban was intended to accommodate Narendra Modi's two rallies on Thursday.

Congress veteran Sanjay Jha, who has kept the retorts coming thick and fast on Twitter through the election season, on Thursday hit out at a journalist congratulating the BJP over its campaign 'performance'. In the same vein, Jha accused mainstream media of "playing ping-pong with the BJP" but said the journalist was particularly blase. Writer Saba Naqvi also hit out at the journalist for the tweet.

Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to West Bengal later on Thursday, the Special Protection Group in charge of the prime minister's security has written to West Bengal Police, expressing concern over the security of Modi at his Mathurapur and Dumdum rallies. While the SPG provides security to the venue of the prime minister's rallies, the security of the immediate outer periphery is provided by state police. Thursday is the last day of campaigns in West Bengal, following the poll panel's enforcement of Article 324.

Making no bones about the effects of Election Commission's enforcement of Article 324 curtailing campaigns in Bengal, Mamata Banerjee said at her Mathurapur rally on Thursday that she was sorry to drag people out to the rally venue in the afternoon heat but had no choice because of the clamp down "which affected mostly her campaigns." The gloves were well and truly off as Mamata hit out at Modi's promise of a Vidyasagar statue with the retort that Bengal does not need his Vidyasagar statue. "Bengal will not take your alms, give back 200 years of our heritage," she said.

I am sorry to drag you out in the heat, it was planned for 17 May, says Trinamool chief

Waving a piece of paper above her head in a rally charged with great vitriol aimed at BJP, Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee alleged that the rally venue where Narendra Modi would hold his evening meeting at Mathurapur is owned by a man accused in a microfinance scam. She issued several missives to Modi and Amit Shah, saying that they will not be able to reign her in. "I took a decision at 10 pm last night to push forward my rally and now I am holding a rally within 12 hours. Only I can do this. BJP does not know what they are dealing with," she said.

Accusing it of having become a "vote katua" party, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, at his third rally of the day at Uttar Pradesh's Mirzapur, said the party believed in running a "remote control" government with no active participation of the people's representatives. He also hit out at the week-old 'hua toh hua' remark made by Congress' overseas chief Sam Pitroda over the 1984 riots. Modi also highlighted the alleged development efforts made in Uttar Pradesh by his government.

At his final Lok Sabha election campaign rally in Mirzapur of Uttar Pradesh, Narendra Modi predicted a 300-seat victory for the BJP this election, "because Bengal too will be added to our seat count." Repeating his old anecdote of washing cups and plates as a chaiwala, he asked for votes for the BJP's ally in the state, Apna Dal (Sonelal), whose election symbol is a cup and plate. Modi also vowed to make Dr Sonelal Patel's vision a reality in Uttar Pradesh. Patel's daughter Anupriya is the head and founder of the AD(S).

Former Kolkata Rajeev Kumar top cop is on his way to the Ministry of Home Affairs, where he has been transferred following an order by the Election Commission. Kumar was supposed to report to the Home ministry at 10 am on Thursday. Although the move to transfer him comes after six phases of violent polling in Bengal giving way to a fraught roadshow by BJP chief Amit Shah in Kolkata, Kumar has a history of defying Central agencies. Months ago, Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee had rallied in his support after he was sought by the CBI for questioning in the Rose Valley scam.

"Captain sahib should respect women. You talk of women reservation, then please consider it. When educated leaders like me, who are ready to serve are there, it is decent to tell us that someone is better, don't deny us tickets by lying," she said.

Congress leader Navjot Kaur Sidhu hit out at Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh and alleged that it was because of him and party general secretary in-charge for state Asha Kumari, that she was denied a ticket from Amritsar in the ongoing national elections. "Captain sahib (Amarinder Singh) and Asha Kumari think Madam Sidhu does not deserve an MP ticket. I was denied the ticket from Amritsar on the ground that I could not win," Navjot Kaur told ANI.

Pragya Singh is an accused in the 2008 Malegaon blast case and had earlier said late Maharashtra ATS chief Hemant Karkare had been cursed to death in the 26/11 terrorist attack by her.

Asked to react to Kamal Haasan's remark on Nathuram Godse, BJP's candidate for Bhopal, Pragya Singh Thakur, said on Thursday that Godse, who killed Mahatma Gandhi was a patriot, is a patriot and will remain a patriot. "People calling him a terrorist should look within and will be given a befitting reply in this election," she said.

BJP sympathiser and Rajya Sabha MP Swapan Dasgupta tweeted on Thursday that his "last public engagement" of the 2019 election campaign, at West Bengal's Ganga Sagar, had to allegedly be called off because TMC goons had threatened organisers.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to visit the Kedarnath Temple on 18 May, a day before the seventh and final phase of the Lok Sabha elections. Uttrakhand State Disaster Relief Force (SDRF) has set up wireless and telecommunication systems and extra security has been deployed in the region. Tripti Bhatt, Commandant SDRF has directed all officials in the Kedarnath valley to maintain vigil in view of the prime minister's visit to the temple, reported ANI.

Speaking at Ballia in Uttar Pradesh, BJP chief Amit Shah said the Modi government had made India unsafe for terrorists and those like Zakir Naik now no longer consider it a safe haven. "Zakir Naik has said he is scared to return to India because of Narendra Modi. When asked when he would like to return to India, he said, when the Congress government comes to power on 23 May," Shah said.

Bengal BJP announced that it will distribute 10 lakh post cards on Thursday so that people can send a hearty Jai Shri Ram and a personalised message to Mamata Banerjee. It said, "You can get the postcards from your nearest post office and send your message to her address."

A day after EC announced the curtailment of campaigining in West Bengal, National Conference leader Omar Abdullah tweeted, "The BJP can team up with the EC in West Bengal. They can have a tailor made campaign designed to fragment and polarise the electorate. They can have all their model code violations overlooked. None of it will matter, because on the 23 May Mamata didi will sweep West Bengal."

BJP spokesperson GVL Narasimha Rao said at a press conference that BJP did not agree with Pragya Thakur's statement. "We condemn it. The party will ask her for clarification. She should apologise publicly for this statement," he said.

"The favourite of Modiji-Amit Shah, Pragya Thakur, committed the unpardonable sin of calling Godse as true anationalist. BJP leaders are deliberately attacking the thought, the entire way of life, as also the teachings of Gandhi. This is an insult to the Indian way of life, that lives in Gandhian soul. This cannot be pardoned. The truth is, insulting India's martyrs and denegrating them has become culture of BJP. Thakur recently described Karkare as anti-national. Yet Modiji did not withdraw her candidature but proceeded to defend her through TV interviews."

At a press conference, Congress communications in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala said, " India's soul is under attack by successors of Godse, the BJP ruling dispensation.. BJP leaders are describing the murderer of father of the nation as a true nationalist, while declaring people like Hemant Karkare as anti nationalist.

Yadav, whose Rashtriya Janata Dal is fighting the polls in Bihar in alliance with the Congress, Rashtriya Lok Samta Party, Hindustan Awam Morcha and Vikasshil Insan Party, also claimed the 'mahagathbandhan' will sweep the polls in the state.

Asserting that the BJP has failed to deliver on its slogans, including 'achche din', 'kala dhan vapsi (return of black money)' and 'beti bachao beti padhao', he alleged that the party has intensified its "hate-filled politics" to avoid being questioned on its promises.

A coalition of progressive parties will come together to form the next government and Congress president Rahul Gandhi will play a "central role" in the formation of the new dispensation, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav said on Thursday.

Congress' Bhopal candidate Digvijaya Singh lashed out at BJP's Pragya Thakur over her 'deshbhakt' remark on Godse. "Modi ji, Amit Shah ji and the state BJP should give their statements and apologise to the nation (for Pragya's remark). I condemn this statement. Nathuram Godse was a killer; glorifying him is not patriotism, it is sedition," he said.

Mamata Banerjee has started her padayatra from Joka bus stand and now it will go through Thakurpur and Behala, till Taratala. Her rally is 8.5-kilometre long. The traffic at Behala has right now come to a standstill.

The preparations are underway at Jadavpur Sukanta Setu for Mamata Banerjee's rally. The TMC chief is expected to reach at the venue in sometime to start her third padayatra of the day.

A search for 'Modilie' on the website revealed no results on the word. However, the screenshot posted by Rahul didn't have any mention of Oxford on the page, although its layout looked very similar to the one of Oxford Dictionaries' website.

A day after Rahul Gandhi posted a screenshot from a website and claimed that 'Modilie' was a new entry in the English dictionary, Oxford Dictionaries tweeted that the image posted by the Congress president was fake. "We can confirm that the image showing the entry Modilie is fake and does not exist in any of our Oxford Dictionaries," the dictionary brand said on Twitter.

Arvind Kejriwal said that the Election Commission ordered that campaigning should end in West Bengal at 10 pm on Thursday to let Narendra Modi hold his two rallies. "It makes it clear that Election Commission is totally biased. It is very dangerous for the country," he said.

TMC cadres created a human chain around Mamata Banerjee as the West Bengal chief minister crossed Sakherbazar. People turned out on the streets in huge numbers on both sides of the road. Some supporters even tried to shake hands with the TMC leader, while few breached security layer to touch her feet.

Police personnel from Jadavpur Police Station, Patuli police station and Tala police station have been deployed along the padyatra route. On the way, there are other police stations like in Gariahat and Ballyguange that can respond to emergencies.

A thin layer of security can be seen at Sukanta Setu, which is the point of commencement of Mamata Banerjee's padyatra.

Addressing a rally in Mathurapur, Narendra Modi accused "TMC goons" of spreading violence in Kolkata during Amit Shah's rally on Tuesday. "They (TMC workers) vandalised statue of Vidyasagar. CCTV cameras were installed there (in Vidyasagar College). The state government is trying to remove evidence of the incident in the same way it erased for Narada and Sarada scams. I demand that strict action be taken," he said.

Mamata Banerjee's rally is expected to start from 8B Bus Stand in Jadavpur in a while. The crowd is participating in heavy sloganeering, with slogans like 'Vande Mataram', 'Amar deshe bar bar, Mamata dir sarkar' (This country needs Mamatadir sarkar) being raised.

Opposition parties met the EC over its move to end election campaign in West Bengal 24 hours before the scheduled deadline. After the meeting, Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi told reporters, "We did not receive a satisfactory response from the Election Commission."

Mamata Banerjee has started her padyatra from Sukanta Setu and is heading towards Jadavpur Bus Stand. TMC cadres have formed a human chain around her for security reasons.

The movement of the padyatra was stopped for a while when Mamata Banerjee interacted with Tollywood actress Mimi Chakraborty, who is the party TMC candidate from Jadavpur constituency.

Election Commission announced repolling for five five polling stations of Chandragiri Assembly seat and the Chittoor Lok Sabha seat of Andhra Pradesh on 19 May. The polls in the constituencies were held on 11 April.

In Dum Dum, at his last rally in West Bengal for the election season, Narendra Modi said, "This is my last public meeting in West Bengal in this election. Over the past 2-3 days, I got to interact with lakhs of people through my rallies. The support I receivedfrom every village and city is unforgettable."

The first part of Mamata Banerjee's padyatra has come to an end at Gharihat, with TMC supporters raising pro-Mamata and pro-TMC slogans. The West Bengal chief minister, who walked by foot so far from Thakur Pukur, moved into a car to reach Ballygunge Phari for the second leg of the padyatra.

Lashing out at Mamata Banerjee over her remarks against central security forces and the Election Commission, Narendra Modi said, "Why are you forgetting that the Left had created similar situation for you once upon a time and the constitutional bodies of the nation ensured a fair election in West Bengal. If these constitutional bodies and central forces weren't there, you would not have been chief minister today," he said.

Mamata Banerjee is walking with state power minister Sovhandeb Chatterjee. MLC Debashis Kumar, South Kolkata candidate Mala Roy, and Jadavpur candidate Mimi Chakrabarty are also at the march. For security reasons, the route of the padyatra has been cleared of pedestrians. A large number of people are waiting to catch a glimpse of the chief minister by the roadside.

The Election Commission ordered that SDPO Diamond Harbour (West Bengal) Mithun Kumar Dey and Amherst Street office in-charge Kaushik Das have been relieved with immediate effect. "Both the officers shall not be given any election related posts," it said.

The Election Commission has sought factual report from Madhya Pradesh Chief Electoral Officer by Friday in the matter of Pragya Singh Thakur's statement, "Nathuram Godse was, is and will remain a 'deshbhakt'".

While 34 companies of central forces will be deployed for strong rooms, the following is the area-wise allotment of central forces.

As the padyatra crosses Harish Mukherjee Road in front of Abhishek Banerjee's (Mamata's nephew) house, people join the rally with black flags and candles to demonstrate their protest against the 14 May violence at Vidyasagar College where Vidyasagar's statue was broken during clashes.

Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu writes to EC over its decision to order re-polling at 5 polling stations of Chandragiri Assembly constituency and Chittoor Lok Sabha constituency. In his letter, he strongly opposed "the partial, one-sided, and undemocratic motivated actions of the EC."

BJP's Pragya Thakur says, "Apne sangathan BJP mein nishtha rakhti hun, uski karyakarta hun aur party ki line meri line hai." Earlier in the day, she had said "Nathuram Godse was, is and will remain a 'deshbhakt'." BJP has condemned her statement & asked her to apologise publicly pic.twitter.com/0bPJSsgPaL

After her 'deshbhakt' remark for Godse sparked a controversy on Thursday, Pragya Thakur said, "I am committed to the stand of the BJP. I am a worker of my party, and the limit set my party is my own."

Mamata Banerjee decided to extend the padyatra and adds another route to it as she reaches Bhawanipore. Bhawanipore comes under South Kolkata Constituency. Mamata is sitting MLA from Bhawanipore Assembly constituency.

The Election Commission has sought factual report from Madhya Pradesh Chief Electoral Officer by Friday in the matter of Pragya Singh Thakur's statement, "Nathuram Godse was, is and will remain a 'deshbhakt'".

While 34 companies of central forces will be deployed for strong rooms, the following is the area-wise allotment of central forces.

As the padyatra crosses Harish Mukherjee Road in front of Abhishek Banerjee's (Mamata's nephew) house, people join the rally with black flags and candles to demonstrate their protest against the 14 May violence at Vidyasagar College where Vidyasagar's statue was broken during clashes.

Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu writes to EC over its decision to order re-polling at 5 polling stations of Chandragiri Assembly constituency and Chittoor Lok Sabha constituency. In his letter, he strongly opposed "the partial, one-sided, and undemocratic motivated actions of the EC."

Speaking in the same vein in Patna on Wednesday, Azad had said the Congress will not make it an issue if the prime minister post is not offered to it. His remarks assume significance as the Congress has been asserting that it would be the fulcrum of any non-NDA government, which was seen as its claim for the PM's post and had led some major regional parties to maintain a distance from it.

He was asked if the Congress will be ready to support any regional party leader for the prime minister's post even if it emerges as the largest party in a hung Parliament.

The Congress is not averse to supporting any regional party leader for the Prime Minister's post even if it emerges as the single largest party, Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad said on Thursday. "My party high command has already made it clear that the Congress is not averse to making a prime minister from any regional party," Azad told reporters in Shimla.



Lok Sabha Election 2019 LATEST Updates: The Election Commission has sought factual report from Madhya Pradesh Chief Electoral Officer by Friday in the matter of Pragya Singh Thakur's statement, "Nathuram Godse was, is and will remain a 'deshbhakt'".

The Election Commission ordered that SDPO Diamond Harbour (West Bengal) Mithun Kumar Dey and Amherst Street office in-charge Kaushik Das have been relieved with immediate effect. "Both the officers shall not be given any election related posts," it said.

Lashing out at Mamata Banerjee over her remarks against central security forces and the Election Commission, Narendra Modi said, "Why are you forgetting that the Left had created similar situation for you once upon a time and the constitutional bodies of the nation ensured a fair election in West Bengal. If these constitutional bodies and central forces weren't there, you would not have been chief minister today."

As Mamata Banerjee held her padyatra along an 8.5 kilometre stretch in Kolkata, hundreds joined the streets to catch a glimpse of the West Bengal chief minister just hours before the end of campaigning the state.

Opposition parties met the EC over its move to end election campaign in West Bengal 24 hours before the scheduled deadline. After the meeting, Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi told reporters, "We did not receive a satisfactory response from the Election Commission."

In West Bengal's Mathurapur, Narendra Modi accused "TMC goons" of spreading violence during Amit Shah's Kolkata roadshow and demanded strict action against them. Meanwhile, Mamata Banerjee started her padayatra from Joka bus stand and now it will go through Thakurpur and Behala, till Taratala. Her rally is 8.5-kilometre long. The traffic at Behala has right now come to a standstill.

Congress' Bhopal candidate Digvijaya Singh lashed out at BJP's Pragya Thakur over her 'deshbhakt' remark on Godse. "Modi ji, Amit Shah ji and the state BJP should give their statements and apologise to the nation (for Pragya's remark). I condemn this statement. Nathuram Godse was a killer; glorifying him is not patriotism, it is sedition," he said.

BJP spokesperson GVL Narasimha Rao said at a press conference that BJP did not agree with Pragya Thakur's statement. "We condemn it. The party will ask her for clarification. She should apologise publicly for this statement," he said. Meanwhile, Congress called her remark was "an unpardonable sin".

Speaking at Ballia in Uttar Pradesh, BJP chief Amit Shah said the Modi government had made India unsafe for terrorists and those like Zakir Naik now no longer consider it a safe haven. "Zakir Naik has said he is scared to return to India because of Narendra Modi. When asked when he would like to return to India, he said, when the Congress government comes to power on 23 May," Shah said.

Asked to react to Kamal Haasan's remark on Nathuram Godse, BJP's candidate for Bhopal, Pragya Singh Thakur, said on Thursday that Godse, who killed Mahatma Gandhi was a patriot, is a patriot and will remain a patriot. "People calling him a terrorist should look within and will be given a befitting reply in this election," she said. Pragya Singh is an accused in the 2008 Malegaon blast case and had earlier said late Maharashtra ATS chief Hemant Karkare had been cursed to death in the 26/11 terrorist attack by her.

At his final Lok Sabha election campaign rally in Mirzapur of Uttar Pradesh, Narendra Modi predicted a 300-seat victory for the BJP this election, "because Bengal too will be added to our seat count." Repeating his old anecdote of washing cups and plates as a chaiwala, he asked for votes for the BJP's ally in the state, Apna Dal (Sonelal), whose election symbol is a cup and plate. Modi also vowed to make Dr Sonelal Patel's vision a reality in Uttar Pradesh. Patel's daughter Anupriya is the head and founder of the AD(S).

Making no bones about the effects of Election Commission's enforcement of Article 324 curtailing campaigns in Bengal, Mamata Banerjee said at her Mathurapur rally on Thursday that she was sorry to drag people out to the rally venue in the afternoon heat but had no choice because of the clamp down "which affected mostly her campaigns." The gloves were well and truly off as Mamata hit out at Modi's promise of a Vidyasagar statue with the retort that Bengal does not need his Vidyasagar statue. "Bengal will not take your alms, give back 200 years of our heritage," she said.

In what is certainly a rare show of unity in an election season that has seen efforts on a united front constantly thwarted, the Congress (in a press conference held by Randeep Surjewala), SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, BSP chief Mayawati, CPM politburo member Sitaram Yechury and TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu questioned the Election Commission's decision to curtail poll campaigns in West Bengal and more importantly, whether Article 324 was to be enforced after a 24 hour delay to accommodate the two rallies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi that were already scheduled in the state.

At his second rally of the day at Chandauli, Narendra Modi amped up the charge against the Opposition alliance, which he often calls 'mahamilavati'. He said while they were initially hell bent upon destroying Modi and had "posed for the camera holding each others' hands", they now spread only words of fear and hatred. Modi also went back to one of his familiar refrains this election season, and asked how Congress and the other parties in the Opposition could manage to question the surgical strikes.

In what signifies a distinct coming together of the Opposition for the first time this election, Mamata Banerjee thanked the likes of BSP chief Mayawati, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu and the Congress for support in criticising the Election Commission over its invocation of Article 324 in West Bengal, curtailing campaigns. A delegation of the BJP comprising senior leaders like Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and Prakash Javadekar knocked on the Election Commission's doors on Thursday, asking that "TMC goons and history-sheeters" be put into preventive detention for the 19 May polls on Sunday.

Speaking at his first rally of the day at Uttar Pradesh's Mau, Narendra Modi promised a "grand statue" of Ishwarchandra Vidyasagar at the same spot where it was brought down on Tuesday, while at the same time blaming the TMC for the violence at Amit Shah's roadshow in Kolkata on the day. "We saw hooliganism by TMC workers again during Bhai Amit Shah's roadshow in Kolkata, they vandalized Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar's statue. We are committed to Vidyasagar's vision and will install his grand statue at the same spot," Modi said.

After meeting the Alwar gangrape survivor with Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot and deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot, Congress chief Rahul Gandhi refused to politicise the issues and said he would not comment on Narendra Modi's charge that the Congress government had sought to hush up the issue as the polls were on. "Soon after I heard about the incident I spoke to Ashok Gehlot Ji. This is not a political issue for me. I met the victim's family and they have sought justice which will be done. Action will be taken against culprits," Rahul said.

Congress came down heavily on the Election Commission in a press conference addressed by party communications in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala on Thursday. "Had the Model Code of Conduct now become the Modi Code of Misconduct?" Surjewala asked. He also raised questions on the poll panel's neutrality, questioning the Election Commission's crackdown on campaigning in Bengal and asked how Narendra Modi's two rallies could be allowed in the state on Thursday. Surjewala called the enforcement of Article 324 a 'parting gift' by the Election Commission to the Narendra Modi government.

Stressing that the Election Commission's clamp down of Article 324 has "created a fear psychosis by admitting the poll panel's own inability to hold a free and fair poll", Congress in a press conference on Thursday questioned why the panel delayed the curtailing of campaigns by 24 hours in Bengal. "Was it done so that Narendra Modi could hold his rallies in Bengal on Thursday?" asked Randeep Surjewala, citing how the panel was reduced to a "toothless tiger" even when it came to stopping the streaming of NaMo TV.

Congress veteran Ghulam Nabi Azad has said that the aim of the party is to defeat the NDA conglomerate and not to fight for the prime minister's post. "We have already made our stand clear. If a consensus is made in the favour of Congress, then party will take the leadership but our aim has always been that NDA govt shouldn't come. We will go with the unanimous decision," Azad said on Wednesday. Until now, Congress has projected chief Rahul Gandhi as a prime ministerial candidate throughout the election.

The Election Commission's order invoking Article 324 in West Bengal has made Thursday the last day of campaigning in the state, leading both the BJP and TMC to concentrate last-minute campaign efforts on a turf which has seen violence throughout the Lok Sabha election. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to hold two rallies in the state  at Mathurapur and Laxmikantpur. TMC chief and Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee has two public rallies, at Mathurapur and Diamond Harbour, and two roadshows, at Behala and Kolkata, scheduled on Thursday.

Modi will be travelling to the state after three rallies in Mau, Chandauli and Mirzapur in Uttar Pradesh. Meanwhile, BJP's South Kolkata candidate Chandra Bose will garland a statue of Vidyasagar with a lotus garland.

Attacking the Election Commission of India for curtailing the campaigning for the last phase of polls in West Bengal, Mamata had on Wednesday said it is an "unprecedented,

unconstitutional and unethical gift" to Modi and BJP president Amit Shah by the poll panel.

Banerjee said she had never seen this type of EC which is "biased and full of RSS people". "There is no such law and order problem in West Bengal that Article 324 can be clamped. It is unprecedented, unconstitutional, unfair, unethical and politically biased decision" against which the state will move the Supreme Court, she said.

"Mr EC has given a gift to Narendra Modi and Amit Shah (by invoking Article 324) in West Bengal for vandalising the statue of Vidyasagar," she claimed at a press conference held at her Kalighat residence.

Kolkata witnessed widespread violence during BJP president Amit Shah's massive road show Tuesday. A bust of 19th century Bengali icon Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar was vandalised during the violence. No violence had taken place during any other rally of Modi or Shah in the state earlier, she said and asked, "So where is the lawlessness?"

"The ECI is taking all the decisions at the behsest of the BJP. I have never seen this type of ECI ever. I think all the RSS people have been included in the ECI. The ECI is biased," she alleged.

In the first such action in India's electoral history, the EC on Wednesday invoked Article 324 of the Constitution to curtail the campaigning for the last phase of the election on 19 May in the wake of violence between BJP and Trinamool Congress workers in Kolkata on Tuesday.

Congress chief Rahul Gandhi will visit the family of the 19-year-old gangrape survivor in Rajasthan's Alwar on Thursday. The visit, originally scheduled on Wednesday, had to postpone his visit as his chopper could not land in the area due to bad weather. Chief minister Ashok Gehlot, AICC general secretary in-charge of Rajasthan Avinash Pande and deputy chief minister and PCC president Sachin Pilot were to accompany Rahul.

The 26 April incident had provoked anger and protests across the state drawn attacks on the Congress government by Modi as well as BSP chief Mayawati.
Results from Uttar Pradesh may yet again surprise pollsters and analysts who predicted BJPs doom in Uttar Pradesh.

In December 2006, the Bharatiya Janata Party held its national council meeting in Lucknow. This ended up being the last party conclave that Atal Bihari Vajpayee attended. The former prime ministers valedictory address thus became immortal as a lesson for the future.

Vajpayee had said, The situation in Uttar Pradesh is a challenge and we must face up to it. We have to raise the party again in Uttar Pradesh and make it influential. We all know that the road to Delhi goes through Lucknow. The key to changing the political map of the country lies in Uttar Pradesh. Even the name, Luck Now, Luck Now is significant when you break it down. This luck will not come to us on its own, we have to grab it.

Vajpayee was the then member of Parliament from Lucknow and had won the seat five times since 1991, always securing over 50 percent votes. But, one-and-half years before this very national council meeting, his party had lost at the Centre and the Mulayam Singh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party government was in power in Uttar Pradesh.

Luck didnt smile on the BJP until 2013 when BJPs prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi decided to send his trusted party colleague and the then newly appointed national general secretary Amit Shah to Uttar Pradesh to grab that luck and unlock the key to'Luck Now that Vajpayee had once spoken about. In 2014, BJP secured 73 seats (with two seats won by ally Apna Dal) out of 80 parliamentary seats in the state. The BJP went on to win the General Election with a big majority (282 seats).

With six phases of polling over and only the seventh and final phase to be held on 19 May, speculations is rife over Narendra Modi-led NDA governments return to power and the seat share that comes the BJPs way in Uttar Pradesh.

BJPs rivals are making claims of forming an alternative government hoping that the gathbandhan (alliance) of Akhilesh Yadavs Samajwadi Party, Mayawatis Bahujan Samaj Party and Ajit Singhs Rashtriya Lok Dal, and the sheer arithmetic of their combined vote bases of Muslims, Yadavs, Dalits and Jats can brush aside the BJP in the state. Then there are also those who are giving the BJP no more than half the seats it secured in 2014, going down to as low as even one-fourth.

After extensively travelling within Uttar Pradesh and interacting with voters across the social strata, from varied caste and communities in suburban and rural parts of western, central and eastern Uttar Pradesh, this writer assessed that those who have been basing their predictions (in terms of numbers) on the perceived arithmetical strength of gathbandhan will be in for a big surprise on 23 May.

Muslims are voting tactically, almost as a community, to oust the BJP. They are voting for the SP-BSP-RLD combination except in Amethi and Rae Bareli, where the gathbandhan hasnt fielded candidates against Congress first family, Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. But there is a division in the Dalit vote, especially non-Jatav Dalits and theres a split in Yadav vote also, particularly where the BSP (not SP candidate) has been fielded by the gathbandhan. Jats in western Uttar Pradesh are in any case divided between BJP and RLD.

The BJP, on the other hand, has upper castes, non-Yadav OBCs including those from extremely backward castes, a good number of non-Jatav Dalits (Mayawati belongs to the Jatav or Chamar community) and sections of Yadavs on their side. The Congress does not exist on the ground except for Rae Bareli and Amethi. Rahuls Nyay or 'Ab Hoga Nyay is either not heard of and among those who have heard, it does not invoke more than passing ridicule. Priyanka Gandhi, hyped as Congress Brahmastra (mythical divine weapon of Lord Brahma) has failed to make an impact on the ground.

Voting preferences differed among family members who would traditionally vote as one. Now elders prefer the gathbandhan but women and the younger lot are rooting for Modi. There are also undivided, extended Hindu families where cousins stand at the opposite ends of the political spectrum. Unfortunately for Modis rivals, split in families voting preferences is going in favour of the BJP.

It wont be a surprise if BJP comes down from its 2014 numbers in the state but the issue is if the saffron party will be able to halt that loss at 10, 15, 20, 25 seats or more. Akhilesh Yadav and Mayawati, the bua-babua duo coming together to take Ajit Singh as its junior partner has no doubt made the battle tough for the BJP and a highly engaging one. But at the fag end of polling I can say that the BJP is poised to score good numbers from Uttar Pradesh. The initial hype by sections of columnists and pollsters is far less likely to translate into reality.

Nothing that I saw on the ground convinced me that the campaign of the gathbandhan or the Congress is getting any purchase. The projections of a big dent to the BJP numbers, based on the old template of looking at UP elections only from the prism of caste fortifications, are questionable. This template has proved useless twice already (2014 and 2017) but its proponents have still not shaken old habits. The BJP is defending 73 seats. So the question is only about how much it is losing. I am willing to say, not much. A figure in the high fifties is what I am seeing with the caveat that I won't be surprised if it's more. The irresistible force called Narendra Modi is breaching the immovable caste fortress of Uttar Pradesh, yet again.

It is important to note what has changed for Modi and BJP. In 2014, as a challenger, Modi generated hope and the popular votes that he got was a combination of negative votes against a discredited Manmohan Singh regime and positive votes for his own development model. This time around, on talking to people across the state, particularly men and women from the lower rungs of social hierarchy, one can sense that hope has now turned into trust for the prime minister who worked hard to deliver basic needs to common people on the ground  be it toilets, concrete houses, cooking gas or bank accounts. Their vote to him, irrespective of what the final number may be, is a positive vote and not guided by what some describe as the TINA (there is no alternative) factor.

Take Ghazipur for instance, where Union minister Manoj Sinha is pitted against BSPs Afzal Ansari from gathbandhan. Here, the Yadav community has around 3.60 lakh voters, Muslims 1.60 lakh and Dalits 2.60 lakh strong. Going by simple arithmetic, this gives an edge to Ansari and the gathbandhan but a large number of Yadavs and Dalits are favouring Sinha or Modi because of the development the region has lately seen.

Modi draws a great deal of strength from the younger lot, particularly first time and second-time voters. On talking to them in rural areas, at nondescript chai and paan shops or at gates of colleges in suburban blocks, districts or in university campuses in the state capital, seven to eight out of 10 would utter the surname Modi. The issue of employment lingers heavily on their minds but they are willing to believe more in Modis ability than in Rahuls promises or in Akhilesh and Mayawatis ability to create the structures for job creation. The surge of nationalism and surgical and airstrike at terror camps are also helping enhance the trust in Modi.

What is making the real difference in favour of Modi is the sheer number of lavarthi or beneficiaries who have received pucca houses, electricity supply after living for decades in darkness, toilets that have given some dignity to women, gas cylinders, two instalments of Rs 2,000 each under Kisan Samman Nidhi to one or more adult family members and other benefits such as Mudra loans. What has made them even happier is the fact they got it all without making rounds to offices of babus and local netas, without giving hefty cuts to intermediaries. A vast number of such beneficiaries are willing to believe in Modi and breaking stereotypical perception about a given caste and his or her voting choice.

Results from Uttar Pradesh may yet again surprise pollsters and analysts who predicted BJPs doom in Uttar Pradesh.
Addressing election meetings for the final phase of polling in the state barely hours before the Election Commission-curtailed canvassing ended, he lambasted West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee for her comments against the poll body and said had it and the central forces not ensured free and fair polls she would have never been the chief minister by defeating the Left rule.

Mathurapur/Dum Dum: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday wound up BJP's poll campaign in West Bengal alleging that the state police in connivance with the Trinamool Congress (TMC) government is trying to wipe out evidence of the desecration of social reformer-polymath Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar's statue.

Addressing election meetings for the final phase of polling in the state barely hours before the Election Commission-curtailed canvassing ended, he lambasted West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee for her comments against the poll body and said had it and the central forces not ensured free and fair polls she would have never been the chief minister by defeating the Left rule.

Modi also criticised Mamata for her comments labelling BJP leaders as "outsiders" and said Bengal is very much a part of the country and is not the "personal fiefdom of Didi and her nephew" (Abhishek Banerjee).

Addressing a rally at Mathurapur in Joynagar Lok Sabha constituency, he said Mamata is frustrated over her party's imminent defeat and has threatened to put him behind bars after the general elections.

"TMC goons are spreading violence and they vandalised the statue of Vidyasagar. The way the state government had erased the proof of the Narada and Sarada scams, in the same manner it is trying to remove evidence of this incident," he said.

The desecration of Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar's bust in the violence during BJP president Amit Shah's roadshow in Kolkata on Tuesday in a college named after the social reformer has been pitchforked in the centre-stage of politics in the run up to the final phase of the Lok Sabha polls.

"Those involved in the act of vandalising the statue should be meted out exemplary punishment," Modi said and alleged that police officers are trying to wipe out evidences of the incident in order to save the TMC "goons".

"The TMC and its goons have made Bengal a hell. Those involved in this act, in this sin, should be meted out strong punishment," he said.

Keeping up his vitriolic attack, the prime minister said, "Didi (Mamata) is abusing the EC and central forces today. But there was a time when during the Left rule, she, too, used to demand deployment of central forces.

"Had the EC and central forces not conducted free and fair polls, Didi would have never been the chief minister of the state," he told another rally at Dum Dum in Kolkata.

This Lok Sabha election in Bengal will be remembered for the violence and attack on opposition parties in all the previous six phases, Modi said.

In the first such action in India's electoral history, the EC had on Wednesday invoked Article 324 of the Constitution to curtail the campaigning for the last phase of the election on 19 May in the wake of violence between BJP and Trinamool Congress workers in Kolkata on Tuesday.

Hitting out at Mamata for calling BJP leaders and workers "outsiders", Modi said she has problems with people coming from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar but is welcoming infiltrators with open arms.

"Didi should not forget that if people have come from Bihar, Uttar Pradesh then they are contributing towards Bengal's growth. Bengal is not a personal fiefdom of Didi and her nephew... I want to remind Didi that West Bengal is not her nephew's property," he said.

Mocking Mamata's aspiration of becoming the next prime minister, Modi said she can very well dream of it but should not make any comment which affects the morale of the country's armed forces.

In an apparent reference to the arrest of BJP youth wing activist Priyanka Sharma, who walked out of jail on Wednesday on Supreme Court's orders after being arrested for posting a morphed picture of Mamata on Facebook, the prime minister said she puts saffron party workers behind bars just for circulating a joke, but leaves TMC goons free to "torture the masses".

He mocked opposition leaders for dreaming of becoming the prime minister with "just four, five, eight, or 30 seats," and said most of the opposition parties have given up their claims for the post after the sixth phase of polls.

"If you see recent statements by Opposition parties and also by the Congress, which thinks prime minister's post is their birth right, they have given up their claims for the prime minister's post even before the voting is over. This only reflects that they have lost the elections," he said.

Modi even joked saying Opposition leaders had given orders for stitching new clothes but after the sixth phase of elections sensing defeat have taken them back.

Taking a dig at Abhishek Banerjee, Modi said the "aunt-nephew jodi" is interested only in looting Bengal and running the "tolabaji syndicate" (extortion racket).

The days of the "bua-bhatija" government in the state are numbered going by the mood of the people. The peoples' mood will help BJP win the majority of the 42 Lok Sabha seats in the state and more than 300 seats in the state, Modi claimed.

Dubbing Mamata as "sticker Didi", Modi said she is not interested in the development of Bengal but is keen on putting her own stickers on central projects.

He said the TMC supremo does not have faith in the country's prime minister but does not hesitate in praising the Pakistan prime minister.
Narendra Modi said his government was committed towards Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar's vision and promised to install his grand statue at the same spot in Kolkata where it was vandalised

Mau: Prime Minister Narendra Modi Thursday said his government was committed towards Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar's vision and promised to install his grand statue at the same spot in Kolkata where it was vandalised by "TMC goondas".

Lashing out at Mamata Banerjee, the prime minister said he was going for a rally in Dum Dum later in the day but was not sure if the West Bengal Chief Minister will allow his helicopter to land.

"We have been witnessing the attitude of didi for long and now the country is also seeing it. Dedicated to the vision of Ishwar Chand Vidyasagar, our government will install a panchdhatu (made up of five metals) statue at the very spot and give a reply to TMC goondas," he said while addressing a poll rally here.

"The statue of Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar was broken by TMC goondas during the road show of BJP President Amit Shah. Those involved in this act should be given strong punishment," the prime minister said.

Kolkata witnessed wide-spread violence during BJP president Shah's massive road show on Tuesday. A bust of 19th century Bengali icon Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar was vandalised during the violence.

Modi charged that "anarchy" was spread by TMC workers during his earlier meetings in West Midnapore and Thakurnagar. "In Cooch Behar in Bengal where a dais was to be set up for my rally, didi got a grand dais made for her party. I have been seeing this attitude of didi since long but now the country is seeing it," he said.

"I have a rally in Dum Dum. Let us see if didi allows it. If she has her way she will not allow the helicopter to land,

Modi said.

Hitting back at BSP supremo Mayawati, who had attacked him over violence in West Bengal, Modi said, "The manner in which the West Bengal government has been targeting UPiites, Biharis and those from Purvanchal, I thought behenji will give a befitting reply but she is more concerned about power".

Lashing out at the SP-BSP alliance, he said those raising "Modi-hatao slogans are today frustrated. Uttar Pradesh has made their arithmetic all wrong and so their abuses have increased". "Actually the country has come to know the truth of these mahamilavatis...they all know that Modi hatao was just a slogan but actually their aim is to hide their corruption," he said, adding they somehow want a 'khichdi' and weak government which can be "blackmailed" as per their needs.

"SP-BSP have made an opportunistic alliance. They have struck a deal at the top but on the ground their workers are still attacking each other," he said.

"They are mistaken in thinking that SP and BSP votes will be transferred.They take some castes as their slaves," he

said, adding it appears they did not understood situation in 2014, 2017 polls but will now understand in 2019 that castes should not be treated as slave.

In the name of castes they gained power and used it for making bungalows and make their relatives 'crorepatis' and 'arabpatis', he charged. "Be it bua or babua they have distanced themsleves from people, created a tall wall of 'darbaris' and yes men that they cannot see the 'sukh dukh' of the poor," he said.

While accusing the Opposition of creating hurdles in freeing Muslim daughters of the curse of triple talaq, he said, "Your sewak wants to empower daughters". He said 'mahamilawatis' have fielded a candidate from Ghosi seat who is a rape accused and absconder.

The history of Samajwadi Party, the prime minister said, is known by the people of UP "but behenji, will you seek votes for such a candidate. All know what was the situation of betis during the Samajwadi Party rule but behenji your stand on the rape of a dalit daughter in Alwar has brought your behaviour also under question".

The government in Rajasthan is being run with the support of behenji but it tried to keep the rape incident hidden in view of elections... this attitude of behenji shows that for selfish interest anyone can be betrayed, he said. Stressing that his government was committed to security of women, Modi said it was his government which brought death penalty in rape cases and pressing the button on lotus will mean death penalty for rapists.
Congress president Rahul Gandhi is likely to meet on Thursday a Dalit woman who was allegedly gangraped in front of her husband in Rajasthan's Alwar district, a day after he was originally scheduled to visit her but could not because his chopper did not take off due to bad weather.

Alwar: Congress president Rahul Gandhi is likely to meet on Thursday a Dalit woman who was allegedly gangraped in front of her husband in Rajasthan's Alwar district, party sources said.

Rahul, who was earlier scheduled to arrive here Wednesday, will be visiting on Thursday instead, they said.

On 26 April, six miscreants 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.

An FIR was lodged on 2 May and the accused circulated a video clip of the crime on 4 May.

Subsequently, five accused, who allegedly raped the woman, and the one who shot and circulated the video clip, have been arrested.

The incident triggered widespread protests in Alwar, Jaipur, Dausa and nearby areas and a protest march led by BJP's Rajya Sabha MP Kirori Lal Meena had turned violent in Dausa on Tuesday, leaving over half a dozen people injured.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati and other leaders have condemned the incident.

Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot and the party's state unit president and deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot will accompany Rahul on Thursday, the sources said.
In addition to the IG investigation, Sheila OBrien, a retired state appellate judge, has pushed for the appointment of a special prosecutor to look into the dropping of the charges. In her petition, O'Brien highlighted how Foxx said she recused herself in the early stages of the investigation  only to claim later that it was not a recusal "in the legal sense" that would have required the entire office to withdraw from the prosecution.
Pragya, while campaigning in Agar Malwa district of Madhya Pradesh, told reporters: 'Nathuram Godse was a deshbhakt, is a deshbhakt and will always remain a deshbhakt, and people calling him a terrorist should instead look within.' 'Such people will be given a befitting reply in these elections,' she remarked adding to her list of controversial statements during the Lok Sabha election 2019.

Bhopal BJP candidate Sadhvi Pragya Thakur on Thursday called Nathuram Godse  the assassin of Mahatma Gandhi  a "deshbhakt" (patriot) and will remain so forever. Pragya was reacting to Kamal Haasan's recent comment that the first terrorist in India was a Hindu, naming Godse. Pragya apologised later after she came under heavy criticism for her comments.

"My sentiment was not to hurt anyone's feelings. If it has hurt anybody's feelings then I apologise. What Gandhi ji has done for the country cannot be forgotten. I respect him a lot," she said in a video statement. She said she made the comments on the spur of moment to a question linked to "saffron terror" and claimed that the media twisted them.

Asked about the BJP terming her remarks as her personal views, she agreed and added that she was a disciplined worker of the party. She said her party's line is her line.

Campaigning in Agar Malwa district of Madhya Pradesh, Pragya told reporters: "Nathuram Godse was a deshbhakt, is a deshbhakt and will always remain a deshbhakt, and people calling him a terrorist should instead look within." "Such people will be given a befitting reply in these elections," she remarked.

#WATCH BJP Bhopal Lok Sabha Candidate Pragya Singh Thakur says 'Nathuram Godse was a 'deshbhakt', is a 'deshbhakt' and will remain a 'deshbhakt'. People calling him a terrorist should instead look within, such people will be given a befitting reply in these elections pic.twitter.com/4swldCCaHK

However, BJP distanced itself from the Malegaon blast accused's statement and asked her to publicly apologise. Party spokesperson GVL Narasimha Rao, condemning Pragya's comment, said the party will ask her to clarify on the same. "BJP does not agree with this statement, we condemn it. Party will ask her for clarification, she should apologise publicly for this statement."

Meanwhile, reacting to Thakurs comments, her Congress rival Digvijaya Singh said that BJP chief Amit Shah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi should apologise for her comments as Godse was a "killer" and glorifying him is "sedition".

Congress media cell in-charge Narendra Saluja also hit out at Pragya and the saffron party saying, "She also made a mockery of late Hemant Karkares martyrdom and now she has spoken in this manner about Mahatma Gandhis killer. This exhibits the BJPs ideology and also exposes what kind of candidate the party has fielded in Lok Sabha polls.

Earlier, Pragya had drawn the ire of the Election Commission for her remark on the Babri Masjid demolition, which led to a 72-hour ban on her poll campaign. She had also stirred a major controversy for her claim that 26/11 attack martyr Hemant Karkare died because of her curse.
Press Trust of India

India's second Moon mission that is planned for a July launch will have 13 payloads and one passive experiment from American space agency NASA, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) said Wednesday.

"Thirteen Indian payloads (8 on the orbiter, 3 on lander and 2 on rover) and one passive experiment from NASA," ISRO said in a mission update but did not specify them or their objective. The spacecraft with a mass of 3.8 tonnes has three modules  Orbiter, Lander (Vikram) and Rover (Pragyan).

All the modules are getting ready for Chandrayaan-2 launch during the window of 9 July to 16 July, 2019, with an expected Moon landing on 6 September, the space agency had said earlier this month.

The orbiter will orbit 100 km from the lunar surface, while the lander (Vikram) will do a soft landing near the south pole of the moon, and Rover (Pragyan) will conduct in-situ experiments.

The orbiter and lander modules will be interfaced mechanically and stacked together as an integrated module and accommodated inside the GSLV MK-III launch vehicle, ISRO has said, adding the rover is housed inside the lander.

After launch into earth-bound orbit by GSLV MK-III, the integrated module will reach Moon orbit using orbiter propulsion module, and subsequently, lander will separate from the orbiter and soft land at the predetermined site close to lunar South Pole.

Further, the rover will roll out for carrying out scientific experiments on the lunar surface, ISRO has said, noting that instruments are also mounted on lander and orbiter for carrying out scientific experiments.

ISRO Chairman K Sivan had said in January, "We are going to land at a place where nobody else has gone-the Moon's South Pole... it is unexplored region."

Chandrayaan-2 mission, is an advanced version of the previous Chandrayaan-1 mission about 10 years ago.

Chandrayaan-1 had 11 payloads- five from India, three from Europe, 2 from USA and 1 from Bulgaria, and the mission had the credit for discovery of water on the lunar surface.

The 1.4-tonne spacecraft was launched using PSLV and the orbiter had orbited 100 km from the lunar surface.
Reuters

Facebook Inc said on Tuesday it was tightening rules around its live streaming feature ahead of a meeting of world leaders aimed at curbing online violence in the aftermath of a massacre in New Zealand.

A lone gunman killed 51 people at two mosques in the city of Christchurch on March 15 while live streaming the attacks on Facebook. It was New Zealand's worst peacetime shooting and spurred calls for tech companies to do more to combat extremism on their services.

Facebook said in a statement it was introducing a "one-strike" policy for use of Facebook Live, temporarily restricting access for people who have faced disciplinary action for breaking the company's most serious rules anywhere on its site.

First-time offenders will be suspended from using Live for set periods of time, the company said. It is also broadening the range of offences that will qualify for one-strike suspensions.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said the change addressed a key component of an initiative, known as the "Christchurch Call", she is spearheading to halt the spread of violence online.

"Facebook's decision to put limits on live streaming is a good first step to restrict the application being used as a tool for terrorists, and shows the Christchurch Call is being acted on," she said in an email from her spokesman.

Facebook did not specify which offences were eligible for the one-strike policy or how long suspensions would last, but a spokeswoman said it would not have been possible for the shooter to use Live on his account under the new rules.

The company said it plans to extend the restrictions to other areas over coming weeks, beginning with preventing the same people from creating ads on Facebook.

It also said it would fund research at three universities on techniques to detect manipulated media, which Facebook's systems struggled to spot in the aftermath of the attack.

Work To Do

Ardern said the research was welcome and that edited and manipulated videos of the March 15 mosque shootings had been slow to be removed, resulting in many, including herself, seeing it played in Facebook feeds.

Facebook has said it removed 1.5 million videos globally that contained footage of the attack in the first 24 hours after it occurred. It said in a blog post in late March that it had identified more than 900 different versions of the video.

Ardern is due to lead a meeting, with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris on Wednesday, that seeks to have world leaders and chiefs of tech companies sign a pledge to eliminate violent content online.

"There is a lot more work to do, but I am pleased Facebook have taken additional steps today alongside the Call and look forward to a long term collaboration to make social media safer by removing terrorist content from it," she said.

In an opinion piece in the New York Times on Saturday, Ardern said the "Christchurch Call" would be a voluntary framework that commits signatories to put in place specific measures to prevent the uploading of terrorist content.

Ardern has not made specific demands of social media companies in connection with the pledge, but has called for them "to prevent the use of livestreaming as a tool for broadcasting terrorist attacks."

Representatives from Facebook, Alphabet Inc's Google, Twitter Inc, and other tech companies are expected to take part in the meeting, although Facebook Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg will not be in attendance
tech2 News Staff

Google has just announced a heap of new ads that will be served up across a number of search giant's mobile services.

The Discover feed in the Google app, for instance, will be getting ads for the first time, while more promotional posts will begin to show up within Google Images search results, YouTube feeds and Gmail inbox tabs and even Maps.

The majority of feed ads will be part of two new advertisement categories Google is introducing called Discovery ads and Gallery ads. Users will start seeing these ads throughout the year, as early as today.

The changes come as choppy revenue growth prompt questions from some of Google's investors about whether services such as Amazon and Facebook's Instagram are drawing online shoppers and in turn, advertisers away from Google.

Google executives told reporters that the latest features were a response to how users behave and not because of competition.

The company wants to make it easier for users to discover and buy new products because they shop in spurts while watching TV or sitting in the bathroom, said Oliver Heckmann, vice president of engineering for travel and shopping.

"It actually changed with mobiles and what users expect from an online service like Google," he said.

Google tested ads on Discover last year, when it said more than 800 million people were using the feature monthly.

The gallery ads are part of an effort to make search results more visual. Ads with several images are expected to garner more clicks, which could lead to them being shown in more results, executives said.

In Maps, ads will now appear in recommended search queries, on routing pages and during navigation.

Announcing the changes at its Marketing Live conference for advertisers, Google also said that it would begin showing personalised content on its Google Shopping home page, something the company launched in India last year.

With inputs from Reuters
tech2 News Staff

Google has posted a technical advisory stating that its Titan Security Keys are vulnerable to attacks. The two-factor authentication device has a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) version that is affected by this vulnerability. Google is offering free replacements that will take care of the vulnerability.

The other versions of the security keys arent affected since the bug only acts up during Bluetooth pairing. Google said in its blog that the vulnerability arises from a misconfiguration in the Titan Security Keys Bluetooth pairing protocols. Any attacker within a range of 30 feet can possibly communicate with the key or the device with which the key has been paired.

For those who want to verify whether their key is affected, turn over the key and look for T1 or T2 at the bottom. If it does have those tags then the key can be replaced for free.

Until the keys are replaced, Google has also posted a few extra suggestions. iOS users running version 12.2 should sign in into their Google account in a private place where a potential attacker is not within close physical proximity. Once the sign in is done, the key should be unpaired. After the iOS 12.3 update, the security key wont work so you have to ensure that you dont sign out of your account.

For Android and other devices, Google advises the same measures of signing in at a private place and then immediately unpairing the key. After the June 2019 Security Patch Level (SPL) arrives, all the affected Bluetooth devices will be unpaired automatically.

Google still stresses that using the affected Bluetooth Low Energy version of the Titan Security key is still safer to prevent phishing attacks than not using any at all.
Kshitij Pujari

Realme is a fast-growing smartphone brand in India and also in South-east Asia. On 15 May, the company opened its doors in China as well with the launch of the Realme X and Realme X Lite smartphones, the latter of which is sold as the Realme 3 Pro in India and the former will begin to sell in India soon.

I had the opportunity to have a chat with Realme India CEO Madhav Sheth and heres what he had to say about Realmes future in India, the ongoing feud with Xiaomi and the Realme Xs arrival in India.

What are Realmes future plans for India?

Sheth: We want the best technology for users for the best of prices. We have launched four series and now we have launched another series. So for us, the customer is very important and we particularly target the youth audience which is why even our motto is Proud to be Young.

How is the Realme X different from the Realme 3 Pro?

Sheth: Realme 3 Pro was a product which gives you the specifications of a Rs 25,000  Rs 30,000 phone for a price of Rs 15,000. This is something that cannot be improved so we are trying to improve on this smartphone by giving more aesthetics to the Pro series. The Realme 3 Pro (review) already has great hardware and to improve on the aesthetics side we are announcing the Realme X.

The Realme X is a premium flagship device which is still not in the OnePlus territory. It is a smartphone which is trying to get there with a combination of great hardware and software. The Realme X offers a better camera, authentication and display over the Realme 3 Pro.

How do you see Xiaomi as a competitor?

Sheth: Everybody thinks that Realme is only competing with Xiaomi, but the truth is that every brand that is present in the budget and mid-range eco-system is our competitor. We do not single out Xiaomi as our main competition. This competition is what gives the user a better product which is what we ultimately want for our users.

Where will Realme be expanding globally?

Sheth: Realme has already been active in parts of South-East Asia such as Indonesia but this is the first launch of Realme in China. We are also targeting Europe and Middle-East and within this year, we plan to launch our products in these regions. As a matter of fact, the Europe launch should be revealed by 31 May. Depending on the region we will decide which model to announce. For example, the Realme C-series is only India-specific since the demographic wants more entry-level smartphones.

Any comments on the Twitter war with Xiaomi? Specifically regarding the use of a year old Snapdragon 710 SoC on the Realme vs Xiaomis latest Snapdragon 675 SoC

Sheth: Well, in our opinion, Xiaomis jab at us for using a year old chipset was not accurate. The difference between the Snapdragon 710 launch and Snapdragon 675 launch is about 3-4 months. However, the point is that the user wants the best performance and does not care how old a chipset is. We are not saying that the Snapdragon 675 is bad. But we cant say that SD 675 is bad and hence SD 710 is good. Both chipsets are good at different things. People should not see a device just as a chipset phone but as a complete package.

How well was the Realme 3 Pro received?

Sheth: We sold 1.7 lakh units in less than 8 minutes for the Realme 3 Pro should give you an idea about how popular the smartphone is. Alongside that, the Realme 3 was also the best-selling smartphone in the country in March in terms of online sales figures.

What kind of price range is the Realme X aiming for?

Sheth: For Realme, price is something that is secondary. We want to give our users the best performance so pricing comes at the next stage. We want to make sure that Realme is giving out the best possible performance for the price and not the other way round.

Will the Realme 3 Pro itself be competing with the Realme X?

Sheth: No, the Realme X and the Realme 3 Pro will be in different price segments and there will be no overlapping.

When can we expect the launch of Realme X in India?

Sheth: There is no official date by which the Realme X will come to India but you can expect it to come very soon.

Disclaimer: The correspondent was invited to China for the launch by Realme India. All boarding and travel arrangements were taken care of by Realme India
By Steve Gorman and Daniel Trotta (Reuters) - Alabama's governor on Wednesday signed a bill to ban nearly all abortions in the state, even in cases of rape and incest, in political conservatives' latest challenge to the landmark 1973 U.S. Supreme Court decision establishing a woman's right to terminate her pregnancy. U.S

By Steve Gorman and Daniel Trotta

(Reuters) - Alabama's governor on Wednesday signed a bill to ban nearly all abortions in the state, even in cases of rape and incest, in political conservatives' latest challenge to the landmark 1973 U.S. Supreme Court decision establishing a woman's right to terminate her pregnancy.

U.S. abortion-rights activists had already vowed to go court to block enforcement of the Alabama measure, the strictest anti-abortion law yet enacted by abortion foes aiming to provoke reconsideration of the Roe v. Wade ruling.

Governor Kay Ivey, a Republican, signed the measure a day after the Republican-controlled state Senate approved the ban and rejected a provision to allow abortions for women and girls impregnated by rape or incest.

"To the bills many supporters, this legislation stands as a powerful testament to Alabamians deeply held belief that every life is precious and that every life is a sacred gift from God," Ivey said in a statement. "To all Alabamians, I assure you that we will continue to follow the rule of law."

The law would take effect in six months.

Legislation to restrict abortion rights has been introduced this year in 16 states, four of whose governors have signed bills banning abortion if an embryonic heartbeat can be detected.

Planned Parenthood joined the American Civil Liberties Union on Wednesday in filing a legal challenge to Ohio's recent ban on abortions after six weeks of pregnancy.

The Alabama bill goes further, banning abortions at any time, unless the mother's health is in danger. Those performing abortions would be committing a felony, punishable by up to 99 years in prison. A woman who receives an abortion would not be held criminally liable.

2020 DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATES BLAST MOVE

Most of the Democratic candidates seeking their party's 2020 nomination to run for the White House condemned the Alabama law, calling it an attack on women's rights and vowing to fight to uphold legal access to abortion.

"The idea that supposed leaders have passed a law that would criminalize a physician for assisting a woman on something that she, in consult with her physician, with her God, with her faith leader, has made the decision to do, that is her body that you would criminalize," U.S. Senator Kamala Harris of California, one of the large field of hopefuls, said at a town hall on Wednesday morning in Nashua, New Hampshire.

Some on Twitter had called on their allies to mail coat hangers to Ivey, as a reminder of the illegal abortion practices common before it was made legal.

Christian television broadcaster Pat Robertson, a staunch critic of Roe v. Wade, said the Alabama law "has gone too far."

Its an extreme law, and they want to challenge Roe versus Wade. But my humble view is that this is not the case we want to bring to the Supreme Court because I think this one will lose, Robertson said on his program, "The 700 Club."

Anti-abortion advocates are aware that any laws they pass are certain to be challenged. Courts this year have blocked a restrictive Kentucky law and another in Iowa passed last year.

But supporters of the Alabama ban said the right to life of the fetus transcended other rights, an idea they would like tested at the Supreme Court.

The high court, now with a majority of conservative justices after Republican President Donald Trump appointed two, could possibly overturn Roe v. Wade. That decision held that the due process clause of the 14th Amendment provides a fundamental right to privacy that protects a woman's right to abortion.

Roe v. Wade did allow states to place restrictions on the procedure from the time a fetus could viably survive outside the womb, except in cases in which a woman's health was otherwise at risk. A fetus is generally considered viable at 22 to 24 weeks. A full-term pregnancy typically is about 40 weeks.

Just this year, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi and Ohio enacted statutes outlawing abortion after a doctor can detect an embryonic heartbeat.

Opponents call the "heartbeat" legislation a virtual ban because embryonic cardiac activity can be detected as early as six weeks, before a woman may even be aware she is pregnant.

(Reporting by Steve Gorman in Los Angeles and Daniel Trotta in New York; Additional reporting by Barbara Goldberg in New York; Ginger Gibson in Washington, and Alex Dobuzinskis in Los Angeles; Writing by Scott Malone; Editing by Jonathan Oatis and Lisa Shumaker)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
By Steve Gorman and Daniel Trotta (Reuters) - Alabama's governor on Wednesday signed a bill to ban nearly all abortions in the state, even in cases of rape and incest, in the latest bid by political conservatives to try to roll back the U.S. Supreme Court's landmark 1973 ruling establishing a woman's right to terminate her pregnancy.

By Steve Gorman and Daniel Trotta

(Reuters) - Alabama's governor on Wednesday signed a bill to ban nearly all abortions in the state, even in cases of rape and incest, in the latest bid by political conservatives to try to roll back the U.S. Supreme Court's landmark 1973 ruling establishing a woman's right to terminate her pregnancy.

U.S. abortion-rights activists had already vowed to go court to block enforcement of the Alabama measure, the strictest anti-abortion law yet enacted by abortion foes aiming to provoke reconsideration of the Roe v. Wade ruling.

The decision by Governor Kay Ivey, a Republican abortion opponent, to sign the measure came a day after the Republican-controlled state Senate gave final legislative approval to the abortion ban.

"To the bills many supporters, this legislation stands as a powerful testament to Alabamians deeply held belief that every life is precious and that every life is a sacred gift from God," Ivey said in a statement. "To all Alabamians, I assure you that we will continue to follow the rule of law."

As passed, the law would take effect in six months. Legislation to restrict abortion rights has been introduced this year in 16 states, four of whose governors have signed bills banning abortion if an embryonic heartbeat can be detected.

Planned Parenthood joined the American Civil Liberties Union on Wednesday in filing a legal challenge to Ohio's recent ban on abortions after six weeks of pregnancy.

The Alabama bill goes further, banning abortions at any time, unless the mother's health is in danger. Those performing abortions would be committing a felony, punishable by up to 99 years in prison. A woman who receives an abortion would not be held criminally liable.

The state Senate defeated a Democratic amendment that would have allowed legal abortions for women and girls impregnated by rape or incest.

2020 DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATES BLAST MOVE

Most of the Democratic candidates seeking their party's 2020 nomination to run for the White House condemned the Alabama law, calling it an attack on women's rights and vowing to fight to uphold legal access to abortion.

"The idea that supposed leaders have passed a law that would criminalize a physician for assisting a woman on something that she, in consult with her physician, with her God, with her faith leader, has made the decision to do, that is her body that you would criminalize," U.S. Senator Kamala Harris of California, one of the large field of hopefuls, said at a town hall on Wednesday morning in Nashua, New Hampshire.

Some on Twitter had called on their allies to mail coat hangers to Ivey, as a reminder of the illegal abortion practices common before it was made legal.

Anti-abortion advocates know any laws they pass are certain to be challenged. Courts this year have blocked a restrictive Kentucky law and another in Iowa passed last year.

But supporters of the Alabama ban said the right to life of the fetus transcended other rights, an idea they would like tested at the Supreme Court.

The high court, now with a majority of conservative justices after Republican President Donald Trump appointed two, could possibly overturn Roe v. Wade. That decision held that the due process clause of the 14th Amendment provides a fundamental right to privacy that protects a woman's right to abortion.

Roe v. Wade did allow states to place restrictions on the procedure from the time a fetus could viably survive outside the womb, except in cases in which a woman's health was otherwise at risk. A fetus is generally considered viable at 22 to 24 weeks. A full-term pregnancy typically is about 40 weeks.

Just this year, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi and Ohio enacted statutes outlawing abortion after a doctor can detect an embryonic heartbeat.

Opponents call the "heartbeat" legislation a virtual ban because embryonic cardiac activity can be detected as early as six weeks, before a woman may even be aware she is pregnant.

(Reporting by Barbara Goldberg and Daniel Trotta in New York; Additional reporting by Ginger Gibson in Washington and Steve Gorman in Los Angeles; Writing by Scott Malone; Editing by Jonathan Oatis and Lisa Shumaker)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
Brazil is trying to push their luck as China slows approval for import requests of genetically modified foods.

Brazils agriculture minister will ask Chinese officials on Thursday to greenlight exports to the Asian nation of sugar made from genetically modified (GM) sugarcane, which is expected to be widely used in Brazil in coming years.

Minister Tereza Cristina Dias told Reuters in Beijing on Wednesday, on her first visit to Brazils top buyer of farm goods, that she would raise the GMO issue during a visit to Chinas General Administration of Customs on Thursday. Brazilian officials will make the case that the sugar has no traces of modified genes after the GM cane is processed, similar to soy oil made from GM soybeans.

We export sugar and will export sugar made from GMO cane. The sugar itself is not genetically modified, so were going to explain about the scientific process and explain why sugar should not be considered by science as a GM product, Dias told Reuters through a translator.

Brazils CTC (Cane Technology Center) developed the GM cane variety that is resistant to the cane borer, which could reduce pesticide costs. Mills in the worlds largest sugar exporter are already testing the variety. Brazils government has approved commercial use of GM cane, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has ruled that it is safe to consume sugar made from that cane. The production of these varieties will increase a lot in Brazil, so its something we need to discuss, Dias said.

China has been slow in approving genetically modified foods in general. Last month, a Brazil agriculture ministry official complained that Chinese approvals take about five to six years, up from 240 days in 2010.

The minister said she would also raise the issue of 79 meat plants seeking approval to export beef, poultry, pork and other meat to China. Only 10 of them have been inspected by Chinese food quality officials to date. "One thing were going to discuss is if its necessary to visit all plants or if they can select a sample," Dias said.

She added that the ministry was building a new relationship with Chinas customs administration which only recently took on the role of approving imports after a Chinese government shuffle.

Brazil is one of a few countries able to supply China with significant quantities of meat when it experiences a large drop in output of pork expected later this year due to the African swine fever outbreak, Dias said.
Some paramedics stayed on the scene with the woman they believed to be the mother. It was not known who that woman was, since according to police Ochoa-Lopez was already dead. Paramedics asked the woman if she had any cramps, bleeding or dizziness and she said no. She was taken to the same hospital as a precaution.
The South Korea talks will be the second meeting between Trump and Moon Jae-in since the collapse of a summit between the US president and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Hanoi in February after they failed to reach a deal on denuclearisation.

Washington: President Donald Trump will visit South Korea in June to meet with his counterpart Moon Jae-in over their efforts to persuade North Korea to scrap its nuclear weapons arsenal, the White House said Wednesday.

It will be the second meeting between the pair since the collapse of a summit between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Hanoi in February after they failed to reach a deal on denuclearisation.

"President Trump and President Moon will continue their close coordination on efforts to achieve the final, fully verified denuclearization of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea," the White House said in a statement, using North Korea's official name.

The dovish South Korean president, who has long backed engagement with the nuclear-armed North, brokered the talks process between Trump and Kim, which led to their first landmark summit in Singapore last June.

But security allies Seoul and Washington have at times appeared to diverge on their approach to Pyongyang, and Seoul's simultaneous announcement of the visit was noticeably different in its phrasing.

A statement issued by the South's presidential office said the two leaders will discuss "establishing a lasting peace regime through the complete denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula" rather than the North specifically.

The "denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula" was the term used in the joint statement signed by Kim and Trump after their first summit in Singapore.

But it is a phrase open to wide interpretation, and the process has become bogged down as the two sides disagree over what it means.

In the past, Pyongyang has argued it must include the removal of Washington's nuclear umbrella over the South and the 28,500 US troops stationed in the country.

When US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo visited the North's traditional ally Russia this week, Moscow's veteran foreign minister Sergei Lavrov told him: "The leadership of DPRK expects certain guarantees of security of their country reciprocated by denuclearization, and that denuclearization should be expanded over the whole of the Korean Peninsula."

G20 summit

The White House said Trump's trip to South Korea would combine with his visit to nearby Japan, where he will attend a G20 summit in Osaka on 28 and 29 June.

The Hanoi summit between Trump and Kim broke up after the pair failed to agree on what Pyongyang would be willing to give up in exchange for relief from sanctions imposed over its nuclear and missile programmes.

Since then, Moon has tried to salvage diplomacy between the two mercurial leaders and flew to Washington last month for a brief meeting with Trump.

His attempts have so far proved futile, with Pyongyang raising the pressure earlier this month week by launching short-range missiles in its first such test since November 2017.

North Korea has repeatedly warned that it could take a different approach if Washington did not change its stance on sanctions by the end of this year.

In a move that could further stoke tensions, the US announced the seizure of a North Korean cargo ship for violating international sanctions, which was slammed by Pyongyang as an "unlawful and outrageous act".
Prominent Hong Kong student leader Joshua Wong was sent back to prison Thursday after he lost an attempt to quash a jail sentence over his leadership of huge democracy protests five years ago

Hong Kong: Prominent Hong Kong student leader Joshua Wong was sent back to prison Thursday after he lost an attempt to quash a jail sentence over his leadership of huge democracy protests five years ago.

Wong, 22, became one of the most recognisable faces of the "Umbrella Movement" in 2014 which paralysed key intersections of the financial hub for more than two months.

Protesters were demanding a greater say in how the city is run, including the right for Hong Kongers to directly elect the city's leader.

The movement  which took its name from the umbrellas protesters used to defend themselves against police  failed to win any concessions from the city's pro-Beijing authorities, and its leaders faced a slew of prosecutions.

Wong, who was 17 when the protests began, was jailed for three months in January 2018 on a contempt charge after pleading guilty to obstructing the clearance of a major protest camp.

He served only six days of that sentence before being released on bail pending an appeal.

On Thursday, however, a senior judge said Wong must return to jail  albeit for a reduced sentence of two months.

Justice of Appeal Jeremy Poon said Wong's age at the time of the offence was a mitigating factor, as well as his guilty plea and apology.

But he dismissed Wong's argument that he had been excessively punished by authorities because of his prominent status as "entirely baseless and misconceived".

Wong turned to supporters after the verdict and told them to "add oil"  a commonly used Cantonese phrase of encouragement.

He was then led away to a prison van.

Speaking to reporters before the verdict, Wong said he was facing the prospect of jail "with a calm mind", noting that other leaders had received much longer sentences.

Last month two key leaders of the protests were jailed for 16 months.

"We will never forget the spirit of Umbrella Movement and we will continue to fight for free elections," he said.

Wong's jailing comes against a backdrop of roiling turmoil in Hong Kong over the government's plans to approve extraditions to the Chinese mainland for the first time.

The issue has sparked the largest protests in the city since the 2014 demonstrations and even sparked scuffles in the legislature.

Hong Kong's leadership has faced a chorus of criticism from business, legal figures and western governments who fear the law could tangle people up in China's opaque court system.

But the city's pro-Beijing leader Carrie Lam has vowed to press on.

In his comments Wong warned the proposed law might see activists pursued by the mainland, something the Hong Kong government has denied.

"Today the High Court, tomorrow the People's Court," he said, referring to the mainland's judicial system.

Wong was also convicted in a second prosecution related to the storming of a government forecourt during the 2014 protests.

He spent some time behind bars for that case, but in the end the city's top court ruled that community service was sufficient punishment.

While Hong Kong enjoys rights unseen on the Chinese mainland under a 50-year handover agreement between Britain and China, there are fears those liberties are being eroded as Beijing flexes its muscles and stamps down on dissent.

Authorities in Hong Kong and the mainland have defended the prosecutions as a necessary measure to punish the leaders of a direct action movement that took over the heart of the city for many weeks.
TOKYO (Reuters) - Iran remains committed to its obligations under a multilateral nuclear deal despite the United States' withdrawal from the landmark agreement last year, its foreign minister said on Thursday, calling the U.S. escalation of sanctions 'unacceptable'.

TOKYO (Reuters) - Iran remains committed to its obligations under a multilateral nuclear deal despite the United States' withdrawal from the landmark agreement last year, its foreign minister said on Thursday, calling the U.S. escalation of sanctions "unacceptable".

"We exercise maximum restraint in spite of the fact the United States withdrew from JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action) last May," Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif told his Japanese counterpart, Taro Kono, at the start of their meeting in Tokyo. JCPOA is commonly referred to as the Iran nuclear deal.

President Donald Trump has ratcheted up sanctions on Iran since he withdrew the United States from a 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and global powers under which Tehran curbed its uranium enrichment capacity, and won sanctions relief in return.

(Reporting by Kiyoshi Takenaka; Editing by Chang-Ran Kim)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
Missouri's Republican-led Senate has now passed a bill to ban abortions at eight weeks of pregnancy. Senators approved the legislation 24-10 early Thursday with just hours left before a Friday deadline to pass bills

Jefferson City: Missouri's Republican-led Senate has now passed a bill to ban abortions at eight weeks of pregnancy.

Senators approved the legislation 24-10 early Thursday with just hours left before a Friday deadline to pass bills. It needs at least one more vote of approval in the GOP-led House before it can go to Republican Gov. Mike Parson, who voiced support for it on Wednesday.

Parson called on state senators to take action, joining a movement of GOP-dominated state legislatures emboldened by the possibility that a more conservative Supreme Court could overturn its landmark ruling legalising the procedure. Their vote came only hours after Alabama's governor signed the most stringent abortion ban in the nation on Wednesday, making performing an abortion a felony in nearly all cases.

The Missouri proposal includes exceptions for medical emergencies, but not for pregnancies caused by rape or incest. Doctors would face five to 15 years in prison for violating the eight-week cutoff. Women who receive abortions at eight weeks or later into a pregnancy wouldn't be prosecuted.

Outnumbered Senate Democrats launched into an attack on the bill before Republican supporters had a chance to bring it up for debate on the Senate floor. "So much of this bill is just shaming women into some kind of complacency that says we are vessels of pregnancy rather than understanding that women's lives all hold different stories," St. Louis-area Democratic Sen. Jill Schupp told colleagues.

"We cannot paint with a broad brush and interfere by putting a law forward that tells them what they can and cannot do."

Missouri is among a growing number of states where abortion opponents are working with renewed enthusiasm following President Donald Trump's appointment of more conservative high court justices. Kentucky, Mississippi, Ohio and Georgia have approved bans on abortion once fetal cardiac activity can be detected , which can occur in about the sixth week of pregnancy. Similar restrictions in North Dakota and Iowa have been struck down in court.

Supporters say the Alabama bill is intentionally designed to conflict with the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion nationally in hopes of sparking a court case that might prompt the justices to revisit abortion rights.

Missouri's bill also includes an outright ban on abortions except in cases of medical emergencies. But unlike Alabama's, it would kick in only if Roe v. Wade is overturned.

If courts don't allow Missouri's proposed eight-week ban to take effect, it includes a ladder of less-restrictive time limits ranging from 14 to 20 weeks. Roe v. Wade legalized abortion up until viability, usually at 22 to 24 weeks. "This is not a piece of legislation that is designed for a challenge," Missouri's Republican House Speaker Elijah Haahr said.

"This is the type of legislation that is designed to withstand a challenge and to actually save lives in our state." Other provisions in the wide-ranging abortion bill include a ban on abortions based solely on race, sex or a "prenatal diagnosis, test, or screening indicating Down Syndrome or the potential of Down Syndrome."

The bill would also require that both parents be notified for a minor to get an abortion, with exceptions. A change made after hours of late-night negotiations means written notification is only required if the second parent has joint legal or physical custody of the minor. Current law requires written consent from only one parent.
By Suleiman Al-Khalidi (Reuters) - U.S.-backed Kurdish-led forces said on Wednesday they had begun a campaign against 'terrorists' linked to Islamic State in a strategic town in the oil rich eastern province of Deir al Zor that residents and witnesses say has been at the centre of protests opposing the rule of U.S.-supported militia. Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) spearheaded by the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia said it had so far arrested 20 militants and confiscated weapons in the security sweep in the vicinity of the town of Shuhail on the eastern bank of the Euphrates River and its outlying desert region. 'Our forces began a campaign in the early hours of the morning ..

By Suleiman Al-Khalidi

(Reuters) - U.S.-backed Kurdish-led forces said on Wednesday they had begun a campaign against "terrorists" linked to Islamic State in a strategic town in the oil rich eastern province of Deir al Zor that residents and witnesses say has been at the centre of protests opposing the rule of U.S.-supported militia.

Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) spearheaded by the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia said it had so far arrested 20 militants and confiscated weapons in the security sweep in the vicinity of the town of Shuhail on the eastern bank of the Euphrates River and its outlying desert region.

"Our forces began a campaign in the early hours of the morning ... we have discovered two tunnels used by terrorists to launch attacks," the SDF said in a statement.

Last week, a U.S.-led special operations raid on a suspected Islamic State fighters' hideout in the town had sparked violent protests and attacks on SDF garrisons, three residents and social media footage showed. Eight people were killed in the raid, residents said.

SDF spokesman Mustafa Bali denied any civilians were killed in the operation that he said sought an "important" Islamic State militant cell inside Shuhail, part of a large swathe of territory in northeastern Syria the U.S.-backed group controls.

"The operation was executed carefully and highly professionally and achieved its aims," Bali told Reuters. He blamed the Syrian government for fuelling anti-SDF protests in a string of towns in the region in recent weeks.

"The Syrian regime is influencing some tribal figures to aggravate the situation and trying to benefit and agitate people to protest," Bali said.

A meeting two days ago called by the main Akaidat tribe in Shuhail urged the U.S.-led coalition to hand over the running of the affairs of their towns to them.

Growing unrest against the SDF in areas they control in Deir Zor province east of the Euphrates River has been aggravated by poor services, lack of jobs and compulsory conscription of youth, residents and tribal figures said.

Syria's Foreign Ministry on Monday urged the U.N. Security Council to act against what it said were "crimes perpetuated" by the SDF, warning it reserved the right to defend its citizens.

Protesters carrying placards have accused Kurdish officials of discrimination and want an end to forcible conscription of Arab youths. They have also been angry with the YPG selling crude oil from fields within their region to the Syrian government.

Kurdish YPG commanders have denied discrimination against Arabs in local administrations they run and warned that tribal unrest in former Islamic State areas could undermine stability of the U.S protected territory and encourage a militant comeback.

They say militants who have reverted to guerrilla tactics after the loss of territorial control are behind a rise in hit and run attacks on SDF checkpoints and assassinations.

(Reporting by Suleiman Al-Khalidi; editing by Grant McCool)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
Police said detectives didnt begin to piece the case together until May 7  two weeks after Ochoa-Lopez went missing  when a friend of the teenage mom mentioned that she had joined a chat site on Facebook. On checking out the site, detectives learned Ochoa-Lopez had gone to the Figueroa home. Detectives went to the home and interviewed the younger Figueroa, who eventually disclosed that her 46-year-old mother had just given birth to a baby. A search of the neighborhood revealed Ochoa-Lopezs car parked not far away, police said.
The three full pages of rules  we're always modifying, Valkier said  provide codes for posters to indicate whether an item should be picked up from a porch, a vestibule or in-person. Theres even a code to meet at Harvestime Foods on West Lawrence Avenue. When posting, people must provide their nearest cross streets so anyone who is interested will know how far theyd need to travel to pick up the item, he said. Once an item is claimed, the poster communicates privately with the person claiming the item about when, where and how to pick it up.
I want to emphasize that she doesnt know anybody, shes not connected, said Conway, after he had filed an appearance Wednesday on behalf of Clark at the Cook County courthouse in Rolling Meadows. Were at this level of justice determined by whether someone is connected or not. Justice should be blind to that.
LG has announced that it has developed its own AI chip (Artificial Intelligence Chip) that can be used universally in various home appliances such as robot cleaners, washing machines and refrigerators. It has a built-in LG Neural engine which is an artificial intelligence processor that uses deep learning algorithm to dramatically improves the processing performance.

Visual intelligence recognizes and distinguishes space, location, objects, and people, voice intelligence recognizes users voice and noise characteristics. In addition, it can comprehensively progress video and audio data to enhance the awareness of users emotions and behaviors, and make customized artificial intelligence suggestions by judging the situation.

Since it uses on-device artificial intelligence it works even when its not connected to a network, and protects data such as personal information of the product, thanks to security engine.

It also has Image Recognition Engine for SLAM (Simultaneous Localization And Mapping), Image Processing function for correcting the distortion of wide angle lens and obtaining bright and clear images even in dark places.

In the future, LG Electronics plans to launch robot cleaners, washing machines and refrigerator air conditioners with AI chips. In addition, the company plans to expand solutions that utilize artificial intelligence through cooperation with other companies, universities, and laboratories.

Source
ASUS just introduced the Zenfone 6, the companys latest flagship smartphone at an event in Spain. We got to check out the smartphone, here are the first impressions.

The phone packs a 6.4-inch FHD+ IPS LCD screen with 19.5:9 aspect ratio and 92% screen-to-body ratio with narrow bezels. The screen looks bright, and supports 96% NTSC color gamut, DCI-P3 and HDR10. It has Corning Gorilla Glass 6 protection. Powered by Snapdragon 855, the phone has up to 8GB of RAM.

It runs stock Android 9.0 (Pie) with ZenUI 6.0, and the company has promised Android Q and Android R for the phone.

The main highlight of the phone is its flip camera. The phone comes with 48-megapixel main camera with f/1.79 aperture, 1/2 Sony IMX586 sensor, 0.8m pixel size, Laser auto focus, EIS and Dual LED Flash along with a 13MP secondary camera with 125-degree ultra-wide lens with real-time distortion correction. It uses Quad Bayer technology for large-pixel levels of light sensitivity offering 12MP output with effective 1.6m pixels that is sharper. The phone supports has 4k 60 fps video recording.

You can also flip the camera 90-degrees which is useful in some cases, offering a new perspective. The flip-up camera module made from Liquid Metal is lighter than stainless steel and is 4x stronger. It will close automatically if you drop the phone, and the company at the launch said that it has tested it with up to 100,000 flips.

The back of the phone has 3D curved back glass with Corning Gorilla Glass protection. The phone has a fingerprint scanner on the back, unlike most phones that have an in-display fingerprint scanner.

There is a customizable smart key in addition to power button and volume rockers. It has dual speakers, one on the front and the other on the bottom, NXP smart amplifiers that deliver powerful, crisp and detail-packed sound and the company doesnt miss out the 3.5mm audio jack. The phone also comes with a dedicated dual SIM and a microSD card slot.

It comes with a 5000mAh battery with support for Qualcomm Quick Charge 4.0 and comes with 18W charger in the box. It promises up to 2 days of battery life on a single charge.

The phone also comes in Twilight Silver color, in addition to Midnight Black, and starts at 499 Euros (US$ 557 / Rs. 39,132 approx.) for the 6GB RAM with 64GB storage version. It is already available for order in several European countries and will start shipping from May 25th.

Srivatsan contributed to this post
Mayor-elect Lori Lightfoot will take on leadership of a city with its share of woes, from financial dysfunction to a culture of corruption at City Hall. But the gun violence that ruins lives and neighborhoods must be the paramount priority to address. Because too many of Chicagos children are like Jaylan Ellzey. He was just trying to make sure he lived another day.
Lawyers for the city of Chicago told a federal judge today they have reached a $6.2 million settlement with more than 800 plaintiffs in a class action lawsuit stemming from the mass arrests of protesters during a 2003 demonstration against the Iraq war.
Join the Par-Tea this Summer with Scooter's Coffee Flavored Iced Teas

Three New Flavors Join the Summer Tea Lineup

May 16, 2019 // Franchising.com // OMAHA, NE - Need a flavor kick to help you power through that afternoon wall? Scooters Coffee has you covered with its bright summer lineup of freshly brewed flavored iced teas. The new lineup includes three cool, crisp and refreshing flavors:

Summer Berry - a frui-tea blend of dried hibiscus, currents, pineapple, and apple infused with succulent dark cherry flavor

- a frui-tea blend of dried hibiscus, currents, pineapple, and apple infused with succulent dark cherry flavor Georgia Peac h - freshly brewed black tea layered with sweet peach flavor

h - freshly brewed black tea layered with sweet peach flavor Blueberry Lavender - freshly brewed black tea bursting with a hint of lavender fragrance and a punch of blueberry flavor

Customers expressed the need for a light and refreshing beverage to recharge on those hot summer days, stated Lisa Person, Vice President of Marketing, Scooters Coffee. Our new Flavored Iced Teas will transport customers from an ordinary day to a flavor-filled, relaxing, extraordinary summer day.

The iced teas join other summer favorites, including the Caramelicious Blender, fresh fruit smoothies and Red Bull Infusions. Customers seeking a savory partner for their drinks can fill up with Scooters Coffees line of all-day breakfast ciabatta and bagel sandwiches or breakfast burritos. Current offerings include bacon, sausage and turkey sausage ciabatta sandwiches, sausage bagel sandwiches and bacon, sausage, southwest and vegetarian burritos.

The flavored iced teas will be available nationwide on May 15 and throughout the summer while supplies last.

Scooters Coffee is a drive-thru franchise that has been serving world-class coffee for more than 20 years. It roasts only the finest beans, making that first morning sip both convenient and rewarding for customers across the nation. The company has more than 200 locations in 14 states and has over 175 franchise commitments to build new stores. Its signature drink is the Caramelicious, and the menu features an array of specialty espresso beverages, single-origin coffee, fruit smoothies, baked-from-scratch pastries and breakfast options. Connect with Scooters Coffee via Facebook, Instagram or Twitter and share your favorite moments by tagging @scooterscoffee using the hashtag #BeAmazing.

About Scooters Coffee

Founded in 1998 by Don and Linda Eckles in Bellevue, Nebraska, Scooters Coffee roasts only the finest coffee beans in the world at its headquarters in Omaha, Nebraska. In more than two decades of business, Scooters Coffees success is simple: stay committed to the original business principles and company core values. The Scooters Coffee Brand Promise, often recited to franchisees, customers and employees is: Amazing People, Amazing Drinks Amazingly Fast! It represents the companys business origins from 1998 and reflects a steady commitment to providing an unforgettable experience to loyal and new customers.

Scooters Coffee specializes in hand-tamped espresso drinks, fruit smoothies, baked-from-scratch pastries and features its signature drink, the Caramelicious. The company also serves a line of hot and iced organic teas, single-origin coffee and the original Cold Brew & Cream. This year, one of Scooters Coffees drink innovations includes Red Bull Infusions.

Scooters Coffee is at the dawn of a strategic growth phase in the Midwest and nationwide. The U.S. coffee market is an estimated $48 billion a year recession-resistant industry, and Scooters Coffee is striving to become the #1 drive-thru coffee franchise in the nation. Visit ownascooters.com to learn more about the benefits of owning a franchise of a well-established company.

For more information, visit scooterscoffee.com, facebook.com/scooterscoffee, ownascooters.com or call 877-494-7004.

SOURCE Scooters Coffee

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Local Entrepreneur Ignites the Fire With Opening of First Firehouse Subs in Rockford

May 16, 2019 // Franchising.com // ROCKFORD, Ill. - Firehouse Subs announces the grand opening of its first location in Rockford, Illinois, at 6470 E. State St Suite 110. The restaurant will open its doors to the public on Tuesday, May 21, under the ownership of Firehouse Subs Franchisee Joe Fallin. This is the 23rd Firehouse Subs restaurant in Illinois. Firehouse Subs serves premium meats and cheeses steamed and piled high on a toasted sub roll, served Fully Involved with fresh produce and condiments. In addition to its signature subs, the restaurant offers a variety of catering options from sandwich and dessert platters to salads and snacks to fuel any occasion.

This is Fallins third Firehouse Subs restaurant, after falling in love with the brands flavorful food and heartfelt service while visiting his brother and sister-in-law in Bradenton, Florida. He opened his first Firehouse Subs restaurant in Janesville, Wisconsin, back in 2016. A year later, Fallin opened his second Firehouse Subs location in his hometown of Beloit, Wisconsin.

The first time I tried Firehouse Subs food, I fell in love with the high quality of the ingredients as well as the heartiness of the portions, Fallin said. Once I learned how the brand helps save lives through Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation, I knew this was the perfect franchise to bring to the Stateline area. Im excited to expand into Rockford, where Ive spent many weekends shopping, doing recreational activities and visiting family.

Fallin is dedicated to sharing the brands commitment to hearty and flavorful food, heartfelt service and giving back through Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation, which has granted more than $1.1 million in Illinois and more than $695,000 in Wisconsin.

The Rockford Firehouse Subs restaurant is open from 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. seven days a week. It will offer third-party delivery and in-house catering services to accommodate occasions of all sizes, from office meetings to family gatherings.

Founded by former firefighting brothers, the Rockford restaurant decor reflects the founding familys decades of fire and police service with gear and photos donated by the Rockford Fire Department. It boasts a custom, hand-painted mural by Chief Mural Artist Joe Puskas, designed with the assistance of the Rockford Fire Department. It showcases the newly revitalized Main Street District with a recreation of an actual photo of local firefighters jumping rope with local kids, represented in the mural by Fallins two sons. Since the opening of the first Firehouse Subs in 1994, Puskas and his team have painted more than 1,170 murals from his studio at Firehouse Subs Headquarters in Jacksonville, Fla.

Firehouse Subs offers small, medium and large hot specialty subs, including the No. 1 selling Hook & Ladder sub, piled high with smoked turkey breast and Virginia honey ham smothered with Monterey Jack cheese and served Fully Involved with mayo, deli mustard, lettuce, tomato, onion and a kosher dill pickle on the side. Other top sellers include the Smokehouse Beef & Cheddar Brisket loaded with USDA choice beef brisket smoked for up to 16 hours in an authentic Texas smokehouse and topped with melted cheddar cheese and a special combination of sauces, including Sweet Baby Rays Barbecue Sauce. Additionally, each restaurant offers an assortment of 25+ complimentary hot sauces, including Captain Sorensens Datil Pepper Hot Sauce, named in honor of the founding brothers father, Rob Sorensen, a 43-year retired fire captain.

The touch-screen operated Coca-Cola Freestyle fountain is available in every restaurant, excluding Alaska and non-traditional locations, and offers 175+ sparkling and still beverage options with 90+ zero and low-calorie options, the most flavor options available to guests by any restaurant brand. Choices include the top-selling exclusive Firehouse Subs recipes, Cherry Lime-Aid, Cherry Lime-Aid Light and Sparkling Cherry Lime-Aid, served with fresh squeezed lime.

The Firehouse Rewards digital loyalty program offers guests an opportunity to earn and redeem points for each restaurant visit through a smartphone app. Once registered, guests can order in-app and access recent orders, redeem points for free items, and receive exclusive offers, such as a free medium sub on their birthday, and more. The free app is available on Google Play and in the App Store.

In 2005, the Firehouse Subs founders established the Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation with the mission of providing funding, lifesaving equipment and educational opportunities to first responders and public safety organizations. The 501(c)(3) Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation has granted more than $42 million to hometown heroes in 49 states, Puerto Rico and Canada. Each restaurant recycles five-gallon pickle buckets, available to guests for a $2 donation to the Foundation. Donation canisters on register counters explain the nonprofits mission and collect spare change, while the Round Up Program allows guests to round up their bill to the nearest dollar. All funds raised benefit the Foundation.

Enjoy more subs. Save more lives. To learn more, visit http://www.firehousesubs.com.

About Firehouse Subs

Celebrating 25 years of business in 2019, Firehouse Subs is a fast casual restaurant chain with a passion for Hearty and Flavorful Food, Heartfelt Service and Public Safety. Founded in 1994 by brothers and former firefighters Chris Sorensen and Robin Sorensen, Firehouse Subs is a brand built on decades of fire and police service, hot subs, steamed and piled high with the highest quality meats and cheeses and its commitment to saving lives through the establishment of the non-profit Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation. The founders are the real deal, the food is their creation and the restaurant is built upon a family of franchise operators who share their same passion for generously serving food and community. This year, Firehouse of America, LLC (franchisor for the brand) will donate a portion of all purchases at U.S. Firehouse Subs restaurants to Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation, resulting in a minimum donation of one million dollars. Firehouse Subs is consistently recognized as one of the leading brands in the U.S. among consumers. Newsweek recently named Firehouse Subs No. 1 in the fast casual restaurant industry on its 2019 list of Americas Best Customer Service Brands. In 2018, Firehouse Subs was named the No. 1 brand in the restaurant industry that Supports Local Community Activities and ranks No. 1 among Fast Casual brands in Food Quality and Taste and Flavor in Technomics Consumer Brand Metrics rankings. Firehouse Subs was also named No. 2 in Americas Favorite Fast Casual Chain rankings by Technomic Ignite.

Enjoy more subs. Save more lives. To learn more, visit http://www.firehousesubs.com.

Quick Facts:

More than 1,170 restaurants in 46 states, Puerto Rico, Canada and non-traditional locations

$42+ million granted to public safety organizations via Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation

Headquartered in Jacksonville, Fla.

SOURCE Firehouse Subs

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Emanuels personal emails  The mayors fight to keep secret government-related emails he transmitted over his personal accounts cost taxpayers $1.18 million. A Cook County judge ruled earlier this year that the city had to pay the Tribunes legal fees of more than $387,000 to argue that Emanuel had violated the states open records act in not releasing them. Emanuel has argued that the states open records law does not apply to emails and texts on personal accounts, regardless of whether they pertain to city business. The mayor, however, eventually agreed to release city-related emails stored on his personal accounts as part of a settlement with the Better Government Association in another lawsuit. In the Tribune case, Emanuel was declared in violation of the states open records laws.
Local Entrepreneurs to Open AtWork Personnel Office in Riverside, California

National staffing franchise selects the City of Riverside for expansion of G&M Hire Enterprises' fourth location

RIVERSIDE, Calif., May 16, 2019 // PRNewswire // - AtWork Group, an award-winning national staffing franchise, recently announced their latest expansion in California. The new location was awarded to local entrepreneurs Gregg Hassler and Moses Rangel, whose Southern California-based AtWork franchise - located at 11801 Pierce St., Suite 200 in Riverside, CA - will provide staffing services to employers throughout the surrounding areas. This is Hassler and Rangel's fourth Southern California AtWork Group location.

"The City of Riverside presented an ideal expansion market for AtWork SoCal," said franchise owner Gregg Hassler. "The City's centralized location, its status as a regional economic hub and the benefit of proximity to several current clients made selecting Riverside an easy choice."

AtWork Riverside specializes in delivering effective staffing solutions for employers seeking clerical, professional and light industrial employees. AtWork's flexible options include temporary, temp-to-hire, full time career placement services and payroll accommodation. The company provides contingent labor and direct-hire talent search services for some of the region's most respected employers.

"Thanks to its well-established infrastructure for business development, combined with a lowering unemployment rate, Southern California it the ideal location for our latest expansion," said Jason Leverant, president and COO of AtWork Group. "With Hassler and Rangel's experience in the staffing industry, I am confident their business will soon grow to become a vital player in the area's business growth and development!"

"We look forward to building quality relationships with employers and candidates in Riverside. Our goal as a locally-owned staffing service is to provide the personalized, responsive services that national corporate-owned agencies simply can't deliver," said Hassler. "As the AtWork Group continues a successful expansion in California through its locally-owned entrepreneurial model, we are proud to lead the way in Riverside and San Diego Counties."

AtWork SoCal Director of Marketing Charlie Hoey credits the company's growth and success to experience, hard work, determination and a talented team of dedicated employees.

"Four years ago we started at zero with the Temecula location," Hoey said. "Today AtWork SoCal's offices rank in the top ten, in terms of revenues and candidates placed, out of over 75 branches nationwide. Our employees understand their success is tied to the company's success, and we very much appreciate their dedication to this enterprise."

AtWork SoCal's Regional Director Judy Contreras, who will be leading the Riverside Office's operations, said the City of Riverside holds great potential for AtWork's unique model of local ownership backed by national resources.

"The fact that we are owned and operated locally and have strong community connections means we are able to quickly respond to clients' staffing needs," Contreras said. "I expect the City of Riverside AtWork office to hit the ground running since there's already an existing client base and multiple prospects waiting for AtWork to open nearby. I encourage local employers to consider AtWork as a potential Human Resources partner and take advantage of our team's decades of experience sourcing, recruiting, delivering and managing quality employees."

For more information, visit www.atworksocal.com or call 951-297-3591.

About AtWork Group

AtWork Group is an industry leading staffing franchise, based in Knoxville, Tennessee. Providing temporary, temp-to-hire and direct-hire services across industries, AtWork specializes in three lines of service  AtWork Personnel, AtWork Medical and AtWork Search. There are 75 locations across 27 states, with the goal to reach 325 by 2029. AtWork franchisees execute region-based decisions that make a difference in their local economies to strengthen their communities. The company facilitated 50,000 hires last year and was recently ranked in: Forbes' America's Best Executive Recruiting Firms and America's Best Professional Recruiting Firms, Entrepreneur Magazine's Franchise 500, Franchise Times' Fast & Serious, Franchise Times' Top 200+ and Inc. Magazine's Inc. 5000.

SOURCE AtWork Group

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Local Husband and Wife Duo Open the First Firehouse Subs in South Elgin

May 16, 2019 // Franchising.com // SOUTH ELGIN, Ill. - Firehouse Subs announces the grand opening of its first location in South Elgin at 346 South Randall Rd. The restaurant opened its doors to the public under the ownership of first-time Firehouse Subs Franchisees Elizabeth and Jeff Strack. Firehouse Subs serves premium meats and cheeses steamed and piled high on a toasted sub roll, served Fully Involved with fresh produce and condiments. In addition to its signature subs, the restaurant offers a variety of catering options from sandwich and dessert platters to salads and snacks to fuel any occasion.

This is the first restaurant for the Stracks, who were drawn to the brands passion and commitment to give back to the community and first responders through Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation. This is also the couples first venture into the restaurant industry. Elizabeth Strack was a purchasing and warehouse supervisor for 20 years, and her husband Jeff works for a major telephone company. The Stracks are excited to run the restaurant as a family-owned business with the help of their two daughters who live in the area. Elizabeths sister, Sheila Ostrowski, will also be joining the team as General Manager, bringing 15 years of food service experience to the team.

The Stracks are dedicated to serving the community through hearty and flavorful food and giving back through Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation, which has granted more than $1 million in Illinois.

Seeing all of the wonderful things the Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation has done for people makes us proud to be part of this brand, Elizabeth Strack said. On top of that, the food is fantastic. I fell in love after my first bite, and Im confident the South Elgin community will feel the same.

The South Elgin Firehouse Subs restaurant is open seven days a week from 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. It will offer third-party delivery and in-house catering services.

Founded by former firefighting brothers, the South Elgin restaurant decor reflects the founding familys decades of fire and police service with gear and photos donated by the local fire department. It boasts a custom, hand-painted mural by Chief Mural Artist Joe Puskas depicting the local heroes of the South Elgin Fire Department fishing with children at the Fox River. Since the opening of the first Firehouse Subs in 1994, Puskas and his team have painted more than 1,170 murals from his studio at Firehouse Subs Headquarters in Jacksonville, Fla.

Firehouse Subs offers small, medium and large hot specialty subs, including the number one selling Hook & Ladder sub, served with smoked turkey breast and Virginia honey ham smothered with Monterey Jack cheese. Other top sellers include the Smokehouse Beef & Cheddar Brisket loaded with USDA choice beef brisket smoked for up to 16 hours in an authentic Texas smokehouse and topped with melted cheddar cheese and a special combination of sauces, including Sweet Baby Rays Barbecue Sauce. Additionally, each restaurant offers an assortment of 25+ complimentary hot sauces, including Captain Sorensens Datil Pepper Hot Sauce, named in honor of the founding brothers father, Rob Sorensen, a 43-year retired fire captain.

The touch-screen operated Coca-Cola Freestyle fountain is available in every restaurant and offers 120+ sparkling and still beverage brands with 70+ regular and low-calorie options. Choices include the top-selling non-carbonated fountain drink Cherry Lime-Aid, Cherry Lime-Aid Light and Sparkling Cherry Lime-Aid, all exclusive original recipes by Firehouse Subs, served with fresh squeezed lime.

The Firehouse Rewards digital loyalty program offers guests an opportunity to earn and redeem points for each restaurant visit through a smartphone app. Once registered, guests can order in-app and access recent orders, redeem points for free items, and receive exclusive offers, such as a free medium sub on their birthday, and more. The free app is available on Google Play and in the App Store.

In 2005, Firehouse Subs created the Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation with the mission of providing funding, life-saving equipment and educational opportunities to first responders and public safety organizations. Many first responders make do with older equipment and have limited or no access to needed resources. The 501(c)(3) Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation has granted more than $40 million to hometown heroes in 48 states, Puerto Rico and Canada. Each restaurant recycles leftover, five-gallon pickle buckets, available to guests for a $2 donation to the Foundation. Donation canisters on register counters explain the nonprofits mission and collect spare change, while the Round Up Program allows guests to round up their bill to the nearest dollar. All funds raised benefit the Foundation. This year, Firehouse of America will donate 0.13 percent of purchases at all U.S. Firehouse Subs locations to Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation. This percentage will result in a minimum donation of one million dollars.

Enjoy more subs. Save more lives. To learn more, visit http://www.firehousesubs.com.

About Firehouse Subs

Firehouse Subs is a fast casual restaurant chain with a passion for Hearty and Flavorful Food, Heartfelt Service and Public Safety. Founded by brothers and former firefighters Chris Sorensen and Robin Sorensen, Firehouse Subs is a brand built on decades of fire and police service, hot subs, steamed and piled high with the highest quality meats and cheeses, and its commitment to saving lives through the establishment of the non-profit Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation. The founders are the real deal, the food is their creation and the restaurant is built upon a family of franchise operators who share their same passion for generously serving food and community. Today, the brand operates more than 1,150 restaurants in 46 states, Puerto Rico, Canada and non-traditional locations. This year, Firehouse of America, LLC (franchisor for the brand) will donate a portion of all purchases at U.S. Firehouse Subs restaurants to Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation. This percentage will result in a minimum donation of one million dollars. Firehouse Subs is consistently recognized as one of the leading brands in the U.S. among consumers. In 2017, Firehouse Subs was named the No. 1 brand overall on Technomics Consumer Brand Metrics rankings and was recognized as No. 1 among the Top 10 Most Craveable Sandwich Chain Sandwiches by Technomic for its signature Hook & Ladder Sub.

Enjoy more subs. Save more lives. To learn more, visit http://www.firehousesubs.com.

Quick Facts:

More than 1,170 restaurants in 46 states, Puerto Rico and Canada

$42+ million donated to public safety organizations via Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation

Headquartered in Jacksonville, Fla.

SOURCE Firehouse Subs

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Venture X Breaks Ground for New Location in Pleasanton, CA

Global Coworking Space Company Continues to Expand at a Rapid Pace

PLEASANTON, CA, May 16, 2019 /24-7PressRelease/ - The premium membership-based workspace and community for entrepreneurs and businesses - continues its significant growth with the groundbreaking of a new 13,224-square-foot location at 4125 Hopyard Road suite 225.

Franchisee, Larry Cabling, of The MOS Group, signed the lease with Britannia Property Owner, LLC in March 2019. Cabling is fully galvanized to grow this new location into a coveted destination for a variety of progressively minded members.

"We're seeing a continuing movement away from the traditional office environment," said Cabling. "This evolution is an important part the workforce future, and we're committed to being on the innovative front of coworking spaces that facilitate collaboration and creativity."

Venture X has been expanding rapidly in response to corporations and entrepreneurs in search of modern, flexible workplace solutions. Its welcoming boutique hotel-style services and modern offices appeal to a broad cross-section of businesses and entrepreneurs and provides design-forward workspaces that people love coming to work to every day. This creative workspace solution has caught the attention of entrepreneurs and businesses throughout the nation and around the world.

"We've been carving our own path for creative office space solutions, and we're always looking forward to opening new locations in more cities," said Venture X President Jason Anderson. "We targeted the Britannia Business Center because of its prime location, and we're certain it will provide a dynamic area to both work in and entertain."

Venture X, which is a brand of United Franchise Group, is inspired by boutique hospitality brands where relationships, consistent quality, and value-added offerings are the cornerstone of the membership experience. Venture X attracts a diverse membership of entrepreneurs, creative professionals, freelancers, remote workers, startups, non-profits, small businesses, and large teams from Fortune 500 companies.

Cabling believes that the Venture X "best-in-class" working environment meets the ever-changing demands of corporate clients and professionals in a competitive marketplace.

"We're excited to join Pleasanton's entrepreneurial community with a place where members can connect with each other and also meet outside clients, while at the time boosting inspiration on a daily basis and improving their businesses," added Cabling.

Additional details on workspace options and services are available at venturex.com/plans.

About Venture X

Venture X is a membership-based, shared workspace and community that is a blend of boutique hotel and modern office styles with a high level of design that feels professional and welcoming. They are designing beautiful spaces and developing an environment and community that people love coming to work to every day. Venture X is a member of United Franchise Group, a group of affiliated companies and brands, and has been recognized by Inc. as one of the best co-working spaces in the United States. The brand anticipates having 100 locations sold by the end of 2019. For more information about locations, visit venturex.com, and for information about franchise opportunities, visit venturexfranchise.com.

About United Franchise Group

Led by CEO Ray Titus, United Franchise Group is home to a variety of internationally recognized brands including Signarama, Fully Promoted, Experimax, Jon Smith Subs, Venture X, SuperGreen Solutions, Transworld Business Advisors, Accurate Franchising, Network Lead Exchange, and The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill. With more than three decades in the franchising industry, and 1,600 franchisees in 80 countries throughout the world, United Franchise Group offers unprecedented leadership and solid business opportunities for entrepreneurs.

Media Contact:

Victoria Segovia

Ink Link Marketing

Voice: 305-631-2283

SOURCE Venture X

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Spring is a season for love, but the four young men at the center of Loves Labors Lost have squashed any hopes of that after they devote themselves to learning over wooing. However, theyre about to get schooled in love with the arrival of four French beauties.

Loves Labors Lost is not often performed, but in the hands of Folger Theatre director Vivienne Benesch and this vibrant cast, its a show worth discovering again (this play last appeared on Folgers stage in 2002).

And the director didnt have to go far to find inspiration for this retelling of one of Shakespeares early comedies. Scenic designer Lee Savage has reimagined the kingdom of Navarre as Folger Shakespeare Librarys own Paster Reading Room circa early 1930s, around the time it opened in Washington, D.C. The theaters two permanent bulky wooden pillars blend in perfectly with the warm-toned staging, which also works in a double staircase and a hidden liquor cabinet. A bust of Shakespeare and a statue of Cupid are prominently displayed on bookshelves. The timing of the story also lends itself for some exquisite wardrobe choices, such as the dazzling beaded flapper dresses costume designer Tracy Christensen assigns the ladies for a second-act scene (the men are quite dashing, too, in their white suit jackets).
What Im most concerned about is the hundreds of lives weve lost in Chicago. And not only in Chicago but the surrounding areas. The hundreds of black and brown lives, Walker said. And so my question to them would be, how much is my black and brown life to you? How much is my black and brown sister and brother to you? Because to me, we deserve 100 percent of that tax, but were only asking for 25 percent.
Theres still time to catch the ArtsLIVE! annual Chamber Music Festival. The shows continue tonight and Friday at Trinity Episcopal Church.

For 32 years, ArtsLIVE! has brought world renowned musicians to Fredericksburg for the event, and highlighted the accomplishments of local students.

Bostons Muir String Quartet are joined by many musicians for this years Chamber Music Festival, which started Tuesday. Concerts begin at 7 p.m. on each night and feature compositions by Shostakovich, Hindemith, Piazzolla, Vivaldi, Tchaikovsky, Brahms, Bach and Rossinni.

Mike Reynolds, artistic director of the festival and founding cellist of the Muir Quartet of Boston, has put together a program that he hopes will entertain fans of classical composition and those looking for something new from the chamber music scene. Hes been in the director role for 15 years now, but has been playing the festival since its inception in the late 1980s.

He strives, to create balance in the program in a way that is engaging for the audience, he said. We have a really nice combination of the classics and unusual compositions. I hope audiences will like it and seek out newer compositions.
I live in an insulated world. I am not military, so my life goes on, yet there are these young people who are losing life and limb on my behalf so that my life can go on, said Mellick, a retired college associate professor. We need to do more for these people when they come home.

Beginning in 2015, Mellick worked 14 months to create his Wounded Warrior Dogs Project, which has toured the country and won several prestigious awards.

I was just driven to get these things done. Each one probably takes me 160 to 200 hours to create, said Mellick who lives with his wife, Marcia, and two dogs, Heidi a Weimaraner and Hillary a WeimaranerLabrador mix, on his farm in Marysville, Ohio, where he created the sculptures.

Mellick said he wanted his work to help wounded warriors.

My original intent was to raise money, to raise awareness for wounded veterans, wherever these were showing, to try and engender giving for the wounded warriors causes, Mellick said.

After looking around and exhibiting his work, Mellick said he found that raising money wasnt necessarily what was needed.
On March 8, Alsup was reported missing. Wright allegedly shot and killed her the next day. According to court documents obtained by WJHL, Wright claimed they had sex in the woods near his house and that he accidentally shot her while trying to shoot an animal. (The age of consent in Virginia is 18.) He then placed her body beneath a stack of logs in the woods near his house, Newman said.

And lastly, on March 17, Wright allegedly shot Hopson in the head twice. He claimed this time that they were going for a walk, and that he tripped and shot her in the head, then tripped again and accidentally shot her again, according to the court documents. Rather than bury her, Wright claimed that he put her in the back of his truck to take her to the hospital. On the way, Newman said, Wright claimed her body fell out, rolling down to a river embankment near a bridge.

He then put her body in the water, Newman said.

In an interview with WJHL, Griffith questioned how he could shoot someone twice on accident.

"What was going through this man's head?" she said. "Why would he do this to these girls that are innocent?"

Police have still not recovered Hopson's body from the river.
Fredericksburg police are investigating a vicious attack over the weekend in the downtown area in which a woman was physically and sexually assaulted after getting into her car, court records show.

A 20-year-old man who worked downtown has been identified as a suspect, according to affidavits for search warrants filed in Fredericksburg Circuit Court, but had not been charged as of Wednesday.

According to the affidavit filed by Senior Detective Alexandra Tittle, the 28-year-old victim had been with friends Saturday night when she walked to her vehicle in a parking lot near George and Sophia streets.

She got into her car, but before she could close the door, a man ran up and physically assaulted her, causing severe contusions on her face.

Tittle wrote that the man strangled the woman as she tried to defend herself, then removed her jeans and underwear and sexually assaulted her.

City police were alerted to the incident sometime Sunday after the woman went to Mary Washington Hospital for treatment. She described the attack to police and gave a detailed description of her attacker.
Camille Deon Macdonald, 61, of Fredericksburg, passed away peacefully in the presence of family and friends on Saturday, May 11, 2019 after a short battle with cancer. Camille was born on November 25, 1957 in Bluffdale, Utah to John La Var and Verona (Lewis) Bevan. She was the youngest of eight children. Camille's childhood years were spent in Bluffdale and Riverton, Utah. Camille lost her mother at an early age, but she found a special place in childhood with her maternal grandparents, Grandpa and Grandma Lewis. She attended Snow College and Brigham Young University and upon graduation she moved to California and began a career as a corporate trainer. In 1988 she gave birth to her only child, a daughter, Amber Ahmed, with her then husband Monzur Ahmed. In 1994 she moved to Idaho Falls, Idaho and married Keith Couch where she and Keith raised her daughter and was a support to his six children. Camille decided to return to school and in 2002 she received a master's degree from Idaho State University, becoming a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor, her true calling in life. She was a counselor in private practice for the next 17 years. In 2016, Camille became a co-owner, with Andrew Roberts, of Riverside Counseling in Fredericksburg, fulfilling a dream to run a full-service counseling practice. In September 2016 Camille married her soul mate and the love of her life, Donald Macdonald. Camille was a rare soul who thought of others first, was always ready to laugh or cry with you, and never failed to leave you a better person for having spent time with her. Over the course of her life and career she has helped hundreds of people find a way through their travails and trauma, leaving a lasting mark on all who came into her orbit. Everyone who came into her world were profoundly influenced by her. Camille's smile, wit and wisdom will be sorely missed by all who knew her. Survivors include her husband, Donald; her daughter, Amber; her step-son, Matt and his partner, Erin; her siblings; a number of nieces, nephews, step-nieces and step-nephews; and friends too numerous to count. She was preceded in death by her parents. A celebration of Camille's life will be held at 1:30 p.m. on Friday May 17, 2019 at Fredericksburg Square, 525 Caroline Street, Fredericksburg, VA 22401. Separate remembrances for Camille in Utah and Idaho will be scheduled at a later date. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you consider a donation to either the American Diabetes Foundation (www.diabetes.org), Mental Health America of Fredericksburg (www.mhafred.org), or Best Friends Animal Society (www.bestfriends.org). Online guest book at covenantfuneralservice.com.
By Bernie Sanders standard, the number of people killed by gun violence is also rare. According to the FBI, 11,004 people died by gun violence in 2016. One would be hard-pressed to find anyone to say that, because gun violence is rare, it should be legally permissible.

In his campaign announcement speech, Sanders argued passionately for ending the epidemic of gun violence in this country, suggesting ways the government can step in to help decrease violence in our society.

But roughly the same number of human beings are killed via late-term abortion as die by gun violence.

Some argue that late-term abortions are done only when either the mother or the child has a severe medical issue. But as research done by Secular Pro-Life has shown, this is not the case. The most common reasons for late-term abortion are women not realizing they are pregnant; not having the money for an abortion earlier in the pregnancy; and having difficulty making a decision in the first few months.

For the overwhelming majority of Americans, allowing a baby to be killed by late-term abortion is unthinkable. Recent Gallup polls indicate that 72 percent of Americans oppose abortion in the second trimester, and 87 percent oppose abortion in the third trimester.
Even the Southern Poverty Law Center admitted after the ruling that Charlottesville may be stuck with the 100-year-old bronze equestrian statues, both of which are inarguably fine examples of the sculptors art and listed on the National Register of Historic Places and Virginias Historic Register.

Charlottesville residents themselves dont all agree that the statues should be taken down. In its 2016 final report, the citys own Blue Ribbon Commission voted 6-3 that the statues be left in place, but that the city take steps to put them in the context of the Confederacys defense of slavery and its ultimate defeat by Union forces in the Civil Wara recommendation that was disregarded by the Charlottesville City Council. But the court ruling makes that the most likely outcome.

The larger and more difficult question is whether the General Assembly should amend or repeal the law forbidding jurisdictions to remove war monuments initially erected with their permission if they offend current sensibilities.

The state law should not be repealed. It acts as a firewall, protecting monuments honoring the dead from self-appointed censors who would erase the memory of any historic figures they deem flawed from the public square.
Pritzkers transition team signed a $50,000 contract in early January with Massachusetts-based Koya Leadership Partners to conduct a nationwide search for a new leader for the child welfare agency, which has churned through 14 previous directors since 2003. The governor wanted to get the search for key positions in his Cabinet underway as soon as possible so he covered the cost of the search as part of his transition, spokeswoman Jordan Abudayyeh said.
Big law firms, corporations and big Cubs money help pay for Lightfoot inauguration: It reads like a shortlist of Chicago corporate headquarters, but these are the big-ticket firms kicking in $50,000 or more to help underwrite Lightfoots inauguration and cover expenses between the election and when she officially takes office: Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois, Motorola Solutions and United Airlines. Also in the mix: Lightfoots old Chicago law firm and another powerful law office, Mayer Brown LLP and Kirkland & Ellis, respectively. BP America, HMS Host, Comcast, and the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority also are on the list.
Sony and Microsoft have announced a partnership that centers around joint development of cloud tech using Microsoft's Azure platform, with the goal of supporting their individual game and content-streaming services.

Sony president and CEO Kenichiro Yoshida notes in a press release that, even though the companies are competitors in many areas, he believes the joint development of future cloud solutions will contribute greatly to the advancement of interactive content.

The partnership sees the two companies exploring joint development of future cloud solutions in Microsoft Azure as well as using current Azure datacenter-based solution for Sonys streaming services. While the arrangement aims to streamline each companys own offerings, the press release detailing the partnership also notes that the efforts will lead to better platforms for developers and content creators.

This arrangement also sees the two working together on semiconductor and AI technology. For AI, that means Sony is exploring ways to incorporate Microsofts AI platform and tools into Sonys own consumer products.
Capturing territory in Total War: Three Kingdoms is vital for growing your Empire. New settlements, towns and cities can get you access to new resources, or buildings that you havent had time to develop yourself.

It is not as simple as just marching in and taking over, however. The populace will be used to their old rulers, and it will take some time for them to adjust to life under a new banner, and develop loyalty towards your faction.

How To Check Faction Support

To check faction support levels for any settlement, just click on the settlement on the main screen, then scroll over the small flag icon directly across from where the population count is shown.

You will see a pop up that details your current level of faction support, how many turns it will take to reach max faction support and the overall impact of your current level.

Low faction support will impact on public order, increasing the chance for rebellion. It will also affect how much income you can make from that settlement, and even the number of military supplies you can get from the area.

If a settlement does not have a flag showing, that means the settlement is at full faction support and is suffering no negative effects.

It is a very good idea to let a settlement reach full faction support before extending your reach to another settlement in the same Commandary. If a Commandary suffers too much of a negative impact on public order, you can find yourself trying to deal with a rebellion. A straightforward way to increase the level of faction support is to just leave an army in the settlement for a couple of turns, then move on when the faction support has reached max level.
Defendants in all three include NAR along with the giants of the brokerage industry: Home Services of America, Keller Williams Realty Inc., Realogy Holdings Corp. and RE/MAX Holdings Corp. Realtors tell me that an adverse decision in the cases would produce transformative changes in home-sale transactions nationwide. Some brokers say that it could create situations where first-time and other cash-short buyers might not be able to afford to pay for their agents' services  creating a whole new obstacle to home ownership. Rather than buyers having their commissions paid for by the seller, they would now need to come up with that money themselves. Today, however, buyers don't give it a thought, and in fact they often do not even know what commission split the buyer agent expects to receive.
A late womans gift to the city of a house and lot on the corner of College and North 16th streets could bring a new park to the north side of Philomath. At the same time, the site would serve as a memorial to her son who gave his life during the Vietnam War and fill a need for a park in an area that had been identified by the city.

The Philomath City Council came out of executive session late Monday and approved a motion to direct city staff to work with representatives of Beverly M. (Cochran) Durhams estate and secure the property for the city for the purposes described in the document.

The document referenced by Councilor Doug Edmonds in his motion was sent to the city by the estates attorney and outlines the proposed gift of one-eighth of an acre located at 1545 College St.

Provisions are attached to the gift include using the property for park purposes and that it not be developed by the city or anyone else. Durham also wanted the park to be dedicated and named in memory of her son, Paul Jeffrey Cochran.

The proposed agreement also includes a gift of slightly over $16,000 to the city with the request that the money be used for landscaping purposes.

Another provision attached to the agreement was to allow the current tenant of the home to remain for up to four years after her death. However, the attorneys letter indicates that the tenant has given notice and intends to move out in the foreseeable future.

Cochran, a member of the 101st Airborne Division, was killed May 1, 1968, in Vietnam just five months after he had arrived, according to an obituary published that year. He graduated with 71 fellow seniors with Philomath Highs Class of 1966. He enlisted in the Army the following November. He is buried in Willamette National Cemetery in Portland.

Durham died Aug. 5, 2018, at age 90. After moving to Philomath in the 1960s, she worked at Oregon State University teaching English to international students while also earning two masters degrees. She worked at the university for 22 years.

A new park in the North 16th Street vicinity had been identified in the Park Master Plan as a Priority 2 capital project.

This small neighborhood park will provide park amenities to the north-central portion of the city currently underserved, a description in the plan reads. It will include play equipment, benches and a picnic area.

The closest park by foot from the Durham property would be Dale Collins Park, about two-tenths of a mile to the south in the vicinity of where Philomath Boulevard joins up with Main Street. That park is more of a visual with the citys readerboard, artwork, vegetation, a bench and picnic table.

Pioneer Park, a landscaped lot with a bench, is located three-tenths of a mile to the west of the Durham house.

The closest park with playground equipment appears to be Triangle Park, located eight-tenths of a mile west on College Street. A park on North Ninth Street will be constructed this summer.

The estimated cost of an envisioned park on North 16th was listed in the master plan as $68,800. With the Durham gift, it appears possible that grants could cover or at least contribute to the cost of its construction.

In other news from the May 13 meeting:

 Sal Peralta, interim deputy director of the nonprofit PERS Solutions for Public Services, gave a presentation to the council about recommended reforms for the state employees pension system. Councilors later in the evening adopted a resolution to support the effort.

 The council approved liquor licenses for 13 businesses  Philomath Towne Pump, Ixtapa Mexican Restaurent, Jonas Market, Philomath Market, Main Street Market, Eats & Treats Cafe, Reliance Petroleum, The MeetN Place, Vinwood Taphouse, Dollar General Store, Nectar Creek, The Dizzy Hen and The Woodsman Tavern.

 The council approved a motion in support of a memorandum of understanding between Oregon RAIN and the eight-city Linn-Benton Collaborative, which includes Philomath.

 The council adopted a resolution to establish a building permit investigative fee.

 The council held a public hearing on the citys proposed uses of state revenue funds. Nobody testified at the hearing.

 Among the issues brought up during the public comment period was an update on an appeal that challenged the citys recent annexation of 19.68 acres but was dismissed by the state Land Use Board of Appeals. Jeffrey R. Lamb, petitioner, and Catherine Biscoe, intervenor-petitioner, brought the action against the city and Levi Beelart, the intervenor-respondent. The March 21 dismissal was based on the appeal being untimely filed. The matter has gone on to the Oregon Court of Appeals.

 Niemann issued proclamations to recognize Police Week (May 12-18) and Public Works Week (May 19-25).

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The Lebanon Fire District has released the Walmart Supercenter, 3290 S. Santiam Highway, in Lebanon after a chemical fire closed the store Tuesday afternoon.

Fire Chief Gordon Sletmoe said the store was working with cleaning contractors but had not yet released the cost of the damage or the potential product loss. He added that the cause of the fire was still under investigation.

Employees were in the store on Wednesday, but it was not open to the public. A post on the stores social media page on Tuesday night reported that it would be closed. Subsequent posts Wednesday afternoon reported it could be days before the store reopened.

The fire was first reported at 12:47 p.m. Tuesday. Fire crews reported smoke coming from the building and said due to the large amount of smoke, a thermal imaging camera was needed to locate the fire.

According to a news release detailing the incident, the fire was located in an aisle where several different types of chemicals were stored. Crews used a hose line to extinguish the fire, but several businesses to the north were evacuated due to the toxic smoke. The HazMat team and Sweet Home and Albany fire departments, as well as the Lebanon Police Department, assisted in the incident. Crews reportedly spent an hour clearing the smoke before beginning the initial fire investigation.

No injuries were reported.

Individuals with information regarding this fire are asked to contact the Lebanon Fire District at 541-451-1901 or the Lebanon Police Department at 541-451-1751.

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Four mid-valley students earned scholarships at the Loene Guthrie and Dorothy Jenks music scholarship auditions, which were held in mid-April at Oregon State University.

Scholarship winners:

 Emma Womack, violinist ($1,200): Womack will graduate from Corvallis High this spring, then attend the University of Denver to study performance and violin pedagogy. In April, she soloed in a major violin work with the Corvallis Youth Symphony.

 James Scott, bassoonist ($1,200): The Lebanon High School graduate is studying music education at Oregon State University where he is active in the Marching Band, Jazz Band, two wind ensembles and the OSU Symphony.

 Katy Simmons ($1,200): The Corvallis High graduate is studying Music Education at Oregon State University. She's also active in OSUs Concert Choir and University Chorale. She was a recent soloist in the universitys Opera Workshop Program. Simmons plans to work toward masters and doctoral degrees following graduation.

 Sophie Schumaker, voice/oboe ($400): Schumaker will enroll in the University of Oregon Music School next fall. She has been active in several Corvallis High choral groups, performed a lead role in "West Side Story" and appeared in other local productions.

The event was coordinated by Linn-Bentons Oregon Music Teachers chapter and the Benton Community Foundation.

All of these scholarship winners have participated in honors choirs and instrumental ensembles around the state. They have made major contributions to their high school and university ensembles as section leaders and mentors, as well as participating in local music theatre.

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The League of Women Voters of Corvallis will hold its annual meeting Wednesday, May 22 at the Corvallis-Benton County Public Library, 645 NW Monroe Ave.

The event begins with a dinner and business meeting of league members. Those wishing to join the league and attend that portion of the session should contact Annette Mills at 541-230-1237.

Ashlee Chavez, the library director, will speak on leading the library at 7:30 p.m., with members of the general public invited to attend.

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The 84th annual Linn County Lamb & Wool Fair gets started on Friday with a street dance, live music, a silent auction, pie-eating contest, book sale and more.

The fun continues on Saturday and Sunday.

The festival parade, a small-town highlight of the event, is scheduled to start at 11 a.m. on Saturday.

The grand marshal for the parade is Nadji Vogel, a longtime community volunteer who was the first female bus driver for the Scio School District.

She has been a major influence in this town by organizing events, said Karen Isaac, president of the board of directors of the Linn County Lamb & Wool Fair.

Michael Parker, who served in the Vietnam War as a helicopter gunner in the U.S. Army's 334 Aviation Battalion, is the honored veteran for the Lamb & Wool Fair. In October 2018, he finally received his diploma from Scio High School in a special ceremony.

The honored citizen for the 2019 edition of the event is Leon Rothauge, pastor of Scio Christian Church, who moved to the community in 2011.

New additions for the Lamb & Wool Fair this year are the family games on Saturday and Sunday afternoon in the fairgrounds. Activities scheduled include a three-legged race, gunny-sack race, water-balloon toss, tug of war and more.

The office of Katrina Clouse Realty Group will have signs and pamphlets from previous years of the fair on display for visitors.

Theres a lot of history behind it, Isaac said.

She added that the event brings together Scio residents from all kinds of backgrounds.

All of these individuals come together as a community and create an amazing weekend, Isaac said.

And many people return to their hometown and Scio High School during the Linn County Lamb & Wool Fair.

There are usually three reunions going on at this time of year, said Katrina Clouse, treasurer of the events board of directors.

Kyle Odegard can be reached at kyle.odegard@lee.net, 541-812-6077 or via Twitter @KyleOdegard.

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How much change is too much change? And what does extreme mean, really?

Those are questions the Corvallis Planning Commission will grapple with as it examines a request from Oregon State University to adjust the development and open space allocations in three of the nine sectors on campus.

The university has applied to move 95,000 square feet of development space from Sector B in the center of campus to Sector D at the east end of campus at the intersection of Monroe Avenue and Ninth Street. OSU also wants to shift 10,000 square feet of open space from Sector D to the adjoining Sector C in the campus core.

City approval is required for such changes. And if OSU receives that approval, it will move forward with a 290-tenant upper division/graduate student housing project on the property.

Commissioners held a 150-minute public hearing on the matter Wednesday night, but a request by the university to hold the record open an additional seven days means the commission will not deliberate on the plan until June 5.

University officials  OSU was represented by six different speakers, with more officials and consultants in the audience  said that more on-campus housing is needed to comply with pledges made during the 2011-2014 collaboration project with the city. OSU officials also cited a 2016 university-commissioned study that shows a need for 1,000 additional beds of student housing on campus.

The university further argued that the location is ideal because it is close to downtown services and transit, and its tenants would not be as likely to need to bring their cars.

Six neighborhood residents and one graduate student rejected the OSU arguments, testifying against it during 45 minutes of public comment. No one spoke in favor of the project, while one OSU employee provided neutral testimony.

Opponents chastised OSU for not involving the neighborhood earlier in the process, noting that the announcement of the plan was published in the Gazette-Times before neighbors had been advised.

Opponents said that when OSU did hold public meetings about the project university officials refused to make any changes.

Opponents said that the university failed to consider alternative sites for the housing. They suggested 15th Street and Jefferson Way and the parking lot adjacent to the Tebeau Hall dormitory as possible solutions. They bemoaned the loss of open space at the gateway to the campus.

The impact of this project on the neighborhood will be devastating, said Suki Meyer, who noted the cumulative effect of this project on top of the apartments on the site of the old Gazette-Times building, as well as the 600-plus bedrooms  and a 500-car garage  going up nearby at the Washington Yards project.

Meyer predicted parking, traffic and trash problems will ensue if the project is built. She closed by asking, Is this what we want for our city? Please take a moment to consider your vision for the future of Corvallis.

Kent Daniels, a former member of the Planning Commission, said if this allocation isnt extreme then I dont know what is.

Theres the rub. City approval is required for such sector swaps. But there is no guidance on how much is too much.

Extreme, ultimately will be decided by the Planning Commission and the City Council, because whatever recommendation the commission makes must be reviewed by the council.

Contact reporter James Day at jim.day@gazettetimes.com or 541-758-9542. Follow at Twitter.com/jameshday or gazettetimes.com/blogs/jim-day.

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A Benton County Circuit Court judge dismissed child pornography charges brought against a Corvallis man last week at the request of prosecutors.

Adam Grunseth, 36, had been facing one count of encouraging child sexual abuse in the first degree and four counts of encouraging child sexual abuse in the second degree. He was initially charged in April 2018.

In a motion filed Friday, Senior Deputy District Attorney Amie Matusko said the state had obtained information that shed new light on its existing evidence.

Given the totality of the circumstances, there is currently insufficient evidence to justify further prosecution, she wrote.

By email, Mutusko said investigation by the Corvallis Police Department concluded many people had access to Grunseths electronics, which contained the child sexual abuse material.

This new information meant the state could not prove beyond a reasonable doubt that it was the defendant who distributed and possessed the material, she said.

Judge Locke Williams dismissed the charges and canceled a trial in the case that had been set to start Monday.

Grunseths attorney, Joshua Hunking, told the Gazette-Times after Grunseth was initially charged that his client adamantly denied the charges and didnt know why they had been brought against him.

Anthony Rimel covers weekend events, education, courts and crime and can be reached at anthony.rimel@lee.net, 541-758-9526, or via Twitter @anthonyrimel.

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North Albany resident Eric Czernowski credits his youth in a tough Brooklyn neighborhood with saving his life in Vietnam.

I grew up having to fight my way everywhere I went, he said. Also, all of my relatives and everyone we knew had served in World War II or Korea. My mom lived in France and transported messages as part of the resistance in front of the Germans. I just wasnt afraid.

The 70-year-old Czernowski will be among 18 Linn County and six Benton County residents taking part in a South Willamette Valley Honor Flight to Washington, D.C., this weekend. He saw some of the monuments 30 years ago, but is looking forward to the newer memorials, even though he dislikes flying and crowds.

At 16, he moved to West Palm Beach, Florida, graduating from high school in 1966. He took some classes at Palm Beach Junior College and then figured that if he enlisted in the military, he could have some say in his future, rather than being drafted.

I signed up to be an Army medic, even though it meant I would have to serve three years instead of two, Czernowski said. I never had two nickels to rub together, and I had grown up watching World War II movies and listening to war stories from my dad and all of his friends.

Czernowski was injured during training, which slowed his deployment to Vietnam. He arrived in country on April 6, 1968, and was stationed with the 4th Infantry Division near the Cambodian border. This division, he'll proudly tell you, was the first to land on D-Day in 1944 and also captured Saddam Hussein in 2003.

He served exactly one year  from April 6, 1968, to April 6, 1969  a span that included some harrowing experiences.

I went missing at one time along the Cambodian border, Czernowski said. I had just been assigned to a recon platoon. We were ambushed and only three of us survived. We had to find our way back, and it wasnt easy.

Czernowski also earned a Silver Star on what he calls his Alive Day": May 25, 1968, as he treated an artillery unit mostly for malaria and leech bites.

That night, we were overrun, and I had to go hand-to-hand with three enemies, he said. I had just started an IV in a soldier when they jumped us. I did not have a gun and one of them stabbed me in the arm with a bayonet.

Czernowski  then all of 19 years old, 6-foot-3 and about 230 pounds  recalled, I took all three of them out with my bare hands."

He earned the first of two Purple Hearts that night. The second came after he was wounded with shrapnel in the neck and leg.

Thanks to the internet, several soldiers Czernowski treated 50 years ago have looked him up.

I have one guy in Alaska who calls me every month, he said.

The best part of Czernowski's Vietnam experience was being able to work closely with mountain villagers.

It was the highlight of my year in country, he said. They are wonderful people.

Among his memorabilia, Czernowski is proud of photos showing him riding a water buffalo.

Bet youve never interviewed someone else who has done that, he said with a laugh.

After his discharge, Czernowski returned to Florida, where he attended the University of Florida. When a friend invited him to visit Oregon, he knew this was where he wanted to live. He moved in 1973.

He graduated from Oregon State in 1976 and began working in the wood products industry in the Roseburg area. He later landed a job as mail carrier for 17 years, at one time living about 30 miles upriver near Roseburg.

It was beautiful, Czernowski said.

For several years he also served in the Army National Guard and Reserve.

I really enjoyed that, he said. We got to go to Alaska a couple times. I was a medical platoon sergeant.

Along the line, Czernowski  who, remember, doesnt like crowds  found a hidden talent. He tried out for the drama club at Umpqua Community College and to his amazement, landed a lead role in Steinbecks Of Mice and Men. Since then, he's appeared at Albany Civic Theater, Linn-Benton Community College and the Majestic. He estimates he's done about 40 shows in all.

I like the classics the best, he said.

Czernowski is awaiting a kidney transplant and undergoes dialysis three times per week. Hes had one hip replaced and is headed for another. When his health was better, Czernowski enjoyed fishing and taking walks with his pets, a Cairn terrier and a Yorkie.

I belong to several veterans groups, but I dont like politics, Czernowski said. Im just a worker bee. Let me know what needs done and Ill do it.

Im ready, hes ready and Im excited for him, Czernowski's wife, Jeannie, said of the upcoming trip.

This will be the 15th Honor Flight from Linn and Benton counties. It will include 63 veterans: one from WWII, eight from the Korean War and 54 from the Vietnam War. Some 593 veterans have participated at no cost in a South Willamette Valley Honor Flight since its 2012 inception. Each veteran has an escort. The program is paid for through donations, according to director Ed Bock.

The group travels by bus to the Holiday Inn in Portland for a 6 p.m. dinner today, followed by guardian training and a team leader meeting.

The Alaska Airlines flight takes off at 9:45 a.m. Friday. Saturday includes visits to service memorials and concludes with dinner at the Elks Lodge. The veterans will tour the Air and Space Museum and Arlington National Cemetery before heading back to Portland at 5:30 p.m. Sunday.

To learn more, or to donate to the South Willamette Honor Flight program, visit swvhonorflight.org.

Contact Linn County reporter Alex Paul at 541-812-6114.

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How to share your favorite Netflix content on Instagram Stories News oi-Priyanka Dua Netflix users can simply select the title they want to share, and add it directly to their Instagram Story.

Netflix users on Android now can share their favorite movies and shows to their Instagram Stories directly from the app.

Netflix users can simply select the title they want to share, and add it directly to their Instagram Story.

In fact, users can personalize the default art further to add captions, stickers and more. The story will remain visible for 24 hours, and provide a 'Watch on Netflix' link back to the title page within the Netflix app. Users can also directly share the titles with their contacts on.

According to the company, "Sharing to Instagram Stories is now on all Android phones. You can share the Netflix shows and films you're in love with directly from the Netflix app to your followers. Pop in a quiz for your friends to guess your favorite character from a show. Or a GIF to reflect your mood after a movie. It's all part of what we're doing to make it fun and easy to share what you're watching, and help your friends find something new to watch."

Early this year, Netflix introduced this feature for iOS users.

Meanwhile, Netflix has partnered with premium smartphone brand OnePlus. Celebrating this association, Netflix released two posters from their much-awaited original series Sacred Games Season 2. The posters are shot on OnePlus 7 Pro and demonstrate its industry-leading camera capabilities.

The stunning posters capture the iconic intensity of the two most loved Sacred Games characters - Sartaj Singh (Saif Ali Khan) and Ganesh Gaitonde (Nawazuddin Siddiqui). Netflix also gave fans a sneak peek into the series by releasing a behind-the-scenes video, also shot on the OnePlus 7 Pro.

Highlights

Netflix users on Android now can share their favorite movies and shows to their Instagram Stories.

Netflix users can simply select the title they want to share, and add it directly to their Instagram Story.

Users can personalize the default art further to add captions, stickers and more.

The story will remain visible for 24 hours, and provide a 'Watch on Netflix' link back to the title page within the Netflix app.

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Asus ZenFone 6 launch event: Watch the live streaming here News oi-Vivek Asus ZenFone 6 is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 SoC

Asus is all set for the launch of the Asus ZenFone 6 on the 16th of May (today), which is expected to the flagship smartphone from the company for 2019. The Asus ZenFone 6 will launch. As the company has already confirmed, the Asus ZenFone 6 will feature a massive 5000 mAh Li-ion battery.

A midnight launch event

The company is hosting a launch event from Europe, Valencia, Spain at 20:00 CEST of 11:30 PM IST. So, you need to lose a bit of sleep to watch the launch event of the Asus ZenFone 6. Catch the live streaming of the Asus ZenFone 6 here.

Asus ZenFone 6 specs

As Asus has already confirmed that, the Asus ZenFone 6 will be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 SoC with a 48 MP primary camera. The device will be fueled by a 5000 mAh Li-ion battery with support for fast charging. The device will have a completely bezel-less display, probably with FHD+ resolution.

A recent leak suggests that the Asus ZenFone 6 will feature a rotatable dual camera setup, so, the smartphone will not have come with a dedicated selfie camera; instead, it will feature a dual primary camera setup, which can also be used as a selfie camera.

The device is most likely to feature a premium build quality with glass-metal construction, and the smartphone will also offer an in-display fingerprint sensor, which is a slight bummer, consider, almost all flagship smartphones have started to offer an in-display fingerprint sensor.

The device will be powered by a 5000 mAh Li-ion battery, probably with support for fast charging via the USB type-C port. Additionally, the smartphone will also offer other features like a dedicated 3.5mm headphone jack, microSD card, and other small features, which will increase the overall aesthetics of the smartphone. Stay tuned to GizBot to learn more about the Asus ZenFone 6.

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Feature phone shipments saw a decline of around 49%: CMR News oi-Priyanka Dua 4G contributed to 66 percent of mobile handset shipments, while 2G accounted for 34 percent

According to a new report by research firm CyberMedia, mobile handset shipments in India recorded a 25 percent YoY decline in 1Q 2019 while feature phone shipments saw a noticeable decline of around 49 percent, while smartphones recorded a healthy 10 percent growth.

Narinder Kumar, Lead Analyst- Industry Intelligence Group, CMR, "The overall market decline was on expected lines for Q1 2019. The above industry average stock build-up at the end of the previous quarter resulted in lower shipments. Also, the recent change in eCommerce rules in India impacted the online dependent players."

CMR said Samsung topped the overall mobile handset leaderboard with a 22 percent market share, followed by Xiaomi with 16 percent and LYF at 13 percent.

4G contributed to 66 percent of mobile handset shipments, while 2G accounted for 34 percent. However Chinese handset brands continued to dominate the mobile handset leaderboard while the market share of Indian brands dipped to 30 percent during the same period.

It is interesting to note that shipments of the top five smartphone players accounted for 83 percent of total smartphone shipments in Q1 2019. The hyper-competitive nature of the smartphone market saw intense competition, resulting in sequential decline by 10-12 percent for both Xiaomi and Samsung shipments," said Prabhu Ram, Head-Industry Intelligence Group, CMR.

The Indian smartphone market saw the affordable smartphone segment (Rs 7,000- Rs 25,000) growing by 75 percent while the value for money segment (less than Rs 7,000) experienced a 22 percent growth.

The premium segment (Rs 25,001- Rs 50,000) grew at a flat 2.4 percent YoY.

On the future outlook, CMR said, "The dominant thread for CY2019 would be the return to prominence of offline channels. All major brands that enjoyed an online-exclusive growth, would now further expand aggressively. The battleground for market dominance for mobile handset players would shift to India's hinterland. At the same time, the focus on online channels would continue for smartphone brands."

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Robert Downey Jr, aka, the Iron Man is the new face of OnePlus 7 Pro News oi-Vivek OnePlus 7 Pro is currently available on Amazon for Prime customers

OnePlus has previously launched a OnePlus smartphone in collaboration with Avengers called the OnePlus 6 Marvel Avengers Limited Edition. This time, to promote the all-new OnePlus 7 Pro and the OnePlus 7, OnePlus has roped in one of the Avenger that saves the entire population of the earth from Thanos, yes, Robert Downy Jr, aka, the Iron Man is the official face of the brand OnePlus.

Until last year, Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan was the brand ambassador for the OnePlus brand in India, and now, the one and only Iron Man is the global brand representative for OnePlus.

Roping in Robert Downy Jr or R.D.J seems like the right move, especially to capture millennials and the younger audience who adore actors like R.D.J. With his face on Oneplus brand, the company will for sure sell more OnePlus smartphones especially in Europe and North America.

A bit about the OnePlus 7 Pro

The OnePlus 7 Pro is the most premium and the most expensive OnePlus smartphone that the company has ever released. The OnePlus 7 Pro comes with a flagship-grade QHD+ display with a bezel-less edge-to-edge design and a pop-up selfie camera.

The smartphone is currently on sale via Amazon for Rs 48,999 (base variant with 6 GB RAM and 128 GB internal storage), where the high-end variant offers up to 12 GB of RAM and 256 GB of internal storage.

There is a triple rear-camera setup on the OnePlus 7 Pro with a 48 MP Sony IMX 586 sensor, a 16 MP super wide angle lens, and an 8 MP telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom. The smartphone has a 16 MP pop-up selfie camera, which retracts automatically, if it detects free-fall. The OnePlus 7 Pro runs on Android 9 Pie OS with custom Oxygen OS skin on top, and the mobile will be one of the first phones to receive Android Q update.

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16MP Pop-up selfie camera

Let's start with the X factor of the new Realme X handset. Originally started as a sub brand of OPPO, the company's new handset takes design cues from the OPPO F11 Pro and features a pop-up selfie camera. The 16MP sensor is integrated on a retractable camera module placed at the top edge of the handset, just like the selfie camera on OPPO F11 Pro. Camera pops out in a jiffy (0.74 seconds) and the phone also support face-unlock. The 16MP selfie camera works on f/2.0 aperture.

Selfie camera image quality

The 16MP selfie camera clicks impressive selfies. The images show accurate colors and rich details. You can also capture software-driven portrait shots that also look really good. Bokeh effect created by Realme X's software algorithms seems very natural. You can also shoot 1080p videos from the front-facing pop-up selfie camera.

In-screen fingerprint scanner

Besides the pop-up selfie camera, Realme X also brings an in-screen camera on board. The smartphone flaunts a Super AMOLED display, first on a Realme handset. During our brief testing, we found the in-screen fingerprint scanner to be at par in speed with OPPO and Vivo handsets. The sensor did not fail to recognize the thumb print for even once.

The Good

48MP rear camera with Sony IMX sensor

Realme X features a 48MP rear camera paired with a 5MP depth sensor. The good part, the 48MP primary camera works on the Sony IMX586 sensor and not on the Samsung's GM1 sensor which is inferior in terms of image quality and color output. The camera output is quite impressive on this mid-range handset and can even give some premium handset a run for their money. Images are crisp and show good detailing. Contrast seems on point and 1080p video output is very much usable for social media platforms and even for YouTube. We were able to capture some really good shots with Realme X in daylight and in low-light with the help of Nightsight mode.

Most premium-looking Realme smartphone

Realme X is by far the company's most good-looking looking smartphone to date. The White color variant of Realme X looks and feels really premium in hands. However the phone is quite prone to smudges due to polycarbonate rear panel that has been given a glossy finish. The phone fits comfortably in the palm due to curved back panel and rounded edges. The volume rockers are placed on the left edge whereas the power button and SIM card slot is positioned on the right edge.

6.53-inch FHD+ AMOLED display

Realme X flaunts an edge-to-edge panel with Corning Gorilla glass 5th generation protection. The 6.53-inch AMOLED screen is vibrant and offers impressive 91.2% screen-to-body ratio. The AMOLED panel makes video gameplay and video viewing experience quite immersive.

Snapdragon 710, Color OS 6.0, 20W charger in box with VOOC 3.0 support

Like the Realme 3 Pro, the new smartphone is also backed by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 710 chipset. The octa-core CPU is quite powerful and efficient. We have tested the CPU performance and gaming response on Realme 3 Pro and the handset did not disappoint us at all during everyday and strenuous tasks. The company has launched Realme in three RAM-ROM variants, i.e. 4GB+64GB, 6GB+64GB and 8GB+128G respectively. We expect to see all three variants in the Indian market by next month.

Realme X also runs the latest ColorOS 6.0 based on Android Pie, which was offered on Realme 3 Pro. Realme is shipping a 20W VOOC 3.0 charger in the box that claims to offer 2 hours of talk-time with just 5 minutes of charging time. We will soon test the company's claims in our comprehensive review of the smartphone.

Special Edition Realme X

Realme also showcased and even unveiled the special edition Realme X smartphones. The special edition Realme X handsets are designed by Japanese industrial designer Naoto Fukasawa. Naoto informed that the design of special edition Realme X has been inspired by onions and garlic, which seems like an odd choice but as we all know, anything is possible in China. The inspiration from Onion and Garlic is very much visible on the back panels of the special edition Realme X handsets. We are not very sure if the bran will unveil the special edition Realme X in the Indian market.

The Bad

Unlike the big 4,045 mAh battery unit that powers the Realme 3 Pro, the Realme X draws power from a smaller 3,765 mAh battery unit. However, charging speeds won't disappoint you much as the phone ships with a 20W fast charger in the box that supports VOOC 3.0 fast charging.

No microSD card support

Interestingly, there's no microSD card slot on the handset. Even the hybrid SIM card slot only takes in two active SIM cards and no memory card. This is definitely going to disappoint price-conscious smartphone users in India who are fond of expanding internal memory of the device to store gigabytes of media files and apps on their handsets.

Verdict

Realme has once again raised the stakes with the new smartphone and this is definitely going to create problems for other smartphone manufacturers in the Indian market. Especially for Xiaomi who is the direct competitor of Realme smartphones in sub 10K and sub 20K price segment. Realme X offers a good set of camera hardware and the latest mobile technologies such as in-screen fingerprint scanner and Pop-up selfie camera. However the decision to remove the microSD card slot seems like a bad move. There are chances of brand offering a hybrid SIM card for the Indian market. Let's see how the smartphone enthusiasts will respond to new smartphone. We will soon give you a comprehensive review of the Realme X on Gizbot.com. Stay tuned.
Deal of Century never to yield result: Hamas official

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Tehran, May 15, IRNA -- The representative of the Islamic Resistance Movement of Palestine (Hamas) in Iran emphasized that the Deal of the Century will never yield any result, provided that the division in the region is put aside and 'all of us are united and we will confront the Zionist regime, which is the enemy of us all."

'We have three patterns in the region; the primary pattern is the Zionist enemy,' Khalid al-Qaddumi said Wednesday in a meeting held on the occasion of the Nakba Day in Society for the Defense of Palestinian Nation. 'Another pattern is to accompany the Zionist enemy and other pattern, is hostility to the Zionist enemy.'

He noted that, 'We do not have more than these three categories. In my opinion, we are in the center of resistance alongside Palestine and Quds, and against the Zionist enemy and its entourage.'

Hamas representative in Tehran argued that the discussion of compromise has been raised, but "we do not believe in anything other than resistance", highlighting, "In this approach, we believe that God and victory are on our side. This approach is psychologically reassuring. Arab demons and supporters of compromise, each night have a nightmare on which side to go, but we are safe and calm because our goal is to eliminate Israel.'

Qaddumi went on to say that the resistance has caused the Zionist regime to be out of temper and that it has become psychological concern at the head of the pyramid of the political system of the United States and Israel, stating that there is no other way ahead of the Palestinian people. 'Why does Trump give telephone number? Because they have psychological concerns. We are moving against the enemy. Our enemy is neither Iran nor Islam, but our enemy is the Zionist regime and the American actions in the region.'

Stating that 'we are standing to the end", the high-ranking Palestinian official pointed out, 'Today's resistance has had gains. Today we are more successful than before."

In describing the current political resistance movement, Hamas senior official in Iran as highlighted that the internal situation in Israel is in a way that they are struggling to achieve political gains. The same thing has led them to the mistake of attacking Gaza because they think that Gaza is a vulnerable and weak area, but despite the victory, they could not form the government, and the pressure of the family of the soldiers who are in captivity of resisting forces, led them to invaded Gaza to overshadow the matters but they did not face any achievement.

Qaddumi said that the Americans have plots and plans against the region and Palestine, but they do not seem to yield any result, noting, 'Palestine has been standing against all kinds of plots for 71 years. It's been 11 days that they attacked the Gaza that was under siege, but they did not yield the result."

9455**2050

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SWRMC Supports Boxer Amphibious Ready Group Deployment

Navy News Service

Story Number: NNS190515-02

Release Date: 5/15/2019 9:12:00 AM

From SWRMC Public Affairs

SAN DIEGO (NNS) -- Sailors and civilians from Southwest Regional Maintenance Center (SWRMC) worked to support the USS Boxer Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) as they prepared to depart for a regularly scheduled deployment on May 1.

"We are an empowered team that strives to provide the best support to the Fleet in San Diego, and to be an organization the Navy can depend on," said Capt. David Hart, SWRMC's commanding officer. "Practicing the ideas and concepts behind the Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) Campaign Plan to Expand the Advantage allows us to focus our actions to support our customers and the mission."

The ARG, comprised of USS Boxer (LHD 4), USS John P Murtha (LPD 26) and USS Harpers Ferry (LSD 49), departed Casualty Report (CASREP) free. A CASREP is used to notify the chain of command and readiness stakeholders of degradation to operational readiness of the ship. Deficiencies in an activity's material condition typically results in in a CASREP, which alerts support activities to the nature of the outside assistance required for correction.

The objective to deploy ships CASREP free is a charge that comes directly from Commander, Naval Surface Forces, U.S. Pacific Fleet, Vice Adm. Richard Brown.

To meet this charge from Vice Adm. Brown, the ARG focused their efforts on achieving a CASREP-free deployment in October 2018 with bi-monthly maintenance meetings. In this forum, all CASREPs and other maintenance requirements were discussed, and the path forward to make corrective actions was addressed.

"We set a schedule and held ARG CASREP meetings to focus more on doing a little work all the time to meet Vice Admiral Brown's philosophy," explained Gene Atienza, SWRMC's Waterfront Operations Project Manager for Harpers Ferry. "This meant repairing CASREP items in planned continuous maintenance availabilities (CMAVS) and in unplanned EMs (Emergent Avails) once the ARG ships completed their scheduled Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) availabilities."

In addition to ARG CASREP meetings, Capt. Hart led deploying-ship briefs to discuss all maintenance topics, depot-level repairs, and CASREPS.

"All SWRMC departments, including quality control, contracts, engineering, production, and waterfront operations supported the Boxer ARG, making it possible for them to reach CASREP free status," said Thomas Parker, the assigned Type Commander (TYCOM) Port Engineer for Boxer. "SWRMC's Engineering Department immediately provided technical assistance whenever it was requested from the Maintenance Team."

This team effort included work performed on short notice by SWRMC's divers to support the Boxer ARG's deployment  including work supporting critical repairs.

SWRMC is meeting its mission to provide superior ship maintenance, modernization, technical support, and training for the Pacific Fleet.

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U.S. military says on high alert in Iraq, Syria over threats from Iran

People's Daily Online

(Xinhua) 18:41, May 15, 2019

BAGHDAD, May 15 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. military said on Wednesday that the U.S. forces are on high alert in Iraq and Syria over fears of "imminent threats" from Iran-backed forces in the region.

"U.S. Central Command, in coordination with Operation Inherent Resolve (OIR), has increased the force posture level for all service members assigned to OIR in Iraq and Syria," U.S. Central Command spokesman Bill Urban said in a statement.

OIR, responsible for the U.S. military intervention against the Islamic State militant group, "is now at a high level of alert as we continue to closely monitor credible and possibly imminent threats to U.S. forces in Iraq," Urban added.

The high alert was based on "credible threats available to intelligence from U.S. and allies regarding Iranian-backed forces in the region," the U.S. spokesman noted.

The U.S. military move came amid the tense situation in the region after U.S. President Donald Trump decided not to re-issue the sanctions waivers for major importers to continue buying Iran's oil when they expired in early May.

The United States has also increased its military buildup in the region recently by deploying an aircraft carrier, bombers and anti-missile systems there, citing a threat of Iranian attack.

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Militants ambush soldiers in Niger, 17 killed

Iran Press TV

Wed May 15, 2019 03:35PM

Gunmen have ambushed Nigerien soldiers near the Malian border, killing at least 17 soldiers, a government spokesman says.

Another 11 soldiers are still missing after the gunmen attacked Nigerien troops near the town of Tongo Tongo on Tuesday, Abdourahamane Zakaria told Reuters on Wednesday.

The spokesman did not identify who is behind the attack, which occurred in the same region where militants from a Daesh affiliate killed four US special forces and four Nigerien soldiers in an ambush back in October 2017.

Militant groups, including affiliates of al-Qaeda and Daesh terrorist group, have intensified attacks on military and civilian targets across West Africa's Sahel region in the recent months, particularly along the porous borders between Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso.

Niger's southeast also faces a threat from Nigeria-based Boko Haram and a splinter group affiliated with Daesh.

Boko Haram's militancy began in northeastern Nigeria in 2009 but has since spread into the neighboring countries of Niger, Chad, and Cameroon, prompting a regional military response.

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Resistance fighters never give up weapons, never normalize with Israel: Hamas

Iran Press TV

Wed May 15, 2019 03:13PM

The Palestinian Hamas movement has described its resistance fighters' weapons as a red line, strongly denouncing attempts by a number of Arab states and Persian Gulf kingdoms to normalize diplomatic relations with the Israeli regime after years of clandestine contacts.

Hamas, in a statement released on Wednesday in commemoration of the 71st anniversary of the Nakba Day categorically rejected all projects aimed at the liquidation of the Palestinian cause or undermining the rights of the Palestinian people, in particular US President Donald Trump's controversial proposal for peace between the Israelis and Palestinians, dubbed "Deal of the Century".

The rallies were organized to mark Nakba Day -- or the Day of Catastrophe --the anniversary of the day when, back in 1948, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians were forcibly evicted from their homeland and Israel proclaimed existence.

Speaking in the occupied West Bank city of Ramallah on April 16, Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh lashed out at Trump's initiative, asserting that it was "born dead."

Shtayyeh noted that negotiations with the US were useless in the wake of the country's relocation of its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem al-Quds, which Palestinians consider the capital city of their future state.

The United States Middle East Envoy Jason Greenblatt told Fox News television news network in an interview published on May 11 that Trump's "peace plan" would not be unveiled until at least after the end of the holy Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, formation of a new Israeli administration and the Jewish holiday of Shavuot, known as the Feast of Weeks in English, which ends on the evening of June 10.

He emphasized that the so-called deal of the century has been worked out in a way that it would not endanger Israel, saying, "One thing we won't do, the Trump administration won't compromise on Israel's security."

Greenblatt then blasted the Palestinian leadership's decision to dismiss the deal before even seeing it, claiming that he was "hopeful for the sake of the Palestinian people that they get a chance to see it."

Hamas then called upon the Palestinian people to resist the Tel Aviv regime's occupation by all means, primarily armed resistance, which is a strategic option to protect the Palestinian nation and restore their rights.

"The weapons at the hands of resistance fighters are a red line, and our people are entitled to work on their development. The process of managing the (anti-Israel) resistance front falls within the framework of countering the Israeli occupation in a way that disrupts the Tel Aviv regime's equations and guarantees the Palestinian nation's interests," the Palestinian resistance movement pointed out.

The statement also roundly dismissed all forms of political, cultural and commercial normalization with Israel.

"Such attempts amount to a stab in the back of the Palestinian nation and a violation of their rights. They also encourage the Israeli enemy to commit more crimes and violations against our people and holy sites (in occupied lands)," it read.

Hamas finally called for a mass and effective participation in all events marking the Nakba Day as well as anti-occupation protests along the fence separating the besieged coastal enclave and the Israeli-occupied territories.

Palestinians have held weekly rallies along the Gaza border to protest the siege on the enclave and demand the right for refugees to return to their homes they fled during the 1948 creation of Israel.

More than 270 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces ever since anti-occupation protest rallies began in the Gaza Strip on March 30, 2018. Over 16,000 Palestinians have also sustained injuries.

The Gaza clashes reached their peak on May 14, 2018, on the eve of the 70th anniversary of Nakba Day (Day of Catastrophe), which coincided with a US decision to relocate its embassy from Tel Aviv to occupied East Jerusalem al-Quds.

On June 13, 2018, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution, sponsored by Turkey and Algeria, which condemned Israel for Palestinian civilian deaths in the Gaza Strip.

The resolution, which had been put forward on behalf of Arab and Muslim countries, garnered a strong majority of 120 votes in the 193-member assembly, with 8 votes against and 45 abstentions.

The resolution called on UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres to make proposals within 60 days "on ways and means for ensuring the safety, protection, and well-being of the Palestinian civilian population under Israeli occupation," including "recommendations regarding an international protection mechanism."

It also called for "immediate steps towards ending the closure and the restrictions imposed by Israel on movement and access into and out of the Gaza Strip."

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Sudan's junta, protest reps agree on transition period

Iran Press TV

Wed May 15, 2019 07:10AM

Military rulers and protest leaders in Sudan have reportedly reached an agreement on a three-year transition period for the transfer of power to an entirely civilian government, as talks continues on a new sovereign ruling body.

The agreement was announced early on Wednesday following nearly 12 hours of talks, when military council member Lieutenant General Yasser al-Atta addressed reporters, saying, "We agreed on a transitional period of three years."

Protest leaders announced a broad deal with the ruling generals  over the new power structure  on Monday. But that deal had to be fleshed out. With the specific agreement on the transition period reached on Tuesday, the two sides now have to decide about the percentage of participation in the future ruling body by military and civilian rulers.

Atta explained that the first six months of the transition period would be allocated to signing peace deals with rebels in the war zones in the country, such as Darfur, Blue Nile, and South Kordofan.

The general pledged that a final agreement on the establishment of the next ruling body  the sovereign council  would be signed within a day with the representatives of the protest movement, the Alliance for Freedom and Change (AFC).

"We vow to our people that the agreement will be completed fully within 24 hours in a way that it meets the people's aspirations," he said.

The protest movement is demanding a civilian-led transition after the 30-year rule by president Omar al-Bashir, who was recently ousted, though the generals that deposed him have assumed a leadership role in the form of the so-called Transitional Military Council.

While the army generals had initially insisted on a two-year transitional period, the protest leaders sought a four-year term.

As crucial talks continue on the make-up of the sovereign council, which will substitute the existing ruling council, the army generals insist that it remain military-led while the protest leaders are adamant that the majority of its members should be civilians.

Upon the establishment of the sovereign council, a new transitional civilian government will be formed to administer the country's day-to-day affairs and would work toward holding the first post-Bashir elections after the transition period concludes.

Atta further explained that during the transition period, the country's parliament will be composed of 300 members, 67 percent of whom will be from the AFC and the rest will be from other political parties.

Violence

The development came after the two sides resumed negotiations earlier this week, though it was tarnished by violence when five protesters and an army major were shot dead by unidentified gunmen at a protest sit-in just outside the military headquarters in the capital, Khartoum

The AFC described the Monday violence as an attempt to "disturb the [initial] breakthrough" in the talks, blaming the remnants of Bashir's regime and its allied militias.

However, on Tuesday, it blamed the military council for the lack of security.

"We put the whole responsibility on the military council for what happened yesterday because it's their direct responsibility to guard and protect the citizens," a member of the protest movement, Mohamed Naji al-Assam, told reporters.

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Venezuela accuses 4 more lawmakers of treason

Iran Press TV

Wed May 15, 2019 04:27AM

Venezuela's top court has accused four opposition lawmakers of treason for supporting a coup attempt against the elected government of President Nicolas Maduro earlier this month.

The Supreme Court accused lawmakers Carlos Paparoni, Miguel Pizarro, Franco Casella, and Winston Flores of treason and inciting rebellion on Tuesday.

The court announced the accusations in a Facebook post one week after it brought similar accusations against ten other lawmakers over their involvement in the coup attempt on April 30.

Early on the day of the coup bid, a small group of Venezuelan armed troops accompanying renegade figure Juan Guaido clashed with soldiers at an anti-government rally in the capital, Caracas. Gunfire was heard, and more than 100 people were reported wounded. But the putsch bid quickly petered out.

Security forces prevented the four lawmakers from entering the legislature for the Tuesday session.

The vice-president of the opposition parliament and a deputy to Guaido, Edgar Zambrano, was arrested earlier month and transferred to the headquarters of the military police Fort Tiuna in Caracas.

Later, Mexico's Foreign Ministry said it had received opposition lawmaker Franco Manuel Casella Lovaton in its embassy in Caracas "to provide protection and shelter."

The ministry, however, said that it would continue to follow a policy of non-intervention in Venezuela.

"The government reaffirms its position of non-intervention, its openness to dialog and its firm commitment to collaborate in finding a democratic, peaceful, and collaborative solution to the situation that Venezuela faces," it said in a statement.

Guaido has proclaimed himself the "interim president" of Venezuela and has attempted unsuccessfully to incite government officials and military personnel to defect.

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Yemeni forces shoot down Saudi-led combat drone in Sana'a

Iran Press TV

Wed May 15, 2019 12:51AM

Yemeni army forces, supported by allied fighters from Popular Committees, have intercepted and targeted an unmanned aerial vehicle belonging to the Saudi-led military coalition, as it was flying in the skies over a region in the country's western-central province of Sana'a.

An unnamed Yemeni military source told Arabic-language al-Masirah television network that Yemeni air defense forces and their allies shot down the US-built MQ-1 Predator combat drone with a surface-to-air missile late on Tuesday.

The source added that the unmanned aerial vehicle was brought down as it was on a mission in the skies over Dian area in the Bani Matar district of the province.

On April 19, the media bureau of Yemen's Houthi Ansarullah movement announced in a statement that Yemeni air defense forces and their allies had shot down a Chinese-built medium-altitude and long-endurance Wing Loong drone with a surface-to-air missile.

The statement issued on April 19 added that the drone was struck as it was on a surveillance mission over Bani Muadh area in the Sahar district of Yemen's northwestern province of Sa'ada. It was armed with air-to-surface weapons.

Yemeni soldiers and fighters from Popular Committees intercepted and shot down an MQ-1 drone in the Hamdan district of Sana'a province on March 23.

Also on Tuesday, Yemeni troops and Popular Committees fighters thwarted an infiltration attempt by Saudi-backed militiamen loyal to former Yemeni president Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi in the Khabb wa ash Sha'af district of the country's northern province of al-Jawf, killing and injuring scores of the mercenaries in the process.

Yemeni army soldiers and their allies also targeted the position of Saudi-paid militiamen on the outskirts of al-Sadis military base in Saudi Arabia's southern province of Najran. A number of Saudi mercenaries were killed and wounded as a result.

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.

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Final Results Of Last Year's General Elections In Kabul Announced

By RFE/RL's Radio Free Afghanistan May 15, 2019

KABUL -- The Afghan election authorities have announced the final results of the country's parliamentary polls in Kabul, seven months after the vote was held.

The Independent Election Commission (IEC) said late on May 14 that in Kabul Province, 24 men and nine women had won seats in the lower house of Afghanistan's parliament, the Wolesi Jirga.

Ajmal Rahmani, a businessman, is leading the winners' list with more than 11,000 votes, according to the IEC.

Voters in Afghanistan cast their ballots on October 20 last year to choose their representatives in the parliament's lower chamber. The polls were held after months of delay.

The preliminary election results in Kabul were announced in January by the IEC, whose members were later fired and replaced for allegedly abusing their authority.

The electoral officials were heavily criticized following the delayed parliamentary polls, which also were marred by inefficiencies that included absent electoral staff and missing voting materials.

The May 14 announcement comes ahead of the country's presidential election now planned for September 28.

The vote has been postponed twice to give the authorities more time to organize the ballot and fix the problems that occurred during the October elections.

The presidential election was initially scheduled for April 20, then delayed until July 20.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/final-results -of-2018-general-elections-in-kabul- announced/29941520.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.

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Coalition airstrikes destroy Houthis' combat vehicles in Hajjah, Yemen

Saudi Press Agency

Wednesday 1440/9/10 - 2019/05/15

Hajjah, Yemen, May 14, 2019, SPA -- Aircraft of the Arab Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen destroyed today Houthi militia's combat vehicles in the northwestern province Hajjah.

According to "September Net", the coalition airstrikes targeted a camp of Houthi rebels in Abs district west of Hajjah, killing and wounding several Houthi insurgents and destroying six tanks.

Moreover, similar airstrikes targeted sites of Houthi militia in Al-Jar farms of the same district, destroying two BMB vehicles and two platforms used by Houthi rebels to fire Katyusha rockets.

--SPA

03:29 LOCAL TIME 00:29 GMT

0045

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Yemeni Army launches rocket at militia gatherings in Al-Baidha, Yemen

Saudi Press Agency

Wednesday 1440/9/10 - 2019/05/15

Al-Baidha, Yemen, May 14, 2019, SPA -- The Yemeni national army forces, backed by popular resistance, targeted today rallies and gatherings of Houthi militia in central Al-Baidha province.

According to "September Net", the Yemeni army forces launched rocket attacks on gatherings of the Houthi militia rebels at the Qashash site, Qirba area, in Zahir district. The operation resulted in the destruction and burning of a combat car, the killing of three members of the Houthi militia and injury of others.

--SPA

02:26 LOCAL TIME 23:26 GMT

0042

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US Drone Conducts Reconnaissance Near Russia's Western Border  Reports

Sputnik News

22:09 15.05.2019

American and NATO surveillance aircraft have been repeatedly spotted flying close to either Russia's borders or Russian military bases in Syria, with one of the latest ones mapped off the Crimean coast over the Black Sea.

Flight monitoring websites, such as Plane Radar and360Radar, have spotted a US Air Force RQ-4B-40 Global Hawk drone finalise its reconnaissance mission by Russia's western border.

The portals reported that the drone, with the registration number 112048, originally took off from the Sigonella naval base in Sicily and was subsequently spotted at the Russian border, in the Kaliningrad region, at 8:45 GMT. It started its reconnaissance flight an hour later in Estonian airspace, along the Pskov and Leningrad regions in the Russia's northwest.

It is the latest case of foreign surveillance airplanes and drones coming close to Russia's borders. Last week, an RQ-4B-40 Global Hawk was spotted combing the airspace off the Crimean shores. The Russian Ministry of Defence called on the Pentagon to give up such operations; however, the US military establishment reponded with a refusal.

 Sputnik

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Washington Orders Suspension of Air Travel Between US and Venezuela

Sputnik News

21:05 15.05.2019(updated 21:53 15.05.2019)

The South American state has recently been suffering from a severe political crisis, which has been gravely worsened by the imposition of American sanctions and Washington's support for the self-proclaimed interim president and opposition leader, Juan Guaido, who is accused of attempting a coup in the country.

The US Department of Transportation has ordered that all air travel between the US and Venezuela, including passenger and cargo flights, be suspended, citing the alleged violence around Venezuelan airports caused by the ongoing political crisis.

"The public interest requires an immediate suspension of foreign air transportation between the United States and Venezuelan airports. Therefore [] I am suspending the authority of all US air carriers and foreign air carriers to provide foreign air transportation to or from Venezuelan airports", Elaine Chao Secretary of Transportation said.

The suspension came following a request from the Department of Homeland Security. The DHS argued that the situation in the Latin American state threatens the safety of "passengers, aircraft, and crew traveling to or from" Venezuela.

The political situation in Venezuela rapidly destabilised after opposition leader Juan Guaido proclaimed himself an interim president of the country and called for ousting democratically elected President Nicolas Maduro. The US and a number of other Western states have supported Guaido's claims, while Russia, China, Turkey, and numerous more countries have condemned the move and supported Maduro.

At the end of April 2019, Guaido attempted to organise a coup, calling on the country's military to join him in an effort to overthrow Maduro, but his efforts ultimately failed. After the failed attempt, several opposition figures fled the country, while the Venezuelan Army pledged loyalty to the elected president.

Maduro has slammed Guaido as a US puppet, stating that he is a tool in Washington's efforts to forcibly change the government in Venezuela. He namely accused the opposition leader of being involved in US-organised sabotage at Venezuela's largest power plant, which led to country-wide blackouts that lasted for weeks.

At the same time, the US officials repeatedly noted that Washington hasn't ruled out a "military option" in resolving the Venezuelan political crisis. Juan Guaido also hasn't ruled out such an option and has even requested consultations with the US Southern Command.

 Sputnik

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Yemen war 'a test of our humanity', and we're 'badly failing' warns UN Children's Fund chief

15 May 2019 - "Fifteen million children in Yemen are asking you to save their lives" the head of the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) told the 15 members of the Security Council on Wednesday, in an impassioned plea for action to end four years of fighting which has left at least 7,300 children killed or seriously injured.

"These are verified numbers. The actual numbers are no doubt higher", said Henrietta Fore, who began her address with a quiet intensity, telling the horrifying but tragically now mundane story of how one classroom was shattered by shrapnel last month in the capital Sana'a: "Imagine the pain endured by the families of the 14 children who never made it home...In any conflict, children suffer first. And worst."

Each day, as a Yemeni Government coalition fights for control of the country against Houthi rebel forces, "another eight children will be killed, injured or recruited", she said, with a child dying from a preventable cause, every ten minutes.

Around 360,000 suffer severe acute malnutrition, and half of Yemeni children under-five  or 2.5 million  have stunted growth, an irreversible condition. More than two million are out of school: "In short, the systems that every child and family needs, are failing", said the UNICEF chief.

How long will we allow Yemen to 'slide into oblivion?'

"Mr President, we are at a tipping point. If the war continues any longer, the country may move past the point of no return...How long will we continue allowing Yemen to slide into oblivion?"

Teams are working "round the clock" she added, treating 345,000 severely malnourished children last year, delivering safe drinking water to more than five million every day, and providing cash assistance with partners, for nearly nine million of the most vulnerable.

"But this work only addresses the symptoms of the catastrophe in Yemen. To truly shape a better future for Yemen and its children, we need your engagement and influence to end this war on children. Now."

Ms. Fore called for a redoubling of support for the efforts of the UN Special Envoy to "reach a negotiated political solution, one that places children first".

'Patience, good faith, consensus' can break political deadlock

Addressing the Council at the beginning of the meeting, Special Envoy Martin Griffiths congratulated the head of the UN Mission to Support the Hudaydah Agreement (UNMHA) for achieving a crucial breakthrough in recent days, in line with the fragile Stockholm peace accord between the warring parties of last December.

The Houthis have withdrawn in a "fully compliant" manner, from the three key Red Sea ports of Hudaydah  the crucial gateway for most of Yemen's humanitarian and other imports  plus nearby Saleef and Ras Issa, said Mr. Griffiths.

"We were never expecting the implementation of this agreement to be easy. But with the continuous commitment of the parties and the Coalition, the swift and decisive support of this Council and the stewardship of the UNMHA, we have seen the first concrete step towards the implementation of the Hudaydah Agreement", he added.

Now, "concrete actions" must follow in terms of redeployments on the other side, and the UN allowed a bigger role in the ports or the Agreement "will remain in a precarious situation". Mr. Griffiths said the country "remains at a crossroad between war and peace" with conflict intensifying elsewhere.

Only a resumption of full political negotiations, after a three-year hiatus, can bring the kind of comprehensive solution that Yemen needs. "These negotiations will require patience, good faith, and of course, concessions that go beyond what we have seen before" he added.

"The ease with which progress could be removed is frightening", he warned, calling on Council members to "urge the parties to work quickly" with General Michael Lollesgaard, who heads UNMHA, on further troop withdrawals.

"These beginnings must be protected from the threat of war. We must now allow war to take peace off the table", he concluded.

'Spectre of famine still looms' - UN relief chief

The UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Mark Lowcock, told members that ten million were still in need of emergency food assistance, while the "spectre of famine still looms". Cholera has affected 300,000 this year alone, compared with 370,000 during the whole of 2018.

The fighting continues to affect the aid operation, with humanitarians now relying "on a patchwork of back roads and mounting passes, often going through insecure areas with numerous checkpoints." More than 900,000 civilians were impacted by aid access restrictions, said the OCHA chief, in February and March alone.

Despite the myriad problems of access, continued fighting and the risks of environmental disaster if the Safer oil tanker wreck off the Red Sea coast were to rupture or explode, the UN aid operation is still continuing to deliver, he told the Council.

In March, the World Food Programme (WFP) fed 10.6 million, "more than in any previous month. In April, a cholera vaccination campaign reached 1.1 million in Sana'a". Mr. Lowcock said beyond the first goal to "keep people alive" OCHA was now beginning "to see more positive sustained outcomes". A year ago, 107 districts were at risk of famine, but today, "the food and nutrition situation has improved in more than half of those districts" with 20 per cent of them, no longer at risk at all.

Finally, he said more funding was urgently needed from around the Council's iconic horseshoe table, and beyond. "We again call on all our donors to fully disburse the pledges made in Geneva in February. I am looking forward to travelling to Riyadh next week to meet Saudi and Emirati officials and finalize arrangements for the joint pledge of $1 billion they made in Geneva".

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Maryland Guard forces join Estonian military in exercise

By Staff Sgt. Enjoli Saunders, 175th Wing Public Affairs / Published May 15, 2019

TAPA, Estonia (AFNS) -- Approximately 50 Airmen and Soldiers from the Maryland National Guard deployed to Estonia to participate in exercise Spring Storm (Kevadtorm), an Estonian Defense Force annual exercise. Members from the 290th Military Police Company, Maryland Army National Guard, the 175th Wing Security Forces Squadron and the 175th Cyberspace Operations Group, Maryland Air National Guard, embedded with Estonian military forces to conduct training that mirrored real-life war fight situations.

"One of the biggest highlights is being able to work with our international counterparts," said Army Capt. Timothy Reynolds, 290th Military Police Company commander, Maryland Army National Guard. "Being able to interoperate and build those international alliances and relationships has been a highly valuable experience for this joint force unit and myself as well."

The training fostered collaboration for more than 9,000 military personnel from more than a dozen NATO partner countries. The brigade versus brigade scenarios were implemented to test preparedness and response for wartime situations.

"This is not a typical training environment for the military police detachment," said U.S. Army Spc. Angelique Helkowski, 290th Military Police Company. "When we train stateside, we do the same things repetitively. This gets us out into nature and relates more to a deployed environment."

Maryland National Guard Soldiers and Airmen participated in scenarios to include convoy security, detainee operations, entry control points and tactical patrols. The integrated groups were required to build camps and live in field conditions where they had to sleep in single person tents with only meals-ready-to-eat.

"In an austere environment, especially on cold mornings, you see the troops' morale actually goes higher when they are dealing with harder situations," said Army 1st Sgt. Chad Crockett, 290th Military Police Company. "I think it's because they realize they are a team and they are working through it together."

Before the exercise began, Maryland National Guard members trained with their international counterparts at the Estonian Defense Force army base in Tapa, Estonia. The exercise commenced for the Maryland military police and security forces personnel in Ida-Viru County in East Estonia.

The members were separated into four integrated squads. Tech. Sgt. Kevin Miner, 175th Wing Security Forces specialist, Maryland Air National Guard, served as the second squad leader during the training.

"My squad included nine team members that performed very well together, especially in the detainee operations portion, which was one of the larger training sections that was evaluated," Miner said. "Although my squad had never trained together, we were able to mobilize as a team. It was a very easy transition and we had unit cohesion immediately."

This was the first year that MDNG members jointly participated in this capacity within the Spring Storm exercise. Another first was the Estonian Cyber Command authorized Maryland cyber personnel to access Estonian networks.

"It's a big deal because we have different laws and regulations that normally prevent us from being on different partner nation networks," said Master Sgt. Martin Bartkowski, 275th Operations Support Squadron cyber intelligence analyst, Maryland Air National Guard. "This is huge that they trust us enough to let us on and look at their real data that's across the network."

Maryland's partnership with Estonia through the National Guard Bureau's State Partnership Program, which spans over 25 years, continues to grow as more exercises are developed and conducted.

"This has been a great opportunity. I hope we can continue participating in these types of exercises and operations," said Reynolds, who served as the exercise commander for MDNG personnel. "We look forward to working with our Estonian and NATO partners in the future."

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Turkey-Cyprus Tensions Escalate With Naval Exercise

By Dorian Jones May 15, 2019

In a move expected to ratchet up tensions, Turkey is holding a major naval exercise amidst an escalating row over energy exploration rights in Cyprus. The dispute is adding to existing tensions between Turkey and its Western allies.

"Our aim in military exercises is to show that the Turkish Armed Forces are extremely determined, committed and capable of ensuring the security, sovereignty, independence, maritime rights and benefits of Turkey," Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said Sunday.

Involving more than 130 ships, the two-week long Operation Seawolf exercise is set to be Turkey's largest, with much of the naval deployment close to Cyprus.

"We take all necessary measures to protect the rights and the law of our country in the Aegean, the Eastern Mediterranean, and Cyprus," added Akar.

Ankara and the Greek Cypriot Administration are embroiled in a dispute over search rights for hydrocarbons in the waters surrounding the Mediterranean Island. Turkey insists it has the rights to search for natural gas reserves along with the Turkish Cypriot administration.

Greek Cypriots reject Turkey's demands and insist theirs is the only internationally recognized administration. The Island has been divided since 1974 after a Turkish invasion to protect the Turkish Cypriot minority, following a Greek-inspired coup.

The energy dispute escalated this month, with Turkey sending its Fatih exploration ship to search for hydrocarbons, in waters designated by the Greek Cypriots as an Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).

"Cyprus might be tempted to send its ships to the Faith [ship] where it's drilling, all options are open, I am afraid," said political scientist Cengiz Aktar of Athens University.

Turkey's increasingly robust stance is causing alarm among its Western allies.

"The United States is deeply concerned by Turkey's announced intentions to begin offshore drilling operations in an area claimed by the Republic of Cyprus as its Exclusive Economic Zone," said State Department spokesperson Morgan Ortagus.

"This step is highly provocative and risks raising tensions in the region," he added. "We urge Turkish authorities to halt these operations and encourage all parties to act with restraint."

"The EU stands united behind Cyprus and expects Turkey to respect the sovereign rights of EU member states," EU Council President Donald Tusk reiterated on May 9.

Fredericka Mogherini EU foreign policy chief went further, accusing Turkey of an "Illegal act."

"This is not just rhetoric because the EU considers this as an open attack on the sovereign rights of a member state," said Aktar. "Top EU officials have said the EU is ready to retaliate with appropriate measures, which can be sanctions. This is serious, as this will hit even more the Turkish economy."

Turkish foreign minister Mevlut Cavusolgu dismissed such warnings, announcing a second exploration ship may be sent to the contested Cypriot waters.

Former senior Turkish diplomat Aydin Selcen, suggests that beyond the harsh rhetoric, Turkey has a legitimate case and a compromise needs to be found.

"There are no realistic projects in that part of the Mediterranean without the coordination with Turkey," he said. "Yet more and more we see that the U.S. coordinates Israel, Egypt, the Greek administration on Cyprus and Greece, apparently more pressure on Turkey."

Washington has helped facilitate energy exploration and development cooperation between Israel, Egypt, the Cypriot government, and Greece. Turkey, which has strained relations with all the countries, has criticized such diplomatic moves.

Domestic politics

Turkish domestic politics could further exacerbate the dispute over Cyprus. Erdogan suffered a major political setback by losing the mayorship of Istanbul, Turkey's largest city.

A re-vote is scheduled for June 23rd after Turkey's High Electoral Board controversially upheld Erdogan's claims of voting irregularities.

"The government can resort to provocations ahead of the [June] vote inside, but also outside Turkey," said Aktar. "Cyprus is definitely one of them, Syria is another along with ongoing tensions with Greece. Cyprus is the most concrete one as the Turkish vessel is now drilling openly in the EEZ in the south of the island, that is indeed quite dangerous

"It would be good for [Greek-Cypriot President Nikos] Anastasiades to remember 1974 and keep it fresh in his memory," warned AKP spokesman Omer Celik in a news conference, referring to Turkey's Cyprus invasion.

For Turkish nationalists, the Cyprus invasion is heralded as a great victory.

Erdogan too is stepping up the rhetoric.

"The legitimate rights of Turkey and the Northern Cypriot-Turks over energy resources in the eastern Mediterranean are not open to argument," he said. "Our country is determined to defend its rights and those of Cypriot-Turks," he said at an Istanbul NATO gathering this month.

"We expect NATO to respect Turkey's rights in this process and support us in preventing tensions," he added.

Erdogan is likely to be disappointed in his calls for support, with international criticism building against hid country. Analysts warn the dispute threatens to further isolate Turkey in the region.

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UN Confirms Yemen's Houthi Rebels Redeploy Away From Critical Port

By Margaret Besheer May 15, 2019

The U.N. envoy for Yemen confirmed Wednesday that Houthi rebels have moved their military forces away from the critical Red Sea port of Hodeida, in a positive first step toward easing hostilities in the country's four-year-long civil war.

"The military forces of Ansar Allah have now left the three ports of al-Hodeida, Saleef and Ras Issa," Envoy Martin Griffiths told a meeting of the U.N. Security Council, using the official name of the Houthi movement.

The redeployment, which was agreed to at intra-Yemeni talks in Stockholm in December, had been repeatedly delayed, but the first phase was finally put in motion between Saturday and Tuesday.

Griffiths said the U.N. team monitoring the withdrawal said the Houthis were "fully compliant" and "very cooperative" during the process.

The pullback is significant, as Hodeida port has been a flashpoint in the conflict. Hodeida is the main point of entry for all commercial and aid supplies entering the country. Yemen imports 90% of all of its food.

Hodeida has been under Houthi control. Under the redeployment, the U.N. will now have full access to the ports, allowing its monitors to check ships docked there for any Houthi arms imports, which would be a violation of a U.N. arms embargo. They also hope it will make it easier to import food and other vital items.

Griffiths said the U.N. plans to improve productivity and efficiency of the port and will send teams in to upgrade berths and demine the outer perimeter of the port.

"This moment is significant, but this is only the beginning," Griffiths told the council. "These redeployments must be followed by concrete actions of the parties to deliver on their obligations under the Stockholm Agreement."

He said that would include implementing subsequent phases of the mutual redeployments in Hodeida and ensuring that the U.N. will be able to increase its role in the ports.

Over the past days, the Houthis unilaterally withdrew from the ports, but the government of Yemen will also pull back some of its forces to areas outside the city once Phase One is in full implementation mode, Lieutenant General Michael Lollesgaard, the head of the U.N. committee overseeing the withdrawal, told reporters in a video conference from Hodeida on Wednesday.

The United Nations plans to expand its monitoring and verification presence in Hodeida. Currently there are around 15 monitors, but Lollesgaard said 30 more are waiting on visa approvals from the Houthis, who are the de facto authorities in Hodeida.

The world body hopes that real progress in Hodeida could be the confidence-building measure needed to get the parties back to the negotiating table to discuss a political transition and ultimately, an end to the war.

Lollesgaard, commenting on reported clashes Wednesday in Hodeida, said, "We haven't gotten all the reports in from the day, but I think the trend is there have been more violations today than there have (been) during the last 14 days, the two weeks of Ramadan. But it's not an alarming number. ... We are looking into it. ... I don't know if it could be reactions to this redeployment that has happened."

Griffiths, however, cautioned violence has intensified in other parts of the country, including the south.

The humanitarian crisis in the country has also not eased significantly.

The U.N. says 14 million people are in acute need and another 10 million require some form of humanitarian assistance or protection. Yemen is the U.N.'s largest aid operation in the world and it has appealed for $4.2 billion to fund it this year. Only 20% of the money has been received, putting some programs in jeopardy.

Millions of those in need are children.

"Each day, another eight children will be killed, injured or recruited to the fighting," UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore told the council. "Every 10 minutes another child will die of a preventable cause."

She appealed to the security council to protect Yemen's 15 million children.

"Please help them. They need peace."

A Saudi Arabian-led coalition began bombing Iranian-aligned Houthi rebels in support of Yemen's government in March 2015. Since then, the U.N. estimates more than 10,000 people have been killed, mostly due to coalition airstrikes.

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Niger Loses 17 Soldiers in Ambush Near Mali Border

By VOA News May 15, 2019

A government spokesman in Niger says at least 17 Nigerien soldiers were killed and another 11 are missing after an ambush by unknown attackers Tuesday.

The attack took place near the village of Tongo Tongo in western Niger. It is in the Tillaberi region where attackers killed four U.S. special forces troops and four Nigerien soldiers in 2017.

A security source told the French news agency that Tuesday's ambush is believed to be a terrorist attack.

A group affiliated with Islamic State took credit for the 2017 attack.

The area where Nigeria, Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso come together is the scene of frequent militant activity. The Boko Haram group and a splinter group from Islamic State are headquartered in Nigeria and conduct cross-border attacks.



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Florida Governor Says Russian Hackers Accessed Voter Databases

By RFE/RL May 15, 2019

The governor of Florida has said Russian hackers gained access to voter databases in two of the southern state's counties ahead of the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

Ron DeSantis said on May 14 that the hackers didn't manipulate any data and the election results weren't compromised.

Special Counsel Robert Mueller's report on Russian interference in the 2016 election said hackers had gained access to the network of at least one Florida county.

"I recently met with the FBI concerning the election issue mention in the Mueller report," DeSantis said at a press conference in Tallahassee, the capital of Florida.

He said the hackers gained access through a "spearfishing" e-mail after a worker clicked a link.

DeSantis expressed frustration that the Mueller report made only vague reference to hacking.

"Hey, this shows up in the Mueller report, no one ever said anything to me," DeSantis said. "Granted, I took office in 2019 and this happened in 2016, so I get why the FBI wouldn't have rushed to tell me about something several years ago."

Last year, former Florida Senator Bill Nelson warned that Russia had "penetrated" Florida's voter-registration systems, but election officials denied that vehemently at the time.

Then-Governor Rick Scott, who defeated Nelson in the Senate race, criticized Nelson's claims and said they "only serve to erode public trust in our elections at a critical time."

Mueller's final report concluded that Russia interfered in the 2016 election "in sweeping and systematic fashion," using an extensive social-media campaign and hacking into Democratic Party servers.

However, there was not sufficient evidence to prove Trump and his team committed a crime by colluding with Russia officials to tip the outcome of the vote, according to the report.

The Kremlin has denied interfering in the election.

With reporting by AP and dpa

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-hacking- election-/29941299.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.

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United Nations 1267 Sanctions Committee Designation of ISIS-Khorasan

Press Statement

Morgan Ortagus, Department Spokesperson / May 15, 2019

The United States welcomes yesterday's action by the United Nations Security Council's 1267 ISIL and al-Qa'ida Sanctions Committee to designate ISIS-Khorasan (ISIS-K), an ISIS affiliate that has carried out terrorist attacks primarily in Afghanistan. The United States previously designated ISIS-K as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist under Executive Order 13224 in September 2015, and as a Foreign Terrorist Organization under Section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act in January 2016. ISIS-K is the first ISIS affiliate to be designated by the UN.

ISIS-K is responsible for dozens of attacks and killing hundreds of innocent civilians. This UN designation obligates all member states to implement a travel ban, arms embargo, and asset freeze on ISIS-K, actions that will cut the group off from the resources it needs to continue its terrorist activities.

This action is a necessary step in the global fight to defeat ISIS. Despite the complete liberation of ISIS-held territory in Iraq and Syria, ISIS-K and other ISIS affiliates around the world remain a significant terrorist threat, and the international community must work together to deny them the resources they seek.

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Lockheed Martin Offers Exclusive F-21 Fighter Jets to India

Sputnik News

16:24 15.05.2019(updated 21:36 15.05.2019)

American aerospace giant Lockheed Martin has also proposed to set up a manufacturing facility in India adding that if New Delhi decides to go ahead with the purchase, it will not sell the new F-21 jets to any other country.

New Delhi (Sputnik): Hoping to get an upper hand against rivals like MiG-35 and Dassault aviation's Rafale, Vivek Lall, Vice President of Strategy and Business Development for Lockheed Martin, told Indian news agency Press Trust of India that the newly designed jets would be able to operate across 60+ air stations in India.

The Indian Air Force (IAF) in its Request for Information (RFI) last year had stated it envisaged to procure 114 jets at about a cost of $18 billion. The amount is billed as one of the world's biggest military procurements in recent times.

"We understand India's unique requirement and this offer is a way of showing how important India is to our company. It is a modern cockpit and has significant piece of ability to synthesize information. These are unique capabilities that we are not offering to any other country in the world", Lall said.

These jets have a superior engine matrix, electronic warfare system along with weapons carrying capacity, he added.

In response to some concerns the new F-21s appear similar to the F-16s, Lockheed Martin clarified that the F-21s may have a similar look to the F-16s currently being used by the Pakistan Air Force (PAF), but in reality are quite different.

Along with a traditional bloom-delivered refueling facility, these jets also possess an extendable hose-and-drogue refueling probe. F-21s have 12,000 hours of service life air, an additional 40 percent weapons carrying capability and boasts of a cockpit that has a very large display area.

As a part of the proposed deal with New Delhi, Lockheed has also envisaged setting up a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility with the Indian behemoth Tata group in case the deal goes through.

In 2016, the US called India a "Major Defence Partner" and hoped to lay a foundation for better and more technologically advanced deals.

India of late has looked to up its ante on defence procurements, following the recent skirmish it had with neighbour Pakistan. The skirmish came in the wake of the 14 February terror attack that killed 40 Indian service personnel in Jammu and Kashmir.

 Sputnik

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Supreme Leader says US will retreat without conflict

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Tehran, May 15, IRNA -- Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei said that US will retreat from the current escalation without conflict, adding that there is no need to negotiate with Washington.

Addressing a meeting with Iranian MPs, government officials, Ayatollah Khamenei said that national economy should be driven to self-sufficiency.

Self-sufficiency is a terminology Iranian government refers to a strategy getting national economy rid of the oil revenues.

The Supreme Leader said that negotiations with the US is futile, because, the US has a record of reneging on international conventions.

'Some people in the country say that negotiations with the US is not harmful. I'm saying negotiations with Washington is poisonous as long as the U.S. continues with the same course of action; besides, negotiating with the current administration of the United States is all the more poisonous.'

'Negotiation is a mutual give and take. But the United States wants Iran to capitulate.'

The Supreme Leader derided the US attempt to undermine Iranian sovereignty right of defense power, saying, 'They talk about negotiating our defense capabilities. They question the range of our missiles.'

'They say: 'you must reduce range of the missiles so that if we ever strike on your bases you won't be able to strike back at our bases!' Or, for instance, they seek to negotiate about our strategic influence in the region, meaning they want us to capitulate,' he noted.

'Negotiations with Washington are wrong, even with an upright person. Those in the U.S. government are not even upright and they do not abide by their commitments,' Ayatollah Khamenei said, in reference to reneging on the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.

'Of course no one among our officials seeks to negotiate. Obviously no dignified and wise Iranian would negotiate their national defense power,' he reiterated.

Deriding US president's claims regarding protests in capital city of Tehran, he said: 'Their president claims there is a protest against the governing system in Tehran every weekend. First, it is not on Fridays, but on Saturdays. Second, it is not in Tehran, but in Paris.'

Elsewhere in his remarks, the Supreme Leader said: 'There is no doubt that the U.S. animositywhich started with the Revolutionhas become more overt form today, adding: 'This animosity existed previously, but not as explicit as it has now become. Now they explicitly announce it and threaten us. It is important to know those who make an uproar threatening others is actually weaker than what they pretend to be.'

Referring to US support for Tel Aviv regime, Ayatollah Khamenei said: 'The US officials prefer the interests of the Zionist regime over any other government.'

'Many of their actions come upon orders by the Zionists,' he stressed.

He went to say: 'The U.S. government is in need of making uproars,' adding: 'They claim their behavior has changed Iran. They are right; the change brought to Iran was that the Iranian people's abhorrence towards the U.S. regime increased tenfold; their chance of infringing upon the interests of the Islamic Republic grew slimmer; the zeal of our youth for maintaining the country has increased; and our police and security forces have become more vigilant.'

Pointing to major internal problem inside the US, Supreme Leader said: 'The United States has faced with many social and economic problems at home. Their government lacks coherence.'

He added: 'The US Agriculture Department has reported that 41 million Americans in need of food.'

'Regarding social issues, the U.S. national statistics center has reported that over 40 percent of babies are born out of wedlock,' he reiterated.

'There are two million and 200 thousand prisoners, and they have the highest rate of drug abuse, while 31 percent of mass shootings in the world happen in the U.S. This is their social situation,' Ayatollah Khamenei noted.

9376**1416

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Saving JCPOA depending on Europe's moves: Kharrazi

ISNA - Iranian Students' News Agency

Wed / 15 May 2019 / 16:10

Tehran (ISNA) - Saving Iran's nuclear deal known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) depends on the measures taken by Europe to compensate for their previous hesitations, the head of Iran's Strategic Council on Foreign Relations, Kamal Kharrazi said on Wednesday.

"Europe's surrender to the US will have unpleasant consequences for them," he said in a meeting with the former prime minister of France and the head of the Union for a Popular Movement, Jean-Pierre Raffarin.

Regarding situation in the Middle East, Kharrazi said that the regional powers should hold talks to reinforce peace and stability.

He added that Iran will resist pressures and is determined not surrender to US measures.

Reffrain, for his part, noted that it is in no one's interest to ignore Iran's role in fighting terrorism and narcotics.

He also expressed sorrow that the importance of Iran's efforts has not been seen.

Criticizing the US policies in questioning Europe's dominance and trying to make a rift in Europe, he said that no one in Europe concurs with US policies.

He added that France favors regional talks to enhance peace and security in the region.

Last May, the US pulled out of Iran nuclear agreement or the JCPOA, signed in 2015, and restored two rounds of economic sanctions on Iran.

Washington is also trying to bring Iran's oil sales to zero by not renewing the waivers to the eight countries, the customers of Iranian crude.

Despite the US withdrawal, Iran has stuck to the agreement as verified by 14 consecutive reports of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Russia, China, Germany, France and the UK have said they will stay in the deal as long as Iran remains there, according to IRNA.

The three European signatories, also known as the E3, put in place in January a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV), called the Instrument in Support of Trade Exchanges (INSTEX), to help trade of non-sanctioned goods with Iran. However, the mechanism has yet to operate.

End Item

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Sending US troops to region is "psychological warfare": Takht-Ravanchi

ISNA - Iranian Students' News Agency

Wed / 15 May 2019 / 15:14

Tehran (ISNA) - Iran's ambassador to the United Nations stressed that US' plan to send troops to the Middle East is a "psychological warfare," citing President Donald Trump's public threats and his administration's military maneuvers.

Relations between the US and Iran have worsened in recent months, particularly after the US withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal last year, prompting Tehran to stop some of its commitments under the pact last week.

"These are all psychological warfare in our opinion. We are not in the business of trying to create conflict in our neighborhood, because nobody is going to have benefit from such a conflict in our region except for a few -- as I explained earlier -- some people in Washington and some countries in our neighborhood," Majid Takht Ravanchi told CNN's John Berman on "New Day."

The ambassador was responding to a report from The New York Times that said acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan recently presented a plan to top national security officials that would send as many as 120,000 US troops to the Middle East in the event that Iran strikes American forces in the region or speeds up its development of nuclear weapons.

"Iran has great relations with its neighbors. Iran is in the Persian Gulf area, we are not in Gulf of Mexico, so these questions (about Trump's warning) should be directed to those people who have come to our neighborhood from thousands of miles," he told Berman.

"So we are there, we are protecting our interest in our neighborhood and we are protecting the safety and security of the Persian Gulf area," Ravanchi added.

Trump also said last week he would like to see Iranian leaders call him, a move Ravanchi indicated would not happen as long as the US continues putting pressure on the country.

"The policy of maximum pressure and the offer of a dialogue are mutually exclusive. They cannot expect Iran to accept an offer under pressure," Ravanchi said. "Why? The policy of maximum pressure is creating problems for the Iranian people. We cannot accept a dialogue based on coercion, based on intimidation and threats."

End Item

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Iran begins rolling back some of its commitments under JCPOA

ISNA - Iranian Students' News Agency

Wed / 15 May 2019 / 11:55

Tehran (ISNA)  By order of Iran's Supreme National Security Council (SNSC), Tehran has begun rolling back some of its commitments under the 2015 nuclear deal known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

An informed source at the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) announced, "The country has begun to stop implementing some of its obligations under the JCPOA as underlined in an SNSC statement".

"Stopping programs related to compliance with the ceiling for production of enriched uranium as well as the unlimited production of heavy water at the Arak facility are programs seriously pursued as stressed during the first 60-day period related to Iran's first step in response to the US withdrawal from the nuclear deal," the official said.

"In order to inform the public of the measures adopted, arrangements have been made for journalists and reporters to visit running installations at the nuclear facilities in Natanz and Arak," added the source who was speaking on condition of anonymity.

End Item

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Iran's top leader rules out talks with U.S

People's Daily Online

(Xinhua) 16:31, May 15, 2019

TEHRAN, May 14 (Xinhua) -- Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Tuesday ruled out any talks with the U.S. government over the disputed issues, Tasnim news agency reported.

The U.S. wants Iran to negotiate over its "defensive weapon" and to reduce the range of its missiles, while urging Iran to talk over its regional strategy, the Iranian leader was quoted as saying.

"Therefore, the talks (over theses issues) are basically wrong," Khamenei said, stressing that holding "talks with Washington, particularly with the current U.S. government, is poisonous."

U.S. President Donald Trump pulled Washington out the landmark Iranian international nuclear deal in May last year and has reimposed U.S. sanctions against the Islamic republic.

Withe the sanctions and the recent U.S. military buildup in the Gulf, the Trump administration aims to force Iran to return to the negotiation table by exerting "maximum pressures".

Washington seeks to seal a new nuclear deal with Iran, which will further curb Iran's nuclear program, stop Iran's ballistic missile development, and halt Iran's push for influence in the region.

"None of our wise people (inside Iran) seeks talks with the United States," said Khamenei.

"Iranians' ultimate option is to resist the U.S. pressures, and in this confrontation Americans will have to retreat," he said.

The Iranian leader also ruled out the possibility of a war between Tehran and Washington, despite the rising tensions that have fueled worries about an armed conflict between the two rivals. Enditem

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Rouhani says US bans on Iranian nation 'crime against humanity'

Iran Press TV

Wed May 15, 2019 10:03PM

President Hassan Rouhani says the US' sanctions against the Iranian nation are "crime against humanity" as they have effectively targeted ordinary people, hampering their access to food and medicine.

"The hard days and the problems created by the US' economic war have started," Rouhani said in a Wednesday meeting with a group of Iranian lawyers in Tehran.

The Iranian president described the war as a "crime against humanity," saying the sanctions have created troubles for the people's livelihood and made it more difficult for them to access food and medication.

"This is not a war against the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran, but a war against the Iranian nation," he added.

The US government re-imposed its sanctions against Iran after it unilaterally withdrew from the nuclear deal with Tehran in May 2018. Washington recently stopped issuing sanctions waivers for Iran's eight largest oil clients in a bid to cut down the country's oil exports to zero. It has also threatened the buyers of Iranian oil with sanctions if they fail to stop their purchases.

US President Donald Trump also imposed sanctions on Iran's export of industrial metals in a bid to cut all sources of revenue for the Islamic Republic.

Despite the US' claim that the sanctions are merely aimed at changing the Iranian government's behavior, they have practically endangered the lives of many Iranian patients.

"Despite the illegality of sanctioning food and medicine, the US government is preventing access to these vital resources and has therefore put in danger the lives of many patients from small children to the elderly who are in urgent need of medicine and medical equipment," President of the Academy of Medical Sciences of the Islamic Republic of Iran Alireza Marandi said in a letter to United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres back in November.

He pointed to the clear detrimental effects of these sanctions on Iranian children suffering from cancer and said, "The US sanctions policy on the Islamic Republic of Iran has been devised in such a way that prevents all banking exchanges including access to essential medicines and medical equipment which are now virtually impossible."

A photo recently went viral on the Iranian social media, showing a long line of patients in front of Tehran's Rajaei Heart Hospital, waiting to receive pacemakers, whose prices have reportedly increased by more than five times following the Trump administration's cruel sanctions.

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Putin: Russia regrets seeing Iran nuclear deal unravel, done enough to save it

Iran Press TV

Wed May 15, 2019 06:59PM

Russian President Vladimir Putin says Iran's nuclear program is most transparent and Moscow "regrets" to see the 2015 nuclear agreement unravel since America's decision to leave it in May 2018.

Speaking to reporters after talks with Austrian President Alexander van der Bellen on Wednesday, Putin aired his frustration with expectations from Moscow to save the landmark agreement, saying Russia was not "a fire brigade" to "rescue everything."

"We regret that the deal is falling apart," Putin said.

"After the signing of the agreement Iran was and still is the world's most verifiable and transparent country in this sense." "Iran is fulfilling all of its obligations," said Putin, citing the International Atomic Energy Agency.

Tensions have sharply escalated between Washington and Tehran after Trump withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal which removed sanctions in exchange for curbs on Iran's nuclear program, leaving the fate of the deal at the hands of the remaining signatories -- the UK, France, China, Russia and Germany.

Trump's pressure on Iran to renegotiate a deal that would address its ballistic missile program and growing regional influence continued with the imposition of several rounds of sanctions and reached a point where American officials threatened to cut the country's oil exports to zero.

Running out of patience with the EU's inaction in the face of the growing US pressure, Iran reduced its commitments under the deal last week and warned the EU that it would consider leaving the accord after 60 days if its demands were not met.

'Russia not a fire brigade'

Putin on Wednesday urged Iran not to quit the agreement but added there was only so much his country could do to keep the deal intact.

"Russia is not a fire brigade," Putin said.

"We cannot rescue everything that does not fully depend on us. We've played our part," adding that Europe could do "nothing" to salvage the deal without the US.

Earlier in the day, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov expressed concern over rising tensions between Iran and Washington despite assurances from US Secretary of State Pompeo that the Trump administration was not seeking war.

"So far we notice the continued escalation of tensions around this subject," Peskov said.

"We are saddened to see the decisions taken by the Iranian side," Peskov added, while accusing Washington of provoking Iran.

Pompeo met Putin in the Black Sea resort of Sochi on Tuesday and assured the Russian head of state that country did not want war with Iran even though the Pentagon has recently dispatched an aircraft carrier and a number of B-52 nuclear-capable bombers to the Middle East.

"There were no assurances from Pompeo," Peskov said. "And one can hardly talk about some sort of assurances."

On Sunday, talk of war was pushed up another notch after unknown assailants targeted four vessels, including two tankers from Saudi Arabia, off the United Arab emirates in mysterious acts of "sabotage."

Washington has since accused Tehran of planning "imminent" attacks in the region. On Wednesday, the US ordered all non-emergency staff to leave its embassy in the Iraqi capital Baghdad and consulate in Erbil.

Iran, however, has dismissed the US accusations and advised Persian Gulf neighbors to stay vigilant amid plots by "foreign players" and "ill-wishers" to cause tension in the region.

Leader of Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei ruled out the possibility of war on Tuesday, asserting Washington knows engaging in such a conflict would not be in its interest.

"The Iranian nation's definite option will be resistance in the face of the US, and in this confrontation, the US would be forced into a retreat," Ayatollah Khamenei said. "Neither we nor they, who know war will not be in their interest, are after war."

Ayatollah Khamenei further explained that the confrontation between the two sides is "a clash of wills," asserting that Iran would be the ultimate victor of this battle.

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Global oil supplies take major hit amid US-Iran tensions

Iran Press TV

Wed May 15, 2019 06:50PM

The global oil market has experienced a major drop in supplies as a direct result of America's maximum pressure campaign against Iran, the International Energy Agency (IEA) says.

In its latest report, the IEA warned Wednesday that global supply dropped by 300,000 bpd in April, led by Iran, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Canada.

The IEA also cut oil demand growth estimates for by 70,000 barrels per day (bpd) to 1.2 million bpd for 2018 and by 90,000 bpd to 1.3 million bpd for this year.

Production by countries outside the Organization for Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) was forecast to grow by just 1.9 million bpd, versus 2.8 million bpd last year.

"The changes reflect lower-than-expected 2018 data in large consuming nations such as Egypt, India, Indonesia and Nigeria," the report said, adding early data for 2019 showed demand in Brazil, China and Japan was also below the agency's estimates.

The estimates come amid global worries over the continuation of US President Donald Trump's push to zero out Iran's oil exports, a plan he unveiled after abandoning the 2015 Iran nuclear deal over Tehran's missile program and growing regional influence.

The IEA report noted that demand fell by as much 300,000 barrels per day across the 36 members of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in April while among non-OECD countries, led by China, India and Russia, the figure grew by 930,000 bpd year on year.

According to IEA, Iran's production dropped by 130,000 bpd to 2.61 million bpd in April, right before the US revoked sanctions waivers on eight major Iranian oil buyers.

For perspective, Iran produced an average of 3.8 million bpd in 2017.

While the US counts on Saudi Arabia to make up for possible oil shortages after Iran sanctions, it is not clear whether Riyadh, which is still committed to an OPEC production cut agreement and a supply target of 10.3 million bpd, would actually decide to increase output when the organization meets to discuss oil production in late June.

The IEA said the US itself was also increasing production to compensate for the missing Iranian oil. It expects US oil production to increase by 1.7 million bpd this year, much lower than the record 2.2 million bpd in 2018.

It remains to be seen whether the oil industry in the United States would be able to step up production in order to balance the market, specially since Washington is in the middle of a raging trade war with China.

US Federal Reserve data released Wednesday showed that US factory production fell in April for a third time in four months, adding to signs of a growing weakness.

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Iran at peak of defense preparedness to counter threats: Defense minister

Iran Press TV

Wed May 15, 2019 02:35PM

Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Amir Hatami says the Islamic Republic has currently the highest level of defense preparedness to counter any threat against the country.

"Today the Islamic Republic of Iran stands at the peak of defense-military preparedness to counter any threat or act of aggression," Hatami said on Wednesday.

He added that Iran has attained such a high level of preparedness despite being under sanctions, stressing that restrictive measures against the country have failed to hinder Iran's boosting of its defense power.

Even the US and its regional stooges acknowledge the Islamic Republic's prowess, he noted.

Brigadier General Hatami pointed to numerous failed enemy plots against the Islamic Republic in the region and said, "The defeat of the recent Takfiri-terrorist current in the region, in particular in Iraq and Syria, dealt a heavy blow to the image of the US and the regional governments sponsoring terrorists, and after this malicious plot failed the Americans embarked on waging a severe, all-out war on our nation through using economic tools."

He said enemies were using all they had in power to instill intimidation in regional countries and to counter Iran and break the nation's resistance.

The defense minister, however, said that the Iranian nation will "defeat the American-Zionist front."

Tensions have been mounting between Iran and the US after Washington said it would send an aircraft carrier strike group close to the region as a warning message to Iran.

Meanwhile, the commander of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) aerospace division, General Amir Ali Hajizadeh, has asserted that the US forces stationed in the Persian Gulf "will be hit on the head" if they make a wrong move.

"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 on Sunday.

"If Americans make a [wrong] move, we will hit them on the head."

The Iranian commander added that if the Americans say nothing about waging war against Iran it is because "they are vulnerable."

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Iran suspends some commitments under 2015 nuclear deal: Official

Iran Press TV

Wed May 15, 2019 12:53PM

Iran has suspended some of its commitments under a nuclear agreement it signed with six world powers in 2015, upon an order from the country's Supreme National Security Council (SNSC), an informed official in the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) says.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said on Wednesday that plans about the suspension of some of the country's commitments under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which had been underlined in the SNSC statement last week, have been implemented.

Iran will seriously pursue plans about the suspension of caps on production of enriched uranium and unlimited production of heavy water at the Arak facility, as stressed during the first 60-day period related to Iran's first step in response to the US withdrawal from the nuclear deal, the AEOI official added.

In May 2018, US President Donald Trump withdrew Washington from the JCPOA, reached in July 2015 between Iran and the P5+1 group of countries -- the United States, Britain, France, Russia and China plus Germany -- and decided to re-impose unilateral sanctions against Tehran.

Under the JCPOA, Iran undertook to put limits on its nuclear program in exchange for the removal of nuclear-related sanctions.

On the first anniversary of the US withdrawal from the nuclear deal, Iran announced that it would suspend the implementation of some of its commitments under the deal, announcing 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 its interests in the face of the American sanctions.

A senior official of the AEOI said this week that the country has no intention to stop fulfilling its commitments under the JCPOA, but decided to suspend parts of them for six months to give time to Europeans to comply with their obligations and to bring the international agreement back on its right track.

Behrouz Kamalvandi, the spokesman of the AEOI, said in an exclusive interview with Press TV that 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; however, the restrictive measures are still in place despite Tehran's full compliance and the goal has not been realized so far.

Following Washington's exit from the deal, the Europeans pledged to keep the historic agreement alive but Iran has criticized them for failing to fulfill their obligations under the deal, urging them to speed up implementing a non-dollar direct payment channel with Tehran aimed at circumventing the US sanctions.

Late in January, the three European parties to the 2015 deal issued a joint statement, announcing the launch of the Instrument in Support of Trade Exchanges (INSTEX) meant to safeguard their trade ties with Tehran in the face of the US sanctions.

"Iran waited for a year to see what Europeans are going to do, they have given promises  they have taken good positions, but their promises about SPV and INSTEX have not been fulfilled," Kamalvandi said.

The AEOI spokesman further said Britain, Germany and France have only been offering nice words and promises with regard to the JCPOA and emphasized that Iran just wants the removal of sanctions in order to be benefited by the deal.

"Europeans must do something to change the [present] course of events," he added.

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India leaves Iran guessing on oil imports: Report

Iran Press TV

Wed May 15, 2019 09:59AM

India has told Iran that it will decide on continuing oil purchases from Tehran after its elections, Indian newspapers reported on Wednesday.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif was in New Delhi Tuesday to discuss bilateral issues, including the fallout of the US decision last month to end waivers for continued purchase of oil from Iran.

Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj told Zarif that a decision on continued oil imports from Iran will be made after a new government is formed, the Times of India reported.

India wraps up polling held over six weeks on Sunday, with results to be known on May 23.

New Delhi has not openly committed to reduce its import of oil from Iran to zero, but Saudi Arabia is said to have approached Indian buyers offering them additional supplies to compensate for loss of Iranian oil.

On Tuesday, Reuters said only one Indian buyer of Iranian oil had taken up Saudi Arabia's offer, taking an extra 2 million barrels from the kingdom for June shipment.

There was no immediate reaction from Indian authorities to the report on Wednesday.

State refiners Indian Oil Corp, Bharat Petroleum Corp, Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals and Hindustan Petroleum Corp are Iran's oil customers. Between January and April, they reportedly bought 304,500 barrel per (bpd) of Iranian oil.

Reuters claimed that Saudi Arabia would supply an additional 250,000 tonnes (2 million barrels) of oil to Mangalore Refinery in June, while other Indian refiners were testing new grades and origins.

India's leading website for financial news Business Line quoted an unnamed official as saying that Zarif wanted New Delhi to continue to source at least part of its oil imports from Iran.

"There is a possibility that Iran may have something to propose on how payments could be made, but all this would be relevant only after the elections," it cited the official as saying.

Last month, Swaraj told US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo that New Delhi "should be allowed to import Iranian crude for some more time without being impacted by US secondary sanctions".

She told Pompeo that it was impossible to make immediate arrangements for 23.5 million tonnes of oil  the amount supplied by Iran every year  from an alternative source, Hindustan Times reported.

India is Iran's second biggest oil buyer after China, sourcing about 10% of its supplies from the Islamic Republic.

Critics of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi have flayed him over his failure to guarantee continued access to Iranian oil.

"The US ban on exporting crude oil from Iran to India, is it not an attack on India's sovereignty?" Randeep Singh Surjewala, a Congress Party lawmaker and national spokesman, said last month.

"Any step to stop importing oil from Iran will harm India's energy security and national interests," national opposition party, the Communist Party of India, said.

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US looms large as South Korea buys more Iran oil

Iran Press TV

Wed May 15, 2019 07:03AM

South Korea's imports of Iranian crude oil rose 17% to 353,223 barrels per day (bpd) in April, government data showed on Wednesday, highlighting the importance of Iran's shipments for the country.

The East Asian country is the largest importer of Iranian condensate, an ultra-light oil which has a wide range of utilization in the petrochemical industry.

According to customs data, South Korean refiners imported 1.45 million tonnes of crude oil from Iran in April, compared to 1.24 million tonnes a year earlier.

South Korea said last month it was sending a delegation to the United States to query American authorities about their decision to end waivers for imports of Iranian oil.

According to Reuters news agency, Seoul has told US officials that there are few options for getting the same quality of Iranian condensate from other suppliers.

Asian customers favor Iran's South Pars condensate for its rich yield of naphtha which is a key feedstock for petrochemicals and a gasoline blending component.

Before US sanctions, South Korea was the biggest client of Iranian condensate with 300,000 bpd on top of 100,000 bpd of crude oil.

However, the United States is reportedly pushing its fast-growing condensate on South Korea, for which Seoul has to reconfigure it refineries which are built to process Iranian grades.

Wednesday's customs data showed South Korea's crude oil imports from the United States grew five-fold to 1.45 million tonnes in April, or 353,006 bpd, from 268,511 tonnes a year earlier.

The United States is aggressively pushing forth with Trump's "energy dominance" agenda that seeks to advance diplomatic and policy objectives through rapidly expanding US oil and gas exports.

The policy is disrupting markets and complicating US relations with many countries, including own partners. Major oil importers, especially Asian customers of Iranian oil such as China, India, South Korea and Japan, are seeing their energy security being increasingly encroached on by the US.

Beijing has vehemently denounced "the US implementation of unilateral sanctions and its so-called long-armed jurisdiction" against Iran and Venezuela.

China said last month US sanctions would intensify the turmoil in the Middle East and the international energy market.

Turkey, another importer of Iranian oil, also denounced the US bid to bring Iran's oil exports to zero as "dangerous".

Last week, the US sent the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier and its associated strike group to the Middle East.

The deployment was followed by mysterious attacks on commercial vessels in the Persian Gulf, which sent oil prices surging by more than a dollar above $71 a barrel.

Stock markets in the Persian Gulf also suffered their worst declines in years as the US escalation increased regional uncertainty which is feeding into investment jitters.

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US lawmakers complain 'are in the dark' over Iran

Iran Press TV

Wed May 15, 2019 03:59AM

US lawmakers are complaining that the administration of President Donald Trump has kept them "in the dark" about its decisions regarding Iran amid increasing tensions between the two countries.

Tensions have built up ever since Washington began to reduce Iran's oil exports to "zero," and sent an aircraft carrier strike group, a bomber squad, an amphibious assault ship, and a Patriot missile battery to the Middle East to try to stack up pressure on Tehran.

On Monday, the US president warned that Iran would "suffer greatly" if it were it to "do anything."

"I'm hearing little stories about Iran," he told reporters at the White House. "If they do anything, it would be a very bad mistake."

Lawmakers, including some of Trump's fellow Republicans, said Tuesday that the administration had not shared enough information with them as to the threats the president claims Iran is posing as well as the administration's decisions about them.

"I think all of us are in the dark over here," Republican Senator Lindsey Graham told reporters outside the Senate.

"If Iran is responsible for targeted attacks on our service members stationed around the region or any of our national security assets, we should of course respond appropriately and in a way that deters and prevents further assaults," said Senator Bob Menendez, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

"But it is hard to justify the administration's actions thus far since they insist on stonewalling Congress from receiving any specifics about what these increased threats actually are and our strategy to confront them."

Some Democrats suggested that holding public hearings with senior administration officials would be appropriate.

The administration has regularly briefed Congress about major national security matters during previous administrations.

This comes as hawkish American officials, led by National Security Adviser John Bolton, have reportedly presented Trump with a new military plan aimed at Iran, which would see Washington deploy tens of thousands of troops to the Middle East.

Acting US Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan put forward the plan  which he had updated on Bolton's orders  at a meeting of Trump's top national security aides on broader Iran policy last Thursday, The New York Times reported Monday, citing unnamed administration officials.

Trump, however, rejected the report that American officials were preparing to deploy up to 120,000 troops to the region to counter threats posed by Iran.

Tehran's envoy to the United Nations on Tuesday dismissed such a plan as mere "psychological warfare."

Majid Takht-e Ravanchi made the remarks in a talk to CNN, asserting that Iran was not inclined either towards triggering a regional conflict or pursuing nuclear weapons.

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'We fundamentally do not seek a war with Iran,' says US state secy

Iran Press TV

Tue May 14, 2019 09:28PM

US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo says the country is not after military confrontation with Iran, a statement running counter to Washington's military buildup in the Persian Gulf.

"We fundamentally do not seek a war with Iran," Pompeo said in Sochi during his visit to Russia on Tuesday.

The former CIA chief further repeated Washington's threats against Tehran, claiming that, "We have also made clear to the Iranians that if American interests are attacked, we will most certainly respond in an appropriate fashion... We are looking for Iran to behave like a normal country."

This is while the Iranian envoy to the United Nations has dismissed the US military buildup near Iran as mere "psychological warfare."

"We are not in the business of trying to create a conflict in our neighborhood because nobody is going to have benefit from such a conflict in our region, except for a few, as I explained earlier, some people in Washington and some countries in our neighborhood," Majid Takht-e Ravanchi told CNN on Tuesday.

He was pointing at war mongering by the Israeli regime and its Arab allies such as Saudi Arabia in the Middle East.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has appreciated his alliance with some Arab countries against what he claimed to be "Iranian aggression."

"There is a new efflorescence, a new renaissance of relations between us and many of our Arab neighbors, and many non-Arab Muslim countries. Many more than you can count. And it's true that we are united in our desire to stop Iranian aggression, and I believe that Israel and all the countries of the region and all the countries who seek peace in the world should stand together with the United States against Iranian aggression," Netanyahu claimed at a ceremony marking the one-year anniversary of the illegal US embassy move to Jerusalem al-Quds.

Washington has been trying to reduce Iran's oil exports to "zero," and sent an aircraft carrier strike group, a bomber squad, an amphibious assault ship, and a Patriot missile battery to the Middle East to try to stack up pressure on Tehran.

The US has also been trying to reduce Iran's oil exports to "zero," and sent an aircraft carrier strike group, a bomber squad, an amphibious assault ship, and a Patriot missile battery to the Middle East to try to stack up pressure on Tehran.

Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) aerospace division General Amir Ali Hajizadeh asserted Sunday that the US forces stationed in the Persian Gulf "will be hit on the head" if they make a mistaken move.

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Alarm And Grief: Mindful Of 1980s, Iranians Warn Of War's Devastation

By Golnaz Esfandiari May 15, 2019

As verbal sparring, economic pressure, and military jockeying intensify between Tehran and Washington, Iranians are closely following the standoff and appear increasingly alarmed at the prospect of a conflict with the United States.

Even conservative authorities and frequently combative media in the Shi'a-majority country of around 81 million people look to be treading cautiously.

The reformist Seda magazine was reportedly shut down by Iran's hard-line Judiciary after it ran a photo of U.S. warships in the Persian Gulf next to a headline describing the situation as At The Crossroads Between War And Peace. Conservatives had accused Seda of parroting the voice of hawks in U.S. President Donald Trump's administration.

Since a U.S. aircraft-carrier battle group was conspicuously ordered into the region last week to "deter" against any attacks against "American interests" in the Persian Gulf region, U.S. officials on May 15 ordered "nonessential government employees" out of nearby Iraq and issued a fresh travel warning to citizens, citing "terrorism, kidnapping, and armed conflict."

Iran has responded defiantly but has also echoed Washington's public assurances that it is not seeking "war" between the two longtime foes. Iranian officials have publicly dismissed the U.S. military moves in the region as "psychological warfare" while insisting they are militarily prepared to deter any aggression.

Iran is estimated to have more than 500,000 active military personnel and 250,000 more reserve forces.

But experts suggest its main deterrents lie in its cyberoperations, its arsenal of short- and long-range ballistic missiles, its threats to choke off a strategic conduit for oil shipments between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, and its possible return to disputed nuclear activities that critics suggest are aimed at a bomb-making capacity.

Many Iranians use anti-filtering and other tools to evade the regime's heavy censorship and access Persian-language broadcasts and social media based outside the country, and some of them have spoken out to oppose any drumbeat of war.

The result is an accumulation of reminders of the devastation of Iran's past conflicts -- particularly the 1980-88 war with Iraq and its many hundreds of thousands of Iranian "martyrs" -- and warnings about the destruction of a new war for a country already hobbled by U.S. trade and economic sanctions.

"Do you agree with a military attack against the Islamic republic?" one Netherlands-based Iranian activist asked on Twitter, hinting at the chasm that sometimes divides Iranians inside the country from diaspora Iranians eager for outside help to displace the clerical leadership that came to power in 1979.

"Even asking [such a question] is wrong," responded another via Twitter, adding that "any change should be made by the people themselves." "Do you even know the consequences of war? You know that innocent people are killed and Iran is destroyed!!!"

Many Iranians still have vivid memories of the 1980-88 war with Iraq that destroyed cities and left hundreds of thousands dead on both sides.

Some posted images of death and destruction -- some of them graphic -- to warn of a conflict.

Others recalled soldiers killed during the Iran-Iraq War by posting photos of headstones alongside the hashtag #no_to_war and #NoWarWithIran in Persian and English.

"Tomorrow's generation will never forgive the hawks and warmongers of today," Tehran-based journalist Masud Bastany wrote alongside a photo of a child injured during the war with Iraq and a graphic urging "No war with Iran."

"Four years ago, we celebrated the nuclear deal, hoping for a better future," a mother of two wrote on Facebook from the Iranian capital. "But now we're suffering under sanctions and rising prices while worrying about another war."

She added: "I don't want my children to experience a war."

In the northeastern Iranian city of Neyshabur on May 10, Iranian Culture Minister Mohammad Bathaei reportedly suggested that millions of Iranians students were ready to die for their country.

"We now have 14 million students who, if necessary, are ready to sacrifice themselves," Bathaei was quoted as saying.

The comment led to criticism, including condemnation by the Tehran-based Society for the Protection of Children, which said that officials should not presume to speak for millions of young people.

During the war with Iraq, Iran sent thousands of child soldiers as volunteers to the front lines, including to heavily mined areas.

More recently, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) has recruited Afghan immigrant children as young as 14 to fight in Syria.

There were reports of attacks on four oil tankers off the coast of the United Arab Emirates, with unnamed U.S. officials saying that Iran is a suspect without publicly offering any evidence.

Iran recently announced that it was scaling down on some of its commitments under a 2015 nuclear deal that was abandoned last year by the Trump administration.

But Trump has dismissed as "fake news" a May 13 report by The New York Times suggesting that the White House was reviewing plans to possibly deploy up to 120,000 troops to the Middle East if Iran attacked U.S. forces or accelerated work on its nuclear program.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/alarm-and-grief- mindful-of-1980s-iranians-warn-of-war-s- devastation/29942475.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.

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Trump Says Confident Iran 'Will Want to Talk Soon'

Sputnik News

22:42 15.05.2019(updated 22:50 15.05.2019)

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - US President Donald Trump in a statement on Wednesday said he is confident Iran will soon come to the negotiating table to discuss its nuclear program.

Trump said in his new series of Twitter posts that he is sure that Iran "will want to talk soon," commenting on his decision making on Washington's policy in the Middle East.

"I'm sure that Iran will want to talk soon," Trump said via Twitter, while denying reports that his administration is divided on matters of Middle East policy.

Previously, a report by The New York Times reported that acting Defence Secretary Patrick Shanahan last Thursday presented a plan to deploy 120,000 US troops to the Middle East if Iran starts to develop nuclear weapons, suggesting that Bolton was behind the creation of the plan. Trump denied the plan's existence on 14 May, but didn't rule it out completely, noting that the numbers would be higher if such an approach were adopted.

Tensions in the region have been high recently, as the United States reinforced its military presence in the Persian Gulf with the Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier and a bomber task force to send "a clear and unmistakable message" to Tehran. Washington also approved the additional deployment of the Patriot missile defence system and Arlington amphibious warship to the region. Iran has repeatedly expressed its readiness to retaliate in the event of a military conflict.

 Sputnik

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Sanders Warns Iran War 'Wanted by Bolton' Would Be 'Many Times Worse Than Iraq'

Sputnik News

21:07 15.05.2019

During his appearance on MSNBC, Bernie Sanders made a reference to the administration's earlier reported plan for Iran that allegedly envisions sending about 120,000 troops to the Middle East, if Iran were to go ahead with an attack against American forces or start to develop nuclear weapons, although POTUS Trump promptly dismissed the reports.

According to US Senator and 2020 Democratic presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders, an armed conflict with Iran would be "many times worse than the Iraq War", with his comments closely following a media report that American officials, led by National Security Adviser John Bolton, had come up with a brand-new military plan against the Islamic Republic.

Acting US Defence Secretary Patrick Shanahan allegedly proposed the plan, which he updated on Bolton's recommendation, at a meeting of Trump's top national security aides on the broader Iran agenda last Thursday, The New York Times reported on Monday, citing White House sources.

Speaking to MSNBC's Ali Velshi, the long-standing US senator for Vermont commented:

"Sixteen years ago, the US committed one of the worst blunders in [the] history of our country by attacking Iraq", Sanders said in a video that emerged on Tuesday, before continuing:

"Now, based on that disaster that he helped bring about in Iraq, it appears that John Bolton wants a war in Iran".

"It is almost impossible to imagine that after the horror of the war in Iraq when we were lied to by the Bush administration and one of the leading architects was this very same, John Bolton", Sanders pointed out.

The senator noted that he was fully engaged with setting up a congressional coalition meant to force the president to request Congress' consent, should he make up his mind to start a military confrontation with Iran.

"I am working hard to see if we can get 51 members of the US Senate, as well as a majority in the House of Representatives to make clear that before the President takes any military action in Iran or anyplace else, he must seek authorisation from the Congress".

Per the NYT report citing Bolton's alleged plan, US officials may be preparing to deploy up to 120,000 troops to the Middle East to counter threats coming from Iran.

However, when asked about the numbers featured in the report, Trump stated on Tuesday that the White House had no plans to this end, and "hopefully, we are not going to have to plan for that", the president pointed out, adding that if that were to happen, the US would "send a hell of a lot more troops than that".

Pompeo, in the meantime, issued a similar comment while on a visit to the Russian city of Sochi on Tuesday, stating that the US "fundamentally doesn't seek a war with Iran".

Tensions between the US and Iran intensified great after the US unilaterally quit the landmark P5+1 deal last May, causing backlash among many of its Western European allies.

Washington has since been trying hard to reduce Tehran's oil exports to "zero" by restoring previous sanctions on the country's energy sphere, as well as imposing new ones on those international firms and individuals who have continued to do business with Iran. In terms of military threats, the US recently sent an aircraft carrier strike group close to Iran's borders, with the Islamic Republic suspending, in the meantime, some of its commitments under the JCPOA agreement.

 Sputnik

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Germany, Netherlands halt Iraq military training amid Iran-US tensions

Iran Press TV

Wed May 15, 2019 06:41PM

Germany and the Netherlands say they are halting their US-led military training operations in Iraq amid rising tensions between Washington and Tehran.

"The German army has suspended the training," Defense Ministry spokesman Jens Flosdorff said Wednesday, claiming there was "generally heightened alert, awareness" for soldiers currently operating in the region.

Flosdorff, however, said training may resume in the next few days and added in apparently paradoxical comments that there was "no concrete threat" at the moment.

Germany has some 160 soldiers deployed in Iraq.

Separately, the Netherlands' Defense Ministry said it was also suspending its training mission in Iraq due to "threats," the Dutch ANP news agency said.

ANP added that Dutch forces had been ordered to remain indoors since Sunday.

The Netherlands has about 170 military and civilian personnel in Iraq.

This comes as tensions build up between the United States and Iran, with Washington applying new sanctions pressure on Tehran and sending additional forces to the Middle East.

Washington said it would send an aircraft carrier strike group close to the region as a warning message to Iran.

In reaction, the commander of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) aerospace division, General Amir Ali Hajizadeh, asserted that the US forces stationed in the Persian Gulf "will be hit on the head" if they make a wrong move.

"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 on Sunday.

"If Americans make a [wrong] move, we will hit them on the head."

The Iranian commander added that if the Americans say nothing about waging war against Iran it is because "they are vulnerable."

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US orders departure of non-emergency employees from Iraq

Iran Press TV

Wed May 15, 2019 09:57AM

The US State Department has ordered the departure of non-emergency government employees from Iraq, following Washington's repeated expressions of concern about so-called threats from Iran's allies in the Arab country.

The State Department ordered the pullout of the employees from both the US Embassy in Baghdad and its consulate in Erbil, the embassy said in a statement on Wednesday.

"Normal visa services at both posts will be temporarily suspended," it said, recommending that those affected depart as soon as possible.

"The US government has limited ability to provide emergency services to US citizens in Iraq," it added.

It was unclear how many staff members would leave.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo made an unannounced trip to Iraq on Tuesday, pressing Iraqi leaders about what he alleged were the increased dangers to Americans there from Iranian forces and their allies.

Despite this, the British general overseeing the so-called US-led coalition forces in Syria and Iraq has asserted that there has been "no increased threat from Iran" amid the US military buildup in the Persian Gulf.

British Major General Chris Ghika said at a Pentagon news briefing Tuesday that the coalition has seen "no increased threat from Iranian-backed forces" in the two countries.

The coalition has observed "no change in their posture since the recent exchange between the United States and Iran and we hope and expect that that will continue We don't see an increased threat from them at this stage," Ghika told reporters.

Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi said on Tuesday he was getting indications from talks with both the United States and Iran that "things will end well" despite the rhetoric.

The administration of US President Donald Trump has been ratcheting up economic and military pressure on Iran.

The US has deployed a carrier strike group and a bomber task force to the Middle East to confront what the Trump administration claims are "clear indications" of threats from Iran.

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U.S. Orders 'Nonemergency' Government Employees To Leave Iraq

By RFE/RL May 15, 2019

The U.S. Embassy in Baghdad says the State Department has ordered all "nonemergency" government employees to leave Iraq amid growing tensions with neighboring Iran.

The embassy said in a May 15 statement that the order applied to employees both at the embassy and at the U.S. Consulate in the northern city of Irbil, the capital of Iraq's Kurdish autonomous region.

Tensions have been escalating between Iran and the United States since Washington a year ago withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers, and started reimposing sanctions against Iran.

Washington has ramped up pressure on Tehran in recent days, bolstering the U.S. military presence in the region to counter what U.S. officials called "imminent" threats from Iran against the interests of the United States or its allies.

Iran dismissed the allegations, and announced it was suspending some of its commitments it made under the nuclear agreement in exchange for sanctions relief.

On May 14, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said in separate statements that their countries did not seek a war.

Their comments came after Yemen's Iranian-backed Huthi rebels launched a drone attack on oil facilities in Saudi Arabia amid what has been called a proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran.

Saudi Aramco, the government-controlled oil company, said a fire caused minor damage to a pumping station. But it insisted that the attack would not affect Saudi oil supplies.

Details around alleged acts of sabotage to four oil tankers off the United Arab Emirates on May 13 remain unclear.

There were no casualties, but Saudi Arabia said two of its ships had suffered "significant damage."

In its statement, the U.S. Embassy in Iraq said that normal visa services at the Baghdad and Irbil diplomatic missions will be temporarily suspended.

It recommended those affected "depart by commercial transportation as soon as possible."

Meanwhile, the State Department issued a revised travel advisory saying, "Do not travel to Iraq due to terrorism, kidnapping, and armed conflict."

"Numerous terrorist and insurgent groups are active in Iraq and regularly attack both Iraqi security forces and civilians," it said. "Anti-U.S. sectarian militias may also threaten U.S. citizens and Western companies throughout Iraq."

Tehran is backing Shi'ite militia groups in Iraq. However, neither the embassy statement nor the State Department's travel advisory mentioned Iran by name.

Last week, Pompeo paid an unexpected visit to Baghdad, where he met with Iraqi officials to discuss U.S. security concerns amid what he called "escalating" Iranian activity.

He said the threat of attacks were "very specific," without providing details.

His visit came after Washington announced the deployment of an aircraft-carrier battle group and a B-52 bomber task force to the Persian Gulf region.

Asked about the decision, Pompeo said, "The message that we've sent to the Iranians, I hope, puts us in a position where we can deter and the Iranians will think twice about attacking American interests."

Tehran said Washington was engaging in "psychological warfare."

British Major General Chris Ghika, a senior officer in the U.S.-backed coalition fighting the Islamic State extremist group, said on May 14 that there had not been any "increased threat from Iranian-backed forces in Iraq and Syria."

The comments drew a rebuttal by the U.S. military, which said the remarks "run counter to the identified credible threats" posed by Iranian-backed forces in the Middle East.

Meanwhile, the German and Dutch militaries announced on May 15 that they had suspended training operations for Iraqi forces due to increasing regional tensions.

Some 160 German soldiers have been involved in the training mission.

German Defense Ministry spokesman Jens Flosdorff said there was "generally heightened alert, awareness" among soldiers in the region, but gave no specifics.

Separately, the Dutch Defense Ministry said it was suspending a training mission in Iraq due to "threats," according to the Dutch ANP news agency.

U.S. Central Command said the coalition had increased the alert level for all military service members in Iraq and Syria.

In announcing the U.S. withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear accord with Iran, President Donald Trump said the terms were not tough enough to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons and did not address Iran's missile program or Tehran's support for militants in the region.

Iran denies it supports insurgent activity and has said its nuclear program is strictly for civilian energy purposes.

With reporting by AFP, AP, and Reuters

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/u-s-orders -nonemergency-government-employees -to-leave-iraq/29941738.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.

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Iraq Yet to Make Decision on Purchase of S-400 From Russia - Ambassador

Sputnik News

15:08 15.05.2019(updated 17:41 15.05.2019)

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The Iraqi government has not made a decision on the purchase of Russian S-400 air defence systems yet, Iraq's Ambassador to Russia Haidar Hadi said on Wednesday.

"As for S-400, there is no contract yet", the ambassador said at a press conference held at the Rossiya Segodnya International Information Agency, when asked at what stage the situation with the deliveries of S-400s were.

"There is no information that there are talks or that talks are at a particular stage If the government decides to buy these systems, it will be Iraq's sovereign affair and will depend on its needs", Hadi added.

When asked about Washington's possible moves to hinder the purchase, the envoy said that there are "relevant diplomatic channels" to solve this kind of issue with the Americans.

Plans by Ankara to purchase the Russian air defence system, announced by Turkey earlier, triggered a conflict between the country and the US. American officials have repeatedly warned the Turkish government against the move, threatening to block the sale of F-35 fighter jets to their Middle Eastern ally and to stop manufacturing support for the aircraft. The Pentagon claimed that the S-400s are incompatible with NATO equipment and alleged that the Russian systems pose a threat to the F-35s.

In February, Iraqi Foreign Minister Ibrahim Jaafari told Sputnik that Iraq was negotiating the purchase of S-400 air defence missile systems from Russia, but possible US sanctions could be an obstacle to doing so. Meanwhile, US State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert announced that the United States had informed governments around the world, including Iraq, of possible consequences under the US Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA).

The article has been corrected as the quote of the Iraqi ambassador was initially mistranslated.

 Sputnik

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State Department Orders Non-Emergency US Gov't Employees to Leave Iraq

Sputnik News

10:57 15.05.2019(updated 11:41 15.05.2019)

The order comes just a day after the US Central Command stated that the coalition forces in Iraq had been put on "a high level of alert" due to possible imminent threats to them.

The US State Department ordered the departure of "non-emergency government employees" on Wednesday, the embassy in Baghdad said in a statement, recommending those affected "depart by commercial transportation as soon as possible".

"Normal visa services at both posts [the embassy in Baghdad and consulate in Erbil] will be temporarily suspended. The US government has limited ability to provide emergency services to US citizens in Iraq", the diplomats said.

Washington earlier increased its military presence in the Middle Eastern region amid growing tensions with Iran, sending an aircraft carrier strike group to the Persian Gulf.

Despite this the US-led coalition's deputy commander, British Maj. Gen. Christopher Ghika noted earlier this week that the threat level by Iranian-backed groups against coalition forces in Iraq has not risen recently.

 Sputnik

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UN calls for 'sustained' aid access to people in need in Rakhine

Iran Press TV

Wed May 15, 2019 01:17PM

"We need access, predictable, sustained access, to reach the people in need," a UN official has said regarding those displaced by conflict in Myanmar's western state of Rakhine.

At the end of her six-day visit to the country, UN Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Ursula Mueller told Reuters late Tuesday that authorities had rejected her requests to meet the people displaced by fighting between the military and rebels that broke out late last year.

"If the assistance, including mobile clinics, cannot get to the people, they just don't have the services and their needs are not being met and some people are dying."

Clashes between government troops and the Arakan Army (AA), a Buddhist rebel group calling for greater autonomy for Rakhine, have left about 33,000 people displaced.

Rakhine was the scene of an organized deadly crackdown on Muslims by the country's military and Buddhist mobs. Thousands were killed and some 800,000 Rohingya Muslims fled to neighboring Bangladesh, where they currently live in camps in dire conditions.

Last year, a UN fact-finding mission said the campaign against the Rohingya was orchestrated with "genocidal intent," and urged charging the army chief and five other generals with the "gravest crimes under international law."

The mission on Tuesday called on all countries to cut financial and other ties with the country's military in a bid to pressure the military and potentially reduce the violence against the Muslims.

Mueller met with top officials in the capital, Naypyitaw, including state counselor Aung San Suu Kyi, during her stay.

"I was pointing out the humanitarian needs that are existing that need to be urgently met," she said.

Mueller also visited camps outside the state's capital, Sittwe, where thousands of Rohingya Muslims have been confined to camps since a previous bout of violence swept Rakhine in 2012. They are denied full citizenship, free movement, access to decent healthcare and education.

Myanmar has reportedly been working with the UN on a strategy to close the camps, but it amounts to constructing new, more permanent homes in the same place rather than letting people return to areas from which they fled.

Mueller, who is also a deputy coordinator for emergency relief, said she had discussed the strategy with officials.

"It's not enough to erect buildings on the same site while the underlying causes are not addressed," she said.

"People have no freedom of movement. They are losing hope after seven years in this camp."

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Russia's S-400 deal with Turkey being fully implemented, presidential aide says

Iran Press TV

Wed May 15, 2019 01:03PM

A high-ranking Russian official says the implementation of his country's deal to deliver advanced S-400 air defense missile systems to Turkey is in full swing despite US pressure and threats of imposing sanctions on Ankara over the purchase of the military hardware.

Speaking at a press conference in the Black Sea resort city of Sochi on Tuesday, Russian presidential aide Yury Ushakov said Moscow is aware of the fact that Washington attempts to persuade Ankara to suspend the deal.

"What the Americans insist, we know. But implementation of the agreement, which was reached a few months ago, is in full swing," Ushakov pointed out.

Meanwhile, the head of Turkey's Parliamentary Foreign Affairs Committee, Volkan Bozkir, said Ankara will have no trouble in implementing a deal with Moscow to acquire S-400 missile defense systems.

In a meeting with Russian Ambassador Aleksey Yerhov in the capital Ankara, Bozkir underlined that the S-400 deal has been made in order to ensure Turkey's security.

Yerhov, for his part, referred to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's remarks that the deal was done, and "being implemented."

"I think the Turkish press and public should trust the president, when he makes such clear and explicit statements," he said.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with Turkish-language and nationwide Kanal 7 television network on May 5, Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay said United States concerns as to Ankara's purchase of S-400 systems from Moscow were not reasonable and added that Turkey would not back down.

Oktay's comments came only two days after Acting US Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan warned that the Pentagon will halt manufacturing support for the F-35 fighter jets in Turkey if Ankara does not abandon plans to buy the Russian missile defense system.

Shanahan noted that he had met delegations from US aerospace manufacturers Lockheed Martin and United Technologies to discuss options if Turkey refuses to take the measure.

The United States announced on April 1 that it would be suspending all "deliveries and activities" related to Turkey's procurement of F-35 stealth fighter jets over Ankara's plans to purchase the S-400s.

On April 24, Turkey Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said his country will look elsewhere for an alternative to American F-35 fighter jets if Washington blocks the delivery of its advanced stealth warplanes to Ankara.

Moscow and Ankara finalized an agreement on the delivery of the S-400 in December 2017.

Back in April 2018, Erdogan and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin said in Ankara that they had agreed to expedite the delivery of the S-400. At the time, it was said that the delivery could be made between late 2019 and early 2020.

A number of NATO member states have criticized Turkey for its planned purchase of the S-400, arguing the missile batteries are not compatible with those of the military alliance.

They also argue that the purchase could jeopardize Ankara's acquisition of F-35 fighter jets and possibly result in US sanctions.

The S-400 is an advanced Russian missile system designed to detect, track, and destroy planes, drones, or missiles as far as 402 kilometers away. It has previously been sold only to China and India.

Ankara is striving to boost its air defense, particularly after Washington decided in 2015 to withdraw its Patriot surface-to-air missile system from Turkish border with Syria, a move that weakened Turkey's air defense.

Before gravitating towards Russia, the Turkish military reportedly walked out of a $3.4-billion contract for a similar Chinese system. The withdrawal took place under purported pressure from Washington.

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US Introduces Resolution Urging Turkey to Cancel S-400 Purchase or Lose F-35

Sputnik News

22:08 15.05.2019

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - A newly introduced piece of legislation in the US House of Representatives urges the Turkish government to abandon its plans to purchase the Russian S-400 air and missile defence system or lose the F-35, a bipartisan group of US lawmakers said in a joint news release.

"The message to Turkey is clear: there is broad, bipartisan consensus that if Turkey goes forward and acquires S-400s, it should not get F-35s", Republican House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy said in the release. "There are simply too many grave consequences to the national security interests of the United States. Turkey should cancel its acquisition and instead cooperate with the United States on the many areas where it is in our mutual interest to work together".

The release comes after Ismail Demir, the Turkish undersecretary for defence industries, said earlier that Turkey is continuing to build installation and maintenance facilities to service F-35 fighter jets, being jointly developed with the United States, despite US threats to cut Ankara off for plans to buy Russian defence systems.

On 13 May, the US Defence Department announced that it was seeking new parts suppliers for the F-35 Lightening II fighter jet to replace those coming from Turkey in the case that Ankara went ahead with its plans to purchase Russia's S-400 air defence system.

Tensions between the United States and Turkey have recently been high over Ankara's possible purchase of Russia's defence systems. The United States claims that the S-400 system is incompatible with the US and European systems, but Turkey maintains that the potential purchase is meant to ensure its security and is not directed at the United States or NATO.

In 2014, the US Defence Department first announced its intentions to build a F-35 maintenance and repair center in Turkey under the Joint Strike Fighter plan. The program includes the design, development, production and logistical support for F-35 fighter jets on a global scale.

 Sputnik

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Defence Secretary keynote speech at the Sea Power Conference 2019

Defence Secretary Penny Mordaunt speaks about the Royal Navy and Global Britain.

Published 15 May 2019

Well, good morning.

I am delighted to be here. No, more than delighted to be here. I am honoured be here. Not just to be able to thank RUSI for all it does, but to thank you, and particularly those in uniform for your service.

And of course to deliver the Sir Henry Leach memorial lecture

For all his considerable achievements, he is perhaps best known for his unwavering resolve. He told Margaret Thatcher not only that the Falklands Islands should be retaken, but that they must be retaken, and not everyone agreed with him, but he had confidence in the quality of his personnel. That under-resourced, as even they were then, professionalism and belief in our cause would carry the day, and he wasn't wrong.

Maybe if it hadn't been Henry Leach, we would be a different nation today. Some people think we are. They're wrong. We still have the right stuff in the Royal Navy and for that matter the British Army and yes, even the Royal Air Force.

For him, and for his Prime Minister, in deciding that course of action, the principles were clear. Their confidence and resolve created a focus and an effort to assemble that famous task force and get the job done.

Those two great leaders - military and political - provided reassurance in those troubled times.

Political turmoil at home, a resurgent left wing, calls on other parts of the Exchequer, a distracted America, sound familiar?

In troubled times, we search for those great personal qualities in others to lead our nation and reconnect with the ambitions the people of this country feel so strongly and so intuitively.

Leach and his prime minister articulated a national mission hard-wired into the souls of their nation and the people.

How were they able to do that? To swell hearts? To focus minds?

To define what it is to be a patriot?

Did they use the power of their personal philosophy to mould our great institutions?

Actually it was the opposite.

They felt the values of the institutions of our nation so strongly, that their personalities were shaped by them.

They became the living embodiment of their nation's enduring values and they were a beacon of freedom to those under tyranny.

And they inspired courage in others.

They were moved by tolerance, respect, plurality of thought, justice, compassion and above all, a love of freedom. They clearly saw what Thatcher called: "the primacy of the heart" and they accepted no "makeshifts" as Sir Henry would have put it.

All of us can understand this because all of us  especially those in public service  have been shaped by those values. Why else would we wish to serve? And when I look round this room on this Spring morning, I wonder what your stories are?

What has this great nation stamped on your hearts?

Why do you find yourselves here?

Why is it that we serve?

Personally, I can still recall the sight of HMS Hermes leading that task force out of Portsmouth Harbour.

And as a nine-year-old, I didn't know much about that scene. But witnessing it, and Thatcher's resolve, and Leach's confidence, well I knew Britain stood up to bullies.

and I knew it was important that we did.

It was important enough for some of those ships and my class mates' fathers not to return.

I'd encountered courage, I'd seen duty, and I'd seen sacrifice for something greater than ourselves.

And 37 years later, when I was asked by Major General Julian Thompson to address the San Carlos dinner, the reunion of that task force, well I saw it again.

And I can tell you the veterans remain to this day as uncompromising in their approach to the enemy as they towards their food and drink

I'm going to talk to you today, and in the future about, ships, boats, cyber and all sorts of other things.

I want you to know however, from the outset, that I understand the business we're in is primarily about people, it's about heart and guts, it's about imagination and belief, vision and ambition.

And our country, at such a profound cross roads in its story, facing such uncertainty and yes opportunity, needs the values Leach admired like never before.

Freedom, democracy, rule of law and the rules-based order

Our citizens want the nation to be able to affect and improve the world.

They want us to go out and sort out problems.

And I know from my previous department, their generosity and their care for others around the world.

They hate that feeling of impotence when we can't protect people.

And they want us to be able to further our national interests.

And this means they want us to remain a nation with the inclination and the ability to act.

They want us to influence, to deter and to intervene. And they want us to be able to do this even when that means us standing alone.

Britons intuitively understand Global Britain and you do too because you're at its heart. You are the foundation of global Britain.

You're the ones with the reach, the connections, the platforms, the security and partnerships.

Without you, we cannot protect shipping. Without this, trade deals won't yield dividends.

Without you to guard peace and security, nations can't lift themselves out of poverty.

Without you to combat threatswhatever their shape and size evil will prevail.

Global Britain is a protector, it's a wealth bringer, it's a problem solver, a life saver and a peace broker. And nothing symbolises our intent and ambition for global Britain and has captured the hearts of our citizens more than our new carriers.

They are a mighty symbol of our intent.

The most powerful ships Britain has ever built.

Nine acres of sovereign territory that will give us the ability to project power from anywhere in the world.

Whether as part of a discrete operation, in support of land operations or as part of a coalition of allies and partners. They are versatile and they are a global influence.

In 2010, when I made the case for the carriers, I just pointed to every humanitarian crisis and brewing conflict situation we had ever experienced since we'd had carriers.

And I challenged people to name one situation in which that capability had not been instrumental in getting a good outcome.

Sir Henry had only two mini-carriers in his day and I'm sure he is looking down on us with envy.

Last year our mighty Queen Elizabeth tested out the F35b aircraft at WESTLANT.

This year it will be returning to the Eastern seaboard to conduct flight trials with our own F35b future fighter.

And when Prince of Wales joins her in the fleet in the near futurewe will have one carrier available at very high readiness at all times

And this will match our strategic nuclear deterrent with a conventional one.

I want to make sure that we make the most of this incredible sovereign capability.

And that's why today I can announce that we will develop a new policy that will set out how those ships will deliver for our nation in the years ahead.

The national carrier policy will lay the blueprint for how we use them to deliver global Britain's objectives around the world.

Our carriers are setting the tone for the future Navy that I want to see and they're instilling confidence, closing deals and protecting the rules-based order.

And projecting our intent in uncertain and a challenging world.

a world that is becoming increasingly complex

 the challenge of China rising

the threat from a Russia resurgent

the ever-changing shape of violent extremism and terrorism

.the growth of cyber threatsand organised crime

The grey areas of new weapons and new theatres.

There are huge challenges ahead of us, and there will be many demands made of us.

So, we had better be prepared.

Like Sir Henry, when he gate crashed that emergency cabinet and Thatcher asked him what she could do for him.

He replied 'No, Prime Minister, it's what I can do for you',

So, what are we doing to stay ready?

In the past 12 months we've been training in Norway's Arctic tundra

Drug busting in the Arabian Gulfestablishing field hospitals in the South Sudan

Helping enforce UN sanctions in South Pacific

And escorting Russian vessels off the premises

And, silent and undetected you're maintaining our continuous-at-sea deterrent/

In all that you do you carry the reputation of Great Britain with you

because you influence and you shape the world around you

you're the prototype that other seeks to emulate

and partner of choice for our allies

And I'm proud that you're strengthening partnerships around the world at all times

With HMS Defender supporting NATO while on Exercise Formidable Shield.

With HMS Montrose and our Mine Countermeasures Force now permanently in the Middle East and a Naval Support Facility in Bahrain  keeping vital shipping lanes open

With our Royal Navy soon to sail to the Baltic as part of the Joint Expeditionary Force  reinforcing partnerships with like-minded northern European allies

And with our development of the North Atlantic Joint Operating Areathat will soon guard mile after mile of vital waterway.

Our people are not just exceptionally brave but also enormously innovative and creative. Today they're doing everything

from devising new environmentally-friendly ways to power headquarters in the field

to delivering AI and robotics into every fighting arm

courtesy of our new pioneering new Naval X accelerator

And at the very pinnacle of the pyramid you'll find the Royal Marines

developing Future Commando Force

In a reimagined global Britain, Defence will continue to be the first duty of the nation

But it must up to our ambition:

maintaining a ruthless focus on its mission

becoming more forward deployed

and going out of its way to work with friends and allies

But if our future fleet is to respond to the growing demands, we need to do much more:

Investment will remain critical

We have done a great deal to drive out inefficiencies in defence

But there is more for us to do.

And today you will hearing about the direction and innovation in the RN, about our new capabilities coming online and being planned.

But I think we need to get some fundamentals right too if we are going to match the Navy and the nation's ambition.

In 2015 we rightly committed to meet NATO commitment to spend 2% of GDP on defence. Understandably people focus on that number. Politicians point to it. And rightly encourage other nations to match it.

But that's not the whole story.

I just want us to briefly recap the headlines from the last three defence reviews. In 1997, the review pledged to deliver 32 destroyers and frigates and 2 Amphibious Assault Ships. In the event, we got the 2 Assault shipbut only six frigates and destroyers.

In 2010 SDSR, we said we would deliver 2 carriers and 19 destroyers and frigates of which 6 were Type 45s and 13 were Type 26s. Well we got the carriers. But the 13 Type 26s were reduced to 8 and we've ordered 3 of them.

And in SDSR 2015 we set out a shopping list of 8 T26s, 5 Type 31e, 2 OPVs and 4 ballistic missile submarines. I am determined that remains on track.

I ask you, what is the point of methodically reviewing threats and tasks, formulating capability and then not delivering it?

What's the point of building ships only to mothball them for lack of crew, spares or funds?

What is the point of costly design and innovation if we only intend to build a handful?

What is the point of running on old vessels and delaying new ones and running up massive costs in the process?

If the RN and wider defence is to deliver on the ambitions of our country, then we must tackle both the funding and the political behaviours which constantly undermine it.

In the coming weeks, I'm going to be saying more about how we build on all the good work and lessons to date, most notably from the carrier alliance.

To how we ensure Defence sits at the heart of the prosperity agenda.

To end the vicious circle of unfulfilled SDSRs and more of the same.

To create a virtuous circle where we recognise that it's long order books and a steady drumbeat in our yards that strengthens our supply chain and brings down the overall cost of procurement. What's needed is a closer partnership with industry that gives them confidence to invest and build and us the confidence that we can and must buy British.

We must recognise that if Britain's armed forces don't use it, Britain's businesses will find it harder to sell it. We have to walk the walk, as well as talk the talk.

And we must do more to maximise the full value of our resources to build up Britainnot only is that necessary in terms of creating skills and resilience.

But it's vital in creating an environment where Defence gets the critical investment it needs.

Now as I stand before you today, I can't tell you that The Treasury is going to welcome that message. I cannot tell you that The Treasury will agree with all of my message.

What I can promise you though, is that The Treasury will hear this message.

We know that Defence must play a much greater role in the whole of government's prosperity agenda.

WHAT THIS MEANS FOR INDUSTRY

What does all this mean for industry? It means we're looking to you to match our ambition. To get the ships we need, we need the shipbuilding. That means improving the relationship between industry and Government

A few years ago, Sir John Parker's report laid bare the challenges. The old days of changing requirements on a whim and being vague about what we need in the long-term, that must end our Recent Acquisition Review. Took a sample of live MOD programmes.

It found on average that the initial estimated cost of a project rose by 35 per cent and delivery time by 46 per cent. That's not just costing us time and moneythat is damaging our operational effectiveness.

So my challenge to industry is to become more sustainable. To do more to deliver value for money. To stick to fixed project budgets and to innovate in the way you build. To up your competitivenessbuilding exportability in as standard and to deliver fasterthe days of taking decades to build a ship are over.

I know you've been told this before, but what's different now is that both you and I recognise that the politics also needs to change.

And we have to continually learn.

Which is why I've commissioned work examining the lessons from the Mars tanker procurement, especially for our UK supply chain.

Britain already has incredible shipbuilding heritage but I think we should prepare for a fantastic future, too.

Aircraft Carrier Alliance showed that Britain has what it takes to produce first class fifth generation ships.

Just as the lessons of Type 26 is that we have the capability to design frigates that are the envy of the world.

We need to learn these lessons as we bring in our next generation of Fleet Solid Support Shipsour logistic backbone. So it's time for a sea change in industry as well. Let's replace Sir John's old vicious cycle with a virtuous circle.

And let's remember Sir Henry's favourite words:

The sea endures no makeshifts. Discipline, courage and contempt for all that is pretentious and insincere. These are the teaching of the ocean and the elements  and they have been the qualities in all age of the British sailor.

As we prepare the next chapter for the fleet

As we go into the next CSR.

As we transform defence

Let's have some honesty about what it takes.

Let's have some honesty about what it costs.

Let's have some confidence about its value and some rigor in the planning.

Let's have some excellence in our partnership and some clarity in our mission.

As your Secretary of State all I ask is for your help in that task.

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TORONTO, May 15, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Aislelabs Inc., the Toronto-based technology company and leading provider of enterprise-grade guest WiFi, location analytics, and WiFi marketing platforms, is pleased to announce the opening of their new UK based office. Their leading, cloud-based solution has grown to be used by global companies across each continent prompting them to expand operations to new permanent offices around the world.



It delights us to announce the next step in our expansion with the opening of our new London office, said Nick Koudas, Chief Executive Officer at Aislelabs. This provides us the opportunity to better serve our customers and access a large pool of the finest talent in the region. With this new sales office, we can continue to spur the growth of the Aislelabs solution and product line.

Aislelabs already services established local UK companies. Their new office provides a permanent regional location for our European customers and a touch point that is closer to home.

The London Aislelabs sales office further builds on technology companys dedication to serve the European market with the best social WiFi and location analytics solution on the market. It demonstrates a long-term commitment to assist new and existing customers in Europe and around the world. Aislelabs new sales office can be contacted by phone at +44 (20) 3900 2239.

Aislelabs services numerous industry verticals including airports, retail, brands, coffee shops, cafes, restaurants, venues, hospitality, and shopping centres. To learn more about Aislelabs, visit their website at http://www.aislelabs.com or contact Aislelabs at 1 (888) 765-3645 or by email media(at)aislelabs(dot)com.

About Aislelabs Inc.: Aislelabs is a technology company offering the most advanced WiFi location marketing, advertising, and analytics platform in the market. They help clients build relationships with visitors and shoppers, marketing to them based on their behaviour inside brick-and-mortar spaces. Aislelabs technology empowers their clients to target audiences across all digital channels and create high-impact campaigns with measurable ROI.
POYRY PLC Press Release 15 May 2019 17:30pm CET

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has awarded Poyry with the Lenders Engineering services assignment for a complete technical due diligence, follow up of construction and monitoring operational activities on the 30MWp Zhangiz Solar PV plant which will be located in the East Kazakhstan region.

The government of Kazakhstan is increasingly encouraging the development of renewable power sources in order to diversify the countrys energy resources and lower carbon emissions. To support Kazakhstans path towards a more sustainable energy mix, the EBRD is financing the Zhangiz Solar LLP for the development, construction and operation of the 30 MWp PV plant. Zhangiz Solar is fully owned by Mistral PTE, which is part of the Chinese company, Universal Energy Co. Ltd.

Poyry acts as Lender's Technical Advisor for the EBRD to provide Technical Due Diligence including the technical analysis of the environment and infrastructure of the PV plant site, risk assessment, review of pre-existing documents and advice during the negotiation of financing documents and for the period leading up to signature of the loan agreements and the financial close. In addition, Poyry will follow up the construction activities through specific site visits and the performance of the plant during the operation for the following 2 years after Commercial Operation Date.

Poyry has been selected due to the strong competence of its solar team and solid track record in this sector for more than 10 years, delivering more than 250 projects worldwide. Poyrys global office network ensured close cooperation with all involved stakeholders thanks to the connected efforts of Poyry experts in various offices in Europe, Kazakhstan and China.

We are proud to be the EBRD's selected advisors in this Solar PV project. By executing this project using our combined international resources, we're able to provide the EBRD with the best engineering solutions and technological knowledge" says Alessio Giuffra, Managing Director of Poyry Italy, Energy Business Group. "We look forward to continuing our important role in sustaining the EBRD investment plan, and in general the world transition to renewable energy.

Additional information:

Alessio Giuffra

Managing Director, Thermal & Renewable

Poyry Italy S.r.l.

Tel. +39 010 2910 562

Did you know?

Poyry has performed as Technical Advisor in more than 1,900 MW of Solar PV plants globally

Poyry has delivered more than 140 Technical Due Diligence in Solar PV Technology

Poyry has 1100 engineers specialised in Renewable projects

www.poyry.com/sectors/energy/renewable-energy/solar-power

AF Poyry is an international leader within engineering, design and advisory services. We create solutions to support our customers worldwide to act on sustainability as well as the global trends of urbanisation and digitalisation. We are more than 16,000 devoted experts within the fields of infrastructure, industry and energy operating across the world to create sustainable solutions for the next generation.

Making Future.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, May 15, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Helio Resource Corp (Helio or the Company; TSX-V: HRC) is pleased to announce that, subject to TSX Venture Exchange (TSXV) approval, it has signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) on May 14, 2019, with Palamina Corp (TSX-V : PA) to acquire the Gaban gold project and the Tinka Iron Oxide Copper Gold project, both located in Peru. In conjunction with the acquisition, Helio plans to raise between $600,000 and $800,000 through a non-brokered private placement financing to cover the first phase of exploration on the properties and to cover initial working capital (together, with the other matters referenced herein, the Transaction). This is an arms length transaction and no finders fee is payable.



Private Placement Terms

The proposed financing will consist of up to 10,000,000 Units priced at 6c per Unit, whereby each Unit is comprised of one (1) common share of the Company and one half (1/2) warrant, whereby one full warrant entitles the holder to purchase one common share of the Company for 10c per common share at any time within 12 months of closing the financing.

Project Acquisition Terms

This acquisition of the Gaban and Tinka projects is subject to, in addition to other items, the Company raising a minimum of $600,000.

Subject to successful completion of a 30-day due diligence period, and receipt of TSXV approval, Helio will issue to Palamina a total of 10 million common shares of the Company as follows:

5 Million shares immediately upon receipt of TSXV approval for the Transaction; and

shares immediately upon receipt of TSXV approval for the Transaction; and The balance of 5 million shares is to be issued within 24 months of TSXV approval of the Transaction, either through disinterested shareholder approval for such issuance or via the issuance of no greater that 19.9% of any future share issuance made by the Company.

Palamina will retain a 2% Net Smelter Return (NSR) royalty on each property. Helio will have the right to purchase 50% of each royalty by making a cash payment of $1,000,000 to Palamina at any time prior to the commencement of commercial production. All shares issued will be subject to a 4 month plus one day hold period from the date of issuance.

Helio will make an Advance Royalty Payment (ARP) of $25,000 to Palamina on the first and second anniversaries of closing the Transaction. The ARP will double every two years until such time that Helio has either completed a total of 5,000m of drilling or has abandoned the properties.

Upon closing of the Transaction, Palamina has the right to nominate one Director to the Board of Helio and can nominate a second Director to stand for election at Helios next annual general meeting.

The Gaban Project

The Gaban Gold Project covers an area of 17,400 hectares, and surrounds the town of San Gaban in the Puno orogenic gold belt. San Gaban, sitting at an elevation of 550m above sea level, is served by excellent infrastructure and is a 4 hour drive via the Trans-oceanic highway to the Puerto Maldonado airport. A nearby 206MW hydro-electric dam provides power to the town.

Palamina staked Gaban to locate the bedrock source of alluvial gold being exploited along the Yanamayo river, which lies wholly within the Gaban project area. At least 10 sets of alluvial mineworkings are known to be exist within the project area.

Palamina conducted a stream sediment sampling programme over the Gaban property, collecting a total of 75 samples. Twenty one samples returned assays above detection (5 ppb). Of the 21 samples showing a gold presence, eleven originate from a 5km-long section of the Yanamayo River catchment basin, with assays ranging from 5ppb to 4,891ppb Au (median value of 117ppb Au). In addition, in 2018 Palamina completed a heli-borne magnetic / radiometric survey over the property to identify the possible structural controls for bedrock hosted gold mineralisation. See Palaminas news release of October 29, 2018 on their website at www.palamina.com/news . Palamina has spent approximately US$500,000 to date on the project.

The Tinka IOCG Project

The Tinka IOCG Project is an early stage exploration target that covers an area of 1,800 hectares. It is located 45 km southeast of the town of Ica (population 280,000) at an elevation of 2,000m, and is 300km southeast of Lima along the Pan-American highway.

Shares for Debt Settlement

The Company has reached agreement with certain creditors including insiders to settle a total of $90,000 in debts by way of issuance of 1,500,000 common shares of the Company at a deemed price of 6c per share. The shares will be issued, subject to TSXV approval, upon closing of the Transaction.

Tanzania (SMP Gold Project) Update

The Company continues to work with the Ministry of Mines in Tanzania to find a sensible solution to the Retention Licence issue. Helios SMP project comprises 8 Prospecting Licenses (PLs), 4 Retention Licences (RLs), and one licence under application (see here ). The four Retention Licences are RL 0009 (Saza), RL 0010 (Gap), RL 0011 (Kwaheri), and RL 0012 (Illunga). Under the Tanzanian Mining Act, 2010, Retention Licences were issued to projects where a mineral resource had been identified, but the projects could not be developed to mine status by reason of technical constraints, or other economic factors which are temporary in nature.

Changes made in 2017 to the Mining Act (2010) resulted in the Retention Licence classification being abolished and ownership transferred to the Government of Tanzania. The Company has been assured verbally by government officials that the Tanzanian government is not expropriating the ground covered by the Retention Licences and wants to work with the Retention Licence holders to ensure that projects are advanced to the point where a mining licence can be applied for.

The Tanzanian government has formed a Mining Commission which will make recommendations for the way forward with regards to the ground covered by Retention Licences. After consultation with ministers from the Ministry of Minerals, Helio has applied for the ground covered by the Retention Licences to be re-issued as Prospecting licences to allow the project to be advanced. However, the Commission has yet to make any recommendations.

The SMP Gold Project covers a 200km2 area in the Lupa Goldfields, SW Tanzania and is adjacent to the New Luika Gold Mine, operated by Shanta Gold Limited, an AIM-listed company. On March 26, 2015, Helio released a mineral resource estimate for the SMP Gold Project, comprising an Indicated Resource of 7.5 MT grading 2.4 g/t Au for 590,000 oz Au contained, and an Inferred Resource of 0.56 Mt at 2.5 g/t Au containing 45,000 oz Au. The Indicated Resource is broken down into 5.9 Mt grading 1.8 g/t Au for 332,000 oz inside a pit constrained shell at US$1,400/oz gold price and 1.6 Mt grading 4.9 g/t for 258,000 ounces underground. A NI 43-101 Technical Report for the Mineral Resource Estimate can be viewed here - click here for full details .

Mr. Richard Williams, M.Sc. (MinEx), P.Geo, is a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 and has supervised the preparation, compilation and review of the geological and technical contents of this press release.

Enquiries:

Helio Resource Corp

Richard Williams (CEO) +1 604 210 8753

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.



Statements Regarding Forward-Looking Information

Certain statements contained in this news release may contain forward-looking information within the meaning of Canadian securities laws. Such forward-looking information is identified by words such as anticipated, "estimates", "intends", "expected", "believes", "may", "will", wants to and include, without limitation, statements regarding the Government of Tanzanias future actions or their undisclosed past actions, the Company's Retention Licences, plan of business operations (including plans for progressing assets), estimates regarding mineral resources, projections regarding mineralization and projected expenditures. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate; actual results and future events could differ materially from such statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially include, among others, actions of the Government of Tanzania, or other governments, metal prices, risks inherent in the mining industry, financing risks, labour risks, uncertainty of mineral resource estimates, equipment and supply risks, title disputes, regulatory risks and environmental concerns. Most of these factors are outside the control of the Company. Investors are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking information. Except as otherwise required by applicable securities statutes or regulation, the Company expressly disclaims any intent or obligation to update publicly forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
TORONTO, May 15, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Lydian International Limited (TSX:LYD) (Lydian or the Company) announced today its results for the three months ended March 31, 2019. All dollar amounts referenced in this news release are, unless otherwise indicated, in United States dollars.



First Quarter 2019 and recent developments include:

Illegal Blockades  The blockades continue at Lydians Amulsar Gold Project, having been in place since June 22, 2018. As a result, two of Lydians subsidiaries formally notified the Government of Armenia on March 11, 2019 of the existence of disputes with the Government of Armenia under the UK bilateral investment treaty and the Canada bilateral investment treaty.

Third Audit  In March 2019, the Government of Armenia commenced its third-party assessment of the Amulsar Gold Projects environmental impact on water resources, geology, biodiversity, and water quality. The duration of this audit is expected to be 12 to 16 weeks. The Company does not accept the need or legal basis for this audit but is cooperating fully with this audit as it progresses.

Court Rulings  Armenian courts have recently issued two rulings in Lydians favour:

On April 10, 2019, the Administrative Court of the Republic of Armenia ruled in favour of Lydian and instructed the Armenian Police to remove trespassers and their property from the Companys Amulsar Project site. The Administrative Courts ruling was effective May 10, 2019 unless appealed prior to that date. The Company is not aware of any appeal having been filed during the prescribed period and has requested official acknowledgement from the Administrative Court that the order is effective. Following receipt of this acknowledgement, Lydian will demand enforcement of the order if not already acted upon by the Armenian Police; and

The Criminal Court of Appeal of the Republic of Armenia ruled on April 19, 2019 that the police are to initiate a criminal investigation against protesters. The Prosecutor has fifteen days from the official receipt of the judgment to appeal to the Cassation Court of Armenia (the highest Armenian court). Lydian received official notice of the judgement on May 13, 2019 and has been informed unofficially that the Prosecutor received the judgement on May 13, 2019. Therefore, Lydian believes the Prosecutor has 15 days from May 13, 2019 to register an appeal.

Hydrogeological Survey  The Company completed an isotopic investigation of groundwater systems at Amulsar and the Jermuk area, confirming the findings of the Amulsar Projects EIA and ESIA by conclusively demonstrating that there is no hydraulic connection between the groundwater regimes at the Amulsar Project and Jermuk.

Going Concern Implications

Following a change in the Government of Armenia in May 2018, demonstrations and road blockades occurred sporadically throughout the country. These initial protests primarily targeted the mining sector, including the Amulsar Gold Project. Despite recent court rulings in favour of the Company, a continuous illegal blockade at Amulsar has been in place since June 22, 2018, causing construction activities to be suspended since this date. Access has generally been limited to contractor demobilization and winterization during Q4 2018.

The Government of Armenia has not enforced the rule of law to remove the illegal blockades at Amulsar and prosecute other illegal acts carried out against the Company. Furthermore, the Government of Armenia has taken certain actions and failed to act on other matters. The Government of Armenias actions and inactions have substantially restricted the Companys access to capital and caused conditions to occur that were deemed events of default by the senior lenders, stream financing providers, and equipment financiers. As a result, in December 2018 the Company entered into an amended and restated forbearance agreement (the A&R Forbearance Agreement) and, thereafter, in January 2019 the Thirteenth Amending Agreement (the Thirteenth Amending Agreement) and the A&R Stream Agreement (the A&R Stream Agreement) with its senior lenders, stream financing providers, and equipment financiers.

The Companys ability to continue as a going concern is dependent upon the Government of Armenia resolving the disputes it has created with the Company and making the Company whole. It will also be necessary for the Company to continue to receive forbearance under the A&R Forbearance Agreement and funding under the Thirteenth Amending Agreement. Blockade-related costs will continue to be incurred until the illegal blockades are removed and unrestricted access for all purposes is available to the Company. Thereafter, the Company anticipates additional time and funding will be needed for site restoration, sourcing of financing, if available, for completing construction and working capital until positive cash flows from operations can be achieved. Alternatively, funding will be required until a strategic alternative can be arranged, if at all, or to support the Companys legal alternatives.

While the Company has entered into the A&R Forbearance Agreement with its senior lenders, stream financing providers, and equipment financiers, as a result of the actions and inactions of the Government of Armenia there is no assurance that the Company will be able to meet its obligations under the applicable credit or loan agreements with its senior lenders, stream financing providers, and equipment financiers and that the Company will avoid further events of default as contemplated under such agreements. As a result, the Company may not be able to receive forbearance and continuing funding from the same parties under the A&R Forbearance Agreement, the Thirteenth Amendment, and the A&R Stream Agreement. Therefore, there is a risk that the Company will be in default under its agreements with its senior lenders, stream financing providers, and equipment financiers, which may ultimately result in one or more secured parties exercising rights to demand repayment and enforcing security rights, which may result in partial or full loss of the assets of the Company. During this forbearance period, Lydian will continue to engage with its lenders and stream financing providers to address the issues resulting from the illegal blockades and seek continuing forbearance and funding, while at the same time evaluating a range of strategic, financing, and legal alternatives.

Although the Company has obtained sufficient financing to date, including during the period of the illegal blockades and as provided in the A&R Forbearance Agreement, the Thirteenth Amendment, and the A&R Stream Agreement, as a result of the actions and inactions of the Government of Armenia there can be no assurance that adequate financing will be available when needed at commercially acceptable terms and that the Company will ultimately be able to generate sufficient positive cash flow from operations, find an acceptable strategic alternative, or fund legal alternatives. Furthermore, there are no assurances of future forbearances or lenders not demanding repayment and exercising security rights under the respective credit agreements. These circumstances indicate the existence of material uncertainties that create significant doubt as to the Companys ability to meet its obligations when due, and accordingly, continue as a going concern.

At March 31, 2019, the Company recognized an additional non-cash impairment loss of $28.0 million. More detailed financial and other information can be found in the Companys unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements and managements discussion and analysis for the three months ended March 31, 2019, which are available on SEDAR under the Companys profile ( www.sedar.com ).

About Lydian International Limited

Lydian is a gold developer focused on construction at its 100%-owned Amulsar Gold Project, located in south-central Armenia. However, illegal blockades have prevented access to Amulsar since late June 2018. Amulsar is expected to be a large-scale, low-cost operation with production targeted to average approximately 225,000 ounces annually over an initial 10-year mine life. Estimated mineral resources contain 3.5 million measured and indicated gold ounces and 1.3 million inferred gold ounces as outlined in the Q1 2017 Technical Report. Existing mineral resources beyond current reserves and open extensions provide opportunities to improve average annual production and extend the mine life. Lydian is committed to good international industry practices in all aspects of its operations including production, sustainability, and corporate social responsibility. For more information and to directly contact us, please visit www.lydianinternational.co.uk .

For further information, please contact:

Joao Carrelo, Chief Executive Officer



+1 720-307-5079 Doug Tobler, Chief Financial Officer



+1 720-307-5087

Or: moreinfo@Lydianinternational.co.uk

Caution regarding forward-looking information

Certain information contained in this news release is forward looking. All statements in this news release, other than statements of historical fact, that address events, results, outcomes or developments that the Company expects to occur are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as plans, expects, is expected, intends, anticipates or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results may, could, will, would, should, or occur or the negative or other variations of such terms. Forward-looking statements in this news release include, among others, statements with respect to: the Companys commitment to continue discussions with the Government of Armenia with respect to the disputes; the Companys ability to continue as a going concern; the disputes with the Government of Armenia being resolved ; the Corporations subsequent actions in connection with court rulings; the ability of the Company to resume construction; the ELARD audit and the outcome of such audit; the impact of protests, blockades or similar disruptions on the Companys construction, operations and financial performance; the Companys ability to successfully fund cash obligations and/or meeting obligations; the Companys ability to avoid being in default under its agreement; the realization of mineral resource estimates and the timing of development of the Amulsar Gold Project; adequate financing being available to the Company; and the Companys ability to find an acceptable strategic alternative. Statements concerning mineral resource estimates may also be deemed to constitute forward-looking information to the extent that they involve estimates of the mineralization that will be encountered when the property is developed.

Forward-looking statements are necessarily based on estimates and assumptions that are inherently subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such risks, uncertainties and factors include, without limitation: changes in gold and silver prices; adverse general economic, political, market or business conditions; failure to achieve the objectives of the future exploration and drilling programs; regulatory changes; as well as "Risk Factors" included in the disclosure documents filed on and available at www.sedar.com. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, and actual results and future events could materially differ from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. All of the forward-looking statements contained in this news release are qualified by these cautionary statements. The Company expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, events or otherwise, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.
NEW ORLEANS, May 15, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC (KSF) and KSF partner, former Attorney General of Louisiana, Charles C. Foti, Jr., remind investors that they have until July 15, 2019 to file lead plaintiff applications in a securities class action lawsuit against Revlon, Inc. (NYSE: REV), if they purchased the Companys securities between March 12, 2015 and March 28, 2019, inclusive (the Class Period). This action is pending in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York.



What You May Do

If you purchased Revlon securities and would like to discuss your legal rights and how this case might affect your right to recover for your economic loss, you may, without obligation or cost to you, contact KSF Managing Partner Lewis Kahn toll-free at 1-877-515-1850 or via email (lewis.kahn@ksfcounsel.com), or visit https://www.ksfcounsel.com/cases/nyse-rev/ to learn more. If you wish to serve as a lead plaintiff in this class action, you must petition the Court by July 15, 2019 .

About the Lawsuit

Revlon and certain of its executives are charged with failing to disclose material information during the Class Period, violating federal securities laws.

On March 18, 2019, the Company disclosed that would not timely file its 2018 10-K due to a material weakness related to its enterprise resource planning system. Then, on March 28, 2019, post-market, Revlon filed its 10-K detailing that manufacturing problems caused by system disruptions resulted in it being unable to fulfill product shipments representing approximately $64 million of net sales during 2018 as well as incurring $53.6M in charges.

On this news, the price of Revlons shares dropped.

The case is Lachman v. Revlon, Inc. et al., 19cv2859.

About Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC

KSF, whose partners include former Louisiana Attorney General Charles C. Foti, Jr., is a law firm focused on securities, antitrust and consumer class actions, along with merger & acquisition and breach of fiduciary litigation against publicly traded companies on behalf of shareholders. The firm has offices in New York, California and Louisiana.

To learn more about KSF, you may visit www.ksfcounsel.com .

Contact:

Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC
Dutch English

PRESS RELEASE : 16 May 2019, 07:00 CEST

Idylla(TM) MSI Performance Study Selected for Publication at ASCO Conference



Mechelen, Belgium, 16 May 2019 - Biocartis Group NV (the 'Company' or 'Biocartis'), an innovative molecular diagnostics company (Euronext Brussels: BCART), today announces that a multi-centered study on the performance of the Idylla(TM) MSI Test (CE IVD) in comparison with the Promega MSI test ('Promega MSI Test') has been selected for publication at the renowned ASCO (American Society of Clinical Oncology) Annual Meeting. The study showed high performance and a low invalid rate of the Idylla(TM) MSI Test, as such demonstrating the possibility of rapid, fully automated MSI testing with Idylla(TM). The ASCO conference takes place between 30 May and 4 June 2019 in Chicago (IL), US.

The performance study was conducted in cooperation with the University Hospital Antwerp (Belgium) and the University Hospital Aarhus (Denmark) and compared the detection of microsatellite instability (MSI) in colorectal cancer (CRC) samples with the Idylla(TM) MSI Test and the Promega MSI Test, the latter also requiring a second sample for control or reference when being performed. On a total of 330 FFPE tumor samples, the tests showed a concordance rate of 99.7%. Furthermore, the Idylla(TM) MSI Test demonstrated invalid results on 0.6% of the samples compared to the Promega MSI Test with 2.1%.

MSI is the result of inactivation of the body's so-called DNA mismatch repair (MMR) system. Consequently, errors that normally spontaneously occur during DNA replication are no longer corrected, contributing to tumor growth and evolution. MSI-High status is found in about 15% of CRC tumors but also in other cancers such as endometrial, gastric, breast, lung and prostate cancer.

MSI testing today is recommended for all colorectal and endometrial cancers, but is still underused as current MSI testing methods are complex and therefore not available outside of highly specialized laboratories. The Idylla(TM) MSI Test has been developed to overcome these drawbacks. It is a fully automated test that provides information on the MSI status (i.e. Microsatellite Instability-High (MSI-H) or Microsatellite Stable (MSS)) of CRC tumors within approximately 150 minutes from just one slice of FFPE tumor tissue, without the need of a reference sample. These unique aspects could enable a broader penetration of MSI testing, worldwide.

The Idylla(TM) MSI Test is a key addition to Biocartis' colorectal cancer (CRC) Idylla(TM) test menu and was launched as a CE-marked IVD Test on 28 February 2019. Furthermore, on 12 March 2019 Biocartis announced the signing of a collaboration agreement with Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (NYSE: BMY) aimed at the potential registration as a companion diagnostic and use of the Idylla(TM) MSI test in connection with immuno-oncology therapies.

--- END ---

More information:

Renate Degrave

Head of Corporate Communications & Investor Relations

e-mail rdegrave@biocartis.com

tel +32 15 631 729

mobile +32 471 53 60 64

About Biocartis

Biocartis (Euronext Brussels: BCART) is an innovative molecular diagnostics (MDx) company providing next generation diagnostic solutions aimed at improving clinical practice for the benefit of patients, clinicians, payers and industry. Biocartis' proprietary MDx Idylla(TM) platform is a fully automated sample-to-result, real-time PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) system that offers accurate, highly reliable molecular information from virtually any biological sample in virtually any setting. Biocartis is developing and marketing a rapidly expanding test menu addressing key unmet clinical needs in oncology. This area represents the fastest growing segment of the MDx market worldwide. Today, Biocartis offers tests supporting melanoma, colorectal and lung cancer. More information: www.biocartis.com. Press Photo Library available here. Follow us on Twitter: @Biocartis_.

Biocartis and Idylla(TM) are registered trademarks in Europe, the United States and other countries. The Biocartis and Idylla(TM) trademark and logo are used trademarks owned by Biocartis. This press release is not for distribution, directly or indirectly, in any jurisdiction where to do so would be unlawful. Any persons reading this press release should inform themselves of and observe any such restrictions. Biocartis takes no responsibility for any violation of any such restrictions by any person. Please refer to the product labeling for applicable intended uses for each individual Biocartis product. This press release does not constitute an offer or invitation for the sale or purchase of securities in any jurisdiction. No securities of Biocartis may be offered or sold in the United States of America absent registration with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission or an exemption from registration under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

Forward-looking statements

Certain statements, beliefs and opinions in this press release are forward-looking, which reflect the Company's or, as appropriate, the Company directors' or managements' current expectations and projections concerning future events such as the Company's results of operations, financial condition, liquidity, performance, prospects, growth, strategies and the industry in which the Company operates. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve a number of risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. These risks, uncertainties, assumptions and factors could adversely affect the outcome and financial effects of the plans and events described herein. A multitude of factors including, but not limited to, changes in demand, competition and technology, can cause actual events, performance or results to differ significantly from any anticipated development. Forward-looking statements contained in this press release regarding past trends or activities are not guarantees of future performance and should not be taken as a representation that such trends or activities will continue in the future. In addition, even if actual results or developments are consistent with the forward-looking statements contained in this press release, those results or developments may not be indicative of results or developments in future periods. No representations and warranties are made as to the accuracy or fairness of such forward-looking statements. As a result, the Company expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements in this press release as a result of any change in expectations or any change in events, conditions, assumptions or circumstances on which these forward-looking statements are based, except if specifically required to do so by law or regulation. Neither the Company nor its advisers or representatives nor any of its subsidiary undertakings or any such person's officers or employees guarantees that the assumptions underlying such forward-looking statements are free from errors nor does either accept any responsibility for the future accuracy of the forward-looking statements contained in this press release or the actual occurrence of the forecasted developments. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release.
News release from Vestas-American Wind Technology

Portland, 16 May 2019

Vestas has received an order for 228 MW of V136-4.2 MW, operating in 4.3 MW power optimised mode, from PacifiCorp, a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Energy, for the 250 MW Ekola Flats wind project, located in Wyoming.



Ekola Flats is part of PacifiCorps Energy Vision 2020 initiative, a USD 3.1 billion investment to expand wind power via repowering existing projects, adding 1,150 MW of new wind resources by the end of 2020, and building a 140-mile transmission line segment in Wyoming to enable wind generation.

As part of Energy Vision 2020, Vestas and PacifiCorp earlier last week announced 459 MW of V136-4.2 MW, operating in 4.3 MW power optimised mode, for the TB Flats I and II projects, and previously partnered on repowering the Marengo and Marengo II wind projects in Washington, upgrading the sites existing V80-1.8 MW turbines with V100-2.0 MW turbines.

Were pleased PacifiCorp has again selected our 4 MW platform for the Ekola Flats projects, said Chris Brown, President of Vestas sales and service division in the United States and Canada. The V136-4.2 MW, operating in 4.3 MW power optimised mode is well suited to capture the maximum available wind resource at Ekola Flats, and ensure low-cost, reliable wind energy benefits PacifiCorps customers and communities.

The order includes supply and commissioning of the turbines as well as a 12-year Active Output Management 4000 (AOM 4000) service agreement, designed to ensure optimised performance of the project. Turbine delivery is expected to begin in the second quarter of 2020, with commissioning scheduled for the third quarter of 2020.

For more information, please contact:

Chante Condit-Pottol,

Communications Specialist, Media & External Relations

Tel: +1 (503) 708-6668

Mail: CHCP O @vestas.com

About Vestas

Vestas is the energy industrys global partner on sustainable energy solutions. We design, manufacture, install, and service wind turbines across the globe, and with more than 102 GW of wind turbines in 80 countries, we have installed more wind power than anyone else. Through our industry-leading smart data capabilities and unparalleled more than 87 GW of wind turbines under service, we use data to interpret, forecast, and exploit wind resources and deliver best-in-class wind power solutions. Together with our customers, Vestas more than 24,500 employees are bringing the world sustainable energy solutions to power a bright future.

For updated Vestas photographs and videos, please visit our media images page on:

https://www.vestas.com/en/media/images .

We invite you to learn more about Vestas by visiting our website at www . v estas.c o m and following us on our social media channels:

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CALGARY, Alberta, May 16, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The federal governments deficit in 2017 would have reached a staggering $39 billioninstead of the $19 billion actually recordedif not for the disproportionate net revenue contributions from Alberta, finds a new study released today by the Fraser Institute, an independent, non-partisan Canadian public policy think-tank.



Canadians are aware of Ottawas recent large deficits, but its less well known that the financial contributions of Albertans every year keep those deficits from being much larger, said Ben Eisen, Fraser Institute senior fellow and co-author of How Albertans Continue to keep Federal Finances Afloat .

The study finds that between 2014 and 2017, even at the depths of Albertas recession, the province sent Ottawa $92 billion more than it received in federal transfer payments and services.

During the same three-year period, Ontariothe next highest contributing provincehad a net contribution of $38.6 billion, well less than half of Albertas. Quebec, by contrast, received $71.9 billion more in federal transfers than it contributed to Ottawa.

Crucially, without Albertas large net contribution to the federal governments bottom line, the recent federal deficits would have been much larger. For example, in 2017, the deficit would have been approximately $20 billion larger (more than doubling in size from $19 billion to $39 billion) without Albertas contribution.

Even in recession, Albertans stabilized federal finances and kept Ottawas deficits from soaring to much higher levels, which would have negatively impacted all Canadians and future generations, Eisen said.

Canadians everywhere should understand that Canadas fiscal health continues to rely heavily on Albertas economic success, so policymakers in all provinces should do what they can to help Alberta succeedthis includes helping ensure the completion of pipelines and other resource projects, said Steve Lafleur, Fraser Institute senior policy analyst and study co-author.

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Ben Eisen, Senior Fellow

Fraser Institute

Steve Lafleur, Senior Policy Analyst

Fraser Institute

To arrange media interviews or for more information, please contact:

Bryn Weese, Senior Media Relations Specialist, Fraser Institute

(604) 688-0221 ext. 589

bryn.weese@fraserinstitute.org

Follow the Fraser Institute on Twitter | Like us on Facebook
CONTACT - Media:



CONTACT - Investor Relations: Amsterdam +31.20.721.4488 Brussels +32.2.620.15.50 +33.1.70.48.24.17 Dublin

Paris +353.1.617.4266

+33.1.70.48.24.45 Lisbon +351.210.600.614

EURONEXT ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING RESULTS

Amsterdam, Brussels, Dublin, Lisbon, London and Paris  16 May 2019  Euronext today announced that, in its Annual General Meeting (AGM) that took place today, all the items on the updated agenda were approved.

These items were as follows:

1. Proposal to adopt the 2018 financial statements

2. Proposal to adopt a dividend of EUR 1.54 per ordinary share

3. Proposal to discharge the members of the Managing Board in respect of their duties performed during the year 2018

4. Proposal to discharge the members of the Supervisory Board in respect of their duties performed during the year 2018

6. Re-appointment of Jim Gollan as a member of the Supervisory Board

7. Re-appointment of Maurice van Tilburg as a member of the Managing Board

8. Appointment of Isabel Ucha as a member of the Managing Board

9. Proposal to approve the acquisition by Euronext N.V. of up to 100% of the issued share capital of Oslo Brs VPS Holding ASA

10. Proposal to appoint the external auditor

11. Proposal to designate the Managing Board as the competent body to issue ordinary shares

12. Proposal to designate the Managing Board as the competent body to restrict or exclude the pre-emptive rights of shareholders

13. Proposal to authorise the Managing Board to acquire ordinary shares in the share capital of the company on behalf of the company

As a reminder, the payment of the annual dividend will occur on 24 May 2019, with ex-dividend on 22 May and record date on 23 May.





CONTACTS





Media

Pauline Bucaille: +33 1 70 48 24 41 mediateam@euronext.com

Analysts & investors

Aurelie Cohen: +33 1 70 48 24 17 ir@euronext.com

About Euronext

Euronext is the leading pan-European exchange in the Eurozone, covering Belgium, France, Ireland, The Netherlands, Portugal and the UK. With 1,300 listed issuers worth 3.5 trillion in market capitalisation as of end March 2019, Euronext is an unmatched blue chip franchise that has 24 issuers in the Morningstar Eurozone 50 Index and a strong diverse domestic and international client base. Euronext operates regulated and transparent equity and derivatives markets and is the largest centre for debt and funds listings in the world. Its total product offering includes Equities ,FX, Exchange Traded Funds, Warrants & Certificates, Bonds, Derivatives, Commodities and Indices. Euronext also leverages its expertise in running markets by providing technology and managed services to third parties. In addition to its main regulated market, Euronext also operates Euronext GrowthTM and Euronext AccessTM, simplifying access to listing for SMEs.

For the latest news, find us on Twitter (twitter.com/euronext) and LinkedIn (linkedin.com/euronext).

Disclaimer

This press release is for information purposes only and is not a recommendation to engage in investment activities. This press release is provided as is without representation or warranty of any kind. While all reasonable care has been taken to ensure the accuracy of the content, Euronext does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness. Euronext will not be held liable for any loss or damages of any nature ensuing from using, trusting or acting on information provided. No information set out or referred to in this publication may be regarded as creating any right or obligation. The creation of rights and obligations in respect of financial products that are traded on the exchanges operated by Euronexts subsidiaries shall depend solely on the applicable rules of the market operator. All proprietary rights and interest in or connected with this publication shall vest in Euronext.

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Wilmington, DE and Ashdod, Israel, May 16, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Integrity Applications, Inc. (www.integrity-app.com) (OTCQB: IGAP), innovator of GlucoTrack, a non-invasive device for measuring glucose levels in people with type 2 diabetes and pre-diabetes, announced today that Robert T. Guest has joined the Company as a senior advisor.



Bob is the founder and CEO of Arcadia Group, a specialty healthcare consultancy with extensive experience in brand development within the diabetes and cardiovascular markets. Having over 35 years of healthcare experience, Bob spent the first 15 years of his career with Wyeth Consumer Healthcare. Most recently, Arcadia worked with Amazon to launch an exclusive brand of consumer-use medical devices for diabetes and hypertension management. Bob is widely known as the architect of Walmarts exclusive ReliOn brand of diabetes products. Previously, Bob was instrumental in launching TheraSense Inc.s (now Abbott Diabetes Care) Freestyle line of diabetes devices.

In his role, Bob will assist the Company on its overall global commercial strategy for GlucoTrack throughout Europe as well as advise on the Companys planned launch within the United States.

We are delighted to have Bob join as an advisor said Dave Podwalski, President and Chief Commercial Officer of Integrity Applications. He has built many successful brands within diabetes care and has created tremendous value for stakeholders. We look forward to his contributions as we seek to revolutionize the glucose monitoring market.

Bob Guest commented I have spent the better part of my career focusing on bringing innovative solutions for people with diabetes. I am extremely impressed by GlucoTrack and excited about the opportunity to help bring this technology to market and make a difference in the lives of people with diabetes.

About GlucoTrack

GlucoTrack is a completely non-invasive monitoring device that rapidly measures and displays an individuals glucose level in about a minute without finger pricking or any pain. GlucoTrack features a small sensor that clips to the earlobe and measures the users glucose level using innovative and patented sensor technologies. The measured signals are analyzed using a proprietary algorithm and then a calculated glucose level is displayed on a small handheld device the size of a small mobile phone. The glucose results are stored in the device and used to estimate HbA1c level using a proprietary algorithm. The device can also display glucose values graphically, enabling the user to monitor glucose levels over time.

GlucoTrack has received approvals for CE Mark in Europe and from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety in South Korea for type 2 diabetes and pre-diabetics and is currently available in selected markets in Europe and Asia.

About Integrity Applications, Inc.

Integrity Applications, Inc. (OTCQB: IGAP) was founded in 2001 and is focused on the design, development, and commercialization of non-invasive glucose monitoring technologies for people with type 2 diabetes and prediabetes. The Company has developed GlucoTrack, a proprietary non-invasive glucose monitoring device designed to obtain glucose level measurements in about a minute without the pain, incremental cost, difficulty, or discomfort of conventional invasive finger stick devices. Integrity Applications Inc. is a Delaware corporation, with headquarters in the United States and an R&D site in Ashdod, Israel. For more information, please visit http://www.integrity-app.com/ and http://www.glucotrack.com .

Investor and Media Contact

Sami Sassoun, CFO Integrity Applications

SamiS@integrity-app.com

+972 (8) 675-7878 Ext. 400

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Statements contained in this news release that are not statements of historical fact may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, words such as expect, plan and will are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Readers are cautioned that certain important factors may affect Integrity Applications actual results and could cause such results to differ materially from any forward-looking statements that may be made in this news release. Factors that may affect Integrity Applications results include, but are not limited to, the ability of Integrity Applications to raise additional capital to finance its operations

(whether through public or private equity offerings, debt financings, strategic collaborations or otherwise); risks relating to the receipt (and timing) of regulatory approvals (including FDA approval); risks relating to enrollment of patients in, and the conduct of, clinical trials; risks relating to its current and future distribution agreements; risks relating to its ability to hire and retain qualified personnel, including sales and distribution personnel; and the additional risk factors described in Integrity Applications filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC), including its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018 as filed with the SEC on April 12, 2019.
Lincoln and Tangipahoa Parishes residents benefit from tornado, thunderstorm and flood warning notification

LAKE CHARLES, La., May 16, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Louisiana Emergency Management Conference

Global Security Systems, LLC (GSS), of Lafayette, LA, is pleased to announce that their emergency notification system, ALERT FM, successfully notified residents of tornadic, severe thunderstorm, and flood activity in Lincoln and Tangipahoa Parishes between April 25- May 8, 2019. The ALERT FM receivers and the ALERT FM app received and notified residents of the tornado warnings, severe thunderstorm warnings, flash flood warnings and flood warnings in these areas.

I was very pleased with quick dissemination of the automatic tornado warnings as well as alerts sent manually using the Alert Studio web portal that were relayed via the ALERT FM system during the April 25, 2019 early morning tornado. My residents received these warning on both their ALERT FM receivers and on the ALERT FM App, said Kip Franklin, director of the Lincoln Parish Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (OHSEP). A second round of storms occurred just two weeks later and in that time frame, ALERT app downloads in my parish increased by over 400.

In 2011, the Governors Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (GOHSEP) via a federal grant purchased ALERT FM for all 64 parishes in Louisiana. This emergency notification system uses the Radio Data System RDS of local FM radio stations to relay weather warnings and local emergency information to ALERT FM receivers. The system also relays information to smartphones via the ALERT FM app available on both Apple iOS and Android.

Over the last few weeks, several severe storms pummeled Tangipahoa Parish, said Dawson Primes, director of Tangipahoa Parish OHSEP. ALERT FM kept our residents thoroughly notified of tornado, severe thunderstorm, and flood warnings that affected our area.

The lifesaving information provide by ALERT FM to the residents of both Lincoln and Tangipahoa Parishes during these weather outbreaks is made possible by the support of the local FM radio stations in these areas. KLPI-FM and KGRM-FM provide the main FM signal that covers Lincoln Parish. WTGG-FM, KSLU-FM, and WHMD-FM provide the main FM signal that covers Tangipahoa Parish.

Without the support of the Louisiana Association of Broadcasters and our local FM stations, ALERT FM could not be successful in our emergency notification efforts in Louisiana, said Robert L Adams, CEO of GSS. We greatly appreciate their participation in our FM RDS network.

Last week under the direction of Governor John Bel Edwards, Louisiana participated in Hurricane Preparedness Week. As part of the events of the week, citizens were encouraged to Get A Game Plan which includes a hurricane/ evacuation supply kit, evacuation route plan, and gaining access to a form of emergency notification device, including but not limited to, weather radios, ALERT FM receivers, and the ALERT FM app. Not only will these hurricane Get a Game Plan suggestions help citizens during hurricane/ tropical storm events but also during other weather events including flooding, severe thunderstorms, and tornados. Preparation is key when planning for unpredictable and unexpected events.

Recent weather events have reminded us that Governor Edwards should be commended for encouraging citizen readiness before, during, and after any weather event, Adams said.

About Global Security Systems, LLC (GSS)

Global Security Systems is a systems integrator, service provider and manufacturer of the ALERT FM, Alert Studio and GSSNet, a satellite data delivery system. GSS has participated in the development of IPAWS based systems, is a member of the Commercial Mobile Alert Service systems committee (now called Wireless Emergency Alerts) and is actively involved with several EAS and CAP committees. They are also closely working with the United States Geological Survey and the United States National Weather Service to provide rapid emergency alerts for earthquakes, active shooters, and tornadic events in less than five seconds. The GSS nationwide GSSNet satellite data delivery system for emergency alerts currently is in operation on approximately 1000 radio stations in 17 states, Canada and BVI; is growing daily and includes the ability to generate and deliver CAP messages. The network receives support from radio broadcast associations including the National Association of Broadcasters and state broadcast associations across the country. Corporate website: www.alertfm.com
BARRE, Vt., May 16, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, Smithfield Foods, Inc. and Hannaford Supermarkets joined forces to donate more than 36,000 pounds of protein to the Vermont Foodbank . Smithfields contribution was part of the companys 2019 Helping Hungry Homes  donation tour. Helping Hungry Homes is Smithfields signature hunger-relief initiative focused on alleviating hunger and helping Americans become more food secure. The donation, equivalent to more than 144,000 servings, will help families fight hunger across the state of Vermont.



At the Vermont Foodbank, we aim to support the health of our communities by providing quality food so that no one in Vermont goes hungry, said Nicole Whalen, Director of Communications and Public Affairs for the Vermont Foodbank. One in four people struggle with hunger in our state, but with help from generous partners like Smithfield, we can support our neighbors in need.

Representatives from Smithfield Foods and Hannaford presented the donation to the Vermont Foodbank at an event at the Foodbank this morning. Members of each organization discussed food insecurity in the local community and the significance of this donation that will provide protein throughout the food banks service area, which includes more than 150,000 individuals who face hunger across the state of Vermont.

Were proud to play an active role in improving the quality of life in the communities we serve, said Brian Fabre, Community Relations Specialist for Hannaford. Through this joint donation with Smithfield, we are able to make sure our neighbors in need in Vermont have wholesome, nutritious meals this summer.

This is the 26th large-scale protein donation made by Smithfield to food banks across the country during its 2019 Helping Hungry Homes 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 truly passionate about helping fill the shortfall of nutritious, protein-rich food sources that food banks often face, said Jonathan Toms, associate manager of charitable initiatives for Smithfield Foods. We are committed to our companys social purpose to feed those in need, and honored to provide such an impactful donation to the people of Vermont.

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 The Vermont Foodbank

The Vermont Foodbank is the states largest hunger-relief organization, providing nutritious food and promoting health through a network of 215 food shelves, meal sites, senior centers and after-school programs, and directly to families, children, older adults and individuals at schools and hospital. Last year, the Vermont Foodbank distributed more than 12 million pounds of food to 153,100 Vermonters. The Vermont Foodbank, a member of Feeding America, is nationally recognized as one of the most effective and efficient nonprofits and food banks in the nation. Learn more at www.vtfoodbank.org .

About Hannaford

Hannaford Supermarkets, based in Scarborough, Maine, is a committed and engaged community partner in fighting hunger relief. Last year, Hannaford donated nearly 26 million pounds of food to pantries, meal programs, and food banks. Hannaford operates 181 stores in the Northeastwith stores located in Maine, New York, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont. Hannaford employs more than 26,000 associates. Additional information can be found at www.hannaford.com .

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/9818f773-62a5-4850-85d4-404dba15af72

Media Contacts:
Halifax, NS, May 16, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Dalhousie Universitys Board of Governors announced today that Dr. Deep Saini has been appointed as the universitys 12th President and Vice-Chancellor.

Dr. Saini, who is currently Vice-Chancellor and President of the University of Canberra in Australia, was the unanimous choice of the search committee. He is an accomplished leader who combines significant Canadian post-secondary experience with a global outlook; a distinguished scientist whose belief in the transformative power of education has defined his lifes journey; and a warm, genuine and inspiring individual ready to build on Dals 200 years of achievement and chart a course towards even greater success in our third century ahead.

I am honoured and humbled by the opportunity to serve as the 12th President and Vice-Chancellor of Dalhousie University, says Dr. Saini. The universitys singular commitment to its anchor role in the regions economic and social development is fittingly matched to its lofty national and global aspirations  a balance that I have espoused throughout my career and will form the cornerstone of my leadership at Dal.

My sincere congratulations to Dr. Saini on his appointment. He joins Dalhousie at a time of tremendous momentum: record enrolment and fundraising, significant renewal of our campuses, and a strong leadership team in place across the university, says Larry Stordy, Chair of Dalhousies Board of Governors. Under Dr. Sainis leadership, Im certain these successes will be just the beginning of what Dalhousies third century has in store. The search committee was thoroughly impressed by the quality of candidates from around the world, who were interested in this opportunity. Even among this competition, however, Deep truly stood apart.

Dr. Saini will begin his five-year term on January 1, 2020, and plans are underway for his first campus visit as President-Elect in early June. He follows Dalhousies 11th President and Vice-Chancellor Dr. Richard Florizone, who served from 2013 until 2018, and Mr. Peter MacKinnon, presently serving in an interim capacity. With Mr. MacKinnons term set to conclude at the end of June, the Board of Governors will review options for interim leadership for the remainder of 2019 in the coming weeks.

Born and raised in India, Dr. Saini earned his PhD in Plant Physiology from the University of Adelaide in Australia. Dr. Saini is multilingual, fluent in English, French and three South Asian languages. He has worked at four different U15 universities in Canada, beginning his academic career at the University of Alberta before becoming a leading researcher in plant biology at the Universite de Montreals Plant Biology Research Institute. In 2006, he became Dean of the Faculty of Environment at the University of Waterloo, launching several new programs and increasing both operating and facilities funding during his term.

For most of the past decade, Dr. Saini has been either President or Principal of a major university campus, with transformative results. First, as a Vice-President at the University of Toronto and Principal of University of Toronto Mississauga, he led major internationalization efforts, oversaw a significant facilities expansion and increased faculty complement by nearly 100 professors. Then, as President of the University of Canberra he led the development and implementation of a new strategic plan which positions the school as a national leader in professional education and experiential learning, as well as in equity, diversity, inclusion and access.

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VANCOUVER, British Columbia, May 16, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pacific Rim Cobalt Corp. (the Company) announces that further to its application for a Management Cease Trade Order (MCTO), which was granted on May 2, 2019, the Company is required to provide bi-weekly status reports in accordance with the alternative information guidelines in National Policy 12-203, until such time as the Company has completed and filed its audited annual financial statements and managements discussion and analysis in respect of the financial year ended December 31, 2018 (the Annual Report).



The Company reports that, since its May 2, 2019 default announcement in respect of the MCTO (the Default Announcement), there has not been any failure by the Company to fulfill its intentions with respect to satisfying the provisions of the alternative information guidelines, and there have been no additional defaults subsequent to such announcement. Further, Company management and its auditors have established a strategy and procedure for completion of Annual Report including details of the Companys newly acquired Indonesian subsidiary, and will provide an estimate as to the anticipated completion timeframe as soon as possible. The Companys administrative team in Jakarta, Indonesia is assisting with compiling all books and records of newly acquired subsidiary.

There has been no additional material information concerning the Company and its affairs since its Default Announcement that has not been disclosed.

On behalf of the Board of Directors,

Pacific Rim Cobalt Corp.

Ranjeet Sundher

Ranjeet Sundher

CEO and Director

About Pacific Rim Cobalt

Pacific Rim Cobalt is a Canadianbased exploration company focused on the acquisition and development of production grade nickel and cobalt deposits, key raw material inputs for the growing lithiumion battery industry. Visit https://pacificrimcobalt.com/ to find out more.

Pacific Rim Cobalt Corp.

Ranjeet Sundher  President and CEO

(604) 922-8272

rsundher@pacificrimcobalt.com

Steve Vanry  CFO & Director

(604) 922-8272

steve@vanrycap.com

Sean Bromley  Director & Investor Contact

(778) 985-8934

sbromley@investfortuna.com

Reader Advisory

This news release may contain statements which constitute forward-looking information that are subject to risks and uncertainties. All statements herein, other than statements of historical fact, are to be considered forward-looking, including statements regarding the plans, intentions, beliefs and current expectations of the Company, its directors, or its officers with respect to the future business activities of the Company and with respect to the results of exploration and prospective plans in regards to the Cyclops project. The words may, would, could, will, intend, plan, anticipate, believe, estimate, expect and similar expressions, as they relate to the Company, or its management, are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking information are based on reasonable assumptions, such information is not a guarantee of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information. Information provided in this document is necessarily summarized and may not contain all available material information. Although Pacific Rim Cobalt has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements, there can be other factors that cause results, performance or achievements not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking information include, but are not limited to, fluctuations in market prices, success of the operations of the Company, continued availability of capital and financing and general economic, market or business conditions. There can be no assurances that such information will prove accurate and, therefore, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements in this news release are made as of the date of this news release, and the Company does not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking information except as required under the applicable securities laws.

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.
"Very eventful day to say the least," Kyrgios wrote on Instagram. "Emotions got the better of me and I just wanted to say that the atmosphere was crazy out there today, just super unfortunate that it had to end in a default. Sorry Roma, see you again, maybe."
MERCEDES-BENZ has gone to extreme lengths to ensure its first-ever all-electric series production model, the EQC mid-size SUV, is capable of seamless operation and charging in any conditions, thanks to an exhaustive testing program.

With about 2.5 million kilometres of testing clocked up across 400 test vehicles, the EQC has covered twice as much distance in its development phase as an internal-combustion model from the German car-maker.

Speaking to GoAuto at the EQC international first drive in Oslo, Norway, Mercedes-Benz project manager of EV Christian Pfeffer said one of the biggest reasons for its comprehensive test program was the need to evaluate charging capabilities as well as driving.

On a conventional car, the most important thing of testing is driving, he said.

Now with an electric car, there is driving and charging. And you have this connection with the infrastructure which you also have to test.

And so in our test program, this was a big task to test all of the infrastructure all over the world. So, we went to Japan, we went to China, we went to Norway, to Sweden, to South Africa, to the States, not only for driving but also for testing the infrastructure.

Mercedes also had to test the power grid in different countries, which use varying levels of voltage. Different brands of charging stations are also used across the world.

Just as important as ensuring faultless charging ability is was testing of the thermal efficiency of the powertrain, with Mercedes travelling all over the world to hot- and cold-climate areas to ensure the battery-electric powertrain can perform at peak levels in any condition.

Much cold-weather testing took place in Sweden, with Mercedes conducting a road trip from Stuttgart to Sweden via Norway to test both the car performs in cold weather and with the existing EV infrastructure in Europe.

In most cases, in most test drives, we fly our cars to Sweden and got for testing there, but for this car, we drove up in order to see how the car works in the environment, with our charging systems, to see how does the infrastructure work together with our car systems, said Mr Pfeffer.

And we want to see how you can handle it to drive from Stuttgart to Sweden.

Extensive hot-weather testing was also conducted to ensure the cooling systems of the cabin and powertrain both worked perfectly with no loss of power.

So we took a lot of time in southern Spain and South Africa to optimise the cooling system, it is not only to bring a high level of thermal comfort, but to also ensure you have no de-rating on batteries and electric motors, that you have the same power, said Mr Pfeffer.

It was also to get a high efficiency to the drivetrain  this was one of our main topics to bring all climate zones to a high efficiency to the drivetrain.

With 760Nm on tap from the moment the accelerator is pressed, Mr Pfeffer said Mercedes had to strike a balance between offering a car with a stiff-enough chassis to ensure full performance while also providing a comfortable ride befitting of the three-pointed star brand.

To do so. the company developed algorithms to best provide a mix of maximum traction, performance and ride comfort, testing in a range of conditions including on slippery, icy roads in Sweden.

The testing program for EQC commenced four years ago and has been made up of a mix of real-world hardware testing and lab simulations as well as digital testing for the cars software.

When asked whether each new EQ model will require the same level of exhaustive testing as the EQC, Mr Pfeffer said the company would apply the same learning where possible, but each testing program will still require plenty of unique development with different powertrains and layouts for different models.

It depends on the parts, but we can use a lot on some parts, he said.

But were always having this high standard, and we want to ensure our components work in the system of a specific car perfectly.

So, its not like, OK, put this drivetrain in another car and it will be OK, no, it has to be perfectly set up, the perfect application and tailor-made for every car.

The Road to Recovery podcast series
NEW YORK (AP)  Faced with the Trump administration's 25% tariff on imports from China, Ruth Rau is looking to other countries to manufacture baby and toddler toys.

"No one domestically can produce the quality we want, and with the cost of shipping and the proposed new regulations, it's not going to be cost-effective to produce them in China either," says Rau, owner of Mouse Loves Pig.

The 25% tariffs President Donald Trump has imposed on thousands of Chinese-made products have small business owners trying to determine how or whether they can limit the damage to profits from import duties. Many owners will see if they can pass on the added expense to customers. Some, like Rau, are considering getting products manufactured in countries where the U.S. isn't waging a trade war, but that's an expensive alternative that takes time to work out. Others want to find U.S. suppliers, but depending on the product it may be impossible or not much of a money-saver.

Trump raised the tariffs to 25% from a previously imposed 10% last Friday after China refused to meet U.S. demands; trade talks between the countries broke up soon after.

Rau wants to shift production from Nicaragua but manufacturers have told her the prices she'd pay them could go up 30%. Rau, who lives in Winchester, Virginia, is looking at factories elsewhere in Central America as well as South America, hoping they'll be able to produce toys in time for the holiday season.

Companies of all sizes contend with the Trump tariffs, which are a U.S. tax on goods, and with retaliatory tariffs on U.S. exports that countries impose. Small businesses have a tougher time because they lack the revenue streams larger companies use to absorb costs. Big players also have more negotiating power to get better prices from manufacturers, blunting the tariffs' effect. If they're already multinational companies, they can shift manufacturing from one country to another with relative ease.

Peter Horwitz expected the higher tariffs. Horwitz had already absorbed a 10% tariff on the paper and plastic products his company, Tiger Packaging, imports from China. He has already taken steps toward moving some manufacturing to countries including Taiwan and Malaysia.

It's not just added costs that worry Horwitz; fallout from higher tariffs drain his time and focus. Besides having to negotiate deals with new manufacturers, he must reassure customers who don't want to pay more for his products.

"Suddenly, those customers are questioning whether to give you the business," says Horwitz, whose company is located in Boca Raton, Florida.

Moving manufacturing can cost a small business tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars, an enormous amount for many firms.

"It's a complicated decision, whether the cost of new supplies is going to be lower than just enduring the tariffs. There's no simple answer," says Peter Cohan, who teaches entrepreneurship at Babson College.

Alder Riley may have to reduce staffers' hours and scale back plans to expand his 3D manufacturing company, ideastostuff. In 3D printing, machines driven by computers use ultra-thin strands of plastic or metal called filament to create objects; the filament is imported from China. The timing couldn't be worse for Riley, who recently opened a shop in San Francisco to complement his online business.

"We're a relatively new concept, and we're trying to make it as affordable as possible. We're going to have to eat the cost (of tariffs) as much as possible," Riley says. He would like to find U.S. sources, but those companies also buy from China.

Clifton Broumand may have to raise prices on his computer keyboards and mice manufactured in China. His company, Man & Machine, will shift production to Taiwan to avoid the extra tariff.

But Broumand, whose company is based in Landover, Maryland, can't unilaterally charge more  he needs to see what his competitors are doing. If he raises prices and they don't, he could lose business to them.

"If everyone is eating this, then there'll be a price increase," Broumand says. "It's going to hit bottom line profits for everyone."

That is a bad omen for some companies. Some may not be able to absorb 25% tariffs and other costs that keep going up.

"As the pressure builds, you're going to have small firms scale back, lay off workers or go out of business," says Lee Branstetter, an economics professor at Carnegie Mellon University's Heinz College.

In some ways, tariffs are like product shortages and severe weather small businesses can suddenly contend with. As Phillip Kim, an entrepreneurship professor at Babson, puts it, "they're one of the unexpected things that might happen in the course of doing business that owners can't predict."

Owners should set aside money for such contingencies, Kim says. Moreover, he says, they should try to lessen the chances of being surprised.

"Given the age in which we live, it will be much more important for small business owners and entrepreneurs to be mindful of the broader geopolitical environment in which they operate," he says.

While the administration contends the tariffs will help U.S. manufacturers, buying domestically isn't necessarily an antidote. Todd Miller's metal roofing company purchases steel and aluminum from U.S. producers, but they've also raised prices, reasoning they could charge more and still be competitive with tariff-burdened imports.

Miller, president of Piqua, Ohio-based Isaiah Industries, also hasn't escaped the tariffs on Chinese goods. He imports the waterproofing materials commonly known as tar paper and used under the metal roofing from China. Homeowners have already been seeing the higher costs on their roofing bills from the 10% tariffs, and they can expect to see the latest increase.

"Ultimately, the consumer pays for it," Miller says.

___

Follow Joyce Rosenberg at www.twitter.com/JoyceMRosenberg . Her work can be found here: https://apnews.com
8:45 A.M. THURSDAY UPDATE: Authorities have named a 30-year-old suspect after a Wednesday morning burglary at the Virginia ABC store in downtown Danville, police reported.

Police identified the suspect as Nicholas Lamar James, 30, of Danville. As of Thursday morning he had not been located.

A black Honda, a vehicle police believe was connected to the burglary, was found Wednesday night, authorities reported.

Police announced Wednesday that the suspect in the ABC store burglary appeared similar to a suspect in an attempted bank robbery around noon Wednesday at Carter Bank and Trust on Westover Drive.

The attempted bank robbery investigation is ongoing, police said.

ORIGINAL STORY: Danville police are investigating an attempted bank robbery on Wednesday afternoon they believe may be connected with a burglary at a Virginia ABC store downtown, authorities reported.

Police report a suspect presented a note demanding money at about noon Wednesday at Carter Bank and Trust on Westover Drive.

The man did not show a weapon, police reported, and ran away without getting any cash.

The suspects clothing and description seemed similar to a suspect in a Wednesday morning burglary at the ABC store on N. Union Street. Police did not specify what, if anything, was taken from the store.

After detectives began looking at downtown surveillance video, they developed a suspect vehicle involved: A black Honda Accord.

Police are asking for the publics help in locating the suspect and vehicle.

Anyone with information may call Crime Stoppers at (434) 793-0000 or email crimetips@danvilleva.gov.
UPDATE: Police are investigating a second wreck involving a Pittsylvania County school bus Wednesday afternoon within miles of one that happened minutes earlier.

The second wreck occurred on North Flint Hill. There were four children on the bus and none were injured, police reported. That wreck involved a white Nissan.

"All are fine and thank goodness," said Pittsylvania County Superintendent Mark Jones.

ORIGINAL STORY: Authorities are investigating a two-vehicle crash involving a school bus on Banister Road in Pittsylvania County, Virginia State Police report.

The bus was struck head-on by another vehicle shortly after 3 p.m., police reported.

There were 15 students riding on the bus, ranging in age from 5 to 15. One 8-year-old child was being transported by a parent for minor injuries.

"The bus slammed on the brakes and then I hit my head," Jayqwan Hairston, a first-grader at Union Hall Elementary School, told a Register & Bee reporter on the scene. Hairston rides the bus every day.

"I got thrown from my seat into the window," he said.

This story will be updated.

James Whitlow reports for the Danville Register & Bee. Contact him at jwhitlow@registerbee.com or (434) 791-7983.
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
Mayor de Blasio finally found a job he actually wants -- in the White House.Hizzoner announced he's running for president on Thursday in a YouTube video full of digs aimed at President Trump."Don't back down in the face of a bully -- confront him, take him on," de Blasio said."As President I will take on the wealthy, I will take on the big corporations. I will not rest until this government serves working people. As mayor of the largest city in America I've done just that. Donald Trump must be stopped. I've beaten him before and I will do it again."The video concluded with campaign's slogan: "Working people first."He's slated to appear later Thursday morning on "Good Morning America" with First Lady Chirlane McCray before hitting the campaign trail in Iowa and South Carolina.De Blasio has been flirting with a White House bid for half a year, laying the groundwork for a 2020 campaign over the last few months. He's already traveled to key early voting states and moved City Hall staff to work for the federal political action committee that has been bankrolling the effort until now.He's entering a crowded field with more than 20 other Democratic candidates, equipped with relatively poor showings in polls nationally and across the five boroughs. De Blasio may not even qualify for the first debates, which will be capped at 20 participants spread over two nights.The mayor plans to travel to Iowa and South Carolina this weekend to kick off the campaign.The mayor's Fairness PAC already polled potential Iowa caucus-goers and paid for de Blasio's recent trips to Nevada, Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina, where he stumped in front of scanty crowds.A spokeswoman refused to say if the Fairness PAC is paying for this weekend's trip or if the bill will be covered by de Blasio's candidate committee, which was not set up as of Wednesday, according to federal filings. The Fairness PAC raised $470,427 and spent $444,466 between July and December of last year.De Blasio doesn't plan to step down while he's running. First deputy mayor Dean Fuleihan becomes acting mayor when he's out of the city. If de Blasio is away from the five boroughs for more than nine consecutive days, new Public Advocate Jumaane Williams would take over under the City Charter.The mayor has insisted he can run the city while running for president. But he faces of litany of pressing issues back home.Traffic congestion in the city is worsening. The departmental trial for NYPD Officer Daniel Pantaleo only just began this week, more than four years after he put Eric Garner in a fatal chokehold during an arrest attempt on Staten Island.Homelessness reached a record-breaking 63,839 men, women and children in city shelters this January, according to a report released last month. Homelessness is on track to increase by 5,000 people by 2022 -- 7,500 more than de Blasio predicted when he released a plan to address the problem two years ago.The city finally revealed last year that hundreds of kids living in public housing have been tainted by lead -- and de Blasio and federal officials have yet to name someone to lead the New York City Housing Authority. The shakeup was required under a settlement with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development after federal prosecutors sued City Hall for lying about doing mandated lead checks and covering up the extent of the problem, as well as substandard living conditions due to mold and other hazards.And a debate over segregation in city schools -- particularly specialized high schools -- rages on with little end in sight. De Blasio also ended his signature, $773 million "Renewal" plan to help 94 struggling schools this past February after many of them fell short of improvements the city had hoped for in recent years.
The allegations

The Catholic Diocese of Dallas has not been forthcoming in sharing information about priests accused of sexually abusing children, police said Wednesday.Search warrants were executed Wednesday morning and officers were at the diocese offices at around 7:30 a.m. in connection with their investigation into five priests: Edmundo Paredes, 70; Richard Thomas Brown, 77; Alejandro Buitrago, 77; William Joseph Hughes Jr., 63; and Jeremy Myers, 62.The warrant says investigators believe all five men sexually assaulted children, but that the diocese has not shared all of its information about them.In a statement, the diocese said it has been cooperating with the investigation and that it was never subpoenaed. The statement also said that officials in the diocese have given police the personnel files of the five priests named in the warrant and "has been involved in ongoing discussions with DPD investigators."However, a search warrant written by police says the diocese didn't cooperate with the investigation. In one of the cases, the warrant says, a priest was asked by the diocese to investigate himself.Maj. Max Geron of the Dallas Police Department said the investigation started in August 2018, when police received information from the diocese about allegations against Paredes and financial improprieties.Geron said the department has interviewed victims, witnesses and suspects. However, the department has not been given a number of personnel files for priests who were flagged for sexual abuse, the warrant says.Asked if the investigation involves new allegations, Geron said, "I won't address the time frame for the allegations, but I will say they are new allegations that were made to us following the announcement of charges against Paredes."Geron declined to address the other five men named in the search warrant.Bishop Edward J. Burns told the media Wednesday afternoon there were "errors" in the warrant but did not elaborate.Asked to say specifically what was wrong, Burns said he hadn't been able to read the entire search warrant and had been relying on media coverage for information."What we'd like to do is indeed demonstrate a transparency and work with (police) and if there is an area they need more information, of course today, they're going to have it," Burns said, later adding that the church is doing everything it can to "create a safe environment."Asked about a line in the affidavit that says the diocese has denied investigators access to their own internal investigators, Burns said he has not denied "anything to anyone.""It is in the spirit of this diocese that we're going to work collaboratively with the Dallas Police Department," he said. "The police department is able to speak with whoever they want."Burns said the diocese hired a six-member investigative team to look into more than 2,400 priest files, but did not reveal the identity of those investigators.Edmundo Paredes was accused of sexually abusing minors at St. Cecilia Catholic Church in Dallas. He's the only man out of the five who has an active arrest warrant against him. Police also executed search warrants at the church and a storage facility.Diocese officials said they learned about the accusations in February and said they immediately made a police report, but "respected the victims' request not to make the allegations public."The accusations came from three men who said that criminal sexual acts occurred when they were in their mid-teens. The diocese said they found the accusations to be credible. One victim said he was abused by Paredes from 1994 to 1999.Before the allegations were made public, Paredes was removed from the ministry in June 2017 -- after he was accused of financial misconduct at his parish.He has since left the Dallas area and his whereabouts are unknown, according to a report from The Dallas Morning News. The diocese told the paper he may have returned to the Philippines.Geron said the warrants were executed to search for any documentation or data that would help further their investigation.Earlier this year, dioceses across Texas, including Dallas, released lists of priests credibly accused of sexual abuse against minors.The list in Dallas included 31 names, including those who were named in the search warrant.-- Brown is on leave. He was removed in 2002. A woman said she was sexually assaulted by Brown in the 1980s when she went to Holy Family Catholic Church in Irving. The woman told the diocese about the abuse in 2004, but there was no documentation of that conversation in Brown's file -- which was 541 pages, the warrant says. When police notified the diocese about the missing files, an additional 51 pages were provided to them. However, only a few contained any information involving the allegation, the warrant says.-- Buitrago retired in 2017 and was removed from the diocese in 2019. His status is retired with faculties suspended. He is accused of sexual assault against a girl who attended St. Mark the Evangelist Catholic Church in Plano. The warrant says she told the church about the allegations in 2015 but never heard back. Dallas police contacted Plano police to see if the allegations were reported and there were no records of Buitrago or the victim.-- Hughes was removed in 1989, seven years after he was ordained. He was accused of sexually assaulting a minor over the course of a year. However, the warrant says there was nothing in his 319-page file about the accusation. A civil lawsuit was filed against Hughes in 1994. The lawsuit was settled four years later after Hughes admitted to the abuse, the warrant says.-- Myers is suspended. He was removed from the diocese in 2018. Dallas investigators received information from Safe Environment that Myers was accused of sexual assault. He was a priest at St. Mary's Parish in Sherman. The victim told police that the abuse happened in 1986.Burns said that while none of the men live on the church's property, the diocese is "providing for their needs."To determine whether a priest was added to the list of "credibly accused," the church's investigators reviewed files and the Diocesan Review Board considered the accusation and determined whether it believed it was credible."Bishop Burns had the final say whether that priest would make the 'credibly accused' list," the warrant says.The diocese's attorneys told police during a Jan. 16 meeting that two deceased priests and one living priest who were accused didn't make the "credibly-accused" list. However, during a second meeting on Jan. 30, a representative of the diocese told police that they will "likely never know" the number of priests who were accused but didn't make the list.There were also no reports made to the state department of Child Protective Services about any of the allegations, according to the warrant.SNAP -- the survivors network for victims of of sexual abuse in institutional settings -- responded to the reports and said they applaud Texas law enforcement for "raiding the 'secret archives'" of the diocese."Institutions cannot police themselves and it is only through strong action from law enforcement that the full truth of their scandals can be revealed," the organization said.Geron said there is no way to know how many victims there are. He asked that victims or anyone with information call the Dallas Police Child Exploitation Squad at 214-671-4211.
A day-long workshop about FedRAMP, its requirements and the process, so customers know what theyre getting into and can make informed decisions when proceeding to the next steps. These take place at Rackspaces government headquarters in Reston, Va., with the goal of producing a compliance project plan to achieve authorization. A gap assessment led by accredited 3PAOs (Third Party Assessment Organizations) who examine about 25 common problems that prevent FedRAMP authorization. A list of what needs to be remediated, how much it will cost and how long it will take.

Touting a cheaper, faster road to FedRAMP (Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program) compliance, a new three-step program from cloud-computing company Rackspace aims to help smaller SaaS vendors become eligible to do business with federal government.A FedRAMP Authorization to Operate (ATO) is a high industry standard for SaaS security  prohibitively high, in the case of most independent software vendors. A necessity for the federal government since 2011 and increasingly sought by state and local agencies as well, compliance can lead to millions of dollars in contracts for SaaS providers, but it can also take two years and more than $1 million to achieve, according to a 2017 report from third-party assessment organization Coalfire.In effect, the process prohibits federal government clients from accessing a majority of the cloud innovations out there.As described in a news release this week, Rackspaces new program, RISC (Rackspace Inheritable Security Controls), uses automation and cyber-risk management capabilities, built upon Telos Corp.s risk-compliance automation software Xacta, to make FedRAMP ATOs more achievable. The program is meant to effectively make a company ATO-ready  compliant, in other words.Rackspace Director of Government Solutions Brad Schulteis described three steps by which RISC guides clients through costs and requirements associated with FedRAMP compliance:Obtaining a FedRAMP ATO requires a federal government sponsor, but Schulteis said companies that sell to state and local governments, which increasingly prefer FedRAMP compliance but dont require the actual ATO, can still participate in the program and build a compliant environment.While Schulteis said the overall cost of this process is still widely variable depending on how much work a clients SaaS needs, he said the up-front cost of the first two steps is $5,000 and $10,000, respectively. He added that RISC is cheaper for a company than investing in designated staff, software, training, security and consulting to achieve a similar result, and some clients can achieve an ATO in four months time.If you signed up on your own for a gap assessment that looks at the whole suite of your capability, those are typically going to be about $80,000 to $100,000, he said. Were able to deliver that at $10,000, because the people delivering that gap assessment know what to look at and what not to waste their time on.Schulteis said its been two years since Rackspace started working with the public sector, and RISC is the result of complaints theyve had about FedRAMP compliance. Pointing to the relative ease of use and maintenance that makes SaaS tempting to government  as well as the massive gap between whats available to government versus the private sector  he said RISC could bring thousands of new software vendors into the gov tech market.Today there are only 96 [FedRAMP] authorized SaaS solutions, and there are about 12,000 SaaS solutions in the public market. So all of this innovation going on in the cloud space, in the SaaS environment, is really where enterprise wants to be, he said. Everyone wants to consume a SaaS solution because its turnkey, and I can use it.  By enabling lots more companies that maybe dont understand this process or get through it on their own, were delivering that innovation to the government, and everyone is hopefully winning because of that.
The nascent United States Space Commands headquarters will bring 1,200 high-paying jobs and an estimated $2 billion in direct Pentagon investment, essentially seed money that could generate related employment for thousands and contribute as much as $5 billion in associated benefits to the state and local economy where it is placed.Florida wants it  badly  and is aggressively lobbying the Trump administration to be included as a candidate for the new command despite a preliminary April recommendation by the U.S. Air Force that named six potential sites, including four in Colorado, to serve as headquarters.But at the "Why Florida summit at Orlando International Airport, organized by Space Florida and attended by more than 100 government, chambers of commerce and space industry leaders, state officials said the Air Forces proposal does not rule out Florida.We know thats not the case, said Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nunez, who chairs Space Floridas Board of Directors. We know its wide open and Florida is in it. And were in it to win.Despite what you may have read in the media, the Air Force has indicated to me that it is following its basic strategic process and is open to other recommendations, said U.S. Rep. Michael Waltz, R-St. Augustine Beach, who sits on the Houses Armed Services Committee and Commerce Committees Space Subcommittee.Floridas prospects are buoyed when political ramifications are factored. The state has 29 electoral votes, a history of razor-thin GOP victories and the decision is due October 2020, just weeks before the general election.U.S. Space Command belongs in Florida, Nunez said. No other state hosts more combatant commands. Florida also is home to over 20 military installations. Additionally, Florida has a long history in support of our nations efforts in space. And our commercial space industry is booming.In 2006, the Legislature created Space Florida, not only as a public-private state agency, but as an independent special district.Space Florida now operates five spaceport special districts that require extraterrestrial transportation concerns be addressed in the same procedural way state and local governments must, for example, coordinate on incorporating bicycle lanes and sidewalks into long-range intermodal plans.Florida already is a top launch designation for the booming commercial aerospace and spaceflight industry with Elon Musk's SpaceX, Blue Origin, Boeing, Relativity Space and Firefly Aerospace among at least 21 firms investing in the states spaceports.We own the higher ground on the ability to place, support and operate space assets, Space Florida President Frank DiBello said, noting preferred orbital trajectories, an established commercial spaceflight industry, an existing network of military and Floridas historical role in aerospace development makes it an attractive site for Space Command headquarters.Florida, with its aerospace and spaceflight infrastructure, has a history of supporting NASA and military space development, beginning with Americas first launch of Bumper 8 in 1950 and the first manned missions into space in 1961, and dozens of active and inactive NASA/military launch sites along the Space Coast.The 45th Space Wing, which launches more rockets than any other military unit, is based at Cape Canaveral. The Air Forces only other space wing  the 30th  is based at Vandenburg Air Force Base in California.Transitioning those NASA and commercial resources to military applications would be a natural fit, as Gov. Ron DeSantis has said in his entreaties to President Donald Trump to name Florida as the new commands home.DiBello said the next generation of military space assets, such as hypersonics, laser-beam, cyber and electromagnetics and robotic platforms will need to mobile and positioned for rapid use.Florida can do that, he said.Space defenses is happening. And its being driven by our adversaries. And it will be launched and supported by Florida, DiBello said.There will be and must be deep logistics support and rapid-deployment capability and built-in resilience for rapid reconstitution in the face of real-time attrition, he continued. This is real-time space operations in the face of a threat.DeSantis has recommended Trump consider Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, home to Kennedy Space Center, and Patrick Air Force Base, between Satellite Beach and Cocoa Beach, for Space Command headquarters.Make no doubt that space today is a war-fighting domain. It is no longer a domain just to travel through, retired Air Force Lt-General Glenn Spears said. It is a domain, a global common, that this nation must protect.Florida is ready to assist the Pentagon in doing that, Space Florida Vice President Government & External Relations Dale Ketcham said."Creating a new culture for a new service and training war fighters to fight in a new domain, he said, this is something Florida is good at.
In the case of water and sewer systems  The receipt of the earthquake alert message, would initiate automatic systems to shut off feed and distribution valves to prevent significant loss of water, should the pipes become damaged during the earthquake.

For elevators  A signal would send the elevator to the nearest floor and have the doors open to allow occupants to exit and take protective actions before the shaking occurs, instead of having to ride out the earthquake inside a dangling elevator car and slamming against the sides of the shaft.

In schools  The signal would activate the public address system in the school and school district, instructing students, teachers, staff and visitors to take protective actions, (Drop, Cover and Hold on), before the violent shaking occurs, reducing and possibly preventing falls and injury.

Rail systems  San Francisco has already tested the ShakeAlert System with their Bay Area Rapid Transit services, to automatically slow down the rail lines upon receipt of a warning signal, with great results.

See my original blog post: Washington State Baby Steps Toward Seismic Preparedness Let's be clear  my beef is not with emergency managers, but with legislators who are unwilling to invest real money into disaster readiness until and unless someone has died due to their inaction, then and only then, their interest piques to show that they are doing something, once all the bodies are buried. This is true at all levels of government. Nationally, they allocate a pittance to a tsunami warning system, when compared to China and Japan. For their lack of investment in a "national" earthquake early warning system, we are behind even Mexico and Chile on this one. And, not to leave out Washington state legislators, a little money this year does not make up for total inaction in all the previous years. My favorite Steve Palmer quote, "This state will not do anything about seismic safety until we are dragging dead bodies out of buildings." And, last but not least, the city of Seattle is more interested in cheap rents and historical preservation than in the safety of people who work and live in unreinforced masonry buildings (URM). They seem to think that nothing will ever happen and that earthquakes always occur somewhere else. They will be out of office and feel blameless for their inaction when the buildings do pancake.Another quote I always stressed to my staff in the past was, "Promise less, deliver more." Don't start talking about a system being in place until,People don't hear the words "pilot" or "testing." All they hear is that there is a new system that will warn them instantaneously! And don't try to tell them post facto they they didn't hear the message right when you told them the status of the system!Here is the reply I got from Chuck Wallace, one of the good guys trying to "make bricks without straw." I may be out of the loop, but "operational" is not a word I would use to describe the Washington state seismic warning system. Pilot, testing, slow methodical progress ... seems to be where we are. Google the straw reference above.###Wednesday, May 15, 2019Eric,Thank you very much for the blog post,on May 12th. Although, progress toward full implementation of the ShakeAlert Earthquake Early Warning System in Washington state has appeared slow, there has been consistent advancement toward full deployment. Through the efforts of the Washington State Emergency Management Division (EMD), the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the Cascadia Region Earthquake Workgroup (CREW), the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network (PNSN), other regional partners and numerous initial pilot users of the ShakeAlert System, earthquake early warning for schools, businesses and industry are a reality and are working today.The premise of the ShakeAlert System, is for the ground motion sensors to detect the occurrence of an earthquake, (detection of the initial P waves), send the information to servers in Washington and California, which in turn can send a message to a specific site/area, where particular protective actions can be initiated, all before the violent shaking begins, (arrival of the damaging S waves). All of this, happening within seconds.For example:All of these actions are based upon the Machine 2 Machine (M2M) communications you discussed in your May 12th blog.Los Angeles and Oakland have recently tested cell phone apps and the Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA) system to reach the general public via cell phone messaging with varying results. Between the server indicating an earthquake warning and the ability to send a notice via cell phone, there is still a significant latency in the system of more than a few seconds, and with some phones never receiving an alert. Encouragingly, there are numerous companies and organizations working to reduce the latency time on apps, to send messages to personal cell phones.ShakeAlert, Earthquake Early Warning is here to stay. New developments are continually being discovered and instituted. New earthquake detecting sensors are being added to the system each month, making it more and more robust, increasing confidence and system function. Planning, design and testing is ongoing throughout ShakeAlert, which in time, will bring the availability to notify everyone via cell phone.An absolutely critical part of a successful ShakeAlert Earthquake Early Warning system that has not had much focus though is education, training and outreach. If people dont know what the system is, how to get an alert, and what to do to protect themselves when they receive an alert, then the system wont be successful. This is a huge undertaking that hasnt had much funding or capacity support, which is why it is so important that WA EMD received funding for an Earthquake Early Warning Coordinator.Thanks again,Chuck WallaceWA State ShakeAlert Early Earthquake Coordinatorctwajr@comcast.net(360) 280-8278
One of the most data-rich e-scooter programs in the country has relaunched with an updated focus on removing the vehicles from sidewalks and parks, along with generating a funding stream to build out more infrastructure.Portland, Ore., announced the launch of a second year-long pilot to further explore the micro-mobility rent-to-ride devices, granting permits to three scooter operators: Bolt, Spin and Lime. Meanwhile, several other companies  Shared Technologies Inc., Clevr Mobility, Jump and Razor USA  are in the final stages of completing the permitting process to operate in the city.This years pilot will place some 2,500 e-scooters on Portland streets, with the possibility of increasing that number to as much as 15,000 by January 2020, assuming certain goals are met. Many of those goals are related to ensuring the safe operation of the vehicles and increasing their use in economically disadvantaged areas.The new pilot, which will run until the end of April in 2020, follows the citys 120-day scooter test phase last year, which found some 700,369 trips taken on 2,043 scooters for a total of 801,887 miles.That initial pilot ran from July to November 2018 and saw 1,622 reports of sidewalk riding, which accounted to 27 percent of all reports, according to a recent report by the Portland Bureau of Transportation. And sidewalk riding was much more common on streets lacking adequate bike lanes.In the next phase of the program, companies will be required to take more proactive steps to ensure the scooters are being operated safely and parked in appropriate locations. After one warning, riders could get a $15 fine for illegal parking or a $50 citation for riding on a sidewalk. Riders will also be charged a 25-cent street usage fee, with operators charged a 5-cent to 20-cent per ride right-of-way fee in an effort to generate funding to provide safer scooter and bike facilities.In Portland, e-scooter companies will find a combination of penalties and potential incentives that will reward their efforts to create innovative solutions that reduce conflict between e-scooter users and people who walk or use mobility devices on our sidewalks," Chris Warner, interim transportation director, said in a statement Incentives often come in the form of the city increasing the number of scooter units allowed. Earning those increases could possibly come in the form of introducing scooters with seats, allowing more riders to access them.The pilot was also notable for the detailed level of data it collected. Not only was use data shared with the city, but riders were also surveyed to get a sense of their scooter use.For example, 34 percent of Portland riders and 48 percent of visitors took an e-scooter instead of driving a personal car or using Uber, Lyft or taxi, reads the report."With good data, we can make good decisions," said Warner. "Our comprehensive data requirements helped show that e-scooters eliminated thousands of car trips last year."William Henderson, CEO of Ride Report, a Portland-based software company that partners with cities to provide and analyze transportation data, said e-scooters are meeting a real need, but added that not all the kinks have been worked out.A citys right-of-way, said Henderson, represents a valuable asset that needs to be managed effectively.The golden egg is the right of way, he said. The reason that these companies are making money  is because the right-of-way that theyre using is tremendously underpriced, and its under-utilized."What these companies have figured out is, we can make a lot of money, just by putting a relatively inexpensive vehicle on the streets, allowing people to use the streets more efficiently, he added.Scooters can be found in about 100 U.S. cities, according to the National Association of City Transportation Officials, and provided some 38.5 million trips in 2018 They are often batched into the same basket of disruptive mobility assigned to ride-hailing companies, often blamed for increased traffic congestion and declining transit use. Cities are viewing the emerging scooter market within the context of how disruptive the ride-hailing industry turned out to be.I do think theres a sustainable industry here. And I think theres a clear need for this service. And people find it compelling. So I think the long-term trend is really, really good, said Henderson.That said, I wouldnt be that surprised if we saw a little bit of a pulling back at some point, especially depending on what happens in the macro-market around Uber and Lyft, he added.
(TNS)  The streetcar in Charlotte, N.C., will close for 18 months beginning June 3 so crews can finish extending the line another 2.5 miles, Charlotte Area Transit System officials said Tuesday.CityLynx connector buses will replace the Gold Line streetcar, CATS officials posted on Facebook and Twitter.Streetcar service must close so workers can  raise the existing stop platforms for level boarding with the new, modern streetcars and upgrade power on the current Gold Line, CATS officials posted.CityLynx connector buses will run on the same schedule as the streetcars  every 15 minutes daily until 7 p.m., and every 20 minutes after 7 p.m., officials said.Because riding the streetcar is free, passengers boarding at bus stops in the Gold Line service also will ride for free , CATS officials posted.The streetcar line extension will extend service 2.5 miles on the east and west ends of the line, creating a 4-mile system, according to CATS.Streetcar service will extend 2 miles west, from the Charlotte Transportation Center in uptown to French Street, and east a half-mile along Hawthorne Lane from Novant Presbyterian Hospital to Sunnyside Avenue.The extension will add 11 stops to the line and Siemens modern streetcars with hybrid technology, according to an online summary on charlottenc.gov.The line extension through uptown Charlotte will be delayed until early 2021, in part because of the 2020 Republican National Convention in Charlotte, John Lewis, chief executive of CATS, told the Charlotte City Council on April 1, The Charlotte Observer previously reported.City Manager Marcus Jones said the line has had other problems as well, including the steel girders for a bridge over Hawthorne Street that turned out to be the wrong size, the Observer reported.The city and the federal government are each paying half the $150 million cost for the extension.
(TNS)  The Erie County, Pa., government wants to hear from residents of areas where Internet access is limited, slow or prone to outages and delays.In an effort to expand high-speed broadband service, Erie County Executive Kathy Dahlkemper's administration is asking residents, especially those with slow broadband service or no service at all, to complete a short survey. The results will help the county determine areas that need addressed as officials work with Internet service providers, utility companies, broadband organizations, municipalities and the state and federal governments to expand access.The survey is available online at https://broadband.eriecountypa.gov or by calling (814) 451-7440.The goal is expand broadband access to all of the county's 274,541 residents. Broadband is defined as minimum speeds of 25 megabits per second for downloads and 3 megabits per second for uploads.Currently, 99 percent of the geographic area north of Interstate 90 has access to high-speed broadband service, but only 25 percent of the area south of the interstate does.The coverage area is expected to grow some by 2020, opening up broadband services to thousands of Erie County residents. Specifically, broadband access will expand to an area bound by Peach Street on the west, I-90 and I-86 to the north, and an area that roughly runs from Route 89, Route 8 and Wattsburg Road on the east and south.It's part of a project by Butler-based Armstrong Broadband , which began installation last fall.Armstrong received $2.6 million from the federal Connect America Fund and another $1.2 million from Pennsylvania's Broadband Investment Incentive Program. Shawn Beqaj, Armstrong's vice president of regulatory policy and interconnection, told the Erie Times-News in March that the company is spending as much as three times that amount to expand to those areas of southern and eastern Erie County.But without the grant funds, he said at the time, the expansion wouldn't be possible long-term. The cost to install, maintain and operate lines in areas where there are only four or five homes per mile wouldn't be profitable, he said.That's why other Internet service providers have been hesitant to expand in rural areas, including those in Erie, Crawford and Mercer counties.The county's survey will help identify gaps in coverage and determine where state and federal funding should be used."We encourage all residents to take the survey, either on their computer, on their mobile device or by phone," Dahlkemper said in a prepared statement. "We are working hard to make high-speed Internet more affordable and accessible in all corners of the county, but we need input from our citizens to help make that happen."The survey website also lists alternative broadband options for residents who live outside an existing coverage area. Those options include mobile and satellite broadband services.
(TNS)  A statewide program aimed at addressing rural broadband needs across Iowa could help provide access to federal grant opportunities for internet expansion projects. The ReConnect grant program , announced by the U.S. Department of Agriculture last December, can open the door to $600 million in grants and loans aimed at broadband support in rural areas where internet services are lacking.On Tuesday, Gov. Kim Reynolds announced the Governors Empower Rural Iowa Initiative, which passed in the most recent Legislative session, could help communities get one step closer to being eligible for the ReConnect funds.To be considered the USDA funds, applicants must provide broadband service to eligible rural areas with a population of 20,000 or fewer.Other criteria to receive the funds will be considered by the USDA based on a point system up to 150 points. Reynolds said in a Tuesday news release that a letter noting Iowas qualifications will provide applicants an extra 20 points in the application process.Improving broadband internet access continues to be a top priority because it allows our rural communities to thrive. The Governors Empower Rural Iowa Initiative, along with our focus on broadband internet, will put Iowa on the map as a hub for rural connectivity, Reynolds said.By leveraging state, federal and private resources, we can open the door for even more innovation and breakthroughs.ReConnect applicants must submit a map showing the U.S. Census Blocks where service is proposed.
The developers are using historic tax credits for the old Copley property, which has buildings dating as far back as the 1880s, and also structures from the 1930s and 1940s, the 1970s and 1980s. It's because of those credits that the project has to be structured in a way that East Aurora does not take ownership of the new administration building right away.
(TNS)  When Pete Buttigieg joined Facebook as a Harvard undergrad in 2004, he was the 287th user registered on the site. The social networks founders were friends of friends, and it felt like an insular message board for Harvard classmates, he remembered in an interview in San Francisco last week.I dont think any of us could have guessed what implications that technology would have in the long run, Buttigieg said.Fifteen years and 2.4 billion users later, as Facebook wrestles with cascading scandals over data privacy, misinformation and election meddling on its platform, Buttigieg has become one of several presidential contenders calling for tougher regulation of the company and Silicon Valleys other biggest tech firms.The debate over Facebooks future took on new resonance last week as one of the companys co-founders, Chris Hughes, published aop-ed calling for the tech giant to be broken up. Buttigieg said Hughes, his former Harvard classmate, made a very convincing case that no company should have the type of power that these tech companies have.But unlike Sen. Elizabeth Warren, he hasnt endorsed breaking up the tech giants, instead suggesting a spectrum of regulation that could include fines, blocking new mergers or splitting up companies. Thats attracted criticism from some on the left who want the candidates to take a strong stance on issues of corporate power.Buttigiegs vaguer position comes as the 37-year-old mayor of South Bend, Ind., has courted support from Silicon Valley, attending a packed schedule of fundraisers around the Valley and San Francisco on Friday.In the first three months of 2019, Buttigieg received at least $27,250 in donations from employees of Facebook, Google, Apple and Amazon, the fifth-highest total among the Democrats running for president. Hughes also gave him $2,700 (while donating to several other 2020 Democrats as well). Meanwhile, his campaign has spent about $181,000 on Facebook ads, less than a fifth of the amount spent by Sens. Kamala Harris or Warren.Here in the Bay Area, weve been waiting for a new generation that is going to redefine politics, and I think Petes going to do it, said Adam Hundt, a tech worker who met Buttigieg in college and co-hosted one of his fundraisers. Tech is all about change, and the way Pete has an open mind and embraces change makes him a natural fit.Buttigieg was two years ahead of Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg at the Ivy League school, and was a senior when Zuckerberg, Hughes and their co-founders launched the site from a dorm room. Buttigiegs account is the 287th on the network (although a few of those before him were created as tests)  if you go to facebook.com/287 while signed into Facebook, the Harvard grads original page, which he still updates, will pop up.At the time, following his friends on Facebook felt like a curiosity, and an improvement over services like MySpace, Friendster or AIM, Buttigieg said. In recent years, hes used his page to share photos from his deployment to Afghanistan in the Navy Reserve and post pictures and videos of life in South Bend. (He has separate pages for his presidential campaign and mayors office.)When Zuckerberg embarked on a cross-country trip to see more of the U.S. in 2017  attracting rumors about his own presidential ambitions  he stopped by South Bend to meet with Buttigieg, connected by a mutual Harvard friend. The mayor drove the tech mogul on a tour of the city, as Zuckerberg streamed live video from his cell phone on the dashboard of Buttigiegs car.Zuckerberg and Buttigieg stayed in touch, and they last spoke earlier this year, his campaign said.As Buttigieg explained to Zuckerberg on the tour, hes also worked to attract tech investment to his Rust Belt hometown, helping open a data center on the site of an abandoned Studebaker plant and transforming other old factories into glassy work spaces for startups.What theyve done to revitalize the city is pretty remarkable, marveled Matt Rogers, the co-founder of the smart home company Nest and an investor whos been to the city multiple times at the mayors invitation. You go out to dinner in South Bend and the streets are full of millennials, and there are great restaurants that feel like youre in San Francisco.Rogers, whos hosted fundraisers for Buttigieg, said he found the candidate to be literate, fluent and deeply knowledgeable about tech issues.Buttigieg has suggested that that tech know-how is missing in D.C. He criticized the congressional hearings featuring Zuckerberg and other tech executives last year, which he called political theater where very little actually got achieved.What we saw was a spectacle of people in charge of regulating a very powerful force demonstrating that they had no concept of what it was they were in charge of overseeing  which is incredibly dangerous, Buttigieg said, arguing that political leaders need some kind of literacy in these technologies, what they mean and more importantly what they can do, in order to regulate properly.This is not necessarily an age thing, although I think it helps to have grown up with these technologies at your fingertips, he added.Meanwhile, Buttigieg has toed the line between criticizing tech companies and voicing a more sympathetic perspective.He said Friday that a lot of people here in the tech sector still have a David mentality when theyve increasingly turned into Goliath. But he added that he believes tech companies are making policy decisions perhaps, not necessarily with bad intentions, and said he was struck by how many of Silicon Valleys executives have become very introspective and are really reflecting on what they wrought.That more diplomatic approach  and Buttigiegs avoidance so far of calling for breaking up companies like Facebook  has been a personal sigh of relief for a lot of people in the tech industry, said Jacob Helberg, a tech policy adviser whos hosted fundraisers for the candidate.While most of the other top Democrats are also playing coy on the issue, Buttigiegs refusal to be pinned down has frustrated tech critics who see it as a defining debate in the party.He is going for Silicon Valley money and he wants to express some nod to the problems but he doesnt want to offend anyone powerful, said Matt Stoller, a fellow at the Open Markets Institute and an advocate of splitting up the tech giants. Take a position.Sen. Elizabeth Warren: Todays big tech companies have too much power?  ?too much power over our economy, our society, and our democracy. Theyve bulldozed competition, used our private information for profit, and tilted the playing field against everyone else.  Thats why my administration will make big, structural changes to the tech sector to promote more competition?  ?including breaking up Amazon, Facebook, and Google.Rep. Tulsi Gabbard: Absolute power corrupts absolutely. I agree with Senator Warren on the need to break up big tech companies like Facebook, Google, Amazon. Will be introducing similar legislation in U.S. House.Former Vice President Joe Biden: Breaking up Facebook is something we should take a really hard look at, he told The Associated Press, saying Warren has a very strong case to be made.Sen. Kamala Harris: We have to seriously take a look at that  (Facebook) is essentially a utility that has gone unregulated. And as far as Im concerned, thats got to stop.Sen. Bernie Sanders: We are living in an era of monopolies that dominate every aspect of our lives  including our government. Its time to take that power back.Sen. Cory Booker: I dont think that a president should be running around pointing at companies and saying breaking them up without any kind of process here. Its not me and my own personal opinion about going after folks. That sounds more like a Donald Trump thing to say, Im going to break up you guys.Former Rep. Beto ORourke: Im not sure if having five more Facebooks  if you broke up Facebook into five component parts, or any of these other large social media or technology companies  makes as much sense as regulating them.
(TNS)  City officials have proposed using fines and technology to deter motorists from running red lights in Fort Smith, Ark.Vice Mayor and At-large City Director Kevin Settle at a study session Tuesday said he would like the city to raise the fine for red light violations and install automated video citation systems at intersections in Fort Smith. Officials would have to pass a city ordinance to raise fines for this kind of violation. State officials would have to pass legislation for automated citations to be legal in Arkansas.According to department records, Fort Smith police since Jan. 1, 2014, have worked 705 wrecks involving red light violations  a rate of roughly 11 per month. One resulted in a fatality and 26 resulted in serious injuries."It's something the board needs to address to make our city safer," Settle said.Interim Police Chief Danny Baker said drivers in Arkansas may run red lights at a higher rates than in the past because they try to beat yellow lights before they turn red. He said this began after the state Legislature passed a law in 2009 that protected drivers who enter an intersection at a yellow light from a citation if it turns red while they are in the intersection.Settle said plenty of motorists in Fort Smith run red lights but don't get a citation because an officer isn't present or a wreck doesn't happen. This happens, he said, despite Baker saying police can better enforce red light violations more easily since they began using body-worn cameras, which allow them to review footage, in March."Whether it's something we can enforce or not, it's something in everybody's face every day of the week," Baker said.Settle said he hopes city directors will meet with state legislators over the summer to discuss a plan to create legislation that would permit this kind of enforcement. Baker said automated traffic enforcement is permitted under state law in school zones and at railroad crossings but not in ordinary traffic intersections.Even if legislation that allows automated enforcement passes, City Administrator Carl Geffken said cameras suited for this kind of enforcement typically cost about $100,000 apiece. Settle said these kinds of cameras could be less expensive in 2021, when the Legislature is back in session."Ultimately, it's the cost of public safety. You can't put a price on that," Settle said. "If you can save a person's life because you put a red light camera there and people stop during red lights, that cost is invaluable. It could come out of the street department budget, come out of the engineering department budget."Municipalities under Arkansas law can enact a maximum fine of up to $100 for traffic violations if they do not rise to a misdemeanor level. City Attorney John Settle said city officials could pass an ordinance tied to traffic misdemeanors that carries a fine on top of the state fine.Kevin Settle said he would like the fine for red light violations to rise to $250-$500. He said he believes this dollar value would deter people from committing the violations."The hard dollars to run a red light is not a very good fine," he said of the current fine.Baker said his officers will continue to enforce red light violations, but added that this issue reaches beyond the Police Department."There are a lot of steps that can be followed to try to reduce this in Fort Smith. ... We'll continue to do that by working with the other city departments, the state department," he said.
(TNS)  Although a six-month-long pilot program study period ended in March, Longmont, Colo., police will continue encrypting police radio traffic, Public Safety Chief Mike Butler said Tuesday night.Were convinced encryption works for us, Butler told Longmont City Council.Butler said transmitting dispatchers and officers radio traffic through an encrypted channel  one the general public cannot listen to on conventional police radio monitors or cellphone apps  enhances the effectiveness of police.The citizens are safer, the officers are safer, and the privacy of people in Longmont who need certain kinds of police assistance is much more protected, he said.Butler and Deputy Chief Jeff Satur presented council with highlights of a report about the data gathered between the pilot encryption programs launch on Sept. 22 and collected through March 21, and the comparison of that data with the period between Sept. 22, 2017, and March 21, 2018.Longmont police believe encryption enhances the safety of our citizens by better protecting them from those who intend to do harm, according to the Public Safety Departments slideshow for Tuesdays council meeting.It improves our effectiveness by eliminating the means by which criminals monitor our activities in order to commit crimes and avoid apprehension. It protects the private information of our community members by preventing its public broadcast. It increases officer safety by removing one mechanism used to monitor police activity and response, thereby reducing the opportunity for an ambush on our officers, the department stated in the information presented to council.Satur and Butler said encryption also protects the privacy of victims of domestic violence and stalking, and keeps private the personal information of people who call or are communicating with dispatchers about sexual assault or child molestation.Local media outlets, including the, were provided a scanner to listen to encrypted radio traffic.None of the council members objected Tuesday night to the Public Safety Departments decision to continue the program.You made a good case that encryption contributes to officer safety and public privacy, Councilman Tim Waters told Butler.However, Waters said encrypting police radio traffic seems like a policy decision that should be made by council, as opposed to an operational decision city staff can adopt without consulting, or getting a vote of approval from, council. Waters added that he, for one, would enthusiastically support such a policy decision.Councilwoman Bonnie Finley, though, told Butler she thought it was the chiefs job to make sure police officers and members of the community are safe and should do what is necessary to ensure that.Mayor Brian Bagley said he personally has no interest in telling the police department how to police.Butler and Satur in their report and slideshow said in recent years, scanner technology has become readily accessible and freely available to all smartphones, making it easy for the public, including criminals, to listen to live police radio communications.They said police officers have been concerned for years that those who commit crimes listen to the departments radio traffic to determine officers locations.Butler also described how  encrypted radio traffic aside  the department strives for transparency in the community.The transparency portion of Butler and Saturs presentation cited the involvement of residents in the hiring, promotion and master police officer selection processes, as well as more than 175 volunteers who help with criminal and arson investigations and safety inspections of local buildings, and community members who serve on the departments professional standards internal affairs review board.They said Public Safety staff walks Longmont neighborhoods daily, meeting members of the community. They said that in the past two years, staff has walked more than 780 neighborhoods.
Chief information officers at all levels of government have consistently ranked cybersecurity as their No. 1 priority in the last several years, according to the Center for Digital Government.* With the rise of ransomware attacks and other serious breaches, their concerns are well-founded.Last year, legislation in Kansas formally established the CISO role and the states security office, and required that agencies have their own heads of security. This means that the ownership and responsibility of cybersecurity in state government falls within the agencies, Chief Information Technology Officer Lee Allen explained at the National Association of State Chief Information Officers Midyear conference last week.Allen said he sees the role of CISO as distinct from his CITO position, and that he tries to give state security chief Rod Blunt autonomy to ensure security needs are being met, while supporting those efforts however he can.Government Technologys
(TNS)  The ransomware attack on Baltimore citys government computers has shut down systems essential for completing home sales, putting a halt to property deals during one of the real estate industrys busiest times of year.People buying homes rely on the city to verify that properties are free of liens and to complete the recording of new deeds. Title companies also use information from the city to calculate outstanding water bills. Those processes have been disrupted by the hack , according to real estate agents and a bulletin from a title insurance company.The disruption also stands to hold up the citys collection of transfer and property taxes and water bills.Amy Caplan, the operations manager at Broadview Title, said city systems her company relies on shut down Friday. Then Monday, the companies that underwrite title insurance began issuing notices telling their agents to put a stop to deals in Baltimore.Its crippling the entire city for sure, Caplan said. Theres just no resolution. It seems like theres no contingency plan in place for Baltimore city.In a briefing for City Council members on the attack Monday, Mayor Bernard C. Jack Young said officials were working to minimize any impact on real estate transactions.On Tuesday, a spokesman for the mayor said the citys finance department was trying to gain access to its mainframe system to accurately provide an accounting of outstanding liens against properties scheduled for closings.Theyre working with outside experts and hope to gain access to the information as quickly as possible, spokesman Lester Davis said in an email.In the meantime, hundreds of property sales could be affected. A real estate agent with access to industry data said at least 1,500 sales are pending in Baltimore.Realtor Joy Sushinsky said she had lost one deal already because of the computer problems and had several more on the line. If a second deal scheduled for Wednesday doesnt go through, she said, the buyer and seller could be on the hook for some $2,600 in extra costs. And Sushinsky said because of lost revenue, shes dipping into savings to pay her assistant.Its just a mess, she said.The Greater Baltimore Board of Realtors said in a statement that it was seeking an emergency meeting with city officials. Al Ingraham, the groups director, said in a subsequent email that he did not expect to know anything more until late Wednesday.The boards statement said most major title insurance companies had told their agents not to issues policies until the citys computer issues are resolved. Without such a policy, a transaction involving a mortgage cant be closed.First American Title Insurance Co. was among those firms instructing agents not to close any deals in Baltimore.While the City is aware of the problems created by the inability to accept or process real property sales and loan transactions and is working on a solution, it is unable to give a time frame on when it will be able to re-open. We have been told to check in weekly, the company wrote.We understand that the situation presents difficulties for our agents, but feel that under the circumstances, declining to insure until systems are back in full service is the only way to approach the problem.An official at the citys housing department has said its ability to cut checks for home-buying incentive programs also has been affected by the hack.The ransomware was detected May 7. Hackers locked up files on city computers, demanding a payment to turn over the keys, but officials have said they wont pay.The disruption to the computer network has caused widespread problems in city government. City employees do not have access to email, leading some to create private accounts to get work done. The hack has affected the citys ability to accept payments, and officials have said they are suspending late fees. Several agencies are developing workarounds to continue offering services that typically rely on computers.Officials have said it could take weeks to restore all the computer systems.This is a very unfortunate situation, but other cities have had this exact circumstance happen, said Cindy Ariosa, treasurer for Bright MLS, the regions multiple listing service for real estate. Its a sign of the times.She said a workaround could involve a paper system or a tech-driven solution.In the meantime, she said, people will be impacted, but the city is at risk, too. People have to pay thousands in transfer taxes; they pay property taxes; they pay water bills and ground rent.Spencer Stephens, corporate counsel for the title company Bay County Settlements Inc., said his firm has a few transactions that are being held up by the ransomware attack.If youre buying and you gave notice at your apartment and youre planning on moving at the end of May, that timing is in question, Stephens said. If youre a seller, its a problem because you want to move to your new house, and you want to get the funds out of our old home and make moving arrangements.And the problems with home sales in Baltimore could ripple through the housing industry. Alyssia Essig, a realtor and former president of the Realtors board, said thats because each property sale is like one in a set of dominoes. Each must fall in turn.The house that is due to close in Canton is the beginning domino for that person who is buying a home in Towson, and that person is buying a home in New York, and that person is buying a home in Canada, Essig said.Clifford Rossi, professor in the University of Maryland Robert H. Smith School of Business and former executive in the financial services industry, said governments need to be better prepared. Hackers know they arent, which is why they target them.Not just Baltimore City, but most governments dont run themselves as a business and businesses would have a solid business continuity plan in place, he said.Theyd have backup systems, dedicated data warehousing for sensitive information, he said. Im not casting aspersions on these folks  but at the same time continuity plans and redundancy and back-up plans are critical, particularly in this day and age.A certain number of people will walk away once the lock-in period in their home purchase contracts expires, he said. That is at least delayed revenue to city coffers and potentially lost revenue, and, he said another black mark for Baltimore.
SANTA CLARA, Calif.  Homelessness, traffic congestion and other pervasive urban issues do not stop at the citys edge, and neither should the approach to solving these problems. That's why regional solutions based on data and smart city technologies can have a sizable impact on the quality of life for all residents.When we talk about housing, theres no city borders in housing, said Rob Lloyd, chief information officer for San Jose, Calif., speaking Wednesday during the Internet of Things World Conference in Silicon Valley. Homelessness, traffic, crime, transportation and transit in general, none of those have a border to them.Lloyds point was highlighted earlier in the day by Ajay Joshi, deputy chief information officer in Phoenix, who explained how Maricopa County  home to Phoenix and the constellation of neighboring cities  became a smart region by using IoT and other tech to coordinate communications and other operations related to fire departments, public transit and radio communications.We need to work together to provide a unified experience for the residents, said Joshi in his discussion Charting the Course to Become a Smart City and Smart Region.You call 911. You dont need to worry about if you are in Tempe, or Phoenix or Scottsdale, or any of those towns. Youll be taken care of, said Joshi, calling attention to the areas regional emergency response network.The fire department and response organization in the Phoenix region covers 2,500 square miles across 26 cities with 160 fire stations, handling 1,200 calls a day, which makes it the second largest in the nation after New York City, said Joshi.Technologies related to IoT and the collection and analysis of large amounts of data can help to pave the way for smart regions, said Lloyd.If you can have those technologies and those platforms that can help you, we can build up our people to use the technology, and create those processes and solutions, he said. Then we can actually aim at the regionality of our problems.But expanded reach, thanks to new technology, calls for government responsibility to operate ethically and openly.Its also going to present problems around security, privacy and ethical use that weve never seen scaled before, said Lloyd.
Sergey Sirotkin has admitted he would be happy to take struggling Robert Kubica's place at Williams.

The Russian was ousted by the British team at the end of last year, but performance has slumped even more after he was replaced by Kubica.

"I am often asked about this," Sirotkin told Tass news agency when asked about the Kubica rumours.

"As a driver, I want to compete with the best drivers in the world in any car, no matter how good it is."

Actually, Sirotkin is busy with his new reserve role at Renault.

"My main task is to work on the car for 2021. The car for testing the 18 inch tyres will be ready at the end of September and I will do all the tests with this car.

"That is my key role," he added.

Sirotkin admitted that Renault is struggling to shine so far in 2019.

"Of course, with a team that has such a budget, effort and resources, much more progress and performance was expected," he said.

"I'm not going to say what exactly what goes wrong, but when there are no results or progress, the team is under pressure.

"All I can say is that I'm always happy to help."
The agreement says Cedarwood would donate property that would become the right-of-way for the extension of Commons Drive. The city's plan is to put a TIF district on the first phase of the project to raise the money to build the road extension.
The California Energy Commission approved nearly $11 million for clean energy demonstration projects, including biofuels, renewable gas, and microgrids.

The Energy Commission approved a $2-million grant to Technology & Investment Solutions to demonstrate a more sustainable and cost-effective process of creating biomethane from food waste at an existing anaerobic digester in El Mirage. The fuel produced is expected to power a local fleet of waste hauling trucks.

The project was funded by the Energy Commissions Alternative and Renewable Fuels and Vehicle Technology Program, which supports clean transportation innovation.

The Energy Commission also awarded a $2-million grant to West Biofuels and nearly $2 million to Taylor Energy for projects demonstrating innovative technologies to produce renewable gas using wood waste from trees killed by the states bark beetle infestation and drought.

The projects were funded by the Energy Commissions Natural Gas Research Program, which invests in technologies and solutions that help the natural gas sector support Californias energy and environmental goals.

The Energy Commission also approved a nearly $5-million grant to Zero Net Energy Alliance to demonstrate advanced microgrids at schools and residential areas in the City of Lancaster.

The projects distributed energy resources will be integrated and managed by a virtual power plant that optimizes cost savings, revenue generation, and grid resilience. The project hopes to serve as a model for the affordable and feasible deployment of solar photovoltaic generation and battery storage technologies in communities throughout the state.

The Electric Program Investment Charge Program, which supports clean energy research, is funding the project.
In a paper presented at the 2019 Vienna Motor Symposium this week, Delphi Technologies will unveil a new 500+ bar GDi system that can reduce particulate emissions by up to 50% compared to state-of-the-art 350 bar system without expensive engine design modifications.





Delphi 500+ bar GDi pump

Reducing the number of exhaust gas particulates, including those smaller than 23 nm, will help manufacturers meet increasingly stringent future global emissions standards.

Reducing engine-out emissions cuts tailpipe emissions in the crucial period before catalyst light-off and reduces the need for costly aftertreatment systems. This reduces emissions in regulated testing including RDE (Real Driving Emissions).

At the end of 2016, Delphi Technologies entered production with its industry first 350 bar GDi system, which reduces exhaust particulates by up to 70% compared with industry-standard 200 bar systems.

The industry has long recognized that increasing injection pressure to 500+ bar could substantially cut engine-out particulates while improving CO2 emissions and fuel economy. Walter Piock, chief engineer, Gasoline Systems, Delphi Technologies





Delphi 500+ bar GDi injector

The challenge has been to achieve such pressures without increasing the drive loads from the pump. As most engines power the GDI pump through the camshaft drive, a conventional approach would usually require a costly redesign and strengthening of the camshaft mechanism.

By designing an innovative new internal sealing system for our GFP3 500+ bar pump, in some applications, we have designed a downsized plunger diameter which prevents increasing the loads in the drive mechanism. Walter Piock

With the new Delphi Technologies system, engine designers can benefit from 500+ bar injection pressures without having to make costly changes to the majority of existing camshaft drive systems.

With combined demands for improved urban air quality and lower greenhouse gas emissions, the fuel injection system is an important building block for meeting future legislative targets. Delphi Technologies 500+ bar system can help vehicle manufacturers meet both challenges.

Our 350 bar GDi system reduces exhaust particulates by up to 70 percent compared with industry-standard 200 bar systems and we are going one step further with our new 500+ bar GDi system which further reduces these emissions by up to 50 percent compared to the 350 bar system. Walter Piock

To complete the new 500+ bar system, Delphi Technologies has developed all system components including Multec 16 injectors, pumps, forged rail as well as the appropriate engine control system and software. These components, which further improve durability and reliability, also require no or only minor physical changes to existing engines because they match existing packaging constraints and interfaces. The 500+ bar system could be used in production from 2022 onwards.
Hyundai Motor Group has developed an intelligent Smart Air Purification system that monitors interior air quality automatically to filter the air inside a car. The innovation builds on the Groups prior work to enhance in-car air quality by introducing a new automated monitoring system, which continually checks interior air quality until it achieves an Excellent status.





Combined with advanced filtering innovations, the technology can remove fine particulates before passengers enter the car, and purify cabin air throughout a journey. The new development, already under consideration for future Hyundai and Kia vehicles, responds to growing concerns about the health impact of fine particulates, especially in highly-congested urban areas.

Conventional air purification systems only operate for a set period when activated, turning off after a designated time regardless of current cabin air quality. However, the new Smart Air Purification system constantly monitors the cars air quality, activating the purification function if the air quality decreases to Fair level.

It then maintains the cleaning process until the air quality improves to an Excellent level. Even if the exterior air quality is at Poor level, the system can purify air inside to Excellent quality in almost instantaneously.

Passengers can monitor interior air quality levels via the cars audio-video navigation (AVN) screen, with a visual 16-bar digital display of air quality that fluctuates in real-time. This is categorized according to Korea Environmental Corporation Standards, which categorizes four levels of air quality based on the presence of fine particulate matter: Excellent, Good, Fair and Poor.

Hyundai Motor Group designed an integrated, laser-based sensor to ensure the systems durability and reliability. Typical sensors are prone to reliability issues as fine particulates can gradually build up on the measurement lens. A laser-based design sidesteps this problem, giving room for innovation by the Hyundai Motor Group R&D team.

Furthermore, testing finds that the purifiers fan motors and sensors will maintain full functionality at environments of both extreme heat and cold.

The new interior purification system is paired with advanced high-performance air filters which enhance the collection rate of fine particulates from 94% to 99%. Moreover, the new filtration system features a charcoal-based deodorization function and can automatically close car windows to assist the purification process.
Pierburg GmbH based in Neuss (Germany), a subsidiary of technology group Rheinmetall, has received an order worth more than 90 million for its new variable valve control system UpValve. Production of the valve trains, which are also manufactured at the automotive suppliers Neuss plant, will start in 2019.





The start-up of series production of the corresponding vehicles will begin in 2020. UpValve will be used by several Chinese automobile brands at the same time. The new valve control system can achieve fuel savings of up to 5 percent.

The ordered system will be installed in a 4-cylinder turbocharged gasoline engine co-designed with the Pierburg engineers at Neuss. These latter were the development partner for the complete valve control system, including actuators and electronic peripherals.

On the basis of its existing UniValve, Pierburg has designed an optimized system called UpValve and integrated it into the newly developed engines. Compared to the previous solution, UpValve has been improved in terms of speed stability, footprint and dynamics. In addition, the system enables the cylinder to be switched off as required, which makes additional fuel savings possible.

UpValve is installed on the intake side of the engine and enables a reduction in losses incurred during intake/exhaust switchover. Torque is also beefed up. The mechanics have been further optimized in terms of rigidity at low inertial masses, the abated friction losses and high operational reliability.

In addition to fuel consumption savings, the dynamics of the engine are improved. Trials on the assembled engine have been carried out with manufacturers inside and outside Germany.
MFF also seeks $10K in funding

The Muley Fanatics Foundation, an organization promoting wildlife conservation based in Green River, wants to allow people attending its Mansface Mountain Music Festival the opportunity to camp within city limits.

The Green River City Council has yet to make a decision regarding this request.

Speaking to the Council last week, MFF founder Joshua Coursey said the organization would like the Council to consider opening areas within the city to camping during its music festival, which is scheduled to take place July 19-20 at Expedition Island.

One of the requests that continues to come up...
Ruthless as the world of John Wick is, its a rigidly ordered one, full of slavish fidelity to a warrior code thats part samurai, part magician. Theres a $14 million bounty on Wicks head, just posted by the High Table, which has begun a soon-to-conclude countdown to make Wick excommunicado. For every other bounty hunter, its open-season on John Wick. And in these films, one lurks down every alley; the ratio of regular person to hitman is, like, 2 to 1.

From the get-go, the visual landscape of Parabellum  a nighttime New York downpour with dashes of neon all around  is vivid, nearly turning Times Square into Hong Kong. With little time to go, Wick heads to where all hitmen go in times of need: the library. Beginning with the Rose Main Reading Room at the New York Public Library (where Wick, wielding a tome pulled from the stacks, fights a giant played by 76ers backup center Boban Marjanovic), Parabellum excels in its New York locations. Cinematographer Dan Laustsen (The Shape of Water) and production designer Kevin Kavanaugh (The Dark Knight Rises) are the movies most potent weapons.
The Big Bang Theory

8 p.m. (WFMY)

After 12 seasons of ups and downs, geniuses Leonard (Johnny Galecki) and Sheldon (Jim Parsons) bid farewell in this series finale. The critically acclaimed comedy also stars Kaley Cuoco, Simon Helberg and Kunal Nayyar.

Vanished in Paradise: The Untold Story

9 p.m. (A&E)

Elizabeth Vargas examines the mysterious disappearance of 32-year-old Hannah Upp in this premiere documentary. The Oregon teacher vanished in the U.S. Virgin Islands in 2017 in the chaotic days between two massive hurricanes.

For the People

10 p.m. (WXLV)

When Jays (Wesam Keesh) parents and some other voters are illegally intimidated at their polling place, he turns to Kate (Susannah Flood) and the rest of the team for help in this season finale. Britt Robertson and Hope Davis also star.

Klepper

10:30 p.m. (COMEDY CENTRAL)

Jordan (Jordan Klepper) brings cameras along when he travels to Louisianas Atchafalaya Basin in this new episode. There, Leau Est La Vie activists are deter-mined to stop Energy Transfer from constructing a potentially damaging pipeline.

Find extended listings and daily grids at www.greensboro.com/tv_week and every Friday in the TV Week section in the News & Record.
With about 10,300 students, N.C. A&T in Greensboro is the largest public HBCU in the U.S. and awards the most undergraduate engineering degrees to African Americans, according to the university.

Sen. Gladys Robinson, D-Guilford, said N.C. Senate leader Phil Berger, R-Rockingham, told her the $7.5 million in funding would be in the proposed N.C. Senates budget proposal, which will be released by the end of May. Its not in the N.C. Houses budget, which cleared that chamber and was sent to the Senate.

Smith said she hopes the A&T funding is not the carrot that gets moved when the House and Senate hash out the final budget.

A&T is the largest HBCU in the nation, and its time we celebrate that flagship, Smith said. She received her bachelors degree in mechanical engineering from N.C. A&T.

Black Caucus leaders also want Senate Bill 640, which would require a minimum match of federal funds to support agricultural research and cooperative extension programs.

In 2019, U.S. News & World Report ranked N.C. A&T as the No. 7 HBCU in the country, tied with Claflin University in Orangeburg, S.C., a private school. N.C. Central, was No. 10.
What is Plasma

Plasma is the protein-rich clear, straw-colored liquid portion of blood that remains after red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets are removed.

The main role of plasma is to take nutrients, hormones and proteins to the parts of the body that need it. Cells also put their waste products into the plasma, which then helps remove this waste from the body.

Blood plasma also carries all parts of the blood through your circulatory system.

Human blood contains 55% plasma, 44% red blood cells and 1% white blood cells and platelets.

Source: University of Rochester Medical Center; Plasma Protein Therapeutics Association
They were real scared, Lopez said.

The vehicle missed her by five feet, Lopez said.

Thank you, God. Nobody got hurt, Lopez said.

The Ruizes, who are brothers, came to the restaurant to pick up a take-out order, Silvia and Victor Lopez said.

They are regular customers, she said.

The restaurant has six employees, said Victor Lopez, who works as a cook in the business.

Jim Dobbins, the owner of Sharp Interiors of Winston-Salem, said that a crew would put up plywood and make other repairs to secure the restaurant Wednesday night. Sharp Interiors is a contractor that specializes in interior office and retail upgrades.

We will try to make it so you can open in the morning, Dobbins said to Silvia Lopez, the restaurants owner. I dont want you to lose a day of business.

Dobbins estimated that the restaurant sustained about $40,000 in damage.

It could be less than that, Dobbins said.

The business is covered by insurance, Victor Lopez said.
What has become popular in the last seven or eight years is when a comic book comes out they will release a variant edition of the same comic with a blank cover on heavier paper stock. Its the same issue but people will get that variant blank cover and get an artist to draw on it, Babinski said.
RALEIGH  As anti-abortion legislation is advancing across the country, a related bill is stalled in North Carolina.

Alabama on Tuesday was the latest of several states this year to advance new abortion legislation. Alabama's bill, when it takes effect in six months, would make performing an abortion a felony at any stage of pregnancy, with almost no exceptions. Sixteen states have passed bans or are considering bans on abortion at about six weeks, the Washington Post has reported. Alabama's bill would be the most restrictive in the country.

In North Carolina, a federal court earlier this year struck down the state's ban on abortions after the 20th week of pregnancy. State lawmakers haven't addressed that bill yet.

But they did introduce the "Born Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act," which aims to address what happens when abortions fail.

The GOP-sponsored bill, SB 359, instructs medical professionals to care specifically for newborns who survive an abortion. It would enact new punishments for physicians and nurses who don't comply with the law or who fail to report noncompliance. They could face felony charges, prison time and up to $250,000 in fines.
FOUR OAKS  In February, a car accident crushed Amanda Furstonberg's left foot, leaving her with shooting pains and lingering fear. So on a friend's advice, she tried smoking hemp flower -- a legal form of cannabis with no psychedelic kick.

When she smoked it from a pipe in her Four Oaks apartment, she felt relaxed all over but not high -- a feeling so satisfying she cut back on prescription pain pills. Then in April, the police showed up.

Officers from the small Johnston County town charged the 32-year-old mother with a pair of misdemeanors: possession of both marijuana and drug paraphernalia. She has a court date in June.

While they searched her apartment, Furstonberg said, she tried to explain that she had been smoking hemp, legally distinct from marijuana, purchased over the counter from stores in Garner and Raleigh, containing only CBD, a nonintoxicating cannibinoid.

She said she showed them the notice to law enforcement that came with the glass jars of hemp. She tried to inform the officers that under the 2018 Farm Bill, CBD is legal if it comes from hemp rather than marijuana and contains less than 0.03 percent THC -- the compound giving illegal weed its psychological effects.
Im pretty sure both of us thought that was the end of the matter.

When I awoke the next morning, the incident had gone from a Facebook post to a tagged tweet to nationally trending news with the whoosh of lighter fluid to a flame.

The blowback was swift and aggressive. Within 24 hours, the restaurants phone line was hacked, my staff and I were doxxed, and threats to our lives and families and property were pouring in through every available channel. Protesters colonized the streets around the restaurant. Thousands of fake Yelp reviews torpedoed our ratings, and dozens of people attempted to lock up our tables with reservations they had no intention of honoring. In less than three days, President Donald Trump had mocked us on Twitter.

In the days following, I tried to balance fears for the safety of my family and staff against the reality of being well-protected in a small, loving community. Overhanging it all was a sense that Id seen this show before; dont we all have ringside seats to the outrage circus these days? But there was plenty I couldnt predict or assess: How likely was it, really, that the guy texting me from a Minneapolis area code was really going to come to town to set fire to our restaurant? It felt impossible to know.
OK. Somebody has to go first.

Somebody has to be willing to set partisan division aside and do what is right and fair.

Somebody has to step off of the destructive merry-go-round of what-aboutism and tit-for-tat that masquerades as leadership in state government.

The Democrats had that opportunity this week with the state elections board. And they blew it. By effectively firing N.C. Board of Elections Executive Director Kim Strach, North Carolina Democrats are doing precisely to N.C. Republicans what the Republicans have done to them: use power as a blunt instrument.

Which gets us nowhere  except where we already are: I hit you. You hit back. I hit you back in retaliation for hitting me back. And so on.
Wednesday evening Tranchita, who kept and cared for two of the coyotes for 13 years, said she was very upset to hear the news and disagreed with the state agencys health assessment. State officials removed the animals April 24 from pens in the yard of Tranchitas house in an unincorporated area near Tinley Park. She described her work as an animal rescue effort.
The ability of the Connecticut attorney generals office to investigate and seek civil penalties for hate crimes and civil rights offenses would be clarified, expanded and codified in state law under legislation passed Wednesday by the House of Representatives and sent to the Senate.

The legislation arises from a campaign promise William Tong made last June as he successfully competed in a three-way race for the Democratic nomination for attorney general. Tong was capitalizing on his partys dismay at a U.S. Supreme Court decision on behalf of a Colorado baker who had refused to create a cake for a gay couple.

While Tongs promise a year ago was a gesture to the LGBTQ community, the measure has drawn broader support from religious and civil rights groups alarmed by rising incidents of anti-Semitism and Islamophobia. It was opposed by business groups fearful of granting an agency with the resources of the attorney general the ability to seek substantial new civil penalties.

The importance of this bill in todays society, I think, should be evident, said Rep. Steven Stafstrom, D-Bridgeport, the co-chair of the Judiciary Committee.

The bill passed on an 82-63 vote, largely along party lines.

In his public hearing testimony about the bill, Tong gave the committee a sense in March about the issues a new civil rights division might pursue: immigrants subjected to systemic wage theft; minorities denied safe, quality housing; and persons with disabilities pushed out of their jobs by a big box store reclassifying their positions.

These are not hypotheticals, said Tong, who took office in January. They are the kinds of threats to civil rights faced by people across Connecticut. And they are situations where investigation and civil action by a large, experienced law office are important to bring justice and healing to communities.

The office of attorney general has civil jurisdiction, while the Division of Criminal Justice led by the chief states attorney has criminal jurisdiction. The division supported Tongs proposal, noting the offices frequently collaborate on issues with civil and criminal aspects, such as Medicaid fraud.

Stafstrom said the bill is intended to allow the attorney general to file suit and seek civil penalties in the most egregious cases, though discretion would rest with the office. Currently, individuals have a right in employment, housing and other discrimination cases to file a complaint with the state Commissioner on Human Rights and Opportunities, the CHRO.

The bill specifies that individuals still can file CHRO complaints or sue in court. It does not limit the CHROs jurisdiction and authorizes the attorney general to refer cases to CHRO.

Rep. Matt Blumenthal, D-Stamford, the vice chairman of the Judiciary Committee, said the legislation creates no legal cause of action for individuals.

Echoing concerns raised by some business groups, Rep. Vincent Candelora, R-North Branford, questioned if the authority granted in the legislation wasnt putting the state in the position of litigating on behalf of an individual as opposed to acting on behalf of broader groups being subjected to a pattern and practice of discrimination.

How do we distinguish that through this statute? Candelora asked. Were creating a lot of gray areas here.

The conservative Yankee Institute for Public Policy raised a similar concern at the hearing.

This will open the door to potential bias and abuse, said Scott Shepard, the groups director of policy and research. The power of the state is mighty. The legal firepower and financial weight of the state will put a heavy thumb on the scale in favor of plaintiffs when it is employed and against the defendants against whom it is employed.

The new authority is sought at a time when Democrats and others say state attorneys general must become more aggressive on civil rights issues as a counter balance to a U.S. Department of Justice that has backed away from those issues or taken the side of religious conservatives since the election of President Donald J. Trump.

The Trump administration intervened in the Colorado case, prompting the ACLU to accuse the administration of advocating nothing short of a constitutional right to discriminate. The baker claimed he had a right to deny service to a gay couple on the basis of his religious beliefs.

Martha Stone, a lawyer and founder of the Center for Childrens Advocacy, told the Judiciary Committee it was important that a state attorney generals office be seen as a vibrant enforcer of civil rights, especially since the role of the civil rights division in the Department of Justice has diminished.

Connecticut would be the 23rd state with a civil rights division within its office of the attorney general.
HARTFORD  The states inmate population dropped below 13,000 last week, hitting its lowest level in 25 years, according to state Department of Correction officials.

But it may be too soon to tell if the steady reduction in incarcerated offenders will lead to budget savings or more prison closures, officials said.

Weve had unit closures and one full facility close, said agency spokesperson Karen Martucci. But the staff are absorbed, so you arent having any savings in terms of personnel.

State prisons held 12,986 inmates on May 10 -- the lowest number since September of 1993. The prison population peaked at 19,894 in February of 2008 and has been trending downward nine of the past 10 years at a rate of about 3 percent a year, according to a February 2018 Office of Policy and Management Criminal Justice Policy & Planning Division report.

The agency closed a portion of Osborn Correctional Institution and a portion of York Correctional Institution in 2016. The Enfield Correctional Institution was closed completely in 2017 and Bergin Correctional Institution was closed in 2011, Martucci said.

More units are in the process of being closed but there are no discussions or plans to close any full corrections facilities, Martucci said. When portions or units within facilities are closed, the inmates are moved to empty beds, she said. In order to run a safe and productive correctional system, you have to have some wiggle room to move inmates.

Several factors may be contributing to the reduction in inmates, the CJPPD report said. The number of crimes reported statewide and nationally has gone down by about 5 percent a year, according to figures provided as part of the Uniform Crime Reporting system.

The number of arrests in Connecticut also has dropped during the same time frame. A 2018 CJPPD report indicated that prior to 2016, the prison population fell primarily because admissions into the system were down.

The same report said that in 2016 and 2017, the states criminal justice system made a concerted effort to vet sentenced offenders who were appropriate for community supervision outside of prison. As a result of the improved release processes at DOC, in 2017, 47 percent of those finishing their sentences did so while in some form of community supervision, compared to 39 percent in 2013.

In 2016 and 2017, the prison population dropped by more than 6 percent each year. The state is predicting that in 2019, the prison population will drop another 5.25 percent.

The DOC has reduced its budget by $79 million as the states prison population has dropped, Correction Commissioner Rollin Cook told the Appropriations Committee in March.

Cook told the legislators that he expected that future reductions in the states incarcerated population will come from reductions in the states recidivism rate.

Although Cook highlighted the agencys $79 million budget savings through a declining prison population and by closing facilities and units, the DOC is struggling with increased costs in other areas, according to his testimony before the Appropriations Committee.

As the 2019 fiscal drew to a close, the agency was looking at a $38 million deficiency blamed in part on an increase in inmate health care costs resulting from the transition from UConns Correctional Managed Health Care program to an inmate health care system run by the DOC. The agency also was required to take on 79 additional employees from the state Department of Children and Families when the Connecticut Juvenile Training Center closed last year, Cook said.

He is now seeking a nearly $38 million boost from the Appropriations Committee for the 2019 fiscal year which ends June 30. The Office of Policy and Management predicted the bulk of the money would come from $32 million in Department of Social Services accounts that still have funding.

The Appropriations Committee kept Cooks biennial budget at the level funded by Gov. Ned Lamont -- which included increases of $8 million in 2020 and $27 million in 2021.

At the same time, Cook said, the agency will reduce overtime by $5 million by hiring more correction officers, save nearly $4 million by closing three units at the Northern and Bridgeport Correctional Institutions and two cottages at the Mason Youth Institution, and reduce $1 million in overtime for parole and community services.

We want to be responsible to the state budget, Martucci said. Were working really hard on health care while trying to safely staff our facilities and treat our offenders.
The state Senate advanced a bill Wednesday that would require nursing homes to disclose on a daily basis the number of direct-care staff members assigned to patients, a measure designed to increase transparency and encourage the facilities to hire more employees who work closely with residents.

Under the proposal, nursing homes would have to post the number of registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, advanced practice registered nurses and nurses aides they have on staff, along with the hours they are scheduled to work during each shift.

The notice also must include the minimum number of employees per shift mandated by the state. Connecticuts public health department requires nursing homes to provide at least 1.9 hours of direct care to each patient on a daily basis.

The information would have to be posted in a conspicuous place clearly visible to residents, employees and visitors.

This would help transparency but also  hopefully increase the quality of care and the support system that nursing homes have, said Sen. Saud Anwar, D-South Windsor, a key proponent of the bill. If we were to ask the nursing home administration, they would claim that they have the right amount of employees taking care of patients. However, the difference is that if you talk to some of the residents or their family members, or if you talk to the staff - they would actually feel otherwise.

Senate Democrats pushing the proposal have cited research from Kaiser Health News that analyzed daily payroll records from more than 14,000 nursing homes nationwide. It found that most had fewer staff actually involved in care-taking than were shown in federal Medicaid reports  which dont distinguish whether a class of employees normally involved in patient care is actually performing a different function.

The level of staff directly assigned to patient care is linked to positive outcomes, officials have said. The issue is critical in Connecticut, which has one of the oldest populations, on average, in the United States.

Connecticut has about 27,000 nursing home beds and roughly 85 percent of them are occupied.

The states largest health care workers union, District 1199 SEIU, backed the measure, arguing that too many facilities have insufficient staff providing direct care.

The Senate passed a bill that has been an important vehicle for a long-overdue public dialogue on the very significant staffing-related challenges Connecticut nursing homes face daily, Matthew Barrett, head of the Connecticut Association of Healthcare Facilities, said Wednesday.The difficult tradeoff is that the legislation also adds new administrative reporting requirements to already over-burdened nursing home staff.

The Senate voted 31-4 on the bill, with four Republicans - Minority Leader Len Fasano, Sens. Gennaro Bizzarro of New Britain, Kevin Kelly of Stratford and Paul Formica of East Lyme - dissenting.

Prior to the vote, Republicans introduced several unsuccessful amendments, including a proposal to give a 1 percent rate increase to nursing homes as employees threaten to strike, and a mandate that the attorney general seek court orders to reduce or revoke the pensions of state-run nursing home workers who are convicted of felonies.

The most hotly debated amendment would have provided an increase in the monthly personal care allowance given to elderly nursing home residents who have exhausted their financial resources. The allowance covers clothing, haircuts and other personal needs.

The plan would have boosted the monthly allowance to $72 per person, up from $60, which Republicans estimated would cost the state an additional $1.3 million.

When I think of $60 a month, I think of one trip to a restaurant or a tank of gas, said Sen. Dan Champagne, R-Vernon. It blows my mind that were not raising this even more. Im not a proponent for raising taxes, but this is helping some of the poorest people in our state.

Democrats argued that any financial commitment would bog down the legislation. The bill now heads to the House.
Jessica Hill / Associated Press

HARTFORD  House Speaker Joe Aresimowicz said they are close to a deal on a bill that would allow electronic tolls to be installed on four highways in Connecticut.

The bill they will vote on will include information about how much residents will be charged per mile, both peak and off-peak and what type of discount residents will receive.
The Marine Corps punished at least eight drill instructors and some officers in response to allegations of hazing and other abuses last year at the service's recruit training center at Parris Island, South Carolina, according to Marine officials and documents obtained by The Washington Post.

Investigators found numerous incidents in which recruits had been abused by the Marines training them, despite efforts by Marine Corps leaders to stamp out the problem following the death of a 20-year-old trainee, Pvt. Raheel Siddiqui, in 2016.

A Marine spokesman, Capt. Bryan McDonnell, said in a statement that the drill instructors "received appropriate administrative actions of varying degrees relative to substantiated allegations," indicating commanders determined criminal charges were not necessary.

Iran can't win a war against the United States, but Tehran could win in negotiations

Several officers overseeing the drill instructors also received some form of administrative punishment, McDonnell said, without providing specifics.

The cases, which have not previously been disclosed to the public, occurred in the 4th Recruit Training Battalion, a unit in which female drill instructors train female recruits. The investigations were opened as the service began considering more fully integrating male and female recruits during training, as in the other services.

Documents detailing the investigations were released to The Post through the Freedom of Information Act.

Name of fallen veteran added to national memorial

Investigators examined numerous allegations against drill instructors in the battalion's Papa Company, including one case in which a recruit's tooth was chipped in July 2018.

In a handwritten statement, the recruit recalled that she tried to tell other recruits to slow down while they were moving in formation, upsetting the senior drill instructor. The recruit could not recall whether the Marine pushed her arm or the weapon itself.

"I knew I was in the wrong for overstepping when I shouldn't have, but I wasn't used to anyone messing with the weapon," the recruit wrote.

The senior drill instructor later found the recruit on a bathroom bench at night writing to a former Reserve Officer Training Corps instructor, a sergeant major, about the incident. The recruit told an investigating officer the instructor confiscated several letters and asked other recruits the next day whether they would say she had abused them.

The drill instructor said she eventually told others in control about the incident, and the recruit was transferred to a different platoon. The drill instructor was informed she could be charged with failure to obey an order or regulation, according to military documents, which do not clarify what commanders chose to do.

In August, another 4th Recruit Battalion drill instructor slammed a recruit's hand with a foot locker, according to the documents. The recruit received medical treatment and later reported she believed the incident was an accident. However, other recruits said drill instructors told them to say it was unintentional, according to the investigation. It is not clear whether commanders determined what happened.

One recruit interviewed in the case reported she and three other Marines were forced to go through a chamber that introduces recruits to CS gas twice within minutes during training, instead of once as typically required. The recruit wrote in a witness statement that drill instructors said "enlisted look out for enlisted," something she construed to be a message to keep quiet.

In a separate investigation, 13 people reported a senior drill instructor in the battalion for acting inappropriately, the documents said. A case was opened after a recruit told an officer in May 2018 that she was ordered to put "feces soiled underwear" on her head, and a second recruit backed up the allegation, documents said.

In a statement to an investigating officer, the senior drill instructor involved said the incident occurred after a recruit left underwear under her bed. She asked the recruit if she understood that doing so was a problem and then suggested she would understand better if she put them on her head, the drill instructor recalled, according to the documents.

"I was speaking hypothetically and failed to handle the situation with a clear mind through frustration," the drill instructor wrote. "I was not trying to embarrass the recruit and more so wanted her to understand why and how it wasn't acceptable. The underwear didn't have feces."

The documents do not make clear what the investigation found, or whether the drill instructor was disciplined.

Another investigation was launched in February 2018 after several recruits reported anonymously that they had been roughed up, and one said a drill instructor had threatened to break her neck.

The senior officer in charge of Parris Island, Brig. Gen. James Glynn, said in an email to The Post that the investigations help the service determine what is necessary to maintain "effectiveness and discipline" during recruit training. He defended the behavior of the majority of the Marines under his command.

"There's a more intriguing story in the more than 600 Marines who are drill instructors here, and their families, and their personal and professional investment in transforming young women and men into Marines," Glynn wrote. "The 100+ hrs a week they dedicate to their role, and the support of their families, is the source of transformative energy that makes this remarkable process possible. The fact that 98% of them do so without any allegation is the storyline I commend to you."

The Post has obtained documents outlining more than 20 other substantiated hazing and abuse cases at Parris Island and the service's West Coast recruit training center in San Diego that span the past seven years.

In the most serious, former Gunnery Sgt. Joseph Felix was convicted of maltreatment and sentenced to 10 years of imprisonment for subjecting Muslim recruits, including Siddiqui, to verbal and physical abuse. Siddiqui fell to his death over a railing after running away from Felix, who had slapped him in the face. Authorities determined the case to be a suicide, but Siddiqui's family has disputed that finding.
Saudi Arabia accused Iran of ordering this week's attack on key oil facilities, stoking concerns that the world's largest oil-producing region is edging toward another war. Crude prices rose.

Prince Khalid Bin Salman, the vice minister for defense and brother of Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler, said on Twitter that Tuesday's drone attack, which was claimed by Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, undermined efforts to heal the divided country.

"The terrorist acts, ordered by the regime in Tehran, and carried out by the Houthis, are tightening the noose around the ongoing political efforts," Prince Khalid said, without providing evidence. "These militias are merely a tool that Iran's regime uses to implement its expansionist agenda in the region."

His comments came as Saudi-led forces launched retaliatory airstrikes against Houthi positions in Yemen, where the United Nations is working to end a four-year war that's killed thousands and left millions facing hunger and disease.

The Houthi attacks on two Aramco oil pumping stations forced an important east-west pipeline in the kingdom to close and added to friction in the Gulf, where the U.S. has tightened sanctions against Iran, demanding it stop supporting paramilitary groups across the Middle East, including the Houthis.

The pipeline has since reopened, but officials from all sides are warning that a string of recent events have pushed the region closer to a potentially devastating conflict.

Oil climbed for a third day, with Brent rising 1.4% to $72.8 in London, as Middle East tensions and falling U.S. gasoline stockpiles kept investors on edge. The mounting political dangers are likely to dominate a meeting of the OPEC oil-exporting group taking in place in Jeddah this weekend.

Gulf tensions have spiked since the U.S. stopped granting waivers to buyers of Iranian oil early this month, tightening sanctions slapped on the Islamic Republic after President Donald Trump pulled the U.S. out of the landmark 2015 nuclear deal a year ago.

With an economic crisis looming, Iran announced last week it would gradually withdraw from the multi-lateral accord intended to curb its nuclear program, unless the remaining parties throw it an economic lifeline.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif spent the week touring Asia to drum up economic and political support. He went to India, a significant buyer of Iranian oil, which is due to make a decision on future purchases after ongoing elections conclude. He also visited Japan, a close U.S. ally which joined European nations in urging Tehran to stick by the deal, and heads to China, another important oil purchaser, on Friday.

Iran "does not seek clashes in the region," Zarif said in an interview with Iranian state television during his Japan trip, "but it has always defended its interests forcefully and will continue to do so now."

The Houthi drone attacks came a day after four ships were sabotaged off the coast of the United Arab Emirates as they made their way toward the Strait of Hormuz, the world's foremost oil shipping chokepoint.

On Wednesday, the U.S. cited growing yet unspecified threats as it ordered the departure of non-emergency staff from Iraq, where Iran provides material and political support to several powerful militias. The U.K. also raised the threat level for its armed forces and diplomats in Iraq because of an increased security risk from Iran, two people familiar with the matter said.

Prince Khalid's comments marked an escalation in rhetoric, and he was joined by Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Adel Al-Jubeir, who called the Houthis "an indivisible part of #Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps (#IRGC) and subject to the IRGC's orders."

The Trump administration designated Iran's elite IRGC a terrorist group in recent weeks, as it seeks to end the support the group has for years or decades lent to allies around the region.

Saudi Arabia and the UAE entered the Yemen war in 2015 and have long accused Iran of providing their Houthi foes with support. The Houthis control the capital, Sana'a, and have repeatedly lobbed missiles toward Riyadh. Despite its military superiority, the Saudi-led coalition has yet to defeat the Houthis.

UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash struck a cautious note in comments to media Wednesday, saying his country would not be baited into war and would support UN efforts to broker a resolution to the impasse in Hodiedah port.

"We need to address the Houthi threat as it appears but not lose sight that we have an opportunity, imperfect as it is, to build on in order to enhance the chances of success on the political process," he said.

- - -

Bloomberg's Lin Noueihed, Jessica Shankleman, Zainab Fattah, Ladane Nasseri and Golnar Motevalli contributed.
President Donald Trump keeps saying the economy is good. Who is going to pay for all the infrastructure that we need? Who is going to pay for the schools? Who is going to pay for anything now that nobody, especially the 1 percenters, are paying taxes? It is going to come back to haunt us. You might have noticed when you go to buy something that the new and improved sizes are smaller and cost more. I dont care what you buy. That is exactly what you get.
/ Westchester D.A.

GREENWICH  A 23-year-old man with ties to Greenwich wont serve any time in prison for his role in a shootout with police officers in 2017.

Jerry Reyes was sentenced in Westchester County Court in New York to three years of probation for his involvement in a shooting incident that wounded a Yonkers, N.Y., police officer, according to the Westchester County district attorneys office. Reyes is a former resident of New Rochelle, N.Y., whose address was listed as Greenwich in the latest court papers.
Asus has just announced the Zenfone 6, which combines a tempting price tag with high-end features such as the latest Snapdragon 855 chipset, a huge 5,000mAh battery, a flip-out 48MP camera, and stock Android experience.

Asus held its launch event in Valencia, Spain, as the EU is the first region to get the phone. We attended the event and got an opportunity to sit down with Chih-Hao Kung, the Global Technical PR Director for the company's smartphone division. He was eager to tell us more about the challenges the team had to overcome on its way to making this smartphone a reality.

With OnePlus gradually exiting the budget flagship segment and moving to the upper market segment, this opens up the space for motivated new players, and Asus means to have a go there.

And while Asus is a well-known enthusiast's brand in the computer hardware, it is yet to establish itself as one in the smartphone market. So as Chih-Hao tells us, the company planned the Zenfone 6 so that it combines features which major smartphone makers readily omit - all the necessary convenience ports, an extra large battery, etc. It also had to beat the majors in pricing, so this added extra pressure to the already mounting pile of requirements.

Hardware-wise, the Zenfone 6 was conceived with a few key features in mind  a 6.4-inch all-screen, a 3.5mm jack, a Dual SIM slot with a dedicated microSD slot, a 5,000mAh battery, and fast and fluid performance.

Asus was not willing to sacrifice any of these product requirements, so it had to think out of the box to achieve them.



Asus nailed the ergonomics  No port left behind

The designers started with the desired size of the screen, which dictated the overall size of the phone. They came up with the 6.4-inch screen size as they thought it's the current sweet spot between having a large screen and comfortable handling experience - particularly when it comes to the width.

They chose not to have the trendy under the screen fingerprint reader as it requires a lot more space and it calls for using an AMOLED screen, which would have driven the price up.



Excellent IPS panel  Tuning the screen

Then, they continued with fitting the extra large 5,000mAh battery. User feedback from the Max series led them to believe that battery life is still a substantial drawing factor, so Asus wanted to have that headline feature for the Zenfone 6. This one is meant to last even power users at least 24 hours. For regular users  even more.

Not only that but when you have a large battery, it has better longevity overall as you need to charge it less frequently  so it goes through less charging cycles than a smaller battery.

So now that the two main components of the phone were defined, they started fitting those together. The physical size of any battery is not set in stone. If you want to charge your battery with super-fast charging  say, 27-30W, then the battery will be physically bigger for the same capacity as it needs to be less dense and also the short-circuit protection inside it needs to be thicker.

But since the size was a huge constraint on this phone, which was already defined by the 6.4-inch screen, the team had to make the trade-off of not offering the fastest possible charging solution. Instead, theyve settled on 18W QuickCharge 4.

Of course, there is a convenience factor which could have been added by the Super fast charging, but they considered the tradeoff was not worth it in this case. Additionally, Asus engineers considered that the Superfast charging affects battery longevity negatively due to the increased heat.



Asus settled for 18W QC4 charging to optimize the phone's size and the battery's longevity

Again size (or rather thickness) and battery longevity were the considerations, which called for NOT including wireless charging. Adding that would have meant either a thicker phone or a smaller battery. Additionally, the heat which is generated during this type of charging also affects battery longevity in the long run.

Then continuing with building the mockup for the Zenfone 6, they were sure they didnt want to sacrifice the 3.5mm audio jack or the dedicated microSD slot on a Dual SIM device (essentially a triple slot). They also insisted on having a notification LED on board as well.

So when it came to fitting the processor inside the phone, they didnt have much room left. And they didnt have just about any chipset in mind.

This time around Asus isn't planning on having different versions of the Zenfone 6 with different processors. The Zenfone 6 was meant to be a single device powered by the top performer in the class  the Snapdragon 855  and it was not a small PCB that needed to fit in there.

So leaning on their experience with manufacturing computer hardware, Asus was able to come up with a new motherboard design for the Snapdragon 855. Its a two-piece design with some with extra insulation in between. They were able to make the two PCB pieces much thinner as well, which yielded a 50% less thickness than what it would have taken them with a conventional double-sided design.

Apple's iPhone series also employs a two-piece PCB design, but Apple's integrated modules are all custom-built. The General Manager of the Asus phone department pointed out that "Apple is making its own furniture. We use a lot of public components. The biggest challenge is to put the large common furniture in the small house!"



Picking a performance mode  Game Genie and Twin Apps

Now, once the chipset design challenge was solved, the last component that had to be fitted was the camera. There really wasnt much space left inside the phone, and since the designers were after an all-screen front, there was no space left for the selfie camera. So it was obvious they had to use an unorthodox solution - a solution which would ideally provide not only great main camera performance but also great selfies.

They went through as many as 70 different design mockups in the process - some of those you've seen leak online ahead of the phone's launch.

At first Asus considered pop-up cameras but they thought it would limit them in terms of the size of camera modules they could fit. Then they studied a sliding design, but having two parts sliding against each other meant that each piece is thinner than the whole so this would have caused many thickness constraints. They would have to sacrifice the 3.5mm jack or the large battery.

So when someone came up with the motorized flip camera design mockup, it clicked. It appeared to be the ideal solution for their design. It was sturdy enough, and it provided for great selfies as users would be using the main camera for these.

It was also different enough, so it allowed the phone to stand out. You may have seen a similar implementation on the Samsung Galaxy A80, but Chih-Hao says that at the time they didnt know Samsung was developing a phone with this form factor.



The camera body is made of Liquid Metal, has a stepper motor, which can speed up and slow down

With this new design, the metal piece, which is housing the camera, was not merely pushed up and down but was instead flipped from a position facing the back to a position facing the front. This motion required a higher amount of torque at the beginning but finer power control after that.

The flip-up camera also required a stronger and sturdier design. To achieve that, Asus made the metallic piece housing the two cameras from Liquid Metal  an alloy which is reportedly 4 times as strong as stainless steel, while at the same time being lighter. Asus says there were numerous production challenges in using this type of alloy and no one else has used such a big piece of it in a smartphone yet.

Once it finalized the design, the company tested its sturdiness rigorously as it would with its regular phones. The special mechanism didnt get any special treatment in this respect. It subjected the test batch of phones to numerous trials, including hundreds of drops from as high as a meter while the camera was flipped up just so the team was sure it wouldnt snap.



The flip-up camera is a space saving measure, but it makes for awesome selfies too

Another interesting bit about this design is that this flipping camera module is motorized and the user can control its position. So instead of having only a starting position as a back-facing main cam and an end position as a selfie cam, the camera can be stopped midway to shoot from any angle you would like not unlike what Oppo did back in the day with their N3.

So you can switch between back-facing and front-facing positions with just a tap on the screen in the camera app, or you can use the volume keys or the slider in the camera app to angle the camera any way you like. The camera can even take automated panoramic images by sweeping the scenery from the start to end. It also allows for shooting at some interesting angles.



You can rotate the camera to any angle  It can take panoramas automatically

Best of all, Asus has found a way to control the camera motor from within third-party apps - think Snapchat, Facebook, or Instagram. The way it has done this is by providing a control overlay in the camera UI of these apps.

The Zenfone 6 will be launched in the EU first at the same price point of the Zenfone 5z - 499, which is rather uncommon, as we see all other phone manufacturers release their current phone models at a higher price point than their last years. The phone will be available through Asuss online shop as well as through some of their retail partners throughout Europe starting from May 23. Other markets will follow not long after.

Be sure to also check out our Zenfone 6 hands-on review.
Earlier this week, Xiaomi's sub-brand Redmi teased the launch of a 48MP camera smartphone in India. Today, the company has announced that this smartphone is called the Redmi Note 7S and it will be unveiled on May 20.

Redmi also shared an image of the Earth which has a watermark confirming that the Note 7S will come with a dual camera setup. The company hasn't revealed any other details of this upcoming smartphone, but it's worth noting that the picture of Earth it has shared today is similar to the ones captured by the Chinese Redmi Note 7 which was sent to outer space recently.

Does that mean that the Chinese variant of the Redmi Note 7 will reach Indian shores as the Redmi Note 7S? Well, we will have to wait till May 20 to know if that's the case.

Yesterday Redmi teased the launch of the Redmi K20 in India with Snapdragon 855 SoC, and it remains to be seen if this flagship will debut in India next week alongside the Note 7S.

Source
Today Samsung has officially announced that the Galaxy S10 5G is going to become available in the UK on June 7. Initially, it will be offered by EE and Vodafone.

Speaking of Vodafone, just yesterday it revealed that its 5G network is going live in seven cities in the UK on July 3, so if you'll have plenty of time to purchase an S10 5G if you want to make sure you can use the new airwaves since day one. EE on the other hand hasn't shared an exact launch date for its 5G network yet, only saying it's imminent.

The Galaxy S10 5G will be out in Majestic Black and Crown Silver, and starting on June 7 you'll also find it in Samsung Experience stores and online at Samsung.com/UK. Pre-orders will start on May 22, which is presumably also when we're going to find out how much it will cost, since today's press release says nothing about that. Given that it starts at a whopping $1,299 in the US, expect it to be anything but cheap.

The Galaxy S10 5G differentiates itself from the S10+ with the largest screen (at 6.7") and largest battery ever put in an S series phone at 4,500 mAh, super fast 25W wired charging, and the addition of a ToF camera on both the front and the back.

Keep in mind that Samsung says your S10 5G will be "locked to a participating network" so it's likely there will be one model for EE and one for Vodafone and you won't be able to use one on the other's 5G network.

Source
Samsung has been tirelessly working on improving the Galaxy Fold after it temporarily suspended its release rollout plans, following a bunch of problems that surfaced when the reviews came out. And now a report from its home country of Korea details those improvements.

The company has apparently solved both of the main issues that were reported - stuff (such as dirt, lint, dust, sand, and so on) being able to get into the hinge and lodge beneath the display, causing lasting damage; as well as people being driven to remove a protective layer that sat on top of the display because it looked kind of like your average run of the mill plastic screen protector. This resulted in damage to the display too.

The latter problem was solved by Samsung tucking the ends of the protective film into the body of the phone. So now even if you wanted to peel it off, there's no easy start point for that. Hopefully this solution, paired with a huge warning in the box saying the film is not meant to be removed and doing so will result in the death of your newly purchased $1,980 phone, will convince people not to attempt such a maneuver.

On the review units, the protective layer didn't go all the way to the end of the bezel, so tearing it off with a nail was extremely easy.

As for the hinge situation, Samsung is said to be reducing the gap between the top and bottom parts of the hinge to prevent foreign substances from getting in. That won't 100% ensure that your precious new toy won't accumulate some dust or lint over there, but it should reduce the chances nevertheless.

Clearly though for the next iteration of its foldable phone, Samsung needs to re-think the design of the hinge to make absolutely sure it doesn't introduce durability issues such as these. If you look at the Galaxy Fold as just a 'beta' handset of sorts (like, say, the Note Edge back in the day), then you might forgive such shortcomings. If you approach it as an almost $2,000 luxury item, though, not so much.

The improved units are currently being tested with Korean carriers, with Samsung expected to announce a new release date very soon. The revamped model is slated to go on sale in its home country at some point in June, and the domestic launch might take place before the US rollout. While you wait for the opportunity to buy one yourself, why not check out our Samsung Galaxy Fold review?

Source (in Korean) | Via
MOSS POINT, Miss. -- ClearWater Solutions is trying to get students more interested in the preservation of their environment.

How? By providing a scholarship to a graduating student from Moss Point and Gautier High School focused on a career in protecting, researching, monitoring, or educating the public about the environment.

World Environment Day is celebrated every year on June 5 and is sanctioned by the United Nations as a day for encouraging worldwide awareness and action to protect our environment.

Since it began in 1974, the event has grown to become a global platform for public outreach that is widely celebrated in over 100 countries.

CWS is doing its part by awarding two $1,000 scholarships to local high school students, wishing to continue their education in Environmental Sciences.

One scholarship will be awarded to a 2019 graduating senior at GHS, while another $1,000 scholarship will go to a 2019 graduating senior at MPHS.

ClearWater Solutions understands the importance of students continuing their education after high school, as well as the importance of protecting our communities and the environment, said CWS president, Rick Ailiff. Our industry increasingly needs qualified environmental scientists to analyze environmental problems and develop solutions to protect communities health. CWS is proud to provide two deserving seniors with this opportunity.

According to the Bureau of Labor statistics, Employment of environmental scientists and specialists is projected to grow 11 percent from 2016 to 2026, faster than the average for all occupations. Heightened public interest in the hazards facing the environment, as well as increasing demands placed on the environment by population growth, are expected to spur demand for environmental scientists and specialists.

Students eligible for the scholarship must have a minimum 3.0 GPA, demonstrates community service through school, church, civic clubs, and other extracurricular activity.

Said students must have been accepted into Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College-Jackson County campus and plan to major in Environmental Sciences.

Applications may be obtained from the high school guidance offices, local CWS offices, City Hall or MGCCC. The deadline for applications is June 5, 2019.
OCEAN SPRINGS, Mississippi -- Each year, during Mays Police Memorial Week, the Jackson County Sheriffs Office remembers the countys fallen law enforcement officers with ceremonies at their respective gravesites. Its a tradition which has been going on for decades.

This years ceremony, however, was held with added poignancy, coming less than two weeks after the murder of Biloxi officer Robert McKeithen.

Absolutely," said Ocean Springs police chief Mark Dunston when asked if McKeithens death added weight to this years ceremony. It reinforces in our minds and our hearts what it means to lose a fellow officer.

Dunston also said when word came of McKeithens death, it was as if his department had lost one of its own.

It had the same impact as if it had been one of our own officers in our agency, he said. Theyre right here with us on the coast. You hear all the time that were one coast. Its no different in law enforcement.

This years primary memorial service was held at the gravesite of Ocean Springs officer Ernest Red Beaugez, who was killed in the line of duty on May 27, 1954.

Beaugez had arrested the suspect in Ocean Springs on a public drunk charge. Beaugez had driven the suspect to the Pascagoula jail to be incarcerated when the suspect overpowered Beaugez, seizing his weapon and taking him hostage.

Beaugez was found murdered by shot from his own gun a few days later. The suspect was arrested after an armed robbery elsewhere in Mississippi and later sentenced to death.

The suspect would later kill one of his jailers in Hinds County and escape. He was recaptured five days later and would be the first death row inmate executed in Mississippis gas chamber on March 3, 1955, according to the Officer Down Memorial website.

The ceremony featured the JCSO Honor Guard and the playing of Taps by the bugler, Deputy Christian Pitalo.

As the main service was conducted at Beaugez grave in Bellande Cemetery at 2 p.m., wreaths were simultaneously placed on the graves of six other fallen Jackson County law enforcement officers:

Pascagoula police officer Jeffery Rugheimer, who died in 1954 at the age of 24.

Pascagoula police Maj. Nathaniel Smith, who died in 1976 at the age of 39.

National Park Ranger Robert McGhee, who died in 1990 at the age of 50.

Jackson County Deputy Bruce Evans, who died in 2000 at the age of 30.

Moss Point police officer Larry Lee, who died in 2002 at the age of 43.

Pascagoula police officer Terry Michael Byrd, who died in 2006 at the age of 26.

Even though Officer Beaugez was killed more than 60 years ago, its an honor to come out here with his family and let them know, let everyone in the community know, that we dont forget an officer," Dunston said.

Ocean Springs Mayor Shea Dobson was also on hand to remember Beaugez and agreed that McKeithens death put even more emphasis on appreciation for law enforcement officers.

Its something we should always remember, Dobson said, "that this could happen at any time and these are members of our community.

For me, it hits home because my mom was a police officer here in Ocean Springs for 17 years. I know whats its like to watch a loved one put on a bulletproof vest to go to work. We need to always let police know we support them and appreciate everything they do. An event like this is something Im proud to be a part of.




Haiti - FLASH : President Cantave apologizes for the hideous spectacle in the Senate





Wednesday, Senator Carl Murat Cantave, Speaker of the Upper House, in a press conference in Parliament, apologized for the disorder and violence caused by his colleagues Tuesday https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-27730-haiti-flash-violence-in-the-senate-the-opposition-wins-a-2nd-victory-the-pm-ratification-postponed.html to block the process of ratification of the Prime Minister and his cabinet "I present an apology to all those who have been struck by this hideous spectacle that the Senate has presented [...] It is inadmissible and unacceptable for the Senate to offer such a spectacle."



Adding "I am not able to say when will resume the session that is suspended, because there is a set of elements and factors that we must measure before we talk about session because there has been a failure twice and there is not to be a third."



Regarding the physical opposition made to Prime Minister Lapin to access the platform to present his General Policy, Cantave said "[...] you were able to hear when I said 'Let's move on to point 3'. Item 3 was the point on the presentation of the report to be presented by the Commission. I do not know how the PM did to get on the platform [...] He was not asked to climb the platform to present his policy statement."



Returning to the subject of the conflict, namely the grouping of portfolios and the reduction in the number of ministers, he said "[...] After 4:30 of discussion time on the number of ministries, the number of ministries, the number of ministers and I was the President of the Senate and as such, I have in my hands the law, the Constitution and the regulations. I can not hang on with a group or another group. I decide according to the law," stating "A Minister may occupy several ministries as required by law. In this sense, the order was in conformity. The law of December 8, 2016 did not repeal the article"denying the attempt of senators of the opposition to believe the opposite...



Senator Antonio Cheramy, aka "Don Kato" (VERITE), one of the leaders of the two-time failure, of the Prime Minister's General Policy Ratification Session and his Cabinet "regrets absolutely nothing" justifying his action and that of these colleagues of the opposition "We fight a fight for the respect of the rights of the Haitian people". He continues to refuse the accumulation of portfolios but especially he rejects the presence of Minister renewed he considers not qualified to occupy a function of Minister citing as an example the Ministry of Health that of Justice and that of the Economy and Finance...



For his part, in the shadows, Me Andre Michel, the spokesman of the radical opposition called "democratic and popular" is pleased by the 2nd time the strategy of disruption and blockage used in the Senate by the 4 senators Opposition: Evaliere Beauplan (PONT); Antonio Cheramy (VERITE), Ricard Pierre (Piti Dessalin) and Nenel Cassy (Famni Lavalas).



See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-27721-haiti-flash-resumption-of-the-ratification-session-of-pm.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-27715-haiti-politic-the-opposition-minority-forces-the-senate-to-postpone-the-ratification-meeting-of-the-pm.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-27715-haiti-politic-the-opposition-minority-forces-the-senate-to-postpone-the-ratification-meeting-of-the-pm.html



HL/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - Justice : The AIDH draws a grim record of the situation in Haiti





The International Action for Human Rights (AIDH) drew a grim record of the human rights situation in Haiti for the year 2018.



Regarding insecurity, the AIDH describes a precarious situation for the population, with 651 deaths by bullets.



In the area of justice, the organization notes and deplores that only 1,902 judgments were rendered during the judicial year 2017-2018, against 2,559 for the previous judicial year is a drop of more than 25%... Moreover the AIDH emphasizes a justice that is too expensive and inaccessible for all, which does not make it a real public service.



Regarding governance, the report states that only 17 judgments of debet (attesting that the management of an accountant of public money is irregular) were issued by the Superior Court of Accounts and Administrative Disputes (CSC/CA) against some mayors and accountants of the State, while corruption is a scourge in Haiti...



Tenure insecurity, legal assistance, police violence and the condition of detention in prisons were addressed in the report.



The AIDH highlighted the unproductive side of the Parliament, the socio-economic situation characterized by extreme poverty, the recurrent child trafficking on the Dominican border, the marginalization of people with disabilities and the lack of gender equality...



In its conclusion, the AIDH recommends to the Government of Haiti, to take all necessary measures to ensure the free movement of the population safely throughout the national territory, to purge the national police of agents guilty of wrongful acts, to effectively combat pre-trial detention and corruption and to drastically reduce Parliament's operating budget.



TB/ HaitiLibre


















The 50-year old has held several leading positions in marketing, before she was appointed for CEO at Douglas in november 2017.

Hier geht es zur deutschen Version des Essays.

A wakeup call for Europe is being sounded  but perhaps the EU even needs to be stirred up or feel that much-quoted jolt. Standing up for Europe is worthwhile. We have all become Europeans to a significant degree without always being aware of it.

Today many of us, especially younger people, have a European biography. I, too, grew up with the European idea, being one of the first to participate in the Erasmus Programme. My French degree is recognised in Germany. The company I run is represented in 21 European countries.

We move through Europe without any border controls. All of this would not be possible without the EU. But by now we are taking this for granted, perhaps even too much so. Border controls and currency exchange rates are something that can be felt  but when they are abolished, you no longer feel them and the benefits of their disappearance are quickly forgotten.

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Speed that is too much to take

Clearly Europe is under pressure. Digitalisation and globalisation pose challenges for social cohesion. In practical terms, the much-quoted disruptive development means that if you opened a bookshop 20 years ago, it has probably become impossible by now to make a living from it. It means that soon we can not only enjoy the comfort of autonomous driving cars but also that the job of cab or lorry driver may be up for elimination.

This development has long since ceased to only affect activities in which machines are superior to human beings. Today artificial intelligence is able to perform legal, financial analysis and even medical diagnostics jobs. All of this is a boon, as it makes our life simpler and more efficient, but not necessarily the way we plan our life. Disruptive means that at the beginning of our professional life we do not know if our job still exists when it ends.

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.

Companies or a social order can be modernised. With biographies this is more difficult. The vehemence and speed with which globalisation and digitalisation change our lives can trigger a sense of impotence. Yet the ability to control and shape ones own life is an indispensible motivator.

Its loss results in resignation and frustration. Powerlessness is the underlying feeling of our age for many  too many  people. Right-wing populism with its return to the past is not least a reaction to this. It offers the simplicity of a manageable course of life and suggests that the sovereignty of the traditional nation state can be regained.

There is a blatant need for repoliticisation and leadership, for alternatives as opposed to the lack thereof. The right-wing populists mobilise those who are frustrated and serve the need for support and guidance. The EU is on the other side, it has become part of a major cultural conflict  globalisation versus isolation, gender versus classic role models, multicultural society versus ethnic homogeneity, cosmopolitan elites in the metropolises versus rural areas that are left behind and Europe versus the nation state.

Brussels with its bendy banana laws and guidelines concerning rubbish bin size, and with its sometimes rather broad interpretation of the principle of subsidiarity, is perceived as heteronomy. Right-wing populism feeds into this perception. Yet the attempts to turn this resentment into policies are pathetic. Sheer spite does not make for a political concept.

When we look across the Atlantic, the road leading back from multilateral responsibility towards the nation state is not exactly promising. Nor does the Brexit chaos in the UK serve as a motivation to imitate. My country first is not an option. Commodity and communication flows have long since crossed borders. Donald Trumps imposition of import tariffs has already boosted trade via Europe, a welcome economic stimulus programme for the European economy.

Protectionism wants to turn back the wheel of history. This has happened time and again in the past. But it was never successful in the long run. In the last decades we have managed to achieve one of the most humanitarian goals: cutting the number of people living in extreme poverty in half. No development policy has been able to do that. No budget in the world would have been sufficient for this. It is the trade between the developing and industrial nations that has made it possible.

European Union: between shaping politics and sense of powerlessness

It is not the nation state that will overcome the lack of alternatives. Nor is it the crusade against liberalism. We urgently need supranational cooperation, because the major challenges of our day dont stop at borders. The European Union is the tool at our disposal, our lever and our instrument of power in a globalised world.

Yet too many people perceive it as an additional factor of heteronomy these days, and as a loss of sovereignty. This has turned it into a scapegoat, a welcome projection screen of isolation and the strengthening of national identities. Europe must leave this conflict behind. It is not going to be easy, but it is worth every effort. Brexit has shown that nothing less than the cohesion of the EU depends on it.

After the no doubt emotional  not to say irrational  decision of the British to leave the EU, Brexit is now the example that paradigmatically shows us the consequences of populist Europhobia. Brexit is intended to hurt. It serves as a demonstration of what we have in Europe and is meant to make palpable what is too much taken for granted. This attitude on the part of the EU negotiators is understandable. But is it also the right attitude?

The result of the referendum was extremely close. So far all attempts to implement it have lacked the necessary parliamentary support. The situation is deadlocked. With all due respect for the result of a democratic vote, the EU should help the UK to make an about-turn rather than having it constantly run into a wall.

During the euro crisis, the EU also displayed patience with heavily indebted Greece. We should spare no effort to hang on to the UK. Or at least to assist it with a pragmatic Brexit rather than solely focusing on the learning effect of a painful exit from the EU.

Europe must be a direct experience

The fault lines in society run between those who gain from modernisation and the losers of globalisation and digitalisation, between those who believe in and those who are sceptical of progress. The EU is clearly located on the side of the winners in this conflict. There is a European sense of union.

It tends to be urban, educated and well-to-do. However, this sense of union must also extend to the rest of us. Europe is not merely a pet project of the elites, glorified in state-supporting speeches, again and again invoked as the project of the century and a guarantor of peace. Self-referential pathos wont do. The EU must be experienced as an opportunity and an entity that offers protection in the cooperation among the nation states and their specific identities.
Chicago is a critical market for us and were incredibly committed to it, Levine said. Were looking at each market to as to how do we become as efficient in supporting our clients and drive as much new investment and growth that we can. Weve been assessing all these centers weve had for quite some time and making sure their footprint is reflective of todays demographics.
From Forward Montana

HELENA  A program to offer student debt assistance to young farmers and ranchers in Montana was signed into law on Friday and will encourage young people to pursue a career in agriculture, Montanas leading industry.

Gov. Steve Bullock signed House Bill 431, which will create a student loan debt assistance program to aid young farmers and ranchers in paying off up to 50 percent of their student loans when they commit to at least 5 years of farming or ranching. Students must have graduated from a Montana University System university or college to qualify.

Student debt is an incredible barrier to young people being able to start families, buy homes and start businesses, especially something like a farm or ranch, said Kiah Abbey, interim director of Forward Montana. I hope that this program is just the start of creative solutions to helping alleviate the burden of student debt on young Montanans.

Farmers and ranchers are public servants who dedicate their lives to feeding the rest of the country. In Montana, they steward over 58 million acres of land and are critical to rural economies. According to the USDA agricultural census, the average age of a farmer in Montana in 2017 was 58. Only 8 percent of farmers in our state were under the age of 35  in fact, there were almost four times more farmers over 65 than under 35.

Montana has a university system where young people who want to continue the farming and ranching tradition can get an education in agriculture and gain the knowledge that will help them bring Montanas farms and ranches into the future. But those students, like many others in Montana, are often graduating with massive student loan debt. Student borrowers make up 60 percent of Montana graduates, and those borrowers have an average of $28,000 in debt.

This program will be funded through the Montana Growth Through Agriculture grant program, which has provided funds for strengthening and diversifying agriculture since 1987. The legislature also approved a $275,000 funding increase to the GTA program this session.

Were very excited, said Liv Stavick of the Montana Farm Bureau. High tuition costs and low commodity prices have created the perfect storm in which the decision for young people to return to production agriculture is simply not financially viable straight out of school.

HB 431 was sponsored by Rep. Zach Brown, D-Bozeman, whose district includes half of the Montana State University, including the College of Agriculture building. The Collegiate Young Farmers and Ranchers of MSU were also proponents of the bill throughout its process.

HB 431 was a win for young-people and particularly rural communities across Montana, Brown said. Rural Montana depends on agriculture as its driving economic force. Hopefully this policy can help get young families back in small towns and rural areas.

Forward Montana is a young person-led organization that engages and mobilizes young Montanans to shape their democracy to improve their lives and the lives of all Montanans. To learn more visit https://forwardmontana.org/.
The Havre Fire Department held a controlled burn and training session in conjunction with Bear Paw Volunteer Fire Department, Chinook Volunteer Fire Department and the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation Wednesday at US Bank Park across from Montana State University-Northern.

Around 20 firefighters from the different departments spent the afternoon training and going over the plan of attack when fighting brush fires before putting their knowledge to the test.

After a brief test burn, the group scorched a large swathe of the park from around 5:45 to 7:30 p.m., which sent smoke billowing south over the Northern campus.

Havre Assistant Fire Chief Kelly Jones said the group would have gotten started with their controlled burn of the park earlier in the day, but the National Weather Service in Great Falls advised against getting started until after 5 p.m. due to the high winds earlier in the day.

As firefighters bided their time waiting for a window of good weather, Tammy Murray, secretary at the Havre Fire Department, invited the group to her home adjacent to the park and served hot dogs and chips.

Once the training was underway, firefighters practiced a slew of skills they don't get to test very often, including prepping the field for the burn, using drip torches and controlling the fire once it got going.

Jones said Havre Fire Department tries to do at least one controlled burn training session a year, and that they performed one last year at the police shooting range south of town.

US Bank Park is once again open to the public, and DNRC firefighter Heath Gerber, who helped lead the session, said the scorched fields will be rejuvenated in a matter of months.
THERES a programme note about the title, Dead Dog in a Suitcase, now running at the Oxford Playhouse.

Writer Carl Grose explains that the dog in a suitcase is an urban myth  Google it  which emerged in an early workshop for the show.

A clue to the myth is provided by the fact that there are several shiny wheelie bags deployed on stage.

One contains the remains of the dog, who is incidentally one of the most sympathetic characters in the play, when alive. Another contains wads of banknotes. A mix-up is inevitable.

The money is payment to a hit-man called Macheath. His job is to murder the last good man in a seaside town. The dog is collateral damage when he shoots Mayor Goodman.

The integrity of Mayor Goodman  geddit?  stands in the way of the notorious Peacham family, whose businesses include pilchard-packing and cement manufacture.

Things get more complicated when the daughter of the family, Polly Peacham, falls for Macheath.

If the names sound a bit familiar then thats because they are.

Macheath and Polly and others appear in the 18th century The Beggars Opera by John Gay. This was radically updated by Bertold Brecht and Kurt Weill as The Threepenny Opera in the Twenties.

Now Carl Grose and composer Charles Hazelwood have brought the story into the 21st century in this production presented by the Kneehigh company and the Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse.

Gays original play wasnt an opera. It used ballads and popular songs. In the same way, Hazelwood draws on a tremendous variety of music from heavy metal to ska, from country and western to power ballads, as well as traditional material like Greensleeves. The result is an energetic, constantly surprising hodge-podge.

The targets are the same as Gays and Brechts, though. Corruption, hypocrisy, injustice.

The message is bleak, and political developments since the first staging of Dead Dog in a Suitcase in 2014 may make it seem bleaker still, as director Mike Shepherd notes.

But there can be pleasure in bad news, in saying What is the world coming to? For one thing, theres great energy on stage.

Dominic Marsh makes for a charismatic and ruthless Macheath, with Angela Hardie as a touching Polly and Beverly Rudd as no-nonsense Lucy Lockit, another of Macheaths many conquests. Mr and Mrs Peacham (Martin Hyder and Rina Fatania) enjoy playing the villains.

The stage has room for a slide, a nightclub and a mobile Punch and Judy show, used to comment on the action.

Oh, and theres also the skeleton of a Tyrannosaurus rex. Exactly why this appears in the finale of Dead Dog in a Suitcase youll have to go to the Oxford Playhouse to find out.

Altogether this is a dark, raucous and anarchic evening.

Until Saturday.

Philip Gooden
Tariffs are good. Its about time that everybody else buys products from the U.S., and I dont want to see the United States taken over by the Chinese market. When my friends come over from China, the first thing they want to go look at is the stores to go shopping, and when they see things are made from China theyre ecstatic. Ecstatic that they have all their products marketing the world. I feel that we do need to add these tariffs, and that Americans need to buy more stuff made in the U.S.A. I for one am expecting to pay more for our products.
Mugshot of Fat Freddie Thompson, who is in Portlaoise Prison for the murder of David Daithi Douglas

Gangland killer 'Fat Freddie' Thompson has been disciplined by jail bosses for abusing a prison officer.

The feared criminal has lost his tuck shop, phone and gym privileges over the incident, insiders say.

It is the first time he has been formally disciplined since being moved to Portlaoise Prison.

Thompson (39) is serving a life sentence in the maximum security facility.

He was convicted last year of the feud-related murder of David 'Daithi' Douglas in July 2016. The high-profile gangster has been locked up since November 2016, when he was charged with the murder.

Dangerous

He was transferred to Portlaoise last year because there were concerns about his "dangerous influence" on other inmates while on remand in Mountjoy Prison.

Since being moved to Portlaoise, Thompson had not come to the attention of jail authorities for disciplinary reasons.

However, this changed on Thursday of last week, sources inside the prison said.

"He has received a prison disciplinary report, otherwise known as a P19 form, for serious verbal abuse of a prison officer," a jail insider said.

P19 reports are handed to prisoners who have broken prison regulations and can lead to various punishments, depending on the severity of the offence.

"Freddie is not happy at all about this because it means that he has lost some of his privileges, which include access to the tuck shop, as well as reduction in recreational time and phone calls and other measures," said the insider.

"This was a verbal abuse violation but if threats had been made against the officer the consequences for the prisoner would have been a lot more severe."

Thompson is now on the A Wing of the high-security jail - a landing reserved for particularly violent and disruptive inmates.

It is not clear what sparked the angry outburst which led to him being disciplined.

Until last week's "extreme verbal outburst", Thompson had been generally "keeping his head down" in the prison and had not been involved in any fights with inmates or run-ins with staff.

"By being in the A Wing, his capacity for causing trouble in the jail is fairly minimal because prisoners there are under close scrutiny and are kept well away from the general population," the source added.

The infamous Limerick gangster brothers Wayne and John Dundon used to be on A Wing but they are now housed in a special unit in Mountjoy Prison.

In their absence, Thompson's main jail buddy is fellow murderer Warren Dumbrell.

Volatile

Dumbrell (45) is considered to be one of the most volatile and dangerous inmates in the prison system and has been kept away from the general population for a large amount of his sentence.

He is serving a life sentence for the murder of father-of-six Christopher Cawley in October 2006.

Thompson is due to appeal his murder conviction but that hearing is not expected to take place until at least next year.

The mobster - who has been involved in organised crime since his late teens - was convicted of the feud murder of Mr Douglas by the Special Criminal Court last August.

Delivering the verdict, Mr Justice Tony Hunt sympathised with Mr Douglas's family, particularly his daughter, who witnessed the shooting.

He said it was a terrible thing for anyone to see.

The judge also commended the gardai involved, saying the standard of the investigation into Mr Douglas's "execution" was "second to none".

The non-jury court heard that the 55-year-old victim was shot six times shortly after 4pm, as he took a meal break at the counter in his partner's shop, Shoestown.

A semi-automatic pistol with its serial number removed was found next to his head.

The judge said there was no doubt that Mr Douglas was murdered and that this was an execution which involved intricate advanced planning and co-ordination.

He pointed out that the prosecution did not suggest Thompson was the person who fired the shots, but that he was one of the people involved.

A Ford Fiesta driven by him was seen interacting with other vehicles and individuals involved in the plot on the morning before the shooting.

As a result of the guilty verdict, Thompson became the most senior Kinahan cartel figure to be sentenced for a feud murder to date.
A murder accused asked a garda interviewer "are you joking me?" and "are you actually being serious?" when told that Ana Kriegel's blood had been found on his boots, a trial heard.

The Central Criminal Court also heard that Boy A told gardai that CCTV footage of a male, who they believe is Boy A, might be "one of the lads who attacked me".

When asked by gardai during interviews if he was in the room where Ana's body was found, Boy A said "no".

Two youths, Boy A and Boy B, aged 13 at the time, have pleaded not guilty before the Central Criminal Court to murdering Ana Kriegel (14) at Glenwood House, Laraghcon, Clonee Road in Lucan on May 14 last year.

Boy A has also denied a charge of aggravated sexual assault.

Yesterday, Detective Garda Marcus Roantree said he arrested Boy A on suspicion of murder at Clondalkin Garda Station at 8.07am on May 24, 2018, and he was detained for questioning.

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Over the next two days, gardai conducted six interviews with Boy A.

Present during the interviews were Boy A, his father, his solicitor Donough Molloy, Det Gda Roantree and Detective Garda Tomas Doyle.

Prosecutor Gerardine Small BL led Det Gda Doyle through the interviews with Boy A.

In interview one, Boy A told Det Gda Doyle he was interested in drawing.

During the second interview, Det Gda Doyle said he showed Boy A some CCTV clips.

Ms Small said the jury had already seen the footage.

When shown a clip of two males, Boy A told Det Gda Doyle "they look like the lads that beat me up".

In the third interview, Boy A was shown footage of a male walking in the park, and wearing gloves and a backpack.

Asked if he had anything to say about that individual, Boy A told Det Gda Doyle: "I think that might be one of the lads who attacked me."

Det Gda Doyle told the accused that gardai believed he was the male in this CCTV footage, and in several other clips. Boy A denied it was him, the court heard.

He said a witness statement he previously gave to Sergeant John O'Keeffe was "the truth".

Serious

Det Gda Doyle said he then showed a photograph of Boy A's boots to him. Det Gda Doyle told him they were examined and Ana's blood was found on them.

"Are you joking me?" Boy A asked.

"No," said Det Gda Doyle.

"Are you actually being serious?" Boy A responded.

Det Gda Doyle told him he wouldn't joke about something like that.

Boy A then asked if he could get some air. His solicitor asked Boy A if he was feeling sick, and he was handed a glass of water.

Det Gda Doyle then told Boy A he wanted to be clear this was "serious and significant".

Boy A responded: "I am aware."

Det Gda Doyle also put it to Boy A that the blood on his boots put him in the room where Ana's body was found.

"Were you in this room?" Det Gda Doyle asked.

"No," said Boy A.

Earlier, the court heard from John Hoade, a specialist in blood pattern and DNA analysis with Forensic Science Ireland, who said that a pair of boots worn by Boy A on the day Ana disappeared had her blood on them.

Mr Hoade also said the blood spatter on the boots indicated that "Boy A either assaulted Ana Kriegel or was in very close proximity when she was assaulted".

The court heard that on May 19, 2018, Mr Hoade was handed a pair of boots which were worn by Boy A on May 14, the day Ana disappeared.

Mr Hoade said that he examined the soles and upper parts of the boots for blood staining. There were nine separate areas of blood staining which were sampled for DNA and the DNA matched that of Ana Kriegel.

Mr Hoade identified blood staining on the right boot close to the laces and on the toe.

The blood staining on the left boot was at the inner ankle, the edge of the sole and on the upper part of the boot.

Mr Hoade said that some of the staining on the boots could be identified as blood spatter. This occurs when external force is applied to a source of liquid blood, which then falls on a surface.

The blood spatter on Boy A's boot indicates that Boy A "either assaulted Ana Kriegel or was in very close proximity when she was assaulted", Mr Hoade told the jury.

The court heard that Mr Hoade also examined a length of stick which was discovered in the room where Ana's body was found. The stick measured 92cm long, and 4cm x 3cm wide.

Mr Hoade said there was blood spatter and general staining on the piece of wood. He said the blood on the stick was tested for DNA and the DNA matched Ana Kriegel's DNA.

Mr Hoade also identified a particular pattern of blood staining known as feathering on the stick which he said was "associated with a weapon that has been swung".

He said the blood staining on the wooden stick was what he would expect if the "piece of wood was used as a weapon".

Mr Hoade said he sampled the edges of the stick to see if he could ascertain if whoever used it had left any traces behind, but the only DNA he found matched Ana's DNA.

The court heard that Mr Hoade examined a concrete block, which was also found at the crime scene. He said it was a section of a 9in concrete block.

Mr Hoade agreed with prosecutor Brendan Grehan SC that the block was "quite heavy" and a person would need "two hands" to hold it.

The court heard Mr Hoade examined the concrete block and found blood on all six surfaces of it.

Mr Hoade said he did not sample the blood from the block. This was because he understood there was "no suggestion the block was used as a weapon in the assault".

The trial continues.
Gardai at the scene of the shooting in 2007

Slain gangster Gary Hutch was a prominent suspect and was questioned by gardai about the murder of a man who was shot dead in Dublin almost 12 years ago.

A jury at the inquest into the death of Derek Duffy (37) yesterday agreed that he sustained fatal gunshot wounds to the head in the early hours of September 23, 2007.

The inquest heard he had been out socialising with friends in Dublin city centre and later returned to his apartment in Smithfield with an associate to collect his black Audi car. The pair then made their way to Finglas.

Dublin Fire Brigade received an emergency call to Casement Park in Finglas at 3.49am.

"The car was on fire and there was a man who had sustained gunshots wounds on the footpath. The passenger door was open. There were four or five people in the vicinity," firefighter Aidan Conway said.

Detective Sergeant Gavin Ross said a resident of Casement Park had seen Mr Duffy in the car as it was burning and pulled him out from the passenger side.

"He was pronounced dead at the scene at 4.30am," Det Sgt Ross told Dublin Coroner's Court.

"The scene was preserved for a technical examination and Mr Duffy was removed to the morgue, where his brother Christopher Duffy formally identified him."

The cause of death was laceration to the brain and intracranial haemorrhage due to bullet wounds to the head.

The jury returned a verdict of unlawful killing by person or persons unknown.

The inquest heard that Mr Duffy had visited his siblings the evening before his killing.

"I can't think of any reason anyone would harm Derek. No one had a bad word to say about him," his brother Raymond Duffy said in a deposition.

The victim's sister Maureen Duffy said he always kept in touch with the family after moving out of the family home, adding: "He was loved by us all."

Coroner Dr Myra Cullinane offered her sympathies.

"Obviously this was a terrible tragedy that befell your family. Some years have passed but still this must be very difficult for you," she said.

Feud

Gardai previously investigated whether Gary Hutch walked up to the car and opened fire with a handgun.

It is believed that Mr Duffy fell foul of associates of Hutch who decided to have him murdered.

Hutch is believed to have fled to Spain in the days after Mr Duffy's murder where he was himself shot dead in September 2015 - the first murder in the Hutch/Kinahan feud which has now claimed 18 lives.
It's weeks before the local elections when the Herald meets the latest member of the Haughey clan to throw his hat into the political ring.

Cathal Haughey, a 22-year-old student who has just finished a degree in politics in DCU, is canvassing ahead of voting day on May 24.

He's joined by his mum Jackie, aunt Eimear Mulhern and vice-president of Fianna Fail, Arthur Griffin, as he makes his way around a residential area in Beaumont.

As the team knock on doors, Cathal gets a warm reception - his grandfather's legacy to the fore with many of the older residents in the estate: "God bless Charlie and the free travel," says one homeowner.

Leaflet

Of course, some knocks go unanswered and one or two have little to say to the young candidate as they politely decline a leaflet.

However, others are happy to hear the Haughey name. One woman confesses she didn't answer the door when she saw Communications Minister Richard Bruton as he accompanied Fine Gael's Jeff Johnston, another first-time candidate.

Mr Haughey and Mr Johnston, however, are friendly to each other when they cross paths, shaking hands and deciding to divvy up the estate to avoid hampering each others' chances of striking up conversation with election-weary residents - very diplomatic.

The weight of bearing the Haughey name doesn't show on Cathal, who says he is his own man and it isn't 'Charlie' that is printed on the ballot.

"I don't think there is pressure to be honest," he said.

"I have two taoisigh as a grandad and a great-grandad, and a sitting TD as an uncle.

"But in fairness, my name is Cathal Haughey, I'm running in the local elections, and no one else is on the ballot but me. On some doors it's good, at some it is not so good. I'd ask people to leave their preconceptions of me at the door and take me on my face value alone."

It's the old chestnuts that crop up at the doors, such as the need for better road markings and mending the cracks in the pavement and roads locally. Crime on the Dart line and housing are also among the issues raised.

Cathal says he recognises that dealing with such local issues is what a councillor ought to be focused on.

As someone fresh from university he is aware of others in their 20s and 30s who are struggling to afford somewhere to live in the city.

"People want their councillors to focus on the local stuff - things like potholes, cracks in the pavement, an overgrown tree outside their house - but we are never too far away from national issues," he said.

"Housing is something that is coming up a lot. Young people simply can't afford to get on the property ladder.

"I know people in their 20s and 30s who have had to move back with their parents because the rents are just far too high.

"This Government just hasn't built houses - they seem ideologically opposed to social and affordable housing. The demand has gotten higher because there are so many people but there has been no supply. I think that is something this election will be fought on and the council needs to do more to use the vacant land it has."

As for his age putting off voters, Cathal tells the Herald people have given him kudos for running in the race.

He also says that young people have had quite the impact on politics in this country of late, putting climate change on the agenda for example.

Diverse

"I am young, I'm only 22, but the majority of people who mention my age think it is a positive thing," he said.

"There are a lot more younger candidates from all parties running in this election.

"There are more women and a lot more people who are not Irish-born. I think people are happy to see a more diverse ticket than the same old faces.

"I am not going to focus on one section of society. Everyone has a vote. Young people have become more engaged in politics now, climate change is only on the agenda because young people put it there.

"I think all demographics have their own different issues and a councillor should be able to represent them all."
I recently received my real estate tax bill for 2019. Im now paying close to $2,000 more than what I paid in 2017. Senior citizens simply cannot afford these ridiculous increases every year. You currently have one or two persons living in these homes. When we leave, you will have two to three families in the same house with multiple children overcrowding our already crowded schools. See how much tax you will collect then. I cannot wait for the next election, and hopefully we will clean house in City Hall from the mayor on down and get someone who knows how to manage money better than what we are doing now.
Teenager Azzam Raguragui may have been killed because of a row between two groups of youths over a stolen bike, garda sources said yesterday.

Azzam (18), who was stabbed to death last Friday, is not suspected of stealing the bike that allegedly led to a confrontation in a South Dublin park.

It is believed he might not even have been the intended target of the stabbing in Finsbury Park, Dundrum.

"This is a very sensitive and complex investigation involving witnesses who are juvenile males," a source said last night.

"No arrests have yet been made."

Scene

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The bike link emerged yesterday as the Herald learned that a 15-year-old boy was stabbed not far from the scene of Azzam's murder, only 10 minutes later.

The stabbing happened at a bus stop on Nutgrove Avenue, Rathfarnham, less than 2km from the park, at 8.20pm.

Gardai could not confirm if the stabbings were linked.

It is understood the teenager attacked in Rathfarnham suffered a thigh injury and was taken to Crumlin Hospital.

"A male youth sustained an apparent stab wound during an incident on Nutgrove Avenue at approximately 8.20pm on May 10," a garda spokesperson said yesterday.

"It's understood he was assaulted during an incident involving a number of youths. The investigation is ongoing, and no arrests have been made."

A resident from Rathfarnham, who did not want to be named, told the Herald that locals rushed to the assistance of the injured teenager.

"The young man was bleeding very heavily, and the bus stop was covered in blood," he said.

"Gardai sealed off the area and were making door-to-door inquiries throughout the weekend."

Gardai are appealing for witnesses or anyone with information to contact them on 01 6666500 or the Garda Confidential Line, 1800 666 111.

Azzam, who has been described as respectful and cheerful, had been due to attend evening prayers in Clonskeagh Mosque last Friday.

Detectives leading the murder investigation quickly ruled out a racial motive for the killing.

Officers have already spoken to a teenager who is the chief suspect.

The youth, 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, accompanied by a legal adviser and carrying a prepared statement.

Officers have spoken to a number of people in relation to Azzam's murder, but are continuing to identify everyone who was present in the park on Friday.

Gardai have been called out to several incidents in the area in recent weeks and responded to reports of a brawl involving a number of youths last Saturday week.

Known to his friends as Azzy, the dead youth was well-known in the Dundrum area.

Earlier this week, his devastated parents, Abderrahmane Raguragui and Hajiba Elouaddaf, thanked the public for their support and said they are hopeful that those responsible for their son's murder will face justice.

Truth

"The past few days have been very difficult and challenging for our family," they said in a statement.

"An Garda Siochana is leading the investigation to uncover the truth behind our son Azzam Raguragui's 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."

Clonskeagh Mosque will hold a gathering on Saturday evening in memory of Azzam.
Paralysed mobster Owen Maguire's gang might be linked to the latest gun attack in Drogheda, gardai believe.

The possible link is one line of inquiry as officers investigate the attack, which took place in the Beechwood Drive area of Marley's Lane at 12.15am yesterday.

No arrests have yet been made in the case, and it is understood that the gunman was briefly chased after the shooting.

He fired two shots at the house, with one smashing the living room window and the other going through the front door.

A shotgun was used in the attack, and left a large hole in the door, surrounded by pellet marks.

The house that was targeted is in a large estate off Marley's Lane on the eastern side of the Co Louth town. No one was injured.

A source close to the occupants of the house said yesterday that the incident was not related to the ongoing feud which has blighted the town in the past year.

Patrol

Heavily armed gardai continued to patrol the town yesterday as tensions remained extremely high.

Yesterday's shooting happ-ened only seven hours after a gun attack in Donaghmede, north Dublin, which gardai suspect could be linked to the warfare in Drogheda.

"This is one line in the investigation, but it has not been confirmed yet," a senior source told the Herald last night.

It was reported yesterday that the 24-year-old leader of the anti-Maguire faction had been the target of the lone gunman who fired two shots in Grangemore Park near Donaghmede Shopping Centre at 5.20pm on Tuesday.

"Gardai have not established that this is definitely the case. The Drogheda gang leader has been seen in that locality recently in a distinctive red car," a senior source said.

"A similar vehicle was used by the target of the shooting on Tuesday, but it has not been established if this is the same car or the same person. CCTV is being studied to establish these facts."
Flames can be seen coming out of the top of the tent after it was set ablaze by a gang of youths using a lighter

A Dublin homeless charity says reports of a homeless man's tent being set alight by youths are a disgraceful new low.

Classic Hits radio presenter Niall Boylan yesterday tweeted images of a group of youths - including three young girls - apparently putting a lighter to the orange tent.

Flames are seen shooting out from the top of the tent in the next photo.

A caller to Boylan's talk show yesterday said he saw the youths set the tent on fire from his apartment and rang gardai.

The blaze was put out by Dublin City Council workers and the homeless man was not injured.

Dublin Region Homeless Executive spokeswoman Bevin Herbert said its outreach workers were dispatched to Broadstone Park, near the Grand Canal in the north inner city, where the incident is believed to have happened.

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The workers will liaise with the victim to ensure his safety and provide him with accommodation, she said.

Officials from the Dublin Fire Brigade were not available for comment last night.

However, the Inner City Helping Homeless charity's chief executive, Anthony Flynn, said the alleged arson attack was not only a serious crime but an appalling new low.

"It's an absolute disgrace that anyone who has to sleep in a tent could be burnt," he said.

While the incident is the first he is aware of in Dublin, Mr Flynn said it was not the first time that the growing number of homeless people had been abused by mindless yobs.

"We do hear of individuals urinating on people or kicking them while they are sleeping in their sleeping bags," Mr Flynn said.

Shelter

Sadly the number of homeless people who have resorted to sleeping in tents is growing, he added.

Mr Flynn estimates that between 60 and 70 of the 150 to 160 people who sleep rough in the Dublin area each night are sleeping in tents.

Many of them are now seeking shelter in parks and green areas along the canals and along the Luas lines, he said.

They are doing this to escape the noise and potential violence of sleeping rough or attending hostels, Mr Flynn added.

"We're in a situation now where people are using tents because of safety and drug issues in hostels," he said.
Bawcum said the money for the settlement will come from insurance companies of the families of two of the juveniles involved. Sherman did not have an insurance policy that would cover such costs, according to Bawcum, but he also said his clients reserve the right to file suit against Sherman in the future.
LEBANON, Va.  Authorities have identified a body found in April in the Lewis Creek area of Russell County as a Honaker man missing since Jan. 1.

Russell County Sheriff Steve Dye and Buchanan County Sheriff Ray Foster said the body was identified as Jason Matthew Shortt, 35, of Honaker. The investigation began when the Buchanan County Sheriffs Office received a missing person report in January. Shortts vehicle was found in the Lewis Creek area, and extensive search efforts were made, Dye and Foster said in a joint news release on Wednesday.

On April 27, Russell County received a call that a body had been located. The mans body was taken to the Chief Medical Examiners Office in Roanoke, where the identity was confirmed. Although the complete autopsy has not been completed, Dye and Foster said there is no evidence of foul play.
Broyles campaign slogan is Reunite. Reform. Restore.

I think the first thing we need to do is lay aside all these grievances and differences and come back together as a family, and more especially as a board, and begin to work together again, he said. Lets make sure that were offering the services that our citizens deserve in customer service and infrastructure and safety and protection. Lets look at our budget  our profits and losses.

After thats figured out, Broyles said, the BMA could come up with a short list of goals to accomplish first. Broyles said he believes the BMA and city employees need to listen and communicate more effectively with residents so theyre accurately informed and helped with their concerns regarding rising water bills, sewage overflows and any other issues.

Im not the messiah  I want to come and join the team and offer value, he said.

Broyles said the city needs to market itself for and open its doors to small businesses but only after major infrastructure improvements are complete.
The owner of a traveling pony show who previously employed a Mendota, Virginia, man charged in the shooting death of three women said Wednesday he had no idea what might have led to the killings.

Josh Ellis, a Blountville, Tennessee, man who owns Pony Express, said James Michael Wright, 23, no longer works for him.

Wright faces three counts each of capital murder, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony and concealing a body. He was taken into custody on May 9 when authorities said he confessed to the killings, which Washington County Sheriff Fred Newman said are linked to traveling carnivals.

He has not worked for me in nine months, Ellis told the Bristol Herald Courier during a telephone interview on Wednesday.

Wright has since gone on to work on a trash truck and a local building supplies company, Ellis said.

Investigators have been in touch with companies that Wright has been associated with, according to Washington County Sheriffs Office Capt. Jamie Blevins. Authorities are trying to determine if there are any additional victims, he added.

He was young, polite, Ellis said of Wright, who worked for him from time to time.
Work includes constructing one lane on 91st Street in each direction with a striped median, installing curbs, removing the ditch on the south side of the roadway and installing a sidewalk, streetlights and storm sewers to improve drainage, according to plans.
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn.A Piney Flats man has been charged after police began investigating a report of vandalism at the Northeast State Community College parking garage in downtown Johnson City.

Christopher Gabbard, 37, was charged Tuesday with felony vandalism following the incident reported on May 5, according to a Johnson City Police Department news release.

Someone had pulled the gate blocking the entrance/exit down, the release adds. During the investigation, officers obtained video which revealed a truck backed down the ramp and hooked a tow strap to the lower portion of the gate. The vehicle then pulls toward, pulling the gate down, the release states.
Washington Countys Board of Supervisors moved ahead this week with a plan to establish a fire and rescue substation near Whitetop Mountain by accepting a land donation at Green Cove, Virginia.

The first thing we need is some land to put something on, Supervisor Mike Rush told the Board of Supervisors at its Tuesday meeting.

Rush said he explored the area, looking for potential property.

We didnt come up with much, he said. Then we approached Annette Goode to donate this, and she did.

Now a resident of Folsom, California, Goode, for years, operated the Buchanan Inn, a bed and breakfast along the Virginia Creeper Trail near the historic Green Cove Station, about a half-mile from U.S. Highway 58.

Goodes donated property contains 150 feet along Green Cove Road near the countys Green Cove Convenience Center.

County Administrator Jason Berry visited the two-acre property on May 10 and said, It will make a nice site for a station.

Rush said they are making sure the land meets any environmental regulations related to a stream on the property.
Were not perfect, but were the best that they have, Cheryl Carter, secretary of the Mount Rogers department, told the supervisors. And I think that theres going to be regrets. People are possibly going to be hurt or lose property if you continue on with this decision.

There are other options the county is considering, including having the Damascus fire and rescue operation run calls into the communities, or even establishing a Washington County-funded fire and EMS substation in the area.

But there are no solutions in place yet to take up the slack should the Mount Rogers department be shut out. Just the purchase of a single fire truck could cost as much as $450,000, the supervisors were told. Ambulances are quite expensive, as well.

I think it might be better in the countys interest and probably [would] come out a whole lot easier  or a less financial burden, if you would  if they could look at providing some resources to Mount Rogers, whos already in place and providing those services, helping us maybe recruit some members within the community or bring some resources in, rather than to try to spend this huge amount of money to put that in place when theres already something there that just needs a little help along, Stamper said.
But surely Congress could investigate a presidents compliance with the Constitutions emoluments clause?

I respectfully disagree in part, Consovoy persisted, saying Congress cant engage in anything that looks like a law enforcement investigation.

Even the Whitewater and Watergate investigations exceeded congressional authority?

Here, Consovoy demurred (Id have to look, he said), rather than admit his theory would have indeed banned both.

The Supreme Court has said judges shouldnt look at Congress motives (even if they appear to be political) for investigating the executive, deferring to the legislature on what is a legitimate legislative function. But Consovoy told Mehta that I dont think the court can ignore the Democrats motives, as expressed in public statements, and he called their legislative reasons retroactive rationalizations. Consovoys own argument sounded more political than legal at times. His brief began: The Democrat Party  has declared all-out political war against President Donald J. Trump. Subpoenas are their weapon of choice.
The store stood unused for five years because Albertsons, the parent company of Jewel-Osco, held the lease on the property until November, city officials said. The other portion of the 3116 S. Route 59 building is a boutique grocery store, the name of which has yet to be announced, Jeffries said.
Pa. man charged in Christmas night shooting death of Hagerstown woman

A Greencastle, Pa., man is charged with murder in the Christmas night shooting death of his girlfriend at her Hagerstown home, police said.
I want to thank Angela once again for her tremendous leadership and dedicated service during the past 15 years, and wish her all the best in District 97, Superintendent Carol Kelley said. I also want to congratulate Amy on her appointment to the principal position at Longfellow. She has a strong and diverse background in education, as well as a proven track record for fostering the growth of all students. I believe those tremendous qualities, coupled with her knowledge, skills and passion for learning, will help advance our vision and aid our efforts to promote greater equity and inclusion across our district.
What Im trying to promote is, were way ahead of the curve in you presenting this, Iseli said. If there are things we need, we should be identifying them now. We ought to be identifying some places we can go find some of the funds to offset some of the things we need. If we try to do that at the last minute, it feels like a hopeless exercise.
TAYLORSVILLE  At its May 6 meeting, the Alexander County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to adopt a resolution to consolidate the countys Department of Social Services, Department of Public Health, and Senior Center into a Consolidated Human Services Agency. The changes will become effective on July 1.

County commissioners will serve as the Consolidated Human Services Board, and they will appoint a Consolidated Human Services Advisory Committee.

A public hearing was held during the meeting to allow citizen input on the consolidation. Two people expressed their thoughts on the matter.

These changes will provide positive opportunities for our staff and citizens, said Commission Chairman Jeff Peal. The programs of these three departments will continue, and there will be no loss of jobs for our employees. What will change is how things are administered as we streamline our services with better communication and improved efficiency. We believe this will be the best way to serve our citizens.
16th Annual Antique Power Show

Foothills Antique Power Association of North Carolina is presenting the annual Antique Power Show this weekend. The show will include multiple demonstrations and various engines, tractors, trucks, cars and motorcycles. Antique vendors, food and drink vendors, the General Store and Heritage Village will also be available. Kids can join in the fun as well with numerous activities including a Pedal Pull, crafts and more. There will be a tractor pull on Saturday at 4 p.m., and a church service on Sunday at 9:30 a.m. For more information, call 704-622-2746.
Healthy children make healthy adults, as shown in 1988 when an outbreak of adult mumps startled federal health officials. Didnt happen in North Carolina. By then, our revised immunization law was almost 10 years old.

There are exemptions for medical and religious reasons, but unvaccinated students can be sent home if a case of measles, etc. occurs in school.

Whenever a child enters school in our state, regardless of grade, that child must be immunized unless exempted for the above two reasons. The shots are free. Consequently, North Carolina is not on the current measles outbreak map.

Acceptance of a new immunization law was so widespread that when a Republican introduced the rewrite  done mostly by local and state health officials, including J.N. McCormick, the top communicable disease doc in state government  it actually passed posthaste in the overwhelmingly Democratic legislature.

The 1979 law worked because it was the right thing to do and because it was enforced. The law was not an encroachment on families. It was adopted to protect our children who grew up to be protected adults.
I could not help but reply to the Gary Garmon letter. He has apparently overlooked a few things.

Number one, I do not believe any President in his life time has confided in him? There are a few things people like him do not need to know. At least President Trump has not blatantly paid the Russians to work for him, like the DNC and Clintons have.

And the Russians have not contributed several hundred MILLION dollars to him as they have the Clintons.

Not to mention their involvement in Ukraine, which will be coming soon. The Clintons and the DNC are all rolled up in Russia.

Mr. Garmon did not bother to mention that Trump wasnt caught whispering to Putin that he would do a lot more things after he was elected. What do you think that implied Gary? How much money do you think Obama and Biden got for the Iran deal? How much do you think that Obama, Biden, the Clintons got for the GUN RUNNING they did?
Hundreds of city and town leaders from across the state gathered in Hickory this week for the North Carolina League of Municipalities annual conference.

The conference, called CityVision 2019, kicked off Tuesday with some meetings, but the opening ceremony took place at Hickory Metro Convention Center Wednesday morning.

Following speeches by league president Michael Lazzara and Jennifer Phelps of Local Government Federal Credit Union, Hickory Mayor Hank Guess welcomed the group to Hickory.

Youre here with us at an exciting time as there are many project and growth developing right now in our city, Guess said.

The conference also provided Hickory leaders with an opportunity to showcase the city.

A promotional video about Hickory was played for the crowd on Wednesday morning, and attendees were invited to a concert in Trade Alley Wednesday night.

This is the third time the city has hosted the conference. The city previously hosted in 2013 and 2005, said Kristin Milam, the leagues communications and marketing.
Denmarks government has brought in a ban on the religious slaughter of animals for the production of halal and kosher meat, after years of campaigning from welfare activists.

The change to the law, announced last week and effective as of yesterday, has been called anti-Semitism by Jewish leaders and a clear interference in religious freedom by the non-profit group Danish Halal.

European regulations require animals to be stunned before they are slaughtered, but grants exemptions on religious grounds. For meat to be considered kosher under Jewish law or halal under Islamic law, the animal must be conscious when killed.

Yet defending his governments decision to remove this exemption, the minister for agriculture and food Dan Jrgensen told Denmarks TV2 that animal rights come before religion.

Source : Independent UK
Three brothers and two other men from the United States have filed a lawsuit against the Vatican for the concealment of sexual abuse which they suffered by priests of the Church.

The case filed on Tuesday (14 May 2019) in US district court in St Paul wanted the Vatican to reveal the identities of and records of more than 3,400 clergy accused of sexual abuse. The men asked the court to make the names public and report the alleged crime to law enforcement worldwide, reports Reuters.

The three brothers said in the lawsuit that they were molested by former Minnesota priest Curtis Wehmeyer between 2006 and 2012 while the fourth was sexually abused by the now former priest Thomas Adamson in early 1980s and the fifth man was by molested by former priest Fidencio Silva-Flores between 1978 to 1984 in California.

In an alarming state of affairs, the US Catholic Conference of Bishops has indicated that more than 6,000 clerics in the country have been accused of sexually abusing minors between the years 1950 and 2016. In a report by the Vatican in 2004, more than 3,400 cases of abuse have been reported to Rome; all of them are removed from priesthood but the names and details of the cases are never made public.

The verdict of the court will be interesting to watch as many cases which involve suing a foreign country have been dismissed.

Source : Swarajya Magazine
I thought that there are clouds, its raining, so there is a benefit that we can escape the radar... the cloud can benefit us too. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a recent interview, revealed these backroom details of the military strikes against Pakistan. He also bragged about how he out-thought the military experts in the room and used inclement weather as a supposed strategic advantage for the air strikes. Except, this was sheer absurdity as cloud cover does not prevent radars from detecting signals.

But Modis ignorance of military technology is not the issue here. The core issue is that no one sitting in that meeting room dared to highlight the irrationality of using cloud cover to hide from Pakistans radar. Had the wise men in that meeting room mustered up the courage to tell the prime minister that his understanding of radar technology was incorrect and it is better to postpone the strikes, perhaps the nation and the armed forces could have been served better. Their silence is the main crime. This inability to question and infuse reason into policy decisions has been the single defining characteristic of the Modi governments policy making process in the past five years.

Over the past two weeks, there has been a sudden deluge of commentary on the perilous state of Indias economy. Senior executives of large consumer companies have warned of a recessionary environment. Car manufacturers have reported the worst sales decline in eight years. Production in factories measured by the Index of Industrial Production is now negative, a rare occurrence. Financial sector honchos are warning us of an impending liquidity crisis. Research reports from investment banks talk about how the slowdown will be deep and lengthy. There is now consensus that the state of the Indian economy is precarious. Yet, it is important to ponder over how our cloud cover culture should bear the brunt of the responsibility for this economic mess.

In 2014, when the banking sector needed cash infusion to tide over its then nascent non-performing asset issues, the Modi government asserted that accelerated GDP growth will automatically solve banking problems. Had anyone in Modis team informed the prime minister that higher GDP growth is no ones birthright and it would be prudent to infuse liquidity into the banking sector, we perhaps would not be in the mess that we are in today.

Then came the disastrous idea of demonetisation. Imagine if even one person in that meeting room in the Prime Ministers Office had told Modi that he was making a grave error in assuming that all cash is black money and all black money is in cash and that, invalidating 90% of the countrys currency overnight will only devastate the entire economy for many years, perhaps the disaster could have been averted. Ironically, even months after demonetisation, none of the corporate honchos and analysts that scream economic slowdown today were intellectually honest to speak truth to power. Worse, many of them even justified the policy, saying it would help in increasing digital transactions and the formalisation of the economy. It is indisputable that the suicidal move of demonetisation was the fountainhead of Indias economic woes today.

The lack of candid feedback on demonetisation emboldened Modi to commit another economic hara-kiri, just six months later: the hasty roll out of the Goods and Services Tax (GST). In an attempt to manage headlines, GST was launched hastily without debate and discussion. Again one wonders what could have been, had someone warned the prime minister against rushing into GST and convinced him to deliberate with various stakeholders prior to its launch. In the twin swoops of demonetisation and GST, within six months, the seeds of economic destruction were sown and harvested, that we are evidently reaping now.

The prime ministers disdain for experts and intellectuals is well known. But policy making is serious business. Juvenile jugaad cannot be a substitute for subject matter expertise in policy decisions. No prime minister can be a subject matter expert in all subjects. In a liberal democracy, the executive and civil society shoulders a moral obligation to speak truth to power. The inability to do so in the past five years has cost this nation dearly. As the nation gets ready to welcome a new government in a few weeks, let us all pledge to shed the cloud cover syndrome that has engulfed this country and promise to hold governments accountable for their decisions. As Martin Luther King said, There comes a time when silence is betrayal.

Praveen Chakravarty is chairman, data analytics department, Congress party

The views expressed are personal
Actor Arjun Kapoor has a simple mantra in life; he believes everyone should wake up, kick ass and be kind. And then follow it up in repeat mode.

Arjun shared a picture of his with the following words written alongside. It read: Wake up, kick ass and be kind. Repeat. Looks like many of his fans approve of it. And so does his rumoured girlfriend Malaika Arora. She wrote back, saying: Yas.

Also read: Tahira Kashyap says she gave up on her marriage with Ayushmann Khurrana many times: He didnt give up but he also didnt make up

Through March and April, speculation was rift that Arjun and Malaika were getting married in April. The reports were refuted by not only the two concerned but also Boney Kapoor, father of Arjun.

Arjun has been busy with two films  Ashutosh Gowarikers Panipat and Indias Most Wanted, directed by Raj Kumar Gupta. The latter will release on May 24.

Ahead of the release of film, Arjun on Wednesday requested people to pay tribute to the unsung heroes of the country. He took to Instagram and uploaded a video message, appealing to citizens to take out time to thank the unsung heroes, who protect the country.

He said: I launched the Vande Mataram song yesterday and I realised Vande Matram means a salute to motherland. I started thinking we dont salute the people who actually protect the motherland. We dont take out time to remember them and to be kind and grateful to them.

Away from everything else, our film is about unsung heroes and we never got a day to celebrate them. We always waited for the perfect opportunity and perfect day. So, today I am requesting you all to take out 10 seconds from your time and thank those unsung brave people for their services. Jai Hind.

Indias Most Wanted is based on true events and is about five men who saved the lives of billions of people by hunting down a terrorist.

(With inputs from agencies)

Follow @htshowbiz for more
Actor Kangana Ranaut has left for the Cannes Film Festival and will be walking the red carpet for the second time on Thursday. The Manikarnika actor was seen at the Mumbai airport, leaving for France, in a striped shirt and flair denims. Paired with a quirky handbag around her shoulder, Kangana seemed to be all set to stun at the French Riviera from May 16-18.

Kangana has reportedly lost 5 kilograms in 10 days ahead of her public appearance at Cannes. She had gained around 10 kilograms for her upcoming film, Panga, in which she plays a kabaddi player.

Kangana has confirmed wearing a unique sari by designer duo Falguni and Shane Peacock for her red carpet outing. She will be representing a vodka brand at the festival and has claimed that her clothes will reflect the brand theme Live Victoriously.

Kangana Ranaut has lost 5 kgs in 10 days. She had put on weight for her role in Panga.

Talking about her look at the festival, Kangana said in a statement, The clothes I wear will have drama. At the same time, as an Indian actor on a global platform, I have the responsibility of endorsing our weavers and wearing outfits that reflect our rich cultural heritage. My stylist Ami Patel and I have been brainstorming for a few weeks. We, along with Falguni and Shane Peacock, are designing a unique saree. The idea is to revive the forgotten weaves and bring them to the fore so that the world is more aware of our rich fabrics and culture, says Ranaut.

Also read: Cannes 2019: Hina Khan makes her scintillating red carpet debut, Twitter dubs her unstoppable

Kangana had made her debut at the Cannes Film Festival last year by walking the red carpet in a black Sabyasachi Akash-Tara sari with a sleeveless blouse and a bouffant hairdo from the 1960-1970s. She had also worn a sheer Zuhair Murad gown for her second day on the red carpet and made headlines for turning up in a red latex dress and a bra topped with a jacket in her other appearances during the festival.

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The act of ceding land by Native Americans was involuntary and typically done under duress, Pelletiers information states. In return for vast tracts of land, tribes might be promised goods, money, reserved lands (reservations) and protection from encroaching settlers . The Treaty of Chicago gained over a million acres of land for the United States. In return, signatory tribes received $100,000 in trade goods, $280,000 in twenty annual payments of $14,000 each, and $150,000 for the erection of mills, houses, etc. The treaty does not list any land to be held for the tribes so one wonders where the houses and mills would be built. The United States government often did not honor its treaties with Native Americans and most tribes do not receive what they were promised as payment for land cessions.
Actors Deepika Padukone, Kangana Ranaut and Priyanka Chopra are all set to take over the Cannes Film Festival. The Bollywood stars arrived at the sunny French Riviera on Thursday to represent different brands at the prestigious festival.

Check out their first pics:

Deepika shared a glimpse at her look for the night on Instagram. She shared a picture on her Instagram stories that showed her getting ready for the big night. In the picture, she is sitting in her hotel room, getting her makeup done with her eyes closed. She is wearing a white bathrobe and her hair is already done into a sleek and shiny Ariana Grande-style ponytail.

Priyanka, meanwhile, stepped out of her hotel, all ready to paint the town white. She was seen in a flowy white off-shoulder dress with a white cape that was tied to her neck. Her hair was styled in a big pouffe and she also wore dark sunglasses to brave the bright of the coastal French town.

Watch | Cannes 2019: Priyanka Chopra dazzles in a black gown by Roberto Cavalli

Kangana, too, was seen getting ready for the star-studded night. Her team shared her picture from the makeup room on Thursday evening. First day, first look. The calm before the storm!, the captioned read. Kangana is seen holding up the peace sign while getting her hair done.

Also read: Priyanka Chopra, Deepika Padukone arrive in Cannes to a floral welcome. See pics

Earlier on Wednesday, television actor Hina Khan walked the red carpet at the screening of Brazilian drama film Bacurau. She is reportedly at Cannes for the screening of her short film, Lines, which is based on the Kargil War. Later in the week, actors Sonam Kapoor and Aishwarya Rai are also expected to arrive for the festival.

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Bollywood actor Rajkummar Rao has said that he was the first choice to play the role that eventually went to Vikrant Massey in Chhapaak, directed by Meghna Gulzar and starring Deepika Padukone as an acid attack survivor.

Asked about if he had turned down the part, Rajkummar said in a recent chat show, I didnt turn it down. Of course not! I loved that script but my dates were so messed up. Im so looking forward to that film. I kept telling Meghna and Deepika that its my loss.

Also read: Cannes 2019: Hina Khan makes her scintillating red carpet debut

The official first look picture and more images from the sets have been shared online and Deepika is being applauded for her look as an acid attack survivor named Malti. When the first poster came out, Rajkummar tweeted in praise of Deepika: This is brilliant. Cant wait to see you as #Malti. Its path breaking. More power to you Deepika.

This is brilliant. Cant wait to see you as #Malti. Its path breaking. More power to you Deepika.  https://t.co/Shu5QqoVSP  Rajkummar Rao (@RajkummarRao) March 25, 2019

Talking about the extensive prosthetics work in the film, Meghna had said at an event, You wont be seeing Deepika, you know. You will be seeing a disfigured Deepika. There is an uncanny similarity between the survivor and Deepika.

The Raazi filmmaker also wrote a long note on Deepikas official website: My film was based on acid violence. Of a woman who epitomized immense courage and strength, in the face of crippling adversity. She also shared that Deepika often jokes around that she agreed to do the film because of a scene where she gets to eat kairi (raw mangoes) with salt and red chilli powder.

Last seen in Ek Ladki Ko Dekha To Aisa Laga with Sonam Kapoor, Rajkummar is currently working on his next with Mouni Roy, Made in China. He is also set for the release of Prakash Kovelamudis Mental Hai Kya, in which he will star opposite Kangana Ranaut. He will begin shooting for Rooh Afza, opposite Janhvi Kapoor, in June.

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Ayushmann Khurrana and wife Tahira Kashyap have one of the strongest marriages in Bollywood and the actor stood by his wife as her rock as she battled cancer recently. However, Tahira has confessed that she gave up on marriage many times before she and Ayushmann evolved as companions.

Talking about the rough patch in their marriage post the release of Vicky Donor, Tahira told Spotboye in an interview, I had a problem with him kissing on screen. I felt like a big, huge fat whale sitting at home. When you are pregnant your hormones also go up and down. Here this boy is looking at his youngest youth best and he is romancing women and what is this onscreen kiss! We both were very young. He didnt have the time and patience to take me along and I didnt have the patience to understand. There was this disconnect that we were not there for each other to take each other along in that journey. Somewhere he knew that she doesnt mean mad. I also knew he wasnt cheating. I had to evolve as a person to understand what art is.

WATCH: Watch Ranveer, Akshay, Ayushmann groove on stage at HT Indias Most Stylish 2019

Talking about how she couldnt deal with it, she said, I had given up many times but he did not. He didnt use to give up but he also didnt make up... We both have really evolved as artists, as companions and we have seen a journey including cancer being a part of it. Where we are right now, it is at its strongest best.

Tahira also spoke about the time when Ayushmann made a leap in his career as an actor and she took the back seat due to her own conspiracy theories. Talking about following him into the film industry, the author-turned filmmaker said that she didnt want to be a shame for him by making a very juvenile, stupid short film. He has reached a certain professional point of his career and I didnt want to be a shame. I was very scared what people would think. We are our biggest enemies, she said. On being asked about how Ayushmann reacted to her plans of directing, she said, I didnt even tell him for the longest time that I wanted to be a director.

Tahira will now make her directorial debut with a film to be produced by Tanuj Garg and Atul Kasbekar. Talking about the same, she said, It will be shot entirely in Mumbai. Its a slice-of-life film, which will have 5 girls. Any girl who will be more like Tahira? Oh, theres a bit of Tahira in every girl in that bunch of five, she concluded.

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Bollywood actor Tabu was reported to be playing Salman Khans sister in his upcoming film Bharat. However, her absence from the films trailer and most of the promotional videos and events sparked speculations about her role and she has now revealed that she just has one scene in the film that also stars Katrina Kaif. An Asian Age report claimed Tabu said she has just one scene in the film so there is no point in joining the promotions.

Actors Tabu and Rakul Preet Singh during a press conference for De De Pyaar De in Mumbai on May 11. (IANS)

Asked if she will be seen with along with Bharat stars during the promotions, Tabu was quoted as saying, No. I will not be a part of the promotion of that film because I have a very small role. I just have one scene in it. Now what all can I talk about that one scene to you.

Also read: Cannes 2019: Hina Khan makes her scintillating red carpet debut

Earlier, while announcing Tabus involvement in the film, director Ali Abbas Zafar had said, Ive been a huge fan of Tabus work and always wished to work with her. After several meetings with her, Im happy it is finally happening with Bharat and am looking forward to the shoot.

An official remake of Korean drama An Ode to my Father, Bharat also stars Jackie Shroff, Sunil Grover, Disha Patani and Nora Fatehi. It is slated for release on Eid 2019, June 5.

Director Zafar recently shared pictures from the sets of Bharat and tweeted that recreating scenes from the Partition of India and Pakistan was the most challenging part of the shoot. Tweeting the pictures, he wrote, Partition was the most challenging part of (the) shoot, to recreate the scale of this defining moment of history and to keep the emotions Zinda in the middle of that chaos ..is the soul of an extraordinary journey of an ordinary man.

Partition was the most challenging part of @Bharat_TheFilm shoot , to recreate the scale of this defining moment of history and to keep the emotions Zinda in the middle of that chaos ..is the soul of an extraordinary journey of an ordinary man #BHARAT pic.twitter.com/90eQWz8aJ0  ali abbas zafar (@aliabbaszafar) May 15, 2019

Currently promoting her film with Ajay Devgn, De De Pyaar De, Tabu will also be seen in Saif Ali Khans Jawaani Jaaneman.

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Uttar Pradesh figures on top of the list of states that would be sending the maximum number of pilgrims this year to perform Haj--the annual religious pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia. The pilgrims would also include Muslim women travelling alone this year after the Union government amended rules in 2018. This year 33,000 people will be going for Haj from UP alone against the two lakh from all over the country, said Javed Khan, assistant secretary, UP Haj Committee.

Uttar Pradesh figures on top of the list of states that would be sending the maximum number of pilgrims this year to perform Haj--the annual religious pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia. The pilgrims would also include Muslim women travelling alone this year after the Union government amended rules in 2018.

This year 33,000 people will be going for Haj from UP alone against the two lakh from all over the country, said Javed Khan, assistant secretary, UP Haj Committee. Khan said the Saudi Arab government this year increased the total Haj quota for Indian pilgrims to 2 lakh, an increase of 25,000. Consequently, UP, which sent 31,000 pilgrims last year, too would be able to accommodate 2,000 more people this time against the total 34,800 applications it received for the annual pilgrimage.

According to Khan, the male-female ratio of the pilgrims was 60:40, including 99 Muslim women, who would be performing the annual pilgrimage alone as the new rules now allow women above 45 years of age to travel in groups of four or without a male companion. The Saudi government lifted this restriction on women travelling alone in 2016, but the Central government adopted the provision and changed the Haj Policy in 2018.

Although UP may be sending the maximum number of hajis, but the top slot for women pilgrims is occupied by Kerala. According to the data available with the Haj Committee, of the total 2,340 Muslim women going alone to Saudi Arabia, 2,011 are from Kerala. In fact, more women than men have applied for Haj this year. In all, there are more than 11,000 pilgrims from Kerala  6,959 women (with or without mehram) and 4,513 men.

UP has two embarkation points for the pilgrims, one in Lucknow and another in Varanasi. Instead of flying to Medina, the hajis (pilgrims) this time would fly directly to Jeddah. This would save them time, said Khan, adding that the first Haj flight would commence by July end.

NDA governments decision to do away with the Haj subsidy has not had much impact on the travellers.

The total Haj package for one person costs around 2.40 to 2.50 lakh, says Khan. But private tour operators, who are allocated 30 per cent share in the Haj quota to fly pilgrims, feel the prices could be lower.

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The Election Commission should seem to be fair even if it is not, was what the ECs long-time legal advisor S K Mendratta said during the 2014 Lok Sabha elections when the poll watchdog was under attack for not acting against hate speech.

In 2019, the commission isnt seeming to be fair either, in ensuring a level playing field for all political parties -- the gospel it works by. The Opposition has repeatedly accused the Constitutional body of favouring the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to the extent that Congress president Rahul Gandhi ,in one of his television interviews, said even the seven-phase election schedule favoured the BJP.

BJP president Amit Shah on Wednesday accused the EC of failing to control the violence in six phases of polling in West Bengal. In the evening, the EC, in an unprecedented move, curtailed the campaign by a day in the eastern state.

The Congress submitted 11 complaints to the EC against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the watchdog disposed of them without sending a single notice to the PM.The opposition cried foul, but old timers in the commission say there is a tacit tenet in the EC not to drag the PM into election controversies to maintain the sanctity of the highest executive office of the country.

Even so, the commission did not even consider the complaints until the Congress approached the Supreme Court. Even former chief election commissioner S Y Quraishi termed it a pity that the EC needed the Supreme Court to remind it of the vast powers granted to it under Article 324 of the Constitution.

A polite advisory to the PM would have worked, he said in an interview to The Hindu newspaper. At the SCs prodding, the commission considered all the complaints and gave a clean chit to Modi even as election commissioner Ashok Lavasa reportedly dissented in six of the 11 complaints.

Other than issuing a notice, the EC has several instruments to minimize the violation of the Model Code of Conduct--- a consensus document framed after consultation with all political parties. The commission could have issued advisories to political leaders, called all-party meetings to raise concerns and initiated swifter action for proven violations of the code.

To be sure, it will be unfair to say that the EC has remained a mute spectator to the violations of the model code. Over 10,000 first information reports (FIRs) have been lodged for violation of election norms and explanations been sought from many politicians across the country. The commission transferred many officials considered close to the ruling dispensation in the states.

The commission also barred Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath and BJPs Bhopal candidate Pragya Thakur from campaigning briefly for violations. It recommended action to the Union home ministry against Rajasthan governor Kalyan Singh for seeking votes for a BJP candidate in Aligarh and also directed that expenditure on NaMo TV be added to the BJPs accounts of election expenses.

In most cases, the EC took action after much brouhaha and that led to an impression that the election watchdog was not fair. The image of Indias premier Constitutional body has been dented and I am sad about it, said Mendiratta, 79, who ended his 53-year-long association with the EC in April.

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The former Supreme Court staffer who levelled charges of sexual harassment against Chief Justice of India (CJI) Ranjan Gogoi will soon be filing an appeal, to the CJI himself, against her dismissal from the apex court.

The complainant will be filing an appeal to Gogoi himself, her lawyer and senior advocate Prashant Bhushan said. The appeal [mechanism] is available under the service rules.

The employee, who was posted at the home office of the CJI, detailed charges of sexual harassment and persecution in an affidavit that was sent to 22 judges of the apex court on April 19. According to the affidavit, the CJI behaved inappropriately with her twice, on October 10 and 11, 2018. The CJI has denied the charges and called them an attack on the judiciary. In the affidavit, the complainant said the CJIs behaviour changed dramatically after she resisted his advances and then began what she called her persecution. She was transferred out of the CJIs home office on October 22 and was posted in the Centre for Research and Planning. On November 16, her seat was changed to the Admn (Administrative) Material Section.

The 36-year-old complainant applied for leave the following day (Nov 17), to attend a function at the school of her 8-yearold daughter, but was advised to work after the function. Since the school function went on till 12.15, I could not report to work, it being a Saturday and hence half day. I however kept updating my supervisor regarding the delay at my childs school and inability to attend work on that day, she said in the affidavit.

Disciplinary action was initiated soon after: she was issued a memorandum on November 19, telling her that she had rendered herself liable for action under provisions of the Conduct Rules. She replied three days later to state that she had applied for a casual leave but on the same day, was transferred once again, to the Library Division.

The complainant was served with a suspension order on November 27 and informed that disciplinary proceedings were being contemplated against her. An inquiry was initiated under the Supreme Court Officers and Servants (Condition of Service and Conduct) Rules, 1961, for questioning the decision of senior officers and thereby acting in a manner prejudicial to discipline, after being shifted to Admn Materials Section and for unauthorisedly absenting herself from duty on November 17.

The employee denied all charges in a reply on December 6. She was to appear before the inquiry committee on December 17 but fainted outside the inquiry room. A report from Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital of the same day was annexed to the affidavit the complainant sent to the 22 Supreme Court judges. The medical report confirmed that she had been brought unconscious to the hospital by court staff.

The next day, the complainant received a communication from the registrar, Administration, that a departmental enquiry had been conducted against her and that the charges levelled against her had been proven.

The complainant was dismissed from service on December 21. The charges against her are not grave and do not warrant dismissal from service, a member of her legal team said.

The Supreme Court set up a three-member in-house panel to probe the charges of sexual harassment levelled by her and on May 6 concluded that there was no substance to her complaint.

Earlier, on April 25, the Supreme Court appointed former judge, AK Patnaik to probe whether there was a conspiracy against the CJI. Utsav Bains, a lawyer, had alleged that former staffers of the court and corporate entities had ganged up against Gogoi to frame him in a false case. Patnaik will be assisted by the Central Bureau of Investigation, the Delhi Police and the Intelligence Bureau.

On April 21, soon after the contents of the affidavit became public, Gogoi convened a special bench of the Supreme Court and called the allegations of sexual harassment an attack on the independence of the judiciary. He also said there was an attempt to destabilise the office of the CJI.

In an interview to this paper last week, the woman employee had said she was not part of any conspiracy and that she respected the institution she had been a part of. The affidavit is the truth of my life, she said.

The complainant is also facing charges of cheating filed by a Haryana resident alleging that she took an advance of 50,000 on the promise that she would help get him a job in the Supreme Court as a class IV employee. In her affidavit, the complainant gave details of how she was being harassed by the police but had managed to get bail from a trial court. Soon after the allegations of sexual harassment became public, the Delhi Police moved the trial court for her bail to be cancelled. The next hearing is on May 23.

Now that the woman employee will appeal against her dismissal directly to Gogoi, let us see how he deals with it, the member of the legal team cited above said on condition of anonymity.

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While the leaders in both the US and Iran are claiming that they are against war, both countries are inching closer to one. The biggest risk now is of a war by inadvertent escalation, if not by pure intent, by the actors involved  though the latter cannot be ruled out. The US has now evacuated non-emergency staff from the embassy in Iraq and the consulate in Erbil. The New York Times has reported that the US officials are considering the option of sending 120,000 troops to Iran. US President Donald Trump has called it fake news but went on to add that if required, he would send a hell of a lot more troops than that.

The US has already deployed an aircraft carrier and a bomber task force to send a message to Iran. This was based on intelligence reports that Iran was planning to target American forces in Iraq and other countries in the region. A specific intelligence that caused an alarm was of photographs of small Iranian boats carrying missiles in the Persian Gulf. And then there have been tankers attacked off the UAE coast, which the US believes could have been an Iranian operation.

The sanctions are now hurting Tehran and it has good reasons to either walk out of the Iranian nuclear deal or hurt American interests. The task of aircraft carrier and the bomber task force is to deter Iran from attempting the latter. It is likely that one countrys defensive move aimed at deterrence can be interpreted as an offensive move by the other. A couple of such misinterpretations can flare up into a war. However, there are many observers who believe that there is a method to this madness. John Bolton, the US national security advisor, has been an advocate of regime change in Iran. The escalation of tensions suits his agenda as he could spin Iranian retaliation to American moves as proof of the regimes offensive intentions. Mr Trump has so far not shown interest in getting embroiled in another war in the Middle East. But an accident, or Mr. Bolton, or both together, may draw him in.
This week saw the Supreme Court (SC) caught up in another controversy over the release of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) worker, Priyanka Sharma, who shared a meme superimposing the face of West Bengal chief minister, Mamata Banerjee, on that of Priyanka Chopras Met Gala photograph. Sharma was arrested and sent to 14 days judicial custody for offences under Sections 66A and 67A of the Information Technology (IT) Act and for defamation under Section 500 of the Indian Penal Code.

Her brother moved the SC seeking her release, compensation for the illegal arrest, and for quashing the complaint against her. He was forced to come to the SC, instead of approaching the Calcutta High Court, because lawyers in West Bengal have been on strike since April.

I want to focus on the courts order directing Sharmas immediate release on bail, although at the time of release, [she has to] tender an apology in writing for putting up/sharing the pictures complained of on her Facebook account. The SC, meanwhile, has kept the questions raised  presumably about the use of executive power to chill free speech and artistic expression  open.

This should have been a simple case, with the SC directing Sharmas release. However, the observations made by the SC and the emphasis in the order on the issuance of an apology were a mistake.

First, it never bodes well for constitutional courts when they seek to censor speech instead of protecting it, especially when that speech presents a counterpoint to the present ruling class. After all, the right to free speech includes the right to speak out ones mind, not always with the best of tastes and with greater courage than care for exactitude (Sheela Barse vs. Union of India, 1988).

At the end of the day, we are talking about a satirised photo that is being used to poke fun at the chief minister even if it is in bad taste. It should be either brushed off with a laugh, or viewed and ignored as political propaganda by the ruling party at the Centre. Instead, when leaders, and courts, lose the ability to tolerate criticism, they come dangerously close to undermining constitutional and democratic values. During the Emergency, for instance, it was our elected leaders who chose to silence criticism by banning films such as Kissa Kursi Ka and Aandhi.

Second, although the SC did not make Sharmas release conditional on the grant of an apology, it still required her to submit a written apology at the time of release. The threat of contempt arguably makes the tendering of an apology necessary, and constitutes compelled speech. By linking the apology to the sharing (not even creating) a meme, the SC has effectively contributed to a chilling effect on free speech and pre-censorship and discouraged artistic expression and satire, both of which are necessary in a healthy democracy. When courts display an inclination to readily exercise these suo motu powers to regulate speech that may be considered hostile towards the political class, they engage in viewpoint or content-based discrimination. This is a far cry from their role as protectors of rights, and is also outside the bounds of Article 19(2) of the Constitution.

Third, the SCs reported observations that the object of the meme was a leader of a contesting political party and had she been a common citizen there would have been no problem is contrary to Indian and global jurisprudence. It is well settled that a person who undertakes to fill a public office, elects to be in the public gaze, offers herself to public attack and criticism. The SC in the R Rajagopal vs State Of TN (1995) case cited the celebrated US Supreme Court decision of New York Times v Sullivan to hold in the context of civil defamation that persons in public life should be prohibited from filing a claim for defamatory falsehood relating to their official conduct, unless they can prove that the statement was made with actual malice.

Finally, the SC should have made judicial observations on the continued invocation of Section 66A of the IT Act, which criminalised offensive speech, despite the fact that it was struck down by the SC in Shreya Singhal in 2015. In fact, even the invocation of the offence of defamation under Section 500, IPC is suspect, since there was no person aggrieved by the sharing of the meme.

It is heartening that on Tuesday, while rehearing the petition due to the delay in releasing Sharma, the court reportedly termed her arrest prima facie arbitrary.. One can only hope that when it takes up the matter in July, the SC will strongly endorse the freedom of speech and artistic expression. Notions of morality and humour are inherently subjective and State power should not be used to set in motion the criminal process against political satire, criticism, or humour.

Political parties across the spectrum have only been too happy to use criminal law (whether sedition, defamation, or Section 66A, IT Act) to suppress criticism, and encourage self-censorship. Unless the judiciary sends a strong message criticising such actions, Sharmas case will not remain an isolated incident.

Vrinda Bhandari is an advocate in the Delhi High Court

Thew views expressed are personal
Police have booked BJP state minister Manish Grover and former Congress MLA Bharat Bhushan Batra in the alleged case of booth capturing in Rohtak during the Sundays Lok Sabha elections.

Rohtak superintendent of police Jashandeep Singh Randhawa said a case was registered against the two leaders under Section 188 (disobedience to public servants orders) of the Indian Penal Code and Section 131 (disorderly conduct in or near polling stations) of the Representation of the Peoples Act at Shivaji Colony police station.

Randhawa said the FIR against the two leaders was registered on the complaint of assistant returning officer for entering polling booth number 145 at Bhartiya Kanya Secondary School in Rohtak without any permission.

The FIR also mentions some unknown men as accused.

Batra had alleged that Grover was entering polling booths with his muscle men to intimidate and threaten voters in the Lok Sabha polls.

On the day of polling, May 12, the Congress leader had reached the polling booth and confronted Grover, following which the duo had a heated exchange and scuffle.

Later, Batra and Congress MP candidate Deepender Hooda had lodged a formal complaint against Grover with returning officer-cum-deputy commissioner Yash Garg. Taking action on the complaint, the returning officer barred Grover from leaving his office till the completion of election. The police had also arrested two of Grovers musclemen with weapons.

However, the Congress leaders continued their protest demanding further action against Grover. Partys senior leader Ghulam Nabi Azad wrote to Chief Election Commissioner demanding action against Grover for brazen misuse of power during elections.

After Azads letter, the police swung into action and formed a special investigation team. They arrested seven men and lodged an FIR against Grover, and also included Batras name in the case.

The police said further investigation was going on.

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A: My topic was African-Americans and their involvement in World War II in Chicago. My main focus was trying to see how African-Americans were treated during that era. I know that despite segregation and discrimination [in the United States], they still fought for our country abroad and and fought for civil rights on the home front. Some of the issues they faced at home were getting jobs and having fair wages. While many were serving overseas, there were civil rights protests held all over the country to stop segregation.
Eight persons, including six militants, were killed in two separate gunfights in south Kashmir on Thursday, police and army officials said.

In Pulwama district, security forces gunned down three militants belonging to the Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM). A soldier and a civilian were also killed in the encounter, police said. As the security forces were evacuating civilians from the neighbourhood area around the target(ed) house, the terrorists [hiding there] fired indiscriminately. In the process one Army Jawan, Sepoy Sandeep, attained martyrdom and one civilian Rayees Dar also lost his life, said police spokesman Manoj Kumar.

The slain militants have been identified as Naseer Pandith from Kareemabad in Pulwama, Umar Mir of Shopian and Khalid from Pakistan, Kumar said.

The encounter triggered clashes between members of the public and security forces, prompting the authorities to impose a curfew. The forces fired tear gas shells and pellets to disperse the protesters, many of whom pelted the security personnel with stones. Mobile internet services were suspended in the district as well.

The gunfight started in the morning after a cordon and search operation was launched by police, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and army at Dalipora area in Pulwama after intelligence inputs about presence of militants in a house.

An official from Pulwama police station said that Rayees Dar and his brother Younis Jalal Dar were asked to accompany the forces to show the way when they were hit by bullets. While Rayees died, Younis sustained injuries in his leg, he said.

The security forces retaliated and killed the three militants holed up in the house.

According to the police records, the slain militants were affiliated to Pakistan-based JeM that owned up the February 14 Pulwama terror attack, in which 40 CRPF troopers lost their lives.

They [the militants] were wanted by law for their complicity in a series of terror crimes including attack on security establishments and civilian atrocities. Several terror crime cases were registered against them, Kumar said.

Naseer Pandith was involved in the killing of a policeman Mohammad Yaqoob Shah of Pulwama in 2018 on the eve of Eid. He was also involved in some weapon snatching incidents reported from the area besides several cases were registered against him for his criminal activities, Kumar added.

Khalid, a commander of JeM, and Umar Mir were also involved in several terror attacks, the official said.

In Shopian, the security forces were fired upon by militants holed up in a house, during a search operation at Handew area in the evening.

In the ensuing encounter, 3 terrorists were killed and the bodies were retrieved from the site of encounter. The identities and affiliations of the killed terrorists are being ascertained, Kumar said later in the evening.

The security forces have particularly targeted JeM after the Pulwama attack on February 14. Since then, 52 militants have been gunned down with more than half of them belonging to the JeM.

Meanwhile, separatists under the banner of Joint Resistance Leaders (JRL) issued a statement, calling for a complete shutdown in the Valley on Friday in protest against the killing of an innocent civilian at the hands of Indian occupation forces even during the ongoing holy month of Ramadan.

They also appealed to the youth to maintain peace and discipline while leading the protest march after Friday prayers in various places in the state.
Pragya Thakur, who provoked national outrage by calling Mahatma Gandhis assassin Nathuram Godse a patriot, has apologised for her comments, the BJPs Madhya Pradesh unit said after a barrage of criticism from political parties across the board.

She has apologized for her statement. She said she had said it by mistake. Rajneesh Agrawal, a BJP spokesperson in Madhya Pradesh said. Another BJP leader added that the BJPs state president Rakesh Singh had also called up Thakur and ticked her off.

The Congress had called her patriot remark an insult to the country and demanded an apology from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP boss Amit Shah. Indias soul is under attack from the successors of Nathuram Godse, the BJP ruling dispensation, said Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala.

WATCH | I respect Mahatma: BJPs Pragya apologises after calling Godse a patriot

Digvijaya Singh, the former Madhya Pradesh chief minister who was pitted against Pragya Thakur for the Bhopal seat, said glorifying Nathuram Godse wasnt patriotism either. It is sedition, he said on Pragya Thakurs controversial statement.

Pragya Thakur, responding to a question on actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasans remark that Godse was the first extremist in independent India and a Hindu, had retorted: Nathuram Godse was a deshbhakt (patriot), is a deshbhakt and people consider him as a deshbhakt.

Also read | Nathuram Godse was a patriot, says BJPs Pragya Thakur; sparks outrage

The BJP candidate from Bhopal was speaking to the media after a roadshow in Agar-Malwa, 185 km east of Bhopal on Thursday when she had made these comments.

Pragya Thakur, who prefers to be addressed as Sadhvi and wears a saffron robe, went on to add that people who call him (Godse) a terrorist should introspect and predicted that such people would be given a fitting reply in the elections.

Nathuram Godse, a right-wing activist, had assassinated Mahatma Gandhi on January 30, 1948. Eight men were convicted in the murder trial inside Red Fort by a special court, constituted by an order of the central government. Godse and co-conspirator Narayan Apte were hanged for the murder of the Father of the Nation on November 15, 1949.

The BJP had rushed into damage control mode and promptly condemned her statement.

We condemn it. She should apologise publicly for this statement, BJPs GVL Narasimha Rao said in a statement to ANI.

This is not the first time that Thakur, who is a key accused in the 2008 Malegaon bomb blast that claimed six lives and injured over a 100, has made such controversial statements and then apologized.

Soon after she was made BJPs candidate from Bhopal, the 49-year old had said that Mumbai ATS chief Hemant Karkare, who had died fighting terrorists during the 26/11 attacks in Mumbai was killed due to her curse. She had accused Karkare of torturing her while she was in custody for the Malegaon blast case.

She also claimed that she had participated in the demolition of the Babri Masjid in 1992.

Thakurs comments had then led the Election Commission to bar her from campaigning for three days and an FIR was also lodged against for her remarks over Babri Masjid. She had apologized for her remarks on Karkare and had clarified that she was not involved in Babri Masjid demolition.

Also read | Will build new Vidyasagar statue at same spot, says PM Modi

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Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Thursday met the Alwar gang rape survivor and assured that she and her family will get justice.

Such things will not be tolerated. The victim will get justice, Gandhi said after meeting the family in Thanagazi area of the district.

On April 26, the Dalit woman was allegedly raped by five persons in front of her husband. They also circulated a video of the incident on social media. All the accused have been arrested.

The moment I got to know of the incident, I called (chief minister Ashok) Gehlot ji and told him that I want to come. This is not a political but an emotional issue for me; wrong has been done to a girl. A message should go across the country and not just in Rajasthan that this will not be tolerated, Gandhi said.

The Congress president spent half-an-hour with the family. She was accompanied by chief minister Ashok Gehlot, deputy CM Sachin Pilot, Congress general secretary Avinash Pande among others.

They will get justice and action will be taken against those responsible, Gandhi later told reporters.

On Prime Minister Narendra Modis charges of negligence by the state government in the case, he said, I am not here to do politics over the issue and (I am) here to meet the family. This family will get nyay [justice].

Hitting out at Modi, Gehlot said, He is doing politics and the entire country knows this. He speaks lies, which is unfortunate. The BJP is doing protest [over the incident]; this shows who is doing politics.

At an election rally in Ghazipur in Uttar Pradesh last week, Modi said, A Dalit girl was gang raped by thugs. Instead of catching the accused, the Congress government is trying to bury the case. This happened because there were elections in the state then. They delayed justice. This is the truth of Congress nyay.
The Shiv Sena has attacked the West Bengal government for the situation in the state during the ongoing Lok Sabha elections and allegedly accused chief minister Mamata Banerjee of fanning the violence. The Sena, in mouthpiece Saamana, took on Banerjee for her remark against BJP president Amit Shah and said that Shah was not God, but Mamata was not a Goddess or saint either.

The attack came after violence erupted between the Trinamool Congress and BJP workers during Shahs roadshow in Kolkata on Tuesday. The Sena said that the chief minister did not give permission for Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shahs chopper to land in West Bengal which started the conflict between the BJP and TMC workers.

Reacting to Banerjees remark that Shah was not God so that people cannot protest against him, the Sena said, Amit Shah is not God, but Banerjee is also not Goddess Durga or a saint. The Sena attacked Banerjee and said, She did not permit senior leaders to step into the state. What kind of arrogant behaviour is this? She has turned West Bengal into a battleground by fanning violence, the editorial said.

The Sena added that Banerjees government was elected democratically and that she will retain or lose power through the democratic process. Whether she wins or loses will be decided democratically. She will not win by becoming a roadblock in the way of Modi-Shah, it added. It also criticised Banerjee for following in the footsteps of the Left government in Bengal, which had sown violence in the eastern state. They (CPI-M) were thrown out of power by the people. Now Mamata is also doing the same (sowing violence). This is detrimental to the country, the editorial said.

Sena leader and Saamana editor Sanjay Raut on Wednesday had slammed the West Bengal government over the attack on Shahs roadshow in Kolkata. He said that the incident was unfortunate for democracy in the country. He added that any leader is free to campaign in any part of the country. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee did not want Narendra Modi and Amit Shah in Bengal. Did anyone stop her from campaigning in Gujarat? he asked.
At least 15 persons, including a senior official of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), were arrested following a raid on a dance bar in Colaba at South Mumbai early on Wednesday, police said.

The raid was conducted at the Platinum Bar and Restaurant by a special team of additional commissioner of police South region, comprising local police around 12.30 am, an official said.

During the raid, police arrested nine members of the hotel management staff and six customers, which includes an officer rank of deputy municipal commissioner, he said.

A businessman, a government official and some high profile persons were among those arrested, he said, adding that the female staff of the bar was let off.

The action was taken under different IPC sections and the Maharashtra Hotels Establishment Act, he said.

All the accused were produced before the court, which released them on bail, he said.

(This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.)
The CBI probe into the Bofors case pertaining to the alleged 64 crore kickbacks in the purchase of the Swedish artillery guns will continue, officials said Thursday.

In view of certain revelations made by one Michael Hershman, CBI sought the permission of the trial court to conduct further investigation in the Bofors case, CBI spokesperson Nitin Wakankar said.

He said on May 8, 2019, the court had observed that when independent right and power is available with the CBI to further investigate the matter on their own, if in their wisdom it is necessary to do so then, why still such application is being filed in the court.

After obtaining legal opinion, CBI filed an application on May 16, 2019 in the court of CMM, Rouse Avenue Courts, New Delhi, stating that for conducting further investigation under section 173(8) of CrPC, permission of the court is not mandatorily required by CBI and an intimation to the court in this regard will suffice, he said.

He said the probe in the Bofors case will continue.The agencys response came after it withdrew from a Delhi court its application to seek permission to further probe the politically sensitive 64-crore Bofors payoff case.
Chappals were hurled towards a vehicle from which actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan was addressing an election meeting in the Tirupparankundram Assembly constituency in Tamil Nadu on Wednesday evening, police said.

One person has been detained, the police said, adding that the chappals missed the target and fell on the crowd.

Haasan, founder of new political outfit Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM), kicked up a controversy this week with his comment that free Indias first extremist was a Hindu, a reference to Mahatma Gandhis assassin Nathuram Godse.

(This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.)
An initial draft of a notification on environmental approvals that was released on April 15, and which has come to light now, could, if approved as a final notification, significantly dilute the process through which projects are granted green clearances.

Some of the more controversial aspects of the draft are actually amendments the government tried to get through, only to be scotched by legal challenges. If approved in the final notification, they will come into force.

The so-called zero draft of the environment impact assessment notification 2019 is attached to an office memorandum (OM) of the environment ministry released on April 15, at a time when the Lok Sabha elections were underway  raising questions on the need for haste in pushing these through.

Most development and infrastructure projects need an Environmental Impact Assessment, or EIA.

The draft notification states that the principal notification has undergone substantial changes over the years, the ministry has decided to re-engineer the entire notification in line with the amendments issued, office memorandums (OMs) and circulars issued from time to time and the experience gained over the years in the implementation of EIA notification.

The OM dated April 15, enclosed with the draft notification, has sought comments from the state governments within a months time. If notified, this will replace the EIA notification of 2006 which is the regulation in place for environmental clearance of all infrastructure and development projects.

The draft notification 2019 was shared by environmental activist Vikrant Tongad on Wednesday. A source shared it with me. But its not on the ministry website. I think the ministry wants to do whatever it can to ensure ease of doing business, Tongad said.

Many of the clauses in the zero draft were introduced as amendments by the ministry earlier but challenged in court because of their impact on environmental regulation. But these disputed clauses have found space in the draft notification 2019.

Geeta Menon, joint secretary, environment ministry, confirmed that the draft had been sent to secretaries of states and comments are awaited. HT reported on May 13 about a compilation of official documents related to EIA between December 2014 and January 2019 published by the environment ministry which shows environmental clearance processes across industrial sectors had been eased since the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) assumed office. For example, the draft notification 2019 gives authority to the district level environment impact assessment authority (DEIAA), headed by the district magistrate or district collector, to appraise district-level projects, grant or reject environmental clearance. On March 15, 2016, the ministry, for the first time, delegated the authority to grant environmental clearances for up to five hectares of individual mining lease of minor minerals and 25 hectares in clusters to the DEIAA.

The decision was challenged in the National Green Tribunal (NGT) because experts said district authorities lacked expertise in assessing the environmental impact of mining.

But in this draft DEIAA has extensive powers, at par with the Expert Appraisal Committee and the state-level expert appraisal committee.

The draft also states that environmental clearances can be transferred during their validity and that projects can also be split and transferred with an approval from the EAC.

The expansion of all projects up to 50% of the existing capacity in various sectors will also be exempted from any kind of public consultation if the draft is passed. This covers modernization of irrigation projects, roads and highways where no further acquisition of land is involved, maintenance dredging, expansion of underground mining without increase in mining lease area and many others.

The part on exemption from public consultation is longer that the portion which lays out the requirements for this process. With this the government is signaling that interface with affected people and concerned citizen is an encumbrance and therefore should be minimized. Expansion and capacity enhancement projects must go before the public for feedback on performance and compliance. Recent experiences like what happened in Sterlite in Tamil Nadu are telling examples of why such interactions are critical, said Kanchi Kohli, legal researcher with Centre for Policy Research (CPR).

The draft also gives local bodies such as municipalities, urban development authorities and district panchayats the authority to grant building permission for building or construction projects with a built-up area of more than 20,000 sq metres and less than 50,000 sq metres. The environment ministry introduced this clause through a draft notification in March 2018 but it was challenged on environmental grounds and later stayed by the Delhi high court.

This EIA notification has been one of the most publicly engaged environmental laws in the country. For the environment ministry not to let this experience weigh in on the draft notification does not auger well for democratic decision making. If the draft is put out for public comments after comments from state governments have been reconciled there is little scope for substantial reviews or changes.The re-engineered draft claims to reconcile the changes made to the notification since its last substantial overhaul in 2006 which itself was extremely controversial, added Kohli.
The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), which reports to the Prime Minister, will now be the final authority in case any central government department, ministry or the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) refuses to allow the prosecution of government servants by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), according to a government order.

The order means that the PM will be the ultimate authority in case of a conflict or delay over a sanction for prosecution. Experts say this could improve CBIs chances of being allowed to investigate and prosecute corrupt public servants, although political opponents fear that it could be used to settle political scores.

HT has seen a copy of the March order which restores DoPTs ultimate authority when it comes to sanctions -- after a gap of 33 years.

For instance, in at least two cases, Uttar Pradesh in 2007 and Maharashtra in 2013, the then governors refused to allow the sitting chief ministers to be prosecuted by CBI. The Bahujan Samaj Partys (BSP) Mayawati was the CM of UP then, and the Congresss Ashok Chavan the CM of Maharashtra. The Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) was in power at the Centre in both cases.

According to prescribed government guidelines and the Supreme Courts judgement in the Vineet Narain case in 1997, government departments are supposed to accord sanction for prosecution within the three months of CBIs request. However, it has been noticed that several requests remain pending for years.

CBI is currently awaiting such sanction in cases involving 36 central government officials including four IAS officers, BL Agarwal (former health secretary of Chhattisgarh), K Dhanalakshmi (former deputy secretary in Uttar Pradesh), Y Srilakshmi (former secretary in Telangana), and D Dhesi (former CMD of Metals and Minerals Trading Corporation of India) and several Lieutenant Colonels, senior executives at state-owned banks, and others.

The agency has, in the past, expressed concern over government ministries or departments either refusing to grant a sanction or delaying it for years. Such refusals and delays render CBI incapable of filing charge sheets in time or weaken the trial.

The new rule will apply to all officials of all-India services such as the Indian Administrative Service, the Indian Police Service, defence, income tax, railways, central public sector units (PSUs), public sector banks (PSBs), and state-owned FIs (financial institutions).

In case of state government officials, the state government is the competent authority to grant prosecution sanction so the new order doesnt apply to them.

A CBI spokesperson did not respond to an e-mail seeking comment. A Central Vigilance Commission officer did not respond to text messages.

A CBI officer, who asked not to be named, said the order is good news for the agency as ministries and departments often try to protect their officers from prosecution. But a second officer said such blanket powers could be dangerous.

The DoPT order also states that government departments should not deny sanction for prosecution in cases unless there is a valid reason. It adds that CBI already has adequate internal controls to ensure that a recommendation to prosecute is taken only after a very careful examination of all the facts and circumstances of the case.

The current order supersedes an October 1986 policy on sanctions for prosecution that effectively decentralised the process and made the concerned ministries and departments the final arbiters. Prior to that, DoPT was the final authority.

Vijay Aggarwal, an advocate, said: It is a very confusing order because DoPT wont understand the working of any other ministry. The concerned ministry should be the one deciding such sanction against its officer.
A 15-year-old girl from Jamshedpur was allegedly raped and abused by several people, including four policemen, and then forced into the sex trade. These alleged crimes took place in Jharsuguda (Odisha) and Raipur (Chhattisgarh). According to sources in the East Singhbhum Child Welfare Committee (CWC), which now has custody of the victim, the girl was able to identify four of her rapists as policemen because of the uniforms and photographs in their houses, where she was taken by her captors. It is not clear yet in which state these policemen allegedly raped her.

Jamshedpur senior superintendent of police (SSP) Anoop Birthare on Thursday ordered a probe into the matter, while an FIR was lodged at the Telco police station here on Wednesday night, as per his order. We have lodged an FIR as per a complaint filed by the East Singhbhum Child Welfare Committee. We are getting the minor victims medical tests done and her statement recorded in a court under section 164 of CrPc. The accused, including her relatives, and some persons in the city, will be arrested soon. She was taken to Jharsuguda and Raipur and was allegedly traded for sex, yet we took the initiative to lodge a case here. We are sending police teams to both the states, said the SSP.

Sources, however, said that medical tests of the victim and recording of her statement in the court could not be done on Thursday, as Telco police were busy with an accident case in which a child died. City SP Prabhat Kumar and women police officers were counselling the survivor, said the sources.

The girl was pushed into the sex trade by her elder sister and another woman and her paramour in the city. She was then taken to Jharsuguda and Raipur, where she was pushed into full-fledged prostitution by these people, said Pushpa Rani Tirkey, CWC chairperson, speaking to HT. [The victim] told us that she had to serve eight people one after another in a single night. We have lodged a formal complaint with the SSP and an FIR has been lodged in Telco PS. She has now been kept at Mother Teresa Welfare Trust (MTWT) childrens home.

As per the CWC complaint, Bagbera police had recovered the girl from a hotel in the Jugsalai area on May 7 and handed her over to the East Singhbhum CWC. But the girl told us that she was handed over to the police by local people. She said that she was brought to the hotel by a woman who was released by Bagbera police. According to her, the woman was to take her to Khargapur for sex trade, read the CWC complaint, a copy of which is with HT.

The CWC has alleged in its complaint that the girl was being abused as a sex slave and was forced into prostitution by city-based human traffickers and sex trade agents for the past-one-and-half months. She was also taken to Jharsuguda and Raipur and made to work as a prostitute there. She has alleged that her elder sister is also involved in this sex trade. [The victim] also said she can identify the persons who forced her into the sex trade and two places where she was made to serve clients, alleged the CWC complaint. The complaint does not specifically mention any cops being among the suspects.

As per available information, police were searching for the survivors elder sister and her husband, residents of Jemco under Telco PS; a woman who is a neighbour of her elder sister; and that womans Sonari-based paramour, named Ravi. CWC sources said, Ravi, too, raped her. He, along with his lover, took the girl to Jharsuguda and Raipur for sex trade. The girl identified four policemen forcing sex on her by their uniforms and the photographs in their houses, where she was taken by Ravi and the accused woman.

The victims parents had died long ago and she used to live with her elder sister in Bagbera, while another sister lived in Kolkata. The survivor told CWC and police that her second sister came to Jamshedpur when she was just nine and took her to Kolkata, where the sister allegedly sold the victim to a family in Kolkata. After some time, the child ran away and was caught by Kolkata Police, who handed her over to Kolkata CWC.

She stayed in a childrens home in Kolkata, from where she was transferred to Ranchi CWC, and then to Jamshedpur CWC. At that time, it was found that her elder sister had shifted to some other place. [The victim] was then kept in the MTWT home, but just before Durga Puja last year, the elder sister came and asked Jamshedpur CWC to hand her over to [her family], said a CWC source

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Consultants have estimated it could run a deficit of up to $25.2 million by 2022. Officials have backed off that estimate for now, waiting to see how enrollment -- which pays $6,800 per student -- and state funding shake out by then.
A leader from the pro-talks faction of the United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) that has entered into peace negotiations with the government, and an Assamese actress have been detained in connection with Wednesdays grenade blast in Guwahati, in which 11 people were injured, police said.

Our investigations are continuing and we have made satisfactory progress. But we wont be able to divulge details at the moment, said Assam director general of police Kuladhar Saikia. A grenade was lobbed near a security check point outside a shopping mall in Guwahati on Wednesday evening.

At least 11 people, including two Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) personnel, were injured in the explosion. The banned United Liberation Front of Assam-Independent (ULFA-I), headed by Myanmar-based rebel leader Paresh Baruah, owned up the blast. The outfit wants an independent Assam. The pro-talks faction, which has entered into a peace process initiated by the central government, is led by Arabind Rajkhowa. The detained persons have been identified as Jahnabi Saikia, a television actress and the pro-talk ULFA leader is Pranamay Rajguru.

The police raided a house in the Panjabari area of the city on Thursday and recovered some explosives, a pistol and 25 rounds of ammunition. Saikia had taken the accommodation on rent around 10 days. The revolution will be successful. Till there is a political solution to our demand, such incidents will keep occurring. I am not involved in the blast, Rajguru told reporters, after he was detained for questioning by the police. It is suspected that continued operations in recent weeks by security forces may have led ULFA-I to carry out Wednesdays blast.
Rajasthan Health Minister Raghu Sharma on Wednesday denied reports which said that Gayatri Mantra is mandatory to be played in labour rooms of medical centres.

These are just rumours. I was informed about the issue earlier too. This was just to create a good environment in the labour room and to give relief to mothers delivering a child. This is not mandatory. Some people are relating it with religion and trying to make it an unnecessary issue, Sharma told ANI.

He also said the states health department will not recommend playing Gayatri Mantra as an official policy.

This was not the governments decision. It was cleared before that government will not take any action that hurts someones religious sentiments, he affirmed.

Reports said that a group of Muslims in the state objected to the playing of Gayatri Mantra in labour rooms. They reportedly claimed that it was against Islam as a Muslim newborn should hear Azaan, not Gayatri Mantra.

(This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.)
US president Donald Trump was set to unveil later on Thursday a sweeping proposal to shift the countrys legal immigration system from one that is largely determined by family links to a points-based system that favours merit, professional skills and education, including proficiency in English.

The second part of the proposal would be about the wall along the border with Mexico. The plan is expected to include a levy on border trade to fund the wall.

The shift from family to merit will be both good and bad news for Indians hoping to live in the US and seek citizenship. Both systems are very popular with them  there were 282,207 people from India waiting for family-sponsored Green Cards till 2018, in third place behind Mexico and the Philippines; and there were 34,272 in the employment-based queue, second after China, according to US state department data.

The new proposal is expected to feed directly into Trumps 2020 re-election bid, but there is a long way for the proposal to go before it becomes law. Immigration is one of the most divisive and disputed issues in the country and US congress has not passed a reforms legislation in three decades. Both of Trumps predecessors, George W Bush and Barack Obama, tried but failed.

Trumps plan has been put together by his son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner, who made a closed-door presentation to Republicans on Capitol Hill earlier this week, but they were not impressed, reported Politico. Among other things, there was concern that the plan contained no provision for citizenship for undocumented immigrants brought to the country as children.

The proposals chiefly address legal immigration. The United States grants more than one million Green Cards (permanent residency) every year. Only 140,000 of them are currently linked to employment, most of the rest are based on family ties. The plan proposes to reverse that to make it mostly merit-based, through a points-system the president has talked about often, pointing to the Canadian and Australian programmes that favour skills, employment, ability to create jobs, education, and ability to read and write in English.

Applicants will also have to take a civics test on American history. We want to change the composition of who is coming through, a senior administration official told reporters, previewing the plan.

The presidents proposal is also expected to introduce three high-skill categories for people with extraordinary talent. An exceptional college student, for instance, would seek citizenship even before finishing the course with backing of their educational institutions.

The presidents plan also seeks to do away with the diversity visa, which are granted to nationals of countries with low rates of immigration to the United States, and limit the number of refugees granted Green Cards every year to 50,000, down from 70,000.

Cornell University Law School professor Stephen Yale-Loehr, an immigration expert, was quoted by AFP as saying that Trumps proposal has some ideas worth considering. But, he added, is so incomplete in addressing the broader complications in the system that Congress will not take it seriously.
Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan will ring the bell at the London Stock Exchange to mark the listing on Friday of the ~ 2,150 crore of masala bonds sold by Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIFFB). Masala bonds are debt paper sold overseas by an Indian entity and denominated in rupees.

Kerala, led by a Left Front government, is the first state to issue masala bonds, which it says would mark a new page in the states development. If it is successful, many debt-ridden states are likely to follow suit.

A brainchild of state finance minister Thomas Issac, who is also an economist, the government thinks it can attract funds and rebuild infrastructure in Kerala, which was devastated by last years floods.

The bond sale may, however, not spark a rush of debt issues as investors are unlikely to take on currency bets at a time when US-China trade tensions are flaring up.

The tiny Masala debt market has been struggling since its emergence four years ago.

While other state entities may follow Kerala, they will have to wait for the markets to stabilize from the current US-China trade tensions, said Bharat Shettigar, head of Asia ex-China corporate credit research at Standard Chartered Bank.

I do not see a large amount of issuance from similar entities as overall demand for Masala bonds is a bit patchy.

Keralas has taken a funding route less travelled, as it plans to spend ~50,000 crore on infrastructure projects over the next five years, according to an investor presentation. The issuance was jointly led by Axis Bank and Standard Chartered Bank, and is guaranteed by the Kerala government.

Indian states have huge financing requirements for building infrastructure, and selling offshore debt helps diversify funding by tapping large pools of available funds, Standard Chartereds Shettigar said.

Some allies of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), or CPI (M), arent amused .

The Revolutionary Socialist Party has written to CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury pointing out that Communists had always opposed neo-liberal policies, and were now embracing vestiges of capitalism in a party-ruled state.

It is a historical contradiction that the CM is embracing a capitalist norm without any qualm, wrote RSP leader and Kollam MP N K Premachandran.
A Maharashtra youth created a flutter in the Congress headquarters when he suddenly raised slogans of Bharat Mata ki Jai during the daily media briefing of the party.

While Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera was addressing the media and attacking Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath by addressing him as Ajay Singh Bisht, the youth, Nachiketa Walhekar (39) from Ahmednagar in Maharashtra, got up from his seat and started raising slogans with the national flag in his hand.

He was also objecting to the Congress leader using Ajay Singh Bisht for Adityanath and later questioned Congress chief Rahul Gandhi for not doing any development work in Amethi.

He was quickly whisked away by Congress workers and security guards. He later claimed before curious mediamen that he was an MA in defence and strategic studies and was an inactive BJP member.

After interrogating Walhekar, the police said that nothing adverse has come to notice so far. He identified himself as a social activist, the police said, adding that further investigation was underway.

(This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.)
A 30-year-old man strangled his four-year-old daughter while she was asleep at their house in outer Delhi in the early hours of Wednesday, the police said on Thursday. The man killed the child following repeated fights with his wife, whom he suspected of having an affair, the police said.

The police arrested the man from his parents house in west Delhis Tilak Nagar where he explained to the family that the child was ill and died suddenly.

According to the police, a call was received at the police control room on Wednesday that was transferred to the Nihal Vihar police station; the caller reported that a couple may have killed their four-year-old daughter and fled their house.

A senior police officer, who requested anonymity because he is not authorised to speak to the media, said that when a police team from Nihal Vihar police station arrived at the Udai Vihar house of the couple, they found them missing. Locals said Malkit Singh lived in the rented house with his wife Simran Kaur, 28, and daughter Kirat Kaur.

Local enquiry helped us get the couples Tilak Nagar address and a raid was conducted at their house where the couple and Singhs parents were preparing for the girls cremation. The childs body was taken to a hospital and was preserved for a post-mortem examination, the officer said.

During questioning, Singh and his wife said that they used to have regular arguments over their familys financial status and other issues. Singh had asked his wife not to talk to some of her male colleagues in a private company, suspecting that she could be having an affair, the police said.

Simran had quit her job about 7-8 months ago because of which the family was going through a financial crisis, the police said.

After once such fight on Tuesday night, when Singh was drinking alcohol at his house, he also offered his wife a drink. While drinking, he discussed if they should take their lives and hand over their daughter to Singhs parents in Tilak Nagar. They continued to drink, said the officer, who is also investigating the case.

Simran passed out after the drinking session. Singh said he then locked his wife in the room and went to the room where his daughter was sleeping. He said first he tried to strangle the child with his bare hands but could not. He then used his wifes dupatta and strangled the child. After that while he was trying to hang himself from a ceiling fan using the dupatta, his wife regained consciousness, the police officer said.

Simran broke a window pane and saw her husband trying to hang himself, the police said. When she started calling out to neighbours for help, Singh unlocked her. The woman checked on her daughter and found her dead. On this, the man threatened to kill her also and asked her to leave the house immediately, the officer added.

The neighbours had heard the ruckus. Neighbours told police that when they saw the couple leaving the house they spotted the child wrapped in a bedsheet. They alerted the couples landlord, who called up the police, the officer said.

Deputy commissioner of police (outer Delhi) Seju P Kuruvilla said Singh was arrested for the murder of his four-year-old daughter. So far, his wifes role has not surfaced in the murder but we are probing all the possible angles, he said.

Police said Singh was unemployed for the past 2-3 months. He used to work as a delivery man for an app-based food delivery firm.
An unidentified miscreant allegedly threatened to kill Uttar Pradesh cabinet minister Nand Gopal Gupta aka Nandi if he did not pay a ransom of 5 crore to him.

The caller threatened to kill the minister in another bomb attack and hurled abuses on him and his family members, police said.

In 2010, the minister had faced a deadly bomb attack in which his gunner and a journalist lost their lives.

An police complaint was lodged on Wednesday night against the unidentified person and they are hunting for him through the mobile number, police said.

In the complaint, Nandis legal advisor Subhash Vajpai said an unidentified person made a call on the ministers mobile on May 12. The caller abused the minister and threatened to kill him in another bomb attack . The caller asked him to give 5 crore or face the attack. A few minutes later, an SMS was also sent on the ministers mobile from the same number containing abuses against him and his kin.

The caller said the minister escaped the last attack on him but this time he will definitely be eliminated, Vajpai said in the complaint.

Vajpai demanded early arrest of the miscreant.

SP, crime, Ashutosh Mishra said the threat has been taken seriously. Efforts are on to trace the caller through electronic surveillance, he added

Nandi and his wife Abhilasha Gupta, the present mayor of Prayagraj, have from time to time received several threat calls. Some of the culprits were arrested but they claimed to have made the calls only to have fun.
Amid rallies to protest the desecration of Bengal renaissance icon Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagars bust and demands that closed circuit television footage of Tuesdays vandalism be made public, it has emerged that CCTV cameras in Vidyasagar College have not been functioning for the past two months.

Two CCTV cameras are installed outside the building on College Street (now Bidhan Sarani) and one is in the room where the Vidyasagar bust, made of Plaster of Paris, was kept inside a glass box. The cameras have not been functioning over the past two months due to repair work of electrical fittings, said Sanu Makal, president of the college unit of the Trinamool Congress Chhatra Parishad (students union) and a third-year student of Humanities.

We have filed a police complaint. No student of the college was involved in the vandalism. It was the handiwork of outsiders. The CCTV cameras have not been functioning for the past two months. But other footages have surfaced that show outsiders storming the campus, said college principal Gautam Kundu.

A second-year student has also filed a police complaint with the Amherst police station. On Tuesday, during a roadshow by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah, the bust was damaged by vandals who stormed the 147-year-old institution established by Vidyasagar.

The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, the student wing of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, the BJPs ideological fount, demanded that the CCTV footage of the vandalism be made public. We strongly condemn the vandalism of the bust. Whoever may have been behind it, must be acted against, said Saptarshi Sarkar, the ABVP state unit secretary.

The ruling Trinamool Congress and the BJP have been accusing each other of orchestrating the attack. The Trinamool Congress Chatra Parishad (TMCP) has released three videos showing people who appear to be participants in Shahs Tuesday roadshow, trying to break open the iron gates of the college.

According to students of the college, only seven students, two teachers and three security guards were on campus at the time of the incident.

ccording to TMCP treasurer Somnath Das, who was present at the time of the incident alleged, Two iron gates at the entrance of the campus were locked with chains. Participants in Amit Shahs rally broke the chains hit them with bricks and batons, while some others entered the campus by scaling the railing...We all took shelter inside the building. They then broke the wooden door of the room, where Vidyasagars bust was. Besides vandalising the room, they also set fire to motorbikes at the entrance.

Meanwhile, ABVPs Twitter handle shared a screenshot of a Facebook post of one Biraj Narayan Roy, who claimed to be a student living in the vicinity. His post claimed he saw that the gate was locked and there was no way for participants in Shahs rally to reach the statue. But TMC workers later pointed out that Roy passed out of the college in 2014 and now stayed in Santiniketan.

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee led a march from Kolkata Gandhi Bhavan in Beliaghata to Netaji Subhas Chandra Boses statue at Shyam Bazaar to protest against the vandalisation.

Thousands carrying framed photographs of Bengali icons like Rabindranath Tagore, Swami Vivekananda and Sri Aurobindo, participated in the march.

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Pakistan on Wednesday decided not to lift its airspace ban for Indian flights till May 30, as Islamabad is awaiting the outcome of the Lok Sabha polls in India.

Pakistan fully closed its airspace after an Indian Air Force strike on a Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terror camp in Balakot on February 26. However, Pakistan opened its airspace for all flights except for New Delhi, Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur on March 27.

The top officials of defence and aviation ministries held a meeting on Wednesday to reconsider opening its airspace for Indian flights. They decided that Pakistans airspace will remain banned for the Indian flights till May 30, a senior government official told PTI after the meeting.

He said the Civil Aviation Authority has also notified the airmen. The authority issued a notification after the meeting to pilots, advising them of circumstances relating to the state of flying. The official said the government will now consider lifting of the ban on Pakistans airspace for Indian flights on May 30. Pakistans science and technology minister Fawad Chaudhry early this week said the status quo will remain till the conclusion of elections in India.

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 till Indian polls, Chaudhry said.

Owing to the flight ban on its airspace by India, Pakistan has suspended its operation for Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur which is causing a loss of millions of rupees per day.

A senior PIA official told PTI that the national flag carriers loss is running into billions of rupees because of suspension of the flights especially to Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur.

We are not only facing the huge financial loss but also losing our passengers to other airlines, he said. If land and rail routes are operational between Pakistan and India, whats wrong with the air route, the official questioned.

The airlines and civil aviation authorities of both the countries are enduring massive losses. The flights between Europe to Far-East are not only facing huge financial losses, but the flight duration has also increased, while the airlines have also increased their ticket prices.

Pakistan in mid-April had opened one of its 11 air routes for west-bound flights from India and airlines such as Air India and Turkish Airlines have started using it. The operating cost for Air India reportedly has increased significantly as it had to take longer routes due to closure of Pakistan airspace.
The delay in execution of the Polavaram irrigation project being constructed on Godavari river in Andhra Pradesh is set to cause a burden of over 28,000 crore on the state government exchequer, senior Congress MP K V P Ramachandra Rao said on Thursday.

The construction of main dam of the project which began in 2012 picked up pace only after the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh in June 2014 and was expected to be completed by December 2018. Chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu claimed before the elections that the project would be completed to a large extent by June 2019 and parts of the project ayacut would get water from the canals through gravity.

However, during the visit to project site on May 6 to review the progress of works, Naidu expressed helplessness in supplying water by gravity this year and revised the deadline for project completion to June 2020.

The Congress MP, in a representation to Governor E S L Narasimhan in Hyderabad, said Naidu was trying to defend himself saying he could not complete the project as per schedule due to non-release of funds by Central government. Naidu has kept the people in dark as to what is the financial responsibility of state due to the delay, he said.

Rao pointed out that as per AP Reorganisation Act, the Polavaram project was declared as a national project and the Centre had agreed to provide 100 per cent funding of the project. As per the act, it was the responsibility of the Centre to fund and execute the project through Polavaram Project Authority (PPA), a special purpose vehicle constituted for the purpose. But, the TDP government had never transferred the assets and liabilities of the project, he said.

Rao pointed out that in September 2016, the execution of project was handed over to the state government on Naidus request with a condition that the state should bear the burden of cost escalations due to cost and time overruns. Naidu government intentionally delayed the preparation of revised cost estimates and started payments to contractors from state funds, he alleged.

The Congress leader pointed out that the NDA government had started imposing several conditions on Polavaram expenditure, including the one that the Centre would bear the cost of the project at 2013-14 prices only. While the state government had submitted revised cost estimate of the project at 55,548.87 crore at 2017-18 prices, the Technical Advisory Committee of Ministry of Water Resources in its meeting in February 2019 gave its approval only for 27,081.62 crore as per 2013-14 price level.

It will mean, the remaining cost of 28,467.25 crore will have to be borne by the state government and the burden will fall on the tax payers of the state, Rao argued.

The Congress MP said he had filed a public interest litigation (PIL) petition in the state high court in 2017 seeking a direction to the Centre to bear entire cost of Polavaram Project without any conditions as per Section 90 of AP Reorganization Act.

While the Centre filed a counter reiterating its stand that it would bear the cost of project as on April 1, 2014 only, the TDP government has not filed any counter till date even after 18 months, Rao alleged.

He said he would withdraw his PIL if the state or the Centre comes out with a clarification that there was no additional burden on the state exchequer.

A state government official familiar with the project said the Centre should bear the entire cost of the Polavaram project as per the Act. We told the Centre clearly that the project cost had gone up due to enhanced cost of rehabilitation and resettlement as per the new land acquisition act of 2013, the official said.

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UPDATED

Before taking over the House in November, Democrats pledged to make civil rights a top priority in the chambers education committee. On Thursday, they put the spotlight on school integration and diversity and advanced two bills dealing with those issues out of the committee. But do they go far enough for the advocates who work on those issues? And how did Republicans respond?

First, a bit of background about those bills.



The Strength in Diversity Act , authored by Rep. Marcia Fudge, D-Ohio, would create U.S. Department of Education grants to promote school diversity and encourage districts to work (and collaborate) on things ranging from school assignment plans to employee practices. These grants could support studies of and local solutions to segregation, revise or break up district boundaries, and expand public school choice zones, among other activities. (A companion bill was introduced by Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn.)

, authored by Rep. Marcia Fudge, D-Ohio, would create U.S. Department of Education grants to promote school diversity and encourage districts to work (and collaborate) on things ranging from school assignment plans to employee practices. These grants could support studies of and local solutions to segregation, revise or break up district boundaries, and expand public school choice zones, among other activities. (A companion bill was introduced by Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn.) The Equity Inclusion and Enforcement Act , authored by Rep. Bobby Scott, D-Va., the committee chairman, would allow private individuals to file lawsuits claiming disparate impact under the Civil Rights Acts Title VI, in order to allow students and parents to seek redress from discriminatory education policy. It also would create Title IV monitors to investigate complaints of discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin, and create an assistant secretary position at the U.S. Department of Education to focus on equity and inclusion.

We need meaningful solutions to dismantle racial and socioeconomic segregation in Americas schools, Fudge said Thursday, speaking about her Strength in Diversity Act. (Both bills passed the committee Thursday by a 26-20 vote.)

Bills in Congress are one thing. But theres been a vigorous amount of research and debate recently about the racial and socioeconomic isolation of schools and school districts, and what the federal government could do about it using both carrots and sticks.

The Century Foundation, for example, has focused significant energy on school integration and diversity, in part by pushing an agenda for the federal government . We asked Halley Potter, a fellow at the foundation, what she thought of the legislation. She highlighted that the foundation is a big supporter of the Strength in Diversity Act as a way to highlight the issue and support schools that want to address diversity and integration in different ways.

As for the Equality Inclusion and Enforcement Act, Restoring the private right of action to file disparate action claims under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act wasnt on our list of eight priorities, Potter wrote in an email, but it is certainly something I support and dovetails with the goals of other items on our list.

However, Potter noted that the bills dont address several priorities for the Century Foundation. Among those left out of the bills, in the words of the foundation:



New legislation to make exclusionary zoning policies and other forms of economic housing discrimination illegal. (This would mean curtailing bans on apartment buildings and multi-family dwellings, for example.) Requiring federal pre-clearance of efforts of school districts efforts to secede. (By secede, the foundation refers to breaking away from current district zones to form new districts.)

Recalibrating the Title I funding formula to remove penalties for school integration and create safe harbors for schools that lower poverty rates as a result of integration efforts. (The foundation sees the Title I priority for high-priority schools as a penalty in this realm, since integrating could put a school below the threshold for qualifying as a Title I school.) Add priorities for diversity into the federal Charter Schools Program.

Those and other foundation priorities are big asks, and arguably the first two in particular would be momentous changes in federal law and policy.

EdBuild, a nonprofit that studies school finance and the impacts of district boundaries on funding and racial demographics, for years has taken the view that two Supreme Court rulings have led to the creation of inequitable districts, while also cutting off legal remedies for disadvantaged schools and students.

Rebecca Sibilia, EdBuilds CEO and founder, said the bills are the best that could be expected out of the committee, and shes happy lawmakers are addressing the issue. But she said that, compared what the federal government should be doing to enforce fair housing policies and conduct mandatory reviews of school district boundaries, they lack real steel.

I think that what these bills demonstrate is the complete lack of teeth that has been given to the federal government in the wake of those court rulings, Sibilia said. There are states that over time that have been offering these sorts of incentives that havent moved communities to actually do the sorts of things these bills are hoping to incentivize.

As for GOP views on the bills? Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-N.C., the ex-chairwoman of the committee and its top Republican, said she sympathized with Democrats motives behind the bills. But she said she had major reservations about their efficacy and that they would not stand up over the long term.

The better solutions for inequitable education, she said, would be more school choice and the creation of Opportunity Zones, which are designed to bolster community investment in low-income rural and urban areas. Our Democrat colleagues good intentions have resulted in short-sighted legislation, Foxx said.

There are also GOP concerns about increasing the size of the Education Departments bureaucracy. And Rep. Van Taylor, R-Texas, also said that while he benefitted personally from having attended integrated schools, he had heard from districts that the Equity Inclusion and Enforcement Act could result in meritless lawsuits while also hurting teachers and students.

Photo: Students at Strom Thurmond High School in Johnston, S.C., make their way to class late last year. The school has a student body that is 50 percent African-American. (Gerry Melendez for Education Week)

Follow us on Twitter @PoliticsK12 . And follow the Andrew Ujifusa half of Politics K-12 @AndrewUjifusa .
As the month of May brings severe weather back to the region, enhanced awareness is necessary to keep families safe. Lake County 911 encourages residents to sign up for Smart911, a free service that provides critical information to first responders during an emergency, and delivers weather alerts using real-time location. Smart911 safety profile information follows the caller to any area of the country that uses the system, which includes Porter County, the City of Chicago, Cook County, Ill. and the State of Michigan. A smart phone is not required to subscribe. Resident can sign up at www.smart911.com.
A leader from the pro-talks faction of the United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) and an actress have been detained by police in connection with Wednesdays grenade blast in Guwahati in which 11 people were injured.

According to reports, the police raided a house in the Panjabari area of the city on Thursday and recovered some explosives, a pistol and 25 rounds of live ammunition. The police are yet to confirm the find.

Our investigations are continuing and we have made satisfactory progress. But we wont be able to divulge details at the moment, said Assam Police DGP, Kuladhar Saikia.

The actress has been identified as Jahnabi Saikia and the pro-talk ULFA leader is Pranamay Rajguru. The actress had taken the house on rent around 10 days ago.

A grenade lobbed near a security check point outside a shopping mall had resulted in 11 persons, including two Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) personnel getting injured.

The banned United Liberation Front of Assam-Independent (ULFA-I), the anti-talks faction of the outfit, claimed responsibility for the blast.

The revolution will be successful. Till there is a political solution to our demand, such incidents will keep occurring. I am not involved in the blast, Rajguru told journalists, after he was detained for questioning by the police.

It is suspected that continued operations in recent weeks by security forces in Myanmar and India on outfits which have camps in the neighbouring country, may have led ULFA-I to carry out Wednesdays blast.

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Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Thursday met the woman who was gang-raped in Rajasthans Alwar on April 26. He promised swift action against the culprits and said justice will be done.

I spoke to Ashok Gehlot Ji after I heard about the incident. This is not a political issue for me. Justice will be done and action will be taken against culprits, said Rahul Gandhi in Alwar. He said a message should be sent that this will not be tolerated.

The Congress chief was accompanied by CM Ashok Gehlot, state Congress chief Sachin Pilot, AICC general secretary Avinash Pande and Alwar MP candidate Jitendra Singh. Rahul Gandhi was scheduled to visit the survivor on Wednesday but had to postpone it due to bad weather.

On PM Narendra Modis charges of negligence by state government in the case, Rahul Gandhi said, I am not here to do politics over the issue. I am here to meet the family and they will get justice

On April 26, five men had raped a married Dalit woman in front of her husband, and later circulated the video on social media. All the accused have been arrested. The Congress government in Rajasthan has faced criticism over lack of prompt action in the case. The Rajasthan police allegedly delayed the filing of a First Information Report (FIR). An FIR was filed only after a purported video of the sexual assault began circulating on social media.

Also read:On PMs crocodile tears remark, BSP chief Mayawatis stinging comeback

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had referred to the gang-rape incident at a poll rally and attacked the Congress. He has also asked Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati she had not withdrawn support from the Congress government in Rajasthan. Mayawati had hit back at PM Modi accusing him of indulging in dirty politics.

Ashok Gehlot on Thursday accused PM Modi of doing politics over the issue said an FIR was lodged on May 2. He (Modi) speaks lies, which is unfortunate. The entire BJP is protesting, shows who is doing politics, Gehlot said.

The incident triggered widespread protests in Alwar, Jaipur, Dausa and nearby areas and a protest march led by BJPs Rajya Sabha MP Kirori Lal Meena had turned violent in Dausa on Tuesday, leaving over half a dozen people injured.
Congress president Rahul Gandhi is likely to meet Thursday a Dalit woman who was allegedly gang-raped in front of her husband in Rajasthans Alwar district, party sources said.

Gandhi, who was earlier scheduled to arrive here Wednesday, will be visiting on Thursday instead, they said.

On April 26, six miscreants 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.

An FIR was lodged on May 2 and the accused circulated a video clip of the crime on May 4.

Subsequently, five accused, who allegedly raped the woman, and the one who shot and circulated the video clip, have been arrested.

The incident triggered widespread protests in Alwar, Jaipur, Dausa and nearby areas and a protest march led by BJPs Rajya Sabha MP Kirori Lal Meena had turned violent in Dausa on Tuesday, leaving over half a dozen people injured.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BSP supremo Mayawati and other leaders have condemned the incident.

Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and the partys state unit president and Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot would accompany Gandhi on Thursday, the sources said. PTI SDA IJT
The Madhya Pradesh Police on Thursday arrested an Indian Army soldier on espionage charges, following inputs from intelligence agencies, a senior official in the security establishment said.

The soldier allegedly passed on information about movements of the Indian Army formations after the February 14 Pulwama terror attack, to Pakistan, the official said. The Indian Army was put on an alert in the wake of the Pulwama incident that claimed the lives of 40 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) troopers. Several key formations were moved forward as India-Pakistan relations touched a new low.

Our investigations suggest that he was in touch with Pakistan ISI [Inter-Services Intelligence] for nearly a year, the official from the Military Intelligence (MI) said.

The MI was the first to detect the soldiers activity. The Military Intelligence then collaborated with the central intelligence agencies further, the official said.

Information was passed to Pakistan through social media platforms like Facebook and WhatsApp, a second official, attached to the defence ministry, said speaking on the condition of anonymity. The soldier, an infantryman, was posted in Mhow near Indore. Several training institutes of the Indian Army including the Army War College is located in Mhow.

With an increase in such cases, the three services  Navy, Air Force, Army  have formulated strict social media policies.
A day after the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board (UPPCB) ordered the district authorities to disconnect power supply of all the 225 existing tanneries in the city, thousands of tannery owners and workers blocked the Kanpur-Lucknow highway for over eight hours to protest against the decision on Thursday.

According to police, when they tried to clear the highway, the protesters allegedly began pelting stones at them and also damaged a few vehicles, following which the cops had to cane charge them.

SSP Kanpur Anant Deo said no one was injured in the stone pelting and the situation was brought under control withing minutes.

Struggling with the closure of leather tanning units for the last six months, the tannery owners and workers took to the streets when the city administration attempted to disconnect electricity in the tanneries in Jajmau in the wee hours of Thursday.

Hundreds of protesters gathered at the highway around 7 am and the number began to swell as the day progressed, resulting in long traffic snarls on the highway.

The protesters raised anti-government slogans and demanded suspension of the drive to disconnect power supply as well as an early solution regarding the closed units.

On seeing the tension mount, the district administration deferred the electricity disconnection drive.

After speaking to tannery owners, district magistrate Vijay Vishwas Pant said it has been decided that the drive will remain suspended till Ramzan while tannery owners will ensure that their units are not operational.

The protests came a day before National Green Tribunal (NGT)s review meeting with officials of UPPCB and district administration to be held in Delhi on Friday to decide the fate of these tanneries.

Nayyar Jamal, president of Small Tanners Association said the tanners were facing hardships because of the mess created by the pollution board and Jal Nigam.

The governments decision to close the tanneries is a big blow. Five lakh people have been affected and the industry is in ruins. Workers and their families are surviving on Iftari as they dont have money to buy food. The disconnection will cause us a lot of trouble; everyone knows how difficult it is to get an electricity connection, said Asad Iraqi, a tannery owner.

The tanneries situated on the banks of Ganga in Jajmau were shut in November 2018 by the state government in order to check water pollution ahead of the Kumbh 2019 in Prayagraj. The ban was supposed to be lifted in March but till date the tanneries are lying closed rendering many workers jobless and forcing others to migrate.

During a recent inspection, four tanneries were found to be operating in Jajmau, on the basis of which the pollution board issued an order to disconnect the electricity of all 225 tanneries. Consequently, the district magistrate constituted teams of magistrates and KESCO engineers for the purpose. The teams were asked to submit their reports with certificate of disconnection by 4 pm on May 18.
Preparations for hosting the International Day of Yoga, a pet project of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, are already underway although there is still a week to go for declaration of the Lok Sabha election results.

Senior government officials went into a huddle at the cabinet secretariat on Thursday to discuss and plan how to celebrate June 21 as Yoga Day, which was instituted in 2015 to popularise the ancient physical and spiritual discipline that has its roots in India.

Secretaries of at least 10 ministries were present at a long meeting chaired by cabinet secretary Pradip Kumar Sinha to chalk out details of the event.

We assume that whichever government takes charge will be taking Yoga Day forward as this has now become an internationally celebrated event, a secretary-level officer in a social sector ministry said on condition of anonymity.

After Modi took charge as Prime Minister in 2014, he started Yoga Day celebrations and the United Nations recognized June 21 as the International Day of Yoga. Last year, the Prime Minister led at least 50,000 yoga enthusiasts on the Forest Research Institute

campus in Uttarakhand capital Dehradun in celebrating Yoga Day.

The results of the Lok Sabha elections, which conclude on May 19, will be declared on May 23. Government officials may not be waiting for the declaration of results to start preparing for Yoga Day but doubts remain whether the event would be celebrated with the same fanfare if a non-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government were to come to power. The Congress has in the past described Yoga Day celebrations as another event for Modi to seek publicity.

At least two secretaries present at Thursdays meeting said that plans had been laid

out to ensure that Yoga Day

is observed even at gram panchayat levels across the

country.

The government also wants to ensure participation of all schools, colleges, government offices and other organisations at the event.

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The Election Commissions decision to cut short poll campaign in Bengal after violence at Amit Shahs Kolkata rally drew sharp criticism from opposition parties on Thursday. Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati accused the poll panel of acting under pressure while the Congress said the EC has lost its independence.

Mayawati said the poll panel was being unfair and the campaign ban was enforced from Thursday night to help PM Modi finish his rallies in Bengal.

Election Commission has banned campaigning in West Bengal, but from 10 pm today just because PM has two rallies in the day. If they had to ban then why not from today morning? This is unfair and EC is acting under pressure, Mayawati said.

The BSP chief said PM Modi and Amit Shah were targeting Mamata Banerjee in a planned manner. She cautioned that it was a very dangerous and unjust trend and one which doesnt suit the PM of the country.

The Election Commissions decision to cut short campaigning was a first of its kind and invited allegations of being politically biased. The poll panels decision came a day after violence at BJP president Amit Shahs roadshow that triggered a war of words between the ruling Trinamool Congress in Bengal and the BJP.

Also read: PM scared of Bengal, says Mamata Banerjee after ECs unprecedented order

The Congress said the EC was once known for its objectivity, non-partisan stand but it seems it now takes orders from BJP headquarters. The Election Commission has abdicated its integrity, Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said on Thursday.

Just hours after the poll panels move to curtail campaign in Bengal, Trinamool boss Mamata Banerjee said the decision was unfair and unethical and gave Prime Minister Modi time to finish his two rallies before the campaign ban kicks in on Thursday night. She also questioned why EC waited 24 hours to impose the campaign restrictions.
Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh is spearheading the Congresss electoral challenge in the state against the Shiromani Akali Dal-Bharatiya Janata Party (SAD-BJP) combine. He spoke to Vinod Sharma on Wednesday, a day after Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhis large roadshow in Pathankot. Edited excerpts:

What is the gist of your campaign in Punjab?

Our objective is to defeat the BJP-Akali Dal combine. Were mobilising people in agreement with our views, and are convincing those who are not of our view that we need to change the government [at the Centre] in the interest of the country and Punjab.

How many seats have you assured to your party leadership?

Thirteen.

Thirteen out of thirteen - isnt that a tall order?

No, it isnt. Weve chosen our candidates well; we have fought a very good election. The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) is down after the sacrilege incidents and all that happened during their 10-year-rule. That has put us right on top. While everybody was saying that Sunny Deol is going to sweep Gurdaspur, we went to Pathankot and had a roadshow where there was no place to move. The trend in Punjab has changed. I see on the social media the response that the people, the youngsters, are giving.

How strong is the Narendra Modi factor?

There is no Modi factor in Punjab. Maybe in other states, I dont know, but here theres no Modi factor. [Despite] the things he is trying to project, Balakot and all, Punjab doesnt want a war. I have a 540km border with Pakistan that gets to face [the consequences of war]. Amritsar gets it, Gurdaspur gets it, Tarn Taran gets it. Who wants to have anything like it? We support the retaliatory action after Pulwama because they [Pakistan-backed militants] cant go around killing our soldiers. But Modis muscle flexing is not paying off here.

So peace on the borders is an issue?

Yes, absolutely. It was always our people who got caught when a war took place. In 1965, places from Khalra [in Khemkaran sector] up to Wagah were shelled. Today, guns can fire up to 35km; you can shell Amritsar if you want. Nobody wants this sort of thing. Warfare technology has advanced so much that you can hit any target with anything. We dont want any of our people being killed in that.

But peace is difficult between India and Pakistan. Short of that, what solutions do you have for the border peoples problems? Some people in Attari said they consider Balakot a strike on their livelihood because higher Customs tariffs have killed Pakistani imports.

Thats it. When you do such things, the retaliation comes to those along the border. Theyre not going to go across and bomb Delhi. Theyre going to open fire with their artillery or mortars and hit our villages. I go a step further. After 70 years of wars and instability with Pakistan, I think the time has come to seriously pursue economic cooperation I know the problem with Pakistan is that no government there can function without the military, which has a vested interest in not allowing these things to happen. But their army must understand that Pakistans economy is in the doldrums. Theyve just had to go begging to the IMF [International Monetary Fund]. They are in serious financial trouble. For how long can the military call the shots [in the face of such crises]? Somebody has to take the bull by the horns.

Sam Pitroda made a controversial comment about the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. As one who quit the Congress during the period, what do you have to say about Pitrodas remarks?

I resigned from my party and my membership of Parliament after Operation Bluestar. The riots were in response to the assassination [later] of Mrs Indira Gandhi. I was there for the first four days and went around the camps at places where the riots happened. Pitrodas comments were completely irresponsible; everybody accepts that now.

You went to Bhatinda and Pathankot (Gurdaspur seat) with Priyanka Gandhi. Whats your prognosis about Gurdaspur, which is considered a difficult seat for your partys state unit chief Sunil Jakhar?

It is not a difficult seat. There are two sections in Gurdaspur. One is the lower section comprising six [assembly] segments and then there are three upper segments: Bhoa, Sujanpur and Pathankot. People thought there will be problems in these three areas comprising the Rajput belt. But these segments were won by Jakhar in his by-election [caused by the death of BJP MP Vinod Khanna] and earlier on by our candidates in the assembly polls. The Pathankot roadshow put a lie to all thatThere was such a massive crowd that vehicles couldnt move, people couldnt move. Ive seen many roadshows but not like the one I saw yesterday.

What about your home seat, Patiala? Is your wife Preneet Kaur winning? Have you gone campaigning there?

I think shes winning. I am going there to campaign.

Why are you going to Patiala so late?

Normally I go for filing of nomination papers  and on the last evening of the campaign period, for a public meeting at the Qila Chowk. This time Ive already addressed a meeting in the constituency.

Will Sukhbir Badals wife, Union minister Harsimrat Kaur, win in Bhatinda?

I am telling you, well win all the 13 seats. Im asking because people say youve a soft corner for the Badals.

I dont have any soft corner for the Badals, who have ruined the state. But I do not believe in violating the Indian Constitution and the law. There is a law and we go by the law. We dont push people in jail simply because we dont like them. Last time, I didnt put them behind bars. It was the law that put them behind bars.

Who is the Congresss main rival in Punjab: the SAD, the Peoples Democratic Alliance (PDA), or the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)?

The PDA [formed by AAP rebel Sukhpal Khaira] and the AAP do not exist. The Akali Dal is on the margins as theres the Taksali Akali Dal, the main Akali Dal, and the fringe elements going around.

Likewise, there are two AAP factions and Khairas PDA. They split between them the anti-Congress constituency in Punjab. Thats why I say well win all 13 seats. Nobody seems to listen to me. Even Sukhbir Badal is going to lose the Firozpur seat.
As the politics around the Election Commissions Bengal campaign ban heated up on Thursday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi led his partys frontal attack on Mamata Banerjee and her party, Trinamool Congress, who he has accused of desecrating Bengals Renaissance icon Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar statue.

Going to West Bengal for rally in Dum Dum. Let us see if Didi (Mamata Banerjee) allows it. If she has her way she will not allow helicopter to land, said PM Modi at a rally in Uttar Pradeshs Mau. He also promised to build a new Vidyasagar statue and blamed Trinamool goons for vandalising it.

The opposition has attacked the Election Commission for its decision to cut short poll campaign in Bengal after violence at Amit Shahs Kolkata rally.

Also Read | Will build new Vidyasagar statue at same spot, says PM Modi

BSP chief Mayawati said the enforced from Thursday night to help PM Modi finish his rallies in Bengal while Congress said the poll panel has lost its independence.

Also Watch | PM Modi vows new Vidyasagars statue at the same spot in Kolkata

Mamata Banerjee thanked leaders of opposition parties, for their support and said people will give the BJP a befitting reply.

A BJP delegation met the Election Commission on Thursday over the violence in Bengal. We demand that history-sheeters be detained immediately so that fair and violence-free polling is conducted in West Bengal. The Election Commission should be extremely vigilant over the next 48 hours, said Union minister Prakash Javadekar.

Also Read | Trinamool edgy as internal analysis indicates Left vote may shift to BJP

On allegations that the poll bodys decision to cut short campaigning in Bengal will help PM Modi, Javadekar pointed out that Mamata Banerjee also has rallies scheduled for Thursday.
West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday accused the Election Commission of being partial and said it was behaving like BJPs brother. She said BJP destroyed the 200-year-old heritage of West Bengal and those supporting the party will not be accepted by society.

Last night we came to know that BJP had filed a complaint with EC so that we cant hold any meeting after Narendra Modis meeting. EC is brother of BJP, earlier it was an impartial body now everyone in the country says it is batting for the BJP, Mamata was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

Also Read| Lok Sabha elections 2019: Campaigns curbed after fierce Bengal showdown

The Trinamool chief, who was addressing an election rally in Bengals Mathurapur, said she is not scared to speak the truth and ready to go to jail.

A statue of renowned 19th century reformer, Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, was destroyed and a college named after him ransacked in the violence on Tuesday. Both the BJP and the Trinamool Congress leaders have blamed on each other for the violence and destruction of the statue.

Mamata Banerjee reacted sharply to Prime Minister Narendra Modis statement that a new statue of Vidyasagar will be built at the same spot and said that Bengal does not need alms from the BJP.

He (Modi) has said in Uttar Pradesh that they will build a statue of Vidyasagar. We will not accept it. Bengal has the money to build the statue of Vidyasagar... Bengal does not want alms from you, she said.

At a rally in UP on Friday, PM Modi said that Trinamool goons had destroyed the Vidyasagar statue during a rally by BJP chief Amit Shah.

Mamata Banerjee dared PM Modi to prove his claim that Trinamool Congress supporters desecrated the statue. We have video proofs that you (BJP) desecrated it. And you are saying that Trinamool Congress has done it! Arent you ashamed? This Prime Minister should perform sit-ups, not once but innumerable times, holding his ears for telling lies, she said.

She said the BJP wont be spared and will be dragged behind the bars. If you vandalise the statue of B R Ambedkar, building it once again does not suffice. If you desecrate the statue of Gandhiji, or Maulana Abul Kalam Azad or Tagore or Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, it does not suffice, Mamata thundered.
About three weeks ago, near the end of the Indiana General Assembly session, language in the states budget bill changed the NICTD boards composition, from 11 members -- eight appointed by the counties served by the South Shore Line and three by the governor  to five, all appointed by the governor. The new members had not been appointed yet when the NIRPC board met.
Nathuram Godse, the man who assassinated Mahatma Gandhi, was a deshbhakt (patriot), the BJPs Pragya Thakur said on Thursday setting up another controversy. Pragya Thakur, who had been banned from campaigning earlier for her hate comments, had earlier found herself in the middle of a row after her comments against the former chief of Mumbais anti-terrorism squad Hemant Karkare and the Babri Masjid.

Nathuram Godse was a patriot, is a patriot and will remain a patriot. People calling him a terrorist should look within. Such people will be given a befitting reply in these elections, Pragya Thakur told news agency ANI.

She was asked for her response to Makkal Needhi Maiam chief Kamal Haasans recent speech where he had described Godse as Indias first extremist.

Watch | Nathuram Godse was a patriot: Pragya Thakur stokes controversy

Nathuram Godse, a right-wing activist, had assassinated Mahatma Gandhi on January 30, 1948. Eight men were convicted in the murder trial inside Red Fort by a special court, constituted by an order of the central government. Godse and co-conspirator Narayan Apte were hanged for the murder of the Father of the Nation on November 15, 1949.

Pragya Thakur was last month named the BJP candidate from Madhya Pradesh capital Bhopal in a surprise choice against the Congresss former chief minister Digvijaya Singh. Pragya Thakur is facing trial in the 2008 Malegaon blast case where six people died and at least 100 were injured.

Her nomination was seen by the Congress as an effort to polarise the national elections but the choice was strongly defended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has on more than one occasion, pitched the decision as a befitting reply to individuals who linked a whole religion and culture to terror.

As opposition leaders rushed to pummel the BJP and its Bhopal candidate, the Bharatiya Janata Party swiftly moved into damage-control mode.The BJP does not agree with this statement. We condemn it. She should apologise publicly for this statement, BJPs GVL Narasimha Rao said in a statement to ANI.

An apology will not do, Shama Mohd of the Congress told NDTV. She demanded that the apology should come from PM Modi who had selected Pragya Thakur as a candidate.

Also Read | The politics of an assassination: Who killed Gandhi and why?

Asaduddin Owaisi of the AIMIM also targeted PM Modi. Remember, Narendra Modi has defended and endorsed Pragyas candidature. This is not a lunatic fringe & is definitely not her personal opinion, it is the BJP standing by Independent Indias first terrorist. In few years, Sri Sri Godse will also be recommended with a Bharat Ratna, he tweeted.

Pragya Thakur had to apologise earlier for her claim that her curse had killed Hemant Karkare, the Mumbai police officer who died fighting terrorists during the Mumbai 26/11 terror attacks. Karkare was the chief of the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad that charged Thakur in the Malegaon case. The BJP had distanced itself from this statement.

Pragya Thakur next stoked a controversy for her statement that she was proud of her participation in the demolition of the Babri Masjid in Uttar Pradeshs Ayodhya in 1992.
Andhra CM writes to EC over its decision to order re-polling at 5 stations

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu writes to EC over its decision to order re-polling at 5 polling stations of Chandragiri AC and Chittoor PC. The letter states, Im writing this letter to strongly oppose the partial one sided & undemocratic motivated actions of the EC. :ANI

EC seeks report from MP CEO on Pragya Thakurs remark on Godse

Election Commission has sought factual report from Chief Electoral Officer, Madhya Pradesh, by tomorrow in the matter of Pragya Singh Thakurs statement Nathuram Godse was, is, and will remain a deshbhakt. : ANI

Rahul Gandhi holds roadshow with Shatrughan Sinha in Patna

Congress President Rahul Gandhi holds a roadshow with Shatrughan Sinha, partys candidate from Patna Sahib LS constituency. RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav was also present. :ANI

Patna: Congress President Rahul Gandhi holds a roadshow with Shatrughan Sinha, party's candidate from Patna Sahib LS constituency. RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav also present. pic.twitter.com/pkg10kOUpe  ANI (@ANI) May 16, 2019

Two West Bengal election officers relieved from duty: EC

Mithun Kumar Dey, SDPO Diamond Harbour (West Bengal) and Kaushik Das, office in-charge Amherst Street (West Bengal) stand relieved with immediate effect. Both the officers shall not be given any election related posts, notified the Election Commission. :ANI

West Bengal is not your fiefdom: PM Modi attacks Mamata Banerjee

West Bengal is an integral part of Ma Bharati. It is not your fiefdom or that of your nephew, said PM Modi. :ANI

If it werent for central forces, you would not be CM: PM Modi to Mamata Banerjee

Why are you forgetting that the Left had created a similar situation for you and at that time constitutional bodies of the nation ensured a fair election in West Bengal. If these constitutional bodies and central forces werent there, you would not have been CM today, said prime minister Narendra Modi.

Mamata Banerjee considering West Bengal her personal property: PM Modi

Mamata Banerjee is considering West Bengal her own personal property, said prime minister Narendra Modi in West Bengals Dum Dum.

PM Modi addresses public meeting in Dum Dum

Prime minister Narendra Modi addresses his final public meeting as part of the Lok Sabha 2019 election campaign in West Bengal.

Polls held in 5 stations of Andhra declared void by EC

Election Commission of India declares polls held on 11th April at 5 polling stations of the Chandragiri Assembly constituency and the Chittoor Parliamentary constituency of Andhra Pradesh as void. Re-polls to be held on 19th May. pic.twitter.com/uXsNnzCpMv  ANI (@ANI) May 16, 2019

Amit Shah campaigns for BJP candidate from Gorakhpur, Ravi Kishan

BJP President Amit Shah campaigns for the partys candidate from Gorakhpur, Ravi Kishan. :ANI

Gorakhpur: BJP President Amit Shah campaigns for party's candidate from Gorakhpur, Ravi Kishan. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath also present. pic.twitter.com/g68dNJu6Wz  ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) May 16, 2019

We did not receive a satisfactory response from EC over ending campaigning early in Bengal: Abhishek Manu Singhvi

Opposition delegation met with EC over ending election campaign in West Bengal 24 hours early. Abhishek Manu Singhvi of Congress said, We did not receive a satisfactory response from the Election Commission. :ANI

YSRCs Prithviraj gets his head tonsured at Tirumala temple

On Thursday, popular film actor and YSRC star campaigner Prithviraj got his head tonsured to offer his hair to Lord Venkateshwara of the Tirumala temple in Chittoor district, seeking victory for the party in the polls.

Andhra politicians flock temples ahead of poll results

With just a week left for the declaration of results of the Andhra Pradesh assembly elections, leaders of the two main political parties -- the Telugu Desam Party and YSR Congress are flocking to temples and conducting special prayers seeking divine blessings for their respective parties to come to power.

TMC goons spread violence, vandalised statue of Vidyasagar: PM Modi

PM Modi in Mathurapur,WB: TMC goons spread violence, they vandalised statue of Vidyasagar. CCTV cameras were installed there. The way the state govt erased evidences of Narada& Sarada scam, it is trying to remove evidence in the incident. I demand a strict action should be taken. pic.twitter.com/V1lc9fIR9x  ANI (@ANI) May 16, 2019

BJP has become the voice to West Bengal today: PM Modi

There is a problem here regarding Durga puja and Saraswati puja, saying Jai Sri Ram has become a crime. People of Bengal were troubled by these things since a few years, who brought these issues on a national platform? Which party has become voice of Bengal today, its BJP, said prime minister in West Bengal. :ANI

Narendra Modi addresses public meeting in West Bengals Mathurapur

Mamata Banerjee has been so disturbed by her prospects that she has started to openly threaten me. I came across her threat to capture the BJP office yesterday and today morning itself I was threatened that I would be sent to jail, said prime minister Narendra Modi.

EC is biased, allowed PMs rallies, ended campaigning after it: Arvind Kejriwal

They allowed Modi jis rallies and ended campaigning after it, it makes it clear that Election Commission is totally biased. It is very dangerous for the country, said chief minister of Delhi, Arvind Kejriwal. :ANI

Why was our meeting cancelled? Can only the PM hold meetings?: Mamata Banerjee

We had a meeting yesterday, why was it cancelled? Can only the PM hold a meeting? Dont we have any rights in democracy? Will only what the Election Commission says happen? They curtailed our campaign 24 hours ago, now we have to adjust our meetings, said Mamata Banerjee. :ANI

Nathuram Godse was a killer, glorifying him is sedition: Digvijaya Singh

Modi ji, Amit Shah ji and the state BJP should give their statements and apologize to the nation. I condemn this statement, Nathuram Godse was a killer, glorifying him is not patriotism, it is sedition, said Digvijaya Singh, Congress Lok Sabha candidate from Bhopal, commenting on Pragya Thakurs remarks. :ANI

BJP condemns Pragya Thakurs statement on Godse: GVL Narasimha Rao

BJP does not agree with this statement, we condemn it. Party will ask her for clarification, she should apologise publicly for this statement, said BJPs GVL Narasimha Rao on Pragya Singh Thakurs statement Nathuram Godse was, is & will remain a deshbhakt. : ANI

In 5 years you (PM) couldnt make Ram Temple and you want to build Vidyasagars statue?: Mamata Banerjee

In the last 5 years you (PM) couldnt make a Ram Temple and you want to make Vidyasagars statue? People of Bengal wont beg before you. Your goonda neta came here and said Bangal kangal hai. Are Bengalis kangal? Are Bengalis kangal?, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee said during her public meet at Diamond Harbour. :ANI

Will you trust PM Modi and Amit Shah again?: Priyanka Gandhi

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Congress General Secretary for Uttar Pradesh (East) in Maharajganj: PM told you that he himself will deposit 15 lakh in your accounts and the President of the same party, after the elections said it was a chunaavi jumla, will you trust them again?

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Congress General Secretary for Uttar Pradesh (East) in Maharajganj: PM told you that he himself will deposit 15 lakh in your accounts and the President of the same party, after the elections said it was a 'chunaavi jumla', will you trust them again? pic.twitter.com/F7EnQeZTor  ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) May 16, 2019

People of UP and Mirzapur know who can eliminate terrorists by entering their territory, and who can put a ban on Masood Azhar: PM Modi

The people of Uttar Pradesh and Mirzapur know who can eliminate terrorists by entering their territory and who can put a ban on Masood Azhar: PM Modi

After defeat on May 23, SP-BSP will tell their cadre to turn against each other: PM Modi

After defeat on May 23, SP-BSP will tell their cadre to turn against each other. Irrespective of whether their cadre feels insulted or their enthusiasm is weakened, it doesnt matter for them: PM Modi

Prove allegations otherwise well drag you to jail: Mamata Banerjee

He (Prime Minister) said he will make Vidyasagar statue.Bengal has money to make the statue.Can he give back the 200 years old heritage? We have proof and you say that TMC has done. Arent you ashamed? He should do sit ups for lying so much. Liar. Prove allegations otherwise well drag you to jail, says Mamata Banerjee.

WB CM:He (PM) said he'll make Vidyasagar statue.Bengal has money to make the statue.Can he give back the 200 years old heritage? We've proof&you say that TMC has done.Aren't you ashamed?He should do sit ups for lying so much.Liar.Prove allegations otherwise we'll drag you to jail pic.twitter.com/v9zKD2xIjW  ANI (@ANI) May 16, 2019

I am being abused by those who had looted Uttar Pradesh and had filled their coffers: PM Modi

I am being abused by those Mahamilawati who had pushed Mirzapur into Naxal violence. I am being abused by those who had looted Uttar Pradesh and had filled their coffers: PM Modi in Mirzapur.

It is BJPs trend to vandalise statues: Mamata Banerjee

It is BJPs trend to vandalise statues. BJP is behind the vandalism of Vidyasagars statue, says Mamata Banerjee.

Its a NDA wave across Uttar Pradesh: PM Modi

Its a NDA wave across Uttar Pradesh, says PM Modi.

Not scared to say the truth: Mamata Banerjee

I feel sad but I dont have anything to say, I am ready to go to jail for saying this. I am not scared to say the truth, says Mamata Banerjee.

BJP destroyed 200-year-old heritage of West Bengal: Mamata Banerjee

BJP destroyed 200-year-old heritage of West Bengal, those supporting the party will not be accepted by society: Mamata Banerjee.

BJP posting fake videos on social media to instigate people, cause riots: Mamata Banerjee

BJP posting fake videos on social media to instigate people, cause riots: Mamata Banerjee.

Election Commission is brother of BJP: Mamata Banerjee

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in Mathurapur: Last night we came to know that BJP had filed a complaint with Election Commission so that we cant hold any meeting after Narendra Modis meeting. The Election Commission is brother of BJP, earlier it was an impartial body now everyone in the country says Election Commission has sold out to BJP.

WB CM Mamata Banerjee in Mathurapur: Last night we came to know that BJP had filed a complaint with EC so that we can't hold any meeting after Narendra Modi's meeting. EC is brother of BJP, earlier it was an impartial body now everyone in the country says EC has sold out to BJP. pic.twitter.com/lWqXHJz6x5  ANI (@ANI) May 16, 2019

Voters have already guaranteed majority for BJP: PM Modi

Voters have already guaranteed majority for BJP, says PM Narendra Modi.

When SP-BSP was in power, they would distribute electricity on the basis of their vote bank: PM Modi

When SP-BSP was in power, they would distribute electricity on the basis of their vote bank: PM Modi

Chandauli is voting BJP because people feel our party offers a strong and stable government: PM Modi

Chandauli is voting BJP because people feel our party offers a strong and stable government, says PM Modi

Young voters are convinced that only this government can fulfil their dreams: PM Modi

Young voters are convinced that only this government can fulfil their dreams. The poor have also realised this: PM Modi in UPs Chandauli

Country is saying-phir ek baar Modi sarkar: PM Modi

PM Narendra Modi in Chandauli: Those with 8 seats, 10 seats, 20-22 seats, 30-35 seats are dreaming of becoming Prime Minister, but the country is saying-phir ek baar Modi sarkar.

PM Narendra Modi in Chandauli: Those with 8 seats, 10 seats, 20-22 seats, 30-35 seats are dreaming of becoming Prime Minister, but the country is saying-phir ek baar Modi sarkar pic.twitter.com/PjKUxS8liG  ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) May 16, 2019

Going to West Bengal for rally in Dum Dum. Let us see if Didi allows it: PM Modi

Going to West Bengal for rally in Dum Dum. Let us see if Didi allows it. If she has her way she will not allow helicopter to land: PM Modi.

Mahamilavatis want somehow to get khichdi govt at Centre which can be blackmailed for their needs: PM Modi

Mahamilavatis want somehow to get khichdi government at Centre which can be blackmailed for their needs: PM Modi in Mau

Mahamilavatis raising Modi-hatao slogans frustrated.Their arithmetic has gone wrong and so their abuses have increased: PM Modi

Mahamilavatis raising Modi-hatao slogans frustrated.Their arithmetic has gone wrong and so their abuses have increased: PM Modi in Mau.

Election Commission should be extremely vigilant over the next 48 hours: Prakash Javadekar

We demand that history-sheeters be detained immediately so that fair and violence-free polling is conducted in West Bengal. The Election Commission should be extremely vigilant over the next 48 hours: Prakash Javadekar

Election Commission needs to take more steps to ensure voting in West Bengal is conducted in a free and fair manner: Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi

Senior BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi has said that the Election Commission needs to take more steps to ensure voting in West Bengal is conducted in a free and fair manner.

I was forced to leave stage during my rally in West Medinipur: PM Modi

PM Narendra Modi in Mau: Some months back during my rally in West Medinipur, TMC goons indulged in hooliganism. After this in Thakurnagar the situation was such that I had to cut short my speech and was forced to leave the stage.

PM Narendra Modi in Mau: Some months back during my rally in West Medinipur, TMC goons indulged in hooliganism. After this in Thakurnagar the situation was such that I had to cut short my speech and was forced to leave the stage pic.twitter.com/dti8N8DvrD  ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) May 16, 2019

Will build a new statue of Vidyasagar and give befitting reply to Mamata Banerjee: PM Modi

During Amit Shahs rally the day before yesterday, TMC goons vandalised Vidyasagars statue. We will build a new statue there and give a befitting reply to Mamata Banerjee: PM Modi

I thought Mayawati will slam Mamata, but this did not happen: PM Modi

PM Narendra Modi in Mau: I had thought the way Mamata didi is targeting UP-BIhar Purvanchal people, calling them outsiders for her politics, Behen Mayawati will surely slam Mamata didi, but this did not happen.

PM Narendra Modi in Mau: I had thought the way Mamata didi is targeting UP-BIhar Purvanchal ppl, calling them outsiders for her politics, Behen Mayawati will surely slam Mamata didi, but this did not happen pic.twitter.com/aCcnyzF6Lc  ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) May 16, 2019

SP-BSP has given ticket to a person here who is an absconder in a rape case: PM Modi

PM Narendra Modi in Mau: SP-BSP has given ticket to a person here who is an absconder in a rape case. Samajwadi Party has this history in Uttar Pradesh, people know, but Behen ji will you seek votes for such candidates?

PM Narendra Modi in Mau: SP-BSP has given ticket to a person here who is an absconder in a rape case. SP has this history in UP, people know, but Behen ji will you seek votes for such candidates? pic.twitter.com/l65aIFRJUz  ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) May 16, 2019

The mahamilawat that was talking about removing Modi until a month ago are now nervous: PM Modi

The mahamilawat that was talking about removing Modi until a month ago are now nervous: PM Modi

I urge women to vote against anti-women parties: PM Modi

Few days ago, a Dalit girl was raped in Rajasthan. BSP is supporting the Congress government there. Congress tried to cover up the incident, Mayawati knows this. SP-BSP have fielded candidates that are accused of rape. Why is Mayawati campaigning for such candidates? I urge women to vote against such anti-women parties: PM Modi

Gang rape case in Alwar was tried to be covered-up: PM Modi

The gang rape case in Alwar was tried to be covered-up, says PM Modi.

Mau has unwavering faith in the development agenda of NDA: PM Modi

Mau has unwavering faith in the development agenda of NDA, says PM Narendra Modi.

Mamata Banerjee being targeted as part of conspiracy

Mamata Banerjee being targeted as part of conspiracy to divert attention from failures of Modi government, says Mayawati in Lucknow.

Mayawati questions Election Commissions decision to cut short poll campaign

BSP chief Mayawati has questioned the Election Commissions decision to cut short the campaigning for last round of voting after violence at a rally by Amit Shah in Kolkata on Tuesday.

Mayawati accused the poll panel of being unfair and said the campaign ban was enforced from Thursday night to help PM Modi finish his rallies in Bengal.

Also Read| Acting under pressure: Mayawati slams EC for curtailing Bengal campaign

Campaigning for the 9 Lok Sabha seats will end at 10 pm on Thursday

Campaigning for the nine Lok Sabha seats that will go to polls in West Bengal on May 19, the seventh and final phase of the 17th general elections, will end at 10 pm on Thursday, the poll watchdog said, instead of 5 pm on Friday at which it will end in 50 other seats that will vote on the same day.

Election Commission has cut short poll campaign in West Bengal

The Election Commission on Wednesday cut short the poll campaign in West Bengal by 19 hours after the BJP and the TMC accused each other of orchestrating the violence at a Kolkata roadshow by BJP president Amit Shah the previous evening in the endgame of a bitterly fought general election.

Also Read| Lok Sabha elections 2019: Campaigns curbed after fierce Bengal showdown

Lost its independence, says Congress on poll panel cutting short Bengal campaign

Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said the Election Commission was once known for its objectivity, non-partisan stand but it seems it now takes orders from BJP headquarters.

BSP-SP alliance is scheduled to hold a joint rally

The BSP-SP alliance is scheduled to hold a joint rally, to be addressed by BSP chief Mayawati and Samajwadi Party national president Akhilesh Yadav.

Amit Shah is scheduled to hold a roadshow in Gorakhpur

BJP chief Amit Shah is scheduled to hold a roadshow in Gorakhpur. Shah, along with Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and party candidate from Gorakhpur Lok Sabha seat Ravi Kisan, will address the gathering.

PM Modi will address rallies in Uttar Pradeshs Mau, Mirzapur and Chandauli

In Uttar Pradesh, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address rallies in Mau, Mirzapur and Chandauli. In Bengal, he will hold public meetings in Laxmikantapur and Dumdum Central Jail Maidan.

PM Narendra Modi will address election rallies in West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address election rallies in West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Pragya Singh Thakur has courted controversy once again, this time for calling Nathuram Godse, the man who assassinated Mahatma Gandhi, a deshbhakt (patriot), and within hours apologised as both the Opposition and the BJP condemned her remark.

Singh, the BJP candidate from Bhopal, while speaking to the media after a roadshow in Agar-Malwa near Bhopal on Thursday, said, Nathuram Godse was a deshbhakt, is a deshbhakt and will remain a deshbhakt. People calling him a terrorist should instead look within. Such people will be given a befitting reply in these elections.

Singh was reacting to Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) president Kamal Haasans recent statement calling Godse the first Hindu terrorist of independent India.

Senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh, who contested from the Bhopal seat against Thakur, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah should apologise over Thakurs remark. I condemn the words used against the Father of the Nation. Nathuram Godse was a killer and eulogising him is not patriotism, but an anti-national act, the former Madhya Pradesh chief minister said.

The BJP was in damage control mode soon after Thakurs statement. Sources in the party aware of the development said state BJP president Rakesh Singh called up Thakur, following which she apologised.

Later, BJP spokesperson Rajneesh Agrawal said, She [Pragya Thakur] has apologised for her statement. She said she had said it by mistake.

However, the Opposition was quick to call Thakur out. Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala called it an insult to the country and said Indias soul is under attack from the successors of Nathuram Godse, the BJP ruling dispensation.

Former People Democratic Party chief and former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti said she takes pride in being termed anti-national if a Hindu fanatic Nathuram Godse is being hailed as a nationalist.

Nathuram Godse, who has murdered Mahatma Gandhi, is being defended by BJPs candidate Pragya Thakur and is being called a patriot. People can now see @BJP4India s real face through @SadhviPragya_MP, Maharashtra Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Jayant Patil said on Twitter.

This is not the first time that Pragya Thakur, an accused in the 2008 Malegaon blast that claimed six lives and injured over a 100 people and who is out on bail, has made controversial statements before and then apologised.

Soon after she was made BJPs candidate from Bhopal, the 49-year old said that Mumbai Anti-Terrorism Squad chief Hemant Karkare, who had died on duty during the 26-11 attacks in Mumbai, was killed due to her curse. She accused Karkare of torturing her while she was in custody for the Malegaon blast case.

She also claimed that she had participated in the demolition of the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya in 1992.

Thakurs comments had drawn notice from the election commission and she was barred from campaigning for three days. An FIR was also lodged against for her remarks over Babri Masjid.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday signed off his Bihar leg of election campaign at Paliganj, 60 kms from Patna, exuding confidence that he would return as the Prime Minister for a second term and swore to unleash a stream of developmental projects to propel the nations growth, through progress of the countrys eastern region.

I have come to thank the people for their overwhelming support in the previous six phases of elections, which made the poll outcome known by the end of fourth-fifth phase. I bow my head before you with respect. Some people are still busy calculating caste arithmetic in Delhi, but the people have given their verdict.The NDA team in Bihar is more capable than me and they often said I need not bother about Bihar, but being a karyakarta, I have to slog as other BJP workers do, even in the hot weather, PM Modi said.

Attacking the opposition for stitching an alliance of negativism, he said the people of India had poured water over their dreams of forming a majboor (helpless) government at the Centre, so that they could carry on with their loot, even at the cost of national security and development.

Earlier governments gave lip service during terror attacks. But we said we could not bear with it anymore. Your chowkidar gave a free hand to security forces who entered enemy territory to attack terror camps. Terrorists do not deserve to be dealt with leniently. They needed a stern response.

Terming the opposition alliance as mahavilavati, he said that they had only two objectives  to tarnish the image of Modi and to somehow remove him. They dont know that Modi is here due to the blessings of 130 crore people of India. I have remained CM and PM for almost two decades and I have always seen God in people. But some greedy people eye this post to carry out loot in the interest of self and family.

Modi said if the opposition had any concerns for the poor and needy, their hands would have trembled before resorting to corrupt means. But they treat the poor only as a vote bank. The walls around them are so big that they cannot see the pain and problems of the poor. Having usurped hundreds of acres of land, they now find land slipping from under their feet. They got an opportunity to serve Bihar, but could offer only a bad name to the state. hey are still on the lookout for another opportunity to plunder Bihars wealth, but the people have become smart and can read their design, Modi said, in a veiled attack on the RJD government of the past.

Modi also said that the party that did politics in the name of caste to amass huge wealth fooled its own caste members. All they did was to mislead the youth from their own caste. Bihar is changing and so is the nation. When it comes to nation, it is India first for everyone. Other things come later.

Listing out the pro-poor work done during his tenure as PM, such as ensuring constitutional status for the OBC commission, PM Kisan Yojana, Ayushman Bharat, cheapest internet for youth technological changes, plan to double farmers income by linking agriculture and solar energy production etc., Modi said those who identified themselves with the cattle-rearing class never found time to think about their welfare. Now, we are offering them the Kisan credit card. We also have plans for fishermen, who have been neglected for far too long.

Aware of the strong Yadav population in the two Patna constituencies of Patna Sahib and Pataliputra and neighbouring Jehanabad, the PM made special mention of Yaduvanshis, as he had done in 2015.

I have come from Gujarat, the land of Yaduvanshi Sudarshan Chakradhari Krishna. Our inspiration is the butter-loving Bal Gopal and flute playing Kanhaiya. Whenever required, India will draw inspiration from the Sudarshan Chakradhari to teach terrorists a lesson.

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Young couples in West Bengal had an unexpected word of encouragement from chief minister Mamata Banerjee, while she was carrying out an attack on BJP on Thursday, the final day of campaigning in the state.

The 65-year-old Trinamool Congress chief raised the topic to lash out at her principal opponent BJP. In Uttar Pradesh, a young boy and girl, who might be moving around together, or having an affair, are harassed, and, at times, even put behind the bars. Why should this happen? remarked the chief minister, describing the BJP government as dangerous.

They have every right to move around together. I am liberal on this issue. They also fail to understand that a boy and girl can also be just good friends, she remarked while addressing a public rally in Diamond Harbour in South 24 Parganas district.

Public display of affection in parks and squares of Kolkata is quite common.

The chief minister even mentioned how she encouraged her family members in this regard. When my (younger) brother was having an affair I encouraged him. I told him that he should tie the knot (with the women he loved), she said. Mamata also said her nephew Abhishek Banerjee had an affair with a Punjabi woman when he was studying in Delhi.

The anti-Romeo squads in UP have triggered controversy by harassing couples, prompting chief minister Yogi Adityanath to urge the people not to harass couples.
One hundred and ninety-nine years after his birth, Bengals Renaissance icon Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar has become a poll plank in the eastern state. And the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) has quickly used the vandalism in a Kolkata college named after him to reach out to unusual quarters: the Lefts educated, middle-class vote bank.

The internal reports and feedback of TMC suggest that the Lefts vote  as much as 30% in the 2014 general election  is shifting to some extent to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as the latter is recognised as a key challenger to the Trinamool.

Also Watch | Lok Sabha elections 2019: EC orders campaign ban in West Bengal

Our prospects now hinge on the level of shift of the Left vote. We hope to get more than 30 seats but if the Left loses more than 10% of its share, we may even go down to 25, said a Trinamool leader on condition of anonymity. The party leaders also fear that in at least 15 seats where the minority concentration is low, the BJP has garnered considerable strength to take on the Trinamool. And any addition, particularly from the Lefts vote base, will give the BJP further recognition among the Bengali middle class.

Also Read: Bengal campaign to end day earlier, says EC after fear psychosis report

Trinamools chief spokesperson Derek OBrien, however, maintains that our party under the leadership of Mamata Banerjee will improve its tally. After what happened on Tuesday, we will not allow the BJP to gain ground in West Bengal. In the 2014 election, Trinamool got 34 seats while the BJP won just 2 out of the 42 parliamentary constituencies. Trinamool has been in power in Bengal since 2011.

The Lefts vote share stood at 30% in the 2014 polls while the BJP bagged 16% of the popular votes. The popular narrative about Bengal is that the BJP is trying to consolidate Hindu votes and in the remaining nine seats, the vast Hindi-speaking population in the state is supportive of the BJP. The Left, struggling to retain its relevance, sees the BJP as a lesser enemy than the mighty Trinamool that dislodged it from power and ate into its erstwhile minority vote base.

The BJP, hoping to drastically improve its tally, is enjoying the political mood swing in Bengal. Recently, in an interview to HT, Assam minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said, The right-thinking people [who] belong to CPM, belong to Congress and even belong to TMC... are voting for BJP In a political sense, you can say that CPM votes are being transferred to the BJP; this is one part of the story. But I believe that CPM, Congress and TMC  the right-thinking people of all these three parties, they are voting for PM Modi this time.

Also Read: Day after clashes, TMC-BJP slugfest rages on

The CPI(M), or Communist Party of India (Marxist), leadership is also aware of the ground situation. CPI(M) politburo member Nilotpal Basu said on Wednesday, Both Trinamool and BJP are publicizing the crack in the Lefts vote. But why is Trinamool crying over this theory? Even Mamata said why Left vote is shifting to the BJP. You should ask Trinamool how both their leaders and voters are also shifting to the BJP. Another CPI(M) leader said in the highly polarized Bengal election, the binary is Trinamool versus BJP and so we have some disadvantage.

The vandalism in Vidyasagar College and the destruction of Vidyasagars bust have led to a barrage of protests on social media, mostly by educated Bengalis for whom Vidyasagar remains a Bengali icon. His book, Barnaparichay, still remains the most popular primer for beginners to learn the Bengali language. The Trinamool held protests both in Kolkata and elsewhere, while the BJP quickly called a press conference to blame Trinamool for the vandalism. And the Left marched on the streets of Kolkata blaming both the Trinamool and the BJP.

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Mughalsarai railway junction, now renamed Deen Dayal Upadhyay junction, punctuates the journey of hundreds of thousands of commuters every day. The station is crowded but clean. People are swarming around waiting for their trains, loading and unloading luggage, negotiating with shopkeepers on the platform .

From those returning home to Uttar Pradesh for a short break from Mumbai, where they work as taxi drivers to those on way to villages back in Bihar or Jharkhand from Gujarat where they work in furniture or diamond industries of Surat, from the auto drivers of Chandauli district ferrying passengers across to Varanasi, to those manning reservation counters, HT spoke to close to three dozen individuals. An overwhelming majority said they would vote for Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Their reasons differed, but the choice was common. Indeed, the 2019 election may be complex, with fragmented voices in each seat, in each state. But there is an overarching common thread  Modi. The mood in the railway station was uncannily similar to voices one has heard across Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and UP in recent travels. Here is an attempt to understand the motivations of those voters who have decided to back Modi again in 2019. A caveat is essential here. This is not to suggest that there arent strong voices opposed to Modi, or that the presence of supportive voices in themselves would translate into high numbers of seats for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). It is instead an attempt to understand the reasons that drive Modis popularity.

The trust voter

Modiji pe vishwas hai (We have faith in Modi).

One of the most striking elements on the campaign trail is the degree of faith in the PM. Often, voters do not offer a tangible reason to explain their support for him. But they pin it down to one word - trust. This trust has gone a long way in helping voters overlook what could be considered areas of weaknesses of the Modi government. Take unemployment for instance. At a Nishad village in Mirzapur, a group of young men were playing cards. They were ardent Modi supporters, but had no jobs. When asked if they would hold Modi responsible for the absence of job creation, one of them responded: Will Modiji come and feed us? We have to become capable ourselves. We have to work hard. We have to find jobs ourselves. He cannot do everything. He is looking after the nation. The trust finds expression in other forms. At a Dalit village in Unnao, a small farmer, when asked about Modis alleged failure to increase farm incomes, said, We cannot manage a family of four or five people and struggle to meet everyones needs. And here, Modiji has to take care of the whole country. How can he do everything in five years? He will take care of all of us in due course.

The TINA voter

Aap hi bataiye. Modiji nahin toh kaun hai? (You tell us. Who else is there but Modi?)

If the trust vote stems from a positive impulse, the there is no alternative (TINA) vote stems from a degree of scepticism about Modi but laced with a sense of inevitability about his return. This itself is an outcome of the BJPs campaign to make the election centred around electing a PM, rather than members of Parliament in each of the 543 constituencies. What people perceive to be a lack of alternatives for the position of PM is responsible for a substantial element of support for Modi. Rahul Gandhi of the Congress is no longer an object of ridicule, but he is still not viewed by many as prime ministerial. And in key states, especially UP and Bihar, accounting for 120 seats, the Congress is not a major player.

Regional leaders have strong pockets of support but even their voters see them more as state-level leaders who should have a say in Delhi rather than as leaders ready to take over the reins of government nationally.

All of this has led a section of voters who may not be entirely enthused by Modi to think of giving him one more chance till a stronger alternative appears. As a small shopkeeper in Bihars Vaishali constituency said: I dont think the Opposition is ready to run this country yet. They need to become more organised and come up with a stronger leader. I will vote for Modi once more and then shift to the Opposition in 2024.

The honesty voter

Imaandar neta hain. Dekhiye, koi parivar nahin hai (He is an honest leader. Look, he has no family either).

In 2014, Modis perceived integrity  in the face of the alleged scams of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government which made daily headlines  helped the BJP. It is remarkable that five years later, this faith in his integrity is largely intact. When Rahul Gandhi recently suggested he would dismantle Modis image, he was perhaps speaking of eroding this perception of honesty. Indeed, Gandhi has run a spirited campaign centred around the Rafale deal. But in extensive travels, one did not find people raising Rafale as evidence of wrongdoing on the part of the PM. There were some voices which alluded to Modis links with big business, but these were in a minority. Many voters buy into the narrative that the PM has little incentive for financial impropriety  and is not a man driven by material possessions. The fact that many opposition leaders face credible corruption allegations adds to Modis appeal.

The national security voter

Mazboot neta hain. Pakistan ko jawab diya. Bharat ki izzat badhayi (He is a strong leader. He responded to Pakistan. He has enhanced Indias image).

The Balakot strikes infused a strong emotive element to the BJPs campaign, enthusing its cadre and giving a talking point across north India. Television played its part in showcasing the strike as an achievement. Ratnakar Prajapati, a Surat-based worker returning to Koderma in Jharkhand, was at the Deen Dayal Upadhyay junction. He said, Modi could not do as much vikas for the nation as he did in Gujarat. Jobs are scarce. But there is one thing he did. He made the country secure. We are safe under him. The references to Pakistan and Balakot still draw the most applause at Modis rallies, even if the impact has dissipated somewhat compared to early March. Many voters also believe that Modi has finally got India its due and given it a place on the high table globally. The fact that Manmohan Singh signed the nuclear deal, or that Atal Bihari Vajpayee began a period of rapprochement with the US after the nuclear test, or that PV Narasimha Rao broadened Indian foreign policy outreach after the end of the Cold War, or that economic reforms post 1991 have helped make India attractive globally is not considered or discussed at all.

Perhaps this is because these leaders did not make foreign policy a centre piece of domestic campaigns. But Modis high profile foreign visits, his seeming personal rapport with foreign leaders, his speeches to packed audiences in stadiums in foreign cities, and the relentless publicity of foreign policy achievements have contributed to the perception that he is the only leader to have enhanced Indian image.

The vikas voter

Gaon gaon main ghar and shauchalaya bana, bijli aayi, cylinder aaya. (In villages, houses and toilets were constructed, electricity was provided, gas cylinders distributed).

From villages in north Bihar bordering Nepal to reserved tribal constituencies in central Indias Madhya Pradesh, from eastern UPs small kasbas to Awadhs rural constituencies, many are quick to reel out Modis achievements in terms of rural asset creation. Housing, distribution of gas cylinders, and improvement in the supply of electricity comes up often.

His supporters claim that by directly transferring money into the accounts of beneficiaries, Modi has eliminated middlemen and reduced corruption on the ground. These schemes have critics too  gas cylinders are too expensive to refill; toilets are often left incomplete; village pradhans still find a way to take kickbacks on money meant for the poor. Indeed, the direct benefits transfer that Modi has pushed was pioneered by the Congress. But the dominant narrative is that vikas has reached villages and it is due to Modi.

The Hindu voter

Hindu neta hain (He is a Hindu leader).

This sentiment is expressed in different forms. Sometimes, it manifests itself in anger  with voters claiming that the Congress cheated Hindus all these years, despite India being a Hindu rashtra, and everyone but BJP was somehow suspect.

Sometimes, it manifests itself in pride , with voters claiming that Hindus are truly ruling the country and finding their rightful place after centuries. But most often, it manifests in prejudice and hate; it is not uncommon to hear voters suggest that Modis singular achievement is showing Muslims their place. This is a very strong subtext in conversations in UP and Bihar in particular, and spans across Hindu castes. Among other factors, Modis image because of the 2002 Gujarat riots, his unequivocal assertion of religiosity, the governments emphasis on cow protection, its hard approach to Kashmir (read Muslims), the ticket to Pragya Singh Thakur, and the proposed Citizenship Amendment bill, have all meant that the core Hindu vote remains with Modi in this election.

All of this put together has made Modi the most important talking point of this election. It has also meant that whatever support the BJP draws is primarily due to Modi rather than any local candidates. The BJP has made an enormous political and financial investment in building and sustaining the Modi brand. It has been aided by large sections of electronic media and the partys strong penetration across social media platforms.

The BJP may win or lose this election; it may succeed or fail in forming the government. But the fervent support to Modi has been a significant strand in 2019.

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Are you ready for Results Day programming on TV? I know I am. All my life, the one kind of television that has always fascinated me is the election results programme.

My fascination began when I was a small boy and watched the Results Day programme for the British 1970 elections. We are often told now that, in the early days, election programming was primitive and backward. But watching it as an Indian, at a time when we had hardly any TV in India, I was enthralled.

On the BBC, the anchors handled the news while top politicians were sent to another host, a man in a bow-tie called Robin Day who was civil but firm and often relentless in his probing. Whenever a politician began to repeat his usual election spiel, Day would interrupt . Yes, yes, we know all that, he would say. Now, answer the question.

How I wish Indian interviewers would do that more often instead of letting party spokesman hijack the shows with their stupid and banal shouting matches!

There was nothing like that on Indian TV till 1989 when Doordarshan collaborated with Prannoy Roy on an election show. (DDs correspondents across India did the reporting and a fledgling NDTV handled the Delhi end). In that era, we had no EVMs (which may have been a good thing  or not) and results took days to stream in. The show was largely in English but Prannoys co-anchor, the great Vinod Dua would break in every now and then to summarise (in Hindi) what had been said.

Each intervention would begin with A quick recap , a phrase that soon passed into legend. (What kind of topi is a recap? etc. etc.)

I was a guest on the show and this was an era where top politicians came to the studio and sat on the panel. I remember chatting with LK Advani behind the desk and getting into an argument with the young Anand Sharma who argued that even though the Congress did not have a majority it could form a government with the support of the Left.

How could it do that? I asked. How could the Left possibly support the Congress when its slogan in Bengal was Rajiv Gandhi chor hai?

I was right. The Left ended up supporting VP Singh instead.

Our exchange had another 15 minutes of fame a couple of weeks ago when some trolls ,given access to DDs archives , pulled out this clip. Some carried the full clip with their tweets but many edited it to just keep the words about Rajiv being a chor, dropping the context. The idea apparently was to indicate that not only did Rajiv Gandhi take holidays on aircraft carriers and consort with foreigners (which is a very bad thing --- unless they are Canadians), journalists also called him a crook in that era.

If I had only known, way back in 1989, how famous that clip would become decades later, I would have asked the cameraman for a better angle.

That programme made Prannoy the king of the Election show, a title he guarded zealously. In 1999, NDTV ran Star News for the Star TV network and though some non-NDTV employees, like myself, were on the channel, he refused to allow any of us on the results programme.

So Aroon Purie (this is before Aaj Tak became a channel) collaborated with Doordarshan and did a rival election results show. Tavleen Singh, Karan Thapar and myself anchored and our producer was Uday Shankar (now head of Star-Disney in Asia). Obviously we wiped the floor with Star News in ratings terms (DD had a much bigger reach), but (and I am not being immodest here because I was only a tiny part of the whole package) our show creamed them in terms of quality as well. Their format was designed to resemble a meeting between the monitors and the principal at an elite school, and the show was so dull that the guy in the Star TV office who was supposed to log the programme, switched to our DD/India Today show instead, leaving his log incomplete.

Since then there have been many more private channels and the quality of election programming has improved vastly.

Nobody has ever asked me to anchor a results show again but I have been a panellist at nearly every election (except 2004). And for the most part, it has been fun.

In my view, it is always more enjoyable to do an election show when the final result is still in doubt. That 1970 British election I remember was called by Harold Wilson after the pollsters told him that he was certain to win re-election. In fact, he lost. And the drama came from the turnaround. They had Wilson sitting grumpily in his office, refusing to concede. We watched George Brown, a useless old drunk who was nevertheless, one of Labours more senior politician, lose his own seat in a shock upset. Brown fought back tears as he conceded.

In 2009, when I was a commentator for NDTV, the result of the election was uncertain. Nobody believed that the incumbent UPA would actually increase its tally and on Results Day, Mr Advani had planned a large lunch party at his house to celebrate his imminent elevation to Prime Minister.

But from the moment the trends started coming in it was clear that Advani (and the rest of us) had miscalculated. The Congress had done better in UP than predicted but Rahul Gandi wouldnt comment. Manmohan Singh would only speak once all the results were in. Mr. Advani was said to be in tears (not such a big deal; as he himself often says, he is quick to tear up) and Sonia Gandhi , most bizarre of all (or so we were told), was sitting at 10, Janpath and refusing not only to offer any comments but to even watch the results on TV. (May be she thought she would jinx it).

So, while we had to wait for any comment, Prannoy stuck his neck out and called the election. The UPA had won, he said, even as trends were still coming. It was a great show, overall, with Prannoy on top form and the School Monitors meeting format junked forever.

It is a difficult business calling elections and anchors are often reluctant to jump the gun. I remember appearing on India Today TV for the last Bihar assembly elections and the early results suggested a BJP landslide. Many channels called the election (including NDTV) and I could hear producers telling Rajdeep Sardesai, the shows anchor, to declare that the BJP had won. But Rajdeep is a pro. He said he didnt believe the numbers and refused to call the election. It was a tough decision. But the right one. The trends changed and the BJP lost.

Sometimes it is all too easy. I was on India Today for the 2014 election and we knew that Modi would win so some element of tension was missing. But Rahul Kanwal who is an excellent anchor, with the connections to get the best guests, kept viewers enthralled. When news of Arun Jaitleys defeat came in, other channels speculated about what this could mean. Rahul got Amit Shah on the air to say that it would make no difference to Jaitleys future prospects in the Cabinet.

That time too, we called the result right. Tavleen Singh and I, who were both guests, said (before anyone else I think but it is hard to be sure) that the BJP was getting an overall majority for sure.

For the last few years, I have done all my election programmes with CNN News 18 and it has always been fun if a little dizzying. I say dizzying because the results now come in so quickly (and CNN News 18 always get them first) that it is hard to keep up.

Some other things have changed. Only one out of every six exit polls actually gets the results right but when you are presented with a plethora of polls, it is hard to know which of them is going to be the right one. Also, the level of discourse on Indian TV has hit new lows. The anchors and the independent guests can be very good. But the party spokesmen sometimes deal only in personal abuse, interrupt all the time and wreck every discussion.

But still, we do our best. We try and uphold the standards of high quality TV journalism and spot trends as they come in. Most anchors feel they already have a sense of the final figure. At many channels, everyone is encouraged to make a prediction before the results come in, I made mine three months ago and am sticking to it (170 to 200 for the BJP) though everyone tells me that I am an idiot and the final figure will be nearer 250. (Thats fine, I usually get elections wrong. I have that in common with the pollsters).

If you have read this far then I guess you care about Results Day too. And so, what else can I say except: see you on the 23rd!

To read more on The Taste With Vir, click here

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Three senior citizens were killed in a hit-and-run along the Ahmednagar-Kalyan highway in Junnar at 5:30 am on Wednesday. The incident took place along the stretch of highway that passes through Udapur village, Junnar, located 115km from Pune.

The victims have been identified as Mirabai Sudam Dhamale (68), Kamlabai Mahud Dhamale (65) and Sagunabai Baban Gaikar (65), all residents of Dhamalemala. The women were on morning walk when an unidentified vehicle hit them. The incident has been recorded at Otur police station under Pune rural police jurisdiction.

A case under Section 304(a) of Indian Penal Code has been registered against the unidentified driver at Otur police station.
"The most talented disadvantaged youth don't do as well as the least-talented advantaged youth," says the CEW report "Born to Win, Schooled to Lose: Why Equally Talented Students Don't Get Equal Chances to Be All They Can Be." It adds that a child from a family in the highest quartile of socioeconomic status (SES) who has low test scores in kindergarten has a 71% chance of being in an above-median SES at age 25. However, a child from a low-SES family with high test scores has only a 31% chance of reaching above-median SES by 25.
US President Donald Trump issued an executive order on Wednesday prohibiting the sale of telecommunications equipment from foreign adversaries, and shortly after, Chinese telecom giant Huawei was put on a list of entities with whom American firms are prohibited from doing business.

The actions came amid escalating trade tensions between the United States and China, who broke off talks last week after coming close, as US officials have said, to a historic deal.

Trumps executive order, which had long been expected, declared a national emergency to deal with the threat posed by the unrestricted acquisition or use in the United States of information and communications technology or services designed, developed, manufactured, or supplied by persons owned by, controlled by, or subject to the jurisdiction or direction of foreign adversaries.

It did not name any entity and senior administration officials told reporters in a background conference call that it was company and country agnostic.

Shortly after, the US department of commerces bureau of industry and security announced it was adding Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd to its Entity List, which are companies that Americans are prohibited from doing business with. The Washington Post said the listing is also called the death penalty.

Huawei depends on American companies for chips for its equipment and its smartphones use Googles Android operating system and some American phone companies operating in rural areas have depended on cheap telecommunications equipment from the Chinese giant. These transactions will be prohibited going forward, unless the commerce department issued a waiver for them.

The commerce department said the listing was based on an assessment that the Chinese company, Huawei, is engaged in activities that are contrary to US national security or foreign policy interest. The United States has had problems with other Chinese companies as well, such as ZTE, that it, believes, are backed by the Chinese government and operate on their behalf.

The United States has also told allies and partners in the past it will have to re-think and may not be able to share intelligence with them if they chose Huawei equipment for their 5G networks, which is considered to be 100 times faster than the current 4G.
Alabamas Republican governor has signed the most stringent abortion legislation in the nation, making performing an abortion a felony in nearly all cases.

To the bills many supporters, this legislation stands as a powerful testament to Alabamians deeply held belief that every life is precious and that every life is a sacred gift from God, Governor Kay Ivey said in a statement after signing it into law on Wednesday.

The laws sponsors want to give conservatives on the US Supreme Court a chance to gut abortion rights nationwide. Democrats and abortion rights advocates criticized the legislation as a slap in the face to women.

It just completely disregards women and the value of women and their voice. We have once again silenced women on a very personal issue, said Sen. Linda Coleman-Madison, a Birmingham Democrat.

The abortion ban would go into effect in six months if it isnt blocked by legal challenges.

Coleman-Madison said she hopes the measure awakens a sleeping giant of women voters in the state.

But Republican pollster Chris Kratzer noted that there is no congressional district and likely no legislative district in Alabama with enough swing voters to put Republicans at serious risk.

The people who are outraged about this are not the people who are electing these guys, generally speaking, especially when were talking about the primary, he said.

Kratzer also argued that there arent enough potential swing voters and disenchanted Republicans to make the issue any kind of advantage for the lone Democrat elected to statewide office, U.S. Sen. Doug Jones, who scored a surprise win in a 2017 special election.

Jones upset Republican Roy Moore, in part on the strength of GOP-leaning college graduates abandoning the controversial Moore. But Kratzer said that was more about Moores long history of flouting federal courts as chief justice of the Alabama Supreme Court and accusations that Moore sexually harassed teens when he was in his 30s  not Moores hardline stance on abortion.

The legislation Alabama senators passed Tuesday would make performing an abortion at any stage of pregnancy a felony punishable by 10 to 99 years or life in prison for the provider. There is no exception for pregnancies resulting for rape and incest.

The only exception would be when the womans health is at serious risk. Women seeking or undergoing abortions wouldnt be punished.

Rep. Terri Collins, the bills sponsor, said she believes the measure reflects the beliefs of the majority of the state electorate. The vote came after 59% of state voters in November agreed to write anti-abortion language in the Alabama Constitution, saying the state recognizes the rights of the unborn.

Ivey acknowledged Wednesday that the measure may be unenforceable in the short term, and even supporters expect it to be blocked by lower courts as they fight toward the Supreme Court.

Its to address the issue that Roe. v. Wade was decided on. Is that baby in the womb a person? Collins said.

Kentucky, Mississippi, Ohio and Georgia recently approved bans on abortion once a fetal heartbeat is detected, which can occur in about the sixth week of pregnancy. Missouris Republican-led Senate voted early Thursday to ban abortions at eight weeks, with no rape or incest exceptions.

The Alabama bill goes further by seeking to ban abortion outright. Abortion rights advocates vowed swift legal action.

We havent lost a case in Alabama yet and we dont plan to start now. We will see Governor Ivey in court, said Staci Fox, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Southeast.

Evangelist Pat Robertson on his television show Wednesday said the Alabama law is extreme and opined it may not be the best one to bring to the U.S. Supreme Court in the hopes of overturning Roe because I think this one will lose.

God bless them they are trying to do something, Robertson said.

One mile (1.6 kilometers) from the Alabama Statehouse  down the street from the Governors Mansion  sits Montgomerys only abortion clinic, one of three performing abortions in the state.

Clinic staff on Wednesday fielded calls from patients, and potential patients, assuring them that abortion remains legal, for now.

Dr. Yashica Robinson, who provides abortions in Huntsville, said her clinic similarly fielded calls from frightened patients.

This is a really sad day for women in Alabama and all across the nation, she said. Its like we have just taken three steps backwards as far as womens rights and being able to make decisions that are best for them and best for their families.

But Robinson said the bill is also having a galvanizing effect. With phone lines jammed, she said messages came streaming across their fax machine.

We had letters coming across the fax just asking what they can do to help and telling us they are sending us their love and support our way, Robinson said.

(The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text, only the headline has been changed)

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India on Thursday delivered two Mi-24 attack helicopters to Afghanistan to strengthen its air force and support Kabuls fight against the Taliban, officials said.

The choppers will boost the capability of the Afghan air force and enhance its effectiveness in combating terrorism, the Indian embassy in Kabul said in a statement. India is expected to deliver two more Mi-24s to Afghanistan later this year.

Two more of the same type will be purchased and supplied to the Afghan Air Force in order to make the area operations more effective, acting Afghan defence minister Asadullah Khalid tweeted after receiving the helicopters. Indian ambassador to Kabul Vinay Kumar handed over the choppers to Khalid at the Kabul air force base.

Hindustan Times first reported in March 2018 that Belarus and India had inked a trilateral pact with Afghanistan to supply refurbished Mi-24 helicopters to the Afghan air force.

The attack helicopters will boost the offensive power of the Afghan forces. The choppers will be a great asset to the Afghan air force in Kabuls fight against terrorism, said Air Vice Marshal Manmohan Bahadur (retd), additional director general, Centre for Air Power Studies.

This is only the second instance of India supplying lethal military equipment to Afghanistan. India had provided four Mi-24s to the Afghan armed forces during 2015-16, marking a significant shift from its earlier position of supplying only non-lethal equipment. However, some of the helicopters provided earlier had been grounded because of lack of spares.

India has committed $3 billion in aid to Afghanistan since 2001, when the Taliban were removed from power. It has also trained personnel from the Afghan National Security Forces and Afghan National Police.

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An Indian citizen who stalked a woman over a period of 18 months after she once served him in a shop in London has been jailed by the Isleworth Crown Court for a total of 29 months after he pleaded guilty, the police said on Thursday.

Rohit Sharma, 28, was sentenced to 22 months in jail for stalking, six months for harassment and one month failing to appear in court. The judge ordered that Sharma, an Indian citizen, be considered for deportation at the end of the sentence.

The police s aid Sharma began stalking his victim, who was aged in her 20s, after she served him in a shop in Wembley in November 2017. After that brief interaction, Sharma returned later that same day with his father and asked her to marry him.

Four days later, the victim changed jobs but Sharma found out where she worked and managed to obtain her phone number. His behaviour escalated and he bombarded the victim with multiple messages via phone, text and social media.

The victim reported Sharma to police and in February 2018 he was issued with a harassment warning. However, this did not deter him and his campaign of stalking and harassment continued, the police added.

This consisted of the victim receiving up to 40 calls a day and Sharma continually watching her at her place of work. In July 2018, Sharma was charged with harassment but after being bailed from court he continued to pursue his victim.

He failed to attend a court hearing in November 2018 and was circulated as wanted by police.

Sharmas stalking continued persistently to such a point that the victim quit her job and moved away from the area in an attempt to get away from him.

However, this only seemed to fuel his campaign and he systematically began contacting people who knew the victim, trying to find out where she had gone. On April 16, 2019, Sharma was arrested by police after intelligence linked him to an address in Wembley.

In a statement, the victim said: This whole experience has completely shattered my nerves, I have gone from being a confident young woman to constantly feeling scared and on edge. I have no desire to socialise or meet new people, which has really taken its toll and ruined the university experience I had always envisioned.

I cannot understand why this male became so obsessed with me. It is so unfair and completely undeserved. I just want him to realise what he has done and to know that he cannot do this to me or anyone else. I now want to move on knowing that he is locked away and cannot harm or hurt anyone else like he has done to me.

Detective constable Nicola Kerry of Scotland Yard, who led the investigation, said: Stalking and harassment has a devastating impact on the lives of those targeted. There is intrusion into the victims life, and they are left to feel vulnerable, distressed and threatened.

Sharma was incessant in his pursuit of his victim. He would phone her up to 40 times a day and use around 15 different numbers to contact her, making it near impossible to block his calls, and would also get friends and relatives to contact her on his behalf.

The victim has been left devastated by Sharmas actions and I can only hope that his imprisonment offers some form of respite for her. She has shown immense bravery in reporting him to police and supporting this court case.

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A sculpture by American artist Jeff Koons sold on Wednesday for $91.1 million at an auction organized by Christies in New York -- a record price for a living artist.

Rabbit, a stainless steel casting of an inflatable rabbit, was the star of the auction houses spring sale and overtook the previous record set by British painter David Hockneys Portrait of an Artist (Pool with Two Figures), which sold last November at Christies for $90.3 million.

It was a return to the top for Koons, 64, whose Balloon Dog (Orange) for five years held the record for highest price reached at auction for a living artist after its 2013 sale for $58.4 million.

The selling price of Rabbit was only $80 million, but once commissions and fees were added, the final total rose to $91.075 million.

In an unusual turn for an art auction at this price range, the buyer of Rabbit was actually in the room during the sale.

Wednesdays milestone came two years after Christies in New York set the record for most expensive work of art known to have been sold with the sale of Leonardo de Vincis Salvator Mundi for $450 million.

Created by Koons in 1986, Rabbit is among the best-known works by the artist, who built a reputation for challenging art world conventions.

He has exhibited his larger-than-life creations worldwide, including a 2008 showing in Frances historic Chateau of Versailles that so jarred French traditionalists a small group of them protested outside the event, demanding Koonss works be sent to Disneyland.

At 41 inches (1.04 meters) in height, Rabbit was auctioned from the collection of deceased publishing mogul S.I. Newhouse.

Before his death in 2017, his empire included Conde Nast, which published magazines like Vogue, The New Yorker and Vanity Fair.

Alexander Rotter, chairman of post-war and contemporary art at Christies, told AFP after the auction Rabbit is the most important piece by Jeff Koons and I want to go even a step further and say the most important sculpture of second half of the 20th century.

Its the end of sculpture. Its the anti-David as I call it, he said, referring to Michelangelos masterpiece. You cant go any further away from David still being figurative and a traditional sculpture.

The sale was a new triumph for the controversial artist, who since his emergence in the 1980s has been the subject of endless conversation over his works commercial and artistic value.

Hes raised eyebrows throughout his career, particularly with paintings and sculptures depicting him having sex with Italian film star Cicciolina, to whom he was married between 1991 and 1994.

Arriving in New York in 1976, Koon has built up a studio that at its height in 2015 employed more than 100 artisans tasked with meeting his exacting standards.

(This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.)
The deadly Easter terror attack in Sri Lanka that claimed 253 lives has put Tamil-speaking Islamist groups on either side of the Palk Strait under the scanner. The National Thowheed Jamaath (NTJ) is one of the prime suspects that the Sri Lankan government banned in the immediate aftermath of the eight serial blasts, for which the Islamic State (IS) has claimed responsibility.

President Maithripala Sirisena used his emergency powers to ban the NTJ and another group known as the Jamathei Millathu Ibraheem (JMI). Security and counter terrorism experts in Sri Lanka believe the hitherto little-known NTJ to be an organisation that split from the Sri Lanka Thowheed Jamaath (SLTJ) in 2014.

SLTJ, a prominent Muslim outfit that seeks to spread a fundamentalist, Wahhabi version of Islam has a track record of inciting racial hatred, vandalising Buddhist places of worship, and openly endorsing the IS brand of violent jihad. In 2016, SLTJs general secretary Abdul Razik was arrested for hate speech.

WATCH | Explained: Sri Lanka suicide bombings fallout

The Tamil Nadu Thowheed Jamaath (TNTJ), which in the aftermath of the bombings, found itself in the eye of the storm  initial reports by media houses laid the blame of the terror attack on them  is a bonafide affiliate of SLTJ.

Both organisations actively collaborate towards translating and distributing versions of the Quran, spreading the message of what they claim is true Islam; the SLTJ has also hosted TNTJ leaders in Sri Lanka.

Beyond religious ideology, the two organisations are conjoined by the bonds of Tamil linguistic identity. Muslims comprise nearly 10% of Sri Lankas population. Concentrated in the north and east of the country, a majority are Tamil speakers.

By all measures, the TNTJ is a hardliner religious organisation, but it insists that it had nothing to do with the serial blasts on April 21, Easter Sunday, that occurred in St Sebastians church in Negombo, among other churches, and in many luxury hotels in Colombo.

Ties of tongue

In the aftermath of the bombings, multiple media reports linked the Chennai-headquartered TNTJ to the attacks, forcing its leaders to address a press conference to deny the allegations, as well as condemn terror attacks as anti-Islamic.

Connecting NTJ with TNTJ is like saying All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) are sister groups because DMK is common to both their names. Thowheed is an Arabic word that means oneness of God, and several organisations use it. No government has linked us with NTJ; its only the handiwork of some media houses that seek to spread mischief and defame real Islam. We work closely with SLTJ, a peaceful organisation that functions within the laws of Sri Lanka. Whoever has carried out the attacks cannot be a real Muslim, says B Abdul Rehman, a tall, slender man in his mid-thirties who is the vice president of TNTJ.

When HT visited them earlier this month, the cramped three-storey headquarters, surrounded by power tools and textile sellers in the wholesale trade hub of the old British settlement of George Town, Chennai, was abuzz with activity.

Hundreds of bundles of TNTJs mouthpiece, a 16-page Tamil weekly tabloid called Unarvu [which loosely translates to consciousness], are piled up ready for dispatch. Every inch of the tabloid dated May 3-9, 2019, is devoted to the Sri Lanka terror attacks. In Unarvus crosshairs is a Times of India report that alleged TNTJs links to the prime suspect NTJ; one article praises BBCs even-handed coverage de-linking them from the banned Sri Lankan group; several articles denounce IS as an Jewish-American enterprise. The receptionists phone hasnt stopped buzzing. The attendant, a bearded man in his twenties, patiently directs all media queries to TNTJs leadership. Though Hindi is not the lingua franca here, he addresses everyone with the north Indian suffix ji.

TNTJ runs 600 mosques in all districts of the state, conducts summer camps for children, and also provides ambulance services, medical and educational help to the poor within the community, and organises blood donation camps. It runs old age homes, homes for children without families and Islamic schools. It claims to have a membership of nearly one million.

A hardliner view

TNTJ claims to be the largest Muslim group in Tamil Nadu with membership exceeding a million. It was established in 2004 by P Jainulabdeen (popularly known as PJ) as a non-political organisation to spread a hardcore Saudi-Wahhabi inspired version of Islam. The TNTJs precursor, the quasi-political Tamil Nadu Muslim Munnetra Kazhagam (TMMK), also led by PJ, was a somewhat bigger tent that attempted to electorally rally the states 6-7% Muslim population. In the 2011 assembly polls, its political wing, Manidhaneya Makkal Katchi won two seats, as an ally of the AIADMK. In the following elections, it tied up with the DMK, and contested on four seats. It won none.

The TMMK, eventually, morphed into a hardliner, proselytising organisation called TNTJ that sought to replace other branches of Islam including Sufism and Shiaism with its Saudi-inspired version. It began to publish a monthly religious magazine, Ekathuvam (which translates to oneness), and booklets titled Kolgai Vilakkam (ideological explanation), and Manithanukketra Margam (the best path for man).

The TMMK and its later avatar TNTJ, has often been critical of the DMK and Tamil nationalist groups for their support of the militant Sri Lankan separatist movement led by Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). The predominantly Hindu and Catholic LTTEs expulsion of Tamil-speaking Muslims from the territories under its control in the 1980s sowed the seeds of distrust.

Up until 2018, PJ, 66, was the face of TNTJ. Last year, however, he was expelled when multiple audio recordings (purportedly in his voice) of explicit sexual conversations with women, began to circulate. Born in Thondi, a small seaside town in the Muslim-dominated region of Ramanathapuram on the south-eastern coast of Tamil Nadu, just across a stretch of sea from Sri Lanka, he built TNTJ bayan by bayan  the Arabic term used by TNTJ followers for speeches based on the teachings of Quran and Hadith. A small, dark-skinned man, with a closely trimmed beard, PJs speeches are available on YouTube. Almost always attired in a full-sleeved shirt, a white lungi, a prayer cap and brown tinted Ray-Ban aviator glasses, he speaks Tamil with a thick Madurai accent. The only foreign words used in PJs bayans are direct, extempore quotations from the Quran in Arabic. TNTJs version of Islam does not even attempt any indigenisation. There is no mention of Deoband, the pre-eminent seminary of sub-continental Islam in its literature. An overwhelming majority of the young people who now form TNTJs leadership at the state and district levels were inspired by PJ.

Since 2004, PJs bayans, titled Islam Oru Iniya Margam (Islam, the sweet path), syndicated on several Tamil satellite TV networks, have fuelled TNTJs popularity among Tamil Muslims in India and abroad. We believe only in PJs tarjuma (translation) of Quran because he is a real aalim (scholar), says Arif Khan, a 42-year-old district secretary of TNTJ in Ramanathapuram.

PJ had trained us so well in the margam [Islams true path] that we have the courage to throw him out when he himself commits haram, adds Khan.

In the wake of the scandal, PJ refused to grant HT an interview  this was conveyed through the employees of the departmental store that he runs in Broadway, barely a few hundred metres from the TNTJ headquarters. He now heads another religious outfit.

TNTJ condemns terrorism as anti-Islamic. It also labels Muslims who dont adhere to its version of Islam as apostates.

In a traditional sense, TNTJ is a purist Islamic outfit. It was one of the organisations that forced the cancellation of American Islamic feminist scholar Dr Amina Waduds lecture in Chennai. However, it engages in religiously inspired community work as well but it is primarily driven by Islamic identity assertion politics in the face of rising communalisation of society and politics, explains Neshat Quaiser, a former professor of sociology at Jamia Millia Islamia in New Delhi. Wadud, an Islamic scholar, was supposed to give a lecture on Islam, gender and reform, in 2013, which was cancelled after the state police received information of possible violence.

Setting the ideal path

In Muslim-dominated Keelkarai, about 15 km from Ramanathapuram, TNTJ has put together an Exhibition of Islam in a playground. It has stalls on the ideal way to lead their lives  issues of converting idol worshippers, Quranic duty, and handling of women form the bulk of the exhibition.

One of the biggest victories that TNTJ claims is the weaning away of Tamil Muslims from dargahs. In Keelakarai, there are two dargahs by the seaside. In a town of 40,000, we have worked so effectively that not more than 40-50 people visit them, boasts Ayub Khan, the TNTJ Ramanathapuram district general secretary.

TNTJ also takes pride in the increasing number of Muslim women opting for the burqa in Tamil Nadu. Women are like jackfruit. They are bound to attract flies. Just as we should cover the fruit, we must cover our women, explains Habibullah, a 36-year old tailor and the head of TNTJ in Madurai.

According to Quaiser, Tamil Nadu Muslims have traditionally been deeply rooted in syncretic socio-cultural ethos and the state has largely been free from radical Muslim politics. However, incidents like the demolition of the Babri Masjid in 1992, and the Gujarat riots in 2002, Tamil Nadu too has witnessed certain limited amount of radicalisation of Muslim politics, which in no way be characterised as mainstream Tamil Muslim politics.

In Tamil Nadu for instance, there has been a dramatic increase in Muslim women wearing the burqa. It is partly an effect of the work TNTJ and similar outfits have done but in large measure a reaction to the rise of Hindutva in post-Babri masjid demolition India. Although they have nothing culturally common with North Indian Muslims, the Tamil Muslims are trying to forge a certain unity in this context. The rise of Hindutva also gives organisations like TNTJ a concrete shape and the ability to articulate their regressive worldview. Both come together to create an extremely dangerous situation, says Quaiser.

At Alhidaya, a womens madrasa run by TNTJ in Madurais Avaniyapuram, warden Ziaur Rehman, a young man in his 30s, calls it a reformatory for Muslim girls. On the day HT visits, about 80 young girls have finished a 10-day introductory course on the Islamic way of life. There is also a 10-month diploma course post which around 100 girls between the ages of 15 and 25 would become aalimaasfully trained in the Quranic way of life.

Did you see that girl at the gate? Her father got her here because she was chatting with boys in her street. She was arguing with her parents on matters of deen [faith]. She would sit in the drawing room alongside male guests. Did you see how perfectly she wore the hijab? All parts of the body completely covered, just the face visible. That is what we do. You call it fundamentalism, we think it is the only way to live.
Citing a business case as well as personal, the mayor of West Midlands  one of the largest regions in England  is campaigning for a direct air link between Birmingham and Mumbai, with much support from the people in the area.

Birmingham has a direct link to Delhi, but mayor Andy Street wants another such link, so that visitors, businesspeople and family members do not need to travel to Heathrow, 165 km away, to catch the flight to Mumbai.

Street, who is mayor of the region comprising 18 local authorities, met civil aviation authorities during a recent visit to India to make the case for the Mumbai flight. he has now started an online petition, supported by nearly 1,000 people.

Street said: The Midlands serves a large Indian community of nearly 500,000, with significant populations in Birmingham, Leicester, Northampton, Nottingham, Sandwell and Wolverhampton. I am really pleased there is an Air India flight to Delhi from Birmingham but if people need to go to Mumbai they have to travel to Heathrow.

Given the significant business (Jaguar Land Rover, JCB, Rolls Royce, Bharat Forge, Pattonair and Bombardier to name a few) links between the Midlands and India, and the strength of the diaspora, there is strong demand for a direct flight between Birmingham and Mumbai.

The Birmingham Airport has also been seeking the creation of the new direct route to Mumbai. A delegation from the airport is due to travel to India later this month.

There is a business case but there is also a personal case  thousands of families will be able to reconnect more easily with a new route. The Midlands and India have a wonderful relationship, we need to strengthen it with a new route, Street said.

As Indian investment increases in London and elsewhere in the UK, regional leaders have been seeking better connectivity with various cities in India. Local leaders have also joined trade delegations to India, offering incentives to potential Indian investors and companies keen to expand.

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It has been 67 days since Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders had any kind of press briefing. Why is she still on the payroll? If she is not doing her job, that job needs to be abolished. Trump likes to address the media on his way out, so he can say what he wants, without having to answer anyone. Just like on Twitter, the cowards way.
Half Moon Bay, CA (94019)

Today

Periods of rain. Low 46F. Winds WSW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall near a quarter of an inch..

Tonight

Periods of rain. Low 46F. Winds WSW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall near a quarter of an inch.
Two exhibitions exploring Chinese culture and tourism in Shanghai and Shandong will be held at the China Cultural Center in Brussels from May 16 until May 31.

Through two exhibitions, fragments of Shandong and Shanghai will be transported to the heart of Europe for the very first time, to be discovered by Belgian and European enthusiasts alike.

"We wish to promote communication, mutual learning, as well as friendship between civilizations by holding such exhibition of creative products internationally," said Tang Shifen, of the Shanghai Museum, during the opening ceremony.

"We have brought our precious collection of popular art here and are delighted to share the charm of Shandong folk art with our friends in Belgium, spanning 2,500 years of history from the ancient city of Shandong linked with modern Brussels," said Liu Yanchun, of the Shandong Art Museum.

The exhibition "The Beautiful Shandong" offers more insight into the cultural and natural resources of this province.

Collected by the Shandong Art Museum, a range of works of Shandong folk arts will be displayed at the Center.

The Spring Festival pictures and handmade kites show the local customs of the people of Shandong and how folk arts enabled them to enrich their environment.

"The Amazing Shanghai, Creative Cultural Products from the Shanghai Museum" will focus on creative cultural products from the Shanghai Museum and sheds light on different aspects of Shanghai's culture using various themes that run throughout the exhibition.

From a look into the past of the literati to the modern fusion with Disney, these creative cultural products cover a lot of ground, with Shanghai's elegance being the common thread. Throughout the exhibition, ancient cultural relics will be exhibited to the public.

The China Weeks is part of a global effort. A total of 19 China National Tourist Offices and 34 China Cultural Centers overseas joined hands to host various events globally during the following two months, presenting beautiful China with different cultural activities for increasing inbound tourism.




Colored clay toys, porcelain and jade flower arrangements from ancient palaces next to virtual reality devices, 3D-printed sneaker soles and Buddha statues are ready to dazzle participants at the Conference on Dialogue of Asian Civilizations.









The conference, which runs May 15-22, focuses on cultural diversity, exchanges and mutual learning. It is expected to attract more than 2,000 government officials and representatives of various circles from 47 Asian countries and outside the region.





Using 3D printing, Beijing-based Qingfeng tech company can produce a pair of sneaker soles in an hour.





Partnering with the leading Chinese sneaker brands such as Li-Ning and Anta, the company said it is confident of mass-production of the innovative sneakers by the end of this year.





With good elasticity and corrosion resistance, the 3D-printed shoes won't be inferior to sneakers made of other materials, the company said.





Fine crafts





Unlike cutting-edge 3D-printing technology, which relies on data models to finish crafts at high speeds, traditional handicrafts, including jade flowers, can take hours of manual work.





The making of the jade flowers tests the patience and skills of technicians. They have to pick five petal-shaped jade pieces of the same color and tightly wrap threads around a thin wire acting as the flower's branch, according to Dong Xuexia, an employee at the intangible cultural heritage interactive area.





Participants gathered around tables to learn from the inheritors of these cultural heritage crafts.





Despite the precision and speed brought by modern technology, traditional crafts still hold an appeal through engaging experiences.





Part of China's intangible cultural heritage, Beijing colored porcelain has a century-long history and has been passed down to the fifth generation. The craft's museum receives visitors from China and abroad every day. Some foreigners come four times a year. The jade flower arrangement is among the museum's innovations, which aims to attract ordinary consumers.




An artisan of wood furniture for more than 20 years, Han Jianxian, 40, says the craft of classic Chinese furniture is composed of four parts  material, technique, cultural tradition and artistic value  noting that "each is irreplaceable like the four legs that support a chair".



Han, a native of historic and picturesque Suzhou, Jiangsu province, has been carrying on the rich legacies of Suzhou-style furniture making, which is famous for its exquisite craftsmanship and elegant designs, which makes it a distinguished category of classic Chinese furniture.

More than 20 redwood pieces of furniture made by Han are now on show at the National Art Museum of China in Beijing, through May 19.

Han's works exemplifies the refined techniques and designs of the Suzhou-style of furniture that dates as far back as the Song (960-1279) and Yuan (1271-1368) dynasties.
Groundbreaking

16 May 2019

My Place Hotels of America is excited to announce Plainfield will soon be home to Indiana's first My Place Hotel. Plainfield Town Council President Robin Brandgard, Plainfield Chamber of Commerce President & CEO Brad Dubois, along with chamber members, ambassadors, and Plainfield community members gathered alongside the owners, management, and My Place Hotels representatives to celebrate the groundbreaking on site.

The new three-story, 64-unit hotel is being developed by Plainfield Hotel Group (PHG) and is located at 5065 Gateway Drive. My Place Plainfield is expected to open early next year to serve a variety of short and long-term guests in the greater Indianapolis area.

PHG Principal Jim Devoe Jr. said the group looks forward to fulfilling the needs of area travelers from a convenient location.
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Now Open

16 May 2019

Tribute Portfolio, Marriott International's newest collection of independent, characterful hotels, together with Rockbridge and Makeready, has further expanded its portfolio with the recent addition of The Alida Hotel in Savannah, Georgia. As the brand's second hotel in Georgia, The Alida joins modern design with timeless Southern charm, ideally located on Savannah's revitalized riverfront. Designed by Gunn Meyerhoff Shay Architects, the boutique hotel was named after Alida Harper Fowlkes, a celebrated local entrepreneur who worked tirelessly to preserve the cities heritage. Like the city itself, the 173-room hotel celebrates the colorful locale through custom creations, original designs and local craftwork - giving each guestroom a personality of its own. The hotel is also home to three on-site restaurant and bar concepts, including Rhett, an all-day kitchen serving quintessential Southern fare; The Trade Room, a bar featuring local brews and spirits; and The Lost Square, an outdoor living room located atop the hotel.

To celebrate the recent addition to the brand's growing roster, Tribute Portfolio is continuing its collaboration with global color authority Pantone and bringing the second installation of The Pantone Pantry by Tribute Portfolioto Savannah for a limited time. This immersive pop-up experience first debuted at The Royal Palm South Beach Miami during Art Basel Miami in December 2018 and revealed the 2019 Pantone Color of the Year: PANTONE 16-1546 Living Coral.

Located on The Alida Hotel's pool deck and open to the public Saturday, May 18 and Sunday, May 19 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., the pantry will embody the playful personality of Tribute Portfolio with multi-sensory moments that serve as an interactive tribute to how color - like travel - can reframe your perspective and illuminate the attributes of the destination you are visiting. Curiosity cabinets feature artsy objects that turn travel essentials on their head, from passport holders, luggage tags, travel books, cocktail bar set, sunglasses, headphones, sleep masks, compass, and more.

Taking travelers and locals on a whimsical journey of color and captivating design, the Savannah-based pantry is bathed in the custom color palette created by Pantone inspired by the destination of Savannah and The Alida within it.

Connecting with the surrounding design community on a deeper level, Tribute Portfolio and The Alida joined forces with the Savannah College of Art & Design (SCAD), which is celebrating a momentous 40th anniversary this year. Notable alumni artists Juliana Lupacchino, Jocelyn Desisto, Will Penny, Amiri Farris and Paige Russell representing SCAD's top ranked degree programs including painting, illustration jewelry, and accessory design, contributed to the Pantone Pantry, bringing the destination to life within the installation. A hidden door within the Pantone Pantry will lead guests to a back room which will be transformed into an immersive environment of animations made from 3D scans taken around Savannah. The scans will be textured utilizing the Savannah palette and mirrored geometric panels will reflect the projections and allow consumers to see themselves in the color and light.

For a limited time, Keep Shop, The Alida's 24-hour emporium known for showcasing hand-selected finds from local artisans, will feature an exclusive capsule collection of items in the custom Pantone color palette, including items designed by SCAD alumni artists, Pantone products and other goods that celebrate The Alida's hometown of Savannah. Merchandise will be available for purchase until supplies last. In addition, Keep Shop features ELOI scarves and towels which feature a custom pattern that also adorns the pillows in the hotel's guest rooms, designed by alumni artist Paige Russell exclusively for The Alida.

The Pantone Pantry by Tribute Portfolio will make its final stop at The Slaak Rotterdam, a new Tribute Portfolio Hotel opening soon in the Netherlands. Following the restoration and renovation of its storied building - once the printing house of the Het Vrije Volk newspaper and then a studio space for artists - the intimate and inventive 74-room hotel reflects the dynamic metropolis of Rotterdam.
Appointment

16 May 2019

Atlanta-based hotel owner, operator and development firm, Hotel Equities (HE), announced that Kristin Iversen has been promoted to director of learning and people development. In her new role, Kristin will help facilitate the expansion of Hotel Equities' industry best hotel management training programs. Kristin will report to Nancy Curtin Morris, VP of learning and people development for HE.

Kristin began her career in hospitality as director of sales for an independent, extended-stay hotel on the Florida panhandle. She was promoted to assistant general manager where she discovered her passion for operations and people development. She later assumed the role of general manager for the property. Kristin joined HE in 2012 as the general manager for a Hilton hotel in Navarre Beach, FL. During her tenure, she was promoted to Lead GM for the firm, overseeing a portfolio of Marriott and Hilton branded properties. Under her leadership, the portfolio of hotels achieved top-performance results and maximum returns for owners.

Most recently, Kristin served as the opening general manager for the new SpringHill Suites by Marriott-Navarre Beach. She oversaw the 12-month development of the resort-style hotel which boasts over 3k square feet of meeting space, as well as a full-service restaurant and bar. The hotel earned an award for achieving the highest guest satisfaction scores for a New Hotel Opening in the firm's portfolio of hotels, as well as recognition from Marriott for top guest satisfaction scores for the entire SpringHill Suites by Marriott brand. The hotel also consistently earned a #1 ranking on TripAdvisor.

Kristin is a graduate of HE's Leadership Development Program, intended for individuals with multi-unit oversight. In 2014, she received HE's prestigious Chairman's award in recognition of her many contributions to the company.
The Hainan island, home to sprawling tropical rainforest, is drafting a general plan by June to build a national tropical rainforest park and making related legislation.



The park is an integral part of China's latest plan to build Hainan, also the country's largest pilot Free Trade Zone (FTZ), into a "national ecological civilization pilot zone."

As the target stipulates, substantial progress is expected to be achieved in environmental protection by 2020. The environmental quality and resource utilization efficiency are expected to reach world-leading levels by 2035.

The zone will focus on structured management of natural resources, coordinating conservation and development of land and sea, conserving the environment, exploring value from the environment, promoting green lifestyle and production, said Wang Qiang, head of the provincial water resources department.

By 2020, 98 percent of the days will have good air quality. Forest coverage is kept above 62 percent, and 95 percent of the main rivers and lakes will be free of pollution.

"The plan sets detailed targets for the quality of air, sea, rivers, and forests, which ensures the environment in Hainan will continue to get better, not worse," said Ge Chengjun, a professor with Hainan University.

Green development, better life

A tropical rainforest park covers 4,400 square kilometers in Hainan or one-seventh of the whole island. The forest, which accounts for one-third of the country's total, is home to over 200 rare and endangered species.

A national tropical rainforest park project went in effect on the island in January this year to protect and restore the eco-system, and strike a balance with the social and economic development of surrounding areas.

The forests are the traditional habitats for ethnic Li and Miao minority groups who suffer from poverty and conflicts between ecological protection and economic development, said Xiong Anjing, deputy director of the provincial government research office.

"The national park will be an opportunity to explore and institutionalize ways to protect natural resources while eradicating poverty," Xiong said.

The plan for the national ecological civilization pilot zone also proposes exploring value from ecological products, including ecological agriculture and tourism, and green finance.

"Hainan's economy is still underdeveloped. The government authorities need to find more ways to convert the ecological advantages into economic wealth," said Wang Yiwu, dean of the Hainan Institute of Modern Management.

Hainan is in a good position to restructure industries, and develop tourism, tropical agriculture, modern service industries, and high-tech industries, he said.
Press Release

16 May 2019

ATLANTA -- Forbes Travel Guide released its Verified List for 2019's World's Best Hotel Rooms. The best-of list highlights 41 properties spanning 17 countries.

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The Verified Lists are compiled from detailed data gathered by the company's incognito inspectors, who stay at the properties and evaluate them on up to 900 standards for the guide's annual Star Ratings, which were announced in February. The World's Best Hotel Rooms list features properties with rooms and bathrooms that are not only beautiful, but exceptionally comfortable, functional and elegantly appointed with special touches such as high-quality linens, an array of luxurious bath amenities and well-designed technology.

The 41 winners achieved perfect scores on guestroom and bathroom standards related to elements of luxury and guest comfort and convenience. They also met core standards for cleanliness and maintenance.

Elements of luxury standards reflect detailed attention to the level of sumptuous comfort, along with luxurious choices and conveniences provided to the guest. Some examples include:

The room is supplied with a variety of high-quality amenities and/or technology appropriate to the destination

Exceptional attention to the interior design is evident, which may include interesting or notable pieces of artwork, excellent fabrics/upholstery on furniture, high-quality window treatments, etc.

The bathroom amenities are exceptionally luxurious

Guest comfort and convenience standards encompass a guest's physical comfort and surroundings. Considerations include:

The guest room is well-soundproofed

The bedroom offers a comfortable place to relax, such as when watching television or dining, separate from the bed and desk areas

The grooming areas are generously spacious so that two persons could easily shower and dress in comfort

"Forbes Travel Guide's Verified List for the World's Best Rooms of course showcases the most beautiful accommodations, but it goes beyond how the rooms look," said Filip Boyen, Forbes Travel Guide CEO. "Every hotel on this list was thoroughly tested and proved to be supremely comfortable, quiet and outfitted with superior amenities and technology. Travelers will find these hotel rooms provide the best all-around luxury experience. We congratulate everyone associated with these wonderful hotels and resorts."

Among the recognized hotels, United States led the pack with 12 (Belmond El Encanto, Santa Barbara; Bernardus Lodge& Spa, Carmel Valley; Casa Palmero, Pebble Beach; Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills; Montage Beverly Hills; Nobu Ryokan Malibu; Park Hyatt New York; Rancho Valencia Resort & Spa, Rancho Santa Fe; The Peninsula Beverly Hills; The Peninsula Chicago; The Ritz-Carlton New York, Central Park; The St. Regis Aspen Resort).

Placing second and third for most entries on the list are China, which claims six (Encore Macau; Four Seasons Hotel Guangzhou; Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong; Rosewood Beijing; The Peninsula Beijing; Wynn Macau), followed by France, with four (Grand-Hotel du Cap-Ferrat, A Four Seasons Hotel; Hotel de Crillon, A Rosewood Hotel; Mandarin Oriental, Paris; The Ritz Paris).

Independent hotels made a strong showing with 10 winners, including Palace Hotel Tokyo; The Alpina Gstaad and The Chedi Andermatt in the Swiss Alps; The Fullerton Bay Hotel Singapore; and The Resort at Pedregal.

To see the complete list of Forbes Travel Guide's World's Best Hotel Rooms, click

here

.
Supplier News

16 May 2019

Paris - In most e-commerce business today, payment is done at the time of purchase and not at the time of consumption. Over the recent years the usual pattern has become "Select/Book > Pay > Get".

But in the hotel sector, the prevailing practice remains: "Book > Get > Pay".

Today, this practice constitutes one of the main impediments to revenue growth for hoteliers due to its negative effects :

High cancellation rate: According to a recent research by D-EDGE, over 23.5% of the bookings of independent hotels and 35% on-the-books revenue is cancelled before arrival.

Fraudulent Bookings: As the booking is not engaging the end user, some hotels may be the victim of unscrupulous visitors booking long-term stays (20 days or more) just to feed their Visa's demands for example

Cash flow impact: According to the recent D-EDGE's survey, average booking time (lead time) on hotels' brand website is 37 days ... 37 days of missed cash flow.

To cope with these issues, hoteliers should enable and encourage payment at time of booking and should widened the form of payment accepted. It is also a response to a growing demand from the end travellers: 59%* of them will book somewhere again if they are able to pay quickly the first time.

With this in mind, D-EDGE and PayPal have partnered to enable hoteliers to accept payments quickly on their hotel website, from almost anywhere around the world, in a secure manner.

This partnership also enables hoteliers who do not have a PayPal account to create theirs in a few minutes and manage it directly from their D-EDGE platform. The account creation process is very fast and hoteliers can then start accepting payment instantly on their booking engine from almost anywhere around the world.

Pierre-Charles Grob, CEO of D-EGDE said "Thanks to this partnership, the 11,000 hoteliers whose websites are powered by a Booking Engine D-EDGE ( ex Availpro Fastbooking) can in a very easy way get access to the 267 million active PayPal users around the world and offer them a simple way to pay in a few clicks at the time of booking from any device including mobile phones." The return on experience shows that the conversion rate can increase up to 87.5%** thanks to PayPal solution for mobile.

"Thanks to this partnership with D-EDGE, we offer an additional choice of payment to our users and hoteliers. We respond to a strong expectation of our customers: we offer them an easy, fast and secure payment at the time of booking" added Damien Perillat, General Manager PayPal, Southern Europe.

*Source: Google/Ipsos, August 2016.

**Source: PayPal -comScore, 4th Quarter 2015.

About D-EDGE

Established from the merger of two long-established hospitality digital solutions providers, D-EDGE offers leading-edge cloud-based e-commerce solutions to more than 11,000 hotels in over 100 countries.

Combining the technical excellence of Availpro with the digital marketing expertise of Fastbooking, D-EDGE brings a holistic hospitality technology infrastructure under one roof. The integrated range of solutions covers all stages of hotel distribution which encompasses Central Reservation System, Data Intelligence, Connectivity Hub, Digital Media and Website Creation.

With a team of 350 experts located in over 20 countries, D-EDGE provides localised support, services and tools. With its global network of 500+partners D-EDGE's ever-expanding ecosystem is a positive place to do business and grow.
Press Release

16 May 2019

Hyatt Hotels Corporation (NYSE: H) recently celebrated excellence among owners and developers at Hyatt's Americas owners conference in Nassau, Bahamas at Grand Hyatt Baha Mar. Hyatt's leadership team presented awards to 11 companies and introduced a new recognition in the program, the Purpose and Care award.

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"At Hyatt, we are focused on thoughtful growth, driven by where our guests and customers want to be, and our longstanding relationships with industry-leading owners and developers enable us to achieve that vision together," said Jim Chu, global head of development and owner relations, Hyatt. "With 63 hotel openings, 2018 was a record year for Hyatt. As we continue to expand our brand presence globally, we have the privilege of working with an extensive network of owners and developers that generate key milestones for our brands and share our commitment to delivering a superior level of care for guests, colleagues and customers."

The Purpose and Care award is aligned with Hyatt's purpose to care for people so they can be their best and recognizes a company whose efforts have truly demonstrated care in action:

PRISA Group: Following Hurricane Maria, PRISA Group moved quickly to identify basic needs and provide resources to Hyatt colleagues and their families in Puerto Rico across its four properties on the island. In the first two weeks following the disaster, PRISA Group opened hotel facilities to colleagues and their families, given that many were still without electricity and water, and provided 5,000 meals during shifts. Relief efforts continued for many weeks and over the course of two months, PRISA Group distributed 5,000 gallons of water and nearly 5,000 bags of ice to colleagues. PRISA Group also provided direct financial assistance to Hyatt colleagues to assist with rebuilding and recovery efforts.

The Strategic Partner award celebrates a company's culture, performance and operating philosophies, along with their strong, multi-brand relationship with Hyatt:

Magna Hospitality is helping Hyatt increase its brand presence in key urban markets throughout the United States. In addition to existing Hyatt Place, Hyatt House and Hyatt properties that it operates in New York City and Austin, Magna opened Hyatt Centric Faneuil Hall Boston in 2019, and over the next two years is set to open Hyatt Centric properties in Old Town Alexandria, downtown Minneapolis and downtown Denver. Magna will operate two additional Hyatt Place properties in New York City, accounting for over 2,000 rooms over four Hyatt brands.

The Project of the Year award recognizes notable hotel openings:

Grand Hyatt Bogota : In August 2018, Organizacion Luis Carlos Sarmiento Angulo opened Grand Hyatt Bogota as the first Hyatt-branded hotel in the Colombian capital and the first Grand Hyatt property in Colombia. Located in center of the Ciudad Empresarial Sarmiento Angulo commercial district, Grand Hyatt Bogota features 372 rooms and suites, more than 28,000 square feet of meeting space, an array of dining options and Zaitania Spa, one of the largest urban spas in Latin America.

: In August 2018, Organizacion Luis Carlos Sarmiento Angulo opened Grand Hyatt Bogota as the first Hyatt-branded hotel in the Colombian capital and the first Grand Hyatt property in Colombia. Located in center of the Ciudad Empresarial Sarmiento Angulo commercial district, Grand Hyatt Bogota features 372 rooms and suites, more than 28,000 square feet of meeting space, an array of dining options and Zaitania Spa, one of the largest urban spas in Latin America. Hyatt Regency Seattle : With 1,260 guestrooms and more than 103,000 square feet of meeting space spanning four ballrooms and 46 meeting rooms, R.C. Hedreen Company opened Hyatt Regency Seattle in December 2018 as the largest hotel in the Pacific Northwest. Located near some of Seattle's top attractions and adjacent to the expansion site of the Washington State Convention Center, this property joins Grand Hyatt Seattle and Hyatt At Olive 8, which were also developed by R.C. Hedreen Company.

: With 1,260 guestrooms and more than 103,000 square feet of meeting space spanning four ballrooms and 46 meeting rooms, R.C. Hedreen Company opened Hyatt Regency Seattle in December 2018 as the largest hotel in the Pacific Northwest. Located near some of Seattle's top attractions and adjacent to the expansion site of the Washington State Convention Center, this property joins Grand Hyatt Seattle and Hyatt At Olive 8, which were also developed by R.C. Hedreen Company. Hyatt House across from Universal Orlando Resort : Summit Hotel Properties opened Hyatt House across from Universal Orlando Resort in June 2018. The hotel features 168 apartment-style kitchen suites, common lounge spaces for guests to relax, gather and socialize, and the H BAR, providing guests with the service and convenience of hotel living with the causal comforts of home.

: Summit Hotel Properties opened Hyatt House across from Universal Orlando Resort in June 2018. The hotel features 168 apartment-style kitchen suites, common lounge spaces for guests to relax, gather and socialize, and the H BAR, providing guests with the service and convenience of hotel living with the causal comforts of home. Hyatt Place Pasadena: Serving as the first Hyatt-branded hotel in Pasadena, Ensemble Real Estate Solutions & Investments opened the 189-room Hyatt Place Pasadena in December 2018. The hotel features the Hyatt Place brand's intuitive design, casual upscale atmosphere and enhanced food and beverage, and is centrally located in the heart of downtown Pasadena, offering views of the San Gabriel mountains and cityscape.

The Developer of the Year award honors construction quality and efficiency:

Mountain Shore Properties :The relationship between Mountain Shore Properties and Hyatt continues to deepen. Mountain Shore Properties has two open properties, Hyatt Place Sumter/Downtown and Hyatt House Mount Pleasant-Midtown, and two under construction, Hyatt House Nashville Downtown and Hyatt House Tallahassee. Mountain Shore Properties' attention to detail and excellence in operating aligns with Hyatt's strategy to cultivate franchisees who share Hyatt's purpose of care.

:The relationship between Mountain Shore Properties and Hyatt continues to deepen. Mountain Shore Properties has two open properties, Hyatt Place Sumter/Downtown and Hyatt House Mount Pleasant-Midtown, and two under construction, Hyatt House Nashville Downtown and Hyatt House Tallahassee. Mountain Shore Properties' attention to detail and excellence in operating aligns with Hyatt's strategy to cultivate franchisees who share Hyatt's purpose of care. Talbot Hotels S.A.: Talbot was instrumental in introducing the Hyatt Centric brand to two South American countries with the openings of the 254-room Hyatt Centric San Isidro Lima and the 166-room Hyatt Centric Las Condes Santiago. Hyatt Centric San Isidro Lima is the first Hyatt hotel to open in Peru while Hyatt Centric Las Condes Santiago marks the second Hyatt hotel in Chile. These additions in two of the major gateway cities in South America represented key milestones in Hyatt's brand growth in Latin America.

The Best Full Service Conversion award celebrates the reconfiguration of an existing property and conversion to a full service Hyatt-branded hotel:

The Eliza Jane: Following the successful opening of the Holston House in Nashville, Tenn., HRI Properties, along with Rockbridge Capital, introduced another property to The Unbound Collection by Hyatt brand - The Eliza Jane. Located along Magazine Street in New Orleans and just two blocks from the historic French Quarter, The Eliza Jane opened in 2018 as a 196-room hotel. A thoughtful blend of elegance, combined with just the right mix of fancy and funky, The Eliza Jane was named after Eliza Jane Nicholson, publisher of The Daily Times Picayune in the late 1800s and the first woman publisher of a major metropolitan newspaper. The seven buildings comprising the property were constructed between the 1860s and 1880s and are listed on the U.S. Register of National Historic Places.

The Best Select Service Conversion award celebrates the reconfiguration of an existing property and conversion to a select service Hyatt-branded hotel:

Hyatt Place Knoxville Downtown: Dover Development is an organization that has the vision to see through complicated adaptive reuse projects. In opening Hyatt Place Knoxville Downtown, Dover Development was able to transform the former hotel into a property that truly delivers on the Hyatt Place brand promise, and it has been a tremendous addition to the vibrant Knoxville market.

The Operating Excellence award recognizes outstanding operational performance:

TKO Hospitality: TKO operates Hyatt Place Dewey Beach in Dewey Beach, Delaware, a highly leisure-focused market. As the operator, TKO has maintained a revenue per available room (RevPAR) index of over 120 for four years, which began just five months after the hotel opened. Guest scores for Hyatt Place Dewey Beach continue to be above the brand average and Hyatt Place Ocean City, Md., recently opened by TKO, is seeing similar results to Hyatt Place Dewey Beach.

For more information, please visit hyattdevelopment.com.

The term "Hyatt" is used in this release for convenience to refer to Hyatt Hotels Corporation and/or one or more of its affiliates.
Performance

16 May 2019

HENDERSONVILLE, Tennessee  The Canadian hotel industry recorded mixed year-over-year results in the three key performance metrics during the week of 5-11 May 2019, according to data from STR.

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In comparison with the week of 6-12 May 2018, the industry reported the following:

 Occupancy: -0.8% to 67.1%

 Average daily rate (ADR): +0.3% to CAD162.74

 Revenue per available room (RevPAR): -0.5% to CAD109.15

Among the provinces and territories, Quebec registered the largest jump in RevPAR (+10.9% to CAD110.72), due primarily to the largest lift in ADR (+6.1% to CAD166.42).

Nova Scotia experienced the highest rise in occupancy (+9.3% to 69.0%), which resulted in the only other double-digit increase in RevPAR (+10.8% to CAD102.05).

Prince Edward Island saw the steepest declines in occupancy (-18.8% to 57.1%) and RevPAR (-21.3% to CAD78.28). The province reported the second-largest decrease in ADR (-3.1% to CAD137.13).

Newfoundland and Labrador reported the only double-digit drop in ADR (-13.3% to CAD126.12) and the second-largest drop in RevPAR (-12.9% to CAD64.04).

Alberta posted the second-steepest decline in occupancy (-3.7% to 54.7%).
Hotelogix has announced that it has been selected as the preferred technology partner by Indonesias Verse Hotels. With Hotelogix cloud PMS in place, the management at this group hospitality entity aims to efficiently manage multi-property operations.

Hotelogix, a leader in cloud-based Property Management Systems has announced that it has been selected as the preferred technology partner by Indonesias Verse Hotels. With Hotelogix cloud PMS in place, the management at this group hospitality entity aims to efficiently manage multi-property operations.

Verse Hotels is a known group hospitality brand in Indonesia that operates 4 hotels with 396 rooms across several locations. With its 4 hotels  Verse Luxe Hotel, Verse Hotel Cirebon, Verse Hotel Gajah Mada and Oak Tree Blok M, from luxury to economy, the group offers all types of amenities.

Before adopting Hotelogix cloud PMS, the management at Verse Hotels ran property operations with a server-based PMS. It couldnt help with a centralized control to oversee operations across all 4 properties. It also didnt help them with in-depth reports due to which they were unable to make informed business decisions.

Speaking about their decision to adopt Hotelogix Cloud PMS, Gavin Gunawan, Director of Verse Hotels says, As a growing group entity, it was imperative for us to have a could PMS to gain absolute control over our multi-property operations with a centralized control, and no doubt, Hotelogix PMS has it all. We believe with our goal of operating over 20 hotels in the next several years, after having evaluated few options, we decide to opt for Hotelogix due to its multi-property capabilities, dynamic pricing, reporting and user-friendliness.



Speaking about this association, Brijesh Surendran, Vice President  Partnerships & International Business at Hotelogix said, Cloud is the key to success for hotels across categories. We are happy that our comprehensive and enterprise-grade cloud PMS has fulfilled all the technological requirements of Verse Hotels to handle their multi-property operations. We hope that they get to see their desired ROI with our PMS at the earliest.

About Hotelogix

Hotelogix provides a robust cloud-based Hotel PMS that helps hotels to automate and manage their end-to-end operations with ease. It also assists hotels to drive growth, increase revenue and to enhance their online reputation. The PMS is hosted on Amazon Web Services, and thus offers the much-needed stability and security to hoteliers. The company has rich experience in serving global markets with customers in 100 plus countries including North America and Europe.

Media Contact



Debi Prasad Sarangi

Corporate Communications

Ph: +91 9986496849

Mail: debiprasad.sarangi@hotelogix.com

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Mr. Barakat, based in Nor1s Dubai office, will be responsible for expanding and strengthening Nor1s relationships with industry partners throughout the Middle East and Africa.

Nor1, the industrys most profitable upsell platform, and the global leader in hospitality upgrade, upsell, and merchandising technology is pleased to announce and welcome Hasan Barakat as Regional Director, Business Development. Mr. Barakat, based in Nor1s Dubai office, will be responsible for expanding and strengthening Nor1s relationships with industry partners throughout the Middle East and Africa.

I am very excited to be working with Nor1 to provide Middle Eastern high-end hotels with an intelligent upsell platform that enables them to capture additional revenue, assisting with achieving their goals and targets, and additionally helps them enhance customer engagement and increase operational efficiencies, said Mr. Barakat, Im looking forward to expanding the partnerships with our existing client base, and at the same time growing the presence of Nor1 throughout the region.

Mr. Barakat joins Nor1 from Rotana Hotels Management Corporation, where he held the position of Corporate Director of Front Office. Prior to that role, he held various other management roles at Rotana, Jumeirah and Four Seasons hotels in the region. Hasan earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Hotel Management from Applied Science University in Amman, Jordan.

We are very pleased to welcome Hasan to the Nor1 Team, said Jason G. Bryant, Nor1s Founder and CEO. We are confident that his industry knowledge and experiences gained while at these 5-star hotel brands will be a valuable asset to Nor1. We look forward to expanding the adoption of our upgrade, upsell, and merchandising platform throughout the region, and also to helping hotels understand the significant opportunity of applying AI and machine learning to their hotels and resorts.

About Nor1, Inc.

Nor1 is founded on a rich heritage of hospitality technology innovation. Using its wealth of industry knowledge, Nor1 is committed in the task of helping hotels upsell their rooms and attributes using its proprietary decision engine, PRiME.

With over 1 Million rooms serviced, Nor1 has developed new and innovative products and consultative services that empower todays hotels to take control of their guest engagement and revenue destiny, and grow their business more effectively.

Nor1s real-time pricing and merchandising intelligence engine, PRiME, powers eStandby Upgrade, eXpress UpgradeTM, CheckIn MerchandisingTM, eReachTM, and eDirect to recommend the most relevant upgrade to the right guest at the right time for the most optimal price.

Nor1s investors include Concur Technologies, Goldman Sachs, and Accel Partners.

For more information, please visit www.nor1.com.

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Revenue per available room down 0.5 Percent to CAD109.15

The Canadian hotel industry recorded mixed year-over-year results in the three key performance metrics during the week of 5-11 May 2019, according to data from STR.

In comparison with the week of 6-12 May 2018, the industry reported the following:

 Occupancy: -0.8% to 67.1%

 Average daily rate (ADR): +0.3% to CAD162.74

 Revenue per available room (RevPAR): -0.5% to CAD109.15

Among the provinces and territories, Quebec registered the largest jump in RevPAR (+10.9% to CAD110.72), due primarily to the largest lift in ADR (+6.1% to CAD166.42).

Nova Scotia experienced the highest rise in occupancy (+9.3% to 69.0%), which resulted in the only other double-digit increase in RevPAR (+10.8% to CAD102.05).

Prince Edward Island saw the steepest declines in occupancy (-18.8% to 57.1%) and RevPAR (-21.3% to CAD78.28). The province reported the second-largest decrease in ADR (-3.1% to CAD137.13).

Newfoundland and Labrador reported the only double-digit drop in ADR (-13.3% to CAD126.12) and the second-largest drop in RevPAR (-12.9% to CAD64.04).

Alberta posted the second-steepest decline in occupancy (-3.7% to 54.7%).

STR provides clients from multiple market sectors with premium, global data benchmarking, analytics and marketplace insights. Founded in 1985, STR maintains a presence in 10 countries around the world with a corporate North American headquarters in Hendersonville, Tennessee, and an international headquarters in London, England. For more information, please visit str.com.

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RevPAR up 0.9% to US$89.94

The U.S. hotel industry reported mostly positive year-over-year results in the three key performance metrics during the week of 5-11 May 2019, according to data from STR.

In comparison with the week of 6-12 May 2018, the industry recorded the following:

 Occupancy: -0.3% to 68.3%

 Average daily rate (ADR): +1.2% to US$131.72

 Revenue per available room (RevPAR): +0.9% to US$89.94

Among the Top 25 Markets, Houston, Texas, saw the only double-digit increases in each of the three key performance metrics: occupancy (+17.3% to 73.0%), ADR (+18.1% to US$125.01) and RevPAR (+38.5% to US$91.29).

St. Louis, Missouri-Illinois, experienced the second-highest rise in occupancy (+5.8% to 71.5%).

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania-New Jersey, posted the second-largest lift in ADR (+6.0% to US$158.83).

Denver, Colorado, registered the second-largest jump in RevPAR (+9.5% to US$105.09).

Overall, 13 of the Top 25 Markets reported an increase in RevPAR.

San Diego, California, reported the only double-digit declines in occupancy (-11.4% to 70.6%) and RevPAR (-10.9% to US$112.57).

Chicago, Illinois, posted the steepest drop in ADR (-7.7% to US$155.25).

View U.S. weekly hotel performance review

STR provides clients from multiple market sectors with premium, global data benchmarking, analytics and marketplace insights. Founded in 1985, STR maintains a presence in 10 countries around the world with a corporate North American headquarters in Hendersonville, Tennessee, and an international headquarters in London, England. For more information, please visit str.com.

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Radisson Hotel Group announced today, the opening of Radisson Hangzhou Qianjiang, strategically located in the new city center of Qianjiang Century City.

Radisson Hotel Group announced today, the opening of Radisson Hangzhou Qianjiang, strategically located in the new city center of Qianjiang Century City. The hotel is a 20 minutes' drive away to Hangzhou's Xiaoshan International Airport, a transportation hub that is now served by almost 50 airlines and offers direct connections to cities including Amsterdam, Bangkok, Doha, Hong Kong, Singapore, Sydney and Tokyo. Overlooking the Qiantang River, just three minutes' walk from Yinfeng Road station on the Hangzhou Metro and surrounded by world-class shopping center and corporate offices, this stylish upscale hotel puts the entire city within easy reach.

The 186 guest rooms and suites range from spacious 34 square meters Superior Rooms to the expansive 106 square meters Executive Suite.

Radisson allows guests to feel completely at ease with soothing spaces, intuitive amenities and the brand's unique "Yes I Can!" service philosophy helping to elevate every stay. Days start right at the Shang Cafe, Radisson Hangzhou Qianjiang's all-day restaurant, which serves a balanced buffet breakfast packed with Chinese, pan-Asian and Western favorites. This lively dining destination also offers delectable dishes throughout the day and evening, with an interactive show kitchen.

The hotel also features Sky Pavilion, a specialty Chinese restaurant with private dining rooms, perfect for business lunches, elegant evening meals and special occasions; and Lobby Lounge, a chic lounge where guests can relax throughout the day with drinks and snacks, including barista-prepared coffee and fine Chinese teas.

Radisson Hangzhou Qianjiang will also become the hub for the corporate meetings sector, with a choice of flexible function spaces for all types of event. The expansive Grand Ballroom can host up to 740 guests for large-scale conferences, while the divisible Qianjiang Room is perfect for seminars with up to 120 delegates. A smaller meeting room and VIP room are also available.

Guests can also unwind in the hotel's heated indoor pool or work out at the well-equipped fitness center.

"We are delighted to open Radisson Hangzhou Qianjiang, as we continue to bring our collection of world-class brands to China's most dynamic destinations. Hangzhou is the perfect fit for Radisson; a regional center of business and tourism, a key provincial gateway and part of the booming Yangtze River Delta region, this vibrant city is already visited by over four million* international travelers every year and many millions more domestic guests," said Gary Ye, Vice President, Operations, China.

One of the largest cities in eastern China, Hangzhou is a major commercial center and tourism destination. The city's West Lake area is a UNESCO World Heritage site and Hangzhou has been selected as the host city of the 2022 Asian Games. Known as the "Silicon Valley of China", the Hangzhou Hi-Tech Industrial Development Zone (HHTZ) is home to Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba and major multinational companies such as Motorola, Nokia and Siemens.

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Hotelogix has announced that the adoption and efficient use of its PMS have helped Colorado-based Pikes Peak Resort to increase its revenue by 10%.

Hotelogix, a leader in cloud-based Property Management Systems has announced that the adoption and efficient use of its PMS have helped Colorado-based Pikes Peak Resort to increase its revenue by 10%.

Situated 7800 feet above sea level, Pikes Peak Resort is the ultimate getaway from the hustle and bustle of the city. It is a 160-acre mountain ranch surrounded by the Pike National Forest. The ranch has an abundance of wildlife and is perfect for anyone seeking luxury in the wilderness. Thanks to its excellent services and amenities, the resort has received Certificate of Excellence from TripAdvisor.

Pikes Peak Resort has been leveraging the power of Hotelogix cloud PMS since 2018. During this time, they have seen many benefits including a 10% increase in both OTA and direct bookings that has led to a 10% increase in their overall revenue. Plus, the PMS has also helped them completely avoid overbooking issue.

Before adopting Hotelogix, Pikes Peak Resort had been handling hotel operations using an on-premise system. But it posed many challenges that restricted their business growth. Not only was it unable to support a channel manager integration, but also didnt help them with critical reports. It demanded lots of manual effort that led to operational errors. To overcome all these issues, the management started looking for a better solution.

Upon deciding to adopt a cloud-based Property Management System to streamline operations with higher level of automation, the management at Pikes Peak Resort chose to give Hotelogix a try on three parameters  channel manager connect, complete automation of various processes and anytime-anywhere access to hotel data.

Speaking about the usefulness of the Hotelogix PMS, Gary Bieske, Owner of Pikes Peak Resort said, The software really helped in eliminating many manual steps and in bringing together all the processes. One of the most important features for us in the Hotelogix PMS is that our guest data is stored in the system allowing easy access.

About Hotelogix

Hotelogix provides a robust cloud-based Hotel PMS that helps hotels to automate and manage their end-to-end operations with ease. It also assists hotels to drive growth, increase revenue and to enhance their online reputation. The PMS is hosted on Amazon Web Services, and thus offers the much-needed stability and security to hoteliers. The company has rich experience in serving global markets with customers in 100 plus countries including North America and Europe.

Media Contact



Debi Prasad Sarangi

Corporate Communications

Ph: +91 9986496849

Mail: debiprasad.sarangi@hotelogix.com

Daily News Delivery Join your colleagues and stay up to date on the latest Hotel industry news and trends. Subscribe

 2021 Hotel News Resource
China's satellite navigation and location services industry achieved a total output value of 301.6 billion yuan (about 43.93 billion U.S. dollars) in 2018, up 18.3 percent from the previous year, according to an annual industry report.



The data was published in the White Paper on the Development of China's Satellite Navigation and Location Services Industry (2019), which was released by the GNSS (global navigation satellite system) and LBS (location-based service) Association of China on Wednesday.

The industry's core sectors, which are directly related to the development and application of the satellite navigation technology, include chip, device, algorithm, software, navigation data, terminal equipment and infrastructure. These sectors reported 106.9 billion yuan in output value, accounting for 35.44 percent of the industry's total.

The BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS) contributed 80 percent to the output value generated by the core sectors. The system raked in a total of 194.7 billion yuan with related products and services.

China has launched 44 BDS satellites, and the system has been applied in many industries including transport, maritime affairs, electricity, civil affairs, meteorology, fishery, surveying and mapping, mining and public security.

According to the report, over 80 million sets of domestic BDS terminal products had come into service by the end of 2018. The total number of terminal products, including smartphones, installed with BDS compatible chips was close to 700 million.

There are 14,000 enterprises and institutions in the field of satellite navigation and location services in China, with more than 500,000 employees. By the end of 2018, 51 companies in the industry had been listed, said Li Donghang, deputy secretary-general of the GNSS and LBS Association of China (GLAC).

By the end of 2018, the total number of satellite navigation patent applications in China exceeded 60,000, ranking first in the world, the report said.

The satellite navigation and positioning products from Chinese enterprises have entered markets in more than 100 countries, among which BDS has been applied in more than 30 countries and regions along the Belt and Road, Li said.

To enable BDS to better serve the economic and social development in Belt and Road countries and regions, China has established BDS cooperation mechanisms with countries and organizations in South Asia, Central Asia, ASEAN, the Arab League and Africa, strengthening technical exchanges and personnel training, and building BDS overseas centers.

The world's first unmanned electric port tractor based on BDS, laser radar, millimeter wave radar and cameras was put into trial operation in the Tianjin Port in 2018. It can drive and park precisely, load and unload containers and avoid obstacles without an operator, Li said.

China's main domestic aviation enterprises have made plans to introduce a BDS-based management system to monitor planes in real time.

Since 2018, BDS has become one of the three major satellite systems serving the global ocean observation network.

By the end of 2018, BDS had been used in more than 30,000 agricultural machines in over 1,200 farms across China, covering more than 4 million hectares of cultivated land.

With quick and sensitive detection technology, the BDS-based gas leakage detection vehicle can locate a gas leakage point within a 150-meter radius, which is 10 times more efficient than the traditional method, Li said.

So far, BDS has been used to help detect gas leakage in more than 600 cities and towns across China, covering gas pipelines with a total length of 800,000 km.

With the development of 5G technology, BDS combined with 5G is expected to be used widely in fields such as airport scheduling, robot patrol, unmanned aerial vehicles, building and vehicle monitoring and logistics management, Li added.
Owned by George Filopoulos of Metrovest and Lloyd Goldman of BLDG Management, the opening of Gurney's Star Island marks the brand's third resort and second property in Montauk.

Gurney's Star Island Resort & Marina, the newest waterfront retreat in the Hamptons, has officially opened. Home to the largest marina in the Hamptons, Gurney's Star Island is a luxury resort featuring preeminent guest accommodations, unique dining concepts including the highly anticipated Showfish restaurant, outdoor amenities and an array of private spaces for events centered around the water. Owned by George Filopoulos of Metrovest and Lloyd Goldman of BLDG Management, the opening of Gurney's Star Island marks the brand's third resort and second property in Montauk.



"Montauk is a market that is important to us personally and professionally, and we are thrilled to unveil a second location that extends the Gurney's experience out to Star Island while introducing a new type of stay in the marina setting," said owner George Filopoulos. "The opening of Gurney's Star Island is a testament to the growth of our brand, and we are committed to delivering an unparalleled resort lifestyle that appeals to hotel guests, visitors and locals alike."

Marine Aesthetic

The design of Gurney's Star Island stays true to the brand's coastal aesthetic and origin, led by designer Stella Abdoulin. Inspired by its nautical history, the resort showcases a neutral color palette and maritime elements through the 107 guest rooms and public spaces.

Culinary Concepts

Gurney's Star Island Resort & Marina is home to four distinctive restaurants and bars helmed by executive chef Jeremy Blutstein. A Hamptons native, chef Blutstein highlights the bounty of the community throughout the resort's culinary program which is characterized by local product and seasonality.



Advertisement Showfish, the resort's centerpiece seafood concept, is a fine-yet-engaging restaurant featuring a lobster aquarium and nine-foot seafood display. A mainstay of the locally-sourced menu is seafood caught daily by local fishermen and brought to the docks at Gurney's Star Island. Guests can select and tag their fresh catch of the day at the marina or choose their favorite fish and crustaceans directly from the seafood presentation at dinner time. Virtually all produce is sourced from farms on the east end, located within 20 miles of the property and prepared on display at the restaurant's "vegetable butchery." At Showfish Bar, inventive cocktails complement the restaurant's gastronomic direction, mirroring a focus on sustainability and localism.

Boasting sweeping marina views, chaise lounge chairs and live music, The Pool Club is the ideal place to sip, swim and relax during a leisurely day in the sun. Guests can enjoy craft cocktails, signature frozen drinks and poolside bites in a lively and jovial atmosphere. Meaning "the oven" in Italian, Il Forno Market prepares specialty gourmet pizzas, freshly baked goods, artisanal coffees and a variety of handcrafted sandwiches and salads. Il Forno also serve as a grab-and-go market for marina and hotel guests. Van Leeuwen at Gurney's Star Island, which is the beloved ice cream brand's first permanent hotel store, serves its core scoops along with signature Gurney's flavors in a whimsical setting.

Amenities

In true Gurney's fashion, Gurney's Star Island is filled with amenities, programs and services offered to energize and maximize the guest experience. Multiple pools, a private beach with watersports and a Kid's Club focused on the marine ecosystem ensure endless activities for guests of all ages. Complimentary shuttle service grants full access to the nearby Gurney's Montauk Resort and its wide range of amenities including the iconic Seawater Spa and The Beach Club set on a 2,000-foot-long private sand beach, allowing guests to take advantage of the full Gurney's experience. Meanwhile, the concierge can arrange seamless transportation to Gurney's Newport Resort & Marina in Rhode Island via yacht and seaplane service, offering a scenic day trip while guaranteeing a return to Montauk in time for dinner at Showfish.

The Hamptons' Largest Marina

One of the top ten marina destinations in North America, the 232-slip marina at Gurney's Star Island offers ample space for vessels up to 220 feet. A perennial favorite among the east coast boating community and a haven for cruisers, sport fishing and mega yachts, marina guests receive all-encompassing resort privileges including room service delivered on board.

Weddings and Events

Gurney's Star Island Resort & Marina comprises 15 acres of grounds with a variety of indoor and outdoor spaces equipped for weddings and events ranging from five to 1,000 guests. Soaked in natural sunlight through its boundless windows, the Waterfront Ballroom showcases views of Lake Montauk and the marina, while the private beach and Great Lawn offer timeless backdrops for an intimate ceremony. The ideal environment for a productive meeting or corporate retreat, Gurney's Star Island offers nearly 10,000 square feet of private event space including four dedicated meeting rooms, two private dining rooms and unique breakout and outdoor spaces that can comfortably accommodate groups up to 200.

Opening rates at Gurney's Star Island Resort & Marina start at $350 per night.

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It seems as though every day there is an update on a potential Jordan Brand shoe. Jumpman has been absolutely killing it this year as there have been plenty of retro re-releases and new colorways to go around. One of the shoes that Jordan Brand seems keen on this year is the Air Jordan 5 which has a brand new collaboration with Trophy Room on the way. In the wake of this release collaboration, there have been images floating around of a new Jordan 5 colorway dubbed "Inspire."

The Instagram user @zsneakerheadz recently posted a brand new look at the shoe, which shows off its vibrant yellow colorway. The entire upper is covered in yellow suede, while black finds its way onto the tongue and the midsole. As for the shark teeth on the midsole, those are yellow as it matches the upper. Overall, it's a pretty great looking shoe and will surely be another hyped up release when it eventually drops.

As the post below suggests, these will be coming out on August 10th of this year for $2225 USD.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BxhqqC2FgFi


At 44 years old, Anderson Silva has no interest in slowing down anytime soon, even if it appears as though he should. Silva has lost his last few fights, including one a few months ago against Israel Adesanya. The Brazilian UFC legend also lost his most recent fight at UFC 237 against Jared Cannonier. Silva went down in the first round with a right knee injury and was unable to continue, giving Cannonier the win. After the fight, many felt as though Silva was finished considering just how many injuries he has faced throughout his career.

Silva touched down in the United States today and spoke to TMZ about his most recent fight. Instead of backing down, Silva says he has absolutely no plans of calling it quits.

"I'm not stopping, I'm not retiring," he said matter of factly. Silva explained that he plans to get healthy and has already asked Dana White for a rematch against Cannonier, although White wants Silva to heal first. The cameraman also asked Silva about his knee and whether or not he's feeling any better.

"It's not good but it's not too bad," Silva explained. "The good thing is I start physical therapy."

You have to respect the legend. We just hope he gets better and doesn't hurt himself more.
The Zeus Network is doing its best to reel in new subscribers, this time by featuring a new summer reality series starring Blac Chyna. She's a provocative character who has built her career around being in the public eye, so it's only fitting that she returns to reality television. Chyna, real name Angela White, visited the Wendy Williams Show recently and discussed the bedroom exploits of her exes, rapper Tyga and Rob Kardashian, while also sharing that she'll be featured on a new series titled The Real Blac Chyna.

This is, of course, not White's first rodeo with reality TV. She and her Kardashian ex were once the focus of E! network's Rob & Chyna, a series that lasted for only seven episodes. White's latest venture will reportedly "reveal the behind-the-scenes dynamics of Chynas life and relationships that have never been showcased like this on screen, including  her ongoing efforts to change the direction of her sometimes controversial and always complex life; her life as Mom to 6-year-old King Cairo, who she co-parents with former partner Tyga and 2-year-old daughter Dream with ex-boyfriend Rob Kardashian; the current status of the relationships with her exes and various lawsuits."

We wonder if the show will address that whole Harvard Business School debacle? Check out the teaser below.
A Danish politician is committed to the cause and you gotta applaud him for it. Former Olympic shot putter-turned-politician, Joachim Olsen, took an unusual route in trying to gain visibility ahead of the upcoming election in Denmark. Instead of simply creeping in between YouTube videos with paid advertisements, he's targeting people on another popular video streaming site. Olsen, a member of the center-right Liberal Alliance party, posted an ad on PornHub as a means to gain more voters.



Andy Lyons/Getty Images

Olsen confirmed on social media that he did indeed put up an ad on PornHub encouraging Danish voters to "vote for Jokke" -- a pun on both his nickname and a similar-sounding Danish slang term for masturbation -- after the website's visitors are done handling their business, of course. "Yes, it's me on PornHub," he confirmed on Facebook.

He spoke to DR (Danish Broadcasting Corporation) this past weekend explaining that, "You have to go out everywhere, and then we thought it might be fun to make an ad on Pornhub." He continued, "Half of the internet is porn. And you have to be where the voters are. Also on a porn site."

On Twitter, he took aim at his rival, Rasmus Paludan, the founder and leader of the anti-immigrant party Hardline. "There is no limit to how far I will go for the nation. If it takes an ad on the pornstar to keep Rasmus Paludan out of foreign media, I'll take one for the team," he said.

Olsen later acknowledged that he knew there would be a backlash to the ad before fully committing to posting it online. The elections are scheduled to be held on June 5th.

[Via]
Kodak Black has a laundry list of legal issues that he has to tend to at this point. The rapper was arrested over the weekend for allegedly falsifying paperwork to obtain a firearm. Although information about his arrest was initially scarce, his arrest was confirmed after a photo of him shackled up surfaced online. According to Bossip, he's taking aim at the police and the media for using his image to brag about arresting a high profile artist.

The rapper filed documents in court accusing the media and law enforcement of violating his constitutional rights after a photo of him leaked online at the Miami-Dade police station. Kodak claimed that there was not a single reason for a photo of himself to surface online except for the police to make a "big spectacle" and gain bragging rights.

According to Kodak, the release of his photo was for the purpose of creating a news spectacle in showcasing a Grammy-nominated artist shackled and in custody for all to see." He added, Quite simply, there was no law enforcement or security rationale, and this was nothing more than a personal frolic for law enforcement to posture.

At this point, a judge hasn't ruled on the motion. Kodak Black wants the police and the media to be banned from distributing any photos of him without law enforcement or security purpose.
He may have legal cases haunting him, but Kodak Black always has time to show his fans some love. The rapper was recently granted a release from a Miami prison on $550,000 bond with house arrest after he was taken into custody for falsifying his gun applications. Kodak made sure that he let the world know his fans mean the world to him and no matter how many run-ins with the law he has, "The Real Love Will Never Die."

The rapper shared a video on his Instagram page of an interaction he had with a female fan. In it, the pair look to be backstage at a show as she makes a request for Kodak to tattoo a cross in the middle of her forehead to match his. Initially, she tells him that her next tattoo will be her "third eye," but the rapper asks his entourage, "Where the tattoo man at?" setting everything into motion. "Even if you put it with a marker right now I'd get that sh*t," she says before a sharpie magically appears.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BxgXntLASew



She then starts her one-person chant of "get that marker playboy" while attempting to back that thang up on the rapper. He nervously dances with her while making sure he keeps a safe distance. She receives her temporary ink and then the happy fan hugs Kodak and wraps her leg around him. She once again throws her backside his way while singing, "We gon' get that after party" as he laughs. She even lifted up her short skirt to show him what she's working with. It may have been awkward for everyone else, but she was having the time of her life.
Gary Coronado/Staff

The price of a new home in Houston rose slightly in April, while the number of pending new home sales dropped in Houston and other large Texas metros, a new report showed.

The average new home price for April reached $360,868 in Houston, according to the HomesUSA.com New Homes Sales Index. The index tracks a 12-month rolling average for new homes listed in the local Multiple Listing Services in Houston, Dallas-Fort Worth, Austin and San Antonio. The average price in Houston was up from $359,528 in March.


The 2019 Changsha International Construction Equipment Exhibition (CICEE 2019) kicked off with the theme of "Intelligent New Generation of Construction Machinery" on Wednesday.

Hu Henghua, a member of the Standing Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Hunan Provincial Committee and secretary of the CPC Changsha Municipal Committee, presided over the opening ceremony.

Du Jiahao, secretary of the CPC Hunan Provincial Committee and chairman of the Standing Committee of Hunan Provincial People's Congress, announced the opening of the event.

At the ceremony, Xu Dazhe, governor of Hunan province and deputy secretary of the CPC Hunan Provincial Committee, said the machinery industry has become a main force to promoting high-quality development of the manufacturing industry in the province.

The governor said Hunan is striving to build a world-class industrial cluster, and has constructed six National Enterprise Technology centers, four engineering and technology research centers, a state key laboratory, and 11 academician workstations.

The attendees also included Xin Guobin, Chinese vice minister of industry and information technology, Tauaika Utaatu, ambassador of the Kingdom of Tonga to China, Ahcene Boukhelfa, Algerian ambassador to China, and John Andruga Duku, South Sudan's ambassador to China.

Xin said although China's machinery industry has constructed a complete industrial structure, there are still issues of disparate development and underdevelopment, which demand further optimization of the industrial structure.

Representing the organizers of CICEE 2019, Wang Ruixiang, head of China Machinery Industry Federation (CMIF), delivered an opening speech. Wang said the machinery industry is a fundamental and strategic industry of China's national economy.

He said that China's machinery industry has made great achievements since the reform and opening up. In 2018, the scale of China's machinery industry topped the lists of both prime operating revenue and total profit, maintaining a growth rate of around 19% and surpassing 550 billion yuan in sales revenue.

Lang Yun, China general manager of John Deere, said there is a promising future ahead of China, and the company attaches great importance to China's market. Alongside China's implementation of its rural vitalization strategy and the Belt and Road Initiative, John Deere will continuously optimize product structure, improve service capability, industrial competitiveness and sustainability, as well as assist China in the construction of high-quality economy, Lang said.
Happiness is watching gaggles of women (and a few men) sing and scream their hearts out at a New Kids on the Block concert.

The 80s boy band, whose members are now in their 40s and 50s, commands a crowd like superstars half their ages. That's because NKOTB is more than teen pop nostalgia. It has become a culture for its longtime fanbase. Its a high school reunion, a girls night out, an after-work happy hour and a Chippendales revue. There's even an annual New Kids cruise -- yes, a ship on the water -- that regularly sells out and puts fans on waiting lists.

Wednesday night's crowd at Toyota Center showed up with neon scrunchies and crimped hair and lace gloves. (In truth, it was more early than late '80s.) There were groups of women in homemade shirts that read "Moms night out," "I still love NKOTB" and "#80sbaby."

WATCH: NKOTB pays tribute to Tejano queen Selena at Corpus Christi concert

This year's Mixtape Tour came packaged with a parade of contemporaries: Salt N Pepa, Debbie Gibson, Tiffany and Naughty by Nature. Every tune was a singalong and a trip down memory lane. NKOTB had the most time onstage, but the two-and-a-half hour show didn't follow the traditional openers then headliner format. Instead, it was cleverly structured as a revue of sorts, with New Kids performing between multiple appearances by the supporting acts.

Now Playing: NKOTB is joined by the Texans cheerleaders at Toyota Center. Video by Joey Guerra. Video: Joey Guerra, joey.guerra@chron.com

Gibson, more vibrant and gorgeous than ever, fueled one of the night's best moments when she was joined by NKOTB's Joey McIntyre for a swoon-inducing duet on "Lost in Your Eyes." They played up a pleading, kitschy chemistry that could make for an adorable TV movie. Or at least a new recording of Gibson's No. 1 single from 1989.

Vin Rock of Naughty by Nature hyped up the crowd before the lights went down and was joined by DJ Slugga, a mascot in a giant bear head. NBN's own later set included "O.P.P." and Hip Hop Hooray" and thousands of hands waving back and forth.

Rock said Bushwick Bill was in attendance and wished him "all the best of health." Bill revealed this month he has stage 4 pancreatic cancer.

IT'S ELECTRIC: Debbie Gibson's iconic album is 30 years old

NKOTB got the newer stuff out of the way first, zipping through "The Way," "Dirty Dancing" and "Remix (I Like It)," a song that could be a huge hit for Bruno Mars. They melted hearts with a ballads medley that included "Valentine Girl" and a standout "Please Don't Go Girl." And Jordan Knight can still hit that dreamy falsetto on "I'll be Loving You (Forever).

They regularly ventured into the crowd, stopping for photos, hugs and high-fives. Donnie Wahlberg and McIntyre are the most charismatic Kids. They approach everything with welcome doses of camp and fun,

The Houston Texans cheerleaders joined the group for several songs, including a singalong of '80s anthems by other acts and a quick run through "Deep in the Heart of Texas."

Tiffany's "I Think We're Alone Now" was a blast of euphoria, and she sounded fantastic on ballads "All This Time" and "Could've Been." Her voice has a rich, raspy texture that echoed through the entire venue.

BOW DOWN: Paula Abdul, Mariah Carey and Madonna show the kids how it's done

Gibson emanated sugary sweetness on a medley that included "Out Of The Blue, "Shake Your Love" and "Electric Youth," eventually kicking off her blue heels. She returned later for snippets of "Foolish Beat," "Only In My Dreams" and the magical McIntyre duet.

Salt-N-Pepa served up hip-hop nostalgia and had the crowd dancing to "None of Your Business," "Expression" and "Let's Talk About Sex." They were joined by several male dancers.

And, look, "Shoop" is still an absolute bop. And "Push It" is one of the greatest songs ever, period. Fight me.

The entire cast, led by NKOTB, took the stage for closer "'80s Baby," a newish song with a throwback vibe. The screams continued. The moms danced. And, like they song says, they've still all got the right stuff. Oh-oh, oh-oh-oh ...

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.
Theres a knife fight near the beginning of John Wick: Chapter 3  Parabellum  the franchise that lets Keanu Reeves channel his inner martial-arts action star  that is so deliciously bananas, so brazenly bonkers that whatever faults may come in its wake can be, if not forgiven, then at least excused. Just as Rick and Ilsa in Casablanca will always have Paris, we will always have Reeves slicing up hoods like deli meat.

The mindlessly enjoyable, and exceedingly violent, Chapter 3 picks up right where John Wick: Chapter 2 left off. Professional assassin Wick (Reeves) has angered the chieftains of the High Table, a worldwide criminal organization for whom he once worked. Now he has a multimillion dollar bounty on his head, and it seems everyone in New York City has visions of a big, if blood-soaked, payday.

He manages to escape to Morocco, where he hopes to find the mastermind behind the High Table. But first he meets up with his old associate Sofia (Halle Berry), who, it should be noted, has two dogs that will come in very, very handy. Wick needs her, and them, to get him to the big guy.

Hot on his heels is an underworld of gun-toting minions and toadies under orders from the High Tables severe and humorless The Adjudicator (Asia Kate Dillon, Billions) who wants him dead. (One of these foot soldiers is a very good, and sometimes funny, Mark Dacascos from Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.)

John Wick: Chapter 3  Parabellum Rated R: for pervasive strong violence, some strong language Running time: 130 minutes **** (out of 5) See More Collapse

Things certainly have been speeding downhill for Wick ever since the first movie, in which some clown stole his car, killed his dog and set in motion the events that led our beleaguered hero to this sorry point. And they dont look like theyre going to get better any time soon. But at least he has, as a kindred vengeful spirit in a different film franchise might say, a very particular set of skills.

John Wick: Chapter 3  Parabellum is by far the most entertaining of the series, a film that noisily fits the definition of a summer popcorn movie and makes no pretense of having any higher goals.

Thats thanks in large part to stuntman-turned-director Chad Stahelskis increasingly able command of the action idiom. In addition to the aforementioned sensationally choreographed knife party, theres a careening motorcycle brawl and another beatdown involving horses that are nearly as thrilling.

Also, Reeves has grown into his role as an action figure. In the previous films, it often seemed as if you could see him counting the beats of his choreography whereas here it feels more natural. Well, as natural as can be expected in a film where reality includes Wick crawling across the blazing Moroccan desert  without ever taking off his black jacket. Where the powerful, omnipresent, globe-controlling High Table still uses technology  blackboards, ledgers, land-line phones, first-generation computers  that makes it seem like their IT department just threw up their hands and gave up after 1988.

At 130 minutes, Chapter 3 is too long and  I never thought Id hear myself saying this  but theres at least one fight scene too many. Unlike such directors as John Woo or Gareth Evans (The Raid movies), Stahelski hasnt yet figured out a way to make his gunplay consistently visually engaging.

Still, Chapter 3 leaves you thirsty for Chapter 4, which Stahelski has indicated in interviews is coming. Yes, indeed, we will always have Keanu.

cary.darling@chron.com
A Dogs Journey

Dennis Quaid is everywhere these days, from those goofy Esurance TV ads to the snarling villain in the film The Intruder. Gail Mancuso, who made her name in TV Modern Family, Roseanne) directs and Josh Gad and Marg Helgenberger co-star in this sequel to the 2017 film A Dogs Purpose. This time, the dog Bailey (Gad) is reincarnated into the life of a teenager dealing with issues.

Rated PG. Playing throughout Houston.

A Violent Separation

This Louisiana-shot indie film is a crime thriller about a murder cover-up that shatters two families. Brenton Thwaites (The Giver) and Gerald McRaney star.

Unrated. Playing at AMC Studio 30, Houston.

ABCD

Telugu-language romantic comedy drama.

Unrated. Playing at Cinemark Tinseltown 290, Houston.

The Biggest Little Farm

This documentary about a couple who start a sustainable farm near Los Angeles has been getting rapturous reviews and has been lauded at several film fests.. It turns out starting a farm on a whim after getting evicted from your apartment and doing it on land lacking nutrients and in the middle of a drought may not seem like such a great ideaat first.

Rated PG. Playing at the Landmark River Oaks, Houston.

The Chaperone

Haley Lu Richardson, Miranda Otto, Elizabeth McGovern, Blythe Danner and Campbell Scott are featured in this 1920s-set drama about the lives of a dancer and her chaperone who move to New York City from Kansas.

Unrated. Playing at AMC Studio 30, Houston; AMC Gulf Pointe 30, Houston.

De De Pyaar De

Shot in England, this Hindi-language romantic comedy centers on a 50-year-old divorced man falls in love with a 26-year-old woman.

Unrated. Playing at AMC Studio 30, Houston; AMC Fountains 18, Stafford.

Dogman

Italian director Matteo Garrones 2008 crime film Gomorrah is a masterwork. Hes back with another crime saga, this time about a vicious hood who outrages a shy dog groomer in his neighborhood who vows to get revenge.

Unrated. Playing at Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.

Face Off: The Walking Guests

Heres a horror-comedy from Vietnam thats the fourth installment in a franchise.

Unrated. Playing at AMC Fountains 18, Stafford.

Fridays Child

Tye Sheridan steps back from the big-budget Hollywood vehicles (he starred in Ready Player One and X-Men: Apocalypse) for this small, family movie about a drifter and small-time crook who finds a love that changes his life. Imogen Poots, Jeffrey Wright, and Caleb Landry Jones co-star. Tickets are $11 and a dollar from every movie ticket sold benefits foster children through the Ticket to Dream Foundation.

Rated PG-13. Playing at 7:30 p.m. May 23 at Studio Movie Grill CityCentre, Houston.

Her Smell

Elisabeth Moss is getting raves for her performance as a burned-out punk-rocker in this latest indie drama from director Alex Ross Perry (Listen Up Philip).

Rated R. Playing theatrically 6 p.m. Sunday only at Alamo Drafthouse LaCenterra, Katy; streaming through iTunes, Amazon, Vudu and Fandango.

John Wick Chapter 3: Parabellum

Life remains deadly for our favorite assassin, played by Keanu Reeves, in the third installment of his adventures. This time hes on the run after killing a member of the international assassins guild. Gunfire and kung-fu ensue. Halle Berry, Ian McShane and Laurence Fishburne co-star.

Rated R. Playing throughout Houston.

Mr. Local

Tamil-language romantic action comedy starring Sivakarthikeyan.

Unrated. Playing at Cinemark Tinseltown 290, Houston.

Running with Beto

Documentary filmmaker David Modigliani (Crawford) took his camera on the campaign trail during the Beto ORourke-Ted Cruz senate race. The comedy stars Diane Keaton, Jacki Weaver, Rhea Perlman and Pam Grier who lead a group of women who want to form a cheerleading squad at their retirement home.

Unrated. Playing Friday and Saturday at Alamo Drafthouse LaCenterra, Katy; airs on HBO May 28.

The Sun Is Also a Star

Based on the Nicola Yoons popular young-adult novel, this romantic drama explores the relationship of two young people of different cultural backgrounds. Charles Melton (Riverdale) and Yara Shahidi (Grown-ish) star.

Rated PG-13. Playing throughout Houston.

Trial by Fire

Jack OConnell is Cameron Todd Willingham, the real-life Corsicana man sentenced to death for murdering his three daughters. Laura Dern is Elizabeth Gilbert, the woman from Houston who took up his cause. Ed Zwick (Glory, Jack Reacher: Never Go Back) directs.

Rated R. Regal Greenway Grand Palace 24, Houston; AMC Willowbrook 24, Houston.

We Have Always Lived in the Castle

The Irish-shot thriller center on an isolated family whose peace is shattered when a cousin arrives with bad intentions. Taissa Farmiga and Crispin Glover star.

Unrated. Playing at Studio Movie Grill, Pearland; Alamo Drafthouse LaCenterra, Katy.
Plans to maximize traffic in the Houston Ship Channel could dovetail with a Rice University proposal to protect the region's coastal communities from future storm surges.

At a community meeting Wednesday night, representatives from Rice University's Severe Storm Prediction, Education & Evacuation from Disasters (SSPEED) Center detailed their proposal for a 25-foot-high wall across the middle of Galveston Bay.

The proposal, called the Galveston Bay Park Plan, is different from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers plan to build 71 miles of barriers along the Texas coast, which is halfway through the study process and not expected to start construction until 2025 on the most optimistic timeline.

Jim Blackburn, an environmental attorney and co-director of the SSPEED Center, believes the Galveston Bay Park Plan could provide vital protection a lot sooner than the coastal barrier. He estimates it could be completed by 2027, providing protection for vulnerable communities on the west bank of the bay as well as the industrial sector along the Houston Ship Channel.

"We think it's totally compatible with the (coastal barrier) process that's going on now, but what we're talking about is supplementing what the Corps has been doing with, basically, self-help," Blackburn said.

Read More: Corps now looking at dunes instead of levees as key part of 'coastal spine'

Blackburn sees an opportunity to move his plan forward as the Port of Houston Authority works with the Army Corps of Engineers to obtain authorization to deepen and widen ship channel. The dredging spoils for that project would provide the raw material to build the barrier islands in the bay.

"Why shouldn't we put (the dredging spoils) to work and build the protection that we can, quickly?" Blackburn said.

In a recent paper, Blackburn wrote that his models show the Army Corps' original plan for 17-foot levees along the coast -- the agency has since pivoted to 8- to 13-foot-high coastal dunes -- would not prevent flooding in the Houston Ship Channel, Bayport Industrial District and residential areas on the western shore if that area were hit by a Category 3 storm with a 25-foot storm surge. Such an event would risk the release of toxins from ruptured petrochemical tanks.

The 25-foot barriers would essentially be a system of islands extending from Houston Point in Chambers County down the ship channel to the Texas City levee system, and eventually would allow access to the islands for recreational use. The park plan also calls for raising the Texas City levees and for a backside levee to protect Galveston.

There are still hurdles to overcome for the Galveston Bay Park plan to come to fruition, including the need for a government sponsor to apply to the Army Corps to begin an environmental study.

The project's price tag. estimated between $3 billion and $5 billion, is significantly lower than the $32 billion it could cost to build a coastal barrier. Blackburn said the project could be financed with the help of the private sector. He said there is already interest among the industrial tenants along the ship channel to help finance the project, as well as some of the region's major insurance companies.

"There may be other opportunities of finding capital that do not involve traditional public financing," Blackburn said.

Harris County Commissioner Adrian Garcia, whose county precinct includes many of the coastal communities on Galveston Bay as well as the ship channel, sponsored Wednesday night's event. Garcia said he was intrigued by the plan, in part because of how quickly it could be built relative to the more ambitious coastal barrier. He pointed to New Orleans' system of levees and gates as a model he would like to see adopted for the Houston-Galveston region.

"The way I see it, it could be phase one of a multiple-tiered solution," Garcia said. "I think there's an innovative approach to using dredging material to build the barrier itself. That's been done with detention ponds and parks inland. I think it's a great way to approach the issue."

Staff writer Mike Morris contributed reporting.

Nick Powell covers Galveston County for the Chronicle. Follow him on Twitter and send him tips at nick.powell@chron.com
It's Sunday, May 18, 1969, and Apollo 10 rocketed out of Earth's atmosphere flawlessly this morning.

The Apollo 10-Saturn V rocket combo shot into the sky from Pad B at Cape Kennedy in Florida. Pad B is the second of two launch pads at Cape that can launch a Saturn V.

All the previous Apollo missions have launched from Pad A, just as Apollo 11 will do this summer. And if there are no mishaps, Pad B will never be used again, even though it cost $100 million to build.

Credit: NASA

Over Apollo 10's eight-day mission, astronauts Gene Cernan, Tom Stafford and John Young will test the lunar module in the moon's orbit  a necessary dress rehearsal for Apollo 11.

After three days in space, the astronauts will fire themselves into the moon's orbit, about 69 miles above the surface (following the same path as Apollo 8).

They'll stay in orbit for 2.5 days, and halfway through Stafford and Cernan will go into the lunar module, detach and come within nine miles of the moon.

While there, the duo will take pictures and radar readings as they pass over the Sea of Tranquility, the planned landing site for Apollo 11.

Then they'll reconnect with Young, spend another day in orbit and photograph potential landing sites and learn how to navigate the moon.

They're scheduled to splash down May 26, assuming everything goes well.

And don't forget: Transmissions from Apollo 10 will be IN COLOR.

Alex Stuckey writes about NASA and science for the Houston Chronicle. You can reach her at alex.stuckey@chron.com or Twitter.com/alexdstuckey.
The 16-year-old boy had the kind of illness that wouldn't be familiar to doctors for years: He was weak and emaciated, rife with stubborn infections and riddled with rare cancerous lesions known as Kaposi's sarcoma, a skin disease found in elderly men of Mediterranean descent.

The boy, Robert Rayford, died on May 15, 1969, in St. Louis. It would be more than a decade before doctors started seeing similar cases among gay men in New York and California. In 1982, with the numbers of sick surging, the disease got a name: Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. The AIDS epidemic had begun.

But the mystery of Robert R. - as he was long known to researchers - would linger in the minds of the physicians who had cared for him. With a sense that something important could someday be learned, two doctors collected tissue samples after his death and froze them for almost 20 years.

In time, the case of a poor young African American who apparently never left the Midwest would add a surprising twist to the understanding of a disease many connected with gay white men in cosmopolitan coastal cities. Researchers would come to see Rayford as the country's first known death from a strain of the human immunodeficiency virus, HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.

"Every time this date comes around, I think about this young man and the hell he went through," said Memory Elvin-Lewis, a microbiologist who was central to the case. "It's burned in my brain."

For some, the assertion that Rayford died of AIDS may never be fully proved. Anthony Fauci, a renowned AIDS expert and head of infectious-disease research at the National Institutes of Health, said the inferior state of antibody tests at the time make the case of Robert R. both fascinating and frustrating.

"It certainly could be true, and may even be likely that it's true," Fauci said, "but the absolute nailed-down proof isn't there."

Robert was already struggling when he arrived at St. Louis's City Hospital in late 1968. Then 15, the boy was suffering from swollen legs and genitals, fatigue and hemorrhoids. But according to doctors at the time and journalists who went back over the case years later, neither Rayford nor his family were very forthcoming with information.

"He would never say a word to me," said Elvin-Lewis, now 85 and still working.

The uncommunicative Rayford might have had a mental disability, doctors said later. When they found he had chlamydia, a sexually transmitted bacterial infection, he dodged questions about his sexual activity or would say only that he had been with a neighborhood girl. But there was physical evidence he had engaged in homosexual activity, willingly or not.

More frustrating, his doctors couldn't come up with a clear diagnosis, and none of their treatments worked. Over 15 months, he was moved twice to other hospitals and his case attracted several specialists. One of them was Elvin-Lewis, a newly hired microbiologist at Washington University Dental School with an expertise in chlamydia. She was surprised to find the infection spread through Rayford's body in a way she had never seen. And yet, the boy's own defenses were barely fighting the bacteria. His immune system seemed strangely inert.

Three months after turning 16, Rayford died of pneumonia.

The mystery only grew when the autopsy revealed numerous internal lesions known as Kaposi's sarcoma, which were almost unheard of in a black teenager. Elvin-Lewis and a lymphologist named Marlys Witte, who didn't respond to a request for an interview, had tissue samples gathered and preserved in sucrose-potassium glutamate in the hopes that medical science would someday be able to unlock some of their secrets.

"We knew there had to be another virus or something that was causing his immune deficiency," Elvin-Lewis said.

There would be no answers for years. Elvin-Lewis and Witte did present a paper highlighting some of the perplexities of the case, but the world moved on. The Vietnam War flared up and wound down. Richard Nixon won election to a second term, vowed he wasn't a crook and then resigned. Disco arrived, amid a wave of "Saturday Night Fever." Cocaine coursed through the night life of big cities.

And gay men started getting sick in noticeable numbers.

In June of 1981, the Center for Disease Control noted in its Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report the appearance of a rare pneumonia in five young gay men in Los Angeles. Additionally, the men, all of whom would die, showed compromised immune systems. The same day, a New York dermatologist tipped the CDC to a baffling spate of Kaposi's sarcoma cases among gay men. Newspapers began writing about "gay-men's pneumonia" and "gay cancer" and, eventually, of AIDS.

Researchers slowly traced HIV's likely origins to chimpanzee populations in central Africa, where it probably jumped to human hunters through contact with animal blood. They believed the virus crossed the globe with infected travelers in the 1970s. Multiple vectors of infection were identified, including homosexual and heterosexual contact, blood transfusions and sharing contaminated needles.

Little of that seemed to point to an obscure Midwestern medical mystery almost 15 years earlier. But for Rayford's doctors, the descriptions of AIDS rang a bell. In 1984, Witte published a letter in a journal noting the similarities with Rayford's history. In 1985, when a test became available that could detect HIV antibodies, Elvin-Lewis packed some of her long-held samples in dry ice and shipped them to Witte, who had them tested by Robert Garry, a Tulane virologist. Garry tested for nine distinct HIV proteins. Rayford's blood showed evidence of all nine.

"Case Shakes Theories of AIDS Origin," read a Chicago Tribune story that broke news of the results in October 1987. "Area Teen May Have Died from AIDS-In 1969," said a banner headline in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

The tests on Rayford's tissues astonished researchers. The finding wouldn't change how the disease was treated, but it challenged the conventional wisdom of how it arrived.

"If the findings are factual, it would be the earliest case of the AIDS in the United States," epidemiologist Peter Selwyn told the Post-Dispatch at the time. "St. Louis doesn't stand out as a hot spot for the AIDS virus."

Researchers were skeptical. But as the testing grew more refined, Garry did further analysis that more conclusively pegged Rayford's infection as an early strain of HIV that was distinct from the strain that led to the epidemic in the early 1980s.

Those tests haven't erased all doubts, Fauci said. For him, "nailed-down proof" would require more testing on Rayford's tissue samples. But that's no longer possible. The last known tissue samples to survive were in Garry's lab in New Orleans. They were wiped out by Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
As the cost of college rises and students go deeper into debt to finance it, families are increasingly asking whether higher education is worth the pricetag. A new commission has begun a project to provide information that could help answer that question.

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which funnels millions into education, announced Thursday that it has organized a group called the Value Commission, which will work over the next year to assemble data to help answer questions like this: How do I know that getting a bachelors degree is going to help me earn more in my field than getting an associate degree? What kinds of degrees or certificates are most powerful in moving low-income students up the economic prosperity ladder?

Gates Foundation CEO Sue Desmond-Hellmann, who will co-chair the commission, said during a conference call with reporters last week that education beyond high school is still the best bet for young peoples futures. But students and families need more information to help them decide which post-high school pathways are best for them, she said.

Colleges and universities also need a better understanding of how well theyre contributing to economic opportunity for students, Mildred Garcia, the president of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities, and another commission co-chair, told reporters.

A New Way to Judge the Value of Higher Ed?

The commission intends to create a way of defining and measuring the return on investment that postsecondary education or training delivers. Its 30 members include leaders in higher education, business, advocacy, and research.

Some of the ground it intends to cover is already the focus of other projects that have informed the public debate, and will serve as resources for the commission.

The U.S. Department of Educations College Scorecard , for instance, provides data showing colleges average cost and graduation rate, and the median salaries of students who received financial aid 10 years later. Opportunity Insights , based at Harvard University, uses big data to show how the transformative power of education is distributed unevenly. Georgetown Universitys Center on Education and the Workforce has published a bevy of studies exploring the earnings that come with various types of certificates and degrees. (The Centers director, Anthony Carnevale, is one of the new commissions members.)

Garcia said that the new panel will produce more than a report that will just go on the shelf. Its aiming to offer actionable, relevant information, she said. It wasnt entirely clear yet what form the commissions findings will take. But officials on the call said the data and research they assemble will be be easily available to the public through the groups website.

The aim of the new panel isnt to produce a set of college ratings or rankings, but to define a way to think about, and evaluate, college that focuses on its economic benefits. For instance: How much power does a bachelors degree in English have to help a student repay her loan debt compared to a masters degree in engineering or an associate degree in automotive technology? And do those numbers change if the analysis focuses on students of color, or low-income students?

See also: People are Putting Less Faith in Four-Year College Degrees, Poll Finds

The commission is still figuring out how much to focus analysis on the vast and complicated terrain of certifications and training programs that fall short of an associate degree. Michelle Asha Cooper, the president of the Institute for Higher Education Policy, told reporters that the group will be looking at the sub-associate level where there are reliable data available from reputable sources.

The Institute for Higher Education Policy will be the managing partner of the Value Commission, lending logistics and analytical support during its year of work. It will also form the research panel that will support the panel as it explores and assembles data for public use.

Desmond-Hellman said that while the Gates Foundation has supported the launch of the Value Commission, it hasnt yet set aside a specific amount of money for grants to support it.

Related story: How a Wichita Lineman Is Changing the Conversation About College Readiness

Image: Getty

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China will encourage more qualified physicians to run their own clinics, either working full time or part time, according to a guideline jointly issued by the country's five authorities.

The guideline published on the official website of the National Health Commission said 10 cities including Beijing, Shenyang, Shanghai and Nanjing will pilot a program for private medical practices, which will later expand throughout the country based on initial pilot experiences.

The government is stepping up efforts to improve medical services as medical resources in China are unevenly distributed, with patients crowding major public hospitals in big cities.

Currently, China has nearly 200,000 registered clinics in service, with each province boasting an average number of over 7,000. The average amount of medical practitioners in those institutions is 2.6, in which the average number of doctors is 1.4. A shortage of medical workers, lower-quality healthcare services and a lack of industry regulation represent the current problems that need improvement.

The guideline proposes streamlining the setup process for private clinics by lifting the restrictions on such clinics set by the country's medical institution planning system. Those who apply to run their own clinics can practice medicine as long as they are on record with local health administrations, eliminating the previous approval procedure which usually took a long time.

Doctors who have practiced medicine for at least five years and obtained intermediate-level or above qualifications are encouraged to run clinics for general or specialty medical practices. Group medical practices, which refers to a group in which doctors partner together to offer medical services to patients and share operational costs, are also encouraged. The guideline also supports private clinics to be incorporated into the medical treatment partnership system so medical resources could be widely shared.

To better improve the medical service quality of private clinics, the guideline states that the health administrations in pilot cities can include the clinics in the construction of the medical treatment partnership system if such clinics agree, and patients can freely transfer from one medical treatment service organization to another within the region.

The guideline requires provincial-level health authorities that administrate the pilot cities to create specific plans and start the pilot program by the end of September.

To supervise operations of the private clinics, the guideline encourages the pilot cities to evaluate the credit record of the private operators for credit ratings, and to establish a systematic and long-term enforcement mechanism.
At the foot of Mount Carmel in Haifa, when boatloads of emaciated European Jews fleeing Nazi persecution washed ashore, Arab Palestinian women would go out to greet them.

The Haifa committees received hollow-eyed refugees with warm clothing, blankets, first aid kits and pots of hot food and soup. The arriving families would collapse in the refuge of canvas shelters.

This was before the creation of the state of Israel. News of grave and horrific persecution of Jews had moved these women to extend a helping hand.

The next morning, the same Palestinian women would go out again to find abandoned tents. The arrivals were taken to live and work on kibbutzes, never to be seen again.

That was a precious moment lost. The natural process of newcomers blending in and integrating never happened. No stories were told of family members killed in Nazi death camps. No opportunities occurred for commiserations over the near-death experiences by immigrants as they braved harrowing escapes and perilous, clandestine journeys by sea. Instead of a fabric of empathy and coexistence, a context of resentment, division and alienation was in the making.

A tragedy acknowledged is a tragedy shared, and the first step toward healing. Paradoxically, manipulating fears of wounded minorities is an old and crass tactic.

Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., made a well-intentioned, though clumsy, attempt to link the suffering of Palestinian people to that of Europe's persecuted Jewry and their massive influx into her ancestral homeland. Closely read, her remarks savored of bitterness and hope.

In an interview published on the Yahoo News podcast "Skullduggery," Tlaib said 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 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 was suggesting that her support for a one-state solution to solve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict would be "a better way" of doing it.

The rush by opportunistic House Republicans to reap political mileage out of her comments was despicable. Not everyone is keen on the outcome of a one-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, an idea favored by Hamas. However, provoking Jewish anger with a contorted reading of Tlaib's expressed sentiment is pernicious, malevolent manipulation.

Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., described Tlaib's remarks as "sickening." House Minority whip Steve Scalise, R-La., blasted Tlaib for her "twisted and disgusting comments." Over "six million Jews were murdered during the Holocaust; there is nothing 'calming' about the fact," he said in a statement. Cheney called on House Speaker Nancy Pelosy, D-Calif., and Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., to take action against Tlaib.

Denzel McCampbell, Tlaib's spokesman, in turn said Cheney's statement was dangerous. "Once again, Republican leaders and right-wing extremists are spreading outright lies to incite hate," he said. "He accused Cheney of using the tragedy of the Holocaust to 'score political points.' "

Tlaib and her freshman colleague Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., the first two Muslim women elected to Congress, were celebrated as part of the American dream in the Trump era. They have also drawn criticism for daring to challenge longstanding attitudes and positions on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in a climate of intolerance. But impatience with this administration's arbitrary confrontation with democratic and constitutional norms has empowered them somewhat. They are boldly fighting back.

Undeterred by death threats triggered by a video tweeted by President Donald Trump, Omar roared back at the White House for its "vile attacks," adjusting her oratory to blast Islamophobia and anti-Semitism.

During a rally outside the Capitol last month, organized by Black Lives Matter and Angela Davis, Omar lambasted Trump and his allies for their "demented views," describing them as "goons."

"I can't ever speak of Islamophobia and fight for Muslims if I am not willing to fight against anti-Semitism," she vowed, referring to reports that John T. Earnest, apprehended for his deadly Chabad of Poway synagogue attack, may have also torched a mosque in nearby Escondido last March.

Omar, an immigrant from Somalia, is a war survivor, a refugee and a woman of color who covers her head.

When the boundary-crashing Omar voiced impatience over Muslim Americans' treatment as second-class citizens after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, prefacing her comments with "some people did something," outrage on social media spiked. The hosts of "Fox & Friends" questioned her loyalty to America. Trump circulated a video of part of what she said against the backdrop of the flaming, crumbling Trade Center towers.

Omar's supporters protested that her words were taken out of context to "intimidate and silence her." Omar termed Trump's tweet "dangerous incitement, given the death threats against me."

Omar and Tlaib came out of the gates swinging after their elections. Omar was critical of Israel and insinuated that politicians supporting it are bought off. Such views, appalling and toxic to many, novel to others, were not aired openly before.

The newcomers sparked anger, disdain and a vitriolic backlash by broaching controversial, divisive issues: Palestinian rights, influence over U.S. policy on Israel, BDS, the boycott, divestment and sanction movement targeting Israel. Omar's remarks sparked rebuke from Jewish Americans, smarting from generalizations smacking of anti-Semitism.

Outrage and pushback were expected. Some of the backlash has been extreme. Tlaib and Omar have faced serious death threats stoked by a barrage of venomous rebukes from Republicans and die-hard conservatives. Global hate crime expert Barbara Perry has done extensive research on how stereotyping and certain characterizations inform violence in the othering of Muslims.

The climate the two Muslim women stepped into was one in which anti-Muslim tropes were normalized and shamelessly abused by Trump and some of his supporters.

The two women also challenge assumptions of those not receptive to them being in positions of power. One stereotype assumes Muslim women are oppressed and subdued.

Omar now has a seat at the table. As a woman in politics, she has openly voiced full-throated objections to mainstream attitudes and is boldly redefining what a hijab-donning Muslim woman is assumed to be.

Because of Omar, the ban against Muslim women covering their heads in Congress was lifted.

"She broke all the barriers," observed Dalia Mogahed, director of research at the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding (ISPU). "A certain segment of citizens expect her to behave like a grateful guest. But she is refusing to play by mainstream rules. She started a debate where there was none."

Omar invited heavy criticism in February, when she suggested in a tweet that some U.S. politicians' support for Israel was "all about the Benjamins." It stung many as an anti-Semitic slur. She said her intent was not to offend Jewish people, and she "unequivocally" apologized. Still, the House passed a resolution condemning anti-Semitism and other forms of hate, including Islamophobia.

Although a fan, a former Palestinian minister of the Palestinian Authority noted, "She needs to pick her words." Omar, known for sharp elbows and resistance to advice during her campaign, told Stephen Colbert, "We are not there to be quiet, we are not there to be invisible."

A study released on May 1 by the ISPU said there are indicators showing an upswing in Islamophobia since last year. The American Muslim Poll surveys levels of public endorsements of negative stereotypes about Muslims living in America. Those stereotypes assume that Muslims are prone to violence against women, discriminate against women, are hostile to the United States, are less civilized than other people and are partially responsible for acts of violence carried out by other Muslims.

The poll said predictors of lower Islamophobia were favorable regard for African Americans, Jews and the LGBTQ community. "There is empirical research linking anti-Semitism, anti-black racism and Islamophobia. They are from the same tree of bigotry."

"As a human family, we will be much stronger when we learn to disagree safely," Mogahed argued.
WASHINGTON  Abortion rights are at risk at the Supreme Court, but the short-term threat may not come from extreme measures like the one passed by Alabama lawmakers Tuesday.

The court led by Chief Justice John Roberts is more likely to chip away at the constitutional right to abortion established in 1973 in Roe v. Wade than to overturn it outright. It will have plenty of opportunities to do so.

As soon as Monday, the court could announce whether it will hear challenges to three provisions of Indiana abortion laws on issues like the disposal of fetal remains and an 18-hour waiting period after state-mandated ultrasound examinations. The court will in the coming months almost certainly agree to hear a challenge to a Louisiana law that could reduce the number of abortion clinics in the state to one.

The Alabama bill is a different kind of measure, one that squarely conflicts with Roe. It would ban almost all abortions in the state, without exceptions for rape and incest, and subject abortion providers to harsh criminal penalties. Because the Roberts court tends toward incrementalism, it is not likely to want to take on a direct confrontation with that precedent.

Nor in all likelihood will it have to.

Lower courts will almost certainly strike down the Alabama statute and other direct bans on abortion, like the ones that bar the procedure after doctors can detect what the measures call a fetal heartbeat, which happens at around six weeks of pregnancy. The lower courts will have little choice, as controlling Supreme Court precedents prohibit outright bans on abortion until the fetus is viable outside the womb, usually at about 24 weeks.

Since the Supreme Court controls its own docket, it can simply deny review after lower courts strike down laws squarely at odds with Roe.

To be sure, recent changes on the court have given opponents of abortion rights new hope for a wholesale reconsideration of Roe. Justice Anthony Kennedy, who retired last year, had been a cautious supporter of abortion rights and was an author of the key opinion in 1992 in Planned Parenthood v. Casey, which both reaffirmed and modified the core of Roe, announcing that states may not impose undue burdens on abortion rights.

Kennedy has been replaced by Justice Brett Kavanaugh, whose limited record as an appeals court judge suggests that he will be more skeptical about the right to abortion.

There are obviously a good number of state legislators who think the time is right to mount a frontal or near-frontal attack on Roe, said Cary Franklin, a law professor at the University of Texas at Austin. Those legislators are not being foolish to think that five justices might now be persuaded to overrule or essentially gut the constitutional right to abortion.

But Kavanaugh has also exhibited some restraint in his first months on the court, and he may not be eager for an immediate confrontation with the basic issue when intermediate steps are available.

There are three members of the court  Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito and Neil Gorsuch  who seem less patient. In February, Thomas wrote that Roe was among the courts most notoriously incorrect decisions. He gave one other example of such a ruling: Dred Scott v. Sandford, the 1857 decision that said black slaves were property and not citizens.

It takes only four votes to add a case to the courts docket, meaning that either Roberts or Kavanaugh could force the court to confront the ultimate fate of a constitutional right to abortion when a case concerning the Alabama law or a similar one reaches the court.

What we dont know, Franklin said, is the extent to which either Chief Justice Roberts or Justice Kavanaugh feels sufficiently bound by 50 years of precedent, or by a desire not to be viewed by the public as discarding that precedent for political-ideological reasons, to pull back from the brink.

Melissa Murray, a law professor at New York University, said much would turn on Roberts, who might have conflicting impulses.

Recent departures and appointments, coupled with an increasing skepticism of established precedents, suggests the Supreme Court is more amenable than ever to overruling Roe, she said. The recent spate of restrictive abortion regulations reflects this new reality.

These laws are an obvious provocation  a clear attempt to take the question of Roes continued viability straight to the court, Murray said. The real question is whether Chief Justice Roberts interest in preserving the courts institutional legitimacy will outweigh the conservative interest in legislating abortion out of existence.

Roberts is a product of the conservative legal movement, and his general inclination is to lean right. But he is also an institutionalist and a guardian of his courts authority, meaning he generally makes modest and deliberate moves.

In February, for instance, he joined the courts four liberal members to block enforcement of the Louisiana law, which requires doctors performing abortions to have admitting privileges at nearby hospitals. The courts four other conservatives would have let the law go into effect.

Roberts vote was something of a surprise, as he had dissented in 2016 from the courts decision to strike down a Texas admitting-privileges law essentially identical to the one from Louisiana.

Still, the courts liberal justices seem nervous. On Monday, in a case overruling a precedent in a different area of the law, Justice Stephen Breyers dissent chastised the majority for acting rashly. Repeatedly citing the Casey decision, Breyer said he feared for the future.

Todays decision can only cause one to wonder which cases the court will overrule next, he wrote.

Roberts was in the majority in Mondays decision, and he has voted to overrule important precedents on campaign finance and public unions.

At other times, he has called for restraint. During his 2005 confirmation hearings, he said the Supreme Court should be wary of overturning decisions, in part because doing so threatens the courts legitimacy.

It is a jolt to the legal system when you overrule a precedent, he said. Precedent plays an important role in promoting stability and evenhandedness.

Roberts elaborated on the power of precedent in a concurring opinion in 2010 in the Citizens United decision, which overruled two rulings. Departures from precedent, he wrote, require very good reasons.

But he added, quoting from earlier decisions, that the Supreme Court remained free to correct its worst errors.

Stare decisis is neither an inexorable command nor a mechanical formula of adherence to the latest decision, especially in constitutional cases, he wrote, referring to the Latin legal shorthand for respect for precedent. If it were, segregation would be legal, minimum wage laws would be unconstitutional, and the government could wiretap ordinary criminal suspects without first obtaining warrants.

Richard W. Garnett, a law professor at Notre Dame, said the constitutional confrontation over the right to abortion sought by the sponsors of the Alabama law was unlikely to come to pass.

It appears that the proposals supporters intend to create an opportunity for the current court to revisit its decisions creating that right, he said. However, 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. Instead, they might well prefer to first consider less sweeping abortion regulations and to uphold them even under the current doctrine.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times
Measurements from China's Chang'e-4 mission to the far side of the Moon have revealed the presence of material from the lunar mantle at the landing site, according to a study published online Wednesday in the journal Nature.



The Chang'e-4 probe touched down at the Von Karman Crater in January 2019 and deployed the Yutu-2 rover to explore the South Pole-Aitken Basin on the far side of the Moon.

Previous global remote sensing missions from orbit have concurred with the idea that "the best candidate for excavating lunar mantle materials was the huge South-Pole Aitken Basin which, given its size, should have tapped into the mantle through the lunar crust", Patrick Pinet at France's Research Institute in Astrophysics and Planetology, told Xinhua through email.

The detailed structure of the Moon's mantle has eluded investigators for years. Scientists have focused their efforts on the impact craters as the events leading to their creation may have penetrated the crust into the lunar interior, excavating parts of the mantle and distributing them on the surface.

Based on the initial observations from Yutu-2's Visible and Near Infrared Spectrometer, a team led by researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences inferred the presence of low-calcium pyroxene and olivine minerals, which may originate from the upper mantle, on the surface.

They argued that this material was excavated from below the South Pole-Aitken basin floor by the nearby Finsen impact crater.

The lunar mantle's composition characterization is "a very important step to conduct", as it allows researchers to present better models of lunar interior evolution and "to address related questions about lunar magma ocean and its solidification/cooling", said Pinet, who also wrote an accompanying article commenting on the Chinese team's latest findings.

To further confirm the findings, it is still necessary to bring back a sample of the rocks to Earth for analysis, according to Pinet.
WASHINGTON - The barrier that President Donald Trump wants to build along the Mexico border will be a steel bollard fence, not a concrete wall as he long promised, and the president is fine with that. He has a few other things he would like to change, though.

The bollards or "slats," as he prefers to call them, should be painted "flat black," a dark hue that would absorb heat in the summer, making the metal too hot for climbers to scale, Trump has recently told White House aides, Homeland Security officials and military engineers.

And the tips of the bollards should be pointed, not round, the president insists, describing in graphic terms the potential injuries that border-crossers might receive. Trump has said the wall's current blueprints include too many gates - placed at periodic intervals to allow vehicles and people through - and he wants the openings to be smaller.

At a moment when the White House is diverting billions of dollars in military funds to fast-track construction, the president is micromanaging the project down to the smallest design details. But Trump's frequently shifting instructions and suggestions have left engineers and aides confused, according to current and former administration officials.

Trump has demanded Department of Homeland Security officials come to the White House on short notice to discuss wall construction and on several occasions former secretary Kirstjen Nielsen in the early morning, waking her up to discuss the project, officials said.

Trump also has repeatedly summoned the head of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Lt. Gen. Todd Semonite, to impart his views on the barrier's properties, demanding that the structure be physically imposing but also aesthetically pleasing.

"He thinks it's ugly," said one administration official familiar with Trump's opinions, who, like others, spoke on the condition of anonymity to avoid being fired.

The president sees himself as "a builder," said David Lapan, a former Homeland Security official who worked at the department when it spent more than $3 million on the construction of eight border barrier prototypes near San Diego.

"But building high-rises in New York City is not the same as putting up a barrier at the border," said Lapan, now at the Bipartisan Policy Center in Washington. "You're not looking for aesthetics, you're looking for functionality."

Homeland Security officials had settled on the steel bollard design many years earlier, but Lapan said many of the prototypes were built using concrete to suit the president's tastes - and demonstrated that the material was impractical and vulnerable to breaches.

White House officials did not respond to questions about the president's design requests for the barriers and about his conversations with engineers and border officials. Homeland Security officials declined to comment. An Army Corps spokesperson confirmed that Semonite has met with several times with Trump, but referred inquiries to the White House.

The president - who repeatedly promised to force Mexico to pay for his desired border wall - has pledged to build 400 miles of new barriers by next year, a goal he reiterated during an immigration speech at the White House Thursday afternoon. The plan would likely require him to reprogram additional taxpayer funds from military budgets.

Trump's changing tastes are potentially driving up the price. He remains adamant that the barrier should be painted black, despite warnings that it would significantly increase construction costs and maintenance budgets.

"Once you paint it, you always have to paint it," said another administration official.

Trump also has changed his mind repeatedly about the structure's height, urging engineers to make it as tall as possible, though his desires have been tempered by cost concerns and engineers' worries about structural integrity.

The president's critics are determined to stop or slow down a project they denounce as a wasteful monument to the president's vanity - more symbolic than security-minded along a border that cannot be completely walled off because of rugged geography and the Rio Grande.

In the compromise deal to end the government shutdown in February, Democrats agreed to provide $1.4 billion for the border barriers, far less than the $5 billion Trump sought. Democrats also inserted language limiting the expenditure to "operationally effective designs" that U.S. Customs and Border Protection already uses.

With the White House using an emergency declaration to get an additional $2.5 billion in funds diverted from military budgets, Trump will face no such congressional scrutiny, potentially giving him more latitude to tailor the structure.

Before her removal from DHS last month, Nielsen had "very specific meetings" on the wall project, another administration official said. She thought the president's acute interest in the barrier's appearance became a distraction from other, more pressing border issues, the official said. Nielsen did not respond to a request for comment.

On the 2016 campaign trail, the president told crowds of chanting supporters he wanted the wall to be big and "beautiful," and those two qualities continue to drive his requests.

"He thinks not only can the wall be effective, it doesn't have to be an eyesore," a DHS official said. "He wants one standard uniform height. That's what he's going for, and we have to match that with operational reality."

The steel bollards remain vulnerable to sawing, but Homeland Security contractors have filled the hollow cavity of the metal with an undisclosed compound to make them more difficult to cut. The material is poured to a certain height - which officials declined to specify, citing security reasons - and ordinary concrete, which is cheaper, is added after that.

One official called the saw-resistant compound a "secret sauce" in the bollards, declining to provide more detail.

Trump often brought up the construction of the barrier at unrelated meetings, and aides learned to bring prep books - and even sketches - to address his questions. He often grew frustrated when he would learn that more of the barrier was not built, the current and former officials said.

He continued to insist on speeding up construction, blanching at suggestions from aides that it would take many years, according to former administration officials. Trump frequently delved into the minutiae of contracts and suggested that some of his friends in New York would have ideas on how to build it faster, officials said.

Trump has been so eager to see sections of the barrier in place that he has taken credit for fencing construction that was planned well before he took office. Along one 2.25-mile span of replacement barrier in California completed last year, a plaque welded to the structure heralds it as "the first section of President Trump's border wall," even though U.S. agents say planning began in 2009.

At periodic meetings to update the president on construction progress, sometimes held more than once a month, Trump has asked questions about how border-crossers might be able to "cut a hole in it, dig under it, climb over it," in the words of a meeting attendee.

Some of the president's requests have led to significant alterations in the design. In particular, he insisted on boosting the height of the structure to 30 feet, far taller than the 15-to-18-foot range that CBP officials had previously settled on as optimal.

The advantages of the 30-foot design were made apparent after the administration paid for a the series prototypes, another former official said.

"We were able to test what happens when you put someone up that high. They freeze up," the former official said. "There was significant deterrence value to putting people on a 30-foot wall."

Said another official familiar with the president's desires: "He always wanted to go higher."

Barbara Res, a former Trump Organization executive, said Trump would get closely involved in design aspects of his hotels, resorts and other development projects. "If it was very visible, he got very involved," she said.

Res said the president cared deeply, for example, about the kind of marble and brass in Trump Tower, as well as the kinds of floors in the apartments and the kitchen finishes - details that Res characterized as "trivial."

But for a massive Homeland Security project, she said: "Who cares what color a wall is?"

One design Trump panned, according to a former official, was topped by a rounded, barrel-like metal cylinder to prevent climbing. Approved barrier designs include a flat-panel anti-climbing surface that has been field-tested, but the president doesn't like the way it looks either, arguing that sharp spikes would appear more intimidating.

Trump told one group of aides that the metal points would cut the hands of climbers and function as a more effective deterrent.
The world watched in December as a 72-year-old funeral director pushed the coffin of President George Bush into a polished Cadillac hearse in Houston. He had done the same before at services for Presidents Gerald Ford and Ronald Reagan, first ladies Betty Ford and Nancy Reagan, and many other well-known figures.

He is Robert M. Boetticher Sr., chief executive of a boutique death services firm that contracts with the federal government for state funerals.

For almost two decades, Boetticher has been privy to perhaps the most intimate, and delicate, conversations around a commander in chiefs death. The planning begins almost as soon as a president is elected.

It doesnt matter if its the first family or if its the barber down the street, they all react the same, Boetticher said earlier this year. They just lost somebody that they loved. You are the person that they trust, that they look up to, to help them through it.

Since 2011, Boetticher has been at the helm of LHT Consulting Group, which primarily provides top-shelf services for wealthy individuals, and is a subsidiary of Service Corp. International. A $3 billion entity known for its Dignity Memorial brand, SCI owns about 2,000 cemeteries and funeral homes in North America, including the home in California where Boetticher had one of his first jobs, and a parlor in Washington used during high-profile services. Boetticher has also assisted at services for Sens. John McCain and Edward Kennedy, as well as the Rev. Billy Graham and actress Farrah Fawcett. This week, his consulting group was assisting at services in Indiana for former Sen. Richard G. Lugar, who died in late April.

State funerals are reserved for presidents, presidents-elect and people designated by the president, and unlike civilian services, they stretch for days, mixing military, religious and familial traditions, usually for a live television audience.

Since President Herbert Hoovers funeral in 1964, ceremonies have been scripted down to the drumbeat and the suns position in the sky, and, in recent years, rehearsed with coffins weighted by sandbags. (Ronald Reagans was about 700 pounds.)

When a president dies, the military conducts about 4,000 service members, from piccolo players to pallbearers. But Boetticher works with the family on the more prosaic aspects, like embalming (a recommended service because of the travel involved), headstone and coffin selection, private events and the burial. His firm mobilizes a Ceremonial Funeral Team, a flying squadron of licensed funeral directors, to assist at local funeral homes.

There are a lot of moving parts, Boetticher said, and youve got one shot to do it right.

As a child in Southern California, Boetticher had ambitions to become a movie director like his uncle. But he often sneaked out of Saturday matinees at a theater in Santa Monica to check out the antique cars parked in the driveway of a nearby funeral parlor.

In high school, a career aptitude test forecast his path as a funeral director. At 18, he handled his first dead body while working at an ambulance and mortuary accommodation company that leased equipment and removed bodies when regular funeral homes were tied up.

I made myself sick, Boetticher said about the encounter. But he responded to the next death call to prove to his parents he was committed to the job.

Brett Coomer, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer

After studying at the California College of Mortuary Science and a tour embalming military personnel in the Army, he purchased his first funeral home in Wyoming with his wife, Jarka Boetticher.

There, he served as a coroner in Teton County, investigating mountain climbing deaths and drowning incidents in Yellowstone National Park.

In 1983, Boetticher started working for SCI and eventually moved to the companys headquarters in Houston, where, among other jobs, he managed the development of a new embalming fluid and became president of SCIs museum of funeral history.

He also indulged his passion for filmmaking, by advising set designers on a pilot for Six Feet Under, the HBO series about a family-run funeral parlor, and playing an undertaker in a miniseries starring Sally Field.

But it was a call from a representative for Nancy Reagan in 2002 that thrust Boetticher into a rarefied circle of military and Secret Service personnel, government employees and family members of the president.

Joanne M. Drake, a chief of staff to the Reagans, recalled pulling all-nighters with Boetticher in the weeks before Ronald Reagans interment in 2004. He was a calming partner during the planning process, she said, and sensitive to the odd things that have to happen, and the obvious.

Boetticher helped the family select the solid mahogany Marsellus Masterpiece coffin. He pressed the American flag that was draped over it, too.

At a funeral parlor in California, Boetticher worked with a team to embalm Ronald Reagans body. They also made sure the bouquets of flowers and the mementos left by mourners at a fountain outside faced the news cameras.

When Reagans body was returned to California for burial after lying in state in Washington, Boetticher led a motorcade with the chief of Reagans security detail to the presidential library in Simi Valley in time for a 6 p.m. sunset.

It was very humbling to escort the presidents body, Boetticher said.

The plan for Gerald Fords funeral was developed by Gregory D. Willard, a White House staff assistant in 1975 who later served as the Fords personal lawyer in California. Willard spent three years on the 597-page plan for the nine-day funeral event, he said. It required late-night rehearsals on airport runways.

A large part of the secrecy in the planning is not that were dealing with classified information, Willard said. But its inevitable if people were to observe us, it would immediately be in the headlines: Ford on the Brink of Death. 

About eight minutes after Ford died Dec. 26, 2006, in Rancho Mirage, California, Willard called Boetticher. He was in the parking lot of the hospital where the body was taken, having flown in from Houston.

For the Bush services in December, Boetticher led a half-dozen licensed funeral directors at a funeral home in Houston owned by SCI. Descending like a SWAT team in black suits, red-and-black-striped ties and Ceremonial Funeral Team pins, they communicated with motorcade drivers through earpieces and radios.

During services in Houston, Bushs coffin rested on a padded bier, provided by LHT, that has only been used during services for the Fords, Nancy Reagan, and first ladies Barbara Bush and Lady Bird Johnson.

Sharon Steinmann/Chronicle

Michael D. Wagner, chief of national events planning for the Armys Military District of Washington, a command that oversees official military ceremonies, has worked closely with Boetticher and his company during several state funerals.

They provide a unique capability in terms of the level of expertise and also availability of equipment across the country, Wagner said.

The Department of Defense contracts with LHT to supply ceremonial sedans, SUVs and limousines (as well as drivers, including Boetticher) for multiple motorcades and convoys and for rehearsals, Wagner said. The department also rents specialty equipment, like a wheeled bier to transport the coffin, and the modified Cadillac hearse used in Houston, as well as a backup just in case.

Boetticher declined to disclose the fees for his funeral squad, which are paid by the families, or the fees paid by the federal government.

Our prices are client-based, he said. Any of that is highly confidential.

If we ever broke that trust, we would never get it back, he said.

A spokeswoman for the Department of Defense said that services are provided at market rates.

Joshua Slocum, executive director of the Funeral Consumers Alliance, a watchdog group that promotes affordability in the industry, is a vocal critic of LHTs parent company, calling it an adversary in our line of work.

SCI has settled multimillion-dollar class-action suits after families accused funeral homes owned by the company in California and Florida of mixing up remains, losing them or secretly digging up plots and reselling them, but did not admit wrongdoing.

In the late 1990s, the companys chief executive, Robert Waltrip, was accused of calling on Gov. George W. Bush of Texas to halt an investigation by the state Funeral Service Commission into the companys practices, which the company denied.

An SCI spokeswoman declined to comment on past allegations.

Boetticher, who speaks with an adopted Houston drawl, said he very rarely talks to the media.

Ive been a funeral director for 53 years, he said. And I was just very, very lucky and honored to be asked to fill the position that Im in now.

Boetticher would not say whether the five living presidents or their families have requested his services for future state funerals. His companys contract with the government runs through November 2020, according to the Defense Department.

He was likewise closemouthed about his own funeral.

Its like asking a doctor if theyve had a checkup, he said. Youre always thinking about it.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
You are here: China

A car is extricated from the factory. [Photo/chinadaily.com.cn]

A part of a factory plant in Shanghai that was undergoing a revamp collapsed on the morning of May 16, trapping dozens of people, according to local media.

The accident happened at around 11 am.

As of 1:30 pm, 11 people have been rescued and sent to nearby hospitals. Local news site Kankanews.com estimated that there are more than 20 people still trapped within. It also reported that several motor vehicles are buried beneath the debris.

A total of 65 firefighters are currently at the site, which is located on Zhaohua road in Changning district.

Firefighters on 24 trucks were immediately dispatched to the site, according to media reports.

About 1,000 square meters of 3,000 square meters of total area under reconstruction collapsed.
President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory letter to the Third World Intelligence Congress, which opened in northern China's Tianjin municipality Thursday.

In the letter, Xi expressed his sincere welcome to renowned international entrepreneurs, industry leaders and Turing Award winners who attended the congress.

Noting that artificial intelligence (AI) is casting significant and far-reaching impacts on economic development, social progress and global governance, Xi said China attaches high importance to innovative development and takes new-generation AI as the driving force for scientific and technological development, industrial optimization and upgrading, as well as increasing productivity, striving to achieve high-quality development.

Xi expressed hope that participants of the congress could further exchanges, enhance consensus and step up cooperation to promote the healthy development of the new-generation AI.

Having read out Xi's letter at the opening ceremony, Li Hongzhong, secretary of the Tianjin Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China, said Tianjin would embrace a new era of intelligence, create a new intelligence-based economy, step up cooperation with other countries in the field of AI and speed up building "intelligent Tianjin."

The congress will last until Sunday.
A day after Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg forced out a top lieutenant in the latest office shake-up, officials confirmed Trial Bureau Chief David Mitcham will step in to assume the role as First Assistant District Attorney.

"David has a long and distinguished career as a criminal trial lawyer and prosecutor; he's handled thousands of cases and understands the needs of our staff because he has walked in your shoes," Ogg wrote Wednesday in an office-wide email announcing the change. "While you all have known him over the past two and one half years as the Trial Bureau Chief, I have known David for more than three decades as a colleague, friend and outstanding lawyer."
Family members of Pamela Turner, the woman fatally shot by a Baytown police officer Monday night, said the grandmother of three was a loving woman with a mental illness, but wasnt a monster.

My sister was a human being who had rights, sister Tracy Frazier said on Thursday. She did not deserve to be killed and murdered.

The family gathered in front of the Harris County civil courthouse with a large legal team of prominent civil rights attorneys, who said theyre pushing for a murder charge on the unidentified Baytown police officer who pulled the trigger.

Now Playing: A Baytown police officer shot and killed a woman Monday night after she reportedly struck him with his own Taser, according to police. Video: Metro Video

Turner, 44, was shot during a confrontation with the officer, who said he was serving an arrest warrant on the woman. He struck her with a Taser, and she then grabbed a hold of the weapon and used it on him, Baytown police said. He then shot at her five times, which was captured on a video taken by a bystander.

Turners family members said that she struggled with paranoid schizophrenia and had previously complained about encounters with the same officer who had shot her.

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Baytown police spokesman Lt. Steve Dorris identified the officer as Juan Delacruz.

Delacruz said he was serving an arrest warrant on the woman when they began to struggle, according to Baytown police. The two had "prior dealings," Dorris said.

The officer struck Turner with a Taser, after which she grabbed a hold of the weapon and used it against him, Dorris said. He fired five shots, all heard on a now-viral video taken by a bystander.

Delacruz remains on paid administrative leave, officials said.

The police department will investigate whether Turner had mental health issues, and whether that was known to the officer at the time.
Houstons highest-paid city council staffer has continued to collect his $119,600 salary despite being out of the state in a U.S. Army military law training program since January.

Daniel Albert, chief of staff to District F Councilman Steve Le, deployed to Fort Benning in Georgia as part of the Judge Advocate Generals Officer Basic Course from Jan. 21 through March 1, learning military skills and tactics. He then reported to the JAG Legal Center & School in Virginia, where he studied military law from March 4 until Wednesday.

During his training, Albert was on active duty status, earning a lieutenants pay. For the first two months of his deployment, however, Albert listed standard 40-hour work weeks on his city time cards.

On March 22, Le and Albert were informed that the Houston Chronicle had requested records relating to Alberts city work. Two days later, Albert logged into the city payroll system and scheduled six weeks of paid leave, entering 30 days of vacation or other leave  though he had accrued only 11 such days at the time. The next night, records show, he deleted those entries and used the 40 days of paid sick leave he had accumulated instead, scheduling the sick leave to run through this Friday.

City ordinance prohibits employees from working outside jobs while on sick leave. Houston city workers can use 15 days of paid military leave if they apply for that status, but city officials have no record of Albert submitting the required paperwork.

JAG school officials said Monday that Albert still was on site participating in the program, which will train him in military law and begin a years-long commitment representing the Army or Army soldiers as a reservist with the San Antonio-based 1st Legal Operations Detachment.

Le said he asked the citys Human Resources department and Office of Inspector General to look into the issue several weeks ago after community members raised concerns.

Albert, who did not return calls for comment, said in an email that this OIG probe prevents him from discussing the matter, though he said he was concerned that unspecified misunderstanding(s)  would condemn a person in public shame before a thorough investigation.

I am confident that this matter will be resolved, he said.

Councilman Greg Travis, who said he feels a kinship to Le as a fellow political conservative, nonetheless blasted the arrangement.

He doesnt show up to work, and I think the frustration is shared by everyone on this floor, council staffers and council members, Travis said of Albert. When you have somebody in your office whos unethical, whos taking money for work not performed, youve got to fire them. Theres no way youre out in another state and youre performing your job.

Councilman Dave Martin, another conservative district council member, echoed that.

It doesnt smell right and it has never smelled right ever since the day I found out how much money he was making and the fact that Ive never seen the guy at City Hall  and I see every chief of staff at City Hall every single day because I go to City Hall every day, he said. This guy is the anomaly.

Waiting on OIG probe

Le said he approved Alberts deployment but did not expect him to work remotely during the training and assumed the proper procedures had been followed. Le said he is waiting on the OIG investigation, which the mayors office confirmed is under way, before taking any action.

He wanted to serve his country and thats fine with me, Le said. Obviously, he needed to ask HR, What are the proper protocols? and I thought that was done. Ive spoken to Daniel at length about this situation already. What he asked me to do was to wait until after he meets with OIG and have the investigation, and theyll give me a formal guidance as to how to rectify this situation going forward so this doesnt happen again.

Le, who is responsible for approving Alberts time cards, said he approved the lengthy sick leave after Albert told him he had broken his leg and was advised by a doctor to take time off.

Le said he was unaware, however, that city rules prohibit employees from working outside jobs while on sick leave or that Albert had not used vacation days earlier in his deployment. Le said he examines Alberts time cards but not which types of leave are used. He also said computer problems prevented him from approving time cards for part of the year.

From what I understand, it is him putting in vacation time and sick days, Le said. If he is being paid to do full-time work then he should be doing full-time work. Having said that, even now, even though hes on sick leave, hes still performing work for us in the city.

City payroll staff confirmed Le did not approve any of Alberts time cards in 2019 until April 5, the pay period in which Albert started his sick leave. That also meant that five days of paid leave Albert had attempted to file for the week of Feb. 25  when he informed aides he had been injured and would take the week off  never were approved or debited from his account. Managers are supposed to approve workers time cards, but the city payroll system issues paychecks even if no approval is given.

Julie Sagissor, a District F civic leader in the Tanglewilde neighborhood, said Le did not return her calls on the issue, so she sent him a public information request for records related to Alberts work.

Does he think he deserves to be paid for breathing? she said. I could not be more disgusted with what Albert has done and Les apparent enabling and coverup of it. Albert needs to be fired and Le, who has acted in incredibly bad faith, should resign immediately.

Alief civic leader Barbara Quattro, a longtime critic of Le, said it was particularly galling that Albert had posted videos and pictures of a Jan. 13 Army commissioning ceremony he organized on his public Facebook page.

Honest to God, these people have no shame, she said. That money needs to be paid back to the city. I mean, his salary would pay, what  two librarians?

Work habits questioned

Alberts work habits came into question nearly two years ago, during his unsuccessful campaign for a seat on the Houston ISD board of trustees.

A Chronicle investigation showed Albert for months had listed 40-hour work weeks on his time cards despite being a relatively infrequent presence at City Hall and taking several out-of-town trips, in addition to running his civil law practice. Albert said he often worked from his home or law office and attended evening and weekend events that ensured he worked a full schedule. Le said he had authorized Albert to work remotely and on a flexible schedule, and praised his professionalism.

City investigators cleared Albert of wrongdoing, saying they could not prove he had intentionally violated city policies and describing his record-keeping errors as the product of inexperience.

Albert amended his time cards retroactively to list a cruise to Australia and New Zealand as a vacation rather than as days worked and updated the required annual form that lets him pursue employment outside the city.

The city exempts military reserve assignments from the requirement that employees file the annual authorization forms.

Le said Monday he is concerned about any aspect of Alberts deployment that may violate city policies. Still, Le reiterated his faith in Alberts work.

Job-performance-wise, I dont see any deficit, Le said. I have not had any problem in the district as far as getting things done for constituents.

Travis, whose District G included parts of Les district before Houstons 2011 redistricting, said some of Les constituents call his staff with complaints left unanswered by their own representatives office.

I find it inexcusable that a chief of staff can take that much time off while there are issues in his district, Travis said. His first and foremost responsibility is to the people of the district.

Editors note: This story has been updated to reflect that the city of Houston exempts military reserve assignments from rules requiring employees to file annual forms letting them work jobs outside the city.

mike.morris@chron.com
The Texas Rangers will conduct a separate investigation into the death of Pamela Turner, a 44-year-old woman who was fatally shot by a Baytown police officer, the police chief announced Wednesday.

"While Chief (Keith) Dougherty has full faith and confidence in his investigators, he has also heard and understands the public demands for transparency," spokesman Lt. Steve Dorris said. "He wants the family of Ms. Turner and the community to have the same faith and confidence in their police department, and the officers who work hard every day to keep our community safe."

Evidence and information that has been collected has been turned over to the Texas Department of Public Safety's Texas Ranger Division, Dorris said. The Baytown Police Department will conduct a separate investigation through its internal affairs division, and the Harris County District Attorney's Office will bring evidence to a grand jury to determine whether the officer will be formally charged in the encounter.

The announcement came hours after dozens of protesters, led by rapper Trae Tha Truth, gathered in an east Houston parking lot to call for an indictment in Turner's death.

At the end of the day, my main thing is I don't want this to be a situation where it gets swept under the rug, Trae Tha Truth said.

Baytown police have yet to identify the officer who shot and killed Turner while trying to arrest her at her apartment complex on Garth Road. Police said that Turner attempted to use the officers own Taser against him before he fired five shots.

Civil rights attorney Lee Merritt, whos working with Turners family, said that the woman had paranoid schizophrenia, meaning the officer had a duty to respond differently in arresting her.

Certain procedures should have taken place, he said. You dont approach someone that you know to be suffering from a mental health condition the same way that you approach the average citizen.

The Baytown Police Department hasnt identified the officer, who is an 11-year veteran. A spokesman said they will investigate whether Turner had mental health issues, and whether that was known to the officer.

samantha.ketterer@chron.com
A grieving woman dropped a yellow rose on a growing pile of flowers, marking the spot where her mother was fatally shot by a Baytown police officer.

She stepped back, and community leaders and strangers alike placed their hands on her in prayer. A prominent civil rights attorney implored the crowd of almost 100 people on Wednesday afternoon to send information that could result in an indictment of the officer. Another activist had one simple request.

Say her name, the activist, Ernest Walker, yelled.

Pam Turner, the crowd chanted.

Say her name, he repeated.

Pam Turner! the crowd responded, over and over.

Turners daughter, Chelsie Rubin, collapsed her head on the shoulder of a friend nearby. Her 44-year-old mother died Monday night during a confrontation with an unnamed officer, who police said shot the woman after she struck him with his own Taser.

The crowd gathered at the behest of Houston-based rapper Trae Tha Truth and civil rights attorney Lee Merritt, who said they were saddened and outraged after watching the now-viral video of Turners death. The two leaders first met in an east Houston parking lot to call for charges against the officer, an 11-year-veteran of the police department, and then migrated to the apartment complex where Turner died.

I don't want this to be a situation where it gets swept under the rug, Trae Tha Truth said.

Baytown police spokesman Lt. Steve Dorris later on Wednesday said Chief Keith Dougherty had asked the Texas Rangers to take over the officer-involved shooting investigation in their place. The local agencys Internal Affairs Division will continue its own review of the incident, Dorris said in a written statement.

While Chief Dougherty has full faith and confidence in his investigators, he has also heard and understands the public demands for transparency, Dorris continued. He wants the family of Ms. Turner and the community to have the same faith and confidence in their police department, and the officers who work hard every day to keep our community safe.

The Harris County District Attorneys Office will bring the case to a grand jury, spokesman Dane Schiller said.

Our Civil Rights Division was at the scene, he said. All the evidence will be reviewed by our specialized prosecutors and presented to a grand jury to determine whether to issue an indictment. We do this in every officer-involved shooting.

Merritt, who is working with Turners family and their attorney, said he believes the officer broke protocol in Turners attempted arrest. The woman had paranoid schizophrenia, and should have been treated differently, he said.

Merritt is known for his representation in several high-profile cases, including the death of Botham Jean, an unarmed 26-year-old who was shot by a former Dallas police officer in his apartment in September 2018.

Certain procedures should have taken place, Merritt said, of the encounter between Turner and the officer. You dont approach someone that you know to be suffering from a mental health condition the same way that you approach the average citizen.

Dorris has said the department will investigate whether Turner had mental health issues, and whether that was known to the officer at the time.

The confrontation began around 10:30 p.m. Monday night, when the police officer spotted Turner while on patrol at The Brixton Apartments at 1601 Garth Road. He had prior dealings with the woman and was trying to arrest her on an active warrant, Dorris said.

Turner began struggling with him, and the policeman deployed his Taser. Turner managed to get the weapon from him and struck him once, after which he pulled his firearm and fired five rounds, Dorris said.

Moments before the gunfire, Turner yelled that she was pregnant, according to the video footage. Police said that an autopsy found she wasnt with child.

Turner is already being villainized by police and in the media, said Minister Abdul Haleem Muhammad, of Mosque 45. One of her warrants stemmed from an alleged assault of an apartment manager who had previously posted an eviction notice on her door.

He indicated that a racial element could be at play. Turner was African-American.

This is almost deja vu and Groundhog Day all over again, Muhammad said. Regardless of whether the people are armed or not armed, we die and the police walk.

Turners daughter, Chelsie Rubin, declined to comment at the protest.

The Rev. Al Sharpton, founder and president of the civil rights organization National Action Network, announced Wednesday that he will pay for Turners funeral.

This is another alarming example of the unacceptable use of force exercised by law enforcement against Black and Brown Americans, he said. Our hearts go out to Ms. Turners family and we at NAN will fight for a full and transparent investigation into the circumstances of this heartbreaking tragedy.

The officer has been placed on a 3-day administrative leave, which is standard after officer-involved shootings, Dorris said. No decision had been made about his employment status.

He was wearing a body camera during the shooting, the footage of which has not been released, Dorris said.

The video that the public has already seen left many with more questions than answers. The officer appeared to have options, evidenced by footage showing him stepped away before firing the shots, Merritt said. In the video, Turner appeared to be on the ground before it cuts off.

There is no set of facts that I can imagine that would provide a justification for the use of force in this situation, he said.

Person after person at the apartment complex on Wednesday echoed Merritts thoughts about why any force was necessary.

She was already on the ground, Raquel Cuellar, 26, said, citing the video. Its just something tragic.

Dennis Chachere, a 28-year-old former corrections officer, said he often feels discouraged seeing lack of indictments in other officer-involved shootings across the country.

Knowing statistics, nothing ever happens, Chachere, of east Houston, said. Thats why weve got to keep this presence.
Despite public attention and debate over homeless issues this year, the Houston area experienced a 5 percent reduction in this population after an uptick in 2018, according to an annual count released on Wednesday.

The 2019 Homeless Count & Survey, coordinated by the local Coalition for the Homeless from Jan. 22 to Jan. 24, found a total of 3,938 individuals experiencing homelessness in the Houston, Pasadena, Harris County, Fort Bend County and Montgomery County areas.

The survey found that 41 percent of the homeless people were living on the streets; the rest were in shelters.

JOINT EFFORT: Houston, Harris County unite on census count

Harris County, including Houston, accounted for 2,052 homeless people in shelters and 1,515 on the streets. In Montgomery County, 212 people of almost 300 counted were in shelters, and in Fort Bend, 60 out of 73.

The homeless population counted represents one in every 1,541 residents in the three counties, or 0.065 percent, the surveys report says.

The count says that we are moving in the right direction, said Michael Nichols, interim president and CEO of the coalition.

The 5 percent decrease is even more impressive when you put it in context with the impact that Hurricane Harvey had in our city, said Marc Eichenbaum, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turners special assistant for for homeless initiatives.

The coalition recorded a consistent reduction from 8,538 homeless people in 2011, when it began the annual survey, to 3,412 in 2017. Last year the area experienced an uptick after Hurricane Harvey, which pounded the Texas Gulf Coast with record-breaking rainfall and devastating floods in August 2017.

The count in 2018 was 4,143. Eichenbaum said Harveys impact was estimated to account for around 20 percent overall, and half among people who found themselves homeless for the first time.

In spite of the challenge brought by Harvey, the outlook was positive at a meeting on Wednesday with volunteers and representatives of over 100 agencies that make up The Way Home effort lead by the coalition. Speakers noted that the area has cut the homeless population by 54 percent since 2011.

Nichols, the CEO, said recent news coverage of issues involving the homeless may have led the public to believe that more people were living on the streets. Nichols referred to debates over city actions to dismantle a large homeless encampment, and litigation over a city ordinance that regulates groups that feed homeless people.

Instead, the annual survey shows two emerging trends: The homeless population is shrinking, but its also becoming more compact and visible, said Eva Thibaudeau, the coalitions chief program officer.

She explained that the concentration of homeless people had been a natural outcome of redevelopment of the revitalization of downtown, the creation of the Midtown and the Museum districts, growing residential developments and the beautification of urban areas and Buffalo Bayou.

Its a radical change, said Thibaudeau. Two decades ago Midtown didnt exist, and downtown was a ghost town there were lots and lots of people unsheltered in abandoned buildings, people all over the place. With the transformations, the presence and visibility of the homeless has changed, from dispersed to compressed.

The coalitions concept of fighting homelessness with permanent housing along with supporting services has been working, said Nichols. The approach involves different levels of accommodation, from temporary to permanent, coupled with services that target everyday needs including medical care, social work and life management programs.

This strategy, known as The Way Home, is followed by over 100 regional agencies led by the Coalition that has streamlined a previously messy and confusing system to serve the homeless into a more coordinated one, leaders of the effort said.

The Way Home has housed over 17,000 homeless people during the last seven years. Of those placements, 3,267 occurred during the past year alone.

I am glad that we are holding our ground, said Thibaudeau. However, the feeder systems into homelessness are on full blast, and I am afraid that we are going to lose ground if we dont do something quickly. We need to stop exiting people from institutions into homelessness, such as those leaving psychiatric and correctional facilities, hospitals, or foster care placements.

Housing is at the core of so many issues. and they are related to homelessness, Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo said at the meeting.

Hidalgo said her office is overseeing the countys first-ever study on affordable housing and homelessness. She said she is creating a task force to work on the issue.

olivia.tallet@chron.com
SUGAR LANDWhite star-shaped balloons. Pink heart-shaped balloons. Silver and pink crown-shaped balloons that said "princess."

All floated away into the pale sky as the sun set Wednesday, carried northwest by the wind until several hundred onlookers, gathered in a Sugar Land park to honor missing 4-year-old Maleah Davis, could see them no more.

A group of friends who knew Maleahs mom growing up organized the event in the missing girls honor. They wore pale blue T-shirts with the image of Maleahs face. As the balloons floated away, one wrapped her arm around the other, who wiped away tears.

They wanted to add a moment of positivity to a story that otherwise felt so tragic, Dominique Bryant said.

Were doing this for Maleah, said Bryant, 27.

It had been more than a week since Maleah was reported missing. The live-in boyfriend of her mother, Brittany Bowens, was taken into custody related to the case. The girl has not yet been reported found.

The crowd who came to honor the girl included neighbors, relatives and strangers.

Gathered at the park was a neighbor of Maleahs, who remembered seeing her outside.

A cousin of her biological father, who thanked everyone for their support.

And the father of Jazmine Barnes, a 7-year-old shot in her mothers car in what was initially believed to be a racially motivated incident. He saw in Maleahs case another example of a child lost to violence.

Its a relapse moment for us, her father, Christopher Cevilla said.

And then there were complete strangers, many of them mothers. If it were their child, they would want people looking.

There were two prayers. Poetry. Words from the audience. Some still held out hope she was alive. Others were less certain. They urged everyone to report abuse if they saw it and not let a scenario such as Maleahs be repeated.

I feel like shes my own, Valarie Berniard said. Its heartbreaking. Its very much heartbreaking.

Berniard had been off from her job at a nearby nursing home since 2 p.m., but stayed in the area to be a part of the event.

Before it started, she found herself in a conversation with Carol Smith, 65. They shared their concern for what happened.

When anything happens to a young child... it touches your heart, and you want answers, said Smith, 65, a monitor technician at St Lukes.

The search for Maleah on Wednesday continued in the small Brazoria County community of Rosharon as a small crew from Texas EquuSearch scoured the area where her mother's boyfriend once worked a mail route, organizers said.

Later on Wednesday, Texas EquuSearch officials said they would be suspending their operations in the search for Maleah until something more substantive turns up.

"It is frustrating. We've been here before with other cases," said Tim Miller, founder of the search and rescue outfit. "We're hoping some new information comes in."

The group will "continue to work closely with investigators, and follow-up on credible tips & leads," according to a written statement.

Derion Vence, the live-in boyfriend of Maleahs mother who faces charges of tampering with a corpse, reported the girl missing May 4, only to have his claims that she was abducted break down as the Houston Police Department continued its investigation.

Blood linked to the girls DNA was found inside the familys apartment in the 9800 block of South Kirkwood Drive where Maleah lived with her mother, Brittany Bowens, and Vence, her fiance, police said.

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 girls 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.

Vence worked as a mail carrier, Miller said, and had a route in the Rosharon area. Equusearch has received several tips over the last few days indicating she might be in the area, or somewhere in Fort Bend County.

Miller said that Vence once indicated to family that he would hide a body in the marshy area.

He actually said to his mother-in-law a year ago, he said, man, if I ever killed anybody, Ive got some places down in Rosharon where theyd never find the body, Miller said. He corroborated that with family members, he said.

He offered his support to family and community members grappling with Maleahs disappearance.

This is a baby, Miller said. This baby did not choose where its at right now and doesnt want to be where its at right now. Its heartbreaking. Were human. I wish we werent. I wish we didnt have feelings. Unfortunately, we do. I dont want our emotions to get in the way. At times, that happens. God bless her. Were not going to quit. We may suspend, but well never quit.

emily.foxhall@chron.com

jay.jordan@chron.com
Elizabeth Conley, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer

The states driver responsibility program, which critics have called a debtors prison that has left an estimated 1.5 million Texans without drivers licenses, is on its way out in favor of other fees for impaired driving convictions and $2 more on everyones insurance premiums.

The Texas Senate on Wednesday unanimously passed HB 2048, which repeals the driver responsibility program but provides money for trauma care in the state that the program originally was intended to fund. The bill, by state Rep. John Zerwas, R-Richmond, increases all traffic fines in the state by $20, adds $2 to motor vehicle insurance bills for all Texans, and adds up to $6,000 to the fines and fees of a drunken-driving conviction.
WASHINGTON  Neil Bush, son of the late former president, is deeply involved in a legal fight playing out in the Middle East over the fate of an imprisoned Russian woman, a battle featuring a cast of global characters and an unusual alliance of American and Russian interests.

Bush, of Houston, made his fourth trip to Kuwait this month on behalf of Marsha Lazareva, a U.S.-educated investment manager who was convicted of embezzlement and faces other charges related to alleged financial crimes.

As a consultant to a company run by Lazareva, Bush invokes the Gulf War and George H.W. Bushs success in freeing Kuwait from Saddam Hussein-led Iraq, warning that keeping Lazareva locked up threatens Kuwaits standing in the world.

As a member of the Bush family, I hoped that Kuwait would continue to shine as a member of civilized nations in terms of its human rights record and its judicial process, he said in an interview. Im involved, and I cant shake it until theres justice done. Im 100 percent committed, he said.

The fight to free Lazareva is being waged on the public relations front as well as by legal luminaries in court, with relatives of the famous recruited to the case to raise humanitarian alarms in hopes of bringing global pressure on Kuwait. Cherie Blair, a human rights lawyer and wife of former UK prime minister Tony Blair, is involved, as is former Russian President Boris Yeltsins daughter, Tatyana Yumasheva.

Texas Take: Get political headlines from across the state sent directly to your inbox

Former FBI director Louis Freeh, who headed the agency in the Clinton administration and briefly under President George W. Bush, is also on Lazrevas team and has traveled to Kuwait for the courtroom drama playing out on recent Sundays.

Bush and others have emphasized details of Lazarevas year-long detainment in overcrowded conditions and lack of access to a phone or computer to work on her case. A court pleading contends that Lazareva has been subjected to intimidation, harassment and long hours of interrogation.

Lazareva, 44, a Russian citizen, is a graduate of Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and the single mother of a four-year-old son, an American citizen. She was convicted in May 2018 and sentenced to 10 years with hard labor for crimes related to a fund she manages that included Kuwaiti government investments.

In a post-conviction interview with a journalist from Forbes Magazine, Lazareva said documents detailing the accusations against her were denied to her defense team. All my human and civil rights were completely violated during the court hearings. The judge made many racist comments toward me during the case and singled me out as a woman, she said.

On May 5, a Kuwaiti appellate court voided Lazarevas conviction, which related to consulting shed been been paid to do but allegedly had not performed.

The ruling was a victory for Bush and Lazarevas defenders. But it was tempered when the court imposed an extraordinary $65 million bail each for Lazareva and a business partner, both of whom face additional charges, assuring that they remain in prison.

In proceedings last Sunday, the Kuwaiti court declined to lower bail, prompting Bush to recall Saddam Hussein.

"The United States offered a $25 million reward for the capture of Saddam Hussein. Kuwait is demanding a shocking $130 million to release two innocent people who have been wrongly imprisoned for over a year, Bush said in a statement. Forces in Kuwait are clearly working to prevent justice from being served in this case.

Pleading with Trump to intervene

Lazarevas conviction and still more charges stem from her role as CEO of KGL Investment, a Kuwaiti company that managed a fund that included Kuwaits Ports Authority and Social Security fund as investors. The fund was so successful that it nearly doubled investors money thanks to a development deal in the Philippines.

Kuwaiti officials charged Lazareva with an array of financial crimes. Still pending are charges that she embezzled or helped others embezzle tens of millions of dollars invested in the fund she manages, laundered money and otherwise misappropriated government monies.

Lazarevas lawyers contend that the remaining allegations are false, that the money can be accounted for and that the charges are politically motivated by business rivals with ties to the Kuwaiti government.

Kuwaiti officials in Kuwait City and Washington did not respond to inquiries about the case.

Lazarevas imprisonment has drawn little attention in the United States but could blow up if the Trump administration heeds a request by Bush and others to invoke the Magnitsky Act, which enables sanctions on foreign individuals accused of human rights violations and seizure of their U.S. assets.

Other high-profile personalities have been drawn to Lazarevas defense - and likely to the prospect of a payday if the wealthy woman can be freed.

Lazarevas British lawyer, Alex Carlile, otherwise known as Lord Carlile of Berriew, is partners with Sir John Scarlett, a former head of the British secret intelligence service MI6.

Bush was recruited by Jim Nicholson, a former Republican National Committee head and Veterans Affairs secretary under George W. Bush. Nicholson, now at a Washington lobby firm, also has traveled to Kuwait on Lazarevas behalf.

Ed Royce, until January a GOP congressman from California and Foreign Affairs Committee chairman, is part of a powerhouse lobby campaign in Washington. Several lobbyist firms reported payments totaling $2.7 million in the first quarter of 2019 from firms and an investment fund associated with Lazareva, according to lobbyist disclosure records.

A rare moment of cooperation with Russia

At a time when Russian meddling in U.S. elections colors debates across Washington, the coordination of Americans and Russians on Lazarevas is notable.

Russian Foreign Affairs Minister Sergey Lavrov spoke of the matter when he visited Kuwait in March, the Kuwaiti Times reported. The Russian Federations Chamber of Commerce has been involved and an executive of a Russian government-owned bank, Vladimir Sidorov, joined former FBI director Louis Freeh and Carlile in recent proceedings.

I think it is a rare moment of cooperation, said Bush of the U.S.-Russian alliance.

Bush, 64, is the fourth child of the late George H.W. and Barbara Bush. He operates Neil Bush Global Advisers, focused recently on business development in China and other Asian nations, he said. With a name that opens doors, Bush has had far-flung business dealings in the past, including investments by a Kuwaiti and a Russian billionaire in an educational software startup he co-founded in 1999. He no longer is affiliated with that company.

Bush noted another success in Lazarevas case, helping win the release of $496 million from KGLs investment proceeds frozen until February in a Dubai bank, money later distributed to Kuwaiti government entities and others.

Bush said that part of his mission is persuading Kuwaiti leaders that their reputation as a haven for investments will be damaged.

The tricky thing, honestly, is to not be seen as intervening in Kuwaiti internal affairs, he added.

Kuwaits internal affairs, says Middle East expert Theodore Karasik, can be difficult for outsiders to fathom given a system in which the royal family and businesses have influence in the courts.

Karasik, a senior adviser for Gulf States Analytics  a Washington firm that examines risks for clients - has written sympathetically about Lazareva.

"She got caught up in the judicial mess over there and its drawing some very interesting international attention," he said.

"A case like this harms the reputation of Kuwait, which is seeking more international investment. But in their culture, if something goes wrong, whether youre guilty or not, they will drag things out. They want to make you scream."
After Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller called on Austin Mayor Steve Adler not to attend a Ramadan event headlined by U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar, the group hosting this weekends dinner fired back.

Hate has no home here, Sana Shahid of Emgage, a Muslim American advocacy group, said in a statement Thursday morning, adding that Millers immoral comments do not reflect the views of everyday Texans.

Omar, D-Minnesota, is the keynote speaker Saturday night at the Annual Austin Citywide Iftar Dinner, a ceremonial meal to break the fast during Ramadan. Adler, who has attended each of the previous city-wide Iftars, is the guest of honor.

In November, Omar made history when she and Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Michigan, became the first Muslim women elected to Congress. Since then, Omar has stirred controversy with comments seen as anti-Semitic and remarks viewed as dismissive of the 9/11 attacks.

Omars critics accuse her of playing into anti-Semitic stereotypes when criticizing Israel and its supporters. On Tuesday, Miller called on Adler, who is Jewish, to stay home and suggested replacing Omars participation with Jewish community leaders.

"It's not inclusive to have a keynote speaker at a dinner who has repeatedly attacked the Jewish faith and its adherents," Miller said in a statement. "Mayor Adler should help Austin stay true to its roots and use this opportunity as a teaching moment for Muslims, Jews, Christians and those of other faiths to come and break bread together in the spirit of unity and love, not hate.

On Wednesday, Adler confirmed he will attend the event.

It is a gift that our community gathers at this City Wide Iftar, Adler said in a statement. The Iftar is a time for reflection, piety and growing closer to God. Every year, this event is a special opportunity for people of many faiths to grow together. As mayor, it is my privilege and responsibility to lean into such learning moments with my community  not to back away from them.

Miller himself has been called out for racist statements in the past, such as in 2015 when his campaign made a Facebook post suggesting nuclear bombs as a way to make peace with the Muslim world. Last year, Miller faced criticism for liking a comment on his Facebook page that was an apparent reference to lynching.

Editors note: This story has been updated to more accurately characterize the comments Miller made about the event.
Ted Cruz has had enough of the media mocking him for his concerns about space pirates.

At a hearing this week in Washington, the Republican U.S. Senator from Texas delivered an introductory speech at a subcommittee he chairs in which he endorsed President Donald Trumps call for a Space Force to defend American interest in space.

Since the ancient Greeks first put to sea, nations have recognized the necessity of naval forces and maintaining a superior capability to protect waterborne travel and commerce from bad actors, Cruz said. Pirates threatened the open seas and the same is possible in space. In this same way, we too must now recognize the necessity of a Space Force to defend the nation and to protect space commerce and civil space exploration.

Those comments quickly became fodder for jabs on cable television and on the internet. NBCs Meet the Press host Chuck Todd scoffed at the idea at the start of his MTP-Daily program on MSNBC.

"So Ted Cruz says we need a Space Force to stop space pirates, you know, those celestial swashbucklers, intergalactic planet pillagers, buccaneers of the great beyond," Todd said, while a screen in the studio flashed an image of a pirate ship floating through outer space.

Cruz, who is chairman on the Senate Subcommittee on Aviation and Space, responded on Twitter.

Sure, a frigate w/ skull & crossbones in space is unlikely anytime soon, but what MSNBC conveniently omits is the threat of piracy, espionage & violence from rogue & rival NATIONS is very real, he wrote. Indeed, China has already developed & tested weapons to destroy satellites in space.

Later, Cruz launched more tweets jabbing at Todd directly: You know how to report honestly, and this isnt it.

Later he tweeted at Twitter for highlighting snarky leftists making fun of my comments but not including his responses explaining the real point of the danger other nations pose in space.
Growing up in the 1950s and '60s, there was no avoiding the adorable Doris Day. She was cute as a bug, wholesome, winsome and adored, at least in movies, by the swooning-est leading men in Hollywood  Rock Hudson, Cary Grant and Clark Gable, to name a few.

As a young girl, I simply loved her and, of course, wanted to marry Rock. As dreamboats went, he was without par. And Doris (we were on a first-name basis back then) was this motherless girls idea of what a woman should be  cheerfully feminine and wise to men.

Today, Days characters would be laughable to world-weary children trapped in a sexualized world. But I can testify that watching grown-ups crawl into twin beds wearing pajamas brings no harm to the underaged. Im grateful for the innocence that society then permitted its younger generation, and to actors such as Day, who declined roles, including Mrs. Robinson in The Graduate, that defied her values.

Also, Day was honest enough about herself to figure she probably wouldnt have been believable as a seductress. She was certainly glamorous, but was also perhaps cursed by a prevailing perkiness that could be neither subdued nor camouflaged. Besides, who would want to see a lascivious Doris Day? Surely, not her fans.

Days singing career  about which much has been written  preceded and succeeded her acting career. Que Sera, Sera became her theme song, and its lyrics were tantamount to an elegy for the songstress, who wanted none of that. Day, who died Monday at 97, made known that she didnt want a funeral, memorial or even a headstone.

In her later years, Day became increasingly reclusive and dedicated her talents and resources to animal rights. If long ago I admired her fictional personas, Im grateful today for her animal activism and find myself in agreement with her reflection: The more I study human beings, the more I love animals.

Though her work for animals is inarguably her greatest legacy, most obituaries have focused on her film and song careers. Eager to know more, I contacted Wayne Pacelle, former head of the Humane Society of the United States, who knew Day and worked with her in pursuing legislative action on behalf of animals.

Her compassion for all animals  not just dogs, but for all animals  was central to everything she was about, he wrote in an email. She attached her name to advocacy organizations to scale up her work for animals  a rare thing for celebrities, who would occasionally weigh in on issues, but not fully commit to engagement on these issues.

Pacelle said Day frequently called state and federal lawmakers when animal issues hung in the balance. She advocated for a 1990 ban on the trophy hunting of mountain lions in California, was strong in urging an end to cosmetic testing on animals, helped with a 2010 ballot measure in Missouri to crack down on puppy mills, and made calls and sent letters on a wide range of topics to help all animals.

Lawmakers who were old enough to have been fans were always thrilled to hear from her, he said. She was one of the biggest celebrity names in the 20th century, and her guileless approach on animal issues won her so many admirers and fans. She was part of the process of making animal welfare a mainstream issue. She is like Jane Goodall in being above the fray and was almost impossible for apologists of animal cruelty to attack.

Pacelle visited Day in her Carmel, California, home 14 years ago to discuss merging the Doris Day Animal League (a political advocacy group) with a planned HSUS political action committee. He remembered her home as elegant but understated and described her as warm and gracious. A small herd of rescue dogs followed her everywhere. At first, Day was reluctant to combine forces, wishing to remain independent, but she ended the conversation with, Lets do it. The result was a union of HSUS and DDAL and the creation of the Humane Society Legislative Fund and its PAC.

Come to think of it, maybe Day wasnt a que sera, sera sort of gal after all. She saw cruelty and used her celebrity to improve the lives of animals and, by extension, helped create a more-humane world. The future may not be ours to see, but Day demonstrated that the future can be made better through activism, helped along, no doubt, by the memory of a wink, a smile and a song.
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Some people only want to be a digital subscriber to get access online and others want to also receive the print edition.

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5 Things To Keep In Mind For Your Next Photo Shoot

As an artist, having solid promo photos is key, so when prepping for you next photo shoot, it's important not only to make sure you look good, but also also that these five key logistics are fully kept in mind before that shutter starts clicking.

___________________________

Guest post by Hugh McIntyre of TuneCore

When you set up your next photo shoot, theres a lot to think about. As you sit in front of camera, you may be worried about how your hair looks, if the outfit is right, or perhaps even if you have something in your teeth!

I dont mean to add more to your list of concerns, but there are a number of logistical details and technical things that you need to consider as well. Failing to do so can have unfortunate and unwanted ramifications, and its much, much easier to simply make sure youve got everything covered before that shutter clicks even once.

1. HI-RES QUALITY

In 2019, its crazy that anyone even needs to be talking about hi-res versus low-res when it comes to photos. For the most part, taking, storing, and sharing photos in very high resolution is easier than ever, (and every year, it seems to become even easier). For a long time it was a more difficult process, but technology has improved so quickly, it should now be the norm  yet, it still goes ignored by some bands and artists.

Whether it be with a professional-grade camera or a cellphone, shooting in hi-res requires nothing more than a quick change in settings. These pictures take up a lot of space, which is why storing and sharing them used to be an issue, but finding space in online storage lockers, on computers, and so on is simple now, as is sharing them with anyone who may want excellent quality pictures of you.

Hi-res photos will come in handy at many points, so you need to make sure you not only have them, but that you stick to using only them. Whether its posting them on your website, using them for printing posters, album covers, or merch, or perhaps even sharing them with journalists for coverage, youll need snaps taken in the highest of quality, and if you dont have them readily available, it can be an immediate detriment. The only time when lesser quality pics will be acceptable is on social mediabut posting hi-res on those platforms doesnt hurt either!

2. HORIZONTAL

I find myself running into this issue as a journalist quite often, and I am continually shocked. When youre taking pictures, think about the fact that you will likely be using them for many different purposes, with press being one of them. You will want to be able to supply bloggers with pictures of your and your band that they can use if they choose to share your music, so you need to make sure youre giving them something that actually works for them.

A quick look at most, if not all of the major music magazines and blogs shows you that they almost always use horizontal photos. Its simply what works well online, and thus you need pictures that have been composed horizontally. I constantly ask managers and public relations people for this kind of photo, and far too often I am met with the answer that no such images are available. This is very frustrating, as it means sometimes I need to clip a provided option, or that I need to search for something else.

As should be the case anytime youre requesting another person in any business to use something youve giving them (which benefits you), make sure its something they can actually work with!

3. OPTIONS

Having pictures you can share with promoters, journalists, and even fans is a great idea, but make sure you dont only pick one snap and run with it. As a journalist, I always want a picture that is my own, or perhaps one I havent seen many times. Its always a bit boring when a band only has a single photo thats used everywhere, as it gets very tiring, and its not preferred by many who are forced to use it.

You dont need to have dozens of options when it comes to approved press photos and the like, but a handful is a good idea. Perhaps four or five different images per campaign or era would work best.

4. PROPER CREDIT

Again, this should almost be a given at this point, but I run into this issue so often, I take any opportunity to beg people to consider this during their next photo shoot.

Whenever a major publication uses an image, attribution must be provided. It doesnt matter what happens on the back-end (meaning it doesnt matter if you, the musician, took it yourself, paid a professional photographer, or even asked a friend to quickly grab some nice shots), you must provide writers with the name of the person behind the lens. Without proper credit, some editors wont allow the photo to be used at all.

If you dont provide this information upfront, the journalist may have to come back to you asking for it, and thats an annoying separate step. In some cases, bands, or their representatives, dont even know, and thus the picture cant be shared.

5. COHESIVENESS

Chances are the next time you pose for a photo shoot, it will be because you have something new to share with the world. This will likely be an album thats coming, and thus its essentially a new era in your career. As you craft your album, you should also be thinking about all aspects of this segment of your life, and everything should fit together smoothly.

Youve likely noticed that when a superstar launches a new album, the album cover, the music videos, the merchandise, what they wear on red carpetsseemingly every little detail seems to fit perfectly into that time period.

The underlying theme may be a color, a certain style, or maybe one special accessory or haircut. Even if its not that specific, you still want to make sure that the pictures youll be sharing with the world on social media, as well as with various parties during this time, all help people place when they were taken.

This is music marketing 101, and cohesiveness will help you build up your work and make your album more than a collection of songs, but rather an entire period in what is likely an illustrious career.

Hugh McIntyre writes about music and the music industry and regularly contributes to Forbes, Sonicbids, and more.

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Montreal and Beijing, 16 May 2019  Providing opening remarks today at the 2019 China Civil Aviation Development Forum, ICAO Council President Dr. Olumuyiwa Benard Aliu highlighted that new regulatory policies and practices are needed in aviation so that the sector can proactively engage with innovators and encourage, rather than impede their inventiveness.





The theme of this years China Civil Aviation Development Forum  Intelligent Aviation: High quality development in a new scientific, technological, and industrial revolution  is very apt and quite timely, especially as aviation today has become such an essential component of our global society, Dr. Aliu remarked.





Technological innovations, if addressed on a complementary basis, can greatly accelerate the rate at which all countries and peoples can benefit even more from the significant and sustainable socio-economic impacts of air transport, he commented, noting as well that related regulatory reforms must be accomplished in a manner which ensures that aviation retains the confidence of the travelling public as the safest and an efficient and reliable mode of transport.





ICAOs Council President also highlighted how the digitization of aviation now extends to virtually every area of airline and airport operation today, and that these trends pose serious concerns not only in terms of process evolution, but also cybersecurity threats.





He outlined ICAOs efforts to establish a robust trust framework among the senders and receivers of digital information, and strongly underscored the need for air transport personnel to be trained with the enhanced competencies that will be required to operate and manage all of the new 21st century aviation systems and capabilities, professionally and efficiently.





Noting that the Asia/Pacific is expected to remain ICAOs fastest growing air transport region in terms of passenger and freight traffic through at least 2035, which will not only bring greater number of flights but also higher levels of emissions, he drew attention to how innovative technologies are also critical to our efforts to reduce the environmental footprint of our industry to the benefit of future generations.





This underscores the importance of Chinas recent efforts to promote the greening of aviation, and I congratulate your country for demonstrating this leadership. I also look forward to your continuing support to ICAOs activities on environmental protection, he gratefully acknowledged.





Dr. Aliu concluded by noting that the upcoming ICAO World Aviation Forum and its adjacent Innovation Fair and Exhibition, taking place on the eve of the UN aviation agencys upcoming 40th Triennial Assembly this September, would be focused on issues of operational and regulatory innovations in recognition of the potentials and challenges posed by this era of incredible aviation innovations, as part of ICAOs 75th Anniversary celebrations in 2019.





During his stay in Beijing, Dr. Aliu met with a number of high-level officials, the CAAC Administrator, Mr. Feng Zhenglin as well as the Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of China, Mr. Le Yucheng to address these and other points of relevance to Chinas civil aviation sector. He will also be making visits to a number of technical facilities, including Beijings new Daxing International Airport. He is being accompanied throughout by the Representative of China on the Council of ICAO, Mr. Yang Shengjun, and the Chief of the ICAO Asia Pacific Regional Sub-Office in Beijing, Mr. Raphael Guillet.





Resources for Editors

About ICAO

A specialized agency of the United Nations, ICAO was created in 1944 to promote the safe and orderly development of international civil aviation throughout the world. It sets standards and regulations necessary for aviation safety, security, efficiency, capacity and environmental protection, amongst many other priorities. The Organization serves as the forum for cooperation in all fields of civil aviation among its 193 Member States.





ICAO Innovation Fair

Aviation and Sustainable Development





Contacts

Anthony Philbin

Chief, Communications

aphilbin@icao.int

+1 514-954-8220

+1 438-402-8886 (mobile)

Twitter: @ICAO





William Raillant-Clark

Communications Officer

wraillantclark@icao.int

+1 514-954-6705

+1 514-409-0705 (mobile)

Twitter: @wraillantclark

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/raillantclark/
Fishermen in Ireland plan to stage protest at Greystones Harbour

by Mary Fogarty

Protesting fishermen in Ireland will bring their boats to the harbour in Greystones on Saturday afternoon to unload their catch, in deliberate breach of by laws.



They are objecting to what they say is Wicklow County Council's refusal to allow commercial fishermen to use their home port of Greystones to carry on their business.



When work on the new harbour began in 2008, the local fishing boats were deprived of access to their moorings but promised that berths would again be provided to them once the new harbour opened.



'This promise was broken, despite talks between the fishers and representatives from Sisk in July 2014 at which Sisk promised to provide the berths,' said a spokesman for the fishermen.



'The subsequent harbour by-laws drafted by Wicklow County Council officials effectively excluded fishing boats by preventing them landing any catch and imposing impossibly high fees. But the fishing crews have not given up, and will relaunch their campaign for full access to their home port next Saturday.'



'Discussions took place with the fishermen in 2017 and a landing area was identified at that time,' said Wicklow County Council in a statement. 'However, the fishermen have not been in contact since then. Meanwhile the harbour continues to be well-used and is a popular amenity for the community of Greystones.'



Three boats, owned by local fishers, will land their catch at about 4.30 p.m. at Greystones harbour, in a deliberate breach of the by-laws.



Skippers Ivan Toole, Tim Storey and Peter Ryan will enter the harbour and land their catch, in the first action of their fresh campaign for the right to return to their home port and carry on their business locally.



At present, they must berth as far away as Dun Laoghaire, motor to their traditional fishing grounds off Bray Head and Greystones to fish, then return to south Dublin to land the catch, which they may then have to drive by land to Greystones or elsewhere to sell.



It has been 12 years since fishing boats were permitted to unload their catch at the harbour in Greystones.



'Greystones was first established as a fishing port, and every harbour built here has been used by fishing boats - until this one,' said the spokesman.



'Fishing has long been a way of life and source of income and food for local families. These families' livelihoods are now under threat due to their exclusion from Greystones harbour and the untenable conditions there, high fees, restraints and the privatisation of what was a public amenity.'



The original plans for the harbour included a place for commercial fishermen. 'When An Bord Pleanala refused the first design the redesign eliminated that space but nobody noticed, even among the 3,000 people who made submissions,' said Cllr Derek Mitchell.



'The way it is constructed makes it very difficult to unload anywhere. I felt some arrangement should be made, a number were tried including laying special moorings, but none has worked out.'



Ivan Toole and his crew participated in a similar demonstration at the harbour in August 2014. Even though he fishes around Greystones, he does the round trip to Dun Laoghaire Harbour each day, spending hundreds of extra Euros per week on fuel.



Mr Toole said at that time that prior to the construction of the new marina, the fishermen were 'promised all sorts of things' including water and electricity.



Mr Toole said that during the summer of 2014, a senior representative of Sisk promised a gate, mooring cleats, an area to drive their van in, and space to collect the catch, none of which emerged.

 Independent.ie

Theme(s): Communities and Organisations.
WTO Ministerial meet calls for disciplines on fisheries subsidies

May 15,2019 | Source: GoI

The World Trade Organization (WTO) Ministerial meeting held in New Delhi, on 13 and 14 May 2019, to discuss recent developments at the WTO and explore ways for working with all Members to strengthen the multilateral trading system has agreed to consult on various issues of common interest to developing Members, including comprehensive and effective disciplines on fisheries subsidies with appropriate and effective Special & Differential Treatment provisions for developing Members.



The meeting, attended by Ministers and high-level officials from Arab Republic of Egypt, Barbados, Central African Republic, Federal Republic of Nigeria, Jamaica, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, People's Republic of Bangladesh, People's Republic of China, Republic of Benin, Republic of Chad, Republic of India, Republic of Indonesia, Republic of Malawi, Republic of South Africa, Republic of Uganda and Sultanate of Oman, discussed recent developments at the WTO and explored ways for working with all Members to strengthen the multilateral trading system.



The following is the full text of the outcome of the meeeting:





OUTCOME OF THE WTO MINISTERIAL MEETING OF DEVELOPING COUNTRIES WORKING COLLECTIVELY TO STRENGTHENING THE WTO TO PROMOTE DEVELOPMENT AND INCLUSIVITY



New Delhi, May 14, 2019





1. We, the Ministers and high-level officials from Arab Republic of Egypt, Barbados, Central African Republic, Federal Republic of Nigeria, Jamaica, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, People's Republic of Bangladesh, People's Republic of China, Republic of Benin, Republic of Chad, Republic of India, Republic of Indonesia, Republic of Malawi, Republic of South Africa, Republic of Uganda and Sultanate of Oman met in New Delhi, on 13 and 14 May 2019, to discuss recent developments at the WTO and explore ways for working with all Members to strengthen the multilateral trading system.



2. We reaffirm the pre-eminence of the WTO as the global forum for trade rules setting and governance. We note with concern the multiple challenges confronting the rules-based multilateral trading system and agree to work together with all WTO Members to strengthen the WTO, make it more effective and continue to remain relevant to the diverse needs of its Members, in line with objectives of the WTO.



3. We re-affirm that the dispute settlement system of the WTO is a central element in providing security and predictability to the multilateral trading system. This has proved to be more effective and reliable as compared to its predecessor, GATT. We note with concern that Members have failed to arrive at a consensus in the selection process to fill vacancies in the Appellate Body. This ongoing impasse has weakened the dispute settlement system and threatens to completely paralyze it by December 2019. We, therefore, urge all WTO Members to engage constructively to address this challenge without any delay in filling the vacancies in the Appellate Body, while continuing discussions on other issues relating to the functioning of the dispute settlement mechanism.



4. An inclusive multilateral trading system based on equality and mutual respect should ensure that all WTO Members abide by WTO rules and abjure any form of protectionism. The core value and basic principles of the multilateral trading system must be preserved and strengthened, particularly with a view to building trust among Members. To this end, we urge WTO Members to adopt measures that are compatible with WTO rules to avoid putting the multilateral trading system at risk.



5. Multilateral avenues, based on consensus, remain the most effective means to achieve inclusive development-oriented outcomes. Members may need to explore different options to address the challenges of contemporary trade realities in a balanced manner. We note that in the post-MC 11 phase, many Members have evinced interest in pursuing outcomes in some areas through joint initiatives approach. The outcomes of these initiatives should be conducive to strengthening the multilateral trading system and be consistent with WTO rules.



6. We recall that international trade is not an end in itself but a means of contributing to certain objectives, including raising standards of living. Special and Differential Treatment is one of the main defining features of the multilateral trading system and is essential to integrating developing Members into global trade. Special and Differential Treatment provisions are rights of developing Members that must be preserved and strengthened in both current and future WTO agreements, with priority attention to outstanding LDC issues.



7. We stress the importance of technical assistance and capacity building provided to developing Members, in particular LDCs, including through the Enhanced Integrated Framework, Aid for Trade and other tools. We urge Members to continue doing so.



8. The process of WTO reform must keep development at its core, promote inclusive growth, and fully take into account the interests and concerns of developing Members, including the specific challenges of graduating LDCs. The way forward must be decided through a process that is open, transparent and inclusive. We agree to work collectively with the aim to develop proposals to ensure that our common interests are reflected in the WTO reform process.



9. WTO rules seek to foster an open and non-discriminatory trade regime. In order to instill confidence among the Members, it is imperative that the Ministerial Conferences of the WTO are organized in a more open, transparent and inclusive manner. WTO notification obligations must consider the capacity constraints and implementation related challenges faced by many developing Members, particularly LDCs. In the WTO, a more cooperative and gradual approach is the best way in dealing with the issue of transparency, where many developing Members struggle to comply with their notification obligations.



10. Some WTO agreements, for example the Agreement on Agriculture, contain imbalances and inequities that prejudice the trade and development interests of developing Members. There is a need to provide adequate policy space to the developing Members to support their farmers through correcting the asymmetries and imbalances in this Agreement on priority. This should be undertaken on the basis of work done and progress already made in the past, and provide further flexibilities to the LDCs and Net Food Importing Developing Countries. It is really time that cotton receives concrete and appropriate responses it deserves.



11. We agree to consult on various issues of common interest to developing Members, including comprehensive and effective disciplines on fisheries subsidies with appropriate and effective Special & Differential Treatment provisions for developing Members.



12. We urge WTO Members to expedite the process of accession of new Members.



13. We reiterate our commitment to work towards strengthening WTO by promoting development and inclusivity for the benefit of all Members.

Theme(s): Post Harvest Technology and Trade.
In his famous speech at UNESCO five years ago, Chinese President Xi Jinping called for the exchange of ideas and mutual learning among civilizations to build a community with a shared future. To state the exact words of his celebrated speech, "Civilizations come in different colors, and such diversity makes exchange and mutual learning among civilizations relevant and valuable; civilizations are equal, and such equality makes exchange and mutual learning among civilizations possible; civilizations are inclusive, and such inclusiveness gives exchange and mutual learning among civilizations the drive to move forward."



An unparalleled exchange

Xi's well-articulated speech is finally bearing fruit with the kick-off of the Conference on Dialogue of Asian Civilizations (CDAC) in Beijing on Wednesday. On the heels of the recently-concluded second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, also in Beijing, CDAC is expected to grant opportunities for Asian countries to explore cultural and societal cooperation, and to build greater trust and confidence among their peoples, especially the youth. The ultimate goal, as emphasized by President Xi, is to address the problems faced by human society today. So now, more than 2,000 delegates from 47 countries in Asia and other parts of the world, including several senior political and diplomatic heads, will soon assemble for a week-long cultural event in Beijing, the sheer scale and magnitude of which has no parallel. CDAC will draw representatives from such diverse vocations as think tanks, film and television, media and tourism, education and other cultural fields. The grand Asian Cultural Exchange aims to attract more than 30,000 people from China and abroad, and a number of educational and academic exchanges are also on the menu.

Why Asia?

The focus of CDAC is, by name and practice, Asia. So why Asia? The reason could be that Asia is the cradle of all major religions of the world, including Christianity, Islam, Buddhism and Hinduism. Or that it is the original birthplace of several advanced, ancient civilizations that prospered around major rivers such as the Nile, Tigris, Euphrates, Ganges, Indus, Yellow and Yangtze. Despite this legacy of human civilization, however, few efforts have been made to establish a dialogue among Asian stakeholders at large. Of course, regional and sub-regional dialogues have taken place among groups of Asian countries, but these have been mostly limited to single themes like connectivity, language, culture or religion. So Asia has been waiting for a mega-exchange of culture and civilization for a long time. China  with its centrality in Asia and its large-scale projects such as the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which aims to connect two-thirds of the world  is the natural choice to initiate the CDAC. Events like the Asian Culture Carnival and the Asian Civilization Parade will not only be an opportunity for non-Asian delegates to witness the rich and diverse cultures of Asia, but for Asian delegates as well to gain more appreciation for the similarities and differences between their own cultures and those of their Asian neighbors.

Unity in the face of challenges

The vision of CDAC testifies to such goals. The theme of the conference is "Exchange and Mutual Learning among Asian Civilizations and a Community with a Shared Future," which speaks both to Asia's rich heritage and its common destiny. A shared future is indeed a necessity in a time when most countries are facing similar challenges, from climate change to the changing nature of globalization and the market economy, from technology to the rising spectre of international terrorism, and others. Countries and communities in Asia need to come together often and explore collective action and multi-level cooperation in order to safeguard our common future. Asian values and cultural practices, such as the Hindu-Buddhist philosophy of tolerance and cooperation and the Confucian philosophy of discipline and respect, can provide direction to national development and global governance.

As for now, with CDAC China takes the lead, but we can hope that this event may act as a catalyst for other Asian countries to open up more such spaces in the future.

Niranjan Sahoo is a columnist with China.org.cn. For more information please visit:

http://www.china.org.cn/opinion/NiranjanSahoo.htm

Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors only, not necessarily those of China.org.cn.

If you would like to contribute, please contact us at opinion@china.org.cn.
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Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Wednesday met with Singaporean President Halimah Yacob in Beijing.

Li said China is willing to push forward cooperation between its western regions and Singapore, and deepen bilateral cooperation on the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor and in areas such as third party markets, smart city and skill training.

Li expressed the hope that the two countries can promote cultural and people-to-people exchanges in order to consolidate public support of China-Singapore friendship and the development of bilateral ties.

Halimah said Singapore is willing to strengthen cooperation with China to promote openness, multilateralism and free trade in the international arena.
By Don Haddad, the superintendent, and Tom Darcy, the director of advanced technologies, for St. Vrain Valley schools in Colorado

If we make the solar panel thinner on the roof and battery pack smaller by a few inches, we will have room for another row of seats on the bus." "I agree, but if the battery pack is smaller, will it still hold enough power for the system to last a full day?" "Maybe we could test a different seating arrangement?"

While this may sound like conversation from a Silicon Valley conference room, it was actually the discussion reverberating around a classroom in the St. Vrain Valley school district last June, where 3rd and 4th grade students were engaged in a design-thinking challenge to create a sustainable transit system for the future.

These studentsand 240 of their peers entering grades K-5were part of the Innovation Academy for a Smarter Planet , a summer learning program founded in 2010 through a partnership between IBM and the St. Vrain Valley district.. Innovation Academy builds a foundation of critical thinking through inquiry-based learning and fosters a community of learners that will think globally and collaboratively in order to develop innovative approaches to problem-solving. The programs curriculum emphasizes topics that are key to developing smarter cities and a sustainable future such as transportation, water, energy, food, and buildings.

Students are enrolled in the program through a nomination process at their elementary school and attend two weeks of programming in June. Schools are encouraged to nominate students who are strong in at least five of the six criteria areas: risk taker, thinker, curious, persistent, creative, and cooperative. Schools are also encouraged to nominate students who would benefit the greatest from the opportunity (i.e., Is this a unique opportunity for them?) and who work well independently.

The first week is hosted at IBM where students become immersed in design thinking and background information in a content area of focus. They identify and define challenges through how might we... statements, develop empathy for the communities they are trying to serve, and ideate innovations and solutions. During the second week of the program, students spend their time in St. Vrain Valley classrooms where they develop and test prototypes of their ideas and present them at an exhibition of learning at the culmination of the program.

As the Innovation Academy prepares to enter its ninth year and expand programming into St. Vrain Valley Schools new Innovation Center, it is clearer than ever the importance of fostering strong partnerships between industry and education to advance our learning environments, our future workforce, and our communities.

Impact of Partnerships on Student Opportunity

One of the most impactful strategies that an education leader can leverage to advance the success of their students and school communities is to foster strong relationships with businesses and nonprofits that go far beyond a simple exchange of resources. Deep connections to the industry expertise in your community not only provides invaluable mentoring and student-engagement opportunities but also greatly expands the capacity to give students the skills they will need to be successful in the future.

When you have educators come to the table alongside business partners and experts in innovation and future workforce development, you can cultivate and design powerful programs that not only advance the mission and needs of the company but also give students a strong competitive advantage for their postsecondary and career preparation.

While developing the Innovation Academy curriculum in collaboration with IBM almost a decade ago, we explored the necessary skills of the workforce of the future and how that mirrored or did not mirror what was being taught in our classrooms. This allowed us to learn from each other and extend new approaches to inquiry-based and applied learning beyond the summer program to every classroom in the St. Vrain Valley district. Design thinking, and its cycles of empathy, definition, ideation, prototyping, and testing, are now standard vocabulary from preschool to grade 12 across the district.

Over the years, the union between St. Vrain and IBM has continued to grow with the opening of other partnership programs including Colorados first Pathways in Technology Early College High School, or P-TECH, program. P-TECH gives students the opportunity to earn an associate degree, alongside their high school diploma, at no cost to the student, while receiving significant mentorship support from an industry partner. At graduation, they are first in line for jobs or can move on to a four-year degree program.

Transformative Opportunities

We believe that todays students and tomorrows workforce demand an education that is rooted in rigorous traditional academics while also leveraging modern technology and advanced, inquiry-based learning opportunities. Authentic, symbiotic partnerships can be transformational for school systems and serve as a catalyst to creating dynamic and engaging opportunities for students. The school system now has over 100 industry and nonprofit partners that have played a significant role in advancing student achievement and programming across the district.

Across the nation, community and industry partners have a significant role in shaping empowered learning. Of the 55 million K-12 aged students in the U.S., approximately 90 percent attend a public school. The quality of public education in a community impacts workforce availability, economic growth, property values, public safety, and much more. When industry and nonprofit partners support public education, they are not just changing the life of a student but also contributing to the development of our future workforce, the well-being of our community, and acceleration of economic development.

Alongside our partners, we are investing in our students future as we cultivate a culture of energy and distinction that advances 21st-century learning. For students walking into the Innovation Academy in June at IBMs facility near Longmont, Colo., the world awaits as they gain the skills and connections needed to be our future problem-solvers, innovators, and leaders who will transform our world.

Photos, from the top:
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The Eurasian Development Bank (EDB) will grant a loan of 100 million U.S. dollars to the Belarusian potash producer Belaruskali.

EDB and Belaruskali signed the loan agreement to finance floating capital and investment program of the Belarusian potash giant, the press service of the Belarusian government said on Wednesday.

Andrei Belyaninov, EDB's chairman of the board, said the agreement with Belaruskali had been signed in record time for the bank. He expressed the confidence that this was only the beginning of a long way of cooperation with the Belarusian company.

Belaruskali is one of the largest suppliers of potash fertilizers to the world market.

EDB is an international financial institution established in 2006. It has six member states, including Russia, Kazakhstan, Armenia, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.
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With South Africa's slow economic growth, stubborn unemployment, President Cyril Ramaphosa has told the Goldman Sachs investors conference that his government would focus on economic reforms set to unlock the economic potentials and create jobs.

In a discussion with Goldman Sachs for Sub Saharan Africa CEO Colin Coleman on Wednesday in Johannesburg, Ramaphosa said fixing the economy first would solve other pressing problems.

"The key problem we have as a country is low economic growth, everything revolves around the economy. We need to focus on ways of revitalizing the economy, the key mandate is to create jobs," he said.

Since Ramaphosa was elected as ANC president, economists have been saying South Africa must clarify its policy stance.

The president said that policy certainty is crucial in attracting investors and dealing with other bottlenecks hindering investment.

Ramaphosa said reforms would be implemented at struggling state-owned enterprises such as power utility Eskom, adding that the company was being structured and the government could not allow it to collapse.

"Load shedding is over. Eskom is the only company in the history of South Africa to have debt of 430 billion Rand (30.3 billion US dollars). Eskom is too big, important to fail. If Eskom fails, the economy will fail," he said.

"We will precede and clean up Eskom. At fiscal level, we must be able to reduce expenditure," he said.

He told delegates that a policy unit which existed under former President Thabo Mbeki would be revived to ensure that policies are successfully implemented. This policy unit would fall under Presidency.
The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) and the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) joined their affiliate, the Journalists Union of Athens Daily Newspapers (JUADN), in condemning the arson attack on Greek investigative journalist Mina Karamitrous car.

The car, parked in the Athens suburb Papagou outside Karamitrous home, was set on fire on 14 May 2019 at about 2:30 a.m. by a flammable liquid. According to local news reports nobody was injured. Karamitrou is a well known police reporter for CNNs Greek edition. According to the Greek news website Skai, the police has opened an investigation on the case. Up to now, the assailants remain unknown.

CNN Greece called the incident an attack on the entire journalistic world.

JUADN expressed its concerns over the attack on one of its member: We call upon authorities to do their work and expose as soon as possible the perpetrators.

We are utterly shocked about such a brutal act of intimidation against a female journalist outside Athens. said the EFJ director, Renate Schroeder.

IFJ General Secretary Anthony Bellanger condemned a deliberate attack against freedom of speech and Mina Karamitrous work as a journalist that must be investigated immediately.

The case was reported to the Council of Europe platform for the safety of journalists.
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An academician on Wednesday commended the Zambian government over its decision to introduce Chinese language in schools, saying this will go a long way in easing communication barriers with Chinese nationals working in Zambia.

Last week, Ministry of Higher Education Permanent Secretary Mabvuto Sakala said Chinese language will effectively become examinable under the country's examination governing body starting next year.

The academician said an agreement on the Chinese language curriculum to be entered into between the Confucius Institute and the Minister of General Education would officially flag off the implementation of Chinese language training at secondary school level.

Kelvin Kaunda, Eden University chief executive officer said plans by the government to introduce Chinese language should be commended, as language was key between the two peoples for easy communication.

"It is very progressive especially that Zambia has a historical relationship with China," Kaunda said.

"China is our all-weather friend. We have a lot of Zambians who are in China and they know the Chinese language, they can come back and teach Chinese language in Zambian schools," he added.

Mary Kangwa, a teacher based in Luanshya town in the Copperbelt Province said teaching Chinese language would be very exciting and further strength relationships between Zambia and China.

"Apart from that, teaching Chinese language will also increase trade volumes between Zambia and China, so I don't see anything wrong with that," she said.

She added that China was the first Asian country to come to Zambia's aid to construct Tanzania-Zambia Railway to open a route to the eastern African states and beyond.
Imperial Valley News Center

Vice President Pence at the Premiere Screening of Apollo 11: First Steps Edition

Washington, DC - Vice President Pence at the Premiere Screening of Apollo 11: First Steps Edition:

THE VICE PRESIDENT: Well, thank you, Jim Bridenstine. Thank you for that kind introduction. And more to the point, thank you for your tireless work leading NASA and the entire American space industry. Would you all join me in thanking the 13th Administrator of NASA, Jim Bridenstine, for the great job hes doing? (Applause.)

To Secretary Wilbur Ross, Chairman Moran, Senator Cramer, Congressman Lucas, Congresswoman Horn, Congressman Babin and members of the House Science Committee  to all the members of Congress who are with us here today, thank you for supporting a renewed American leadership in space. Join me in thanking all these great members of the House and Senate. (Applause.)

And to all of you leaders in industry, the archivists  all of you that have made this evening possible  especially the extraordinary filmmakers who I know well see their handiwork in just a few minutes  it really is an honor to be here today. The world premiere of Apollo 11: First Steps Edition. Welcome all. It is great to be with you. (Applause.)

And let me say, as I begin, allow me to bring greetings from a man who is committed to securing American leadership on Earth and in the boundless expanse of space, whose vision has enlivened Americas commitment to human space exploration. I bring greetings and gratitude to all of you from the 45th President of the United States of America, President Donald Trump. (Applause.)

And I always wait to introduce the highest-ranking official last. So join me in welcoming an aviator, an educator, a Marine Corps mom, and my wife of 33 years  the Second Lady of the United States of America, Karen Pence. (Applause.)

You know, Karen and I are  were pretty passionate about space. In fact, when our kids were very young  and theyre all in their twenties right now; one is in the military, two are still in graduate school  we actually  we actually vacationed at Cape Canaveral, just so we could take the kids to see the rockets. So were honored to be with all of you today in this incredible and historic place.

Speaking of which, allow me to thank our host tonight. You already heard from her, but Dr. Ellen Stofan and all the wonderful, dedicated men and women at the National Air and Space Museum. This is the most popular museum in the United States and one of the most popular museums in the world. Thank you, Dr. Stofan. Thank you for your great leadership and stewardship of this national treasure. (Applause.)

It really is amazing to be here, standing here before you  the Spirit of St. Louis just above us, that made that transatlantic flight. And then theres Glamorous Glennis just above us, that broke the sound barrier. And then this lunar module behind me.

Its amazing to think, just in my lifetime, how far America has come. And here at this great museum, we preserve that legacy. But as I just told Dr. Stofan, thanks to President Trumps leadership, theyre going to have to build a new wing because were going to make all new American history in the vast expanse of space. (Applause.)

Not that it should be a surprise. In his Inaugural Address to the nation two years ago, President Trump said that America stands, in his words, at the birth of a new millennium, ready to unlock the mysteries of space.

What the President recognized, what you all recognize is America has always been a nation of restless pioneers  ever striving to explore uncharted territories, reach new horizons, venture into the unknown, and expand the boundaries of human knowledge.

But it was in 1961 when another President, John F. Kennedy, laid out a vision for American human space exploration. He expressed those immortal words, laying forth a goal for the nation, that, quote, before this decade is out landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to Earth.

It was anything but easy. Literally hundreds of thousands of engineers, scientists, technicians worked around the clock to make it possible  planning each detail and preparing every possibility. And just 8 years later  50 years ago this July  Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins made it happen and proved that the United States can do anything we put our mind to, when we put the first man on the moon. (Applause.)

And tonight, were going to see some never-before-seen footage of those incredible moments  and I cant wait including when that one small step for a man became one giant leap for mankind.

The crew of Apollo 11 inspired a generation of Americans and people all over the world. They are giants on whose shoulders we stand  paving our way into the heavens and giving us the courage to dream bigger, to go farther, with the confidence that we can accomplish whatever we set our minds to.

So as we prepare to mark this golden anniversary of their mission later this year, we honor their legacy  the legacy of Apollo 11  by celebrating it in moments like this. And there will be many celebrations over the course of the year. But I submit to you that we believe we also honor their legacy by renewing our commitment to American leadership in space. (Applause.)

As President Trump said, It is Americas destiny to be the leader amongst nations on our adventure into the great unknown. And over the past two years, Im pleased to report to you that weve begun writing the next chapter of that adventure with ingenuity and incredible Americans all across this nation.

In our first year, after it had lain dormant for nearly a quarter of a century, Im proud to say that President Trump kept his word to the American people back in 2016, and he revived the National Space Council to coordinate all space activities across a whole-of-government approach. And its my great honor to serve as Chairman, as previous Vice Presidents have done.

We also looked beyond the halls of government for input and guidance, partnering with businesses represented here so well to accelerate innovation across the space enterprise.

And were honored to be joined this evening by several members of what we call our User Advisory Group. We thought it was imperative that we brought together the best and brightest men and women in the nation with expertise in the space enterprise. And these men and women have gathered from some of the most incredible companies in this country to bring their expertise. And they join us here today  members of the User Advisory Group. Would you join me in giving a round of applause for all the members of the UAG? (Applause.)

I got Dr. Mary Lynne Dittmar, the President of the Coalition for Deep Space Exploration; Dr. Bud Peterson, the President of Georgia Institute of Technology; and Eric Stallmer, the President of Commercial Space Federation; and Mandy Vox [Vaughn], President of VOX Space. Give them all a round of applause because theyre helping to guide renewed American leadership in space. (Applause.)

And while were at it, I couldnt help  I couldnt help but take the opportunity to invite you to recognize some extraordinary people who are with us today. One was a veteran  one was a veteran of three different space shuttle missions. Shes now the Director of the NASA Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio. Join me in welcoming Astronaut Janet Kavandi, who is with us today. Janet, thank you. (Applause.)

Were also joined by a member of that User Advisory Group, who is currently serving as the Director of Space and Technology at Nova Systems. Was the commander of Space Shuttle flights STS-120. Colonel Pamela Melroy, where are you? Astronaut and Colonel Pamela Melroy. (Applause.)

And finally, let me recognize a member of the crew of the final mission of the Space Shuttle. Shes spent more than 144 days in orbit, and she is an incredible testament to the American Astronaut Corps. Astronaut Sandy Magnus is with us here today. Sandy, thank you. (Applause.)

Ive got to tell you the progress weve made. In December of 2017, as a result of the work of the National Space Council, President Trump signed Space Policy Directive-1, where we made it the policy of the United States of America to return to the moon with the goal of one day putting Americans on Mars. (Applause.)

And Im proud to report were on track. This year, the United States will once again send American astronauts into space on American rockets, from American soil. (Applause.)

Just two months ago, during a meeting of the National Space Council down at Rocket City, in Huntsville, Alabama, it was also my privilege to announce what Jim Bridenstine just reflected on: that, at President Trumps direction, it is the policy of the United States that we will return to the moon within the next five years, and the first woman and the next man on the moon will be an American. (Applause.)

So weve made great strides in advancing the Presidents bold new vision for American leadership in space  to push us farther and faster and higher than ever before. And unlike in years past, we have the budgets to match. As Administrator Bridenstine just said, we just sent to Capitol Hill a budget request to put  would put real substance behind the Presidents vision. And I want to thank these members of Congress for their stalwart support.

Well, as I started to come up here, Karen and I were chatting, and she reminded me that you all didnt come here to hear me; you came here to see a movie. (Laughter.) So I want to get out of your way and let you enjoy that.

But its impossible to come to a moment like this, an evening like this, and not be incredibly inspired. And I want to thank the National Air and Space Museum again for your hospitality. I want to thank Administrator Bridenstine for the great work hes doing at NASA.

And I want to thank all of you for the enthusiasm that all of you are showing. Everywhere I go in this country, people are getting it again. People understand that America has made great history leading human exploration in space.

But with your support, with President Trumps leadership, with the strong support of these outstanding members of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives, with the courage of a new generation of astronauts, and with Gods help, I know America will once again astound the world with how we lead in space.

So thank you very much. God bless you. And enjoy the movie.
Imperial Valley News Center

President Donald J. Trumps Upcoming Travel to the Republic of Korea

Washington, DC - President Donald J. Trump will visit the Republic of Korea to meet with President Moon Jae-in, in conjunction with his travel to the region to attend the G20 Summit in late June. President Trump and President Moon will continue their close coordination on efforts to achieve the final, fully verified denuclearization of the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea.

The two leaders will also discuss ways to strengthen the United StatesRepublic of Korea alliance and the friendship between our two peoples.
Governor Newsom Grants Executive Clemency

Sacramento, California - Governor Gavin Newsom Monday announced that he has granted seven pardons.

People who have been convicted of a crime in California may apply to the Governor for a pardon.

The California Constitution gives the Governor the authority to grant clemency. A pardon does not minimize past conduct; it recognizes a persons subsequent progress and accomplishments. A pardon does not expunge or erase the conviction.

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 Governor weighs numerous factors in his review, including the applicants self-development and conduct since the offense and whether the grant is consistent with public safety and in the interests of justice. Those granted pardons today all completed their prison sentences years ago.

When a pardon is granted, the California Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation are notified so that they may update their records on the applicant. The pardon is filed with the Secretary of State and the Legislature and is a public record.

Copies of the gubernatorial pardons granted today can be found here.
Tech-savvy witches

Imperial, California - Romanian witches are using the Internet to cast spells thanks to a younger generation of sorceresses. Millennial enchantress Cassandra Buzea says why not bring the ancient art of witchcraft into the 21st century via the worldwide web. She told Reuters: A truly powerful witch can solve problems from a distance. Her mom was quick to join her daughter in offering their services to clients throughout the world, according to the Association of Mature American Citizens. And now, it is estimated that some 4,000 witches throughout the country are in the business of casting electronic spells.

Apparently an enchantress can make a pretty good living online. For example, a simple tarot card reading can net nearly $60.
Assistant Secretary of State Fannon Travels to Italy

Washington, DC - Assistant Secretary of State for Energy Resources Frank Fannon will travel to Rome, Italy, May 1316, 2019.

During his trip, Assistant Secretary Fannon will conduct bilateral discussions in Rome with the Director General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Under Secretary for the Ministry of Economic Development, and senior energy company leaders. He will meet with the Vatican Deputy Foreign Minister and the energy lead at the Secretariat of State.
Once the road sign informing you you're leaving Santa Clara County, California, recedes from your rearview mirror, the landscape for entrepreneurs resembles America in the pages of Stephen King's The Stand:

Picked over.

Desperate.

Too many hungry people competing for too few resources.

Right?

Not quite.

Here are a few exceptional resources outside of Silicon Valley that provide founders with capital (that's right: cold hard cash), mentoring, and other resources that can help startups outside of the Bay Area beat the odds.

Secure Erie Accelerator

Host Organization: Erie Innovation District

Location: Erie, Pennsylvania

Application Deadline: May 20, 2019

The Secure Erie Accelerator is in its second year, and it targets startups in the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) and the defense and security sectors. The program provides up to $150,000 through partnerships with other funding organizations, including Ben Franklin Technology Partners, the state's prestigious and long-running startup investment fund.

"Our initial class was incredibly impressive," said Erie Innovation District CEO Karl Sanchack. "One of the companies from that cohort was named one of the nation's most exciting startups by a major business publication. A few of our startups went on to participate in top programs like YCombinator, Techstars, and Quake LA--and we are excited about an even stronger class of applicants in our second year."

ITEN

Host Organization: ITEN St. Louis

Location: St. Louis, Missouri

Application Deadline: Rolling

Founded in 2008, ITEN provides resources and educational programming targeted at tech product startups that have typically been in business for less than five years. Their programming includes educational resources and events, mentoring, corporate engagement opportunities, proof of concept validation tools and investor readiness training - providing a wide range of benefits. ITEN has been an early and important driving force in St. Louis' entrepreneur eco-system, which has been named one of the most supportive cities for startups.

"We focus on developing the technical and business knowledge of the entrepreneurs who become members," said Executive Director May Louise Helbig. "We get companies--and people--at all stages and in a variety of industries. Because of that, we want their experience to be uniquely beneficial for each founder and startup, in order to support the launch of commercially successful new businesses in the St. Louis region."

MultiPass Los Angeles

Host Organization: MultiPass

Location: Los Angeles, California

Application Deadline: Rolling



MultiPass accepts founders in the Los Angeles area who are creating a scalable company and have been in business for less than a year. Participants receive hands-on mentorship from experienced founders and successful investors. Participants also receive $120,000 in cloud infrastructure credits provided by IBM, along with technical consultation and the opportunity to pitch their startup to MultiPass' venture capital fund.

"We started this organization in St. Louis, and then brought it to Los Angeles," said founder Christian Johnson. "Being able to bring a program from the Midwest to the Coast is something we are incredibly proud of, but the reality is that founders in Los Angeles face the same sort of challenges: A lack of seed money, a lack of mentors, and a general lack of resources."

The moral of the story?

There could always be more, but founders outside of Silicon Valley still have resources at their disposal. It may require those founders to pack up their idea and bring it to Erie, St. Louis--or even (gasp!) Los Angeles.

But it could be worse.

The characters in The Stand had to pack up and head to (even bigger gasp!) Las Vegas.
As if the world isn't scary enough: According to Google, your most trusted security measures could actually be secret vulnerabilities.

On Wednesday, Google announced on its security blog that it has found a bug in the Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) version of its Titan Security Key that exposes users to a potential attack when pairing the device via Bluetooth. These keys are a low-cost method of two-factor authentication that provides an added layer of security when logging in to your Google account.

According to Google, "it is possible for an attacker who is physically close to you at the moment you use your security key to (a) communicate with your security key, or (b) communicate with the device to which your key is paired."

The chances that you'll be affected by this particular vulnerability are relatively small. The circumstances that would have to align include an attacker in close proximity (less than 30 feet or so), who is able to time their attack to the exact moment that you connect with your security key.

Hackers could then connect their device and take advantage of the two-factor authentication offered by Titan key, or masquerade their device as your key and connect to your laptop. In that scenario, they'd still have to have your user name and password and time their attack perfectly.

Or, they could, in effect, use their device as a Bluetooth accessory like a keyboard to take control of your computer.

Neither is something that's likely to happen as you sit and work in your average coffee shop. If people want your information that badly, it's probably more likely that they'd wait for you to log in and then physically steal your laptop. Still, you should be aware when vulnerabilities like this are revealed because it's ultimately your responsibility to protect your personal and company information from would-be bad actors.

While the chances are remote for the average user, the consequences could be significant. If you did fall victim to this attack while connecting to your company's intranet or customer database, for example, you might expose sensitive or personal data that could be accessed or modified.
Bombs were rocking Tehran when Ara Mahdessian was born in 1985 in a hospital bunker lit by backup generators, the war between Iran and Iraq raging above him and his mother.

Meanwhile, northwest of Iran, Vahe Kuzoyan's family was preparing to flee the poverty and lack of opportunity that defined Armenia in its final decade as the poorest of the Soviet Union's Transcaucasian republics.

Both families, ethnic Armenians, soon left their respective countries for a safer life in Southern California, which has been home to the largest Armenian expat community in the United States for generations. (Perhaps you've heard of the Kardashians?)

There they followed a path familiar to so many immigrants who came before them: Take whatever work is available. "Our parents brought us here with no money, no language, no connections, and no idea of what to do," says Mahdessian. "They did all kinds of odd jobs to put food on the table." They worked at those jobs until they figured things out and started their own businesses. Both of their fathers became successful building and plumbing contractors but still struggled with English, as well as the logistics of running growing service companies.

Their sons solved that problem by launching ServiceTitan, a software platform and mobile app that helps entrepreneurs in the service trades operate their businesses--from taking service calls to dispatching technicians, accepting payments, and managing payroll, as well as producing and analyzing their P&Ls. It even allows potential customers to apply for financing for big jobs.

Mahdessian and Kuzoyan run ServiceTitan in a way that reflects both their status as immigrants and their status as West Coast tech entrepreneurs.

For starters, ServiceTitan is diverse in both gender and race--about 34 percent of the staff identifies as female and 32 percent identifies as white, while another 38 percent describe themselves as unspecified. When the company made improvements to its health care plan, it added fertility benefits, and also transgender services. Gender-neutral lavatories have been installed as well.

Is that so SoCal? Maybe, but the message is unmistakable: Everyone is welcome here. "For us, the immigrant experience is really tied to the notion of diversity, and we pursue diversity because we think it results in the best performing teams," Mahdessian says. "We believe people can come from any part of the world, and that the best decisions and ideas come to fruition through a diversity of experiences and perspectives."

They offer competitive benefits, including unlimited personal time off, daily catered lunches, six weeks paid parental leave, equity in the company, and rewards to recognize high performers, like vacations to Hawaii or ski trips.

Given what their parents went through, as well as their own experiences, Mahdessian and Kuzoyan believe great outcomes require taking great risks. "I saw my parents decide that they wanted a better life and then take that huge risk moving to America," says Kuzoyan. "That was a big inspiration for me, and made me want to take that type of risk by starting ServiceTitan."

That's why ServiceTitan's performance reviews can reflect negatively on those who don't fail at something--because it might mean they're too complacent. The co-founders want to see their staff striving to achieve ambitious goals and learning from mistakes. This practice extends to bosses as well: Mahdessian and Kuzoyan get 360-degree reviews from their employees to understand where they excel, where they suffer, and where they need to improve as leaders.

When interviewing job candidates, the co-founders ask them to articulate a challenge that they've weathered. Mahdessian and Kuzoyan understand that running a fast-growing startup is inherently high risk and comes with unrelenting challenges--amplified by the fact that they are dealing with the livelihoods of their customers. They want their own employees to connect with that urgency,

"We reflect back on how much our parents sacrificed and what kinds of struggles they had to fight through--failure was never an option for them," Mahdessian says. "We filter for people who have faced moments of adversity and have persevered, because that is going to be every day at ServiceTitan."

Mahdessian and Kuzoyan met on a college ski trip for Armenian students--benefactors, of sorts, of their fathers' successes. Mahdessian was studying at Stanford while Kuzoyan was at the University of Southern California, and both were pursuing degrees in software engineering. After graduating, they teamed up on several consulting projects before building ServiceTitan. Word quickly spread throughout the Armenian immigrant community that the co-founders had a tool that could ease some of the most annoying operating problems of many entrepreneurs, and soon business swelled.

They launched their Glendale, California-based business in 2013--Kuzoyan's parents served as the beta customers--and it has experienced 1,437 percent growth in the past three years. (It is No. 347 on the 2018 Inc. 5000 list of America's fastest-growing private companies.) ServiceTitan booked $59.5 million in revenue last year.

To accommodate that kind of surge, the company is moving to a larger office space this year. The new office decor includes features such as unfinished wood and exposed piping. It's a reminder to the staff of who their customers are: plumbers, carpenters, and other tradespeople.

"The goal of the aesthetic is to further the emotional relationship between our team and our customers," says Kuzoyan. "We are using things like the environment to make them feel like they can understand the lives of our customers." After all, Kuzoyan and Mahdessian know exactly how hard their customers have to work.

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"Dogs or cats?" Tripleseat CEO Jonathan Morse likes to ask job candidates. If they say cats, he says, "they're not paying attention." That's because half a dozen canines roam the company's Concord, Massachusetts, office on any given day. But maybe a candidate who admits a preference for cats then goes to the defense of felines. "We like that," he says.

Tripleseat's casual interview process is jarring to some candidates, but that's by design: It helps weed out people who aren't likely to fit its "party people" culture. The 75-person events-management-software company hires lots of folks from the restaurant and hospitality industries. "They're used to a fast-paced, open environment," Morse says. "They're not used to sitting in a cubicle and just staring at a screen. If you provided that environment to them, they wouldn't last very long."

As it is, employees do tend to stick: Since the company's founding more than a decade ago, only two employees have left voluntarily. One returned a few months later.

In 2008, Morse, then working for a business software company, was asked to organize an offsite event at a restaurant. Things went awry. The reason: The venue manager misplaced the entire agenda, which existed only on paper. Morse was surprised to learn the venue didn't have event-planning software. The few options that existed, it turned out, weren't geared toward smaller outfits. So he built one.

Today, Tripleseat has more than 5,000 clients--primarily restaurants and hotels--in 20 countries. In addition to being doggy, the company hosts in-office wine socials on Wednesdays and lets all employees work from home on Fridays. Once a month, one of the many former-bartender staffers teaches a course on specialty cocktails at Tripleseat's fully stocked bar. The company brings in catered lunch each day, often from a client eatery.

Morse says that people rarely exploit the easy-going environment. "They police themselves," he says. "They take personal offense if they feel that somebody is taking advantage of the company."

It's easy to see why. In May, Tripleseat transported all employees on an expenses-paid trip to Dublin, which will substitute for the usual annual excursion to Nantucket. And the company's two-day-long holiday parties aren't to be missed. This year, it was Great Gatsby-themed, with employees dressing like swanky 1920s partygoers and bootleggers.

"I've worked at other software companies, and it was a lot of clock watching and meetings--kind of a soul-sucking experience, to be honest with you," Morse says. "I didn't want to have that type of environment." Safe to say, that's been averted.

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Jeff Bezos made a surprise appearance this week at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky airport to break ground on a new Amazon Air hub, a three million-square-foot facility that will help the company make good on its recent promise of free one-day package delivery for its Prime members.

The Amazon chief showed a video of what the facility will look like, ceremoniously moved dirt himself (displaying skills as a heavy equipment operator), and proudly chirped that the Hub would soon be populated with "Prime Air" emblazoned airplanes.

What's not to like? More jobs, faster package delivery, advancement, and growth.

But there's another side to the coin, hinted at by the fact that the pomp and circumstance took place in a closed ceremony with carefully controlled messaging, blocking out representation of one important group in particular and one particularly important issue: pilot safety.

Pilots were not a part of the fanfare, and were literally being interviewed off to the side of the sideshow. Robert Kirchner, a 42-year pilot and chair of the executive council of Atlas Air (a cargo-shipping airline), pointed out in an onsite interview that the fact that the ceremony is a closed one is telling.

His fear is that safety is being compromised as exhausted pilots ferry an increasing amount of packages increasingly fast, while attrition of burned-out pilots is thinning the ranks of people qualified to fly the planes that enable one-day shipping in the first place.

"There's a large uptick in fatigue calls, sick calls. Pilots are just being worn out," noted Kirchner in an interview with local Cincinnati TV station WLWT. "There are a lot of canceled flights, a lot of delayed flights, due to the pilot shortage and the staffing stressed operation, and that doesn't bode well for the future of this enterprise that Amazon is breaking ground on today."

For its part, Atlas Air views these comments as an effort by a union seeking leverage in contract negotiations. "Our commitment to safety is the foundation of everything we do at Atlas Air. We thank our dedicated crew of more than 2,000 pilots and 1,500 ground staff for sharing this commitment and putting it into practice every day," a spokeswoman said in an email. "Contrary to what the union continues to suggest, Atlas Air has a solid record of delivering strong, trusted service for our customers."

Also this week, Amazon addressed head-on how to find people to drive vehicles to deliver more packages, faster. The company offered current employees three-months' salary and $10,000 in startup funding to quit their current Amazon post and start a ground delivery business. Obviously, they can't offer the same program for employees to quit and fly cargo planes.

So how will they address the needs of getting enough pilots and giving the current cargo flight operators a reasonable schedule that won't compromise their health and safety?

The increased workload generated by shuttling packages around one day after being ordered adds on to the issue of an already well-documented pilot shortage (not to mention the intense trucking shortage). And it adds to the mounting problem of industrywide pilot fatigue.

It's the dark downside of the home shopping boom. Ever more packages delivered ever faster to our homes means more ground and air congestion, and more opportunities for safety disasters if not carefully thought through and planned for. I like getting my loofahs the next day as much as the next person, but at what cost?

I'm not saying one-day shipping can't be a boon for everyone, and I certainly hope it is. But let's have open conversations and open planning to safely enable it, not hide the warts under the shadowed tents of shiny, closed ceremonies.
 Flash

Ethiopia will host the 2019 edition of the World Export Development Forum (WEDF), state affiliated media outlet Fana Broadcasting Corporate (FBC) reported on Wednesday. Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa will host the WEDF 2019 edition from November 19-22.

The forum which will bring together hundreds of business leaders, policymakers and trade development officials to address international business competitiveness issues is expected to further increase the international investment profile of Ethiopia, reported FBC.

WEDF will coincide with the Africa Industrialization Week, with sessions designed to help business make the most of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA), reported FBC.

The AfCFTA, which was signed by 44 African countries when it was launched in Kigali, capital of Rwanda, in March 2018, aspires to create a tariff-free continent that can grow local businesses, boost intra-African trade, spur industrialization and create more jobs. The AfCFTA is expected to take effect later this year.

The continental free trade pact paves the way for accelerating the establishment of the Continental Customs Union and the African customs union, according to the African Union.

Past editions of WEDF have included trade related topics including investing in value addition, addressing the skills mismatch, making the most of free trade deals, business to business matchmaking platforms and sustainable packaging.

The Ethiopia Ministry of Trade and Industry and the International Trade Center will co-host the 2019 World Export Development Forum, which is expected to take place at the African Union Headquarters in Addis Ababa.

WEDF is a global forum dedicated to supporting export-led development schemes of developing countries, providing issue-focused platform for policymakers, trade support institutions and business people to gain practical understandings in global export competitiveness.
In our visual-first culture, image is everything. Snapping, sharing, scrolling  our photographic appetite is gargantuan. But how literate are we when it comes to photography? And why does it matter? For one, research just released by the Mental Health Foundation underscores the universal, morbid, psychological effects of exposure to images of unattainable, commerce-driven body ideals. Beyond this, representation  or abundant lack thereof  is a vital, pressing concern for excluded and marginalised people. You cant be what you cant see  on repeat, till visual realms truly reflect us. In the words of vaunted champion of the female gaze, photographer Hannah Starkey: Photography is king in terms of how we communicate. Perhaps, itd help if some queens shared that throne?

This week, the fifth and largest incarnation of Photo London, the nations biggest photographic fair, engulfs Somerset House to offer an extensive photographic showcase, stretching from the mediums dawn to its bleeding-edge experimental futures, as exemplified by online curatorial platform, Artuner. And with 114 established galleries from 21 nations exhibiting to collectors, curators and photography fans; 23 young spaces comprising the progressive Discovery section, deftly curated by Tristan Lund, and 30 intrigue-piquing artist talks, including a conversation with Starkey  its the ideal place to appraise, interrogate, lovingly gape at or otherwise read world-class imagery. Were working towards the same goal, which is to increase our visual intelligence, says Starkey of her fondness for, and association with, Photo London. Its brilliant how it opens up photography to a wider audience.

For those reticent to pay for their ad hoc education, theres a generous public programme featuring the UKs premier presentation of work by enigmatic American street photography artist Vivian Maier; an expansive exhibit by this years Master of Photography, colour photography maestro Stephen Shore, and a social media-geared egg sculpture by Gavin Turk. Meanwhile, the Pavilion boasts a trio of commissions: A Room Their Own, a tender study of domestic abuse survivors by revered documentary photographer Susan Meiselas; Mary McCartneys Off-Pointe, for which the photographer famed for intimate portraits captured Royal Ballet dancers after hours, freed of fairytale sheen; and Simulations, the culmination of a fear-enhanced, deep dive into hyperreality in Floridas Palm Beach, by (relative) rising star Rachel Louise Brown.

The Mermaid, Weeki Wachee Springs, 2017 (Rachel Louise Brown)

Theyre independent projects but weve linked them in terms of how women view women, or enable themselves to see what its not easy for others to  Creating a platform for women artists has always been on our agenda, says Fariba Farshad, cofounder of Photo London alongside Michael Benson, about devoting the courtyard to a celebration of women in photography. Her conviction is evidenced by the fact that half of 2019s participating galleries are run by women, with 40 per cent of showing artists also women, besting the average participation rate of 27 per cent (as announced in the latest art market report by Art Basel/UBS).

Hannah Watson, of contemporary space TJ Boulting, which began showing in Discovery, before progressing to the main exhibition, is primed for her years busiest week. Theres this tidal wave of photography around Photo London, which the organisers also embrace. Her booth will feature fresh, glossy yet subversive work by both Juno Calypso and Maisie Cousins; a joint project by Benedicte Kurzen and Sanne De Wilde, whose exploration of the mythology of Nigeria, Land of Ibeji, just opened at Watsons gallery in Londons Fitzrovia, and The Bully Pulpit by Haley Morris-Cafiero. The latter series is spurred on by grim online comments hurled at the savvy American performative artist. Having pinpointed the culprits, she dressed up as them, incorporated their vitriol into the scene (eg by printing a comment on a T-shirt) and took a self-portrait, then uploaded the parodies online, where they may well live forever.

Sony World Photography Awards 2019 winners Show all 40 1 /40 Sony World Photography Awards 2019 winners Sony World Photography Awards 2019 winners Underwater Gannets "Whilst on a trip to Shetland, the biggest thing I wanted to do was photograph the gannets as they feed underwater. The photography takes place at sea around some of Shetland's remotest headlands. Dead bait is used, using fish the Gannets would normally eat, locally sourced around Shetland. To be able to capture what goes on under the water was an unbelievable experience and one I will never forget." - Tracey Lund. Winner of the Natural World & Wildlife category Tracey Lund Sony World Photography Awards 2019 winners Dreamers and Warriors "Whether you are physically male or female, strong or weak, ill or healthy - all those things matter less than what your heart contains. If you have the soul of a warrior, you are a warrior. All those other things are the glass that contains the lamp, but you are the light inside. We should never stop following our dreams, fighting for our ideals and protecting our visions which are all symbolised by the animals captured in this series Dreamers and Warriors." - Martin Stranka. Winner of the Creative category Martin Stranka Sony World Photography Awards 2019 winners Grayson Perry - Birth "I have been working closely with Grayson Perry for 5 years developing conceptual campaigns for his social documentary films. This 'Birth' concept is designed and inspired by the inexhaustible mother and child motif brought up to date for the 21st century and all shot 'in camera' at a studio near his home. Baby Dylan was supplied by the client's press officer recently on maternity leave. We thought it would be a great early memory." - Richard Ansett Winner of the Portraiture category Richard Ansett Sony World Photography Awards 2019 winners Harmony "Shot underwater in Hawaii, this image is part of my Muses Colllection. What started to work best for me was having a perspective from outside of the water, looking in and using the surface of a pool as a canvas, utilizing natural effects like the refraction of light with movement to bend reality, and shooting at night so I could really control my light." - Christy Lee Rogers. Winner of the Motion category Christy Lee Rogers Sony World Photography Awards 2019 winners Shadow Puppetry "Shadow Puppetry is an ancient folk art with a history of more than 2000 years in China. The village shadow Puppet performers perform for the local villagers in the courtyard of a stone house." - Pan Jianhua Winner of the Culture category Pan Jianhua Sony World Photography Awards 2019 winners Heatwave The 21st century museum's staff waters the lawn during a summer afternoon. Kanazawa, Japan, July 2018. Winner of the Architecture category Philippe Sarfati Sony World Photography Awards 2019 winners Natural phenomena & man creation "This stony forest, situated in the South of China, is composed of many stone peaks which were sculptured gradually by the process of erosion due to rain and wind. On the background, the mountain, shaped also during millions of years. And between the 2, these skyscrapers erected in no time at all in China contrast with this magic landscape without age. Nevertheless, in the similarity of their form, the stony constructions rising of the ground, seem to begin a silent dialogue, with the maze of high buildings drawn by the hand of the men." - Carole Pariat. Winner of the Street Photography category Carole Pariat Sony World Photography Awards 2019 winners Peony and Leaves Although the peony is beautiful, it depends entirely on help from the green leaves. (Chinese proverb) However brilliant you may be, you can't do anything without support from others. "This is a photograph of my resin artwork. Using self-made paint mixed with resin to capture colours in liquefaction and also in petrifaction form. It looks like an abstract flower garden. I hope this piece can remind everyone 'Don't just take, give!. And always appreciate and be thankful for the people that helped and supported you unconditionally." - Rachel Yee Lam Lai Winner of the Still Life category Rachel Yee Lam Lai Sony World Photography Awards 2019 winners Familial Ryokan in Beppu "A familial ryokan in Beppu with the mother drinking her tea while her daughter is reading a manga. Ryokans are traditional Japanese inns often run in a family home with bedding (futon) spread out on the tatami floor & common bathing areas." - Nicolas Boyer. Winner of the Travel category Nicolas Boyer Sony World Photography Awards 2019 winners Stumps, Alder Lake, Nisqually River, Oregon Stumps exposed from the water levels on the manmade Alder lake on the Nisqually River Dam, Washington. Winner of the Landscape category Hal Gage Sony World Photography Awards 2019 winners Fish Eyes A creative experiment of a conceptual portrait. Winner of the National Award in Indonesia Hardijanto Budyman Sony World Photography Awards 2019 winners Whale Shark Encounter, Papua West, 2018 "This image represents my meeting with the whale sharks in West Papua last September. Here, in Teluk Cenderawasih National Park, you can swim with these beautiful animals, which are continually approaching the fishing platforms and surround you with their slow and impressive motion. The experience leaves you breathless." - Marco Zaffignani. Entered in the Travel category Sony World Photography Awards 2019 winners Tangshan, 2018 "A photo of extremes, showing the contrast of a newly built housing estate in Tangshan [China] versus a much older, decrepit one." - Jennifer Bin. Entered in the Architecture category Jennifer Bin Sony World Photography Awards 2019 winners The Salt of the Sea People doing healing baths in a pool of sea lye. The photo is taken over the sea salt mines near Bourgas, Bulgaria. Winner of the National award in Bulgaria Yavor Michev Sony World Photography Awards 2019 winners A Walk on the Bike "This is one shot from my series of shots taken in the yard of a private house with the help of a drone." - Alexandr Vlassyuk. Entered in the Creative category Alexandr Vlassyuk Sony World Photography Awards 2019 winners #real #me #ad "The image is part of my series #real #me #ad. It examines the line between vernacular and advertising photography, which is fading away since the rise of influencer marketing on social media platforms, and the way we consume photographs these days. Mixing the styles of advertisements and snapshots I staged performances that play with sense and nonsense in a domestic environment. Thereby I question the limit of plausibility in visual storytelling and the use of the body as an object. To shoot myself while performing I used a wireless remote control." - N. A. Vague. Entered in the Still Life category N. A. Vague Sony World Photography Awards 2019 winners Diver light "I took this photo as I was drawn to how the rays of light illuminate the bubbles as they race to the surface. I also wanted to convey the contrast of the diver in the vast expanse of ocean. The shot was taken on a shore diving excursion off the north coast of Grand Cayman in September 2018. It was taken with a GoPro Hero 5." - Laura O'Flynn Winner of the National Award in Ireland Laura O'Flynn Sony World Photography Awards 2019 winners City Camping On March 17, 2018, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China held a city camping event. - Zhou Dainan Entered in the Street Photography category Zhou Dainan Sony World Photography Awards 2019 winners Gyor, 23 March 2018. 11:03:39 One of the emblematic memories of the old industry of Gyor, the blasting of the last chimney of the former Plant Oil Factory. Winner of the National Award in Hungary Zoltan Nemes Sony World Photography Awards 2019 winners Garage Barcs, Hungary, January 2018. Winner of the National Award in Croatia Kozjak Boris Sony World Photography Awards 2019 winners Canoe in the dark "We met Thomas with his canoe the night before when we noticed him sailing in the dark on a lake where we were timelapsing. The day after he was parked next to us and we asked him if we could shoot him once more. We drove to a more remote location and took every light we had with us to try and light up the forest around the gorge. He had built his own lights to put those in the water and make it look transparent. Shot at Walchenklamm, Germany when it was raining in the middle of the night. My best friend that was helping with the lights even fell in the water. It was only two degrees outside so I gave him my vest, we experimented a lot and this is the result. Good times." - Jasper Lefevre Winner of the National award in Belgium Jasper Lefevre Sony World Photography Awards 2019 winners Dancing This picture, I was taken at near Taunggyi city, the northern Shan State, in Myanmar. Shan performances, Gingala (Bird Dance), It will be performed in the festivals or in the important occasions eg. Welcome the guests or the official foreign visitors, end of Buddhist Lent day, and other traditions. The art performance "Gingala" is a kind of dancing that imitates the bird manner. Winner of the National Award in Myanmar Kyaw Win Hlaing Sony World Photography Awards 2019 winners Family Destination Winner of the National Award in Bangladesh MD Tofazzal Hossain Sony World Photography Awards 2019 winners Norrkoping Sweden, November 2018. Winner of the National Award in Sweden Jonas Dahlstrom Sony World Photography Awards 2019 winners Riyadh Entrepreneurs "An entrepreneur is a person who sets up a business, taking on financial risk in the hope of profit." Nyree Cox. Winner of the National Award in Saudi Arabia Nyree Cox Sony World Photography Awards 2019 winners Some Night "Picoterealsim as a new way of transmitting sensory perception. This photograph was taken from 8 photographs taken from the same angle, but at different focal lengths. Evening street of Gdansk, one of the main streets in the Old Town." - Sergey Shcherbakov. Winner of the National Award in Russia Sergey Shcherbakov Sony World Photography Awards 2019 winners Everyday Constructivism We tend to ignore or not even realise the beauty that surrounds us. Everyday objects can be captivating if we approach them with an open mind. This shot was taken behind a supermarket in Debrecen, Hungary." - Dalma Szondy. Entered in the Still Life category Dalma Szondy Sony World Photography Awards 2019 winners "It is a stormy day. There are 4 horses on two sites of a little creek. It seems the two horses in the foreground can't make up their mind to cross the water. One of the horses in the middleground, already on the other site of the creek has turned towards the ones in the foreground as if it wanted to say "join us". We're going to the ruin. The walls will protect us against the storm- The other horse is just looking over its shoulder and is heading towards the ruin." - Baerbel Brechtel. Winner of the National Award in Germany Baerbel Brechtel Sony World Photography Awards 2019 winners Rubber Identity Rubber Identity is a series of portraits where the model's hair is hidden by vintage rubber swimming caps. The models are unnervingly visibly uncomfortable with the caps, when they are no longer able to affect their own character with their hair. Winner of the National Award in the Netherlands Arwe Art Sony World Photography Awards 2019 winners Risky Journey The overcrowded train and station at the early morning in Tongi railway station. Bangladeshi Muslim devotees attending the Akheri Munajat by train, On the third day of Biswa Ijtema, Bishwa ijtema is the second largest Muslim congregation after the Hajj, in Bangladesh, 14 January 2018, around one million Muslims from Bangladesh and abroad observed the three-day congregation with prayers on the banks of the Turag River, Tongi, Gazipur, Bangladesh. Entered in the Street Photography category MD Akhlas Uddin Sony World Photography Awards 2019 winners Bedraggled Hare Ballet "For some time, I have been photographing a colony of hares on a local farm on the Isle of Wight, UK. I noticed that they often gathered at dawn on a field ridge, where shafts of early light through a nearby wood provide ideal lighting for photography. Additionally, we had a very wet Spring, so the animals were often bedraggled and creating spray as they ran. It was then a matter of waiting for very many days for light, hares and their antics to come together for a photograph." - Nick Edwards. Entered in the Natural World & Wildlife category Nick Edwards Sony World Photography Awards 2019 winners A Red River of Faith Thousands of women Buddhists line up the hillside to go to the mountains to practice the dharma, which is called Da Yuan Sheng Hui, in Sichuan, China. Entered in the Culture category Lifeng Chen Sony World Photography Awards 2019 winners Converge Photographed in Kuitun Grand Canyon, Xinjiang. Entered in the Travel category Lu Quanhou Sony World Photography Awards 2019 winners Open-air toilet: when will it end? "Why go to public toilets when one can urinate outside freely? That is surely what this well-dressed young Indian thought. While two Indian musicians were posing, he began to pee on the wall just behind them. There is a very common and deep-seated habit of urinating and defecating outdoors in India. The current Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, campaigned with the slogan toilets before temples. He allocated more than $40 billion for a latrine building and behavior change operation called Swachh Bharat Abhiyan (Clean India Mission). It is a challenge to improve public health drastically knowing that, in the world, diseases caused by poor sanitation and unsafe water kill about 1.4 million children a year!" - Carole Pariat. Entered in the Street Photography category Carole Pariat Sony World Photography Awards 2019 winners Illusion France. Entered in the Landscape category Gerard Bret Sony World Photography Awards 2019 winners Yellow Vest Protestor "Photography taken during the yellow vest protest in Paris at the Avenue des Champs Elysees. When I got closer to the fire I saw this man and his surrealist outfit. He certainly chose what he was wearing to protect him from the heat, gas and others dangerous objects. On one of the most famous and fashion street in the world, the whole scene was certainly unusual. When the time has come to fight for your rights, there is no need to be fashion." - Arnaud Guillard. Entered in the Street Photography category Arnaud Guillard Sony World Photography Awards 2019 winners Open water swimming competition in Cabo de Palos, Region of Murcia, Spain. Entered in the Motion category Sergio Ferreira Ruiz Sony World Photography Awards 2019 winners Synergy of Humanity A humanity view of one of the minority tribes in Yunnan going about their daily working life. Team work, coordination and cooperation are essential for efficiency otherwise it will be chaos . An impression of once upon a time in Yunnan. Entered in the Culture category Eng Chung Tong Sony World Photography Awards 2019 winners The Harvest Winner of the National Award in Nepal Dikpal Thapa Sony World Photography Awards 2019 winners Intense "These Pacific species of squid will come to the west coast of Canada from the distant sea every autumn, return to the birthplace of the inland river through the estuary, and look for the estuary of the estuary, the temperature of the river, and the environment. After entering the inland river, you will start a long journey back to the river. In addition to the Sockeye, which was listed as the Squid Conservation Program by the Canadian federal government throughout the late autumn, you can also see other Coho, Chum, and Chinook from the Pacific Ocean.) Going home, I dont eat or drink water for 800km in three months. When I arrived at the same year, I was ruined and dying. Exhausting the only force, the carp parents died after spawning and fertilisation, and the most important mission of this life was finally completed." - Yung-Sen Wu. Winner of the National Award in Taiwan Region

[Our list features] many galleries opened by young women, bringing work by not-yet established women photographers and artists, says Farshad. And thats one of our greatest achievements, creating platforms for London spaces like Roman Road gallery, Sid Motion Gallery, AI Gallery showing Elizabeth Gabrielle Lee and Galerie Miranda in Paris  Were really excited about the future, which is so fluid and developing so fast. Were very conscious of needing to support minorities, to open up platforms for diversity.

Zackary Drucker, multimedia artist, documentary-maker, activist and producer on transformative drama Transparent, will be speaking at Photo London about her work creating new ways of envisioning and communicating gender, and transgender representation in photography. Art does a great job of bringing people from the margins into the centre, but thats not universal, she says. A few days later, pieces from her collaborations with fashion photographer Luke Gilford will form part of a visceral group show at Londons Gazelli Art House. Theres unconscious bias in curating, and theres certainly bias in market conditions. Women artists, LGBT+ artists, artists of colour have always been unevenly represented in exhibition spaces, but right now exceptional cultural circumstances are creating demand for and interest in hearing our stories.

One of the photos from the presentation of work by the enigmatic American street photography artist (Vivian Maier ) (Vivian Maier)

Notable Russian Ghanaian photographer Liz Johnson Artur, who will converse live with Hans-Ulrich Obrist at Photo London, says: Commercially I think its simple, if it sells, its worth investing. When I worked as a freelance music and fashion photographer in the 1990s  the people that hired me could see market value in photography that represented black culture. Her recently opened first solo exhibition at Brooklyn Museum was titled Dusha (Soul), because as she explains, it has no shape, no colour, no gender. My interest is far beyond those limitations  From its earliest steps, photography has been critical in establishing how western cultures view other cultures  how to look at and interpret them; how and what to value in the other. Of course, it has to play a part in taking apart these misconceptions.

But is it really still necessary to show the works of women, or other commonly excluded identity groups, together? Instinctively its about redressing the balance  theres a reason for women being brought to the forefront, says McCartney, whos looking forward to the public drifting into unseen images from her Off-Pointe series. I love being around female photographers but Im collaborative, so whether its a talented man who has a similar aesthetic, or if theres other relevance, thats more important. And this ambivalence towards being exhibited by gender, however honourable the intention, is echoed by Pavilion-mate Brown, whose work, which intelligently queries societal construction of gender roles, stems from feminist leanings. Photographys catching up and its bloody brilliant  I also wonder how long well keep celebrating women in photography  what happens once we peak? This has to happen as were not equal yet, hopefully [once we are] everyone can just get on with making.

Visibility is extremely important, and exhibitions that show these identities are making an effort, but not in the right way. If they arent integrated into the fabric of the art world, they will continue to be marginalised and exoticised. If we are to move forward in how we analyse gender, race, ethnicity or age, the last thing we need to do is to sanction these identities by grouping them for a thematic spectacle, says erudite American Iranian artist Sheida Soleimani, who makes excoriating, black humour-laced, politically-motivated works. Her latest series Crudes, which will show at forward-thinking London gallery Edel Assantis booth, investigates a niche section of the oil industry  and, as with all Soleimanis interdisciplinary works, is presented as photography to challenge the audience to re-evaluate what they recognise. The photograph has been historically positioned as a document of the truth.

Iran Heavy (Sheida Soleimani)

You always have to consider the context, and most artists do that anyway, says Watson, who is committed to showing art that speaks for itself, while also creating social and professional support networks for women. I think thats productive, because its a safe space where you can get together, but in terms of the [art], I dont segregate as I dont think that does the work any favours  Photography has definitely got the potential to embrace a wider audience, its easy to disseminate, especially with social media.

Starkey is also hopeful that photography will continue evolving in terms of representation, citing recent years as particularly invigorating. Everything thats happened to photography  its influence and the industry thats risen around it; mentors, prizes, funding, magazines and Photo London  is amazing. Our visual culture has opened up, and its because so many more women are in photography, and so many more marginalised people are also being represented  Its important to find [a way to keep] challenging that, and that platforms keep opening for those who feel their voices arent being heard, or images arent being given a fair chance. But, generally, the landscape is looking a lot healthier.

As the mediums profile continues to rise, ever more opportunities arrive for curious viewers to engage with images that offer deep insight into human experience. Susan Meiselas human rights-focused documentary career has encompassed work on turmoil in the global south, as well as social commentary within her native US, and the creation of a collective history with stateless Kurdish people. Her Photo London commission was created with anonymised domestic abuse survivors participation. I care about the lives behind those photographs  as to what extent they trigger questions and connections for people passing by, I can only try. The great challenge in our complex world is how we connect to people who are either far away or wholly unknown. What are the entry points to breaking through the silos that we all live in? Photographys always had that imagined potential  to create empathy and expand our understanding  what we do with that consciousness, thats a great question.

Photo London runs until 19 May
Jeff Koons has beaten a record set by British artist David Hockney for the most expensive work sold by a living artist.

The US pop artists Rabbit sculpture, which is one of his best-known pieces, sold for $91.1m (71m) at auction by Christies in New York  more than $20m over its estimated price.

Sculptures of Jeff Koons Show all 10 1 /10 Sculptures of Jeff Koons Sculptures of Jeff Koons Michael Jackson and Bubbles On display at Tate Liverpool PA Sculptures of Jeff Koons Seated Ballerina A 45-foot inflatable nylon sculpture unveiled at the Rockerfeller Centre in New York in 2017 AFP/Getty Sculptures of Jeff Koons Titi Tire On display at the modern art fair Art Basel in 2017 AFP/Getty Sculptures of Jeff Koons Metallic Venus On display in the exhibition "Empire State. New York art now" at the Palazzo delle Esposizioni in Rome in 2013 AFP/Getty Sculptures of Jeff Koons Balloon Flower (Magenta) On display in St James's Square in London in 2008 PA Sculptures of Jeff Koons Moon On display at a retrospective at the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao in 2015 AFP/Getty Sculptures of Jeff Koons Rabbit The most expensive artwork ever sold by a living artist, at $91.1m (71). On display at Christie's in New York AFP/Getty Sculptures of Jeff Koons Play-Doh 1994-2014 On display at the Newport Gallery in London PA Sculptures of Jeff Koons Hulk On display in a retrospective at the Whitney Museum of American Art in 2014 AFP/Getty Sculptures of Jeff Koons Fait D'Hiver, 1988 On display at the Liebighaus Museum in Frankfurt in 2012 Getty

On its website Christie's described the piece, a steel cast of an inflatable created in 1986, as cute, sinister, cartoonish, imposing, vacuous, sexy, chilling, dazzling and iconic.

According to the New York Times, Robert E Mnuchin, an art dealer and the father of Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, was the winning bidder.

Koons previously held the record price for a living artist's work for his piece Balloon Dog (Orange), but was overtaken by Hockneys Portrait of an Artist (Pool with Two Figures), which sold for just over $90m (70m) last year  also at Christies.

The sale took place in the same week as a painting from Claude Monets Haystacks series sold for more than $110.7m, which marked a record for the French artist.
WARNING: Contains spoilers for Avengers: Endgame

The directors of Avengers: Endgame have confirmed Lokis fate, following his cameo appearance (as played by Tom Hiddleston) in the film.

Although the character was killed at the start of Thanoss rampage in Avengers: Infinity War, we saw him once more after Iron Man, Ant-Man, Captain America, and Hulk travelled back in time to the battle of New York in 2012.

During their mission to snatch the Space Stone and bring it back to their own, post-Snap present, things go awry and Loki manages to grab the stone and teleport away.

Anthony and Joe Russo revealed that the scene means, in some alternate timeline, that Loki is still alive.

The intent was that he was going to correct the past timelines at the point that the stones left, Joe Russo told Business Insider. Loki, when he teleports away with the [Space Stone], would create his own timeline. It gets very complicated, but it would be impossible for [Cap] to rectify the timeline unless he found Loki.

Avengers characters - ranked Show all 27 1 /27 Avengers characters - ranked Avengers characters - ranked 27. War Machine Played by: Don Cheadle Don Cheadle Imagine Iron Man but without a backstory or humour. That's War Machine. Terrence Howard saw that the character would be underwritten and dropped out after filming the first Iron Man. Still, it's hard to dislike Don Cheadle, even when he's shortchanged. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Avengers characters - ranked 26. Mantis Played by: Pom Klementieff Pom Klementieff The forgettable Mantis is purely there to make up the numbers. It doesn't help that she was introduced in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2, one of the MCU's weakest films to date, as the servant to Kurt Russell's tedious villain, Ego. In a crowded ensemble, Mantis is drowned out by the larger personalities. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Avengers characters - ranked 25. Hawkeye Played by: Jeremy Renner Jeremy Renner "Oh no! It's a man with no superpowers and a bow and arrow! I, an alien with futuristic technology who has travelled through the galaxy to invade Earth, am terrified!"  Thanos's army of Outriders, probably. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Avengers characters - ranked 24. Doctor Strange Played by: Benedict Cumberbatch Benedict Cumberbatch Oh, Doctor Strange. Perhaps there's a good character there, but Benedict Cumberbatch wasn't the man to play him. He's probably the least likeable presence in the MCU, even if a few kick-ass moments in Avengers: Endgame almost pull him back from the brink. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Avengers characters - ranked 23. Gamora Played by: Zoe Saldana Zoe Saldana Although the father-daughter relationship between Gamora and Thanos is interesting, it's completely overshadowed by the dynamic between her half-sister Nebula and the Mad Titan. And now she's AWOL. Perhaps. No one really knows. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Avengers characters - ranked 22. Star-Lord Played by: Chris Pratt Chris Pratt Star-Lord  the half-man, half-Celestial  remains one of the funniest Marvel characters to date. Yet, the Avengers would have saved the universe the first time around if it weren't for his (quite understandable) temper tantrum over the death of Gamora in Infinity War. For that, the leader of Guardian of the Galaxy falls many places. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Avengers characters - ranked 21. Nebula Played by: Karen Gillan Karen Gillan Nebula has all the makings of being a vintage Marvel character, but the feeling that she's been slightly short-changed by her appearances to date cannot be escaped. Going forward, she'll undoubtedly have an elevated role in the MCU, so here's hoping she's handed the justice she deserves. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Avengers characters - ranked 20. The Winter Soldier Played by: Sebastian Stan Sebastian Stan Sebastian Stan's Bucky was a bit of a non-entity in the otherwise underrated Captain America: The First Avenger, which is why his do-over as the villainous Winter Soldier in the sequel three years later injected the character with some much-needed intrigue. His shift back to being a good guy, though, has dampened the interest around him once again. Still, that teased romance with Shuri (Letitia Wright) is sure to do him some favours. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Avengers characters - ranked 19. Vision Played by: Paul Bettany Paul Bettany Vision is the purple embodiment of Tony Stark's AI butler JARVIS, brought to life by the Mind Stone. One of the only other characters capable of wielding Thor's hammer (oi oi, Cap!), Vision is overpowered to the point of being boring. Still, he doesn't know his paprika from his cayenne. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Avengers characters - ranked 18. The Wasp Played by: Evangeline Lilly Evangeline Lilly Sidelined during the first Ant-Man, The Wasp finally became a headline name in Ant-Man and the Wasp. Not only is she smarter, quicker and a better fighter than Ant-Man, she can also fly thanks to a set of wings. Fingers crossed we'll be getting more Wasp post-Endgame. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Avengers characters - ranked 17. Falcon Played by: Anthony Mackie Anthony Mackie There's no two ways about it: if Falcon wasn't played by Anthony Mackie, he'd be far lower down this list. His character remains memorable solely due to the vibrancy the ever-entertaining actor brings to the role. Falcon might be a lesser Avenger, but no appearance since his debut in Captain America: The Winter Soldier has left fans wanting more. For that, Falcon should be celebrated. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Avengers characters - ranked 16. Captain Marvel Played by: Brie Larson Brie Larson There's no doubt that Captain Marvel could become one of the best characters in the MCU. Fresh off her billion dollar-grossing debut  the series's first female-led superhero film  the character returned to save the day (well, help the crew out) in Avengers: Endgame. Now her origin story is out of the way, the sky's the limit for her; it'll be exciting to see which planets her story scales next. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Avengers characters - ranked 15. Groot Played by: Vin Diesel Vin Diesel To be quite honest, it's hard to screw up a character who is literally a tree that's able to speak just one word (his name). There's no denying that Vin Diesel's Groot was one of the best things about the first Guardians of the Galaxy film, and his camaraderie with Rocket Raccoon a highlight. Sadly, being turned into a baby for the entirety of the sequel made his character slightly more annoying. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Avengers characters - ranked 14. Valkyrie Played by: Tessa Thompson Tessa Thompson Introduced in Thor: Ragnarok, Tessa Thompson's Valkyrie has the swagger of Han Solo and the powers of Wonder Woman. The result is probably the coolest and smoothest Avenger yet, and someone we very much look forward to seeing again in Thor: Love and Thunder. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Avengers characters - ranked 13. Hulk Played by: Mark Ruffalo Mark Ruffalo The Hulk was originally played by Edward Norton, but Mark Ruffalo took over for the Avengers films. The actor brought out a manic unpredictability to the character, who remains a skittish presence in every film. Since the first Avengers outing, though, Bruce Banner/Hulk has been less integral to the team. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Avengers characters - ranked 12. Black Widow Played by: Scarlett Johansson Scarlett Johansson Black Widow has had a rough ride. Introduced during Iron Man 2, Scarlett Johansson's agent was a fierce fighter with an intriguing back story. However, this has rarely been explored since, with the Avengers films focusing on the lads rather than the one female character in the team. Almost 20 Marvel films on and the character is finally getting a solo film  but it's a prequel film arriving after her death in Endgame that's been delayed because of coronavirus. Ouch. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Avengers characters - ranked 11. Shuri Played by: Letitia Wright Letitia Wright One of Black Panther's biggest revelations was Shuri, T'Challa's kid sister who might just be the cleverest character in the entire MCU. She's brought to life by British actor Letitia Wright, who capitalised on the several opportunities she had to steal the film from under her co-stars' noses. Great, another broken white boy for us to fix," she says as Martin Freeman's Everett Ross is carted into her workshop  and thus, a star was born. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Avengers characters - ranked 10. Scarlet Witch Played by: Elizabeth Olsen Elizabeth Olsen Scarlet Witch doesn't really do much save for wave her hands around while looking concerned about the well-being of her love, Vision (Paul Bettany)  but it doesn't matter considered she's played by the the extremely talented Elizabeth Olsen who, as ever, gives it an admirable stab. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Avengers characters - ranked 9. Captain America Played by: Chris Evans Chris Evans On paper, Captain America should be the most boring Avenger. Yet, with Chris Evans at the wheel, the patriotic super-strong OAP who fought in the Second World War has been enjoyable company in every film he's been in, his righteous values never being too overbearing. Captain America, with his pure heart, really is one of the ultimate superheroes. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Avengers characters - ranked 8. Iron Man Played by: Robert Downey Jr Robert Downey Jr The leader of the MCU used to be its greatest character. But with the influx of newer additions, Tony Stark has been pushed down that list  which isn't to say he isn't still a reason why the series has been such a success. No Marvel actor has thrown themselves into a role more than Robert Downey Jr, whose larger-than-life personality made him the only candidate to have brought the billionaire industrialist and former playboy to screen. Among the big-budget explosions, he's a breath of fresh air and without him, the MCU would have run out of steam long ago. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Avengers characters - ranked 7. Ant-Man Played by: Paul Rudd Paul Rudd A man who presses a button and takes on the powers of an ant: not exactly a thrilling premise for a superhero. Thankfully, Marvel accepted that Ant-Man's power are a bit of a joke and cast the ever-delightful comic actor Paul Rudd as the mini-hero. And despite his stature, Ant-Man stole the show in Captain America: Civil War when he reversed his powers and became Giant Man. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Avengers characters - ranked 6. Rocket Played by: Bradley Cooper Bradley Cooper In many ways, the success of Guardians of the Galaxy  Marvel's first true move away from the cleaner cut Avengers (see: Captan America, Thor)  rested on the shoulders of Rocket Raccoon. Many questioned whether it'd work, but thanks to impressive effects, Bradley Cooper's terrific voice work  and not to mention James Gunn's knockout screenplay  Rocket found himself with more range than most characters on this list. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Avengers characters - ranked 5. Black Panther Played by: Chadwick Boseman Chadwick Boseman Few characters have had the cultural impact of Boseman's Black Panther. First appearing in Captain America: Civil War, T'Challa's measured demeanour was a counter to the quip-making norm of the other Avengers. Come the character's solo film, the noble leader finally accepted his role as King of Wakanda and, in the process, unleashed the inner Panther. It's no wonder that the film became a box-office sensation, even out-grossing Avengers: Infinity War (2018) in the United States. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Avengers characters - ranked 4. Drax Played by: Dave Bautista Dave Bautista Drax is proof that you shouldn't judge a book by its cover. His burly appearance suggests he should be fighting for the bad guys, but the opposite couldn't be truer  thanks to Dave Bautista, the character is given a cuddly sheen that belies his full name (Drax the Destroyer). The only thing Drax, who first appeared in Guardians of the Galaxy, truly destroys is your rib cage  he's one of the MCU's funniest characters. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Avengers characters - ranked 3. Spider-Man Played by: Tom Holland Tom Holland Spider-Man's back. Again again. Where Tobey Maguire's webslinger was an out-and-out dork, and Andrew Garfield's version was arguably too slick to really be Peter Parker, Tom Holland has found the perfect middle ground: still obsessed with making Star Wars references yet also capable of talking coherently with members of the opposite sex. It's a miracle that Marvel Studios managed to bring Spider-Man into their cinematic universe  and a miracle they managed to make him feel this fresh third time around. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Avengers characters - ranked 2. Okoye Played by: Danai Gurira Danai Gurira Black Panther was a landmark moment for cinema, let alone Marvel. It was a film filled with selling points  the lustrous visuals of Wakanda; a villain you actually cared about  but sitting at the top of the heap was Okoye. The Walking Dead star Danai Gurira swapped the katana for a vibranium spear and showed audiences that not only was she more than just television character Michonne, she could translate a comic book character into one of the very best characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Avengers characters - ranked 1. Thor Played by: Chris Hemsworth Chris Hemsworth Thor was not a great film. Thor: The Dark World was even worse. Yet, against all odds, the God of Thunder has established himself as the greatest Avenger. How? It's namely thanks to Taika Waititi's revisioning of the character in Thor: Ragnarok. Rather than making Hemsworth deliver sub-par Shakespearean prose, the filmmaker enthused Thor with a sense of humour  something that played to Hemsworth's strength as an actor. The result was a charismatic, short-haired, smouldering superhero who was finally able to charm Marvel fans. If only Thor had been this way all along. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

The minute that Loki does something as dramatic as take the Space Stone, he creates a branched reality.

Were dealing with this idea of multiverses and branched realities, so there are many realities, Anthony Russo added.

Its possible the upcoming Loki-themed Disney+ series will explore what exactly happened to the version of the character that escaped with the Space Stone.

Avengers: Endgame is out now.
 Close Eurovision 2019: What you need to know

The second Eurovision semi-final of 2019 has taken place in Tel Aviv, Israel.

Contestants from 18 countries performed their songs in the hope of making it through to the final this weekend (18 May), but just 10 made it through.

Those countries were: North Macedonia, The Netherlands, Albania, Sweden, Russia, Azerbaijan, Denmark, Norway, Switzerland and Malta.

They join the 10 countries that made it through the first semi-final on 14 May: Greece, Belarus, Serbia, Cyprus, Estonia, Czech Republic, Australia, Iceland, San Marino and Slovenia, plus the Big Five and this years host, Israel.

Top 10 UK Eurovision entries Show all 10 1 /10 Top 10 UK Eurovision entries Top 10 UK Eurovision entries 10. Better the Devil You Know - Sonia (Runner-up in Millstreet, 1993) 352.9pts Sonias Eurovision journey took her to Millstreet, Ireland - and with its population of just 1,500, it holds the record for being the smallest host city. The towns equestrian arena was transformed into a TV studio for the contest, meaning that many of the video postcards between performances have a very horsey vibe. Ms Evans chit-chats to a couple of foals in hers. This year the UK won 3 points from Bosnia and Herzegovina. When that particular Balkan jury managed to phone through on a connection that sounded so fragile and fragmented, they received the biggest applause of the night, having delivered their votes in the midst of the Bosnian War. Eurovision at its most important. PA Top 10 UK Eurovision entries 9. Making Your Mind Up - Bucks Fizz (Winner in Dublin, 1981) 355.4pts This tune is so synonymous with British Eurovision glory, what could possibly explain it ranking no higher than 9th? Bucks Fizz are ingrained into the national psyche by the yearly repetition of that one skirt-whipping clip. But wed imagine that Cheryl, Jay, Mike and Bobby would be the first to say their vocals werent quite as polished as weve come to expect from the legendary band. However, that takes absolutely nothing away from this absolute classic. And if our rundown is inspiring you to do a bit of a Eurovision deep dive, then check out the poptastic Christmas With The Fizz (who cares that its May?) and Jay Astons True Love on Spotify. PA Top 10 UK Eurovision entries 8. Ooh Aah... Just a Little Bit - Gina G (8th in Oslo, 1996) 360.1pts Cher has an enjoyable habit of covering Eurovision artists: ABBA (she released an entire album last year), Bucks Fizz (Heart of Stone), Johnny Logan (One by One), and Gina G, literally, with a rejected, spangly dress. That iconic outfit Gina wore in Oslo was actually custom made by Paco Rabanne for Cher, who was living in Wapping at the time. For whatever reason, the Believe hitmaker cast aside the glittering garment one afternoon at the Warner Bros offices, where Ms G later stumbled across it hanging up just days before the contest. She stuffed it into her handbag and the rest is history. PA Top 10 UK Eurovision entries 7. Puppet on a String - Sandie Shaw (Winner in Vienna, 1967) 366.5pts Our first Eurovision victory. Sandie notoriously hated this song from the very first oompah to the final bang on the big bass drum I was instinctively repelled by its sexist drivel and cuckoo-clock tune she recalls in her autobiography. As part of a promo drive to reinvigorate Sandies public profile, Puppet On A String was written for the contest and not for its performer  thankfully, because the British public still loves it over half a century later, and it might not have ever existed. Getty Top 10 UK Eurovision entries 6. Where Are You? - Imaani (Runner-up in Birmingham, 1998) 366.7pts If theres one UK entry that deserves more recognition than it gets, its this. Imaani was the UKs fifteenth and most recent runner-up. She narrowly missed out on a hometurf victory as Where Are You? failed to win any points when the final jury dished out their scores. Its both frustrating and joyful that a recurring feature of Eurovision is that sometimes an incredible performance alone is not enough to win. 1998 was an important year for trans visibility across Europe, as Israeli superstar Dana International won the competition by a margin of 6 points with her track Diva. Shell be performing at the finals this week, alongside Madonna  both dressed by Jean Paul Gaultier, who created Danas iconic feathery Birmingham victory outfit.. PA Top 10 UK Eurovision entries 5. Boom Bang-a-Bang - Lulu (Winner in Madrid, 1969) 367.4pts Lulu won the 14th contest in a four-way tie with France, Spain and the Netherlands  a situation which prompted Finland, Norway, Portugal and Sweden to withdraw from the following years contest out of protest. Such drama! Salvador Dali designed the promotional materials for the contest as well as the stage, which explains the slightly weird metal sculpture that Lulu performed in front of. PA Top 10 UK Eurovision entries 4. Love Shine a Light - Katrina and the Waves (Winner in Dublin, 1997) 381.1pts Its been 22 long years since Katrina Leskanich brought home our last Eurovision victory, and we suspect itll be at least 23 years until the next. Love Shine A Light was originally written as a track for the Samaritans organisation, but several friends and colleagues convinced Leskanich to enter it into that years Song For Europe where it romped to victory, 11,138 votes ahead of our other potential entry: Yodel In The Canyon of Love by Do-Re Me feat Kerri. PA Top 10 UK Eurovision entries 3. Storm - SuRie (24th in Lisbon, 2018) 381.4pts Eurovision performances can stand out for all sorts of reasons. SuRies time on stage is memorable not because her microphone was snatched by a stage invader, but by the way she reacted to the situation. Few other artists on this list would have handled it so deftly. As she picks the mic from off the floor, she kicks back into the bridge with the lyrics: Hold your head up, don't give up, no no - at which point you can see her adrenaline weaponising those words to deliver a defiant, triumphant and unforgettable end to the song. In 60+ years of Eurovision participation SuRies performance is unique in that it unquestionably transcends the song. An absolute ambassador for Britains participation in Eurovision, her next single Only You and I is out on 17 May. Getty Top 10 UK Eurovision entries 2. Save Your Kisses for Me - Brotherhood of Man (Winner in The Hague, 1976) 381.9pts With a last-second plot twist to rival those in Game of Thrones, Save Your Kisses For Me is the highest ranking winner on our chart. 1976 was the first time since the Sixties that our national final was open to multiple artists, rather than one act selected by the BBC presenting a number of tracks. The Brotherhood fought off stiff competition from Co-Co and Sweet Dreams (who would both go on to represent in 78 and 83 respectively), as well as turns from Hazel Dean and Tony Christie. Check out Kenickies version, commissioned in the late Nineties by Channel 4 for a special Eurotrash does Eurovision compilation. PA Top 10 UK Eurovision entries 1. Never Give Up on You - Lucie Jones (15th in Kiev, 2017) 398.4pts Uh oh. We fully realise that some fans will race to the bottom of this list, see Lucie Jones at number one, slam their Union Jack mug down, open a new tab and furiously tap out a tweet about the ludicrousness of it all. In another poll, in another format, another song might come top  but judging across composition, lyrics, vocals, presentation and charisma, Lucies performance ranked highly in all 5 categories with all 20 jury members. A strong song, expertly delivered and beautifully staged. Never Give Up On You serves as a reminder that when we try, were not a lost cause at Eurovision. One day in the not too distant future, a British artist will come along with a self-penned track, a story to tell, a vision of how to present it, and a personality thatll shine through on Europes biggest stage. If they match Lucies technical ability, thats when well win Eurovision again. AFP/Getty

The Netherlands is the one to beat at the final, as our Eurovision Correspondent Rob Holley comments: Arcade sung by Duncan Laurence has long been the pre-contest favourite and has been doing well in rehearsals.

Theres absolutely nothing in the way of Duncan winning the contest, Rob says, though the presentation veers worryingly close to Im just going to let the song do the talking  which regular viewers will know doesnt always cut it at Europes biggest circus.

Arcade is based on someone close to me who I lost when I was younger, Duncan Laurence explains. She always longed for her love to come back after theyd split up, but until the day she died they never came back. I wanted to tell her story.

Along with the performances by different competing countries, the second semi-final also had a show by the Shalva Band, comprised of 8 talented musicians with disabilities, who performed A Million Dreams from The Greatest Showman and its pretty spectacular.

See the full running order for tonights competition below, along with our thoughts on each performance.

1) Armenia  Srbuk performing Walking Out

Ooh this is very dark and mysterious and atmospheric. Decent vocals, too. A good start, particularly with the staging and all those pyrotechnics.

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2) Ireland  Sarah McTernan performing 22

Difficult to follow such a strong performance, particularly when your own song is so lacklustre. The production is nice enough but its not particuarly inspired.

3) Moldova  Anna Odobescu performing Stay

Love the dress, very Mrs Havisham from Great Expectations. Im guessing the song is about her begging her groom not to jilt her at the altar. Again, great staging and shes getting some good belts in the chorus.

4) Switzerland  Luca Hanni performing She Got Me

Theres a lot of pressure on him as his country hasnt made it through to the final since 2014. Hes off to a good start with a bit of a missing Jonas brother thing going on. Very catchy track.

5) Latvia  Carousel performing That Night

Shes already drawing comparisons to Lorde with a striking, bohemian look and soft, sultry delivery. This is how you do the slow-tempo number at Eurovision, an arresting and beautifully delivered performance.

6) Romania  Ester Peony performing On a Sunday

Another strong performance by a female vocalist, with wonderful dramatic staging and an impressive vocal performance.

7) Denmark  Leonora performing Love is Forever

Right weve got Leonora performing Love is Forever for Denmark now. This former ice-skating champion (yep) has a wonderfully whimsical number and sweet, lilting vocals to sing it with. She looked a bit wobbly getting up that ladder, though, and the audience may be wondering why she was singing in French during certain bits.

8) Sweden  John Lundvik performing Too Late For Love

This is an uplifting, soulful track with gospel vibes, Im a fan! He looks very confident on stage and, wow, this four-woman gospel choir has gone down a treat with the audience in Tel Aviv. Lot of applause, cheering. Definitely going through to the final.

 Eurovision 2019: Sweden perform during semi-finals in Israel

9) Austria  Paenda performing Limits

Oh dear. The first performance at this years competition that really seemed to go wrong. Of course, there was always going to be a lot of pressure given Austria won Eurovision in 2014 with Conchita Wurst, but even so... lacklustre, pretty boring and often quite off-key.

10) Croatia  Roko Blazevic performing The Dream

Its a bit much. Even for Eurovision. Did he really need the massive golden wings? Hes hitting some good notes though, and that chorus is actually pretty catchy.

11) Malta  Michela Pace performing Chameleon

Dare I say it, a highlight? Not the most inventive or original song, but lots of fun and incredibly catchy.

12) Lithuania  Jurij Veklenko performing Run with the Lions

After a very strong start the competition seems to have lost some of its momentum. This could be an X-Factor performance, such is the blandness of the lyrics and the singer himself.

Top 10 Eurovision winners Show all 10 1 /10 Top 10 Eurovision winners Top 10 Eurovision winners 10. Molitva  Marija Serifovic (Serbia, 2007) Lets get down to business. Making their debut at Eurovision, Serbia later romped home as champions with this high-drama ballad. In an era when extravagance had well and truly taken hold, the staging was notably bare. The orchestra, the belting, the key changes, and the five backing singers dressed as a cross between beauty queens and security guards all make this feel like the climax of a modern opera. Getty Top 10 Eurovision winners 9. Hard Rock Hallelujah  Lordi (Finland, 2006) Has Eurovision ever seen anything like it, before or since? Finlands first win after 45 years of participating came at the hands of a heavy metal band dressed in monster costumes  but this ranking is not based on novelty alone. Behind the growled vocals and pyrotechnics, Hard Rock Hallelujah is a pretty great song  even for those who ordinarily cant stand this kind of thing. The backing vocals on the chorus are a particular high. It also provided a welcome departure from the high-octane pop-fest that many believe Eurovision to be. Getty Top 10 Eurovision winners 8. Hold Me Now  Johnny Logan (Ireland, 1987) The jewel in the crown of Irelands seven wins is this corker from Logan, who returned looking every inch the matinee idol in his pristine white suit. Its the kind of big power ballad that fist-clenching was made for, and his big build on I will always love you should win another prize for the most ambitious key change. Rex Top 10 Eurovision winners 7. Fangad av en stormvind  Carola (Sweden, 1991) One of Swedens most popular entries, Carola is winning from the moment she bounds on stage and lets out that first Woah-oh-oh!. Her voice is flawless, the key changes are great, and who doesnt appreciate a wind machine? Another slice of Scandi pop perfection. AFP/Getty Top 10 Eurovision winners 6. Making Your Mind Up  Bucks Fizz (United Kingdom, 1981) A high energy pop song with colourful young performers and fun choreography  Making Your Mind Up is the stuff that Eurovision is made of. The famous moment when the boys ripped off the girls skirts only to reveal shorter skirts beneath them is one of the competitions most famous moments. A number one hit record across Europe that year, the song remains as infectious today as ever. PA Top 10 Eurovision winners 5. Ne partez pas sans moi  Celine Dion (Switzerland, 1988) Celine Dion was just 20 years old when she came to international attention with this performance. The song itself is excellent  a French chanson worthy of Edith Piaf, with a slightly twee drum machine stepping up the beat for a bop of a chorus. This all took place before Celine was transformed into an ageless power ballad queen (see the pageant-esque hair and outfit), but its thrilling to hear how her vocals were sheer perfection even then. Oh, and the arm choreography was well on its way too. EPA Top 10 Eurovision winners 4. Love Shine a Light  Katrina and the Waves (United Kingdom, 1997) The beautiful fusion of hammond organ, tambourines, hand clapping and the quasi-spiritual lyrics themselves make this feel like a glorious hymn  and Katrina really takes it to church. One of the highest scorers in modern times, this was the last time the UK won the competition, and it came the day after Labours landslide 1997 election victory. What a time to be alive. PA Top 10 Eurovision winners 3. Rise Like a Phoenix  Conchita Wurst (Austria, 2014) Conchitas performance had everything you could want in a Eurovision performance. Elegant and fierce all at once, Rise Like a Phoenix could match the finest Bond theme, and is easily one of the most timeless of all the winners. The big band adds to the glamour of it all, and brings the goosebumps on that dramatic orchestral rise towards the final chorus. It was a powerful moment for LGBT+ visibility, too; the songs theme of triumph over adversity secured it as an anthem for lifes survivors. AFP/Getty Top 10 Eurovision winners 2. Euphoria  Loreen (Sweden, 2012) Its hard to pick any other recent winner that comes as close to contemporary chart toppers as Euphoria  a dance hit that many contemporary pop stars would kill for. Written by Swedens Thomas G:son  who has produced more than 90 songs for Eurovision competitors across multiple countries  Euphoria is built on clever pop formulas. The chorus itself is anthemic perfection, but when Loreen tacks on: Were going up, up, up... it strikes gold. The Kate Bush-esque performance was an added bonus. Getty Top 10 Eurovision winners 1. Waterloo  ABBA (Sweden, 1974) ABBA burst onto the stage at the 1974 competition, kickstarting Swedens international reputation as masters of pop. Early adopters of the kind of kitsch which would come to typify the show, ABBA used their platform to offer a taste of the cultural phenomenon they would go on to become. From the opening piano build to the switch between a minor bridge and major chorus, to the catchy hooks littered throughout, Waterloo is a masterclass in how to write a hit, and the song rightly went on to become one of the best-selling singles of all time. ABBA continue to influence Eurovision contestants to this day, and while you may have another favourite, Waterloo is a song on which most people can agree is a solid gold classic. We promise to love you forever more. AFP/Getty

13) Russia  Sergey Lazarev performing Scream

I was expecting an upbeat pop number but got a decidedly menacing ballad instead. Sergey unfortunately came across as a Sweeney Todd figure singing to his victims. The song itself was performed well, very dramatic, but it gave me the wrong kind of chills.

14) Albania  Jonida Maliqi performing Ktheju tokes

Very moving, with just the right amount of intensity (did you hear that Sergey?). Also she looks absolutely stunning in that sweeping gown, with dramatic eye makeup and tattoos.

15) Norway  KEiiNO performing Spirit In The Sky

Right, this is another one of the favourites: KEiiNO performing Spirit In The Sky. One of their singers looks a bit like Gary Barlow from Take That. But this is great, and theyve got the crowd dancing too. Given one of the biggest breakout pop stars of 2018 (Sigrid) hails from Norway, its not surprising to see such a strong pop effort.

16) The Netherlands  Duncan Laurence performing Arcade

Im still not convinced this is a good enough song to win the competition, although its definitely the favourite so far among fans (according to our Eurovision correspondent Rob Holley). To me, its a fairly basic piano ballad.

17) North Macedonia  Tamara Todevska performing Proud

Im sceptical about the empowering vibe this song is going for, its a bit obvious, but then the song isnt really good enough to stand on its own. A good vocal performance but not much else.

18) Azerbaijan  Chingiz performing Truth

This is OK, although he definitely should have left that leather vest at home. Nice falsetto on the chorus and a fun electronic beat pulsing through. Some very impressive, traditional vocals on the refrain.

The liveblog is now closed

The Eurovision final takes place on 18 May at 8pm on BBC One.
Since it powered us into the industrial revolution, coal-fired energy has become the single biggest driver of man-made climate change and its use across the world is still increasing.

But while dependence on coal remains high, with coal-fired power plants currently fuelling around 38 per cent of global electricity, a new report indicates the demise of coal is already well underway.

The International Energy Agencys new world investment report released this week, reveals the companies funding coal-fired power stations appear to be making significant recalculations about the long-term viability of these plants.

This is shown by a collapse in Final Investment Decisions (FIDs) for coal plants, which have tumbled by 75 per cent in three years.

The report says a total of 236 gigawatts of coal plants are under construction worldwide. In 2015, FIDs signed off 88 gigawatts for construction, but this fell to 22 gigawatts in 2018.

Is this the world's most beautiful coal mine? Show all 9 1 /9 Is this the world's most beautiful coal mine? Is this the world's most beautiful coal mine? The former industrial zone is now a green lung near Dusseldorf Jochen Tack/Stiftung Zollverein Is this the world's most beautiful coal mine? Nature has begun to reclaim the land around it Jochen Tack Is this the world's most beautiful coal mine? The land around the mine is now a kind of park Stiftung Zollverein/GNTO Is this the world's most beautiful coal mine? There's a sparse beauty to the mine Stiftung Zollverein/GNTO Is this the world's most beautiful coal mine? Zollverein's main shaft has become the symbol of the area Stiftung Zollverein/GNTO Is this the world's most beautiful coal mine? The exhibition is well laid out inside Stiftung Zollverein/GNTO Is this the world's most beautiful coal mine? The old pool in the mine Jochen Tack/Stiftung Zollverein Is this the world's most beautiful coal mine? Guided tours of a coal mine are more interesting than you'd think Jochen Tack/Stiftung Zollverein Is this the world's most beautiful coal mine? Zollverein's been transformed into an event space for locals Frank Vinken/Stiftung Zollverein

Furthermore, the rate at which coal power plants are being decommissioned has risen to the extent that despite new power plants coming online, there was a net reduction in coal power being used globally over 2018. Around 30 gigawatts of generators were retired last year.

It is estimated this could be the first time there has been a reduction in coal-fired power capacity across the world since the industrial revolution.

When the FIDs fall to zero, it will only be a matter of time until coals rein is over.

Last year, with FIDs going down, the IEA noted: It appears that banks, insurance companies, hedge funds, utilities and other operators in advanced economies are exiting the coal business.

This means that even without policy necessarily directing them, the financial concerns of investors over the future of the fossil fuel business are slowly ensuring money is being allocated to different areas.

Recommended Britain goes a week without coal power for the first time since 1882

Most of the current expansion in coal is in Asia. In the West, the move away from coal has gathered pace, with Europes overall use of coal down a quarter, while in the US it has fallen by 40 per cent over the last 10 years.

But these cuts are more than made up for in Asian economies, where over the last decade, the coal-fired power sector has grown by 63 per cent, with more power stations are planned.

The IEA report outlines two scenarios for measuring energy progress.

The first is its Sustainable Development Scenario (SDS). In this scenario, energy production meets the criteria set out under the Paris agreement targets and air pollution around the world is slashed.

The second is the less ambitious New Policies Scenario (NPS), which would see less action taken to tackle fossil fuels and less investment in renewables, resulting in warming reaching around 2.5C by 2100.

While the reports headline finding is that we are currently on course for disaster due to inadequate levels of investment in low-carbon energy sources, it also makes clear that coals unattractiveness has set it on a course to meet the criteria outlined in the more ambitious SDS.

Dr Fatih Birol, the IEA executive director said: Energy investments now face unprecedented uncertainties, with shifts in markets, policies and technologies. But the bottom line is that the world is not investing enough in traditional elements of supply to maintain todays consumption patterns, nor is it investing enough in cleaner technologies to change course. Whichever way you look, we are storing up risks for the future.

Current investment trends show the need for bolder decisions required to make the energy system more sustainable. Government leadership is critical to reduce risks for investors in the emerging sectors that urgently need more capital to get the world on the right track.

The report comes days after United Nations secretary-general Antonio Guterres said the world must dramatically change the way it fuels factories, vehicles and homes to limit future warming.

The alternative would mean a catastrophic situation for the whole world, he told The Associated Press.

Mr Guterres said he will call on leaders to stop subsidising fossil fuels, and wants countries to build no new coal power plants after 2020.
Theresa May will face multiple enemies both in front and behind her when she makes her next  and final  attempt to rescue her Brexit deal, early next month.

Here are the parties and political factions expected to vote against the withdrawal agreement bill, suggesting it is heading for a crushing defeat that will end her premiership.

Labour (almost all of the party, probably)
Deciding whether or not to have children is life's biggest decision, according to a new poll.

The discussion on whether or not to bring another life into the world takes more soul searching than filing for divorce or moving house, the survey of 2,000 adults found.

Moving abroad and getting a pet were also agonised over.

With the exam season well underway, respondents also found it emotionally draining to make decisions about GCSE and A Level choices.

Nearly one fifth of those polled recalled the stress of making their "first big decision" picking subjects they would study going forward.

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Such decisions often leaves people feeling "anxious", "terrified" and even "old", the survey found.

Its likely weve all made decisions in our lives that weve regretted and we were surprised to see that people take the same amount of time to decide on a car as they do to end a relationship," said Nicola Stubbs, head of marketing at Beagle Street Life Insurance, which commissioned the poll.

She added: Decision making can be hard but if you're struggling it's always worth talking it through with family or friends."

The survey also found over two thirds agreed there is pressure on young people to make important decisions when its too early to know what they want.

 The Queen beams as she's asked how many great grandchildren she has now that Baby Sussex has been born

Because of this, many respondents cited their choice of degree, dropping out of university, leaving school early and not taking A-levels as decisions they now regret.

One in seven claimed settling down with a partner was their first major life choice.

The research also pinpointed the age at which we make the most vital choices as being 28.

One fifth believe love-life based decisions had the biggest impact on their future, while only 16 per cent said career-based choices had the greatest effect. Family decisions are ranked most important of all.

Typically, adults spend on average five days toying with the notion of going on a date and taking the leap to buy a home takes 18 days to determine.

Respondent also appeared to take almost the same amount of time to decide on a new car  13 days  as they do deciding whether or not to end a relationship  14 days.

But three in 10 agreed some decisions could not be rushed and they would need more than a month to make up their minds about getting married.

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Overall, respondents took an average 17 days to make a landmark decision, while over one third have regretted a past choice and therefore tend to avoid making them if they can

One fifth described themselves as indecisive, which is unsurprising when seven in 10 often seek advice rather than taking it upon themselves to make big decisions.

Parents and friends are key confidants for more than one quarter of respondents, but two-fifths will still turn to their beloved other half when looking for guidance.

Despite turning to their nearest and dearest for help, nearly half would rather make a decision for themselves with more than a quarter preferring to make a collaborative life choice.

SWNS
Two months after the Christchurch terror attacks, the worlds biggest technology companies have made a joint pledge to tackle online extremism.

Amazon, Facebook, Google, Microsoft and Twitter signed up to the Christchurch Call to Action spearheaded by New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern.

In a joint statement, the tech firms laid out a nine-point plan of concrete steps to address the abuse of technology to spread terrorist content.

The terrorist attacks in Christchurch, New Zealand, in March were a horrifying tragedy, the statement read. And so it is right that we come together, resolute in our commitment to ensure we are doing all we can to fight the hatred and extremism that lead to terrorist violence.

World leaders, including Frances president Emmanuel Macron and Theresa May, met in Paris as part of the Christchurch Call, though the US refused to join the international initiative and suggested it could threaten freedom of speech.

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A statement by the White House said: We continue to be proactive in our efforts to counter terrorist content online while also continuing to respect freedom of expression and freedom of the press.

Donald Trump has routinely demonised journalists as enemies of the people and denounced critical reporting as fake news.

We continue to support the overall goals reflected in the call. We will continue to engage governments, industry and civil society to counter terrorist content on the internet, his administrations statement added.

Earlier on Wednesday, Facebook announced its own measures to help prevent the use of its platform to share extremist content. During the March attacks, which saw 51 people killed and 50 injured, a live stream of the shootings was viewed thousands of times on Facebook before being removed.

Facebook claims its new rules concerning who is able to use its Facebook Live feature would have prevented the terrorist from streaming the shooting.

Checks on livestreaming formed one of the five individual action points in the tech firms joint pledge, along with updating their terms of use, creating more ways to report extremist content, improving AI technology to recognise such content, and publishing transparency reports.

Together with the five individual efforts, the companies agreed on four collaborative actions: developing shared technology; establishing protocols with governments for use during crises; education efforts; and working across the industry to combat hate and bigotry.

Terrorism and violent extremism are complex societal problems that require an all-of-society response, the statement concluded.

For our part, the commitments we are making today will further strengthen the partnership that governments, society and the technology industry must have to address this threat.
Texting while walking may soon be prohibited by law in New York state, with a new bill proposing a fine for anyone caught typing while crossing the street.

The bill, introduced by the State Senate and sponsored by Brooklyn Assemblyman Felix Ortiz, suggests a fine of $25 to $50 for those caught holding and looking at a phone while crossing the street.

For subsequent offences within 18 months, guilty pedestrians could face fines up to $250.

According to Queens Senator John Liu, the point of the bill is to keep people from being distracted by their phones while drivers are waiting for them to cross the street.

This is a bill that says dont text while crossing the street, wait the 10 seconds, to get to the other side, Mr Liu told ABC7.

Make your iPhone do all the typing: new app instantly converts speech to text Show all 2 1 /2 Make your iPhone do all the typing: new app instantly converts speech to text Make your iPhone do all the typing: new app instantly converts speech to text 273127.bin Nuance Communications, Inc. Make your iPhone do all the typing: new app instantly converts speech to text 273128.bin Nuance Communications, Inc.

Although he did not have data to back up his claim that texting and crossing the street is a growing public health concern, according to Gothamist, Mr Liu said the proposed law is just about common sense.

Under the proposed bill, holding a portable electronic device while taking or transmitting images, playing games, or, for the purpose of present or future communication: performing a command or request to access a world wide web page, composing, sending, reading, viewing, accessing, browsing, transmitting saving or retrieving email, text messages, instant messages, or other electronic data, would all be banned.

The bill does make exceptions for people using their phones to communicate with an emergency response operator, a hospital, doctor, fire department or police officer.

Those talking on the phone while crossing the street would also be exempt.

According to ABC7, similar laws have been passed in Hawaii and California.

As for who would be in charge of enforcing the law in New York, Mr Liu said it would depend on the municipality.

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It could be the police, it could be other law enforcement officers, he said.
Louisiana has become the latest US to pass new legislation restricting abortion rights.

On Wednesday, a 79-23 vote saw the Louisiana House gave final passage to a bill barring abortion once there is a detectable foetal heartbeat, as early as the sixth week of pregnancy.

Georgia, Arkansas, Mississippi and Ohio have all passed similar so-called heartbeat bills this year, with Alabama passing legislation to ban nearly all abortions in nearly all circumstances, including rape and incest.

If the latters bill takes effect it will mean that those performing abortions would be committing a felony, punishable by up to 99 years in prison.

Several other states including Maryland, Minnesota, and Texas are also currently considering abortion restrictions.

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

Celebrities including Milla Jovovich and Jameela Jamil have taken to social media this week to voice their outrage over the recent slew of abortion bans across the US, with Lady Gaga describing Alabamas abortion bill as a travesty.

Other's have pointed out that there are also several countries around the world with similar draconian and discriminatory laws restricting women's rights to a termination.

Weve taken a look at the countries with the most restrictive abortion laws and the campaigns that are working to abolish them.

Whats the UKs abortion law?

In England, Scotland, and Wales, the Abortion Act 1967 permits women to have an abortion up to 23 weeks and six days of pregnancy (gestation).

According to abortion provider Marie Stopes, there is no gestational limit for abortions if theres evidence of a fatal foetal abnormality or a significant risk to a womans life if they continue with the pregnancy.

Abortions can only be carried out in an NHS hospital or a licensed clinic, and are usually available free of charge on the NHS. An abortion is legal if it is performed by a registered medical practitioner and that it is authorised by two doctors, according to the British Pregnancy Advisory Service.

The NHS states that there are three main ways to get an abortion on the NHS: contact an abortion provider; speaking to your GP and asking for a referral to an abortion service; and visit a contraception clinic family planning clinic; sexual health clinic or genitourinary medicine (GUM) clinic and asking for a referral to an abortion service.

You should not have to wait more than two weeks from your initial appointment to have an abortion.

(Reuters (Reuters)

The abortion procedure involves a discussion about the decision with a medical professional and the choice of two options of how a woman would like the abortion to be carried out.

A medical abortion, commonly referred to as the abortion pill involves taking two medications, usually 24 to 48 hours apart in the first 10 weeks of pregnancy.

The first pill, mifepristone, stops the hormone that allows the pregnancy to continue working. The second, misoprostol, is normally taken up to 48 hours later, and encourages the womb to contract to end the pregnancy.

Before August 2018, women in England were required to take the two pills at a clinic. However, campaigners said that the need for a second visit placed insurmountable barriers to healthcare for some vulnerable women and resulted in some miscarrying and bleeding heavily while on their journey home after taking the second pill.

England has joined Scotland and Wales who previously granted women the right to take early abortion pills at home.

Where is abortion banned with exceptions?

Some countries that restrict the procedure do permit terminations under certain circumstances which commonly include a threat to the mothers life and in cases of rape or incest.

Poland

Under Polands abortion law, terminations are legal only in the cases of a threat to the mothers life, if there is a foetal abnormality, or when a pregnancy has resulted from rape or incest.

In March 2018, thousands of pro-choice advocates took to the streets of Poland in Black Friday protests campaigning against plans to further tighten the abortion laws. Women's Strike group estimated that some 55,000 people attended protests in the capital.

In addition, over 200 nongovernmental organisations signed a public appeal to Polish lawmakers to reject the bill that they argued would "place women's health and lives at risk and violate Poland's international human rights obligations."

In 2016, lawmakers tried to impose a total ban on abortion, with the only exception being when a womans life was in danger. However, the plan was scrapped after thousands of people took to the streets in protest.

Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland remains the only country in the United Kingdom where abortion is still illegal.

Under laws dating back to the Offences against the Person Act 1861, it is currently illegal to have an abortion in the country and the maximum sentence is life imprisonment.

However, the majority of women seeking an abortion travel to England, Scotland or Wales.

In October 2017, former Women and Equalities minister Justine Greening said Northern Irish women would be able to apply for 'hardship' grants to travel to England where they will be eligible for free, fully funded abortions.

In recent years, there have been ongoing calls for a change in the law, increasing in volume after a referendum in the Republic of Ireland which overturned its ban the Eighth Amendment in May 2018. The amendment had previously prevented any further relaxation of the ban.

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In June 2018, a supreme court ruling in June indicated that Northern Irelands abortion laws were incompatible with human rights legislation. However, judges failed to issue a final ruling because the case that had been brought before them did not involve an individual victim.

At the time, Breedagh Hughes, the former Northern Ireland director of the Royal College of Midwives, said: This is a start. It abolishes the myth that this is something that can be contained in Northern Ireland. Theres a moral obligation for Theresa May to bring forward legislation to ensure that women in Northern Ireland have access to their rights.

You can donate to support the efforts of Belfast based charity Alliance for Choice which campaigns for abortion rights in Northern Ireland here. Alternatively, NowForNI which campaigns to decriminalise abortion across the UK invites pro-choice advocates to contact their local MP asking for their commitment to supporting urgent abortion reform in Northern Ireland. You can contact your MP directly with a messaged written by NowForNI here.

Andorra

Abortion is banned in Andorra except in cases where it is necessary to save the life of the pregnant woman. According to the law on abortion, a pregnant woman who performs an abortion or consents to an abortion could face a prison sentence of up to two and a-half years.

However, a person who performs an abortion with the consent of a pregnant woman is subject to imprisonment up to four years in prison and up to six if they are a physician, medical practitioner or health officer, or a person who customarily performs abortive practices.

An abortion performed without the consent of the woman is punishable by a maximum of 10 years imprisonment.

Stop Violencies is a group campaigning for the legalisation of terminations in Andorra. Find out more about their work here.

Liechtenstein

According to the Penal Code of 1987, women who have an abortion in the principality of Liechtenstein risk one year imprisonment, except in cases where the mother's life is in danger or she is under 14 at the time she got pregnant. Doctors who carry out an abortion can go to prison for three years.

In 2011, voters rejected a plan to legalise abortion in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy or if the child is severely disabled.

Opponents won the referendum with a majority of 514 votes, out of 11,510 ballots cast.

In response, political activists formed a citizens committee to revoke the princes right of veto. Under the Liechtenstein constitution, the committee had to gather 1,500 signatures by the to call a referendum.

A year later, Prince Alois of Liechtenstein threatened to step down from his royal duties if a citizens were successful in vetoing his power over maintaining the decriminalisation of abortion.

Which countries have a blanket ban on abortion?

Around the world there are total bans in places such as Haiti, Madagascar and Mauritania. Others include:

El Salvador

In 1998, El Salvador criminalised abortion in all circumstances.

In March, El Salvadors Supreme Court freed three women who were imprisoned for 30 years after being accused of aborting their babies, despite they instead suffered miscarriages. Alba Rodriguez and Maria del Transito Orellana had both served nine years, while former prisoner Cinthia Rodriguez had served a 11 year prison sentence.

Amnesty International previously described El Salvador as "one of the most dangerous countries to be a woman".

You can sign a petition to call on President of the Assembly, Guillermo Gallegos, to decriminalise abortion in extreme cases here.

Malta

Malta is the only country in the EU where abortion remains illegal and prohibited in all circumstances.

Anyone found to perform an abortion (including a woman who performs one on herself or consents to someone else to perform the procedure) could face between 18 months and three years.

Meanwhile, a medical expert who performs an abortion faces a sentence of between 18 months to four years and a lifelong ban from their profession.

(AP (AP)

San Marino

San Marino imposes a total ban on abortion. In 2016, five bills (known as Instances of Arengo aiming to decriminalise abortion were put for a vote. The bills included one pressing the de-penalization of abortion in cases of grave danger to the woman, another wanted to permit abortions for women who became pregnant by an act of violence, and another would allow in cases where there are strong indicators of a malformed foetus.

Philippines

Abortion was criminalized through the Penal Code of 1870 under Spanish colonial rule and incorporated into the Revised Penal Code passed in 1930 under U.S. occupation of the Philippines.

The criminal provisions on abortion in the Philippines do not contain any exceptions allowing abortion, regardless if the life of the pregnant woman is at risk.

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Physicians and midwives who perform abortions in the Philippines with the consent of a pregnant woman may face up to six years in prison under the Revised Penal Code.

Women who undergo abortion for any reason may be punished by imprisonment for two to six years.
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U.S. pressure on Iran has forced Tehran to suspend the implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), known as the Iran nuclear deal, the Kremlin said Wednesday.

"We clearly understand that Iran makes these decisions not in an initiative, but responding to the pressure, which in general contradicts the letter and spirit of the JCPOA," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

"Here, unfortunately, the general concern remains," he said.

In recent weeks, Washington has ratcheted up pressure against Tehran with a series of sanctions, designations and military threats.

In response, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani announced last week his country's withdrawal from complying with the restrictions set by the JCPOA on Iran's enriched uranium reserves and heavy water supplies.

The United States, under President Donald Trump, withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal, which was endorsed by the United Nations Security Council and reached in 2015 between Iran, China, France, Russia, Britain, the United States, and Germany.
After Alabamas state senate voted to pass the strictest abortion law in the US on Tuesday, virtually outlawing the procedure in every instance, one Democratic senator spoke powerfully about the implications of the decision, saying I think we raped women last night.

In an interview with CNN on Wednesday morning, Senate minority leader Bobby Singleton described the bill as horrible and urged the Republicans who voted in favour of it to go home to their wives, daughters and sisters and look them in the face to say what they did.

Singleton went on to speak about a hypothetical scenario in which his daughter was raped and, under the new laws, would have to tell her to carry the baby for nine months and look that rapist in the face for the rest of her life.

I just couldnt take it as a father, he said, so I had to speak up for women all over the country, for women in the state of Alabama, because this was just wrong.

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

Singleton delivered a powerful speech the previous evening in the Senate chamber of Alabamas State House as the lawmakers prepared to pass the bill.

The senator, who has two daughters aged nine and 10, held back tears as he told the chamber, What you just said to my little girl is that Its okay for a man to rape you, and you got to have his baby if you get pregnant.

You just said to my daughter, you dont matter. That the state of Alabama dont care nothing about you, baby.

 Bobby Singleton gives tearful speech after Alabama passes bill banning abortion: 'What you just said to my little girl that it's ok for a man to rape you'

"I got to go home and tell her that you can just be raped by one of your uncles or your cousins, or somebody could just rape you and impregnate you, and you got to carry this baby under Alabama law. Because baby, if you have this abortion, this doctor is going to go to jail for 99 years.

On Wednesday, the governor of Alabama signed a bill banning almost all abortions, except in instances where there is a "serious health risk" to the mother. This came one day after the state Senate passed the bill on Tuesday 25-6. It is now set to take effect in six months.

A number of female celebrities have spoken out in light of the news, including Jameela Jamil, Milla Jovocich and, most recently, Lady Gaga, who described the ban as an "outrage" on Twitter.
The competition watchdog is to investigate sales of leasehold homes as concerns grow that thousands of buyers have been locked into paying extortionate charges that they did not understand when they bought their property.

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is opening a probe into unfair terms, excessive fees and inadequate information given to some buyers of new properties.

Consumer groups have warned for more than two years that leasehold property buyers have been ripped off on a large scale, comparing the scandal to the mis-selling of payment protection insurance (PPI) and endowment mortgages which resulted in billions of pounds of compensation.

In the worst cases, leaseholders have been left trapped in unsellable and unmortgageable homes, prompting calls for an overhaul of the market.

In a letter to the Housing, Communities and Local Government committee (HCLG), CMA chief executive Andrea Coscelli said the watchdog acknowledges the problems around leasehold sales.

Inside Trump Tower: New York's least desirable luxury property Show all 13 1 /13 Inside Trump Tower: New York's least desirable luxury property Inside Trump Tower: New York's least desirable luxury property Looking out of the lobby of Trump Tower Philo Ratio Inside Trump Tower: New York's least desirable luxury property A view of the atrium of Trump Tower Sebastian Bergmann Inside Trump Tower: New York's least desirable luxury property Trump tower from across Fifth Avenue S.F. Roberti Inside Trump Tower: New York's least desirable luxury property A view of the atrium inside Trump Tower Julian Stallabrass Inside Trump Tower: New York's least desirable luxury property A counter selling Trump merchandise including his 1987 book The Art of the Deal Takahiro Nagao Inside Trump Tower: New York's least desirable luxury property The Ivanka Trump jewellery shop inside Trump Tower Reuters Inside Trump Tower: New York's least desirable luxury property The waterfall in the atrium of Trump Tower Alistair McMillan Inside Trump Tower: New York's least desirable luxury property The atrium of Trump Tower featuring a Starbucks outlet Fletcher Inside Trump Tower: New York's least desirable luxury property A doorman stands by the lobby elevator in Trump Tower Reuters Inside Trump Tower: New York's least desirable luxury property Donald Trump merchandise for sale in a gift shop of Trump Tower Reuters Inside Trump Tower: New York's least desirable luxury property Trump merchandise on display by the entrance to a bar named after Trump in Trump Tower Reuters Inside Trump Tower: New York's least desirable luxury property Shoppers and diners in the atrium of Trump Tower AFP/Getty Inside Trump Tower: New York's least desirable luxury property A view up Trump Tower Getty

The CMA plans to use consumer protection laws rather than use its powers to conduct a full market study.

Eventually, this may lead to action being taken against firms who have ripped customers off.

Leaseholders are granted the right to live in their property for an agreed period  usually between 99 and 125 years.

Under the lease, the freeholder typically charges ground rent to the leaseholder. Charges can also be levied for making alterations to a property. A significant number of leaseholders say they have been hit with unjustifiable rises to the ground rent or unfair charges for making minor cosmetic changes such as changing a doorbell.

In the most extreme cases, fees have been so high properties become difficult to sell.

The HCLG committee is concerned that some leaseholds have been quickly sold on to third parties who then vastly increase the cost.

Committee chair Clive Betts said: We heard extensive evidence from leaseholders regarding onerous ground rent terms, high and opaque service charges and one-off bills, unfair and excessive permission charges, and unreasonable costs to enfranchise or extend leases.

Over the course of the inquiry we heard evidence suggesting that there are a significant number of cases where home buyers may have been deliberately misled about the terms they were signing up to.

If the sale of leasehold house has taken place with the home buyer under the impression that they were buying it freehold, or equivalent to freehold as many were told, then action needs to be taken.

Equally, if a home buyer is told they will be able to buy the freehold in a couple of years, only to find out it has been sold on to another company, then this should be investigated.

He continued: Home buyers need to be protected and, where evidence of mis-selling is proved, it is right that the CMA take action.

 UK rents to rise 15% in next five years, property group RICS warns

A CMA spokesperson said: The select committee has raised serious concerns that many homeowners who buy long leasehold property dont know exactly what they are signing up to, and may be trapped in contracts with unfair terms once they move in.

We have committed to investigating whether these homeowners are being hit with expensive fees or unfair contract terms, as well as being given all the information they need before signing on the dotted line. We will set out the full terms of this work when it begins.

More than 40 property developers and freeholders have signed up to a pledge launched by communities secretary James Brokenshire to prevent leaseholders being trapped in costly deals.

Mr Brokenshire said: For too long, exploitative and unfair leasehold arrangements have placed excessive burdens on homeowners.

These have no place in a modern housing market and since becoming communities secretary I have repeatedly made clear my ambition to end them.

Thats why I asked the Competition and Markets Authority to look into the issue and I am pleased to see it is now taking action.
The government is renationalising the supervision of criminals after a botched part-privatisation programme was found to be putting the public at risk.

Chris Grayling handed the monitoring of low and medium-risk offenders over to private firms 2014, in spite of warnings from officials, experts and charities.

The Transforming Rehabilitation programme aimed to reduce reoffending and save money, but the government was forced to bail out failing companies and cancel contracts early in moves expected to cost taxpayers more than 467m.

The government is now scrapping every Community Rehabilitation Company (CRC) and handing all offender monitoring to the public National Probation Service (NPS).

The justice secretary, David Gauke, said private and voluntary providers would still be commissioned for unpaid work, community punishments and probation programmes.

Grayling's biggest failings Show all 8 1 /8 Grayling's biggest failings Grayling's biggest failings Banning books for prisoners Then Justice Secretary Grayling introduced a ban on sending books to prisoners in November 2013. The ban was later deemed unlawful by the High Court PA Grayling's biggest failings Knocking a cyclist off their bike Transport Secretary Chris Grayling knocked a cyclist off their bike by opening his car door in 2016. The footage was released by the recording cyclist a few months after the incident when Grayling complained about London's cycle lanes Guardian Grayling's biggest failings Train timetables fiasco After an Office for Road and Rail report found that nobody had taken charge during a major change to train timetables that left more than one in ten trains being late or cancelled on Northern and Thameslink, Transport Secretary Grayling insisted he was not to blame PA Grayling's biggest failings Unlawful cuts to legal aid The cuts to legal aid for certain categories of prisoner that Grayling introduced as Justice secretary in 2013 were found to be unlawful by the High Court PA Grayling's biggest failings Private probation reversal Theresa May's government has opted to renationalise the supervision of former prisoners after a part-privatisation program begun by Grayling in 2014 was found to be putting the public at risk PA Grayling's biggest failings Ferry contract for a company with no ferries Grayling handed a 14 contract to Seaborne Freight to deliver goods from Ostend to Ramsgate in the event of a no deal Brexit. The contract fell through after the Irish company that Seaborne was relying on to carry out the shipping pulled out PA Grayling's biggest failings Criminal courts charge In 2015, then Justice Secretary Grayling introduced a policy whereby convicted criminals would have to pay from 150-1200 towards the cost of their case. The policy was criticised for compelling defendants to plead guilty and led to protests by magistrates. The policy was scrapped by Michael Gove when he became Justice Secretary later that year PA Grayling's biggest failings Cyclists not road users As Transport Secretary, Grayling once failed to recognise cyclists as road users PA

Delivering a stronger probation system, which commands the confidence of the courts and better protects the public, is a pillar of our reforms to focus on rehabilitation and cut reoffending, he added.

I want a smarter justice system that reduces repeat crime by providing robust community alternatives to ineffective short prison sentences  supporting offenders to turn away from crime for good.

The Ministry of Justice said the cost of the change, including recruitment, has not yet been calculated.

The new model is scheduled to come into force in spring 2021, following a transition period after CRC contracts end in December 2020.

In its first climbdown last year, the government proposed reducing the number of CRCs and reforming their contracts, but a series of reports by parliamentary committees and watchdogs found the entire structure was irredeemably flawed.

In the most recent damning report, the Public Accounts Committee said reforms pushed through at breakneck speed failed to reduce reoffending and left services underfunded, fragile, and lacking the confidence of the courts.

A skyrocketing number of criminals have been recalled to prison and more than 200 offenders supposedly being monitored by CRCs have been charged with murder, while others have committed serious offences or disappeared.

Inspectors found companies were monitoring offenders over the phone and failing to properly assess the risk posed by criminals, or protect their victims.

The NPS was assessed as performing better in what HM Inspectorate of Probation called a two-tier system.

 David Gauke describes shocking videos emerging from UK prisons

The governments announcement came two days before the watchdog was to release a critical report on CRC supervision of people released after short prison sentences.

Dame Glenys Stacey, the chief inspector of probation, said: More than a quarter of a million people are under probation supervision each year, and high-quality probation services can make such a difference to them and to wider society as well.

Hard-pressed probation professionals now face yet more change, but I anticipate they will be in good heart.

A new consultation proposes to offer up to 280m a year for probation work from the private and voluntary sectors, but under NPS control.

Under the new model, 11 probation regions across England and Wales will have an innovation partner responsible for providing unpaid work, substance misuse programmes, training courses, community service and housing support.

The Ministry of Justice said it was planning new laws to create a regulatory framework holding probation officers to a set of professional standards, like doctors and lawyers.

Mr Gauke is also pushing to reduce the number of people being jailed for under a year, after research finding short sentences are ineffective at stopping reoffending.

Richard Burgon, Labour's shadow justice secretary, said the government had put public safety at risk and squandered hundreds of millions of pounds.

The Tories didn't want to make this U-turn and had been desperately trying to re-tender probation contracts to the private sector, he added. It is right those plans have been dropped and that offender management is to be brought back in-house.

Christina Marriott, chief executive of rehabilitation charity the Revolving Doors Agency said it was right to go back to the drawing board.

HM Inspectorate of Probation has found a 'two-tier system' between private Community Rehabilitation Companies and the National Probation Service

This dysfunctional split has been a failure, she added. It has failed to protect the public, failed to stop the cycle of crime and failed especially short sentenced prisoners. Too many people are leaving prison with no supervision, nowhere to live, and no access to healthcare.

Peter Dawson, director of the Prison Reform Trust, said: Mr Gaukes pragmatism offers hope that the damage done to the probation system by his predecessor can eventually be repaired. Courts are crying out for a simpler system in which they can have confidence.

Frances Crook, chief executive of the Howard League for Penal Reform, called the programme catastrophic.

She said: Probation will only keep the public safe and help people turn their lives around if it is integrated with housing, health and other such services, and promotes high professional standards at all levels.

The regional structure proposed may prove unwieldy, while clinging to private sector delivery of something like unpaid work seems to fly in the face of repeated failures by companies to deliver on such contracts.
Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.

That is the proposed definition of Islamophobia rejected by the government on Thursday, prompting allegations of pernicious racism and neglect for the safety of British Muslims.

James Brokenshire, the communities secretary, told MPs the government would appoint two advisers to draw up an alternative definition as a matter of urgency.
Ahead of Donald Trumps controversial state visit to the UK next month, protesters are wasting no time in preparing the most imaginative means possible of ridiculing the US president.

Step forward Dumping Trump, an enormous robot rendering of the president astride a golden lavatory, smartphone in hand, trousers down and with his long red tie dangling into the bowl between his thighs.

The 4.9 metre (16 foot) high machine also has an audio function which reproduces some of Mr Trumps most famous pronouncements, including: No collusion, a witch-hunt, you are fake news and Im a very stable genius.

It also makes fart noises.

The machine was designed by US science writer and dinosaur expert Don Lessem, who was an advisor on Jurassic Park and has previously built animatronic dinosaurs.

Political figures caricatured at German carnival Show all 22 1 /22 Political figures caricatured at German carnival Political figures caricatured at German carnival Donald Trump is depicted as a raging bull AP Political figures caricatured at German carnival Prime Minister Theresa May is depicted as piercing the economy with Brexit Getty Political figures caricatured at German carnival US president Donald Trump is depicted as an angel flying behind Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman who is wielding a bloody chainsaw Getty Political figures caricatured at German carnival Italian Inteior Minister and deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini is depicted as feeding racism and nationalism. He also bears a tattoo of affection for the mafia Getty Political figures caricatured at German carnival Chairman of Poland's leading Law and Justice Party (PIS) Jaroslaw Kaczynski is depicted as crucifying liberal Poland Getty Political figures caricatured at German carnival Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II is depicted running towards the EU for asylum AP Political figures caricatured at German carnival Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II is depicted running towards the EU for asylum Reuters Political figures caricatured at German carnival Planet Earth is depicted as eating plastic waste EPA Political figures caricatured at German carnival The frontside of a float depicting Germany's far-right party Alternative fur Deutschland (AFD)... Reuters Political figures caricatured at German carnival ...and the backside of the float. Depicting a German nazi AP Political figures caricatured at German carnival US president Donald Trump and Russian president Vladimir Putin are depicted tearing up the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, which the US recently pulled out of Getty Political figures caricatured at German carnival A Catholic bishop is depicted as sleeping on "the merciless processing of abuse cases" Getty Political figures caricatured at German carnival Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman is depicted as being covered in blood Reuters Political figures caricatured at German carnival Donald Trump is depicted as a raging bull Reuters Political figures caricatured at German carnival German Chancellor Angela Merkel is depicted as sitting on a knackered horse and holding out a carrot AP Political figures caricatured at German carnival The horse is called "Koalition" in reference to Germany's ruling coalition AFP/Getty Images Political figures caricatured at German carnival The carrot bears the label "AKK", an abbreviation of Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, Merkel's successor as leader of the Christian Democratic Union Reuters Political figures caricatured at German carnival A paper mache figure of a priest carrying an attache case reading "let the children come towards me" is seen during the presentation of the floats for the upcoming Rose Monday parade in Mainz, Germany Reuters Political figures caricatured at German carnival German Chancellor Angela Merkel is depicted as a rabbit waiting to be shot by her Interior Minister Horst Seehofer AP Political figures caricatured at German carnival German Chancellor Angela Merkel is depicted as a rabbit waiting to be shot by her Interior Minister Horst Seehofer EPA Political figures caricatured at German carnival German Interior Minister Horst Seehofer is depicted as holding a bent gun that he intends to aim at Chancellor Angela Merkel EPA Political figures caricatured at German carnival Andrea Naples, leader of the German Social Democrats (SPD) who are in coalition with Chancellor Angela Merkel's party AP

It is currently in China but is being sent to London in time for Mr Trumps June arrival.

Its being shipped on a freighter whose name I wont disclose for fear Trump will bomb it, Mr Lessem told The Daily Kos.

My goal is to create this years attention-getting and bile-producing sequel to the Trump baby balloon, and one that could be more easily deployed at rallies all over the world, he said.

I think we need a focus to our rage, and as many and large reminders as possible of what a disgusting disgrace this oaf is to humanity.

 Inflatable Donald Trump baby taken to Paris to join protests against president's visit for WW1 centenary

Last years Trump baby balloon  an inflatable 6-metre replica of the president wearing a nappy and holding a smartphone  was flown in London during the presidents last visit.

There are reportedly plans afoot to fly a balloon five times larger than its predecessor.

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has said any request to fly such a balloon would be subjected to the same rules as last year  which gave the protest balloon the official green light.

Mr Trump is expected to spend part of his visit at Buckingham Palace where a state banquet will be staged in his honour, but he will not be staying at the Queens royal residence.

Prime Minister Theresa May hailed the visit  planned for 3 June to 5 June  as a chance for the UK and the US to strengthen our already close relationship.

The White House said it would reaffirm the steadfast and special relationship between the two nations.
Brexit figurehead Boris Johnson has said that "of course" he will run for the Conservative leadership when a vacancy becomes available.

The former foreign secretary, who was speaking at an insurance conference in Manchester, is the first Tory big-hitter to declare his intention to fight to be Prime Minister.

Asked by broadcaster Huw Edwards in an on-stage interview whether he would stand if a vacancy was available, Johnson replied: "Of course I'm going to go for it."

He stressed that there was currently no vacancy, but his comments will be taken as confirmation that he intends to fight to become Prime Minister when Theresa May stands down.

Mr Johnson's ambition to replace Mrs May has long been Westminster's worst-kept secret.

He has long led popularity contests among Conservative activists and his high profile personality is viewed by many as a potentially decisive factor in keeping Tories in power at the next election.

But his elevation would be fiercely resisted by Remain forces in the upper echelons of the party, who fear he would take the UK out of the European Union without a deal.

The next Tory leader will be chosen in a ballot of the party's approximately 125,000 members around the country.

But to get onto the ballot paper, Mr Johnson would have to make a shortlist of two chosen by MPs in a voting process to whittle down what is expected to be a large field of contenders.

Other senior figures believed to be limbering up for a possible bid include Mr Johnson's successor as Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt, as well as Home Secretary Sajid Javid and Health Secretary Matt Hancock. Mr Johnson may also face competition for the Leave-backing vote from former Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab.

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

Public declarations have so far been made only by International Development Secretary Rory Stewart, Leader of the Commons Andrea Leadsom and former minister Esther McVey, all seen as relative outsiders in the race to succeed Ms May.

Ms May has said she will stand down as Conservative leader once her Brexit deal is ratified, handing over to a new leader to take on negotiations over the UK's future relations with the EU.

But she is believed to be resisting demands from grandees on the backbench 1922 Committee to set out a timetable for her departure if the Withdrawal Agreement Bill is defeated in a series of votes due to begin early next month.

Expectations of a Johnson bid have been fuelled by reports of private meetings with MPs to sound out possible support, as well as a sudden spate of visits to constituency associations.

Mr Johnson was widely credited with tipping the balance in favour of Leave in the 2016 EU referendum, but became a magnet for controversy for his oft-repeated claim - branding misleading by statistics watchdogs - that the UK hands over 350 million a week to the EU.

He walked out of the Cabinet in July last year in protest at Ms May's Chequers plan for Brexit, which he branded "woeful".
Illegal immigration is likely to rise when Britain leaves the EU and freedom of movement ends, a new study has found.

The report by the Social Market Foundation said closing legal migration routes after Brexit would lead to more people trying to enter and stay in the UK illegally.

It said politicians who claim that Brexit will solve public concerns about immigration should "come clean" about the actual consequences of ending free movement.

Failure to do so would result in a backlash when voters realised that leaving the EU had not solved their fears about immigration, and risked creating the sort of conditions in Britain that helped Donald Trump become US president, the SMF said.

The study analysed previous cases where immigration was restricted and entry policies tightened, including Britain ending unrestricted migration from Commonwealth countries in the 1960s and the US stopping a programme for Mexican workers in 1965.

It found that stricter controls on immigration often led to an increase in the total number of migrants in the country, because people who could previously travel back and forth easily instead opt to stay.

Greater restrictions also fuel an increase in illegal migration as people who would previously have entered the country legally instead do so through other routes.

The SMF predicted that the number of people living in the UK illegally would increase after Brexit, as EU nationals who have not been given the right to remain in the country decide to stay without permission.

It called on the government to "inject a dose of honest realism, coming clean about the complexities and unintended consequences of immigration policy, about the control that it does have, but also the practical limits to that control".

The report warned that failure to do so would fuel fears about immigration. It highlighted the case of Donald Trump, who used growing concerns in the US about migration from Mexico to help him win the presidency, even though the number of Mexicans crossing the border has fallen significantly in recent years.

An immigrant's tale: Leaving Britain to escape Brexit hostility Show all 20 1 /20 An immigrant's tale: Leaving Britain to escape Brexit hostility An immigrant's tale: Leaving Britain to escape Brexit hostility Maria, 31, holds her daughters, Elena, two, and baby Ioana, weeks old, in her London home A few months after Britain voted to leave the European Union, Maria was told her to go back to her native Romania whilst in hospital by an elderly English woman. You are a foreigner, your place is not here recalls Maria, who was stunned Reuters An immigrant's tale: Leaving Britain to escape Brexit hostility Maria and her husband Adi, 37, take their daughters for a walk in Hampstead Heath near their home The couple are preparing to leave Britain later this year with their two children, fed up with what Maria says is xenophobia and the rising cost of living in London Reuters An immigrant's tale: Leaving Britain to escape Brexit hostility Elena holds up British passports belonging to her and her sister. Both children have dual citizenship, but their parents do not want to apply for this despite having permanent residency in Britain Reuters An immigrant's tale: Leaving Britain to escape Brexit hostility Maria holds daughter Ioana, who is less than a week old, while Elena wipes a table Maria had never faced direct abuse over her nationality in her 10 years in the country until that moment at the hospital Reuters An immigrant's tale: Leaving Britain to escape Brexit hostility Adi spends time with his daughters Reuters An immigrant's tale: Leaving Britain to escape Brexit hostility Adi plays hide and seek with his daughter Elena Reuters An immigrant's tale: Leaving Britain to escape Brexit hostility Food is served Reuters An immigrant's tale: Leaving Britain to escape Brexit hostility Adi takes his daughter, Elena, to nursery Reuters An immigrant's tale: Leaving Britain to escape Brexit hostility Adi's sister, Nicoleta, 34, carries her niece Elena in a restaurant after a trip out Reuters An immigrant's tale: Leaving Britain to escape Brexit hostility Adi and Maria cook together at their home Reuters An immigrant's tale: Leaving Britain to escape Brexit hostility Adi holds his baby daughter, Ioana Reuters An immigrant's tale: Leaving Britain to escape Brexit hostility Adi and wife Maria take their daughters for a walk in Hampstead Heath Reuters An immigrant's tale: Leaving Britain to escape Brexit hostility Berwyn, a neighbour of the couple, who moved to the UK in the 1980s from Australia, says goodbye to Maria after a visit at her home. Berwyn has dual citizenship - Australian and Irish as she lived in Ireland for a few years before moving to Britain. She calls the family her 'dearest Christian Romanian friends' Reuters An immigrant's tale: Leaving Britain to escape Brexit hostility Religious pictures including a portrait of Arsenie Boca, a Romanian Orthodox monk, theologian and artist (top), hang on the wall at the home of Adi and Maria Reuters An immigrant's tale: Leaving Britain to escape Brexit hostility Maria dries Elena after giving her a bath after nursery Reuters An immigrant's tale: Leaving Britain to escape Brexit hostility Maria holds her baby daughter Ioana Reuters An immigrant's tale: Leaving Britain to escape Brexit hostility Adi works with his colleague Alexandru, who is also from Romania, for a removal company Reuters An immigrant's tale: Leaving Britain to escape Brexit hostility Maria holds her daughter Elena Reuters An immigrant's tale: Leaving Britain to escape Brexit hostility Neighbour, Berwyn, holds baby Ioana Reuters An immigrant's tale: Leaving Britain to escape Brexit hostility Adi and Maria, along with their daughters, leave St Andrews church in Kingsbury after attending a service Reuters

Jonathan Thomas, migration researcher at the SMF and author of the report, said: History suggests that people who expect ending free movement to take away their worries about immigration are going to be disappointed. Illegal immigration has not been a big part of British debate in recent years but the precedents suggest it could soon be high on the political agenda.

People who want to end free movement should be honest with the electorate about the possibility that it will create significant new challenges relating to illegal immigration. And people who support a liberal approach to immigration should engage constructively with the perfectly legitimate view that illegal immigration is a problem that policymakers should address.

The think-tanks director, James Kirkup, added: If our leaders fail to have that honest conversation about the future of immigration after free movement ends, they risk creating the sort of conditions in Britain that helped Donald Trump become US president.

There are too many people in British politics, in all parties, who believe an open approach to immigration is beneficial but fail to talk honestly to voters about the pros and cons of immigration. They should ask themselves what Nigel Farage and the Brexit Party could become in future if misplaced expectations trigger another political backlash over immigration."

The government has already announced plans for a major immigration shake-up when Britain leaves the EU. Under the new system, which will prioritise workers with skills the UK needs, a new route for temporary workers will be created and an annual cap on skilled work visas will be scrapped.

A Home Office spokeswoman said: "The future immigration system will ensure the UK can continue to attract the talented people we need whilst bringing free movement to an end.

"For the first time in a generation, we will have full control of our immigration system.

"Immigration Enforcement has well-established procedures to deter and tackle illegal immigration and illegal working, and this will not change after the UK has left the European Union."
The involvement of Chinese tech giant Huawei in the the new 5G telecoms network represents a potential security risk to the UK, the former head of MI6 has warned.

Chinese access to the hi-tech network could place Beijings Communist regime in a potentially advantageous exploitative position towards the UK, said Sir Richard Dearlove.

In a foreword to a report for the Atlanticist thinktank the Henry Jackson Society, the former director of the Secret Intelligence Service, described reports that the Government is ready to permit Huawei to bid for non-core elements of the project as deeply worrying.

And he said: I very much hope there is time for the UK Government - and the probability as I write of a new Prime Minister - to reconsider the Huawei decision.

The ex-spys warning came as President Donald Trump declared a national economic emergency over IT risks, issuing an executive order apparently aimed at excluding Huawei from US networks.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo doubled down on American pressure on allies not to let the company into their sensitive systems during a visit to Downing Street last week.

Leaks of a National Security Council meeting last month at which Theresa May reportedly overruled objections to Huaweis involvement in 5G led to the dismissal of Gavin Williamson as defence secretary. A string of ministers have since insisted that a review of the security implications continues and no decision has been taken.

Sir Richard said: The fact that the British Government  appears to have decided to place the development of some its most sensitive critical infrastructure in the hands of a company from the Peoples Republic of China (PRC) is deeply worrying. The PRC uses its

sophisticated technical capabilities not only to control its own population (to an extreme and growing degree) but it also conducts remotely aggressive intelligence gathering operations on a global scale.

No part of the Communist Chinese state is ultimately able to operate free of the control exercised by its Communist Party leadership. This is a simple statement of fact, not an opinion.

Therefore, we must conclude the engagement of Huawei presents a potential security risk to the UK.

Sir Richard Dearlove (PA)

Sir Richard, who led MI6 from 1999-2004, said that analysis of Huaweis record provided a clear absence of the certainties that could lead us to conclude that our concerns about the company are either exaggerated or misplaced.

While the UK Government has a relationship with the company stretching back almost 20 years, the introduction of 5G represents a technological step change in terms of risk which will have far reaching implications for the UKs national security and almost every aspect of

the countrys civic life, he said.

We should remind ourselves that Chinas military strategists perceive a world in which the military and the civilian will be fused into a single plane of conflict. The ability to control communications and the data that flows through its channels will be the route to exercise power over

societies and other nations.

To place the PRC in a potentially advantageous exploitative position in the UKs future telecommunications systems therefore is a risk, however remote it may seem at the moment, we simply do not need to take.

Responding to Mr Trumps executive order, Mrs Mays official spokesman said: We are reviewing the right policy approach for 5G and when an announcement is ready the Culture Secretary will update Parliament.

We are committed to ensuring UK telecoms networks are fully secure and any decision will be supported by a hard-headed, technically informed assessment of the risk.

The report, co-authored by Conservative MP and military academic Bob Seely, found that Huaweis involvement could have significant implications for the UKs relations with Five Eyes intelligence partners the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

There will be damage to the symbolic unity of the Western alliance, but there are also additional dangers of Chinese-led cyber interference operations inside the UK, said the report.

The hacking of parliaments in Australia, New Zealand, and the UK are as likely to have been about hacking democracy as they were about hacking the institutions.

Huawei has vehemently denied involvement in spying and said blocking it from doing business in the US would hamper the development of next-

generation technology.

"We are ready and willing to engage with the US government and come up with effective measures to ensure product security," the company said in a statement.
The government has rejected a proposed definition of Islamophobia  prompting accusations that it is not serious about the safety and security of British Muslims.

James Brokenshire, the communities secretary, told the House of Commons the definition put forward by the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on British Muslims needed more consideration.

He added: It is clear that with such a complex issue we need to interrogate this further as a matter of urgency.

Thats why we will be appointing two advisers and ensuring this reflects the need for community representation  our priority is to arrive swiftly at a collective position.

Mr Brokenshire told MPs the definition proposed by the APPG was not in line with the Equality Act 2010, had potential consequences for freedom of speech and that the combination of race and religion would cause legal and practical issues.

Brexit racism and the fightback Show all 9 1 /9 Brexit racism and the fightback Brexit racism and the fightback Demonstrators protest against an increase in post-ref racism at London's March for Europe in July 2016 PA Brexit racism and the fightback These cards were found near a school in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, the day after the EU referendum Twitter/@howgilb Brexit racism and the fightback Getty Brexit racism and the fightback Romford, Essex, June 25 @diamondgeezer Brexit racism and the fightback A worker at this Romanian food shop was asleep upstairs at the time of this arson attack in Norwich on July 8, but escaped unharmed. Hundreds later participated in a love bombing rally outside the shop to express their opposition to racism and their support of the shop owners. JustGiving/Helen Linehan Brexit racism and the fightback This neo-Nazi sticker was spotted in Glasgow on June 26 Courtesy of Eoin Palmer Brexit racism and the fightback But after news emerged of neo-Nazi stickers appearing in Glasgow, some in the city struck back with slogans of their own. Courtesy of Eoin Palmer Brexit racism and the fightback Getty Brexit racism and the fightback More signs began to appear in some parts of the UK, created by people who wanted to show their opposition to post-referendum racism Courtesy of Bernadette Russell

It is vital that we get this right, that any definition reflects the experience of those who have experienced hatred because they are Muslims, and that we can be satisfied it will have a positive effect, he added.

With the best of intent, the APPG definition does not yet meet this and further work and consideration is needed.

The government had previously indicated its rejection and said the APPGs definition had not been broadly accepted in the way the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of antisemitism had.

Police leaders have raised concerns that the proposed definition of Islamophobia would undermine counterterror operations and threaten freedom of speech.

After a six-month inquiry taking evidence from Muslim organisations, legal experts, academics and other groups, the APPG on British Muslims had called on the government to adopt the definition: Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.

It has been adopted by parties including Labour, the Liberal Democrats, Plaid Cymru, Scottish National Party and Scottish Conservatives, and backed by 750 Muslim organisations and institutions.

Labour MP Wes Streeting, the co-chair of the APPG on British Muslims who called the debate, accused the Conservative Party of making the same mistakes on Islamophobia as Labour had on antisemitism.

There is a deafening silence of decent people in the Conservative Party on racism in their ranks, he told MPs.

 Labour MP Afzal Khan raises Islamophobia complaints within Tory party and asks when it will adopt the internationally recognised definition of anti-Muslim hate

It is not just the responsibility for Muslims to tackle Islamophobia, it is the responsibility for us all.

Mr Streeting said the proposed definition did not prevent criticism of Islam, hamper counterterror work or enable false flag accusations of Islamophobia to shut down debate.

He accused the government of having neither the wisdom nor the credibility to draw up a new definition, adding: British Muslims deserve better than this.

Dominic Grieve, the former attorney general and chair of the Intelligence and Security Committee, urged his own party to show leadership.

The Conservative MP dismissed parts of a report by think tank Policy Exchange that claimed the definition would cripple counterterrorism as total and unadulterated rubbish.

He added: It is beyond my comprehension how it could possibly be argued that this would prevent the police from enforcing the law against terrorists in this country  its breathtaking.

There is a real problem here and we need to tackle it.

Naz Shah, the Labour MP for Bradford West, accused the government of shutting down the everyday experiences of ordinary Muslims.

She asked of Mr Brokenshire: How dare he tell British Muslims that our experiences cannot define Islamophobia?

This government is not serious about the safety and security of British Muslims.

Number of racially or religiously aggravated offences recorded by the police by month, April 2013 to March 2018 (Home Office)

In a letter to the prime minister, the head of the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) said the change could undermine many elements of counterterrorism powers and policies, including port stops, bans on terrorist groups and propaganda, and the legal duty requiring schools, councils and the NHS to report suspected extremism.

Assistant commissioner Neil Basu, the head of UK counterterror policing, said the definition was simply too broad to be effective and it risks creating confusion, representing what some might see as legitimate criticism of the tenets of Islam  a religion  as a racist hate crime.

He added: Despite the fact it would be non-legally binding, it would potentially allow those investigated by police and the security services for promoting extremism, hate and terrorism to legally challenge any investigation and potentially undermine many elements of counterterrorism powers and policies on the basis that they are Islamophobic. That cannot be allowed to happen.

Anna Soubry, co-chair of the APPG on British Muslims, questioned why the definition was good enough for Ruth Davidson but not Theresa May.

Writing for The Independent, she said: We can only assume that our critics have either not read or misunderstood our report. We have been adamant in our defence of free speech and rigorous debate. The definition doesnt exclude criticism or condemnation of all or any part of the faith of Islam, its teachings and interpretations.

Mr Streeting said the APPG would continue to work with the government, Muslim representatives and other groups on a definition of Islamophobia.
Arron Banks bankrolled a lavish lifestyle for Nigel Farage, including a 4.4m rented London home, a luxury car, a bodyguard, a private office and trips to the United States, an investigation has found.

Channel 4 News uncovered documents revealing the multimillionaire spent around 450,000 funding his former Ukip ally in the year following the 2016 Brexit referendum, it reports.

Mr Banks dismissed the revelations as an attempt to smear myself and Nigel  while Mr Farage insisted there had been no funding of his new Brexit Party.

But Channel 4 said its investigation showed Mr Banks had, after June 2016:

* Rented Mr Farage an exclusive 4.4m Chelsea home, through one of his companies, paying for furniture plus council tax, water and electricity bills.

* Provided a Land Rover Discovery car, valued at 32,300, plus 20,000 for a close protection driver.

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

* Leased private office space for 1,500 a month and paid Mr Farages personal assistant.

* Spent hundreds of thousands of pounds promoting Brand Farage in America, allowing him to attend the Republican National Convention and address a Donald Trump rally.

* Paid a Fox News anchor 11,305.41 to interview Mr Farage at the convention.

* Paid more than 15,000 to fly Mr Farage to and from Washington for Mr Trumps inauguration, plus 1,000 on a room at the plush Mayflower Hotel.

The programme, being broadcast on Thursday evening, points out Mr Banks remains under investigation by the National Crime Agency over the source of his funding for the Brexit campaign.

He was referred to police by the Electoral Commission over evidence of multiple criminal acts. The watchdog suggested he was not the true source of 8m of donations to the Leave.EU campaign.

Mr Bankss companies are also being investigated by the Information Commissioners Office, and Leave.EU was fined for breaching electoral rules in the referendum campaign.

Channel 4 said it made repeated requests to Mr Farage to answer the questions raised by its investigation but he refused, saying no comment at an event on Wednesday.

In a statement to the programme, Mr Banks said: Channel 4 attempts to smear myself and Nigel come at a time when the Brexit Party is riding high in the polls, so it should come as no surprise to anyone.

Mr Farages new outfit is poised to win next weeks European elections, the Conservatives having lost one-third of their vote share since March, the latest poll has suggested.

In a series of investigations, Channel 4 has previously reported that Mr Banks flouted an agreement to suspend Brexit campaigning after the murder of Labour MP Jo Cox.

He ordered the Leave.EU team to up the spend on Facebook and press it harder, emails showed in March  the morning after the killing that shocked the nation.
 Flash

Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki on Wednesday condemned the attack on the Polish Ambassador to Israel on Tuesday as "racist" and "unacceptable".

"We do not consent to any acts of xenophobia, either towards diplomats or towards regular citizens," Morawiecki wrote Wednesday morning on Twitter.

On Tuesday, the Polish Ambassador to Israel Marek Magierowski was attacked by a man as he was getting into his car outside the Polish Embassy in Tel Aviv.

According to the Israeli police, the attacker spat at the ambassador and shouted abusive words towards him in Hebrew.

The ambassador was able to take photos of the attacker and his car, which made it possible for the police to arrest the man on Tuesday.

The 65-year old attacker was being interrogated on Wednesday, with Israeli media quoting a written statement his lawyer had submitted which claimed the man didn't know he was attacking the ambassador himself. According to his statement, the man was reacting in anger after being mistreated by embassy staff, where he had gone to discuss the issue of restitution of property seized from Jewish people during the Second World War.

"Israel expresses its full sympathy with the Polish Ambassador and shock at the attack. Israeli police are currently investigating. We will update our Polish friends. This is a top priority to us, as we are fully committed to diplomats' safety and security," Emmanuel Nahshon, Israel's Foreign Ministry spokesman, wrote on Twitter on Wednesday, responding to Morawiecki's comment.

The attack was taking place against a backdrop of diplomatic tensions between Poland and Israel. Last week, Poland asked for the cancellation of a visit by Israeli officials planned for Monday, because the structure of the delegation indicated the Israeli side might open talks about the issue of restitution of property seized from Jewish people during or after the Second World War.

The current Polish government has rejected the idea that Poland has any financial obligations towards descendants of Holocaust victims.
Theresa May has failed to name a date for her departure from Downing Street but vowed to "agree a timetable for the election of a new leader" within weeks.

Senior figures on the 1922 Committee held talks with the prime minister for some 90 minutes in her Commons office, amid pressure on Ms May to declare when she will stand down.

Chairman Sir Graham Brady said he would meet Ms May again in June to "agree a timetable for the election of a new leader" after a make-or-break vote on her key Brexit legislation.

In a statement, he said: "The prime minister is determined to secure our departure from the European Union and is devoting her efforts to securing the second reading of the Withdrawal Agreement Bill (WAB) in the week commencing 3 June 2019 and the passage of that bill and the consequent departure of the United Kingdom from the European Union by the summer.

"We have agreed that she and I will meet following the second reading of the Bill to agree a timetable for the election of a new leader of the Conservative and Unionist Party."

Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit Show all 30 1 /30 Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit Pro-Brexit leave the European Union supporters attend a rally in Parliament Square after the final leg of the "March to Leave" in London AP Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit The protest march which started on March 16 in Sunderland, north east England, finished on what was the original date for Brexit to happen before the recent extension Reuters Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit AP Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit Reuters Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit PA Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit Reuters Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit EPA Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit A Brexit supporter sips a can of Stella in protests outside of the Houses of Parliament AFP/Getty Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit Dedicated anti-Brexit campaigner Steve Bray and likewise pro-Brexit campaigner Joseph Afrane go head to head near the Houses of Parliament AFP/Getty Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit A pro-Brexit marching band in Parliament Square Getty Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit Remain supporters wave EU flags from a bus in Parliament Square PA Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit A Brexit supporter shouts slogans outside parliament EPA Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit A Brexit supporter protests outside parliament Reuters Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit A Brexit supporter protests outside of the Houses of Parliament Getty Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit Brexit supporters protest outside of the Houses of Parliament REUTERS Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit A pro-Brexit flag is waved in Parliament Square AP Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit The March to Leave nears the Houses of Parliament Reuters Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit A Brexit protester holds a sign outside parliament EPA Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit Brexit supporters carry the coffin of democracy AFP/Getty Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit Brexit supporters march outside parliament AFP/Getty Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit Brexit supporters take part in the March to Leave protest in London PA Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit Brexit supporters protest outside parliament AFP/Getty Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit A Brexit supporter holds a sign outside the Houses of Parliament Getty Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit A man holds satirical paintings of politicians Reuters Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit An pro-Brexit float on the March to Leave march in London Reuters Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit Far-right activist Tommy Robinson addresses protesters outside the Houses of Parliament Getty Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit A Brexit supporter outside the Houses of Parliament Reuters Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit A Tommy Robinson supporter arrives at the Houses of Parliament Getty Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit A jogger gestures rudely at a Brexit supporter outside of the Houses of Parliament AFP/Getty Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit A Brexit supporter outside the Houses of Parliament PA

Sir Graham said there were "frank discussions" between the executive and the prime minister, where it was agreed that he would meet Ms May regardless of whether the bill is backed by MPs.

He told reporters: "We have agreed to meet to decide the timetable for the election of a new leader of the Conservative Party as soon as the second reading has occurred and that will take place regardless of what the vote is on the second reading - whether it passes or whether it fails."

Sir Graham added: "It was a very frank discussion, I tried to make sure that all the views represented on the executive were expressed and we had a very frank exchange with the prime minister."

Downing Street has said that Sir Graham Brady's statement was issued with the consent of the prime minister.

A spokesperson said: "The PM's focus is on securing our departure from the EU and we are working incredibly hard to build a stable majority for the WAB (Withdrawal Agreement Bill) ahead of its introduction.

"That is what we are focused on."

The meeting comes as a result of a promise from Ms May to stand down once the first phase of Brexit had been delivered.

But Tory MPs have become increasingly frustrated by the prime minister's refusal to name a date for her exit from Downing Street, while progress on delivering Brexit has ground to a halt.

In a last attempt to break the deadlock, Ms May pledged to bring the bill to the Commons in the week of June 3.

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She still faces major opposition from both Labour and Tory MPs to get her Brexit blueprint over the line.

It comes as Boris Johnson confirmed his plans to run to be Conservative leader for the first time, telling a conference: "Of course I am going to go for it."

The leading Brexiteer insisted that there was currently no vacancy at No10 but his comments will be taken as confirmation he intends to throw his hat into the ring.
The race to succeed Theresa May is under way in earnest after the prime minister bowed to pressure to quit before the summer and Brexit figurehead Boris Johnson declared his intention to replace her.

Ms May fended off demands for the immediate announcement of a date for her departure at a meeting of Tory grandees in Westminster.

But 1922 Committee chair Sir Graham Brady left no doubt she had only weeks left in office, announcing that they will meet again in the first week of June to agree on a timetable for the election of her successor.

Sir Graham said the meeting would take place whether or not the PM secured parliamentary support for her Brexit deal at the fourth attempt.

The PMs EU Withdrawal Agreement Bill (WAB) is due before the Commons in the week of June 3. And her chances of finally seizing a Brexit deal to provide her legacy appeared to be receding.

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

Labours Keir Starmer told the Commons the party would oppose the bill unless a compromise agreement was reached  scotching earlier suggestions MPs might be whipped to abstain.

Mr Johnson confirmed his intention to stand for the leadership at a private event in Manchester, declaring that he had a boundless appetite to try to get it right.

In an on-stage interview with broadcaster Huw Edwards, he said: Im going to go for it. Of course Im going to go for it. I dont think that is any particular secret to anybody. But you know there is no vacancy at present.

Although the former foreign secretarys ambitions are the worst-kept secret in Westminster, his declaration pumped fire into a succession race which has so far seen only relative outsiders Andrea Leadsom, Rory Stewart and Esther McVey throw their hats into the ring.

Mr Johnson is a nailed-on favourite among grassroots Tories, but must first win the backing of MPs to get onto the shortlist of two candidates whose names will be on the ballot paper.

As the leader of the Leave campaign in 2016 who quit the cabinet last year over Ms Mays plans, he is likely to be fighting with former minister Dominic Raab for the votes of clean Brexit Tories.

In a swipe at Ms Mays handling of the EU withdrawal, he told his audience of insurance brokers that there had been a real lack of grip and dynamism in the way weve approached these talks Weve failed over the past three years to put forward a convincing narrative about how we exploit the opportunities of Brexit.

The executive of the 1922 Committee last month voted by the narrow margin of 9-7 to turn down calls for an MPs vote of no confidence in the prime minister to be brought forward to June 12.

When she met them for 90 minutes in her Commons office, the threat was implicit that this vote could be reversed if she refused to give ground on a departure date.

In a statement shortly afterwards, Sir Graham said the PM was determined to win the second reading Commons vote on WAB in the week of June 3, paving the way for the UK to leave the European Union by the summer.

We have agreed that she and I will meet following the second reading of the bill to agree a timetable for the election of a new leader of the Conservative and Unionist Party, he said.

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He later said the meeting would take place as soon as the second reading had occurred and will happen regardless of ... whether it passes or whether it fails.

A No 10 source acknowledged that if the bill was defeated, the pressure for Mrs May to go immediately would inevitably ratchet up.

She would have to say This is how I envisage the timetable for a leadership election happening and there would have to be some sort of agreement about that, the source said.

The outcome of the crunch meeting was greeted with scorn by Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage, who said it was gutless, useless and exactly what I expected.

And Tory activist Dinah Glover, whose petition for the PMs removal sparked a no-confidence motion for the June 15 Conservative National Convention, said the leadership contest should start straight away with Ms May standing down as soon as it is concluded.
Women have been sharing emotionally charged stories of having abortions after Alabama voted for a near total ban on abortion in the US state.

The hashtag #youknowme started spreading on social media after actor Busy Philipps asked women who have had abortions to share their stories.

The move mirrored the #MeToo movement against sexual assault and harassment which exploded in 2017 and saw millions of women around the world share their own stories of rape, assault and harassment alongside the hashtag.

"1 in 4 women have had an abortion. Many people think they don't know someone who has, but #youknowme," Philipps tweeted.

"So let's do this: if you are also the 1 in 4, let's share it and start to end the shame. Use #youknowme and share your truth," the talk show host said in a Twitter post which has been liked more than 39,000 times and shared almost 8,000 times.

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

This comes after Alabama Governor Kay Ivey signed a controversial abortion bill into law on Wednesday that is the most restrictive abortion bill in the US.

Under the law, doctors would face 10 years in prison for attempting to terminate a pregnancy and 99 years for carrying out the procedure. The strict abortion ban, which has been branded a death sentence for women, would even criminalise performing abortions in cases of rape and incest.

Ms Ivey said the new law might be unenforceable due to Roe v Wade  the landmark Supreme Court decision that legalised abortion nationwide in 1973  but said the new law was passed with the aim of challenging that decision.

Last week on her talk show Busy Tonight on the E! cable channel, Philipps said she had an abortion when she was a teenager.

"Maybe you are sitting there thinking I don't know a woman who would have an abortion, well you know me. I had an abortion when I was 15 years old," she said as she fought back tears.

"I'm telling you this because I'm genuinely really scared for women and girls in this country. I think we should be talking more and sharing our stories more."

Hundreds of women on Wednesday replied to Philipps plea for women to come forward with their own personal stories of abortions.

"I was 19, in college, I was on the pill. I was doing everything I was 'supposed' to do to pull myself from poverty #youknowme, said one.

Another woman described her abortion experience at the age of 22: "Very scared, unstable relationship, grieving my mum's death the year before. Prayed on my knees the morning of. Cried and cried and cried. No regrets #YouKnowMe."

One Twitter user shared the tale of her elderly neighbour who told her about the time she was forced to have an illegal abortion along with other pregnant girls.

"One girl bled out and died. She still shakes when she tells the story, she tweeted.

Jameela Jamil, who stars on The Good Place, also revealed she once had an abortion.

"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," she tweeted on Monday.

Alabama state lawmakers compare abortions in America to the Holocaust and other modern genocides in the legislation  spurring Jewish activists and abortion rights groups to rebuke the bill as deeply offensive.

Alabamas new bill comes as politicians in several other states propose legislation to restrict abortion such as Georgias recent heartbeat bill. Some 16 other states are trying to impose new restrictions on abortion.

Kentucky, Mississippi, Ohio and Georgia have approved bans on abortion once a foetal heartbeat is detected, which can occur in about the sixth week of pregnancy. At six weeks, many women do not yet know they are pregnant.

While supporters of Alabamas decision say they expect the law to be blocked in court, they hope that the appeals process will bring it before the Supreme Court. Alarm bells have been raised that Roe v Wade could be overturned or radically undermined with new conservative justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh, both Trump appointees.

Alexa Kolbi-Molinas, an American Civil Liberties Union lawyer who will be challenging the controversial Alabama bill, said: We are disappointed but we are ready to fight. What Alabama has done is part of a national coordinated strategy to push abortion out of reach for all women. We are going to go to court and make sure that does not happen.

For years, Alabama has been pushing laws that chip away at abortion but what happened last night, and what is happening in Kentucky, Mississippi, Ohio, and Georgia is an example of politicians showing their true colours. They are launching an unprecedented, and the most extreme attack, on abortion in recent years. If the law took effect, it would be devastating.
A healthcare worker has been charged with the murder of 12 elderly women by smothering, and is being investigated for any potential links to 1,000 more unexplained deaths.

Billy Chemirmir, 45, of Texas is accused of murdering multiple elderly women who lived in Dallas and Collins counties with a pillow, and subsequently robbing them.

In March of 2018, Mr Chemirmir was charged with capital murder in the death of an 81-year-old woman, Lu Thi Harris, leading to his arrest.

Mr Chemirmir has also been accused of two counts of attempted capital murder for attacking two women. One of the two women, a 93 year-old who was a resident of the Parkview Elderly Assisted Living facility in Frisco, Texas, had reported the incident to police.

She described how a well-dressed man had knocked on her door, claiming to be a maintenance worker. When she responded that she did not require any work done, he forced his way inside and "knocked her from her walker to the floor", as reported by Dallas News.

Mr Chemirmir worked as a nurse in his native country of Kenya, but appears to not have been legally working in healthcare in the US. Court records indicate that Mr Chemirmir posed as an employee at the Edgemere Retirement Community in Dallas under the alias Benjamin Koitaba.

The Most Notorious Serial Killers Show all 20 1 /20 The Most Notorious Serial Killers The Most Notorious Serial Killers Ian Brady and Myra Hindley Ian Brady and Myra Hindley were found guilty of murder, in the sensational 'Bodies of the Moor' trial. Both were sentenced to life imprisonment. Getty The Most Notorious Serial Killers Harold Shipman Shipman was convicted of murdering 15 of his elderly patients in Hyde, Greater Manchester but an inquiry later concluded he probably murdered 250 people over the course of his career as a GP. Getty The Most Notorious Serial Killers Ted Bundy Ted Bundy confessed to killing 30 young women and girls across the US in the 1970s. He was executed by electric chair in 1989. AP The Most Notorious Serial Killers Fred and Rosemary West Serial killers Fred and Rosemary West who committed at least 12 murders between 1967 and 1987 in Gloucestershire. PA The Most Notorious Serial Killers Charles Manson Charles Manson, a hippie cult leader, orchestrated the murders of pregnant actress Sharon Tate and six others in Los Angeles during the summer of 1969. Rex The Most Notorious Serial Killers Andrei Chikatilo Notorious Ukrainian cannibalistic serial killer Andrei Chikatilo who was charged with the murders of 53 people. Getty Images The Most Notorious Serial Killers Jack the Ripper Jack the Ripper murdered female prostitutes who lived and worked in the East End of London. Their throats were cut prior to internal organs being removed from the bodies. The killer was never caught. Getty Images The Most Notorious Serial Killers Beverley Allitt Nurse, Beverley Allitt, murdered four children and injured others during her time at the children's ward at Grantham and Kesteven Hospital, Lincolnshire in 1991. PA The Most Notorious Serial Killers Edmund Kemper Kemper murdered his paternal grandparents aged 15 and was sent to a maximum-security facility that housed mentally ill convicts. However, was released after convincing the psychiatrists that he had been rehabilitated aged 21. He went on to murder several women, including his mother in the 1970s, where he engaged in necrophilia after the killings. Bettmann Archive/Getty The Most Notorious Serial Killers Jeffrey Dahmer Jeffrey Dahmer confessed to murders of 17 men lured to his apartment. He kept the skulls of his victims after eating parts of some of them. Channel 4 The Most Notorious Serial Killers Gary Ridgway Gary Ridgway received 48 life sentences, with out the possibility of parole, for killing 48 women in the Green River Killer serial murder case. Getty Images The Most Notorious Serial Killers Peter Sutcliffe Peter Sutcliffe, became known as the Yorkshire Ripper after he murdered 13 women between 1975 and 1980. Most of his victims were prostitutes. Express Newspapers/Getty The Most Notorious Serial Killers The Zodiac Killer The Zodiac Killer murdered several victims between the 1960s and 70s. He sent a series of letters to the local press in Northern California which included cryptograms to help solve the murders. The killer's identity remains unknown. The Most Notorious Serial Killers Joanna Dennehy Joanna Dennehy stabbed three men to death and attempted to murder another two people during the 'Peterborough ditch murders'. She carried out the crime over a 10-day period in 2013. PA The Most Notorious Serial Killers Tsutomu Miyazaki Tsutomu Miyazaki who was sentenced to death in 1997 after carrying out the gruesome killings of four young girls. He abducted, killed and indulged in sexual activities with their corpses, as well as keeping body parts of the victims and sending postcards to their families describing the murders. AFP/Getty Images The Most Notorious Serial Killers Aileen Wuornos Aileen Wuornos murdered six men whilst she was working as a prostitute. She shot them all at point-blank range between 1989 and 1990. Getty Images The Most Notorious Serial Killers Dennis Nilsen Nilsen, the 'Muswell Hill Murderer', is a serial killer and necrophiliac. He murdered at least 12 men between 1978 and 1983. PA The Most Notorious Serial Killers John Wayne Gacy John Wayne Gacy sexually assaulted, tortured and murdered at least 33 teenage boys and men between 1972 and 1978. Rex Features The Most Notorious Serial Killers Dennis Rader Dennis Rader, 'the BTK murderer', killed 10 times between 1974 and 1991. His first victims were all from one family. The pattern of systematic torture, lead him to be called the Bind, Tie, Kill (BTK) murderer. Getty Images The Most Notorious Serial Killers Mary Ann Cotton Mary Ann Cotton was believed to have had as many as 21 victims. She is thought to have used arsenic to poison and kill three of her four husbands, possibly as many as eight of her own children, seven stepchildren, her mother, a lover and an inconvenient friend. She was hung on March 24, 1873, after being found guilty of murdering her stepson. Rex Features

Plano Police Chief Gregory W. Rushin said Mr Chemirmir used health care experience to his advantage, targeting and exploiting seniors, something Mr Rushin called disturbing.

Authorities plan to review the unattended deaths of hundreds of elderly women in the area, including those who were previously thought to have died from natural causes to investigate any potential ties to Mr Chemirmir.

Recently, the accused killer has been newly indicted in six deaths of elderly women from 2016 to 2018: Phyllis Payne, aged 91, Phoebe Perry, aged 94, Norma French, aged 85, Doris Gleason, aged 92, Rosemary Curtis, aged 96, and Mary Brooks, 87. He has also been charged with five other murders, of which the victims have yet to be named.

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Mr Chemirmir is currently being held in the Dallas County Jail, where hes been since March of 2018. His bond currently set at more than $9m.
Thousands of protesters gathered in 200 cities across Brazil on Wednesday, to demonstrate against Jair Bolsonaros controversial education policies.

Brazils National Student Union called for the rallies after accusing the far-right leader of cutting education funding.

The countrys education ministry had earlier announced that it was freezing nearly a quarter of discretionary government spending.

Mr Bolsonaro denied the existence of budget cuts and dismissed the protesters as useful idiots and imbeciles.

But Wednesdays student protests are thought to be the biggest in Brazil since Dilma Rousseffs 2016 impeachment.

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

Our message to Bolsonaro is that society will not accept these cuts of 30 per cent, said Luis Antonio Pasquetti, head of the National University of Brasilias teacher union.

Mr Bolsonaro is currently on a trip to the US

They are useful idiots, imbeciles, who are being used as the manoeuvring mass of a clever little minority who make up the nucleus of many federal universities in Brazil, he said, when asked about the protesters.

The Brazilian leader was speaking from Dallas, Texas, where he is meeting private individuals according to The Dallas Voice.

He had been scheduled to attend a gala dinner in New York on 14 May but abruptly cancelled after the event attracted controversy.

The far-right leader is also experiencing a backlash in Brazil, where his poll ratings have fallen as he struggles with allegations of corruption and a weak economy.

Students light flares during a protest in Sao Paulo (AP)

Some 7,000 students and university professors gathered in Brasilia, the capital and marched to the countrys Congress building on Wednesday.

A few protesters carried signs. One read: Education is not an expense, it is an investment.

Another said: Without investment there is no knowledge.

In Rio de Janeiro a peaceful rally of thousands turned violent after unknown rioters shot fireworks at police and set fire to a bus.

Security forces responded by firing tear gas at the crowds.

Abraham Weintraub, Brazils education minister, told the countrys Congress that the cuts were necessary because of the previous governments policies.

The priority is preschool, elementary school and technical school, he said.

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A scientific, technical, number-based, efficient and managerial approach is vital to save this country from the economic stagnation of the last 20 years that we are living.

Mr Bolsonaro appointed the education minister last month, despite the university professors history of promoting right-wing conspiracy theories.

The president dismissed the former education minister, Ricardo Velez Rodriguez, just three months into the appointees tenure.

Mr Rodriguez had been a controversial figure during his time in government, ordering textbooks be re-written to deny the countrys 1964 coup and subsequent 21-year military dictatorship.

He was also forced to apologise for demanding pupils across Brazil be read a letter containing several of Mr Bolsonaros campaign slogans before being filmed signing the national anthem.

Additional reporting by agencies
Chelsea Manning is being sent back to jail just seven days after her release, after being found in contempt for refusing to testify about WikiLeaks before a grand jury.

In a court proceeding in Virginia, the whistleblower was remanded by the US Marshals Service and will now return to prison.

She will also be fined $500 per day after 30 days, and $1,000 per day after 60 days.

Manning has already served two months at William G Truesdale Adult Detention Centre for a contempt charge regarding the same issue, but was released last Friday after the grand jury term expired.

This time she faces up to 18 months in prison, the length of the grand jury term, unless she agrees to cooperate with the investigation sooner.

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

Manning has said she would rather stay in jail forever than testify to the grand jury, saying the subpoena was an attempt to place me back in confinement.

The nature of the grand jurys probe remains unknown, however it has been convened at the same federal court where prosecutors recently filed charges against WikiLeaks publisher Julian Assange.

Manning was sentenced to 35 years in prison in 2013 for the unauthorised disclosure of classified materials made public by WikiLeaks in 2010. Her sentence was commuted by President Barack Obama in 2017.

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Moira Meltzer-Cohen, an attorney for Manning, said on Thursday: In 2010, Chelsea took a principled decision to let the world see the true nature of modern asymmetric warfare. It is telling that the US has always been concerned with the disclosure of those documents than their damning substance.

Assange was indicted in April on a computer hacking charge for his role in Mannings disclosure of those documents, and is currently in the UK where he is fighting extradition to the United States to face charges.
An inmate on death row has requested that his last meal instead be used to provide a food for a homeless person.

Don Johnson did not put a request in for his last meal, according to the states Department of Correction, and will instead be served the same menu as the rest of the inmates at Riverbend Maximum Security Institution, WSMV News 4 reports.

According to Johnsons public defender, Kelley Henry, Johnsons decision was inspired by his friend Philip Workman, who requested that a vegetarian pizza be delivered to a homeless person instead of a last meal before he was executed in 2007.

Although Workmans request was not honoured, Henry told WSMV News 4 that benefactors across the country delivered pizzas to homeless shelters in response.

Mr Johnson realises that his $20 allotment will not feed many homeless people, Henry added. His request is that those who have supported him provide a meal to a homeless person.

Death row in California's San Quentin prison Show all 8 1 /8 Death row in California's San Quentin prison Death row in California's San Quentin prison A condemned inmate exercises in a cage out in the yard of San Quentin prison Getty Death row in California's San Quentin prison San Quentin State Prison opened in 1852 and is California's oldest penitentiary. The facility houses the state's only death row for men that currently has 700 condemned inmates Getty Death row in California's San Quentin prison The lethal injection facility at San Quentin prison AP Death row in California's San Quentin prison A condemned inmate stands in a cell out in the yard of San Quentin prison Getty Death row in California's San Quentin prison An armrest in the interior of the lethal injection facility at San Quentin prison AP Death row in California's San Quentin prison A cell on death row in San Quentin Getty Death row in California's San Quentin prison A cage on death row in San Quentin Getty Death row in California's San Quentin prison A cell on death row in San Quentin Getty

Johnson, 68, was sentenced to death in 1984 for the murder of his wife Connie Johnson.

Johnson was denied clemency on Wednesday (AP)

In an effort to delay his execution, several religious leaders called for Tennessee Governor Bill Lee to grant Johnson clemency on the basis of religious conversion, as the inmate is now a member of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

However, Johnson's execution will take place on Thursday after Lee announced his decision to deny Johnson clemency on Wednesday.

After a prayerful and deliberate consideration of Don Johnsons request for clemency, and after a thorough review of the case, I am upholding the sentence of the State of Tennessee and will not be intervening," Lee said in a statement.

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In November, Tennessee death-row inmate Edmund Zagorski requested pickled pig knuckles and pig tails as his last meal.
People think I am, like, some valedictorian, India Jackson said with a laugh Wednesday. No, Im not. I am just driven and ambitious.

This summer, Ms Jackson, 32, is headed to the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center in Houston, where she will be an intern at NASA, researching solar flares and their effect on astronauts. But thats not the most interesting part of the story.

She is a single mother who is getting her doctorate in physics at Georgia State University in Atlanta. And to cover the costs of travel and housing, a cousin, Dasha Fuller, set up a campaign on GoFundMe. Within 24 hours, the campaign reached its $8,000 goal and closed. Jackson said it would not be right to accept more than she needed.

We choose to become scientists to make history, she said. Not money.

So 30 May, Ms Jackson and her 11-year-old daughter, Jewel Henry, will catch a plane to Houston in what the mathematician said she could describe only as a longtime dream. As a young woman growing up in Decatur, Georgia, she first took to science in the ninth grade, when she applied to take classes at the Fernbank Science Center in Atlanta. There, she learned about astronomy and spent hours at the planetarium.

NASA images of Jupiter turned into beautiful abstract artworks Show all 15 1 /15 NASA images of Jupiter turned into beautiful abstract artworks NASA images of Jupiter turned into beautiful abstract artworks juno-14.jpg NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS/Kevin M. Gill NASA images of Jupiter turned into beautiful abstract artworks juno-2.jpg NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS/Gerald Eichstadt/Sean Doran NASA images of Jupiter turned into beautiful abstract artworks juno-8.jpg NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS/Kevin M. Gill NASA images of Jupiter turned into beautiful abstract artworks juno-6.jpg NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS/Gerald Eichstadt/Sean Doran NASA images of Jupiter turned into beautiful abstract artworks juno-10.jpg NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS/Matt Brealey/Gustavo B C NASA images of Jupiter turned into beautiful abstract artworks juno-15-0.jpg NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS/Kevin M. Gill NASA images of Jupiter turned into beautiful abstract artworks juno-9.jpg NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS/Rick Lundh NASA images of Jupiter turned into beautiful abstract artworks juno-1.jpg NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS/Kevin M. Gill NASA images of Jupiter turned into beautiful abstract artworks juno-5.jpg NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS/Jason Major NASA images of Jupiter turned into beautiful abstract artworks juno-3.jpg NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS/Gerald Eichstad/Sean Doran NASA images of Jupiter turned into beautiful abstract artworks juno-13.jpg NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS/Gerald Eichstad/Sean Doran NASA images of Jupiter turned into beautiful abstract artworks juno-12.jpg NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS/Gerald Eichstad/Sean Doran NASA images of Jupiter turned into beautiful abstract artworks juno-11.jpg NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS/Gerald Eichstad/Sean Doran NASA images of Jupiter turned into beautiful abstract artworks juno-4.jpg NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS/Kevin M. Gill NASA images of Jupiter turned into beautiful abstract artworks juno-7.jpg NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS/ Gerald Eichstadt /Sean Doran

Later, at Georgia State University, which she graduated from in 2010 with a bachelors degree in math, her path was more circuitous. She switched her studies multiple times: from math to biology, then to early-childhood education. I tell students the point of the first two years is to understand who you are as a person, she said. In her third year, she got pregnant. (She married and is getting a divorce.) She decided to return to her math studies.

With me becoming a new mother, my best friend said, Why dont you do what you love?  Ms Jackson recalled of the time.

 The moon is shrinking and shaking, Nasa says

Unsurprisingly, she said she was a fan of the The Big Bang Theory, Star Wars and anything science fiction-related. She finished her masters degree in 2013 and began teaching college math and calculus. She has been working towards a doctorate in physics since 2017, but math is still what comes most naturally. Its like a recipe, she said.

Ms Jackson says she expects to spend her internship studying solar flares and their effect on satellites and astronauts who work at the International Space Station or, later, will travel to Mars. We use mathematical statistics to predict when and where these events will happen, she said. I am concerned about the impact they will have in the universe.

The stipend she got from NASA was not enough to cover expenses, she said. So, the money from the GoFundMe campaign will cover the cost of travel, 10 weeks of lodging and $300 for a summer membership at the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Houston for her daughter and $100 a week for food and gas.

She hopes the internship will lead to a fellowship at NASA so she does not have to teach lab classes anymore to make ends meet. For now, she said, she is just happy to be going to Houston for the summer.

I didnt think random strangers would help me, she said. I am still amazed.

The New York Times
Billionaire Elon Musks plans to launch 60 satellites into space as part of a project to build a high-speed internet network that would be available anywhere on the planet has had to be postponed due to high winds.

His company SpaceX was set to blast a Falcon 9 rocket carrying the satellites into orbit late Wednesday night.

But the adverse weather conditions at Floridas Cape Canaveral meant the launch was delayed by 24 hours.

It will now take place on Thursday at 10.30pm local time.

If successful, the mission will be the first step in Musks much-publicised Starlink project  a hugely ambitious scheme to create a mega-constellation of more than 12,000 satellites in low orbit which, together, beam high speed low-cost broadband to every corner of earth.

LA to San Francisco in 30 minutes: Paypal founder Elon Musk unveils 800mph Hyperloop 'trains' Show all 6 1 /6 LA to San Francisco in 30 minutes: Paypal founder Elon Musk unveils 800mph Hyperloop 'trains' LA to San Francisco in 30 minutes: Paypal founder Elon Musk unveils 800mph Hyperloop 'trains' hyperloop.jpg LA to San Francisco in 30 minutes: Paypal founder Elon Musk unveils 800mph Hyperloop 'trains' hyperloop-2.jpg Reuters LA to San Francisco in 30 minutes: Paypal founder Elon Musk unveils 800mph Hyperloop 'trains' hyperloop-3.jpg Reuters LA to San Francisco in 30 minutes: Paypal founder Elon Musk unveils 800mph Hyperloop 'trains' hyperloop-4.jpg spacex.com LA to San Francisco in 30 minutes: Paypal founder Elon Musk unveils 800mph Hyperloop 'trains' hyperloop-5.jpg spacex.com LA to San Francisco in 30 minutes: Paypal founder Elon Musk unveils 800mph Hyperloop 'trains' hyperloop-6.jpg spacex.com

He hopes this, in turn, will eventually generate the funds to develop spacecraft capable of flying paying customers to the moon and eventually colonising Mars.

In a call with reporters before Wednesday's countdown was halted, the high-tech entrepreneur - who made his first millions as one of PayPal's founders - praised the "fundamental goodness" of his aims  but admitted success was not guaranteed.

There is a lot of new technology here, so it's possible that some of these satellites may not work," he said, adding that there is a "small possibility" that none will work.

Nonetheless, the 47-year-old  who is also the chief executive of car-maker Tesla  said: We think this is a key stepping stone on the way towards establishing a self-sustaining city on Mars and a base on the moon.

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For now, getting Starlink up and running is set to cost billions of dollars but Musk insists the company has sufficient capital" to turn the plans into reality.
Kamala Harris has flipped the script on chatter that she would be a good vice president to Joe Biden, saying that her Democratic primary opponent has already proven himself adept at that role.

Ms Harris told reporters in New Hampshire that she thinks Mr Biden would make a fine running mate for her, should she win the Democratic nomination.

Translation: Shes not running for vice president.

I think Joe Biden would be a great running mate, she said. As vice president hes shown he can do the job.

The idea that Ms Harris might make a good No 2 for Mr Biden has been aired recently among political circles in Washington, with those in favour seeing her  a sharp, black, female lawyer  as a good compliment to Mr Biden, who is known for his gaffes and faces potential challenges for his previous positions on social justice issues, among others.

The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 Show all 25 1 /25 The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 Bernie Sanders The Vermont senator has launched a second bid for president after losing out to Hilary Clinton in the 2016 Democratic primaries. He is running on a similar platform of democratic socialist reform Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 Joe Biden The former vice president recently faced scrutiny for inappropriate touching of women, but was thought to deal with the criticism well and has since maintained a front runner status in national polling EPA The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 Elizabeth Warren The Massachusetts senator is a progressive Democrat, and a major supporter of regulating Wall Street Reuters The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 Amy Klobuchar Klobuchar is a Minnesota senator who earned praise for her contribution to the Brett Kavanaugh hearings Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 Michael Bloomberg Michael Bloomberg, a late addition to the 2020 race, announced his candidacy after months of speculation in November. He has launched a massive ad-buying campaign and issued an apology for the controversial "stop and frisk" programme that adversely impacted minority communities in New York City when he was mayor Getty Images The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 Tulsi Gabbard The Hawaii congresswoman announced her candidacy in January, but has faced tough questions on her past comments on LGBT+ rights and her stance on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Pete Buttigieg The centrist Indiana mayor and war veteran would be the first openly LGBT+ president in American history Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Deval Patrick The former Massachusetts governor launched a late 2020 candidacy and received very little reception. With just a few short months until the first voters flock to the polls, the former governor is running as a centrist and believes he can unite the party's various voting blocs AFP/Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Beto O'Rourke The former Texas congressman formally launched his bid for the presidency in March. He ran on a progressive platform, stating that the US is driven by "gross differences in opportunity and outcome" AP The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Kamala Harris The former California attorney general was introduced to the national stage during Jeff Sessions testimony. She has endorsed Medicare-for-all and proposed a major tax-credit for the middle class AFP/Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Bill De Blasio The New York mayor announced his bid on 16 May 2019. He emerged in 2013 as a leading voice in the left wing of his party but struggled to build a national profile and has suffered a number of political setbacks in his time as mayor AFP/Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Steve Bullock The Montana governor announced his bid on 14 May. He stated "We need to defeat Donald Trump in 2020 and defeat the corrupt system that lets campaign money drown out the people's voice, so we can finally make good on the promise of a fair shot for everyone." He also highlighted the fact that he won the governor's seat in a red [Republican] state Reuters The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Cory Booker The New Jersey Senator has focused on restoring kindness and civility in American politics throughout his campaign, though he has failed to secure the same level of support and fundraising as several other senators running for the White House in 2020 Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Wayne Messam Mayor of the city of Miramar in the Miami metropolitan area, Wayne Messam said he intended to run on a progressive platform against the "broken" federal government. He favours gun regulations and was a signatory to a letter from some 400 mayors condemning President Trump's withdrawal from the Paris Climate Accord Vice News The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Kirsten Gillibrand The New York Senator formally announced her presidential bid in January, saying that healthcare should be a right, not a privilege Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: John Delaney The Maryland congressman was the first to launch his bid for presidency, making the announcement in 2017 AP The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Andrew Yang The entrepreneur announced his presidential candidacy by pledging that he would introduce a universal basic income of $1,000 a month to every American over the age of 18 Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Julian Castro The former San Antonio mayor announced his candidacy in January and said that his running has a special meaning for the Latino community in the US Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Marianne Williamson The author and spiritual adviser has announced her intention to run for president. She had previously run for congress as an independent in 2014 but was unsuccessful Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Eric Swalwell One of the younger candidates, Swalwell has served on multiple committees in the House of Representatives. He intended to make gun control central to his campaign but dropped out after his team said it was clear there was no path to victory Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Seth Moulton A Massachusetts congressman, Moulton is a former US soldier who is best known for trying to stop Nancy Pelosi from becoming speaker of the house. He dropped out of the race after not polling well in key states Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Jay Inslee Inslee has been governor of Washington since 2013. His bid was centred around climate change AFP/Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: John Hickenlooper The former governor of Colorado aimed to sell himself as an effective leader who was open to compromise, but failed to make a splash on the national stage Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Tim Ryan Ohio representative Tim Ryan ran on a campaign that hinged on his working class roots, though his messaging did not appear to resonate with voters Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Tom Steyer Democratic presidential hopeful billionaire and philanthropist Tom Steyer is a longtime Democratic donor AFP/Getty

But the suggestion sparked outrage as well, with commentators noting that the Democratic presidential primaries and caucuses are still months away  anything could happen, including a dramatic decline in the polls for Mr Biden.

The Washington Post, for instance, ran an op-ed suggesting that Ms Harris is only included in the vice president speculation because she is a black woman, a group of people who face considerable societal obstacles and are often marginalized in mainstream discourse.

Any member of Congress discussing a @JoeBiden @KamalaHarris presidential ticket is showing extreme disrespect to @SenKamalaHarris, wrote author and journalist Roland Martin on Twitter. Not one Dem debate has been held. Not one primary vote has been cast. Biden has not earned the nomination and Harris has not lost it. STOP IT.

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Ms Harris campaign, meanwhile, pushed back on the idea in more black and white terms.

Shes running for president, period, and she intends to win, Ian Sams, the campaign spokesman, told Politico.
 Flash

The White House said on Wednesday that U.S. President Donald Trump will visit South Korea to promote bilateral ties in June.

In a statement, the White House said that "President Donald J. Trump will visit the Republic of Korea to meet with President Moon Jae-in, in conjunction with his travel to the region to attend the G20 Summit in late June."

Trump and Moon "will continue their close coordination on efforts to achieve the final, fully verified denuclearization" of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), the statement read.

The two leaders will also discuss ways to strengthen the bilateral alliance and the friendship between the two peoples, the White House said.

The White House said in April that Trump and his wife Melania will travel to Japan at the end of May as the country's first state guests to meet the newly enthroned emperor.

During Moon's recent visit to the White House in April, Trump said that the sanctions on the DPRK would remain in place, but he deemed it unnecessary to further increase them.

He also said that it was possible for him to hold a third meeting with top DPRK leader Kim Jong Un.
If Attorney General William Barr is worried about being held in contempt of Congress, he didnt show it Wednesday.

At an event outside the West Front of the Capitol honouring slain law enforcement officers, Barr approached House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who last week joked about locking up members of the Trump administration in a jail down in the basement of the Capitol.

According to a person who witnessed the exchange, Mr Barr shook Ms Pelosis hand and said loudly, Madam Speaker, did you bring your handcuffs?

Ms Pelosi smiled and responded that the House sergeant at arms was present should it be necessary to arrest anyone, the person said, adding that Mr Barr chuckled and walked away.

A Justice Department spokeswoman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 Show all 25 1 /25 The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 Bernie Sanders The Vermont senator has launched a second bid for president after losing out to Hilary Clinton in the 2016 Democratic primaries. He is running on a similar platform of democratic socialist reform Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 Joe Biden The former vice president recently faced scrutiny for inappropriate touching of women, but was thought to deal with the criticism well and has since maintained a front runner status in national polling EPA The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 Elizabeth Warren The Massachusetts senator is a progressive Democrat, and a major supporter of regulating Wall Street Reuters The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 Amy Klobuchar Klobuchar is a Minnesota senator who earned praise for her contribution to the Brett Kavanaugh hearings Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 Michael Bloomberg Michael Bloomberg, a late addition to the 2020 race, announced his candidacy after months of speculation in November. He has launched a massive ad-buying campaign and issued an apology for the controversial "stop and frisk" programme that adversely impacted minority communities in New York City when he was mayor Getty Images The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 Tulsi Gabbard The Hawaii congresswoman announced her candidacy in January, but has faced tough questions on her past comments on LGBT+ rights and her stance on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Pete Buttigieg The centrist Indiana mayor and war veteran would be the first openly LGBT+ president in American history Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Deval Patrick The former Massachusetts governor launched a late 2020 candidacy and received very little reception. With just a few short months until the first voters flock to the polls, the former governor is running as a centrist and believes he can unite the party's various voting blocs AFP/Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Beto O'Rourke The former Texas congressman formally launched his bid for the presidency in March. He ran on a progressive platform, stating that the US is driven by "gross differences in opportunity and outcome" AP The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Kamala Harris The former California attorney general was introduced to the national stage during Jeff Sessions testimony. She has endorsed Medicare-for-all and proposed a major tax-credit for the middle class AFP/Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Bill De Blasio The New York mayor announced his bid on 16 May 2019. He emerged in 2013 as a leading voice in the left wing of his party but struggled to build a national profile and has suffered a number of political setbacks in his time as mayor AFP/Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Steve Bullock The Montana governor announced his bid on 14 May. He stated "We need to defeat Donald Trump in 2020 and defeat the corrupt system that lets campaign money drown out the people's voice, so we can finally make good on the promise of a fair shot for everyone." He also highlighted the fact that he won the governor's seat in a red [Republican] state Reuters The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Cory Booker The New Jersey Senator has focused on restoring kindness and civility in American politics throughout his campaign, though he has failed to secure the same level of support and fundraising as several other senators running for the White House in 2020 Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Wayne Messam Mayor of the city of Miramar in the Miami metropolitan area, Wayne Messam said he intended to run on a progressive platform against the "broken" federal government. He favours gun regulations and was a signatory to a letter from some 400 mayors condemning President Trump's withdrawal from the Paris Climate Accord Vice News The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Kirsten Gillibrand The New York Senator formally announced her presidential bid in January, saying that healthcare should be a right, not a privilege Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: John Delaney The Maryland congressman was the first to launch his bid for presidency, making the announcement in 2017 AP The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Andrew Yang The entrepreneur announced his presidential candidacy by pledging that he would introduce a universal basic income of $1,000 a month to every American over the age of 18 Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Julian Castro The former San Antonio mayor announced his candidacy in January and said that his running has a special meaning for the Latino community in the US Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Marianne Williamson The author and spiritual adviser has announced her intention to run for president. She had previously run for congress as an independent in 2014 but was unsuccessful Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Eric Swalwell One of the younger candidates, Swalwell has served on multiple committees in the House of Representatives. He intended to make gun control central to his campaign but dropped out after his team said it was clear there was no path to victory Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Seth Moulton A Massachusetts congressman, Moulton is a former US soldier who is best known for trying to stop Nancy Pelosi from becoming speaker of the house. He dropped out of the race after not polling well in key states Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Jay Inslee Inslee has been governor of Washington since 2013. His bid was centred around climate change AFP/Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: John Hickenlooper The former governor of Colorado aimed to sell himself as an effective leader who was open to compromise, but failed to make a splash on the national stage Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Tim Ryan Ohio representative Tim Ryan ran on a campaign that hinged on his working class roots, though his messaging did not appear to resonate with voters Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Tom Steyer Democratic presidential hopeful billionaire and philanthropist Tom Steyer is a longtime Democratic donor AFP/Getty

The exchange comes amid escalating tensions between the Trump administration and Democratic lawmakers over investigations on issues including Russian election interference, the presidents financial records and his financial separation policy. Democrats have accused the Trump administration of stonewalling their requests.

Last week, the House Judiciary Committee voted along party lines to hold Barr in contempt of Congress for not providing the full, un-redacted report from special counsel Robert Muller into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.

 Nancy Pelosi: 'Jails will be overcrowded if we arrest all of Donald Trumps officials'

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said Wednesday that the House would likely vote on that citation next month. If the chamber votes in favour, then lawmakers will have to decide whether to try to compel Barr with fines, the courts or the prospect of jail time.

At a Washington Post Live event last week, Ms Pelosi joked about locking up administration officials for not complying with subpoenas  even though no jail or detention area has existed on the Capitol grounds since 1877.

Let me just say that we do have a jail down in the basement of the Capitol, Ms Pelosi said to laughter. But if we were arresting all of the people in the administration, we would have an overcrowded jail situation, and Im not for that.

The Washington Post
New York City mayor Bill de Blasio has announced he is running for US president.

The 58-year-old, who is barred from seeking a third four-year term in 2021, added his name to a growing list of Democrats eager to take on Donald Trump in 2020.

Mr De Blasio announced his bid with a video released by his campaign team on Thursday morning.

Theres plenty of money in this world. Theres plenty of money in this country. Its just in the wrong hands, he says at the beginning of the video.

He concludes: Im running for president because its time we put working people first.

The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 Show all 25 1 /25 The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 Bernie Sanders The Vermont senator has launched a second bid for president after losing out to Hilary Clinton in the 2016 Democratic primaries. He is running on a similar platform of democratic socialist reform Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 Joe Biden The former vice president recently faced scrutiny for inappropriate touching of women, but was thought to deal with the criticism well and has since maintained a front runner status in national polling EPA The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 Elizabeth Warren The Massachusetts senator is a progressive Democrat, and a major supporter of regulating Wall Street Reuters The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 Amy Klobuchar Klobuchar is a Minnesota senator who earned praise for her contribution to the Brett Kavanaugh hearings Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 Michael Bloomberg Michael Bloomberg, a late addition to the 2020 race, announced his candidacy after months of speculation in November. He has launched a massive ad-buying campaign and issued an apology for the controversial "stop and frisk" programme that adversely impacted minority communities in New York City when he was mayor Getty Images The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 Tulsi Gabbard The Hawaii congresswoman announced her candidacy in January, but has faced tough questions on her past comments on LGBT+ rights and her stance on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Pete Buttigieg The centrist Indiana mayor and war veteran would be the first openly LGBT+ president in American history Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Deval Patrick The former Massachusetts governor launched a late 2020 candidacy and received very little reception. With just a few short months until the first voters flock to the polls, the former governor is running as a centrist and believes he can unite the party's various voting blocs AFP/Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Beto O'Rourke The former Texas congressman formally launched his bid for the presidency in March. He ran on a progressive platform, stating that the US is driven by "gross differences in opportunity and outcome" AP The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Kamala Harris The former California attorney general was introduced to the national stage during Jeff Sessions testimony. She has endorsed Medicare-for-all and proposed a major tax-credit for the middle class AFP/Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Bill De Blasio The New York mayor announced his bid on 16 May 2019. He emerged in 2013 as a leading voice in the left wing of his party but struggled to build a national profile and has suffered a number of political setbacks in his time as mayor AFP/Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Steve Bullock The Montana governor announced his bid on 14 May. He stated "We need to defeat Donald Trump in 2020 and defeat the corrupt system that lets campaign money drown out the people's voice, so we can finally make good on the promise of a fair shot for everyone." He also highlighted the fact that he won the governor's seat in a red [Republican] state Reuters The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Cory Booker The New Jersey Senator has focused on restoring kindness and civility in American politics throughout his campaign, though he has failed to secure the same level of support and fundraising as several other senators running for the White House in 2020 Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Wayne Messam Mayor of the city of Miramar in the Miami metropolitan area, Wayne Messam said he intended to run on a progressive platform against the "broken" federal government. He favours gun regulations and was a signatory to a letter from some 400 mayors condemning President Trump's withdrawal from the Paris Climate Accord Vice News The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Kirsten Gillibrand The New York Senator formally announced her presidential bid in January, saying that healthcare should be a right, not a privilege Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: John Delaney The Maryland congressman was the first to launch his bid for presidency, making the announcement in 2017 AP The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Andrew Yang The entrepreneur announced his presidential candidacy by pledging that he would introduce a universal basic income of $1,000 a month to every American over the age of 18 Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Julian Castro The former San Antonio mayor announced his candidacy in January and said that his running has a special meaning for the Latino community in the US Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Marianne Williamson The author and spiritual adviser has announced her intention to run for president. She had previously run for congress as an independent in 2014 but was unsuccessful Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Eric Swalwell One of the younger candidates, Swalwell has served on multiple committees in the House of Representatives. He intended to make gun control central to his campaign but dropped out after his team said it was clear there was no path to victory Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Seth Moulton A Massachusetts congressman, Moulton is a former US soldier who is best known for trying to stop Nancy Pelosi from becoming speaker of the house. He dropped out of the race after not polling well in key states Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Jay Inslee Inslee has been governor of Washington since 2013. His bid was centred around climate change AFP/Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: John Hickenlooper The former governor of Colorado aimed to sell himself as an effective leader who was open to compromise, but failed to make a splash on the national stage Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Tim Ryan Ohio representative Tim Ryan ran on a campaign that hinged on his working class roots, though his messaging did not appear to resonate with voters Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Tom Steyer Democratic presidential hopeful billionaire and philanthropist Tom Steyer is a longtime Democratic donor AFP/Getty

He is scheduled to travel to the early-voting states of Iowa and South Carolina this weekend to begin campaigning.

The mayor emerged in 2013 as a leading voice for the burgeoning left wing that has reshaped his party. But he has struggled in the intervening years to build a national profile, and his approval ratings at home have waned after several political setbacks.

Mr De Blasio faces an uphill struggle to stand out among nearly two dozen Democratic contenders, who include former US vice president Joe Biden and liberal icons such as US senators Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts.

The mayor plans to emphasise his record of progressive accomplishments, including universal pre-kindergarten, a $15 (11.69) minimum wage and paid sick leave  all in a city that has a bigger population, more than eight million, than most US states.

He has sharply criticised Mr Trump on issues such as climate change, immigration and policing.

On Monday, he held a news conference inside Trump Tower to call on the Trump Organisation to meet newly enacted emissions standards in their skyscrapers or face significant fines.

In a preview of what could be to come, the event drew scathing insults on Twitter from Mr Trumps two oldest sons, Eric and Donald Jr, who run the family company. The president retweeted a message from Eric Trump slamming Mr De Blasios stewardship of his familys hometown.

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Most New Yorkers appear unenthused about Mr De Blasios presidential aspirations: a Quinnipiac University poll in April found more than three-quarters of New Yorkers did not feel he should make a White House bid.
Senators in Maine have passed a bill that would award the US states electoral college votes to the presidential candidate who wins the national popular vote.

The Maine Senate voted 19-16 in favour of joining 15 other states in an agreement aimed at reforming the electoral system.

Under the current electoral college system, voters effectively cast ballots for state electors who in turn select their party's presidential candidate. It gives small states disproportionate influence over who enters the White House.

The mechanism allowed Donald Trump to claim victory over Hillary Clinton in 2016 despite receiving 2.87 million fewer votes nationwide.

Maines senators voted to sign up to the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, which would automatically allocate the states electoral college votes to the most popular presidential candidate.

The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 Show all 25 1 /25 The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 Bernie Sanders The Vermont senator has launched a second bid for president after losing out to Hilary Clinton in the 2016 Democratic primaries. He is running on a similar platform of democratic socialist reform Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 Joe Biden The former vice president recently faced scrutiny for inappropriate touching of women, but was thought to deal with the criticism well and has since maintained a front runner status in national polling EPA The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 Elizabeth Warren The Massachusetts senator is a progressive Democrat, and a major supporter of regulating Wall Street Reuters The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 Amy Klobuchar Klobuchar is a Minnesota senator who earned praise for her contribution to the Brett Kavanaugh hearings Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 Michael Bloomberg Michael Bloomberg, a late addition to the 2020 race, announced his candidacy after months of speculation in November. He has launched a massive ad-buying campaign and issued an apology for the controversial "stop and frisk" programme that adversely impacted minority communities in New York City when he was mayor Getty Images The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 Tulsi Gabbard The Hawaii congresswoman announced her candidacy in January, but has faced tough questions on her past comments on LGBT+ rights and her stance on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Pete Buttigieg The centrist Indiana mayor and war veteran would be the first openly LGBT+ president in American history Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Deval Patrick The former Massachusetts governor launched a late 2020 candidacy and received very little reception. With just a few short months until the first voters flock to the polls, the former governor is running as a centrist and believes he can unite the party's various voting blocs AFP/Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Beto O'Rourke The former Texas congressman formally launched his bid for the presidency in March. He ran on a progressive platform, stating that the US is driven by "gross differences in opportunity and outcome" AP The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Kamala Harris The former California attorney general was introduced to the national stage during Jeff Sessions testimony. She has endorsed Medicare-for-all and proposed a major tax-credit for the middle class AFP/Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Bill De Blasio The New York mayor announced his bid on 16 May 2019. He emerged in 2013 as a leading voice in the left wing of his party but struggled to build a national profile and has suffered a number of political setbacks in his time as mayor AFP/Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Steve Bullock The Montana governor announced his bid on 14 May. He stated "We need to defeat Donald Trump in 2020 and defeat the corrupt system that lets campaign money drown out the people's voice, so we can finally make good on the promise of a fair shot for everyone." He also highlighted the fact that he won the governor's seat in a red [Republican] state Reuters The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Cory Booker The New Jersey Senator has focused on restoring kindness and civility in American politics throughout his campaign, though he has failed to secure the same level of support and fundraising as several other senators running for the White House in 2020 Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Wayne Messam Mayor of the city of Miramar in the Miami metropolitan area, Wayne Messam said he intended to run on a progressive platform against the "broken" federal government. He favours gun regulations and was a signatory to a letter from some 400 mayors condemning President Trump's withdrawal from the Paris Climate Accord Vice News The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Kirsten Gillibrand The New York Senator formally announced her presidential bid in January, saying that healthcare should be a right, not a privilege Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: John Delaney The Maryland congressman was the first to launch his bid for presidency, making the announcement in 2017 AP The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Andrew Yang The entrepreneur announced his presidential candidacy by pledging that he would introduce a universal basic income of $1,000 a month to every American over the age of 18 Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Julian Castro The former San Antonio mayor announced his candidacy in January and said that his running has a special meaning for the Latino community in the US Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Marianne Williamson The author and spiritual adviser has announced her intention to run for president. She had previously run for congress as an independent in 2014 but was unsuccessful Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Eric Swalwell One of the younger candidates, Swalwell has served on multiple committees in the House of Representatives. He intended to make gun control central to his campaign but dropped out after his team said it was clear there was no path to victory Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Seth Moulton A Massachusetts congressman, Moulton is a former US soldier who is best known for trying to stop Nancy Pelosi from becoming speaker of the house. He dropped out of the race after not polling well in key states Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Jay Inslee Inslee has been governor of Washington since 2013. His bid was centred around climate change AFP/Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: John Hickenlooper The former governor of Colorado aimed to sell himself as an effective leader who was open to compromise, but failed to make a splash on the national stage Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Tim Ryan Ohio representative Tim Ryan ran on a campaign that hinged on his working class roots, though his messaging did not appear to resonate with voters Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Tom Steyer Democratic presidential hopeful billionaire and philanthropist Tom Steyer is a longtime Democratic donor AFP/Getty

The bill will now go to the state's House of Representatives, and would also need to be signed off by governor Janet Mills.

The agreement has already been signed by California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington state, and the District of Columbia.

But it will only come into effect if states which elect a majority of the 538 members of the electoral college adopt the system. Maine, which elects four electoral college members, would take the current total to 193 out of the 270 needed.

Troy Jackson, the Democrat senator who proposed the bill in Maine, said the current system "gives candidates no reason to campaign or pay attention to voters in states where they are easily ahead or way behind".

He added the majority of Americans supported a system to elect their president on popular vote.

But conservative opponents of the reform have argued it would lead to candidates focusing their campaigns on densely populated cities and neglecting the interests of rural states such as Maine.

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Hillary Clinton won three of Maine's electoral college votes in 2016, with Mr Trump securing the fourth. Maine is one of only two in the US which splits its electoral college votes rather than allocating all to the state's most popular party.

Calls for reform the electoral college system date back decades, but the idea picked up traction in Democrat-leaning states following Mr Trump's election.

The Republican was the fifth president to enter the White House despite losing the popular vote, and did so by the largest margin in history.
Missouris Republican-led senate has passed a bill to effectively ban abortion after eight weeks of pregnancy, even in cases of rape and incest.

Senators approved the legislation by 24 votes to 10 in the early hours of Thursday morning, just hours before a Friday deadline to pass bills.

It will require another vote of approval in the states GOP-led house, before it can be signed off by Republican governor, Mike Parson, who has already announced he supports the measures.

If passed, the bill will see Missouri introduce some of the most stringent laws on abortion in the US, allowing terminations only in cases of medical emergency.

Women would no longer be able to seek an abortion legally in the state if they had fallen pregnant through rape or incest.

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Senate Democrats had launched into an attack on the bill on Wednesday before Republican supporters had a chance to bring it up for debate on the Senate floor.

So much of this bill is just shaming women into some kind of complacency that says we are vessels of pregnancy rather than understanding that women's lives all hold different stories, St. Louis-area Democratic senator Jill Schupp told colleagues.

We cannot paint with a broad brush and interfere by putting a law forward that tells them what they can and cannot do.

The Missouri bill comes as a number of states across the US have taken steps to place tough new restrictions on the procedure.

Abortion opponents the hope this will lead to the now conservative-leaning US Supreme Court overturning its landmark Roe v Wade ruling from 1973, which legalised abortion in America.

Kentucky, Mississippi, Ohio and Georgia have all approved so called heartbeat bills in recent weeks, which prevent abortion once a foetal heartbeat is detected, often around six weeks into a pregnancy.

Meanwhile, Alabama governor Kay Ivey signed a near-total ban on abortion into law on Wednesday.

If courts don't allow Missouris proposed eight-week ban to take effect, it includes a ladder of less-restrictive time limits ranging from 14 to 20 weeks.

Roe v Wade legalised abortion up until viability, usually at 22 to 24 weeks.

This is not a piece of legislation that is designed for a challenge, Missouris Republican House Speaker Elijah Haahr said. This is the type of legislation that is designed to withstand a challenge and to actually save lives in our state.

Other provisions in the wide-ranging abortion bill include a ban on abortions based on race, sex or a prenatal diagnosis, test, or screening indicating Down Syndrome or the potential of Down Syndrome.

The bill would also require that both parents be notified for a minor to get an abortion, with exceptions. Current law requires written consent from only one parent.

Additional reporting by AP
Donald Trump is the most authoritarian president in US history and is involved in a continued cover-up aided by his attorney general, veteran journalist Carl Bernstein has said.

During an interview on CNNs Reliable Sources, Mr Bernstein said the US president has nothing but contempt for democratic tradition and rule of law.

There has been no real bipartisan investigation of the most authoritarian president in our history, Mr Bernstein said.

Right now, its obvious to anyone that watches, anyone who looks at the facts, reads the Mueller report, the obstruction part particularly, we are in the midst of a continuing cover-up by the president, aided and abetted by the attorney general of the United States.

Mr Bernstein, who helped uncover the Watergate scandal, which led to president Richard Nixons resignation in 1974, said events in Washington were taking the US to an unprecedented place.

The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 Show all 25 1 /25 The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 Bernie Sanders The Vermont senator has launched a second bid for president after losing out to Hilary Clinton in the 2016 Democratic primaries. He is running on a similar platform of democratic socialist reform Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 Joe Biden The former vice president recently faced scrutiny for inappropriate touching of women, but was thought to deal with the criticism well and has since maintained a front runner status in national polling EPA The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 Elizabeth Warren The Massachusetts senator is a progressive Democrat, and a major supporter of regulating Wall Street Reuters The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 Amy Klobuchar Klobuchar is a Minnesota senator who earned praise for her contribution to the Brett Kavanaugh hearings Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 Michael Bloomberg Michael Bloomberg, a late addition to the 2020 race, announced his candidacy after months of speculation in November. He has launched a massive ad-buying campaign and issued an apology for the controversial "stop and frisk" programme that adversely impacted minority communities in New York City when he was mayor Getty Images The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 Tulsi Gabbard The Hawaii congresswoman announced her candidacy in January, but has faced tough questions on her past comments on LGBT+ rights and her stance on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Pete Buttigieg The centrist Indiana mayor and war veteran would be the first openly LGBT+ president in American history Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Deval Patrick The former Massachusetts governor launched a late 2020 candidacy and received very little reception. With just a few short months until the first voters flock to the polls, the former governor is running as a centrist and believes he can unite the party's various voting blocs AFP/Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Beto O'Rourke The former Texas congressman formally launched his bid for the presidency in March. He ran on a progressive platform, stating that the US is driven by "gross differences in opportunity and outcome" AP The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Kamala Harris The former California attorney general was introduced to the national stage during Jeff Sessions testimony. She has endorsed Medicare-for-all and proposed a major tax-credit for the middle class AFP/Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Bill De Blasio The New York mayor announced his bid on 16 May 2019. He emerged in 2013 as a leading voice in the left wing of his party but struggled to build a national profile and has suffered a number of political setbacks in his time as mayor AFP/Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Steve Bullock The Montana governor announced his bid on 14 May. He stated "We need to defeat Donald Trump in 2020 and defeat the corrupt system that lets campaign money drown out the people's voice, so we can finally make good on the promise of a fair shot for everyone." He also highlighted the fact that he won the governor's seat in a red [Republican] state Reuters The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Cory Booker The New Jersey Senator has focused on restoring kindness and civility in American politics throughout his campaign, though he has failed to secure the same level of support and fundraising as several other senators running for the White House in 2020 Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Wayne Messam Mayor of the city of Miramar in the Miami metropolitan area, Wayne Messam said he intended to run on a progressive platform against the "broken" federal government. He favours gun regulations and was a signatory to a letter from some 400 mayors condemning President Trump's withdrawal from the Paris Climate Accord Vice News The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Kirsten Gillibrand The New York Senator formally announced her presidential bid in January, saying that healthcare should be a right, not a privilege Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: John Delaney The Maryland congressman was the first to launch his bid for presidency, making the announcement in 2017 AP The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Andrew Yang The entrepreneur announced his presidential candidacy by pledging that he would introduce a universal basic income of $1,000 a month to every American over the age of 18 Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Julian Castro The former San Antonio mayor announced his candidacy in January and said that his running has a special meaning for the Latino community in the US Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Marianne Williamson The author and spiritual adviser has announced her intention to run for president. She had previously run for congress as an independent in 2014 but was unsuccessful Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Eric Swalwell One of the younger candidates, Swalwell has served on multiple committees in the House of Representatives. He intended to make gun control central to his campaign but dropped out after his team said it was clear there was no path to victory Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Seth Moulton A Massachusetts congressman, Moulton is a former US soldier who is best known for trying to stop Nancy Pelosi from becoming speaker of the house. He dropped out of the race after not polling well in key states Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Jay Inslee Inslee has been governor of Washington since 2013. His bid was centred around climate change AFP/Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: John Hickenlooper The former governor of Colorado aimed to sell himself as an effective leader who was open to compromise, but failed to make a splash on the national stage Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Tim Ryan Ohio representative Tim Ryan ran on a campaign that hinged on his working class roots, though his messaging did not appear to resonate with voters Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Tom Steyer Democratic presidential hopeful billionaire and philanthropist Tom Steyer is a longtime Democratic donor AFP/Getty

He said the situation was not about a constitutional crisis but was a systemic crisis, which he said was challenging whether our institutions are able to function in this country to deal with a president of the United States who is unique in our history, who has nothing but contempt for democratic tradition and rule of law.

He also called Mr Trump a grifter president of the United States.

Special counsel Robert Muellers investigation into Russian interference in the US election did not conclude the Trump campaign conspired with Moscow.

Although Mr Mueller did not rule on whether Mr Trump obstructed justice, attorney general William Barr claimed the report shows the president did not obstruct justice.

Mr Mueller said the report does not exonerate the US president.

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Democrats have called for a release of the full, unredacted version of the Mueller report and related material.

Meanwhile, Mr Barr has appointed a US attorney to investigate how the probe into Russian meddling began and whether laws were broken while intelligence was being collected on the Trump campaign.
Donald Trump is a 10-out-of-10 narcissist" with the long-term decision-making ability of an "empty chair", a former economic adviser to President George W Bush reportedly told top Republican representatives.

Larry Lindsey, who chaired the National Economic Council under Mr Bush, told top Republican politicians that he had consulted two psychiatrists to evaluate the president, according to sources who attended his presentation.

He reportedly attributed Mr Trumps total narcissism to his childhood, and said he had a mother who didnt pay him adequate attention.

Mr Lindsey, who now runs a consulting business, made the comments during a presentation on US-China trade talks attended by senior Republicans on Tuesday, Politico reported.

His description of Mr Trump lasted for around two minutes of a 45-minute presentation "and certainly turned some heads", one source said.

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

It comes amid an escalating trade war between the US and China. On Monday, China announced tariffs on $60bn of US exports in retaliation for Trump's moves last week to hike existing tariffs on $200bn of Chinese imports from 10 per cent to 25 per cent.

Despite his unfavourable description of the president, Mr Lindsey also told the Republicans politicians at his presentation that he agreed with Mr Trumps China trade policy, the sources said.

Recommended Mental health professionals warn Trump is incapable of being president

Mr Lindsey predicted that Mr Trump would be able to strike a deal with Beijing because of some of his traits. He argued that the US was better positioned than China in the dispute, but that it is important Mr Trump does not back down, the sources said.

According to the American Psychiatric Association (APA), a person with narcissistic personality disorder will exhibit traits such as a grandiose sense of self-importance, a need for excessive admiration, interpersonally exploitative behaviour and arrogant and haughty behaviour or attitudes.

But the APAs Goldwater rule states that it is unethical for psychiatrists to give a professional opinion about public officials if they have not examined them in person.

However, some have challenged that rule, with over 70,000 mental health professionals signing a petition declaring Mr Trump is mentally ill and must be removed from office.
Donald Trump reportedly made at least $479m in 2018, according to financial disclosure documents.

The president broke presidential precedent by refusing to divest from his business interests while in office and on the campaign trail. While Mr Trump serves as president, his two sons, Donald Jr and Eric, run the Trump Organisation. Mr Trump remains the head of the group.

While Mr Trump releases the mandated financial disclosure forms to the Office of Government Ethics annually, he has already broken another presidential precedent in refusing to release his personal tax returns.

Mr Trump cites audits by the IRS as a reason for failing to release them, and has defied orders by top Democrats to release the information.

Financial disclosure forms are less thorough than tax returns in that they allow those in office to report their income in ranges, as opposed to tax returns, which disclose more detailed information on assets and income.

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

These annual releases came as the Trump Administration faces another deadline from House Ways and Means chairman Richard Neal.

Mr Neal, who has unilateral subpoena power, issued subpoenas to IRS commissioner Charles Rettig and to Secretary of the Treasury Steve Mnuchin, for six years of Mr Trumps tax records.

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Mr Mnuchin told reporters on Wednesday that the Trump Administration is unlikely to comply with the request: I think you can pretty much guess how were going to, but we havent made a decision.
 Close Donald Trump on the Green New Deal: 'That's a hoax like the hoax I just went through'

Donald Trump has announced his plans for a sweeping reform to America's immigration system, calling for increased border security and the elimination of visa lottery systems he descibed as running contrary to the American belief system.

The president announced the immigration plan from the White House Rose Garden, where he claimed a strong US economy set up a perfect situation for the United States to take the plunge and fix its broken immigration system.

"We must implement an immigration system that will allow our citizens to prosper for generations to come," Mr Trump said to an assembled group of Republican lawmakers and supporters, with a warm Washington spring sun shining down.

Mr Trump's plan is likely dead on arrival, in spite of the president's use of the Rose Garden's gravitas to announce his intentions. The plan, which would drastically change Ameriac's immigration system, does nothing to address the roughly 11 million undocumented immigrants living in the US already  a major point of concern for many Democats, who control the House of Representatives.

The announcement came as Mr Trump's administration found itself in a tense stand-off with Iran, with a military commander for that nation warning that his country is on the "cusp of a full-scale confrontation with the enemy" as the US appeared to prepare for a potential armed conflict.

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. 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US officials, in spite of those harsh words, indicated that America is not looking for war  and reports indicated that Mr Trump himself is uncomfortable with the idea of the war preparations in his own adminstration.

The comment from Iranian major-general Hossein Salami of the Revolutionary Guards comes despite reassurances from secretary of state Mike Pompeo and Ayatollah Ali Khamenei that neither sides wants their dispute over economic sanctions to descend into war.

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Meanwhile, with the US already embroiled in a trade war with China over tariffs, the president has blacklisted foreign telecoms giants including Huawei from trading in the US in the interests of national security. Later on Thursday, the presiden plans to unveil plans to revamp the countrys immigration system and launches a website to combat the censorship of conservatives on social media.

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Two days after President Donald Trump held a political rally in the hurricane-thrashed Florida Panhandle last week, Samuel Rogatinsky, the owner of three FM radio stations in the region, made an unusual announcement: His stations would be airing snippets of Mr Trumps speech for two minutes every hour until Election Day  in 2020.

Mr Rogatinsky figured his decision would be popular in the deeply red Panhandle, where Mr Trump filled an outdoor amphitheatre on May 8 and promised to bring in federal aid for people still struggling to recover from the wrath of Hurricane Michael, the Category 5 storm that ravaged the region last October.

What the station owner did not expect was the immediate national and international interest in his plan to effectively give Mr Trump free airtime for the duration of his re-election campaign.

Literally the calls dont stop, Mr Rogatinsky said on Wednesday as he fielded phone interview requests. How many publications are there? One after another after another.

Mr Rogatinsky, a 49-year-old lawyer in Fort Lauderdale and a registered Democrat, said he was not motivated by politics, though he voted for Mr Trump in 2016. He said his intent was to express sincere appreciation for the presidents attention to the broad swath of the Panhandle affected by the hurricane  and still awaiting the emergency relief funding that has been tied up in a political fight in Congress for seven months.

Inside Trump Tower: New York's least desirable luxury property Show all 13 1 /13 Inside Trump Tower: New York's least desirable luxury property Inside Trump Tower: New York's least desirable luxury property Looking out of the lobby of Trump Tower Philo Ratio Inside Trump Tower: New York's least desirable luxury property A view of the atrium of Trump Tower Sebastian Bergmann Inside Trump Tower: New York's least desirable luxury property Trump tower from across Fifth Avenue S.F. Roberti Inside Trump Tower: New York's least desirable luxury property A view of the atrium inside Trump Tower Julian Stallabrass Inside Trump Tower: New York's least desirable luxury property A counter selling Trump merchandise including his 1987 book The Art of the Deal Takahiro Nagao Inside Trump Tower: New York's least desirable luxury property The Ivanka Trump jewellery shop inside Trump Tower Reuters Inside Trump Tower: New York's least desirable luxury property The waterfall in the atrium of Trump Tower Alistair McMillan Inside Trump Tower: New York's least desirable luxury property The atrium of Trump Tower featuring a Starbucks outlet Fletcher Inside Trump Tower: New York's least desirable luxury property A doorman stands by the lobby elevator in Trump Tower Reuters Inside Trump Tower: New York's least desirable luxury property Donald Trump merchandise for sale in a gift shop of Trump Tower Reuters Inside Trump Tower: New York's least desirable luxury property Trump merchandise on display by the entrance to a bar named after Trump in Trump Tower Reuters Inside Trump Tower: New York's least desirable luxury property Shoppers and diners in the atrium of Trump Tower AFP/Getty Inside Trump Tower: New York's least desirable luxury property A view up Trump Tower Getty

The rally was so popular, and I saw that so many people were into it, so we said, Lets bring more attention to the area, Mr Rogatinsky said. Its like the forgotten Panhandle.

Two days after the presidents rally, Mr Rogatinskys three stations  WASJ (adult contemporary), WKNK (country) and WRBA (classic rock)  began inserting snippets ranging from 90 seconds to two minutes of Mr Trumps rally speech into their hourly programming, without introduction or explanation and separate from commercial ads. Listeners phoned into the stations, mostly with words of praise, Mr Rogatinsky said. He said his staff was searching for clips from other presidential speeches relevant to the region to feature in the future.

With 538 days until the election, and assuming the stations broadcast the bits of Mr Trumps speeches every hour, the time on the airwaves could amount to more than 25,000 minutes. That is equivalent to 430 hours, or nearly 18 days.

Not everyone shared Mr Rogatinskys enthusiasm.

I dont think that him being on the radio for two minutes every hour is going to make an impact on the fact that weve had seven months of empty promises from him to help us here in the Panhandle, said Winnie Byrd, chairwoman of the Democratic Party in Bay County. We still have people in tents, or in cars, living. Weve got no federal aid.

Ms Byrd, who lost her Panama City home to the hurricane, has been living in a small apartment in nearby Lynn Haven as she argues with her insurance company over repairs.

 Donald Trump to Hungary's far-right leader Viktor Orban: 'You're respected all over Europe. Probably like me a little bit controversial, but that's okay'

Were seeing more and more people that are very dissatisfied, especially when were sitting here like we are, seeing nothing happening, she said. Hes supposed to be the president of all the people.

On May 10, the same day the broadcasts started, the House approved a $19.1bn (14.9bn) emergency relief bill that would help northwest Florida and other communities across the country hurt by natural disasters. The president has resisted the aid package because of funding set aside for Puerto Rico, an allocation that Mr Trump considers too generous.

During last weeks rally in Panama City Beach, Mr Trump promised more aid for the Panhandle, including $448 million from the Department of Housing and Urban Development. He also said the federal government would increase its share of costs for rebuilding, easing the financial strain on local governments.

Youre getting your money one way or another, and were not going to let anybody hold it up, Mr Trump told the crowd.

Mr Trumps visit was well-received, said Philip Griffitts, a Bay County commissioner, who like the other four commission members is a Republican. Several of them were in Washington on Wednesday, asking Congress and federal agencies for more assistance.

I dont really think this is a partisan issue in our part of the world. Its more of a human issue, he said of Mr Trumps aid pledge. Both parties are represented in our county. While the Republican Party is obviously a majority, theres still lots of Democrats suffering as much as Republicans.

If other candidates want similar airtime, Mr Rogatinsky said, he would be happy to accommodate them  an offer that might keep the stations from running afoul of regulations from the Federal Communications Commission that require equal time for candidates.

If Joe Biden or Bernie Sanders wants to come to the Panhandle and come to Panama City and do a rally, man, Ill put them on the same day, Mr Rogatinsky said. Its all good.

Mr Rogatinsky also said he would reconsider airing the speech excerpts if they proved unpopular among listeners in the long run.

For Mr Rogatinsky, all the attention may be good business for his fledgling company, Gulf Coast Media, which bought the three Bay County stations in December for $375,000. Their previous owner, Powell Broadcasting, announced it was ceasing operations because of the extensive damage the hurricane inflicted on its Panama City Beach facility. A radio tower fell and one of the stations is still operating out of a temporary tower, Mr Rogatinsky said.

He also owns a Haitian station in Palm Beach County. Among his first decisions after making that purchase, Mr Rogatinsky said, was to end a talk show featuring Derek Black, the son of Don Black, a noted white nationalist.

That was my favourite call to make, Mr Rogatinsky said. Derek Black has since denounced white nationalism.

Citing his Haitian audience in South Florida, Mr Rogatinsky said he disagreed with Mr Trumps push to end temporary protective status for Haitians.

Im not a die-hard on either side, he said. Im a businessman.

The New York Times
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U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday dismissed reports of "infighting" within the administration on U.S. Iran policy.

Via tweets, Trump said, "The Fake News Washington Post, and even more Fake News New York Times, are writing stories that there is infighting with respect to my strong policy in the Middle East."

"There is no infighting whatsoever," he said. "Different opinions are expressed and I make a decisive and final decision - it is a very simple process."

Trump added that "I'm sure that Iran will want to talk soon."

U.S. media have frequently reported the policy wrangle between U.S. hawkish officials, such as National Security Adviser John Bolton, and others within the Trump administration regarding the approach to deal with the rising tensions with Iran.

The New York Times reported on Monday that acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan had presented to the Trump administration's senior security officials an updated military plan, which envisions sending up to 120,000 troops to the Middle East, should Iran attack American forces or speed up work on nuclear weapons.

Trump on Tuesday dismissed the report. However, he noted that "hopefully we're not going to have to plan for that. And if we did that, we'd send a hell of a lot more troops than that."

Over the recent weeks, Washington has ratcheted up pressure against Tehran with a series of sanctions, designations and military threats, following Washington's year-long campaign against Iran after U.S. exit from the landmark Iran nuclear deal in May last year.

In response, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani announced recently Tehran's withdrawal from complying with the restrictions of the Iran nuclear deal on the country's enriched uranium reserves and heavy water supplies.
North Korea is suffering its worst drought in nearly four decades amid reports of severe food shortages, Kim Jong-uns regime has said.

The state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported that an average of just 54.4mm of rain had fallen throughout the country in the first five months of the year.

It is the lowest level since 1982, when the secretive communist state received 51.2mm of rain on average during the same period, it added.

To combat the problem, the state run Rodong Sinmun newspaper called for a war against the nature, mobilising all available water pumps and irrigation equipment.

It follows a warning from the United Nations said earlier this month that some 10 million North Koreans were facing severe food shortages after the country endured one of its worst harvests in a decade.

North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits Show all 16 1 /16 North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits In the Democratic People's Republic of North Korea, portraits of former supreme leaders Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il are required by law to be hung in the home, the classroom, the factory and all manner of other private and public places Reuters North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits In the classroom AFP/Getty North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits In the living room AFP/Getty North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits In the maternity ward of the hospital Alamy North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits On board the ship Reuters North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits At the ballot box Mannen av bord North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits In the office AFP/Getty North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits On the bridegroom Reuters North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits On the Pyongyang subway Reuters North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits On a government building Reuters North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits In the teacher training facility AFP/Getty North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits In Kim Il Sung square in Pyongyang Reuters North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits In the home AFP/Getty North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits At the military parade Reuters North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits In the hall Reuters North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits At the Chinese border AFP/Getty

The Red Cross has now warned that the drought also threatens this years summer harvest.

North Koreas UN ambassador Kim Song issued an unusual appeal for urgent food assistance in February.

The country's officials have blamed the food shortage on bad weather and international economic sanctions that were toughened after the country conducted a series of high-profile nuclear and missile tests in recent years.

In a high-stakes summit in Vietnam in February, Donald Trump rejected Mr Kims call to ease the sanctions in return for dismantling his main nuclear complex, a partial disarmament step, leading to the breakdown of talks.

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Their previously friendly relationship appeared to have soured in the months since, with tensions between Washington and Pyongyang bubbling up again.

The the communist regime has test-fired two missiles and multiple projectiles in the past few weeks.

KCNA said the drought was expected to continue until the end of May.

South Korea is now planning to send food directly across the border in its first such shipment since 2010, as well as increasing donations to international agencies like the World Food Programme.

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President Moon Jae-in said the humanitarian plan was backed by Mr Trump, but reports suggested it was moving slowly in part due to reticence on behalf of US officials.

Theyll try their best to make it happen, but nothing has been decided. There is a lot more to consider than two years ago, a source told the Reuters news agency.

North Korea suffered a devastating famine in the mid-1990s that is estimated to have killed hundreds of thousands of people, with many resorting to eating tree bark and grass.

Additional reporting by agencies
More than 500 people have tested positive for HIV in southern Pakistan in an outbreak that local officials have blamed on a rogue paediatrician.

Almost 14,000 individuals have now been screened in the district outside Larkana where the sudden spike in HIV incidence was first detected, said Dr Sikandar Memon, the regional coordinator of the Aids Control Programme.

Of those testing positive, 410 are children, Dr Memon told Pakistani newspaper Dawn. He said that another 29 patients tested positive in the most recent round of blood screening on Wednesday at the main hospital in Rato Dero, 25km outside Larkana, seen as the centre of the epidemic.

A doctor accused of infecting his patients through repeated use of a single, contaminated syringe remains in custody since the outbreak was first reported in late April. Dr Muzaffar Ghangharo, who officials said is himself living with HIV, has been charged but denies the allegations.

Authorities are also not ruling out the possibility that the outbreak is the result of gross, widespread negligence in a region which has a high prevalence of shady medical practices.

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

UNAids said international partner organisations had joined local teams to try and contain and investigate the outbreak. In a statement, it said there were concerns that about 600,000 unqualified doctors are unlawfully operating in Pakistan, 270,000 of them in Sindh province where Larkana is located.

The outbreak is also bringing attention to the lack of HIV awareness and education among the mostly poor communities of this part of Sindh.

Resources have been stretched to the limit by parents demanding screening for their children and medicines for those testing positive. They are coming by the dozens, said a doctor at a makeshift clinic set up to try and cope with the situation.

We are helpless. I have other children and I am afraid they might catch the disease," a mother whose daughter recently tested positive for HIV told the AFP news agency.

[Please] send some medicine for our children so that they can be cured. If not, all of our children will die, right?

The UN says Pakistan now has the second-fastest growing rate of HIV in Asia, with about 20,000 new infections in 2017 alone.

Dr Maria Elena G Filio Borromeo, UNAids country director for Pakistan and Afghanistan, visited Larkana to assess the response to the outbreak this weak.

She questioned why the first reports of a spike in HIV cases came from local media and not established official monitoring processes.

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Dr Borromeo said children as young as two-months old were affected by the outbreak and said they would be dealing with the consequences for the rest of their lives. The UNs Global Fund will stop paying for antiretroviral therapy (ART) in Pakistan from December 2020, leaving it up to the local government to cover the costs.

Such outbreaks will continue as long as the practice of re-using needles and unsafe injection and blood transfusion is common throughout the country, she told The News Pakistan. The UN is ready to bring in experts from abroad and introduce best practices but local authorities [must] prepare mid-term and long term strategies to prevent such outbreaks in future, she said.
Poland has condemned a racist attack on its ambassador to Israel after he was allegedly spat at in the street, reigniting the diplomatic row between the two countries.

A 65-year-old Israeli architect, Arik Lederman, was arrested over the alleged assault on Marek Magierowski outside the embassy in Tel Aviv on Tuesday.

Police are now investigating the incident, which was described by Polish prime minister Mateusz Morawiecki as a xenophobic act of aggression.

The Polish foreign ministry also summoned Israels ambassador to Warsaw, Anna Azari, in protest.

It came amid an ongoing row over the Holocaust and requests for the return of Jewish property confiscated during the Second World War.

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Relations between the two countries have deteriorated in recent months over accusations that Warsaws nationalist PiS government has tolerated a revival of antisemitic behaviour.

The dispute intensified in February after Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that "Poles cooperated with the Nazis during the occupation.

Poland pulled out of a key European summit as a result and cancelled a visit by an Israeli delegation due to take place on Monday.

Mr Magierowski said the latest incident began when he was sitting in his car outside the Polish embassy in Tel Aviv.

A man approached the vehicle of the Polish ambassador to Israel, opened the door and then spat, said Israeli police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld.

Recommended Poland cancels Israeli visit over Holocaust restitution fears

Mr Lederman apologised for the incident at court, claiming he did not realise it was the Polish ambassador, but caused further outrage by accusing a security guard at the embassy of hurling antisemitic abuse.

My family suffered the hardships of the Holocaust in Poland and I came to the embassy on the issue of restitution, he said. During that I was subjected to derogatory treatment by one of the embassy employees.

He said he was walking away when a vehicle came from behind me and honked at me loudly, frightening me. I expressed my anger in a way that I regret.

Mr Magierowski described the claims about the security guard as bizarre, tweeting: Simply not true. He is a loyal, hard-working, well-trained and delicate person. Not a single complaint.

The suspects lawyer said the incident was an almost Kafkaesque story that had been blown out of proportion.

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Israels foreign ministry spokesman Emmanuel Nahshon said: Israel expresses its full sympathy with the Polish ambassador and shock at the attack. Israeli police currently investigating.

We will update our Polish friends. This is a top priority to us, as we are fully committed to diplomats safety and security.

Additional reporting by Reuters
The European airline group whose members include British Airways, easyJet and Ryanair has lambasted bad management and bad planning among air-traffic control organisations.

Thomas Reynaert, managing director of the lobby group Airlines for Europe (A4E), told the Airlines UK aviation seminar in London that en-route delays  caused largely by staff shortages at air-traffic control (ATC) centres  increased by almost 40 per cent last month compared with March.

On average, over 750 flights per day had an en-route delay of at least 15 minutes, which is seven per cent more flights compared to April last year, he said.

Heading into the peak summer travel months, this trend is deeply concerning for airlines as it has a severe, direct impact on our passengers.

Mr Reynaert also criticised striking air-traffic controllers in France, which he said accounted for three-quarters of the ATC industrial action in Europe, saying: Travellers have had enough trips ruined by air traffic control strikes  and, I might add, its also starting to damage Europes reputation as a reliable tourism destination.

Airlines that went bust Show all 12 1 /12 Airlines that went bust Airlines that went bust Air Berlin Air Berlin, which operated flights to and from Berlin Tegel, went bankrupt in 2017 Getty Airlines that went bust Small Planet Lithuanian airline Small Planet filed for insolvency at the end of 2018 Igor Dvurekov Airlines that went bust Monarch Airlines The airline ceased operations in October 2017 AFP/Getty Airlines that went bust VLM Antwerp-based VLM went bankrupt in September 2018 Flo Weiss Airlines that went bust Germania German airline Germania filed for insolvency in February 2019 Getty Airlines that went bust Kingfisher Founded in 2005 ceased flying in October 2012 AFP/Getty Airlines that went bust Cobalt Cobalt, based in Larnaca, Cyprus, stopped flying in October 2018 Steve Lynes Airlines that went bust Mexicana An airline that had been in operation since 1921, went bust in August 2010. It was Mexico's largest airline AFP/Getty Airlines that went bust WOW Air Icelandic Wow Air ceased operation in March 2019 Getty Airlines that went bust Primera Primera, known for its cheap transatlantic fares, went bust in October 2018 Getty Airlines that went bust Transaero A privately-owened airline founded in Russia, 1990 lasted until October 2015 Getty Airlines that went bust Malev After 66 years, Hungary's national airline went stopped flying in 2012 AFP/Getty

A4E is demanding that airlines should be able to reclaim costs for refunding tickets, rerouting aircraft and providing care to passengers whose flights are delayed or cancelled because of strikes.

Mr Reynaert was speaking on the day when Belgian air-traffic controllers stopped work suddenly for four hours, with almost no notice given.

Brussels airport, one of the busiest 20 in Continental Europe, was closed from 9.30am to 1pm, causing dozens of cancellations and many long delays.

Richard Moriarty, chief executive of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), said UK airports handled 292 million passengers in 2018, up 3 per cent on 2017.

The CAA is responsible for enforcing European air passengers rights rules, know as EU261. Mr Moriarty said: Brexit should not be seen as an opportunity to water down customer protection.

Catherine Adams, deputy director of aviation policy at the Department for Transport (DfT), said: The same passenger rights will apply when the Withdrawal Act is passed.
Over the past two-and-a-half decades I have met many impressive men and women who have helped to give the UK the best travel industry in the world.

Among them are 25 travel heroes whose expertise and energy have improved life for travellers. In the third of a five-part series, here are the most impressive travel authorities.

Each has provided a travel tip and a happiest travel memory.

Simon Calder: 25 years of Independent travel Show all 5 1 /5 Simon Calder: 25 years of Independent travel Simon Calder: 25 years of Independent travel The Independent Simon Calder: 25 years of Independent travel The Independent Simon Calder: 25 years of Independent travel The Independent Simon Calder: 25 years of Independent travel The Independent Simon Calder: 25 years of Independent travel The Independent

Farina Azam, partner, head of commercial, TravLaw

Farina Azam and her sister in New York (Farina Azam)

One of the trade journal TTGs 30 under 30: Tomorrows Travel Leaders. No, not me  Farina. She puts me right on legal matters, as well as being one of the rare people who can explain the Atol rules, the package travel regulations and European air passengers rights, to make them understandable to journalists as well as normal people.

Travel tip: Being a lawyer, Im relatively risk averse as you can imagine! So two tips from me  book a package holiday as this will provide you with financial and legal protection you may not get otherwise, and always buy travel insurance.

Happiest travel memory: It has to be when I visited New York a couple of years ago with my sister. Since we see so much of New York on the TV and in movies, it felt surreal when I finally went there. It didnt disappoint either  it has such a buzz, and the sight-seeing, food and shopping was all amazing. One of my highlights was going on a boat trip to see the Statue of Liberty  and we managed to get a great selfie!

Philip Baum, editor-in-chief, Aviation Security International

Philip Baum in Greenland (Philip Baum)

In the 1990s airport security screeners waved through Swiss army knives and liquids by the litre, while passengers who asked were welcomed on to the flight deck by pilots. The horror of 9/11 exposed the weaknesses of aviation security, while the liquid bomb plot of 2006 triggered yet more restrictions.

Philips vast experience and unwavering focus on keeping passengers and crew safe leads him to conclude that formulaic security procedures are not enough to keep us safe. Look at the person, not just their possessions, he says: Behavioural analysis is far more effective than any screening technology, so if you see something unusual, report it.

Travel tip: Never pre-order a special meal on a flight if you are hoping to get an upgrade.

Happiest travel memory: The Masai Mara. The perfect family experience. Nature at its finest, wildlife at its most accessible and turning one off zoos for life. Staying in safari tents, being escorted to a camp fire for evening meals, Masai tribesmen walking us down to a watering hole to breakfast with the hippos, and bone-shaking 4x4 rides to meet a host of animals living in their natural habitat. And yet our daughters were still able to serenade us with their version of songs by Mika late at night, whilst zebras looked on confused. Plus, I like warthogs! They always bring a smile to my face...and warthogs are there in an abundance.

Dr Todd Curtis, CEO, AirSafe.com

Todd Curtis (Todd Curtis)

In the wake of the mass murder of 9/11, in which civil airliners were used as terrorist weapons, Dr Curtis reminded me: The average passenger has a level of fear associated with mishaps during air travel that is very high relative to other risks. In the early days of the internet, 1996, he set up AirSafe.com to aggregate the data on plane crashes  as well as providing invaluable information on airline safety and helping address fear of flying.

Travel tip: If you are a frequent visitor to and from the USA, take advantage of programs such as TSA PreCheck, Registered Traveller, Global Entry or Nexus to have time-saving bonuses like quicker security lines and quicker processing through passport control.

Happiest travel memory: A visit to Axum, Ethiopia where a combination of ancient obelisks, historical cathedrals, and archaeological ruins made it a fascinating and educational experience for myself and my family, especially my son. We were reminiscing the other night about that visit, and the memories are still vivid for us both.

Mark Smith, author and The Man in Seat 61

Mark Smith on the train from Yangon to Mandalay (Mark Smith)

The first job of the man who has made international rail travel accessible was working in the Beaconsfield branch of Waitrose. Happily for the travelling community, Mark ran away to join the circus  or as we called it in those days, British Rail, he says. He was stationmaster at Londons Charing Cross, London Bridge and Cannon Street stations, and later regulated fares and ticketing for the Department for Transport. In 2007, though, he ran away to run Seat61.com full time, so that you can find out in seconds how to travel the traditional way by rail and sea to Paris or track down the only passenger train in Colombia (a tourist service from Bogota to the salt cathedral of Zipaquira).

Travel tip: Never travel without a good book and a corkscrew.

Happiest travel memory: Staggering from ferry terminal to station in Niigata, Japan, with a heavy pack through a highway-and-liquor-store environment in the summer heat and humidity. I couldnt take a taxi as I had no yen and there was no exchange desk or ATM at the ferry terminal.

At first glance that might not sound such a great memory  but it was. Id made it from London to Japan by Trans-Siberian Railway via Moscow and Vladivostok: no airports, no flights, just train and ferry. It had taken almost two weeks. Every so often Id see a Japanese road sign indicating the road to Tokyo and Id once more realise what Id done and Id burst out laughing.

Jane Wilson-Howarth, physician, author, zoologist and travel health expert

Dr Jane Wilson in Nepal (Alexander Howarth)

From the benignly sanitary perspective of the UK, the rest of the world may look unfit for human habitation. Agreed, as soon as you leave the green and pleasant lands of the British Isles, the range and degree of potential health hazards rises. Fortunately, Jane spends her life helping travellers avoid anything from altitude sickness to gastric upsets of Montezumal proportions.

Travel tip: Carry a squirty water bottle  it is useful for powering water into a graze to clean up after a tumble and if caught short without loo roll it can even be used to clean up down below.

Happiest travel memory: The clinic was unusually quiet one afternoon and Sara, a talented Medecins du Monde translator from Algeria with a PhD in pharmacology, suggested we took a stroll around the camp. At the draughty wash-block we were spotted by one of our wilder regulars at the clinic: a young Palestinian man with TB whom we were sure was doing drugs. Id sutured a laceration on his arm that looked like a knife wound.

He pressed us to eat in his tent where his recently adoptive mother welcomed us and made tea. During the war the elderly woman and her husband had lost two sons as well as two homes in two countries but had given sanctuary and guidance to two wild boys. A toddler from the neighbouring tent also seemed to regard their home as his. Sitting on a piece of threadbare carpet sipping sweet black tea I felt she was mothering me too.

I was exhausted by all Id seen and heard in the camps but was moved by the familys warmth and generosity of spirit. There, in a not-quite-weatherproof tent with the toddler on my lap, we shared our stories and we laughed about the naughtiness of children and the awfulness of camp food and the laziness of the camp mullah. They made me feel like I too was part of their family.
Hitch-hiking remains, in my experience, an excellent way to travel.

You meet a self-selecting bunch of good people, find out about their hopes, dreams and daily lives; all while being driven through interesting parts of the world.

There is also the added bonus of hitching being the least damaging form of motorised transport.

The worst place to hitch-hike in the past quarter-century, incidentally, is Nova Scotia, Canada.

Simon Calder: 25 years of Independent travel Show all 5 1 /5 Simon Calder: 25 years of Independent travel Simon Calder: 25 years of Independent travel The Independent Simon Calder: 25 years of Independent travel The Independent Simon Calder: 25 years of Independent travel The Independent Simon Calder: 25 years of Independent travel The Independent Simon Calder: 25 years of Independent travel The Independent

1998: Victoria Falls to Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe

The hitching spot on the outskirts of Victoria Falls in western Zimbabwe was inauspicious: motorists were driving uphill and into the sun. But after an hour, a pick-up truck stopped for my wife Charlotte and me. No room in the cab, but plenty of blankets in the back for a drive under the stars.

2005: Somewhere on the Schwarzwaldhochstrasse in the Black Forest to Achern, Germany

On a snowy December morning in the Black Forest I got a lift with a marketing man from Porsche who was test-driving a top of the range Mercedes to assess the competition  and said: Ill take you anywhere you want to go. During the half-hour journey to a small town down in the Rhine Valley, he gave me a masterclass in how automobile marketing works.

2014: Los Barriles to La Paz, Baja California

I muddled the bus departure times, and ended up hitching beside a hot desert highway: Mexicos Route 1. Regrettably, my family were there too. But remarkably quickly a chap stopped in an MPV, loaded us and our baggage and drove like the wind through formidable lunar scenery for 100 miles to La Paz, overtaking sundry buses along the way.

2016: Mercedes from the start of the road to Neuschwanstein to the castle gates, Germany

Back in Germany (always the best nation for hitch-hiking) I was calamitously lost in the mountains of Bavaria with a ticket in my pocket for the last tour of the day at Ludwig IIs magnificent castle  and a flight booking home next day. With five minutes to go, I found the start of the road to Neuschwanstein, which was a mile away. A Mercedes driver stopped; his vehicle was completely full, but I was welcome to stand on the bumper.

Four and a half minutes later, I sprinted into the castle as the gates closed.

2017: Tore (northwest of Inverness) to Ullapool, Scotland

The two women driving along the A835 were not merely charming company  they were also, like me, tourists, so we stopped at every vantage point for a photo opportunity and a chance to survey enchanting scenery.
Over the past two-and-a-half decades I have met many impressive men and women who have helped to give the UK the best travel industry in the world.

Among them are 25 travel heroes whose expertise and energy have improved life for travellers. In the last of a five-part series, here are the most inspiring people in the media.

Each has provided a travel tip and a happiest travel memory.

Simon Calder: 25 years of Independent travel Show all 5 1 /5 Simon Calder: 25 years of Independent travel Simon Calder: 25 years of Independent travel The Independent Simon Calder: 25 years of Independent travel The Independent Simon Calder: 25 years of Independent travel The Independent Simon Calder: 25 years of Independent travel The Independent Simon Calder: 25 years of Independent travel The Independent

Lyn Hughes, cofounder and editor-in-chief of Wanderlust magazine

Many of the best ideas in business, from the Virgin logo to the concept of the Eden Project, were sketched out on napkins. Lyn Hughes and her late husband, Paul Morrison, went one better: they created the model for a travel magazine on the back of a sick bag. Aboard a doddery old DC10 belonging to the now-defunct Venezuelan airline Viasa, they sketched out a dream publication for independent travellers. Issue one in November 1993 set the tone for the magazine: a mix of sharp writing about both adventurous and familiar destinations, supported by compelling images and mixed with news, reviews and advice for independent travellers.

Lyn Hughes (Lyn Hughes)

Travel tips: I have three: put the name of your hotel, its address and your room number in your phone. Its so easy to forget hotel details in the first 24 hours, especially after a night out or tiring journey. Wherever you are in the world, the museums usually have the best and cleanest public loos. And, if youre going whale watching in Baja, California (if not planned yet, you really must), the grey whales are incredibly friendly  but for some reason, singing Eighties pop songs to them very loudly seems to draw them to you. I found Cyndi Laupers Girls Just Want to Have Fun particularly effective.

Happiest travel memory: Canoeing at dawn on a lagoon in northern Belize. As I gently paddled past the Mayan site of Lamanai, competing troops of howler monkeys were roaring in the canopies on different sides of the lagoon, the sound reverberating around the forest and water. Entering a tranquil channel, we paused in awe as the golden orb of the sun came up over the reed beds. As the eerie howls of the monkeys faded, they were replaced by an explosion of birdsong and the gentle dip of the paddles. It could have been any century; the ultimate timeless and all-encompassing travel experience.

Kate Humble, writer and broadcaster

Kate Humble (Kate Humble)

No part of Afghanistan should be considered immune from violence, read the Foreign Office travel advice a decade ago. The potential exists throughout the country for hostile acts. Visitors travelling to Afghanistan do so at their own risk and without protection from her majestys government. And so thats where Kate Humble took her summer holiday. While my friends were optimistically packing buckets and spades and heading for the west country, I was loading walking boots, sleeping bags and blister plasters into duffel bags and checking in for a destination Id never heard of, she wrote in The Independent. It was the Wakhan Corridor, a narrow finger of Afghanistan bordered by Tajikistan, China and Pakistan. Since then Kate has visited eastern Congo, presented many documentaries, and yet still finds time to run holiday hideaways in Monmouthshire and the Dordogne (neither of which are currently on the Foreign Office no-go list).

Travel tip: I read a report by a scientist who, to avoid getting an upset stomach while travelling, used to swallow a tape worm before he went abroad. Swore he was never ill. Ive never tried it, but Im sort of intrigued. I eat local yoghurt if I can find it, as soon as I arrive anywhere, which I was also told worked  and it does seem to. It also has the advantage of not hanging around like a tape worm does

Happiest travel memory: It is people, always, that make travel special and memorable. I was travelling alone in Cameroon in the mid-1990s, trying to get to a very remote community. Public transport in the rural areas were normal-sized cars which wouldnt leave for their destination until they had the requisite seven passengers. I joined a nurse and her sister heading in the same direction as me and we waited for most of the day until enough other people turned up. The nurse and sister shared the front seat and I squeezed into the back with another woman and two men, one of whom was an enormously tall policeman. The roads were dirt, rutted and potholed, the cars suspension non-existent and it was, without doubt, the most uncomfortable journey I have ever taken.

But nor have I ever laughed so much. We frequently had to tumble out of the car (and we did because we had lost all feeling in our legs) to lift it over the worst of the potholes. The nurse passed a constant supply of bananas over her seat to us in the back, the policeman regaled us with tales of skulduggery. It was after dark when we reached a village and everyone got out and disappeared. My destination was further on and Id need to get another car but, I was told by the driver, there would be no cars now until the morning.

I rolled a cigarette and sat on a bank at the side of the road facing the real prospect that this is where Id be spending the night. What are you doing? said a voice from the darkness. Er, just thinking, I replied as the face belonging to the voice appeared in front of me, looking at me as if I was mad. It was the nurse Id shared the car with. Well stop thinking and come with me, she said and stamped off. We reached a compound of small huts with mud walls and grass roofs. Her sister was stirring a huge iron pot over a fire and children were scattered about in the shadows. Im going to work. Im on the nightshift, said the nurse, so you can have my bed. See you tomorrow. And she disappeared back into the darkness, waving away my attempt at thanks.

Michael Palin, author and TV presenter

Michael Palin in North Korea (Sir Michael Palin)

It is 50 years since Michael Palin and his crew brought us the first series of Monty Pythons Flying Circus. Just as nobody expected the Spanish inquisition, nobody expected a comedy star to begin a second career, 30 years ago, as travel presenter par excellence. Since he travelled around the world in 80 Days, there has barely been a patch of the planet that has not welcomed the kind and friendly man from Sheffield: he has taken us on screen from pole to pole, across the Himalayas and the Sahara, and full circle around the Pacific.

Travel tip: Go for the side roads, not the main roads.

Happiest travel memory: On my first day in Tibet, we stopped by the roadside at Pang La Pass, 17,000ft above sea level. A short climb up to the top of a rise and there before me was the most stupendous view I have seen, before or since. Standing sharp against a crystal-clear sky was the whole spread of the central Himalayas, with Mount Everest at the heart of a majestic range of giant snow-covered peaks. I didnt have much breath left by then, but what I had was taken completely by the magnificence of this extraordinary panorama.

Simon Reeve, author and broadcaster

Simon Reeve (Simon Reeve)

In 1998, almost nobody in the west appreciated the threat posed by al-Qaeda. But Simon Reeve did. He painstakingly researched the terrorist group for his book, The New Jackals. After they perpetrated the horrors of 9/11, Simon was in demand as an analyst  and his potential as a television travel presenter was soon recognised. But not your usual destinations: he made his presenting debut with the BBC series Meet the Stans in 2003, featuring Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan, and has since roamed around the equator and both tropics, as well as Colombia, Russia and the Mediterranean.

Travel tip: Be open, friendly and smiley. It makes the world of difference. And trust people  take chances. But always use your common sense.

Happiest travel memory: Arriving into the ancient Silk Road city of Bukhara in Uzbekistan one night, I stumbled out of our van and emerged next to the 16th century Mir-i-Arab Madrasa, an Islamic college. It was a numbingly beautiful sight. Light was streaming from tiny windows sparkling along its colossal walls like the portholes of a ship. In the darkness to the side I could see the legendary Kalon minaret, an elegant tower built in 1187 and used for centuries partly as a land-locked lighthouse to guide camel trains through the night. A haunting Islamic prayer rehearsal drifted through the night. It was one of the most intense and emotional sounds I have ever heard. The whole experience was overwhelming, and a perfect travel memory.

Peter White MBE, broadcast journalist

Peter White (Peter White)

Any Radio 4 listener will recognise Peters eloquent voice: he has presented programmes for the network since 1974, and has also reported for BBC television news. He currently shares presenting duties on You and Yours with Winifred Robinson. Peter experiences the world in a different way to most travellers, having been blind since birth, and has made some powerful documentaries  notably his series Blind Man Roams the Globe.

Travel tips: My first packing decision has nothing to do with clothes or books; its how many radios do I take? I dont know a better way of taking an immediate snapshot of a city before even leaving my hotel room than a quick surf along the wavelengths. In one sweep you have its music, its politics, and what the citizens are moaning about at the moment on their phone-ins. You dont even need to know the language: tone of voice is enough. The only trouble is, to get the full choice, you now need to make sure youve got access to shortwave, medium wave, long wave, FM and digital. So you have to make careful choices. It can be done, though, and there are some very small but good portable radios on the market. But dont, for goodness sake, resort to online on your smartphone or tablet: otherwise youll end up listening to The Archers, or even You and Yours on Radio 4, in which case you might as well have stayed in Chipping Cleghorn.

Happiest travel memory: The trick for me has always been who youre with, rather than where you are! So two holidays stand out for the same reason: when my children were young, we made some great friends whose children were exactly the same age as ours. And, joy of joys, they all got on brilliantly together (indeed, they are still friends). Result: we never saw them from dawn till dusk, and those two holidays, in Corfu and Normandy, were oases of peace and quiet. Hard to replicate, but worth every second if you manage it!
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has denied the timing of the announcement of a 50 million euro emergency fund for Irish farmers is linked to the local and European elections.

The European Commission agreed to the aid package for beef farmers after pressure from farmers who say they are facing financial ruin because of the uncertainty caused by Brexit.

EU Agriculture Commissioner Phil Hogan, a former Fine Gael minister, made the announcement on Wednesday.

It is understood the Irish Government will be able to match the payment, bringing the total figure to 100 million euro.

Asked whether there was any coincidence in the announcement being made within weeks of the May 24 elections, Mr Varadkar replied: No, if we could have gotten it over the line a few weeks ago we would have been very happy to, as you can imagine.

The commission has now put the money on the table so we need to now work out the detail of that. But we'd expect that money to flow to farmers in the next couple of monthsLeo Varadkar

As a Government, weve been listening to what beef farmers have to say. We appreciate and understand that the beef price is very low and that the cost of production is now exceeding the cost the farmers can get from factories, so we wanted to help.

The commission has now put the money on the table so we need to now work out the detail of that. But wed expect that money to flow to farmers in the next couple of months.

The Taoiseach made the remarks as he attended the InspireFest event in Dublin.

The Irish Farmers Association (IFA) welcomed the decision.

IFA president Joe Healy said: Beef farmers have suffered savage price losses due to Brexit uncertainty and it is a welcome development that the EU Commission has recognised this and responded to the IFA proposal.

Members of the organisation have staged a series of protests over recent weeks calling for financial support.

Earlier this month, farmers heckled Mr Varadkar in Cork as they held a demonstration to coincide with the Government holding a Cabinet meeting in City Hall.

IFA national livestock chairman Angus Woods said that while the finer details of the scheme had to be finalised, it was vital that every cent goes directly to farmers.

Mr Woods was due to meet members of Mr Hogans team in Brussels on Thursday to work through details of the aid package.
Bartra, the property and infrastructural development company established by Richard Barrett, is considering its options for the development of the Bradys Castleknock Inn site on the Old Navan Road, Dublin 15.

The developer bought the 0.783 acre property for around 3.3m, or about 450,000 over the 2.85m quoted by estate agents Finnegan Menton, who described it as a "ready to go" prospect as it has planning permission for 36 two- and three-bedroom apartments and penthouses.

From Bartra's perspective, one of the attractions of the site is believed to be its proximity to the James Connolly Memorial Hospital Blanchardstown, as this is one of the reasons why it would qualify for a co-living development.

The Bradys site is one of four which Bartra has considered for co-living. Bartra's portfolio also includes commercial and leisure properties, as well as other types of residential assets.

The four Bartra sites earmarked for what is also described as shared living accommodation could provide as many as 738 bed spaces and they also include sites in Rathmines, Dublin 6, Cookstown, Dublin 24 and Eblana Avenue in Dun Laoghaire.

Developers will only get permission for co-living projects on sites which are in either core urban locations, in the city centre, in large urban conurbations or close to hospitals. The Cookstown site is near Tallaght Hospital and Bartra has signalled plans for 222 shared-living bedrooms in that development, which will also include 150 build-to-rent units.

It also plans 208 shared living units on a 2,600 sq m site on Eblana Avenue, which is near St Michael's Hospital, Dun Laoghaire.

It had planned around 100 bed spaces at Maxwell Road, Rathmines, but is currently re-working those plans.

At a recent seminar in the RDS, Hazel Jones, strategic planning director, Bartra Capital Properties, explained that shared living is best suited to single people seeking accommodation for up to 12 months.

These would include people who may be relocating to a city on a temporary basis where they know nobody and by joining membership of a residential co-living club and sharing facilities can quickly get into a social environment that gives them a better quality of life.

While Government legislation allows room sizes of as little as 12 sq m for this type of property, Bartra designs its rooms to at least 16 sq m.

The Bradys site is located on the north side of the Old Navan Road on the Blanchardstown side of Castleknock and adjacent to the N3 motorway and the M50 orbital motorway, which gives direct access to Dublin City Centre and Blanchardstown Shopping Centre.

A two-storey over basement building, it came with a large car park and smoking area.
Improving quality of calves coming off the dairy herd wont happen overnight, Head of Glanbia Beef Martin Ryan has said.

Speaking at an Oireachtas Joint Committee on Agriculture meeting where both Glanbia and Kepak presented their Twenty20 Beef club scheme, Mr Ryan said the schemes aim of improving quality of dairy calves to increase their value will be a challenge.

No doubt it will be a big challenge. What we are trying to do is change a percentage of animals and that will demonstrate to others how you will increase value. Were not trying to change everything overnight. People will breed replacements continually on EBI. We may need to put more focus on EBI value with beef.

When you look at the amount of dairy stock produced today theres certainly scope from where we are today to increase the number of cattle sired by beef.

Mr Ryan also that sexed semen will play a role in the future but that technology improvements are needed.

Kepak Agri-business development manager Mick O Dowd added that the aim of the scheme is to raise the standard among a small number of animals as farmers are looking to big companies for solutions.

We know better than anyone the amount of O grade and P grade cattle coming from the dairy herd thats why we are doing this were trying to rise that standard. Were not saying that were going to bring every P into an R. Through improved genetics and technical support we fully believe we will rise to standard and thats for a small cohort of animals in this programme.

Farmers are looking to big companies for solutions. Its not the complete silver bullet for the industry but its a start and get more predictability to the farmer.

Mr O Dowd said that the scheme will provide farmers with more certainty and clarity around the future outlook of the dairy calf.

Our farmers have repeatedly said that we dont have a sight of the future potential of the dairy calf as quality has somewhat declined with the rush to milk, he said.

Theyve also said theres no certainty or predictability about price and have highlighted difficulties of accessing cash flow throughout the production cycle of those animals.
New legislation proposed by the EU means farmers could have to pay millions of euro to replace obsolete guns.

EU and Irish civil Servants are currently looking at restricting the use of lead in shooting and fishing, a move that could see over 100,000 guns in Ireland become obselete.

The EU move is centered around lead contamination and an EU council meeting is due to discuss the proposals next month.

If passed, the National Association of Regional Game Council (NARGC) estimates that 70-80pc of shotguns will be put out of action here.

It also estimates that the cost of replacing guns could amount to over 150m, with farmers accounting for over half of guns users in Ireland.

NARGC chair Dan Curley stated that the cost of replacing guns could be from 750 to 1,000 per gun and that if farmers want to have their guns re-proofed they would have to have them transferred to Birmingham in the UK as there is no proof house in Ireland.

Reproofing could cost up to 300. Theres no infrastructure in Ireland if this legislation comes through. The government dont seem to understand gaming at all and the massive repercussions this could have on farmers, he said.

Mr Curley said that the EU is proposing that lead in guns be replaced with steel, but added that this is a dangerous and inhumane option that could put pressure on guns.

Steel puts pressure on older guns. Some guns that are certified for lead have tight chokes that arent suitable for steel and could be potentially very dangerous.

Mr Curley also pointed out that if the ban on wetlands was introduced it would mean a ban on lead guns even in the likes of floodplains in Ireland.
A week out from crucial local and European Elections, former Fine Gael Minister and now EU Agriculture Commissioner Phil Hogan has announced a package of 50m for under pressure beef farmers.

Today's announcement of a beef package comes less than a week after the Government announced a 3bn rural broadband scheme, which many have criticised as an election stunt.

It is understood the Government is expected to provide matching funding of 50m as it reels from plunging satisfaction ratings and heavy criticism of both Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and under fire Agriculture Minister Michael Creed.

It is understood the finer details of the scheme had to be finalised.

The 50m fund would be worth just 625 to each of approximately 80,000 beef farmers in Ireland, if divided equally.

In a previous EU targeted aid package, the then Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney allocated a total of 26.4m to dairy farmers in the form of flat payments of just under 1,400 per farmer.

Expand Close Several hundred farmers gathered in protest in Ballinasloe, Co. Galway as Minister for Agriculture and other key stake holders where due to address the Beef Summit which was held at the Shearwater Hotel.The protest was organised by the Western Region of the Beef Plan Movement. Photograph: Hany Marzouk / Facebook

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Whatsapp Several hundred farmers gathered in protest in Ballinasloe, Co. Galway as Minister for Agriculture and other key stake holders where due to address the Beef Summit which was held at the Shearwater Hotel.The protest was organised by the Western Region of the Beef Plan Movement. Photograph: Hany Marzouk

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar is close to Commissioner Hogan, who had advised him on his Fine Gael leadership campaign in 2017.

Mr Hogan told RTE that the technical details will be worked out over the coming days and weeks.

We have developed an EU fund of 50m and well allow Ireland to top it up by 100pc, and it will mean that if this is achieved it would be a 100m fund for beef farmers," he said.

"The technical details will be worked out with my officials and Minister Creeds officials to see how this particular money is allocated to the farmers. Hopefully we can give this money as soon as possible and hopefuly we can give them the necessary reassurance in the marketplace.

Mr Hogan also denied the move was in reaction to pressure from farming lobby groups, just days before European and local elections take place. The EU Commissioner said it was because significant assistance for beef farmers was needed.

If the European Commission was to wait for a suitable time, wed never make any announcement," Mr Hogan said.

"This is an essential income support for farmers, particularly in the beef sector which has suffered a lot. Loses in excess of 150/head is a substantial market disturbance in any language and we have to give reassurance to the market for our beef farmers and we cannot wait around.

Details of how beef farmers will receive the money or its distribution have yet to be announced. It is not clear whether beef processors may receive any of the funds.

Asked about Phil Hogans deal for farmers, and if its announcement a few days before elections is a coincidence, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said No, if we could have got it over the line a few weeks ago we would have been very happy to, as you can imagine."

"As a government weve been listening to what beef farmers have to say. We appreciate and understand that the beef price is very low and the cost of production is now exceeding the cost farmers can get from the factories, so we wanted to help and the Commission has now put some money on the table so we need to now work out the detail of that but wed expect that money to flow to farmers within the next couple of months," he said.

ICSA beef chair Edmund Graham said the evidence is clear that beef farmers have taken a big Brexit hit already. Losses are running at 4 million a week due to price cuts, and this can only be attributed to Brexit instability, he said.

"While we await more detail on the support package sought, ICSA believes that beef processors have made beef farmers carry all of the can when it comes to Brexit instability. Therefore, it is the beef farmer who must be supported by Brussels.

"Nothing less than 100 per finished animal will do as compensation for hard pressed beef farmers. In fact, the losses by bull beef producers are substantially higher. The most efficient way of dealing with what has happened so far is to pay beef farmers directly, he said.

The Beef Plan Movement warned farmers not to be fooled by the headline figures. "Read the small print and let's not be fooled! We need to keep the pressure on to ensure that happens and we the beef farmer get the maximum payment which still won't compensate our losses since August 2018.

Who will get the money?

There is speculation that the money could be distributed based on cattle slaughter numbers from late last year, with farmers and possibly feed lots, who slaughtered large numbers of cattle in these months receiving the most money in this scenario. Another possibility is that, similar to the EU dairy aid package, when 26.4m was allocated to dairy farmers in the form of flat payments of just under 1,400 per farmer.
Farmers are refusing to take on "snowflake" veterinary students who do not have a farming background.

A pig farmer based in north Cork told the Irish Independent he wouldn't take on veterinary students who don't come from an agricultural background after two students made a complaint about the farm to the Department of Agriculture.

"We put the two students in boots and they went working in the shed. Later that day they came back crying as they didn't like the way one of our workers was shouting at the pigs when moving them," he said. "They never came back, and reported us to the Department of Agriculture.

"The department inspected us and of course everything was found to be perfect but that complaint is still on the record and risked putting our name in the gutter. After that we decided never to take on students that don't come from farming backgrounds."

Kerry pig farmer Shane McAuliffe said this wasn't an isolated case and labelled some veterinary students as part of a "snowflake generation" that is disconnected from farming.

Exposure

Professor Michael Doherty, Dean and Head of the School of Veterinary Medicine at UCD, said any students who are not from farms will work in farm animal veterinary practice and need to get exposure to farm-based activities and management.

Students from non-farming backgrounds "particularly need to experience farm practice across a range of species to understand the agricultural context within which they will practice. Our vet students often provide much-needed help during the lambing and calving periods and at milking.

"Indeed, some farmers have willingly paid students during their placements because they have found the students so helpful; this is true of students both of farm backgrounds and those who have not grown up on a farm," he said.

"However, if a farmer has had an unsatisfactory experience or has concerns in relation to our students on placement, the UCD School of Veterinary Medicine would be very happy to discuss this with the farmer concerned."

Helena Madden, chair of the Recent Graduate Working Group of Veterinary Ireland, said many of her close vet friends weren't from farming backgrounds and are some of the best vets she knows.
Paul Ryan, Department of Finance, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Sustainable Nation CEO Stephen Nolan pictured at the RCPI in Dublin after the launch by the World Bank of a EUR 1.5 billion Sustainable Development Bind, listed on the Euronext Dublin Irish Stock Exchange. Photo: Julian Behal

THE decision by the World Bank to list a 1.5bn Sustainable Development Bond on the Irish Stock Exchange Euronext, its first 10-year bond since 2009, is a game changer in positioning Irelands as a leading centre for sustainable finance.

That's according to Stephen Nolan, CEO of Sustainable Nation Ireland, an initiative that promotes Ireland as a world-leading hub for sustainable finance.

He made the comments after the World Bank made the announcement as key figures gathered in Dublin for a major sustainable finance conference.

The World Bank has priced a 10-year Global Sustainable Development Bond, raising 1.5bn from institutional investors around the globe, to finance its sustainable development activities and engage investors with their Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Barclays, J.P. Morgan, Natixis and TD Securities are the lead managers for the transaction. The bond will be listed on the Luxemburg Stock Exchange and an application will be made to list it on Euronext Dublin.

The announcement was streamed live from Euronext Dublin (the Irish Stock Exchange) to a conference in Dublin to mark Sustainable Finance Day 2019. The conference was jointly convened by Sustainable Nation Ireland and by the Department of Finance. The announcement was watched by delegates and guest speakers including Taoiseach Leo Vardakas and Minister for Communications, Climate Action and the Environment, Richard Bruton.

Commenting, Sustainable Nation Ireland CEO Stephen Nolan, said: From an Irish and also global perspective, the decision by the World Bank to list its first bond in Dublin in 25 years, is nothing short of a game changer for Ireland. It is a highly significant moment for the entire agenda as we build Irelands expertise and leadership in sustainable finance. This is further evidence that Dublin is forging a reputation a leading global center for sustainable finance.

The World Bank bond aligns with the Governments key focus areas for development which includes prioritising climate action, as evidenced in the recently launched Ireland for Finance strategy.

"In the last year, the National Treasury Management Agency issued its first-ever green bond worth 3 billion, Ireland voted to become the first nation in the world to fully divest public money of fossil fuels and Dublin was named the European headquarters of UN Environment Financial Centres for Sustainability (FC4S). These developments are key to unlocking the capital required to finance projects that can ultimately fight climate change and create a world for future generations.

The timing of World Bank bond was planned to coincide with todays conference that convened leading global bond issuers, investors, and other key market participants for action on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The event, entitled Catalysing Global Savings to Advance our Sustainability Goals, highlighted Irelands role in sustainable finance efforts to channel more institutional savings towards sustainable projects around the globe.

The conference featured George Richardson, a director of capital markets at the World Bank. Other organisations attending included the Asian Development Bank, the European Investment Bank, BlackRock, BNP Paribas and SEB.
The Convention Centre Dublin plays host to a number of business conferences throughout the year

Failte Ireland is in London today pitching for new UK business worth up to 58m for the Irish economy.

The team is promoting Ireland as a world-class destination for hosting conferences, meetings and events at its annual Meet Dublin in London event.

At the event over 300 UK buyers will meet some of Irelands leading hoteliers, meeting venues and conference organisers in a bid to generate new business for the Meetings, Incentives, Conference and Events (MICE) sector through showcasing the facilities Ireland can offer business delegates.

The National Tourism Development Authority has identified Business Tourism as a priority sector as it helps businesses prepare for Brexit.

It will focus on growing business tourism in the regions outside Dublin by supporting Regional Convention Bureaux in Shannon, Cork, Kerry and Galway.

Failte Ireland is aiming to win conferences worth 31m for locations outside Dublin this year, which would be a 15pc increase on last year.

Failte Irelands head of commercial development, Paul Mockler, said: "As we prepare for Brexit, central to our work is selling Ireland as a Business Tourism destination to the UK market which has always been a strong market for us in this area of our work."

"We are pushing regional Ireland as part of our work to drive more conferences and events to the regions to ensure we maximise the returns from this lucrative market."

Elsewhere, and over 24 Irish food and drink companies will travel to Amsterdam next week for the annual PLMA (Private Label Manufacturers Association) trade event seeking new business with international retailers from over 120 countries.
KBC Bank has reported a profit of 14m in Ireland for the three months to 31 March 2019.

This is a considerable fall on the profit of 57m reported in the same period last year.

The bank's performance here was impacted by lower net interest income, increased costs, and lower bad loan provision releases, it said in a trading update.

During the period the bank released 12m in provisions previously set aside for bad loans, however this was down from 43m in the same period last year.

Mortgage lending increased 9pc year-on-year in Ireland to 216m, while 18,000 new customer accounts were opened during the period.

Last month the bank sold its legacy corporate loan portfolio to Bank of Ireland. The portfolio is valued at roughly 260m.

It said the sale further solidifies KBC Bank Irelands core business focus on retail and small and medium business clients.

Overall, and KBC Group made a profit of 430m for the three month period.

Total income for the period was 1.86bn, 1pc increase quarter-on-quarter.

The bank described the result as good, as it paid the bulk of its taxes for 2019 in the first three months of this year.

Excluding the taxes, the net result surpassed the previous quarters net result by 9pc on the back of a slight increase in total income and lower costs.

When adjusted for the sale of a legacy portfolio in Ireland last year, lending to customers increased by 5pc year-on-year at the group, and deposits rose by 6pc.

Meanwhile, sales of non-life and life insurance products also went up year-on-year by 9pc and 4pc, respectively.
The Supreme Court has ruled that the Workplace Relations Act 2015 can be challenged on its constitutionality before the High Court. Once an employee and an employer have passed the point where a dispute can be resolved between themselves the next port of call is usually the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC).

With no fees to raise a claim a limited pleading/submissions process, no arduous disclosure of documents process, no requirement to prepare witness statements and a private and fairly informal hearing environment, employees can obtain a decision on their workplace disputes cheaply and relatively quickly. According to the Workplace Relations Commission Annual Report 2017, 92pc of cases received were processed in less than six months.

Employers also benefit from this approach to the process as costs in defending employee claims do not spiral and early or unjustified settlements are not required to protect the company's reputation from potentially damaging allegations.

But are we sacrificing fair procedures and constitutional rights in the name of speed cost savings and expediency? The Supreme Court has ruled in Tomasz Zalewski v Adjudication Officer WRC & Ors [2019] IESC 17 that the Workplace Relations Act 2015 (the '2015 Act') can be challenged on its constitutionality before the High Court.

Why did Mr Zalewski raise a constitutional challenge to the 2015 Act?

Mr Zalewski raised unfair dismissal and non-payment of notice claims at the WRC. Mr Zalewski attended a WRC hearing on 26 October 2016 during which the adjudication officer accepted written submissions and documentation. An application was then made to adjourn the hearing as a witness for the employer was not available. The adjournment was granted but the new hearing date as is usual in the WRC was not scheduled at that point.

A hearing was subsequently fixed for 13 December 2016 but when Mr Zalewski attended the hearing rather than being given the opportunity to cross examine employer witnesses he was informed that the adjudication officer had already issued her decision and that the hearing had been scheduled in error. The written decision of the adjudication officer stated she had given the parties an opportunity to present evidence at the hearing on 26 October 2016 and on the basis of the evidence provided the complaint of unfair dismissal was not well founded.

Mr Zalewski lodged an appeal against the adjudication officer's decision with the Labour Court and entered judicial review proceedings in the civil courts asserting that certain provisions of the 2015 Act under which his claims have to be determined are a breach of his constitutional rights.

The constitutional challenge to the 2015 Act

In the course of the judicial review proceedings in February 2017 Mr Zalewski's lawyers argued that the provisions of the 2015 Act were constitutionally flawed and in breach of his rights to constitutional justice and fair procedures. The specific breaches were said to arise under Articles 34 37 40.3.1 and 40.3.2 of the Constitution and it was also argued the 2015 Act was incompatible with Articles 6 and/or 13 of the European Convention on Human Rights. His lawyers argued that the 2015 Act breaches the Constitution as: 1. WRC hearings before adjudication officers are held in private; 2. Evidence is not heard on oath and there is no penalty for any person who gives false evidence; 3. Adjudication officers are not required to have any legal qualification or experience and the appeal process is to a body which does not require persons to be legally qualified.

His lawyers also contended that the administration of justice under the Constitution was not limited and that Mr Zalewski was entitled to have his claims determined by a court as opposed to within the confines of the statutory scheme set out in the 2015 Act. Mr Zalewski sought an order quashing the decision of the adjudication officer on that basis.

In April 2017, solicitors for the WRC issued a letter stating that the adjudication officer's decision had due to an administrative error been filed as a "decision to issue" rather than "adjourned to further hearing".

The WRC consented to court orders (i) quashing the Adjudication Officer's decision; (ii) remitting the complaint for rehearing before a different officer; and (iii) paying Mr Zalewski's legal costs. It also argued that given the WRC decision was quashed Mr Zalewski could no longer maintain a constitutional challenge against the 2015 Act.

Mr Zalewski did not accept this. The WRC asked the court to overturn the grant of leave for the constitutional challenge arguing that because it had conceded the adjudication officer's decision ought to be quashed Mr Zalewski no longer had legal standing to challenge the constitutionality of the 2015 Act.

The High Court decision - Did Mr Zalewski have legal standing to mount a constitutional challenge?

The High Court ruled that Mr Zalewski had no legal standing to pursue the constitutional challenge as in returning the case to the WRC to be heard by a different adjudication officer Mr Zalewski was not "in real or imminent danger of being adversely affected by the operation of the statute...".

The High Court concluded that if the WRC's own guidance called Procedures in the Investigation and Adjudication of Employment and Equality Complaints had been followed which provides that "each party will have the opportunity to call witnesses to question the other party and any witnesses to respond and to address legal points" the incorrect WRC decision could have been avoided.

In returning the case to the WRC the High Court was satisfied that Mr Zalewski was not in real or imminent danger of being adversely affected by the statute.

However Mr Zalewski was given leave to appeal this ruling to the Supreme Court. It accepted that whether Mr Zalewski had legal standing to challenge the validity of the 2015 Act where the specific decision challenged had been quashed and remitted for a new hearing was a matter of general public importance.

The Supreme Court - the arguments Mr Zalewski contended before the Supreme Court that as the person who made a claim of unfair dismissal and unpaid notice he had legal standing to challenge the constitutionality of the Unfair Dismissals Act 1977 and the 2015 Act.

This was because both Acts required that his claims be heard by an adjudication officer of the WRC - a statutory scheme which he contended was inconsistent with the Constitution and put him in real and imminent danger of being affected by the relevant provisions.

The WRC submitted that Mr Zalewski was not in real and imminent danger of being adversely affected by the operation of the statutes and he was essentially in the same position as a person who had made a claim to the WRC and whose procedure had not yet commenced.

It added that he had not challenged the 2015 Act when he first made the claim to the WRC and had voluntarily made his claim under the statutory scheme which he later sought to challenge.

The WRC argued that this action was akin to a pre-emptive strike against an adverse decision which was not permissible.

It referred to prior case law which requires a court to first consider and decide non-constitutional issues and if this determines the case between the parties the court should refrain from expressing a view on the constitutional issues.

It also referred to the presumption of constitutionality which applies to matters permitted or provided for by an Act of the Oireachtas.

The Supreme Court decision

The Supreme Court unanimously allowed Mr Zalewski's appeal and held that he was entitled to pursue claims that the procedures for determining workplace disputes under the 2015 Act were in breach of the Constitution and the European Convention on Human Rights Act 2003.

It stated that the High Court appeared to have misunderstood the nature of the constitutional challenge and to have considered the legal standing of Mr Zalewski in relation to a challenge based upon a concern or contention that the second adjudication officer would not exercise his or her statutory functions in accordance with the principles of constitutional justice and fair procedures.

The Supreme Court considered that this was not the correct approach and Mr Zalewski's challenge was to the statutory scheme itself ie the provisions of the 2015 Act rather than what an adjudication officer might or might not do under the 2015 Act. As such it could not be said that the issues between the sides had been finally decided by the WRC's decision to have the matter heard by another adjudication officer as Mr Zalewski remained in the position of having his claims potentially decided under a statutory scheme which he alleged was unconstitutional.

The Supreme Court considered that the fact that Mr Zalewski had not raised constitutional issues prior to the initial hearing did not go to his legal standing to pursue his constitutional challenge but might be relevant in relation to an estoppel defence. The Court also did not agree that the reference to language regarding a pre-emptive strike from a prior case was related to the question of legal standing.

The Supreme Court remitted the constitutional challenge back to the High Court and the High Court hearing and decision is awaited.

What does this mean for the resolution of workplace disputes in the future?

We await with interest the decision of the High Court on this case. Any significant change to the 2015 Act or the forum in which workplace disputes are dealt with could have implications for all parties in relation to the strategy used and the costs incurred when handling workplace disputes.

Simply requiring witnesses to swear an oath before providing verbal evidence may not dramatically increase costs but any move towards the provision of written witness statements (as occurs in the English system) could add substantially to hearing costs and inevitably adds time to the litigation process.

While employees may welcome the threat of a public claim as an additional negotiation tool employers are likely to be less keen to air all laundry in public. Litigation strategy would need to be revisited to take account of potential reputational harm where claims are heard in a public forum and potentially with media in attendance even where the employer is satisfied that the allegations are unsubstantiated.

Also if all adjudication officers are required to have legal qualifications this could lead to a dramatic reduction in the number of adjudication officers at least in the short- to medium-term which would have a knock on effect on the speed with which cases are disposed. It may also lead to more legalistic approach to the process.

Do the constitution and justice require a change to the current workplace dispute resolution processes under the 2015 Act? Are more formal processes such as those in the courts or akin to those in England required? In England only the average and not 92pc of claims are heard within seven months. Happily this is not a question we have to answer. However we would suggest it has long been the prevailing view that when handling employment disputes a simplified and streamlined process is in the interests of all parties.

This article contains a general summary of developments and is not a complete or definitive statement of the law. Specific legal advice should be obtained where appropriate.

Cian Beecher Helen Webb and Niamh Fennelly are solicitors and part of the employment law group at Arthur Cox
Minister for Business Heather Humphreys described the news as "a great day for Poppulo, Cork and Ireland"

Irish software company Poppulo is to create 125 jobs in Cork.

The new roles, which are being created in the areas of engineering and research and development, will support the companys international expansion.

Founded by Irish tech entrepreneur Andrew O'Shaughnessy, Poppulo's software helps transform workplace communications and engagement in more than 100 countries.

Its customers include Unilever, Bank of America, Nestle, Johnson Controls, and Rolls-Royce.

Announcing the new jobs, Mr OShaughnessy said that while Poppulo is rapidly growing its global customer portfolio and expanding its base in the US, he was delighted to be in a position to create high-value jobs in Ireland.

He paid tribute to Enterprise Ireland for its support.

"Enterprise Ireland has been with us from the start when we were a handful of people and theyre just as committed to our success as we scale. Supporting home-grown successful indigenous companies so that they can scale is incredibly important," he said.

A parallel expansion by the group in the United States will bring Poppulo's total workforce to over 400 over the next three years.

The group currently employs 200 people, 163 in Cork and 37 in Boston.

Earlier this year, the US private equity firm Susquehanna Growth Equity (SGE) invested 30m for a minority stake in Poppulo, which Mr OShaughnessy said would help the company accelerate its international expansion plans.

The expansion is supported by the Department of Business, Enterprise, and Innovation, through Enterprise Ireland.

Welcoming the news Minister for Business Heather Humphreys said it was "a great day for Poppulo, Cork and Ireland".
The completed National Broadband Plan network to 540,000 rural homes may be worth less than 350m as an asset despite costing 3bn of State funding to build, according to Communications Minister Richard Bruton.

Mr Bruton said that the finished service - which will cost a total of 5bn - will be the equivalent of one tenth of Eir, which was acquired for 3.5bn last year.

Mr Bruton was speaking amid accusations that the State is financing a multibillion project for an asset that will revert to private ownership when a 25-year National Broadband Plan contract with the sole remaining bidder is completed.

Mr Bruton told the Irish Independent's 'Big Tech Show' podcast that at the end of the contract the finished infrastructure would not be worth "anything close" to 3bn.

"No. And if it realises more than is expected in the model, 40pc of the residual value will come back to the State. Similarly, the State will claw back excess profits earnings during its growth phase. But from a market valuation perspective, it will not have a large capital value," he said. However, Mr Bruton refused to say what level of value or profitability has been agreed in the broadband tender contract before the State's clawbacks kick in.

Under the rural rollout plan, National Broadband Ireland (NBI), the company set up to run the network by Granahan McCourt, will pay Eir close to 1bn over 25 years to rent Eir's poles and ducts. This leaves 146,000km of fibre as the bulk of the asset to be handed over to NBI when the contract is completed.

Mr Bruton also insisted that there was no rise in State subsidy levels due to Eir withdrawing from the tender contest, leaving only Granahan McCourt bidding for the contract. "No, it didn't increase at that point," he said. "The bids from the two companies were comparable."

However, he said that the costings in both bids were "more expensive than had been anticipated".

"At that stage, we had an evaluation of whether it would continue. Eleven alternatives were examined. They were found to be either more costly, more risky or would jeopardise delivering the project."

Mr Bruton defended the Government's non-disclosure of the proposed contract's financial terms and conditions, saying that it was standard practice in a public-private partnership.

Asked about how much National Broadband Ireland would be allowed to make in profit before clawbacks kick in, he said that revealing such detail could undermine commercial contract negotiations.

Asked whether the terms were more or less generous than the regulated 8pc return that Eir was allowed to make on its pole rental to the NBP scheme, Mr Bruton again declined to give any clarification.

He said that the network will revert to State ownership if NBI neglects the infrastructure or falls too far behind in its rollout targets. "If they fall 12 months behind at critical junctures, that would be a position where the State can step in," he said.

"But even before that, they would face quarterly penalties in the event of failing to keep up with the targets they've set."

Elsewhere, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said that he welcomed a proposed inquiry by the Oireachtas Communications Committee into the terms of the National Broadband Plan.
This week, Adrian sits down with Richard Bruton, the government Communications minister at the centre of the states 5bn plan to run subsidised fibre broadband to every one of 540,000 rural homes and businesses in the country.

He establishes for the first time that the value of the finished rural broadband network will only be a fraction of the 3bn the state is subsidising.

Diving deep into some of the issues around the controversial rollout, Adrian asks Minister Bruton some other key questions about the current state of the broadband tender, including:

1. SUBSIDIES  did the governments subsidy rise when Eir pulled out of the National Broadband Plan tender competition, leaving only one bidder?

2. WHAT THE NETWORK IS WORTH TO THE BIDDER  how much does the government value the completed broadband network and is it giving this asset away too cheaply to a private company, Granahan McCourt?

3. PROFITABILITY  how much is the bidder allowed to make under the agreed broadband operation?

4. FAILSAFES  what does the bidder have to fail at for the state to legally claim the network back?

5. FINANCE  how much responsibility does the state take in checking up on how the bidding company is financed, including the source of that finance?

6. SECRECY  why cant more detail on non-sensitive issues, such as the rate of return the bidder is allowed to make, be disclosed?

7. TAXPAYER VALUE  what was the difference, if any, between the bids of Eir and Granahan McCourt?

And much more. For anyone with an interest in Irelands biggest ever communications contract, this is required listening.

The Big Tech podcast in proud association with Magnet Networks, connecting businesses virtually, anywhere in Ireland.
Squaring the circle: Sarah Friar says working with mentor and Twitter founder Jack Dorsey at Square taught her to taught her to take intelligent risks

The sleepy village of Sion Mills in Northern Ireland, 2.5 miles from the Border, may not be the most obvious home for one of Silicon Valley's brightest stars. Up until now, its only claim to fame has been that it was the location where the hymn 'All Things Bright and Beautiful' was written in the 1840s. But it is also where Sarah Friar, the CEO of local neighbourhood social network Nextdoor, was born and grew up among 2,000 other residents.

Friar, whose accent is now a strange mixture of Californian and Northern Irish, leads the $1.5bn (1.34bn) business, which allows users (known on the app as "neighbours") to see a social network of their local neighbourhood, where they can post requests for help ("I need a good plumber!"), talk about local issues, arrange events and meetups, and pay to advertise homes for sale. The company was founded in the US in 2008, but has since expanded around the world.

Friar, 46, started her career in technology working at giants including Salesforce and payments business Square, where she became close friends with its CEO Jack Dorsey, the founder of Twitter. She also sits on the boards of Walmart and work-messaging startup Slack.

The executive has now spent six months as Nextdoor's CEO. Her announcement that she was leaving her role as chief financial officer of Square after six years sent ripples through Silicon Valley, and drove the company's share price down 9pc.

Friar says the move from being finance head at publicly-traded Square back to working in startups had a "bittersweet element to it".

"It was a big personal moment where I said 'OK, I am going to go do this'."

She describes the opportunity to join Nextdoor as a "chance to take the reins and in some ways show that strong women leaders can take on the chief executive mantle and hopefully do it really successfully."

Friar is well-respected in Silicon Valley, with one investor describing her as a "force of nature".

Friar was often seen as the de facto leader of Square while Dorsey also ran social network Twitter.

"I'm very good friends with Jack, so it's not like that changes," Friar says, "but I'll always be appreciative of his mentorship".

Friar says Dorsey taught her to take "intelligent risks" and "lean in" to opportunities, rather than playing it safe.

"It was hard to leave Square... but it was actually easy to join Nextdoor," she says. The two friends aren't far apart - her new office is next door to where she used to work at Square.

It's been a "whirlwind" six months, Friar says. She's just returned to the US after travelling around Europe to meet Nextdoor users in London, Paris and Amsterdam. The Silicon Valley entrepreneur is particularly pleased with Nextdoor's growth in the UK. The company now has over 15,000 neighbourhoods which cover 90pc of households.

Nextdoor has also spent years building partnerships with police forces in Britain. Eighty per cent of Metropolitan Police boroughs now have accounts on the app, which they can use to speak to local residents. "When you personify it and actually give people a name, it's not PSNI, it's Inspector Marty who literally just posted into my local neighbourhood in Sion Mills," she says.

Friar says her parents in Sion Mills would be called "community activists" in San Francisco, where she now lives with her hedge fund partner husband David and children Isabella and Mac.

"My mum was the local nurse and my dad was the local personnel manager of the mill that was the reason our village was founded, so they knew everyone," Sion says.

Friar graduated from Oxford University with an engineering degree in 1996 before interning at a gold mine in Ghana. "I was probably secretly half-terrified most of the time, but it was very good for me," she says, crediting the internship with giving her a love of technology. "I was taking a lab process into a real live mining situation, into the real world," she says.

Friar then worked for McKinsey as a business analyst, where she was sent to work in South Africa. "I wasn't afraid to go live in different parts of the world. So Silicon Valley didn't seem particularly a place to be afraid of," she says. Eventually, she moved into the world of technology startups, to the alarm of her parents.

"When you're Northern Irish, your mum and dad want to know what your job title is and they want to know the name of the company and that it's a good, solid company," Friar says.

Growing up in the North gave Friar a perspective on the world that colleagues in Silicon Valley may not have, she says.

"Even though I sound American, I'm very British at heart," she says. "I'm actually sometimes confused as to whether I'm Irish or British, because living on the Border it can drive you to either of those. You come at it with much more empathy about the need to think globally."

Friar has now enlisted her parents to help her grow Nextdoor in the UK. "My dad founded the Nextdoor neighbourhood in Sion Mills right as I joined," she says. "He's had 191 people join because of his invitation."

Friar hopes that Nextdoor can do more than grow the number of its users and make money from advertising.

"When I joined the Walmart board, I read this great quote about Walmart which is 'If you want to make a difference in the world, give the big thing a nudge.' And that statement always sticks with me," she says.

In recent years, Nextdoor has faced criticism that discussions about crime in neighbourhoods could spread racial profiling. Friar wants users to trust the company to keep discussions civil.

"A lot of Silicon Valley talks about friction-free onboarding," Friar says. By contrast, she sees the process of joining Nextdoor as intentionally "friction-full".

Nextdoor hasn't banned discussion of topics that may make people upset, though. "We don't want us to be all unicorns and rainbows," Friar says. "Life is not like that. A big part of community discourse has to be about the tougher things."

Forcing people to use their real identities can help to stop online abuse, Friar suggests: "I always say it makes people their better selves, not necessarily their best selves."

Other social networks allow their users to post abuse because they can remain anonymous, Friar says: "I can have a made-up name, I can be vitriolic and there's no social comeback on that because... no one actually knows it's me."

Friar runs her own local Nextdoor community in San Francisco, stepping in to shut down conversations that could cause offence. Days before our interview, Friar had to intervene. "Someone decided to start a chain called 'People behaving badly.' You can only imagine how that unfolded," she said.

With two children, a business to run, and seats on the boards of Walmart and Slack, how does she find time?

"Even if I'm just walking to a meeting or popping out to grab my lunch, I can really quickly just parse into Nextdoor," Friar says. "So much gets squeezed into the small spaces of life."

Daily Telegraph

CV

Education: University of Oxford, Stanford University

Career: Nextdoor CEO Dec 2018 - present; Square, CFO, 2012-2018; Salesforce, senior VP, finance and strategy, 2011-2012; Goldman Sachs, MD, 2000-2011; McKinsey & Co, business analyst, 1996-1998

Hobbies: Hiking, reading, travelling, family game nights

Telegraph Media Group Limited [2021]
British luxury brand Burberry reported broadly flat full-year revenue and profit on Thursday and said it expected similar this year as it sets the foundations for growth with more products by its new designer Riccardo Tisci in stores.

The company reported revenue of 2.72bn (3bn), down 1pc at constant exchange rates, and adjusted operating profit of 438m, for the year ended March 30, flat on the same basis compared with the year before.

Chief Executive Marco Gobbetti said the reaction from customers to Tisci's first collection had been "very encouraging" since it hit stores from the end of February.

"The implementation of our plan is on track, we are energised by the early results and we confirm our outlook for FY (fiscal year) 2020," he said.

Burberry said there would be a more pronounced weighting of operating profit in the second half relative to the first this financial year.

It is rationalising its distribution in the United States to ensure the brand is in the right stores, hitting its financial results in the short term.

But it said it expected growth to be re-established in the second half as Tisci's collections build through the year.

The company increased its full-year dividend by 3pc to 42.5 pence a share and it announced a 150m share buyback.
Frankfurt public prosecutors led a Germany-wide raid on eight homes and 11 banks on Wednesday as part of an investigation into wealthy individuals suspected of tax evasion.

The action was a follow-up on a police raid last November of Deutsche Bank over money-laundering allegations linked to the "Panama Papers".

The eight people in the crosshairs of the authorities are said to have founded companies in tax havens with the help of a former subsidiary of Deutsche Bank in the British Virgin Islands to hide capital gains from the German tax authorities and to evade taxes.

The investigations are not directed at Deutsche Bank, but at private individuals, Deutsche Bank said in a statement yesterday. The bank was cooperating, and its offices were not searched, the lender added.

Wednesday's raid involved police and tax authorities in Frankfurt, Hamburg and Duesseldorf. The search included offices of four tax advisers in Hamburg, Munich and elsewhere, as well as six asset-management companies in Hamburg.

Reuters
Italian Deputy Premier Matteo Salvini is seeking to take back the initiative in the European election campaign - triggering a new bout of market turbulence in the process.

Under pressure from his coalition partner and sometime rival ahead of the ballot on May 26, the head of the rightist League issued his most direct challenge yet to the European establishment fiscal rules and vowed "to change this Europe completely".

"If we need to break some limits, like the 3pc or the 130-140pc, we'll go ahead," Mr Salvini told reporters in the League's northern stronghold Verona, a reference to restrictions on budget deficits and government debt. "Until unemployment is halved in Italy, until we reach 5pc, we'll spend everything that we have to spend."

Italian bonds tumbled for a third day, pushing German yields to the lowest level since 2016, amid concerns of a renewed budget battle. Italy's two-year yields surged 11 basis points to 0.79pc, the highest level since December.

With a debt-to-GDP ratio eclipsed only by Greece within the euro area, Italy is the financial time bomb that keeps policymakers awake at night and after a decade of failed fixes, Salvini and his populist allies in the Five Star Movement took power last year with a mandate to try to spend their way out of trouble.

The European Commission headed off a first attempt to do that in December. Mr Salvini's comments suggest officials and investors should strap in for a rerun.

Mr Salvini said earlier this month that taxes should be cut even if it breaches EU rules.

"If someone in Brussels complains, that's not our problem," Salvini said. The fiscal rules are "outdated, old and imposed without any sense by the EU," he told Italian daily 'Corriere' della Sera in an interview published Wednesday.

Bloomberg
It all started with a dog. A cute little beagle puppy called Daisy that Mr. Wick, a superannuated assassin, had been given as a gift after the death of his beloved wife.

Shed died of cancer, Mr. W. was inconsolable but found solace in the large and soulful eyes of his pooch, until Russian mobsters broke into his house to steal his car, knocked him out and did in Daisy. They did not live long enough to regret it, as John Wick (Keanu Reeves) emerged from retirement so slaughter them, all who work for them, anyone who ever said hello to them.

One of the many refreshing things about this action franchise is that its timeline is admirably concise. In John Wick: Chapter 2, only four days had elapsed when Wick was contacted by an Italian mobster to fulfil a blood oath by killing his sister. He went to Rome and did the deed, then realised it was all a trap and returned to New York to kill the gangster who hired him. But he did so on the consecrated ground of the Continental Hotel, a glitzy establishment that offers sanctuary and assistance to a secret brotherhood of assassins, and as a consequence, things are even worse for him in Chapter 3.

Excommunicated from the secret society, and with a $12 million bounty on his head, Wick becomes a beacon for every high-kicking clown in Manhattan who owns a gun or a knife - which turns out to be quite a lot of people.

There are moments, many moments, when the John Wick films feel like live action versions of a first person shoot-em-up video game, but this is not a criticism. Theres a sleekness to their conception, a grim, almost zen-like purity to their intent: they are unpretentious action films that combine an amusing cod mythology and breathtakingly sophisticated fight choreography to quite compelling effect.

They are violent, no question, and in Parabellum if anything the ante has been upped. There are only so many ways to kill a person, and at this stage the franchise has exhausted most of them: in John Wick 3 folk get stabbed in the eye, through the head, shot six ways from Sunday with peashooters, pistols, semi-automatics and what looked like a hi-tech elephant gun. At one point, a very large assailant is attacked and killed with a book - and they said the novel is dead.

It all sounds grim, but the violence in Wick films is so slick its almost cartoonish: at times you feel like youre watching one of those grim noir graphic novels come to life. As the body count rises towards the high hundreds, John defeats all challengers and escapes New York for the relative safety of Casablanca, where he meets Sofia (Halle Berry, still defying time and gravity), a former colleague who has anger issues and has trained her twin German Shephards to aim for the male genitals. Ouch.

From there Wick heads out to into the wild Sahara, to wander moodily in the general direction of a mysterious Arab crime boss who may provide a way of lifting the open season hit on him.

The plots of these films are simple to the point of being simple-minded, but nothing particularly wrong with that. John Boormans 1967 masterpiece Point Blank, to which the John Wick canon could be generously compared, starred Lee Marvin as an outraged hoodlum swindled out of his share of a heist who goes around kicking and shooting everyone till he gets his money back.

Video of the Day

The Wick films have a sly sense of humour, and undercut the gore with self-aware one-liners. When Sofia knocks seven bells out of a Casablancan crime boss for attacking one of her beloved hounds, she turns to Wick and says by way of explanation, he shot my dog. John nods and says hey I get it!.

One could get on ones high horse about the graphic violence of course, and it would be a stretch to describe exploding people's heads with a high-pressure rifle as strictly within the bounds of Queensbury Rules. But somehow, like its predecessors, John Wick 3 gets away with it. There is, to use an unlikely noun, a certain shabby charm to it all, helped of course by the inimitable Keanu, who carries this sort of thing off with effortless aplomb.

Its a bit long perhaps, and we could have done without much of the last half hour, but those fights scenes really are exceptional, astonishing feats of choreography and editing that make mortal combat look like art.

(16, 131 mins)

Also releasing this week:
Ireland has failed to qualify for the Eurovision final with the song '22'..

Sarah McTernan (25) from Clare became emotional while speaking about those who have supported and mentored her in the run up to last night's semi-final.

Speaking to press following the results announcement, Sarah said she was "really happy" with her performance on the night.

"I felt really happy in myself," she said. "One thing I just wanted to look back was just to be happy and comfortable with my performance myself and you know what? I was happy.

"All of the team worked so hard and they're absolutely incredible and things don't always go your way but we're looking on the bright side and we're happy."

Sarah became emotional while speaking about the support she has received from the team, particularly head of delegation Michael Kealy, and the people at home but she remained upbeat and said she is planning to meet up with family and friends for celebratory drinks.

"To be honest we still put a lot of work in and we're happy with the work we've done and it's celebratory drinks at the end of the day."

Sarah and Michael Rice from the UK became friends over the course of the past week and he complimented her on her performance.

"I thought she was absolutely incredible. I thought she was pitch perfect. I remember watching it on the screen upstairs and I just thought 'you absolutely smashed it," he told Sarah.

"I was so proud of you back up there and this is not the end for you so I wouldn't worry. You're so talented. I think I'm going to start crying."

Video of the Day

Michael Kealy added that although Sarah sang really well she faced a "really, really strong semi-final, much stronger than semi-final one and the draw in terms of the running order didn't do us any favours either as we were in a nortoriously difficult position which is number two."

He continued, "But that's the breaks. It's a tough tough competition, it's not as easy as it once was, there are over 40 countries taking part, it's a difficult, difficult competition and it attracts top professionals from around Europe and other countries plough in huge resources into the competition which unfortunately a small broadcaster like RTE just doesn't have so we have to be clever with what we do with the limited resouces we have and to be perfectly honest I think this year we put together a really credible act."

The eighteen acts on the night were vying for ten places in the final and Sarah unfortunately did not make the final cut.

The 10 finalists going through to Saturday night are: North Macedonia, The Netherlands, Albania, Sweden, Russia, Azerbaijan, Denmark, Norway, Switzerland, and Malta.

The 10 finalists going through to the Grand Final of the Eurovision Song Contest on Saturday are:



 North Macedonia

 The Netherlands

 Albania

 Sweden

 Russia

 Azerbaijan

 Denmark

 Norway

 Switzerland

 Malta#DareToDream #Eurovision pic.twitter.com/4YPaP2q2qA  Eurovision Song Contest (@Eurovision) May 16, 2019

The Netherlands Duncan Laurence  the favourite to win the contest  was among those who did make it through, alongside fellow frontrunners Swedens John Lundvik and Russias Sergey Lazarev.

Some cast doubt on whether 25-year-old Laurences stripped-back staging would connect with an audience watching at home.

Those doubts proved unfounded after his name was called as one of 10 entries through to the 26-strong final on Saturday.

The 10 finalists going through to the Grand Final of the Eurovision Song Contest on Saturday are:



 North Macedonia

 The Netherlands

 Albania

 Sweden

 Russia

 Azerbaijan

 Denmark

 Norway

 Switzerland

 Malta#DareToDream #Eurovision pic.twitter.com/4YPaP2q2qA  Eurovision Song Contest (@Eurovision) May 16, 2019

Lundvik also qualified after an emotive performance of his gospel-tinged track Too Late For Love.

Lazarev moved through to the final after wowing the audience with his impassioned performance of the song Scream.

North Macedonias Tamara Todevska, Albanias Jonida Maliqi, Azerbaijans Chingiz, Denmarks Leonora, Norways KEiiNO, Switzerlands Luca Hanni and Maltas Michela also qualified.

Armenias Srbuk, Moldovas Anna Odobescu, Latvias Carousel, Romanias Ester Peony, Austrias PAENDA, Croatias Roko and Lithuanias Jurij Veklenko did not.

The public vote made up 50% of the total vote, with the other half determined by a professional jury in each participating country.

The UK, as one of the big five countries, along with France, Germany, Italy and Spain, are already assured of a place in the grand final.

Last years winners Israel also do not have to qualify via the semi-finals.

Read More

Eurovision has come under fire from the Palestinian-led Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) campaign which accuses Israel of using music to 'whitewash' its policy towards Palestinians.

On Tuesday, pop icon Madonna responded to criticism from Palestinian activists about her plan to perform at the final on Saturday night, stating that she wanted to use her performance to create "a new path toward peace".

Pressure has also been mounting in Ireland in recent weeks. Last month LGBT campaigners signed an open letter to Sarah urging her to boycott the contest.

The authors of the letter, who are part of the Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign, also claimed the Middle Eastern country is supporting the LGBT community for the purpose of whitewashing its oppression of the Palestinian people.

The 19 signatories to the letter included prominent campaigners such as Senator David Norris and Ailbhe Smyth.

None of the 42 acts taking part in Eurovision have pulled out.

However, speaking ahead of the first semi-final on Tuesday, Ms McTernan said, "I respect everybodys opinion, completely and utterly. For me, Im just really, really happy to represent my country. Im really honoured to be representing in Eurovision 2019 for Ireland."

She added that Eurovision is "all about the music" and "all about bringing people together".

"Youd only have to kind of be at the event, at one of the Eurovision ensembles where people are mixing as in right before our performances to know that it really does bring people together from all walks of life.

"Look at Hatari and then Australia. It really is heartwarming. Ive really made true friends for life. For me music is about love, music is about friendship, and bringing people together, and thats what its all about."

Hatari, the BDSM band representing Iceland in the contest, have stated that Eurovision in Israel is "built on a lie" but opted to take part and have made it through to the final with their song Hate Will Prevail'.

On Saturday night, several high profile Irish artists including Kila, Christy Moore and former Eurovision winner Charlie McGettigan, will take part in the Palestine: Youre a Vision concert at the bar venue of the National Stadium.

Additional reporting by PA.
The Rolling Stones are ready to get back on the road after postponing their North American tour because Sir Mick Jagger needed medical treatment.

The rockers announced on Thursday the No Filter tour will kick off in Chicago with two shows on June 21 and 25.

All the cities previously postponed are locked in and there is a new date in New Orleans.

We are delighted to announce the new US and Canada tour dates today! All of the cities from the previously postponed shows are locked in, starting at Soldier Field in Chicago on June 21st and including a brand new date in New Orleans! https://t.co/019DDP3ZA8 #StonesNoFilter pic.twitter.com/0C3R5rNfOX  The Rolling Stones (@RollingStones) May 16, 2019

Tickets sold for the original dates will be honoured, but those who cannot attend can get refunds by accessing their Ticketmaster accounts.

The group says in a statement the concerts will feature classic hits such as Sympathy For The Devil and Paint It Black.

The No Filter Tour was slated to start April 20 in Miami.

However, doctors told the 75-year-old Sir Mick in late March he could not go on tour.
It is possible to imagine a parallel universe where this year's Eurovision Song Contest is the subject everyone is talking about. Amid the dreariness of the European elections and the sinking realisation that Game Of Thrones is completely rubbish, surely a downpour of Euro kitsch is the light relief we all crave?

Plus, there is the controversial setting of Israel (calls for a boycott have rung out ever since the country triumphed 12 months ago in Portugal). Australia has sent a classically-trained opera singer whose party trick is performing atop an enormous wobbling pole. Iceland's entrant is a leather-clad death metal band called Hatari. Abba, the alpha and omega of Eurovision winners, have never been more beloved.

So why does nobody - in Ireland at least - care? This evening, our representative Sarah McTernan will take to the stage at Tel Aviv Expo complex, battling to make it to the weekend final. And the hype is negligible. Did you even know Sarah McTernan was our nominated artist? Would you recognise her if she arrived on your doorstep, belting out the nominated tune, '22'?

Ireland's Eurovision break-up has been years in the making. There was the embarrassment over the 2008 Dustin debacle - the arrogance and entitlement of late period Celtic Tiger embodied by a singing latex turkey. Then came our descent into the purgatory of permanent semi-final obscurity, which rendered the traditional Saturday night Eurovision watch pointless (who cared if Belarus finished ahead of Croatia?).

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We are now at the point where our relationship with Eurovision is akin to a loveless marriage. McTernan seems passionate about representing us and her song isn't horrible. It is, however, incredibly anonymous. That's even after Louis Walsh came out and said what we were all thinking by describing '22' as a "nothing song". "If she had a great song, we would say she was great," Walsh said. "It's not her fault at all, it's a nothing song. I don't remember it. I don't even think it's in the top 100 in the charts, which is a bad sign because you have to go to Europe with a hit record under your belt and it's not even a hit locally."

Eurovision is now too sprawling and confusing to feel any attachment to. Just 12 countries participated when Dana won in 1970. This year, some 41 nations are taking part - making it difficult for a small country such as Ireland to experience a real buy-in. It's just one more thing for us to be completely average at. There is also the unfairness of the 'Big Five' - Britain, Germany, Spain, Italy and France - receiving a by into the finals simply because their national broadcasters plonk more money down.

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The other problem is that the Eurovision no longer fits into the underdog story we tell about ourselves. Back in the glory days, when Dana and Johnny Logan were finishing ahead of Germany, the UK and France, there was a sense that we were punching above our weight and reminding the world that, yes, we existed.

But that narrative no longer works when, as well as the traditional big European nations, we are vying with countries from central and eastern Europe. Where lies the satisfaction in out-ranking Azerbaijan? Add to that the fact Eurovision is no longer as riotously ridiculous as it used to be. In the 70s and 80s - even the 90s - the world was a much larger, more mysterious place and the Eurovision spoke to that. A song from France felt French - and it was impossible to mistake an Irish entrant as coming from anywhere else.

Video of the Day

Today, by contrast, music is increasingly generic - and that is reflected in the Eurovision. Mid-tempo pop is the default and allowing for the occasional quirkiness - Australia's Kate Miller-Heidke flopping about in mid-air, for instance - the songs tend to blend together so it's impossible to tell where one ends and the other begins.

And, of course, if nothing succeeds like success, failure is the ultimate turn off. Since Dustin, we've rolled up our sleeves and had an honest pop at Eurovision, sending Jedward (not a terrible pop act, no matter what Simon Cowell might think) and Nicky Byrne. And yet we've been slapped back over and over. Ireland loves a winner - and with Eurovision furnishing us with endless losers, is it any mystery the love has gone?
Sarah Turner is president of North Bennet Street School (NBSS) , a 138-year-old trade school serving 150 students each year in Boston. Previously, Sarah served as the dean of Cranbrook Academy of Art, and she previously taught at the Rhode Island School of Design. In 2005, Sarah was awarded a Fulbright Fellowship to research Dutch contemporary applied art. I recently spoke with her about the North Bennet Street School and their distinctive approach to training students in traditional trades, like bookbinding and preservation carpentry. Heres what she had to say.

Rick Hess: Sarah, what is North Bennet Street School [NBSS]?

Sarah Turner: Were Americas very first trade school. Since our founding in 1881, weve trained generations of students for careers in traditional tradessuch as carpentry, furniture making, jewelry making, violin making, locksmithing, piano technology, bookbinding, and preservation carpentry. Our approach is to foster individual growth and a commitment to excellence, while at the same time, training people for well-paying jobs that are in-demand and impossible to export. Were proud to be recognized both nationally and internationally for our excellence as a learning institution, and as a leader in craft and traditional trades.

Rick: North Bennet Street School has been around for more than a century. Is it still relevant in 2019?

Sarah: North Bennet Street School was originally founded to enable immigrants to develop productive lives in their new home. Today, the school continues to bridge the gap between opportunity and demand by training the next generation of traditional tradespeople using time-honored methods and skills. The United States is facing a skilled labor shortage: The U.S. Department of Education reports that there will be 68 percent more job openings in trade-related jobs in the next five years than there are people trained to fill them. Were here to help fill that gapfor the jobs needed, but also for the people training with usby offering an alternative path to a four-year degree, and helping our students achieve meaningful lives and careers.

Rick: So can you walk me through the curriculum? How do you teach these skills?

Sarah: We have nine full-time programs, including bookbinding, carpentry, cabinet and furniture making, jewelry making and repair, locksmithing and security technology, piano technology (basic and advanced), preservation carpentry, and violin making and repair. We also offer a number of short-term continuing education classes, free public programs like exhibits and lectures, and partnerships with local schools, nonprofits, and cultural institutions. Since its founding, North Bennet Street School has used the Sloyd system of manual training, which seeks to teach the whole person not only how to make a living, but how to live. While we do teach technical skills, of course, this Swedish method focuses on the development of character, intellectual capacity, as well as manual skills. Students complete progressive projects that follow a series of steps, which build manual dexterity and executive functioning skills, such as organization, planning, goal setting, and follow-through. We dont have typical classes per se, but rather instruction is through observation and projects, usually in the machine room, at a workbench or in the field. Students then practice independently, and with time and guidance by our experienced faculty, come to master their new skill.

Rick: Is there any concern that youre training students in highly specific skills that might become obsolete?

Sarah: Even in a time of lives lived online we continue to see demand for authentic, locally sourced products is on the rise. And, there are things that still must be done by hand that simply cant be done by machines or that machines cant do as detailed or personalized work. This is where we come in, or rather, where weve always been. At North Bennet Street School, we dont romanticize technology any more than we romanticize hand skills. When we can, we try to marry the old and the new. Examples of this are seen in our locksmithing and security technology program, where a new security system might have sophisticated digital credentials like a fob or keypad. However, the lock itself is always mechanical, requiring dexterity, patience, and problem-solving to repair. In our jewelry making and repair program, our instructors are using high tech magnifying video cameras to walk students through laser welding components of fine jewelry. In our preservation carpentry program, our students might use modern technology to help date old paint or wood, and then go on to hand-carve the timbers that ultimately restore a historic home.

Rick: You note that your approach focuses on the whole person and development of character. How does that fit with the trade school mission and approach?

Sarah: Its about balance for us. You can think of the Sloyd philosophy I mentioned before as training ones head, heart, and hands all at once. Its been shown that hand-skills and cognitive skills develop together. Add to that the self-direction and self-reliance that it takes to work with your hands and its a powerful combination for developing confidence, risk-taking, and problem-solving. And, we do this as a communitytheres a true community culture at the School and of course, were linked to our communities through where our graduates work. So, this education truly can build the framework for a whole life.

Rick: What can you tell me about student outcomes?

Sarah: At the heart of our mission is educating students for employment, and we take that commitment seriously. The data proves this out too, with high graduation and employment rates for each of our programs. As an example, of the 96 graduating students last year, 82 were employed even before graduation. Youd be hard-pressed to find more successful people in their fields than our graduates. Theyre employed at prominent institutions and companies, including Harvard University, Tiffanys, and Steinway, among many others. Theyre also launching their own small businesses, helping to keep craft alive in cities and towns across the U.S.

Rick: These seem like pretty niche occupations. If theyre not hanging out their own shingle, how are students finding and connecting with these jobs?

Sarah: Before our students walk in the door for their first class, we are already thinking about the skills and connections they will need to get a job within their field. Through our student life and career services office, we work with students to shape their elevator speeches, practice interviewing, price their products and services, network, and market themselves for future employment. In addition, we connect them to our network of 3,000 alumni worldwide through a variety of social events, interests, and jobs and commissions boards. We connect many of our students to internships or employment in the summers. And, our faculty members are some of our best connectors to jobsafter all, theyre active professionals with deep relationships in the community.

Rick: What are the demographics of your student body? Are students coming to you straight out of high school?

Sarah: Our current study body ranges in age from 18 to 70, and includes high school graduates, veterans, white- and blue-collar professionals, those who live with disabilities, single parents, individuals from the LGBTQ community, and others representing varying education levels and ethnicities. Though a diverse group, they all share a passion for working with their hands, a curiosity about the world, and the determination to succeed. Veterans in particular have been a long part of the Schools history, and their military experience translates well in our immersive training environment. Today, about one in five students is a veteran, and they represent all branches and ranks of the military.

Rick: Do students generally have relevant experience before they come to you?

Sarah: Some do, but not everyone. And in some cases its easier to teach from a blank slate than it is to unlearn bad habits. We do find that some individuals, like the veterans I just mentioned, have a unique disposition or mindset that is helpful, no matter their experience with craft. One such student, a veteran of the United States Marine Corps, came to us after five years of service as a mechanical engineer. She will graduate from our cabinet and furniture making program this spring, and her work is truly something to behold, after just two years of training. Her education was made possible by our NBSS Yellow Ribbon Program, which helps to bridge the financial gap beyond regular VA benefits from the post 9/11 GI Bill to fund tuition, tools, and materials. But experience isnt everything. We also get students who are looking to further their craft or enter the field after getting a taste of the trades in high school. Another example is a young man who found his place among craftsmen while interning for the National Park Service through his high school. In 2016, he started his post-secondary education in carpentry and went on to further his skills in preservation carpentry. His education was fully fundedtuition, books, tools and allby our own Workforce Development Scholarship.

Rick: Tuition runs about $25,000 annually, depending on the program. Thats obviously not cheap. How do students afford it? Can they use federal financial aid programs like at a four year university?

Sarah: Since 1990, tuition costs at colleges have risen over 300 percent, far outpacing the growth of the economy. Today, the average student debt for a bachelors degree is more than $37,000, leading many to ask, What are the alternatives? Our programs run from one to three years, and are a fraction of the cost of traditional, four-year colleges. Still, the cost of running the leading school of craft is substantial, thats true. Thankfully we have donors whove helped us to achieve a remarkable level of scholarship aid for our students. Last year, we distributed nearly $600,000 of institutional aid, and by 2022, we plan to increase that award to $1 million in funding annually. Weve also just frozen tuition at current levels for the next three years. In addition to the Yellow Ribbon and Workforce initiatives I noted a moment ago, North Bennet Street School recently unveiled its newest financial aid program called Pell Yes! This new institutional grantthe first of its kind in the countryprovides up to $6,000 in aid to nontraditional students who already hold a bachelors degree. Two thirds of our students receive some kind of aid, whether from the School itself, or via the federal loans and grants. Federal student aid works just the same at NBSS as at any other school or university, making an education in craftsmanship more accessible than ever. Its a viable career path for people looking for something different than traditional college.

Rick: The School has been around for 138 years. Looking forward, what changes lie ahead?

Sarah: When I came to North Bennet Street School last year, I was fortunate to inherit an extremely healthy organization, so the future I envision builds on the successes NBSS has already attained. My goals include building new audiences and expanding our community through outreach to students who can benefit from the education we offer; building new partnerships locally, nationally and internationally, engaging our existing and new donors and professional networks; continuing to keep an education at North Bennet Street School affordable; and expanding upon existing and creating new education and public programming. Through all of that, I aim to keep the schools historic integrity and commitment to excellence intact. North Bennet Street School has always adapted throughout its history and Im excited to continue to train, engage, and inspire the next generation of skilled trades and craftspeople.

This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.
A concert to protest against Israels hosting of this years Eurovision Song Contest will be held on Saturday night in London.

The annual international music event is being held in Tel Aviv this year, sparking criticism from pro-Palestinian campaigners and calls for a boycott over Israeli policy towards Palestine.

Mercury Prize-winners Wolf Alice, Mic Righteous and Lowkey are among the artists taking part in Not The Eurovision: Party For Palestine.

The London event has been organised by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign and will take place on May 18, the same day as the Eurovision grand final.

Rapper and activist Lowkey said: Whilst Israel is using music and the glitz and glamour of Eurovision to masks its crimes against the Palestinian people, we are using music as a powerful tool of protest, solidarity and justice.

As artists and campaigners we refuse to legitimise Israels violations of international law and human rights.

The London protest gig is being held as part of Globalvision, with other music events hosted in Dublin and Bethlehem on the same night in support of Palestinian rights

Huda Ammori, of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, said: As the Eurovision Song Contest takes place in Tel Aviv, Palestinians in Gaza are living under a crippling siege, Palestinians in the West Bank are living under a brutal military occupation, and Palestinian citizens of Israel are being discriminated against under a system of apartheid.

Until their fundamental rights are realised, we will respect the Palestinian peoples call for a cultural boycott of Israel, and urge everyone who believes in freedom, justice and equality for all to do the same.

Video of the Day

Eurovision organisers have been contacted for comment.
Jeremy Kyle will have to reinvent himself in the wake of the cancellation of his TV show following the death of a guest, an industry expert has said.

Talk show host Kyle, 53, said he and his production team of 14 years were utterly devastated by the recent tragic events, which resulted in ITV announcing the end of The Jeremy Kyle Show.

It followed the death of Steve Dymond, 63, who had appeared as a guest on the controversial daytime programme.

It is a case now of there'll have to be total reinventionMark Borkowski

Public relations and branding expert Mark Borkowski told Press Association: He has to reinvent himself because clearly that type of programme is no longer fit for these times.

Were in sensitive areas  that programme might have been at its peak post-Springer, 2005, Im personally surprised its been going so long.

The mood of the nation has been evident but I guess because of the cost of the programme, the audience figures, the difficulty of actually maintaining that level of programme for that mid-morning telly is going to be tough so how ITV replace it or what sort of genre of programme takes over which has been quite a fixture is going to be tough.

So, for Jeremy Kyle, its a case of watch and wait and hopefully the skill of your agents and your relationships with the broadcasters and the belief in you as a talent is going to sustain but it is a case now of therell have to be total reinvention.

ITV chief executive Dame Carolyn McCall said the broadcaster would continue to work with Kyle on other projects.

He has previously stepped in as a guest presenter on ITVs Good Morning Britain and has fronted two series of Jeremy Kyles Emergency Room for ITV.
Its turned into a Ferrero Rocher week for drama. Like the Ambassador in that cheesy 1980s advert for the knobbly, gold-wrapped hazelnut chocolate balls, the gods of TV have showered us with largesse in the shape of two fantastic new drama series on consecutive nights.

First, there was Russell T Davies nerve-janglingly on-point Brexitocalypse Years and Years. Now comes searing four-parter The Virtues, from the dream team of director Shane Meadows, co-writers Meadows and Jack Thorne, and star Stephen Graham, fresh from setting the latest Line of Duty ablaze as conflicted undercover cop John Corbett.

Like Corbett, Grahams character in The Virtues, a painter and decorator called Joseph, is also an Irishman  from the Republic this time  who was transplanted to Liverpool as a child, which again allows him to use his own rich and musical Scouse. Hes another man haunted by his past. Here, though, its rooted in the dark history of this countrys care-home abuse scandals.

But when we first meet Joseph, whos a recovering alcoholic, its the torments of the present that are tearing him apart.

His ex-partner Debbie (Juliet Ellis) is about to take his adored nine-year-old son Shea (Shea Michael-Shaw) to Australia, where she and her new partner David (Vauxhall Jermaine) are starting a fresh life.

Graham, one of the greatest actors currently drawing breath, gives a terrific portrayal of a man being emotionally eviscerated, cut by agonising cut, yet determined to keep a lid on his anguish for his sons sake, and nodding along with Debbies insistence that its the right thing to do, for all of us.

If its rare right now to find a terrestrial drama that doesnt feature cops, docs or period frocks, its rarer still to find one that eschews trickery and brings a near-documentary feel to such emotional material.

Theres a raw, fly-on-the-wall quality about both the photography and Meadows direction. The performances are so naturalistic, the dialogue so spare and real, you wonder how much the actors were allowed to improvise.

Its especially evident in a wonderful scene where Joseph and Shea sit in the boys bedroom, having whats effectively their last private moment together.

Theres such warmth and tenderness and heartbreak in the scene, its like peeking around a door at a real father and son.

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Will you be alright? Debbie asks Joseph, as hes about to leave after the four of them have had a final meal, full of enforced politeness and achingly banal conversation.

Yeah, Ill be fine.

You wont... (start drinking again).

No, no, I wont, he says (he will).

What follows is an incredible sequence, excruciatingly painful to watch, that sets the nerve-endings tingling with horrible anticipation and captures the struggle of an alcoholic at war with himself.

Theres the hesitation, the agonising over the first one. Theres the tentative sip and grimace (the taste of beer and guilt). Then a gulp.

Gradually, this hitherto nice, quiet man, lubricated by beer, cut loose by a few double-vodkas, electrified by a snort of Charlie in the toilet, is the life and soul, buying drinks for people hes just met, orchestrating a raucous sing-song.

The change is horrible and will be familiar to anyone whos seen it happen (or been it as its happening). Hes gregarious, then narky and aggressive, then maudlin, and finally, falling-over sloppy. Its a bruising tour de force by Graham.

As Joseph reels around Liverpool city centre, ranting and raving and talking s**t (visually, an extraordinary sequence), flashes of his past, snatches of childhood memory, resurface.

Waking the next morning covered in his own vomit, Joseph packs his bags and takes the ferry to Ireland to take on those old ghosts.

As with Years and Years, its early to be sticking my neck out, but I think we might be looking at one of the best dramas of the year.

The Virtues, Channel 4.
"Potentially life saving" treatment options have been reduced for Irish cancer patients due to cutbacks in government funding, it has been claimed.

Cancer Trials Ireland claims its government funding has been cut by 3 million in the last three years.

The cancer research charity has said that potentially life saving treatment options are now being reduced for cancer patients due to the cutbacks from the Department of Health.

This is the third consecutive year that the group has had its funding cut by 20pc. To date, its total cutbacks amount to 3 million.

As a result of these continuing cuts, the number of people joining cancer drug trials each year is falling drastically, said Professor Bryan Hennessy, Clinical Lead at Cancer Trials Ireland.

This means that every year less people with cancer can access potentially effective treatment options when the standard treatments are not working, he said.

The group has said that the cuts are having a direct impact on cancer research and it has been unable to open trials in diseases such as lymphoma, testicular and endometrial cancer.

Clinical trials save and improve lives by giving patients access to new drugs they simply wouldnt get otherwise, said Averil Power, Chief Executive of the Irish Cancer Society.

The Government recognised this when they committed to doubling the number of patients on trials by 2020. Instead, cuts in Government funding have resulted in fewer patients accessing trials, she added.

Research from University Hospital Limerick found that the number of patients asking to participate in cancer trials has increased by 7pc since last year.

Cancer Trials Ireland is a registered charity, partly funded by grants from the Health Research Board, the Irish Cancer Society and St. Lukes Institute of Cancer Research.
Workers have gained ammunition in disputes with employers over their working hours following a major European Court of Justice ruling.

The court's decision obliges employers to keep records of staff hours and has raised hopes it will end the widespread practice of unpaid overtime.

Although Irish employers are already legally obliged to keep these records, the ruling is expected to pile pressure on those who fail to do so.

In a case taken by a Spanish union against a unit of Deutsche Bank, the European Court of Justice stressed EU member states must require employers to have systems in place that enable the duration of time worked each day by employees to be recorded.

The court has effectively thrown down a gauntlet to member states and employers to adhere to the EU working time directive or face the consequences.

It said that without proper records of time worked, it's "excessively difficult, if not impossible in practice, for workers to ensure that their rights are complied with".

The EU Confederation was optimistic the ruling should end the widespread practice of unpaid overtime.

"Workers can't afford to give their time to employers for free. Member states will need to work with employers and unions to review national laws and practices and ensure that all working time is paid and workers are properly compensated when they put in over time," said ETUC confederal secretary Esther Lynch.

She said the case taken at the European Court was in the banking sector, but unpaid overtime is an unwelcome development in nearly all sectors and jobs.

"It takes many forms, with unwritten rules about what work is not counted. It's workers feeling pressured to stay late, come in early, work through lunch, take work home and be on email out of hours."

The ruling may assist workers when taking cases against employers under working time and other employment rights legislation.

However, it is unclear if Irish authorities will pour any further resources into enforcing the maintenance of proper 'clock in' or 'clock out' records. This might include increasing Workplace Relations Commission inspections.

A spokesperson at the Department of Business said any implications for the Workplace Relations Commission as a result of the ruling will be "carefully considered".

And a spokesperson at the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection said it will examine the European Court of Justice ruling in detail and determine whether any amendments to national law will be necessary.

A spokesperson for employer group Ibec said Ireland already has very rigorous record keeping regulations under the Organisation of Working Time Act.

An ISME spokesman said the requirement for working time to be recorded has been established in Irish employment legislation since 1997.

Employment law solicitor Richard Grogan said under Irish legislation, employers must keep records of hours worked and breaks, but insisted that the "vast majority" don't.

"We've never had a culture of compliance with the Organisation of Working Time Act in Ireland," he added. "In fact, in Ireland, we have a culture of non-compliance."

Under the law, employers can't make employees work more than an average of 48 hours a week on average, typically over a four-month period.
SCHOOLGIRL Ana Kriegel's blood was found on a backpack, a pair of gloves, a mask and a set of knee pads which gardai seized from the home of one of the boys accused of murdering her, a trial heard.

The jury was also told the mask had a mixed DNA profile around the mouth and nose which contained all the elements of Ana's DNA and that of Boy A's DNA.

Earlier, the jury heard Boy A told a garda interviewer he was "looking for horror movies online" when asked about a screenshot of a list of videos on his phone which included "15 most gruesome torture methods in history".

Gardai also found a list of search items on Boy A's phone, one of which read "abandoned places in Lucan".

Boy A further told gardai that Boy B was "lying" when detectives put part of Boy B's interview to him.

The two youths, aged 13 at the time, have pleaded not guilty before the Central Criminal Court to murdering Ana Kriegel (14) at Glenwood House, Laraghcon, Clonee Road in Lucan on May 14 last year.

One of the accused, Boy A, has also denied a charge of aggravated sexual assault.

John Hoade, a blood pattern and DNA expert with Forensic Science Ireland, was recalled to give evidence this afternoon.

Just before lunch, gardai gave evidence of obtaining a search warrant and searching Boy A's home on May 24, 2018.

During the search, the court heard that gardai seized a total of 59 exhibits, including a backpack which was found in Boy A's wardrobe.

In his evidence, Mr Hoade said he carried out an examination of the backpack and its contents in June 2018.

He said the backpack contained a mask, a pair of black woollen gloves, black plastic knee pads, black plastic shin pads, and a black woollen snood.

Mr Hoade examined the items for blood staining.

He said there was blood staining on both the inside and outside of the backpack, and the DNA matched Ana Kriegel's DNA.

Mr Hoade said there was blood staining on the mask and it too matched Ana's DNA.

He further examined the area around the nose and mouth of the mask for any DNA, and said the mixed profile DNA sample matched that of Ana and Boy A.

Ana's DNA was also found on blood on the knee pads.

On Wednesday, Dr Hoade gave evidence he had not tested a blood-stained concrete block found at the crime scene.

Today, he said he had gone back and examined that concrete block, and the DNA from the blood matched Ana's DNA.

Dr Brid Martina McBride, also from Forensic Science Ireland, told the jury she examined a mark, or impression, on the lower front of Ana's hoodie.

She said the sole pattern was similar to the pattern on Boy A's boots but there was insufficient detail for further comparison.

Dr McBride said other boots had a similar pattern. She said she could not rule out the possibility the impression was made by work type boots similar to those worn by Boy A.

Dr Charlotte Murphy, also from Forensic Science Ireland, looked for male specific DNA on a neck swab taken from Ana Kriegel.

Dr Murphy said this male specific DNA matched Boy A's DNA profile. The possibility of this DNA being from someone unrelated to Boy A was one in 7,160, she said.

Cross examined by Patrick Gageby SC, Dr Murphy agreed it was possible this DNA transfer was caused by "casual intimacy".

This morning, prosecution counsel Gerardine Small BL continued to lead Detective Garda Tomas Doyle through a series of interviews he conducted with Boy A.

The court previously heard that gardai interviewed Boy A on six occasions on May 24 and May 25.

During the fourth interview which began shortly after 9pm on May 24, 2018, Gda Doyle showed a series of photographs of the room where Ana's body was found to Boy A.

When Gda Doyle pointed out blood in a photo, Boy A responded: "oh, that's blood, my God".

Gda Doyle also noted a wooden stick in a photograph, telling Boy A it was believed some of Ana's injuries were caused by it.

Boy A replied: "oh my God."

The court heard that interview four finished after Boy A's solicitor Donough Molloy noted his client was "very distressed", was only 13 and had been in the garda station since 8am.

The fifth interview began at 11.37am on May 25.

Boy A was told that gardai had examined his mobile phone and had retrieved data from a Safari search engine.

Boy A told Gda Doyle: "That's not possible as I don't have Safari on my phone".

Gda Doyle said the phone had been examined by an expert.

" I don't have Safari on my phone so I don't know how", Boy A responded.

Gda Doyle told the court the exhibit was shown to Boy A during the interview. It was a screenshot of a list of videos saved on February 14, 2018 and included the "15 most gruesome torture methods in history" as well as "horror movies that will blow everyone away" and "10 top sexiest video game characters of 2017".

When asked what he was doing, Boy A said he was "looking for horror movies online".

This was an interested of his, he told Gda Doyle.

Boy A clarified that he was interested in ghost horror movies, but said he could not remember the last one he had watched.

Asked what he typed into the search engine on February 14, 2018, Boy A said: horror movies".

A second printout was shown to Boy A during interview five. This data was also retrieved from Boy A's phone and part of it read "Safari abandon places in Lucan".

Asked if he remembered this, Boy A told gardai: "If it was something I looked up regularly it would come up recommended".

Boy A's father then said his son was interested in "aliens and creative features".

Gda Doyle added that he was told Boy A was interested in special effects.

During the sixth interview, sections of Boy B's interviews were put to Boy A. Asked if he had any clarification he wanted to make, Boy A said "[Boy B] is lying, that's it".

The trial continues.
Trial: Patric and Geraldine Kriegel, parents of Ana Kriegel, at court yesterday. Photo: Collins

A murder accused asked a garda interviewer "are you joking me?" and "are you actually being serious?" when told Ana Kriegel's blood had been found on his boots, a trial has heard.

Boy A also told gardai that CCTV footage of a male, who they believe is Boy A, might be "one of the lads who attacked me".

When asked by gardai during interviews if he was in the room where Ana's body was found, Boy A said "No."

The two youths, aged 13 at the time, have pleaded not guilty before the Central Criminal Court to murdering Ana Kriegel (14) at Glenwood House, Laraghcon, Clonee Road in Lucan on May 14 last year.

Boy A has also denied a charge of aggravated sexual assault.

Yesterday, Detective Garda Marcus Roantree said he arrested Boy A on suspicion of murder at Clondalkin garda station at 8.07am on May 24, 2018 and he was detained for questioning.

Over the next two days, gardai conducted six interviews with Boy A.

Prosecutor Gerardine Small BL led Detective Garda Tomas Doyle through the interviews with Boy A.

In interview one, Boy A told Gda Doyle he was interested in drawing.

During the second interview, Gda Doyle said he showed Boy A some CCTV clips.

Ms Small said the jury had already seen the footage.

When shown a clip of two males, Boy A told Gda Doyle "they look like the lads that beat me up".

In the third interview, Boy A was shown footage of a male walking in the park, and wearing gloves and a backpack.

Asked if he had anything to say about that individual, Boy A told Gda Doyle, "I think that might be one of the lads who attacked me".

Gda Doyle told the accused gardai believed he was the male in this CCTV footage.

Boy A denied it was him.

He said a witness statement he previously gave to Sergeant John O'Keeffe, where he said he was attacked by two men in the park, was "the truth".

Gda Doyle said he then showed a photograph of Boy A's boots to him. Gda Doyle told him they were forensically examined and Ana's blood was found on them.

"Are you joking me?" Boy A asked.

"No," said Gda Doyle.

"Are you actually being serious?" Boy A responded.

Gda Doyle told him he wouldn't joke about something like that.

Boy A then asked if he could get some air.

His solicitor asked Boy A if he was feeling sick, and he was handed a glass of water.

Gda Doyle then told Boy A he wanted to be clear this was "serious and significant".

Boy A responded, "I am aware".

Gda Doyle also put it to Boy A that the blood on his boots put him in the room where Ana's body was found.

"Were you in this room?" Gda Doyle asked.

"No," said Boy A.

Earlier, the court heard from John Hoade, a specialist in blood pattern and DNA analysis with Forensic Science Ireland, who said a pair of boots worn by Boy A on the day Ana disappeared had her blood on them.

The court heard Mr Hoade examined a pair of boots which were worn by Boy A on May 14.

He said there were nine separate areas of blood staining on the boots, and the DNA from the blood matched that of Ana Kriegel.

Mr Hoade said that some of the staining on the boots could be identified as blood spatter. This occurs when external force is applied to a source of liquid blood, which then falls on a surface.

The blood spatter on Boy A's boot indicated Boy A "either assaulted Ana Kriegel or was in very close proximity when she was assaulted", Mr Hoade told the jury.

The court heard Mr Hoade also examined a length of stick which was discovered in the room where Ana's body was found. The stick measured 92cm long, and 4cm x 3cm wide.

Mr Hoade said there was blood spatter and general staining on the piece of wood.

He said the blood on the stick was tested for DNA and the DNA matched Ana Kriegel's DNA.

Mr Hoade also identified a particular pattern of blood staining known as feathering on the stick which he said was "associated with a weapon that has been swung".

He said that the blood staining on the wooden stick was what he would expect if the "piece of wood was used as a weapon".

The trial continues today.
A law requiring judges to impose a mandatory minimum five-year sentence on second-time firearms offenders has been struck down by the Supreme Court.

The court found the Oireachtas "impermissibly crossed the divide in the constitutional separation of powers" when it introduced the legislation.

The decision could lead to softer jail terms for repeat firearms offenders in future.

It could also spark challenges to other similar laws.

The Department of Justice is set to examine the consequences and implications of the judgment in consultation with the Attorney General.

The ruling came after convicted criminal Wayne Ellis challenged the constitutionality of a 2006 amendment to the Firearms Act 1964.

The ruling did not relate to mandatory sentences generally, but specifically to the use of such sentences for a certain cohort of people, in this case repeat offenders.

The court essentially found that while it may be permissible for the Oireachtas to specify a mandatory penalty which is to generally apply to all persons convicted of an offence, it could not single out a certain cohort of people.

In a ruling on behalf of the five-judge court, Ms Justice Mary Finlay Geoghegan said: "It is not constitutionally permissible for the Oireachtas to determine or prescribe by statute a penalty to which only a limited class of persons who commit a specified offence are subject, by reason either of the circumstances in which the offence was committed, or the personal circumstances of the convicted person." She said Ellis fell into this category.

The court's decision does not necessarily mean he will get out of jail sooner, but it will assist a separate appeal he is taking against the length of his sentence. It is understood he is the only person currently serving a sentence imposed under the struck-down law.

Ellis (37), of Landen Road, Ballyfermot, pleaded guilty to possession of a sawn-off shotgun at Knocklyon Shopping Centre in Dublin in 2012.

He had 26 previous convictions, including two for producing a firearm.

Initially he received a suspended five-year sentence as the judge accepted his offending was a result of his drug addiction and he had not reoffended while undergoing rehabilitation. However, the Director of Public Prosecutions appealed the leniency of the punishment and a custodial sentence was imposed.

In the Supreme Court proceedings, lawyers for Ellis argued the mandatory sentencing law was "an impermissible encroachment on the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts" under the Constitution. It was claimed the mandatory minimum sentence he received was a limitation to his right to have an appropriate sentence both determined and imposed on him by a judge.
A former Garda superintendent heavily criticised by the Disclosures Tribunal for smearing whistleblower Maurice McCabe is seeking to have the majority of his legal costs awarded to him by the tribunal.

A lawyer for David Taylor told tribunal chairman Mr Justice Peter Charleton that if a decision was made not to award all of his clients costs, then a 10pc deduction might be appropriate.

The judge also heard submissions today from lawyers for Supt Taylors wife Michelle and the Garda head of human resources John Barrett, both of whom are seeking their costs from the tribunal.

Taylor retired from the force last year in the aftermath of the tribunal findings.

He had been under suspension and was facing a disciplinary inquiry when he retired.

Mr Justice Charleton concluded Taylor helped former commissioner Martin Callinan in "a campaign of calumny" against Mr McCabe, who has also since retired from the force.

The judge said he had the gravest difficulty in accepting Taylor's evidence to the tribunal as anything approximating to the truth.

He also found that when Taylor came under Garda investigation over the unauthorised disclosure of information to journalists, he swore an affidavit that was "almost entirely made up of nothing but lies".

At a costs hearing today, Kathleen Leader SC, for the tribunal, said the default position was that people who appeared before the tribunal were entitled to their costs.

However, the tribunal has discretion on this and it is open to it not to award some or all of the costs.

She said the question the tribunal had to consider was whether a party cooperated. She said whether the party told the truth was also relevant.

At the outset of the hearing, Mr Justice Charleton asked the parties represented in court what percentage reduction in their costs they believed to be appropriate if their costs were to be reduced.

Michael OHiggins SC, for Taylor, suggested a 10pc reduction.

He said the judges decision on the matter might involve an element of compassion.

Mr OHiggins said that while his client had ultimately been found wanting by the tribunal, he did cooperate.

He said his client attended hearings, gave the tribunal access to his emails and phone records and made admissions.

Mr OHiggins said his client had also released journalists from any duty of confidentiality they may have felt towards him.

Mr Justice Charleton is to give his decision on costs at a later date.

In the tribunals third interim report, the judge rejected evidence given by Michelle Taylor, who said her husband had told her that any time there was anything negative about Mr McCabe in the media he would text Callinan, who was Garda Commissioner at the time, and then Deputy Commissioner Noirin OSullivan.

Felix McEnroy SC, for Mrs Taylor, said he believed his client was entitled to her full costs.

He said there was one adverse finding against her, but the language used was not in the same category as words like lie and false.

Mr McEnroy said his client had a very small involvement in the tribunal and was an incidental player, the bulk of whose evidence was accepted.

He said a finding that a portion of evidence was rejected was not prima facie evidence of non-cooperation.

A submission was also made by John Rogers SC, on behalf of John Barrett, a civilian who has been suspended from his post as Garda head of human resources since last October. The suspension has been described as a an internal employment matter by An Garda Siochana.

At the tribunal, Mr Barrett alleged that prior to the commencement of the OHiggins Commission hearings, the Garda chief administrative officer, Cyril Dunne, had told him: We are going after him (Mr McCabe) in the commission.

This was strenuously denied by Mr Dunne, who said no such conversation took place.

In its report, the tribunal said it was not satisfied this conversation ever took place either at all or in any manner as alleged.

Mr Rogers told Mr Justice Charleton today his client should receive all of his legal costs.

He said there was no finding his client had given deliberately false evidence. The tribunal gave no finding to the effect John Barrett was dishonest.

Mr Rogers said the judge had to engage in a difficult balancing act when deciding on the awarding of costs and that the process should be undertaken with caution.

The barrister said he was concerned by Mr Justice Charletons comments at the outset suggesting parties should propose a percentage reduction or revision of costs.

He said that in the absence of a finding of giving deliberately false evidence, this should not arise.

Mr Rogers said there was no finding in the report which could meet the test set down in case law.

In my submission, no reduction should be made. It would defy the law, he said.

Submissions were also made today on behalf of three Irish Examiner journalists, Cormac OKeeffe, Juno McEnroe and Daniel McConnell.

All three declined to answer certain questions at the tribunal, citing journalistic privilege.

The tribunal found they refused to give evidence about the content of their dealings with Taylor. It found this was without justification and frustrated the work of the tribunal.

However, Oisin Quinn SC, for the three journalists, submitted they had cooperated with the tribunal as best they could and were entitled to all of their costs.

Mr Quinn said that if they were to have their costs reduced, such a decision would be contrary to the public interest.

He said they would also be incorrectly put into the same category as someone who did not cooperate or who knowingly gave false evidence.

Mr Justice Charleton also heard a submission by counsel for two gardai who gave evidence at the tribunal, Inspector Patrick OConnell and retired garda John Kennedy.

The judge was urged to award both men all of their costs.
A Fine Gael councillor and constituency ally of An Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has received an 'unreserved apology' from a Sinn Fein activist over comments posted on Facebook.

Cllr Ted Leddy (32), who holds the council seat in Castleknock once held by Mr Varadkar, settled a defamation action he took against SF activist Alan Donnelly over comments posted on the social media platform on July 12th, 2018.

He had claimed that the defamatory post, arising out of the councillor's attendance at an event marking the Orange Order's 12th of July celebrations, had led to him receiving a death threat and other negative commentaries.

At the High Court on Thursday Mr Justice Seamus Noonan was told by Willam Maher BL, instructed by solicitor Kevin O'Higgins for Cllr Leddy, that the case had been settled on terms.

As part of the settlement, a statement by Mr Donnelly was read to the court.

He "unreservedly apologised to Mr Leddy," and acknowledged that his comments published on Facebook on July 12th 2018 with respect to Mr Leddy and his political activities "were entirely untrue, unwarranted and without foundation."

In his statement, Mr Donnelly also "apologised unreservedly for any distress caused to Mr Leddy his partner and his family as a consequence of his actions and he confirms that he has paid an amount of compensation to Mr Leddy as a result."

Mr Donnelly also undertook "to post an apology and a clarification on his social media pages and encourages all those who shared his original post of July 12, 2018, to delete that post from their newsfeed and instead to share his clarifications".

The court heard that Mr Donnelly from Lohunda Downs, Clonsilla, Dublin, and is a brother of SF politician Cllr Paul Donnelly, had also agreed to pay Mr Leddy a sum of 19,750 which is inclusive of the FG councillor's legal costs.

Mr Maher said the defamation arose after his client was pictured at "a cross-border, cross-community event," on July 12th 2018.

Counsel said Mr Donnelly was not present in court but was aware of the application and that the statement was being read to the court as part of the settlement agreement.

Other terms of the settlement include undertakings by Mr Donnelly to desist from making any further defamatory and hateful comments about Mr Leddy.

He had agreed that over the next 24 hours he will remove all previous defamatory comments made by him on social media.

Mr Donnelly also undertook to post a statement in similar terms to the one read to the court on that top of his Facebook newsfeed for the next 30 days, and share it on several social media pages where the original defamatory post was widely circulated.

Mr Justice Noonan agreed to accept and file the terms of the settlement agreement and gave liberty to Cllr Leddy to apply to have the case re-entered should the need arise.
Two secondary school teachers have launched High Court challenges over a decision to redeploy them.

The cases have been brought by Aisling McTiernan and Aimee Costello who have spent over ten years teaching at Mean Scoil Muire Gan Smal, in Roscommon Town.

They were earlier this year selected for redeployment under a scheme set out in a Department of Education and Skills Circular after the school was informed last December it had teaching staff in excess of its approved allocation for the academic year 2019/20.

Ms Costello who teaches Irish, Geography, Civic, Social and Political Education and programming, and Ms McTiernan, teaches English and History, were both selected for redeployment.

They unsuccessfully appealed on several grounds including that they were not surplus to the school's curricular requirements.

In their High Court actions, they claim that the decision to redeploy them breaches the Department's circular, was contrary to fair procedures, was irrational and unreasonable.

It is also alleged that there was a failure to provide any rationale for conclusions that certain subjects, including Irish, Geography, English and History, were in surplus at the school.

The school board's decision, they also claim was also irrational and unreasonable on grounds including that there was a failure to give adequate reasons for the decisions they reached.

Both teachers, who live with their families in Roscommon Town, claim that the decision to will cause great upset to their personal lives and circumstances.

The decisions to redeploy should be set aside.

Permission to bring the action was granted on an ex parte (one side only represented) basis by Mr Justice Seamus Noonan.

The case comes back in July.
A 170m tunnel is being planned at Dublin Airport to allow the campus to grow further to the west as passenger traffic continues to rise. Stock photo

Social media managers at Twitter have slammed Dublin airports taxi rank as the worst after claims passengers are being left waiting at the ranks late at night.

The airport's transport system was criticised online by passenger Sinead McSweeney, who is Twitter Ireland's managing director.

She tweeted last night: "Seriously @DublinAirport someone needs to sort out the (mis)management of the Terminal 2 taxi rank! Midnight, 20 fares in a queue and cars coming up in dribs and drabs."

Others agreed with her sentiments, including Ian Plunkett, Head of Public Policy Communications at Twitter.

"The worst. And cash only," he replied.

Another person said: "Totally agree I was there at 8pm about 60 people waiting and they were only sending up 2 taxis at a time.

"Dont understand it when we know there are 100s of drivers there in the holding area. @DublinAirport please sort this out."

After a record 31.5 million passengers passed through Dublin Airport last year, Dublin Chamber has said that an improvement of taxi facilities a the airport was "vital" for the city

Dublin Chamber Communication Officer Graeme McQueen called for the introduction of a metro and 24-hour bus service between the city and airport as soon as possible.

"Its vital that we improve the options available for people looking to get to and from the capital.

"Dublin is one of the only major cities in Europe that still doesnt have a rail link," said McQueen.

"The construction of a metro link, which will provide an underground link between the airport and Dublin city centre, cannot come quick enough.

"This will allow people to step off a plane at Dublin Airport and be in Dublin city centre in around 20 minutes. MetroLink will be a game-changer for Dublin and we need to get on with building it without delay.

"We welcome the news the NTA are considering the introduction of a 24-hour bus service between Dublin Airport and the city centre.

"Such a move makes sense with Dublin becoming a 24-hour city and as the number of passengers travelling through Dublin Airport continues to rise."

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Dublin Airport said a shortage of taxis overall in the city may be responsible for longer waiting times at the airport.

A spokesperson for the DAA (formerly the Dublin Airport Authority) said that while the airport tries to ensure a solid flow of drivers and the option of card payments, it is difficult to enforce as drivers are self employed.

"At all times Dublin Airport has two people designated to manage the taxi rank at both T1 and T2," they said.

"They are constantly managing the steady flow of taxis for customers and will issue a call out to airport permit taxi operators when there is a shortfall.

"As not all taxis operating at Dublin Airport have credit card facilities there is a system in place to assist customers presenting with credit cards.

"Since 2016 it is mandatory for taxi drivers applying for a permit at Dublin Airport to have a credit card facility.

"Taxi drivers are self-employed so we cannot force them to operate in a particular location even though they might have a permit to work at the airport.

"... a comprehensive stakeholder review of the taxi service at Dublin Airport will be taking place soon."

General Secretary of the Taxi Dispatch Operators Representative Association (TDORA), Myles OReilly, confirmed in October 2018 that the number of taxis in the country had fallen by 25pc since 2012.
TANAISTE Simon Coveney dismissed claims of a European Parliament election split within Fine Gael following a row about attendance at a town hall-type rally in Cork.

Two of Fine Gael's Ireland South candidates - Sean Kelly MEP and Minister Andrew Doyle - have been asked not to attend the Thursday evening election debate in Cork.

Cork-based Deirdre Clune MEP will address the rally.

Some Cork voters claimed they were being denied their right to hear what every candidate has to say about their election priorities.

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Several have demanded that Fine Gael allow all three candidates on their Ireland South ticket to attend the meeting.

However, Mr Coveney insisted the handling of the town hall meeting was in full accordance with long standing Fine Gael election strategy plans.

In 2014, the party similarly ran three candidates from Cork, Kerry and Wicklow - and captured two of the four seats on offer.

On that occasion, Minister Simon Harris outpolled Deirdre Clune on the first count - but she overhauled him by the tenth count and won the party's second European Parliament berth.

Ireland South is now comprised of 12 counties with a total of 23 candidates, 12 of whom are independents.

There is no secret here," Mr Coveney said.

This is an election strategy. We have three really good candidates in Ireland South.

They are geographically placed in different areas in that overall constituency and so the candidates have agreed that they would focus their campaigns on those geographical areas."

He was adamant that the party applied the same rules to everyone on a geographic basis with absolutely no favouritism shown.

Deirdre Clune is the candidate from Cork, the debate is taking place in Cork, and just like if the debate was taking place in Kerry, Deirdre wouldnt be there or if it was up in Wicklow, Deirdre and Sean wouldnt be there either because Andrew Doyle would be there.

Sean Kelly, Deirdre Clune and Andrew Doyle are three really good candidates.

They are placed geographically in different places in a very large constituency so when big events take place in those localised areas well then the candidate that is campaigning in those areas, linked to the overall party strategy, is the person who is at the debate.

There is no big secret about that, he said.
Nick Wheeler pictured at the Just Ask Your Team launch Photo: Kenneth O Halloran

Nick Wheeler said he is now 'virtually in remission' Photo Kenneth O Halloran

A PATIENT who was given just months to live has said that his life has been turned around thanks to a pioneering cancer trial.

Nick Wheeler (62), who lives in Lucan, Dublin, was given the devastating news in 2017 that he had mere months left to live by his doctor after having been initially diagnosed with bladder cancer seven years previously.

As pressure increases on the Government to reverse funding cuts for cancer trials, Mr Wheeler shared his story and said he is now "virtually in complete remission" thanks to trials.

"My doctor said if you cant find treatment that suits, youve got six to nine months left to live," he told Independent.ie

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Thankfully, his doctor offered him the chance to try Immunotherapy, a cancer treatment which was on trial.

"When I was given six months to live, I researched the trials online and there was a 15pc-20pc success rate as opposed to none. I jumped at the opportunity and I suggest anybody who is in a similar position to do so as well.

"Now the pain is gone and there has been massive improvement. Im virtually in complete remission.

"I had a scan last week and I got a call saying that its good news and the scan is as good as the last one. Ill be on treatment for the rest of my life and thats brilliant," he explained.

Mr Wheeler said that he believes we must look at new ways like Immunotherapy to treat cancer.

"In my opinion, chemotherapy is a horrible way of treating cancer. The Immunotherapy enhances your immune system to fight disease, rather than killing cells."

He added: "It is scary, I wasnt aware of clinical trailing, without my doctors intervention I dont know what I would have done."

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Mr Wheeler is a patient advocate for Cancer Trials Ireland (CTI), a research group which had its Government funding slashed by 3 million over the last three years.

This is the third consecutive year that the group has had its funding cut by 20pc.

According to the charity, further funding cuts can mean that other patients like Mr Wheeler would not be able to find potentially successful treatment alternatives.

"Clinical trials save and improve lives by giving patients access to new drugs they simply wouldnt get otherwise, said Averil Power, Chief Executive of the Irish Cancer Society.

CTI is a registered charity and is partly-funded by grants from the Health Research Board (HRB), the Irish Cancer Society and St. Lukes Institute of Cancer Research.

The HRB is a state agency that "provides evidence to prevent illness, improve health and transform patient care", according to their website.

A spokesperson for the agency said that the HRB has provided Cancer Trials Ireland with over 40 million in funding over the past ten years.

"It was necessary to adjust the CTI investment in line with reductions in the HRB budget during the recession and to maintain a balanced portfolio of investments," the spokesperson added.

"During the same period the HRB increased investment in clinical research infrastructure generally and developed trial networks in other key areas including stroke, primary care, mothers and babies and critical care," the spokesperson concluded.
Convicted killer and rapist Adrian Bayley has been stabbed in an Australian prison, according to reports.

Bayley is serving at least 40 years in prison for the rape and murder of Irishwoman Jill Meagher.

Ms Meagher (29) was walking home in Melbourne when she was raped and murdered in the early hours of September 22, 2012.

Bayley was wounded inside Barwon Prison, west of Melbourne, on Thursday, according to the Herald Sun

He suffered minor injuries.

Bayley has been held outside the mainstream jail units because of fears he would be a target for other prisoners.

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It is not the first time he has been stabbed in prison.

A Corrections Victoria spokeswoman said: A prisoner received minor injuries following an incident at Barwon Prison on Thursday afternoon.

The prisoner was assessed and treated at the prison, but did not require hospitalisation or any ongoing treatment.

Bayley (46) was jailed for at least 35 years for the attack on Ms Meagher. He was found guilty in May 2015 of three more violent rapes and was sentenced to 18 years in jail for those crimes.
Seamus Lawless and Jenny Copeland on one of their earlier treks in training for the climb

A SEARCH has been launched for a Trinity College professor and mountaineer who has gone missing while making his descent from Mount Everest this morning.

Seamus Lawless (39), who is a father of one from Bray, Co Wicklow, had been part of an Irish led expedition team, attempting to conquer the worlds highest peak.

It is understood that Mr Lawless went missing after he fell at an altitude of 8,300 metres.

He is said to have slipped while in an area known as the Balcony after reaching the mountains summit early on Thursday.

The other Irish climbers are reported to be safe and currently at 7,900 feet. They are due to descend the mountain tomorrow.

Mr Lawless is an Assistant Professor at the School of Computer Science and Statistics at Trinity College Dublin and the third-level institution has said they hope he is found safely as soon as possible.

A spokesperson for Trinity College said this evening: "Seamus and his family are in our thoughts during this extremely distressing time.

"This morning his family, friends and colleagues shared his joy on reaching the peak of Mount Everest.

"We hope that Seamus is found safely as soon as possible and until then we will be offering any support we can to his family."

Just weeks ago, Mr Lawless told Independent.ie that the climb is part of a trip of a lifetime ahead of his milestone 40th birthday this summer.

He said that he was climbing in a bid to raise 25,000 for the Barretstown charity, which provides support for seriously ill children and their families.

Dee Ahearn, Chief Executive of Barretstown, has said that everyone at the charity is thinking of Mr Lawless' loved ones as the search continues.

"This is a dreadfully upsetting and uncertain time for Seamus and his family.

"Our thoughts, and indeed the thoughts of the entire Barretstown community, are with Seamus, his family and friends," Ms Ahearn said.

Mr Lawless said when he was a child his father gave him a National Geographic map of the climbing route up the south face of Mount Everest.

The map stayed on his bedroom wall as he grew up, staying there until he left for Nepal in April.

The father-of-one said that he had been preparing for the challenge alongside fellow climbers from the Ireland on Everest group for four years.

He said: "I turn 40 in July. My friends are joking that climbing Everest is my mid-life crisis."

They were guided on their expedition to the summit by Co Down professional climber Noel Hanna, who has reached the top eight times.

A spokeswoman for the Department of Foreign Affairs said: "We are aware of media reports and stand ready to provide consular assistance if requested."

Independent.ie has contacted the Seven Summit expedition company for comment.
A religious order which ran some of the Magdalene laundries, but has refused to pay into the redress scheme for survivors, is to sell its retreat centre in north Dublin.

The Religious Sisters of Charity announced it will sell the 3m Stella Maris Retreat Centre in Howth, which has been its home and a retreat, welcoming thousands of people for more than 125 years.

"Due to the inability of our ageing congregation to continue our retreat work, a decline in numbers attending and the need to spend a great deal of money to modernise what is a Victorian 19th-century building, we have decided to sell and use the proceeds of the sale to go towards some of the charitable work our congregation carries out at home and abroad," said Sr Mary Christian, superior general, Religious Sisters of Charity.

The order, which has sisters in Ireland, England, Scotland, California, Malawi, Zambia and Nigeria, is involved in local communities, including caring for those who are sick and those nearing the end of life.

"Our sisters are active in education with both children and adults, as well as focusing on helping those who are homeless. This sale will enable us to continue that important work whilst also supporting the care of our sick and elderly sisters," she said.

A spokesman for the Department of Justice said no contributions have been made by any of the four religious congregations involved in respect of the implementation of the Magdalen Restorative Justice Ex-Gratia Scheme.

As of yesterday, a total of 27.8m has been paid so far to 732 applicants under the scheme.

Successful applicants under the scheme are also entitled to welfare and medical benefits.

Meanwhile, it was confirmed that the order has paid 2m towards the Residential Institutions Redress Board. This is a separate fund set up to compensate people who were abused in institutional care as children.

A Department of Education spokesman said the order agreed to make a voluntary cash contribution of 5m towards the costs incurred by the State in responding to residential institutional child abuse.

In 2012, it said it was offsetting the outstanding contribution of 3m against legal costs incurred by the order in relation to the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse.

A spokeswoman for the Religious Sisters of Charity did not respond to questions yesterday.
The man in the farmyard has a very simple set of questions for the two visiting politicians: "How much is a pint?"

"About a fiver," Cllr Mark Wall ventures wisely.

The farmer can get one in his local for 4.40 - but he's not quibbling about detail. He has a bigger point to make about the plight of the grain farmer.

"One hundred pints of porter would cost me 440. Wouldn't you think you could get that at least for a ton of the raw material?" the farmer asks, before moving on to the current plight of the beef farmer.

Mr Wall, of the Labour Party, canvassing alongside his Kildare County Council party colleague, Cllr Aoife Breslin, advises the farmer to vote for change. But the politicians are also keen to impress that they are canvassing for local elections about mainly local issues.

In the beautiful south Kildare landscape, people are worried about rural crime, especially the recurring theft of plant, tools and other farm equipment. The farmer agrees that the widespread text alert system has helped, and so has a stronger Garda presence.

It may surprise many urbanites that these Labour councillors got a good reception on the farms around south Kildare. But Mr Wall reminds us that the origins of the Irish Labour Party are hugely bound up in farm labourers' unionisation and quest for justice - and that many of those battles were fought in this very countryside.

It helps that Mr Wall, the grandson of a farm labourer, grew up in this picturesque area, close to the townlands of Castlemitchell and Churchtown. He sees himself as the inheritor, via his father Jack Wall, of the mantle of the great Labour figure of the 1970s and 1980s, Joe Bermingham, who came from that same parish.

Both Labour councillors operate out of the office in nearby Athy which they kept on after Mr Wall failed in his bid to succeed his father, Jack, as the local TD as part of Labour's electoral meltdown in February 2016. Along with local volunteers they kept things going and are hopeful they will keep their council seats in the election for five seats in the Athy area, which has a total of 10 candidates.

Ms Breslin grew up in Athy and began in politics working for Jack Wall. Her great-grandfather was Big Jim Larkin and her family came to Athy because her father was sent there as an official of Big Jim's FWUI union.

Both councillors argue that they are there to represent all the local people, on both urban and rural issues. For Ms Breslin the problems of the nearby towns are interlinked with the issues in rural areas and are often the same. Housing is a big issue. Mr Wall says Kildare has among the highest rates of refusal for one-off planning permission in the country, running at 50pc-60pc.

"If young people cannot build homes, these small communities cannot survive," he argues. In unison, they both utterly reject suggestions that Athy is for some "a tough town" - but argue it has on occasion got "a bad press".

"It has the largest number of top musicians, athletes and other high achievers.

"It is a great community," they say, citing names like Jack L and Joey Carbery, among many others.
A CORK City Council election candidate who has fearlessly campaigned against illegal dumps and unlicensed refuse collectors had her home targeted in a vile attack. Noreen Murphy admitted she was shocked when muck and farm waste was dumped over her car as it was parked in the driveway of her home. Pic: Ralph Riegel

A CORK City Council election candidate who has fearlessly campaigned against illegal dumps and unlicensed refuse collectors had her home targeted in a vile attack.

Noreen Murphy admitted she was shocked when muck and farm waste was dumped over her car as it was parked in the driveway of her home.

The Independent council candidate said she believes the attack by vandals is directly linked to her outspoken stance on illegal dumping in Cork.

The Ballyvolane resident warned that she will not be intimidated into silence.

"Our home was targeted last night in, what I believe, is an attempt to intimidate me into silence over the illegal dumping in the area. Or maybe it is because Im running in the election," she said.

"My car was vandalised in my drive. A load of muck was thrown over the gate on top of my car, probably as a warning to back down. The Gardai were here and are now investigating it."

The independent politician said she would continue to defend the right of Cork residents to live in a clean, safe community - and campaign for illegal refuse collectors to be tracked down.

"I am not going to apologise for wanting to breathe clean safe air. I am not going to apologise for wanting my kids to breathe clean safe air. I am certainly not going to apologise for wanting every child, woman and man in my community to be healthy and safe."

"The council removed five tonnes of asbestos from Elliss Yard (an illegal dumping site). Every single person in this community was at risk of cancer. Every child and every adult is now safer, and no, I wont be apologising for helping to stop that."

Cork fire brigade have been called to 90 separate fires at Ellis's Yard which, for years, has been the site of illegal dumping.

Last January, Ms Murphy brought items recovered from the illegal dump to the steps of Cork City Hall - and warned that it now represented a public health and safety issue.

"Burning rubbish releases poisonous fumes that can also kill or cause terrible disease."

"The people who profit from illegal dumping, who poison our communities do not care if your child is sick as long as they are making money. The do not care if your child has lung cancer or asthma. They do not care if your mother is choking and spends half her life with an oxygen mask. They only care about making money regardless of the human suffering."

The independent candidate urged local residents to think of their children's safety when illegal rubbish collectors call to their area - and to report such activity.

"When the cheap rubbish collectors come to your door, think of a child on an oxygen mask in a hospital. Think of a grandmother with lung cancer or emphysema fighting for her life. Think of a young man being bitten by a rat and suffering a terrible death. And just think, they could be your family. Is it worth it?"
Detailing the Dublin constituency:

TERRAIN:

This is the only one of the three Euro constituencies which makes sense, comprising the city and county of Dublin. It is one of the rare occasions when the four local council areas vote as a unit.

Dublin has one-third of the nation's population crowded into a small congested space, and poses big campaign challenges. The area gains a seat, going from three to four - that fourth only happening when Brexit finally happens.

BIG NAMES:

With a hugely crowded field, and a plethora of Independents and smaller parties, especially on the left of the political spectrum, name recognition is central to success. And here we have big names: one outgoing MEP, a former Tanaiste, a former minister, two former junior ministers, a former Northern Ireland deputy first minister, a TD and a senator.

FINE GAEL:

Former Tanaiste Frances Fitzgerald has huge experience and name recognition, and she will succeed.

She got a rough deal when forced out of office in December 2017. But she has plenty of energy left for a new role. As a former Tanaiste, she would command an influential post in the European Parliament at a time when Ireland will need all the influence it can get. Her running mate is the impressive and experienced Mark Durkan, former North deputy first minister, long-time SDLP leader, MLA and Westminster MP, who presents as a Brexit candidate. But it's a long shot at best for Durkan.

FIANNA FAIL:

It badly needs a win in Dublin, after losing on the last two occasions, if it is ever to reclaim its slot as national kingpin. Former junior minister Barry Andrews has enhanced his EU credentials by becoming head of the Institute of International and European Affairs. Being the party's only contender in a four-seater is a big help and shows a careful approach to the task of rebuilding in Dublin by Fianna Fail. He enjoys good name recognition and he should win.

SINN FEIN:

Lynn Boylan was a poll-topping MEP for the party in Dublin last time out. She has boosted her name recognition in Dublin and also built a reputation in Brussels since then. The party has a good Dublin vote and will campaign hard. But many of the left-leaning candidates are active locally and this could combine with a slide in party popularity to pull down her first preferences and leave her vulnerable.

Such a loss for party leader Mary Lou McDonald would be a major calamity. It would repeat an experience she herself had in 2009. So, watch for a big stepping-up of the campaign in these final days.

LABOUR AND GREENS:

Alex White is a former communications minister charged with helping rebuild Labour's fortunes in the capital. He is able and energetic and will challenge for the final seat. Again, his and Labour's difficulty is the plethora of other left-wing contenders. It is also unclear how transfer-friendly Labour still is.

But his effort will be boosted by a large number of young local candidates, many of them women, also out on the Dublin canvass trail. It's a big challenge but a win would make him the toast of Labour.

Ciaran Cuffe is a former TD for Dun Laoghaire, a junior minister for urban planning, and long-time Green Party Dublin councillor. He is running a huge campaign, will benefit from renewed attention to environmental issues, crucially may attract a huge volume of transfers and could win through. In 2014 Green Party leader Eamon Ryan was unlucky not to win in this contest. Cuffe has been campaigning since his return to Dublin City Council five years ago and has been very vociferous on issues such as transport, traffic, road safety and housing.

OTHERS:

Many of the other candidates can only succeed in attracting attention for causes they espouse or in increasing their local profile for future reference. Gary Gannon, of the fledgling Social Democrats, impressed in Dublin Central in the 2016 General Election and will poll reasonably well. Senator Alice Mary Higgins is the daughter of the President.

Independents4Change contender Clare Daly is in with a real chance of a seat. She has made an impact since her arrival as TD for Dublin Fingal in 2011 and is among the most impressive Dail performers. Much will depend on the final week of this campaign. Every extra first preference makes the chances of staying in long enough to get the transfers required to get over the line.
Donald Trump is expected to meet Taoiseach Leo Varadkar during his visit

THE Government is confused as to why Donald Trump is stalling on announcing his visit to Ireland.

Security checks have already taken place ahead of an expected stay in his Co Clare hotel next month.

But the White House appears to keeping open the possibility of him traveling to Scotland instead. The Secret Service is believed to have also an advance inspection at a property he owns there.

There was speculation last night that Mr Trump is unhappy about a demand from the Irish government that he meet with Taoiseach Leo Varadkar at a neutral venue.

Mr Varadkar is believed to want to hold talks with the President at Dromoland Castle, which is 50km from the Doonbeg hotel owned by Mr Trump.

The Government are concerned about the optics of allowing the Taoiseach meet with the billionaire at his own hotel.

However, sources indicated that they didnt believe an issue over the location of a meet and greet would be enough for the President to drop the Irish leg of his European tour.

We are all wondering why the White House hasnt announced, a source said.
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said that an international crackdown on terror content online shows countries are co-operating "to ensure the internet is not weaponised by the forces of hatred and extremism".

Mr Varadkar made the remarks to other world leaders in Paris as Ireland signed up to the 'Christchurch Call to Action'.

The initiative, led by Jacinda Ardern, the prime minister of New Zealand, and French President Emmanuel Macron, comes after the horrific terrorist attack on mosques in New Zealand in March. The attack was live-streamed by the suspected perpetrator on Facebook and led to the deaths of 51 people.

Mr Varadkar blamed a delayed commercial flight for missing the main meeting with fellow leaders including British Prime Minister Theresa May, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and King Abdullah II of Jordan.

However, Mr Varadkar said that Irish officials attended and he delivered his remarks on the call to action at a later dinner with his fellow leaders. He spoke of Ireland's shock at the recent terror attacks in New Zealand and Sri Lanka, as well as the attack on Paris in 2015. Mr Varadkar noted that Ireland is the European base for leading social media companies and that the Government is determined to ensure the online environment is as free as possible of illegal content.

However, speaking to reporters Mr Varadkar could not give a definite timeline for legislation to create the new office of online safety commissioner. It is to have powers to order internet companies to remove content and fine those which don't comply.

Meanwhile, five leading tech companies - Facebook, Google, Amazon, Microsoft and Twitter - have agreed to bring in new measures to help eliminate violent and terrorist content in the wake of the call to action.
An Taoiseach Leo Varadkar TD and Aoibheann Mangan, from Hollymount near Claremorris in conversation over rural broadband during Inspirefest at the Bord Gais Energy Theatre, Dublin. Photo: Gareth Chaney Collins

A Mayo schoolgirl has tackled the Taoiseach on the lack of broadband in rural areas.

Aoibheann Mangan (12), from Hollymount near Claremorris, doorstepped Leo Varadkar today after he launched InspireFest 2019, a two-day festival exploring the future of science, technology and creativity in Ireland.

At the launch, the Taoiseach spoke about how he wanted Ireland to be "ahead of the curve" when it comes to technology development in Ireland's future.

Aoibheann Mangan told Mr Varadkar that she has been going to a local Tesco car park to access WiFi until recently.

She said accessing broadband in rural Ireland is a big problem and asked how much longer people will have to wait for a proper broadband service.

"Its not fair that people in Dublin get access to everything because they can get on the internet. Everyone should have those opportunities," she said.

The Taoiseach said he wished national broadband could happen faster, and told Aoibheann he feared the political opposition could derail the broadband plan.

"I wish we could do things quicker. But my fear is the opposition and some other political people will stop the contract being signed and then it's back to square one.

"I know how important broadband is, particularly with so many educational resources online. Kids in rural Ireland should have the same ability to download information as kids in Dublin," he told her.

He said if the contract is signed work could start before the end of the year, meaning in the first year 10,000 homes, business and schools could be connected through 300 hotspots around the country.

"In the second year and every year after that between 100,000 and 150,000 could be be connected which still means it will take six or seven years to do it," said the Taoiseach.

"I wish we could do it quicker but the experts and the people who work in the business tell us that is as quickly as it can be done," he added.

Aoibheann Mangan is a campaigner for rural broadband.

"I'm trying to do this for everyone because deserves an equal opportunity. People over here in Dublin get a good opportunity - they have great internet, whereas back home before I got the internet I had to sit outside Tesco's carpark to get the internet which wasn't fair because that was ages away from my home," she explained.

"Once I got the private broadband I was able to stay at home and I have so many opportunities. I want everyone to have that opportunity," Aoibheann added.
Clasping a rock in one hand and a shield in the other, I take aim at enemy forces galloping over the hill. Yet despite all my might, the ammo fails to hit its target, so I cower in a corner, soon realising I've backed into a wall.

Although animated, the burly warriors projected by my virtual reality headset seem disturbingly real, and for 10 minutes I'm plunged into a war scene which could have been scripted for Game Of Thrones.

The attraction is part of new museum 1238, opening this month in sleepy fishing town Saudarkrokur, in north west Iceland, where some of the Nordic country's bloodiest clan battles took place.

Featuring interactive displays, weapons encased in glass cabinets and contemporary art installations, the 21st century exhibition rolls back to 1238, when one of the fiercest frays took place. Informed by the Sturlunga Saga, a collection of epic narratives composed in the 12th and 13th centuries, it brings the past vividly to life.

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But aside from being informative and entertaining, 1238 serves a greater purpose; to bring visitors to a quieter corner of Iceland that's often overlooked. While Reykjavik and the southern circuit are burdened by overtourism, here, the waterfalls, volcanic formations and hot springs are generally crowd-free.

Flights operate from the capital to Akureyri and Husavik, but it's also a highlight of a road trip around Iceland's Ring Road 1, and if you do find yourself in the area, there are many more sights to seek out.

A fortress fit for a Viking

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Commanding panoramic views of the Vatnsnes peninsula, it's easy to see why this cloud-tickling structure may have once been used as a Viking fortress. In the absence of any mention of it in historical documents recounting Iceland's Sagas, Borgarvirki's purpose remains ambiguous, although it was one of the first sites to be granted conservation status in 1817.

Irrespective of the past, at present it's a marvel; a volcanic plug ringed by basalt columns, it feels like a castle in the sky. Drive along a steep gravel track to reach the top and look down at swirling rust-red patterns cooled by silky fjords and lakes.

A waterfall as nature made it

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If waterfalls get you gushing, this magnificent cascade in the Vididalur valley really is a wet dream. Unlike so many of Iceland's bucket list cataracts, there are no barriers or safety ropes, making it possible to feel the full force of Kolufossar as it clambers through the Kolugljufur Canyon. From the car park, it's only a few metres to the source; head right under the bridge to climb down for the best spay-soaked selfie shot. Walk left along the gorge to find different angles for photography, looking out for rainbows, and relish the fact that even at midday, there's never a queue.

A beach where trolls bathe

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Various theories abound about the origins of basalt sea stack Hvitserkur; it could be an eroded dyke or possibly a petrified troll. Offshore from Hunafloi Bay on the Vatnsnes peninsula, the wind-battered monster appears to be marching through water, it's body so pancake-thin its sheer existence is a miracle.

A panoramic platform overlooks the bay, but at low tide, it's also possible to descend via steps. Gaze at gulls swooping from nests in its crevices, but watch out for territorial Arctic terns, prone to pecking tourists during their summer nesting season.

A spa flooded with beer

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Well known for its therapeutic benefits when slugged from a glass, beer is also a tonic for your skin. An offshoot of the Kaldi brewery in waterside town Arskogssandur, Bjordin Beer Spa invites guests to wallow in a concoction of young beer in the early stages of fermentation (good for cleansing), spring water, Vitamin B-rich brewer's yeast and hops packed with antioxidants.

Beer barrel baths are made for one or two - although the best results are achieved by whipping everything off, so pick your partner carefully. Don't be temped to drink the bathwater (it's alcohol-free) but make use of the unlimited lager on tap. With sessions strictly limited to 25 minutes, you'll have to swig quickly to get your money's worth. A single bath costs 9.900kr/72; bjorbodin.is.

A nostalgic look at a fishy past

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During the early 1900s, fjord town Siglufjordur suffocated under a noxious fug of fishy odours. Being the epicentre of Iceland's booming herring industry, however, residents agreed the smell of money wasn't that bad. But when businesses collapsed in 1968 due to overfishing, salting houses were abandoned and boats thrown on the bonfire.

Housed in several buildings, the excellent Herring Era Museum charts the industry's rise and fall, telling a nostalgic story through original artefacts, machinery and even fishing vessels which you can climb aboard. Declarations of love scrawled on walls of a dorm used by the 'Herring Girls' - female workers famously portrayed wearing yellow rubber gloves - give a personal touch. Entry costs 1.800kr/13; sild.is/en.

A hot spring fed by the sea

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Across the country, landscapes fizz and gurgle with hot springs, often identifiable by their sulphurous eggy smell. For anyone who finds the stench overpowering, Husavik's new GeoSea spa could be the solution; fed by sea water heated over volcanic rocks, it's thermal and therapeutic, minus any odorous minerals dredged up from the earth's core. Designed by the dream team behind luxury hotel The Retreat at the Blue Lagoon, it's an architectural delight. Relax with a beer in one of several cliff-top infinity pools, watching humpback whales breach out at sea. Entry costs 4.300kr/31; geosea.is.

For more information, visit inspiredbyiceland.com.

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Does it make sense for countries to join defensive alliances with their like-minded peers? With quite a bit of talk about a "European army" during the ongoing European Parliament election campaign, this question is on the agenda. It could well move up the agenda soon.

In most areas in which EU countries co-operate, or could potentially co-operate, there is not much appetite among the 28 members for "more Europe". Security and defence is one of the exceptions. There is both an appetite among EU countries to do more together and a powerful logic to do so.

Three major developments over the past five years have made more European co-operation in security and defence more likely.

The election of Donald Trump as US president in 2016 was one of these developments. From the 1940s, the US underpinned peace and democracy in Europe.

Though there were big transatlantic differences - from the Vietnam war in the 1960s, to American nuclear missile deployment in the 1980s, to the Iraq invasion in the 2000s - the US was Europe's dependable and indispensable ally. Nato, which recently celebrated its 70th birthday, was the institutional core of Euro-American ties.

Despite its importance to European security and the transatlantic relationship, Trump has repeatedly questioned the value of Nato and constantly claimed that European countries are ripping off Americans by not spending as much on defence as they have committed to doing.

Although there is some truth to the latter claim, the threatening manner in which Trump makes the claim, along with his behaviour and temperament more generally, make him anything but a dependable ally, least of all in something as vital as national security. Europeans increasingly see the danger of being dependent on a country led by this man.

The second big change in the European security and defence environment is Brexit. Britain has traditionally been the strongest voice in the EU against the bloc developing a defensive dimension. London believed that such a move would undermine Nato and weaken links with the US. As Britain - seemingly - walks away from the decision-making tables in Brussels, the most influential opponent of giving the EU a greater role in hard security matters doesn't count anymore.

But the biggest driver of closer European security co-operation is not an undependable US or an irrelevant UK, but a revanchist Russia. Since Vladimir Putin took power in that country two decades ago, its relations with democratic Europe have deteriorated almost continuously.

While this is not entirely Russia's fault, the lion's share of the blame lies with its increasingly autocratic regime and its reversion to the behaviour of another era.

Russia's invasion and annexation of the Ukrainian territory of Crimea in 2014 and its ongoing proxy war in the east of that country have profoundly changed how most EU countries which have historical experience of its aggression view the threat posed by Putin's regime.

These include many small countries like Ireland. Sweden is one such country. Such is the concern in that country that last year its (social democrat) government sent a 20-page pamphlet to every household with instructions on what to do in the event of a military invasion.

The growing threat posed by Russia, the unreliability of the US under Trump (his admiration of Putin only deepens European insecurities) and the UK's departure from the EU are all factors in more countries warming to the idea of co-operating on security and defence within the continent's political union.

Despite sharing an interest with small, vulnerable states (which have shown a lot of solidarity on Brexit), there is little appetite in Ireland for co-operation in this field. We are as far from Russia as any EU country and have a long history of free-riding on our neighbours for security. The question some people pose is: why join in if you can get the benefits without joining?

For others, including Sinn Fein and some Independent MEPs, opposition to more EU security co-operation is partly motivated by a curious sympathy towards Russia.

In the wake of the invasion of Crimea, the European Parliament voted in favour of a resolution condemning the invasion and the human rights abuses that followed. Sinn Fein, along with Nigel Farage's Ukip and Marine Le Pen's National Front, did not vote in favour of the motion.

Sinn Fein deflected from Russia's invasion, stating that the motion "completely ignores any responsibility of the EU for its role in the development of this conflict". Earlier this year, the party's Dublin MEP Lynn Boylan claimed the EU was "overly confrontational" towards the huge dictatorship to its east.

This sympathy is curious not only because Russia has a long history as an imperial power and occupier of its smaller neighbours, in both the Tsarist and Soviet eras, but because Putin in a man of the hard right, while Sinn Fein positions itself well to the left.

Putin's Russia is an uber-capitalist economy. There is little in the way of a welfare safety net - it is a sink-or-swim society. Redistribution is minimal by standards of democratic Europe, which is one reason why income inequality is so high. When it comes to wealth inequality, Russia is off the charts, with oligarchs controlling the country's huge natural resources, including oil and gas reserves.

Russia is also a far more militarised society than the European democracies. It has almost 1.5 million armed forces personnel, three times more than Germany and France combined.

Faced with a powerful and belligerent autocracy which has invaded its neighbours (Russian also invaded Georgia in the summer of 2008), democratic Europe sees that it is threatened.

Without the US to depend on, pooling resources and co-operating more is the rational response, both because there is strength in numbers and because it saves money by avoiding duplication of effort.

In the near future our fellow EU members may decide that in the era of Putin and Trump they have no choice but to work more closely together on security and defence. Ireland will then face the choice: opting out and continuing our long-standing position of free-riding; or opting in and behaving like a nation of grown-ups which takes its own security seriously.
US President Donald Trump's apparent drift toward war with Iran is taking on qualities that seem eerily similar to the run-up to another big armed conflict that Trump once cast as the height of elite corruption and folly.

Trump successfully campaigned for president on the (false) claim that he opposed the war with Iraq. Yet now his administration seems to be running a sequel: there's the alarming, inescapable sense that the administration's actions cannot be explained by any rationale other than a concerted effort to make war more likely. And there are leaks from officials warning that the intelligence doesn't justify the ramping-up that is taking place, and that war is the deliberate aim.

Now is the time for elected officials to sound the alarm about this looming disaster as loudly as possible. In an interview, Adam Schiff, the chair of the Intelligence Committee, said the administration's actions at this point strongly suggest that war is the end goal.

"Iran is and has been for decades a malevolent actor and a state sponsor of terror," Schiff told me. "But I'm also gravely concerned about actions taken by the administration that appear calculated to put us on a collision course.

"Armed conflict with Iran," Schiff continued, "would be an unmitigated disaster."

Trump, of course, pulled America out of the Iran nuclear deal, apparently motivated by little more than the belief that if Barack Obama negotiated the agreement, it must have represented nothing but capitulation and weakness.

After that, the administration reimposed sanctions on Iran, and has continued to ramp up pressure.

In reality, Iran was complying with the deal, and as Schiff points out, Trump simply didn't offer any credible rationale for pulling out of it. "The administration has never articulated how getting out of the Iran nuclear agreement was in our national security interest," Schiff told me.

What appears to have happened since then is that pulling out created a vacuum that is now being filled by hardline officials like national security adviser John Bolton, who apparently has wanted war with Iran since he wore short pants.

Bolton was behind the administration's newly drawn-up plans to send as many as 120,000 troops to the Middle East, if Iran attacks US forces or steps up its nuclear work. The administration has been warning of various threats posed by Iran to US interests in the Middle East.

But we're now learning that European officials - and even some American ones - say the administration's war preparations are based on an inflated reading of those threats. Behold these remarkable paragraphs in the 'New York Times', which will seem chillingly familiar to anyone who paid close attention to the run-up to Iraq: "Intelligence and military officials in Europe as well as in the United States said that over the past year, most aggressive moves have originated not in Tehran, but in Washington - where John R Bolton, the national security adviser, has prodded President Trump into backing Iran into a corner.

"One American official, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss confidential internal planning, said the new intelligence of an increased Iranian threat was 'small stuff' and did not merit the military planning being driven by Mr Bolton.

"The official also said the ultimate goal of the yearlong economic sanctions campaign by the Trump administration was to draw Iran into an armed conflict with the United States."

If this is right, Bolton appears to have manoeuvred Trump into making war with Iran more likely. As a recent 'Washington Post' editorial pointed out, pulling out of a deal that was working, and escalating the pressure on Iran, has created the risk of provoking Iran into actions that the US would have to respond to militarily. Which may be the whole point.

Put simply, it appears Bolton may have cornered Trump into cornering Iran. And what's particularly alarming is that there are no signs Trump has thought through where this might end up.

"It looks like they're steering our ship of state into very troubled waters without any idea what to do when they get there," Schiff told me. It's also alarming that American officials, per the 'New York Times' report, are now basically confirming this analysis.

If it's true that the intelligence does not reflect a threat that merits the scale of war planning Bolton has initiated, then House Democrats will have to gear up and try to shed some light on what's happening. Schiff told me that the Intelligence Committee is in the course of examining what, exactly, the intelligence does indicate about Iran.

"We're going through the intelligence now," Schiff said. "We'll be riding shotgun to make sure that the intelligence agencies continue to give us their unfettered analysis and that this analysis is not any way affected by the president's political agenda."

However, when I asked Schiff whether there is cause for worry that the administration is publicly misrepresenting what the intelligence indicates, he demurred.

"My concern at the moment is that the administration [is] putting us on the path that is more likely to lead to armed conflict, not less, without great thought for the consequences," Schiff said.

 Washington Post
'The dream of the internet as a pristine information superhighway may now seem a little naive' (stock photo)

Inventor of the web Tim Berners-Lee recognised its power to transform governments, businesses, and societies for the better. On March 12, the internet celebrated its 30th anniversary, but Mr Berners-Lee used the occasion to rail against the abuse of his creation. "All kinds of things have gone wrong. We have fake news, we have problems with privacy, we have people being profiled and manipulated," he said.

He called for a "contract" to make the internet safe and accessible for everyone.

Three days later came the New Zealand terror attacks, in which 51 people were murdered by a white supremacist. What added to the unimaginable pain and suffering of survivors was the fact the slaughter was live-streamed on the social media website Facebook. Facebook removed one and a half million copies of the atrocity within 24 hours.

But there was worldwide outrage that even eight hours after the event, it was still accessible on YouTube. When Google attempted to remove the footage, it came under an unprecedented online assault by individuals primed to do so.

The revulsion of right-minded people around the globe was unanimous, but there was also a sense of anger. How could something intended to bring people together be twisted so perversely to tear them apart?

An attempt to address this question was made yesterday at an event called 'Christchurch Call' in Paris. It was co-sponsored by French President Emmanuel Macron and New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.

Addressing the gathering, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said the internet was a "wonderful thing", but that it could not be allowed to be corrupted to spread hatred and fear and to promote terrorism.

He noted this country was the European base for many leading social media firms and online service providers. For this reason, our country has a particular responsibility to call out hate speech, which UN secretary general Antonio Guterres has warned is spreading online like wildfire.

"We are determined to ensure that the online environment is as free as possible of all illegal content and the real-time proliferation of criminal activity," Mr Varadkar added.

Social media has stood by as platforms were weaponised and hijacked by extremists.

Internet behemoths making billions out of their online businesses have a responsibility to police content and prevent the net becoming a tool of terror.

Technology companies have been castigated for being far too slow to remove violent or atrocity-related content from platforms.

The dream of the internet as a pristine information superhighway may now seem a little naive.

When former Google CEO Eric Schmidt said the net was "the largest experiment in anarchy that we have ever had", he was looking to a future of total freedom for the exchange of ideas and information.

Any effort to subvert or destroy that freedom has a chilling effect, which must be countered, no matter what the cost.
'Dear readers, if perhaps you encounter one of these rare birds which are a lot less rare than your local birds, please dont frighten it away, they are the rarest of rare' (stock photo)

The petrel, one of Irelands rarest birds, was once thought to be extinct. Its a bit like that with European election candidates, rarely seen and hard to spot.

As a man of middle age, I can happily say Ive never seen or met one of these rare birds. Never at a bus stop, a supermarket checkout, on a trip to the post office or in my local pub. No, not a gander, the rarest of the rare.

Of course, Ive seen them on wildlife documentaries like Prime Time and such. Alas, never in the flesh.

Im told one of the species has a nest in my home town, so perhaps Ill unwittingly stumble across it one day.

Ornithologists have written extensively on this rarest of species.

I quote: Unlike most bird species, this one differs in that it spends four years on the European continent only then returning to Ireland. While resident in Europe, it begins a four-year feeding frenzy. After four years it returns around late April, beginning an extraordinary ritual where it seeks the company of all other species.

The birds which make the most friends return to their European home to begin another feeding frenzy. Those who fail remain in Ireland.

Dear readers, if perhaps you encounter one of these rare birds which are a lot less rare than your local birds, please dont frighten it away, they are the rarest of rare.

All experts say they are only seen once every four years.

Billy ORiordan

Clonmel, Co Tipperary

Easy broadband fix would free up money for housing

The electrification of Ireland provided electricity to all homes so the infrastructure for fibre on poles is in place. Outsourcing fibre broadband when urban housing is a constitutional imperative seems suspiciously unnecessary.

Is it not obvious that urban housing is of more urgent need of capital investment by the Government and does it not seem that arbitrarily favouring the wealthier in society in such a way is unconstitutional and therefore unlawful?

When satellite broadband is available from many ISPs at similar costs to Eir, Vodafone, Virgin Media and Three, all of whom also offer fibre, where is the necessity of spending 3bn of taxpayers money on duplicating infrastructure and technology thats already available?

Is there a house in Ireland thats not already supplied with electricity, and does the ESB not have the infrastructure to carry fibre on poles, to every rural area needing it, already in place?

Michael McPhillips

Dublin 9

Letters show newspapers need to be more appealing to women

On Tuesday, May 14, the Irish Times had 13 letters printed, all from men. The Irish Examiner had seven letters printed, one from a woman. The Irish Independent had three letters printed, all from men.

If the majority of readers are men, then newspapers need to change their content. By excluding women, theyre missing out on a whole load of sales.

Eve Parnell

Dublin 8

We should beware what could transpire after divorce poll

John Meagher in his feature on the cost of divorce in Ireland (Its so expensive, even when you are in agreement, Irish Independent, May 11) blithely states, referring to the referendum on May 24, could result in the wait-time for divorce here being reduced from four years to two.

This is a classic case of nudging the electorate in a particular direction. The referendum merely proposes to delete the paragraph which states that couples must live apart for four of the previous five years when initiating divorce proceedings; it does not replace it with any time period, or indeed with any text whatsoever.

At the Governments and legislators whim, the wait-time could equally be reduced to one day. Voters beware.

Patricia Waters

Ennis, Co Clare

We can criticise politicians if we cant vote for any of them

Donough OReilly (Letters, Irish Independent, May 14) says that if I do not vote I lose the right to criticise any politician. My problem is a very simple one  there is now not a single party or Independent in Dail Eireann who believes the country should live within its means. If I stick with my beliefs  that countries, like families, must live within their means  then who should I vote for?

And if I decide I cannot in good conscience vote for any, why should that prevent me from criticising our politicians and our political system?

Gerry Kelly

Rathgar, Dublin 6
More than 82,000 properties in England have lodged appeals against business rates since the controversial overhaul of the system (PA)

More than 82,000 properties in England have lodged appeals against business rates since the controversial overhaul of the system, according to official figures.

The Governments Valuation Office Agency (VOA) has revealed that 82,400 business properties in England  from shops and restaurants to public sector buildings  kicked off formal challenges since the rates review in April 2017, reaching the first stage in the new check, challenge and appeal process.

The figures are down 78% from the 371,150 seen in the same two-year period after the 2010 revaluation.

But 51,470 of the challenges have been successful up to March 31  against the same period in 2010, when 34,790 appeals were agreed or deemed well founded.

It comes after the business rates revaluation in April 2017  the first revaluation for seven years  which led to crippling rises in the tax across the UK, with retailers and pubs among those hardest hit.

Experts have said the extra burdens of the recently revamped appeals process have put many firms off challenging their bills, while problems with the online portal have added to woes.

Alex Probyn, president of UK expert services at real estate adviser Altus Group, said: Despite some valid criticisms of the new appeal regulations, volume was always going to be down markedly from the same period under the last cycle with around a third of all properties now exempt from business rates and the deterrent for speculative appeals that now exists within the appeal process.

The key issue for business is to get property valuations corrected as quickly as possible and whilst overall volume may be down, successful appeals are up, but it is critical that we work together to speed up the settlement process even further.

Councils across England estimate business rates appeals will cost them 1.1 billion this financial year.

But the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government confirmed they expect councils in England to land 25 billion in business rates levies over 2019-20.
A teenager has killed herself after posting a poll on her Instagram account asking followers if she should live or die, police in Malaysia said.

"Really Important, Help Me Choose D/L," the 16-year-old girl asked her followers.

Police chief Aidil Bolhassan said she was found dead at the bottom of a building in the city of Kuching, on the island of Borneo. He added that "D" stood for "death" while "L" stood for "life".

"As many as 69pc of the teenager's Instagram friends had supported the decision for her to kill herself via a voting poll," he said.

Mr Bolhassan added that the girl had apparently been suffering from depression, and had also posted on Facebook: "WANNA QUIT F***ING LIFE I'M TIRED."

Ramkarpal Singh, an MP in the north-western state of Penang, suggested that those who voted for her to die could be guilty of abetting suicide.

He said: "Would the girl still be alive today if the majority of netizens on her Instagram account discouraged her from taking her own life?"

Under Malaysian law, anyone convicted of abetting the suicide of a minor could face the death penalty or up to 20 years in jail.

If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article please contact Samaritans helpline 116 123 or Aware helpline 1800 80 48 48 or Pieta House on 1800 247 247.
Broadcaster ITV has said "now is the right time" for 'The Jeremy Kyle Show' to end as it was permanently axed following the death of a guest.

The confrontational talk show was suspended indefinitely on Monday following the death of a participant, Steve Dymond (63), a week after a programme featuring him was filmed.

The programme, which had been a regular fixture in the schedule since 2005, has now ended for good following calls for it to be cancelled from MPs and members of the public.

Following the cancellation of the daytime show, MPs launched an inquiry into reality TV to consider production companies' duty of care to participants and explore whether enough support is offered both during and after filming.
A church warden in England declared his love in a series of letters and poems for a retired teacher 57 years his senior as part of a campaign of "gaslighting", a court heard.

Benjamin Field, 28, sent 83-year-old Ann Moore-Martin letters, postcards and poems speaking of his love and discussing marriage during a year-long seduction.

The Baptist minister's son, then aged 26, wrote of his "desire to woo" the elderly spinster but also confessed to seeing other women.

He even gave her a framed photograph of himself, with the inscription "I am always with you", which Miss Moore-Martin used as part of a "shrine" to him on her bedroom dressing table.

Oxford Crown Court heard the defendant had been introduced to her by neighbour, university lecturer Peter Farquhar, 69, who Field was lodging with.

In one letter Field writes: "I am not sure that I have been as candid and forthright as I should have been in my poems and our conversations.

"We have, from time to time, spoken of marriage and loneliness and of beauty.

"When these things have crossed our minds and lips I have been a great deal too shy. I have not said, as perhaps I should, that I desire you, and desire to woo you; that my earnest hope is that you would see me as I see you; I see you as a beautiful, fun, lovely insightful woman of faith and grace."

The letter continues: "My first poem to you is a courtly overture of sorts, an invitation to romance and a declaration of my love and intent.

"Every time I have come to your house I have taken some things away with me. I have taken joy away in my breast pocket, close to my heart; I have smuggled your words out with me under my hat, close to my head; and I have carried the image of your gorgeous face with me in my trouser pockets.

"I would like to take some other things as well. I would like to take away your tiredness, your loneliness and your sadness. I am sure that I could, if you allow it, these things would need to be replaced.

"Your loneliness must be replaced with my company; your tiredness with my energy; and your sadness with our new happiness together."

The jury was also shown a photograph Field had secretly taken on his mobile phone of Miss Moore-Martin performing a sex act upon him.

He has admitted fraudulently beginning a relationship with Miss Moore-Martin as part of a plot to get her to change her will but he denies conspiring with his friend Martyn Smith, 32, to murder her.

The pensioner, who had told family she loved Field, died in May 2017 from natural causes.

Prosecutors allege Field targeted Miss Moore-Martin a few months after allegedly murdering Mr Farquhar in the village of Maids Moreton, Buckinghamshire.

He and Smith, a magician, are accused of plotting to make the church-going pensioner's death an accident, such as dying during sex, falling down the stairs and choking on her dentures, or suicide, having got her to change her will.

Field has admitted defrauding Miss Moore-Martin of 4,000 to buy a car but he denies, along with his brother Tom Field, 24, and Smith, of defrauding her of 27,000 to buy a dialysis machine.

They claimed that Tom Field was seriously ill and needed the hi-tech equipment to help him study at Cambridge University, otherwise he would die.

As part of the dialysis fraud, Benjamin Field is accused of writing messages with white marker pens on mirrors in the deeply religious Miss Moore-Martin's home purporting to be from God.

Field and Smith deny charges of murder, conspiracy to murder and possession of an article for the use in fraud.

Field, of Wellingborough Road, Olney, Buckinghamshire, also denies an alternative charge of attempted murder. But he has admitted four charges of fraud and two of burglary.

In addition Smith, of Penhalvean, Redruth, Cornwall, denies two charges of fraud and one of burglary.

Tom Field, also of Wellingborough Road, Olney, Buckinghamshire denies a single charge of fraud.

The trial was adjourned until Monday.
En route: Aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln transits the Suez Canal in Egypt on its way to the Persian Gulf. Photo: AP

Iran will defeat the American and Israeli alliance, Iranian defence minister Amir Hatami said yesterday, according to the Islamic Republic News Agency.

"We will defeat the American-Zionist front," he said.

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"Iran has the highest level of defence-military preparedness to confront any type of threat and excessive demands."

The United States has sent further military forces to the Middle East, including an aircraft carrier, B-52 bombers and Patriot missiles, in a show of force against what US officials say are Iranian threats to its troops and interests in the region.

Iran does not want a war in the region, the official said.

Yesterday, Washington ordered the departure of non-emergency government employees from Iraq, after repeated US expressions of concern about threats from Iranian-backed forces.

The US state department has ordered the pull-out of the employees from both the US embassy in Baghdad and its consulate in the city of Erbil in Kurdistan, the embassy said in a statement.

"Normal visa services at both posts will be temporarily suspended," it said, recommending those affected depart as soon as possible.

It was unclear how many staff would leave.

The US military reaffirmed concerns about possible imminent threats from Iran to its troops in Iraq, although a senior British commander cast doubt on that and Tehran has called it "psychological warfare".

US President Donald Trump's administration has stepped up sanctions pressure by ending waivers for some countries to purchase Iranian oil - part of efforts to roll back the Islamic republic's expanding regional clout.

Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi said on Tuesday that he was getting indications from talks with both the United States and Iran that "things will end well", despite the rhetoric.

A senior Iranian Revolutionary Guards commander has said Tehran would retaliate against any aggressive US moves.

A US state department spokesman said the decision to withdraw non-emergency staff was based on a security assessment, but would not give details on how many personnel were leaving.

"Ensuring the safety of US government personnel and citizens is our highest priority and we are confident in the Iraqi security services' (ability) to protect us," he said.

"But this threat is serious, and we want to reduce the risk of harm."

International worries that the Trump administration is sliding toward war with Iran flared into the open amid scepticism about its claims that the Islamic Republic poses a growing threat to the US and its allies in the Persian Gulf and beyond.

The US military on Tuesday rebutted doubts expressed by a British general about such a threat.

Mr Trump denied a report that the administration has updated plans to send more than 100,000 troops to counter Iran if necessary.

But Mr Trump then stirred the controversy further by saying: "Would I do that? Absolutely."

The general's remarks exposed international scepticism over the American military build-up in the Middle East, a legacy of the 2003 invasion of Iraq that was predicated on false intelligence.

US officials have not publicly provided any evidence to back up claims of an increased Iranian threat amid other signs of allied unease.

As tensions in the region started to surge, British foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt said his nation was worried about the risk of accidental conflict "with an escalation that is unintended really on either side".

Then Spain temporarily pulled one of its frigates from the US-led combat fleet heading toward the Strait of Hormuz.

That was followed by the unusual public challenge to the Trump administration by the general.

"No, there's been no increased threat from Iranian-backed forces in Iraq and Syria," said Major General Chris Ghika, a senior officer in the US-backed coalition fighting Isil.

Mr Ghika, speaking in a video conference from coalition headquarters in Baghdad, told reporters at the Pentagon that the coalition monitors the presence of Iranian-backed forces "along with a whole range of others, because that's the environment we're in".
Shares in National Grid slipped after pre-tax profits sank by 31% to 1.8 billion for the year to March 2019 (National Grid/PA)

National Grid has reported a plunge in annual profits as it felt the impact of two abandoned nuclear projects and storms throughout the year.

The firm, which owns and operates the UKs energy infrastructure, made the announcement amid calls from the Labour Party to bring it under public ownership.

Shares in the company slipped after pre-tax profits sank by 31% to 1.8 billion for the year to March 2019, as it was also impacted by labour disputes in the US.

Stripping out one-off costs, including the cost from major storms, the company saw underlying pre-tax profit decline 3% to 2.5 billion.

Looking ahead, we will continue to contribute to the important regulatory agenda in the UK and the US, to create value for shareholders, and play a central role in driving decarbonisationJohn Pettigrew, chief executive, National Grid

National Grid said it was forced to write off 137 million in costs relating to plans for new nuclear energy plants in Wales and Cumbria, which were scrapped last year.

The company, which has 60% of its business in the US, was faced with a turbulent year in America where it was hit by 93 million in costs due to a string of storms last year.

Chief executive John Pettigrew said: We made good strategic progress across the Group last year, delivering 4.5 billion of investment driving strong asset growth of 7.2%, all while maintaining reliability and safety across all of our networks.

Looking ahead, we will continue to contribute to the important regulatory agenda in the UK and the US, to create value for shareholders, and play a central role in driving decarbonisation.

Labour revealed plans on Wednesday to bring the grid under national ownership at a price decided by Parliament, in a move which would create a National Energy Agency to replace the National Grid.

Regional Energy Agencies would replace the existing Distribution Network Operators, and hold a statutory responsibility for decarbonising electricity and heat.

National Grid said Labours plans would delay its efforts to move to green energy.

A spokeswoman said: These proposals for state-ownership of the energy networks would only serve to delay the huge amount of progress and investment that is already helping to make this country a leader in the move to green energy.

Shares were down by 2.1% at 824.6p.
President Donald Trump has issued an executive order aimed at stopping foreign adversaries from taking advantage of technological vulnerabilities to threaten US communications systems.

The order, which declared a national emergency in response to the threat, does not name specific countries or companies but the administration has been trying to stop allied nations including the UK from using equipment from the Chinese tech company Huawei.

Meanwhile, the Department of Commerce, which has 150 days to come up with regulations, also put Huawei and its affiliates on a list that requires them to obtain US government approval to purchase American technology.

In August, Mr Trump signed a bill that barred the US government from using equipment from Huawei and China's ZTE Corp.

The US, which is embroiled in an escalating trade war with China, has sounded warnings about Huawei's efforts to expand into Europe.

The US worries that China could use Huawei to gain access to private, commercial or other information that could compromise Nato and allied intelligence operations.

Huawei is the world's biggest supplier of network gear used by phone and internet companies but has been seen by the US as a front for spying by the Chinese military or security services - allegations denied by the company.

Federal Communications Commission chairman Ajit Pai applauded Mr Trump's executive order, saying it would safeguard the US communications supply chain.

"Given the threats presented by certain foreign companies' equipment and services, this is a significant step toward securing America's networks," he said.

Earlier this year, the Justice Department unsealed criminal charges against Huawei, a top company executive and several subsidiaries, alleging the company stole trade secrets, misled banks about its business and violated US sanctions.

The sweeping indictments accuse the company of using extreme efforts to steal trade secrets from American businesses, including trying to take a piece of a robot from a T-Mobile lab.

The executive charged is Huawei's chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou, who was arrested in Canada in December. The US is seeking to extradite her.
Alabama Governor Kay Ivey signs a bill that virtually outlaws abortion in the state of Alabama (Hal Yeager/Alabama Governors Office via AP)

People across social media have been sharing the hashtag #YouKnowMe in protest at a restrictive bill in Alabama that blocks abortion in most cases.

The law, which follows similar restrictions in states including Georgia and Missouri, would block abortions in the event of rape and incest, and features an exception only in cases where the pregnant person's health is at risk.

The law is set to come into effect in six months, and doctors who defy the law could face 99 years in prison.

In protest, actress Busy Philipps began the hashtag to reduce the stigma around abortion and encourage people to share their own stories.

Ms Philipps tweeted: "One in four women have had an abortion. Many people think they don't know someone who has, but #YouKnowMe.

"Let's do this: If you are also the one in four, let's share it and start to end the shame."

People used the hashtag to raise awareness of abortion, and speak out about the experiences they had had.

Actress Jameela Jamil also used the hashtag #YouKnowMe and, in separate tweets, discussed her own experience of having an abortion.

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She wrote: "This anti-abortion law ... is so upsetting, inhumane, and blatantly demonstrative of a hatred of women.

"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."

Writer and educator Crista Anne, from Virginia, tweeted using the hashtag about her experience of having two abortions.

"Both are directly responsible for my being the brilliant and powerful woman I am. Those abortions saved me," she wrote.

Speaking to the Press Association, she said: "I have absolutely no regrets about either of my abortions. From private conversations with friends who had also had abortions, I heard a lot of people say they also didn't have regrets, but they felt stigma anyway.

"I started loudly talking about how my abortion was fine to give some voice that could be seen to others that having an abortion can really, actually be an OK thing that doesn't haunt you forever ... I do it because I know my words help others and that is what matters to me.

"If I had been forced to have those two children ... I would be living in deep poverty. My children would not have the lives they deserve, I would not have the life I deserve."

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Marjorie Newman-Williams, president of Marie Stopes International US, said: "The Alabama abortion ban is cruel and unconstitutional. We hope that it will be blocked by the courts, and we're deeply alarmed to see states attempt to punish women for making choices about their own bodies, lives and futures.

"Today and every day, we stand in solidarity with women in the United States who want and need safe abortion care."

National Women's Law Centre (NWLC) said: "Sending love to all those sharing their stories today. You should never have to justify why abortion was the right decision for you. We trust you. We trust women."

Supporters of the law say they expect it to be blocked in court but hope that the appeals process will bring it before the Supreme Court.

Supporters say the aim is to review the 1973 Roe v Wade decision in the Supreme Court legalising abortion nationally.

Representative Terri Collins, the bill's sponsor, said: "We decided we would have one pro-life bill, and we'll try to make one that counts.

"We based it on the fact that in Alabama law, we currently consider the baby in the womb a person."
These kids, they take pride in it, teacher Jim Busse said. When it goes down the road, they get to look at it and say we did that. And they take pride in it.
More than 1,700 graduates will receive associate degrees, diplomas and certificates at Rowan-Cabarrus Community Colleges graduation ceremonies Friday, May 17.

With an increasing number of graduates in recent years, the college will hold two ceremonies. A 10 a.m. ceremony will be held for college transfer graduates, and a 2 p.m. ceremony will be held for technical programs and high school equivalency.

Gina Fritz, vice president of the State Employees Credit Union and a Rowan-Cabarrus alumna, is the commencement speaker for the 10 a.m. ceremony. Student speaker Markala Tucker will also speak at the 10 a.m. ceremony.

Eva Nicholson, Rowan-Cabarrus 2018-2019 Student Government Association President, will deliver the commencement address for the 2 p.m. ceremony.

The graduates range in age from 16 to 70 (average age is 22), with 64 percent female and 36 percent male. Thirty-three percent of the graduates live in Rowan County, with 47 percent from Cabarrus County and 20 percent from surrounding counties.

Both graduations will be held at the Cabarrus Arena and Events Center, which is located at N.C. Hwy. 49 in Concord.
(May 13, 2018) Brockville, ON - The Upper Canada District School Board (UCDSB) hosted a district-wide Indigenous gathering from May 6 to May 9 for students in Grades 5 and 6. The fourth annual event gave students the opportunity to learn about the...
In Indian Country, potholes can be a bump in the road to an education

Cronkite News

WASHINGTON  Classrooms at Keams Canyon Elementary School are noticeably emptier during the winter and monsoon months.

Thats when Principal Gary Polacca says heavy rains turn the dirt roads stretching across the Hopi reservation into muddy sinkholes, making it hard for school buses to reach students homes for risk of getting stuck in the mud.

Students, who have a harder time getting to school on their own, are stuck at home for the day  or the week, depending on when the weather clears up.

They just cant get to school, said Polacca. The school dedicates some of its budget to buses, he said, but it cant fill potholes or pave roads. Weve done what we can.

Of the many problems facing tribal schools, Polacca said, impassable roads are not the most prevalent problem, but it is the most annoying one.

And its not a problem unique to the Hopi.

A Navajo student walks away from a school bus that was stuck in the mud on an unpaved road. School officials say when buses arent stuck, theyre often damaged by rutted roads. Photo courtesy San Juan County, Utah, Roads Department

Three-fourths of roads owned by the Bureau of Indian Affairs are unpaved, leaving schools on reservations to spend money on frequent maintenance for the buses that have to travel those roads.

The graduation rate for American Indians/Alaskan Natives in public schools in 2016 was 72%  lower than any other race or ethnicity, according to the National Center for Educational Statistics . That rate drops to 49% for students in Bureau of Indian Education schools.

There are myriad reasons why Native children dont graduate from school, said Acting Superintendent of Navajo Schools Anselm Davis, including the trauma that students come to school with, and then the changing social life of the younger generation.

There are adverse conditions in family life, in community life, Davis said. Theres a whole dimension of issues out there that impact students on a day-to-day basis.

When sick days, religious holidays or other reasons children might have to stay home are added to the absences caused by bad roads, he said, it puts students in situations where they arent getting the kind of attention on their lessons and the learning process, and as a result of that they tend to fall back little, bit by little bit.

Davis said schools on reservations do their best to mitigate any problems children might have that would impact their education. Navajo schools have implemented different programs over the years to improve attendance and graduation rates. Some work therapy or trauma services into school programs, while others have provided free food to struggling students.

But transportation is a challenge out of schools reach.

Like many rural areas, homes on the Navajo and Hopi reservations can be scattered and there is often not a network of paved roads that connect homes to schools or businesses.

With the majority of BIA-owned roads in the U.S. unpaved, schools on reservations are forced to shell out money for frequent maintenance on school buses that had to travel those roads.

In April, Gila River Indian Community Gov. Stephen Roe Lewis told a Senate Indian Affairs Committee hearing about the decrepit state of the 306 BIA-owned roads on his reservation. Some were unpaved, others were cracked and bumpy. Others still were missing critical safety features like stop signs.

This is a critical concern for education in Indian Country, Lewis said, not to mention the safety aspect too, if those roads arent adequately maintained.

Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyoming, introduced a bill in January ( S.207 ) to increase funding for upkeep of roads on reservations, including updating safety features and paving roads. Similar proposals by Barasso have died in the last two sessions of Congress, but Lewis said the bill could be a game-changer for schools.

In a recent statement, Sen. Tom Udall, D-New Mexico, said the state of roads on reservations presents a public safety and public health issue.

On the Navajo Nation, where thousands of miles of roads are unpaved, poor road conditions result in impassable bus routes that make Navajo students more likely to miss school than their non-Native peers, Udalls statement said. To truly uphold the United States trust responsibilities to these students, the Navajo Nation, and all of Indian Country, we simply must do better.

Many of the roads in tribal areas, like the Navajo Nation, are unpaved and become impassable during bad weather. Photo courtesy Navajo County Public Works Department

Advocates say there is plenty of room for improvement.

Constant travel on gravel roads leads to excessive wear and tear on school buses  side mirrors shake off, batteries fall out and even the emergency hatches on bus roofs can come loose.

The wear and tear on those buses if they go on dirt roads or gravel roads is astounding, Lewis said at the hearing. And schools have to pay for that, not the BIA.

Polacca estimates he has to pay for a major bus repair at least once a month, which takes the bus out of rotation and forces drivers to cram more children into fewer buses.

A lot of the roads become like a washboard. It takes a lot of toll on our school buses, Polacca said. And of course we have students living all over. So there are times where we do have to go out and pick up students who live on those roads.

Polaccas school has talked about planning bus routes along the state highway that runs through the reservation to cut down on maintenance costs. But he knows some students cant make it to the main road, and he does not want to make it even harder to get to school.

As it stands, teachers at the school try to work with students to send assignments home so they can continue their education without being in school. But the students are still counted as absent.

Its frustrating, Polacca said. These are young children. They want to learn.

Senate Committee on Indian Affairs Notice

This story originally appeared on Cronkite News and is published via a Creative Commons license . Cronkite News is produced by the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University

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Interiors Indian Depopulation Idea

Late last year the U.S. Department of the Interior began to consider whether Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) agencies should cease issuing Certificates of Degree of Indian Blood (CDIBs) . Interiors idea, if realized, would depopulate and weaken Indian Country.

Indian lawyer Bree Black Horse describes the  federal Indian : an Indian who is no longer or has never been enrolled by a federally recognized tribe, yet who still qualifies as Indian under various federal laws. Any elimination of BIA CDIBs would threaten federal Indian relatives existence, as well as the cultural, legal, and financial strength of tribal governments and urban Indian organizations.

In September 2018, Interiors BIA Director Daryl LaCounte in Washington, D.C., issued an inter-department memo to BIA Regional Directors throughout the country, explaining that his office was considering whether to end the practice of [the] BIA specifically issuing CDIBs. In turn, the Regional Directors issued Dear Tribal Leader letters to the tribes in their region, surveying tribal concerns about the proposal. In a November 20, 2018, email to me, Director LaCounte suggested that [t]here is no proposal to cease issuing CDIBs. But the fact remains that the Trump Administration has floated idea of ending the BIAs practice of CDIB issuance.

According to FOIA records I obtained from Interior , Tribes as well as Alaska Native Villages and Corporations unanimously responded to BIA Regional Directors expressing concern about or opposition to the Central Offices idea.

I recently FOIA'd "any and all documents or communications" @USIndianAffairs regarding BIA Central's late 2018 proposal to suddenly end the issuance of federal CDIBs. Follow this thread if you're interested in the results. pic.twitter.com/l1KuvTxx4S  Galanda Broadman (@NDNlawyer) March 1, 2019

The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, for instance, explained that CDIBs allow non-enrolled Indians to qualify for federal programs and services, including educational loans and farming and ranching assistance. Those federal Indians also qualify for health care through the Indian Health Service (IHS) and they are included in that agencys self-governance funding calculations for tribal clinics and urban Indian health care organizations. Without CDIBs, those relatives could be excluded from IHS health care and the calculus that results in critical federal medical funding for tribal and Alaska Native governments and communities.

The Inter-Tribal Council of the Five Civilized Tribes pointedly asked the BIA Eastern Oklahoma Region: How will the BIA continue to provide services to Indians who are not citizens of a Tribe? The BIA responded: A policy determination has not been made as to whether or not the BIA has an obligation to provide CDIB services to non-tribal Indians. The BIA is wrong.

Interiors course of conduct in issuing CDIBs to non-tribal Indians, for at least the last four decades according to Paul Spruhan, has established an enforceable policy determinationone that obligates the BIA to provide CDIB and related social services to those federal Indians, as well as tribal governments who afford those relatives services. Wilkinson v. Legal Servs. Corp., 27 F.Supp.2d 32, 60 (D.D.C. 1998).

Standing Rock further explained to the BIA how CDIBs are critical to the exercise of federal criminal jurisdiction under the Major Crimes Act over certain non-enrolled Indians, without which the Department of Justice ability to prosecute crimes in Indian Country would be severely hampered. In other words, fewer Indians would be considered Indian for purpose of federal criminal prosecution; as non-Indians, legally speaking, they could exacerbate the public safety crisis in Indian Country caused by Oliphant . The Tribe decried any change in BIA policy as an abdication of the responsibility to issue CDIBs as part of the United States various trust responsibilities to tribes and Indians.

FOIA reveals that so-called Five Civilized Tribes (Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek and Seminole) have expressed "serious concerns and reservations" to @USIndianAffairs regarding BIA's proposal to cease with CDIB involvement. Will Interior heed those concerns? pic.twitter.com/K6T9koaIti  Galanda Broadman (@NDNlawyer) November 20, 2018

The most common criticism of Interiors CDIB survey was that it lacked any prior tribal consultation. The Asacarsamiut Tribal Council of Alaska, for example, expressed that it feels strongly conducting a Tribal Consultation, instead of a survey, is the appropriate way for the BIA to address this issue. The Muskogee (Creek) Nation flat refused to answer the BIAs survey, instead demanding proper and appropriate Tribal Consultation.

In response to a question from the Five Civilized Tribes about whether the BIA would consult with Tribes, the BIA demurred, explaining that its Central Office has not made a final determination as to whether or not consultation is necessary. Consultation would in fact be necessary as a matter of Interiors own consultation policy , or tribes could also sue Interior and BIA officials under the federal Administrative Procedures Act (APA) to enjoin and set aside any policy change.

Tribes and Alaska Native Villages and Corporations brought moral issues of indigenous belonging to Interiors attention, too. The Association of Village Council Presidents of Alaska cited the need for preservation of our tribal members and otherwise observed that the BIAs CDIB card program is an important way to provide evidence of Alaska Native/American Indian descent.

Even BIA Pacific Regional Director Amy Dutschke agreed: the BIA should continue to issue CDIBs, explaining that they are beneficial to many individual California Indians, whether they are members of a Federally Recognized Tribe or not. Alluding to the need for Indian inclusion in the Golden Statewhere generations of Indians have been killed, exiled, terminated, and disenrolled Director Dutschke urged the widest positive impact on the Indian people of California through CDIBs.

In all, Interiors proposal or idea to end BIA CDIB issuance would depopulate Indian Country and erode our collective strength in numbers. Tribes and Alaska Native Villages and Corporations would be weakened in the process.

will

To be clear: blood quantum is systematically destroying us. It is a European racial fiction and colonial device that the United States introduced to usand we in turn blindly adopted as our own normsince the federal allotment and assimilation era over a century ago. Blood quantumlead to our eradication, if not at our own doing, by federal politicians or judges who see tribes as unconstitutional racial groups. See Brackeen v. Zinke 338 F. Supp. 3d 514 (N.D. Tex. 2018).

We must unravel the various fibers of blood quantum, including CDIBs, which are now deeply woven into the fabric of tribal sovereignty and belonging, and the federal Indian trust responsibility owed to all Indianswhether enrolled, non-enrolled, reservation, or urban. That will take time, if not generations. But that unraveling should not occur through an idea stitched by the Trump Administration to a boilerplate Dear Tribal Leader letter and survey. Instead, that unraveling must start with us, especially the Tribes and Indians who wear that fabric today.

Finally got my CDIB. Found a mistake, but I fixed it. #bloodquantumisacolonialconcept pic.twitter.com/Zjlk54VIAE  Zac Russell (@ZacRussell93) January 17, 2019

Gabe Galanda is an attorney who practices Indian law with Galanda Broadman, PLLC , out of Seattle, Washington. He belongs to the Round Valley Indian Tribes.

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Remember Sunny Pawar, the little Lion kid who had stolen all the limelight at the Oscars 2017 for being the cutest kid there? Not only did he meet with popular Hollywood celebs including his idols Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson, Jackie Chan and Triple H, but he also hung out with then former US President Barack Obama, and he was simply in awe of the little one.

Sunny Pawar is once again making headlines. This time, because the 11-year-old who hails from a slum in Kunchi Kurve Nagar of Mumbai has bagged the Best Child Actor award for Chippa at the 19th New York Indian Film Festival.

ANI

And he is on cloud nine. I am very happy. This is all due to my parents. I want to be a big actor like Rajinikanth and want to make my parents proud. I want to work in both Bollywood and Hollywood. I never imagined that I will get to visit London, New York, he was quoted as saying by ANI.

Mumbai: 11-yr-old Sunny Pawar, a resident of Kunchi Kurve Nagar's slum area near Kalina, has won the Best Child Actor award at the 19th New York Indian Film Festival 2019 for the film 'Chippa'. He had also acted in Australian Director Garth Davis' 2016 film 'Lion'. (15.05.2019) pic.twitter.com/8It795zzTu  ANI (@ANI) May 16, 2019

Sunny Pawar wants to make his parents proud. Talking about his dreams, he said, I want to earn a big name for my parents. I want to buy a big house for them.

BCCL

And his father is proud of his sons extraordinary journey. My son has been in the acting field for the past five years and has been to America, Australia, London and China. He got an opportunity to visit the White House, met big ministers and celebrities, I am so proud of him, he said.

BCCL

Talking about Chippa, a coming-of-age film directed by Safdar Rahman, he said, It is a story where a boy leaves his home to find his long-absent father. On his way, he finds a puppy and later he finds his father. The film is a homage to the spirit of innocent kids. The movie has been screened at many prestigious film festivals including Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles, Mipcom and others.

Twitter

Besides this, Sunny also won Special Mention Grand Jury Prize at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards.
Bollywood actress Kangana Ranaut is all set to make her appearance in Cannes Film Festival 2019. Kangana, who created quite a controversy by locking horns with Hrithik Roshan for her film Mental Hai Kya release date, looked relaxed and easy breezy at the airport.

Twitter

Rangoli, who is Kangana's manager and sister, has been trolling the Bollywood industry left, right and centre by tweeting constantly about the struggles Kangana faced. The actress and her sister have time and again slammed the industry of nepotism. Here are some of them shocking ones in the recent past.

With due respect to everyone, if Kangana is not harmed, trolled or bullied she wont speak against Super 30 cast or its makers @SpiceSocial1 please take a note PEACE pic.twitter.com/gtcuVbsHOW  Rangoli Chandel (@Rangoli_A) May 9, 2019

Tu apne chillar PR se tweet karvata reh, woh ek interview degi.... tere charon khane chit..  Rangoli Chandel (@Rangoli_A) May 8, 2019

(Contd)..where events took place and which still exist what is with applying burnol to KJO gang? On us you threw stones like we have taken something from you and never returned, if anything Kangana has always obliged whenever you asked her for any favour ..(contd) @anupamachopra  Rangoli Chandel (@Rangoli_A) April 25, 2019

I really hope you go quiet darling, you and papa Jo have milked enough backhand PR from this, please take a seat now....  https://t.co/rNwBMEvYMx  Rangoli Chandel (@Rangoli_A) April 23, 2019

But nothing seems to deter the dynamic sisters. The two took off for Cannes and are looking forward to the red carpet event.

Enroute to cannes  !! Be ready for more updates  pic.twitter.com/JP3ElVpLru  Rangoli Chandel (@Rangoli_A) May 15, 2019

Viral bhayani

Wearing a Gucci blue stripe shirt and jeans, Kangana was seen strutting her way in her YSL heels. She will be in French Riveria from May 16-18 for vodka brand Grey Goose, which celebrates moments of cinematic excellence through its new global platform Live Victoriously.

Kangana, reportedly, lost 5 Kgs in a week to fit into her outfit. She had put on 10 kgs for her upcoming film Panga, where she was expected to have some thunder thighs for her role but clearly all's gone.

Speaking about her red carpet look, Kangana said, "The clothes I wear will have drama. At the same time, as an Indian actor on a global platform, I have the responsibility of endorsing our weavers and wearing outfits that reflect our rich cultural heritage. My stylist Ami Patel and I have been brainstorming for a few weeks. We, along with Falguni and Shane Peacock, are designing a unique saree. The idea is to revive the forgotten weaves and bring them to the fore so that the world is more aware of our rich fabrics and culture."

This is not the first time, Kangana will be seen at Cannes.

Last year, she stunned us her a gorgeous black Sabyasachi saree in a retro avatar. Are you ready for her this year?
TV actress and ex-Bigg Boss contestant Hina Khan has made her Cannes Film Festival 2019 debut recently, and boy, she was shining bright like a diamond. The diva made a glittering entry at the Cannes red carpet on Wednessday. The Kasautii Zindagii Kay actress walked the ramp like she owned it. As she smiled and waved at the photographers, fans said she was unstoppable.

Reuters

Hina Khan is at the Cannes Film Festival for the screening of her short film Lines, which is based on Kargil war. On Wednesday, when she walked at the red carpet, she was attending the screening of Brazilian drama film Bacurau. The outfit was designed by Ziad Nakad.

Take a look at her pictures below.

Reuters

Reuters

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And Twitter is all praises for her.

Exclusive Pics:

Okay so i could just get these Glimpses of #HinaKhan for you exclusively at #Cannes2019

She was looking like a Diva#HinaKhanAtCannes2019 @eyehinakhan pic.twitter.com/YPKFGDp66O  Hinaholics (@Hinaholics) May 15, 2019

Some Elegance Shining over a Phones Screen ! 

Really and Delightful, immense beauty flying over the hearts bit. 

No words !!#HinaKhan#HinaKhanAtCannes #HinaKhanAtCannes2019 @eyehinakhan pic.twitter.com/LGAfZFL8dK  SAGAR (@Sagar_kurane) May 16, 2019

@eyehinakhan u r looking too hot 

U jusst nailed #Cannes2019

Attire

Confidence on face 

Walking 

Smile 

Jusst can't stop staring u #HinaKhan 

Hina is on Red carpet #Cannes2019 Happiness on peak for each & every #Hinaholics #HinaKhanAtCannes2019  pic.twitter.com/FXF08ix4yZ    (@RealKartikk) May 16, 2019

Earlier, she had posted pictures from the streets of French Riviera. For an interview session, Hina Khan donned a pale pink outfit, which was her first outing at the Cannes 2019. She also shared pictures from the Eiffel Tower before she headed to the Cannes gala.

The 31-year-old actress took to her Instagram account to express her excitement. She posted a black and white photograph of herself posing for the shutterbugs. Calling it God's sign, Hina captioned the image: "Cannes 2019. The picture is just not 'a' picture. God's sign. Shining star."

She will also be a speaker at India Pavilion of the 72nd edition of the festival, which will run until May 25. The talk will be followed by the first look launch event of her film "Lines", which is set in the backdrop of the Kargil War.

"It's a huge honour. I have been following the Cannes Film Festival as a fan for years. Not only because of the red carpet, but more so because Cannes is the ground for some of the most path-breaking international content," Hina has earlier told IANS. "Makers from across the world come and present their work and you have some of the best of creative minds meeting all in one place. I am grateful to have the opportunity to not only be present amongst the best of creative minds, but also to be sharing my thoughts on cinema, my upcoming film and the journey so far, with them," she added.
"Nathuram Godse was a deshbhakt, is a deshbhakt and will remain a deshbhakt. People calling him a terrorist should instead look within. Such people will be given a befitting reply in these elections," she said. Read more

Here's more top news of the day:

1) Amid Addiction Issues, Sitting MPs And Farmers Demand Legalising Opium Cultivation In Punjab

AFP

Now that the state is trying to come out of the grip of farm crisis and drug menace, a small group of farmers and politicians are pushing for legalising opium cultivation. They argue it will increase farmers' income and help fight "chitta" (synthetic drug). Read more

2) Punjab Goes To Polls In Last Phase, Why Politicians Are Silent About Thriving Drug Menace?

The land of five rivers has been marred by drug menace, but whats more discomforting is the deafening silence of the political parties, particularly during the election season. Read more

3) Election Commission Asks Twitter India To Remove All Exit Poll-Related Tweets, Say Reports

afp

Ahead of the exit polls, which will be announced on May 19, the Election Commission of India (EC) has asked social media platform Twitter to take down all tweets related to exit polls. Read more

4) Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman's Story To Be Taught To School Students In Rajasthan

From the next academic year, students of Class IX in Rajasthan will study about the Balakot Air strikes and Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman. Read more

5) Tragedy Strikes As Two Climbers From Kolkata Die On Mount Kanchenjunga In Nepal

Facebook

In a tragic incident, two Indian mountaineers died near the summit of Mount Kanchenjunga during an expedition in Nepal, their hiking company said. Kanchenjunga is the third highest peak in the world. Read more
The MiG-21 Bison Squadron, of which Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman was part of when he fought off the invading enemy on Pakistan Air Force (PAF)'s F-16s, has introduced new shoulder patches with titles 'Falcon Slayers' and 'AMRAAM Dodgers' in a tribute to epic dogfight that was fought in the skies on February 27.

The new patch of the 51 Squadron has a MiG 21 in the foreground along with a red-colored F-16 with 'AMRAAM Dodgers' written on top and 'Falcon Slayers' written at the bottom of it.

Patches are 'unofficial' badges which can be brought by squadrons and often depicts their achievement and also depicts the type of aircraft the squadron flies.

It was Wing Commander Abhinandan's heroic efforts that twatted the PAF intrusion inside the Indian airspace on February 27, a day after the IAF carried out bombings at Jaish-e-Mohammed training camps in Balakot, Pakistan.

Abhinandan, who took to the skies on his MiG 21 shot down a much superior F-16 for PAF before his jet went down in PoK.

He was then captured by locals and handed over to the Pakistan Military. The second generation air warrior returned to India on 1 March to a hero's welcome.
From the next academic year, students of Class IX in Rajasthan will study about the Balakot Air strikes and Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman.

The Rajasthan government has introduced the two topics in the social science textbook in the chapter on Rashtriya suraksha evam shaurya parampara (National security and tradition of valor) by the Rajasthan Board of Secondary Education.

According to The Times of India, students will study about both the strike on a Jaish-e-Mohammed camp in Balakot and about the role of Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman.

After an attack on defence forces by terrorists in Pulwama, the IAF on February 26, 2019, with 12 Mirage-2000 fighter jets, attacked terrorist camps in Balakot. The next day, an F-16 Pakistan fighter jet violated Indian air space and attempted to attack (military establishments). IAF directed its braveheart Wing Commander Abhinandan, who flew a MiG-21, to respond. He displayed his excellence by shooting down a plane which was better than the jet he was flying, reads the text.

It was Wing Commander Abhinandan's heroic efforts that twatted the PAF intrusion inside the Indian airspace on February 27. He was captured by Pakistan after his MiG 21 went down during the dogfight.
Scientists have found evidence that zombie cells play a big role in aging and other health-related problems that comes along with aging. Scientists are now trying to make a drug that can kill these zombie cells which would not only delay aging but also the health-related complication that come along as the person gets older.

Dr James Kirkland, Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota told the Associated Press that basic goal of the research is to fight aging which will help in fighting age-related diseases and disabilities as well. The scientists found out that if these cells build up in your body, they promote aging and the condition that come with it is like osteroporosis and Alzheimers disease. The researchers are now trying to find drugs that can kill these cells which will possibly prevent other problems along with aging.

istock

The experiment has been conducted chiefly on mice and the first test on people was published and came up with some tantalizing findings.

Actually called senescent cells, the zombie cell start out normal but then they encounter a stress which affect their DNA and at that point, a cell can choose to die or become a zombie which implies a state where the cell enter into a state of suspended animation.

Healthline

The other big concern is that these zombie cells release chemicals which harms nearby normal cells and thats where the real problem begins.

The mouse studies have shown that the drug used to counter these zombie cells have shown improvement in variety of conditions such as diabetes, osteoporosis, cataracts, clogged arteries, enlargement of the heart, Alzheimers disease, kidney related issues and loss of muscle happen with age.

wholesomehealthtips.com

The results are making researchers hopeful, "it really raises enthusiasm to proceed with the more rigorous studies," Chief Medical Officer of the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation, Dr. Gregory Cosgrove said. Dr Cosgrove played no role in study.

(With agency inputs)
Apple's iPhones are expensive enough, with even the now-cheaper iPhone X running you up at least Rs 74,000. Unfortunately for Apple fans though, they might about to get pricier.

And you can thank US President Donald Trump on the other side of the world for that.

Images courtesy: Reuters

You see, the Trump decided he was going to start a pissing contest with China by hiking tariff on products manufactured there (though many of his own companies do that too). His idea was apparently to force US companies to relocate manufacturing back home, though that isn't likely to be the outcome for many major brands. Instead, now the two countries are locked in a stalemate that could escalate at the drop of a hat.

Apple has a majority of its manufacturing process located in China, partly because of the cheaper labour available there. Because of this new tariff, they would have to up their prices to compensate, meaning an approximately 14 percent hike. The $750 iPhone XR would now cost an extra $100. Meanwhile the flagship iPhone XS Max would see a $200 rise to a total of about $1,650.

The thing is, this affects Indian prices of iPhones as well. There's no direct supply chain from Apple's manufactories in China to India, they have to go through the US for processing. At the very least, analysts at JP Morgan say Apple might be smart enough to not tick off their customer with even higher price tags on their already expensive devices. It's possible, they say, the company will instead choose to absorb the costs, at least for the time being.

But there's another ray of hope for us here. Apple has recently been in talks with the Indian government to discuss manufacturing locally. And we're not talking about its existing supply chains that focus on older, cheaper models. This time around, Apple also wants to manufacture its flagship iPhones in India too.

Shifting the large scale operations to India is in fact a win-win for everyone involved. Apple could once again avoid complications in tariffs with China, and they could use the subsidies and other benefits of manufacturing in India to help grow their market share here, something they've always struggled with.
While most of us are still grappling with ways to reduce, reuse and recycle, Lachung - a small town in Sikkim - has already forbidden the entry of disposable mineral water bottles. The place that officially became a part of India 44 years ago, is celebrating Sikkim Day today.

Lachung aur Lachen mein plastic ka paani ka bottle allowed nahi hai. Idhar hi fenk ke jana padega, the locals inform tourists travelling to either of the two places.

WWF India

This might just be one of the most successful plastic bottle bans of the country, and there is a very good reason for it. This campaign of sorts, is being run almost entirely by locals, and cab drivers who regularly ferry people to and from the place. While the government has put up signboards to inform people about the ban, it is the local people of the area who are making sure that it does not become just another rule that no one bothers to follow.

Manika Parasher

I recently travelled to various parts of Sikkim, including the beautiful town of Lachung. Some 30 kilometres away from the town, my cab driver informed me that I could not carry my disposable plastic water bottle into Lachung, because it was against the rules. I was told that I may choose to drink the water and dump the bottle in a bin, or transfer water into one of the reusable water bottles available at almost every shop. I was also informed that my bags will be checked and if disposable plastic bottles were found, I would have to pay a fine of Rs 5,000.

Manika Parasher

The homestay I had chosen to spend the night in, was also hosting a couple of other families, who like me were scheduled to travel to Yumthang  which is approximately 24 kilometres away from Lachung. One of them had managed to sneak in a couple of plastic bottles, despite repeated warnings. The next five minutes made it clear, how and why the town has managed to keep out tonnes of plastic  the owner of the homestay, my cab driver and their cab driver, all banded together to reprimand them for breaking the rules. The family, however, saw it as an interference and said theyd rather pay the fine than dump their bottles. Before their cab departed, the owner of the homestay clicked a photo of the cab they were travelling in. Im not sure what he did with that, but it was the first time I had seen locals stand up so fiercely to uphold a rule. Clearly, it takes a village to keep a town clean.

On my way to Yumthang Valley, I spotted 2-3 plastic bottles strewn about in the otherwise picture-perfect, almost unbelievably beautiful landscape  possibly thrown out of the window by some tourists who were too cool to care.

Manika Parasher

Yet, for the most part, I did not see plastic inundating the area, piling up in random corners and flowing down the river formed by a melting glacier. I did not really come across any kind of inspection check post, and it sort of became clear that at the helm of this extremely successful no-plastic-bottles campaign, were its locals.

Their morality, sense of belonging, respect and love for their town is what drives them to keep it clean. In a world were rules are written, forgotten and scrapped off almost every day, this town is an example of what good intent and unity can achieve.

Plastic is a huge problem all over the world, and one-use plastic is the biggest demon of them all. As per a report by the Guardian in 2017, a million plastic bottles were being bought every minute the world over, and the number was predicted to jump another 20% by 2021. So, while banning just plastic bottles might not be the complete solution, it indeed is a leap towards a cleaner, plastic-free world. The town of Lachung is proof that one step at a time  done properly  can make a world of difference.

Manika Parasher

As citizens, we need to do better than just talk about having rules and criticise the government for not doing their job properly. As tourists, we need to become more compassionate, cautious and judicious with how we travel and what we leave behind.

I went to Sikkim as just another traveller, but I came back a better tourist. The hope is that the town and people of Lachung will inspire change all over the world  change, not just in deeds, but in attitude too.
Amid curfew and communal tension is Assams Hailakandi, a Muslim man braved all odds to help his neighbour's wife who went into labour.

The man named Maqbool Hussain Laskar drove his auto-rickshaw as fast as he could in the riot-hit town so that his friend Rubon's wife Nandita could reach the hospital in time. Rubon was frantically calling his near and dear ones for help. He needed an ambulance to take Nandita to hospital as she was writhing in labour pain.

"I was trying to calm my wife down saying someone will surely come to take us to hospital in Hailakandi town," Rubon told India Today.

The S K Roy Civil Hospital is a few kilometres away from their Rajyeshwarpur Part I village. However, no help came for them in the curfew affected area and, in that time, Nandita's pain increased.

Rubon's friend and neighbour Maqbool heard his predicament and rushed to his residence with his auto-rickshaw.

"I was trying to comfort them.... telling them everything will be fine. But I myself was praying," said Maqbool.

Facebook

His timely help paid off and Nandita delivered a healthy boy and named him Shanti. I have no words to express my gratitude to him (Laskar). The worst was possibly in store but God sent him to us, Das told New Indian Express.

We named the baby Shanti despite knowing that it is a girls name. Shanti denotes peace and we want the return of durable peace to Hailakandi.

This incident stood out as example of solidarity amidst the violent communal riots in Assams Hailakandi.

One person was killed in police firing and at least 15 people were injured, while more than 15 vehicles were damaged and 12 shops vandalised and set on fire in some parts of the town during communal clashes on Friday, forcing the authorities to clamp an indefinite curfew in the district.
From selling hideous red shorts to a pair of dirty white sneakers, Gucci has walked in to fire many a time. But nothing prepared people for its recent fashion disaster. If anything, it has left people fuming because this one hit a sensitive nerve.

Gucci is being slammed by the Sikh community, for retailing turbans for a whopping Rs 56,000 ($800). The luxury brand earlier stoked criticism for showcasing the religious attire on a runway.

The Sikh turban is not just a fashion accessory, but its also a sacred religious article of faith, the New York-based Sikh Coalition tweeted Wednesday. We hope more can be done to recognize this critical context, the group said, adding #appropriation.

The turban is not just an accessory to monetize; it's a religious article of faith that millions of Sikhs view as sacred. Many find this cultural appropriation inappropriate, since those wearing the turban just for fashion will not appreciate its deep religious significance. pic.twitter.com/fldmxa3Wvr  Sikh Coalition (@sikh_coalition) 14 May 2019

The Nordstrom website listed the item as the "Indy Full Turban." and it allegedly sold on the site.

Dear @gucci, the Sikh Turban is not a hot new accessory for white models but an article of faith for practising Sikhs. Your models have used Turbans as hats whereas practising Sikhs tie them neatly fold-by-fold. Using fake Sikhs/Turbans is worse than selling fake Gucci products pic.twitter.com/sOaKgNmgwR  Harjinder Singh Kukreja (@SinghLions) 16 May 2019

We wear turbans and we are the bad guys, Gucci wears them and its fashion?? No, wrote one furious commentor.

Gucci first received public criticism for the turbans in February 2018 when it used them in a runway show during Milan Fashion Week.
A massive coconut water brand in the US is taking Twitter battles to a slightly gross new level.

It all started with Tony Posnanski, amateur MMA fighter and the author of a piece on HuffPost titled Coconut Water Is Disgusting, tweeted to the coconut water brand Vita Coco that he 'would rather drink piss' than the brand's coconut water.

I even wrote about how disgusting you are. https://t.co/7d9dQiomQ4  Tony Posnanski (@tonyposnanski) 15 May 2019

Vita Coco first tried to salvage things saying let us send you some, dont knock it till you try it.

In response to this, Posnanski got angry and wrote, Fuck that. Save that nasty shit for someone else. I would rather drink your social media person's piss than coconut water.

Then, Vita Coco then offered to send him some actual human pee.

No kidding.

Posnanski then apparently gave Vita Coco the White House's address, reports the Business Insider.

What the fuck is wrong with you?  Tony Posnanski (@tonyposnanski) 15 May 2019

This was all part of Vita Coco's "Impossible to Hate" campaign states reports, a campaign to lash out against those who leave negative reviews on their products.

Here's how the Internet reacted:

#1

IHOP: We're called IHOb now, he he

Coconut Water: we're gonna mail our piss to you bitch https://t.co/cpqojm1mEK  aaron petcoff (@ughitsaaron) 15 May 2019

#2

ok there's *one* good brand tweet https://t.co/jHMXQQoxTv  Good Tweets Doer (@amcnal) 15 May 2019

#3

wendys please do not attempt to one up this https://t.co/5ppjBIQ1RY  Patreon.com/karengeier Li'l  (@karengeier) 15 May 2019




After the PUBG ban, Surat police has taken a step against another growing public nuisance: that of birthday celebrations that turn slightly violent.

Now, smearing cake, using adhesive tape and chemical foam in a public place, something Indians love doing on birthdays, can land a person in jail.

YouTube/Picture for representation

Lawyer Apar Gupta posted a copy of the order written in Gujarati on Twitter.

The Surat Police has now banned smearing of cakes in public under Section 144 of the CRPC.

This comes after the use of the same provision to ban PUBG game and the arrest of young college going students.

Can someone translate the order to English? pic.twitter.com/llDQTeW4W9  Apar Gupta (@apargupta84) 15 May 2019

The translated version reads:

To summarize, it's an order against public nuisance which can harm those involved. Detailed summary in pic.

Cake smearing is a tiny part. Bulk is against public celebration and usage of chemicals, tape & foam directly applied to the face. pic.twitter.com/sKOe1C38Nu  Harshal Modi (@grondmaster) 15 May 2019

Satish Sharma issued the prohibitory orders on Monday after instances of people thrashing each other came to light.

According to TOI, Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure has been set in motion from May 14 to July 12. Those who violate this order will be answerable under provisions of Section 188 of the Indian Penal Code

We received information about incidents in which individuals suffered injuries in a birthday celebration, said Police Commissioner Satish Sharma to The Times of India.

A young man whose birthday was being celebrated was tied to a light pole and later eggs were thrown at him. The boy fell on ground when freed by neighbours, said sources in the police to TOI.

So after being a dry state, a PUBG free state, Gujarat now earns title of being 'no birthday bumps' state.
Being subjected to physical and mental harassment can be extremely scarring for students, but this gross act stills seems take place in schools across the country.

While most go unreported, some come to light, like in this case where a teacher from Madhya Pradesh made his students slap their classmate 168 times! Why? Because she was unable to complete her homework.

According to a report in Dainik Bhaskar, the incident took place in Janurary 2018 and came to light after the victim's father lodged a complaint with the police against the Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya teacher.

The class 6 student's father said that 14 of her classmates were told to slap her twice everyday for six days.

"After she returned from the school, she was very tense and depressed. She told us about the entire incident after we repeatedly asked her about her condition," the victim's father said.

The accused teacher has been identified as Manoj Verma. Assistant District Prosecution Officer and Media cell in-charge, Varsha Jain said that his bail plea has now been rejected and he has been put behind bars.
Kashmiri villagers shout slogans during the funeral procession of a militant commander of the Jaish-e-Mohammed, Naseer Pandith, at Pulwama, south of Srinagar on May 16. Three Kashmiri fighters, an Indian soldier and a local civilian were killed on May 14 morning during a gunbattle between militants and Indian government forces, reports said. (Tauseef Mustafa/AFP/Getty Images)
Injured cows are seen in the back of a truck that a 'cow vigilante' group chased down on November 8, 2015 in Ramgarh, Rajasthan, India. The local 'cow vigilante' group, headed by Nawal Kishore Sharma, is one of dozens of such hard line Hindu cow protection vigilante groups operating across India. The members work various day jobs such as teachers, lawyers, marble sculptors, politicians and by night they patrol on watch for smugglers illegally transporting cows for sale and slaughter. Many also work at the cow shelters where the rescued cows are taken. (Allison Joyce/Getty Images)
While only about 30% of Bay Area residents are Hispanic or Black, more than 60% of people shot and killed by police officers over the last decade are Hispanic or Black.

[Black Lives Matter wheatpasting in downtown Oakland on April 4, 2016. Photo: Scott Morris]

San Jose police officers had mistaken Jennifer Vazquez for a shooting suspect. On Christmas morning in 2018, police officers were investigating a shooting that injured two people. A bystander at the crime scene pointed toward a white Toyota Camry driven by Vazquez and police followed. The officers chased the Camry, which had been reported stolen, for almost nine miles before Vazquez crashed into a chain link fence.

The car was stuck there. Vazquez rocked it back and forth trying to escape. Im going to shoot you if you dont stop, one officer yelled. When Vazquez freed the car and drove forward onto the sidewalk, hitting the door of a patrol car, four officers opened fire, firing 37 shots. Vazquez was killed and her passenger was wounded. Jennifer Vasquez video

In a news conference following the shooting, San Jose police Chief Eddie Garcia called the case of mistaken identity, a coincidence and a tragedy. The Santa Clara County District Attorneys Office declined to file criminal charges against the four officers on April 5.

Nothing Jennifer Vazquez did on December 25, 2018, dispelled the reasonable suspicion that she was exactly who the police were looking for, an armed fleeing felon who had just shot two people and may have shot a third two hours earlier, prosecutor David Boyd wrote in his 62-page report.

She was the 234th person killed by police in the nine-county San Francisco Bay Area in the last decade. Like Vazquezs passenger, thirty of them were unarmed.

Year Fatalities Year Fatalities 2009 17 2014 23 2010 27 2015 34 2011 23 2016 12 2012 23 2017 28 2013 30 2018 17

In addition, there have been nine fatal shootings by police so far this year.

Ten years since Oscar Grant



Signs at the 10th annual vigil for Oscar Grant III. Grant was shot and killed by a BART police officer on Jan. 1, 2009. Photo: Scott Morris

On Jan. 1, 2019, Hundreds of people gathered at the Fruitvale BART station to mark the tenth anniversary of the death of Oscar Grant III, who was killed there by BART police Officer Johannes Mehserle exactly ten years earlier.

Grant was unarmed and lying face-down on the platform when he was shot. BART officers had stopped the train and removed Grant and several other people after a fight had broken out. Officer Anthony Pirone escalated the encounter, using racial slurs and pinning Grant on the platform before Mehserle shot him.

After cellphone video taken by bystanders in the train became public, news of the shooting was broadcast around the world and intense protests broke out in Oakland. Stores were vandalized, cars were burned, and police teargassed and fired rubber bullets at demonstrators. After nearly two weeks of protests, Mehserle was charged with murder. He was eventually convicted of the lesser charge of involuntary manslaughter.



Oscar Grants mother, Wanda Johnson, sings at a rally outside the Fruitvale BART station on Jan. 1 marking the 10th anniversary of his death. Photo: Scott Morris

He always said, mom, Im going to be famous one day, and I tell you that what he said has come to pass, Grants mother, Wanda Johnson, recalled at the rally. People know Oscar all over the country and outside the country.

The people gathered there hoisted signs for several other people who had been killed by police since Grant, like Mario Romero, who was killed by Vallejo police officers while in a parked car on Sept. 2, 2012.

I believe Oscars life was a catalyst to change our society, Johnson said. It brought awareness and it has caused us to think about, not just accept a person being killed, but to really examine what has happened and what took place.

But Mehserle was the last officer in the Bay Area to face criminal charges for a shooting.

Black people killed disproportionately

National studies have found that Black and Hispanic people are more likely to be killed by police, and, according to data Ive collected from news reports and public records requests over the last several years, this is true in the Bay Area as well. Black people killed by police are also more likely to be unarmed.

Of 206 cases where the race of the person killed was reported, police killed approximately the same number of white, Black and Hispanic suspects. According to the 2010 census, 42.4% of people in the Bay Area are non-Hispanic white, 23.5% are Hispanic and only 6.7% are Black.

So while only about 30% of Bay Area residents are Hispanic or Black, more than 60% of people shot and killed by police officers over the last decade are Hispanic or Black.

Race of people killed by police in the San Francisco Bay Area, 2009-2018

Race Number of people killed Percent of total Asian 15 7% Black 63 31% Hispanic 66 32% White 62 30%

Black people killed by police are also more likely to be unarmed. Of the Black people killed by police, 19% were unarmed, compared to 15.2% of Hispanic people and 12.9% of white people.

Black and Hispanic people were also more likely to be killed while armed with a vehicle, either while fleeing or driving at officers.

Some jurisdictions have mostly banned firing on suspects in moving vehicles as experts have determined it is unlikely to be effective at stopping the vehicle and can be dangerous to bystanders. New York City banned the practice in the 1970s and San Francisco banned it in 2016.

How people killed by police in the San Francisco Bay Area were armed

Race Car Gun Knife Replica gun Unarmed Asian 6.7% 33.3% 46.7% 0.0% 0.0% Black 7.9% 50.8% 12.7% 1.6% 19.0% Hispanic 13.6% 30.3% 19.7% 6.1% 15.2% White 6.5% 37.1% 22.6% 12.9% 12.9% Everyone 9.2% 38.8% 20.4% 6.3% 14.6%

Including Grant, 30 unarmed people have been shot and killed by police in the Bay Area over the last decade. Eight were white, 10 were Hispanic and 12 were Black. Three were passengers in vehicles while the driver attempted to escape.

These are the 29 unarmed people killed by police in the Bay Area since Grant:

Nov. 14, 2009  Leonard Bradley Jr.  San Pablo police Officers Ken White and Frank Perino shot and killed Bradley, 16, after he had allegedly carjacked a Monte Carlo from a couple in San Pablo and led police on a chase to Richmond. He crashed the car, ran from the crash scene, and allegedly turned toward the officers with his hands at his waistband, but he was not carrying a weapon.

May 28, 2010  Michael Welch  Pinole police Officer Zachary Welch and Cpl. Chris Fodor shot and killed Welch, 20, after he removed a black object from his waistband which turned out to be a cellphone.

June 1, 2010  Albert Mike Leday Jr.  Sonoma County Sheriffs Sgt. Mark Fuston shot and killed Leday, 49. He led them on a pursuit and crashed in front of the Sonoma County Public Library. He then confronted deputies and allegedly reached for his waistband.

Nov. 8, 2010  Derrick Jones  Oakland police Officers Eriberto Perez-Angeles and Omar Daza-Quiroz killed Jones, 37, after he ran away while they were questioning him in the barber shop he owned.

April 28, 2011  Darly Podborny  Dublin police Sgt. Donna LaPerle killed Podborny, a 53-year-old homeless man, after Podborny assaulted her.

May 18, 2011  Davon Jackson  Oakland police Officers Cesar Garcia and Ersie Joyner shot Jackson when he allegedly refused to raise his hands and reached toward the center console while seated in a car police had surrounded. Jackson was one of four people in the car police had determined were conspiring to commit a murder. Another suspect, John Sloan, ran from the car with a gun and was also killed by the officers.

April 23, 2012  Robert McMullan  Fairfield police Officer Adam Ponce killed McMullan after going to his house to question him about following a teenage girl. McMullan allegedly fought with Ponce, who then shot him.



Anton Barrett was shot and killed by Vallejo police Officer Sean Kenney after he pulled out his wallet. Photo: Vallejo Police Department

May 28, 2012  Anton Barrett Sr.  Vallejo police Officer Sean Kenney shot and killed Barrett after a pursuit when Barrett pulled out his wallet.

Feb. 28, 2013  Richard Shreckengaust  Sonoma County Sheriffs Deputy Brian Parks shot and killed Shreckengaust after a pursuit into Guerneville. Shreckengaust crashed his car and Parks shot him when he didnt come out.

March 2, 2013  Ronald Aduddell  San Jose police Officers Ian Cooley and Adam Jenkins shot and killed Aduddell after a pursuit. They said he seemed to be reaching for a weapon.

March 3, 2013  Shawn Joseph Jetmore Stoddard-Nunez  Hayward police Officer Manuel Troche shot Stoddard-Nunez while he was a passenger in a car during a traffic stop. The driver, Arthur Pakman, defied orders and rammed a police cruiser.

March 15, 2013  Angelo D. Moreno  Napa County Sheriffs St. Mike Hunter and Deputies Cullen Dodd, Bryan Schultz and Kenneth Vandyke shot Moreno during a traffic stop when he picked up a multitool.

May 10, 2013  Charles Burns  Concord police Detectives Chris Loercher and Francisco Ramirez shot Burns after they had gone to Antioch to arrest him for suspected drug dealing. He was a passenger in a car that crashed into a police cruiser while fleeing. Burns ran from the car, police shot him, mauled him with a dog and shot him again while he was on the ground.

Sept. 4, 2013  Juan Ruelas  Santa Clara police Sgt. Greg Hill, Detectives Travis Niesen, Cory Morgan, Justin Mead, Jake Thompson and Santa Clara County Sheriffs Deputy Tyler Fernandes shot Ruelas when they attempted to arrest him for drug sales. During a sting, Niesen, posing as a drug buyer, shot Ruelas thinking he was reaching for his waistband and the other officers followed.

July 6, 2014  Jeffrey McKinney  Hayward police Officers Kenneth Landreth and Ricardo Flores shot McKinney after he barricaded himself in a motel room. When the officers breached the door, he confronted them naked and they shot him.



JaCorey Calhoun was killed by Alameda County Sheriffs Deputy Derek Thoms during a backyard search in Oakland.

Aug 3, 2014  Jacorey Calhoun  Alameda County Sheriffs Deputy Derek Thoms shot Calhoun during a backyard search after Calhoun fled police. Thoms had scrambled over a fence after his dog, which had bitten Calhoun, and found Calhoun running toward him.

Sept. 14, 2014  Richard Pedie Perez  Richmond police Officer Wallace Jensen shot Perez after finding him drunk outside a liquor store. Perez had walked away after Jensen told him to sit on a curb, then Jensen tackled him, and said Perez reached for his gun.

July 5, 2015  John Deming Jr.  Pleasanton police Officer Daniel Kunkel killed Deming after he was found inside a closed car dealership destroying property and acting erratically. Kunkel chased Deming outside, where Deming knocked him to the ground and started punching him, according to police.

Aug. 17, 2015  Richard Jacquez  San Jose police Officer Jacob Morris killed Jacquez, a murder suspect who allegedly killed a robbery victim during a holdup days earlier, during a foot pursuit. Police initially said Jacquez had reached for his waistband, but later retracted that statement.

Dec. 14, 2015  Hector Alvarez  Gilroy police Officer Adam Moon killed Alvarez while responding to a domestic violence report at Alvarezs home. Police said Alvarez came outside, reached toward his waistband and charged at Moon.

Aug. 13, 2016  Eric Ortega Soto  Hayward police Officers Jason Gillett and Daniel Gray shot Soto while he was a passenger in a stolen Mercedes. The driver, who was not injured, was allegedly ramming police cars.

Feb. 1, 2017  Marquez Warren  Contra Costa County sheriffs Deputy Vedder Li shot and killed Warren, 19, after Warren allegedly broke into Lis Alameda home while Li was off duty.

Feb. 5, 2017  Nana Adomako  Fremont police Officer James Taylor shot Adomako, who was homeless, after reports of a battery in a Verizon store. Adomako fought with Taylor when Taylor tried to stop him.

March 9, 2017  Jesus Alberto Geney-Montes  Santa Clara police Officer Colin Stewart shot Geney-Montes after a standoff when Geney-Montes, suffering from self-inflicted stab wounds, threatened to shoot himself.



Elena Mondragon, 16, was killed when plainclothes Fremont police detectives opened fire on a car attempting to flee while she was a passenger.

March 14, 2017  Elena Mondragon  Fremont police Detective Joel Hernandez and Sgt. Jeremy Miskella shot and killed Mondragon, 16, while she was a passenger in a car while the driver attempted to flee the plainclothes detectives.

Sept. 15, 2017  Jacob Dominguez  San Jose police Officer Michael Pina shot and killed Dominguez, an armed robbery suspect whom police followed while he was driving. The officers attempted to take him into custody at gunpoint but shot him when he lowered his hands.

Dec. 1, 2017  Keita ONeil  San Francisco police Officer Chris Samayoa shot ONeil, 42, after a pursuit. ONeil had abandoned his car and was running past the patrol car when Samayoa shot him through the window.

Feb. 13, 2018  Ronell Foster  Vallejo police Officer Ryan McMahon shot Foster, 33, after attempting to stop him for not having a headlamp on his bicycle. Foster ran away and when McMahon caught up with him, the two fought. Police said Foster took McMahons flashlight before McMahon shot him.

Dec. 5, 2018  David Alejandro Molina  Napa police Officer Christopher Simas shot Molina, a suspect in an assault who was reported to be armed. Molina ran away and fought with Simas when he caught up with him. Molina had discarded the gun before the confrontation.

The full dataset of fatal police shootings in the Bay Area from 2009-2018 is available here.

Written by Scott Morris

I am an independent journalist in Oakland covering policing, protest and civil rights.

If you enjoy my work, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support my ongoing reporting projects via PayPal or Patreon.

You can also follow me on Twitter or Facebook.
Sixty is the new 45, 80 is the new 60, and 100 is  well, really dang old. But even centenarians know that once you stop learning, you star...


The Senate on Thursday passed the Public Holiday (Amendment) Act 2019.

The bill seeks to declare June 12 as Nigerias Democracy Day and also seek to bring the Act to align with current happenings in the country.

This comes after the House of Representatives in December 2018 passed and transmitted the bill to the Senate for concurrence  And the amendments to three clauses in the Act were approved by Senate and House of Reps. While they approved the amendment of the clause carrying May 29 as Democracy Day was amended to June 12.

It will be recalled that in June 2018, President Muhammadu Buhari directed that Democracy Day be henceforth, held on June 12 and no longer on May 29.

The President posthumously awarded the winner of the annulled June 12, 1993, presidential election, Moshood Abiola, with the highest national honour of the Grand Commander of the Federal Republic (GCFR)  An honour only conferred on presidents and former presidents.

And said that May 29 would be celebrated every fourth year when a new president will be inaugurated.
Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) presidential candidate in the just concluded poll has accused President Muhammadu Buhari of planning to jail him because he refuses to let go his mandate.

According to Atiku who spoke via a statement issued by his media aide, Paul Ibe, yesterday, he accused Buhari of planning to rope him in a coup plot against his administration.

His words:
Controversial Nollywood actor, Uche Maduagwu, has berated actress, Etinosa Idemudia, for placing a curse on an Instagram follower who made a jest out of her for stripping on MC Galaxy live Instagram.

Uche who spoke via his Instagram page today, 16th May, expressed regret for supporting Etinosa when she faced backlash from Nigerian for stripping on the live Instagram.

His words:

@etinosaofficial I REGRET ever supporting you for going NUDE on @mcgalaxymcg Instagram video Omg, someone just showed me a POST where @etinosaofficial allegedly placed a CURSE on someone on Instagram, omg, this is terrifying, to say the least, when are we celebrities ever going to start showing LOVE even to both our HATERS and those who love us on social media? My dear, LOVE overcomes hate and not CURSES If we dont want our fans to QUESTION our behaviour on social media, why cant we live RIGHTLY then? Why cant we support the GOOD and godly things in our SOCIETY? @etinosaofficial Honestly, I am just regretting why I supported you back then, yes, what @mcgalaxymcg did was not OK, but you self need JESUS urgently. @etinosaofficial Listen, Ive already gotten the attention of @chrissyteigen, thats how BIG I am in Africa, so, when I talk, madam, listen attentively, because Im not in the same Whatsapp group with other popular actors and actresses in Naija, repent, and accept Jesus into your life.

Post below:
Nigerian senator, Ben Murray-Bruce has decried the nonchalant attitude of educated ones to politics in Nigeria.

The senator asserted that literates who stay away from politics do more harm to the country than they can imagine.

Ben Murray-Bruce stated that illiterates are the ones going into politics, while the educated ones are chasing money in the private sector.

Also Read: You Are A Prostitute, Who Has Been Raped  Actor, Bishop Umeh Slams Lady

He tweeted:
Controversial investigative journalist, Kemi Olunloyo, says she wouldnt rest until she get justice after Nollywood actress, Iyabo Ojos phone sent her to prison.

Olunloyo also promised to reveal damning evidence against the actress, who she says is conniving woman, who tries to play the victim.

Drama between the duo was relaunched yesterday after Kemi Olunloyo came at Iyabo Ojo over her mothers day revelation that her husband didnt show her love on her wedding day.

Ojo quickly replied the journalist, warning her to mind what she(Kemi) says  This then stirred Olunloyo into writing a mini epistle.

What Kemi Olunloyo wrote:

Iyabo Ojo, young lady you are making your situation WORSE. The letter that was sent from your phone sending me to prison will finally be released Saturday morning. I only post on weekends now. It was saved for my book.

Only Pastor Ibiyeomie, myself, Vivian, NPF and Minister Douglas and the Toronto police officer who tracked it to your phone have copies a year after Idris botched the case. You DEFAMED me, you ruined my name, my business, my career. Silence is never the best answer for a fool. You must reply to them. Im one of the most transparent and honest human beings in the world. I DONT LIE! I will highly suggest you keep your mouth sealed to protect your legal rights.

Your world is about to go down if you see what was sent from your phone to a Journalist in an attempt to defame a pastor and ruin your reputation.

Nollywood figures are calling me. Ive told @authenticmuy to call you to order. It is WORSE than you think. Your child was called a runs girl, you were called a prostitute runner disguising as an NGO, there were all sorts of things in that letter and all I did was begin investigating the car by posting page 1 of that 8-page letter LOOKING for witnesses to prove that Ibiyeomie allegedly gave you a car.

He does not know you, never met you. Who sent it to me? Vivian said she got the car from Apostle Suleiman and even returned it because you fought her for it as you felt she was trying to snatch him from you.
President Muhammadu Buhari has been charged by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to account for funds of over N14tr allegedly looted under his administration before May 29.

This was made known by the PDP in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan. Ologbondiyan alleged that there were humongous corruption and treasury looting under Buharis watch.

The opposition, therefore, asked the president Buhari should open up his tenure for investigation, to prove his integrity.

PDP also charged the Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee on Anti-Corruption (PACAC), Professor Itse Sagay to advise Buhari to present his stewardship for investigation of alleged corruption, instead of his (Sagay)s an unnecessary fixation on court rulings in Rivers State.

PDP also noted that Buharis administration would be remembered as the most corrupt administration ever, adding: It is a stinking sanctuary of treasury thieves that thrives in manipulation, deception and official concealment.

It is totally unpardonable that President Buhari, despite his claimed integrity and zero tolerance for corruption, not only superintended over an administration that reeks and wallows in corruption but also refused to allow any investigation into massive corruption under his watch.

The Buhari Presidency should also explain the circumstances surrounding the handling of the N2.6tr oil subsidy regime, particularly the alleged N58 hidden tax per litre, which Nigerians have continued to bear since the fuel price increased from PDP subsidised the cost of N87 to presumably unsubsidized cost of N145.

He should also investigate alleged stealing of N1.1tr worth of crude oil using 18 unregistered companies, allegedly linked to the cabal at the Presidency, the statement said.

Unless the President has something to hide, he should allow an independent investigation into the allegations of corruption in the next 14 days, it added.
The Federal Government has alleged that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar have plans to overthrow the President Muhammadu Buhari administration through a military coup.

The federal government revealed this via the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed while addressing State House Correspondents shortly after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by President Buhari on Wednesday.

According to Mohammed, the PDP has already begun hatching the plot towards overthrowing Buharis government.

Mohammed said: The PDP and Atiku are doing everything possible to sabotage the Buhari Administration and generally overheat the polity.

They want to make Nigeria seemingly ungovernable, especially through their public utterances and their poorly-thought-out press statements before and after the 2019 general elections.

In his address titled: PDPs Brand of Opposition Politics Poses Great Threat to Nigerias Democracy, said:

Never in the history of politics in Nigeria has an opposition party exhibited the kind of desperate tactics being deployed by the PDP and its flag-bearer, especially since President Buhari defeated Atiku in the 2019 presidential elections.

For those who may accuse the government of crying wolf, the pre-election statement credited to the former Vice President, that unless Nigerians vote out the APC Administration, herdsmens killings will continue and ultimately spark an irreversible ethno-religious crisis, looks more like a Freudian slip than anything else, he stated.
The Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai, had alleged that some politicians who were defeated in the last elections are responsible for the increased spate of security in some parts of the country.

Buratai, said this on Wednesday in Maiduguri when he received the House Committee on Army led by its Chairman, Remande Shawulu, at the Theatre Command.

The myriad of security challenges we are facing now in the North West, North Central and other parts of the country, I want to believe and rightly so, is the fall out of the just concluded general elections.

There are several political interests, politicians in particular not happy with their defeat and therefore, trying to take revenge, sponsoring some these criminal activities.

There is strong political undertone, strong political influence.

So, I will use this opportunity to call on the honourable members here to prevail on some of these politicians to look at national interest first before any other political or sectional interest.

We have some strong evidence but we are still being cautious so that we dont get it wrong, Buratai said.
Oba Rilwan Akinolu, the crowned king of Lagos state has said that former President Olusegun Obasanjo sees himself as one who must at all times have a say in the leadership of the country. He added that Buharis victory at the just concluded poll without the support of the former president clearly shows that he is no more as powerful as he thinks.

The former police officer turned king made this known when the participants of the Senior Executive Course 41 of the National Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru, visited him a courtesy visit in his palace in Lagos.

His words:
Nollywood actor, Bishop Umeh, who stoked the fire of controversy when he said police officers charged who raped women in Abuja, should be charged with theft.

This comment elicited a lot of reactions from people on social media. A lady fired at the actor calling him out on the way he reasons.

She wrote in the comment section;

This is disgusting to listen to! So because they are commercial sex workers, they are not capable of being raped. Not everything is a joke and it is not every time somethings comes to your mind that you just say it without thinking it through. You want to trend, hope you eventually do!

Also Read: Kemi Olunloyo Promises Damning Evidence Against Iyabo Ojo

However firing back at the female lawyer he accused of being a prostitute who has been raped before, Okon Lagos stated that if a decent girl is raped it is her self worth and dignity that was stolen. See the exchange below;
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Part of the NHIFs funding will come from Singaporeans Central Provident Fund (CPF) accounts, with an average monthly contribution of SG$50, and the rest being subsidised by the government.

This payment from a single source rather than multiple sources from the 3Ms eliminates the present complicated subsidy system, said Paul Tambyah, SDP chairman.

If the NHIF is implemented, it will subsidise 90% of the total hospital bill, with the patient paying the remaining 10% up to SG$2,000 per year.

Read more: MediShield Life scheme prompts payout surge

According to Tambyah, in the 1960s and 1970s, Singapore had a single-payer healthcare system, coinciding with the nations golden era of growth and development. In 1981, he argued, Singapore had better health outcomes than the UK and the US, despite both countries being much richer than Singapore at the time.

The system was revamped with the introduction of Medisave in 1984.

Unfortunately, in the 1980s healthcare was viewed not as an essential, but as a commodity  as something that had to be traded, and something that can be seen as an industry for profit, he said.

So I dont think its true to argue that a single-payer healthcare system is going to result in worse healthcare for Singaporeans, because we know that in the past, we were able to do it.
The specialist mental health service, launched in May last year as an extension of the life insurer's current Best Doctors offering, provides eligible customers and their immediate family members with a detailed mental health review by leading experts at no cost and without the need to make an insurance claim to use it.

Sean McCormack, chief of group and retail partners at MLC Life Insurance, said Mental Health Navigator addressed a genuine gap in Australias mental health system.

A recent MLC Life Insurance-backed study revealed that 63% of Australians with a mental health condition believe the current mental healthcare system is too confusing and complex, leading many to consider giving up on treatment. Meanwhile, seven in ten Australians who have sought help for a condition said it was a negative experience and 36% believed finding the right treatment was hard.

Each year approximately one in every five Australians will experience a mental health condition. However, worryingly more than half do not access any treatment, McCormack said. This is not a good outcome. Our research shows that many people feel the current system is too complex to navigate, and we believe this service can help address this issue.

According to the FSC, mental health conditions rank third in the top 10 causes of claims across all life insurance categories.
KLAiM originated in the UK, where the system helped clients settle in excess of 80% of their claims without the need for a lawyer. The platform was adapted to work in international markets including the US, Bermuda, Hong Kong, and now Australia.

For Australia, Kennedys has built this latest version of KLAiM around Queenslands Personal Injuries Proceedings Act 2002 (QLD), although it can be readily adapted for other states and jurisdictions.

Richard West, partner and head of innovation at Kennedys, said KLAiM has helped the firm build relationships with clients and gain additional market share, while also helping its clients to rapidly reduce their reliance on lawyers.

We are excited to bring our philosophy and our own technology to clients in Australia as the factors that make KLAiM so appealing in the UK, such as reducing legal spend and speeding up the life cycle of claims, are just as relevant to our clients in other jurisdictions, West said.

I have seen the revolutionary impact KLAiM has had on Kennedys clients across the world, said Matt Andrews (pictured above), partner at Kennedys Sydney office. The Australian extension of KLAiM is built to allow rapid development for all Australian jurisdictions and we are already seeing significant interest from local insurer clients.
Former group general counsel Mike Cain will now hold the position of group chief operating officer while remaining as CEO of Aspen UK for a transition period. He replaces group COO David Schick, who is leaving to pursue opportunities outside Aspen.

Group chief risk officer Tim Aman, meanwhile, will assume lead responsibility for outward reinsurance/retro analysis, structuring, and placement on top of his current role. Widening his remit as well is global head of insurance marketing and distribution Jonny Atkinson, who has been named head of insurance London.

Christian Dunleavy, managing director of Aspen Re and chief underwriting officer of Aspen Bermuda Limited, will now also serve as the latters chief executive. He succeeds Kate Vacher, who will be pursuing personal interests.

Aspen also gets a new chief strategy officer in the form of Marcus Foley, who was group head of capital management. He is also appointed to the group executive committee.

Joining the group executive committee as well are group chief investment officer Bryan Astwood, group chief actuary Paul Frydas, and Silvia Martinez who is now group general counsel and company secretary.

Zahir Petiwalla, performance officer and chief operating officer of Aspen Re has become deputy group COO. Meanwhile international head of financial institutions Sarah Stanford is taking on the additional position of Lloyds active underwriter of Syndicate 4711.

As we continue our focus on operational improvement and strengthening Aspens competitive position, it is essential we have the right talent to execute on our strategy, serve brokers and customers and drive to enhance the long-term value of our business, stated executive chairman and group CEO Mark Cloutier.

Meanwhile Donald Harrell, former head of international insurance and global head of marine, is also exiting effective immediately to pursue opportunities outside the company.

I want to thank David, Kate, and Donald for their service and commitment to Aspen over the years, said Cloutier. Our business is well positioned thanks to their many contributions, and we wish them well in their future endeavours.

It has been revealed as well that Aspen Risk Management Limited is expected to be placed into runoff after Aspen Insurance UK Limited served notice of termination of their agency agreement. In addition, Aspen said it has begun the process of closing its office in Dublin as a result of the proposed move of its Dublin Excess Casualty underwriting business to London.
Read more: Plymouth Rock's plan to fix "broken" homeowner's insurance

With the new product, insurance buyers and their agents can obtain an accurate quote in seconds. They can check their current coverage and price immediately, even if theyre not in the market for a new home insurance policy, making it also a great way to shop around and measure how ones insurance stacks up against Plymouth Rocks.

Only 12 percent of homeowners shop for a new policy each year, said Plymouth Rock president and CEO Bill Martin. This may be because it is more fun to do something else like make a sandwich.

Martin believes that insurers should focus more on helping their customers get the best possible insurance at a given price instead of antagonizing them.

Many of our competitors collect data to prove their insurance applicants answers wrong. We use the data to make customers lives simpler and avoid playing gotcha.

We decided getting an insurance quote should be easier, more interesting and fun than making a sandwich, the chief executive added.

The features of Plymouth Rocks insurance include:
Whoever said theres nowhere to go but down when youre at the top surely didnt have insurer Ping An in mind. The Chinese firm has kept its place in the latest Brand Finance Insurance 100, thanks to its 93% surge in brand value to US$50.5 billion.

Launched in association with Insurance Business, the 2019 edition of the annual report features not only the listing of the top 100 insurance brands but as well as sections on brand value by country, performance by sector, and Brand Finances brand valuation methodology.
Read next: Cyber claims data shows worrying trend

Carriers are looking to align their policy language to better maximize recovery, Parisi told Insurance Business. Lets say we have another NotPetya-type event  they dont want to create an insurance situation where theres a grant under the property policy and the standalone cyber policy, and assuming the war exclusion isnt an issue, all of a sudden they have two insurance policies responding to an event.

If you havent handled certain insurance 101 things correctly when it comes to the policy language, youre going to have two deductibles apply and two limits apply. When that happens, carriers are either going to split the baby and say: Were only going to cover half the limit, or theyre both going to argue that the other is the primary coverage. Basically, you reach a stalemate.

Brokers never want to reach a situation where one cyber event has a client susceptible to two deductibles, according to Parisi. To avoid that, they can ensure that all policy language aligns together appropriately, and that grants are aligned to maximize any potential coverage that might exist in other standard P&C insurance policies.

Read more: Marsh reveals how cyber insurance market is surging

The standalone cyber insurance carriers have never been in love with covering physical damage or bodily injury losses, Parisi commented. Marshs position is that if theres an intervening physical cause, which there almost has to be to break something or to hurt somebody, we view that as properly within the property & casualty market to begin with.

But you do have situations, like bricking, where a cyber event damages the firmware of an electronic device, but the device itself is not physically damaged. That falls into that gray area  the crack between the property policy and the standalone cyber policy. Recently, weve seen the cyber market be more flexible and recognize that its almost always their job to step into that void.

There are opportunities for brokers to work with the markets to address these gaps and coverage gray areas. It starts with asking the right questions and diligently picking apart all aspects of a clients technology risk.

Parisi added: We like to go to market and say: Heres a coverage gap that our clients are concerned about. Work with us to figure out how to solve that gap. Tell us what you need to know and what we need to ask our clients. What do our clients need to tell you in order to allow you to underwrite that risk and provide that coverage? Cyber risk, no matter how seemingly silent, is something that can be solved.
The company that makes OxyContin did not stop pitching the powerful opioid painkiller to doctors even when its sales representatives raised concerns that they were prescribing the drug inappropriately, the Pennsylvania attorney generals office said in a lawsuit announced Tuesday.

The lawsuit against Connecticut-based Purdue Pharma was filed on May 2 under seal and announced on Tuesday. It made Pennsylvania at least the 39th state to sue the company seeking to hold it responsible for the toll of opioids, which have been killing more people in the U.S. and Pennsylvania each year than car crashes.

The suit says Purdue drug representatives have made 531,000 detailing calls on doctors in the state since 2007, when the company settled with Pennsylvania and 25 other states agreeing to stop identifying illegal diversion of its OxyContin and to promote it only for federally approved uses.

Only California doctors heard from the company more, the state says.

The suit names several doctors whom the state says the company continued to call on to promote opioids despite signs that they were prescribing to addicts or worrying pharmacies with their prescribing levels. The complaint singled out one  Philadelphia doctor Jeffrey Bado  as one of the nations biggest prescribers of opioids. The doctor lost his license in 2013 and was convicted in 2016 crimes including causing the death of a patient.

The state says the company stopped calling on Bado at points because of concerns over his prescribing practices but kept returning again to promote the drugs.

Purdue said the company denies the allegations. The complaint is part of a continuing effort to try these cases in the court of public opinion rather than the justice system, Purdue spokesman Robert Josephson said in a written statement.

Attorney General Josh Shapiro did not rule out future legal actions against Purdue sales representatives and executives.

He said he decided to sue because the company after two years of serving as a leader of a multistate investigation into the opioid industry and negotiations with companies on a settlement. It has become clear that just one company, Purdue Pharma, has not been willing to negotiate in good faith, he said at a news conference.

Josephson disputed that, saying the company is in complicated negotiations with state attorney generals, local governments and others.

Around 2,000 local governments, including several in Pennsylvania, along with unions, hospitals and Native American tribes have also sued various industry players including Purdue and other drugmakers, distributors and pharmacies.

Purdue, a privately held company based in Stamford, Connecticut, earlier this year publicly threatened bankruptcy as the litigation mounts. Some states have also started suing members of the Sackler family, which includes prominent philanthropists and owns the firm.

In March, the company and the Sacklers settled a case with Oklahoma for $270 million. The company settled with Kentucky in 2015 for $24 million.

For 2017, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention tallied a record of nearly 48,000 opioid deaths.

In Pennsylvania, the state Health Department said that more than 4,200 people died of overdoses involving any drug last year, down from nearly 5,600 in 2017.

Associated Press reporter Marc Levy in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, contributed to this article.

Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Lawsuits Pennsylvania Drugs
Munich Re disclosed it will partner globally with telematics provider The Floow.

The deal will help strengthen Munich Res telematics consulting offering but also allow The Floows products and services to be provided to insurance clients globally. Both companies hope that combining The Floows data collection, refinery and scoring products with Munich Res insurance products and actuarial expertise will boost service broadly.

Sabine Fischer, Head of Motor Consulting at Munich Re, said that the partnership is timely, due to an apparently large market appetite for usage-based insurance products and services.

The underpinning capabilities have to be right, and weve carefully selected The Floow as our partner because we believe in the quality of their offer, Fischer said in prepared remarks.

The Floow Chief Operating Officer David James said in prepared remarks that the partnership will work well in expanding his companys reach.

Were excited by the opportunities that this partnership will bring and are already engaged in new projects in the Middle East, Africa, the Americas, Asia and mainland Europe, he said.

The Floow, launched in 2012, has headquarters officers in Sheffield in the UK and Detroit in the United States. Its market reach includes the U.S., Europe, Africa, and South America. Its focus is on helping to boost safer driving with a goal of reducing claims frequency. The company claims it has helped insurers cut the likelihood of accidents in some of their poorest performing segments.

Source: Munich Re/The Floow

This article first appeared in Insurance Journals sister publication, Carrier Management.

Topics Mergers
Victor Insurance Holdings, a managing general underwriter (MGU), announced the appointment of Anthony Stevens as president of Victor International. Stevens is responsible for advancing Victors insurance strategy outside of North America with a focus on new insurance products and digital operations.

Stevens was previously head of International Development for Marshs Global Risk and Digital division, a position he held since October 2017. He brings expertise in technology, strategy and international growth to this new role, having worked throughout Europe and Asia-Pacific on the carrier, brokerage, and consulting sides of the industry. Before joining Marsh in 2014, he held senior roles at RSA and Oliver Wyman.

Stevens succeeds Paul Drake, who previously announced his plans to retire from the firm in September. Drake will continue to lead Victor in the UK until a successor is appointed.

Stevens is based in London and reports to Christopher Schaper, CEO, Victor Insurance Holdings.

Victor Insurance Holdings, formerly known as The Schinnerer Group, has locations in the U.S., Canada, UK, Bermuda, Netherlands, Germany, Italy and Australia. It handles more than $1.5 billion in premium through 25,000 insurance agents and brokers.
Patrick Moore has joined Lockton as senior vice president and employee benefits consultant for Lockton Midwest with his primary office in Chicago.

He brings more than 25 years of experience in the insurance industry focusing on employee benefits. Moore will partner with employers to create programs that offer a high level of benefits while mitigating price increases.

The unemployment rate in the Chicago area has dropped 0.9 percent in the past year to 4.3 percent. While experiencing an uptick in the employment rate, Illinois has had five consecutive years of population loss, losing 45,000 people in 2018 alone. Employers need a competitive benefits program that meets the needs of their employees and organization.

Moore is experienced in creating personalized benefits programs. He spent 12 years leading Diversified Insurance Services of Illinois, his own employee benefits firm. After selling the firm to USI, he remained with them as a senior vice president for 15 years before moving to Lockton.

Moore is part of the Midwest series which encompasses offices in Illinois, Missouri, Western Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Wisconsin.

Source: Lockton

Topics Illinois Lockton
Wholesale insurance broker and underwriting manager, Burns & Wilcox, has added Saul Garcia to its management team as director of Marketing in Texas.

The new role was created to support the companys recent growth in the region and provides opportunity to increase relationships and expand clientele.

Based in San Antonio, Garcia will be working with all three Burns & Wilcox Texas offices in Houston, Arlington and San Antonio, as well as the Stonemark Inc., the companys premium finance arm. Bringing decades of experience to the team, Garcia will be responsible for the companys marketing and business development efforts for these offices and serving as a liaison to corporate headquarters.

Garcia began his insurance career as an underwriter for the former Aetna Casualty and Surety Co. He also has held marketing positions at TGA Insurance Managers Inc. and LP Risk.

Source: Burns & Wilcox

Topics Texas
Mississippi homeowners could see premiums rise up to 25 percent thanks to Hurricane Katrina-related subrogation litigation being brought by the Mississippi attorney general, according to a recent report by Milliman.

The subrogation litigation is being brought by the Mississippi attorney general and will cost homeowners up to $55 million annually, Milliman Inc. said in a March report.

Mississippi property insurers already paid $13.8 billion in covered losses on 515,000 Katrina claims, and the federal government stepped in to help homeowners who did not have enough insurance coverage to rebuild, adding more than $2.1 billion of grant assistance from the state Homeowners Grant Assistance Program (HAP) program to nearly 20,000 homeowners in four counties that faced uninsured (not wind) losses.

Nearly 14 years later, the Mississippi attorney generals office is working with outside plaintiffs attorneys to extend Katrina litigation and file lawsuits against insurance companieswithout notifying the homeowners who initiated the claims.

Millimans January 2019 report (Mississippi Homeowners Insurance: Potential Impacts from Subrogation Litigation) says the attorney generals series of lawsuits, beginning in 2015, against individual insurers alleges tortious underpayment of insurance claims, in part due to the known existence of HAP.

The basic allegation in each complaint is that insurers underpaid, partially denied, or denied wind claims by classifying them as flood claims, the report states, noting that insurers did so with the knowledge that the HAP program would likely reimburse damage identified as flood because of the insufficient flood insurance on the properties, and that the existence of HAP would lower the chance that policyholders would take action against their insurers for underpaying or denying the claims.

The report said the Mississippi Attorney General circumvented the statute of limitations that applies to policyholders by making the state plaintiff, and hopes to recover funds from insurers to redress HAPs expenditure of funds that allegedly should have been paid as windstorm claims.

Milliman said the complaints it studied addressed 15,798 claimants who were paid more than $233 million in insured windstorm losses and subsequently received more than $1.19 billion in HPA flood grants.

Because homeowner insurers in Mississippi charged no premium for the flood peril and did not anticipate additional damages for flood at the time of policy issuance, a retroactive increase to the ultimate liability for Katrina losses could change actuarial projections of prospective future loss costs from similar catastrophic windstorm events in Mississippi, Milliman said.

The report finds that the typical coastal county policyholder could see premium increases between $10 and $487 per annual policy due to the anticipated impact of future litigationa rate increase that ranges from 0.5 percent to 25 percent.

APCIA, which engaged Milliman to analyze the potential impact of these lawsuits on Mississippi homeowners insurance premiums, responded to the reports findings in a press release.

Turning back the clock and reopening settlements from 12 years ago might pad lawyers pockets, but it would also disrupt the insurance marketplace and harm consumers and the economy, said APCIA Southeast Region vice president Ron Jackson.

Source: American Property Casualty Insurance Association, Milliman

Topics Lawsuits Carriers Catastrophe Natural Disasters Flood Pricing Trends Hurricane Homeowners Mississippi
Six Roman Catholic dioceses in California are creating a program to compensate people who were sexually abused by priests as children, in return for them promising not to sue.

The program announced Tuesday includes the Archdiocese of Los Angeles and the dioceses of Fresno, Orange, Sacramento, San Bernardino and San Diego. Together, they cover 36 counties and some 10 million Catholics, or about 80 percent of the states Catholics.

The compensation program is part of our effort to own and atone for the Churchs failure to protect children and young people abused by Catholic priests, Sacramento Bishop Jaime Soto said in a statement.

The diocese expects the program to begin before the end of summer, spokesman Kevin Eckery told the Sacramento Bee.

The compensation program will cover abuse committed by priests in the six dioceses but not victims of other diocesan employees, such as schoolteachers, or clergy from other dioceses or religious orders.

Those who accept compensation agree not to file lawsuits over abuse. They also cant have previously resolved a lawsuit over the same allegations. However, the program is open to those who are barred from suing by statutes of limitations because the abuse occurred too long ago. It also will be open to anyone whether or not they are in the country legally.

The program will be independently administered by Washington, D.C., attorneys Kenneth R. Feinberg and Camille S. Biros and an oversight board that includes former California Gov. Gray Davis and Maria Contreras-Sweet, former administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration, according to a statement from Feinbergs firm.

Over the past two decades, California dioceses have paid nearly $1.5 billion in settlements to thousands of abuse victims.

It was unclear how much abuse survivors could receive under the compensation program.

Until we have a sense of how many victims come forward and what the range of damages is, we just dont have dollar figures, Amy Weiss, a spokeswoman for the attorneys, told the Bee.

However, she said Feinberg and Biros have run similar programs for dioceses in New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Colorado and the programs in New York and Pennsylvania have paid out a total of $250 million.

Claims can be submitted through a website that is still being developed.

The group Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, or SNAP, urged victims to use the justice system.

We believe that the best way to expose wrongdoing and enforce accountability is for crimes to be made public and for punishment and compensation to be meted out by courts, not the institutions that allowed the wrongdoing to happen in the first place, the group said in a statement.

Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics California Talent
Vancouver, British Columbia - May 16, 2019 (Newsfile Corp.) (Investorideas.com Newswire) Biocure Technology Inc. (CSE: CURE) (OTCQB: BICTF) (formerly Gravis Energy Corp.) (the "Company" or "Biocure") is pleased to announce that Biocure Pharm Corp.("BPK"), a subsidiary of the Company has entered into an agreement with Pharos Vaccine Inc. for the development of overseas market of CAR T-cell products on exclusive basis. The two Companies will work together in developing anti-CD19 CAR T-cell therapy products, conduct preclinical, clinical trials and commercialize anti-CD19 CAR T-cell therapy products overseas to treat leukemia and lymphoma patients. Some of the highlights of collaborative R&D work scopes in the Agreement include:

1) Manufacture of products for preclinical trial of Contract Product

2) Preclinical trial of Contract Product

3) Manufacture of 3 batch of test product for clinical trial application of Contract Product

4) Application for clinical trial of Contract Product

5) Manufacture of product for clinical trial of Contract Product

6) Clinical trial of the Contract Product

7) Establishment of manufacturing technology and SOP of Contract Product

8) Establishment of QC test method and SOP of Contract Product

9) Preparation of safety / efficacy data of Contract Product

10) Establishment and operation of GMP Facility of Contract Product

11) Biologics License Application (BLA) of Contract Product

12) Obtaining the product registration and (conditional) sales permit for Contract Product

Pharos and BPK (collectively "Parties") have agreed on the exclusive manufacturing and marketing rights of anti-CD19 CAR T-cell products for 15 years from the starting date of sales in the markets. The territories BPK shall have exclusive rights under this Agreement are all the countries except China.

Dr. Sang Mok Lee, a CEO and President of Biocure as well as BPK states, "I am pleased to have this agreement executed with Pharos to be clear about what both firms are supposed to do for the development of world market of CAR-T Cell products beyond Korea market. Biocure has finished successfully pre-clinical trial in Korea last September 2018 and now plans to start a clinical trial in the Q3 this year. Our next goal shall be developing overseas market by implementing clinical trials in those countries we are targeting to enter into. By this Agreement, Pharos and Biocure could have clear paths on what roles each firm should play in the development of world markets."

About Biocure

Biocure is a South Korean based Bio Pharmaceutical company specializing in the development and potential commercialization of biosimilar pharmaceutical products. Biocure is in the process of pre-clinical trials of five major biosimilar products in South Korea, including Interferon Beta 1b, PEG-Filgrastim and Ranibizumab as well as CAR-T Cell Therapy. Interferon Beta 1b is used for treating relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis ("MS") Filgrastim is used to treat neutropenia, a lack of certain white blood cells caused by bone marrow transplants, chemotherapy, and other conditions. Ranibizumab is used for treating macular degeneration. It is also used to treat a type of eye problem known as macular edema, as well as certain eye problems caused by diabetes. Biocure is also developing a foot and mouth disease vaccine and a hair growth production product.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

/s/ "Sang Mok Lee"

CEO and Director

For further information, please contact:

Biocure Technology Inc. Telephone: 604-609-7146, or info@biocuretech.com

Certain statements in this news release, which are not historical in nature, constitute "forward looking statements" within the meaning of that phrase under applicable Canadian securities law. These statements include, but are not limited to, statements or information concerning the Company's proposed activities under the Agreement and the expectations of the Company regarding funding payments due pursuant to the Agreement. These statements reflect management's current assumptions and expectations and by their nature are subject to certain underlying assumptions, known and unknown risks and uncertainties and other factors which may cause actual results, performance or events to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward looking statements. Except as required pursuant to applicable securities laws, the Company will not update these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof. More detailed information about potential factors that could affect financial results is included in the documents filed from time to time with the Canadian securities regulatory authorities by the Company. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward looking statements. Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange (the "CSE") nor the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

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May 16, 2019 (Investorideas.com Newswire) Renewable power capacity (excluding small hydropower) in Argentina is expected to show a significant growth rate, registering a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 17.8% during 2019-2030. Renewable installations sector will increase by 14.7 GW in order to meet the increasing demand, according to GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

GlobalData's latest report, 'Argentina Power Market Outlook to 2030, Update 2019 - Market Trends, Regulations, and Competitive Landscape', which provides analysis of the Argentina power market's regulatory structure, import and export trends, competitive landscape, and power projects, reveals that the implementation of renewable energy auctions under the RenovAr Program is expected to boost the expansion of the renewable energy sector. Some of the projects approved in various rounds of auctions in earlier years resulted in sudden increase in installations for solar and wind in 2018. The momentum will continue as around 4 GW of renewable capacity is under construction and will be commissioned in the near term In addition, financial incentives including accelerated depreciation and tax exemptions are being offered to encourage investment in renewable power generation.

Anchal Agarwal, Power Industry Analyst at GlobalData, comments "Argentina has been facing severe power shortages in recent years, prompting the government to re-focus on increasing installed capacity. The current installed capacity is unable to satisfy demand, which is increasing at a high rate. There is substantial untapped wind and solar power potential in Argentina which presents opportunity for renewable to grow.

As of 2018, gas dominated the Argentina power mix, with a share of 59.6% of the total installed capacity, followed by hydropower with 25.5%. Argentina has substantial gas reserves, which accounts for its dominance in the power generation mix.

Although thermal power sources will remain the highest contributors to the total installed capacity of Argentina in the forecast period, their share will decline from 67.1% in 2018 to 50.0% in 2030. This decline will chiefly be due to the increase in renewable power capacity.

However, there are several challenges which impact investment in the Argentina power sector. The power sector has been privatized, but tariffs are still controlled by the government. As a result, there has been no increase in tariffs for a long time. Power prices remain highly subsidized, and this has placed severe strain on government finances. An unrealistic tariff structure has led to lack of investment in the power supply infrastructure by the private entities that run the network.

Agarwal concludes, "The country is in the path to reduce its dependence on fossil fuels for electricity generation and more emphasis is given for the development of solar, wind and other renewable resources.

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B&Q stores owner Kingfisher missed forecasts for sales growth in its latest quarter, held back by the weak performance of its French businesses.

Shares in the group were down 2.6%, extending year-on-year losses to 19%, after it said like-for-like sales rose 0.8% in the three months to April 30, its fiscal first quarter - below analysts consensus forecast for growth of about 1.6%.

Kingfisher, whose main businesses are B&Q and Screwfix in Britain and Ireland and Castorama and Brico Depot in France and elsewhere, is in the fourth year of a five-year programme that was designed to boost earnings.

However, profits went backwards in its 2018-2019 year and the group said in March it would part company with Veronique Laury, its chief executive since 2014.

Despite Ms Laurys planned departure, the group is sticking to her strategy. Costing 800m (923m) over five years, it involves unifying product ranges across brands, boosting e-commerce and seeking efficiency savings.

The group was up against weak comparative numbers in its first quarter. In the same period last year, group like-for-like sales fell 4% as adverse weather dented demand.

This year, first quarter like-for-like sales rose 3.4%, 6.2% and 24.6% in the UK and Ireland, Poland and Romania respectively but were down 3.7% in France.

We think France sales have been affected by continued range disruption and as the digital offer is taking time to ramp up, said RBC Europe analyst Richard Chamberlain, who has an underperform rating on the stock.

We still see a high risk of a potential margin rebase by a new CEO, particularly in France, he said.

Total group sales were 2.8bn in the quarter, up 1.7%. Kingfisher said its expectations for the full year were unchanged. Prior to Wednesdays update, analysts average forecast for 2019-2220 underlying pretax profit was 671m, down from 693m made in 2018-2019.

Reuters
Irish internal communications software company Poppulo plans to create 125 jobs as part of an international expansion that will almost double its workforce within three years.

The jobs in the Cork-based company, which specialises in creating software to help companies manage employee communications, will be mainly hi-tech engineering and research and development roles, but there will also be sales and marketing positions.
Cities, which are home to more than half the worlds population, are stepping up efforts to slash pollution, often wresting the fight against climate change away from national governments.

Thats the conclusion of CDP, a group that pushes institutions to detail their greenhouse-gas emissions. Often able to move faster than their national counterparts, metropolitan authorities from London to Sydney and Boston are among a group of 15 setting out the most rigorous plans to achieve carbon or climate neutrality by 2050.

The moves are evidence of ambition by local authorities to do their part in reining in global warming, almost two-thirds of global emissions come from cities. CDP wants to draw attention to their actions to encourage others to make similar commitments.

Cities are doing a lot of the work, but they cant get there alone, said Kyra Appleby, global director of cities, states and regions at CDP.

Businesses need to act, national governments need to act as well, people need to change their own behaviour in order for us to limit carbon emissions.

A smaller group consisting of five cities including Paris and San Francisco have set themselves 100% renewable energy targets. Reykjavik, population 123,000, says it already uses 100% renewable power. How fast other cities get to that point is largely down to the policies they enact.

Paris gets 35% of its energy from clean sources, and San Francisco gets almost 60% of its power from renewables, CDP said. Almost 7% of the 625 cities that took part in the report were given the highest rating  joining the CDP A-list.

Among the top scoring, only 28 have set goals for carbon neutrality (balancing emissions of greenhouse gases), climate neutrality (designing wider policies to reduce the overall impact of human activity to the environment) or cutting emissions by half or more.

More than 20 US cities got the highest rating showing how mayors and councillors can take the initiative on climate change in spite of a president who has repeatedly played down the effects of global warming.

Since the 2015 Paris Agreement that committed the world to slowing down global warming, the narrative has shifted from a problem that the world faces in the future to an issue that exists today. That was sped up by a 2018 UN report that spelled out the need for rapid action to grapple with a warming planet.

Cities have formed alliances to share knowledge and push for change  like the C40 initiative that has 94 cities committed to implementing ambitious climate goals. CDP gives an A rating to any city that reports publicly on its climate adaptation and action plans as well as reporting on emissions inventories and reduction targets. The worst performing cities are handed a D although CDP doesnt make those public.

Bloomberg
Personal values are everything in business, Ciara Crossan, founder and CEO of WeddingDates, told this weeks Women In Business Network (WIBN) lunch, hosted by PwC Cork.

It is vitally important to be true to who you are, said Ms Crossan.
By David Shepardson, Reuters | May 15, 2019

Federal Aviation Administration acting chief Dan Elwell told lawmakers on Wednesday he expects Boeing Co to submit a software fix for the grounded 737 MAX involved in two fatal crashes for approval soon, and said he was concerned by the planemaker's lengthy delay in disclosing a software anomaly.

At a congressional hearing, the chairman of the U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee told the FAA it must "get it right" in deciding when to allow the Boeing 737 MAX to fly again.

"The world is watching and the FAA and Boeing must get it right," Democratic Representative Peter DeFazio said, adding the incidents have raised concerns about how the FAA certifies aircraft.

The Boeing 737 MAX plane was grounded worldwide in mid-March after two crashes in October and March killed 346 people.

Elwell said the agency expects to get the software upgrade and training update from Boeing in the "next week or so." He said the FAA will only allow the plane to resume flights when it is "absolutely safe to do so ... It's important we get this right," Elwell said.

Elwell said Boeing should not have waited 13 months to tell the FAA that it inadvertently made an alarm alerting pilots to a mismatch of flight data optional on the 737 MAX, instead of standard as on earlier 737s.

Elwell said he was "concerned" by the delay. "We're going to look into that," Elwell said. "Thirteen months is too long."

The FAA is planning a May 23 meeting in Fort Worth, Texas, with air regulators from around the world to update them on the reviews. U.S. airlines have canceled flights as a result of the 737 MAX grounding into August.

Elwell said he hopes the international aviation community will work together. "My hope is that they have the confidence in our work and our analysis to make their ungrounding decisions if that's where the discussion is as close to our decision as possible," he said.

Democratic Representative Rick Larsen, who chairs the aviation subcommittee that held Wednesday's hearing, said the FAA "has a credibility problem. The FAA needs to fix its credibility problem."

Boeing has said its software upgrade and associated pilot training will add layers of protection to prevent erroneous data from triggering the system called MCAS.

The system activated in the Ethiopian Airlines crash in March and also during a separate Lion Air crash in Indonesia in October. Elwell said Boeing should have included more details on MCAS in its own manuals on the Boeing 737 MAX.

Committee leaders said they still expect to call Boeing to testify at a future hearing but expressed some frustration they have not yet received any documents from Boeing as they probe what went wrong with the 737 MAX.

The U.S. planemaker has been trying for weeks to dispel suggestions it made airlines pay for safety features after it emerged that an alert designed to show discrepancies in Angle of Attack readings from two sensors was optional on the 737 MAX.

Erroneous data from a sensor responsible for measuring the angle at which the wing slices through the air - known as the Angle of Attack - is suspected of triggering a flawed piece of software that pushed the plane downward in two recent crashes.

Boeing said last week it only discovered once deliveries of the 737 MAX had begun in 2017 that the so-called AOA Disagree alert was optional instead of standard as it had intended, but added that was not critical safety data.

Boeing said a Safety Review Board, convened after a fatal Lion Air crash in Indonesia last October, corroborated its prior conclusion that the alert was not necessary for the safe operation of commercial aircraft and could safely be tackled in a future system update.

Federal prosecutors, the Transportation Department's inspector general and lawmakers are investigating the FAA's certification of the 737 MAX 8 aircraft.
Legendary musician John Sheahan leads a Late Late Show line up including champion jockey Pat Smullen and three of Ireland's leading crime fiction writers.

With more than a half-century of performing experience under his belt, John Sheahan is one of Irelands most recognisable and most loved folk musicians.

To celebrate his 80th birthday, John will join host Ryan Tubridy and some familiar faces for chats and tunes, including Declan ORourke, Damien Dempsey, Ralph McTell and Phelim Drew.

Nine-time Irish champion jockey Pat Smullen was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in March of last year and, following medical advice, announced his retirement earlier this month.

Pat joins Ryan to discuss how it felt to come to that decision, and what the future holds.

Three of the leading lights of the Irish crime fiction scene  internationally successful authors Liz Nugent, Jo Spain and Patricia Gibney  will join Ryan to discuss how they started writing, the secrets to their success and why people are so fascinated with the world of crime.

Viewers will also find out whether the budding restorers taking part in this years Late Late Show Antiques Challenge were successful in their efforts to restore and revive, and music will be from Soda Blonde, a new band from four of the five members of Little Green Cars.
Travel giant TUI said its first-half losses deepened due to airline overcapacity for Spain and the grounding of its 15 Boeing 737 Max planes, two issues that could plague the Anglo-German tour operator over the rest of the year.

TUI said it needed clarity over the status of its grounded planes by the end of May or it will take another hit on profit, and did not rule out cancelling eight Maxs it has on order. It posted an underlying loss of 300.6m compared with a loss of 168.7m the previous year, hindered by lower margins in Spain as well as the 737 MAX grounding.
A 'business consultant' has unreservedly apologised before the President of the High Court for remarks made in an e-mail about another judge.

Eamonn O'Neill gave a sworn undertaking before Mr Justice Peter Kelly not to repeat "in public or in private" comments he made about Ms Justice Leonie Reynolds and her handling of a case in which he was a defendant.

Mr O'Neill was before the court for alleged criminal contempt for remarks he made in emails he sent last month to several parties, including the Gardai, alleging that Judge Reynolds was involved in "a criminal conspiracy".

After apologising under oath to the court, Mr O'Neill said he had previously apologised to Ms Justice Reynolds about the emails.

Mr Justice Kelly, who accepted the sworn apology, also offered Mr O'Neill some "friendly advice".

The Judge told him not to make such allegations about other persons like the ones that were contained in the emails.

Mr Justice Kelly also told Mr O'Neill he was referring certain issues to the Law Society of Ireland.

Mr Justice Kelly said that it appeared from documents put before the court that Mr O'Neill had sought and received payment for advice he gave to parties involved in a case before the High Court.

It appeared to be the sort of advice the judge said that only a solicitor or barrister can give, he added.

It was accepted that Mr O'Neill, a businessman with over 30 years experience, was not a qualified lawyer.

The Judge said one of the parties in the case involving the receiver had said in a sworn affidavit Mr O'Neill had been paid money for his services.

The Judge said the court had also received a letter where another person, unconnected with the case involving the receiver, had claimed Mr O'Neill had been paid a substantial sum of money for similar advice.

There were matters the Law Society could look into, the Judge added.

Mr O'Neill, who told the court he acted as a business consultant said he had only two clients.

The action, which remains pending before the courts, involves a fund appointed receiver sought vacant possession of business premises in Co Waterford from parties after it was unable to gain access to the property.

Ms Justice Reynolds had made orders preventing Mr O'Neill acting as a legal advisor, known as a McKenzie friend, in court cases because he is "taking advantage of vulnerable litigants."

Ms Justice Reynolds made the order against Mr O'Neill in a case where the court had previously granted a fund appointed a receiver, Mr Ken Fennell possession of a commercial property in Co Waterford.

The action was brought against Paddy Early, Killea, Dunmore East, Co Waterford and Paul Kearney Islandtarsney, Fenor, Co Waterford, who are the owners of the property.

During the proceedings, the court heard Mr O'Neill with an address at The Quays, Waterford, had acted as a business consultant for the owners and CMD Early Dunmore East Ltd.

That company claimed it had an agreement with the owners to occupy the premises.

Mr Fennell, represented by Brian Conroy Bl, sought an order for vacant possession after it claimed it was unable to take charge or access the property, and that the defendants were trespassers.

After finding the defendants had no defence to the receivers claim the Judge granted the receiver an order for possession but put a stay on the order to allow the occupants time to find new premises.

The Judge also directed Mr Early and Mr Kearney to swear an affidavit setting out what they had paid Mr O'Neill for his advice, which they agreed to do.

Mr Fennell claimed Mr Early and Mr Kearney were advanced some 2.29m by Ulster Bank in 2008, for which the property was put up as security.

The loan fell into arrears in 2011 which was acquired by Promontoria Aran Ltd acquired in 2015.

Mr Fennell was appointed as receiver over the property in 2016.
Carbon taxes on fossil fuels such as oil, gas and coal could reach up to 265 per tonne in the next 30 years, Climate Action Minister Richard Bruton has warned. By then, Ireland aims to be a low-carbon, or no-carbon society, but any individual or enterprise still relying on fossil fuels will face hefty charges.

Already, carbon taxes are intended to quadruple between now and 2030 rising from the current level of 20 per tonne to 80 per tonne. The first significant increase is likely to be approved in this autumns budget.

Mr Bruton said the further increases were based on forecasts from the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform.

It has set a trajectory that it should be pricing carbon at 265 a tonne in 2050, he said.

The Government hasnt made any decisions in relation to the trajectory of carbon price beyond 2030 but it does illustrate the direction of travel that a department like Public Expenditure and Reform is predicting for the price of carbon in the longer term, reflecting the damage that it does to our environment, he said.

The Climate Action Minister said he could not predict the extent of the increase to be levied next year. Mr Bruton said that the Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe would be listening to the views of a wide range of interests, not only on the scale of the increase but how the proceeds should be used.

He and the Taoiseach have made very clear that it is not the intention to use carbon pricing to raise revenue for the Exchequer, that the money will be used either to provide a dividend back to individuals or to fund the sort of changes we need to take to de-carbonise our economy

Broad agreement on a fourfold increase in carbon taxes was reached by the all-party Committee on Climate Action last month but some of the smaller parties are opposed, and there is concern about the impact the tax has on low- income households and those least able to afford to refit their homes to run on renewable energy.

Mr Bruton confirmedIreland will only achieve a 1% reduction in carbon emissions by next year, compared to the 20% reduction required under EU targets. Failure to meet the target has meant buying carbon credits to make up the shortfall which he said had so far cost the country 100 to 150m.

Its something we shouldnt be doing and those penalties will escalate dramatically in the years ahead if we continue to fail, he said.

So my determination is that we get back on track, that we hit our targets for 2030 and that we do it having delivered the carbon abatement, not purchasing in the market to cover for the fact that we failed to deliver the targets we set.

Mr Bruton was speaking at the Environmental Protection Agencys inaugural Climate Action Conference in Dublin.

Ireland will miss EU2020 renewable energy target

Ireland will fall short of EU2020 targets for renewable energy use, the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland says.

Around 13% of the countrys energy needs for electricity, heat and transport will come from renewable sources by next year. That is up from 5% in 2005 and the equivalent of taking 1.6m cars off the road. However, it is below the 16% required by the EU.

The countrys performance is particularly poor on renewable heat. Our 2020 target is for 12% of heat to come from renewables but it is likely to be 8% to 9%. We are getting close to the 40% target for renewable electricity. It should reach 37% by years end and we will probably meet the 10% transport target but only by relying on the much criticised multiplier effect which allows extra credit for using biofuels.

The law requires transport fuels to contain a small proportion of biofuels but the multiplier effect overstates a countrys green credentials when a switch to electric vehicles is the preferred option.

SEAI confirmed Irelands overall greenhouse gas emissions fell 1.8% in 2018 but cautions this was due to a prolonged outage at the ESBs Moneypoint power plant which resulted in 32% less coal being used during the year. Coal accounted for 5.2% of the countrys energy use last year compared to 7.6% in 2017. Oil use increased by 1% during the year  a significant addition to carbon emissions as oil accounted for 48% of total energy use.
When John Alcock and Arthur Whitten Brown crash-landed into a Connemara bog almost a century ago, it was a Cork-born journalist who broke the news of their non-stop transatlantic flight to the rest of the world.

Tom Cork Kennys scoop in June 1919 was recalled in Clifden, Co Galway, yesterday when his grandson Tom joined British ambassador to Ireland Robin Barnett in welcoming a statue of the two aviators.

Mr Kennys grandfather, who was nicknamed Cork due to his county of origin, was the founder of The Connacht Tribune newspaper. He managed to get to Derrygimlagh bog near Roundstone before the Daily Mail correspondent, who had been assigned to Galway to await the Vimy Vickers biplane arrival.

The two British aviators, who completed their flight in terrible weather conditions in over 16 hours from Newfoundland, still received a promised 10,000 prize from the Daily Mail, along with a knighthood from King George.

Abbeyglen Hotel owner Brian Hughes, who himself survived a plane crash, was host for yesterdays event when the statue of the two men was unveiled at his Clifden premises and details of the Alcock and Brown commemoration festival next month were announced.

A replica propeller from the original plane, which was handcrafted at Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology in Letterfrack, was also presented. The statue of the pilots sculpted by William McMillan for the British government more than 60 years ago has been loaned from Londons Heathrow Airport for eight weeks.

It took four days to deliver the valuable statue to the west of Ireland, and Mr Hughes said insurance demands dictated that it had to be installed in a secure area during its stay.

It is almost 12 years since Mr Hughes survived an air crash himself at Indreabhan airstrip in south Connemara which claimed the lives of Loughrea accountant Paul McNamee (57) and pilot Matt Masterson (59) from Terenure, Dublin.

The hotelier was part of a Clifden Airport Development Company delegation returning from the Aran island of Inis Meain on July 5, 2007 on board a Cessna Caravan single-engine aircraft which crashed at Indreabhan during the landing approach.

I was one of the lucky ones as I was only in hospital for 10 days, and I flew again in a couple of months  by helicopter, Mr Hughes says.

About two to three years later, I was flying from Dublin to Dubai when there was an emergency landing in Jordan, and then I felt as if the blood was flowing out of me

I never thought I would have that reaction, but it must have been the memory of what occurred.

Alcock and Brown had no accurate weather forecasts, were exposed to fog and sleet storms in their open cockpit, and survived on sandwiches, chocolate, coffee, and beer when they took off from Newfoundland almost a century ago.

We scarcely saw the sun, or the moon, or the stars, the pair said, and they could not even see their propeller blades through the fog. After the men picked out several islands off Connemara, they circled around Clifden in search of a suitable landing spot.

They had spotted the Marconi wireless station at Derrygimlagh bog outside the town, and thought the waving technicians below were welcoming them  they were actually trying to warn them to keep clear.

The plane nose-dived into the bog and the two men escaped from the cockpit, after a 16 hour and 28 minute flight over 1,900 miles. They had carried post with them, making it the first transatlantic airmail flight.

These details will be recalled during the commemorative Alcock and Brown Festival, which opens on June 11 and runs until June 16 in Clifden.

The programme will include an Air Corps flyover on June 15 and the premiere of a documentary featuring the nearest surviving relative to Captain Alcock, Tony Alcock.

An Post is due to release a commemorative stamp, the Central Bank will mint a 15 silver coin, and Waterford Crystal is producing a limited-edition miniature replica of the Vickers Vimy biplane, made up of 51 individually hand-crafted pieces.

Full details of the festival are on alcockandbrown100.com
An adult shop on Dublin's Dorset Street has been ordered to remove images of women dressed in skimpy outfits from its window display.

It comes after complaints that the pictures objectify women.
A vital piece of evidence in the controversial prosecution of a Garda employee and her GP brother was not given to the defendants when they were being offered the option of pleading guilty, the Irish Examiner has learned.

The trial of Lynn Margiotta and her brother Dr Tony Margiotta at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court collapsed last March. Both were charged with fraudulently producing sick notes for Ms Margiotta, who is a civilian employee in An Garda Siochana.

The siblings claim that the whole case was created in response to a complaint of bullying that Ms Margiotta made against a garda three weeks before she was arrested in 2014.

The Garda case was based on Dr Margiotta using the stamp of colleagues on the sick notes he signed. Now it has emerged that an expert opinion obtained by the gardai on the use of stamps would have been favourable to Dr Margiottas position.

The report was completed in 2015. The Margiottas were charged in 2017 and given the option of pleading guilty at the district court or defending the charge in the circuit court.

Yet this paper has learned that this report was not presented to the siblings at that time. It was only handed over in February of this year, just ahead of their trial.

Dr Margiotta said:

Why werent we shown that report when we were being asked to plead guilty at the district court

We should be told whether or not the DPP actually had it at that time and why it wasnt released to us until the 11th hour. That report showed that I had done nothing wrong.

Garda commissioner Drew Harris has been asked by the Policing Authority for further information about the case. Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan responded to a parliamentary question from Fianna Fails Niall Collins saying that he is aware of the case.

Should it emerge that any particular action is required on my part, I will, of course, consider that at the appropriate time, he responded.
Blood matching that of Anastasia Kriegel was found on a backpack, mask, gloves and knee pads seized from the home of one of the two boys accused of her murder, the Central Criminal Court has heard.

Holding the mask up for the jury John Hoade of Forensic Science Ireland said DNA on the inside of the mask matched both Ana's and the accused known as Boy A.

Another forensic scientist told the trial that DNA matching that of Boy A was found on Ana's neck and on tape that was wrapped around her neck when her body was found by gardai.

The accused, who are both 14, cannot be named because they are minors.

They have each pleaded not guilty to murdering the 14-year-old Kildare schoolgirl at Glenwood House, Laraghcon, Clonee Road, Lucan on 14 May last year.

Boy A is further charged with the 14-year-olds aggravated sexual assault in a manner that involved serious violence to her.

He has pleaded not guilty to that count.

Garda Hugh Andrew O'Carroll told Brendan Grehan SC for the prosecution that during a search of Boy A's home on May 24, 2018 he seized a backpack with various items inside from a wardrobe in Boy A's bedroom.

Mr Hoade told Mr Grehan he examined the bag and its contents on June 11, 2018.

Inside the bag were a mask, black woollen gloves, black plastic knee pads, black plastic shin guards, and a black woollen snood or neck warmer.

He found blood on the inside and outside of the bag and when he analysed it the DNA matched that of Ana's.

He described the mask as a "half mask" which had a hole for the eyes and nose and stops at the mouth where it is jagged to simulate teeth.

It has what appeared to be "simulated blood" around the mouth and could be secured to the head with an elastic band, he said.

He found blood on the outside and inside of the mask and again the DNA matched that of Ana's.

He tested the mouth area and found a mixed profile with all the elements of Boy A's DNA and that of Ana's.

He concluded that the mixed profile was most likely to be Ana and Boy A's DNA.

There was blood staining on both gloves and the knee pads which also matched Ana's profile.

No blood was found on the snood.

Mr Hoade also examined a bloodstained concrete block that was found at the scene close to Ana's body.

He said the blood on the block contained DNA matching Ana's.

Mr Hoade further examined runners, a tracksuit bottoms, a polo shirt and two backpacks which were connected to Boy B.

He found only one blood stain on those clothes and said it matched the sample given by Boy B.

Dr Brid Martina McBride of Forensic Science Ireland told Mr Grehan she examined footwear belonging to the two accused and compared it to a mark on the front of Ana's hoodie, which was found at the scene.

She said she couldn't rule out the possibility that the mark was made by the sole of Boy A's boot although she noted that other work boots have similar markings.

She said Boy B's footwear was excluded as the possible source of the mark.

Dr Charlotte Murphy said she is a member of the Sex Assault Team with Forensic Science Ireland.

She told Mr Grehan that she used a method known as "male specific DNA profiling" to analyze parts of Ana's body and clothing.

She found male DNA on Ana's neck and on blue tape that was wrapped around her neck and in both cases it matched Boy A's DNA.

She said the chances of finding that DNA in a person unrelated to Boy A would be one in 7,160.

She explained to Patrick Gageby SC for Boy A that due to the nature of the male specific DNA profiling method the statistical analysis is not like in other DNA profiling where the chances of finding the same profile in an unrelated person are often described as being one in a billion.

Mr Gageby suggested that if two people were "kissing or something like that" DNA could be transferred.

Dr Murphy said she does not determine how DNA is transferred but agreed that it is possible to transfer DNA when two people touch.

She said it depends on the nature of the contact and how long it goes on for.

The trial continues in front of Justice Paul McDermott and a jury of eight men and four women.
The Government is being urged to match a new 50m EU fund to support the country's beef sector.

The European Commission has agreed the investment to protect the industry ahead of Brexit.
Evidence against a thief for burgling an apartment in Cork included a fingerprint at the window, DNA on a Pepsi can, DNA on a cigarette, and a phone credit receipt linked to him.

Detective Garda John Gleeson described the extensive evidence linking Stephen OSullivan (also known as Hornibrook) formerly of Roman St, Cork, to the scene of the crime at Knapps Square, Mulgrave Road, Cork.

The accused pleaded guilty to the charge of carrying out the burglary at the apartment at Knapps Square. Judge Brian OCallaghan sentenced him to two and a half years in prison at Cork Circuit Criminal Court yesterday.

Detective Garda John Gleeson testified that the owner of the apartment woke to the sound of intruders during the early hours of June 11, 2018.

He went out to the hall where there were two males in the process of getting out the window, said Det Garda Gleeson.

The owner saw that his laptop and iPad had been left beside the window by the intruders. They had left with a 1,000 camera and 600 lens and a BMW car key which cost the owner 250 to replace.

Apart from the fingerprint and the two items carrying the accused mans DNA there was a phone credit receipt and when the CCTV from the shop was examined, Stephen OSullivan was clearly seen at the counter when the phone credit was sold.

The phone number was also the number given by OSullivan when he signed on for social welfare. Despite the evidence the accused made no admissions when questioned.

Paula McCarthy, defence barrister, said it was an opportunistic burglary in that the first floor window had been open and she said there was no violence shown.

Ms McCarthy added:

He is extremely remorseful for his actions and wishes to apologise.

Det. Garda Gleeson said, That is the first I have heard of an apology. No remorse was shown to us. Judge OCallaghan said that in the middle of the night the accused entered as a trespasser and committed theft.

Anyone committing an offence like this cannot expect to be treated lightly. Sadly you had an addiction issue.

The victim was asleep in his bedroom. Whether a window was open or not in the month of June is irrelevant. People entitled to have their windows open in the knowledge that they are safe and secure in their homes.

This was a complete and utter invasion of this mans home  an invasion of this mans privacy. For him to exit his bedroom and find two total strangers outside, the impact must have been quite severe.

There was exceptionally good work by An Garda Siochana.

The judge imposed a three-year sentence with the last six months suspended. OSullivans accomplice was never identified. OSullivan had 10 previous burglary convictions among his total of 105 convictions.
A couple have been left devastated after aborting their baby because tests showed that it had a fatal foetal abnormality - only for a subsequent test after the abortion to show that it did not.

The abortion is understood to have been carried out in the National Maternity Hospital in the last few weeks.

When an issue is suspected with a baby a non-invasive blood test is first taken which gives an initial indication as to whether there is an issue or not.

If there is an issue indicated by that test a Chorionic villus sampling (CVS) test is carried out.

A sample of cells is taken from the placenta (the organ that links the mother's blood supply with her unborn baby's) and tested for genetic defects.

The sample is divided into two for testing.

The tests on the first sample can take five days to come back and are understood to be 99% accurate.

The second samples test results take two weeks to come back.

It is believed that the second of those test results came back after the couple took the decision to terminate the pregnancy.

They are understood to be devastated at what has transpired and it was following their complaints that an investigation has been launched.

A spokesman for NMH said the hospital does not comment on individual cases but he said he could confirm that the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists in Britain is to review an issue that arose recently.

A spokesperson for the RCOG said, however: "We can confirm the RCOG has not yet received a formal approach to undertake this review. Should an approach be forthcoming, this will be considered in the usual way.

Describing news of the review as "an awfully sad and tragic outcome" a spokesperson for the pro-life campaign this morning called on the government to all in their power to ensure nothing similar happens in the future.

What an awfully sad and tragic outcome for the baby in the latest case. The Minister for Health is duty bound to do whatever it takes to minimise the chances of something like this ever happening again.

"He should start by listening to the stories of parents who have no agenda other than to share their personal stories which shed light on the whole area of misdiagnoses and how it impacts on families and outcomes for the babies at the centre of these cases.
Farmers are refusing to take on "snowflake" veterinary students who do not have a farming background.

It is reported that a pig farmer in North Cork said he will no longer accommodate these students.
Funding cutbacks are having a serious impact on the availability of potentially life-saving treatments for cancer patients.

That is the message from Cancer Trials Ireland, who are calling on the Government to reverse a 3m cut to its services.

The group said before 2016, 3% of people with cancer were on a drug trial, however last year it was down to 1.5%.

Professor Brian Hennessey, Clinical Lead at Cancer Trials Ireland, said it is important more, not less, cancer patients access trials.

Prof. Hennessey said: "They're the only way that we can get people's cancer accessed to newer and potentially better treatment and ultimately they are the only way that we can improve the treatment of cancer.

"So they have benefits for people right now with cancer and who are undergoing cancer treatment and they have benefits for people who have cancer in the future."

New research from the University Hospital Limerick found that the number of its patients asking to participate in a cancer trial increased by 7% last year.

Eibhlin Mulroe, CEO of Cancer Trials Ireland, said: Trials can often be the best treatment option available for cancer patients and offer a higher level of oversight because of the team nature of clinical trials. Up to 20 people can be reviewing data associated with a patients response to treatment and there is great comfort in that knowledge for patients on our trials.

Trials are also a very cost-effective way to provide cancer treatments as trial drugs are provided by pharmaceutical companies. For every 1 in Government grant we get, we can attract 3 in investment in trials.
Update: A man in his fifties who died following a farm accident near Glenville, Co Cork, last night has been named locally as Philip Lonergan from Ballyporeen, Co Tipperary.

Mr Lonergan (aged 51) sustained fatal injuries when the tractor he was driving overturned while he was spreading slurry in a field at 5pm yesterday. He died before he could be transferred to Cork University Hospital.
Fianna Fail TD and Ireland South MEP election candidate Billy Kelleher has been accused of "selling out" traditional pro-life party support over his decision to back the removal of the eighth amendment.

Mr Kelleher was targeted by Independent candidate Theresa Heaney, who said he is "no Brian Crowley", during a heated two hour debate among the vast majority of constituency competitors in Cork on Thursday night.

Speaking during the Irish Examiner's European election hustings at the Clayton Silversprings Hotel in Cork City, moderated by political editor Daniel McConnell and special correspondent Michael Clifford, candidates:

* labelled the 100m EU/Government Brexit farmers support package "a stroke"

* clashed over gay rights

* were urged to clarify divisive Fine Gael and Fianna Fail candidate turf wars

* walked out on stage after a heated confrontation

* and questioned the impact of existing MEPs

However, it was the attack on Mr Kelleher which poses the most risk on the remainder of the campaign, with long-standing internal Fianna Fail concerns it could face a small but significant pro-life backlash in traditional areas of the sprawling constituency.

Asked about her own pro-life views during the debate, Ms Heaney explained she is a Christian candidate before hitting out at Mr Kelleher, saying she wanted to borrow a phrase from US political history and turning to Mr Kelleher, saying: "You are no Brian Crowley."

Ms Heaney said Mr Crowley, who has retired as Fianna Fail's long-standing Ireland South MEP, defended pro-life campaigners but that Mr Kelleher has taking part in "selling out" the group.

Mr Kelleher remained statue-esque during the attack, and did not respond.

However, fellow Fianna Fail candidates, councillor Malcolm Byrne, hit back, saying he does not understand why Ms Heaney said "blessed are the meek" as she is not showing compassion to women, saying "I don't know where you learned your Christianity" and that "I don't like giving oxygen to these people".

After uproar for a number of minutes and demands for an apology, Mr Byrne said he was not trying to ridicule Ms Heaney's religious views, leading one audience member to shout: "Ah behave, you're all acting like children up there."

The two-hour debate covered a wide variety of matters, with candidates vying for votes with just a week to go before the ballot.

Greens senator Grace O'Sullivan urged voters to YouTube her long-standing climate change credentials and said she understood grassroots concerns as she was a single mother bringing up a child with a disability.

Solidarity-PBP Adrienne Wallace said she has just been told a friend of hers is becoming homeless and demanded housing action from Europe, while Sinn Fein MEP Liadh Ni Riada said it is "scandalous" how much money is not drawn down from the EU.

Fine Gael MEP Deirdre Clune was immediately forced to clarify revelations fellow candidates Sean Kelly and Andrew Doyle were banned from attending the debate to help her support, saying it was a party headquarters decision instead of her own.

Mr Kelleher dismissed reports of a similar turf war with Mr Byrne, and said he is not seeking to be an MEP as he does not believe he will be in any future Fianna Fail cabinet, saying "anyone who knows me knows I don't run".

When Independents4Change TD Mick Wallace was similarly asked if his real reason for running was because he is "afraid" of losing his Dail seat, the Wexford TD responded:

I just hope I'm alive by the time of the [long-awaited] general election.

Identity Ireland candidate Peter O'Loughlin controversially said all immigrants should be "vetted" before coming to Ireland and said no ISIS fighters should return, while Labour's Sheila Nunan stressed her parties pro-EU views.

Separately, Independent candidate Walter Ryan-Purcell said yesterday's 109m EU and Ireland farming Brexit support fund announcement was "stroke politics" designed to help Fine Gael.

The debate had an explosive start, as Independent candidate Diarmuid O'Flynn - who had been asked to sit on a side panel - jumping onto the stage while waiving his crutches, demanding more attention.

Due to the number of candidates in the race, the Irish Examiner invited elected representatives - local councillors, TDs and MEPs - to an on-stage panel. All non-elected candidates formed a second panel, as agreed.

However, Mr O'Flynn took to the stage claiming bias and demanded the debate not be split into "senior hurling" and "junior hurling" panels.

Other Independent candidates joined Mr O'Flynn, before Independents4Change candidate Mick Wallace offered to vacate his seat to give it to rivals. Instead, Mr O'Flynn stormed out.

The debate was attended by 17 of the 23 Ireland South candidates, including Mr O'Flynn, with all represented on www.irishexaminer.com coverage.
Gardai have seized 63,000 worth of heroin and cannabis in Dublin this afternoon.

Heroin with an estimated value of 16,000 along with cannabis valued at 47,000 was discovered at a house in Tallaght.
An extremely vulnerable 14-year-old girl was sexually assaulted by a man following two weeks of sending her sexual messages and images by Facebook.

The accused man, Mark McGann (also known as Foley) of no fixed address faced sentencing yesterday. Detective Garda Rachel McGrath testified at Cork Circuit Criminal Court that McGann first met the 14-year-old and followed this up with contact through Facebook.

She said he was 15, going on 16, but told him soon afterwards she was in fact 14. [He was 21], said Det Garda McGrath.

He sent two naked frontal images of himself to her and requested the same from her but she declined. This was sent to her through her Facebook account.

He arranged to meet her. She was in her school uniform. They French-kissed on a laneway. He placed his hands on her breast and gave her love-bites on her neck and breast and tried to place his hand inside her underwear (but did not).

A complaint was made and he was arrested and detained for questioning. He proceeded to make admissions, the detective said.

Nothing can be reported that would identify the injured part in the case. Prosecution barrister, Imelda Kelly, described the victim as particularly vulnerable. The detective agreed.

The teenager was present in court yesterday for the sentencing hearing. She wrote a victim impact statement that was handed in to Judge Brian OCallaghan but not read out in open court.

McGann, aged 21, wanted to apologise in court to the victim and he was sworn in for that purpose. I would like to apologise for all that has happened. I am truly sorry for everything, he said.

Defence barrister, John Devlin, suggested the defendant was co-operative and respectful when questioned. Det Garda McGrath agreed. Mr Devlin said the accused was quite a timid individual. The detective said that was the case when the defendant was sober.

Det Garda McGrath said that the messaging contact was intense over a short period with about 200 messages exchanged over a fortnight, many of the messages being of a sexual nature.

Judge OCallaghan said the probation officer recommended a further report that would give a psychiatric and psychological assessment.

Judge OCallaghan remanded McGann in custody until July 3 for that to be done. The judge said that Mr Devlin could present whatever mitigation the defence wished to put forward at that stage.

The sexual assault was carried out in May 2017. The Facebook messages the second charge to which he pleaded guilty  were sent in the fortnight before the sexual assault.
Internet safety guidelines for Ireland will be published soon, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said, as he and other leaders met to discuss a crackdown on online abuses.

Mr Varadkar said Ireland was well-placed to help make a difference by helping to stop those corrupting the internet, with so many giant tech companies based in the country.

But he ruled out shutting down sites or forums such as Facebook Live following its use during recent terrorist attacks in New Zealand.

He was speaking as he and other leaders met in Paris to consider ways to stamp out hate speech and abuses on the internet. The meeting, hosted by French president Emmanuel Macron and New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern, was in response to the terror attack on mosques in Christchurch in March, during which 51 people were killed.

Declining to give a specific date on promised cyber safety guidelines in Ireland and progress setting up a cyber safety commissioner post, Mr Varadkar said there would be developments on these shortly.

He said he was in Paris to promote the internet, but also said that we do much more to crack down on people who would abuse the internet to promote terrorism or violence or hate.

He said the internet helped to connect the world and break down barriers.

But it can also be a very dangerous thing and we want to stand together and fight against those who corrupt the internet to spread terrorism, to spread hatred or to promote violence, he added.

Asked about a perception that Ireland was slow to take action because it hosts so many large tech companies, Mr Varadkar said:

Ireland is a small country, but when it comes to internet safety, we can have a role precisely because we are the European headquarters for so many big tech companies.

Nonetheless, he ruled out shutting down Facebook Live, following pressure to act since the New Zealand attacks. Instead, he said, there may need to be arrangements to temporarily stop sites or similar forums more quickly in future.

We do need to be able to put more protections in place, being able to shut things down more quickly if they promote violence or hatred or extremism, he said.

Really I think what is required is more safety mechanisms or protections rather than absolute censorship. I think we need to balance freedom of speech on the one hand with the need to ensure safety and minimise harm on the other.

Meanwhile, five of the worlds largest tech companies have agreed to introduce new measures to their businesses to help eliminate violent and terrorist content from the internet.

Amazon, Facebook, Google, Microsoft and Twitter have agreed on a nine-point plan of action following a meeting with world leaders and tech firms in Paris named the Christchurch Call to Action.

In a joint statement, the tech companies said they would each take individual steps to improve their policies on violent content, as well as increase collaboration in order to fight the spread of such content.
The number of new homes completed in the first quarter of the year rose by 23.2%.

New statistics from the CSO show that there were 4,275 new dwelling completions in the first three months of the year, compared with 3,470 completions for the same period last year.
The Central Bank is investigating the legality of commercial banks slapping legal fees onto the mortgages of their customers who have fallen into arrears even before cases are concluded, the Irish Examiner can reveal.

More than 60,000 mortgage holders in arrears on their home loans are being hit with legal fees, which often run to tens of thousands of euro, but the basis of the banks actions is now under examination, it has been confirmed.

Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe has said he is aware of what the opposition has called shameful sharp practice and the Central Bank is examining its legality.

I am advised by the Central Bank of Ireland that it is aware of the reported practice that some lenders apply legal costs to the mortgage accounts of borrowers in arrears before the conclusion of legal proceedings, said Mr Donohoe.

The Central Bank is examining this practice to determine if it is permissible under the Code of Conduct on Mortgage Arrears, CCMA, the Consumer Protection Code 2012, and other regulations.

David Hall, the director of the Irish Mortgage Holders Organisation, said the practice shows just how homeowners pay to have their homes repossessed.

This is going on, and all the time the lawyers are laughing at the customers. This is another hammer blow to those homeowners who fall into arrears but who are trying to work their way out of it, he said.

We hear all the time that if you work with the bank, you will be ok. With this going on, clearly, that is not the case.

Mr Donohoe was responding to Fianna Fails finance spokesman Michael McGrath who described the behaviour of the banks as terribly unfair.

Where borrowers are cooperating and making every effort to fulfil their obligations, I think it is terribly unfair for a lender to be heaping its own legal fees on to the mortgage balance, said Mr McGrath.

It is very concerning that neither the minister for finance nor the Central Bank can give a clear answer to this question. We need to know whether lenders are allowed to essentially pass on their legal costs in this way to the borrower and, if they are not, then what is the Central Bank as the regulator going to do about it, he said.

Chair of the Oireachtas finance committee John McGuinness described the banks actions as being arrogant and aggressive to a group of people who are incredibly vulnerable.

People who are seeking to work their way out of trouble are being ridden roughshod over by banks who are hell-bent on screwing them. It is disgraceful. Families are beaten up in the name of greed, he said.

Mr McGuinness, who has along with his committee had an intensive engagement with the banks in recent months over the tracker mortgage scandal, said the banks since their meetings with Mr Donohoe are back to their bad old ways.

In response, the Banking & Payments Federation Ireland said banks must stick by the rules and be able to show why such fees are being levied.

In a statement issued to this paper, it said: We would expect mortgage lenders to comply with the relevant Central Bank codes; and, where there is a question regarding compliance or interpretation, for a lender to be able to demonstrate how it believes it is compliant. We await the outcome of the Central Banks examination of the matter.

At end-December 2018, there were 728,168 private residential mortgage accounts for principal dwellings held in the Republic of Ireland, to a value of 98.1bn. Of this total stock, 63,246 accounts were in arrears, with some 44,009 accounts (6%) were in arrears of more than 90 days.

The outstanding balance on all lenders PDH mortgage accounts in arrears of more than 90 days was 8.7bn at end-December, equivalent to 8.8% of the total outstanding balance on all PDH mortgage accounts.
The number of jobs vacancies in the cities of Cork, Galway, Limerick and Waterford all dropped over the past year.

According to the latest quarterly jobs index from IrishJobs.ie, all four recorded decreases in the number of available positions of between 5% and 12%.
Ireland is set to fall short of the EU's 2020 targets for renewable energy use, according to a report from the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland.

Up to 13% of Ireland's energy needs will come from renewable energy sources next year, 3% short of the EU target.

The annual report, which charts Ireland's progress towards its 2030 and 2050 emissions targets, blames the country's over-reliance on non-renewable heating.

It claims those targets are still within reach if the country delivers radical reductions which would have to be repeated year on year.

The Irish Wind Energy Association said wind provided 37% of Ireland's electricity in the first three months of this year.

Dr David Connolly, CEO of the Irish Wind Energy Association, said: We had a very strong start to the year for wind energy, particularly in February when wind energy produced the most electricity, even surpassing natural gas, so we hope to build on this in the coming months.

Wind energy is an Irish success story, driving down electricity costs for consumers, cutting millions of tonnes of CO2 emissions every year and securing a homegrown energy future that doesnt depend on importing fossil fuels.

Meanwhile, Research published this morning by the European Climate Foundation scores the Government's draft National Energy and Climate Plan (NECP), at 38 out of 100.

The plan, submitted to the EU last December, is a "clear fail" according to the Irish Stop Climate Chaos Coalition.

The analysis, carried out by the Ecologic Institute, an academic think tank, and Climact, a consultancy, assesses all 28 EU Member States draft NECPs and scores them according to

(i) the level of ambition,

(ii) the level of detail of the policies and measures described, and

(iii) the quality and inclusiveness of the drafting process.

Catherine Devitt, Head of Policy for the Stop Climate Chaos Coalition said: "This analysis confirms Minister Bruton's own assessment of his draft NECP, that it is a 'business as usual plan'.

"Obviously, a score of 38 out of 100 is a clear fail. And business as usual is simply unacceptable.

"What is imperative now is that the Minister implements the Oireachtas Committee roadmap for action on the urgent timelines they laid out and that he incorporates all their recommendations in the next draft of his plan.

"The Dail has declared a climate emergency and endorsed the Oireachtas Committee's pathway to implementing the Paris Agreement. It is essential that the final NECP the Minister submits to the EU before the end of the year fully reflects the urgency and the specificity of the Committee's recommendations."
Reporting sexual violence and going through a criminal trial is arduous and challenging for many survivors and the system needs a major overhaul, writes Caroline Counihan.

In Ireland, reporting sexual violence and going through a criminal trial is still arduous and challenging for many survivors, despite recent significant improvements in the system.

For those survivors who stay the course and for whom the Director of Public Prosecutions sends the case to trial, almost all will experience it as one of the most difficult things they have experienced. We need to change that if we are to improve justice for victims.

Last year, in the wake of the nine-week trial in Belfast which saw Ireland and Ulster rugby players Paddy Jackson and Stuart Olding cleared of rape, Justice John Gillen was handed the challenge of reviewing how

sexual crime cases are dealt with in the North. His report has recently been published and a parallel report in the Republic, led by Dr Tom OMalley of NUIG is expected to be completed shortly.

While the Norths terms of reference for the report into the law and procedures in serious sexual offences cover several aspects of law and procedures, the terms of reference of our review are restricted to protections for vulnerable witnesses of sexual offences.

Nevertheless, Justice Gillens report and recommendations are relevant to the review in this country, as they keep a clear focus on the survivors journey through the criminal justice system, analysing its difficulties and suggesting solutions along the way.

Though there are some differences between the two criminal justice systems, they have so much in common that Sir Johns perspective and conclusions are very useful to us.

RCNIs own standpoint is that sexual violence survivors are inherently vulnerable, and certain groups are even more so. All survivors need specialised supports to engage with the criminal justice process so that they are facilitated to give their best evidence, and in such a way that the risk of being re-traumatised by the court process is minimised.

We expressed these views in Hearing Every Voice, the report we published last year setting out the findings of the small group of experts from different disciplines we convened to examine the issues facing vulnerable witnesses.

Long delays are a very serious deterrent and source of additional trauma to survivors. There is much we can do.

Sir Johns analysis and proposed solutions speak of radical steps to combat delays, and advocate front-loading the system and improving case-management at the early stages, with co-operation from both prosecution and defence.

In the Belfast rape trial, what struck many people unfamiliar with these cases was the lengthy, intensive cross-examination of the complainant. Sir John looked at how that process might be improved from a complainants perspective. For instance, he recommends more robust control of defence cross-examination by judges, particularly in relation to previous sexual history evidence.

While our own law in this area differs from that in the North, his general point applies to our own system. RCNI would add that judges should be alert also to forestall or cut off cross-examination by the defence which is irrelevant, repetitive, or oppressive or which tries to insinuate that someone is more likely to have consented to sex because of the way they were dressed, the amount they had drunk, and so on.

Sir John recommends, as did we, that we move to pre-recorded cross-examination for many children, other vulnerable witnesses and eventually, adult complainants.

Pre-recording cross-examination as well as statements would reduce significantly the time between the offence taking place and the child (or other vulnerable) victim giving evidence.

This would improve recall and therefore, the quality of the evidence, and it would mean that lengthy delays between charge and trial would not take such a toll either on survivors or on the quality of their evidence.

Throughout the survivors journey through the system, Sir John notes that the professionals involved must be specialists with the appropriate training.

This includes training for judges and a radical departure from traditional advocacy styles. He expresses very well our own view that professional training should include material on rape myths, the impacts of sexual violence, the reasons why these crimes are so under-reported and why survivors might withdraw their complaints (and so on), delivered by outside experts to judges, barristers and solicitors.

We also agree with Sir John that it would be good for survivors to have more access to legal advice and information, but we would say that this needs to be available to survivors from the moment at which they are first thinking about making a Garda report through to sentencing (and beyond, sometimes).

We welcome very much his strong focus on child witnesses and how they can be both protected and helped to give their best evidence. He advocates strongly that the Barnehus or Child House approach should be tried.

It brings together all relevant experts, psychological and legal, to support the child in a friendly, informal and unthreatening environment as s/he is asked questions which will be recorded and stand as their evidence at trial.

It is very heartening that Barnehus will now be piloted in this country as it has been in England very recently. We do have specially trained professionals already to do pre-recorded interviews with child victims of sexual (and sometimes other) offences, so we can now build our Barnehus on a firm foundation.

Key people in the process are the members of the jury. While some matters can be addressed in the courtroom through instructions from the judge, it has to be recognised that jurors bring a wealth of their experience and indeed prejudice into a courtroom.

However, changes in attitudes towards rape survivors must also be addressed. Sir Johns report advocates, among other things, awareness-raising programmes, such as the large-scale one launched by our own Minister for Justice Charlie Flanagan called No Excuses just last Thursday  as well as much more education at all levels.

We would go further and look forward to a day when we dont have to tackle rape myths in the courts because the cases are tried on evidence alone and these biases (if they still exist) are excluded altogether.

Caroline Counihan BL is the Legal Policy Director at Rape Crisis Network Ireland
Asia Sri Lanka Says Hardline Buddhist Groups Likely to Blame for Anti-Muslim Attacks

A Sri Lankan Muslim man surveys the damage done to a mosque after mob attacks in Kottampitiya, Sri Lanka, on May 14, 2019. / Reuters

COLOMBOSri Lanka said on Wednesday that hardline Buddhist groups were likely to blame for a wave of anti-Muslim riots that swept the island this week in apparent retaliation for Easter bombings by Islamist militants.

The April 21 attacks, claimed by Islamic State, targeted churches and hotels, killing more than 250 people and fuelling fears of a backlash against the nations minority Muslims.

In the anti-Muslim unrest that started Sunday, mobs moved through towns in Sri Lankas northwest, ransacking mosques, burning Korans and attacking shops with petrol bombs, residents said.

Authorities have arrested some 78 suspected rioters, including three described as Sinhala Buddhist extremists who had been investigated for similar actions in the town in Kandy district last year.

These are organized attacks on Muslim business houses and premises, Navin Dissanayake, minister of plantation industries, said during a government news conference about the security situation.

Asked who was organizing the attacks, Dissanayake said: I think these organizations that Amith Weerasinghe, Dan Priyasad, and Namal Kumara (are heading), referring to the three Buddhist extremists arrested on Tuesday. Local media reported on Wednesday that Priyasad was released on bail on Wednesday while Weerasinghe was remanded until May 28. The status of Kumara was not clear.

A police spokesperson was not immediately available for comment on the arrests.

Muslims make up nearly 10 percent of Sri Lankas population of 22 million, which is predominantly Buddhist. The Indian Ocean island was torn for decades by a civil war between separatists from the mostly Hindu Tamil minority and the Sinhala Buddhist-dominated government. The government stamped out the rebellion about 10 years ago.

In recent years, Buddhist hardliners, led by the Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) or Buddhist Power Force have stoked hostility against Muslims, saying Middle Eastern influence has turned the community more conservative and insular.

In the same press conference, Ranjith Madduma Bandara, minister of public administration, said the group behind the attacks had political aims.

This group is trying to tarnish the governments image and show the government is unable to handle the situation, he said, without naming the organization.

Authorities said the island was calm again, with no anti-Muslim violence reported on Wednesday.

Army Probe

Also on Wednesday, Sri Lankas army said it was investigating a video posted on social media that showed a man wearing what appears to be an army uniform walking away seconds before an anti-Muslim mob attacked a building this week.

In the video, the man stands outside the building and then leaves. Seconds later, about two dozen people, including young men wearing motorbike helmets, run over and throw stones at the building.

Reuters could not independently verify the video.

The attention of the army has been drawn to a video clip where a person dressed in uniform similar to that of the army was watching while a group of violent saboteurs were in action in the general area of Thunmodara, the army said in a statement announcing the investigation.

Two residents of Thunmodara, a town to the northeast of the capital Colombo, told Reuters that a mosque and some Muslim-owned shops were attacked.

In over a dozen interviews in the hard-hit Kurunegala district northeast of Colombo, Muslims said attacks took place despite the presence of security forces.

One police source who declined to be identified told Reuters they did not have enough officers to handle the rioters. Police spokesman Ruwan Gunasekera on Tuesday rejected allegations that police had stood by.

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Burma Buddhist Nationalists Force Shut Down of Three Ramadan Worship Sites in Yangon

A temporary prayer site for Ramadan in South Dagon Township Quarter No. 63 was demolished on Thursday after nationalists surrounded the place, demanding its shutdown. / The Irrawaddy

YANGONThree temporary Islamic places of worship set up for the month of Ramadan were shut down in South Dagon Township this week after threats from Buddhist nationalists, the areas general administrative office said Thursday.

According to South Dagon Township officials, local Islamic leaders had signed agreements to use the buildings as places of worship during Ramadan.

They [the nationalists] showed up from nowhere and accused the [worship sites] of being illegal. Actually, we already have official permission from the administrative office. Since the places have to shut down, we wonder if those people [the nationalists] are more powerful than the administration officials, said U Yan Aung, a local of South Dagon Townships Quarter No. 106, who witnessed the events.

In South Dagon Township, a building owned by U Maung Maung in Quarter No. 26, one owned by Haj. U Tin Soe in Quarter No. 64 and another owned by U Myint Lwin at Quarter No. 106 were given permission to use their space as prayer halls during Ramadan by the Yangon regional government.

U Yan Aung said that the permission was officially granted for use from May 6 to June 7.

According to the general administration officer, who preferred not to be named for fear of his own personal safety, the nationalists gathered at Quarter No. 26 and demanded the shutdown of that prayer hall on May 14. The next day, they went to the buildings in Quarter No. 64 and 106 with the same demands.

The officer said some of the nationalists entered the temporary prayer halls taking pictures, while others encircled the area demanding the halls be shut down.

U Michael Kyaw Myint, who led the nationalists, said Islamic prayer at the houses is unacceptable, and that they will do the same thing in other quarters.

Who allowed the houses to be used as mosques? Who is neglecting this matter, which has no permission? U Michael Kyaw Myint said. They may accept this but we dont. We are going to find more in this township and stop them.

According to township officials, the Muslim groups had legal permission to hold the Ramadan activities at the specified sites.

Quarter No. 106 Administration Officer U Than Htike told The Irrawaddy that the incident was the first time in their quarter that a group lead by a Buddhist monk had pressured the administration offices management like that, and that the incident proves there is no rule of law.

Currently, all three prayers halls have been shut down until further notice.

The rule-of-law criticismand criticism of the local police responsehas gained momentum. Witnesses say police present at the scene took no action as the nationalists stormed into the building.

According to U Nyi Nyi, a Yangon regional parliament lawmaker, local Muslims have wanted to build a permanent place of worship in the area for some time, but South Dagon Township residents have raised objections in the past, hence the temporary Ramadan sites.

Ko Mya Aye, a member of the 88 Generation group, told The Irrawaddy that the nationalists disregarded the rule of law by going beyond the management of government officials.

If theres no official permission, then legal action can be taken. However, this is showing there are no legal protections for minorities. This is not good for the country, he said. As our country is facing many pressures from the international community, this incident is using religious affairs to affect the politics of the country. Our countrys image is affected badly in the face of the international community.

Similar incidents took place in Yangons Thaketa Township in 2017, when nationalists forced the closure of two madrasas.
Burma Military Denies Army Chief Used Twitter after Company Blocks Account

Snr-Gen. Min Aung Hlaing in 2017 / Myo Min Soe / The Irrawaddy

YANGONMilitary spokesman Brigadier-General Zaw Min Tun downplayed Twitters suspension of the account of Myanmar Army chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, denying the commander-in-chief had ever officially used the social media platform.

Twitter froze the account @SGMinAungHlaing on Tuesday soon after Rohingya activist Maung Tun Khin met with Twitter executives in Silicon Valley in California. At the meeting the activist accused the Army chief of masterminding the 2017 Rohingya crisis, which drove more than 700,000 Rohingya into Bangladesh from their homes in northern Rakhine State.

Maung Tun Khin later wrote on Twitter, Min Aung Hlaing masterminded a genocide against our people. After a long campaign it appears as though @Twitter has today deleted his account. This is a victory for all Rohingya.

As of Thursday evening, Twitter had not made a public announcement on the removal of the account, but a search for @SGMinAungHlaing on the site resulted in a message saying This account has been suspended with a brief explanation that the account violated the companys rules. Twitter officials could not be reached for comment on Thursday.

Despite Brig-Gen. Zaw Min Tuns denial, The Irrawaddy has learned that the account had been tweeting in both English and Burmese for several years. Prior to Twitters removal of the account this week, it is not clear whether the military had complained to the company about the existence of any unofficial pages claiming to represent its commander-in-chief.

The style of the writing on Sen-Gen. Min Aung Hlaings official website is similar to that which had appeared on the Twitter account @SGMinAungHlaing. When asked to whom the account @SGMinAungHlaing belongs, Brig-Gen. Zaw Min Tun said, How can I know that?

He said his commander-in-chief had only officially registered on social media giant Facebook. That account was deleted by the company in August 2018 along with those of dozens of other military generals, along with army propaganda pages and the pages of military-affiliated mouthpieces like Myawaddy and Myanmar Daily Star.

In September 2018, an account with the same user name, Sen-Gen Min Aung Hlaing, appeared on Russian social media platform VKontakte (VK), but a couple of weeks later it was also banned.

The day before Twitters action against the account of Sen-Gen. Min Aung Haling, a U.N. fact-finding mission, which had been refused a visa by Myanmar authorities, urged the world to cut off financial and other support for Myanmars armed forces over the alleged genocidal intent of its activities against the Rohingya in 2017. It called for the countrys top generals to be prosecuted at the International Criminal Court (ICC) for their role in those activities.

The Irrawaddys correspondent contributed to this report from Naypyitaw. A previous version of this story misstated that Sen-Gen Min Aung Hlaings Twitter account had previously received a blue verified symbol. This story has corrected that mistake.

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Burma People are Dying: UN Official Urges Aid Access for Myanmar's Rakhine State

An ethnic Rakhine man who fled his village is seen at a temporary internally displaced persons (IDP) camp in Sittwe, the Rakhine State capital, on September 1, 2017. / Reuters

YANGON A U.N. official has urged Myanmar to grant aid workers predictable, sustained access to Rakhine state, where fighting between government troops and rebels has displaced nearly 33,000 people since late last year, saying lack of aid has cost lives.

Ursula Mueller, a U.N. assistant secretary-general for humanitarian affairs, said authorities had turned down her requests to meet those displaced by the conflict in a region barred to most aid groups since the fighting broke out.

We need accesspredictable, sustained accessto reach the people in need, Mueller told Reuters late on Tuesday, at the end of a six-day visit to the southeast Asian nation.

If the assistance, including mobile clinics, cannot get to the people, they just dont have the services and their needs are not being met and some people are dying.

Reuters could not immediately reach a government spokesman to seek comment.

Rakhine has been in the global spotlight since 2017, after roughly 730,000 Rohingya Muslims fleeing a military crackdown in response to militant attacks crossed into neighboring Bangladesh.

U.N. investigators have called for senior military officers to be prosecuted over allegations of mass killings, gang rapes and arson. The military denies widespread wrongdoing.

More recently, civilians have been caught up in clashes between the military and the Arakan Army, an insurgent group that recruits from the mainly Buddhist ethnic Rakhine population and is fighting for greater autonomy for the state.

During her visit, Mueller met senior officials in the capital, Naypyitaw, including state counselor Aung San Suu Kyi, who said she was working towards development and social cohesion in Rakhine.

I was pointing out the humanitarian needs that are existing that need to be urgently met, she added.

Mueller also visited camps outside Sittwe, the states capital, where thousands of Rohingya have been confined since a previous bout of violence in 2012. Most lack citizenship and face curbs on movement and access to basic services.

Myanmar has been working with the U.N. on a strategy to close the camps, but it amounts to building new, more permanent homes in the same place rather than letting people return to areas from which they fled, Reuters reported last year.

Mueller, who is also a deputy coordinator for emergency relief, said she had discussed the strategy with officials.

Its not enough to erect buildings on the same site while the underlying causes are not addressed, she added. People have no freedom of movement. They are losing hope after seven years in this camp.

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Burma Secession, Confederation, Federalism or Decentralization?

A man drives past a billboard advertising the 21st Century Panglong Conference in May, 2017. / Myo Min Soe / The Irrawaddy

Building a federal state [in Myanmar] seems far away [because] the 2008 Constitution has been taboo for the Myanmar Army, or Tatmadaw said Gen. Yawd Serk, temporary head of the Peace Process Steering Team (PPST) and leader of the Restoration Council of Shan State (RCSS). [This] highlights the country is stuck in the quagmire of political stagnation.

Since the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) was signed by some ethnic armed organizations (EAOs), there has been no significant achievement toward peace. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi initiated the 21st Century Panglong Peace Conference to solve the conflict and build a federal state, but no tangible results have been achieved. Furthermore, the Tatmadaw extended a two-month unilateral ceasefire after a four-month truce expired in April, but it explicitly excluded Rakhine State, where the Tatmadaw and the Arakan Army (AA) have been fighting intensely.

Myanmar has recently debated four characteristic political goals  secession, confederation, federalism and decentralization.

Bitter Lesson of Secession

The second session of the 21st Century Panglong Peace Conference ended with the revival of the word secession, a word that people have long seen as taboo. In the summit, held in Nay Pyi Taw on October 15, 2018, the Tatmadaw and EAOs failed to resolve differences over the issues of non-secession. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi said non-secession is important. But also the will not to secede and to establish together a Union that need not be seceded from is also important.

History teaches us a bitter lesson when the word secession comes up. The 1947 Burmese constitution clearly stated that states could secede from the union after ten years (Article 201 of Chapter 10). If two-thirds of members of the State Council voted for secession followed by the states citizenry in a referendum arranged by a referendum commission assigned by the president, states can secede from the central government.

On January 4, 1948, Burma gained independence from Britain through the Panglong Agreement, which General Aung San and ethnic leaders signed to build a federal union on the principle of equal political rights.

Ten years later, in 1962, when the time had come for secession according to the constitution, General Ne Win, who was in charge of the armed forces, ousted U Nu in a military coup. His justification for the military coup was that he saved the country from the brink of fragmentation. However, it was obvious that the military coup was motivated by the possibility of secession. Thus, the hopes of secession for ethnic minoritiesalong with the rights they sought through ithave been doomed ever since.

Secession has been a problematic and unacceptable word to every successive military regime since. The recent debate over secession highlights how this word turns to disagreement.

Is Confederation Better?

Early this year, Maj-Gen. Tun Myat Naingthe leader of AAraised the confederate discourse, asserting, We prefer a confederation of states. His proclamation ignites many people, including the Tatmadaw, to question the future of Myanmars political dynamics. The Tatmadaw immediately responded that the AA must give up its goal of confederation.

Confederation is the formation of countries or territories which fully exercise their sovereign power. This status is only obtained by the United Wa State Army (UWSA) in Myanmar. The 2008 Constitution officially grants the territory controlled by the UWSA as the Wa Self-Administered Division. It is a de facto independent territory, operating outside the sphere of national sovereignty.

The AAs Chief Maj-Gen. Tun Myat Naing expressed that the AA wants to gain the confederate status of the Wa enclave. However, this will be unlikely to happen, partly because most EAOs claim federal status, and partly because the Tatmadaw will not let this happen.

Federal Discourse

The word Federalism was revived by the government under President Thein Sein. After several meetings between the governments Union Peacemaking Work Committee [UPWC] and the Nationwide Ceasefire Coordination Team [NCCT], set up by 16 armed ethnic groups to negotiate a cease-fire deal with the government, the government finally agreed to establish a federal system in the country in August 2014. Since then people, including Aung San Suu Kyi, have reiterated federalism as a concept to strive for as a political solution.

In the first session of the 21st Century Panglong Peace Conference, held from August 30 to September 3, 2016, the United Nationalities Federal Council (UNCF) read their proposal, in which they described the future federal union.

On October 15, 2016, the government announced the Seven Steps Roadmap for national reconciliation and union peace. One of the seven stepsto build a democratic federal union in accordance with the results of the multi-party, democratic general electionsemphasized the road to federalism.

In June, 2017, State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi toured Canada to learn about federalism. I am happy to be here, particularly to study the federalism of Canada because it is where we are trying to go. We are trying to build up a democratic federal union, she said, according to AFP.

Although the word federalism is getting familiar to power-holders, policymakers and grassroots organizations, it has not yet come to pass. Yet it is at this critical juncture that we must answer the questions: What kind of federalism should Myanmar create? Should it be ethnic-based or state-based federalism? Should it be a symmetric or asymmetric federal system? How many languages should be official? Should the education and tax system be standardized? What is the central governments exclusive jurisdiction over and what is the states?

To answer these questions and build a federal union, we need time and cannot address them overnight.

Not Plausible, but Preferable: Decentralization

While preparing for a federal state or beyond, we should not forget about decentralization. No one can deny that different political goals of ethnic minorities such as secession, confederation and federalism are a better solution.

However, why does decentralization matter here? My concern, alongside many perhaps, is that decentralization should be quickly applied to distribute powers to ethnic states.

For example, chief ministers should be elected by their own states. The amendment of the Constitution is underway, but how much MPs can reform the articles of the Constitutionfor example, Article 261is questionable. Undeniably, if we decentralize fiscal and political powers, we could gradually experience the concept of federalism.

In a nutshell, in building a federal union it seems we have a long way to go, as Gen. Yark Seik said. It means that no one knows how long the federalism path will take. Meanwhile, decentralization cannot be underestimated, and it may be a linchpin step towards a federal union or beyond.

Joe Kumbun is the pseudonym of an analyst based in Kachin State.
Burma Tensions High as Security Forces Deployed in Loikaw

The statue of Gen. Aung San is unloaded from a truck in Loikaw, Kayah State on January 29, 2019. / Kayan New Generation Youth / Facebook

The Kayah State government has deployed extra security forces in Loikaw around the area of the disputed General Aung San statue amid reports that locals are preparing to take action against the project, according to local sources.

A leaked official order issued on Monday by the state government told local authorities in the wider region to be on high alert and to inform them of any incidents regarding security that happen.

The statement was allegedly written by Kayah State Chief Minister L Phaung Sho, and was signed by the General Secretary of Kayah State U Nyi Nyi Min.

Tension has high here. They (the authorities) have deployed security forces both day and night at the area of the statue, Khun Be Du, chairman of the Loikaw-based Kayan National Party, told The Irrawaddy on Thursday.

He said that security forces have also been deployed across other parts of Loikaw too.

Formal negotiations on the statue between the state government and a group of rights activists who reject it collapsed on Tuesday when the Minister L Phaung Sho said his government would not allow for it to be removed.

From the side of the local people, they will protest against the statue for sure. But, we do not know yet when or how they will do it, said Khun Be Du.

The protest committee formed by the activist group was officially dissolved on Tuesday, according to an announcement they released, which said they would not be held responsible for any future actions taken against the statue project.

After dissolving the committee, we dont know who will lead future protests, he said.

Khun Thomas, one of the rights activists who has been acting as spokesperson for the group, said no one has yet officially said they are planning a protest, and that he didnt know who would lead future anti-statue efforts.

They are worried that the local people will destroy the statue, thats why they are tightening security here, he said.

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Analysis Peace Process Is Foundering, KNU Chief Tells EAOs

Gen. Yawd Serk, chairman of the Restoration Council of Shan State (center), addresses participants in the 4th summit of ethnic armed organizations that are signatories to the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement in Chiang Mai, Thailand on May 14, 2019. / Nyein Nyein / The Irrawaddy

CHIANG MAI, ThailandThe peace process under the current National League for Democracy-led government has been derailed, said General Saw Mutu Sae Poe, the chairman of the Karen National Union, a signatory to the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) and a leading stakeholder in implementing the NCA and envisioning a future democratic federal union.

He made the comment during a five-day summit of ethnic armed organizations (EAOs) in Chiang Mai, northern Thailand, adding that most EAO leaders share his view. The summit comes at a time when the government is trying to persuade other EAOs, especially the northeast-based groups, to sign the NCA.

From May 14-18, nearly a hundred representatives of 10 EAOs, all NCA signatories, are gathering to finds ways to overcome the current impasse in the peace process. Representatives of two non-signatories, the Karenni National Progressive Party (KNPP) and the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO), are attending the summit as observers.

The summit is also reviewing the structure of its Peace Process Steering Team (PPST). Headed by Gen. Saw Mutu Sae Poe with the Restoration Council of Shan State (RCSS) leader as its deputy head, the PPST was formed in March 2016 to engage in political negotiations with the government.

Gen. Saw Mutu Sae Poe stepped down as PPST head in March and the team is now under the interim leadership of RCSS chairman General Yawd Serk.

The RCSS chairman said another contributing factor to the poor progress of the peace processdespite there having been three sessions of the 21st Century Panglong Peace Conference under the NLDis that negotiators on all sides firmly uphold their policies and dont want to compromise.

Roots of the Impasse

The Tatmadaw takes a firm stand on its positions, not only on non-secession, but also on the single Army and the militarys six principles on peace, as well as protecting the 2008 Constitution; so the prospect of a federal Union remains distant, Gen. Yawd Serk said in his opening remarks on Tuesday.

Since the second session of the 21st-Century Panglong peace conference in May 2017, the peace process has run into an impasse as the military and the EAOs have been unable to find a compromise. The military wants the EAOs to promise not to seek separation from the Union; only when they do, it says, can negotiations on self-determination and the drafting of state constitutions proceed.

Nai Hong Sar, the vice chairman of the New Mon State Party, said individual groups decisions on whether to agree to the Tatmadaws demand in regards to non-separation are made more difficult by the fact that the 1947 Panglong agreement gave some ethnic states the right to secede.

Uncertainty over the rights granted to ethnic minorities makes it hard for the groups to make decisions.

Nai Hong Sar said, Instead of demanding a pledge from the ethnic groups not to separate, ethnic people should be entitled to full [fundamental] rights. If they enjoyed their rights, no one would want to separate from the Union.

He said the majority Bamar also have a responsibility to keep ethnic groups in the Union, as the late General Aung San said.

The KNU and RCSS have clashed with the military despite being signatories to the NCA, as well as having bilateral ceasefire agreements. This has left other groups wondering whether signing a ceasefire would really lead to peace.

No progress will be seen if this situation [the deadlocked peace process] continues, Nai Hong Sar told The Irrawaddy.

He also said the EAOs need to move forward together in solidarity and we and our negotiating partners need to have the [political] will to do so. The key hurdle here is the Myanmar military, which needs to open the deadlock, he said.

The EAOs claim the implementation of the NCA, whether its convening political dialogues or engaging in joint ceasefire monitoring tasks, is not going as smoothly as planned.

KNU secretary Padoh Saw Tadoh Moo said the implementation of all seven chapters of the NCA continues to pose a challenge, and has not even begun for some of the provisions.

For instance, he said, commanders of both sides have not yet met to discuss ways of building a stronger ceasefire, although they should have met within 14 days of signing the NCA on Oct. 15, 2015 in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 3. He said they have also been unable to keep up with the tasks outlined in Chapter 6, which include building trust and setting up interim arrangement programs.

While some believe the impasse is entirely due to the militarys stubbornness, others say the EAOs themselves also need to be more pragmatic.

The government should not let it [the impasse] happen, but also from our side, postponements of negotiations should not happen [in the first place], said Saw Mra Yar Zar Lin, an executive committee member of the Arakan Liberation Party, another NCA signatory.

She said that although the government, Tatmadaw and EAOs agreed to the NCA, not all the steps have been taken to implement it, and this is another factor contributing to the stalemate.

Gen. Yawd Serk, who addressed the summit in Burmese for the first timesomething he has never done previously in seven years of attending peace meetingsurged his fellow EAOs to think about compromising by temporarily putting aside our stances so that peace could be achieved.

Beyond 2020

The ethnic leaders said implementation of the NCA alone is not enough to break the deadlock. Thus they came up with a proposal to consider forming an agreement with the government.

Gen. Yawd Serk said the agreement would need to cover ways of moving the peace process forward before and after 2020, as the negotiation partner (in this case the NLD government) is focused more on next years election, with the peace process being a lower priority.

The proposal initiated by the KNU and RCSS is to have an additional agreement, which will help to keep the peace process going beyond 2020, regardless of which party is ruling the country, echoed Padoh Saw Tadoh Moo. He said the EAOs shared this proposal with the government during their meeting on April 11.

The KNU secretary added that the NCA is just talk about talk, or a path to continue holding dialogue on both political issues and ceasefires. Thus we cannot be regarded as having achieved peace, so we propose options for more talks.

PPST to Continue?

Along with the proposal, the summit participants are discussing whether to keep the PPST as it is or end it and form a new delegation.

Padoh Saw Tadoh Moo told The Irrawaddy the EAOs have tried to seek a way for the process to keep going, regardless of the negotiation body.

Since the KNU stopped participating in formal peace talks in October last year, all negotiation processes have gone back to an informal approach. The groups have met separately with government negotiators over the past seven months, but hurdles remain.

Khun Myint Tun, the vice chairman of the PaO Nationalities Liberation Organization, said his group wouldnt accept a restructuring of the PPST or a reduction of its mandate, except having a new leader.

We created the PPST to implement the peace process and to lead in talking about federal principles; thus we need its mandate. We do not like the idea of establishing a peace process consultative meeting instead of choosing new leadership for the PPST, Khun Myint Tun said.

According to sources, the reason for the restructuring of the PPST is the fact that the KNU removed Saw Mutu Sae Poe as a delegate to the Team. The group changed its delegate to Padoh Saw Tadoh Moo, who has less support from the other EAOs than the KNU chairman.

In the peace building process over the last eight years, negotiators who are accepted by all sides have been crucial to achieving successful peace talks and political dialogue. Since late 2015, seven EAOs have generally followed the KNUs leadership led by Gen. Saw Mutu Sae Poe, respecting his decisions and direction.

Whether the EAOs at the summit will agree to keep the PPST remains to be seen, as the discussions will continue until Saturday. But there is hope that the groups will keep the PPST and follow its new leadership.
A collaboration of sponsors, including Citizens Community Bank, ISU Credit Union and ISU have all pledged the primary funding for adding branded signage to the historic area of the city. Signage includes 130 lamp post pennants, 15 logo neon signs for business windows and a 20-foot by 40-foot painted sign featuring the ISU Bengal head. Based on the classs cost assessment, the project will require an additional $4,000 in funds to complete the $19,000 project.

According to Street, although the course is not scheduled to continue into next semester, the former students are all part of an ad hoc group that will oversee the completion of the project. The team aims to have the ISU pennants set up by mid-August, the neon signs in place by the Welcome Back Orange and Black event in the fall and the painted ghost sign completed by the end of September, with the entire project culminating by Octobers Homecoming 2019. Street has also taken a lead on the project while students are out for the summer.

Street said the idea for the project was inspired by ISU President Kevin Satterlees goal for the University as mentioned on his first day.

He spoke about his number one priority in the coming year being to build relationships with students, faculty, staff, alumni, community members, business and industry leaders, Street said. With the onset of the Universitys rebranding campaign, I felt like a project like this would give students, faculty and businesses the opportunity to come together and spread the Bengal pride throughout our community.

Not only did the course bring some of these objectives to life through student and faculty efforts, but it also represented a great exercise in management principles.

Creativity is a basic human need, Street said. A key to creativity is divergent thinking, or thinking outside of the box. Divergent thinking predicts a lot of important achievements such as leadership effectiveness, entrepreneurship, inventiveness, resolution of social dilemmas and happiness.

Street said throughout the course, he sought to encourage the students divergent thinking skills to come up with creative ideas as a solution to the opportunity to build ISUs relationships throughout the community.

During the eight-week course, students took several major steps in developing the project and getting it to this stage. Their first objective was to gain an understanding of the co-branding of cities and universities from a conceptual view with academic readings and online research.

The students also took a walking tour of ISUs campus to identify notable symbols and artifacts that represented ISU, as well as a tour of Old Town Pocatello to get a feel for the culture and potential areas for adding ISU branding. They also met with the gatekeepers of information for ISU and Old Town, like Old Town Pocatellos Executive Director Stephanie Palagi, who played a major role in providing information for the students. After this initial research, students then came up with ideas for developing a branding package. Teams then conducted a feasibility, cost and timing analysis and gave a formal pitch presentation to potential sponsors of the project.

With very little funds to go, the students are excited to see their project come to life and be a part of this collaborative effort to bring the University into the Pocatello community. They are deeply grateful to their sponsors as well for helping their hard work, research and ideas come to life.
The US has placed Chinese telecommunications equipment vendor Huawei Technologies and 68 of its affiliates on a list that means it will have to obtain government approval in order to buy American-made components.

The move is likely to sharply ratchet up tensions with Beijing and comes on the same day that US President Donald Trump signed an executive order banning the use of equipment from foreign companies deemed to be a national security risk, wording that was taken to refer to both Huawei and its fellow Chinese telco equipment vendor ZTE Corporation.

Placing Huawei on the so-called "entity list" would also mean that Huawei would be unable to make some of its products due to their needing components from US manufacturers, Reuters reported, quoting Us officials.

Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross was quoted as saying in a statement that Trump backed the decision that would prevent American technology from being used by foreign owned entities in ways that potentially undermine US national security or foreign policy interests".

Huawei chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou wasby Canadian authorities in December based on a US warrant, for allegedly playing a role in violating US domestic sanctions on exporting products to Iran.

In a statement issued on Monday, Ross listed 12 foreign entities and individuals to the list, but named nobody. "This list contains the names of foreign parties that are subject to specific license requirements for the export, re-export, and/or in-country transfer of controlled items, ensuring that sensitive technologies do not fall into the hands of those who would threaten U.S. national security or American citizens," the statement said.

Ross said: The Trump Administration will vigorously defend against any action which could harm American citizens or our nations security. We are putting individuals, businesses, and organisations across the world on notice that they will be held accountable for supporting Irans WMD activities and other illicit schemes.

Moreover, we cannot allow Chinas civil-military integration strategy to undermine US national security through prohibited technology transfer plots orchestrated by state actors. This designation complements criminal actions BIS and the Department of Justice are taking to penalise the theft of controlled US technology.
File sync and share solution company Nextcloud has teamed up with secure encryption USB key vendor Nitrokey to provide its users with secure authentication technology.

A statement from Nextcloud said the Nitrokey Pro 2 and Nitrokey Storage 2 devices had both been verified to work easily with Nextclouds one-time passwords for secure two-factor authentication.

This would protect user accounts if passwords were compromised, Additionally, the USB keys have a password manager, a cryptographic key store for email encryption and SSH administration.

The Nitrokey Storage 2 also contains an encryption mass storage drive with the option of hidden volumes.

"Nextcloud and Nitrokey both are market leaders in providing security-focused solutions," said Nitrokey chief executive Jan Suhr.

"Our collaboration will deliver smooth inter-operability between our solutions, enabling customers to have a fully transparent, verifiable authentication process."

Nextcloud managing director Frank Karlitschek said: "Security is a growing concern in the industry and second-factor technologies are helpful in further securing authentication.

"Together with Nitrokey we can continue to advance the state-of-the-art in reliable, safe sharing and collaboration."

The statement said the two companies had agreed to collaborate to develop FIDO2 support in their systems, ensuring Nitrokeys could be used to securely log in to Nextcloud systems.

With FIDO2 support, a technology based on the W3Cs Web Authentication (WebAuthn), users will be able to log in without passwords with their Nitrokey. This is likely to be ready in time for an announcement at Nextcloud's conference in September in Berlin.
Two American companies that offer Windows ransomware recovery services have been accused of merely paying the ransom in order to recover clients' data, with the non-profit ProPublica saying the victims were charged extra for these services.

In a detailed report, ProPublica said the ransomware in question was known as SamSam and it had caused about US$30 million in damages across North America and the UK. Among the victims were the cities of Atlanta and Newark, New Jersey, the Port of San Diego and the Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Centre in Los Angeles.

It said one company, New York-based Proven Data, had regularly made payments to the attackers behind SamSam, and said a former employee, Jonathan Storfer.

The SamSam ransomware was reportedly created by an Iranian duo and ProPublica said it had tracked four bitcoin payments made by Proven Data, from its wallet to one controlled by the attackers.

Proven Data had claimed that it would unlock data encrypted by ransomware using the "latest technology".

The second company accused of similar activities, it is alleged, "also professes to use its own data recovery methods but instead pays ransoms, sometimes without informing victims such as local law enforcement agencies".

But there were other firms, such Covewire, which is based in Connecticut, which openly told clients that it would recover the data by making the ransom payment. The help it offered covered dealing in bitcoin and also handling communications with the attackers.

Proven Data chief executive Victor Congionti admitted that paying attackers was part of his company's standard procedure.

iTWire has contacted Proven Data and the second company for their take on the issue.
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The 25,000 barrel cap currently represents the maximum production level before craft brewers must enter the distribution contract.

Tim Kent, executive director of N.C. Beer & Wine Wholesalers Association, said the bill represents a win-win for all parties concerned.

Consumers will continue to enjoy the benefits of a highly competitive marketplace with the availability of thousands of malt beverage products, all of which is made possible by the three-tier system ... that maintains the safe, equitable and efficient distribution of a wide variety of products to 18,000 retail establishments throughout the state.

Mitch Kokai, policy analyst with Libertarian think tank John Locke Foundation, said Tuesday that HB363 is likely to pass because it represents a compromise between the craft brewers and the distributors.

Craft brewers and beer distributors have been fighting in court over state restrictions forcing brewers to contract with a distributor once their operations reach an arbitrary production threshold, Kokai said.

The craft brewers lawsuit appears to have made a substantial impact on the distributors willingness to cut a deal.
He cited as an example that Juul manipulated the chemical content of its e-cigs to make the vapor less harsh on the throats of young and inexperienced smokers.

As a result, vaping has become an epidemic among minors, Stein said.

Stein said that nearly 17% of N.C. high school students, or 83,000, reported using an e-cig at least once in a 30-day period in 2017, according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report.

Dr. Scott Gottlieb, who stepped down in April as FDA commissioner, and U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams have made similar claims about Juul and underage vaping.

Brad Rodu, a professor of medicine at the University of Louisville and an anti-smoking advocate, said Stein should broaden his legal actions beyond Juul and vaping if hes going to rely on youth-usage reports.

In the same CDC study that Stein cited, 91,000 underage high schoolers reported drinking, which is only legal for adults over 21, and 68,000 reported using marijuana, which isnt legal for anyone in North Carolina.

If state officials want to protect teens, they should focus on behaviors that can hurt or kill them, Rodu said.
GREENSBORO  The FedEx Express hub at Piedmont Triad International Airport isnt flying as high as expected, but theres still plenty of cargo and passenger traffic to create potential noise headaches for many of the surrounding neighborhoods.

PTI officials have been monitoring noise levels for a decade under a plan the Federal Aviation Administration approved in 2008.

Now, its time to update that plan.

So the Piedmont Triad Airport Authority  the organization that oversees PTI  says it has hired a Massachusetts firm that specializes in airport noise to coordinate a new study.

The authority is reaching out to several communities located around the airport to help oversee the process.

The most recent noise study was written a decade ago in the shadow of rapid growth at the airport, which added a new runway and saw the opening of the FedEx hub.

According to initial estimates, 60 flights would land and take off each night from FedEx. However, a decline in overnight shipping has decreased that number.
Reynolds Vapor launches adult social media push

R.J. Reynolds Vapor Co. said Wednesday it had launched a social media campaign for its Vuse electronic cigarette, the No. 2 brand in the United States.

Reynolds said social media will be geared toward adults age 21 and older who already have an interest in Vuse. It will be along the same lines as its current marketing campaign.

The campaign will feature an age-verification wall accessible only to adults who have self-reported that they are at least 21.

There also will be the use of a third-party software solutions service to review the social media accounts of followers to block or remove any followers that appear to be under 21 or demonstrate an inauthentic identity.

All content will have warnings appropriately displayed in the images. There also will be purchase limits on online purchases at www.vusevapor.com.

Richard Craver

PTI authority to update noise compatibility study
Alabama Passes Abortion Ban

NEWS PROVIDED BY

Liberty Counsel

May 16, 2019



MONTGOMERY, Ala., May 16, 2019 /Christian Newswire/ -- Alabama's Senate voted 25 to 6 Tuesday, May 14, 2019, to protect the lives of unborn children and ban all abortions in the state except when it "is necessary in order to prevent a serious health risk" to the woman. The Senate passed the bill without exemptions in cases of rape and incest, and it will take effect six months after Republican Governor Kay Ivey signs it.

HB 314, known as the "Human Life Protection Act," reclassifies abortion as a Class A felony, punishable by up to 99 years in prison for doctors. However, women who receive an abortion will not be criminally liable.



Alabama Rep. Terri Collins, a Republican who sponsored the bill said, "The heart of this bill is to confront a decision that was made by the courts in 1973 that said the baby in the womb is not a person. This bill addresses that one issue. Is that baby in the womb a person? I believe our law says it is. I believe our people say it is. And I believe technology shows it is."

"I commend Alabama lawmakers for fighting for precious babies and passing this ban on the murder of innocent babies," said Liberty Counsel Founder and Chairman Mat Staver. "Roe v. Wade has already ended the lives of more than 62 million children. While we cannot undo the horrendous damage that decades of legal precedence under Roe have caused, this bill is a significant step toward making the womb a safe place in Alabama again," said Staver.

Liberty Counsel is an international nonprofit, litigation, education, and policy organization dedicated to advancing religious freedom, the sanctity of life, and the family since 1989, by providing pro bono assistance and representation on these and related topics. Liberty Counsel provides broadcast quality TV interviews via Hi-Def Skype and LTN at no cost.



SOURCE Liberty Counsel



CONTACT: Mat Staver, 407-875-1776, Liberty@LC.org



Related Links



lc.org/


Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center paid a combined $3.35 million in total compensation to its former and current chief executives in 2017, the health-care system reported Wednesday.

Dr. John McConnell moved from the chief executives position to become the executive director of Wake Forest Healthcare Ventures on May 1, 2017. He had been chief executive for nearly nine years.

McConnells total compensation for 2017 was $2.15 million, down 6.5% from fiscal 2016, according to the IRS Form 990 filing.

Meanwhile, the 2017 compensation of $1.2 million for Dr. Julie Ann Freischlag reflects from when she took over as chief executive on May 1, 2017. Freischlag became permanent dean of the medical school in February 2018 after serving as interim deal for seven months.

Although the IRS tax returns for N.C. Baptist Hospital and Wake Forest University Health Sciences are for fiscal 2017-18  which ended June 30, 2018  Wake Forest Baptist reported executive compensation for calendar year 2017.
Kem Weber (1889-1963) followed a strange path in his life, going from a farmer in Berlin to a famous modern architect and designer in the United States. He apprenticed in 1908 under a famous cabinetmaker. In 1926, he was chosen to supervise the construction of the German Pavilion at the 1910 exhibition in Brussels. A few years later, he went to California to design the German exhibit at the 1915 exhibition in San Francisco. But he was trapped in America by World War I and was denied permission to return home to Germany when the war ended. He had several art-related jobs. He taught art in a studio in Santa Barbara, and in 1921 he went to Los Angeles and worked in the design studio of a furniture and decorating store. In 1924, he became an American citizen. By 1926, he was the only designer and cabinetmaker producing modern designs on the West Coast. He created now-famous silver cocktail shakers and tea sets, and he decorated homes and store interiors. In 1934, he created his famous sleek Airline chair. It was made to be taken apart so the pieces could be packed flat for inexpensive shipping. He was the main architect for Walt Disney Studios by 1939, and Disney ordered 300 of the chairs, but no more were made until 1993. His designs influenced many others while he continued to teach and design private houses. Today, streamlined designs by Kem Weber are famous and hard to find. A set of four unmarked Airline chairs were estimated at $8,000 to $10,000 at a Rago auction recently, but they did not sell. Perhaps the historic design is still a little ahead of its time.
On the Paisley case  we are still investigating the source, Tollie said. We do have some leads  but no absolute source yet.

As for a separate incident that involved a different gun found in a students book bag at Northwest Middle School, Tollie said that investigators have a good idea where the weapon came from  and who owned it.

On the case from Monday (Northwest Middle School), we know the source and have learned that the source is outside our jurisdiction, he said. We are working with law enforcement in that jurisdiction to address the access to the gun by the student.

Thats good, but as these things go, North Carolina has some spectacularly mediocre laws about allowing a minor to come into possession of a gun. That changes if somebody is hurt or killed but not by much.

A parent or guardian can only be held liable if she (or he) knew  or should have known  that a crime was going to be committed, had the ability to control the kid and still failed to act. Good luck proving that.
She didnt go to that part of town, Gregory Little said.

Minnie and Gregory Little said they want answers regarding Richardsons death.

I would like to know who did it to her, Minnie Little said. I want them to pay for want they did.

It was a shock, she said of her daughters death. I never expected that something like this would happen to her.

On May 10, someone called police about 9:30 a.m. to report that an unresponsive woman  later identified as Richardson  was lying on the ground on Liberia Street

Detectives believe she had been shot earlier that day, between 4 and 7 a.m.

Richardson had personal items on her when officers found her body, but its unclear whether anything was stolen from her, Dorn said.

Her death was the citys fifth homicide of the year, compared with nine in the same time period in 2018, police said.

Richardsons death has devastated her family, Minnie Little said. Her daughter has three adult sons.
The church acknowledged in an April filing that it had failed to refinance the Apex loan, that it had not vacated the property, and that the deed in lieu of foreclosure, given to Apex under the reorganization plan, was flawed.

Nonetheless, the church is asking the court to modify its reorganization plan to give it until June 1 to pay off the Apex debt, asserting in recent filings that it had lined up an agreement for a $2.7 million loan that, while not coming up to the amount owed, speaks to just how close (the church) is to being able to satisfy Apex Banks claim.

But theres more: The church wants the court allow it to propose a modified reorganization plan that would allow other church creditors, who are owed some $100,000, to override any dissent by Apex on the terms of the plan.

The church said in a filing that it cant pay those other creditors unless it is allowed to continue holding services in its current location. It said that evicting it from the site would create (an) existential crisis both for the church and for those unsecured creditors whose claims will be paid only if the church remains viable.
The removal of the self-distribution cap language drew criticism from small- to mid-sized craft breweries for limiting their ability to expand into new markets and add production jobs.

Mitch Kokai, policy analyst with Libertarian think tank John Locke Foundation, said Tuesday that HB363 is likely to pass because it represents a compromise between the craft brewers and the distributors.

Craft brewers and beer distributors have been fighting in court over state restrictions forcing brewers to contract with a distributor once their operations reach an arbitrary production threshold, Kokai said.

The craft brewers lawsuit appears to have made a substantial impact on the distributors willingness to cut a deal.

Some analysts said in 2018 that the small- to mid-size craft breweries might have had more success in the Senate if they had been willing to reduce how much they want to raise the production cap.

Senate Bill 313, co-introduced in 2017 by co-primary sponsor Sen. Joyce Krawiec, R-Forsyth, would have raised the barrel production cap to 103,091.

The bill was never heard in the Senate Rules and Operations committee.
WASHINGTON  Trade wars are inherently wars of attrition. You tax your own companies to create incentives for them not to import so much. You are also creating incentives for the exporting country to drop their prices, which may hurt their economy. In other words: You create a certain amount of pain to cause an eventual shift in the balance of trade that will be beneficial  you hope!

But when it comes to winning, President Donald Trump is an impatient man. Rather than insist his trade war with China will eventually work out for the best, he insists its already coming up roses.

As Trump has ratcheted up the trade war in recent days, he has sent a multitude of tweets defending it. Most of them contain falsehoods or carefully worded claims that seem geared toward leaving people with a false impression.

Witness his Tuesday morning tweets.

In one year Tariffs have rebuilt our Steel Industry  it is booming! Trump said in his first tweet. We placed a 25% Tariff on dumped steel from China & other countries, and we now have a big and growing industry. We had to save Steel for our defense and auto industries, both of which are coming back strong!
There are six vacancies on the U.S. Court of Appeals, with two more vacancies certain to occur and many more likely to happen before January 2021 as older members of the courts eager to be replaced by center-right judges take "senior status." Each is nearly as important to preserving liberty, individual rights and the rule of law as a Supreme Court vacancy, though many outside the legal community don't understand this.

There are 48 nominees for district-court positions awaiting action by the Senate Judiciary Committee or the Senate as a whole. Another 12 nominees are waiting offstage. Increasingly, judges at this level of the judiciary are claiming the right to dictate national policy by way of injunctions binding the entire country, rather than only the district to which they were appointed.

Most pressing are the vacancies on the often-overruled U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit, and the 2nd Circuit has two vacancies that, when nominees are selected and confirmed, will flip that circuit's composition to a majority of Republican presidents' nominees.
South Africa: SA reaffirms commitment to partnering with intl community

President Cyril Ramaphosa has reiterated South Africas commitment to working with the international community as the country begins a new chapter after the recently held elections.

Addressing Ambassadors after receiving their letters of credence at Sefako Makgatho Presidential Guesthouse in Tshwane on Wednesday, President Ramaphosa said South Africa will forever be grateful for the support and friendship received during the years of struggle to end apartheid.

South Africa this year celebrates 25 Years of Democracy as it ushers in the sixth democratic administration.

The President said the Ambassadors and High Commissioners have an important responsibility entrusted on them by their countries. He expressed confidence that they would maintain and advance the solid relations between South Africa and their respective countries.

It is our sincere wish that through your respective appointments, we strengthen existing ties and forge new opportunities for cooperation.

This is no small responsibility and I would like to congratulate all of you on your appointments. I am honoured to receive your respective letters of credence, said the President.

He told the Ambassadors that the General Election on May 8 had been declared by the Independent Electoral Commission, as well as by international observers from the Southern African Development Community and the African Union as free and fair, with credible outcomes.

The election has demonstrated the stability and vibrancy of our democracy, and the continued engagement of the South African people in the important decisions that affect their lives. This election holds special significance because it has taken place in the year in which we are celebrating 25 years of freedom and democracy, President Ramaphosa said.

The Ambassadors and High Commissioners-designate have been designated by the governments of their countries to serve in diplomatic missions in South Africa.

In total, President Ramaphosa received credentials from 12 Heads of Mission-designates from the Ukraine, Republic of Montenegro, Republic of Botswana, Republic of Guinea, Japan, Hellenic Republic of Greece, Republic of Iraq, Republic of Italy, Federal Republic of Nigeria, Dominican Republic, Argentine Republic, and the Republic of Serbia.  SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2019-05-16. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
WASHINGTON -- Growing up in the 1950s and '60s, there was no avoiding the adorable Doris Day. She was cute as a bug, wholesome, winsome and adored, at least in movies, by the swooning-est leading men in Hollywood -- Rock Hudson, Cary Grant and Clark Gable, to name a few.

As a young girl, I simply loved her and, of course, wanted to marry Rock. As dreamboats went, he was without par. And Doris (we were on a first-name basis back then) was this motherless girl's idea of what a woman should be -- cheerfully feminine and wise to men.

Today, Day's characters would be laughable to world-weary children trapped in a sexualized world. But I can testify that watching grown-ups crawl into twin beds wearing pajamas brings no harm to the underaged. I'm grateful for the innocence that society then permitted its younger generation, and to actors such as Day, who declined roles, including Mrs. Robinson in "The Graduate," that defied her values.

Also, Day was honest enough about herself to figure she probably wouldn't have been believable as a seductress. She was certainly glamorous, but was also perhaps cursed by a prevailing perkiness that could be neither subdued nor camouflaged. Besides, who would want to see a lascivious Doris Day? Surely, not her fans.
VANCOUVER, May 16, 2019 /CNW/ - Diamond Fields Resources Inc. (TSX-V: DFR) ("DFR" or, including its subsidiaries, the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has entered into a cooperation agreement ("the Agreement") with TMH Acquisition Co ("TMH"), a special purpose vehicle established by Denham Mining Fund LP, to advance the Company's Beravina Project in Madagascar ("Beravina" or "the Project").

Pursuant to the Agreement, TMH will make an immediate payment of US$250,000 to the Company and will fund the next stage of exploration and development work on Beravina (the "2019 Work Program"). The 2019 Work Program, which will be under TMH's control, is expected to cost approximately US$500,000 and should be completed within seven (7) months (the "Evaluation Period"). TMH will have the right to extend the Evaluation Period by a further three (3) months if it has incurred expenditures of US$500,000 and made a further payment of US$250,000 (which, if exercised, will be deducted from the Option exercise payment of US$2,000,000 referred to below).

Upon completion of the 2019 Work Program, TMH will have the option ("the Option") to acquire 100% of the Project in consideration of:

A. a net payment of US$2,000,000; and B. a nine percent (9%) sales royalty ("Royalty").

If the Option is exercised, TMH will incur all future capital and operating expenditures in relation to the Project and the Company will benefit, in perpetuity, from its right to nine percent (9%) of all future mineral sales, subject only to limited deductions (such as VAT, third party sales commissions, third party freight and any third party toll treatment charges). If the Option is not exercised by TMH during the Evaluation Period, the Project must be returned to the Company without TMH retaining any interest, along with all of the results from the 2019 Work Program.

Upon exercise of the Option, TMH is required to place the Project into production by no later than 30 June 2023 ("Project Long-stop Date"), subject to certain extensions for events of force majeure such as permitting delays, but not longer than 30 June 2025. If the Project is not placed into production by the Project Long-stop Date, then TMH will be required to make advance royalty payments to the Company, as follows:

A. US$500,000 on the Project Long-stop Date; B. US$500,000 six months after the Project Long-stop Date; and C. US$500,000 on every anniversary of the Project Long-stop Date thereafter.

If TMH should fail to make any advance royalty payment, when due, then the Company shall have the right to reacquire the Property in consideration of US$1 and 50% of all advance royalty payments actually made by TMH, if any.

Sybrand van der Spuy, CEO, said "We are pleased to have secured the cooperation of such a strong financial and technical partner for Beravina. We have confidence that the 2019 Work Program will meet expectations and confirm the technical merits of the Project. If the Option is exercised, DFR will be in the enviable position of being carried through to production at no cost whilst retaining a very substantial economic stake in future sales revenue from Beravina."

DFR was advised by Tamesis Partners LLP, as financial advisor, and Fasken Martineau LLP, as legal advisor.

DFR has agreed to pay the following fees to Tamesis in connection with its services: $25,000 on signing of the Agreement, US$75,000 on exercise of the Option and US$100,000 following the commencement of commercial production at Beravina.

The Agreement is subject to approval of the TSX Venture Exchange, which approval DFR expects to obtain.

About Beravina

The Beravina Project is a hard rock zircon deposit with a NI 43-101 Inferred Mineral Resource estimate of 1.5 million tons at 22.7% zircon (ZrSiO4) equivalent to 15.3% ZrO2, See the NI 43-101 Technical Report, with an effective date of 14 December 2018 and filed on the Company's SEDAR profile on 29 January 2019, written by MSA Group (Pty) Ltd. (Michael S. Cronwright, Pr.Sci.Nat., FGSSA, John Derbyshire, Pr.Eng., FSAIMM, Jeremy Witley, Pr.SCI.Nat., FGSSA and Andre van der Merwe, Pr.Sci.Nat., MAusIMM, FGSSA), each of whom is a "qualified person" for purposes of NI 43-101, and independent of the Company as defined in NI 43-101. The Project, which covers 625 hectares, is located in Western Madagascar. Results so far show that, utilizing industry standard beneficiation technologies, zircon can be concentrated to levels of between 50% ZrO2 and 58% ZrO2 with varying levels of thorium ingrained.

DIAMOND FIELDS RESOURCES INC.

Sybrand van der Spuy, CEO and Director

Notes to Editors:

DFR is a TSX Venture Exchange listed exploration and mine development company with assets in Madagascar and Namibia. In Madagascar, DFR is developing the Beravina Project, an advanced high grade hard rock zircon exploration prospect located in the west of the country, approximately 220km east of the port of Maintirano and near a state road. DFR acquired Beravina from Pala Investments and Austral Resources in 2016. In Namibia, International Mining and Dredging Holdings (Pty) Limited is undertaking an initial six month (non-continuous) offshore diamond mining program on DFR's ML 111 licence area. The ML 111 concession has a ten year mining licence, effective until 4 December 2025, and lies within Luderitz Bay between Diaz Point in the south and Marshall Rocks in the north and at depths of 15 to 70 metres.

Website: www.diamondfields.com

The Company's public documents may be accessed at www.sedar.com

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward-Looking Statements:

Statements in this release that are forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties concerning the specific factors identified in the Company's periodic filings with Canadian Securities Regulators. Such forward-looking information represents management's best judgment based on information currently available. No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed and actual future results may vary materially. The Company does not assume the obligation to update any forward-looking statement, except as otherwise required by law.
VANCOUVER, May 14, 2019 /CNW/ - Entree Resources Ltd. (TSX:ETG; NYSE American:EGI  the "Company" or "Entree") has today filed its interim financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2019. All numbers are in U.S. dollars unless otherwise noted.

Q1 2019 HIGHLIGHTS

Entree/Oyu Tolgoi JV Property  Mongolia

The Oyu Tolgoi project in Mongolia includes two separate land holdings: the Oyu Tolgoi mining licence, which is held by Entree's joint venture partner Oyu Tolgoi LLC ("OTLLC") and the Entree/Oyu Tolgoi JV Property, which is a partnership between Entree and OTLLC. On April 15, 2019, Turquoise Hill Resources Ltd. ("Turquoise Hill") provided an update on underground development on the Oyu Tolgoi mining licence:

During the first quarter of 2019, work continued on critical Shaft 2 equipping activities, central heating plant, mine infrastructure, underground materials handling systems and on priority underground development. Pre-sinking works for Shaft 3 and Shaft 4 have also commenced.

Rio Tinto International Holdings Ltd. (" Rio Tinto "), as project manager, has advised Turquoise Hill that the fit-out and commissioning work on Shaft 2 (the main production and services shaft) is now expected to be completed by the end of October 2019 .

"), as project manager, has advised Turquoise Hill that the fit-out and commissioning work on Shaft 2 (the main production and services shaft) is now expected to be completed by the end of . As previously announced by Turquoise Hill, more detailed geotechnical information and different ground conditions have required a review of the mine design and the development schedule. The impact of these changes, including the further delay to Shaft 2, will be included in the definitive estimate review, which is expected to be completed towards the end of 2019. Turquoise Hill will also explore potential mitigation options.

Entree is not currently aware of any expected delays to development production or initial block cave production from the first lift (Lift 1) of the Hugo North Extension deposit on the Entree/Oyu Tolgoi JV Property resulting from delays to individual activities at the Oyu Tolgoi project. Entree will evaluate any information made available to it by Rio Tinto or OTLLC and will update the market accordingly.

Corporate

During Q1 2019, the Company disposed of all its investment in Anglo Pacific Group PLC common shares for net proceeds of $1.0 million and realized a $0.1 million gain.

and realized a gain. Q1 2019 operating loss was $0.4 million compared to an operating loss of $0.5 million in Q1 2018. The 20% reduction was related to lower administrative costs in Q1 2019.

compared to an operating loss of in Q1 2018. The 20% reduction was related to lower administrative costs in Q1 2019. Q1 2019 operating cash outflow after working capital was $0.7 million compared to a $0.2 million operating cash outflow in Q1 2018 and, as at March 31, 2019 , cash and short-term investments balance was $6.5 million . The working capital balance as at March 31, 2019 was $6.4 million .

OUTLOOK AND STRATEGY

The Company's primary objectives for the 2019 year continue to include:

Continuing constructive discussions with the Government of Mongolia ; and

; and Working with other Oyu Tolgoi stakeholders to advance potential amendments to the joint venture agreement (the "Entree/Oyu Tolgoi JVA") that currently governs the relationship between Entree and OTLLC. The form of Entree/Oyu Tolgoi JVA was agreed between the parties in 2004, prior to the execution of the Oyu Tolgoi Investment Agreement and commencement of underground development. The Company believes that amendments that align the interests of all stakeholders as they are now understood, would be in the best interests of the Company and its shareholders provided there is no net erosion of value to Entree. No agreements have been finalized and there are no assurances agreements may be finalized in the future.

Corporate costs, which include Mongolian site management and compliance costs, remain estimated between $1.2 million and $1.5 million for the full 2019 year. The Company continues to focus its efforts on conserving cash reserves and remaining prudent with its expenditures.

The Company's interim financial statements and Management's Discussion and Analysis ("MD&A") for the first quarter ended March 31, 2019 are available on the Company's website at www.EntreeResourcesLtd.com, on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and on EDGAR at www.sec.gov.

QUALIFIED PERSON

Robert Cinits, P.Geo., consultant to Entree and the Company's former Vice President, Corporate Development, and a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101  Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects, has approved the technical information in this release. For further information on the Entree/Oyu Tolgoi JV Property, see the Company's Technical Report, titled "Entree/Oyu Tolgoi Joint Venture Project, Mongolia, NI 43-101 Technical Report", with an effective date of January 15, 2018, available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

ABOUT ENTREE RESOURCES LTD.

Entree Resources Ltd. is a well-funded Canadian mining company with a unique carried joint venture interest on a significant portion of one of the world's largest copper-gold projects  the Oyu Tolgoi project in Mongolia. Entree has a 20% or 30% carried participating interest in the Entree/Oyu Tolgoi joint venture, depending on the depth of mineralization. Sandstorm Gold Ltd., Rio Tinto and Turquoise Hill are major shareholders of Entree, holding approximately 16%, 9% and 8% of the shares of the Company, respectively. More information about Entree can be found at www.EntreeResourcesLtd.com.

This News Release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws with respect to corporate strategies and plans; uses of funds and projected expenditures; construction and continued development of the Oyu Tolgoi underground mine; the expected timing of first development production from Lift 1 of the Entree/Oyu Tolgoi JV Property; potential production delays and the impact of such delays; discussions with the Government of Mongolia, Rio Tinto, OTLLC and Turquoise Hill on a range of issues including Entree's interest in the Entree/Oyu Tolgoi JV Property, the Shivee Tolgoi and Javhlant mining licences and certain material agreements; anticipated business activities; and future financial performance.

In certain cases, forward-looking statements and information can be identified by words such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "budgeted", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates", or "does not anticipate" or "believes" or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might", "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved". While the Company has based these forward-looking statements on its expectations about future events as at the date that such statements were prepared, the statements are not a guarantee of Entree's future performance and are based on numerous assumptions regarding present and future business strategies, local and global economic conditions and the environment in which Entree will operate in the future, including the price of copper, gold and silver, projected grades, anticipated capital and operating costs, anticipated future production and cash flows and the status of Entree's relationship and interaction with the Government of Mongolia, OTLLC, Rio Tinto and Turquoise Hill. With respect to the construction and continued development of the Oyu Tolgoi underground mine, important risks, uncertainties and factors which could cause actual results to differ materially from future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements and information include, amongst others, the timing and cost of the construction and expansion of mining and processing facilities; the timing and availability of a long term domestic power source for Oyu Tolgoi (or the availability of financing for OTLLC to construct such a source); the ability of OTLLC to secure and draw down on the supplemental debt under the Oyu Tolgoi project finance facility and the availability of additional financing on terms reasonably acceptable to OTLLC, Turquoise Hill and Rio Tinto to further develop Oyu Tolgoi; delays, and the costs which would result from delays, in the development of the underground mine; projected copper, gold and silver prices and their market demand; and production estimates and the anticipated yearly production of copper, gold and silver at Oyu Tolgoi.

Other risks, uncertainties and factors which could cause actual results, performance or achievements of Entree to differ materially from future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by forward-looking statements and information include, amongst others, unanticipated costs, expenses or liabilities; discrepancies between actual and estimated production, mineral reserves and resources and metallurgical recoveries; development plans for processing resources; matters relating to proposed exploration or expansion; mining operational and development risks, including geotechnical risks and ground conditions; regulatory restrictions (including environmental regulatory restrictions and liability); risks related to international operations, including legal and political risk in Mongolia; risks associated with changes in the attitudes of governments to foreign investment; risks associated with the conduct of joint ventures; inability to upgrade Inferred mineral resources to Indicated or Measured mineral resources; inability to convert mineral resources to mineral reserves; conclusions of economic evaluations; fluctuations in commodity prices and demand; changing foreign exchange rates; the speculative nature of mineral exploration; the global economic climate; dilution; share price volatility; activities, actions or assessments by Rio Tinto, Turquoise Hill or OTLLC and by government authorities including the Government of Mongolia; the availability of funding on reasonable terms; the impact of changes in interpretation to or changes in enforcement of laws, regulations and government practices, including laws, regulations and government practices with respect to mining, foreign investment, royalties and taxation; the terms and timing of obtaining necessary environmental and other government approvals, consents and permits; the availability and cost of necessary items such as water, skilled labour, transportation and appropriate smelting and refining arrangements; unanticipated reclamation expenses; geotechnical or hydrogeological considerations during mining being different from what was assumed; changes to assumptions as to the availability of electrical power, and the power rates used in operating cost estimates and financial analyses; changes to assumptions as to salvage values; ability to maintain the social licence to operate; accidents, labour disputes and other risks of the mining industry; environmental risks; global climate change; title disputes; limitations on insurance coverage; competition; loss of key employees; cyber security incidents; misjudgements in the course of preparing forward-looking statements; as well as those factors discussed in the Company's most recently filed MD&A and in the Company's Annual Information Form for the financial year ended December 31, 2018, dated March 29, 2019 filed with the Canadian Securities Administrators and available at www.sedar.com. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company is under no obligation to update or alter any forward-looking statements except as required under applicable securities laws.
VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / May 15, 2019 / AZARGA METALS CORP. ("Azarga Metals" or the "Company") (TSX-V:AZR) following the Company's annual and general shareholder meeting held May 14, 2019 the Company is pleased to announce the appointment of Michael Hopley as the Company's President and Chief Executive Officer and the appointment of Dr. Alexander Yakubchuk as the Company's Vice President, Exploration.

Chairman, Alex Molyneux commented, "Having recently completed the US$3 million investment transaction with Baker Steel Resources Trust, I'm very excited that we are now putting in place a uniquely qualified leadership team to maximise the results from the next phase of exploration at our Unkur Copper-Silver Project."

Michael Hopley is the longest serving director of the Company. He has over 35 years of international experience as a geologist and exploration manager for resource companies in the precious metals and base metal sector. For the past 20 years he has managed a number of publicly traded junior resource companies and held a number of executive and board positions with companies conducting exploration in various parts of the world. Mr. Hopley was most recently President & CEO of Sunridge Gold Corp. which concluded a successful major exploration and development program on the copper-zinc-gold Asmara Project, Eritrea culminating in the sale of the Asmara Project to a large Chinese company in 2016.

Dr. Alexander Yakubchuk brings more than 30 years of operational and executive experience gained in the Former Soviet Union (FSU), including Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Australia, Mongolia, China, Canada, and several European countries. He is currently the Exploration Director of Orsu Metals Corp. (TSX-V:OSU), the holder of the Sergeevskoe gold project in the same area of Russia as the Company's Unkur Project. During 2003-07 he held the position of Exploration Manager for Europe and FSU for Gold Fields. Dr Yakubchuk has previously worked with and consulted companies such as BHP-Billiton, Norilsk Nickel, Goldcorp, Rio Tinto, World Bank and Inco and lectured as an Associate Professor at Lomonosov Moscow State University.

Mr. Hopley and Dr. Yakubchuk have accelerated the planning of the Company's next phase of exploration at Unkur, which is anticipated to include the largest drilling campaign yet performed on the project. The next phase exploration program will be funded via proceeds from the Baker Steel Resources Trust Investment Transaction (see news releases of 14 February 2019, 29 March 2019, 10 April 2019 and 15 April 2019). Azarga Metals expects a significant increase in the mineralized envelope on completion of the second phase of exploration. A further announcement regarding detailed plans for the program and the commencement of drilling will be made once detailed arrangements are finalised.

*****

Qualified Person

Azarga Metals' President and CEO Michael Hopley, a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101, has reviewed and approved the exploration information disclosure contained in this Press Release.

About Azarga Metals Corp.

Azarga Metals is a mineral exploration and development company that owns 100% of the Unkur Copper-Silver Project in the Zabaikalsky administrative region in eastern Russia. Unkur is a copper-silver discovery of global significance. On completion of a first phase physical exploration program in 2016-2018, the Company reported an NI43-101 Inferred Resource of 62 million tonnes at 0.53% copper and 38.6g/t silver for the project (see news release 15 October 2018). The Resource remains open in both directions along strike and down-dip.

AZARGA METALS CORP.

"Michael Hopley"

Michael Hopley, President and Chief Executive Officer

For further information please contact: Doris Meyer, at +1 604 536-2711 ext 6, visit www.azargametals.com, or follow us on Twitter @AzargaMetals. The address of the head office of Azarga Metals is Unit 1 - 15782 Marine Drive, White Rock, BC V4B 1E6, British Columbia, Canada.



Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.



Cautionary Statement:

This news release contains forward-looking statements that are based on the Corporation's current expectations and estimates. Forward-looking statements are frequently characterized by words such as "plan", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate", "suggest", "indicate" and other similar words or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from estimated or anticipated events or results implied or expressed in such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, among others: the actual results of current planned exploration activities; conclusions of economic evaluations; changes in project parameters as plans to continue to be refined; possible variations in ore grade or recovery rates; accidents, labor disputes and other risks of the mining industry; delays in obtaining governmental approvals or financing; and fluctuations in metal prices. There may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. 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, the Corporation disclaims any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and accordingly undue reliance should not be put on such statements due to the inherent uncertainty therein.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, May 16, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Westhaven Ventures Inc. (TSX-V:WHN) is pleased to report drill results from its winter drill campaign at its 15,542 hectare Shovelnose gold property, located within the prospective Spences Bridge Gold Belt (SBGB), which borders the Coquihalla Highway 30 kilometres south of Merritt, British Columbia. The program consisted of 3,031 metres of diamond drilling in 8 holes.

Recent Highlights:

Drill hole SN19-05 (260.00-344.80m): 85.80 metres (m) of 0.80 g/t gold (Au) and 4.02 g/t silver (Ag) , including 1.00m of 14.50 g/t Au and 191.00 g/t Ag. This represents the highest gram-metre 2 nd vein zone intercept to date. The first zone in SN19-05 (reported April 22 nd , 2019) intersected 15.48m of 4.77 g/t Au and 21.77 g/t Ag, including 6.48m of 8.55 g/t Au and 38.55 g/t Ag , and including, 1.55m of 32.60 g/t Au and 130.68 g/t Ag.



(260.00-344.80m): of and , including of and This represents the highest gram-metre 2 vein zone intercept to date. The first zone in SN19-05 (reported April 22 , 2019) intersected of and including of and , and including, of and Drill hole SN19-06 (165.97-197.00m): 31.03m of 2.88 g/t Au and 19.91 g/t Ag , including 12.00m of 5.54 g/t Au and 36.61 g/t Ag and 4.50m of 8.51 g/t Au and 56.60 g/t Ag .



(165.97-197.00m): of and , including of and and of and . Drill hole SN19-06 (227.00-238.00m): 2.00m of 44.90 g/t Au and 45.40 g/t Ag.



(227.00-238.00m): of and SN19-06 is 40 metres south of hole SN18-15 which returned 46.90m of 8.95 g/t Au and 65.47 g/t Ag .



is 40 metres south of hole SN18-15 which returned of and . SN19-07 successfully intersected a gold mineralized vein zone (13.00m of 1.06 g/t Au and 3.05 g/t Ag) south of the cross-fault intersected in hole SN18-19 and may represent the southward continuation of Zone 1.

Gareth Thomas, President & CEO of Westhaven states, "The recently reported drill intercepts in holes SN19-05 and SN19-06 demonstrate continuity of the wide, high-grade mineralization encountered in both the main vein zone and the second vein zone. The gold mineralization intersected in SN19-07, although low grade, is significant as it appears to represent the southward continuation of the main vein zone south of the cross-fault encountered in previous drilling. Ground geophysics appears to indicate several hundred metres of potential strike length to the southeast from our most southern South Zone drill intercept. We will test the South Zone along strike in the upcoming, fully financed drill campaign starting in early June. Drilling will look to expand this high-grade discovery while also looking to discover additional zones of gold mineralization outside of the south zone."

2019 WINTER DRILLING HIGHLIGHTS Hole From (m) To (m) Interval (m) Au (g/t) Ag (g/t) SN19-01 89.00 92.00 3.00 4.65 10.86 95.20 154.34 59.14 0.43 2.79 154.34 167.00 12.66 39.31 133.11 167.00 177.00 10.00 2.26 15.13 SN19-02 130.11 148.00 17.89 3.70 32.64 incl 137.15 145.00 7.85 7.00 59.13 174.94 175.44 0.50 13.65 36.50 SN19-03 44.00 49.00 5.00 1.60 6.66 92.00 93.00 1.00 3.52 2.90 SN19-04 246.27 266.52 20.25 1.02 9.98 incl 251.00 255.00 4.00 2.52 31.15 SN19-05 156.04 184.76 28.72 2.97 13.68 incl 161.52 177.00 15.48 4.77 21.77 incl 161.52 168.00 6.48 8.55 38.55 incl 161.52 163.07 1.55 32.60 130.68 260.00 344.80 85.80 0.80 4.02 incl 292.00 294.00 2.00 7.02 3.90 incl 307.00 314.00 7.00 2.78 29.79 incl 311.00 312.00 1.00 14.50 191.00 incl 343.01 343.65 0.64 8.21 10.15 SN19-06 165.97 197.00 31.03 2.88 19.91 incl 181.00 193.00 12.00 5.54 36.61 incl 183.50 188.00 4.50 8.51 56.60 234.00 236.00 2.00 44.90 45.40 SN19-07 232.00 245.00 13.00 1.06 3.05 SN19-08 ASSAYS PENDING

*Drilling to date is limited so true widths cannot be definitively determined. However, based on the geology of the vein zone with a steep dip to the west, true widths are estimated to be about 80-90% of reported interval lengths. Please see the plan map and cross sections below or visit: http://westhavenventures.com/projects/shovelnose-gold/details/

Peter Fischl, Exploration Manager, stated, This program is noted for continuing to return bonanza gold grades, including the best hole ever drilled at Shovelnose, hole SN19-01 (39.31 g/t Au over 12.66m, 497 gram-metres Au) and for confirming the potential for mineralization in the south fault block with the drilling of SN19-07. This hole has extended the strike-length of Zone 1 southeast into the south fault block for a total of 550 metres. Drilling is now planned to continue targeting the southeastern trend of Zone 1 into the south fault block in addition to the resistivity anomalies defined along the projected southeastward continuation of Zone 1.

The deeper portions of hole SN19-05 encountered a second vein zone correlated to Zone 2 at 307.00-388.00m depth. Although dominantly comprised of centimetre scale veinlets, it locally returned assays of up to 14.50 grams per tonne over 1m within a broader interval returning 0.80 grams per tonne Au over 85.80m. This zone will be tested with an upper cut to assess for a more constricted zone of wider and higher-grade quartz veins up-dip.

Hole SN19-06 confirmed the southeastward continuity of Zone 1, now with a drilled strike-length of 490 metres extending from hole SN18-07 southeast at a strike of 135 degrees to hole SN19-06.

Hole SN19-07 was drilled from the same location as SN19-06, but more easterly at an azimuth of 075 to test for the location of an inferred cross-fault that may displace the vein zones defined to the north. This hole was collared in the south fault block. This hole returned a quartz veined interval of 1.06 g/t Au and 3.05 g/t Ag over 13.00m (232.00-245.00m), which includes quartz vein intersections of up to 3.40m wide. This intercept is on-trend with veining in the north fault block and may represent the southeastward continuation of Zone 1 into the south fault block. This suggests that lateral displacement of the South Zone vein system is minimal across this fault. Most of the displacement is vertical, but the lack of orange-pink potassium feldspar in the quartz veining here, which is typical of the deeper roots of the vein zones in the north fault block, suggests there is potential for preservation of the mineralized quartz veining. Additional drilling is therefore planned, following the trend of Zone 1 to the southeast into areas of high resistivity within the south fault block.

Hole SN19-08 was drilled in the south fault block as an upper cut to SN18-19, testing the shallower portions of quartz veining and silica-pyrite healed rhyolite breccia encountered in hole SN18-19. This hole encountered andesite and andesite tuff breccia over its length, suggesting the presence of a reverse fault that has uplifted andesite basement westward over the quartz veined and brecciated rhyolite and rhyolitic tuffs. This andesite body appears as a magnetic high flanking Zone 2 veining to the northeast in the north fault block.

Qualified Person Statement

Peter Fischl, P.Geo., who is a Qualified Person within the context of National Instrument 43-101, has read and takes responsibility for this release.

QA/QC

Core samples were prepared using the PREP-31 package in ALSs Kamloops facility each core sample is crushed to better than 70 % passing a 2 mm (Tyler 9 mesh, US Std. No.10) screen. A split of 250 g is taken and pulverized to better than 85 % passing a 75 micron (Tyler 200 mesh, US Std. No. 200) screen. 0.75g of this pulverized split is digested by Four Acid and analyzed via ICP-MS (method code ME-MS61m (+Hg)), which reports a 49-element suite of elements. All samples are analyzed by Fire Assay with an AES finish, method code Au-ICP21 (30g sample size). Additional Au screening is performed using ALSs Au-SCR24 method, select samples are dry screened to 100 micron. A duplicate 50g fire assay is conducted on the undersized fraction as well as an assay on the entire oversize fraction. Total Au content, individual assays and weight fractions are reported. All analytical and assay procedures are conducted in ALSs North Vancouver facility. A QA/QC program included laboratory and field standards inserted every 25 samples. At least one field blank is inserted in every batch of 25 samples, with additional blanks inserted following samples with visible gold.

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.

The Spences Bridge Gold Belt (SBGB)

Westhaven owns a 100%-interest in 4 properties covering over 35,000 hectares within the prospective SBGB, which is situated within a geological setting like those which host other significant epithermal gold-silver systems. It is close to major transportation routes and infrastructure allowing for cost-effective exploration. The SBGB is a 110-kilometre northwest-trending belt of intermediate to felsic volcanic rocks dominated by the Cretaceous Spences Bridge Group. Talisker Resources and Westhaven have a combined control of 86% of the SBGB (225,000ha). Any ground staked by Talisker within 5 kilometres of Westhaven's existing projects will be subject to a 2.5% NSR. In addition, Westhaven has a 30-day Right of First Refusal (ROFR) for a three-year period on any of Taliskers properties outside this 5-kilometre radius.

On behalf of the Board of Directors

WESTHAVEN VENTURES INC.



"Gareth Thomas"



Gareth Thomas, President, CEO & Director

Westhaven Ventures Inc. is a Canadian based exploration company focused on the acquisition and exploration of prospective resource properties. Westhaven is focused on advancing its Shovelnose, Prospect Valley, Skoonka and Skoonka North gold projects in British Columbia. Westhaven trades on the TSX Venture Exchange under the ticker symbol WHN. For further information, please call 604-681-5521 or visit Westhavens website at www.westhavenventures.com.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, May 16, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Riverside Resources Inc. (Riverside or the Company) (TSX-V: RRI) (OTCQB: RVSDF) (FSE: R99), is pleased to announce the signing of a two-year, US$2,000,000 Exploration Financing Agreement with BHP Exploration Chile SpA (BHP) for the funding of generative exploration in the copper producing belt of Mexico (the Program). The Program will focus on identifying and developing exploration opportunities leading to the discovery of new large copper deposits within an Area of Interest (AOI) using Riversides technical knowledge base of copper systems and strong generative exploration team strategically based in Hermosillo, Sonora. BHP and Riverside will pool their data, including decades of historical work into an integrated database. Riverside can now leverage geophysical, geochemical and geological technical platforms into a new targeting synthesis to complete tenure acquisitions.

BHP will fund US$1,000,000 on an annual basis for a minimum of two (2) years for generative grass-roots exploration within northeastern Sonora in the region of many copper deposits and some very large copper operations (Figure 1). The exploration area being explored is in the central part of the Laramide Copper Belt that continues northward into Arizona and New Mexico, hosting numerous large, Tier 1 copper deposits. For example, the third largest copper mine in the world, the Buenavista del Cobre Operations in Cananea, is located within the AOI.

Properties that are identified and deemed to be of interest will become Defined Projects (DPs), which will move to a second phase of the Program whereby BHP would fund up to an additional US$5,000,000 of exploration work and make success fee payments to Riverside on a per project basis (see Exploration Funding Agreement below).

Riversides President and CEO, John-Mark Staude, stated: We are delighted to combine the financing support of a major world copper leader with our in-country Mexico expertise to pursue exploration activities and advance promising projects. The two-year Program helps Riverside expand our copper exposure, while still conserving capital for our other self-funded initiatives.

Exploration Funding Agreement

Overview:

The two-year, US$2,000,000 Exploration Financing Agreement was signed on May 15, 2019. The Program will target projects containing primarily copper, with the objective of advancing quality copper prospects through three (3) distinct stages: Project Generation Phase, Project Operation Phase and Joint Venture Stage.

Project Generation Phase (I):

During the Project Generation Phase, Riverside will act as the operator and earn a monthly fee plus 10% on internal activities and 5% on third party external contractor work with an estimated ~US$85,000/month for generative work. Riversides technical team will carry out generative exploration and work up targets with the aim of moving prospects toward the Project Operation Phase (II).

Project Operation Phase (II):

A prospect that is advanced to the Project Operation Phase will become a DP and will trigger a success fee of US$200,000 payable to Riverside for each prospect so advanced. Riverside can earn a bonus of an extra US$200,000 if at least three projects are progressed to DP making a total of US$800,000 in DP success fees. BHP will fund up to US$5,000,000 for drilling and further exploration on each DP, having the option to become the operator of such DP. Riverside has the option to contribute between 10% and 20% of the exploration expenditures (Riversides Contribution to Expenses) during this phase, with BHP funding the balance (80-90%) should Riverside elect to participate. BHP may discontinue funding with respect to a specific DP at any time in which case Riverside would be entitled to 100% interest in the project and depending on the funds expended to date, BHP may retain a net smelter returns royalty interest.

Joint Venture Stage (III):

BHP may elect to advance a DP to the Joint Venture Stage, at which time title to the project would be transferred to a joint venture company and the parties would enter into a formal joint venture partners agreement. If Riversides cash contribution reaches a minimum of 10% in Phase (II), the Companys deemed initial interest in the joint venture company will be 20%. If Riversides Contribution to Expenses to a DP is less than 10%, Riverside will have no interest in the Joint Venture. For each DP that is advanced to the Joint Venture Stage, Riverside will be entitled to a success fee of US$1,500,000 if Riversides Contribution to Expenses to a DP is at least 10% and US$300,000 if it is less than 10%. At the point of Joint Venture formation, with respect to a DP in which Riverside has at least a 10% interest, (a) Riverside may sell its interest earned as a result of its Contribution to Expenses to BHP at the rate of US$100,000 for each 1% interest sold; and (b) BHP may purchase the difference between 20% and Riversides actual Contribution to Expenses at the rate of US$300,000 for each 1% interest purchased.

Operational Details:

A Technical Committee (TC) will be formed to approve Work Programs and Budgets during Phase (I) and (II). The TC will have two representatives from each of BHP and Riverside with equal voting powers for both groups for DPs operated by Riverside. For DPs operated by BHP, BHP will have the casting vote on the TC.

About Riverside Resources Inc.:

Riverside is a well-funded exploration company driven by value generation and discovery. The company has no debt and fewer than 63M shares outstanding with a strong portfolio of gold-silver and copper assets in North America. Riverside has extensive experience and knowledge operating in Mexico and leverages its large database to generate a portfolio of prospective mineral properties. In addition to Riversides own exploration spending, the Company also strives to diversify risk by securing joint-venture and spin-out partnerships to advance multiple assets simultaneously and create more chances for discovery. Riverside has additional properties available for option, with more information available on the Companys website at www.rivres.com.

ON BEHALF OF RIVERSIDE RESOURCES INC.



"John-Mark Staude"



Dr. John-Mark Staude, President & CEO

For additional information contact:

Certain statements in this press release may be considered forward-looking information. These statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology (e.g., "expect, estimates", "intends", "anticipates", "believes", "plans"). Such information involves known and unknown risks -- including the availability of funds, the results of financing and exploration activities, the interpretation of exploration results and other geological data, or unanticipated costs and expenses and other risks identified by Riverside in its public securities filings that may cause actual events to differ materially from current expectations. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release.

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.
Earlier this year the former president of Ivory Coast, Laurent Gbagbo, was acquitted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) after having been detained in The Hague for more than seven years. His former Youth minister Charles Ble Goude was set free as well. The acquittals were the last in a series. For years the Office of the Prosecutor (OTP) has been marred by problems with investigations, management issues and scandals that gravely affected its reputation. So far, since the ICCs start in 2002, just three accused have been found guilty by the ICC, while the cases against twelve other defendants have been closed  before, in the middle or at the end of their trial  because the evidence was lacking.

But now it is the judges who are at the centre of controversy. In January The New York Times wrote that a number of ICC judges filed a lawsuit against their own court at the tribunal of the International Labour Organization. Annually earning a tax-free salary of 180,000 euros, they are demanding a pay rise of 26 percent, retroactive compensation, more pension and damages that could run into the millions, according to the NYT. The lawsuit is led by the president of the ICC, Chile Eboe-Osuji (who earns an extra 18,000 euros a year as president). Although twelve judges out of eighteen havent joined the lawsuit, the case harms the image of the court.

Recommended reading Money Matters at the ICC

Judge Ozakis conflict of interest

The news about the salary conflict was followed by a scandal featuring judge Kuniko Ozaki of Japan. She is part of the Chamber handling the trial against Congolese former warlord Bosco Ntaganda, who surrendered himself to the court on 22 March 2013. His trial started on 2 September 2015 and the closing statements took place last August. The judges are now writing the judgment. Ozakis term had ended in March 2018, but she stayed on to complete the trial until a verdict is reached.

Suddenly, on 7 January 2019, Ozaki sent an internal memorandum to the presidency of the court asking to resign as a full-time judge as of 11 February 2019. It was for personal reasons, she wrote. One week later, on 18 February, she informed her colleagues that she had been appointed as Japans ambassador to Estonia and that her diplomatic duties would start 3 April. It is my firm belief that my new responsibility would not in any way interfere with my judicial function, she stated. Ozaki asked permission to combine the two jobs, and if that was not possible, she would simply resign from the ICC.

The judges organised a plenary meeting on 4 March 2019 to discuss the matter and decided by a majority of 14 judges that the combination of jobs does not violate any aspect of Article 40 of the Rome Statute which deals with the independence of the judges. The article says that judges shall not engage in any activity which is likely to interfere with their judicial functions or to affect confidence in their independence and that they serve on a full-time basis not engaging in any other occupation of a professional nature. A minority of three judges objected to Ozakis diplomatic position saying it was evident that a judge performing an executive or political function for a government was entirely likely to affect public confidence in judicial independence.

An email from Japan

On 1 April the defence lawyers of Ntaganda said that Ozaki should be disqualified because of her diplomatic appointment and her conduct in this affair. The team believed there was a serious risk that the right of their client to a fair trial was violated. The defences request for a temporary stay of proceedings to litigate a disqualification was however denied by the Trial Chamber.

On 30 April the defence team asked the presidency to reconsider the decision that the diplomatic job of Ozaki was not a violation of Article 40. The lawyers stated that her service for the government of Japan creates the appearance that she is not independent and that a reasonable observer would suspect that an ambassador would like to avoid controversy if she has to choose between a conviction or acquittal in a high-profile case. Her diplomatic job is clearly incompatible with her judicial duties, they argued.

One day later, the presidency disclosed that judge Ozaki had resigned as ambassador. In fact the court had already been informed on 23 April by email by the Japanese ministry of Foreign Affairs about her resignation, which itself had taken place on 18 April.

It is unlikely, however, that this saga ends here. The defence has repeated its request to the presidency to disclose documents and information related to the affair.

No investigations in Afghanistan

While the Ozaki-scandal was unfolding, the court published the long awaited Afghanistan decision. On 20 November 2017, the prosecutor had requested permission for a full criminal investigation into international crimes committed by the Taliban, Afghan security forces, American military and CIA officials in Afghanistan and in secret CIA-detention-centres in Poland, Romania and Lithuania.

Meanwhile the United States government had openly threatened the court if it would dare to prosecute Americans. In a scathing speech last year John Bolton called the ICC ineffective, unaccountable, outright dangerous and illegitimate. The U.S. National Security Advisor warned the ICC that his country would do anything to stop the court from investigating Americans. Judges and prosecutors would be banned from entering the United States, they would see their bank accounts frozen, and they could even be prosecuted. The same would happen to companies and states assisting an ICC investigation.

On 4 April 2019 the U.S. revoked the visa of ICC prosecutor Fatou Bensouda. A week later, on 12 April, an ICC Pre-Trial Chamber rejected the prosecutions request to start an investigation in Afghanistan. The three judges agreed there was a reasonable basis that crimes within the jurisdiction of the court were committed, but they said that it was not in the interest of justice to pursue this case. The complexity and volatility of the political climate still surrounding the Afghan scenario make it extremely difficult to gauge the prospects of securing meaningful cooperation which is needed for successful investigations and the surrender of suspects, the judges stated. They suggested that the lack of results would create frustration and possibly hostility vis-a-vis the Court among victims. The judges added that an Afghanistan investigation would require financial and human resources, which will be at the detriment of scenarios that have more realistic prospects to lead to trials and thus effectively foster the interests of justice.

A dangerous message

The decision triggered an avalanche of criticism. Param-Preet Singh, associate international justice director of Human Rights Watch, said it was a devastating blow for victims who have suffered grievous crimes without redress. She pointed to the fact that the judges logic effectively allows member countries to opt out of cooperating with the court and sends a dangerous message to all governments that obstructionist tactics can put them beyond the courts reach.

Academics commenting in tweets and blogs were divided in pragmatic and principled approaches. Alex Whiting, professor of practice at Harvard Law School and previously working for the ICCs prosecution, showed some comprehension in his Just Security post pointing out that, as a fledgling institution, it might be necessary for the Court to build and establish itself with small steps, focusing on those situation where international support will allow it to succeed. But Sergey Vasiliev, assistant professor at the department of criminal law at the University of Amsterdam, wrote a two-part piece under the ominous title: Not just another crisis: Could the blocking of the Afghanistan investigation spell the end of the ICC?

What and whom a French judge likes, or not

If that was not enough, an old speech from 17 May 2017 that the French judge Marc Perrin de Brichambaut gave before Chinese law students at the Peking University Law School created upheaval. In his talk the judge made a range of derogatory remarks. He stated that it is European countries that are paying the bills for the ICC, while the African countries provide the suspects. The judge, who is of course well paid himself, talked about one of the victims lawyers and said he made a good choice because working on the case against LRA-commander Dominic Ongwen means he is now in business for the next few years. He commented on defence lawyers David Hooper and a woman lawyer from Paris saying she is even more of a pain than Mr. Hooper because she shoots at everything that moves on the other side, but she never met a victim either, but shes very effective in terms of defending their interests and makes the life of the chamber a little bit unpleasant occasionally. So, I dont like Madame Mabe at all, neither do I have enormous respect for Mr Hooper, he said, probably referring to Catherine Mabille, defence lawyer for Thomas Lubanga Dyilo. In the meantime, on April 10, Mabille filed a motion to disqualify the judge because of his remarks related to the reparations proceedings in the Lubanga case which he is presiding.

And there was more. A point that Kevin Jon Heller, associate professor of Public International Law at the University of Amsterdam, particularly wanted to raise in a blog for Opinio Juris.

The ICC will never be seen as credible if its judges openly announce, sincerely or not, that they feel free to ignore important provisions in the Rome Statute they personally dislike.

In his 2017 talk in Beijing Judge Perrin de Brichambaut had disclosed that he and the other two judges conducting the trial against former Congolese politician Jean-Pierre Bemba Gombo and four others accused of bribing witnesses, had agreed to refuse interlocutory appeals. Heller points out that the Rome Statute allows parties to appeal a decision that involves an issue that would significantly affect the fair and expeditious conduct of the proceedings or the outcome of the trial. Referring to the judges remarks Heller says it is impossible to overstate how reckless and damaging statements like these can be. [] The ICC will never be seen as credible if its judges openly announce, sincerely or not, that they feel free to ignore important provisions in the Rome Statute they personally dislike.

No less than four controversial matters came up during the first months of this year: the salary lawsuit, the Ozaki scandal, the refusal of the Afghanistan investigation and the French judges talk. Considering that judges are selected for their impartiality and integrity, if every month their conduct leads to public commotion and doubt, the court should become very worried.
Three undergraduate researchers selected as Goldwater scholars

Thursday, May 16, 2019



Kansas State University students Erianna Basgall, junior in biochemistry; Mackenzie Thornton, junior in microbiology and pre-health; and Gabrielle Phillips, senior in chemical engineering, are 2019 Goldwater scholars.





MANHATTAN  Three Kansas State University undergraduate student researchers are among the 2019 national Barry M. Goldwater scholars.

Erianna Basgall, junior in biochemistry, Ellis; Mackenzie Thornton, junior in microbiology and pre-medicine, Leawood; and Gabrielle Phillips, senior in chemical engineering, Wichita; have received the prestigious Goldwater scholarship.



Established by Congress in 1986 to honor Sen. Barry M. Goldwater from Arizona, the Goldwater scholarship is the premier undergraduate scholarship for students interested in research careers in engineering, mathematics or the natural sciences. Awardees receive up to $7,500 annually for college-related expenses. For the 2019-2020 academic year, it was awarded to nearly 500 students across the nation. With 77 Goldwater scholars to date, Kansas State University ranks among the nation's top 10 universities for producing Goldwater scholars.



Mentored by Greg Finnigan, assistant professor of biochemistry and molecular biophysics, Basgall is working with CRISPR gene editing and developing applications to work with the technology. She has co-authored two peer-reviewed publications about CRISPR technology.



Basgall is a member of the University Honors Program, a master alchemist for the Beta Rho chapter of Alpha Chi Sigma co-ed professional chemistry fraternity, and is a student affiliate of the American Chemical Society. In addition to the Goldwater scholarship, she has received a Kansas-IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence Star Trainee award. A 2016 graduate of Ellis High School, Basgall is the daughter of Jason Basgall, Ransom, and Noel Servais-Leach, Ellis.



Mentored by Katsura Asano, professor of biology, Thornton is researching regulation of translation in cancer cells. She also has worked in the otolaryngology department at the University of Kansas Medical Center, researching head and neck cancer.



Thornton, a university semester honors list student, is the membership chair of Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority and a member of Cancer Journal Club. In addition to the Goldwater scholarship, she has received a Cancer Research Award and a Kansas-IDeA Network of Biomedical Research scholarship, been named a Kansas-IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Star Trainee, and was a part of the University Kansas Cancer Center Summer Student Research Training Program. A 2016 graduate of Blue Valley North High School in Overland Park, Thornton is the daughter of Parker and Gina Thornton, Leawood.



Mentored by Ruth Welti, university distinguished professor of biology, Phillips researches and characterizes plant genes at the Kansas Lipidomics Research Center. She also has worked with Kathrin Schrick, associate professor of biology, as part of her research of plant molecular biology. In summer 2017, Phillips interned at the Institute of Bioprocess Engineering at Technische Universitat Kaiserslautern, where she worked to increase the efficiency of pharmaceutical production of plant cell lines. In 2016, Philips helped program a virtual reality headset to better understand the neural pathway of balance reflexes with Nils Hakansson at the Human Biomechanics Design Lab at Wichita State University.



Phillips is a member of the University Honors Program, Tau Beta Pi engineering honor society, Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society, American Red Cross Club, Steel Ring and Mortar Board. In addition to the Goldwater scholarship, she has received many research scholarships, including a Kansas-IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence Star Trainee award, Office of Undergraduate Research & Creative Inquiry Research Grant, Kansas-IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence Campus Scholarship and a Johnson Cancer Research Center Undergraduate Research Award. She also was awarded a research internship in science and engineering from the German Academic Exchange Service. She is a recipient of the Putnam Scholarship and Fred and Mary Koch Foundation Scholarship. A 2015 graduate of Trinity Academy in Wichita, Phillips is the daughter of Matthew and Daphne Phillips, Andover.






SALEM, Ore.  The Oregon House of Representatives has approved a bill that would limit the authority of campus security officers, often called "Kaylee's Law." The bill came about following the 2016 murder of 23-year-old Kaylee Sawyer in Bend by a campus safety officer.

It was an honor to carry Kaylees Law on the floor today and while I am heartbroken by the events that led to the creation of this legislation, I am hopeful that the steps my colleagues in the House and Senate have taken will prevent a tragedy like this from occurring in the future, said Rep. Cheri Helt (R-Bend). I would like to especially thank Kaylees parents, Jaime and Crystal, for their courage and strength to create this legislation and move it through the legislature.

Lawmakers intend Senate Bill 576 to more clearly define what campus security officers are authorized to do, differentiating them from police officers. It mandates that the appearance of uniforms and vehicles for safety officers look distinct from law enforcement, removes their power to "stop and frisk," and requires nationwide background checks, among other measures.

In July of 2016, 34-year-old Edwin Enoc Lara, a campus safety officer at Central Oregon Comunity College in Bend, was on duty when he assaulted and murdered Sawyer before going on the run. Lara was eventually tracked down to an area not far from Yreka in Northern California  committing a string of additional crimes along the way.

The bill now heads to Governor Brown's desk for her signature.
SACRAMENTO, Calif.  The deadly wildfire that all but destroyed several small towns in California last year was caused by PG&E power lines, Cal Fire investigators have concluded.

The Camp Fire began on the morning of November 8, 2018. Flames spread so quickly that the primary route leading from the town of Paradise quickly became clogged with the vehicles of evacuees fleeing the area. Many people were forced to drive through a gauntlet of fire as the wildfire spread.

Ultimately, 85 people were confirmed dead from the fire. Flames consumed more than 150,000 acres of land and destroyed more than 18,800 structures. Several firefighters were injured during the response.

"The Camp Fire is the deadliest and most destructive fire in California history," Cal Fire said in a statement on Wednesday.

An investigation into the cause of the fire began almost immediately, with suspicion soon falling on power equipment operated by Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E). Now investigators have made their conclusion.

"After a very meticulous and thorough investigation, CAL FIRE has determined that the Camp Fire was caused by electrical transmission lines owned and operated by Pacific Gas and Electricity (PG&E) located in the Pulga area," the agency said.

When the fire began at those Pulga power lines, fire driven by strong winds quickly spread through dry grass and brush under "Red Flag" conditions. The fire spread through Pulga into the communities of Concow, Paradise, Magalia, and the outskirts of east Chico.

"The investigation identified a second ignition sight near the intersection of Concow Rd. and Rim Rd. The cause of the second fire was determined to be vegetation into electrical distribution lines owned and operated by PG&E. This fire was consumed by the original fire which started earlier near Pulga," Cal Fire said.

The full Camp Fire investigative report has been forwarded to Butte County District Attorney Mike Ramsey, Cal Fire concluded.

PG&E filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy earlier this year, and the fate of the company remains uncertain. It faces lawsuits and significant damages from multiple wildfires, not the Camp Fire alone.

NewsWatch 12 sent a reporter to Butte County last year as firefighters from Southern Oregon headed down to help combat the Camp Fire and work on sifting through the wreckage.
ASHLAND, Ore-- Firefighters are tightening up their prescribed burn skills or learning something new.

That's because of TREX or Ashland Prescribed Fire Training Exchange. The firefighters learn why prescribed burning is important and how to do it. "To work on using controlled burning to get ahead of wildfires during the summer" said Chris Chambers, a Division Chief from Ashland Fire Rescue. He says if we are not burning ahead of the summer wildfires. We are just waiting for them to burn us. He tells me these firefighters are from all over the world like Mexico, Spain and Canada.

"Spain does, actually it has a lot of wildfires. If you look at a fire map right now. Mexico has a lot of fire burning in it" said Chambers.

"The main idea is to put the fire out or to put the fire down on the landscape. I think everyone is on the same page" said Mark Dyer a Canadian firefighter. Dyer tells me the terms are different between countries and even states. Everyone has the same goal though so they understand each other. "I think it's great and I think there's room for something like this back home" said Dyer.

Dyer says in British Columbia some people are not a fan of prescribed burns because of the smoke. He feels his province is a few steps behind compared to Southern Oregon. "The community is pretty proactive here, in terms of being fire wise and in terms of opening of their minds to prescription fires" said Dyer.

We consider this burning essential for our wildfire and our community safety. This program will continue for the remainder of this week and next week.
ASHLAND, Ore. -- Telecommunication companies are beginning to roll out 5G, the next generation of wireless technology. They describe it as one of the fastest and most robust technologies in the world. It will also allow for quicker downloads. The Ashland group called Oregon for Safer Technology rallied against the roll out Wednesday saying 5G poses health risks. This rally was a part of the nationwide 5G Day of Action. The various groups claim there is evidence that proves long term exposure to wireless radiation is harmful. They want wireless companies to stop the 5G roll out until wireless radiation exposure has been proven to be safe. The group's founder, Kelly Marcotulli, said they want to block 5G in Ashland with an ordinance change.

"If we don't pre-empt what the FCC and the telecom industries want for us which is 5G then we've lost the battle, said Marcotulli. If we can set up legal means of preventing 5G from being brought into our little town than we've achieved our goal."

Ashland isn't the only city to hold a 5G Day of Action rally. People came together against the 5G roll outs across the nation Wednesday.

The wireless industry association CTIA responded to those protesters in a statement:

The science shows that the organizers claims about the health effects of radiofrequency energy are false. Radiofrequency energy from wireless devices and networks, including 5G, has not been shown to cause health problems, according to the consensus of the international scientific community.

The group plans to continue to protest against 5G in Ashland. It will give a presentation to the city council on Monday, May 20th.
By SARAH ZIMMERMAN Associated Press

SALEM, Ore. (AP)  Oregon lawmakers have approved the largest statewide expansion of the federal free lunch program, ensuring all students living up to three times above the poverty line will have access to free meals.

Proud to sign our Student Success Act into law today, ensuring our schools will finally receive funding at the level our children deserve. This is a big day for our kids, and their future. #orpol pic.twitter.com/thOQKifsDl  Governor Kate Brown (@OregonGovBrown) May 16, 2019

It's the first time a state has offered to completely take on school meal costs, which can often run tens of thousands of dollars for individual school districts. The move is expected to provide hundreds of thousands of students with free breakfast and lunch.

One in seven Oregon households is "food insecure," according to the Oregon Center for Public Policy , meaning that families have trouble putting food on the table and often don't know where they'll get their next meal.

At least 174,000 children have limited access to food, more than the population of Oregon's second largest city, Eugene.

"Hungry kids don't think about education nearly as much as having something in their stomach," said Sen. Arnie Roblan, a Democrat from Coos Bay who helped craft the legislation.

At least 62% of students attend a school with high federal poverty rates. These schools can get federal assistance to provide free meals to all their students no matter their income levels under the 2011 Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, a policy championed by former first lady Michelle Obama.

But even though these schools may qualify for assistance, not all of them take advantage of it because of low federal reimbursement rates. Instead, they only provide meals to those living about two times above the federal poverty level.

Around a third of food insecure students in Oregon, however, live above that poverty threshold meaning they're ineligible for free meals, according to data from Feeding America .

Tim Sweeney, a superintendent in Oregon's impoverished South Coast, said that his district runs a deficit because it chooses to take on the cost of feeding all its students. Even with federal assistance, it costs around $25,000 a year to provide free breakfast and lunches, money Sweeney said could have gone to textbooks.

"Poverty is a huge deal here and so many students rely on schools to provide them with food and a warm place for shelter," he said. "Food service may not be a winning game, but we know it means the world to these kids."

Oregon will now be the first in the nation to pick up these school districts' school lunch tabs, allowing 761 schools across the state to provide free lunch and breakfast to approximately 345,000 students.

In the 484 remaining schools that aren't high poverty and therefore don't qualify for the federal program, the state will cover the cost to feed kids that live up to three times above the poverty level, expanding the qualifying threshold to capture more hungry students.

The meals expansion is tucked away in a tax package for schools, a sweeping $1 billion annual investment explicitly dedicated to boosting student performance. The program, which will cost the state $40 million a year, will be paid for through a new half a percent tax on business.

Gov. Kate Brown signed the school funding tax package, but it's likely to be referred to the voters to decide in 2020, thanks to Oregon's robust referendum process.
MOUNT SHASTA, Calif.  A camper reported missing on Monday was later found dead in the Sacramento River, according to the Siskiyou County Sheriff's Office (SCSO).

Deputies responded to the Twin Arrows Campground south of Siskiyou Lake just before noon. The caller said that her boyfriend, 31-year-old Jeremy Wayne Price of Asheville, North Carolina, had disappeared the previous night after he "wandered away from their camp site."

"The missing party was allegedly consuming alcoholic beverages and marijuana during the day, prior to his disappearance that night," the Sheriff's Office said.

Price was last seen near the South Fork of the Sacramento River, a short distance from the campground. Other campers had told Price's girlfriend that he was seen near the riverbank. She expressed concern because Price didn't know how to swim.

Deputies notified the SCSO Search & Rescue (SAR) team and called for an H-14 helicopter from California Highway Patrol (CHP). When the helicopter arrived on the scene, the crews began an aerial search of the river. They soon found Price's body.

"At about 3:04 p.m., the helicopter crew spotted what appeared to be a body wedged in some rocks in the middle of the river, about one-quarter mile north and down-stream from the campground," SCSO said.

The SCSO Dive Team responded and worked to recover Price's body, which was stuck about 30 feet from shore.

Price's next-of-kin has been notified, and SCSO said that an autopsy will be conducted within the next several days to confirm the cause and manner of his death.

On behalf of the Siskiyou County Sheriffs Office, I would like to offer our thoughts and prayers to the decedent, his family, and friends in the aftermath of his death," said Sheriff Jon Lopey. "I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the CHPs H-14 helicopter crew, SCSO deputies, SCSO Dive team members, and SCSOs SAR Coordinator for their role in finding and recovering Mr. Prices remains. This case is still under investigation and anyone with information about this case is urged to contact SCSOs 24-hour Dispatch Center at (530) 841-2900.
Care coordinators also can assist with issues that may not be obvious during an office visit, such as social and financial resources, to make sure no barriers prevent patients from maintaining good health care.

Medicare patients are being invited to sign up when they come to PVMG for office visits. There is no charge for patients who have Medicare Part B, but standard insurance copays and deductibles apply. Patients without Part B may enroll for $8.

Deyo said care coordinators, who work offsite, are not an added expense. They are here to help the patients as much or as little as they want. They will be able to point patients in the right direction so they can find information and community resources to solve their specific problems. The goal is to help support our patients better in becoming and staying healthier, she said.

Deyo added that since the program aims to reduce hospital readmissions, it has the potential to save members money.

This is exciting for us. If it enhances their quality of life, it will be successful, she said.
In 2010, the younger Bauermeister, who went by her middle name, applied for a protection order against Stack. She wrote that Stack entered her bedroom ranting and yelling at her. She said he then sucker-punched her in the back of her head and hit her in the stomach, arms and legs. She said officers took photos of bruises and told her to take more in the following days because more bruising would become visible.

Stack and Bauermeister were recovering alcoholics, said Donna Livingston, a neighbor. Bauermeister had been sober for several months before she was slain, she said.

She was doing really well, Livingston said.

She said Stack had gone to a detox facility, but his continued alcohol abuse may have led to problems between the two.

They argued a lot, she said. She told me that she wanted to get rid of him. She was tired of supporting him.

Bauermeisters family has described her as a warm and loving woman.

Katarina Bauermeister, a niece, has previously described her aunt as an energetic woman who made everybody in the family laugh.
Martinez and Turner are accused of taking part in the fatal wounding of Pohlmeier Sept. 14 while trying to rob him during what police have called a low-level narcotics transaction.

Doyle ordered both teens to appear in Lincoln County District Court May 28 for further proceedings, including the possible setting of trial dates.

Their next appearance dates are conditional on whether their attorneys seek to appeal Doyles juvenile court rulings, the judge wrote.

P. Stephen Potter of Gothenburg and Patrick Heng of North Platte are representing Martinez. Turners attorneys are Lincoln County Public Defender Robert Lindemeier and North Platte lawyer Amanda Speichert.

Doyle, who held hearings April 3 on the juvenile court motions, wrote that Martinez and Turner  if they were found guilty in juvenile court  would be better served at the Nebraska Correctional Youth Facility in Omaha than the Youth Rehabilitation Treatment Center in Kearney.

The Omaha facility, designed to handle adolescent male offenders, is better equipped in staffing and treatment programs, Doyle wrote. Its also a secure correctional center, while the Kearney center is unlocked.

Even so, the judge added, men committed to the Omaha facility under the juvenile court system cannot be held there beyond the age of 21 years and 10 months.
Until recently, Republicans have been on offense on the issue of abortion, deploying a similar playbook to the one Democrats are now using by calling their opponents extreme due to a recent law passed in New York that expanded access to abortions late in a pregnancy.

In his State of the Union address this year, Trump pointed to the New York law and comments by Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam, D, about a proposed abortion bill to argue that Democrats supported efforts to "allow a baby to be ripped from the mother's womb moments before birth" or allow for a doctor to "execute a baby after birth." (Northam did not say he supported execution of a baby after birth.)

During his short political career, Trump has been successful in using abortion to solidify his support among evangelical voters initially skeptical of him. Though he had described himself as an abortion rights advocate for much of his life, he was the first Republican nominee to openly promise to appoint antiabortion justices to the Supreme Court. He said during the 2016 campaign that his appointees would overturn Roe "automatically" if he were elected.
While the southeastern Wisconsin economy has been in a growth mode, future economic and workforce progress may depend upon policymakers who set the tone for expansion and employers who embrace new ways to recruit and retain workers.

That was the word from Brian Andrew, chief investment officer with the Johnson Financial Group, who said Wednesday morning that the economy is growing faster than it normally would.

Speaking at the annual State of the Region Economic Forum at the Club of Strawberry Creek, he said, Were not likely to see a recession anytime soon.

While thats good news to business leaders and employers, he cautioned that continued growth will depend upon the policymakers. Nationally that could mean how trade and tariff actions are imposed and locally what constraints and levies are imposed.

Andrew talked about the $620 billion trade deficit and noted that two-thirds of that amount comes with China, the No. 2 economy in the world.

He said fourth-quarter profit margins for U.S. companies were 11 percent. He said companies are likely to see positive earnings growth to continue this year.

He said the trend of U.S. companies outsourcing manufacturing overseas for lower labor costs may be reversing because customers want shorter delivery times.

We have to shorten the distance in the supply chain, he said.

Panel discussion

During a panel discussion after Andrews talk, Kenosha Area Business Alliance president Todd Battle said the region had nearly 5 million square feet of industrial space under construction at the end of 2018, and theres still room to grow.

Theres still a lot of runway left, he said, citing the Chrysler site, downtown Kenosha and the former We Energies power plant in Pleasant Prairie.

Health care is part of the areas building boom, with Froedtert and Advocate Aurora in the midst of major projects in Kenosha and Racine counties.

Its changing landscape, said Susan Ventura, executive vice president with Froedtert South. Were doing all we can do to adapt to the changes.

Building and maintaining a steady workforce is a challenge, she said. She said 50 percent of Froedherts workforce will be retiring in the next five to 10 years, and human resources personnel have embraced new methods of finding people.

Its an ongoing effort, she said, noting Froedtert has partnered with Gateway Technical College and other institutions and has a training facility in its hospital.

Gateway president Bryan Albrecht suggested employers need to change how they recruit if they are to find the workers they need to fill jobs.

He said some companies have formed partnerships with Gateway and other institutions to train people and build a pipeline.

He said students have changed their job-seeking methods, and he suggested employers need to do the same by using various job search networks.

If youre looking for employees the traditional way, youre at the back of the line. If youre looking for employees through LinkedIn youre near the back of the line. he said. You have to know where they are.

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The 2019 annual State of the Downtown event drew a record crowd of business owners and residents who learned how entrepreneurship and well-orchestrated plans are the driving forces behind the growth of the citys central business district.

Kenoshas downtown is retro and cool. Its a great destination, Heather Wessling Grosz, the outgoing president of Downtown Kenosha Inc., told an audience of 250 who attended the evening event at the Stella Hotel & Ballroom. The more we appreciate downtown, the more valuable it becomes.

One of the citys values is the newly-designed Stella, 5706 Eighth Ave., that grew out of the dilapidated shell that once was the Heritage House. The building also previously served as the center for the Elks Club. It was renovated and expanded by Gorman & Company, honored Wednesday with the 2018 Best Preservation Project award for its work on the hotel.

Other 2018 award winners included Judy Rossow, owner of the Copy Center for being the most influential business owner; Erik Bedore as the Volunteer of the Year; and Maria Caravati, owner of the Equinox for the best facade.

DKI, one of Wisconsins 40 designated Main Street communities, administered several programs that produced record results in 2018.

The facade improvement grant program, for example, raised $52,000, dispersed $33,675 and has had 44 applicants who have used program funds to make improvements to their storefronts, according to statistics released by DKI.

Keynote speaker Lyneir Richardson, chief executive officer of Chicago Trend, a resource for real estate developers, retailers and community development organizations, detailed some of his experiences helping businesses find funding for promoting development in Newark, N.J., and Chicago.

He noted that entrepreneurs could be the strength behind community development. Richardson told the audience that Kenosha is the place that can enable creativity, entrepreneurial ideas and innovation.

Richardson said that Kenosha has all of the ingredients to successfully transition to the next stage of its downtown development, its warm launch, he said.

County Executive Jim Kreuser, touting the citys successful downtown transition, said, In the county, the economic engine is downtown Kenosha.

Mayor John Antaramian outlined how various events have brought more people into the city, some of whom might not have come several years ago. He talked about the creation of HarborPark and noted that the future will bring a performing arts center and much more.

Antaramian explained that the new developments have come from well-carried out plans. Without a plan nothing happens, he explained. It only happens when people work together. Kenosha is a diamond.

He noted that downtown grows because downtown Kenosha starts with entrepreneurs.

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A decision to table legislation on the dark stores loophole Wednesday in Madison was not received kindly by some in the state capital or in Kenosha County.

The tax loophole allows big-box retailers to base their tax assessments on abandoned or shuttered stores, saving them millions of dollars in tax breaks and shifting the burden to local homeowners and small-business owners. Senate Bill 130 is co-sponsored by a bipartisan group of 20 state senators.

When the bill was brought to the Senate floor, the GOP-controlled Assembly refused to discuss or vote on it.

Im deeply disappointed that my Republican colleagues, once again, sided with big-box stores and against residential property taxpayers, Sen. Bob Wirch, D-Somers, said. Its shameful that early this week they stripped these taxpayer protections from the budget and now voted against taking up stand-alone legislation.

Big-box retailers have sued communities to recoup tax money paid based on higher assessments.

Walmart attempted to reduce its Somers property assessment for its store and Sams Club by about $7 million, according to Somers Village President George Stoner.

This dark store thing is totally destroying communities, Stoner said. Were all very, very upset with the leading Republicans, and theres nothing we can do about it.

Ive met with (Assembly Speaker Robin Vos), and it falls on deaf ears. Im very upset with (state Rep. Samantha Kerkman). She has all kinds of excuses, but theyre all flawed when it comes to helping the community.

This is the main part of legislation we need, and we cant get them to move on this.

In November, voters in all 23 counties, cities and villages with a dark stores advisory referendum overwhelming called for policymakers to close the loophole.

The referendum received 79 percent of the vote in Kenosha County.

To add insult to injury, they blocked their own bill that has overwhelming public and bipartisan support, Sen. Jennifer Shilling, D-La Crosse, said.

This issue is impacting municipalities of all sizes across the state, and its one of the reasons we saw a jump in property taxes last year.

Rather than more tax breaks for the wealthy and large corporations, Gov. Evers and legislative Democrats have made it clear we want to close corporate tax loopholes, restore tax fairness and promote economic opportunities for working families.

When Sen. Janis Ringhand, D-Evansville, attempted to bring the issue up for a vote on Wednesday, Republicans used a procedural move to block the legislation.

This move demonstrates how the Republicans would rather defend corporate lobbyists than the homeowners in their districts, Ringhand said. People throughout Wisconsin expect the Legislature to be more than a support system for the corporate lobby.

Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, said legislation was tabled to allow lawmakers more time to gather additional information.

Last summer, a legislative council committee was convened to try and identify common ground on the issue, Vos said. The results are being reviewed, and the caucus has not come to a consensus at this time.

Stoner said its just one excuse after another.

They say it would be bad for business, Stoner said. Its not bad for business. Businesses need to pay their fair share.

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About 170 people attended a prayer vigil in Kenosha for a Racine student pastor recently arrested by immigration officials.

The vigil took place outside the Kenosha County Detention Center, 4777 88th Ave., where Betty Rendon and her husband, Carlos, are being held after being arrested last week by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials.

Rendon, who is from Colombia, was a minister at Emaus Evangelical Lutheran Church in Racine at the time. She was arrested at her home in the Chicago area on May 8.

According to a report in the Racine Journal Times, the details of Rendons arrest have shocked many people in the immigrant and religious communities.

According to Stephanie Mitchell, a parishioner at Emaus and a professor at Carthage College, ICE officers originally handcuffed Rendons daughter Paula Hincapie, who was taking her 5-year-old daughter to school at the time. ICE agents then drove her car back to the house to arrest Rendon, her husband and one other person.

According to Nicole Alberico, an ICE spokeswoman, both Rendon and Hincapie were ordered removed by a federal immigration judge on May 22, 2008. On June 1, 2009, the Board of Immigration Appeals upheld the immigration judges removal order for Ms. Rendon-Madrid and Ms. Hincapie-Rendon.

Hincapie, protected under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals act, was released.

The Journal Times said it reached out to ICE for further clarification, but has not received further comment.

The vigil, organized by the Racine Interfaith Coalition, featured many people holding signs in support of Rendon.

Justice does not start until we start standing up for what we believe is right, The Rev. Prentiss Robbins Jr., a community organizer for the coalition, said. We are standing united. We can no longer let these things continue. ... People are walking in and out of peoples life, and they just disappear, and nobody says anything about it.

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Columnist Patricia Murphy caught our attention last week when she wrote challenging Congress to join her in being boring.

The column was about infrastructure and the need to focus on it in Washington. That applies to state and local governments, too.

Theres very little media attention, and even less voter bandwidth, for members of Congress doing the hard work of boring, wrote Murphy, who covers national politics for The Daily Beast. But its crucially important, especially if you take a minute to think about whats quietly happening to the countrys basic services while half of us are glued to Game of Thrones or Donald Trumps latest tweet.

According to a report card from the American Society of Civil Engineers, the countrys infrastructure in general rates only a D+. Anyone who rides the Red Line to work in Washington wont be surprised to know that mass transit in the U.S. gets a D-. Aviation infrastructure like air traffic control systems get a D. As you drive home today, try not to think that 9 percent of bridges in the country are structurally deficient or that in West Virginia, that number spikes to 19 percent.

This indeed should get attention even in divided Washington, where there are signs of life. As Murphy noted, Democrats have always wanted to move a big, beefy infrastructure package, and last week, Trump told House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and a group of Democrats he wanted to do something on the issue thats not typically Republican. That comment, along with Trumps agreement with Dems that a $2 trillion price tag could be about right, is the strange sound of harmony coming from the two sides. Of course paying for all this is the tricky part.

Thats also the case in Madison, where the question is how to pay for a roads plan thats desperately needed and has been avoided for too long.

Gov. Tony Evers got elected talking about it and he has made it part of his proposed budget, while majority Republicans have been sharing ideas on how to fund it. Its time, in coming weeks, for a compromise, however boring, as Murphy would say, in Madison.

That gets us to Kenosha County, and we were delighted of late to hear County Executive Jim Kreuser highlight infrastructure in his state of the county speech that was anything but boring, and Kenosha Mayor John Antaramian detail planned road work to further fuel the topic that everyone talks about in the city.

Quality highways and solid public safety are at the heart of county government, Kreuser said. Good infrastructure leads to economic development, which leads to jobs.

Specifically mentioning the Highway S and Highway KR expansions, Kreuser said, Now is not the time to take our foot off the gas pedal when it comes to planning and keeping pace with our highway projects. Traffic congestion, the pension fund mess, education, public safety and quality of place are key reasons Illinois companies continue to choose Kenosha County.

In the city, Antaramian updated widespread road construction and resurfacing projects that will be in full swing this summer. The citys capital improvement plan budgets about $8 million this year for 15 road projects.

Things are moving rather well, the mayor said. We have gotten a lot of projects underway. The majority of work will be on major streets and getting those ready for the future.

Of course, everybody has an opinion on city road work and how long its taking, but its never boring.

Evers recently stopped at the Kenosha News to talk about Medicaid expansion and pointed out that his transportation funding proposal emphasizes road reconstruction, mass transit and outdoor trails and will assist local governments throughout Wisconsin.

Its important to make a wide commitment to the municipalities and counties that do the hard work on transportation that they have the resources they need, the governor said.

So theres work to be done. But it pays off as improvements that taxpayers deserve and expect.

Let Murphy explain, returning to her challenge to Congress: There is magic in the mundane. Power in the humdrum. Solve a problem someone sees every day, and youll get re-elected, no matter what the president tweets about between now and then.

So, please, do the boring, Congress. Fill the potholes. Pay attention to the pots and pans.

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In a case that could have wide-reaching implications for medical practice in Minnesota, the Minnesota Supreme Court issued a ruling on April 17 in the case of Warren v. Dinter holding that the existence of a physician-patient relationship is not a prerequisite for a medical malpractice action. Rather, a person may sue a physician for malpractice  even if that person was not a patient of the physician  if the harm suffered by the person was a reasonably foreseeable consequence of the physicians actions.

The decision in question concerned a patient who came to an outpatient facility and was evaluated by a nurse practitioner, who thought the patient might need to be admitted to the hospital. She called the hospitalist (todays term for physicians who specialize in only caring for hospitalized patients) at the hospital that practice generally used to discuss it and the hospitalist physician did not recommend hospitalization. The nurse practitioner accepted this recommendation and sent the patient home. Note that the hospitalist neither examined the patient nor had access to the patients medical record; he was not even physically present in the building. The patient later died from severe infection, and the patients family sued both the nurse practitioner and the hospitalist.

Physicians get what are often called curbside consults all the time. I may call a subspecialist at the nearby University Hospital to ask some questions about a patient and get advice about what I should do. Im ultimately responsible, of course, for whatever I do or dont do but I may just need some advice or sometimes just another person to bounce ideas off. Similarly, physicians in facilities around the region who want to transfer a child to my PICU always call me for advice about what to do before the child gets to me  its totally routine. Good medical practice absolutely needs these sorts of interactions to give good care. The university system I deal with, like many such facilities, even has a special phone number for me to call to get quick access for expert advice. Traditionally, in a legal sense the physician providing the curbside consult is not liable for the advice because he or she doesnt have a formal relationship with the patient; they have never seen the patient, never seen the actual medical records, and never examined the patient. At first glance, the decision from Minnesota has some ominous implications for this universal medical practice. But does it really?

Of course, as with most things, the devil is in the details, especially when considering how generalizable this court decision is to usual practice. I am not a lawyer, of course, but I did look at the actual decision. The first lines of the decision reads: A physician-patient relationship is not a necessary element of a claim for professional negligence. A physician owes a duty of care to a third party when the physician acts in a professional capacity, and it is reasonably foreseeable that the third party will rely on the physicians acts and be harmed by a breach of the standard of care. That, to me, is a bit chilling. This is because the physician giving the advice is giving it based upon what he is told, and what he is told may be incorrect or incomplete.

It is important to point out that the Minnesota Supreme Court did not find for the patient. The court ruled only that the hospitalist physician could be sued and remanded the case back to the lower court. The language also stated the hospitalist denied the hospital admission. Thats a different thing than recommending against it. The decision also states the physician must breach the standard of care. Those are key details, I think, in assessing what this decision means. In my own practice, I never outright deny an admission if someone calls me asking for one. I may suggest the child not come to the PICU, but I facilitate admission to the appropriate hospital unit. If my PICU is full so I dont have a bed for the patient, I help the calling physician find one at another facility. But if I am accepting a patient I do give advice about what to do, and that advice is based upon what a person not trained in pediatric critical care is telling me over the phone. It is not uncommon for whatever Im told to be wrong, or at least incomplete. I would hope that would offer me some legal defense if ultimately necessary.

The court did go into what it called standard curbside consultations, and described why this particular interaction was not such: Our decision today should not be misinterpreted as being about informal advice from one medical professional to another. This case is about a formal medical decision  whether a patient would have access to hospital caremade by a hospital employee pursuant to hospital protocol. The court also provided some examples of how this expanded definition of professional duty has been applied in the past to both medical and legal practice. Also, a conversation between a nurse practitioner and a physician is intrinsically not a conversation between professional equals. I think this carried some weight with the court.

The bottom line for me is that this decision is somewhat concerning, although much less so if narrowly applied. Anybody deeply concerned should read the actual decision linked above.

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.

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As physicians, we have embraced a calling where we help others. A commitment many of us fully relish. We are grateful for our patients and the families who put their trust in us as we diagnose and treat their sometimes incredibly complex illnesses. I have been genuinely inspired by the stories I have heard from patients and my colleagues on the work we do.

Yet, in spite of the incredible advancements in medications and diagnostics, mistakes do happen. Why? Because at the center of all this technology is a human  a physician. A physician who likely spent the better part of his/her early adult years learning and deciphering the mysteries of the body. Many of us have read the Institute of Medicines report To Err is Human which placed a big spotlight of the estimated 98,000 preventable annual deaths that occur from medical errors. This project asserted that this staggering projection stems not from bad people in health care; instead, it is from good people working in a bad and complex system.

Fatal errors and mistakes that cause harm to our patients will, undoubtedly, plague that patient and his family. This fact cannot be minimized. In our zeal toward creating systems and stop gaps toward patient safety and patient first campaigns, we have forgotten about tending to the physician. Virtually every physician knows that sickening feeling when he realizes that he made an error, especially if it caused harm. He agonizes and replays the event over and over in his mind. It takes a mighty emotional toll on the doctors personal and professional life: a sense of embarrassment, isolation, and failure.

What is second victim syndrome?

Dr. Andrew Wu in 2000 initially coined second victim syndrome. In cases of any medical error, the first victim is always the patient while the second victim is any health care provider (i.e., physician, nurse, patient care technician, paramedic, etc.) who was involved in that error. Second victim syndrome describes that suffering that the health care provider experiences as a result of the psychological trauma the event causes.

The emotional effects of second victim syndrome should not be understated. Symptoms of anxiety, depression, guilt, and loss of confidence are commonplace. There can be feelings of incompetence, self-doubt, and misery. Ultimately, this is a recipe for physician burnout. While the hospital organization is diligently performing root cause analyses and identifying the prevention of future errors the physician is left in solitude.

Stages of second victim syndrome

Similar to grieving for the death of a loved one, there are specific stages that a health care provider suffering from second victim syndrome undergoes. As the authors of this paper clearly and succinctly describe in their 2009 study, each provider undergoes a six-stage recovery trajectory.

1. Chaos and accident response

Once the event happens, a flood of external and internal emotions arise. During the chaos and confusion, the physician must first attend to the patient and treat the potentially unstable patient, while, simultaneously battling guilt and self-doubt. Many times, a peer or consultant is needed to assist with the patient, and the physician is further berated for the error.

2. Intrusive reflection

This is the stage of self-reflection and re-enactment of the scenario. This stage is filled with periods of isolation and internal questioning of oneself. The victim begins to doubt himself and his ability as a competent clinician. Daily work and patient care become increasingly challenging.

3. Restoring personal integrity

This stage is when the physician seeks the support of a trusted friend or colleague if there is one. Indeed, many physicians feel helpless and do not know where to find help. There is this ever-consuming doubt regarding their future in the profession. At this stage, many physicians describe the inability to move forward especially if there was no support from a friend, colleague, or attending physician.

4. Enduring the inquisition

After the initial aftermath of the incident, the victim begins to wonder of the repercussions. Questions about job security, future litigation, and state licensure start to creep into the psyche of the physician. Equally challenging for the physician is the challenge imposed on him by HIPAA which is poorly understood by many. Inquires such as Can I talk about the case with a colleague? or Can I tell a family member or friend? arise.

5. Obtaining emotional first aid

Everyone has their coping styles and mechanisms, but physicians in this stage express concern that they are unsure who (or where) to receive the support that is so desperately needed. Many are uncertain who is safe to confide in while being mindful of maintaining confidentiality. Some will reach out to family members but will provide a short or truncated version of the incident. Even attempts at formal professional support such as an employee assistance program can fall short.

6. Moving on  dropping out, surviving or thriving

In spite of the internal and external pressure to move on, the physician will enter one of three unique and specific pathways. Dropping out involves the physician leaving the current work environment or leaving the profession altogether. While many have their reasons for doing so, the intense and possibly haunting re-enactments drove them away.

Another conclusion involves merely surviving. The physician continues to provide appropriate care and meets expected professional performance levels but continues to be preoccupied by the event.

Finally, a physician can learn and grow from the event. The incident has changed his current practice patterns and allowed him to make long-term, sustainable changes for his future patients.

Many of us suffer alone. There is an incredible amount of shame, guilt, and self-doubt that engulfs the physician. As an emergency physician, the reality of this is a constant threat. Second victim syndrome is real. Many physicians who grow and thrive after an adverse event universally mention the need for a reliable support system. While the formal programs such as an employee assistance program can help, the support of a colleague cannot be understated.

Be an empathetic listener. Remove any hint of judgment or blame. Share your personal experiences. The long and winding road of medicine is complicated and sometimes lonely. Lets remember that we are not alone and that mistakes do happen. These do not define us  not as a person or a clinician. Seek the support of others so we can all learn, grow, and thrive in this incredibly wonderous, and humbling, career.

Harry Karydes is an emergency physician who blogs at Medicine Revived and can be reached on Twitter @medicinerevived.

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Well, I won. Six years after I started down the very slow process to end forced MOC in my state, it happened. On December 27, 2018 Michigan governor Rick Snyder signed HB 4134 and 4135 into law. The harm BCBS caused me and my patients will never happen to another pediatrician in Michigan.

I know. Crazy. Im still in shock. Its taken a while to process it enough to write about it.

So what happened? How did we go from My MOC Failure to victory in one year? From an outsiders view, this signing was an abrupt end to MOC discrimination in Michigan, a nice neat Thanos Infinity War finger snap.

The inside reality was more Endgame: Old and new friendships from all walks of medicine and politics coming together, devising a plan, racing against time to beat a powerful adversary, but sacrificing some good people along the way.

The Michigan legislation started six years ago in the Michigan State Medical Society House of Delegates, with some very simple resolutions opposing forced MOC. As physician awareness of MOC and its harm escalated over the years, so did the strength of the resolutions passed by the delegates, eventually culminating in a resolution to pursue legislative action. MSMS stepped up to the challenge, found sponsors, and legislation was introduced in 2015 to prevent hospitals and insurers from discriminating against doctors for not purchasing ABMS MOC.

The first committee hearing in 2016 was eye opening. The hospitals freaked out. The insurance companies freaked out. The American Board of Emergency Medicine, located in Michigans capitol, freaked out. Clearly, these organizations allow grandfathered doctors to practice without concern, yet went into full doomsday mode at the idea of younger doctors practicing without buying MOC.

And that was it. The bills died in committee.

So next legislative session, in 2017, the bills were re-written, and we started again. This time, instead of trying to fight insurance companies and hospitals, we focused only on the insurance companies. The rationale being that hospital bylaws can theoretically be changed by doctors, but discriminatory insurer bylaws cannot.

So off we went to committee again, thinking wed have smoother sailing.

But now the opposition was even more organized and vocal. As anticipated, BCBS opposed. But American Board of Medical Specialties sent in their big guns, the American Board of Emergency Medicine stacked the room with their board members to oppose, the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and American Board of Orthopedic Surgery did the same.

The kick to the gut was a mother of a chronically ill child, who gave tear-jerking testimony in opposition to the bills on behalf of parents, but never disclosed she was with the American Board of Pediatrics Parent Advisory Council. It was madness.

And so the bills sat in committee again. In the committees eyes, physicians were divided: Some wanted the bills and some didnt. They didnt see the clear conflict of interest with all opposition coming from those profiting from the monopoly.

The bills sat for over a year, and were set to expire at the end of 2018.

The 2018 midterm elections in Michigan divided our state government into a Republican legislature and Democrat governor, and our bill sponsor Dr. Ned Canfield decided to retire. The prospect of finding a new sponsor, re-educating a new legislature, and convincing a divided government to pass MOC reform  ugh  it was over.

But what about lame duck? With just a few weeks left in the legislative session, the impending leadership change had bills flying left and right. Could we squeak in under the wire, and more importantly, under the radar of the powerful ABMS friends?

One physician lawmaker said, No way. Not possible. Youre too late. Try again next year. The medical society didnt have a lame duck strategy for the bills, and were skeptical. But to their credit, they got to work and quietly moved them forward.

The insurance bill was amended to appease BCBS, a big amendment: it would only apply to primary care, so pediatricians, internists, and family medicine. And to appease the hospitals, the package included joining the FSMB Interstate Compact, with some minor amendments to assure the compact pathway would be voluntary.

It was a crummy deal, but with days left before the legislative sessions end and the possibility of years before we had another shot, it was better than nothing. We took the deal.

Freed of opposition by BCBS and the hospitals, the amended bills sailed out of the house, passed unanimously through the Senate Health Policy Committee and then the full Senate. It happened so fast, ABMS and team were caught flat-footed. They couldnt scramble their A team to testify in time, and their B team was eaten alive in committee. All the usual opposition by the American Board of Emergency Medicine fell flat, as the bill didnt apply to them. It was beautiful.

But we compromised a lot for this little slice of freedom: we went from a bill to prevent MOC discrimination by hospitals and insurers for all specialties, to a bill that prevents MOC discrimination by insurers but only applies to pediatricians, internists, and family doctors. As BCBS was the only insurance company engaged in MOC discrimination, we did all that work to prevent one insurance company from requiring MOC for three specialty boards. And we joined the FSMB Interstate Licensure Compact (which requires MOC to get the initial license). Like I said, it was Endgame. We won, but we lost a lot.

Was it worth it? Well, for me, yeah. Pediatricians were chosen as winners in this bill. In Endgame vernacular, I wasnt sacrificed over the cliff on Vormir. Was this by design, to get me to finally be quiet? Maybe. If so, it kinda worked.

I took care of my peeps. I feel bad for physicians in the remaining 21 specialty boards excluded from this legislation (well, not the ER docs, you get all the MOC you deserve as your colleagues nearly derailed the whole thing). But certainly not bad enough to turn down the deal when lawmakers offered it.

And winning after six years of late nights, early mornings, travel, flights, testimony, meetings, phone calls, blog posts, media interviews, lawmaker roundtables, inbox full of encouraging emails, and some threatening emails has left me a little tired out. When I started down this path, my son was in kindergarten. Hes a middle schooler now. This has been a long haul. Im not going to be leading the charge for the surgeons, but more than happy to teach them how to do it.

We have a saying in medicine: See one, do one, teach one. What can I teach? There is a general recipe for success that applies everywhere: get your state medical on board with a policy resolution, find a sponsor (most likely a physician lawmaker), write a bill, get it passed. There are some cautionary lessons that carry through in every state battle, and these truths were reinforced in Michigan.

I learned about the power and impotence of organized medicine. Straight up, the AMA is worthless in this fight. ABMS found their way from Chicago to Lansing to oppose the bills multiple times over many years. But the AMA, located just a block away from ABMS in Chicago? Not a peep. No support. Not even a letter. Your state medical society remains your single greatest ally to effect change.

I learned how much harm physicians in power can cause practicing physicians, and the shameful tactics they will use. At every hearing, physicians came to oppose MOC freedom. Without fail, a simple Google search showed these physicians were benefiting from the MOC industry.

You have to be prepared for heartbreak, intimidation, dirty tricks, and last minute ambush efforts. I watched this play out in Texas and Oklahoma, but I was still shocked in my own state. The mother used by ABP to mislead lawmakers was just appalling. (Not surprisingly, she was rewarded for her loyalty by a prime seat on the ABMS Stakeholder Council). In our final senate committee, the president of the Michigan College of Emergency Medicine showed up at the last minute, yelling at me, threatening to derail the legislation, even though it didnt even apply to ER physicians. With so much money and power at stake, these behaviors are not surprising, but still hard to watch up close.

The part I cant teach is the art of this process, as every state has their own organized medicine and political culture. You dont know how it works until you jump in. Ive had many people tell me there were certain lucky breaks I had in Michigan to make this easier: Im a medical society delegate, Im on my county medical society board, I had the Rebel.MD blog, my medical society cares, I understand the legislative process, I know politicians and their staff  as if those lucky breaks werent 100 percent by design and hard work.

It wasnt by accident that I gave up my weekends every spring to be a medical society delegate, or evenings every month to be on my county medical society board, or countless hours building and maintaining Rebel.MD to get the message out. It wasnt by accident that I met dozens of lawmakers in their offices and out in the community to discuss many issues, including MOC. This was pure hard work, not luck, not privilege. This is the stuff you cant be taught and you cant outsource. You just have to do it.

Im a private practice pediatrician. Im a serious nobody. I dont have family or friends in high places. I didnt know anything about organized medicine, politics, or website building until I did it. All the docs who helped in Michigan were new to this. The fact that we did this in Michigan with such an inexperienced rabble of docs without any resources, should be inspiration that this can happen in any state.

It takes time, but this can happen anywhere. Who knows, maybe even Illinois.

Whatever it takes, docs, whatever it takes.

Oh, and heres a photo of me and my hero, Dr. Ned Canfield, after the final senate hearing where his bills passed unanimously. I keep this on my desk in the office. He was a rock, the unsung soft-spoken hero of the MOC battle in Michigan. MOC freedom is his legacy, I am forever grateful.

Meg Edison is a pediatrician who blogs at her self-titled site, Meg Edison. She can be reached on Twitter @megedison.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com
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Lets burn health insurance down. Greedy corporate bastards should burn. Big Pharma and big hospitals should probably burn too. You know who else is really, really, bad? Wall Street. Lets burn the banks. And lets burn Big Tech and the entire Silicon Valley cartel. Lets also burn Big Agribusiness thats making us fat and sick. And lets burn the Oil companies that are destroying the planet, and lets burn the automakers too. Heck, lets burn all the globalist billionaires and while at it, lets burn the White House. Lets have a cathartic bonfire of all things we passionately hate.

The scorched earth military strategy was tried and found true time after time throughout recorded history. Unfortunately, the Geneva Convention banned this useful practice a few decades ago. Not to worry though, the aficionados of all burning things discovered a modern version of the same: the scorched economy. Like General Sherman marching resolutely to the sea, the warriors against all things evil are marching from election to election on what will hopefully soon be the ashes of the Great American Economy, and from those ashes the brotherly, egalitarian and perfect in every way, Phoenix shall rise. We simply cannot allow democracy to die in darkness. Hence, we will light the most magnificent bonfire the world has ever seen, and democracy will die in a glorious blaze second only to the Sun itself.

Health care is one-fifth of the American economy, and it is a highly combustible mixture of money, disease, pain, suffering, death, greed, lust, inequality, exploitation, theft, and even murder, along with every other sin known to mankind. It is a good place to start our illuminating destruction of evil. Health insurance companies cannot be allowed to exist. Pharmaceutical corporations must all die, and yes, hospitals should all be shuttered down. Heck, even doctors should be wiped off the face of the earth.

Our government, where we all come together to do good, should provide care to the sick, and preferably health to the healthy. Our government, by the people for the people, should invent new ways to prevent and cure disease. Health care should be given in the comfort of ones home by artificially intelligent machines. Doctors and hospitals, like walls, are immoral 14th-century implements, that can be easily replaced by moral technology, such as drones, sensors and other electronic things. Once nobody gets paid to do health care, because government, and because, you know, technology, health care will obviously be free. Problem solved. Move on.

To paraphrase Susan Sontag (mostly because one cannot write anything today without some reference to the Third Reich), 10 percent of any population is irrational, no matter what, and 10 percent is rational, no matter what, and the remaining 80 percent can be moved in either direction. In our case, the irrational 10 percent is alternately running for some elected office or serving on expert TV panels on everything, from fighting ISIS to fighting cancer, largely based on ability to quickly skim through Wikipedia articles. And when Medicare for all is deemed necessary to avert climate change, according to a recently introduced House resolution, one is forced to wonder if a Dodo Bird in Every Pot will be the winning electioneering slogan of our times.

Health care according to many well-intentioned people should be a right. Americans have many such rights enshrined in our Constitution, and the Right to health care seems to fit the bill. We have the Right to free speech for example. Is my right to free speech exercised the same as, say, Jeff Bezoss right to free speech? We all have the right to assistance of counsel if accused of a crime. Is an assignment to a public defender, the same as being able to hire Alan Dershovitz? We have a right to not be assessed excessive bail. Do you have any idea how many people languish in jails for lack of $50 to post bail? Declaring health care to be a right is a cheap and very cruel form of demagoguery.

What if health care is not a Constitutional right, but just a right to a free public service, like say K-12 education? American public education has the largest cost per capita, middling outcomes, rampant systemic inequality, underqualified and underpaid teachers, and a constant stream of flailing Federal initiatives to have no child left behind. Lots of tech though, in every failing, illiterate classroom, and more added every day, except in the posh schools of the rich. Thats what a free public service looks like when the foundation is broken. There is little reason to believe that free public health care will be different, once the evil private sector goes up in flames.

Heres an interesting thought. Would you be surprised to learn that employer-sponsored commercial health insurance is the most egalitarian health insurance system around? Do you know why? Because the decision makers are required to live within the decisions they make. Unlike salaries and taxation, when it comes to health insurance, the big powerful CEO gets the same exact plan that his secretary gets. Their interests are perfectly aligned in this case. Compare that to free public services, like health care and education, where decision-makers are in no way obligated to live inside the comprehensive solutions inflicted on everybody else. Think about that. There may be a clue here on how to go about fixing many things in this country.

Once you are safely in orbit around the Washington, DC swamp, you will never again have to send your children and grandchildren to a public school, never again have to shop for health insurance, never have to use public transportation, never have to worry about rent, utilities or anything else the American people worry about day and night. All the problems you pretend to solve are theoretical. Other peoples problems. Sure, you may be a very good person, genuinely wanting to bestow medical care on all Americans, but its not like your little kid is at risk of dying because you cant afford an asthma inhaler. Theoretical problems tend to generate theoretical solutions. Theoretical solutions seldom work in practice.

Setting everything and everyone on fire and watching it all burn in a semi-religious exorcism of all that is and has been evil in America, is not the same as having your own plump derriere baptized by the flames. We who are about to be sacrificed in your self-aggrandizing arsonist rituals, categorically refuse to fuel the bonfires of your fake revolution.

Margalit Gur-Arie is founder, BizMed. She blogs at On Health Care Tech & Policy.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com
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Our health care system is in crisis and needs significant change. So, I was excited to read Dr. Lisa Rosenbaums great February 2019 three-part series in the New England Journal of Medicine and accompanied round table about teamwork in health care. Rosenbaum kicks off each piece with a story: How the Brighams and Womens Hospitals shock team, doctors of different specialties, worked seamlessly in a remarkable interaction, the failure of perfusionist to speak up during a heart transplant surgery when an error occurred and ultimately results in a preventable death of a young man, and a patient who was hospitalized 5 to 6 days longer because the different medical teams were caught in an endless loop of passing the buck. Each article then highlights classic research and findings by organizational psychologists and the social sciences to illustrate how we can learn and improve to make the care we provide even better for our patients and ourselves.

After reading this excellent series, I felt skepticism still existed from the peers she interviewed and possibly Rosenbaum herself. Was more evidence needed? Did doctors feel insights and observations from the social sciences and organizational psychologists in other settings didnt apply to health care because we are different?

Yet, the status quo is not sustainable. As doctors, we may have no choice to look for other ideas if change is to occur.

Divided We Fall

In Divided We Fall, Rosenbaum notes how the development of crew resource management (CRM) in aviation was developed to ensure individuals of a flight crew are each accountable to a shared responsibility. Individuals of a flight crew learn to use all available resource  information, equipment, and people  to achieve safe and efficient flight operations. CRM was created as a direct consequence of the KLM Boeing 747 crash into a Pan Am plane during a foggy day in 1977 on one of Spains Canary Islands. 583 people were killed. It was the largest tragedy in aviation history. It was from that disaster and others where aviation experts concluded that the vast majority of airline fatalities were attributable to human factors. Although it seems simple in its premise, CRM has improved flight operations, and overall airline fatalities has fallen.

Cursed by Knowledge  Building a Culture of Psychological Safety

In Cursed by Knowledge  Building a Culture of Psychological Safety, Rosebaums describes the work of Professor Amy Edmondson of Harvard Business School, a teamwork expert. Over two decades ago, Edmondson observed that medical teams that made the fewest mistakes in the hospital paradoxically had also reported more errors. It wasnt that these teams made more errors but rather they felt safe to report errors and more importantly learn from them. The psychological safety felt by those medical teams in speaking up and each of the individuals willingness to take interpersonal risks at work, whether to admit error, ask a question, seek help, or simply say I dont know' is what resulted in the difference in team performance. Even Google, after studying hundreds of its teams to determine the difference in performance between average to exceptional, concluded it was the presence or absence of psychological safety and not how smart individual team members were, degree of extroversion, or experience of team members that mattered.

Rosenbaum also speaks to Professor Chip Heath of Stanford Business School about the curse of knowledge: The more we know, the more we assume others know. In a 1990 study carried out by Stanford graduate student Elizabeth Newton, participants were asked to either tap out the rhythm of a well-known song like Happy Birthday (tappers) or to guess the song (listeners). Tappers were asked to predict what percent of listeners would guess the correct song. They thought 50 percent of the time. In reality, it was 2.5 percent of the time or 20-fold less than expected. What appears obvious to you isnt obvious to someone else.

Heath notes that as medicine becomes more complicated, understandably each specialty develops its own language and that the problem of communications among doctors and patients and the dismissive treatment of doctors to other doctors is endemic to specialized environments. The curse of knowledge makes you think others arent pulling their weight. Its hard to imagine not knowing what you know.'

The Not-My-Problem Problem

In The Not-My-Problem Problem, Rosenbaum provides the classic phenomenon known as the bystander effect. The bystander effect is the observation that individuals are less likely to step in and help if others appear available. As a result, a diffusion of responsibility occurs and nothing happens. The bystander effect was first proposed by psychologists Darley and Latane in explaining why no one came to help 28-year-old Kitty Genovese, who screamed for help for 30 minutes as she was being stabbed outside her Queens apartment building in 1964.

Will we act?

When Rosenbaum wonders if acting on these insights will make the delivery of health care better, she runs into the usual explanations of why the health care system is dysfunctional and not getting better.

Its lack of resources. A colleague felt that the ideal system would require twice as many people, which would cost you twice as much No ones going to pay that kind of money, which is why we never really progressed.

Health care is too complex. Its amazing we are able to provide the level of care we do at all.

We need evidence before we try new approaches or ideas.

This last belief was expressed by Rosenbaum. It wasnt clear she believed it or was merely playing a devils advocate. Note how Rosenbaums reflection on CRM mirrors that of many in medicine when it comes to new approaches to work, we still have much to learn about how CRM may be best deployed in medicine.

It was in 2000, that the Institute of Medicine recommended CRM-based training to cut down on medical errors. Now nearly two decades later, we are still wondering the best way to deploy CRM in medicine. When the aviation industry had the Canary Islands disaster, it didnt wait for evidence. It studied the problem and then implemented change.

Optimism for change

Yet, despite my concerns and those highlighted by Rosenbaum, perhaps she shares my optimism that change can will occur. Its possible we can work together better as doctors if we simply look to others and build off their expertise. There is plenty of evidence in other fields and organizations on the consequences for miscommunications, failure to provide psychological safety, and diffusion of responsibility and accountability. What is common in all of these examples, is that people are the ones providing the service whether doing surgery or flying planes. Knowing this, health care should move more quickly. Rosenbaum concluded her three part series in the following way.

Medicine gives lip service to culture, but weve never prioritized applying the methods of social sciences toward the achievement of the culture values to which weve laid claim. Though historically the imperative to develop a more traditional clinical science justified this neglect, maximizing the benefits of all weve learned will require a new kind of knowledge, one derived from the expertise of those who study who we interact with the world around us. In the highly demanding environments of modern medicine, it often feels like the only way to survive is to put your head down and keep going. To avoid becoming bystanders to our own cultures unraveling, we must learn to shape our social environments as much as they have shaped us.

The real questions are: Will we? How quickly?

Davis Liu is a family physician and head of service development, Lemonaid Health. He is the author of The Thrifty Patient  Vital Insider Tips for Saving Money and Staying Healthy and Stay Healthy, Live Longer, Spend Wisely. He can be reached at his self-titled site, Davis Liu, MD, and on Twitter @DavisLiuMD.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com
EUGENE, Ore. -- As part of National Police Week, officers at the national training conference in Eugene were set to honor fallen Officer Chris Kilcullen Thursday morning.

The Eugene Police Department, with assistance from Springfield and Coos Bay police, is hosting the North American Motor Officers Association 37th Annual Training Conference this week.

RELATED: Community honors fallen Officer Chris Kilcullen 8 years later

About 125 riders are going through training courses at the Valley River Center south parking lot, and they will be competing on May 17. This years event is sponsored in part by the Eugene Police Foundation.

More than 100 Officers from across the country honored fallen @EugenePolice Officer Chris Kilcullen today in a Memorial Ride. Theyre in town for an annual training conference in Eugene @KEZI9 pic.twitter.com/WHB2FKe73D  Amber Wilmarth (@amberwilmarth) May 16, 2019

The memorial ride to 52nd Street and Highway 126 for Kilcullen, who was a traffic enforcement unit officer, is scheduled for 11 a.m. Most of the officers at the conference will ride to that location, where Kilcullen was killed in the line of duty in 2011, and pay their respects at the Officer Chris Kilcullen Memorial Site.

May 12 to 19 is National Police Week, a time when our country memorializes law enforcement personnel who died in the line of duty.
SALEM, Ore. (AP) -- Oregon Gov. Kate Brown has signed a sweeping tax package set to raise $1 billion a year for schools.

The governor says in a Tweet Thursday that "this is a big day for our kids, and their future."

Proud to sign our Student Success Act into law today, ensuring our schools will finally receive funding at the level our children deserve. This is a big day for our kids, and their future. #orpol pic.twitter.com/thOQKifsDl  Governor Kate Brown (@OregonGovBrown) May 16, 2019

Schools will be required to use the funds to decrease class size and boost student performance. Oregon has some of the largest class sizes and lowest graduation rates in the nation.

The funding will be dependent on a half a percent tax on less than 10% of all businesses in the state.

Republicans sought to block the package by refusing to show up to the Senate to vote. They ended a weeklong walkout Monday at which point the measure was swiftly approved.

It's still possible the tax package could be sent to the voters for approval under the state's referendum process.
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By Valerie Volcovici

WASHINGTON, May 15 (Reuters) - The U.S. Interior Department on Wednesday renewed two long-mothballed leases near the Boundary Waters Wilderness area in Minnesota, a key step in opening up the popular wilderness and recreation area to copper mining despite heavy opposition from local and national conservation groups.

The department's Bureau of Land Management granted the hardrock mineral leases inside the Superior National Forest to Twin Metals Minnesota LLC, a subsidiary of Chile's Antofagasta, with the aim of expanding domestic mining of "critical minerals" used in common appliances and products, saying it is beneficial to national security because it reduces foreign imports.

"Mining strategic metals in the United States is beneficial to national security, national and local economies, and job creation," the Interior Department's assistant secretary, Joe Balash, said in a statement.

Twin Metals must now submit a formal mine operation plan to the BLM, which will then analyze its potential environmental impacts.

Its very good news for us and for the communities in northeastern Minnesota who look forward to the hundreds of jobs and major economic development this mine will bring, said Kelly Osborne, Twin Metals chief executive officer.

The announcement riled conservation groups, who said the Trump administration conducted an insufficient environmental review process leading up to its approval.

The Obama administration in 2016 had implemented a moratorium on new mineral development in the area while it would conduct an extensive environmental impact statement (EIS) analysis to determine whether 234,000 acres of the watershed around Boundary Waters should be withdrawn from mining for up to 20 years.

But after President Donald Trump took office in 2017, he reversed course, cancelling the EIS in favor of a less-demanding and faster environmental assessment last January.

The BLM said it got more than 39,000 comments during the 41 day EA review, which informed its decision, although the majority of those comments were in opposition to allowing mining.

Twin Metals said the renewed leases added new conditions, including higher annual royalty payments and additional environmental requirements.

Alison Flint, an attorney for the Wilderness Society, said the 40-page document with a one-page bibliography did not reference over two dozen peer reviewed scientific studies that detail the impacts on wilderness.

"The rush to approve mining in the region and unwind science-based decision-making by the previous administration violates the law, disregards the science, and ignores widespread public opposition to mining in this beloved and vulnerable area, she said.

Conservation and local groups, as well as some Minnesota lawmakers, have for years opposed the idea of opening up the area near the Boundary Waters to mining because of the environmental risk it poses to the area's gray wolves, black bears, and moose and a variety of fish.

The Canadian government also raised concerns about the impact mining could have on Canada's water quality and ecosystems, since the leases would be in shared U.S. and Canadian watersheds during the comment period on the environmental assessment.

The site attracts more visitors than any other U.S. wilderness area.

(Reporting by Valerie Volcovici Editing by Alistair Bell and Tom Brown)
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(Kitco News) - Even though gold has survived the test of time as an excellent safe-haven asset, Wells Fargo is cautioning investors against getting too excited about the metal at current price levels.

We caution investors  not to get too excited about buying gold today. At $1285, and fairly valued versus both stocks and bonds, we believe gold is no great bargain, Wells Fargo head of real asset strategy John LaForge wrote in a note on Wednesday.

Plenty of supply and inability to hold on to gains triggered by market volatility are the elements working against gold, according to Wells Fargo.

The global gold supply/demand balance also continues to tip in favor of too much supply. Should global volatility continue to spike, gold prices could too, but we doubt that gains can be held, LaForge explained.

Despite the somewhat pessimistic outlook, Wells Fargo does not project any major losses for gold this year, stating that its 2019 target range is $1,250-$1,350 an ounce.

At the same time, LaForge praised golds safety and historic permanence in his note, highlighting its unique characteristics, which make it so appealing to investors.

During periods of past market stress, investors have often turned to gold as a perceived safe haven asset. Gold is that one asset that has (as my 17-year-old daughter would say) literally survived time. Gold is impervious to air and water, meaning every ounce that has been mined in history still resides somewhere, LaForge noted. The best example is that golds combination of radiance, scarcity, and density has allowed it to act as a trusted source of physical money for centuries.

The latest example of gold behaving just as it should was the metals attack on the $1,300 level this week amid renewed market volatility spurred by the trade tensions between U.S. and China.

After a relatively calm start to 2019, global market volatility spiked last week, hitting many stock and commodity markets. Whether by coincidence or design, President Trump seemed to be center stage arguing with China and Iran over trade. All 11 S&P 500 sectors turned in negative performances last week, as did most commodity prices. Gold, on the flip side, was up about 1% on the week, which makes sense, historically speaking, LaForge said.

At the time of writing, June Comex gold futures were trading at $1,296.60, down. 0.09% on the day.
LONDON (Reuters) - Oil prices rose on Thursday for a third day running as fears of supply disruption amid heightened tensions in the Middle East overshadowed swelling U.S. crude inventories.

Brent crude futures were up 35 cents at $72.12 a barrel by 1025 GMT, heading for the biggest weekly rise in six weeks.

U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures were up 46 cents at $62.48.

Oil was drawing support from the risk of conflict in the Middle East, with helicopters carrying U.S. staff from the U.S. embassy in Baghdad on Wednesday out of apparent concern over perceived threats from Iran.

Brent looks poised to breach the upper bound of its recent $70-$73 a barrel price range as bullish headlines from the (Mideast) Gulf continue worrying investors, Citi said in a note.

A rise in U.S. crude oil inventories to their highest since 2017 helped to cap prices, though government data [EIA/S] pointed to a smaller increase than previous industry data, with falling gasoline stocks also providing some price support.

Also keeping prices in check is uncertainty about whether Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and other producers will continue supply cuts that have boosted prices more than 30% so far this year.

OPEC said on Tuesday that world demand for its oil would be higher than expected this year.

U.S. crude inventories, weekly changes since 2017: tmsnrt.rs/2XlX17b

Despite continuing trade tensions between the United States and China, which have weighed on the demand outlook, the oil market is marked by tight supply.

There is ... more supply at risk to a new U.S. war in the Middle East than demand at risk to the continuation of the trade war with China, Petromatrix analyst Olivier Jakob said in a note.

An end this month to U.S. waivers that allowed some countries to buy Iranian oil after the reimposition of U.S. sanctions has prompted Tehran to relax restrictions on its nuclear programme and threaten action that could breach a 2015 nuclear deal.

An attack on four oil tankers in the Gulf on Sunday, for which no one has claimed responsibility, and Saudi Arabias announcement that armed drones hit two of its oil pumping stations have compounded supply-side fears.

Attacks on Saudi Arabias oil pipeline, ships off UAEs Fujairah port: tmsnrt.rs/2WMoAXg
SINGAPORE (Reuters) - One of the most popular questions at mining conferences is what is your top metal and why are you bullish on it. The clear winner so far this year is gold.

While gold is a perennial favorite at mining events, the near unanimous backing among industry insiders likely reflects two emerging dynamics.

These are the limited prospects for significant new supply of the precious metal, and the view that the world economy is headed for turbulent times as the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump ramps up its trade war with China and its disputes with major oil exporters Iran and Venezuela.

At a session at this weeks 121 Mining Investment event in Singapore, three out of four panelists picked gold, while the fourth was more in favor of other precious metals such as palladium and silver.

(Disclosure: I was on the panel and chose gold as my likely best performer in the coming year, but I also hedged my bet, nominating my bull case pick as copper.)

Discussions among participants at the 121 Mining conference mirrored those at similar events earlier in the year in Hong Kong, Cape Town and Singapore. The mining industry is not only bullish on gold, but also seemingly prepared to put its money where its mouth is by backing junior miners in the sector.

The problem with the bull case for gold is the evidence in the price charts is not quite so compelling.

Spot gold ended at $1,296.41 an ounce on Wednesday, a mere 1% higher than where it was at the end of last year.

The first-quarter rally that took it to a high of $1,346.73 an ounce on Feb. 20 has largely spluttered out, and the yellow metal has mostly traded sideways since then.

This is despite some positive drivers for gold being in evidence in the form of strong physical demand from top consumers India and China, and from central banks.

Indian jewelry demand was 125.4 tonnes in the first quarter of 2019, up 5% from the same period a year earlier, according to data from the World Gold Council.

Chinas demand was 184.1 tonnes, down 2% from the corresponding quarter in 2018, but it was the third straight quarter of higher demand.

It may also be the case that Chinas gold demand was accelerating toward the end of the first quarter, with net gold imports from Hong Kong, the main conduit into the mainland for the metal, rising 9.8% in March from February.

The outlook for Chinese demand may also be boosted if Chinas trade dispute with the United States continues, as retail investors are likely to fret about the probability of yuan depreciation and may seek to buy gold as a hedge.

Indian demand may also continue to gain in the current quarter given a higher number of auspicious days for weddings, which has in the past led to increased gold purchases.

(Gold price vs. SPDR holdings: tmsnrt.rs/2Ed4j63)

GOLD ETF INVESTORS MISSING

Central bank net purchases in the first quarter reached 145.5 tonnes, up 68% from the same quarter a year ago. The rolling four-quarter central bank demand was 715.7 tonnes, a record high, the World Gold council said.

The missing link, however, for a sustained gold rally is investor buying through exchange-traded funds (ETFs).

While there was a 68% gain in net ETF purchases in the first quarter to 40.3 tonnes from the same quarter last year, in recent weeks the trend has been weak.

The biggest gold ETF, the SPDR Gold Trust, has seen substantial outflows since reaching a seven-month peak of 26.48 million ounces in late January.

SPDR holdings were 23.68 million ounces as of May 14, a drop of 10.5% from the high so far this year, and down 6.5% from the end of last year.

The reversal of ETF inflows since January suggests that many investors arent yet convinced that the various challenges facing the world economy will result in a global slowdown or a recession.

The price action in London copper contracts is also instructive for gold, with the industrial metal shedding value since reaching a peak for the year on April 17, but still holding onto small gains for the year as a whole.

Copper ended at $6,085 a tonne on Wednesday, down 7.9% from the April high, but still up nearly 2% from the end of 2018.

The industrial metal is often viewed as a proxy for the prospects for global growth, especially in the manufacturing and construction sectors, and the signal being sent in recent weeks suggests mounting pessimism.

Overall, the price movements for copper and gold suggest that investors arent broadly convinced by either the bullish or the bearish view of the world economy.

Perhaps the best hedge would be to buy a mining company with a good copper-gold asset, given the two commodities are often found in the same geological formations.

(The opinions expressed here are those of the author, a columnist for Reuters.)
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(Kitco News) - Gold and silver prices are moderately lower in early-morning U.S. trading Thursday. A good rebound in the U.S. stock market this week has boosted trader and investor risk appetite, which is bearish for the safe-haven metals. A batch of stronger U.S. economic data just released pushed prices a bit lower from overnight levels. A firmer U.S. dollar index today is also a negative for the precious metals markets. June gold futures were last down $6.00 an ounce at $1,291.80. July Comex silver was last down $0.052 at $14.76 an ounce.

Gold extended its losses and hit new daily lows following the release of strong U.S. economic data that included a solid rise in home sales and a very good reading from the Philadelphia Fed business survey. Weekly jobless claims were also solidly down.

World stock markets were mixed to weaker overnight. U.S. stock indexes are pointed toward higher openings when the New York day session begins. Following Mondays downdraft that pushed the U.S. stock indexes to six-week lows, the indexes have made solid recoveries.

A market feature this week is rising government bond yields due to concerns about slowing world economic growth. The U.S.-China trade war is mostly to blame for those worries.

On the U.S.-China trade war front, President Trump on Wednesday signed an executive order that essentially bans some U.S. telecommunications equipment from Chinese companies.

A U.S.-China trade theme continues in the world marketplace: one day the two sides are upbeat on a deal getting done; the next day their tone is sour. Such will keep the markets very uncertain on the matter.

The other key outside market today sees Nymex crude oil prices are firmer and trading around $62.50 a barrel.

U.S. economic data due for release today includes the weekly jobless claims report, the Philadelphia Fed business survey, and new residential construction.

Technically, the gold bulls and bears are on a level overall near-term technical playing field. Bulls are working on a fledgling price uptrend on the daily bar chart. Bulls next upside price objective is to produce a close in June futures above solid resistance at the April high of $1,314.70. Bears' next near-term downside price breakout objective is pushing prices below solid technical support at the May low of $1,267.30. First resistance is seen at $1,300.00 and then at this weeks high of $1,304.20. First support is seen at $1,290.00 and then at this weeks low of $1,282.40. Wyckoff's Market Rating: 5.0

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 this weeks high of $14.865 and then at $15.00. Next support is seen at this weeks low of $14.615 and then at the May low of $14.57. Wyckoff's Market Rating: 3.0.
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!

Gold futures are continuing to pull back from the one-month high hit early this week but the retreat has been orderly, says Kevin Grady, president of Phoenix Futures and Options LLC. As of 9:44 a.m. EDT, Comex June gold was down $6.20 for the day to $1,291.60 an ounce. It peaked at $1,304.20 on Tuesday. The number of open positions in gold jumped by around 32,000 early this week when the stock market was selling off heavily, Grady points out. Further, the number of open positions climbed some 70,000 to 80,000 lots over a week-long period, he adds. Now some traders are getting out of their trades, particularly as stocks recover, Grady explains. Grady says. However, its a very orderly exit so far, he continues, citing the absence of any heavy rounds of sell stops in gold. Stops are pre-placed orders activated when certain chart points are hit and can result in outsized moves. However, Grady cautions, selling could accelerate if gold was to break down below roughly $1,289 and again through $1,282. Another key going forward could be the rollover out of the June gold futures ahead of month-end, Grady says. Traders have to exit or roll their positions into a future month if they do not want to take delivery of a commodity. If gold breaks down below chart support, short-term traders may opt to exit from gold, Grady adds.

By Allen Sykora of Kitco News; asykora@kitco.com

Analysts: Auto-Tariff Delay Supportive For Palladium

News that U.S. President Donald Trump will apparently postpone auto tariffs could reignite appetite in palladium, with speculative dry powder sitting near all-time highs, says TD Securities. The metal is used for automotive catalytic converters, and the dry powder analogy refers to the low level of bullish positioning in the market currently, meaning potential for more buying. Commerzbank attributes Wednesdays rise in palladium prices to the auto-tariff news. During this period [during which any tariffs are postponed], bilateral agreements are to be negotiated with the EU [European Union] and Japan with a view to restricting auto imports to the U.S., the bank says. June palladium went from a low of $1,298 Wednesday to a high for the day of $1,350, although it has since backed off to $1,333 as of 9:34 a.m. EDT Thursday.

By Allen Sykora of Kitco News; asykora@kitco.com

FXTM: Gold Bulls Remain In The Drivers Seat

Gold bulls are still in the drivers seat, says Lukman Otunuga, research analyst at FXTM. He says the metal has remained generally supported by trade uncertainty and concerns over slowing economic growth, commenting that prices could test the psychological $1,300-an-ounce level again in the coming days. Focusing on the technical picture, the precious metal is bullish on the daily charts, Otunuga says. A solid weekly close above $1,300 should invite a move higher towards $1,310 and $1,324, respectively. With the catalysts that can significantly reverse the ongoing flight to safety in the near term being limited, gold bulls remain in the drivers seat. As of 10 a.m. EDT, spot gold was $5.20 softer to $1,290.90 an ounce.
(Adds quotes, updates prices)

By Brijesh Patel

May 16 (Reuters) - Gold slipped on Thursday, pressured by technical selling after repeatedly failing to breach $1,300 this week, though U.S. sanctions on Chinese telecoms company Huawei dented risk appetite and limited bullion's losses.

Spot gold was down 0.2% at $1,294.31 an ounce at 1027 GMT, holding in a relatively narrow range of about $4.

U.S. gold futures were down 0.2% at $1,294.90.

"We have seen repeated attempts in the last few days to rise above $1,300 and it (gold) appears to be facing some kind of barrier. There is clearly some selling when it hits that level," said Capital Economics analyst Ross Strachan, adding that trade tensions and global economic growth concerns continue to offer support for bullion.

European stocks fell and government bond yields slipped on after the U.S. government hit Chinese telecoms giant Huawei with sanctions, further straining Sino-U.S. trade ties. The latest move from Washington tempered hopes of a breakthrough in an escalating trade conflict that has rattled financial markets and compounded fears of a slowdown in global growth after weak economic data from China.

"Gold seems to have reached a temporary detente at these levels with momentum too weak to push it either way. The geopolitical premium appears to be baked into the price for now," OANDA analyst Jeffrey Halley said in a note.

On the technical front, spot gold is expected to test resistance at $1,307, a break above which could lead to a gain to $1,322, said Reuters technical analyst Wang Tao. Meanwhile, SPDR Gold Trust , the world's largest gold-backed exchange-traded fund, said holdings fell 0.4% to 733.23 tonnes on Wednesday. Holdings are now close to their lowest levels since Oct. 9. Among other metals, silver edged 0.1% higher to $14.80 an ounce while platinum fell 0.4% to $842.65.

Palladium lost 0.6% to $1,336.60 and has slumped by about 17 percent since the metal used in catalytic converters in car exhaust systems scaled a record peak of $1,620.53 in March.

"At the movement it (palladium) seems to be consolidating after a hefty decline," Strachan said. "The bigger picture for palladium is still substantial weakness in autos demand."

(Reporting by Brijesh Patel in Bengaluru Editing by David Goodman)
David Seymour writes:

Finally, Ghahraman says we should protect religion under the Human Rights Act.

But it isnt obvious that religion should be treated in the same way as something like race. Race is an immutable characteristic, whereas religion is a set of ideas. Including religion in the Human Rights Act wont reduce violence, but it could restrict debate about, and criticism of, religion.

I agree that religion is different to the other characteristics.

The HRA already makes unlawful speech that is likely to excite hostility against any group of persons on the ground of colour, race, ethnic or national origins.

You cant choose your colour, race, ethnicity or nationality.

Golriz wants to include gender, sexual orientation, religion, or disability.

You basically dont choose your gender, sexual orientation or disability so I agree there may be a case for including those. I suspect if they do, the majority of complaints will be people alleging speech attacking white men should be prosecuted so be careful of what you ask for.

But religion is a choice. Billions of people around the world choose whether or not to follow a particular religion, or none at all. Sure in some countries there is great cultural pressure to be of a particular religion, but in NZ we have true freedom of religion.

A religion is just a belief system, just as political ideology is. Having a law that says you cant incite hostility towards a religion is like having a law saying you cant incite hostility towards National Party supporters.

The Human Rights Act is about protecting people from discrimination for characteristics they have no control over. It is not about protecting religions from criticism.

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Manila (CNN Philippines Life)  Kuwaresma is set in 1985. In a post-screening Q&A, director Erik Matti explained that aside from the 80s being the time of his adolescence, setting the film in this era is meant as a homage to films like Mike De Leons Kisapmata and Marilou Diaz-Abayas Karnal. 1985 is a perfect mood and tone to set up something up that harken back to this classic age of Pinoy gothic thrillers, Matti said.

The film is the story of a college student, Luis (newcomer Kent Gonzales), who heads to his hometown of Baguio after learning of his twin sister Manuelas death (Kents real-life sister Pam Gonzales). Mysterious circumstances surround her passing and as Luis tries to uncover the truth behind her death so does he discover the secrets of his family.

In the films promotional materials, it is described as the story of a mother who will do anything to end her familys nightmare. Most likely, this is to capitalize on the stardom of Sharon Cuneta, the submissive Rebecca, mother to Luis and Manuela (Kuwaresma is billed as Cunetas first horror film.)

One part Stephen Kings The Shining, another part Shirley Jacksons A Haunting on Hill House, Kuwaresma essentially is our answer to the American haunted house horror  the kind with an atmospheric malevolence bent on corrupting a houses inhabitants. The Baguio setting only heightens this suspense.

Kuwaresma is interesting in how it takes the tropes of these kinds of stories and injects commentary coming from a contemporary lens. A character like Jack Torrance has always carried undertones of toxic masculinity. But with Kuwaresma  as Matti also confirmed in the Q&A  it is made explicit that the corruption latches on a characters already existent misogyny.

For the most part, to portray the family patriarch Arturo, John Arcilla utilizes the same strongman histrionics he used in Heneral Luna. The relieved-of-command colonel believes in doling out abuse as a means to strengthen his children, the physical and emotional torture equipping them for a harsher world. (It is for this reason that the mid-80s  especially because it is the last years of Marcos rule  can be seen as a fitting setting for Kuwaresmas takedown of toxic masculinity.)

Present in Kuwaresma is Mattis ever-admirable dedication to craftsmanship. His deft hand is felt in scares more inventive than 2019s other local horror offerings, Mark Meilys Maledicto and Mikhail Reds Eerie. Kuwaresma is closer to American director Ari Asters Hereditary in its relentless approach to horror. It exhausts its audiences by repeatedly stringing together two or three scares which can alternate from creepy atmospheric build-ups to the physical horror of bodies being flung, from fake-outs to standard jump scares.

This approach was also apparent in Jake Verzosas set photos. The acclaimed photographer was given two days to shoot on location and help capture the story of Kuwaresma through these riveting photographs.

Direk Erik's brief was to basically play around with what we had  the cast, the set, and our limited time in Baguio City, says Verzosa. We had a shot list that we had to go through but also had room to experiment in between. Shooting in an old house in Baguio makes for a totally unique mood. The vibe, the weather, the light, the architecture, the environment  it's like nowhere else in the country.

On working with the cast, Verzosa said: The cast was great, all of them. We let the characters act out some of the scenes from the movie while shooting stills. John could flip the switch and give a very emotional, powerful performance while Sharon portrayed her character by being subdued yet intense. It was interesting to see both deliver such strong performances through different methods.

In the photos below, Verzosa captures the psychological terror Matti has on full tilt in Kuwaresma.

Pam Gonzales. Photo by JAKE VERZOSA

Sharon Cuneta. Photo by JAKE VERZOSA

Kent Gonzales. Photo by JAKE VERZOSA

John Arcilla. Photo by JAKE VERZOSA

Guila Alvarez. Photo by JAKE VERZOSA

Director Erik Matti. Photo by JAKE VERZOSA
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 16)  Canada expressed disappointment over Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin, Jr. Thursday decision to recall the Philippine ambassador stationed there, after the North American country missed the deadline to retrieve tons of garbage shipped to Philippine ports.

In a series of tweets, Locsin announced that recall letters were sent to the Philippine ambassador and consuls in the country's mission in Toronto as the clock struck 12 midnight on Wednesday.

"They are expected here in a day or so," Locsin said. "Canada missed the May 15 deadline. And we shall maintain a diminished diplomatic presence in Canada until its garbage is ship bound there."

Locsin ordered Ambassador Petronila Garcia and the consul generals in Calgary, Toronto, and Vancouver to "get the next flight out" of Canada.

The Canadian government, in a statement, expressed dismay over Locsin's move.

"Canada is disappointed by this decision to recall the Philippines ambassador and consuls general," Brittany Fletcher, Global Affairs Canada spokesperson said in an e-mail to CNN Philippines. "However, we will continue to closely engage with the Philippines to ensure a swift resolution of this important issue."

A very angry President Rodrigo Duterte had earlier threatened to go to war with the North American country for failing to retrieve some 2,000 tons of garbage shipped to the Philippines and remain in the country's ports for six years now.

READ: PH warns of cutting ties if Canada won't take trash soon

Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said Duterte has been informed about Locsin's recall order.

"That order of the recall is to persuade them (Canada) to make it fast. The more they delay, the more personnel will be coming back," Panelo told reporters on Thursday afternoon, pointing out that the garbage issue has become "disruptive" to diplomatic ties between the two countries.

"That recall shows that we are very serious in asking them to get back their garbage. Otherwise, we're gonna sever relations with them," he added.

He said reports point to documentation issues on Canada's end which is stalling the process.

Panelo also dismissed the need to tap a negotiator between the two nations, saying that it should only take one order from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to pick up their trash.

Panelo added that he does not expect these developments to affect overseas Filipino workers and migrants in Canada, noting that the Philippine government "will always be protective" of nationals.

A total of 103 container vans containing trash were shipped to Subic and Manila in several batches from 2013 to 2014. Canadian-based firm Chronic Plastics, Inc., which exported the vans, misdeclared their contents as plastic scrap materials.

In late April, Duterte gave Ottawa a week to take the trash back but the deadline was pushed back to May 15.

During his visit to Manila in November 2017, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told Duterte that they were already "finding a solution" to the problem, pointing to "legal barriers" that blocked the immediate the re-exportation of the trash.

Hours before the deadline, Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said Malacanang could accept a "reasonable delay," stressing that what was important was the certainty that Canada would take back their trash.

But the Foreign Affairs chief said further delays were unacceptable, adding that he was appalled to hear that Canadian representatives did not show up at a meeting with the Bureau of Customs.

The Canadian government reportedly offered to shoulder shipping costs for the return of the waste,but the finance department said that "bureaucratic red tape" in the Canadian government was hampering the effort.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 16)  Malacanang on Thursday said senatorial bets should not be underestimated for their lack of formal legal background.

Presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo, in his media briefing, shrugged off criticisms on the latest remarks and admission of former Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Ronald Bato Dela Rosa.

He urged detractors not to belittle Dela Rosa, one of the high-ranking candidates based on the partial election tally, as the latter boasts of a solid academic background.

Nakakalimutan ng mga kumekwestyon sa kapasidad ni General Bato na PMA (Philippine Military Academy) graduate ito. Hindi ba ang PMA graduate is known for their intellect, ang kagalingan nila, Panelo told reporters.

[Translation: Those who question his capacity seem to forget that General Bato is a PMA graduate. Arent PMA graduates known for their intellect, their capabilities?]

Pinalalabas nila na abogado lang nandyan, kasi legislation 'yan. Wag natin maliitin, he added.

[Translation: Theyre making it appear as if only lawyers should be there in the Senate, because its legislation. Lets not underestimate him.

The spokesman cited cases of other senators who assumed office without any background in legislation, including another PMA graduate Ping Lacson, actor-politician and current Senate President Vicente Tito Sotto III, and boxer-turned-lawmaker Manny Pacquiao.

Wala rin alam sa legislation noong siya'y pumasok. Oh diba naging magaling na legislator? Panelo added.

[Translation: They were not knowledgeable with legislation when they entered, but became good legislators, right?]

CNN Philippines interview with former Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Ronald Bato Dela Rosa made rounds online Tuesday evening, after the senatorial candidate admitted he has yet to learn what a senator really does.

Dela Rosa, one of the leading bets based on partial, official election tally, added he will also take part in lawmaking seminars should he win a Senate seat.

Panelo noted Dela Rosa should even be commended for admitting that he has yet to learn the ropes of lawmaking.

Dela Rosa, who also previously served as the Corrections Bureau chief, was part of the PMA Class of 1986. He also collected his Masters in Public Administration and doctorate degree in Development Administration at the University of Southeastern Philippines in Davao City.

READ: Sotto: Senate ready to assist, orient new members
(CNN)  At least nine people were injured when soldiers stormed a pro-democracy sit-in protest in the Sudanese capital Khartoum, eyewitnesses said, in continuing violence after the ouster of longtime President Omar al-Bashir.

The soldiers in the uniform of the paramilitary Rapid Security Forces overran barricades at the scene of the demonstrations outside army headquarters on Wednesday, eyewitnesses told CNN, adding that gunfire could be heard.

In a Facebook post, the opposition Central Committee of Sudan Doctors said 14 people were wounded, including eight with gunshot wounds.

The Transitional Military Council (TMC), which has held power since Bashir's arrest last month, said it was suspending talks with the protesters for 72 hours.

Its chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan said in a televised statement that discussions would be put on hold until there was an "appropriate climate" for negotiations.

The council and pro-democracy protesters are trying to reach a firm agreement on how long the TMC should hold power.

On Wednesday, the TMC and the opposition announced they had agreed to a transition period of three years, with a final deal expected to be reached within 24 hours.

The first six months will be devoted to signing peace agreements and "halting the war across the country," according to state news outlet SUNA.

But al-Burhan accused the opposition of breaching an agreement to ease tensions, of "direct provocation and extreme abuse" of the armed forces, and of disrupting life in Khartoum by blocking roads and bridges.

The number of demonstrators has swelled over recent days at the scene of the sit-in, which is just over half a kilometer (around 0.3 miles) from the presidential palace.

On Monday, at a different site, unidentified attackers opened fire on another group of seated demonstrators.

The TMC said a military police officer was killed and a "large number" of protesters injured on Monday, attributing that shooting to groups seeking to undermine "the goals of the revolution."

The opposition Central Committee of Sudan Doctors said at least six people were shot dead Monday, though it did not specify whether all of them were killed in Khartoum or under what circumstances. SUNA said three of those injured were members of the armed forces.

The uprising

After three decades in power, Bashir was ousted and arrested in April following a military coup and protests by thousands of people in the northeastern African country against his rule.

The protests began in late 2018 over the rising cost of living, and escalated into a push for Bashir's removal, with mass rallies and sit-ins outside the presidential compound and army headquarters. Bashir responded with a crackdown that led to scores of civilian deaths.

He and several other former members of his regime are being detained in the Kober maximum-security prison, which was notorious for holding political prisoners during his dictatorship.

On Monday, Sudan's Public Prosecutor Office said it had charged Bashir over the killing of protesters.

"The Public Prosecutor's Office has charged former President Omar al-Bashir and others with incitement and criminal complicity in the killing of demonstrators in recent events," it said in a statement to CNN.

Bashir also faces five counts of crimes against humanity and two counts of war crimes at the International Criminal Court in The Hague, in connection with Sudanese military actions in Darfur between 2003 and 2008.

Sudan's military has previously said that it would prosecute Bashir, but would not extradite him.

This story was first published on CNN.com, "Sudanese forces storm barricades at sit-in demo."
A Federal High Court in Lagos has ordered the forfeiture of 35.58 kilogrammes of gold bars and N36 million seized from a gold dealer and a federal civil servant by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), to the Federal Government.

Justice Muslim S. Hassan, who made the order, also ordered the civil servant to pay N10million to the government for his part in the deal.

The first to third defendants are: Bukar Mandara Zarami; his company, Bukar Mandara Zarami Ltd; and a Director in the Ministry of Mines and Steel, Kar Nap Fenan Wuyep.

The trio were re-arraigned on an amended two-count charge of possession of 35.58 kilogrammes of gold bars wrapped in six bags without appropriate permit.



The counts read in part: That you, Bukar Mandara Zarami, on or about the 9th day of November, 2018 in Nigeriadealt in 35.58 kilogrammes of gold bars wrapped in six bags without appropriate permit; and you, therefore, committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 134(c) of the Nigerian Mineral and Mining Act, 2007.

That you, Kar Nap Fenan Wuyep, on or about the 22nd day of May, 2018 in Nigeria, without going through any financial institution, accepted cash payment of the sum of $19,440 from one Bakkkuk Steven Goyol, which sum exceeded the amount authorised by the Law; and, you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1)(a), Section 16(1) (d) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act 2011 as Amended and punishable under Section 16(2)(b) of the same Act.

The defendants pleaded guilty.

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WILLIAMS BAY  It was one of the darkest moments in Wisconsin history, and it resulted in one of the states most infamous criminal cases of the 1970s.

And John Olson was right in the middle of things.

Olson, an attorney from Walworth County, was a federal prosecutor who got the first conviction in the 1970 war-protest bombing of Sterling Hall at the University of Wisconsin in Madison.

Putting bomber Karleton Armstrong behind bars remained Olsons proudest professional achievement in a long and distinguished career.

Those were tumultuous times, said his daughter, Sheree Olson Rogers. And he was a law-and-order kind of guy.

Olson, who continued to practice law privately for another 40 years in Lake Geneva, died May 4 following a battle with Parkinsons disease. He was 82 years old.

Former law partner Dan Draper describes Olson as a gifted litigator who won long-shot cases that often seemed like lost causes before he took them on.

He was an incredibly good lawyer, Draper said. He had a very big presence in the courtroom.

Born in Whitewater, John Olmstead Olson graduated from Milton High School and enlisted in the U.S. Air Force just after the Korean War. He got his law degree from UW-Madison in 1963 and served as district attorney in Taylor County, north of Madison.

After an unsuccessful run for Wisconsin attorney general in 1966, he was appointed by President Nixon in 1969 as U.S. attorney in the western district of Wisconsin.

One year later, UW student protests against the Vietnam War turned deadly when protesters detonated a bomb outside Sterling Hall, a campus building where researchers did work for the military. The blast killed a faculty member and injured three other people.

The first bomber captured was Karleton Armstrong, whom Olson prosecuted, winning a conviction and a lengthy prison term. Armstrong ended up spending about seven years behind bars.

Rogers, a high school freshman at the time, remembers her father spending long nights and weekends at the office, working to ensure that justice was served in the bombing case.

That was a big time in our lives, she said. He was certainly passionate about investigating what happened and who was responsible.

Two other suspects were later charged, and a fourth remains a fugitive to this day.

Olson stepped down from his U.S. attorneys appointment in 1974, and he and his family returned to Walworth County. He and his wife, Marjorie, had four children. The marriage ended in divorce, and he remarried.

Living in Whitewater and later in Williams Bay, Olson was an active member of the Whitewater Lions Club.

Fellow club member Bernie Tangney says Olson was a shrewd attorney who enjoyed relaxing with his Lions Club friends and being just one of the guys.

He was a man who became successful, but hadnt forgotten his roots, Tangney said.

In 2014, the Walworth County Bar Association recognized him with a lifetime achievement award.

His daughter says Olson talked later in the life about feeling proud of the Sterling Hall case. He thought about retiring many times, she said, but he continued practicing law as long as he could.

In the end, she said, he wanted to be a lawyer.
DARIEN  Two people found dead in what police believe was a murder-suicide have been identified as a former boyfriend and girlfriend.

Police today said ex-boyfriend Casey J. DePriest, 29, killed Jenna M. Brovold, 29, and then took his own life.

Police said both victims suffered gunshot wounds and were found dead May 13 inside a home at 452 Buckingham Court in Darien.

The Delavan Police Department, which serves Darien, said DePriest and Brovold had lived together at the home prior to their relationship recently ending.

The Walworth County Medical Examiners office performed autopsies on both victims.

Gina Carver, investigator for the medical examiners officer, declined to comment on the autopsy findings.

Also injured in the incident was Brovolds brother, Evan A. Brovold, 26, of Delavan. Police said Evan Brovold is recovering from what earlier had been described as a gunshot wound to the shoulder.

A statement from the police department presents no possible motive for the murder-suicide.

We have determined what has occurred, the statement said. What will take time is why it took place.

Police were called to the home just after 6 p.m. May 13 by a 9-1-1 caller who reported a possible shooting. After finding a wounded man and transporting him to a hospital, police called for help from the FBI and several area police and SWAT teams from as far away as Milwaukee.

An earlier statement from Delavan police said several hours of attempted negotiations and investigative leads followed, although details were not disclosed about the negotiations.

When officers went inside the home, they found the two people dead inside.

Officers were on the scene until about 4 a.m. May 14.

Other police agencies on the scene included Lake Geneva police, Rock County sheriff, Kenosha County SWAT and the Wisconsin Department of Justice.

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TOWN OF GENEVA  Woods Elementary School is bidding farewell to an administrator who oversaw a hard-fought campaign for an expansion that transformed the school.

Jeff Klaisner, the schools principal/administrator for the past four years, has announced that he is retiring at the end of this school year.

Klaisners career in education also included serving previously as a Lake Geneva middle school principal for about 10 years.

Klaisner, 60, said he decided about a month ago to make this his final year in the Woods School District.

I just decided it was time for me to look for other adventures, he said.

His last day on the job is June 30.

School board members have already begun accepting applications for a new principal/administrator.

Board member Neil DeVries said Klaisner did a good job of shepherding along the school expansion effort, after voters had twice rejected referendums to fund the project.

He helped us through some rough waters, DeVries said. And he helped us get to a calm spot.

After two previous failures, the school district in 2016 won voter approval to borrow $4.6 million for expansion and upgrades to the school property at N2575 Snake Road in the town of Geneva.

Klaisner had joined the district at the start of the 2015-16 school year.

Woods teacher Jeanine Kopecky remembers watching Klaisner during the referendum campaign as he tirelessly answered voter questions and held public events to promote the school expansion.

He really reached out to the community, Kopecky said.

With the $4.6 million, Woods school was able to build a new gymnasium, new science laboratory and new classrooms, while also transforming the old gymnasium into a cafeteria.

In addition, many classrooms got new equipment, including a kiln in the art room and stoves in the consumer science room. Renovations also included a redesigned front entrance, new administrative offices, and a more spacious library.

Two years worth of construction work was completed last summer, nearly doubling the buildings size.

Klaisner said he was proud of overseeing the expansion effort, and he feels like it is a fitting end to his tenure at Woods.

The school is in a good place now, he said.

Klaisner began his teaching career about 40 years ago and landed in 1996 in Lake Geneva, where he served as principal of Denison Middle School and then Lake Geneva Middle School.

After six years as a principal in Waukesha County, he took over as principal/administrator at Woods Elementary.

Woods Elementary serves about 200 students in kindergarten through eighth grade.

Kopecky, who also worked with him previously in Lake Geneva, described Klaisner as a principled educator who made school a fun place, but who also worked hard and set high standards for students.

He is very professional, she said. He never takes shortcuts.

Klaisners retirement follows the resignation of district business manager Janet Elrod at the beginning of the current school year. The district hired an interim business manager, and officials now are planning to search for both a principal/administrator and a business manager.

DeVries said he was sorry to see Klaisner go, but installing a new management team also will bring in near ideas.

Its not without its challenges, obviously, DeVries said. But I think were excited.

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Sometimes a Jo Walton book can be summed up with a high-concept line: What if all of Anthony Trollopes protagonists were dragons? (Tooth and Claw, 2003); or What if Athene and Apollo gathered everyone in history who ever wished to live in Platos Republic together on an island? (The Just City, 2015).

Just as often, Waltons books defy summarization. Her 2011 Hugo- and Nebula-award-winning Among Others is a fictionalized memoir about a young Welsh girl whose relationship with her paranoid schizophrenic mother, bullying at a posh English boarding school and discovery of the wider world through science fiction fandom are possibly a story about the faerie realm and a family whose struggles are the visible portion of a vast and ancient struggle in the supernatural realm. But maybe the protagonist is just kidding herself?

Whatever her subject, Waltons fiercest weapon is her delicious ambiguity. Narrative is a great simplifier, tidying up messy life situations into neat cause-and-effect tales where characters resolve their dilemmas with action. In a Walton novel, its frequently unclear whether the characters situations are real, whether their actions are just or unjust, and yet, each tale resolves in way that is utterly satisfying and lingeringly curious.

Which brings us to Lent, Waltons return to the Renaissance and its relationship with antiquity, a subject also explored in her Just City trilogy. Waltons protagonist is the 15th century Florentine Dominican monk Girolamo Savonarola: a seer, heretic, reformer and political radical who was excommunicated and martyred by Pope Alexander VI amidst Savonarolas scourging of Florence of decadent and corrupt religious practices in favor of a Republican austerity that culminated in his legendary bonfire of the vanities in 1495.

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Jo Waltons protagonist is the 15th century Florentine Dominican monk Girolamo Savonarola. (Culture Club / Getty Images)

Lent opens with a beautifully rendered retelling of the life of Savonarola: his visions of demons, his prophecy, his political meddling and his role in vast historical forces tearing apart Italy and France. We meet a cast of characters, each with the ringing verisimilitude of well-researched, real historical personages from the heretical Count Giovanni Pico della Mirandola to the statesman Lorenzo de Medici and various clergy, peasants, nuns and friars of feuding orders. Finally, we come to the martyrdom of Savonarola, hanged over a roaring flame, then cut down to fall into the blaze ...

 And then to wake again, in hell, where Savonarola remembers  again, after an unknowable number of previous iterations  that he is a demon, a fallen angel, a duke of hell, cast out of Gods light. In an instant, his whole earthly existence is invalidated: his life as a mystic and prophet, a caster out of demons, a scourger of wickedness, all irrelevant. He has lost the grace he once had and is condemned to repeat his life as Savonarola over and over, tortured in between by endless and instantaneous sojourns in hell, where all grace is denied.

But the next time Savonarola returns to earth, in 1492, its all different. This time, Savonarola remembers his true nature, knows he is reliving his life and has to try to change it. Again and again, between hell and earth, Savonarola tries different approaches to redeem his beloved Florence and his church, and to find a way to break the cycle, harrow hell and reattain his grace.

This is Dantes Groundhog Day  a protagonist living the same life over and over again, trying different tactics to avoid the pitfalls. Its a device that was used to good effect in Kim Stanley Robinsons 2002 The Years of Rice and Salt, a novel that spans millennia, tracing the successive reincarnations of three characters who meet in the bardo between lives and scheme to improve their karma on the next turn of the wheel.

But in Waltons hands, the idea of a life lived and lived again takes on a new, rich ambiguity. Savonarolas morality is muddy  he is, after all, a duke of hell  but his cause is just. The different histories he brings into being with each iteration visit joy and sorrow on millions.

And what histories! Waltons acknowledgments tell the tale: as with The Just City, Walton was able to draw on the expertise of her friend, Florentine traveling companion and colleague Ada Palmer, a University of Chicago Renaissance history professor whose own science fiction novels  starting with 2016s Too Like the Lightning  envision a future rendered with a richness that is startling and profound. Palmers specialty is forbidden knowledge: witchcraft, homosexuality, heterodoxy and heresy.

Book jacket for Lent by Jo Walton. (Tor Books)

Palmers pedagogy uses the technique of re-rerunning history: She is legendary for her annual live-action role-playing game in which students re-enact the 1492 papal election over a two-week game of alliances and back-stabbings. Every year, the students picks are a mix of recurring finalists and wildcards, which tells a broader story about how much the great forces of history predetermine and what role personal agency plays in our historical outcomes.

Walton is a prodigious and talented literary critic, with a gift for showing how books reflect the personal strengths and weaknesses of their authors. Waltons friendship with Palmer is producing a literary legacy that future critics will celebrate.

::

Lent

Jo Walton

Tor Books, 384 pp., $26.99

Doctorow is a science fiction novelist and activist; his latest book is Radicalized.
A top California environmental regulator is threatening to enact tough new pollution rules  including an unprecedented ban on cars burning petroleum-based fuels  in response to a Trump administration plan to relax vehicle emission standards.

California Air Resources Board Chairwoman Mary Nichols said the state would have to pursue extreme requirements to offset the uptick in pollution that would be unleashed if federal vehicle emission and fuel economy standards are weakened.

If we lose the state vehicle standards, we have to fill up the gap with other measures, Nichols said at a forum on the issue Thursday. We will be faced with dramatic alternatives in terms of tighter, stricter controls on everything else, including movement of vehicles and potentially looking at things like fees and taxes and bans on certain types of vehicles and products.

Nichols did not explicitly outline possible changes at Thursdays event, which was held to discuss the consequences of the Trump proposals and potential California countermeasures. But in remarks prepared for the meeting, she raised the specter of outlawing conventional vehicles with combustion engines, as well as tougher anti-pollution requirements on everything from fuel to the refineries producing it.

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CARB will be exploring ways to ensure communities get the reductions of air pollution they so desperately need to keep the air clean and breathable  and continue to fight climate change, Nichols said in the drafted remarks, which she did not deliver exactly as prepared. That might mean, for example, tougher requirements for low-carbon fuels, looking at tighter health-protective regulations on California refineries, doubling down on our enforcement efforts on mobile and stationary sources  and might lead to an outright ban on internal combustion engines.

The move marks an escalation in the car standards clash between Washington and Sacramento that would increase uncertainty for automakers in their biggest U.S. market. California has already gone to court to challenge the Trump administrations determination that the vehicle standards are too stringent. In Thursdays meeting with air quality and transportation agencies, California officials stressed they wont stop there.

Relaxing tailpipe standards could mean higher-than-expected emissions of smog-forming nitrogen oxide, further straining Californias ability to satisfy national ambient air quality standards, said Jennifer Gress, chief of the Air Resources Boards Sustainable Transportation and Communities Division.

Without strict vehicle emissions requirements, we will need to get deep reductions, and we will look to the transportation sector as well as other sectors to achieve them, Gress said.

Representatives of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency did not immediately respond to an emailed request seeking comment.

President Trumps administration is developing a final plan for easing tailpipe carbon dioxide emissions standards and fuel economy requirements, after proposing to cap the mandates at 37 miles per gallon after 2020. Under existing Obama administration rules, fuel economy requirements are set to rise to 47 mpg.

In February, the Trump administration terminated months of talks between federal regulators and California officials to maintain a common standard. Automakers had urged the two sides to reach an agreement to avert a prolonged legal battle with California, which has unique authority to establish its own emissions rules.

The fight has already caused uncertainty for the auto industry, threatening to undermine business plans heavily reliant on predictability. A prolonged court battle over mileage mandates could upend technology development and investment plans for the United States, even as European countries press on with tougher requirements.

But Nichols comments show increasing peril for other industries too, particularly oil refineries. California already encourages zero-emission vehicles, and legislation proposed in the state last year would effectively mandate them by 2040.

Britain, China, India and other nations have announced their own plans to phase out conventional vehicles that use internal combustion engines. Yet an outright ban on new vehicles powered by liquid, oil-based fuels would be unprecedented in the U.S.

Critics said California was making a last-ditch effort to revive the Obama vehicle requirements, even as the Trump administration finalizes its changes.

With the release of the final rule just around the corner, Mary Nichols is ratcheting up her rhetoric in the hopes that the auto companies will put increased pressure on President Trump to back down, said Tom Pyle, president of the American Energy Alliance, a free-market advocacy group. He shouldnt be deterred by it. California is clearly worried about how they will fare in a lawsuit against the Trump administration.

Nichols said at the meeting California wasnt defying the federal government and signaled she was loath to use language thats too colorful. But the consequences are dire and the alternatives we face are extreme, she said. Were going to keep on fighting but also keep on doing everything we can to be part of a worldwide movement toward cleaner transportation, which is where we need to go.
What to see, what to do? This weekend ballerina Petra Conti teams up with the Dream Orchestra, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra concludes its season and Marina del Rey hosts the annual Artsea festival. Pacific Symphony remembers a star player and takes on a one-act opera by Ravel, the musical Falsettos finishes up at the Ahmanson, and cartoonists and comic artists take over Huntington Beach.

Living the dream

Los Angeles Ballets Petra Conti and a cohort of guest musicians and vocalists join Dream Orchestra under artistic director Daniel Suk for Im Gonna Live Forever, an evening mixing live music with classical and contemporary dance. Zipper Hall, Colburn School, 200 S. Grand Ave., L.A. 7 p.m. Saturday. $40-$100. dreamorchestra.org

A Surprise is in store

In Los Angeles Chamber Orchestras season closer, guest conductor Bernard Labadie leads the ensemble in Haydns Symphony No. 94, a.k.a. the Surprise Symphony. The program also includes Bachs Orchestral Suite No. 3 and a selection of arias by Handel and Mozart featuring soprano Lydia Teuscher. 8 p.m. Saturday at Alex Theatre, 216 N. Brand Blvd., Glendale. Also 7 p.m. Sunday at Royce Hall, UCLA, 340 Royce Drive, Westwood. $28 and up; discounts available. laco.org

Guest conductor Bernard Labadie leads the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra in season-ending concerts this Saturday and Sunday. (Los Angeles Times)

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Itll be a breeze

Music groups Dengue Fever, Boogaloo Assassins and Grateful Shred and dance companies Contra-Tiempo and Kayamanan Ng Lahi are among the acts at this years Artsea event. This two-day, family-friendly, seaside festival also features live DJs, arts and crafts, and food trucks galore. Mothers Beach, 4101 Admiralty Way, Marina del Rey. 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Saturday, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday. Free. artsea-mdr.com

Dengue Fever brings its mix of Cambodian pop, surf rock and psychedelia at the Artsea festival in Marina del Rey. (Lauren Dukoff)

Ravel, and a remembrance

For Ravels Magical Opera, Music Director Carl St.Clair leads Pacific Symphony and guest vocalists in the one-act Lenfant et les Sortileges (The Child and the Magic Spells). The evening gets underway with a tribute to dearly departed Pacific Symphony principal cellist Timothy Landauer, for whom the orchestra will play the Nimrod variation from Elgars Enigma Variations and Frank Tichelis Rest. Segerstrom Center for the Arts, Renee and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall, 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa. 8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday. $25 and up. pacificsymphony.org

The late Pacific Symphony cellist Timothy Landauer. (Pacific Symphony)

Going out on a high note

The national tour of Falsettos, Lincoln Center Theaters revival of William Finn and James Lapines Tony-winning musical about a neurotic gay Jewish man and those closest to him, wraps its Los Angeles run. An L.A. Times Critics Choice. Ahmanson Theatre, 135 N. Grand Ave., L.A. 2 and 8 p.m. Thursday, 8 p.m Friday, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday, 1 p.m. Sunday. $30-$135. centertheatregroup.org

Max Von Essen, left, and Nick Adam costar in the national tour of Falsettos at the Ahmanson. (Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times)

See you in the funny pages

A rogues gallery of your favorite cartoonists, comic artists and graphic novelists will be on hand for NCS Fest International Comic Arts Festival. Presented by the National Cartoonists Society, this three-day event in downtown Huntington Beach spans four city blocks as well as the famous pier. Go for the exhibits, murals, readings, panel discussions, workshops, family zone, zombie walk and more. The event runs at various venues along Pacific Coast Highway between Beach Boulevard and 6th Street. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday. Free, with some paid-admission events; passes available. ncsfest.com
Despite some vocal complaints over the last few Game of Thrones episodes, what truly sets the series apart is its considered character development, its knack for taking them to places viewers might have never expected. Heres a look back at a few of the more interesting arcs, tracing their often twisting paths from series beginning to series end, so naturally, there are spoilers ahead.

Character: Arya Stark (Maisie Williams)

Relationships: Daughter of Ned and Catelyn, sister of Robb, Sansa, Bran and Rickon; adoptive sister of Jon Snow

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Story arc: Move over, Steph Curry: Theres a new Baby-Faced Assassin, and she is bona fide. One might have suspected from the beginning, when she was a scrappy 11-year-old playing at toy swords, she would learn to use the real thing someday. Still, her eventual apprenticeship with a secret society of assassins had to come as a surprise. The teen survivor of her familys dire fate embarked on a Revenge Tour, slaughtering enemies by the dozens and then pulled off an act of humanity-saving heroism during the Battle of Winterfell. She started the show as a little girl and became one of the most lethal players on it.

FULL COVERAGE: The final season of Game of Thrones 

Character: Bran Stark (Isaac Hempstead Wright)

Relationships: House Stark (but also kind of House of Mystery)

Story arc: Bran starts the series as an ebullient, wall-climbing 10-year-old, has his body broken and falls into a coma (see Jaime Lannister), then undergoes a spiritual journey to embody a mystical force called the Three-Eyed Raven. His thousand-yard stare sees through time and space, and maybe into souls. No, this isnt another Dark Phoenix story (Dark Phoenix, starring sister Sansa Stark, in theaters this summer)  yet. But Bran has, in a family that includes a resurrected-from-the-dead brother and a kid assassin, managed to become The Weird Stark.

Character: Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke)

Relationships: Daughter of Aerys II (the Mad King, deceased) and Rhaella (deceased); sister of Rhaegar (deceased) and Viserys (very deceased); aunt to Aegon (deceased, wait  no  alive and her lover)

Story arc: Soon after she was born to the great House Targaryen, her Mad-King dad was slain (see Jaime Lannister). Cast into a desperate existence, she was traded by nasty brother Viserys for a military alliance with the Dothraki. Daenerys came into her own anyway, eventually becoming the Mother of Dragons  literal dragons  and Breaker of Chains for her habit of freeing enslaved peoples. But in her quest to take the Iron Throne, perhaps as she saw those she loved killed or abandon her in one way or another, she became warped  her arc bent toward that of her father (Let it be fear). In her mass-murdering siege of Kings Landing, she proved forever it was she, not Queen Cersei, who was the most powerful individual in Westeros.

Character: Jon Snow (Kit Harington)

Relationships: Bastard son of Ned Stark, er, totally legitimate son of Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark, stealth heir to the Iron Throne. Adoptive brother of Robb, Sansa, Arya, Bran and Rickon. Boyfriend of his Auntie Danerys. Whoops.

Story arc: Jon/Aegon went through the most changes in terms of status  bastard (but nice guy), scrub in the Nights Watch, sworn virgin in the Nights Watch, Romeo of the Nights Watch, Lord Commander of the Nights Watch, betrayed corpse in the Nights Watch, King of the Bleeding North. Not to mention going from Stark bastard to Targaryen rightful king. He managed to stay humble, though hes more comfortable around women now, and more comfortable leading troops to slaughter. But finally seeing the monster his love/aunt/queen has become, can the reluctant Prince-Who-Was-Promised also become the Queenslayer? One thing never changes, though: If Jon drafted the battle plan, you might want to do the opposite. The guy is an amazing fighter, but he strategizes as if everyone on his side has a Get Out of Death Free card.

Character: Jaime Lannister (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau)

Relationships: Beloved son of Tywin Lannister, brother to Tyrion and brother/lover to Cersei

Story arc: Perhaps the most dramatic transformation has been Jaimes. The pilot episode established him as one of the most despicable men in the Seven Kingdoms. The golden scion of the smug, power-hungry Lannisters and one of the greatest swordsmen in Westeros, he was already known as The Kingslayer for his fatal (though deserved) betrayal of the last Targaryen ruler. Then we discovered his very special relationship with his sister, Cersei, which he covered up by pushing a child (Bran) out a tower window. Hard to come back from that.

But after leading Lannister forces in a war against the Starks, Jaime underwent a years-long odyssey that tore him down to the studs. As a prisoner, he came to admire the noble female warrior Brienne of Tarth, and in standing up for her, lost his sword hand  a persona-shaking blow. He suffered through the deaths of each of his and Cerseis children. In the face of the ultimate war between the living and the dead, he abandoned the double-dealing now-Queen Cersei to fight for humanity rather than twisted family loyalty. In the end, though, he left behind the new, positive life he could have had with Brienne et al to be with his true love as their world collapsed around them  literally.

Character: Sandor The Hound Clegane (Rory McCann)

Relationships: Brother of Ser Gregor Clegane, bodyguard to Prince Joffrey Lannister, captor of, then self-styled protector of Arya Stark

Story arc: Initially one of the loyal Lannister/Baratheon thugs and one of the most feared warriors in Westeros, the Hound did some bad things and developed eyes for Sansa Stark. Over time and largely through an unplanned, epic road trip with Arya and his defeat in combat at the hands of Brienne of Tarth, Sandor left behind the trappings of court and his misplaced loyalties. He joined the Brotherhood Without Banners in the fight against the White Walkers. The reformed Hound proved his selfless (somewhat fatherly) love for Arya by persuading her to abandon her quest to kill Cersei before his final faceoff (so to speak) against his evil, perfomance-enhanced brother, Ser Gregor The Mountain Clegane.

Character: Sansa Stark (Sophie Turner)

Relationships: Daughter of Ned and Catelyn, House Stark; wife to Tyrion Lannister; wife to Ramsay Bolton (very deceased, to everyones delight)

Story arc: She began the series as arguably its least likeable character, pouting her way through the first season and, frankly, helping get her father killed. Her friendship with Tyrion, including their sham marriage, moved her forward. Then she survived horrible trauma at the machinations of Littlefinger and the cruelty of Ramsay Bolton, emerging stronger and smarter than one might have guessed she could become. Now she is the formidable Lady of Winterfell, wise beyond her years, and fiercely loyal to her family and to the North. In some ways, she sees even more clearly than supposed Smartest Man on the Show Tyrion. If shes left to rule from Winterfell, one has to expect the North to be in good hands. Though there has been, of late, a palpable swelling in the ranks of Team Sansa fandom, and with so many other contenders out of the way now, what happens if the remaining Targaryens take each other out  if Jon and Daenerys turn on each other, which now seems distinctly possible for the first time? Might this onetime whining tween ride her hard road all the way to the Iron Throne?

Alfie Allen portraying Theon Greyjoy in Game of Thrones. (HBO)

Character: Theon Greyjoy (Alfie Allen)

Relationships: Ward of the Starks, raised as a family member as part of a military alliance.

Story arc: Theon had to be one of the most objectionable characters on the show, with one of the most annoying arcs, as he turned on his adoptive family  the Starks  betraying them though they had treated him well. His actions led Winterfell to fall into the hands of the degenerate Ramsay Bolton and the visitation of horrors upon many, including Sansa and himself. After having his Ironborn pride and identity destroyed forever by Bolton, Theon took several seasons to stand up for what he knew to be right  defending his sister Asha (a far better ruler and braver warrior than he) and making his last stand to protect Bran from the Night King  fulfilling a promise he made back in Season 1. In the end, his turnaround was so complete that Bran told him he was a good man. And that weirdo knows stuff.

Character: Tyrion Lannister (Peter Dinklage)

Relationships: Despised son of Tywin Lannister, brother to Cersei and Jamie Lannister

Story arc: Lannister home movies are scored by Ramin Djawadis sweeping orchestral take on One of These Things Is Not Like the Others: Perfect blond Adonises and Venuses crowding out Westeros Wisest, Tyrion. Its not just his dwarfism that made him an outcast in his own family  Cersei blames him for the death of their mother (in childbirth) and later the death of her eldest, Joffrey. The hyper-intelligent Tyrion would become something of a wastrel, turning his energies to the paid company of ladies and copious wine: Its what I do; I drink and I know things. He killed his hateful father  on the toilet, no less  flushing his birthright and spiraling into booze-fueled depression. Then he met Daenerys and became the cleaned-up Hand of the apparently Mad Queen, and a bona fide power player in the endgame of Thrones.
The joy of watching our favorite series usually comes from the unique settings, gripping story lines and creative plot twists. But sometimes, theres an unexpected bright spot that, for a moment or two, shifts your gaze and amps up the pleasure. Meet the Scene Stealer  the actor who so perfectly captures a tone, a look, a whole dang character, that the viewer cant look away. Here, we salute eight performers whose mood changes, violent outbursts, sharp-tongued nastiness and otherworldly chaos add such rich flavor to an already favorite treat.

Lolly Adefope (Fran)

Shrill (Hulu)

Shrill, the critically hailed new series based on Lindy Wests memoir of the same name, centers on Annie (Aidy Bryant), an overweight young woman bent into a seemingly permanent apology for simply existing. As the first season progresses, Annie begins rejecting that position, for good and ill  and great viewing.

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Among Shrills many wonderful elements is Lolly Adefope as Annies roommate, Fran, a character who could have easily fallen into the Sassy Black Best Friend cliche, but instead comes off as something far more exciting: a real person.

WATCH: 2019 Emmy Contenders video chats 

The whole idea of the show is to be as grounded and real as possible, says Adefope, speaking by phone from her home in London. So while giving Fran all the confidence that she has, and the chemistry with Annie, I tried to make her as similar to me as I could, so it wasnt this caricature of a sassy, loud, mad person. (Adefope is also in TBS Miracle Workers as Rosie, an assistant to God.)

Though a supporting role, Fran never seems secondary and her relationship with Annie feels thoroughly lived-in. While she calls Annie out on some of her more egregious behavior, Fran has plenty of flaws as well. Its part of what makes her so authentic and what makes audiences relate.

 Lisa Rosen

Anthony Carrigan (NoHo Hank) | Barry (HBO)

Anthony Carrigan in Barry. (Isabella Vosmikova / HBO)

Hes a complicated sweetheart, Anthony Carrigan says of NoHo Hank, the Chechen crime boss he plays on Barry. That he is. NoHo Hank can be menacing and scary, but also chill and considerate. He is a superb Russian folk dancer, devours Thomas Friedmans globalization explainer The Lexus and the Olive Tree and dresses like he stepped out of an Urban Oufitters catalog, provided the model is covered in Russian prison tattoos.

NoHo Hank also has no qualms about killing people. Its his job, after all, though you get the impression that hed much rather be shopping for a new sun hat at the Glendale Galleria.

Bill Hader and Henry Winkler have already won Emmys for their work on Barry  and deservedly so  but if you had to pick one actor who embodies the shows ability to shift tones seamlessly, Carrigans the man.

NoHo Hank is this lovable, sweet guy  hes also a mobster, yes  but he is very naive and kind and polite.

Fans have responded to NoHo Hanks puppy dog joy and neediness in no uncertain terms. Hader says people stop him all the time  to tell him that they love Barry, yes, but also that theyll stop watching if he dares to kill off Carrigans character.

Carrigan appreciates whatever job security he can get. After all, NoHo Hank was originally set to die in the shows pilot.

Its HBO, Carrigan says. Its not TV, its HBO. And if its HBO, its a slaughterhouse. Everybody dies.

Not NoHo Hank. Wed have to be crazy to kill him now, Hader says.

 Glenn Whipp

Kieran Culkin (Roman Roy) | Succession (HBO)

Everybody cheats and lies in the Roy family, but Kieran Culkins sensationally rude corporate brat Roman Roy outdoes all rivals when it comes to oddly magnetic bad behavior. As he vies to take over the media empire from patriarch Logan Roy (Brian Cox), Roman, imbued by Culkin with saucer-eyed faux innocence and a casually cruel sense of entitlement, slaps his sister (Sarah Snook) in the face, strips off his shirt in the middle of a business meeting, offers a boy $100,000 if he hits a home run and tears up the check when he fails.

Producers initially considered the 36-year old actor for a different role, but when he read the pilot script, Culkin recalls, I knew I wasnt right for Greg. Then Roman walks into the room, all casual disrespect, and I thought, This guy looks like fun.  Culkin lobbied for that role with a self-taped audition and landed the part. He says, I actually consider myself to be a pretty good dude, so its very strange and freeing in a way, to play this sociopath who suffers no consequences no matter what he does and says. I would never want to get near Roman in real life, but man, is it fun to pretend.

 Hugh Hart

Crispin Glover (Mr. World) | American Gods (Starz)

TV may be full of serial killers, terrorists and other horrible representations of humanitys depravity, but for my money the bone-scariest character on the flat screen these days isnt a human at all: He is the world.

Mr. World, that is, the leader of the New Gods and the personification of globalization on Starzs American Gods.

The reason hes so terrifying? Because hes played by Crispin Glover. Unblinking and focused in his dark suit and perfectly arranged pocket handkerchief, Glover is chaos (barely) contained in a glass jar. One minute hes crooning smooth cadences and expansive vocabulary to discuss the useful heuristic of branding; the next he seems aroused by the idea of overflowing ossuaries.

Those who recognize Glover only from his breakout 1980s role in Back to the Future dont know what theyre missing; those who do understand how eccentrically out there he can be. The marriage of his intense personal weird with Mr. Worlds reptilian delight in waging war is a perfect union that makes you wish they gave out Emmys for casting. Glover makes Mr. World go round  and were going round with him, screaming and tearing the stuffing out of our easy chairs.

 Randee Dawn

Greta Lee (Maxine) | Russian Doll (Netflix)

Writing about Greta Lees excellence as salty friend Maxine in Russian Doll is a little like dancing about architecture. So much of what makes her performance memorable is in the jazz of it  the hipper-than-thou delivery, the hairpin mood changes, the deadly comic timing.

Maxine is the dear friend of Russian Doll protagonist Nadia (Natasha Lyonne). She throws the birthday party that launches Nadias Groundhog Day-like regenerations following her many deaths. Maxine is, of course, oblivious to Nadias time-looped plight. However, Lee entirely invests Maxine in the totally unrelated high stakes of any given moment. Depending on how Nadia behaves, Maxine ricochets off her in different directions.

Its touching on the authenticity of a close friendship; the nuances of mood and things that maybe arent said but that you would pick up on if you had such a close relationship, Lee says. Those are things we talked about on set.

Having been friends with Lyonne since they worked together on the 2014 TV movie Old Soul was a secret weapon.

She has a face I cannot lie to, both on set and off. Its really helpful, says Lee. I tell her, Maybe its your eyes. Your eyes are so big, you cannot lie to them. We have a special thing that comes from knowing each other for years.

 Michael Ordona

Patti Harrison (Ruthie) | Shrill (Hulu)

Ruthie (Patti Harrison) in Shrill. (Allyson Riggs / Hulu)

Let us now celebrate Ruthie, the scary office coordinator on Shrill, a half-hour comedy on Hulu. Shrill, which is inspired by the memoir Shrill: Notes From a Loud Woman by Lindy West, features many diverting performances  SNLs Aidy Bryants career-changing star turn as a shy, aspiring alt-weekly journalist, John Cameron Mitchell as her pompous, hair-flipping editor. Yet wherever Ruthie is, shes the center of the frame. As played by Patti Harrison (Search Party, A Simple Favor, a Trump-skewering appearance on The Tonight Show that went viral), Ruthie is blunt, noisy, sharp-tongued, clueless and jarringly out of sync with her co-workers rhythms. Shes unpredictable, always ready to bite, but only when you least expect it.

When Harrison, who is (in no particular order) a stand-up comic, trans and prolific on social media, first auditioned for the role, she didnt know that Ruthie had been created with her comic voice in mind. But she was certain of other things. I didnt want to do just another sassy, bad assistant character, says Harrison, 28, whose nasty, kind of unhinged dialogue is sometimes improvised. I wanted to explode it and take it to the worst possible place. There was a lot of creative freedom there, a first in my acting career so far, which is, like, fledgling. Ruthie doesnt realize that in her viciousness shes making herself look ridiculous. Thats very funny to me.

 Margy Rochlin

Tenoch Huerta (Rafael Caro Quintero) | Narcos: Mexico (Netflix)

Perhaps the most memorable real-life figure from Netflixs Narcos: Mexico depiction of the beginning of the U.S.-Mexico drug war is Rafael Rafa Quintero, as played by Tenoch Huerta. Rafa goes from unassuming amateur botanist to a Scarface-like loose cannon.

Everybody knows about him in Mexico. His story is linked with the history of the country, of the politics in Mexico, says Huerta, whose research dug up as much legend as reality: I tried to find a way to mix all those elements to find my own interpretation.

Huertas Rafa bears no resemblance to the actors turns as a terrifying gang member in Sin Nombre or an honorable guerrilla leader in Bel Canto. His Rafa is increasingly unpredictable, especially after he begins a torrid romance with a socialite. The relationship empowers him, then destabilizes and wrecks him. But somehow, hes always  him.

Felix Gallardo [played by Diego Luna] tried to be part of the elite; he transformed himself. But Rafa kept being the person he was before the money, before all the power. Im still me, but Im more of me; Im a bigger me,  says Huerta.

Thats why people really link with the character. People know hes a one-piece guy. Theres just one piece of him, hes a stone.

 Michael Ordona

Lidia Porto (Amara De Escalones) | Get Shorty (Epix)

Lidia Porto in Get Shorty. (Lewis Jacobs / EPIX)

Epixs black-humored retooling of the Elmore Leonard crime story stars Chris ODowd as a hitman-turned-movie producer, but its his viciously understated boss Amara De Escalones, portrayed by Lidia Porto, who dominates the frame every time she makes an entrance. Dripping with jewelry and outfitted in fur coats, high heels, long fingernails, generously applied eye shadow and whooshing pompadour, Amara, loosely based on 80s-era Miami cocaine kingpin Griselda Blanco, never raises her voice. Instead, Porto lends Amara reptilian authority by terrifying her underlings, including jittery boyfriend Ricky (Ray Romano), simply by narrowing her eyes or purring pithy broken-English pronouncements punctuated with deadly pauses.

Porto, who moved from Colombia to Texas at age 3, says, Allen Coulter directed the pilot and one of the first things he said to me was that Someone once told Amara that she was a queen. I come back to that often. Porto also took animalistic as a cue from Get Shorty showrunner Davey Holmes and credits Season 1 costume designer Helen Huang with a key visual reference. Helens concept board had photos of Tammy Faye Bakker, with all of that exaggerated makeup. I looked at that and said, Well, everyone else may think Amara is Tammy Faye Bakker, but she thinks shes Marilyn Monroe. 

 Hugh Hart
Blame them for why youve done nothing productive with your weekends.

Six showrunners from some of TVs most distinctive series joined The Envelope recently to chat about their work: Isaac Aptaker of the time-jumping family drama This Is Us; Alec Berg of the reluctant-hitman dark comedy Barry; Ava DuVernay of the upcoming Central Park Five limited series When They See Us; Peter Gould of the sympathetic con artist prequel Better Call Saul; Leslye Headland of the mind-bending time-loop comedy Russian Doll; and Marta Kauffman of the senior buddy comedy Grace and Frankie.

The wide-ranging conversation touched on the art of dealing with network notes, a TV writers struggle to be a TV viewer, and obligations to the viewer (not to mention, sex, violence and vibrators).

Here are excerpts of that conversation, edited for length and clarity. The full interview will air all month on Spectrum News 1, starting June 21 at 9 p.m.

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There are a lot of shows wrapping their runs in coming months. How top-of-mind is the endgame as youre in the process?

Peter Gould: Endgame is always on our minds. We have 62 episodes of Breaking Bad and now weve already done 40 episodes of this show. And its a show that definitely has a beginning, a middle and an end. So were always talking about how do we end this and make it what it should be, have it be satisfying, have it not screw up the work that we did on Breaking Bad? As were breaking Season 5, for the first time we came up with a few ideas about where this is all going, very specific ideas  which because theyre very specific means that we probably wont end up doing them.

 In The Envelopes Showrunners Roundtable, Better Call Saul showrunner Peter Gould talks about the discussions that take place on how best to wrap up the show.

Marta Kauffman: We have two actors who are  well, one of them is over 80 and one of them is close to 80, plus the two men, who are in their late 70s. So we think about it. We think about it a lot. We dont know for how much longer theyre going to want to do it. So it is foremost in our minds and also, honestly, the idea of vacation is on my mind a lot.

What is your writing process like? Do you need to be at a desk? Do you need silence?

Kauffman: For 27 years, I worked with a partner [David Crane] and then I had to learn how to work alone. In the beginning, I would have typed conversations with myself, just, Do you think thats a stupid idea? God, yes! And what I eventually learned was that I have a rhythm and I like to ride the wave of that rhythm. And then once the wave is over, I need to walk away, let things percolate and then go back to ride the next wave.

Isaac, you also work with a partner.

Isaac Aptaker: I dont know if you and David were like this: We found if we stare at a blank screen at the same time, wed kill each other. It does not work. So we divide up  you know, we split a script in half, we go off and we write our scenes. Then we put it together, we throw it up on a monitor and we rewrite it completely together sitting there. But we can never start from scratch as a duo.

Alec, you have to be a little more fluid with Season 2, right? Because co-creator and star Bill Hader was shooting It and you were also working on Silicon Valley at the time.

Alec Berg: Yeah, its sort of a leapfroggy situation, where Im finishing Barry now and starting Silicon Valley. I also have always worked with somebody else, and it is interesting, even when I worked with other people, as you were saying, I feel like you can outline together, but actually typing from square one, I feel like weirdly is an individual pursuit.

Kauffman: David and I wrote every word together.

Aptaker: Really? Would you switch off who was typing or how ...

Kauffman: No, he always typed. So I had learned to write out loud. That was part of the adjustment for me was learning how to go from here [points to her head] to my fingers. But we wrote every word together.

Many of you are working on shows that are on cable or streaming, so theres a little bit more freedom. Whats the process of knowing what works for your show?

Kauffman: I think what you said is the key. Its what works for your show. Were dealing with four very elegant people, and we can push the envelope to a certain extent; we can talk about dry vaginas and yam lube and vibrators. But we cant get vivid about sexual things because theyre just too elegant and it would feel like I dont need to know that about them.

 In The Envelopes Showrunners Roundtable, Grace and Frankie showrunner Marta Kauffman says its the show that tells you how far to push the envelope.

Berg: Yeah, its funny, on Silicon Valley we can get as vivid as we want and we never, ever have, because it just doesnt  these are nerds and the idea that theres nudity and violence in the world of computer programming doesnt seem to sit.

Whats the hardest scene you had to work through? I mean, there are a lot of very emotional scenes in When They See Us, a lot at stake there.

Ava DuVernay: Its difficult subject matter, so none of it was easy. In Selma, I was shooting riots and murders. In 13th, it was digging through a thousand hours of racist, violent footage to put together the documentary. And then I did a movie where a little black girl was flying [A Wrinkle in Time] and I got to dress Oprah up in beautiful wigs. And so, to come back to this kind of subject matter, it was tough to get back to. So all of it was hard. Because even if you were in a scene that was about domestic life, I knew what was coming, what was going to soon be shattered. It was intense.

 Queen Sugar and When They See Us showrunner Ava DuVernay on the most challenging scene shes ever faced.

Peter, you finally reached the point with Better Call Saul where Jimmy says his name is Saul Goodman. Was that hard to get to?

Gould: I dont know if it was. On our show, we talk about what people are willing to do rather than what they say. Some of it is how he presents himself, this character Saul Goodman, that Jimmy McGill has created. But a lot of it is what is he willing to do to get what he wants? And weirdly enough, a lot of the show is about morality. Its about the things that people are willing to do, the stories they tell themselves to allow themselves to do things. And its also a little bit about the law, because those things are not the same; morality and the law are really, really different. So is he willing to put his own life in danger? Is he willing to put other peoples lives in danger because he wants to be significant? Its a moral question more than a matter of whats he calling himself or how hes presenting himself.

Whats the weirdest or worst note from an executive that youve had?

Leslye Headland: For a show that is  and this is a technical term, bonkers, we didnt actually get that many notes from Netflix or the studio, Universal. They really kind of embraced just from the beginning that it was going to be what we described as an existential adventure show. But elsewhere in my career, I was doing a film, which had some explicit sex scenes in it. When I have sex scenes like that, I usually storyboard them so that both the producers as well as the cast are able to see them ahead of time and know exactly what the shots are going to be and what were going to reveal and all of those things. And I showed them to the producers, and they asked me why the female in the storyboards wasnt smiling. And I was like, I dont think Ive ever smiled during sex. I mean, I enjoy it  dont get me wrong, I enjoy it  but I dont think Ive straight-up like creepy smiled. I just couldnt believe they asked me it. And they said, Well, how do we know that she enjoys it? And I said, I think that well kind of get into that when were shooting. You know, in the performance.

Kauffman: There was a great story: Warner Bros. had this museum, and one of the things they had in the museum is the original script, with notes, of  uh, Stanley Kowalski ...

All: A Streetcar Named Desire?

Kauffman: They had the original script for Streetcar. And one of the notes on the script  on a Tennessee Williams script  was Does he have to rape her? Which is kind of part of the story. And then they wanted to know if she had to be so crazy. So there are some dumbass notes out there.

Aptaker: Ive been working in network for a long time, and I feel like its always the standards and practices stuff that you just cant believe were still having these conversations. I remember, a few years ago, I was doing a John Stamos sitcom. We had a scene where Dr. Phil was playing his physician and giving him a prostate exam. And we had to have an hour conference call, with seven to 12 very highly paid writers, producers, executives about can we see lubricant going on the rubber glove? This is a medical procedure, and there are bigger problems in the world right now than how Dr. Phil is going to check Stamos prostate.

 This Is Us showrunner Isaac Aptaker shares one of the strangest notes hes ever received.

Kauffman: Standards and practices, that was some of our most difficult stuff. We were doing an episode of Friends about theres one condom left and whos going to have sex? And this is after the masturbation episode on Seinfeld where things had become very reactionary, and we werent allowed to take the last foil wrapper out of the box. We could only show the box and [shake it], so youd know there was only one in there, but we couldnt take it out.

Aptaker: But then the violence you can get away with on network. It is so graphic. Theres such a double standard when it comes to sex and our bodies and then people being decapitated and whats OK to see.

Berg: I always feel like, the best notes are questions, always, right? Like, Why does he do that? Why did she get so angry? And you can go, Oh, if thats not clear, obviously its because of this. Ive actually gotten to the point where  I literally did it the other day  where I had an outline and Im like, Ive been staring at this and I dont know whether this works or not. Im gonna send it to them and see what they think. And they were like, You dont need this. And Ill go, Are you nuts? Of course  dammit, theyre right. Theyre right. I dont need it.

 Barry and Silicon Valley showrunner Alec Berg shares one of the strangest notes that hes ever received.

Headland: I had a note from Netflix when I turned in one of the first cuts of the pilot. And it was right after Natasha [Lyonne] got killed the first time, and I decided to cut to the door of the bathroom, kind of an omniscient point of view like establish were back in the bathroom and then cut to the back of her and then she kind of realizes where she is. And I got the note, Its confusing. And I was like, Well, they should be confused. Were literally bringing the character back to life. This is actually a good confusing.

How are you feeling about whats going on with the writers and agents right now? Are you worried about how it might impact you or your peers?

Kauffman: I worry about how it will impact young writers. Thats my biggest concern. Its going to make it much more difficult for young writers to get a foot in the door, to get read, to be seen. Thats my biggest concern.

When youre coming up with a concept for your next project, are you looking for what gap in the marketplace needs filling?

DuVernay: No, I choose projects that Im interested in. Im picking things and selecting things that not only do I want to put my name on, but Im going to spend a lot of time on this. So its never whats in the marketplace for me. But I do write for an audience, at times, because I know that Im prioritizing underserved audiences. And so I am very concerned with and very much prioritizing the representations, the characterizations, what has been seen, what has not been seen, what can we do that  gosh, Ive never seen this from this kind of character before. And thats considering audience in that way.

Berg: But do you feel like in that case, the audience youre considering really is you? Like, what do I want to see? What have I not seen?

Ava Duvernay (When They See Us) and Isaac Aptaker (This Is Us) share a laugh. (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)

DuVernay: No, because I mean, I enjoy Iranian cinema, but most black folks that I know, or folks of color, may not have been exposed to that. So the kinds of storytelling  both in form, structure, nonlinear structure, certain characterizations  that I might enjoy or know about or even be aware of are different than when Im writing my show, Queen Sugar, for example, which is for a predominantly African American audience. Im going to own that work. Im looking to show them characters that they may not have seen and, you know, things that I already know and have enjoyed in another way. So it depends on the project, something like When They See Us is very plot-driven. Its about this case and trying to put some intimacy around this epic event. But with something more serialized like Queen Sugar, I do find myself saying in the writers room, Our viewers would like this. Oh, theyre gonna love it when this happens.

Berg: [I feel] I have zero responsibility to make [the audience] happy. None. Right? My job, what they pay me for is to discern what I find pleasing and what I think is good. Im not trying to guess what you like.

Headland: We sat down before we turned in the last two episodes and watched the entire thing all the way through. And I did have this moment where I was like, I am so proud of this. I feel like we told the story that we wanted to tell. Its about so many things that are so dear to my heart. I have no idea who is gonna watch this show. I really had that moment of both intense pride and also like a deep sadness of just like, what if no one cares? Its like youre both right. Because on the one hand, I had to make peace with the fact that I have said something that everyone may not care about. And then have this odd experience of getting an incredible response back.

How important is consumption for you, to see whats out there?

Aptaker: I think its really important to see whats out there, and we all got into this, presumably, because we love television and movies. That said, when youve just spent eight hours in an edit bay, you know, re-editing and getting your show down to time and picking the perfect song to go under Mandy Moore crying, the last thing you want to do is come home and unwind with someone elses hour of television. It just feels like youre still at work.

Kauffman: Watching TV is like working. Its not something I do anymore, except when it comes to Game of Thrones, just for sheer enjoyment and for the ride. You know, especially watching comedy, Ill watch comedy and Ill be like, How did they get to that? Where did that joke come from? And it feels like work to me.

Gould: I have the same experience. I love half-hours. So that side of the room is my viewing habit, because its just when you spend all day working on an hour, to break up the rhythm and to just see a half-hour. Although the dividing lines are not where they were. Everything is starting to get mushy  in a good way. Because you guys are making sometimes half-hour dramas, and there are some hours that I think are very, very funny.

Whats the next show on your list to watch?

Headland: Oh, PEN15. Everyone keeps telling me to watch it, and Im just lazy.

Berg: Im going to out myself. I still have never watched The Sopranos.

Kauffman: I want to watch the new Twilight Zone.

Gould: I want to catch up on all the shows that Ive been missing. I want to see what happens on Barry next. I want to see the rest of Russian Doll, and I want to catch up on Game of Thrones. Theres too much. But Im going to do it. I believe in me and a few cans of energy drink, and Im just not going to sleep until Ive seen it all.

Aptaker: I just started it, but I cant wait to keep going on The Act on Hulu. Its so good.

DuVernay: I started asking young people what they watch and theres a series called On My Block.

Watch the video below for the full Roundtable conversation:

 Isaac Aptaker (This Is Us), Alec Berg (Barry), Ava DuVernay (When They See Us), Peter Gould (Better Call Saul), Leslye Headland (Russian Doll) and Marta Kauffman (Grace and Frankie) share insights on running a TV show.

FULL COVERAGE: Get the latest on awards season from The Envelope 
Almost four years ago, Greys Anatomy writer Elisabeth Finch participated in a Writers Guild-sponsored tour of the Rape Treatment Center at the UCLA Medical Center in Santa Monica.

What stuck with me was how they treated every single person who walked through their doors as an individual; everyones needs are different, says Finch. I wanted our [TV] doctors to figure out how to do that for one patient on the fly.

Last month, that seed came to fruition as her script, shepherded by showrunner Krista Vernoff and director Debbie Allen, materialized as the venerable medical dramas episode Silent All These Years. Young doctor Jo (Camilla Luddington) encounters rape victim Abby (Khalilah Joi) at Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital. Efforts by Jo and her colleagues to help the traumatized survivor are juxtaposed with scenes of the adopted Jo finally meeting her birth mother (Michelle Forbes) and learning she is the product of a rape. Its an unusually bare-knuckled episode that plays out without a musical score. It realistically depicts, for instance, the collection of evidence for a rape kit.

Reactions have been strong, including from fans on Reddit identifying themselves as rape survivors.

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I usually dont feel impacted watching shows that are focusing on the aftermath of the victims because its always felt so shallow, wrote one. But this one? I cried. I felt heard. And it actually felt real to me.

Beth Cranston, senior director and legal counsel of the Rape Treatment Center, says it respectfully addressed a lot of issues rape victims face, from self-blame to issues in the criminal-justice system.  I thought those were all addressed very realistically, from my experience here at the hospital.

Gail Abarbanel, founder and executive director of the Rape Treatment Center, added, They did a really good job portraying the impact on victims. The passage near the end  Too often, trauma is discussed as in our head, but the pains real, you feel it in our muscles, in our cells, in our hearts, in our heads. And theres no magic fix, theres no pill you can take to make it disappear, but we can ask for help. And we can tell our truth whenever were ready. 

FULL COVERAGE: Get the latest on awards season from The Envelope 

Vernoff says the September 2018 Senate testimony of Christine Blasey Ford, who accused then-Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her in high school, lit a fire under several on the show.

What I think we all had in common was real pain over the dismissal of Dr. Blasey Fords testimony.  Our blood was boiling. It hurt so much, the showrunner says.

We all went, Weve gotta do something. Thats why the moment was right for this hour of TV to be born.

Finchs script was marked by details from her research, some of which ended up on Abbys body: There were injuries that stuck in my head from [the visit] three years ago. There are a couple of photographs in my brain from that visit  the bite mark in particular.

Allen chose to approach it as subjectively as possible, using techniques such as moving mundane sounds forward in the mix.

When youre shooting from someones perspective, its important, the sounds, she says. When we meet Abby, shes in a state thats not quite coherent. Its how shes hearing things.  It was scripted that she was distracted by everything she saw, but changing frame rates, doing things like that, just helped me tell the story.

Allen and Vernoff agree that the music they tried unacceptably softened the experience.

Vernoff says, It cannot be pianos as we talk about rape. Rape has razor-blade edges. And it has been softened for audiences for so long. We went at it with all the pain and all the complexity and all the edges.

And, she says, We dont want to dictate with the music what youre supposed to feel.

In perhaps the signature scene, Abby is taken to have a procedure done, and women from all over the hospital line the hallway in silent support.

Finch says, I thought, I want to see women stand up for one another the way we do privately, behind closed doors. I wanted people to say me too without having to say anything; you could see their stories on their faces.

Vernoff and Allen say women from all the productions departments showed up to be in that scene. After initially wrestling over what could be shown in the episode  it depicts the workings of a rape kit more specifically than perhaps has ever before on television  a woman from Standards and Practices asked to appear in the scene.

Even a reluctant Finch was persuaded to be in it (thats her in the blue scrubs, leading the gurney).

Vernoff says, So many members of our crew, upper-level executives, writers assistants, the PAs  there are almost no actors in that scene.

Allen says, They wanted to be part of this statement.
Times critic Justin Chang is filing regular dispatches from the 72nd annual Cannes Film Festival, which runs May 14-25 in France.

Do you want to live or die?

The question  and the answer  land with brutal force in Bacurau, the strange and harrowing Brazilian feature that shook up the Cannes Film Festival on Wednesday. It may sound like a threat, but it isnt presented as one; the man asking the question is doing so with the utmost sincerity. In a futuristic social order where the slaughter of human beings has become a transactional, recreational activity, death very well may be preferable to life.

Bacurau takes its name from a small village in northeastern Brazil that comes under enormous threat from forces both within and without. The time is a few years from now, and this (fictional) backwater is being strategically erased from history. The residents are embroiled in a battle over water access with a corrupt local politician. Bacurau no longer appears on GPS maps, and cellular communications are nonexistent. And thats before a bunch of Most Dangerous Game-style thrill seekers show up, looking to get their kicks by racking a very high body count and pushing the movie toward a spectacular whirlwind of violence.

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Directed by Kleber Mendonca Filho and his regular production designer, Juliano Dornelles, Bacurau is a modern-day western with some of the raw, hallucinatory power of a Sergio Leone epic, plus some hypnotic electronica lifted from John Carpenter. Also in the mix: horror and science fiction, psychotropic drugs and traditional folklore, UFO-shaped drone cameras and vintage firearms, Udo Kier and Sonia Braga (the brilliant star of Mendoncas Aquarius). Its quite a brew, rich and extremely filling, but also chunky and uneven; it leaves your stomach in knots and your head in a very strange place.

When Mendonca brought Aquarius to Cannes in 2016, he and his cast and crew took to the steps of the Palais des Festivals to protest the recent impeachment of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff. In recent interviews, the director has described Bacurau as an unambiguous denunciation of his countrys newly elected far-right president, Jair Bolsonaro, as well as an act of defiance on behalf of a local film industry that is suffering once more under Bolsonaros policies.

As a political screed, Bacurau is an effective blunt instrument. As a portrait of a remote community bearing horrified witness to humanitys capacity for inhumanity, its just another movie at the Cannes Film Festival. The main competition got off to an intriguing if frustrating start Tuesday night with Jim Jarmuschs The Dead Dont Die, a small-town zombie comedy that shares some key plot points with Bacurau, and which has its own grim answer to the live-or-die question. Embrace death, the movie says  theres no point in avoiding it  but be sure you go down swinging.

A scene from the movie Les Miserables. (SRAB Films/Rectangle Productions/Lyly Films)

The competition started looking up on Wednesday, in terms of quality if not necessarily moral outlook, with the world premieres of Bacurau and Les Miserables, a crackling police thriller partly inspired by the civil unrest that swept through Paris in 2005. A gripping feature debut for the French director Ladj Ly, the movie unfolds from the perspective of three cops (played by Damien Bonnard, Alexis Manenti and Djebril Zonga) trying to maintain order among warring factions in the Paris suburb of Montfermeil, only to find themselves mired in an explosive situation that threatens to escalate beyond repair.

The titles reference to Victor Hugos masterwork (much of which is set in Montfermeil) is neither an accident nor an afterthought. A closing quotation from Hugo lays bare the essence of Lys ideas on how systems of injustice maintain a chokehold on the citys underclass, particularly the black youths we see spraying water and hurling projectiles at the police, who more than respond in kind.

Ly dramatizes the scenes of street warfare with visceral force. Like Bacurau, Les Miserables makes crucial use of a drone camera, a clever narrative device that also serves as an ingenious formal function. The overhead shots convey a sweeping sense of the neighborhoods geography, which pays off to devastating effect when the movie purposely narrows the field of action in its claustrophobic final stretch. Ly leaves us with a bracing vision of two sides that have trapped each other, with no hope of escape.

Les Miserables packs an entire series worth of characters and subplots into less than two hours, though its unfortunate that the three cops, whose differences place them at seething odds with one another, monopolize most of the narrative attention. The imbalance there is political as well as dramatic; Ly surveys all his characters without judgment, but a longer, richer version of this movie might have distributed its sympathies to even more powerful effect.

Jean Dujardin in the movie Deerskin. (Quinzaine des Realisateurs)

For narrative economy, though, it would be tough to beat the enjoyably demented comedy Deerskin, the first film to screen in Directors Fortnight, a program that runs parallel to the official selection. Directed by Quentin Dupieux, the French prankster best known for his killer-tire movie Rubber, its a 77-minute high-concept lark with a sharp little sting in its tail. It stars a wholly committed Jean Dujardin (The Artist) as Georges, a middle-aged divorce whos wandering the countryside when he buys and falls in love with a new jacket, a fringed deerskin number that he thinks gives him killer style (some wry foreshadowing there).

Georges is also a wannabe filmmaker, and when he starts using a handheld video camera to record himself  and also the jacket, with whom he carries on long and rewarding conversations  his twin obsessions merge and give birth to a singular brand of psychosis. Deerskin is an impudent deadpan riff on the midlife-crisis comedy that gradually morphs into an indictment of male sociopathy at its most dangerously entitled. Its no coincidence that the movies best, most interesting character is Denise (a superb Adele Haenel), a bartender and amateur film editor who gets lured into Georges web.

Being a film about filmmaking, Deerskin at times has the quality of an auteurs confession. Dupieux has made, among other things, a deceptively light comedy about the compulsive pleasures of image making and the horrors that said compulsion can yield. To explain further would spoil the fun, which is not inconsiderable. Suffice to say that, like Bacurau and Les Miserables, Deerskin is a portrait of what happens when technology falls into the wrong hands, made through technology that clearly fell into the right ones.

justin.chang@latimes.com
There are several workable narrative elements in writer-director Wayne Roberts The Professor, starring a miscast Johnny Depp as Richard, an English prof with terminal cancer who, as the films press notes hyperbolically mislead, transforms into a rebellious party animal.

Unfortunately, the movie, which comes off strangely wide-eyed about such outre things as marijuana and same-sex attraction, evokes some 1970s-era George Segal vehicle as it struggles to pair hip defiance with come-to-Jesus-style pathos, the latter of which provides a few of the films more compelling moments.

Although Depps professor does go a bit nutty in a kind of say anything-try anything way after receiving his death sentence, we dont get enough sense of his supposedly square, pre-diagnosis self to enjoy, much less applaud, Richards nothing-to-lose catharses.

In addition, several ill-advised behaviors here rankle in this age of #MeToo, a movement that blew up mere months after the films mid-2017 shoot. The specter of Depps ongoing battle with ex-wife Amber Heard over her domestic abuse allegations doesnt help.

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Depp, sporting a distractingly foppish, unfurling-flag hairdo, commits to his characters tricky balancing act but over-relies on his signature rakishness to fully convince. Rosemarie DeWitt, Zoey Deutch, Jack Huston and Ron Livingston offer decent support in underwritten roles, with Odessa Young impressing as Richards budding lesbian daughter.

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The Professor

Rated: R, for language, sexual content and some drug use

Running time: 1 hour, 31 minutes

Playing: Starts Friday, Arena Cinelounge Sunset, Hollywood; also on DirecTV and VOD

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calendar@latimes.com

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Many nature documentaries seem to take one of two opposing approaches: They either blithely ignore the negative effects of human population growth and climate change on animals or they present the state of the natural world as so dire as to be irreparable. The Serengeti Rules sets itself apart by not only acknowledging the dangers afflicting ecosystems around the world but also presenting a hopeful solution to the problem.

Led by ecologist Bob Paine in the 1960s, a group of scientists travel to remote parts of the globe and discover that one natural law applies to each of their disparate locations: Paine in the Washington tide pools, Tony Sinclair in the Serengeti, Mary Power in Oklahomas freshwater streams, John Terborgh in the Amazon rain forest and Jim Estes in the Aleutian Islands.

These vastly different ecosystems all have one thing in common  if you remove a keystone species as varied as a starfish or a big cat, the entire community collapses. Their experiments and observation prove to be a massive leap forward in ecology.

Director Nicolas Brown combines lively reenactments, contemporary interviews, well-rendered graphics and stunning nature cinematography to tell the story of the five scientists and the effects of their discovery. The Serengeti Rules celebrates not only the diversity and beauty of the natural world but also recognizes the transformative power of curiosity and knowledge.

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The Serengeti Rules

Not rated

Running time: 1 hour, 24 minutes

Playing: Laemmle Monica Film Center, Santa Monica

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The Merchant-Ivory-Jhabvala canon of award-winning, beloved literary adaptations and cross-cultural period dramas lasted more than four decades, and in the middle sits 1981s mostly forgotten Quartet, based on Jean Rhys 1928 novel, and not unlike one of the lonely, marginalized figures from Rhys many sad tales of untethered, ill-treated young women.

An evocative depiction of dissolute 1920s Paris starring Isabelle Adjani, Alan Bates, Maggie Smith and Anthony Higgins as woozy game pieces in a four-way snarl, its initial release was a brief celebration in arthouse circles of the then-20-year partnership between director James Ivory and producer Ismael Merchant, most of whose films (the better ones, typically) were written or co-written by novelist Ruth Prawer Jhabvala.

Now that its being re-released with a 4K restoration, Quartet offers a chance to celebrate this trio all over again, especially because it never fit neatly into their more widely known oeuvre of tasteful, class-conscious romances in stately manors (A Room With a View, Howards End). The tone of Quartet is darker, its psychologies messier, and the period in question lends itself more to bad behavior in constricting interiors (smoky cafes, seedy hotels, cramped parties) than warm companionships nurtured in the lush, open countryside. But with a new chance at rediscovering this long-sidelined swirl of Jazz Age emptiness and romantic predation, its collaborators reputation as dedicatedly sophisticated interpreters of era-specific fiction ought to be further burnished.

Adjani plays Marya Zelli, a doe-eyed Parisian ex-chorus girl of West Indies heritage living in Bohemian bliss with her crafty Polish husband, Stephan (Higgins), who sells stolen objets dart. When Stephan is arrested and thrown in jail, the centime-less, abandoned Marya becomes an objet dart herself to a married pair of wealthy British expats: H.J. Heidler (Bates), a dominating figure who fancies himself an arts supporter with an eye for up-and-comers, and his wife, Lois (Smith), who paints, pouts and manages her husbands whims, one of whom, we quickly realize, is Marya.

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After the Heidlers persuade Marya to move into their spare bedroom, H.J. persists in starting a sexual, controlling relationship with their vulnerable guest, while Lois unsettlingly abides in what increasingly appears to be their latest stab at staving off social malaise via sadomasochistic couples therapy. Even after Marya catches on to what these bored vampires are up to  a situation believed to have been autobiographically based on Rhys own fraught affair as a young, down-and-out writer with married author-mentor Ford Madox Ford  shes hardly equipped to deal with her own feelings for both her husband and H.J., nor the ramifications of her tryst when Stefan re-enters the picture. Then theres the small problem of what H.J.s penchant for waifs in little girl frocks led to the last time he indulged and discarded: his conquests most unpleasant suicide.

Ivory, like an entertaining party host, fills cinematographer Pierre Lhommes lamp-lit interiors with period cosplayers of all sexualities, energies and temperaments (Judy Moorcrofts wardrobes and Jean-Jacques Caziots set designs are exquisite), and keeps the Art Deco air circulating with a refined yet sinister perfume to accompany Jhabvalas biting adaptation.

Not every performance is dialed in, but the performers themselves are a fascinatingly vinegary cocktail. Adjani is miscast but fragrantly so, because at heart shes alive to Maryas contradictions as victim and participant. (She won best actress at Cannes 38 years ago for Quartet.) Bates, admirably unconcerned with what youll think of him, tends to H.J.s toxic self-absorption like a man possessed, while Smith  only a few years out from her Oscar-winning portrayal of uxorial denial in California Suite  turns the less-sympathetic version of a performative wife into a small tour de force of gnarled suffering. Only Higgins remains unimpressive beyond the glowers he gives from behind bars during Maryas visits.

Whether the arc of Maryas fate feels overly engineered to you or not, Quartet retains its power to unsettle in its accumulation of cuts and bruises, the rare Merchant-Ivory-Jhabvala effort that mines a glamorized past not for nuanced dignity but for a kind of elegant, honest sordidness.

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Quartet

Rated: R

Running time: 1 hour, 41 minutes

Playing: Starts May 17, Laemmle Royal, West Los Angeles

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Growing up in Mumbai, filmmaker Ritesh Batra was struck by the number of Bollywood films that had rich girl-meets-poor boy as a central conceit.

They would fall in love for no good reason, said Batra. There was a new version of that movie every month. Recently, I started thinking, What if there was a way to do that that was real and organic, and you believe that two lives are crossing paths and finding corners of each others hearts that they wouldnt have found if they hadnt met each other? 

The answer to that question is Photograph, Batras Hindi-language follow-up to his acclaimed 2013 film, The Lunchbox, his debut feature which collected a slew of awards on the festival circuit, became one of Indias highest grossing films overseas and a U.S. box-office hit in 2014. In that film, an alliance is formed between a lonely widower and a neglected housewife through a misdirected lunchbox delivery.

After The Lunchbox, Batra went on to direct the adaptations The Sense of an Ending, a mystery-drama starring Jim Broadbent and Charlotte Rampling, and Our Souls at Night, a romantic drama with Robert Redford and Jane Fonda.

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But then Batra started to feel a longing to return to his roots.

I was eager to get back to my own writing, and to directing my own writing, the New York-based filmmaker said recently over lunch at a Mid-Wilshire hotel. When youre working with your own writing, youre more intimately familiar with it. You can feel it in your bones. Its easier to direct.

Photograph, an Amazon Studios production opening May 17 in limited release, returns to the crowded streets of Mumbai where two people  whose lives would otherwise never intersect  find one another. Rafi (Nawazuddin Siddiqui, also in The Lunchbox) shares a slum dwelling with several other men and works as one of the hundreds of street photographers at the imposing Gateway of India. Passing by one day is Miloni (Sanya Malhotra), an accounting student who is the pride of her middle-class family, expected to graduate at the top of her class, find a husband and establish a respectable career. Rafi sells Miloni on the idea of snapping a quick pic. (Years from now, when you look at this photo, youll feel the sun on your face. Heres today in a photograph, he eloquently touts to passersby.)

Sanya Malhotra, left, and Nawazuddin Siddiqui in the movie Photograph. (Joe DSouza / Amazon Studios)

When Rafis grandmother (Farrukh Jaffar) continues pestering Rafi to find a wife, he sends her the photo of Miloni, claiming her to be his betrothed, in the hopes of silencing her. Instead, the elderly woman unexpectedly boards a train from her faraway village to meet Rafis intended  and somehow, a relationship is born.

It seemed like a nice way to get them together without being heavy-handed about it, said Batra of Rafi and Miloni. Their paths would never have crossed. Their only conversation would be, How much is it? and Heres the change, and that would have been the end of the interaction.

In casting Miloni, Batra said he was seeking someone who could portray a young woman who doesnt get to make her own decisions. Someone is always talking for her. She didnt need a whole lot of lines. She had a lot going on inside, and we can see that her mind is always working.

I instantly felt a connection with Miloni, said Malhotra via email. There was a lot I could relate to. Shes reserved and introverted, Shes content living in her own world.

Batra, who wrote the last scene of Photograph first, relies on small details to tell a story without a lot of fussy dialogue; a pair of antique silver anklets help unify a notion of the two different worlds Miloni finds herself straddling once Rafi enters her life. A friendship is quietly formed over tea at streetside chai stands, inside bustling sari markets and rundown movie theaters where rodents come with the territory.

I just want audiences  to feel and realize the simplistic beauty of the film, and how two people can be connected with each other without a tag or against conventional societal norms, said Malhotra.

Review: Charming Photograph subtly connects lonely hearts in Mumbai 

Producer Anish Savjani said he had wanted to work with Batra after witnessing the filmmakers subtle mode of storytelling in The Lunchbox.

That movie stayed with us for a while, said Savjani. We wanted to make sure a lot of the emotional scenes in The Lunchbox were carried over to Photograph. We like nuanced films with strong storytelling that doesnt hit you over the head. Its a universal story in a way and Mumbai is a central character in it.

Siddiqui hung out with Mumbai street photographers to prepare for the part, wanting to portray the fundamental insecurities of that livelihood.

They stand there throughout the day, regardless of the weather  it was very important to understand the change in their body language as the day passes by  to internalize their own crisis and insecurities. Rafi, he said, is not the most articulate of characters, and tries to express himself in other ways.

Despite the inherent challenges of shooting in India, Batra said returning after working on American movies was wonderful, especially to get the whole crew together again.. Photograph was financed through pre-sales, which Batra said gave him a great deal of freedom  even with the expectations that come with having a breakout success as a debut.

The work youve done before is a gift and it allows you to do your next work, he said. You cant look behind.

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To read David Granns 2009 New Yorker story Trial by Fire  about an arson case that sentenced a Texas father named Cameron Todd Willingham for the murder of his children  is to wonder how anybody gets a fair trial when the death penalty is in play. A blistering piece of magazine journalism that exposed us to the likely travesty of an innocent man having been executed in Texas in 2004, its the kind of story that in an earlier movie-of-the-week television era would have had a nation glued to its set, probably over two nights, for an adaptation engineered to outrage and make state executions, arson investigations, and the Texas justice system into water cooler topics the next day.

Sometimes it seems Ed Zwick, a director drawn to important topics but often hamstrung by the filmmaking part of movies, would have been better served by those golden days for social issue TV movies, when lack of artistry could be forgiven if the points made were forceful and well-acted enough. Zwicks film version of Trial by Fire, starring Jack OConnell as Willingham and Laura Dern as Elizabeth Gilbert, who fought for his life, is a case in point: Its an old-fashioned injustice barn burner with narrative and emotional beats so sturdy you can practically see the rivets. But on the big screen, its just not convulsive enough to stir us and instead feels trapped in a limbo of not quite awards-prestigious, but not exactly indie-fired.

What happened to Willingham, a poor, uneducated hellraiser, is truly an odyssey. In 1991, he was asleep in his ramshackle Corsicana, Texas, home when fire engulfed much of the house. Distraught, he made it outside, but his three young daughters died. A pair of arson investigators pieced a homicide story together from the crime scene, and with Willinghams violent reputation  including incidents of spousal abuse toward wife Stacy (a fine Emily Meade), even though she swore to her husbands fatherly devotion  secured his death sentence in 1992.

Willingham always professed his innocence, and in educating himself behind bars, found a pen pal in Houston playwright Elizabeth Gilbert (Dern), a single mother with two children. Their connection spurred her to examine his case, and the shocking injustice she discovered  a bad defense, shady prosecution tactics and faulty science  convinced her and some like-minded advocates that a new trial was warranted.

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Oscar-winning Precious screenwriter Geoffrey Fletchers script  adapted from both Granns article and Willinghams real letters to Gilbert  is dutiful to the storys facts in a way that draws out whats naturally compelling, namely the prejudgment that doomed Willingham, and the friendship he nurtured thats the reason we know his case today. The investigatory elements tend toward the race-against-time schematic, and certain lines are flinch-worthy, but the drama is certainly pre-loaded to anger us. The fiercely expressive Dern and the more colorfully explosive but still effective OConnell  working his accent with extra drawl sauce  make the most of their scenes together, yet also the moments apart in which each clearly feels the others humanity spurring them toward a hopeful outcome. OConnell, in particular, does a fine job never letting us forget that even inside a newly philosophical, reformed bad boy is still someone haunted, scared and mad.

Its just too bad Zwick  our generations Stanley Kramer, righteously well-meaning to a fault  isnt confident enough to trust his actors solely. At times, he knows the value of leaving well enough alone, but elsewhere, hell add music when its not welcome, edit choppily, and experiment with dream imagery and montage gimmicks to eye-rolling effect. The story and advocacy is still strong enough that the closing scenes, even if theyre not Dead Man Walking, carry a why-is-this-happening punch, but its hard not to feel that even at a little over two hours, theres a rushed, assembly-line quality to how Trial by Fire wants to work our emotions.

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Trial by Fire

Rated: R, for language throughout, some violence, disturbing images, sexual material and brief nudity

Running time: 2 hours, 7 minutes

Playing: Starts Friday, The Landmark, West Los Angeles

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Heres how deep Kim Irvines connections are to Disneyland: About three years before she started working for Walt Disney Imagineering, the creative arm of the company responsible for theme park experiences, the then-15-year-old simply wanted her mother to stop embarrassing her.

Goblins and ghoulies from last Halloween, Irvine says today, mimicking her mother and raising her voice as she leans forward in her chair in her Anaheim office.



For the record: An earlier version of this article stated that Kim Irvine began work in Floridas model shop. While she was working on Floridas Walt Disney World, she started at the Imagineering model shop in Glendale.

To many of Disneylands estimated 19 million or so annual visitors, these words are instantly recognizable as those of Madame Leota. Its her disembodied head that floats in a crystal ball in the Haunted Mansions seance room, and its Madame Leota who sends visitors on their way with an eerie hurrrry baaaack as they exit the attraction.

Of course, Madame Leota, as devoted Disneyland fans know, is actually Leota Toombs, one of the first women to work for Imagineering, then known as WED Enterprises (for Walter Elias Disney). She is also Irvines mother. And on this day in the mid-60s, Irvine wanted Mom to shush.

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To be fair, Toombs did warn her daughter.

She said, I have three days now to learn this thing. Im going to have to recite it, and theyre going to tie my head back so I dont move. I have to do it with my eyes. I really have to practice this, Irvine says. I was like, OK, Mom.

I went out with my friends and we came home, and then from downstairs theres Goblins! Ghoulies! My friends were like, What is up with your mom?

Disneyland isnt just Irvines job; its a part of the 67-year-olds family.

Toombs died in 1991, but her image and voice remain in the Mansion today. And when the park introduced a seasonal Nightmare Before Christmas holiday makeover for the ride, Irvine found herself taking the role as the face of Madame Leota.

For the last four decades, Irvine  art director at Walt Disney Imagineering  has led a team in Anaheim responsible for maintaining the look, tone and feel of Disneys original park, which at the end of this month will open whats billed as the largest expansion in its history, a single 14-acre land dedicated solely to Star Wars.

As Disneyland readies itself for its future, Irvine stands as a connection to the parks beginnings. Her mission: to ensure that the company doesnt forget its past; thats evident in her current, and arguably most personal project: to repair and refurbish Disneylands centerpiece, Sleeping Beauty Castle.

During a year in which the Millennium Falcon will most likely become Disneylands most photographed attraction, Irvine set out to make the castle bolder and more colorful, as if to say, Dont forget your roots. While Galaxys Edge will emphasize realism, with every staffer adopting a role in the land to give it a lived-in feel, Irvine describes her castle refresh as if she were putting a punctuation mark on Disneylands mission statement  to enter the worlds of yesterday, tomorrow and fantasy.

When people come to Disneyland, they want it to be more fantastical, she says, repeating a lesson passed down to her from John Hench, one of the parks original designers, who would routinely tell Irvine to push the color.

They want us to do things and use things that you wouldnt see when youre walking down the main street of your town, she says. This has got to be sweeter and more fantasy. So I keep that in mind. Im not afraid of color at all. Ninety-nine percent of people are really afraid to use color in their decorating, or even buying a car  its black or white. It doesnt scare me to do this.

Some new flourishes, such as nightlight-like stars on the front roof of the castle, are already generating a debate; after a pause, she says, I am afraid of the reaction people are going to have.

Irvines role requires a certain fearlessness. Even a seemingly mundane assignment  spending the better part of the last few months overseeing a project to widen paths and create more breathing room for the crush of crowds expected for Galaxys Edge  can be fraught when one considers that the Disneyland fan base can react to the removal of a bench as if Sleeping Beauty Castle had been replaced by Avengers Tower.

Walt Disney and his grandson Christopher Disney Miller relax near Sleeping Beauty Castle in the 1950s. (Gene Lester / Getty Images)

Irvine would know. Fans once called for her firing after Disney characters were added to Its a Small World, an event thats still traumatic for her to talk about. After all, one of Irvines first Imagineering jobs was working with Small Worlds principal designer, Mary Blair, someone she considers an idol, on the Walt Disney World version of the attraction.

Horrible, she says of that period of her career. Horrible. I go through it a lot. You know, we have a fan base that is so vocal about what they think is right or wrong for their heart, and Ive been putting up with that for my entire career down here, which is almost 45 years.

She laughs and adds, So Im getting used to it.

Yet while Irvine has no control over the biggest gripes leveled at the park  its too expensive and too crowded  one could argue that shes partly responsible for making Disneyland as appealing as it is.

In 1979, when Irvine  under the direction of Hench  sought to open the first Imagineering office in Anaheim, the park was lucky, she says, to attract 35,000 people in a day. It was, she adds, kind of neglected, as Imagineering and corporate interests had spent the previous decade focusing on the creation of Floridas Walt Disney World.

She wasnt asked to do that, retired Imagineer and legendary Disney artist Rolly Crump says of Irvines Anaheim outpost. She just went and did it.

Today, park attendance of 65,000 is a normal day, Irvine says.

Getting to her place of prominence in Imagineering wasnt always easy. It was all men, Irvine says of the team at Disneyland in the late 1970s. Quite frankly, there wasnt a single woman, unless it was an assistant. And they were used to working on their own. They were used to having WED busy doing other things. They could kind of do their own thing. So it was like, Who is this WED person down here telling us what to do? And shes a girl?

Shortly after settling in Anaheim, Irvine worked with her Imagineering peers in Glendale to revamp Fantasyland and update Main Street, U.S.A. Since her arrival, no matter where the project originated, if its in Disneyland, Irvine has likely been involved in some fashion.

She has stewarded the park through the re-introduction of Abraham Lincoln and the arrival of Star Wars and Indiana Jones properties. Last year, she moved a river to accommodate Galaxys Edge.

Sleeping Beauty Castle will be fully revealed as soon as this weekend, days before the opening of Galaxys Edge. This is Irvines sixth castle refurbishment, but theres no mistaking that this is the most important.

Irvine is emphasizing bright pink and darker blues  an illustration of Sleeping Beauty artist Eyvind Earle sprung to life, and a way to make the original designs of Herb Ryman pop. Its a luminous and animation-friendly color palate, designed to more overtly look like something out of a storybook. Its Irvines statement piece  a re-iteration that Disneyland must remain a place where fairy tales can flourish.

While Irvine can talk at length about which brick needs to be which color and why to maintain the castles illusion of height, she also wants the tops of its towers to match the cobalt blue currently seen in the animated intro that precedes all Disney films.

It started out [that] the castle was very, very tan and beige, says Irvine. John Hench often walked by it and he would say, Weve got to fix that color scheme. An architect did that color scheme. It should be so much more, you know, colorful and bright.

She says the castle has been keeping her up at night, largely because she wont fully know what it looks like  and how it works up and down Main Street  until the scrims come off. Her coworkers arent concerned.

The castle now looks like Kim to me, says Michael Dobrzycki, who works with Irvine on the art direction of the park. Most guests will enjoy this version of the castle without realizing that they are seeing the work of a world-class color stylist at the top of her game.

Kim Irvine is arguably the person most responsible for maintaining the look and feel of Disneyland. Irvine takes an early morning stroll through New Orleans Square, next to the Rivers of America before the park opens on April 25. (Mark Boster / For The Times)

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Irvine has been in her current office, about 2 miles from Disneyland, for three years. Previously, Imagineers stationed in Anaheim were huddled in trailers near the Haunted Mansion.

Though Irvine isnt ready to retire yet, she knows the day isnt far off. She repeatedly says her primary job today is mentoring her team, sharing the tribal knowledge passed down from her mother; Hench; her father, Disney animator Harvey Toombs; and her onetime father-in-law, Richard Irvine, who led Imagineering after Walt Disneys death in 1966.

Its not enough, Kim Irvine says, to know what kind of tree sits somewhere in the park; she wants her Imagineers to know every trees history  that one was moved from downtown L.A. to make way for the freeway, she says by way of hypothetical example.

I just love this park. I really do, she says, adding that she routinely rebuffed requests from the late Imagineering chief Marty Sklar to help open one of Disneys international parks. I go over there early in the morning to walk around quite a bit before the crowds come in, and I just look around, and I think its going to be so hard to leave this job. Its going to be like moving away from home for the first time.

Irvines office has the feel of a Disney library  if theres an out-of-print book fans covet, its likely there. Scattered about are random knickknacks  the standard Disney and Mickey Mouse statues  but also bits of forgotten history.

Tucked almost under and behind a couch is an oddly sculpted statue of a cat, one with a slightly deformed face and elongated features. It was something she swiped from Imagineerings original model shop, where, over the years, numerous Imagineers had gradually turned a friendly feline into something borderline creepy.

Things are more spacious in Imagineerings current digs, which sit above Disneys cast members-only outlet store. But one gets the sense that Irvine would prefer the trailers. It reminds her of when she started at the model shop, where every sculptor, costumer or designer did a bit of everything. It was an era when, as with any corporate art form before it became a billion-dollar industry, theme-park design was an apprenticeship rather than a carefully honed craft taught in universities.

It was there, in Glendales gymnasium-like model shop in 1971, that Irvine, who never went to college, came into contact with Crump, Blair, master sculptor Blaine Gibson, ace stylist Marc Davis and more. People wore a lot of hats, Irvine says. You could sculpt with Blaine one day, and then you would build a model the next day, and the next day you would feather Tiki birds. You were never pigeonholed.

Although she was nervous that other Imagineers would believe shed gotten the job because of family connections, she immediately created fans. She was over there with her mom and the other kids in the model shop, recalls Crump, who was integral in designing the Enchanted Tiki Room and Its a Small World. Thats when I first met her. She was a Disney person. A lot of the other kids came in to do a job.

Asked to define a Disney person, Crump admits it can be a bit abstract. But then he describes how Irvine in 2008 and 2009 was tasked with updating scenes to Its a Small World, including the addition of multiple characters from Disneys animated films.

Kimmy called me and said, Rolly, Im concerned about having things other than Small World characters in there, recalls Crump, who as the rides principle designer created the famed kooky clock and facade. She invited me to come down to tell her what I think. I was pleasantly surprised. I didnt expect it to be done so softly. It was handled beautifully. If youre going to make a change, then do a good job. The flavor is the same.

Kim Irvine on Its a Small World in 2009, which at the time was the subject of fan backlash for the addition of Disney characters. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Knowing that Disneyland would always need tweaks and updates, and yet wanting the park to maintain a certain patina, is what inspired Irvine to open the Disneyland-based Imagineering office. In the late 70s, Irvine says, decisions were made with little regard for the theatrics that Imagineering had once dreamed up.

Because Imagineering was concentrating so much on other parks, their firstborn was getting kind of neglected, Irvine says. And it was much more maintenance-minded than it was show-minded at that time.

The lighting in the park had gone just so south. It was so carefully designed with the right color lights and the right temperature and everything, and the electrician would basically run around with a bunch of lamps he had thrown in the back of the car. Whatever he had, he would screw into whatever was burned down. It lost its stories.

The Irvine touch is sometimes invisible to guests. Traditionally, I had selected plants based on where they were from in the world, but Kim taught me to also use plants for how they make you feel, says longtime Disneyland landscape architect Julie Bush. She cites the compass in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle as a subtle but vital piece of Irvines work.

About two decades ago, much of the pebbled asphalt in front of the castle needed to be replaced. It was rough on the wheels of strollers and became a giant slip-zone when it rained. Here again, Irvine opted to push the color, using muted blues and pinks to make the compass more noticeable and to bring a fairy tale nature to the new concrete.

Our castle compass is my favorite Kim design, Bush says. It was a very difficult design to build, with detailed brass lettering in colored concrete.

Irvine knows that some Disneyland die-hards will bemoan the widening of the walkways to make room for Galaxys Edge  while trees have been moved, none have been removed, Irvine stresses, wanting to assuage any concerns that there will be less shade in the park.

She also never stops thinking of ways to use these large-scale projects to enhance the park or bring back something that has been lost, be it seating and dining in an underused area of Adventureland, returning original narration to Pirates of the Caribbean or lessening the blow of a shortened Rivers of America by creating a lush landscape full of waterfalls, a goal since she and others lost the battle to save the waterfall associated with the Mine Train Through Natures Wonderland, an early Frontierland attraction.

I think Disneyland is so perfect, Irvine says. Its not just the fans. Its me too who says, I really dont want to change that.

One of the last major makeovers of Sleeping Beauty Castle came in 2015 for the parks 60th anniversary. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

She appears relieved, for instance, when casually mentioning that requests over the decades to make Sleeping Beauty Castle larger were deemed impossible without irrevocably damaging its structure. And when asked whether theres anything shes touched that hasnt been mentioned, instead of singling out a project or highlighting a fellow Imagineer, she stops to offer an apology.

In 2014, Irvine was tasked with expanding and remodeling the costly members-only Club 33; as part of that change, a quiet, serene and elegantly designed alcove in New Orleans Square, the Court of Angels, was closed off to regular guests. It was a move viewed by regulars as Disney catering to big spenders, forgetting that ordinary parkgoers need a place to sit and relax  or even propose  away from nosy, cheering crowds.

Theres always been a part of me that felt badly about taking anything away, Irvine says. Taking away that Angels courtyard from our guests was really hard. It was a decision that was made, and I just had to try and make the best of it with the design of the doors and everything. That is something we try to never, ever do  to take a place that was theirs and turn it into something that they can no longer go to.

Irvine is still working on a compromise. Though not ready to discuss it yet, she says, were working on something right now.

Its a further sign that her goal of making sure Disney never loses sight of where its been wont be finished when the tarps come off the castle.

If Im at the table, Irvine says of business decisions that dont feel right to her, she believes she can find a middle ground by reasoning. I understand what youre trying to get, but that that doesnt fit in our story. We have to stay within the original intent. That was always [Henchs] mantra. You can change things, update things, make them more relevant, but always with the original intent.

Dont forget those stories. Those are all laid out for you. Its so simple, really.

Todd.Martens@latimes.com

Follow me on Twitter: @toddmartens
Adaptation is interpretation, and interpretation by definition generates disagreement; no matter how well-supported the reasoning, I may never understand just why it is you chose to portray Oliver Twist as an 80-year-old woman or have Hamlet deliver his speeches backwards.

Nespresso spokesperson George Clooney, properly back on the small screen after a couple of decades, and his producing partner Grant Heslov, have turned Joseph Hellers 1961 satirical World War II novel Catch-22" into a six-part miniseries, debuting Friday on Hulu. Produced and partially directed by Clooney and Heslov along with Ellen Kuras, and written by Luke Davies (Lion) and David Michod (the Australian film Animal Kingdom), it departs substantially from its print original.

Sometimes, this is for the practical reasons that any translation of a sprawling, densely populated book demands. But it also differs in spirit: If a friendlier, more dramatically and morally conventional Catch-22, with a more relatable central character  the bombardier Yossarian (a solid Christopher Abbott), who only wants to get out alive, in the face of the Germans shooting at him from below and the superior officers oppressing him from above  is what you desire, this is it. Such a thing is, admittedly, not on my wish list, nor does this adaptation convince me it should have been.

Granted, Catch-22 is as difficult to put onscreen, in its way, as James Joyces Ulysses, since so much depends on language, and the illogical logical tricks you can play with it. (He did not hate his mother and father, even though they had both been very good to him is a typical Heller twist of thought.) There is a character in the book named Major   de Coverley who in the TV adaption (where hes played by Hugh Laurie) loses his redacted first names. A plane that disappears into a cloud, permanently, in the book, is just another casualty here.

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ALSO: Why Joseph Hellers Catch-22 is a relevant antiwar satire in the age of Trump 

Mike Nichols, with Alan Arkin as his Yossarian, took a starry, big-screen crack at it in 1970  less than a decade after the novels publication, and at a time when its themes jibed with the Vietnam anti-war movement  and was not successful, though his film does a better job than the present series at catching the books tonal shifts, from absurdist comedy to bleak poetry. There was also an unsold 1973 TV pilot, currently available online, featuring Richard Dreyfuss, clearly made under the influence of MASH, which, of course, had been made under the influence of Catch-22.

Daniel David Stewart, left, Kyle Chandler, right, and two young costars in Catch-22. (Philipe Antonello / Hulu)

Here, Davies and Michod have taken the novels curlicue structure, which jumps around in time on the hinge of a stray thought, and straightened it out into a conventional chronology. This is sensible enough, though viewers have proved pretty adept at dealing with the flashbacks and flash forwards, not to say parallel realities and multi-level dream states, which more than a few modern television series employ.

The idea seems to have been to render a fairly realistic, even sentimental version of the books narrative highlights, with occasional brief forays into its Marx Brothers absurdities. There are some admirable things in the series, some of which reflect the source material, and some of which work on their own terms, but generally speaking, the better you know the book, the more likely you are to yell at the screen, in the later episodes especially. Where it strikes off on its own, whether in dialogue or wholly new scenes, it tends to get obvious and flat.

The book spends a lot of time in its peoples heads  all but a few of its chapters are named for a character  but, apart from Yossarian, the series hangs around on the outside; most characters are barely developed. As a result, the fear and striving that characterize the shows superior officers  Clooneys parade-obsessed Lt. Scheisskopf (the name is a rude word in German) and Kyle Chandlers Col. Cathcart, who keeps raising his squadrons required number of missions  are only fitfully glimpsed. But each actor is at his best in scenes where his character is in the presence of someone who scares them. Their spittle-flecked ranting is less persuasive.

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For a contemporary reader, the novels great obstacle is its treatment of women, who exist mainly as sex objects, whether theyre nurses, WACs or prostitutes. Thats not to say all are devoid of dimension or agency  indeed, they can make the men look like dopes  but some of what the book treats lightly would be rightly recognized as sexual assault today. Still, apart from Tessa Ferrers Nurse Duckett, who becomes a bemused foil to the sometimes goldbricking Yossarian, the solution here, such as it is, has been not to round out Hellers models but just to push the female characters into the background, or eliminate them altogether. (This also has the perhaps intended effect of making the male characters come off better.) The woman known in the book only as Natelys whore gets a name here, and a certain tangential respectability  Nately (Austin Stowell) has practical plans to settle down with her  but she is also essentially an extra.

George Clooney, left, Christopher Abbott and Pico Alexander in Catch-22. (Philipe Antonello / Hulu)

The flight scenes are convincingly executed, with fleets of bombers navigating oceans of flak, and the dark drama of the pivotal scene focused on the wounded flyer Snowden (Harrison Osterfield) is well-handled. But the series is at its best when it most directly conveys the novels lunacy, the Whos on First? bureaucratic reasoning that finds full flower in Catch-22 itself, a rule for all seasons  and a term that people who have never read the book use regularly  whose most famous expression is that any flier who is crazy can be grounded, but only if he asks to be; yet asking only proves his sanity, and so he must continue to fly.

Similarly, there is Maj. Major Major Major (Lewis Pullman), who will never see anyone when hes in his office, though visitors can go right in when hes out. Above all, there are the scenes involving Milo Minderbinder (an excellent Daniel David Stewart), the war-profiteering mess officer, whose exploits are so fantastic that there is no way to reduce them to ordinary drama; the miniseries does well by him.

Inevitably, much is left out. Sadly, some of that saved screen time is given over to problematic elaborations and inventions. These include a trip with Milo to Oran, which puts Yossarian and his tentmate Orr (Graham Patrick Martin) into tuxedos, in which the former is called upon to impersonate an industrialist; an idyll in an Italian country town, in which a wounded, recovering Yossarian, dressed in farmers clothes, flirts with a farmers daughter; a scene in which Clooneys Scheisskopf examines Yossarians testicles in order to assess his claims of injury; and an ending markedly different from Hellers, which you will just have to see when, and if, you get there.

----

Catch-22

Where: Hulu

When: Begins streaming Friday

Rated: TV-MA

robert.lloyd@latimes.com

Follow Robert Lloyd on Twitter @LATimesTVLloyd
As Americas dining culture has emerged and continuously evolved over the last half-century, so too has its notions around food criticism. One endless debate trails restaurant reviews: Do star ratings have any real worth? Our restaurant critics Patricia Escarcega and Bill Addison weigh the pros and cons of assigning stars during this golden age of Los Angeles dining.

Against stars  Patricia Escarcega

At the beginning of our tenure, Bill and I took up the question of whether to reintroduce star ratings to the dining section. Bill leaned toward reinstituting them; I wanted to leave them in the dustbin. Our predecessor, Jonathan Gold, did away with starred reviews in 2012. Ive many reasons to be grateful Gold, a man I never met in life, but whose legacy I reckon with every time I sit down to write a review. Gold was not just a great critic, but also one of our best contemporary American prose stylists, and he used his gifts in service of charting the beauty and richness of Los Angeles. He shaped and enriched my understanding of Los Angeles food and culture more than any other writer I can name.

Im particularly grateful to Gold for helping dismantle the star system from the L.A. Times Food section. The thing I feel most deeply in my bones is that stars reinforce a framework of thinking about food and dining that is systematically faulty and wrongfully weighted toward fine dining. You are no doubt familiar with the complaints lobbed at the most famous star rating system in the gastronomical universe, the 100-plus-year-old Michelin Guide: Its too Eurocentric. It overemphasizes formality and presentation, attributes that favor fine dining. Its fleet of super-secret restaurant inspectors, dispatched only to a handful of countries and cities around the globe, offer a painfully small window into the wide world of eating. Michelin has helped cement stars in the public consciousness as totems of haute cuisine and luxury.

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Stars are especially incompatible with a city such as Los Angeles, which derives much of its identity and strength from the astonishing diversity of the people who live and eat here. For a star system to work meaningfully, we must define what we mean by a four-star restaurant.

So what does a four-star restaurant look like in L.A. right now? Is it the genre-defying food truck? The modest-looking strip mall gem? The swanky Beverly Hills spot that ties off your leftovers with a silken bow? Stars cant contain this breadth.

I will concede that stars can steer a meaningful conversation about the current food and dining landscape. (Remember Pete Wells famous revision of Per Ses star rating in the New York Times? Remember the lively conversation that ensued? Of course you remember.)

(Nelson Wu / For The Times)

The most compelling argument Ive heard in favor of stars is that they are servicey. They offer a quick snapshot of a restaurants standing for time-strapped readers. The flipside, of course, is that they compromise the nuances of a review, reducing whatever complexity it contains to a few pointy symbols on the page. I dont think its a coincidence that the only restaurant critic to be awarded a Pulitzer Prize is one who penned unstarred reviews. Golds reviews allowed  maybe even forced  readers to engage with his sentences and, by extension, his insights, and the context he considered restaurants in.

In the end, Im not convinced that even the highest star rating is useful to readers or restaurants. A low or high star rating can pigeonhole a kitchen in unhealthy ways. A colleague told me a story recently about a five-star restaurant that lost its high rating, but continued to advertise itself as a five-star restaurant far beyond the ratings shelf life. A star rating can be turned into a disreputable marketing tool. Conversely, a low rating can stymie a young restaurant on the verge of finding its sea legs.

Restaurants are closer to living organisms than static things. Trying to measure a restaurant in stars is like trying to quantify the value of a summer breeze, or a kiss, or any other (hopefully) pleasant, ephemeral experience you can think of. In the end, it is beyond measurement.

In favor of stars  Bill Addison

All the negatives commonly laid out about star ratings in restaurant criticism are correct. Stars are reductive. Their quantitative smallness is one-dimensional and arrogant and infuriating. It can be maddening to parse a critics logic around star rankings from week to week. With their origins in Andre and Edouard Michelins guidebooks, established in France in the 1920s, stars carry the whiff of old-guard patriarchy. They reek of exclusivity at a time when dining in America has never been more egalitarian. In Los Angeles, taco trucks and sushi bars and modern American temples stand in equal respect; a century-old rating system cant express or encompass the citys dynamic multitudes.

Does that mean thoughtful restaurant critics should abolish any notion of a star system altogether? Im not yet convinced.

Stars circle our heads whether we want them there or not. We cant avoid them. Sites like Yelp, OpenTable and TripAdvisor encourage users to assign stars, no matter the ambitions or affordability of the restaurant. Who says professional critics are beholden to assigning stars mired in anachronistic notions about dining? What if critics doled them out based on how they feel a business succeeds  within the strictures of its own ambitions and the larger context of the restaurant ecosystem  no matter what type of food it serves, or in what tier of modesty or fanciness the place exists?

As a case study, Im thinking of two restaurants Ive reviewed since recently arriving at The Times: Carnitas El Momo, a predominantly food-truck operation that makes the finest carnitas in Los Angeles, and Hayato, a seven-seat sanctuary that serves $200-per-person multi-course dinners inspired by Japanese kaiseki traditions. Ive been a restaurant critic for 17 years; I assigned stars as part of my job for a dozen of those years, and I preferred a five-star rating system. Zero stars equaled a poor rating, and a full five signaled a truly extraordinary experience.

(Nelson Wu / For The Times)

If we worked within those parameters at The Times, Id likely have given Carnitas El Momo five stars. Beyond a friendly staffer taking your order through a truck window, El Momo has almost no service aspect to it; there may or may not be a folding table set up for customers. But that exquisitely rendered and seasoned pork? It is magnificent time and again. In the context of carnitas within L.A.s universe of Mexican restaurants, these are, to the best of my knowledge, the ultimate.

Hayato serves the most exhilarating, mind-expanding tasting menu Ive experienced so far in Los Angeles. Id be tempted to hand the restaurant five stars, yet its only a year old; I might have held off to see if chef-owner Brandon Hayato Go would hone his talents and push his singular mix of modern and traditional influences even further in the next year. Id probably have given Hayato four out of five stars, a rating Id consider excellent.

Would those rankings make sense to readers? Certainly, assigning stars would have made me think harder in the actual review about aligning my words with the line of symbols. But offering both a star rating and a deeply considered critique could be of benefit  if only because the two-pronged approach might spark additional conversation.

Hayato chef-owner Brandon Go near his restaurant in Row DTLA. (Mariah Tauger / Los Angeles Times)

I want you all to read these reviews into which I pour my whole self weekly. The job is, admittedly, less stressful since Times editors squashed my idea of reinstating a starred rating system. But  can I be this blunt?  I hope people really are reading, rather than simply looking elsewhere for quick-hit takeaways. This is an age in which media with the staff, the budget and the integrity to run restaurant reviews keep dwindling. Food criticism is also, much belatedly, addressing complex facets of our culture (race, appropriation, gender, class) like never before.

In a moment of evolution, newspaper critics risk being left out of some restaurant discussions altogether. There is not a single daily or weekly publication in Southern California, nor in the Bay Area, currently publishing starred restaurant reviews. Which brings the debate back to Michelin: The tire company comes out with a guide covering the entire state on June 3. There will be stars. People will be talking. Local critics coverage will be entirely reactionary; weve ceded ownership about which restaurants earn how many stars to interlopers.

Maybe thats OK. Maybe new levels of nuanced criticism will make our voices more relevant than ever. Maybe stars are done. But also, before we chuck the spiky icons altogether, a new generation of California critics could employ these same instincts for storytelling and inclusivity and take a swing at re-imagining an entrenched, flawed, exasperating, but universally recognized system. It might be useful for our readers and for us. If critics can rethink what a review is, we can rethink what a rating system is too.
TONOPAH, Nev.  Im toeing the abyss, and the very edge of civilization, here in Nevada, on an adventure that reminds me why I adore a good road trip  the endless possibilities, the greasy grub that sometimes tastes like pavement, the last slice of steamy-warm Americana.

Get your Americana while you can, folks. Like vintage vinyl, it will soon be available only at select sites.

I love waking up to a sunrise over a new place. Here in Tonopah, an old mining camp, the morning looks as if its been filtered through a vase of roses. The place just glows. If I were a cinematographer  into light, into burnished Western landscapes  this is where Id retire. The land is folklore.

Whats Tonopah mean? I ask the desk clerk.

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Turns out its an old Indian term for no credit card purchases under 5 bucks.

She was a sly one, this desk clerk. Reminded me of my mom: leprechaun eyes and a healthy dose of I-really-dont-care-what-you-think.

When I asked whether a nearby lithium mine was still humming, the clerk said yes and acknowledged that I would have an interest in lithium, since she noticed my electric car.

I hate when rural grandmas are more together than I am. Then again, who isnt?

If you ever visit, note that men wear their whiskers low here in Nevada, like window shades, so you cant tell if theyre smirking or asleep. Sir, is that a mustache or a squirrel?

Out here, even the smiles seem made of chafed denim.

Know what makes me nervous? Well, everything, but especially rural motel rooms in wide-open spaces, far from the criminal justice system. Ive seen enough Clint Eastwood movies to know rural outposts attract outcasts with nothing to lose.

Seen a lot of Hitchcock too. Hitch loved the contrast of harsh sun and dark minds. The way Picasso worked in oils, thats how Hitchcock worked in lonesome roadside lodging.

In places like this, I never know whether to leave a light on. Is it better to have total darkness when the psycho tries to smother me in my sleep? Would total darkness be to my advantage, as it was for Audrey Hepburn, the wily blind butterfly in the brilliant Wait Until Dark? (Not Hitchcock, but the filmmakers used the same passel of paints.)

In an unfamiliar motel room, Im a cat in a dark cemetery. All I can see are the devil eyes of the blinking digital clock.

2:14 a.m. 2:14 a.m. 2:14 a.m.

So I confess that I sometimes leave the bathroom light on in places like this. Inevitably there is a ventilating fan that catches just enough of its plastic casing so that it sounds like a chain saw.

The good news: The chain saw drowns out the apparent orgy occurring next door. Or maybe its a book club. Same screams, giddiness and sense of purpose.

See why I like road trips?

I like the way the mind wanders to fresh places. I like the rascally waitresses who call you sport. I like the fry cook who barely winces when the bacon spits him in the eye

I like the Anglo mini-mart clerk with the green Mohawk. Indian country, remember?

Listen, shouldnt we all soak up a little Americana while we still can?

No would be an acceptable answer. Yes is even better.

Love the mileage signs (Las Vegas, 310), the sludgy coffee, and the sign on the office door that reads: Im out of estrogen. But I have a gun.

Ill share a theory: Every great song has some little hook, some hummable couplet, some flourish that elevates that song above others.

So it is with road trips; there is always some little melodic flourish you have never heard or seen before, which is the essence of wanderlust, my favorite word (not to mention the best of all lusts).

The lovely and patient older daughter has it too, a taste for new horizons. She and her boy toy, Finn, just returned from three weeks in Asia, where they took Vespa food tours, mingled with tigers, stayed in leggy hotels built right over the water.

Good morning, Vietnam!

Today, were taking a boat trip through the Mekong Delta, she texted one morning.

How strange does that sound? The Mekong Delta? Really, sweetie? To Americans of a certain age, that just seems too soon.

But hey, times change. Places too, which is why no two journeys are ever the same.

Summer beckons and we all need to get out a little, to lock eyes with new eyes and rely on the wisdom of old desk clerks.

Its coming soon, summer is. In fact, its just over that next ridge.

More road trips: Sundays Travel section, devoted to road trips, has more on this adventure and other car rides across the great American West.

Chris.Erskine@latimes.com

Twitter: @erskinetimes
For many years, I made a sincere effort to understand the deeply held belief among some people that abortion is tantamount to murder.

I interviewed priests, ministers, philosophy professors, antiabortion activists of all ages and young adults who believe they are survivors of an abortion holocaust because they were born after 1973, the year the U.S. Supreme Court legalized abortion.

Nothing they ever told me swayed my opinion about the righteousness and importance of abortion access.

For a time, I embraced the Clinton-era slogan that abortion should be safe, legal and rare. But that came to seem like a defensive accommodation to the noisy, antiabortion right.

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Still, I struggled to conceive how there might be middle ground in this debate.

I am long past that.

When it comes to reproductive freedom, I now see, there is no middle ground.

You either believe women have the right to control their own bodies, or you dont.

The antiabortion movement has unleashed dark, regressive forces.

I listened to the (now disgraced) Fox News star Bill OReilly constantly refer to George Tiller, the Kansas abortion doctor, as Tiller the Killer, then feign shock when a religious nut murdered Tiller in the vestibule of his own church in 2009.

I was slack-jawed in 2012, when Republican presidential candidates seriously debated whether women should have access to birth control. Perhaps you have forgotten that Republican candidate Rick Santorum spoke of the dangers of contraception and said states should be free to ban birth control? I havent.

Or maybe you have put it out of your mind that in 2014, the Supreme Court ruled that employers religious beliefs should be able to determine what kind of health coverage their women employees are entitled to. I havent.

You have probably never heard of the civil rights activist Florynce Kennedy, who died at age 84 in 2000. She was a feminist attorney who, among other things, gave speeches with Gloria Steinem in the 1970s.

Kennedy used to repeat something she said she once heard from a female taxi driver in Boston: Honey, if men could get pregnant, abortion would be a sacrament.

I believe that pithy maxim is the most straightforward explanation for why we are still at war over our right to choose when and whether to have children.

Its about control. Control of womens sexuality. Control of womens lives.

And how can anyone who has been paying attention  to the sex scandals in the church, to the grotesque revelations of the #MeToo movement  not understand that men often believe they are entitled to dominion over the bodies of women and children?

Which brings us to Alabamas idiotic new abortion law.

Signed into law Wednesday night by Republican Gov. Kay Ivey, it is a shocking new low in the campaign against women by Christian conservatives. It bans abortions at all stages and criminalizes the procedure for doctors, who could be charged with felonies and sentenced to life terms in prison. It does not contain exceptions for women who become pregnant through rape or incest. It allows abortion only if the mothers life is at risk.

The blatantly unconstitutional law is a tactic to get the issue before the Supreme Court, which has refused to overturn Roe vs. Wade each time the matter has come before it. The court has allowed states to narrow abortion rights, for example, by requiring parental consent for minors or a waiting period. But it has never struck at the heart of Roe, which forbids states from outlawing abortion altogether.

Some conservatives have argued that the law is a gift to the reproductive rights movement, that it is so harsh and unrealistic it will backfire, catalyzing support for groups like Planned Parenthood, which has been the target of some of the most inane antiabortion efforts we have seen. I hope they are right.

The Alabama law is one of several antiabortion state measures approved after Brett M. Kavanaugh was confirmed last year to the Supreme Court, creating a rock-solid conservative majority of justices who have opposed abortion in some manner over their careers. I have zero faith in the assurances of Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, an abortion rights advocate who voted for Kavanaugh after saying he would never vote to overturn Roe vs. Wade.

If the Supreme Court does overturn Roe, it is likely to allow states to decide whether to outlaw abortion. This will allow red states to chip away at womens autonomy.

They will be able to make life hell for many women who will become pregnant by accident, or by rape or incest, and will not have the money or ability to travel to abortion-friendly states.

They will also make life hell for children whose mothers, as we all know, should not be having babies in the first place if they cannot afford them.

This is the irreconcilable hypocrisy at the heart of the antiabortion movement.

robin.abcarian@latimes.com

Twitter: @AbcarianLAT
He was a skinny teenager who weighed 112 pounds when he landed in Normandy, France on D-Day, June 6, 1944.

Over the next 11 months, enduring scorching sun and frigid cold, 18-year-old George Ciampa and his companions from the 607th Graves Registration Company were responsible for the dead.

They buried the bodies of German and American soldiers. If they were lucky, they were given gloves. Across five campaigns in France, Belgium and Germany, from the Normandy invasion through the Battle of the Bulge to the end of the war in Europe, Ciampa took stock of the fallen, recovered their personal items, put their bodies in mattress covers and buried them in temporary graves.

Eventually, a couple of weeks after the Normandy invasion, the toll of the work overcame him. He broke down.

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A lieutenant pulled out his .45 pistol and says, You get your ass back out there this second,  Ciampa recalled. We were not babied. There was a war going on, and it was going on every day.The unit gathered about 75,000 corpses.

It was very difficult to look at the faces, at the bodies. You kind of worked like a robot around them, Ciampa recalled. The stench clung to his clothes. His mouth was always dry from constantly spitting.

Seventy-five years after D-Day  code-named Operation Overlord  Ciampa and seven veterans will return to Normandy in June to commemorate the invasion that broke the Nazis hold on France and set the stage for Europes liberation.

Now 93 years old, Ciampa is making a documentary to keep alive the events of a war whose horrors and heroics are remembered by a dwindling number of veterans.

An evening edition of the Los Angeles Herald Express newspaper from May 1, 1945. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times)

Every year, there are fewer WWII veterans like Ciampa. Of the 16 million Americans who served, about 496,770 were alive in 2018, according to Veterans Affairs figures collected by the National WWII Museum. Every day, on average, 348 die. And every year, young people know less about the horrors of the Holocaust.

Last year, a study commissioned by the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany revealed that 66% of U.S. millennials didnt know what the Auschwitz concentration camp was. Four out of 10 believed 2 million or fewer Jewish people were killed during the Holocaust, when the actual number is about 6 million.

Its a historical disconnect that may have dire consequences. Hate crimes have spiked nationwide. Between 2014 and 2017, anti-Semitic attacks rose 54%, the FBI estimates.

A recent survey published by the Southern Poverty Law Center found that most incidents of hate and bias in schools are unreported and go without discipline.

Teenagers have documented themselves making Nazi salutes and posing with swastikas shaped out of red plastic cups. Last year, several Ojai middle school students lay on a field together to form the shape of a swastika.

Volker Benkert, an assistant professor of history at Arizona State University, called that behavior the ultimate publication for attention. As veterans, Holocaust survivors and perpetrators die, their stories will be relegated to cultural memory, he said, which have less impact than the lived experiences of individuals.

Sending Holocaust survivors, veterans and liberators to schools has been a game changer, and we will be robbed of that opportunity very soon, he said.

Its as Gordon Nick Mueller, president and CEO emeritus of the National WWII Museum, said: Every time a veteran dies, a library burns.

George Ciampa at 18 in St. Lo, France, in 1944. (Photo courtesy of George Ciampa)

Ciampa has made it his lifes mission to share the stories of the men and women who participated in World War II. He founded the nonprofit organization Let Freedom Ring (For All) in 2006 with the intention of reaching high school students to teach them about what he calls the high cost of freedom. Hes talked to thousands in the U.S., France and Belgium in the last decade.

He feels obligated to share his experiences, to explain to people what those words mean and how many 18-, 19- and 20-year-old men were killed. How many never got to have a girlfriend, get married or have children.

Theyre the reason he chose to make his sixth and last documentary, D-Day Veterans Return to Normandy  75 Years Later.

I gotta talk about the guys that gave their lives, the guys who came out of it badly wounded, Ciampa said he told himself.

Ciampa, a former Times display advertising salesman and special features manager, said people like him can do only so much.

Its up to the schools. Its up to the universities, he said. All I can do is talk to kids in schools.

Ciampa puts on a pair of German motorcycle goggles he brought back from the war. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times)

Ciampa, who was born in Boston, didnt talk about the war when he returned to the U.S. Not to his children. Not to his wife. The trauma was too deep, the horror too vivid. To this day, he still sees the faces of the dead.

It wasnt until 50 years after the Normandy invasion, during his first trip back since the war, that Ciampa was ready to recount to his family what he had witnessed, or to contact others he had fought alongside.

Coins from Germany and France, along with German artifacts at Ciampas house. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times)

When Ciampa returned to France, he walked alone for a while in a Normandy cemetery. Passing the white crosses and Stars of David, he wondered which graves bore the bodies of the men he recovered.

I wanted to forget the war. I just wanted to forget everything about it, Ciampa said.

But he remembers that first dayof the invasion in 1944 as if it were yesterday.

When we got there, there was four or five thousand ships. You could see ships all around you. We could hear the Germans shooting at us, hear the shelling above us from weapons called Screaming Mimis, he said. Overhead, they screeched before hitting ships. He remembers a tanker blowing up. Hundreds of shells loaded with explosives wailed above, day and night.

Fate, Ciampa said, is why he survived.

He returned to the U.S. on Jan. 13, 1946, and was discharged days later. With him he brought a rifle, three pistols, a German helmet and motorcycle goggles with shattered glass lenses. He also brought paratrooper knives, a bag of German money, a fragment of a shell that almost hit him. He keeps most of the items in a black storage trunk tucked in a closet in his Torrance home.

Inside the house, in his sons former bedroom, he keeps his more valued war possessions: appreciation certificates, honors, medals and awards, including the Meritorious Unit Commendation wreath, the Legion of Honour (Frances highest merit), and the Croix de Guerre, given by the French government to those who distinguished themselves by acts of heroism.

Some of the recognitions Ciampa received for his World War II service. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times)

These days, Ciampa and his wife divide their time between their Torrance and Palm Springs homes. Day and night, the tall veteran keeps busy preparing and raising the last $25,000 for his next trip to Normandy. After almost a century of life he walks with a shuffle, but his memory has not been dulled by the passage of time.

He wrote lyrics for a waltz that will be featured in the documentary. With a deep and steady voice, he sings:

When we were here in 44, it wasnt fun because it was war. Ships all around us, shelling above us, Oh Lord let us get to the shore. When we were here in Normandy, it was in France, the invasion was not planned by chance. Thousands would die here and many without fear. Oh Lord, let us win this damn war.

Twitter: @DoranyPineda90

dorany.pineda@latimes.com
Its hard to imagine how some people stave off loneliness in Los Angeles.

Nearly a third of the citys households consist of one person, according to the latest census numbers. They include young and old, rich and poor, and some particularly isolated modern city dwellers:

Those who work from home. Those who came here alone and now dart around L.A. in the gig economy, TaskRabbiting and delivering food for GrubHub.

RELATED: Introducing Nita Lelyveld, a new Times columnist writing about the way L.A. lives 

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If you earn a living in a place with a regular staff and schedules, its tempting to envy more free-form existences. But dont underestimate the value of spending time daily in the company of others who know your name, and speak to you, and would worry if you suddenly disappeared.

Research has shown that social isolation and its frequent companion, loneliness, can have health consequences so profound they can shorten our lives.

In L.A., people silently imploding from loneliness live among us  but we dont talk much about it. When it comes to connecting, this city of 4 million can be especially challenging given how spread out it is, and how bad traffic is, and how many people move around solo in cars, and how relatively little rubbing shoulders takes place.

People Walkers Chuck McCarthy, left, with Sam Pocker, an artist whose songs include Los Angeles Sucks and I Want to Die. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)

A few years ago, Chuck McCarthy started a business partly fueled by the human need to connect. But he didnt see that right away, just as he didnt realize the extent of his own isolation.

The affable art school graduate with a bushy beard and merry eyes mostly used to work on a laptop in a Hollywood coffee shop, trying to make ends meet by creating web GIFs and landing the occasional acting job.

At nearby tables, other people also stared at screens. Many wore noise-canceling headphones.

He talked so rarely in the course of a day that when he did, it often felt strange, as if he had a mouthful of marbles.

McCarthy and his girlfriend lived in a lower-rent part of Los Feliz he liked to call Less Feliz. They had each other, so they werent exactly lonely. But she worked at home, and the two didnt spend much time out and about.

Then they made a rule that if they wanted restaurant food, they had to walk to get it.

En route to chicken tikka masala on Vermont or pad see ew in Thai Town, McCarthy kept seeing signs for personal training and dog walking.

As a joke at first, he mashed them together: Why just dogs? Most humans could use a good walk too.

The more he thought about it, the more launching a business to walk people began to make a certain oddball sense.

Some surely might worry about safety while walking alone. Others might need motivation. There might be those who would rather walk with their friends but simply live too far away from them.

All this was true  but perhaps not the central truth.

Chuck McCarthys handmade signs drew attention to his burgeoning people-walking business. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)

The standard measure of human loneliness was developed here about 40 years ago. It scores people based on how they answer a series of questions that get at the extent to which they feel connected to, and disconnected from, others. The health insurer Cigna used a version of the UCLA Loneliness Scale last year when it surveyed more than 20,000 American adults. Nearly half said they sometimes or always felt alone or left out. The youngest  Generation Z  were the loneliest, followed closely by millennials. And only 53% of all those questioned said they had meaningful, in-person social interactions daily.

Scared to walk alone at night? Dont like walking alone at all? Dont want people to see you walking alone and assume you have no friends? Dont like listening to music or podcasts but cant walk alone in silence forced to face thoughts of the unknown future or your own insignificance in the ever expanding universe? So went McCarthys first tongue-in-cheek sales pitch as the People Walker.

He started walking around in a hand-drawn T-shirt that declared his new profession, peppering neighborhood utility poles with funny promos  some cut out of cardboard or old jeans.

What could be more L.A. than a People Walker?

The media began calling almost before the first walk was booked. Then a steady stream of college students, retirees, waitresses and actors asked if they could earn a little cash on the side by becoming people walkers too.

Now McCarthy has a business, which gets a cut of walkers fees. He has investors. He even has a tiny glass office to go to in a co-working space high above Burbank.

Chuck McCarthy at his Burbank office. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)

On the People Walker app, you indicate where you want to walk and when  and if walkers are nearby, you have the chance to pick and choose.

Perhaps you want Taj, who graduated from UCLA, where he majored in music and minored in LGBT studies. His parents are East Indian and Filipino. His other passion besides music is mindfulness.

Or maybe youd rather set out with Renata, an actress who would be happy to teach you Spanish. She loves improv, movies, food, hikes, coffee, desserts.

Endri, who says walks can be as therapeutic as a vacation at the beach, speaks Italian and Albanian and has a business degree. Esther is a Korean-speaking mental health therapist who loves cooking and cats.

McCarthy has learned that such descriptions are key, because the talk often is as important as the walk.

Weve gone into this era where people dont even like to call the people they know. Everybody wants to text, he said. Technology isnt just taking jobs. I think a lot of times what people are really paying for is to have someone listen and to feel heard and feel important.

You might have 5,000 friends on Facebook and then you go on and say, I had a terrible day, and no one responds. That 5,000 friends is your giant blanket but its not keeping you warm.

But can paying for conversation really do the trick? That may be hard for some people to stomach  or afford.

Ideally, you might seek social sustenance from a community or religious group or from people who share one of your hobbies. But if you know no one, finding someone to talk to one-on-one may seem daunting. And paying for the company of a person who has been vetted and background-checked may seem, if not ideal, at least worth the expense.

Sam Pocker, a darkly funny artist, works by himself at home. He writes songs and performs them on YouTube.

They wont make eye contact / For you can see their fear / Or even worse the dead look / That makes me wonder why Im here, go the lyrics of Los Angeles Sucks and I Want to Die.

When he spotted one of McCarthys fliers about a year ago, daily in-person moments were rare for him. He had just moved to L.A. from New York. His friends were back East. They still are.

Sam Pocker. center, first hired a people walker out of morbid curiosity. Now he books at least one appointment a day. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)

I moved here knowing a couple of rock stars and somebody from high school  but they dont live close, he said recently. I have one friend whos married and has kids, and they invite me over when its a holiday, you know, and thats good.

What has changed is that every day now Pocker leaves his apartment and goes out into the fresh air and walks while he talks with another human being.

He first hired McCarthy, he said, out of morbid curiosity. He thought the People Walker idea was so silly and so certain to fail. But then he had health problems and he was stir-crazy and he knew he had to move. So he booked every available walker in turn.

Now he has at least one half-hour People Walker appointment a day. On weekend days he often has two. The walkers, who are contractors, all set their own rates. McCarthy charges $7 a half-hour (which doesnt, by the way, include the half-hour it takes him each way to walk from his place to Pockers).

Im sure it seems crazy, but its cheaper than a gym, its been quite beneficial and I get good stories out of it, Pocker said.

On rainy days, he has hired walkers to join him at Costco and Ikea. Mostly they meet outside his Hollywood building and walk south down his street as it turns from apartments, studios and cityscape to big suburban-style homes with matching big front lawns.

Its different from doing exercises with a trainer. Its also different from pure friendship.

But every day Pocker is out there, being seen and being heard. And in a big city of strangers, maybe that helps.

CITY BEAT: Lets share our stories about our lives in L.A. 
Jackie Goldberg began her first day after winning election to the L.A. school board making an appearance with schools Supt. Austin Beutner, all smiles and talking about a unified vision to fix the troubled school district.

But the camaraderie belied what could be a rocky road ahead: They are two strong-willed titans of L.A.s education universe with some fundamentally different views on crucial issues facing the nations second-largest school district.

Goldberg, 74, will have an outsize role on the seven-member body in confronting seemingly intractable problems such as lagging student achievement, deep-rooted financial strains and the growth and oversight of charter schools.

A political veteran who served on the board more than two decades ago, Goldberg won major support from the teachers union, which has been at odds with Beutner and with board members who support charter schools.

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The growth of charters has hit the Los Angeles Unified School Districts finances hard and was a central factor in the teachers strike this year. Beutner has been working on plans to reorganize the district and set it on a firmer financial path.

With Goldberg back on the board, the political dynamics are changing.

Ronald W. Solorzano, education professor at Occidental College, said the central challenge is making sure that all district schools are of consistently high quality. With the election over, now either the real education work begins, or the political battle begins.

For the moment, Goldberg and Beutner have one huge issue that unites them: passage of a school funding measure on the June ballot. Officials say the measure is essential to improving the districts shaky finances. And on Wednesday, Goldberg and Beutner stumped for it together.

Our shared perspective: to help kids, Beutner said. I think we are going to do great things.

Goldberg won about 70% of the vote over Heather Repenning, a district parent and former public works commissioner.

Goldberg, who also served on the City Council and in the state Legislature, benefited in her campaign from name recognition, a scandal-free record, an obvious command of the issues, a charismatic personality and the backing of the teachers union. The latter was especially helpful in the wake of a six-day January strike that invigorated public support for teachers.

More than anything else, Goldberg is stressing the need for better funding  a point of agreement among many combatants in the education wars, including charter supporters.

Weve been starving schools, Goldberg said during an appearance Wednesday at Micheltorena Street Elementary in Silver Lake. It is a crime that we are not investing in children the way they did when I was a kid.

Beutner, the unions and charter school leaders have united behind Measure EE, a property tax that would raise an estimated $500 million a year for local schools. Expect no recriminations, leadership changes or controversial moves before June 4, when voters will go to the polls.

The California Charter Schools Assn. even expressed congratulations, though Goldbergs election was just about the last thing its leaders wanted. The powerful association officially sat out the campaign  a result either of strategic pragmatism, internal disorganization or some combination of the two.

Repenning relied on help from Local 99 of the Service Employees International Union, which represents most nonteaching employees, and the backing of L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti. She and her supporters spent toe-to-toe with those backing Goldberg  well over $1 million on each side.

In recent weeks, however, the simultaneous campaign for Measure EE may have diluted efforts for Repenning, who raised less and had less spent on her behalf in the runoff, political consultant Lewis Myers noted.

The push for Measure EE became more important to the mayor, parents, students, United Teachers Los Angeles and Local 99 than Heather winning, said Myers, who did not work for either candidate.

Goldbergs win turned around a losing streak for the teachers union. Until Tuesdays election, charter school supporters, fueled by wealthy donors, were outspending the unions in L.A. school board contests. And in July 2017, candidates they backed claimed a board majority.

Charters are privately operated, mostly nonunion and compete with district schools for students and the funding that follows them. They enroll close to 1 in 5 district students. It will not be easy to find the way forward on charters, because most rules governing their expansion and oversight are made at the state level.

While the L.A. teachers union has remained a political force, its influence in local board elections was being eclipsed by charters.

With its success Tuesday, the teachers union might be riding something of a national wave, said Julie Marsh, professor at USCs Rossier School of Education.

Were seeing some shifts in the narrative around charter schools, Marsh said. Charter backers long have pointed to the bipartisan appeal of these schools, but their embrace by President Trump and his polarizing Education secretary, Betsy DeVos, make it difficult for Democrats to associate with these reforms.

Goldberg will fill the seat most recently held by Ref Rodriguez, co-founder of a charter school group.

Rodriguez resigned in July after pleading guilty to political money laundering, a scandal that tarnished the local charter brand. He held on just long enough to cast an essential vote needed to hire Beutner, a businessman and philanthropist, as superintendent.

Beutner accepted the job knowing that his majority on the board could become tenuous, and during the strike, teachers union leaders made him a personal target. For her part, Goldberg expressed exasperation that district leaders would choose a non-educator to lead a school system.

Even so, Goldberg insisted Wednesday  as she has before  that she has no agenda to push Beutner out.

Her presence, however, could circumscribe Beutners long-awaited district reorganization. In campaign appearances, Goldberg said she suspected Beutner of secretly crafting a plan that would favor charter school expansion. As evidence, she and others cited the work that consultants for Beutner had done in other districts. She vowed to oppose any such effort.

In recent appearances, Beutner has emphasized that he envisions helping district-run schools operate more efficiently and effectively.

As a candidate, Goldberg had much in common with board member George McKenna, who also had a strong base even without the teachers union. He too allied with the union to win office against a well-funded opponent.

McKennas win, in 2014, contributed to the departure of then-Supt. John Deasy because he defeated an opponent whod strongly supported Deasy.

Goldberg, like McKenna, is no union vassal, although her preferred policies align closely with those of United Teachers Los Angeles. In reality, all seven board members are more nuanced in their beliefs than the stark contrasts represented by their supporters.
A gang member was convicted of murder and attempted murder Thursday for the shootings of two people who confronted a pair of graffiti vandals in an unincorporated area near Anaheim.

David Steven Ortega, 36, of Chino, was convicted of first-degree murder and attempted murder. Jurors, who deliberated for about two days, also found true sentencing enhancements for the personal use of a gun, a gang members vicarious discharge of a gun causing great bodily injury, attempted premeditated murder and gang activity.

Jurors, however, could not reach verdicts in the case against co-defendant Edgar Ramirez, who is charged with second-degree murder and attempted murder, leading Orange County Superior Court Judge Richard King to declare a mistrial on those counts.

Ortega was convicted of killing 51-year-old David Bruce Douglas and wounding John Anderson, then 39, on July 19, 2015, at Poona Drive and Lullaby Lane.

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Douglas and Anderson, who lived nearby, were chatting in Douglas driveway about 9:45 p.m. after returning from a camping trip when they saw two men spray-painting gang graffiti on property on the block, Deputy Dist. Atty. Chris Alex said.

These two victims tried to stop gang graffiti in their neighborhood and they paid dearly, one with his life and another nearly so, Alex said during trial.

When the two, along with another neighbor, asked the vandals what they were doing, the two men walked away, Alex said. Douglas and Anderson followed them, with Douglas at some point getting into his SUV, Alex said.

One of the vandals ducked into a bush and emerged with a bandana masking his face, the prosecutor said. Anderson got into a loud argument with the man while the other man quickly left the scene.

Douglas rolled up in his SUV, and Anderson jumped in as the masked man, who prosecutors said was Ortega, pulled a gun and approached the vehicle, opening fire while the other man blocked the path of the SUV. Anderson was shot three times, including in the head, Alex said, and Douglas suffered a gunshot wound through the throat.

Ortegas attorney, Ed Welbourn, insisted during the trial that there was no firm evidence linking his client to the shooting, noting that a cellphone investigators used to place Ortega at the scene wasnt even in his name.

Ramirezs attorney, Jacob DeGrave, said his client wasnt even there. He is innocent.
A 20-year-old UC Berkeley student was charged with multiple felony crimes, including rape, Thursday after authorities said he sexually assaulted two women.

Finn Wolff was charged by the Alameda County district attorneys office with forcible rape, sexual battery and forcible oral copulation.

Wolff was arrested Tuesday morning by Berkeley police at his home south of campus. Police said the sexual assaults occurred in November 2017 and March of this year, though investigators think there may be additional victims.

Court documents indicate Wolff held down the most recent victim while sexually assaulting her. Police say the woman was bitten multiple times during the attack and at least one bite broke her skin, authorities said in court documents.

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While officers were investigating the March assault, another victim came forward to report an attack in November 2017, police said. In that case, Wolff backed the woman into a balcony railing and forcibly kissed her, according to court documents.

After she attempted several times to push Wolff away, he punched her in the eye and ribs and forced her head onto his genitals, police said. The victim orally copulated Wolffs penis out of fear, according to court documents.

Police said Wolff is a student at UC Berkeley and was active in the universitys Greek system. The November 2017 sexual assault occurred at a fraternity in the 2400 block of Warring on the south side of campus, police said. Neither assault occurred on campus, authorities said.

Berkeley investigators are asking anyone who may have been victimized by Wolff or who have additional information to contact their sex crimes unit at (510) 981-5717.

javier.panzar@latimes.com

@jpanzar
A criminal defense attorney who once had sexual relationships with two daughters of a client was removed Thursday from a death penalty case in Bakersfield after civil rights attorneys intervened, arguing that he was unqualified.

Gary Turnbull was relieved at the request of the defendant, Juan Pablo Vega, in a closed-door proceeding. Vega is accused in the fatal shootings of two men at a bar south of Bakersfield.

Its too bad, Turnbull said outside the courtroom after the hearing. I hope he gets good representation.

An American Civil Liberties Union attorney said Turnbulls removal was a positive development in the 4-year-old case.

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This continues to show the need for a closer look at the way the death penalty system is broken in California, said Cassandra Stubbs, director of the ACLUs Capital Punishment Project. There are so few mechanisms for oversight over, really, this abysmal quality of lawyering.

The wrangling over who would represent Vega began soon after Turnbull reactivated his law license in October following a nearly two-decade hiatus.

About a month later, he was appointed to defend Vega, who is charged with first-degree murder in the shooting deaths of Jorge Zavala and Federico Zuniga Moreno.

Kern County prosecutors allege that Vega walked into a nightclub in Arvin in June 2015 and shot three people, killing two and wounding the other. His girlfriend, they said, had called him and said the people were bothering her and to come take care of it. Vega has pleaded not guilty.

Soon after Turnbulls appointment, the ACLU stepped in to try to remove him from the case, arguing that his ethical transgressions and years out of practice made him unfit to take it on.

Decades ago, while representing a woman accused of killing her husband, Turnbull, now 74, had secret sexual relationships with two of her three daughters, eventually having a child with one.

Twice he was suspended from practicing law  in 1995 for not paying child support and again in 2004 for not paying bar dues.

In an interview with The Times last month, Turnbull dismissed the arguments as sour grapes.

Theyre saying from a relationship I had 35 years ago that Im unfit. Yeah, well, thats history and the bar didnt find it was unethical, immoral, illegal or any conflict, Turnbull said. According to court rules, Im totally qualified.

Turnbull said he inactivated his license because he fell ill with cancer, moved to Canada and didnt think hed practice again. He reactivated his license, he said, because he was bored.

In a November declaration requesting to represent the man in the current capital case, Turnbull indicated he had handled more than 100 criminal jury trials and completed 300 hours of death penalty seminars throughout his career.

When Turnbull was relieved Thursday, he said Vega had stopped speaking with him.

He refuses to communicate with me because he wants [Keith] Rutman, Turnbull said, referring to the attorney who was handling the case previously. His family wants Rutman, but Rutman is unqualified.

A handful of attorneys were in and out of Vegas case before a judge appointed Rutman, a San Diego lawyer, to represent Vega in October 2017 because the Indigent Defense Program was unable to find a qualified attorney within the county.

The Indigent Defense Program, run by the Kern County Bar Assn., contracts with Kern County to represent defendants when the public defenders office has a conflict or otherwise cannot.

In this case, the public defenders office represented Vegas girlfriend, Lourdes Olvera, who was accused of instigating the shooting. After her murder trial resulted in a hung jury, she pleaded guilty to attempting to dissuade a witness and two counts of soliciting a murder in a deal brokered with prosecutors.

Stubbs said the ACLU was undecided about whether it would intervene in Turnbulls other cases, saying she hoped the Indigent Defense Program, on its own initiative, will decide to do something about that.

Turnbull told The Times last month that he was handling two other capital cases.

The Indigent Defense Programs director, Henry Marquez, said Thursday he didnt know whether Turnbull would remain on the programs list of attorneys and declined to comment further.

alene.tchekmedyian@latimes.com

Twitter: @AleneTchek
A 33-year-old woman has been arrested in connection with the attempted kidnapping of a 4-year-old boy from a Pico-Union McDonalds, the Los Angeles Police Department said Thursday.

In surveillance video released by police, a woman is seen Tuesday afternoon entering a McDonalds on East Olympic Boulevard, picking up a young child who was standing by himself near a table and carrying the boy out of the restaurant.

After exiting, the woman  who was identified by police as Maralyn Ramos  tried to get into a parked car with the child but was stopped by a witness. She then fled on foot, leaving the child, authorities said.

She was arrested around 10:45 p.m. Wednesday at San Pedro and Agatha streets in downtown Los Angeles and is being held in lieu of $100,000 bail, police said.

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The owner and operator of the McDonalds location said she is cooperating with police.

javier.panzar@latimes.com

@jpanzar
A San Pedro fueling facility that has sat idle for several years could be reactivated and leased to a commercial operator under a plan put forward by the U.S. Navy, which owns the site.

The idea has alarmed some nearby residents who argue that the government should be shutting down local facilities that store combustible fuels, not reviving them in an area close to homes and schools. The sprawling site is close to a Phillips 66 refinery and down the street from a Rancho LPG Holdings butane storage facility.

We could name it Devastation Highway instead of Gaffey Street, said Chuck Hart, president of San Pedro Peninsula Homeowners United, arguing that an earthquake or terrorist attack could trigger disaster in the area. Its just too much in too little space.

Under the plan, the Navy would lease the facility to a commercial operator, which would maintain and probably renovate the site.

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They would be responsible for keeping up the property and perhaps installing new tanks and new means of storing fuels as well as shipping fuels, said Gregg Smith, a Navy spokesman. Under any agreement, the Navy would be able to use those facilities to load ships with fuel when theyre needed.

Doing so, Smith said, would keep costs down for the taxpayer.

The decision on whether to pursue the plan will fall to the Navy. The proposed move comes five years after the Gaffey Street facility, known as the Defense Fuel Support Point, went into temporary closure so that it could be either reopened or shuttered depending on future needs, according to the Navy.

Some of it has been shut down permanently: Underground tanks at the San Pedro site were disconnected and filled with a special kind of concrete.

But other equipment and facilities remain, including buildings, pipelines and three above-ground storage tanks.

The Navy indicated that any company that leased the site would probably need to upgrade the existing facilities, but development would be limited to previously disturbed areas. The site spans more than 300 acres and is also home to native plants and habitat for the endangered Palos Verdes blue butterfly.

Residents had hoped that the sprawling property could be put to another use for the community.

The news that the Navy is instead seeking to lease it out and reinstate its use for fueling operations disappointed Janet Schaaf-Gunter, another member of San Pedro Peninsula Homeowners United.

The San Pedro fueling facility that has sat idle for several years could be reactivated and leased to a commercial operator. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

It makes no sense to congregate the most serious explosives ... in this one little nucleus of opportunity, said Schaaf-Gunter, who has long raised concerns about the risk of a catastrophic explosion at the Rancho LPG storage facility.

The Navy site on Gaffey Street is crossed by the Palos Verdes Fault Zone and parts of the property are in a liquefaction zone, according to a draft environmental assessment prepared for the Navy.

Barbara Sattler, a Rancho Palos Verdes resident, said she was not reassured by the plan, calling it a high-hazard situation in the middle of a residential area.

And Caney Arnold, a board member with the nearby Harbor City Neighborhood Council, questioned the need to resume operations there at all.

Why are we doing this in the first place? Arnold asked. Why dont we use the land for something else?

Smith, the Navy spokesman, said that since the Gaffey Street facility went idle, the Navy had determined that it needed more fueling capacity in Southern California as defense forces are being shifted from the Atlantic to the Pacific.

In response to concerns about safety, Smith said the site would comply with all federal, state and local regulations.

All three sites [the Navy facility, the Phillips 66 refinery and the Rancho LPG site] have operated in close proximity to each other for over 45 years without incident, he said.

The Navy is putting forward the idea as Los Angeles politicians have vowed to scale back on fossil fuels and clamp down on industrial emissions under their own Green New Deal plan.

Los Angeles City Councilman Joe Buscaino, shown in 2018, opposes the Navys plan to revive the San Pedro fueling facility, which is in his district. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

Mayor Eric Garcetti and City Councilman Joe Buscaino, who represents the San Pedro area, both oppose the Navy proposal.

We have existing infrastructure in place to support the Navys critical fueling operations  and as Los Angeles moves toward a clean-energy economy, it is unnecessary to build new petroleum projects in the region, Garcetti spokeswoman Anna Bahr said in a statement.

In a letter, Buscaino emphasized that schools and after-school programs were close to the facility and cited the plausible inherent dangers of stored materials in close proximity to residential zones.

Jacob Haik, Buscainos deputy chief of staff, said one of their chief concerns is that the plan leaves undefined exactly what kind of new equipment could be added to the site.

In the past, from 4 million to 12 million barrels of fuel have been shipped annually to or from the San Pedro facility and a connected terminal at the Port of Long Beach, according to the environmental assessment.

It is unclear how much fuel would go through the facility in the future, but for the environmental analysis, the new plan estimated it could peak at 30 million barrels annually.

Community members have until Monday to submit comments on the plan. After that, the Navy will prepare a final version of its environmental analysis.

If the Navy finds no significant impact from the proposed move, it could move forward with a lease as soon as next year, Smith said.

emily.alpert@latimes.com

Twitter: @AlpertReyes
A Northern California man convicted in a 2002 drive-by shooting that left a man paralyzed has been exonerated and freed after 17 years in prison, his attorney said Thursday.

Lionel Rubalcava, 40, who had been serving his sentence at Pleasant Valley State Prison, became a free man Wednesday when a Santa Clara County judge dismissed charges against him as about 20 of his family members erupted in shouts of joy.

Rubalcava said he wouldnt have been able to handle the past 17 years if it hadnt been for his familys support and help from a legal team with the Northern California Innocence Project at Santa Clara University School of Law.

Them, and the fact that I knew I was innocent, that kept me going, hoping the evidence at some point would prove that, he told the Mercury News in San Jose.

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Rubalcava was convicted in the drive-by shooting in San Jose even though shortly after it happened he was on a date in Hollister, 46 miles away.

He offered cellphone tracking evidence and testimony from the woman who accompanied him to the movies in Hollister, his attorney Paige Kaneb, of the Innocence Project, told The Associated Press.

Rubalcava became a suspect two days after the shooting when he was driving on the street where the shooting occurred and stopped to talk to a friend who lived near the targeted home.

A neighbor called police after seeing Rubalcava pull up to the wrong side of the street just as the shooter had done.

After eyewitnesses picked him out of a phone lineup, he was arrested and charged in the shooting, Kaneb said.

The jury heard about his alibi and how it was almost impossible for him to have committed the crime. But they also heard the eyewitnesses were positive and certain Lionel had shot him, and thats why he was convicted, Kaneb said.

There was no physical evidence tying him to the shooting, as well as no motive.

The prosecution relied on identification by the victim, which was presented to the jury as unequivocal even though the man had told multiple people, including his mother and a detective, that he did not think Rubalcava was the shooter, Kaneb said.

Kaneb said the Santa Clara County district attorneys office was helpful to Rubalcavas new legal team from the time they took the case five years ago. They opened a new investigation and re-interviewed the victim, who told prosecutors he had never been confident about his identification of Rubalcava and admitted he only caught a glimpse of the shooters face.

On Wednesday, Assistant Dist. Atty. David Angel expressed profound regret over Rubalcavas case on behalf of his office and apologized to him and his family, who had to sell their home to pay for attorneys and to travel to visit him at different prisons, Kaneb said.

It was a beautiful thing to see, Kaneb said. They recognized there were two tragedies  the victim who was shot and paralyzed and Lionel, who lost 17 years of his life, she said.

After Rubalcava was released Wednesday, he, his family and legal team went to dinner, and he had a steak and shrimp meal surrounded by the people he loves, Kaneb said.

Lionel had a huge grin on his face, and his mother looked so relaxed and happy  and thats worth everything, she said.
A 27-year-old transient who was linked to the brutal slayings of an elderly couple through a jailhouse DNA swab was found guilty of the pairs murder Thursday.

A jury found Luke Matthew Fabela guilty in the deaths of the La Verne couple, who were found by a groundskeeper in their 80-acre hillside estate on Roughrider Road on Dec. 26, 2014, the Los Angeles County district attorneys office said.

Shirley Isom, 74, and Armie Troy Isom, 89, were victims of what authorities called an extremely bloody attack. Both had been viciously beaten and stabbed, according to Los Angeles County sheriffs Lt. Dave Coleman.

Shirley Isom died at the scene, while her husband died later at a hospital.

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Prosecutors said the two were killed for a cellphone  the only piece of property that had been removed following the attack.

DNA evidence from a jailhouse swab led investigators to Fabela, who was already in custody after pleading guilty to a vehicle theft in San Bernardino a few weeks after the Isoms slayings. He had no fixed address and authorities said he moved between Claremont, Pomona, Montclair, La Verne and San Bernardino, living with relatives and acquaintances.

Fabela has a lengthy record of property crimes. He also has a domestic-violence conviction.

He is scheduled for sentencing on Aug. 30.

colleen.shalby@latimes.com

Twitter: @cshalby
George L. Kelling, a criminologist whose broken windows theory revolutionized urban policing and helped make sprawling cities like Los Angeles safer but stoked criticism that it also invited police abuse, had died at his home in New Hampshire. He was 83.

Kelling, who had been diagnosed with cancer, died Wednesday, his wife, Catherine M. Coles, announced on Facebook.

A former social worker, Kelling had a long career spanning highs and lows. His famous 1982 Atlantic magazine article Broken Windows: The Police and Neighborhood Safety, co-written with James Q. Wilson, had wide-ranging influence.

Not many criminologists are credited with immediate social change. But Kelling was celebrated for having helped tame urban crime and blight and his ideas were embraced from Newark, N.J., to Boyle Heights.

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William S. Bratton, former LAPD chief and two-time New York City police commissioner, was among his admirers and employed his concepts when he tried to restore order in Los Angeles, a city that had been left battered by rioting, the Rodney King beating and the racial tensions whipped up by the O.J. Simpson murder trial.

George Kelling was a giant. His policies, procedures, practices, and lifes work helped reverse the crime surge in America. His efforts saved countless lives, and made thousands of communities safer. https://t.co/EmjnGsvDHy  Bill Bratton (@CommissBratton) May 16, 2019

The broken windows theory drew criticism, however. Detractors charged that the concept had -- in Kellings own words -- put the poor, the homelesss and the downtrodden at risk of being abused by police.

By the early 2000s, the atmosphere had changed so much that Walter Skogan, one of Kellings like-minded colleagues, jokingly told him: When the criminological war crimes trials begin, you and I are going to be the first two at the docket.

Kelling demurred: Wilson, who helped conceive the broken windows theory, would be first, he said.

Broken windows posited that disorderly conditions in neighborhoods signaled that no one cared, and led to more serious crimes. One broken window brought others, and worse.

It was invoked in the 1990s to justify more aggressive enforcement of minor crimes. The NYPDs crackdown on squeegee men in New York City  panhandlers who would scamper through traffic to clean windshields and then demand payment -- was a classic example.

But as minor-crimes enforcement gained enthusiastic adherents among police and politicians, civil libertarians objected. They said the theory justified harassment of poor minority men, cost too much and had little grounding in research. Broken windows had tended to create an enemy class in the minds of many officers, a former San Jose police chief said.

Kelling was increasingly on the defensive. Both the far right and the far left had misinterpreted broken windows, which was supposed to be leavened by a dose of negotiation and social work, he said.

If Kellings ideas proved divisive, his personal style was anything but. In writings and speeches, he stressed the complexity of social issues. He insisted on nuance. He ceded points to critics.

At times he seemed to argue against his own success. A metaphor may take on a life of its own, he warned in a 1997 speech.

George L. Kelling was born in Milwaukee on Aug. 21, 1935, and graduated from that citys Washington High School in 1952. It was not a better world, he said: Jim Crow was still in force. But in one respect it was better: I was raised in a world in which neither my parents nor I worried a whole lot about my safety.

He wanted to be a clergyman. But then he had a traumatic change of heart. He left Northwestern Lutheran Theological Seminary in Minneapolis for Minnesotas St. Olaf College to study philosophy. At St. Olaf, he realized that, though no longer a seminarian, he could still contribute to the public welfare.

He got a job in the Hennepin County, Minn., detention center as a child-care supervisor in college then became a probation officer.

Kelling said he watched with dismay as well-meaning social projects  public transit, freeway building, the razing of neighborhoods for public housing  fueled blight and disorder. He grew indignant at the lack of basic safety suffered by people left to flounder in their wake, he said.

A scene from the 1992 riots, with Los Angeles at a low point after the police beating of Rodney King the previous year and the acquittal of four officers accused in his beating. (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)

His background in social work had shown him the real lives of the poor. He would remain forever skeptical of elites who claimed to speak for them. His theorizing had a practical bent.

A book deeply influenced him. It wasnt a criminology text; it was Jane Jacobs The Death and Life of Great American Cities.

He got a masters degree in social work from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in 1962 and a doctorate from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. His social work career included administering a psychiatric care program for youth in Minnesota. In 1972, he studied police patrol practices in Kansas City, Mo., and elsewhere. The work led him to question the value of conventional police tactics, such as driving through neighborhoods.

He was grateful to Wilson. But he also highlighted differences between himself and the controversial UCLA political scientist, who died in 2012. The phrase broken windows was Wilsons idea, he said.

He wrote a book with his wife, social anthropologist Catherine M. Coles, and worked as a consultant in New York, Boston, Milwaukee and Detroit. He was a professor at Northeastern University and at Rutgers University-Newark and a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute.

Misuse of ideas was a theme he returned to often. Asked to offer lessons to new graduates in 2005, he summed up: Good intentions do not result in good policies.

In addition to his wife, Kelling is survived by a daughter, Kristin Lee Kelling Hayden; son George; and four grandchildren.

Leovy is a former Times staff writer

Staff writer Steve Marble contributed to this report
The State Department ordered several hundred U.S. diplomatic personnel to leave Iraq on Wednesday, citing heightened threats from neighboring Iran amid a buildup of U.S. military forces in the volatile region and growing concerns of a potential conflict with Tehran.

The uptick in tensions came nearly two weeks after the White House warned of what it described as potential targeting of U.S. forces, allies and interests by Iranian security forces or their proxies. It provided no details and some military allies and senior members of Congress questioned the administrations assessments.

So far this month, the Pentagon has sent the Abraham Lincoln carrier task force and Air Force B-52 bombers to the region and dusted off contingency war plans, the Treasury Department has increased sanctions on Irans economy, and Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo made a sudden trip to Baghdad to consult with U.S. and Iraqi officials.

Few allies embraced the aggressive U.S. moves and several warned of an accidental clash in Iraq, where U.S. military forces and Iranian-backed militias operate in close proximity, or in the Persian Gulf, where Iranian and U.S. ships sometimes sail at close quarters.

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Irans leaders sought to ease concerns, saying the Trump administrations actions and rhetoric were psychological warfare intended to rattle the regime as it pushed back against growing U.S. pressure.

Neither they, nor we, want war, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Iranian TV at an iftar dinner breaking the Ramadan fast in Tehran late Tuesday.

Trump expressed optimism about his efforts to force Iran back to the negotiating table a year after he unilaterally withdrew from the 2015 nuclear disarmament deal and began reimposing U.S. sanctions on Irans oil, metals, banking and other core sectors of the economy.

Im sure that Iran will want to talk soon, he tweeted Wednesday.

Iran has shown no sign of bending, and has appealed for support from other signatories to the nuclear deal to allow it to continue exporting oil, a crucial source of foreign revenue, after the Trump administration threatened to impose sanctions on countries or companies that import Iranian oil.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani last week said Tehran would stop complying with parts of the 2015 nuclear deal by stockpiling low-enriched uranium, rather than shipping the surplus out of the country, but the moves did not put Iran on the path to a nuclear weapon.

The State Department ordered nonessential personnel to leave the country from the U.S. Embassy compound in Baghdad and a U.S. Consulate in Irbil in the Kurdish region of northern Iraq. The order affected about 30% of the staff, or several hundred people in all. U.S. diplomats are not allowed to bring families to Iraq because of security concerns.

Germany and the Netherlands put out statements saying their embassies remained open, although both temporarily suspended military training programs in Iraq.

Pompeo met with European counterparts in Brussels on Monday in an effort to rally more support for what the White House calls its maximum pressure campaign against Iran.

Federica Mogherini, the European Unions foreign affairs official, instead urged maximum restraint and British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said he worried the two countries would stumble accidentally into all-out war.

We fundamentally do not seek a war with Iran, Pompeo said later. If American interests are attacked, we will most certainly respond in an appropriate fashion.

Allied doubts were evident Tuesday when a senior British military officer, speaking to Pentagon reporters via a teleconference in Baghdad, seemed to contradict the U.S. warnings.

There are a substantial number of militia groups in Iraq and Syria, and we dont see any increased threat from any of them at this stage, Maj. Gen. Chris Ghika, deputy commander of the Iraq-based coalition fighting the Islamic State militant group, told reporters.

The Pentagon quickly put out a statement saying Ghikas remarks run counter to identifiable credible threats.

On Wednesday, the British Ministry of Defense sought to paper over the dispute by noting that Ghika spoke only of the area where he operates, Iraq and Syria.

Though there is broad bipartisan antagonism toward Iran in Congress, several Republican lawmakers questioned whether the White House was overreacting to Iranian threats that have long existed in the region.

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-N.C.), usually a reliable Trump supporter, said he would demand explanations from State and Defense department officials.

I have no idea what the threat stream is beyond what I read in the paper, Graham told reporters Wednesday. And I think therere a lot of people in my shoes that are going to support standing up to Iran but we need to understand what were doing.

Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah), who sometimes has clashed with Trump, said it was close to inconceivable that Trump would consider going to war with Iran.

The president made it clear when he ran for president that one of the worst foreign policy mistakes in American history was the decision to go to war with Iraq, Romney said.

Veteran diplomats and foreign policy experts also questioned the strategy, and the role of Trumps national security advisor, John Bolton, who long advocated regime change in Tehran before he joined the White House.

Danger signals abound, Laura Kennedy, a veteran ambassador who served Democratic and Republican administrations, tweeted.

Richard Haass, president of the nonpartisan Council on Foreign Relations, cautioned against thinking that a U.S. war with Iran would be relatively easy, as Bolton once suggested.

Would not be quick, easy, or confined to Iranian territory, he tweeted. Iran could take war to much of region and even globally with cyber, militias, etc. Oil prices would spike. And rather than weaken regime war could bolster it.

As tensions rose this week, several Saudi oil tankers off the United Arab Emirates and pumping stations along a major pipeline in Saudi Arabia sustained damage in still-unexplained explosions.

Floating mines reportedly caused the oil tanker explosions, although the source was not clear. Saudi officials blamed the pipeline attack on drone aircraft flown by Iran-backed Houthi rebels who are fighting a Saudi-led coalition in Yemen, and struck back with more than a dozen airstrikes against rebel positions in Yemen.

Bulos reported from Beirut. Times staff writer Molly OToole contributed from Washington and special correspondent Ramin Mostaghim contributed from Tehran.
Tens of thousands of Californians who otherwise would have been at grave risk of losing their homes, their children, their ability to pursue a living or other basic human rights and needs at least had a fighting chance to defend themselves in court because of landmark 2009 legislation that gave them access to lawyers.

In a rare feat of foresight, the Sargent Shriver Civil Counsel Act that established the pilot program required and provided funding for evaluations. So we know, for example, that providing counsel for low-income tenants facing eviction in Los Angeles County increased the likelihood of tenants responding to eviction actions, of cases being settled, and of tenants retaining their housing or finding new places to live with minimal costly disruption.

Similarly good outcomes in the few other counties involved in the pilot led the Legislature to make the program permanent in 2016. Now lawmakers are considering a bill that would increase court filing fees to expand the number of people served by the program. Its a good move that deserves to proceed.

Enter the Fray: First takes on the news of the minute 

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AB 330 by Assemblyman Jesse Gabriel, a Democrat representing the west San Fernando Valley, would increase filing fees for some court services, such as issuing a writ to enforce a judgment or taking an affidavit.

Raising court fees is not something to be taken lightly; those fees can add up, and there is a tendency to look to them to pay for all kinds of services without raising taxes. Yet the studies of the earlier legislation show that providing counsel benefits more than the litigants. It improves court efficiency and saves court time and money. When the parties have lawyers, fewer disputes return to court to be reworked following settlements. Court fees to pay for lawyers  in limited numbers of cases, for parties who cannot afford to pay  also, in the end, improves court for everyone.

Unlike in criminal cases, in which the Constitution guarantees a right to counsel and government pays for defense counsel from its taxpayer-funded treasury, there is no similar right to civil counsel, so there is considerable resistance to tapping taxpayer funds to pay for it.

San Francisco has its own process to provide lawyers in landlord-tenant disputes, and Los Angeles is considering a similar move, so its important to ensure that local and statewide programs are not redundant. But as with the original program, funds are to be shepherded by the courts through the state Judicial Council, which is to allocate funding to nonprofit organizations that help litigants based on need and other priorities. It would be a smart extension of a program that works well for California.

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One of the byproducts of the rapidly increasing power of microchips is the proliferation of chip-powered cameras and other devices that are constantly watching and, in some cases, recording the world in front of them in high definition. There are cameras in doorbells and ATMs, overlooking building entrances and parking lots, on traffic lights and retail store walls.

Law enforcement agencies have taken advantage of these electronic eyes to gather evidence of crimes, trace suspects and search for missing persons. Now, police around the country are embracing a technology that can turn recordings into results far more efficiently: facial recognition software. The software matches images from a database of pictures  for example, drivers licenses or mug shots  against what a security camera has recorded to try to identify the people in the recordings.

One problem, though, is that the software isnt 100% accurate. Some of the versions on the market have an especially poor track record when it comes to identifying darker-skinned people. For example, a study published this year found that Amazons Rekognition misidentified womens images as mens 19% to 31% of the time, depending on their skin tone.

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors seized upon this flaw in an ordinance adopted Tuesday. The measure requires government agencies in the city to develop policies for surveillance technologies that govern their use, and then to obtain the boards approval before acquiring and deploying such tools. The one exception was facial recognition software, which the ordinance flatly prohibits government agencies from using.

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This powerful technology requires oversight and caution to prevent it from being abused. But a ban would throw the good uses out with the bad ones.

The propensity for facial recognition technology to endanger civil rights and civil liberties substantially outweighs its purported benefits, and the technology will exacerbate racial injustice and threaten our ability to live free of continuous government monitoring, the ordinance states.

The board was wise to impose some badly needed transparency and oversight on local law enforcements use of monitoring and tracking technologies, such as license plate readers and cellphone locators. Police agencies are focused on fighting crime and are often too cavalier about preserving civil liberties; elected officials are the ones who should be deciding how much of their constituents freedom from surveillance to sacrifice in order to make them more secure.

That should have been the approach taken to facial recognition software as well. Although its frightening to think how this technology could be misused  Chinas Orwellian monitoring of its population, and in particular its persecution of the Uighur Muslim minority, is Exhibit A  the technology itself isnt evil. In fact, it can be a lifesaver. And new applications of the software are emerging all the time.

Perhaps the most common use of facial recognition in everyday life is as a way to protect the sensitive information stored on smartphones. But it can also help doctors diagnose some diseases, locate adults with dementia whove wandered away from their homes, stop the use of stolen credit cards and let blind people discern facial expressions, among many other uses.

Enter the Fray: First takes on the news of the minute 

Even if we dont think the technology is good enough yet for police to use in identifying suspects, we may welcome its use by police in search-and-rescue operations, finding missing youths whove been victimized by sex traffickers or providing real-time security at major public events. Meanwhile, the technology is steadily improving, and in some cases can do a better job at identifications than humans do.

Local governments need to approach all surveillance tools carefully, setting standards for how well the technology must perform and policies to govern how the tools can be used. In the case of facial recognition, a number of serious questions remain to be answered before law enforcement agencies are given the green light. What image sources are reliable enough to be used for identifications  drivers licenses? Mug shots? Can people be added to the database of images without their knowledge or consent? How should the software be tested? How much detail do agencies need to release to the public about their use of the technology?

Some applications are so intrusive  such as using cameras with facial recognition abilities to track a persons movements from camera to camera  that they shouldnt be available to police without a warrant. There should also be safeguards to ensure that law enforcement agencies dont circumvent the rules by obtaining information from cameras and facial recognition software deployed by private businesses.

In other words, this powerful technology requires oversight and caution to prevent it from being abused. But a ban would throw the good uses out with the bad ones.

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When Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey signed that states obnoxious new bill criminalizing abortion Wednesday afternoon, she offered a little toast to victory on Twitter.

Or maybe we should call it a partial victory, since the ban was enacted as a ploy to try to get the right to abortion, affirmed in the 1973 Roe vs. Wade decision, back before the retooled conservative majority on the U.S. Supreme Court.

Today, I signed into law the Alabama Human Life Protection Act. To the bills many supporters, this legislation stands as a powerful testament to Alabamians deeply held belief that every life is precious & that every life is a sacred gift from God. https://t.co/DwKJyAjSs8 pic.twitter.com/PIUQip6nmw  Governor Kay Ivey (@GovernorKayIvey) May 15, 2019

Apparently, Iveys not averse to returning some of Gods sacred gifts, since as governor shes overseeing the planned execution tonight of Michael Brandon Samra, who was 19 years old when he took part in the quadruple murder of the family of a friend angered by the fathers refusal to let him borrow a pickup truck. The ringleader, who was 15 at the time of the crimes, is serving life in prison.

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In fact, since Ivey assumed office two years ago last month, Alabama has executed six other men, including convicted serial bomber Walter Moody who, at 83, became the oldest person executed in the nations history when he was strapped onto the gurney last year.

Earlier this year, the state executed Domineque Ray after the Supreme Court refused to issue a stay when Iveys government denied the condemned Muslim inmate access to an imam in the death chamber, although it does provide a Christian chaplain.

Enter the Fray: First takes on the news of the minute 

Although California has the nations largest death row with 735 condemned inmates, Alabama has the highest per capita rate of death sentences.

And six weeks after she was sworn into office, Ivey signed into law a measure shortening the appeals process for capital offense, a move that makes it more likely the state will execute the innocent.

So much for Iveys notion that the new abortion ban stands as a powerful testament to Alabamians deeply held belief that every life is precious & that every life is a sacred gift from God.

Or maybe the asterisk after every didnt come through on Twitter.

But she doubled down in a statement released after the signing, saying that we must give every person the best chance for a quality life and a promising future.

No asterisk there, either.

If Ivey had the courage of her convictions, she would use her authority as governor to grant clemency to Samra and the other 181 people facing execution in Alabama.

That act would resonate much more widely and humanely than does her signature on an abortion ban that she acknowledged is likely unenforceable.

And it would remove the cloud of hypocrisy hovering over Montgomery.
If youre following the kerfuffle between Hollywood writers and their agents, you may have a sense of deja vu  well, if youre old enough and have a good memory, or are steeped in the industrys history.

Over the past month, film and television writers have fired their agents, instructed to do so by the Writers Guild of America to protest the fact that the agencies have branched out into packaging productions. Instead of simply representing writers (and directors and actors and producers), many agencies now prefer to assemble all the talent for a project and take a fee for it. In some cases, the agencies actually produce the movies and shows themselves, thereby employing the very writers they are pledged to represent.

As the WGA has pointed out, when an agency sits on both sides of the bargaining table, that doesnt work to the writers advantage and could even violate some laws.

Whence that sense of deja vu, because once upon a time  in 1962  such an arrangement prompted the U.S. government to sue a powerful Hollywood agency for violating antitrust statutes.

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Beginning in the 1980s, the law fell prey to right-wing judicial activism that boosted the interests of mega-corporations at the expense of everyone else.

At the time, Hollywoods largest and most successful agency was MCA, headed by super-agent Lew Wasserman. As the keenest business brain in the industry, however, Wasserman understood that there was much more money to be made in producing pictures than in representing the writers, directors, actors and composers who made them. He thus arranged for MCA to purchase Universal Studios.

Whereupon Atty. Gen. Robert F. Kennedys Department of Justice said: Whoa  were taking MCA to court for violating antitrust law, and you know damn well well win. MCAs lawyers concurred with Kennedys, and Wasserman agreed to a settlement: MCA would cease to be an agency and become just a three-letter company that owned Universal.

The settlement was anything but calamitous for MCAs agents. Wasserman became Hollywoods most successful and powerful studio head for the next four decades, while other MCA agents founded thriving agencies of their own.

Today, however, the four big talent agencies  ICM Partners, WME, Creative Artists Agency and United Talent Agency  routinely package talent for productions (pocketing major fees for their efforts). WME and United Talent have moved into production as well. Moreover, a number of the agencies are now largely owned by private equity firms adept at extracting profits from the companies they own and/or reselling them at a hefty profit. Clearly, the way to boost the agencies profits is to have them do what Wasserman did  get into packaging and producing.

But heres where the deja vu no longer applies. Atty. Gen. William Barrs Justice Department isnt suing the agencies alleging antitrust violations, as Kennedys once did. And truth be told, this sin of omission really isnt peculiar to the Trump administration. In the half-century since Wasserman had to shutter his agency, antitrust law has been nearly totally defanged.

Thats not because Congress enacted laws scaling back antitrusts scope or definition. Rather, beginning in the 1980s, a succession of conservative court decisions held that size didnt matter unless concentration produced a rise in consumer prices. Monopolization of an industry, the suppression of competition, even the control of opposing interests within an industry, were no longer violations. As a result, the interests of mega-corporations were boosted at the expense of nearly everyone else.

Thats why monopolies and monopsonies like Facebook, Google and Walmart now dominate the economy in industry after industry, suppressing not just competition but innovation and wages. Thats why the Writers Guild  bowing to the courts indifference to corporate sprawl  has sued the talent agencies not for violations of antitrust but for violating a state law on fiduciary responsibility.

Enter the Fray: First takes on the news of the minute 

It wasnt ever thus. In the same year that Justice compelled Wasserman to give up his agency, the Supreme Court struck down a proposal from Vons to purchase another Los Angeles-based supermarket chain, because it would have given Vons 7% of the L.A. market.

Is there any chance that a revolt against corporate domination could allow antitrust laws to again do what their authors intended: free America from the misrule of monopolies? Perhaps.

Proposals to break up and better regulate the platform monopolies now pop up with increasing frequency, including ones from Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and disenchanted Facebook founder Chris Hughes. And a new generation of neo-Brandeisian attorneys (named after Louis Brandeis, the foremost judicial opponent of monopoly) has emerged in law schools, law firms, and think tanks like the Open Markets Institute.

If progressives can win enough elections to restore a sense of balance to our judiciary, one day the Justice Department may tell Hollywoods agencies what it once told MCA: You can represent writers or employ them. You cant do both.

Harold Meyerson is executive editor of the American Prospect and a contributing writer to Opinion.
The steamship caused the last global outbreak of bubonic plague. Climate change could cause the next one.

Longer, hotter weather patterns are extending the breeding season of rats and rodents, leading to a steep increase in their numbers in places like Los Angeles, New York and Houston. Over the last decade, urban rat populations are up by 15% to 20% worldwide, thanks to a combination of climate changes and a greater preference among humans for urban living, increasing the amount of trash available for scavengers, according to estimates from Bobby Corrigan, a rodent control consultant and one of the nations leading rat experts.

The swelling number of rodents isnt just an urban nuisance. More importantly, all those additional rats and squirrels can serve as hosts for fleas carrying the plague-causing bacterium Yersinia pestis. The disease is already endemic among fleas that feast on rural squirrels in California, Arizona, Wyoming and other states. Climate change could make it possible for plague-carrying fleas to thrive in more places than they do now, bringing the disease into closer contact with humans.

Any climate change conditions that increase the number of fleas [also increase] the distribution of plague, said Dr. Janet Foley, a professor of medicine and epidemiology at UC Davis.

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Already, public health officials increasingly find themselves battling rare and dangerous diseases associated with rats. An employee at Los Angeles City Hall who recently contracted typhus blamed the disease on flea bites she suffered as a result of the buildings rat infestation, while a cluster of patients suffering from the rare disease leptospirosis, an often-fatal condition spread by rat urine, were identified in the Bronx in 2017. An outbreak of bubonic plague due to contact with diseased squirrels prompted Russia to close its border with Mongolia last week.

While many major cities face increasing rat populations, L.A. finds itself in unique danger of disease because of its rapidly growing homeless crisis.

While many major cities face the problem of increasing rat populations, Los Angeles finds itself in unique danger of disease because of its rapidly growing homeless crisis. As more people live in closer contact with rodent fleas that can carry the plague bacterium, preventing an outbreak of one of the most frightening diseases in human history will require a stronger push to eradicate potential hosts.

Eliminating rats and squirrels to save human lives saved Los Angeles once before. In 1924, fleas from an infected rat bit a man named Jesus Lajun who lived on what was then called Clara Street, near the current-day Twin Towers Correctional Facility downtown. Within six weeks, nearly everyone who had come into contact with Lajun during the roughly 48 hours between the time he caught the disease and the time he died from it was dead. The trail of victims included not only his immediate family members but also those of a neighbor who cared for him when he was too weak to leave the house.

Panicked health officials quarantined an eight-block area surrounding the mostly Mexican American neighborhood as the outbreak swelled to claim nearly 40 lives, while businesses across the city fired Latino workers out of a misplaced belief that they were more likely to carry the disease. Fearing the start of an epidemic that could spread eastward and kill millions, as had outbreaks in China and India, U.S. Surgeon General Hugh S. Cummings sent a federal health officer named Rupert Blue to Los Angeles to contain the disease.

Some 20 years earlier, Blue had been an officer in the Marine Hospital Service when a steamship carrying infected rats from China sailed through the Golden Gate, bringing plague to North America for the first time. Soon, more than 200 people were dead in San Francisco as politicians, doctors and the editors of the states most powerful newspapers conspired to deny the reality of the outbreak. It was only after Blue demonstrated that a combination of killing rats and instituting sanitation measures to starve rodents of food had eradicated the disease from Chinatown did San Francisco finally take the steps to save itself. Blue and his team were ultimately responsible for killing more than 2 million rats, a figure five times greater than the citys human population.

He followed a similar plan to save Los Angeles. Doctors under his command discovered plague-infected rats in an area from Beverly Hills to the Port of Los Angeles. Just as he had in San Francisco, Blue focused on not only the hard science of epidemiology by charting the path of the disease, but also on the soft science of persuasion, meeting with every civic group that would have him to spread the gospel of rat elimination. Within one year, more than 200,000 rats and squirrels had been killed throughout the city, and Los Angeles was once again free of plague, marking the last major outbreak of the disease in the country.

Enter the Fray: First takes on the news of the minute 

Yet plague never truly left California. A plague-infected squirrel found in the Angeles National Forest prompted the U.S. Forest Service to close the Los Alamos Campground for 10 days in 2010. The last confirmed cases in the state occurred in 2015, when two visitors to Yosemite were diagnosed with and recovered from the disease. An average of seven people contract the disease in the U.S. each year. So far in 2019, cases have been identified in pets in Wyoming and New Mexico.

If plague moves into new areas where doctors and veterinarians are not familiar with it, victims may not be identified until it is too late, Foley said. If the distribution of the disease changes, people wont know that theyre in an area of high risk and the initial symptoms of plague in people and animals are not very specific, she said, allowing for it to be misdiagnosed at a time when it is the most virulent.

Eradication programs to kill rats and squirrels at a time when their natural predators like coyotes and snakes are declining due to human population growth may be what prevents another outbreak, said James Holland Jones, an associate professor at Stanford.

It goes against our modern sensibilities, but there is nothing else to keep their populations bound, he said.

It can be easy to overlook something as elemental as improving urban sanitation at a time when declining vaccination rates appear to be the most pressing public health need. But the recent outbreak of measles in the country highlights how complacency makes us vulnerable to illnesses that were once thought to have been safely confined to the past. By applying the lessons of the forgotten fight against plague to the new reality of climate change, we can prevent the most terrifying disease of them all from once again driving the country into panic.

David K. Randall is the author of Black Death at the Golden Gate: The Race to Save America from the Bubonic Plague.
To the editor: There was no doubt China would retaliate when President Trump increased U.S. tariffs on Chinese imports. It was also clear that American farmers would be especially hurt. But before we blame Trump alone for this messy situation, we should look at the history of Chinas spectacular growth in world trade.

The reason we face this issue now is because of what our politicians did back in 2001 when China was admitted to the World Trade Organization and given easy access to world markets. Since then, China has harmed multiple industries in the U.S. as well all other developed economies with its products priced at ridiculously low levels.

Many factory workers lost their jobs because of China, so it should not have been surprising when Trump took advantage of the inability of the other candidates in 2016 to tackle this problem and won Ohio, Michigan and Wisconsin. Now he is fulfilling his promises in a way that will create more problems than it will solve.

The only practical solution is for WTO members to take a united stand against China. Doing this will bring China to its knees faster than any unilateral action by Trump.

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Vijay Jeste, Redondo Beach

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To the editor: I dont think Trump personally is providing $15 billion in aid to farmers affected by Chinese tariffs. So the print headline on Tuesday should have read, U.S. taxpayers aid farmers in lieu of Chinese purchasers.

The taxpayers $12 billion in farm aid last year wouldnt have been necessary if the president hadnt started the trade war with China.

Sarah E. Adams, Rancho Palos Verdes

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To the editor: You can say what you want about Trump, but at least he had the mettle to confront China for its egregious behavior since it was admitted to the WTO. The underlying question remains whether we can have an open and free trading relationship with a dictatorship.

China has the advantage politically of playing the long game versus our 24-hour news cycle. Americans may have to realize they are in a long war.

Barry F. Chaitin, Newport Beach

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To the editor: Colin H. Kahl and Jon B. Wolfsthals warning of national security advisor John Boltons ambitions for war with Cuba, Venezuela and Iran is truly ominous, and their assessment of his power over President Trump is all too plausible.

War with Iran would be catastrophic. Its all the more important for Congress to reassert its sole constitutional power to declare war and bar Trump from attacking Iran without congressional authorization.

The Prevention of Unconstitutional War with Iran Act of 2019, recently introduced in the Senate by New Mexico Democrat Tom Udall and in the House by California Democrat Anna Eshoo, would do that. No single person should be able to commit the lives of our young men and women to war without full debate by our elected representatives.

Dee Abrahamse, Long Beach

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To the editor: Boltons desire to topple the Nicolas Maduro regime in Venezuela and restore democracy in that country, while laudable, is misguided.

If we are serious about expelling socialism from this hemisphere, we should restore democracy in Cuba. This would be easier since we already have a military base there.

Cuba has been the exporter of socialism to Latin America since 1960. Nearly 60 years later, the ruling dynasty started by the late Fidel Castro continues, and the U.S. has yet to eradicate it.

Once Cuba is no longer socialist, Maduro will not have the services of Cubas intelligence apparatus. Military advisors will have to return to Cuba, and so will all the experts that Cuba has exported.

If we are going to intervene in the name of democracy, lets do it where it will be more effective. Lets get rid of the Castros pernicious influence in Latin America once and for all.

Jorge Montero, Downey

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To the editor: The answer to Californias wildlife poisoning isnt to keep killing rats via methods less lethal to other animals.

Indeed, it is easy for a government to blame an unpopular group for our problems and persuade people that exterminating that group will be the answer. That has even happened to human groups. Rats, which are often labeled pests or vermin, and thereby separated from other, equally sentient animals, are a particularly easy scapegoat.

But the difficult truth is that big cities in the West, including Los Angeles, produce millions of pounds of organic garbage, much of it because animal life is treated as a cheap commodity. Instead of attempting to exterminate animals attracted by societys profligate waste, it is time to clean up our act.

Karen Dawn, Pacific Palisades

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To the editor: I was very disturbed by the way your editorial demonized rats.

Rats and highly social, sentient and smart animals, and the only problem we have with them is that they are annoying to us in a number of ways. Please dont make the fact that we want them killed mean there is anything inherently bad about them.

Sarah Stewart, Gardiner, Mt.

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Republican leaders have begun distancing themselves from new, far-reaching state abortion restrictions that dont allow exceptions in the cases of rape or incest.

The Republican leaders in both the House and Senate expressed reservations about the sweeping bans, stressing their support for exceptions in the cases of rape and incest.

I believe in exceptions for rape, incest and life of the mother, and thats what Ive voted on, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Bakersfield) said Thursday.

Alabama this week approved a law to ban abortion at any stage of pregnancy,with no exceptions for rape or incest. That came on the heels of laws in other states  including Ohio, Kentucky and Mississippi  that ban the procedure when a fetal heartbeat is detected, at about six weeks of pregnancy, also with no exceptions for rape or incest. All of the legislation includes exceptions for abortions to preserve a womans life.

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Republican lawmakers in Alabama and elsewhere have said their goal is to give the Supreme Courts conservative majority an opportunity to reverse the 1973 Roe vs. Wade decision, which legalized abortion nationwide.

Supreme Court is not eager to overturn Roe vs. Wade  at least not soon 

The bans have activated the 2020 Democratic presidential candidates and other prominent Democrats in opposition. But some Republicans in Washington also say they oppose new abortion restrictions that dont allow for the rape and incest exceptions.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, whose state recently banned abortion when a fetal heartbeat is detected with no exceptions for rape and incest, also said he supported the exceptions.

Leader McConnells record has been clear for decades on this issue, said McConnell spokesman Doug Andres. He opposes abortion except in the instance of rape, incest, or the life of the mother in is danger.

Even Alabamas GOP senator said he supports the three traditional exceptions.

Sen. Richard C. Shelby said he always supported exceptions for rape and incest.

Im not down there, he said of his home states most recent law.

The latest antiabortion legislation represents a new front in the abortion debate. Nationally, Republicans have supported exceptions for all three circumstances for many years.

Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), who is up for reelection this year, also said he opposed sweeping bans. Of course there needs to be exceptions, he said.

Several Republican senators, however, refused to weigh in on the issue.

I dont really have a response, said Sen. Shelly Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), who is also up for reelection next year. Im going to have to digest whats going on.

States dont need to hear from me on what theyre going to do, said Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.). Thats how I always felt when I was in the state Senate.

And some Republicans embraced the bills.

If you think it is a human life, therefore a child of God, it really shouldnt matter how it was conceived, said Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.). I can just tell you there are millions of people out there who believe that. Obviously, millions of people in New York that see it just the other way.

New York state this year approved a law that expanded access to abortion. The state approved abortion after the 24th week of pregnancy to preserve the life or health of the mother.

That legislation came shortly before Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam, a Democrat, suggested in a widely circulated radio clip that a baby born after an attempted abortion would only be kept comfortable and not necessarily resuscitated.

Both the New York law and Northams comments  which fellow abortion rights supporters opposed  aroused opponents of abortion. President Trump has frequently cited Northams comments at events with supporters.

Abortion rights supporters have also brought the issue to the forefront ahead of the 2020 presidential contest. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) has pledged to appoint only Supreme Court justices who support the Roe decision. And several Democratic candidates have come out in opposition to the Alabama and Georgia laws in recent days.

The laws in all four of the states  Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi and Ohio  are being challenged in court or have already been struck down.

Missouris state Senate approved a bill Thursday to prohibit abortion at eight weeks of pregnancy with no exceptions for rape or incest. It is expected to be taken up by the states House.

The latest from Washington 

More stories from Jennifer Haberkorn 
The Senate confirmed Los Angeles litigator Kenneth Kiyul Lee to a California seat on the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals on Wednesday over the objections of Sens. Dianne Feinstein and Kamala Harris.

Harris and Feinstein have accused Lee of failing to initially disclose to the Senate Judiciary Committee his past writings decrying sexual harassment accusers, gay people, AIDS and affirmative action. They were uncovered by reporters and committee staff.

During his confirmation hearing in March, Republicans appeared satisfied with Lees apology for his youthful writings.

The final 52-45 vote fell along party lines.

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Lee is the fifth Circuit Court nominee approved by the Senate over the objections of home-state senators since President Trump took office. Neither Harris nor Feinstein returned their blue slips for Lees nomination to signal their support for a judicial nomination in their home state.

Historically, failing to return the slips would have stalled a candidates nomination indefinitely, but Senate Republicans focused on confirming Trumps court picks have trudged ahead confirming judicial nominees without the sign of support.

Its a change in tradition that is likely to continue. Lee is the first of three men Trump nominated to fill vacant California seats on the 9th Circuit Court over Feinsteins and Harris objections.

Lee, a South Korean immigrant, attended Cornell University as an undergraduate and earned a law degree at Harvard University. He worked on Capitol Hill and in the George W. Bush White House as associate counsel before entering private practice.

The Senate Judiciary Committee also approved the nomination of Los Angeles appellate attorney Daniel P. Collins in March, but a final Senate vote has not yet been scheduled.

Trumps third 9th Circuit Court nominee, Daniel A. Bress, 39, a Washington-area partner with Kirkland & Ellis, was referred to the Judiciary Committee along with Lee and Collins.

Bress, born in California, has not lived in the state since high school. The states senators have questioned whether he has sufficient ties to California. His confirmation hearing has not been scheduled.

The latest from Washington 

More stories from Sarah D. Wire 
When the Trump administration blocked U.S. firms last year from providing critical parts to ZTE Corp., it quickly paralyzed the Chinese telecom company and threatened to force it into bankruptcy  until President Trump issued a last-minute reprieve as a favor to Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Wednesday, Trump announced two measures to clamp down on Huawei Technologies Co. that could have much more severe and far-reaching consequences, not only for Chinas champion telecom firm, but also on the increasingly fraught relations between the two nations, including the current standoff on trade.

This time, its far from clear that Trump will step in to give the Chinese a break. For months Trump has been locked in a high-stakes trade fight with Xi, with tensions having escalated since last week as Trump ratcheted up tariffs and Xi responded on Monday with counter-tariffs.

Trumps executive order gave the Commerce Department sweeping authority to ban not just Huawei, but any Chinese information and communications technology company from doing business in the United States if the firm is determined to pose an undue risk to U.S. national security.

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Separately, the Commerce Department said Wednesday it would add Huawei to its list of persons and entities deemed to be acting against U.S. security or foreign policy interests, meaning American firms will have to get government permission to export anything to Huawei and its affiliates. Some analysts say it is highly unlikely that U.S. companies will be given exemptions allowing them to sell to Huawei.

Its essentially a death knell, said Samm Sacks, an expert on cybersecurity policy and Chinas digital economy at New America, a nonpartisan think tank.

The huge unknown is whether Trumps moves are meant to provide leverage for getting a favorable trade deal with China, or those actions  which have bipartisan support in Congress  are here to stay.

Tariffs have been Trumps main tool for exerting pressure on trading partners, but at times, he also has spoken about cutting China a break on trade if its government helped him achieve other goals, such as denuclearization of North Korea.

Trump also has linked trade talks to Decembers detention of Meng Wanzhou, Huaweis chief financial officer. Meng, daughter of Huaweis founder and chief executive, Ren Zhengfei, was arrested in Canada on U.S. charges for conspiring to violate U.S. sanctions on Iran.

In the presidents mind, everything is negotiable, trade-able, Elizabeth Economy, director for Asia studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, said in a conference call Thursday.

Meng is fighting extradition to the United States, a process that could take months if not years. Her lawyers have indicated that they will use Trumps comment that he could intervene if it would help achieve a trade deal as evidence that her arrest was politically motivated.

Mengs case has strained relations between Canada and China, with Chinese authorities arresting two Canadians in China on accusations of crimes related to national security in what many see as a retaliation.

Although the executive order Trump signed Wednesday had been long anticipated, its breadth surprised many analysts. The move to add Huawei to the Commerce Departments Entity List came as a further shock. Although that decision was less stringent than a flat-out ban on U.S. exports to ZTE, the blacklisting was seen as draconian and potentially crippling to one of Chinas proudest and most successful global companies.

Huawei does little business in the United States. The company, the worlds largest telecom equipment maker, has had a black eye in the U.S. for many years thanks largely to intelligence community warnings that Beijing could use the company for spying and other nefarious purposes.

But the Shenzhen-based firm relies on a long list of U.S. suppliers for its $100-billion-plus operations, including Flex, Qualcomm, Broadcom and Seagate Technology. After China, the United States is by far the largest source of supplies. Taiwan and Japan are a distant third and fourth, respectively.

If American firms arent able to get approval from the Commerce Department to sell to Huawei, that could have a significant effect on Huaweis ability to do business. At the very least, the rapid growth that Huawei has enjoyed over the last decade would be slowed.

If Huawei lost access to U.S. chips, the company could fill the hole by turning to Samsung, based in South Korea. But that could be difficult if the U.S. pressured its ally.

Some analysts said Huawei might ultimately have to redesign some of its products if it loses access to U.S. components, some of which may not be easily replaceable. And there will be spillovers given Huaweis size.

This kind of thing creates a lot of havoc in the global supply chain, said Paul Triolo, head of the geo-technology practice at Eurasia Group, a consultancy.

Moreover, the administrations one-two punch could influence whether European countries and others decide to use Huawei equipment as they build their fifth-generation, or 5G, wireless networks. Huawei has a large presence in Europe, but the United Kingdom and Germany could have second thoughts about opening up the 5G work to Huawei if the companys ability to deliver is seen as being jeopardized by the U.S. restrictions.

Huawei, which has 188,000 employees around the world, has been waging a publicity campaign to counter U.S. efforts to have others shun it. The company has also been stockpiling components and racing to develop its own supply capabilities in case the United States issued a ban like the one that hit ZTE.

On Thursday, Huawei issued a statement opposing the U.S. blacklisting action, saying it would do significant economic harm to U.S. companies, affect tens of thousands of American jobs and disrupt the global supply chain.

Huawei will seek remedies immediately and find a resolution to this matter, the company said. We will also proactively endeavor to mitigate the impacts of this incident.

American companies that sell directly to Huawei would feel a hit as well, but the biggest suppliers to the Chinese firm, such as Flex, Qualcomm and Broadcom, derive only a small share of their overall revenues from Huawei, according to company data. Some smaller firms have much higher exposure.

China, in comments released by its embassy in Washington and attributed to representatives of its foreign and commerce ministries, said: We firmly oppose the act of any country to impose unilateral sanctions on Chinese entities based on its domestic laws, and to abuse export control measures while making national security a catch-all phrase.

We urge the U.S. to stop its wrong practices, create conditions for Chinese and American companies to carry out normal trade and cooperation, and avoid causing more damage to bilateral economic and trade ties, the representatives said. The Chinese side will take necessary measures to safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of our companies.

The Commerce Department will have 150 days to develop rules to implement Trumps executive order, but the broad language of the directive suggests that any Chinese company having to do with the digital economy could be at risk of being prohibited from doing business in the United States, including U.S. firms that count on Chinese supplies. The impact could go beyond the telecom infrastructure to reach companies like the Chinese computer maker Lenovo, which has major sales and operations in the United States.

Wheres the fallout going to be? Sacks asked. And for the global supply chain and the world where that has a ripple effect, its certainly going to be a factor, she said.

But Derek Scissors, a China expert at the American Enterprise Institute, said the fact that the administration did not flatly ban doing business with Huawei, as it did with ZTE, indicates that they do not want to drive the firm out of business.

There are certainly developments that could cause Commerce to deny all sales to Huawei, but thats not what the order does, and it doesnt do that because of a conscious choice by the administration, he said. I expect continued U.S. supply of some components to Huawei.

At the same time, analysts dont expect Trump to reverse the Commerce Department action and take Huawei off the blacklist, as he did with ZTE. That move, which was widely seen as a concession to China, brought a volley of criticism from congressional Republicans and other Trump allies.

In China, the near-death experience of ZTE was seen as a wake-up call for the company to develop internal supply capabilities and wean itself more quickly from foreign companies. The latest U.S. action targeting Huawei could further strengthen anti-American feelings, making the current trade conflict and other disputes harder to resolve.

The Entity List, in particular, will be seen by the Chinese as an aggressive action to contain China, experts said.

There were many reasons why the United States is not off the mark in terms of going after Huawei, said Economy, the Council on Foreign Relations scholar. She cited Huaweis evasion of U.S. sanctions on Iran and cases of intellectual property theft, among other factors.

But I think this last step does speak very directly to the Chinese, strengthening the feeling that the U.S. is just trying to contain our economic growth and our rise as a technological superpower, Economy said. I think it takes it a little bit over the line.

Times staff writer Suhauna Hussain in Los Angeles contributed to this report.

The latest from Washington 

More stories from Don Lee 
President Trump will announce a sweeping immigration plan Thursday to boost border security and foreign workers while reducing family reunification, but the White House proposal has little chance of advancing in Congress.

The unveiling of the long-awaited plan, which was prepared by Jared Kushner, will not be accompanied by proposed legislation for Congress to consider, or widespread buy-in from lawmakers whose support would be necessary for it to be enacted.

Trump has similarly struggled to get Congress to back other border and immigration policies, including appropriating money to build a wall along the southern border, his signature campaign pledge. He declared a national emergency on the border to tap the Pentagon budget and other federal funds instead.

The White House framed the Kushner plan as an overdue effort to modernize the sprawling U.S. immigration system, which has defied attempts at reform for decades. Officials said more details, and a formal legislative proposal, would follow in several weeks.

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Kushner, the presidents son-in-law and senior advisor, has worked on the proposal for months, consulting several outside groups and briefing conservative lawmakers, but sharing few details in public.

It faces resistance from immigration advocates and other opponents, in part because it does not address the estimated 10.7 million people illegally in the United States, or the so-called Dreamers, the estimated 800,000 migrants who were brought to the country illegally as children.

It is also competing with half a dozen bills already introduced in Congress that seek to address the recent surge of Central American families and children arriving at the southern border.

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), one of Trumps closest allies in Congress, poured cold water on the White House plan even before it was announced.

Its not meant to be a bipartisan solution, he said. Its meant to be a marker for what we want.

The plan doesnt include Dreamers or thousands of immigrants under Temporary Protected Status  or anything for Democrats, Graham told The Times en route to introduce his own immigration legislation.

This is a Heres what merit-based immigration looks like under the Trump administration, heres what border security looks like, which is progress, but isnt going to resolve the systemic problems, he said.

The proposal would shift priorities in the U.S. immigration system. It would increase the percentage of immigrants admitted on merit from 12% of the those receiving green cards to 57%, while making changes to the asylum process and reducing the number of people admitted based on extended family connections, according to senior administration officials who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The formula would not change total immigration levels, one official said.

Were not increasing it, were not decreasing it, the official said. Were just changing the composition.

Kushners plan gives priority to children and spouses, but not extended family members, and eliminates the diversity visa, in order to focus more on employment and skills-based immigration, another senior administration official said.

High-skilled professionals such as doctors or welders, as well as exceptional students, would receive preferential treatment.

Wed like to keep the best and brightest, the official said, describing the merit-based aspect of the proposal as a color-blind way to ensure people from poor and underrepresented countries can immigrate to the United States.

As for border security, the proposal would increase resources at ports of entry to enable 100% screening for all goods and people crossing the border and to enhance efforts to detect smuggling, according to the second official.

Sen. Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.), the Senate minority leader, rejected the plan on Wednesday, saying the White House hadnt reached out to any Democrats to consult on it. He said that the role of Stephen Miller, an avowed immigration hardliner who is also a senior advisor to Trump, would doom the effort.

Dont come up with a plan that Stephen Miller rubber-stamps and say, Now pass it, Schumer told reporters. Its not going to happen.

The first administration official pushed back on the criticism, saying the plan was open to negotiations.

Nobodys ever put something out and people say: Thats the greatest idea, lets sign it tomorrow, lets do a parade for you, the official said. Where you start is never where you end. This is the right place to start.
With their playbook for pushing government boundaries as a guide, some Silicon Valley investors are nudging election officials toward an innovation that prominent coders and cryptographers warn is downright dangerous for democracy.

Voting by phone could be coming soon to an election near you.

As seasoned disruptors of the status quo, tech pioneers have proven persuasive in selling the idea, even as the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine specifically warn against any such experiment.

The fight over mobile voting pits technologists who warn about the risks of entrusting voting to apps and cellphones against others who see internet voting as the only hope for getting most Americans to consistently participate on election day.

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There are so many things that could go wrong, said Marian Schneider, president of Verified Voting, a coalition of computer scientists and government transparency advocates pushing for more-secure elections. It is an odd time for this to be gaining momentum.

Behind the vote-by-phone push is a political operative who grew rich helping Uber elbow its way onto city streets and Bird populate the sidewalks with electric scooters, and who sees mobile voting as a potential cure for an ailing democracy.

Bradley Tusk is using the same tactics in this personal crusade that he used to advance tech startups. He has bet a significant share of the fortune he built off his equity stake in Uber that the gospel of mobile voting will spread so fast that most Americans will have the option of casting their ballots for president by phone as soon as 2028.

He has already persuaded the state of West Virginia and the City of Denver to start tinkering with voting by phone, and hopes to move quickly from there.

What we learned at Uber is once the genie is out of the bottle, it cant be put it back in, said Tusk, a venture capitalist who managed former New York Mayor Michael R. Bloombergs reelection campaign before bouncing to Silicon Valley. In the tech world, he invests in startups that face political and regulatory hurdles, then helps knock those hurdles down by galvanizing the publics appetite for game-changing innovations.

Bradley Tusk (Courtesy of Tusk Ventures)

Tusk is certain participation in elections would surge if the technology were widely permitted, even though studies in some of the few places around the world that have tried the method revealed no big turnout boost. Although turnout for the 2018 midterm election was the highest in more than a century, it still brought out only about half of eligible Americans. And while turnout has gone up for presidential contests, it has dropped sharply for many state and local elections around the country.

The entrepreneur frames the fight as one pitting reformers against special interests invested in a low turnout that makes lawmakers unaccountable and easy to corrupt. He talks of the security concerns as if they are a sideshow. Sure, the scholars raising them are earnest, he said, but their approach to the challenge bewilders him. He likens them to people whose only solution to making a swimming pool safer is to fill it with concrete.

(Graphics reporting by Evan Halper; Lorena Elebee / Los Angeles Times)

He and the executives at Boston-based Voatz, the company he is working with, say the way to make the technology more secure is to improve it through more pilot programs.

Magic beans, responds Josh Benaloh, a senior cryptographer at Microsoft, accusing backers who make claims for secure voting technology of peddling something that doesnt exist. Benaloh sits on the National Academies committee that has warned against the technology.

This is a personal crusade for Tusk. He has refrained, he said, from investing in any of the start-up firms he recruits. His motivation comes from the dismay he developed over what he saw in politics, most notably when he was deputy governor in Illinois under Rod R. Blagojevich, who is serving 14 years in federal prison for corruption. Tusk detailed his disgust in a book he wrote in 2018 titled The Fixer: My Adventures Saving Startups from Death by Politics.

I dont see a world where the country can survive long term without something that fixes the dysfunction, Tusk said. Maybe this is that something.

Hes meeting with election officials all over the country, offering to pay for pilot mobile voting programs out of his own pocket, as he did in West Virginia and Denver. Tusk is aiming to get 25 such pilots launched over the next few years, spending as much as $50 million. He is optimistic that a couple of states will work with him to allow voting by phone in the 2020 presidential primaries.

So far the pilot programs have been small. West Virginia used the Voatz app to offer mobile voting as an option to military personnel serving abroad in both the primary and general election in 2018. There were 144 votes cast in the state using it. Denver officials offered it as an option to several dozen voters in municipal elections this month. Tusk is confident that states that start dabbling in it will scale up quickly, and make the tech universally available in just a few election cycles.

The technology can be perfected, but people have to look at this, said Mike Queen, deputy chief of staff to West Virginias secretary of state. At a national gathering of secretaries of state next month in Santa Fe, West Virginia will be urging other states to launch their own pilot programs.

That prospect alarms some of the nations most prominent election-security thinkers, who see in Tusk a formidable adversary with an intimidating public relations tool kit. They say he and other promoters for the projects are misleading election officials about how secure the systems are.

There is wide agreement among computer security experts that this is problematic, said David Dill, a professor emeritus in computer science at Stanford. It disturbs me that officials are getting enthusiastic about this voting technology without talking to the people who have the expertise to evaluate its security.

The National Academies report warns that the risks of this and other forms of internet voting are more significant than the benefits.

Secure Internet voting will likely not be feasible in the near future, the report said.

Saul Rubinek (l) and Paul Giamatti starred in a recent episode of BILLIONS where corrupt politicians schemed around voting by phone. (Jeff Neumann / SHOWTIME)

The report specifically disputes claims by firms like Voatz that say their system is secure because it sends votes over a blockchain. The technology leverages a network of potentially thousands of independent computers with their own security systems, aiming to diffuse risk. Promoters of such voting say hackers could not alter an election without penetrating thousands of independent security systems.

That argument is in dispute.

Anybody who is promoting blockchain voting either doesnt understand blockchains, doesnt understand voting, or is being dishonest, said Benaloh, the Microsoft cryptographer. He was speaking at a panel earlier this month at Columbia University that also included West Virginia Secretary of State Mac Warner.

Cryptographers tick off a list of reasons blockchain technology used for such things as trading Bitcoin wont work for protecting American election systems, which foreign agents already see as ripe for attack. The cryptographers warn that the app could be breached and stealthily redesigned to rig votes, that malware spread onto voters phones could make the system go haywire, that blockchains themselves introduce new security vulnerabilities.

Spreading voting out over the internet, computer experts at Americas most prominent research universities caution, also makes it impossible to create a reliable backup paper trail that election officials can use to audit results.

Blockchains dont solve any of the problems, Benaloh said. They actually introduce new ones, and make things worse.

Voatz is refusing to open up its code to unaffiliated programmers and cryptographers like Benaloh and Dill for stress testing of vulnerabilities, citing trade secrets. But its chief executive, Nimit Sawhney, bristles at their critiques, saying they reflect a misunderstanding of how we use the blockchain.

The stakes are high. The lead investor behind Voatz is the venture arm of Overstock.com, which states its mission is to change the world by advancing blockchain technology.

West Virginia officials say they are taking it slowly. They have no plans right now to expand beyond overseas military personnel, saying those are voters who could otherwise be disenfranchised, and that the states audit showed the Voatz technology was effective in enabling them to vote securely.

But Tusk believes the technology will spread quickly.

Once we prove this is a thing that works and people can do it, I think there will be real demand for it, he said. And he has learned well how to inject the pitch into popular discussion.

Recently, the idea of voting by phone emerged as a subplot on the popular Showtime drama Billions. The plot twist came after Tusk had dinner with one of the shows creators. In the show, security concerns scarcely register as a legitimate barrier. The foil is a corrupt Washington politician motivated by anything but the public good.

What did Tusk think of the way the show framed his battle?

It was great, he said.
Last year, the city of Minneapolis decided to permit duplexes and triplexes on residential land previously zoned only for single-family homes.

The decision kicked off a national debate over the future of single-family-only zoning. Single-family-home building has dominated development in California over much of the last century. But now, as the states housing-affordability challenges continue, local and state officials are considering changes that would allow as many as four homes on land now set aside for one.

On this episode of Gimme Shelter: The California Housing Crisis Podcast, we feature a panel discussion with San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo, Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf, Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg and Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs. The Times Liam Dillon moderated the panel, which was presented by the Urban Land Institutes San Francisco chapter. The mayors talked about the future of single-family-only zoning in their cities during a wide-ranging conversation about housing in their communities.

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Gimme Shelter, a biweekly podcast that looks at why its so expensive to live in California and what the state can do about it, features Liam Dillon, who covers housing affordability issues for the Los Angeles Times Sacramento bureau, and Matt Levin, data and housing reporter for CALmatters.

You can subscribe to Gimme Shelter on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Soundcloud, Google Play and Overcast.

California could bring radical change to single-family-home neighborhoods 

liam.dillon@latimes.com

Twitter: @dillonliam
A high-profile bill that would have increased home building near mass transit and in single-family home neighborhoods across California has been killed for the year, ending a major battle over how to address the states housing affordability crisis that has attracted attention nationwide.

Senate Bill 50 by Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) would have required cities to allow four- to five-story apartment complexes near rail stations and four or more homes on land zoned only for single-family homes across Los Angeles, San Francisco, Silicon Valley and much of the rest of California.

The measure would have radically altered the states growth patterns to direct significant new development toward urban areas, something the bills backers said was necessary to make housing more affordable and to meet the states goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

But opponents of the legislation argued that changes under SB 50 would have unalterably diminished the quality of life in many California neighborhoods dominated by single-family home development. Others against the bill worried that its efforts to spur building would displace low-income residents already threatened by the states high housing costs.

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Disputes over SB 50 revealed deep divisions among Democrats who dominate the Legislature over solutions to Californias longstanding housing affordability problems.

Median home prices in the state have reached $548,000, nearly 2 times the national average, according to real estate website Zillow. Nine and a half million renters  more than half of Californias tenant population  are burdened by high rents, spending at least 30% of their income on housing costs, according to a recent analysis by UC Berkeleys Haas Institute for a Fair and Inclusive Society.

Lawmakers representing the states urban centers  predominantly from the Bay Area  were SB 50s chief supporters, while legislators from suburban areas worked to narrow the bill and ultimately blocked it.

Sen. Anthony Portantino, a Democrat from La Canada Flintridge and chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, said he was against SB 50 because it would have trumped zoning rules that are almost exclusively under the control of cities and counties. Portantino announced that the bill had been shelved until 2020 at the beginning of the committees hearing Thursday morning.

Portantino said in an interview that he was especially concerned by provisions in the bill that would have increased density around busy bus routes, saying doing so would be out of scale with existing communities.

A lot of them go through residential neighborhoods, he said.

The demise of SB 50 marks the second time in two years that an effort from Wiener to increase home building near transit has been shelved without a vote on the floor in either house of the Legislature. But while the fate of Wieners bill last year was expected because of substantial opposition from labor unions, many low-income housing advocates and local governments, Thursdays action was a surprise.

Though cities and counties remained opposed to Wieners efforts this year, the legislator secured backing from the powerful State Building & Construction Trades Council of California, the labor group representing construction workers. He was also in negotiations with tenant organizations over potential changes to the bill, and found additional new supporters including environmental and other labor groups that hadnt weighed in last year.

Gov. Gavin Newsom also made addressing the states housing affordability crisis one of the centerpieces of his 2018 gubernatorial campaign, adding momentum to Wieners efforts. Newsom called for a building boom in the state, including the construction of 3.5 million new homes by 2025, a pace that would more than quadruple Californias current output.

Though Newsom did not take a position on SB 50, he said in a statement after the decision that he was disappointed the bill was blocked.

Developing housing around transit must also be part of the solution, and todays developments cant end or stall that critical conversation, Newsom said.

The governors office did not respond to questions about whether he attempted to intervene to keep the bill alive, and Portantino declined comment on whether he had spoken with the governor about it.

There was no public vote blocking SB 50 on Thursday. Though lawmakers can shelve bills in appropriations committees without explaining how or why action was taken, making it unclear who killed the legislation, committee and legislative leaders are principal decision makers.

When asked if he made the decision to block the bill, Portantino responded: Im the chair of the committee.

Despite the action Thursday, Wiener said he has not given up on the bill advancing this year, but conceded that moving it forward would be very difficult.

Were not giving up trying to move it forward this year, Wiener said. This is not over.

The Legislature has complicated procedures that allow bills to be revived, but it would take extraordinary levels of support that would probably involve strong-arming by legislative leaders. Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins (D-San Diego) released a statement after the decision Thursday complimenting Wiener for his effort, and said the legislation would not be heard again until 2020. Atkins office did not respond to an interview request.

Even with the increased support that Wiener won this year, the bill faced a steep climb. Last month, he changed the legislation to reduce its impact in smaller counties, amendments made as concessions to Sen. Mike McGuire (D-Healdsburg), who represents Marin, Sonoma and other suburban and rural Northern California communities. McGuire said that smaller communities should not have to accommodate as much density as their larger counterparts.

Those changes turned McGuire into a supporter of SB 50, but many local government and neighborhood groups remained opposed, including city councils in Los Angeles and San Francisco.

Los Angeles City Councilman Paul Koretz, who represents part of the Westside, applauded the bills demise.

This bill is intended to destroy single-family home neighborhoods in the state, he said in a statement. I believe a majority of Californians do not share in that goal. We will be vigilant to fight SB 50 when it rears its ugly head again in 2020.

Had the bill advanced on Thursday, Wiener said he believed he had enough votes for the bill in the Senate to move it to the Assembly. But if he cant revive SB 50 this year, he plans to try again in January.

Were either serious about solving this crisis, or we arent, he said. At some point, we will need to make the hard political choices necessary for California to have a bright housing future.

liam.dillon@latimes.com

@dillonliam
President Trump has pardoned Pat Nolan, a former Republican state legislative leader who spent years in prison after being convicted in the Shrimpscam FBI sting in the 1990s and later became a high-profile conservative apostle for criminal justice reform.

Reached by phone Wednesday evening, Nolan said he was obviously very grateful.

I had hoped to get one, but actually Im really hopeful that the president will issue many more pardons, Nolan, 68, said. There are a lot of other people that are incarcerated who would be better off at home with their family.

Nolan served 26 months of a 33-month prison sentence after pleading guilty in what would become one of Sacramentos most notorious political corruption cases.

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I am so grateful that God used my time in prison to open my eyes to injustice, and equipped me to advocate for the voiceless, and I am thankful that President Trump saw fit to grant me a pardon, Nolan tweeted shortly after the announcement.

Trump also announced clemency Wednesday for former newspaper mogul Conrad Black, who wrote a flattering biography of Trump last year. Black was convicted on three counts of mail fraud and one count of obstruction of justice in a scheme to bilk stockholders out of millions of dollars. He ultimately served 37 months in prison after an appeals court vacated two of the fraud convictions.

Nolan, who was elected to the Legislature in 1978 and served as Assembly GOP leader in the 1980s, was secretly videotaped accepting checks from an undercover FBI agent in a scheme to support a bill that would have helped a fictitious company open a shrimp processing plant near Sacramento.

Facing six counts of racketeering, conspiracy, extortion and money laundering in Shrimpscam, Nolan instead pleaded guilty to one count of racketeering in exchange for a lesser sentence. He maintained his innocence and said he pleaded guilty only to avoid a longer sentence that could have kept him away from his family.

In a statement released Wednesday evening, the White House characterized Nolans decision as a difficult choice.

Determined to help his wife raise their three young children, Mr. Nolan chose to accept the plea, the statement read.

After leaving prison, Nolan became a prominent conservative voice on criminal justice reform. He took a job as president of Justice Fellowship, a Virginia-based group founded by disgraced Nixon White House aide Chuck Colson that advocates for sentencing reform.

Nolan met Colson, who was incarcerated for obstruction of justice in the Watergate case, while he was still in prison. He said he regarded the former White House aide as an older brother.

Nolan called his experiences in prison transformative. Speaking to The Times in 2007, he compared incarceration to amputation: Cut off from family, community job, church and, with your stump still bleeding, youre tossed into this boiling cauldron of anger, hatred, bitterness, sexual repression.

The former assemblyman, who is also a lawyer, lives in Arizona and leads the Center for Criminal Justice Reform at the American Conservative Union Foundation, which runs CPAC, the annual political conference for conservatives.

Over the years, changes hes proposed to the criminal justice system include the use of probation and parole to allow low-risk offenders to keep their jobs, redirecting prison construction funds toward hiring more parole officers, and expanding skills training and industry in prisons.

It is clear that neither the liberal approach, which treats crime as a mere byproduct of poverty  nor the standard conservative approach, which boils down to little more than lock em up, makes our communities any safer, Colson and Nolan wrote in a joint op-ed in 1997.

The White House statement said Nolan is uniformly described as a man of principle and integrity and highlighted his work helping pass the Prison Rape Elimination Act, the Second Chance Act and the Fair Sentencing Act, a law signed by President Obama that reduced the sentencing disparities between crack cocaine and powder cocaine offenses.

Conservatives, including former Virginia Atty. Gen. Ken Cuccinelli, had pushed for Nolans pardon for years. Last year, conservative magazine the Spectator ran a piece urging President Trump to follow through.

christine.maiduc@latimes.com

For more on California politics, follow @cmaiduc.
Californias budding cannabis industry isnt exactly blossoming. Its having trouble sprouting. So a San Francisco legislator has some unique ideas.

Democratic Assemblyman Phil Ting, influential chairman of the budget committee, wants the state to break a promise made to voters in 2016 when they approved Proposition 64 to legalize non-medical use of marijuana.

Voters were told unequivocally thered be local control over how many pot shops were allowed in their communities and where theyd be located. Many cities and counties have not approved any  not even for medicinal use  although local citizens voted to legalize weed.

So Ting wants to substantially weaken local governments control. Hed force them to approve at least one medicinal marijuana dispensary for every four liquor licenses, or one for every 10,000 people, whichever is less.

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The second thing hed do is exempt from his legislation all cities and counties that voted against Proposition 64. Only those communities that supported legalization would be forced to license pot retailers.

Also exempt from his bill would be cities and counties whose voters approved a local measure allowing at least some pot shops. And theyd be exempt if they voted not to allow any.

California might triple the number of marijuana shops across state 

So thered still be local control by the voters  just not by their elected representatives on the city councils and county boards of supervisors.

This is a situation in which 57% of voters passed an initiative championed by current Gov. Gavin Newsom and a legislator is saying, in effect, Never mind. Its not working the way we want. Lets change it without another statewide vote of the people.

Ting says his bill, AB 1356, is necessary because the black market is flourishing in the absence of locally approved dispensaries and stunting the growth of legal marijuana retailers.

If we dont do something this year, were at risk of putting all legal cannabis out of business, Ting told me. The black market can operate at much lower cost with no oversight.

We need cities to be a little more open to allowing legal businesses to start up. Weve got to do everything we can to encourage black markets to come out in the open. Theres now no incentive for them to be a legal operator. They dont have to deal with health inspectors, pay for permits, pay taxes.

But theyre at risk because theyre operating illegally, I noted. The legislator replied, Youre only breaking the law if they can catch you.

And lets face it: Busting people on pot raps is a thing of the past. That was the main goal of voters who legalized marijuana.

The principal sponsor of Tings bill is the union that represents caregivers, United Domestic Workers of America. Some caregivers must drive many miles to buy legal medicinal marijuana for their clients, the union asserts, and often arent reimbursed for gas.

There are cannabis deserts throughout the Central Valley, says Beverly Yu, a union lobbyist. In Kern County, patients dont have stable access to medical cannabis. The closest route to a licensed dispensary is 80 miles north or 90 miles south through the Grapevine.

One year of legal pot sales and California doesnt have the bustling industry it expected. Heres why 

The failure of the legal marijuana industry to match original expectations is shown in the new revision of Newsoms proposed state budget. His number crunchers projected $647 million in cannabis excise tax revenue for the current and next fiscal years, down $223 million from what was forecast in January.

Im committed to getting this back on track, Newsom told reporters.

Newsom hasnt taken a position on Tings bill. When Proposition 64 was written, the then-lieutenant governor agreed to give cities and counties local control so they wouldnt fight the measure. It worked. They stayed neutral.

Now theyre fighting Tings bill, which cleared an Assembly committee on a 12-7 vote last month.

Philosophically, cities may not want [pot shops], and thats their right under Proposition 64, says Charles Harvey, lobbyist for the League of California Cities. California has the most diverse cities in the country.

There are 255 cities where Proposition 64 passed but the city council has not approved any retail outlets, Ting says. They include Burbank and Anaheim.

Right now you can get cannabis in Burbank and Anaheim, Ting says. You just cant do it from a legal operation. Its being sold illegally underground by people who have no idea what theyre doing.

Cara Martinson, lobbyist for the California State Assn. of Counties, says Tings bill flies in the face of Proposition 64 and is shortsighted.

Not even the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws is wild about the measure. We have concerns, Deputy Director Ellen Komp says.

If its state law, it [should be] state law everywhere, she says, criticizing all the exemptions. I think its a little heavy-handed. [Marijuana] is still going to have to achieve acceptance city by city, county by county. When you try to force it on a locality, it feels threatened.

Would this California town have become so pro-cannabis if not for a councilwomans pot industry ties? 

This isnt strictly a Democrat vs. Republican fight either.

Democratic Assemblywoman Jacqui Irwin of Thousand Oaks, a former City Council member, voted against the bill in committee. Its too extreme for me, she says.

If the local population feels differently than the city council, it can vote out those council members.

Excellent point.

Moreover, the state really shouldnt be breaking promises to voters. Theyre already hyper-mistrustful. And this was a pledge made by a future governor.

More from George Skelton 

george.skelton@latimes.com

Follow @LATimesSkelton on Twitter
When Davis Magnet School teacher Emily Matthews found out shed be giving a lesson about the human brain as part of the science curriculum, she figured she should make it a hands-on experience for her sixth-graders.

And it seemed a no-brainer to invite Dr. Robert Louis, program director of the Skull Base and Pituitary Tumor Program of the Hoag Neurosciences Institute, to share with Matthews class and two others how he uses virtual reality to prepare for surgeries.

Google virtual reality headsets were placed on students desks at the Costa Mesa school Wednesday afternoon. But before they got to see a fly-through of the brain, Louis began with a presentation about his profession.

The Boston native described neurosurgery as a relatively young field that still has way to go in advancing with technology.

Before the modern tools used now, patients would be left with dramatic skull deformations because brain surgeons would shave the scalp and then cut the skull apart to remove a tumor. Now, surgeons can discreetly remove a tumor by slicing under a persons eyebrow.

1 / 6 Davis Magnet School sixth-graders use virtual reality goggles to take a journey through the human brain, courtesy of neurosurgeon Robert Louis. (Don Leach / Daily Pilot) 2 / 6 Dr. Robert Louis of the Hoag Neurosciences Institute shows sixth-graders at Davis Magnet School in Costa Mesa how he prepares for brain surgery using virtual reality technology. (Don Leach / Daily Pilot) 3 / 6 Dr. Robert Louis of the Hoag Neurosciences Institute shows sensitive areas of the brain using a virtual reality photo during a demonstration at Davis Magnet School in Costa Mesa. (Don Leach / Daily Pilot) 4 / 6 Sixth-graders at Davis Magnet School in Costa Mesa made a diagram of the nervous system for Wednesdays visit by neurosurgeon Robert Louis. (Don Leach / Daily Pilot) 5 / 6 Davis Magnet School sixth-grader Solanah Seigel takes a virtual reality trip through the human brain during a demonstration by Dr. Robert Louis of the Hoag Neurosciences Institute. (Don Leach / Daily Pilot) 6 / 6 Neurosurgeon Robert Louis chats with sixth-grader Grady Starn during a program about the brain and neuroscience at Davis Magnet School in Costa Mesa. (Don Leach / Daily Pilot)

The goal is to sneak in and sneak out and leave patients as undisturbed as possible without anyone noticing  kind of like a cat burglar, Louis said.

A high-definition video showed a real-life example of a brain tumor being dragged out through a patients nostrils, which instantly brought ewws and whoas from students and teachers.

Cutting-edge technology

Hoag, based in Newport Beach, is one of the few hospitals in Orange County to treat neurosurgery patients using the Surgical Navigation Advanced Platform, or SNAP. It fuses medical imaging with gaming technology and 3D virtual reality systems to help surgeons practice procedures before performing them on a patient.

To see inside a brain, surgeons can put on Oculus goggles equipped with motion sensors and fly through one of the bodys largest and most complex organs.

Louis, who specializes in minimally invasive endoscopic transsphenoidal surgery, demonstrated how he would enter a brain through a patients nose, as a student requested.

The sixth-graders crowded around Louis and shot video as he pulled himself past the brain stem and pushed toward the frontal lobes.

Before SNAP, preparing for brain surgery consisted of drinking a cup of coffee and relying on past knowledge, Louis said.

Instead of two-dimensional models, we have virtual reality, he said. I can see where arteries are, critical nerves are, fire pathways and visual pathways. I dont have to guess where they are based on knowledge, and now surgeries have become much safer.

Its a giant leap forward for surgeons, he added.

Inspiring a new generation

Students took their cellphones to class to use with the Google VR headset.

They placed the phones against a suction cup on the headset and then, looking through the headsets goggles, watched YouTube videos of surfers before seeing inside a human brain.

Looking through the headset was akin to peeking through a keyhole and seeing into a new world, according to Kaitlyn McGary, 11.

Its like wanting to go somewhere, but you cant get there. But you can do it with the goggles, she said. It was so cool.

Fellow student Grady Starn said trying on VR goggles wasnt anything new for him since he has some at home, but the experience was a bigger step than watching a roller coaster in virtual reality video games.

Madison Stein, 11, said she was inspired to be a neurosurgeon by seeing how technology is helping advance surgeries.

Louis said seeing students get excited about neurosurgery and virtual reality technology is the best part of sharing what he does for a living. He remembers being in sixth grade and seeing a neurosurgeon bring a cadavers brain into the classroom to let students dissect it.

Its how his journey as a neurosurgeon began, and he said he hopes students were inspired by his presentation to do the same.

priscella.vega@latimes.com

Twitter: @VegaPriscella
Costa Mesas new City Council members will take their seats Tuesday, ushering a new slate of representatives into power after an at-times bruising campaign.

The elected representatives from council Districts 3, 4 and 5  Andrea Marr, Manuel Chavez and Arlis Reynolds, respectively  will be sworn into office alongside Katrina Foley, the citys first directly elected mayor.

Their ascensions will officially expand the councils ranks from five members to seven, as outlined in the citys by-district election system, which went into effect this year.

Tuesdays meeting is more than just an installation. One of the newly seated councils first significant decisions will be deciding whether to retain Dave Kiff, who retired from his job as Newport Beachs top administrator at the end of August, for temporary transition assistance in the wake of former city manager Tom Hatchs departure.

If approved, Kiff would provide his services at no cost to the city, according to a staff report. He also would be available to assist in the nationwide recruitment for a new permanent city manager, which will begin as soon as possible.

Kiffs career in Newport Beach spanned 20 years, including nine as city manager. Since leaving, he has served as interim chief executive of the Assn. of California Cities-Orange County.

The proposed arrangement with Costa Mesa would be subject to approval by that bodys board of directors, according to the staff report.

In a letter dated Wednesday, Kiff emphasized he would not be the acting or interim city manager in any way and would instead work collaboratively with current acting City Manager Tammy Letourneau.

This is an important time for Costa Mesa and, if I have a bit of capacity to help out, I am excited to do so, he wrote in the letter to Letourneau.

The question of whether to retain Kiff is on the consent calendar Tuesday, so it wont be discussed separately unless a resident, council member or staff asks.

An alternative would be to recruit someone to fill in as an interim city manager, though there would likely be a cost associated with that approach, according to the staff report.

Hatch officially left the city after the council voted 3-2  with Foley and Councilman John Stephens opposed  to terminate his contract on Nov. 13. He had served as Costa Mesas head administrative employee since 2011.

New support staffing

Council members also are set to vote on whether to hire additional support staff for themselves.

Foleys proposal is to replace a vacant tax auditing specialist job with a new full-time position  senior management analyst/chief of staff to the mayor and City Council  that would be responsible for managing constituent services, legislative research and analysis, coordination with federal and state offices, special projects and ensuring the mayor and council members are fully briefed and prepared for council meetings, press events and community meetings, according to an agenda report.

Under that chief of staff would be three part-time management aides hired to assist council members.

I felt that the City Council, as a department at City Hall, has needed to have some support for responding to constituents and their needs  not only to be accountable, but to do a better job, Foley said Friday.

She said that need will become more pressing with the expansion of the councils membership.

I think that this will relieve some of the burden on our executive staff so they can do the greater policy work  operations, budget, public works, etc., she said. And it will free up time so that the council members can have an identified staffer whos going to really be responsible for constituent services or responding to residents needs.

Combined, these positions would carry an estimated total annual cost of $222,000. For the remainder of this fiscal year, which ends in June, the expected price tag would be $81,000  including $20,000 in projected one-time spending on additional furniture to accommodate these positions in City Hall.

This fiscal years costs would be funded through a reduction in the city attorneys budget, according to the agenda report.

Recognition for Righeimer

Tuesdays meeting will be the last for Councilman Jim Righeimer, who was termed out of office this year. The Mesa Verde resident joined the council in 2010 after previously serving on the citys Planning Commission. He was appointed mayor in December 2012 and held the title for two years.

The city will hold an official recognition for him during the meeting  which starts at 6 p.m. in the Costa Mesa Senior Center, 695 W. 19th St.

luke.money@latimes.com

Twitter @LukeMMoney
Dave Kiff, former city manager of Newport Beach, may temporarily serve in that role for Huntington Beach as the city conducts a nationwide effort to appoint a long-term leader by fall.

Lori Ann Farrell Harrison, currently Huntington Beachs interim city manager following last weeks departure of former top administrator Fred Wilson, has been hired to be city manager of Costa Mesa. Farrell Harrison is expected to take her new post by July 1.

The Huntington Beach City Council will vote Monday on whether to appoint Kiff with hourly pay of $128.29 and no city-provided benefits.

Kiff, who left the Newport Beach city manager job at the end of August, recently served as interim executive director of the Assn. of California Cities-Orange County, a public policy group, where he helped start the Orange County Housing Finance Trust to help fund homelessness solutions and new supportive housing units.

Kiff also was tapped to provide transitional assistance to Costa Mesa at no cost in the wake of former city manager Tom Hatchs departure in November.

Kiffs career in Newport Beach spanned 20 years, including nine as city manager, before he left last summer. He worked on water quality, Newport Bay dredging, the annexations of Newport Coast and Santa Ana Heights, the extension of the citys noise agreement with John Wayne Airport, pension reform and construction of the Civic Center complex.

He received a masters degree in government administration from the University of Pennsylvania and a bachelors in business administration from Cal State Sacramento.

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One Balboa Island residents neighbors want to see him behind bars.

Newport Beach residents who were victims of a string of home burglaries appeared before an Orange County Superior Court judge this week to testify to the material and emotional effects of the crimes that hit the small island community and some residents of Corona del Mar last year.



For the record: The original version of this article misspelled Vicki Stumps last name as Stunk.

The occasion was a hearing in the case against Quinn Kasbar, 19, who faces 29 felony and three misdemeanor counts, including burglary and attempted burglary. Kasbar pleaded not guilty April 23 to the latest in a series of amended charges, according to the county district attorneys office. He pleaded not guilty to initial charges Dec. 4.

Quinn Kasbar, 19, has pleaded not guilty to charges related to a string of Newport Beach home burglaries. (Courtesy of Orange County district attorneys office)

The burglaries Kasbar is accused of occurred between May and December, court documents show. Most were committed in the area around Balboa Island, where the defendant lives and grew up.

For many residents who gave victim impact statements in court Monday, the crimes hit hard materially and financially. For some, they took an even greater emotional and psychological toll.

I was rocked and so was my community, said Corona del Mar resident Claudia Schmutzler.

He took my little pet tortoise, a tortoise Id had for 10 years, Schmutzler said. He takes whatever he wants like its his God-given right. Hes damn good at it and hell do it again.

She said an animal-control officer eventually recovered the tortoise.

Schmutzler, 58, sarcastically described the defendant as an entrepreneur spirit.

He was not just a kid stealing hubcaps, she said. He delights in this. I think the best possible answer is to give him the stiffest sentence possible.

Kasbars attorney, Brian Gurwitz, declined to comment about Mondays proceedings.

Schmutzler, as did others who spoke, said she has bought a guard dog and other security measures for her home. She is asking the court to consider those costs in any future restitution order.

Other residents recounted the loss of jewelry and family heirlooms that held sentimental value.

One man said he had worn his wedding ring every day for 37 years until it was stolen after he happened to leave it at home. It was not among evidence collected by police.

A woman said she lost her mother-in-laws wedding ring, which she had been keeping to give to her daughter.

Balboa Island resident Vicki Stump said she and her husband, Bruce, locked up their home before going to visit family, but five days later, a friend who was checking on their house called to say their safe had been pried from the closet of the master bedroom.

The burglar entered from the third-floor deck, Stump said. The skylight was shattered and the decks door damaged, she said.

I took reasonable precaution to secure the home before I left, Stump said. This was not a burglary of opportunity.

For a resident who gave her name only as Lyssa G., living on Balboa Island was a dream, she said. But soon after she moved to Newport Beach, her home was broken into.

The burglary brought on months of anguish and strained her relationship with people around her, she said. She initially suspected the burglar might be one of her friends.

It was horrible for a long time, and I just didnt feel the same way about the  house that I had just bought, she said, adding that she no longer feels comfortable leaving doors open  part of the appeal of living by the ocean.

Another Balboa Island family took a hit to its financial future.

Tammy R. said a very large amount of cash was stolen from her home safe after it was forced open.

She said the money was intended to pay for her childs college education and contribute to retirement for her and her husband.

Meanwhile, she said, Kasbar, who is out of custody on $550,000 bail, parades around Balboa Island.

He is thumbing his nose at us every day that he is not behind bars, she said.

In response to claims that Kasbar has violated terms of his release, which include restricting where he can go on Balboa Island, Judge Karen Robinson reminded him of the potential consequences if the allegations are substantiated.

Make no mistake, this court will take you into custody and may be compelled to set no bail, Robinson said.

Kasbar is scheduled back in court June 25.

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Around sunset, drums began to pulsate  the sound radiating across Laguna Beachs Main Beach. Like a blooming flower, an umbrella opened, then another, then another, until 1,000 had been opened.

Elizabeth Turks Shoreline Project on Saturday marked a continuation of her Seashell X-Ray Mandala series. For each LED-illuminated umbrella, the Newport Beach artist X-rayed mollusk shells and configured the images into mandala patterns.



For the record: The original version of this article misidentified Jill Robbins as Jill Robinson.

The beach exhibit was part of the Laguna Art Museums sixth annual Art & Nature festival, which ran Thursday through Sunday.

Mandala  meaning universe in Sanskrit, a language of ancient India  is an art form in the Hindu and Buddhist traditions. In some religious conventions, mandalas represent a universe in balance with itself. After being painstakingly created, it is nearly immediately destroyed.

At first, the crowd of volunteers Saturday awkwardly jumped up and down with the umbrellas. Slowly though, they extended across the beach. Some waved their umbrella gracefully, as if it were an extension of their arm. Some flicked their umbrellas lights off and on to the drums cadence.

Some participants came from down the street, some were from Los Angeles, Florida and Reno. Some were in their 80s. Some brought children barely toddling.

The project included about 100 professional dancers from seven dance companies to interact with and provide choreography for other participants.

One thing I asked all the choreographers to do was to think about how we can present  different ways to use the umbrellas so that people might be able to join in as well, said lead choreographer Lara Wilson.

The umbrella is kind of freeing because it [takes] the focus off the individual  and its more about the organism of 1,000 umbrellas than it is the one, Wilson said.

Many participants said they wanted to be part of an experience bigger than themselves.

Some danced with friends, some with family, while others danced with strangers, forming new bonds through the shared experience.

It really does feel like youre part of some sort of animal, participant Julie Curtis said. You feel like youre part of a social group  or herd.

Left. Right. Backward. Forward. Spin.

Slowly, leaders emerged and groups began to choreograph basic dances.

You can feel the energy of the people around you, which enables you to participate and then move forward with another idea, said professional dancer Taylor Unwin. You feel supported by the people around you.

I felt like I was there to facilitate  to inspire people to join in and to feel what it feels like to be part of a collective, Unwin added. [By the end of the performance] there was less of a divide between the audience and the dancers.

Children played with one another, running along the shore, dragging their umbrellas behind.

Conga lines of at least 100 people formed along the shore. Waves crashing over ankles and toes were greeted with smiles and laughter.

A young couple sneaked a kiss under a black-and-white umbrella. They were still, while the kinetic energy of 999 umbrellas moved around them.

People formed large circles and ran forward to collapse them and then outward to expand them, like lungs inhaling and exhaling.

Turk said she set out to create experiences inspiring joy, laughter and generosity.

The next day, she released aerial footage of the exhibit to the participants. From above, it took a form reminiscent of stars or bioluminescent jellyfish.

You see the different groups forming around the beach, said Jennifer Rosenfeld, who came from Santa Monica to take part. All these adults are just playing and having fun.

Turks mother, Jill Robbins, waved her umbrella along with the others.

Im most proud of [her] sensitivity to nature [and] her desire to bring people together, Robbins said of her daughter. And I think she did it tonight.

Katie Licari is a contributor to Times Community News.
Adelia Sandoval sat at the foot of an old oak tree.

A gentle breeze shifted the leaves.

Sunlight shone through the interstices, casting moving shadows on the ground.

The older trees are witnesses to what we do, she said, hands folded in her lap as she looked up. This one I call Mother Tree.

Sandoval, spiritual leader of the Juaneno Band of Mission Indians, has been visiting the tree for the last few years, honoring it by sprinkling sage and saying a prayer. She pays reverence to the oak because it stands on the grounds of one of the first Native American settlements in what became Orange County  the 65-acre Northwest Open Space in San Juan Capistrano.

But the land of the old village is different now.

Whatever natural silence still lingering from the past is accompanied by the hum of the nearby 5 Freeway and an occasional passing train. Cars kick up dust as they head to the neighboring dog park or winery. Large houses straddle the mountains to the west.

Sandoval and her tribe have been fighting for the last few years to create a humble 1-acre educational park and cultural center at the site called Putuidem Village. It would serve as a monument to the first people of Orange County and provide a venue for the tribe to teach its members and the public about its history and traditions. Sandoval would also lead important ceremonies on the site, including mourning the dead.

But tribal members have been worried that the project wont ever be completed due to continual delays from the City Council. Members once again voted in April to delay construction in lieu of two workshops being held on June 5 and June 24, when the public can provide input on the proposed park and cultural center.

Lets pump the breaks on this, Mayor Pro Tem Troy Bourne said at the meeting, urging the council to wait until after the community forums to gauge public opinion.

Mayor Brian Maryott said he was tired of the delays.

This has been going on for so long, and tonight we are splitting hairs about words in our zoning regulations, Maryott said.

For Sandoval, the land is imbued with meaning, serving as a link to the past and guide to the future.

The oak tree is special to the Juaneno tribe because ancestors used the acorns as food. This one stands on the grounds of the one of the first Native American settlements in what became Orange County. (Don Leach / Staff Photographer)

Sandoval, 66, of Tustin has always had a familiarity with her ancestral roots. While growing up in Santa Ana, her mother and father maintained close ties to the tribe.

We were very aware of the tribe growing up, Sandoval said. They would bring us to barbecues and other gatherings when we were little. We always knew we were Juaneno.

She wanted a connection to her roots

As Sandoval aged, she craved a closer connection to the old ways.

After the bodies of several tribal ancestors were unearthed in Rancho Mission Viejo in the early 1990s, a ceremony to honor the deceased was held near the San Mateo campgrounds in San Clemente. Cathy Lobo, who went by Kachi, led the ceremony, teaching those in attendance the four main dances of each clan  deer, eagle, wolf and bear.

Sandoval learned that her family was in the bear clan. Learning the traditional dance left a lasting impression.

The ceremony was one of the most powerful experiences of my life, and I will never forget it as long as I live, Sandoval said. It was beautiful. We danced all night long. I remember the stars sparkling in the sky and the sun slowly coming up. I never felt so good in my life. It was like I found my home  my place to be.

Kachi became Sandovals teacher.

Sandoval balanced her lessons while managing care and halfway homes with her sister for people with mental illness. Much of what Sandoval knows today was gleaned from meetings with Kachi.

She taught me about the stars and their significance, Sandoval said. She taught me about ceremony. She taught me how to impart wisdom to those in trouble.

Sandoval learned that there are hidden messages in all things if one remains open. The flight path of the hawk, the ripple of the creek  there is an intelligence that runs through all things.

Kachi taught Sandoval how to ponder the important questions.

One ritual involved Sandoval sitting in a chair next to a creek with a dream blanket wrapped around her head. Kachi would give her a question to contemplate.

The dark and enveloping nature of the blanket would help Sandoval close herself off from the outside world, concentrating on the question her teacher had posed. Afterward theyd discuss what shed learned.

Kachis body began to decline due to complications of diabetes; she died about four years ago.

She was very sick, Sandoval recalled. She had a body that didnt support her spiritual power. She was an amazing woman. I miss her.

Torch passes from teacher to student

Before she died, Kachi asked Sandoval to take her place as a spiritual leader of the tribe.

To be honest I tried to get out of it, Sandoval said. I said, I dont know if I can do this. She told me, there is nobody else. 

After Kachi died, Sandoval began referring to her as Starmother.

Juaneno spiritual leader Adelia Sandoval stands under the canopy of the Mother Tree in San Juan Capistrano. (Don Leach / Staff Photographer)

Sandoval is tasked within the tribe with leading ceremonies, visiting the sick and elderly and preserving the rituals of their ancestors.

My role is to keep things alive as I can, Sandoval said.

Sandoval tries to keep the youth involved. Relying on oral tradition, she uses storytelling, ceremony and repetition to pass along customs.

Sometimes people want to write it down. I say, just listen,  Sandoval said.

She holds monthly meetings, including regular gatherings at the oak tree. In April, she held a planting stick ceremony, which celebrates the fertilization of plants in spring.

But with all the gadgets of modernity competing for the attention of young minds, it isnt easy to get children interested in the old ways.

If I can just get a handful of them to be interested, then they can keep it going, Sandoval said.

Keeping these customs alive is vitally important to Sandoval because much has already been lost.

The sacred sites and lands of the Acjachemen descendants, whose history traces thousands of years, have been plundered, desecrated and devoured by development. They became known as the Juanenos after Spanish colonialists built Mission San Juan Capistrano in 1776. Today there are about 1,900 members in the tribe.

Sandoval said the Juaneno people lost many of their traditional ways during the missionary era. The old stone church at the mission, now a tourist destination, was built by the Juaneno in the early 1800s.

The Spaniards considered them people of no reason, Sandoval said. Much was lost. But we do have some things, and those are very precious to us.

People have accused me of being too romantic about our ancestors, but I have learned a lot about them to think, Why shouldnt I be? They were magical people. They were extremely brilliant especially those studying cosmology and the stars. They had knowledge and wisdom.

Sandoval returns to the old oak regularly to feel like a part of the land. She sits and ponders the past and future of the tribe, one which may be presaged in the land itself.

You see that yellow, Sandoval said. Thats wild mustard. There was no mustard before the Spanish came here.

The invasive mustard plant dapples the site of the old village and nearby mountains. The invader chokes the native plants.

But the yellow is diminishing, relenting space to the wild sweet pea  the definition of Acjachemen.

The mustard is dying now, Sandoval said. The wild sweet peas are blooming. When you get out of your car and breathe in, it is so fragrant. The red and purple and pink and white. They are growing everywhere.

She paused.

Resilience is in our nature.

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Natalie Asatryan was just 5 when she first experienced the power of yoga.

The Foothills-area student attended a yoga class for kids, where the children were seated in the lotus position, asked to close down their eyes and take a deep breath.

Imagine with each breath youre blowing up a hot air balloon, the teacher told them. Natalie pictured an enormous striped balloon with a heart on it. Relaxation followed, which for her, an irrepressibly bubbly go-getter sort, was no small feat. She was hooked.

It was much more chill than everything else, she said, comparing it to the gymnastics, acting and dancing she did for fun. It was a good way to calm me down.

As time wore on, her interest grew, and at age 9 Natalie wondered what it would take to become a yoga teacher herself. She and her mom, Stella Balasanian, looked for a program willing to accept a student so young, a process that would take three years.

Theyd tell me, Wait till youre 18, Natalie recalled. Since yoga is a lot of philosophy, they said it would be harder to grasp as a kid than an adult.

At age 12, she found a teacher willing to take her on and began the disciplined 200-hour journey toward becoming a certified yoga instructor. Today, at 14, still one of the youngest instructors in the nation, Natalie teaches for children and seniors and donates her time to a number of philanthropic efforts.

14-year-old certified yoga instructor Natalie Asatryan aims to raise $5,000 for the Red Nose Day campaign, benefiting programs that serve children in need. On Sunday, she leads a class at the Crescenta-Canada YMCA to help reach her goal. (Photo by Alexy Posner, AP Brand Group)

On Sunday her love of good causes brings her to La Canada Flintridge, where she will lead a one-hour yoga session at the Crescenta-Canada YMCA to raise awareness and funds for the annual charity campaign Red Nose Day.

The event runs from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. with the class taking place from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The cost is $25, with all proceeds benefiting the Red Nose Day campaign.

Started in the U.K. in 1988 as a telethon, the campaign has raised about $1 billion to support programs that help children in need. People now purchase and wear noses in solidarity, giving the campaign its name.

The effort moved to the United States in 2015 and is run by the nonprofit Comic Relief USA, which has raised nearly $150 million for childrens programs. The monthlong campaign began April 22 and culminates with a May 23 primetime telethon on NBC.

Lauren Spitzer, vice president of fundraising and development for Comic Relief/Red Nose Day, has been following Natalies campaign with interest.

What I love best about her story is what a role model she is for kids, she said. Youre never too young to make a difference. You can do something you love and do it for a cause you believe in  thats so core to who we are.

Although she has her own red nose collection, Natalie joins hundreds of Americans whose support transcends a transaction. Her personal campaign goal this year is $5,000. She thinks helping others awaken to the benefits of yoga, and to a cause making a difference in the world, is the perfect way to give back.

The best way to lift yourself up is to lift others up, she said. I feel like we can do so much, and I really, really want to get other people involved with this.

Balasanian says guiding her daughter through this personal journey has been humbling.

We dont give kids enough credit, she said. Kids are so much stronger and more resilient than we give them credit for. Natalies teaching me that more and more every day.

Kids are really amazing, Natalie agreed. We can do so much more than adults think we can.

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Did you ever get the feeling that the Beatles were having more fun than their fans?

For a while, they certainly did. While paying their dues in Hamburg, Germany, the Beatles enjoyed what one expert called the wildest time of their lives.

Im Chris Erskine (a.k.a., Ringo), filling in for Catharine Hamm on Escapes, as we trip out this week on the Beatles drug-fueled formative years.

Travel writer Dean R. Owen reports many OMG moments in his exploration of the noisy, smoke-filled clubs where the band polished its act. Among the highlights: a three-hour walking tour of the joints, including the site of the Star Club where the Beatles and Jimi Hendrix performed in the 1960s.

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The trip provided me a completely different perspective of the Beatles, says Owen, a fan since the tender age of 8. Rather than the mop-top, Edwardian-suited Liverpool lads on The Ed Sullivan Show, I was able more clearly to envision John, Paul, and George in leather jackets, jeans and cowboy boots emulating Elvis Presley, Little Richard and other American rock n roll icons.

Was it a seedy, twist-and-shout era for the lads? Certainly. The musicians early days in Hamburg featured prostitutes and prellies, the nickname of a stimulant that helped the band through 30 hours of performing per week.

They were never again as free as they were in Hamburg, tour guide Stefanie Hempel said.

If you worry weve lost our moral compass, dont fret. Its here somewhere. In this edition of Escapes, we also look at Doris Days pet-friendly Carmel inn, glide gracefully from England to Scotland aboard a throwback cruise ship and soak up a bit of the Old West in Bishop, Calif.

Escapes isnt just a newsletter; its a frame of mind. As summer approaches, take some inspiration from the Beatles, who always traveled well and played like there was no tomorrow.

Get back to Hamburg

The Beatles legacy can be found in walking tours and stories of how the bands first members (including Pete Best and Stuart Sutcliffe) were housed in dank storage rooms behind a movie screen.

The pre-Ringo Beatles in Hamburg: From left, guest pianist Roy Young performs with drummer Pete Best, Lennon, McCartney and Harrison at the Star-Club. (K&K Ulf Kruger OHG / Redferns)

Veddy, veddy British

Passengers aboard the Black Watch, a Norwegian-owned ship, are veddy, veddy British, according to cruise writer Karl Zimmerman. Join him as he takes the throwback cruise ship, built in 1972, from England to Scotland.

Traditionalists are likely to enjoy the Black Watch, built in 1972. (Karl Zimmerlann)

Bad behavior at 30,000 feet

A report by a U.S. flight attendants union found more than two-thirds of them had been sexually harassed. Elliott Hester, a flight attendant himself, looks at the in-flight struggles of those responsible for our safety.

Flight attendants are frequent victims of harassment. (Pakorn Kumruen / Getty Images / EyeEm)

Doris Day and her beloved dogs

Doris Day was an icon of the screen, but her passion for animals was also legendary. Day, who died Monday at 97, was co-owner of the Cypress Inn in Carmel, Calif., a place Sunset Magazine once described as probably the most famous dog-friendly hotel in the country. Read Mary Forgiones take on the inn that welcomed and pampered pets.

Doris Day and her poodles on set. (Times file photo)

Striking gold in the Sierra

Bishop, Calif., is probably best known as a pit stop between L.A. and Mammoth Lakes. But in her Weekend Escape, travel writer Sara Lessley found theres more to the place than first meets the eye, including a fetching Old West aura.

Bishops Mule Days Parade is another sign of the Old West allure. (Sara Lessley)

See Emerald Cave

Jay Jones tells of a small cave on the Colorado River that turns a brilliant emerald green at certain times of the day. Vegas Glass Kayaks, 35 miles from the Las Vegas Strip, offers river tours to the spot just south of Hoover Dam. The cave is accessible only by boat.

Black Canyon, just below Hoover Dam, site of the magic cave. (Danny Latham)

What were reading

New Yorker staff writer Rebecca Mead reports on the glut of Airbnbs in Barcelona, which attract half a million visitors a year. The article says that Airbnb rentals there are being blamed for driving out residents and for higher rents. Sound familiar?

In the May edition of Esquire magazine (not yet online), writer Jeff Gordinier recommends chef Gabriela Camaras new cookbook, My Mexico City Kitchen, in which she says that a tortilla is just a vehicle for anything that tastes good, including grilled asparagus and fresh marjoram.

And the magazines Esquipedia feature gives us this gem: An airplane is a flying vehicle that makes it possible to depart New York City and, in only six hours, arrive in Los Angeles with the flu.

Hat in hand

As my editor Catharine Hamm likes to remind you, this weekly newsletter gives readers a chance to catch up or browse. You can subscribe to the newsletter and others from the Los Angeles Times for free. Also please consider subscribing to the Los Angeles Times digitally or on paper or both. A print subscription means you can get your hands on our sweeping road trip edition, coming up Sunday. Thank you.

End paper

Im so glad we had this time together. OK, yeah, Im channeling Carol Burnett, in honor of the late Tim Conway, whose basset-hound temperament and masterful timing entertained us for decades. I can just hear Hamm asking where the travel angle is in all this. Well, like a good vacation, you always wanted Conways skits to go on longer than they did. As with any good trip, you never quite knew what lay ahead.

So long, you funny man.
With less than two weeks to form a government, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is confronting an open rebellion from one of his partys top vote-getters, former Education Minister Gideon Saar.

Saar on Thursday accused the prime minister of damaging Israel and their Likud Party by pushing for laws that could weaken Israels judiciary as he faces criminal indictments.

Legislation like this has no benefit and does maximum harm, he said on Israeli television.

Saars condemnation came during a week in which Israel has been roiled by allegations that Netanyahu aims to pass a law that would diminish the status of the Supreme Court and could grant him retroactive immunity in three corruption cases.

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Saar, an attorney who has been open about his ambition to succeed Netanyahu as party leader, holds Likuds top elected position after the prime minister and the parliament speaker.

The daily newspaper Haaretz reported this week that the proposed bill is detailed in an appendix of the agreement Netanyahu is circulating among potential partners in a new governing coalition  one he is struggling to put together after narrowly winning last months election. The plan, the report said, would neutralize the courts judicial review function, possibly providing the prime minister immunity from the cases in which he faces looming indictments.

Netanyahu pushed back against the report.

In a Facebook post Monday, the prime minster accused the media of misleading leaks and distorted commentary including some incorrect proposals. But he did not specify inaccuracies.

He went on to say he supports a strong and independent Court  but that does not mean an omnipotent Court.

He said he hoped to restore the balance of power between branches of government that is required to pass laws that have been disqualified or delayed in the past, laws the public expects us to pass: the expulsion of terrorists families, the death penalty for terrorists and a deportation law for migrants in the nation illegally.

The three measures mentioned by Netanyahu are high on the right wings legislative wish list. But Israeli courts have blocked only a law that would have permitted deportation of immigrants in Israel illegally; the others failed to clear the legislative process.

In a statement published after Saars declaration, the Likud Party said, It is not for nothing that the leftist media keeps embracing Gideon Saar because he doesnt miss an opportunity to undermine Netanyahu and try to topple him.

Making public rumors that have been circulating in Jerusalem all week, Saar asserted that other Likud members are also disturbed by this sort of legislation.

However, Saar defended the prime ministers right to continue in office even after indictments have been served. The law does not forbid it, Saar said.

According to the local reporting, the plan being circulated would neutralize the Supreme Courts judicial review function, preventing it from overruling legislation by the parliament, or Knesset, or decisions passed by the Cabinet. That could prevent the court from blocking legislative efforts to shield Netanyahu from pending indictments.

The Times has not seen the draft coalition agreement, but has confirmed it through several people with knowledge of the language who asked not to be named while talking about the plan. And a wide range of ministerial hopefuls have spoken publicly about it.

The current minister for regional security, Tzachi Hanegbi, of the Likud Party, defended potential changes in Israels immunity law in a radio interview Thursday morning. Bezalel Smotrich of the United Right faction is championing legislative changes.

Yossi Yonah, a former Labor Party member of Knesset and a philosophy professor at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, said Netanyahu had embarked upon an unholy alliance.

To save himself, the prime minister has become an instrument for a wider agenda that completely discards the nature of Israeli democracy, Yonah said.

Yonah, an expert on politics and ethics, said, Israel appears to be in a process we see in many countries right now, in which the nature of its aspirations is changing from liberal democracy to majoritarian democracy.

But he noted that Israels case stands out because the move is in the service of one man, with one aim, to save the ruler.

The bill would turn Israel into an authoritarian regime, he said.

Netanyahu is scheduled to appear at a pre-indictment hearing before Atty. Gen. Avichai Mandelblit on July 10. Mandelblit in February announced his intention to indict Netanyahu on charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust in three corruption cases. Netanyahus attorneys have requested a delayed date for the hearing.

Yair Lapid, an opposition leader, on Monday called on Mandelblit to cancel the hearing and proceed directly to trial. Netanyahu, Lapid charged, doesnt really want a hearing  he needs time to form his get out of jail government.

Israeli President Reuven Rivlin this week granted Netanyahus request for a two-week extension to form the government, which according to the new timetable must be announced by May 29.

Netanyahus possible coalition partners are not making it easy. Late Wednesday, he decried the absurd requests they have presented.

The parties are making impossible demands, the prime minister grumbled. One faction asked for four ministries and budgetary demands we just do not have. If we had a budget like that of the United States, maybe.

Likud holds 36 of the 120 Knesset seats. Netanyahu needs an alliance of at least 61 seats in order to configure the next government.

Israels Netanyahu gets election campaign boost, courtesy of Trump administration 

Many observers believe Netanyahu is piggybacking his own political survival on the banner of judicial reform.

Daniel Friedman, a former minister of justice, said in a radio interview that Israel does need considerable judicial reform, but it is inconceivable that that would be bound up with personal legislation.

Supreme Court Chief Justice Esther Hayut on Tuesday resorted to a Nazi-era reference in an implicit condemnation.

Preserving the principle of judicial independence and the independence of judges is a cornerstone of any democracy, she said during a planned speech to the Israel-Germany Jurists Assn.

Speaking at a conference in Nuremberg, Germany, she noted it was a city in which the rule of law descended to one of its worst moments in human history  in a nation that had enacted one of the most advanced constitutions for the protection of human rights and freedoms.

But calls for reform of the relationship among the judicial, legislative and executive branches have become commonplace in Israels right wing.

Yair Shamir, a former minister of agriculture, said in an interview that judicial interference in Israel hampers basic ministerial functions to the extent that its anarchy.

There is no doubt we need a new equilibrium for the branches of government, he said. Its a flaw in our system and it needs to be fixed.

However, he cautioned that it cant be done unless it is clear all efforts are being made for the good of the state. And were not there yet.

Limor Livnat, a former minister for Netanyahu, tweeted on Wednesday: I voted for the Likud but in no way do I support immunity or the override clause or other similar propositions.

Israels Netanyahu, consummate political survivor, faces voter test and legal peril 

Veteran political analyst Amnon Abramovich said changing the balance of power was discussed even before the elections.

Its being discussed in all the coalition negotiations. But even when there is an agreement, dont expect to see a clause protecting Netanyahu written out in black on white, he said in an interview.

The proposed legislation, Abramovich predicts, will be presented to the public and Knesset as a new governance law intended to prevent the Supreme Court from meddling.

Tarnopolsky is a special correspondent.
Nothing seemed unusual to Rehmana Bibi, the mother of 10-year-old Ali Raza, when the boy came down with a fever at their home in the dusty, largely neglected district of Larkana in southern Pakistan.

Bibi took her son to a doctor, who prescribed acetaminophen syrup and told her there was no need to worry. But she panicked after being alerted that several children who initially came down with a fever had tested positive for HIV in nearby villages.

Alarmed, Bibi took Ali to a hospital, where medical tests confirmed the boy was among about 500 people, mostly children, who authorities say tested positive for the virus, which can lead to AIDS. A physician who has AIDS has since been arrested and is being investigated on suspicion of intentionally infecting patients.

We were in great pain the day we heard about our son testing HIV positive, she said Thursday.

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Bibi said it was heartbreaking to learn that her child contracted HIV at such a young age. She said all her family members have been tested for the virus that attacks the immune system, but Ali was found to be the only victim.

Bibi said she has had sleepless nights from worrying and has been looking after her son since early this month when he was confirmed HIV-positive. She said she wants to see her son healthy and fully recovered as soon as possible.

Sikandar Memon, head of the AIDS Control Program in Sindh province, said that officials have screened 13,800 people from Larkana and that 410 children and 100 adults tested positive for HIV.

Nationwide, the Health Ministry has registered more than 23,000 HIV cases. Health officials have said HIV is usually spread in the country by using unsterilized syringes.

Authorities say the HIV outbreak in Larkana was apparently started when physician Muzaffar Ghangharo infected patients in early April. Ghangharo was arrested this month. Police are still trying to determine whether Ghangharo knowingly spread the disease.

Larkana is the home district of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, who was killed in a bomb and gun attack in the garrison city of Rawalpindi in 2007. Her father, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, also served as prime minister in the 1970s. He was hanged by military dictator Gen. Zia ul-Haq.
It is settled in law that where a party to a contract commits an anticipatory breach of the contract, the other party to the contract may tr...
A popular Nigerian comic act named Ime Bishop Umoh got on the wrong side of many Nigerians after he released a video in defence of some policemen who molested some call girls they arrested in Abuja. This action has caused controversy amongst many.

It was in reaction to the heated controversy that the actor and comedian popularly referred to as Okon shared a video. In the clip, he argued that the call girls who were molested were no better than the policemen.

According to him, the policemen committed the crime of theft not molestation. Okon also insisted that the ladies had no right to complain about what was done to them since they were call girls.

This video attracted the anger of many Nigerians. On Twitter, several Nigerian tweeps blasted Okon for making statements which were regarded as insensitive.

READ ALSO: Call girls blasts lady who tags their 'profession' as paid molestation

See Okon's post below:

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Read the accompanying reactions of Nigerians below:

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Recently, a comedian named Broda Shaggi got called out after he publicly proposed to a lady at a mall. Later, the Instagram celebrity had to come out to say the entire act was a stunt.

Follow LEGIT to keep pace with the latest Nigerian news!

Isioma Morde: 28-year-old widow says not every young lady loves prostitution | Legit TV

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- The country's Wildlife management agency said the move was aimed at reducing the high number of animals in the park

- China had reportedly bought a total of 93 elephants by end of 2018

- The proceeds from the sales, according to the agency, would be used on anti-poaching projects, conservation work, research and welfare.

Zimbabwe has sold close to 100 elephants to China and Dubai for a total N974.3 million within the last six years.

The move, according to the country's wildlife agency, is aimed at reducing the high number of elephants in the national parks.

READ ALSO: Personal letter from the Editor-in-Chief of Legit.ng (former NAIJ.com)

Zimbabwe sells 100 elephants to China, Dubai for over KSh 273 million: UGC

READ ALSO: Tonto Dikeh mocks ex-hubby after he claimed to be a tireless machine in bed

Parks and Wildlife Management Authority spokesman Tinashe Farawo on Wednesday, May 15, told ENCA press the animals were overcrowded at the parks and selling some to China and Dubai was a control measure.

"We have 84,000 elephants against a carrying capacity of 50,000, sellng some is a way of reducing the numbers at our parks. We believe in sustainable use of resources, so we sell a few elephants to take care of the rest," said Farawo

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The authority noted the high numbers of the animals had seen some of them encroach into human settlements, destroying crops and posing a risk to human life.

"Close to 200 people have died in human-and-animal conflict in the past five years, and at least 7,000 hectares of crop have been destroyed by elephants," said Farawo

The country reportedly airlifted 93 elephants to China and four others to Dubai between 2012 and 2018.

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The proceeds from the sales, according to the spokesperson, would be used on anti-poaching projects, conservation work, research and welfare.

Meanwhile, King Mswati III of Swaziland has refuted reports that he warned men who failed to marry at least 5 wives by June 2019, that they would be sanctioned.

Mswati III said such a report is an insult to his personality and Swaziland as a country. This is contained in a report sighted by Legit.ng on Swaziland-based media Punch.com.

HELLO! NAIJ.com (naija.ng) upgrades to Legit.ng We keep evolving to serve our readers better.

What is the problem with Nigeria? | Street Gist on Legit TV

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A Nigerian female student named Tobechukwu Tobi Phillips recently made Nigerians proud by breaking all barriers to become the first Black valedictorian in Alvin High Schools 125 year history. She outdid herself by earning a 6.9 GPA on a 4.0 scale.

The school located in Texas, USA, was first established in 1894 and integrated with African-American students in 1965. For the first time in the history of the institution, Tobi Phillips earned a 6.9 cumulative GPA on a 4.0 scale.

Tobi earned A's in all the AP courses she took during her four years in the school. This placed her at the top of her class. Out of a school with approximately 2,800 students, only 86 are Black student. Despite this, the Nigerian lady worked her way to the very top.

Due to her excellent performance, the Nigerian genius received the Full-Ride Forty Acre Scholarship to attend the University of Texas at Austin. It is the most prestigious scholarship offered by the school. In fact, out of 4,000 students, only 16 were chosen.

READ ALSO: 2019 UTME: 15-year-old breaks record with 347 exam score

It was not all a bed of roses for Tobi Philips. For one, she had to deal with a number of challenges and jeers from her peers. But, she managed to brace all these odds and achieve her goal.

Apart from being an A-student accademically, Tobechukwu Phillips is also a decorated volleyball and track athlete. She is a Sunday school teacher, a member of the Rho Kappa Honor Society, the president of the National Honor Society and an AP ambassador.

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Presently, she is set to attend the Nursing School at UT in the fall. She plans to one day own her own clinic as a pediatric nurse practitioner. As a valedictorian, Tobi had a useful word of advice for other youths like her

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"My biggest advice to other scholars of color is to truly adopt the mindset of Rosa Parks  No. Do not conform to the stereotypes that have held us under thumbs for so long. Do not be discouraged when someone speaks out against you, simply allow what they say to fuel your fire. But more than anything, do not remain tight-lipped. Stand up for what you believe in and take it upon yourself to be the change youve always wanted. Say No to the ways of the world and stick out.

Nigerians caught wind of the young achiever on Twitter after seeing a post shared by Spulfik NG. See the post below:

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In the meanwhile, a 21-year-old student broke the record to become the overall graduating student of Arabic Institute in Lagos.

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18-year-old teenager studying for Phd makes startling revelation | Faces of Nigeria - Legit TV

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- Some youths in Edo state staged a protest over alleged plan to create a new kingdom out of Benin

- This is in response to a letter to the presidency for a new kingdom

- The youths said they would not allow the division of the Benin kingdom

In an attempt to possibly prevent a repeat of what occurred in Kano state with the creation of more emirates, youths in Edo state staged a protest against alleged plan to create a new kingdom of Benin.

Guardian reports that the protest may not be unconnected with a letter sent to the presidency by some persons asking for a separate kingdom out of Benin.

The proposed name of the kingdom is Utantan and will be presided over by an Ogiamien in the person of Chief Arisco Osemwengie.

READ ALSO: Alleged coup: Buhari plotting to jail me - Atiku raises serious allegation

The youths, under the aegis of Benin National Congress (BNC), insisted on one Benin kingdom with the Oba as the ruler.

They described the alleged plan as sacrilegious, prodigal and attempt to dare the power and sanctity of the throne, the monarch and the people."

Osemwengie when contacted declined comment on the matter. He said: That is a matter that is before the Supreme Court and I dont like commenting on an issue that is before the Supreme Court, so I cannot comment on it."

President of BNC, Ayamenkhue Edokpolor, led the protesters to the Government House in Benin City where they were received by the deputy governor, Philip Shaibu.

He said: The Ogiamien family led by Pa Samuel Ogiamien had duly and publicly disowned the said Arisco Osemwegie since 2015 as an impostor trying to impersonate or criminally take the place of the chieftaincy title of Ogiamien, whose current holder is Chief Osarobo Okunoghae and who has been absent from Benin for several years but has not been declared missing or dead by relevant authorities.

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Responding to the protesters, Shaibu said: There are two kingdoms in the world; Benin Kingdom and United Kingdom, and anybody that wants to try to reduce the image and ancestral history that we have in this kingdom is just daring what a human being cannot dare.

Meanwhile, the controversy surrounding the creation of four new emirates in Knao state is yet to die down.

Borno state governor, Kashim Shettima, supported his Kano state counterpart, Ganduje, for his approval of four more emirates in Kano, saying "what is so special about the Emir for Gods sake?

Shettima disclosed this when the House of Representatives Committee on the Army paid him a visit at the Borno government house as part of their oversight functions

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How workaholic Governor Ganduje is transforming Kano state | - on Legit TV:

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An 18-year-old Coplay man, who fell 80 feet in a heavily wood area of Lehigh Gap Nature Center in Washington Township, Lehigh County, was rescued Wednesday night after a three-hour effort, Pennsylvania State Police report.

The man, who police did not name, was hiking and climbing just after 6:30 p.m. in an area known as Devils Pulpit with a 17-year-old from Allentown and a 17-year-old from North Whitehall Township, police said.

Troopers located the injured hiker and while providing first aid directed search and rescue personnel to that spot, police said.

After the hours-long effort, the hiker was flown for treatment of his injuries to Lehigh Valley Hospital in Salisbury Township. His medical condition wasnt immediately available.

The National Park Service for years had a trail that came down over Lehigh Gap Nature Center property to Devils Pulpit, but it was closed several years ago for danger and ecological reasons, center Executive Director Dan Kunkle said Thursday.

The hikers were off any marked trail and bushwhacking up an approximately 60-degree slope strewn with loose rock and dirt that was very unstable, Kunkle said. That angle is similar to that of a steep slate roof.

They were taking a risk and unfortunately paid a price for it, Kunkle said.

Teamwork ........ not much more needs to be said great job by everyone involved Posted by Lehigh County Special Operations on Wednesday, May 15, 2019

There are clearly marked trails in the 750-acre facility and trail maps are available to all on the porch at the center at 8844 Paint Mill Road off Route 873, Kunkle said.

While Kunkle, a retired Liberty High School science teacher who has been with Lehigh Gap for 17 years, hasnt seen hikers near the spot where the man fell, there has been evidence of people going around a barrier that shuts off that section, he said.

As long as there are people out there in the environment, you will have people who go where theyre not supposed to go, Kunkle said, adding he feels for the man who was hurt, but it was avoidable.

They were not on a trail, he said. They were hiking on a very dangerous steep slope and cliff area.

Kunkle said he was asked if there are signs indicating which areas are risky.

If we had signs where its dangerous to go off the trail, we would have signs every 10 feet, he said.

As for Wednesdays ill-fated hikers, They knew they were taking a risk, Kunkle said.

Lehigh County Special Operations in a Facebook post saluted the teamwork involved in the rescue: Not much more needs to be said great work by everyone involved.

Assisting at the scene were Northern Valley EMS, the Slatington Fire Department, Emerald Fire Department, Lehigh County Technical Rescue, East Allen Fire Department and EMS, Nova EMS, Lehigh Valley EMS, Walnutport EMS and the Slatedale Fire Department, police said.

Tony Rhodin may be reached at arhodin@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter@TonyRhodin. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
Easton police Vice Unit personnel were running a surveillance operation involving narcotics early Thursday afternoon in the citys Downtown when they saw a drug transaction, Lt. Matthew Gerould reports.

A patrol officer soon after made a vehicle stop at 12:47 p.m. at South Third Street and Larry Holmes Drive and two men ran off, one of them jumping into the nearby Lehigh River, Gerould said.

The second man wasnt found, but 31-year-old Joseph Duckworth, of Washington Township, Northampton County, eventually got out of the river and was taken into custody, Gerould said.

In addition to being in possession of heroin, Duckworth was wanted on a warrant out of Warren County on a charge of eluding law enforcement, authorities said.

Duckworth was arraigned before District Judge Daniel Corpora as a fugitive from justice and sent to Northampton County Prison without bail to await extradition proceedings to New Jersey, the court confirmed. Duckworth will face a possession of heroin charge, Gerould said, but Corporas court did not have information on that as of late Thursday afternoon.

Duckworth has done time in recent years in theft and receiving stolen property cases in Warren County, records show, but it wasnt immediately clear to which case the warrant was tied.

Duckworths grandmother was driving the vehicle and is not charged with a crime, Gerould said.

Police searched surrounding streets for several minutes for the second man.

Tony Rhodin may be reached at arhodin@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyRhodin. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
The government are shying away from the industry truth about rural broadband because of the National Broadband Plan, according to the CEO of a communications company.

Laois businessman and CEO of Cignal Colm Cunningham says the government is "afraid to explain" that broadband is being installed in rural Ireland without waiting for the plan.

The plan recently approved by government to be installed by the only bidder National Broadband Ireland, will take years to deliver and an estimated 3 billion.

"There is a dilemma with what's happened for the government. They are afraid to explain that broadband is being delivered. It annoys some of us in the industry. This has become politically charged," he said.

He was speaking at a meeting about a proposed digital and business hub in Rathdowney in Laois. Cignal has leased a space for a mast at the former outlet shopping centre where the hub is proposed. The company is installing about a dozen masts around Laois as part of a nationwide upgrade of broadband and mobile coverage.

Mr Cunningham said the industry is not waiting for the government's plan to connect rural homes with fibre broadband.

"We have been following the National Broadband Plan saga. I can guarantee you that we are not waiting to deliver it. There is a company delivering broadband to Aran Mor, shown in an advertisement on the television. I have another guy on an island off Galway which will shortly be fully covered, guaranteed," he said.

"I'm not saying it shouldn't happen but we should make sure places like this are connected," the Cignal CEO said.

"Because I am living in Laois I have put a huge focus on it. Services are being rolled out. Laois will be the best county in Ireland served with mobile and fixed broadband. You don't need fibre broadband to homes, this is much quicker to deliver. there is an unnecessary illusion of what's required. You only need 20 or 30 megabits to watch Netflix and play your XBox. People that want to live here will have broadband, you don't have to wait for it," he said.

Mr Cunningham agreed that digital hubs require higher speeds of broadband that need to be delivered by fibre.

"I'm fully behind this hub. Getting fibre in here is easy. if it means digging a duct for 50 metres, its a small cost," he said.
Naas based company, OpenSky is to create 80 jobs after 2.5M investment in expansion.

The company's services, which include artificial intelligence and robotic process automation, is expanding into new markets including the US. Boasting a 30% revenue growth year-on-year, Irelands only GovTech transformation specialist which provides process automated solutions to public sector bodies, today announced that it has invested 2.5 million in its own expansion and will create 80 jobs over the next two years.

The companys employee numbers are set to reach 160 by the end of 2021. New roles will include digital transformation consultants, software engineers, sales and marketing executives, and project and team leaders.

Allan Shine, CEO of County Kildare Chamber today said: This announcement today is further testament that Kildare is the ideal location for companies to locate in, we welcome the decision by Michael and the team in OpenSky to commit a further 80 jobs to Naas.

"The company has all the supports it needs in Kildare to expand its successful company here in Naas. Kildare is now home to a multitude of tech companies who are all benefiting from the quality of lifestyle that employees are now demanding in the workforce. Companies continue to expand and set up in Kildare and the Mid-East Region and the high end jobs that are been created in Naas are very welcomed.

Michael Cronin, Managing Director, OpenSky, said: More and more public service agencies and government organisations realise how important it is for them to be able to boost productivity, deliver services and support citizens as directly and efficiently as possible.

By transforming, they can not only streamline their own processes and optimise resources, but also enhance the citizen experience and create a digital government that works. In order to meet this increasing and evolving demand, we have invested in expanding our team and adding new services.

Minister of State for Trade, Employment, Business, EU Digital Single Market and Data Protection, Pat Breen said: Innovation and digitisation are key to Irelands continued economic success and so I very much welcome OpenSkys ambitious plans for expansion. I would like to congratulate them on their continued success and of course very much welcome the 80 high-end jobs that will be created.

OpenSky is an IT and consultancy solutions company, based in Naas in Co Kildare, that provides innovative solutions and managed services to public sector bodies. The team has successfully delivered major projects for 50 organisations in the sector, impacting 2.5 million people every day. Their systems manage more than 100 million digital transactions per month between Ireland and the UK.

The companys success has been driven not only by the increasing demand among government agencies and public bodies for digital transformation, but OpenSkys extensive range of services which now includes Artificial Intelligence, Robotic Process Automation and Information Intelligence.

Furthermore, the business is planning to expand further in international markets, including the UK and the US. OpenSkys customer base has grown in recent years with both international and Irish customers including the Health Service Executive, the National Transport Authority, the Department of Business Enterprise and Innovation, North London Waste and Surrey County Council.
When gardai told one of the two boys accused of Leixlip schoolgirl Ana Kriegel's murder that her blood was found on his boots he replied, "are you joking me?" and asked: "Are you actually being serious about this?" the Central Criminal Court heard yesterday, Wednesday, May 15.

Gardai put it to the boy that the only way he could have Ana's blood on his boots was if he was in the room when she was assaulted and asked him if he was in that room. He replied: "No."

Boy A also told gardai in interview that his interests included "anatomy, the human body" and the "inner life, the skeleton".

The accused, who are 14, cannot be named because they are minors. They have each pleaded not guilty to murdering the 14-year-old Kildare schoolgirl at Glenwood House, Laraghcon, Clonee Road, Lucan on 14th May last year. Boy A is further charged with the 14-year-olds aggravated sexual assault in a manner that involved serious violence to her. He has pleaded not (NOT) guilty to that count also.

Detective Garda Marcus Roantree told Brendan Grehan SC for the prosecution that Boy A, his father and a solicitor came to Clondalkin Garda Station on May 24, 2018. Det Gda Roantree formally arrested Boy A at 8.07 that morning on suspicion of Ana's murder. He told Mr Grehan he was satisfied that Boy A understood the caution given to him before his interview and said gardai went to great lengths to explain everything to him.

Detective Garda Tomas Doyle told Gerardine Small BL for the prosecution that he interviewed Boy A six times at Clondalkin Garda Station in the presence of the boy's father and a solicitor. In the first interview Boy A's solicitor put on record his objection to the fact that material he had sought from gardai was not made available and he was therefore unable to properly advise Boy A and his family.

Gardai began by explaining to Boy A the definition of murder. When asked if he understood the difference between right and wrong he said "leaving the door open for somebody" would be an example of right. He added: "Tripping somebody up is wrong." He agreed that taking a bar of chocolate without permission would be wrong. He explained the difference between truth and lies by saying: "Truth is if you tell somebody what happened. A lie is if you don't tell somebody what happened." Gardai told Boy A that they were only interested in truth and wouldn't tell him any lies.

Boy A told gardai that his interests include "anatomy, the human body". He explained that he was interested in the "inner life, the skeleton". When gardai asked if he was interested in drawing live people he replied: "No, more evolutionary." He said his friends were not interested in that kind of thing. Garda Doyle then read a statement Boy A had previously made in which he said he was attacked by two men in the park on the same day that Ana went missing. He said he suffered injuries including to his arms, back and legs after being grabbed from behind, knocked to the ground and kicked.

In his second interview on May 24 Boy A told gardai that he had met Ana in the park on May 14 but said he was not with her in the lead up to to the time when she was reported missing by her parents that evening.

Gardai then showed Boy A CCTV footage from that day. Boy A identified himself and Boy B in footage taken from private CCTV outside a house at 4.11pm. Boy A said he had a bandage on his arm from a fall some weeks previously. On another piece of CCTV footage taken nearby that evening Boy A said he could see two males and added: "They look like the lads that beat me up on that day." He asked for gardai to zoom in but they were unable to do so.

Having viewed more footage he said: "That might be good news. I think that might be one of the males that beat me up. Is there any more footage?"

Gardai then showed him footage of a male and female walking nearby on the same evening. He told them the female could be Ana Kriegel but then added that he didn't remember Ana having white patches on her leg. He then agreed with gardai when they suggested it was Ana.

Gardai showed him footage taken at 4.58pm that evening which they said showed a male with a backpack not wearing gloves. At 17.05 they said a male with a backpack could be seen wearing gloves. Boy A said he could see that.

They asked him if he thought they were the same person and he replied: "Do you think it's the same backpack?" Boy A's solicitor then expressed a concern. Before Boy A left with his solicitor the garda told him: "Just to answer your question I do think it's the same backpack."

When Boy A returned Garda Doyle put it to him that forensic analysis showed Ana's blood was on his boots. He replied: "Are you joking me?" Garda Doyle replied: "No." The boy said: "Are you actually being serious about this?" He asked to be allowed out to get air. His solicitor asked him if he was going to be sick and he was given a glass of water.

The interview continued with Garda Doyle saying: "I want to be clear, this is significant and serious." Boy A replied: "I'm aware."

Gardai then showed Boy A some Tescon branded tape and asked him if he had ever been in possession of tape like that. "No," he replied. He was then shown a black hoodie and said he thought Ana was wearing "something like that" when he met her on the 14th.

Gardai said they believe the CCTV footage showed that the route Boy A told gardai he took on that day was not correct. They also said that Ana's blood was on his boots and asked him if there was anything else he wanted to tell them that would help their investigation.

"No, there's nothing else," he replied.

The garda continued: "What I'm saying to you is the only place you could have got the blood on your boots was in that room so were you in that room?"

"No," he replied. The garda then asked him if what he said in his earlier statement on May 15 was the truth and he replied: "Yes. That's the truth."

Garda Doyle said gardai had searched his home and found a backpack. Gardai showed a photo of the backpack to Boy A and asked him if he had that bag with him in the park at any stage on the day he met Ana. He said he did not. He also denied that the male in the footage he was shown earlier on CCTV was him.

Scientist John Hoade of Forensic Science Ireland earlier told Mr Grehan that blood on both of Boy A's boots matched that of Ana Kriegel. He added that the blood pattern indicated that: "[Boy A] either assaulted Anastasia Kriegel or was in very close proximity to Anastasia Kriegel when she was assaulted."

The scientist also examined a 92cm long by 4cm by 3cm stick with a nail or staple in both ends that gardai found near Ana's body. Showing the stick to the jury he pointed out that it was charred on one end and had blood stains along it with heavy blood staining on the charred end. This was, he said, transfer blood staining which results from contact with a blood bearing surface. He described another area of blood staining as "percussive" explaining that such stains are caused when there is already blood on the stick and it is swung, impacting on a surface.

The DNA from that blood matched Anastasia Kriegel's, he said. He added that the stains he saw on the stick were what he would expect to see if it was used as a weapon in the assault on Anastasia Kriegel.

Mr Hoade also identified for the jury a section of a nine inch concrete block which, he said, was taken from the scene. He agreed with Mr Grehan that it was heavy and awkward and would require two hands to manipulate. He noted blood stains on all six sides of the block but told Mr Grehan he did not sample those stains. When Mr Grehan asked why, he said it was his understanding that, "there was no suggestion the block was used as a weapon in the assault."

The trial continues in front of Justice Paul McDermott and a jury of eight men and four women.
An Garda Siochana have issued a warning about Invoice Redirect Fraud and so called CEO Fraud and urges businesses to remind employees to treat any request to change bank account details with extreme caution. Losses amounting to over 4,400,000 have been reported to Gardai so far in 2019.

April 2019

In April 2019, alone there have been numerous attempts in relation to this type of fraud with in excess of 2,270,000 stolen. An Garda Siochana in conjunction with Financial Institutions, Financial Intelligence Units Worldwide and Foreign Police forces, have recovered in excess of 1,280,000.

An Garda Siochana works very closely with the Financial Institutions in this regard who have intercepted many transactions of this nature however it can be difficult to recover funds once they have left the jurisdiction so prompt reporting is critical.

In crimes of this nature, criminals send emails to businesses purporting to be one of their legitimate suppliers. These emails contain a request to change the bank account details that the business has for a legitimate supplier, to bank account details that ultimately benefit the criminals. These requests can also come by way of letter or phone call so caution should attach to any request of this nature.

The criminal intention is that when the legitimate supplier next sends an invoice to the company seeking payment for services rendered or goods supplied, the victim business acts on the new banking instructions and sends the payment to the criminals bank account where the funds are quickly transferred or withdrawn. In many instances the business does not know it is a victim of this crime until sometime later when the legitimate supplier sends a reminder invoice for payment.

Businesses must ensure that they have robust policies and procedures in place to deal with requests of this nature including escalating the decision making function to supervisory positions and making direct contact with a trusted known person in the suppliers organisation. In this context it is imperative that a suitable known contact person is identified before a business relationship commences with the supplier.

If a business relationship has already commenced and no such checks are in place and a request of this nature is received; independent contact should be made with the supplier to verify the contents of the email. Under no circumstances should contact details contained in the email or attachments be relied upon to verify the request whether these consist of a physical address, an email address or a phone number. In that context, all existing business relationships should be reviewed without delay and defensive policies and procedures put in place.

It is important to note that victims of Invoice Redirect Fraud range from very small businesses to large corporations and the consequences of falling for a scam of this nature can be catastrophic and can result in the closure of businesses and redundancies so all employees should receive training in relation to avoiding this type of scam.

Detective Chief Superintendent Pat Lordan, of the Garda National Economic Crime Bureau, says "stop and think before you change bank account details for anyone. Ask the question, is this really the person / company you owe money to. Pick up the phone and speak to the person concerned"
A SEMINAL moment in the War of Independence exactly 100 years ago is being respectfully marked all this week in Knocklong.

At 2.30pm this Saturday, May 18, the national commemoration of The Rescue of Sean Hogan takes place in Knocklong community field. It will commence with a parade of local groups.

At 4.30pm, relatives of those involved in The Rescue will gather in the community centre. There will be a photographic presentation of the War of Independence era by Tim Ryan and Chris Clair.

At 8pm, there will be an open air concert by the army band followed by fireworks in the community field. And that is just what is happening on Saturday.

On May 13, 1919, Sean Hogan, an IRA volunteer, was being transported by train under armed guard from Thurles to Cork for court martial and probable execution for his part in the Soloheadbeg ambush. He was one of the most wanted men in Ireland Comrades, aided by local volunteers, planned and executed his rescue from the station in Knocklong.

In the ensuing action, IRA volunteers were seriously injured, two members of the RIC were killed and Sean Hogan was rescued. It was a great boost for Irish Republican morale in the early stages of the War of Independence. Subsequently, two men were tried, then court martialled and executed, though one of them was innocent of the charges. This was a seminal event in the War of Independence, said Pat Walsh, chairperson of the Knocklong History Group.

The hard-working group and County Limerick Youth Theatre, with the support of the Knocklong Development Association and State agencies, have planned a series of innovative events to commemorate this centenary.

There are four plays based on the Rescue by Lamprog Theatre. The Dance - an interactive performance at Knocklong Community Centre  was on last Sunday night. This was followed by The Plan in Galbally on Tuesday night.

This Thursday, May 16 at 6.30pm The Escape retraces the actual escape route from Knocklong to Glenlara. Bring your walking shoes but no dogs. It will be one way only - through the fields!

On Sunday, May 18 at 1pm in Knocklong Community Centre, The Trial, based on court extracts, recreates the moving story of the travesty of justice. On Friday, May 17 May 8pm, Oliver Doyle Oliver Doyle presents a lecture on the importance of the railway in developing the area, its impact on the locality and its demise. It will also detail the ambush of the train and the release of Sean Hogan.

Saturday morning starts with the Knocklong History Seminar featuring talks by prominent speakers. There are many more events taking place. See Knocklong History Facebook page for full details.

Check out the Limerick Leader broadsheet edition for more photos.
LIMERICK commuters have been left frustrated after Bus Eireann displayed notices at bus stops informing them of how to download new revised bus timetables, rather than displaying the actual timetables.

A number of bus users have taken issue with the move by Bus Eireann, and have expressed their dissatisfaction with the operator.

This comes after the Limerick Leader carried out an in-depth analysis of the public's immense dissatisfaction with the service across the city and county.

Limerick city lecturer Breandan MacGabhann took to Twitter to have his say on the issue.

You know, it might have been more useful to print copies of the actual timetables and put them on the bus stops, said Breandan, who is a local election candidate for the Green Party in Limerick City West.

Tom Dowling, who has been a vocal critic of Bus Eireanns Limerick service, also called out the transport company on social media.

You know, it might have been more useful to print copies of the actual timetables and put them on the bus stops #FixLimerickBus pic.twitter.com/oRJupkhtB9  Breandan Anraoi MacGabhann (@bamacgabhann) May 12, 2019

So much for the new improved Bus Eireann timetable. You arrive into UL where there are 11,000 students and this is how the national bus Company inform them of the new timetable Why? Also they have been planning this new roster for 3 months? said Tom.

Cork is in line for a 545m investment package in the bus network that will deliver a 700% increase in bus lanes across the Metropolitan region, Limerick gets a few posters stuck to bus shelters to inform commuters of the new timetable,  he added.

A spokesperson for Bus Eireann accepted that the publicity for the timetable change was not satisfactory.

Bus Eireann accept that the publicity for the Limerick city timetable changes introduced on May 12 2019 was not satisfactory and we apologise for any inconvenience that this may have caused.

Cork is in line for a "545m investment package in the bus network that will deliver a 700% increase in bus lanes across the Metropolitan region" #Limerick gets a few posters stuck to bus shelters to inform commuters of the new timetable. #FixLimerickBus https://t.co/BfYd38ZWg8 pic.twitter.com/tD1AMboRhJ  Tom Dowling (@TomTDowling) May 14, 2019

A website notice was posted on Friday May 3 alerting customers of minor changes to Limerick city timetables, which were being introduced to improve the punctuality and reliability of our services and is in response to customer feedback and an analysis of traffic conditions.

"In addition to the website notice and online timetables, the company also updated the journey planner and RTPI displays. Customer notices were also displayed in the Limerick bus station and on bus poles across the network. Currently we are working on a plan to roll-out bus stop specific timetable information for all Limerick city bus stops, which will be displayed over the coming weeks.
TWO students at the Limerick School of Art and Design LIT have been named winners as the graduating class launched their debut collections.

Last Thursday, BA Fashion Design and BA Fashion, Knitwear and Textiles graduate unveiled their award-winning work at the Unwrap exhibition launch.

Shauna Ward, a graduate of the BA Fashion, Knitwear and Textiles course, was named overall winner at the 2019 graduate collection launch, receiving 1,000 and LEO mentoring and training.

BA Fashion Design graduate Ijeoma Rosita Griffin, from Annacotty, received the special judges prize of 500 plus LEO mentoring and training.

The exhibition launch included the screening preview of the 2019 BA Fashion Design graduate collection film, styled by leading fashion stylists Kieran Kilgallon, and shot by filmmaker Albert Hooi.

This years 23 BA Fashion Design graduating student group included Holly Rose Twomey, who won the 2019 Irish Fashion Innovation Awards Student Designer of the Year Award.

The BA Fashion Design Students have had another very successful year of international work placements all over the world in global designers studios, including Ellery in Australia, Simone Rocha London, McQueen London and Game of Thrones Belfast.

A collaboration between students from the BA in Fashion, Knitwear and Textiles, and Creative Media and Design students from LIT Clonmel, also featured in a second multimedia fashion showcase.

Photography of these students work was shot by acclaimed photographer Johnny Savage. Current trends and concerns such as sustainability, craft versus technology, diversity, and global design marketplace motivated these contemporary textile collections.
THE new political party founded by ex-Sinn Fein TD Paeder Tobin is fielding a candidate in City West.

Julian Fitzgibbon, who lives in Raheen, will contest the local election for Aontu later this month.

Mr Fitzgibbon, who studied as philosophy at the University of Dublin and Computer Engineering in the University of Limerick has had a lifelong interest in politics and attends Limerick Council meetings as an observer.

Politics was always discussed in my home, perhaps because my fathers uncle was a Limerick Fine Gael TD, Denis Jones and my great-grandfather was a famous republican prisoner, Joseph Fitzgibbon, he commented.

He believes winning a group of seats for Aontu on Limerick Council would be a vital first step in the process of winning back the country for the common good.

He added: Its time to challenge the mainstream parties for their broken promises and continual failures. An alternative party built from solid principals from the ground up is needed.

A fundamental understanding of our civilisation from Aristotle was that the aim of politics is the common good and the good life for man. But regrettably this has been forgotten by careerists and damaged by vested interests.

He said the partys aim is for an Ireland that is prosperous with genuine solidarity.

Hes one of 19 candidates west of the city.
GARDAI are appealing for witnesses to an assault which took place in the city centre on Saturday night to come forward.

Shortly before 11pm, a man who is in his 50s, was walking along Cruises St. alone. He was approached by two males who assaulted him.

His injuries needed medical attention and he was brought to University Hospital Limerick, said divisional crime prevention officer Sergeant Ber Leetch.

A number of witnesses have already come forward but gardai believe there are others may have seen what happened.

Cruises Street is busy at 11 oclock on a Saturday night so gardai at Henry Street would like to speak to any other persons who may have seen this assault take place, said Sgt Leetch.

Anyone who was in the area at the time and who may have seen what happened is asked to contact 061 212400.
THERE has been widespread condemnation from Limerick election hopefuls to one candidates call to set the garda dog unit on unruly youths.

Brian OConnor, who is running for Fine Gael on the northside, said he believed if the law enforcement agency clamped down on this behaviour things would improve.

He believes dogs should tackle youths.

But the call has been met with criticism, from Conor Sheehan, Labour, Kieran Walsh of the Social Democrats, and Solidarity councillor Mary Cahillane.

Even his running mate, Olivia OSullivan has distanced herself from his claims.

Mr Sheehan, pictured, who is the youngest candidate in City North, said Mr OConnor is engaging in nonsensical Peter Casey style rhetoric, referring to the Presidential candidates pre-election comments on Traveller culture.

While I acknowledge there is an issue with gangs of youths hanging around in areas on the northside, this suggestion that bringing in Alsatian dogs will somehow remedy the situation is ridiculous, he said.

The Labour man asked if Fine Gael as a party endorsed the notion of setting police dogs on teenagers.

Ms OSullivan, who is one of four Fine Gael candidates north of the Shannon, described it as a statement by one candidate.

Though I wouldnt necessarily agree with this as a solution. Im sure it comes from a place of frustration, as I'm very familiar too with anti-social behaviour issues, and everyone wants [an] increased garda presence.

Mr Walsh said he hopes people see through Mr OConnors call for dogs.

Fine Gael are currently misspending billions of euro and Brian wants to release hounds on the youth? We have serious problems on the northside because Brians party and local TD prioritised banks over community. I really think he should be bringing solutions to the table, not this outrageous headline grabbing stuff, the former Labour member said.

Cllr Cahillane described the suggestion as absolutely astonishing.

We shouldnt be surprised though, as Fine Gael has a long record of anti-social behaviour including cutting child benefit, lone parents allowance and back to school allowances, she said.

She believes Mr OConnor is trying to distract from other issues, including the trolley crisis at University Hospital Limerick, and the housing shortage.

Mr OConnor had argued that youths were gathering in tribes and terrorising neighbourhoods.

He said they avoided the detection of gardai by organising meet-ups in different areas through social media like Whatsapp.

Limerick goes to the polls on May 24.
FORMER Limerick Institute of Technology student Sarah McTernan is to perform in front of an audience of millions in Tel Aviv this Thursday evening.

Sarah, who hails from Scariff, Co Clare, is to perform at the second Eurovision Song Contest semi-final in the Israeli city this Thursday evening.

She is performing in position number two with her track 22, and is hopeful of securing a place in Saturday nights grand final for Ireland for the sixth time in a decade.

Despite being in what many consider to be a graveyard slot in tonights show, Sarah will be boosted by the fact Britain will be able to vote, Irelands nearest neighbours traditionally giving out a high score.

Speaking in Tel Aviv this week, Sarah addressed criticisms of the staging of the show in Israel, given the nations alleged human rights abuses.

She said: Im just really, really happy to represent my country. Im really honoured to be representing in Eurovision 2019 for Ireland.

She added that Eurovision is "all about the music" and "all about bringing people together".

"Youd only have to kind of be at the event, at one of the Eurovision ensembles where people are mixing as in right before our performances to know that it really does bring people together from all walks of life, she said, It really is heartwarming. Ive really made true friends for life. For me music is about love, music is about friendship, and bringing people together, and thats what its all about."

Britain has already qualified for the final, by virtue of the fact it is one of the biggest net contributors to the annual event.

They have entered Bigger Than Us by Michael Rice.

Despite lean times recently, Ireland remains the most successful country to have entered Eurovision, with wins in 1970, 1980, 1987, 1992, 1994, 1994 and most recently in 1996 when Eimear Quinns The Voice triumphed.

The Netherlands Duncan Laurence has been touted as the clear favourite to win the 2019 contest since his self-penned song Arcade debuted online in March.

Meanwhile, Sinn Fein Senator Paul Gavan was among a number of Irish parliamentarians who took part in a photocall outside Leinster House today in a call to boycott the Eurovision Song Contest.

Delighted to stand with other Irish parliamentarians today in a call to #BoycottEurovision #FreePalestine pic.twitter.com/3UC9zpEyZY  Senator Paul Gavan (@paul_gavan) May 16, 2019

The semi-final airs at 8pm tonight and is live on both RTE Two and BBC Four. The final takes place Saturday at the same time, and is available to view on RTE One and BBC One.
THE LOCAL authority has been accused of unacceptable level of spending on catering services after it forked almost 220,000 on food and drinks over a 20-month period, the Limerick Leader can exclusively reveal.

Between October 2016 and August 2018, Limerick City and County Council spent 219,576.64 for the delivery of teas, coffees, beverages, scones, biscuits and other finger food by local catering services.

Over the 20-month period, nine catering services were used for a wide range of meetings held by Limerick City and County Council.

The council spent a total of 127,816.65 on more than 550 orders from Westland Villas trading as Bobby Byrnes, between October 13, 2016 and August 2, 2018  the highest level of spending on any catering service, the new figures show.

The OConnell Avenue business invoiced a 20.32 call-out charge as part of their service at Merchants Quay. According to a list of invoices first received by the Social Democrats, there were seven instances where the call-out charge was more expensive than the food and beverages provided.

For example, on March 30, 2017, the council spent 2.75 on tea, coffee and biscuits for a meeting, which came with a call-out charge of 20.32.

Local election candidate for Limerick City East, Sarah Jane Hennelly described this spend as disgraceful.

Ms Hennelly and her party colleague Kieran Walsh, who received the list of invoices through freedom of information, have criticised the councils expenditure on catering services. The Leader asked the council if it put catering services out to tender, how the councils value for money is measured, why it spent 23.07 on tea, coffee and biscuits and if this type of expenditure could be avoided.

A spokesperson said that under procurement regulations, Limerick City and County Council is obliged to tender for all its services, including its catering services.

Once the tender is completed, the applicants are evaluated and a winner selected. All contracts are for specified periods and catering services in Merchants Quay have already gone to tender and a new supplier procured, as per the regulations.

In the same time period, the council spent 50,164.05 on 274 orders from Philip J OSullivan Jnr, trading as Navillus; 20,216.49 on 134 orders from Four Court Event Catering Limited; 10,278.89 on Damien OGrady, trading as Rathkeale House Hotel; 5,209.29 on catering services by Deebert House Hotel Ltd; 3,687.77 on Marguerites Bakery NCW Ltd; 1,277.50 on Paddy Dooley Catering Ltd; 850 on Bloomers Restaurant and Catering Services; and 76 on Seventeen Squared Catering Ltd, trading as Delish.

In a joint statement, Ms Hennelly and Mr Walsh, who is a Limerick City North candidate for the Social Democrats, said: What weve found is an utterly unacceptable level of spending on catering and very poor management of the system. There seems to be no effort to find the best value.

Mr Walsh said: As shocking as these findings are, this is just one aspect of local authority spending that we have managed to look at. Its frightening to imagine what other money is being thrown away, and the indifference of the officials who are signing off on this expenditure.

Ms Hennelly added: Everyone in every industry is obliged to look for value, keep costs low, manage things efficiently and not waste. That standard should be the same for local government and national government. Anything else is simply not acceptable.
THREE gardai in the South of Ireland remain in custody on suspicion of corruption, a spokesperson has confirmed.

The three officers were arrested this Thursday morning.

A statement from the Garda Press read: "In the course of an operation led by the Assistant Commissioner, Special Crime Operations (SCO), involving personnel attached the Garda National Bureau of Criminal Investigation (GNBCI) and the Garda National Drugs & Organised Crime Bureau (GNDOCB), a number of arrests have been made and a number of premises searched, this morning.

A Garda Superintendent has been arrested for suspected breach of the provisions of section 62 of the Garda Siochana Act, 2005. A Garda Inspector has been arrested for suspected breach of provisions of the Misuse of Drugs Act, 1977-84. A member of Garda rank has been arrested for suspected conspiracy to pervert the course of justice.

Deputy Commissioner John Twomey, Policing & Security confirmed this morning that three members of An Garda Siochana are in custody and are detained for the purpose of questioning arising from suspicion that they have been involved in the commission of one or more criminal offences. The Deputy Commissioner stated, "An Garda Siochana is fully committed to investigating any alleged wrong-doing or corruption involving Garda personnel, and will work with other relevant agencies in doing so. As this is a live and ongoing investigation, it is not appropriate to make any further comment at this time.

This Thursday evening, An Garda Siochana said: All three arrested as part of this investigation remain in Garda custody. They are currently detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984 and can be held for up to 24 hours.
Last Saturday marked ten years of darkness into light in Limerick City, and as always it was an incredible occasion! The early morning procession is like no other, the unity and emotion of everyone involved is truly amazing!

This year hundreds of thousands of people walked in solidarity for those who have lost their lives to suicide and self-harm around the world! Crowds gathered in over 200 venues, in 19 countries across five continents in the early hours of Saturday morning!

The amount of children and young people walking in Limerick City this year really struck me.

I admire Pieta House and Darkness into Light for relentlessly breaking down the stigma surrounding suicide and self-harm, and encouraging us to acknowledge and talk openly about it!

Massive well done to everyone who participated especially the team behind Limerick Cities Darkness into Light this year, and the Unity Gospel Choir for creating an atmosphere like no other! Its an important and poignant occasion in Limericks calendar!

Pieta House operates the free 24-hour suicide helpline1800 247 247. For more information about their services, visit www.pieta.ie

SPICIN' UP SHOPPING IN THE CITY

Laois Native and young entrepreneur Gracie Collier is the brains behind Limericks newest and coolest vintage shop! Spice Vintage has been sitting proudly on Harveys Quay for over a year now.

The shops boho decor and bright white design along with panoramic views of the Shannon make the space different to any other in Limerick at the moment. All topped off by the treasure throve of vintage gems that adorn the rails inside!

I sat down with Gracie and we chatted all things, business, style, social media and love of Limerick. Gracie qualified with masters in Marketing from NUIG and decided to use her skills to promote something she was always passionate about, vintage clothing!

Ive always been thrifty when it comes to clothes shopping, growing up I was always wheeling and dealing. I started selling clothes online as a teenager and going to flea markets my friends would call me the Del Boy of vintage clothing

Gracie started her business journey opening a pop up shop in Clonakilty and on the back of its success decided she needed a bigger reach! Making the move to Limerick allowed her to acquire a bigger space and audience.

The reception from limerick people and how much they have connected with what I am trying to do is incredible

The buzz and the vibe in the city is deadly, Limerick is on the up in so many ways, its so artist and liberal and there is a fluidity to Limerick that people dont often acknowledge Limerick is the new Berlin if you ask me! 

I have customers from all walks of life visit the shop, its amazing having the art college on the doorstep they are so creative with their purchases and big fans of the store! I am currently planning a collaboration with one of the final year art students this year and I will sell his line in store, which is so exciting!

The shops booming business is also thanks to Gracies social media savvy. Almost everyday Gracie personally styles and models new items on Spice Vintage Instagram page! Online followers have the option to buy online and communicate instantly with Gracie herself!

I think genuine and personal communication with the clients is key. I want Spice to be completely genuine so people know exactly what they are buying! I love styling the clothes and giving people inspiration and ideas on how to style different pieces!

The beauty of Instagram is that on a quiet day in store, it allows me to get really creative and make sales online!

Gracies passion for Vintage fashion is contagious! This summer will be an exciting one for Spice Vintage with planned collaborations, fashion workshops and even yoga classes!

If you havent already, make sure you pop into Spice Vintage on Harveys Quay. If anything youll feel inspired by the cool space and ambiance Gracie has created on the banks of the Shannon - Such a fabulous addition to the city!

ROGHA NA SEACHTAINE

To do - Friday at the Milk Market

Get a healthy dose of Fresh air, Fresh Food, Fresh crafts and Fresh conversation from the original social network that is your local Milk Market each Friday. Dont miss out on 5 lunch deals from participating traders!

To Listen - Jack O'Rourke

Jack ORourke  Moody Broody: Corkonian songwriter Jack ORourke has released Moody Broody- the third single from his critically acclaimed mini-album, Ivory Towers. Following the epic grandeur of Myth and the nouveau pop of the title track, Ivory Towers, Jack returns with sparkling track.

To see - The Championship

This weeks must see has to be Limerick v Cork in round one of the Munster Hurling Championship. Kicking off at 4pm on Sunday in the Gaelic Grounds. Heres wishing our All-Ireland Champions the very best of luck for their 2019 season!
IRISH WATER has announced that it will create 90 jobs following the development of a national laboratory for water analysis in Limerick.

The utility confirmed that it is submitting a planning application for the world-class facility, which it said will offer a substantial benefit to the local and regional economy with the employment of 90 jobs by 2023.

Irish Water said it will also create excellent career opportunities to scientific and technical graduates and professionals.

The proposed development will be located on the Old Ballysimon Road.

It is expected that the new lab will receive 250,000 water and wastewater samples from across the country, undertaking 1.5m tests. This will also include testing river and lake water quality, a spokesperson said.

This facility will house state of the art equipment for microbiological and chemical analysis which will be accredited to international quality standards. It is designed with a focus on swift customer service, energy efficiency and staff welfare, Irish Water said.

Irish Water selected Limerick as the site for this national laboratory for a range of reasons including the quality of its third level institutions; a reputation as a centre for advanced tech industry; and its accessibility by road, rail and air. Limerick also offers an attractive location in the Mid-West of Ireland for people choosing to take up a career with Irish Water, it stated.
The 2019 general elections seem to be headed for a fractured mandate which would renew the coalition era that began in the late 1980s, but was interrupted in 2014 by a Narendra Modi wave and the majority secured in parliament by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) leader M. K. Stalins statement not long ago that his party wont abandon its Congress partnership in a coalition arrangement appears to have ended all prospects of a non-Congress, non-BJP coalition at the centre, for which Telangana chief minister K. Chandrashekar Rao has been on a mobilizing mission in recent days. But is a coalition government inherently bad for Indian democracy?

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has campaigned on security issues triggered by the Pulwama attack, perhaps to hide his regimes performance on his 2014 vikas agenda. In contrast, Dr. Manmohan Singh, who led a coalition government of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) from 2004 to 2009, returned to power in 2009 on the back of its achievements. Many would argue that Dr. Singhs record in his first term was way better than that of the Modi regime, despite the latters one-party majority government. In short, Indias experience does not support the thesis that coalition governments are innately bad. Critics of one-party majority governments often cite the excessive abuse of Presidents Rule during Indira Gandhis time as one of its shortcomings, a practice that the coalition era has effectively ended.

At present, two possible scenarios exist for India after 23 May. The first is the return of Modi as the Prime Minister of a National Democratic Alliance (NDA) coalition. Given the firm grip that Modi and Amit Shah have over their party, a BJP-led NDA cannot have anyone other than Modi as Prime Minister. Alternatively, there is a possibility of a UPA coalition led by a leader of the Congress or some other party.

Modi and Shah have repeatedly appealed to voters not to vote for a UPA option, mocking it as a maha milawati (highly mixed up) alliance. Cited in support are the bickering and instability of past coalition governments that took office in 1977, 1989 and 1996. What, however, is never mentioned is that the BJP was part of two such unstable governments: the V. P. Singh-led National Front in 1989 and the Morarji Desai-led Janata Party government in 1977. In 1975-77, the BJP, in its earlier Bharatiya Jana Sangh (BJS) avatar, had merged with a broad Janata coalition and was part of the Desai regime. Thus, the BJP has been part of a khichdi in the past and cannot brush aside its own contribution to instability.

Observers recognize Modis adamance as a vital attribute of his personality. Also, he is seen as decisive by some and vindictive by others. But the management of a coalition government calls for an accommodative spirit. This comes in handy in dealing with what Dr. Singh described as the compulsions of a coalition. Modis ability to cope with these remains untested. A similar possibility could arise in the case of a UPA government, though for reasons of the varying ambitions of regional leaders, as witnessed in 1977 or 1996. In both scenarios of either an NDA or UPA coalition, there is a fair chance of a mid-term election. If it happens on account of UPA instability, it would present Modi with the opportunity of claiming an Indira moment: recall the way she returned triumphant in 1980 after the Janata coalition collapsed. If it forms a government, the UPA would have to be careful not to allow such an outcome, for a mid-term poll under those circumstances could mean an ever-larger majority for the Modi-led BJP, because it would provide credibility to his mahamilawati accusation. At this point, however, Modi and Shahs recent spat with Mamata Banerjee and Mayawati has created a favourable climate for the UPA as it has deepened anti-Modi and anti-BJP sentiments in their parties.

Regardless of the results on 23 May, the BJP will remain Indias most dominant party in the coming years. For the Congress, it is crucial to increase its tally to, say, 140 or 150 seats, if it is to sustain itself as the leader of the UPA. Only such a number would let it outweigh the claims of key anti-BJP regional players, such as the Samajwadi Party (SP), Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), Trinamool Congess (TMC), and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). The Congresss failure to stitch up a coalition in West Bengal, Delhi, and even Uttar Pradesh would have a direct bearing on its final tally this time. Comparatively speaking, the BJP can bounce back from setbacks far more easily than the Congress. Whatever electoral success the Congress has achieved lately in states such as Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan was driven more by anti-incumbency factors than the grand old partys historical dominance. Yet, most regional parties are single-state based, with little prospects of further expansion, which works as a boon for the Congress in retaining its place as the UPAs leader.

A stable government might have its own benefits, but less stable governments are not threats to democracy. The Desai government (1977-1979), for example, undid regressive laws enacted by the Indira Gandhi government during the Emergency. By the same logic, if a future UPA government were to address issues such as lynching or sedition laws, these would be crucial interventions in Indias governance, especially consequential for citizens ranged against the perpetuation of majoritarianism.

Shaikh Mujibur Rehman teaches at Jamia Millia Central University, New Delhi, and is the editor of the volume Rise of Saffron Power

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A sharp-eyed NASA spacecraft spotted the probable remains of an Israeli spacecraft that crash-landed on the moon last month.

New lunar images show what appears to be the final resting place of the Beresheet lander, a spacecraft managed by nonprofit organization SpaceIL.

Beresheet's impact site appears as a "white impact halo" in the new image from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO), NASA officials said in a statement. A white tail is also clearly visible in the image, which NASA said is consistent with Beresheet's trajectory and approach angle as the spacecraft came down April 11.

Related: This Is the Last Photo Israel's Beresheet Moon Lander Ever Took

"The cameras captured a dark smudge, about 10 meters [32 feet] wide, that indicates the point of impact. The dark tone suggests a surface roughened by the hard landing, which is less reflective than a clean, smooth surface," NASA officials said.

"The light halo around the smudge could have formed from gas associated with the impact or from fine soil particles blown outward during Beresheet's descent, which smoothed out the soil around the landing site, making it highly reflective," the agency added.

Related: The Greatest Moon Crashes of All Time

The mission of Beresheet, the first private lunar lander, came to a sudden end on April 11 during its descent to the lunar surface. LRO's orbit first brought that spacecraft over the impact site on April 22, and the orbiter captured the image using its black-and-white, narrow-angle cameras.

LRO flew over the site at an altitude of about 56 miles (90 kilometers). From that distance, the spacecraft could not detect any crater. NASA officials said it's possible the crater was too small for LRO's cameras or that Beresheet created a small indent instead of a crater.

Beresheet hit the surface at a low angle of approach (8.4 degrees relative to the surface) and with a relatively low velocity and light mass compared to a typical meteoroid (space rock) that slams into the moon's surface, NASA officials noted. All of these conditions may have added up to a small indent on the surface.

NASA found the site thanks to radio tracking of Beresheet's descent, which pinpointed the landing site to an uncertainty of only a few miles. Technicians compared new images to 11 "before" images taken of the area and found only one feature that plausibly could have been made by Beresheet. The team also compared the site to craters that were made by other spacecraft that hit the lunar surface, including GRAIL, LADEE and Ranger.

NASA isn't done with its Beresheet observations yet. Small mirrors were mounted on the top of the spacecraft, so the agency is trying to bounce laser pulses from LRO onto the mirrors. It's not clear yet if the retroreflector survived the crash.

Follow Elizabeth Howell on Twitter @howellspace. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook.
A great white shark seen off the coast of Guadalupe Island, Mexico. This is not Luna, the female great white cruising toward the Outer Banks.

A shark longer than a Volkswagen Beetle is hanging out near South Carolina  but there's nothing to fear.

The nonprofit organization OCEARCH reported May 9 that a 15-foot (4.6 meters) great white shark dubbed "Luna" was over the Charleston Bump, an undersea bank about 80 miles (129 kilometers) southeast of Charleston, South Carolina. A smaller shark, "Caroline," who clocks in at 12 feet, 9 inches (3.9 m), was hanging out closer to shore at South Carolina's Edisto Beach.

According to The Charlotte Observer, Luna was headed northward to the Outer Banks, though of course there is no telling what a 2,137-lb. (969 kilograms) shark is going to do next. Caroline, the other shark seen near South Carolina, took a turn back south and was off the coast of Georgia as of May 13, according to OCEARCH. [Image Gallery: Great White Sharks]

The sharks' movements are known because OCEARCH captured, weighed, tagged and released them. Luna is the second-largest shark ever tagged by the organization. She was caught in October 2018 using a thick fishing line near Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, and the event was captured on video. Scientists named the shark, the first mature adult female they'd ever tagged, in honor of the people of Lunenburg.

The tags affixed by OCEARCH convey information on location, depth, temperature and light levels using satellite and acoustic signals sent to ocean-bottom receivers. The researchers also take blood and tissue samples when the sharks are first caught.

OCEARCH workers track the movements of a great white shark dubbed Luna. (Image credit: OCEARCH/R. Snow)

Since being tagged, Luna has ranged up and down the east coast of North America, reaching as far south as the Northern Bahamas. Great white sharks range widely in search of food, according to OCEARCH. The nonprofit's tracking of great whites has shown that they seem to cluster off North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and the east coast of Florida in the winter, a region dubbed the Northwest Atlantic Shared Foraging Area.

In other words, Luna's presence along the Carolina coast is no surprise.

Despite their omnipresence near populous coastline, sharks rarely bother humans. According to the University of Florida, shark attacks went down in 2018 compared with the year before, and unprovoked attacks were remarkably infrequent, comprising only 66 out of 130 total cases worldwide. (Another 15 of those attacks were unconfirmed or unlikely to be that of a shark, and one actually happened inside a public aquarium.) The United States had one fatal shark attack in 2018, resulting in the death of a 26-year-old named Arthur Medici near Cape Code, Massachusetts. The attack, by a great white, was the first fatal shark attack in Massachusetts in 82 years, according to National Geographic.

Originally published on Live Science.
A magnified view of a triangle weaver spider (<i>Hyptiotes cavatus</i>). Notice how there is silk bunched at its back legs and another strand in its front legs. Once prey lands in its web, the spider releases the silk at its back leg, which causes it to hurl forward like a slingshot.

Does the idea of a spider using its web to catapult itself at high speeds give you the willies? Then be forewarned: the triangle weaver spider (Hyptiotes cavatus) does just that. Which makes it the only known creature, besides humans, to employ a strategy known as "external power amplification, a new study finds.

The concept of external power amplification is simple. Basically, an animal uses an external device (in this case, the spider's web) to store energy, like a person storing energy in a bow with a pulled-back arrow. Once the energy is released, the spider is flung forward like a slingshot, greatly exceeding the speeds at which the arachnid could otherwise travel.

This crafty trick helps the spider survive. The triangle weaver spider doesn't have venom, so it uses this slingshot method to help it swiftly catch prey that land on its web, the researchers said. [Goliath Birdeater: Images of a Colossal Spider]

To study the critter, the scientists collected wild triangle weaver spiders, which are native to the United States and Canada, and brought them to the lab, where the spiders were housed in terrariums and filmed with high-speed videos as they hunted prey.

The videos revealed that after the spider builds a triangular web, it retreats to the web's corner, where the long lines of its web join together. Then it takes the web's anchor line, the main strand that connects the web to something stable, like a branch, and cuts the line in two.

Then, the spider does its trick: it uses its body to bridge the now-loose, cut strand of web. It holds the far end (the end closest to the branch) with its hind legs and the front end with its front legs. Next, the spider walks backward "in a 'leg-over-leg' motion, pulling the web taut," the researchers wrote in the study.

This graphic shows how the triangle weaver spider situates itself in the web and how fast it accelerates and moves once it releases the anchor line. (Image credit: Sarah Han/University of Akron; Han, S. et al. PNAS. 2019.)

As the spider walks backward, it's essentially storing energy in the web, much like a little kid pulling back a slingshot. The spider can wait like this for hours. Then, when the spider feels a stimulus on itself or the web, it lets go of the rear anchor line and shoots forward with alarming speed.

"All of that stored elastic energy causes a recoil and it [the spider and the web] just flings forward, kind of like when you let go of the rubber band," said study co-researcher Daniel Maksuta, a doctoral student studying polymer science at the University of Akron in Ohio. "It really works out too. [If] the prey is massive in comparison to the web and the spider, the web kind of just flings around it. So, that's how [the prey] gets all tangled up."

The maneuver is so fast, the spider can be hurled forward at accelerations of about 2,535 feet/second squared (772 meters/s^2), the researchers found.

"The spider and the web move a lot before the prey really starts moving," Maksuta told Live Science. In other words, the prey doesn't even know what hit it, and by the time it does, it's too late.

The tiny spider then works to ensnare the prey with more iterations of this slingshot method until the hapless victim is completely wrapped in silk. All of this is done without the spider having to get close to the prey, which protects the eight-legged critter from possible injury.

"It's pretty good at catching prey without having to touch it, unlike a lot of spiders," Maksuta said.

Other animals use power amplification, but it's usually powered by their own muscles, meaning it isn't external like the spider's. Classic examples of this are the jumping mechanisms of fleas, froghopper insects and frogs; the deadly strike of the mantis shrimp; and the tongue projection of chameleons, the researchers wrote in the study.

"We can't really underestimate the technological advancements of organisms," Maksuta said. "They're creative."

The study was published online May 13 in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Originally published on Live Science.
Editor's Note: This story was updated at 11:20 a.m. E.D.T. on Friday, May 17

Turning light particles into visual information is hard work, and your body relies on oxygen to get the job done. This is true whether you walk the land on two limbs or swim through the sea with eight.

In fact, according to a recent study in the Journal of Experimental Biology, the amount of oxygen available to marine invertebrates like squids, crabs and octopuses may be far more important to their vision than previously thought. In the study, published online April 24, researchers saw a significant drop in retinal activity in four species of marine larvae (two crabs, an octopus and a squid) when the animals were exposed to reduced-oxygen environments for as little as 30 minutes. [8 Crazy Facts About Octopuses]

For some species, even a minuscule drop in oxygen levels resulted in almost immediate vision loss, eventually causing near-total blindness before the oxygen was cranked back up again.

According to lead study author Lillian McCormick, a doctoral candidate at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in La Jolla, California, some form of vision impairment may be a daily reality for these species, which migrate between the ocean's highly oxygen-saturated surface and its hypoxic (low-oxygen) depths during their daily feeding routines. And as ocean oxygen levels continue to drop around the globe, in part due to climate change, the risks to these creatures could intensify.

"I am concerned that climate change is going to make this issue worse," McCormick told Live Science, "and that visual impairment might happen more frequently in the sea."

To poke a cephalopod in the eye

For the new study, McCormick and her team investigated the market squid (Doryteuthis opalescens), two-spot octopus (Octopus bimaculatus), tuna crab (Pleuroncodes planipes) and graceful rock crab (Metacarcinus gracilis). These species are all local to the Pacific Ocean off of Southern California, and they all engage in a daily diving routine known as vertical migration. By night, they swim near the surface to feed; by day, they descend to greater depths to hide from the sun (and the hungry predators it brings).

As these creatures migrate up and down the water column, the oxygen availability changes dramatically. The ocean is replete with oxygen near the surface, where air and water meet, and significantly less saturated with oxygen at 165 feet (50 meters) below the surface, where many crustaceans and cephalopods hide away during the day. [No, Octopuses Don't Come from Outer Space]

To find out whether these daily swings in oxygen affect the animals' vision, McCormick attached small electrodes to the eyes of each one of her test larvae, none of which measured longer than 0.15 inches (4 millimeters). These electrodes recorded the electrical activity in each larva's eyes as its retinas reacted to light "kind of like an EKG [electrocardiogram], but for your eyes instead of your heart," McCormick said.

Each larva was then placed in a tank of water and made to look at a bright light while the water's oxygen level was steadily decreased. Levels fell from 100% air saturation, oxygen levels you'd expect to find at the surface of the ocean, down to about 20% saturation, which is lower than what they currently experience. After 30 minutes of this low-oxygen condition, the oxygen levels were increased back to 100%.

While each of the four species showed a slightly different tolerance, all four took a marked blow to vision when exposed to the low-oxygen environment. Overall, each larva's retinal activity dropped between 60% and 100% in low-oxygen conditions. Some species, particularly the market squid and the rock crab, proved so sensitive that they started losing their vision as soon as the researchers started decreasing the oxygen in the tank.

"By the time I reached the lowest oxygen levels, these animals were almost blinded," McCormick said.

The good news is that the vision loss wasn't permanent. Within about an hour of returning to a fully saturated oxygen environment, all of the larvae regained at least 60% of their vision, with some species bouncing back to 100% functionality.

Blind in the water

It's likely that because the Pacific naturally experiences a lot of low-oxygen conditions near Southern California, these highly sensitive species grapple with some form of vision impairment every day, McCormick said. (More research is needed to know for sure, though.) Hopefully, McCormick added, these at-risk species are naturally developing avoidance behaviors so that they swim to higher-oxygen parts of the ocean when severe vision impairment sets in.

However, McCormick said, rapid deoxygenation caused by climate change could make it harder for these species to adapt. According to a 2017 study in the journal Nature, total ocean oxygen levels have declined by 2% globally in the last 50 years and are projected to decline by up to an additional 7% by the year 2100. Climate change is a significant factor driving these losses, the Nature study found, especially in upper parts of the ocean, where the larvae McCromick studied tend to spend most of their lives.

This warming-induced deoxygenation  coupled with natural forces like wind and water circulation patterns that make near-surface oxygen levels inconsistent in the region  could result in more vulnerable creatures losing their vision when they need it most. At-risk animals could become less effective at hunting for food near the surface, and might miss subtle signs of predators in their midst, McCormick said. Its a grim possibility  however, more research is needed to determine the amount of oxygen-related vision loss it really takes before these creatures make potentially harmful mistakes.

"If I take out my contact lenses at home and walk around, I might stub my toe, but I'll get by," McCormick said. "The next question is, how much retinal impairment equals a change in visual behavior?"

Editor's Note: This story was updated to correct the measurement of the larvae. They are less than 0.15 inches, not 1.5 inches, long. The story was also updated to note that marine invertebrates typically don't experience 20% oxygen saturation in their normal environment.

Originally published on Live Science.
Laredo City Council on Tuesday threw its support behind House Bill 4306, which would fund a border security infrastructure pilot program and potentially the construction of an 18-foot levee wall, or bulkhead, along 10 miles of Laredos riverfront.

Also on Tuesday, the Rio Grande International Study Center, Sisters of Mercy, Young Democrats along with other organizations and individuals sent a letter to legislators expressing their strong alarm and opposition to the bill.

Interim Co-City Manager Robert Eads said they dont consider this a border wall project. The city has had this plan in the books for 12 years as a beautification and economic development driver for downtown, he said.

We believe that this fits pretty well in the landscape of what we have down there, Eads said.

A bulkhead is a kind of retaining wall that would not visually impair Laredos view of Mexico and the Rio Grande. For instance, parkland abuts the river and would end with a sharp, 18-feet-or-so drop to a river road and the Rio Grande. People looking across the river from Mexico would see this road and the parkland above it.

READ MORE: Lawsuit against City of Laredo, council members dismissed

If all 10 miles were funded, this would be a $200 million investment of state funds in Laredo, without any matching obligations for the City of Laredo  something that usually comes with federal and state grants. The bill calls for the Legislature to appropriate money to a border security infrastructure enhancement fund, and for the federal government to reimburse this fund.

HB4306 would also fund the extension of Mines Road all the way to Eagle Pass.

Mayor Pete Saenz and council members Roberto Balli, George Altgelt, Marte Martinez and Merc Martinez III all spoke highly of this initiative and approved the resolution in favor of the bill. Council members Nelly Vielma, Alberto Torres, Vidal Rodriguez and Rudy Gonzalez were not present.

This bill has already passed through the House and is currently in the Senates Veteran Affairs and Border Security Committee. Laredos Sen. Judith Zaffirini asked that the city pen this resolution in favor of HB4306, Eads said. Balli, who represents downtown Laredo, said he supported the measure because it would be a unique enhancement to downtown and the citys entire riverfront.

(The bulkhead is) going to provide a great amount of investment and jobs in construction, but it will also enhance the beauty of our city. It will enhance the first impression when people are coming across the international ports, Balli said.

Although the city is not framing this strictly as a border security project, Mayor Saenz said that in the evenings people cross the river and use stash houses in El Azteca neighborhood.

This bulkhead feature would at least stop this to a certain extent, so at least law enforcement could come and intervene somehow, he said.

The local organizations, in their letter, said they believe HB4306 would pose a threat to the property, economic, cultural, environmental and safety issues of their communities.

READ MORE: Motion filed by city officials to dismiss 'La Gordiloca' lawsuit

While photos of the Seine River in Paris, France have been floated around at press conferences to provide the impression to the media and the public that the Laredo bulkhead project would present minimal harm, this project would entail the construction of a concrete barrier, driven through the riverbed that would rise 18 to 30 feet with additional fencing on top, the letter reads.

The writers also note that in many of the locations where federal border walls already exist, communities have been exposed to increased flooding, soil erosion, property damage, wildlife and habitat destruction, and the use of eminent domain.

In addition, these federal barriers also stand as hateful symbols of division in otherwise connected, economically dynamic borderland communities and have contributed to a humanitarian crisis on our lands, continues the letter.

They go on to list some of the nature trails and properties, prized Laredo assets, that the bulkhead would cut through, such as Las Palmas Nature Trail, the Riverbend and Paso del Indio Nature Trail.

These organizations also believe the bill lacks proper oversight.

None of the regulatory agencies that have jurisdiction of the Rio Grande have been given any meaningful rule or function in this legislation, the organizations note.

They asked that their letter of opposition be submitted for inclusion in the record.

It is clear to us that the historic Latino, and frontline border communities of south Texas, singled out in this bill, would be disproportionately impacted by the unnecessary construction of these border security enhancement projects funded by this bill, they said.

Julia Wallace may be reached at 956-728-2543 or jwallace@lmtonline.com
Dr. Michael A. Hochman, a board-certified ophthalmologist and retina specialist, offered patients a free eye clinic in partnership with the Mercy Ministries of Laredo.

Serving 40 patients Wednesday, Hochman offers these free services twice per year, in the spring and fall.

This event offers patients free medical treatment and surgical procedures for eye diseases such as glaucoma, cataracts, blindness, dry eye disease and macular degeneration, Hochman said.

We do provide complete care, meaning the surgical facility as well as the professional services are included in what we give to patients. We always aim to provide the highest quality service at the lowest cost for all of Laredoans, he said.

Having the talent for microsurgery, Hochman moved to Laredo in 1999 after he finished his training at Harvard Medical school in Boston, Massachusetts.

READ MORE: Local officials open doors to first WIC baby cafe in south Laredo

Twenty years ago when I moved here, it was important to me, as it has been since that time to give care to patients that need help  even if they have no means to afford needed services. All patients with diabetes need to have their eyes examined at least on a yearly basis to make sure that theres no bleeding in the back of the eyes.

(Attributed to) a disease called diabetic retinopathy, this can cause blindness if not treated, Hochman said. We screen patients for diabetic diseases as well as multiple other diseases, and we do this because its the right thing to do.

He has continuously been doing this free eye clinic and partnering with Mercy Ministries of Laredo for the past 20 years. Hochman said this partnership is convenient because Mercy Ministries of Laredo can perform the logistics of finding patients who could not otherwise afford eye care and could also achieve the logistics of transportation. He added that other patients are always welcome whenever they have their free clinic events.

Alberta Garcia, age 78, first saw Hochman in 2007. Three years later, Garcia had a free surgery performed in both eyes for cataract and glaucoma and has since seen 20/20 vision.

I have received medical treatment and I am very pleased with it, Garcia said. They have always helped me.

I could barely see before they performed the surgery. My vision was blurry and pretty bad. (Now) I can see people perfectly.

Issa Arredondo, a nurse from the Mercy clinic, assisted Hochman and patients in the lobby of the eye clinic and has been doing so for approximately 13 years.

READ MORE: Women's City Club makes donation to Diocese of Laredo

Dr. Hochman does this for our diabetic patients  which are very important for our patients to detect any diseases or complications from their diabetes, Arredondo said. If (patients) need follow up treatments, he also helps provide services.

We like to be here when our patients come because they like to know theyre part of our clinic, we help them fill out the forms if they need it and if they have any questions or issues, we want to be available to help them.

Arredondo added that at the Mercy clinic they do a lot of education and prevention.

Its a big thing over there because in terms of time and money, it costs less to prevent the complications than it does to treat them, she said. I dont know where we would be if we didnt have (this partnership with Hochman). Its a much-needed service, especially for diabetic patients. Were so grateful weve been able to be in the partnership for so many years and we look forward to it continuing.

According to a recent news release, Hochman is an active volunteer in Laredo who weekly gives his time and services to organizations like Volunteers Serving the Need and Bethany House of Laredo. Every week, Hochman and his family, and staff devote time (from) their week to volunteer.

Ashley Sanchez may be reached at ashley.sanchez@lmtonline.com.
Cuate Santos /Laredo Morning Times

The Texas Holocaust and Genocide Commissions (THGC), is behind the Dr. Anna Steinberger Outstanding Texas Educator Award, which recognizes the Texas teacher most dedicated to Holocaust and/or genocide education.

This year, THGC received applications from all regions of the state, and United High School ESL teacher Marco Franco was selected as this year's recipient of the award.
Authorities need to identify a man possibly connected to an auto-theft case, according to Laredo police.

The LPD auto-theft task force recently released a picture of a male. He is a person of interest in the theft of a white 2016 Ford Taurus.
A little more than six weeks following a major fire at the KMCO plant in Crosby, Texas, the company has announced 35 layoffs in a restructuring of the company.

After completing a careful and in-depth evaluation, the company made the difficult decision this week to restructure our workforce to better align with our ongoing business and future growth opportunities, a press release read.
BEIJING - Over the last five months, as Beijing and Washington exchanged fire on trade and technology, two Canadian men have been held in near isolation in Chinese detention facilities.

On Thursday, 158 days into their ordeal, they were formally arrested, a legal step that confirms that China intends to move forward with cases against them - and hints at the political factors at play.

Former Canadian diplomat Michael Kovrig was arrested on charges of "gathering state secrets and intelligence for overseas forces" and entrepreneur Michael Spavor on charges of "stealing and providing state secrets to overseas forces," China's foreign ministry said. Spokesman Lu Kang said the men were arrested "recently" but would not specify when.

Whenever the change was made, the news broke as the world's two economic superpowers clashed on the issues that frame the case: technology and trade.

Kovrig and Spavor were arrested days after Meng Wangzhou, chief financial officer for China's Huawei Technologies, was arrested in Vancouver, Canada, on U.S. charges - and remain caught in a broader battle between China and the United States.

Last week, trade talks between the United States and China appeared to collapse, leading both countries to levy additional tariffs. On Wednesday, the U.S. government all but banned American companies from doing business with Chinese tech giant Huawei.

Against this backdrop, the formal arrest will almost certainly be interpreted as a political signal, said Julian Ku, a professor of law at Hofstra University. "The message is, 'We are still mad about Meng and Huawei, and we are going to continue with our charges, we are not backing away from this'," he said.

In the short term, tough talk from Beijing and Washington will do little to help Canada, which has been caught in the middle of the U.S.-China showdown for months.

Spavor, a businessman based near the China-North Korea border, and Kovrig, a former Canadian diplomat and geopolitics researcher, were first detained by Chinese state security on Dec. 10, a week after Canadian airport authorities arrested Meng at the behest of U.S. law enforcement.

The Huawei chief financial officer has since been undergoing extradition proceedings in a Canadian court, which is deciding whether to send her to the United States to face bank fraud charges.

A Canadian judge this month allowed Meng to move from a $4.2 million mansion into a bigger $10 million mansion for security reasons. Meng, the daughter of Huawei's founder, owns several homes in Canada.

Meng's lawyers have argued that her constitutional rights were violated when she was interrogated for three hours at Vancouver's airport and that she should be released.

China casts her case as an effort to constrain the country. It has repeatedly issued implicit warnings that Canada would pay a steep human price if Meng were handed over. Chinese officials also stopped some shipments of Canola, a critical Canadian export, raising worries of economic retaliation to come.

Weeks after Meng's arrest, China revisited a 15-year prison sentence for Canadian Robert Schellenberg and raised his sentence to death for trafficking drugs.

Last week, a Chinese court scheduled Schellenberg's appeal hearing to begin hours after Meng faced an extradition hearing in Vancouver. After a Canadian court pushed back a decision in Meng's case, the Chinese court also announced it would delay announcing whether Schellenberg would be put to death.

It is not clear what the latest legal step means for Kovrig's and Spavor's future.

Canadian officials have stressed from the start that Meng's arrest was a legal, not a political, decision, but saw their claim undermined by a tweet from President Trump.

In December, Trump tweeted that he would intervene in the Meng case to get a better trade deal with China. Though U.S. officials have since walked back the offer, the notion that Meng could be exchanged has lingered.

With the Meng case and the Kovrig and Spavor cases heading toward what could be lengthy legal proceedings, a deal looks less likely, at least for now.

"I think formal arrests suggest China has made up its mind that it wants to get tough with Canada over at least the medium term," said Lynette Ong, an associate professor of political science at the University of Toronto.

But, she added, "It is still possible to negotiate for their release."

The formal start of proceedings against Kovrig and Spavor could lead to changes in conditions on the ground, though there are no guarantees.

Since December, both men have been kept in cells at undisclosed locations with lights on round the clock and without access to lawyers or family members, people familiar with the matter say.

The two have been allowed short consular visits once a month, during which they are not allowed to discuss the cases against them with Canadian diplomats.

Ku said conditions could improve, at least marginally. "It's not great to be in the official legal system, but it's much worse to be where they were before," he said.

- - -

Rauhala reported from Washington.
Washington

The acting chief of the Federal Aviation Administration defended his agency's safety certification of the Boeing 737 Max jetliner, the plane involved in two deadly crashes, and the FAA's decision not to ground the jet until other regulators around the world had already done so.

During a congressional hearing Wednesday, the FAA official, Daniel Elwell, also stood by the agency's decades-old policy of using employees of aircraft manufacturers like Boeing to conduct inspections on their own companies' work.

Boeing is updating an automated flight-control system that has been implicated in the two crashes involving the 737 Max. Elwell said he expects Boeing to complete its work "in the next week or so," after which the FAA will analyze the software changes and conduct test flights.

"In the U.S., the 737 Max will return to service only when the FAA's analysis of the facts and technical data indicate that it is safe to do so," Elwell said.

During the two-hour questioning of Elwell by the House aviation subcommittee, lawmakers pressed him on the FAA's reliance on designated Boeing employees during the planes' certification process.

Rep. Dina Titus, D-Nev., told Elwell that the public believes "you were in bed with those you were supposed to be regulating, and that's why it took so long" to ground the planes.

"The FAA has a credibility problem," declared the subcommittee chairman, Rick Larsen, D-Wash.

The 737 Max is Boeing's best-selling plane and it is built in his home state of Washington. Larsen said Congress must help make the public feel safe about flying because "if they don't fly, airlines don't need to buy airplanes," and "then there will be no jobs" in aircraft manufacturing.

Other lawmakers defended the FAA and Boeing and suggested that the Oct. 29 crash of a Lion Air jet off Indonesia and the March 10 crash of an Ethiopian Airlines Max were due at least partly to pilot error. A total of 346 people were killed in the crashes.

"It bothers me that we continue to tear down our system based on what has happened in two other countries," said Rep. Sam Graves, R-Mo.

Boeing is already the subject of a criminal investigation by the Justice Department.
WASHINGTON - A federal judge temporarily blocked a new policy for distributing scarce livers for transplant Wednesday, deciding that patients and hospitals in less-populated areas will suffer if the new rules remain in effect.

The decision by U.S. District Judge Amy Totenberg in Atlanta came a day after the policy was implemented. On Monday, she had declined to intervene but had asked the government to voluntarily delay it until the Supreme Court decided a case on relevant issues in coming weeks.

When the Department of Health and Human Services moved forward Tuesday, Totenberg apparently decided to step in. She said patients on the liver transplant list and a group of hospitals, which together filed the lawsuit, would be harmed if the new rules were used.

"Given the gravity of the medical issues and risk of disruption in the transplant system and the concrete likelihood of harm to the plaintiffs and the public at large if the status quo is not maintained, the Court finds that the public interest is best served" by keeping the old policy in place, Totenberg wrote.

The transplant system has struggled for decades to find a fair way to distribute livers, kidneys, hearts and other organs in the United States, where a severe donor shortage has created a waiting list of about 114,000.

About 13,500 people are on the list for livers; in 2018, 8,250 of the organs were transplanted, according to the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), a nonprofit organization that runs the transplant system. At least three people die each day waiting for livers.

For years, transplant hospitals generally had the first shot at organs donated in their areas. The new policy offers livers to the sickest patients as far as 500 nautical miles from the donor. It was approved after a lawsuit was filed in New York by a group of patients who said they were waiting longer for livers than people in other parts of the country who were less ill. The government, concerned that the policy in place was illegal, ordered transplant authorities to consider another approach.

The plaintiffs - which include transplant centers in Georgia, Michigan, Kansas, Missouri and elsewhere, as well as people on the waiting list for livers - say the rules will leave patients in those places with about 20% fewer organs than the current policy, resulting in an increase in deaths.

They say it will allow big-city transplant centers, where the demand is greater, to reach far into areas where the shortage is less severe and take livers that otherwise would go to patients in those regions.

Supporters of the new policy maintain, however, that regional disparities have become too great. For example, they have said, a moderately ill patient in Kansas has a 60% chance of receiving a liver within 30 days, while a similar patient in California has a 1% chance.

In her Monday decision, Totenberg had told both sides that the Supreme Court will soon decide whether to overturn a 22-year-old precedent that says judges should generally defer to a federal agency's interpretation of its regulations. That ruling may have a direct bearing on the transplant dispute, she warned, and asked that transplant coordinators continue to voluntarily hold up the new policy until the justices rule.

"Instead," she wrote, "the Government has insisted on forging ahead despite the obvious likelihood of enormous disruption in operation of the medical and liver transplant system and the plaintiff transplant centers, especially if the Court determines in a matter of weeks . . . that it must enjoin implementation of the challenged policy and review procedures."
SPRINGFIELD  A bill that would ban for-profit immigrant detention centers in Illinois is on its way to Gov. J.B. Pritzker.

The Illinois Senate voted 34-14 on Thursday to pass House Bill 2020. It passed the House on April 10 by an 85-26 vote.

The bill would prohibit the state or any local unit of government from entering into any agreement to detain people in privately-owned facilities. It also prohibits them from spending any money to subsidize or defray the costs of developing or operating one.

It would take effect immediately if signed by Pritzker.

The bill was introduced in response to a proposal to build a private federal detention center in the village of Dwight, about 80 miles southwest of Chicago.

According to published reports, Dwights village board voted in March to annex and rezone a parcel of land where Virginia-based Immigration Centers of America planned to build and operate a detention center on contract with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Illinois has prohibited the development of private prisons since 2012. The new legislation would expand that law to include private detention centers. However, it would not apply to state work release centers or juvenile residential facilities that provide care and treatment by nonprofit contractors.

State Rep. Kelly Cassidy, a Chicago Democrat, was the lead sponsor in the House. Earlier this year, she called the bill critically important to Illinois remaining welcoming to all people.

There is an effort afoot to bring a private, for-profit ICE detention center to the state of Illinois, she said March 22.  We said slow your roll. Hold up here. Thats not who we are, thats not how we operate. We dont believe in making money out of putting humans in cages, and were going to do everything we can to stop the advance of this effort.
The fiancee of Jamal Khashoggi called Thursday for members of Congress to put greater pressure on Saudi Arabia to answer questions related to the Saudi journalist's slaying, telling lawmakers, "I am asking for justice."

"This act - this murder - was a great brutality, and the last seven, eight months, nothing was done," Hatice Cengiz said at a House Foreign Affairs subcommittee hearing on the dangers of reporting on human rights. "We still do not know why he was killed. We don't know where his corpse is."

She urged lawmakers to press Saudi Arabia's leaders and sanction the kingdom in response to the killing of Khashoggi, a contributing columnist for The Washington Post.

"In the early days, President [Donald] Trump said that this would be solved," Cengiz said. "And Ms. Pelosi talked about how unacceptable this was. But seven, eight months later, we see that nothing has been done, and that is why I'm here today."

The House and Senate voted earlier this year to end U.S. support for the Saudi-led military coalition in Yemen, in a rebuke of the Saudi crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman. But Trump vetoed the resolution, and the Senate failed to override it.

Cengiz's testimony before the Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights and International Organizations comes one day after she criticized Trump's response in a meeting with Washington Post journalists.

Also speaking at Thursday's hearing was Gulchehra Hoja, an ethnic Uighur journalist with Radio Free Asia in Washington. Hoja has said that more than 20 of her relatives - including her brother and her elderly parents - have been detained in China because of her reporting on human rights abuses in the Muslim-majority Xinjiang region.

Joel Simon, executive director of the Committee to Protect Journalists, and Sarah Repucci, senior director for research and analysis at Freedom House, also testified.

In her interview with The Washington Post, Cengiz said the Saudi government has not contacted her to offer compensation or even condolences since Khashoggi was killed in the kingdom's consulate in Istanbul in October. By contrast, the kingdom has given millions of dollars in cash and property to Khashoggi's four adult children.

Cengiz and Khashoggi met at a conference last year and made plans to marry soon after. At Thursday's hearing, she said that when they were making their wedding preparations, "I was happier to be alive than I had ever been in my life."

All of that came crashing down seven months ago when, according to U.S. and Turkish authorities, Khashoggi was killed by a team of Saudi assassins after he entered the consulate to obtain papers for their planned marriage.

"It wasn't just Jamal that was killed" in the consulate that day, Cengiz said. "It was also what we're talking about here - the values that the United States represents. Didn't they get murdered as well?"

She told lawmakers that she "still cannot make human sense of it."

"I still feel that I'll wake up and it will get back to that," she said. "And I cannot understand that the world still has not done anything about this."

At one point in the hearing, freshman Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., one of the first two Muslim women elected to Congress, thanked Cengiz for her courage and told her that Khashoggi had once encouraged her to run for Congress when they were attending an Iftar dinner together.

"I remember he had said to me, he took a famous picture of Keith Ellison and I, and he said, 'Ilhan, you need to run for Congress,' " Omar said, referring to the Democrat who previously held her seat. "And I said, 'I can't run for Congress, because the only seat I can run for is occupied by Keith Ellison.' And we laughed about that, and I didn't really know that that would be the last time that I would see him."

Lawmakers of both parties said that they shared Cengiz's sentiment that more needs to be done to hold Saudi Arabia to account for the killing.

"I think the world was horrified at the open, blatant murder of your fiancee, and the fact that that has gone unanswered in the world is a source of shame," said Rep. Karen Bass, D-Calif., the subcommittee's chair. "We will do what we can. There needs to be justice for what was done."

Rep. Christopher Smith, R-N.J., accused Saudi Arabia's leaders of being "very, very unforthcoming" with information, not just on Khashoggi's killing but also in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

"I find it appalling; I think we all must find it appalling," he said, criticizing the "incredible arrogance" of the Saudi government.

- - -

The Washington Post's Greg Miller contributed to this report.
Morgan County

Sheriff

ARRESTS, CITATIONS

 Stacy J. Lomelino, 41, and Ronald R. Lomelino, 44, both of 19 Maple Creek Estates, Woodson, were booked into the Morgan County jail about 10:20 a.m. Wednesday on domestic battery charges.

 Jared P. Nunes, 41, of 215 Whitlock Road, Murrayville was booked into the Morgan County jail at 2:37 p.m. Wednesday on a charge of violating an order of protection.

Jacksonville Police

ARRESTS, CITATIONS

 Ryan L. Rider, 26, of 210 N. Church St. was booked into the Morgan County jail at 10:12 p.m. Tuesday on a domestic battery charge.

 James R. Marez, 30, of 350 W. College Ave. was booked into the Morgan County jail at 11:55 p.m. Tuesday on a battery charge.

 Barbara K. Marez, 26, of 350 W. College Ave. was booked into the Morgan County jail at 11:40 p.m. Tuesday on an assault charge.

 Sharon Ann Washington, 57, of 804 S. Diamond St. was booked into the Morgan County jail at 12:59 p.m. Wednesday on charges of driving while license is revoked or suspended, fleeing police, resisting a peace officer and operating an uninsured motor vehicle.

 Jemale D. Robinson, 25, of 903 W. College Ave. was booked into the Morgan County jail at 4:50 p.m. Wednesday on a criminal damage to property charge.



Calhoun County

Sheriff

ARRESTS, CITATIONS

 Trenton J. Waters, 18, of Pittsfield was booked into the Greene County Jail at 9:05 p.m. Sunday on a petition to revoke.



Greene County

Sheriff

ARRESTS, CITATIONS

 William H. Guyer III, 30, of Jerseyville was booked into the Greene County Jail at 7:40 p.m. Friday on a theft of property charge.

 Roy M. Mileke, 35, of Hillview was booked into the Greene County Jail at 1:20 p.m. Friday on a battery charge.

Greenfield Police

ARRESTS, CITATIONS

 Amber C. Herder, 30, of Greenfield was booked into the Greene County Jail at 4:59 p.m. Sunday on an aggravated battery charge.

Roodhouse Police

ARRESTS, CITATIONS

 Jeremy C. Stucker, 40, homeless, was booked into the Greene County Jail at 9:32 p.m. May 8 on a violation of an order of protection charge.

 Lance D. Snyder, 33, of Roodhouse was booked into the Greene County Jail at 8:57 p.m. May 4 on a petition to revoke probation.

 Nathaniel M. Thornton, 27, of Roodhouse was booked into the Greene County Jail at 7:03 p.m. May 3 on a theft charge.

State police

 Virginia S. Sanchez, 39, of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, was booked into the Greene County Jail at 1:27 p.m. May 6 on charges of possession of cannabis, delivery of cannabis and trafficking in cannabis.

 Maria Sanchez-Rey, 37, of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, was booked into the Greene County Jail at 1:37 p.m. May 6 on charges of possession of cannabis, delivery of cannabis and trafficking in cannabis.

White Hall Police

ARRESTS, CITATIONS

 A 15-year-old Roodhouse girl was released to her parents at 12:38 p.m. May 8 after her arrest on a disorderly conduct charge.

Compiled by Rosalind Essig, Samantha McDaniel-Ogletree and David C.L. Bauer
WASHINGTON - The Trump administration has been on high alert in response to what military and intelligence officials have deemed specific and credible threats from Iran against U.S. personnel in the Middle East.

But President Donald Trump is frustrated with some of his top advisers, who he thinks could rush the United States into a military confrontation with Iran and shatter his long-standing pledge to withdraw from costly foreign wars, according to several U.S. officials. Trump prefers a diplomatic approach to resolving tensions and wants to speak directly with Iran's leaders.

Disagreements over assessing and responding to the recent intelligence - which includes a directive from Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, that some American officials interpret as a threat to U.S. personnel in the Middle East - are also fraying alliances with foreign allies, according to officials in the United States and Europe.

Trump grew angry last week and over the weekend about what he sees as warlike planning that is getting ahead of his own thinking, said a senior administration official with knowledge of conversations Trump had regarding national security adviser John Bolton and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

"They are getting way out ahead of themselves, and Trump is annoyed," the official said. "There was a scramble for Bolton and Pompeo and others to get on the same page."

Bolton, who advocated regime change in Iran before joining the White House last year, is "just in a different place" from Trump, although the president has been a fierce critic of Iran since long before he hired Bolton. Trump "wants to talk to the Iranians; he wants a deal" and is open to negotiation with the Iranian government, the official said.

"He is not comfortable with all this 'regime change' talk," which to his ears echoes the discussion of removing Iraqi President Saddam Hussein before the 2003 U.S. invasion, said the official, who, like others, spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss private deliberations.

National Security Council spokesman Garrett Marquis said, "This reporting doesn't accurately reflect reality."

Trump is not inclined to respond forcefully unless there is a "big move" from the Iranians, a senior White House official said. Still, the president is willing to respond forcefully if there are American deaths or a dramatic escalation, the official said.

While Trump grumbles about Bolton somewhat regularly, his discontent with his national security adviser is not near the levels it reached with Rex Tillerson when he served as Trump's secretary of state, the official added.

Trump denied any "infighting" related to his Middle East policies in a tweet on Wednesday. "There is no infighting whatsoever," Trump said. "Different opinions are expressed, and I make a decisive and final decision - it is a very simple process. All sides, views and policies are covered. I'm sure that Iran will want to talk soon."

On Wednesday morning, the president attended a Situation Room briefing on Iran, a person familiar with the meeting said.

Pentagon and intelligence officials said three distinct Iranian actions have triggered alarms: information suggesting an Iranian threat against U.S. diplomatic facilities in the Iraqi cities of Baghdad and Irbil, U.S. concerns that Iran may be preparing to mount rocket or missile launchers on small ships in the Persian Gulf, and a directive from Khamenei to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and regular Iranian military units that some U.S. officials have interpreted as a potential threat to U.S. military and diplomatic personnel. On Wednesday, the State Department ordered nonessential personnel to leave the U.S. missions in Baghdad and Irbil.

In Tokyo on Thursday, visiting Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said Tehran was exercising "maximum restraint."

"We believe that escalation by the United States is unacceptable and uncalled for," Zarif told his Japanese counterpart, Taro Kono.

U.S. and European officials said there are disagreements about Iran's ultimate intentions and whether the new intelligence merits a more forceful response than to previous Iranian actions.

Some worry that the renewed saber-rattling could create a miscalculation on the ground, said two Western officials familiar with the matter. And Iran's use of proxy forces, the officials said, means it does not have absolute control over militias, which could attack U.S. personnel and provoke a devastating U.S. response that in turn prompts a counterescalation.

Bolton warned in a statement last week that "any attack on United States interests or on those of our allies will be met with unrelenting force."

Military officials have described themselves as torn between their desire to avoid open confrontation with Iran and their concern about the recent intelligence, which led the commander of the U.S. Central Command, Gen. Kenneth McKenzie, to request a host of additional military assets, including an aircraft carrier and strategic bombers.

Officials said uniformed officers from the Joint Chiefs of Staff, led by its chairman, Marine Corps Gen. Joseph Dunford, have been among the leading voices articulating the costs of war with Iran.

Other officials said the view that deterrence rather than conflict was required was "monolithic" across the Pentagon and was shared by civilian officials led by acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan, whom Trump nominated last week to remain in the job but who has not yet been confirmed by the Senate. As the tensions have intensified, Shanahan has been in touch multiple times a day with other senior leaders, including Bolton, Pompeo and Dunford, officials said.

Some defense officials have described Bolton's more aggressive approach as troubling.

Defense officials said thath they are considering whether they will field additional weaponry or personnel to the Persian Gulf region to strengthen their deterrent against possible action by Iran or proxy groups, but that they hope additional deployments will prevent rather than fuel attacks.

Trump's fears of entangling the United States in another war has been a powerful counterweight to the more bellicose positions of some of his advisers.

Trump has called the Iraq War a massive and avoidable blunder, and in his political support was built in part on the idea that he would not repeat such a costly expenditure of American blood and treasure.

A new deal with Iran, which Trump has said he could one day envision, would be a replacement for the international nuclear compact he left last year that was forged by the Obama administration. Trump's early policy on Iran, which predated Bolton's arrival, was aimed at neutralizing the pact and clearing the way for an agreement he thought would more strictly keep Iran in check.

Trump's administration has been frustrated, however, that Iran and the rest of the signatories to the nuclear agreement have kept it in force.

Trump's anger over what he considered a more warlike footing than he wanted was a main driver in Pompeo's decision last weekend to suddenly cancel a stop in Moscow and on short notice fly instead to Brussels, where he sought meetings on Monday with the European nations that are parties to the Iran nuclear deal, two officials said. Pompeo was not accorded the symbolic welcome of joining their joint Iran-focused meeting. Instead, he met with foreign ministers one by one.

Pompeo's visit was meant to convey both U.S. alarm over the recent intelligence on Iran and Washington's desire for diplomacy, not war, two officials said.

But European leaders, who have been watching the febrile atmosphere in Washington with alarm, have not been convinced, according to conversations with 10 European diplomats and officials from seven countries, all of whom spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive assessments of Washington and Tehran.

Pompeo "didn't show us any evidence" about his reasons Washington is so concerned about potential Iranian aggression, said one senior European official who took part in one of Pompeo's meetings. The official's delegation left the meeting unconvinced of the American case and puzzled about why Pompeo had come at all.

Many officials in European capitals said they fear that conflict with Iran could have a cascading effect on their relations with Washington, ripping open divisions on unrelated issues.

They distrust Trump's Iran policy, fearing that key White House advisers are ginning up rationales for war, and they seek reelection support from citizens who hold Trump in low regard and would punish them for fighting alongside Americans on the Iran issue.

Democratic members of Congress, while traditionally strong supporters of pressuring Iran, have also raised questions about the intelligence and the administration's apparent flirtation with combat. In a statement on the Senate floor on Wednesday, Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., the ranking Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, demanded "answers from this administration about Iran . . . and about what intelligence this administration has." So far, he said, the administration has ignored those demands and refused to provide briefings.

"We cannot, and we will not, be led into dangerous military adventurism," he said.

Anxieties over the heightened threat environment spilled over into Capitol Hill during a classified briefing Wednesday. Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., argued that the intelligence warranted an escalation against Iran, said one person with knowledge of the briefing. In response, Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass., accused her of exaggerating the threat in what the person described as a "very heated exchange."

A representative for Moulton declined to comment. A spokesman for Cheney said the congresswoman "will never comment on classified briefings and believes that any member or staffer who does puts the security of the nation at risk."

- - -

The Washington Post's Michael Birnbaum in Brussels and Missy Ryan, Karen DeYoung and Carol Morello in Washington contributed to this report.
New York

President Donald Trump again asked a judge to block subpoenas directing Deutsche Bank AG and Capital One Financial Corp. to turn over his bank records, as well as those of his three oldest children and some Trump businesses.

The Trumps sued in Manhattan federal court last month to block the banks from complying with the subpoenas, issued by two committees of the Democrat-controlled House of Representatives.

In a court filing Wednesday, the Trumps again asked U.S. District Judge Edgardo Ramos to block the subpoenas until he can make a final ruling on their legality, arguing that the demands for evidence are motivated by improper political considerations. The filing is the first since the Trump side was permitted to see the subpoenas themselves.
The siblings of a baby whose body was found buried in a backpack in January were removed from their grandparents' home Monday, a Child Protective Services spokesperson confirmed.

Four boys, between 2- and 8-years-old, were taken from the home of Fernando and Josephine Yee, the maternal grandparents of King Jay Davila.

FIND OUT FIRST: Get San Antonio breaking news directly to your inbox

A newborn, who is also a sibling of King Jay, was put in CPS custody on May 10 after officials took the baby from the hospital, CPS spokesperson Mary Walker said.

The children were removed due to a "genuine and strong belief that children may be at imminent risk," Walker said in a statement. CPS did not elaborate on the circumstances that led to the agency's action.

The removal has "no additional ties" to King Jay's death, Walker said.

The CPS worker assigned to the case is bilingual, with Spanish being the worker's first language, Walker said, as the grandparents primarily speak Spanish.

On ExpressNews.com: 'That's my blood:' San Antonio man serving a 4-year-prison sentence says he is the father of King Jay Davila

A hearing is scheduled on May 23 to determine if the children will remain in CPS custody, Walker said.

King Jay's death captured the attention of San Antonio earlier this year. The 8-month-old baby was first reported kidnapped by Christopher Davila, who was caring for the child at the time.

Police believe Davila lied about the kidnapping in an attempt to cover up the baby's death. Davila later told police that King Jay died after he fell from his car seat, placed on a bed in Davila's home.

Davila is now charged with injury to a child by omission, felon in possession of a firearm, drug possession and tampering with evidence.

The case took a bizarre twist in April, when Gonzales testified that Davila is not the child's biological father.

READ MORE: San Antonio man accused in King Jay's death is not the father, mother testifies

Despite the testimony, Davila has maintained he is the baby's father.

Fares Sabawi covers crime in San Antonio and Bexar County. Read him on our breaking news site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com | fsabawi@mysa.com | @FaresInSA
Rosario Flores Garcia peacefully lost her battle with cancer on Sunday, May 12, 2019 in Laredo, Texas.

Rosario was born on October 8, 1941 in Laredo to parents Porfirio and Esperanza Flores and was the eldest of four daughters. She was a proud graduate of Martin High School and thereafter received her Bachelors Degree from the Incarnate Word College in San Antonio, Texas.

She met and fell in love with Julio A. Garcia whom she married in 1964. She and Julio, a distinguished and well-respected attorney in Laredo for over forty years, had three children: Leticia Lourdes, Cristina Cecilia, and Julio A. Garcia, Jr.

Rosario was a dedicated and admired teacher at Nye and Clark Elementary Schools and her dedication to her craft was a testament to her many students who fondly remember her as one of their favorites, many continuing their friendships with her for many years later, returning to introduce her to their own children and looking for their mentor to give her their thanks and express gratitude for the learning and life skills which she was proud to instill in each of them. Maintaining these relationships with her prior pupils long into her future filled her heart with joy and pride.

She was directly instrumental in the development of the first bilingual pilot programs adopted in Texas and thereafter throughout the United States. She later became a teacher of teachers serving as a field mentor and supervisor of the TAMIU students in Education completing their four-year degree plans to become licensed educators in Texas.

In 2007, Rosario was the recipient of the Texas State Teacher of the Year award for the Homeless Coalition Network. Later, in 2013, Rosario was the recipient of the Hands Across South Texas Award recognizing her outstanding work with children from low-income families. In 2014, the Next Generation Rotary bestowed upon her the Unsung Heroes Award. Thereafter, in 2017, she received the Webb County Liberty Award for her work directing the La Luz De Esperanza program at Bethany House of Laredo. Indeed, Rosarios receipt of this award for community service while serving in her position as the Director of the Bethany House La Luz De Esperanza Learning Center might well in fact have been predestined as the name Esperanza was Rosarios mothers name, and indeed the late Esperanza Flores was one of Laredos first educators and likewise a recognized community service activist herself.

Other community participations of Rosarios have included the United Way, the WBCA council, and the Princess Pocahontas Council. She served as a board member of the Laredo Philharmonic Orchestra and the Newman Campus Ministry at Texas A&M International University.

Rosario bore strong religious convictions and was a faithful parishioner of St. Patrick and St. John Neumann Churches in Laredo. She forged and maintained long-standing friendships with the brothers of the Congregation of St. John as well as the sisters from the Sisters of Mercy and the Ursuline Sisters in Laredo.

Rosario was a life-long student and lover of music, a trait instilled in her by her father, the late Porfirio Flores, who served as Sheriff for many decades in Laredo, and who also happened to be a classically trained pianist. Porfirio frequently accompanied his daughter, Rosario, for musical concerts at the Laredo Civic Center. The Flores sisters, in fact, were introduced to and learned to love culturally advanced music, art and dance from their parents, leading to many much-anticipated gatherings and soirees at the Flores residence. Rosario possessed a beautifully trained tenor and later, an alto, singing voice. She initially became involved in choirs while at Martin High School and later while at University. She was a proud member of the choirs at St. Patricks and St. John Neumanns churches. She was also a member of the Laredo Philharmonic Chorale, a group so impressive that they were invited to perform at the famous Carnegie Hall in New York City. Rosario spoke frequently of her pride, joy and excitement of performing at such an iconic and famous music venue.

It is fitting that her last day on Earth was Mothers Day, for she was exactly that to so many, well-known for helping those in need, regardless of the matter or time of day when providing her time and effort to anyone requesting it of her. The compassion she had for the less fortunate, especially for the children who were homeless, was truly remarkable and admired by many. Her true rewards were the stories of lessons learned and successes earned. She was an inspiration to all who knew her and reminded us daily to savor every moment and to live and love to the fullest. Rosy or Mama Rose as she was affectionately referred to by her grandchildren, was a supportive wife, a pioneering educator, a familial corner-stone, a loving grandmother, and a fierce friend to an innumerable amount of people.

Rosario had expressed her gratitude for her team of physicians at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center and her local physicians, Dr. Armando R. Hinojosa and Dr. Mohsen Ghadimi-Mahani.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Porfirio and Esperanza Flores, her husband, Julio A. Garcia, her daughter, Cristina; her sister, Marilu Flores Gruben; her brother-in-law, William Dickinson; her sister-in-law, Laura Garcia; and her beloved nephews, George and Alfonso Magnon.

Left to cherish her memory are her daughter, Leticia Lourdes; her son, Julio A. Garcia, Jr.; her daughter-in-law, Sonya; her sisters, Gloria Dickinson and Silvia Jones; her brother-in-law, Jeff Jones; her grandchildren, Zoe, Julio, III, and Ben, as well as numerous nieces and nephews. Rosarios care-giver and close friend, Elizabeth (Beti) Olivares Hernandez, held a special place in her heart as she was at Rosario, and her familys, side throughout many years of her life.

Rosario Flores Garcia made this corner of the world a better place in which to live and she will be truly missed.

A Rosary will be recited on Saturday, May 18, 2019 at 9:30 a.m. in the Hillside Funeral Home chapel. A visitation will be held from 9:00 a.m. to 11:15 a.m.

A Mass will be held at St. John Neumann Catholic Church at 11:30 a.m.

Interment will follow to the family plot at the Calvary Catholic Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you make donations to a charity of your choice.

If you would like to sign the guestbook or send private condolences, you may do so at www.hillsidefuneral.com.

Arrangements are under the direction of Hillside Funeral Home, 310 Hillside Road.
The beginning of the school year when you got to show off your new duds, new cars, new looks!

Sports! Playing, cheering, watching high school athletics.

The arts: Dramatic arts, musical groups and shows, graphic arts groups, debate, etc.

The prom! No dancing the night away or punch bowl antics.

The daily interactions. Just being with the group, hanging with friends and classmates.

Access to college recruiters and advisors  its harder to line up higher education.

Walking onstage to get a diploma while all the family is watching with everyone elses family.

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First established back in April 1960, Ballymahon mart quickly became the focal point of the south Longford town.

Founded by a group of local stakeholders, such as Paddy Donnelly, James Delaney, Christy Roche, John Sammon, George Mears, Michael Kenny and Eunice Kenny, who decided it was time the town moved away from the traditional fair day, which previously took place on the streets of Ballymahon once every month.

Manager John OHanlon told the Leader, They got together in the late 50s and it was eventually established in 1960.

At the time, there was a lot of buyers coming over from the UK and Scotland. A modern method of sourcing and trading cattle was needed and these lads saw the opportunity and jumped in and set up a limited company. It has been trading ever since.

The first-ever sale took place on 13 April 1961 and although originally having faced slight resistance from fair-going locals, the mart quickly became a fundamental part of life in the Longford town.

John explained, At the time it was a seismic shift from the traditional way of doing business.

Traders in the town would have welcomed the move really, as it was taking all of the cattle and sheep away from out in front of their doors and they still had the custom because people still went into town after the mart.

John says the mart helped promote the regeneration of Ballymahon and helped transform the economy of the area, something it continues to this day.

It would have brought a lot of business to the town over many, many decades. It certainly consolidated Ballymahon as a trading town.

As marts around them began to fold due to increased competition, namely Moate and Edgeworthstown, Ballymahon only developed further.

In command of the ship nowadays and holding the position of acting manager on behalf of the board of directors is Barry native and Ballymahon resident, John OHanlon. The company itself is run by five directors on behalf of the 51+ shareholders, while Lily Trautt holds the role of both secretary and assistant mart manager. Lily has retained an involvement in the mart since her days in school, a career lasting almost as long as the mart itself.

She would be more suited to running a big Multinational Corporation.

We have staff here for many decades who have always remained incredibly loyal to the company. said John before highlighting the work of their two top class resident auctioneers Denis ORourke and Larry Gilligan.

Such is the passion of those involved to keep improving in any way, the mart was actually one of the first in the country to live stream their sales through Farmers Forum. They now trade on average 14,000 head of cattle each and every year, a figure John hopes they can improve upon.

To John and all involved in Ballymahon, the mart is much more than just a way of purchasing stock, but also a social outlet.

It is of huge social benefit. There is a great buzz to it. When you have good auctioneers and a good trade, there is a great energy around the ring, John explains.

Although facing increasing costs, stricter regulations, a lack of young farmers and competition from online sales platorms, the team at Ballymahon will keep doing what they do best and have no plans on closing their doors at any stage.

The main aim of the board and the stakeholders is to keep the place running, even with very onerous conditions from the PRSA. There are so many entities coming down on top of us, but we are determined to keep the place open, and will be ready to adjust to whatever the market needs us to do.
A 'business consultant' has unreservedly apologised before the President of the High Court for remarks made in an e-mail about another judge.

Eamonn O'Neill gave a sworn undertaking before Mr Justice Peter Kelly not to repeat "in public or in private" comments he made about Ms Justice Leonie Reynolds and her handling of a case in which he was a defendant.

Mr O'Neill was before on the court for alleged criminal contempt for remarks he made in emails he sent last month to several parties, including the Gardai, alleging that Judge Reynolds was involved in "a criminal conspiracy."



After apologising under oath to the court, Mr O'Neill said he had previously apologised to Ms Justice Reynolds about the emails.



Mr Justice Kelly, who accepted the sworn apology, also offered Mr O'Neill some "friendly advice".



The Judge told him not to make such allegations about other persons like the ones that were contained in the emails.



Mr Justice Kelly also told Mr O'Neill he was referring certain issues to the Law Society of Ireland for investigation, as they didn't do him much good.



Mr Justice Kelly said that it appeared from documents put before the court that Mr O'Neill had sought and received payment for advice he gave to parties involved in a case before the High Court.



It appeared to be the sort of advice the judge said that only a solicitor or barrister can give, he added.



It was accepted that Mr O'Neill, a businessman with over 30 years experience, was not a qualified lawyer.



The Judge said that one of the parties in the case involving the receiver had said in a sworn affidavit Mr O'Neill had been paid money for his services.



The Judge said the court had also received a letter where another person, unconnected with the case involving the receiver, had claimed Mr O'Neill had been paid a substantial sum of money for similar advice.

There were matters that the law society could look into, the Judge added.



Mr O'Neill, who told the court he acted as a business consultant said he had only two clients.



The action, which remains pending before the courts, involves a fund appointed receiver sought vacant possession of business premises in Co Waterford from parties after it was unable to gain access to the property.



When the matter was previously Ms Justice Reynolds made orders preventing Mr O'Neill acting as a legal advisor, known as a McKenzie friend, in court cases because he is "taking advantage of vulnerable litigants."



Ms Justice Reynolds made the order against Mr O'Neill in a case where the court had previously granted a fund appointed a receiver, Mr Ken Kennell, possession of a commercial property in Co Waterford.

The action was brought against Paddy Early, Killea, Dunmore East, Co Waterford Paul Kearney Islandtarsney, Fenor, Co Waterford, who are the owners of the property.



During the proceedings, the court heard Mr O'Neill with an address at The Quays Waterford, had acted as a business consultant for the owners and, CMD Early Dunmore East Ltd.



That company claimed it had an agreement with the owners to occupy the premises.



Mr Fennell, represented by Brian Conroy Bl, sought an order for vacant possession after it claimed it was unable to take charge or access the property, and that the defendants were trespassers.



After finding the defendants had no defence to the receivers claim the Judge granted the receiver an order for possession but put a stay on the order to allow the occupants time to find new premises.



The judge also directed Mr Early and Mr Kearney to swear an affidavit setting out what they had paid Mr O'Neill for his advice, which they agreed to do.



Mr Fennell claimed Mr Early and Mr Kearney were advanced some 2.29m by Ulster Bank in 2008, for which the property was put up as security.



The loan fell into arrears in 2011 which was acquired by Promontoria Aran Ltd acquired in 2015. Mr Fennell was appointed as receiver over the property in 2016.
Local News, Crime, Press Releases

By Long Island News & PR Published: May 16 2019

Sini: "We are no longer responding or waiting for tragedy to strike; we are taking a proactive approach."

Suffolk County District Attorney Timothy D. Sini and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New York announced the indictment of three 18th Street gang members for allegedly conspiring to murder two individuals they believed were MS-13 gang members.

This is one of many cases where my office and HSI worked together to not only bring bad actors to justice, but to actually prevent violence, District Attorney Sini said. We are no longer responding or waiting for tragedy to strike; we are taking a proactive approach, and due to excellent law enforcement work, we are preventing murders.

Wilber Campos Chicas, a/k/a Troya, 25, of Port Jefferson Station; Guillermo Linares Alvarez, a/k/a Extrano, 19, of Huntington Station; and Isidro Aguirre Canelas, a/k/a Chino, 26, of Centereach, are each charged with one count of Conspiracy in the Second Degree, a B felony.

Campos Chicas and Aguirre Canelas have been identified by law enforcement as members of the Tiny Locos (TLS) clique of the 18th Street gang, which is based in Port Jefferson Station, and Linares Alvarez has been identified as a member of the Shatto Park Locos (SPLS) clique, located in Huntington Station.

An investigation by the District Attorneys Office and HSI that began in March revealed intelligence that Campos Chicas, Linares Alvarez and Canelas allegedly conspired to murder two victims who they believed were members of MS-13, which is 18th Streets rival gang.

Between March 15 and April 24, the defendants allegedly took several steps in furtherance of the murder conspiracy, including sharing photos and descriptions of the two targets and their whereabouts. The defendants were allegedly going to use two machetes, which were owned by Linares Alvarez, to murder the two victims. They also allegedly discussed obtaining a car to use while carrying out their attacks.

The three defendants, all of whom entered the United States illegally, were apprehended by HSI agents in April.

Working quickly, HSI was able to take all three defendants into custody before they were able to execute their plan, District Attorney Sini said. But for the dedication and professionalism of HSI, these murders likely would have occurred.

HSI and Suffolk County will not stand for violence at the hand of any gang member, said Gerald Handley, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of HSI New York. Whether the intended victim is innocent or a known member of a gang, we pay the same attention to the details and remain as proactive as possible to stay in front of the violence. We will stand united with our law enforcement partners and continue to arrest and seek prosecution of gang members.

The three defendants were arraigned on the indictment on March 13 by Suffolk County Acting County Court Judge Karen M. Wilutis and were remanded without bail.

If convicted of the top count, the defendants each face a maximum sentence of eight and one-third to 25 years in prison. Campos Chicas is due back in court on May 29. Linares Alvarez is due back in court on May 30. Aguirre Canelas is due back in court on May 31.

Today is the latest example of Suffolk County law enforcement using the conspiracy statutes under New York State law to prevent violence, District Attorney Sini said. We are collecting intelligence, analyzing that intelligence and disseminating it in a way that is allowing us to prevent violence and hold dangerous gang members accountable. None of this would be possible without the partnership between my office and HSI as well as other law enforcement agencies.
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Lebanons glory was handed to him, and we believed he would be eternal.

It couldnt have been any other way since everything about him spoke of some kind of strange timelessness; a capacity to be out of time if not between times: the slightly juvenile sparkle of innocence when his century-old face would suddenly light up to convey the greatest joy; the tone of his voice, always steady, always perfectly measured, even in the rare moments when anger, fueled by injustice, would break his celestial serenity; the incredible swiftness of his body, maintained by a distinctive tendency towards asceticism, ready to jump anytime with the intrepidity of an elf, but nevertheless exhausted by all the ordeals of life in the public field, which he carried like a cross.

Could it have really been different? He was, after all, the 76th descendant in a long lineage of patriarchs entrusted with a historical, political mission: to protect the lit-up sanctuary that his predecessors had helped to found: The Greater Lebanon, the country of freedom, sovereignty, independence, coexistence, reconciliation and peace.

He was out of this world, in the sense that he was able to rise above the current moment, undoubtedly conscious, because of his mission as the eternal guardian of the Temple, that it is only by soaring above temporal fixations that it is possible to seize the historical timescale, which doesnt care much about small political tribulations, tactical reversals, demagogic and populistic speech, hubris or the delirious feeling of might.

His time was one of immutability. That is why the immediate power struggles insults, threats, intimidations, betrayals, occupations, militias, assassinations never defeated his determination. This is how he succeeded in defying the times of violence and the times of tyranny, when everything was nothing but odorless and colorless smells of death. He did so with a patient, constant, unshakable faith. A faith that helped safeguard, promote and restore democratic principles despite the daunting and enormous size of that task falling on the shoulders of one man.

The voice that shook Damascus

Born in Rayfoun, Keserwan on May 15, 1920, shortly before the proclamation of Greater Lebanon, Nasrallah Sfeir, Patriarch of the Second Independence of Lebanon, died on the eve of his 99th birthday, at the end of a unique political journey. Powerful because of his humility, his simplicity and his detachment from power, solitary due to his monastic habits, no one deserved to have a better, more restful eternal sleep.

Since his resignation from his patriarchal duties in 2011the culmination of his earthly glorythe patriarch had retreated into the shadows and silence. Above and beyond his legendary humility and his respect towards his successor, he was overdue for the inevitable, well-earned rest of a fighter, especially after concluding one of the most eventful patriarchal mandates (1986-2011) that was tainted by the fratricidal and intra-communal struggles of the end of the civil war, the Christian sentiments of failure and frustration of the post-war period and the sinister days of the Syrian occupation and then the bright perspective of the Beirut Spring, which was quickly bloodied by assassinations and the militia-like counter-revolution headed by Hezbollah.

This apprenticeship of silence wasnt really one. Nasrallah Sfeir had always shown a lack of interest in idle talk, despite his extraordinary eloquence and his unique way with words: brief, corrosive, lethal. All that was needed were a few sober, mismatched, almost monotonous words, with a dash of finicky onomatopoeia, often proclaimed in a high-pitched, wise voice, in order to make the Republicwhich was subservient to the Syrian occupier for much of his tenureshake, as well as to induce a rumbling of passionate reactions orchestrated by Damascus.

Still, the Maronite Patriarch never argued with anyone. Apart from the nobility, the wisdom and the responsibilities imposed on him by his rank, he made it a point of honor to avoid climactic duels or positions too abrupt or capable of negatively impacting the country in general and Christians in particular. He also never divulged more than the message he wanted to transmit: so many journalists in search of sensationalism left a few teeth!

In the line of Michel Chiha and of the Vatican II

Sfeir never liked to seduce or woo in order to please the crowds. He stood firm on this point even after Pope John Paul II visited Lebanon in May 1996, which validated Sfeirs role as a leader who was able to help Christians overcome their post-civil war malaise, and after the famous call of the Maronite bishops in September 2000 that gave him an unparalleled, symbolic stature similar to that of Jean-Paul II in his fight to bring down the Iron Curtain.

Still, populism and Sfeir never got along. In fact, it was quite the opposite, as highlighted by the sad episode of aggression carried out against Sfeir by supporters of General Michel Aoun in 1989, which remains a painful memory. In fact, a re-reading of his in-depth biography, written by our colleague Antoine Saad, which currently stands at three volumes, shows that Sfeir was often the moral, political and direct victim of movements such as populism, Caesarism and Mussolinism, which pushed certain figures to manipulate the masses.

Could it have been any other way for a man whose political ideology did not align with the militias and supreme leaders, but instead resembled Raymond Eddes and Nassib Lahouds? Early on in his priestly journey, Sfeir was drawn to the civil, sovereign and nationalist ideas of the National Bloc. He was also well versed in the lucid, but idealistic Libanism of Michel Chiha and studied in the reformist and modernist school of the Second Vatican Council. He turned out to be the providential, post-war figure that Lebanonwith all its mixed communitiesneeded to meticulously reweave the inter-communal links destroyed by the fighting and to create, without turmoil, a common will as well as political and social unity around the restoration of Lebanese sovereignty. Because of this, for two decades he resisted any attempt to torpedo the Lebanese formula aimed at distorting the soul of the country of the cedars.

Impervious to the alliances of the minorities

Sfeir was one of the main Christian godfathers of the Taif Agreementalong with Samir Geageadespite opposition from most Christian parties in 1989. When the Pax Syriana was ruthlessly put into force, with the assassination of President Rene Moawad and the destruction of the Baabda Presidential Palace, Sfeir still made a point of honoring the agreement and demanding it be implemented. In particular, he advocated for the withdrawal of Syrian forces from Lebanon. At the time, in 1992, he wasnt able to rely on anyone. Raymond Edde, Amine Gemayel, Michel Aoun and Dory Chamoun, the four main Maronite political leaders, were exiled in France and were deeply divided. Samir Geagea was an isolated figure and in 1994, would be put in prison.

Despite Sfeirs call for a boycott of the 1992 parliamentary elections, some Christian politicians ran and were elected with a ridiculously small number of votes. As a result, Sfeir appeared weakened and alone in his battle to restore Lebanons sovereignty and independence. On the one hand, the effort to mobilize an opposition stalled due to old grievances, internal quarrels and fighting between leaders. On the other, a different group of leaders was eager to ingratiate themselves to Lebanons Syrian masters in order to get their spot under the sun.

Sfeir faced a difficult task uniting Christian leaders to form an opposition, but he eventually succeeded. In 2001, with the founding of the Qornet Shehwan Gathering, under Sfeirs auspices and with the direction of Bishop Youssef Bechara, an opposition finally emerged. Only Aoun broke ranks to preserve his own political stance, and his relationship with Sfeir would remain tense. Upon Aouns return from exile, the leader of the Free Patriotic Movement (CPL) proclaimed himself the political patriarch of the Christians, expressing his opposition to Sfeirs hostile position towards the Syrian and Iranian regimes.

Over the years, many political leaders, such as Kabalan Issa el-Khoury, Rochaid el-Khazen, Elie Ferzli and Sleiman Frangieh, would attempt to convince the Patriarch to give up on pushing for Islamic-Christian unity and the restoration of Lebanons sovereignty. Instead, these leaders argued for a Maronite-Alawite alliance with the Syrian regime that would return the Christians to a position of strength.

Despite relentless attempts by proponents of the minority alliance to flatter him and change his position, Sfeir never embraced the plan, which he saw as a negation of the idea of Lebanon, and he persistently refused to honor the Assad regime with a visit to Damascus. Numerous attempts by the Syrian regime to open up a dialogue, led by emissaries close to the Maronite Patriarchy in Bkerke, only convinced Sfeir that the Assad regime lied pathologically and could not be trusted.

A Humbled Hero

The burden of the Christian rifts will prompt Nasrallah Sfeir to take the helm an guide the ship, leading the opposition to Syrian tutelage. Sfeir was also aware that the silence of the Muslim elite about the Syrian occupation wasnt a sign of consent. Instead, he understood, it was due to the weight of the Syrian presence and dominance in Lebanon. Sfeir was certain that one day the Muslim elite would revolt. Sfeirs opposition was not one of tanks and soldiers, but sermons, speeches, religious services, diplomatic meetings, symbolic, unifying political acts and lessons in democracy, law and public freedoms. These were the tools that were used when the Lebanese-Syrian security apparatus would strike, sometimes arresting, torturing and randomly incarcerating political opponents and other times suppressing demonstrations or questioning students.

The first nail in the coffin of the Syrian occupation certainly came from the synod for Lebanon, and the Apostolic Exhortation that emanated from it, that was handed by Pope John Paul II to the Lebanese people at Harissa. The Vatican, encouraged by John Paul II and Achille Silvestrini, president of the Congregation of Eastern Churches at the time, would play a fundamental role in helping Lebanon regain its sovereignty. The Synod also provided an opportunity to forge deep and important ties with the wise and elder leaders of the Islamic community, including Imam Mohammad Mehdi Shamseddine, just as in the past it had helped establish a strong relationship with the Mufti of the Republic, Sheikh Hasan Khaled, who was assassinated in 1989. In 2003, Sfeirs decision to oppose the US invasion of Iraq also considerably strengthened this link to the Arab-Muslim world.

The second nail came following Israels withdrawal from southern Lebanon when Sfeir clearly and concisely called for the application of the Taif agreement and international resolutions and the establishment of a platform of plural opposition supported by the international community, notably from Frances Jacques Chirac, to restore the countrys independence.

Following the 2000 legislative elections and Sfeirs famous appeal to the Maronite bishops that led to the Qornet Shehwan Gathering, he embarked on a symbolic tour of the US and travelled to the Chouf for a historic reconciliation with Walid Jumblatt, who had been one of his staunchest opponents. This caused a hysterical reaction of the mandate of Emile Lahoud, which resulted resulting in raids, and attacks on Aug. 7 and 9, 2001. Sfeir also moved closer to Rafic Hariri, who he always wanted to view as a new Riad al-Solh.

In the end, the Syrian withdrawal from Lebanon was directly provoked by the assassination of Rafic Hariri (Sfeirs visit to Koraytem to pay his respects on the eve of Feb 14, 2005 will forever be engraved in Lebanons collective memory). The efforts of intellectual, political and civil society figures such as Samir Frangieh, Samir Kassir and Gebran Tueni, helped build the momentum for the departure. And the people who turned out to protest on March 14, 2005 dealt the final blow. But the crazy dream had been patiently built, brick by brick, by an old man who had learned from and been transformed by the sacrifices of his ancestors and who had a youthful mind guided by the hope of renewalthat man was Nasrallah Sfeir.

From Spring to Spring

The decade following the Beirut Spring was full of disillusionment. There was the counter-revolution and gradual capitulation of the March 14 movement as a consequence of the steady blows delivered by Hezbollah and its allies. But Sfeir never gave up, despite his advancing age. He had campaigned to end the violence of the civil war and initiate a new chapter in relations between Christians and Muslims in 1989, and he had helped pave the way for the Syrian withdrawal in 2005, restoring Lebanons sovereignty.

The final cause he fought for was for the state to reclaim its monopoly on the legitimate use of violence and for the recognition of the incompatibility of armed militias and democracy. To this end, on the eve of the 2009 legislative election, he came out against Hezbollah being allowed to retain its weapons. His position likely helped March 14 win a final political victorya symbolic Thermopylae for a movement that had grown less and less confident in its abilities and more and more fractured and marred by sectarianism and petty politics.

Sfeir delivered a few more significant moments as well. His surprise resignation, a nearly solitary example of someone voluntarily relinquishing power in the Middle East, paved the way for the revival of the Patriarchy. He also voiced strong support for the Arab Spring, especially the Syrian revolution against the brutality of the Assad regime, while the majority of Eastern Churches chose to demean themselves by remaining servile to the alliance of the minorities rather than supporting freedom and autonomy.

The Springs Patriarch, the one who held a noble and virtuous idea of Lebanon, left on his final journey in the middle of spring. Part of Lebanons soul went with him in the midst of darkening times. But as long as there are enough lucid and courageous men and women who will choose well and privilege freedom, peace and coexistence, Sfeirs legacy will remain alive.

Eternal? No, immortal!







(This article was originally published in French in L'Orient-Le Jour on the 13th of May)
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May 16, 2019: The global push-to-talk market is set to grow at a higher rate during the forecast period. Push-to-talk (PTT) is a communication device that operates on one-to-one mobile communication without dialing, ringing or answering unlike the regular phone call. PTT system permits one person to speak at a time and enables floor control mechanisms. PTT systems and services have constantly evolved to enable more capabilities and efficiency of mobile voice communication that are unavailable from any other communication devices.

Push-to-talk market is driven by rise in number of network and mobile devices followed by rise in demand for accessories and increase in production of push-to-talk devices. Push-to-talk systems have evolved in the past ten years along with growing technological infrastructure and have overcome the communications technology. In addition, the push-to-talk devices are now replacing the land mobile radio systems. Moreover, versatility and mobile workforces led by push-to-talk devices is triggering the market growth during the forecast period.

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By type, the push-to-talk market is segmented as construction, public safety & security, utility, transportation and logistics, travel & hospitality and manufacturing. Component category for market comprises services, software and equipment. Equipment category is likely to grow at a higher rate due to rising demand for services. Application segment for market comprises 3G, 4G and Wi-Fi.

Geographical segmentation for push-to-talk market spans North America, South America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Africa. North America market is anticipated to grow at a higher CAGR during the forecast period owing to extensive demand for communication technologies and use of IoT analytics in the past years.

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European market is more likely to grow at a rapid pace due to ongoing technological advancement and high potential. Rise in the mobile workforce in the telecommunication industry is likely to propel the market growth. The key players profiled in the push-to-talk market report comprises AT&T, Motorola, Qualcomm Technologies Inc, Verizon, Kyocera Corporation, Mobile Tornado, Simoco Wireless Solutions, Bell Canada, Telo Systems and Sonim Technologies Inc.

The global Push-To-Talk market was valued at $XX million in 2017, and MAResearch analysts predict the global market size will reach $XX million by the end of 2028, growing at a CAGR of XX% between 2017 and 2028.

This report provides detailed historical analysis of global market for Push-To-Talk from 2013-2018, and provides extensive market forecasts from 2018-2028 by region/country and subsectors. It covers the sales volume, price, revenue, gross margin, historical growth and future perspectives in the Push-To-Talk market.

Leading players of Push-To-Talk including:

Verizon

AT&T

Sprint Corporation

Ericsson

Iridium

Kodiak

C Spire

Azetti

HipVoice

Cybertel Bridge

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They gathered somberly and in some cases tearfully on Thursday to honor 10 law enforcement agents from Henry County who were killed or died in the line of duty, dating back to 1919.

The annual Peace Officers Memorial Service at the Martinsville City Council chambers drew representatives of area law enforcement agencies, government officials and family members and friends of fallen officers.

The list from the Henry County Sheriffs Office included John Hughes Mitchell, who was killed May 4, 1922; Willis Herman Ferguson, who was killed March 18, 1975; George Melvin Brown, who was killed June 26, 1984; and Paul Edward Grubb, who was killed July 2, 1989.

Grubb was shot during a drug raid. Brown was killed in a car accident while transporting an inmate. Ferguson was killed by a driver (who left the scene) while he helped a motorist with a flat tire. Mitchell was shot in an ambush after seizing some illegal whiskey.

Officer George S. Frame of the now-defunct Bassett Police Department was killed March 18, 1923. Officer John J. Johnston of the now-defunct Fieldale Police Department was killed Jan. 27, 1945. Frame was shot by a suspected moonshiner, and Johnston was killed in a car wreck.

From the Martinsville Police Department, they honored George F. Carter, who was killed June 14, 1919, while he was attempting to apprehend gamblers, and Jonathan W. Bowling, who was killed Jan. 26, 2005, when his Marine Corps Reserve convoy was ambushed in Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Virginia State Police Trooper Charles Eugene Morris was killed in 1962 while assisting the Patrick County Sheriffs Office with an arrest. Sgt. James Michael Phillippi died while on duty on Jan. 11, 2014, as a result of a medical condition.

The ceremony began with a prayer by Lee Hagwood, welcoming remarks by Martinsville Police Chief Eddie Cassady and proclamations ready by Martinsville Mayor Kathy Lawson and Debra Buchanan, vice chair of the Henry County Board of Supervisors.

A color guard included representatives from Martinsville, Henry County and the state police.

Henry County Sheriff Lane Perry read the names of officers killed in the line of duty, and David Cameron rang a bell after each name. Clark Givens played "Taps" on a bugle. Bob Norris played Amazing Grace on bagpipes. Martinsville Sheriff Steve Draper recognized family members. Major Eric Winn of the Henry County Sheriffs Office gave the closing prayer.

According to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund website, since Jan. 1 there have been 43 officer fatalities, 20 of which were firearms-related, 16 traffic-related and seven from other causes. Only one was from Virginia. There 63 fatalities during the same period in 2018.

Darlene Isom of Bassett, daughter of Ferguson, said I do my best to come to the ceremony every year.

Its so nice. so many years after it happened, [to recognize] the sacrifice that was made, that he made, certainly because he chose this job, but the family made it too, she said.

When he died, I was 15, 16, and my sister two years younger, 13 years old, and my brother he was 1 year old. He doesnt even really remember Daddy.

He was helping a lady on side of road, who had a flat tire in rain at night. He was hit and killed by a drunk driver.

She said her father worked two jobs, driving a school bus by day and being a police officer at night. He started at the Fieldale Police Department and worked for the Bassett PD before the sheriffs office.

Sometimes hed wear his police uniform on the bus [he drove] because he had to go to court. The kids [on the bus] acted really good on those days, Isom said with a laugh.

When we were teenagers, if we did anything, like stayed out real late or didnt come home, Mama didnt get involved  Daddy was out in the night. He was coming after us. So we didnt do those things.

She said she works with the Fieldale Heritage Festival, and when several people found out who her father was, they would say he was the best guy. Some said he stopped me for doing such and such and gave me a strong talking to. If he thought they would do better, he would let them go; if not, he would call their parents.

He could tell, I guess, if he made an impression or not on them, Isom said.

He loved it [being a law enforcement officer]. He just loved it. He just loved helping people and helping the community be better.

Shirley Mitchell Wilson, who lives near Ridgeway, is the granddaughter of John Hughes Mitchell, who died years before she was born.

He was ambushed by some bootleggers. Thats how the story goes, she said.

She said she feels the fallen officers should be honored for the ultimate sacrifices they made.

Too often, she said, young people criticize law enforcement, who are out protecting the public.

Sharon Merricks of Stanleytown came to the ceremony to remember Phillippi and support his wife, Peggy.

I knew Mike through our church, McCabe Memorial Baptist," she said. "He was a dear friend of mine and my husband, Steve. He and his wife, Peggy, were godparents to our daughter.

Mike was the nicest, most caring person you would ever meet, quiet, always had a smile on his face.
Area students have received more than $299,000 in scholarships administered through Community Foundation Serving Western Virginia.

The scholarships were awarded Wednesday at the foundations annual scholarship dinner, held at New College Institute.

The Community Foundation administers endowment funds. Those are special funds in which the account balance is never dipped into. The scholarships or other awards made from those funds come from investment interest those funds earn each year.

Community Foundation locally has 15 endowed scholarship funds and 48 total endowment funds which include scholarships and other types of endowments, according to Community Foundation Regional Vice President April Haynes.

Individuals and businesses can set up endowment funds through the foundation, Haynes said, with a minimum opening amount of $25,000 for scholarship funds or $10,000 for other types of funds.

Other types of endowments support causes such as charities that aid health care, the arts or any other matter.

Community Foundation Program Associate Kara Gilley said the foundation also may help select scholarship recipients from the applicant pool.

The awards went to both college and high school students and ranged from $500 to $16,000 in value.

Hunter Lail of Burns High School, Elijah Mills of Liberty High School and Hunter Lunsford of South Caldwell High School won those top prizes from the Hooker Educational Scholarship Fund.
If your child awakes with a fever, cough, runny nose and red, watery eyes, the symptoms usually call for a sick day or two. Parents and grandparents often monitor a child at home, as symptoms akin with a common cold disappear on their own after a couple of days.

But what if the symptoms persist or worsen? What if the child develops white spots inside his or her mouth? What if a rash breaks out three to five days after the onset of the illness? What if their fever spikes to 104 degrees or higher?

All of these signs point to measles and require immediate medical attention.

Less than two decades ago, measles was one less worry on many parents minds. In 2000, the United States declared measles eradicated because of an absence of continuous disease transmission for more than 12 months.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention noted a highly effective vaccination program as the reason for the decline.

But now there has been a surge nationally in measles cases amid growing debate about the vaccine that eradicated it. Some people withhold their from being vaccinated because of the debunked notion that the injection leads to autism.

Although deemed eradicated, that didnt mean the infection caused by the rubeola virus went away completely. There were more than 100 cases reported in the United States in 2001 and more than 200 in 2011, according to data collected by the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

In 2014 those cases spiked drastically, with more than 600 cases reported, and this year alone, through May 10, the CDC had reported 839 individual cases of confirmed measles in the United States, an increase of 75 cases from the previous week.

With the infection confirmed in 23 states, this is the largest outbreak in 25 years.

There have been no reported cases in Virginia or the Carolinas, but bordering states including Maryland, Kentucky, Tennessee and Georgia all have at least one person with measles.

Stacey Humphreys, pediatric nurse practitioner at Sovah Pediatrics, said that the reason for measles outbreaks is twofold.

First, theres that decrease in compliance with immunization schedules. Second, those traveling to and from countries where people havent been immunized against measles have an increased risk of getting the virus and spreading it to others.

Measles can be deadly, Humphreys said. Too many people think of measles as a benign childhood illness, but it is not.

According to the CDC, American Academy of Pediatrics and vaccine safety experts, the MMR vaccine  which contains vaccinations against measles, mumps and rubella  is not responsible for increases in the number of children with autism.

Sovah Health Infection Preventionist Renee Osborne, RN, noted that the MMR vaccine is 93% effective upon a first dose and 97% effective upon a second dose. It is recommended that children ages 1 to 4 receive two doses of the MMR vaccine.

Students entering Henry County Public Schools are required to receive the MMR vaccine before attending classes. Students in Martinsville City Public Schools also must have the vaccine, except in the case of religious exemption. Neither school division has any active measles cases.

Prior to the start of the vaccination program, 400 to 500 deaths from measles were reported each year to the CDC, and we do not know the number of unreported deaths, Osborne said. Measles can also lead to hospitalization, and there is a risk of encephalitis, [or] brain swelling. It is important to get the MMR not only to protect yourself, but to help protect those that cannot receive the vaccine.

Osborne noted that children under 12 months should not receive the vaccine unless they are traveling internationally and that those with allergies to the vaccine or compromised immune systems, such as someone receiving chemotherapy, should not receive the vaccine. She urged close family members to get the vaccine in cases where other loved ones cannot.

The measles virus can live for up to 2 hours in an airspace where an infected person coughed or sneezed. If others breathe in the contaminated air or touch an infected surface and then touch their eyes, nose or mouth, they risk becoming infected. The CDC reports that if one person has measles, 90% of the people close to that person who are unvaccinated and not immune will also become infected.

Measles often is considered a childhood infection, but unvaccinated adults may also receive the MMR vaccine. The CDC suggests that adults receive two doses, the second about four weeks after the first.

Those seeking the vaccine may schedule an appointment with their primary care provider, be it a pediatrician or family medicine doctor.
Across the commonwealth, there are hundreds, if not thousands of jobs, that go unfilled because employers simply cant find folks with the skills needed to do the work. State leaders hope that legislation Gov. Ralph Northam signed into law earlier this month will help alleviate the problem and, at the same time, set people on course for a career, not just one dead-end job after another

Northam used Tidewater Community Colleges Skilled Trades Academy as the backdrop to sign House Bill 2020, legislation championed by Del. Matthew James, a Portsmouth Democrat, to shine a light on the role the states community colleges will play in the process. James bill calls on the Virginia Community College System, working with the state Department of Labor, to develop a uniform, statewide instruction plan for registered apprenticeships for high-demand jobs, as determined by the Virginia Board of Workforce Development and the Virginia Employment Commission. The courses would be available either online, face-to-face in classrooms or a combination of both.

Virginias community colleges have always been at the forefront of specialized job training in the commonwealth, but primarily in their own service areas. Central Virginia Community College in Lynchburg, for example, has long had a partnership with local nuclear engineering firms to train applicants for their high-skills positions.

In much the same way, Patrick Henry Community College has focused curricula on certifications needed by local manufacturers. And the coming Commonwealth Crossing Business Centre will expand its impact even more precisely.

James bill expanded the role of the community college system to include working with employers to train applicants for such jobs as construction workers, carpenters, ship repairers  jobs for which certification is required to gain entry to but that also have a period of apprenticeship while on the job itself.

The training will be tailored to each community colleges need, determined by consultations with the VEC and workforce development board. While ship repairers certainly will be needed in Tidewater where the largest employer is Newport News Shipbuilding, heavy equipment operations or construction trades may be in higher demand in Central Virginia or Southside. Because the instructional programs would be uniform and already developed, local community colleges wouldnt have to reinvent the wheel: As soon as a critical jobs need is determined, a training program will be ready to roll out.

John Capps, the president of CVCC in Lynchburg, put it best in remarks at the colleges 51st commencement earlier this week. We are not an ivory tower. We are a public good, he said. We are nothing less than the Ellis Island of higher education with a point of entry to the American dream.

And now, with this push into apprenticeship and certification training, the commonwealths community college system is taking on an even more important role in preparing Virginians of all skill levels to take part in the states expanding economy.
A letter written by Alexander Hamilton in 1780 and stolen from the Massachusetts Archives decades ago by a former employee has been found, according to a recent filing in federal court.

The government now wants it back.

A prosecutor for the U.S. Attorneys Office in Massachusetts filed a forfeiture complaint in federal court in Boston Wednesday asking a judge to order the letter be given back to the government.

According to the complaint, Hamilton, one of the founding fathers of the United States, wrote a letter dated July 21, 1780 to Marquis De Lafayette, a Frenchman who fought in the American Revolutionary War.

The letter along with several other historical documents were stolen from the Massachusetts Archives between 1937 and 1945 by a former employee, the complaint said.

The theft, which also involved original papers of George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Paul Revere, and Benedict Arnold, among others, was not discovered for several years, prosecutor Carol Head wrote.

The Massachusetts Archives only had a Photostat of the handwritten letter after the theft.

The former employee was arrested in 1950. The employee sold the stolen documents to rare book and document dealers throughout the United States.

On Feb. 27, 1950, the then-attorney general for Massachusetts sent a letter to leading dealers in rare books and documents advising them of the theft in an effort to recover the documents and gather evidence.

Other documents stolen by the former employee were recovered. Authorities said the Hamilton letter was not removed from the frame. Other documents had identification numbers removed, the prosecutor said.

Around Nov. 15, 2018, an auction house in Alexandria, Virginia received the Hamilton letter from a South Carolina family. The family wished to sell the letter along with other documents.

The auction house valued the letter at $25,000, the federal complaint said.

A researcher at the auction house learned the letter was reported missing from the Massachusetts Archives and contacted the organization.

The auction house contacted the Archives, and the Archives confirmed that the letter had been stolen from its collection in or around the 1940s and supplied documents about the theft, the complaint said. Thereafter, the auction house contacted the FBI.

The South Carolina family said their dead relative was a document collector and obtained the Hamilton letter from a rare book and document dealer in Syracuse, New York in the 1940s.

The relatives collection was divided among his children when he died.
Arlington police are investigating a fire they believe was intentionally set at the home of a local rabbi.

Officials responded to the home on Lake Street Saturday around 11 p.m. for an activated fire alarm. Upon arrival, they found a small fire burning on the wood shingles on one side of the home, which was quickly extinguished.

A fire department investigator and a police supervisor arrived on scene shortly afterward, and it was quickly determined that the fire was suspicious.

The homeowners, identified as a rabbi and his wife, told police that they hold religious services at the home and that their address, as a religious site, is publicly available online.

The rabbi told police he had not received any threats and did not notice suspicious activity in the area recently, authorities said.

The Arlington Police Department said it has not found any evidence that the family was targeted or that there was any specific motivation or bias surrounding the incident. Nevertheless, the department said it is actively investigating the possibility of a hate crime.

Police have released surveillance footage from a neighbors home that shows a person walking away from the area during the time of the fire. Authorities said theyre hopeful someone will recognize the individual and contact the department at 781-643-1212.

Out of respect for the privacy of the resident, in the early phases of this investigation, we did not draw attention to the fact that the resident is a rabbi, but as this investigation has continued and after consulting with the resident and the Arlington Human Rights Commission, we unfortunately have to leave open all possibilities until the investigation is complete, Police Chief Julie Flaherty said in a statement. We strongly encourage anyone who may have information about this fire or the suspicious person seen leaving the area to contact the Arlington Police Department.
Its not over.

That was the statement made by Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey when she was asked about the investigation into the Massachusetts State Police overtime scandal.

As charges began to be filed against troopers last year, both in state and federal court, Healey told reporters she expected more indictments in the future.

Healey said that in September 2018. As of Thursday, three troopers were charged by her office in state court. Another six troopers were charged in federal court as well, with all of them pleading guilty to embezzlement charges.

Among the six troopers charged in federal court is former Lt. David Wilson, the only trooper to face both state and federal charges.

When state police finished an internal audit, a total of 46 troopers were flagged as possibly being involved in the overtime scandal.

In a sit down with MassLive on Thursday, Healey was specifically asked if her office was done prosecuting troopers in the overtime case.

Its still the subject of ongoing investigation and prosecution, Healey said.

The attorney general noted she couldnt comment much about the case because authorities are still investigating.

Federal records contained in the case against former Trooper Daren DeJong could be a hint as to whether more charges are coming.

DeJong, one of the six troopers charged in federal court, cooperated with investigators from Healeys Public Corruption Unit and state police, according to federal filings in DeJongs case. The former trooper from Uxbridge is one of several troopers who either pleaded guilty or was sentenced already in federal court.

On April 10, DeJong spoke with investigators from the state attorney generals office Public Corruption Unit and state police. He did not cooperate with investigators for the federal government.

DeJong agreed to speak with state investigators only after he was told he was not being targeted in their case.

For three hours, DeJong detailed the abuse of X-Team and AIRE patrols, two programs targeting aggressive driving and other driving issues on the Massachusetts Turnpike and Metropolitan Tunnel System.

DeJong gave investigators names of troopers, discussed the actions of supervisors and spoke about the destruction of records and coordinated efforts to abuse the specialized overtime patrols, the federal filings show.

All of the troopers facing charges in the case are accused of skipping or partially working the overtime patrols and creating phony tickets to hide their activity.

The ruse was coordinated, federal prosecutors claim.

Healey noted her office filed charges in Suffolk Superior Court against three supervisors in the case. The charges were filed in September 2018.

The three former lieutenants, Wilson, of Charlton, Giulino of Lanesborough and David Keefe of Norfolk, all face charges of larceny over $250 by single scheme, procurement fraud, and public employee standards of conduct violation.

The cases are still pending in court.

We focused on issues of culture within the department. We focused on the actions of superiors that were, in our view, illegal, unlawful, Healey said.

The scandal had a serious impact on morale and damaged the publics perception of troopers, she said. The alleged actions of the troopers undermine the work of many others wearing the badge, Healey added.

Theres no place for bad action, she said.

All of the troopers involved in the overtime case were members of Troop E, which was disbanded as part of a series of reforms implemented by Col. Kerry Gilpin.
A former Billerica police K-9 named Blue is looking for a new home.

The 3-year-old Bloodhound worked with the department tracking suspects using his unparalleled sense of smell before being diagnosed with cancer this spring, according to the MSPCA.

Blues trainer, Sgt. John Harrington, brought him to the veterinarian in April after noticing a growth on his right front leg. At first, he though it was a cyst, but the growth turned out to be soft tissue sarcoma, WCVB reported.

Blue was surrendered to MSPCAs Nevins Farm in Methuen so he could get the care he needed to survive. It was determined that he would need to have his leg amputated, and the surgery was performed May 7, according to the television station.

Amputation would offer Blue the best chance of trying to cure this form of cancer, Dr. Nick Trout, who performed the surgery, said in a statement.

Now, the organization is helping Blue find a new home.

He is a wonderful dogwell trained, friendly and socialand we think his new tripod status makes him all the more adorable, Meaghan OLeary, director of the MSPCA at Nevins Farms adoption center, told The Boston Globe in a statement.

Anyone interested in adopting Blue is asked to email methuenadoptions@mspca.org or visit the center.
Wilfredo Burgos, 39, was arraigned on various charges, including assault and battery on a police officer, after leading authorities on a car chase through Boston that ended in an officer being hit by another vehicle, authorities said.

The Suffolk District Attorneys office said West Roxbury Municipal Court Judge Kathleen Coffey set bail for Burgos at $1,000 on Thursday. He was arraigned on charges tied to an outstanding warrant, as well as new charges filed Wednesday, including resisting arrest and assault and battery on a police officer.

Boston police said an officers vehicle was struck by another car Wednesday morning, near 3084 Washington St. in Jamaica Plain, while the officer was chasing Burgos due to the suspects outstanding warrant. The officer involved suffered minor injuries, police said.

Burgos is scheduled to return to West Roxbury court on May 24 with attorney Liz Riley, the Suffolk D.A.'s office said.
WESTFIELD  Don Podolski, owner of New Horizons Bikes in Westfield, uses a variety of descriptors when advertising bicycles: road bikes, mountain bikes, e-bikes with electric assist.

And now pre-tariff bikes.

The Trump administration hit bicycle importers last week with a 25% tariff after imposing a 10% tariff last fall. Its part of an escalating trade war with China that also worries Chinese-owned CRRC, which imports transit car shells and other parts before assembling the cars in Springfield.

I think the administration is doing a very good job of clouding the issue and not letting people realize the consumers are paying, Podolski said. Its a tax. Its not being presented as that.

Podolski said manufacturers absorbed the 10% tariff on bikes. But now they are saying theyll have to pass the cost of the new tariff on to consumers, just like they did when the tariff went up last year on repair parts like inner tubes.

For example, a basic tube that used to cost $5.99, now it is $1.50 more, so the tube costs $7.50, he said. A basic bike shop bike, like for someone who is going to go out and ride the (Columbia Greenway Rail Trail) is $400. Now that bike will be $500.

But the tariff doesnt apply to bikes that are already in transit to the U.S., have arrived in the country or are in stock already. Podoloski said hes got an inventory of bikes without the tariff.

Manufacturers have already begun shifting production to overseas counties that are not China, said David Craven, manager of bikes at Highland True Value Hardware & Bike Shop in Holyoke. Giant, a manufacturer Highland sells, shifted production from China to Taiwan. Giant also built a factory in Hungary to make e-bikes.

"You're not going to see bikes costing more than $1,000 with the tariffs on them," he said. "They will shift that production to avoid the tariffs."

But bikes sold at big-box retailers, the low-end of the market, will probably still be made in China and will probably get hit with the tariffs, Craven said.

Where bike production wont shift is back to the U.S., Podolski said. Thats an ironic statement for a businessman in Westfield, where Columbia Manufacturing once had 2,000 employees and could churn out 4,300 bicycles in an eight-hour shift. But Columbia hasnt made bikes since the 1990s and now makes school furniture.

"The cost of labor is too high," Podolski said.

There are only a few U.S. manufacturers, and their bikes are either custom-made or heavily tailored for customers at $3,000 or more apiece.

And only the frame is made in America. All the components are made either in Europe or Asia, Podolski said. The supply chain isnt here.
LAS VEGAS MGM Resorts International says settling litigation related to the Oct. 1, 2017 mass shooting at its Las Vegas properties will cost it $735 million to $800 million.

MGM Resorts International, the Las Vegas -based parent of MGM Springfield, told investors in a SEC filing that it has $751 million of insurance coverage available to fund this potential settlement, which the companys insurers have agreed to fund.

A high-stakes gambler, who police speculate was looking for notoriety, opened fire from MGMs Mandalay Bay killing 58 country music fans and wounding 800.

MGM wrote in the SEC filing that it continues to believe it is not legally responsible for the perpetrators criminal acts, but is settling in the interest of avoiding protracted litigation and the related impact on the community.

The shooter used used assault-style rifles to fire more than 1,000 rounds in 11 minutes into the crowd of 22,000 concert goers, according to The Associated Press.

He used rifles were fitted with rapid-fire bump stock devices that have since been outlawed by federal legislation.

Victims and their survivors sued after the shooting and in response MGM counter sued saying it wasnt responsible for the shooters actions.

That legal strategy made people angry.

In 2018, MGM Resorts International Chairman and CEO Jim Murren apologized to casino employees and said he regretted not doing a better job in communicating the companys rationale for recent litigation with survivors and families of victims of last falls mass shooting in Las Vegas.
Of Monsters and Men will play Boston and Connecticut on an upcoming tour.

The group will headline the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, CT on Sept. 7 and the Rockland Trust Bank Pavilion in Boston on Sept. 8.

Tickets for the shows will be available through all Ticketmaster outlets and locations including ticketmaster.com and by phone at (800) 745-3000.

Tickets are on sale beginning May 17 at 10 a.m

The groups new release Fever Dream is out on July 26.
SPRINGFIELD  A company led by former City Councilor Timothy J. Rooke met with residents on Wednesday, providing details regarding a proposed marijuana retail store on Page Boulevard in East Springfield, formerly the Crossfit Journey gym.

Approximately 120 people attended the community outreach meeting at the site at 311 Page Boulevard.

Rooke, corporate manager of 311 Page Blvd LLC, and partners Zach Harvey and Seth Yaffe said there are 52 parking spaces and more space if needed, and there will be strong security on site. They said they do not expect any problems with traffic, or would hire police if needed.

Rooke said there has been extensive outreach in the neighborhood as part of the commitment to being a good neighbor. The company plans to begin with 18 employees.

Some residents raised questions and concerns including one woman who said she has been a resident in the neighborhood for 64 years and believes traffic is already "terrible."

The City Council approved a zoning ordinance last September that will allow up to 15 retail marijuana stores in Springfield in business or industrial zones. The stores are also limited to 58 designated streets within those zones.

Rooke chose not to seek re-election to the council in the fall of 2017 after serving on the council for 22 years. He is a lifelong resident of the city and works as a special assistant to Westfield State University President Ramon S. Torrecilha.

He is an investor and principle of 311 Page Blvd LLC, but would not be the store manager, he said.

Companies wishing to open a marijuana business in Springfield have until Monday at 2 p.m., to submit their formal proposals and qualifications. The proposals must be submitted to the Office of Procurement at City Hall and will be reviewed and ranked by a city review committee.

The review committee consists of various department heads and City Councilor Tracye Whitfield.

Mayor Domenic J. Sarno has stated that he anticipates selecting four companies for the first phase of marijuana businesses allowed in Springfield. Those selected will negotiate host community agreements with the city, which need approval from Sarno and the City Council.

Partners in 311 Page Blvd LLC said there were reports of crowds and traffic when the first shops opened in the state and region. They believe that as the number of shops continues to grow, the early crowd issues will not be significant.

In response to concerns raised about the potential for minors to obtain marijuana, company officials said the state regulations are extremely strict. The company will not sell to anyone under 21, and not allow loitering in the lot, company officials said.

As required by the state, cameras are both inside and outside marijuana businesses.

The citys internal review committee consists of the following members: Health & Human Services Commissioner Helen Caulton-Harris, acting Police Commissioner Cheryl Clapprood and Capt. Brian Keenan, Fire Commissioner B.J. Calvi, Chief of Staff Tom Ashe, Deputy Director of Planning Phil Dromey, Attorney Tasheena Davis, Building Commissioner Steven Desilets, Director of Public Works Chris Cignoli, Chief Administrative & Financial Officer T.J. Plante, Deputy Procurement Officer Theo Theocles, and Whitfield.
SANDISFIELD  Three people were taken to Baystate Medical Center in Springfield Tuesday night after a Ryder box truck crossed the center line on Route 8 and crashed head-on into a tow truck.

The victims included Sandisfield Police Chief Michael Morrison, who was driving the tow truck, and his 16-year-old son, the Berkshire Eagle reported.

Dennis Yusko, spokesman for the Berkshire District Attorney's office, told the Eagle all three victims are expected to survive.

The crash occurred about 7 p.m. when the 26-foot box truck, southbound, crossed the center line. It was being driven by 40-year-old Francis Constanzo.

State Trooper James DeAngelis told WWLP that the tow truck then crashed into a Ford vehicle. He said firefighters used the Jaws of Life to extricate one of the victims.

State police and the district attorneys office continue to investigate the crash.
If youre not planning a trip to Venice anytime soon, consider Massachusetts very own city of canals.

Starting Memorial Day weekend, the 5.6 miles of scenic canals across Lowell can be viewed by boat. Throughout the summer, rangers at the Lowell National Historical Park offer guided boat tours on several of the six canals that weave throughout the historic mill city.

Were very proud of Lowell here. You know, we think of Lowell as the first successful planned industrial city, says Ranger Andrew Donovan, who has worked with the National Park Service in Lowell since 2010.

Donovan leads groups of boat tours, explaining the unique history behind the waterways that were initially created as transportation shortcuts, and later expanded to power the famous textile mills that propelled Lowell into global trade markets.

According to Donovan, the building efforts first began in the 1790s, when a group of investors in Newburyport, on one end of the Merrimack River, hoped to move their merchandise downstream, past the steep rapids at Pawtucket Falls. By 1796 the Pawtucket Canal was introduced as the first such system in the area, providing a simple way for boats to move through locked chambers.

In the decades that followed, influential businessman Francis Cabot Lowell became mesmerized by the machinery in England, and decided he wanted to replicate the looms he observed in Massachusetts. He first tried to run his two textile mills on the Charles River in Waltham in 1814, but there was not quite enough water power.

It was an OK river for a few mills, but not a great one if you want to expand, Donovan says.

The merchant died in 1817, before his vision of sprawling industry came to fruition. His fellow businessmen scouted all of New England before choosing the Merrimack River, where the existing Pawtucket Canal provided a basis to build around.

The first mills were financed by these men, of the Boston Manufacturing Company, who named their new canal town after Cabot Lowell. Their business enterprise sparked an industrial revolution: eventually more than 100 buildings would come to rely on the hydropower from the river and canals to produce cotton cloth. Ten major companies emerged to compete in Lowells textile industry, according to Donovan.

One thing that made Lowell so special was just sort of the scale that things are being done. Earlier in American history, there had been smaller factories. There had been, you know, family owned operations, Donovan says.

In the middle of the 20th century, the factories shuttered. Many companies moved permanent operations south, where land and labor were cheaper. More recently, industry-driven communities in southern states are experiencing what places like Lowell went through decades ago.

Well get visitors from the Carolinas saying that they worked in a factory or their parents worked in a cotton mill. How theyre dealing with it nowadays, as most of the American textile factories have closed, Donovan says.

Visitors from all over the country are drawn to Lowell because the city has worked closely with the federal government to preserve the historic traces of its industrial roots. Large brick, mill buildings have been transformed into lofty, industrial chic residential and commercial spaces. According to Donovan, 98 percent of existing, former factory floors have been renovated for new use in Lowell.

Weave rooms, waterpower models and the 5.6 miles of restored canals are all operated by the National Park Service. Open-air trolley service runs downtown, where visitors can ride replicas of the trolleys introduced at the turn of the 20th century. The trolleys operate on Boston & Maine Railroad tracks, built in the mid-19th century, and a 1911 B&M steam locomotive No. 410 sits as a centerpiece in the historic quarter.

But by no means is the neighborhood a living history museum like Old Sturbridge Village, says Phil Lupsiewicz, a spokesperson for Lowell National Historical Park. Though plaques and exhibits offer insight into its past, Lowell remains Massachusetts fourth-largest city with more than 100,000 residents.

Were not a museum city. Were a living city that happens to have a national park in it, he says. It was never designed for federal government.

Lupsiewicz says visitors should remember Lowell has a vibrant downtown, with restaurants and shops alongside the historical sights. The canals once built to power the mills are still providing energy to modern residences and businesses in Lowell today under the operation of Enel, an Italian multinational energy company.

Those interested in learning more on the citys history can hop on a canal tour starting Memorial Day Weekend. For the first two weekends, the tours will run Saturday and Sunday only. Starting June 9, the tours will run seven days a week.

Donovan says the tours tend to last 90 minutes to two hours, and are offered four times each day: 11 a.m., noon, 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. A ticket is free for any child 5 and under, and costs $12 for adults, $10 for those older than 62, and $8 for students and youths ages 6-16.

The tours are always guided by NPS staff, who explain the history of the canals and immigrant city from the 18th up to present day. A replica trolley takes visitors from the NPS Visitor Office to an area by the Pawtucket Canal. Anyone interested in reserving a spot can call the Lowell National Historical Park at 978-970-5000.
By Matt Murphy / STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE

STATE HOUSE, BOSTON, MAY 15, 2019.....One of the Baker administrations senior public safety officials, who has worked on everything from the opioid crisis to impaired driving, was nominated by Gov. Charlie Baker for a judgeship on Wednesday.

The nomination of Jennifer Queally, undersecretary for law enforcement in the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security, for a circuit judgeship at the District Court was one of two new judicial nominations made by the governor.

Dorchester attorney Michael Doolin, a criminal defense lawyer who has tried over 25 murder cases, was also nominated to the Superior Court.

The Governor's Council met Wednesday afternoon when they scheduled hearings for both new nominees in the coming weeks. The council also unanimously confirmed two of Baker's pending nominees, appointing James Haddad to the Gardner District Court bench and making Jennifer Allen the newest Suffolk County Probate Court judge.

The votes for both Haddad and Allen were 7-0. Councilor Eileen Duff was absent.

Haddad has been of counsel at the Worccester firm Glickman, Sugarman, Kneeland and Gribouski since 2003 and a special prosecutor in Worcester District Attorney Joseph Early's office since 2016. He has defended the MBTA and Massachusetts Bay Commuter Rail against allegations of "negligence, civil rights and wrongful retention claims, as well as other theories of liability" 31 times, according to his resume.

Allen, an Ashland solo practitioner who serves on the Metrowest Legal Services board of directors, has practiced a lot of family law handling many divorces, custody cases, alimony, guardianship claims, and restraining orders, and until 2017 was a partner in Ashland firm Catanzaro and Allen.

Queally, who joined the administration at the start of Baker's first term in 2015, previously worked as an assistant district attorney in both Middlesex and Worcester counties, prosecuting over 100 bench and jury trials.

Her nomination to join the District Court bench comes not long after Baker tapped his deputy legal counsel and the executive director of the Judicial Nominating Commission Sharon Casey for a clerk magistrate post in Cambridge.

As undersecretary for law enforcement, Queally wrote in her resume that she provided strategic leadership for office of grants and research, the Municipal Police Training Committee and the Massachusetts State Police.

She has also testified at numerous legislative hearings on behalf of the administration and sat on multiple special commissions, including groups that worked with the Council of State Governments to develop criminal justice reform recommendations and another that focused on impaired driving after the legalization of marijuana.

Queally graduated from Vanderbilt University and earned her law degree from Boston College. She lives in Weston.

Doolin is also a Boston College graduate, though he spent his undergraduate years in Chestnut Hill before earning his law degree from New England School of Law and going to work for two years as a prosecutor in the Suffolk County District Attorney's office.

He then went into private practice in Dorchester, and has tried cases in the state District Courts and Superior Courts, as well as U.S. District Court. In 1995, Doolin was added to the state's list of public defenders qualified to handle murder cases.

Queally will go before the Governors Council for questions on June 5 at 11 a.m., while Doolin will go before the council on May 29 at 9 a.m.
SPRINGFIELD  Housing and economic development are inextricably mixed and must be addressed in unison with each other, Massachusetts Economic Development Secretary Michael Kennealy says.

"We need more housing,'' said Kennealy Thursday at Springfield Technical Community College, where the second of eight economic engagement sessions across the state took place. "There is a housing crisis throughout the state. In the past 30 years, weve created less than half of what had been created in the previous 30 years.''

Kennealy, Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito and members of the Economic Development Planning Council took part in a session that attracted 200 people from business, education, politics and job training. The format of the sessions was conversational, but structured as participants discussed ways the states economic growth could be advanced.

The Massachusetts unemployment rate is a low 2.96 percent. The need is not to find jobs for people, but to find people for jobs, officials said.

In many industries, jobs for skilled personnel are now going unfilled for lack of qualified applicants. With two-year colleges playing a critical role in job training, STCC president John Cook said he was pleased the engagement session was staged at his college.

"The college wants to be a good partner. Whenever there is dialogue about workforce training, we hear about manufacturing and health care,'' Cook said. More and more people are learning that the affordable pathway to those careers is through community college.

The engagement sessions are designed to create a network of shared ideas and identify priority needs. Some of those needs are specific to certain regions, while others are statewide.

The Economic Development Planning Council was established in 2010. It meets during the first-year of each four-year gubernatorial term, regardless of whether the governor is new or reelected, and develops economic strategies that year, giving the administration and Legislature time to act.

The first of eight regional sessions was in Salem. The Springfield session is to be followed by six others across the state, with a Berkshire stop in North Adams in June.

Kennealy noted his visit Thursday was his sixth to the region in fewer than five months. Cook said the manufacturing/health care themes are heard not just regionally, but across the state.

Assistant House Majority Leader Joseph Wagner, D-Chicopee, echoed the need to increase housing opportunities.

"Economic development takes many forms, and housing is one of them. We need affordable housing and housing in places that will support industrial development,'' Wagner said. Thats been an administrative priority this session. We worked on it last year and didnt quite get it over the goal line, but we know its extremely important.

Gov. Charlie Baker, who was represented by Polito in Springfield, said in a statement that the council and its regional meetings produce not just dialogue but results.

He said previous council members helped stimulate advancements in digital health, cybersecurity, and workforce skills capital grants. Regional equity is an essential principle, Baker said, and Polito noted that rural needs - especially central to economic health in much of Western Massachusetts - will not be forgotten.

Baker called the process of producing a new strategy plan by the end of 2019 one of patient urgency.

"Its important to want to see the thing move forward and to see it develop quickly ... but at the same time, this is supposed to be a learning exercise and one of the hardest things to do is to listen and do at the same time,'' he said.

Engagement sessions such as Thursdays rely on listening to local and regional concerns as a critical early step of doing.

Aligning our needs in IT, manufacturing and health care with education and skills is important, Polito said. Housing is (also) a key tool that can help with downtown development. Its important to invest in places with infrastructure investment that has urban, but also suburban and rural needs in mind.
HOLYOKE  The Holyoke Public Schools announced the expansion of its Dual-Language program by 40 percent at Metcalf and E.N. White Schools for the 2019-2020 academic year.

The English-Spanish language program will climb from 300 to 420 students. Metcalf and E.N. White plan to add a grade level and include a second preschool dual-language class.

Students take subjects in both languages, with the goal of fluency of obtaining the Seal of Biliteracy upon graduating from high school. The popular program is the first of its kind in Western Massachusetts.

In a statement, School Receiver Dr. Stephen Zrike said, The goal of the program is for students to reach high levels of academic achievement, bilingualism, and biliteracy in a safe and engaging learning environment that values multiculturalism while preparing students for college and career.

He added, We are thrilled to welcome more students and families into this high-quality, highly in-demand program.

The program, which started with two kindergarten classes at Metcalf in the 2014  2015 school year, aligns with the Commonwealths curriculum and academic standards. Metcalf will expand their dual language offering from Pre-K to fifth grade.

E.N. White plans a Pre-K through second-grade setup for next year.

The plan is to continue to grow our dual language program to support our students in their attainment of two languages, which can eventually lead to students earning the Seal of Biliteracy upon graduation, Zrike stated.

In the same release, Mayor Alex B. Morse said, We are excited to provide financial support to expand the dual language program to more of our youngest learners.

Morse added, Learning two languages accelerates our young students language and cognitive development. Our families interest in this program is a testament to the success of the dual language program, and we are grateful for their commitment to the Holyoke Public Schools.

The HPS will award 10 graduating seniors the Massachusetts State Seal of Biliteracy during a May 21 ceremony at Holyoke High School North Campus. The ceremony begins at 4 p.m. in the Shevlin Studio.

The following students will receive the certificates: Marianegely Aldarondo, Ruth Arzuaga-Rodriguez, Katelynn Cruz, Khyarah Gaston Feliciano, Mia Hernandez, Karina Lopez-Perez, Nashali Pagan, Thayra Quinones, Dylan Rios Bernier and Cristal Sepulveda.
The Massachusetts House voted Wednesday evening to ban the use of handheld phones while driving.

The vote on H.3793 was 155-2.

I think that it was the general feeling that people, the driving public in particular and families throughout the commonwealth, have been adversely affected by the use of cellphones while driving, House Speaker Robert DeLeo, D-Winthrop, said before the vote. Many people have had either personal experiences or constituents in their area who have had some real serious accidents, some ending unfortunately in death.

This was the first time that the House has voted in favor of a ban, a policy that has passed the Senate in prior years and has the support of Gov. Charlie Baker, a Republican. The Senate is expected to take up a version of a hands-free bill next month.

The House bill would ban drivers from using any mobile electronic device while driving unless the device is being used in hands-free mode. Drivers would be barred from viewing texts, images or videos while driving. The only exception would be viewing a map or navigation system on a device that is affixed to the windshield or mounted on a dashboard or console.

A driver could not hold a phone and put it on speakerphone; it would have to be in a hands-free mode, according to Transportation Committee Chair William Straus, D-Mattapoisett.

There would be exceptions made for emergencies  if someone needs medical assistance, has a disabled car, witnesses a car crash or otherwise needs to call emergency personnel for a safety reason.

Violating the law would be punishable by a $100 fine for a first offense, $250 fine for a second offense and $500 fine for a third or subsequent offense. A ticket would not result in an insurance surcharge.

From the time the law goes into effect until Dec. 31, 2019, a first violation would result in only a warning, not a fine. Straus said this will give the police time to educate the public about the change in law and explain what it takes to comply.

Advocates for the policy note that distracted driving is a leading cause of car crashes.

Rep. John Barrett, D-North Adams, talked on the House floor about Merritt Levitan, a constituent who embarked on a cross-country bike ride in 2013 before starting college at Colgate University. She was hit by a distracted driver and died.

What happened shouldn't have happened, Barrett said, according to a State House News Service transcript.

Barrett said Levitans parents met with the 21-year-old driver, who was texting while driving. They forgave him, with a promise that he too would bring their message about driving, Barrett said.

One concern that has been raised with a cellphone ban is that the police will racially profile drivers and will be more likely to pull over black or Latino drivers than white drivers.

The House bill would require police officers to note the race of all individuals who are given a ticket or issued a written warning for any traffic stop. That information would be gathered into an annual report. If a police barracks or department appears to have engaged in racial or gender profiling, the department could be required to collect information on all traffic stops, including those that do not result in a citation, for a year.

The bill would appropriate $300,000 to do the data collection and analysis.

All data collected would be private and would be destroyed after three years.

Massachusetts has collected racial data on traffic stops since 2000. But lawmakers say police officers do not always record the information, and no reports or analyses have been done with the data in recent years.

Rahsaan Hall, director of the racial justice program for the American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts, said he appreciates that the House bill includes data collection, but he thinks data should be collected on all stops, not just stops that result in tickets or citations.

Racial profiling just isnt about whos ticketed or who receives a citation, Hall said. The concern is that people of color, particularly black and Latinx motorists, are pulled over more often. When we dont have the data about all stops, we dont have a full picture of whos being pulled over and why and what happens after theyre pulled over.

During debate on the House floor, lawmakers did not vote on an amendment that would have required racial data to be collected for all stops, but instead adopted an amendment to have the secretary of public safety study alternative methods for collecting more accurate data, including the feasibility of recording race and gender data for all traffic stops.

State officials would also be required by the bill to develop a public awareness campaign to educate people about the dangers posed by using a phone while driving.
Massachusetts marijuana regulators are carefully scrutinizing requests by marijuana companies to change ownership.

Members of the Cannabis Control Commission on Thursday delayed voting on the proposed acquisition of the medical marijuana company Sira Naturals in order to ask for more documents. They said they are looking into establishing a more standardized process for reviewing acquisitions and potentially hiring outside help.

We need to make sure this is a fair process for everybody going forward, said Commissioner Britte McBride. That means we need to create a standard. We cant be treating one entity different than another entity.

Sira Naturals is the first applicant to come before the commission for a change of ownership of this scale and type, although commissioners said there are more in the queue. (Three former change of ownership applications that were considered related to individual changes to executives or board members, rather than a company acquisition.)

Sira Naturals runs three medical marijuana dispensaries, in Cambridge, Somerville and Needham. It has secured licenses to cultivate, manufacture and transport marijuana for the recreational market.

Cannabis Strategies Acquisition Corp., a publicly traded company in Canada, announced in October that it had an agreement to buy Sira Naturals along with three Nevada-based marijuana companies and one company that operates in Nevada and Colorado.

The Boston Globe recently ran a series of stories about marijuana companies that try to skirt limits on how many licenses a single company can hold in Massachusetts by entering management or investment agreements with the companies that run the dispensaries.

Commissioners indicated that they are taking these reports seriously.

Patrick Beyea, director of investigations at the Cannabis Control Commission, said he reviewed 100 publicly available documents filed with Canadian regulators and interviewed key people at both companies. He said he was assured that CSAC understood Massachusetts three-store cap and limit on total cultivation size and would abide by those rules. He was also told there were no investor contracts or management agreements.

Commissioner Shaleen Title said she was not comfortable voting to approve the purchase until she saw more documents, including those that are not publicly available.

Its in the publics interest to scrutinize these transactions, Title said.

Commissioners voted to request all documents relevant to ownership, control and cap limitations.

The commissions next scheduled meeting is May 30, but they could schedule another meeting before then to approve the acquisition.

In decision-making, we should be cognizant some of these deals have timelines, and we will be causing an economic impact if we dont approve or disapprove within a certain timeline, said Chairman Steven Hoffman.

Commissioners are also considering hiring a third party to help scrutinize the complex deals between marijuana companies and ensure they comply with state law.

Executive Director Shawn Collins said an outside person would not do a more diligent job than internal staff, but could match that performance, while increasing the commissions bandwidth and giving state regulators the ability to act faster in evaluating transactions.

Clarification: This story was updated to reflect the nature of previous change of ownership applications.
Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey signed legislation Wednesday that bans nearly all abortions  even in cases of rape and incest  and doctors performing abortions, except when a womans life is seriously at risk, could face up to 99 years in prison.

Alabama now has the most restrictive anti-abortion legislation, which barring legal challenges takes effect in November, in a country where abortion was legalized by the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Roe v. Wade

in 1973.

Proponents hope challenges will send the legislation before the Supreme Court and result in an overturning of Roe, while opponents see the Alabama legislation as further evidence of the politicization of womens reproductive rights.

Tricia Wajda, vice president of external affairs for the Planned Parenthood Advocacy Fund of Massachusetts, called Alabamas new law not just an attack on Alabama women, this is an attack on all women, and on everyone who might or can get pregnant.

Anti-abortion politicians, emboldened by the Trump-Pence Administration, are wedging themselves between women and their doctors in order to control womens bodies and push a shared agenda of banning all safe, legal abortion," Wajda said. Theres a reason these laws in Alabama, Georgia, and other states are so extreme  they are meant to be a direct challenge to Roe v. Wade, and to end the established national right to access abortion.

She added, The Planned Parenthood Advocacy Fund of Massachusetts joins the American people in fighting these bans and fighting to ensure that everyone in this country can still access health care, no matter what, Wajda said.

The first physician  Dr. Jennifer Childs-Roshak  to serve as president and chief executive officer of the league and advocacy fund in Massachusetts has referred to "full reproductive health freedom as something that benefits women both financially and medically by allowing them to take care of their well being and prepare for a livelihood.

She has said reducing rates of unintended pregnancy and abortion  which are at record lows in this country  are linked to womens access to affordable contraception and evidence-based sex education and noted that in the decade before prior to Roe 17 percent of all deaths due to pregnancy and childbirth were the result of illegal abortion.

Alabama voters approved an amendment to the states constitution last year saying in part that the states public policy supports the rights of unborn children, including the right to life.

Massachusetts has been among the states to take steps recently to safeguard womens access to reproductive health services.

In March, Gov. Charlie Baker signed legislation approved by the House and Senate allocating up to $8 million to replace federal Title X money through June 2020 lost by any of the states family planning clinics as a result of federal regulation changes.

Trump administration changes  temporarily halted by a court injunction  are posed to prevent any clinic receiving money from providing referrals to abortion clinics, give funding priority to clinics that emphasize abstinence and fertility awareness for contraception and require a physical barrier between a clinic that receives Title X funding and one that performs abortions.

Some five clinics in the state receive Title X funding  used to provide birth control, cancer screening and other services mainly to low-income women  and are said to currently serve more than 65,000 patients at several dozen locations in the state.

Abortion legislation under consideration in Massachusetts includes the the Remove Obstacles and Expand Abortion Access Act, more commonly refer to as the "ROE Act which would remove the requirement that minors have consent from a parent or judge to have an abortion, and allow for abortions later in pregnancy if the fetus is not likely to survive.

The bill is supported by Planned Parenthood here and the Massachusetts Medical Society and opposed by the states Catholic bishops.

A recent study showed that the small number of minors  mainly non-Hispanic black and black  lacking parental consent in obtaining an abortion in the state and using judicial bypass were delayed by about 14 days and in general lost the option for a medication abortion early in pregnancy.
The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court has ordered Wayne Chapman, who was convicted of raping two Lawrence boys in the 1970s, be released.

However, the 71-year-old child rapist remains in custody following his arrest for alleged indecent exposure, lewd, wanton and lascivious acts and open and gross lewdness and lascivious behavior which stemmed from incidents at the MCI-Shirley prison on June 3 and 4, 2018.

He was initially held without bail on those charges, but on June 11, 2018, a judge set his bail at $25,000 cash, according to The Eagle Tribune.

It does not appear as though Chapman posted that bail, as Massachusetts Department of Correction records show he remains at MCI-Shirley. Chapman is scheduled to appear in Middlesex Superior Court in Woburn on May 23.

A decision from the SJC handed down on Thursday affirms that Chapman is not longer deemed sexually dangerous.

His prison sentence for the rape of two boys ended in 2004, but he has remained civilly committed to a state treatment facility after being deemed sexually dangerous.

That changed in June 2018, when Judicial Court Associate Justice Scott Kafker ruled that Chapman, 71, should be released after two qualified mental health examiners found he was too old and frail to attack again.

Though convicted of two rapes, Chapman has admitted to raping as many as 100 children. He is also a suspect in the 1976 disappearance of 10-year-old Lawrence boy Andy Puglisi.

Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey, who weighed in on the controversial case last year, said her office is reviewing the decision.

The court did not take the position her office took, which was advocating for a greater voice for victims in these types of hearings.

Her office continues to work with government partners on legislation.

Its a matter of public safety, Healey said.
The Springfield Police Department is planning a bicycle tour through Springfield, East Longmeadow and Wilbraham as a way to raise money to make improvements to the fallen officers memorial in front of police headquarters at 130 Pearl St.

The event, called Light Up the Blue, is planned for June 9. It features a 25-mile loop, starting at the Springfield Elks Lodge on Tiffany Street at 11 a.m.

For those who are not into bike riding, the event will also feature a 5K walk, beginning at noon also from Tiffany Park.

A lunch will be served at 2 p.m.

The cost of entry is $50 for the bike ride and lunch, $25 for the walk.

The bike route begins at the Elks Club and heads to East Forest Park to Parker Street in Sixteen Acres. It then follows Route 20 in Wilbraham to Main Street, then turns south to the center of East Longmeadow and then back to the Elks Club.

Before heading into Wilbraham, the route will go past Hillcrest Park Cemetery, where officer Kevin Ambrose is buried. Ambrose, a 36-year veteran, was shot to death in 2012 as he tried to stop a domestic assault.

The walking route goes from Tiffany Road to Trafton Road, loops around the Cyr Arena in Forest Park and then heads back to Tiffany Street.

Acting Commissioner Cheryl C. Clapprood said the event is not intended to replace the annual Ride to Remember, the 106-mile bike ride from Springfield to Boston. That event is also in honor of fallen officers, but much of its proceeds go toward the Massachusetts Fallen Officers Memorial at the Statehouse in Boston.

Light Up the Blue has a much more local focus, specifically the fallen officers memorial in front of police headquarters.

What were doing is raising money to improve our monument right out in front of 130 Pearl St., Clapprood said.

The monument, right by the front entrance, carries the names of 16 police officers and one constable killed in the line of duty in service of the city. Clapprood said she would like to see it spruced up a little bit if for no other reason than to make it stand out more.

She said maybe some permanent blue lights could be added, or a fountain, or bigger inscriptions of the 17 names.

Whatever we can afford when the fundraiser is done to make this monument stand out a little bit more in front of our station, she said.

The Springfield police are still affiliated with the Ride to Remember, even though its principal organizer, John Delaney, retired last year.

The Ride to Remember is wonderful, Clapprood said. But much of the proceeds from that event are split between the state fallen officers memorial and Boston and Springfield-area charities.

We wanted something to come right here so officers who walk into 130 Pearl St. have a reminder every day of how dangerous our job is," she said.

Detective Maria Siciliano said that is her main reason for promoting the idea as an opportunity to improve the memorial to show the pride, honor and absolute dedication to the officers and their families.

I cannot think of a better way to provide a focal point for when one passes by or enters our building bringing remembrance to the officers who gave the ultimate sacrifice, she said.

The original plan for Light Up the Blue was for it to be a one-time event, Siciliano said. But after the response and support I have received it may become an annual event.

So far, a little over 100 people have signed up. She said its split roughly 60/40 riders to walkers.

Clapprood said the 25-mile length of the Light Up the Blue course may open up the event for people who are more casual riders, while the Ride to Remember is geared toward more serious cyclists.

They can do the 25 but they cant do the hundred, she said.

The idea for the walk was added, Clapprood said, when she heard from a lot of people who said they do not ride bikes but wanted to contribute.

The walk allows a lot more people to participate, she said.

For more information or to sign up, people should send an email to msiciliano@springfieldpolice.net.
The View co-hosts rebuked Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., for declining a Fox News offer to hold a town hall event on the conservative leaning network.

I think that its being very dismissive of so many Americans for her not to go on Fox News, co-host Sunny Hostin said on Wednesdays show. I think there are a lot of real journalists there like Chris Wallace, like Shep Smith. I think if you want to be president of the United States for everyone, then you need to speak to everyone.

Hostin used to appear on Fox News, arguing politics against conservative host Bill OReilly.

Whoopi Goldberg, whose politics lean to the left, added that any presidential candidate who would not appear on Fox News was not ready for office.

People come to (The View) because they know folks are watching, whether its on the left or the right, or center, Goldberg said. You know what, if you cant face a Fox audience, you cant face the U.S.  its that simple.

Goldberg, Hostin and Joy Behar agreed with co-host Meghan McCain, daughter of the late Republican senator, John McCain, that it was shortsighted for Warren to avoid the top rated cable news network.

In a series of tweets, Warren explained her decision, calling Fox News a hate-for-profit racket that gives a megaphone to racists and conspiracistsits designed to turn us against each other, risking life and death consequences, to provide cover for the corruption thats rotting our government and hollowing out our middle class.

I wont ask millions of Democratic primary voters to tune into an outlet that profits from racism and hate in order to see our candidatesespecially when Fox will make even more money adding our valuable audience to their ratings numbers, she tweeted.
Imagine a cannabis cafe where diners can buy a marijuana-infused drink or snack. Or an outdoor concert where marijuana joints are sold and smoking is allowed.

This could one day become reality in Massachusetts. The Cannabis Control Commission on Thursday narrowly approved a policy that ultimately could allow marijuana to be sold at cafes and public events.

By a 3-2 vote, commissioners approved a framework for a social consumption pilot program, even as they warned that it will be a long time before the pilot actually goes forward, if at all.

There is a strong desire to have this, said Chairman Steven Hoffman. I believe its the will of the people.

The commissions nine-person working group, tasked with crafting rules for social consumption, released a memo Thursday that envisions a pilot program, which would allow social consumption in up to 12 cities and towns. However, the policy still requires regulatory approval, legislative action and interest from municipalities.

Social consumption would give people a space to buy and consume marijuana legally outside of a home, similar to buying drinks at a bar. Advocates for allowing social consumption say it will let people use marijuana if they live in public housing, rent their home or live in any environment where smoking marijuana is forbidden.

Allowing social consumption could stop people from smoking on the street and could provide structure to an industry that already exists underground, for example with marijuana-infused dinners.

Many (municipalities) are really supporting this because the events are already happening in their cities and towns, and they dont know how to handle them, said commissioner and working group member Shaleen Title. Theyd rather they be regulated.

At the same time, law enforcement and public safety officials have raised concerns about an increase in drugged driving, the danger of overconsumption and whether marijuana cafes would provide a way for minors to get marijuana.

Currently, only four states authorize social consumption  Alaska, California, Nevada and Colorado.

Commissioners Britte McBride and Jennifer Flanagan voted against the policy.

McBride said she does not want to allow social consumption until there are better methods in place to detect marijuana impairment in drivers and until the state updates its laws related to impaired driving.

I think at this point in time, the potential for harm outweighs the potential for good, McBride said.

The commission initially considered social consumption in 2017, but deferred that discussion until retail stores were open. Now, as the commission prepares to update state marijuana regulations this summer, it is taking another look at what social consumption might look like.

Title said the goal of starting with a pilot program is to maintain tight control over what is allowed and to collect data to see which concerns are real and warranted, which are not, and whether there are unanticipated consequences.

After two years, regulators would evaluate the pilot program and decide how to proceed.

Location

The pilot program, as envisioned in the working groups memo, would authorize social consumption licenses in up to 12 municipalities that choose to participate. The five municipalities with officials on the working group  Amherst, Springfield, North Adams, Somerville and Provincetown  would be automatically accepted, if they want to participate.

There would be two kinds of licenses: one for facilities where marijuana consumption is the primary use, like a marijuana cafe, and one for hosting a public event.

The regulations would not allow mixed use licenses for businesses like yoga studios or movie theaters.

Hoffman said the decision not to grant mixed use licenses now was part of a walk dont run approach, in which regulators want to first allow more straightforward types of businesses, before considering whether to move beyond that.

It would be up to municipalities how many licenses of each type to issue.

Local officials say the decision to participate will involve conversations about pros and cons.

North Adams Mayor Thomas Bernard, a working group member, said North Adams is in the process of opening its first retail shop.

Bernard said he thinks the framework envisioned by the working group would make it possible to do social consumption in a way that is safe and responsible. But, Bernard said, The risk is its new. Even if we look at other states, theres still not a tremendous track record for how these things work.

Working group member and Amherst Town Councilor Alisa Brewer said Amherst voters overwhelmingly supported marijuana legalization. But as a college town, officials want to think carefully about what the industry means for students, many of whom are underage or get financial aid that could be endangered by marijuana use.

If more than 12 communities apply, the commission would choose participants with an eye toward socioeconomic, size, and geographic diversity.

Bernard noted that things like ensuring transportation for impaired patrons will look different in a rural community compared to an urban city. Places with seasonal tourist populations might look toward enhancing canna-tourism or licensing one-time cultural events.

Social equity

The Cannabis Control Commission previously discussed limiting social consumption licenses to groups that have so far been largely locked out of the legal marijuana industry.

Under the proposed policy, licenses would be limited to equity program participants and economic empowerment applicants. These are people from communities disproportionately hurt by the war on drugs, including minorities, people with drug convictions and people living in communities with high drug arrest rates.

Commissioners decided Thursday that they also want to allow micro-businesses and craft cooperatives to participate, which are smaller, locally owned companies.

Its both our legal obligation and our moral obligation to make sure we include those groups, Title said. That we not just take it out of the underground market and hand it over to big companies.

Title said she hopes event licenses in particular could benefit those groups, since it takes less money to hold an event than to open a store.

Public health and safety

The working group memo lays out detailed rules for ensuring public health and safety.

No one under 21 would be allowed into a social use facility or area.

Employees would have to complete a responsible server training program, where they would learn about impairment-related topics like potency, effects, absorption time and procedures to ensure customers are not overserved.

Purchases would be capped at a reasonable portion, defined as 2.5 to 20 milligrams of THC, and individual 5 mg servings would have to be marked. Customers would be given a card informing them of the potential length of time someone can be impaired from edibles.

Only marijuana purchased on-site would be allowed.

Take-out would be prohibited.

Each establishment would have to write a plan for helping impaired customers find transportation home.

One concern often raised with social consumption is the effect on employees who are exposed to secondhand smoke. The licenses would only allow smoking outdoors, at an outdoor event or in a designated area.

An indoor cafe could only offer edibles or vaping. Vaping would only be allowed with proper ventilation and if staff have a vapor-free room from which they can watch the consumption area.

The goal is not to make it difficult for someone who wants to operate, Bernard said. But there are restrictions and guidelines someone will have to meet just as someone would have to follow all appropriate code issues if they were opening another social/recreational establishment, whether a coffee shop or tavern.

Whats next?

The regulations still have a long way to go.

The commission must write and adopt the rules during a rulemaking process this summer, which will involve public hearings and a comment period. Commissioners left open the possibility that they could defer consideration of the rules until the fall to give staff more time to address specific issues.

There is also a quirk in state law that requires a citizens petition and vote before a town can authorize social consumption. The secretary of state has said no process for this vote exists.

There are bills pending to clarify the process. Commissioners say social consumption will not go forward unless the Legislature passes one of those bills.

Flanagan, a former state senator, warned that there is no guarantee lawmakers will act. Before voting against the policy, Flanagan said she does not want to give people false hopes that social consumption will move forward, when it may not get legislative approval.

Gov. Charlie Baker, a Republican who would have to sign the bill, has said he is generally supportive of a pilot program. Baker said recently that the issues around social consumption sites "are really hard and really complicated, and I think doing it on a pilot basis would make a lot of sense.

If the bill passes, municipalities would then have to opt into the program. Businesses would have to apply for licenses, in a process similar to the one the commission now uses to license retail shops.

Hoffman declined to predict how long it will take before social consumption licenses could be awarded. Title said a year ago that it could be years until marijuana cafes open. She said she stands by that prediction.
A Central Massachusetts teacher faces charges of bringing more than 100 live rounds of ammunition onto school grounds, an alleged attempt to convince the school district to install more security measures within the building.

Southbridge High School was placed on lockdown Thursday morning after Alfred J. Purcell, a teacher at the school, reported he found a live round of ammunition in a school stairwell.

During the lockdown, school officials reviewed video camera footage captured Thursday morning before Purcell reported finding a bullet.

On the video footage, Purcell is seen standing in the stairwell, removing the bullet from his pocket and dropping it on the ground, according to police. About 10 minutes later, police say he returned to the stairwell, took a picture of the bullet then requested assistance on his school radio.

The teacher was arrested on school grounds. While speaking with officers during the booking process, he reportedly admitted to dropping the live round in the stairwell, seeking to prove to the school that they needed to get metal detectors.

Southbridge police said the faint odor of an alcoholic beverage emanating from his breath but he denied consuming any alcoholic beverages.

After Purcell was arrested, police searched his vehicle. Just over 100 live rounds of 20 gauge shotgun ammunition were found in the trunk of his vehicle.

Purcell, a resident of Woodstock, Conn., has a license to carry in Connecticut but not Massachusetts.

He was charged with two counts of the unlawful possession of ammunition, two counts of carrying ammunition on school grounds, disturbing a school assembly, disorderly conduct and disturbing the peace. He is scheduled to be arraigned in Dudley District Court on Thursday.
(CNN)  President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Wednesday barring U.S. firms from using telecom gear from sources the administration deems national security threats.

The decision risks escalating tensions with China as the two nations clash over whether Huawei  the world's largest provider of telecommunications equipment  poses a spying risk to Western infrastructure networks.

White House officials declined to identify China and Huawei as the intended target of the executive order.

However, shortly after the order was issued, the Commerce Department formally added Huawei to the list of companies the U.S. government considers to be undermining American interests. By adding Huawei to the so-called Entity List, the Trump administration will ensure Huawei will be covered by the new executive order.

Inclusion on the list also means companies such as Qualcomm may have to apply for US export licenses to continue supplying technology to Huawei.

The executive order  along with Huawei's addition to the list  comes as Trump is seeking to apply additional pressure on China in trade talks, with stiffer tariffs affecting billions of dollars of goods.

Senior administration officials told reporters that the document reflects Trump's commitment to keeping the nation's networks secure from foreign adversaries. And other U.S. officials have openly lobbied allies not to use Huawei gear, arguing that the company's products could offer the Chinese government a way to spy on sensitive U.S. communications.

The Trump administration will develop more specific rules over the next 150 days, according to one senior official, and US businesses will be invited to offer feedback.

China on Thursday urged the United States to stop "these wrongful actions."

"China has always stressed that the concept of national security should not be abused. It should not be used as a tool to push forward trade protectionism," Ministry of Commerce spokesman Gao Feng told reporters in Beijing.

Huawei said banning it from the United States would ultimately hurt American businesses and consumers, and hamper U.S. efforts to develop 5G technology.

"Restricting Huawei from doing business in the US will not make the US more secure or stronger; instead, this will only serve to limit the US to inferior yet more expensive alternatives, leaving the US lagging behind in 5G deployment," the company said in a statement.

Small US carriers could suffer

The proposal could prove costly to small and rural wireless carriers, many of whom use equipment from Huawei due to its lower cost compared to the next largest competitors, Europe's Nokia and Ericsson. Most large carriers don't use Huawei equipment.

While the executive order would apply to past purchases of telecom equipment, officials declined to say whether the government would help carriers pay to remove the gear from their networks  or what the punishment could be for companies that violate the new policy.

The order left American telecom companies that rely on foreign-made equipment wondering how it would be implemented.

"We'll just have to see what it is and we'll have a definite reaction one way or another," said Craig Gates, the CEO of Triangle, a small network that uses Huawei gear.

He said that members of various trade associations have already been discussing whether there would be federal help to offset the costs of taking out offending equipment.

"Because when all this equipment went in there was no talk of these issues," he said. "Would there be help to replace it?"

This story was first published on CNN.com, "Trump issues order to ban foreign telecom gear that poses security risk."
After a Central Massachusetts teacher brought live ammunition into a high school, police and school officials shared insight into his believed motive Thursday.

Southbridge High School was placed on lockdown Thursday morning after Alfred J. Purcell, a teacher at the school, reported he found a live round of ammunition in a school stairwell.

During the lockdown, school officials reviewed video camera footage captured Thursday morning before Purcell reported finding a bullet.

On the video footage, Purcell is seen standing in the stairwell, removing the bullet from his pocket and dropping it on the ground, according to police. About 10 minutes later, police say he returned to the stairwell, took a picture of the bullet then requested assistance on his school radio.

The teacher was arrested on school grounds.

This action was taken two days after a student brought several spent rounds of ammunition to the school, which he laid out in a stairwell. When the rounds were discovered, the student told officials he found the ammunition on a former firing range in the community, Southbridge Police Chief Shane Woodson told reporters Thursday.

While speaking with officers during the booking process, Purcell reportedly admitted to dropping the live round in the stairwell, seeking to prove to the school that they needed to get metal detectors," reportedly in reaction to the incident involving spent ammunition earlier in the week.

If you think that we need metal detectors in this community, Woodson said, you should go through the appropriate channels.

Southbridge Public Schools receiver Jeffrey A. Villar echoed this sentiment Thursday, saying Purcells alleged actions dont demonstrate a clear pattern of logic.

Police said the faint odor of an alcoholic beverage emanating from [Purcells] breath but he denied consuming any alcoholic beverages" on Thursday.

After Purcell was arrested, police searched his vehicle. Just over 100 live rounds of 20 gauge shotgun ammunition were found in the trunk of his vehicle.

A resident of Woodstock, Connecticut, Purcell has a license to carry in Connecticut but not Massachusetts.

He was charged with two counts of the unlawful possession of ammunition, two counts of carrying ammunition on school grounds, disturbing a school assembly, disorderly conduct and disturbing the peace.

Purcell was hired by Southbridge Public Schools at the start of the 2018-2019 school year. He was disciplined during the year for failure to maintain a proper classroom environment and was not going to be renewed for the 2019-2020 school year, Villar said.

Villar added that he has been barred from the school campus.

To have someone who Ive hired to ensure a safe environment for our children to do something about this is abhorrent and absolutely shocking," he said.

The school is working to ensure students trust the adults that work with them" and to restore a sense of security among Southbridge families, Villar added.
Today we take a peek behind the curtain at Diplomatico in Venezuela. The distillery uses three distinct distillation methods and blends the results together to make its award-winning rums. But 2017 saw the release of two single-still rums. And now the final piece in the jigsaw has arrived. . . The pot still.

Nelson Hernandez has spent most of his adult life at Diplomatico  33 years. He has worked in all parts of the business becoming maestro ronero (rum master) in 2017. So, who better to tell us about the Distillery Collection single-still rums. The company has been going since 1959, but only began exporting seriously in 2006 mainly due to economic problems within the country.

Export manager Javier Herrera told me that in the last eight years as the situation in the country worsens, Diplomatico has become dependent on overseas markets and now exports over 90% of its production. We are being destroyed by the crisis, he told me, it hurts to see the situation where families are suffering here. Like another Venezualan rum producer Santa Teresa, the company does its best to look after its employees by providing healthcare etc. The company also bottles and keeps three years worth of stock in Panama to prevent government pilfering.

But onto happier matters, like rum cocktails. Brand ambassador Jon Lister gave us Diplomatico Planas (a white rum aged six years and then filtered) with grapefruit tonic  the breakfast of champions. While we sipped, Hernandez told us a little about the production process. Diplomatico uses both molasses and cane honey. He gave us some to try side-by-side and the difference was noted: cane honey is sweeter and less processed without the bitter taste of molasses. Its used to make heavier rums with the molasses saved for lighter ones.

Its hot in Venezuela all year round, with an average day temperature of 32C and 24C at night. Ageing is therefore very fast. Diplomaticos regular range is sweetened using an aged spirit containing sugar, rather like boize used in Cognac. Planas has 3g per litre added, Mantanua has 8g and the Reserva Exclusiva has a whopping 35g to create something closer to a rum liqueur.

The rums in the Distillery Collection are roughly the component parts of Mantanua but with nothing added except water to bring them down to 47% ABV. We tried both the new make (slightly diluted to comply with aviation regulations) and the finished product. Here we go!

The batch kettle still is an enormous Heath Robinson-esque device that was originally used by Seagram in Canada to make rye whisky. It was brought to Venezuela in 1959. Sugar honey is used for these rums and the alcohol comes off at 95% which is then reduced to 75% for ageing. This rum gives lie to the idea that high ABV equals low flavour.

New make: Strongly fruity with distinct taste of banana.

Finished product: Spends six years in ex-bourbon and ex-Scotch whisky casks; no solera system used at Diplomatico. Its dry, fresh and aromatic with that fruit coming through strongly, with toffee and nutty notes. Lightish body.

The Barbet column still is a French continuous still looking rather like an Armagnac still though the spirit comes off at a higher ABV, 95%. The rum is made with molasses.

New make: Very spicy, with notes of cinnamon and orange.

Finished product: After four years ageing, the cinnamon and orange is still there but joined by creamy notes, like condensed milk, according to Hernandez. The result is very elegant and aromatic like a Cognac.

This rum is double-distilled in 6,500 litre pot stills originally used to make Scotch whisky but adapted for rum. Its distilled on its lees (like Cognac), and comes off the still at 80%.

New make: Dark cherries, full body, fruity and floral.

Finished product: Its reduced to 55% for cask ageing and spends eight years in oak. Theres a big meaty nose with maraschino cherries, its very full with notes of chocolate and coffee. Intense and complex, this is one that will appeal to Speyside whisky lovers.

After the tasting, the fun started because we got to play rum blenders. My favourite blend consisted of six parts batch kettle rum, four parts Barbet still and three parts pot. Hernandez tried it and pronounced it very rounded. I dont think Ive ever been prouder. Apparently, I came very close to the taste of the final blend with the batch kettle still providing the backbone, the Barbet the elegance and the pot the meatiness. Perhaps I should jack in the writing and become a rum blender. Or maybe he was just humouring me.
Monday is the 44th Assault on Mount Mitchell and the 26th Assault on Marion.

Approximately 900 cyclists are expected to make their way through McDowell County beginning at 9:30 or 9:45 a.m. on Monday, May 20.

Be patient with the riders and with law enforcement, said Deputy Ricky Crisp of the McDowell County Sheriffs Office, who oversees traffic control for the event. Our objective is to get everyone through safely. Traffic will be backed up and stalled at times. We want people to be mindful of the riders and other motorists, as well as the officers that will be directing traffic at intersections.

Most of those riders in the Assault on Marion usually complete the race by 2:30 p.m., and those traveling on to Mount Mitchell are usually out of the county by 5 p.m.

The Assault on Marion route will be as follows: Montford Cove Road to Old Fort-Sugar Hill Road to Zion Hill Road to Nix Creek Road to Tate Street to Old Highway 10 to Old Greenlee Road to Resistoflex Road to U.S. 70 West to Tom Johnson Camping Center.
The son of the late Austin and Evalena Burns Wise, he was born in Webster Parrish, Louisiana on February 26, 1940. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by one brother, James Rudolph Wise. Dan was a retired scientist/educator. He attended Louisiana Tech for two years where he played trumpet in the marching band. He earned a B.S. in physics/biology from Southern Arkansas University. He also earned a M.S. in Technology from the University of Texas at Tyler, and equivalent M.S. in educational administration. Dan worked in his early years as a railroad agent/telegrapher and as an insurance and credit investigator. After serving in the Army security agency as a liaison person with British Intelligence, he returned to school to work towards advanced degrees. He served six years as a physicist for the Department of Defense during which time he also taught space science at the National Cryptologic School at Fort Meade Maryland. Dan worked as a physics, chemistry and biology teacher. He was also a K-12 principal. He worked for the US Department of Energy at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, Colorado. His teaching career was at East McDowell Junior High (now middle school) for eleven years as a physics/science teacher. Also, after a move to Texas he taught Science and Physics at Hawkins High School in Hawkins, Texas. Also, back in Marion in 1995, he taught Physics and Technology at McDowell High until retirement in 2005. His business interests included ownership of Sportsman Motor Lodge (now Sportsman Inn) where all the kids learn to swim.
Global Biologics Market Research Report: by Product (Monoclonal Antibody, Interleukins, Vaccines, Growth Factors, Gene Therapy, Others), by Disease Indication (Rheumatoid Arthritis, Psoriasis/Psoriatic Arthritis, Cancer, Diabetes, Others), by Manufacturing (In-house, Sourced), and Region  Forecast to 2023



Biologics Market  Overview

Market Research Future (MRFR) in its recently published study report asserts that the global biologics market will reach a valuation of USD 285,520.4 MN by 2023, registering a CAGR over 8.6% throughout the forecast period (2018-2023).

Owing to the burgeoning healthcare sector that is proliferating vigorously over the past decades, the biologics market is too growing rapidly. The rising regulatory convergence and better access to healthcare led by improving economic conditions worldwide are key driving forces behind the market growth. Moreover, the huge demand for biologics in the production of pharmaceuticals and vaccines is escalating the market on the global platform.

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Additional factors supporting the market to grow rapidly, include the growing incidences of chronic diseases and their diagnoses across the globe, increased availability of advanced diagnostic procedures, rising government initiatives in healthcare, and the growing technological advancements in research. Also factors such as the expansion of key producers and the investments they made in R&D for the incremental innovation and to sustain competition foster the market growth to an extent.

On the other hand, factors such as the challenges occurred during the manufacturing of biologics are expected to impede the market growth over the forecast period. Nevertheless, factors such as the increasing awareness for technologically advanced medical procedures and drugs and higher spending power are expected to support the market growth throughout the assessment period.

Key Players

Sanofi (France),

Pfizer Inc. (U.S.),

Amgen (U.S.),

F. Hoffman-La Roche AG (Switzerland),

AbbVie Inc. (U.S.),

Bayer AG (Germany),

AstraZeneca (U.K.),

GlaxoSmithKline Plc (U.K.),

Novartis AG (Switzerland),

Eli Lilly and Company (U.S.),

are among some of the leading companies in the global biologics market.

Five players out of these are at the top with over 70% share of the total market, which are Roche, AbbVie, Amgen, GSK and Pfizer.

Market Opportunities

Introduction of Personalized Medicines Supports Market Growth

With drastic developments in gene and cell therapies, antibody drug conjugates and immunotherapies, the expected growth of biologics in the future is touted to be excellent. Trade pundits predict that biopharmaceuticals are poised to maintain their growth trend backed by innovative technologies and therapies. Personalized medicine and regenerative therapy are two areas that are developing at a speedy rate. Furthermore, personalized medicines that are based on immunotherapies, antibody drug conjugates and gene therapies are exhibited to be introduced in following years, which will offer lot of promise for regenerative medicine and focused disease remission. Key Players for Global Biologics Market

Recent Developments:

April 2019

WuXi Biologics and NBE-Therapeutics (NBE) have entered into a partnership, and are in the process of developing and manufacturing NBEs first ADC lead product known as NBE-002 (anti-ROR1). The product refers to an immune-stimulatory ADC (iADC) treatment that protects against ROR1 cancer target.

Segments:

For enhanced understanding, the report has been segmented into four key dynamics.

By Product: Monoclonal Antibody, Interleukins, Vaccines, Growth Factors, and Gene Therapy among others.

By Disease Indication: Rheumatoid Arthritis, Psoriasis/Psoriatic Arthritis, Cancer, and Diabetes among others.

By Manufacturing: In-house and Out-sourced

By Regions: Asia Pacific, North America, Europe, and the Rest-of-the-World.

Regional Analysis:

The North American region, heading with its well-developed healthcare sector accounts for the leading position in the global biologics market followed by the European and Asia Pacific region, respectively. Simultaneously, factors such as the high-volume production of pharmaceuticals and the huge demand for biologics led by the high healthcare expenditure.

Undoubtedly, the availability and the wide uptake of new technologies to develop advanced production methods is positively impacting market growth. The US, backed by the huge technological advancements in the field of manufacturing biologics leads the regional market.

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The European region owns the next largest share in the global biologics market, following the North American market closely. Factors propelling the growth of the regional market include the resurging economy that is availing the best possible healthcare & substantially high healthcare expenditures and the government support that encourages manufacturers of biologics to develop new and effective biologics.

The Asia Pacific region is emerging as a profitable market for biologics due to the rapidly improving healthcare infrastructure. Moreover, factors such as the ever-increasing population that is continually dictating the demand for quality healthcare and the spreading awareness towards the availability and benefits of biologics are positively impacting the growth in the regional market.

Rapidly developing economies are expected to provide immense opportunities for the growth of biologics. Also, the increasing adoption of technologies is positively impacting market growth in the region. Furthermore, rising healthcare concerns along with the fast-proliferating healthcare sector, increase the market size of the biologics market in the APAC.

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Human insulin is also known as synthetic insulin which is prepared in laboratory and has same characteristics like natural insulin. Human insulin was developed through the 1960s and 1970s and approved for pharmaceutical use in 1982. Before the invention of human insulin animal insulin, usually a purified form of porcine was used.

Market Research Future (MRFR) postulates that the market for Global Human Insulin is expected to reach up to $40 billion by the end of the forecasted period and is expected to grow at a CAGR of ~10-12%The augmenting prevalence of diabetes mellitus is highly favoring the market at a global level. Human insulin is referred to as synthetic insulin which is generally manufactured in the laboratories by developing insulin protein with E. coli bacteria. Insulin helps to regulate carbohydrate and fat metabolism in the body. The products available in the human insulin market are delivery devices and HI drugs.

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Global Human Insulin Market: Competitive Landscape

Some of the key players in this market are:

Biocon Ltd

ADOCIA

Julphar

Bristol-Myers Squibb Company

Oramed Pharmaceuticals Inc

Sanofi

Tonghua Dongbao Pharmaceuticals Co. Ltd.

Merck & Co

Pfizer Inc

GlaxoSmithKline

Novo Nordisk A/S.

Human Insulin Market Segmentation

The global human insulin market has been segmented based on type, methods, indication, and end users. By type, the market has been segmented into accessories and devices. By methods, the market has been segmented into traditional human insulin and modern human insulin. By indication, the market has been segmented into type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes. By end users, the market has been segmented into hospitals, forensic laboratories, research centers, and others.

Human Insulin Market Regional Analysis

The global human insulin market spans across the regions of the Americas, Europe, Asia Pacific, and the Middle East & Africa. North America accounts for the largest share of the global human insulin market owing to high health care spending, the presence of major players in the region who invest more money in R&D activities and inclination towards quality healthcare. The US is the largest market in the region followed by Canada while South America is expected to be the fastest growing region. The Europe market for human insulin is strong and is driven by the presence of a large pool of patients and the availability of funds for research and development in countries such as Germany. Asia Pacific market growth is supported by the presence of a vast patient base and rising prevalence of diabetes in the region. Improvement in healthcare infrastructure in countries such as China, India, and Japan is key to the growth of the market. Moreover, Asia Pacific hosts a huge geriatric population who are at more risk of acquiring diabetes. The Middle East & Africa market is expected to exhibit steady growth over the forecast period. Countries such as United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.), Saudi Arabia, and Oman have a robust healthcare infrastructure which drives the market in the Middle East while in Africa, weak economic conditions and under-developed healthcare sector deters the growth of the market.

Table Of Content

1. Report Prologue

2. Introduction

2.1 DEFINITION

2.2 SCOPE OF THE STUDY

2.2.1 RESEARCH OBJECTIVE

2.2.2 ASSUMPTIONS

2.2.3 LIMITATIONS

2.3 MARKET STRUCTURE

2.4. MARKET SEGMENTATION

3. Research Methodology

3.1 RESEARCH PROCESS

3.2 PRIMARY RESEARCH

3.3 SECONDARY RESEARCH

3.4 MARKET SIZE ESTIMATION

3.5 FORECAST MODEL

TOC Continued.!

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The growing aversion to allopathic medicine, a constant rise in demand for convenient dosages of a variety of medicines & an increase in consumer confidence about alternate treatment methodologies are all significantly fueling the market growth. Moreover, increasing number of patients suffering from different chronic diseases have increased the demand for homeopathy medicine and developing regions showing a strong opportunity for homeopathy market.

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The Global Homeopathy Market is expected to grow at a robust CAGR of 14.6% over the forecast period from 2017 to 2023, according to the latest research report from Market Research Future (MRFR). The global homeopathy market is mainly driven by the growing demand for alternative medicine that is free from the encumbrances of the scientific method and evidence-based progression. The growing number of people willing to believe in lifestyle and medicinal systems that dont fit the conventional model of natural laws is likely to be a major driver for the global homeopathy market over the forecast period.

Competitive Analysis:

Leading players in the Global Homeopathy Market include:

Boiron Group Heel Nelson & Co. Ltd. GMP Laboratories Homeocan Inc. Hyland and Weleda.

Segmentation:

The global homeopathy market is segmented on the basis of type, application, source, end user, and region.

On the basis of type, the global homeopathy market is segmented into dilutions, tincture, biochemics, ointments, tablets, and others. Tinctures are the fastest growing segment and are expected to exhibit a CAGR of 14.82% over the forecast period.

On the basis of the application, the homeopathy market is segmented into analgesic and antipyretic, respiratory, neurology, immunology, gastroenterology, dermatology, and others.

On the basis of the source, the market is segmented into plants, animals, and minerals.

On the basis of end user, the Homeopathy Market is segmented into homeopathic clinics, hospitals, retailers, e-retailers, research laboratories, and others.

Regional Analysis:

Europe is the largest regional market for homeopathic medicine and is likely to reach a valuation of USD 11,347.7 million by 2023. The origin of homeopathy was in Europe, which gives the region the first mover advantage in the homeopathy market.

The Middle East and Africa is the fastest growing regional market for homeopathic medicine and is likely to exhibit a CAGR of 16.09% over the forecast period.

Industry Updates:

In March 2019, the French Academy of Medicine and Academy of Pharmacy published a report urging the French government to remove the reimbursement coverage for homeopathic medicine, on the basis of the demonstrated fact that homeopathic medicine doesnt work. The French healthcare system is in the red at the present, resulting in efforts being made to clear out the deadwood and make the system profitable again.

Also in March 2019, Canada stopped funding homeopathic therapies in Honduras, citing the need to reduce its expenditure on medicine that hasnt been shown to work.

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The global vascular guidewires market garnered $883 million in 2017 and is expected to reach $1,336 million by 2025, growing at a CAGR of 5.4% during the study period. The report provides a detailed analysis of drivers & opportunities, changing market trends, competitive landscape, key market segments, and market size & estimations.

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Increase in incidence of cardiac disorders, growth in geriatric population, rise in patient awareness, and presence of high unmet medical needs have fueled the growth of the global vascular guidewires market. On the other hand, risks and complications associated with guidewires have checked the growth to some extent. Nevertheless, use of nitinol in vascular guidewires has created multiple opportunities in the segment.

The report segments the market into application, coating type, end user and region. By application, the market is classified into Coronary Guidewires, Peripheral Guidewires, Urology Guidewires and Neurovascular Guidewires. By coating type, the market is bifurcated into coated and non-coated. By end-user, the market is divided into hospitals and ambulatory surgical centers. Finally, by geography, the market is analyzed across North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and LAMEA.

Based on coating type, the hydrophilic coating segment accounted for more than half of the total market in 2017 and is expected to be dominant during the study period. Based on end user, the hospitals segment held the largest share in 2017, accounting for three-fifth of the total market.Based on region. Asia-Pacific is anticipated to grow at the highest CAGR of 6.2%. Presence of ample growth opportunities in terms of unmet medical needs for the treatment of vascular disorders has spurred the growth. On the other hand, in terms of volume, North America contributed to one-third of the total volume market in 2017. Development of cutting-edge devices, and growing adoption of minimally invasive surgeries have driven the growth.

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The players operating in the vascular guidewires market include B. Braun Melsungen AG, Dickinson and Company (C.R. Bard), Abbott Laboratories, Biotronik SE & Co. KG, Becton, Boston Scientific Corporation, Cardinal Health, Inc., Cook Medical Inc., Terumo Corporation, and Olympus Corporation. These key players are expanding the scope of their business operations by incorporating innovative products in their product portfolios. The other players analyzed in the value chain include Bard Peripheral Vascular, Inc., Teleflex Incorporated, AngioDynamics, Asahi Intecc USA, Inc., Stryker Corporation, and others.

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Allied Market Research, a market research and advisory company of Allied Analytics LLP, provides business insights and market research reports to large as well as small & medium enterprises. The company assists its clients to strategize business policies and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domain.

Allied Market Research provides one stop solution from the beginning of data collection to investment advice. The analysts at Allied Market Research dig out factors that help clients to understand the significance and impact of market dynamics. The company amplies clients insight on the factors, such as strategies, future estimations, growth or fall forecasting, opportunity analysis, and consumer surveys among others. As follows, the company offers consistent business intelligent support to aid the clients to turn into prominent business firm.

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The global Infertility Treatment Market is increasing progressively, mainly due to the presence of proper regulatory frameworks that have helped assisted reproduction technologies to gain quick acceptance in developed as well as developing regions, globally. These fertility technologies have garnered tremendous popularity and, are perceiving an upsurge demand, worldwide. As a result, over the past couple of decades, the infertility market is garnering more attention on the global platform.

Considering the phenomenal accruals, the market is continuously gaining; Market Research Future (MRFR), in its recently published study report asserts that the global Infertility market is set to witness a sound growth by 2023, registering approximately 4.6% CAGR throughout the forecast period (2017  2023).

Additional factors like the growing prevalence of infertility and gynecological disorders that are increasing every year are positively impacting infertility treatment market growth. Moreover, factors such as the increasing issue of infertility predominantly led by the hectic schedule, heady lifestyles, stress, and tension coupled with the other health deteriorating reasons are accelerating the growth of the market, increasing need of fertilization procedures.

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Furthermore, the government funding alongside the demand for pre-identification of genetic disorders led by the various technological revolutions is fostering the market growth, pervasively. Also, factors such as the increasing technological advancement in healthcare and increasing development in biological substitutes are further enhancing the growth of the infertility treatment market, globally.

On the flip side, factors such as the availability of paradox of choices that are offering too many options in the market and low adoption of these technologies in countries having inherent potential are anticipated to obstruct the growth of the infertility market during the forecast period.

Global Infertility Market  Segments

For ease of understanding, the market has been segmented into five key dynamics: 

By Sex: Males, Females and Unexplained.

By Diagnosis: Men Diagnostic Tests (Semen Analysis, Genetic Testing, Testicular Biopsy, and other), Women Diagnostic Tests (Hysteroscopy, Laparoscopy, Ovulation Testing, Hysterosalpingography, and others.) and General Diagnostic Tests (Genetic Testing, Hormone Testing, Microscopic Analysis, Imaging, and others). Among other tests.

By Drugs: Clomiphene Citrate, Letrozole, Serophene, and Hormone Treatment among others.

By Techniques: Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART), Intrauterine Insemination, and Surgeries (Laparoscopic or Hysteroscopic Surgery, Tubal Surgeries, and others) And Others) among others.

By Regions: North America, Asia Pacific, Europe, and the Rest-of-the-World.

Global Infertility Market  Regional Analysis

Well-developed regions such as North America and Europe, heading with their comparatively lower birth-rate account for the leading markets in the global infertility market. Also, various socioeconomic factors such as the financial support from the government for R&D in the field and R&D funding from private organizations to develop new techniques and technologies are predominantly increasing the size of the infertility market in these regions.

The US backed by the increasing pool of awareness, high income, and good reimbursement scenario accounts for the maximum market share in the North American infertility market. Whereas, countries such as the UK, Germany, and Canada are also expected to play an important role in the growth of this market.

North America holds a significantly larger share in the global infertility market, and, Europe is estimated to demonstrate high growth by the end of the forecast period, accounting for the second-largest market, globally.

The infertility market in the Asia Pacific region is quadrupling majorly due to the large technological advancements. Moreover, factors such as the rapid socio-ecological changes, the increasing number of working women populaces, and the rapidly improving economy are positively impacting the growth of the regional market. South Asian countries backed by the high rate of male infertility and the vast population with unmet needs are leading the APAC infertility market.

Global Infertility Market  Competitive Analysis

Highly competitive, the infertility treatment market appears to be hugely fragmented with the presence of several large and small players. The key strategies traced from the analysis of recent market developments include agreement & partnership, product launch, acquisition, and expansion.

International players who are increasingly expanding their footprint in the developing economy, making it difficult for regional vendors to compete with them, especially in terms of technology portfolios, differentiation, quality, and pricing.

These key players are employing strategies of creating alliances with e-commerce partners and maintaining distribution agreements with strong local players in regions such as Western Europe and APEJ to consolidate their position.

Major Players:

Key players leading the global infertility treatment market include SCSA Diagnostics, Inc., Halotech DNA, Andrology Solutions, Androvia LifeSciences, Zydus Cadila Healthcare Ltd, Aetna Inc., EMD Serono, Inc., and Bayer Healthcare among others.

Industry/Innovation/Related News:

March 15, 2019 - A group from researchers from London presented their study of comparing the DNA integrity in infertile and fertile men, at the European Association of Urology Congress, held in Barcelona. These scientists have found that the DNA of sperm taken from the testicles of infertile men was as good as that of ejaculated sperm of fertile men.

This research explains a major cause of male infertility and opens up the possibility of using sperm taken directly from the testicles to overcome infertility among males. Infertility is a major public health issue across Europe, and male infertility is the biggest cause in couples seeking treatment.

As DNA integrity is believed to play a role in fertilization rates in assisted reproduction, these results may aid in the decision-making whether or not to resort to testicular biopsy/testicular sperm aspiration rather than using ejaculated sperm to enhance success rates of assisted fertilization in infertile men with signs of DNA damage.

However, these scientists also confirmed that they cant yet prove that this sperm DNA damage is the leading cause of male infertility or ART failure in these men, or that using testicular sperm directly would help improve their chance of getting pregnant, but the work certainly points in that direction.

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Medical Imaging Software Market: Highlights

The Global Medical Imaging Software Market held a market value of USD 2.66 billion in 2017 and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 8.4% over the forecast period. Medical imaging software supports processing and producing high-resolution images of the internal body parts of a human for disease diagnosis and treatment. The emergence of 3D and 4D imaging technologies, increasing the prevalence of geriatric population and subsequent growth in the incidence of cardiac, and neurological diseases including cancer, growing government fundings for development of medical diagnostics field are some factors that are anticipated to drive the market growth during the assessment period.

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Additionally, a rise in the number of diagnostic centers and increased healthcare expenditure is likely to contribute to market growth. As per the data by the Office for National Statistics, in 2016, the gross domestic expenditure on research and development (R&D) was Euro 33.1 billion (USD 35.2 billion) in the UK. However, the high cost of equipment related to clinical validation and lack of skilled professionals may hamper the market growth during the assessment period.

Key Players:

Some of the prominent players in the global medical imaging software market are

GE Healthcare

Siemens Healthineers

Agfa-Gevaert N.V.

Hologic Inc.

Pie Medical Imaging

Media Cybernetics Inc.

AQUILAB

MIM Software Inc.

IBM Corporation

and others.

Segmentation:

The global medical imaging software market has been segmented into software type, imaging type, modality, application, and end user

By software type, the market has been segmented into integrated software and stand-alone software.

On the basis of imaging type, the global medical imaging software market has been segmented into 2D imaging, 3D imaging, and 4D imaging.

On the basis of modality, the market has been segmented into Computed Tomography (CT), MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging), radiography, photoacoustic imaging, nuclear medicine, echocardiography, ultrasound, thermography, and others.

Based on application, the market has been segmented into neurology, cardiology, oncology, musculoskeletal, dental, obstetrics & gynecology, urology & nephrology, and others.

The global medical imaging software market, by end user, has been segmented into clinics & hospitals, diagnostic centers, research laboratories, and others.

Regional Analysis:

On a regional basis, the Americas is anticipated to dominate the global medical imaging software market owing to the growing clinical R&D budgets by both governments as well as public and private organizations in diagnostic imaging modalities and increasing adoption of advanced technologies in the region. Additionally, the rising prevalence of geriatric population along with various chronic diseases is contributing to the growth of this market. According to a report by the Population Reference Bureau, the number of older population (aged 65 and above) will rise to nearly 24% from 15% by 2060. Europe is expected to hold the second largest position in the global medical imaging software market owing to the presence of strong academic & research base and availability of funding for research in the European countries.

Moreover, the rising number of diagnostics centers, strong healthcare infrastructure and awareness among people for detection of diseases is boosting the market in this region. The Asia-Pacific region is anticipated to be the fastest growing region is due to rising demand for technologically advanced software solutions, good quality healthcare infrastructure and incidence of major key players for growth and development in this region. The Middle East & Africa is expected to contribute the least share of the global medical imaging software market. Moreover, the Middle East & Africa region will provide strong opportunities for medical imaging software market due to the rising government initiatives for the healthcare sector.

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Major TOC Medical Imaging Software Market Research Report  Global Forecast till 2023

Chapter 1. Report Prologue

Chapter 2. Market Introduction

2.1 Definition

2.2 Scope of The Study

2.2.1 Research Objective

2.2.2 Assumptions

2.2.3 Limitations

Chapter 3. Research Methodology

3.1 Introduction

3.2 Primary Research

3.3 Secondary Research

3.4 Market Size Estimation

Chapter 4. Market Dynamics

4.1 Drivers

TOC Continued.!

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The medical imaging market has gained the interest of the healthcare industry, due to high accuracy of devices and precise techniques coupled with their wide range of applications for various disease indications such as cardiology, oncology, neurology, and orthopedics. Recent developments in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), such as the advancements in software to perform faster contrast scans, simplified cardiac imaging workflows, and permit of MR scans of the lungs, propel the market growth.

The report offers a detailed analysis of key players operating in the New Zealand medical imaging services market including Ascot Central, Sonic Healthcare Limited, Horizon Radiology, eastMED Radiology Auckland, and TRG Imaging. Other companies analyzed in the research include Canon Inc. (Canon Medical Systems Corporation), Fujifilm Holdings Corporation, Esaote S.p.A, Hitachi Limited (Hitachi Medical Corporation), General Electric Company (GE Healthcare), Koninklijke Philips N.V. (Philips Healthcare), Hologic, Inc., Shimadzu Corporation, Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. (Samsung Medison), and Siemens AG (Siemens Healthcare).

New Zealand medical imaging services market is estimated to garner $500 million by 2025, growing at a CAGR of 7.3% from 2019 to 2025, in terms of value.

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The medical imaging market has experienced a significant growth over the past few years, owing to advancements in technology, surge in incidence of chronic diseases, increase in number of diagnostic imaging methods, and preference for early diagnosis of disorders. On the other hand, high initial cost of medical imaging systems and scarcity of helium hinder the market growth.

Based on application, the breast health segment is estimated to experience the highest growth rate with a CAGR of 8.6% during the forecast period. This is due to surge in technological advancements in ultrasound and mammography for breast imaging with increase in awareness regarding early breast cancer detection and diagnosis. On the other hand, the cardiovascular and thoracic segment contributed the highest revenue in 2016, owing to invention of technologically advanced point-of-care imaging systems for patients undergoing cardiac arrest and other critical conditions.

Auckland contributed the highest market share in the New Zealand medical imaging services market, contributing to nearly two-fifths of the total market share in 2017.

However, Hamilton would register the fastest growth rate during the forecast period, owing to the presence of major medical imaging service providers such as McMaster University, DEDJTR Hamilton Centre, St Josephs Health Care, Hamilton Health Sciences, and Greater Niagara Medical Imaging in the region.

Based on the provider segment, the public provider segment held the major market share in 2017, and is estimated to register the highest growth rate by 2015. Factors including availability of huge number of public hospitals and major share of public funding in the healthcare expenditure in the country considerably contributes toward the growth of the segment.

On the basis of payer, the district health board (government) segment contributed the highest share in 2017, owing to the huge collection of funding by government, contributing nearly 70% of the total funding for healthcare.

Key Findings of the Report:

Auckland held nearly one-third of the total share of the market in 2017.

The mammography segment is expected to register the fastest CAGR during the forecast period.

The public provider segment contributed the major share, with nearly two-thirds of the total market share in 2017.

District health board is expected to register the highest growth rate during the forecast period.

New Zealand medical imaging services is discussed across five cities such as Auckland, Christchurch, Wellington, Tauranga, Hamilton, and rest of New Zealand. Among the aforementioned cities, Auckland contributed the highest market share in the New Zealand medical imaging services market in 2017 and will maintain its dominant share by 2025.

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May 16, 2019

Request for Proposal

Independent Contractor

Background

Breakthrough ACTION in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) focuses on three main results:

Proven, evidence-based practices to address key barriers and incentives to positive behaviors institutionalized;

USAID-supported social and behavior change (SBC) investments in key sub-sectors mutually reinforced by shared behavioral objectives; and

Increased capacity of Congolese communication and SBC organizations to coordinate, design, implement and evaluate evidence-based SBC interventions.

To support its expanding portfolio, including the addition of SBC work around the Ebola outbreak in Eastern Congo, Breakthrough ACTION DRC is looking for an Independent Contractor who can conduct a Capacity Assessment of the National Program for the Promotion of Health Communication (PNCPS), using the HC3 adapted PROGESS Tool.

Required Experience

1 5 years capacity assessment experience Experience with HC3 adapted PROGRES Tool Fluency in French will be determined through Verbal communication with our program staff, experience working in the DRC or other Francophone countries in Africa Social Behavior Change Communication tools was used in prior experience Available to Start immediately or anytime within the next 3 months June  August 2019

Proposal Content

CV

Daily rate

Submission Process and Anticipated Schedule

All documents should be submitted by 17h (Kinshasa) on the dates indicated below.
by Adam Buckman , Featured Columnist, May 16, 2019

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

That seems as good a way as any to sum up the new shows the networks announced at the upfronts this week.

Although some of the concepts and characters are new, at least in their details and backstories, the shows the networks are developing for next season still fit into the usual categories -- family sitcoms, unorthodox crimefighters, doctors, lawyers, courts and a smattering of shows that delve into the mysteries and dangers of our scary, high-tech, wired world.

The Fox drama series called neXt, starring John Slattery, is one of the latter. He plays the kind of tech genius-entrepreneur that we have become accustomed to seeing on CBS in recent seasons.

In this Fox show, artificial-intelligence software he created goes rogue and threatens the whole world. Although the TV Blog rarely goes in for this sort of thing, the neXt trailer was the best one I saw this week.

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The mystery of a child who seems to have come mysteriously from outer space forms the basis for the new ABC drama called Emergence. The scenes in the show's trailer featuring evil-looking black SUVs chasing this child were reminiscent of this past season's child-in-peril show on Fox called The Passage (which is now cancelled).

Speaking of reminiscences, the new CBS drama called Evil had the TV Blog remembering an ABC series called Miracles. The shows are almost identical: Investigators working for the Catholic Church looking into phenomena such as miracles and demonic possessions to determine whether they are real.

The makers of Evil might not be aware of this, but Miracles bit the dust after just six episodes in 2003.

Crimebusters who play by their own rules will be all over the place next season. In Fox's Deputy, the L.A. County sheriff fights crime like hes Dirty Harry with a tin star. Also on Fox, a brilliant detective works with the NYPD in the solving of very difficult murder cases in the new drama series called Prodigal Son. And how does this cop come by his know-how about killers? The answer: His father just happens to be a serial killer.

On ABC, the rule book is of no interest to a swashbuckling Portland P.I. played by Cobie Smulders in the new drama called Stumptown. The trailer for this one had crimefighter Cobie battling two perps in a moving car while Neil Diamond played on an in-dash cassette player.

In a phenomenon that seems to crop up almost every year at upfront time, sitcoms in development at two different networks seem to be about the very same thing -- relatives who suddenly show up at the doorstep of various family members seeking shelter after they lose all their money.

NBC's version of this is called Indebted. CBS's is called Broke. Both sound a little bit like Schitt$ Creek, but I am sure they are nothing like that show at all.

At least two new comedies next season will tackle the always-fascinating (if not wholly humorous) subject of immigration in America. That is literally the intent of a new CBS sitcom called Bob (Heart) Abishola, about an American man (played by Billy Gardell of Mike and Molly) who falls head over heels for a Nigerian immigrant. For the record, CBS describes this show as a comedic examination of immigrant life in America.

The plight of immigrants will also take center stage -- in a humorous vein, of course -- in the new NBC comedy called Sunnyside, named after a section of Queens, New York -- probably the most ethnically diverse county in America, if not the world.

After watching the trailer for this show, with its broadly drawn caricatures of about a half-dozen immigrant ethnic types, I composed an alternative title for this show in my notes: That Stereotype Show. To put it bluntly: This show looks atrocious.

In the legal realm, get ready for Bluff City Law on NBC, in which Jimmy Smits plays a crusading attorney in Memphis; and All Rise on CBS, about a crusading judge in Los Angeles.

Look for southerners and residents of Atlantic City, New Jersey, to take it on the chin next season. Southerners will get a going-over in a new Fox animated comedy called Bless the Harts, which for some reason is about a southern family that is always broke.

By contrast, another Fox show called Filthy Rich features a family of southerners in much more prosperous circumstances. Starring Kim Cattrall and Gerald McRaney, Filthy Rich is styled as a prime-time soap like a modern-day Dallas, except that this clans wealth comes from a very successful, fictional Christian television network.

Come to think of it, if Sunnyside is the stereotype comedy of the year, then this show has the potential to be this years stereotype drama of the year.

As for the City of Atlantic -- as the great Nucky Thompson (Steve Buscemi) used to call it in Boardwalk Empire -- the south Jersey resort city is the setting for the new Fox sitcom called Outmatched, in which two dull-witted parents are constantly out-smarted by their genius children.

For some reason in the shows trailer, the parents refer to their fellow residents as trashy, as in: We live in Atlantic City -- normal is trashy! Hear that, residents of Atlantic City? Dont say you havent been warned.
by Sara Guaglione , May 16, 2019

The Conde Nast NewFront, held a few weeks ago, centered around the magazine publisher's new tagline: the new prime time.

Conde Nast took this message to the streets of New York, setting up installations outside of the upfronts to attract media buyers and executives heading to presentations by the biggest TV networks showcasing their programming.

Eric Johnson, senior vice president of marketing at Conde Nast, called the activations a physical manifestation of the campaign touted at the publisher's NewFronts and in trade publications like Adweek.

Conde Nast is playing marketing videos on 80 digital screens across the city in areas where people are moving around the Upfront locations, such as subway platforms and a 155-foot billboard in Times Square, Johnson told Publishers Daily.

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We are canvassing Manhattan in key locations where those folks are attending the upfronts, he added.

Brand ambassadors were spread out at specific subway platforms, as well as coffee shops in the area, wearing and giving away T-shirts that read Conde Nast The New Primetime.

The company also set up pop-up living rooms outside of Upfront locations. The house-shaped installation features a home-like setting, with a TV behind the couch displaying Conde Nasts marketing video.

In a deliberate move, Conde Nast staff have their backs to the TV while on the couch. Instead, they are interacting with mobile devices like iPads and tablets from the couch, displaying Conde Nast video content.

The installation serves as a reminder to a lot of those traditional TV buyers that there are new ways to reach audiences, Johnson said. Consumption habits are changing, he added. The message is follow the content and put yourself where the user is.

The living rooms were set up in Dante Park, across from ABCs Lincoln Center event on Tuesday, and outside of CBS event at Carnegie Hall on Wednesday.

Today, the pop-up is in the lobby of One World Trade, where Conde Nast is located and a major agency" calls home. There was a positive reaction to these efforts, he said. Executives stopped and asked questions.

At the NewFronts, Conde Nast touted 50 returning video series from 2018 to 2019, and 175 new pilots slated for release over the next year. The publisher claims 14 billion digital video views in 2018, and launched two OTT streaming channels.

We are providing more ways to engage with content, Johnson noted.

Conde Nast also partnered with Nielsen to provide third-party measurements. Conde Nast commissioned a study from the metrics company that found an average 15% lift in brand familiarity and 36% lift in purchase intent from its digital video audience.

The marketing campaign will culminate with an activation at the InterContinental Carlton Hotel at the end of June for Cannes Lions, Johnson said.
by Wendy Davis @wendyndavis, May 16, 2019

The four major U.S. wireless carriers confirmed to Federal Communications Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel that they recently stopped, or will soon stop, providing outside aggregators with information about customers' locations.

The carriers' statements come in response to Rosenworcel's demand for information about how they treat data that could reveal customers' whereabouts. On May 1, she sent letters to AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint and Verizon, asking them exactly when they ceased selling location data, and whether they required recipients of the information to destroy it.

On Thursday, Rosenworcel published their answers, stating: I do not believe consumers should be kept in the dark.

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AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon told Rosenworcel they stopped selling data to aggregators in March. Sprint said it will do so by the end of this month.

The carriers' responses about whether data deletion appeared more ambiguous.

For example, Sprint said it allowed aggregators to store location data for time periods, which allows for adequate response to any claims that may subsequently arise.

And AT&T said it required recipients of location data to delete that information ... subject to any of their preservation obligations.

Rosenworcel's letters to the companies came four months after publication Motherboard reported that a journalist paid a bounty hunter $300 to track a phone's location to a neighborhood in Queens, New York. The carrier for that phone was T-Mobile, which shared the location data with the aggregator Zumigo, which in turn shared the data with the company Microbilt. Microbilt then shared the information with a bounty hunter, who shared it with a bail industry source, according to Motherboard.

The report of that incident prompted lawmakers to question the FCC, and the carriers themselves. But the bounty-hunter incident wasn't the first time that carriers came under scrutiny over location data. In May of 2018, it emerged that an aggregator was selling location data to law enforcement authorities who lacked warrants. The telephone companies said last May, then again earlier this year, that they would stop selling customers' location data.

Rosenworcel, a Democrat, criticized the Republican-led agency for failing to publicly respond to news of the data sales.

The FCC has been totally silent about press reports that for a few hundred dollars shady middlemen can sell your location within a few hundred meters based on your wireless phone data. That's unacceptable, she stated Thursday. This is an issue that affects the privacy and security of every American with a wireless phone.

FCC Commissioner Geoffrey Starks, a Democrat, has also criticized the agency over how it's handling the privacy breach.

Nearly a year after the news first broke, the commission has yet to issue an enforcement action or fine those responsible, he wrote last month in The New York Times. This passage of time is significant, as the agency usually has only one year to bring action to hold any wrongdoers accountable before the statute of limitations runs out.
TORONTO

HOUSTON

May 16, 2019

Dina Randazzo

Duke University

2b

May 31 to June 4, 2019

Chicago, Illinois

Dina Randazzo

Duke University

8:00am to 11:00am

Chicago, IL

2b

Diana Roettger

Texas

and/PRNewswire/ - Medicenna Therapeutics Corp. ("" or "the") (TSX: MDNA, OTCQB: MDNAF), a clinical stage immuno-oncology company, today announced that Dr.of, will present updates related to the recently completed Phaseclinical trial of MDNA55 for the treatment of recurrent glioblastoma at the 2019 Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) to be held frominThe details of the poster presentation are as follows:MDNA55: A Locally Administered IL4 Guided Toxin as a Targeted Treatment for Recurrent GlioblastomaCentral Nervous System TumorsDr., DO, MS; Assistant Professor of Neurosurgery,Medical Center228#2039Sunday, June 2, 2019 fromHall A, McCormick Place Convention Center, 2301 S King Dr,60616In addition, Medicenna will have two abstracts published in the Conference Proceedings reporting (1) the use of multi-parametric MRI techniques to monitor tumor response in rGBM patients treated with MDNA55 in the recently completed Phaseclinical trial, and (2) preclinical data on its immuno-oncology pipeline candidate MDNA109.Multi-parametric MRI as supplement to mRANO criteria for response assessment to MDNA55 in Adults with Recurrent or Progressive Glioblastoma., PhD#e13559MDNA109: An Interleukin-2 Superkine Exhibiting Improved CD8 T-cell Activating Properties in the Tumor Microenvironment.Moutih Rafei, PhD#e14220Abstracts of the company's presentations are available at: abstracts.asco.orgMedicenna is a clinical stage immunotherapy company developing novel highly selective versions of IL-2, IL-4 and IL-13 Superkines and first in class Empowered Cytokines (ECs). Our mission is to become the leader in the development and commercialization of ECs and Superkines for the treatment of a broad range of cancers and immune-mediated diseases. MDNA55 is Medicenna's lead EC that has completed enrolling in a multi-centre Phase 2b clinical trial for the treatment of recurrent glioblastoma, funded in part by the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of(CPRIT). MDNA55 has secured Orphan Drug Status from the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Medicines Agency as well as Fast Track Designation from the FDA for the treatment of rGBM. For more information, please visit www.medicenna.com.

View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/medicenna-announces-upcoming-presentation-at-the-american-society-of-clinical-oncology-asco-annual-meeting-300851280.html



SOURCE Medicenna Therapeutics Corp.




Blissco to complement Supreme Cannabis growing brand portfolio and accelerate its growth as a premium wellness-focused cannabis company.

Share-based acquisition allows Blissco shareholders to continue to participate in upside of combined companies, and benefit from enhanced liquidity and access to capital.

Supreme Cannabis has secured support from shareholders of Blissco representing approximately 52%, including CEO Damian Kettlewell .

. Acquisition valued at approximately C$48 million .

TORONTO

May 16, 2019

British Columbia

C$48 million

Damian Kettlewell

Navdeep Dhaliwal

$48 million

Canada's

Canada's

Langley, BC

August 2018

Damian Kettlewell

British Columbia

Damian Kettlewell

Alexander Holburn Beaudin

British Columbia

Vancouver, British Columbia

British Columbia

Alberta

Saskatchewan

New Brunswick

Africa

the United States

Canada

October 2, 2018

/PRNewswire/ - The Supreme Cannabis Company, Inc. ("Supreme Cannabis") (TSX: FIRE) (OTCQX: SPRWF) (FRA: 53S1) and Blissco Cannabis Corp. ("Blissco") (CSE: BLIS) (OTCQB: HSTRF) (FRA: GQ4B:GR) are pleased to announce that they have entered into a definitive arrangement agreement (the "Arrangement Agreement") under which Supreme Cannabis will acquire, by way of a court-approved plan of arrangement under the) (the "Arrangement"), all of the issued and outstanding common shares of Blissco (the "Blissco Shares") not already owned by Supreme Cannabis. The Arrangement is an all-stock transaction with a total value of approximately"Supreme Cannabis is the best positioned company in the cannabis space to help Blissco achieve its ambition of delivering innovative, quality assured full-spectrum cannabis products to the world," said, CEO of Blissco. "By merging with Supreme Cannabis, Blissco shareholders will benefit from the combined expertise of both companies in growing premium cannabis brands, producing and procuring high-quality inputs, commercializing new products, and ensuring regulatory compliance. Blissco shareholders will also benefit from Supreme Cannabis' enhanced trading liquidity on the TSX and greater access to capital that will allow us to focus and accelerate Blissco's premium wellness business.""Blissco has built a distinct and authentic premium wellness brand. Through our strategic partnership and prior investment in the company, we developed a deep understanding of the business and a high level of confidence in the senior management team. This transaction will allow Blissco to focus its business around the production and commercialization of cannabis oils and topicals for the premium wellness consumer," said, CEO of Supreme Cannabis. "Blissco shares our vision, mission, and values. Through this transaction, we will combine best-in-class processes, commercialization, marketing and brand building expertise, and skilled management, ensuring we continue to achieve our vision to improve global well-being with cannabis."Under the terms of the Arrangement Agreement, Supreme Cannabis will acquire all of the issued and outstanding Blissco Shares not already owned by Supreme Cannabis, representing a total value of approximately. Each Blissco Share will be exchanged for 0.24 of a common share of Supreme Cannabis (the "Supreme Cannabis Shares"). Shareholders of both companies will benefit from the combined companies' expanded product offerings, infrastructure and consumer reach. Through the acquisition, Blissco will join Supreme Cannabis' exclusive portfolio of premium brands and operate as Supreme Cannabis' health and wellness business.Blissco's established premium wellness brand provides a platform from which the combined company will launch new products for this growing consumer segment. Through the acquisition of Blissco, Supreme Cannabis cements its position asonly premium cannabis company producing at scale.Based in, Blissco operates a 18,000 square foot production facility with advanced extraction capabilities. Blissco has completed phase 1 of construction of its state-of-the-art cannabis oil extraction lab. Blissco has been producing cannabis oils since receiving its production license in.Upon closing the Arrangement, Blissco's CEO,will continue to lead Blissco while benefiting from Supreme Cannabis' expertise, infrastructure and access to capital. Mr. Kettlewell has committed to remaining employed at Supreme Cannabis as well as retaining at least 75% of his shares for a minimum of two years.The Arrangement was unanimously approved by both companies' boards of directors, and by a special committee of independent directors of Blissco (the "Special Committee"). Deloitte LLP ("Deloitte") acted as an independent financial advisor to the Special Committee and has provided a verbal opinion to the Special Committee that, as of the date of such opinion, and subject to the assumptions, limitations and qualifications on which such opinion is based, the consideration to be received by Blissco shareholders pursuant to the Arrangement is fair, from a financial point of view, to such shareholders, other than Supreme Cannabis. The board of directors of Blissco unanimously recommends that Blissco shareholders vote in favour of the resolution to approve the Arrangement.The Arrangement will require approval: (i) by 66 ?% of the votes cast by Blissco shareholders represented in person or by proxy at a special shareholders meeting (the "Meeting") called to consider the Arrangement, and (ii) by a majority of the votes cast by Blissco shareholders represented in person or by proxy at the Meeting, after excluding the votes cast by persons whose votes are to be excluded pursuant to Multilateral Instrument 61-101 . Closing of the Arrangement is also subject to the approval of the Supreme Court of, the conditional approval of the TSX to listing the Supreme Cannabis Shares to be issued in connection with the Arrangement, receipt of required regulatory approvals, and other customary conditions of closing.Supreme Cannabis has secured irrevocable hard lock-ups (the "Lock-Ups") from shareholders of Blissco representing approximately 52% of the outstanding Blissco shareholders, including, CEO of Blissco, to vote in favour of the Arrangement, and also currently owns approximately 10% of the outstanding Blissco Shares.A description of the Arrangement Agreement will be set forth in a management information circular (the "Circular"), which will be filed with the Canadian securities regulators on the System for Electronic Document Analysis and Retrieval ("SEDAR") at www.sedar.com, as well as in Blissco's material change report to be filed on SEDAR. A copy of the Arrangement Agreement will also be filed by Blissco with the Canadian securities regulators and will be available for viewing at www.sedar.com.Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP acted as legal counsel to Supreme Cannabis. Deloitte LLP acted as the financial advisor to Blissco's Special Committee, and provided a fairness opinion to the Special Committee, while+ Lang LLP acted as legal counsel to Blissco.All dollars represented are in Canadian unless otherwise noted.Blissco Cannabis Corp. (CSE: BLIS) (OTCQB: HSTRF) (FRA: GQ4B) is a Canadian wellness cannabis brand based inand a multi-licensed processor, cultivator, and distributor of premium cannabis. Blissco owns and operates an 18,000 square foot, state-of-the-art extraction, processing and cultivation facility located in Metro. Blissco is supplying premium cannabis and Reserve whole flower and dried flower pre-rolls to the Canadian market with supply agreements in, and. In support of Blissco's global distribution strategy, the company has initiated its EU GMP certification process and has completed its first inspection by German authorities. Learn more at Blissco.com.The Supreme Cannabis Company, Inc. is a global diversified portfolio of distinct cannabis companies, products and brands. Since 2014, the Company has emerged as one of the world's fastest-growing, premium plant driven-lifestyle companies by effectively deploying capital, with an emphasis on disciplined growth and high-quality products.Supreme Cannabis' portfolio includes 7ACRES, its wholly-owned subsidiary and multi-award-winning brand; Cambium Plant Sciences, a plant genetics and cultivation IP company; Medigrow Lesotho, a cannabis oil producer located in southern; and a brand partnership and licensing deal with Khalifa Kush Enterprises Canada.Supreme trades as FIRE on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: FIRE), SPRWF on the OTC Exchange in(OTCQX: SPRWF) and 53S1 on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (FRA: 53S1). Follow us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.We simply grow better.Certain statements made in this press release may constitute forward-looking information under applicable securities laws. These statements may relate to anticipated events or results and include, but are not limited to: statements regarding the expected benefits to result from the Arrangement; the effect of the Arrangement on both companies going forward; the timing for the mailing of the Circular and holding the Meeting; and the satisfaction of closing conditions including, without limitation (i) the required Blissco shareholder approval; (ii) necessary court approval in connection with the Arrangement; (iii) certain termination rights available to the parties under the Arrangement Agreement; (iv) Supreme Cannabis obtaining the necessary approvals from the TSX for listing the Supreme Shares to be issued in connection with the Arrangement; and (v) receipt of required regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions. Often, but not always, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "may", "will", "expect", "believe", "estimate", "plan", "could", "should", "would", "outlook", "forecast", "anticipate", "foresee", "continue" or the negative of these terms or variations of them or similar terminology. Forward-looking statements are current as of the date they are made and are based on applicable estimates and assumptions made by management of Blissco and Supreme at the relevant time in light of their experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors that they believe are appropriate and reasonable in the circumstances. However, neither Blissco nor Supreme Cannabis undertakes to update any such forward-looking information whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required under applicable securities laws in. There can be no assurance that such estimates and assumptions will prove to be correct.Many factors could cause actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements or future events or developments to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, the risk that the Arrangement does not occur; negative effects from the pendency of the Arrangement; the ability to realize expected benefits from the Arrangement; the timing to consummate the Arrangement; public opinion; and any other risk factors discussed in any public filings of Supreme Cannabis and Blissco filed with the Canadian securities regulators, including the "Risk Factors" section of Supreme Cannabis' Annual Information Form dated("AIF"). A copy of the AIF and Supreme Cannabis' other publicly filed documents can be accessed under Supreme Cannabis' profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Supreme Cannabis and Blissco caution that the foregoing list of risk factors and uncertainties is not exhaustive and other factors could also adversely affect their results. Readers are urged to consider the risks, uncertainties and assumptions carefully in evaluating the forward-looking information and are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such information.

View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/supreme-cannabis-to-acquire-premium-wellness-cannabis-company-blissco-300851605.html



SOURCE The Supreme Cannabis Company, Inc.




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The Total marrow irradiation was successfully conducted from 18th to 20th April and it was followed by two days of chemotherapy. The patient subsequently underwent the peripheral blood stem cell transplantation on 23rd April 2019.said Dr. Jose M Easow.added Dr. Srinivas Chilukuri.People with certain types of cancers or other diseases including leukemia, lymphoma and multiple myeloma can undergo a BMT as part of their treatment. Before the transplant, chemotherapy and/or radiation may be given to eradicate any cancer in the marrow. Traditionally, Total Body Irradiation (TBI) is part of the conditioning regimen before the bone marrow transplantation. This procedure involves providing radiation to essentially the entire body.said Dr. Srinivas Chilukuri - Senior Consultant Radiation Oncology.added Dr. Jose M Easow.is an advanced form of radiation therapy that is extremely precise in targeting cancer cells while minimizing the damage to the surrounding the healthy tissues. Proton therapy is a powerful combination of high-energy physics and radiation that will propel cancer care well into the 21st century and beyond.is a 150-bed integrated cancer hospital that offers state-of-the-art comprehensive cancer care, a major milestone in India's concerted focus to battle and conquer cancer. The advanced proton therapy at APCC is complemented by a fully integrated treatment suite that offers the most advanced treatment procedures in Surgical, Radiation, and Medical Oncology. Founded on the pillars of Expertise and Excellence, the Center brings together a powerful medical team helmed by some of the most experienced names in cancer care.Source: Medindia
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Previous research has shown that unlike individuals with anorexia nervosa who restrict calories to maintain very low body weight, people who have the condition have a fixation with the quality of food eaten and its preparation rather than the number of calories. Over time, they spend increasing amounts of time and effort purchasing, planning, and preparing pure and healthy meals, which eventually becomes an all-consuming obsession that interferes with other areas of life and results in weight loss.One of the main reasons for conducting this study was that current research on the condition is limited. Unlike other eating disorders, such as anorexia, bulimia, orthorexia is not recognized in standard psychiatric manuals for healthcare providers."It was surprising to me that the overwhelming majority of the articles in this field were of neutral-poor quality, indicating that the results of these studies must be interpreted with caution," says Sarah McComb, a Master's student in Mills' lab and first author of the study. "It really suggests a call for more valid measurement tools of orthorexia, so that more reliable conclusions can be drawn about the true prevalence of orthorexia in the population and which psychosocial factors really put a person at risk for developing orthorexia nervosa."Researchers found the literature consistently showed that those who have obsessive-compulsive traits, depression and a previous eating disorder, and/or are preoccupied with their appearance and body image, are more likely to be at risk for developing the condition. Other eating habits such as being a vegetarian or vegan also put individuals at higher risk for developing orthorexia nervosa. Lacto-vegetarians were at highest risk for the condition and people who are on a strict eating schedule, spending large amounts of time preparing meals, were also at greater risk."In our research, we found equal rates of men and women who struggle with symptoms of orthorexia nervosa," said Mills. "We still think of eating disorders as being a problem that affects mostly young women. Because of that assumption, the symptoms and negative consequences of orthorexia nervosa can fly under the radar and not be noticed or taken seriously."Researchers say developing a consistent definition of orthorexia nervosa will make it easier for health researchers to develop reliable measures and provide better diagnosis and treatment of the condition.Source: Eurekalert
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The RTS,S vaccine contains a fragment of the Plasmodium falciparum CSP protein, that goes from the central part, rich in amino acid repeats (NANP region) to the end (called the C-terminal end). In this study, Dobano and her team focused on measuring not only the quantity of antibodies against the NANP and C-terminal regions, but also their avidity (i.e. the strength with which they bind to their ligand). To do so, they analysed samples from over 1,000 infants (between 6 and 12 weeks of age) and children (5 to 17 months-old), vaccinated or not during the RTS,S phase 3 clinical trial in an area with low malaria transmission (Bagomoyo in Tanzania) and two areas with high malaria transmission (Nanoro in Burkina Faso and Kintampo in Ghana).The results show for the first time that vaccination not only induces a strong increase in the amount of antibodies against both CSP regions, but also in their avidity. This increase is stronger in children than in infants, which could explain why the former are better protected by the vaccine. "We see that, in terms of protection, the avidity of C-terminal antibodies is more important than the quantity, while for NANP antibodies quantity is more important than quality," explains Dobano. The results also indicate that when a child has already been exposed to malaria (and therefore has anti-CSP antibodies), the protective effect of the vaccine is lower. "This suggests that the vaccine will better protect children who have been less exposed to the parasite, for example those living in low-transmission areas," adds Dobano.The research team stresses the need to understand the mechanisms underlying the partial protection conferred by RTS,S, in order to guide the design of new and better vaccines.Source: Eurekalert
Within African nations, a striking variation is seen in HIV prevalence at provincial and district levels, revealed a new scientific paper. The paper, published in Nature, provides precise geographic estimates of HIV prevalence and numbers of people living with HIV to identify priority areas for health care support to reduce the burden of HIV. "Changing the trajectory of HIV/AIDS in Africa requires that we continue to seek better ways to know the epidemic. This paper will support policymakers and health care providers in locating hotspots of HIV/AIDS at national and subnational levels, and will help guide smart investment of scarce resources for diagnosis, prevention, and treatment," said Dr. John Nkengasong, director of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC).

Despite the rapid scale-up of antiretroviral therapy (ART) since 2000, HIV/AIDS is still the most common cause of death in sub-Saharan Africa, according to data from the Global Burden of Disease.

The study is available at IHME's website at http://www.healthdata.org; Data visualizations are available at https://vizhub.healthdata.org/lbd/hiv.



Since 2015, the World Health Organization has recommended ART for all people living with HIV, because early treatment enables them to live longer and healthier lives and reduces the potential for transmitting the virus. Despite the rapid scale-up of ART, 34% of people in East and Southern Africa and 60% of people in West and Central Africa living with HIV are not currently on treatment, according to UNAIDS. Growing population size and continued high incidence of HIV infection, combined with increased life expectancy among people living with HIV (PLHIV), has led to an increase in PLHIV in sub-Saharan Africa: between 2000 and 2017, the number of people aged 15-49 years living with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa increased by 3 million, even as HIV prevalence declined.



"Global funding for HIV/AIDS has declined since 2013, but our research shows the substantial burden that still exists and reveals where geographically targeted interventions might make a big difference. Our goal is to provide robust data that can be used to help prevent future infections and ensure appropriate care for people living with HIV," said IHME's Dr. Laura Dwyer-Lindgren, lead author and Assistant Professor of Health Metrics Sciences.



Key findings from the study include:



Most countries (36 of 47) had a more than two-fold difference in prevalence between second-level administrative subdivisions (such as districts or departments) in 2017 (Figure 1). In one-fourth of countries, the largest difference was more than five-fold.



While the country-level analysis shows a clear divide between countries in Southern sub-Saharan Africa and the rest of the continent, subnational-level analysis reveals areas outside Southern sub-Saharan Africa with high HIV prevalence, including parts of Kenya, Malawi, Uganda, and Tanzania where prevalence exceeded 10% in 2017 (Figure 1c).



Both the direction and rate of change in HIV prevalence from 2000 to 2017 varied between and within countries, highlighting the changing landscape and underscoring the need for current, local data.



The spatial concentration of people living with HIV (PLHIV) was highly variable. While a large number of PLHIV were concentrated in a small number of areas, an equally large number were widely distributed in areas with lower spatial concentrations of PLHIV.



The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation funded the study, part of a five-year grant that enables IHME researchers and collaborators globally to map a range of health metrics in 5x5 square kilometer units. The research is part of the Local Burden of Disease project at IHME led by Dr. Simon I. Hay, Director of Geospatial Science at IHME and Professor of Health Metrics Sciences at the University of Washington.



The estimates highlight transnational trends, suggesting that international collaboration could help address persistent high prevalence in some areas.



"The work done at IHME and on the Local Burden of Disease team is supported by a large network of collaborators, who play a critical role in the analysis of data and the use of published data in policy. We are always seeking to build our collaborative network and are very grateful to all who contributed to this study," said Dr. Hay.



The paper builds on many previously published analyses, incorporating a broad array of data sources and presenting the results in a publicly accessible web-based visualization tool.



Source: Eurekalert

The study, conducted at the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington, is the first to map HIV prevalence among adults ages 15-49 comprehensively at a granular, subnational level for all 47 countries in sub-Saharan Africa. The results show high variation in prevalence and changes in prevalence over time within countries.
'Not a perfect soldier, but a good man.'

This is exactly the reason why Steve Rogers, a skinny guy with asthma, was chosen to become a super soldier. The serum was supposed to enhance his capabilities and yes, he wasn't the tallest or the strongest, but he was just an incredible person worthy of getting that serum and enhancing all his good qualities.

It took him almost a decade and a bunch of movies to finally wield Mjolnir, but he had always been worthy and everyone knew that, even Thor himself.

That expression says it all, he knew it then and there that this is the only person, other than himself, who possibly has the ability to hold the hammer and harness the power of Thor.

Over the years, Steve Rogers has proved time and again that he will always do what's best for the greater good, making him the only other person worthy of wielding Mjolnir:

1. Taking On Bullies

Yes, he 'can do this all day', and pre-serum, he did actually do it all day. A tiny, skinny dude who is so desperate to fight for his country, knows that bullies are the problem, and he himself made sure to do something about.

He's always fought for what he thought was right, never backed down, much to Bucky's dismay, probably, since he always had to rescue his tiny friend.

But, his willingness to take on anyone, even if he was skinny or ripped, makes it one of his best qualities, tbh.

2. Jumping On The Grenade

Steve and Tony are just two self-sacrificing people and Steve has been actually proving that since the 1940s. Remember that scene which finally made everyone see he should get the serum?

He finally joined the army, something he had wanted more than anything, but he was still willing to sacrifice himself even before he left to fight the real war if it meant saving everyone else.

3. Saving Bucky And Everyone Else

Back in 'Captain America: The First Avenger', he was not allowed to actually fight the real fight but just act as a 'circus monkey'. Obviously, he didn't follow the orders, especially when it meant that hundreds of soldiers, including Bucky, were just gone.

He straight up went to the enemy territory to save everyone, without even knowing if they were alive. He went alone, not knowing what was waiting for him and still managed to get everyone out.

4. Basically Saving Everyone

Again, in the first Captain America movie, towards the end, he had no option but to land the jet in water - and killing himself while doing it - in order to save millions of people. He did not even hesitate to make that decision, obviously, even though he knew he would die and never have that dance with Peggy Carter.

5. Never Giving Up On Bucky

Bucky has always been Steve's biggest weakness, and he for sure knows it.

He even used that to his advantage in 'Avengers: Endgame' as well in the Cap vs Cap scene.

Yes, Bucky was a brainwashed assassin and did truly terrible things, including killing Tony's parents, but Steve never ever gave up on his best friend, just like Bucky never did while saving pre-serum Steve from bullies.

At the end of 'Winter Soldier', he just knew that he would be able to get his friend to remember him and was willing to die for it because he was that sure. Then again in 'Civil War', he went against everyone, even Tony, to defend Bucky and prove his innocence.

They're honestly bff goals.

6. We Don't Trade Lives

Yes, his righteous attitude did get annoying in 'Infinity War' but we don't expect anything else from him. Everyone watching the movie was getting frustrated about them willing to kill everyone to save Vision. If Wanda has destroyed the Mind Stone in the beginning, they would've saved the world.

Since it wasn't himself that Steve had to sacrifice, there was no way in hell that he was going to let anyone else die.

7. Mjolnir Comes To Him

And finally, I'm assuming that Mjolnir itself came to Steve in the final battle in 'Endgame' when Thanos is almost about to kill Thor. I mean, why would Steve randomly be extending his arm to call the hammer instead of, I don't know, jumping on Thanos' back and trying to get him off of Thor?

Also, this is the best moment of the entire movie, and I'm willing to fight anyone who disagrees. I can't even explain how excited Steve holding the Mjolnir made me feel.

I would also like to acknowledge Thor's reaction; it was so pure, no jealousy, no nothing, just excitement because he always knew Cap was worthy.

In conclusion, Steve Rogers is the best person ever, even if he radiates dumb bitch energy sometimes.
It's always a given that you can have your cake and eat it too. Apart from being an idiom, it's quite literal as well. I mean that's what you do on your birthday mostly, isn't it? Well, you can do that, but in Gujarat you can't smear someone's face with cake in public and if you're caught doing that, you go to jail.

 Pintrest

After the PUBG ban, the Surat police has decide to ban cake smearing acts in public, as it's become a nuisance every passing day, as birthday celebrations are starting to turn violent. Along with cake smearing, using adhesive tapes and chemical foam in public is banned too, which people are currently and openly indulging in, on birthdays. We're guessing the usual birthday trend in Gujarat got a tad boring for people to use other means to bring in the celebrations.

 Pintrest

However, lawyer Apar Gupta, who has a copy of the order, translated in English from Gujarati, says this order is worrisome and has stated his reasons, as to why.

The Surat Police has now banned smearing of cakes in public under Section 144 of the CRPC.



This comes after the use of the same provision to ban PUBG game and the arrest of young college going students.



Can someone translate the order to English? pic.twitter.com/llDQTeW4W9  Apar Gupta (@apargupta84) 15 May 2019

A translation has been provided and it is pointed out that cake smearing is tied to injury and public nuisance. A summary is below. Let me at the same time point why this is still worrisome. https://t.co/jgCjLv0pqC  Apar Gupta (@apargupta84) 15 May 2019

1. Expansion of police power: Section 144 is titled as, "power to issue order in urgent cases of nuisance or apprehended danger". It is an emergency/curfew power intended against unlawful assembly. One must ask is, "immediate prevention or speedy remedy is desireable" ?  Apar Gupta (@apargupta84) 15 May 2019

2. Pre-existence of criminal laws/muncipal codes: Provisions under the IPC contain specific crimes for assault, battery and simple hurt. Further most muncipal codes (this may vary in gujarat) prevent littering and impose fines. Such provisions have well articulated ingredients.  Apar Gupta (@apargupta84) 15 May 2019

3. The proportion of the cake smearing: As pointed out by many, the proportion of the language prohibiting cake smearing is tiny when compared to the thrust of the order. However, such passing language itself due to its lack of articulation may lead to arbitrary application.  Apar Gupta (@apargupta84) 15 May 2019

Taken collectively, one has to ask -- whether an expansion of police powers under Section 144 when pre-existing, well reasoned laws exist to prohibit cake smearing in public is something that should be tolerable? We will get not only the politicians but the policing we deserve.  Apar Gupta (@apargupta84) 15 May 2019

"Taken collectively, one has to ask -- whether an expansion of police powers under Section 144 when pre-existing, well reasoned laws exist to prohibit cake smearing in public is something that should be tolerable? We will get not only the politicians but the policing we deserve" Apar Gupta, Lawyer

Our main concern though is the adhesive tape and chemical foam that's used on people's faces to celebrate birthdays. Shouldn't that be the primary concern and not cake smearing, which is indeed harmless? I mean, if people are injuring the other person by smearing cake, that's another story altogether, but if they're doing it out of sheer jest, I guess it should be okay! But honestly, cake definitely shouldn't be wasted by smearing it on someone's face!

 Twitter

"Do you really think it will make a difference in Gujarat to ban anything further? We all have the facts and figures, don't we? Any forceful act whether it is ragging or eve teasing is fallacious but does that mean the state will ban something as basic as playing PUBG or smearing cake on someone's face for fun?" - Ankita, Asst. MArketing & communications manager, Ahmedabad

Surat Police Commissioner, Satish Sharma issued the prohibitory orders on Monday, after various accounts of aggressive and violent behaviour came to light.

Aren't there existing laws to tackle violence? How come Surat police is acting like a law maker?  ishan aranjikal (@ishotu) 15 May 2019

Surat is practically a police state after 23:30. With their need to regulate everything, I was expecting this to happen.  bhas kar-wai (@bolnabey) 15 May 2019

The cake bit comes at the end. They're talking about students putting cello tape on other's face, and applying some sort of chemical. That seems the primary concern, and then they talk about smearing cake.  Pratik Sinha (@free_thinker) 15 May 2019

Its about beating someone in the name of "birthday bumps", smashing cakes, foams and other forms of material which creates nuisance at public space like roads, bus stop,brts stops etc. Its for creating "mess" and also "bad behaviour" in public spaces.  BD (@BDsVouch) 15 May 2019

To summarize, it's an order against public nuisance which can harm those involved. Detailed summary in pic.



Cake smearing is a tiny part. Bulk is against public celebration and usage of chemicals, tape & foam directly applied to the face. pic.twitter.com/sKOe1C38Nu  Harshal Modi (@grondmaster) 15 May 2019

According to TOI, section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure has been set in motion from May 14, to July 12.

We received information about incidents in which individuals suffered injuries in a birthday celebration, Satish Sharma told Times of India.

It's a little sad that birthdays will have to go traditional again, with no cake touching any part of anyone's face but maybe to tackle aggressiveness in the state because of it, this step was imperative. Well, I guess people should just stick to old-school and just feed each other cake instead of smearing it on faces.
Yesterday, we came across Babu Muddrappa, an auto driver in Bengaluru who took an abandoned pregnant woman to hospital, paid her medical bills and even took care of the baby as his own, when her mother fled. We salute Babu for everything he did for the mother and the baby.

People like Babu are rare to find, but not impossible and this brings us to another unsung hero of our society, Maqbool. In case you didn't know, there is a curfew going on in riot-hit Hailakandi, Assam. In the ongoing communal clashes, Maqbool, with prayers on his lips, drove his auto-rickshaw as fast as he could to take a pregnant Hindu woman to hospital.

 Pexels

If there was a face for the idiom, "A friend in need is a friend indeed", it will probably be Maqbool's, who helped his neighbour Rubon Das and his wife Nandita in the time of crisis.

Rubon was desperately calling his near and dear ones to help him arrange for an ambulance to take his wife to hospital, "I was trying to calm my wife down saying someone will surely come to take us to hospital in Hailakandi town." Nandita's pain increased, but no help came for them in the curfew hit area.

 Pexels

At that time, Maqbool heard Rubon's story and without thinking twice he rushed to his residence with his auto-rickshaw. Maqbool was only worried about whether he will make it in time or not, while speeding through the roads. He said, "I was trying to comfort them. telling them everything will be fine. But I myself was praying."

Thanks to Maqbool, Nandita who was in an advanced stage of labour, could reach the hospital on time and give birth to a boy who they have now named, 'Shanti'. Honestly, there couldn't have been a better name than that.

 Pexels

"We need more such examples of Hindu-Muslim unity and amity," said Hailakandi Deputy Commissioner Keerthi Jalli, when she visited the new-born baby and the parents. She also congratulated Maqbool for helping his friend in the time of distress.

Just when we think the society has become selfish and heartless, where no one wants to help one another; some people come around and make this world a better place to live in with their selfless acts of kindness.
Alternate Minister of Foreign Affairs Sia Anagnostopoulou gave an interview on ERT1 TVs For Greece, hosted by journalist Spyros Charitatos.

Asked to comment on Turkeys heightened provocation lately, centring in the Cypriot EEZ, and whether Greece has placed red lines, the Alternate Minister of Foreign Affairs noted, The red lines have been placed and are there to stay. We will not tolerate our sovereign rights being undermined. Tensions are currently mounting in the Greek-Turkish relations, while Greece and Cyprus are continuing their ongoing cooperation. In Romania [during the European Council in Sibiu on 09 May] we managed to have the wholehearted support of Cyprus and thats how we deal with a provocative neighbour. The Alternate Minister of Foreign Affairs also stated, The country is prepared to face any challenge.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 16)  President Rodrigo Duterte has fired another government official over alleged corruption.

The latest to fall on Dutertes chopping block was Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Director General Nela Charade Puno, Malacanang confirmed Thursday. She was handed her dismissal letter on Wednesday.

This is line with the Presidents continuing mandate to eradicate graft and corruption, and to ensure that public officials and employees conduct themselves in a manner worthy of public trust, read the order, which was signed by Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea.

Health Undersecretary Rolando Enrique Domingo will be appointed FDA officer-in-charge, the Department of Health (DOH) said in a statement Thursday.

The DOH supports President Dutertes commitment to eradicate graft and corruption in all government agencies, the department said.

Puno was appointed FDA chief in 2016.

In previous speeches, Duterte reiterated he would fire more officials for corruption.
BAD AXE  A proposed public hearing about new military flight training routes from the Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center has been delayed until July.

That's because the Air National Guard is waiting for snowbird residents to return to their local homes after spending winter in warmer parts of the United States.

The Air National Guard is looking into modifying and creating new Military Operating Areas (MOAs).

A ircrafts would fly as low as 500 feet from the ground, from the previous 6,000 feet, and run a maximum of 14 sorties  two aircrafts at once  per day.

Practice operations would also be made permanent from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday.

Mary Brosnan-Peters, of Port Austin, wanted to know if the board has had any contact with any military personnel on the base regarding a demonstration and how many decibels the planes give off at Tuesdays Huron County Board of Commissioners meeting.

The taxpayers need to know how their lives may be altered, Brosnan-Peters said.

"The board has proposed a flyover test to Lt. Col. Darren Hall, said Commissioner Mary Babcock. Hall only suggested hed fly it up the ladder.

Babcock noted that even though the board did make the request, the Air National Guard has not gotten back to them right away, so there's no commitment one way or the other.

Terry Ross, of Port Austin, presented a counter-proposal, which he would not consider presenting to the military unless he received feedback for it.

Ross made the following recommendations:

 Practice three days a week instead of the proposed five.

 Eight sorties maximum per day, instead of the proposed 14.

 At night, practice only once a month, and advertise it so residents can anticipate it.

 No flying on weekends from Memorial Day to Labor Day, except possibly during Fourth of July celebrations, where a flyover could be arranged.

 Avoid the coastlines between Harbor Beach and Port Hope, and between Port Austin and Caseville.

Ross said his proposed points could be tweaked in any way the board wants.

We arent trying to stop the military from doing this, Ross said at the meeting. I know they have to practice.

He is sure the aircraft would avoid the airport and wind farms, but theyre still allowed to fly across the rest of the countryside at only 500 feet.

Babcock said considering a counter proposal would be a wonderful idea, allowing the board and the public to put in their two cents.

Ross presented other facts to the board from an Air Force environmental study for the Grayling Military Operations Area. Among them:

 A-10s, F-16s and F-35s  the kinds of fighter jets tested at the base  are 200% louder at 500 feet than at 3,600 feet.

 F-16s are 60% louder than the A-10s and the F-35s are 150% louder.

A representative of the Alpena air base could not be reached for comment.
HURON COUNTY -- The Huron County Suicide Prevention Coalition works to increase awareness and responsiveness for individuals dealing with thoughts of suicide and support suicide survivors.

The group recognizes some of the needs of our residents who continue to deal with the increasing stress of rural life in the Thumb of Michigan, but they welcome your input.
PIGEON -- The Associated Builders and Contractors Western Michigan Chapter sponsored five students to join them at the ABC National Conference in Long Beach, California, to compete in the Construction Management Competition.

The competition promotes careers in construction management. It is designed to challenge construction knowledge, organization, time management and presentation skills. This competition gives the nation's top construction management students a glimpse into the real world of construction, as well as an opportunity to showcase their talents.
OWENDALE/GAGETOWN -- The focus for Owen-Gage's students of the month for May is positive self-image.

A student who has a positive self-image demonstrates acceptance by others, shows willingness to take appropriate risks and identifies strengths and weaknesses. They also demonstrate appropriate grooming habits, display self-respect, feel successful and feel good about themselves.
HARTFORD  A judicial committee of Superior Court judges is considering a move that proponents say will make it easier for low-income defendants with minimal bonds to remain free while their criminal court cases proceed.

But bondsmen, who stand to lose money on the deal, are calling the plan a veiled attempt to put more money in state coffers.

Under the proposal, which is supported by the states Sentencing Commission, Chief Public Defender and the American Civil Liberties Union of Connecticut, criminal defendants would automatically be allowed to put up 10 percent cash to the court or a police department to be released on a surety bond of $20,000 or less.

The 10 percent collected for bond would be returned, minus any fees incurred, when the court case is completed. Defendants who skip out on the court case would be required to pay the entire bond.

Most people with surety bonds use a bail bondsman to secure release, according to testimony provided by the states Sentencing Commission, which is examining ways to allow defendants to be released without financial conditions. Bondsmen require a non-refundable payment of a percentage of the bond amount. An automatic option of 10 percent to the court would assist indigent persons to make a bond.

As of Jan. 1, about 500 people were held in state prisons on bonds less than $20,000, according to the ACLU-CT.

Many people being held pre-trial on small bond amounts are accused of minor, non-violent crimes, including drug possession, said David McGuire, executive director of the ACLU-CT. They have not been convicted of a crime and should be treated as innocent until proven guilty, yet they remain in jail because they lack the resources to pay their way free.

Defendants can exercise the 10 percent cash option if their bond is lower than $20,000 and a judge grants it. The change being considered by The Rules Committee of the Superior Court, a judicial body comprised entirely of judges, would allow all defendants to automatically have the 10 percent cash option.

The committee oversees rule changes in the states legal practice book  the extensive document that provides guidance over all court proceedings. The judges heard testimony Monday on the proposal but are not expected to make a decision for several weeks.

Bondsmen say the change could backfire. Defendants or their families pay bondsmen a state regulated fee of $850 for a $10,000 surety bond, said Will Munck, a bondsman with Afford-A-Bail, which bonds out defendants in New Haven and throughout the state.

They dont have to put up $1,000, which they would with the 10 percent option, Munck said. They can put up as little as $297 and put the rest on installments.

Munck said he can accept installments of as little as $20 a month to pay the fee. The defendants get no money back when the case is complete. But in the meantime, Munck said he has a vested interest in making sure the person attends court  and will go looking for them if they dont.

Fifty percent of cases will wind up with no resolution and no resolution for the victim, he said of the proposed change.

Munck declined to comment on how much the change would cost his company or the state bail bond industry.

He said if the court accepts the money, there is no guarantee defendants will get it back since court fees and fines imposed as part of the case can be deducted from the amount. The only people who this would really help would be the people who already have the cash on hand, he said.

The same change the Rules Committee is considering was rejected by the legislature in 2017 after a compromise on bail reform was reached with stakeholders, according to state Rep. Steve Stafstrom, D-Bridgeport, and Sen. Gary Winfield, D-New Haven, chairmen of the states Judiciary Committee.

We have heard concerns that this change would bypass the will of the legislature, the two wrote in a letter to the Rules Committee. Both took no official position on the change.

But Christine Perra Rapillo , the states chief public defender, sees it another way.

Automatically authorizing a 10 percent cash bail alternative will allow individuals to make a cash deposit at the time of arrest and avoid paying a surety bond, Perra Rapillo told the committee in her testimony supporting the change. Surety bonds involve fees that are returned to the bail bond industry and not the accused.
MIDDLETOWN  Haddam native Illeana Douglas, who graduated from Haddam-Killingworth High School, will be master of ceremonies during the Middletown Pride parade and festival next month.

Douglas, granddaughter of two-time Academy Award winner Melvyn Douglas, is also an Emmy-nominated actress, writer, director, author and Turner Classic Movies host.

I grew up with Illeana in Connecticut, and am excited to have her at this event, which is held in celebration of the LGBTQ+ community, a community she has long been close to, Middletown LGBTQ+ Advisory Committee Member Sal Uccello said in a prepared statement.

There will be two parade grand marshals: Middletown resident and drag queen performer Madison Sapphire Duchannes and Stamford Board of Representatives member Raven Matherne, D-Stamford, believed to be the first openly transgender lawmaker in Connecticut.

The inaugural event begins at 2 p.m. June 15 with a parade starting at St. Johns Square. It will continue down Main Street to the South Green, where a festival will be held.

At home behind the camera and in front, Douglas will be seen in the third season of Goliath on Amazon Video as Rita  a Keno-addicted bar fly that befriends Billy McBride (Billy Bob Thornton), according to a press release.

In Douglas book, I Blame Dennis Hopper she recalls seeing movies at The Middletown Drive-In, The Palace, and The Capital. Douglas moved to Hartford as a teenager to pursue a career in acting. She became a member of the Hartford Stage Company Youth Theatre, and performed in many local theatre groups including Hartfords Mark Twain Masquers, and Avon Music Makers, according to the release.

In 1993, she costarred in Grief, which starred openly gay actors such as Craig Chester and Alexis Arquette, and included a story line dealing with a partners death from complications related to AIDS.

In 2011, Dougles returned to Connecticut to shoot The Green written by gay filmmaker Paul Marcarelli and directed by Steven Williford. Shot locally in Guilford, the film deals with a small towns reaction to a gay teacher accused of child abuse.

For information, visit MiddletownPride.org or Middletown Pride on Facebook.
MIDDLETOWN  The Common Council has adopted a $166 million budget for the coming year that includes an unprecedented 5.1 percent increase in spending for education.

The budget is some $4.5 million less than the $170.3 million proposal submitted to the council in April by Mayor Daniel T. Drew.

However, it will raise the tax rate by 1.2 mills, from 34.8 to 36 mills.

The board heard competing recommendations from both the majority Democrats and the minority Republicans before settling for the Democratic vision.

The resultant vote late Wednesday was unanimous, save but for the absence of councilors Carl R. Chisem and Philip J. Pessina.

More than 50 people attended the session held in the council chambers.

In 20 minutes of public comment, several speakers, including Board of Education Chairman Christopher Drake, uniformly called on the council to support Conners vision for the future.

The $84.6 million in funding for education serves both as expression of the councils support for recently installed Superintendent Of Schools Michael T. Conner, as well as a down payment on efforts to close the achievement gap in the citys school system.

The vote followed a spirited debate that began when the councils Republican caucus, led by Minority Leader Sebastian N. Giuliano, sought to sharply reduce spending in the proposed budget.

Giuliano said the Democratic majoritys proposed budget was unsustainable.

Democrats, led by Councilor Gerald E. Daley, had proposed a mix of targeted reductions and increases, especially in education, that they said would serve the needs of parents and their children as well as the city itself.

We are committed to investing in education and in what is needed for our schools to keep moving forward, Daley said.

Our budget is a statement that our city values education, Councilor Robert Blanchard said.

Our new superintendent has done an incredible job and now is not the time to let off the gas, he added.

At the same time he was boosting support for education, Daley said the city had achieved substantial savings, more than $900,000, by putting its health insurance program out to bid.

In response, Giuliano led off by proposing a list of across-the-board reductions, some of which he acknowledged were pretty drastic.

He said the Democrats proposal leaves the town no viable options: to raises taxes, use more of the towns fund balance, or borrow more money, which is a process that is going to end badly.

Anyone sitting back and hoping something good is going to happen on the state level isnt being realistic, Giuliano said.

The state has signaled it will seek to off-load more and more programs onto the backs of the cities and towns as the General Assembly struggles with a withered economy and a lack of adequate revenues.

Giuliano said it was past time the city took an unflinching look at its long-terms needs - and the means of paying for them.

Not only does the Democratic proposal rely over much on state, it also plunders fund balance, our savings account, he said.

The Democrats propose taking $4.8 million from fund balance, which stands at 12 percent, which is at the low end of what bond rating agencies prefer municipalities have in reserve.

Launching a metaphor that many of his colleagues seized upon to use either for or against his proposal, Giuliano likened the situation to someone driving an old car who sees a shiny new one he simply must have,

He goes ahead of buys it, only to find out all too quickly he cant pay for it, Giuliano said

Before we ask residents to pay more, we have to get our revenues in order, he said.

The GOP alternative is setting a strong foundation for years to come, Councilor Deborah Kleckowski said.

But it all came down to the numbers, and there are twice as many Democrats on the council as there are Republicans.
HARTFORD  A bill that will increase from 18 to 21 the minimum age to purchase tobacco products and e-cigarettes passed the House by a 124-to-22 vote Thursday.

The bill now heads to the Senate.

A number of Connecticut cities and towns  including Hartford, Bridgeport, South Windsor, Southington, Wallingford, Trumbull, and Milford  that have already passed their own ordinances to raise the age.

This is one of the more important bills we will consider this year, Rep. Jonathan Steinberg, D-Westport, co-chair of Public Health Committee, said. The (U.S) Surgeon General has determined that vaping is a national epidemic.

One recent report has given advocates added momentum  a Department of Public Health 2017 Youth Tobacco Survey indicated e-cigarette use among Connecticut high school students has more than doubled from 7.2 percent using in 2015 to 14.7 percent using in 2017.

Steinberg said the vaping epidemic is having an impact on our schools. We raid bathrooms to catch illegal vaping, installing detectors. The vaping that goes on in schools, Steinberg said, is distracting schools from their core mission, which is to education young people.

The bill was amended from its original version to exclude a ban on flavored vaping.

Steinberg said that decision was made because theres an expectation that there will be action at the federal level.

If not, Steinberg said, the Public Health Committee would take up the issue again next year.

Rep. Matt Blumenthal, D-Stamford, told his colleagues that he felt a small bit of disappointment that we arent going after the (vaping) flavors. But he quickly added that he was glad to hear that the state will take on the issue - next year  if the federal government doesnt act.

Rep. Nicole Klarides-Ditria, R-Derby, asked Steinberg if funds raised in the bill meant to be spent on tobacco cessation programs will be safe from raiding from the General Assembly.

Steinberg answered: It is certainly our intent; we will make every effort that we do not succumb to temptation (to raid the fund). I cannot guarantee that, Steinberg added.

Connecticut is one of the few states in the entire country that currently spends zero money taken in from the cigarette tax it takes in on tobacco cessation programs. It has continually received F grades from the American Cancer Society (ACS) for that practice.

Gov. Ned Lamont proposed raising the age as part of his first two-year budget and says he will sign the bill if it passes the Senate.

The bill raises, from 18 to 21, the legal age to purchase cigarettes, other tobacco products, and e-cigarettes (i.e., electronic nicotine delivery systems and vapor products). The bill imposes a $300 fine on a retailer who sells a tobacco product to anyone under age 21, increases, from $50 to $200, the annual license fee for cigarette dealers; and increases from $400 to $800 the annual registration fee for e-cigarette delaters.

The bill results in estimated state revenue losses of $4.9 million next year and $6.3 million in 2021. The bill raises fees and fines, which are anticipated to increase state revenues by $1.2 million and will offset additional regulatory costs incurred by the state departments of Revenue Services and Consumer Protection.

Lamont praised the House for passing the bill.

With the rising use of e-cigarettes and vaping products among young people, we are seeing a growing public health crisis, Lamont said in a statement after the vote. Some have pointed out that raising the age to 21 will result in a net revenue loss to the state, but when it comes to the health of our young people we need to do what is right.

Rep. William Petit, R-Plainville, asked Steinberg how the bill addresses the issue of regulating of tobacco products bought over the internet.

We know this is a significant issue, Steinberg said. He said the bill addresses the issue by mandating that someone over the age of 21 signs for tobacco products that are sent to a home.

We are trying to ensure some young person isnt trying to end run the system, Steinberg said.

Petit quizzed Steinberg on what the impact of losing younger customers will mean to retailers in the state.

We do expect there will be some impact on retailers, Steinberg said. He added, though: We feel very strongly that the public health imperative outweighs the negatives.

There was also a lengthy discussion involving many lawmakers on minimum age requirements and what it means to be an adult.
ABOARD A C-37 MILITARY AIRCRAFT -- Take off. Fly. Practice. Land. Repeat. And repeat and repeat -- all without going outside. It's what more pilots are likely to see as the Air Force weighs how to expand simulation training time across its ranks, according to the service's outgoing top civilian.

The Air Force awaits the latest results from the second iteration of its Pilot Training Next (PTN) Program, hosted by Air Education and Training Command (AETC) in Austin, Texas. The findings are due to Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson's successor in the next few weeks. On Wednesday, Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan named Air Force Under Secretary Matt Donovan, a former F-15C Eagle pilot, to become the acting secretary June 1, following Wilson's departure.

But Wilson said that more simulator time should be a "no-brainer" for pilots to become proficient in basic skills before they get inside a real cockpit.

PTN is "an example of, we didn't just change pilot training, we said, 'Let's do an experiment, and what are we learning from that?' One of the things we've learned, no matter what else we do, is that we need to put simulators into the dorms 24/7 for pilot training. That's a no-brainer because it accelerates learning," she said during an exclusive interview with Military.com on Tuesday.

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Military.com traveled with the outgoing secretary on one of her last trips to Air University at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama, before she departs the Pentagon in the next two weeks to take her new position as president of the University of Texas at El Paso.

Wilson's assessment comes after Gen. Mike Holmes, head of Air Combat Command, and AETC commander Lt. Gen. Steven Kwast voiced similar positions on the imperative to create a more diverse pilot training experience.

Learning through augmented reality boosts initial competence, "because they're getting more repetitions," Wilson said.

The Air Force will "take a look at what the results of that experience are, and how those pilots do when they go on. It's not entirely virtual reality. It is that, combined with the jet training," she said.

"There's a rule in flight training ... that the cockpit is a lousy classroom. Because you can't pause what you're doing to say, 'Wait a minute that didn't work, what did I just do wrong?' Because you're onto the next thing," Wilson said. "You always have to be ahead of the airplane. So it's a lousy classroom. So if we can create a classroom where we can pause, but gives you the fidelity of virtual reality, that's great. I think we're actually going to move more toward that."

Virtual reality training could benefit other career fields besides pilots, she said, especially maintainers who repair some of the most complex aircraft across the service.

"A quarter of our enlisted force are maintenance. And it's some of the most complicated work we do. But we're not taking advantage of technology to teach," Wilson said.

Too Selective in Picking Pilots?

Virtual reality training is part of a larger discussion on the service's ongoing pilot shortage.

In written testimony before the Senate Armed Services subcommittee on personnel in February, Lt. Gen. Brian Kelly, deputy chief of staff for manpower, personnel and services, said that the Air Force ended fiscal 2018 with a total force pilot shortage of 1,937. The service said it was roughly 2,000 pilots short in 2017.

Following Military.com's story this month about the service's plan to revolutionize pilot training by using more virtual and digital means, some readers voiced concerns that the Air Force is turning prospective pilots away without a good reason, thus leading to a gap in aviation personnel.

Wilson said it's not that simple. "We've had plenty of people volunteer to be pilots in the Air Force. Our problem is not at the front end to get people into training. We're still very selective," she said Tuesday. "[Most rejections] are medical, or eyesight or those kinds of things. The key was, we needed to increase the number of pilot training slots."

Last year, retired Gen. Herbert "Hawk" Carlisle, former ACC commander, said training slots are a big issue.

"We have to experience them and retain them. We drew down tons of airplanes in the Air Force -- too many," he said last summer. "And now trying to go back up, we don't have the cockpits to experience people. We don't have the cockpits to bring in more young guys and, at the same time, for the retaining [portion], we are burning them out because the deployment schedules are horrendous."

Fixing the pilot shortage will require better retention practices, as well as increased selections, Wilson said.

"We can't solve this with retention alone, so we've increased over the last two years and we'll increase again next year, the number of people going through pilot training with an objective to get to about 1,500 a year," she said. "We [still] need to train more pilots."

-- Oriana Pawlyk can be reached at oriana.pawlyk@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @Oriana0214.
Isaak Olson was two months from graduating in 2014 when he disclosed that his fiancee had given birth several months earlier...
When Laurie Finlayson's 25-year-old Marine son died during a battalion training run in 2013, she asked to see a copy of the electrocardiogram he received before shipping off to boot camp.

She was surprised to learn the test wasn't part of his medical screening.

"They do three days of medical for people who enlist, but they don't do an EKG to check their hearts?" Finlayson said. "I was just dumbfounded."

Lance Cpl. David Finlayson's autopsy showed he had an enlarged heart, as many athletes do, she said, but it was otherwise normal. That pointed to an electrical problem, which can cause sudden cardiac arrest.

"Your heart goes into a bad rhythm. It can either be too slow or too fast, but it's not effectively pumping blood -- it's just quivering," Finlayson said. "So, the person just drops. It's essentially like their heart stops."

Now, Finlayson wants to help prevent others from suffering the same loss her family experienced. She and her husband, John, started the Lion Heart Heroes Foundation in honor of their son to raise awareness about sudden cardiac arrest and push the military toward better screenings for new enlistees.

"They can do more," she said.

Sudden cardiac arrest affects about 7,000 children under the age of 18 annually, according to the American Heart Association. That has led some doctors to recommend students get electrocardiograms, or EKGs, before participating in high school or college sports.

Since the military often attracts the same crowd, Finlayson said new enlistees and officer candidates should be screened too.

"We hope that [EKG] screening will become part of the medical protocol at the Military Entrance Processing Stations," her foundation's website states. "Then these undiagnosed heart problems can be discovered before young recruits join the service, giving them the opportunity to get their hearts fixed."

Sudden deaths during military physical training are rare, but strike each year. Within the last two weeks, a 30-year-old Marine died during a unit run at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina and a 29-year-old Nebraska National Guardsman died during fitness training at a local armory.

This week, the Navy also issued a host of guidelines for fitness test participants to be more closely monitored for signs of distress. That followed a safety review after 18- and 20-year-old recruits died within an eight-week period while taking the Navy fitness test at boot camp.

While those deaths remain under investigation and the causes of each remains unknown, Finlayson said it's vital that young people being asked to carry out physically demanding jobs be properly screened.

A Pentagon spokeswoman declined to comment on the investigations since they remain ongoing, but said there are no plans to change the way medical screenings are conducted.

"The Department offers our most sincere condolences to the families of these outstanding recruits for their profound loss." Air Force Lt. Col. Carla Gleason said. "... The Department continuously reviews accessions policies; however, there is no change in policy addressing EKGs at this time."

The physical examinations applicants go through at Military Entrance Processing Stations are "head-to-toe evaluations of the applicant," said Lt. Col. John Balman, a doctor with MEPS.

That includes a blood pressure and heart-rate measurement, he said. And per a federal regulation, "auscultation for heart sounds will include auscultation at the mitral, tricuspid, aortic and pulmonic valve areas," he said.

"Heart murmurs suspicious for disease require echocardiogram and cardiology referral," Balman added.

Applicants are instructed to fully disclose any medical history of pain or pressure in the chest, palpitations, pounding heart, abnormal heartbeat and any prior abnormal EKGs, he said.

But based on advice of Defense Department medical experts, "only applicants who are over the age of 40 or who present with a suspicious finding on history or physical examination at the MEPS undergo an EKG when indicated," Balman said.

Nearly 2,000 applicants were disqualified at MEPS for cardiac conditions between October 2016 and September 2018, he said.

For those who want more robust screenings before boot camp, Finlayson said organizations around the country provide EKGs designed to identify problems in young people for free or at discounted rates. Those locations can be found at ScreenAcrossAmerica.org.

"I would suggest that parents whose kids want to enlist do one of these screenings and get their hearts checked," she said.

The Lion Heart Heroes Foundation has also donated portable defibrillators to military bases, including Marine Corps Base Hawaii, where David Finlayson died.

-- Gina Harkins can be reached at gina.harkins@military.com. Follow her on Twitter @ginaaharkins.
ABOARD A C-37 MILITARY AIRCRAFT -- The conversation surrounding the creation of a U.S. Space Force has brought with it skepticism and confusion, but also a spotlight on reinforcing space operations as a national security priority for the foreseeable future.

As the Defense Department crafts its sixth military branch, one thing leaders may not be thinking about is how best to develop "space warfighters" as Space Force comes online, according to the Air Force's outgoing top civilian.

"I think there's still a lot of work to be done in the area of, 'How do we develop officers and enlisted for a contested domain?'" Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson said during an exclusive interview with Military.com on Tuesday.

Military.com traveled with the outgoing secretary on one of her last trips to Air University at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama, before she departs the Pentagon in the next two weeks to take her new position as president of the University of Texas at El Paso.

Related: SecAF Wilson: Mattis' Departure Made it Easier for Me to Resign

Wilson said she wouldn't necessarily say there are "shortfalls in the Pentagon's proposal" but added, "I think I've been clear about my concerns about the Space Development Agency."

Any new developments will take time to mature, especially when training and preparing people, she explained.

The Pentagon is requesting $72.4 million in fiscal 2020 to bring together manpower and resources at the headquarters level and $2 billion over five years to fund the Space Force. According to a new report from the Congressional Budget Office, that number could balloon.

While Space Force will fall under the Department of the Air Force, according to a directive signed by President Donald Trump in February, the service so far has oversight only over Space Force's initial creation, allocating dollars out of its budget as the first step in implementing the DoD's long-term vision.

The Air Force on Tuesday announced the candidate bases that could headquarter U.S. Space Command, the unified combatant command that the Trump administration sees as the stepping stone to creating a U.S. Space Force. Most of the options are in Colorado, including Buckley Air Force Base, Cheyenne Mountain Air Force Station, Peterson Air Force Base, and Schriever Air Force Base. Other options are the Army's Redstone Arsenal in Alabama and Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The list is the same as reported by CNN in April.

Wilson said her successor will make the decision after an environmental assessment and other evaluations.

But legislative, budgetary and geographical hurdles aside, Wilson said she is most concerned about culture change at the Space Force -- the identity of the service, and how personnel will develop, be promoted and execute their roles to the utmost potential.

"We can change a lot of strategies and concepts of operations and programs, which we have, and we've added significant dollars to the budget that are changes to the organizational structure, but culture change is [harder]," she said.

"I think over the long term, the culture of units in shifting from a mentality of operating a utility to being a warfighting component is a change that takes more time," she said. "I think it's going to take longer."

She added, "It has to do with, 'How do we train people? How do we develop them? How do they spend their time?'"

Wilson said a boost in training development has already started, which will help mold how an operator thinks, especially in a time of crisis in a space mission.

"We have 24/7 operations at the Space Warfighting Center [at Schriever Air Force Base], where people spend four months in the ops center operating satellites and then four months off the floor doing warfighting practicing," she said. "So we're bringing a lot more simulation, which is what we do for air combat, bringing more simulation in so that you can, as a warfighter, practice all kinds of different scenarios. And, in some ways, it's even easier in space, because you never see your equipment anyway. You're always just operating in what is a highly technical but disconnected environment. So we can use a lot of simulation modeling to help people think through different scenarios in space. And train constantly that way for the day when things go wrong.

"That's starting to be the mode of operations, but it's a different culture, and it's going to take time. It's a change over time," Wilson said.

-- Oriana Pawlyk can be reached at oriana.pawlyk@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @Oriana0214.
An Army soldier was killed Wednesday and 12 others were injured in a rollover accident involving several Humvees, Army officials said Thursday.

Staff Sgt. Jacob Hess, 34, with 97th Civil Affairs Battalion, 95th Civil Affairs Brigade (Special Operations) (Airborne) died in the crash that occurred at Fort Polk, Louisiana, at 3 a.m. during exercises at the Joint Readiness Training Center.

The other soldiers sustained non-life threatening injuries, according to 1st Special Forces Command. Four were members of the Nevada Army National Guard assigned to 72nd Military Police Company, Las Vegas. The others were members of the 95th Civil Affairs Brigade, 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne), stationed at Eglin Air Force Base.

"Our sympathies go out to the family of the individual that was killed," said Brig. Gen. William Burks, adjutant general of the Nevada Army National Guard, in a statement issued shortly after the accident. "We are closely monitoring this situation and hope for a speedy recovery to those who were injured."

The accident was the fourth fatal rollover involving military personnel in training this year and the second in less than a week. On May 9, Marine 1st Lt. Conor McDowell died and six Marines were injured when their light armored vehicle rolled over during training at Camp Pendleton, Calif.

In April, Marine Staff Sgt. Joshua Braica of 1st Marine Raider Battalion died when his all-terrain utility vehicle, called a Polaris MRZR, rolled over during an exercise, also at Camp Pendleton. Two other Marines were injured.

And in mid-January, Army Spc. Octavious Lakes died and three other soldiers were injured when the M2 Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicle they were in in rolled over at the Armys National Training Center at Fort Irwin, California.

McDowell's father told Washington, D.C. television station WUSA 9 earlier this week that the U.S. military must do more to end training accidents. In 2017, 80 service members died in training accidents and in the early part of 2018, 25 were killed in aviation mishaps.

"We are not seeking revenge. That's not in our hearts," Michael H.C. McDowell told WUSA9. "We are seeking to prevent the next Conor McDowell pointlessly dying."

Army officials did not provide details of Wednesday's accident, citing an ongoing investigation. The troops were at Fort Polk for simulated combat exercises, according to the National Guard.

"Safety is paramount in all that we do. We train as we fight and unfortunately, accidents occur during realistic training in dynamic environments," Burke said.

Hess, of Belton, Missouri, enlisted in the Army Reserves in 2004. A year later, he went on active duty and was assigned to 1st Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, North Carolina, where he serve as a heavy equipment operator and squad leader.

He deployed to Iraq twice, from 2007 to 2008 and again from 2009 to 2010.

In 2013, he qualified as a civil affairs soldier. Later assignments included South Korea, Indonesia and Cambodia. He was airborne qualified and completed a number of mentally and physically challenging courses including the Survival, Evasion Resistance and Escape, or SERE, Course and the Chinese-Mandarin Special Operations Language Course.

"On behalf of the soldiers and families of the 95th Civil Affairs Brigade, I extend my deepest condolences and sympathy to Staff Sgt. Hess' family," said Col. Charles R. Burnett, commander of the 95th Civil Affairs Brigade in a release. "Jacob's character and professionalism display his dedication and service to the brigade and its mission."

Hess' awards included four Army Commendation Medals, six Army Achievement Medals. He was posthumously awarded the Meritorious Service Medal.

"Jacob was a talented noncommissioned officer and dedicated member of the brigade. He will be greatly missed by those who had the great fortune and opportunity to know him," Burnett said.

-- Patricia Kime can be reached at Patricia.Kime@Military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @patriciakime.
A British general who appeared to dispute the White House on the threat posed by Iran was backed by a statement of support from his government Wednesday. Its another sign of the growing rift between the U.S. and its allies over the issue of confronting Tehran.

Meanwhile, senators from both sides of the aisle demanded answers from the Trump administration on the nature of the threat that led the State Department on Wednesday to order the evacuation of non-emergency personnel from the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad and the consulate in Irbil in northern Iraq.

The "ability to provide routine and emergency services to U.S. citizens in Iraq is extremely limited" due to the current security situation, State Department officials said in an alert.

In a statement earlier Wednesday, Britain's Ministry of Defence said that British Army Maj. Gen. Christopher Ghika, deputy commander of the U.S. coalition in Iraq and Syria, was doing his job by giving his assessment that there is "no increased threat" to U.S. and allied troops in the region from Iran or its proxy militias.

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Ghika's comments in a video briefing Tuesday to the Pentagon were "based on day-to-day military operations, and his sole focus is the enduring defeat of Daesh [ISIS]," the MOD statement said.

The MOD noted that Ghika also said that "there are a range of threats to American and coalition forces in this part of the world."

But that qualification didnt stop U.S. Central Command, hours after Ghika spoke, from putting out its own statement rejecting his assessment.

Ghika's remarks "run counter to the identified credible threats available to intelligence from U.S. and allies regarding Iranian-backed forces in the region," Navy Capt. Bill Urban, CENTCOM spokesman, said in a statement.

Urban added that U.S. and allied troops are on a high state of alert in Iran and Syria against a possible "imminent" attack from Iran or groups aligned with the Tehran regime.

The rare public dispute between the militaries of the U.S. and Britain reflects the growing unease of U.S. allies at the buildup of forces against Iran in the region, including the aircraft carrier Lincoln, B-52 Stratofortress bombers, Patriot air defense batteries and other assets.

On Tuesday, Spain announced that its guided-missile destroyer Mendes Nunez, which had been part of the Lincoln Carrier Strike Group, was temporarily being withdrawn to avoid involvement in any confrontation with Iran.

The withdrawal of the frigate came about because "the U.S. government has taken a decision outside of the framework of what had been agreed with the Spanish Navy," acting Spanish Defense Minister Margarita Robles told reporters in Belgium, according to Reuters.

On Wednesday, following the State Department's order to withdraw non-essential personnel, Germany and the Netherlands announced that their troops in Iraq would suspend training missions with the Iraqi Security Forces and focus on their own protection, Reuters reported.

"There's zero appetite for any further escalation among the allies," retired Navy Cmdr. Chris Harmer, who served with the Fifth Fleet in Bahrain, told Military.com.

Allied support is vital to the success of U.S. operations, particularly at sea, but "they're not going to be dragged into anything with us" in a face-off with Iran, said Harmer, a former analyst with the Institute for the Study of War.

"We're probably at an inflection point in post-Cold War relations with the allies," he said, adding that the buildup was inevitable given Iran's hostile actions in the region and the regime's support for anti-U.S. groups.

The main concern, given the buildup and the statements coming out of Tehran and Washington as the standoff continues, was that the U.S. could stumble into war by accident through miscalculation or the rogue action of a proxy group, said Lawrence Korb, a former Pentagon official who is now an analyst with the Center for American Progress.

"That's the main thing to worry about: an accidental thing, given the rhetoric on both sides," he said.

The buildup began after White House National Security Adviser John Bolton issued statements on May 3 that U.S. intelligence had found evidence of Iran preparing attacks against U.S. interests in the region. He said that any attack would be met with "unrelenting force."

At a meeting in Brussels on Tuesday, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo received a cool reception from European allies as he pressed for their support in confronting Iran.

Federica Mogherini, the European Union's foreign affairs chief, told reporters following the meeting that she urged diplomacy and called for "maximum restraint" rather than the "maximum pressure" campaign against Iran that Pompeo had advocated, according to the Voice of America.

At a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on arms control Wednesday, Sen. Bob Menendez, D-New Jersey, the ranking member, demanded that the administration "immediately provide this committee with a briefing on the decision to order the departure of embassy staff" and "the intelligence on what Iran may be planning to do and any plans to go to war with Iran."

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-South Carolina, a supporter of the administration's tough stance on Iran, said, "I would urge the State Department and DoD to come down here and explain to us what's going on, because I have no idea what the threat stream is beyond what I read in the paper."

In Iran on Tuesday, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the supreme leader, predicted neither war nor negotiations with the U.S.

"This face-off is not military because there is not going to be any war," Khamenei said, Iranian state TV and other official news outlets reported. "Neither we nor [the U.S.] seek war. They know it will not be in their interest.

"The definite decision of the Iranian nation is to resist against America," he said, according to official media. "In this showdown, America will be forced to retreat because our resolve is stronger."

In a series of Tweets on Wednesday, President Donald Trump denied that there was infighting among his aides on the Iran policy and said, "I'm sure that Iran will want to talk soon."

-- Richard Sisk can be reached at Richard.Sisk@Military.com.
Snipers are a special breed, warriors with a combination of shooting skill, cunning, and patience. Military history has shown that a single sniper in the right place at the right time can change the course of battle, even in the face of overwhelming odds.

Here are the five most legendary among them:

5. U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Adelbert Waldron

(Photo: Waldron family archives)

As a member of the 9th Infantry Division, he was assigned to PBR boats patrolling the Mekong Delta, at one point making a confirmed kill from a moving boat at 900 yards. He set his record of 109 kills in just 8 months, which was the record until Chris Kyle broke it during the Iraq War and is perhaps even more remarkable considering he was fighting in a dense jungle environment that didn't always provide easy sight lines.

4. Red Army Captain Vasily Zaytsev

(Photo: Russian National Archives)

Between November 10 and December 17, 1942, during the Battle of Stalingrad, Zaytsev killed 225 soldiers and officers of the Wehrmacht and other Axis armies, including 11 enemy snipers. Before that he killed 32 Axis soldiers with a standard-issue rifle. Between October 1942 and January 1943, he made an estimated 400 kills, some at distances of more than 1,100 yards.

A feature-length film, Enemy at the Gates, starring Jude Law as Zaytsev, includes a sniper's duel between Zaytsev and a Wehrmacht sniper school director, Major Erwin Konig.

3. U.S. Navy Chief Petty Officer Chris Kyle

Navy SEAL Chris Kyle served four tours during the Iraq War, and during that time he became the most lethal sniper in U.S. military history with over 160 kills officially confirmed by the Department of Defense. Kyle's bestselling book, American Sniper, was made into a movie directed by Clint Eastwood and starring Bradley Cooper as Kyle.

On February 2, 2013, Kyle was shot dead at a shooting range near Chalk Mountain, Texas along with his friend, Chad Littlefield. The assailant, Eddie Ray Routh, was found guilty of murder and sentenced to life in prison without parole.

2. U.S. Marine Corps Gunnery Sergeant Carlos Norman Hathcock

(Photo: Marine Corps Archives)

During the Vietnam War Hathcock had 93 "confirmed" kills of North Vietnamese Army and Viet Cong personnel, which meant they occurred with an officer present (in addition to his spotter). He estimated the number of "unconfirmed" kills to be upwards of 400. His warfighting career ended when he was wounded by an anti-tank mine in 1969 and sent home. He later helped establish the USMC Sniper School.

1. Finnish Army Second Lieutenant Simo Hayha

Nicknamed "White Death," Simo Hayha tallied 505 kills, far and away the highest count from any major war. All of Hayha's kills of Red Army combatants were accomplished in fewer than 100 days  an average of just over five kills per day  at a time of year with very few daylight hours. He was wounded late in the war when an explosive bullet shot by a Soviet soldier took off his lower left jaw. He lived a long life, however, dying in a veterans nursing home in 2002 at the age of 96.

When asked if he regretted killing so many people he replied, "I only did my duty, and what I was told to do, as well as I could."

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Affected workers at the General Motors plant in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada could be offered as much as $150,000 and a vehicle voucher as part of retirement incentives, according to Automotive News Canada.

The news comes from a reported bulletin posted by Unifor Local 222 that also noted production of the Chevrolet Impala and Cadillac XTS models would end at the plant in October of this year.

This comes about a week after GM Canada and Unifor announced it had reached an agreement to save at least 300 jobs at the plant with the potential to grow in the future. The automaker will spend C$170 million (about US$126 million) to turn the plant t into a parts manufacturing and advanced vehicle testing center.

Related: GM extends production at soon to be shuttered plant through January 2020

It was reported at the time that GM Canada would offer special relocations," and enhanced retirement packages to those eligible at the Oshawa Assembly Plant.

GM will convert part of the Oshawa Assembly Plant property into a test track for autonomous and advanced technology vehicles. The Oshawa Test Track development surface will support GM Canadas Canadian Technical Centre (CTC), in particular its Oshawa and Markham campuses where the company now develops software and hardware for Autonomous Vehicle Systems, Embedded Controls, Active Safety Systems and Infotainment.

The Detroit-based automaker originally announced its intentions to close three assembly plants and two propulsion plants in Michigan, Ohio, Maryland and Ontario by the end of 2019.

Related: GM to invest $300M, add 400 jobs to create new electric vehicle at Michigan plant

By maintaining a footprint in Oshawa, and keeping the plant intact, we save hundreds of jobs and this gives us the ability to build and create new jobs in the future, Unifor president Jerry Dias said in a statement.

We are in a much better position than we were five months ago when the plant was closing.
LANSING, MI  Michigan is one of the only remaining states not to require financial disclosure for its state-level officeholders  but among the states top elected statewide officials, transparency is becoming a higher priority.

Its still to be determined if the transparency talking points will translate into policy change. But since taking office, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson have voluntarily disclosed financial information on their websites.

Whitmer has voluntarily listed her financial disclosures, tax returns and public calendar, noting in a statement she is doing so in the hopes that we can start earning back peoples trust in state government.

She also supports expanding Michigans public records laws to the governor and legislature. Whitmer recently signed an executive directive to streamline the Freedom of Information Act process among state agencies.

Benson has also been a vocal transparency supporter, disclosing her finances earlier this year in a form based off the one required of federal lawmakers.

Michigan law and state House and Senate rules technically ban lawmakers from influencing issues of which they could benefit from. But because financial interests of public officials are not tracked or regulated, the self-policed system places the onus on elected officials to bring conflicts to light and recuse themselves.

Michigan ranked last in the Center for Public Integritys 2015 State Integrity Investigation that rated each states transparency laws. Potential conflicts of interest or corruption in the state remain buried in an honor system with no honor, the report concluded.

MLive has requested state lawmakers and the governor, secretary of state and attorney general voluntarily share that information through a form based on what other states and the federal government use.

So far, Whitmer, Benson, and Attorney General Dana Nessel have not filled out MLives form. They were emailed and hand delivered to recipients Monday, May 6, and MLive has requested a response by Monday, May 20.

Asked whether she would participate in MLives project or support legislation to require financial disclosure for state-level officeholders, Whitmer said her office would follow up.

I do appreciate the concept, though, she said.

Benson plans on filling out MLives financial disclosure form, spokesman Shawn Starkey said.

In my view, worthy candidates for office on either side should be more than willing to meet with these basic transparency and disclosure expectations  that legislators in 48 other states and every member of Congress must comply with, Benson said.

In many states, lawmakers file their financial disclosure forms with the Secretary of State. Benson said shes willing to take on that duty, if Michigan lawmakers decide thats the best format.

Bensons had positive discussions with lawmakers about the issue. A handful are on board with the requirement, as long as it doesnt go into effect until next term, Benson said.

Its a compromise Im willing to make, Benson said.

Attorney General Dana Nessels office is discussing MLives financial disclosure request, spokeswoman Kelly Rossman-McKinney said. Nessel is committed to transparency and plans on sharing her finances in some form or another to MLive, Rossman-McKinney said.

As of Thursday morning, May 16, state Sen. Adam Hollier, D-Detroit, is the only statewide elected official to voluntarily disclose his finances using MLives form.

None of the four legislative leaders  House Speaker Lee Chatfield, R-Levering; House Democratic Leader Christine Greig, D-Farmington Hills; Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey, R-Clark Lake and Senate Minority Leader Jim Ananich, D-Flint  have filled out the form.
A Michigan man accused of sexually assaulting a young child was arrested in South Carolina after almost seven years on the run.

The Berkeley County Sheriffs Office and U.S. Marshals arrested 29-year-old Muhammed Baldeh on Tuesday.

Baldeh, wanted since July 2012, is charged with Forcible Sexual Assault and Sodomy of a Child Under the Age of 10-years-old.

The exact details of the assault were not released to protect the victim and the integrity of the pending case, according to police.

Authorities arrested Baldeh in the Moncks Corner area of Berkeley County where he was apparently living and working.

He was taken into custody without incident and booked at the Hill-Finklea Detention Center on Tuesday, his birthday.

Baldeh will await extradition back to Michigan, police said.
LANSING, MI  In text messages Michigan state Rep. Larry Inman is accused of sending, he appears to seeking bribes for 12 state representatives. But his colleagues think he acted alone.

Inman was indicted by a federal grand jury on counts of soliciting a bribe, attempted extortion and making a false statement to the Federal Bureau of Investigation. With the indictment the U.S. Department of Justice issued texts messages Inman sent that appear to solicit bribes on behalf of 12 lawmakers  presumably Republican lawmakers, since Democrats were against the repeal -- to vote against a voter-initiated measure to repeal prevailing wage.

We have only 12, people to block it. You said all 12 will get $30,000 each to help there campaigns, Inman texted a representative of the Michigan Regional Council of Carpenters and Millwrights, who was not named in the document, on June 3. He urged bigger donations.

By any measure, Inmans effort failed. Seven Republicans joined Democrats in voting against the bill, but it passed 56 to 53.

The 12 votes against the measure never materialized, and even Inman ended up voting for it. While those who voted against the measure did receive campaign contributions from the MRCCM, none of the donations even approached the $30,000 number Inman named.

Former Rep. Martin Howrylak, a Troy Republican, was Inmans seatmate last session  legislative parlance for two lawmakers who share a set of desks joined together. Howrylak was one of the handful of Republicans to vote against prevailing wage, but it wasnt unusual for him to break with the caucus.

He said he would be surprised if more representatives were involved in an alleged bribery scheme, like Inmans texts implied.

The reason why I find that unlikely is because he didnt have a count, he didn't know who was voting which way, he had to ask other members who were keeping track who was yes or no, Howrylak said.

And to be honest with you, he really didnt leave his seat that much... and he was always text messaging."

Howrylak said he knew keeping the prevailing wage repeal at bay was a lost cause. Howrylak himself fought for a lot of lost causes, including lost elections, and is even-keeled in accepting that. His seatmate, though, seemed to take run-of-the-mill politics harder, he said.

Larry used to get himself all excited about all sorts of things. So, I wouldnt be surprised if in his mind he had one reality and then theres, you know, reality, Howrylak said.

Other Republicans who voted against the measure also said they did so on a policy basis.

Rep. Jason Sheppard, R-Temperance said he voted against the legislation as a policy matter after having conversations with constituents. The first he heard of Inmans actions or the text about 12 members was in the press Wednesday, he said. And he found the idea of any 12 members plotting together on this issue preposterous.

I honestly have no idea where that comes from. I had no interaction in regards to this issue with him, so I dont really know what thats alluding to, Sheppard said.

Rep. Steve Marino, R-Harrison Township, said he voted against the bill because he represents Macomb County, a blue-collar, union-heavy area.

I ended up voting my district on that one," Marino said.

He said news of the indictment against Inman was pretty shocking."

As for the probability of 12 members being involved, he nodded to the historic difficulty in keeping any sizable group of lawmakers from different backgrounds, ideologies and geographies together.

I would be incredibly surprised if any one member in the House could corral 12 others for many things, he said.

Former Rep. Mike McCready, a Republican from Birmingham, was part of a loosely-affiliated group of members, including Inman, that sometimes challenged House Republican leadership last session. But on prevailing wage McCready was a yes vote from the start and met with unions to explain his position. Inman didnt contact him about the issue, and he doesnt remember the group talking about this issue.

I cant speak for them, but thats not ringing any bells, McCready said.

He did wonder, when he saw Inmans texts mentioning 12 representatives reported, who else could be involved.

If the FBI has his text messages, Im sure it will all come out, whoever was contacted and what the conversations were, he said.

A longtime Republican figure at the local level before he entered state politics, Inman is also well-known by representatives for something completely outside of politics: what the Detroit Free Press described as a life passion for Amelia Earhart. He has spent more than $1 million on Earhart memorabilia.

House Speaker Lee Chatfield, R-Levering, called on Inman to resign from his state House seat on Wednesday, but hasnt indicated if he would pursue expulsion.

Inman said on a radio show this morning he would not resign.

Chatfield was asked Wednesday if he was investigating the possible involvement of additional representatives as referenced in Inmans texts. He did not answer the question, saying only, I havent had a chance to go through that indictment, and have no recollection of what hes referencing in those statements.

He said at this point the issue is about Inman and his conduct, which Chatfield described as out of line.

MLive has been unable to reach Inman for comment. His state office was closed and locked after Wednesday, and calls to his office redirected to the House Business Office.

In a statement on Wednesday he said he was innocent of the charges, and on a radio show Thursday he said he would not resign.
Right to Life of Michigan has filed paperwork to start a statewide ballot petition drive to ban dilation and evacuation, or D&E, abortions, a preemptive move ahead of Gov. Gretchen Whitmers expected veto of legislation to ban the practice.

Republicans in the Michigan House and Senate voted to define the procedure, which is often done in the second trimester of a pregnancy, as dismemberment abortion" and make it a felony for a physician to perform one unless it was to save the life of the mother.

Speaking at an event in Lansing Tuesday, Whitmer said she would not support the legislation.

I think that these are decisions that should be made between a woman and her doctor, Whitmer said. Ive always supported a womans autonomy and freedom to make her own choices, and that should be no surprise to anyone in this town.

Right to Life of Michigan President Barbara Listing said Whitmer still has a chance to change her mind, but noted the group plans to use the citizen initiative process to bypass her entirely.

If she wont sign these bills to stop babies from having their arms and legs torn off, well find 400,000 Michigan citizens who will sign it, Listing said.

If Right to Life of Michigan met the required signature threshold under the legislative initiative process, Whitmer would not have to sign the measure. Instead, the measure would become law immediately if approved by both chambers of the legislature.

In the House, lawmakers voted 58-51 along partisan lines on House Bills 4320 and 4321, a few hours after the Senate voted 22-16 on Senate bills 229 and 230, which address the same issue.

Right to Life of Michigan would need a little more than 340,000 signatures, or 8 percent of the total votes cast in the governors race in 2018, to qualify for the ballot. The groups goal is to obtain 400,000 signatures.
The threat of severe weather with hail and wind gusts as strong as 40 mph looms for nearly all of Lower Michigan throughout Thursday evening, May 16, and into the nighttime hours.

As of now, the National Weather Service in Grand Rapids is warning that hail more than an inch in diameter is possible for the affected regions, which covers all of Lower Michigan outside of a small area just south of the Mackinac Bridge. The further southwest you go in Michigan is paired with a greater risk of severe storms, specifically with the large hail and potentially damaging winds.

Lightning combined with heavy rain and those strong winds remain a possibility in the main timeframe of between 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. Thursday. Check out the future radar through Thursday night courtesy of WeatherBell below:

A threat of severe weather looms Thursday evening into night, May 16 for a good portion of Lower Michigan.

The same storms are currently moving through Minnesota and Wisconsin, which has caused the weather service to place a number of counties in Wisconsin under a Flood Warning.

A warmer air mass will continue to flow into the area today. This will likely trigger some showers and thunderstorms. Most of the activity will be in the afternoon and evening," the NWS in Grand Rapids reports.

A few of the thunderstorms could be severe with large hail and damaging winds being the main risk. Stay tuned as the day progresses given the potential for severe weather."

A warm front is expected to continue to move into Michigan Thursday, which will keep temperatures above the 70-degree mark for the second day in a row. This could trigger some showers and thunderstorms throughout the area mainly in the afternoon and evening hours.

Check out MLive chief meteorologist Mark Torregrossas weather forecast for Thursday below:
Reviving a talking point from his 2016 campaign, President Donald Trump Wednesday called for swift and immediate action against convicted cop killers, saying the death penalty should be in play.

Dangerous criminals should be punished to the fullest extent of the law, Trump said. Thats the only language they understand.

Trumps comments came during a speech at the National Peace Officers Memorial Day service on Capitol Hill. While speaking to an audience of law enforcement officers from around the country, Trump said cop killings need to come to an end and those who commit those crimes should be dealt with quickly.

The ambushes and attacks on our police must end, and they must end right now, Trump said. We believe that criminals who murder police officers should immediately, but with trial, get the death penalty.

Trump continued by saying trials involving accused cop killers must be fair, but they gotta go fast.

During the 2016 campaign, Trump said he would sign an executive order calling for the death penalty of anyone convicted of killing a cop. However, he has yet to introduce any official order or proposal that would include language calling for the death penalty in those cases.
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said she would be open to considering allowing drivers some choice on personal injury protection coverage as negotiations over a potential deal on changing the states auto insurance policies continue in the Capitol.

After touring an East Lansing rehabilitation center Thursday morning, Whitmer said shed be open to giving drivers the option of choosing $250,000 or more in personal injury protection, or PIP, coverage, but a complete zero-coverage option for Michigan drivers is where I have to draw the line, because that just shifts the burden on to the taxpayers in a different form, which is Medicaid."

And when we do that, it undermines all of our level one trauma centers, level two trauma centers, and places that are doing the critical work of helping people become independent again and get their lives back" after an auto accident, she continued.

Whitmers views on the subject come as her office and House and Senate Republicans continue discussions on two pending auto insurance bills that recently plowed through the Legislature.

Lawmakers in both the House and Senate passed versions of a bill making big changes to auto insurance last week. Both versions give consumers levels of personal injury protection to choose from aside from the current unlimited coverage option and put a fee schedule on what hospitals can charge auto insurers for specific injuries.

Whitmer initially threatened vetos on both bills, but negotiations are still ongoing, and the Senate does not appear poised to move the House legislation as is this week.

Amber McCann, spokesperson for Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey, R-Clark Lake, said it was unlikely the Senate would take up an auto no-fault bill Thursday. She said Shirkey still has some concerns with the governors view, but is encouraged by her comments.

I think the fact that the governor has put out some options and is publicly stating what she is interested in pursuing is always a good sign," McCann said. At this point, the majority leader would be very reluctant to say were not willing to give every person in Michigan the opportunity to fully opt out, fully realize as much savings as possible on car insurance.

Also Thursday morning, House Democrats rolled out their own plan for lowering auto insurance costs, proposing a mandate for insurers to reduce rates by 40 percent, keep PIP coverage in place for drivers and prohibit basing rates on non-driving factors, such as zip code, gender, education level or credit score.

House Democratic Leader Christine Greig, D-Farmington Hills, said their plan was in part a response to House and Senate Republicans quickly moving legislation through without much bipartisan input. She said she still hoped there was some room for improvement as the existing bills are negotiated.

I would imagine that because we didnt even get a lot of these provisions in their bill. theres going to be some opposition to it, Greig said. But we have to put these ideas out, because they are our values that we want at the table.

The Democrats plan got some initial approval from the Coalition Protecting Auto No-Fault. Coalition president John Cornack said in a statement the proposal would be a viable compromise that will reduce auto insurance premiums without depriving victims of essential care.

The House Democratic plan is less likely to gain traction from legislative Republicans. Asked about the plan Thursday, McCann said, Kudos to them for trying.

House Speaker Lee Chatfield, R-Levering, slammed the proposal as not a real plan.

You cant simply put a wizard hat on and wave your wand across the state of Michigan and sprinkle fairy dust and expect that car insurance rates are going to drop," he said.
ANN ARBOR, MI  After more than an hour questioning the citys administration, Ann Arbor police oversight commissioners said theyre confident the citys police chief search process can move forward.

The main question at the center of a special commission meeting Tuesday, May 14 was whether Robyn Wilkerson, who recently resigned as the citys human resources director, had any influence over the selection of police chief candidates.

If she did, some commissioners suggested the process would be tainted, and the city may need to start the search over, even as three finalists are set to undergo public interviews this week.

Thats because of controversial text messages Wilkerson allegedly sent to another employee, including some about Black Lives Matter protesters and the creation of a police oversight commission.

I am sure there will be a bunch of BLM bullst protests.if they keep acting so dumb, Trump will get 4 more years without even trying.lol, one text message read.

Yes tonight is the work session on the police commission st. now that is a fg sitcom! read another. They want to run PD.

Other texts included remarks such as Bragging about promoting a black guy LOL and Like she is from the ghetto or trying to be ghetto? Wilkerson resigned last month after being confronted with the text messages.

City Administrator Howard Lazarus and Kim Bennett, the citys recruiting supervisor, testified Tuesday that Wilkerson did not have any influence over the candidate selection for the police chief search, though she was involved in hiring search firm Strategic Government Resources.

Wilkerson served a limited administrative role after the search firm was hired, officials said, and Bennett served as SGRs primary contact at city hall. Bennett said she relayed weekly updates to Wilkerson about how many applications were received.

SGR received 34 applications between Feb. 21 and March 25 and recommended the city consider 12.

The 12 resumes came into the HR department on April 3 or 4, so Wilkerson briefly had them before she was placed on administrative leave April 6, but review of the candidates didnt begin until after Bennett returned from vacation April 8, officials said.

Lazarus and Bennett said they worked with Assistant City Administrator John Fournier and Assistant City Attorney Margaret Radabaugh to select four candidates for phone interviews, and Bennett led that process with Wilkerson no longer in the picture.

Jane Lumm, a City Council liaison to the police oversight commission, said she received an email from Wilkerson on April 4 inviting her to participate in the semi-finalist phone interviews, though.

It was not known who the semi-finalists would be at the time that invitation went out, Bennett said.

Lazarus said he directed Wilkerson to invite four council members to participate due to their role as liaisons to the police oversight commission and the citys human rights commission.

After phone interviews, Lazarus said he determined one of the four candidates wasnt a good fit, and so three finalists were publicly announced on May 6, with a public reception for the candidates scheduled for May 15 and public interviews May 17.

Robin Stephens, chair of the police oversight commission, called Tuesdays meeting to get to the bottom of the issue, responding to public concerns about the text messages.

We have to move forward from a place of trust because thats what this has to be, she said at the end of the meeting, suggesting that if any evidence comes forward to dispute the version of events offered by the administration, then the public would have reason to be concerned.

But moving forward at this point, I believe that the commission is satisfied with where we are, she said.

Its a very unfortunate set of circumstances that brought us here and everything is on record, said Ali Ramlawi, another City Council liaison to the police oversight commission. And well go on that. And hopefully what we heard here is 100% accurate.

Stephens read a letter from fellow Commissioner Lisa Jackson at the start of the meeting, saying the police oversight commission was formed in part to help the community have confidence in the police department and city policies and it wouldnt be fulfilling its commitment by just assuming the search process was not compromised.

For me as a person of color, it is an issue of trust, Stephens said.

She added it isnt enough to just say the city said everything is fine.

A lingering concern, commissioners said, is whether Wilkersons behavior may be indicative of larger problems in city hall. Thats something city leaders plan to further investigate.

Commissioner Mashod Evans is the pastor of a predominantly black congregation, Bethel AME Church.

He said he was warned coming to Ann Arbor that, politically speaking, sometimes the city will fake left and go right.

And it feels the longer Im here, the more I sort of realize where those places and spaces exist in our community, he said.

I believe, and I may be wrong, that its a question of culture and the intangibles of issues of bias, privilege, race.

Lazarus said he understands the concern over the text messages and was glad to have an opportunity to discuss the matter with the commission to ensure confidence in the search process.

The citys police chief search has followed standard city practices and has resulted in three exceptional finalists, he said, encouraging commissioners to meet the candidates this week and have a post-interview discussion at the commissions May 28 meeting.

SGR Senior Vice President Douglas Thomas sent Lazarus a letter May 10, saying he also thinks the search process has been fair and impartial and Wilkerson had only very limited involvement at the initial stages of the recruitment process.

Commissioner Mohammad Othman said he was concerned the commission was kept in the dark about the Wilkerson matter and only learned about it when it was reported in the news.

He encouraged more transparency around issues that affect the commissions work.

Lazarus said its always the citys intention to be open and transparent, but sometimes there are restrictions around personnel matters.

David Santacroce, a University of Michigan law professor on the commission, said he was satisfied with the administrations explanation that Wilkerson, though she did hire SGR, didnt influence the candidate selection part of the search process.

Make no mistake, if she was involved in the process, I would be saying, Time out, do over, right? he said. That would be the end of it for me.

Stephens said it seems Wilkerson was quite comfortable sending the types of texts she allegedly sent to another city employee, and she questions what that says about the culture at city hall.

Even if Ms. Wilkerson is gone, what about the actual culture itself when you as a person of color walk in this building? she said.

What are you feeling? Are you feeling accepted? Are you feeling like this is a place where you can do business? she said.

Or are you feeling like people are thinking something else about you while youre trying to do business?
DEARBORN, MI - Activists from all three of the University of Michigans campuses continue to call on the universitys Board of Regents to provide more equitable funding for its Flint and Dearborn campuses.

The One University coalition, a group of faculty, students and non-instructional staff from all three campuses, claims UMs Ann Arbor campus has a massive surplus of funds, while the Flint and Dearborn campuses dont receive nearly as much support.

The group claims Dearborn and Flint students pay 80% of Ann Arbor tuition rates, but their campuses receive approximately 25% of per-student funding. Members of the coalition addressed their concerns in a press conference prior to Thursdays Board of Regents meeting in Dearborn, and again during public comment.

Along with asking for equal per-student allocations from the state legislature, the coalition is asking UM to extend the Go Blue Guarantee to students on the Flint and Dearborn campuses, as well as funds from its $85 million Diversity, Equity and Inclusion strategic plan, which was crafted for the Ann Arbor campus.

Were asking for a realignment of resources that promotes equitable funding, equitable support for all UM students, enhanced diversity and enriched collaboration and exchange among all three campuses, UM-Flint tenure track faculty member DJ Trela said.

UM Spokesman Rick Fitzgerald echoed the coalitions sentiments that the state legislature should do a better job funding higher education in Michigan.

President Schlissel has been a strong advocate for greater state investment in direct-to-student need-based financial aid, Fitzgerald said. It would lead to greater degree attainment, diminished student debt, growth in the Michigan economy and increased per-capita income. It would also allow students more freedom to decide where they wish to study in Michigan, and encourage schools to compete for the best students, regardless of their family income.

Fitzgerald said the three UM campuses are distinct but aligned institutions, each with its own unique missions and priorities. Because they each receive their own appropriations from the state, raise their own money through donors and set their own tuition rates, they should set their own priorities based on how they wish to use those resources.

He also noted the budgets at UM-Flint and UM-Dearborn include lower tuition rates to meet the needs of the largely local students they serve.

The average net price for full-time, in-state beginning undergrads awarded grant or scholarship aid from the government or the university was lower at UM-Dearborn ($9,692) and UM-Flint ($10,906) than in Ann Arbor ($16,408).

There are many things the three campuses collaborate on and ways in which they support each other, but its important that they retain their unique strengths, missions, and ability to set their own academic priorities, Fitzgerald said.

It would not be appropriate to take tuition paid by students and their families at the Ann Arbor campus and shift those funds to another campus. Likewise, donors make many of their contributions to support programs and operations at each of the three campuses and Michigan Medicine. The university is obligated to use those funds as intended by the donors.

UM undergraduate student Amytess Girgis said she has experienced firsthand how the universitys Ann Arbor campus has been able to help her receive funding to take an unpaid internship and supplement her major with minors that deepened her expertise.

Girgis doesnt believe the same opportunities are being afforded for students on the Flint and Dearborn campuses.

When students are given the support they need, they thrive, she said. But I see students who are part of the same university that I am, who are just as smart and capable as I am and who are not privy to the kind of support Ive received.

Girgis, who handles public relations for the coalition, said six of the eight regents agreed to sit down with coalition members.

The coalition has listed the following as its platform goals:

Equalize state legislatures per-student allocations;

Extend UMs Go Blue Guarantee to students on Flint and Dearborn campuses;

Extend Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) funds to Dearborn and Flint;

Pay parity for graduate students and lecturers;

Expand scholarships for low-income and working students on Flint and Dearborn campuses to study abroad;

Provide on-campus medical and legal services in Flint and Dearborn; and

Coordinated admissions/transfers among all three campuses.

As far as DEI efforts, Fitzgerald said each campus sets its own priorities for diversity, equity and inclusion that fit its needs.

The commitment of $85 million that the coalition references was the plan the Ann Arbor campus created for itself, and the budget, for the Ann Arbor campus, that has been set to accomplish its DEI goals, he said. The UM-Dearborn and UM-Flint campuses have their own priorities for DEI-related efforts that are unique to those campuses.

Fitzgerald also noted that more than 50 percent of UM-Flint and Dearborn applicants transfer to UMs Ann Arbor, compared to 39 percent for students from other institutions, adding that the Flint and Dearborn campuses also are able to transfer a higher percentage of equivalent courses.

Deb Roundtree, who has been a lecturer for 17 years at UM-Dearborn, was awarded Collegiate Lecturer and Faculty Member of the Year 2017. The following fall, her course schedule was reduced from two classes a term to one, which means she earns under $12,000 a year teaching.

While she has other sources of income, she asked that the regents extend the Go Blue Guarantee to Flint and Dearborn students as well as institute pay parity for graduate student instructors and non-tenure track faculty.

As regents, you are in a position to help our campus and our students who face severe hurdles to attend and remain in college, Roundtree said. Many are low-income or first-generation. Many are students of color. Many must work part-time or full-time jobs. Our students need greater resources to help them thrive.
(This story has been updated with new information. Officials initially indicated the motorcyclist was killed in the crash.)

FLINT TWP, MI -- A motorcyclist was critically injured following a crash Thursday afternoon on northbound Interstate 75 in Flint Township, police said.

Officers with the Flint Township Police Department responded around 12:15 p.m. May 16 to the area of northbound I-75 near Corunna Road for a critical injury crash

An initial investigation has revealed that a 24-year-old Swartz Creek man was driving a motorcycle and merging onto northbound I-75 at Corunna Road when he collided with a semi-truck driven by a 65-year-old Belleville man.

The driver of the motorcycle, whose name or age have not been released, has been listed in critical condition at a local hospital.

No other injuries were reported by police.

Flint Township police are investigating the incident with assistance from a Michigan State Police Traffic Reconstruction unit that responded to the scene.

Northbound I-75 had intially been completely shut down north of Corunna Road, but the roadway was reopened for traffic by 2 p.m. Thursday.

The incident remains under investigation.

Anyone that may have witnessed the crash is urged to contact Flint Township police Detective Lacey Lopez at 810-600-3250.
OWOSSO, MI  A 58-year-old woman is facing multiple charges for alleged adult abuse at an Owosso foster care home.

Diane Kay Lott, 58, was arraigned Wednesday, May 15 in 66th District Court on 10 counts of fourth-degree vulnerable adult abuse for her alleged role in creating unreasonable health and safety risks to residents.

State Attorney General Dana Nessel charged Lott following an investigation of the woman, the owner and licensee of an Owosso-based adult foster care home, after receiving a complaint from the Michigan Office of Long Term Care Ombudsman Program.

In the complaint, its alleged Lott had 10 adult residents in her care at two facilities but that she failed to properly care for them.

During an unannounced visit as part of the investigation, Nessels investigators discovered three employees worked part time at the facility and not a single employee was CPR or first aid certified, states a May 16 news release. The facilitys medication provider certificate was also expired.

The Attorney Generals Office notified Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Adult Protective Services and the Owosso Police Department, all of which responded to the facility within hours to relocate residents.

Im proud of how these agencies worked together to intervene, putting the safety of these residents first, Nessel said. Vulnerable adult abuse will not be tolerated by this office and we will continue to protect the health, safety and well-being of our most vulnerable citizens.

It marks the second case where charges have resulted following Nessel announcing the formation of a new Elder Abuse Task Force in late March.

A fourth-degree vulnerable adult abuse charge is a misdemeanor punishable by one year in jail and/or a $1,000 fine.

Lott pleaded not guilty and was released on a $5,000 personal recognizance bond. She is due back in court May 21 for a probable cause conference.
FLINT, MI-- For now, Flint is holding off on leasing its water treatment plant to a company wanting to generate clean drinking water from solar panels, bottle it and sell it in the city.

Flint City Council voted to table a resolution to support the production and distributions of SOURCE Water from Zero Mass Water with 5-4 vote at its May 13 meeting. Council members Eric Mays, Ward 1, Maurice Davis, Ward 2, Santino Gurerra, Ward 3, and Jerri Winfrey-Carter, Ward 5, dissented.

Zero Mass Water, a Scottsdale, Arizona-based company founded in 2014, wants to install between 200 and 1,000 hydropanels at Flints Water Treatment Plant. The solar panels use air and sunlight to generate about 2 gallons of water a day per panel, according to the companys website.

If approved, Flint would support the promotion, marketing, distribution and sales of the companys bottled water. Zero Mass Water would allocate a portion of its sales to Flint-based organizations.

Flint Mayor Karen Weaver announced the citys partnership with Zero Mass Water at a Consumers Electronic Show in Las Vegas on January 8. Weaver said she also flew out to Scottsdale in late fall of 2018.

We went out there and saw the technology that was going on. I thought how do we utilize technology to have access to clean water? and here it is," Weaver said in a video from CES 2019.

On February 12, Weaver signed off on a non-binding memorandum of understanding between Zero Mass Water, The Community Foundation and Flint.

Roles and responsibilities

Zero Mass Waters responsibilities in the memorandum include leasing the water treatment plant grounds from Flint, supplying, shipping and installing the hydropanels, bottling, marketing, distributing and selling the bottled water.

Colin Goddard, USA director for Zero Mass, said hydropanels will collect water onsite, funnel them into thousand gallon tanks and ship them to a site to be bottled.

An offsite bottling partner has not been finalized, Goddard said at a Flint City Council May 13 special affairs committee meeting.

Flints responsibilities will include connecting the company to local businesses as well as installing and purchasing 30 hydropanels in City Hall and Berston Field House.

The Community Foundation of Greater Flints responsibilities include participating in the project through a steering committee, community consultation, project development and marketing support.

Security and infrastructure maintenance

Security, infrastructure maintenance, contamination and costs were concerns expressed by Flint council members and the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality.

Councilmembers Kate Fields, Ward 4 and Eva Worthing, Ward 9, expressed uncertainty about leasing the water treatment plan to Zero Mass Water.

A hydropanel produces two gallons of water a day, Fields said. It would be cheaper to purchase bottled water from Denver, Colorado and truck it back here to Flint. It really doesnt seem profitable.

Zero Mass Water is not bottling and selling water anywhere else, Goddard said. Their plant in Flint would be the first of its kind.

In an email to Fields, Eric Oswald, director of drinking water and environmental health for the MDEQ, expressed concern about the hydropanels being installed at the plant.

Security is a major factor in providing drinking water to the public, Oswald stated in an email to Fields. Allowing third party contractors not associated with the water treatment activities access to the site is concerning.

Oswald said hes not aware of any similar partnerships comparable to the one being proposed for Flint and Zero Mass Water in the state.

Flint will need to ensure that installation of the solar panels and associated equipment does not damage infrastructure related to the water treatment plant, Oswald wrote in his email to Fields.

The water produced by the solar panels must be kept isolated from the water treated and distributed by the plant, according to Oswalds email.

The Drinking Water and Environmental Health Division is normally required to approve sources of bottle water if taken from ground or surface waters in the state. Commercial sale of bottled water is under the jurisdiction of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development

We do not believe water extracted from moisture in the air qualifies as waters of the state, according to Oswalds email.

Zero Mass Waters lease agreement doesnt specify storage, Goddard said, but water extracted from the air will be stored in 8-gallon reservoirs that will funnel into bigger tanks. The water would be trucked from the water treatment plant to a third party bottling site, but that hasnt been finalized.

Council votes for more time

A bottled water company is needed in Flint, Mays said.

If this is going to be postponed to committee, lets do it, Mays said. Ive been talking about a water (bottle company) in Flint for 10 to 15 years. I wanna see some movement on some bottled water and Im going to make it happen.

The company could promote more economic development in Flint, Davis said.

A gallon of water a day will not support a city of this size, but its a start, Davis said. Its a good idea. It may be a billion dollar entity. I dont want to push you (Zero Mass Water) away.

After nearly four hours of discussion, City Council voted to send the lease agreement back to finance committee on May 22.
MONTROSE, MI -- The state has approved a quarter-million dollars to help pay for the reconstruction of two blocks of Genesee Street, the road rated as being in the poorest condition in the city.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and state Rep. Sheryl Kennedy, D-Davison, announced the $250,000 grant to Montrose from the Michigan Department of Transportation, which will pay for replacement of existing asphalt and construction of new concrete curbs, gutters, storm sewers and drainage inlets on Genesee, one block south and north of M-57.

It was never designed to handle the traffic it sees today, said Montrose City Manager Neil Rankin,.

The state grant will pay about half the expected cost of the work, which still must be bid out and is expected to be completed by September, Rankin said.

In February, the City Council approved a professional service agreement with Fleir & Vandenbrink for design and engineering work related to the reconstruction.

The state grants are coming from the Community Service Infrastructure Fund, which was established by the state Legislature in December to help pay for road projects in small communities with populations less than 10,000. In addition to Montrose, 22 other villages and cities received the grants.

Successful projects were selected, in part, because they are shovel-ready, paired with planned infrastructure work, coordinated with other road agencies, focused on extending the useful life of the road, and lacked other funding sources, Whitmers office said in announcing the awards.

Other cities and villages receiving the awards are St. Louis, Springfield, Tustin, Bronson, Quincy, Thompsonville, Baraga, Ecorse, Marcellus, Bloomingdale, Coleman, Springport, Kaleva, Sebewaing, White Cloud, Hillsdale, Breedsville, Maple Rapids, Mancelona, Olivet, North Adams, and Hersey.

Kennedy said in a news release that a small amount of on-street parking will also be provided as a result of the project and sidewalks will be replaced as needed along both sides of Genesee Street.
GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- An appeals board has reversed a decision to exonerate a Grand Rapids police captain involved in controversy after he contacted ICE about a man later learned to be a U.S citizen.

In a split vote, the Grand Rapids Civilian Appeal board voted 6 to 2 to reverse the findings of an Internal Affairs review finished earlier this year.

Grand Rapids police Capt. Curt VanderKooi, a 39-year veteran of the department, was on paid leave from Feb. 28 to late April when he was reinstated without further discipline.

Now, Grand Rapids City Manager Mark Washington will decide whether the 63-year-old VanderKooi should receive additional sanctions.

About 60 people attend the Wednesday, May 15 meeting of the Civilian Appeal Board, including attorneys with the American Civil Liberties Union who sought the reversal. VanderKooi did not attend.

VanderKooi contacted an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent Nov. 21 after Grand Rapids resident Jilmar Ramos-Gomez lit a small fire at Spectrum Health Butterworth Hospital and then accessed the hospital helipad.

VanderKooi did not know it at the time, but Ramos-Gomez, 27, was a Marine veteran and U.S. citizen. Ramos-Gomez eventually was detained by ICE for three days in December before an immigration attorney provided citizenship documentation to get his release.

VanderKoois actions sparked outrage among some in the community, who accused him of racial profiling.

A police Internal Affairs review, however, found that he did not violate the departments impartial policing policy because he contacted ICE based on a potential terrorist act. The hospital incident, which happened about 8:20 a.m. Nov. 21, initially was deemed a possible terrorism event.

But Civilian Appeals Board members questioned why VanderKooi, who was not on duty that day, did not speak with officers who investigated at the hospital. Ramos-Gomez had a U.S. passport and military dog tags in his backpack, as well as a drivers license on him.

Board member Russell Olmsted said he was concerned about documents that showed VanderKoois email contact with ICE over the past couple of years. He said the emails, numbering more than 80, seemed to show a pattern based on race and ethnicity associated with names.

It created a pattern around the word status and asking for status. And what information was actually given back when status was asked? It was always about immigration status and nothing more," he said.

Board member George Storms said he did not think VanderKooi was entirely truthful during a recorded interview with Internal Affairs investigators. Board members reviewed transcripts of the interview and it showed he denied using race as a determining factor for contacting ICE in the Ramos-Gomez case.

I found the fact that he went so far to say I didnt include race in my determination at all. I found that to be not credible in the least bit," he said.

Board Chair Huemartin Robinson said he thought VanderKooi, the former police liaison with ICE, was kind of a rogue initiative that highlights the need for a police policy surrounding officer contact with ICE.

ACLU attorney Miriam Aukerman was pleased by the ruling.

Our focus has always been on accountability, she said. That fact the board reached this conclusion despite the process shows just how critical the citizen involvement is.

Grand Rapids police Capt. Geoff Collard, with the Grand Rapids Police Command Officers Association, earlier said the union would fight any attempts to further discipline VanderKooi or force him into retirement.

Were going to watch the next steps and well figure it out from there, he said after watching Wednesdays meeting. Weve been on record that we have significant concerns over the way this entire thing has progressed.

The Civilian Appeal Board can only review evidence generated from an Internal Affairs report in making a decision. While it can affirm, modify or reverse an Internal Affairs ruling, the board has no power to recommend any discipline.

Assistant City Attorney Kristen Rewa compiled notes Wednesday and plans to write a summary of the boards findings for submission to the city manager. A special May 22 appeals board meeting has been scheduled to vote on the summary.

Any decision to discipline VanderKooi will be up to City Manger Mark Washington. VanderKoois only sanction so far has been a reprimand for using unprofessional language by using the term loco in an email about Ramos-Gomez.
GRAND RAPIDS, MI  Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley will receive the Col. Ralph W. Hauenstein Fellowship Award from Grand Valley State University, through its Hauenstein Center for Presidential Studies.

The presentation will occur Wednesday, May 29, when Haley will be the keynote speaker at the 32nd annual dinner of the Economic Club of Grand Rapids at DeVos Place.

Haley, long viewed as a rising Republican Party star, resigned as ambassador at the end of 2018, after two years in the role. She has tried to dismiss speculation about a presidential run in 2024.

Prior to joining the Trump Administration, she was the first female governor of South Carolina and was a three-term legislator in the South Carolina House of Representatives.

The Hauenstein Fellowship Medal is Grand Valley's most prestigious external award. Haeunstein, who died in 2016, was a businessman and philanthropist who left an indelible imprint on West Michigan.

The award honors distinguished individuals whose leadership and public service have significantly influenced the course of our nation and world.

This award commemorates the extraordinary life of leadership and service of Ralph Hauenstein, said Gleaves Whitney, director of the Hauenstein Center for Presidential Studies.

We award it to individuals like Ambassador Haley who exemplify his spirit in ethical leadership and service, which GVSU seeks to inspire in its students and graduates.

Whitney said Haley was on Hauensteins radar and he described her as a formidable person that was someone to watch.

She is an engaging and compelling person who is fiercely independent, he said. As ambassador, she championed human rights around the globe.

Whitney said she is a principled person who has shown she is not afraid to defy conventional wisdom.

For example, he cited her efforts to get the Confederate flag removed from the grounds of the South Carolina State House in 2015.

For decades there had been calls for the removal of the flag but those requests intensified after nine African-American worshipers were killed in Charleston, SC at the historic Emanuel AME by white supremacist Dylann Roof, who posed in pictures with the flag.

Whitney also spoke about Haley having a strong voice in the United Nations, taking on Russia and Syria, for example.

He also said she pushed for needed reforms of the international body such as with the peacekeeping budget.

Reservations for the 5:45 p.m. Economic Club event are now closed.

Previous recipients of the medal include: President Gerald R. Ford (posthumously), retired four-star Gen. Wesley Clark (2018), Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, Lieutenant General Brent Scowcroft, Secretary of State James A. Baker, and Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, and Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Carla Hills.
GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- A man who was just 16 when he killed a Grand Rapids cab driver during a 1993 robbery could be out of prison in about three years as he battles colon cancer.

Kent County Circuit Court Judge Paul Sullivan resentenced 42-year-old Maurice Sanders on Wednesday, May 15 to 25-60 years in prison under a mandate to resentence so-called juvenile lifers.

The U.S Supreme Court in recent years issued a ruling that automatic life terms for people who committed crimes as juveniles was unjust and they should be resentenced. Judges could still issue life terms, but must give sufficient reasoning.

Sanders killed Yellow Cab Co. driver Louis Biles III, 47, in a December 1993 robbery in Southeast Grand Rapids.

In court Wednesday, Sanders described how he has stage 3B colon cancer and, so far, has had three surgeries and chemotherapy.

One side of the courtroom was filled with Sanders family and friends.

A well-spoken Sanders apologized for what happened more than 25 years ago.

My actions victimized an innocent man and his family. Over the years, I would wonder what I would say to the family if I had the chance, he said.

I realized several years ago that freedom is a privilege and your life is a right, he said. I had no right to take someone elses life, said.

While in prison, hes been a mentor to others but also part of a program called the Inside-Out Prison Exchange Program that brings college students inside correctional centers to share classes with student prisoners. Hes been involved in sociology courses that focused on how learned behavior as a child can form who a person becomes as an adult.

Sullivan, in resentencing Sanders, said the cancer was a factor in his decision to give a minimum 25-year term. He noted the medical expenses are a burden on the prison system.

But he said the greatest factor was that the cab drivers widow gave her blessing to a lower sentence. She was aware of Sanders attempts to transform himself in prison.

Without that consent, this might be different, Sullivan said.

The sentence for Sanders includes a mandatory two years in prison for felony firearm because he used a weapon during the crime. Whiles hes been in prison since late 1994, he will not be eligible for a parole hearing for nearly three years.
LOWELL, MI -- Authorities investigated a potential threat of violence against Lowell Middle School before allowing classes to go on as normal Wednesday, May 15.

Investigators from the Lowell Police Department and Kent County Sheriffs Office determined that the threat, which circulated on social media Tuesday evening, May 14, was not credible, according to Superintendent Greg Pratt.

During these situations, it is important to note that we work in conjunction with and under the guidance of law enforcement professionals, Pratt wrote in his letter to parents in the district. When threats like this are made, we adhere to the advice and direction of local authorities in order to ensure the safety and security of our students, staff and school community.

The threat was taken directly to Lowell police, and Pratt said a letter was sent to parents around 9 p.m. Tuesday with an explanation of the situation. Pratt declined to provide further details regarding any specifics of the threat.

An extra sheriffs department officer was at the school briefly Wednesday morning, but Pratt said it was a normal day.

The superintendent also asked parents to converse with their children on a regular basis about responsible social media and cell phone usage, in order to prevent unintended consequences.

The threat came four months after an anonymous bomb threat was made against the school on Jan. 11, which led to an evacuation of the school. When the threat was deemed not credible, classes resumed later that morning.

A message left with the Lowell Police Department was not returned Wednesday.
JACKSON, MI -- The death of 18-year-old Zachary Frey changed the lives of two families, and not for the better, Hoss Stevens said at the sentencing of Freys killer Thursday morning.

Two families lives got wrecked that day, Stevens said on behalf of Freys family. The only difference is his family gets the option of speaking to him and seeing him. We get the luxury of looking at an urn.

Stevens asked Circuit Judge Thomas Wilson for the maximum sentence possible -- life in prison -- for Jerred Ballard, 20, who pleaded guilty on April 5 to second-degree murder in Freys 2018 death.

Wilson sentenced Ballard to 30 to 60 years in prison and two years for felony firearms.

You pretty much have just thrown your whole life away, also, except youre alive, Wilson said.

After Wilson announced the sentence, Ballards family members in the gallery started to cry and one was heard complaining about the length of the sentence. Ballard was originally scheduled for trial on charges of open murder and felony firearms.

He takes a deal and you still give him more than you were going to give him, someone in the gallery said after the sentence was announced.

Ballard can ask for an appellate review of his sentence.

Frey was shot in the head during a gun sale in the driveway of a home in the 300 block of Union Street on Nov. 6, 2018, police said previously. He was transported to Henry Ford Allegiance Health where he died from his injuries. Ballards lawyer said Ballard intended to shoot the car, not a person.

I just want to apologize to my victims family, Ballard said. I apologize for my actions.

Freys friend, Chase Cole, testified at Ballards preliminary hearing that he received a phone call from Frey asking him to drive him somewhere. Cole and his friend, Heather Jefferson, drove Frey to the 300 block of Union Street and pulled into a driveway where Ballard was waiting, he said.

Ballard got into the backseat of the car with Frey, where he handed him a bag and got out of the car, Cole said. He said he heard Frey say, Oh hell no, as he put the car in reverse to speed away. He then heard two gunshots, he said.

Jefferson testified that she looked at the backseat and saw Frey bleeding from the head and the rear driver side window shattered. She yelled at Cole to stop and got out of the car two blocks from the scene, she said.

At 7:16 a.m., Frey was found at Buddys Mini-Mart, 1601 W. Morrell St., just outside the city limits. Cole said he stopped because he was unsure of where he was at and wanted to get Frey to the hospital. Police found them at Buddys after receiving a 911 call Cole made.

The hardest part of losing Zachery isnt having to say goodbye, its learning to live without him, said a statement from Freys niece that was read at the sentencing. Always trying to fill the void, emptiness thats left inside your heart."
KALAMAZOO, MI -- Two weeks of increased seat belt enforcement will begin Monday as part of a statewide Click It or Ticket campaign.

Law enforcement officers from across the state will step up seat belt enforcement from Monday, May 20 to Sunday, Jun. 2, a period that includes Memorial Day weekend. The campaign was announced during a news conference held Thursday, May 16, at the Kalamazoo Public Safety North Park Street station.

Three of four people ejected from a vehicle in a crash will die, Michigan State Police Paw Paw Post Communications Chief Kendall Wingrove said Thursday.

Its important to buckle up for the ones that will miss you, Wingrove said.

Of 2008 fatal crashes, 77 percent of passenger vehicle occupants who were totally ejected from the vehicle were killed, according to a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration report.

Michigan law require drivers, front seat passengers and passenger 15 years old or younger to be buckled up at all times. The fine for not wearing a seat belt is $65.

Children must be in a car seat or booster seat until they are eight years old or 4 feet, 9 inches tall. Children under four must be in a back seat.

The nationwide Click It or Ticket campaign aims to increasing seat belt use in the United States. As part of the campaign, the Michigan State Police Office of Highway Safety Planning recently launched a new safety campaign that includes television and radio ads, billboards, social media posts, and banners displayed at more than 600 police and public safety offices across Michigan.

Kalamazoo Department of Public safety officers said Thursday they have personally responded to scenes that demonstrated how seat belts, car seats and booster seats can save lives.

When Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety Officer Ralael Diaz approached a mangled guard rail when responding to a rollover crash on an icy Kalamazoo road, he said he thought to himself, Im going to find someone very, very injured.

To Diazs surprise, the driver of the car approached him at the scene, uninjured. Diaz said a seat belt saved that drivers life.

When seat belts, car seats or booster seats are not used or not used properly, a crash can end tragically, KDPS officer Melinda Kendall said.

A 2017 crash that killed a 1-year-old child was an example of a death that could have been prevented, Kendall said.

In the 2017 crash, a minivan was traveling west on North Street when it was struck by a car headed south on Rose Street.

Dasani Lynn Colbert, 1, of Kalamazoo, was killed when she was ejected from the minivan. Colbert, her twin sister and another sibling nearly 2 years old were all passengers in the vehicle, driven by their mother. The 2-year-old child was seriously injured.

It brings it back home," Kendall said. "Remember, it can happen to anyone.

In 2018, 19 people in Michigan died in traffic crashes during the same holiday weekend, Michigan State Police 1st Lt. Angel Ouwinga said. Thats almost double the number of traffic fatalities during the same weekend in 2017.

In Michigan, seat belt usage is at 93.4%, according to a 2018 report prepared for the Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning, higher than the national usage rate of 89.6%.

Police ask motorists to follow the following guidelines when buckling up:
GRAND RAPIDS, MI  Rachel Marie Burrell, 30, of Portage was sentenced for sexual exploitation of a child, U.S. Attorney Andrew Birge announced Thursday.

Burrell was sentenced Wednesday, May 15, in the U.S. District Court in Grand Rapids to 15 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release and was ordered to pay fines and other monetary penalties.

Burrell took sexually explicit pictures of an infant in her care and forwarded the images to a man she was in a relationship with, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorneys Office in the Western District of Michigan. The woman also made the infant available to that man knowing he would sexually assault the infant, the release states.

Children, and infants in particular, are some of our most vulnerable victims and my office is dedicated to seeking justice when they are harmed, Birge said in a statement.

According to a victim impact statement filed by the victims foster parents, the victim suffers from night terrors and a sensory processing disorder as a result of the abuse. U.S. District Judge Robert Jonker noted at sentencing that the injury to the child was severe.

As a law enforcement agency and as a community, we have no greater duty than to protect the most vulnerable among us, said Timothy R. Slater, special agent in charge of the FBIs Detroit Division.

The FBI and our law enforcement partners will relentlessly pursue those who would victimize innocent children and ensure they are brought to justice," Slater said.

In December, Burrell signed a plea agreement and pleaded guilty to sexual exploitation and attempted sexual exploitation of a minor. The plea agreement states the other charge she was indicted on, distribution of child pornography, would be dropped.

The count she pleaded guilty to states Burrell used a cell phone camera to take pictures of a child approximately four months old to produce images that depicted and attempted to depict the lascivious exhibition of the childs pubic area.

The count that was dropped against Burrell alleged that she distributed images of child pornography via cell phone to Matthew Toole. Toole is among a group of people facing charges in Branch County related to an alleged plot to kidnap, torture and kill a child.

The Burrell case is part of the Department of Justices Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide effort to protect children from exploitation and abuse. The U.S. Attorneys Office, county prosecutors offices, and federal, state, and local law enforcement work together to locate, apprehend, and prosecute people who exploit children.

For more information about Project Safe Childhood in West Michigan, including resources for children and parents, visit: http://www.justice.gov/usao/miw/programs/psc.html.

The case was investigated by the FBI, the Michigan State Police, and the Kalamazoo County Sheriffs Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexis M. Sanford.
MUSKEGON, MI  The developer planning a 55-unit condominium community on Muskegon Lake now has a larger stake in the adjacent city-owned Hartshorn Marina and its day-to-day operations.

Developer Harbor West is gearing up to build the Hartshorn Village & Marina condo community this summer at property on West Western Avenue. The first of two phases of the new condo community is to be built between Fricano Place and the marina.

City leaders at first suggested allowing condo owners first rights to nontransient slips at the public marina, but settled with allowing the owners to have first right of refusal only on those that become vacant. Planned upgrades at the marina are expected to increase annual slip fees.

The developments website, hartshornvillageandmarina.com, indicates that Harbor West has incorporated the marina  a public asset  into its branding and marketing, calling the condo community the Hartshorn Village & Marina.

The Hartshorn Village condo associations management company, Founders 3 of Milwaukee, will also co-manage the marina with the city, according to an agreement recently approved by the city commission. As part of the agreement, F3 also can propose new increases to boat slip rental and associated marina fees to the Muskegon City Commission for final approval.

The city commission voted Tuesday, May 14, to enter into a co-management agreement with F3, which specializes in marina design and management.

That means the public amenity will be co-managed by a private company under a subcontract with the developer, adding to the umbrage felt by some residents who believe they could be excluded from using the marina or ignored if they lodge complaints.

John Allen, of Muskegon, said as much during public comment at Tuesdays meeting.

There are some concerns with the agreement, not so much that were contracting management out, but the potential conflict of interest between the condos and the marina itself," Allen said. We just want to know which way is management going to go if theres any need for conflict resolution with the (condo association or the) marina."

Mayor Stephen Gawron said that because the city will continue to own the marina, the buck stops at the city commission if marina users have conflicts with the condo association.

Future improvements and upgrades to the marina, which include dock work, new bathrooms, a pool and clubhouse, will undoubtedly require increased boat slip rental rates and associated fees to pay for the work, according to a memo to the city commission written by Muskegon City Manager Frank Peterson. He called the cost of the marina upgrades significant.

This group manages a number of public marinas in the Great Lakes region and has significant experience in improving the service levels of those marinas, Peterson wrote. We need to be in a position to provide excellent service immediately  and we feel F3 can help us do that.

According to the agreement, F3 will co-manage the marinas daily operations for the next five years until Feb. 28, 2024. F3 also will oversee marketing for the facility and will be responsible for proposing future changes to boat slip rental and other marina fees.

F3 will receive a base monthly management fee of $3,700 from the city of Muskegon. The city also will be responsible for employee wages and associated expenses.

If F3 can bring in more than $25,000 in revenue a year, the city will offer F3 a cut of gross revenue starting at 25 percent annually.

The city estimates that it will make $340,000 in revenue this year, according to projections provided to city commissioners on Tuesday. That sum is expected to increase by $10,000 each year for the next five years.

Planned marina improvements also could generate an additional $100,000 in revenue one year after the city completes the upgrades, according to the agreement.

With F3 on its payroll, the company also could help the city navigate the process of improving the facility.

The first of several upgrades to the marina on Muskegon Lake are expected to begin in the next few weeks and include resurfacing the deck area of the dock and raising sunken portions with new flotation devices.

The work will cost the city $10,300 to be performed by local contractor Travis Ghezzi. The city commission on Tuesday approved the contract with T.R. Ghezzi LLC.

The city did not issue bids for dock work and solicited Ghezzi and another company, instead, because the project was small in scale with a short construction timeline, said Muskegon Economic Development Director Jake Eckholm.

City commissioners have not yet approved additional improvements to Hartshorn Marina, which are expected to begin next year.

One of the attractions of living in the new community is the direct access condo residents would have to Hartshorn Marina. A fence separating the marina and the now vacant parcel where condos will be built will

be removed and likely will be replaced with a smaller, more decorative fence, Peterson said. The paved Lakeshore Trail that runs between the two properties will remain in place.

Construction on the condos is expected to be completed by 2020 with homes starting at $400,000 each, according to the Hartshorn Village website.

In January, the city commission voted to approve increases to rental rates for 30-, 40-, and 60-foot boat slips at Hartshorn Marina.

The city of Muskegon presently charges:

- $2,130 for a 30-foot slip, up from $1,947 in 2018.

- $2,849 for a 40-foot slip, up from $2,623.

- $3,569 for a 60-foot slip, up from $3,315.

The rates were increased in part because the Michigan Department of Natural Resources thought Muskegons slip fees were too low, Director of Municipal Services Leighann Mikesell told MLive/Muskegon Chronicle.

The DNR sets minimum standards and caps on fees at publicly owned facilities centered around natural resources.

Due to those fee caps, Mikesell said she didnt believe any proposed future increase in fees would be unreasonable to the average boater.
BAY CITY, MI  A dog disappeared from his California family several months ago. By some unknown means, he has turned up three time zones away  in Bay County, Michigan.

The energetic canine is now days away from boarding a plane and reuniting with his family.

Weve never had an instance like this, said Michael F. Halstead, director of Bay County Animal Control.

On March 22, police in Bay County found the 2- to 3-year-old Labrador/pit bull mix running loose and put him in the overnight drop box at Animal Control, 800 Livingston St. in Bay City. The next morning, staff scanned the dogs implanted microchip and learned his name was Benny and he had been owned by a military family in Kentucky.

Benny, a Labrador/pit bull mix, went missing from his family in California in before inexplicably turning up in Bay County, Michigan, in late March 2019.

Staff contacted the family, who said they had bought Benny when he was 6 months old but had subsequently given him to another military family stationed on the same base in Kentucky. That family had later moved to Tennessee with Benny, but his original owners did not know how to reach them.

Bay County Animal Control held the dog for the required time, then in mid April posted a Pets-of-the-Week video featuring Benny on its Facebook page. A few days later, Animal Control received a phone call from a resident of Modesto, California, saying Benny was their dog.

The caller said they had adopted Benny from his previous owner in Kentucky, then been stationed in Tennessee and later California, where Benny went missing about three months prior. The chain of custody matched what Bennys previous owner had said.

How Benny wound up in Michigan of all places remains a mystery.

We have no reason to believe hed ever been in Michigan prior to the cops picking him up, Halstead said.

Benny was found in good health, however.

Hed been well cared for, wherever hed been, Halstead said. Hes high-energy; he just wont quit. He loves the exercise area. Hes a very nice dog.

No one locally has contacted the shelter claiming any knowledge of Bennys history.

Animal Control staff worked with the Humane Society of Bay County to arrange Benny to be flown from Michigan to Nebraska, but that plan fell through when another pilot couldnt be found to fly Benny the rest of the way. Bennys owner, however, then contacted United Cargo, who is willing to fly Benny home.

On the morning of Tuesday, May 21, an Animal Control officer is to take Benny  who is now current on all of his vaccinations  to Bishop International Airport in Flint, where hell catch a five-hour flight to meet his family in the Golden State.
An indicted Michigan lawmaker said text messages allegedly showing state Rep. Larry Inman solicited bribes from a labor union dont prove anything.

Inman, R-Traverse City, was indicted May 15 on charges of attempted extortion, bribery and lying to an FBI agent. He is accused of soliciting money from the Michigan Regional Council of Carpenters and Millwrights in exchange for a no vote on the 2018 legislative initiative petition to repeal the states prevailing wage law, federal court records show.

We cant control what other people think, but I have all the belief in the world I will be exonerated from these charges, Inman said Thursday on Michigans Big Show with Michael Patrick Shiels. There is no proof whatsoever that I did any of this.

Text messages between Inman and the carptenters union were included in an indictment filed by federal prosecutors Tuesday. The messages show Inman indicated he and other lawmakers would block the petition if each were handed $30,000 in donations to their campaign.

Inman said text messages can be misinterpreted. Inman pledged transparency during the radio interview, but said his attorney advised him to stay quiet about details of the case.

You have a guy who spent his whole life in trustworthy, high ranking positions, and do you think I would take a bribe, Inman said. Come on, this is crap. There is no basis to these charges."

Michigan House Speaker Lee Chatfield asked Inman to resign following the indictment. Inman said he told Chatfield, who Inman called a great friend, he has no intention of stepping down.

Resigning would be an admission of guilt, Inman said. Im not going to do that.

Inman was stripped of his committee assignments, Wednesday. In a statement, Chatfield, R-Levering, said the House Business Office has taken control of Inmans office.

The indictment, filed in U.S. District Court Western District of Michigan, allegedly shows an effort to solicit funds for his campaign and 11 other unnamed state lawmakers.

The unions political action committee contributed $6,000 to Inmans campaign committee from October 2017 to May 2018. In June 2018, Inman allegedly messaged a union representative, saying 12 representatives needed more campaign donations to vote against repealing the prevailing wage law.

You said all 12 will get $30,000 each to help (their) campaigns, Inman wrote. That did not happen, we will get a ton of pressure on this vote ... I have heard most got $5,000, not $30,000.

The indictment shows Inman suggested maxing out on all 12 representatives, or at least doubling what you have given them on Tuesday, ASAP.

Inman then wrote we never had this discussion," according to the indictment.

The union provided no additional campaign contributions to Inman after receiving the text messages. He later voted to repeal the prevailing wage law, which passed in both chambers of the Republican-majority Michigan Legislature.

Thursday, Inman said he did not speak to one representative regarding the vote or campaign donations.

I would never, ever compromise my integrity and honesty for money, in a vote or anything I would do on the duties of an elected official, he said.

Federal prosecutors disagree. Court documents show Inman is charged with attempting to corruptly solicit and demand" campaign contributions before making false statements to an FBI agent about his communications with the union.

Inman specifically denied soliciting $30,000 from the Michigan Regional Council of Carpenters and Millwrights, according to the indictment.

Inman said the FBI interviewed him twice for an investigation regarding the 2018 prevailing wage vote after being contacted him last August. However, Inman said he was give no indication that he was a suspect in the investigation.

I certainly was surprised and shocked, Inman said.

He adamantly maintained his innocence during the radio interview Thursday. Inman, a retired bank executive first elected in 2014, said he sacrificed his personal life to pursue public service.

You cant have children and family with what I do in my career, he said.

Inman said he is traveling back to Traverse City to discuss the situation with his attorney and will not participate in the Thursday House session. The two-term Republican said he will be back in Lansing next week.

It will be business as usual for me," Inman said.
LANSING, MI -- State Rep. Larry Inman said he probably should have picked up the phone and called labor union representatives instead of sending texts that would later be part of a federal indictment alleging he solicited bribes.

Inman, R-Traverse City, was indicted May 15 by federal prosecutors for attempted extortion, bribery and lying to an FBI agent. The indictment set off bipartisan calls for Inmans resignation, but the second-term Republican insists the whole situation -- just talking from one friend to another -- is a misunderstanding.

I was never a texter, Inman told MLive. If I had something to say, I would either call them -- and thats what I should have done in the long run, because texts can be misinterpreted.

Inman allegedly solicited a bribe from Michigan Regional Council of Carpenters and Millwrights and a union lobbyist, according to an indictment filed by federal prosecutors Tuesday. Inman allegedly asked for money in exchange for protecting the states prevailing wage law, according to the U.S. attorneys office for the Western District of Michigan.

Court records show Inman indicated he and 11 other lawmakers would be persuaded if each were handed $30,000 in campaign donations. Inman told MLive in his Lansing office Thursday he would never take a bribe or ask for one, but struggled to explain the troubling texts.

Carpenters have been good to me, where are the rest of the trades on checks? We only have 12, people to block it," Inman wrote, court documents show. I have heard most got $5,000, not $30,000. Its not worth losing assignments and staff for $5,000, in the end. They will give you the check back ... Get with the all the trades by Monday, I would suggest doubling what you given on Tuesday, ASAP.

Inman then wrote we never had this discussion," according to the indictment.

Inman said theres a perfect explanation for what he texted to the union representatives, but it will have to wait. Inmans attorney advised him not to discuss the text messages.

That explanation will come out, Inman said. Thats all Ive got to say on the explanation ... They do not involve, in any way, a move or any intent to take money for a vote."

Court records show the messages were sent days before the House voted to repeal a 1965 law that guaranteed union-level wages on public construction projects.

In June 2018, Inman allegedly messaged a union representative, saying 12 representatives needed more campaign donations to vote against repealing the prevailing wage law. Inman wrote that he wasnt sure the lawmakers would vote with the union for only $5,000, according to the indictment, not that we dont appreciate it.

He said some conversations with lobbyists should not be a matter of public record.

"You have to understand, sometimes when an organization supports me, gives me an endorsement, then the relationship becomes much tighter and the trust between the two of us comes closer together, Inman said. At many times, some conversations are confidential in nature, because youre family and Im family.

Inman voted in favor or repealing the law, which passed in both chambers of the Republican-led Michigan legislature. It passed the House by only three votes, preventing the issue from becoming a ballot question for Michigan voters.

The FBI contacted Inman in August 2018 and interviewed him twice during the next year. Inman said the FBI told him it was investigating the prevailing wage vote, not himself, and he had nothing to hide.

Somebody must have talked to them, I guess, Inman said.

Inman said he does not base his decisions based on the interests of campaign contributors. Inman was personally opposed to preventing the issue from being put on the ballot, but said he sided with constituents who supported the repeal.

The unions political action committee contributed $2,000 to Inmans campaign committee in October 2017 and $4,000 in May 2018.

It was very nice of them to do that, but Im going to tell you: There isnt any amount of money in this world that can buy my vote or my integrity, Inman said.

Inman said he doesnt know who the other 11 representatives referred to in his text messages are. Names of other individuals Inman wrote about are redacted in the indictment.

Did Inman make up that number, or does it refer to specific lawmakers still in office?

Thats a good question, and right now its confidential, Inman said.

Michigan House Speaker Lee Chatfield asked Inman to resign following the indictment. He did not indicate the House would start expulsion proceedings.

It is my determination that it is in the best interest of this institution that he step down and resign as state representative, Chatfield said Thursday. That remains my position.

Inman wore a Michigan State Police lanyard around his neck during the interview with MLive. He was chairman of the House Appropriations Military and Veterans Affairs and State Police Subcommittee until Chatfield stripped Inman of his committee assignments Wednesday.

Chatfield made the right move, Inman said. A meeting between the two on Wednesday was cordial, Inman said, but he has no plans to resign.

Inman said he is traveling back to Traverse City to discuss the situation with his attorney and will not participate in the Thursday House session. The two-term Republican said he will be back in Lansing next week and back to business as usual."

My honesty and integrity is who I am," Inman said. Ive never done anything wrong in my entire life."

Inman said he may have had a traffic ticket, but nothing more serious than that.

Federal court records show Inman is scheduled to appear in court on May 29 for a pretrial conference in Grand Rapids.
China has officially arrested two Canadian citizens who have been detained for months on national security grounds in a case that has exacerbated tensions between Beijing and Ottawa.

The two men  Michael Kovrig, a former diplomat, and Michael Spavor, a China-based businessman who organized trips to North Korea  were detained last December.

Chinas Foreign Ministry said Kovrig was arrested on charges of gathering state secrets, and Spavor on charges of stealing secrets for overseas forces.

Also on rt.com 2nd Canadian in 2 days: Businessman chummy with Kim Jong-un detained in China

Canada strongly condemns their arbitrary arrest, as we condemned their arbitrary detention on December 10, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement issued to Canadian newspaper, the Globe and Mail.

Initially, the Canadians were accused of activities that endanger Chinas security  a phrase that Beijing uses to describe espionage. Later, China announced it suspected Kovrig of spying and stealing state secrets with Spavors help.

They were held days after Canada detained top Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou on a US extradition request, which sparked assumptions that it was a retaliatory act by Beijing.

Also on rt.com Trade war hostage? Trump ready to intervene in Huawei CFO case if it helps close deal with China

Meng, who is currently on bail, faces charges of fraud related to an alleged breach of US sanctions on Iran. Canada seems to be bearing the brunt of Chinas backlash, with Meng largely regarded as a bargaining chip in the ongoing US trade war with China.

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Africas economic potential is enormous: the continent contains significant mineral and energy deposits, a young and growing population, and an underdeveloped energy sector desperately in need of investment.

Approximately 640 million people, or two-thirds of the entire populace, dont have access to electricity. According to the African Development Bank, energy poverty reduces GDP growth by four percent every year. Russias energy industry, in comparison, is booming. Its state-run nuclear energy company Rosatom has an order book of 34 reactors in 12 countries worth $300 billion. Recently, Moscow has set its eyes on Africa where most states have either already struck a deal with the Kremlin or are considering one.

Africas long march forward

Currently, only South Africa is operating a commercial nuclear power plant with plans on the table to expand capacity. Another ten states are in different stages of planning and negotiations including Algeria, Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Namibia, Nigeria, Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda, and Zambia.

Energy poverty is a significant problem in the worlds least developed continent. The lack of access to a reliable and affordable source of energy is a severe impediment to economic development. Although the costs of renewables have decreased significantly over the years, technical and geographic limitations impede the rapid rollout of solar and wind energy. Also, Africa is urbanizing much quicker than the rest of the world where cities are expanding by eight percent every year compared to two percent globally - which puts even more pressure on the existing energy systems.

Read more on Oilprice.com: Russia could take hold of Chinas entire gas market

The Russian deal is particularly appealing to countries lacking nuclear knowhow due to Moscows comprehensive offer regarding financing, construction, and operation of the facilities. Currently, Rosatom is experimenting with a contract known as build-own-operate under which ownership of the plant remains in Russian hands while energy is sold to the host country. This new type of contract is appealing to several African states who lack the means to finance construction. In some instances, the mineral resources of host countries could function as a deposit for any liability comparable to Moscows arms-for-platinum deal with Zimbabwe worth $3 billion.

Also on rt.com BRICS is the future of global economy  South African politician

The Russian deal is also attractive for countries lacking the necessary infrastructure because Moscow takes back nuclear waste which means that host countries don't have to worry about storage. From a security point of view, this could alleviate concerns regarding weapons production through plutonium reprocessing or threats from non-state actors.

Russias strategy

Moscows is reusing its successful Middle East strategy comprised of diplomacy, energy, and security. The Kremlin has presented itself as a clean and honest broker lacking the colonial background of most Western countries. Africas relative instability and need for cheap energy makes it a good match for Russia which is looking to expand its global presence and find new markets for critical industries such as energy.

Read more on Oilprice.com: The battle for control over Iraqs oil

From Moscows perspective, sanctions and deteriorated relations with the West have increased the need to improve its relations with other parts of the world. Africa is not a new frontier for the Kremlin, which maintained diplomatic and military contact with the continent during the Cold War to counterbalance the US This time, however, Moscow is not driven by ideology but by the need to increase influence and its position as a global power.

Also on rt.com Traditional Russian ice cream melts the heart of Africa

Nuclear energy is an obvious option as Russia is a global leader in nuclear technology. The country processes seven percent of the worlds uranium production, 20 percent of uranium conversion, 45 percent of uranium enrichment, and 25 percent of the global nuclear power plant construction activities. Providing the necessary technology to Africa serves another purpose besides increasing influence and revenue for the states coffers. The continent is also home to some of the worlds largest uranium deposits in Malawi, Niger, and South Africa. Access to these resources is essential if Moscows wants to maintain its position globally.

A way forward or unnecessary risks?

Without a doubt, Africa is in desperate need of electricity to develop and industrialize. However, according to some critics, Russia's nuclear involvement in unstable countries could become a global security threat due to those countries weak institutions and unstable governments. Moscows nuclear strategy will be tested after the first power plants are completed in developing countries in Africa and Asia. The lifespan of these facilities spans decades and they require an adequate and comprehensive approach in order to provide electricity for millions that is both safe and reliable.

This article was originally published on Oilprice.com
A massive concrete dome built during the Cold War to contain waste from US Nuclear testing has degraded and began leaking nuclear waste into the Pacific Ocean, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has confirmed.

While the imposing structure at Enewetak Atoll in the Marshall Islands may look like something from a James Bond movie, Guterres described it as a kind of coffin: a stern reminder of the aftermath of American atomic weapons testing.

The soil irradiated by the tests and ash from the fallout were dumped into a crater which was then capped with 18 inches of concrete, measures that have proved ineffective at containing the waste in the long run. The bottom of the crater was reportedly never lined at all.

Guterres confirmed the disturbing information while speaking to students in Fiji as a part of a tour of the South Pacific focusing on climate change and environmental issues. The leakage, according to Guterres, has already begun to have its effect.

The consequences have been quite dramatic, in relation to health, in relation to the poisoning of waters in some areas.

Aside from being used to store the dangerous atomic waste, Guterres discussed how the Pacific had been victimized while under US administration. The islands and atolls far off the south east coast of Japan such as Enewetak were the sites of 67 American nuclear weapons tests that took place between 1946-58.

One such test was the 1954 Bravo hydrogen bomb, which remains the most powerful US-tested atomic weapon. Its explosion was 1,000 times bigger than the atomic bombs used on Japan.

Also on rt.com US used Hiroshima atomic bomb victims as guinea pigs, survivor tells RT

The native people who lived on the Marshall Islands had to be forcibly evacuated and resettled by the US administration. Nonetheless, many ended up exposed to nuclear fallout from the tests.

While Guterres had no specific recommendations for how to minimize the impact, he warned that action needs to be taken soon. A powerful storm in the region could end up damaging the cover further, which would have devastating results for the environment.

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The European Commission is considering aviation fuel tax that is supposed to reduce carbon emissions by 11 percent and have a negligible impact on jobs and the economy. But experts say that it will have far-reaching effects.

According to a leaked EC report, taxing aviation kerosene sold in Europe would cut aviation emissions by 16.4 million metric tons of CO2 a year. It said that applying a tax of 330 per 1,000 liters of kerosene (which is the EU's minimum excise duty rate for the fuel) would result in a ticket price increase of 10 percent and an 11 percent decrease in passenger numbers. It would also lead to an 11 percent fall in carbon emissions.

Imposing the tax could certainly lead to a reduction of flights that will result in cuts of airlines staff, said Elmar Giemulla, a leading expert on air and traffic law at Berlin University of Technologys Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. He told RT that nobody, however, could calculate the exact numbers, saying thats just speculation.

Also on rt.com Sweden introduces aviation tax in effort to help climate

Airlines are very sensitive to fuel price because it affects their entire operation, explained another aviation security expert Jacques Astre. He said that the level of the tax increase will indicate whether they increase ticket prices which falls on the customers and will affect passenger transportation in terms of numbers.

So, it really depends on how high the tax is because it has a far-reaching effect, not just on the airlines directly but on passengers as well, Astre explained.

Taxing aviation at EU level, specifically fuel and VAT on all, particularly tickets, has become a major topic of debate in Europe lately. Statistics showed that passenger traffic across the European airport network grew by more than six percent last year, bringing the total number of passengers using Europes airports to a new record of 2.34 billion.

If the target of this approach [aviation tax  Ed.] is to decrease the number of passengers then they have a good chance to do so, said Giemulla. According to him, such a move would definitely put a lot of pressure on the aviation industry. It would require a change of all bilateral agreements as it contradicts the 1994 Chicago Convention which prevents taxes on aircraft fuel. That cant be made overnight, it would require time, he said.

Also on rt.com Air travel to get greener as tickets to get pricier

The expert reminded that the contribution of aviation to carbon emissions is just around three percent of all carbon emission. So, if anybody, including the EC would like to reduce carbon emission, he said, there are many other areas of the economy that should be taxed as well.

Its easy for the general public to be aggressive against aviation because for many people aviation is still a symbol of rich people who can afford flying which is silly because the increase of aviation has shown that all levels of society have the possibility to fly, Giemulla said.

He added that aviation is a general mode of transport similar to the automobile sector with the difference that the automobile sector contributes much more to carbon emissions. So, if anything should be done to reduce carbon emissions there are many other areas that should be taxed first, said the expert.

For more stories on economy & finance visit RT's business section
Irans Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Thursday there is no possibility of negotiations with the US to reduce spiralling tensions, Japans Kyodo reported.

No, there is no possibility for negotiations, the news agency cited Mohammad Javad Zarif as telling reporters in Tokyo, where he is meeting with the countrys officials.

The comment was in response to a question on whether he would be open to bilateral talks with Washington aimed at easing tensions, Kyodo said.

I dont know why President Trump is confident, but its totally wrong, public broadcaster NHK quoted Zarif as saying. Zarif also dismissed US President Donald Trumps assertion in a tweet that Iran would soon seek negotiations, AFP reported.

Zarif earlier accused Washington of an unacceptable escalation in tensions, and said Tehran was showing maximum restraint.

Irans Zarif: No possibility of talks with US to reduce tensions  report

Irans Zarif: No possibility of talks with US to reduce tensions  report

Source : RT - Daily news
Envoys representing the Venezuelan opposition and government are meeting in Norway, multiple reports said. The news comes two weeks after Juan Guaido failed to rally troops to oust Nicholas Maduro.

Members of the Venezuelan government and opposition are holding secret talks at an undisclosed location in Norwegian capital, Oslo, several media outlets reported on Thursday, citing sources within the opposition, as well as in Norwegian diplomatic circles.

The government delegation is said to be led by Information Minister Jorge Rodriguez, while the opposition leader Juan Guaido is being represented by lawmaker Stalin Gonzalez. Guaidos two political advisers are reportedly present, along with a state governor allied with President Nicolas Maduro.

The format of the talks was not revealed but some reports described them as exploratory discussions. According local public broadcaster NRK, this is the second time the parties will have met in Oslo.

Norway had earlier publicly offered its help in mediating the conflict. The Nordic country voiced support for the opposition-controlled parliament in Venezuela, but, unlike many other European nations, stopped short of recognizing Juan Guaido as interim president.

None of the sides officially confirmed the talks. Maduro, however, said that his minister was on a very important mission overseas.

The alleged meeting is taking place two weeks after Guaido failed to rally the troops in order oust Maduro. His call for servicemen to defect and make a move against the government sparked sporadic clashes across the nations capital, Caracas. A day later, President Maduro declared a victory against what he said was a coup attempt and said that the armed forces remained loyal to his government.

Guaido, who was declared interim president in January, was immediately backed by the US and its allies in Europe, as well as the majority of South American states. Countries like China, Russia, Iran, Mexico, and Turkey continue to recognize Nicolas Maduro as the legitimate leader of Venezuela.

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Two political parties in Sweden have been told by Facebook that they cannot promote their campaign videos on the platform. One featured a gay couple kissing while another showed a candidate carrying a hunting shotgun.

Just like other EU members, Sweden is preparing to elect its representatives to the European Parliament, so various parties are campaigning for votes. And two of them were surprised to learn that Facebook rules are too restrictive for their messaging, Expressen reported.

Christian Democrats were denied a request to promote a political ad supporting their candidate, Ella Bohlin, which appealed to its rural voter base. The film featured Bohlin walking through Swedens majestic forests with her dog while carrying a hunting shotgun on her shoulder and saying that her party will not allow the EU to dictate to Sweden how to regulate game conservation. She was never shown shooting or even aiming the weapon, but its mere presence in the footage made it ineligible for promotion on Facebook.

Similarly rejected was a short film produced by Liberals, who wanted to showcase core European values that they support: peace, freedom of movement and acceptance of minorities. The film includes a male gay couple cuddling and kissing, which Facebook ruled was sexually suggestive and thus unpromotable on the platform.

The films themselves were not banned, so supporters of the parties are free to share them with their friends. They had 6,200 and 55,000 views for Christian Democrats and Liberals respectively at the time of writing. But the parties cannot spend money to boost engagement, which seems a bit overcautious and may look like political censorship for some people.

Facebook has restricted its rules for political advertising in the wake of accusations that the platform was used by Russia to interfere with the 2016 presidential election in the US, which Moscow denies. Senior executives of the corporation had to testify before US legislators, explaining how they allowed pictures of a buff Bernie Sanders, and Christ arm-wrestling Satan to decide the outcome of the election, to be disseminated on their network.

Also on rt.com Facebook briefly takes down Elizabeth Warren's ads on breaking up Facebook

The social giant was also dragged through the mud by the US media, which conveniently paid little attention to details like the $100,000 budget of the claimed campaign  a meager sum for a multibillion dollar election cycle  or the fact that half of the ads that Facebook identified as Russian were shown after the ballot.

The tech giants reputation was further damaged by a series of scandals over its questionable management of user data. Facebook was exposed for having worked with third party developers like the now-defunct election-influencing British firm Cambridge Analytica  allowing them to harvest user data for political targeting.

Apparently, Facebook now has a better safe than sorry policy and tries to avoid any potential political ad controversy.

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The Saudi-led coalition has resumed airstrikes on the rebel-held Yemeni capital Sanaa on Thursday in apparent retaliation for a drone attack on an oil pipeline. Russian nationals have reportedly been hurt in the bombings.

A senior health official of the Houthi rebels, who control Sanaa, said Saudi strikes left six civilians dead, including four children, and injured 52 others, two of whom were Russian women working in the healthcare sector.

One of the strikes wiped out an entire family after a building they lived in collapsed on them, killing both spouses and a child, AP reported. The incident happened in the densely populated al-Raqas neighborhood of the Yemeni capital.

Also on rt.com Drones strike Saudi oil pumping stations near Riyadh as Houthis claim attack

The coalition said it was conducting strikes against military targets in Sanaa to neutralize the rebels ability to carry out acts of aggression. The bombings came a day after the Houthis conducted an armed drone raid on two Saudi oil pumping stations. Riyadh accused Iran of launching the attack through its proxies, but Tehran and the Houthis insisted the rebels carried it out on their own.

Fighting also renewed after in Yemens southern Dhale governorate, where the Houthis are pushing to gain more ground from the Saudi-backed forces of the Yemeni government. The hostilities left 27 people dead, according to Mohammed Askar, the Yemeni human rights minister.

Also on rt.com Houthi redeployment from Yemens ports carried out partly as agreed  UN

The violence came after months of relative calm, which began after UN-sponsored peace talks started in December.

Saudi Arabia and its allies intervened in Yemen in March 2015, after Yemens Riyadh-friendly president was ousted by the rebels. The coalition is able to conduct bombing raids thanks to weapons, refueling and weapons provided by the US and the UK.

The Saudis stand accused of seriously worsening the situation in Yemen through devastation of civilian infrastructure and a blockade that prevents crucial supplies from reaching the civilian population. The UN calls the crisis the worst humanitarian disaster in the world today.

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In clear violation of international law, police broke into Venezuelas embassy in Washington DC, arresting activists invited by staff. They prevented the building from being seized by US-backed coup leader Juan Guaidos people.

After spending over a month camped out in the embassy, the final four activists of the Venezuelan Embassy Protection Collective have been placed under arrest after police broke down doors and entered the premises on Thursday.

Photos of the raid show heavily armed police with battering rams, cutting tools and body armor surrounding the building.

Shortly after the break-in, an ambulance arrived at the scene and a gurney was wheeled inside. It is still unclear who needed the help and why.

Venezuela had not authorized US authorities to enter the building, Vice-Minister for North American Relations, Carlos Ron, wrote on Twitter. Under the 1961 Vienna Convention, embassies are considered sovereign territory of the government they represent, making the action a violation of international law.

Despite the failure of self-declared interim president Juan Guaido to launch a coup last month, US authorities continue to recognize his government as the legal authority in Venezuela. A note on the building the day before the raid stated that the US doesnt recognize the authority of President Nicolas Maduros staff, and urged the activists to depart immediately.

Conflict between the activists inside the office and supporters of Juan Guaido intensified after the coup effort fell flat. Crowds of people opposed to Maduros government have been gathering outside the premises attempting to blockade the people inside from receiving food and other vital resources. Police arrested several people for attempting to throw food and hygiene supplies in, while authorities cut off the power and water supply.



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Manila has recalled its diplomats from Canada after Ottawa failed to reclaim truckloads of garbage that was dumped in the Philippines years ago. The move came after President Rodrigo Duterte threatened war if nothing changed.

Foreign secretary of the South Asian nation, Teodoro Locsin Jr, wrote on Twitter that until the North American state takes back its trash, the Philippines shall maintain a diminished diplomatic presence in Canada.

A Canadian company illegally dumped more than 100 containers of trash in the Philippines between 2013 and 2014. The Canadian government took the responsibility of shipping the trash back, but failed to meet the deadline.

The trash row intensified last month when Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte threatened Ottawa with war.

They have been sending their trash to us. Well, not this time. We will quarrel with each other. So what if we quarrel with Canada? Well declare war against them, we can beat them, he said.

Also on rt.com Duterte speech unexpectedly interrupted by giant COCKROACH (VIDEO)

In his tough rant, Duterte called for boats to be prepared to ship back the containers, advising Ottawa to prepare a grand reception, and suggesting that Canadians eat it if they want to.

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Huawei Technologies and 70 of its affiliates have been placed on a trade blacklist, the US Department of Commerce has confirmed, after President Donald Trump declared an emergency targeting telecoms owned by adversaries.

The addition of Huawei to the Entity List maintained by Commerce will make it more difficult for the Chinese telecom giant to buy parts and components from US companies and sell products in the US.

Also on rt.com National emergency: Trump bans Huawei & other adversary tech from US telecoms

Secretary Wilbur Ross announced the move on Wednesday, shortly after Trump made public an executive order declaring a national emergency over risks allegedly posed to US security buy information and communications technology owned, designed or operated by foreign adversaries.

Justifying the decision, Ross said the Commerce Department had reasonable basis to believe Huawei was engaged in activities that are contrary to US national security.

The blacklisting will mean that US suppliers will need a special license to trade with Huawei and its affiliates.

While it did not specifically name Huawei or China, Trumps emergency order is widely understood to have been written with them in mind, as the US seeks to erode Beijings lead in 5G telecommunications technology. Trump has said he cannot allow any other country to out-compete the US in the field of 5G technology, calling it a race America must win.

Also on rt.com All snooping is bad but some is worse: Why is Huawei a worry if its WhatsApp & Israel who messed up

For more stories on economy & finance visit RT's business section
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 16)  The head of the social justice arm of the Catholic Church in the country is asking the Commission on Elections to clear issues of alleged election fraud first before declaring winning senatorial candidates in the midterm polls.

In a release on the website of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) Wednesday, Caritas executive secretary Fr. Edwin Gariguez said, "We are calling to suspend the proclamation of winning senatorial candidates until the allegation of fraud is resolved,

The statement said they called for the probe after receiving reports of possible fraud due to glitches involving vote counting machines and transparency servers.

However, in an interview with CNN Philippines Newsroom Ngayon Thursday, Fr. Jerome Secillano, CBCP spokesperson cleared this was not the stand of the CBCP, but only by Gariguez.

"Malinaw naman na ito ay panawagan ni Fr. Gariguez, at sa aking pagkakaalam wala pa naman na tahasan na pagsuporta o kung anupaman na ibinibigay na mga kumento ang ating mga obispo," he said.

[Translation: It is clear that this is from Fr. Gariguez, and to my knowlege, bishops have not categorically supported this or have given any comment.]

Secillano said accusations of poll fraud happen every time there are elections, but what is important is the presence of evidence to support such claims.

"Kung napapakinggan natin puro lang mga ganitong kwento, at wala din naman tayo na nakikita  katulad ng sinabi ni James Jimenez  napakahirap din naman na tawaran mo yung kumbaga ay katotohanan na nangyari dito sa eleksyon," he added.

[Translation: While we all hear these kinds of stories but have not seen anything  like James Jimenez said  it is difficult to deny the truth of what happened in the elections.]

Meanwhile, Commission on Elections (COMELEC) Spokesperson James Jimenez told CNN Philippines they have not received a formal report from the CBCP-National Secretariat for Social Action regarding allegations of electoral fraud.

Jimenez said it must be substantiated before the poll body.

He added all independent parties in the election have not raised issues of fraud so far.

On Wednesday, COMELEC Commissioner Rowena Guanzon also told CNN Philippines that the supplier of secure digital (SD) cards used during the midterm polls would be questioned over apparent defective units.

Guanzon called the issue a "management problem," adding she would raise it with the Commission en banc where she would "insist" the suppliers not be paid in full and be penalized.

Gariguez' demand comes as the the Joint Congressional Oversight Committee on the Automated Election System said a probe into the midterm polls wil be conducted on June 4, according to its chairman, Senator Aquilino Koko Pimentel III.
British Airways said its new A350 aircraft business class Club Suite would fly to India later this year. "Bangalore will be the first city in India, and just the fourth destination on the airline's worldwide network, to welcome its new A350 aircraft," the airline said in a release.

The newly-branded Club Suite offers direct-aisle access, a door for greater privacy and luxurious flat-bed seats.

"As well as a new 56-seat Club World cabin, the three-cabin A350 will feature the latest World Traveller Plus (Premium Economy) cabin, with 56 seats... The World Traveller (economy) cabin offers 219 seats," the release said.
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India's largest air carrier IndiGo may not be in a tearing hurry to expand its international footprint to Europe and fill the gap created by the suspension of Jet Airways' operations.

Despite reports that the low-cost airline is looking at 'cut-price business class seats' for the European market, a senior official at IndiGo cautioned that flights to London 'remains an aspiration'.

Though the airline had received slots in London's Gatwick airport and despite reports that flights to the UK capital could begin from March, IndiGo has reviewed its plans.

"We don't want to hurry and go aggressive internationally. Look at Jet Airways, it paid the price," a senior official told Moneycontrol.

The executive recalled how Jet Airways had inducted 24 medium and long haul aircraft within two years, but was unable to deploy them profitably. "These included Airbus 330 and Boeing 777 aircraft. These were deployed in routes that were not profitable, and some of these were later stopped," the official said.

Jet Airways, which suspended its operations on April 17, used to have a Mumbai-Shanghai-San Francisco flight. But that ran for less than a year and was stopped in January 2009. Though there were plans to resume the services in 2016, it didn't fructify.

The airline had the biggest share in the international traffic from India, with about 15 percent of the market in 2017. Since then, its share had been reducing gradually. After suspending operations on April 17, Jet Airways' international rights are being distributed to its peers.

Many expect IndiGo to make the most of it. It had launched a Delhi-Istanbul flight in March and has a codeshare agreement with Turkish Airlines. Through the agreement, IndiGo passengers from India can fly to London on a Turkish Airlines flight.

At present, the airline flies to 18 international destinations. Immediate on its horizon are flights to Chinese cities: Chengdu and Guangzhou.

The most hype though has been around its plans for Europe. Along with London, IndiGo is said to have been looking at services to Paris too.

But it is clear that the airline doesn't want to hurry. The executive quoted above provided examples of Malaysia's low-cost airline AirAsia, which wanted to fly to London, but later pulled back.

Or WOW, Iceland's low-cost carrier, which also had to abandon its long haul aspirations after an initial aggressive burst to fly to far off destinations. The airline had also planned flights from India to the US, but dropped them.
Harini Subramani

Its three years since the Parliament passed the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, but its implementation is fraught with teething troubles. Endless delays in the resolution process under the code appear to be its Achilles heel. A recent report released by Crisil and Assocham has quoted Insolvency & Bankruptcy Board of India data which says for one-third of the 1143 cases under the corporate insolvency resolution process pending as on March 31, 2019, resolution has been ongoing for over 270 days. The fact that 94 cases resolved under the code took an average resolution time of 324 days highlights the work required to reduce this timeline.

The appointment of an additional 14 judicial members (technical members alone cannot constitute a bench as per the code) offers a sliver of hope in improving the efficiency of the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT). According to its website, there are 12 benches across India with 16 judicial members. However, not all the cases are fresh cases; some pertain to amalgamation and winding up and are transferred from the high courts.

Thats not all. In the Swiss Ribbons Judgement (Swiss Ribbons Pvt Ltd. & Anr vs Union of India & Ors), the Supreme Court directed the central government to set up circuit benches of the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) within six months from the date of the judgement (i.e January 25, 2019). In a response to an RTI query, the ministry of corporate affairs said that 6 additional posts of members of NCLAT have been created. It is still not clear where these circuit benches will be set up. It is also not known whether the ministry carried out a study to determine which areas require these circuit benches the most.

While these are welcome additions to the IBC infrastructure, the lack of adequate information utilities has handicapped the bankruptcy law. An information utility is a repository of financial information, such as records of debt, record of liabilities when a person is solvent, record of assets over which security interest has been created, and records of balance sheet and cash flow statement.

A report by four working groups set up by the ministry of corporate affairs to provide recommendations on the regulation of information utilities (IUs) highlighted the importance of this institution from a public policy perspective due to the high-quality authenticated information on debts and defaults they are to provide. Further, the members were convinced that this being a new industry, would create unanticipated innovations.

The Swiss Ribbons Judgement too notes that IUs not only reduce the information asymmetry but also may be treated as a prima facie evidence in proceedings under the code thereby improving the timelines in the resolution process. This judgement is otherwise silent on the procedural hassles that plague the system of information utilities.

That begs the question: In 3 years of the bankruptcy code, why hasnt there been enough impetus to push through more utilities? The code makes it mandatory for financial creditors to submit information to information utilities. One of the tribunal benches in fact required this procedure to be followed and later decided to dispense with the requirement at its discretion for certain financial creditors, possibly due to the lack of support infrastructure. There is much ambiguity that needs to be resolved.

Earlier this month, IBBI issued a discussion paper on information utility regulations. The paper clearly states that National e-Governance Services Ltd, the sole unit registered as an information utility, has expressed difficulties in the process of authenticating and verifying the information supplied to it. In order to remove this issue, the regulation is expected to change, based on the inputs received from stakeholders.

If one were to go back to the drawing board, two important issues need to be highlighted:

(a) It is practically not possible to get obtain information from all classes of financial creditors. It is perhaps easiest to receive such information from banks since such data may not be maintained by some other financial creditors. Therefore, it may be prudent to restrict the obligation to banks alone for the time being and revisit the obligation for other types of financial creditors as and when the financial markets mature.

(b) In some sense, the information utility appears to have a quasi-adjudicating role since the code obligates it to get concerned parties to authenticate the information. Information utilities should be free from such obligations.

No doubt any law, especially with multiple facets, takes its own time to bear results, but it would bode well to remember that endless delays can also result in pessimism derailing the value of a well-intentioned law.
The US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit ruled in favour of Dr Reddy's and its co-defendants Mylan and Lupin in litigation related to patents of arthritis pain reliever drug Vimovo.

The court's order will help Dr Reddy's and Mylan to launch the drug immediately, while Lupin will have to wait until approval of USFDA.

Dr Reddys had received a final USFDA approval to manufacture Esomeprazole Magnesium + Naproxen delayed-release tablets, a therapeutic equivalent to Horizon Medicines' Vimovo in September 2018. Vimovo had sales of around $67.6 million in 2018.

The case came up when Dr Reddy's filed an Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) before USFDA seeking approval to market a generic version of Vimovo in the US.

Horizon Medicines sued Dr Reddy's in the District Court of New Jersey alleging patent infringement related to the pharmaceutical compositions with an uncoated proton-pump inhibitor (Esomeprazole) and an enteric coated non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (Naproxen).

Dr Reddy's argued that the asserted patents were invalid as obvious and invalid for lack of enablement and written description. The district court ruled in favour of Horizon Medicines and upholding the validity of the patents.

Dr Reddy's appealed against the district court's judgement in the Federal Circuit.

The decisions of the Federal Circuit, particularly in regard to patent cases, are unique in that they are binding precedent throughout the US within the bounds of the court's subject-matter jurisdiction.

Federal Circuit rejected Horizon Medicines' argument that a description of how to make and use the claimed invention was sufficient for an adequate written description.

The Court reversed the district courts holding and declared the asserted patents invalid for lack of an adequate written description.

The Court also dismissed Nuvos cross-appeal.
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Hindalco Industries has reported a fall in standalone net profit of 37.4 percent at Rs 236 crore. The company had reported a profit of Rs 377 crore in a year ago period.

The company's standalone revenue was up 5.9 percent at Rs 12,373 crore against Rs 11,687 crore in Q4FY18.

Operating profit or Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) was down 13.7 percent at Rs 1,263 crore, while margin was down 230 bps at 10.2 percent.

The company's net profit including Utkal was down at Rs 506 crore against Rs 616 crore. However, revenue including Utkal was up at Rs 12,455 crore against Rs 11,687 crore.

EBITDA was down at Rs 1,733 crore, while margin was down at 13.9 percent.

Its aluminium EBITDA declined 33 percent at Rs 615 crore, while Copper EBITDA was down 4.3 percent at Rs 315 crore.

The company board recommended a dividend at 120 percent i.e. Rs 1.20 per equity share of face value of Re 1 each for the financial year ended March 31, 2019, subject to approval of the shareholders at the ensuing annual general meeting.

Satish Pai, Managing Director, Hindalco Industries said, Our FY19 consolidated profits reached an all-time high in spite of a difficult business environment. This resilient performance reflects the strength of our integrated business model, excellent operational capabilities, stable operations and our enriched product portfolio."

At 1351 hrs Hindalco Industries was quoting at Rs 192.55, up Rs 1.70, or 0.89 percent.
The ongoing trade war between the US and China will help India tap export opportunities in both the countries in areas such as garments, agriculture, automobile and machinery, according to trade experts.

Professor at Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT) Rakesh Mohan Joshi said the US has broadly targeted intermediate components from China, particularly machinery and electronics, whereas China is targeting American automotive and agricultural products including Soybean.

"These areas offer huge opportunities for India. Strong opportunity is unfolding for India in apparel and readymade garments as after China, India is the only country in the world to match the scale of operations and integrate its supply chain for global customers," Joshi said.

He added that India needs to make use of this opportunity to significantly enhance its exports especially in information and communications technology (ICT) and the automotive sector.

"To effectively harness the emerging opportunities, India needs a carefully crafted strategy and its meticulous implementation at the grass-roots level," he said.

Sharing similar views, the Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) said the trade war between the US and China is benefitting India.

FIEO President Ganesh Kumar Gupta said India's exports to the US went up by 11.2 per cent in 2018, while to China it rose 31.4 per cent in the same year.

"China is also more willing than ever before to provide better market access to India on a wide range of agriculture and processed food products. India would be getting better access to Chinese market as China would like to prove to its citizen that the tariff war has little or no impact on it," he said.

The US and China are significantly raising import duties on each others' products. In international commerce parlance, trade war means increasing import duties by trading partners.

Recently, the US increased import duties from 10 per cent to 25 per cent on $200 billion worth of Chinese imports. The US is demanding China to reduce the massive trade deficit which last year climbed to over $539 billion.

FIEO Director General Ajay Sahai said it is a "God-sent opportunity" for India to seek huge investments from companies located in China.

"All investments in China with prime focus on the US market may seek relocation and India would definitely be the option. There is a need to move aggressively to woo such investors before they are allured by others," Sahai said.

Assistant Professor and expert on agri economics, Chirala Shankar Rao, said India should work on tapping export opportunities in the agriculture sector in both the countries.

"Indian exporters have all the potential to increase agricultural exports in both these countries," Rao added.

Echoing similar views, Ludhiana-based exporter and FIEO former president S C Ralhan said enormous opportunities are there in the engineering and machinery sector in both the countries and "we have to tap that".

Council for Leather Exports Chairman P R Aqeel Ahmed said the trade war will help India increase footwear exports to the US. "India's footwear exports to the US currently is about $300 million and Chinese exports to the US is $11 billion. Even if we get 10 per cent of this, our exports to the US can grow four times," Ahmed said.

India's bilateral trade with China and the US stood at $89.71 billion and $74.5 billion, respectively, in 2017-18.
Rice export prices in top exporter India slid this week to their lowest in nearly seven months as demand continued to stagnate, while rates for Vietnamese rice dipped on expected increase in stockpiles after the summer harvest.

India's 5 percent broken parboiled variety was quoted around $362-$365 a tonne this week, down from last week's $371-$374 for a sixth weekly decline as it also came under pressure from depreciation in the rupee.

"Demand has dried up in the West African market, as they are sitting on high inventories," said Nitin Gupta, vice president for Olam India's rice business.

Aggressive selling of old inventories by China to African buyers is also weighing on prices, exporters said.

The rice-growing southern peninsula of India could receive 95% rainfall during the forthcoming monsoon, private weather forecaster Skymet said.

Meanwhile, neighbouring Bangladesh is planning to export surplus rice to protect farmers' interests, food minister Sadhan Chandra Majumdar said, amid growers' increasing frustration over low rice prices.

Farmers say that 40kg of paddy is being sold at about 500 taka ($5.90) against an average production cost of 700 taka, while the harvesting of the summer rice crop, known as Boro, is in full swing.

In Vietnam, rates for 5 percent broken rice fell to $355 a tonne on Thursday, compared with $365 a week earlier, on expectations that stockpiles will increase when the early harvest of the summer-autumn crop begins late this month.

"Rice exports from Vietnam this year are forecast to stay flat on last year but will gradually fall as the rice growing area is shrinks to give way to growing fruit trees," a senior official with the Vietnam Food Association told Reuters.

"Though Chinese importers have reopened the door to Vietnamese rice, it's not yet easy for Vietnamese exporters to boost their sales to China as several technical barriers are still in place," the official added, referring to regulations on quality management, packaging and origins.

Meanwhile, Thailand's benchmark 5-percent broken rice prices were unchanged at $385-$400 a tonne free on board (FOB) Bangkok.

But Thai traders said they were worried that Thai rice, currently priced higher than Vietnamese and Indian rice, is also losing competitiveness because the Thai baht is the strongest-performing currency in Asia this year.

The Thai Rice Exporters Association stood by its January forecast for Thailand to export 9.5 million tonnes this year, falling from last year's 11 million tonnes because of the strong baht.

Thailand's deputy commerce minister, Chutima Bunyapraphasara, on Wednesday said the country had exported 3.2 million tonnes of rice in the first four months of the year.
The Indian IT industry generates at least one lakh new jobs a year. But if you think that makes jobs readily available, the reality is different. That is because the industry, which employs more than four million people, has changed the way it hires. Basic skills are no longer in demand, and companies want candidates to be job-ready from day one.

At a time when the sector continues to be on a hiring spree, Moneycontrol looks into what has really changed in the way IT companies recruit. The five-part series looks at each emerging trend with a detailed lens.

Looking for an engineer, preferably with specialisation in the computer science segment, read a newspaper ad by an Information Technology (IT) sector major seven years ago. Today, IT firms are no longer looking for basic engineering school graduates for jobs. While these schools are still one of the avenues of hiring, companies are looking for niche skills to meet the changing demands of the business.

From the basic knowledge of the computer software that IT sector firms were looking for, it has moved to skills like data mining, cloud computing, artificial intelligence (AI) and blockchain development.

A recent study by online education company Simplilearn says that five of the top IT jobs of the future in India are data scientist, AI engineer, cloud architect, cyber-security expert, and digital project manager. Fresh graduates for these positions are most-preferred.

There is a widely-held view that the IT industry is facing a challenge around hiring employable professionals. To an extent, this is true because the services and solutions landscape is evolving so rapidly that one needs to constantly reinvent themselves to thrive in this environment, said Visweswara Rao, the senior vice president and chief human resource officer at IT services firm CSS Corp.

Why the change in stance?

Piyush Mehta, the chief human resources officer  Genpact, feels that the IT/ITeS industry is in the middle of a massive disruption and that nobody can really predict what the future holds. But, as emerging technologies continue to transform both the workforce and workplace of the future, he believes that the demand in skills will rapidly evolved too.

IT major Tata Consultancy Services, for instance, had in 2018 started a process to pay higher to candidates with better digital skills. These candidates were required to take part in a second stage of their online National Qualifier Test that required excellent coding skills.

Human resource consultants say that, across IT firms, the package is usually double for those with skills like SaaS, coding and cyber-security. A regular package for an entry-level graduate at IT firms is Rs 3-4 lakh per annum.

Considering that a majority of the firms in the IT/BPM sector have a presence in India and globally, it is imperative that the skill-sets of their employees match the international requirements. The key is to have an in-depth knowledge and think out of the box when it comes to problem solving.

Take SAP India for example. The company is in lookout for team members that love to experiment, think out of the box and drive initiatives that can contribute to the overall success of the company and in turn the industry.

Shraddhanjali Rao, the head of human resources  SAP India, says that the company looks for people in the field of core developers, UI experts, data sciences, consulting services, as well as sales. She adds that, with the changing technology landscape, their requirements has also evolved.

The more niche the skills, the better are the chances of finding employment in the IT sector. This is because not only is there is a huge demand-supply mismatch but companies also have a shorter turnaround time.

IT service management firm CSS Corps key focus is on the workforce that is able to solve complex customer problems. According to Rao from CSS Corp, to drive innovation from within, the firm hires professionals with expertise in technologies like Big Data, BigTable, Tensor Flow and Hadoop.

Building a strong understanding and grasp of next-gen technologies, problem-solving abilities, and communication skills are critical for growth within the industry. To sustain this constant learning process, professionals need to have a natural curiosity and fire in the belly to keep pushing their intellectual bar higher, said Rao.

Skills getting redundant faster

Estimates suggest that 40 percent of technology skills get redundant in two to three years. HR officials said that IT firms of all sizes had earlier mandated up-skilling after three years. Since the past three to four years only candidates with relevant skills are being hired.

For skills such as AI that command a premium salary, at least 30-35 percent job roles are vacant. Mehta of Genpact said that the ability to apply the best technologies and the new stack to solve business problems would carry a huge premium.

What is also important is to combine skills in new emerging technologies with depth of knowledge and skills in domain  for instance data science applied to pharmaceuticals, natural language understanding applied to wealth management, service orchestration applied to invoice processing, and so on, he added.

To ensure a steady flow of talent with specific skills, IT firms are also tying up with specialist education firms like NIIT so that just-in-time hiring is facilitated.

In-house facilities are also being utilised to ensure that a varied set of problems can be resolved in the shortest time. At CSS Corp, they have an innovation laboratory that has people serving across a wide section of functions, right from UX designers, extreme programmers, big data engineers, AI & NLP experts, data scientists, domain specialists and skilled professionals from diverse fields like linguistics and behavioural research.

Soft skills also matter

It is not just the technology knowledge that makes a difference. When technology skills are combined with on-ground ability to pick up softer skills depending on the job role, these candidates are the best fit for a job role.

At companies like Genpact, professional skills are increasingly becoming important to equip talent with leadership skills, collaboration skills and storytelling among others.

I strongly believe that curiosity, agility, and the willingness to experiment with new ways of doing things, will help prepare organizations for the future, added Mehta.

IT sector no longer has the age-old practice of allowing employees 16-18 months to settle into the companies by gaining the relevant skills. If you not ready on Day one, you will no longer be relevant. A mix of online and offline courses are being actively used to keep up with the needs.

(This is the third part of the series. The first part of the series talked about how hackathons are gaining popularity to hire talent, second looked at how H-1B visa issues under Trump administration could actually be a blessing in disguise for IT majors. Tomorrow, the fourth part of the series will look at the steps being taken by IT companies to boost gender diversity)
Barclays, Citigroup, JP Morgan, MUFG and Royal Bank of Scotland were fined a combined 1.07 billion euros ($1.2 billion) by the European Union on May 16 for rigging the multi-trillion dollar foreign exchange market.

The financial industry has been hit with billions of euros in fines worldwide over the last decade for the rigging of benchmarks used in many day-to-day financial transactions.

The European Commission said the banks formed two cartels to manipulate the spot foreign exchange market for 11 currencies, including the US dollar, the euro and the pound.

"These cartel decisions send a clear message that the Commission will not tolerate collusive behaviour in any sector of the financial markets," European Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager said in a statement.

The EU competition enforcer said most of the traders knew each other on a personal basis and set up chatrooms with names such as "Essex Express 'n the Jimmy" because all of them except "James" lived in Essex and met on their train commute to London.

One cartel ran between December 2007 to January 2013, while the other operated from December 2009 to July 2012, it added.

Swiss bank UBS was not fined as it had alerted the two cartels to the European Commission.

JPMorgan and RBS said they were pleased to have settled the cases and that they had made changes to their controls. JPMorgan said it related to the conduct of one former employee and RBS that it served as a reminder of how it had lost its way in the past.

MUFG said it had also taken measures to prevent a re-occurrence.

Barclays and Citigroup declined to comment.

A group dubbed the "Three Way Banana Split", made up of traders at UBS, Barclays, RBS, Citigroup and JP Morgan, was handed a fine totalling 811.2 million euros, with Citigroup taking the biggest hit at 310.8 million euros.

The Essex Express cartel involving UBS, Barclays, RBS and MUFG, was given a 257.7 million euro fine, with the penalty against Barclays the largest for this cartel at 94.2 million euros.
Pritam Kumar Patnaik

The crude oil prices ended the week on a weaker note, as the fall that triggered because of a larger than expected inventory, intensified after the US imposed 25 percent tariff on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods.

The US President went on to say that he would sharply hike tariffs on Chinese goods, leading to reciprocal action by the Chinese government and potentially derailing months of trade negotiations between the world's two largest economies, which would lead to stoking concerns over global growth.

Within the oil industry, there are signs of a further rise in output from the United States. The EIA forecasts 2019 US crude production to rise to 12.45 million barrels a day, up 0.5 percent from the April forecast.

This has made the United States the world's biggest producer, ahead of Russia and Saudi Arabia. On the supply side, the United States tightening sanctions on Iranian oil exports have already reduced Iranian crude exports by 50 percent over the past year, to less than 1 million barrels per day (bpd), with shipments to customers expected to drop further to as low as 500,000 bpd in May.

Meanwhile, hedge funds and other money managers have also cut their bullish wagers on the US crude oil. The speculator group cut its position by 18,689 contracts to 3,08,130 during the week ending 30 April 2019.

Looking ahead, prices could remain rangebound in the short run. Demand from China remained robust after data showed that crude oil imports in April rose to a record of 10.64 million barrels per day (bpd), an increase of 11% over last year.

However, investors will remain cautious after the US-China trade talks ended with no deal between the two countries. President Trumps administration has given one months time to the Chinese government to seal the deal or face further tariffs.

Thus, an existing supply squeeze due to embargoes on Iran and Venezuelan oil, which has led to heavy premiums in the spot market and a potential economic turmoil anticipated due to escalations in tariff talks between US and China, will lead to increased price volatility, till such time that proper resolution arrives on the trade talks.

The concerns over US-China trade war will bring down the crude oil following weakness in global growth.

The Brent July 2019 contract on ICE could remain within the range from $67-73/barrel in the week, while the NYMEX June 2019 contract could remain in a range of $59-64/barrel.

Technically, Crude Oil May 2019 contract, on the weekly chart, has formed spinning top candlestick which is a sign of bearish reversal. Crude oil price is taking support at its 200-day daily moving average (DMA) which is placed at Rs 4,302.

If it sustains above this level, then a bounce-back could be expected to Rs 4,470. Alternatively, if the crude oil prices break below Rs 4,300 then the prices can fall up to Rs 4,250 to Rs 4,100.

The daily momentum Indicators MACD & RSI remain bearish, which suggests a negative breath in the counter.

For the week, the strategy for crude May 2019 contract for the week is to sell on the rise in the range of Rs 4,350 to Rs 4,360 with a stop loss of Rs 4,460 and a target price of Rs 4,100.

The author is Head Commodities, Reliance Commodities.

: The views and investment tips expressed by investment expert on Moneycontrol.com are his own and not that of the website or its management. Moneycontrol.com advises users to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions.
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Homebuyers and lenders of Jaypee Infratech on May 16 started voting on NBCC's resolution plan to take over the embattled firm and complete the construction of over 20,000 flats.

The e-voting started at 12 pm and will end on May 19 at 8 pm, sources said, adding the results will be declared on May 20.

Some homebuyers complained that they had not received the e-mail with the voting credentials from CDSL e-voting portal.

To cast their e-vote homebuyers have to log on to www.jaypeeinfratechar.in

As many as 13 banks represent 40.71 per cent voting rights in the Committee of Creditors (CoC) while over 23,000 homebuyers have around 59 per cent vote.

Bowing to pressure from homebuyers, lenders of embattled firm Jaypee Infratech on Tuesday had decided to put to vote at the Committee of Creditors meeting held in the Capital on May 14, the revised resolution plan submitted by the governments construction arm NBCC from May 16 to May 19, sources said.

On Tuesday, Kuldeep Verma, the homebuyers representative in the CoC, insisted that the NBCC plan was viable and should be put to vote without further delay while lenders were of the view that it was not feasible. He also informed the committee that thousands of home buyers were in favour of voting on NBCCs revised bid, sources said.

Homebuyers had welcomed the decision. "After years of suffering at the hands of Jaypee and courts, the most important milestone has arrived  CoC has agreed to put NBCC resolution plan to vote," they said.

Bankers who participated in the CoC on Tuesday were opposed to putting the NBCC's bid to vote and were in favour of further negotiations. They even made a plea before the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal for a stay on the voting process but the NCLAT refused to stay voting by the creditors.

Sources said bankers had even proposed taking control of Jaypee Infratech and roping in NBCC as Project Management Consultant (PMC) to complete over 20,000 delayed flats. But they apparently did not have approval from their board for the plan, sources said.

Lenders have been opposed to the NBCC's bid as it had ruled out any changes to certain clauses that include exemption from tax liability in its revised offer.

Jaypee Infratech's Interim Resolution Professional (IRP) Anuj Jain too favoured that the voting process for NBCC's revised offer should go on.

Majority of home buyers are likely to vote in favour of NBCC bid but many also fear that lenders may reject it, abstain from it or perhaps opt for liquidation as they do not want to take up to 60 percent hair-cut against their claim of Rs 9,782 crore, sources said.

On May 13, a day before the Committee of Creditors (CoC) meeting, the governments construction arm NBCC decided against withdrawing certain clauses such as the exemption from tax liability, sources said.

At the last meeting, lenders had flagged serious concerns about the state-owned firm's conditional bid to take over embattled Jaypee Infratech and sought NBCC's reply by May 13.

In its revised offer, NBCC had 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.

But it had put several conditions for the implementation of its plan, including a demand to extinguish an estimated income-tax liability of Rs 33,000 crore over a period of 30 years arising out of the transfer of land parcels from Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA) to Jaypee Group.

Last Friday, lenders had written to the governments construction arm seeking clarifications on certain relief and concessions put forward by it in its resolution plan.

"NBCC has decided not to dilute the clauses on an exemption from income tax liability as well as taking consent of development authorities for the transfer of businesses. It has also not agreed to change its proposal that lenders should be given unsold flats in NBCC fails to sell them in the market due to prevailing real estate market conditions," sources had told Moneycontrol.

Sources had said NBCC will not withdraw the conditions mentioned in its bid as asked by the lenders since the company would need to get its board's approval, which will, however, not meet by May 13.

Lenders had sought clarifications from the NBCC after Jaypee Infratech's Interim Resolution Professional (IRP) Anuj 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 an e-voting process under the insolvency law.

Earlier, the lenders had not allowed a vote on the NBCC bid citing lack of approvals from the government departments. NBCC later received all mandatory approvals.

The court-mandated deadline for completing the resolution plan for Jaypee 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.

Besides NBCC, Adani Group has also shown interest to bid for Jaypee Infratech but creditors have not sought resolution plan from Adani so far.

Jaypee Group's promoters also have put in a bid, under Section 12A of Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, to retain control of the company.

In 2017, the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) admitted the application by an IDBI Bank-led consortium seeking resolution of Jaypee Infratech. In the first round of insolvency proceedings, the Rs 7,350 crore bid of Lakshdeep, part of Suraksha Group, was rejected by lenders as it was found to be substantially lower than the company's net worth and assets.

In October 2018, the IRP started a fresh initiative to revive Jaypee Infratech on NCLT's direction.

Jaypee Infratech is developing about 32,000 flats, of which it has delivered 9,500 units.

vandana.ramnani@nw18.com
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Differences have cropped up between IndiGo founders Rahul Bhatia and Rakesh Gangwal over expansion strategies and certain clauses of the shareholders' agreement, according to a report by the Economic Times.

The dispute has escalated over the last few weeks but none of the parties is considering legal options, the report said. The promoters have also so far not discussed the option of one buying the other out or exiting the airline.

A Mint report suggests that the dispute between the shareholders could be taken to the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT).

Gangwal and Bhatia have different strategies for expansion of the airline, the report said. The closure of troubled airline Jet Airways, besides the financial woes of Air India, has left a gap that provides an opportunity for other airlines.

While Bhatia prefers purchasing wide-bodied aircraft for international flights, Gangwal wants to stick to the narrow-bodied Boeing 737. Gangwal thinks codeshare agreements with foreign airlines are a better option.

The report did not mention the specific clauses of the shareholders' agreement that are causing a rift between the founders.

Law firms Khaitan & Co and J Sagar Associates are helping the founders come to an agreement. Ganwal and Bhatia have been clients of Khaitan & Co and J Sagar Associates, respectively, for a long time.

IndiGo CEO Ronojoy Dutta spoke about the speculation of the rift between the promoters in a statement to IndiGo employees.

"I want to assure you that the growth strategy of the airline remains unchanged and firmly in place, and the management is fully charged by the Board to implement it," Dutta said.

Speculation surrounding a rift between the IndiGo founders have been doing the rounds for several months.

Last year, media reports had suggested that Gangwal and Bhatia were not on the same page regarding CEO candidates after Aditya Ghoshs exit.

In December 2018, Moneycontrol reported that differences between the founders might explain the management rejig that took place.

In an interview with Moneycontrol around the same time, co-founder Bhatia had denied rumours of a rift.

IndiGo currently operates flights to seven international destinations  Singapore, Bangkok, Doha, Dubai, Kathmandu, Muscat, and Sharjah.

The airline had in December 2018 announced a codeshare agreement with Turkish Airlines.
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Shares of Ashok Leyland gained on the back of order win from Senegal to supply minibuses valuing Euro 10.06 million.

This order comes from Senbus Industries, a company assembling urban buses in Dakar.

The company has signed a contract for supplying 400 units of Ashok Leyland Eagle 916 Minibuses valuing Euro 10.06Mn. This order comes after the successful operation of 475 buses to Senegal's Dakar Dem Dikk, as per BSE filing.

Arijit Dutta Chowdhury, Vice President - Project 81 Defence Sales, International Operations, Ashok Leyland, said, " This order will be a starting phase to connect rural remote areas of Senegal to urban cities and to promote sustainable mobility. This will further empower the private transport sector in Senegal under AFTU."

At 10:25 hrs Ashok Leyland was quoting at Rs 82.50, up Rs 0.60, or 0.73 percent on the BSE.

For more market news, click here
Counting of votes in the 2019 Lok Sabha election, scheduled for May 23, will decide the electoral fate of 338 Members of Parliament (MPs) who are seeking re-election, among others.

A large number of these MPs who were elected in 2014 and are seeking re-election this time, have seen their assets grow substantially in the last five years.

Of these 338 legislators, an assessment of 335 re-contesting MPs assets, by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), has shown an average growth of 41 percent in the last five years. The ADR report did not analyse three re-contesting MPs as their affidavits from 2014 were either badly scanned or their complete affidavit was not uploaded to the Election Commission (EC)s website.

According to the report, average assets of these 335 re-contesting MPs across party lines and Independents, in 2014 was Rs 16.7 crore. This amount swelled by Rs 6.8 crore to Rs 23.6 crore in 2019. Moneycontrol could not independently verify the report.

Also read: 278 crorepatis, 170 with criminal cases to contest in Phase 7

The top three re-contesting MPs, who showed the highest increase in assets, belong to the Congress. Konda Vishweshwar Reddy, who was with Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) in 2014, showed an increase of more than Rs 366 crore (69 percent), in his assets during this period.

Reddy is followed by All India Congress Committee (AICC) General Secretary for Uttar Pradesh (West) Jyotiraditya Scindia, whose income increased from Rs 33 crore to Rs 374 crore. That is an increase of 1,032 percent during the five-year period.

Karnataka MP DK Suresh registered a 295 percent growth in assets, from Rs 85 crore to Rs 338 crore (295 percent increase).

Also read: In Pics | 10 sitting Lok Sabha MPs with highest assets

Other prominent faces were Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD)s Harsimrat Kaur Badal, who declared assets worth Rs 217 crore (102 percent increase). Actor-politicians Hema Malini and Shatrughan Sinha also showed increase in their assets by 41 percent and 47 percent, respectively, during the period.

The average asset growth for BJPs 170 re-contesting MPs was 34.97 percent, while that for Congress 38 MPs was 102 percent.

The average assets of re-contesting MPs from other political parties such as the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) witnessed a reduction. While TDPs 10 analysed MPs showed a decrease of 45 percent, AAPs two MPs showed a decline of 35 percent in their assets.
File image

Wait for the final tally in the Lok Sabha election, on the counting day, on May 23, could get a bit longer.

This is because of the Supreme Courts order to increase random matching of Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) slips with Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) from one booth to five booths in every Assembly segment.

The result could get delayed by four hours or till the morning of May 24, according to a report by NDTV that cites an election officer.

Deputy Election Commissioner Sudeep Jain, who is in charge of VVPATs, told NDTV that matching VVPAT slips in one booth takes about an hour on an average.

If the procedure is extended to four more booths, an additional four hours will be needed. So, the final results will be declared by the evening or latest by May 24 morning, Jain added. Moneycontrol could not independently verify the report.

The VVPAT system, which is being used for the first time in a general election, enables allows the voters to verify that their votes are cast as intended. It is an independent system attached to the EVM. When a vote is cast, a slip is printed on the VVPAT printer containing the serial number, name and symbol of the candidate and remains exposed through a transparent window for seven seconds. Thereafter, this printed slip automatically gets cut and falls in sealed drop box of the VVPAT.

Also read: What are VVPAT machines? Are they better than EVMs and ballot papers?

Ahead of the elections, leaders of 21 Opposition parties had sought matching of 50 percent VVPAT with EVMs. A bench headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Ranjan Gogoi, however, did not agree to the request on the ground that it will require huge manpower and not be feasible in view of infrastructural difficulties.
Representative Image

Ali Ahmed

The resurfacing of Al Baghdadi, the leader of the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant or ISIS, when he took credit for the worst terror attacks in South Asia, the Easter Day attacks in Sri Lanka which killed 258 people and injured more than 500, is indicative that though United States President Donald Trump declared victory over the ISIS in end-February, the terror entity is not quite history as yet.

It is unlikely to be defeated with finality any time soon since it finds conflict zones fertile grounds for thriving in. Such zones are aplenty in the region ever since the US chose to deploy the extremist philosophy of Saudi origin, Wahabbism, as a mobilisation tool to entrap the erstwhile USSR in Afghanistan in the eighties. Today, Afghanistan is site for pockets of ISIS presence, confined by Talibans ethnic-nationalist, rather than pan-Islamist, insurgency in Afghanistan.

Even as Kashmir continues to see unrest, this does not amount to ISIS being at Indias doorstep. Given that it has been seeing continuous conflict, Kashmir could attract the ISIS sympathetic and self-serving attention; in turn, its once-ascendant star may have attracted disaffected Kashmiris youth surfing social media, its recruiting ground. However, thats as far as ISIS has gotten to yet.

Over the past five years there have been overblown reports of ISIS activity in Kashmir. Black flags made an appearance in some street demonstrations. Terror mastermind Zakir Musa, currently with an Al-Qaeda-inspired outfit, once advocated the caliphate. For his pains, he was roundly criticised for weakening the political dimensions of the Kashmir problem and expelled from his position as local leader of the Hizb-ul-Mujahedeen.

Over the turn of the year, masked youth appeared at Srinagars historic Jamia Masjid after the Friday prayers waving ISIS flags, prompting a rally the following Friday by the separatist conglomerate, the Hurriyet, against what they claimed was an attempt by unspecified forces to way-lay their indigenous movement for self-determination. For its part, the Pakistan-sponsored Lashkar-e-Toiba pointed to Indian agents being behind the incident.

The latest instance of ISIS rising its head is in its designating Kashmir as Wilaya-e-Hind, a province of a to-be caliphate. Earlier, Kashmir was on the radar of the ISIS-affiliate overseeing its supposed Khorasan province that includes Afghanistan.

The claim was made immediately after security forces killed the last known surviving member of the Islamic State in Jammu and Kashmir (ISJK). The ISJK had only a handful of self-proclaimed cadre to begin with and no links with West Asia. It was wiped out in successive operations over the past two years, while two alleged associates were caught in the mainland.

The police has thus rightly characterised the ISIS announcement as propaganda, since there are no ISIS remnants in Kashmir. The claim is a clear bid to break out of its current status as a virtual threat confined to cyber space.

Not having made inroads in Kashmir even when at its height and when the post-Burhan Wani phase was at its peak, a return of ISIS under improved conditions of today is unlikely.

Besides, the last ISIS-affiliated terrorist was also known for switching terror groups from time-to-time, and took to terrorism after reportedly being tortured by security forces. Another fighter was reportedly disgruntled at losing a cousin in police firing. This indicates motives other than radicalism, pointing to a magnification of radicalisation as threat.

The Kashmir police was apt in rejecting the allegation by the Sri Lankan army chief that the Easter Day terrorists had visited Kashmir, there being no record of the visit. The image of Kashmir as a hot-bed of radicalism does not square with the politics of Kashmir rooted as they are in an inter-state territorial dispute.

Hyping of any ISIS mention in the media appears in Kashmir as motivated attempts to tarnish the movement. Likewise, strategic commentary taking ISIS claims at face-value betrays a confirmation bias, useful as it is for points-scoring against Pakistan. Electoral dividend is also sought by motivated political forces feeding into an anti-Muslim discourse as part of a Right-wing project of Other-ing Muslims. There is danger of reports of ISIS being manipulated to continue with a militarised status quo. Placing it in perspective is necessary.

Even so, it takes merely a handful of terrorists to perpetrate horrendous outrages, such as the Easter Day attacks and the Mumbai 26/11 attacks. Vigilance is inescapable. It would be denial to believe that the politics and insurgencies in India provide no opportunity for attention of nefarious forces. Alongside, therefore, root causes must be addressed.

The United Nations plan of action for prevention of violent extremism provides a comprehensive framework of response. The report says, Urgent measures must be taken to resolve protracted conflicts.

This underscores the necessity to bring back a political track to complement the military prong of strategy in Kashmir. Therefore, ending the conflict in Kashmir can best preserve it from the proverbial evil eye.
Congress president Rahul Gandhi on May 16 took out a roadshow in the Bihar capital and said if voted to power, his party will provide a government which considered the people as maalik (masters). Maalik aap ho (you are the masters).

When we form the government we will not be asking you to listen to our 'mann ki baat', rather we will always look towards you for your inputs as your mann ki baat based on which our policies would be formulated, Gandhi said upon the conclusion of the roadshow wherein he was joined by local Congress candidate Shatrughan Sinha and alliance partner RJDs Tejashwi Yadav among others.

Modi had promised to the people of India five years ago that he will be against corruption. I challenge Modi to listen to the people of Patna and hear what they have to say about him, said the Congress president before making the crowds chant Chowkidar chor hai a slogan he has been repeatedly using to rankle the BJP over the Rafale deal and the scams which have rocked public sector banks.

Coming down heavily on the Modi government for the demonetization drive of 2016 when Rs 500 and Rs 1000 crore notes were invalidated, Gandhi said pointing towards the dozens of furniture shops situated in the Kadam Kuan area of the city - it is not just farmers, but also small businessmen like these who were hit by notebandi.

Anything of the sort will never be done by us as we will be taking our decisions by consulting the people, taking their feedback about their own needs.

We will also reform the GST which at present has created more problems than it could solve, a reason why I call it Gabbar Singh Tax, Gandhi said. I am told that Shatrughan Sinha's home is just a stones throw from this place. He is the pride of Bihar. You all have come out in huge numbers. Please show the same enthusiasm in voting for him on the polling day, Gandhi said.

The Congress president arrived in the city from Bikram in Pataliputra Lok Sabha constituency where he addressed a rally in support of Lalu Prasad's eldest daughter Misa Bharti.

His helicopter landed at the Moin-ul-Haq Stadium in Rajendra Nagar area from where he moved in a procession, perched atop an open roof vehicle with Sinha, Yadav and other leaders by his side and workers from all parties constituting the Mahagathbandhan marching along carrying their respective flags.

Slogans calling Rahul Gandhi the next Prime Minister reverberated as the roadshow moved at a snail pace towards Kadam Kuan, a couple of kilometres from the point where it originated.

As the rally concluded, Yadav raised the slogan 23 May, Bhajpaa gayee (BJP will be gone on May 23) and took potshots at Chief Minister Nitish Kumar saying paltu chacha bhagao Bihar bachao (save Bihar by driving away uncle turncoat).

Sinha, who was visibly moved by the huge turnout, said the crowd today is at least ten times bigger than what was witnessed at the roadshow of BJP president Amit Shah last week.

The BJP, which has become a one man show and two man army, had said that Shahs roadshow was intended to make me show my aukaat (worth).

Today, the people of Bihar is showing them their aukaat and they would be doing so again on May 19 when votes will be cast, Sinha who seeks to retain Patna Sahib seat for the third consecutive term, said.

The actor-politician is locked in an intense contest at Patna Sahib seat, that will see voting in the last phase on May 19, with Union minister and BJP candidate Ravishankar Prasad.
File image: RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav

A coalition of progressive parties will come together to form the next government and Congress president Rahul Gandhi will play a "central role" in the formation of the new dispensation, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav said on May 16.

Asserting that the BJP has failed to deliver on its slogans, including 'achche din', 'kala dhan vapsi (return of black money)' and 'beti bachao beti padhao', he alleged that the party has intensified its "hate-filled politics" to avoid being questioned on its promises.

Yadav, whose Rashtriya Janata Dal is fighting the polls in Bihar in alliance with the Congress, Rashtriya Lok Samta Party, Hindustan Awam Morcha and Vikasshil Insan Party, also claimed the 'mahagathbandhan' will sweep the polls in the state.

"Those who colluded in flouting people's mandate will be defeated. Uttar Pradesh and Bihar have always been key to forming central governments, that will not change," he told PTI in an interview.

"... I recognise that there is a strong anti-incumbency wave across India and each state will count," he said.

His remarks come ahead of the seventh and the final phase of the Lok Sabha polls on May 19 when polling will be held in eight constituencies in Bihar -- Nalanda, Patna Sahib, Pataliputra, Arrah, Buxar, Sasaram, Karakat and Jahanabad.

Yadav, the younger son of RJD supremo Lalu Prasad, also expressed confidence that a coalition of progressive parties will come together to form the government at the Centre.

Asked if Gandhi is the best bet among opposition leaders to lead the country as prime minister, Yadav said the Congress chief has shown "great maturity" in his style of leadership.

"He mounted a very spirited and...a truly pan India criticism of the Narendra Modi government's policies. So yes, I feel he will be playing a central role in the formation of the new government," the former Bihar deputy chief minister said.

"Rahul ji is the president of India's oldest party, he has been a parliamentarian for the last 15 years, and five chief ministers are working under his able leadership. You tell me why he is not more suitable than the current PM," he asked.

At a rally in Samastipur last month, Yadav also urged people to make Gandhi the prime minister.

Asked if the RJD will back Gandhi's name for prime minister if the opposition gets the required numbers, the RJD leader said, "I have been repeating it for months now. He (Gandhi) has been very consistent in providing an alternative vision of governance with 'Nyay' (justice) and that is in sync with our core philosophy."

Yadav also slammed the BJP for its narrative during the election campaign, alleging that in contrast to the 2014 polls when the promise of 'achche din' was the BJP's plank, Modi has been grappling with various tropes but has not been able to rally the people around any one narrative.

"Anybody who is paying attention to social media in India today or has bothered to talk to the unemployed, daily wage poor, the middle-class salaried people, or the farmers, would know that the BJP, and PM Modi personally, have not been able deal with the anti-incumbency sentiments among these segments of Indian voters," he claimed.

The BJP put in efforts in intensifying its brand of "hate-filled politics" because it cannot afford to remind the electorate of the slogans around "achche din, kala dhan, beti bachao etc", the 29-year-old leader said.

Yadav asserted that there is a wave against the Modi government and not an undercurrent.

"If a wave is not shown on television, does it become an undercurrent? History will judge the opposition mounted by the 'gathbandhan' parties in the face of intimidatory tactics of the BJP -- the way they used state institutions to wage a war against the opposition and employed cheap tactics such as denying basic rights such as bail to popular leaders like Lalu Yadav ji," he said.

To a question on whether the results will surprise poll pundits, Yadav said: "I'm sure the more experienced among them must be used to being surprised."

According to the seat-sharing arrangement among 'mahagathbandhan' constituents in Bihar, the RJD was given 20 seats, out of which it gave one to CPI(ML) and the Congress is contesting on nine. Upendra Kushwaha's Rashtriya Lok Samata Party is fighting on five seats with former Bihar chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi's Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) and Mukesh Sahni's Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) contesting three seats each.

The 'mahagathbandhan' in Bihar is up against the NDA. As per the seat sharing deal of the NDA, the JD(U) and the BJP are contesting 17 seats each, while Ram Vilas Paswan's Lok Janshakti Party is contesting the remaining six seats.
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Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said May 16 that by asking the caste of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the opposition is plotting to weaken the country.

Training guns at the Congress, he said the party ignored farmers, soldiers and the youth during the UPA regime.

Adityanath said due to foreign policy of the Modi-led dispensation at the Centre, India is globally known for its power.

"Now the terrorists are also aware of the fact that because of the stringent rules, they cannot even think of harming our country," he said.

The chief minister said the BJP is committed towards the development of the country and in the last five years, the party has worked for the marginalised sections of society.

"By asking the caste of Modi, the opposition is plotting to weaken the country. The PM has extended the benefits of government schemes like concrete houses, gas, electricity and toilets, etc. to crore of poor families without any discrimination," he said.

Before the last phase of polling in the state, Adityanath addressed two rallies in Gehmar of Ghazipur and Gulhariya of Pipraich on Thursday.

"SP-BSP goons were occupying the land during their government's tenure but when we came in power, we freed the land and opened hospitals, cow shelters and leased out the remaining land to the poor," he claimed.

"Gorakhpur fertilizer factory, which is going to start soon, will not only create job opportunities for the youth but farmers will get benefited too," Adityanath said.
After the elections for Goa's two Lok Sabha seats, the BJP and the Congress are preparing for a face-off in the bypoll for Panaji Assembly constituency, which was held by former chief minister Manohar Parrikar.

The bypoll was necessitated after Parrikar's death in March.

Refusing ticket to the late chief minister's son, Utpal, the BJP has fielded former MLA Siddharth Kunkolienkar.

Kunkolienkar has represented the seat in the absence of Parrikar in 2015 and 2017 assembly elections, when the latter was the Union defence minister.

He is pitted against Congress's Antanasio Monserratte, a former minister in state governments led by Parrikar and Digambar Kamat.

In the 2017 Goa Assembly elections, Kunkolienkar had defeated Monserratte, who had contested as an Independent and was supported by the Congress.

Parrikar wrested Panaji seat from the Congress 25 years ago and had held on it strongly ever since.

In the absence of strongman Parrikar, the BJP is leaving no stone unturned to reach out to the electorate.

Chief Minister Pramod Sawant is camping in the state capital and has been seen mingling with the morning crowd at Mirmar beach on several occasions.

Both the parties are confident of winning.

While the Congress hopes to benefit from the BJP's decision to not field Utpal, Kunkolienkar is counting on Parrikar's legacy and the development work done by the BJP government.

"With Utpal in the contest, the fight would have been difficult for us. Not that we would have lost the election, but the difficulty level would have been certainly high. Now, it's an easy run for us," Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) president Girish Chodankar told PTI.

Kunkolienkar is also upbeat about his chances.

"We have our target fixed. We want to poll 10,000 votes and that will give us a winning margin. We are confident of getting it," he said.

Panaji has 22,000-plus voters, of which 15,000 turned up for voting in the last assembly elections.

Ahead of the election, the two parties have also been trading barbs, with the BJP playing up the criminal cases against Monserratte and the Congress accusing Kunkolienkar of corruption.

Monserratte was booked in May 2016 for allegedly raping a minor girl. He is also facing a case for allegedly leading a mob which pelted stones at the Panaji police station in 2010.

On the other hand, the Congress has been targeting Kunkolienkar for alleged corruption in the 'Smart City' project.

"It's a fight between a person with character and (a) characterless (person)," Sawant said, referring to the cases against Monserratte.

"People will vote to respect Parrikar and his vision for development, which we are taking ahead," he said, adding that the BJP has a strong presence in the constituency and will win the seat comfortably.

Defending himself, Monserratte claimed he had been framed in the two cases.

"I was framed in both the cases. I know who framed me and I will expose them in due course of time. Both the cases are before the court and I have full faith in the judiciary," the former minister told PTI.

The BJP faces another challenge -- former state Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Subhash Velingkar, who is contesting on Goa Suraksha Manch (GSM) ticket.

The GSM is the political outfit he launched after he was sacked from the RSS -- considered the BJP's ideological parent.

A former aide of Parrikar, Velingkar has been active in Panaji constituency for over three decades.

Voting for Panaji bypoll will be held simultaneously with the seventh and final phase of Lok Sabha elections on May 19.
The Opposition DMK in Tamil Nadu on May 16 criticised the Election Commission for curtailing campaigning in West Bengal by 20 hours, throwing its weight behind West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee-led TMC.

DMK President MK Stalin alleged the EC had different set of rules for the "ruling party", apparently referring to the BJP, and the opposition.

"Ban on campaign in nine constituencies in #WestBengal. The EC has one set of rules for the Opposition and another for the ruling party. Highly condemnable," he said in a tweet.

In first such action in India's electoral history, the EC had on May 15 ordered campaigning in nine West Bengal constituencies to end at 10 pm on Thursday, a day before its scheduled deadline, following violence between BJP and TMC workers in Kolkata during a roadshow by the saffron party chief Amit Shah.

The EC had invoked Article 324 of the Constitution to curtail the campaigning for the last phase of the election on May 19.

Stalin had earlier attended a TMC sponsored mega rally of opposition parties in Kolkata.

Referring to the vandalism of a bust of 19th century Bengali icon Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, Stalin said the "BJP follows a typical pattern".

"The BJP follows a typical pattern. Vandalises Periyar statue in Tamil Nadu and (that of) Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar in West Bengal," he said.

A BJP worker had been arrested for damaging a statue of the Dravidian icon in Tamil Nadu last year, following which he was expelled from the party.

Further, BJP National Secretary H Raja had also courted controversy when he supported the removal of statues of the social reformer in Tamil Nadu.

His remarks had been made in the aftermath of a statue of Communist icon, Vladimir Lenin, being pulled down in Tripura after the BJP government assumed power in that state last year, unseating the decades-old Left front government.
Varanasi came under limelight in 2014 after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) declared that Narendra Modi will contest from the holy city as his second seat in the Lok Sabha elections. Modi, the then Gujarat chief minister, made this general election debut by contesting from both Vadodara and Varanasi parliamentary seats. (Image: Reuters)

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)s National Convener Arvind Kejriwal also jumped into the electoral battle and contested against Modi from Varanasi. Kejriwal faced vociferous protest from BJP workers, who allegedly threw eggs and ink at his cavalcade. (Image: Reuters)

The Indian National Congress fielded legislator Ajai Rai from the constituency, over senior leaders such as Digvijaya Singh, who had offered to contest against Modi. Campaigning for Rai, then Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi had held a roadshow in the city. (Image: Reuters)

BJP workers campaigned for Modi after he did not get permission to campaign in the city. The cadre, draped in saffron, campaigned heavily for Modi across the constituency. (Image: Reuters)

On May 12, 2014, voters in Varanasi cast their ballots to pick their next Member of Parliament (MP). The total voter turnout reached a record 58.31 percent, against what was less than 43 percent in previous general elections in 2009. (Image: Reuters)

Modi was announced as the winning candidate from Varanasi when the election result was announced on May 16. He defeated Kejriwal by a margin of over 3 lakh votes. Modi secured around 5.8 lakh votes while Kejriwal won just over 2 lakh votes. Congress Rai managed to bag just over 75,000 votes. (Image: Reuters)
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee

A day after violence marked BJP chief Amit Shah's roadshow in Kolkata, Union minister Narendra Tomar Wednesday alleged that Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee was trying to trample her political opponents, sensing her defeat in the Lok Sabha polls.

"The base of Trinamool Congress is violence and it is heading for a defeat in the ongoing Lok Sabha polls. She is totally flustered and that is why she is throwing the Constitution, law and protocol to the wind and trying to trample her opponents," Tomar told reporters here.

"I strongly condemn the act of instigating the riot to stop the BJP chief's roadshow," he said, adding that Banerjee should remember that his party has come out stronger whenever it was oppressed.

He said the TMC would lose badly and the BJP would come to power with a huge mandate on May 23.

"It is unfortunate for WB that earlier the Communist parties had resorted to dictatorship there," he added.

He said Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra had no right to speak against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the BJP and corruption.

"The country has already decided that it does not need a tainted person, but strong Modi as the PM," he said.
Rallying behind Mamata Banerjee, BSP supremo Mayawati on May 16 charged that the West Bengal chief minister is being targeted as part of a conspiracy to divert attention from failures of the Modi government.

It is now clear that under the present Chief Election Commissioner, Lok Sabha polls are not being held in a totally free and fair manner, the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister told reporters here.

The Election Commission curtailed campaigning in West Bengal under pressure of central government, she further charged.

The Election Commission on May 15 ordered campaigning in nine West Bengal constituencies to end at 10 PM on May 16, a day before its scheduled deadline, in the wake of violence between BJP and TMC workers in Kolkata.

Deputy Election Commissioner Chandra Bhushan Kumar had said that it was for the first time that such an action has been taken using constitutional powers of the poll panel.

The EC's action came after parts of Kolkata witnessed widespread violence during BJP president Amit Shah's massive road show in the city. A bust of 19th century Bengali icon Ishwarchandra Vidyasagar was also vandalised during the violence.

The order said it has been brought to the notice of the Commission that there have been growing incidents of disruption and violence during the political campaigns and processions in West Bengal during the ongoing elections.

The EC invoked Article 324 of the Constitution to curtail the campaigning for the last phase of the election on May 19.

The constituencies where campaigning has been curtailed are -- Dum Dum, Barasat, Basirhat, Jaynagar, Mathurapur, Diamond Harbour, Jadavpur, Kolkata Dakshin and Kolkata Uttar.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said his government was committed towards Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar's vision and promised to install his grand statue at the same spot in Kolkata where it was vandalised by "TMC goondas".

While lashing out at Mamata Banerjee, the prime minister said he was going for a rally in Dum Dum later in the day but was not sure if the West Bengal Chief Minister will allow his helicopter to land.

Addressing an election rally here, Modi said,"The statue of Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar was broken by TMC goondas during the road show of BJP President Amit Shah. Those involved in this act should be given strong punishment".

He said a grand "panch dhatu" (made up of five metals) statue of Ishwar Chand Vidyasagar will be installed at the same spot to give a befitting reply to TMC workers.

Kolkata witnessed wide-spread violence during BJP president Shah's massive road show Tuesday. A bust of 19th century Bengali icon Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar was vandalised during the violence.

Hitting back at BSP supremo Mayawati, who had attacked him over violence in West Bengal, Modi said, "The manner in which the West Bengal government has been targeting UPiites, Biharis and those from Purvanchal, he thought Behenji will give a befitting reply but she is more concerned about power".

The prime minister said he is going to Bengal later in the day and added that "anarchy was spread by TMC workers during his earlier meetings there in West Midnapore and Thakurnagar".

"I have a rally in Dum Dum. Let's see if Didi allows it, if she has her way she will not allow the helicopter to land, Modi said.

Lashing out at the SP-BSP alliance, he said those raising "Modi-hatao slogans are today frustrated.Uttar Pradesh has made their arithmetic all wrong and so their abuses have increased".

"Mahamilavatis want somehow to get 'khichdi' govt at Centre which can be blackmailed for their needs," he said.
Congress president Rahul Gandhi Thursday met a Dalit woman who was allegedly gang-raped in front of her husband in Rajasthan's Alwar district, party sources said.

Gandhi was accompanied by Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, deputy CM Sachin Pilot and Congress national general secretary Avinash Pandey, they said.

He was earlier scheduled to arrive here Wednesday.

On April 26, six miscreants 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.

An FIR was lodged on May 2 and the accused circulated a video clip of the crime on May 4.

Subsequently, five accused, who allegedly raped the woman, and the one who shot and circulated the video clip, have been arrested.

The incident triggered widespread protests in Alwar, Jaipur, Dausa and nearby areas and a protest march led by BJP's Rajya Sabha MP Kirori Lal Meena had turned violent in Dausa on Tuesday, leaving over half a dozen people injured.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BSP supremo Mayawati and other leaders have condemned the incident.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has urged people of the Bihar capital to vote for BJP candidate from Patna Sahib, Ravi Shankar Prasad, calling him the 'pairokar' (advocate) for Ram temple.

His achievements as Union minister also included a clampdown on triple talaq and improved connectivity through Digital India, the BJP leader said at an election meeting in the city late on Wednesday night.

He is not only the pairokar of Ram temple but also the man responsible for ensuring justice to 'aadhi aabadi' (half the population a Hindi colloquial used to describe women) by attacking the custom of triple talaq, the UP chief minister said evoking frenzied applause from the crowd.

I am thankful that you waited till so late to hear me. It was important for me to come here since you are going to elect a person who is needed by millions of Ram Bhakts across the country, he said.

Prasad, who is pitted against sitting MP and Congress candidate Shatrughan Sinha, was the counsel for one of the petitioners in the Ayodhya title suit which was decided by the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court in 2010, the appeal against which is pending before the Supreme Court.

As Law minister, he had played a crucial role in introducing the controversial ordinance making triple talaq punishable with imprisonment which was opposed by NDA partners like the JD(U) which was followed by a bill in Parliament, where it met with stiff resistance.

The UP chief minister, who heads the Gorakhnath Dham shrine of Gorakhpur, also praised Prasad who holds the IT and telecommunication portfolio before training his guns at Trinamool Congress supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

In Bihar, which is ruled by JD(U), BJP and LJP together, the environment is very good. But today I am coming from a state (West Bengal) where law and order has collapsed, chaos prevails and there is dictatorship in the guise of democracy, Adityanath said on a day when the EC cut short the campaign period in West Bengal in the wake of violence between BJP and TMC workers in Kolkata. The BJP leader claimed that he had three rallies scheduled in West Bengal earlier this week, permissions for which were denied.

I said permission had been withdrawn in an immoral way. I will come to Bengal and urge its people to dislodge from power a government which believes in such high- handedness. Finally, I got permissions to hold rallies on Wednesday which, they ensured, reached me late so that it became difficult for me to visit the venues, he said. Nevertheless, I addressed the rallies before coming here.

"You all have seen how Amit Shahs roadshow was attacked... The Trinamool Congress, Lalu Prasad's RJD in Bihar these are all birds of a feather (ek hi thaili ke chatte batte). The entire country is reverberating with the cry 'Phir ek baar Modi Sarkaar'. And this is why all these opponents of the BJP are in panic, the BJP leader said.

Patna Sahib goes to polls, along with seven other Lok Sabha seats of Bihar, in the final phase of general elections on Sunday.
Image: Unsplash/Jack B

An 11-year-old from New Zealand recently made headlines after she had expressed her interest to research on dragons.

Identified as Victoria, the little girl was so keen on starting real research work on dragons that she even tried to bribe Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern to launch the programme. Thats not all; the little thinker also requested for some study on telekinesis on the side.

In a note addressed to the prime minister, she explained that she wants the research work to commence soon so that she can grow up and become a dragon trainer. Her letter was accompanied by a $5 New Zealand currency note as bribe money.

However, Ardern returned the money and informed that taking on such a research project would not really be feasible.

Keeping up with the spirit of the girl, Ardern wrote in a letter addressed to Victoria: We were very interested to hear your suggestions about psychics and dragons, but unfortunately we are not currently doing any work in either of these areas! I am therefore returning your bribe money, and I wish you all the very best in your quest for telekinesis, telepathy, and dragons.

People got talking about this cute exchange when Victorias brother shared a photo of the letter and the returned cash on Reddit late last week, stating that his little sister tried to bribe Jacinda.

Upon being questioned by other curious users of the platform, he explained that she wanted the government to make her telekinetic when they are able to. She also wanted to find out what they know about dragons and if they had found any yet, so she could train them.

According to a report by the National Public Radio, Victoria got the idea of developing a telepathic communication with dragons after watching popular Netflix series Stranger Things. In the show, one of the lead characters has telepathic powers.

Ardern, who definitely didnt want to drown the spirit of the young girl or burst her bubble, concluded the letter with a handwritten postscript reading: P.S. I'll still keep an eye out for those dragons. Do they wear suits??
A Sanskrit lecturer of Madya Pradeshs Vikram University in Ujjain was suspended by the Congress-led government on disciplinary grounds after he had predicted a massive victory for the Bharatiya Janata Party in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections.

The state governments Higher Education Department recommended disciplinary action to be taken against the educator under the MP Universities Act, 1973.

Rajeshwar Shastri Musalgaonkar claimed to have made the prediction based on astrology and shared it on his Facebook timeline on April 29. He wrote: BJP 300 ke paas aur NDA 300 ke paar (BJP will get near 300 seats and NDA more than 300).

The lecturer, however, stated that he was politically neutral and that he did not wish to benefit any political party through his prediction. He also said the post was in response to a students query.

According to a report by the Indian Express, a Youth Congress worker from Ujjain filed a complaint with the district returning officer, claiming that, if a government employee made predictions of poll win, it implied his/her inherent bias towards that particular party, thus violating the Model Code of Conduct. This made it a punishable offence under the MP Civil Services (Conduct) Rules.

Following this, the district returning officer wrote to the divisional commissioner and sought the suspension of the lecturer. Eventually, on May 7, Musalgaonkar was suspended and attached to another department.

The 55-year-old head of the department of Sanskrit-Ved-Jyotirvigyan has claimed that astrology is a science of possibilities and probabilities. Therefore, the prediction he made was based on an analysis of the current political scenario, as well as the impact the celestial bodies on various political parties.

Moreover, he claimed that the comment was posted on Facebook by his student, who was using his phone without his knowledge. The moment someone brought the post to my knowledge I deleted it and apologised for it, he added.

The lecturer also alleged that he was not given a chance to present his case properly and, therefore, would move the High Court to upend the suspension order.

Meanwhile, Madhya Pradesh Youth Congress Secretary Babloo Khinchi said, after Musalgaonkar had made the prediction, a BJP worker tweeted the same to influence voting.
Samsung had delayed the launch of its foldable smartphone after displays of a few review units started breaking or blacked out. The Galaxy Fold was supposed to release in the US and some European countries starting April 26 but was indefinitely delayed. Samsung has reportedly investigated the problem and fixed any issues found in the Galaxy Fold.

According to a report by SamMobile, Samsung has made three significant improvements in the Galaxy Fold. The most significant problem in the Galaxy Folds display was the thin protective layer of film that came on top of the display. Several reviewers had tried removing the film thinking of it as a screen protector. This resulted in the screen blacking out, permanently damaging the display.

The report mentions that Samsung has fixed the problem by tucking the protective layer onto the display. The fix would not allow users to peel off the film, hence causing no damage to the display.

The second point of problem Samsung found were gaps at the top and bottom part of the hinge. The gap allowed dust and other particles to settle under the display, damaging other components along with it. Samsung would reduce the gap near the hinge, which would not allow foreign particles to enter the internals.

Lastly, Samsung would inform users not to remove the film by stating a warning message on the film. The review units did not come with a warning message which resulted in reviewers peeling off the film.

The report says that Samsung is testing the updated Galaxy Fold with local carriers in South Korea and would announce the new release date this month.
Iran's Defence Minister Brigadier-General Amir Hatami vowed to inflict the "bitter taste of defeat" on the United States in its "economic war" on the Islamic republic.

Hatami was speaking to Revolutionary Guards veterans in Tehran with tensions riding high a year after President Donald Trump withdrew the US from the Iran nuclear deal, leading to renewed economic sanctions on Tehran.

The relations between the two countries have deteriorated even further in recent weeks as the Trump administration ratchets up pressure on Iran over alleged threats from Tehran.

"The proud nation of Islamic Iran will once again... pass this sensitive period of time with its head held high, and force the bitter taste of defeat onto the American-Zionist alliance," Hatami said, referring to the US and its ally Israel.

Washington said on Saturday that in response to the alleged threats from Iran, it was deploying an amphibious assault ship and a Patriot missile battery to bolster an aircraft carrier and B-52 bombers already sent to the region.

President Hassan Rouhani later condemned the US sanctions on his country.

"The hard times and problems of America's economic war against Iran have begun... what America is doing is a crime against humanity," he said.

Rouhani accused the US of disrupting the flow of "livelihood, food and medical drugs" to normal Iranians.

"This war is not against the government of the Islamic republic of Iran, it's against the Iranian nation," he said.
US President Donald Trump

President Donald Trump predicted that Iran will "soon" want to negotiate and denied any discord in the White House over moves that critics say could lead to war in the Middle East.

"Different opinions are expressed and I make a decisive and final decision -- it is a very simple process," Trump tweeted. "I'm sure that Iran will want to talk soon."

Trump blasted the media reports about a turmoil in the White House over a series of steps taken by the administration to up pressure on Iran, saying "there is no infighting whatsoever."

The United States on Wednesday ordered non-essential staff to leave its embassy in neighbouring Iraq, claiming there is an "imminent" threat from Iranian-linked Iraqi militias.

Ten days ago, Trump also ordered an aircraft carrier and nuclear-capable bomber planes to deploy to the Gulf.

Democrats in Congress demanded that the Trump administration brief them on what it considers to be the Iran threat, warning that the US legislature has not approved military action against Tehran.

Opponents of Trump say that hardliners led by national security advisor John Bolton, who has long advocated toppling the Iranian government, are pushing the country into war.

The White House says that Iran, a longtime enemy and rival of US allies Israel and Saudi Arabia, is sowing instability across the region.

Washington also says that Tehran is secretly pursuing nuclear weapons, despite having agreed to strict controls under an international accord that Trump abandoned after winning election in 2016.
The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) has clarified that the postponement of exams on June 2 and 4 was because the examination centers were holding UPSC tests on the same day.

The paper on June 4 was postponed to June 13 so that Group I of CA final exams was completed before commencing Group II papers, ICAI said on Wednesday.

"Postponement of Paper on June 2 to June 4 was occasioned by the inability expressed by many exam centres to conduct the exam on that date owing to their holding Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) exams on that day," ICAI said in a statement.

Besides, the institute clarified that the postponement of Paper on June 9 to June 13 was necessitated for the convenience of the common candidates of the Foundation Exam of ICAI and the Foundation exam of the Institute of Company Secretaries of India scheduled on June 9.

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.
The Standard X and XII results for Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) are just out and, once again, there is heartburn even amongst the students who have scored over 90%. Some of them told me that they were sure of getting better marks in a particular subject and so were contemplating revaluation. When I suggested that they or their parents could put in a right to information (RTI) application to procure copies of their answer sheets, they found it useful but are hesitating to take the RTI route.

For them and many more, who are wary of using RTI for reasons such as the Principal may get offended, the school authorities may target them in their junior college years (some students have got admission in the same schools junior college), it is time to understand that every student not only has the right to get his or her answer sheet from CBSE under RTI, but can also get the model answer sheet of the subject.

Read: SC asks CBSE to provide answer sheets strictly under RTI Act without charging exorbitant fees ) In 2018, the Supreme Court, had slammed CBSE for violating its 2015 order in which the Board was ordered to provide answer sheets as per RTI rules, that is, at Rs2 per answer sheet. CBSE finally has declared that it would supply answer sheets under the RTI Act. Therefore, every student who has any doubt about his or her marks must use RTI to know the truth. (

As noted RTI activist Vivek Velankar, who has relentlessly fought for students rights of procuring answer sheets in the University of Pune, states, Most of the students go in for revaluation but it is of no use unless and until you get to see the copy of your answer sheet. Moreover, the student should also ask for the model answer sheet of that subject. Once he gets both the documents, he and his parents can assess whether they should go for revaluation or not. Opting for revaluation blindly is a useless exercise.

He also adds that, Sometimes the student is confident that he has given the right answers but often when the copy of the answer sheet and model answer sheet is seen, it might be a different story.

Mr Velankar also urges the CBSE Board not to take 30 days for a student who is applying for his answer sheet under RTI as the information is readily available and it is a crucial period for both parents and students to know their marks as early as possible. Also, with the Supreme Court having ordered the CBSE to make answer sheets and model answer sheets, transparent, students and their parents need not fear the school authorities for, they know that they are bound by RTI.

In addition, parents and students should know that in a June 2018 order from the Central Information Commission (CIC), a student can also do inspection of files under Section 4 of the RTI Act, to procure his or her answer sheet and model answer sheet.

www.onlinerti.com, RTI resource persons, Pradeep Bhatt and Vinot Ranganathan, who run a websitestate There are no set of rules or standards that apply in examination evaluation by universities or education boards.

There are no norms or any legal rights for the students over fraudulent practices or biased marking. This has created nightmares for millions of bright students and destroyed the future of promising students across India.

Maintaining and giving answer copies may be extra workload for the educational institution, but it is not a reasonable excuse to deny this information under RTI.

Evaluated answer copies have to be open to the public to ensure transparency in our education system. Any student who has got unexpectedly low marks or has failed is an aggrieved citizen. This student can demand to inspect his results so that the evaluators cannot use unjustified means to act against any student.

The student, in his or her RTI application, should ask for 1) the copy of his answer sheet of the relevant subject and 2) the model answer sheet of that subject.

Just to recall the earlier events, the CBSE published a notification on 29 May 2018 on its website prescribing an exorbitant fee of Rs1,200 per subject for obtaining copies of the evaluated answer-sheets.

In response to this notification, a contempt petition was been filed against the CBSE chairman, in the Supreme Court appealing for initiating contempt proceedings against the CBSE chairman; setting aside the CBSE notice of 29th May prescribing the fees of Rs1,000 and Rs1,200 for obtaining copies of the evaluated answer sheets and directing the Board to provide copies of the evaluated answer-sheets to examinees, only as per the provisions of the RTI Act and at the cost or fee prescribed under the Right to Information Rules, 2012.

The contempt petition was filed by Whistle of Public Interest (WHIP), for the willful and deliberate attempt of CBSE to surpass and overrule the authority of the apex court of the country.

Consequently, a division bench of the Supreme Court comprising Justices Ranjan Gogoi and PC Pant directed the chairman CBSE to scrupulously observe the directions of the Supreme Court issued in CBSE & Anr. Versus Aditya Bandhopadhyay & Ors., Civil Appeal No. 6454/2011 and provide copies of the evaluated answer-sheets as per the rules made under the RTI Act.

CBSE since then has been providing answer-sheets under RTI.

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This story has been updated with new information.



A suicide note recovered on Wednesday from the home of the 41-year-old mother and her 19-year-old daughter, who set themselves ablaze a day before, has revealed that family issues were behind the extreme step, and was not provoked by the risk that their home would be seized by bank officials for non-repayment of housing loan.



Lekha and her daughter, Vaishnavi, doused themselves with kerosene and ignited the fuel in their bedroom on Tuesday. Hearing their cries, neighbours rushed in to rescue by breaking open the doors. While Vaishnavi died on the spot, her mother passed away at the hospital.



The police probe team that arrived on the scene on Wednesday saw mother's suicide note stuck on the wall in another room. A message written on the wall held four people are responsible for the twin suicides - Lekha's husband, Chandran, her mother in law, her sister and the sister's husband.



The note also said that Lekha was taken to a person specializing in black magic.



Speaking to the media later, the police official investigating the case said there was no mention of any bank recovery proceedings in the note, which said that Lekha was being constantly harassed by her mother-in-law.



"The letter reveals everything and we have taken all the four into custody and have recorded their arrest. The charge levelled at the moment is that of abetting suicide and the probe will continue," the official said.



Chandran, however, told reporters that he has no clue about why he has been taken into custody by the police.



"I was abroad and returned just six months back. I knew that my mother and my wife were often engaged in verbal duels. I have no other clue at all," said Chandran, while his mother said she is also innocent and has done no wrong.



"I had given my consent to sell the house, after recovery proceedings began. I have done nothing wrong," Chandran's mother said.



There was a huge public outcry on Tuesday after it surfaced that Canara Bank officials have been after the family for recovery of the balance of housing loan.



On Wednesday morning, various political outfits protested against the Canara Bank, while Congress party activists went on a rampage here causing damage to the regional office of the bank.



Thereafter, three branches of the bank near the home of the suicide victims remained shut as a matter of precaution.



The protests were called off, however, when it emerged that the suicides were provoked by family issues.



In an official statement on Tuesday, Canara Bank had said Chandran had availed a Rs 5 lakh loan in 2005, which was declared a non-performing asset (NPA) in 2010, and that legal proceedings had been initiated in the matter.



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.
US President Donald Trump has moved to ban American telecom firms from installing foreign-made equipment that could pose a threat to national security, White House officials said, stepping up a battle against China by effectively barring sales by Huawei, the countrys leading networking company.

On Wednesday, Trump issued an executive order instructing Commerce Secretary, Wilbur Ross, to ban transactions "posing an unacceptable risk" but did not single out any nation or company, The New York Times reported.

The order came amid an escalating trade war between the US and China, with the two sides imposing hundreds of billions of dollars of tariffs. Trump has accused the Chinese government of unfair trade practices and announced increased tariffs on an additional $200 billion worth of Chinese goods that went into force on May 10.

The executive order was "agnostic", White House officials said in a call with reporters, declining to single out China as the focus.

"This administration will do what it takes to keep America safe and prosperous and to protect America from foreign adversaries" targeting vulnerabilities in American communications infrastructure, White House press secretary, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, said in a statement.

But in a clear strike against Huawei, the Commerce Department separately announced on Wednesday that it had placed the company and its dozens of affiliates on a list of firms deemed a risk to national security.

The listing will prevent it from buying American parts and technologies without seeking US government approval.

"This will prevent American technology from being used by foreign owned entities in ways that potentially undermine US national security or foreign policy interests," Ross said in a statement.

The Commerce Department will also write the rules for reviewing transactions that fall under the executive order's ban over the next 150 days, according to administration officials.

The Department said it would work across the administration on the new rules, consulting with the Attorney General, Treasury secretary and other agency heads.

The order, which applies only to future transactions, however did not detail how the Department will define foreign adversaries and establish criteria to ban companies from selling equipment to the US, reports The New York Times.

The executive action also did not address concerns by rural carriers that the order would hit them particularly hard. Some of them rely on equipment that already contains parts by Huawei and other Chinese companies.

The development comes as American officials have warned allies for months that the US would stop sharing intelligence if they use Huawei and other Chinese technology to build the core of their fifth-generation, or 5G, networks.

The networks promise not only faster cellular service, but also the connection of billions of "Internet of Things" devices, such as autonomous cars, security cameras and industrial equipment, to a new Internet architecture.

Pentagon and American intelligence officials have warned that Chinese firms will be able to control the networks and have expressed concerns not only that secure messages could be intercepted or secretly diverted to China, but that the Chinese authorities could order Huawei to shut down the networks during any conflict, disrupting American infrastructure as diverse as gas pipelines and cellphone networks.

Huawei has denied those charges.

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.
Lets talk about the feminist history of empowering pins and badges, and how the pin is sometimes mightier than the sword.

Whilst reminding myself of the precise sequence of events in the Pendle Witch Trials, I found, and remembered, two very odd things. The first? When I took a tour of Lancaster Castle, where the trials themselves took place, the tour guide asserted that Alison Device (or Davis, as she assumed her name might be rendered in modern times) was making a dress. That was why Alison begged/wished to buy pins from the peddler whose ill-timed stroke would kill eleven people.

When I asked the guide what evidence there was for it, she just said that what else would Alison need pins for?

The second thing I remembered is that on the Wikipedia page for the Pendle Witch trials it states that Alison was probably after the pins  an expensive luxury item  for magical purposes.

Really?

In truth, we will never know what she wanted. But a closer reading of history, and of common facts of common people, suggests there may have been a more mundane reason that Alison wanted a few pins.

In the early medieval period, dresses (and, indeed, all clothes) were comprised of square and rectangle shapes: this being the shape the fabric was woven in. Any shaping or fitting was achieved by pulling a belt around ones waist, which was also handy for carrying things when pockets were as easily available as in the womens formalwear section in any modern department store.

Later, for the rich, darts and pleats were introduced. Fabric was cut to create more flattering silhouettes and to make it clear that you were wealthy enough to buy a piece of material only to throw bits of it away. But this created a problem for ladies wanting to flaunt and flatter their curves: Dresses with no shape would drop over their heads and easily hang around their bodies. The new styles required openings to help ease them on. And openings required fastenings.

By the Tudor period (a little before Alisons time) there were established rules and expectations for fastenings. Points were the mans fastening, belts still held things together and provided a place to put your sword whilst you did other things, and a little elasticity in knitted woollen stockings meant that a man went through life more concerned with which religion the monarch favoured than if he was well-dressed. Women, in contrast, had another solution to their now incredibly form-fitting bodices. Laces would hold her stays closed, but pins would keep everything else in place.

As the centuries rolled on, pins remained the easy choice for womens clothing. They were secure when used properly, generally not painful, and plentiful if lost. They also importantly offered flexibility: hoods and hats could be pinned in the fashionable way, and sleeves and skirts could be tucked to flatter a changing body through puberty, pregnancy and aging. The elaborate ruffles that appear on every Shakespearian parody were not permanently sewn creations: They were starched, pinned and ironed every time they were to be worn.

This might sound daunting, but the use of pins actually made fashion affordable and fun for everyone. Even a common maidservant might indulge in the latest ruff styles for church because she could do it with the same ruff she used last Sunday.

And every woman was to be provided for, by her husband or guardian, in the manner of a little pin money when new ones were needed.

Elizabethan shipping and trade records suggest pins were commonly sold by the thousand, costing two pence in the 1580s, and hardly rising to extortionate amounts by 1612 when pins  or the lack of them  caused a young woman to utter a curse on the man who wouldnt give/sell them to her.

The industrial revolution saw off pins as fasteners, as it saw off many things. Mass production of clothes meant that the days of the personal fit were going out for all but the richest, and most women had the tools and skills to sew darts in their clothes if they so wished, without resorting to pins to keep it all neatly around their corseted waists. Hooks and buttons were becoming more common as fasteners, busier lives meant that they needed everything to stay put and there was more scope for decoration.

Pins, for the most part, were put quietly into sewing boxes and forgotten.

But not all kinds of pins slipped out of favour. Whilst small pins were used to keep a headdress in place and fashionably positioned, large hat pins were becoming the norm. They were used for keeping hats on the head where bonnets were not in vogue and secured themselves a place in history (and feminism) as notorious weapons of personal protection.

Women were generally discouraged from doing most things during the Victorian period, given that their delicate lady bodies and free-roaming uteruses could cause all sorts of maladies and hysteria at any moment. In particular, there was fear that womens wombs might dislodge or explode if carried at the frightening speeds of the new railways.

Lets think on that for a moment.

Okay. Lets move on.

When women ignored the advice of men and got on the trains anyway, they discovered that the risks posed to them were the same risks that were (and still are) in any location: men.

Women in train carriages, especially women alone in those carriages, were assumed to be fast girls, and not just because they were travelling at thirty miles per hour. Men, as they have done for time immemorial, decided to prey on these women and alone in train carriages that passed through tunnels and under bridges that left them in near total darkness, a womans handiest method of defending herself was to grab the large metal pin in her hat and insert it into the nearest fleshy bit of the man in question.

The large hat pin was a hit. Bigger, flashier, more ostentatious and more damaging hat pins became available. Men called in newspapers for the hatpin to be BANNED or, if it could not be removed entirely, for its size to be limited. These dreadful pieces were encouraging women to feel confident enough to travel alone but think of the poor men who were assaulted in the act of assaulting a woman!

Such was the power of the hatpin that, in 1912, one was used in an act of political defiance as well as self defence. A group of women marched to Parliament House, and a group of policemen decided the best course of action was to charge them with their batons. The leader of the women, a spunky trade union organiser and suffragist called Emma Miller, stabbed the Police Commissioners horse. The horse threw the commissioner; he was injured, and hopefully thought twice about charging any more unarmed groups of peaceful protesters again.

Pins remain a part of the costume of the individual. Now almost exclusively decorative, they show the passions and interests of the wearer. Charities and political organisations love them. Marginalised activists with backpacks, punks with leather jackets, older ladies with Sunday best coats there are pins for everyone.

In the wake of the Brexit votes in Britain and the election of Donald Trump in America  both campaigns that played on racism and the call to deport unwanted people from our countries  social media called for people to wear safety pins as a symbol of defiance against those policies: that all people were safe with the wearer. The intent was to offer vulnerable people a visible sign of who they could sit by on a busy bus or where to turn when a crowded room proved full of verbal or physical abuse. It created an obligation for the wearer to act on the promises theyd made on social media that they would do something to help. It made it clear to those who wanted to loudly promote their racist ideals in public that they werent being listened to.

From dressing essentials, to punky promises worn like hearts on sleeves, through keeping modest to protecting with some serious style, the pin has a far from humble place in our history. It might not be the first thing that you think of when you imagine political revolution, self proclaimed witches in the woods, or anti-police brutality weaponry: but the pins are always there.

Pins. Holding the world together. Whilst we tear it apart.

.
May 16, 2019 Trump Administration Withholds Information That Could Debunk Russian Interference Claims On Tuesday Russia's President Putin again rejected U.S. claims that his country interfered in the 2016 elections in the United States. Additional statements by Foreign Minister Lavrov provide that there is more information available about alleged Russian cyber issue during the election. He pointed to exchanges between the Russian and U.S. governments that Russia wants published but which the U.S. is withholding. On Tuesday May 14 Secretary of State Mike Pompeo flew to Sochi to meet with Russia's Foreign Minister Sergej Lavrov and with the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin. It was Pompeo's first official visit to Russia. Pompeo's meeting with Lavrov was followed by a joined news conference. The statements from both sides touched on the election issue. The State Department published a full transcript and video of the press conference in English language. The Russian Foreign Ministry provided an official English translation of only Lavrov's part. Both translations differ only slightly. Here are the relevant excerpts from the opening statements with regard to cyber issues. Lavrov: We agreed on the importance of restoring communications channels that have been suspended lately, which was due in no small part to the groundless accusations against Russia of trying to meddle in the US election. These allegations went as far as to suggest that we colluded in some way with high-ranking officials from the current US administration. It is clear that allegations of this kind are completely false. [...] I think that there is a fundamental understanding on this matter as discussed by our presidents during their meeting last year in Helsinki, as well as during a number of telephone conversations. So far these understandings have not been fully implemented. Pompeo: [W]e spoke, too, about the question of interference in our domestic affairs. I conveyed that there are things that Russia can do to demonstrate that these types of activities are a thing of the past and I hope that Russia will take advantage of those opportunities. During the Q & A Shaun Tanron of AFP asked Pompeo about the election issue: [I]f I could follow up on your statement about the election, you said that there are things that Russia could do to show that election interference is a thing of the past. What are those things? What do  what would you like Russia to do? Thank you very much. Lavrov responded first to the question. He said that there is no evidence that shows any Russian interference in the U.S. elections. He continued: Speaking about the most recent US presidential campaign in particular, we have had in place an information exchange channel about potential unintended risks arising in cyberspace since 2013. From October 2016 (when the US Democratic Administration first raised this issue) until January 2017 (before Donald Trump's inauguration), this channel was used to handle requests and responses. Not so long ago, when the attacks on Russia in connection with the alleged interference in the elections reached their high point, we proposed publishing this exchange of messages between these two entities, which engage in staving off cyberspace incidents. I reminded Mr Pompeo about this today. The administration, now led by President Trump, refused to do so. Im not sure who was behind this decision, but the idea to publish this data was blocked by the United States. However, we believe that publishing it would remove many currently circulating fabrications. Of course, we will not unilaterally make these exchanges public, but I would still like to make this fact known. The communication channel about cyber issues did indeed exist. In June 2013 the Presidents of the United States and Russia issued a Joint Statement about "Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs)". The parties agreed to establishing communication channels between each other computer emergency response teams, to use the direct communication link of the Nuclear Risk Reduction Centers for cyber issue exchanges, and to have direct communication links between high-level officials in the White House and Kremlin for such matter. A Fact Sheet published by the Obama White House detailed the implementation of these three channels. One inference from Lavrov's statement is that the "fundamental understanding on this matter" between the two presidents that has "not been fully implemented" is the release of the communications about cyberspace incidents. The Russians clearly think that a release of the communications with the Obama administration would exculpate them. That would also exculpate Trump from any further collusion allegations. Why then does the Trump administration reject the release? Who is blocking it? Pompeo did not respond to Lavrov's points. His next meeting that day was with President Putin. Putin let him wait for three hours. Both sides issued short opening statements. The English translations of what Putin said differ. In the version provided by Russia Putin explicitely denies the alleged election interference: For our part, we have said many times that we would also like to restore relations on a full scale. I hope that the necessary conditions for this are being created now since, despite the exotic character of Mr Muellers work, he should be given credit for conducting what is generally an objective inquiry. He reaffirmed the lack of any trace or collusion between Russia and the current administration, which we described as sheer nonsense from the very start. There was no, nor could there be any interference on our part in the US election at the government level. Nevertheless, regrettably, these allegations have served as a reason for the deterioration of our interstate ties. The State Department version does not include the Russian denial of election interference but doubles the rejection of the collusion claim: On our behalf, we have said it multiple times that we also would like to rebuild fully fledged relations, and I hope that right now a conducive environment is being built for that, because, though, however exotic the work of Special Counsel Mueller was, I have to say that on the whole he had a very objective investigation and he confirmed that there are no traces whatsoever of collusion between Russia and the incumbent administration, which weve said was absolutely fake. As weve said before, there was no collusion from our government officials and it could not be there. Still, that was  that was one of the reasons certainly breaking our (inaudible) ties. An English language live translation of that paragraph (vid) by the Russian sponsored Ruptly does not include the word 'election' in the highlighted sentence, nor does a live translation (vid) by PBS. It seem that the Kremlin later inserted the explicit denial of election interference into Putin's statement. It is quite possible that Putin, who did not read from a prepared paper, mangled the talking point that Lavrov had already made. After the meeting Putin, Pompeo held a short press availability with the U.S. journalists accompanying him. There is no mentioning of Lavrov's point. There were secret communications between the Obama administration and the Russian government about the alleged election interference and 'hacks' of the DNC and of Clinton's campaign manager Podesta. They are not mentioned in the Mueller report nor in any other open source. As Russia wants these communications released it might be possible to file a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to press for their publication. The Trump administration response to such a FOIA request could at least reveal the reasons why it is withholding them. The allegations of Russian interference in the 2016 elections are partly based on the fact that a commercial Russian enterprise used fake characters on Facebook to sell advertisement. A review of the themes and ideological positions those fake characters provided demonstrates that they were not designed to influence the U.S. elections. In contrast to those Russian fakes other fake characters on Facebook, provided by an Israeli company and revealed today, were clearly designed to influence elections: Facebook said Thursday it banned an Israeli company that ran an influence campaign aimed at disrupting elections in various countries and has canceled dozens of accounts engaged in spreading disinformation.

...

Many were linked to the Archimedes Group, a Tel Aviv-based political consulting and lobbying firm that boasts of its social media skills and ability to "change reality."

...

On its website, Archimedes presents itself as a consulting firm involved in campaigns for presidential elections. Little information is available beyond its slogan, which is "winning campaigns worldwide," and a vague blurb about the group's "mass social media management" software, which it said enabled the operation of an "unlimited" number of online accounts. Don't expect any protest from Washington DC about such obvious election interference in other countries. ---

Hat tip to Aaron Mate for pointing out Lavrov's statement Posted by b on May 16, 2019 at 18:11 UTC | Permalink Comments next page  next page 
If you're planning, or heading to a wedding this year - you might be interested in what wedding writer and Vogue contributor Alexandra Macon is prediciting to be the next big wedding trend.

According to her, over the top headpieces are going to be huge in 2019 - for both brides and guests.

"While I love a flower child bridal look and a statement veil equally, Im also into all of the other options out there right now," she told WhoWhatWear.

"Headpieces by Magnetic Midnight, pearl-encrusted headbands, and floral and tulle headpieces are just a few of the choices on the table."

Check out some example of the look below...
ORLANDO, Fla.  A Burke County woman arrested at Walt Disney World last month is threatening a lawsuit if the company and the sheriffs office responsible dont apologize.

Hester Jordan Burkhalter, 69, was charged with felony possession of hashish after a Disney World security guard found a bottle labeled select CBD in her purse on April 15, according to an arrest affidavit from the Orange County Sheriffs Office.

The charges were dropped against Burkhalter on April 26.

According to the Associated Press, Benjamin Crump, the attorney who represented Trayvon Martins family, has been hired to represent Burkhalter.

On Tuesday, Crump said Disney World and OCSO need to take responsibility for their actions, the AP reported. If they dont, Crump said he will file a lawsuit alleging violations of Burkhalters civil rights.

OCSO has said in a statement that the arrest was lawful, while Disney has said the incident was a law enforcement matter, according to an AP report.
"Don't blame the gun." That's what gun-rights advocates always say in moments like this. And OK, fair enough. Let's not blame the gun.

But can we not blame this nation's insistence on easy and unfettered access to the gun? Might that not have the tiniest bit to do with the fact that gun violence is rampant here?

Instead of dealing with that causality, gun people ask us to take gun violence as some immutable fact of life, some intrinsic component of freedom. That's nonsense, but it's nonsense they have to embrace because to do otherwise is to face an untenable truth.

People are dying for nothing.

For some fantasy of rugged self-reliance. For some shortcut to macho. For some terror of the dark Other standing at the bedroom window.

For nothing.

"There is no reason why on the street today a citizen should be carrying loaded weapons." So said no less towering an icon of conservatism than Ronald Reagan. Of course, he said it in 1967, before conservatism lost its mind -- before Florida gave guns to teachers and Iowa gave them to the blind, before cause divorced effect and reason became an anachronism, before 6 year olds developed PTSD and mass murder became normal.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 16)  While admitting that he is indebted to President Rodrigo Duterte, former presidential political adviser Francis Tolentino vows that he would not be the chief executive's rubber stamp when he enters the Senate.

Opo [Yes.] Hundred percent. Susuportahan natin yung legislative agenda ng Pangulo [We will support the Presidents legislative agenda,] Tolentino told CNN Philippines The Source when asked if he is indebted to Duterte, who backed his second attempt at a Senate seat.

However, Tolentino, who is ranking ninth in the senatorial race in partial and unofficial results, said it is just a coincidence that his legislative priorities are parallel with Dutertes.

He pointed out that he was first to propose some laws which are now on Dutertes legislative agenda, like the creation of the Department of Disaster Management and Department of Water.

I espouse the creation of the Department of Disaster Management since 2016, the President is in favor of that. If I push for that, that doesn't mean Im being a rubber stamp  even before the height of the El Nino crisis, Ive been espousing the Department of Water. The President, after two weeks, supported that. So would that mean Im a rubber stamp? Hindi [No,] Tolentino said.

Tolentino also backs granting Duterte emergency powers to solve traffic congestion in Metro Manila  a measure that got stuck at the House of Representatives.

Tolentino is one of three Dutertes men seen to enter the Senate, along with former Special Assistant to the President Christopher Bong Go and former national police chief Ronald Bato dela Rosa.

READ: Partial, official results show administration bets leading senatorial race

In his first attempt to get a Senate seat in 2016, Tolentino was adopted by Duterte after he dropped out of the Liberal Party slate after he was criticized for inviting scantily-clad women to dance at a campaign sortie.

Duterte heavily campaigned for Tolentino, consistently mentioning him in speeches and appearing in his TV advertisements.

Other administration allies are dominating the elections, while no opposition bet is seen to win the race. This is the worst turnout for the opposition since 1947.

READ: Half of Otso Diretso accept defeat: We're praying for Bam, Mar

The minority bloc in the Senate will be down to just four members from six, if Senator Paolo Benigno Bam Aquino IV fails to be re-elected. Aquino and firebrand opposition Senator Antonio Trillanes IVs terms would end next month.

With administration bets in the lead, analysts see that Dutertes pet bills like the second package of his administration tax reform package and the switch to a federal form of government will see smoother sailing through the legislative mill.

Incumbent senators who have most likely secured reelection have allayed fears that the Senate would become a rubber stamp, assuring that the upper chamber will remain independent.
Morningstar celebrates its 35th anniversary today. In 1984, Morningstar founder Joe Mansueto began a quest to bring some much-needed transparency to the nascent mutual fund industry. He published quarterly "sourcebooks" that gave investors access to data and information that had been heretofore out of reach. Eventually, Morningstar launched its ubiquitous "star rating" for mutual funds, providing a visual representation of risk-adjusted historical return.

Over time, Morningstar began analyzing closed-end funds, variable annuities, ADRs--and eventually, stocks and exchange-traded funds, too. Additional investor-friendly innovations soon followed: the Morningstar Style Box, meaningful fund category comparisons (rather than the prospectus objective), tax-adjusted returns, the Morningstar Rating for stocks, and Morningstar Analyst Ratings, to name just a few.
Any public inquiry into B.C.s money laundering activity should have definite targets and timelines lest the investigation meander into impotence, a former provincial attorney general has warned.

A lot of good things can come of [probes], but before governments establish inquiries, they should first of all ask themselves: What questions need to be answered? Did something go wrong? And what are the powers that we're going to give to an inquiry commissioner? Wally Oppal said in an interview with The Canadian Press.

The other thing is you have to have a definite end line, otherwise it can go on forever.
Commercial real estate investment in the GTA shrunk for the fifth straight quarter in Q1 2019, and the deal count  a total of 502 transactions valued at more than $1 million  was the lowest recorded since Q1 2015, according to a new market analysis by Altus Group.

Total commercial volume during the first quarter was at $4.1 billion, approximately 29% lower than the level seen during the same time last year. The deal count was also the lowest measured since Q1 2015.

Altus highlighted, however, that these numbers came about because of product shortages rather than due to lack of demand, as investor sentiment remains confident.
Anonymity and invisibility could be reduced by implementing a publicly accessible registry of beneficial ownership of companies, trusts and real estate, Kevin Comeau, the reports author. Structured properly, a public registry would offer a two-way flow of informationcommunication of beneficial ownership information to the world and communication of foreign-based information to Canadian authoritieswhich would bring more bad guys into the light of day.

Comeau added that, where real estate is concerned, and among Western liberal democracies, Canada has among the weakest protective measures against money laundering, and he estimates theres likely $100-130 million laundered through its housing market every year.

Another key to curbing the free flow of dirty money through real estate is introducing hefty legal penalties.

Obstacles to following the dirty money could be reduced by creating a new criminal offence: A false declaration of beneficial ownership, whether made on a public registry or submitted by a customer to a reporting entity, said Comeau. Not only would such an offence bring more integrity to the beneficial-ownership information being disclosed, it would also provide a solid base from which law enforcement agencies could conduct investigations of suspicious transactions.

Calum Ross, a leverage wealth expert and VERICO broker with Mortgage Management Groupand author of The Real Estate Retirement Plan: An Investment and Lifestyle Solution for Canadiansbelieves a public registry is long overdue. While he says it wont completely eradicate money laundering in Canada, an ownership registry is still a necessity.
Live Well Financial, the once-prominent reverse mortgage lender that shut down abruptly May 3, has already been sued for allegedly failing to pay employees  and now it may be in even deeper trouble. Michigan-based Flagstar Bancorp said in a recent regulatory filing that a borrower owes it $74 million  and while Flagstar didnt name the borrower, it appears to be Live Well, according one industry expert.

Kevin Barker, a senior research analyst with Piper Jaffray, told The Richmond Times-Dispatch that he believes the unnamed borrower is Live Well Financial.

In its regulatory filing, Flagstar said that it became aware that one of our commercial borrowers was unexpectedly ceasing their reverse mortgage origination business.
Call it the circle of energy.

Energy producers are seeking ways to end the flaring of natural gas. Technology companies are seeking energy to power their energy-hungry computers.

One Denver company thinks it has the solution to both issues. Crusoe Energy Systems has developed Digital Flare Mitigation service, which can use natural gas produced at the well site to power a server farm.

"It's a data center in a customized shipping container, a bunch of servers with energy-hungry computers in a box," Cully Cavness, Crusoe president and co-founder, said in a phone interview.

He explained the service can take the natural gas at the well site and feed it into a gas-fired generator to power the computers. The service also uses internet via satellite for increased efficiency and mobility.

Cavness said the computers are used for applications outside the energy industry, from blockchain applications to crypto currency.

Crusoe currently has systems in place or about to be in place in the Bakken, Powder River and Denver-Julesburg basins and is looking to come into the Permian.

Cavness said the company is talking with several Permian Basin operators and that it's a matter of getting out the company's name and what it offers.

"They're interested because they produce so much gas that it has become a real problem for some operators. We want to offer them a solution that is better than flaring," he said.

Crusoe is a blend of energy and technology, he said. Co-founder Chase Lochmiller, who serves as chief executive officer, comes from a technology background. He has served as a general partner at Polychain Capital, a fund that invested in blockchain technologies, digital assets and energy-intensive computing applications. Cavness is a third-generation oil and gas professional and formerly was vice president responsible for finance and later pipeline development at Highlands Natural Resources.

"I've been in a situation where we were drilling for oil and produced quite a bit of gas along with that oil," Cavness said. "It sparked my interest in what to do with that gas."

Crusoe and its employees are proud to be "from an energy background and behaving like professional oil and gas service providers," Cavness said. "All of our procedures and insurance, for example, are standard for what operators would expect from a high-quality service company. We're oil and gas people with a technology component."

What is key is that Crusoe's system offers producers an outlet for the natural gas they would otherwise flare, keeping them in compliance or returning them into compliance with their permits, he said. And it benefits the environment because much less flaring means much less emissions of pollutants such as nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide and volatile organic compounds. Even methane can be reduced, since flaring doesn't always burn 100 percent of the natural gas, particularly in windy conditions, he said.
Midland College's Petroleum Professional Development Center, along with the Society of Petroleum Engineers and Permian Basin Petroleum Association is gearing up for its annual Environmental Regulatory Seminar.

The seminar was launched to bring together regulators and industry representatives to discuss issues, best practices and find ways to improve environmental protection without impeding business. That mission continues today, but this year's seminar, set for May 23, brings about a few changes.

The first change is the location, which has moved from the college's Carrasco Room to the Blankinship Lecture Hall at the Advanced Technology Center, 3200 W. Cuthbert, due to construction at the college.

The second change is the format, which is slightly shorter than in the past and will end with an ethics lecture from Max E. Wright, a partner at Kelly Hart Attorneys at Law. This will qualify for one hour of ethics credit.

Environment and politics on both the national and state scale will be the focus this year. The seminar will open with Daniel Naatz, senior vice president for government relations and political affairs at the Independent Petroleum Association of America speaking on "Energy Policy and the Political Environment in Washington."

Shelly J. Tucker, president, Expert Environmental Services, will also touch on the topic with "The Shifting Sands of Environmental Regulation."

Ryan Flynn, executive director, New Mexico Oil & Gas Association will offer oil and gas perspectives and opportunities "from the other side of the Permian" while Stephen Robertson, executive vice president with the PBPA, will provide a Texas Legislative update.

Regulators will provide updates of their own during the seminar. James Nolan, technical specialist with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality will discuss air permit authorizations for oil and gas production and handling facilities while William "Ryne" Smith, district engineer with the Railroad Commission, will talk about new and important systems for his agency in 2019.

Richard Brantley, senior vice president with University Lands will offer water stewardship and landowner perspectives while John Speed, district engineer with the Texas Department of Transportation will discuss "Roadway Safety: Managing Risk in the Permian."

Registration opens at 7 a.m. and presentations begin at 8 a.m.
A Houston mother dropped her child off at a fire station, saying she wasn't sure what else to do.

Corterra Payton told KTRK she was desperate and didn't know where to turn after an overnight argument with her boyfriend.

She left their apartment with her 11-month-old son and called family members who live 50 miles away. They said they couldn't make it to Houston, so she tried a shelter, but it was after midnight and they told her to come back in the morning.

"It's very hard, especially if you don't have an income at the moment," Payton said.

She nearly pulled over into a parking lot, but became afraid.

"We are going to be sleeping in the car, somebody going to come up with a gun, kill us, rob us," she said. "Either that or they will see me sleeping. A woman, guy, somebody will come by the car and say, 'Oh, she sleeping in the car with her baby, we fixing to call the police.'"



Not sure what else to do, Payton went to Fire Station 68, told her story, and left her 11-month-old in their care.

"Thank you God! Because I know they have the law with firefighters, the baby can't be over 60 days and they still took him, so I am thankful for that," Payton said. "As long as he's safe, that's what the concern is about."

Police took Payton and her son to a CPS facility to stay the night. They will stay with family members until Payton can get back on her feet.

Experts say people in fear of domestic violence should contact police, who will have information on emergency shelters available. Another option is to go to a hospital, where social workers on staff can help address the situation.
A Kansas hospital employee is accused of leaking a patients personal information to a suspected rapist, leading him to rape her a second time.

Atchison Hospital says patient confidentiality and protecting personal information is a top priority. They blame a former employee whose actions they call deeply disturbing.

The Missouri woman was sexually assaulted in May 2017. She went to Atchison Hospital for an evaluation and to have a rape kit processed.

She told them who attacked her, but was adamant hospital staff not tell anyone.

However, according to a lawsuit filed against Atchison Hospital and one of its former employees, an X-ray tech at the hospital contacted the womans assailant to tell him she had accused him of sexual assault.

The woman says that led to him relentlessly harassing her through text messages, social media and phone calls, as well stalking her in public and her at her house. The lawsuit also says the X-ray tech harassed and hounded her as well. According to KQ2, the woman claimed she was sexually assaulted again by the same man in November.

The suit blames Atchison Hospital for not securing patient medical information.

The hospitals CEO wrote a letter to the patient, apologizing for any concern or difficulty the incident caused her.

Although the hospital fired the X-ray tech, the suit says Atchison Hospital gave her positive reviews so she could quickly get a new job at Saint Lukes Cushing Hospital in Leavenworth. Saint Lukes said it was unaware of the reason for the employees termination at Atchison before the lawsuit was filed.

The X-ray tech has since been put on administrative leave pending an internal investigation.

Atchison Hospital representatives said they reviewed the situation to see what could be done differently in the future.

The hospital said it immediately implemented changes to internal controls including even stricter accessibility requirements to its Health Information Management department. Patient confidentiality at Atchison Hospital and our ability to protect personal information is a top priority of ours."
Two Midland man were arrested Tuesday after allegedly assaulting a man, according to court documents.

Jarrod Adron Roberts, 35, and Thomas Dane Finn, 28, were each being held Wednesday on a $50,000 bond for a second-degree felony charge of aggravated assault causing serious bodily injury.

Midland County deputies were dispatched Saturday in reference to an assault.

Deputies made contact with the victim, who had swelling and bruises to the left side of his face. Deputies also noticed the mans speech was slightly impaired because of the injuries, according to the arrest affidavit.

The man told deputies that he, a woman and the suspects  later identified as Roberts and Finn  were sitting in the back room of a residence when he made a comment and got up to leave, according to the affidavit.

When he got to his vehicle, the man was asked to go back inside, where he was hit in the face, according to the affidavit. The victim said the he was hit and kicked multiple times to the point where he thought Roberts and Finn werent going to stop, according to the affidavit.

The victim sustained a fractured lower left jaw because of the assault, according to the affidavit.

If convicted of the second-degree felony charge, Roberts and Finn could face up to 20 years imprisonment.
Illinois child welfare agency is so intent on keeping children with their parents even when they have strong evidence of abuse that it has sometimes left those children in grave danger, a study released Wednesday found.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker ordered the study of the Department of Children and Family Services Intact Family Services unit after the recent deaths of three children. That unit is responsible for overseeing households in which children are left at home after allegations of abuse or neglect.

Illinois has been lauded for having one of the lowest foster care entry rates of any state in the U.S. Yet researchers found a profound failure to communicate within the department; overburdened staffers; staffers so convinced that prosecutors wouldnt agree with requests to remove children from homes that they didnt bother to ask; and cases in which evidence and suspicions of abuse or neglect were brushed aside.

Keeping children with their families is a laudable goal, said Michael Cull, one of the studys authors. But over time for a variety of reasons it becomes an overriding priority that leads to decisions that (the agency) may not even know they are making.

The study by the University of Chicagos Chapin Hall research center was ordered before last months beating death of A.J. Freund, a 5-year-old whose parents are charged with first-degree murder. Nonetheless, issues surrounding his short life and violent death  from extensive contact the family had with child welfare workers to a determination that there wasnt credible evidence to support placing the boy in protective custody even though he suggested his mother was responsible for bruises on his body  are examined by the researchers.

Illinois is not the only state with a child welfare system under fire. In fact, according to the study, the rate of death due to child maltreatment in Illinois in 2016  2.16 per 100,000 children  was actually a bit lower than the national figure of 2.36 per 100,000 children. Some 501 children died between 2014 and 2018 while being involved with the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services or previously involved with it.

In one case, allegations of abuse were determined unfounded because the welts that an investigator had seen on a childs torso were no longer visible when the child was examined at the hospital.

That same case also illustrates just how toothless Illinois child welfare system is. According to the report, the childs mother, who had a history of domestic abuse, agreed not to allow her boyfriend near her children only to simply not honor the informal agreement and give her boyfriend further access to her children. The report does not include the names of the children, but one of the three children whose deaths prompted the study was allegedly killed by his mothers boyfriend.

Another major problem is that investigators and case workers are often in the dark about the extent of the problems in households where abuse or neglect is alleged. In two cases in which children were killed, Both families had extensive history with DCFS but reviews noted a substantial amount of history was inaccessible due to cases being expunged or purged, the researchers wrote.

Absent such details, child welfare staffers are forced to rely on familys accurate self-reporting on their history, the report said.

At the same time, important information sometimes does not make it to the case workers whose job it is to monitor and manage the families. In two recent cases in which the children who died were allowed to remain in the home but under the agencys supervision, there was no evidence of ongoing collaboration between investigators and Intact Family Services case managers.

According to the study, most Intact Family Services cases are handled by private providers, with the state keeping only the high risk cases. While not critical of the private providers, the study found that because the pay rate decreases after the six months that intact cases are expected to last, the process to extend the initial rate, which requires justification and approval, is not often pursued.

Further complicating the matter is that the department also sends high-risk cases to private providers when its caseload is too high, said one of the lead authors of the study, Dana A. Weiner.

The departments director, Marc D. Smith, acknowledged that children who remain in their home after allegations of abuse or neglect are in greater danger than any other children his agency deals with.

Intact is the place where the risk is the highest, Smith said at a media briefing on the study.

Chapin Hall made a number of recommendations, including making it more difficult to close Intact Family Services cases. Researchers also recommend improving the quality of supervision and beefing up communication throughout the child welfare system.

While Illinois low removal rate has received national (positive) attention, it is nonetheless important to retain a critical lens when examining risk and safety in each individual cases, the report says.
Visit Tuolumne County image View Photos

Sonora, CA  Local tourism officials have done a subliminal bit of rebranding to beckon more folks to a certain Mother Lode county and popular Yosemite National Park gateway.

Along with a recently adopted slogan dubbing the Tuolumne County your 4-season vacation destination in Californias Gold Country, High Sierra, and Yosemite, the private nonprofit corporate office formerly known as Tuolumne County Visitors Bureau is now calling itself Visit Tuolumne County.

Bureaus often represent convention centers and stuff like that, Visit Tuolumne County spokesperson Katie Kirkland explains. The name change is a trend that goes along with state trends like Visit California, the name of the states tourism office  and also worldwide trends. It is also a call to action. Every time we say Visit Tuolumne County its inviting people here.

The new name coincides with National Travel and Tourism Week and California Tourism week, which Kirkland says just wrapped up. We had a huge Gold Rush FAM [Tour] here with media from all over the world visitinginfluencers, which had a reach of over 3.5 million [followers], she shares gleefully.

The tour highlighted Tuolumne County Gold Country with activities such as kayaking and paddle boarding, hiking, a cooking demonstration, wine and cider tasting, historical town tours of downtown Sonora, Columbia State Historic Park, and Railtown 1897 State Historic Park along with other stops at local dining and lodging spots.

Tuolumne Tourism Growth Highest Of Rural Counties

Last Wednesday, Kirklands office also hosted nearly 90 county residents, business owners, and dignitaries at its Tourism Showcase and Annual Dinner. That evening, Visit Tuolumne County founding board member and proprietor of the 1859 Historic National Hotel and Restaurant for 45 years, Stephen Willey received special recognition. One of the event speakers, Lynn Carpenter, who is the vice president of marketing for Visit California, shared that Tuolumne County saw the highest growth of tourism numbers out of all rural counties in California.

Last week, as we reported here, tourism and visitor spending figures released by Visit California for Tuolumne County last year was $264 million, an increase of five percent from the previous year.

Promoting outdoor adventure, wineries, excellent dining and shopping by traditional means and through social media channels, the official Visit Tuolumne County Instagram feed is using the hashtags #Yosemite, #GoldCountry and #HighSierra, asking tourist and local users to tag and use #MyTuolumneCounty in their posts for a chance have their stories featured.

Kirkland encourages residents to do more local visiting. Event-wise, this weekend alone we have the Old West Fest in downtown Sonora, Columbia Diggins, and Twain Harte a la Carte, she notes.

She also encourages folks to take advantage of the free Tuolumne Adventure Trolley service that runs every Saturday now through September around Jamestown, Columbia and downtown Sonora. Among the trolley stops are The Junction Shopping Center, in front of the Visit Tuolumne County offices in downtown Sonora (193 S. Washington Street); also in the downtown areas of Jamestown and Columbia State Park.
Handley arrest scene View Photos

Sonora, CA  As a BMW flew by a Tuolumne Sheriffs County Deputy turned around in pursuit, and after pulling over the sedan Tuesday afternoon, uncovered evidence of drug sales.

While the deputy first spotted the car in the Big Hill area, he did not catch up to it until the intersection of Phoenix Lake Road and Oakhaven Lane in Sonora. That is when he also noticed that the vehicle had no front license plate and unreadable rear plate tags. A records check of the car revealed that it was bought in Ohio and its registration was expired. The driver, 21-year-old Andreas Handley of Stockton, was also on probation out of San Joaquin County.

A subsequent search of the sedan uncovered nearly 10 grams of methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia, drug packaging, a digital scale, evidence of drug sales and over $1400 in cash. Handley was taken into custody without incident. He faces possession and transportation of a controlled substance for sale and possession of drug paraphernalia.
California State Capitol Building View Photos

Sacramento, CA  Governor Gavin Newsom had proposed a new tax on residential water bills, but it was rejected by Democratic California Senate leaders.

We reported earlier that the tax would range from 95-cents to $10 per month, depending on various factors. Instead, the Associated Press reports that the Senate is moving forward with an alternative plan that would earmark $150 million of existing taxpayer money for water improvements. It is a similar amount that the tax was expected to generate in a years time. The funds would be used for testing wells, treating contaminated water and improving public water systems.

Newsoms proposed new tax would have required a 2/3 majority vote of the legislature to pass. Many taxpayer groups expressed strong opposition, noting that taxes are already high in the state. Clean water activists meanwhile argued that the tax would have created an ongoing revenue stream for the state to make needed infrastructure improvements.
Centennial Bank celebrated its new building on Tuesday with a grand opening and ribbon cutting in conjunction with Business After Hours on Tuesday.

Attendees saw what Brett McDowell, the President of Centennial Bank, called "an efficient design for today's banking needs."

"We're excited about this new building," McDowell said. "It gives us a chance to serve our customers in the modern style of banking. It's designed for efficiency and ease of use for our customers."

Chairman David Williams explained that the bank has fewer tellers than when he joined the bank in 1982 because more than 85% of their business is electronic or digital.

The nearly 7,000-square foot building took about a year to build and was completed in February. According to Williams, the building is in a prime location, and there is still an ATM downtown.

The location was formerly a drive-in branch of Centennial Bank, but their desire to gift their downtown building to the City of Plainview prompted their move to the Fifth Street location.

McDowell credited the City Manager, Jeffrey Snyder, and Centennial Bank's previous president and CEO, Brian Pohlmeier, for making the donation happen.

"[They] took this project of gifting the city and ran with it, and that's resulted in us building this building," McDowell said.

Centennial Bank felt compelled to gift their previous building because of their close ties with Plainview, Williams said.

The bank was first chartered in 1934 in Plainview. Eighty-five years later it has grown to include 13 offices in the Panhandle, the South Plains and Central Texas. However, they are still proud of the bank's Plainview heritage.

"The bank was originally chartered as Hale County State Bank right here in Plainview," McDowell said. "So this is still our own; this is still where our roots are as a company."

Additionally, the bank is in its third generation of family ownership, Williams said.

The new location was full on Tuesday evening while attendees enjoyed food, drinks, live music and door prizes.

"I think this is an exceptional turnout," McDowell said. "I'm not surprised by that. We get a lot of great customers and friends in the community and people who work in the bank. It's just been a wonderful show of support for the new building and the transition we made after we gifted the building to the city."
Ten people, including five Russian fugitives, have been charged in connection with malicious software attacks that infected tens of thousands of computers worldwide and sought to steal $100 million from victims, U.S. and European authorities announced Thursday.

The malware enabled criminals from Eastern Europe to take remote control of infected computers and siphon funds from victims bank accounts, and targeted companies and institutions across all sectors of American life. Victims included a Washington law firm, a church in Texas, a furniture business in California, a casino in Mississippi and a Pennsylvania asphalt and paving business.

Several defendants are awaiting prosecution in Europe, and five are Russians who remain fugitives in that country. An 11th participant in the conspiracy was extradited to the United States from Bulgaria in 2016 and pleaded guilty last month in a related case in federal court in Pittsburgh, where Thursdays indictment was brought.

Though the Justice Department has pursued malware prosecutions in recent years against foreign hackers, this case stands out as a novel model of international collaboration, said Scott Brady, the U.S. attorney in Pittsburgh.

Instead of seeking the immediate extradition of all 10 defendants  an often cumbersome process that can take years of negotiations, even in countries that have treaties with the U.S.  American authorities shared evidence with their European counterparts to allow officials in Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia to initiate prosecutions in the nations where the defendants reside.

It represents a paradigm change in how we prosecute cybercrime, Brady said in an interview before a news conference in The Hague with a coalition of a half-dozen countries.

Cybercrime networks are increasingly targetable when investigators work together, Robert Jones, the FBI special agent in charge of the Pittsburgh office, said at the news conference. International cooperation is no longer a nicety, its a requirement.

Other law enforcement officials said the strategy represents the new face of combating high-tech crime.

Cybercrime has no borders, and criminals have taken advantage of the legal complexities of trying to fight it, said Steven Wilson, head of the European CyberCrime Centre at Europol. Only through international cooperation can we hope to tackle it, he said, adding the charges provide for a safer internet for all of us.

The charges in the indictment include conspiracy to commit computer fraud, conspiracy to commit wire and bank fraud, and conspiracy to commit money laundering.

The investigation was an outgrowth of the Justice Departments dismantling in 2016 of a network of computer servers, known as Avalanche, which hosted more than 20 different types of malware. GozNym, the malware cited in Thursdays case, was among those hosted on the network and was designed to automate the theft of sensitive personal and financial information.

Law enforcement officials say it was formed by the defendants as they advertised their technical skills in underground, Russian-language online criminal forums. The defendants had different roles within the conspiracy: including developing the malware, encrypting it so it could avoid detection by anti-virus software, mass distributing the spam emails and sneaking in to the victims bank accounts.

The leader of the network, authorities say, was from Tbilisi, Georgia, and leased access to the malware from a developer, who in turn worked with coders to create GozNym.

Eric Tucker is an Associated Press writer.
Fourth of July is the last day San Antonians will be able to enjoy the nostalgia of Kiddie Park before the nearly 100-year-old gem is moved to the zoo.

News of "America's Oldest Children's Amusement Park's" relocation from the corner of Broadway and Mulberry to the San Antonio Zoo was announced by both parties in April. The zoo cited increased development in the area and lack of parking as a cause for seeing visits to the park dip "drastically."
Will Nichols is about to celebrate his first month of business as Lil Joes New Orleans Smokehouse. This one-man show out is turning out creative barbecue out of a small kitchen space tucked inside Rod Dogs Saloon, a strip center bar just outside Loop 410 near Nacogdoches Road. Nichols has the smoker set up behind the building.

Lil Joes is a bit of a barbecue outlier. Most smoke joints start in the early morning hours so the meat is ready for lunch service, but Nichols is built to feed the evening bar crowd at Rod Dogs. He times his meats and sides to be ready when food service begins at 7 p.m. most days.

Nichols honed his barbecue techniques as sous chef at the former Smoke: The Restaurant location in Sonterra. He also recently worked at chef Pieter Sypesteyns NOLA Brunch & Beignets restaurant just off the St. Marys Strip. Lil Joes is his first attempt at running his own restaurant.

Everybody that I have ever worked for or with, I was quick to let it be known that I was building up to running my own place some day, said Nichols, a New Orleans native. There was always a little bit of fear, but this is my chance to do something for myself.

On ExpressNews.com: Make your own Pollos Asados Los Nortenos-style chicken at home

Nichols puts a Louisiana spin on his brisket ($10 per half pound), injecting the meat with beef stock and giving it a dry rub made with the chicory coffee New Orleans is known for. He has also makes a jalapeno boudin sausage ($7 per link).

Other meat staples include lemon pepper smoked chicken wings ($7 for five), root beer pork ribs ($7 for four) and pulled pork ($9 per half pound). Plans are in the works to add smoked burgers and maybe even smoked alligator as specials.

Sides include a baked five-cheese mac and cheese ($5), Cajun coleslaw ($3), creole mustard potato salad ($3), brisket red beans and rice ($6) and Cajun smoked elote ($5).

Response, so far has been incredible, said Nichols. I didnt expect the amount of carryout business we are getting from other area bars nearby that want their late-night barbecue fix, so sell-outs are pretty common.

Lil Joes New Orleans Smokehouse, 2617 Wagon Wheel inside Rod Dogs Saloon, 504-251-8251. Hours: 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays, 7 p.m. to 1 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays. Facebook: liljoes504

Chuck Blount is a food writer and columnist covering all things grilled and smoked in the San Antonio area. Find his Chuck's Food Shack columns on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com, or read his other coverage on our free site, mySA.com. | cblount@express-news.net | Twitter: @chuck_blount | Instagram: @bbqdiver
WASHINGTON  Alabamas Republican governor signed the most stringent abortion legislation in the nation Wednesday, making performing an abortion a felony in nearly all cases.

To the bills many supporters, this legislation stands as a powerful testament to Alabamians deeply held belief that every life is precious and that every life is a sacred gift from God, Republican Gov. Kay Ivey said in a statement.

The bills sponsors want to give conservatives on the U.S. Supreme Court a chance to gut abortion rights nationwide, but Democrats and abortion rights advocates criticized the bill as a slap in the face to women voters.

It just completely disregards women and the value of women and their voice. We have once again silenced women on a very personal issue, said Sen. Linda Coleman-Madison, a Birmingham Democrat.

Coleman-Madison said she hopes the measure awakens a sleeping giant of women voters in the state.

Major abortion legislation passed or considered recently by states: Alabama: New legislation passed Wednesday makes "it a felony for doctors to perform or attempt to perform an abortion in the state." The only exception is for cases where a mother's life is at risk. Arkansas: Arkansas passed nine new bills restricting access to abortion. The bills make the procedure illegal after 18 weeks of pregnancy; ban it entirely if the U.S. Supreme Court overturns the 1973 decision that legalized it; ban it in the event of a fetal Down syndrome diagnosis; and ban state funding for abortions and abortion-related services for inmates. Georgia: Gov. Brian Kemp signed state's "heartbeat" law earlier this month. It bans abortions after doctors detect a heartbeat on a fetus, normally about six weeks into a pregnancy. Louisiana: A proposal to ban abortions in Louisiana as early as the sixth week of pregnancy continued to speed through the state Legislature on Wednesday. Mississippi: A "heartbeat" bill that would ban abortions as early as six weeks into pregnancy is being challenged in the courts. Missouri: Republican lawmakers have proposed 21 bills to further limit or almost completely ban the procedure. Ohio: A "heartbeat bill" signed into law last month is the target of a legal challenge by the American Civil Liberties Union. South Carolina: A "heartbeat bill" passed the South Carolina House last month. Source: Chronicle news services See More Collapse

Alabamas vote to restrict abortion in almost all circumstances has moved one of the most polarizing issues in American politics to the center of the 2020 presidential campaign.

The states legislation  the toughest of several antiabortion measures that have passed recently, with the only exception being a serious risk to the womans health  prompted an outcry from Democratic presidential candidates, who warned that conservatives were laying the groundwork to undermine the landmark Roe v. Wade decision. The White House, meanwhile, didnt comment on the Alabama bill as President Trump tries to balance his conservative base against the potential of antagonizing women who are already skeptical of his presidency.

The furor over abortion quickly took over on the Democratic campaign trail. Rallying supporters in New Hampshire, Sen. Kamala Harris of California said she would back a legal challenge to the Alabama bill and vowed to make a commitment to upholding the Roe decision a significant factor in any Supreme Court nominees she might choose as president, though she declined to go as far as Democratic presidential rival Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand. The New York senator promised to nominate only judges ready to preserve the 1973 ruling that established a womans constitutional right to an abortion.

I respect every womans right to make a decision about whats in the best interest of herself and her family, Harris said.

South Carolina, Mississippi, Ohio and Georgia and Kentucky have approved abortion bans once a fetal heartbeat is detected, which can occur in about the sixth week of pregnancy. None of these laws are yet in force, either because of later effective dates or legal challenges that have blocked them. But supporters have openly predicted that the laws could spark court fights that will eventually lead the Supreme Court to revisit its Roe decision.

Gillibrand plans to fly to Atlanta on Thursday to meet with women protesting Georgias state law.

Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., said backers of the Alabama measure are saying that they designed this bill with certain provisions  like not having any exceptions for rape or incest  specifically designed so that they can lead a fight to the Supreme Court to undermine other freedoms and liberties of women to control their own bodies.

Booker said its not enough to hope that Roe will be upheld, adding: We cannot wait to see if this gets worse.

Several Democratic presidential candidates sought to use their high-profile positions to boost organizing against the state-level abortion laws. Harris emailed her campaign supporters offering to split a donation to four advocacy groups working to defend abortion rights. Pete Buttigieg, mayor of South Bend, Ind., directed his supporters by email to the abortion-rights group NARAL.

Among the other Democratic candidates who took to Twitter to blast Alabamas law and other state-level restrictions were Sens. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, as well as former Vice President Joe Biden and former Texas Rep. Beto ORourke.

Elana Schor, Zeke Miller and Will Weissert are Associated Press writers.
Community leaders and residents gathered Wednesday evening as a re-created mural of the late Congressman Henry B. Gonzalez was unveiled on a wall inside the convention center bearing his name.

More than 50 members of Gonzalezs family were among those who watched closely as curtains drew back, revealing the iconic public servants face. Cheers and applause filled the room. Many used their cell phones to film the unveiling.

The image is a re-creation of the legendary mural depicting Gonzalez that long graced the concrete walls of Estelas Restaurant on the citys West Side. That original mural, created by San Antonio artist Ronald Rocha, was destroyed in December 2017 after the restaurant had closed and the buildings new owner allowed the image to be painted over.

On ExpressNews.com: West Side murals erased by building's new owner

Attorney Louis Escareno, who lives near the former restaurant, made the murals re-creation possible. He tracked down Rocha, purchased the rights to the artwork and commissioned artist Analy Diego to re-create the image. Diego, an instructor of architecture and design at the University of Texas at San Antonio, used graphic design software to digitally re-create the image, allowing it to be projected on any surface regardless of the size.

Escareno said he invested more than $2,000 in the murals re-creation, while the city paid to put the image on canvas and install it in the convention center.

I was bothered that it was destroyed with no real concern over the significance of the image and what it represented, Escareno said of the original mural. I felt it ought to be restored, because now more than ever, the memory of Henry B. and what he did is significant.

Gonzalez, Texas first Mexican-American congressman, was 84 years old when he died in 2000. He served 37 years in Congress  from 1961 until 1998. He previously served on San Antonio City Council and in the Texas Senate.

He is revered for fighting to end racial segregation at public swimming pools, battling Jim Crow laws, establishing HemisFair and helping launch the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio.

On ExpressNews.com: Not all art can be around forever  and, yet, can still live

Congressman Gonzalez dedicated his storied career to the betterment of our citizens quality of life and to the furtherance of equal economic and social opportunity for the Mexican-American community and beyond, said Rabbi Chaim Block of the Chabad Center for Jewish Life & Learning.

Block described the late Congressman as a larger-than-life hero and a champion of civil rights.

Precinct 4 Bexar County Commissioner Tommy Calvert reminded listeners that Henry B. helped create the Community Reinvestment Act in the late 1970s, which aims to keep financial institutions from redlining loans to borrowers in Hispanic and black communities.

Your father obviously was a trailblazer, Calvert said to Gonzalezs children. Being a trailblazer means that you do things where you are marginalized, where you are ostracized.

Mayor Ron Nirenberg celebrated the return of the public servants image.

This project, this very special mural that we thought was lost, is here to stay  thank God, Nirenberg said to applause.

Peggy OHare covers housing, demographics and the census in the San Antonio and Bexar County area. Read her on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | pohare@express-news.net | Twitter: @Peggy_OHare
Markets crashing, farmers suffering, allies seething, manufacturing workers fretting about their job security.

These were all foreseeable consequences of President Donald Trumps trade wars, which escalated in the past week after Trump hiked tariffs on Chinese goods ever higher and Beijing announced tit-for-tat retaliatory duties. Such developments reveal the risks of Trumps protectionist instincts, his fundamental misunderstanding of how both trade and trade negotiations work, and his inability to learn the lessons of the trade war that deepened the Great Depression.

All this should be great ammunition for Trumps rivals. Why isnt it being used?

Republicans, of course, are too cowardly to challenge Trump on much of anything. But Democrats, particularly those angling for the presidency, should be shouting from the rooftops. They should be sharing soybean-farmer sob stories and damning stats with any voter still considering following Trump off the protectionist cliff. Especially given academic research finding that Trump Country has been hurt most by his trade conflicts.

Instead  with rare exceptions  Democrats have been muted or mealy-mouthed in their criticism. Perhaps this is because, when it comes to trade policy, most of them dont have a leg to stand on.

This weekend, when asked what she thought of Trumps trade wars, Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., said Trump failed to understand that we are stronger when we work with our allies on every issue, China included.

So far, so good. But when pressed, she said she wouldnt have voted for the North American Free Trade Agreement, aligning her with Trumps own negative assessment of the deal.

And if you look back at Harris record in the Senate, youll find that she, just like Trump, opposed then-President Barack Obamas strategy to work with our allies to keep China in line on trade. That was the 12-country pact known as the Trans-Pacific Partnership, which Trump pulled us out of with support from other 2020 Democratic candidates, too, including Rep. Tim Ryan of Ohio, and Democratic leaders such as now-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Some Democratic presidential candidates, such as Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, have also offered vague statements of displeasure over Trumps trade actions, then suggested Trumps protectionism doesnt go far enough. Die-hard protectionist Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., endorsed Trumps metal tariffs, even if he thought Canada and the European Union should have been exempted.

Rather than rethinking their protectionist instincts after seeing the consequences of Trumps trade policies, some Democrats have doubled down.

Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., cheered on Trumps escalation of tariffs on Chinese goods in a tweet last week. Sanders is trying to use Democratic front-runner and former Vice President Joe Bidens past support for the TPP and other trade deals against him.

These are strange positions to take because they run counter to the views of most Democratic voters.

Democrats, it turns out, have become fiercely free trade, as illustrated by recent polling compiled last fall by Cato Institute adjunct scholar Scott Lincicome.

For instance, the Pew Research Center found that 67 percent of Democrats (vs. 43 percent of Republicans) believe that free-trade agreements have been good for the United States. A separate question found that 77 percent of Democrats (and 18 percent of Republicans) said increased tariffs between the United States and some trading partners will be bad for the country.

To some extent these policy positions  like all policy positions  are influenced by respondents attitudes toward the polarizing guy in the White House. But even before Trump ran for office, Democratic voters were more positive on trade than the politicians in their own party.

The issue, of course, is that even if most Democratic voters are pro-trade, trade probably isnt the most important issue to them. But smaller constituencies for which trade is especially important, such as organized labor, tend to be trade-skeptical.

But pandering to the tiny minority of protectionists is short-sighted, particularly if doing so hurts the economy in the medium term and U.S. alliances in the long term. Democratic voters turn out to be pretty enlightened when it comes to the economic and diplomatic benefits of trade; its past time that the people chosen to represent them catch up.

crampell@washpost.com
As your district attorney, I am honored that you have given me the responsibility of protecting our community. Making sure our system is safe and just for all is my top priority. I said this on the campaign trail and I continue to believe it as we complete our fifth month in office. Consistent with these goals, I have announced criminal justice reforms on a wide-range of issues  small amounts of drugs, pretrial diversion, bail, criminal trespass, and cite and release.

These reforms will help us focus our resources on prosecuting the most serious cases, while keeping our jail free of people who dont need to be there. In a place where our jail is regularly at dangerous capacity, we need to rethink safety.

When I took office, we quickly realized that the Bexar County District Attorneys Office was devoting more staff and time toward marijuana cases than family violence cases. That makes no sense. The risk of a delayed family violence case can be serious for the people involved, and victims in these cases deserve a prosecutor who can spend time learning about their case, gathering evidence, and ensuring justice is done.

To that end, we transferred thirteen prosecutors from prosecuting non-violent cases like criminal trespass and marijuana to the prosecution of felony family violence cases. To facilitate that transfer, I announced Thursday that our new marijuana policy presumes that we will not prosecute possession of less than an ounce of marijuana or less than a quarter gram of narcotics. More prosecutors on family violence cases means that these cases will get the attention they deserve. Spending our resources arresting, prosecuting, and then testing small amounts of drugsoften so small that retesting is impossible  is not responsible when there are sexual assaults and violent crimes that need our attention.

Of course, as in all cases, this is a rebuttable presumption and prosecutors have discretion to deviate where there are extenuating circumstances. This principle holds true for all the policies I have announced. None of these policies prevent an officer from making an arrest.

Our community is also safer when we address root causes of crimes and keep people free of criminal records where possible. To that end, we have radically changed our pretrial diversion program, which is intended to divert people away from the criminal justice system and avoid a criminal record if they complete the program. Previously, this program has been under-utilized due to unnecessary barriers to admission. We removed barriers such as application fees and gave prosecutors discretion to offer the program to appropriate people. In the first 100 days of my administration, we have admitted 1,109 people into the program, compared with 259 in the first 100 days of 2018. Allowing people to return to their communities better than when they started is what keeps us safe  and allows Bexar County to thrive.

Taxpayers should not be spending millions of dollars just to keep a person in jail because they cant afford to buy their freedom. It is not right. I told you when I ran that bail reform would be a priority if elected  and Ive kept my promise to you in taking this first step. Our prosecutors will be asking judges to release people who are charged with misdemeanors and state jail felonies unless they have reason to believe the person is a danger to the community or an actual flight risk. Other jurisdictions that have taken on similar reforms have not seen a rise in crime nor have they seen a higher rate of people failing to come to court. If someone is held in jail while their case is pending, it should be because that person is a risk to the community and not because they are too poor to post bond.

It is my hope that some people accused of non-violent crimes wont ever have to languish in a jail cell before a judge decides their incarceration is unnecessary. Even 24 hours in custody can have consequences that persist long after release and derail lives. Research shows that 24 hours in jail can increase the risk of a person committing a new crime, along with the collateral damage  being fired for not showing up to work or children left without a caregiver. The new cite and release program is designed to avoid that 24 hours, or more, of incarceration. This program also saves tax payer dollars by keeping more police officers on the street and reducing our jail population.

I appreciate the opportunity that you have given me to be your District Attorney. I look forward to serving you and to continue rolling up our sleeves to ensure that Bexar County is safe and fair for all.

Joe Gonzales is Bexar Countys District Attorney.
FINANCE and Economic Development Minister, Professor Mthuli Ncube yesterday revealed that the power cuts will only stop in the rainy season.

Delivering his Ministerial statement on the state of the economy in parliament on Wednesday, Minister Ncube said: Due to lower water levels at Kariba Power station load shedding will continue untill the rains come, however, we are making efforts to import electricity from neighboring Mozambique.

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.

Opposition politician and LEAD president Linda Masarira has called the load-shedding counter-productive, and called on new Energy minister Fortune Chasi to come up with a better plan.

This load shedding is counter productive. Electricity was cut yesterday at 13:23 and reconnected at 23:39. Less than six hours later electricity is gone again. Since Monday we have only had electricity for less than 24hrs in 4 days. Fortune Chasi, this is not sustainable at all!

Zesa spokesman Mr. Fullard Gwasira is on record saying unless Kariba Dam catchment areas in Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo receive rains, the situation would be dire.

Kariba is a hydro station and requires water so up until there are significant inflows into the lake the current generation pattern will subsist. The patterns that we depend on are not from Zimbabwe, it is from Zambia and DRC. Their significant rainfall upkeep should be able to rejuvenate the situation as the year progresses.

The Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company (ZETDC) has introduced an up to 10-hour load-shedding regime across the country due to lower water levels at Kariba Power Station.

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ne word: Inscrutable. She didnt move a whisker, showing regal disregard for the four therapists invading her living room for a clinical consult group. Or alternatively: This is how its done, lesser beings. Mindfulness embodied.

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See yesterdays Links and Antidote du Jour here.
Tunisian Foreign Minister Khemaies Jhinaoui met with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg today (16 May 2019) at NATO Headquarters. They shared views on Tunisia-NATO partnership and the commitment of both sides to cooperation.

Mr. Stoltenberg and Minister Jhinaoui reiterated the importance of continued political dialogue between NATO and Tunisia. They discussed the level of cooperation activities developed in a number of important areas, including strengthening of Tunisian armed forces interoperability, defence education, the development of key capabilities such as countering improvised explosive devices and cyber defence and cooperation in the areas of good governance and public diplomacy. They also discussed ways to enhance practical cooperation in important domains, including counter-terrorism and the development of womens role in the Tunisian Armed Forces.

NATO Secretary General Stoltenberg and Minister Jhinaoui shared views on the current regional security situation related to developments in Libya. They reaffirmed that a cooperative approach is key to address common security challenges.

This was Minister Jhinaouis second meeting with the NATO Secretary General at NATO Headquarters. It took place after a recent meeting held in Turkey by the North Atlantic Council with the seven members of the NATO Mediterranean Dialogue, on the occasion of the 25th anniversary since the launch of the Mediterranean Dialogue.
(Natural News) For nearly two years, supporters of POTUS Donald Trump watched as he and his administration were hamstrung by a bogus Russian collusion investigation that was amplified by the fake news mainstream media as well as Democrats in Congress.

For just as long, Trump supporters grew frustrated and angry at then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions for recusing himself from all things Russia very early in his tenure, which then allowed former Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein to appoint special counsel Robert Mueller.

But Sessions is gone now, replaced by William Barr, himself a Washington insider and former attorney general who, it appears, has far more regard for reinstating the rule of law and trust in governing institutions that was utterly destroyed after eight years of rule by Barack Obama.

Indeed, Barr seems far more concerned about rebuilding trust in the Justice Department and the FBI than he does maintaining his membership within Washingtons elite establishment. That helps explain his aggressiveness in probing how the Russian collusion and Spygate investigations began in the first place, what rules were violated in the process, and who is responsible. (Related: AG Barr already outmaneuvering the Obama-Hillary deep state with brilliant Durham pick.)

And the swamp rats whose names are now inextricably linked to the scandals are obviously feeling some heat, because it sure seems like theyre beginning to turn on each other.

As The National Sentinel reported Wednesday, former CIA Director John Brennan, long believed to be one of the masterminds of both scandals, has once again began to deny that he had anything at all to do with inserting the infamous Steele dossier into an intelligence brief that then-FBI Director James Comey gave to then-President-elect Donald Trump in January 2017.

Brennan said so in April and again this week, according to Fox News national security correspondent Catherine Herridge; Brennan says that it was Comeys idea to put the dossier in the intel brief (even though, as we have since learned, everybody knew it was biased political opposition research paid for by the Clinton campaign and commissioned by Fusion GPS).

Were now seeing an A-1 investigation

Former GOP Congressman Trey Gowdy, a former federal prosecutor, told Fox News Martha McCallum that sometimes in the courtroom when two people are blaming each other, theyre both right. However, he noted, the truth of the matter would be pretty easy to sort out; the U.S. attorney and corruption specialist Barr appointed to look into all of this  John Durham of Connecticut  could do so with little effort, Gowdy noted.

What Im telling Mr. Durham or whoever is going to look into this is, I think youll see late in (December) 2016, well after it had been used, it was still unverified and the people responsible for it were referring to it as unverified and one or the other demanded that it be included in the intelligence assessment which then prompted the discussion you and I are having now, Gowdy said.

For his part Gowdy, the former chairman of the House Government Oversight Committee who was very deeply involved in Congress effort to probe Spygate, said he has seen the Comey-Brennan email and, based on that, Comey has a better argument than Brennan.

[Justice Department Inspector General Michael] Horowitz doesnt have access to the grand jury, he doesnt have access to former employees. Hes a wonderful investigator but hes only as good as the tools hes given, Gowdy explained. But Durham does, making his the A-1 investigation.

The rates are already beginning to look for life rafts. There are so many cracks and holes in the various stories told and testimony given by the various actors involved in the scheme that there is bound to be some indictments this time.

And frankly, it would be about time.

Read more about the deep states corruption regarding Spygate at DeepState.news and Corruption.news.

Sources include:

TheNationalSentinel.com

NewsTarget.com
(Natural News) Once again, another study has found that Googles search results when it comes to news and information overwhelmingly skew away from conservative and independent media to mainstream sources that are far more noted for their fake news.

As Breitbart News reported earlier this week, data collected by Northwestern University found that Google search results overwhelmingly favor garbage network CNN compared to all other news networks.

Results for CNN, the study found, were followed by The New York Times and The Washington Post  the Holy Trifecta of fake news in the Trump era.

Breitbart noted further:

Of the top 20 news sources promoted by Google in its top stories, the top results on its News Search feature, just one was somewhat right-wing, Fox News. But Fox accounted for just three percent of the stories that appeared in top stories, compared to 10.9 percent for CNN, 6.5 percent for the New York Times, and 5.6 percent for the Washington Post.

But hey  theres no bias at Google. Nothing to see here. Move along.

And yet, the Northwestern researchers found, Left-wing news orgs dominated the top 20 sources in Google news search results. They include CBS, ABC, NPR, The Huffington Post, The Guardian, BBC, The Verge, Politico, and the Los Angeles Times.

Even Al Jazeera gets a lot of love from Google.

In all, an astounding 86 percent of results in Googles Top Stories feed came from the top 20 Left-wing sources. The only exception was Fox News, and that popular network only garnered about 3 percent of results in Googles search engine.

But even mainstream sources that only lean right  including The Wall Street Journal and the New York Post  didnt get into the top 20 at all, despite the fact that they do not have a reputation for publishing fake stories regarding Russian collusion and other Trump-era fantasies created by the Obama-aligned Deep State. (Related: BEHOLD, the two-tiered fact-checking system designed to deceive America.)

So many news sources, so little reference to them by Google

To audit Top Stories, we scraped Google results for more than 200 queries related to news events in November, 2017, lead researcher Nicholas Diakopoulos, an assistant professor at the university, wrote in explaining his methodology in a story for the Columbia Journalism Review.

We selected the queries to test by looking at Google Trends every day and manually choosing terms related to hard news events. These included names of people in the news such as colin kaepernick, breaking news events such as earthquake, and issue-specific queries such as tax reform or healthcare gov, he continued.

We set up our scraper to minimize the potential for result personalization (the process by which Google tailors its search results to an account or IP address based on past use), and ran each query once per minute for a full 24 hours, he wrote.

In all, the research team collected 6,302 unique links to news stories that were displayed in Googles Top Stories box and for each of those links, the team counted an article impression for every appearance. According to the data collected, just 20 news sources of the thousands available accounted for more than half of the article impressions seen.

Further, the top one-fifth of sources (20 percent) accounted for nearly 9-in-10 (86 percent) of impressions. And the Holy Trinity accounted for nearly one-in-four stories (23 percent).

These statistics underscore the degree of concentration of attention to a relatively narrow slice of news sources, the research team reported.

In other words, consumers of Googles Top News feed are getting a very skewed, very biased, and very narrow version of events  in our country, of course, but also abroad.

No wonder nearly half of Americans really believe that POTUS Trump and Russia colluded to steal the 2016 election, despite the fact that this hoax has been revealed time and again in media other than the Holy Trinity.

Read more about the extremely biased news cartels at NewsCartels.com and Biased.news.

Sources include:

Breitbart.com

Reuters.com

TheNationalSentinel.com
(Natural News) The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines the concept of conflict of interest as follows: A conflict between the private interests and the official responsibilities of a person in a position of trust. You would have to search far and wide to find a more textbook example of this than a husband being involved in the awarding of the most coveted award in journalism  the 102-year-old Pulitzer Prize  to his own wife.

As reported by the Washington Times, the Pulitzer Prizes organization was on the receiving end of considerable backlash from the media establishment recently, after it awarded the 2019 Pulitzer to author Eliza Griswold for her nonfiction work Amity and Prosperity: One Family and the Fracturing of America.

Griswold is the wife of Steve Coll, the dean of Columbia Universitys Graduate School of Journalism, and a prominent member of the Pulitzer board since 2012.

Coll, Griswold and the Pulitzer board all insist that there is no conflict of interest, but the incident does nothing to dispel the common perception that the Pulitzer organization is nothing more than an exclusive club in which members give awards to each other.

A murky history

Dana Canedy, Pulitzers prizes administrator, vehemently denies any nepotism or conflict of interest in the awarding of this years prize, insisting that Mr. Coll was not involved in the final vote for the book prizes.

He recused himself not only from this category but all of the books categories this year, Ms. Canedy insists.

Interestingly, Mr. Coll himself is a previous double Pulitzer winner.

While it is certainly possible that Ms. Griswold won the prize entirely on her own merit, the entire way in which the prize is awarded and board members selected raises serious questions about the fairness of the awards process. (Related: How the Washington Post lost its Pulitzer Prize by faking the news.)

The Post reported:

A week before the prizes were announced, journalist Kiran Somvanshi created a stir for her research in The Federalist that found a dozen publications that have predominantly won their Pulitzers during a period when a current or former editor or publisher was serving on the Pulitzer board.

For example, the Tampa Bay Times won four of its 12 Pulitzers from 2006-14, when chairman and CEO Paul Tash served on the board. The newspaper received nothing in 2015, after he left, but won again in 2016 when former editor Neil Brown was named to the board.

There was more overlap in 2019. Among this years 14 journalism winners were the Associated Press, New York Times, ProPublica, and Washington Post, and all four had either an editor or columnist on the board.

The board has also come under fire for the awarding of a joint-Pulitzer to the Washington Post and New York Times for their reporting of the so-called Russia collusion affair, in which President Trump was accused of colluding with the Russians to win the election. The media powerhouses won the prize despite their heavy reliance on anonymous sources, and the award has not been retracted, even though the entire Russian collusion theory has subsequently been entirely debunked.

How could journalisms most coveted award be handed out for what was shoddy journalism at best and outright treason at worst? (Related: Journalism awards are a total joke: NYT and WashPost both received numerous awards for their fake news fictions about the Russia collusion hoax.)

Past board members insist that there is no explicit bias attached to the awards process, with former board member Jim VandeHei, co-founder of Politico, stating that board members give no evidence of even subconscious bias.

Nonetheless, no matter how well-deserved Ms. Griswolds prize may have been, it has certainly raised many questions about the true value of journalisms most coveted prize.

Learn more at Journalism.news.

Sources include:

WashingtonTimes.com

Pulitzer.org

Merriam-Webster.com
(Natural News) A recent study published in BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine revealed that essential oils, when used properly, exhibit antibacterial properties similar to that of modern antibiotics. In their article, researchers from Ethiopias Kotebe Metropolitan University assessed the efficacy of essential oil combinations against certain strains of multidrug-resistant bacteria.

In their study, they investigated the antibacterial properties of the following essential oils:

Blepharis cuspidata  A shrub native to the rocky slopes of Ethiopia, in particular, in altitudes around 700-800 m.

Boswellia ogadensis  A tree species found near the banks of the Webi Schebele river. It produces a resin that can be used as an incense.

Thymus schimperi  The tree, endemic to the alpine regions of Ethiopia, was previously found to have antifungal and antibacterial properties.

To test their hypothesis, the researchers conducted a disk diffusion test using multidrug-resistant strains of Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Afterward, they investigated how sensitive each bacterial strains were to: (1) essential oils when used individually; and (2) a combination of the oils, namely  T. schimperi and B. cuspidata, B. cuspidata and B. ogadensis, and B. ogadensis and T. schimperi. Their effects were then compared to third-generation antibiotics like ceftriaxone, gentamicin, and cefoxitin, which are commonly used for multidrug-resistant organisms.

After two days of exposure, they determined the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC)  that is, the lowest concentration of an antimicrobial agent to inhibit the growth of a microorganism  and the minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC)  the lowest concentration needed to prevent the growth in an antibiotic-free surface  for each of the combinations. They found that the antibacterial properties of the essential oils were type- and dose-dependent. For instance, while the combination of B. ogadensis and T. schimperi were less effective, the latter, when combined with B. cuspidata, exhibited a strong synergistic effect.

It is [a] promising [antibacterial agent] for multi-drug resistant bacteria, the researchers wrote in their report. Based on the present study, combined essential oils were found to have more antibacterial effect than single [essential oil].

While the results of the study were promising, the researchers noted that a lot has to be done in the field. In particular, further studies on the phytochemical composition of the plants, as well as understanding the metabolite activity behind these effects, could be explored to better understand how these plants could be used to naturally treat multi-drug resistant bacteria.

This in vitro study of combined [essential oils] has [a] significant antibacterial effect than using each of them and even it [exhibited a] more potent antibacterial effect on MDR as [compared] to modern antibiotics, they added. (Related: Researchers say this common African tree holds the key to a natural cure for malaria.)

More antibacterial essential oils (and how to use em)

People have heavily relied on antibiotics since they were first discovered. Unfortunately, this led to severe consequences: As people misuse (and sometimes overuse) antibiotics, this increases the risk of bacteria becoming resistant to drugs initially used to treat them. The condition now becomes more expensive to treat, and in some cases, leads to longer hospital stays and greater economic burden to both the family and society.

Fortunately, natural antibiotics are available that are known to effectively kill harmful bacteria without adverse effects. (h/t to Blog.PaleoHacks.com)

Tea tree oil. Applying it topically to burns, cuts, and scrapes can eliminate harmful bacteria. Its also known to be incredibly potent  be sure to dilute it in water or carrier oil before using it.

Applying it topically to burns, cuts, and scrapes can eliminate harmful bacteria. Its also known to be incredibly potent  be sure to dilute it in water or carrier oil before using it. Cinnamon essential oil. In a head-to-head with clove and thyme essential oils, cinnamon has the highest antibacterial activity against pathogens, especially those found in food.

Essential oils dont just have antibiotic properties, it can also be used for many diseases. Learn which ones are great for which illnesses at EssentialOils.news.

Sources include:

Science.news

Portals.IUCN.org [PDF]

BMCComplementAlternMed.BioMedCentral.com 1

BMCComplementAlternMed.BioMedCentral.com 2

LITFL.com

WHO.int

Blogs.PaleoHacks.com
(Natural News) WhatsApp has asked users to update their systems after a malicious attack. The cyber attack is complete with all the hallmarks of a government-sponsored surveillance attempt.

(Article by Mac Slavo republished from SHTFPlan.com)

The messaging and audio app owned by Facebook said Monday that malicious hackers were able to install spyware on Android smartphones and Apple iPhones and is asking users to make sure their security is up to date. But more alarming, is that this looks like the government wants to spy on its own people who use the WhatsApp app. The attack has all the hallmarks of a private company reportedly that works with governments to deliver spyware that takes over the functions of mobile phone operating systems, a WhatsApp spokesperson told MarketWatch.

The surveillance software could be remotely installed on a users phone by calling them over the internet (using VOIP or voice over internet protocol). Earlier this month, WhatsApp identified and fixed a vulnerability that could enable an attacker to add spyware to devices. MarketWatch

Because we arent already being spied on by the government enough, right? We believe an attacker tried (and was blocked by WhatsApp) to exploit it as recently as yesterday to target a human rights lawyer, said Citizen Lab, a research and development group at the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy in the University of Toronto in a tweet about the incident.

WhatsApp has just pushed out updates to close a vulnerability. We believe an attacker tried (and was blocked by WhatsApp) to exploit it as recently as yesterday to target a human rights lawyer. Now is a great time to update your WhatsApp software https://t.co/pJvjFMy2aw https://t.co/e8VQUraZWQ  Citizen Lab (@citizenlab) May 13, 2019

Many users complained about the notifications they received from WhatsApp on Monday to update their software. They said that the notifications did not inform them of any security flaw, which is a big deal, because the flaw would have allowed the hacker to read a users text messages. WhatsApp described the exploit as a targeted surveillance attack. The malicious call used to install the spyware may not have even shown up on the users phone as a missed call, the paper added.

WhatsApps website states that privacy and security are of a big concern to the company. Privacy and security is in our DNA. It adds, Some of your most personal moments are shared with WhatsApp, which is why we built end-to-end encryption into our app. When end-to-end encrypted, your messages, photos, videos, voice messages, documents, and calls are secured from falling into the wrong hands.

The Financial Times alleged that the software used was developed by the NSO Group, an Israeli-based security company. NSO Group denied the allegations in a statement: NSOs technology is licensed to authorized government agencies for the sole purpose of fighting crime and terror. It added, Under no circumstances would NSO be involved in the operating or identifying of targets of its technology, which is solely operated by intelligence and law enforcement agencies.

Read more at: SHTFPlan.com
New analysis by the UK Trade Policy Observatory is warning that what should have been the technical formality of transferring EU powers into national law when the UK leaves the European Union, could instead open the gates for the widespread use of outlawed carcinogenic pesticides that have been shown to alter human reproductive, neurological, and immune systems.

The analysis, carried out by researchers at the University of Sussex and a Masters student at the Centre for Alternative Technology alongside Pesticide Action Network, has uncovered a significant weakening of enforcement arrangements covering the approval of pesticides as part of legislative changes carried out under the EU Withdrawal Act.

They include the removal of a blanket ban on Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals (EDCs), potentially allowing for their use on UK land despite considerable evidence the chemicals, which effect how the body responds to sex hormones such as oestrogen, raise the risk of some cancers, birth defects, and other developmental disorders.

Dr Emily Lydgate, Senior Lecturer in Environmental Law at the University of Sussex and Fellow of the UK Trade Policy Observatory, said: "While the stated aims of the EU Withdrawal Act was to bring existing EU pesticide regulations into UK law without major changes to policy, our analysis reveals that there are significant departures from EU pesticides legislation. The new legislation consolidates powers to UK ministers to amend, revoke and make pesticide legislation, and weakens both enforcement arrangements and the requirement to obtain scientific advice."

The researchers warn that the EU system of significant checks and balances is being cast aside for a new regulatory process which places too much power into the hands of UK ministers and away from independent scientific advisors.

EU requirements place independent scientific advice as integral to the approval process. The academics warn that the commitment to scientific evidence will be "significantly watered down" in the future with UK ministers only required to consider scientific evidence at their discretion.

Chloe Anthony, a LLM student at the University of Sussex, said: "EU regulations on pesticides start from the overarching objectives and principles to protect human and animal health, and the environment. The legislation also puts the onus on industry to demonstrate, with a high level of certainty, pesticides don't have a harmful effect on humans, animals or the environment before they are placed on the market. These key guiding principles and objectives are not carried forward into the UK legislation, and it is unclear what the framework for future UK decision making will be."

EDCs are permitted for use in Canada and the US and both North American governments view the EU ban as an undue trade barrier. The analysis observes this barrier has now effectively been lifted in advance of UK-US and UK-Canada future trade negotiations.

The analysis also warns that the changes give ministers powers to open the door to more deregulation in the future.

Ffion Thomas, a Masters student from the Centre for Alternative Technology, said: "These changes to pesticide regulation in the UK can hardly be characterised as 'technical'; they will weaken the rigour of the process by which pesticides are approved and monitored in the UK. UK Statutory Instruments introduce the ability for ministers to produce guidance documents which provide an easy path to future reform. In a best-case scenario this could lead to future strengthening of pesticide regulation but in a worse-case scenario, concentrate authority to UK ministers for future weakening of pesticide legislation."
The Army veteran accused of intentionally crashing into a group of pedestrians in Sunnyvale, injuring eight people, briefly appeared in Santa Clara County Court Thursday.

Isaiah Peoples, 34, is charged with eight counts of attempted murder in connection to the April 23 attack. The FBI has since opened a hate-crime investigation after police discovered evidence Peoples "intentionally targeted the victims based on their race and his belief that they were of the Muslim faith."

Investigators are also looking at whether Peoples' actions were influenced by post-traumatic stress disorder he suffered as a result of his Army service in Iraq from 2005 to 2006.

Peoples' defense attorney, Chuck Smith, previously said, "This act was clearly a product of some mental disorder or mental defect," and disputed that Peoples drove into the victims intentionally.

The hearing was continued and Peoples is scheduled to return to court on May 30.
A beef over meat -- and the smoke and odor it produces.

Some San Francisco residents say a popular Brazilian steakhouse, Espetus, has been breaking the city's "odor" laws for years. The issue, residents say, has forced them to pour thousands of dollars into filtering their apartments.

But the restaurant tells NBC Bay Area it has been a good neighbor and is just trying to find an affordable fix.

Jessica Samples has hooked up her Hayes Valley apartment with carbon filters, air quality monitors and machines in hopes of combating the smoke blowing in from across the street.

"There is no way we can keep the smoke out," Samples said, adding she has invested over $7,000 over the last few years to make sure the inside of her home is safe for her kids.

Other neighbors like Radu Patrichi have dropped serious dollars and documented smoke emission

Meanwhile, Espetus general manager Thays Klein said the restaurant believes it has been a good neighbor.

"It's been 15 years that we've been here, and we've tried out very best to bring nothing but improvements to the area," Klein said.

Klein said air quality inspectors have come more than 200 times and found no actionable violations. The issue -- as they recently discovered -- is city "odor" laws.

"We as a small business are doing our best to appease everyone, but we also need to survive," Klein said.

A Board of Appeals meeting late Wednesday was scheduled to weigh a penalty against Espetus that could lead to daily fines or a shutdown if it does not implement a half-million dollar improvement.
Police in Berkeley have arrested a sexual assault suspect who allegedly attacked two victims in November 2017 and March 2019 by punching and biting them.

UC Berkeley student Finn Wolff, 20, was arrested Tuesday and charged with multiple felonies related to multiple reports of sexual assault, according to Berkeley Police Department. None of the reported assaults occurred on campus, police said.

Wolff is accused of physically injuring two people when he punched, grabbed or bit them, according to police. Investigators believe there may be additional victims who have not come forward to law enforcement.

Wolff was arraigned Thursday and his bail was set at $750,000.

Anyone with additional information or who was victimized by the suspect to contact BPDs Sex Crimes Unit at (510) 981-5717.
Meows coming from inside a steel column led to the discovery of a litter of kittens believed to have traveled hundreds of miles from Hayward to San Diego.

Construction workers at the site of a new medical facility in Clairemont Mesa were unloading a 60-foot steel column when someone heard a strange sound coming from inside the column.

Sixty feet tall, 14,000 pounds and they were in there in this dark little hole, said worker Evan McColl.

Employees of DPR Construction found five kittens on a truck that had traveled from Hayward, California.

McColl estimates that the kittens had been in the column for at least two days without food or water.

San Diego Humane Society

The approximately one-week old kittens were handed over to the San Diego Humane Society.

The kittens, now four weeks old, have been in foster care. The three males and two females have been given names linking them to the construction site: Chisel, Crowbar, Jackhammer, Piper and Rebar.

Once they're eight weeks old they will be put up for adoption.

For the construction crew, it was a truly memorable experience.

I got to go home and tell my daughter, 'Daddy got to rescue some kittens today, McColl said. "She was super stoked on it."
An unusually violent 48 hours in the city of Richmond has police calling in the FBI and patrolling vulnerable neighborhoods to discourage retaliatory shootings this week, according to a message from Chief Allwyn Brown.

Investigators believe there may be a link between two shootings in Richmond on Monday and one of several that occurred on the previous day, Brown said in a letter to city officials that was shared with the public Wednesday morning by Mayor Tom Butt.

Around 4:15 p.m. Monday officers responded to a ShotSpotter activation in the 500 block of Duboce Avenue in which at least one person was injured, but none of the parties believed to be involved cooperated with the police investigation.

About an hour later another gunshot victim was found in the vicinity of South Sixth Street and Ohio Avenue. He was also uncooperative, but investigators found the alleged crime scene at Sixth Street and the Richmond Greenway.

Sunday, three separate shootings were reported between 10:10 p.m. and 11:25 p.m.

The first shooting appears to have occurred in the 2400 block of Esmond Avenue in connection with the robbery of a man and a woman in a minivan. The woman was shot while fleeing, and the man was shot several times where he was sitting in the vehicle.

Police say his injuries left him paralyzed.

Then around 10:35 p.m. another man was shot in the vicinity of Nevin Avenue and First Street.

The 29-year-old victim walked into an emergency room and later told investigators that he had been walking in the area when a dark-colored sedan rolled up and he saw a laser. He ran but was shot in the foot.

Then around 11:25 p.m. a citizen of Eritrea was shot as he was standing near an apartment building on Potrero Avenue. Police said that he was ambushed by two armed suspects who opened fire and fled to a waiting vehicle.

The victim, identified as 44-year-old Embaye Maekele Amariam, was transported to a hospital in grave condition and has since been declared brain dead. Brown said he's not likely to survive.

"While his shooting was obviously targeted, it is possible that he could have been mistaken for someone else (he was wearing a hood) or a target of opportunity meant to send a message to rivals," Brown said. "We are considering the possibility that this shooting could have sparked subsequent attacks that happened on Monday."

In a sixth and potentially unrelated shooting, 56-year-old Miguel Ramirez was killed outside his home Tuesday evening. Officers responded to the 1600 block of Chanslor Avenue and found him wounded. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Richmond police spokesman Lt. Matt Stonebraker said Wednesday morning there were no details about the suspect or motive that could be released to the public at that time.

The city of Richmond made great strides to reduce gun violence in recent years, and the sudden spike in shootings seen since Sunday night has prompted the police to seek assistance from the FBI Safe Streets Task Force.

Officers are keeping a visible presence in areas they fear may be subject to retaliatory violence while gang experts pursue other forms of intervention, Brown said.
San Francisco police Chief Bill Scott is in the hot seat after officers raided a freelance journalist's home and office during the investigation of a leaked police report detailing the death of Public Defender Jeff Adachi.

There's anger over the leak but also anger over the search. On Wednesday night, the chief faced questions from the police commission.

"Are you confident the search warrant was issued in compliance with journalist shield laws and First Amendment protections?" Commissioner John Hamasaki asked.

"I am confident we took appropriate legal matters," Scott replied.

Police showed up at Bryan Carmody's home with a sledgehammer last week. Carmody says officers tried to break his front gate to serve a search warrant as part of SFPD's investigation into the leaked police report.

NBC Bay Area has a long-standing relationship with Carmody and purchased video related to the story that included the report.

"Merely having a report leaked to him is not a crime," legal expert Jeff Hayden said.

California's Shield Law protects Carmody from revealing the source of the leaked report. The law provides legal protections to journalists who want to maintain confidentiality of an unnamed source or unpublished information obtained during news gathering.

The commission also questioned why SFPD obtained search warrants and not a subpoena for the document. Scott said Wednesday he has no plans to make a motion to have the warrants or affidavit unsealed.

Critics of the department are questioning the legality of the search and the focus of the investigation.

"Taking a sledgehammer to the door of a journalist is shocking and chilling, especially when the source of the leak is within the police department itself," Dr. Derek Kerr said. "How does the commission verify and ensure the police department is acting legally and appropriately?"

The Public Defender's Office says Adachi's family does not want Carmody prosecuted. It wants the police officer responsible for the leak held accountable.
The U.S. government plans on replacing barriers through 100 miles of the southern border in California and Arizona, including through a national monument and a wildlife refuge, according to documents and environmental advocates.

The Department of Homeland Security on Tuesday again waived environmental and dozens of other laws to build more barriers along the U.S.-Mexico border.

Funding will come from the Defense Department following the emergency declaration that President Donald Trump signed this year after Congress refused to approve the amount of border wall funding he requested.

Barriers will go up at Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, a vast park named after the unique cactus breed that decorates it, and Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge, which is largely a designed wilderness home to 275 wildlife species. The government will also build new roads and lighting in those areas in Arizona.

Environmental advocates who have sued to stop the construction of the wall say this latest plan will be detrimental to the wildlife and habitat in those areas.

"The Trump administration just ignored bedrock environmental and public health laws to plow a disastrous border wall through protected, spectacular wildlands," said Laiken Jordahl, who works on border issues at the Center for Biological Diversity.

The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to a request for comment but has typically not said much about construction plans.

At Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, row after row of cactuses decorate 516 square miles of land that once saw so much drug smuggling that over half the park was closed to the public. But illegal crossings in that area dropped off significantly in the past several years, and the government in 2015 reopened the entire monument for the first time in 12 years.

While Arizona has seen an increase in border crossers over the last year, most are families who turn themselves in to Border Patrol agents. The number of drugs that agents seize in the state has also dropped significantly.

But the government is moving forward with more border infrastructure.

The waivers the department issued Tuesday are vague in their description of where and how many miles of fencing will be installed. The Center for Biological Diversity says the plans total about 100 miles of southern border in both Arizona and California, near Calexico and Tecate.

In Arizona, construction will focus on four areas of the border and will include the replacement of waist-high fencing meant to stop cars with 18- to 30-foot barriers that will be more efficient at stopping illegal crossings.

The government has already demolished refuge land in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas and construction is set to begin any day. On one section of the Lower Rio Grande Valley National Wildlife Refuge, crews have used heavy construction equipment to destroy a mix of trees, including mesquite, mulberry and hackberry. Those trees protect birds during the ongoing nesting season.

According to plans published last year, the cleared land will be filled in and a concrete wall will be installed, with bollards measuring 18 feet (5.5 meters) installed on top.

After months of public outcry, Congress forbade U.S. Customs and Border Protection from building in the nearby Santa Ana wildlife refuge or the nonprofit National Butterfly Center. But it didn't stop money from going to wall construction in other refuge lands, nor did it stop the government from building in otherwise exempted land due to the emergency declaration, said Marianna Trevino Wright, the butterfly center's director.

"They're going to have to protect us in every single spending bill going forward, and they have to protect us against the state of emergency," Wright said. "And this administration has made it clear ... that they don't want any exemptions."
When she entered the race almost exactly one year ago, Chicago Mayor-elect Lori Lightfoot was a long shot, even by her own admission - and relatively unknown in comparison to some of her opponents.

Now, Lightfoot has a low profile no longer. After a runoff victory in which she swept all 50 wards, Lightfoot will be sworn into office on Monday as Chicago's first black female mayor and the city's first openly-LGBTQ mayor, an historic election by several measures in the country's third-largest city.

A native of Massillon, Ohio, Lightfoot will also be the first elected mayor since Anton Cermak, in office in the 1930s, who was not born in Chicago. Lightfoot touched on her upbringing in her victory speech in April, giving a brief but emotional glimpse into the people and experiences she said made her who she is today.

"My parents didn't have it easy," Lightfoot said. "My dad got really sick and slipped into a coma for a year, a whole year, and woke up without the ability to hear anything."

"He lived the rest of his life with his disability," she continued. "He worked as a barber and a janitor and put up with the racism in our small, segregated steel town."

Lightfoot had previously said that her father Elijah Lightfoot's disability and its impact on her family "profoundly shaped" her views on social justice.

"My mom worked low-wage jobs in mental hospitals and nursing homes. My parents didn't have much money but they had their dignity and their dreams. Dreams for their children. Dreams for me," Lightfoot said.

"They taught me the value of honesty, decency, hard work and education and they gave me faith - the faith that put me where I am today."

"My mom is watching this tonight, with more than a little pride in her little girl," she added. After Lightfoot finished first in the Feb. 26 election to make the Apr. 2 runoff, she told reporters that her 90-year-old mother Ann Lightfoot had called her the next morning to share her hope that her daughter would open doors for others.

"She said, and I agree, I hope that my candidacy demonstrates to young people, particularly young people of color who look like me, maybe growing up in circumstances like me, that with hard work, anything is possible," Lightfoot said the morning after the February election.

Her mother was expected to travel to Chicago from Ohio for Lightfoot's inauguration on Monday. As for her late father, Lightfoot grew emotional while addressing supporters immediately following her April victory.

"My dad isn't with us anymore, but Dad," she said, pausing seemingly to collect herself, voice wavering ever so slightly. "Wherever you are, look at your daughter. And look at everyone here. And look at our great city."

"Thank you, Dad. Your sacrifices have been born anew. We made it," Lightfoot continued.

Lightfoot left Ohio to complete her undergraduate degree at the University of Michigan, then after two years working as a legislative aide in Washington, D.C., earned a full ride to attend law school at the University of Chicago.

She's lived in Chicago since 1986, save for a one-year clerkship on the Michigan Supreme Court, and since she moved to the city she's been a federal prosecutor from 1996 to 2002, and held various roles in city government, including as chief of staff for Chicagos Office of Emergency Management and Communications in 2005.

Lightfoot is the former president of the Chicago Police Board, a position to which Emanuel appointed her in 2015, and which she resigned before launching her mayoral bid.

Emanuel also tapped Lightfoot to chair the Police Accountability Task Force in 2016, in the wake of the fatal shooting of Laquan McDonald that rocked the city and sparked a U.S. Department of Justice investigation in the Chicago Police Department. Most recently, Lightfoot worked as a senior equity partner at Mayer Brown LLP.

Celebrating the new chapter in her career and for the city back in April, Lightfoot credited her wife and 11-year-old daughter - featured prominently in her light-hearted closing television ad - for her victory.

"I sure wouldn't have made it without my wife Amy and our daughter Vivian," she said, gazing at her family onstage as the crowd chanted her wife's name. "I want to thank you both for your endless inspiration, your support at the toughest times and your undying love. You are my all, my everything."

Chicagoans will have a chance to meet the new mayor and her wife at an open house the couple is hosting after the inauguration ceremony, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the mayor's office at City Hall in the Loop.
A Maryland man pleaded guilty Tuesday to embezzling up to $1.5 million in upscale wine from customers who paid him to store the bottles, which he sold without their knowledge.

A plea agreement calls for William Lamont Holder, 54, of Hanover, to be sentenced to 18 months in prison for his guilty plea to a wire fraud charge. A federal judge in Baltimore must decide whether to accept the plea deal's terms.

Holder owned and operated Safe Harbour Wine Storage LLC. Private collectors and businesses paid him monthly fees and pick-up charges to store cases of wine in a climate-controlled warehouse in Glen Burnie, a court filing says.

From January 2013 through December 2017, Holder's customers lost between $550,000 and $1.5 million worth of wine that he sold to retailers and brokers without their consent, according to the filing. Holder didn't have a license to sell wine in Maryland.

Holder kept the proceeds from the wine sales and spent all of it on personal expenses, the filing says.

U.S. District Judge Catherine Blake is scheduled to sentence Holder on July 31.

Holder was indicted on wire fraud charges in December.
Kurt Kaser was working on his Nebraska farm when he found himself in a terrifying situation. As Kaser was unloading corn, his leg got stuck in a piece of farm equipment. Alone and realizing he had to quickly make a decision, Kaser used a pocketknife to amputate his own leg to free himself, NBC News reports.

I thought for sure I would pass out, and somehow something told me to keep going, he told NBC News in a phone interview Tuesday of the accident that occurred near the end of April. I did what I thought I had to do, and it worked.

After he cut himself free from the corn hopper, Kaser crawled to his house about 150 feet away and called 911. He was rushed to a hospital and later airlifted to another hospital where his daughter works.

After a week in the hospital and another two weeks recovering at Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital in Lincoln, he was released Friday.

When asked how he has been able to remain positive about the situation, Kaser joked that it's because of his headstrong ways.I guess Im stubborn. I dont want to give up," he said.
What to Know The judge's order clears the way for the couple's 2-year-old daughter to inherit her mother's estate.

A judge has declared a missing Florida newlywed dead, almost two years to the day she disappeared while honeymooning in the Bahamas.

The May 9th order declares that Isabella Hellman, 41, is presumed dead at sea.

Her husband Lewis Bennet, 42, faces sentencing in his wife's death this month after pleading guilty in November to involuntary manslaughter. The plea agreement caps his potential prison sentence at 8 years.

Bennet was found alone in a lifeboat packed with provisions and $100,000 worth of stolen coins. He and repeatedly claimed he was asleep below deck and discovered his wife missing when their catamaran took on water on May 14, 2017. Authorities searched for Hellman for four days, but never found her body. The FBI said an inspection found that holes in the hull were inflicted from the inside, and hatches were opened in a deliberate attempt to sink the boat.

Palm Beach County Circuit Court Judge Scott Suskauer ordered the FBI to give the keys to Hellman's condominium in Delray Beach to an attorney representing her parents so it can be sold, the South Florida SunSentinel reported . The condo is valued at $130,000 and her bank accounts totaled $41,117. She had $8,524 in credit card bills.

The judge also ordered that $18,000 be placed in a trust fund for their daughter, Emelia. The child, who turns 3 in July, now lives with Bennett's parents in Scotland. The remaining money will go toward debts and defense attorney fees.

Bennett's sentencing is set for May 28 in Miami. He apologized to Hellman's family in court in January, noting their "unimaginable pain."
A 69-year-old great-grandmother is demanding an apology for her arrest at a Walt Disney World security checkpoint last month after a guard found CBD oil while searching her purse.

Hester Burkhalter has hired high-profile attorney Benjamin Crump, who represented Trayvon Martin's family.

Crump said Tuesday that Disney World and the Orange County Sheriff's Office "need to take responsibility for their actions" or he will file a lawsuit on the North Carolina woman's behalf, alleging violations of her civil rights.

Burkhalter was arrested on April 15 and said she was detained for 15 hours over a bottle of CBD oil that her doctor in North Carolina recommended for arthritis. The oil was discovered when she put her purse on a table for inspection and tested positive for THC, according to an arrest report from the Orange County Sheriff's Office.

"I was in shock," Burkhalter told NBC News of her experience. "I don't feel like I've done anything wrong at all."

CBD oil, which is extracted from cannabis plants but doesn't produce a high, has become a craze across the country since a 2018 federal law legalized industrial hemp.

NBC Miami has reported that the industry is expected to grow to $5.9 billion by the end of the year, up from $619 million in 2018, according to researchers with Brightfield Group, a CBD marketing research firm.

But state laws vary with Florida in a special case of legal limbo. In the Sunshine State, CBD oil is, for now, only legal for sale with a prescription at certified Medical Marijuana Treatment Centers.

According to Burkhalter's legal team, she provided a doctor's note in response to her arrest and her doctor indicated the oil was legal in North Carolina.

Lawmakers in North Carolina, however, are in the process of trying to bring state laws in line with the 2018 federal law that removed hemp from a list of Schedule I drugs, said Jon Lanier, assistant general counsel with North Carolina's Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

He said he thought law enforcement in his state was generally aware of changes with the federal law.

"Largely where we are right now is that the regulations are catching up to the production," Lanier said.

NBC has requested comment from Florida's Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services for clarity on what out of state visitors who may have a doctor's note or prescription should know.

The Orange County Sheriff's Office has said in an emailed statement that Burkhalter's arrest was lawful. Still, prosecutors dropped a drug charge against Burkhalter, saying it wasn't suitable for prosecution.

A new law that passed Florida's legislature this month would legalize CBD oil on July 1 and establish a framework for regulating the products. Florida's new law, however, has not yet been signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis. NBC has reached out for comment on whether and when DeSantis planned to sign the measure.

For now, Florida's Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services warns on its website that "CBD products being sold in Florida are unregulated, untested, and without standards on what consumers are putting into their bodies."

The NBC 6 Investigators team earlier this year purchased 35 CBD products from seven different companies and took the samples to an accredited testing facility. Twenty of the samples had less than half of the amount of CBD advertised on the label. Some samples had no CBD at all.

Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services spokesperson Franco Ripple said the department is not sending cease and desist letters to businesses that sell CBD products but should the state's regulatory program go into effect "it will allow us to test those products for consumer safety."

The FDA, meanwhile, is planning a public hearing on May 31 as it considers regulations for how cannabis-derived products.

--Daniel Macht contributed to this story
Alabama's vote to restrict abortion in almost all circumstances has moved one of the most polarizing issues in American politics to the center of the 2020 presidential campaign.

The state's legislation  the toughest of several anti-abortion measures that have passed recently, with the only exception being a serious risk to the woman's health  prompted an outcry from Democratic presidential candidates, who warned that conservatives were laying the groundwork to undermine the landmark Roe v. Wade decision. The White House, meanwhile, didn't comment on the Alabama bill as President Donald Trump tries to balance his conservative base against the potential of antagonizing women who are already skeptical of his presidency.

The furor over abortion quickly took over on the Democratic campaign trail. Rallying supporters in New Hampshire, Sen. Kamala Harris said she would back a legal challenge to the Alabama bill after Republican Gov. Kay Ivey signed it into law. She also vowed to make a commitment to upholding the Roe decision a "significant factor" in any Supreme Court nominees she might choose as president, though she declined to go as far as presidential rival Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, who has promised to only nominate judges ready to preserve the 1973 ruling that established a woman's constitutional right to an abortion.

"I respect every woman's right to make a decision about what's in the best interest of herself and her family," Harris said.

Kentucky, Mississippi, Ohio and Georgia have approved abortion bans once a fetal heartbeat is detected, which can occur in about the sixth week of pregnancy. None of these laws are yet in force, either because of later effective dates or legal challenges that have blocked them. But supporters have openly predicted that the laws could spark court fights that will eventually lead the Supreme Court to revisit its Roe decision.

Gillibrand plans to fly to Atlanta on Thursday to meet with women protesting Georgia's state law.

Sen. Cory Booker told The Associated Press that backers of the Alabama measure are "saying that they designed this bill with certain provisions  like not having any exceptions for rape or incest  specifically designed so that they can lead a fight to the Supreme Court" to "undermine other freedoms and liberties of women to control their own bodies."

Booker said it's not enough to hope that Roe will be upheld, adding: "We cannot wait to see if this gets worse."

Several Democratic presidential candidates sought to use their high-profile positions to boost organizing against the state-level abortion laws. Harris emailed her campaign supporters offering to "split a donation" to four advocacy groups working to defend abortion rights. Pete Buttigieg, mayor of South Bend, Indiana, directed his supporters by email to the abortion-rights group NARAL.

Among the other Democratic candidates who took to Twitter to blast Alabama's law and other state-level restrictions were Sens. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, as well as former Vice President Joe Biden and former Texas Rep. Beto O'Rourke.

Ilyse Hogue, the president of NARAL, lauded the Democrats for their support. But she urged them to go further than pro-abortion-rights rhetoric, calling instead for "articulated plans about how we're going to address and get out of this crisis."

The Democratic pushback comes as Trump makes his selection of conservative judges a centerpiece of his political stump speech, part of a long-running courtship of social conservatives whose support he needs to win reelection next year. Republicans have long believed that the politics of abortion have shifted somewhat in their favor in recent years. But the near-absolutist nature of the most recent bills has sparked some concern among the president's team that it could energize Trump critics and female voters, with whom the president has long struggled.

Polling suggests that the issue of abortion has the potential to stoke political engagement among both parties. The General Social Survey released last year found 64% of Democrats, but just 35% of Republicans, saying a woman should be able to have an abortion for any reason.

Other surveys have found majority support for legalized abortion in "all or most cases." A Pew Research Center survey in September 2018 found 58% of Americans saying abortion should be legal in at least most cases, compared with 37% who said it should be illegal in all or most cases.

Trump won the White House in 2016 in part because of strong support from socially conservative Republicans who wanted to ensure that a conservative justice got named to the Supreme Court seat that had been occupied by Antonin Scalia  a seat held open by the GOP's refusal to confirm President Barack Obama's pick for the lifetime post. Since his first campaign began, Trump has supported a ban on abortions at the point that a fetus is believed to feel pain and publicly released a list of conservative judges from which he would select a nominee for the nation's highest court.

The president's selection of Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court has emboldened conservative allies of the White House who believe the time is ripe for a court case to challenge Roe v. Wade. Kavanaugh assured senators before his confirmation last year that he viewed Roe as precedent, but Democratic senators pointed to a 2003 memo he wrote that suggested it wasn't necessary to call the landmark abortion-rights ruling "settled law" because the "Court can always overrule its precedent."

The Trump campaign deferred to the White House on whether Trump supported the Alabama measure or other restrictive bills passed by other states. White House deputy press secretary Judd Deere touted Trump's record on abortion, noting that he "is protecting our most innocent and vulnerable, defending the dignity of life, and called on Congress to prohibit late-term abortions."
What to Know Mayor Bill de Blasio will be running for president, defying deep voter opposition at home to enter the crowded field

De Blasio announced his candidacy on Thursday morning

De Blasio becomes the first sitting mayor of New York City to run for president since John Lindsay's brief run in 1972

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio is officially running for president, defying deep voter opposition at home to enter the crowded field with an unabashed message of progressivism.

De Blasio launched his website Thursday morning and made the announcement in a three-minute campaign video titled "Working People First."

"There's plenty of money in this world. There's plenty of money in this country. It's just in the wrong hands," De Blasio says in the video, which touts his accomplishments bringing universal pre-K, paid sick leave and a $15 minimum wage to the city. "I'm running for president because it's time we put working people first."

De Blasio refers to President Donald Trump as a "bully" and says he must be stopped. The president was quick to respond, tweeting early Thursday, "The Dems are getting another beauty to join their group."



"Bill de Blasio of NYC, considered the worst mayor in the U.S., will supposedly be making an announcement for president today," Trump tweeted nearly two hours after the announcement was official on YouTube. "He is a JOKE, but if you like high taxes & crime, he's your man. NYC HATES HIM!"

He will later be traveling to Iowa to headline an event in Sioux City, which local Democrats are calling the "first stop on his presidential announcement tour." The mayor will then head to South Carolina for the weekend.

De Blasio joins a Democratic field with almost two dozen other candidates.

In mounting a bid, the mayor is essentially ignoring the voters who overwhelmingly elected him to City Hall twice. An April 3 Quinnipiac poll found 76 percent of New York City voters opposed the idea of him running for the White House.

Even in his most traditionally loyal demographics  black voters and voters in the Bronx  seven out of every 10 were against the idea of him running for president.

De Blasio becomes the first sitting mayor of New York City to run for president since John Lindsay's brief run in 1972. (Rudy Giuliani ran for president after his term as mayor ended, and Michael Bloomberg flirted with a run but never formally launched a campaign.)

De Blasio is the city's 109th mayor, coming into office in 2014, and has been a progressive voice on certain issues including early childhood education, immigration reform and voting rights.

He was born on May 8, 1961 in Manhattan and raised in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He is a graduate of New York University and Columbia Universitys School of International and Public Affairs and began his career in public service in 1989 as part of David N. Dinkins mayoral campaign.

De Blasio went on to serve as regional director at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development; as a school board member for Brooklyn School District 15; and as head of Hillary Rodham Clintons 2000 campaign for the U.S. Senate.

In 2002, he joined the New York City Council, representing Brooklyns 39th district. He was subsequently elected Public Advocate in 2009.

De Blasio follows other tri-state Democrats running for president, including New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand and New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker.
Officials in Venezuela say representatives of the government and opposition have traveled to Norway for talks on resolving the political crisis in the South American country.

Members of Venezuela's opposition-controlled congress said Wednesday that senior members of both sides will be involved in the discussions in Oslo.

The National Assembly members spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the talks, which they described as exploratory.

One official said delegations from the two opposing camps were traveling after receiving separate invitations from a group of Norwegians.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro did not directly comment on the talks in televised remarks Wednesday. But he said Information Minister Jorge Rodriguez was on a "very important" mission outside Venezuela.

The United States has suspended all commercial passenger and cargo flights between the U.S. and Venezuela, saying the political unrest and tensions there pose a risk to flights.

Wednesday's announcement by the Department of Homeland Security affected a dwindling number of flights between the two countries, since U.S. airlines no longer fly to Venezuela. The measure reflects the increasingly sour relationship between the Venezuelan government and the U.S., which is leading a campaign to oust President Nicolas Maduro.

The department says conditions in Venezuela "threaten the safety and security of passengers, aircraft, and crew." It says the flight suspension will continue indefinitely, though the decision will be reviewed if the situation in Venezuela changes.
The first success story is coming out of the crumbling foundations crisis.

A family in Tolland was the first to get their foundation fixed with help from the state.

This is a big step in the right direction four years after NBC Connecticut Investigates first broke the story.

Eighteen months after first discovering cracks in their concrete, the owners of one home finally have their foundation fixed. But, officials say it could take a decade to replace the crumbling concrete in all of the affected homes in our state.

We dont have enough contractors. We have a line, explained Michael Maglaras, captive insurance superintendent.

The head of the captive insurance program created to help homeowners with crumbling foundations estimates that there are 5,000 homes in need of new foundations in Connecticut and only two dozen construction firms signed up to do the work.

I think its a big endeavor to get into. Weve probably spent in the last year probably a million dollars in equipment weve bought, said James Newcity of Newcity Construction.

It took Newcity Construction just six weeks to repair Kevin and Aisling McCloskeys Tolland home.

There is still a little piece in me thats angry but we kind of have to let that go and find peace, Aisling McCloskey said.

Today is a day of four years of hope turned into reality, said Tim Heim of the Connecticut Coalition Against Crumbling Basements. It was a long, hard fight.

While the McCloskeys are paving the way for other homeowners signed up for foundation funds the work won't happen as quickly for everyone who comes after them. So far, 700 homeowners have applied.

Ive got homeowners signing contracts now. I wont even get to them until the end of 2021, Maglaras explained.

The captive is only authorized by the state legislature through June of 2022. There's not enough time nor enough money, says Maglaras. He plans to ask for an extension.

We really think that, rough estimate, $350 to $500 million will be needed to get this job done, he said.

The fund, paid through bonding and a $12 property tax surcharge, is only expected to receive $137 million. Single family homeowners are capped at $175,000 in assistance and condo owners get up to $70,000. Spreading the burden to Connecticut taxpayers hasnt been without controversy.

I know at the end of the day that theres gonna be frustration that the insurance companies kind of got a bye on this, Kevin McCloskey said.

Without knowing what the future will bring, Marglaras is encouraging all affected homeowners to apply sooner rather than later.

Officials say within just three weeks another 80 homes will be in the process of getting their foundations fixed.
To say Nicole Antaya is grateful to be graduating from Quinnipiac University this weekend would be an understatement.

Ive had to miss a lot of school in order go through very severe procedures and hospitalizations," Antaya said, "which is why I treasure school so much and graduating this Saturday is so incredible.

Reaching this milestone has been six years in the making.

So I would say for first semester or even year I had a backpack on one shoulder and oxygen tank on the other, trying to go to classes, trying, Antaya recalled.

She was born with cystic fibrosis, a genetic disorder that causes chronic lung infections and limits the ability to breathe.

I would say June of 2015 my lung function dropped down to 18 percent, Antaya said.

Six months to a year - that's how long doctors said she had to live. So Antaya moved with her mom to Durham, North Carolina in desperate need of two new lungs.

Because otherwise the infected the lung would then infect the good lung and there would be no point in that, she explained.

In August 2015, she underwent a double lung transplant at Duke University Medical Center that gave her a second chance at life.

One hundred percent I wouldnt be here if it wasnt for him and it was literally a strangers gift," Antaya said, "he didnt know me, he didnt have to check the box to become an organ donor but because he did Im here.

Antaya said she wrote a letter to the parents of the 17-year-old boy who donated her new lungs. He died in a car crash.

"Just expressing my like absolute humbled gratitude," she said, "and theres no words you can really say to a family who is mourning because when I received the call that would save my life, Jordans family was receiving a devastated call.

Antaya's road to recovery wasn't easy. After a month of intensive care, she had to learn to walk again.

So just getting back on your feet again is literal, its a literal getting back on your feet again, she said.

Since the transplant, she takes 76 pills daily to stabilize her blood pressure and prevent her body from rejecting the new organs.

After taking online courses and returning to campus a year and a half after the life-saving surgery, Antaya is ready to receive her bachelor's degree in psychology from Quinnipiac.

She has decorated in her graduation cap in honor of her donor.

I know I will have Jordans spirit with me and so I want to accept that diploma for him cause he never graduated from high school," Antaya said, "so when I reach for it I really want to like envelope his soul in that actual moment.

At Quinnipiac, Antaya has started a chapter of Student Organ Donation Advocates (SODA).

After graduation this Saturday at the People's United Center on the York Hill campus, Antaya said she will continue her education in the master's in social work program at Southern Connecticut State University.
Homeowners in hard-hit communities lost power for several days following the May 15, 2018 tornadoes and thunderstorms.

The neighborhoods by Candlewood Lake in Brookfield looked more like a war zone after being in the path of a powerful macroburst.

A year ago you, probably couldnt even drive down here much less see a lot of the houses, they were covered with trees and wires down and poles down everywhere, said Rosemarie Benelli, an overhead line supervisor for Eversource based in the Newtown area.

For 10 days following the May 15 storms, Benelli helped supervise power restoration efforts in Brookfield.

I have never seen this amount of damage," she said, "especially in such a small concentrated area.

Sections of the system had to be entirely rebuilt, Benelli said.

It was all hands on deck, with Eversource crews and contractors from across New England and the country coming to help.

"People from all over the company, the assessors that ride down the street and write down how many poles we need, what size, how much wire how many cross arms, Eversource Operations Senior Supervisor George Escobar explained.

In his 35 years with Evesource, Escobar said the devastation from a year ago rivals what he saw after Sandy in 2012.

Always hurricane season you kind of brace for it," he said, "but now its any time of the year we have noreasters and then we have microbursts or tornadoes like we did in this case.

Given the distance of the powerful downburst that came across the lake, the National Weather Service determined that a macroburst caused the extensive damage in the Brookfield community.

It looked like God used the sickle and took the tree tops off, Escobar said.

A falling tree came crashing down on Paula Pascoa's home, leading to a close call for her daughter.

It was right here that the ceiling fell on her but shes OK, Pascoa said, pointing up to her repaired living room ceiling.

Pascoa had been living in the home for less than four months when she was forced to relocate to a short-term rental.

You had to be on top of it," she said, "you really had to be on top of what was going on.

Pascoa said she paid out of pocket to have large trees removed from her backyard, but insurance helped cover the cost to repair the damage to the house.

"The house is getting back to normal," she said, "better than normal so were doing well.

Pascoa said she thanks the utility crews that worked tireless to turn the power back on.

They did a great job," she said, "they were here day and night and did what they had to do to get things back.

For Eversource employees, it is satisfying to see what the neighborhood looks like one year later.

"Its good to see that the work is done and theyre back up and running," Escobar said. "They did a great job here.
There is new hope for animals diagnosed with cancer here in Connecticut. An experimental immunotherapy cancer treatment for pets being made in Farmington is making progress and could have the potential to help people in the future.

Over the last year, Michiel Considine has been traveling from Torrington and meeting with Dr. Steve Leshem at the Veterinary Emergency Center in Canton a lot. It's all because of Oskar, his 11-year-old cat, who certainly has nine lives.

He is my friend. He is a good guy. He is part of the family and we treat him like part of the family, said Considine.

Last year when Oskar was diagnosed with a cancerous tumor on his leg, the news was devastating for Considine and his family.

As a family, just very frightened and weren't sure what to do, said Considine.

Dr. Leshem is also a surgeon and suggested amputation, but because he couldn't remove all the cancer cells, Oskar was a perfect candidate for a new experimental immunotherapy treatment.

A Farmington company is working on immunotherapy for pets with cancer and it might someday help humans as well.

Let's teach the body to kill the cancer, said Leshem. We have had awesome success with it.

That's exactly what Torigen is doing.

We make personalized cancer therapies to help pets, said Ashley Kalinauskas. Kalinauskas and her team in Farmington have been perfecting the personalized cancer vaccine in their lab for the last few years. They said more than 50 percent of companion animals over the age of 10 die from cancer and they want to change those statistics.

NBC Connecticut

So far, Torigen has treated more than 500 animals. Once cancerous tumors are removed, the researchers use those tumor cells to make a personalized vaccine. They then give that vaccine back to the cat or dog and prevent the cancer from returning.

It's a vaccine. Being able to take what went wrong and provide it back in a new formulation, said Kalinauskas.

Plus, because Torigen has been so successful in animals, the hope is that the personalized immunotherapy could eventually work for humans.

Dogs get cancer in the same way that humans get cancer. said Kalinauskas. So, if we are able to make a difference in a pet and have that cancer not come back or have that patient feel better then we are able to potentially understand how that can work for humans.

There are other immunotherapy products already on the market, however, they are not personalized. Torigen hopes this could be a treatment for humans in the next five years, but said the funding for that next step currently does not exist.

When it comes to the cost of this vaccine for pet owners, it is not cheap.

It's costly, it seems like everything is costly. It is less costly than chemo or radiation by far, said Dr. Leshem.

Torigen said pet owners can expect to pay around $1,500 to $1,800 to treat their animal. Dr. Leshem said the success of the treatment does depend on the type and stage of the animals cancer. The treatment works best when the cancer is caught early.

It kind of ended up being a no brainer, this is a part of our family. We want to do what is best for him, said Considine. Now Oskar is living cancer free and is back to his old self.

If you think this experimental immunotherapy vaccine would be a possible treatment for your pet, ask your veterinarian about it or head to the Torigen website here.
What to Know Wave of alleged incidents involving exploding cans of household cooking spray has resulted in six separate lawsuits, mostly naming Conagra

The most recent explosion was on Staten Island, where a woman was set ablaze by an exploding cooking spray, her lawsuit says

The six lawsuits were filed in Cook County Superior Court in Chicago, where Conagra maintains its headquarters

A New York City woman is suing over an explosion she blames on a can of household cooking spray that ignited her hair and left her horribly burned. Five similar lawsuits involving plaintiffs across the country were also filed Tuesday, though all those named food packaging giant Conagra as the defendant.



Most of the six separately filed lawsuits involve PAM, though the brand allegedly involved in Maria Mariani's case was different and possibly made by another company. She bought it at a major retailer.

According to her lawsuit, Mariani was using the stove to boil water at her mothers Staten Island apartment on April 5. Just as she shut the flame off, a cooking spray can erupted and set fire to her hair, the lawsuit alleges. The flames spread to her clothes and body, charring nearly 30 percent of her skin. Mariani now has to undergo surgery and rehabilitation, according to the lawsuit.

The other five lawsuits detail similar incidents across the country. In one case, jarring surveillance footage captured an explosion at a Texas restaurant after, according to the lawsuit, a worker put a can of PAM cooking spray on a shelf in front of a grill. In another, a Utah couple was set on fire, allegedly when another PAM can exploded. In yet another case, a college student in Texas had to be placed in a medically induced coma for two weeks.

In a statement, Conagra said that "when PAM is used correctly, as instructed, it is a 100-percent safe and effective product."

All six lawsuits were filed in Cook County Superior Court in Chicago Tuesday morning, where Conagra maintains its headquarters.

Cooking spray is most commonly designed as an aerosol container. In 2011, Conagra began using a new kind of aerosol can in an effort to save money, according to the lawsuits filed Tuesday. The new design is used primarily for cans that contain more than 10 oz. of product and includes a venting mechanism on the bottom of the can, which looks like a four U-shaped score marks. This mechanism is allegedly intended to allow the container to vent its flammable contents in a controlled manner.

The plaintiffs in these six cases have alleged that the design of the cans is faulty, dangerous and prone to explosion even when used properly.

It is beyond irresponsible that, to increase profits, Conagra Brands made and sold cans of household cooking spray that are susceptible to explosion, choosing not to use the safer designs as it had for the last sixty years, and failed to warn consumers about the very serious risks, J. Craig Smith of Koskoff Koskoff & Bieder, the law firm that represents the victims in each of the cases, said in a statement.

According to the law firm, Conagra is aware of the danger the new can design poses, and has inferred to business partners that, as of Jan. 1, it discontinued additional production using the new design, but did not issue a nationwide recall of already-shipped product, which has a shelf life of several years.

Conagra's statement goes on to say that the vented design in question was used on a limited number of cans over the last several years and was subsequently removed from active production as the company sought to standardize their cans across the entire aerosol cooking spray product line.

"We fully stand by this product. To reiterate, the vented can design is no longer in production. And, when PAM is used correctly, as instructed, it is a 100-percent safe and effective product," Conagra said.
Missouri's Republican-led Senate has passed a wide-ranging bill to ban abortions at eight weeks of pregnancy, acting only hours after Alabama's governor signed a near-total abortion ban into law.

The Missouri bill needs another vote of approval in the GOP-led House before it can go to Republican Gov. Mike Parson, who voiced support for an earlier version Wednesday.

The legislation includes exceptions for medical emergencies, but not for pregnancies caused by rape or incest. Doctors would face five to 15 years in prison for violating the eight-week cutoff. Women who receive abortions wouldn't be prosecuted.

Republican Senate handler Sen. Andrew Koenig described it on Thursday as "one of the strongest" abortion bills yet passed in the U.S.

Missouri joins a movement of GOP-dominated state legislatures emboldened by the possibility that a more conservative Supreme Court could overturn its landmark ruling legalizing the procedure. Its senators voted only hours after Alabama's governor signed the most stringent abortion ban in the nation on Wednesday, making performing an abortion a felony in nearly all cases.

Outnumbered Missouri Senate Democrats launched into an attack on the bill before Republican supporters had a chance to bring it up for debate on the Senate floor.

"So much of this bill is just shaming women into some kind of complacency that says we are vessels of pregnancy rather than understanding that women's lives all hold different stories," St. Louis-area Democratic Sen. Jill Schupp said.

Missouri is among a growing number of states where abortion opponents are working with renewed enthusiasm following President Donald Trump's appointment of more conservative high court justices. Kentucky, Mississippi, Ohio and Georgia have approved bans on abortion once fetal cardiac activity can be detected, which can occur in about the sixth week of pregnancy. Similar restrictions in North Dakota and Iowa have been struck down in court.

Supporters say the Alabama bill is intentionally designed to conflict with the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion nationally in hopes of sparking a court case that might prompt the justices to revisit abortion rights.

Missouri's bill also includes an outright ban on abortions except in cases of medical emergencies. But unlike Alabama's, it would kick in only if Roe v. Wade is overturned.

If courts don't allow Missouri's proposed eight-week ban to take effect, it includes a ladder of less-restrictive time limits that would prohibit abortions at 14, 18 or 20 weeks or pregnancy. Roe v. Wade legalized abortion up until viability, which is usually at 22 to 24 weeks.

"This is not a piece of legislation that is designed for a challenge," Missouri's Republican House Speaker Elijah Haahr said. "This is the type of legislation that is designed to withstand a challenge and to actually save lives in our state."

Republicans and Democrats worked for hours to reach a compromise on the bill, which included an expansion of tax credits for donations to pregnancy resource centers, and waters down other provisions.

The approved version of the wide-ranging bill bans abortions based solely on race, sex or a diagnosis indicating the potential of Down Syndrome. It also requires that both parents be notified for a minor to get an abortion, but a change was made after hours of late-night negotiations to remove the requirement when a parent lacks legal or physical custody. Current law requires written consent from only one parent.

Still, some lawmakers on both sides of the debate walked away unhappy.

Democrat Schrupp said even after changes, it's "an extreme and egregious piece of legislation that puts women's health at risk."

"It is outrageous that it has no exemptions for victims of human trafficking, rape or incest," she said.

Republican Sen. Bob Onder said negotiators went too far to compromise, leaving the bill "a shadow of what it once was."

"This should be entitled not the 'Missouri Stands for the Unborn Act,'" Onder told colleagues on the Senate floor, "but the 'Missouri Stands for the Unborn Act, sort of kind of only after the minority party and the strongest Planned Parenthood lawyers in the country were done with the bill.'"
More than 100 flights at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport were delayed Thursday after non-essential employees were evacuated from a government air traffic control facility because of a sewage odor Thursday.

Lynn Lunsford, with the Federal Aviation Administration, told NBC 5 the Fort Worth Air Route Traffic Control Center continued to provide air traffic services at a slightly reduced rate as they rotated personnel in and out of the building.

Thursday afternoon officials said the odor was related to sewage and that plumbers were making repairs.

Lunsford added that air purifiers and fans were being used to circulate fresh air throughout the building.
Police officers from around North Texas will gather in Plano on Thursday to remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice.

The Plano Police Department will host their annual Peace Officer Memorial Service at 11 a.m. in the Plano Municipal Center in Council Chambers.

This years ceremony will have a special emphasis on fallen Richardson officer David Sherrard who was killed in the line of duty in 2018. His parents and officers who worked closely with Sherrard will be in attendance.

"When somebody dies in the line of service, you have a shattered family. You have a hurting community," Plano police chief Gregory Rushin said. "You have loved ones who have a great void and we have to remember those individuals that gave their lives and that made that ultimate sacrifice."

Dallas officers will also attend the ceremony in memory of fallen Dallas officers Jamie Givens and Rogelio Santander.
Youve heard it takes a village to raise a child. That cant be truer for children who are being treated at Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children in Dallas. Many of those children received nice surprises all thanks to donations from the young at heart.

Residents living at the HarbourChase of the Park Cities senior living community in Dallas heard the story of their concierge Annette Alvarez. Alvarez was cared for at Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children when she was born at less than two pounds with dislocated hips so when she started walking, her legs would cross and get tangled. Once Alvarez was five, her mother took her to Scottish Rite, where she received treatment for the next two years.

Alvarez credits the hospital with helping her to walk, as stated in a news release provided by HarbourChase of the Park Cities:

"Words can't express how much love and appreciation I have for Scottish Rite Hospital and the care I received when I was a child," Alvarez said. "My mom didnt have the funds to take care of my treatments when I was in the hospital, but luckily their financial assistance program paid the entire bill. I know exactly what the children and teens at the hospital are going through. That's why I am elated to have the opportunity to donate toys and other items that will put smiles on their faces during a difficult time."

After hearing that, the community has collected various items, including card games, mini Lego kits, small stuffed animals, craft packets, and activity books to help reduce the childrens anxiety and provide a distraction while they are at the hospital.

If you see something good happening in your community, email pictures and a description to isee@nbcdfw.com and wake up to #SomethingGood on NBC 5 Today every day from 4:30 a.m. to 7 a.m.
Facebook said Thursday it banned an Israeli company that ran an influence campaign aimed at disrupting elections in various countries and has canceled dozens of accounts engaged in spreading disinformation.

Nathaniel Gleicher, Facebook's head of cybersecurity policy, told reporters that the tech giant had purged 65 Israeli accounts, 161 pages, dozens of groups and four Instagram accounts.

Although Facebook said the individuals behind the network attempted to conceal their identities, it discovered that many were linked to the Archimedes Group, a Tel Aviv-based political consulting and lobbying firm that publicly boasts of its social media skills and ability to "change reality."

"It's a real communications firm making money through the dissemination of fake news," said Graham Brookie, director of the Digital Forensic Research Lab at the Atlantic Council, a think tank collaborating with Facebook to expose and explain disinformation campaigns.

He called Archimedes' commercialization of tactics more commonly tied to governments, like Russia, an emerging--and worrying--trend in the global spread of social media disinformation. "These efforts go well beyond what is acceptable in free and democratic societies," Brookie said.

Gleicher described the pages as conducting "coordinated inauthentic behavior," with accounts posting on behalf of certain political candidates, smearing their opponents and presenting as legitimate local news organizations peddling supposedly leaked information.

"Our team assessed that because this group is primarily organized to conduct deceptive behavior, we are removing them from the platform and blocking them from coming back," he added.

The activity appeared focused on Sub-Saharan African countries but was also scattered in parts of Southeast Asia and Latin America, what Brookie called a "staggering diversity of regions" that pointed to the group's sophistication.

The fake pages, pushing a steady stream of political news, racked up 2.8 million followers. Thousands of people expressed interest in attending at least one of the nine events organized by those behind the pages. Facebook could not confirm whether any of the events actually occurred. Some 5,000 accounts joined one or more of the fake groups.

Gleicher said the misleading accounts primarily aimed to influence people in Nigeria, Senegal, Togo, Angola, Niger and Tunisia.

The most significant audience engagement was generated in Malaysia, which has a vast media market and held a general election last year, according to Brookie and his team at the Atlantic Council.

Facebook investigations revealed that Archimedes had spent some $800,000 on fake ads, paid for in Brazilian reals, Israeli shekels and U.S. dollars. Gleicher said the deceptive ads dated back to 2012, with the most recent activity occurring last month.

Facebook shared a few examples of the fake content, including one post mocking 2018 Congolese presidential candidate Martin Fayulu for crying foul play in the elections that vaulted Felix Tshisekedi to victory. Many governments and watchdog groups condemned the elections as rigged and declared Fayulu the rightful winner.

Given the geographical variety of Archimedes' operations, "it's impossible to determine a single ideological thread," said Brookie. "They weren't pushing exclusively far-right or anti-globalist content. It appears to be a clear-cut case of spreading disinformation through economic incentive."

He added that Archimedes-linked pages pulled from the playbook of Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, with widely amplified yet tailored messages targeting potential voters and "creating a specter of leaked information." Most impostor accounts shared a key tactic: posing as a campaigner for a particular candidate and then sharing opinions that actual supporters would find offensive.

Facebook has come under pressure to more robustly and transparently tackle misinformation aimed at sowing division and confusion around elections, since the revelation that the company was slow to detect and respond to Russian election meddling.

Thursday's disclosure, which Facebook pointed to as proof of its accelerating "progress rooting out abuse," underscored the extent to which private actors are leveraging the platform to meddle in elections and more broadly tap the "growing market for disinformation," said Brookie.

But the company's efforts to fight fake accounts are "often made in great haste," said Jonathan Klinger from the Israeli Digital Rights Movement, and if Archimedes does have legitimate links to political parties and candidates, Facebook can expect a legal battle.

On its website, Archimedes, which presents itself as consulting firm involved in campaigns for presidential elections, does not hide its efforts to manipulate public opinion. Rather, the company advertises it.

The site, featuring a montage of stock photos from Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, boasts of its "own unique field within the social media realm" and its efforts to "take every advantage available in order to change reality according to our client's wishes."

Little information is available beyond its slogan, which is "winning campaigns worldwide," and a vague blurb about the group's "mass social media management" software, which it said enabled the operation of an "unlimited" number of online accounts.

A message seeking comment from the company was not immediately returned.

Archimedes' chief executive is Elinadav Heymann, according to Swiss negotiations consultancy Negotiations.CH, where he is listed as one of the group's consultants.

A biography posted to the company's website describes Heymann as the former director of the Brussels-based European Friends of Israel lobbying group, a former political adviser in Israel's parliament and an ex-intelligence agent for the Israeli air force.

Heymann did not return messages left with Daniel Hardegger, Negotions.CH's managing director. Shortly after The Associated Press got in touch, Hardegger said that Heymann requested that his biography be removed from the site.
What to Know The Texas Senate passed a bill Wednesday that would ban government entities from taking "adverse action" over religious affiliation.

The move is a response to the San Antonio City Council preventing a Chick-fil-A to open in the city's airport.

GOP lawmakers have until the Legislature adjourns May 27 to pass the bill.

The city of San Antonio blocking a Chick-fil-A airport location has Republicans pressing to quickly get what they call new religious liberty protections on Gov. Greg Abbott's desk.

The Texas Senate on Wednesday passed a bill that would ban government entities from taking "adverse action" over an individual or organization's affiliation to a religious organization.

Republicans have pushed the measure in wake of the San Antonio City Council voting in March to exclude Chick-fil-A from opening airport concessions due to the fast-food chain owners' record on LGBT issues.

Democrats say the bill invites discrimination. A coalition of LGBT lawmakers sank a similar measure last week in the Texas House on a procedural move.

But GOP lawmakers are now fast-tracking renewed efforts before the Legislature adjourns May 27.
A new lawsuit filed Wednesday against Juul accuses the vaping company of targeting teens and misrepresenting the potency of the nicotine inside its devices.

The lawsuit filed by the North Carolina Attorney General could ultimately affect Southern California.

Juul is now fighting allegations it targeted young people and as a result created a vaping epidemic among teens. San Francisco based Juul is now valued around $40 billion.

But the North Carolina Attorney General said Juul became that big on the backs of teenagers.

"It uses fruit and dessert-like flavors that serve to entice children to the product," said Josh Stein, the North Carolina Attorney General.

The lawsuit says "Juul deliberately designed the flavors, the look, and even the chemical composition of the e-cigarettes to appeal to youthful audiences ..."

"It altered the chemical composition of nicotine to make inhaling it smoother for young, first time smokers' throats," Stein said. The AG now wants Juul to stop selling e-cigarettes to minors in his state and limit flavors. In just one year, there has been a 78 percent increase in e-cigarette use among high schoolers and a 48 percent jump among middle schoolers, according to the latest National Youth Tobacco Survey.

Juul told NBC4 it hasn't seen the lawsuit, but "share(s) the attorney general's concerns ..." adding it has "stopped the sale" of "flavored Juulpods" in retail stores and "enhanced [its] online age-verification process."

The company also shut down its Facebook and Instagram accounts. Juul is also facing scrutiny for its latest commercials. The new ads feature adults who switched from cigarettes to Juul. But some medical professionals are questioning if the ads imply that Juul can help people stop using cigarettes.

"If you're going to make a medical claim, we have laws about that," said Dr. Michael Ong, of the California Tobacco Education & Research Oversight Committee. "It does need more scrutiny."

In a statement to the NBC4 I-Team, Juul said it's "a switching product" and "not intended to be used as cessation products, including for the cure or treatment of nicotine addiction "

Now Juul is on the defense again as vaping among teens continues to climb. "Juul designed its product to look like a flash drive, making it cool and easy for students to hide," Stein said.

The legal age to purchase Juul products is already 21 in California. In North Carolina it's still 18. Juul says it strongly advocates raising the purchase age nationally to 21.
The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said Wednesday that the deadliest wildfire in California's history was caused by PG&E's electrical transmission lines.

The Camp Fire, which destroyed 18,804 structures and resulted in 85 civilian fatalities in and around Paradise  a city of 27,000 people in the Sierra Nevada foothills  started in the Pulga area of Butte County, according to CalFire. Investigators found that strong winds, dry vegetation and warm temperatures caused the extreme spread of flames into Concow, Paradise and east Chico.

"The cause of the second fire was determined to be vegetation into electrical distribution lines owned and operated by PG&E. This fire was consumed by the original fire which started earlier near Pulga," CalFire said in a news release.

PG&E did not immediately offer comment.

A second flashpoint was found, the agency said, near the intersection of Concow Road and Rim Road in Concow. That fire, Cal Fire says, was found to be caused by vegetation into electrical distribution lines owned and operated by PG&E.

That fire soon became part of the original fire, which ultimately claimed 86 lives.

CalFire has referred its findings to the Butte County District Attorneys office. Thats something CalFire has done in cases where investigators suspect an underlying violation of state regulations or laws. CalFire did not say what violation is suspected in the Camp Fire, however.

Since the fire, NBC Bay Area has reported a grand jury has issued subpoenas for PG&E records related to its Caribou-Palermo transmission line.

The Caribou-Palermo circuit is the high voltage system that PG&E has previously said was tied to the fire. The company has said a worn hook on an aging transmission tower snapped. It is believed the line dangled onto the tower, triggering an explosion at the origin of the fire.

Butte County District Attorney Mike Ramsey confirmed Wednesday that CalFire determined a regulatory violation was suspected in the fire, but he declined to elaborate.

He said his office has three years to decide whether to seek criminal charges but stressed he believes a decision will be made within weeks to months.

Ramsey said there are no surprises in the CalFire report.

There is no new information in terms of the scope and arc of the criminal investigation that starts shortly after the Camp Fire, he said. We know everything in the report.

He said his office is considering various felonies, either against the company or individuals, as the investigation continues.

We are looking at reckless arson and involuntary manslaughter, that involves a homicide with gross negligence, as a potential, he said.

We need to know what did PG&E know, and what should they have known, Ramsey said.

In 2018, there were more than 7,571 wildfires that burned over 1.8 million acres within the state of California.

PG&E shares fell 1.6% in trading on Wednesday.

PG&E, the state's largest utility, filed for bankruptcy protection earlier this year after being overwhelmed by tens of billions of dollars in potential wildfire liabilities.
The California Senate has rejected a new tax on most residential water bills, opting instead to use existing tax dollars to improve drinking water in some of the state's poorest areas.

State officials say in 2017, more than 450 public water systems did not comply with safety standards, affecting more than half a million people.

This year, Gov. Gavin Newsom proposed a 95-cent tax on most residential water bills. He wants to use the money to improve the drinking water systems.

Senate leaders rejected that proposal on Wednesday. Instead, they endorsed a plan that would use $150 million of existing taxpayer dollars to make the improvements.

The tax proposal is still alive in the state Assembly.

A spokesman for Newsom said the governor supports a permanent and sustained funding source.
Police and city officials led a community peace march and rally late this afternoon at the park in the Vermont Square section of South Los Angeles where a 5-year-old girl and three other people were wounded in a drive-by shooting.

"Tonight we stand with local civic leaders, community leaders, and the residents of South Los Angeles at Vermont Square Park with one message...enough is enough," Los Angeles Police Department Chief Michel Moore tweeted after the march. "We are committed to working together to stop the plague of violence that is tragically affecting this community."

The march and vigil were held to address "the violence that has plagued this area,'' according to a police statement.

Gunfire was reported about 8 p.m. Tuesday at Vermont Square Park near 47th Street and Budlong Avenue, according to Officer Drake Madison of the Los Angeles Police Department's Media Relations Section.

At least 10 shots were fired, the LAPD said.

The child sustained a gunshot wound to the back.

She and the other victims were conscious and breathing when taken to a hospital, Madison said.

One victim was reported in critical condition. The girl and the two other victims were in fair condition, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.

A detailed description of any suspects was not immediately available.

The suspect vehicle was described only as a dark sedan or SUV, LAPD Capt. John Shah said.

Detectives investigated the possibility the shooting was gang-related.
Former Environmental Protection Agency administrator Scott Pruitt and his staff spent nearly $124,000 on unnecessary first- and business-class air travel during 10 months in 2017, according to a new report from the EPA's Office of the Inspector General. Pruitt resigned seven months later, amid several ethics scandals surrounding his alleged abuse of agency resources, NBC News reported.

Of the 40 trips the report looked at, 16 included travel to, or had stops in, Tulsa, Oklahoma,  the location of Pruitts personal residence.

The total cost of all the trips was $985,037.

The inspector general recommended that the agency's chief financial officer determine whether Pruitt or any of the other officials should pay back the excessive airfare from those 10 months, or any additional excessive expenses from the remainder of his tenure.
Broward county officials say they have been informed the Trump Administration is planning weekly flights relocating hundreds of migrants from the Southern Border region to Broward and Palm Beach counties, where they expect they will be processed by Border patrol and released into the community.

Broward Mayor Mark Bogen said the administration will send two planes a week to South Florida carrying a total of 270 migrants as part of its effort to relieve the migrant population along the Texas border. The people will be equally divided between Broward and Palm Beach counties, Bogen said.

"This is a humanitarian crisis. We will do everything possible to help these people," Bogen said. "If the President will not provide us with financial assistance to house and feed these people, he will be creating a homeless encampment."

President Trump has threatened in recent weeks to relocate migrants into so-called sanctuary cities  places where law enforcement does not honor federal requests to hold arrested suspects people who are in the country illegally until they can be picked up by Immigrations and Customs Enforcement.

But Broward County has specifically passed a resolution, in 2017, designed to show it is not a sanctuary community  that they follow federal law when it comes to holding prisoners who have ICE detainers.
In 1958, Jose Ramon Lopez's father owned Cuba's main airport, its national airline and three small hotels. Conchita Beltran's family had about 2,160 acres of sugar and tobacco fields. And the families of Mickael Behn and Javier Garcia Bengochea had docks in Havana and Santiago de Cuba.

All properties were taken in Cuba's socialist revolution.

The dispossessed families later moved to the United States and abandoned hope of compensation as Cuba and the U.S. severed relations and fought during decades of the Cold War.

But on Thursday, Behn and Garcia Bengochea filed what were believed to be the first lawsuits against European and American companies doing business on confiscated properties in Cuba  thanks to the Trump administration's decision to activate a provision of the U.S. embargo on the island.

Known as Title III of the 1996 Helms-Burton Act, the section allows Americans, and Cubans who later became Americans, to sue almost any company deemed to be "trafficking" in property confiscated by Cuba's government. Every president since the law's passage has suspended Title III because of objections from U.S. allies doing business in Cuba and because of the potential effect on future negotiated settlements between the U.S. and Cuba.

The law contains exceptions for residential properties, properties worth less than $50,000 and properties linked to travel to Cuba deemed legal under U.S. law.

Its activation, however, could generate dozens or even hundreds of lawsuits, along with trade fights between the U.S. on one side and countries including Spain, France and Britain on the other.

Behn and Garcia Bengochea, who filed cases in federal court in Miami, are the heirs of families that owned ports which are now being used to dock cruise ships that began traveling to Cuba in 2016 under President Barack Obama's detente with the island.

Behn's grandfather, American William C. Behn, was president of the company Havana Docks, which owned three docks in the capital that were confiscated in 1960. Mickael Behn, a television executive who lives between Miami and London, says he is suing Carnival Cruise Corporation for up to three times the current value of the docks, as permitted under the law.

Bengochea, a neurosurgeon who lives in northeast Florida, owns 80 percent of the shares of the confiscated Cuban company La Maritima, which operated the port of Santiago de Cuba. He is suing for up to $20 million.

Carnival said only that its cruises to Cuba were continuing and referred The Associated Press to a statement from the Cruise Lines International Association, a trade group, saying that "Cruising to Cuba falls under the lawful travel exemption under Title 3 of the Helms Burton Act. Our cruise members have been and are now engaged in lawful travel to Cuba as expressly authorized by U.S. federal government."

"We want to get justice," said Bob Martinez, the lawyer for both men. "This was a robbery and what we're trying to get is compensation for the illegal use of these properties."

Other potential major targets include Spanish hotel chains Melia and Iberostar, Pernod Ricard of France, and other U.S. cruise lines that dock at ports confiscated from U.S. residents."

Lawyers and potential plaintiffs say they expect only a trickle of lawsuits at first due to the expense and complexity of filing litigation under a law that is being put into effect for the first time and touches on issues of international trade and sovereignty.

Suing is also expensive, with initial filing fees of more than $6,500 a case, and there is the difficulty and expense of proving ownership with old Cuban documents.

For its part, Cuba fears it's already lagging levels of foreign investment could be permanently crippled as a result of the activation of the provision. At a Cuban government-organized May Day parade Wednesday in Havana, marchers carried signs and chanted slogans denouncing the Helms-Burton law.

The law "was an effort to tie the hands of any president to improve relations with Cuba," Carlos Fernandez de Cossio, Cuba's director-general of U.S. affairs, told The Associated Press in Washington.

"No doubt that there will be a threatening effect that will inhibit some investors of going to Cuba. We cannot ignore that that will occur," he said. "It will perhaps have an impact on the living standards, the living conditions, of common Cubans ... It will damage perhaps the relationship of the United States and Cuba more than it is today."

On Thursday, the European Union also said it could file a World Trade Organization lawsuit or levy its own sanctions against U.S. entities that sue under Title III.

"The EU sees the extraterritorial application of unilateral restrictive measures as violating international law, and will take all appropriate measures," the EU said in a statement.

Others, however, celebrated the first lawsuits.

Orlando Gutierrez Boronat, from the exile group Cuban Democratic Directorate, said that the lawsuits have a clear message.

"Everyone who wants to invest in Cuba will have to go to federal court," he said after a press conference in front of the downtown court where the suits were filed.

Beltran said her family had 860 acres (348 hectares) of sugar fields and 1,300 acres (526 hectares) of tobacco in western Pinar del Rio province. She has no idea if she will be able to sue a foreign corporation doing business related to her properties, but she is optimistic.

"God willing, I want to see restitution or compensation before I die," said Beltran, 76, who fled to Miami in 1961. She said her husband died 35 years ago dreaming of some form of compensation for their loss.

"For me, justice is being done," she said of the decision to activate the law.

The Justice Department has certified some 6,000 claims worth approximately $8 billion at current values. There are an additional 200,000 uncertified claims, many by Cuban-Americans, whose value could reach into the tens of billions of dollars.

One of the uncertified claims belongs to Lopez, whose family had owned the airport, airline Cubana de Aviacion and three hotels in Havana and the southern city of Cienfuegos since 1952. Along with the airlines Aeromexico, LATAM of Chile and Copa of Panama, Lopez said he is preparing documents to sue the Cuban government and Melia, which runs the Cienfuegos hotel.

He said he isn't worried by the potential investment of time or money.

"At the end of the day they're going to recognize that it's ours," said Lopez, a 65-year-old retiree who divides his time between Madrid and Miami. "The moment has finally come."

Associated Press writer Gisela Salomon reported this story in Miami and AP writer Michael Weissenstein reported from Havana.
Security video recorded a woman shoving a 74-year-old man with a walker off a public transit bus in Las Vegas after he asked her to be nice to other passengers, and she's facing a murder charge after the man died, according to court documents.

Serge Fournier hit his head on a sidewalk in the March 21 incident, police said, and the Clark County coroner ruled his death on April 23 a homicide resulting from his injuries.

Cadesha Michelle Bishop was arrested Monday on a murder warrant and was assigned a public defense attorney during her first court appearance on Tuesday. A Clark County public defender's official did not immediately respond Thursday to messages.

A judge ordered Bishop, 25, held on $100,000 bail pending a preliminary hearing of evidence May 21.

A police report says Fournier was moving up the aisle of the Regional Transportation Commission bus when he asked a woman who had been cursing at other people to be nicer to passengers, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported .

Bishop was accused of shoving Fournier out the door "with enough force that he never touched any of the steps" before hitting his head about 8 feet (2.4 meters) from the bus.

The Las Vegas Sun reported that Bishop was identified in part by a "Love" emblem on her jacket and her son's distinctive Spider-Man backpack. Police said she was seen in the security video, which has yet to be released, walking away holding the boy's hand.

Court records show that Bishop was convicted twice, in 2014 and 2015, of misdemeanor domestic battery charges.
What to Know Lynne Patton said de Blasio has been more focused on his national ambitions than on finding a new NYCHA leader

The mayor has not been, I think, directing as much attention to this process as he should have," the Trump appointee said

Patton said the latest missed deadline could have been avoided if de Blasio took a more hands-on approach

Lynne Patton, HUDs Regional Administrator in New York and New Jersey, delivered a blistering appraisal of Mayor de Blasios search for a new NYCHA Chairperson, Wednesday. The Trump appointee suggested de Blasio has been more focused on his national ambitions than on finding a suitable leader for his beleaguered public housing authority.

Hes been traveling out of town, out of the state, out of the country, Patton said. The mayor has not been, I think, directing as much attention to this process as he should have.

NBC News reports that De Blasio is expected to officially announce a run for the Presidency Thursday morning.

Earlier in the week, de Blasio announced a second extension of the self-imposed deadline to find a new NYCHA leader. The mandate to select a new Chair was part of a January agreement with the US Attorney for the Southern District of New York, who had been investigating NYCHAs failure to comply with federal health and safety regulations - including alleged fraud associated with lead paint compliance.

In a sit-down interview, Patton said the latest missed deadline could have been avoided if de Blasio took a more hands-on approach to wooing potential candidates. She said there is currently a short-list of three candidates, but two of them had previously taken a pass on the job.

I think we could have wrapped this up after the first extension, Patton said. Quite frankly, the two candidates that we are revisiting were in the mix the first week that we were searching for a NYCHA Chairperson. Weve now circled back to them in an attempt to try to flush out the reasons why they originally turned the job down.

Representatives for de Blasio bristled at Pattons accusation that the mayor has been distracted during the NYCHA leadership search.

It appears Lynnes relationship with the truth is similar to that of the man who hired her, said Freddi Goldstein, de Blasios Press Secretary. The Mayor is deeply involved in the search for a NYCHA CEO, but it makes sense she wouldnt know considering she hasnt been part of our discussions with HUD and SDNY.

According to City Hall, de Blasio has personally interviewed candidates for the NYCHA job and spoken countless times with Pattons boss, HUD Secretary Ben Carson, as well as US Attorney Geoffrey Berman.

Earlier this year, Patton made headlines when she spent the better part of four weeks living with host families at four different NYCHA buildings. Her stay in public housing drew jeers from some who called it a publicity stunt. But Pattons host families praised her for highlighting NYCHAs health and safety problems.

Patton says the breadth of NYCHAs challenge is one reason the search for a new leader has been so difficult.

Some, quite frankly, dont want to take it on at all. You instantly become the most hated person in New York City.
Democratic presidential candidate Jay Inslee is pitching a $9 trillion-plus climate action plan that he touts as an economic renaissance and scientific necessity, putting the Washington governor at the forefront of White House hopefuls pushing for sweeping action to combat the causes and effects of a warming planet.

Inslee compares his "Evergreen Economy" plan, which combines public and private spending, to President Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal, the mobilization of the U.S. manufacturing base during World War II and the 1960s NASA mission to reach the moon.

"We didn't go to the moon because it was easy, but because it was hard," Inslee told The Associated Press ahead of the release of his 38-page plan on Thursday. "We need a common purpose ... that meets the scientific necessity."

Inslee's proposal comes as some Democrats on Capitol Hill push a "Green New Deal" with a similar focus, but the former congressman, who has spent decades as a leading advocate for combating rising carbon levels, is seeking to carve out his own path on the issue.

The plan would marshal 28 new or existing programs to shift U.S energy markets from fossil fuel dependence to renewable sources; transform U.S. automobile manufacturing and construction practices; and remake the nation's infrastructure from public transit to municipal water and rural electric cooperatives.

Inslee projects about $300 billion in annual government spending over the first decade of the plan, with incentives he says will generate about $600 billion in matching private sector investment on everything from expanding solar energy to rebuilding dilapidating water systems like the Flint, Michigan, infrastructure that has garnered national headlines.

Among Inslee's ideas are a ReBuild America program that would help retrofit existing public and private structures to meet new energy standards and a new version of the post-World War II "G.I. Bill" targeted to help coal industry workers who lose jobs in a transition to renewable energy. The coal worker aide would include guarantees for health insurance and pension benefits, in addition to funds for career training.

Inslee and his aides note that many of the ideas stem from public and private initiatives already being undertaken in cities and states around the country. Aides say Inslee plans a series of events highlighting some of those efforts, beginning Thursday at a wastewater treatment plant in Washington, D.C., that uses thermal hydrolysis to convert wastewater into electricity.

Inslee already had called for setting standards that would require the nation's entire electrical grid and all new vehicles and buildings to be carbon pollution free by 2030, while phasing out all coal-fired power by 2035. His latest proposal adds additional goals, attaches a price tag and details how the federal government would meet them.

"There is no middle ground on climate," Inslee said, alluding to recent reports that former Vice President Joe Biden, the Democratic front-runner, might pursue a more limited approach to combat the effects of increasing carbon dioxide levels in Earth's atmosphere.

Biden has pushed back on those reports and promises to unveil his climate-change platform in the coming days, the first of what his aides say will be a series of major policy proposals. Another candidate, former Texas Rep. Beto O'Rourke, has offered a climate policy that calls for $5 trillion of public and private spending over a decade.

O'Rourke does not call for as aggressive a timeline as Inslee has for reducing carbon emissions.

Inslee acknowledges that getting such sweeping proposals through the existing Congress is a near impossibility. Inslee's own historical references  FDR's New Deal and World War II mobilization, John F. Kennedy's NASA investments  all occurred when Democrats had controlling majorities in Congress. In FDR's case, New Deal programs were passed using large Democratic advantages.

Democrats today must contend with a Republican Senate, and they face an uphill battle to flip enough seats in 2020 to reclaim the majority. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, meanwhile, has declared himself "the Grim Reaper" and promised to block policies he dismisses as socialist. Even Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is an open skeptic of the Green New Deal resolution pushed by progressive favorite and freshman Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

Inslee says combating those dynamics requires electing more Democrats and eliminating the Senate filibuster, but also approaching the climate discussion without getting caught up in ideological labels.

"We need a president guided by science," he said. "We need a president who uses the bully pulpit."
What to Know A 5-year-old boy brought 22 packs of crack cocaine to the St. Cyprian Childrens Center on the 6200 block of Cedar Avenue, police said.

The boy said his father told him to leave the bag in his pocket and not take it out, according to investigators.

The boy did not pass the drugs to other children, police said.

An investigation is underway after a young boy brought nearly two dozen packets of crack cocaine to a Philadelphia day care Tuesday morning, police said.

The 5-year-old was discovered around 9:20 a.m. with 22 packs of crack cocaine inside the St. Cyprian Childrens Center on the 6200 block of Cedar Avenue.

A teachers aide noticed a bulge in the boy's pocket and found a plastic baggie containing individual baggies of the drug, police and the Archdiocese of Philadelphia said. The aide confiscated the bag and gave it to the director of the center, who called police.

The boy said his father, who resides in neighboring Upper Darby, told him to leave the bag in his pocket and not take it out, investigators said. The drugs were not passed out to any children.

I feel like its just the parents fault, the father of one of the children at the day care center told NBC10. Weve got to do better with raising our kids. We have to be more responsible about what were doing in our own homes instead of worrying about whats going on outside of them.

No arrests have been made. Police continue to investigate. A spokesperson for the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services told NBC10 the day care is in compliance with the latest inspections and reports and theyve found nothing out of the ordinary at the location over the past few years.
What to Know A man has been sentenced to 10+ years in prison for a 2007 home invasion at the Connecticut estate of NY socialite Anne Bass

The 41-year-old native of Romania was one of three men believed to have been involved in the home invasion

Victims were injected with a liquid the suspects claimed was a deadly virus; they demanded $8.5 million for a reversal drug

One of three men authorities say took part in a 2007 home invasion at a New York socialite's Connecticut estate during which the victims were injected with what they were told was a lethal virus has been sentenced to 10 years in prison.

Federal prosecutors say 41-year-old Alexandru Lucian Nicolescu, a native of Romania, was sentenced Wednesday in connection with the home invasion at the Kent estate of Anne Bass.

Prosecutors say Bass and her long-time partner were bound and blindfolded, then injected with a liquid the suspects claimed was a deadly virus. They demanded $8.5 million for a reversal drug, but eventually fled when it became apparent the victims couldn't get the money.

The first suspect was convicted in 2016. The third remains at large.
What to Know New Yorkers have a new shopping destination now that the citys first-ever outlet center has officially opened its doors on Staten Island

Empire Outlets at the St. George Waterfront allows shoppers to enjoy retail outlets, green public open spaces, art installations and dining

Later this summer, a 40,000-square-foot food and beverage deck with views of Manhattan, will open with dozens of food concepts

New Yorkers have a new shopping destination now that the citys first-ever outlet center has officially opened its doors on Staten Island.

Empire Outlets at the St. George Waterfront allows shoppers to enjoy retail outlets, green public open spaces, art installations and dining all in one space across 340,000 square feet.

Later this summer, a 40,000-square-foot food and beverage deck with views of Manhattan, will open with dozens of food concepts including MRKTPL, Staten Island's first-ever artisanal food hall.

"The opening of Empire Outlets is a historic day for Staten Island and for BFC Partners," said Donald Capoccia and Joseph Ferrara, Principals of BFC Partners, developers of the property. "We set out to revolutionize the shopping experience in New York City and we are proud to have successfully created a unique and unforgettable shopping destination for New Yorkers and visitors from around the world."

Visitors can access Empire Outlets as they depart the free Staten Island Ferry which provides service 24/7 at the St. George Ferry Terminal, as the outlet center is located mere steps away from the terminal.

"The grand opening of Empire Outlets means thousands of local jobs and millions of tourists from near and far flooding to Staten Island every year. For years I have advocated for the development of these outlets and requested that the Federal Transit Administration expedite the development's application. I'm proud and excited to see the project reach completion and I look forward to the prosperity it brings to the North Shore of Staten Island and the rest of the city," U.S. Senator Charles Schumer said.

Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul echoed similar sentiments.

"Empire Outlets will be a game-changer for the North Shore of Staten Island and is part of our regionalized economic development strategy to support world-class attractions across New York State," Hochul said.

Meanwhile, Vicki Been, Deputy Mayor of Housing and Economic Development, called the opening of Empire Outlets a testament to the significant investments being made on Staten Island.

"The Empire Outlets is the first large domino to fall in what hopefully will be a reclaiming and revitalization of a huge swath of Staten Island's waterfront. It will lead to further investment, big and small, from the private sector and government, all while being an exciting tourist attraction that finally gets tourists off the Staten Island Ferry and into our community. It will help us show folks we are the Unexpected Borough," Staten Island Borough President James Oddo said.
What to Know NBC New York went around to every borough of the city to see what regular New Yorkers thought about the mayor's Oval Office aspirations

Residents all over the city were split, with some wishing de Blasio well but not thinking he'll win, to some saying it's a terrible idea

One thing was consistent through the whole city: Concern over de Blasio shirking mayoral repsonsibilities while on the road

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio is hitting the road to see how voters in Iowa and South Carolina respond to his progressive agenda  but he doesn't exactly have unwavering support from his constituents back home.

NBC New York went around to every borough of the city to see what regular New Yorkers thought about his Oval Office aspirations.

There were split opinions in the Bronx. One man laughed when asked about the chances of a President de Blasio, saying it's never going to happen.

"Worst mayor in history," said Sal Martucci of Throggs Neck.

And while residents in Staten Island seemed to agree with that take, others in the Bronx said they would vote for him  even though they don't think he'll beat out the other Democrats.

In Manhattan, people mingling in Times Square didn't seem totally on board with de Blasio's decision. One man said he thought it would take his "priorities off of the city, and I think his legacy is in danger."

The mayor had more support in Brooklyn, where residents of the Red Hook Houses offered their support  despite the NYCHA scandals that have plagued de Blasio's time in office.

And the opinions in Queens were as diverse as the population. But one thing consistent through all the boroughs  concern over him shirking responsibilities as mayor of New York City.

One New Yorker de Blasio knows he doesn't won't be getting support from: Donald Trump Jr., who went on Twitter to call the presidential run a "clown show."

"Rather than do a PR stunt run for President (we all know its going nowhere) maybe @NYCMayor should clean up his backyard first," Trump Jr. tweeted. "This video from this morning should tell you all you need to know about his leadership. What a clown show!!!"

Rather than do a PR stunt run for President (we all know its going nowhere) maybe @NYCMayor should clean up his backyard first. This video from this morning should tell you all you need to know about his leadership. What a clown show!!! pic.twitter.com/E9kTUQXfTR  Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) May 15, 2019

De Blasio announced his candidacy Thursday morning and will travel to Iowa to headline an event in Sioux City, which local Democrats are calling the "first stop on his presidential announcement tour." The mayor will then head to South Carolina for the weekend.

He joins a Democratic field with almost two dozen other candidates.

In mounting a bid, the mayor is essentially ignoring the voters who overwhelmingly elected him to City Hall twice. An April 3 Quinnipiac University poll found 76 percent of New York City voters opposed the idea of him running for the White House.

His job approval rating at that time was at just 42 percent, and only one in five New Yorkers supported him running.

Top Tri-State News Photos

Even in his most traditionally loyal demographics  black voters and voters in the Bronx  seven out of every 10 were against the idea of him running for president.

De Blasio becomes the first sitting mayor of New York City to run for president since John Lindsay's brief run in 1972. (Rudy Giuliani ran for president after his term as mayor ended, and Michael Bloomberg flirted with a run but never formally launched a campaign.)

De Blasio is the city's 109th mayor, coming into office in 2014, and has been a progressive voice on certain issues including early childhood education, immigration reform and voting rights.

De Blasio follows other tri-state Democrats running for president, including New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand and New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker.

[NATL] Top News Photos: Pope Visits Japan, and More
Nearly 2,000 people turned out Wednesday for a memorial service to honor the Colorado teenager who was killed while charging one of the two gunmen who opened fire inside a high school and shot nine people just days before graduation.

A line of Jeeps and trucks stretched along a Highlands Ranch roadway ahead of the service for Kendrick Castillo, 18, who was a Jeep and off-road vehicle enthusiast. His casket was draped with yellow and blue flowers that represented the colors of the STEM School Highlands Ranch, and the stage of the church where the service was held was adorned with symbols of his passion for science, the outdoors and his faith.

His father, John Castillo, said it was no surprise to him and his wife, Maria, that their son acted as he did on May 7, when he and two classmates disarmed one of the suspects. He urged those in attendance to be more like his son and put love and compassion for others first.

"We love our community," Castillo said. "We're a family of three and a little dog, but you know, I feel the love of thousands."

Speaker after speaker praised the young man, focusing on his character and the accomplishments of his short life. References to the shooting were few, including one by Dakota Mann, who was on the school robotics team with Castillo.

"He died for us. Now it's time for us to live for him," Mann said.

Earlier Wednesday, the Castillos attended court hearings for the two teenagers accused of killing their son and wounding eight other students. Investigators say the accused assailants, 18-year-old Devon Erickson and 16-year-old Alec McKinney, opened fire with handguns. They were arrested at the school.

Erickson and McKinney appeared in court to face dozens of criminal charges that include murder, attempted murder, arson and theft.

While court documents are sealed, the charges against the teenagers were listed in electronic court records. Prosecutors said both will be tried as adults. McKinney's attorney, Ara Ohanian, said he would seek to move McKinney's case back to juvenile court.

Judge Theresa Slade denied the prosecution's request to make some of the documents public but said she would address the issue at the next hearing on June 7.

Erickson appeared more involved in Wednesday's proceedings compared with his initial court appearance last week. His face was visible, and he looked forward toward the judge while attorneys discussed the case.

He wore a jail uniform and was kept shackled at his wrists and ankles after the judge denied a request to remove them.

McKinney appeared in court after Erickson. He glanced back several times during the hearing toward the bench where his mother was sitting.

Castillo's father stared at both defendants during their hearings.

"It would have been easy for them to say, 'I'm not going to make it to court today because in less than two hours we're going to have a memorial service for our son,'" District Attorney George Brauchler said of Castillo's parents. "But from the word go they have made it clear that our intention is to be here for every single hearing."

Brauchler also revealed that he has asked an outside prosecutor to investigate whether charges should be filed against a private security guard who has been credited with apprehending one of the suspects in a hallway.

Brauchler did not explain why the security guard would face charges. A law enforcement official told The Associated Press last week that the guard, a former Marine who has not been named, fired his weapon during the shooting.

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.

Brauchler did not directly address those reports.

"This is a witness in the case, and I felt like in the abundance of caution that a decision about the facts related to the security guard needed to be addressed by a separate prosecutor," Brauchler said.

The security guard's attorney, Robert Burk, said last week that his client acted to protect the children at the school. Burk did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment on Wednesday.

Castillo and classmates Brendan Bialy and Joshua Jones were 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 attacker's weapon.

Jones, 18, said Tuesday that he is recovering quickly from his wounds, but said emotionally he's "still in a bit of a funk."

All of the wounded students have been released from hospitals.

The shooting happened nearly three weeks after the neighboring town of Littleton marked the 20th anniversary of the Columbine High School 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.
Iran's foreign minister on Thursday said sanctions imposed by the Trump administration are "unacceptable" but that his country is committed to an international nuclear deal that has steadily unraveled amid rising tensions.

On a visit to Tokyo, Mohammad Zarif defended Iran's right to respond to the U.S. pullout from the nuclear deal last year and the imposition of sanctions.

"We believe that escalation by the United States is unacceptable and uncalled for. We have exercised maximum restraints," he said. In other comments carried on the semi-official Mehr news agency, Zarif was quoted as saying "a multilateral deal cannot be treated unilaterally."

Recent days have brought allegations of sabotage attacks targeting oil tankers off the coast of the United Arab Emirates, a drone attack on a Saudi oil pipeline claimed by Yemen's Iran-allied Houthi rebels, and the dispatch of U.S. warships and bombers to the region.

Saudi Arabia's Deputy Defense Minister Khalid bin Salman tweeted Thursday that Tehran had ordered "the terrorist acts" on the pipeline.

"The attack by the Iranian-backed Houthi militias against the two Aramco pumping stations proves that these militias are merely a tool that Iran's regime uses to implement its expansionist agenda in the region," he wrote.

Iran has been accused by the U.S. and the U.N. of supplying ballistic missile technology and arms to the Houthis, which Tehran denies.

Saudi Arabia responded to Tuesday's drone attack with a wave of airstrikes on Houthi targets in Yemen's rebel-held capital, Sanaa. On Thursday, residents scrambled to pull 14 wounded people from the rubble of a building.

Fawza Ahmed told The Associated Press he saw three bodies being retrieved from the rubble  a father, mother and child, all buried together. Yemen's Health Ministry said the strikes killed six people, including four children, and wounded more than 40.

The ministry says 41 people were also wounded, including two women of Russian nationality.

A Saudi-led coalition has been at war with the Houthis since 2015, and carries out near-daily airstrikes. The drone attacks on the pipeline marked one of the rebels' deepest and most significant strikes inside Saudi territory since the conflict began.

The Saudi-led coalition acknowledged in a statement it had struck a number of Houthi targets on Thursday, including what it said were weapons depots and military sites.

At the root of the recent spike in Persian Gulf tensions appears to be President Donald Trump's decision a year ago to pull the U.S. from Iran's nuclear deal with world powers, embarking on a maximalist sanctions campaign against Tehran to cripple the country's economy.

In response, Iran's supreme leader issued a veiled threat Tuesday, saying it wouldn't be difficult for the Islamic Republic to enrich uranium to weapons-grade levels. He also said that while his country would not negotiate with the United States, Iran is not seeking war.

On Wednesday, the U.S. State Department ordered all nonessential government staff to leave Iraq, and Germany and the Netherlands both suspended their military assistance programs in the country in the latest sign of tensions.

The movement of diplomatic personnel is often done in times of conflict, but what is driving the decisions from the White House remains unclear. Iraq is home to powerful pro-Iranian militias, while also hosting more than 5,000 American troops. The U.S. military's Central Command said its troops were on high alert, without elaborating.

Last week, U.S. officials said they had detected signs of Iranian preparations for potential attacks on U.S. forces and interests in the Middle East, but Washington has not publicly provided any evidence to back up claims of an increased Iranian threat.

A senior British officer in the U.S.-backed coalition fighting the Islamic State group appeared to push back against the U.S. claims, telling reporters earlier in the week that there'd been no increased threat from Iranian-backed forces in Iraq and Syria. Maj. Gen. Chris Ghika's comments exposed international skepticism over the American military buildup.

Iran recently threatened it might resume higher enrichment by July 7, beyond the level permitted by the current deal between Tehran and world powers. The U.S. pulled out of the deal last year, re-imposing sanctions that penalize countries and global companies that do business with Iran.

Though Iran maintains its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes, scientists say the time needed to reach the 90% threshold for weapons-grade uranium is halved once uranium is enriched to around 20%.

Late Wednesday, Anwar Gargash, the UAE minister of foreign affairs, said the Saudi-led coalition would "retaliate hard" for attacks on civilian targets, without elaborating.

However, he also said the UAE is "very committed to de-escalation" after the alleged sabotage of oil tankers off the country's coast on Sunday. Gargash declined to directly blame Iran for the attack, though he repeatedly criticized Tehran.

In a joint letter to the U.N. Security Council, the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Norway said that while the alleged sabotage targeted four ships, "the attacks damaged the hulls of at least three." It did not elaborate. A U.S. official previously said all four ships sustained damage at or below their waterlines.

Meanwhile, the Qatar-funded satellite news broadcaster Al-Jazeera said Qatar is trying to "defuse escalating tensions." It cited an anonymous official as saying that Qatar's foreign minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, had traveled to Tehran in recent days to speak with his Iranian counterpart, and that the U.S. was aware of the trip in advance.

Qatar hosts the forward headquarters of the U.S. military's Central Command at its vast Al-Udeid Air Base. Several of the B-52 bombers ordered by the White House to the region amid the latest escalation between Washington and Tehran are stationed there.

Qatar has grown closer to Iran diplomatically over the past two years after four Arab nations, including Saudi Arabia and the UAE, cut ties to protest its regional policies.

Associated Press writers Ahmed Al-Haj and Jon Gambrell contributed to this report.
In a fateful swipe at telecommunications giant Huawei, the Trump administration issued an executive order Wednesday apparently aimed at banning its equipment from U.S. networks and said it was subjecting the Chinese company to strict export controls.

Huawei would be the largest business ever subjected to the controls, a law enforcement measure that requires it to obtain U.S. government approval on purchases of American technology, said Kevin Wolf, who had been the assistant secretary of commerce for export administration in the Obama administration.

"It's going to have ripple effects through the entire global telecommunications network because Huawei affiliates all over the planet depend on U.S. content to function and if they can't get the widget or the part or the software update to keep functioning then those systems go down," he said.

Asked if that could include barring Apple from selling its Android operating system, which Huawei uses on its handsets, Wolf said it would be premature to say until he's seen a published order from the Commerce Department's Bureau of Industry and Security to be sure of the scope.

The executive order declares a national economic emergency that empowers the government to ban the technology and services of "foreign adversaries" deemed to pose "unacceptable risks" to national security  including from cyberespionage and sabotage.

While it doesn't name specific countries or companies, it follows months of U.S. pressure on Huawei. It gives the Commerce Department 150 days to come up with regulations.

Washington and Beijing are locked in a trade war that partly reflects a struggle for global economic and technological dominance, and Wednesday's actions up the ante.

The export restriction is "a grave escalation with China that at minimum plunges the prospect of continued trade negotiations into doubt," said Eurasia Group analysts in a report.

"Unless handled carefully, this situation is likely to place U.S. and Chinese companies at new risk," the report said.

It appears the law invoked in Wednesday's executive order, the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act, has never before been declared in a way that impacts an entire commercial sector. It has routinely been used to freeze the assets of designated terrorists and drug traffickers and impose embargoes on hostile former governments.

The order addresses U.S. government concerns that equipment from Chinese suppliers could pose an espionage threat to U.S. internet and telecommunications infrastructure. Huawei, the world's biggest supplier of network gear, has been deemed a danger in U.S. national security circles for the better part of a decade.

U.S. justice and intelligence officials say Chinese economic espionage and trade secret theft are rampant. They have presented no evidence, however, of any Huawei equipment in the U.S. or elsewhere being compromised by backdoors installed by the manufacturer to facilitate espionage by Beijing. Huawei vehemently denies involvement in Chinese spying.

Huawei said blocking it from doing business in the United States would hamper introduction of next-generation communications technology in which the company is a world leader.

"We are ready and willing to engage with the U.S. government and come up with effective measures to ensure product security," the company said in a statement.

The restrictions "will not make the U.S. more secure or stronger," the company said. It said the United States would be limited to "inferior yet more expensive alternatives," which would hurt companies and consumers.

A senior U.S. administration official, who briefed reports on condition of anonymity, said in a hastily arranged call that the order was "company and country agnostic" and would not be retroactive. Officials said "interim regulations" were expected before final rules were set but were vague on what that meant.

In a statement, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai called the executive order "a significant step toward securing America's networks."

"It signals to U.S. friends and allies how far Washington is willing to go to block Huawei," said Adam Segal, cybersecurity director at the Council on Foreign Relations. Many in Europe have resisted a fierce U.S. diplomatic campaign to institute a wholesale ban on the Chinese company's equipment in their next-generation 5G wireless networks.

Democratic Sen. Mark Warner, vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee and a former telecoms executive, called the order "a needed step" because Chinese law compels Huawei to act as an agent of the state.

The order's existence in draft form was first reported by The Washington Post last June. Segal said that with U.S.-China trade talks at a standstill, the White House "felt the time had finally come to pull the trigger."

It is a "low-cost signal of resolve from the Trump administration," Segal said, noting that there is little at stake economically.

All major U.S. wireless carriers and internet providers had already sworn off Chinese-made equipment after a 2012 report by the House Intelligence Committee said Huawei and ZTE, China's No. 2 telecoms equipment company, should be excluded as enablers of Beijing-directed espionage.

Last year, Trump signed a bill that barred the U.S. government and its contractors from using equipment from the Chinese suppliers.

The FCC also has a rule in the works that would cut off subsidies for companies that use any equipment banned as posing a national security threat. Huawei's handsets are virtually nonexistent in the U.S., and last week the FCC rejected a Chinese phone company's bid to provide domestic service .

Huawei says it supplies 45 of the world's top 50 phone companies. But only about 2 percent of telecom equipment purchased by North American carriers was Huawei-made in 2017.

The domestic economic impact will be restricted mostly to small rural carriers for whom Huawei equipment has been attractive because of its lower costs. That could make it more difficult to expand access to speedy internet in rural areas.

Blair Levin, an adviser to research firm New Street Research and a former FCC official, said the order is likely to widen the digital divide.

Roger Entner, founder of telecom research firm Recon Analytics, tweeted: "Banning Huawei in the U.S. has the FCC in a conundrum: Low cost Huawei equipment helps to build out broadband in rural America faster." He wondered if the FCC would subsidize small rural carriers.

Requests for comment from a group representing small carriers, the Competitive Carriers Association, were not immediately returned. Administration officials told reporters they will welcome comments from the telecommunications industry as regulations are set.

They did not say whether subsidies would be considered.

Early this year, the Justice Department unsealed criminal charges against Huawei, a top company executive and several subsidiaries, alleging the company stole trade secrets, misled banks about its business and violated U.S. sanctions on Iran. The sweeping indictments accused the company of using extreme efforts to steal trade secrets from American businesses  including trying to take a piece of a robot from a T-Mobile lab.

The executive charged is Huawei's chief financial officer, Meng Wanzhou, who is also the daughter of the company's founder. She was arrested in Canada last December. The U.S. is seeking to extradite her.
What to Know Brian Kennedy faces murder charges of killing his ex-wife inside a Delaware County Wawa store during a scheduled custody exchange.

Police say he gunned down Stephanie Miller with an AR-15 semiautomatic rifle as other people shopped at the store.

Heavy security marked Kennedy's first court hearing Thursday.

Heavy security marked the first appearance for a father accused of gunning down his ex-wife amid the ruse of a custody exchange at a Delaware County Wawa earlier this year.

Police surrounded Brian Kennedy and kept the press and onlookers at a distance as they walked the 34-year-old into the District Court in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, Thursday morning. Kennedy, his hands shackled and wearing a bright red jumpsuit, said nothing as he walked inside.

The courtroom was cleared, and everyone was security wanded ahead of the preliminary hearing.

Once inside the court, the judge ordered Kennedy held on criminal homicide, first- and third-degree murder, reckless endangerment and a weapons charge in relation to the March 28 killing of Stephanie Miller in Radnor Township.

The only witness to take the stand Thursday was a high school senior who was working at the Wawa the night of the killing. The teen described seeing a man with a gun walking in looking angry and determined. The man then went around the counter and toward the coffee station where Miller stood and fired five to six shots.

The teen described ducking behind the counter and not seeing the shooter leave. When he rose up and called 911 he found Miller motionless on the ground with bullet holes in her head.

During his testimony, the teen pointed out Kennedy as the armed man he saw in the store.

After the brief hearing, Kennedy was taken back to the county jail where he is being held without bail. He is set to be arraigned on May 23.

Following Kennedy's arrest, Delaware County District Attorney Katayoun Copeland said he used an AR-15 semiautomatic rifle to kill his 37-year-old ex-wife.

"With an ArmaLite 15, he brutally murdered the mother of his child in a public place in cold blood, placing numerous others at risk. He then cowardly fled the area," Copeland said.

In 2016, Kennedy was arrested by Radnor Township Police after threatening to kill Miller at the same Wawa store in which the fatal shooting took place, a criminal complaint said.

Miller had previously been granted a protective order against her ex-husband, but it expired in September of last year, the district attorney said. Kennedy was scheduled to exchange the couple's child at the store, but he apparently arrived alone, Copeland said.

A witness flagged down a Radnor Township Police officer around 8:20 p.m. on March 28 to report shots fired inside the Wawa on 151 Sugartown Road. At the same time, police received multiple calls reporting a woman had been shot at least twice inside the store by a man armed with a rifle.

Officers entered the store and found Miller's body.

"This is a classic case of what can happen in situations regarding domestic abuse and violence and the use of firearms," Copeland said.

Several witnesses were inside the store at the time of the shooting. They told police a gunman in black clothing ran out of the store and fled the scene in a black BMW.

Multiple agencies searched for Kennedy and the road was closed off near the scene of the shooting. A SWAT Team and Pennsylvania State Police troopers eventually found him in Thornbury Park in Glen Mills, investigators said.

He was taken to the hospital for what police determined to be a drug overdose, according to the criminal complaint.

Following Miller's death, her boyfriend Michael D'Arco remembered the joy she gave others.

"She was a selfless person that was the happiest soul that you could imagine," a heartbroken D'Arco told NBC10 last month. "Regardless of all the adversity in her day to day."
The Dallas Police Department executed search warrants at three Catholic Diocese of Dallas properties Wednesday morning, looking for records of sexual abuse related to five priests.

The warrants were served at three locations, including the diocese's headquarters at 3725 Blackburn Street, a storage location on Ledbetter Drive and the St. Cecilia Parish.

Dallas police Maj. Max Geron, with the department's special investigations division, said Wednesday's raid was the furtherance of an investigation into sexual abuse allegations against Rev. Edmundo Paredes, the longtime pastor of St. Cecilia Parish who was credibly accused of sexual abuse by the Diocese of Dallas last year.

Since the Paredes investigation became public, Geron said, the department has received additional allegations of child abuse against other priests. The search warrant documents obtained by NBC 5 Wednesday morning identified the others as 77-year-old Richard Thomas Brown, 77-year-old Alejandro Buitrago, 63-year-old William Joseph Hughes Jr, and 62-year-old Jeremy Myers.

According to the search warrant (Pg. 4), all five priests are accused of sexual assault of a child, a second-degree felony, however Dallas police clarified that statement Wednesday afternoon to say that the only one of the five priests to have been charged in the case is Paredes.

NBC 5 News

All of the men named in the search warrant were included on the list of priests incardinated by the Diocese of Dallas who were credibly accused of sexual abuse by the diocese earlier this year. None of the men, Geron said, have been arrested.

Geron said the search warrants executed Wednesday serve to further the investigations into those five priests and that detectives are looking for records, data, or other evidence of records of abuse held by the diocese.

"The Dallas Police Department is working to complete a thorough investigation into each allegation independent of any other entitity to ensure that each victim has a voice within the legal system," Geron said.

The Dallas Catholic Diocese had hired it's own investigators to review church records from the past.

"What the police wanted to do was talk to those investigators, but they were denied access to them by the diocese," said Dallas Morning News Writer David Tarrant, who has been covering the Parades investigation.

"Now what we have is law enforcement getting involved and saying, 'No, were going to control this investigation, not the Catholic Church.' Thats a very significant event," Tarrant said. "The police want to say, 'We want to make that judgement about credibly accused.'"

In a statement released Wednesday afternoon, the Bishop Edward Burns, of the Catholic Diocese of Dallas, said the following:

"The diocese has been cooperating with the ongoing investigation of these priests even before the list was made public, has given police the personnel files for all of the priests named in the warrant, and has been involved in ongoing discussions with DPD investigators. To date, the Diocese has not received a subpoena and the Diocese's involvement has been voluntary. The Diocese will continue to cooperate in all investigations of sexual abuse of a minor by clergy."

Paredes, meanwhile, who led St. Cecilia Parish for 27 years, hasn't been seen for months and his whereabouts are unknown.

According to a 2018 report, the diocese said allegations of sexual abuse by Paredes came from three adult men. The adults said the incidents occurred more than a decade ago when they were in their mid-teens. Paredes, the diocese said at the time, had already been suspended for unrelated accusations of theft.

NBC 5 News

The searches in Dallas come as the Vatican continues to try to deal more and more allegations of sexual abuse and cover-ups. Earlier this year, all dioceses in Texas released a list of clergy "credibly accused" of sexual abuse. The Dallas list can be found here and the Fort Worth list can be found here.

A lawsuit filed Tuesday by three brothers in Minneapolis who say they were sexually abused by a priest attempts to trace a direct line from clergy sex abuse victims to the Vatican.

NBC 5 News

The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests released a statement Wednesday after learning of the Dallas raids. That statement is below.

We applaud Texas law enforcement officials for raiding the secret archives of the Catholic Diocese of Dallas. We are glad that police and prosecutors are taking the issue of clergy abuse in Texas seriously and are not just relying on the promises of church officials. While the Diocese of Dallas released a list of publicly accused priests back in January, we suspected that the list was incomplete and have police and prosecutors to investigate further. As we have seen in places like Buffalo, Pennsylvania and Illinois, catholic dioceses have not consistently been forthright in disclosing full lists of credibly accused priests, nor providing information about the church officials who covered-up their crimes. We hope that this raid today sheds more light on the clergy abuse scandal as it relates to the Diocese of Dallas and will uncover the full truth of who knew what, when they knew it, and what steps church officials took in response to allegations of sexual abuse. Institutions cannot police themselves and it is only through strong action from law enforcement that the full truth of their scandals can be revealed. We applaud the move and hope that it will inspire others who saw, suspected or suffered clergy sex crimes or cover ups in Texas to make a report to law enforcement officials immediately.

NBC 5's Jack Highberger, Ken Kalthoff and Noelle Walker contributed to this report.
President Donald Trump promised a swift infusion of federal aid to the Florida Panhandle seven months after devastating Hurricane Michael as he rallied supporters Wednesday for his re-election.

Trump addressed a crowd of thousands at an outdoor amphitheater, looking to rally loyalists in the reliably Republican corner of the swing state as he kicks his 2020 efforts into high gear. Federal emergency funds to the area hit by the Category 5 hurricane and elsewhere have been caught up in a Washington standoff over Trump's opposition to more hurricane aid for Puerto Rico.

"You're getting your money one way or another," Trump promised supporters in Panama City Beach, holding up a chart showing federal emergency aid to Florida, Texas and the island territory, "And we're not going to let anybody hold it up."

Trump took a victory lap after last week's jobs report showing the nation's unemployment at a generational low, crediting his cuts to taxes and regulations.

Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, who accompanied the president to Florida on Air Force One, said the 2020 election was a referendum on whether to allow Democrats to undo Trump policies like tax reform.

"This election is about reversing all of that," he said. "It's about going backward on all of that."

Trump also told his supporters not to worry about this week's talks between U.S. and Chinese negotiators, including his threat to increase tariffs on nearly all Chinese imports at the end of the week. "They broke the deal" in talks meant to de-escalate a year-long trade war, he said.

"We won't back down until China stops," Trump said. "The era of economic surrender is over."

Trump earlier surveyed recovery efforts and lingering damage from last year's storm, and he announced that the Department of Housing and Urban Development would be granting $448 million to the state for hurricane response.

"We've already given you billions and billions of dollars and there's a lot more coming," Trump said.

Trump was greeted by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis and local elected officials as he arrived at Tyndall Air Force Base, which was severely affected by the storm. Almost every building appeared damaged in some way, including a collapsed hangar.

The White House said almost all 700 structures on the base were damaged, roughly one-third were destroyed, and 11,000 base personnel were evacuated. The White House blamed "Democrat obstruction" for a stoppage in recovery work, with about 120 projects being deferred.

After touring the base, Trump took credit for rebuffing some who wanted to close the base as a result of the damage, promising officials it will be rebuilt "better than ever."

The area has received about $1.1 billion in federal disaster aid through mid-April, but disagreements in Washington have left many still struggling to recover from the storm.

Trump repeated his claim that $91 billion has been spent in Puerto Rico, and said falsely it was the largest-ever federal disaster program. According to the White House, Trump's $91 billion figure includes about $50 billion in expected future disaster disbursements that could span decades, along with $41 billion already approved. Actual aid to Puerto Rico has flowed more slowly from federal coffers  about $11 billion so far.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said House Democrats were once again taking up a $17.2 billion disaster relief package this week, with added money for Midwestern and Southern states hit by recent storms. But she said Senate Republicans have been more committed to "hurting our fellow Americans in Puerto Rico than healing communities everywhere."

"Meanwhile, the president has doubled down on Republicans' callousness" by delaying assistance payments to the island, she said.

The campaign rally comes as Trump and congressional Democrats are locked in a bitter fight over constitutional powers related to special counsel Robert Mueller's report and probes into the president's tax returns.

Trump called on Democrats to stop the investigations and work with his administration to boost infrastructure spending, predicting their efforts would boost his re-election chances.

"They want to do investigations instead of investments," said Trump. "I think it drives us right on to victory in 2020."
The woman in the passenger's seat of a truck that ran down pedestrians, vendor booths and more than a dozen cars just south of the San Ysidro Port of Entry said that the driver was fleeing for his life.

Summer Barber was released from a San Diego-area hospital and returned to Las Vegas, where she shared with Telemundo 20 a story that contradicted law enforcement's version about what happened Monday in Tijuana, Mexico.

Barber and her boyfriend, 29-year-old Frank Stricker, had just arrived to Tijuana when they got onto the wrong road, one that would lead them out of the city.

The pair asked a stranger for help getting further into Tijuana. According to Barber, the man offered to drive their truck, a black Chevrolet Silverado, to where they wanted to go.

At some point while the man was driving the truck, they realized they were going in a direction they didn't want to go, Barber said. They demanded the man pull over and that's when several people, including a cop, started to swarm their truck.

"The cop tells Frankie and me to get out of the car. I heard a gunshot," she described. "Frankie takes off right after I heard it and I ask him, "What the hell are you doing?"He goes, "If we stop this car were gonna die."

That's when Stricker began to speed through the San Ysidro Port of Entry, running down five pedestrians, a dozen vendor booths and 17 cars, according to Mexican law enforcement officers.

Barber said Stricker did not hit anyone and actually made every effort to avoid people as they fled.

"Hes telling everybody 'move, move,' he did not hit anyone, he was telling everyone to move," she said.

Stricker, a U.S. citizen from Utah, is being held in Mexico and was charged Wednesday with attempted homicide and damage of property.

Mario Martinez, Tijuana's police director, said the confrontation started when Stricker got into an altercation with a pedestrian. The suspect allegedly threatened a person with a razor on Avenida Manuel Marquez de Leon in the Zona Rios.

When police approached the driver, he allegedly fled in his Chevrolet Silverado pick-up truck toward the border crossing.

Fresno resident Lori Ray said she witnessed what happened next.

"Locals, mostly vendors, people that were out on the streets, they had sticks and bats and all kinds of things, just waving them," she said. "They just beat the car, grabbed the people out of the car on to the ground."

She said the people with sticks and bats were beating the people who were inside the suspect's vehicle.

Municipal police arrested Stricker and he was turned over to federal investigators.

According to the Salt Lake County Sheriff's Department in Utah, the suspect has been arrested several times on charges of theft, possession of drugs and for violating his probation.

Summer said he has not been able to contact Stricker since he was detained. She has also not been able to communicate with the Tijuana authorities, she said.
A newly elected Virginia state House delegate who is Muslim said he was harassed by protesters and asked how he planned to implement Sharia law at his first town hall.

Del. Ibraheem Samirah said he's disappointed that the small group of protesters attacked his faith at a Saturday event in Northern Virginia.

Samirah said protesters carried signs denouncing Sharia law and made pointed comments attacking his faith. He said the attacks were especially troubling because they came during Ramadan, the Muslim holy month marked by dawn to dusk fasting.

On video of the town hall, and audience member asks, What would be the best way, do you think, to accommodate the introduction of Sharia law into the commonwealth?

We live in a secular democracy, and in a secular democracy theres separation between church and state, Samirah replied. Thats the foundation of the government of the United States of America.

Samirah, a Democrat, says anti-Muslim rhetoric has flared up since he won a special election earlier this year to represent a Northern Virginia district.

I think I have trust in my constituents to be able to decide for the fact that Im being discriminated against, Samirah said.

During his campaign, Samirah was criticized for anti-Israel comments he made in college. Hes since apologized and condemned anti-Semitism.

Theres been a lid blown off on whats considered acceptable speech, not acceptable speech, and haters are empowered right now, said Rob Lattin of the Anti-Defamation League. Were seeing it all across the country from white supremacists to far leftists.

Samirah plans to have more town halls and hopes people will want to discuss his policies.

Everybody that wants to come and ask whatever they want about policy is more than welcome to do so, but those that will come and discriminate against me because of my background, theyre going to face a reaction from me where Im going to call it out as it is, he said.

Sharia is Islamic law, as derived from the Quran and the traditions of Islam.
Virginia families who care for a loved one with disabilities or chronic conditions can apply for up to $400 in reimbursement for respite costs under a temporary voucher program.

The program offered by the state Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services will distribute vouchers for reimbursement from a federal grant limited to about $119,000.

Funding is limited to $400 per family through July 31, 2021, or until the funds are exhausted.

Priority will be given to helping caregivers for people with dementia, children under 18 or people between the ages of 19 and 59 with a severe disability.

An estimated 450 families could by helped by the voucher program.

Respite care allows primary caregivers to take a break or get some relief for a short-term period, According to the National Institute on Aging.

Find more information here.
The third of three dancers from a famous Rhode Island strip club who had been charged with prostitution has been cleared.

The Providence Journal reports that 30-year-old Lindsay Hoffmann was found not guilty by a judge Wednesday of offering sex for money.

The Waterbury, Connecticut woman and two other dancers at the Foxy Lady in Providence were arrested in December. Authorities say the women offered to perform sex acts on undercover officers for cash with the knowledge of club management. Management denied knowledge of illegal activity.

The case came down to the word "anything." An officer testified that Hoffmann offered to do "anything" for $300, which he thought meant a sexual act. But the judge said "anything" did not necessarily mean something sexual.

The other dancers previously pleaded no contest.
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Fifteen years ago, on May 17, 2004, same-sex couples and their allies in Massachusetts gathered at city halls around the state to obtain marriage licenses and celebrate their newly instated rights.

This was made possible by a Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruling six months earlier that determined the Massachusetts Constitution guarantees the right of civil marriage to same-sex couples and made Massachusetts the first state to achieve marriage equality.

At the time, marriage equality was a new issue.

In the mid-'90s there really was no thought to marriage because it didn't seem feasible or possible within our lifetimes, said Steven Kleinedler, who married shortly after same-sex marriage became legal in Massachusetts.

The road to marriage equality began in April 2001 when Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders, a nonprofit group of attorneys that works on LBGTQIA+ issues, started a suit against the Massachusetts Department of Public Health on behalf of seven gay and lesbian couples who had been denied marriage licenses.

The case would become known as Goodridge v. The Department of Public Health, named after plaintiffs Julie and Hillary Goodridge.

The case was in many ways an uphill battle. While supporters of same-sex marriage were vocal and numerous, so were its opponents. State leaders such as former Gov. Mitt Romney and former Speaker of the House Thomas Finneran were adamantly against it.

At the time, no other state had legalized same-sex marriage. The biggest advancement toward marriage equality had been the Baker v. Vermont decision in 1999 which had legalized same-sex civil unions in the state.

Religious opposition to same-sex marriage was rampant, especially in Catholic communities around the state. Organizations like the Catholic Action League of Massachusetts and the Massachusetts Family Institute mounted strong legal and grassroots efforts to stop, delay and eventually reverse same-sex marriage legalization.

In May of 2002, Massachusetts Superior Court Judge Thomas Connolly dismissed the case. He wrote that he believed nothing in the state constitution guaranteed same-sex marriage and that procreation was central to the institution of marriage. He also insisted that the Legislature should handle the issue.

GLAD and the plaintiffs rebutted Connollys decision by appealing directly to the SJC.

GLAD attorney Mary Bonauto represented the plaintiffs in front of the court, led by then Chief Justice Margaret Marshall.

''This court should do so [affirm the right of same-sex marriage] because it is the right thing to do,'' said Bonauto at a hearing in March 2003, as recorded by The Boston Globe. ''The exclusion of the plaintiffs from marriage . . . violates the fundamental right that these plaintiffs enjoy with all others in this commonwealth.''

Michelle Johnson and Myrna Greenfield joined dozens of other same-sex couples to be married the night gay marriage was legalized in Massachusetts.

On November 18, 2004, the SJC ruling was passed down, the majority opinion written by Marshall herself. They ruled four to three that barring same-sex couples from marrying violates the Massachusetts Constitution.

The question before us is whether, consistent with the Massachusetts Constitution, the Commonwealth may deny the protections, benefits, and obligations conferred by civil marriage to two individuals of the same sex who wish to marry. We conclude that it may not, wrote Marshall. The Massachusetts Constitution affirms the dignity and equality of all individuals. It forbids the creation of second class citizens.

But the decision gave the Legislature 180 days to comply with the ruling, after which same-sex marriage would become legal regardless. During this time, opponents tried many means of stopping its legalization.

Multiple attempts were made by lawyers to get judges to rule that the implementation of the ruling should be delayed, some just days before the ruling would become active.

But finally the day came, and thousands of couples across the state were married just in the first week and month.

We knew that we would get married, said Marcia Brennan, who obtained her marriage license on the first day same-sex marriage became legal. There was no bended knee or anything. We had been together 15 years and we were just ecstatic that in our lifetime we could be legally married.

Some cities, such as Cambridge, opened their offices at midnight on the day of and held a celebration. Attendees said protesters were few and far between.

We come around the corner and there's city hall and there's these thousands of people in all these big trucks with cameras and lights, recalled Mary Margaret Moore, Brennans wife. As we crossed the street and went into the crowd and said 'Well where do you go to get the licenses? word traveled and the crowd parted and they started guiding us through and hugging us and giving us flowers and ribbons all the way up the stairs.

Couples who were married at the time said many rushed to get married because they were unsure if the effects of the ruling would be permanent.

We all felt like they could pull the rug up under this at any minute, so we're gonna try and rush because it's gonna be harder to do that once we've got this legal document, said Michelle Johnson, who was married days after same-sex marriage became legal.

Though opponents of same-sex marriage did not cease their efforts to turn back the clock on the ruling for several years afterward, they were ultimately defeated thanks to the efforts of activists and legislators.

Steven Kleinedler's husband Peter passed away after the two were finally able to be legally married. The fact that they lives in a state with legalized gay marriage made a difference.

According to the Registry of Vital Records and Statistics, over 32,000 same-sex marriages have taken place in Massachusetts since the ruling, with over 6,000 occurring in just the first year.

Bonauto went on to argue for same-sex couples in the Kerrigan v. Commissioner of Public Health case which legalized same-sex marriage in Connecticut, and ultimately in the Obergefell v. Hodges case which made it legal nationwide.

In 2008, Connecticut became the second state to achieve marriage equality, followed by Vermont and Iowa the next year, then New Hampshire, New York, Maine and Washington, until a cascade of states legalized same-sex marriage every year until 2015 when it became legal federally.

The bold and unprecedented decision by the SJC is considered by many to have been essential in emboldening the fight for marriage equality and influencing other states, and ultimately the country, to follow suit.

The decision has also proved beneficial to many. Kleinedler said that being legally married greatly helped him when his husband passed away by aiding him in legal matters such as next-of-kin laws, settling estates and dealing with funeral homes.

I went through the same cycle of grief that I would have had we not been legally married, Kleinedler said. I just didn't have to deal with the, you know, all the extra stuff that you have to deal with if you're not legally married.

Johnson said people are now less likely to use coded language to mask her romantic relationship with her wife.

I have been really pleasantly surprised at how differently people treat you when you're officially married and how eager and willing people have been to welcome gay people into the fold, said Myrna Greenfield, Johnsons wife. It really feels like it's made a big difference. I feel like I'm part of society in a way that I felt like I wasn't.

But even if the difference is just a feeling, couples say this can be just as important.

It's that normalcy  feeling I'm not different than everybody else, said Brennan. I just love a woman. But I'm not any different.
Part of a road in Vermont's Northeast Kingdom was closed Thursday, after a historic covered bridge was badly damaged by an oversized truck.

Lyndonville Police provided Vermont news agencies with video from a neighbor's home that showed a truck going through the Miller's Run Bridge Thursday morning, taking out support beams on one side. Police said beams that are part of the roof also shifted.

Investigators said the driver was making a delivery and told them GPS directions called for a trip across the covered bridge.

Chief Jack Harris of the Lyndonville Police Department told necn affiliate NBC 5 News that engineers will be called in to look at the bridge and assess its structural soundness.

Harris told NBC 5 the driver was accused of a driving violation, and was issued a court citation.
The Massachusetts House of Representatives passed legislation that would bar motorists from using hand-held cellphones while behind the wheel.

The bill, if it becomes law, would also ramp up the collection of data on traffic stops around the state to guard against racial profiling by police.

State representatives passed the bill by a vote of 155-2 Wednesday.

House Speaker Robert DeLeo described the bill as an important public safety measure that would help reduced deaths and injuries caused by distracted driving.

Motorists could still use their cellphones with hands-free technology, but could face fines of up to $500 if pulled over for holding a cellphone.

Concerns have been raised that a cellphone law might lead to more racial profiling by police in traffic stops.

The Senate is expected to debate a similar bill next month.
A former Massachusetts teacher has been convicted of stealing $2.5 million from the state's Medicaid program.

Attorney General Maura Healey announced Wednesday that Hellen Kiago, of Sturbridge, fraudulently billed MassHealth through a home health agency she owned, Lifestream Healthcare Alliance.

Prosecutors say the 48-year-old Kiago billed Medicaid for unauthorized services and had employees assist patients for longer than necessary and falsify documents to hide wrongdoing.

Kiago was indicted in 2017. Prosecutors said at her arraignment that within weeks of authorities searching her offices, she transferred $1.5 million to Kenya, where her child's father lived.

She also married one of her employees and received a green card.

Kiago taught in Worcester for 13 years.

A jury convicted her on charges of larceny and filing false Medicaid claims. Sentencing is May 24.
A time capsule complete with computer artifacts was opened up at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Wednesday.

It was part of a celebration, after Bernard Fabrot, a self-taught programmer from Belgium, solved a cryptographic puzzle at MIT 15 years ahead of schedule.

It took him three years to do it, and he says he did it for "fun."

"At first, I did a silly little dance, and then I was so happy," Fabrot said upon completing the puzzle.

MIT thought it would take 35 years to solve.

It's no easy feat, involving squaring a number about 80 trillion times.

Now, the freelance software developer is a celebrity in the technology world.

"I didn't know it would come to this. I thought I'd just get an email, and now MIT and you guys, it's crazy," he said.

He says he used one computer to solve it.

The puzzle was designed to stop anyone trying to solve it more quickly using parallel computing.

"This was a time puzzle that was intended to take a certain amount of time to solve," said MIT graduate student Jon Gjengset. "Then when we heard the news that it was solved, that was an interesting observation that what we thought was a very hard puzzle got solved faster than expected."

The time capsule was packed in 1999 and included an artifact from Microsoft founder Bill Gates. Gates donated the original Altair BASIC that represented Microsoft's first-ever product.

Bob Frankston programmed the first electronic spreadsheet, which was also in the capsule.

"It's really a reminder in a sense how long ago it was, and how much people today take these things for granted," he said of having his spreadsheet in the capsule.

Another team, led by tech executive Simon Peffers completed a computing solution for the puzzle as well, slightly after Fabrot.

Fabrot and Peffers took very different approaches to the puzzle.

Peffers and his team essentially built specialized hardware to solve it, but Fabrot used technology found in consumer PCs.
Maine's law enforcement community is remembering its fallen.

On Thursday, hundreds of police officers gathered in Augusta for an annual ceremony, adding one more name to a wall of officers killed in the line of duty.

The 86th name to be etched on the memorial is Corporal Eugene Cole of the Somerset County Sheriff's Office.

Cole was shot and killed while on duty in 2018 while trying to apprehend John Williams, who is now charged with murdering Cole and is awaiting trial.

Thursday, Cole's wife, Sheryl Cole, laid flowers in front of her husband's name and watched from the front row as Maine Gov. Janet Mills gave a speech in honor of her and other survivors.

"To honor Cpl. Eugene Cole, follow in his footsteps," she said. "Be kind, help your fellow man. It doesn't matter what your job is, how big your house is or how much you pay for your car."

Since his brother's death, Tom Cole has connected with other families who have lost an officer.

People like Hilary Campbell, whose husband, Det. Ben Campbell, a Maine State Police trooper, was killed in the line of duty this spring.

Campbell's name will be added to the wall next year, though his name was displayed near it during this year's ceremony.

"Each name is a person, and they have family and friends," said Tom Cole.

Thursday, Tom and Sheryl Cole performed a song written by Eugene Cole before he died. The Cole brothers were in multiple bands in Central Maine and were known to perform in area venues.

Asked how his older brother would have felt had he been at the ceremony, Tom Cole said Eugene would be outwardly humble, but with a sense of pride inside.

"He'd be very proud," said Cole. "He would be very honored that people do look at him in that way, that the life he lived, it counted for something."
A New Hampshire cafeteria worker is speaking out about being fired after she said she gave lunch to a student who didn't have any money.

Bonnie Kimball, a lunchroom employee at Mascoma Valley Regional High School in Canaan, was let go by her employer, Cafe Services, Inc., in March after she allowed a student to accumulate an $8 lunch tab.

Kimball said she worked for the school for years and always served up lunch with a smile.

"They're all like my grandchildren  I've watched them all grow up. I was there four and a half years," Kimball said Thursday.

When one of her students came through the lunch line with his tray but no money, Kimball said she told him to bring the $8 the next day.

"The student brought the money in in the morning  in the afternoon the district manager called me aside and fired me. Told me that that was theft because I let him leave the kitchen without paying for it," said Kimball.

Even though Kimball lost her job, she hasn't lost touch with her students.

"I still go to their sports games. It's like one big family. I'm just not there every day," she said.

A spokesperson for Cafe Services, the company contracted to run the school cafeterias, told NBC10 Boston the information as reported by Kimball was not accurate.

"Fresh Picks Cafe, a division of Cafe Services, Inc., would never authorize an employee to not feed a student or a staff member a meal," the company said.

"Although we are not at liberty to discuss the confidential details regarding an employee's employment or termination from employment, we can share that the company has policies and procedures in place that are shared with and acknowledged by team members; when established policies and procedures are not followed, corrective action is put in place up to and including termination."

Kimball said she feels she was wrongly accused and is worried about how she'll pay her bills. But she said she still doesn't regret giving a hungry high schooler his lunch.

"I would do it today if I was still there," said Kimball.

Because Kimball didn't work for the Mascoma Valley Regional School District, the superintendent wouldn't comment on Kimball's termination. In a statement, the superintendent said district policy ensures every student has access to a meal whether they have lunch money or not.

"School district policy is to make healthy nutritious school meals available to every child whether or not the child has sufficient funds to cover the cost of the meal," read a portion of the statement.
A Boston Police officer was trying to arrest a man with multiple active warrants when he was hit by a car and seriously injured in Jamaica Plain on Wednesday.

The Boston Police Department said the officer was in the area of 3084 Washington St. at about 10:30 a.m. when he saw the suspect, who was known to have several arrest warrants active. The officer approached the suspect, who was later identified as 39-year-old Wilfredo Burgos of Roxbury, and told him he was under arrest.

Burgos allegedly pulled away from the officer and tried to evade arrest. The officer then chased after the suspect across Washington Street and both he and Burgos were hit by a car.

The officer suffered serious, but non-life threatening injuries and was taken to an area hospital. Burgos sustained minor injuries and was also taken to a nearby hospital, where he will remain until he can be booked.

NBC10 Boston's SkyRanger footage showed the officer on a stretcher being taken into an ambulance.

Police said the driver of the car that hit the officer and suspect stayed at the scene. No citations were issued to the driver, Boston police said.

Burgos was charged with resisting arrest and assault and battery on a police officer. His outstanding arrest warrants stemmed from charges that included receiving a stolen credit card, driving with a suspended license, receiving stolen property and more.

He is expected to be arraigned at West Roxbury Court at a later date. It is unclear if Burgos has a lawyer.
Jaeden Robinson of Webster, Massachusetts, was just 6 when he suddenly died after battling leukemia for 3.5 years.

"About a month after remission, he contracted meningitis and got very sick and passed away within a day," said Jadeen's mom, Samantha Robinson.

After the initial shock of Jaeden's death, his mom, his big brother, Devon, and his little sister, Alexa, were determined to celebrate his life.

"He loved superheroes, loved Minions," Robinson said.

Every holiday, and for Jaeden's birthday on May 1, they would leave his favorite toys on his grave inside Mt. Zion Cemetery.

But this past week, his mom says someone stole flowers and toys  including tiger lilies and a large stuffed Minion  right off his grave site.

"Devon was heartbroken, he broke down as soon as I told him. He couldn't understand why people would do that to his brother," Robinson said through tears.

Robinson contacted town officials and posted on a community Facebook page asking for help recovering the sentimental items.

"It's obviously disturbing, especially where it's a childs grave," said Webster Police Chief Michael Shaw. "It would probably mean a lot to the family just to return it. They could drop it off here, no questions asked."

In the meantime, the community has responded in a big way, offering toys and flowers, along with love and support, to Jaeden's family.

"I want this woman to know that there's a lot of hate in the world, but there's a lot more love," said JoJo Scannell of Webster.

Robinson says today, on the three-year anniversary of Jaeden's death, it means more than anyone could know.

"It's just breathtaking that people still care," she said. "There are a lot of good people out there."

Jaeden's mom says with the outpouring of support, they're running out of room on his small grave site.

She says anyone who wants to help could donate in her son's name to a place that helped him during his treatment  Why Me & Sherry's House in Worcester.
A Massachusetts teacher is being held on bail after police say he left a live round of ammunition in a stairwell Thursday morning, which prompted a lockdown at Southbridge High School.

Alfred Purcell III, 57, of Woodstock, Connecticut, was arraigned in Dudley District Court on two counts of the unlawful possession of ammunition, two counts of carrying ammunition on school grounds, disturbing a school assembly, disorderly conduct, and disturbing the peace.

Police were called to Southbridge High School at 8:12 a.m. after Purcell told staff he had found one live round of 9mm ammunition in the rear stairwell.

As a precaution, school officials immediately placed the school on lockdown and called police. The lock down lasted about an hour.

Upon a review of surveillance video, authorites said Purcell was observed standing in the stairwell and removing the live round of ammunition from his pocket. He was then allegedly seen dropping the ammunition on the floor of the stairwell and quickly leave the area.

Authorities said Purcell then returned 10 minutes later, where he stood over the ammunition and appeared to take a picture of it with his cellphone. Purcell then called to report it to school officials over his portable radio and returned to his classroom, according to police.

Southbridge Police Chief Shane Woodson said Purcell had been upset with the way another incident on Tuesday was handled. Woodson said some spent ammunition had been found at the school.

"He didn't think that we dealt with that incident in the proper fashion," said Woodson. "If you think we need metal detectors in this community and if you think there is any other safety issues in our schools you should go through the appropriate channels, the police department, the school, and we will rectify any situations we deem unsafe. This is certainly not the proper way to do it."

As part of the investigation, police searched Purcell's vehicle and allegedly found 102 live rounds of .20 gauge shot gun ammunition in his trunk. Authorities said Purcell's license to carry a firearm was also expired.

Purcell was then taken into custody.

Authorities believe Purcell may have been drinking during Thursday's incident.

"He denied drinking any alcohol but I believe did he consume alcohol," said Woodson. "Was he intoxicated? I don't believe so."

In court, Purcell's attorney said it was all a misunderstanding.

Authorities said Purcell had been disciplined earlier this year for not being able to control his classroom but school officials said no background checks alerted them to anything out of the ordinary.

"To have someone I hired to ensure a safe environment for our children to do something like this is abhorrent," said Southbridge Superintendent Jeffrey Villar.

The judge ordered Purcell held on $500,000 bail. He was also ordered to stay away from the high school. He is due back in court on June 24.
The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court has ordered the release of serial child rapist Wayne Chapman.

State lawyers and attorneys representing Chapman's victims had asked the state's highest court to block his release, saying they believe he is still a danger to the community.

But it does not appear that Chapman will be released anytime soon, as he is still being held on $25,000 bail on new charges of open and gross lewdness and lewd, wanton and lascivious acts stemming from an incident last June where he was accused of exposing himself and masturbating in the view of prison staff at the Massachusetts Correctional Institution  Shirley.

Chapman, 71, was sentenced to 30 years in prison after he was convicted of raping two boys in Lawrence, Massachusetts in 1977. He spent years fighting for his release, but court documents show he was found too dangerous each time.

He was convicted in three states and had roughly 50 victims over a span of 10 years. He was also the main suspect in the 1976 disappearance of 10-year-old Andy Puglisi, who went missing after visiting a Lawrence pool.

His prison term ended in 2004, but he remained civilly committed until last summer.

Chapman's attorney, Eric Tennen, said the move by the state's highest court is something they had been anticipating. He said despite the scrutiny, his team knew they had a strong case under state law.

"Where both qualified examiners conclude that the individual is not sexually dangerous, the balance shifts in favor of discharge," said Tennen. "The legislature has had 10 years to change this if they wanted to, they haven't, so it remains good law today."

Tennen said he hopes Chapman will be acquitted of the charges from last June at trial next month, and ultimately freed.

Wendy Murphy, an attorney for Chapman's victims says the news is devastating.

"My clients are very worried, very frightened and for good reason," said Murphy. "So the SJC deciding that it's OK to release a guy like Wayne Chapman makes me worried not only for victims of Wayne Chapman... but for public safety generally."

Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey released a statement on the SJC's decision:

"Following this decision, it's now even more important to enact needed changes to our laws to protect our communities from sexually dangerous people and support victims who deserve to be heard in the process," Healey said in a statement. "We will be working with our partners in government on legislation."
The wife of a former Massachusetts firefighter who developed prostate cancer is taking her concerns about the safety of his firefighting gear to Capitol Hill this week.

"We are meeting with our elected officials asking them to sign on to the new house bill that would literally label all PFAS as a hazardous material," said Diane Cotter.

PFAS are a class of nearly 5,000 chemicals that have been used for decades to produce firefighting foam, furniture and cookware.

Notre Dame scientist Graham Peaslee says PFAS can also be found in some turnout gear worn by firefighters in order to make the clothing more water-resistant.

Peaslee began testing gear Cotter sent to him a year ago.

To date, no link has been found between PFAS and Cotter's husband's cancer. But the Centers for Disease Control says exposure to PFAS can increase the risk of cancer. Cotter says she has just begun in her quest for answers.

The final results of Peaslee's testing are expected in the next month.

DuPont, who makes firefighter clothing, said the company "no longer makes, uses or buys PFOA and cannot comment on these materials."

Cotter and firefighters from across the country, including Massachusetts, submitted testimony on PFAS exposure and cancer among firefighters.

Cotter is asking legislators to investigate if the firefighter gear could present a health risk and what manufacturers may have known about those potential dangers.

"We are asking for a hearing  we want to know who knew what and when did they know it," Cotter said.

Cotter was joined in Washington by The Environmental Working Group, a national advocacy organization, which calls PFAS "a crisis" for the environment.

"To have them wearing uniforms that actually cause them further exposure is just something we should have been paying attention to long ago," said Ken Cook, president and chairman of the board of EWG. "The EPA needs to step up. It's too much hesitation, too little willingness to take on a tough problem and take on a big tough industry."

Cook says they've recently seen strong support on both sides of the aisle for the regulation of these chemicals.

Cotter says she still has more questions than answers.

Legislators on the House Energy and Commerce committee are also debating whether they should be regulating PFAS chemicals in drinking water.

To read the testimony of Diane Cotter and Massachusetts firefighters submitted to the House Energy and Commerce Committee, click here.
A woman on the Everett Turnpike was killed but a hit-and-run driver on Wednesday in Nashua, New Hampshire.

Shortly after 7 p.m., state police received a report of a pedestrian who had either fallen or collapsed on the Everett Turnpike southbound near Exit 4. Within minutes of that report, authorities received a call that the pedestrian was hit by a car.

Officials declared the pedestrian dead shortly after they arrived at the scene. Authorities later learned the vehicle that struck the woman fled the area.

The victim was identified as 68-year-old Juliette Koss of Nashua.

The vehicle responsible for the hit-and-run is described as a tan-colored mid-to-full sized SUV, according to state police. The car should have damage to the front end and bumper area.

Three lanes of the Turnpike were closed for about four hours while authorities conducted an investigation. State police were assisted by local police, the Nashua Fire and Rescue Department and New Hampshire Department of Transportation.

State police also requested the help from the Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Unit, who assumed control of the investigation.

It is unclear how Koss ended up on the highway. The investigation is ongoing.
It started as a Ph.D. thesis project at one of the worlds premier institutions of technology research and higher education. Now its back to benefit a new generation of students and researchers.

An advanced yet easy-to-use wireless network from Cisco Meraki  with origins in research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)  has solved one of the universitys most intractable problems: providing robust Wi-Fi access in a challenging radio frequency environment.

From research to product

The Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) at MIT is home to cutting-edge research in the areas of robotics, artificial intelligence (AI), machine vision, networking, and more. In 2006, researchers developed a novel plug-and-play Wi-Fi networking system that they spun out into a company called Meraki.

Acquired in 2012 by Cisco, Meraki develops powerful, yet easy-to-deploy wireless networks. Among the many innovations the company has pioneered: the ability to manage networks from anywhere in the world with a web-based dashboard interface hosted in the cloud.

One key to Merakis commercial successand for solving CSAILs connectivity problemsis the ability for its access points (APs) to communicate with each other wirelessly to form stable, cohesive mesh networks. As long as a given AP can see any other AP, it can route signals around challenging architecture to communicate across the entire network.

An intriguing Wi-Fi challenge

One of the best examples of such challenging architecture can be found in CSAILs unusual building: a 720,000-square-foot, Frank Gehry-designed structure called the Stata Center. Its eight stories are full of sharp angles and sudden curves, and include a mix of materials such as brick, steel, and aluminum.

Writing in the Boston Globe shortly after the building opened in 2004, architecture critic Robert Campbell called it a metaphor for the freedom, daring, and creativity of the research that goes on inside. Its also a nightmare when it comes to conventional wireless networking, as radio signals bounce around, hit impenetrable obstacles, and disappear around the blind curves.

As complaints about connectivity from CSAILs 800 students, faculty, and staff members mounted, Jack Costanza, CSAILs Assistant Director, and his IT staff knew they needed a better wireless network. Specifically, they needed a network that improved reliability, reached more areas of the building, and could easily grow with CSAILs needs.

They couldnt just replace the buildings existing network, however. Any new system had to support the universitys security policies, which required assigning different access levels to different devices even when joining the same network.

Problem solved

A total of 80 Meraki wireless APs turned out to fit the bill. At the same time, system administrators applied bandwidth limits, firewall rules, and even different splash pages for individual devices, all without any user effort.

Most importantly, from the users point of view, We were seeing strong signal in nooks and crevices that we had previously written off as impenetrable dead spots, said Costanza.

The benefits also extend to the IT team as well. The number of help desk tickets is down, and those that remain get handled more easily thanks to Cisco Merakis cloud-managed platform. Meraki, said Costanza, have a system thats really intuitive and easy to manage. Its a great experience for both wireless users and IT administrators.

Meanwhile, researchers at CSAIL and engineers at Cisco Meraki continue to innovate. A recent project at CSAIL uses wireless signals and artificial intelligence (AI) to sense people through walls, while Meraki has added 360-degree fields of view to its lineup of AI-powered smart cameras. Its all part of innovating wireless technology for the benefit of generations to come.

To learn more, visit meraki.com/worksimple.
In the era of e-commerce, top consumer brands depend on superior customer service to win sales in the store and showroom. In few industries is this more important than automotive, where technology is changing the relationship between consumers and the cars they drive or ride in, offering an expanding array of options for mobility beyond simple ownership.

One carmaker has risen to the challenge with a mix of smart tech and stellar customer service that created one of the most satisfied groups of automotive customers.

The Pied Piper Prospect Satisfaction Index compiles data from mystery shoppers at thousands of US dealerships to rate brands on the most helpful and attentive salespeople. Audi beat out competing brands including BMW, Lexus, Jaguar, and others to take first place.

That ranking is thanks, in part, to an extraordinary in-store experience provided by tablets and secure, reliable, and easy-to-service wireless access points (APs) and other networking gear from Cisco Meraki.

Elevating the showroom experience

Audi, like other successful brands in the digital era, is working to blend the online and brick-and-mortar shopping experience to bring consumers the best of both worlds. Thats why, after a successful test run at select dealerships, Audi leadership decided to roll out digital shopping experiences to more than 2,000 dealerships around the world, including in Los Angeles, Singapore, and Berlin.

Crucial to the effort would be rock-solid Wi-Fi connectivity with robust security and centralized administration capabilitiesall to meet the demands of luxury car shoppers expecting seamless, glitch-free digital experiences in the showrooms.

Among the potential new digital features at Audi showrooms was a virtual configurator to let customers outfit 1:1-scale models and see cars that a dealer might not have on the lot. To make it work successfully the dealerships would need hassle-free networks that administrators at Audis Germany headquarters could configure and maintain remotely.

Since the current dealer setups needed consistent in-person maintenance by local IT experts, Thomas Bayerl, Audis head of Digital Business Infrastructure and Processes, went shopping for new gear to upgrade their system.

Remotely managed connectivity

After less-than-impressive interactions with a number of vendors, Bayerl ordered free trial hardware from Cisco Meraki. A test of the Meraki devices in Audi's in-house IT test lab sold him on the brand.

From there, Bayerl ordered up wireless APs, switches, and security appliances, had his team configure them in the cloud through the Meraki dashboard, and shipped them off to dealerships around the world. Once they arrived, onsite managers simply had to plug them in to receive the appropriate settings and begin working.

That ease of use was exactly what Bayerl was looking for, especially since many dealerships have no IT staff on premises. All Cisco Meraki products that we used so far just work, he recalled. You configure everything, and they run very well.

These days, a team of six IT engineers in Ingolstadt, Germany keeps tabs on Meraki Wi-Fi networks at 2,000 dealerships across the globe.

In the showrooms, customers build virtual cars on tablets and watch them come to life on full-size screens, none the wiser about the deceptively simple networks running behind the scenes, bringing their future cars to life.

To learn more, visit meraki.com/worksimple.
Hong Kong: Health chief to visit Europe

Secretary for Food & Health Prof Sophia Chan will meet healthcare professionals in Amsterdam and attend the World Health Organization's (WHO) 72nd World Health Assembly (WHA) in Geneva.

On May 17 and 18, Prof Chan will visit the Netherlands to learn more about the latest developments in primary healthcare services.

She will visit Leiden University Medical Center, a modern university medical centre for research, education and patient care. Its research ranges from pure fundamental medical research to applied clinical research, in particular in the field of public health with an impact on society.

Prof Chan will also tour Buurtzorg Nederland, a healthcare organisation with a nurse-led system that provides community care in the Netherlands.

She will then attend the 72nd WHA on May 20 as a member of the People's Republic of China delegation and exchange views on healthcare-related issues with senior health officials of other member states.

A number of strategic priority matters to be discussed at the meeting include public health preparedness and response, health and environment and climate change, prevention and control of non-communicable diseases, ending tuberculosis and global shortage of and access to medicines and vaccines.

Prof Chan will depart for Amsterdam tomorrow morning and return to Hong Kong on May 23.

Under Secretary for Food & Health Dr Chui Tak-yi will be Acting Secretary during her absence.

This story has been published on: 2019-05-16. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 16)  Senator Nancy Binay, who is seeking a second term, on Thursday expressed confidence that she has locked in the 12th and final seat in the senatorial race.

I opted not to talk kasi ayoko maging presumptuous, na baka hindi pa sigurado na akin 'yung 12th spot, Binay told reporters in a media briefing.

But I think today I can claim it. Parang stable na ako doon sa number 12, she added.

[Translation: I opted not to talk because I didnt want to be presumptuous, that I wasnt still sure of the 12th spot. But I think today I can claim it. I think Im stable at the number 12.]

Binay added she sees a slim margin of victory against her friend and fellow Senator JV Ejercito, who is currently hanging on 13th place.

Based on computations noong mga nagmamagandang loob, parang lumalabas na worst case scenario for me is 200,000 lang na lamang over JV.

[Translation: Based on computations from those who have helped me, it shows that the worst case scenario for me would be a 200,000 lead over JV.]

The senator attributed her poll ranking to numerous factors, including lack of support from the administration as well as her current family situation in Makati.

Siyempre, yung problema namin sa Makati, naka factor in din 'yun doon sa equation (Of course, our problem in Makati factored in the equation), she said. It's different when you're part of the admin slate eh, di ba? May advantage talaga (theres really an advantage.

Senatorial candidates allied with the administration have been dominating the race, based on the partial and official tally.

While the senator awaits official results, voters have sealed the fate of her other family members.

Her sister Abby retained the Makati mayoralty post with a wide margin over their brother Junjun Binay. Abby's husband, Luis Campos, was also reelected as the city's second district representative.

Their father, former Vice President Jejomar Binay, however, lost in his bid to become the city's 1st district representative.
KENT  A Romanian national involved in a Kent home invasion more than a decade ago was sentenced Wednesday to serve 10 years in prison for his role in the incident.

Alexandru Lucian Nicolescu, 41, a Romanian national, was sentenced to 121 months in prison for his participation in a 2007 home invasion, according to the state Department of Justice.

Court documents indicate the home invasion happened just before midnight on April 15, 2007. That night, Nicolescu, Emanuel Nicolescu (the two are not related) and Michael N. Kennedy entered a South Kent home, wearing masks and brandishing knives and firearms, the DOJ said.

The intruders bound and blindfolded two adult victims and injected each with a substance the intruders claimed was a deadly virus, the DOJ said. The intruders ordered the victims to pay $8.5 million or else they would be left to die from the lethal injection.

The victims were not in a position to meet the intruders demands, the DOJ said, so the intruders drugged the two residents with a sleeping aid and fled in a Jeep Cherokee belonging to the homeowners.

The stolen Jeep was found abandoned the next morning at a Home Depot in New Rochelle, N.Y.

A few days later  April 21, 2007  an accordion case washed ashore in Jamaica Bay. Inside the case were a stun gun, a 12-inch knife, a black plastic Airsoft gun, a crowbar, syringes, sleeping pills, latex gloves and a laminated telephone card with the address of the Kent victims.

As to the accordion case, investigators learned that Kennedys father was a professional accordion player, and witnesses later identified the knife in the accordion case as a gift given to Emanuel Nicolescu by his father-in-law, the DOJ said.

In 2010, a Connecticut State Police investigator made the connection that matched a partial Pennsylvania license plate  which had been seen by a witness near the victims estate on the night of the crime  to a car owned by Kennedy. The DOJ said the investigator found that Kennedy had previously shared an address with Emmanuel Nicolescu, who had been employed by the victim.

The investigator found the data for the cell tower near the New Rochelle Home Depot had a call by a phone registered to Emmanuel Nicolescu, just minutes after the Jeep was abandoned, the DOJ said. Soon after, investigators from state police and the FBI got Emmanuel Nicolescus DNA and found it was a partial match to a sample from the Jeeps steering wheel.

The investigation showed that Emanuel Nicolescu and Kennedy worked with Alexandru Nicolescu and Stefan Alexandru Barabas to commit the crime, the DOJ said.

The four men planned the home invasion, which included the research and purchase of implements necessary for the crime, such as two-way radios, stun guns and imitation pistols, the agency said.

That night, the DOJ said, Kennedy drove Emanuel Nicolescu, Alexandru Nicolescu and Barabas to an area near the Kent home and picked them up the next morning in New Rochelle after they abandoned the Jeep.

On April 16, 2007, a day after the home invasion, Alexandru Nicolescu fled the United States. He has been detained since Nov. 14, 2013, when he was arrested in the United Kingdom, where he had been living. On Nov. 25, 2014, he was extradited to the U.S. On Jan. 8, 2016, he pleaded guilty to one count of attempted extortion and one count of conspiracy to commit extortion.

Emanuel Nicolescu was arrested on Jan. 23, 2011, in Illinois. On March 22, 2012, a jury found him guilty of attempted extortion, conspiracy to commit extortion, and possession of a stolen vehicle. On Aug. 17, 2012, he was sentenced to 240 months in prison.

Kennedy, also known as Nicolae Helerea, voluntarily returned to the U.S. from Romania. Kennedy pleaded guilty to one count of attempted extortion and one count of conspiracy to commit extortion on Nov. 5, 2012. On May 4, 2016, he was sentenced to 48 months in prison.

Barabas was charged in connection with the case and is currently being sought. The FBI is offering a reward up to $10,000 for information leading to his arrest.
New Milford High School held its prom Saturday night at the Amber Room Colonnade. More than 560 students attended the annual event that was based on the theme Out of this World.
Patients with muscle and joint pain are often at least as well served by seeing a physiotherapist as by consulting a doctor when they seek help at a primary health care centre. Over time, the health benefits of first going to a physiotherapist appear slightly superior, new research shows.

In Sweden, primary care services sometimes have problems in offering good care within the national "health care guarantee", mainly because available visiting times to doctors are not in balance with the demand for health care services. However, many patients seek primary care for ailments which can be treated by other health professionals than doctors.

A thesis from Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, describes certain patients with pain and functional difficulties in muscles, joints and elsewhere in the movement system. These patients were selected for immediate treatment by a physiotherapist.

This selection, or "triaging", of patients with muscle and joint pain proved to have beneficial effects in terms of access, effectiveness and the work environment, and also reduced patients' health care utilization. There are also ample indications that these patients' health outcomes are at least as good as for those who were initially assessed by a doctor.

Better for organization and individuals

Making more effective use of skills possessed by other professionals can help to improve the flow of patients through primary care. At the same time, it brings positive effects for the individual" Lena Bornhoft, PhD from Sahlgrenska Academy and occupational background as a physiotherapist

One study included in Lena's thesis covered 482 patients  men and women aged 16-64 with muscle and joint pain  selected for initial assessment by a physiotherapist. The control group was comprised of 1,436 people with similar conditions who were managed in the traditional manner at their local health care center.

In other studies, Bornhoft investigated patients' health and attitudes, and the cost-effectiveness of direct triage to physiotherapists. These studies were conducted in collaboration with Narhalsan, the public primary care provider in Region Vastra Gotaland.

Higher self-rated health

The patients triaged for an initial assessment by a physiotherapist were, when necessary, assessed by a doctor afterwards to fulfil any medical needs. They were shown, however, to need less medical intervention over time than the controls.

Those who were able to start with a physiotherapist had more favourable outcomes in terms of pain, disability and risk of long-term problems. Their health-related quality of life was also, according to their own self-rating, higher than that of the controls.

Today, physiotherapists are already responsible for the initial assessment of patients who seek assistance at rehabilitation clinics for muscle and joint pain. Making use of their expertise in primary care services as well may, according to the thesis, result in organizational, financial and health advantages.

Source: Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg
For the first time, the federal government is shining a spotlight on the quality of rehabilitation care at nursing homes  services used by nearly 2 million older adults each year.

Medicare's Nursing Home Compare website now includes a "star rating" (a composite measure of quality) for rehab services  skilled nursing care and physical, occupational or speech therapy for people recovering from a hospitalization. The site also breaks out 13 measures of the quality of rehab care, offering a more robust view of facilities' performance.

Independent experts and industry representatives welcomed the changes, saying they could help seniors make better decisions about where to seek care after a hospital stay. This matters because high-quality care can help older adults regain the ability to live independently, while low-quality care can compromise seniors' recovery.

"It's a very positive move," said David Grabowski, a professor of health care policy at Harvard Medical School. He noted that previous ratings haven't distinguished between two groups in nursing homes with different characteristics and needs  temporary residents getting short-term rehabilitation and permanent residents too ill or frail to live independently.

Temporary residents are trying to regain the ability to care for themselves and return home as soon as possible, he noted. By contrast, permanent residents aren't expecting improvements: Their goal is to maintain the best quality of life.

Three separate ratings for the quality of residents' care now appear on the Nursing Home Compare website: one for overall quality (a composite measure); another one for "short-stay" patients (people who reside in facilities for 100 days or less, getting skilled nursing services and physical, occupational or speech therapy) and a third for "long-stay" patients (people who reside in facilities for more than 100 days).

Ratings for short-stay patients  available for 13,799 nursing homes  vary considerably, according to a Kaiser Health News analysis of data published by the government in late April. Nationally, 30% of nursing homes with a rating received five stars, the highest possible. Another 21% got a four-star rating, signifying above-average care. Twenty percent got three stars, an average performance. Seventeen percent got two stars, a worse-than-average score. And 13% got one star, a bottom-of-the-barrel score. (Altogether, 1,764 nursing homes did not receive ratings for short-stay patients.)

Here's information about how to find and use the new Nursing Home Compare data, as well as insights from Kaiser Health News' analysis:

Finding data about rehabilitation. Enter your geographic location on Nursing Home Compare's home page, and a list of facilities will come up. You can select three at a time to review. Once you've done so, hit the "compare now" button at the top of the list. (To see more facilities, you'll need to repeat the process.)

A new page will appear with several tabs. Click on the one marked "quality of resident care." The three overall star ratings described above will appear for the facilities you've selected.

Below this information, two options are listed on the left side: "short-stay residents" and "long-stay residents." Click on "short-stay residents." Now you'll see 13 measures with actual numbers included (most but not all of the time), as well as state and national averages.

Understanding the star rating. Six measures are used to calculate star ratings for the quality of rehab care for short-stay patients. Two of them concern emergency room visits and rehospitalizations, potential indicators of problematic care. Another two examine how well pain was controlled and bedsores were managed. One measure looks at how many patients became better able to move around on their own, an important element of recovery. Yet another examines the rate at which antipsychotic medications were newly prescribed. (These drugs can have significant side effects and are not recommended for older adults with dementia.)

One measure of great interest to seniors is the percentage of residents who return successfully home after a short nursing home stay. But actual numbers aren't available on the Nursing Home Compare website this time around: Instead, facilities are listed as below average, average or above average. The national average, reported in April, was 48.6%, indicating room for improvement.

Tracking variations in performance. Some facilities outperform others by large margins on measures of quality of care for short-stay residents. And some facilities have high scores in some areas, but not in others.

For instance, the nursing home at Westminster Village, a high-end continuing care retirement community in Scottsdale, Ariz., had the highest score for rehospitalizations  39.9%  out of 68 facilities in and around Phoenix. (By contrast, the lowest score in the Phoenix area was 15.4% and the state average was 23.5%.) It also had the highest rate of helping residents improve their ability to move around on their own  88.6%. (The lowest score was 37.6% and the state average was 63.6%.)

In an email, Lesley Midkiff, marketing director at Westminster Village, said that the facility's staff is vigilant about sending residents back to the hospital if health issues arise. At the same time, she said, staffers "push the residents just enough to regain independence and recover quickly from their short term stays." Both priorities have the "residents' best interest" in mind, she said.

If a facility has an average or low quality score, Dr. David Gifford, a senior vice president at the American Health Care Association, a nursing home industry group, recommended that people look closely at various measures and try to figure out where the institution fell short. Call the facility and ask them to explain, he said. Also, review Nursing Home Compare's information about staffing and health inspections, Gifford suggested, and visit the facility if possible.

Variations within nursing homes. The newly published Nursing Home Compare data also shows that institutions aren't always equally adept at caring for short-stay and long-stay residents.

Disparities in facilities' ratings for short- and long-stay patients are common. Of 13,351 nursing homes that received both ratings, 32% received the same star ratings for the quality of care received by short-stay and long-stay residents. Another 32% of facilities received higher star ratings for short-stay residents, while 36% got higher ratings for long-stay residents. About one-third of the time, these rating categories were one star apart, but in another third of cases, they varied by two or more stars  a significant discrepancy. (This analysis does not include 2,212 nursing homes for which data was missing.)

In Phoenix, Desert Terrace Healthcare Center, which bills itself on its website as the city's "premier location for short-term rehabilitation and long-term care," is one such facility. Its quality-of-care rating for short-term residents was two stars, while its rating for long-term residents was five stars. Notably, hospital admissions and ER visits for short-stay patients were higher than the state average, while the portion of short-stay residents whose mobility improved was lower than average.

In an email, Jeremy Bowen, the facility's administrator, wrote that the facility had a good record of managing pain and bedsores and limiting antipsychotic prescriptions for short-stay patients. Factors such as hospital readmissions depend on community resources and patients' understanding of their health needs, which are difficult to control, he noted.

Sierra Winds, part of a continuing care community in Peoria, Ariz., has a similar split in quality ratings (two stars for short-stay residents, five stars for long-stay residents). On four of six measures used to calculate star ratings for short-stay residents, it performed worse than the state average.

"Sierra Winds remains committed to providing the highest quality care and services to its residents," wrote Shannon Brown, the facility's executive director, in an email. "We are proud of our 4-star rating with CMS [the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services]."

That's the facility's overall rating (this includes data about staffing and health inspections). But it doesn't address the split in scores for short-stay and long-stay patients, which raises a red flag and should certainly cause seniors and their families to ask follow-up questions.

"If I'm a patient looking for a place for a short-term rehab stay, I really want to know how patients who look like me did," said Dr. Rachel Werner, executive director of the Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics at the University of Pennsylvania and a quality-measurement expert.

KHN senior correspondent Jordan Rau contributed to this report.

We're eager to hear from readers about questions you'd like answered, problems you've been having with your care and advice you need in dealing with the health care system. Visit khn.org/columnists to submit your requests or tips.
A new project to improve asthma in African children has been officially launched at an event in Durban, South Africa.

The 'Achieving Control of Asthma in Children In Africa' (ACACIA) study, led by Queen Mary University of London, is a 2 million study funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR). It will involve 3,000 children aged between 12 and 16 years old who have symptoms of asthma, and take place over three years in Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa, Uganda, Malawi and Zimbabwe.

The launch event at University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) included a speech by Ben Llewellyn-Jones OBE, British Deputy High Commissioner to South Africa, who announced his support for the study.

Asthma in African children was previously not thought to be a major health issue. But more African children are developing the long-term disease as they move to urban areas. South Africa has one of the highest mortality rates from asthma worldwide. Recent surveys in schools found that between 10 and 20 per cent of children in sub-Saharan Africa aged 13 to 14 have ongoing asthma symptoms.

A similar UK study led by the Queen Mary University of London research group found that 46 per cent of young people had suboptimal asthma control, and that many young people faced a range of barriers to good asthma management, including lack of knowledge, forgetfulness and perceived stigma.

The team will use the new African school survey data to design and test a school-based intervention, which will include the adaption of an existing theatre performance, written by the Nigerian-born playwright Tunde Euba, which addresses asthma knowledge and stigma.

Professor Jonathan Grigg from Queen Mary's Blizard Institute, and Director of the NIHR Global Health Research Group, said:

Children in sub Saharan Africa are increasingly developing diseases of urbanisation, such as asthma. Although other countries, such as the UK, may have higher levels of asthma, the extraordinarily high number of asthma-related deaths in Africa is a major concern. Working with leading paediatricians across Africa, this project will allow us to describe the burden of asthma in children, and the reasons underlying poor asthma control."

Professor Refiloe Masekela, who is conducting the study at UKZN said:

For the first time, this epidemiology study will be looking at the severity of asthma and at factors that impact asthma control and adherence in school-going adolescent children. The outcome of this study will then inform future strategies and interventions to reduce morbidity and mortality among affected children in Africa."

Source: Queen Mary University of London
A researcher from the University of Houston has created a form of recombinant insulin that could potentially address some of the biggest concerns about the lifesaving drug, including its price.

Ke-He Ruan, director of the Center for Experimental Therapeutics and Pharmacoinformatics at the UH College of Pharmacy, said the single polypeptide chain insulin appears to stabilize glucose levels up to three times as long as conventional wild-type human insulin, that is, insulin grown to mimic that produced in humans, and could be manufactured using simpler production methods.

That could potentially cut the cost of the medication - the price of the most commonly used types of insulin have tripled over the past decade - as well as allow patients with Type 1 diabetes to go longer between injections, Ruan said.

The new formula has not yet been tested in people, and the University's Office of Technology Transfer and Innovation is looking for a company to co-develop the technology and complete testing and approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. For more information, contact [email protected]

People with Type 1 diabetes produce little or no insulin, a hormone produced in the pancreas, and rely on insulin to regulate blood sugar. Some people with Type 2 diabetes, which occurs when people can't efficiently use the insulin their bodies produce, also require insulin injections.

Ruan, with a medical degree and a Ph.D. in biomedical science and biochemistry, was recruited to UH in 2007 from the University of Texas Medical School at Houston, now the McGovern Medical School, to direct the College of Pharmacy's Center for Experimental Therapeutics and Pharmacoinformatics, which focuses on the use of technology in drug design.

Ruan used 3D computer modeling to determine how to link the two polypeptide chains used to produce current commercially available human insulins, creating a single polypeptide chain that could be inserted into yeast or bacteria to grow the insulin. He has recently filed for a provisional US patent for the discovery.

He said the new formulation, known as single polypeptide chain insulin, or SPC-insulin, is better able to maintain its configuration, compared with the conventional two-chain configuration, linked by disulfide bonds which quickly reduce to inactive a- and b- chains once they reach the circulatory system.

The single polypeptide chain configuration remains active longer, lengthening the time patients can go between injections.

It also can be produced more quickly, with a one-step process rather than the three or four steps required for current recombinant-protein methods. Ruan, professor of medicinal chemistry and pharmacology at the UH College of Pharmacy

As with conventional production of recombinant human insulin, SPC-insulin can be produced in either yeast or bacteria.
Delivering remarks on surprise medical billing, which is a concern that has drawn bipartisan interest, President Donald Trump waded into another high-profile health issue: making sure insurance protects people who have preexisting health conditions.

"We will always protect patients with preexisting conditions, very importantly," Trump said on May 9.

It's natural Trump would want to make this claim.

Polling from the Kaiser Family Foundation suggests that such protections, which prohibit individual insurance plans from charging people more based on their medical history, are a top priority for Americans and among the most popular provisions of the Affordable Care Act. (KHN is an editorially independent program of the foundation.)

With that context, we decided to put a microscope to the president's claim.

We asked White House staff to point us to the policies or proposals on which Trump's statement was based. They declined to provide specifics but reiterated the president's assertion.

Texas V. Azar, And A Health Policy Vacuum

Interviews with four separate experts, though, suggested that the administration's stance on a pending lawsuit that seeks to overturn the Affordable Care Act runs counter to Trump's claim.

The case, known as Texas v. Azar, comes from a group of Republican attorneys general who argue that the entire health law should be struck because the 2017 tax bill gutted Obamacare's requirement to have insurance, often called the individual mandate. In December, a Texas judge agreed.

The case is now before the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals. And, most relevant here, the Department of Justice  that is, the Trump administration's legal arm  has refused to defend the ACA in these proceedings.

It's highly unusual for an administration to decline to defend a federal law in court.

"This is a case when the department can make strong arguments in defense of the statute. Refusing to defend in those circumstances is almost unprecedented," said Nicholas Bagley, a law professor at the University of Michigan.

Initially, the Trump administration's position on the lawsuit focused on the individual mandate, arguing that without it the ACA's preexisting condition protections should be struck down, too. In filing a brief to the appellate court, though, the DOJ joined the plaintiffs to argue the law should be scrapped entirely. This outcome would also eliminate the law's protections for people with preexisting health conditions.

In that context, "there is real cause for skepticism" about Trump's assertion, said Wendy Netter Epstein, a law professor at DePaul University.

The most generous assessment came from Jonathan Adler, a health law expert at Case Western Reserve University. Adler has supported previous Obamacare challenges, but he argued that this one is legally unsound.

He agreed that the White House's actual actions are "at odds with the president's promise."

But, Adler said, the structure of Trump's claim  promising what his administration "will" do, rather than commenting on what it has done  leaves open the possibility of taking other steps to keep preexisting condition protections in place.

That's true, other experts acknowledged. So far, the White House has postponed a legislative push until after the 2020 election  leaving a vacuum if the courts do wipe out the health law.

And, the GOP bills the White House has supported to date  including the so-called Graham-Cassidy legislation first proposed in 2017, which the administration again endorsed in its 2019 budget proposal  would fall short, multiple experts said.

Unlike the ACA, Graham-Cassidy allows states to redefine which core benefits  a list that includes protections for people with health problems  insurance plans must cover, which would make those specific protections optional. (For more on Graham-Cassidy, here's another PolitiFact check from last fall.)

Plus, experts said, even if the White House had a plan, the odds of it gaining passage are slim with a divided Congress.

That makes safeguarding the ACA in court "the only show in town" if the administration is serious about protecting consumers who have preexisting conditions, Bagley said.

There's one loophole that conservatives  the White House included  might lean on, suggested Sabrina Corlette, a professor at Georgetown University's Health Policy Institute. It relies on what people mean when they talk about "protections."

Some experts also point out that the administration has issued regulations that run contrary to Trump's claim. In particular, it recently issued a rule loosening restrictions on the length of so-called short-term health plans, which supporters said would bring a more affordable option to the individual insurance market. But these plans, which, because of the rule change, can last a year instead of three months, are considered bare-bones and are not required to provide preexisting condition protections.

Our Ruling

Trump said his administration will "always protect patients with preexisting conditions."

But the White House's policy trajectory does exactly the opposite. The DOJ's stance, which reflects a policy in place at the same moment the president made this claim, would eliminate the only law guaranteeing that people with preexisting conditions both receive health coverage and do not have to pay more for it.

And on the regulatory front, the administration has advanced a health insurance option that is not required to include these protections.

Furthermore, the administration has not put forth any plan that might keep those guarantees in place. Every replacement health bill it has endorsed has offered protections less generous than those offered by the ACA. And it has taken further steps that could make it harder for people with preexisting conditions to get affordable coverage.

This statement is not accurate and makes a claim in direct opposition to what's actually happening. We rate it False.
The three Republican candidates for the 23rd House of Delegates seat highlighted their experience and governing philosophy in a forum Wednesday, each hoping to distinguish themselves ahead of next months primary.

Throughout the hourlong forum, which was hosted by the Lynchburg Republican City Committee, the candidates largely agreed with each other on policy matters. Each pledged to defend Second Amendment rights and each said they favor strong restrictions to abortion, though Ron Berman, a conservative activist, was the only candidate to call for its outright abolition.

Similarly, the candidates agreed to cut regulation and taxes if elected. They also said they would work to reign in wasteful spending by the state government. And each pledged to support the eventual nominee in the general election this fall. Republicans will choose their candidate in a June 11 open primary, meaning any registered voter can participate despite party affiliation.

Wednesdays forum at the Lynchburg Public Library on Memorial Avenue attracted about 25 people. Chris Faraldi, the director of government relations for the Lynchburg Business Alliance, served as moderator.

The three candidates are hoping to succeed Republican Del. Scott Garrett, a Lynchburg surgeon, who will retire at the end of his term this year. All 140 seats in the General Assembly are up for election and Republicans are counting on holding the 23rd District seat to maintain their slim majority in the House.

At the forum, the candidates attempted to separate themselves from the field by outlining their experience and guiding principles.

Turner Perrow, a Lynchburg City council member, said his 10-year tenure on council makes him the most qualified among the three candidates. The 44-year-old Amherst County native also said his relative youth could allow him to eventually join House leadership and hold significant power in Richmond for several years as a representative of Central Virginia.

Im doing this because we need to make sure that the Virginia that I grew up in, the Virginia I love, is the same Virginia for my children, he said.

Wendell Walker, a longtime GOP activist, said he would draw on a network of contacts made throughout his 30-year career with the party to help him legislate. Walker, 66, also said he could devote more time to the job since he is nearing retirement and because his children are now adults. Perrow and Berman both have school-aged children.

I would be your servant in Richmond, he said. I would be your voice there.

Berman, 48, said he would fight legislation that impedes constitutionally-guaranteed rights, including proposals from within the Republican Party. He blasted current party leadership for a series of retreats, especially for their failure to kill legislation which expanded Medicaid last year despite holding a majority in both chambers.

Im not running to be just a compromiser, just another negotiator, Berman said. Im not running to be part of the leadership. Because I think our leadership, as it is, betrayed us. I dont want to be a part of that team.

The 23rd House district, which includes parts of Amherst and Bedford counties as well as parts of Lynchburg, is considered a Republican stronghold. Garrett faced only one Democratic challenger in his four reelection bids and won by double digits in each race. In 2017, he won nearly two-thirds of the total vote, despite strong gains from Democrats elsewhere in the state.

The eventual GOP nominee will face Democrat David Zilles, a Lynchburg engineer, in the Nov. 5 general election.

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The Lynchburg Police Department announced Thursday that Carrie Dungan, a reporter with The News & Advance, will join the force as the departments first full-time spokesperson.

She will step into the newly created role later this month as police look to broaden their community engagement efforts.

Dungan brings more than four years of journalism experience to the role. Before moving to Lynchburg she worked as a reporter at The Paraglide, a weekly military newspaper based at Fort Bragg in North Carolina. Since joining The News & Advance last year, she has covered local governments in Campbell and Appomattox counties and most recently served as the papers Lynchburg reporter.

Dungan was chosen after a nationwide search, which saw 134 applications, according to LPD Capt. Nick Leger. Chief Ryan Zuidema personally selected her from a group of finalists earlier this month. Her first day on the job will be May 29.

Carrie is an exceptionally talented individual who will serve as a great resource for the community and will be an invaluable asset to your police department, Zuidema said in a statement.

Dungan, 31, was raised in Richmond. She graduated from Virginia Tech in 2010 with a degree in broadcast journalism. Before becoming a reporter, she briefly interned with ESPN Radio and worked as an analyst at a Richmond law firm.

In her new role, she will respond to media inquiries and manage the departments social media feeds. As a civilian employee, she will report directly to the chief to coordinate public responses to routine police matters, emergencies and controversies involving the department. She will also help organize community policing initiatives and other outreach efforts throughout the city.

The first thing that I want to do is really get to know the members of the department, she said, and make sure I understand their perspectives and their points of view.

Police officials long have wanted to hire a full-time spokesperson, but city budget restrictions have prevented past attempts. The new position is largely funded through a currently vacant job.

In recent years, police chiefs have designated captains and lieutenants to act as spokespersons but with an already heavy workload, many of those sworn officers found it difficult to juggle law enforcement responsibilities with media inquiries.

The new position, which pays between $48,630.40 and $87,443.20 a year, not including benefits, will allow the department to better communicate with the community on a more consistent basis, Leger said.

Its great for us, he said. It helps us tell our story and it helps the public and the media get our story.

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The 10 best last-minute Christmas Disney gifts, from t-shirts to Lego

Gifts Christmas Disney gifts are still available if you move fast, and we've got recommendations on which ones to go for
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(Newser)  It wasn't a bird and it wasn't a planeit was male genitalia, and Navy Times has gotten to the bottom of it. We already knew that a Navy aircraft drew the obscene skywriting over Washington state in 2017, but details remained scant. According to a newly released report, a shy, introverted pilot was persuaded by his cockpit partner to draw the phallic image during a standard 90-minute training flight over Okanogan County. "My initial reaction was no, bad," the pilot wrote afterward. "But for some reason still unknown to me, I eventually decided to do it." Seems it all began when the electronic warfare officer, or EWO, stumbled on the idea. "Draw a giant penis," he said, per the report. "That would be awesome."

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"I could definitely draw one, that would be easy," said the EA-18G Growler pilot. "I could basically draw a figure eight and turn around and come back." So he drew the testes ("Balls are going to be a little lopsided," he warned) and discussed the shape of the head and shaft with the EWO as the contrail drawing ensued. Praise came in from their partner jet: "Your artwork is amazing," radioed the other EWO. But at ground level, an Okanogan mom complained to KREM that she might have to explain the artwork to her young child. Embarrassed Navy officials investigated the pilot and EWO, who quickly confessed, apologized, and deleted images of the sky penis from their phones. Seems they were reprimanded but not seriously punished for their effort. (Read more Navy stories.)
(Newser)  America is warning Europe to drop a project that would boost military cooperation between EU nations, the Financial Times reports. In a letter to Brussels, US Under Secretary of Defense Ellen Lord says the planwhich involves creating new military equipment, military hospitals, and a spy schoolwould "produce duplication, non-interoperable military systems, diversion of scarce defense resources and unnecessary competition between NATO and the EU." Perhaps more importantly, Lord says the European Defence Fund and Permanent Structured Cooperation (or Pesco) includes "poison pills" that would bar American and other non-EU companies from these projects.

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Lord added that Washington might impose counter-restrictions, while America's ambassador to the EU said US responses were unlikely to "be positive for either side." European officials countered that Pesco is just a response to Washington's demands that Europe put more effort into NATO. "The EU is actually at the moment much more open than the US procurement market is for the European Union companies and equipment," adds top EU diplomat Federica Mogherini, per Deutsche Welle. So far, 25 of the EU's 28 member states have joined Pesco, while the EDF is slated to get roughly $14.5 billion in the bloc's upcoming seven-year budget. (Read more NATO stories.)
(Newser)  "I dont think anyone has ever called 911 because they were offended by a joke," says Florida comedy club owner Brien Spina. Well, apart from on Sunday, when an audience member called 911 over remarks comedian Ahmed Ahmed made at Spina's Off The Hook club in Naples, Fla., the night before. The caller said Ahmed asked the audience how many Middle Eastern people were there, and "a whole bunch of people raised their hand," WBBH reports. The caller said Ahmed then said: "That's great, we could organize our own terrorist organization." "And I don't think that was right," the caller said. "And that really bothered me." Police turned up and spoke to the owner, "but the cops were even like 'WTF?'" Ahmed tweeted, attaching video of the encounter. The 911 call can be heard here. Ahmed says police were "super professional and very kind."

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Ahmedwhose family moved to the US from Egypt when he was a month oldsays the caller must have misheard the joke. "What I said was, 'Are there any Middle Eastern people here tonight?'" he tells the Naples Daily News. He says after a few people clapped, he said: "Thats great, there's a handful of us here tonight. But hey, it only takes one of us ... to tell a joke. It only takes one Middle Eastern person to tell a joke, no, but seriously, lock the doors." Ahmedwho has been invited back to the comedy club for another show next weeksays to show there are no hard feelings, he'll give the caller two free tickets and "a big old jolly American hug." "I'll buy him a shot," he says. "Terrorists dont buy people shots ... of tequila that is." (Read more comedian stories.)
(Newser)  President Trump declared a national emergency Wednesday in a move seen as an attempt to crack down on a single company. In an executive order, the president declared a national economic emergency, allowing the government to ban US companies from using telecommunications equipment from "foreign adversaries" that pose an "unacceptable" security risk, the BBC reports. The order does not name Huawei, but the Chinese telecoms giant is widely believed to be its target. In a statement, Huawei said banning its equipment "will not make the US more secure or stronger" and warned that the move would force companies and consumers to buy "inferior yet more expensive alternatives."

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This is believed to be the first time the law Trump invoked, the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act, has been used in a way that affects an entire sector, the AP notes. Adam Segal, cybersecurity director at the Council on Foreign Relations, says that after months of pressure on Huawei, the Trump administration apparently decided the "time had finally come to pull the trigger." In a separate move, the Commerce Department said Wednesday that it had added Huawei and dozens of its affiliates to its "Entity List," the Washington Post reports. The movenicknamed the "death penalty" for the devastating effect it tends to have on businessesbans the companies from buying technology or components from American firms without US government approval. (Read more national emergency stories.)
(Newser)  Pacific Gas & Electric Corp. power lines sparked a northern California blaze that killed 85 people last year, making it the deadliest US wildfire in a century and the deadliest in state history, state fire officials said Wednesday. Cal Fire said transmission lines owned and operated by the San Francisco-based utility started the Nov. 8 fire that nearly destroyed the town of Paradise in the Sierra Nevada foothills, the AP reports. The fire wiped out nearly 15,000 homes. Many of those killed were elderly or disabled. The oldest was 99. "Investigators determined there were violations of law," Cal Fire deputy director Mike Mohler said. He said he hadn't read the report and didn't know the nature of the violations.

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The investigation also identified a second nearby ignition site involving PG&E's electrical distribution lines that had come into contact with vegetation. The second fire was quickly consumed by the initial fire. Butte County District Attorney Mike Ramsey said in a statement that he is still weighing possible criminal charges against the utility, a decision that could take months. The utility, which filed for bankruptcy protection in January, said in February it was "probable" that one of its transmission lines sparked the blaze. Attorney Mike Danko, who represents 2,000 victims of the fire, said he was encouraged by the fact that Cal Fire sent its latest report to the district attorney, which could mean it has evidence that the utility was negligent on safety issues. PG&E has estimated its total liability from the Paradise fire and 18 wildfires it caused in 2017 could top $30 billion. (Read more California wildfires stories.)
(Newser)  President Trump has granted a full pardon to Conrad Black, a former newspaper publisher who has written a flattering political biography of Trump. Black's media empire once included the Chicago Sun-Times and the Daily Telegraph of London. He was convicted of fraud in 2007 and spent three and a half years in prison. An appeals court reversed two convictions, but left two others in place. White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said Black "has made tremendous contributions to business, and to political and historical thought," the AP reports. In 2018, Black published Donald J. Trump: A President Like No Other. He wrote a column Wednesday in Canada's National Post describing how Trump called him and revealed the pardon.

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"He could not have been more gracious and quickly got to his point: he was granting me a full pardon," wrote Black, calling his case a long ordeal that was "never anything but a confluence of unlucky events, the belligerence of several corporate governance charlatans, and grandstanding local and American judges." The former media mogul was sentenced to more than six years in prison after his 2007 conviction in Chicago for defrauding investors, but was released on bail two years later to pursue an appeal that was partially successful. A judge reduced his sentence to three years. Trump on Wednesday also pardoned Patrick Nolan, a former Republican leader of the California State Assembly. Nolan has been a vocal advocate for criminal justice reform since he spent more than two years in federal prison during the 1990s. (Read more Conrad Black stories.)
(Newser)  "Oblivious," "arrogant," and "aloof" is how a cookie company heiress is being painted this week after comments on how her company used Nazi-era forced labor. The BBC reports 25-year-old Verena Bahlsen of the Bahlsen company joked about how rich she is at a marketing meeting last week. Some on social media criticized her, as her family's business had put to work about 200 forced laborers during World War II, mostly Ukrainian women whose own country was overrun with Nazis. Bahlsen then deflected responsibility in a follow-up interview. "That was before my time, and we paid the forced laborers exactly as much as German workers, and we treated them well," she told Bild. Pushback was swift, with one historian noting her "obliviousness to history."

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In a tweet, Germany's Nazi Forced Labour Documentation Centre accused members of the Bahlsen family of "significant gaps in knowledge" and added that "the issue of Nazi forced labor is often still a blind spot in collective memory." Bahlsen is now walking back her comments. "It was a mistake to amplify this debate with thoughtless responses," she said in a statement, adding that "as the next generation, we have responsibility for our history. I expressly apologize to all whose feelings I have hurt." ABC Australia, which notes that other German companies like BMW and Daimler-Benz also used forced labor during the Third Reich, reports the Bahlsen company paid about $860,000 nearly 20 years ago to a group offering compensation to millions of forced laborers in the Nazi era. (Read more heiress stories.)
(Newser)  Non-essential Embassy staff members in Iraq have been told to leave, and there's been a report that the Pentagon could send 120,000 troops to the Middle East if tensions with Iran reach a breaking point. Now, a possible clue as to why the hubbub over Iran has suddenly heated up: some photos. Three US officials who talked to the New York Times say the images, shot from above the Persian Gulf, show ready-to-go missiles on small boats. The May 3 imagery, combined with other intel, has apparently spooked the likes of John Bolton and Mike Pompeo. It's believed the missile-equipped boats are under the purview of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, Iran's elite military force that was recently added to the US list of "foreign terrorist organizations."

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CNN reported last week that Iran appeared to be moving missiles aboard boats, but the Times notes that other intel has added to that concern and is signaling a "troubling Iranian mobilization of forces," in US officials' eyes. Axios offers a timeline detailing the escalating tensions since May 5. Some, howeverincluding high-up Trump officials, Iraqis, Europeans, and both GOP and Dem members of Congressare concerned that recent US actions are an overreaction and that Iran may just be taking precautions against a perceived threat from the US. One person who's apparently in the hesitant camp: President Trump, who is said to be angry and frustrated with Bolton and Pompeo's restlessness on the matter. "They are getting way out ahead of themselves, and Trump is annoyed," a senior administration official tells the Washington Post. (Read more Iran stories.)
(Newser)  The FBI is intensifying efforts to locate a woman accused of blinding a police officer with acid in 1981, offering up to $100,000 for information leading to her arrest. Donna Borup was a member of the May 19th Communist Organization, a group calling for the violent overthrow of the US government, when she allegedly threw acid in the face of Officer Evan Goodstein of the Port Authority Police during an anti-apartheid protest at New York's JFK Airport on Sept. 26 of that year. "I don't remember feeling any pain like that ever in my life," Goodstein, blinded in one eye, recalled in a 2017 episode of The Hunt With John Walsh, per CNN. "There's no higher priority than looking for somebody that hurt one of our own," Bill Sweeney of the FBI's New York Field Office tells ABC News.

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Borup was initially arrested on charges of first-degree riot and first-degree assault and released pending a 1982 trial. When she later failed to appear before the court, she was hit with an additional charge of unlawful flight to avoid prosecution. Almost 40 years later, PAP Superintendent Ed Cetnar says he's confident Borup will eventually be caught. "That's going to be a great day," he tells ABC. The New Jersey native reportedly has ties to Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and Canada. She may also have fled to Central America, per ABC. She's described as white, 5'4" to 5'6", with brown or graying hair. According to the FBI, she also goes by aliases Rebecca Ann Morgan and Donna Austopchuk and is "thought to have a photographic memory and is highly intelligent." (Read more FBI stories.)
(Newser)  Donnie Edward Johnson declined to choose a special last meal, and will eat what the general prison population eats before his 7pm execution Thursday. But the convicted murderer is calling for his supporters to buy a meal for a homeless person, the Tennessean reports. Johnson's lawyer says he was inspired by Philip Workman, another Tennessee death row inmate and someone Johnson calls a friend, who asked that the $20 the state allots for an inmate's last meal be used to send pizza to a local homeless shelter instead. It was not, but Workman's supporters across the country did send pizza to shelters, WSMV reports. Johnson is hoping his will do the same. The 68-year-old murdered his wife in 1984 by stuffing a 30-gallon trash bag down her throat, suffocating her.

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Johnson's legal team does not dispute what he did, but points out that while imprisoned he's undergone a religious transformation, becoming an elder in the Seventh-day Adventist Church and leading prayer services for his fellow inmates. Even his wife's daughter, whom Johnson adopted, has asked for mercy for him. But Gov. Bill Lee denied Johnson's clemency appeal Tuesday, and the Supreme Court declined to hear his case. On Wednesday, Johnson released a statement asking his children and his wife's family for forgiveness and noting, "There is no way I can fix or take back the person that I had become, and not a day goes by that I do not experience the pain of knowing the grief I had caused so many others to suffer in the process." (After a series of apologies, Georgia man is executed.)
(Newser)  Delphine Boel could be in a line for a royal inheritance if a DNA test proves she's the love child of Belgium's former king. Until former King Albert II provides a saliva sample, however, Boel will be getting $5,600 a day anyway. A court in Brussels has ordered the 84-year-old retired monarch to pay Boel for each day he refuses to provide the court-ordered sample based on Boel's claim that Albert, then the prince of Liege, had a decades-long affair with her mother, Baroness Sybille de Selys Longchamps, which resulted in her birth in the 1960s, reports the BBC. Rumors of an illegitimate child first surfaced in a 1999 unauthorized biography of Albert's wife, Donna Paola Ruffo di Calabria, whom he married in 1956.

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Albert has denied that Boel is his daughter ever since she went public with the claim in 2005, 12 years after Albert ascended to the throne after the death of his brother, Baudouin. Albert abdicated in 2013, and his son, Philippe, in 2013, is now king. Albert had appealed a 2018 court order requiring him to get the DNA test, and that appeal was struck down as part of Thursday's ruling, per the Brussels Times and Reuters. A separate DNA test already has proven that the man who is Boel's legal father is not her biological father. (In November, the court said the former king would be assumed to be Boel's father if a DNA sample wasn't provided within three months.)
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New Delhi:

A Delhi-based powerlifter was allegedly beaten up and shot at by his wifes brothers in Nawada. His fault? He had married the girl from same gotra despite stiff opposition by the family. According to an HT report, the victim has been identified as one Bobby Singh, who claims that he has represented India in the sport. Anto Alphonse, deputy commissioner of police (Dwarka), said the attackers have been identified as are Singhs brothers-in-law  Neeraj, a bank employee, and PhD student Nitin. Both are on the run, the DCP was quoted as saying by the HT.

According to the report, the 25-year-old met the girl in Uttam Nagars Hastsal village. Soon, both Delhi University students fell in love. But since they were from the same gotra, the girls family opposed their relationship. After failing to convince their families, the couple decided to elope and get married. At that time, the girls family decided to lodge a kidnapping case against Singh.

The couple started living in an undisclosed location after the mans family accepted their marriage. However, Singh and his wifes brothers had some common friends, who disclosed the location of the couple. On Tuesday, Singh was returning home when one of the friends stopped him and started talking. Within couple of minutes, the brothers-in-law appeared at the spot and started brutally thrashing Singh. When he tried to escape, one of the brother-in-law shot at Singh. In the melee, the victim got help from a friend, who took him away on a scooter.

Meanwhile, the girl has said that her family has been issuing death threats ever since she married Singh.

Same gotra marriages are a sticky issue for many communities across north India. Situation is worse in areas in and around Haryana, where decrees of Khap Panchayats are taken as law. Last year, Rrapped by the Supreme Court for interfering in consensual marriages of adults, several khaps had gathered at Meham Chaubisi in Rohtak and demanded amendment in Hindu Marriage Act to ban same-gotra (clan) and same-village marriages. In a mahapanchayat chaired by Meham Chaubisi convener Shamsher Kharkara, the khaps said wrong marriage laws giving freedom to adults have become a pain for every parent in the state.

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New Delhi:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi upped the ante against West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday and said that Trinamool Congress (TMC) goons indulged in hooliganism during Bhai Amit Shah's roadshow in Kolkata on Tuesday and vandalised Bengali reformer Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar's statue at Vidyasagar College. The TMC had blamed the BJP for damaging the statue. The prime minister, who was speaking at Mau in Uttar Pradesh, promised a grand Panchdhatu statue of Vidyasagar at the same spot.

PM Modi also said that the goons of Trinamool Congress had indulged in hooliganism some months ago during his rally in West Medinipur. In another rally in Thakurnagar, the situation was such that he had to cut short his speech and was forced to leave the stage. He also attacked Bhaujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati for not attcking Mamata for targeting UP-Bihar Purvanchal people and calling them outsiders for her politics.

Bengali philosopher and reformist Vidyasagars statue at the Vidyasagar Collage was vandalised in the clashes between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Trinamool Congress in Kolkata on Tuesday.

Clashes erupted in Kolkata with supporters of both the BJP and the TMC clashing ahead of BJP president Amit Shahs roadshow in the run up to the polling on May 19, the last phase of the Lok Sabha elections. The clashes took place near College Square and Calcutta University's Vidyasagar College. At least two vehicles were set ablaze. The Kolkata Police resorted to lathi-charge to dispel the crowd of protestors and as many as 100 people were taken into custody.

During a press conference on Wednesday, Shah released photographic evidence and blamed the ruling party in Bengal for vandalising Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar statue. The BJP chief claimed that Trinamool workers had vandalised the statue to invoke sympathy from voters. He even said that it would have been difficult for him to escape the violence if the CRPF contingent was not present at the spot.



"What does Amit Shah think of himself? Is he above everything? Is he God that no one can protest against him?" Mamata Banerjee told reporters after visiting the Vidyasagar College in north Kolkata on Tuesday night. "They are so uncultured that they have broken the bust of Vidyasagar. They are all outsiders. They BJP had brought them to be used on the day of polls," she said.

There was also a scuffle when a group of people shouted slogans against Shah outside the Calcutta University campus and showed him black flags during the roadshow. Banerjee also visited the university campus.

"Does he (Shah) know the heritage of the Calcutta University? Is he aware of the famous personalities who had studied here? He should be ashamed of this attack," she said adding that there will be a protest rally on Wednesday.

"The attack was carried out by TMC workers, they carried out arson," Amit Shah said as reported by Zee News. "Mamata is frustrated as she is fearing defeat. This is a step taken because of their frustration."

The BJP has lodged a complaint with the Election Commission and demanded strong action against TMC and its chief Mamata Banerjee. The Trinamool has also sought a meeting with the EC and will hold a protest rally on Wednesday.




New Delhi:

Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Thursday visit Rajasthans Alwar district and met the woman, who was allegedly gang-raped in front of her husband. The Congress president assured the woman that her culprits will be brought to justice. "Soon after I heard about the incident (Alwar gang rape) I spoke to Ashok Gehlot Ji. This is not a political issue for me. I met the victim's family and they have sought justice which will be done. Action will be taken against culprits," Rahul Gandhi said after meeting the victims.

Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, Deputy CM Sachin Pilot and Congress national general secretary Avinash Pandey also accompanied the Congress president, who was earlier scheduled to meet the victim on Wednesday.

On April 26, six people allegedly gang raped the woman in front of her husband on the Thanagazi-Alwar bypass. While the accused took their turn to outrage the modesty of the woman, one of them shot the incident in his mobile phone and distributed the video on social media.

The victims alleged police negligence and claimed that they were told to wait till the elections are over. Rajasthan went on poll in fourth and fifth phase on April 29 and May 6. After the matter came to light on May 6, the Rajasthan government suspended Always SP Rajiv Pachar and Thanagazi SHO. Subsequently, five accused, who allegedly raped the woman, and the one who shot and circulated the video clip, have been arrested.

The incident triggered widespread protests in Alwar, Jaipur, Dausa and nearby areas. Protests demanding justice for the Alwar gang rape victims in Rajasthans Dausa district turned violent on Tuesday with at least five policemen injured by stone pelting.

The Opposition BJP has been demanding CM Ashok Gehlot's resgination over the incident, which was also condemned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BSP supremo Mayawati and other leaders.
Kolkata:

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said Thursday Bengal does not need money from the BJP, it has enough resources to rebuild the Vidyasagar statue that was vandalised at a Kolkata college following Amit Shah's roadshow. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during a rally in Uttar Pradesh, had promised to install the statue at the same spot where it stood before being desecrated on Tuesday.

Addressing a rally in Mandirbazar, Banerjee said, "Modi has promised to rebuild the Vidyasagar statue in Kolkata. Why should we take their (BJP's) money, Bengal has enough resources."

She also attacked the BJP, claiming that vandalising statues was one of its habits and that the party has done so in Tripura as well. "The BJP has destroyed 200-year-old heritage of West Bengal, those supporting the party will not be accepted by the society," she warned.

Hitting out at the saffron party over its social media posts, the Trinamool Congress chief also said that the BJP had been spreading canards over Facebook and Twitter. "The BJP is trying to instigate people and cause riots with its fake posts on social media," she added.

In a Facebook post, Banerjee slammed the BJP and said that, Vandalising the statue of Pandit Iswar Chandra Vidyasagar may not be viewed as an isolated incident. Incidence of vandalism of statues is not a new phenomenon for BJP.

A statue of B R Ambedkar, founding father of Indian Constitution and a legendary leader of the backward classes, was vandalised in Meerut (UP) again under BJP rule in March last year. The Periyar statue in Vellore was suspected to be broken by a worker of the same party, Banerjee added. Vidyasagar is a great reformer, philosopher, educationist of Bengal whose name is remembered with great dignity and honour everywhere. People of Bengal condemns this henious act of vandalism by BJP goons, the Bengal Chief Minister said.
New Delhi:

A day after the Election Commission cut short the election campaign period following a clash between BJP and Trinamool Congress workers in West Bengal, DMK chief MK Stalin on Thursday came out in support of the Mamata Banerjee government. Accusing the poll panel of acting on the instructions of the BJP, Stalin said the EC has one set of rules for the opposition and another for the ruling party.

Taking to twitter, the DMK leader said, "Ban on campaign in nine constituencies in West Bengal. The EC has one set of rules for the opposition and another for the ruling party. Highly condemnable".

Coming down heavily on the Saffron Party for vandalising the statue of the 19th-centry social reformer Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, Stalin further said, "The BJP follows a typical pattern. It vandalised Periyar statue in Tamil Nadu and Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar in West Bengal".

Ban on campaign in nine constituencies in #WestBengal. The EC has one set of rules for the Opposition and another for the ruling party. Highly condemnable.



The BJP follows a typical pattern. Vandalises Periyar statue in Tamil Nadu and Iswara Chandra Vidyasagar in West Bengal. a M.K.Stalin (@mkstalin) May 16, 2019

The Election Commission has been receiving wide condemnations from across party lines ever since it had on Wednesday cut short campaigning for the last round of voting in West Bengal, in the wake of violence between the BJP and the Trinamool Congress workers during Amit Shah's roadshow in the state. A bust of Vidyasagar was allegedly vandalised by the BJP workers at Vidyasagar College during the clash on Tuesday.

The campaign closing time has been advanced to Thursday 10 pm in the nine Lok Sabha seats - Dum Dum, Barasat, Basirhat, Joynagar, Mathurapur, Diamond Harbour, Jadavpur, Calcutta South and Calcutta North.

Accusing the Election Commission of acting on the BJP's behest, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said the move was "unethical and unconstitutional". Banerjee also termed the poll body the "brother of BJP" and slammed it for bieng sold to the ruling party.

Addressing a public gathering at West Bengal's Diamond Harbour, Banerjee said, "In last 5 years you (PM) couldn't make a Ram Temple and you want to make Vidyasagar's statue? People of Bengal won't beg before you. Your goonda neta came here and said 'Bangal kangal hai'. Are Bengalis kangal?".

Blamed for vandalising Vidyasagar's statue in Kolkata, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, early in the day, promised to make a grand Panchdhatu statue of the Bengali polymath at the same spot.

So far, elections have taken place to 33 seats in West Bengal while the remaining nine seats will go to polls on May 19. The counting of votes for seven-phase Lok Sabha elections will be taken place on May 23.
New Delhi:

Endorsing Rahul Gandhi as the next prime minister of the country, Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Tejashwi Yadav on Friday said that the Congress president will play a central role in the formation of the new dispensation in which a coalition of progressive parties will come together.

Asked if Gandhi is the best bet among opposition leaders to lead the country as prime minister, Yadav said the Congress chief has shown "great maturity" in his style of leadership.

"He mounted a very spirited and...A truly pan India criticism of the Narendra Modi government's policies. So yes, I feel he will be playing a central role in the formation of the new government," the former Bihar deputy chief minister said.

"Rahul ji is the president of India's oldest party, he has been a parliamentarian for the last 15 years, and five chief ministers are working under his able leadership. You tell me why he is not more suitable than the current PM," he asked.

At a rally in Samastipur last month, Yadav also urged people to make Gandhi the prime minister.

Asked if the RJD will back Gandhi's name for prime minister if the opposition gets the required numbers, the RJD leader said, "I have been repeating it for months now. He (Gandhi) has been very consistent in providing an alternative vision of governance with 'Nyay' (justice) and that is in sync with our core philosophy."

Asserting that the BJP has failed to deliver on its slogans, including 'achche din', 'kala dhan vapsi (return of black money)' and 'beti bachao beti padhao', he alleged that the party has intensified its "hate-filled politics" to avoid being questioned on its promises.

Yadav, whose Rashtriya Janata Dal is fighting the polls in Bihar in alliance with the Congress, Rashtriya Lok Samta Party, Hindustan Awam Morcha and Vikasshil Insan Party, also claimed the 'mahagathbandhan' will sweep the polls in the state.

"Those who colluded in flouting people's mandate will be defeated. Uttar Pradesh and Bihar have always been key to forming central governments, that will not change," he told PTI in an interview.

"... I recognise that there is a strong anti-incumbency wave across India and each state will count," he said.

His remarks come ahead of the seventh and the final phase of the Lok Sabha polls on May 19 when polling will be held in eight constituencies in Bihar -- Nalanda, Patna Sahib, Pataliputra, Arrah, Buxar, Sasaram, Karakat and Jahanabad.

Yadav also slammed the BJP for its narrative during the election campaign, alleging that in contrast to the 2014 polls when the promise of 'achche din' was the BJP's plank, Modi has been grappling with various tropes but has not been able to rally the people around any one narrative.

"Anybody who is paying attention to social media in India today or has bothered to talk to the unemployed, daily wage poor, the middle-class salaried people, or the farmers, would know that the BJP, and PM Modi personally, have not been able deal with the anti-incumbency sentiments among these segments of Indian voters," he claimed.

The BJP put in efforts in intensifying its brand of "hate-filled politics" because it cannot afford to remind the electorate of the slogans around "achche din, kala dhan, beti bachao etc", the 29-year-old leader said.

Yadav asserted that there is a wave against the Modi government and not an undercurrent.

"If a wave is not shown on television, does it become an undercurrent? History will judge the opposition mounted by the 'gathbandhan' parties in the face of intimidatory tactics of the BJP -- the way they used state institutions to wage a war against the opposition and employed cheap tactics such as denying basic rights such as bail to popular leaders like Lalu Yadav ji," he said.

According to the seat-sharing arrangement among 'mahagathbandhan' constituents in Bihar, the RJD was given 20 seats, out of which it gave one to CPI(ML) and the Congress is contesting on nine. Upendra Kushwaha's Rashtriya Lok Samata Party is fighting on five seats with former Bihar chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi's Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) and Mukesh Sahni's Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) contesting three seats each.

The 'mahagathbandhan' in Bihar is up against the NDA. As per the seat sharing deal of the NDA, the JD(U) and the BJP are contesting 17 seats each, while Ram Vilas Paswan's Lok Janshakti Party is contesting the remaining six seats.
New Delhi:

Facing the heat from the opposition as well as her party over her Nathuram Godse is a patriot remark, BJP's Bhopal Lok Sabha seat candidate and Malegaon blast accused Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur tendered an apology on Thursday night and said she respected Mahatma Gandhi as his work for the country cannot be forgotten.

"My sentiment was not to hurt anyone's feelings. If it has hurt anybody's feelings then I apologise. What Gandhi ji has done for the country cannot be forgotten. I respect him a lot," she said in a video statement.

She said she made the comments on the spur of moment to a question linked to "saffron terror" and claimed that the media twisted them.

Asked about the BJP terming her remarks as her personal views, she agreed and added that she was a disciplined worker of the party. She said her party's line is her line.

Thakur lauded Mahatma Gandhi's assassin Nathuram Godse as a "patriot", sparking an outrage from the Opposition with the Congress alleging that "insulting martyrs is in the DNA" of BJP, which also condemned her remarks.

"Nathuram Godse was a deshbhakt (patriot), he is and will remain a deshbhakt. Those calling him a terrorist should instead look at themselves. They will be given a befitting reply in this election," the controversial leader said in Agar Malwa in Madhya Pradesh while attending a roadshow.

She was replying to a question over actor-politician Kamal Haasan's remark that independent India's first "extremist was a Hindu", a reference to Godse.

Her remarks created a major row with the opposition parties attacking her and the BJP with the NCP saying people can now see the "real face" of the Amit Shah-led party and the Congress demanding an apology from Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The BJP immediately got into damage control and distanced itself from Thakur's statement and asked her to tender a public apology, which she did.

Earlier, condemning her comments, BJP spokesperson G V L Narasimha Rao in a statement said,"We completely disagree with her statement with regard to Mahatma Gandhi. We strongly condemn this statement. The party will seek clarification from her as to why she gave this. It would be proper for her to seek and tender a public apology for her objectionable statement."

Attacking the BJP and Thakur, Congress' chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said,"it is clear, the BJP people are the descendants of Godse. BJP people say Godse was a patriot and martyr Hemant Karkare was a traitor. Culture of violence and insulting martyrs is the DNA of the BJP."

"Modi-Amit Shah ji's favourite BJP leader, Pragya Thakur once again insulted the whole nation by calling Gandhi's killer, Nathuram Godse 'a true patriot'," he said in a statement.

Maharashtra NCP chief Jayant Patil tweeted that Godse, who has murdered Mahatma Gandhi, is being defended by Thakur and is being called a patriot.

People can now see BJP's real face through Sadhvi Pragya, he further said.

National Conference leader Omar Abdullah attacked Thakur and tweeted, "If the killer of the father of the nation is a patriot does that make Mahatma Gandhi anti-national?" though he did not name Thakur.

BJP leader Hitesh Bajpai, speaking on her behalf, had earlier said that "Pragyaji has apologised for her statement."

When asked whether she has apologised to the state BJP chief, he said, "That is not an issue, but she has apologised and took back her statement."

Meanwhile, the election commission has asked the state chief electoral officer to submit a "factual report" by tomorrow about Thakur's remarks.

This is the second time in a month that Thakur has apologised for a controversial statement made by her.

Last month, she had stoked a controversy when she said that IPS officer Hemant Karkare had died during the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks as she had "cursed" him for torturing her. Later, she apologised and took back her controversial remark.

Thakur was also temporarily banned from campaigning for her hate remarks.

Condemning her statement, senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh said in Ujjain that praising Godse was not patriotism, but an "anti-national" act.

"Narendra Modi ji, Amit Shah ji and BJP leaders from Madhya Pradesh should apologise to the country. I condemn the words used against the Father of the Nation. Nathuram Godse was a killer and eulogising him is not patriotism, but an anti-national act," the former Madhya Pradesh chief minister told reporters in Ujjain.

PDP president and former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti said, "Gandhi ji certainly didn't die to let history repeat itself. The BJP should be ashamed for endorsing a candidate who praised Bapu's assassin. He (Godse) was a terrorist and those who admire him are nothing else but Nathuram Godse 2.0 in the making."

Mehbooba said she took pride in being called an "anti-national" when Godse is hailed as a nationalist.

"I take pride in being called an anti-national when a Hindu fanatic who gunned down Gandhi ji is hailed as a nationalist. Aisi nationalism aur desh bhakti humaray bas ki naheen. Yeh aapko mubarak ( I am not capable of such nationalism. You. May keep it), " she added.

Both CPI and CPI (M) also criticised Thakur for her controversial.

"It's a fact that Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated and the incident was a well-planned one to spread hatred, create fear and to send out a message. This assassination was carried out by Nathuram Godse. If BJP thinks Godse was patriot then what was Mahatma Gandhi?" CPI leader D Raja said.

Kamal Haasan, while addressing an election campaign rally at Aravakurichi (Tamil Nadu) on May 12, had said, "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."

(With PTI inputs)
New Delhi:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address election rallies in West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh. In Bengal, he will hold public meetings in Laxmikantapur and Dumdum Central Jail Maidan. In UP, he will address ralies in Mau and Mirzapur. BJP chief Amit Shah is scheduled to hold a roadshow in Gorakhpur. Amit Shah, along with UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and party candidate from Gorakhpur Lok Sabha seat Ravi Kisan, will address the gathering. "Around 1 lakh people are expected to take part in the roadshow". The road show will start from the Town Hall and end at Vijay Chowk.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi is scheduled to hold a mega road show in Patna Sahib constituency in favour of party candidate Shatrughan Sinha. Sinha is locked in battle against BJPs candidate and Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, who is contesting his Lok Sabha elections. He is also likely to visit Alwar to meet the gangrape victim.

The BSP-SP alliance is scheduled to hold a joint rally, to be addressed by BSP chief Mayawati and SP national president Akhilesh Yadav. The venue of this rally would be near Ravidas temple in Sir gobardhan area. Both leaders Mayawati and Akhilesh  might visit the temple on the day of their rally.

In first such action in India's electoral history, the Election Commission on Wednesday ordered campaigning in nine West Bengal constituencies to end at 10 PM on Thursday, a day before its scheduled deadline, in the wake of violence between BJP and TMC workers in Kolkata. In a hurriedly-convened press conference, Deputy Election Commissioner Chandra Bhushan Kumar said it was for the first time that such an action has been taken using constitutional powers of the poll panel.

Stay tuned for all the LIVE election update here:

21:17 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu writes to EC over its decision to order re-polling at 5 polling stations of Chandragiri AC and Chittoor PC. Letter states, "I'm writing this letter to strongly oppose the partial one sided and undemocratic motivated actions of the EC".

21:16 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Election Commission has sought factual report from Chief Electoral Officer, Madhya Pradesh by tomorrow in the matter of Pragya Singh Thakur's statement "Nathuram Godse was, is and will remain a 'deshbhakt'".

20:07 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Congress president Rahul Gandhi holds a roadshow with Shatrughan Sinha, party's candidate from Patna Sahib Lok Sabha constituency. RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav also present.



Patna: Congress President Rahul Gandhi holds a roadshow with Shatrughan Sinha, party's candidate from Patna Sahib LS constituency. RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav also present. pic.twitter.com/pkg10kOUpe

 ANI (@ANI) May 16, 2019



20:06 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Kolkata Police constitutes Special Investigation Team (SIT) for investigation into the vandalism of Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar's statue at Vidyasagar College in Kolkata on May 14.

19:09 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Why are you forgetting that Left had created similar situation for you and at that time constitutional bodies of the nation ensured a fair election in West Bengal. If these constitutional bodies and central forces weren't there, you would not have been CM today: PM Modi in Dum Dum.

18:53 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Election Commission of India declares polls held on April 11 at 5 polling stations of the Chandragiri Assembly constituency and the Chittoor Parliamentary constituency of Andhra Pradesh as void. Re-polls to be held on May 19.

18:32 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In BJP President Amit Shah campaigns for party's candidate from Gorakhpur, Ravi Kishan. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath also present.



Gorakhpur: BJP President Amit Shah campaigns for party's candidate from Gorakhpur, Ravi Kishan. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath also present. pic.twitter.com/g68dNJu6Wz

 ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) May 16, 2019



18:07 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Delhi: Opposition delegation met with EC over ending election campaign in West Bengal 24 hours early. Abhishek Manu Singhvi, Congress says, "We did not receive a satisfactory response from the Election Commission".

18:06 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Didi has resorted to threats, today in the morning I received the threat of being sent to jail. Yesterday I saw in media that didi had threatened to take over BJP's office, she is also threatening to take over homes of BJP workers: Narendra Modi.

18:06 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In There is a problem here regarding Durga puja and Saraswati puja, saying Jai Sri Ram has become a crime. People of Bengal were troubled by these things since a few years, who brought these issues on a national platform? Which party has become voice of Bengal today, it's BJP: PM Modi.

18:06 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In TMC goons spread violence, they vandalised statue of Vidyasagar. CCTV cameras were installed there. The way the state govt erased evidences of Narada and Sarada scam, it is trying to remove evidence in the incident. I demand a strict action should be taken: PM Modi in West Bengal.

17:15 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In West Bengal has vowed to help BJP cross 300 seats in 2019 elections: PM Modi in Mathurapur.

17:02 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal: They allowed Modi ji's rallies and ended campaigning after it, it makes it clear that Election Commission is totally biased. It is very dangerous for the country.

16:39 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In We had a meeting y'day, why was it cancelled? Can only the PM hold a meeting? Don't we have any rights in democracy? Only that the Election Commission says will happen? They curtailed our campaign 24 hours ago, now we have to adjust our meetings: Mamata Banerjee.

16:38 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Digvijaya Singh, Congress LS candidate from Bhopal on Pragya Thakur's remarks: Modi ji, Amit Shah ji and the state BJP should give their statements and apologise to the nation. I condemn this statement, Nathuram Godse was a killer, glorifying him is not patriotism, it is sedition.

16:38 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Punjab: BJP's Gurdaspur candidate Sunny Deol campaigns in Amritsar; all 13 parliamentary seats in Punjab will go to polls in the last phase of Lok Sabha elections on 19th May, Sunday.



Punjab: BJP's Gurdaspur candidate Sunny Deol campaigns in Amritsar; all 13 parliamentary seats in Punjab will go to polls in the last phase of Lok Sabha elections on 19th May, Sunday pic.twitter.com/jWJ03X2HNN

 ANI (@ANI) May 16, 2019



16:37 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In R Surjewala,Congress: India's soul is under attack by successors of Godse, the BJP ruling dispensation.BJP leaders are describing the murderer of father of the nation as a true nationalist and declaring those who sacrificed their lives for nation like Hemant Karkare as anti-nationals.

15:56 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In BJP has intensified 'hate-filled politics' to avoid being questioned on 'achche din' promise: Tejashwi Yadav.

15:52 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Rahul Gandhi will play 'central role' in formation of new government, Tejashwi Yadav.

15:49 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In The Election Commission has one set of rules for opposition and another for ruling party: MK Stalin.

15:40 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee asks the crowd to chant, "Chowkidar Chor Hai", at a rally in Diamond Harbour.



#WATCH: West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee asks the crowd to chant, "Chowkidar Chor Hai", at a rally in Diamond Harbour. pic.twitter.com/Dpj1Ex3Aa5

 ANI (@ANI) May 16, 2019



15:37 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In In last 5 years you (PM) couldn't make a Ram Temple and you want to make Vidyasagar's statue? People of Bengal won't beg before you. Your goonda neta came here and said 'Bangal kangal hai'. Are Bengalis kangal? Are Bengalis kangal?: West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee at Diamond Harbour

14:56 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In PM told you that he himself will deposit 15 lakh in your accounts and the President of the same party, after the elections said it was a 'chunaavi jumla', will you trust them again? asks Priyanka Gandhi Vadra

14:53 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In 'Nathuram Godse was a 'deshbhakt', is a 'deshbhakt' and will remain a 'deshbhakt': Pragya Singh Thakur

13:45 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In WB CM Mamata Banerjee in Mathurapur, South 24 Parganas: I feel sad but I don't have anything to say, I am ready to go to jail for saying this. I am not scared to say the truth.

13:44 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In WB CM Mamata Banerjee in Mathurapur: Last night we came to know that BJP had filed a complaint with EC so that we can't hold any meeting after Narendra Modi's meeting. EC is brother of BJP, earlier it was an impartial body now everyone in the country says EC has sold out to BJP.

13:36 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Addressing a rally in Mathurapur in West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee accused PM Narendra Modi and Amit Shah of torturing people.

12:18 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In A strong government is necessary for a strong nation, says PM Modi in Chandoli.

12:09 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Alleging that the TMC is intimidating Hindu voters in south Kolkata, the BJP has approached the Election Commission.

12:09 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Hitting out at Mamata Banerjee, BJP chief Amit Shah said the West Bengal Chief Minister wants to silence opponents through violence. Bengal was never known for violence.

11:34 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In PM Narendra Modi in Mau: Some months back during my rally in West Medinipur, TMC goons indulged in hooliganism. After this in Thakurnagar the situation was such that I had to cut short my speech and was forced to leave the stage.

11:15 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Congress President Rahul Gandhi: Soon after I heard about the incident (Alwar gang rape) I spoke to Ashok Gehlot Ji. This is not a political issue for me. I met the victim's family and they have sought justice which will be done. Action will be taken against culprits.

11:15 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In

PM Narendra Modi in Mau: SP-BSP has given ticket to a person here who is an absconder in a rape case. SP has this history in UP, people know, but Behen ji will you seek votes for such candidates?













11:08 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In FIR registered against Computer Baba for violating model code of conduct after a complaint alleging that he was campaigning for Congress Bhopal candidate Digvijaya Singh.

10:15 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Congress' Randeep Surjewala accused the Election Commission of keeping in mind PM Modi 's rally in Bengal before banning campaigning in Bengal.

10:02 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Mayawati: Election Commission has banned campaigning in West Bengal, but from 10 pm today just because PM has two rallies in the day. If they had to ban then why not from today morning? This is unfair and EC is acting under pressure.

10:02 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In This is a very dangerous and unjust trend and one which doesn't suit the PM of the country: Mayawati.

09:59 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In This is a planned attack and part of a conspiracy on the West Bengal government, says Mayawati.

08:12 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Navjot Kaur Sidhu: I was denied ticket after our CM sa'ab & Asha ji had specifically said that I can't win from Amritsar. If I'm working for party,at least don't have such small heart & brain that when you can see the larger picture that country needs to be saved from Modi... My message was Capt sa'ab should respect women. You talk of women reservation,then consider them. When educated leaders like me, ready to serve others come, it's decent to tell us that someone's better so it's being done but don't deny us tickets by lying.



07:16 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In The BSP-SP alliance is scheduled to hold a joint rally, to be addressed by BSP chief Mayawati and SP national president Akhilesh Yadav.

07:15 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Sinha is locked in battle against BJPs candidate and Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, who is contesting his Lok Sabha elections. He is also likely to visit Alwar to meet the gangrape victim.

07:15 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Congress president Rahul Gandhi is scheduled to hold a mega road show in Patna Sahib constituency in favour of party candidate Shatrughan Sinha.

07:15 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In BJP chief Amit Shah is scheduled to hold a roadshow in Gorakhpur. Amit Shah, along with UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and party candidate from Gorakhpur Lok Sabha seat Ravi Kisan, will address the gathering.
New Delhi:

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati on Thursday came out in support of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and termed the Election Commissions ban on campaigning in the state "unfair". Accusing the poll body of "acting under pressure", Mayawati said that the Election Commission banned campaigning from 10 pm in the night today because of Prime Minister Narendra Modis rallies in the day.

"Election Commission has banned campaigning in West Bengal, but from 10 pm today just because PM has two rallies in the day. If they had to ban then why not from today morning? This is unfair and EC is acting under pressure," she said.

Referring to the Tuesdays violence during Amit Shahs roadshow, the BSP chief said that the BJP president and the prime minister were targeting Mamata Banerjee in a planned manner, which, she said, was a "dangerous trend".

"It is clear that PM Modi, Amit Shah and their leaders are targeting Mamata Banerjee, its planned targeting. This is a very dangerous and unjust trend and one which doesn't suit the PM of the country," Mayawati said.

The Election Commission on Wednesday ordered campaigning in nine West Bengal constituencies to end at 10 PM on Thursday, a day before its scheduled deadline, in the wake of violence between BJP and Trinamool workers in Kolkata.

In a hurriedly-convened press conference, Deputy Election Commissioner Chandra Bhushan Kumar said it was for the first time that such an action has been taken using constitutional powers of the poll panel.

The Election Commission (EC) also ordered the removal of Principal Secretary (Home) Atri Bhattacharya and Additional Director General, CID, Rajeev Kumar from their postings in West Bengal.

The decision of the poll body came after violence broke out between the BJP and TMC workers during the Kolkata roadshow of BJP president Amit Shah. A scuffle broke outside the Calcutta University campus on College Street, when student activists of both the Left and the TMCP shouted slogans against Shah.

The BJP workers allegedly attacked the TMC student activists after they showed black flags and waved posters with "Amit Shah go back" written on them while the BJP leader's convoy was passing in front of Vidyasagar college.
New Delhi:

Campaigning for nine Lok Sabha seats in West Bengal going to polls in the last phase came to an end at 10 pm on Thursday, 20 hours before the scheduled time, as per orders of the Election Commission.

The last day of campaigning witnessed an all-out attack by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, accusing each other's "goons" of vandalising the bust of Bengal Renaissance pioneer Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar's bust at a Kolkata college.

Days after the social reformer-polymath's statue was smashed to pieces, the echo was felt in faraway Mau in Uttar Pradesh where Modi declared his government's commitment to the "vision" of Vidyasagar and promised his grand statue will be installed at the very place where it was vandalised.

He said Trinamool Congress "goons" had committed a "sin" by wrecking the statue and alleged that the Banerjee government was trying to destroy evidence to save them.

Addressing rallies in Mandir Bazaar and Diamond Harbour in West Bengal, Banerjee rejected Modi's offer for installing a new bust of Vidyasagar and said 'Bengali pride' was hurt by the incident.

"He should do squats holding his ears (as a mark of repentance) for destroying the cultural heritage of the state. Media has shown how Vidyasagar's bust was broken. Bengali pride is hurt and people will not spare the BJP. It will not get a single vote in Bengal," the West Bengal chief minister said.

She also challenged the PM to prove the allegations that TMC workers vandalised the statue or else he will be dragged to the jail.

The two leaders attacked each other with vengeance as they made a last gasp push to shore up the prospects of their candidates for the nine Lok Sabha seats before the truncated deadline for electioneering ended at 10 pm.

Stakes are too high for Banerjee in the last phase of polling schedule for May 19 as the TMC had won all these nine seats.

"Bengal does not seek alms from BJP. We have the money for a new bust of Vidyasagar, who was part of Bengal Renaissance. Don't you feel ashamed for saying that Bengal has been reduced to a pauper state?"

Banerjee was referring to a comment by BJP president Amit Shah at a poll rally earlier this week where he had said that under Banerjee "sonar (made of gold) Bangla has become kangal (pauper) Bangla".

Addressing a rally at Mathurapur in West Bengal later in the day, Modi said Banerjee had "lost her cool in the face of imminent defeat".

"TMC goons are spreading violence, they vandalised the statue of Vidyasagar. CCTV cameras were installed in the college. The way the state government erased evidence of Narada and Saradha scam, it is trying to remove evidence here too," he alleged and demanded the most stringent of punishments to the perpetrators "for the unpardonable sin".

Kolkata witnessed widespread violence during Shah's massive roadshow Tuesday on Tuesday after his convoy was pelted with stones during which the bust of the 19th century Bengali social reformer was smashed to smithreens at a college named after him.

"Didi has lost her cool in the face of imminent defeat and has become frustrated. She is now threatening me to put behind bars," he said.

Modi also targeted Banerjee's nephew Abhishek, who is seeking re-election from the Diamond Harbour seat, claiming the 'bua-bhatija' duo was running a "Tolabaji syndicate" (extortion racket) in the state.

The BJP, he asserted, will win a majority of the state's 42 Lok Sabha seats and more than 300 in the entire country.

Meanwhile, the Election Commissions order curtailing the time period for campaigning in West Bengal drew sharp criticism from opposition parties, with the Congress accusing the poll body of losing its credibility and independence and wondering if model code has become "Modi code of misconduct".

The Congress also said time has come to review the process of the poll panel's appointment as it has "completely abdicated" its constitutional duty and has given a "parting gift" to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

With leaders of various parties openly attacking the EC over its order, Mamata Banerjee emerged as a "rallying point" for opposition, as leaders like Mayawati, Akhilesh Yadav, M K Stalin and N Chandrababu Naidu stood behind her and the TMC chief thanking them.

Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said the EC order curtailing campaigning in West Bengal by 20 hours is a "dark spot" on India's democracy and institutions like the poll panel.
MEDIA COURTHOUSE  A 21-year-old Philadelphia man was sentenced to 30 to 60 months in a state prison Monday after pleading guilty to bringing a loaded handgun into Park Lane Elementary School during an unannounced visit.

Nazher Sabree entered negotiated guilty pleas before Common Pleas Court Judge Mary Alice Brennan to possessing a firearm without a license, a felony of the third degree, possessing a controlled substance with intent to deliver, an ungraded felony, and resisting arrest, a misdemeanor of the second degree.

Sabree was shirtless when he was buzzed into the front office of the elementary school at about 9 a.m. Jan. 4 asking about a bag, according to police. He was escorted from the building but was seen roaming around the school grounds.

The school was put on lockdown after Darby police arrested Sabree and found the gun in his pocket around 12:30 p.m. Sabree had led police on a chase around the grounds and nearby streets before he was subdued in front of the school. Officers also found marijuana on his person.

Sabrees mother thanked the court Monday for saving her son from destruction on the streets and an uncle said the incident does not foretell his future.

None of this stuff defines who he is, the uncle said. Hes a man. Hes taking responsibility, but hes a young man.

Sabree, currently working toward getting his GED in prison, also thanked the judge for her consideration and helping him to regain focus.

In addition to prison time, Sabree was ordered to forfeit two iPhones, the gun and ammunition. He will also provide a DNA sample to state police and serve two years of consecutive probation under the negotiated plea worked out by Assistant District Attorney Sam Yim and defense counsel Jeff Bauer.

Sabree is not eligible for early release on good time or boot camp, but was given 128 days credit for time served to Jan. 5.
New Delhi:

In what seems to be a renewed attempt by the Congress to bring all the anti-BJP parties under one roof to keep the saffron party out of power, UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi has called for a meeting of leaders of non-NDA parties on May 23  the day when votes in the Lok Sabha polls will be counted.

According to news agency ANI, Sonia  expecting that the BJP will fall short of majority  has invited leaders of secular parties including NCP chief Sharad Pawar, DMK president M K Stalin, RJD and Trinamool Congress for the meeting.

Reportedly, invite has also been extended to Jagan Reddy of the YSR Congress and K Chandrashekar Rao of the TRS, apart from Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati.

However, the attendance of Mayawati, Akhilesh and Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee is suspicious owing to the failed attempts to forge alliances in Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.

ANI quoted sources saying that the Congress has appointed four leaders  Ahmed Patel, P Chidambaram, Ghulam Nabi Azad and Ashok Gehlot  to working on ways to forge a post-poll coalition of like-minded parties.

Sources said that the Congress is confident that the BJP will not get majority and that it why it has speeded its attempts to form a front that can outdo the BJP in case of a hung Parliament.

They further added that Ghulam Nabi Azad has already stated that the Congress is not keen on the prime ministerial post so that it doesnt become the bone of contention as has been the case in earlier failed attempts to form the mahagathbandhan.

On Wednesday night, Azad said the Congress would not "make an issue" if the PM's post "is not offered to us" -- a statement which was seen as a climbdown by the party in its attempts to regain its lost ground.
New Delhi:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday launched an all-out attack on West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, claiming the ruling Trinamool Congress behind vandalising the bust of social reformer Pandit Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar.

"TMC goons vandalised the statue of Vidyasagar that night. This show how low Didi can stoop to for its vote-bank politics," PM Modi said while addressily in Mathurapur.

"TMC goons spread violence, they vandalised statue of Vidyasagar. CCTV cameras were installed there. The way the state govt erased evidences of Narada and Sarada scam, it is trying to remove evidence in the incident. I demand a strict action should be taken," he added.

Targeting Mamata over her statement earlier in the day where she challenged Modi to prove the allegations or else he will be "dragged to jail", Modi said: "Didi, frustrated with imminent defeat, is threatening to put me behind bars. today in the morning I received the threat of being sent to jail. Yesterday I saw in media that didi had threatened to take over BJP's office, she is also threatening to take over homes of BJP workers."

Taking a dig at Banerjee's nephew and TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee, Modi also said that the "aunt-nephew jodi is only interested in looting Bengal".



PM Modi's rally comes hours ahead of the Election Commission's ban on poll campaigning in West Bengal ahead of seventh phase of polling comes into effect at 10 pm tonight. Mamata has alleged that the EC order was timed so as to allow PM Modi to hold his two rallies in the state today.

Earlier today, Mamata rejected PM Modi's offer to install a new bust of social reformer Pandit Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar at the same spot where it was vandalised saying that Bengal has the money for it.

The prime minister said at a poll rally at Mau in Uttar Pradesh that his government is committed towards Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar's vision and promised to install his grand statue made of "panch dhatu" (five metals) at the same spot where it was vandalised by "TMC goondas".

Banerjee said in the last six phases of the general elections Modi's votes have touched the bottom. "Modi has already lost the elections".

She urged the Trinamool Congress workers to be careful so that miscreants were not able to tamper with the EVMs which are kept now in the strongrooms.

In the first such action in India's electoral history, the EC on Wednesday invoked Article 324 of the Constitution to curtail the campaigning for the last phase of the election on May 19 in the wake of violence between BJP and Trinamool Congress workers in Kolkata on Tuesday.

It ordered that campaigning in nine seats will end at 10 pm on Thursday, a day before its scheduled deadline.

Mamata attacked the Election Commission's decision and termed it as an "unprecedented, unconstitutional and unethical gift" to PM Modi.

Kolkata witnessed wide-spread violence during BJP president Amit Shah's massive road show Tuesday. A bust of 19th century Bengali icon Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar was vandalised during the violence.








New Delhi:

Barely hours after BJP candidate Pragya Singh Thakur stoked yet another controversy with her 'Nathuram Godse a patriot' remark on Thursday, National Conference leader Omar Abdullah took a dig at the former, asking if her statement means that Mahatma Gandhi was an anti-national. In a hard-hitting twitter post, Abdullah said, "If the killer of the father of the nation is a patriot, does that make Mahatma Gandhi anti-national?", without mentioning the name of Thakur.

If the killer of the father of the nation is a patriot does that make Mahatma Gandhi anti-national? a Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) May 16, 2019

Thakur, an accused in the 2008 Malegaon blast case, ignited a fresh controversy by claiming that Godse "is and will remain a patriot". Speaking to a news channel during an election campaign in Madhya Pradesh, she said, "Nathuram Godse was a deshbhakt (patriot), he is and will remain a deshbhakt. Those calling him a terrorist should instead look at themselves. They will be given a befitting reply in this election".

Thakur was replying to a question over actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan's remarks that free India's first extremist was a Hindu, in a reference to Godse. The Madhya Pradesh BJP, however, has distanced itself from Pragya's statement saying it did not agree with her, as "Mahatma Gandhi's killer cannot be a patriot".

This is not the first time that her extreme views have embarrassed the BJP after it fielded her from the Bhopal Lok Sabha seat against Congress leader Digvijay Singh, projecting her as a "victim" of the UPA government's "fake Hindu terror" theory.

Thakur was earlier forced to apologise after she claimed that IPS officer Hemant Karkare, who was killed by terrorists during the 2008 Mumbai terror attack, died as she had cursed him after her arrest in Malegaon blast case.
New Delhi:

Bollywood actor Vicky Kaushal is currently riding high on the success. His last film Uri: The Surgical Strike has done exceptionally well in terms of business at the box-office. The actor is today celebrating his 31st birthday today. However, he opted for a low-key birthday celebration with his close friends in New York.

In an Instagram post, Vicky gave a glimpse of his birthday celebrations. We can see the actor having a cheeseburger, coffee and fries along with fondue-covered cakes in his plate. He also penned a heartfelt message for all his fans and followers who wished him on his birthday.

The message reads, aThe smile on my face is because of the people you see in the reflection behind. Thank You guys. Also, feeling so damn blessed reading all your wonderful wishes. Thank You so much for this beautiful shower of love and blessings. Lots of love and a big hug to each one of you. And that btw, on the table, was my birthday cake!a

Take a look:

A

So far Vickyas post has received over 7 lakhs of like and thousands of comments.

It is to be noted that Vicky Kaushal ad taken off to New York for a two-week break and has rented a villa in the countryside. Mumbai Mirror quoted a source as saying, "Vicky left for the US last week. At the villa, he plans to relax and catch up with his friends who will arrive from Boston and New Jersey. It will be a birthday reunion of sorts." aOn Sunday, he took off to New Jersey to watch the Mumbai Indians versus Chennai Super Kings final match of the IPL with his friends," the source added. A

In the meantime, Vicky Kaushal also visited Rishi Kapoor in New York where he is undergoing treatment for Cancer.

On the work front, Vicky have had a fruitful 2018. The handsome hunk had supporting roles in aRaazia and aSanjua, but totally mesmerised audiences with his brilliant acting. Vicky will be next seen in Shoojit Sircaras Udham Singh biopic. He will also begin shooting for Karan Johar's Takht after he comes back from New York.

Vicky Kaushal is a son of stunt director Sham Kaushal.

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Los Angeles:

The 92nd Academy Awards may once again go without a host, according to ABC chief Karey Burke.

Burke said while no decision has been taken yet, they are encouraged by the ratings increase this year.

"We're extremely proud of how the show turned out creatively, Burke said Wednesday while talking about this year's ceremony. Asked wether Jimmy Kimmel, who recently signed a three year deal with ABC, might return for the third time as the host, Burke said,"I'm not saying no to anything."

"We're not messing with that format, to the best of our abilities, she said about the ceremony. The network has a deal to broadcast Academy Awards until 2028. The Oscars will take place on February 9 in 2020.

Rami Malek against all odds bagged the Oscar for best actor at the 91st Academy Awards for his role as Freddie Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody and Olivia Colman won the best actress Oscar for essaying the role of Queen Anne in the movie The Favourite.

Malek defeated strong contenders including Bradley Cooper as musician Jack Maine in A Star Is Born and Christian Bale as Dick Cheney in Vice while Olivia had to face competition from Lady Gaga in 'A Star is Born; and Yalitza Aparicio in Roma.

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New Delhi:

Three terrorists were killed and a soldier was injured in a gunfight between security forces and terrorists in Handew village of Shopian district on Thursday. According to the latest reports, firing exchanges have stopped but the search operation is still going on.

"Bodies of the slain militants have been recovered. Their exact identities and group affiliation are being ascertained," police said.

Following specific information about the presence of terrorists, troops of the army's counter-insurgency Rashtriya Rifles and the Special Operations Group of the state police launched a cordon and search operation in Handew village, but came under fire from the hiding terrorists and retaliated.

Earlier in the day, three Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorists, a civilian and a soldier were killed in an encounter in Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir.

Incriminating material including ammunition were recovered from the encounter site, a police spokesman said. "On a credible input, a cordon and search operation was launched this morning by police and security forces at Delipora area in district Pulwama," he said.

He said as the security forces were evacuating civilians from the neighbourhood of the target house, the hiding terrorists fired indiscriminately.

"In the process, one Army Jawan Sepoy Sandeep attained martyrdom and a civilian Rayees Dar also lost his life," the spokesman said.

In the retaliatory action by security forces, three terrorists were killed in the ensuing encounter and their bodies were retrieved, he said.

"They were identified as Naseer Pandith of Kareemabad Pulwama, Umar Mir of Shopian and Khalid from Pakistan," he said.

The spokesman said according to the police records, the slain ultras were affiliated with proscribed terror outfit JeM. They were wanted by law for their complicity in a series of terror crimes including attack on security establishments and civilian atrocities, he added.

"Naseer Pandith had a long history of terror crime records before joining terrorist organisation and several terror crime cases were registered against him for planning and executing terror attacks in the area after joining proscribed terror outfit JeM," the spokesman said.

Naseer was also involved in the killing of a policeman Mohammad Yaqoob Shah of Pulwama in 2018 on the eve of Eid, he said, adding the terrorist was also involved in several weapons snatching incidents reported from the area.

He said Khalid, who was operating as JeM commander, was involved in several terror attacks on security establishments and civilian atrocities in the area.

With PTI Inputs

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New Delhi:

A Hyderabad woman, who was trafficked to Oman by an Indian agent named Abrar on the pretext of a beauticians job, has finally returned home after five months. Kulsum Banu was made false promises that she will get a job and Rs 30,000 per month salary in the gulf country. After returning home, Banu thanked the External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and the Indian Embassy in Oman for ensuring her safety and helping her return to the country.

"My daughter has complained about the matter to EAM Sushma Swaraj through a letter. After that, Indian Embassy paid a fine amounting to a sum of five thousand Riyal which was imposed on me and sent me back to India. I reached Hyderabad on May 8 with the help of EAM Sushma Swaraj and Indian Embassy in Oman. I would like to thank Sushma Swaraj and Indian Embassy," news agency ANI quoted her as saying.

Narrating the ordeal she underwent in Oman, Banu said that Abrar promised her a job but when she reached the country, he handed her over to a local agent, who locked her in a room for around 10 days without food.

She, somehow, escaped and approached the Indian Embassy in Oman, where officials kept her for four months to ensure her safety and security. From there, she contacted her daughter and narrated her story, who then reached out to the external affairs minister for the help.

"I was in search of a job and an agent named Abrar had approached me and offered me the job of a beautician in the parlour. He (Abrar) also said that I will be paid Rs 30,000 per month as salary in Muscat.

Later, I approached Indian Embassy there. The officials kept me in the embassy for four months. Then I contacted my daughter and explained to her my problem, she said.

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New Delhi:

The CBI probe into the Bofors case pertaining to the alleged Rs 64 crore kickbacks in the purchase of the Swedish artillery guns will continue, officials said on Thursday.

"In view of certain revelations made by one Michael Hershman, CBI sought the permission of the trial court to conduct further investigation in the Bofors case," CBI spokesperson Nitin Wakankar said.

He said on May 8, 2019, the court had observed that when independent right and power is available with the CBI to further investigate the matter on their own, if in their wisdom it is necessary to do so then, why still such application is being filed in the court.

"After obtaining legal opinion, CBI filed an application on May 16, 2019 in the court of CMM, Rouse Avenue Courts, New Delhi, stating that for conducting further investigation under section 173(8) of CrPC, permission of the court is not mandatorily required by CBI and an intimation to the court in this regard will suffice," he said.

He said the probe in the Bofors case will continue.

The agency's response came after it withdrew from a Delhi court its application to seek permission to further probe the politically sensitive Rs 64-crore Bofors payoff case.

The CBI had also filed an appeal in the Supreme Court in February 2, 2018 against the May 31, 2005 verdict of the Delhi high Court discharging all the accused in the case.

The apex court had on November 2, 2018 dismissed CBI's appeal in which it had sought condonation of the 13 year delay in filing the appeal against the high court judgment.

The apex court had said that it was not convinced with the grounds of the CBI to condone over 4,500 days' delay in filing the appeal.

However, one of the appeals is still alive in the apex court in which CBI is one of the respondents and the top court on November 2, 2018 said that the agency can assist in the matter as respondent.

The apex court said the CBI can raise all grounds in the appeal against the high court verdict filed by advocate Ajay Agrawal who has also challenged the judgement.

Agrawal, who has now become a rebel BJP leader after he was denied Lok Sabha ticket from Rai Bareilly in Uttar Pradesh, in 2005 had challenged the high court verdict after the CBI did not file the appeal in the mandatory 90 days period.

The agency had swung into action for a permission for further probe in the case after the Attorney General had orally given it a go ahead to file the appeal in the case in which it cited the October 2017 interview of private detective Michael Hershman, alleging that the then Rajiv Gandhi government had sabotaged his probe.

Justice R S Sodhi (since retired) of the Delhi High Court had on May 31, 2005 quashed the CBI case in the Bofors pay-off scam.

Before the 2005 verdict of Justice Sodhi, another judge of the Delhi High Court, Justice J D Kapoor (since retired), had on February 4, 2004 exonerated the late prime minister in the case and directed the framing of charge of forgery under section 465 of the IPC against Bofors company.

The Rs 1,437-crore deal between India and Swedish arms manufacturer AB Bofors for the supply of 400 155mm howitzer guns for the Indian Army was entered into on March 24, 1986.

Swedish Radio on April 16, 1987 claimed that the company had paid bribes to top Indian politicians and defence personnel.

The CBI on January 22, 1990 registered the FIR for alleged offences of criminal conspiracy, cheating and forgery under the India Penal Code and other sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act against Martin Ardbo, the then president of AB Bofors, alleged middleman Win Chadda and the Hinduja brothers.

It alleged that certain public servants and private persons in India and abroad had entered into a criminal conspiracy between 1982 and 1987 in pursuance of which the offences of bribery, corruption, cheating and forgery were committed.

The first charge sheet in the case was filed on October 22, 1999, against Chadda, Ottavio Quattrocchi, the then defence secretary S K Bhatnagar, Ardbo and the Bofors company.

A supplementary charge sheet was filed against the Hinduja brothers -- S P Hinduja, G P Hinduja and P P Hinduja -- on October 9, 2000.

A special CBI court in Delhi on March 4, 2011, had discharged Quattrocchi in the case, saying the country could not afford to spend hard-earned money on his extradition which had already cost Rs 250 crore.

Quattrocchi, who had fled from India on July 29-30, 1993, never appeared before any court in India to face prosecution. He passed away on July 13, 2013. The other accused who died are Bhatnagar, Ardbo and Chadda.





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New Delhi:

The Intelligence Bureau (IB) has issued an alert, stating that the ISIS Bangladesh is planning a major terrorist attack in West Bengal with the help of Islamist extremist group Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB). The alert issued by the IB said that the ISIS may carry out attacks in Siliguri, Darjeeling, Cooch Behar and other West Bengal districts adjoining Bangladesh border. The notorious terrorist group has planned suicide attacks using woman terrorists.

The alert has asked the security agencies, including the BSF, which patrols along the India-Bangladesh border, to remain extra vigilant. The JMB, which is working in the association with the ISIS, has sleeper cells in Bangladesh.

Last month, Bangladeshi security forces had raided a suspected Islamist extremist hideout and killed two suspected militants after ISIS claimed to responsibility of a blast in Dhakas Gulistan market, in which three policemen were wounded.

Recently, the international terror outfit has bene routed out of its stronghold Syria. The group has also claimed responsibility of the deadly Sri Lanka blasts on Easter Sunday. Over 250 people were killed in the series of blasts targeting churches and luxury hotels.

This was the deadliest attack in the Indian subcontinent by the banned jihadist group. Six Indians were also killed in the attack. The Sri Lankan police claimed that the attackers also travelled to Bengaluru, Kerala and Kashmir in India to receive training, a claim not confirmed by the Indian authorities.

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New Delhi:

An Army jawan,A Sepoy Sandeep, was martyred and three terrorists were killed in an exchange of fire between terrorists and security forces began in the Dalipora area of South Kashmir's Pulwama on Thursday morning. As of now, several terrorists are holed up in a house in the area.A A joint team of army and Special Operations Group cordoned off the Dalipora area near the police station in Pulwama, following information about the presence of some terrorists in the area. The joint team of forces has intensified the search. Terrorists also opened fire, leading to an encounter.

Jammu and Kashmir: Army Jawan Sepoy Sandeep (in pic) who lost his life in Pulwama encounter earlier today; three terrorists were neutralised in the encounter. pic.twitter.com/trSZkJnYmQ a ANI (@ANI) May 16, 2019

Heavy exchange of fire took place between the forces and the terrorists. The identity and group affiliation of the slain terrorists was being ascertained.

According to intelligence inputs, a top self styled commander of Hizbul Mujahideen was believed to be among those trapped in the security forcesa cordon. One of them -- identified as Rayees Ahmad -- succumbed while his brother Mohammad Younus was taken to a hospital, the officer said. Meanwhile, authorities have snapped internet services in the district as a precautionary measure.A

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MEDIA COURTHOUSE  A Chester man entered open guilty pleas Monday to illegally possessing a firearm and reckless endangerment in an October shooting in the Springfield Mall parking lot.

Waheed N. Jenkins, 31, entered his pleas before Delaware County Common Pleas Court Judge John Capuzzi, who has set sentencing for May 30. Assistant District Attorney Mike Hill did not recommend a sentence due to the open nature of the plea.

Jenkins surrendered to authorities Nov. 9 accompanied by defense attorney Mark Much and was arraigned on charges of possession of a firearm prohibited, firearms not to be carried without a license, receiving stolen property, possession of an instrument of crime, possession of a weapon and seven counts of recklessly endangering another person. The remainder of those charges will be dismissed under the plea.

Gunfire erupted in the mall parking lot about 1 p.m. Oct. 20. There were no reported injuries and arriving officers were unable to locate anyone involved, but did find four vehicles that had been pierced by bullets or had glass broken, along with shell casings littering the area.

Police said a confrontation that began inside the mall spilled out into the parking lot and turned potentially lethal. The fight between two groups of males began on different levels of the mall and became physical near the Macys at the opposite side of the mall from where the shooting occurred, according to investigators.

Township Police Chief Joseph Daly previously told the Daily Times that the confrontation was between two rival gangs from housing projects in Chester who happened to be at the mall at the same time.

Daly said a number of witnesses came forward and detectives executed several search warrants, including a Dodge Grand Caravan registered to a relative of Jenkins that was left abandoned at the scene with a bullet hole in the tire.

The vehicle allegedly had a hidden compartment containing the firearm, which police discovered through an X-ray.

Daly could not be reached for comment Tuesday on any other potential suspects in the case.
Melbourne:

A cancer therapy -- considered to be gold-standard treatment -- is causing men to lose muscle mass and gain fat, putting them at increased risk of other disorders like cardiovascular disease, diabetes and osteoporosis, a study has found.

Researchers from Deakin University in Australia showed men treated with hormone therapy for prostate cancer often had a dangerously high fat to muscle ratio. The study said while the five-year survival rate for Australian men with prostate cancer was now 95 per cent, side-effects from the intense treatment regimen were becoming an increasing concern.

"Men diagnosed with prostate cancer are now living longer due to medical advancements, but are susceptible to a range of treatment side-effects," said Patrick Owen, lead author of the study published in the Journal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia and Muscle.

"Prostate cancer survivors are now more likely to die from other conditions, such as cardiovascular disease, than prostate cancer, which may in part be due to our inability to detect and subsequently treat side-effects of therapy," Owen said in a statement. "It's critical we are able to quickly and easily identify modifiable risk factors for these other conditions," he said.

"The amount of muscle we have relative to fat is one of the biggest indicators for diabetes risk, decreased physical function needed to complete daily tasks, and lots of other adverse health conditions," he added.

The research examined the muscle and fat in 70 men treated with hormone therapy for prostate cancer compared to 52 men with prostate cancer not treated with hormone therapy and 70 healthy men of a similar age.

It found men treated with hormone therapy for prostate cancer had the same amount of total muscle mass compared to other men in the study, but four to six kilograms more fat mass. "When muscle was considered in relation to this fat mass, men treated with hormone therapy for prostate cancer had lower fat-adjusted muscle mass, which may predispose them to further health issues," Owen said.

"When men are diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer they are often treated with hormone therapy to reduce their testosterone levels, which discourages cancer growth. This is considered the gold-standard of treatment," he said. "It puts men through the equivalent of menopause.

There's a loss of muscle and bone, they gain fat, and even start to have hot flushes," he said. While men with prostate cancer treated with hormone therapy may have the same or greater absolute muscle mass than non-treated and healthy men, it's not as functional as the same amount of muscle in otherwise healthy weight men.

Owen said he hoped his research would encourage more clinicians to test their patients for muscle mass relative to body fat. Lifestyle interventions that could be used to help men with prostate cancer reduce body fat and increase muscle.

"Given the current treatment and medical landscape, people are living longer with cancer, so there needs to be a shift in focus towards improving the quality of these additional years of living," Owen said.
New Delhi:

Makeup sex resulting to better orgasms should be the only reason couples should be fighting more. According to studies, people who are in a destructive relationship tend to go back to the partner who abuses him/her because of the brains reward system. Your neutral network is very sensitive to rewards like sex, affection specially when they are unexpected. Hence, we often see a lot of people going back to their jerk of a partner despite being treated very badly.

This reward when unexpected and becomes much more alluring does not have to stick to couples who are in a bad relationship but also among couple who are in a healthy relationship. So, what is it that the argument that leaves you emotionally drained can result to a physical filling? Studies by couple therapists explain the reason behind an explosive make-up sex.

According to Huffpost, a 2008 study out of Israels Bar-IIan University suggested that people tend to be more interested in sex with their partner after being posed with feelings of emotional threat, such as the other partner leaving the other for someone else.

In couples therapy, many men and women report falling into a pattern of fight, and then get freaky, said Marissa Nelson a marriage and family therapist in Washington, D.C. (It sure beats the other route couples take: withholding sex for a period of time after an argument.)

For many, conflict is something to be avoided so this is a way to reconnect without words or apologies, she said. Whats more, the release of the love hormone oxytoxin during sex makes couples feel closer. They get that feel good rush that soothes some of the emotions that may have come to the surface during the argument.

I always say to my clients that sex is a place you enter and a role you step into, so if that time after an argument is a safe place to explore more kinky or assertive sex, that can be very sexually satisfying, Nelson said.

Meghan Fleming, a New York City-based psychologist and sex therapist adds that the need for makeup sex has more to do with our survival,

Our attachment system gets activated during a fight, she said. When we disagree, the attachment bond feels threatened. It activates our fight and flight instincts. Arguing is arousing physiologically, as is fear and excitement, so the body is turned on a theres an increased heart rate, respiration and blood flow.

Douglas Brooks, a New York-based therapist adds that makeup- sex is much more pleasurable because our bodys already at a heightened state of arousal, making sex more pleasurable resulting to better orgasms.

As I have often observed, most orgasms are not due to the mechanical pounding of intercourse but because of the intense heightened emotional state and arousal prior to blast-off. Often during an argument, particularly a passionate argument, our bodies get worked up, too he added.
Washington:

Escalating the trade war with China, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Wednesday banning American telecom companies from installing foreign-made equipment that could pose a threat to national security. Soon after the executive orderSecuring the Information and Communications Technology and Services Supply Chainwas signed, the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) of the Department of Commerce announced that it will be adding Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd and its affiliates to its Entity List.

The Department of Commerce alleged that Huawei is engaged in activities that are contrary to US national security or foreign policy interest. As a result, sale or transfer of American technology to a company or person on the Entity List requires a license issued by the BIS, and a license may be denied if the sale or transfer would harm US national security or foreign policy interests.

The listing will be effective when published in the Federal Register.

This action by the Commerce Departments Bureau of Industry and Security, with the support of the President of the United States, places Huawei, a Chinese-owned company that is the largest telecommunications equipment producer in the world, on the Entity List, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said.

This will prevent American technology from being used by foreign-owned entities in ways that potentially undermine US national security or foreign policy interests, Ross said, adding that it has been done at the direction of the president.

In the executive order, the president determined that the unrestricted acquisition or use in the US of information and communications technology or services that are subject to the jurisdiction or direction of foreign adversaries augments the ability of those foreign adversaries to create and exploit vulnerabilities in information and communications technology or services and that can have potentially catastrophic effects, and thereby, constitutes an unusual and extraordinary risk to our national security, foreign policy and economy.

Trump is incredibly committed to preventing adversaries from turning American information and communications infrastructure into a liability as opposed to an asset, a senior administration official said.

The executive order addresses this imperative by empowering the Secretary of Commerce to prohibit transactions involving information and communications technology or services that are designed, developed, manufactured or supplied by persons owned by or controlled by or subject to the jurisdiction or direction of a foreign adversary, the official said.

Responding to questions, the official said the executive order is company and country agnostic. It is directed at any transaction involving information and communications technology or services and controlled by or subject to the jurisdiction of a foreign adversary that meets the criteria enumerated in the executive order.

Regulations issued by the Department of Commerce in the coming days will detail how determinations will be made on whether a transaction meets the criteria listed in the executive order, the official said.

Cutting across party lines, US lawmakers praised the administrations announcement.

This is a needed step and reflects the reality that Huawei and ZTE represent a threat to the security of US and allied communications networks. Under current Chinese security laws, these and other companies based in China are required to provide assistance to the Chinese state, Senator Mark Warner said.

This executive order places a great deal of authority in the Department of Commerce, which must ensure that it is implemented in a fair and responsible fashion as to not harm or stifle legitimate business activities, he added.

Huawei is a state-directed instrument of national power used by the Chinese government and Communist Party to destroy their international competitors, undermine US companies, spy on foreign countries and steal intellectual property and trade secrets, Senator Marco Rubio said.

Strongly supporting the presidents executive order and Rosss decision to issue a denial of export privileges against Huawei, Rubio said the administration deserves enormous credit for its efforts to comprehensively tackle the threat that Huawei and other foreign state-directed telecommunications companies pose through their efforts to undermine and endanger critical US systems and infrastructure.

Earlier this year, Congress acted well within our constitutional authority to block Huawei from our telecommunications equipment market due to concerns with the companys links to Chinas intelligence services, he said.

As the administration continues to seek a fair and enforceable trade deal with China, I urge them to stand strong on Huawei and hold the Chinese government and its state-owned and state-directed enterprises accountable for their hostile actions threatening US economic and national security, Rubio added.

Lets cut to the chase: Chinas main export is espionage and the distinction between the Chinese Communist Party and Chinese private-sector businesses like Huawei is imaginary, said Senator Ben Sasse.

The Trump Administration is right to recognise this reality and issue this order. Huaweis supply chain depends on contracts with American companies and the Commerce Department ought to take a careful look at how we can effectively disrupt our adversary, he added.
Paris:

A dozen countries and global tech giants including Facebook, Google and Twitter pledged Wednesday to find ways to keep internet platforms from being used to spread hate, organize extremist groups and broadcast terror attacks.

World leaders led by French President Emmanuel Macron and tech executives gathered in Paris to compile a set of guidelines dubbed the "Christchurch Call to Action," named after the New Zealand city where 51 people were killed in a March attack on mosques. Part of the attack had been broadcast live on Facebook, drawing public outrage and fueling the debate on how to better regulate social media.

The agreement, which was drafted by the French and New Zealand governments, aims to prevent similar abuses of the internet while insisting that any actions must preserve "the principles of a free, open and secure internet, without compromising human rights and fundamental freedoms."

The call was adopted by US tech companies including Amazon, Facebook, Google, Microsoft, Twitter, YouTube, along with France's Qwant and DailyMotion, and the Wikimedia Foundation. The countries backing it were France, New Zealand, Britain, Canada, Ireland, Jordan, Norway, Senegal, Indonesia and the European Union's executive body. Several other countries not present at the meeting added their endorsement.

The White House also said it agreed with the overarching message of the "Christchurch Call" but did not want to endorse it.

The meeting in Paris comes at a pivotal moment for tech companies, which critics accuse of being too powerful and resistant to regulation. Some have called for giants like Facebook to be broken up. Europe is leading a global push for more regulation of how the companies handle user data and copyrighted material. The tech companies, meanwhile, are offering their own ideas in a bid to shape the policy response.

In Wednesday's agreement, which is not legally binding, the tech companies committed to measures to prevent the spread of terrorist or violent extremist content.

That may include cooperating on developing technology or expanding the use of shared digital signatures.

They also promised to take measures to reduce the risk that such content is livestreamed, including flagging it up for real-time review.

And they pledged to study how algorithms sometimes promote extremist content. That would help find ways to intervene more quickly and redirect users to "credible positive alternatives or counter-narratives." Facebook, which dominates social media and has faced the harshest criticism for overlooking the misuse of consumer data and not blocking live broadcasts of violent actions, said it is toughening its livestreaming policies.

It's tightening the rules for its livestreaming service with a "one strike" policy applied to a broader range of offenses. Activity on the social network that violates its policies, such as sharing an extremist group's statement without providing context, will result in the user immediately being temporarily blocked. The most serious offenses will result in a permanent ban.

Previously, the company took down posts that breached its community standards but only blocked users after repeated offenses.

The tougher restrictions will be gradually extended to other areas of the platform, starting with preventing users from creating Facebook ads.

Facebook, which also owns Instagram and Whatsapp, said it's investing $7.5 million to improve technology aimed at finding videos and photos that have been manipulated to avoid detection ? a problem the company encountered with the Christchurch shooting, where the attacker streamed the killing live on Facebook.
Washington:

US Navy chief Admiral John Richardson said his recent visit to India was a "critical opportunity" to strengthen ties between the two navies and sharing views on a multilateral approach in maintaining maritime domain awareness in the strategic Indo-Pacific region.

Richardson, who was on a three-day visit to India, met his Indian counterpart Admiral Sunil Lanba and other senior officers and discussed joint exercises between the two navies amid rising Chinese influence in the Indo-Pacific region.

We explored ways to make the growing relationship between the US Navy and the Indian Navy "more vibrant", he told reporters here via a conference call from Manila on Thursday. His India trip ended on Tuesday.

Earlier, a US Navy press release quoted him as saying, "This visit provided a critical opportunity to strengthen the partnership between the Indian Navy and the US Navy."

The two heads of navy also discussed the strategic importance of growing the two navies' partnership and the need to focus on information sharing and exchange. They also discussed their shared view on a multilateral approach in maintaining maritime domain awareness in the Indo-Pacific region.

"Our mutual commitment and shared vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific enables even more opportunities for the future. We took the opportunity during the visit to discuss specific steps that will set the stage for further cooperation between our two navies," Richardson said.

China has been trying to spread its influence in the resource-rich Indo-Pacific region. To counter Beijing, the US has been pushing for a broader role by India in the strategically important region.

India, the US and several other world powers have been talking about the need to ensure a free, open and thriving Indo-Pacific in the backdrop of China's rising military maneuvering in the region, which is a large swathe of land and sea stretching all the way from the west coast of the US to the shores of east Africa.

Richardson also praised Admiral Lanba's vision and said that the Indian Navy chief, who is retiring later this month, has been a strong advocate for a closer partnership between our two navies, and "we have made significant progress."

"We took the opportunity during the visit to discuss specific steps that will set the stage for further cooperation between our two navies," he said.

The two sides also shared concerns over the maritime dimension of terrorism and determined to take coordinated steps to combat it.

"We (India and the US) have common views in terms of the importance of addressing all measures that we can take to minimize the possibility of terrorism - whether it comes from land or from sea," Richardson told reporters.

Responding to a question, he said the Communications, Compatibility and Security Agreement (COMCASA) signed between the US and India last year was "the foundational framework agreement that allows us to exchange information".

The US Navy said Richardson also met the US Ambassador of India, Kenneth Juster to discuss how to further strengthen relations between the two countries and navies.

Richardson's visit follows Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's statement that the US was "banding together with like-minded nations like Australia, India, Japan and South Korea to make sure that each Indo-Pacific nation can protect its sovereignty from coercion".

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Washington:

The US on Wednesday ordered all non-emergency staff to leave its embassy in Baghdad and consulate in Arbil, ramping up alarm over an alleged Iran threat even as allies appeared less than convinced. A senior Democratic senator demanded President Donald Trump's administration brief Congress on the Iran threat, warning that the US legislature has not approved military action against Tehran. And Moscow expressed concerns that both Washington and Tehran were dangerously stoking tensions, as the Pentagon ramped up its forces in the Gulf with B-52 bombers, Patriot missiles and an aircraft carrier task force.

The embassy evacuation came 10 days after Trump's national security advisor John Bolton announced the military deployment in response to intelligence on an unspecified "imminent" plot by Iran to attack US forces or allies.

The State Department warned Wednesday of numerous "terrorist and insurgent groups" active in the country, including "anti-US sectarian militias" who could "threaten US citizens and Western companies throughout Iraq." The warning did not mention Iran specifically, but "anti-US sectarian militias" points to Iran-backed groups.

A State Department spokesman told AFP the departure of non-emergency personnel came in response to "the increased threat stream we are seeing in Iraq." Washington says it has received intelligence on possible attacks by Iranian or Iranian-backed forces, possibly targeting US bases in Iraq or Syria.

Some observers speculate that Tehran is seeking to retaliate to Washington's decision in April to designate the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of Iran as a terrorist organization in an effort to stymie their activities across the Middle East.

But since the first US warning on May 5, the only activity seen has been a still-mysterious "attack" Monday on four tankers anchored off Fujairah, a UAE port at the strategically crucial entrance to the Gulf. One or more vessels incurred light hull damage, but what caused the damage and who was behind it remains unknown.

US allies in Iraq have refrained from echoing Washington's warning cry. Major General Chris Ghika, a British spokesman for Operation Inherent Resolve, the coalition fighting the Islamic State group, said Tuesday there was no special heightened alert, and that OIR troops were always on guard against possible attacks.

After Ghika's comments drew a sharp retort from the US Central Command, Britain's defense ministry said Wednesday they have "long been clear about our concerns over Iran's destabilising behavior in the region" -- while still not confirming any new imminent danger. Germany and the Netherlands said Wednesday they were suspending training of soldiers in Iraq; German defence ministry spokesman Jens Flosdorff said there was "generally heightened alert, awareness" among soldiers in the region, but gave no specifics.

Separately, the Netherlands' defense ministry said it was suspending a training mission in Iraq due to "threats," according to the Dutch ANP news agency. Both Washington and Tehran said Tuesday they were not seeking war.

"This face-off is not military because there is not going to be any war. Neither we nor them (the US) seek war," Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Tuesday. "We fundamentally do not seek a war with Iran," echoed US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in Sochi, Russia.

But Russia, a major backer of Tehran, expressed concern Wednesday that Pompeo's assurances had not quelled the crisis. "So far we notice the continued escalation of tensions around this subject," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, a day after Pompeo met with President Vladimir Putin.

Peskov said Washington had provoked Iran, but added that "we are saddened to see the decisions taken by the Iranian side." In the US Congress Democrats demanded to know why the Trump administration was boosting its forces in the Gulf and, according to media reports, considering military plans including the possibility of sending 120,000 US troops to the Middle East if Iran attacks American assets.

"The Trump administration has not provided any information to this committee on the intelligence behind their decisions, or what they plan to do in Iraq or Iran," said Senator Bob Menendez, the senior Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations panel. He demanded a briefing "immediately" on the threat intelligence, any plans for war and the decision to order embassy staff out of Iraq.

"Congress has not authorized war with Iran... If (the administration) were contemplating military action with Iran, it must come to Congress to seek approval," he said.

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Washington:

President Donald Trump on Wednesday predicted that Iran will soon want to negotiate and denied any discord in the White House over moves that critics say could lead to war in West Asia. Different opinions are expressed and I make a decisive and final decisionit is a very simple process, Trump tweeted. Im sure that Iran will want to talk soon.

Trump blasted the media reports about a turmoil in the White House over a series of steps taken by the administration to up pressure on Iran, saying there is no infighting whatsoever.

The United States on Wednesday ordered non-essential staff to leave its embassy in neighbouring Iraq, claiming there is an imminent threat from Iranian-linked Iraqi militias.

Ten days ago, Trump also ordered an aircraft carrier and nuclear-capable bomber planes to deploy to the Gulf.

Democrats in Congress demanded that the Trump administration brief them on what it considers to be the Iran threat, warning that the US legislature has not approved military action against Tehran.

Opponents of Trump say that hardliners led by national security advisor John Bolton, who has long advocated toppling the Iranian government, are pushing the country into war.

The White House says that Iran, a longtime enemy and rival of US allies Israel and Saudi Arabia, is sowing instability across the region.

Washington also says that Tehran is secretly pursuing nuclear weapons, despite having agreed to strict controls under an international accord that Trump abandoned after winning election in 2016.

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Islamabad:

A court in Pakistan Thursday rejected the bail pleas of 11 Chinese nationals in a case linked to alleged fake marriages, forced prostitution and organ trade of Pakistani girls in China.

Judicial Magistrate Amir Raza rejected the bail pleas after listening to the arguments from both sides, Dawn newspaper reported.

The defence counsel, Saleem Ahmed Khan, contended that his clients were arrested in a fake case. "The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) arrested the suspects after fabricating a story," the counsel said, adding that the Chinese nationals came to Pakistan for business purpose.

"There is no proof against the suspects on the record of the case," he claimed.

The counsel for the FIA, Munem Chaudhry, argued that the suspects deceived Pakistani girls into fake marriages. They sexually exploited the girls after fake marriages, he argued.

He requested the magistrate to reject the bail plea.

On May 8, the FIA had arrested 11 Chinese nationals in multiple raids at several locations in and around Lahore on a tip off.

According to an FIA press release, the agency came to know through a victim about the suspected ring, which involves large sums of money changing hands for the contracting of fake marriages between vulnerable Pakistani women and Chinese men. The women were allegedly trafficked into prostitution in China.

The Pakistani woman said that some people in China were running a business of luring Pakistani women into China to force them into prostitution, and that the suspects were also running an organ trade racket, the FIA press release stated.

Her family then informed the FIA about the incident and a request was sent to the Pakistan High Commission in China, and the woman was repatriated to Pakistan.

Back home, the woman informed the FIA of the ringleader's residence in Lahore, after which raids were conducted and multiple arrests were made, the report said.

The Chinese Embassy in Islamabad has launched an investigation into 142 cross-border marriages that took place in 2018, a Chinese diplomat told UrduNews.

Deputy chief of mission at Chinese Embassy Lijian Zhao said that last year about 142 Pakistani women had applied for wedding visas after marrying Chinese nationals. This year, so far 140 Pakistani brides had applied for such visas, he added.

The embassy, the envoy said, had withheld at least 90 visa applications and alerted the Pakistani authorities.

Talking about recent reports of abuse, the diplomat denied claims in media about Pakistani women being subjected to forced prostitution and organ sale in China.

He said that out of 142 marriages, only a few isolated cases of harassment or torture had been reported. All marriages, he claimed, were legal and registered after due process.

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Islamabad:

Pakistans currency hit all-time low against US dollar on Thursday after it dropped to Rs 148 per dollar in the inter-bank market.

The devaluation followed bailout package by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in the weekend. The IMF agreed to provide USD 6 billion to Pakistan under stringent conditions, including higher role of market forces in determining currency rates.

Opposition parties blamed Imran Khan-led PTI governments policies for weakening the national currency.

The prime minister is responsible for the mess in which he has landed the country, Maryyium Aurangzeb of PML-Nawaz said.

In August last year, when Khan took over the government, one dollar was equal to Rs 124.

The devaluation of rupees in the first nine months of the Imran Khan government is massive by all standards, experts said.

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Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 16)  The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) has granted its citizen arm access to transparency server audit logs in the wake of a delay in the release of election results on Monday.

Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) Chairperson Myla Villanueva told reporters on Thursday the COMELEC will grant access to the logs before and after the seven-hour delay.

"We will make sure we can explain to the public what happened after we've read the logs," Villanueva said.

Villanueva said they also asked for central server data to match them with transparency server data.

"I understand that we have to wait because we have to complete po 'yung pagtanggap naman ng [the completion of the receipt of the] central server," she said.

COMELEC on Monday said there was no problem with the transmission of poll results from the vote counting machines to the servers. However, an application which supposedly pushes the data for release to media terminals was the cause of the problem.

Villanueva said COMELEC has been open in its dealings with them.

"They've been transparent with us. I want to assure the public that whatever we ask for, binibigay naman [they give]," she said.
Del Mar residents Adan Chinchilla and Mitchell Brean have started their own nonprofit organization, Escola Primaria de Makandzene, which is dedicated to helping school children in the remote village of Makandzene, Mozambique.

For the last two years they have delivered school supplies on their own, both times 280 pounds-worth stuffed into their luggage on their African travels.

The idea behind all of those much-loved school supplies that bring so much happiness to the children and teachers of Makandzene all started with a fateful house party.

Every other year Chinchilla and his husband would host a big theme party at their home encouraging guests to bring items to share. After everyone brought baguettes to their French-themed party they decided to change tack. As they were in the planning stages for a trip to Africa, for their next big party they asked guests to bring school supplies for them to take on their travels.

I thought people would bring a few pencils, Chinchilla said. But when people showed up it was so overwhelming, we had a mountain of stuff, it was just amazing. I have goosebumps thinking of how generous people were.

Chinchilla said they picked the country of Mozambique fairly randomlyit was where their flight would land before they traveled around southern Africa. Finding a place to donate the school supplies proved to be a challenge and after failed attempts contacting several organizations, he was finally able to connect with the Embassy of Mozambique in Washington, D.C. who helped set them up with a school in Makandzene.

For the last two years the couple has delivered supplies to Mozambique in their own luggage. Courtesy

Chinchillas one demand was that he wanted to deliver the supplies to the school himself, he didnt want there to be any middle man.

In December 2017, they made the three-hour journey from the capital of Maputo to Makandzene, where naughty hippos eat the villages corn and the people and schoolchildren have very little. They have two small huts for the school but most classes are held under the shade of a big tree.

Chinchilla said its hard to put into words the overwhelming emotion he felt as they delivered the supplies and how grateful and happy everyone was that someone was thinking of them. He said it was humbling and awesome. The villagers prepared a meal for them and the students sang songs for them.

Seeing all those happy, smiling faces is priceless, Chinchilla said. We promised them that we would try to help them again.

Staying true to their word, they returned to Makandzene again in December 2018. Chinchilla and Brean barely pack anything of their own in their suitcases, choosing instead to bring as much clothing and supplies to donate to the children as they can carry. In addition to the 280 pounds of supplies, on their second trip they also brought a wheelchair.

While it took nine months to receive his 501(c)3 nonprofit status, Chinchilla finally received it three weeks ago and he is looking forward to being able to expand on his efforts. With the nonprofit, the goal now is to raise enough money to build real permanent classrooms.
Plans are on the anvil to establish a special bank loaded with information on the Kingdoms property market. The project, the Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA) said, will help provide real estate statistics as well as information on Bahrains real estate market to investors and developers with accurate data.

The project was unveiled during a regular meeting of RERA, held yesterday. Survey and Land Registration Bureau (SLRB) President, RERA Chairman Shaikh Salman bin Abdulla bin Hamad Al-Khalifa presided over the session. The session discussed procedures to develop the real estate sector in line with the royal directives of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa.

The meeting commended the policies of the Government chaired by His Royal Highness Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al-Khalifa in applying modern procedures and enhance administrative performance. The meeting also paid tribute to His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Prime Minister.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Bahrain Real Estate Investment Company (Edamah) signed an agreement to lift the Kingdoms leadership in political and economic diplomacy. As per the deal, Edamah will help develop the Ministrys work mechanisms and establish Bahraini embassies abroad to reflect the Kingdoms prosperity and success in various fields.

The Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dr Shaikha Rana bint Isa bin Daij Al Khalifa, and the Chief Executive Officer of Edamah, Amin Alarrayed, signed the agreement. Edamah is a real estate investment company and is one of the Kingdoms established property developing companies.
Despite repeated warnings, several employers in the Kingdom are taking advantage of the ignorance and innocence of labourers to confiscate their passports, accused a prominent trade union official. Employers have made it mandatory for foreign labourers to hand over their passports upon reaching Kingdom for safe custody, Thampi Nagarjuna, Advisor to the General Federation of Bahrain Trade Union, said.

Foreign workers ignorant of their employment rights of the host country, or who might not have the will power to demand his rights, can be taken for exploitation. Most of the workers, Advisor Nagarjuna said, are coming from rural backgrounds. They look at their village heads or employers as noble people whom they could trust blindly. So when they are asked to sign a blank paper or hand over their passport, they promptly oblige.

This, he said, often leads the poor workers to traumatic experiences making them furthermore vulnerable to exploitation. They are subjected to workplace exploitation and are often many times cheated by the employer, he pointed out. Holding constant inspection visits to companies is the only remedy, he added. Thampi Nagarjuna is currently handling the case of Indian national Gurendar who was cheated by a company here.

When Gurendar came to Bahrain he was promised a salary of BD 120. However, after reaching Bahrain, the company made him sign a document saying, He is entitled to receive BD90. Him being illiterate and ignorant, was not able to recognise the intensity of the situation he was in until it was too late. He was not paid a salary at all for many months. His passport was also taken by the company so he could not travel back to India.

Above all, Thampi Nagarjuna said, the company demanded him to pay BD600 to get his passport back. For a poor person like Gurendar, Thampi Nagarjuna said, It was impossible, especially with a BD90 salary. Failing to get his passport back from safe custody, also left Gurendar to face the terrifying prospect of being stranded away from home, when his mother died. It was a heartbreaking experience and he was helpless. His passport was with the employer and he is not getting it back. Gurendar also tried complaining to authorities. Gurendar, Thampi Nagarjuna said, filed a complaint against his employer for confiscating his passport.

However, the employer denied having any knowledge of it. The case is currently ongoing. In the meantime, he is still stranded here without a proper income, said the Advisor to the General Federation of Bahrain Trade Union.

Need regular inspections

Conducting regular inspection campaigns, Thampi Nagarjuna said, is the only option to prevent employers from doing violations.

All companies employing expatriates, especially labourers, need to be inspected to check on violations such as holding of the employees passport.

Hold awareness campaigns

Abdulkarim Radhi, the Assistant Secretary-General For Arab and International relation at the General Federation of Bahrain Trade Union, said, There is a need for awareness campaigns to inform the workers of their rights.

Many workers are ignorant about their rights and allow the employers to take advantage of them. In many cases, a complaint with the concerned authorities can fix the whole situation but the employees are unaware of their rights.

Therefore an awareness campaign is needed to teach them about the rights they are entitled to and where they can go for support if they need it, he said.
At last months meeting of the newly formed Pacific Highlands Ranch Park Recreation Advisory Group, residents shared concerns about security at the new park and the pump track, the first of its kind in the city.

The pump track, which includes rolling concrete features for bikes, skateboards and scooters, has been packed since the park opened on April 10 and most everyone is enjoying the ride. However, issues that have popped up include the mix of younger and older users on the track, use being skateboarder-heavy, bullying of younger riders, and the sheer volume of people on the course with as many as 50 people observed one weekend.

There have also been issues with people getting into the park to use the pump track after hours, sometimes as late as midnight, bringing their own lights and playing music.

Over a year before the park even opened, neighboring resident Vlad Kroutik expressed safety concerns about the pump track as skateboarders were regularly getting into the park to use it while it was under construction. Due to noise and safety concerns, he advocated that the concrete surface of the track be replaced with dirt which would limit the types of use as well as reduce the noise impacts on nearby homes.

Plans for the pump track back in 2015 did originally involve dirt, however, the city had expressed concerns about the ability to maintain a dirt track and the plans shifted to a concrete surface. According to Tim Graham, public information officer for the citys parks and recreation department, the original designation of the track was just for bicycle use, however, the hardscape surface allows for expanded recreational opportunities and uses for the community.

This expanded use is common with pump tracks that have hardscape surfaces, Graham said noting that bicycles, skateboards and scooters are now allowed on the track.

They designed it in a way that any kind of wheels can go in, Kroutik said,.He is worried that three-year-olds on scooters are now sharing the space with 20-year-old skateboarders. During a ride one day, he got into an altercation with a skateboarder when he got stuck on a hill with his bike. You have just a mess, any given afternoon you can go see what a zoo it is out there.

Kroutik, who now serves as a member on the PHR Park Recreation Advisory Group, said more supervision is needed due to the mix of users and age groupshe said he has already seen people taken away by ambulance from accidents on the track. He said it appears now that the city is taking a wait and see approach and potentially wont act until they are sued but he would rather the city be proactive about the problem.

Our pools have lifeguards, why not have supervision in high-risk areas where adults and kids are mixed? Kroutik said. We dont want to wait until something bad happensHow many kids are going to get hurt before we do something about it?

According to Graham, the pump track is not directly supervised, operating similarly to other city skate parks and plazas where patrons use the facilities at their own risk. No motorized equipment of any kind is allowed on the track and helmets are required for anyone under the age of 18 when riding a bicycle, scooter or skateboard as per California Law.

PHR Park has a separate skate plaza on the other side of the rec center.

While there will be no direct supervision at the pump track there will be cameras.

Security cameras are currently being installed at Pacific Highlands Ranch Community Park and Recreation Center out of an abundance of caution and to improve security at the facility, Graham said. Staff will be able to review activities captured by the camera throughout the park, including the pump track.

Kroutik said outside of changing the tracks surface, he believes increased security could be a solution. He has also proposed building a taller fence around the track to help with trespassing issues.

Im happy for the park, a lot of kids are enjoying it, Kroutik said. I wish it was safe and friendly to the neighbors.

The PHR Recreation Advisory Group will meet on May 22 at 7 p.m. at the recreation center. Pump track enforcement, security and hours of operation are on the action agenda.
Bahrains Anti-cybercrime cell has asked Whatsapp users here to update to the latest version of the app to rectify a vulnerability that allows spyware to be injected into a users phone.

As per reports, the Israeli cyber intelligence company NSO GROUP has developed the spyware. Attackers could transmit the malicious code to a targets device by calling the user and infecting the call whether or not the recipient answered the call. Logs of the incoming calls were often erased, the report said.

There was a fault in the WhatsApp application which could lead to the hacking of smartphones and e-devices, the Director-General of Anti-corruption and Economic & Electronic Security said in a statement. The Anti-cyber Crime Directorate asked people to immediately update the application to its latest version.

We also ask individuals to contact the department on 992 if they find their devices had been hacked, to learn about the necessary steps to take, the statement added.

Migin Vincent, Threats Manager App

The Remote Code Execution (RCE) vulnerability (CVE-2019-3568) affecting the popular messaging platform WhatsApp was discovered earlier this month. According to the recent advisory published by Facebook, a buffer overflow vulnerability in WhatsApp VOIP stack allowed remote code execution via a specially crafted series of SRTCP packets sent to a target phone number.

It can be exploited by calling a vulnerable device via the WhatsApp calling feature, which remotely installs the surveillance software on the device. It should be noted that the calls did not have to be answered and often disappeared from the call logs. WhatsApp deployed a server-side fix on Friday last week and issued a patch for end-users on Monday alongside Facebooks advisory.

Users are advised to upgrade to the latest version of WhatsApp as soon as possible.

Amjad Taha, British Arab journalist and political analyst, Regional director of the British Middle East Center for studies and Research

This spyware clearly shows that many applications we use are not very secure, especially social media which is quite dangerous as well.

The incident also raises questions on a lot of cybersecurity issues. Bahrain has an advanced cyber security team where they have succeeded a lot in countering terrorism. A lot of applications were pulled down along with their proxies. Iran has been using a lot many contents to promote terrorism where Facebook has spoken about it too. Iran has dozens of Facebook accounts and along with more than 23,000 twitter accounts used both by Iran and Qatar regimes.

They also put links on websites to hacks accounts of journalists and rights activists monitoring the Iranian human rights situation and Qatars abuse of international law by supporting terrorism. I was one of the victims of the Qatar regimes hacking attempt. My case is still in the court in the USA, where the New York Times has spoken about it.

Qatar has tried to hack a lot of journalists through various ways and one of the prominent ways is through emails and spyware and also through various texting applications.

Lastly, Bahrain as a nation has been very successful in safeguarding cybersecurity and tackling terrorism on Whatsapp and Facebook despite these apps putting a lot of individuals privacy in danger.
A man has died after falling from the 11th floor of a building in Juffair in a workplace accident. The victim, a Bangladeshi national, according to sources, was an employee of a construction firm.

He fell from the 11th floor and landed onto one of the lower floors, the source said adding: Unfortunately, the fall was too steep for him to survive. Co-workers rushed to save him but he died soon after the fall, the source said. The victim, Sahadot, 29-yearold, hails from the Pabna district in Bangladesh. Bangladeshi Embassy Labour Consul Shaikh Tahidul Islam confirmed the incident stating, The embassy has been informed about the incident.

The embassy is aware of the incident and are following on this. We do not have details about what led to the fall. He added that all formalities and arrangements will be made as required by the victims family. He is an employee of a construction firm and was engaged in a project at a building in Juffair, he added.
The American University of Bahrain (AUBH) is holding its second open day today at the Four Seasons Hotel, Bahrain Bay, from 9 pm to 12 am. There will be a presentation, starting at 9:30 and ending at 10, and the opportunity to discuss enrollment with AUBH advisors, organisers said in a statement. The Open Day is offered for students wishing to attend the September 2019 term, and their parents, teachers and guidance counsellors.

Admission process opened for the first term of AUBH in September 2019, with hundreds of students and parents attending the Universitys first Open Day at the Four Seasons Hotel, Bahrain Bay. Dr Susan E. Saxton, Founding President of AUBH stated, We were overwhelmed with the great attendance during the Open Day, and even more enthused with those who are visiting our 12th-floor office in the World Trade Center to enrol for the first term. We decided to host a second Open Day next week for those who were unable to join our first time around.

To view current openings and send your CV refer to careers@ aubh.edu or call +973 17260798
A Bahraini delegation led by Rasheed Al Maraj, Governor of the Central Bank of Bahrain (CBB) concluded a successful visit to the UK. The delegation attended the renowned Innovate Finance Global Summit (IFGS), where senior executives from the Central Bank of Bahrain, Bahrain Economic Development Board (EDB), National Bank of Bahrain, Bank ABC and Al Salam Bank hosted a number of events and spoke on a variety of panels.

The roadshow focused on the latest FinTech developments in Bahrain, including the launch of open banking; robo advisory, cryptocurrency regulations, insurtech and the ongoing success of the regions first onshore regulatory sandbox. During a panel discussion on RegTech  the future of financial services regulation, Al Maraj said: Our role as regulators is to inspire, lead and remove any roadblocks to innovation and we in Bahrain would like to lead growth in this sector in the MENA region.

We have ambitious plans to disrupt the insurance sector, by focusing and enabling insurtech through enhancing the ecosystem that will allow the evolvement of the sector. The EDB also hosted a roundtable debate on the importance of diversity in driving future growth in FinTech. The visit also saw the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the EDB and Digital Jersey in Jersey, a self-governing Crown dependency of the United Kingdom.

The agreement seeks to build cooperation as an extension of Bahrains efforts to internationalise its domestic success in digitising its financial services industry. The cooperation between Bahrain and Jersey will build upon the success of Bahrains efforts to develop a sustainable FinTech industry. Bahrain FinTech Bay, the regions first and largest FinTech hub, will partner with Digital Jersey Hub and Digital Jersey Xchange. The two sides also pledged to develop a joint Women in FinTech programme.

Additional stakeholders who will contribute to areas of cooperation include Jersey Finance, Jersey Financial Services Commission and the Central Bank of Bahrain (CBB). The CBB already works alongside Jersey Financial Services Commission in the Global Financial Innovation Network, an international partnership between regulators from over 16 countries such as the UK, United States, Australia and Hong Kong, who are working together to design supportive FinTech regulatory pilot schemes.

IFGS was attended by over 2,000 FinTech leaders from around the world, offering Bahrain an unparalleled opportunity to showcase the Kingdom as the destination of choice for FinTech in the Middle East.
Facebook announced yesterday it would tighten access to its livestreaming feature as New Zealands premier Jacinda Ardern and French leader Emmanuel Macron prepared to launch the global Christchurch Call initiative to tackle the spread of extremism online. Facebook boss Mark Zuckerberg has been under intense pressure since March when a white supremacist gunman used Facebook Live to stream his rampage at two mosques in the New Zealand city of Christchurch, which left 51 people dead.

The California-based platform said it would ban Facebook Live users who shared extremist content and seek to reinforce its own internal controls to stop the spread of offensive videos. Following the horrific recent terrorist attacks in New Zealand, weve been reviewing what more we can do to limit our services from being used to cause harm or spread hate, Facebook vice-president of integrity Guy Rosen said in a statement. Ardern and Macron will later issue the Christchurch Call to fight the spread of hateful and terror-related content along with leaders from Britain, Canada, Norway, Jordan and Senegal, who will also be in Paris.

The largely symbolic initiative is intended to keep up the pressure on social media companies who face growing calls from politicians across the world to stop their platforms being abused. Its an action plan, its the start of something, Ardern told CNN in an interview on Wednesday. Many countries have already tightened legislation to introduce penalties for companies that fail to take down offensive content once it is flagged by authorities. We need to get in front of this (problem) before harm is done, Ardern added.

This is not just about regulation, but bringing companies to the table and saying they have a role too. The political meeting in Paris will run in parallel to an initiative launched by Macron called Tech for Good which will bring together 80 tech chiefs to discuss how to harness technologies for the common good. The heads of US tech giants Wikipedia, Uber, Twitter, Microsoft and Google will attend, but not Zuckerberg who held private one-to-one talks with Macron last week. The social network giant will instead be represented by its vice president for global affairs and communications Nick Clegg, the former British deputy premier. Ive spoken to Mark Zuckerberg directly twice now... and he did give Facebooks support for this call to action, Ardern said.

The US government has not endorsed the Christchurch Call and will only be represented at a junior level at a meeting of G7 digital ministers which is also taking place on Wednesday in Paris. Horrifying new trend 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 videos 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. Around 8,000 New Zealanders called a mental health hotline after seeing the video, she told CNN. (Were) 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 livestreaming as a tool for broadcasting terrorist attacks, she wrote in The Times.

One of the challenges we faced in the days after the attack was a proliferation of many different variants of the video of the attack, vice-president of integrity Rosen said. People -- not always intentionally -- shared edited versions of the video which made it hard for our systems to detect.
Legislative leaders are preparing to unveil their plans for removing the states religious exemption on mandatory vaccines, a hot-button topic that has provoked heated debate and brought hundreds to the Capitol to speak out against the move.

House Majority Leader Matthew Ritter, D-Hartford, said Wednesday that lawmakers are expected to make an announcement by the end of the week. He was tight-lipped about what method they might use to introduce the repeal with less than three weeks left in the legislative session.

The change would not force children to be immunized, but it would prohibit kids who are not vaccinated on religious grounds from enrolling in the states public schools.

At issue is whether children already enrolled in school would be grandfathered in as part of the legislation, meaning the repeal may only affect those looking to attend public school in the future. Lawmakers are also weighing whether to keep unvaccinated people out of day care centers and nursing homes.

Were working through it, Ritter said. Were very close to an announcement.

Earlier this week, hundreds flooded a hearing room and overflow spaces at the states Legislative Office Building to urge lawmakers to abandon their effort targeting the religious waivers.

Legislators originally had planned to introduce a repeal within a year, but sped up their efforts after reviewing school-by-school vaccination data released this month by Connecticuts public health department. The data show 102 schools where less than 95 percent of kindergarten students were vaccinated for measles, mumps and rubella - the threshold recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Several schools recorded double-digit percentages for religious exemptions to vaccines.

Some people questioned why, in the absence of an emergency, politicians were pushing so hard to wipe out the provision.

Connecticuts health department has reported three measles cases so far this year. Nationally, hundreds of cases have been recorded across more than 20 states. Health officials have called the outbreak the worst in the country in 25 years.

We all define state of emergency differently, Ritter said. I think a lot of people feel that for a disease that was eradicated - three cases are a lot. Its a public health emergency to react to one case.

Some attendees at the public hearing threatened to move out of state. One asked for a show of hands on how many people would vote against lawmakers who supported the repeal. Hundreds raised their hands.

I am not going to injure my child again with a vaccine. I will not do it, testified Melissa Sullivan, executive vice president of the grassroots group Health Choice Connecticut.It will be over my dead body.

Legislators also heard from experts at the hearing, some who extolled the benefits of vaccines and others who did not take a position but testified to their importance for public health.

If you achieve certain levels of vaccination in the population, you can actually provide protection for everyone, said Matt Carter, the state epidemiologist.

People with knowledge of the plans said lawmakers would caucus on the issue late Wednesday. The legislative session adjourns June 5.
HARTFORD  The marijuana debate is ablaze at the state Capitol as lawmakers consider an amendment that would help high unemployment and high poverty areas reap the benefits the marijuana industry.

HB 7371 creates a system to regulate the retail sale of marijuana. The new amendment that will be pitched at a closed-door meeting Wednesday would define so-called equity applicants who would be able to apply for a license to sell or grow marijuana before any other applicant would now be defined based on census tract data and poverty, as opposed to arrest rates.

We still have the requirements that if you have been arrested or if you have a family member that has been arrested for possession, cultivation, use, distribution, etcetera, that qualifies you as an equity applicant, Rep. Michael DAgostino, D-Hamden, said. In addition to that, if you are from an underserved area as defined by this data, you also can qualify as an equity applicant.

DAgostino, co-chair of the General Law Committee which proposed the amendment, said that these changes would not mean equities would be given out as a blank check for a city but rather as a highly targeted, data-driven analysis of specific neighborhoods that could benefit from marijuana retail.

This is data-driven but it also gets at the core issue here which is getting at communities that have been not only under-served but discriminated against by the war on drugs for decades, DAgostino said.

DAgostino affirmed that equity applicants could not be determined by race because of the unconstitutionality of giving a government benefit to a specific racial group, but at a Capitol news briefing, local lawmakers and cannabis supporters acknowledged how marijuana laws have unfairly targeted the black community in the past.

Legalization is about so much more than much needed revenue for this state, Lindsay Farrell, executive director of Connecticut Working Families Party said at a press conference Wednesday. The so-called war on drugs has done exactly what it was intended to do. Devastate individuals and communities of color, feed the prison-industrial complex and deepen racial and class divisions in this country.

Farrell called for legislation that not only legalized marijuana, but also gave back to the communities ravaged by the war on drugs.

It is incumbent on this legislature to ensure that legalization doesnt just enrich a handful of corporations rather legalization must be part of a bigger set of programs to repair the damage done to black and brown communities, Farrell said. That means prioritizing ex-offenders for ownerships and jobs in this new industry.

DAgostino said the second part of the general law bill, besides equities, is regulation. He said regulations for recreational marijuana should be similar to those covering medical marijuana.

Were actually using the regulatory process that weve already got- this is what we are talking about replicating for the recreational program, DAgostino said. If youre going to have recreational and medical you have to have a clear division between the two. Were talking about child safety packaging, warning labels, handouts. You name it, its all in there.

The bill establishes minimum health, safety and security requirements for retailers, manufacturers and producers such as the prohibition of packaging that appeals to children, requirements for cannabis to be sold with a warning label and demands that all edible cannabis must not include more than 5mg of THC per serving.

The bill also includes a list of requirements which the legislature will vote on in the 2020 session.

If all goes as planned, DAgostino said Connecticut could see marijuana sales in the summer of 2020.

Rep. Vincent Candelora, R-North Branford, who opposes legalization, said the bill changes being contemplated dont seem to be about public health issues, but how they get to a majority vote in the House and the Senate.

They want to pick who the winner is going to be to grow marijuana in the state of Connecticut, Candelora said.

He said the bill favors convicted criminals and people who live in poorer communities.

The bill will be caucused Wednesday evening by the House. It is unclear whether these changes will be enough to sway the Democrats who are currently undecided into voting for it.

While the equities and regulation side of the legislation are nearing completion, it still has to be married with the Finance, Revenue, and Bonding bill before the end of the legislative session on June 5.

Weve got our bill, the judiciary pieces that are out there, the finance piece, the goal of all the pieces being ready to be married together is there, DAgostino said. We want to get more feedback, tweak it further and make sure we address everyone.

Kebra Smith-Bolden, CEO of CannaHealth in New Haven, who also spoke at the press conference, said moving forward with legalization is in our states best interest.

Cannabis is much safer than alcohol, Smith-Bolden said. We should really look at moving forward this year.
BROOKFIELD  A fire at a strip of local stores was extinguished in less than an hour Wednesday night.

The fire was reported around 8:45 p.m. Brookfield fire units responded and Danbury firefighters were called in for mutual aid to help battle the blaze.

The address given to Danbury fire units responding was 782 Federal Road, which is the location is home to Portobello Restaurants & Pizza, Main Moon Chinese Kitchen, Blinking Nail & Spa, Dunkin Donuts and Brookfield Deli & Catering. Those locations ultimately were not impacted by the fire.

Thursday morning, it was confirmed the fire was right next door, at Tims Painting and Brookfield Technology Center.

Eversource was called to the scene to shut off the power.

Brookfield police urged drivers to avoid the area because police had to close Federal Road from the Four Corners south to Laurel Hill Road to allow fire crews to extinguish the fire.

Fire units arriving just before 9 p.m. reported a fire in the attic of the building, with companies opening up the roof as a second line of operation was stretched to put out the flames.

Within minutes, crews on scene reported that a second hole was being opened up in the roof to let out smoke and to check for any possible hot spots.

Shortly after 9 p.m., fire units reported that the bulk of the fire had been knocked down and crews were starting the overhaul process.

The fire marshal responded and will investigate the cause.

Danbury fire crews started to clear from Federal Road around 9:30 p.m. Brookfield fire units remained on scene to ensure the flames were completely extinguished.

CORRECTION: This story has be updated to indicate what businesses were impacted by the fire.
3 1 of 3 H John Voorhees III / Hearst Connecticut Media Show More Show Less 2 of 3 H John Voorhees III / Hearst Connecticut Media Show More Show Less 3 of 3





DANBURY  Senior fire officers and chaplains are invited to learn how to prepare for a line-of-duty death at the city fire departments training facility next Thursday.

The National Fallen Firefighters Foundation will present a five-module Taking Care of Our Own class at the 21 Plumtrees Road facility from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The new owners of Tandoori Flames in New Milford are infusing authentic Indian flavors and recipes into the cuisine they serve.

Its one of our favorite restaurants, said Ralph Gorman, of Sherman, who recently discovered the eatery after reading about it in the book 221+ Things to Do in and Around Sherman, New Milford and New Fairfield by John Cilio.

We ordered three dishes and each one was better than the other, Gorman said of his first visit there.

Co-owners Vinjith Vikaram and Sagar Ahuja worked together at the 471 Danbury Road (Route 7) restaurant when it first opened last May.

They embraced the opportunity to purchase the business in December, so they can add to the diversity of the town and introduce patrons to food from their homeland, Ahuja said.

We are trying to bring in our culture and express it through our food, said Ahuja.

The menu showcases a variety of Indian dishes from both northern and southern India, from which Ahuja and Vikaram, who is also the chef, are from, respectively.

Appetizers, entrees and desserts are on the menu, which features a wide variety of vegetarian, vegan, chicken, seafood and lamb dishes. Rices, breads and a variety of sides, including sauces round out the menu.

Ahuja said the restaurant sells its sauces  tikka masala, vindaloo, korma, madras, chettinad and phall  to go, giving patrons an opportunity to use them on their own dishes at home.

Many of the dishes are inspired by or made from recipes belonging to Vikarams mother, Amma, who still resides in India.

Aloo Gobi, a classic Indian dish with spiced potatoes and cauliflower; Dal Tadka, a yellow lentils dish tempered with cumin seeds; Saag Paneer, a creamy spinach with homemade paneer cheese dish; chicken curry; and several of the side sauces are among Ammas recipes.

Spices play an integral role in Indian cuisine. The owners said there is a misconception, though, that all Indian food is spicy.

Vikaram noted he prefers dishes made with milder spices while the majority of his family opts for spicier cuisine.

Ahuja described the southern spices as mustard seeds, curry leaves, whole red chilis and coconut, while northern spices include chick peas and cumin seeds.

Gorman praised the owners for their accommodating service, which includes serving dishes based on their preferred spice level.

After a recent first-time visit to the restaurant, Heather Hayden, of New Milford, said she will return.

It was really good, she said, noting she appreciates the extensive vegan and vegetarian options.

The restaurant features an Indian lunch buffet Tuesdays through Sundays, which allows customers a chance to sample a variety of cuisine. They can also order off the main menu.

Specialties are available for brunch on the weekends at the restaurant that draws patrons from Litchfield and Fairfield counties, as well as New York.

Several drinks, including a tamarind margarita, Indian spiced mojito and mango martini, are among the featured drinks at the bar.

We had a really enjoyable lunch, said Eric Gorman, of Sherman. We sampled a bunch of dishesIt ranks up there as having really good Indian food. Ill definitely go back.

Ahuja said many customers have expressed interest in learning how to make Indian dishes. To that end, the restaurant is exploring the possibility of implementing periodic cooking demonstrations.

We need to teach people how to make this at home, Vikaram said. We can introduce easy dishes that are really good.

Vikaram has been in the U.S. for six years, while Ahuja has been here for five. They worked together for the past several years at restaurants in the region.

I fell in love with the town, Ahuja said of his move from New York to New Milford. The people are really warm and welcoming.

Hes my first ever friend when I came to America, Ahuja said of Vikaram.

Tandoori Flames, located at 471 Danbury Road in New Milford, is open Tuesdays through Fridays from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and Saturdays from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., and dinner Tuesdays through Thursdays and Sundays from 5 to 9 p.m. and Fridays and Saturdays from 5 to 10 p.m. For more information, call 860-210-0020.
Increases the number of U.S. states Trulieve operates in to four

/NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWS WIRE SERVICES OR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES/

TORONTO, May 16, 2019 /CNW/ - Trulieve Cannabis Corp. ("Trulieve" or the "Company") (CSE: TRUL) today announced that the Company has entered into an agreement dated May 16, 2019, to acquire 100 percent of The Healing Corner, Inc. (the "Healing Corner"), a medical marijuana dispensary located in Bristol, Connecticut.

"Expanding and diversifying beyond our Florida base is key to our strategic vision. This further growth in the New England region is an important step as we move forward with establishing Trulieve as a national presence in the cannabis sector," said Kim Rivers, CEO of Trulieve. "We look forward to providing patients across the Connecticut medical marijuana market with the exceptional customer service and best-in-class products that Trulieve is known for."

The Healing Corner was founded in 2014 and provides a range of medical marijuana products from their dispensary in Bristol, Connecticut. Patients may also reserve their medical marijuana order through The Healing Corner's Canna-Fill online system.

"The Healing Corner and Trulieve share the same passion and commitment to patients' care and providing them with a truly professional full-service customer experience," said Geri Ann Bradley, Owner and Pharmacist at The Healing Corner. "This alignment of values and strength of offering will certainly benefit medical cannabis patients in Connecticut."

Completion of the proposed acquisition is subject to a number of conditions including, but not limited to, receipt of regulatory approvals. There can be no assurance that the acquisition will be completed as proposed or at all. Canaccord Genuity Corp. acted as agent in connection with a brokered private placement of debt securities of the Company to assist in the financing of the acquisition.

About The Healing Corner

The Healing Corner is located at the corner of three Connecticut counties, Hartford, New Haven, and Litchfield, providing convenient patient access. Pharmacist operated, The Healing Corner takes pride in providing patients with one-on-one consultations on product selection, dosage, and route of administration. The Healing Corner's dedicated team is passionate about delivering new and effective ways to bring relief and comfort to its patients. The Healing Corner's priority is to educate and empower its patients to gain control of their lives and nd healing and happiness.

About Trulieve

Trulieve is a vertically integrated "seed to sale" company and is the first and largest fully licensed medical cannabis company in the State of Florida. Trulieve cultivates and produces all of its products in-house and distributes those products to Trulieve branded stores (dispensaries) throughout the State of Florida, as well as directly to patients via home delivery. Trulieve is listed on the Canadian Securities Exchange under the symbol TRUL.

This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of any of the securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. 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 the securities laws of any state of the United States and may not be offered or sold within the United States (as defined in Regulation S under the U.S. Securities Act) unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or pursuant to an exemption from such registration requirements.

To learn more about Trulieve, visit www.Trulieve.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release includes forward-looking information and statements, which may include, but are not limited to, information and statements regarding or inferring the future business, operations, financial performance, prospects, and other plans, intentions, expectations, estimates, and beliefs of the Company, including the acquisition of the Healing Corner. Such statements include statements regarding the completion of the proposed acquisition and the plans for the assets of being acquired. Words such as "expects", "continue", "will", "anticipates" and "intends" or similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on the Company's current projections and expectations about future events and financial trends that management believes might affect its financial condition, results of operations, business strategy and financial needs, and on certain assumptions and analysis made by the Company in light of the experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments and other factors management believes are appropriate. Forward-looking information and statements involve and are subject to assumptions and known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause actual events, results, performance, or achievements of the Company to be materially different from future events, results, performance, and achievements expressed or implied by forward-looking information and statements herein. Although the Company believes that any forward-looking information and statements herein are reasonable, in light of the use of assumptions and the significant risks and uncertainties inherent in such information and statements, there can be no assurance that any such forward-looking information and statements will prove to be accurate, and accordingly readers are advised to rely on their own evaluation of such risks and uncertainties and should not place undue reliance upon such forward-looking information and statements. Any forward-looking information and statements herein are made as of the date hereof, and except as required by applicable laws, the Company assumes no obligation and disclaims any intention to update or revise any forward-looking information and statements herein or to update the reasons that actual events or results could or do differ from those projected in any forward looking information and statements herein, whether as a result of new information, future events or results, or otherwise, except as required by applicable laws.

The Canadian Securities Exchange has not reviewed, approved or disapproved the content of this news release.

SOURCE Trulieve Cannabis Corp.

For further information: Lynn Ricci, Director, Investor Relations, 850-270-5691, [email protected]
All three of the finalists in the Jeopardy! Teachers Tournament have strong connections to Upstate New York.

The two-week tournament began with 15 teachers. The two-night finals will be broadcast starting tonight at 7:30. The teachers are competing for a $100,000 grand prize and a spot in the show's next Tournament of Champions.

One finalist, Conor Quinn, is a world history teacher at Troy Prep High School, according to the Times Union in Albany. He grew up in Cairo, south of Albany, and went to college at Binghamton University, according to the Press & Sun-Bulletin in Binghamton.

Finalist Sara Delvillano is a Binghamton native and earned her degree at Ithaca College. She's now a music teacher at a private school in Maryland.

Francois Barcomb grew up near Glens Falls and attended St. Mary's Academy before college at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and grad school at SUNY Albany, according to the Press & Sun Bulletin.

He has been teacher at Hendrick Hudson High School in Montrose in Westchester County for 14 years.

The teachers tournament interrupted the historic run of Jeopardy! phenom James Holzhauer. Hell return to action May 20, once the teachers tournament wraps up.

In the Syracuse area, Jeopardy! is shown on WSYT, the local Fox affiliate.

Contact Kevin Tampone anytime: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 315-282-8598
Elon Musk tweeted that only six launches of Starlink Satellites will be needed to reach initial activation of a 360 satellite constellation. 720 satellites from 12 launches will provide significant coverage of the US, Europe, Japan and China. 360 satellites would only provide minor global coverage.

Each batch of 60 satellites will be able to deliver 1 terabit of bandwidth to Earth.

The satellite launch was delayed from yesterday. SpaceX will try to launch late today.

This launch will have production design Starlink.

These satellites are critical to SpaceX reaching significant revenue. The global space industry has over $350 billion per year of revenue but the commercial launch business is only about $4 billion per year. SpaceX already has 60% of commercial launch.

SpaceX has to create a new vertically integrated service in space. Direct TV and the global satellite television business makes $100 billion per year in revenue. However, SpaceX will not compete enter a mature and declining business. SpaceX will provide low latency trading for financial companies.

Much will likely go wrong on 1st mission. Also, 6 more launches of 60 sats needed for minor coverage, 12 for moderate.  Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 12, 2019

These are production design, unlike our earlier Tintin demo sats  Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 12, 2019

Standing down today due to excess upper level winds. Teams are working toward tomorrow's backup launch window, which opens at 10:30 p.m. EDT  SpaceX (@SpaceX) May 16, 2019

6 more launches of 60 for initial activation, 12 for significant coverage  Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 16, 2019

Starlink mission will be heaviest @SpaceX payload ever at 18.5 tons. If all goes well, each launch of 60 satellites will generate more power than Space Station & deliver 1 terabit of bandwidth to Earth.  Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 16, 2019

SOURCES  Elon Musk twitter, SpaceX

Written By Brian Wang, Nextbigfuture.com
MILFORD  A Hamden man was charged Wednesday with raping a 14-year-old girl inside the movie theater at the Connecticut Post Mall in February.

Ifa Gordon Jr., 22, faces charges of second-degree sexual assault and risk of injury to a minor in the case.

He was also charged last month with raping the girl at her Monroe home.

Gordon was arraigned in the Milford case Wednesday, where Judge Donna Wilkerson Brillant set his bond at $25,000 and continued the case to June 5.

According to an arrest warrant, Gordon is a friend of the victims family.

In February, police said Gordon and the girl went to the movie theater in Milford on his 22nd birthday and raped her while they were watching the movie.

Police said on a later occasion Gordon and the girl were watching a movie in the girls home when he grabbed her and raped her.

They said the girl told her mother what happened, and the mother called police.

Gordon allegedly admitted the sexual assaults in interviews with police, but claimed the encounters were consensual. Sex with a minor is illegal.
MILFORD  A man identified by court officials as a retired New York City firefighter was accused Wednesday of being muscle in a Christmas Night home invasion on West Main Street.

Vito Badalamenti, 49, of Bridgeport, was charged with home invasion and conspiracy to commit home invasion.

He is the fourth suspect charged in the case, which police were tipped off to by clandestine social media messages sent by the alleged victim.

Police said the victim, a man, told them that, about 10:15 p.m. on Dec. 25, a woman he owed money to, Cassandra Vitali, and three men forced open the door of his home to collect the debt.

The suspects allegedly yelled at the victim to cough up the money he owed Vitali and ransacked his apartment.

The victim said he was terrified and messaged a friend on Facebook, during which another suspect, Sean Artis, allegedly said Im packing and if you call the police Im going to kill you.

The victims friend contacted police, who went to the home and found Vitali and Artis there.

Badalamenti and the fourth suspect, who has not been charged in the case, had left to buy drugs before police arrived, the victim told police.

Badalamenti was arraigned in Milford Superior Court Wednesday, where a public defender representing him said he retired from the FDNY after serving for 13 years.

A bail commissioner said Badalamenti has substance abuse issues and has lived in Brigdeport for the past six years, with convictions on his record, including larcenies, burglaries and skipping court dates.

Judge Donna Wilkerson Brillant ordered Badalamenti held in lieu of $350,000 bond and continued the case to June 5.

Charges against Vitali and Artis are pending.
EAST HAVEN  Veteran town Firefighter Joe Ciscone was honored with a prestigious regional award for his years of volunteer work at the International Association of Firefighters and Muscular Dystrophy Associations annual Boot Camp May 6 at Mohegan Sun.

Ciscone, president of East Haven Fire Fighters Local 1205, was awarded the A. Michael Mullane Devoted Service Award at the event, which drew firefighters from eight states, including all of New England, New York and New Jersey.

MDA Development Specialist Krista Nieves said Ciscone, who was chosen for the award by the district president, has helped raise about $300,000 for MDA over the years and is just very mission-driven ... and very passionate about MDA.

When he took over as East Havens union president, firefighters werent really doing the Fill The Boot program, but he got it going again.

Ciscone also has been organizing the East Haven Motorcycle Poker Run to raise money for MDA for the past 15 years, she said.

I just felt that he was more than deserving, Nieves said.

MDA of Connecticut, based in North Haven, nominated Ciscone for the award, Nieves said.

We believe Joe should be the recipient of this prestigious award due to his 25+ year relationship with the MDA and his passion to drive our mission, the nomination read. Joe not only leads the (Fill The Boot program) but he also organizes several additional community engagement events throughout East Haven year after year.

Through his leadership Joe has assisted in raising nearly $300,000 for the MDA of CT in his 25+ years as a career firefighter, the nomination said. Joe is not only a hero to his community but also to MDA of CT and the families we serve.

Ciscone said he actually has been a firefighter for 31 years and at least 25 years of that hes been helping to raise money for MDA of Connecticut, which uses it both to fund research and to send kids with muscular dystrophy to camp.

Basically, I was chosen because of my service, he said. I was humbled and honored to win the award. ... A lot of firefighters do a lot of work for muscular dystrophy. To be chosen over all of them is quite an honor.

The Boot Camp event was put on jointly by the IAFF 3rd District, which includes Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont and Maine, and the IAFF 1st District, which includes New York and New Jersey.

mark.zaretsky@hearstmediact.com
Former President Jimmy Carter may have spent three days in the hospital recovering from hip replacement surgery, but the 94-year-old is expected to teach Sunday school at his beloved Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains, Georgia, this weekend.

Carter was released from the hospital Thursday morning, the Carter Center announced, and will continue to recuperate at home. He was admitted Monday after a fall on his way to go turkey hunting and later underwent a successful surgery at the Phoebe Sumter Medical Center in Americus, Georgia.

"He will undergo physical therapy, as part of his recovery from hip replacement surgery. President Carter plans to teach Sunday school at Maranatha Baptist Church this weekend," the Carter Center said in a statement.

In March, Carter became the oldest-living former president in U.S. history. The former president fought cancer in his liver and brain, announcing his cancer was gone in 2015. He was hospitalized briefly in 2017 after becoming dehydrated while working on a Habitat for Humanity project in Canada, but has since been in overall good health.

Carter continues to maintain an active lifestyle, and spoke by phone with President Donald Trump on the topic of China trade negotiations last month.

On Monday, the Carter Center said that Carter was more concerned about the impending end of hunting season than the fall.

"President Carter said his main concern is that turkey season ends this week, and he has not reached his limit," the statement said. "He hopes the State of Georgia will allow him to rollover the unused limit to next year."

Former first lady Rosalynn Carter, 91, also spent time in the hospital this week.

"(She) felt faint and was admitted overnight to the hospital for observation and testing. She left the hospital with President Carter this morning," the Carter Center statement said.

The Carters extended their thanks "to the many people who sent their well wishes" this week, which included a tweet from Trump himself.

"Wishing former President Jimmy Carter a speedy recovery from his hip surgery earlier today," the president wrote, adding, "He was in such good spirits when we spoke last month -- he will be fine!"
 A 17-year-old city resident has been charged with shooting a 14-year-old boy, police said.

The arrest warrant in the case was signed Tuesday, charging the older teen with first-degree assault, police said.

The 14-year-old suffered a gunshot wound to the leg while he was in a business parking lot on Foxon Boulevard, also know as Route 80, at Quinnipiac Avenue, at about 8:30 p.m. May 9, according to police.

The victim, who was found at a nearby residence, was taken to the hospital with a non-life-threatening injury and since has been discharged from the hospital, police said. The suspect was not named by police.

The suspect, who was a gunshot victim earlier this year, was arraigned Wednesday in adult court in New Haven and is in custody in a state Department of Correction facility, police said. NHPD Detective Daniel Conklin was the lead investigator in the case.
Surveillance video of an alleged drunk driver crashing into a pizza place in Pennsauken May 3 shows how fortunate that none of the three men in the shop were more seriously injured.

The video, obtained by 6ABC, shows Kimberly Killions Nissan Rogue turn sharply and crash through the front of Flying Crust Pizza and Wings, striking a man and throwing him into wall. Two other employees were also injured when the vehicle collided with the counter, knocking them back, the video shows.

VIDEO: A suspected drunk driver slams into a Pennsauken pizza shop (5/3) @6abc pic.twitter.com/DxvbnXg2O3  Maggie Kent (@MaggieKent6abc) May 16, 2019

Nobody, though, was standing in the middle of the pizza parlor at 7709 Park Ave. when the SUV came hurtling inside.

Killion, 34, was charged Wednesday with assault by auto, drunk driving and other charges after a blood test at the hospital found her blood alcohol content was .195, more than twice the legal limit, according to court documents.

She is a math teacher at Pennsauken Intermediate School and the daughter of Mayor Jack Killion. A school official said after the crash last week that Killion was on sick leave.

The Camden County Prosecutors Office said she was drinking at an establishment in Pennsauken before the crash around 10:18 p.m. The surveillance video obtained by 6ABC appears to show Killion briefly attempting to back the car out of the restaurant before people tell her to stop.

A video Flying Crust posted on social media shows a staffer asking her if she was on medication or if she had fallen asleep when she drove into the store. She replied, Im good.

The people inside the store who suffered minor injuries were a 42-year-old man from Woodlynne, a 25-year-old man from Philadelphia, and a 37-year-old man from Pennsauken. Only the Pennsauken man and Killion were taken to the hospital, the prosecutors office said.

The police narrative of the crash says the man who was struck by the car injured his back, while the two who were hit by the counter suffered abdomen and leg injuries.

The investigation was transferred to the Camden County Prosecutors Office a day after the crash. Officials have not said whether that decision was because of Killions relation to the mayor or a brother who is a Pennsauken police officer, according to the news blog NJPEN.

A car smashed through Flying Crust Pizza in Pennsauken May 3, 2019. The driver, a Pennsauken teacher, was charged Wednesday, May 15, 2019. (Flying Crust Pizza)

Killion, who was released on a summons, did not return an email or call seeking comment. Mayor Killions office declined to comment, referring a reporter to the prosecutors office.

The owner of Flying Crust Pizza also declined to comment. Killion earns a salary of $57,501, a school official said.

Rebecca Everett may be reached at reverett@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @rebeccajeverett. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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A South Jersey school board member accused of impersonating a police officer has been granted admission to the pre-trial intervention program.

Millville resident Robert W. McQuade called the New Years Day incident a misunderstanding and expressed his wish to continue serving city residents on the elected board.

McQuade, 53, was arrested Jan. 1 after police responding to a report of a fight in front of BoJos Ale House in Millville spotted him running from the area.

After an officer chased McQuade and tackled him, he allegedly yelled that he was an off-duty, retired Millville officer. He was neither, police later said, though he had served previously as a special officer for the city.

McQuade told the arresting officer that he was chasing someone who had run from the fight scene, but the officer reported seeing no one else during the pursuit.

Police learned that as the fight broke out around 1 a.m., McQuade pulled up in his truck, parked in the middle of High Street and identified himself as a cop before taking off on foot.

He was charged with impersonating a police officer, resisting arrest by force and flight and disorderly conduct.

McQuade, who had served as a class-1 special officer several years ago, showed the arresting officer a department badge and photo ID indicating his special officer status. He was never reinstated to the position and the badge and ID should have been turned in when he completed his service with the department, an official later noted.

Its not clear why McQuade still had these items, but they were confiscated when he was arrested.

During a court appearance in March, McQuades attorney told a judge that his client would apply for the diversionary program, which is generally granted to first-time offenders.

McQuade, who is serving his second term on the Millville school board, hopes to move on from the incident.

I felt it was just a big misunderstanding between both parties, McQuade said.

In addition to serving on the school board, McQuade co-founded Millvilles Center City Crime Watch and leads volunteer clean-up efforts in the community. He works with fellow-volunteer Tyler Pettit picking up discarded televisions from homes around the community, he said.

In 2016, McQuade was recognized by city officials for tackling a man who was running from police, according to a Daily Journal article. He was no longer a special officer when he went above and beyond in assisting police, the mayor said at the time.

I feel that Ive done a lot of good for the community, McQuade said Thursday.

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Jack Fornaro said he was just being inquisitive when he raised the question at a state Board of Education meeting.

With the demographics that you have indicated here, you know, the high population that is Hispanic, and, uh, I am just wondering, do you teach American history as a required course, Fornaro, a state board member, asked Paterson school officials.

The answers is obviously yes. And, now, Fornaro is facing backlash from two state lawmakers who condemned his May 1 comments as shocking and insensitive."

Given the national climate, we must be clear that New Jersey does not stand for this type of prejudice, certainly not from those in positions in power, Sen. Teresa Ruiz, D-Essex, and Sen. Nellie Pou, D-Passaic, wrote in a letter to the state education commissioner.

Fornaro called the response to his question overblown. He may have misspoke when he started off by mentioning Hispanic students, he said, but would have asked that question of any district because hes heard complaints that students arent learning enough about history.

Im not that guy they are trying to make me out to be, Fornaro said. I am not a prejudiced person.

The dispute comes amid rising tensions on all sides of the cultural and political debate. It pits the fear that national immigration policy has stoked and normalized prejudice against people of color against claims of hypersensitivity and political correctness run amok.

Hispanic immigrants often face constant doubts about their assimilation (are they American enough?), so the question of learning about American history may be received as especially offensive the way Fornaro phrased it.

Ruiz and Pou said they were specifically concerned that Fornaro also asked about the pass rate for American history, which they interpreted as a suggestion that immigrants and children of immigrants cant pass the class.

But Fornaro said he heard no complaints about his questions until he began fielding calls from reporters when the lawmakers blasted him. He was mostly interested in what time periods are taught.

How far does that go back? he asked, according to audio obtained by NJ Advance Media. Does that go back to the independence, when the county was declared independent or does it go after the Civil War? Where do you start?"

He also pointed out that hes the son of Italian immigrants and grew up in Brooklyn in the 1940s and 1950s.

I grew up in a mixed neighborhood, he said. I am fine with every population in the country.

Fornaro had been on the state board since 2011, when he was appointed by then-Gov. Chris Christie. A former police officer and investigator, he now works as an aide for Sen. Gerald Cardinale, R-Bergen.

In their letter to the education commissioner, Ruiz and Pou suggested all board members should be trained in cultural competency and cultural sensitivity.

Adam Clark may be reached at adam_clark@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on twitter at @realAdamClark. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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A former Rutgers New Jersey Medical School employee was sentenced Wednesday to five years in prison for stealing more than $87,000 from the Newark institution, using some of the money to pay off her sons college tuition, prosecutors said.

Sondra Bell, who worked as an administrative assistant at Rutgers for 24 years, generated vouchers for her own personal use, according to the Essex County Prosecutors Office. The 55-year-old Newark resident pleaded guilty in January to second-degree theft by deception.

Bells theft was uncovered in April 2018 when she was asked to buy airline tickets for her boss to attend a medical conference, officials said. She told her boss there was not enough money in the account to pay for the flights, admitted to stealing and asked him to cover the missing $87,000. Her manager declined and authorities were informed.

Rutgers officials discovered an $87,145 discrepancy, the prosecutors office said. Bell said he used some of the money to pay for sons higher education.

The defendant was a trusted employee and she was respected in the community, Assistant Prosecutor Walter Dirkin, who handled the case, said in a statement.

Bell harmed a program which served the most vulnerable in our society, Dirkin said.

Her scam began in January of 2017, according to the prosecutor.

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The good news for residents of Logan Township is school taxes for a typical homeowner are going down by almost $10 to fund the next school year.

The bad news is they are likely to give that back and then some in coming years because of a projected 77 percent cut in state funding for the K-8 district over the next six years.

The bad news was delivered at a school board meeting earlier this month. The Gloucester County district is one of nearly 200 of school districts around the state which ended up on the short side of a school funding formula that determines districts that have been overpaid or underpaid. The overpaid determination means those municipalities should be able to raise more money for schools from the local tax base of residents and businesses. In Logans case, it also signaled a slight decline in school enrollment.

Patricia Haney, Logans superintendent of schools, said this week that she has launched a campaign to convince the state Legislature to allow districts like hers to exceed a 2-percent cap in annual tax levy increases to keep up with the pace of state funding reductions. Without that, she said Logan would face drastic choices about staff and services to keep schools operating.

I asked them to consider releasing the 2-percent cap on the tax levy for districts who they are stating can afford more ratables, said Haney, who testified at a regional state Senate hearing in Salem County on school funding in March. I asked them to consider that.

Senate President Steve Sweeney of West Deptford represents Logan Township in the state Legislature. Haney said she has not spoken directly with him about her proposal. She said she did speak with Assemblyman Adam Taliaferro, also of the 3rd Legislative district..

Taliafarro did not immediately return a call for comment Tuesday afternoon.

Logan currently receives about $5.2 million annually in state aid to fund its $20.9 million budget. State funds will decline by $3.7 million over the next six years. For nearly a decade, school boards and municipal governments have been bound by state law to not raise the amount collected in taxes, or the tax levy, by more than 2 percent annually. There are circumstances in which budgets can exceed 2 percent, but Haney said this is not one of them.

Thats why she wants legislators to give towns like Logan an option to do so. Without this option, Haney and business administrator Sarah Bell said spending cuts would be the only option.

Logan was able to avoid any reduction in force orders for the coming 2020 budget, which funds from June 2019 to June 2020, by not replacing several teaching retirements and converting a full-time gym teacher to part time. The owner of a home with an assessed value of $212,000, the township average, will pay $1,992 in taxes for the next school budget, a $10 reduction. That figure includes the tuition Logan Township residents pay to send their 335 students to Kingsway Regional High School and Gloucester County Institute of Technology for grades 9-12.

In 2018, the average tax bill in Logan  including school, municipal and county taxes  was $4,470, nearly half the state average of $8,767.

The $10 decrease was due to a school bond that was paid off. Haney said her staff was diligent in arranging a recently passed referendum to fund a list of school improvements. She said the new debt was taken on just as the old debt was paid off.

School officials also said two-thirds of the districts $13.3 million tax levy is paid by local businesses. The district posted a slide presentation on its website to explain the expected funding shortfall.

The state has determined Logan should raise $15.5 million from taxes for its budget. But in order to bridge the $2.4 million difference, it would take the district 10 years to do with a 2 percent tax cap. An additional challenge is the state plans to cut $3.7 million in funding, not just $2.4, Bell said.

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Could Essex County be next to see a major measles outbreak in the U.S.?

Amid the worst measles outbreak in the nation in a quarter-century, researchers in a new study say they have identified the top 25 counties in the U.S. most at risk for future outbreaks.

Essex County landed 15th on the list, according to the study published last week in the medical journal The Lancet.

Researchers from the University of Texas at Austin and Johns Hopkins University looked at factors such as nonmedical vaccine exemption rates, a growing anti-vaccination movement, regions near major international airports and population density.

The five counties topping the list were Cook County, Illinois; Los Angeles County, California; Miami-Dade County, Florida; Queens, New York City; and King County, Washington.

Health experts say its not surprising Essex County made the list, even if it hasnt been hit as hard by measles, like other parts of the state such as Ocean County, where the bulk of cases have been concentrated.

The county, like the other regions mapped in the study, is a highly populated area and home to Newark Liberty International Airport, a major hub for international travelers.

We have always known that the airport could be a point of contact with communicable illnesses," said David Cennimo, an infectious disease expert at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School.

Earlier this month, state health officials said that a traveler might have exposed others to the highly contagious disease in mid-April.

In looking at the origin countries of international travelers, the study determined that India, China, Mexico, Japan, Ukraine, Philippines and Thailand pose the biggest threat for measles.

Though the study did not list Brooklyn, where a massive measles outbreak has infected hundreds of people, mostly in an Orthodox Jewish community, researchers maintain the models reliability, saying that at least 30 of the 45 counties that have reported measles cases in 2019 were on the list.

Our results correctly predicted the areas in Washington, Oregon, and New York that have had major measles outbreaks. Brooklyn, New York, which has reported over 300 cases, is adjacent to Queens, New York, which ranked fourth," researchers said in the study.

Time will tell if the hypothesis holds for Essex County.

So far this year, there have been 839 cases of measles in 23 states in the U.S., according to the most recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This means that only five months into 2019, the U.S. has seen the highest number of reported cases since 1994 and since the disease was declared eradicated in 2000, the CDC says.

These high numbers show that the USA still remains at risk for large measles epidemics such as those recently seen in Europe, the study says.

Cennimo stressed that as measles continues to impact communities throughout the country, the best thing you can do is get vaccinated, which researchers pointed out as being another major contributor to the problem, particularly due to non-medical vaccine exemptions.

Spencer Kent may be reached at skent@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @SpencerMKent. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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Jersey City lost another case related to public records on Thursday when a two-judge appellate panel affirmed a lower court ruling that the city violated the Open Public Records Act in 2015 over documents related to the Sixth Street Embankment.

The judges said they could find no mistake in the lower courts ruling, which put the city on the hook for $42,038 in legal fees related to the OPRA request. The city had argued the amount was unreasonable and the appellate court disagreed.

This is the second time in six months Mayor Steve Fulops administration has lost an OPRA case that revolves around a high-profile piece of real estate. In December, a judge declared Kushner Companies and its partner, KABR Group, the prevailing parties in their records dispute with the city. The developers, who are suing the city in federal court in a separate matter, asked for records related to its One Journal Square property.

The plaintiff in the newest case is 280 Erie Street LLC, which is controlled by an attorney for Steve and Victoria Hyman. The couple have been in a protracted legal battle with the city for over a decade over control of the embankment, a six-block stretch near the waterfront that was once home to a rail line. The city has said it wants to turn the property into a High Line-style park.

All of this will hopefully be part of the ultimate resolution on the embankment and everybody wants to move forward to achieve that," said Dan Horgan, the couples attorney.

City spokeswoman Kimberly Wallace-Scalcione said the city does not plan to review its OPRA policy in light of recent court losses.

It wouldnt make sense to talk about changing policy for two (out of thousands) recent decisions dating back to 2015 that didnt go in the citys favor, she said. The citys disputes simply asked for clarification and for the large requests to be narrowed down due to the unnecessarily large amount of work that would disrupt agency operation.

As part of a separate lawsuit where the plaintiffs challenged the legality of a 2016 ordinance that was intended as a step toward the city acquiring the embankment, the Hymans filed an OPRA request for numerous documents, including bills, invoices, vouchers and communications between the city and outside parties.

The Hymans sued after the city did not deliver the requests in a timely fashion and in March 2016 a judge sided with the couple and told the city to produce the records. The judge also ordered the city to pay the Hymans $42,038 in legal costs.

OPRA allows prevailing parties to seek legal fees from the losing side. The citys bill over the Kushner fight is $95,850.

The city argued to the appellate judges that the Hymans' original request was overly broad, that the lower court judge erred by expanding the scope of the original OPRA request and that the legal fees were unreasonable.

The appellate judges ruled the first two arguments moot because the city did not make them to the lower court judge.

Conrail sold the embankment property in 2005 to a group of LLCs controlled by the Hymans. The city challenged the sale and all sides have been at odds in court since then. In November, Fulop said on Twitter that the city had a long settlement meeting and we are getting close to a resolution.

Terrence T. McDonald may be reached at tmcdonald@jjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter @terrencemcd. Find The Jersey Journal on Facebook.
For the second time this week, authorities have recovered a body from the Hudson River, this time from the Hoboken waterfront.

The Hudson County Prosecutors Office confirmed its Homicide Unit is investigating the death of a male whose body was pulled from the water near Pier A on Wednesday afternoon.

The discovery of the body comes two days after another body was recovered from the Hudson River near Exchange Place in Jersey City on Monday morning. Authorities have yet to release the identity of that person.

No additional information on Wednesdays discovery was immediately available.
JERSEY CITY  Chaos broke out in a Hudson County courtroom when a family member of a man who was stabbed to death made a mad rush at the killer as he was being led away after being sentenced to 20 years in prison for the crime.

Sheriffs officers grabbed the enraged man and wrestled with him in order to keep him away from Nasiar Day, 20, of Newark, who pleaded guilty to the Nov. 14, 2017 aggravated manslaughter of Jose Migue Malave, 30.

Hudson County Superior Court Judge John Young was rushed off the bench as another enraged man repeatedly refused to sit down as sheriffs officers tried to lead Day out of the courtroom. Some of the dozen or so officers in the courtroom swarmed over the man to keep him from going anywhere.

Thats when two female members of Malaves family began having trouble breathing and officers went to their side to see if they needed medical attention as the loud disruption continued. In the end, they said they did not.

The large man who rushed at Day was eventually wrestled out the courtroom door by several officers as a few supporters of Malave mixed into the mass of bodies.

The man who killed Malave inside the victims own Palisade Avenue home was walked out of court by sheriffs officers after the dust settled.

A number of events led to the senseless killing of Malave, a father of 11 children. Days defense attorney said Day moved to Jersey City to live with his girlfriend and their baby but they had money trouble and were evicted. After a few months, the landlord put most of their possessions on the street, including clothing, a crib and other items.

On the day of the homicide, Day was hanging around with Devante Dormena, who was 17 at the time, and others at a nearby deli. Day saw Malave and his then 8-year-old son walk by and noticed the boy was wearing a sweatshirt that he recognized as his own.

Day told Malave that the shirt belonged to him and Malave said he would give it back, but he just wanted to walk his son home first. At Malaves apartment, he returned the sweatshirt, which was apparently taken when Days things were put at the curbside.

Day thought Malave might have more of his belongings, but when and he and Dormena went back to the apartment, the Malaves would not let them inside. Instead, they let others come into their home and they found more items belonging to Day. They were returned as well.

Hudson County Assistant Prosecutor Nicole Gazzar said Malave tried to diffuse the situation at every turn but Day would not let it go. She said he got a knife and he and Dormena went back to Malaves home and pushed their way inside. Dormena punched Malave before Day fatally stabbed him.

Gazzar said the clothes Malave returned that day were recovered in a search in Newark and they had Malaves blood on them. She said Day was actually holding all the clothing Malave had willingly returned as he stabbed him to death.

A family member who was present at the killing said during the sentencing that Malaves then 8-year-old son stood over his dying father saying, Daddy please dont die.

Gazzar noted that Day was arrested three times as a juvenile and was adjudicated delinquent for aggravated assault in an incident in which he beat a 16-year-old girl with a scooter. He was on probation for that incident when he killed Malave.

Young meted out the maximum penalty possible sentence for the crime under the plea deal.

Dormena pleaded guilty to aggravated assault and faces five to 10 years in prison. Day has more than 1,000 days of jail credit.

The judge found there was an enormous risk Day would commit another crime, that Day must be deterred, and that society must get the message that people cant take the law into their own hands. He said Malave had done nothing wrong and merely reclaimed some garbage on the sidewalk.

You are a violent person, thats what your record says, Young told Day before sentencing him. Day showed no emotion at the sentencing but did apologize to Malaves family.
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.

New Jersey residents who want cannabis as an alternative to traditional medicine and the thriving medical marijuana industry eager to serve them stand to gain the most from Wednesdays announcement that state lawmakers will let voters decide whether to legalize weed in 2020.

The decision to abandon a long-debated bill to legalize recreational pot in favor of a voter referendum clears the way to finally overhaul New Jersey nine-year-old medicinal marijuana law, which frustrated patients and growers see as too expensive and restrictive.

Hearings on the stalled legislation may be held as early as next week, said one of the bills sponsors, state Sen. Joseph Vitale, D-Middlesex said. State Senate President Stephen Sweeney, D-Gloucester, vowed to deliver the bill to Gov. Phil Murphys desk before the end of June.

For months, Sweeney prevented the state Legislature from voting on the bill expanding the medical program (S10) until he could get enough votes for the recreational marijuana bill (S2703). But on Wednesday morning, Sweeney conceded he had no choice but to abandon that strategy because too many Democrats in his caucus remain steadfastly opposed legalizing recreational marijuana.

It is something I believe strongly in, but the votes arent there, Sweeney said. "And you cant hold back progress.

For the six nonprofit dispensaries that supply 46,400 registered patients with cannabis, the legislation would permit them to convert to for-profit businesses, enabling them to compete for investments and more affordable loans. Patients would save money by having to see their doctor once a year, rather than four times, to renew their registration in the program.

And they would be permitted to buy as much as three ounces, instead of 2 ounces of cannabis a month  which would ease concerns for people who go through their supply quickly.

Mike Honig of Howell had become one of the most vocal critics of the delay in passing the medical expansion bill, which is named for his son, Jake, who died from cancer at age 7 last year.

Jake relied on cannabis oil his parents made for him, but the extraction process burned through the 2-ounce supply fast. Jake would suffer greatly when the oil ran out two weeks into the month, his father has said.

Mike Honig expressed relief over Sweeneys announcement.

We continue the sense of urgency for the medical expansion because many patients like Jake, have limited time, Honig said. We saw the positive impact that medical marijuana had on our son, and our hopes are that sooner than later other children will be able to benefit from these learnings, without the obstacles that we were faced with, such as the 2-ounce limit.

Vitale and state Sen. Nicholas Scutari, D-Union, the Senate sponsors of the medical expansion bill, said they are working on amendments but declined to discuss them. Scutari said he wanted to include the language in the adult-use recreational bill that created a cannabis control commission to take control of the medical program from the Department of Health, an idea that Murphy once resisted.

Sweeneys announcement also sets in motion a scramble to draft legislation that would expedite the expungement process for as many as 200,000 people who have marijuana arrests and convictions. Sweeney did not offer details on what that would look like, but suggested the expungement law, if passed before the 2020 election, would not take effect unless and until voters approved a constitutional amendment to legalize cannabis.

Scutari said he would get to work drafting the amendment, but acknowledged it would be tricky. It would have to contain far more than a simple yes or no question on legalizing weed, he said. It should also contain language that grants the Legislature and the executive branch the power to determine how the law will work, he said.

Otherwise, well be trying to condense the 190-page bill into a single paragraph, Scutari said. Its a hard thing to do.

Murphy said he had a mixed reaction to Sweeneys announcement, agreeing with the concept of enacting expungement reforms and improving the medicinal marijuana program but adding, "the devil will be in the details.

Im not clear based on what was discussed this morning about how the expungement bill will work, the governor said during an unrelated event in East Windsor.

Are we expunging something in the past that is still illegal today? Murphy asked.

Murphy also said hes not sure if he will move forward with expanding the medical marijuana program through his executive powers or wait for the bill.

To be determined, the governor said. Ive made no secret Ive been holding back an enormous demand.

The medical marijuana program has gained 29,000 participants since Murphy took office in January 2018, in large part because he added anxiety and some forms of chronic pain to the qualifying conditions list.

NJ Advance Media staff writer Brent Johnson contributed to this report.

Susan K. Livio may be reached at slivio@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @SusanKLivio. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.

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A Middlesex County man pleaded guilty to carjacking a woman in Edison in 2017 after impersonating a cop by flashing a badge and gun, officials said.

John Spina, 46, pleaded guilty Monday to carjacking, aggravated assault, possession of a weapon for unlawful purpose and eluding, Middlesex County Prosecutor Andrew C. Carey announced.

The Sayreville man will be sentenced to 25 years in state prison after agreeing to a plea deal with Middlesex County Assistant Prosecutor Dimitri Teresh, Carey said.

Officials say on Jan. 10, 2017 at around 1:16 p.m., Spina approached a woman sitting in her car in the parking lot of the Wick Plaza Shopping Mall on Route 1 in Edison, and showed her a badge and gun.

As she rolled her window down, Spina began punching her, got into her car, and continued beating her before she was able to escape, police said.

Spina fled from the scene in the womans car, which was later found on Washington Street in Sayreville by local police. When cops pursued Spina, he sideswiped two on-coming cars and hit a third car head-on, authorities said.

Spina then got out of the car, which was stuck in some roadside shrubbery, and tried to run, police said.

The owner of the car was treated for injuries from the beating at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick and later released. The driver of the car Spina hit head-on was treated at Raritan Bay Medical Center in Old Bridge for minor injuries.

During a pretrial hearing in 2017, prosecutors said Spina was recently released in prison on a robbery conviction in 1999 and another carjacking case in 2001.

Spina is scheduled to be sentenced on July 29, 2019.

Sophie Nieto-Munoz may be reached at snietomunoz@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her at @snietomunoz. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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The family of a New Jersey man killed by a hit-and-run driver last summer is not giving up hope that someone will be held responsible for the death of the beloved father, son and brother.

Their belief was enhanced a bit this week when a local realtor who knows the family of John Kukuch Jr. paid for three digital billboards in prominent locations to highlight the $10,000 reward being offered to find the driver.

Theres nothing thats going to heal our hearts, but just to know whoever it was that decided to keep driving that night is going to be faced with something would help bring a little closure, said Jennifer Bentivegna, one of Kukuchs sisters. Thats one of the hardest things - thinking how could another human being hit someone and then not stop to help.

Authorities said Kukuch was hit by a black or dark-colored, new model, smaller SUV at 1:23 a.m.. on Aug. 13 while walking along the shoulder of Route 1 south near CloverLeaf Memorial Park, just past the exit for Route 35 in Woodbridge.

Kukuch, 31, was walking to his nearby home following a night out with friends.

Shortly after Kukuchs death, Bentivegna and other family members launched a GoFundMe.com page hoping to raise money for a reward in an effort to encourage tips that would help Woodbridge police and the Middlesex County Prosecutors Office track down the driver. More than $8,5000 has since been donated.

With just a small donation from all who care, we can put together as large of a reward as we can possibly gather, and to offer it to anyone who anonymously steps forward and exposes the person(s) responsible for this coward, inhumane act that took Johnny from all of us, the page says.

One of the billboards is near the intersection of Interstate 280 and Route 21 in Newark, Bentivegna said. The others are in North Brunswick on Route 1 where it meets Route 130 - one on the northbound side and one visible as motorists head south. The billboards began displaying information about the hit-and-run on Tuesday.

Were pretty grateful for any time they give us, Bentivegna said of Robert Dekanski and his realty office, which is footing the bill for the billboards.

In the meantime, family members continue to focus their attention on Kukuchs now 9-year-old son, also named John.

Hes doing remarkably well, Bentivegna said. He loves hearing stories about his dad even though its so raw for us. He has so much support and always will.

The Middlesex County Prosecutors Office said the investigation is still active.

Tip information can be provided anonymously through Crime Stoppers of Middlesex County by calling 1-800-939-9600 or submitted online at www.middlesextips.com. Tips can also be sent by text to 274637 (CRIMES) with the keyword: midtip followed by the tip information.

Those who provide information will be given a unique numerical code that that allows them to communicate with the program and collect a reward should their information lead to an arrest. All reward amounts are approved and set by Crime Stoppers of Middlesex County.

Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JeffSGoldman.
A Newark man serving life in prison for a 1997 killing lost another round in court Thursday, as judges rejected an appeal of his second post-conviction relief denial.

Tieheen Fletcher, 43, has argued that he received ineffective legal representation at trial and during his multiple filings that followed his conviction on murder and weapons charges.

Fletcher has claimed his trial attorney dropped the ball by not arguing that he acted in self-defense in the Aug. 8, 1997, killing of Gregory Brantley. Fletcher has also claimed he had nothing to do with the shooting.

Brantley was standing outside of a house he planned to purchase in Newark when a witness saw Fletcher arguing with the victim. Brantley had accused Fletcher of dealing drugs in front of the house, according to previous reports. Fletcher was a known-drug dealer, Thursdays ruling noted.

Flectcher was convicted and sentenced to life in prison with a requirement that he serve 30 years before hes eligible for parole.

The appellate court upheld his conviction and sentencing in 2001, and his petitions for PCR followed.

Fletcher has argued that he received ineffective trial counsel because his attorney successfully suppressed a statement he had given to police, did not pursue the self-defense theory, inadequately advised him about his right to testify and didnt seek appropriate relief when hearsay testimony was introduced during his trial.

Those claims were all rejected by the PCR judge and that decision was upheld by the appellate court.

In his second bid for post-conviction relief, Fletcher re-asserted his earlier claims about trial counsel and added that he received similar poor service from his PCR and appellate counsel for failing to argue that his trial counsel erred by not telling him she had no plans to argue the self-defense angle.

The judge hearing his second post-conviction relief bid denied the petition and noted that the self-defense claim contradicted Fletchers own testimony that he knew nothing about the shooting.

The judge found Fletchers claims against counsel in all of these matters were time-barred because he didnt make his claims within one year of his first PCR denial and within one year of the appellate court upholding that first denial.

In appealing his second PCR denial, Fletcher challenged the time restriction decision and argued that he deserved an evidentiary hearing regarding his PCR appellate counsels ineffectiveness.

In Thursdays ruling, the appellate court upheld the second denial, finding Fletcher presented no evidence to support his claims against his attorneys and agreeing with the lower-court ruling that the claims were not filed in a timely manner

Fletcher remains at East Jersey State Prison. His current parole eligibility date is Aug. 15, 2027, according to state Department of Corrections records.

Matt Gray may be reached at mgray@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MattGraySJT. 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.
Considered to be the Ten Best UFO Photos Ever Taken I am sure that we could add more pictures to this list but these are considered ten o...
A New Jersey man admitted Wednesday he took part in a $2 million check fraud scheme in which expensive merchandise was stolen from home-improvement stores in several states over a three-plus year period.

Lessie Dickerson III, 35, of Newark pleaded guilty on Wednesday to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, the New Jersey U.S. Attorneys Office said in a statement.

He faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 when is sentenced Sept. 16 in federal court in Newark. Two Irvington men who took part in the scheme were sentenced in February. Shadeed Phillips, 33, got a year in federal prison and Koreen Higgs, 45, was sentenced to 33 months in prison.

Their cohort, John Muyeka, of Sayreville, created fake drivers license that used photographs of Dickerson and their associates but fictitious names, addresses, and dates of birth, according to court papers.

Dickerson then went into home-improvement stores and purchased items such as air conditioners and hardwood flooring by passing cashiers fraudulent checks showing a fake name but containing legitimate account and routing numbers.

On other occasions Dickerson posed as someone that was authorized to use store credit that had been earlier obtained by using one of the fake checks, prosecutors said.

The group stole from stores in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, North Carolina, Georgia, Virginia, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and South Carolina between December 2013 and February 2017, officials said.

Charging documents mention businesses in Flanders, Marlboro, Brick and Phillipsburg but dont specify the names of the stores.

Dickerson and Muyeka, then 42, were charged in April 2018. Dickerson has also gone by the name Leon Terrell McKinney, officials said.

Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JeffSGoldman.

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The first thing I learned about summer jobs was that I wasnt likely to get one.

I got this lesson in May of senior year, when my mom saw me feebly Googling job applications and told me to walk around the mall and hand out my resume. The managers sneered at my too-few free hours swallowed by clubs and schoolwork. Or they said their positions were already taken by my new nemesis: College students.

I was not alone in these troubles. Teens have been dropping out of the labor force for decades, according to Census data. Between 2005 and 2009, 40% of New Jersey teens had some kind of job, but that number dropped during the recession and never rebounded. Now, only 31% of 16- to 19-year-olds have a job or are looking for one.

School attendance and college enrollment has risen ... and teens are taking more strenuous coursework," said Yana Rodgers, a professor of labor studies at Rutgers University. The typical teen job doesnt look good on your college resume.

Along with harder classes and summertime prep, more kids are devoting their free time to volunteer work, clubs and sports, Rodgers said. But there seems to be a class divide: Plenty of teens still have to work to support themselves or their families.

White teens tend to get jobs at higher rates than black or Hispanic teens, Census data shows, but that might be changing. White teens had a 7 percentage point lead over black teens in 2007, but that gap has disappeared. It has disproportionately fallen on minority teens to work," Rodgers said.

But before you point fingers at entitled youth, keep in mind that kids today also face more competition from other age groups  senior citizens, recent grads and yes, current college students, Rodgers said.

John Berruti has the opposite problem. The owner of Summer Sweets, an ice cream shop in Lavallette, said he gets applications from 15- and 16-year-olds but sees fewer and fewer from older teens. He has a hard time hiring young workers, though, because New Jersey law restricts the hours they can work.

He said the new minimum wage increase will limit his hiring further. Am I going to employ a 16-year-old at $15 an hour or a more experienced person I dont have to train as much? Berruti said.

Michele Siekerka, CEO of the New Jersey Business & Industry Association, said the industry group was seeing the same concern among other business owners. While the increase begins in 2020, the tourism industry is preparing for that future and are concerned what the impact will be on their hiring and costs, she said in an emailed statement.

Rodgers cautioned that some studies have found a connection between minimum wage increases and teen unemployment, but others havent. Its controversial, she said.

Also controversial is another claimed cause: A generation-wide case of laziness. Teens dont want to work, they just want to sit at home," said Mike Jurusz, owner of Chef Mikes ABG in Seaside Park. They say they cant work weekends because thats when I hang out with my friends."

Berruti, who hosts a podcast with Jurusz, had a softer take. Most of them are good kids, he said. He has them put their phone in a phone jail so theyre not glued to it all night  but he has the same issues with adults, too. We have 50-year-olds who cant stay off of Facebook, he said.

Look, I started working at eight, cause my family owned an Italian restaurant. And my dad always said, these kids are not the same as they used to be, he said.

Those same teenagers, its worth pointing out, are also taking more high-level math and science courses and college prep courses than ever before.

Tyler Rasinski, a college freshman from Jackson, said his reluctance at first was being too shy to go out in the public eye and ask for one. I just didnt feel like I was ready for one and my parents never really pushed me to get one so I just got complacent," he said in an online chat.

After a nerve-wracking interview, he spent a summer selling clothes. He said he learned how to remain calm in stressful situations and how to talk to those who are superior to you, he said.

I, too, got my first job from an on-the-spot interview at a tutoring center, eventually dispelling the complaints of older relatives that I spent too much time with my nose in a book. Now, in my 20s, I find myself wondering how long it will be before I begin complaining about the youths.

Erin Petenko may be reached at epetenko@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @EPetenko. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
By Cory Booker, Tammy Duckworth and Tom Carper

As a series of trucks headed toward Warren County, North Carolina, a crowd of residents gathered together to lay down in the middle of the road.

It was September 1982, and as they got down onto the ground, a movement rose up.

The residents were protesting North Carolinas decision to dump 6,000 truckloads of toxic soil into their poor, predominantly African-American community. They cried foul after officials brushed aside concerns that the toxic chemicals could bleed into their drinking water and poison their families.

The states decision was part of a larger, nationwide pattern that was just emerging.

Time and time again, the government was putting lower-income neighborhoods and communities of color at greater risk of being exposed to environmental and health hazards.

So, people came together in Warren County. They marched. They spoke out. They blocked the trucks path.

They got arrested by the hundreds  peacefully, but relentlessly fighting back against this latest outrageous instance of environmental racism.

Eventually, the government had its way, and the soil was dumped from the trucks into the town.

But those protests sparked something larger. They ignited a movement to recognize every persons right to a safe, healthy and livable environment and helped launch a new chapter in the fight for civil rights.

A chapter that found early roots on the South Side of Chicago and Newarks Ironbound section, led by heroes like Hazel Johnson and Nancy Vak, who recognized the urgent need for environmental justice.

A chapter thats still being written today.

On #EarthDay, we can't forget communities that experience the biggest consequences of air pollution, water contamination, and more. The Environmental Justice Caucus will ensure that protecting our planet also means protecting our most vulnerable.https://t.co/qnMOIYRLG5  Cory Booker (@CoryBooker) April 22, 2019

Thirty-seven years after the events in Warren County, five decades after President Lyndon B. Johnson announced his War on Poverty and more than a half-century after the Civil Rights Act became law, low-income communities, indigenous communities and communities of color are still suffering from environmental disasters at an alarming rate, while too many in power either profit from this pain or simply look the other way.

Of course, one of the more recent, brazen examples took place in Flint, Michigan. There, the citys attempt to save a few dollars set off a chain of events that poisoned more than 6,000 kids in 18 months, as elected officials covered their eyes to the crisis at hand.

But while Flint was a tragedy, it was not an anomaly.

There are thousands of communities in the United States with lead poisoning rates at least double those in Flint during the peak of their contamination crisis.

Read more of NJ.coms coverage of New Jersey water issues here.

To this day, the Trump Administration is sitting idly by as countless more vulnerable Americans are exposed to pollutants whenever they take a breath of air or a sip from their schools water fountain.

Theres something wrong when black kids on the South and West Sides of Chicago are eight times more likely to die from asthma than white children, as industrial fumes from chemical plants nearby fill their lungs while they play at recess.

Theres something wrong when parents in Newark are warned that their toddlers risk brain damage if they drink unfiltered tap water, or when the No. 1 cause of absenteeism in school is asthma brought on by exposure to diesel emissions and air pollution.

Theres something wrong when a light rain in Wilmington, Delaware inundates the streets of Southbridge with flooding, putting the health and safety of predominantly African-American and working-class residents at risk.

Theres something wrong when families are still living, still dying, in a stretch of Louisiana nicknamed Cancer Alley, where 76-year-old women become activists as they watch their great-grandchildren struggle to breathe in and out.

Enough.

Every American deserves access to clean air and water. No matter their zip code, the color of their skin or the size of their income.

This isnt just an environmental issue.

Its a matter of health and safety.

Its a matter of systemic racism, and of discrimination against those in poorer neighborhoods.

Its a matter of justice.

Thats why on Earth Day, we officially launched the Senates first-ever Environmental Justice Caucus.

We refuse to stay quiet as the Trump Administration ignores these crises or as Donald Trumps EPA hems and haws, then avoids taking proper regulatory action, choosing corporate polluters over American lives time and time again.

Were going to use this caucus to speak out, and to speak out loudly, for communities that for far too long have been disproportionately impacted by polluting industries.

Its been more than three decades since research showed that a communitys racial breakdown was the number one predictor of waste facilities locations. Yet disasters in environmental justice communities still don't get the same attention and assistance as those that take place in wealthier, whiter neighborhoods.

This is unconscionable, unfair and un-American. Every day that those in power refuse to act, they become more complicit in the deaths and diagnoses that are decimating our communities.

With this caucus, were hoping to continue the movement that those Warren County residents helped usher in as they lay down in their streetsdoing everything we can to end these interwoven crises of health, safety and justice.

One bill passed, one water fountain tested, one child saved at a time.

Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) and Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.) recently formed the Environmental Justice Caucus in the U.S. Senate.

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Youve got to give some nj.com readers their props for finding irony in their online responses to a seemingly routine community news article about a schedule change for a county-sponsored shuttle bus.

Salem County turns ignition on new weekly shuttle to Christiana Plaza, read the headline.

Starting Tuesday, the Salem County Office on Aging and Disabilities expanded its bus service with a weekly trip to Christiana Mall and other nearby shopping areas. This bus serves county residents age 60 and over, and those in designated rural areas. Without the service, their access to a broad range of retail stores can be limited.

So, applause all around for this expansion of a tax-supported transportation option, right?

Maybe not. The Christiana Mall is located in Delaware. Delaware has no sales tax, which a few readers noticed, pointedly.

Salem County helping N.J. residents avoid paying sales tax; gotta love it, wrote one.

Posted another: Or, you could keep the money in New Jersey by going to the Deptford Mall for the same travel time.

Others stated that Christiana Mall  probably the main shopping destination for Salem County residents with cars  is several miles closer to the county than the in-state Deptford Mall in Gloucester County.

But, does all this raise legitimate policy questions? Or, does the fact that Salem County is a store desert as far as big-name chain stores go, negate any issues over sales tax due and taking commerce to another state?

For the record, New Jersey residents are generally obligated to remit sales tax on taxable items, even those purchased in a state that doesnt collect sales tax. You can read more about it in the New Jersey Use Tax notice. Its easily the most ignored section of the states income tax form.

Dont have a receipt for what you bought? Thats OK. The state is happy to help you estimate what it thinks you owe for the year, based on your gross income. Earn $30,001 to $50,000? Please send in $64.

Obviously, the number of people who self-declare tax owed on out-of-state purchases must be laughably small, as it is in other states that seek voluntary compliance.

Is Salem County government thus implicated in a tax-evasion scheme by transporting shoppers to Delaware? Several shuttle stops are almost certain to result in taxable purchases: Cabellas, Dicks Sporting Goods, Michaels Crafts, not to mention the only regional mall in America that seems to have more jewelry stores than Manhattans diamond district.

Further, do residents who take this bus to Delaware risk being sitting ducks, so to speak? Lets hope revenuers are not lying in wait to search returning shoppers once the bus with Salem County emblazoned on it crosses back over the Delaware Memorial Bridge.

Presumably, the New Jersey Department of the Treasury follows a dont ask, dont tell policy with these passengers. Actually, this speaks to the folly of even trying to collect use tax from individuals. Why not remove the question from the personal income tax form? Focus instead on businesses that make bulk out-of-state purchases without paying what is due.

These days, Amazon and most other large online sellers are required to collect New Jersey sales tax at the time of purchase, resulting in a windfall that the state didnt have a few years ago. The extra revenue ought to be sufficient for the state to stop making possible scofflaws of people who buy in Delaware, apparently the last refuge against the 6.625 percent levy.

Send a letter to the editor of South Jersey Times at sjletters@njadvancemedia.com

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By Walter Dellinger

I have become increasingly concerned about how the country has received the Mueller report. The Republican talking point is that it exonerated the president. The message from the Democratic House, meanwhile, is that the report is inconclusive. Those responses, one mendacious, one tepid and both erroneous, have shaped public understanding. They have not only allowed the president falsely to claim vindication but also have left the public without a clear understanding of just how damning the report is.

Most Americans, understandably not having read the 448-page (redacted) report, may be influenced by how the principal parties have responded. If the report were, as the Republicans insist, an exoneration, one might demand to know how this unwarranted investigation got started in the first place, which is exactly how the GOP has proceeded to turn the conversation.

And if you thought the report was merely inconclusive, your natural reaction would be that you need to know more. You would say something like what many House Democrats are repeating endlessly: "We need to see the redactions" and "hear from witnesses" - suggesting that there is as of yet no sufficient basis for judging President Donald Trump's conduct.

The more I review the report, the more absurd and misleading the we-need-to-know-more response seems to be. And the more it seems to have contributed to public misunderstanding. How different would it have been if a unified chorus of Democratic leaders in Congress and on the campaign trail had promptly proclaimed the actual truth: This report makes the unquestionable case that the president regularly and audaciously violated his oath and committed the most serious high crimes and misdemeanors.

Mueller's extraordinary 2,800-subpoena, 500-search-warrant, two-year investigation fully established not merely crimes but the betrayal of the president's office: a failure to defend the country's electoral system from foreign attack and acts of interference with justice that shred the rule of law. Congress doesn't need to read more to announce what is obvious from what it should have read already.

I do not doubt that Congress' investigatory oversight function is important, legitimate and firmly grounded historically. The president's response that "we will fight all subpoenas" is unprecedented and ominous. Getting special counsel Robert Mueller and former White House counsel Donald McGahn to testify is a valid and important objective. And although it appears to me that most of the redactions were justified in the first instance, Congress is entitled to see most or all of them - particularly those in Volume One that would offer the most complete possible understanding of Russia's influence and hacking operations. As the House resolution recommending contempt against Attorney General William Barr explains, without this detailed information Congress "is unable to fully perform its responsibility to protect the impending 2020 elections - and thus our democracy itself - from a recurrence of Russian interference."

My concern is that the House's focus on process - such as requesting redacted material - constitutes a strong, implicit suggestion that what we have seen from Mueller is not enough to assess the president. That is just false. The report lays out in detail specific acts of obstruction by the president as well as the extensive evidence that backs up those claims. More than 900 former federal prosecutors (including Republicans and Democrats) have publicly declared that if anyone else had committed those same acts they would be under indictment.

What will we say in the event that the remaining 7% of text adds little or nothing to the overwhelming case of presidential wrongdoing already made out by the report? By not having begun impeachment proceedings or taken other strong action, Democrats may have conceded the debate over the Mueller report's conclusion. Democrats are fighting on process grounds where the White House has some plausible arguments and where winning may add little or nothing to what we already know.

The burden, the House should assert, is now clearly upon the president to show (if he can) wherein the report is inaccurate and why it is not the basis for severe condemnation and sanction of the president.

I'm not one to second-guess Speaker Nancy Pelosi. She is the greatest majority leader of the House of Representatives in my lifetime. I could be persuaded that an impeachment inquiry has its own time for ripening. Or that in the end some form of censure is the better disposition in light of intransigent Republican control of the Senate.

All I am saying is that every day, we should have been shouting from the rooftops: "The president is failing to defend democracy from attack," "The president's campaign welcomed and encouraged Russia's efforts to change our election results," "The president obstructed justice," and "The president daily undermined the rule of law." But we have instead been whispering in the hallways of Congress that "we need to see the redactions." That emphasis is a mistake that needs to be (and hopefully can be) rectified.

Dellinger was head of the Office of Legal Counsel from 1993 to 1996.

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Perhaps youre wondering why you havent seen Richard Gere in many movies lately.

The answer has much to do with the current fight the Trump administration is having with the government of China over trade barriers.

It seems that the Chinese government does not like what Gere has been saying about Tibet, that mountainous nation that was taken over by an oppressive Chinese government that controls every aspect of life there.

In retaliation, the Chinese government has banned Gere and his movies from entering China. That in turn means Hollywood executives wont cast Gere in any major movies for fear of upsetting the Chinese.

Gere has also been banned from being a presenter at the Oscar ceremonies because of remarks he made about Tibet during one show. That caused Geres fellow actor, New Jerseys own Susan Sarandon, to utter this comment on Hollywoods hypocrisy:

It doesnt matter if youre outspoken about Trump, because Hollywood hates Trump, she said. But it was brave of Richard to say what he said.

Somethings a bit amiss when an American actor is expected to kowtow to the Communist government of a faraway land. And that something is at the heart of President Trumps current dispute with China over trade rules.

The world will survive without Richard Gere movies. But that attitude carries over into the trade policies of the Chinese government that are now in dispute.

As it happens, Trumps first major supporter among New Jersey Republicans is an expert in such matters. State Sen. Mike Doherty of Warren County is a patent attorney in real life. He has many clients who deal with Chinese policies that hamper U.S. companies.

One example was the logo that one of his clients created, Doherty said. When company officials tried to register that logo in China, they found that a Chinese corporation had already registered it as theirs.

The Chinese authorities let them rip it off, he said. Then the party that stole it from us said, Pay us $300,000 and well let you use it.

In another instance, a New Jersey firm had come up with a design for a home electronics device. They contracted with a Chinese firm to manufacture it. The contract had a proviso banning the manufacturer from selling copies.

It turned out that the company that is only supposed to make it for my client is making it for others and then selling it out the back door, he said.

In both cases the American government turned a blind eye to the Chinese violations of trade agreements, he said.

And when it comes to trade barriers, China has tariffs more than double those imposed by the U.S., according to the World Trade Organization. So why shouldnt Trump raise our tariffs?

Interestingly enough, this is a rare debate where the usual Republican-Democrat and liberal-conservative divisions dont apply.

CNBC recently did a survey of Democratic presidential contenders on the question of our relations with China. Most of the contenders who replied said they support some sort of protectionism for American firms and workers. And some sounded like they wanted to outdo The Donald. (Check this interview with mystic author Marianne Williamson whos running for the nomination. She terms Trump absolutely right in his hardball stance against China.)

U.S. Rep. John Delaney of Maryland commented that China has acted like pirates, stealing intellectual property, building illegal islands, and not playing by the rules.

Meanwhile the conservative National Review has been a leading advocate for ending the trade war with China. A recent piece by Michael Tanner of the free-market Cato Institute highlighted the effect higher tariffs would have on poor and middle class people who buy lots of Chinese-made gadgets.

Consider that among the companies that have announced they will be most impacted by the China tariffs are Walmart, Target, and Costco, none of which are known as the store of choice for global elites, Tanner wrote. Studies show that the lower your income is, the harder youll be hit by tariffs.

Well, you cant have it both ways. Tax revenue has to come from somewhere. And if you oppose raising taxes on the wealthy  as both I and the National Review crowd do - then it has to come from those lower on the scale.

And I suspect that higher tariffs would not do all that much damage to those who shop at those stores.

At the moment, Walmart will sell you a 65-inch widescreen TV for $600. If Trump slaps a permanent 25 percent tariff on Chinese goods, you can always make do with a 49-incher, which would sell for a mere $450 even after the tariff.

Either way, you can watch all the Richard Gere DVDs you want. The Chinese government hasnt figured out a way to ban their sale on this side of the Pacific.

Yet.
Bridget Anne Kelly, who was sentenced in April to 13 months in prison for her role in the Bridgegate corruption scandal, will serve her time at a minimum-security camp for female inmates in West Virginia.

Her attorney, Michael Critchley, has asked she remain free until July 10, before reporting to the Alderson Federal Prison Camp, to ensure all arrangements are finalized for her childrens care while she is incarcerated and to avoid disrupting the end of her minor childrens academic school year.

Kelly is a single mother of four.

Meanwhile, federal prosecutors late Wednesday urged the U.S. Supreme Court to deny a request to review Kellys conviction.

In their filing, they said the trial evidence in the high-profile case showed that she and her co-conspirators engaged in deception in order to carry out a scheme that deprived the Port Authority of its money or property, and served no legitimate Port Authority function.

Kelly, who served as former Gov. Chris Christies deputy chief of staff, and Bill Baroni, the former deputy executive director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, were found guilty in November 2016 of plotting to shut down of several local access lanes to the toll plaza of the George Washington Bridge over four days in 2013. The bizarre plot that became widely known as Bridgegate.

According to prosecutors, the scheme was meant to cause massive traffic gridlock around the area as an act of retaliation aimed at Fort Lee Mayor Mark Sokolich, to punish the Democratic mayor after he walked away from an expected endorsement of Christie, a Republican, during the governors 2013 re-election campaign.

Kelly was the author of the now-infamous time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee email sent shortly before the orange cones went up at the local toll lanes at the bridge  a message that many saw as a smoking gun in the case and was a key piece of evidence used against her.

At trial, Kelly testified that she told Christie in advance about the plan to close toll lanes at the bridge, and said she had gotten his approval for what she thought was a legitimate traffic study. She claimed the traffic problems email to David Wildstein, the admitted mastermind who came up with the traffic gridlock plan, referred to the implementation of the traffic study. She also said that other higher-ups in the governors inner circle were all well-aware of what was going on in Fort Lee long before it became public, and that no one seemed that concerned about it.

Christie was never charged with any wrongdoing and denied any knowledge of the plan, but the case helped sink his presidential aspirations in 2016.

Baroni and Kelly were both found guilty of conspiring to misuse public resources of the Port Authority, which owns and operates the George Washington Bridge, to pursue a personal vendetta. Wildstein pleaded guilty and became a prosecution witness at the Bridgegate trial. He was sentenced to three years probation and 500 hours of community service.

Kellys re-sentencing last month before U.S. District Judge Susan Wigenton in Newark came after a federal appeals court last year threw out a portion of the corruption case against Kelly. She originally had been sentenced to 18 months in prison.

In her petition asking that the U.S. Supreme Court take up her case, Kellys attorneys have argued that the prosecution criminalized routine political behavior, transforming the federal judiciary into a Ministry of Truth for every public official in the nation.

In their filing, her lawyers said the basis for her conviction was the concealment of political motives for an otherwise legitimate official act. Taken seriously, they said such a legal standard would allow any federal, state, or local official to be indicted based on nothing more than the allegation that someone lied in claiming to act in the public interest.

There is no way that could possibly be the law, they said. Consider a cabinet secretary who appoints a friend to a public post, declaring him to be best-qualified. Or a deputy mayor who orders pothole repair to reward her bosss political base  justifying it on neutral policy grounds.

But prosecutors rejected the argument. They said the fact that the lane closures at the George Washington Bridge may have been politically motivated were irrelevant to Kelleys guilt.

Whether Kelly and Baroni were motivated by political animus toward the mayor of Fort Lee or by a desire for personal gain, their criminal liability would be unchanged, because their conduct constituted a scheme or artifice to defraud, or for obtaining money or property by means of false or fraudulent pretenses, they told the high court.

They added that the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, which had denied a motion for a new trial, had also found that the trial evidence was sufficient to show that petitioners and her co-conspirators lies about the traffic study were necessary to carry out the scheme.

In their filing, prosecutors said Kelly and Baroni would not have been able to shut down the toll lanes if they had provided the actual reason or no reason at all for the lane changes. Instead, said prosecutors, they had to lie and create the traffic study cover story in order to get Port Authority employees to implement the realignment.

It is not known when the high court will make a ruling on the petition for a review.

Baroni, who joined Kelly in her Supreme Court appeal, is already serving his 18-month prison sentence at the Loretto Federal Correctional Institution in Pennsylvania .

Ted Sherman may be reached at tsherman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TedShermanSL. Facebook: @TedSherman.reporter. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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The state Legislatures most powerful Democratic leader on Thursday will unveil plans for big reforms to state and local government that are expected to take aim at the states rising cost for public worker pension bills.

Senate President Stephen Sweeneys plan, already under fire from some labor leaders, comes as the state is set to contribute $3.2 billion to pensions this year and $6.3 billion by 2023.

And it will be proposed as New Jerseys long-neglected pension system remains among the worst funded in the country, despite some recent improvement.

Heres where the pension system stands, as of July 1, 2018, according to newly released actuarial valuation reports reviewed by NJ Advance Media:

Collectively, New Jerseys seven government worker pension funds are short $62 billion they would need to pay pension obligations to hundreds of thousands of active and retired state and local workers.

Those unfunded liabilities  the difference between the pension assets and liabilities  grew by $2.3 billion over the previous year, and the picture is expected to worsen as the state contributes less than the full payment recommended by actuaries and lowers how much money it assumes investments will generate.

All combined, the pension funds assets cover just 61.8 percent of their liabilities, compared with 62.4 percent one year earlier.

The new data are contained in actuarial valuation reports that act like a report card for the pension funds, based on the states statutory accounting rules and taking into account the previous years investment gains or losses, changing demographics, contributions being made and checks going out to people with pensions.

The picture looks dramatically different when measured according to national accounting standards that are important for public financial disclosures and for comparing New Jerseys system to other states.

Under those uniform standards, New Jerseys pension system is getting healthier, as unfunded liabilities dropped by nearly $12 billion to $130.7 billion. The ratio of assets to liabilities increased nearly three percentage points to 38.4 percent in the fiscal year that ended June 30.

The states methodology factors in a higher long-term assumed rate of return and recognizes the lottery as an asset of the pension funds.

The pension fund also shows some improvement under this methodology. While the unfunded liabilities are still growing, theyre growing at a slower pace than in recent years.

As governors and lawmakers either skipped payments or made meager ones for much of the past few decades, the portion of the system funded by state government is much weaker than the portion funded by local governments, which are required to contribute 100 percent of the amount recommended by actuaries.

The locally funded part of the system is 71.9 percent funded, while the part funded by the state sits at 54.4 percent.

This year the state is contributing just 60 percent of what actuaries recommend to pay down the unfunded liabilities. Gov. Phil Murphy has proposed contributing 70 percent of the full payment for the budget year that begins July 1 as part of a plan to ramp up to the full contribution in 2023.

As long as the state doesnt meet the full payment, the unfunded liabilities will continue to increase, outside actuaries told the pension funds boards of trustees. The state is also on track to lower its assumed rate of return from investments gradually from 7.5 percent to 7 percent. And as long as that rate falls, liabilities will continue to rise.

But, actuaries said, once the state contributes 100 percent of the recommended payment and the assumed rate of return settles at 7 percent, the pension should see a slow but steady improvement.

Individual funds within the pension system also look quite different. For instance, Teachers Pension and Annuity Fund assets cover just 59.3 percent of its obligations (down from 60.7 percent).

The Public Employees Retirement System is 59.8 percent funded (down from 60.1 percent) and the Police and Firemens Retirement System, 69.5 percent (up from 69.2 percent).

Under the states accounting requirements the funds get a boost from the addition of the state lottery, which former Gov. Chris Christie pushed to pledge as an asset of the pension system. As of July 1, 2018, that lifted the total systems assets by $12.6 billion and the funded ratio from 54 percent to 61.8 percent.

Samantha Marcus may be reached at smarcus@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter@samanthamarcus. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.

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THE LATEST: Twisted Sisters anthem used to drown out top N.J. Democrat as he pitches plan on cutting pensions and health benefits

State Senate President Stephen Sweeney is threatening to wage a public battle over his plans to cut government employee pension and health care benefits in New Jersey if progressive Gov. Phil Murphy doesnt play ball.

At a Statehouse news conference Thursday, Sweeney said he is introducing sweeping bills to reduce the cost of employee benefits legislative but is preparing a contingency plan to ask voters to amend the state Constitution and bypass Murphy, a fellow Democrat.

Were willing to work with the administration and others to craft legislation to go forward, but the time to act really is now, and were not going to be stonewalled by an administration either," Sweeney, D-Gloucester, said.

The announcement steps up the already hot debate between state lawmakers and the governor over Murphys plans to raise taxes on millionaires and rewrite the states economic development tax credit programs.

Sweeney announced Thursday he was introducing 27 bills that, he said, will collectively save New Jersey taxpayers billions of dollars a year and present a real chance to lower property taxes.

Other legislation the powerful Senate Democrat introduced would merge non-K-12 school districts regionally, fold school employees into the health plan for state workers, cap employee payouts for unused sick time, shift the responsibility for paying extraordinary special aid from districts to the state, and more.

Sweeney said he doesnt expect to get all 27 bills through the Democratic-controlled state Legislature by the end of the fiscal year on June 30, but he intends to make a special push for pension and health care reforms, which will be among the most controversial and reignite a feud between Sweeney and public labor unions that is never quite dormant.

Sweeney would not say whether hes targeting the November 2019 or 2020 ballot.

Hetty Rosenstein, the head of New Jerseys largest public employee union, the Communications Workers of America, said Sweeneys ultimatum threatens to pit those who dedicate their entire lives to public service against the public. That is shameful. Just shameful."

By pursuing a constitutional amendment, Sweeney would circumvent Murphy, a frequent rival who has described labors collective bargaining rights as sacred" and is likely to side with the public workforce. The Legislature has the power to put amendments on the ballot and the governor cannot stop that.

Murphy responded with a statement Thursday saying he prefers partnership and collective bargaining rather than confrontation."

Our problems, and pensions in particular, have been engrained by years of politicians putting short-term electoral gain before well-known and acknowledged long-term needs," the governor said. I was elected to break this cycle, and I am no less determined to do so today than ever. I will carefully review the bills introduced today to see where we can find common ground, but the bottom line is that savings alone will not help us meet the entirety of our obligations.

Sweeney has spent months pitching his so-called Path to Progress proposals around the state, calling for an honest dialogue around the high cost of government. Often, hes been met by boos and jeers from public workers who feel under siege.

The most controversial proposals are those that would legislatively  or constitutionally  reduce health care and retirement benefits for public workers. These recommendations come less than a decade after Sweeney teamed with then-Gov. Chris Christie, a Republican to rein in pension and health care costs by raising the retirement age, freezing cost-of-living adjustments and increasing premiums.

Under Sweeneys proposal, newer state employees, county and municipal employees and educators with fewer than five years of service would shift from a pure defined-benefits plan, in which theyre guaranteed a certain level of monthly benefits during retirement, to a plan that combines features of a pension and 401k.

These workers would receive a pension on their first $40,000 of income, while any income in excess of $40,000 would be enrolled into a 401k-style account managed by the state.

Unlike a 401k, however, public workers would be guaranteed at least a 4 percent return on their retirement savings. If the pension system posts higher returns, employees in the cash balance program would get 75 percent of what the pension experiences  and the state would use the other 25 percent to boost the pension system.

The Senate presidents office estimated the reforms would reduce the states pension contributions by $17.1 billion over 30 years and local governments contributions by $7.6 billion over 30 years.

This proposal also raises the retirement age for these workers from 65 to 67, and makes changes to the systems assumed rate of return and amortization schedule.

New Jerseys pension system is among the worst funded in the country. The Teachers Pension and Annuity Fund is just 59.3 percent funded, the Public Employees Retirement System is 59.8 percent funded, and the Police and Firemens Retirement System, 69.5 percent.

Sweeney has said this type of hybrid plan serves both taxpayers and public workers better than a traditional 401k because it provides a more reliable benefit while keeping employees contributions  equal to 7.5 percent of their pay  in the pension system, where theyre badly needed.

A new pension plan is just common sense, he said Thursday. I dont know why theres such resistance in New Jersey.

Rosenstein accused Sweeney of targeting the lowest-paid public workers who are more likely to be women and people of color, while sparing police, firefighter and judicial pensions.

The Senate president is also drafting a proposed constitutional amendment to shift all public employees health care plans from considered platinum under the Affordable Care Act to those considered gold. The metal designations indicate how much of the cost of care is paid by the insurer versus the insured. Under a gold plan, employees would pick up a greater share.

School districts, municipalities and counties must reduce their property tax levy by every single dollar saved, Sweeney said.

The New Jersey Education Association vowed to fight, saying in a statement that New Jerseys educators have already been pushed beyond the breaking point, with unsustainable health care costs and a pension that costs much more and delivers much less than what was promised to many of us when we entered this profession.

Proposals that continue or exacerbate that terrible trend will be opposed. Proposals to further raise costs or slash benefits will irreparably harm our profession and our schools, and NJEA members will join as one to fight them.

Other bills introduced Thursday would:

Fold the School Employees Health Benefits Plan into the State Health Benefits Pan and move county college employees and retirees into the State Health Benefits Plan.

Regionalize all of the states elementary and middle school districts into larger K-12 districts. The plan would consolidate a total of 278 school districts serving 303 municipalities.

Cap employees unused sick leave at $7,500.

Create a nine-year pilot program for five county-wide school districts.

Shift extraordinary special education costs to the state and rewrite the calculation for allocating special education costs.

Establish an Administrative Law unit to specialize in special education cases.

Require counties to hire a shared service coordinator and appropriates $2 million for that.

Samantha Marcus may be reached at smarcus@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter@samanthamarcus. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.

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Updates with bill passage.

WASHINGTON  When freshman Rep. Andy Kim holds a town hall meeting, he says theres one issue atop voters minds: Health care.

Its the issue that comes up more than anything else, said Kim, elected on a pledge to improve health coverage. This is what motivated me to run, Health care is very personal to me."

Kim, whose young son August was born with health problems, proposed legislation to provide federal help to states that want to run insurance exchanges instead of leaving it to the federal government.

The bill was incorporated into a larger measure that passed the House largely along party lines Thursday, 234-183. Rep. Chris Smith, R-4th Dist., was one of only five House Republicans to vote yes. It now goes to the Senate.

The legislation would restore funding to help consumers learn about their health insurance options and sign up for coverage.

It also would also block President Donald Trumps efforts to expand the use of short-term plans that are cheaper but do not provide a full range of benefits, including coverage for pre-existing conditions such as cancer or diabetes.

Hes trying to sabotage everything, said House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone Jr., D-6th Dist., whose panel has jurisdiction over the issue.

And the large bill incorporates provisions designed to hold down drug prices by making it easier for generic companies to enter the market.

Former Celgene Corp. executive Bob Hugins opposition to that proposal was a major issue in his unsuccessful race against U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J.

Kims legislation could make New Jersey eligible for federal funds as Gov. Phil Murphy seeks to take over the health insurance exchange now run by the federal government. Murphy said he was acting in response to Trumps actions.

Some 257,000 state residents obtained insurance this year through healthcare.gov, the federal marketplace.

U.S. Sens. Cory Booker and Robert Menendez, D-N.J., and Bob Casey, D-Pa., have introduced a similar version of Kims bill in their chamber.

"This bill empowers states like ours to protect the strides weve made, expand health insurance coverage to more New Jerseyans, increase options, and bring down the costs of care overall, Menendez said.

Kim, D-3rd Dist., ousted a Republican incumbent who played a key role in House GOP efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act, including its requirement to provide affordable coverage for those with pre-existing conditions. Former Republican Rep. Tom MacArthur was slammed for his role in trying to repeal the law during a five-hour town hall meeting in Willingboro in May 2017.

Kim and three other Jersey Democrats made health care a centerpiece of their campaigns last year and captured Republican-held seats. The partys candidates did the same nationwide and the Democrats won control of the House.

More than 4 in 10 voters in network exit polls reported by CNN said health care was their top issue and 75 percent of them backed Democratic congressional candidates.

Kim told the story of meeting a father concerned about his adult son, who has had health problems since he was 18 months old.

He looked at me with tears welling in his eyes and said, What can we do? Kim said. I made him promise that day that Ill do everything I humanly can to look out for his son. Thats what Im hearing at town halls in my district.

Trump, meanwhile, has urged a federal appeals court to strike down the entire health care law, including the provision for pre-existing conditions. And his proposed budget for the 12 months beginning Oct. 1 calls for repealing the current law.

If Trump is successful, the ranks of the uninsured in New Jersey would grow to 1.3 million, an 81 percent increase over the 732,000 currently without insurance, according to the Urban Institute, a Washington research group. The state would lose $2.7 billion in federal funds.

Jonathan D. Salant may be reached at jsalant@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JDSalant or on Facebook. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.

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By Tablet Mag, April 06, 2019





Atara Abramson was born in Poland on December 28, 1926. She was just a teenager when she was deported with her family to Auschwitz, and was the only one to survive. In 1946, she joined a religious Zionist youth movement and boarded a boat headed for Eretz Yisrael. The boat was intercepted by the British army, and Abramson was sent to a camp in Cyprus for six months before finally making it to her destination. Along with several other Holocaust survivors, she settled in Kfar Etzion, a religious kibbutz in the Judean hills established in 1927.
President Donald Trump continues to insist that China alone will be paying for his increased his tariffs on goods the United States imports from that country. However, Trumps chief economic advisor, Larry Kudlow, acknowledged on Fox News Sunday that what the president said is not true.

Kudlow clearly indicated that our people will bear the brunt of the tariffs by paying more for many consumer goods manufactured in China. The manufacturers and importers have two choices. They can absorb the extra costs created by the tariffs, or they can pass those costs on to American consumers. You dont have to be a Harvard economist to figure out which one the companies will choose.

Our Midwestern farmers are being hurt terribly by retaliatory tariffs imposed by China, following Trumps action, on products such as U.S.-grown soybeans. Because of the lower sales volumes and prices, some farmers have had to stop farming and others have been forced to change the crops they produce. This is a very expensive and time consuming process.

Now, Trump has promised a second, multi-billion-dollar taxpayer bailout to help the affected farmers.

Trump thinks all he has to do is say Jump! and the world will respond, How far? That may have been the case in the past, but it doesn't apply, for the most part, to the interconnected world in which we live today.

Paul Bunkin, Turnersville

Send a letter to the editor of South Jersey Times at sjletters@njadvancemedia.com
State officials in Texas and Louisiana have launched multiple probes into the Cenikor Foundation following an investigation by Reveal that found the prominent drug rehab has turned patients into an unpaid labor force for private companies.

Reveal from The Center for Investigative Reporting found that the nonprofit has sent thousands of patients to work without pay at hundreds of for-profit companies over the years  including Exxon, Shell and Walmart  in likely violation of federal labor law, according to former federal labor officials.

Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry is investigating Cenikor for possible Medicaid fraud. The program receives Medicaid funding and has received millions in state contracts for behavioral health services. A spokesman declined to comment on the investigation but said that if theres evidence of a crime that involves Medicaid, that's something our office takes a strong interest in.

In addition to the government investigations, former patients are suing the program for back wages in four separate lawsuits, and two of Cenikors biggest work contracts have stopped using workers from the program.

Rehab patients worked in Louisianas sweltering heat for Exxon, others. They didnt get paid a dime.

Louisiana State University has stopped staffing school cafeterias with Cenikor workers. A spokeswoman for Chartwells Higher Education Dining Services, the subcontractor that hired Cenikor, said the company requires vendors such as Cenikor to follow all federal, state and local labor laws.

Brand Industrial Services, which previously dispatched Cenikor patients to work at oil refineries and chemical plants, also has stopped using workers from the program.

It is our expectation that our suppliers comply with all applicable laws and regulations, said spokeswoman Karla Cuculi. We are currently evaluating the use of Cenikor as a temporary labor source.

Reveals investigation found a host of problems at the lauded rehab. Former staff told Reveal that participants often worked such long hours that they rarely received the counseling they needed. Under pressure from Cenikor leadership, some staff said they falsified paperwork to make it appear as though clients got more counseling than they did.

In addition to long work days, many also frequently worked in unsafe conditions and were injured on the job. More than two dozen Cenikor patients have been seriously injured at work, including one injury that resulted in a patients death.

Courts across Texas and Louisiana send defendants to Cenikor for drug treatment, often as an alternative to prison or jail. Some former patients have defended the program, saying it helped them and was better than being homeless or in prison.

But this month, dozens of former participants have joined lawsuits against Cenikor and come forward with allegations of exploitation and abuse. Last week, a former participant added a new wrinkle in a fourth lawsuit, accusing Cenikor staff of benefiting from unlawful kickbacks.

The lawsuit, filed by former participant John Potter, said the wages earned by rehab participants went to the salaries of Cenikor staff, specifically naming CEO Bill Bailey, who earned more than $400,000 in 2017.

It was just a work camp to get out of jail. No recovery at all, Potter said in an interview with Reveal. He said he first enrolled in Cenikors Baton Rouge, Louisiana, program when he was homeless and addicted to pain pills. Its a big scam of a place.

In a statement provided to Reveal, Cenikor said it follows state regulations. The program declined to comment on the business contracts, investigations or lawsuits.

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As a matter of policy and regulation, we are prevented from speaking on behalf (of) partners, regulators, or on human resources matters, the statement reads. However, we fully cooperate with, and in many instances, go beyond, regulatory compliance requirements.

In Texas, the Health and Human Services Commission is investigating allegations of abuse, neglect and exploitation at Cenikor, as well as worker injuries. State Rep. Garnet Coleman, D-Houston, said he also is asking the commission to investigate whether Cenikor violated its contracts with the state, which have earned the program more than $26 million since 2009, according to public records.

The facts that youve presented are very disturbing. Its not right, Coleman said. We need credible substance abuse treatment centers. And we need them badly.

At the Texas Workforce Commission, spokeswoman Lisa Givens urged unpaid workers to file claims for wages. The TWC encourages any Texas worker who feels they have not been paid for work that theyve done to contact us so that we can offer assistance, Givens said.

The Louisiana Workforce Commission, which enforces labor law in the state, is conducting a full investigation into this matter, a spokesman said.

Both agencies have asked the U.S. Department of Labor to investigate whether Cenikor is violating federal labor law.

A spokeswoman for Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards, who recently accepted an award from Cenikor for elected official of the year, said the governor is concerned about any allegations of mistreatment of those seeking help. The governor said he was confident the Department of Health would investigate any complaints.

But as many state agencies launch what will likely become lengthy probes into Cenikor, the Department of Health already swiftly cleared Cenikor.

The department regulates drug rehabs in the state and can fine and revoke the licenses of treatment providers that are abusive, exploitative or dont follow licensing requirements, such as reporting injuries. Its the one agency assigned to ensure the safety of people struggling with addiction, who seek out rehab for help.

After spending two days at Cenikor, the department closed its investigation and gave Cenikor permission to continue providing treatment services.

Records released Monday show department investigators found that Cenikor failed to conduct background checks on certain staff and that the kitchen was physically unsafe for residents.

A department spokesman said two nurses were assigned to conduct the two-day investigation, which involved reviewing records and interviewing participants and staff at Cenikors facility.

After this comprehensive investigation that not only reviewed the appropriate licensing standards, but also issues that you brought to our attention, we cited the facility for all deficiencies that we could verify. You now have that report, said spokesman Robert Johannessen.

In response to questions following the report, the governors office said it has directed the health department to work with the Workforce Commission and other government agencies to look further into the allegations that have been raised.

Reporter Amy Julia Harris contributed to this story. It was edited by Andrew Donohue and copy edited by Nikki Frick. Shoshana Walter can be reached at swalter@revealnews.org. Follow her on Twitter: @shoeshine.
A home health aide hired to care for a Terrytown man has been arrested, accused of killing his client and enlisting his mother, the director of the care company, to help conceal the crime, according to authorities.

Terrell Nix, 33, was booked Wednesday (May 15) with second-degree murder and obstruction of justice, according to Jefferson Parish Sheriffs Office arrest records.

Denise Nix, 54, was also arrested and booked with obstruction of justice in a homicide investigation.

Authorities have not yet identified the 45-year-old victim who lived in an apartment on Holmes Boulevard in Terrytown.

Denise Nix was released from the Jefferson Parish Correctional Center in Gretna Wednesday on a $50,000 bond. She was at the Terrytown office of Accessibility Community Living Inc. on Thursday morning. Denise Nix is listed as the secretary, treasurer and director of the company on the Louisiana Secretary of State website.

I dont have anything to say, Denise Nix responded when asked for comment about the allegations.

Terrell Nix was being held without bond on the murder charge at the Gretna jail on Thursday afternoon.

The Sheriffs Office received a 911 call for a medical emergency about 1:59 a.m. Tuesday from an apartment in the 200 block of Holmes Boulevard in Terrytown, according to Sheriffs Office records. Terrell and Denise Nix were at the scene when authorities arrived, said Capt. Jason Rivarde, spokesman for the Sheriffs Office.

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The man was treated at the scene for his injuries but ultimately pronounced dead. Authorities determined the death was a homicide following an autopsy. The coroners office has not yet released the mans cause of death.

Detectives obtained a search warrant for the mans residence and conducted a more thorough examination of the scene, according to authorities.

During that processing, evidence was found that there were multiple locations in the residence that contained either trace amounts of blood or evidence of areas where there were attempts to remove blood from surfaces, Rivarde said.

Detectives also discovered that Terrell Nix called his mother some time before either contacted the Sheriffs Office to report that the victim was experiencing any kind of medical emergency, Rivarde said.

Terrell and Denise Nix were taken into custody on Wednesday.

Neighbors at the victims apartment said Terrell Nix was the night caretaker for the man, who was in his late 30s to early 40s. A neighbor, who did not want to be identified, said she didnt know of the homicide investigation until Tuesday afternoon when Sheriffs Office detectives arrived at the complex to speak with residents.

The woman overheard loud bumps and bangs about 11 p.m. on Monday night, but thought perhaps it was the sound of another residents grandchildren.

Stay with NOLA.com for more on this story.
A motorcyclist was injured in a crash with a school bus Thursday afternoon (May 16) in New Orleans East, New Orleans police said. No one on the school bus was injured, according to NOPD spokesman Aaron Looney, and students had been moved from the bus as of 1:30 p.m..

Looney said the crash occurred about 12:35 p.m. at the intersection of Martin Drive and North I-10 Service Road in the Seabrook area.

The motorcyclist was being treated for unspecified injuries, Looney said.

It was not immediately clear if any citations would be issued, he said. Police had no other information.

Less than two hours earlier, a man was killed in Algiers when his motorcycle crashed into a vehicle at the intersection of MacArthur Boulevard and General De Gualle Drive, NOPD said.
Police arrested a 19-year-old man Wednesday (May 15) in connection with a double shooting that killed 17-year-old high-school student Tyneisha Muse and wounded her boyfriend in the Upper 9th Ward in March.

Corey L. Harris was captured in the 8500 block of the North Interstate 10 Service Road in New Orleans East by members of the NOPDs TIGER unit, police said.

He was booked Wednesday evening with second-degree murder, attempted second-degree murder and aggravated criminal damage to property.

The killing occurred about 7 p.m. March 29, as Muse and her boyfriend were in the 3500 block of North Prieur Street. Responding officers found Muse fatally wounded in the back and lying prone at the scene, near the intersection of North Prieur and Congress streets, police said.

The teen girl was taken to a local hospital, where she was later pronounced dead.

An 18-year-old man, said to be Muses boyfriend, also suffered a gunshot wound to the back, according to the NOPD.

Muses cousin, 41-year-old Kayonna Muse, has described Tyneisha as feisty and outgoing, a well-liked girl who didnt bite her tongue for nobody.

17-year-old girl fatally shot in Upper 9th Ward remembered as outgoing, life of the party

Kayonna Muse told a NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune reporter that she was stunned when her oldest daughter called to inform her that Tyneisha Muse had been killed.

I just cant believe it, said Kayonna Muse, four days after the shooting. I felt like I lost a child myself."

At the scene, investigators placed 32 evidence cones on North Prieur Street, between Gallier and Congress streets. A witness at the scene said there were roughly 10 gunshots -- and then a dark-colored SUV drove away on North Prieur Street at a very fast speed.

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Five blocks away at N. Claiborne Avenue and Desire Street, NOPD officers swarmed a black SUV, which appeared to have bullet holes. Police temporarily detained at least one person at the scene, but an NOPD spokesman said no arrests were made in the homicide at that point.

Police have not indicated how detectives tied Harris to the crime, but NOPD spokesman Aaron Looney said Harris was not detained at the scene.

Harris will be booked into the Orleans Justice Center jail with second-degree murder, police said late Wednesday afternoon.

According to Orleans Parish court records, Harris has open charges in two other cases.

He was arrested April 16 on charges of illegal possession of a stolen auto and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle in connection with an auto theft reported April 14 in the 7000 block of Bullard Avenue, according to court records and an NOPD database available to the public. His bond was set at $3,500.

Harris was again booked April 24 with illegal possession of a stolen gun and illegal carrying of weapons in connection with a July 18, 2017 crime reported in the 1900 block of South Dupre Street. His bond was set at $15,000 on those charges.

Its not clear when Harris was released from jail, but court records show a judge issued a warrant for Harris arrest after he failed to appear for a May 15 court hearing.

Harris bond on his most recent charges had not been set as of Wednesday evening.

Anyone with additional information on the March 29 killing is asked to call NOPD Homicide Detective Eric Illarmo at 504-658-5300 or submit an anonymous tip to Crimestoppers by calling 504-822-1111.

Laura McKnight covers crime and breaking news for NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune.

NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune Staff Writer Olivia Prentzel contributed to this report.
The 33-year-old woman fatally shot early Thursday (May 16) at the Clover Grill on Bourbon Street was trying to prevent the gunman from approaching her and another person when the gun went off, according to an arrest warrant.

Alexander Kirby, 33, the accused shooter, was arrested minutes after the shooting, police said. He was booked around 5:45 a.m. and charged with second-degree murder and aggravated assault with a firearm, jail records show. Kirby was the womans ex-boyfriend, according to a police source with direct knowledge of the investigation who was not authorized to speak publicly.

Clover Grill identified the woman killed as waitress Shay de St Germain on Thursday evening.

Clover Grill identifies beloved waitress killed outside Bourbon Street diner

New Orleans police first reported a woman was fatally shot around 12:15 a.m. in the 900 Bourbon Street. A spokeswoman for Clover Grill later confirmed the shooting occurred in the restaurants courtyard.

After viewing surveillance footage, investigators saw a man, later identified as Kirby, approach the area where the 33-year-old woman and another person were standing. Kirby took a firearm out, pointed it at the other person and approached them menacingly, the warrant said.

The 33-year-old woman tried to intervene, moving between Kirby and the other person when a physical struggle ensued, police said. During the struggle, the firearm discharged and the 33-year-old woman was shot in the head.

Kirby tried to run away, but NOPD officers arrested him minutes later, according to court documents. The woman was taken to the hospital and pronounced dead.

In an interview with police, the other victim identified Kirby as the man who had approached and pointed the gun, according to court documents. The other victim had known Kirby for several months, police said. Detectives showed them a photographic lineup and the victim positively identified Kirby.

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Clover Grill waitress killed in Bourbon Street shooting, neighbor says

NOPD said Louisiana State Police troopers and French Quarter Task Force officers immediately detained Kirby for questioning after the shooting.

Kirby was scheduled to appear in Orleans Magistrate Court Thursday afternoon for a preliminary hearing but was not transported from jail because of a medical reason," said Orleans Parish Magistrate Commissioner Jonathan Friedman. Kirbys hearing was rescheduled for tomorrow and a hearing to determine counsel was scheduled for May 23.

Friedman set Kirbys bond at $600,000 and appointed him a public defender.

Court records show that in Kirby entered a court-ordered diversion program in 2010 in connection with drug charges, including possession with intent to distribute marijuana and possession with intent to distribute psilocyn, a hallucinogenic substance.

Around 2 p.m. outside the Clover Grill, more than a dozen bouquets of roses and mums rested on a windowsill out front. A melted milkshake was nudged between bouquets. Love You Shay, was written on the cup in marker. Passersby slowed to look at a photo of the 33-year-old woman killed posted in the window before walking on.

Olivia Prentzel covers breaking news and criminal justice for NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune. Reach her at oprentzel@nola.com or find her on Twitter @olivepretzel.

Staff reporter Emily Lane contributed to this story.
The Sophie B. Wright Charter School students want a district court judge to dismiss their case against the school after they successfully prohibited the school from barring students from its graduation ceremony. The request comes after the students missed Wrights ceremony on Monday.

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.

Orleans Parish Civil District Court Judge Christopher Bruno on Monday granted a preliminary injunction against Wright to ensure students could walk at graduation. Wrights ceremony, however, was already ending by the time the students affected by Wrights discipline had learned about the ruling. Mondays ruling was issued days after a student in another civil action case against Wright decided to drop her case against the school.

Even though Bruno granted an injunction requested by students represented by the Southern Poverty Law Center, the students later filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit against Wright on Monday. On May 13, 2019, judgment was granted by this Honorable Court on Plaintiffs preliminary injunction, thereby mooting the instant matter, according to the submitted document.

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The students want the case dismissed without prejudice, meaning the case can be filed again at a later time. The motion was entered into court records Tuesday, and Victor Jones, senior supervising attorney for the SPLC, entered additional information Wednesday (May 15) to support the dismissal request. Bruno has yet to sign off on the motion, and members of the clerk of courts office told NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune Tuesday that may it take a few days before the judge makes a ruling.

The seniors who couldnt walk at graduation were allowed to do so Tuesday night at the Mount Zion United Methodist Church on Louisiana Avenue. The event was organized by the community, and New Orleans City Councilman Jason Williams was present to address the graduates and their families.

You are going to be stronger and wiser men and women because of this, Williams said.

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.
A long-running oil leak 11 miles south of the Louisiana shoreline is finally being contained, according to the U.S. Coast Guard. More than 30,000 gallons of oil have been captured from the site of the leak and transported to shore.

Taylor Energy is responsible for the spill, which began in 2004 when Hurricane Ivan triggered an underwater mudslide that toppled a platform and damaged 25 connected wells. While several wells were plugged and containment domes were installed, a sheen continued to be seen on the water surface above the downed platform.

A 2018 report based on an independent analysis of satellite imagery by geoscientist Oscar Pineda-Garcia concluded that the leak is in the magnitude of 249 barrels to 697 barrels per day, far exceeding previous estimates. Taylor Energy disputes the report findings. The company has said that the sheen is the result of contaminated sediment on the seafloor, not an active leak.

Environmental group seeks to intervene in lawsuit over Taylor Energy spill

But after the 2018 report was released, the U.S. Coast Guard ordered Taylor Energy to take action to contain the spill under the Clean Water Act. Arguing that the company failed to do so, the U.S. Coast Guard hired a private contractor based out of Belle Chasse to contain the leak.

The containment device is now fully installed and capturing oil. After monitoring the system for several weeks we have determined that the system is meeting federal containment standards, Capt. Kristi Luttrell, the Coast Guards federal on-scene coordinator for the incident, is quoted as saying in a news release. At this time the system is working and the once predominately large surface sheen has been reduced to barely visible. We will continue to monitor the containment systems performance and make necessary adjustments to maximize containment of the spill.

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Taylor Energy sued the Coast Guard for taking over the spill response and contracting a remediation company to cap the spill. That lawsuit is ongoing.

In a status update submitted to the court on Tuesday (May 15), the Coast Guard said that the containment system has captured more than 30,000 gallons of oil. The oil was pumped out of the containment system and transported to shore, according to the status update.

14-year Taylor Energy oil leak could prove larger than BP spill, new research says

In light of the success of the containment device, the Coast Guard will ask for a summary judgement, according to the status update. A summary judgement would end the case without a trial.

On Tuesday (May 15), a federal judge granted Healthy Gulf, a New Orleans-based environmental advocacy group, permission to intervene in the lawsuit. As an intervenor, the group can file legal briefs voicing its concern for possible environmental damage caused by the oil leak.

"After 14 years, we are glad the Coast Guard is taking action to contain this runaway oil spill, Dustin Renaud, communications director for Healthy Gulf, is quoted as saying in a news release. Now we must make sure that they follow through on a permanent solution and ensure a spill like this never goes unchecked again. Rather than relying on industry self-reporting in the future, we must employ independent science and hold companies accountable to the law.
Donna Klein, a nurse turned lawyer who was a tireless advocate for others at hospitals and in the community at large, died Tuesday (May 14) of cancer at Touro Infirmary. She was 72.

Donna was tough, and she was a take-charge person, her sister, Margaret Scott, said She liked being in charge, but actually the underlying motivation was her care for other people.

Mrs. Klein, who moved to New Orleans about 50 years ago to work as a nurse in Ochsner Foundation Hospitals intensive care unit, retired last September as general counsel for Peoples Health Network, a Medicare Advantage organization with more than 75,000 members.

Weve lost an incredible mentor and leader, said Warren Murrell, Peoples Healths president and CEO. She will be remembered for her generous and caring nature, strength of leadership and wonderful sense of humor.

In addition to her work as a nurse and, later, a lawyer who specialized in health care, Mrs. Klein served on a long list of boards, including those of the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts, the New Orleans Ballet Association, the Louisiana Childrens Museum and the Committee for a Better New Orleans/Metropolitan Area Committee.

Mrs. Klein was a member of the Committee of 21, which was formed to encourage more women to run for office. She served on the board of the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center and the Board of Regents, which coordinates public higher education in Louisiana.

She was a member of the health care transition teams for incoming Govs. Edwin W. Edwards, Mike Foster and Kathleen Blanco.

She was just so committed to her community and making the world a better place, said Civil District Judge Robin Giarrusso, a longtime friend. I know that sounds trite, but she cared what happened to people.

By being so active, you do become more aware of the problems the city faces when you get involved, Mrs. Klein said in a 2008 interview with CityBusiness, which named her to its Women of the Year Hall of Fame.

But at the same time, she said, you also get to meet so many people in the various organizations who in their own ways, collectively, are doing a lot of good, that you cant help but feel positive about the changes taking place in our city.

In whatever Mrs. Klein did, everything had to be perfect, Giarrusso said, whether it was caring for a patient, representing a client or preparing for a dinner party.

Even though she eventually developed a reputation as a peerless cook and hostess, one dinner she prepared for a party early in her marriage to Dr. Russell Klein did not turn out so well. In fact, Giarrusso said, it was such a disaster that Mrs. Klein buried it in the backyard.

It made me feel better that she could make a mistake, Giarrusso said.

She was born Donna Guinn in Philadelphia on Jan. 30, 1947. Because her father was a career soldier, the family moved around the country, living in Texas, New Jersey and Virginia before settling in Sarasota, Florida, after he left the Army, Scott said.

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While she was in high school, Donna Guinn got a taste of the courtroom when she successfully defended herself in traffic court, according to a CityBusiness interview. It was, she said, something she never got out of her system.

Mrs. Klein earned an associate degree in nursing at Manatee Junior College and moved to New Orleans to work at Ochsner in the intensive care unit, her sister said, eventually becoming acting supervisor.

After five years as a nurse, she met and married Russell Klein and walked away from that career.

But after a year, Scott said, Mrs. Klein knew she wanted to do something else, so she signed up for political science classes at Loyola University.

She had always liked politics, Scott said. Theres something in her that made us think she would be a good lawyer.

Mrs. Klein applied to and graduated from Tulane Law School, and she went on to develop an expertise in health care law.

She headed the health care group at the McGlinchey Stafford law firm and wound up managing partner of the firms New Orleans office.

Nothing deterred her. Days before Hurricane Katrina hit in August 2005, she had a breast cancer biopsy, according to a 2006 CityBusiness interview. When the firm evacuated to Baton Rouge after the storm, she wound up undergoing seven weeks of radiation therapy there  and kept working.

She was the premier health care lawyer in this community, Giarrusso said. If you needed someone to represent a doctor or a hospital, you wanted Donna Klein.

Her husband, a lung specialist who was associate dean for alumni affairs and development at LSU School of Medicine, died last September.

Survivors include a son, Steven Klein of New Orleans; a daughter, Robin Klein of Metairie; and a sister, Margaret Scott of The Woodlands, Texas.

A funeral will be held at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday (May 22) at Jacob Schoen & Son Funeral Home, 3827 Canal St. Visitation will begin at noon.

Burial will be in St. Louis Cemetery No. 3, 3421 Esplanade Ave.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 16)  With more candidates backing the restoration of the death penalty seen entering the next Senate, Senate President Vicente Tito Sotto III sees a stronger possibility of restoring capital punishment in the 18th Congress.

In the new Senate, theres a possibility of 13 [votes for death penalty] for high-level drug trafficking alone, Sotto said during a Kapihan sa Senado forum on Thursday.

However, Sotto said restoring the death penalty for other heinous crimes may not flourish.

Allies of the Duterte administration, which has pushed for the revival of the death penalty, have dominated the partial, official tally of votes  and 10 of them favor the return of capital punishment.

Senators Cynthia Villar, Juan Edgardo Sonny Angara and Aquilino Koko Pimentel III are all in favor of death penalty, but only for high-level drug trafficking.

Former senators Pia Cayetano, Lito Lapid and Ramon Bong Revilla also back the reimposition of capital punishment.

Dutertes men who are likely heading to the Senate, Christopher Bong Go, Ronald Bato dela Rosa and Francis Tolentino, are also supportive of death penalty. Another Duterte ally, Ilocos Norte Gov. Imee Marcos, has also expressed support for capital punishment.

Senator Nancy Binay, who is ahead of her fellow reelectionist Senator Joseph Victor JV Ejercito by just around 200,000 votes, is against death penalty. Senator Grace Poe, meanwhile, favored death penalty when she ran for president in 2016, but reversed her position in 2017.

A measure only needs 13 votes to be passed in the Senate. Among the senators who will remain in the 18th Congress who want death penalty returned are Sotto, Manny Pacquiao and Sherwin Win Gatchalian.

While Sotto said death penalty will not be a Senate priority as long as he heads the chamber, other senators can push otherwise.

However, he said the measure will go through intense debate in the Senate.

The House of Representatives passed a bill restoring death penalty in 2017, but a counterpart measures was stalled in the Senate.

With the 17th Congress adjourning in three weeks, Sotto said the death penalty bill will likely be archived.

Death penalty was abolished under the 1986 Constitution, but the Charter gave Congress the power to reinstate it for heinous crimes. Capital punishment returned under the administration of President Fidel Ramos, but was abolished again under President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

The Philippines is also a signatory to the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which commits countries to abolish death penalty.
THURSDAY

 Work in Progress  10 to 11:30 a.m., Catholic Charities, 1215 N. Broadway. Free classes for those who identify as a victim/survivor of domestic or sexual violence. New participants will need to schedule an intake. Call 712-256-2059 ext. 103 for more information.

 Journey Beyond Abuse  6:30 to 8 p.m., Catholic Charities, 1215 N. Broadway. Free classes for those who identify as a victim/survivor of domestic or sexual violence. New participants will need to schedule an intake. Call 712-256-2059 ext. 103 for more information.

 Optimist Club of Council Bluffs  7 a.m., Madison Avenue Hy-Vee.

 Al-Anon Family Group  10 a.m., The 500 Club, 410 S. 16th St.

 Council Bluffs Rotary  Noon, YMCA Healthy Living Center, 714 S. Main St.

 Take Off Pounds Sensibly (Tops) Iowa 1263  4 p.m., Harmony Court. Use lower east door. Call Shirley at 712-642-3530 or Sheila at 712-323-5874.

 Council Bluffs MAD DADS  7 p.m. Call 712-328-0302.

 Gamblers 12-Step Program  7 p.m., Pacific Hills Lutheran Church, 90th and Pacific Streets, Omaha. For 24-hour hotline, call 402-978-7899.

 All Acoustic Music Jam  1 to 4 p.m., Western Historic Trails Center.

 White Elephant Bingo  12:30 p.m., YMCA Healthy Living Center.

 Teen Gaming  3:30 to 7:30 p.m., Council Bluffs Public Librarys Teen Central. Mix of board and video games for students in sixth through 12th grade. Call 712-323-7553.

 Trivia Takeover  7 p.m., Caddy Shack Bar & Grill, 1426 Fourth Ave. Five-person teams can compete for prizes. There is no charge to compete, but teams are encouraged to register early as spots fill up fast. For more, call 712-322-9708 or visit caddyshackinc.com.

 Mills County H.O.P.E. Helping Oncology Patients Excel Support Group  6:30 to 7:30 p.m., Glenwood Public Library Annex, 109 N. Vine, Glenwood. Patients and caregivers welcome. Share and hear information about cancer issues. Call 712-527-9699.

 Share & Care  7:30 p.m., CHI Health Missouri Valley Community Memorial Hospital, 631 N. Eighth St., Missouri Valley. Support group for cancer survivors. Call 712-642-2784.

 Vietnam Veterans of America  7:30 p.m., American Legion Hall, 716 S. Fourth St.

 Poetry Club  6 to 7 p.m., Council Bluffs Public Library, 400 Willow Ave., Meeting Room 2D. Discuss poetry; inquire at the reference desk for books. Call 712-323-7553.

 Farmers Market & Superhero Night  4:30 to 7:30 p.m. Farmers Market Council Bluffs hosts seasonal vendors selling a wide variety of items including fruits, vegetables, eggs, honey, jams, jellies, prepared food items, baked goods, arts, crafts and wares. Some activities include local musicians performing, yoga in the park, superheroes and a kids zone at Bayliss Park.

FRIDAY

 Seeking Safety  10 to 11:30 a.m., Catholic Charities, 1215 N. Broadway. Financial Education and Empowerment also offered from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Free classes for those who identify as a victim/survivor of domestic or sexual violence. New participants will need to schedule an intake. Call 712-256-2059 ext. 103 for more information.

 Seeking Safety  10 a.m. to noon, Catholic Charities Office at Zion Recovery Services, 1500 E. 10th St., Atlantic. Financial Education and Empowerment also offered from 12:15 p.m. to 1:15 p.m. Free classes for those who identify as a victim/survivor of domestic or sexual violence. New participants will need to schedule an intake. Call 712-256-2059 ext. 103 for more information.

 Elks Lodge TGIF Dinner  6 to 8 p.m., 380 McKenzie Ave. Call 712-323-2589 or find Elks Lodge 531 Council Bluffs on Facebook for weekly menu.

 Southwest lowa Narcotics Anonymous  Noon, Let It Be, New Litehouse, 200 16th Ave.; 6:30 p.m., Just for Today, Faith Community Church, 2701 N. Eighth St., Red Oak; 7 p.m., Clean & Free Group, first floor McDermott building, 800 Mercy Drive; 8 p.m., Straight and Grateful, 309 Elm St., Atlantic; 8:30 p.m., Discovery Group Church of Christ, 714 Benson St., Omaha; 8:30 p.m., Rebellions, New Litehouse, 200 16th Ave.

 Freedom Seekers Al-Anon  7:30 p.m., Broadway Christian Church, 2658 Ave. A.

 Pickin and Grinnin Country Music Jam  6:30 to 9 p.m., Corn Crib restaurant, 12 East St., Shelby. Musicians and music lovers invited to a weekly jam session. Call the Corn Crib at 712-207-2676.

 Ag Committee Spring Cookout  11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Ag Committee will serve steak sandwiches and hamburgers with chips and a drink from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Bayliss Park. Meal prices vary between $6 and $8.

SATURDAY

 River City Farmers Market  8 a.m. until 1 p.m., west side of The Centers parking lot, 714 S. Main St. Through Mid-October.

 Overeaters Anonymous  8:30 a.m., Douglas County Health Center, town hall meeting room, first floor, 42nd and Woolworth Streets, Omaha. Call Tracy at 402-551-9711. 10:30 a.m., Unity Church, 3424 N. 90th St., Omaha. Wheelchair accessible and child care provided. Call Dala at 402-210-3755.

 Southwest Iowa Narcotics Anonymous  5 p.m., Saturday Serenity, St. Pauls Episcopal Church, 812 Farnum St., Harlan; 6 p.m., On the Right Track, 515 E. Broadway; 8 p.m., Living Clean, 303 Walnut St., Shenandoah; 8:30 p.m., Rebellions, New Litehouse, 200 16th Ave.

 Gamblers 12-Step Program  7 p.m., 354 N. 76th St., Omaha. For 24-hour hotline, call 402-978-7899.

 Electric Music Jam  Noon to 4 p.m., Western Historic Trails Center.

 Crescent Optimist Club  7 a.m., Henrys Diner, 836 Old Lincoln Highway.

 Families Understanding Needs  6 p.m., Rue Elementary School, 3326 Sixth Ave. Support group for families with children with special needs.

 Treynor Optimist Club  8 a.m., Treynor Community Center.

 Underwood Optimist Club  7:30 a.m., UMBA Hall.

 Celebrate CB Parade and Activities  Saturday, 10:30 a.m. The annual parade will begin around 10:30 a.m., and will begin at Ninth Avenue and Pearl Street, travel north up Pearl, turn onto South Main Street at West Broadway and end at the corner of Sixth Avenue and South Main Street. Bayliss Park childrens activities will begin following the parade. Following the parade, activities such as a Raise Me To Read story walk, face painting, wood building project and other activities for children will be available. Live music by the band Damaged Jenny will also be performed in the park. For more information, go online to celebratecb.com.
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Photo copyright SP8 Eco Services

May 11, 2019

Contact: Megan Wilkins, 580-622-7234

Sulphur, Okla. Boaters visiting Chickasaw National Recreation Areas Lake of the Arbuckles may meet a new line of defense in the fight against aquatic invasive species with a nose for detecting them  Raine, a golden retriever, and border collies Wisp and Darby. They can inspect an average sized bass boat in under a minute, far faster than any person can. The dogs are trained to detect several invasive species, including zebra mussels.

"Lake of the Arbuckles is one of a few large lakes in Oklahoma that is not already infested with zebra mussels, and we will do everything we can to keep our lake free of harmful invasive species, says park superintendent Bill Wright. These types of efforts will not only help us educate people on how to avoid bringing exotic species to the Lake of the Arbuckles, but also help us teach the public some simple practices for protecting all of our region's outdoor recreational areas."Zebra mussels are freshwater mussels native to the Caspian Sea. Originally brought to the Great Lakes on an international shipping vessel, they have spread to lakes all over the country by hitching rides on recreational boats. One female zebra mussel can produce up to a million young, and the microscopic young can survive up to a year in water. One of the most effective ways to prevent the spread of zebra mussels is to clean, drain and dry out equipment and gear, including bilges and live wells, for a minimum of five days before using them again in a new body of water.Raine, Wisp, Darby, and their handler will be out and about for three weeks checking boats at the park boat launches before heading to five other parks as part of a summer-long collaboration between the National Park Service, Working Dogs for Conservation, and SP8 Ecological Services to help share the message about how to prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species. Any boats or equipment that fail inspection will be directed to town to clean off their equipment before returning to the lake to launch. Those who come prepared by properly cleaning, draining, and drying their equipment before their visit will be able to launch immediately after inspection.For more information about Chickasaw National Recreation Area, visit www.nps.gov/chic or call the Travertine Nature Center at (580) 622-7234.For more information about aquatic invasive species, visit https://www.nps.gov/chic/planyourvisit/aquatic-invasive-species.htm About the National Park ServiceMore than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for Americas 419 National Parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Learn more at www.nps.gov
May 10, 2019 Jonathan Shafer , (202) 619-7186

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Park Police and National Park Service have closed the northbound lanes of the George Washington Memorial Parkway from Virginia Route 123, Chain Bridge Road to I-495 the Capital Beltway. The closure began around 6:45 p.m. when a U.S. Park Police officer observed a sinkhole. The northbound George Washington Memorial Parkway will remain closed in that area as engineers and work crews fully assess and repair the road. Southbound travel lanes remain open.

The National Park Service took this action to ensure public safety, and no accidents have been reported. Staff have continued to monitor the parkway since March when a sinkhole developed in the same area next to Dead Run.

The George Washington Memorial Parkway is a critical link in the national capital regions transportation network, and closing it is never a decision that is made lightly. Drivers should follow local news or visit www.nps.gov/GWMP for the latest information.

More information will be released when it is available.
Trek to Taste on the Trails of Woodstock celebrates 11th anniversary with farm fresh food, fitness and fun

May 10, 2019What do farm fresh food, hiking, arts and crafts, fiddle music, ice cream, and wood-fired pizza all have in common? They are all part of the 11th annual Trek to Taste to be held on National Trails Day, Saturday, June 1, 2019, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park and town parks in Woodstock, Vermont.Trek to Taste celebrates local trails and healthy food in Vermonts only National Park and Woodstocks Billings and Faulkner Parks. The free festivities are open to the public. The fun begins at the National Park Forest Center and continues along the trails to specialty stations, or hubs, scattered throughout the parks.At the Forest Center Upper Valley Farm to School students will display their projects and offer free food samples made with local ingredients. Organizations from throughout the Upper Valley will be on hand with family-friendly activities: check out the interactive stream table, learn about Leave No Trace skills, participate in a chipmunk quest, and so much more. Then lace up your boots and grab a map for a self-guided trek or join a guided hike at 10:30am or 12pm to any of three destinations, each offering special activities and samples of local food.A gentle half mile walk leads to the parks Pony Pasture where ArtisTree, the Billings Farm & Museum and the Vermont Institute of Natural Science (VINS) will have fun family-friendly activities.A two-mile loop hike will take participants to the Nordic Hut where youth from Woodstock Union Middle and High School offer tastings of wood fired pizza.A heartier hike will follow the carriage roads for a 4.5 mile round trip to the South Peak overlook where Sustainable Woodstock will serve gourmet samplings from local food producers.The event will feature live music by the Vermont Fiddle Orchestra and area musicians. At 1pm, the Annette C. Compton Fiertz Trail Stewardship award will be presented to an individual, organization, or group who have shown dedication to the trails of Woodstock. The awards ceremony will be followed by a free ice cream social courtesy of the Billings Park Commission.The day will also include the launch of the Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller parkrun  the first Vermont location of a global network of weekly, timed 5k races that occur on Saturday morning all over the world! Led by Geraldine Fowler with support from the Woodstock Economic Development Commission, parkrun promotes community building and wellness and welcomes participants of all abilities  from walkers to marathoners. Each parkrun will begin at the Carriage Barn Visitor Center every Saturday morning at 9am, all summer long. For more information on parkrun, visit www.parkrun.us/marshbillingsrockefeller.Trek to Taste is a free event, thanks to the work of many partners dedicated to a healthy community, local trails, and farm-fresh foods. Parking for the event is at the Billings Farm & Museum Overflow Lot. For more information on the event, partner organizations, schedule for the day visit www.nps.gov/mabi and select Trek to Taste or call (802) 457-3368 ext. 222.
May 13, 2019 Ali Bickford , 520 539-8065 Cam Juarez , 520 306-6254

Saguaro National Park Fire managers plan to move forward with a prescribed burn on Mica Mountain in the Saguaro Wilderness of the Rincon Mountain District (Saguaro East) this week when conditions are favorable. Planned ignitions are scheduled to begin on Tuesday, May 14th 2019.



The Mica Bowl Prescribed Burn area is divided into several burn units. Up to 541 acres may be treated with prescribed fire. Ignitions may continue for approximately two - three days. Fire managers will only conduct the prescribed burn when environmental factors such as wind, temperature, and relative humidity are favorable. Additional information, including a map and updates will be posted on https://www.nps.gov/sagu/ learn/nature/fire-updates.htm.



The following backcountry trails will be closed during prescribed burn operations: Bonita, Spud Rock, Mica Mountain, Mica Meadow, Fire Loop/Heartbreak Ridge (between the junctions of Mica Mountain (south) and Italian Spring), and the Arizona Trail / Fire Loop (between the junctions of Cowhead Saddle and Italian Spring and Cowhead Saddle to Manning Camp). Arizona Trail hikers should plan for temporary delays, however fire managers will escort Arizona Trail hikers through the Arizona Trail / Fire Loop (between the junctions of Cowhead Saddle and Italian Springs and Cowhead Saddle to Manning Camp) when it is safe to do so.



Availability at the backcountry Manning Camp campground will be limited during the prescribed burn.



Due to the location of the burn on the highest peak of the Rincon Mountains, smoke will be visible from Tucson, Redington Pass, Benson, Mescal, and Happy Valley during the prescribed burn. Smoke may temporarily drift downhill overnight in the Redington Pass, Rincon Creek, and San Pedro River Valley drainages.



Smoke is expected to be present on backcountry trails within the vicinity of Mica Mountain for at least a week or until significant precipitation occurs. Backcountry campers could experience light to moderate smoke with greater concentration for those camping at Manning Camp and Spud Rock campgrounds especially during the early morning hours for two to five days following the completion of prescribed fire ignitions.



Vegetation in the area is predominately ponderosa pine. Elevation in the area ranges from approximately 7,950 to 8,670 feet. Lightning-ignited fires have historically burned through the high elevation ponderosa pine forests of southeastern Arizona, but past fire suppression has created unnatural conditions with build-ups of downed trees and dense underbrush in many places. Fire managers use low to moderate intensity prescribed fires to maintain healthy forests in the Rincon Mountains and to prevent large intense wildfires.



If you want to speak with an information officer, please contact Ali Bickford (520) 539-8065 or Cam Juarez (520) 306-6254. Or you can also get info from the Fire Information Hotline (520) 733-5150 (recorded message)


Not only is it important to start CPR as quickly as possible, but the quality of CPR will also determine the effectiveness and ultimately the success.

If we add this and we increase the quality of our compression and we increase our compression fraction, that is a huge lifesaving skill, Richards said.

Julien Hensen, territory manager for Zoll Medical, applied technology that is designed to help increase the quality of CPR. He has been working with Richards and GPH educator Heather Jensen using the software CaseReview.

Im helping Heather and Pat here download all those CPR metrics that theyre looking at, Hensen said. Then we use software that helps us to analyze and take a look at every single compression and see if it meets the American Heart Association guidelines for depth and rate.

He agreed with Richards about the benefits of more effective CPR.

What Pat was saying is exactly right that if we have the bystander start CPR, the chances of survival are immensely greater than if EMS begins that CPR, Hensen said. What we need to do is to make sure that the quality of that CPR is just as good.
NEW YORK  Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin says the U.S. is making progress in talks with Canada and Mexico over steel tariffs, potentially overcoming a key hurdle toward approval of a trade agreement between the three countries.

Appearing before a Senate Appropriations subcommittee Wednesday, Mnuchin also said he expects to soon travel to Beijing with U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer to resume negotiations on the trade dispute between the U.S. and China.

The multipronged battle over trade being waged by the Trump administration has some stock market analysts and economists worried that extra costs and disruptions to supply chains could slow consumer spending, hurt corporate profits and slow down the U.S. economy, which grew at a 3.2% pace in the first quarter. Trump says past trade deals were tilted against the U.S. and that competitors such as China and even allies in Europe have taken advantage of the U.S. when it comes to trade.

The U.S. has negotiated a trade deal with Mexico and Canada to replace NAFTA. But some U.S. lawmakers say they won't vote to approve the accord unless the U.S. lifts tariffs on steel from the two countries put in place last year.
"In March 2019, while still reeling from CHS $788 million loss the previous year  and a year-end share price near its all-time low, $2.82  shareholders learned that Smith would be awarded a 42% raise for his 2018 performance, for a total of $7 million," the report alleges.

Last week, a hedge fund manager predicted the company would go bankrupt, Reuters reported.

Community Health Systems' "pile of debt and the declining profitability of hospitals make it almost certain that this patient will die," said Ryan Heslop, portfolio manager of Firefly Value Partners LP, according to the news service.

Community Health Systems, a for-profit chain, purchased LaPorte and Starke hospitals in 2016 and Porter hospital in 2007.

Rebecca Ayer, a spokeswoman for the company, contended that the nurses' union represents only 225 of the company's 82,000 employees. She said the report is "filled with information that has been taken out of context and inaccuracies that are designed to intentionally create a distorted perspective about our company."
"The data can get very granular," she said. "We can show how many residents in an area are over 75 years old or over 80 years old, which can be very important to where a home care business will locate. We can show lifestyle data like pet ownership, which helped show a pet supply store where best to put their next store. And we showed them income demographics since they're selling premium pet food. We can show the traffic and what locations have the highest percentage of two or more dogs."

The NWISBDC also helps companies involved more in business-to-business sales identify potential clients. The agency recently helped a business engineering services firm that was well established in Northwest Indiana grow by finding prospects in Chicago, winnowing down a list of the machine shops with under 250 employees that make up much of its current customer base.

The agency helps businesses apply for credit and gives snapshot business valuations, such as for when they're working on succession planning or looking at selling opportunities.

Hunter said the Indiana PTAC helped Hoosier companies land $86.29 million in federal government contracts last year, about 90% from the Department of Defense. That resulted in the creation of an estimated 289 jobs across the state.
If you're nostalgic for the Rat Pack, you can look forward to a Dean Martin impersonator crooning classics like "That's Amore," "You're Nobody Till Somebody Loves You," "Ain't That a Kick in the Head?" in Valparaiso this summer.

"King of Cool" impersonator Felix J. Deneau, Jr. will perform his one-man show Back to the Dean Martin Show at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, June 22 at the Memorial Opera House, 104 Indiana Ave., in Valparaiso.

Deneau, a Minneapolis native, collected all of Martin's albums as a kid and impersonated him and other celebrities from an early age.

"After graduating high school, Felix joined the U.S. Navy, and continued to act and impersonate people while off duty," the Memorial Opera House said in a press release. "On his free time from the ship/base, Felix would go to Las Vegas to catch some shows. When he went to see Dean Martin at the MGM Grand, he was able to get on stage with Dean on a couple of separate occasions, and performed his impersonation of him. Dean was pleasantly amazed with the likeness, and said, 'Thats pretty damn good, kid.'

Deneau, the only Dean Martin impersonator to actually be endorsed by the Dean Martin Estate, works as a celebrity impersonator at Universal Studios Orlando.
As we meet Julie, she's pitching her first feature, based in the shipbuilding city of Sunderland in northern England  a world far from her own privileged corner of Knightsbridge in London.

Julie is all earnest ambition, but lacks assurance. Then she meets Anthony, her polar opposite: all self-satisfaction and intellectual swagger, he takes swigs of his cigarette and makes pronouncements on life, art, and Julie. The young man works for the Foreign Office  or so he says  and, as portrayed by roguishly handsome Tom Burke, is both comforting and frightening at once.

It begins platonically, with discussions about art. When Anthony comes to stay in Julie's London flat, the two share her bed  chastely  and engage in charming friend-banter about who's taking up more room.

But it's also clear, at least to us, that Anthony's eventually planning to seduce Julie, and we wince in anticipation. We especially cringe when he brings her some sexy lingerie as a gift, launching the sexual relationship we know will bring her pain. And that's even before we learn that Anthony's a heroin addict.
GARY  A 27-year-old man was wounded in a shooting early Thursday in the city's Miller section, police said.

Gary police were dispatched about 12:05 a.m. to an apartment complex in the 5800 block of Forest Court for reports of shots fired and a male running, Cmdr. Jack Hamady said.

Officers arrived but did not locate a crime scene or a wounded person, he said.

About a half hour later, police were dispatched to Methodist Hospitals Northlake Campus after the 27-year-old arrived there with a gunshot wound to the body.

The man claimed he was shot while walking in the area of Third Avenue and Lake Street, police said. He told police a friend gave him a ride to the hospital.

Police found no evidence of a crime scene at Third and Lake, Hamady said.
CROWN POINT  A judge set a November trial and ordered another mental evaluation Thursday for a man accused of killing a former local radio show host and her daughter more than three years ago in their Calumet Township home.

James A. Lohnes, 47, has not been able to assist with his defense since his return to the Lake County Jail from a state mental institution, defense attorneys Nicholas Barnes and Mark Chargualaf said.

Lohnes is facing two murder charges in the strangling of Velia Taneff, 86, and her daughter, Lana Taneff, 63, on Jan. 17, 2016, at their property in the 2300 block of West 44th Avenue in Calumet Township.

Lohnes is also charged with auto theft on allegations he stole the older woman's vehicle after the murder and drove it to Montpelier, Ohio, where he was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving, records state.

Lohnes previously was ordered in July 2017 to be treated at the state mental institution in Logansport after court-appointed doctors determined he was not fit to stand trial. State officials informed the court in January 2018 that Lohnes had attained the ability to understand court proceedings and assist in his defense.
VALPARAISO  Trista Hudson is resigning from the Valparaiso City Council after serving nearly 4  years on the job to pursue a "new professional position," according to a city news release.

"I enjoyed serving the city of Valparaiso and am proud to have provided fair representation to all," said Hudson, who intends to remain in the area following her resignation effective May 31. "Listening to all interested parties on each issue was a high priority for me."

Valparaiso Mayor Jon Costas, who is wrapping up his service to the city at the year's end, said, "Were grateful for Tristas service to the city of Valparaiso and wish her all the best in new pursuits. She has demonstrated excellent leadership and will be missed."

Hudson, who was not seeking re-election this year, serves on an at-large seat on the council and was first elected by precinct committee people in January 2015 to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Deb Butterfield. Hudson then was elected during the general election later that same year to a four-year term beginning in 2016.
GARY  Two state troopers helped a missing 85-year-old man who was lost in Gary.

Trooper Alissa Partyka was flagged down Tuesday by a man at Grant Street and West 11th Street in Gary. An elderly man began to ask for directions, and the trooper pulled over into an empty lot with him to talk, the Indiana State Police said.

Trooper John Landowski arrived to assist, and after speaking with the elderly man, found that he was very confused. The man said he was lost and trying to travel to a relative's house in southwestern Michigan but did not know the relative's phone number, police said.

He had been driving since early that morning and was running out of money, the man told the troopers.

After running his driver's license, the troopers realized the 85-year-old man had been reported as missing and endangered on Monday through the Loves Park Police Department in Illinois.

They contacted police there, and he was taken to the Lowell State Police Post where he was reunited with his family. Police said the man's vehicle was secured and driven to a safe location for a relative to pick up.
But the law's sponsor, Rep. Terri Collins, said she believes a majority of Alabamians support it: 59% of state voters in November agreed to write anti-abortion language in the Alabama Constitution, saying the state recognizes the rights of the "unborn."

"It's to address the issue that Roe. v. Wade was decided on: Is that baby in the womb a person?" Collins said.

The Alabama abortion ban is the most far-reaching measure as some conservative states push new abortion restrictions in the hopes of getting a case before the conservative Supreme Court majority.

The abortion ban would go into effect in six months if it isn't blocked by legal challenges, which Jones anticipates costing millions of dollars.

"This bill is unconstitutional as it stands right now and, I believe, irresponsible," he said.

Abortion rights advocates have vowed swift legal action.

"We haven't lost a case in Alabama yet and we don't plan to start now. We will see Governor Ivey in court," said Staci Fox, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Southeast.
The American Red Cross has a critical shortage of type O blood and urges eligible donors to give now to help patients facing trauma and other life-threatening situations.

All donors who come to give blood or platelets now through June 10 will receive a $5 Amazon.com Gift Card via email.

Right now, the Red Cross has less than a two-day supply of type O blood available for emergency rooms, where it can be most critical. That means just six units of type O blood are available for every 100,000 people, but at least 14 are needed every day. While just 7% of the U.S. population has type O negative blood, it can be transfused to patients with any blood type and is what hospital staff reach for during emergencies when there isnt time to determine a patients blood type. Type O positive blood is the most transfused blood type and is also critical in trauma situations.

All blood types are urgently needed, but were facing a critical shortage of type O blood  the blood group most needed by hospitals, said Rodney WIlson, communications mananger for Red Cross Indiana Ohio Blood Services. Because its vitally important for hospitals to have type O blood available when every second counts, type O donors are urged to donate now and make a point to donate often.
Health Reporter

Giles is the health reporter for The Times, covering the business of health care as well as consumer and public health. He previously wrote about health for the Lawrence (Kansas) Journal-World. He is a graduate of Northern Illinois University.
INDIANAPOLIS  A federal agency has awarded Indiana $1.2 million to further the state's efforts to fight the opioid epidemic in rural areas.

The Health Resources and Services Administration's Federal Office of Rural Health Policy awarded $200,000 in planning grants to six Indiana entities , including mental health treatment centers.

Indiana's funding is part of $24 million announced Monday for 40 states. That money will go toward formalizing partnerships with local stakeholders, conducting needs assessments and developing plans to prevent substance abuse, including opioid abuse, in rural areas.

Federal officials say rural opioid users are more likely to be uninsured, less educated and have a lower income than their urban counterparts.

More than half of the nation's rural counties also lack a provider who can prescribe the opioid addiction-withdrawal drug buprenorphine.

Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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I live in the Hampton Roads area of coastal Virginia. Its an area that is loaded with young men and women who serve their nation for a living. I see these people up close, sacrificing every day to protect our nations freedoms, and we have much of which to be proud. They deserve every tool we can give them to protect America  and protect themselves.

How hard is that? Well, because of (yet another) lobbying fight in faraway Washington, D.C., its made harder than you think.

The current lobbying battle I refer to is between one interest supporting replacing an old fleet of F-15s and another one supporting the stealth F-35 for the U.S. Air Force. Both are scheduled to be bought by the Department of Defense, yet lobbyists have instigated a fight to get a bigger slice of the contracting pie, mucking up the works in the process.

First off, lobbyists should never determine what military hardware makes it into the field of battle. The proponents of the F-35 are reluctant to acknowledge that this program has been estimated to be the most expensive in U.S. history at well in excess of $300 billion. That is why they are pushing so hard for more contracts.
A shiny stainless steel sculpture created by Jeff Koons in 1986, inspired by a childs inflatable toy, sold at Christies on Wednesday night for $91.1 million with fees, breaking the record at auction for a work by a living artist, set just last November by David Hockney.

Robert E. Mnuchin, an art dealer and the father of Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, made the winning bid for Mr. Koonss 1986 Rabbit from an aisle seat near the front of the salesroom. He was seated near Peter Brant, the collector and private museum-owner, and Jeffrey Deitch, the dealer.

It was the ultimate prize among six works offered at Christies from the collection of the magazine publisher S.I. Newhouse Jr., who died in 2017. Estimated to raise at least $50 million, this sculpture, made in an edition of three and one artists proof, was the last example left in private hands, according to Christies.

[Update: Robert Mnuchin would rather not discuss his client (or his son).]

The price, surpassing the $90.2 million with fees achieved, again at Christies, for Mr. Hockneys 1972 painting, Portrait of an Artist (Pool With Two Figures), confirmed how Mr. Koonss metal sculptures have become the ultimate billionaire trophies produced during the contemporary art boom of the 1980s and 90s. The Hockney milestone came at the expense of Mr. Koons, the previous record-holder, whose Balloon Dog (Orange) sold at auction for $58.4 million in November 2013.
Woodstock 50, the planned 50th anniversary of the original Woodstock festival, has survived another day, with a victory in a New York court on Wednesday. But the festival still faces steep hurdles to proceed as intended in August.

Last week, the producers of the beleaguered festival requested an emergency injunction against its former investor, an arm of the Japanese advertising giant Dentsu, which had pulled its funding and publicly declared Woodstock 50 canceled. In their filing, Woodstock 50s organizers asked the State Supreme Court in Manhattan to order Dentsu to return nearly $18 million that it had withdrawn from a festival bank account.

On Wednesday, Justice Barry R. Ostrager ruled that Dentsu did not have the right to unilaterally cancel the festival, according to the contract the parties signed in November. But in a blow to the festival producers, the judge also said that their case falls woefully short of proving that its former financier should return the $18 million.

The decision gives Woodstock 50  whose partners include Michael Lang, one of the producers of the original festival in 1969  a measure of vindication. But there is no guarantee that they will be able to stage the event, which was planned for Aug. 16 to 18 in Watkins Glen, N.Y.
The move to liquidate requires approval by the bankruptcy judge. The Weinstein Company has been negotiating for more than a year with insurers, creditors and women who have sued for compensation for abuse, and the filing could be legal maneuvering intended to speed up a resolution.

The filing said efforts to resolve legal claims by some of the women had stalled in recent months, putting more strain on dwindling resources. But lawyers for some of the women and the New York attorney generals office painted a more optimistic picture of the mediation process, according to a separate bankruptcy filing on Wednesday.

The parties are literally days away from receiving a proposed global resolution, the lawyers said in the filing, adding that the settlement would include remuneration for Harvey Weinsteins victims.

The womens lawyers and the attorney generals office did not weigh in on the merits of the liquidation request in their filing, but they objected to the Weinstein Companys proposal to hire a special litigation firm that would take 30 percent of the proceeds of any settlement. The filing said introducing a litigator into the mediation process could scuttle the talks, which started in April 2018.

Its not clear how much would be left to liquidate. The assets sold to Lantern included a library of old films, a small television production business and a handful of unreleased new films. Lantern offered $310 million plus the assumption of about $115 million in debt.
The Camp Fire underscored the increasing threat that wildfires pose to California as climate change has intensified droughts and heat waves. In April, Gov. Gavin Newsom outlined a plan to reduce the risk of wildfires and find new ways to shoulder the enormous costs of the fires.

Lawyers for victims of the fire said the states report on Wednesday confirmed what many people had long suspected.

Now the day of reckoning has come, said Frank Pitre, a lawyer for victims who is based in the Bay Area. If PG&E wants to do the honorable thing, they should stop spending tens of millions of dollars in bankruptcy court and begin putting together the plan to compensate the victims.

In bankruptcy, the claims of wildfire victims will compete with the claims of bondholders and other PG&E creditors. People who lost their homes to the Camp Fire will probably not know how much the company will pay them for many months and possibly even years.

Some survivors like Randi Hall, who lost her home in Paradise and now lives in a recreational vehicle with her boyfriend, her young daughter and a puppy, have said PG&E appears to be shirking its obligations to victims in bankruptcy court.

If I caused the fire, I wouldnt be able to file bankruptcy and I wouldnt be able to make other people pay for it, Ms. Hall said in an interview last week. Why does a company that has so many millions of dollars in insurance get to do it?

Separately on Wednesday, Mr. Newsom criticized PG&E for how it has handled its bankruptcy case, saying in a court filing that the utility has not demonstrated that it understands the gravity and urgency of the situation.
THURSDAY PUZZLE  When people tell me that they would never, ever dare try to solve a Thursday crossword because its too tricky or too difficult, my response is usually: Pshaw! You can do this. With lots of practice, of course. And maybe some chocolate. And leave a lot of time to finish it. There might be some crying. Also, you definitely need to think outside the box for these, which is a skill that admittedly takes some time to develop. But otherwise, you should be good to go.

And then people yell at me on Twitter because they are either or both of the following:

1. Incensed that the puzzle is a rebus, which they might not have seen before, or

2. Incensed that the puzzle is not a rebus, and is, in fact, something entirely different that they have never encountered.

In this puzzle by Jeff Chen we have the second gripe, although some solvers might have assumed that this tough theme was a rebus. I know I did, mainly because of the difficulty I had getting started and the swearing that resulted from the twists and turns in his grid.

But ultimately, I really enjoyed this one. When that aha! moment hit me, it struck hard, and I found myself going over the completed puzzle again to admire the thought that went into constructing a theme like Mr. Chens.
The doctor who performed an autopsy on Eric Garner testified on Wednesday that a police officer choked him with enough force that it triggered a lethal cascade of events, ending in a fatal asthma attack.

The doctor, Floriana Persechino, said the officers chokehold and the compression of Mr. Garners chest during his arrest on Staten Island in 2014 set into motion a lethal sequence.

Though Mr. Garner had high blood pressure and chronic asthma, Dr. Persechino, a veteran city medical examiner, stood by her finding that his death was a homicide caused by the officers use of force. The chokehold is a significant initial factor of the cascade, she said.

Dr. Persechino testified at a disciplinary hearing for Officer Daniel Pantaleo, who faces possible dismissal over charges of reckless use of a chokehold and intentional restriction of breathing.
The candidate wanted no part of the negativity endemic to politics. Instead she offered an aggressively upbeat view of the future she foresaw for the human race.

We must combine our compassion with our creativity, she urged the convention. We must initiate a new process in democracy to identify our positive options, discover our potentials and commit our political will to long-range goals.

The words might have fit nicely into the current presidential campaign, but they actually were spoken 35 years ago at the Democratic National Convention in San Francisco by a woman few expected to see take the stage, much less be nominated for the vice presidency. She was Barbara Marx Hubbard, who was not a politician by trade but a futurist, spiritual thinker, author and proponent of what are today lumped under the label of New Age ideas.

Ms. Hubbard, campaigning for months, had gathered enough support to have her name placed in nomination, mostly so that she could make a symbolic speech to the convention before endorsing the already assured ticket of Walter F. Mondale and Geraldine A. Ferraro. Ms. Hubbard believed that humans would graduate to a new level of cooperation and enlightenment, and in her speech  delivered to a largely inattentive audience, and not in the prime-time television window  she suggested who might lead the way into that brave new world.
George L. Kelling, a criminologist whose broken windows theory, conceived with James Q. Wilson, revolutionized policing in America by targeting lesser infractions that stoke fear and unrest in urban neighborhoods, died on Wednesday at his home in Hanover, N.H. He was 83.

His death was confirmed by his wife, Catherine M. Coles. The cause was complications of cancer.

Drawing on earlier research and his own field studies in Newark and Kansas City, Mo., Professor Kelling popularized broken windows in a 7,000-word article he wrote in The Atlantic magazine in 1982 with Professor Wilson (whom he credited with coming up with the term).

The premise of the article was that even one unrepaired broken window is a signal that no one cares in a community, and that such neglect could lead to unbridled disorder. Maintaining order and preventing crime, the two argued, go hand in hand.

Professor Kelling had been a seminarian, a social worker and a probation officer; he taught at Rutgers University and was a fellow at the Manhattan Institute, a conservative think tank. Professor Wilson taught government and public policy at Harvard and later at the University of California, Los Angeles.
It keeps farmers holding out hope and making excuses for him, even as his trade war devastates their operations. It keeps coal country loyal, even as the promises of a revitalized coal industry ring hollow. It keeps white voters in the rust belt on the edge of their seats, waiting for the day that he will magically bring back manufacturing. It keeps white voters in the South heated over the issue of immigration and an invasion or infestation of Latin Americans.

Trumps central promise as a politician has been the elevation, protection and promotion of whiteness, particularly white men who fear demographic changes and loss of status and privilege.

As Vox reported in 2017, white people of all ideologies, including liberals, become more conservative when confronted with the reality that a rising minority population means a loss of white dominance.

As the psychologist Jonathan Haidt recently told Vox:

As multiculturalism is emphasized more and more, there emerges a reaction against it on the right, which is attractive to the authoritarian mind and also appeals to other conservatives. And this, I think, is what has happened, this is what Trump is about  not entirely, of course, but certainly this is a big factor.

It is about stacking the courts, controlling the bodies of women (look no further than the raft of state abortion restrictions recently passed, including the outrageous new abortion law in Alabama), fighting the redefinition of gender as personified by the advances in liberty among people who are transgender, restricting the voting of nonwhite, less conservative groups, and controlling the flow of migrants into the country who do not bolster the white population.
A particularly egregious example involved a voter whose last name is del Rio. He was affected by the policy merely because the department of motor vehicles office where h e registered to vote did not allow spaces in last names. He was delRio there. But the voter rolls do allow spaces. No exact match. Voters like Mr. del Rio faced unnecessary hurdles, and poll workers were not trained properly to make sure that voices like his were heard.

Across the country, voter purges employ an easily manipulated use it or lose it rule, under which eligible voters who exercised their First Amendment right to abstain from voting in prior elections can be booted off the rolls.

Add to this mix closed or relocated polling places outside the reach of public transit, sometimes as far as 75 miles away, or long lines that force low-income voters to forfeit half a days pay, and a modern poll tax is revealed.

State legislatures have continued the trend this year. In Texas, officials are attempting to further criminalize eligible voters for inadvertent errors often caused by language barriers. In Tennessee, a state with notoriously low voter turnout, the legislature approved a bill subjecting third-party groups conducting voter registration drives to onerous requirements under threat of civil and criminal penalty.

In Florida, 1.4 million Floridians with felonies were re-enfranchised with a constitutional amendment last year that passed with 65 percent of the vote  the largest expansion of voting rights in a half-century. But the legislature has contravened the will of the people, once again disenfranchising hundreds of thousands of returning citizens through a bill that imposes an antiquated poll tax on them in the form of court fees.

After voters run gantlets to get on the rolls, they are undermined by the mismanagement of inexact voter databases, ancient and under-resourced machines, lost absentee ballots or by elections officials who refuse to count votes that were properly cast.

On election night 2018, as phones rang with tales of missing machines, provisional ballots allocated by a vague lottery system and regular voters vanishing from the rolls, I made a simple demand: Count every vote.
But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine."

Esmeralda was hospitalized for four days, and she and her siblings are now in ICE custody. Todd has not been charged with a crime so far, but the authorities seem to have been considering a federal indictment. I reached out to federal and local officials for comment; they did not respond.

Todd told me that she has no regrets. I think its the right thing to help those in need, she explained. Thats what I learned from my parents. Thats what I learned in church.

Then he [the Samaritan] put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. Look after him, he said, and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.

The arrest of a mom who may have saved a life reflects the increasingly harsh treatment under President Trump of anyone who tries to help migrants. In Arizona, a man named Scott Warren of the aid group No More Deaths/No Mas Muertes, which leaves water, blankets and food for migrants, is to go on trial this month on felony charges that in theory carry terms of up to 20 years in prison. Thats quite a penalty for trying to save the lives of fellow human beings, and others have been prosecuted for misdemeanor offenses.

This is all about trying to chill the willingness of people to help others, Todd said. A friend told me, The other day, someone tried to flag me down by the side of the road and waved an empty water bottle, and I thought about what happened to you and didnt stop.

Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers? The expert in the law replied, The one who had mercy on him. Jesus told him, Go and do likewise.
Generally, women have been more welcomed in offices involved with arms control and nonproliferation, which center on negotiating limits on weapons rather than developing or using them.

Even so, to be successful in these posts so critical to national security, women pay a gender tax, performing the constant mental and emotional calculus that comes with implicit sexism; explicit sexism and discrimination; gender and sexual harassment; and gendered expectations, according to the New America study, based on interviews with 23 women who held senior government positions.

Nearl y all of the 23 said they were harassed or saw others harassed, and when a foreign official was involved, the stress was magnified because it could cause an international incident.

During a round-table discussion with Global Politico in 2017, Laura Rosenberger, who spent 11 years at the State Department and the National Security Council, talked about wearing more pantsuits and baggier tops as a defense mechanism to make myself seem less attractive in the workplace.

Mieke Eoyang, who served 12 years as a staff member on the House Armed Services Committee and the House Intelligence Committee, has described how she would walk into a meeting and be asked to get coffee or how a committee chairman cornered her at a reception to discuss his sexual prowess.

Michele Flournoy, a former senior Pentagon official who was expected to be the first female defense secretary if Hillary Clinton had won the presidency, told me she was fortunate enough to have supportive, often male, mentors and to have risen quickly in the field. She was, hence, less vulnerable to sexism and discrimination. But she has won plaudits as an inspiring leader who helps younger women advance.

Ms. Holgate predicts even greater strides for the next generation. There is a new vocabulary for identifying discriminating behavior  men-only expert panels are now mocked as manels, for instance  and more men are standing up for their female colleagues, she said.
[Follow Mondays SpaceX Starlink launch here.]

The goal of Elon Musk, the founder and chief executive of SpaceX, is to send people to space. But how can he possibly pay for such an expensive venture? SpaceX, for all its successes, is still a fairly small company, and the profit margin on rocket launches is small.

The solution may be to start an entirely different space business: satellites to provide high-speed internet everywhere.

The companys next launch, will put into space the first pieces for a constellation called Starlink.

This would provide connectivity to people who either don't have any connectivity today or where it's extremely expensive and unreliable, Mr. Musk said during a Wednesday news conference.
Interviews, calls  constant since about 10:00 this morning. Its been all day long. Three different BBCs called. I asked em, I said, dont you guys work together? They said, well, we do, but theres bunches of us. So, I did three different Skype interviews with BBC  all different people. Its about this bill, so 

Yeah, its been an unusual day. I hope tomorrow  well, no, tomorrow is going to be some more of this, I understand.

We do. It sounds like youre having a bit of a day there.

Well, I know, we know each other now.

Good, good, good. Just to start with, should I address you as Mr. Johnston, or should I address you as Eric? What do you prefer?

So, Im going to play you part of this interview I did yesterday with this lawyer from Alabama.

Today, Alabama has adopted a law that would criminalize nearly all abortions and make the penalty for providing one up to 99 years in prison. Why the man who wrote the law knew it was unconstitutional and did it anyway.

Which reaffirmed Roe. And then we changed our whole approach to how we would deal with the issue.

Legislation. And what we did in 1990 and 91 is we were bringing legislation in the Alabama legislature which would have addressed Roe v. Wade. Those bills did not pass, but it was actually in 1992 that Planned Parenthood v. Casey was decided.

The way the system works in Alabama  and all states are somewhat different, but probably similar in a lot of ways  there is a bill writing service for the legislature. In effect, they serve as the legislatures lawyer. Legislative Reference Service, it was called then, was very open to taking 

And what do you mean when you say work with the legislature?

Well, in 1990 was when I began working with the legislature and have worked with the legislature every year after that.

So, it sounds like once this does become a hot issue after the 1980s, conservatives like Johnston see a path to potentially overturning Roe v. Wade with some kind of challenge.

So, what many constitutional scholars will tell you is that this is a case that rests on slightly legal shaky ground because the way the court ruled in Roe, they based it on this idea that there was a constitutional right to privacy. That it wasnt about equality, it wasnt about equal rights, it was really about privacy. But the problem with that was that there wasnt a direct and explicit right spelled out in the Constitution for privacy. Essentially, they were interpreting based on a reading of the Constitution, and that left an opening for conservatives who argued that, look, this doesnt really hold water legally.

What does he mean here when he talks about the constitutional deficiencies of Roe v. Wade?

After several years of practice, when I became more accustomed to what I was doing, I focused on the abortion issue, and I realized that was a pretty significant case. I became interested in it at that time, and it was partially because I believe that life  God ordained life, and life begins in the womb. Scripture talks about that. But, as a lawyer, I was reading cases and I was seeing the constitutional deficiencies of Roe and realizing that it was a mistake.

Right. And that timeline lines up with what Johnston told us.

So, it really wasnt in the beginning. You had various Catholic groups that were very much opposed to abortion, but that was not mainstream. You didnt hear any really organized opposition to this big change. The opposition grew slowly over time, and it started, really, with a group of conservative thinkers who realized that abortion was the way that they could bring evangelicals into the electorate. So, they sold this vision to Ronald Reagan, he believed it, he ran with it. And by the 1980s, you had abortion as this big political issue.

Johnston says he had just started practicing law when Roe was decided. In fact, he was admitted to the bar the exact same year  1973  that the case was ruled. So, why would that have not been a big deal to a conservative lawyer in Alabama?

Abortion was not  Roe v. Wade was decided in 73, and I was just begun practicing law. And, initially, there was not a lot of impact by the Roe decision. It was not really any thing that was talked about very much.

Right, which is why we wanted to talk to him. But I wanted to get your take on this conversation we had, given how closely youve been covering whats going on at the state level across the United States when it comes to abortion rights.

Yes. He is the lawyer at the center of the Alabama abortion bill. Hes right in the middle of it. Its a really big week for him.

So, Sabrina, yesterday I talked to this lawyer in Alabama, Eric Johnston. Im sure by this point you know he is.

sabrina tavernise

So, this was a really big case for someone like Johnston. Because what happened was everybody expected that this would mean the end of Roe. That was the expectation going into Casey, but the court really surprised everyone. The court said, no, Roe is firm  abortion is legal in the United States. But it brought in a caveat  states can regulate up to viability  generally around 24 weeks, so, until a baby is viable outside the womb  as long as they do not place an undue burden on the woman in doing so. So, what happened was this opens the door for state legislatures around the country to basically become legally very inventive in how to regulate this thing. They want to regulate it.

michael barbaro

And tell me what you mean by inventive. What can they suddenly regulate?

sabrina tavernise

So, for example, one popular method was to say, O.K., youre an abortion clinic, but we think probably youre unsafe as an abortion clinic, so you need to have very special doorways, hallways, you need to be built like a hospital. You need to have a doctor whos on call at all time who has admitting privileges in a local hospital. And if you dont have those things, then you cant keep operating as a clinic in our state. And that started to really change the picture for abortion access in the United States.

michael barbaro

Because its going to make it harder to run an abortion clinic.

sabrina tavernise

Thats right. And that started in 1992 after Casey.

michael barbaro

And what was your change in approach?

eric johnston

Well, we would go from writing bills that would seek to reverse Roe to writing bills that would regulate the abortion procedure process to reduce the number of abortions.

michael barbaro

So, during this time, you give up on the idea that you can overturn Roe v. Wade  and I just dont understand why. What made you decide that that wasnt something worth trying to do?

eric johnston

Well, after Casey was decided, knowing the makeup of the Supreme Court and reading the Casey opinion, it was obvious to lawyers who were involved at that time that there was not a foreseeable case or opportunity for Roe to be reversed. It wouldnt do any good just to go and pass laws that would say, abortion is illegal, because the U.S. Supreme Court would strike those laws down. It would be a waste of time.

sabrina tavernise

This begins the era of, lets chip away  just little bits, little bits. We can take little bites out of it. So, you think viability is 24 weeks? What about 20? Were going to regulate it at 20 and see how that goes.

eric johnston

That did not change until last year.

michael barbaro

And what happened last year that made that change?

eric johnston

Well, there were the prospects of new justices on the U.S. Supreme Court  Gorsuch and then Kavanaugh. There was a Justice Department who was more favorable to the sanctity of life. Now, it looks like this may be the time to do it. And, of course, I have no crystal ball. I dont know that its the time to do it. But if you look around, Im not the only one thinking this  or the Alabama Pro-life Coalition is not the only one.

sabrina tavernise

When Kavanaugh was confirmed, there was one thing in my mind, which was, this is going to be a huge fight.

michael barbaro

What do you mean?

sabrina tavernise

You know, this was the first time a serious challenge to Roe would be possible.

michael barbaro

Because of the math.

sabrina tavernise
The Trump administration escalated its conflict with the tech industry on Wednesday, unveiling a website that asks people who think their viewpoints have been censored by social media platforms to share their stories  and their contact information.

President Trump, who seems to relish little more than a tweet storm, has repeatedly attacked Google, Facebook and Twitter for what he alleges is their bias against and suppression of conservative users. The companies have repeatedly denied those accusations.

The website published by the White House on Wednesday took those complaints to a new level, marrying the presidents online grievances to a data-gathering operation that could help him mobilize potential supporters during his re-election campaign.

The websites opening page begins with a caps-lock proclamation that sounds like an applause line from one of the presidents raucous rallies: SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS should advance FREEDOM OF SPEECH.
WASHINGTON  The Department of Homeland Security has pulled federal agents from airports, from legal border crossings and from deep inside the United States and reassigned them to the southwestern border to grapple with a surge of incoming migrants.

The Transportation Security Administration requested a few hundred volunteers to deploy to the border to transport migrants, distribute meals and provide legal support, a department official said on Wednesday. The agents, some of whom will come from the Federal Air Marshal Service and from the Visible Intermodal Prevention and Response team, usually provide security at airports and on airplanes while undercover, according to four department officials.

The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the specifics of the reorganization of security personnel.

It was the latest attempt by the Department of Homeland Security to support overwhelmed Border Patrol agents by diverting to the border officials who provide security elsewhere in the country.
Theres so much polarization that they dont even try to compromise anymore, a bizarre state of affairs for an institution that has been traditionally known for debate, deliberation and compromise, said Joshua C. Huder, a senior fellow at Georgetown Universitys Government Affairs Institute.

If we dont see something happen in the next couple months, then you can probably expect this Congress not to do much policywise, other than a budget deal and a couple appropriations bills, he added. And that wont get done on time.

But Mr. McConnell, for his part, appears to have little concern about the lack of legislative agenda and has proudly fashioned himself as the grim reaper of progressive policies, first before a small group of constituents in Kentucky last month and then before a national stage.

As long as I am majority leader of the Senate, I get to set the agenda, Mr. McConnell said last week in an interview on Fox News, outlining his opposition to some of the most prominent progressive policies up for debate among the Democratic caucus. Thats why I call myself the grim reaper. We will not have the Green New Deal and we will not have Medicare for none as long as I am majority leader of the Senate.

Democrats have begun to hurl the sobriquet back at Mr. McConnell, who is up for re-election in 2020.

Senator McConnell has described himself as the grim reaper; hes going to kill every bill that comes over from the House, Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California said, slamming Republican inaction at an event on Wednesday meant to promote her partys health care legislation. The Senate is going to be hearing from the American people.

Other experts who analyze the productivity of the legislative branch emphasized that the Senate still had time to outline an agenda  and that it was part of a trend that had merely accelerated under Mr. McConnell, particularly with a shorter debate time over nominees.
michael barbaro

From the New York Times, Im Michael Barbaro. This is The Daily. Today, years of multi-national efforts have failed to get China to play by the international rules of trade. Now, Donald Trump has launched an all-out trade war in which the U.S. is taking on China alone. Its Wednesday, May 15th.

peter s. goodman

Hello?

natalie kitroeff

Hi, Peter.

peter s. goodman

How are you?

natalie kitroeff

Im good. How are you?

peter s. goodman

Good.

natalie kitroeff

So, were talking trade.

peter s. goodman

Wait, this is Natalie calling?

natalie kitroeff

It sure is.

peter s. goodman

The thing about The Daily is you never know whos calling. All right, Natalie, its great to hear from you.

natalie kitroeff

Im glad that youre glad to hear from me. [MUSIC]

michael barbaro

My colleague, business reporter Natalie Kitroeff, spoke to economics correspondent Peter Goodman about the story behind the trade war.

natalie kitroeff

So, Peter.

peter s. goodman

So, Natalie.

natalie kitroeff

When does this idea take hold that trade with China is a problem for the United States?

peter s. goodman

Well, the story really starts at a time when trade with China is seen as part of a solution. I mean, the U.S. is still fighting the Cold War with its allies, China is run by the Chinese Communist Party. The Communist Party has emerged from decades of isolation. Out of this comes Deng Xiaoping, who opens China to the world  at first very tentatively  and China becomes capable of producing more and more goods, but it doesnt have access to world markets. It needs access to world markets. Its running up against tariffs in much of the world. And the theory, at least the theory thats advanced by the people who are pushing this, is, listen, if we let China into our club and China gets more and more integrated into the global economy, bit by bit through this engagement, China will become more like us. It will eventually become a free market-governed, liberal democracy. That was the sort of ultimate selling point. Of course, you know, the clear reality was that, at minimum, American companies wanted a crack at the Chinese market, which is, you know, in theory, the largest consumer market on earth. Theres a billion-plus people there. A billion-plus people is a couple billion feet needing to wear socks. I mean, thats how the market is viewed. And China is, at that point, willing to trade  or at least this was the theory  some access to its market in exchange for the right to gain access to world markets.

natalie kitroeff

Right. So, this kind of grand idea that global trade will transform China into a liberal democracy doesnt totally pan out. What about just the fact of China as a trading partner? How does that go for the United States?

peter s. goodman

Well, a lot of good things did happen for American economic life. We got access to an awful lot of low cost goods. A lot of American manufacturers got access to components they could use in their own factory productions. And, along the way, American companies get out from under having to deal with labor unions in their home country, minimum wage laws, environmental and workplace safety regulations. They can just go set about making stuff as cheaply and easily as possible in China. And, bit by bit, China becomes the factory to the world. We also saw hundreds of millions of people lifted out of poverty in China, which is no small thing. Those people entered the global marketplace, and they went out and bought a lot of goods, including some made or least designed in the United States. But we also missed a lot of stuff.

natalie kitroeff

And what do you think that was?

peter s. goodman

We missed something that had been understood since the beginning of modern economics, which is when you liberalize trade, there are winners and there are losers. I mean, you have whole towns in China that are organized to dominate making paint, making neckties, making shoelaces for shoes. Entire towns are organized in this fashion. And, so, if you are living in the industrial Midwest and youre working at the same factory where youve been showing up for work for 20 years thinking that the fact that youre good at your job and you work hard is going to be enough to get you to your pension, well, China has set up a system designed to undercut that. And American policymakers failed to prepare for that. So, they didnt take the many benefits  and there were many benefits  of China integrating into the world economy  benefits for American companies  and distribute them so that the people who were hurt got something for their pain, or at least got help with their transition to the next thing. So, a lot of people were just left stranded and left to suffer what we now call deindustrialization. And downward mobility became the reality for tens of millions of people in the center of the United States.

natalie kitroeff

Right. So, we understood how American consumers and American companies would win. It was pretty much the American worker who we didnt really think about.

peter s. goodman

Thats right. I mean, American workers in key industries were the ones who paid the price. And the failure was not, as I think many economists still view it, allowing China into the global trading system. It was the failure to cushion the blow for the communities that paid that price.

natalie kitroeff

In terms of all of this conversation that were hearing now about China being an unfair trading partner, does that depend on who you are?

peter s. goodman

Theres now a fairly universal view regardless of who you are that China has taken some very serious liberties with the global trading system and has not lived up to the spirit of what it agreed to when it entered the W.T.O. A lot of Western companies  American companies  have not gotten the access to the Chinese market that they were promised. China has cracked down on the internet, has not allowed major internet companies to set up in China. China has continued to force many Western companies to engage in these joint ventures where they are required to transfer in technology, which leads to their intellectual property getting stolen from them. China has, by and large, used the W.T.O. for its own benefit and has not delivered on the market-opening elements of what it promised.

natalie kitroeff

And are those issues you raised, are those violations of the terms of being a W.T.O. member?

peter s. goodman

Sometimes yes and sometimes no. I mean, lets remember what the W.T.O. is  a bunch of countries that were more like each other than not  you know, they had the same level of education and innovation in their workforces  they all agreed that they were going to lower tariffs to one another, and trade expanded dramatically, and so did living standards. And it just wasnt built for an enormous economy like China, which is not at all like the wealthy, developed countries that started the global trading system. Its a poor country that has hundreds of millions of people who are desperate who will take jobs at very low wages, who are so eager to elevate their living standards that theyre not initially all that concerned about labor standards, workplace safety standards. Theres no democracy. Theres no free press to bring to light abuses. And, so, the W.T.O. finds itself dealing with a whole range of cases. But the W.T.O. process is very slow. It can take years to get a result. And, in the meantime, your company or your industry can be wiped out.

natalie kitroeff

Right. So, give me an example of how China has been able to take advantage of this setup.

peter s. goodman

Well, take steel, for example. China needs to employ large numbers of people  not only in industrial areas, it needs to create a lot of jobs for farmers who are falling behind the people living in Chinese cities who are increasingly wealthy. And one key way of creating those jobs is to invest in steel plants. And, by the middle of the 2000s, China is making a whole lot of steel  a lot more steel than it can possibly use at home. And, so, what does it do? It doesnt want to fire a bunch of people working at steel mills. It says, well, were going to have to go find a place to sell all this steel. And that place is the rest of the world. So, China starts selling steel at low prices  much lower prices than steel is being manufactured in places like the United States and Canada and Italy and Germany and Japan. And steel, Chinese-made steel, becomes very attractive to much of the industrial world, because its increasingly high quality, and its cheap. So, thats great if youre buying steel. Its not so great if you work at a plant that makes steel. And, for workers, it looks like their paychecks are under fire from somebody whos not playing fair. And theyre angry about it.

natalie kitroeff

How exactly did China not play fair?

peter s. goodman

From Chinas perspective, its simply taking advantage of whats available. But, when you get people to speak candidly in China about this  its important to remember that for China, history doesnt start in 2001 when it enters the W.T.O. History doesnt start when Deng Xiaoping opens up to the world. History starts centuries ago. And, for a lot of those centuries, China is the victim of colonialism. In the dominant narrative amongst party officials, is this not wrong notion that for centuries Westerners have been coming and pillaging. Theyve been taking advantage of a weak China. So now, Chinas in the W.T.O. in 2001, and its going to take advantage of whats available to catch up.

natalie kitroeff

Its like payback.

peter s. goodman

I dont know that its seen as payback. Its seen as were not suckers. Were not defenseless. Weve now got a plan. Weve lived through decades of chaos, but we figured it out now. And weve carefully studied how the rest of the world works. We understand how Britain and the United States and France and Japan have turned themselves into these very wealthy societies. And now thats what were going to do. And the way we do it is we exploit our advantages. And our advantages are that were a huge country with an awful lot of hardworking people and a central bureaucracy that has got a formula for how to rapidly industrialize. So, I mean, Chinas view is we made this deal under the W.T.O. The rules were what they were. The process of adjudication was what it was. I mean, thats the Chinese view. Now, clearly, there are ways in which China is not complying, and that poses a serious problem, and over the last decade, whats happened is those unhappy about China have expanded from the workers in select industries finding themselves in direct competition with Chinese companies and often vulnerable to losing their jobs  thats expanded to the corporate ranks. I mean, banks are angry that they dont have access to the Chinese market  even auto companies. Technology companies are angry that theyve had to hand over technology that Chinese companies have then used to undercut them making their own products. So, the sense has taken hold, broadly, in American life that the U.S. has been victimized by China, and that the consumer benefits are simply not enough. [MUSIC]

natalie kitroeff

You said China didnt see itself as a bunch of suckers. The U.S. obviously doesnt like to see itself as a bunch of suckers either. Is that how we find ourselves in this raging trade war?

peter s. goodman

Well, in part. While there is now pretty close to unanimity that Chinas a problem, there is a very significant divide over what to do about that. So, in the Trump view, the idea is you work out everything in a bilateral arrangement between two countries. Because, in any bilateral arrangement, the U.S. should have the upper hand, because the U.S. is the richest, most powerful country, and every other country has a greater interest in getting access to the American market than the U.S. has getting access to the other market. Thats not how most of the American power structure has historically viewed things. So, multilateral solutions and international institutions have been at the center of economic policy. And the counter view is, O.K., if the W.T.O. is not working properly, we dont scrap the W.T.O. because if we scrap the W.T.O., then were just living in the law of the jungle. And, at the moment, the U.S. might be the biggest, toughest animal in the jungle, but thats not forever by any means. I mean, China may very well become a larger economy than the United States sooner than we think, and then well be at a disadvantage. So, better to have institutions that focus on creating rules and norms with enforcement mechanisms that actually deal with the sorts of problems that we deal with in modern society. So, if the W.T.O. is not set up to deal with intellectual property and technology, well, then lets sit down and write some rules that actually govern the problems that weve got now.

natalie kitroeff

Peter, I take your point. On the other hand, dont you think we got to a point in American society where there was just this backlash against these free trade deals?

peter s. goodman

Definitely.

natalie kitroeff

And there was a kind of feeling among those workers that you talked about that the multilateral approach hasnt worked.

peter s. goodman

Yeah. Well, first of all, as a matter of political reality, theres no question that that argument didnt win the favor of people in a lot of key parts of the industrial Midwest. And theres no question that theres no simple solution when it comes to dealing with China. So, China represents an economic problem that weve just never seen before. And if there were an obvious solution to this problem, wed have found it already. [MUSIC]

natalie kitroeff

So, Peter, the bilateral approach that weve seen President Trump take, which has resulted in a year-plus of trade war, is it working?

peter s. goodman

Well, its certainly not working by the presidents own scorecard, because the trade deficit has gone up, not down. There is some evidence that some jobs that might have gone outside of the United States are now staying in the United States, but theres very little evidence that that has turned into more American jobs. So, if youre an American company and you now fear building a new factory in China, its not that now youre going to build in the United States, its now maybe youll build in Vietnam. Maybe youll explore a venture in India or some other low-wage country in the world.

natalie kitroeff

So, its not as if these jobs are going to be flooding back to the U.S.  that American workers are going to benefit from this approach.

peter s. goodman

Well, some of these jobs are even jeopardized by this approach. I mean, I was in western Michigan last December, and I was visiting a factory that makes the electronics that go into auto lights. And this is a company thats been in Michigan for decades. They resisted going to Mexico after the U.S. entered Nafta in the mid-90s. These are Republicans who think tribally about their American identity and they really dont want to look abroad. And, suddenly, theyre finding that the components that theyre importing  electronics from China, some steel products  are going up in price because of Trumps tariffs. And they were telling me very sheepishly, were having to explore the possibility that were going to have to shut down this factory or at least move some of the production to Mexico, because the economics just dont make sense with these tariffs in place.

natalie kitroeff

So, if this is not in accordance with mainstream economic thought, if this approach could actually hurt American workers, hurt those people in Michigan you talked to rather than give them their jobs back, who would be most likely to support the presidents approach?

peter s. goodman

Precisely those people I talked to in Michigan, and people in general who have found themselves in recent decades competing against Chinese industry. I had dinner in western Michigan with a guy whose family business had really been ravaged by cheap Chinese imports more than 15 years ago. This guys got his own company, and hes discovering that he is having a hard time getting his hands on low-priced steel because Trump has put tariffs on steel. He talked about cutting peoples bonuses at Christmas and holding off on hiring and really being concerned about the future of the company. And, yet, he was effusively praising Trump for taking on this fight. I mean, in his telling, no one has had the guts to challenge China. And when I pressed for a coherent explanation about how this trade war was ultimately going to better him, I didnt get very satisfying answers. But what I got was a deep, emotional sense  a sentiment that Americans have been systematically cheated in the global economy. I mean, the United States is certainly the greatest beneficiary of globalization of any country in history. How it distributes the winnings of globalization is another question, and a lot of people have not gotten their slice of the pie. But there is this deep sense that the U.S. has been fleeced. And this guy I had dinner with was just so happy that his country was now represented by somebody who was willing to take the gloves off. And if he got caught in the midst of this conflict and it cost him some money, that was O.K. by him. He looked at it as, eventually, some good will come out of this, because, if nothing else, Trump is restoring our pride.

natalie kitroeff

Ive had so many conversations exactly like the one you described with workers and business owners all across the country. Its almost as if that guy and the people that Ive talked to see the fight between the U.S. and China as bigger and more important than the personal cost that it might have to them in the short term. And they value the fact that President Trump is willing to fight that fight, its  patriotic.

peter s. goodman

Oh, no, thats right, and I think this is part of why we should get our minds around the distinct possibility that this trade war could go on a long time and a deal might either be very hard to strike, or it could be that this administration doesnt really want to strike a deal because this is but one element in what has become a kind of holy war. And, so, on the American side, were having this battle over whether were simply trying to readjust the terms of engagement with a China that were going to have to deal with one way or another versus those who view us as now being in almost a new kind of Cold War where our own security and our own prosperity is dependent upon isolating and containing China.

natalie kitroeff

And what about on the Chinese side? If this is a big, bilateral war  bigger, in our minds, than just a trade war  how is this war playing in China?

peter s. goodman

Well, lets imagine how the world looks to a Chinese business owner whos now dealing with declining sales and higher costs because of the tariffs that Chinas imposed on American goods as part of this trade war. That Chinese business owner isnt any happier than the guy I had dinner with in Michigan. But Trump has now elevated this trade war to an issue of sovereignty, and allowed the Chinese propaganda machine to present this as an attack on Chinas dignity, on Chinas destiny, on Chinas national integrity by an American president whos trying to keep China down. So, the Chinese business owner, much like the Michigan business owner, has a reason to think, well, I may have to hurt for a little while in exchange for the longer-term goal of boosting Chinas place in the world and Chinas security. [MUSIC]

natalie kitroeff

And it seems to me like that dynamic might make this more intractable.

peter s. goodman

Theres no question that on both sides what began as a trade issue has escalated into something thats tapping deeply into nationalist sentiments, into long grievances and narratives of getting cheated. This is on both sides. And, for significant numbers of people, national pride and dignity is on the line. That does not lend itself to one side backing down.

natalie kitroeff

Thank you Peter.

peter s. goodman

Thank you, Natalie.

michael barbaro

On Tuesday, the president continued to promote his trade war with China.

archived recording (donald trump) I think its going to be  I think its going to turn out extremely well. Were in a very strong position.

michael barbaro

Saying that the 25 percent tariffs he has imposed on $250 billion worth of Chinese goods would benefit the United States, and that he was considering imposing additional tariffs on nearly every Chinese import.

archived recording (donald trump) Our economy is fantastic. Theirs is not so good. Weve gone up trillions and trillions of dollars since the election. Theyve gone way down since my election.

michael barbaro

The president suggested he was in no rush to end the fight, but held out the possibility that an agreement could be reached.

archived recording (donald trump) If they want to make a deal, it could absolutely happen. But in the meantime a lot of money is being made by the United States and a lot of strength is being shown.

michael barbaro

Well be right back. [MUSIC] Heres what else you need to know today.

archived recording (donald trump) My son spent, I guess, over 20 hours testifying about something that Mueller said was 100 percent O.K., and now they want him to testify again. I dont know why. I have no idea why, but it seems very unfair to me.

michael barbaro

On Tuesday, the presidents oldest son, Donald Trump Jr., agreed to testify before the Senate Intelligence Committee as it investigates whether he was honest in his previous testimony about a 2016 meeting with a Russian lawyer who allegedly promised incriminating information about Hillary Clinton. Donald Trump Jr. had resisted testifying for weeks, prompting a subpoena from the committees Republican chairman, Richard Burr, followed by calls from several other Republicans, including Senator Lindsey Graham, that Donald Trump Jr. ignore the subpoena.

archived recording (lindsey graham) If I were Donald Trump Jr.s lawyer, I would tell him, you dont need to go back into this environment anymore. Youve been there for hours and hours and hours, and nothing being alleged here changes the outcome of the Mueller investigation. I would call it a day.

michael barbaro
CARACAS  The United States banned all air transport with Venezuela on Wednesday over security concerns, further isolating the troubled South American nation by severing one of its last links to the worlds largest economy.

The Department of Homeland Security said it decided to immediately suspend all commercial and cargo flights between the United States and Venezuela because the countrys political crisis threatened the safety of passengers, aircraft and crew.

The decision will be a heavy blow for millions of Venezuelans who rely on donations or remittances from relatives abroad to survive, as the countrys crumbling economy has destroyed most of its industry and agriculture and slashed government imports. Many have relied on airline courier services from Miami to obtain scarce medication, spare parts and food.

This will be a catastrophe for a lot of people, said Feliciano Reyna, head of the health nonprofit Accion Solidaria, which receives medical donations from the United States through air courier services. This will complicate enormously the transportation of humanitarian aid to the country.
MANILA  President Rodrigo Duterte of the Philippines has recalled his countrys ambassador to Canada after Ottawa failed to take back tons of rubbish it had dumped in the Southeast Asian country, the Philippine foreign secretary said Thursday.

The decision came after Canada missed a Wednesday deadline set by Mr. Duterte for Canada to remove more than 100 shipping containers filled with household trash that had made its way to the Philippines more than five years ago. The containers hold common household trash, including used bags and soiled diapers, but they were mislabeled as recyclable materials.

At midnight last night, letters for the recall of our ambassador and consuls to Canada went out, Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin said on Twitter. They are expected here in a day or so. Canada missed the May 15 deadline. And we shall maintain a diminished diplomatic presence in Canada until its garbage is ship-bound there.
There is a viable opposition to the rule of the ayatollahs and that opposition is centered in this room today. Months before he became President Trumps national security adviser, John Bolton spoke at the annual gathering of an Iranian dissident group known as the Mujahedeen Khalq or the M.E.K. The behavior and the objectives of the regime are not going to change. And therefore, the only solution is to change the regime itself. Its no secret that Bolton has long been a hardline foe of the Iranian government. And thats why before 2019, we here will celebrate in Tehran. Thank you very much. Even though Boltons 2019 prophecy hasnt come true yet the administration has escalated tensions between the two countries this year, even hinting at the use of force. Well see what happens with Iran. If they do anything, it will be a very bad mistake if they do anything. Im hearing little stories about Iran. If they do anything, they will suffer greatly. Well see what happens with Iran. Bolton believes the M.E.K. is a viable alternative to Irans government. So what is the M.E.K.? Its a dissident group and its primary mission is to overthrow the regime in Iran. A 2011 State Department estimate said the group had between five to 13,000 members. Most M.E.K. members are Iranian exiles living in Europe and the U.S. Many experts believe it has little support inside Iran itself. They often stage demonstrations against Irans human rights record and its cleric-run state. Its often described as a cult. The U.S. State Department says it calls for forcing spouses to divorce and weekly ideological cleansing sessions. It was led by Massoud Rajavi but hes been missing since 2003. And so his wife, Maryam Rajavi, has become the de facto leader. Until 2012, the United States considered it a terrorist organization. M.E.K.s tactics have shifted over the years. But it has been known to use violence to achieve its goals. M.E.K. started in Iran in the 1960s. In the 1970s, it carried out anti-regime activities against the shah right up until the Islamic Revolution in 1979. And then it targeted Ayatollah Khomeinis government too. But it didnt stop there. During this time it was also suspected to be behind the assassination of six Americans and the bombings of American companies in Iran. The group eventually moved to Iraq and tried to destabilize the Iranian regime from there. But after Saddam Hussein was toppled the country grew too dangerous for them, even with U.S. troops present. M.E.K. was still a pretty undesirable group. But then we did not want to watch it be slaughtered in Iraq. Today, Bolton isnt the only public figure to find common cause with the M.E.K. Rudy Giuliani, former D.N.C. chair Ed Rendell and Trump Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao have spoken at or attended M.E.K.s national conference. The group also has an aggressive lobbying arm and seems to have deep pockets. The amusing thing is that the M.E.K. will try to buy pretty much anyone and they, you know, I was approached to do events in support of the M.E.K. I know a number of other former government officials who found them truly detestable also were approached. You know, its really something to have someone on the phone offering you $15,000 or $20,000 to appear at a panel discussion because that doesnt happen for former diplomats every day. Bolton hasnt said who hed like to see take over in Iran since he became national security adviser. Our policy is not regime change. But hes continued the aggressive messaging. So Ayatollah Khamenei, I dont think youll have many more anniversaries to enjoy. If past statements are any guide, M.E.K.s most powerful advocate is now within earshot of the president. I had said, for over 10 years since coming to these events, that the declared policy of the United States of America should be the overthrow of the mullahs regime in Tehran.
The Czech Republics culture minister resigned Wednesday in the face of rising opposition to his decision to fire the leaders of two museums, including of the countrys National Gallery.

The minister, Antonin Stanek, said in a tweet that he would leave office on May 31, and that he had been told to step down by the head of his party.

The furor that led to Mr. Staneks departure began last month when, at a news conference on April 18, he dismissed Jiri Fajt, the director of the National Gallery in Prague, and Michal Soukup, the director of the Olomouc Museum of Art, which is in the eastern part of the country.

Mr. Stanek had lost confidence in both directors following audits of their museums, he said at the news conference. He accused both men of financial mismanagement and said he would refer their cases to prosecutors. I was hoping I wouldnt have to use this extreme solution, he added.
Given the political tensions that have sent spasms through the nation over the past two years, you might have expected  hoped  that the 2019 Whitney Biennial would be one big, sharp Occupy-style yawp. It isnt. Politics are present, but with a few notable exceptions, murmured, coded, stitched into the weave of fastidiously form-conscious, labor-intensive work.

As a result, the exhibition, organized by two young Whitney curators, Rujeko Hockley and Jane Panetta, gives the initial impression of being a well-groomed group show rather than a statement of resistance. Yet once you start looking closely, the impression changes. Artist by artist, piece by piece, theres a lot of quiet agitation in the air.

And the basics are strong. Demographically, the show  which fills the museums fifth and sixth floors, spreads down to the third, into the lobby, and out to the street  adheres to what seems to have become a new Whitney norm: namely, a view of American art far more inclusive than it once was.

The 75 participants include artists hailing from Canada and Puerto Rico and non-coastal points in between, as well as several born in Africa and Asia and at least a few United States citizens living abroad. The ethnic and gender mix is balanced to a degree unimaginable even a decade ago. And its a young show: three quarters of the artists are under 40, with 20 of them under 33. So thats all good.
After nearly 300 episodes, The Big Bang Theory wraps up on CBS. And Skyfall is on Syfy.

Whats on TV

THE BIG BANG THEORY 8 p.m. on CBS. When this nerd-chic sitcom began in September 2007, Alessandra Stanley wrote in a review in The New York Times that 2007 was the year of breakthroughs: First the iPhone, now the tall, dark and handsome nerd. You could argue that The Big Bang Theory turned into something like the iPhone of sitcoms: wildly popular and filled with tech. When it ends its run on Thursday with a finale double-feature of two episodes, The Big Bang Theory will have been the longest-running multicamera comedy series ever. Created by Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady, the show made a star out of Jim Parsons, whose Sheldon Cooper character (one of the shows awkward scientists) has earned Parsons four Emmy Awards and is the focus of a spinoff, Young Sheldon, which will be left to carry the torch  or light saber.
Indeed, the selection of books can be a more freighted process when publishing professionals are present. Louise Grunwald, the widow of the former diplomat and Time Inc. editor in chief Henry Grunwald, says the reading picks of her groups leader, the novelist John Burnham Schwartz, sometimes prevail over other members suggestions. It seems like a democratic process, but it really isnt, Grunwald said. In the end, I find, its by fiat. But disguised as democratic.

You ask yourself, Should I fake it, or should I just admit I didnt finish the book?

Conversely, Coben finds that the novelists in his group are egalitarian: Sure, there are elder statesmen and younger bucks. But no one dominates the conversation. However, the presence of literary luminaries in the room can make a members unpreparedness especially piquant. You ask yourself, Should I fake it, or should I just admit I didnt finish the book? All members have done that at one point.

Does Grunwald feel that being among the last left of New Yorks acknowledged great hostesses puts a burden on her or on other members when its their turn to host? I see what you mean, she said. But no. Everyone does his own thing. And sometimes people even have fun with it. If were reading an Egyptian novel, well have hummus.

What about Martel and his interior designers: Are kale leaves being massaged and couches Scotch-Guarded as we speak? Yes, but convention steers toward studied casualness, Martel said. Nevertheless, he added, Sometimes the table is set for a night of taste and restraint, and then the rose happens.

For some hosts, the pressure to make the rose happen is more plangent. The public policy-themed club attended by Sadik-Khan is always hosted by the groups co-founder Gary Ginsberg, the senior vice president and head of communications at SoftBank. The group, about 15 in size, occasionally invites authors it is reading. Given that the first three books the club read were by Caro, Ginsberg was understandably nerve-racked when the author agreed to speak at one of the clubs meetings.
THE BODY PAPERS

A Memoir

By Grace Talusan

Much of Grace Talusans memoir, The Body Papers, will be familiar to any reader of immigrant narratives. But what renders the book memorable  perhaps what earned it the Restless Books Prize for New Immigrant Writing  is the authors unstinting self-portrait. We see Talusan clearly in the present, warts and all, precisely through the stark, lucid representations of herself in the past. Having moved with her family from the Philippines to suburban America when she was 2 years old, Talusan recalls complex feelings of loss, displacement and adjustment.

The titular body is not only biological but also cultural and sexual. She all but forgets her native tongue, Tagalog. On visits to Manila, she looks as if she belongs, but once she opens her mouth it is immediately apparent that shes from the United States. As she dryly notes, This is what happens when assimilation brings erasure. Luckily, however, she doesnt have to worry about communicating: Thanks to United States colonization, English is one of the countrys official languages. But language isnt the only marker of Talusans Americanness. In a humorous sequence set amid the chaotic traffic of Manila, where about one pedestrian is killed every other day, she orders drivers to stop so she can get to the other side in one piece. As soon as I step into a Manila crosswalk, she writes, I distinguish myself by losing my cool.

Then theres the inevitable exposure to racism, as a brown-skinned girl growing up in a predominantly white Boston neighborhood. She is teased by a third grader who makes ching-chong sounds while pulling back the corners of his eyes. Later, when she dates white men from the military, she cant help recalling how back home, Filipina bar girls were looked down upon for liaisons with Americans in uniform. The depth and virulence of racism is brought home to her when her African-American husband gets beaten up so badly she can hardly recognize him in the hospital.

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Reading W. E. B. Du Bois, Talusan recognizes her own experience in his notion of double consciousness. She too knows what it is to be Othered: I was constantly refracting myself through multiple mirrors, wondering who I was perceived to be by others, how I perceived myself. Despite her and her familys United States citizenship, the recent Muslim travel ban still engenders moments of paranoia. Even though I had lived in America since I was 2 years old, I felt the tectonic plates of identity shift. I started carrying my U.S. passport with me whenever I left the house.
Wheeliss memoir, with glimpses of her fathers writings, is a layered tribute to a paradoxical man, a caring parent who couldnt say I love you to her until she was 20. Her success is in letting enigmas endure beyond the couch, questing on for the known, the secret, the forgotten. I look in the mirror and I see both of my parents, she writes. I look into my sons face and I see myself. (p. 158).

159 pp. Norton. $25.95.

NATIVE COUNTRY OF THE HEART

By Cherrie Moraga

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With her 100-pound mestiza body, the planet around which our near-100 relations hovered like orbiting moons, Elvira Moraga is the heroine of her daughters memoir. Rescuing her knowing but illiterate mothers story from oblivion is key to a larger matter of survival, what it means to be  not just me but us. As the author navigates her own identities growing up  Mexican, mixed-blood, queer, female, almost Indian  it takes until shes 60 to realize that its Elvira who has provided guidance. Perhaps my writing has never really been about me. Perhaps it was she all along; she without letters; she fallen off the map of recorded histories.

With a poets verve, Moraga depicts that history  Elviras youth as a hatcheck girl in a 1930s Tijuana casino; marriage in Gringolandia to a white man indistinguishable from the rest; a close but chaotic home life in San Gabriel, Calif., where cultures collide. While her mothers story, however turbulent, is cohesive  even in the wrenching scenes of her decline from Alzheimers disease  Moragas own story remains fragmented, driven by what it means to be a displaced mixed-blood Chicana, turning to generations of history for context. How far back do we need to go, she asks, for the reclamation of ourselves? That question resonates further: It is always a political act when we are named and when we name ourselves. As a character, fortunately, Elvira is resonant enough to withstand any effort to render her emblematic, a symbol of a culture and of the past. This memoirs beauty is in its fierce intimacy: We breathe in the last exhale of our mothers breath. (p. 5)

242 pp. Farrar, Straus & Giroux. $26.
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The last two-thirds of the book are a compendium of rants on topics that both fascinate and confound the author. Brutalist architecture is lauded. Andy Warhol is paid homage to and parodied at the same time. Chimpanzee art is used as a means to illuminate the insanity of the contemporary art market. The music of Waterss youth is delved into at length and with tender detail, and yet another life lesson is imparted: He contends that we all need to have good taste in music, and I concur. For isnt taste merely having opinions and being willing to defend them? In this current environment that constantly encourages us to stay afloat on the winds of influencers and #trending, how refreshing and necessary to hear that sticking to your guns is the essential route to a healthy psyche. If you consider Waterss psyche to be healthy, as I indubitably do.

He also dismisses protesting (Dont act up, ACT BAD!), fantasizes about a culinary version of his aesthetic in a restaurant named Gristle and makes observations about travel (Why is everybody ugly in first class?). Though here, again, a revealing and inspiring detail is slipped into the bountiful list of Waters wisdom: The day you stop touring, your career is over, Elton John once told me, and hes right. Please note the extensive schedule of public events and appearances that now fill this auteurs calendar. He intends to be with us for quite a while.

Waters understands that we need some real filth from him, and so there is an unashamedly sensationalist chapter on sex, with some classic, hilarious zingers: Militant rimmers are the Jehovahs Witnesses of anilingus. Always knocking on the door  but accepting if turned away. And while were on the subject of the anus, here for me came the books biggest shock, a rectum-related remark that genuinely made me gasp and wonder if, in the same way peoples voting habits have a tendency to conservatize with age, Waterss views on sex have been primped and neutered. Are you ready, readers? Here it comes: John Waters does not believe in penetrative anal sex! But then I read on, and when I got to the bit where he states that peeing on a man in the bathroom of a sex club broadened him intellectually I realized that, of course, conventional old anal sex would be likely to be pooh-poohed by this scribe.

In the final third of the book, Waters lets slip that it was sold to his publisher partly on the idea that, at 70, he would take LSD again and write about it. Here, if anywhere in this great, rambling literary shrine to the authors idiosyncrasies, we learn the very essence of John Waters. He begins with a sensational idea, he arrests us, but then the actual execution of it is marred with anxiety and doubt  much like the experiences he relates from his filmmaking days. When the moment finally arrives and he drops the drug with two friends, the shocking truth emerges that they all just had a really lovely time. When its over he texts his assistants, his boyfriend, even his drug dealer, to tell them hes fine. And life goes on. It wasnt that big a deal. But thats what I loved about this book: its honesty, even in its flaws.

As the man himself says, and this is a mantra I think every artist who feels the pressure to keep delivering should heed and pass on (I know I will): Learn to milk whatever success youve had. You can keep doing the same thing over and over as long as you have a sense of humor about not having a new idea.
Missile images stoke argument about Iran threat

The White House escalated its warnings about Iran based on photographs of fully assembled missiles in the Persian Gulf, American officials said. The images of the missiles, which had been placed on small boats by Iranian paramilitary forces, were said to have prompted fears of potential attacks on U.S. naval vessels, commercial ships and American troops in Iraq.

But others  including Europeans, Iraqis and members of both parties in Congress  said the moves could be defensive acts against what Tehran sees as provocations by Washington.

The reliability of the underlying intelligence has provoked fierce debate among factions in the White House, the Pentagon and the C.I.A., and from U.S. allies, reflecting a deep mistrust of President Trumps national security team.
Good Thursday. (Want this by email? Sign up here.)

Inside Ubers troubled I.P.O.

The story of Ubers disappointing I.P.O.  its fall from a potential $120 billion blockbuster to a much-smaller debut that fell even further  is one of mismanaged expectations with plenty of blame to go around, Mike Isaac, Michael de la Merced and Andrew report in the NYT.

Trouble began with overambitious valuations. Bankers from Morgan Stanley said last fall that the company could be worth around $120 billion. That number quickly leaked, setting expectations of an I.P.O. that would gush wealth.

The $120 billion figure was important for Dara Khosrowshahi, who became Ubers C.E.O. in 2017. His contract says that if the company is valued in the public market at $120 billion or more for at least three months in the next five years, he will receive a payout of $80 million to $100 million.

But Ubers business has been suffering. Its once-meteoric growth rate slowed, particularly after SoftBank, which went on to invest in Uber, and Didi Chuxing, a Chinese ride-hailing frenemy, invested in the companys Latin American rivals.
The European Commission said Thursday that it had fined Barclays, Citigroup, JPMorgan Chase, Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group and the Royal Bank of Scotland a combined 1.07 billion euros, about $1.2 billion , for their roles in foreign exchange trading cartels.

The penalty followed billions of dollars in fines that various government regulators levied on major banks in 2014 and 2015 over their participation in the manipulation of the foreign currency market.

The commissions action stemmed from what it deemed to be anti-competitive practices by two cartels that operated from 2007 to 2013 . Previous related investigations by the Justice Department, and by regulators in the United States, Britain and Switzerland, examined criminal misconduct and civil violations and had increased scrutiny of currency trading desks.

Foreign exchange spot trading activities are one of the largest markets in the world, worth billions of euros every day, Margrethe Vestager , Europes commissioner for competition policy, said in a statement on Thursday. The behavior of these banks undermined the integrity of the sector at the expense of the European economy and consumers.
Gannett, the owner of USA Today and dozens of other newspapers nationwide, on Thursday won the latest round in its battle with a hedge fund-backed media company intent on buying the chain.

The rival company, MediaNews Group, tried and failed to win seats on Gannetts eight-member board.

Citing the preliminary vote count conducted by a proxy solicitor on Thursday, Gannett said the result showed that our strategic plan is the best path to deliver value for all Gannett shareholders.

MediaNews Group went under the name Digital First Media when the deep cuts it instituted led to a newsroom revolt at The Denver Post last year. The company, backed by the New York firm Alden Global Capital, made an unsolicited bid of $1.3 billion for Gannett in January.

When that didnt work out, MediaNews nominated six alternate directors to try to secure a majority on Gannetts board. Prospects for that plan seemed dim, however, so MediaNews put up a more modest three-director slate for Gannetts annual shareholder election on Thursday.
The stew arrives in a jumble: irregular pieces of bone-in goat meat coated with a brilliant fire-engine-red sauce. Thick like a blanket in February, the sauce is a blend of fresh tomatoes, peppers and tomato paste thats cooked down until nearly burly, just shy of smooth. It clings lazily to the goat, the meat soft from a quick braise, with just enough fat to offset the peppers quiet fire.

At Hills Kitchen, a new Nigerian restaurant in Bushwick, Brooklyn, the stew calls for rice. Your choice presents a quandary: A pile of white rice is an efficient vehicle for those strictly interested in mainlining their serving of sauce, but choosing it means forgoing the jollof rice, that mainstay of Nigerian  and much other African  cuisine.

The base for jollof rice is that same tomato-pepper combination, cooked down and married with a heap of rice, holding the grains together like a web. The flavor is somehow brighter and more acidic than the stews sauce. Those who want their rice to make them sweat should take advantage of the shaker of powdered Cameroon pepper on the table, waiting to take any dish up to 11. Bottles of palm wine are kept behind the counter, ready to calm everything down with their glossy, cider-like effervescence.
FREDERICKSBURG, Tex.  From a porch swing at the Southold Farm & Cellar tasting room outside this small city in Texas Hill Country, a vista of scrubby ranchland stretches to the horizon.

A house on a hill looms invitingly nearby, constructed by the Southold proprietors, Regan and Carey Meador, after they moved here in 2017 with their children, Coralai and Sawyer. Down below is their winery, a functional structure possessing little in the way of charm, though the cats seem to like it fine.

Along a steep, east-facing limestone hillside is a new 16-acre vineyard, planted with rootstock onto which grape vines will be grafted in the near future.

If all goes well, the Meadors will be harvesting white varieties rare to Texas like xarello and petite manseng and a mixture of reds, possibly including cinsault, alicante bouschet and touriga nacional.
Facial recognition is a technology that uses statistical measurements of peoples facial features to digitally identify them in photos, videos or real-time.

Have you ever used any kind of facial recognition technology  say, to verify your identity at the airport, unlock your smartphone, sort and tag photos online, or anything else?

What are your thoughts on it? Does it excite you or creep you out? How would you feel if the police and other government agencies were to use this technology in your community? Why?

In San Francisco Bans Facial Recognition Technology, Kate Conger, Richard Fausset and Serge F. Kovaleski write about why the city has decided to outlaw its use by law enforcement:

San Francisco, long at the heart of the technology revolution, took a stand against potential abuse on Tuesday by banning the use of facial recognition software by the police and other agencies. The action, which came in an 8-to-1 vote by the Board of Supervisors, makes San Francisco the first major American city to block a tool that many police forces are turning to in the search for both small-time criminal suspects and perpetrators of mass carnage. The authorities used the technology to help identify the suspect in the mass shooting at an Annapolis, Md., newspaper last June. But civil liberty groups have expressed unease about the technologys potential abuse by government amid fears that it may shove the United States in the direction of an overly oppressive surveillance state. Aaron Peskin, the city supervisor who sponsored the bill, said that it sent a particularly strong message to the nation, coming from a city transformed by tech. I think part of San Francisco being the real and perceived headquarters for all things tech also comes with a responsibility for its local legislators, Mr. Peskin said. We have an outsize responsibility to regulate the excesses of technology precisely because they are headquartered here. But critics said that rather than focusing on bans, the city should find ways to craft regulations that acknowledge the usefulness of face recognition. It is ridiculous to deny the value of this technology in securing airports and border installations, said Jonathan Turley, a constitutional law expert at George Washington University. It is hard to deny that there is a public safety value to this technology. There will be an obligatory second vote next week, but it is seen as a formality. Similar bans are under consideration in Oakland and in Somerville, Mass., outside of Boston. In Massachusetts, a bill in the State Legislature would put a moratorium on facial recognition and other remote biometric surveillance systems. On Capitol Hill, a bill introduced last month would ban users of commercial face recognition technology from collecting and sharing data for identifying or tracking consumers without their consent, although it does not address the governments uses of the technology. Matt Cagle, a lawyer with the A.C.L.U. of Northern California, on Tuesday summed up the broad concerns of facial recognition: The technology, he said, provides government with unprecedented power to track people going about their daily lives. Thats incompatible with a healthy democracy.

Students, read the entire article, then tell us:

 What are some of the potential benefits of law enforcement and government having access to facial recognition technology? If it were used in your community, do you think you would feel safer? Why or why not?

 In the related video, Aaron Peskin, the city supervisor who sponsored the bill, says:

Its psychologically unhealthy when people know theyre being watched in every aspect of the public realm, on the streets, in parks. Thats not the kind of city I want to live in.

Do you agree? How would you feel if you knew that every time you went out in public you were being watched and could easily be identified through this technology? How would it change your behavior?

 Studies have shown that some of the most popular surveillance systems show bias; African-Americans, women and others are more likely than white men to be incorrectly identified. What risks might these groups face if facial recognition technology were used for policing? In your opinion, how big of an issue is this bias, and why?

 Do you think its too early to completely ban this technology? If surveillance does have public safety value, is it irresponsible not to use it? Could a ban limit its future development and potential? Or, is outlawing it the best way to make sure it doesnt spiral out of control?

 What other potential benefits or dangers do you foresee with the use of facial recognition technology?

 Considering all of the above, do you think the use of facial recognition technology by the police or government should be banned? If so, why? If not, what limits, if any, should be placed on its use?
Like anyone confronting adolescent angst and awkwardness, Matt DeFeo wanted to be himself, even if friends and neighbors werent quite sure what to make of him. He yearned to be where he didnt have to care about what others thought about him: Sweaty clubs featuring longhaired metalcore musicians with tattoos, piercings and no-nonsense glares proved to be just the ticket.

Where sober-minded grown-ups might have felt threatened, he found his identity, listening to bands like the Devil Wears Prada or Underoath. Now, 15 years later, he has returned to those venues and others to do large format wet-process portraits of these musicians, who eagerly sat for the one-time fanboy.

I wanted to break down the stereotypes of this group of people, said Mr. DeFeo, 26. Using large format cameras, I have to be very focused and need to know exactly what I want and how I want to portray them. People see the hard-core community as a bunch of angry, misunderstood kids. Thats how a lot of people perceived me growing up. I wanted to convey something totally different where you have vulnerability and stillness with each portrait.
The following report compiles all significant security incidents confirmed by New York Times reporters throughout Afghanistan from the past seven days. It is necessarily incomplete as many local officials refuse to confirm casualty information. The report includes government claims of insurgent casualty figures, but in most cases these cannot be independently verified by The Times. Similarly, the reports do not include Taliban claims for their attacks on the government unless they can be verified. Both sides routinely inflate casualty totals for their opponents.

At least 80 pro-government forces and 29 civilians were killed in Afghanistan during the past week. The deadliest attack took place in Badghis Province, where the Taliban overran two outposts shared by the army, the police and the National Directorate of Security in Bala Murghab District, killing at least 20 soldiers and five police officers. In Paktika Province, hundreds of Taliban fighters attacked several security outposts in Mata Khan and Zurmat districts killing 13 police officers. In Ghazni Province, seven children were killed and two others were wounded after one of them stepped on a bomb planted by the Taliban in Moqor District.

[Read the Afghan War Casualty Report from previous weeks.]

May 16 Helmand Province: eight police officers killed

The Taliban attacked a police outpost in Lashkar Gah, the provincial capital. Ground forces called for air support, which bombed the police outpost, killing eight police officers and wounding 11 others. A battalion commander was among those killed. Local authorities claimed that Taliban fighters also suffered casualties.

May 16 Zabul Province: three police officers killed

The Taliban attacked security outposts in the area of Suri in Shinky District, killing three police officers, including Qais Ahmad Helmandwal, a battalion commander, and wounding two officers. Local authorities claimed that seven Taliban fighters were killed and 11 others were wounded in the attack. The attack was eventually repelled by security forces.
In Kos, Suhair and her children followed the smugglers instructions, splitting up and buying separate plane tickets on separate days. Naela and Maisam, Suhairs youngest daughter, then 19, were relieved when their fake papers worked at the airport in Greece for their flight to Switzerland. In Zurich, they boarded a train to cross Germany to Amsterdam  and during an unexpected ID check, the authorities detained them for traveling with false documents. The German government was allowing Syrians to travel to Germany and onward; had the sisters shown their Syrian IDs, they might have been allowed to continue to the Netherlands. Instead, they were forced to ask for asylum right there in Germany.

Suhair and Yousef were immediately discovered while checking in for their flight in Kos, and they watched in humiliation as the airline agent destroyed their boarding passes in front of everyone present. With no more money for new IDs and plane tickets, they had to travel to the Netherlands overland by train, bus, taxi and on foot  a journey Suhair still remembers with a shudder  but after a week they made it. Arriving in the last days of September 2015, they were reunited with Souad at Central Station in Amsterdam. It was the first time Suhair had seen her daughter in more than a year. By that point, she knew Naela and Maisam would be required to stay in Germany. The family would not be reunited after all. (No one would be able to travel until they obtained official residency papers  an unpredictable process that could take months or years.)

Suhair and Yousef would spend the next 12 months crisscrossing the Netherlands north to south, east to west, uprooted each time the Dutch authorities told them to pack whatever belongings they had and moved them to yet another reception center. They were housed in everything from a tent to gyms, where they showered in the locker rooms, to slowly sinking trailers erected on muddy fields. With Souad already processed as an individual adult and her other daughters in Germany, Suhair focused most of her efforts on keeping Yousef safe from the daily danger of their first refugee camp, then keeping him in some sort of schooling as they were shuttled all over the country. In that time, Suhair also bought a bike, made some Dutch friends and even had a piece of art she created in collaboration with a local artist exhibited at a museum in the city of Nijmegen.
My name is Chad Stahelski. Im the director of John Wick 3  Parabellum. So the scene were seeing here is after John Wick comes back from seeing someone called the Elder in Morocco. In Casablanca, actually. And hes come back, and hes entered into this battle in the Continental with High Table emissaries and a character named Zeros students, or in this case, we call them Ninja or Shinobi. The two best of Zeros guys are what we see on screen right now, which is  theyre just Shinobi 1 and 2 in the character list, but its actually Yayan and Cecep. Yayan and Cecep, you might recognize from Gareth Evans The Raid and The Raid 2. Both incredible practitioners, both of martial art choreography and of Pencak Silat, which is an Indonesian martial art made famous again in The Raid. And then when we went to the choreography, John Wicks style is more of a grappling art, judo, jujitsu kind of thing, and theirs is more of a duel, punching, kicking, flipping, flying, very kinetic kind of martial art choreography. And they knock him through this big pile of glass. And then you see Keanu on the background as the two  Cecep and Yayan having a dialogue. Youll see John Wick in the background trying to get up and falling back down. The story behind the actual take I used is, Keanu was just supposed to get up and ignore the handshake, but thats actually Keanu falling back down and getting back up. We go long days on John Wick. Its like 12, 13 hours of just fighting. So I think by the time we get that sequence, we had to knock Keanu down, he got back up, he fell on some of the glass. Choreography is much more like dance than martial arts. Any good choreographer or stunt coordinator will tell you that when you fight competitively, youre trying to disrupt the other person, trying to hurt the other person. Stunt choreography or stunt fighting, is the exact opposite. Youre trying to make space. Its like dance. Youre trying not to step on the partners toes, help them to look good, and try not to get punched in the face in the process. Also, in Pencak Silat, they used the curved blade knife that you see on the screen called a karambit. And Keanu at least attempted to start to fight with a small katana, a Japanese sword. And then Cecep and Yayan obviously are much, much faster and much more full of alacrity than our John Wick, because hes already been beaten up for almost two hours of the film. So we had this idea that John Wick just continually gets beat up but reverts back to just ear-slapping and groin-kicking and biting, and trying to  what its like to actually grapple with two little feral animals. And thats kind of where we got. The glass house you see is part of the Continental. Its Winstons, which is the manager and owner of the Continental. And we just always thought itd be cool to have ninjas in the movie. And where can ninjas have the hardest amount of time hiding? In a glass house. So we used that to highlight. When we do action, a lot of what we do is try to put in a great set piece. We thought a really great idea was something Id seen in Architectural Digest, which was a guy built a house out of glass, and I thought that was  as far as the architectural art goes, very, very inspirational. But how do you hide cameras? How do you hide reflections? Where do I hide the crew? How I can shoot through the floors, look through the ceilings. How do you have a gun fight, sword fight, fist fight in a glass house? And thats kind of where we got our inspiration. So after much debating and arguing with certain money people, we finally got it O.K.d to build a $4 million glass structure. Which, for John Wick, is a very big expense. - [groaning] [glass shatters]
Feldstein, who played a supporting role in Lady Bird, compared Wilde to that films writer-director, Greta Gerwig, who was also an actor making her solo directorial debut with a comedic coming-of-age story.

You just know when someones meant to tell a story, and when youre part of something that is meant to be told, Feldstein said. On Lady Bird, I felt I was seeing someone create something that only they could tell. And then when I met Olivia, I was like, Theres two of them?

A directorial follow-up seems all but certain for Wilde, though neither she nor her Booksmart partners have found it yet. Whether its another comedy, a drama or something else entirely, Elbaum said: Im desperately trying to find it. I literally send her everything that comes across my desk.

Wilde said she remained committed to acting, even more so now that shes been on the other side of the camera. Acting is catharsis, she said. Its therapy. It only gets better when youre not doing it out of necessity.

For now, Wilde is savoring the Booksmart experience and feeling like she has finally lived up to the potential that others saw in her. Recalling another formative celebrity encounter, she talked about meeting Steven Spielberg at an event for The Peacemaker and telling him she also wanted to make movies.

Some time later, Wilde received a note from Spielberg that read: If you wanna be a doctor, look before you leap. If you wanna be in show business, leap before you look.

Wilde had the note framed and keeps it in her office. I want to tell him I took that leap, she said.
Ambition strains ability in Eddie Alcazars Perfect, a woozily incoherent sci-fi nightmare that appears destined to entertain mainly the thoroughly stoned  or make you feel as if you are.

A Cronenbergian look at genetic engineering and body modification, the movie introduces Vessel 13 (Garrett Wareing), an impossibly beautiful young man who has woken up next to the bloodied corpse of his girlfriend.

Am I bad?, he asks Mother (Abbie Cornish), who promptly packs him off to a secluded woodland clinic decorated with dazed, android-esque beauties swimming and lounging and downward dog-ing. Are they drugged-out models? Brainwashed members of a plastic-surgery cult? Perhaps both, as they drift through this chilly, unsettling space while disembodied voices intone enigmatic affirmations (The way out is really the way in) and directions for personal transformation. These require the young man to slice into himself and remove gory cubes of flesh, then  echoes of Videodrome  replace them with apparent reprogramming modules. Hoping to ease the torture of his sick dreams and visions, he willingly complies.
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In the video announcing his presidential run, Bill de Blasio, the mayor of New York City, described his hometown as legendarily tough and big and complicated.

Soon after, New Yorkers proved just how apt that was.

As Mr. de Blasio officially kicked off his campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination on Thursday, the reactions of city residents ran the gamut from support to indifference to vehement objection.

Bad idea, Mr. Mayor, Sharon Henderson, 53, said.

How do you want to run off and be president of the United States when youve got all these issues youre supposed to be the mayor of? said Ms. Henderson, a home health aide who works in Brooklyn and lives in a homeless shelter in Queens. Nah.

Mr. de Blasio, the 23rd entrant in the Democratic race, is facing the challenge of standing out in a packed field of candidates, many of whom already have significant leads in polls and fund-raising.
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A police commander in Staten Island received text messages from one of his officers in July 2014, informing him that a man identified as Eric Garner had been arrested, and was most likely DOA after he had been wrestled to the ground.

Not a big deal, the lieutenant replied. We were effecting a lawful arrest.

Audible gasps were heard as the texts were read aloud on Thursday during a police disciplinary hearing for Officer Daniel Pantaleo. He is accused of recklessly using a chokehold that led to Mr. Garners death after he was detained on the suspicion that he was selling untaxed cigarettes.

The texts and testimony provided unsettling new details in one of the most wrenching cases of suspected police misconduct in New York.

Mr. Garners dying words I cant breathe  repeated 11 times  set off protests around the country and became a powerful slogan for the Black Lives Matter movement.
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Margarita knows what its like to not have a home.

She bounced from shelter to shelter in New York City, just her and her two children, for nearly a decade. Although her children were born in the United States, Margarita, 48, is an undocumented immigrant from Mexico, and her status has added to the familys struggle to gain a foothold in the city, where she works as a housekeeper.

But in August, they qualified for an affordable public housing apartment in the Bronx.

It felt like justice after everything we had gone through, Margarita, who asked to be identified only by her first name because she was a victim of domestic violence, said.

Soon, they could lose it all again.

The Trump administration proposed a rule last month that would prohibit families from obtaining subsidized housing, including apartments operated by the New York City Housing Authority, if any family member is undocumented.
Mr. Cama j and his wife, Katrina , immigrated to the United States from Yugoslavia in 1969. Ms. Camaj was terrified of heights, so when Mr. Camaj got a job cleaning the glass on the uppermost reaches of the World Trade Center in the mid-1970s, he didnt tell her the part about how he was cleaning it from the outside.

On 9/11, Mr. Camaj was at the South Tower when the plane struck the building beneath him. He called Ms. Camaj at 9:14 a.m. , urging her not to panic. He died when the tower collapsed at 9:59 a.m. Something that Mr. Camaj had said in a childrens book about his job served as his last words: Its just me and the sky. I dont bother anybody and nobody bothers me.
But by the early 90s, he had been swept up in the widespread mani pulite (clean hands) investigation into political corruption, including bribery, kickbacks and illegal party financing. The investigation implicated hundreds of politicians and business figures and helped bring about the downfall of Italys dominant political parties.

Mr. De Michelis received the first formal notification that he was a target of the inquiry in 1992, just before a glittery party was given in his honor by the United States ambassador to Italy, Peter F. Secchia. After that, he was subjected to 35 different legal proceedings.

I was considered a powerful man, Mr. De Michelis told The New York Times in 1994. Now, no more.

He was eventually charged with violating party financing laws, bribery in return for public works contracts, and misuse of funds destined for foreign aid. The money, court papers said, allowed him to lead a princely lifestyle.

The parties of De Michelis had become legendary, the journalist Marco Travaglio wrote in The Disappearance of the Facts, a 2006 book about the media and politics in Italy. In Venice he organized one at the Maritime Station with two thousand guests; in Rome, for a birthday, he rented the entire Tor di Valle racecourse. In 1993, he added, Mr. De Michelis left an unpaid account of more than $300,000 at the Hotel Plaza in Rome, where he occupied a suite that cost 370 thousand lire a day just for the extras,  or roughly $230 in 1993 dollars (the equivalent of more than $400 today).
BIRMINGHAM, Ala.  Alabama weather will make you sweat like you never knew possible. Our summers last seven months, and we get two weeks of spring if were lucky. As it happens, Tuesday was one of those rare spring days; outside the Statehouse there was a breeze. But inside, up in the gallery, where religious leaders sat beside protesters, where out-of-town journalists mixed with anxious Alabamians, and glass windows separated the governed from those doing the governing, it was sweltering.

Twenty-five men voted that night to pass the most restrictive abortion ban in the country, following a debate that lasted nearly five hours. During the deliberations, the atmosphere in the gallery was raucous, almost rowdy: Half the crowd stood and cheered when a Democratic senator, Vivian Figures, who was one of three women on the Senate floor that night, walked into the chamber clad in suffragist white. The same half laughed and booed when a Republican senator, Clyde Chambliss, stumbled through the details of the female reproductive system.

But when the vote itself finally came, it was abrupt, even anticlimactic. The bill passed; senators unceremoniously exited their chamber, greeting each other with handshakes and fist bumps; I took off my press pass and went back to being a woman who lives in Alabama. I choked back tears as I tried to push past the crowd.

Women in Alabama are not a monolith. For all that the national coverage has focused on the male legislators who passed the bill, its worth noting that the state Republican Party is led by a woman; the abortion ban bill was sponsored by a woman  one who I believe thinks in her heart of hearts that she is doing the right thing by her faith  and it was signed into law by a woman, Gov. Kay Ivey. There is a gap between how men and women view abortion in Alabama, but it isnt huge: According to Pew Research Center, in 2014, of Alabamians who believed abortion should be legal in all or most cases, 53 percent were women, and 47 percent were men.
Last October, a pair of housing activists ambushed the mayor at my gym, knowing its the one place hed reliably show. Im in the middle of doing my workout, he told them.

The most memorable of this citys mayors tend to be energetic, king-size personalities with bad manners and little tolerance for inefficiencies. Fiorello LaGuardia, famously, wanted to be seen as the man who turned out the lights in City Hall when we went to sleep and turned them back on when we woke up. Ed Koch had his jack-in-the-box routine  Howm I doin?  and appeared to be governing the city right into his 80s. Rudolph Giuliani may have been a snarling dog with chunks of couch stuffing caught permanently between his teeth , but he was indefatigable and was seen, rightly or wrongly, as the man who subdued an untamable city (and genuinely did subdue our anxieties in the first months after Sept. 11). Even Mike Bloomberg, a guy set on a much lower frequency, was the steady technocrat and philanthropist who restored New Yorkers faith.

In a city with this history of colorful mayors, de Blasio somehow manages to be a shade of muddy taupe. If he cant distinguish himself here, how does he expect to distinguish himself on the national stage?

The one New York trai t he does share with many of our past politicians is questionable ethics  or at the very minimum, bad ethical judgment. De Blasios fund-raising has been aggressively investigated by the U.S. attorneys office ; one of his donors, Harendra Singh, pleaded guilty in 2016 to bribery charges involving a restaurant lease, and the government made clear that the mayor took steps to help him. (Prosecutors suggested that de Blasio himself escaped indictment in part because of a fortuitous change in the law.) The mayor has repeatedly violated conflict-of-interest rules, in spite of multiple warnings from the Department of Investigation.

Recently, de Blasios presidential PAC took money from a Boston businessman who clearly has an interest in doing business with the city. Has he learned nothing?

In the current presidential field, de Blasio is essentially an asterisk. According to a poll from March, he was the only potential candidate with a net negative favorability rating. There seems not to be a pent-up demand for a de Blasio candidacy so much as a pent-up demand for other mayors and City Council members to vent about him. Everyone has an honest assessment of his flaws, except, maybe, for him, one told The Atlantic.

On Monday, the mayor tried to hold a stunt news conference at Trump Tower. Ostensibly, it was to tout a new city bill that would fine building owners, like our president, if they ran afoul of new greenhouse gas emissions standards. But really, it was to hold a proto-campaign rally on Trumps turf.
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Twenty-eight years ago this month, President George Bush took a break from his vacation in Kennebunkport, Maine, to deliver a big speech about China. Bush flew from his familys compound on the Maine coast to his alma mater, Yale, and gave a graduation speech that doubled as a policy announcement.

It was 1991, only two years after the Tiananmen Square massacre. Some members of Congress were trying to persuade Bush to punish Chinas human rights atrocities by refusing to renew its status as a most favored trading partner of the United States. But Bush said no.

He justified the decision with soaring language about the morality of engaging with China rather than punishing it. It is wrong to isolate China if we hope to influence it, he said.
My idea of American policy toward the Soviet Union is simple, and some would say simplistic, Ronald Reagan told his adviser Richard Allen in January 1977, four years before he became president. It is this: We win and they lose. What do you think of that?

As the U.S. now girds for a trade war, and perhaps a new cold war, with China, its worth thinking through what our endgame should be now.

It cant be Reagans.

The Soviet Union and its satellites were an apparatus of state terror, resting on an ideology of class hatred, foisted on nations that wanted no part of either. It was always a house of cards. China is not like that. Its a regime, but its also a nation and a civilization, and the three are tightly woven. It will evolve one way or another, but its unlikely to simply collapse.

It cant be Donald Trumps.

The president believes that trade wars are good, and easy to win. Well see about that. He has turned a trade dispute into a test of wills, and the willingness of dictatorships to let their people absorb economic blows usually exceeds the ability of democracies to do likewise. Besides, even if Washington and Beijing could settle on new terms of trade (and, more improbably, stick to them) it would do nothing to address the broader strategic rivalry.
Its exactly these structural problems that the call to action looks to address. Not by signing strict speech restrictions into law, but by signaling the urgency of the problem and acknowledging that online extremism will spread unless governments and tech companies refine the processes of identifying and eradicating dangerous content before it reaches those most vulnerable.

And theres reason to believe many of us are more vulnerable than we think. Though its difficult to measure the trauma of being subjected to racist memes, slurs and violent imagery, the rise of online extremism and live-streamed violence is undoubtedly a mental health issue. In an Op-Ed for The Times, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern of New Zealand said that in the first week and a half after the attack, 8,000 people who saw it called mental health support lines here in New Zealand, a staggering figure in a country of just under five million. And as reports from content moderators dealing with secondary traumatic stress and post-traumatic stress disorder show, the long-term impacts of the job take a quiet but powerful toll on the mental health of those who watch it. Which is to say that the issue is deeply nuanced; maximalist free speech for some may mean long-term psychological turmoil for others.

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Of course the call to action is far from perfect. And some of its commitments, if codified into law, could very well have consequences. As Courtney Radsch, the advocacy director for the Committee to Protect Journalists, wrote on Wednesday, the sweeping focus on online service providers risks pushing censorship into the infrastructure layer, commonly thought of as the layer that makes the internet work.

Dr. Radschs argument reflects a tortured struggle of the digital age, which is that we seem currently unable to find a satisfactory way to combat violence, terroristic propaganda and recruitment without emboldening censors. The balance is precarious, and most paths forward for content moderation are a minefield of unintended consequences  just ask Facebook, Twitter and Google, who have been made to grapple with once seemingly innocuous choices that have brought us to where we are today.

The dizzying complexity of the task shouldnt be a reason to shy away from a commitment to an internet that prevents the unnecessary amplification of violence and hatred. That tech companies like Facebook, Google and Microsoft, which have historically done everything in their power to avoid making overly censorious decisions, have signed on seems to suggest they agree.

Many of the provisions in the call to action like development of industry standards or voluntary frameworks or cross-industry efforts to share information to block coordinated attacks seem far more organizational than censorious. And some policies, including the commitment to building media literacy to help counter distorted terrorist and violent extremist narratives fits squarely within the Trump administrations stated desire to fight grotesque speech with productive speech.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 16)  A 21-year-old police cadet died during a training program in Silang, Cavite.

According to the official statement issued by the Philippine National Police Academy (PNPA), Cadet 4th Class Al-Rasheed Pendatun Macadato from Bukidnon collapsed Tuesday afternoon during a run.

Macadato was 10 days into the New Cadet Summer Training Program.

"The PNPA as an institution is saddened upon learning the death of Cadet Macadato," the statement said,

Macadato was rushed to the PNPA Medical Dispensary and eventually to QualiMed Hospital in Sta. Rosa, Laguna.

Macadato died Wednesday.

The attending physicians ruled out hazing as the cause of death. The PNPA also clarified that the training Macadato no different from previous years. However, given the hot weather, cadets were required to drink 12-14 glasses of water daily.

P/BGen. Jose Malayo, PNPA director, said an there would be an investigation on Macadato's death and assured his family that all assistance would be extended to them.
What are we going to do about all the cameras? The question keeps me up at night, in something like terror.

Cameras are the defining technological advance of our age. They are the keys to our smartphones, the eyes of tomorrows autonomous drones and the FOMO engines that drive Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat and Pornhub. Cheap, ubiquitous , viral photography has fed social movements like Black Lives Matter, but cameras are already prompting more problems than we know what to do with  revenge porn, live-streamed terrorism, YouTube reactionaries and other photographic ills.

And cameras arent done. They keep getting cheaper and  in ways both amazing and alarming  they are getting smarter. Advances in computer vision are giving machines the ability to distinguish and track faces, to make guesses about peoples behaviors and intentions, and to comprehend and navigate threats in the physical environment. In China, smart cameras sit at the foundation of an all-encompassing surveillance totalitarianism unprecedented in human history. In the West, intelligent cameras are now being sold as cheap solutions to nearly every private and public woe, from catching cheating spouses and package thieves to preventing school shootings and immigration violations. I suspect these and more uses will take off, because in my years of covering tech, Ive gleaned one ironclad axiom about society: If you put a camera in it, it will sell.

Thats why I worry that were stumbling dumbly into a surveillance state. And its why I think the only reasonable thing to do about smart cameras now is to put a stop to them.
Some geographic areas would be hit particularly hard. A single hospital system is by far the biggest employer in many post-manufacturing cities like Pittsburgh and Cleveland. Hospitals and hospital corporations make up the top six employers in Boston and two of the top three in Nashville. Hartford is known as the insurance capital of the world. Where would New Jersey be if drug makers took a big hit, or Minnesota if device makers vastly shrank their work force? (That may be why some Democratic representatives and senators from these left-leaning states have been quiet or inconsistent on Medicare expansion.)

Stanford researchers estimate that 5,000 community hospitals would lose more than $151 billion under a Medicare for all plan; that would translate into the loss of 860,000 to 1.5 million jobs. A Navigant study found that a typical midsize, nonprofit hospital system would have a net revenue loss of 22 percent.

Robert Pollin, an economist at the Political Economy Research Institute of the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, is frustrated not just by the doomsday predictions but also by how proponents of Medicare for all tend to gloss over the jobs issue.

Every proponent of Medicare for all  including myself  has to recognize that the biggest source of cost saving is layoffs, he said. He has calculated that Medicare for all would result in job losses (mostly among administrators) somewhere in the range of two million  about half on the insurers side and half employed in hospitals and doctors offices to argue with the former. Supporters of Medicare for all, he said, have to think about a just transition and what it might look like.

Of course, if more people get health insurance under an expanded Medicare, there will be a greater need for some workers  like nurse practitioners and physician assistants. And there is a large unmet labor need in caring for an aging population. The latter are mostly low-wage jobs, however, and neither compensates for the losses.

Dr. Pollin suggests that a transition to Medicare for all should be accompanied by a plan to give those made redundant up to three years of salary and help retraining for another profession.

Despite the short-term suffering caused by any fundamental shift in our health care delivery system, reform would ultimately redirect resources in ways that are good for the economy, many experts say.
Over the past few years, far-right nationalist political leaders around the world have been using harsh rhetoric against minority groups, particularly immigrants. We know from history that acts of genocide, ethnic cleansing and terrorism have been preceded by periods in which political and social movements employed such rhetoric. In Nazi Germany, Jews were described as vermin, and Nazi propaganda outlets claimed that Jews spread diseases. The recent ethnic cleansing of the Rohingya people of Myanmar was preceded by propaganda associating Rohingya men with rape.

In the United States, we had the superpredator theory. Violent-crime rates in the country started dropping in 1993 and continued dropping throughout the decade. And yet, in 1996, criminologists began spreading an unjustified panic about so-called superpredators  hardened, remorseless juveniles, according to the political scientist John DiIulio  that led to a wave of new state laws with harsh sentences for minors. Politicians descriptions of young black men as thugs and gang members in the 1990s helped transform the United States into the country with the worlds highest incarceration rate. Black Americans constitute 40 percent of the incarcerated population while representing only 13 percent of United States residents.

Power over an individual is the ability to change someone elses behavior or thoughts in accord with ones desires. One way to control someones behavior is through force. A much better way to change others behavior is by possessing the capacity to change their obligations. If you can convince someone that they ought to do what you want them to do, your power is genuine authority. But do words really have power to change our behavior?
The merger came five years later. After six more years of work  including the transfer of 100,000 Civil War artifacts and photographs from the Museum of the Confederacy  the American Civil War Museum was ready.

The first things you see when you walk into the museum are huge, colorized photos of key figures  Frederick Douglass, Harriet Tubman and Jefferson Davis. Similar historic photos, all colorized, decorate the walls and displays. This might seem like a minor touch, but theres something about seeing actual skin tones and eye colors  the small details of uniforms or civilian dress  that helps you see these historical actors as actual individuals who experienced the world not unlike yourself.

The same is true of the objects and artifacts, from firearms and military equipment to dolls and handmade utensils, which help ground the period in a material world. Knowledge of Confederate prison camps, for example, is greatly enhanced when you can take a close look at something like the objects imprisoned soldiers made to trade for food and clothing. Similarly, galleries devoted to individual battles and campaigns emphasize the chaos and confusion of the war, and the extent to which, in the moment, no one knew how it would unfold.

The museum pays great attention to detail and even minutiae, but it isnt myopic. From beginning to end, the war is framed as a defining conflict for American democracy, a struggle for freedom whose outcome had world-historical implications. And to emphasize this point, the galleries do not end with surrender and reconciliation; they end with Reconstruction and its aftermath. Visitors are confronted with two images and artifacts: a painting of the first elected black members of Congress; a painting of Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson, signifying Lost Cause nostalgia; and a set of well-preserved robes that belonged to a member of the Ku Klux Klan.

Toward the end of our conversation, Coleman returned to the contrast between memory, which can flatter our recollections of ourselves, and history, which is always challenging.

For many Americans, the kinds of stories told in this museum will challenge their preconceptions. There are just too many myths about the Civil War  too much unreflective memory  for that not to be the case. With that fact in mind, Coleman hopes the museum can dispel those myths, bring clarity to the memories and allow the people who experienced the war to speak for themselves. If we had let them do that from the beginning, she said, we might not be dealing with some of the messes were dealing with now.

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Three reasons are generally cited to explain Russias growing involvement in Venezuela. First, to protect and perhaps one day recover the more than 60 billion dollars different Venezuelan entities owe various Russian banks and companies. A post-Maduro government may not recognize these debts, many of which were not approved by Venezuelas National Assembly.

Second, Mr. Putin is picking his nose at the United States by being a nuisance in its backyard, in a tit-for-tat response to what Moscow considers NATOs interference in Eastern European affairs.

Lastly, and perhaps crucially, Russia hopes to project power in a region the American government considers its sphere of influence. Russia has maintained close ties with Havana for 60 years, dating back to when Nikita Khrushchev was leader of the Soviet Union. By extending loans to Argentina, Bolivia and Ecuador, Mr. Putin is trying to expand Russias influence in the region.

Washington has a strong hand to play, but it must do so wisely. If in fact Mr. Trump wants to do away with both governments in Cuba and Venezuela, or if he is really after regime change only in Cuba, this will lead to failure and invariably anger the countrys democratic partners in Latin America and Europe. With the exceptions of Nicaragua, Bolivia, Uruguay and Mexico, the region wants Mr. Maduro out. But it will not support Mr. Trump in any effort to dislodge the Cuban dictatorship.

Instead, Mr. Trump should continue to press Cuba to join its efforts to remove Mr. Maduro. The country can play a crucial role by affording him a safe haven and by participating in the transitional arrangements that would ensure a democratic transition: freeing all political prisoners and allowing all opposition leaders to run for office in free, fair and internationally supervised elections, re-establishing freedom of the press and association, gradually and peacefully reducing its footprint in Venezuela. Mr. Trump should engage Russia to persuade the Cubans to do so. And he should remember that after all, there is no carrot and stick approach without a carrot.

Jorge G. Castaneda, Mexicos foreign minister from 2000 to 2003, is a professor at New York University and the author of Utopia Unarmed: The Latin American Left After the Cold War. and a contributing opinion writer.

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The question of whether it is ethical to go to a country that persecutes people based on their gender, sexuality, religion or ethnicity is one that I have always answered unethically, which is to say, without an underlying principle that can be applied universally. The truth is that until I moved to New York four years ago, I had never lived with the idea of a unified moral landscape. In the societies where I had lived, the morality was set at many different speeds  what the German political scientist Ernst Bloch calls the simultaneity of the non-simultaneous, i.e., the coexistence in the same place of modern, early modern and premodern moral codes and ways of life  and one was obliged to switch between moralities as if between languages. It was never an option, till I moved to America, for me to be the same person everywhere. What I ate (pork in Pakistan, beef in India), whom I slept with, what substances I consumed and, in my case, whom I married, was privileged information. I would no more tell a driver in Pakistan that I was married to a man than I would tell him I liked bacon with my eggs. Did these moral silos produce a corresponding moral ambivalence? Not at all. If anything, it made me treasure those places where I could be open. But if travel has taught me anything, it is how little people are the sum of their politics. The wonder of travel, for me, is to reckon with the kindness that can survive in the heart of a religious bigot, or the integrity of someone conforming to a moral system that they believe wholeheartedly but that may be repugnant to us. I do not advocate surrender, but I say: Go everywhere, and watch yourself moving about against a hostile background. We have an obligation to be who we are in full knowledge of what the world is.

Noo Saro-Wiwa

Saro-Wiwa lives in London and is the author of Looking for Transwonderland: Travels in Nigeria (2012).

How do we define what constitutes an oppressive government? My threshold is perhaps lower than other peoples. I see persecution not just in the obvious regimes, such as North Korea, but in countries such as the United States, where ill treatment may not be codified in law but exists nonetheless. My Nigerian friends brother died after being hit with a Taser during a struggle with California police, yet I would still vacation there. Perhaps being a minority on several fronts requires you to live in a permanent state of cognitive dissonance. You learn to override your outrage and exist in places where some people have values you abhor.

My father was also killed, by the military dictatorship in Nigeria, but the idea of discouraging travel to Nigeria never entered my mind. I want people to see Nigeria. I would prefer a halt to the flow of corrupt international bank transfers over a halt to the flow of people, since the former has more power than the latter.
BEIJING  The Trump administration has filed criminal charges against Huawei for stealing technology. It has all but snuffed out the Chinese tech giants sales in the United States, calling the firm an espionage threat. And it has tried to persuade other governments to do similarly.

But Washington had not taken a straight shot at Huaweis ability to do business anywhere in the world until late Wednesday, when the Commerce Department announced restrictions on the companys access to American technology.

American companies including Qualcomm, Intel and Broadcom sell Huawei microchips and other specialized parts that go into its smartphones and telecom equipment. Googles Android software powers its phones. Of the $70 billion that Huawei spent on components and other supplies last year, $11 billion went to American companies, a Huawei spokesman, Joe Kelly, said.

If Huawei is cut off from these suppliers, the effect could be catastrophic for the millions of people who use Huawei smartphones  and for the mobile networks, across a wide swath of the planet, that run on Huawei gear.
Our guide to plays and musicals coming to New York stages and a few last-chance picks of shows that are about to close. Our reviews of open shows are at nytimes.com/reviews/theater.

Previews & Openings

CABIN at the Bushwick Starr (previews start on May 22; opens on May 25). Has anyone who tried to get away from it all ever actually succeeded? In Sean Donovans dance-theater piece, three queer men seek love and solace in a cabin in the woods. Odds are they dont find it. The play, which also explores the vagaries of memory and narrative, stars Donovan, Tyler Ashley and Brandon Washington, with original compositions by Heather Christian.

866-811-4111, thebushwickstarr.org

CLUBBED THUMB SUMMERWORKS at the Wild Project (performances start on May 17). The vanguard production company Clubbed Thumb, which recently racked up a Broadway credit with What the Constitution Means to Me, offers three new plays in its annual summer festival. Public defenders, pilgrims and sheep frolic in this years lineup: Sarah Einspaniers Lunch Bunch; Zhu Yis You Never Touched the Dirt; and Daniel Glenns King Philips Head Is Still on That Pike Just Down the Road.

212-260-0153, clubbedthumb.org

CONTINUITY at City Center Stage II (in previews; opens on May 21). Bess Wohls last play  the delightful Small Mouth Sounds  listened in on a silent retreat. In this new and talkier one, a film crew on location in New Mexicos desert hustles to finish a thriller about climate change. Rachel Chavkin, who has made a specialty of eco drama, directs.

212-581-1212, nycitycenter.org
What she wanted to do was warn others.

In Ethiopia last October, the 30-year-old aid worker went on a group kayaking trip, expecting an enjoyable adventure. Instead it turned into a harrowing ordeal: The woman woke up in her hotel room in the early morning, she said, and found one of the tour guides on top of her. He had broken into her room and raped her, she said, before her roommate woke up and helped restrain the man. The woman, who goes by K  the sound of the first letter of her name  asked that her real name not be used.

K went through the motions  multiple medical exams, a police report, informing her employer  and was medically evacuated from the country. After weeks of therapy, she decided to warn others by writing a review on TripAdvisor. What she assumed would take a few minutes has exploded into a public battle with one of the biggest companies in the travel world.

K said her review wasnt approved by TripAdvisor because it didnt meet the platforms policies, which require all reviews to be written in the first person and posted from the TripAdvisor account of the person who had the experience. K said that would open her up to possible harassment online and expose her identity to colleagues and Ethiopian authorities, who are investigating the incident.

Since then, a petition calling for the company to change its policy has gained more than 500,000 signatures. TripAdvisor announced new changes this week, but K and activists behind the petition say they fall short of whats needed.
3) 6 p.m. Grilled fish

Before the sun dips all the way, ditch the kids and grab a taxi, plentiful anywhere here, and tell the driver to drop you at Magic Land. Once youre in the parking lot and looking straight at the oddball amusement park, wander to the right between the buildings where youll reach a ramshackle beach. Vendors there sell some of the best catch on the continent. Point to the fish you want and it will be grilled on the spot. The thiof, a type of white grouper, is particularly delicious and served smothered in a tart onion sauce with fries and salad on the side. Darkness will fall as youre seated at a plastic table on a rocky, and not particularly pristine, beach, but one with a marvelous view, and a few stray cats. A meal for two is about 15,000 C.F.A., but prices are negotiable. If a fancy meal suits you better, head next door to the restaurants of the luxury Terrou-Bi Hotel and dine on European fare with a few local dishes by the impressively lit infinity pool with the sea in the background.

4) 10 p.m. Dancing after dark

If you want to dance with the locals, youre going to have to stay up late. The dance party in Dakar doesnt start until well after midnight in most clubs a fact made all the more impressive when you consider many Dakarois dont drink alcohol. If youre a night owl, head to Le Vogue, where you can lose yourself in a swirl of smoke from hookah pipes (called shisha here) until the crowds push onto the downstairs dance floor about 2 a.m. For an earlier night, swing by La Calebasse, a restaurant where the music often starts a couple of hours before midnight. Theres no cover charge for Le Vogue on Friday nights.
Alabama will not stand for the loss of life in our state, and with this heinous crime, we must respond with punishment, the statement said. These four victims deserved a future, and Mr. Samra took that opportunity away from them and did so with no sense of remorse. This evening justice has been delivered to the loved ones of these victims, and it signals that Alabama does not tolerate murderous acts of any nature.

Alabama currently has 176 more prisoners awaiting execution. All but two of them were convicted of murder; 65 have been on death row for more than 20 years.

While death penalty opponents like Ms. Cox wonder how Christian conservatives like the governor can oppose abortion but uphold execution, others say the two stances become coherent when viewed through a lens of innocence and guilt.

In a sense, its perfectly comprehensible, said Mark Silk, a professor of religion at Trinity College. Their view is that unborn babies and fetuses are innocent life. Theyve done nothing to merit the death penalty. Whereas murderers have done something to merit the death penalty. Its an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. Its how they look at the world.

Professor Silk said that white evangelicals in particular, who make up more than half the electorate in Alabama, may run into difficulty when men or women find their way to Jesus while on death row.

So much of evangelicalism has to do with conversion, he said. Thats such a core experience for them. A murderer or rapist finding their way to God is as powerful a manifestation of conversion that you can find.

Ms. Cox said she found the argument that life is something to be protected only when it is innocent to be flimsy.
The family of Anthony Weber, a Los Angeles teenager who was shot and killed last year after being chased by two sheriffs deputies, will receive $3.75 million under a settlement that county officials approved this week.

The death of Anthony, 16, did not lead to criminal charges against the deputies involved. But in a lawsuit filed last year, family members alleged that they had violated the civil rights of an unarmed teenager.

The Sheriffs Department has said that Anthony had a handgun, even though no weapon was found at the scene after he was shot.

A year after the Feb. 4, 2018, shooting made national headlines, Anthonys family members still disagree with officials about virtually every aspect of the episode and the investigation, his father, John Weber, said.
MODESTO, Calif.  After California changed its murder laws last fall, Neko Wilson was the first man to walk free.

Mr. Wilson, 37, had been facing the death penalty for a 2009 robbery that led to the deaths of a couple in Fresno County. No one accused him of killing anyone, or even of being in the familys home that night, but prosecutors said that he helped plan the break-in.

At the time, that was enough for him to be charged with felony murder, under a doctrine that holds that anyone involved in a crime is responsible if a death occurs. But in September 2018, the Legislature limited murder charges to people who actually killed, intended to kill or acted as a major player with reckless indifference to human life.

And so in October, Mr. Wilson left the Fresno County jail, where he had spent nine years awaiting trial, subsisting largely on beans and instant noodles. He found his new freedom overwhelming  it was unfathomable, he said recently. I could barely breathe when my fiancee tried to hug me.
LOS ANGELES  The federal Transportation Department on Thursday fulfilled its promise to cancel a nearly $1 billion grant that would have helped pay for Californias bullet train, in yet another blow for the ambitious high-speed rail project meant to connect Los Angeles to the Bay Area.

In a letter to state officials, the Federal Railroad Administration said it had made a final decision to terminate a longstanding agreement to send $928.6 million to the California High-Speed Rail Authority for the first phase of the project, in the Central Valley.

The administration had first said that it planned to cancel the money, and would try to claw back $2.5 billion it had already spent on the high-speed rail network, in February, after Gov. Gavin Newsom announced plans to scale back the project.

Federal officials said in the letter Thursday that California has repeatedly failed to comply with the terms of the original 2010 agreement and has failed to make reasonable progress on the project.
I dont know who the hell they think they are to not share that information with us, Representative Matt Gaetz, a Republican from the Panhandle, said in a news conference on Thursday after the Florida delegation met behind closed doors in the Capitol with officials from the F.B.I. and the Homeland Security Department.

Now that they know, Florida officials are prohibited from sharing the details with voters.

Adding to the lawmakers anger were worries about what the hackers did once they gained access to the voter rolls. F.B.I. officials told lawmakers that they had no evidence any data had been altered, but they could not say with certainty that no manipulation had occurred, said Representative Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, a Miami Democrat.

The voter registration systems are separate from voter tabulation systems, which officials say were untouched. Voter rolls are public information in Florida, but access to the registration data could have allowed the hackers to delete or add voters, cancel their mail-in ballots or alter their party affiliation.

We still have a lot of questions, Ms. Mucarsel-Powell said.

Tucked in the Mueller report last month was confirmation that the F.B.I. had determined that a Russian military intelligence unit known as the G.R.U. had breached at least one Florida county government during the 2016 election.

That revelation prompted members of Congress to request Thursdays briefing. Its importance only grew after Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican, disclosed on Tuesday, after his own briefing, that two counties had been hacked. The governor added a note of exasperation that the F.B.I. had required him to sign a nondisclosure agreement to receive the classified information.
This will be the last weekly edition of Crossing the Border, a limited-run newsletter from The New York Times.

The end of the road

A note from Marc Lacey, national editor

I woke up one morning some years back extremely confused: I was unsure which side of the border I was on. Was I in America? Or was I in Mexico? It was back when I regularly crossed the Southwest border as a New York Times correspondent, sometimes bunking down for a night in El Paso, for instance, and the next over in Ciudad Juarez, which from inside a darkened hotel room is really quite the same.

Most of us experience no such confusion. We know exactly where we stand when it comes to the border. In this newsletter, Times correspondents have aimed to bring the complexities of this fascinating region to life. We hope youve enjoyed. Although Crossing the Border will no longer appear weekly in your inbox, our focus on the border, all 1,954 miles of it, both sides, will not fade.

Running out of room on the border

By Mitchell Ferman in McAllen, Tex.

In March, there was widespread public alarm after a spillover of migrants in El Paso forced hundreds of them to spend days underneath a bridge with little hot food, torn Mylar blankets and gusts of desert dust.
Mark Hinkle, the Social Security Administrations acting press secretary, did not respond to a question about whether the administration was sharing its data with the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency.

Social Security is committed to maintaining the accuracy of earnings records used to determine benefit amounts to ensure people get the benefits they have earned, he said in an emailed statement. If we cannot match the name and SSN reported on a W-2 to our records, we cannot credit earnings to a workers record.

The administration of President George W. Bush tried, and failed, to introduce a no-match program in 2007 that would have held companies liable for employing unauthorized workers by imposing stiff penalties on them. The program was initiated after Congress failed to pass a bill to legalize the nations estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants.

But the American Civil Liberties Union, United States Chamber of Commerce, unions and trade groups won a lawsuit later that year that claimed the policy could lead to discrimination against or termination of native-born American workers and legal immigrant workers. The suit also claimed that the regulation would pose a heavy burden on employers.

The latest letters appear to avoid the legal pitfalls identified in the earlier litigation because, unlike those drafted under the Bush program, the current letters do not threaten employers with enforcement action or penalties.

Immigration lawyers have been inundated with inquiries in recent months. Kathleen Campbell Walker, who practices in El Paso, said that one of her clients, a small restaurant chain, could lose a third of its work force. Another, which boasts 50,000 workers in multiple states, had also been alerted of discrepancies by the government.

Jeff Joseph, an immigration lawyer in Denver, said that half of the dairy farms he represents have received no-match letters in the last two months.
Good morning.

(Heres the sign-up, if you dont already get California Today by email.)

On Wednesday, about six months after Californias deadliest and most destructive wildfire rampaged through Butte County, decimating the town of Paradise and killing 85 people, state officials announced that Pacific Gas & Electric power lines had started the fire.

As my colleagues Peter Eavis and Ivan Penn reported, advocates for victims of the blaze, known as the Camp Fire, took the announcement as a kind of confirmation  and a starting gun.

Now the day of reckoning has come, said Frank Pitre, a lawyer for some of the victims.

The news comes as consumer advocates, lawmakers and courts are working to hold PG&E, which filed for bankruptcy protection in January, accountable for its role in devastating fires without saddling ratepayers with the bill.

Heres what you need to get caught up:

Didnt we already know that PG&E equipment sparked the Camp Fire?

Not exactly. PG&E, the states largest utility, said in February that it believed it was probable that its equipment will be determined to be an ignition point of the 2018 Camp Fire.
Mayor Bill de Blasio of New York became the 23rd Democrat to enter the race for the White House on Thursday, and he is expected to try to position himself toward the leftward edge of the field. But running a local government typically means making compromises, and Mr. de Blasios record is more complex than his rhetoric.

He can lay claim to running a larger executive branch than any of his rivals, with the exception of Joseph R. Biden Jr.s two terms as vice president. (New York City has more residents than the home states of each of the three governors in the race, Colorado, Washington and Montana.) And he can tout New Yorks booming economy and falling crime rate while pointing to a flurry of other liberal agenda items he has pursued.

Mr. de Blasio, 58, rose to the mayoralty as a self-styled progressive, and he has repeatedly called for the national party to move to the left. Back home, though, he has proved a more cautious politician. He has supported incumbent Democratic politicians against progressive insurgents, for instance, and he has drawn persistent criticism from his left flank. An early biography of Mr. de Blasio was titled The Pragmatist.

As a bearded young man in the late 1980s, Mr. de Blasio admired the cause of the leftist Sandinistas of Nicaragua. But in New York, he rose to power as a political insider who worked in City Hall and later managed Hillary Clintons 2000 Senate campaign before starting his own political career.
Of the more than 20 politicians and activists who contributed essays, all but three framed the issue explicitly as a matter of racial justice, emphasizing the deep disparities in a system in which people of color are many times more likely than white people to be incarcerated. Nine called for reducing or abolishing mandatory minimum sentences. Eight called for eliminating cash bail. Seven called for alternatives to prison for nonviolent crimes.

[Make sense of the people, issues and ideas shaping American politics with our newsletter.]

The report, published Thursday by the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University, is a sequel to one published four years ago, in which the 2016 presidential candidates outlined their criminal justice platforms. The new essays, including those from eight Democratic candidates and Jared Kushner, a senior adviser to President Trump, show how profoundly the debate has changed.

In 2015, our goal was to get all of these candidates on record simply saying the word that they were committed to reducing the prison population, said Inimai M. Chettiar, who leads the centers Justice Program and was an editor of the report. Four years later, I think it is a very different landscape, where they are not only committing to ending mass incarceration but also coming forward with far bigger proposals and more specific proposals.

In revealing bipartisan openness to change, the 2015 report was itself a major shift after decades in which candidates competed to see who was the most draconian on crime, said Michael Waldman, president of the Brennan Center.

The new bipartisanship has extended to Congress, which passed the First Step Act last year with support from the Trump administration and groups as ideologically disparate as the Center for American Progress and the American Conservative Union. The bill, among other things, reduced some mandatory minimum sentences, expanded early-release programs and increased job training for former prisoners.
WASHINGTON  Hatice Cengiz, the fiancee of the slain columnist Jamal Khashoggi, implored lawmakers in wrenching testimony on Thursday to hold Saudi Arabia accountable for his death.

Mr. Khashoggi, a Saudi dissident who lived in Virginia and wrote for The Washington Post, disappeared in October after entering the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul to obtain documents needed for his impending marriage to Ms. Cengiz. Turkish intelligence later concluded that Saudi agents quickly strangled Mr. Khashoggi and dismembered his body with a bone saw.

In the early days, President Trump said it would be solved. Ms. Pelosi said how unacceptable it was, Ms. Cengiz, 37, an Istanbul-based graduate student, said through a translator. Seven or eight months later, we see that nothing has been done.

Ms. Cengizs testimony before a House Foreign Affairs Committee subcommittee was part of a broader hearing to explore the dangers of reporting on human rights. It underscored the continuing outrage of lawmakers, not only at the killing but also at the White Houses unflagging support of Saudi Arabia and its crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman.
Town halls and debates on Fox News are typically moderated by anchors from the networks news division, not its more partisan prime-time commentators. But Ms. Warrens argument is that participating only helps Fox News as a whole  and by extension, Mr. Trump. Why should Democrats prop up a network that specializes in vilifying them, the theory goes, particularly at a time when some advertisers have distanced themselves from some of its shows?

The fact that Ms. Warrens position offers an implicit critique of Mr. Sanders, her biggest rival for the partys progressive wing, is certainly a plus for her campaign. By rejecting Fox News, she is doing what liberal activists have been urging Democrats to do for years.

But others in the party see Fox News as an opportunity, a chance to break through the filter bubble that divides red and blue America and reach Mr. Trumps voters where they live. Deriding their viewing habits as hateful gives some Democrats flashbacks to Hillary Clintons infamous deplorables comment, particularly given that Fox dominates the cable ratings.

My view is that the numbers dont lie, said Robert Wolf, a longtime Democratic Party fund-raiser who is also a Fox contributor. I applaud those who are going on Fox News. If youre running for president, you have to be able to speak to everyone.

Mr. Sanderss appearance drew more than 2.5 million viewers, the biggest television audience to date for a Democratic candidate in the 2020 field. In interviews since, he has drawn a distinction between Fox News, the network, and Fox News viewers. I think it is important to talk to those people and say, You know what, I know that many of you voted for Donald Trump, but he lied to you, he said.

But beyond seeing Mr. Sanders, its not clear that voters are all that interested in spending an hour listening to any of the 2020 candidates. CNN has hosted 20 town halls; nearly all have drawn fewer viewers than the channels prime-time lineup typically draws.

Are you one of the few, the proud, the lonely, who love town halls? Join our reporters on Sunday at 7 p.m. Eastern time, in the NYTimes app or on NYTimes.com, for live analysis of Mayor Pete Buttigiegs appearance on Fox News.
Representative Jerrold Nadler of New York, the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, said Mr. Mueller was the only person who could clear up certain ambiguities about the report. Only Mr. Mueller, he said, could tell the American people if he agrees with the fact that if he were not president, he would have been indicted for the instances of obstruction identified in the report.

But talking with reporters at the Capitol on Thursday, Mr. Nadler conceded that the White House strategy had thus far succeeded in tamping down energy around the Mueller report and investigations. However, he added, the temperature can rise very quickly when the first subpoena is adjudged in our favor, and we start getting witnesses.

Over the past week, aides with the House Judiciary Committee have been negotiating with aides to Mr. Mueller to get the special counsel, who remains an employee of the Justice Department, to testify. Those talks grind on over the format and the length of his appearance, according to two people close to the deliberations.

It is not clear if he would appear alone or with key aides who helped draft the report, they said. Some committee Democrats have expressed the opinion that two top Mueller aides, Aaron M. Zebley and Andrew Weissmann, would feel less constrained about criticizing the president than Mr. Mueller.

Mr. Schiffs staff has also been talking to Mr. Muellers office, and the congressman expressed optimism that a deal could be struck. I think well get there, he said.

Peter Carr, a spokesman for the special counsel, declined to comment.

In the past, there has been jockeying between Mr. Nadlers staff and aides to Mr. Schiff  but they are in agreement on sequencing. If Mr. Mueller agrees to appear, he would testify in an open session before the Judiciary Committee first, then appear before Mr. Schiffs committee, most likely in public and closed-door sessions, Mr. Nadler said.

Mr. Trump has given conflicting answers over his feelings about Mr. Muellers testimony, after labeling his investigation a witch hunt in the months leading up to investigators conclusion that there was insufficient evidence to charge Mr. Trump, his campaign or his supporters with conspiring with the Kremlin.
WASHINGTON  Democratic lawmakers called on the Trump administration on Thursday to review an investment in Kentucky by a Russian aluminum company that they say has raised concerns about Russian influence on the economy and national security of the United States.

The Russian aluminum company, Rusal, announced on Thursday that its board had approved a $200 million investment in a planned aluminum plant in Ashland, Ky., in partnership with Braidy Industries, a private company based there.

The announcement came less than four months after the administration lifted sanctions on Rusal and its parent company, EN+. The sanctions had banned the companies from doing business in the United States, and would have prevented the Kentucky deal, under which Rusal will own 40 percent of the plant and will supply it with unfinished aluminum for processing and sale to large institutional buyers, including automakers and airplane manufacturers.

The sanctions had been imposed last year because the companies were owned and controlled by the influential Russian oligarch Oleg V. Deripaska, a Kremlin ally who the Treasury Department accused of aiding Russias malign activity around the world.
Colleges have long tried to bring diversity of all sorts to their student bodies, and they have raised concerns over whether the SAT, once seen as a test of merit, can be gamed by families who hire expensive consultants and tutors. Higher scores have been found to correlate with students from wealthier families and those with better-educated parents.

Merit is all about resourcefulness, David Coleman, chief executive of the College Board, said in an interview on Thursday. This is about finding young people who do a great deal with what theyve been given. It helps colleges see students who may not have scored as high, but when you look at the environment that they have emerged from, it is amazing.

A growing number of colleges, in response to criticism of standardized tests, have made it optional for applicants to submit scores from the SAT or the ACT. Admissions officers have also tried for years to find ways to gauge the hardships that students have had to overcome, and to predict which students will do well in college despite lower test scores.

The new adversity score is meant to be one such gauge. It is part of a larger rating system called the Environmental Context Dashboard that the College Board will include in test results it reports to schools. A trial version of the tool has already been field-tested by 50 colleges. The plan to roll it out officially, to 150 schools this year and more widely in 2020, was first reported by The Wall Street Journal.

But the score met instantly with an array of criticisms, from worries that it created a new cast of winners and losers in the admissions process, to concerns that it papered over an inherently flawed test. College counselors said they were swamped with calls from parents on Thursday as word of the new measurement got out.
Five years ago, Asher Freeman tried to find a personal trainer knowledgeable about the fitness needs of queer and transgender people. The search came up empty. So Freeman, who identifies as nonbinary and uses the pronouns they and them, took college courses in exercise science and became certified as a personal trainer.

It was really my own experience that made me realize the need for fitness professionals serving those of us whose bodies do not fit into the mainstream fitness industrys narrow definition of health, said Freeman, who prefers not to use labels like Mr. or Ms. My drive to do this work is not just based in my own identity and experience. Its based in a realization that most of us  trans people, people with disabilities, fat people, and so many others  have bodies that never get to be celebrated in mainstream fitness spaces.

Last fall, Freeman started The Nonnormative Body Club in Philadelphia, offering personal and group training along with workshops on transgender health topics such as chest binding and preparation and recovery for top surgery, which involves double mastectomy to remove both breasts, a major surgical procedure that can cause pain or numbness and can result in weak muscles. All the services are offered on a sliding scale.
Another factor in orgasm may be a decrease in strength in the levator ani muscles. These are the muscles that support the vagina, bladder and rectum, and they also produce the physical contractions of orgasm. Your orgasms may be affected if these muscles are weak because of age or childbirth. A doctor  typically a gynecologist or urogynecologist  can examine these muscles to determine if you have a pelvic floor disorder. If they are weak, you may be offered Kegel exercises to strengthen them. You may even be referred to a physical therapist who specializes in treating the pelvic floor muscles.

For women in menopause, low estrogen levels can have sexual consequences because of a decrease in blood flow, tissue elasticity and lubrication. Low estrogen can also lead to pain with sex, which can definitely affect orgasm. The changes caused by low estrogen can sometimes be managed with over-the-counter lubricants and vaginal moisturizers, but often a prescription product, most commonly topical estrogen, is needed.

Medical conditions, such as depression and diabetes, can also affect sexual response as can some medications, such as antidepressants and opioids. Antidepressants and anti-seizure medications that are often prescribed for hot flashes during menopause can negatively affect orgasm, so consider the potential sexual side effects when deciding to start or stay on these medications. Sorting out how medical conditions and medications may affect a womans sexual response can be challenging, so working with an experienced practitioner is essential.

Another factor to consider

Women whose male partners have erectile dysfunction sometimes tell me this condition can have an impact on their own sexual response. This phenomenon is not well-studied, but I hear it often enough that I cant dismiss it. Not knowing if a partner will be able to achieve a full erection can be stressful. And if sex has to move quickly to catch the moment for penetration, it may bypass what some women need emotionally and physically to reach orgasm. If a womans orgasm is normal when she masturbates, but not with her male partner, erectile dysfunction may be a factor to consider. There are a variety of treatments for erectile dysfunction that a male partner can discuss with his own health care provider.

Dr. Jen Gunter, often called Twitters resident gynecologist, is teaming up with our editors to answer your questions about all things womens health. From whats normal for your anatomy to healthy sex and clearing up the truth behind strange wellness claims, Dr. Gunter, who also writes a column called The Cycle, promises to handle your questions with respect, forthrightness and honesty.
NORFOLK, Va.  A member of the Navy SEALs who pleaded guilty on Thursday to restraining an Army Green Beret with duct tape in 2017 as he was being fatally strangled by another commando in Mali was sentenced to a year in military prison.

Chief Petty Officer Adam C. Matthews told a military court that he had agreed to help remediate, or haze, Staff Sgt. Logan J. Melgar as punishment for leaving behind other commandos instead of leading them to a social gathering, as he had promised.

At the time, the commandos were in Bamako, the Malian capital, on a secret assignment.

During the struggle, another SEAL member, Special Operations Chief Tony E. DeDolph, put Sergeant Melgar in a chokehold, Chief Matthews said during his testimony. As they were drinking, the other commandos decided to confront the sergeant, Chief Matthews said.

A military medical examiner has ruled that Sergeant Melgars death was a homicide by asphyxiation, or strangulation.
The Chinese police are not exactly a barrel of laughs.

Especially when the joke is on them.

Law enforcement officials in the eastern province of Anhui arrested an animal breeder this week after he wisecracked on social media that he had given two sleepy, thieving dogs the names City Officer and Traffic Warden.

The police hauled the man off to jail on Monday, accusing him of sharing insulting information on law enforcement officers on the popular platform WeChat. The man, identified only as Mr. Ban, will be detained for 10 days, said the police in the Yingzhou district of the city of Fuyang.

Local news outlets published screenshots of Mr. Bans posts, which featured anecdotes about the daily shenanigans of the cane corsos he bred for sale.

Named City Officer and doggone goes to sleep after eating, one post read.

Caught in the act! City Officer went to steal shoes, he wrote in another, as he introduced a video. Once the Traffic Warden came over, they started fighting.
HONG KONG  Joshua Wong, the Hong Kong pro-democracy protest leader who became a symbol of the 2014 Umbrella Movement, will return to prison after an appeals court ruling Thursday.

Mr. Wong, 22, was one of the most prominent faces of the Umbrella Movement. A skinny teenager with glasses and a bowl cut, he urged on protesters who blocked several major roads for nearly three months in a call for freer elections.

He was sentenced to three months in prison last year over his actions during the court-ordered dismantling of a protest camp in the crowded Mong Kok district in November 2014. After being held six days, he was released on bail pending his appeal.

Mr. Wong had sought to have his sentence overturned. The court on Thursday instead reduced his term to two months because of his age at the time of his 2014 arrest.
HUE, Vietnam  Long denied the right to return to his native Vietnam, the Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh lived abroad for more than five decades, campaigning against war and teaching the practice of mindfulness.

The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. called him a friend and recommended him for the 1967 Nobel Peace Prize. Years later, leaders of major tech companies embraced the Zen masters teachings. Oprah Winfrey interviewed him. President Barack Obama quoted him during his 2016 visit to Vietnam.

Now 92 and suffering the effects of a major stroke, Mr. Nhat Hanh has quietly returned home to the city of Hue in central Vietnam to live out his final days at the monastery where he became a novice monk at 16.

It was the South Vietnamese government that exiled him, said Sister True Dedication, a monastic disciple of Mr. Nhat Hanh and a former BBC journalist. It was his wish for a long time to come back.
BEIJING  Chinas leader, Xi Jinping, seemed confident three weeks ago that a yearlong trade war with the United States could soon subside, handing him a potent political victory.

He even made a speech saying China would protect intellectual property, encourage foreign investment, and buy more goods and services from abroad  all changes the United States had been demanding as the countries tried to negotiate a deal.

But just a week after that speech, Chinese negotiators sent the Americans a substantially rewritten draft agreement, prompting President Trump to accuse Beijing of reneging on terms that had been settled.

That has left hopes for a historic breakthrough in tatters.

In Chinas top-down political system, where President Xi has amassed formidable power, its unlikely that anyone else would have had the authority  or, for that matter, the nerve  to fundamentally alter the emerging pact at this late date.
PARIS  The French far-right leader Marine Le Pen denied on Thursday that she had made a white supremacist gesture in a selfie with an Estonian politician and accused the news media of trying to undermine her before elections to the European Parliament this month.

Ms. Le Pen told France Inter radio on Thursday that the gesture, which she made in a picture alongside the far-right Estonian lawmaker Ruuben Kaalep, was used all the time, everywhere, by everybody and that other prominent leaders like President Emmanuel Macron of France and former President Barack Obama had used it in the past.

It isnt a white supremacist gesture, its a gesture that means O.K.,  she said.

Ms. Le Pen, leader of the National Gathering party, formerly known as the National Front, had been on a tour of Eastern Europe this week to support like-minded far-right parties ahead of the European Parliament elections. In Estonia, she met with members of the nationalist, anti-immigrant Conservative Peoples Party, or EKRE, which recently became part of a coalition government.

This month, two leading EKRE figures  Mart Helme and Martin Helme, his son  shocked commentators when they made the fingers-and-thumb gesture on being sworn in as lawmakers in the Estonian Parliament.
MOSCOW  Before he was elected president of Ukraine last month, Volodymyr Zelensky played a president in a comedy show on television. The owner of that television station, Ihor Kolomoisky, returned on Thursday from self-imposed exile, raising fears that he may now ask the real president to return some favors.

Under the departing president, Petro O. Poroshenko, the Ukrainian government had nationalized a bank co-owned by Mr. Kolomoisky and accused him of siphoning off millions of dollars in fraudulent loans.

The Ukrainian government took over the bank, PrivatBank, in the course of a $5.6 billion bailout at a time when lending by the International Monetary Fund, the European Union and the United States was propping up the government.
American officials have suddenly raised the stakes in the long-simmering tensions between the United States and Iran, pointing to new intelligence that they say suggests an imminent threat to American interests in the Middle East.

The potential for armed conflict between the two countries has loomed since the Islamic Revolution and takeover of the American Embassy in Tehran four decades ago. Occasionally, those tensions have escalated into violence.

The recent American assertion that Iran poses an immediate threat has raised fears that the two nations have pushed closer to the brink. Heres what you need to know about the risks of a broader conflict.

How did we get here?

Earlier this month, the United States  pointing to information about an imminent threat of an Iranian attack in the Middle East  swiftly moved an aircraft carrier group into the region. In quick succession, it then shored up defenses and evacuated personnel from the embassy in Baghdad, the Iraqi capital.
CAIRO  The drums of war are sounding across the Middle East, driven by the Trump administration as well as by disputed attacks on Saudi Arabian tankers and an oil pipeline. But Rohile Gharaibeh, a prominent Jordanian politician and newspaper columnist, has watched it all with a mixture of disdain and weary exasperation.

A circus, Mr. Gharaibeh said in a phone interview, describing recent events as little more than a spectacle with multiple foreign actors on the stage. Its no more than shenanigans to apply more pressure on Iran.

As the Trump administration squares up against Iran, with what many see as alarming echoes of the buildup to the Iraq war in 2003, people across the Arab world are trying to figure out how worried they should be. In interviews, writers, businessmen and exiles expressed fear of a potentially dire war between the United States and Iran that for many has been brewing since the 1979 embassy siege in Tehran.

[Israel presses a case against Iran, but not necessarily for full-blown war.]

But they have also grown accustomed to an American president who often favors bluster over diplomacy as a tool of negotiation, yet ultimately backs down.
JERUSALEM  Israel has been providing Washington with intelligence about potential Iranian attacks. Its prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has made Irans strategic ambitions an obsession. And as recently as February he floated the idea of war with Iran.

But analysts and former Israeli military and intelligence officials say the Israeli government is not angling for a full-blown war between the United States and Iran. Such a war, Israeli officials fear, could plunge Israel into a mutually destructive conflagration with Irans ally in Lebanon, Hezbollah.

The insistent pressure on Iran, analysts said, is instead aimed at either forcing Iran to agree to a nuclear deal far stricter than the existing one, or creating conditions dire enough for fed-up Iranians to overthrow their government.

[In the Middle East, fears that the Trump administration is building a flawed case for conflict.]

Nobody thinks about regime change militarily, but to weaken the regime, to weaken the Iranian economy, and to make the people of Iran change the regime  this is, I think, the ultimate goal, said Amos Yadlin, a retired head of Israeli military intelligence who runs the Institute for National Security Studies in Tel Aviv. Another very positive result is a better agreement.
Written by ACM

*Strasbourg/European area/Angelo Marcopolo/- Experienced French Ambassador/Permanent Representative to the CoE, Jean-Baptiste Mattei, replying to "Eurofora"s Questions on the issue of Russia, at the Eve of a Crucial CoE's Foreign Ministers' Summit in Finland, just before France takes over the Presidency of the 47 Member Countries-strong Strasbourg's PanEuropean Organisation of Human Rights, Democracy and Rule of Law, for the Period of May - November 2019, confirmed that June was a Good Timing for a Solution, but also added that it's not yet clear if Ukraine's current political changes might bring, or not, a new stance on that point, and suggested that Moscow could facilitate things by one or another positive gesture.

Meanwhile, after French President Emmanuel Macron, at a recent meeting with CoE's Secretary General Thornbjorn Jagland, spoke in favour of CoE's PanEuropean Dimension, i.e. including key Non-EU Countries, (mainly Russia, but also Turkey, Ukraine, Georgia, Azerbaidjan, Armenia, etc), as well as for Moscow's Membership, with due Respect to CoE's Principles, Mattei announced that Solving the Russian Issue would be the "First Priority" of the incoming French Presidency.

Not only Because of the 33 Millions  of Russia's Annual Financial Contribution to CoE's 430 Millions-strong Budget, ("Freezed" by Moscow since 2017, in Reaction to Sanctions imposed to Russian MEPs by a Controversial Vote in CoE's Parliamentary Assembly, including even DePrivation of the Right to Vote, Speak and/or Participate in leading organs, etc, on the Pretext of Crimea's "Annexion", that "many States consider illegal", as he recalled for what Moscow considers as a Peaceful Popular Referendum for Crimea's ReUnification with Russia, where it belonged for Centuries, after a Violent illegal "Putch" at Kiev topped a Democraticaly Elected Government and slamed an EU-Sponsored Peace Agreement just concluded between All Ukranian factions, including for Amnesty, National Unity Government and New Elections, etc). That could be Faced by several CoE's Economies, followed, in case of prolonged No-Solution, also by a Plan including to Reduce Staff, etc.

But much More Because of the crucial Importance that has CoE's main "Specific" Character, with a Wide, "Pan-European" Dimension (Comp. Supra), and, particularly, the Need to Protect some 140 Millions of People's Human Rights by the ECHR and other CoE's key Monitoring bodies, whose Case-Law is mostly Applied by Moscow, as also Warned several Critical NGOs, who Risk to Lose Access to EuroJudges, if Russia might be pushed to Leave the CoE, Mattei reminded.

- In Addition, the Top French Diplomat Agreed with "Eurofora" that "there is also a Problem of Timing", since a Solution on June 2019 would be the Best, so that Russian MEPs might Participate, then, in the forthcoming Election of CoE's Secretary General by the Parliamentary Assembly : Otherwise, Russia might find a Pretext, Afterwards, by Claiming that it was Hindered even to participate in the Election of CoE's future Head, for the Period of 2019-2024, as Ambassador Mattei warned. (+A supplementary Point being, also, the Fact that, in case of Non-Solution extended even AFTER June 2019, a ProLonged Blockade of the above-mentioned Financial "Freeze", might provoke Serious Problems even for Russia's Membership in the CoE : Comp. Supra).

- But, Nowadays, "it's Too Early to say" yet what exactly would be the Stance of the New President of Ukraine, Zelensky, recently Elected : He hasn't yet appointed a Government, not even named a Foreign Minister, etc., so that it's Hard to Tell now what will be his main Intentions on that Issue tomorrow. So, at least for the Time being, I guess that a "Continuity" of Ukraine's current Policy might be the most probable, Mattei estimated.

- While Zelensky's official mandate Starts from June 3, the CoE's French Presidency's Top Diplomat agrees with "Eurofora", that, in case of No Solution for June 2019, the forthcoming Parliamentary Elections in Ukraine, until now Scheduled for October 2019, could still influence the political game, particularly towards a "Continuity" too.

- But he does Not Exclude explicitly an "Eurofora"'s hypothesis that, After those Elections, just Before the CoE's French Presidency concludes on November 2019, (f.ex. on October, when French President Macron is expected to return to Strasbourg, during the CoE Assembly's, autumn Plenary Session, when the Organisation's 70th Anniversary will be celebrated), a decisive move might be really made :



- Significantly, Mattei even speculates about a possible "Anticipated" Election for Ukraine's Parliament, Earlier then initially scheduled, (which, obviously, might facilitate such an alternative scenario)... This is also considered possible by "Wikipedia", which warns that " it may be held Earlier, if a Snap election is called".

- However, he also believes that, in order to have real Chances to succeed, Russia should better make some kind of "Positive Gesture" vis a vis the CoE, beforehand, as Mattei suggested, in conclusion of his Reply to "Eurofora"s relevant Question, (Comp. Supra).

- It could be something about implementing the "Minsk Agreements" (on Ukraine), or Prisoners, "Missing" Persons, (in Donbas), perhaps on Human Rights inside Russia, on the occasion of CoE Commissioner's forthcoming Visit to Moscow, etc., he guessed, inter alia, replying also to a subsequent question.

- Indeed, the Latest move by Vladimir Putin, to Ease issuing Russian Passports for Russian Speaking People in Eastern Ukraine's pro-Autonomy Regions of Donetsk-Luhansk, didn't really help to bring a better mood between Moscow and Kiev, Mattei critically pointed out, speaking of a controversial measure, recently denounced also by CoE Assembly's President.

It was justified mainly on "Humanitarian" Grounds, Moscow replied, meanwhile. Particularly as that measure followed an even More Controversial Decision by Kiev's out-going Poroshenko Government, to Oblige all Minorities, traditionaly Speaking Russian, Polish, Hungarian, German, Bulgarian, Romanian, Greek, etc. throughout various Regional/Local areas of Ukraine since Historical Times, to suddenly switch over to the Ukranian Language only, in all deals with Public Authorities in everyday life, as never before in that country...

That last-minute Poroshenko's move was strongly Criticized, inter alia, also by MEPs from various Countries and/or Political Groups, at a special "Side-Event" Meeting organized in Strasbourg during CoE Assembly's plenary session of Spring 2019, last April, including also Austrian MEPs who Reminded the Fact that in the period of Multi-Ethnic Austro-Hungarian Empire, in Wien's Assembly more than 11 working Languages were used, (as also in Multi-Ethnic former USSR, etc).

But an immediat Surprizing Reaction by the Recently Elected new Ukranian President Zelensky, officialized in a "Press Release", went Further :

- "The Russian Passport gives the right to be Arrested for Peaceful Demonstration, ..to Never have Free Elections, to Forget Human Rights...", he denounced. On the Contrary, "We (Kiev) will give Ukranian Citizenship to ... Victims of Authoritarian and Corrupted Regimes, in any Countries, and particularly to Russians who suffer the most", he claimed. Because "Ukranian Citizenship is Liberty... We will serve as an Exemplary Democracy", he vowed.

- "Fine. Let's just Do it !", might spontaneously react many naive readers, enthousiastic.

But, there is a Problem : Astonishingly, by an incredible Coincidence, such an officially "Pro-Freedom" message, was, in Fact, send from ...Turkey ! Notoriously the Worst Nightmare in persisting Massive Violations of Human Rights, going from Torture and Inhuman/Degrading Treatments, up to Deprivations of Freedom of Speech, Persecutions of Jounalists, Dismissal of Judges, UnFair Trials, Abusive ImPrisonments, unpunished Killings, (etc) : Indeed, Zelensky was, curiously, eating "Kebab" at Turkey's "Bodrum", where some had pushed him to spend "Holidays", during a (Tragi-?) "Comic" Festival that Week-End, as "Paris-Match" newspaper reveals... Obviously Bad for Credibility, particularly on Human Rights' issues...

------------------------------------

However, it seems also true that Zelensky's succesful Election was mainly due to the fact that his Promisses Focused particularly on Fighting against Corruption, and for Peace at the Donbas' Eastern Regions,. (I.e. there where Poroshenko had notoriously Failed, and even become dangerously counterproductive, deceiving many from his former allies).

+ In Addition, the Experienced and Famous former Prime Minister Julia Timoshenko, (who had also Suffered in the Prisons of Janukovich), had been Spectacularly Surfing at the Top of all Polls, during Years, as the Most Popular Political Leader of Ukraine, until Recently, with a Program (and Posters) Highlighting the Key-Word: -"Peace" !

++ The First Polls, published After the Presidential Elections, clearly show a Big Boost for the New President's Party, and an even Bigger Growth for the "Opposition Platform - For Life", who Both claim to Focus on Peace too.

+++ Meanwhile, Between the 1st and the 2nd Round of the Presidential Election, and After a Press Campaign of several Months by "Eurofora", (including neglected key Facts on Important Issues, Questions/Replies with ECHR President and CoE's Human Rights Director, etc), the former MEP and National Hero of Ukraine, later fallen in disgrace and imPrisoned also to Kiev's Jails, after those of Moscow, when she started to speak louder about the Need for Dialogue with the pro-Autonomist Regions of Donetsk/Luhansk in order to make Peace, and suddenly Accused to plot ...brutal Mass Killings and a violent Putch, when she Denounced an Ukranian Establishment's Politician for having launched those Mysterious Deadly "Snipers" who notoriously Killed Both Demonstrators and Policemen, provoking Violent Clashes at Kiev back on February 2014, which topped the Elected Government and Cancelled an EU-sponsored Peace Agreement signed by All Sides, (See : ... + ..., etc), i.e. Nadeza Savchenko, was Liberated, on April 15.

Even if Poroshenko's Jails scandalously Hindered her to Participate in the Political Debates of the Presidential Election, (for which Savchenko had even made Hunger Strikes in Prison), nevertheless, she should, now, at least, participate into the forthcoming Parliamentary Elections, hopefully Adding also another Voice for Peace.

-------------------------------------------

In such a Context, obviously, the alleged Threats that Out-Going Poroshenko's Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkine has reportedly launched recently, for Ukraine to Drop the Minsk Agreements if Russia is fully re-integrated into the CoE, as a collegue asked Yesterday in Paris the French Foreign Ministry's Spokesman during the Daily Press Point, were soberly Dismissed by the incoming CoE's Presidency's diplomacy :

- "The Commitments undertaken by the Parties for the Implementation of Minsk's Agreements, Must be Respected", as such, reads the Official Reply.

- Inter alia, also because "they should Not be linked to the (current and future) Situation inside the CoE", the French Foreign Ministry replied, clearly dismissing a useless and tricky, last-minute provocation.

+ It simply reminded French President Macron's recent Statement that "it's Important to Find a Solution allowing for Russia to stay inside the CoE, with all the Rights and Obligations attached to that", and, therefore, France calls all CoE's Members to support the current efforts made in this regard by the (outgoing) Presidency of Finland", (on 15-17 May 2019, at the Helsinki CoE's Summit, with the participation of New French State Secretary for European affairs, Amelie de Montchalin.

I.e. just before Paris takes over the PanEuropean Organisation's rotating Presidency, 22 Years after the Historic CoE's 1997 Summit of Heads of State/Government in Strasbourg, which had been Marked also by the Creation of "Trilateral" semestrial Summits between France, Germany and Russia : then = Chirac, Kohl and Yeltsin, of obvious Gaullist inspiration concerning a "Great Europe, from the Atlantic to the Urals", (Comp. "Eurofora" co-Founder's relevant Publications from the spot, then, to "TCWeekly"),which remained United, until the Deadly, Damaging and Dangerous Division of Europe, provoked by the Ukranian Conflict on 2014.

=> Time for Change ?

(../..)
When Dean Bilyew and Paul Specht met 13 years ago on vacation in Provincetown, Mass., both were renting in New York.

Joining forces, they took a rental in Downtown Brooklyn, and later bought a two-bedroom duplex at the top of a boutique walkup condominium in Bedford-Stuyvesant. With its balconies and rooftop, it had four outdoor spaces, plus a view of the Empire State Building  well worth the climb.

Over time, though, the stairs became a hassle. And Mr. Bilyew, who works in banking technology, had a long commute to Jersey City. (Mr. Specht works in personal business management near Columbus Circle.)

[Did you recently buy or rent a home? We want to hear from you. Email: thehunt@nytimes.com]

On the bright side, home prices in the area had escalated insanely, said Mr. Bilyew, an intrepid mover who has bought and sold property in Washington, D.C., and upstate New York. So the men, both now 50, sold the duplex and nearly doubled their money.

Three years ago, they bought a two-bedroom condo in a new building in Hoboken, N.J. The second-floor apartment had around 1,300 square feet. But tucked away in the southwest corner of Hoboken, the couple felt cooped up.

Youre in a concrete jungle, Mr. Specht said. Theres no breeze, theres no water. On the hottest of days, its like being in a frying pan.

They also endured lead-footed upstairs neighbors and a busy corner filled with noise and traffic. So they leased a car and started venturing out. It was like being 16 again, and you get your drivers license, Mr. Bilyew said.

Heading north along the Hudson River, they saw plenty of new residential construction. The buildings were filled with amenities  pools, gyms, classes, concierges, and all this stuff we never had, Mr. Bilyew said. I was getting antsy and watching the market. I had a sense that it was time to move on.

The couple set a budget in the low $1 million range for a nearby two-bedroom condo. And because they have plenty of visitors  Mr. Specht is the youngest of nine siblings  they wanted a dedicated guest room, plus an extra place for a TV, along with outdoor space.

The buildings they considered were all brand new:
This Page Is Under Construction - Coming Soon!

Why am I seeing this 'Under Construction' page?
Residential mortgage lender Bluestone New Zealand has announced Donna Tames as its new business development manager.

Tames holds 17 years of experience in the banking and financial services industries, including her most recent role as Auckland-based business manager for the broker team at BNZ. She also spent several years working with both privately owned businesses and within retail and business banking, including as broker relationship manager in the NBNZ broker unit.

In her new role, Tames will be looking after mortgage brokers in Central Auckland, East Auckland and Northland.
This last part is all the different festivals of Alabama, Brooks said. Theres the Hangout, the Shrimp Festival, Mardi Gras, the Peanut Festival and the Iron Bowl. This is the louder, more interactive room.

Bicentennial Book Collection Gallery

Pick Elementary teachers utilized a grant from the state for a bicentennial project to craft historical books, preparing each student for their performances in the Living History Museum, Brooks explained.

We already knew, from years past, we were going to be doing the timeline, and we divide that up by class, Nichols said. When we realized we had to do the books this year, we thought, 'Lets kill two birds with one stone. Your book focus is going to be the same thing that you do on the timeline.'

According to Brooks, each class tasked a student to illustrate or write about an historical event on one page in a volume of 18 books, using resources provided by their teachers and the community such as Mark Wilson, director of the Caroline Marshall Draughon Center for the Arts and Humanities at Auburn University.
The Auburn Police Division is asking for the publics help as part of an ongoing investigation into a February 2018 homicide.

Responding officers discovered Cedric Jerome Parker Jr., 30, of Auburn, lying outside a residence suffering from a gunshot wound on Feb. 15, 2018, Auburn police said.

Parker was pronounced deceased at 11:02 p.m. by an EAMC emergency room physician, said police.

A $5,000 reward has been secured through the Alabama Governors Office with the efforts of a local state representative, Auburn police and the Lee Countys District Attorneys Office, Auburn police said in a release Thursday afternoon.

The reward is being offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the individual responsible for the homicide, the release reads.

Police ask anyone with information on the case to call Auburn detectives at 334-501-3140 or the anonymous tip line at 334-246-1391.

The incident
Its shocking, yes, but the shock wears off as the mayhem reaches the level of Sichuan cooking: numbing yet spicy.

There is just enough story here to give the brutality shape and purpose, and to keep that numbness from turning to boredom. Parabellum  the name comes from a Latin phrase meaning If you want peace, prepare for war  picks up precisely where John Wick: Chapter 2 left off: with John on the run. After the assassins organization to which he belongs has declared him excommunicado  banned for killing a man on the grounds of an off-limits hotel that caters exclusively to a clientele of killers  he must flee from a host of hit men who want a piece of the $14 million bounty that has been placed on his head.

This flight takes him to the aforementioned Russian, then Casablanca, where he meets a resentful ex-partner (Halle Berry) and her boss (Jerome Flynn), and finally to someone in the middle of the desert known as the Elder (Said Taghmaoui).

Did I say finally? Despite the high body count left in Johns wake  and injuries to him that would kill an ordinary man many times over  nothing is ever final in this franchise, which ends with the promise of a fourth film that may or may not unravel some of the mysteries hinted at here.
A young dog breeder in eastern China was recently arrested and sentenced to ten days in a detention center after giving two of his canines controversial names that refer to Chinese government and civil service workers.

The 30-year-old man, surnamed Ban, was summoned by police on Monday, after posting on Chinese social network WeChat that he had named two of his dogs Chengguan and Xieguan. The first refers to officials tasked with tackling low-level crime, while the second is a name used to describe informal community workers, such as traffic assistants. Ban said that he didnt know using the two words as names for his dogs was illegal, and that he had done it as a joke, but police failed to see the humor and launched an investigation after the mans post went viral online.

Photo: Caleb Carl/Unsplah

A police officer told Beijing News that the dog breeder had been increasingly provocative on social media, and that his latest stunt had caused great harm to the nation and the citys urban management, in terms of their feelings.

I didnt know the law, I didnt know this was illegal, Ban explained, but it was all in vain. He was sentenced to 10 days in an administrative detention center in the city of Xiangyang for having spread insulting information against law enforcement personnel.

News of the mans arrest sent shocks across the internet, and while some argued that he had been asking for it with his provocative comments, most social media users expressed their outrage over the cause of the conviction.

Photo: Yingzhou Police

Can you tell me which law stipulates that dogs cant be called Chengguan? one Weibo user commented.

What other words could you be imprisoned for? someone else asked.
A young Filipino woman working as a maid for a wealthy family in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, was reportedly tied to a tree by her employers as punishment for leaving a valuable piece of furniture in the sun.

26-year-old Lovely Acosta Baruelo is said to have angered her Saudi employers by leaving a piece of furniture outside, where it risked being damaged by the sun. As punishment, the family decided to make her feel the effects of staying in the scorching sun for too long, by tying her to a tree in their opulent Riyadh mansion. Photos of the woman tightly bound to the tree with a rope, as other servants carry on with their work around her unable to help, were allegedly taken by another Filipino worker who later shared them online, begging authorities to help the victim of the abuse.

After the shocking photos went viral on the internet, the Philippines Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) issued a statement saying that it was made aware of the situation and was already working on getting Baruelo back home. The 26-year-old woman arrived in Manila at 8:55 p.m. on 9 May 2019 and thanked everyone who helped her get the assistance she needed by posting the photos online.

Thank you so much to all those who helped me. I want to also ask help for the other Filipinos left there, Baruelo said. They are the ones who helped me and uploaded my pictures. I am afraid for their safety. I hope they get rescued too.

You old man will find your karma, just you wait, told her former employer. Keep deducting our salaries. This is the reason why you have poor health. Its your karma for all the wrong things you did.

After Lovely Acosta Baruelos story of abuse went viral, another woman claiming to be her co-worker appealed for aid from Filipino authorities, saying that their employer would hurt and punish them whenever they made the smallest mistake.


Christie Bishop

Edelman has appointed Christie Bishop head of brand for Southern California. Bishop joins Edelman from Spark44, a joint venture marketing partner to Jaguar Land Rover, where she was executive strategy director and general manager of North America. She also hosts the Commercial Grade podcast, which offers a behind-the-scenes perspective on the production of creative campaigns. Christies appointment at Edelman is a clear indication of the opportunity that exists for the firm in the integrated brand marketing space across Southern California, said Will Collie, general manager of Edelmans Southern California business. Her extensive experience will bring a new perspective to our work and be integral to boosting our ability to deliver successful and impactful programming for all of our clients.



Leslie Ankney

Ditto has brought on crypto journalist Leslie Ankney as an associate vice president, based in the agencys San Francisco office. Ankney comes to Ditto from Forbes, where she was a contributor and analyst. Previously, she wrote for the crypto news site NullTX/The Merkle and founded UpScale International, a digital marketing firm for crypto projects. In her new position, Ankney will help crypto projects communicate more effectively and work to educate journalists so that they can better tell compelling stories that get the tech right. Ditto has worked with a wide range of projects that focus on such areas as blockchain solutions, crypto finance, and digital assets.



Sean O'Leary

Susan Davis International has named Sean OLeary as a vice president. OLeary joins SDI from the Merritt Group, where he served as director, leading a practice for technology companies focused on working with federal, state and local governments, as well as the Department of Defense. He has also worked as spokesperson and communications director for the Newspaper Association of America and global communications manager for Metalogix Software. Seans addition will allow SDI to further expand our impressive client roster, especially with technology companies and associations, said SDI chairman Susan Davis.


Charlene MacDonald

FTI Consultings government affairs unit is representing Pfizer on Capitol Hill on pharmaceutical drug pricing matters.

Pfizer is among drug companies caught up in a lawsuit filed by 44 states on May 10, alleging they conspired to jack up prices on generics by as much as 1,000 percent.

Filed in federal district court in Connecticut, the suit covers more than 100 cancer drugs, antibiotics, blood thinners, contraceptives and antidepressants.

Pfizer denies that its Greenstone generic unit did anything wrong. Greenstone has been a reliable and trusted supplier of affordable generic medicines for decades and intends to vigorously defend against these claims, it said in a statement.

FTIs Charlene MacDonald, who was a senior policy adviser to House Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer, is handling the Pfizer push.
Though its a little rich to call Donald Trump a champion of the free press, he got it right in declining to sign the Christchurch Call agreement that is intended to curtail online extremism.

The UK, France, Germany, Spain, Ireland, Norway, Sweden, Netherlands, European Commission, Senegal, Jordan, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, India, Indonesia and Japan signed the agreement on May 15, along with Facebook, Amazon, Twitter, Google and Microsoft.

The Call outlines a bunch of vague actions like enforcing existing laws on producing and distributing extremist content and supporting standards on reporting terror attacks. The measures must be consistent with a free, open, and secure internet. The governments agreed to "encourage media outlets to apply ethical standards when depicting terrorist events online." Oh, oh. What are those ethical standards? What if a media outlet failed to reach those benchmarks? Does it get shut down?

For their part, social media companies pledged to work with each other and with governments to prevent a repeat of the March live streaming of the March mosque attacks in Christchurch, New Zealand, that led to the murder of 51 people.

The goal of the Call, which is preventing global distribution of video of an ongoing terror attack, is admirable. The US though, shouldnt get involved in regulating content. That would put Uncle Sam on the proverbial slippery slope to censorship.

After all, who would be the decider when it comes to determining what is objectionable material? The First Amendment applies to even the most hideous speech.

The White House cited constitutional issues for its refusal to sign the agreement.

We continue to be proactive in our efforts to counter terrorist content online while also continuing to respect freedom of expression and freedom of the press, a White House spokesperson told the Washington Post. Further, we maintain that the best tool to defeat terrorist speech is productive speech, and thus we emphasize the importance of promoting credible, alternative narratives as the primary means by which we can defeat terrorist messaging.

Team Trump did promise to stand with the international community in condemning terrorist and violent extremist content online. It just doesnt want to play the role of referee.

The president, who demeans reporters, dismisses critical articles as "fake news," and trashes the press as the "enemy of the people" called it right when it came to not signing The Call.
Having announced the purchase of the four star Tullamore Court Hotel at the end of February this year, iNua Hospitality hosted local dignitaries, businesses and colleagues at the hotel on Wednesday night to mark the next chapter for the hotel.

Speaking at the event Tullamore Court Hotel General Manager, Philip OBrien said, it is 22 years this month since I first came to Tullamore and I have seen the landscape change dramatically over this time. I would like to acknowledge the foresight of John Flanagan Senior, John and Tony Flanagan and Dominic Doheny for their tremendous courage to build the first hotel in Tullamore all those years ago. Noel Creedon, CEO, Sean ODriscoll COO, Paul Fitzgerald, CFO and the head office team of iNua hospitality, have already in such a short space of time added great support to our business, through their own extensive knowledge and expertise.

Sean ODriscoll, Chief Operations Officer of iNua Hospitality, described the purchase of the Tullamore Court Hotel as a 'successful and well-performing business and an excellent addition to our existing regional hospitality portfolio'.

Mr ODriscoll added, we are delighted to add the Tullamore Court Hotel to our collection and we look forward to working with Philip and the team to further enhance its prominence Offaly."

The iNUA Collection is one of the largest regional hotel groups in Ireland and has developed a strong presence in the Irish regional hotel market since 2012. The Tullamore Court Hotel is the eighth hotel to join the growing iNua Collection.

iNua Hospitality plc. also own the five-star Muckross Park Hotel in Killarney, The Kilkenny Hibernian Hotel, The Hillgrove Hotel in Monaghan and the Radisson Blu Hotels in Cork, Limerick, Athlone and Sligo.
The Offaly community of Clara is preparing to say goodbye to their parish priest, Fr Patrick Keary, after almost 15 years in the town.

Fr Keary was ordained in 1965 in Maynooth and served in St Finians from 1965 to 1988 and was later appointed as CC Kilcloon that same year and CC at Holy Family in 1992.

He arrived in Clara in 2005 where is served as parish priest and was appointed as Vicar Forane of Clara Deanery in 2006.

Bishop of the Meath, of which Clara is a part, Thomas Deenihan, thanked Fr Keary for his lifetime work for the Diocese and the people he served.

Speaking to the Offaly Express, Clara-based Offaly County councillor, Dervill Dolan, said: I am sorry to hear that Fr Keary is retiring as Parish Priest of Clara but he has earned himself a well-deserved rest after his 14 years in Clara and 54 years in the priesthood."

"In my dealings with Fr Keary I have found him to be very helpful and a good man with a genuine pastoral nature. I am glad that Fr Keary is staying with us at the Parochial House, in Clara, and I wish him a long and healthy retirement," Cllr Dolan continued.

As a result of Fr Keary's retirement, Fr Joe Deegan is to become the parish priest in Clara.

Fr Conor Magee, CC in Clara will move to the Holy Family, Drogheda, while Fr Cyprian Solomon, CC Clara will move to Saint Marys Drogheda and CC Holy Family, Drogheda.

The changes take effect on June 17.
SNAP Productions still doesnt have a permanent home, but its going to have a show.

Streep Tease, a series of scenes from Meryl Streep movies, will be this weekend at the B Side of Benson Theatre, 6058 Maple St.

The show will feature several local actors, all men, performing monologues of their choice from movies such as Postcards From the Edge and Kramer vs. Kramer.

Its based on a show developed by Roy Cruz in Los Angeles, which traveled to New York City, San Francisco and Manchester, England.

SNAP has not had a production since its rented space near 33rd and California Streets was sold last year. It shared the space with the Shelterbelt Theatre, and representatives from both remain committed to finding a new building. Board member Todd Brooks said they check out a couple of spots each month.

Streep Tease, with two shows both Friday and Saturday, is a fundraiser to help the theater eventually move into a new location, Brooks said.

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Nancy Pridal said she can thank an assorted lot for nudging her on a path leading to a top engineering role held by few Nebraska women.

Among those influences: a clan of Cabbage Patch kids she encountered while contemplating her career choice.

Cabbage Patch dolls were a popular collectors toy of the 1980s. They also happened to occupy a shelf in the office of another pioneering female who Pridal had visited while deciding between a career in teaching or the male-dominated engineering field.

Pridal said that decades later, she still vividly recalls the dolls and visit with Paula Wells, a working mom who launched her own engineering firm. The message received: I am a woman, I am a leader, Im also very compassionate.

Seeing a woman in that role, just her being herself, was really impactful, said Pridal, now 57.

Pridal went on to become a civil engineer. Two years ago she was propelled to president and chief executive officer of Lamp Rynearson, an Omaha engineering company that ranks among the nations top 500 design firms and employs about 180 people in three states. Peers say there are few women engineers in Nebraska to have held that top-level position.
Nebraska should close its fiscal year with more money than expected in state coffers, following a strong April.

Were a couple months away from the end of the fiscal year, but April was so robust that its pretty clear were going to be ahead for the year, Tax Commissioner Tony Fulton told The World-Herald on Wednesday.

The fiscal year ends June 30.

Nebraskas April general fund tax receipts, released Wednesday, show that Nebraska collected 15%, or $86.5 million, more than its February projection.

April is the biggest month for the state each year, Fulton said.

Under state law, tax collections that exceed the certified revenue forecast are put into the states cash reserve fund.

Fulton said reasonable explanations for the strong month are capital gains and corporate income that returned to the United States after the federal tax cuts. Nebraska collected nearly $52.5 million more in corporate income taxes than projected for the month, but thats the most difficult to predict, Fulton said.

But those causes for the increases would be one-time things, Fulton said.
Their home was at the Washington Terrace mobile home park at 3101 Washington St., just east of Offutt Air Force Base.

In 2010, the younger Bauermeister, who went by her middle name, applied for a protection order against Stack. She wrote that Stack entered her bedroom ranting and yelling at her. She said he then sucker-punched her in the back of her head and hit her in the stomach, arms and legs. She said officers took photos of bruises and told her to take more in the following days because more bruising would become visible.

Stack and Bauermeister were recovering alcoholics, said Donna Livingston, a neighbor. Bauermeister had been sober for several months before she was slain, she said.

She was doing really well, Livingston said.

She said Stack had gone to a detox facility, but his continued alcohol abuse may have led to problems between the two.

They argued a lot, she said. She told me that she wanted to get rid of him. She was tired of supporting him.

Bauermeisters family has described her as a warm and loving woman.
Palawan (CNN Philippines, May 16)  The mayor-elect of Rizal town, Palawan hails from the indigenous group Pala'wan.

The 77-year-old independent candidate Otol Odi has been proclaimed winner of the mayoral race, besting four other candidates with an overwhelming 8,575 votes. His closest rival was Ramon Shita who had 3,414 votes. Rizal is a first class municipality less than 200 kilometers from the capital Puerto Princesa.

Incumbent Mayor Norman Ong, who won the vice mayoralty race, said he is happy with the result of the polls and that he is willing to give his full support to the new mayor.

Odi previously served as barangay captain of Punta Baja for almost two decades. His rise to the town's top post could be the first time a member of an indigenous group would be leading Rizal.

He has vowed to focus on programs that will promote the welfare of indigenous peoples, farmers, and the poor.

According to the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, the Pala'wan indigenous group has a population of approximately 40,630.

Journalist Catherine Santos contributed to this report.
Another aspect of the bill would give counties more alternatives of where to send mentally ill inmates besides state-owned treatment facilities, which have long waiting lists.

The union that represents state corrections workers issued a press release Wednesday opposing the bill. It said that because mental health options are limited in state prisons, mentally ill inmates might be forced into the general population, where they would pose a threat to security officers.

The union also opposed a part of the bill that would ban corrections officers from having cellphones in their lockers because it would prevent officers from calling family members when they are required to work overtime.

Farm wineries. A bill given first-round approval on Wednesday would allow farm wineries to have up to four tasting rooms (instead of just one), and allow them to use fewer Nebraska-grown grapes.

Right now, farm wineries are required to use at least 75% Nebraska-grown grapes or fruit. LB 592 would allow that percentage to drop to 60%, which supporters said would help wineries when drought or floods reduce the state grape harvest. The bill was portrayed as aiding the states wineries.
Weve had some starts and stops, Matuella said. Bids, insurance, this and that. The insurance shortfall was larger than wed anticipated.

Matuella said the shortfall was originally believed to be between $400,000 and $500,000 but ended up being more and, along with an increased cost of lumber, the total estimated cost landed between $1.4 million and $1.5 million.

Thanks to a significant donor who Matuella said has been a prominent figure in the 10th Street beautification process, the organization has gained ground and is currently about $400,000 short of the total needed for renovations and repairs.

The group has opened a line of credit to close the gap. Matuella said he foresees more public support once the hall is operational. The new hall will have a capacity of more than 300.

Its going to end up being a showpiece for the 10th Street corridor, Matuella said. I know people are eager to get some spaghetti dinner, and were looking forward to getting some white shirts dirty again.
In his comments to Nebraskans, Sasse said the administration has been moving to clip the wings of Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani. The general is trying to sow discord across the Middle East and North Africa, Sasse said, in an effort to make Iran more powerful.

He has militias he basically controls, and hes trying to ramp a lot of these people up to attack U.S. allies, U.S. interests, U.S. supply chains and ultimately U.S. troops, Sasse said.

In an interview, Sasse told The World-Herald that whether tensions escalate further is almost entirely dependent on whether Soleimani continues to push for attacks on Americans and their interests.

The administration is taking appropriate steps to let Iran know that our intelligence forces know what theyve been doing, and Iran should be de-escalating and theyre choosing not to de-escalate, Sasse said. What Ive heard the president say on this is two things: He wants to avoid war and if the U.S. is attacked, well respond very, very forcefully. And I think the president is right in how hes framing both of those points.

This report includes material from the Associated Press.

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Omaha police are beefing up security at the Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge after a man was shot there early Thursday.

It was the second violent encounter on the bridge in the last month.

About 1:45 a.m. Thursday, Chiok D. Tut, 20, was taken to the Nebraska Medical Center in critical condition after being shot, according to a Douglas County 911 dispatcher. Tut suffered a single gunshot wound, Omaha police said.

A juvenile was arrested in connection with the shooting, police said Thursday afternoon. The bridge, at 705 Riverfront Drive, was closed until about 11 a.m. for the investigation.

On April 29, a man walking home from work was accosted on the bridge and assaulted, police say. The man fended off his attackers with a pocket knife, sending them to the hospital.

That assault took place about 7 p.m. on a Monday. Andrew Poeckes told Council Bluffs police that he was walking back to his Bluffs home and saw two men hassling people on the bridge.

He said he tried to avoid them, but they followed him to the Council Bluffs side of the bridge, where they began to hit him. two men, ages 19 and 27, were arrested in that case.
Peter S. Gadzinski, Omaha

Bad spot for juvenile jail

With all of the shiny pictures of the proposed downtown justice center comprised of new courtrooms, lawyers offices and a juvenile jail, we have yet to see a rendering of the jail itself.

Bringing the juvenile jail downtown would be a disaster for the community. Look at what the current adult corrections center has done to the neighborhood. We dont need a Jailers Canyon in Omaha.

Marj Dupley, Omaha

Socialism corrupts politicians

Elliott Rankin, in the May 1 Public Pulse, explained how socialism was not the cause of the fall of Venezuela. It is the corrupt people in charge. But, since socialism has never worked, I guess only corrupt people have tried to implement it. Or, just maybe, it is the socialism that makes them that way.

Benjamin Franklin said, When the people find that they can vote themselves money, that will herald the end of the republic. So politicians promise all of the things that people want the government to give them, and the people vote them in.
Ardern has stressed that she hopes to skirt the hate speech debate by focusing on violent and terrorist material alone.

But figuring out what counts as violent material is itself part of that broader debate, and countries are forging ahead with legal regimens that will affect everyone who uses the Internet  not only mass murderers.

Britain has put forth a proposal threatening companies with unprecedented fines for not taking harmful content off their platforms, but much of that content is not illegal in the country.

Australia has imposed criminal penalties on firms that do not expeditiously remove abhorrent violent material, which could lead to companies proactively screening every post according to an overly restrictive algorithm.

France has the more flexible idea of appointing a regulator to verify that companies have effective systems in place to remove illegal hate speech, but inviting a single government appointee to declare what should stay and what should go could still be chilling.

(Editors note: The Trump administration announced Wednesday that it would not endorse the call to action although it agrees with its overarching message.)
7th Pay Commission: Let down in 2003 and 2014, how talks on salary hike broke down

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

New Delhi, May 16: The Central government while stating that there would be good news relating to the 7th Pay Commission indicated that several lakhs of its employees would get benefits.

OneIndia had reported that the Central Government employees who have been let down by the government are likely to get good news, but it would be in a phased manner.

The government has not made an announcement that the CG employees would have hoped, but owing to several constraints has doled out sops in a phased manner. The 9 lakh personnel of the Central Armed Forces are likely to get a big benefit as their demand to waive off taxes on Ration Money Allowance and Risk Hardship Allowance will be met soon.

7th Pay Commission salary benefits vacancies for RRB NTPC recruitment 2019

All the personnel who do not have food in the mess receive RMA and the current rate for non-gazetted personnel is Rs 95.52 per day. In the case of the gazetted personnel it stands at Rs 79.93 per day.

Officials say that when it comes to CG employees there was a demand that the basic minimum pay be increased from Rs 18,000 to Rs 26,000. Sources say that there were several rounds of talks, but it broke down. No doubt there were assurances that there were made on several occasions, but nothing was implemented.

This would go on to show that the government was never serious about implementing the demand. However knowing fully well that this would affect the working of the CG employees, there were some sops that were announced. The government also had to keep in mind the anger of the large number of CG employees.

Analysts agree that this has been the worst recommendation made in the last 70 years. The BJP government under Atal Bihari Vajpayee ought to have constituted the pay panel in 2003 itself, but the same was not done. It was however done the following year.

The lapse of one year affected the CG employees a great deal. Had it been implemented in 2003 itself, the employees would have had a better hike. Instead the existing pay panel went on to recommend only a 15 per cent hike as opposed to the 20 per cent hike suggested by the earlier pay panels.

However sources also add that the new incentive offered by the government could come to the rescue of a few employees. Those employees who would acquire a degree or diploma of a three year duration or less or equivalent after getting into service will get a Rs 10,000 incentive.

7th Pay Commission: Worst in 70 years, why BJP always ignores CG employees

PhD or equivalent: Rs 30,000, PG degree/diploma of duration of more than a year or equivalent: Rs 25,000, PG degree/diploma of duration of less than one year or equivalent: Rs 20,000, Degree/Diploma of duration of more than 3 years or equivalent: Rs 15,000, Degree/Diploma of duration of less than 3 years or equivalent: Rs 10,000.

While this could be considered to be as good news, the employees would continue waiting for some good news relating to the 7th Pay Commission. For this to happen, one would have to wait for another couple of months before the new dispensation is in place, officials say.
Will always be with you to fight injustice: Rahul Gandhi to media

Rahul Gandhi gives adjournment notice on giving unhindered access to pasture lands in Ladakh

'Do you work for govt?' Rahul Gandhi asks reporter; BJP calls him entitled brat

Word 'lynching' practically unheard of before 2014, 'Thank You Modi-Ji': Rahul Gandhi

Hindu and Hindutva are not different things: Suresh Bhaiyyaji Joshi

Alwar visit not political but emotional issue, says Rahul after meeting gang-rape survivor

India

oi-Madhuri Adnal

Alwar, May 16: Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Thursday met the Dalit woman who was allegedly gang-raped in front of her husband in Rajasthan's Alwar district. Hel said 'nyay' will be done for the victim and her family.

Gandhi, who was earlier scheduled to arrive here on Wednesday, arrived in the city on Thursday instead, party sources said, adding that the visit was postponed due to inclement weather.

Addressing the media after meeting the family, Rahul Gandhi said, "Nyay will be delivered at the earliest." Rahul Gandhi also said, "I do not intend to do politics over this issue. This is an emotional matter for me. I want to send across this message that this behaviour against our women won't be tolerated."

He also promised that all accused would be brought to task, none would be spared.

The Congress president was accompanied by Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, deputy CM Sachin Pilot and Congress national general secretary Avinash Pandey.

BJP demands resignation of Ashok Gehlot over Alwar gangrape

On April 26, the woman, a member of the Dalit community, was on a motorcycle with her husband when the accused, waylaid them and took them to a field. They allegedly thrashed the husband and raped his wife in front of him.

The husband claims the police were informed on April 30 and the FIR wasn't lodged till May 7.

Five accused and the one who shot and circulated the video clip, were also arrested.

The incident triggered widespread protests in Alwar, Jaipur, Dausa and nearby areas and a protest march led by BJP's Rajya Sabha MP Kirori Lal Meena had turned violent in Dausa on Tuesday, leaving over half a dozen people injured.

The Congress government in the state had earlier been criticised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati who claimed the Ashok Gehlot-led administration suppressed news of the attack and the police deliberately delayed filing a FIR because of the election.

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Story first published: Thursday, May 16, 2019, 12:55 [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

Chappals hurled at Kamal Haasan amid row over Nathuram Godse terrorist remark

India

oi-PTI

New Delhi, May 16: Chappals were hurled towards a vehicle from which actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan was addressing an election meeting in the Tirupparankundram Assembly constituency in Tamil Nadu on Wednesday evening, police said.

One person has been detained, the police said, adding that the chappals missed the target and fell on the crowd.

Haasan, founder of new political outfit Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM), kicked up a controversy this week with his comment that free India's first extremist was a Hindu, a reference to Mahatma Gandhi's assassin Nathuram Godse.

'Godse was a first Hindu extremist' remark: HC refuses to entertain PIL against Kamal Haasan

The 64-year-old, while campaigning in Aravakurichi on Sunday, had said: "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 (theeviravaadi) was a Hindu, his name is Nathuram Godse. There it starts."

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Story first published: Thursday, May 16, 2019, 11:19 [IST]
Air Pollution: You want to ban industries in Pakistan? Court asks UP govt

CTET 2019: SC notice to Centre, CBSE on plea seeking 10 per cent quota

India

oi-Madhuri Adnal

New Delhi, May 16: The Supreme Court on Thursday issued a notice to Central government on a plea seeking 10 per cent quota for the economically weaker section in Central Teacher Eligibility Test (CTET) 2019. The pex court also refused to stay the notification saying it's a policy decision.

A vacation bench comprising justices Indira Banerjee and Sanjiv Khanna issued notices to the Centre and the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) on the plea and asked them to respond to it by July 1, the next date of hearing.

For the first time since CISCE's inception, 2 students score 100% in class 12th ISC exam

The court was hearing a plea by some petitioners belonging to economically weaker sections and planning to appear in CTET 2019.

The petitioners told the apex court that CBSE published an advertisement on January 23, 2019 for conducting CTET in which benefit of ten per cent reservation has not been given to candidates belonging to economically weaker sections of society.

The petitioners, who claimed to be belonging to economically weaker section of society, are candidates aspiring to appear in CTET-2019.

"Recently the CBSE has published advertisement dated January 23, 2019 for conducting Central Teacher Eligibility Test (CTET), 2019 in which this benefit has not been given to the economically weaker section of the society and therefore the present writ petition is being filed to make sure that people covered under economically weaker section of the society are given similar benefit like other reserved category (SC, ST and OBC) starting with CTET-2019 advertisement," it said.

The top court had earlier on May 13 said the policy of reservation can't be applied in case of qualifying examinations and can only be applied at the time of final selection.

The CTET, 2019 is a central government test that gives scores to aspiring teachers, in an examination conducted by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE).

Student who died last month scored 100 in English, 96 in Science in CBSE 10th exam

The Constitution (One hundred and third amendment) Act, 2019 was passed by Parliament and came into force on January 16.

Under the amended Act, the Centre has provided for a 10 per cent reservation to the citizens from general category belonging to the economically weaker section of the society, in addition to the already existing reservation policy for the benefit of other reserved categories such as Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe, Other Backward Class and Physically Handicapped.
Does RSS want BJP to miss majority mark?

India

oi-Hardeep Singh Bedi

New Delhi, May 16: The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) wants that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) should fall short of majority mark when the results of 2019 Lok Sabha elections are announced on May 23, claims a political analyst.

Talking to OneIndia on the condition of anonymity, the analyst says that the reason behind the RSS' wish is that it wants next Prime Minister must listen to it.

The analyst keeps a close watch on the political pulse of the nation and is in contact with the insiders of various political parties.

According to him, Prime Minister Narendra Modi with the backing of a clear majority in the outgoing Lok Sabha was too hot to handle for the RSS leadership.

How many seats will BJP win? 300 plus say Modi, Shah

"The RSS doesn't like Narendra Modi becoming the BJP and the BJP becoming Narendra Modi. RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat feels that there is a growing cult for Narendra Modi and it's not a good thing," claims the analyst.

"The priorities of the RSS are different than the BJP and it feels that the BJP under Narendra Modi and party president Amit Shah is only focused on power. The RSS has also been critical of the functioning of Modi and Shah and doesn't like many policies of Modi Government, like Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) policy. In a nutshell, it believes that Modi government hasn't served interests of the RSS," adds the analyst.

According to him, the RSS is very much clear about its goals and doesn't compromise on them.

"One of the reasons behind the fall of Atal Bihari Vajpayee government in 2004 was the complete aloofness of the RSS during the elections."

It's notable that the relations between the Vajpayee government and RSS leadership were not very much cordial because many decisions of the Vajpayee government were not liked by the RSS.

The analyst claims that the strategy of the RSS during the 2019 Lok Sabha election is that it wants the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) should achieve majority and not the BJP and that is why it has extended half-hearted support to the BJP.

"The RSS also realises that Prime Minister Modi is very famous and chances are there that he may achieve the majority on his own without its support. To thwart BJP majority, RSS nominee in BJP Ram Madhav on May 6 told Bloomberg News that the NDA and not the BJP will get majority," claims the analyst.

BJP won't be able to prove majority after forming govt: Sharad Pawar

"Do you think that any leader of the ruling party will say that his party is going to miss the majority mark at a time when 118 were still remained to vote? It was a suicidal statement to ensure the BJP should not get the majority figure of 272 seats. To control the damage, the BJP leaders have started claiming to win 300 Lok Sabha seats," asserts the analyst.

According to him, if BJP crosses the majority mark then it will certainly not because of the RSS, which wants Union Minister Nitin Gadkari to replace Modi.
"Your job is not to trouble us": Angry passengers slam Pragya Thakur for delaying flight

After Scindia 'Missing' posters of Pragya Thakur pop up in Bhopal

EC seeks report from MP CEO on Pragyas Godse remark

India

oi-Deepika S

Bhopal, May 16: The Election Commission has sought a factual report from Madhya Pradesh chief electoral officer by tomorrow on the alleged statement of BJP candidate from Bhopal, Pragya Thakur, calling Nathuram Godse a patriot.

Describing Godse as a "patriot", Thakur said those calling him a "terrorist" will be given a befitting reply when the election results are announced. "Nathuram Godse was a deshbhakt (patriot), is a 'deshbhakt' and will remain a 'deshbhakt'.

People calling him a terrorist should instead look within, such people will be given a befitting reply in these elections," Thakur, an accused in the Malegaon blast case, was quoted as saying by ANI.

BJP's Pragya Thakur apologises for calling Nathuram Godse a patriot

Thakur's comments come in the backdrop of Makkal Needhi Maiam founder Kamal Haasan calling Godse "free India's first extremist". Haasan had made the remark at a public meeting in Aravakurichi Assembly constituency in Tamil Nadu on Monday.

The BJP, however, has defended fielding Thakur from Bhopal. The party claimed it will be a fight against the Congress' conspiracy to defame Hindu religion.

He had also pointed out that Godse was a Hindu. On Wednesday, he said his comment was a "historical truth". The actor-turned-politician is facing a court case in Delhi and a First Information Report has been registered in Tamil Nadu.

Thakur, an accused in the 2008 Malegaon blasts case, is known for her incendiary comments and speeches and has been associated with the radical Hindu outfit Abhinav Bharat and Durga Vahini, which is the women's wing of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad.

Thakur is contesting the Lok Sabha election against Congress' Digvijaya Singh in Bhopal constituency on a BJP ticket. Several Opposition parties have opposed her candidature and called out the Bharatiya Janata Party for fielding a terror accused.

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Story first published: Thursday, May 16, 2019, 21:10 [IST]
Gearing for July launch, Chandrayaan-2 will carry NASA payload too, says ISRO

India

oi-PTI

Bengaluru, May 16: India's second Moon mission that is planned for a July launch will have 13 payloads and one passive experiment from American space agency NASA, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has said.

"Thirteen Indian payloads (8 on orbiter, 3 on lander and 2 on rover) and one passive experiment from NASA," ISRO said on Wednesday in a mission update, but did not specify them or their objective. The spacecraft with a mass of 3.8 tonnes has three modules--Orbiter, Lander (Vikram) and Rover (Pragyan).

All the modules are getting ready for Chandrayaan-2 launch during the window of July 9 to July 16, 2019, with an expected Moon landing on September 6, the space agency had said earlier this month.

The orbiter will orbit 100 km from the lunar surface, while lander (Vikram) will do the soft landing near the south pole of moon, and Rover (Pragyan) will conduct in-situ experiments.

The orbiter and lander modules will be interfaced mechanically and stacked together as an integrated module and accommodated inside the GSLV MK-III launch vehicle, ISRO has said, adding the rover is housed inside the lander.

After launch into earth-bound orbit by GSLV MK-III, the integrated module will reach Moon orbit using orbiter propulsion module, and subsequently, lander will separate from the orbiter and soft land at the predetermined site close to lunar South Pole.

Further, the rover will roll out for carrying out scientific experiments on the lunar surface, ISRO has said, noting that instruments are also mounted on lander and orbiter for carrying out scientific experiments.

ISRO Chairman K Sivan had said in January, "We are going to land at a place where nobody else has gone-the Moon's South Pole... it is unexplored region."

Chandrayaan-2 mission, is an advanced version of the previous Chandrayaan-1 mission about 10 years ago.

Chandrayaan-1 had 11 payloads- five from India, three from Europe, 2 from USA and 1 from Bulgaria, and the mission had the credit for discovery of water on the lunar surface.

The 1.4 tonne spacecraft was launched using PSLV and the orbiter had orbited 100 km from the lunar surface.

PTI

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Story first published: Thursday, May 16, 2019, 8:30 [IST]
The Congress sweep in Himachal: I take responsibility for defeat says Jai Ram Thakur

5-yr-old taken away by wild animal in Shimla, search operation underway

Covid 19 in India: Himachal Pradesh becomes first state to fully vaccinate adult population in country

Himachal Pradesh: PM Modi to launch hydropower projects, investors' meet in Mandi

Himachal Pradesh: 7 BJP workers injured after bus overturns in Kullu district

India

oi-Madhuri Adnal

Kullu, May 16: At least seven injured after a bus carrying workers of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) overturned in Himachal Pradesh's Kullu district on Thursday.

The incident took place in Nagni village of Banjar area.

"Rajkumar Chandel, Additional SP Kullu told news agency ANI,''Seven injured after a bus carrying 45 BJP workers overturned at Nagni village in Banjar area of Kullu district. Injured have been shifted to local hospital.", Additional Superintendent of Police, Kullu told news agency ANI.

Injured have been shifted to a nearby hospital for the treatment.

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Story first published: Thursday, May 16, 2019, 11:03 [IST]
COVID-19 telephonic survey: Why you should answer the call from the number 1921

How India votes and what are the top priorities

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

New Delhi, May 16: There are a variety of issues that the people of India vote on. Some vote for real issues, while there are a good number who vote on caste an religious lines.

Interestingly nearly 40 per cent have also said that they have voted for freebies as well, which is actually quite distressing to learn suggests a survey conducted by the Association for Democratic Reforms.

The top priority of the voter is jobs followed by better health care. The next on the list of priorities is drinking water.

From Rs 33 crore in 2014, Jyotiraditya Scindia's assets grew to Rs 374 crore in 2019

Better Employment Opportunities (46.80%), Better Health Care (34.60%) and Drinking Water (30.50%) are the top three voters' priorities at the all India level, followed by Better Roads (28.34%) and Better Public Transport (27.35%) at the fourth and the fifth place, respectively.

It is important to note that agricultural related governance issues featured predominantly in the all India top 10 voters' priorities e.g. Availability of Water for Agriculture (26.40%) that was ranked sixth, Agriculture Loan Availability (25.62%) that was ranked seventh, Higher Price Realization for Farm Products (25.41%) that was ranked eighth, and Agriculture Subsidy for Seeds/Fertilsers (25.06%) that was ranked ninth.

The other top two voters' priorities, Better Healthcare (2.35) and Drinking Water (2.52) were also rated as below average. Better Healthcare was ranked seventh and Drinking Water was ranked third.

It is a matter of serious concern that for none of the 31 listed voters' priorities, the performance of the government was rated as average or above average.

The worst performance of the government, as rated by the voters, was on the issues of Encroachment of Public Lands, Lakes etc., Terrorism, Training for Jobs, Strong Defence/Military, Eradication of Corruption, Lower Food Prices for Consumers and Mining/Quarrying.

The comparative analysis between All India Mid-Term Survey 2017 and All India Survey 2018 reveals that the top two voters' priorities (Better Employment Opportunities and Better Hospitals/Primary Healthcare Centres) have continued to remain at the top.

1,500 with criminal background, 2,297 crorepatis, 716 women contested LS polls 2019

The significance of Better Employment Opportunities as voter's highest priority has increased by 56.67% from 30% in 2017 to 47% in 2018. At the same time, the performance of the government on this issue declined from 3.17 to 2.15 on a scale of 5.

The significance of Better Hospitals/Primary Healthcare Centres as voter's second highest priority has increased by 40% from 25% in 2017 to 35% in 2018. At the same time, the performance of the government on this issue declined from 3.36 to 2.35.

The significance of Drinking Water as voters' priority has increased by 150% from 12% in 2017 to 30% in 2018. At the same time, the performance of the government on this issue declined from 2.79 to 2.52.

The significance of Better Roads as voter's priority has increased by 100% from 14% in 2017 to 28% in 2018. At the same time, the performance of the government on this issue declined from 3.1 to 2.41.

Amongst the 32 states and UTs that were surveyed, in 29 of them, voters have given below average ratings to the government for its performance on all top 3 voters' priorities at the state level. This is with the exception of Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu and Puducherry.

Out of all the 8 Empowered Action Group (EAG) states, which are considered as most socio-economically backward, in 7 states (Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh) Better Employment Opportunities is the foremost voters' priority.

Drinking Water is the topmost voters' priority in 3 States/UTs like Odisha, Karnataka and Daman and Diu.

As per All India Survey 2018, 75.11% voters disclosed that CM candidate was the most important reason behind voting for a particular candidate, followed by candidate's party (71.32%) and the candidate (68.03%) himself/herself.

It is distressing to see that for 41.34% voters, distribution of cash, liquor, gifts etc. was an important factor behind voting a particular candidate in an election.

The richest candidate in LS Polls 2019 is worth Rs 11,07,58,33,190

In relation to voting candidates with criminal antecedents, maximum number of voters (36.67%) felt that people vote for such candidates because they are unaware of his/her criminal records. 35.89% voters are also willing to vote for a candidate with criminal records if the candidate has done good work in the past.

Although, 97.86% voters felt that candidates with criminal background should not be in Parliament or State Assembly, only 35.20% voters knew that they could get information on criminal records of the candidates.

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Story first published: Thursday, May 16, 2019, 15:43 [IST]
How many seats will BJP win? 300 plus say Modi, Shah

India

oi-Oneindia Staff

By Anuj Cariappa

New Delhi, May 16: BJP president Amit Shah exuded confidence that his party has already crossed the majority mark after sixth phase of Lok Sabha polls and took a swipe at opposition parties over their proposed meeting, saying they may meet to elect a leader of opposition.

"You (media) keep asking me how many seats we will win. I have travelled across the country and looking at the popular response, I am fully confident that the BJP after fifth and sixth phase of the elections has crossed the majority figure. It is going to cross 300 after the seventh phase and the NDA under Prime Minister Narendra Modi will form the government again," he told a press conference here. The seventh and last phase of the elections for 543 Lok Sabha seats is due on May 19. A party needs to win 272 seats for a simple majority. The BJP had won 282 in 2014.

Mocking the proposed meeting of opposition leaders and the move by some regional parties like TRS to form a federal front, Shah said such meetings do not affect the BJP whose seats, he added, are not going to come down.They may meet to elect a leader of opposition, he said, adding that results even this time may not give any party enough number of seats to elect a leader of opposition from its ranks. The Congress, the main opposition party, had won only 44 seats in 2014, less than the minimum 10 per cent of seats a party needs to win to claim the post of the leader of opposition in the LoK Sabha.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi in West Bengal today said "the ground is slipping from under the feet" of chief minister Mamata Banerjee whose frustration at the public support for the BJP in the state will help his party form a government with overwhelming majority.

BJP won't be able to prove majority after forming govt: Sharad Pawar

The West Bengal Chief Minister is afraid of the Lok Sabha election results and "scared to see her own shadow", Modi said at an election rally here, a day after violence at BJP President Amit Shah's roadshow in Kolkata. A bust of social reformer Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar was also desecrated and BJP and Trinamool Congress have blamed each other for the violence.

"The reason for organised attacks on BJP rallies in West Bengal is your fear. Didi, your nervousness and the public support which BJP is getting in the state has assured me that Bengal will ensure that BJP crosses 300 in these elections," Modi said at an election rally here.

"All the surveys are giving BJP a full majority on its own, but Didi after seeing your frustration and the support from the people of Bengal, I'm saying that Bengal will help us win more than 300 seats," he said.

West Bengal will see polling for nine seats of the state's 42 seats on May 19 in the seventh and final phase of the Lok Sabha elections. The counting of votes will begin on May 23.

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Story first published: Thursday, May 16, 2019, 5:48 [IST]
ISIS South Asia branch comes under UN radar, sanctions imposed

India

oi-Oneindia Staff

By Anuj Cariappa

New Delhi, May 16: The UN has sanctioned ISIS' South Asia Branch, a terrorist group formed in 2015 by a Pakistani national and a former commander of the TTP, for its links with al-Qaeda and involvement in several deadly attacks in Afghanistan and Pakistan that killed over 150 people.

The United Nations Security Council's 1267 Al Qaeda Sanctions Committee on Tuesday sanctioned Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant - Khorasan (ISIL-K), which is also known as 'ISIS' South Asia Branch, ISIL Khorasan, Islamic State's 'Khorasan Province' and 'South Asian Chapter of ISIL'.

The listing comes two weeks after the Sanctions Committee designated Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar as "global terrorist" on May 1, capping a decade-long effort by India and its allies including the US, the UK, France to sanction the mastermind of several attacks in India, including the 2001 Parliament attack and the February 14 Pulwama terror attack which killed 40 CRPF soldiers.

Wilayah of Hind by ISIS in Kashmir is a step further towards Global Islamic Council

The group is now subject to assets freeze, travel ban and arms embargo.

The Sanctions Committee said in a statement that ISIS-K was formed on January 10, 2015 by a former Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) commander and was established by former Taliban faction commanders "who swore an oath of allegiance" to ISIS and its leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

ISIS K has claimed responsibility for numerous attacks in both Afghanistan and Pakistan.

The Sanctions Committee said the group was listed as being associated with ISIS or al-Qaida for "participating in the financing, planning, facilitating, preparing or perpetrating" acts or activities by supplying, selling or transferring arms and related material.

It said the group engaged in "other acts or activities indicating association with al-Qaeda, ISIS, or any cell, affiliate, splinter group of al-Qaeda in Iraq".

The group had announced its formation in an online video in January 2015.

ISIS spokesman Abou Mohamed al Adnani had announced its expansion into the area historically known as Khorasan, by acknowledging ISIS K leader's pledge of allegiance to al-Baghdadi and claiming the leader of the Islamic State had accepted his pledge and appointed him as governor of the Khorasan Province.

The Sanctions Committee said ISIS-K had carried out numerous attacks since its formation that have killed more than 150 people.

In November 2016, the group carried out a suicide bombing at a Sufi shrine in Quetta, Pakistan that killed at least 50 people and injured over 100 people, it said.

In December 2017, the outfit claimed multiple suicide bombings at a Shia cultural center and news agency in Kabul, Afghanistan that killed more than 41 people, including women and children, and injured over 84 people, it added.

In July 2018, the group claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing outside a polling station in Quetta, Pakistan that killed at least 31 people and injured over 24 people.

While looking at ISIS in Kerala, why we must not lose sight of Bengal

According to leading Washington-based think tank for defense and national security Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), in 2014, Pakistani national Hafiz Saeed Khan was chosen to spearhead ISIL-K province as its first "emir".

Khan, a senior TTP commander, "brought along other prominent TTP members including the group's spokesman Sheikh Maqbool and many district chiefs - when he initially pledged allegiance to al-Baghdadi in October 2014," the CSIS, a nonprofit policy research organisation, noted on its website.

The website said the group's "early membership included a contingent of Pakistani militants who emerged in Afghanistan's Nangarhar province around 2010, just across the border from the former Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) of Pakistan".

It also said many of these militants were "estranged members" of TTP and Lashkar-e Islam, who had fled Pakistan to escape from the security forces.

According to Combatting Terrorism Center, academic institution at US Military Academy in New York, as of 2017, some members of Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jamaat-ud-Dawa, the Haqqani Network and the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) had also "defected" to ISIS-K.
False: NIA official part of Pulwama attack probe had not submitted dubious bills

Top Lashkar commander gunned down with two more terrorists in Pulwama

J&K: Jawan martyred, 3 terrorists killed in Pulwama encounter

India

oi-Madhuri Adnal

Pulwama, May 16: A soldier was martyred and three terrorists were gunned down by security forces in an encounter that broke out in Dalipora area of Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama in the wee hours of Thursday.

Troops of the Central Reserve Police Force, Rashtriya Rifles and Special Operations Group were conducting a search-and-cordon operation when the terrorists fired at them, leading to the encounter.

The three terrorists who were neutralised were identified as Naseer Pandith of Pulwama, Umar Mir of Shopian and a Pakistani namely Khalid. They were affiliated with Jaish-e-Mohammed.

[Pakistan: Hafiz Saeed's brother-in-law arrested]

Meanwhile, a curfew has been imposed in Pulwama.

Two Army jawans were also injured in the encounter and have been rushed to the hospital for treatment. The terrorists, believed to be from Jaish-e-Mohammed, were holed up in a house. A fourth body found at the encounter site was of a civilian, who was caught in the crossfire, the police said.

A huge quantity of weapons has also been recovered.
Int'l travellers who test COVID positive at the airport will not be allowed to go to their destinations

Who is Firhad Hakim? Know Kolkata's New Mayor Age, Education, Family and Other Details

Kolkata Police sets up SIT to probe Vidyasagar status vandalism

India

oi-Deepika S

Kolkata, May 16: Kolkata Police will set up a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate the vandalism of the bust of revered 19th century social reformer and educationist, Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, was vandalised during Amit Shah's roadshow. The SIT will be headed by Kolkata police deputy commissioner.

The statue of Vidyasagar was vandalised during the violent clashes that broke out during BJP chief Amit Shah's roadshow in the city, days before the last phase of polling.

The vandalism of the statue of the noted social reformer has snowballed into a controversy as both BJP and TMC are at loggerheads with each other.

Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that his government would build a "grand statue" of Ishwar Chand Vidyasagar in Kolkata. However, his offer got a sharp reaction from West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who said the state had enough resources, and that it didn't need BJP's money.
Former PM Manmohan Singh to remain absent in Rajya Sabha for entire winter session on health grounds

Like Modi, Manmohan Singh would not have destroyed the economy

India

oi-Oneindia Staff

By Anuj Cariappa

New Delhi, May 16: Congress president Rahul Gandhi contrasted Manmohan Singh who led the UPA government and Narendra Modi, saying the Prime Minister wouldn't have "destroyed" the economy if he had taken advice from his predecessor.

"Modi used to make fun of Manmohan Singh. But after five years now, Modi ji does not make fun of Manmohan ji. Today the country is making fun of him," Gandhi said at an election rally here.

Accusing Modi of "destroying" the economy with his two decisions, he said had the PM taken the advice of Manmohan Singh he would not have rolled out demonetisation and the Goods and Services Tax (GST).

Gandhi referred to it as the Gabbar Singh Tax.

He claimed that the former PM had rightly predicted a fall of two percentage points in the country's GDP due to demonetisation.

The Congress leader targeted Modi for likening the country's economy under the Manmohan Singh as "sleeping elephant", and asked where he was when the hard-working Punjab farmers ushered in the green revolution.

PM Modi scared of debating with me because he will lose face: Rahul Gandhi

Modi has often called the Manmohan Singh government as one run by remote control, suggesting that UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi was the one who wielded real power.

During this election campaign, Manmohan Singh has hit back through media interviews.

At the rally in Faridkot district's Bargari town, Rahul Gandhi also attacked the previous Shiromani Akali Dal-BJP government in Punjab over the 2015 desecration of religious texts, which still remains an emotive issue in the state. He promised strict action against the perpetrators.

Punjab goes to the polls on Sunday, the last phase of the Lok Sabha elections.
Will always be with you to fight injustice: Rahul Gandhi to media

Lok Sabha Elections 2019 updates: Anti-BJP front gains momentum, Naidu meets Sonia Gandhi

India

oi-Oneindia Staff

By Anuj Cariappa

New Delhi, May 19: Andhra Pradesh Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Saturday met BSP chief Mayawati and Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav in Lucknow, continuing his efforts to put together a coalition to form the next government at the Centre. He reached Lucknow after meetings in New Delhi with Congress president Rahul Gandhi, CPI leaders G Sudhakar Reddy and D Raja, NCP chief Sharad Pawar and LJD leader Sharad Yadav. The Telugu Desam Party chief has already held several rounds of discussions with various opposition leaders, including TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee, AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal and CPI (M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi began his two-day visit to Uttarakhand today with a visit to Kedarnath shrine. The prime minister is also expected to offer prayers at Badrinath tomorrow before returning to Delhi in the afternoon. The prime minister's visit to the holy shrine came a day before the last phase of the marathon Lok Sabha elections.

Fifty nine parliamentary constituencies, including Varanasi, will go to polls in the seventh and final phase of the Lok Sabha elections and the results will be announced four days later, on May 23.

Stay tuned for the Lok Sabha elections 2019 UPDATES:
Lok Sabha Elections 2019: Who benefits from higher voter turnout?

India

oi-Deepika S

New Delhi, May 16: With May 23 fast approaching, high voter turnout, or the lack of it, is one of the hot topics of debate in the period between election and counting day. The country may see the highest voter turnout since Independence in the ongoing Lok Sabah polls if the first six rounds, which clocked more than 63 per cent polling, is any indication.

But the increase in voting has only added to the speculations over who might win, what is being considered as, the tightly fought contest between the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and the united opposition.

According to reports, the 2019 election is expected to achieve record voter turnout of around 67 per cent (55 - 56 million new voters relative to 2014 general elections), which would be much higher than the record of 66.4 per cent during the 2014 polls.

Analysing the voter turn out for phase 2 of Lok Sabha elections

As per the data available with the Election Commission of India (ECI), voter turnout in the first four phases stood at 69.5 per cent (first phase), 69.44 per cent (second phase), 68.4 per cent (third phase) 65.51 per cent (fourth phase), over 62 per cent (fifth phase) and 63.48 per cent (sixth phase)

For the record, BJP workers are hoping that the party's well-oiled machinery and the help of Sangh Parivar organisations might be the reason behind the higher turnout. The Congress workers feel that the anti-incumbency against the Narendra Modi government is reflecting in the higher turnout.

Statistics so far

Normally, political pundits consider a higher voter turnout as an indication of anti-incumbency. Interestingly, the voter participation was high in the key Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) bastions of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat and Assam, ever since 1962 or in last 57 years since Independence.

Chhattisgarh has seen 15 years and Maharashtra 30 years high in voter turnout.

Mumbai registered a voter turnout of 55.1 per cent, which is the highest for the city since 1989, the report said.

West Bengal voting percentage is 75.27

In Assam, Bihar, UP, Andhra, Kerala, Chhattisgarh, MP (partial) and Rajasthan (partial) the polling percentage of younger voters in the 18-25 age bracket) on an average is more than national average, there is a 3.3 per cent increase in voter turnout (additional 4.5 million), says SBI Research.

States like Maharashtra where the elderly population is higher than the national average has witnessed an increase in voter turnout, though marginally.

In Karnataka and Kerala that are relatively older states (8.6 per cent elderly population, that is much higher than the national average) there is also an increased 1.8 per cent more voting (or 1.1 million).

What the past trend shows

In the ten elections between 1977 and 2009, the rise or fall in voter turnout (in percentage terms) is equally divided at five each. But the incumbent has been replaced 7 times while it has been retained 3 times. There have been hung Parliaments and some 'mili-juli sarkars' (bunch of parties coming together to form governments) have got support by BJP and Congress.

Interestingly, out of the three times that governments have retained their position, the Congress in 1984 (after the Indira Gandhi assassination, the growth was highest at 6.64 per cent) and UPA in 2009, the voter turnout was higher. In 1999, when the NDA (BJP-led) retained their government, the voter turnout was less.

When the BJP-led NDA coalition replaced the United Front government (supported by the Congress) in 1998, there was a higher voter turnout by slightly-over 4 per cent.

What the 2014 exit polls predicted? A look at their track record

Meanwhile, Centre for the Study of Developing Societies-Lokniti pre-poll survey appeared to show that BJP voters were much more enthusiastic about going out and voting:

"In other words, NDA [the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance] voters are more likely to turn out and vote and non-NDA voters are less likely to turnout to vote," the report said. "It is clear that if the UPA [the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance] and the non-UPA parties do not get their act together, the levels of eagerness among their supporters is not likely to increase as voting day approaches."

All are not convinced

But not all are convinced it will be the BJP that benefits the most from this high turnout.

It is a wave when it is a sweep in a favour of a party or a combine. The BJP seems to be doing well in some pockets, but there are other places where it is doing only marginally well.

In 2018, Milan Vaishnav and Jonathan Guy published a paper in the journal, Studies in Indian Politics, which looked at data from 18 major Indian state elections between 1980 and 2012.

How many seats will BJP win? 300 plus say Modi, Shah

"Despite the popularity of the notion that citizens come out to the polls in greater numbers when they are motivated to punish the incumbent government, our analyses of three decades of electoral data uncover no such relationship," the paper concludes.

We will only know how accurate this will be once the votes are counted on May 23.

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Story first published: Thursday, May 16, 2019, 16:33 [IST]
Mamata Banerjee upset after not being allowed to speak during PMs meet

Mamata, PM Modi trade barbs as bitter poll campaign ends in Bengal

India

oi-Deepika S

New Delhi, May 17: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday trained gun at each other over the destruction of the Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar statue in Kolkata during violence that broke out during Amit Sha's roadshow on Tuesday.

These rallies were held just before the Election Commission's ban on campaigning came into effect from 10 pm, 20 hours ahead of schedule.

While Modi said the Trinamool Congress is trying "to erase evidence on the attack," Banerjee targeted him for offering to raise a "giant statue" of Vidyasagar in the north Kolkata college where it was vandalised.

The prime minister, on the other hand, claimed that Banerjee was "frustrated over her imminent defeat" and had threatened to put him behind bars after the general elections. Addressing a rally in Mathurapur in the evening, Modi claimed that the West Bengal Police, in connivance with the state government, was trying to wipe out evidence of statue desecration in Kolkata.

The Chief Minister also claimed that Bengal is "under attack" and did not spare the Election Commission either.

"Election Commission has sold themselves out to the BJP," said Ms Banerjee who is upset by ECI to cut short the campaign for the last phase of polls by 17 hours.

When Mamata asked crowd to chant 'chowkida r chor hai'

Earlier in the day Banerjee thanked Congress party and leaders of other parties including, Akhilesh Yadav and Mayawati for "expressing solidarity and support against biased actions under the directions of the BJP".

Several Opposition leaders extended their support to the Trinamool supremo and also accused the poll watchdog of being "biased". Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati charged that Mamata was being targeted as part of a conspiracy to divert attention from the failures of the Modi government.

Aam Aadmi Party chief and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal also came out in support of his Bengal counterpart and wondered why the poll panel ordered campaign be stopped in Bengal at 10 pm today after Modi's rallies in the state.

National Conference leader Omar Abdullah said the saffron party's attempt to "polarise" the electorate in the state will come to nothing as the TMC will sweep the Lok Sabha polls in the state.

Three opposition parties, including the Congress, on Thursday approached the Election Commission over its order curtailing the time period for campaigning in West Bengal, terming it "violative" of the doctrine of level-playing field and urged the poll body to give at least half a day more for electioneering.

In a first in the country, campaigning for nine Lok Sabha seats in West Bengal going to polls in the last phase came to an end at 10 pm on Thursday, 20 hours before the scheduled time, according to Election Commission orders.

The Election Commission had invoked Article 324 in view of the violent incidents during campaigning in West Bengal.

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Story first published: Friday, May 17, 2019, 1:11 [IST]
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

Modi, Amit Shah's planned targeting of Mamata Banerjee dangerous, says Mayawati

India

oi-Madhuri Adnal

New Delhi, May 16: A day after Election Commission (EC) cut short campaign time in West Bengal in view of the violent clashes during Amit Shah's roadshow, Mayawati came out in support of Mamata Banerjee.

BSP chief Mayawati hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Amit Shah for targeting West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee as per plan.

"It is clear that PM Modi, Amit Shah and their leaders are targeting Mamata Banerjee and its planned targeting. This is a very dangerous and unjust trend and one which doesn't suit the PM of the country," Mayawati said.

''Election Commission has banned campaigning in West Bengal, but from 10 pm today just because PM has two rallies in the day. If they had to ban then why not from today morning? This is unfair and EC is acting under pressure,'' she added.

PM Modi's govt sinking ship, even RSS has deserted it: Mayawati

The EC's decision to cut short poll campaign in Bengal after violence at Amit Shah's Kolkata rally drew sharp criticism from opposition parties on Thursday. The poll panel's decision came a day after violence at BJP president Amit Shah's roadshow that triggered a war of words between the ruling Trinamool Congress in Bengal and the BJP.

The Congress also slammed the EC, saying it has been a "shameful fall for a once-independent constitutional body".

Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said the use of Article 324 by the EC is an "unpardonable betrayal of the Constitution" as the poll body has failed to maintain a level-playing field.
PM Modi's address to nation on last Mann Ki Baat of 2021: Full text here

Muzaffarpur boiler explosion: PM Modi announces ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh each for kin of deceased

Modi talking about respecting women now as polls are ending: Mayawati

India

oi-PTI

Lucknow, May 16: In yet another personal attack on the prime minister, BSP chief Mayawati on Thursday said how can one expect Narendra Modi to respect women when he cannot do so for his wife.

Addressing an election rally here along with Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and RLD's Ajit Singh, Mayawati targeted Modi and BJP president Amit Shah, saying the "government of guru and chela (disciple)" would be ousted from power on May 23, the day results of Lok Sabha polls would be announced.

The BSP again alleged that women in the BJP are scared of their husbands meeting the prime minister fearing they might also "abandon their wives".

"As the election is coming to an end Modi now remembers women and talk about giving them respect...How can one expect Modi, who cannot respect his wife, to do so for mothers and sisters," Mayawati said.

Modi, Amit Shah's planned targeting of Mamata Banerjee dangerous, says Mayawati

She alleged Modi is also "troubling" West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

In a press statement earlier this week, Mayawati had said, "I have come to know that in 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."

"Under such circumstances, I request all the women of the country not to give their votes to such a person. This would also be their real respect to the deserted wife of Modiji," she had said.

Addressing the rally in Varanasi, the BSP chief also questioned the prime minister on his caste.

She claimed Modi has "lost his sleep" after it became clear that the BSP-SP-RLD grand-alliance was winning.

Varanasi, where Modi is pitted against alliance candidate Shalini Yadav, goes to poll in the seventh and last phase on May 19.

Addressing the rally, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav said that after May 23, the country will get a new prime minister.

He accused Modi of selling "false dreams" to the people and then "betraying" them.

He said the BJP and Modi had promised to transform Varanasi into Kyoto (city of Japan) but failed.

Modi was unable to clean the river Ganga though he had displaced boatmen from their places where they earned their livelihood, Yadav alleged.

Referring to sacked BSF jawan Tej Bahadur, the SP leader alleged how can one expect Modi to fight terrorists on the border when he could not contest election against a jawan.

Tej Bahadur's nomination was cancelled by the poll authorities.

He also criticised the BJP government in the state over encounter killings of history-sheeters.

RLD chief Ajit Singh alleged that Modi failed to provide jobs to youths and bulldozed institutions such as the CBI and the RBI.

PTI

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Story first published: Thursday, May 16, 2019, 22:52 [IST]
Will always be with you to fight injustice: Rahul Gandhi to media

Nyay will refuel engine of economy emptied by Modi: Rahul Gandhi

India

oi-PTI

New Delhi, May 16: Accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of taking "fuel out of the engine of the country's economy," Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Thursday said if voted to power, his party will refuel it through the proposed 'Nyay' scheme.

Addressing an election rally here, the Congress chief said that the experts he consulted before proposing the 'Nyay' scheme in the party manifesto had told him it was necessary for restoring the purchasing power of the people "hit by demonetisation and GST".

The party's proposed minimum income guarantee scheme, Nyuntan Aay Yojana (Nyay) assures up to Rs 72,000 a year or Rs 6,000 a month income to 20 per cent of India's poorest families if it wins the Lok Sabha polls.

Alwar visit not political but emotional issue, says Rahul after meeting gang-rape survivor

"Narendra Modi has taken the fuel out of the engine of the country's economy. He puts in the key but it does not start the engine. Nyay scheme is the diesel for the engine of economy," Gandhi said, adding it will provide jobs to lakhs of youth with the opening of factories and shops.

"We want to return what Narendra Modi has snatched from you all," he told the gathering.

He claimed that all those having monthly income of less than Rs 12,000 will benefit from the scheme and the money will go directly in the bank accounts of the beneficiaries.

"Rs 72,000 will go in the bank accounts of five crore women as they spend wisely," the Congress chief said.

Reiterating his charge that PM Modi "benefitted select industrialists and capitalist", Gandhi alleged the money meant for insurance of farmers was given to the 15 to 20 industrialists.

On the promises made in Congress manifesto, he said farmers had suggested that they be told in advance how much funds will be allocated for them at the beginning of every financial year and the party has accepted it.

"Two budgets will be made. The one for farmers which will be presented in the Lok Sabha before the general budget," Gandhi said, adding the Congress has decided that no farmer will be put in jail for not clearing debt after 2019.

PTI

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Story first published: Thursday, May 16, 2019, 19:48 [IST]
Will always be with you to fight injustice: Rahul Gandhi to media

Rahul will play 'central role' in formation of new govt: Tejashwi

India

oi-PTI

Patna, May 16: A coalition of progressive parties will come together to form the next government and Congress president Rahul Gandhi will play a "central role" in the formation of the new dispensation, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav said on Thursday.

Asserting that the BJP has failed to deliver on its slogans, including 'achche din', 'kala dhan vapsi (return of black money)' and 'beti bachao beti padhao', he alleged that the party has intensified its "hate-filled politics" to avoid being questioned on its promises.

Yadav, whose Rashtriya Janata Dal is fighting the polls in Bihar in alliance with the Congress, Rashtriya Lok Samta Party, Hindustan Awam Morcha and Vikasshil Insan Party, also claimed the 'mahagathbandhan' will sweep the polls in the state.

Image showing 'Modilie' entry fake: Oxford Dictionaries rubbishes Rahul Gandhi's claim

"Those who colluded in flouting people's mandate will be defeated. Uttar Pradesh and Bihar have always been key to forming central governments, that will not change," he told PTI in an interview.

"... I recognise that there is a strong anti-incumbency wave across India and each state will count," he said.

His remarks come ahead of the seventh and the final phase of the Lok Sabha polls on May 19 when polling will be held in eight constituencies in Bihar -- Nalanda, Patna Sahib, Pataliputra, Arrah, Buxar, Sasaram, Karakat and Jahanabad.

Yadav, the younger son of RJD supremo Lalu Prasad, also expressed confidence that a coalition of progressive parties will come together to form the government at the Centre.

Asked if Gandhi is the best bet among opposition leaders to lead the country as prime minister, Yadav said the Congress chief has shown "great maturity" in his style of leadership.

"He mounted a very spirited and...a truly pan India criticism of the Narendra Modi government's policies. So yes, I feel he will be playing a central role in the formation of the new government," the former Bihar deputy chief minister said.

"Rahul ji is the president of India's oldest party, he has been a parliamentarian for the last 15 years, and five chief ministers are working under his able leadership. You tell me why he is not more suitable than the current PM," he asked.

At a rally in Samastipur last month, Yadav also urged people to make Gandhi the prime minister.

Asked if the RJD will back Gandhi's name for prime minister if the opposition gets the required numbers, the RJD leader said, "I have been repeating it for months now. He (Gandhi) has been very consistent in providing an alternative vision of governance with 'Nyay' (justice) and that is in sync with our core philosophy."

Yadav also slammed the BJP for its narrative during the election campaign, alleging that in contrast to the 2014 polls when the promise of 'achche din' was the BJP's plank, Modi has been grappling with various tropes but has not been able to rally the people around any one narrative.

"Anybody who is paying attention to social media in India today or has bothered to talk to the unemployed, daily wage poor, the middle-class salaried people, or the farmers, would know that the BJP, and PM Modi personally, have not been able deal with the anti-incumbency sentiments among these segments of Indian voters," he claimed.

The BJP put in efforts in intensifying its brand of "hate-filled politics" because it cannot afford to remind the electorate of the slogans around "achche din, kala dhan, beti bachao etc", the 29-year-old leader said.

Yadav asserted that there is a wave against the Modi government and not an undercurrent.

"If a wave is not shown on television, does it become an undercurrent? History will judge the opposition mounted by the 'gathbandhan' parties in the face of intimidatory tactics of the BJP -- the way they used state institutions to wage a war against the opposition and employed cheap tactics such as denying basic rights such as bail to popular leaders like Lalu Yadav ji," he said.

According to the seat-sharing arrangement among 'mahagathbandhan' constituents in Bihar, the RJD was given 20 seats, out of which it gave one to CPI(ML) and the Congress is contesting on nine. Upendra Kushwaha's Rashtriya Lok Samata Party is fighting on five seats with former Bihar chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi's Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) and Mukesh Sahni's Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) contesting three seats each.

The 'mahagathbandhan' in Bihar is up against the NDA. As per the seat sharing deal of the NDA, the JD(U) and the BJP are contesting 17 seats each, while Ram Vilas Paswan's Lok Janshakti Party is contesting the remaining six seats.

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Story first published: Thursday, May 16, 2019, 21:54 [IST]
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Rajasthan denies report of 'Gayatri Mantra' being played in labour rooms of hospitals

India

oi-Madhuri Adnal

Jaipur, May 16: Rajasthan Health Minister Raghu Sharma on Thursday denied reports that claimed Gayatri Mantra is mandatory to be played in labour rooms of medical centres.

He told news agency ANI, ''It's a rumour. This issue came to my notice earlier too and I have directed officials that no such decision has been taken by the government.''

He also said the state's health department will not recommend playing the Gayatri Mantra as an official policy.

Maternity wards in Rajasthan have become the subject of a controversy after a state directive to play soothing sounds in delivery rooms turned into a local district using the Gayatri Mantra.

Rajasthan: Assaulted by in-laws, woman walks naked to police station to file complaint

Reports surfaced that the government health centres in Rajasthan have been playing Gayatri Mantra in labour rooms, saying it gives relief to woman during labour pain. Meanwhile, a group of Muslims have objected to the development, terming it against Islam. They said that a Muslim newborn should be listening to Azaan as their first sound and not the Gayatri Mantra.
Farooq Abdullah likely to fight J&K elections together with PAGD allies to defeat communal forces

Six militants gunned down during encounters in Shopian, Pulwama

India

pti-PTI

Srinagar, May 16: Six militants were killed on Thursday in encounters with security forces in Shopian and Pulwama districts of Jammu and Kashmir while a civilian and a soldier also lost their lives, police said.

While three Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorists, a civilian and a soldier were killed in the encounter in Pulwama, three militants were eliminated during a gun battle with security forces in Shopian district, a police spokesman said.

"On a credible input, a cordon and search operation was launched this morning by police and security forces at Delipora area in district Pulwama," the spokesman said.

He said as the security forces were evacuating the target house, the hiding militants started firing indiscriminately.

"One army jawan Sepoy Sandeep attained martyrdom and one civilian Rayees Dar also lost his life," the spokesman said.

In the retaliatory action, three terrorists were killed and their bodies were retrieved, he said.

"They were identified as Naseer Pandith of Kareemabad Pulwama, Umar Mir of Shopian and Khalid from Pakistan," he said.

The spokesman said according to the police records, the slain militants were affiliated with proscribed terror outfit JeM. They were wanted by law for their complicity in a series of terror crimes including attack on security establishments and civilian atrocities, he added.

"Naseer Pandith had a long history of terror crime records before joining terrorist organization and several terror crime cases were registered against him for planning and executing terror attacks in the area after joining proscribed terror outfit JeM. He was also involved in the killing of a policeman Mohammad Yaqoob Shah of Pulwama in 2018 on the eve of Eid," the spokesman said.

Pandith was also involved in several weapon snatching incidents reported from the area, he said.

He said Khalid, who was operating as a JeM commander, was involved in several terror attacks on security establishments and civilian atrocities in the area.

Incriminating material including arms and ammunition were recovered from the site of encounter.

In Shopian, a cordon and search operation was launched by security forces in Handew area following credible inputs about presence of ultras there, the spokesman said.

"During the search operation, the hiding terrorists fired on the search party. In the initial exchange of fire, one army jawan identified as Sepoy Rohit also sustained injuries. He has been hospitalized and is undergoing treatment," the spokesman said.

He said the security forces retaliated the firing, leading to an encounter.

"In the ensuing encounter, three terrorists were killed and the bodies were retrieved from the site of encounter," he added.

The identities and affiliations of the killed terrorists is being ascertained, the spokesman said.

PTI
Three including Nowhera Shaikh arrested in connection with Ponzi scam

India

oi-Oneindia Staff

By Anuj Cariappa

New Delhi, May 16: Three people, including two women, have been arrested by the Election Directorate (ED) in connection with an alleged multi-crore ponzi and investment fraud scheme that duped many investors in Telangana, the agency said on Wednesday.

It said Nowhera Shaikh, Molly Thomas and Biju Thomas were placed under arrest under the provision of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) on Tuesday in the case related to the Heera group of companies.

They have been sent to 7-day ED custody by a special court in Hyderabad, it said. The three were already in jail in a police case and the ED sought the court permission to take them in its custody.

The case pertains to the fraudulent money circulation scheme perpetrated by the Heera group in Hyderabad and the ED filed a criminal case of money laundering in the instance based on a Telangana Police FIR and few other complaints.

"Heera group is accused of fraudulently collecting investments from lakhs of innocent victims on the promise of providing very high returns of about 36 per cent by indulging in gold trading among others."

"The scheme was unsustainable and the group has defaulted in the repayment of the principal amount and promised returns to its investors," the agency said in a statement.

The accused, it said, fraudulently executed a money circulation scheme and multiple FIRs have been registered by aggrieved depositors across the country against Shaikh and others.

ED raids five places in connection with Rs 600 cr ponzi scam

The ED found that the accused persons and their group companies have collected more than Rs 3,000 crore from a total of 1,72,114 investors across India on the pretext of investments.

"Deposits were also collected from victims in Hyderabad, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, and other states in India and also from NRIs in UAE, Saudi Arabia and other Middle East countries," it said.

Investigations revealed that the group companies do not have any substantial business activity by which they can earn the promised profits or returns and Shaikh and others have diverted the collected amounts to their personal accounts through their company bank accounts/benamis for wrongful gain and amassed huge movable and immovable properties by utilising the diverted funds, the ED claimed.

It charged that Shaikh operated 24 entities in the name of Heera group and operated 182 accounts in different banks in various parts of the country.

"10 bank accounts were also opened in countries like UAE and Saudi Arabia," it said.

Talking about the role of Biju Thomas, it said he was the MD of Suvan Technologies Solutions India Pvt Ltd, Kerala and "has developed software for the Heera group of companies and all the account details are maintained by his firm."

Molly Thomas worked as the personal assistant to Shaikh.

"ED is questioning the accused persons in connection with their different companies, bank accounts and multiple properties identified across the country.Further investigations are under progress," the agency said.
Christchurch massacre: Facebook to curb livestreaming

International

pti-PTI

Paris, May 15: Facebook announced on Wednesday it would tighten access to its livestreaming feature as New Zealand's premier Jacinda Ardern and French leader Emmanuel Macron prepared to launch the global "Christchurch Call" initiative to tackle the spread of extremism online.

Facebook boss Mark Zuckerberg has been under intense pressure since March when a white supremacist gunman used Facebook Live to stream his rampage at two mosques in the New Zealand city of Christchurch, which left 51 people dead. The California-based platform said it would ban Facebook Live users who shared extremist content and seek to reinforce its own internal controls to stop the spread of offensive videos.

"Following the horrific recent terrorist attacks in New Zealand, we've been reviewing what more we can do to limit our services from being used to cause harm or spread hate," Facebook vice-president of integrity Guy Rosen said in a statement.

Ardern and Macron will later issue the Christchurch Call to fight the spread of hateful and terror-related content along with leaders from Britain, Canada, Norway, Jordan and Senegal, who will also be in Paris. The largely symbolic initiative is intended to keep up the pressure on social media companies who face growing calls from politicians across the world to stop their platforms being abused.

"It's an action plan, it's the start of something," Ardern told CNN in an interview on Wednesday. Many countries have already tightened legislation to introduce penalties for companies that fail to take down offensive content once it is flagged by authorities. "We need to get in front of this (problem) before harm is done," Ardern added.

[Sri Lanka blocks Facebook, WhatsApp after anti-Muslim riots]

"This is not just about regulation, but bringing companies to the table and saying they have a role too." The political meeting in Paris will run in parallel to an initiative launched by Macron called "Tech for Good" which will bring together 80 tech chiefs to discuss how to harness technologies for the common good.

The heads of US tech giants Wikipedia, Uber, Twitter, Microsoft and Google will attend, but not Zuckerberg who held private one-to-one talks with Macron last week. The social network giant will instead be represented by its vice president for global affairs and communications Nick Clegg, the former British deputy premier.

"I've spoken to Mark Zuckerberg directly twice now... and he did give Facebook's support for this call to action," Ardern said.

The US government has not endorsed the Christchurch Call and will only be represented at a junior level at a meeting of G7 digital ministers which is also taking place on Wednesday in Paris. 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. Around 8,000 New Zealanders called a mental health hotline after seeing the video, she told CNN.

"(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 livestreaming as a tool for broadcasting terrorist attacks," she wrote in The Times. In Wednesday's statement, Facebook acknowledged the inadequacy of its own systems.

"One of the challenges we faced in the days after the attack was a proliferation of many different variants of the video of the attack," vice-president of integrity Rosen said. "People -- not always intentionally -- shared edited versions of the video which made it hard for our systems to detect." New Zealand officials said Ardern found a natural partner for the fight against online extremism in Macron, who has repeatedly stated that the status quo is unacceptable.

"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.

A French presidential source said it was time for tech companies to "anticipate how their features will be exploited." Firms themselves will be urged to come up with concrete measures, the source said, for example by reserving live broadcasting to social media accounts whose owners have been identified.

PTI
No Indian flights over Pakistan until May 30

International

oi-Oneindia Staff

By Anuj Cariappa

Islamabad, May 16: Pakistan has decided not to lift its airspace ban for Indian flights till May 30, as Islamabad is awaiting the outcome of the Lok Sabha polls in India.

Pakistan fully closed its airspace after an Indian Air Force strike on a Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terror camp in Balakot on February 26. However, Pakistan opened its airspace for all flights except for New Delhi, Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur on March 27.

"The top officials of defence and aviation ministries held a meeting on Wednesday to reconsider opening its airspace for Indian flights. They decided that Pakistan's airspace will remain banned for the Indian flights till May 30," a senior government official told PTI after the meeting.

He said the Civil Aviation Authority has also notified the decision to the airmen. The authority issued a notification (Notam) after the meeting to pilots, advising them of circumstances relating to the state of flying.

The official said the government will now consider lifting of the ban on Pakistan's airspace for Indian flights on May 30.

Pakistan's Science and Technology Minister Fawad Chaudhry earlier in this week said the status quo will remain till the conclusion of elections in India.

Internet glitch delays 25 flights at Kolkata airport

"Status quo will remain till the elections are over in India. I don't 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 till Indian polls," Chaudhry told PTI.

Owing to the flight ban on its airspace by India, Pakistan has suspended its operation for Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur which is causing a loss of millions of rupees per day. Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) used to operate four flights to Kuala Lumpur, two to Bangkok and two to New Delhi.

A senior PIA official told PTI that the national flag carrier's loss is running into billions of rupees because of suspension of the flights especially to Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur.

"We are not only facing the huge financial loss but also losing our passengers to other airlines," he said, adding that this matter should now be resolved. "If land and rail routes are operational between Pakistan and India, what's wrong with the air route," the official questioned.

The airlines and civil aviation authorities of both the countries are enduring massive losses. The flights between Europe to Far-East are not only facing huge financial losses, but the flight duration has also increased, while the airlines have also increased their ticket prices.

Pakistan in mid-April had opened one of its 11 air routes for west-bound flights from India and airlines such as Air India and Turkish Airlines have started using it. The operating cost for Air India, which flies to destinations in Europe and the US, reportedly has increased significantly as it had to take longer routes due to closure of Pakistan airspace.
Failte Irelands Authority is meeting in Athlone to hold its May meeting at The Sheraton Hotel today (May 16th).



The Authority is using the opportunity to meet with tourism businesses working on the ground across Irelands Hidden Heartlands and to experience local tourist attractions. It is the first time the Authority of Failte Ireland has held its Board meeting in Athlone.



Launched to the public in April 2018 by Failte Ireland, the Irelands Hidden Heartlands brand is supporting the development of tourism across the Midlands region. As part of the meeting, local tourism providers were given the opportunity to present directly to the Authority on the impact that the Hidden Heartlands brand is having on their business in terms of revenue and visitor numbers one year on.



The local tourism businesses addressing the Failte Ireland Authority included: National Famine Museum, Strokestown House, Co. Roscommon; The Hodson Bay Hotel Group, Athlone; Killaloe River Cruises, Lough Derg, Co Clare; and the Slieve Russell Hotel, Co. Cavan. Waterways Ireland also attended and outlined the work being undertaken on the preparation of the Shannon Tourism Masterplan, which is being prepared in association with Failte Ireland and the Local Authorities.



All speakers highlighted the positive effects the brand has had on their businesses over the last 12 months. They also emphasised how Irelands Hidden Heartlands provides solid opportunities for their businesses to increase the level of cross-promotion and cross-selling between each other under a common brand. As a result, they projected significant revenue growth and higher visitor numbers over the next three years.



Oireachtas representatives from the region including Minister of State Kevin Boxer Moran, Denis Naughten TD and Senator Maura Hopkins availed of the opportunity to meet with Failte Ireland Authority members and tourism businesses at the Sheraton Hotel during a working lunch.



Failte Ireland Chairman, Michael Cawley stated:



I am extremely pleased to see that the Irelands Hidden Heartlands brand has proved to be a positive development for this region since its launch 12 months ago. As the Authority of Failte Ireland we wanted to visit Athlone to hear first-hand from tourism businesses working on the ground in the region. One year on it is already clear that tourism has grown here so there is significant potential to maximise the brand well into the future across the region to boost revenue, grow visitor numbers and create sustainable local jobs.

The introduction of the Irelands Hidden Heartlands brand was a strong demonstration of Failte Irelands belief in the midlands potential for tourism growth. Hosting the Failte Ireland Authority meeting in Athlone today is further evidence that the tourism authority is focussed on supporting tourism businesses in this region to grow in a way that will result in the creation of more jobs and further tourism revenue.

Ann ODonoghue, Irish Heritage Trust, representing the National Famine Museum at Strokestown Park

Garry Walsh, Hodson Bay Hotel Group

Eanna Rowe, Waterways Ireland

Stephen Masterson, Slieve Russell Hotel

James Whelan, Killaloe River Cruises

As Shannon cruising and outdoor activities are placed at the heart of the Irelands Hidden Heartlands regional experience brand, the Authority was invited to experience a boat trip on the Shannon before getting a first look inside at the soon to be opened Center Parcs at Longford Forest. Center Parcs is the single largest investment in rural tourism anywhere in Ireland valued at 223m and is creating 1,000 jobs. This size of investment is a clear demonstration of Irelands strength as a destination.Following the meeting Garry Walsh, Group Commercial Director, Hodson Bay Group explained Tourism Industry Members in Attendance

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The Business Tourism team from Failte Ireland is in London today pitching for new UK business worth up to 58million for the Irish economy.

The team is promoting Ireland as a world-class destination for hosting conferences, meetings and events at its annual Meet Dublin in London event.Over 300 top UK buyers will meet directly with some of Irelands leading hoteliers, meeting venues and conference organisers to generate new business for the Meetings, Incentives, Conference and Events (MICE) sector through showcasing world-class facilities that Ireland can offer business delegates.This years Meet Dublin in London event, which has become a firm favourite in the calendars of business tourism event bookers, will also focus on selling the regions with convention bureaux representatives from Galway, Shannon Region, Cork and Kerry in attendance.The National Tourism Development Authority has identified Business Tourism as a priority sector as it helps businesses prepare for Brexit. It will focus on growing business tourism in the regions outside Dublin by supporting Regional Convention Bureaux in Shannon, Cork, Kerry and Galway. Failte Ireland is aiming to win conferences worth 31million for locations outside Dublin this year, a 15% increase on last year.Failte Irelands Head of Commercial Development, Paul Mockler said:As we prepare for Brexit, central to our work is selling Ireland as a Business Tourism destination to the UK market which has always been a strong market for us in this area of our work. The annual Meet Dublin in London event is a key driver in generating major UK business. We are pushing regional Ireland as part of our work to drive more conferences and events to the regions to ensure we maximise the returns from this lucrative market. Last year was a record year for tourism with the sector generating 7.8billion in revenue and supporting 260,000 jobs. Business Tourism is fundamental for the growth of the tourism sector as a whole, particularly in supporting a longer season for many businesses, as conference delegates typically arrive outside the summer months.Emphasising the importance of directly targeting the UK market, Sam Johnston, Manager of Failte Irelands Convention Bureaux of Ireland team added:The Meet Dublin in London event is the perfect way of proactively promoting Ireland to this priority market by bringing a showcase of what it is that sets Ireland apart directly to the doorsteps of top UK buyers. Ireland stands out in the international marketplace as a top Business Tourism destination thanks to its amazing hospitality, ease of access, world class venues and leading industries. We look forward to bringing more UK business to Irish shores in the coming year and beyond.Business Tourism is currently worth at least 760million to the Irish economy and supports 22,000 jobs. Failte Ireland is working on growing the sector over the next six years to bring the value of business tourism to the Irish economy over the 1billion mark.

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Cannabis Testing Market 2025 - Legalization of Medical Cannabis is the Major Driving Force of Market Growth: SCIEX, Merck KGaA, Restek Corporation, Waters, CannaSafe Analytics

Cannabis Testing Market was valued at US$ 1,028.2 Mn in 2017 and is estimated to reach US$ 2,486.7 Mn by 2025 with a CAGR of 11.9%

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According to a new market research study titled 'Cannabis Testing Market to 2025 - Global Analysis and Forecasts by Type, Services and End User, the global cannabis testing market was valued at US$ 1,028.2 Mn in 2017 and is estimated to reach US$ 2,486.7 Mn by 2025. The market is estimated to grow with a CAGR of 11.9% from 2017-2025.The report highlights the trends prevalent in the global cannabis testing market and the factors driving the market along with those that act as deterrents to its growth.Legalization of Medical CannabisThe market is driven by the legalization of the medical cannabis, for instance, United States is anticipated to be the main driving force of growth of use of medical cannabis. 30 states has legalized cannabis for the medical use. These 30 states comprises of 60% of total population and have approved use of medical marijuana. This has become the driving force for the growth of cannabis testing marked in the entire North America region. Currently more than 8000 active licenses for cannabis businesses in USA. It is the only country with such number of market players. Europe is another region which has shown a decent growth rate for cannabis testing market. There has been an increase in the process of legalization of cannabis in European countries. Thus, considering the facts the market is likely to drive the market.Mergers and AcquisitionsThe cannabis businesses in the US are small independently-held entities. Various companies, such as food, tobacco and pharmaceutical industries were held back by regulatory concerns, but are now expected to enter the market. Cannabis business are small due to stringent regulations for import and export. Companies that want to expand to other regions must establish cultivation, manufacturing and selling infrastructure in new location, or form a partnership with other company in the other state. For instance, in 2018, some of the multi-state operators acquired additional licensed operators in new locations to enhance its presence.Get Sample report atAsia Pacific was the fastest growing geographic market and it is expected to be the fastest revenue generator during the forecast period. Asia Pacific market was driven by the factors such as large population countries such as China and India, increasing number of accidents with cannabis intoxication, adoption of trends from western regions in terms of legalization of medical and recreational use of cannabis.Conferences which recently took place regionally are:World Medical Cannabis Conference and Expo (April 2018), is one of the most popular conference in USA with participants across the world. This is the largest cannabis symposium in the world which brings all business stakeholder together. It involves over 3000 guests and 150 exhibitors.CannaCon, is first ever symposium that features legal sale of cannabis for business purposes. The expo provide a platform for guest to get access to knowledge from business experts with over 12000 guests.U.S Cannabis Conference and Expo, this conference involves high profile discussion, presentation and will educate entrepreneur to boost the development and evolution of medical cannabis industry.Thus, owing to rising number of conferences, expo and other awareness programs, the cannabis testing market is expected to witness rapid growth in the region.However, no EU country authorizes the smoking or home-growing of cannabis for medical purposes. While the World Health Organization (WHO) has officially recommended that the cannabis compound cannabidiol (CBD) should not be classified as a controlled substance. Although, at the present time, there are no EU-wide rules for either the medical or recreational use of cannabis in the region.Browse Complete Report atStrategic Insights-Approvals and agreements were observed as the most adopted strategy in global cannabis testing industry. Few of the organic developments, inorganic developments and others are listed below:-2018: In January, 2018, SCIEX Diagnostics, a division of SCIEX launched Citrine Triple Quad MS/MS and Citrine QTRAP MS/MS Systems for clinical diagnostics.-2017: In June, 2017, Waters Corporation received approval for Waters ACQUITY UPLC, ACQUITY UPLC I-Class System by Brazil'sNational Health Surveillance Agency (ANVISA).-2016: In September 2016, SCIEX entered into a collaboration with CW Analytical (CWAL) to develop fully validated standardized methods to measure pesticides and cannabinoids in Cannabis and Cannabis related products.-2016: Agilent Technologies, Inc. introduced Agilent 5110 ICP-OES that allow scientists to perform faster, more precise ICP-OES analysis.-2017: SCIEX launched the X-Series Quadrupole Time of Flight (QTOF) mass spectrometry (MS) platform, X500B QTOF System.2018: Restek and Separation Science entered into a collaboration to develop a multi-speaker eSeminar focused on testing methods and associated topics for medicinal cannabis labs.Get Reasonable Discount atAbout Us - The Insight Partners is a one stop industry research provider of actionable intelligence. We help our clients in getting solutions to their research requirements through our syndicated and consulting research services.Contact us Contact Person : Sameer JoshiPhone : +1-646-491-9876Email Id : sam@theinsightpartners.comWebsite:
Organ-on-a-chip Market Development Analysis, Opportunities and Forecast Report till 2026 | Global Key Players Organovo, Hepregen, Hurel Corporation, Nortis, TissUse, Tara Biosystems, AxoSim

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Organ-on-a-chip is gaining prominence on the backdrop of regulatory measures on animal testing and growing complexity in therapeutic applications. Various players are trying to capitalize on lucrative growth opportunities in the organ-on-a-chip devices market. It is a unique cell culture process, wherein biomimetic microsystem is used as a platform.These devices are built on silicone, which can be used to grow internal organs. This finds application in organ transplantation and also therapeutics. Harvards Wyss Institute is engaged in lung-on-chip production, commercialization of which would help in exponential growth of the organ-on-a-chip market. Moreover, partnerships of biotech and pharmaceutical companies with universities is expected to scale up the commercialization process in the near future. This billion dollar industry is expected to create significant market opportunities for players. Some companies such as Mimetas are currently engaged in development of kidney-on-a-chip. This technology is gaining traction as this unique technology greatly reduces the amount of testing carried out on animals, while providing highly accurate results.Get In-Depth Sample Copy of Organ-on-a-chip Market Research Report @Organ-on-a-chip Market DynamicsOrgan-on-a-chip is expected to cater to wide range of applications ranging from disease modelling to patient stratification and phenotypic screening. Most of the demand is expected to be generated from lung-based organ culture, followed by kidney application. The technology offers better clinical examinations compared to petri dishes and animal testing  helping scientists and companies to better understand the functioning of internal organs such as the brain and lungs.Funding and government initiatives are projected to further boost market growth in the near future. Though the market is expected to create substantial opportunities, high cost and early stage in R&D are some of the factors leading to slow growth of the market. Market is expected to witness rampant commercialization post-2020.Organ-on-a-chip Market - Regional AnalysisNorth America and Europe are expected to dominate the overall organ-on-a-chip market throughout the forecast period. The regions are early adopters of newly developed technology. Moreover, demand is expected to be further propelled by large consumer base in these regions. North America spends over 16% of its GDP on healthcare. Moreover, various research activities are carried out in the region, which is home to some of the leading players in the market. Also, organ transplant rate is high in the region. Growth of the Europe market is expected to be primarily driven by rising demand for organ-on-chip in Germany, U.K., and France.Asia Pacific is a lucrative market for companies engaged in organ-on-a-chip industry. However, commercialization is not expected to take place in early years. As market is still in its early stage, it would take a few years before companies can expect return on profit. Japan and China are key markets in Asia Pacific. These countries account for over half of the pharmaceutical market in Asia Pacific. Also, these countries are well equipped with technologically advanced medical devices and research centers.Organ-on-a-chip Market - Competitive LandscapeOrganovo, Hepregen, Hurel Corporation, Nortis, TissUse, Tara Biosystems, and AxoSim are some of the players engaged in organ-on-a-chip market. These companies are located in North America, with most being start-ups albeit with major funding and are expected to attain major commercial success in the near future.Purchase a copy of Organ-on-a-chip Market Report: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
Internet of Things Telecom Services Market Analysis Focusing on Top Key Players  Huawei, NTT, SoftBank, Sprint, Swisscom, Aeris, AT&T, China , Mobile, Deutsche Telekom, Ericsson, T-Mobile, Verizon, Vodafone

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Global Internet of Things (IoT) Telecom Services Market Report offered by Market Study Report gives a market overview of the Internet of Things (IoT) Telecom Services industry which covers product scope, market revenue, opportunities, growth rate, sales volumes and figures. The report also explores the worldwide players of the market and is segmented by region, type and application with forecast to 2025.The Internet of things (IoT) is the network of physical devices, vehicles, home appliances, and other items embedded with electronics, software, sensors, actuators, and connectivity which enables these things to connect, collect and exchange data, creating opportunities for more direct integration of the physical world into computer-based systems, resulting in efficiency improvements, economic benefits, and reduced human exertions.Request a sample of this premium report titled atInternet of things telecom services market is primarily driven by rising penetration of smart connected devices, rising adoption of telco cloud, deployment of over-the-top applications, and demand for smart network bandwidth management and automation in operations.In 2018, the global Internet of Things (IoT) Telecom Services market size was xx million US$ and it is expected to reach xx million US$ by the end of 2025, with a CAGR of xx% during 2019-2025.This report focuses on the global Internet of Things (IoT) Telecom Services status, future forecast, growth opportunity, key market and key players. The study objectives are to present the Internet of Things (IoT) Telecom Services development in United States, Europe and China.The key players covered in this study Aeris AT&T China Mobile Deutsche Telekom Ericsson Huawei NTT SoftBank Sprint Swisscom Telef?nica T-Mobile Verizon VodafoneMarket segment by Type, the product can be split into Business consulting services Device and application management services Installation and integration services IoT billing and subscription management M2m billing servicesRequest a discount on standard prices of this premium report titled atMarket segment by Application, split into Smart buildings and home automation Capillary network management Industrial manufacturing and automation Vehicle telematics Transportation, logistics tracking Energy and utilities Smart healthcare Traffic managementMarket segment by Regions/Countries, this report covers United States Europe China Japan Southeast Asia India Central & South AmericaKey questions answered in the Internet of Things (IoT) Telecom Services Market report: What will the Internet of Things (IoT) Telecom Services Market Size and the Growth rate be in 2025? What are the key market trends impacting the growth of the Internet of Things (IoT) Telecom Services market? Who are the key manufacturers of Internet of Things (IoT) Telecom Services industry: Company Introduction, Product Specification and Major Types Analysis, Production Market Performance, Sales Market Performance, Contact Information. What are the types and applications of Internet of Things (IoT) Telecom Services? What is the market share of each type and application: production, revenue, price, Market Size (Sales) Market Share by Type? What are the upstream raw materials and manufacturing equipment of Internet of Things (IoT) Telecom Services Market? Up Stream Industries Analysis, Raw Material and Suppliers, Equipment and Suppliers, Manufacturing Analysis, Manufacturing Process, Manufacturing Cost Structure, Manufacturing Plants Distribution Analysis, Industry Chain Structure Analysis What is the (North America, South America, Europe, Africa, Middle East, Asia, China, Japan) production, production value, consumption, consumption value, import and export of Internet of Things (IoT) Telecom Services?Questions? Get them answered viaKey Table Points Covered in Internet of Things (IoT) Telecom Services Market Report:1 Report Overview1.1 Study Scope1.2 Key Market Segments1.3 Players Covered1.4 Market Analysis by Type1.4.1 Global Internet of Things (IoT) Telecom Services Market Size Growth Rate by Type (2014-2025)1.4.2 Business consulting services1.4.3 Device and application management services1.4.4 Installation and integration services1.4.5 IoT billing and subscription management1.4.6 M2m billing services1.5 Market by Application1.5.1 Global Internet of Things (IoT) Telecom Services Market Share by Application (2014-2025)1.5.2 Smart buildings and home automation1.5.3 Capillary network management1.5.4 Industrial manufacturing and automation1.5.5 Vehicle telematics1.5.6 Transportation, logistics tracking1.5.7 Energy and utilities1.5.8 Smart healthcare1.5.9 Traffic management1.6 Study Objectives1.7 Years Considered2 Global Growth Trends2.1 Internet of Things (IoT) Telecom Services Market Size2.2 Internet of Things (IoT) Telecom Services Growth Trends by Regions2.2.1 Internet of Things (IoT) Telecom Services Market Size by Regions (2014-2025)2.2.2 Internet of Things (IoT) Telecom Services Market Share by Regions (2014-2019)2.3 Industry Trends2.3.1 Market Top Trends2.3.2 Market Drivers2.3.3 Market Opportunities3 Market Share by Key Players3.1 Internet of Things (IoT) Telecom Services Market Size by Manufacturers3.1.1 Global Internet of Things (IoT) Telecom Services Revenue by Manufacturers (2014-2019)3.1.2 Global Internet of Things (IoT) Telecom Services Revenue Market Share by Manufacturers (2014-2019)3.1.3 Global Internet of Things (IoT) Telecom Services Market Concentration Ratio (CR5 and HHI)3.2 Internet of Things (IoT) Telecom Services Key Players Head office and Area Served3.3 Key Players Internet of Things (IoT) Telecom Services Product/Solution/Service3.4 Date of Enter into Internet of Things (IoT) Telecom Services Market3.5 Mergers & Acquisitions, Expansion Plans4 Breakdown Data by Type and Application4.1 Global Internet of Things (IoT) Telecom Services Market Size by Type (2014-2019)4.2 Global Internet of Things (IoT) Telecom Services Market Size by Application (2014-2019)5 United States5.1 United States Internet of Things (IoT) Telecom Services Market Size (2014-2019)5.2 Internet of Things (IoT) Telecom Services Key Players in United States5.3 United States Internet of Things (IoT) Telecom Services Market Size by Type5.4 United States Internet of Things (IoT) Telecom Services Market Size by Application6 Europe6.1 Europe Internet of Things (IoT) Telecom Services Market Size (2014-2019)6.2 Internet of Things (IoT) Telecom Services Key Players in Europe6.3 Europe Internet of Things (IoT) Telecom Services Market Size by Type6.4 Europe Internet of Things (IoT) Telecom Services Market Size by Application7 China7.1 China Internet of Things (IoT) Telecom Services Market Size (2014-2019)7.2 Internet of Things (IoT) Telecom Services Key Players in China7.3 China Internet of Things (IoT) Telecom Services Market Size by Type7.4 China Internet of Things (IoT) Telecom Services Market Size by Application8 Japan8.1 Japan Internet of Things (IoT) Telecom Services Market Size (2014-2019)8.2 Internet of Things (IoT) Telecom Services Key Players in Japan8.3 Japan Internet of Things (IoT) Telecom Services Market Size by Type8.4 Japan Internet of Things (IoT) Telecom Services Market Size by Application9 Southeast Asia9.1 Southeast Asia Internet of Things (IoT) Telecom Services Market Size (2014-2019)9.2 Internet of Things (IoT) Telecom Services Key Players in Southeast Asia9.3 Southeast Asia Internet of Things (IoT) Telecom Services Market Size by Type9.4 Southeast Asia Internet of Things (IoT) Telecom Services Market Size by ApplicationAbout Us:Marketstudyreport.com allows you to manage and control all corporate research purchases to consolidate billing and vendor management. 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Retail E-commerce Packaging Market 2019-2025 Industry Analysis, Demand | International Paper Company, Mondi Group, DS Smith Plc , Packaging Corporation of America , Georgia-Pacific LLC , Orora Packaging Australia Pty Ltd

Retail E-commerce Packaging Market 2019-2025

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Overview of Retail E-commerce Packaging Market 2019-2025Packaging is the procedure or method to enfold the product/commodity for sale, distribution, or storage. Latest growth and expansion in the e-commerce business is cross-border for online purchasing. It has completely changed the shopping experience owing to its striking offers and most preferred product accessibility. Online shopping or buying products online is increasing constantly as it is economical and saves time.Get Sample Copy of this Report @The global retail e-commerce packaging market is a very dynamic market and is expected to witness high growth over the forecast period. The growth of the retail e-commerce packaging market is influenced by the increase in online shopping, growing demand of packaged food, and rapid growth in electronic sector. Government regulations for corrugated packaging and the rising concern for environment safety hinder the growth of the global retail e-commerce packaging market.This report studies the global market size of Retail E-commerce Packaging, 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 Retail E-commerce Packaging 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.The following manufacturers are covered: International Paper Company (U.S.) Mondi Group (South Africa) DS Smith Plc (U.K.) Packaging Corporation of America (U.S.) Rengo Co (Japan) Klabin S.A. (Brazil) Nippon Paper Industries Co (Japan) Georgia-Pacific LLC (U.S.)Inquire more or share questions if any before the purchase on this report @The report covers an in depth description, competitive scenario, key vendors and business strategy adopted by competitors along with their SWOT analysis. Forecast 2019 to 2025, wherein each segment is benchmarked based on its market size, growth rate, Future Scope.Market Segment by Product Type Protective Packaging Corrugated Boxes Security Envelopes Tapes & Labels OthersMarket Segment by Application Electronics & Consumer Goods Apparel & Accessories Home Furnishing Auto Parts Food & Beverages Healthcare & Personal Care OthersKey Regions split in this report: breakdown data for each region. United States China European Union Rest of World (Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia)The study objectives are: To analyze and research the Retail E-commerce Packaging 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 Retail E-commerce Packaging manufacturers, presenting the sales, revenue, market share, and recent development for key players. To split the breakdown data by regions, type, companies and applications To 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 regions To analyze competitive developments such as expansions, agreements, new product launches, and acquisitions in the marketOrder a Copy of Global Retail E-commerce Packaging Market Report 2019 @Table of Contents:1 Retail E-commerce Packaging Market Overview2 Global Retail E-commerce Packaging Market Competition by Manufacturers3 Global Retail E-commerce Packaging Production Market Share by Regions4 Global Retail E-commerce Packaging Consumption by Regions5 Global Retail E-commerce Packaging Production, Revenue, Price Trend by Type6 Global Retail E-commerce Packaging Market Analysis by Applications7 Company Profiles and Key Figures in Retail E-commerce Packaging Business8 Retail E-commerce Packaging Manufacturing Cost Analysis9 Marketing Channel, Distributors and Customers10 Market Dynamics11 Global Retail E-commerce Packaging Market Forecast12 Research Findings and Conclusion13 Methodology and Data SourceAbout Us:Orian Research is one of the most comprehensive collections of market intelligence reports on the World Wide Web. Our reports repository boasts of over 500000+ industry and country research reports from over 100 top publishers. We continuously update our repository so as to provide our clients easy access to the world's most complete and current database of expert insights on global industries, companies, and products.Contact Us:Ruwin MendezVice President  Global Sales & Partner RelationsOrian Research ConsultantsUS +1 (415) 830-3727 | UK +44 020 8144-71-27Email: info@orianresearch.comWebsite:
Gibberellin Market to Witness Robust Expansion by 2024 Top Key players like Zhejiang Qianjiang Biochemical,Shanghai Tongrui Biotech,Jiangxi Xinruifeng Biochemical,Inc.

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Market Research Report Store offers a latest published report on Gibberellin Market Analysis and Forecast 2019-2025 delivering key insights and providing a competitive advantage to clients through a detailed report. The report contains 91 pages which highly exhibit on current market analysis scenario, upcoming as well as future opportunities, revenue growth, pricing and profitability.Click to view the full report TOC, figure and tables:In 2019, the market size of Gibberellin 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 Gibberellin.This report studies the global market size of Gibberellin, 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 Gibberellin 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.Market Segment by Manufacturers, this report coversZhejiang Qianjiang BiochemicalShanghai Tongrui BiotechJiangxi Xinruifeng BiochemicalSichuan Longmang Fusheng BiotechJiangsu Fengyuan BioengineeringJiangsu Bailing AgrochemicalMarket Segment by Type, coversConcentration of 90%Concentration of 85%OthersMarket Segment by Applications, can be divided intoCereals & GrainsFruitsVegetablesOthersFor More Information On This Report, Please Visit @Related Information:North America Gibberellin Market Growth 2019-2024United States Gibberellin Market Growth 2019-2024Asia-Pacific Gibberellin Market Growth 2019-2024Europe Gibberellin Market Growth 2019-2024EMEA Gibberellin Market Growth 2019-2024Global Gibberellin Market Growth 2019-2024China Gibberellin 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:
Organic Energy Drink Market Key Player Manufactures By Grain Millers, King milling Company, Cargill, Incorporated, Archer Daniels Midland Company, Gupta Group, Manildra And More

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Scope of the Report:The worldwide Organic Energy Drink Market is expected to grow at a CAGR of roughly over the next five years, will reach million US$ in 2024, from million US$ in 2019, according to a new GIR (Global Info Research) study.Get Sample Copy of this Report @:This report focuses on the Organic Energy Drink in global market, especially in North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific, South America, Middle East and Africa. This report categorizes the market based on manufacturers, regions, type and application.Market Segment by Manufacturers: Grain Millers King milling Company Cargill Incorporated Archer Daniels Midland Company Gupta Group Manildra Penford Australia Ltd Abbott Nutrition Inc. Coco ColaMarket Segment by Regions: 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 Segment by Type: Sugar Free Protein Drinks Energy Shots Low CarbsMarket Segment by Applications: Personal Athlete OtherThe content of the study subjects, includes a total of 15 chapters:Chapter 1, to describe Organic Energy Drink product scope, market overview, market opportunities, market driving force and market risks.Chapter 2, to profile the top manufacturers of Organic Energy Drink, with price, sales, revenue and global market share of Organic Energy Drink in 2017 and 2018.Chapter 3, the Organic Energy Drink competitive situation, sales, revenue and global market share of top manufacturers are analyzed emphatically by landscape contrast.Chapter 4, the Organic Energy Drink 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, Organic Energy Drink market forecast, by regions, type and application, with sales and revenue, from 2019 to 2024.Chapter 13, 14 and 15, to describe Organic Energy Drink sales channel, distributors, customers, research findings and conclusion, appendix and data source.Get Discount of this Report @:Big Market Research has a range of research reports from various publishers across the world. Our database of reports of various market categories and sub-categories would help to find the exact report you may be looking for.We are instrumental in providing quantitative and qualitative insights on your area of interest by bringing reports from various publishers at one place to save your time and money. A lot of organizations across the world are gaining profits and great benefits from information gained through reports sourced by us.5933 NE Win Sivers Drive, #205, Portland,OR 97220 United StatesDirect: +1-971-202-1575Toll Free: +1-800-910-6452Email: help@bigmarketresearch.com
Respiratory Heaters Market 2019 By Top Key players - Teleflex Ink. , Care Fusion Corporation, Armstrong Medical, Healthcare Trust and Mediline industries, Great Group Medical

Respiratory Heaters

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An increase in prevalence and incidence of respiratory diseases such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a major factor that is expected to augment growth of respiratory heaters market. The Global Burden of Disease Study gives the prevalence of 251 million cases of COPD in 2016 and the bronchial asthma has approximately 358.2 million cases in 2015. The market is also driven by factors such as growing geriatric population, high prevalence of smoking, increasing pollution level.COPD is a progressive life threatening lung disease which is not curable but can be controlled by respiratory heaters. COPD is an under-diagnosed, life threatening lung disease that may progressively lead to death.Request to Sample Report @On the other hand, high cost of devices and undefined reimbursement policies in rural areas are factors restraining the market growth. For instance, on 12 December 2017, Teleflex Incorporated, a leading global provider of medical technologies, announced that its respiratory division has signed a new group purchasing agreement with Health Trust. The agreement covers Teleflex's full line of active humidification, non-invasive ventilation (NIV), and high flow nasal cannula therapy (HFNCT) products.On the basis of region, respiratory heaters market is segmented into North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa. North America contributed the largest regional share in the global respiratory heater device market in 2018. Key factors driving the robust growth of North America region include well developed healthcare infrastructure, increasing prevalence of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among children and geriatric population, presence of key regional players, and strong distribution network. Manufactures are focused on development, manufacturing, and marketing multisource and branded pharmaceutical devices, in order to increase the market share.In 2017, GGMs high flow oxygen system, HUMIDOFLO HF-2900, received an award at the Taiwan Excellence Awards. Humidoflo provides more patient friendly and effective treatment for both pediatric and adult patients. GGMs HF2900D Humidoflo represents the new state of art technology for delivery of high standard high flow therapy for pediatric and adult patients. The high flow delivery of oxygen or humidity can increase the tracheal temperature and humidity. Compared to other conventional mask type oxygen therapies, HUMIDOFLO delivers high flows of blended oxygen through unique nasal cannula.Respiratory heaters are external heaters used with a nebulizer system. Nebulizer is a drug delivery device which allows inhalation of the drug directly into the lungs. Respiratory heaters provides the heated breathing gas and heated aerosol to the patients who required the respiratory support through nasal cannulae and tracheal tube. Respiratory heaters has the ability of mixing the oxygen and warm ambient air to users.Request TOC of the Report @The high flow therapy is a type of respiratory support method which provides the high flow of medical gas through nasal cannulae. The respiratory heater warms the solution in the nebulizer and heats the diluted air. Respiratory heaters are used by patients who require the high flow therapy. These are used for treatment of asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and bronchitis.Key players operating in the market include Teleflex Ink. , Care Fusion Corporation, Armstrong Medical, Healthcare Trust and Mediline industries, Great Group Medical., Co., Ltd, and GE HealthcareAbout 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
Insulation Tester Market Professional Report 2019 | Fluke, KYORITSU, Hioki, Keysight, Chauvin Arnoux

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Los Angeles, United State, 16-May-2019  The research study presented here is a brilliant compilation of different types of analysis of critical aspects of the global Insulation Tester market. It sheds light on how the global Insulation Tester market is expected to grow during the course of the forecast period. With SWOT analysis and Porters Five Forces analysis, it gives a deep explanation of the strengths and weaknesses of the global Insulation Tester market and different players operating therein. The authors of the report have also provided qualitative and quantitative analyses of several microeconomic and macroeconomic factors impacting the global Insulation Tester market. In addition, the research study helps to understand the changes in the industry supply chain, manufacturing process and cost, sales scenarios, and dynamics of the global Insulation Tester market.Request a sample of the report:Each player studied in the report is profiled while taking into account its production, market value, sales, gross margin, market share, recent developments, and marketing and business strategies. Besides giving a broad study of the drivers, restraints, trends, and opportunities of the global Insulation Tester market, the report offers an individual, detailed analysis of important regions such as North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific. Furthermore, important segments of the global Insulation Tester market are studied in great detail with key focus on their market share, CAGR, and other vital factors.The report provides profiles of leading players operating in the global Insulation Tester market such as : Fluke, KYORITSU, Hioki, Keysight, Chauvin Arnoux, Megger, Robin-Amprobe, Gossen Metrawatt, Extech Instruments, Yokogawa, Amprobe, SPS Electronic, KharkovEnergoPribor Ltd., B&K PrecisionType Segments : Analog, DigitalApplication Segments: Electrical & Electronics, Automotive, OthersRegional Segments:The chapter on regional segmentation details the regional aspects of the global Insulation Tester market. This chapter explains the regulatory framework that is likely to impact the overall market. It highlights the political scenario in the market and the anticipates its influence on the global Insulation Tester market.Regions Covered in the Global Insulation Tester Market:The Middle East and Africa (GCC Countries and Egypt)North America (the United States, Mexico, and Canada)South America (Brazil etc.)Europe (Turkey, Germany, Russia UK, Italy, France, etc.)Asia-Pacific (Vietnam, China, Malaysia, Japan, Philippines, Korea, Thailand, India, Indonesia, and Australia)Table of ContentsIndustry Overview: The first section of the research study touches on an overview of the global Insulation Tester market, market status and outlook, and product scope. Additionally, it provides highlights of key segments of the global Insulation Tester market, i.e. regional, type, and application segments.Competition Analysis: Here, the report brings to light important mergers and acquisitions, business expansions, product or service differences, market concentration rate, the competitive status of the global Insulation Tester market, and market size by player.Company Profiles and Key Data: This section deals with the company profiling of leading players of the global Insulation Tester market on the basis of revenue, products, business, and other factors mentioned earlier.Market Size by Type and Application: Besides offering a deep analysis of the size of the global Insulation Tester market by type and application, this section provides a study on top end users or consumers and potential applications.North America Market: Here, the report explains the changes in the market size of North America by application and player.Europe Market: This section of the report shows how the size of the Europe market will change in the next few years.China Market: It gives analysis of the China market and its size for all the years of the forecast period.Rest of Asia Pacific Market: The Rest of Asia Pacific market is analyzed in quite some detail here on the basis of application and player.Central and South America Market: The report explains the changes in the size of the Central and South America market by player and application.MEA Market: This section shows how the size of the MEA market will change during the course of the forecast period.Market Dynamics: Here, the report deals with the drivers, restraints, challenges, trends, and opportunities of the global Insulation Tester market. This section also includes the Porters Five Forces analysis.Research Findings and Conclusion: It gives powerful recommendations for new as well as established players for securing a position of strength in the global Insulation Tester market.Methodology and Data Source: This section includes the authors list, a disclaimer, research approach, and data sources.Key Questions AnsweredWhat will be the size and CAGR of the global Insulation Tester market in the next five years?Which segment will take the lead in the global Insulation Tester market?What is the average manufacturing cost?What are the key business tactics adopted by top players of the global Insulation Tester market?Which region will secure a lions share of the global Insulation Tester market?Which company will show dominance in the global Insulation Tester market?Research MethodologyQY Research uses trustworthy primary and secondary research sources to compile its reports. It also relies on latest research techniques to prepare highly detailed and accurate research studies such as this one here. It uses data triangulation, top down and bottom up approaches, and advanced research processes to come out with comprehensive and industry-best market research reports.Get Full Report Now at USD (2900) :About Us:QYResearch always pursuits high product quality with the belief that quality is the soul of business. Through years of effort and supports from the huge number of customer supports, QYResearch consulting group has accumulated creative design methods on many high-quality markets investigation and research team with rich experience. Today, QYResearch has become a brand of quality assurance in the consulting industry.Contact US:QY Research, INC.17890 Castleton,Suite 218,City of industry, CA  91748USA: +1 626 295 2442Email: enquiry@qyresearch.comWeb:
Construction & Demolition Robots Market to Reach Valuation of USD 2.13 Billion by 2025 | Global Key Vendors - Advanced Construction Robotics, Apis Corp, Autonomous Solutions, Brokk AB, Conjet AB, Cyberdyne, Komatsu, MX3D

Construction & Demolition Robots Market

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This report provides in-depth study of Global Robotics Technology in Construction Market using SWOT analysis i.e. Strength, Weakness, Opportunities, and Threat to the organization. The Global Robotics Technology in Construction Market report also provides an in-depth survey of key players in the market organization.Global Construction & Demolition Robots Market Overview:The Global Construction & Demolition Robots Market will touch a valuation of nearly USD 2.13 Billion in 2025.The quickly developing populace and expanding urbanization are subsequent in the developing requirement for foundations, for example, workplaces, homes, clinics, and inns. Because of the absence of accessible land, the construction industry is turning towards building skyscrapers for accommodating huge volumes of individuals on a few stories. Thus, the developing number of skyscrapers and blended use building tasks will drive the requirement for construction and demolition robots.Available Exclusive Sample Copy of this Report @The Global Construction & Demolition Robots Market is segmented on the basis of Product Type, Robot Automation, Robot Function, Application and Region. Based on the Product Type, the Global Construction & Demolition Robots Market is classified into Traditional Robots, Robotic ARMs, Exoskeletons and others. On the basis of Robot Automation, the Global Construction & Demolition Robots Market is divided into Semi-Autonomous Robots and Fully Autonomous Robots.In terms of the Robot Function, the Global Construction & Demolition Robots Market is sub-segmented into Demolition Robots, Bricklaying Robots, Concrete Structural Erection Robots, 3D Printing Robots and others. On the basis of Application, the Global Construction & Demolition Robots Market is divided into Public Infrastructure, Commercial and Residential Buildings, Nuclear Dismantling and Demolition and others.Market Key Players Analysis:Brokk AB  Today, thousands of remote-controlled Brokk demolition robots are used in successful projects in more than 100 countries worldwide. And we dont stop there. We are constantly working on improving our machines to make sure that Brokk continues to be your number one. The Brokk concept is continuously growing, with new machines, new technologies and new services. Yet, the basic idea is still the same. To develop equipment and services that is built for its purpose: safe, efficient, powerful and profitable demolition.Top Leading Key Manufacturers are: Advanced Construction Robotics, Apis Corp, Autonomous Solutions, Brokk AB, Conjet AB, Construction Robotics, Cyberdyne, Ekso Bionics, Fastbrick Robotics Limited, Fujita Corporation, Husqvarna Group, Komatsu Limited, Lifco AB, MX3D, nLink Construction Robotics, Sarcos Corporation, TopTec Spezialmaschinen GmbH, Yingchuang Building Technique Co. and others. New product launches and continuous technological innovations are the key strategies adopted by the major players.With the presence of a large pool of participants, the Global Robotics Technology in Construction Market is displaying a highly competitive business landscape, finds a new research report by Business Industry Reports (BIR). Advanced Construction Robotics, Apis Corp, Autonomous Solutions, Brokk AB, Conjet AB, Construction Robotics, Cyberdyne, Ekso Bionics, Fastbrick Robotics Limited, Fujita Corporation, Husqvarna Group, Komatsu Limited, Lifco AB, MX3D, nLink Construction Robotics, etc. are some of the key vendors of Robotics Technology in Construction across the world. These players across Robotics Technology in Construction Market are focusing aggressively on innovation, as well as on including advanced technologies in their existing products.Purchase this report online with 169 Pages, List of Tables & Figures and in-depth Table of Contents on Global Construction & Demolition Robots Market Report 2019 @Region segment: This report is segmented into several key regions, with sales, revenue, market share (%) and growth Rate (%) of Construction & Demolition Robots in these regions, from 2013 to 2023 (forecast), covering: North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa and South AmericaAbout 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
Catherine Leung Kar-cheung (image courtesy of MizMaa Ventures)Hong Kongs anti-corruption agency said Thursday it has charged JPMorgans former Asia investment banking vice chair with two counts of bribery for trying to hire the son of an IPO client.

Catherine Leung Kar-cheung faces two counts of bribery, according to the Independent Commission Against Corruption or ICAC.

Leung, 51, allegedly offered a job to the son of the chairman of a logistics company in 2010 and 2011. The job offer was a reward for the chairman showing favor to JPMorgan for his companys IPO, according to the ICAC.

Leung was released on bail. Shes scheduled to appear in court on May 20, the ICAC said.

According to the ICAC release, JPMorgans client referral program dates back to at least 2007.

Senior staff at or above the rank of executive director or managing director, such as the defendant, could refer candidates to [JPMorgan] for the junior post of analyst or associate, the ICAC said.

In the United States in 2016, the DOJ charged JPMorgan Chase with violating the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act for awarding jobs to relatives and friends of Chinese government officials to win banking deals. The bank paid $264 million in penalties to resolve the enforcement action.

Last year Credit Suisse Group AG and its Hong Kong unit paid the DOJ and SEC $76.7 million for a referral hiring scheme that violated the FCPA.

In 2015, BNY Mellon paid $14.8 million to the SEC to resolve FCPA offenses for providing internships to family members of officials connected to a Middle Eastern sovereign wealth fund.

In 2016, mobile chipmaker Qualcomm Inc. paid the SEC $7.5 million to settle FCPA offenses for hiring relatives of Chinese government officials. The officials were deciding whether to select the companys mobile technology products, the SEC said.

Other banks that have disclosed ongoing FCPA-related investigations based on hiring practices include Citigroup Inc., Barclays PLC, Deutsche Bank, HSBC Holdings plc, and Goldman Sachs Group, Inc., according to data provided by FCPA Tracker.

In Hong Kong Thursday, the ICAC said Leung was responsible for sourcing business for J.P. Morgan Securities (Asia Pacific) and its parent JPMorgan Chase & Co. when the alleged bribery offenses happened.

She now works at MizMaa Ventures, a venture capital firm focused on Israeli-U.S. technology. The firms website describes Leung as a founder and general partner.

____

Heres the ICACs full May 16, 2019 release:

Ex-managing director of investment bank charged with bribery over IPO of logistics company

2019-5-16

A former managing director of an investment bank has been charged by the ICAC today (May 16) with bribing the chairman of a logistics company with an employment of the chairmans son with the bank for the chairman showing favour to the bank in the engagement of investment banks or institutions for the initial public offering (IPO) of the company.

Catherine Leung Kar-cheung, 51, former managing director of J.P. Morgan Securities (Asia Pacific) Limited (JPMS), faces two charges of offering an advantage to an agent, contrary to Section 9(2)(b) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance.

The defendant will appear at the Eastern Magistracy next Monday (May 20) for mention.

At the material time, the defendant was a managing director employed by JPMS, a subsidiary of JPMorgan Chase & Co. (JPM). She was responsible for sourcing business for JPMS, JPM and its affiliates.

In around 2007, JPMS began to hire candidates referred by its clients or potential clients under the client referral programme. Senior staff at or above the rank of executive director or managing director, such as the defendant, could refer candidates to JPM or JPMS for the junior post of analyst or associate.

One of the charges alleges that on January 19, 2010, the defendant offered to the chairman of the logistics company an advantage, namely a contract of employment of the chairmans son with JPMS, as a reward for the chairman showing favour to JPMS in the engagement or employment of investment banks or institutions for the IPO of the company.

The other charge alleges that between June 28, 2010 and October 28, 2011, the defendant offered to the chairman of the logistics company an advantage, namely the employment of the chairmans son with JPMS, for the same purpose.

The defendant has been released on ICAC bail, pending her court appearance next Monday.

____

Richard L. Cassin is editor at large of the FCPA Blog.
Global UHT Processing Market 2019: Industry Analysis and Detailed Profiles of Top Industry Players Shanghai Triowin Intelligent Machinery Co.,Ltd, MicroThermics Inc, REDA S.P.A., SHANGHAI JIMEI FOOD MACHINERY.,CO. LTD

Global UHT Processing Market 2019 Research Report

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This Global UHT Processing Market research report is framed by using integrated advancements and latest technology to give the most excellent results. A method of standard market research analysis is put forth while elaborating the studies and estimations that are involved in this market report. Such plentiful information accompanied with deep market insights supports the decision of increasing or decreasing the production of goods depending on the general conditions of market and demand. The Global UHT Processing Market report has a lot to offer to both established and new players in the Food & Beverage industry with which they can completely understand the market.This Global UHT Processing Market research report uncovers different industry verticals such as company profile, contact details of manufacturer, product specifications, geographical scope, production value, market structures, recent developments, revenue analysis, market shares and possible sales volume of the company. What is more, this market research report covers a comprehensive study of the product specifications, revenue, cost, price, gross capacity and production. SWOT analysis and Porters Five Forces analysis methods are used wherever applicable, while generating this report. Market segmentation analysis carried out in this Global UHT Processing Market report with respect to product type, applications, and geography is very helpful in taking any verdict about the products.The Global UHT Processing Market is expected to reach USD 6.99 billion by 2025, from USD 2.65 billion in 2017, growing at a CAGR of 12.9% during the forecast period of 2018 to 2025. The upcoming market report contains data for historic years 2015 & 2016, the base year of calculation is 2017 and the forecast period is 2018 to 2025.Download FREE PDF sample copy of this research report@Global UHT Processing Market, By Equipment Type (Heaters, Homogenizers, Flash Cooling, Aseptic Packaging, Others), By Mode Of Equipment Operation (Direct UHT Processing, Indirect UHT Processing), By End-Product Form (Liquid, Semi-Liquid), By Application (Milk, Dairy, Desserts, Juices, Soups, Others) By Geography (North America, South America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Middle East And Africa) Industry Trends and Forecast to 2025Top Competitors: Tetra Laval International S.A., GEA Group, Alfa Laval, SPX FLOW, Elecster Oyj, Shanghai Triowin Intelligent Machinery Co.,Ltd, MicroThermics, REDA S.P.A., SHANGHAI JIMEI FOOD MACHINERY.,CO. LTD, TESSA I.E.C Group, Stephan Machinery Gmbh, BBnet, G.B.K Dairy Products (U) Ltd, hollanddairyafrica, vital-capital, Lato Milk and GOMA among others.To Avail 10% Discount On This Report Mail Us on: - sopan.gedam@databridgemarketresearch.comMarket Definition:This market report defines the market trends and forecast the upcoming opportunities and threats of the UHT processing market in the next 8 years. UHT (ultra-high temperature) treatment is used in removal of micro-organisms and minimizing the chemical changes in the product. UHT is a process of determining combination of optimum temperature and processing time for different kinds of food products. UHT milk is sterilized milk prepared by the thermal treatment. The ultra-high temperature processing helps to kill the germs present in the milk without destroying the essential vitamins and nutrients in it. The processing involves heating of milk for 1 or 2 seconds over the temperature of 135 degrees Celsius (275 degrees Fahrenheit), which helps in increasing the shelf-life of milk without adding any preservatives. UHT milk is aseptically packed and is germfree. This enables it ready for consumption directly from the carton without boiling. It has minimal requirement of refrigeration and can be stored at room temperature.The Times of London, in 2007 published news on their survey of UHT milk, it was observed that 96.7% of total milk consumption in Belgium, 95%of the milk in France, and 95.7% of the milk consumed in Spain. It is also popular across Europe and it accounts 1% of milk sales in Greece, 2.4 % in Finland, and 8.4% in Britain. Executive vice president at North-east dairy foods association estimated that 70% of the milk sold in China is UHT.To Inquire before Buy Report @Major Market Drivers: Rising demand for food & beverage products with an extended shelf life. Marginal nutritional changes in products such as milk. Reduction in logistics and storage costs. High capital investments. High product quality requirement for UHT treatment.Competitive Analysis:The global UHT processing market is highly fragmented and the major players have used various strategies such as new product launches, expansions, agreements, joint ventures, partnerships, acquisitions, and others to increase their footprints in this market. The report includes market shares of UHT processing market for global, Europe, North America, Asia Pacific and South America.Market Segmentation:The global fats & oil market is segmented based on type, application, form, source, and geographical segments.Based on product type, the global fats & oil market is segmented into oil type and fat type. The oil type market segment is further segmented into segmented into palm, soybean oil, sunflower, olive oil, soybean, rapeseed and others (coconut oil, cottonseed oil, and peanut oil). The fat type market segment is further segmented into butter, shortenings & margarine, lard, tallow, others (poultry fats and suet).Based on application, the global fats & oils market is segmented into food, industrial, personal care, animal feed, and pharmaceutical.Based on form, the global fats & oil market is segmented into solid and liquid.Based on sources, the global fats & oils market is segmented into plants and animals.Based on geography the global fats & oil market report covers data points for 28 countries across multiple geographies namely North America &South America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and, Middle East & Africa. Some of the major countries covered in this report are U.S., Canada, Germany,France, U.K., Netherlands, Switzerland, Turkey, Russia, China, India, South Korea, Japan, Australia, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and, Brazil among others.About Data Bridge Market Research:Data Bridge Market Research set forth itself as an unconventional and neoteric Market research and consulting firm with unparalleled level of resilience and integrated approaches. We are determined to unearth the best market opportunities and foster efficient information for your business to thrive in the market. Data Bridge endeavors to provide appropriate solutions to the complex business challenges and initiates an effortless decision-making process.Contact:Data Bridge Market ResearchTel: +1-888-387-2818Email: sopan.gedam@databridgemarketresearch.com
Yogurt Market 2019 | Worldwide Forecast 2025 | Major Players  Danone, Unternehmensgruppe Theo Muller, Mengniu Dairy

Yogurt Market

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Up Market Research published a new business report on Yogurt Market. Report provides a comprehensive analysis by key players and regions. This report also displays the forecast till 2025 production, consumption, revenue, gross margin, cost, market share, types, applications, and market influencing factors.Get Exclusive Free Sample Copy Of This Report @The report highly exhibit on current market analysis scenario, upcoming as well as future opportunities, revenue growth, pricing and profitability.Yogurt 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 Yogurt 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 Yogurt Market analysis & forecast 2019-2025 is segmented into Product Segment, Application Segment & Major players.Global Yogurt 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: Danone Unternehmensgruppe Theo Muller Mengniu Dairy Yili General Mills Lactalis Meiji Chobani Bright Dairy & Food Nestle Fage International Grupo Lala Schreiber Foods Junlebao Dairy SanCor Arla Foods Yeo ValleyProduct Type Analysis: Regular Yogurt Fat-free YogurtApplication Analysis: Children Yogurt Adult Yogurt Old People YogurtGet Exclusive Free Sample Copy Of This Report @Yogurt 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 Yogurt 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 Yogurt 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.
Transparent Screen Market 2019 | Worldwide Forecast 2025 | Major Players  Panasonic, Planar, Pro Display, Virtualware Group, Beneq, Samsung, LG, MMT, taptl, Etc.

Transparent Screen Market 2019

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Up Market Research has added the latest research report on Transparent Screen Market Forecast to 2025 to its huge pool of market research reports database. The most up to date report comprises the latest trends that influence the market competition in the forecast period.The Transparent Screen Market Report 2025 provides a regional analysis of the market. The regional analysis focuses on manufacturers, suppliers, segmentation according to the application, major players, customers, and furthermore. The competitive data type analysis includes capacity, market share, profit margin, market growth, consumer consumption, imports, exports, revenue, and etc. Marketing strategies, manufacturing processes, policies, industry chain that are changing the wave of the market are also catered in the report.Get FREE Sample Copy Of this Report @The market research reports also include detailed information about the major players. The information provides gross profit, revenue, business distribution, the share of the market, and etc. Along with the major players, the development of the market in the focused region is also tailored in the report.The whole detailed report includes:1) Basic overview of the market2) Transparent Screen Market by Type3) Transparent Screen Market by Application4) Transparent Screen Market by Major playersMajor Players included: Panasonic Planar Pro Display Virtualware Group Beneq Samsung LG MMT taptlMarket Segmentation:By Type: LED LCDBy Application: Augmented reality Retail OtherThe Transparent Screen Market is a competitive market. This report will help to resolve all the market-related doubts and assist the business to grow in the competitive sphere. All the data represented in the reports are validated by the prominent professionals and analysts of the market.Enquire More About This Report at:In addition to this, the report outlook will give the guidance to Tier1, Tier 2, and Tier 3s CEOs and CMOs to expand their roots in the industry and get ready for the future. It will also interest the individual readers around the world to know the inside-out of the industry. The tailoring of the market report involves a proper research methodology that includes primary research, interviews with the leading executives of the industry, and data analysis by the research analyst at the company.Going forward to the developments of the market, vendors landscape will provide a key development to the market worldwide. The market report will also provide the companies that are bombarding the market with unrelated products, companies with the same products but different geographical location, and popularity of the application according to the regions. During the study of the report, you will get to know about the segments that will act as a driver and restraints for the market growth.The Global Transparent Screen Market is necessary to understand the major players competition related to the products. It is witnessed that the new competitors in the market are the former executives or managers of the major players in the market. Therefore, the report will help to have deep insights and discover the new and existing opportunities of the market.The Global Transparent Screen Market was valued at $XX Million. It is anticipated that the market will throttle at a CAGR of XX.X% between 2019 and 2025.Avail Discount On This Report @This report includes CAGR, Cost Structure, Competitive analysis, Sales analysis, Top Players, and future growth insights.If you have any special requirement related to the report, the dedicated team will tailor the report as you wantThe value marked as XX is the confidential values of the market. To know about the values or any queries related to the report, fill in your information and our business development executive will get in touch with you.Major Topics Covered in this Report: Chapter 1 Study Coverage Chapter 2 Executive Summary Chapter 3 Market Size by Manufacturers Chapter 4 Production by Regions Chapter 5 Consumption by Regions Chapter 6 Market Size by Type Chapter 7 Market Size by Application Chapter 8 Manufacturers Profiles Chapter 9 Production Forecasts Chapter 10 Consumption Forecast Chapter 11 Upstream, Industry Chain and Downstream Customers Analysis Chapter 12 Opportunities & Challenges, Threat and Affecting Factors Chapter 13 Key Findings Chapter 14 AppendixGet FREE Sample Copy Of this Report @About Up Market Research: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.
Hillsboro solar panel manufacturer SunPower has listed its Hillsboro factory for sale but says it will continue operating in a portion of the facility.

The California company bought the 480,000-square-foot factory last year for $26 million. It had been facing a shutdown after its former occupant, SolarWorld, declared itself insolvent amid pressure from Chinese competitors.

SunPower began making its own, proprietary solar panels in Hillsboro in February. But it employs just 200, far fewer than the 800 SolarWorld employed at its peak. The decision to sell the factory suggests SunPower is unlikely to ever reach that level.

We are not utilizing the entire facility so we are working to sell the facility and then leaseback the area where we are manufacturing, SunPower communications vice president Natalie Wymer said in an email. Additionally, we are auctioning off old, Solar World Americas equipment that isnt relevant to our updated , equipment.

The Portland Business Journal, which first reported the factory is on the market, said a sales brochure for the site indicates SunPower plans to lease back about 200,000 square feet.

A leaseback could be attractive to a commercial real estate investor but its not clear how much interest there will be for the remaining factory space. A Japanese semiconductor company, Komatsu Silicon America, spent $500 million to build the Hillsboro facility during the 1990s but decided not to open it after chip sales fell.

Beginning in 1998, the site then sat empty for nearly a decade until SolarWorld moved in. It spent $500 million to buy and equip the facility, backed by state energy and property tax credits valued at $100 million.

-- Mike Rogoway | twitter: @rogoway | 503-294-7699
House Speaker Tina Kotek wants to divert half of Oregons estimated $1.4 billion kicker tax rebate toward transportation projects, including fully-funding a plan to widen and seismically retrofit a key bridge on Interstate 205 over the Willamette River.

Kotek introduced a bill Thursday that outlines her plan to retain half of the states record kicker rebate, instead of sending the money back to taxpayers in 2020.

The bill comes as Oregon political leaders from both parties had as recently as in December discussed either ending the constitutionally-mandated kicker tax rebate, which is triggered when tax revenues during a two-year budget period are more than 2 percent above economists forecast from the start of the cycle, or redirecting the money to a rainy day fund.

The legislation, House Bill 3440, calls for setting aside $260 million to widen and repair the Abernethy Bridge on I-205 between West Linn and Oregon City. Another $220 million from the kicker would go to the states Clean Diesel Engine Fund. A separate $220 million would go into a newly established Zero Emission Fund, which would help the state transition to zero-emission cars and trucks.

OPB News first reported on Koteks bill.

Danny Moran, Koteks communications director, said the Democratic leader had been discussing the concept in-house for a couple of weeks. Once the revenue forecast released Wednesday pointed to a larger-than-expected tax windfall, it set the stage for the bill.

The Abernethy Bridge, which carries more than 100,000 vehicles per day, was one of the major projects specifically named in the 2017 transportation packaged approved by the Legislature. Others include the controversial proposal to widen and cover sections of Interstate 5 through the Rose Quarter and a plan to widen Oregon 217 on Portlands west side.

The main reason Kotek cited the I-205 project is because it is ready for construction, Moran said.

It is an important safety issue and a transportation issue, he said. But the speaker also sees diverting part of the kicker to finance bridge construction as a key way to avoid instituting tolling before the bridge is finished.

State transportation officials say the project is still in the design phase, but construction could begin as soon as winter 2020 if the financing comes through. Separately, the Portland regions committee of elected officials that oversee transportation issues had requested $156 million from congress to make the bridge earthquake ready. Its unclear how that request would be affected.

Regardless, Koteks bill faces an uncertain road. The legislation would require two-thirds of members in each Legislative chamber to support it, meaning Democrats would need to flip two Republican votes in the House and Senate for passaged

I think conversations will start more today, Moran said.

House Republicans on Thursday referred to a previous statement on kicker spending issued this week, saying the constitutionally mandated check on excessive taxation must be honored and not raided for pet projects or to grow the bureaucracy in Salem.

Kotek may face challenges from within her own leadership as well.

In a conference call with reporters just before noon on Thursday, Gov. Kate Brown said she thought it was important if the state decides to retain a portion of the kicker it must benefit all Oregon. Paying down PERS does that, she said, citing the unfunded public pension liability.

According to the bill, the newly created Zero Emission Fund would pay for the development and construction of infrastructure for zero emission or low emission vehicles.

Moran said the $220 million would help Oregon support a statewide fast charging network and allow charging to be provided at public buildings across the state. The money also could help the states transition to electric school and transit buses.

The state created the Clean Diesel Engine fund in 2007 and initially directed $1 million in general fund toward its intended effort of helping diesel users convert to less polluting combustion sources. Those funds were exhausted by 2009 and the state hasnt funneled additional general fund dollars toward the initiative since then.

Oregon transportation officials are seeking federal approval to toll sections of I-205 near the Abernethy Bridge. The $260 million, if approved, would allow the expanded and retrofitted bridge to be in place before tolling arrives. The project is estimated to cost $286 million, but the states transportation commission already signed off, transportation spokesman Don Hamilton said, on $26 million for design and pre-construction work. Koteks bill is expected to fully fund the bridge.

Those arent the only changes potentially coming to I-205. The states 2017 transportation package also mentions a project to widen I-205 in and around the bridge.

That project, estimated at $221 million, is unfunded. The state wants to build a third lane in both directions of the freeway between Stafford Road and Oregon 43, as well as replace other bridges on the interstate not spanning the river.

-- Andrew Theen

atheen@oregonian.com

503-294-4026

@andrewtheen

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In testimony to the Oregon Legislature, the Alliance of Western Energy Consumers has described Gov. Kate Browns proposed climate change bill as a job killer that will wreak hundreds of millions of dollars of havoc across the states economy.

The economic impacts and job losses to AWEC members and communities will likely be significant, the group said earlier this year.

In private, the group of industrial energy users has given its members a far more nuanced view.

The alliance and one of its members -- the University of Oregon -- sought to hide that candid assessment from the public.

When the university initially released 500 pages of records about its participation in the industry group, which opposes Browns proposed cap-and-trade bill, page after page had been redacted.

This week, the University of Oregon withdrew from the alliance at the direction of its president, Michael Schill. His decision came shortly after The Oregonian/OregonLive reported on the publicly funded universitys participation in the group, whose director questioned the scientific certainty behind climate change.

And on Wednesday, UO released clean versions of the records to the Climate Investigations Center, a fossil fuel industry watchdog, which provided them to the newsroom. The center said UO told it the university had revisited the need for redactions and decided to release the full records.

The newly released documents include the alliances legislative updates, lobbyist reports and memorandums to members. The university originally contended portions of the documents were protected by the attorney-client privilege and by an exemption allowing material submitted confidentially to be withheld in very narrow circumstances.

Ed Finklea, the alliances natural gas director, told The Oregonian/OregonLive it was the energy alliances attorney who made the redactions when the university released the records. Molly Blancett, a school spokeswoman, said the university always solicits the input of third parties when it comes to their records that have made their way to the universitys possession.

The clean documents show a consistent theme in what was initially redacted: References to potential benefits of Browns proposed climate change bill.

Here are seven things the alliance and the university initially tried to keep secret:

1. The alliances opposition to the governors climate agenda as its top priority.

The Alliance of Western Energy Consumers' legislative updates released by the University of Oregon (left, initially redacted to obscure the group's opposition).

2. An alliance attorneys reference to the cap-and-trade bill creating winners and losers in often arbitrary fashion.

Cap-and-trade "creates clear winners and losers in often arbitrary fashion."

3. An alliance attorneys theory about a way that Portland General Electric and PacifiCorp, the states biggest utilities, could game the cap-and-trade system.

"The utilities may have an incentive to over-forecast the level of their emissions."

4. The alliance attorneys assessment that Portland General Electric and PacifiCorp customers wont be affected until at least 2030.

"Customers of PGE and PacifiCorp appear to be largely insulated from cost increases."

5. The attorneys opinion that the cap-and-trade bill could reduce rates paid by customers of the Bonneville Power Administration, the federal agency that markets electricity from Northwest hydroelectric dams.

"The overall impact of cap and trade on BPA's rates could be beneficial."

6. The attorneys acknowledgement of a clear benefit of the cap-and-trade bill.

"One clear benefit from the cap and trade bill."

7. The attorneys opinion that even if businesses take a financial hit, they may be able to get help to offset the expense.

"This would seem to allow for at least the possibility that businesses impacted ... could still obtain assistance."

Want to see for yourself what the university and alliance deleted?

You can compare the redacted documents with the clean ones.

 Rob Davis

rdavis@oregonian.com

503.294.7657; @robwdavis

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More than 800 neighbors of Bullseye Glass in Southeast Portland are learning more about how much cash and other compensation theyll receive after the glass-making company agreed to settle a class-action lawsuit for $6.5 million.

The neighbors could get their share of the settlement money by early next year. They sued Bullseye Glass claiming it contaminated their properties with dangerous levels of heavy metals that spewed from the business.

According to the newest estimates, for example, a family of four who owned a home in the emissions plume surrounding Bullseyes glass is expected to receive between $1,752 and $4,632. A single renter will receive $438 to $1,158. Someone who owned property in the zone but didnt live there is expected to receive $1,168 to $3,088.

The ranges are far more than the $10 per person that a Bullseye representative earlier had estimated was possible.

But the ranges are still wide and lawyers for the neighbors cant pin down the numbers yet because they first must determine how much of the $6.5 million will go to reimburse some neighbors who spent or will spend money for soil testing, air purifiers or replacing or otherwise remediating soil outside their homes. According to court documents, 470 property owners have filed claims for reimbursement.

The lawsuit was filed in March 2016. State regulators had announced in February 2016 that theyd found found arsenic at levels 159 times above the states benchmarks and cadmium levels 49 times higher -- and that increased longtime neighbors chances of getting cancer. The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality pinpointed Bullseye as the likely culprit.

Bullseye Glass announced in January that aside from the $6.5 million settlement, the company has spent $2.2 million in a state of the art emissions control system. The company says all of its furnaces now are connected to filters and that the company is in compliance with the most stringent federal and state emissions standards.

The settlement money is being divided up as follows:

$1 million for six air quality monitoring stations over the next two years.

$2.5 million for case costs and attorneys fees.

Close to $3.5 million for neighbors, in the form of settlement checks and reimbursement money.

The owners and residents of more than 2,000 homes were eligible to file claims for the settlement and reimbursement money. About 870 did.

For those who havent yet filed a claim, its too late to do so and receive any of the settlement money.

This map shows the Southeast Portland neighborhoods that were eligible for proceeds from the $6.5 million settlement with Bullseye Glass. (Courtesy of Keller Rohrback Law)

The emissions plume area reached from Southeast Division Street in the north to the Reed College campus in the south, covering roughly 2  miles across its widest point and three-quarters of a mile at its narrowest point. Bullseye Glass is at 3722 S.E. 21st Avenue.

A preliminary settlement was reached in January. Multnomah County Circuit Judge Stephen Bushong approved the final terms on Friday.

-- Aimee Green

agreen@oregonian.com

o_aimee

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Burgerville will close one of its oldest locations in June, the company announced Wednesday. June 16 will be the last day for one of the franchises Beaverton locations, at 11900 SW Canyon Road. A news release from the company said the building, which Burgerville has used for 50 years, needed remodels and updates, but because of nearby wetlands and conservation efforts, the company wont be able to make necessary remodels.

The Canyon Road location is near the Beaverton Town Square shopping center, and is one of the companys oldest restaurants. Burgerville has been in the building since 1969. There are two other Beaverton locations, at Scholls Ferry Road and Allen Boulevard, and at Northwest 185th Avenue and Walker Road.

It has been an honor to serve the Beaverton community at this site for the last 50 years, and we appreciate the decades of support weve received from generations of Burgerville fans, said Beth Brewer, senior vice president of operations, in the news release.

The company has 41 locations in Oregon and Washington, and was founded in 1961.

Jayati Ramakrishnan; 503-221-4320; jramakrishnan@oregonian.com; @JRamakrishnanOR
NEWPORT -- On the day the Mary B II capsized, crew member Joshua Porter talked and texted throughout the crabbing expedition with his wife waiting at home. One of his texts came after dark: Im scared. Its real big out here. I am putting my life jacket on."

The weather had been forecast to turn rough and Porter went out only because the captain agreed to return to port by 4 p.m. at the latest. But the skipper changed his mind.

Later as the Mary B II motored toward the Yaquina Bay bar, Porter texted his wife that they were 20 minutes from the tips of the jetties and the Coast Guard was on its way.

He invited her to come watch them cross as she often did.

Denise Porter arrived at the South Jetty shortly before 10 p.m. The Coast Guard had spotlights on the bar and was lighting flares.

I saw the helicopter, Denise Porter said, sobbing Wednesday as she testified during the third day of the Coast Guards inquiry into the capsizing.

Thats when I knew something bad had happened, she said. I knew Id never talk to him again.

The Mary B II went down on Jan. 8 when seas were breaking at 12 to 14 feet with an occasional 16-foot swell. Joshua Porter, 50, of Toledo; the captain, Stephen Biernacki, 48, of New Jersey; and a second crew member, James Lacey, 49, of New Jersey all died when a wave swamped the vessel.

The Coast Guard plans to wrap up its investigation Friday and will release its findings later.

Joshua Porter had been part of the crew for less than 10 days and planned to start a new job on a different boat the next day. His relationship with Biernacki had been uneasy from the start, his wife said.

The two met outside their adjoining storage units at the end of December. Joshua Porter was looking for a job and Biernacki needed a crewman. But Porter soon regretted the decision to join the crew, staying on only because he had made a commitment and he needed the money, Denise Porter said.

The first day they set crab pots, Joshua Porter told her, she said: I dont know whats wrong with this guy. He didnt even check the tide.

His wife asked if hed said anything to Biernacki.

He said, I did, but he wont listen, she recounted.

On that same trip, Joshua Porter texted her, We ran aground, barely got off. stuck for 10 minutes loaded with pots and the tide going out

He also mentioned there was leak in the boat that Biernacki was trying to fix. That night, he told her: I am so embarrassed. They set all the gear wrong  the buoys were backwards, Denise Porter said.

Another day, Joshua Porter, who had been sober for 11  years, showed up for work, expecting to head out for crab at 4:30 a.m. He later told his wife that Biernacki made the crew wait until 6 a.m. when he could buy beer for the trip, she said.

On the night of the capsizing, she said Joshua Porter told her in a phone conversation: This guy doesnt keep his radio on. The Coast Guard couldnt get ahold of us.

Her husband was mad, she said. Later, he texted her that Biernacki and Lacey were angry with him. I told them there is a reason nobody is out here, he texted.

A short time later, Denise Porter drove to the South Jetty, parked the truck, and, as she had so many times before, stood on the dunes to watch her husbands boat cross the bar.

The Coast Guard spotlights illuminated the night. She knew from experience that she should have seen the Mary B IIs lights by then.

She texted him, Are you through now?

She never heard back.

-- Lori Tobias

For The Oregonian/OregonLive
Oregon child welfare officials ignored eight years of warnings when they moved a 13-year-old boy with a history of abusing younger children into the same overcrowded foster home as two young sisters, according to new court documents.

At the time, case workers labeled the boy a risk and wrote that they planned to move the girls, then 5 and 7, out as soon as possible. Yet the three remained in the same home for two months, and during that time, the boy repeatedly locked the girls inside rooms and sexually abused them, a lawsuit contends.

The abuse came to light in 2017 when the boy admitted it and the girls confirmed what had happened, court records say.

A lawyer sued the Department of Human Services on the girls behalf in September, then filed an updated version of the lawsuit earlier this month after the agency turned over its case files on the boy.

The new filing lists dozens of concerning reports made to the state about the boys increasingly aggressive sexual behavior, starting when he was 5. A case worker warned a foster parent that the 5-year-old exposed himself to children and asked others to do the same. At 7, he told his sister he would screw her. Teachers could not leave him alone with other children, and his caregivers agreed to put an alarm on his door to prevent him from entering his sisters room at night. Before his eighth birthday, he had an extensive history of touching other children, according to a Department of Human Services report cited in the lawsuit.

The lawsuit contends state workers nevertheless neglected to warn the foster parents when they placed him in the same home as the girls in October 2014.

State lawyers responded to the girls initial lawsuit in November by filing court papers that acknowledged they should never have placed the boy in the foster home.

The lawsuit seeks $24.3 million in damages for the girls, based on a state law that increases damages to particularly vulnerable victims.

This is an especially egregious example where DHS is supposed to safeguard children, and, in this case, they put them in more danger, said Paul Galm, the Beaverton attorney who represents the girls, who are still in foster care.

Oregons child welfare agency has received growing criticism for failing to fix problems that have left foster children in harms way. The department faces several lawsuits collectively seeking tens of millions of dollars on behalf of children killed or hurt in foster care or after case workers investigated reports of abuse.

The sisters allegations share striking similarities to those made in a 2015 lawsuit that ended with the state paying $1 million to a 7-year-old girl. She had been sexually abused repeatedly at her Yoncalla foster home by two boys who were placed in the home before her.

The girls lawyer alleged case workers knew the boys, then 12 and 15, had behaved in sexually inappropriate ways yet decided that the home was a safe place for the girl, who was 4 at the time. The abuse came to light in July 2013.

More than a year later, case workers signed off on the decision to place the 13-year-old with the two young sisters now suing the Department of Human Services.

Court documents filed by the state acknowledge the boy had a history of behavioral problems and sexually reactive behaviors but disputed that he had a known history of physically or sexually abusing children.

The boy may have been a victim of sexual abuse by his stepfather, according to the states court filing. None of the court records identify the boy or say if he or his stepfather were ever charged with or convicted of sexual abuse.

According to the updated version of the girls lawsuit filed May 8, the boys mother first told child welfare workers in March 2006 that her 5-year-old son was acting in sexual ways toward other children. A child abuse evaluation completed the next month said the boy had asked his younger sister to kiss him and have sex with him, the court document says.

The boy was shuffled through at least two foster homes by that fall, the document says. A case worker wrote that foster parents must watch him every second of the day. His foster parents concluded he should not live with any other children. A care plan directed that the boy, then 6, have no unmonitored contact with children and be placed on a 5-foot restriction from peers.

The lawsuit contends concerns about the boys behavior continued through 2007, 2008 and 2009. A psychosexual evaluation of the 8-year-old in September 2009 deemed it possible that being around vunerable children could be sexually stimulating and cause an increase in problematic behaviors.

By April 2010, foster care workers decided to find an adoptive family for his sisters without him, because a step-father had groomed him to abuse the girls. A doctor concluded six months later that the boy had sexually abused one of the girls, according to a psychological report paid for by the state.

Three more reports from 2011 raised concerns about his continued sexualized behaviors, according to the lawsuit. By 2013, a case worker wrote the 11-year-old attempted to have inappropriate contact with younger children and needed immediate treatment.

The lawsuit does not say whether he ever received specialized care.

Foster parents again alerted case workers to his actions the next year, in February 2014, saying the 12-year-old talked inappropriately to a female cousin and a 6-year-old girl and viewed pornography on a plane ride. The continued sexual stuff is even more disturbing & strong evidence, we think, that he needs intensive professional support, the foster parents wrote in an email to a child welfare employee that is quoted in the lawsuit.

The suit alleges that case workers received at least four more alarming reports over the next four months. One report, in August, said the boys mom caught him abusing a 3-year-old boy.

The lawsuit does not say if he was in foster care at the time. But by that October, case workers needed to find him an emergency placement.

Their solution: a home with six foster children, all but one younger than 10, according to the lawsuit. The court filing says the two young sisters had moved into the home just two days before him.

The foster parents were only certified to care for six children. Yet case workers decided to move the 13-year-old boy in without setting up a safety plan or warning his new foster parents about his history, the lawsuit contends.

The day he moved in, a state worker described the boy as a risk and worried about the girls safety. I will allow (the boy) to go there, but the sibs will have to be moved as soon as possible, says an email reprinted as part of the lawsuit. He typically has not done well in homes with other children in them and does best when he is in a home alone.

His foster father reported less than a month later that the boy threatened younger children and acted out sexually at school, according to the lawsuit. They demanded that state workers find a new home for him. He stayed there for another month.

The young sisters remained there, too.

The lawsuit alleges the boy later admitted that he repeatedly abused them.

DHS permitted (the boy) to engage in the abuse by knowingly failing to act under circumstances in which a reasonable person should have known of the abuse, the lawsuit says.

-- Molly Young

myoung@oregonian.com
The BBC is reporting that victims of fraud are not receiving the support from law enforcement that they warrant. Some police forces are even (apparently) actively seeking reasons to drop investigations into fraud. This all comes as no surprise, as I have mentioned the sorry state of fraud investigation in the UK on several occasions.

Her Majestys Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services has said that an inconsistent approach to policing fraud has left the British public at increasing risk of falling victim to scams. When they do fall victim, a languid response from law enforcement professionals has sometimes been all that the state can muster. This is unhelpful. The state and its law enforcement professionals should do everything in their power to right wrongs and bring those responsible to justice.

The fact is that the British police are held in high esteem across the globe. Almost all of them go about their duties daily without firearms in an increasingly hostile environment. They are highly professional and tenacious when it comes to policing. But they are being let down badly by the purse holders in gray suits, who steadfastly refuse to accept that UK policing is in crisis.

Prime Minister Theresa May was responsible as the former Home Secretary for the biggest financial cuts ever inflicted on policing in the UK. Despite repeated warnings by the Police Federation (the equivalent of the policing union), she cut policing to the bone, with 22,424 officers lost from the rank and file, equating to an approximate 15 percent cut since 2010. When cuts of this magnitude are implemented, the resources left are understandably directed at the frontline, as members of the public need reassurance that when there is an emergency the police will be there, even if in smaller numbers than previously.

It is little wonder, then, that crimes considered a non-emergency, such as fraud, are being severely neglected. The BBCs report states that some police forces are seeking reasons  any reason  to drop fraud investigations. This is hardly surprising. The normally dedicated officers are simply being swamped by general police duties, so something has had to give. One officer was quoted as saying: The crime was not considered a priority because it does not bang, bleed or shout.

The knock-on effect of this situation is that ordinary members of the public, who have or who are in danger of falling victim to fraud, wrongfully perceive that their coppers are simply uninterested, or worse bone-idle. Nothing could be further from the truth. But who can blame a victim for perceiving that their crime appears to be unimportant and their police lethargic in response?

Fraud investigations by their very nature tend to be more complex and time consuming than other crime investigations. Also, when somebody is prosecuted, the culprits receive much more lenient sentences than others. There is an argument that cash-strapped law enforcement is missing a trick, in that the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 allows law enforcement to confiscate the crooks ill-gotten gains and seek incentivization payments from the monies recovered. Admittedly the incentivization is limited in how it can be spent, but it would still serve to act as a welcome transfusion to a police service haemorrhaging cash.

Putting aside cash seizure/forfeiture, the civil asset recovery powers built into the Proceeds of Crime Act exist to target the upper echelon criminals. This means in the more mundane cases, in order for the police to receive their incentivization payments, they need to secure a conviction for an acquisitive crime that opens up the possibility of confiscation. Which means an investigation. Which in turn means resourcing. Which then means that all of this is a vicious circle.

The Inspectorate described its findings as making sorry reading, with one force admitting to filing 96 percent of fraud cases it received from the central reporting hubs without looking at them. If youre one of the many fraud victims in this 96 percent, how did you feel about the lack of effort shown by the police? One force even admitted that it only had two dedicated fraud detectives at its disposal. This is a damning indictment of the UK government, not the forces bereft of funding who are having to make difficult choices.

Two dedicated fraud detectives in a force renders them impotent as an investigative resource, and it would be less embarrassing for the force concerned to do away with these two sorry individuals facing such an impossible task. One officer said: If there is an excuse not to investigate it, we will use it. Another stated: Everything is against fraud. It is not a priority, not sexy, people dont report it and it is difficult to prove, which takes time, resources and money.

In fairness, Her Majestys Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services report concluded and agreed with what those of us in the counter-fraud profession, saying: Fraud can cause enormous psychological and emotional damage, highlighting that some victims have reported losing their entire life savings.

To law enforcement officers in general, fraud investigation is not sexy. There are few instances of screaming wheels, blue lights, sirens and fist fights. It tends to be more mundane in nature. What some officers miss is that the fraudsters who make up our adversaries are clever and devious. Generally, they do not earn respect by pointing guns in peoples faces or dishing out punishment beatings. Instead, they use their cunning to target the vulnerable. In many instances they leave behind broken individuals who desperately need our support.

The UK law enforcements approach to investigating fraud is similarly broken. Only reinvestment in officers, training and enabling experience to be built will fix a problem that is costing the UK in the region of 110 billion ($1.43 billion) per year.

The answer to the fraud crisis  managing it and ultimately investigating it  is simple: reinvestment in the police and replacing the expertise lost to the cost-cutting cull.

With thanks to Tony McClements, Senior Investigator at Martin Kenney & Co, for his assistance with this post. Tony served for 33 years in three UK police forces, and has worked as a specialist Fraud and Financial Investigator since 1998. He now lectures in these subjects at the University of Central Lancashire.

____

Martin Kenney, pictured above, is Managing Partner of Martin Kenney & Co., Solicitors, a specialist investigative and asset recovery practice based in the BVI, focused on multi-jurisdictional fraud and grand corruption cases www.martinkenney.com | @MKSolicitors. In 2014 he was the recipient of the ACFEs highest honor: the Cressey Award for life-time achievement in the detection and deterrence of fraud. He was selected as one of the Top Thought Leaders of the Legal Profession in 2018 and 2019 by Whos Who Legal International and as the number one offshore lawyer for asset recovery in 2017 and 2018.
By Michael Dembrow

Dembrow, D-Portland, is the state senator representing District 23 in the Oregon Legislature.

Sportfishing is a tie that binds. It can bridge the urban-rural divide, business and conservation interests, Republicans and Democrats. People everywhere love to fish.

But fishing is only possible when there are abundant fish in our rivers. Thats why we need Oregons members of Congress to make sure there is funding next year for the Pacific Coast Salmon Recovery Fund.

Congress established this recovery fund in 2000 to help support restoration of the streams, creeks, rivers and wetlands that salmon and steelhead need to thrive. Salmon recovery is important to Oregon. More than half a million people fish in Oregon each year, spending $1.4 billion per year and sustaining nearly 13,000 jobs, according to the Northwest Sportfishing Industry Association.

This year, Columbia River salmon returns are shockingly low. Most predictions for adult salmon and steelhead returns are at just half the 10-year average. Spring, summer, and fall fishing will be extremely limited, with more fisheries closed than open. Summer chinook fishing below Bonneville Dam will be prohibited this year for the first time since 2002. Its one of the worst seasons since the 1990s, and the effect on local businesses and economies will be significant.

What can we do? We start by refusing to stop the work thats already been done and remains in progress. For the third year in a row, the Trump Administration is zeroing out funding for this program in its proposed budget. We urge Congress to restore funding to the Pacific Coast Salmon Recovery Fund.

The state also contributes to this vital salmon recovery work. The Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board was first funded with salmon recovery fund money in 2000 to distribute recovery fund money to local watershed councils, conservation districts, and other groups working on the ground and in the rivers to restore salmon and steelhead habitat.

Since then, the enhancement board has spent about $200 million in recovery fund money to restore salmon habitats in Oregon, according to its 2019 grant application to the National Marine Fisheries Service. The board has also smartly leveraged federal money with state lottery dollars, as well as proceeds from salmon license plates, to bring the full amount distributed to $566 million.

Thats big money in Oregon, particularly in the rural communities where many of these restoration projects take place. Axing the fund eliminates more than a quarter of Oregon's annual budget for habitat restoration.

Here in Oregon, that money has helped restore, create, or protect 650,000 acres of salmon habitat and opened nearly 8,000 miles of streams to spawning fish, according to the grant application. Oregon has a proven and effective system for getting these projects done, and the numbers show it.

We cant stop now. Its going to take time, effort and sustained investment for salmon and steelhead populations to recover. Were confident that Oregons congressional delegation will do what it takes to make sure this funding is maintained so Oregon can get back to work  and go fishing.
A North Bend man died Wednesday after being hit by his unattended log truck on an Oregon highway, troopers say.

An early investigation shows log truck driver John Dickens, 63, stopped along Oregon 38 near Elkton on Wednesday morning, according to the Oregon State Police. Dickens exited his truck, and it started to roll, troopers said.

The loaded truck hit him, causing fatal injuries, according to troopers. The truck eventually went into a ditch.

The state police said its investigating what caused the truck to roll while unattended. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration also responded.

-- Jim Ryan; jryan@oregonian.com; 503-221-8005; @Jimryan015

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Officials from the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife are searching for a cougar that is considered to be a public safety threat in Southwest Bend after a deer was killed in a subdivision of the city.

The adult cougar was spotted twice in April around the citys Deschutes River Canyon area. On May 6, the animal was seen near a canal adjacent to a Fred Meyer store and, more recently, a deer was killed on the east rim of the canyon. Wildlife investigators confirmed the deer was killed by a cougar on Wednesday.

Based on the additional sightings and evidence of the cougars continued use and residency within city limits, ODFW and Bend Police believe this cougar to be a public safety threat, the agency said in a statement. ODFW is now taking steps to kill the cougar.

Another cougar was recently spotted near Mt. Hood Community College in Gresham, though officials said that animal posed no immediate threat.

Residents of the Deschutes River Canyon area were told to take precautions and be aware of their surroundings.

-- Kale Williams

kwilliams@oregonian.com

503-294-4048

@sfkale

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SALEM  Oregonians wont be smoking joints at legal cannabis lounges anytime soon.

The Statesman Journal reports that a bill to legalize cannabis lounges is "100% dead," according to Sam Chapman, legislative director for the New Revenue Coalition, the group behind Senate Bill 639.

The last major legislative action taken on the bill was a public hearing before the Senate Committee on Business and General Government at the end of February. Since then, the deadline to vote the bill out of committee has passed.

Legal pot lounges arent unheard of in the U.S. The Las Vegas City Council this month approved marijuana consumption lounges, also known as social use venues, under certain conditions.

An initiative petition submitted to the Oregon Secretary of States Office in March may allow Oregon residents to vote on legalizing cannabis social consumption cafes in the November 2020 election.
SALEM  Oregon lawmakers are moving forward with a measure thats designed to make it harder for county clerks to plaster their names on elections materials.

The Senate voted 19-9 Wednesday to approve Senate Bill 670, sending it to the Oregon House.

The bill would prevent elections officials from putting their name on the voters pamphlet, ballot return envelopes or any other printed materials included with the ballot during elections in which they are a candidate.

They could still appear in the voters pamphlet in the section where all candidates have the opportunity to purchase space.

The law would primarily apply to county clerks, but some of the restrictions would also affect the Oregon Secretary of State.

The proposal comes after a Clackamas County voter complained last fall that Clackamas County Clerk Sherry Hall had splashed her name in large print across ballot materials. "It made it seem as if my ballot was nothing more than one of her campaign mailers," Betty Brickson told The Oregonian/OregonLive at the time.

The criticism was shared by Clackamas County Commissioners, who approached Sen. Kathleen Taylor, D-Portland, whose district includes part of the county. She agreed to sponsor the bill.

We know name recognition can be a valuable factor in running for office, said Taylor during a brief floor debate.

There unfortunately was a clerk here in Oregon who chose to display their name prominently across all election materials, including pamphlets and envelopes, she said, referring to Hall.

Hall did not respond to a phone call seeking comment, but she told The Oregonian last year that shes followed the law at every step. She won re-election to a four-year term in 2018.

The measure was opposed by the Oregon Association of County Clerks, who said having the name of the clerk on the front of voters pamphlets and other ballot materials helps voters differentiate between official documents and similar items produced by campaigns.

Printing the name of the person responsible is the epitome of accountability and fosters trust in elections, the organization said in a statement submitted to the Senate Rules Committee.

The groups spokesman, Yamhill County Clerk Brian Van Bergen, said he thinks the bill would take elections backward and not forward.

Despite his objections to the bill, Van Bergen said it probably wouldnt affect him. I dont put my name on envelopes, he said.

Thats because unlike most elected county clerks, hes limited to three terms in office. I dont want to have a bunch of unusable envelopes sitting around when I leave office, he said.

The vote in the Senate was mostly along party lines. The only Republican to vote for the measure, Sen. Tim Knopp, R-Bend, said Both parties have abused their ability to put their names on election materials. I consider it electioneering and I think it doesnt have any place in our process.

The bill does not impact home rule counties that appoint, rather than elect, their county clerk. Those include Multnomah, Washington and five other Oregon counties.
Victoria Zablocki, school program coordinator at Chippewa Nature Center, was recently recognized by the National Association for Interpretation Great Lakes Region 4 as Outstanding New Interpreter for her contributions to advance the profession of interpretation.

Zablocki started her career at CNC as a Nature Day Camp counselor in 2012 as a college student. After earning a bachelors degree in elementary education and serving as a part-time school program educator, she became a full-time educator in the fall of 2014. This January, she was promoted to school program coordinator.

In just four years, her contributions to CNC and the larger community have been significant, the organization stated. From professional self-guided exhibits, to writing nature curriculum for local schools, leading Spring Break Mini Day Camp programs, developing Story Hour programs, planning major events and leading kayak, snowshoe and geocaching programs, she has had an impact on numerous programs at CNC.

Zablocki works behind the scenes and on the front line to ensure CNC visitors develop meaningful connections with the natural world. She installs hands-on, self-guided activities for Exploration Days, a program offered throughout the year during school breaks. Activities such as crafts, board games, obstacle courses and building help visitors learn about topics such as how animals are adapted to deal with Michigan winters.

As a full-time educator, Zablockis primary responsibility was to work closely with the teachers of Bullock Creek Schools to develop and implement a nature curriculum. She regularly met with kindergarten and first grade teachers to help them identify a scope and sequence of lessons that would align their science curriculum with the natural seasonal occurrences. She also demonstrated how to integrate other subjects (math, language arts, literacy and social studies) into the nature experiences the children were having.

In addition to supporting the teachers, Zablocki provided 30-45 minute weekly programs for kindergarten and first grade classes and monthly visits to second through fifth grade classes, totaling 27 classroom visits per month. Each program was custom designed specifically for that grade level, associating nature with the subject matter the class was studying. She did this to ensure the nature lessons had context within the students greater educational experience, and to provide dynamic experiences that would help them retain their traditional lessons.

Thanks to her hard work, dedication and partnership with the teachers, the Nature Kindergarten program won the Outstanding Interpretive Program award from NAI Region 4 in 2017. Additionally, the school district was awarded a $490,000 grant from The Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow Foundation to expand the program to all of its elementary schools for the next three years. Zablocki now makes weekly visits to second grade classes to develop that curriculum while supporting five part-time educators who visit the other grade levels.

Zablocki has been heavily involved with two programs that have won the Outstanding Interpretive Program award in Region 4  Exploring Nature Together (a camp for children on the autism spectrum and their typical peers) which was awarded in 2014 and Nature Kindergarten (described above) which was awarded in 2017. At this years RIW, she presented a session entitled Engaging Self-guided Exhibits for Children where she highlighted the eight activity types she uses to create self-guided exhibits and how to use them as guides for implementing these exhibits.

Zablocki also makes significant contributions to many CNC festivals, programs and self-guided exhibits. She either designs or supports an intern who designs each of nine Exploration Days exhibits during Thanksgiving weekend, winter break, spring break and six unique exhibits throughout the summer. She ensures that each exhibit engages children of all ages and abilities and works to include large motor activities, fine motor skills, organized games, free/creative play, sensory experiences, quiet space and an invitation to explore outdoors. Each exhibit has a theme that ties all of the activities together and helps the visitor have a cohesive experience. Her commitment to a positive visitor experience is evident as families spend quality time together learning about the natural world.

In addition to self-guided exhibits, Zablocki plans several annual events including Nature at Night (1,400 visitors over 2 nights), Winter Solstice Celebration (150 visitors), Groundhogs Day Party (170 visitors) and Natures Eggs Extravaganza (300 visitors), coordinating the staff, volunteers, food and activities. She has added activities, developed themes and made them engaging experiences for visitors. Last years Winter Solstice Celebration included a candle-lit trail, inviting visitors to explore the trails at night, a time when most people do not visit the woods. She also leads kayak trips, snowshoe hikes, Families in Nature programs, Story Hours, camp special events, geocaching programs and more, and develops new school field trips that align with Next Generation Science Standards, writes new Birthday Party themes and trains staff on program content and delivery.

Zablocki is committed to her own professional growth, and has attended Regional Interpretive Workshops at every opportunity. With a desire to support the field, she joined the Membership Committee of the Great Lakes Region 4 of NAI in 2016. In 2017, she co-chaired the 2018 Regional Interpretive Workshop in Traverse City. She used her background in the hospitality industry (having previously worked at a convention center) as she negotiated with the hotel, asked critical questions of vendors and organized the logistics of the workshop.

Always willing to share her expertise, Zablocki presented Next Generation Science Standards in Your School Yard (2018) at a local teacher professional development day and Next Generation Science Standards in Your School Program (2019), Interpreting the Fur Trade (2017) and Exploring Winter Adaptations (2017) at a Michigan interpreters workshop. She regularly participates in teacher development training with Bullock Creek and Coleman Schools, and plans and executes CNCs internal educator training in September and March.

Zablockis recognition as Outstanding New Interpreter acknowledges her commitment to environmental education excellence in the region, and speaks to years of hard work, dedication and passion for the field, CNC stated.
The Joint Michigan Apprentice Program (JMAP) celebrated its second class of apprentices becoming journeymen electrical line workers at the Wolverine Power Cooperative Training Center on Friday, May 3.

The class celebrated the graduation of 23 apprentice line workers from 12 Michigan utilities that collectively span Michigan's Upper and Lower Peninsulas. Among those who completed the program was Keith Roznowski from Bay City Electric.
Zamboanga del Sur (CNN Philippines, May 16)  A vote counting machine (VCM) was burned in San Pablo town, Zamboanga del Sur Wednesday night.

Police said fire hit the San Pablo Central Elementary School in Barangay Poblacion where eight defective VCMs and other election paraphernalia were stored. Only one of the eight VCMs was destroyed by the fire, while authorities were able to secure the remaining seven, police said.

The incident is now being investigated as arson is suspected. Police report the fire "was deliberately set with the use of gasoline," citing the probe conducted by the Bureau of Fire Protection.

Prior to the fire, police said an explosion rocked the town's Purok Maloloy-on, somewhere near the fire station. Initial investigation showed the blast was caused by the detonation of an M67 fragmentation hand grenade.

Suspects in the two incidents have not been identfied.

The Commission on Elections is also investigating the burning of a VCM, along with some 200 unread ballots in Isabela province on Election Day.

Journalist Marlon Panares contributed to this report.
Sue and Jerry Hanson are celebrating their 60th wedding anniversary. The former Sue Moore married Hanson on May 16,1959 at St. Brigid Catholic Church in Midland. They have four children, Gerry Jr. of DeWitt, John Sr. of Midland, Scott of Midland and Joe of Midland. They also have seven grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren, with one more on the way. Jerry retired from Dow Corning and is the executive director of U.S.A. Softball of Michigan. Sue is a homemaker. They plan to celebrate with a family reunion and cookout.
Members of the Midland Police Department, Midland County Sheriff's Office and the public gathered in front of the Midland County Law Enforcement Center on Wednesday to honor law enforcement officers who were killed in the line of duty.

The annual Peace Officers Memorial Day Ceremony took place as part of the 57th annual "Police Week" that began on Sunday. Midland Police Chief Clifford Block and Midland County Sheriff Scott Stephenson presided over the ceremony.

"This week, and this specific day, is a time to honor those who lived to protect the peace and the people from chaos and crime, and to serve our communities with compassion and a servant's heart," Block said. "Those of us who have taken the oath of office know the dangers which may lie ahead. However, we've committed ourselves to make a difference, and do our best to maintain peace, law and order, and we do so knowing full well that we may pay with our lives."

This year is the ninth since the establishment of the nationwide "Below 100" initiative, which aims to bring the total number of deaths of law enforcement officers under 100 in a single year, a record low number that has not been reached since 1944.

According to the National Law Enforcement Officer Memorial Fund, there have already been 43 line-of-duty officer deaths in 2019 -- a 31% decrease from last year, Block said.

"Could this be the year we finally reach below 100? I certainly hope so," Block said.

For the first time since Block took over the role of police chief, he only had to honor the memory of one Michigan police officer at the ceremony: Officer Fadi Shukur of the Detroit Police Department, who died on Aug. 14, 2018, in a hit-and-run crash while helping to disperse a crowd after a party.

Block also honored former Midland Police officers who died while employed with the department, including:

 Henry Ross, who died on Jan. 11, 1944

 Donald Maier, who died on June 25, 1950

 Ray Rowe, who died on April 3, 1965

 Timothy Talaga, who died on Aug. 9, 1994

 Chad Scheiber, who died on Oct. 7, 2007

 Robert Booth, who died on June 28, 2015

 William Eickhoff, who died on Sept. 27, 2016

Sheriff Stephenson also took time to honor local peace officers who died in the line of duty, including:

 Midland County deputy Earl Martindale, who died on Jan. 8, 1935

 Clare County Sheriff's Office deputy Kevin Sherwood, who died on Oct. 9, 2003

 Rapid City South Dakota Police officer Ryan McCandless, who died on Aug. 2, 2011

"The bravery and courage we see from peace officers in our community every day should not, and will not be forgotten, and that is why we gathered here today," Stephenson said.

Sheriff's Office administrative assistant Amber Blevons performed renditions of "The Star Spangled Banner" and "Amazing Grace" which opened and closed the ceremony, respectively.

Memorial Presbyterian Church Associate Pastor Wallace Mayton led the crowd in prayer at the beginning of the ceremony. A closing prayer was given by Roger Stauffer, chaplain for the Sheriff's Office.
This week Barb Seifert writes about her mom, Margaret Duehlmeier, and Elaine Lyvere Lorince is honored by her six children.

Barb wrote: Although I lost my mother to death, lifetime memories keep her alive for me. Mom was creative and looked forward to having her chores done so she could spend time at her sewing machine. She said it didn't take a lot of money to dress well. It just took caring how your family dressed. The sewing machine was her tool for turning sold-by-the-yard crepe paper into play costumes for her kids and the tool for making slipcovers that made the worn-out couch look new again.

Mom always made do by turning what we had into the best it could be. She turned wooden peach crates into bedroom vanities, bedside tables, or bookshelves. I never heard a murmur or complaint about what she didn't have. She was always busy and was never a "busybody."

My "stay at home mom" spent much of her time in the kitchen. Her creative nature was also evident in the food she prepared. All four of us kids walked the block home from school daily for lunch as did our dad who was also a teacher. A memorable lunch dessert was strawberry Jell-O cut into the shape of a heart and frosted with real whipped cream for Valentine's Day.

I assumed Mom loved cooking as much as we loved eating. When I was married and settled in Michigan, Mom visited and joined us in a trip to the Ford Museum. When I led her to a display of a 1950s kitchen, her reaction startled me. Instead of evoking pleasant memories, she said it made her feel sick to her stomach remembering the many hours she had spent working in such a kitchen. She certainly had had me fooled!

Although she took a 20-year hiatus from being a wage earner, Mom continued teaching her own children through our family activities. Every month we'd make an hour round trip to the library to check out what seemed to be hundreds of books. Each of us took at least 12 years of piano lessons. We learned to grind horseradish, to pick corn and to can fruits and vegetables. I can proudly say I could make my own pork sausage in natural casings if the need arose.

Mom received a two-year County Normal degree and taught in a rural school. Like most moms in our small Minnesota community, she devoted the next 20 years to raising four children. Diagnosing Mom as having "empty nest syndrome," our family doctor then prescribed that she return to college to complete her final two years. I can still picture Mom ironing the laundry and simultaneously studying for her exams. Ten years later, she helped me complete my master's degree by she herself studying my exam material and drilling me on the contents when I got home from work. I got an A and so did Mom.

Mom took every opportunity to learn. She was devoted to her own and to others' education. She said, "Money you can lose. You won't lose what you have learned." Mom was a teacher. As I grew up I remember the dining room table piled high with "teaching stuff" by the end of the week. Housework had to wait. Her students took priority. Mom ended her working days as a librarian at a teachers' training institution. She continued to be my source of help as I set up my own classroom. I asked her the questions; she found the professional guidance to answer my questions. In her years of retirement, she was the human resource we all called upon so we could continue where she had left off.

Each of the six Lyvere children wrote about their mom, Elaine Lyvere Lorince:

Greg wrote: I remember her as someone who worried and cared about the welfare of others more than herself. There were only two things she ever wished for herself, an Oldsmobile and that one of her children would become a minister. She never got an Olds, but a son did become a pastor.

Jeanette wrote: My mother was a single mother of six children, strong in her faith which she passed on to us. We filled a pew in church every Sunday. I remember her love for us. Helping with school work. Packing the six of us into the car to go swimming. Always putting our needs before her own. Her Christian values are forever embedded in my life. Thank you, Mom, a woman after God's own heart.

Kevin wrote: I remember how Mom sacrificed for us and she lived her life. She never "acted" like a Christian. She was a Christian, no acting involved. She didn't like it that we had to take care of her. We were just following her example of how she took care of her mom. I told her we would be there for her just as she was always there for us.

Daniel wrote: She raised us six kids, worked full time, took us to sporting events and when at the age of 89 she couldn't take care of us any longer, she still wanted to. My mother was a wonderful example of a Christian woman who lived her faith and showed unconditional love to her children and her friends. God gave us the best mom in the world.

Darrell wrote: I remember what a good cook she was and especially loved our Sunday dinners of chicken and baked potatoes. I remember Grandma Krenzke, her mother and our grandmother. They were the best mom and grandmother anyone could hope for. Proverbs 22: Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it.

Gary wrote: I have a lot of memories of my mother. When we were younger, Friday nights were special. After school Mom would take us to the local grocery store for pop and potato chips. Then we would gather in the living room to watch TV, drinking our pop and munching potato chips. Sometimes we had a homemade pizza. When I was young, Mom commented that I had a loud voice and that I should be a preacher. At age 63 I was ordained as a pastor. Mom was too sick to hear me preach, but my brother taped some services so she could watch them. I also had the blessing of serving her Holy Communion. I still have a birthday card with "Happy Easter" crossed out and "Happy Birthday" written on it because Mom forgot to get me a card.

Proverbs 31:20 "She extends her hand to the poor; and she stretches her hand to the needy," V25-26: "Strength and dignity are her clothing and she smiles at the future, she opens her mouth in wisdom and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue."
American Express (NYSE: AXP), a globally integrated payments company, is to acquire Resy, a New York City-based provider of a digital restaurant reservation booking and management platform.

The amount of the deal  expected to be completed in summer 2019  was not dislcosed.

The acquisition will build on American Express suite of digital-first benefits and services that extend beyond traditional rewards and points, to provide Card Members with access and experiences across travel and lodging, airport lounges, exclusive events, and dining.

Founded in 2014 by CEO Ben Leventhal, Resy offers a table management, CRM and booking technology suite for restaurants, with a consumer-facing restaurant reservation app and website to elevate and enhance dining experiences worldwide. Resy currently works with approximately 4,000 restaurants in 154 U.S. cities and 10 countries, seating more than 2.6 million diners a week.

Investors and partners include Airbnb, RSE Ventures, First Data, Lerer Hippeau Ventures, Slow Ventures, TOMS Capital and Union Square Hospitality Group.

After the acquisition, the Resy brand and digital platform will continue to be led and operated by Leventhal. Resys co-founder and CTO, Michael Montero, will also remain in place. Additionally, existing Resy reservation booking and management services and capabilities will continue to be offered.

The company was also founded by Gary Vaynerchuk, noted social media expert, entrepreneur and investor.

American Express is also working with recently acquired companies, including:

personal travel assistant app Mezi,

UK dining reservation platform Cake Technologies,

airport lounge discovery and booking platform LoungeBuddy, and

Japanese premium restaurant reservation platform Pocket Concierge,

to develop a suite of new digital capabilities that will provide new digital services, experiences, and access for American Express customers.

FinSMEs

16/05/2019
The following list includes recent reports from the Midland County Sheriff's Office and the Midland Police Department. Compiled by reporter Mitchell Kukulka.

Tuesday, May 14

9:33 p.m. -- Officers responded to a property damage accident in the 2800 block of Ashman Street.

9:16 p.m. -- A deputy was dispatched to a Homer township residence in reference to a 71-year-old woman who reported that she had received scam-like messages on Facebook from an unknown person. The woman reported that she did not give out any personal information, though she was advised by deputies to contact her credit union and update her security passwords for future protection. She was also given an identity theft checklist and it was explained to her.

7:59 p.m. -- Deputies responded to a Mount Haley Township residence for a neighbor dispute involving livestock and an ordinance violation. The township is currently handling the situation. A 41-year-old woman reported the neighbor was rude to her and was yelling at her prior to the deputies' arrival. Deputies spoke with a 35-year-old man who denied yelling at his neighbor. He agreed to be polite. Both subjects were referred to Mount Haley Township reference the ongoing ordinance violation.

1:22 p.m. -- A deputy was provided with information regarding a possible criminal sexual conduct complaint that occurred between two juveniles. Contact was made with the parent/guardian of the alleged victim in the case. The woman advised that she is well aware of the specific incident involving her daughter and a decision was made by her daughter to not report the incident with law enforcement until she is wiling and ready to do so. According to the mother, counseling and additional resources have been utilized for her daughter. The deputy provided the woman with additional options and resources available to her daughter.

12:28 p.m. -- Deputies were dispatched to a wooded area in Ingersoll Township in reference to a trespassing complaint. Two men -- a 49-year-old and a 17-year-old -- were found fishing on the property. The 58-year-old owner of the property told them both to leave the property and not return.

12:12 p.m. -- Officers responded to a vehicle crash resulting in injuries in the area of Ashman Street and Williams Street.

11 a.m. -- A 63-year-old Saginaw County man came to the Midland County Law Enforcement Center to report that he was receiving third-hand information about a 52-year-old Midland County man making threats against him. A deputy spoke with the man about Personal Protection Order options. The deputy advised the man if he wanted a formal complaint he would have to make the report with Saginaw County or Michigan State Police Tri-City Post since he lived outside of Midland County. The deputy advised the man that a briefing sheet would be filled out so that Midland deputies are aware of the situation.

7:49 a.m. -- Officers responded to a property damage accident in which a vehicle struck a Midland Public Schools bus in the area of East Wackerly Street and Whiffletree Lane.

6:02 a.m. -- Officers responded to a car-turkey crash in the 4200 block of Dublin Avenue.

12:19 a.m. -- Deputies were sent to a Mills Township home for a report of a missing 14-year-old girl. The missing girl was later located in a hunting cabin asleep. She was treated on the scene by an emergency team and reunited with her family.

Monday, May 13

10:25 p.m. -- Deputies responded to a property damage accident in Ingersoll Township.

9:41 p.m. -- Deputies were dispatched to a residence in Mount Haley Township in reference to an argument between two neighbors about a disagreement at a township meeting. The 41-year-old woman agreed to no longer disturb the neighborhood or argue with her neighbors.

12:38 p.m. -- Officers responded to a larceny in the area of the 3500 block of Isabella Road.

12:10 p.m. -- Deputies were dispatched to check the wellbeing of a 72-year-old Jerome Township woman. She called the MidMichigan Medical Center and spoke incoherently and hung up. MMMC tried to call back but got no answer. MMMC then requested a deputy check on the caller. Deputies found the woman unable to answer basic questions. Deputies located a family member's phone number and learned that the woman had a stroke last year. Emergency teams were called to the scene and the woman was transported to the emergency room.

10:34 a.m. -- A 31-year-old Edenville Township man reported that someone damaged his travel trailer overnight, causing about $250 in damage.

8:31 a.m. -- Officers responded to a crash in the area of Rodd Street and East Nelson Street.

7:07 a.m. -- Officers responded to a car-deer crash in the area of Rockwell Drive and Salzburg Road

Sunday, May 12

8:17 p.m. -- Officers performed a death investigation in the 3200 block of Shreeve Street.

6:22 p.m. -- A deputy was dispatched to a residence in Lee Township and made contact with a 55-year-old man who said that the neighbor's dogs had come onto his property and attacked one of his chickens. The male did not want to press charges and only wanted the deputy to talk to the neighbor. The deputy made contact with the neighbor, a 73-year-old man, and advised him of the situation. The neighbor made a plan on how he would prevent this from happening in the future.

4:45 p.m. -- Officers responded to a property damage accident on Eastman Avenue near Cinema Drive.

3:24 p.m. -- Officers responded to a report of harassing communication in the 500 block of McDonald Street.

2:25 p.m. -- Deputies responded to a property damage accident in Lee Township.

12:26 p.m. -- Deputies responded to a dog bite in Larkin Township which caused minor injuries to the victim.

11:26 a.m. -- A deputy stopped a 20-year-old Coleman woman for speeding on US-10 near M-18. She was arrested for driving while license suspended and transported to the Midland County Jail.

10:22 a.m. -- A 58-year-old Geneva Township man reported $616 was removed from his checking account through Western Union. The money was wired to Peru.

9:08 a.m. -- Deputies were dispatched to an Edenville Township residence for a report of a man with a self-inflicted gunshot wound. A 40-year-old man was found deceased at the residence, the victim of an apparent suicide.

6:35 a.m. -- Officers performed a death investigation in the 4800 block of Butterfield Drive.

5:43 a.m. -- A deputy struck a deer while on routine patrol in Warren Township.
To the editor:

Before the introduction of the federal income tax the executive branch had to be financed by the budgeting process of Congress.

The only way funds that were available to the executive branch directly  i.e. without congressional oversight  was money coming in from tariffs.

Federal income taxes are collected for income fractions falling above certain levels. Income exceeding the highest such level was taxed at more than 90% after World War II.

This was reduced to the 70% range by the Reagan administration. The recent legislation reduced that further to about 40%, so that the taxpayers with income above the highest level now retain about six times more of their income than they used to 60 years ago.

Having persuaded Congress to bring this about, the president is now pursuing his projects  e.g. building a wall at the Mexican border  by complementing the Congress-allotted funds with moneys derived from tariffs.

This provides a different wrinkle. Now the consumer will have extra money and is supposedly able to provide the funds the president needs by having to purchase the carefully identified tariff-burdened essential imported goods

The same consumers will pay the same dollars, they just go for funding the administrations projects without first going through Congress.

OSWALD ANDERS

Midland
Paducah, KY (42003)

Today

Overcast with a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly this evening. Low near 55F. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 30%..

Tonight

Overcast with a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly this evening. Low near 55F. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 30%.
BHE, a Boston, MA-based innovative healthcare analytics company, received a $78m minority growth investment.

The round was led by Silversmith Capital Partners and Leerink Transformation Partners. In conjunction with the funding, Jeff Crisan, Managing Partner of Silversmith, and Jared Kesselheim, MD, Managing Partner of LTP, will be joining the Board of Directors of BHE.

The company intends to use the funds to accelerate the development and market expansion of its platform.

Led by Joseph Menzin, Ph.D., Founder and CEO, and Jordan Menzin, Chief Technology Officer, BHE provides a SaaS Instant Health Data (IHD) platform, a real-world evidence (RWE) analytics solution currently being used by over two dozen major life science and research organizations.

The IHD platform supports rapid analysis of over 20 disparate real-world data sets, including claims, laboratory results, electronic medical records, hospital and integrated data sources.

FinSMEs

16/05/2019
Algiers, Algeria (PANA) - The former Algerian Prime Minister, Ahmed Benbitour, on Wednesday called for a proper reading of the Constitution to find a political solution to the crisis in the country following the resignation of President Abdelaziz Bouteflika after massive protests
Rome, Italy (PANA) - A German NGO has announced that its ship, "Sea Watch 3", has rescued 65 migrants aboard an inflatable boat 30 km off the Libyan coast, after their discovery by a civilian surveillance aircraft
The Hague, Netherlands (PANA)  All commanders, military or civilian, who have effective control, authority and command over forces in the ongoing fighting in Libya may be held criminally responsible for crimes committed by their subordinates, the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) warned on Thursday
Niamey, Niger (PANA) - The Nigerien government on Thursday declared a three-day national mourning in memory of the soldiers killed on 14 May in a terrorist ambush against a patrol of the army in the region of Tillaberry at the Malian border
Abuja, Nigeria (PANA)  The Nigeria Police Force says it has uncovered specific plots by some subversive elements masquerading as climate and environmental activists to commence massive and coordinated attacks on oil installations across the country especially in the Niger-Delta region and adjoining States
Abuja, Nigeria (PANA)  The Nigeria government on Wednesday accused the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its presidential candidate in last February's election, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, of hobnobbing with faceless groups with the intention to overthrow President Muhammadu Buhari's administration and scuttle Nigeria's democracy
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania (PANA) - Two Tanzanian nationals are among several suspects arrested in neighbouring Kenya in a crackdown on a syndicate of fake gold dealers who have conned victims of millions of dollars
BLOOMINGTON  A judge has permanently sealed information discovered by Bloomington police during their investigation into the shooting death of Pam Zimmerman.

Earlier, Judge Scott Drazewski had decided to keep the material sealed until the conclusion of Kirk Zimmerman's murder trial. A McLean County jury acquitted Zimmerman last week of killing his former wife in November 2014.

In October 2016, defense lawyer John Rogers asked to file two motions under seal. The motions sought to bar introducing as evidence "sensitive, private and/or inflammatory information" about Kirk Zimmerman and others.

The Pantagraph, WGLT and the Illinois Press Association appealed Drazewski's initial decision to keep the material sealed until after jury selection. The 4th District Appellate Court and the Illinois Supreme Court supported the judge's decision.

The defense renewed its opposition, arguing jurors could hear about the information from media reports. The judge delayed a decision until the trial ended.

In a four-page ruling, Drazewski noted the documents were provided to the defense by the state during the pretrial discovery process and the state did not use the material during trial.

The information "might become a vehicle for improper purposes," said the ruling, issued Tuesday. Some material "would be embarrassing and an invasion of privacy to non-party individuals," according to the decision.

The jury deliberated about 7 hours over two days before returning the not-guilty verdict against Kirk Zimmerman, 60, of Bloomington.

During the five-week trial, the state contended a dispute over money was behind the slaying. The defense denied Zimmerman killed his former wife over what amounted to about $4,000 in child support.

Contact Edith Brady-Lunny at (309) 820-3276. Follow her on Twitter: @pg_blunny

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BLOOMINGTON  Students in Bloomington District 87 will have numerous options this summer to make up for lost credits and continue their education in programs tailored to each school's needs.

Diane Wolf, assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction, gave a report on summer education options to the school board at its meeting Wednesday night.

She also reported on an expansion of the community school concept to Sheridan Elementary School in partnership with The Baby Fold.

The summer programs are paid for with various government grants and a grant from State Farm, Wolf explained.

Some of the programs at the elementary schools are aimed at students who have already been receiving interventions or are English as a Second Language students. Other programs are aimed at getting families more engaged and developing leadership.

Bent Elementary School will have a Spanish Academy teaching beginner Spanish to native English speakers in grades 1 to 5.

Summer is when we lose a lot of learning, said Wolf. The programs are aimed at curbing that loss and continuing learning.

There also will be a program called "Uknighted" offered to all incoming sixth-graders to help with their transition to Bloomington Junior High School.

The credit recovery programs for junior high and high school students who have failed one or more classes will be more individually targeted than in the past, said Wolf. Rather than just being computer based, teachers will be present to help students.

Students aren't the only ones who will be learning over the summer in District 87.

Wolf told the board the district will offer professional development for teachers from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade.

Teachers who have just finished their first year in the classroom will have a three-day camp covering a variety of topics.

There also will be 182 staff members working in small teams on 42 different projects, including the physical education curriculum, health curriculum and ESL/bilingual welcoming teams, she said.

Under the community school program starting at Sheridan next year, a staff member from The Baby Fold works with the school staff to provide increased family supports, including resource referrals and home visits.

Wolf said, It doesn't take away anything we're doing and is designed to support, not replace, school staff.

She gave as an example, The Baby Fold person providing a ride to a parent who does not have transportation to school for a meeting.

A similar partnership with The Baby Fold has been in place at Fairview Elementary School since 2013 and at Cedar Ridge Elementary School since 2017. Both are McLean County Unit 5 schools.

Contact Lenore Sobota at (309) 820-3240. Follow her on Twitter: @Pg_Sobota

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bioClarity, a San Diego, CA-based digitally native, direct-to-consumer skincare brand, raised $13m in the first closing of a new investment round.

The round was led by Prolog Ventures, which invested $6m, with participation other investors.

The company intends to use the funds to accelerate its growth through larger marketing initiatives and additional product innovation.

Led by Rick Sliter, president and CEO, bioClarity skincare routines, face masques, a serum, body wash and beauty supplement. All of bioClaritys products contain wholesome ingredients such as the brands patented Floralux, a deeply nourishing form of chlorophyll thats both an antioxidant and clinically proven to help reduce the appearance of redness and pore size. Additionally, the products are vegan, cruelty-free and made without parabens, sulfates and phthalates.

Part of Adigica Health, Inc., the company was founded in 2016.

FinSMEs

16/05/2019
EL PASO  Officials at two Central Illinois schools have told parents their schools are safe after receiving recent threats.

El Paso-Gridley Superintendent Brian Kurz sent junior high school families an advisory on Sunday, indicating the school received reports from students that one of their classmates had made comments they believed to be a threat to student safety.

We investigated those reports, put measures in place to ensure all students were safe, and sent a message to JH parents informing them of our concern and response, he said in the advisory.

Following school Friday, we learned of additional social media posts from the same student that were very concerning, he continued. We immediately partnered with local law enforcement and have been working throughout this weekend to ensure the continued safety of all of our EPG JH students. The student who made the threats will not be present at EPG schools.

As an added precaution, we will have several officers around campus and throughout the district this week to reassure students and staff that we are taking the situation seriously. Thanks to (Junior High Principal Robby) Tomlinson, his staff, and local law enforcement, who are doing what is needed to ensure it is a safe place for kids.

Kurz did not return calls seeking further comment.

In addition, Clinton police are investigating an incident from Tuesday in which a threat was made at the school. Superintendent Curt Nettles told police the threat was discovered shortly before noon and the school was evacuated so the police could search the building.

Police confirmed the threat on a bathroom wall indicated there was a bomb in the building. It was the second such threat in eight days at the school.

Crime Stoppers is offering a cash reward for information leading to the arrest of the person responsible in Clinton. Anyone with information is asked to call 217-935-3333.

Contact Kevin Barlow at (309) 820-3238. Follow him on Twitter: @pg_barlow

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BLOOMINGTON  The annual Bloomington/Normal Race for the Cure will have a new name and a new focus this year but the goals of raising awareness of breast cancer and money for breast cancer research, programs and services remain.

The ninth annual event has been renamed the Komen Bloomington/Normal More Than Pink Walk and there will be no timed race this year, said Katie Parker, public relations/marketing director of the Susan G. Komen Memorial Affiliate, which presents the annual event.

Instead, the event will include a walk and will have information focusing on how money raised by Komen goes to research, especially to combat metastatic (aggressive) cancer, as well as local programs and services, Parker said.

The Komen Memorial Affiliate, which covers 36 Central Illinois counties, including McLean, unveiled the changes Wednesday night during a team captains' meeting at Altitude Trampoline Park in Bloomington.

The changes are rooted in Komen's goal to reduce breast cancer deaths in the United States by 50 percent by 2026. Komen hopes to achieve that goal by focusing research dollars on metastatic cancer, Parker said.

Changes also resulted from feedback from Race for the Cure participants, she said. Most participants walked rather than ran. In addition, some participants didn't know a lot about what Komen did beyond organize the race.

"We learned that we had an opportunity to teach people about what Komen does beyond planning this event," she said.

Changes also are an attempt to revitalize the annual event, which raised $66,572 and had 602 participants last year. Numbers were higher several years ago.

The Komen Bloomington/Normal More Than Pink Walk will be Sept. 7 on the State Farm Corporate South campus, with the walk site opening at 7:30 a.m. Online registration, at www.komenmemorial.org, is free Thursday and Friday, then increases to $10 beginning Saturday, Parker said.

Contact Paul Swiech at (309) 820-3275. Follow him on Twitter: @pg_swiech

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SPRINGFIELD  A bill that would ban for-profit immigrant detention centers in Illinois is now on its way to Gov. J.B. Pritzker.

The Illinois Senate voted 34-14 on Thursday to pass House Bill 2020. It previously passed the House on April 10 by a vote of 85-26.

The bill would prohibit the state or any local unit of government from entering into any agreement to detain people in privately owned facilities. It also prohibits them from spending any money to subsidize or defray the costs of developing or operating one.

It would take effect immediately if signed by Pritzker.

The bill was introduced in response to a proposal to build a private federal detention center in the village of Dwight in Livingston County, north of Bloomington-Normal.

According to published reports, Dwights village board had voted in March to annex and rezone a parcel of land where Virginia-based Immigration Centers of America planned to build and operate a detention center on contract with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Illinois has prohibited the development of private prisons since 2012. The new legislation would expand that law to include private detention centers. However, it would not apply to state work release centers or juvenile residential facilities that provide care and treatment by nonprofit contractors.

State Rep. Kelly Cassidy, a Chicago Democrat, was the lead sponsor in the House. Earlier this year, she called the bill critically important to Illinois remaining welcoming to all people.

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CHICAGO  Before he took the oath of office in January, Gov. J.B. Pritzker was paying out of his own pocket for a national search to find the next head of the long-troubled Illinois Department of Children and Family Services.

Pritzker's transition team signed a $50,000 contract in early January with Massachusetts-based Koya Leadership Partners to conduct a nationwide search for a new leader for the child welfare agency, which has churned through 14 previous directors since 2003. "The governor wanted to get the search for key positions in his Cabinet underway as soon as possible so he covered the cost of the search as part of his transition," spokeswoman Jordan Abudayyeh said.

The move is another example of the first-term Democrat and billionaire heir to the Hyatt hotel fortune using his vast personal wealth to help fund functions of state government. Pritzker has also boosted salaries of some members of his administration with his own money. Because those payments aren't coming from state coffers, they're not subject to open records laws, raising potential transparency issues.

While the transition committee is not subject to the state Freedom of Information Act, the Pritzker administration provided a copy of the search contract to the Tribune.

Pritzker's personal payments for government work merits a closer look, said Alisa Kaplan, policy director for Reform for Illinois, formerly the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform.

"The blurring of the public and private spheres and public and private funds for government functions is problematic," Kaplan said. "And the extent to which the governor  this governor  can engage in it is raising all kinds of questions policymakers will have to address at some point."

Days before Pritzker's Jan. 14 inauguration, his transition team announced he would be doubling the salaries of top aides, including his chief of staff, deputy governors and senior advisers, through East Jackson Street LLC. Pritzker set up the corporation to "enable the governor-elect to personally compensate some staff in addition to their government salary," a spokeswoman said at the time.

"This process will take place in a transparent manner with requirements that information be reported publicly," Abudayyeh, who previously served as a spokeswoman for Pritzker's campaign and transition, said in a statement at the time. Abudayyeh's state salary of $75,000 is being doubled to $150,000.

State employees are required to file statements of economic interest with the secretary of state's office by May 1 of each year. But the forms filed by this month's deadline cover last year, which means the payments to Pritzker's top staff won't be disclosed until next year.

The DCFS director search resulted in the March 27 appointment of Marc Smith, then executive vice president of foster care and intact services at Olympia Fields-based Aunt Martha's Health & Wellness. Smith, who was a public service administrator for DCFS from 1993 to 2000, awaits Senate confirmation.

Smith is taking over DCFS as the agency is facing renewed scrutiny after the deaths of three children  2-year-old Ja'hir Gibbons of the Washington Park neighborhood, 2-year-old Ta'Naja Barnes of Decatur and 5-year-old Andrew "AJ" Freund of Crystal Lake  whose families had a history of contacts with the agency. On Wednesday, the governor's office released a report that found numerous problems with the DCFS division that is charged with keeping families intact.

The mother of a 2-year-old Decatur girl, Ta'Naja Barnes, also has been charged with her murder after the girl was returned to her from foster care, and a 2-year-old Chicago boy's autopsy showed bruises and rib fractures never reported despite numerous DCFS visits.

It's unclear how many other candidates were considered to lead the department. The governor's office denied a request for names and resumes of other finalists for the position, arguing that releasing the names of unsuccessful candidates would invade their privacy, harm their current employment and prevent agencies from finding qualified applicants for open positions.

Abudayyeh declined to say how many candidates were interviewed. "The administration and the governor met with multiple candidates and the governor selected the candidate he thought had the right experience to lead the agency," she said.

In addition to the flat $50,000 search fee, the Pritzker transition committee's contract for the DCFS search included a $3,500 administrative fee to cover search expenses. Koya also was allowed to bill the transition for "any direct, out-of-pocket expenses such as candidate and consultant travel, lodging, video-conferencing, job postings and employment screening."

The transition team also paid for a search to find a new head of the state's Department of Innovation and Technology. Ron Guerrier, previously chief information officer at pharmacy benefits manger Express Scripts, was appointed to that post March 4.

Pritzker's use of private funds to help the state aren't entirely without precedent. When announcing the private pay for top aides, his transition team noted that former billionaire New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg boosted staff pay out of his own pocket. Illinois' previous ultraweathy governor, Republican Bruce Rauner, donated from his personal fortune to help pay for repairs to the Governor's Mansion and state fairgrounds in Springfield.

"With our second very affluent governor in a row, it raises questions about how you think about the role of public expenditure," said Cindi Canary, who previously ran the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform and headed an ethics task force for Mayor Rahm Emanuel. "It's kind of a trend that we're seeing, especially when government is strained."

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SPRINGFIELD  With only two weeks remaining in the 2019 regular session, Democrats in the Illinois House say they are close to securing the 71 votes needed to pass one of Gov. J.B. Pritzkers top priorities, a constitutional amendment to overhaul the states income tax system.

I think we are rapidly closing in on 71, and Im confident the governor will, with the personal meetings hes having with members, get us over the hump, said state Rep. Robert Martwick, a Chicago Democrat and the lead sponsor of the measure in the House.

The proposed amendment, which cleared the Senate on May 1, would allow the General Assembly to replace the states flat income tax system, where all tax filers pay the same rate, regardless of their income, with a multibracket graduated tax that would impose higher rates on higher levels of income.

But the amendment has languished in the House Revenue and Finance Committee while Democratic leaders have struggled to secure the three-fifths majority, 71 votes, needed to place the issue on the November 2020 ballot. In that election, it would need support from either three-fifths of those voting on the question or a majority of all people voting in the election to take effect.

Pritzker has said he believes a graduated tax is the only way to solve the states long-term structural budget deficit without making draconian cuts in funding for public services. Opponents, however, argue that such a system would make it easier in the future for lawmakers to raise taxes on selected groups of people.

In addition to the amendment, the Senate also passed a bill May 1 spelling out what the new tax rates would be if the amendment is approved.

State Rep. Michael Zalewski, a Riverside Democrat who chairs the Revenue and Finance Committee, also said hes hopeful Pritzker can secure the votes needed in the House.

I think the governor has had some productive conversations with members in the last week, he said.

Zalewskis committee is scheduled to meet Monday, May 20, and some observers believe the amendment could come up for a vote then, sending it to the full House.

If the measure is to pass the House, supporters will have to secure the votes entirely from within the 73-member Democratic caucus because House Republicans have said they are unanimously opposed.

We dont need it, House GOP Leader Jim Durkin of Western Springs said during a Statehouse news conference Thursday.

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SPRINGFIELD  Trauma experienced as a child can reduce life expectancy by 20 years.

That was the finding of a 10-year study by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a decade ago.

Wednesday, state lawmakers marked the first Trauma-Informed Awareness Day by speaking about the importance of addressing adverse childhood experiences, or ACEs, that people carry with them through life.

"We have research that shows trauma impacts the brains of our children," said state Rep. Karina Villa, D-West Chicago. But the great news is with trauma-informed care, we can teach resiliency and we can make a difference in the future of our students.

ACEs can range from physical, emotional or sexual abuse as a child to domestic violence in the home. They can also be experiences with racism or involvement with the foster care system.

They impact physical and mental health, and can lead to poor health as an adult. A person who has experienced eight or more ACEs is expected to live 20 fewer years than someone who has had none, the CDC study showed.

During a Wednesday news conference at the Capitol, Villa joined Sen. Julie Morrison (D-Deerfield), Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul, Department of Human Services head Grace Hou, and Mikva Youth mental health representatives in discussing legislative attempts to help children with trauma.

Senate Resolution 99, sponsored by Morrison and adopted March 21, aims to shift how short- and long-term trauma events are approached from a health care aspect.

Trauma-informed awareness is something Raoul said hes advocated for in the past, but with a focus on criminal justice.

When Raoul worked as a Cook County prosecutor, he said it was common for someone who had originally come to his office as a victim to later be there for crimes they had committed.

He acknowledged that it didnt need to happen.

Had we appropriately invested in trauma-informed services, we would have interrupted that minor respondent from having come back into the building as somebody who committed a crime, Raoul said.

A 2013 Illinois Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey reported that more than 60 percent of Illinois adults had at least one adverse childhood experience, while 14.2 percent of adults had experienced four or more.

Hou said the 3,000 children who receive Comprehensive Community-Based Youth Services from a collection of 30 organizations around the state are just a small snapshot of children who are served through youth services.

To undo the harm caused by trauma, Hou said, its important to approach trauma-informed care with the best available science and practice, but also as a statewide collaboration.

But, she said, Illinois youth must also be brought to the table to discuss trauma-informed care and wellness.

It is so important that our programs designed for youth are designed with youth, Hou said.

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Danny Baker was a highly successful and even brilliant British radio host in the eyes of his BBC bosses, until he tweeted a photo that wasnt as innocently cute as he thought it was.

The photo depicted a young man and woman holding hands with a chimpanzee over a caption that read: Royal baby leaves hospital.

His bosses, among many others, were not amused by his intemperate salute to newborn Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor, son of Prince Harry and his biracial American wife, Meghan Markle. He deleted the tweet and apologized, saying he had not considered the pictures racist connotations. Too late. He was fired later the same day.

Too bad. Bakers blunder illustrates the hidden impact of the new royal babys arrival: He offers us commoners another opportunity to embarrass ourselves through our ignorance, not only about royalty but also about race.

I call such racial gaffes the downside of trying not to see color. Thats a well-meaning impulse when it leads us to treat others fairly, regardless of their race or ethnicity. But attempts to impose a false invisibility on important issues like race, gender and ethnicity can blind us to aspects of other people that we should be trying to see.

Baker should have gotten a clue from the very fact that Harry and Meghans nuptials in May 2018 drew more global attention and, I would argue, caused more excitement than any other since Prince Charles and Princess Diana tied the knot in 1981.

Amid the current storms over trade wars, real wars, Brexit and border security debates, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and baby Archie offer us, at least, a lovely symbolic vision of peace and love across racial and international lines.

For the black diaspora, especially in the United Kingdom and the United States, Archies parents and his birth have stirred an excitement mixed with questions. One appeared in the headline to an op-ed by Carla Hall, a Los Angeles Times editorial writer who also is biracial: Will Meghan Markle and Prince Harry raise their baby to be black?

Halls essay, which was more nuanced than its headline, provoked a wide array of responses from trolls as well as sensible people. After all, even unabashed social justice warriors should hesitate before considering a member of the British royal family to be oppressed, just because he has a mixed-race mom. Living while royal most likely will mean more to baby Archies identity development than living while black.

We dont even know yet how much his black genes will affect how he looks. As much as we in the U.S. are conditioned by the one-drop rule, a distinctly American idea that one drop of black blood in your ancestry makes you black, baby Archie could be part black but look quite white.

Racial identity is expressed in two ways: How we see ourselves and what others see when they look at us. Archie may grow into skin color and hair texture that looks white enough for others to presume thats all that matters.

Yet as Bakers misadventure illustrates, how a child sees himself or herself can be challenged on an almost daily basis by a world that only wants to see one racial or cultural heritage at a time, often through the distorting lenses of stereotypes.

Writer Lizzie Skurnick, daughter of a black mother and white Jewish father, asked a question in a New York Times essay that is similar to Halls: Will he have kinky hair? Either way, she notes, shell love #BabySussex, as his parents hashtagged their son on Instagram, and hopes hell be as proud of his kinky hair as she is proud of hers.

Thats important, as mixed-race Americans have become a growing category of Americans, for children and teens who inevitably have questions about themselves, their background, their heritage and how to put up with sometimes annoying What are you? questions from their peers.

For this, Harry and Meghan offered a good model in their choices of wedding speakers and music from Meghans cultural heritage. Chicago-born Bishop Michael Curry, the first African-American to head the Episcopal Church in the U.S., delivered a spirited sermon. A gospel choir sang, breaking from Church of England tradition and breaking into a lively version of Ben E. Kings 1961 hit Stand By Me.

Im sure I was not the only African-American in the global audience who was reminded in that service of the cultural experience my parents gave me, not only to appreciate where I was coming from but also to prepare me for the larger world into which I hoped to grow. I wish no less for baby Archie, whichever way his privileged life takes him.

Contact Page at cpage@chicagotribune.com.

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Every time I see the latest economic news, I thank Hillary Clinton.

Every time I see those high GDP numbers (up 3.2 percent last quarter), I thank Hillary.

Every time I see those record low unemployment numbers for blacks, Latinos and women, I thank Hillary.

If she hadn't been such a horrible candidate in 2016, there's no telling what sorry state America would be in right now.

So thank you, Hillary, for being such a loser.

You did your country a greater service than you'll ever know.

I don't really blame Hillary too much for refusing to accept her embarrassing defeat and deciding to spend the rest of her public life posing as a professional victim of a conspiracy that never happened.

In the pretend world where she lives, the Trump-hating Democrats running the House of Representatives and the Trump-hating Democrats running the mainstream liberal media want to re-investigate the Russian collusion delusion from scratch.

They're still deluding themselves about bringing down Trump and they know it. They know that even if the House impeaches Trump, the Senate won't impeach him in a million years.

In other words, the Democrats know their multiple hearings are nothing but partisan TV stunts designed to constantly smear Trump and his family and discredit Attorney General William Barr before he digs up the dirt about the FBI's rogue spying operation on the 2016 Trump campaign.

The good thing is, you don't have to bother watching the House's hearings live or pay attention to how the committees vote.

Everyone already knows exactly what the final scores are going to be - straight party-line votes in favor of the majority Democrats' efforts to impeach, probe or immediately hang the president.

Meanwhile, the liberal media never get around to asking the Democrats in the House why they aren't busy writing new legislation to reform health care or fund infrastructure repair.

Come on, Nancy.

It's time to send your new legislation over to the Senate so it can be sent over to be signed by the president. Where is it?

While the liberal media keeps busy finding new ways to hate Trump, a hundred Democratic presidential wannabes who hope to go on their party's suicide mission in 2020 are wandering around Iowa, hating on Trump, doing bad impersonations of socialists and making wilder and wilder promises they can't keep.

"Medicare for all," free college for all, "free" federal money for all deposited in a bank account every year just for being born a future Democrat.

Wouldn't it be nice if a journalist at CNN, MSNBC, CBS or The New York Times seriously challenged one of these irresponsible promise-makers?

Instead of the usual softball question, what if Wolf Blitzer threw a surprise fastball at the head of Bernie Sanders or Elizabeth Warren?

What if he asked them something complicated like, "What do you think about passing legislation to end the monopoly protections given in each state to healthcare companies and allowing the companies to sell insurance across state lines?"

"I think it's called 'competition,' " Wolf could say. "It allows consumers to shop around for the best deal for themselves and their families. It's worked pretty well with cars, TVs and vegetables.Do you think it might work with health care?"

Don't worry.

No one in the mainstream media will ever dare to ask that kind of question to a Democrat.

They're only asked questions that can be answered with "I really really hate Trump."

Let's face it.

We're going to have this kind of anti-Trump insanity in America for the next 18 months.

The deranged mainstream media - electronic and what's left of print - is never going to go back to presenting what we used to call "the news."

So in order to not go crazy yourself, I suggest that you follow my favorite advice.

Turn off the TV for the weekend - at least.

Listen to a lot of loud country music - real loud.

And remember to honor your mother.

Contact Reagan at Reagan@caglecartoons.com.

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As I wrote about a month ago concerning the Mueller report, the Democrats havent ceased their ridiculous attack on our President Trump. They continue wrongfully hating POTUS. They are more enraged because Attorney General Barr wants to dig into the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act and the wrongs that started all this.

The Democratic leadership realizes the wrong and is now scrambling to keep it from being exposed. Seems that there were many powerful officials in the end of the Obama administration having their hands dirty with potential crimes. These folks willingly tried to prevent Trump from winning as he campaigned for president. Were they the ones colluding to keep Donald Trump from becoming president, then scrambling to get him out of office with various unconstitutional motives.

I try to compare the Watergate scandal from President Nixon, a Republican, and now this Muellergate investigation scandal, leading to exonerating President Trump, a Republican.

The major difference in the two is that the press, especially Bob Woodward and The Washington Post, played a very active part in getting the truth revealed against President Nixon. However, it's the opposite now. Very poor journalism and mass media reports havent been the fair arbiters of truth in this postmodern time.

The left-leaning media does not give President Trump fairness as being a good leader of the United States of America. Why?

Leon Kaeb, Bloomington

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Geospiza, a Denver, CO-based startup that enables emergency managers, first responders, and program managers to quickly make data-driven decisions, closed $1m in funding.

Backers included investments from Techstars, GAN Ventures, Next Wave Ventures, Chloe Capital, Alumni Ventures Group, Kokopelli Ventures, among others. In conjunction with Andy Boyd, an experienced disaster recovery industry leader, will represent the shareholders on the board.

The company intends to use the funds to enable mapping and data modeling, as well as facilitate sales and customer success team growth.

Founded in 2017 and led by CEO Sarah Tuneberg, Geospiza is an intuitive software platform that empowers emergency managers, first responders, and program managers with the data needed to improve results, ROI, to reduce risk, and enhance resilience in communities of all sizes.

The company is a 2018 Techstars Accelerator graduate.

FinSMEs

16/05/2019
100 years ago

May 16, 1919: Former BHS principal William Wallis is on his way back to Bloomington, having completed his tour of duty as an Army YMCA secretary in France. Hell be reunited with his wife here this weekend. Wallis future plans were not announced.

75 years ago

May 16, 1944: Rolland Penner, formerly of LeRoy, was a radioman on an American Liberty ship that ran aground off Scotland. He is now listed as lost. Penner, whose sister still lives in Bloomington, had been in the Merchant Marine for 14 years.

50 years ago

May 16, 1969: Striking operating engineers came to agreement with local contractor groups today, and work resumed on some construction jobs. But most sites are still inactive across town because many of the unions have not come to terms.

25 years ago

May 16, 1994: Vandals struck Sunday at NCHS, trashing the business education office. Damage could run into the tens of thousands of dollars. A teacher caught one 16-year-old suspect inside the building. Two others got away, but police know their names.

Compiled by Jack Keefe; jkeefe@coldwellhomes.com.
The Trump administration has bailed out a massive meatpacking company using $62 million in taxpayer money over the past few months, according to a report from the New York Daily News.

The cash was initially promised to support American farmers struggling amid the trade war between China and America, prompting confusion and rage that the money would instead go to JBS USA, a U.S.-based subsidiary of the largest meatpacking corporation in the world, JBS SA. How, exactly, this bailout will support American farmers remains unclear.

In the face of the Trump administrations continued failures to resolve the trade war with China, repeated pledges have been made to support American farmers. The trade war directly affects American farmers, as it has resulted in levies on American exports. With trade talks still in shambles, continued monetary aid will be a necessity for American farmers who, often operating at a loss, rely on governmental subsidies to support their high costs of agricultural equipment, labor and crops.

Amid all of this is the revelation that JBS SAs exports to China have skyrocketed during the escalating trade war between the U.S. and China; JBS SAs output to China rose to over 24% in 2018, with industry officials noting that the company does not seem to be hurting.

More fuel for frustration: The two owners of JBS are admitted criminals, having notably bribed hundreds of officials in Brazil.

Farm trade group R-CALF issued a statement to the Trump administration back in 2017, calling on the government to investigate JBS potentially illicit behaviors. Neither JBS nor the Trump administration commented on the Daily News report, although President Trump maintains via his tweets that he will support American farmers.

Read more about our thoughts on Trumps trade war with China here and how the tariffs are affecting farmers here.
Patna: Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) president Lalu Prasad Yadav, who is on a six-week furlough from the Ranchi prison on medical grounds, was rushed to a Patna hospital on Saturday after he complained of giddiness, breathing problem, and a general sense of uneasiness.

Yadav, who was brought back to Patna last Wednesday to seek medical treatment, was taken to the Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (IGIMS) where he was thoroughly checked up by heart specialists.

Nearly two hours after being brought to the hospital, Yadav was released after doctors gave him a clean chit saying his heart beat and other conditions had stabilized and there was no need for him to remain at the healthcare facility.

A hospital official confirmed Yadav was treated for giddiness and uneasiness besides having breathing problem after he fell down at his home on 10 Circular Road in Patna.

"Mr. Yadav's medical records show he suffers from a number of ailments like diabetes, hyper-tension, and kidney problems. He was thoroughly checked up for any immediate threat and was given required medicine after which he was allowed to go home," Manish Mandal, Medical Superintendent at the IGIMS said.

As reported, the RJD chief was first given a three-day parole to attend his son Tej Pratap Yadav's wedding to Aishwarya Rai, the daughter of RJD leader Chandrika Rai and the grand-daughter of former Bihar Chief Minister late Daroga Rai. After the wedding, Yadav returned to the Ranchi jail but his lawyers were able to obtain a six-week bail for him on health grounds.

Yadav returned to Patna last Wednesday.

Reports say he would soon be taken to Mumbai and later to Bengaluru for further treatment of his illness.

The RJD chief was convicted by a CBI court in Ranchi in three separate cases of corruption related to the fodder scam and was sent to prison for 14 years.
Patna: Just hours after Tejaswi Yadav and his supporters staged a high drama at the Governor's mansion in Patna on Friday where he staked claim to form a new government in Bihar, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa, ahead of the floor test on Saturday, resigned from his post a day after he was sworn in under intense protest by the Congress for the same position.

After making a passionate speech about how he could have helped Karnataka become one of the best states in the country, Yeddyurappa resigned and pledged to go the people of his state to ask them to give him a second chance to govern the state.

With the humiliation of the BJP and the resignation of Yeddyurappa, Janata Dal  S, in alliance with the Congress will now form the new government in Karnataka with a total strength of 117 legislators.

The dramatic resignation of Yeddyurappa, however, has poured cold water on the hopes of Tejaswi Yadav who was just beginning to see a narrow but a possible path to the Chief Minister's post expecting the Bihar Governor to follow the Karnataka model and invite him to form a new government since the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) was the largest single party Bihar in the last Assembly elections.

Meanwhile, the dramatic unfolding of events in Karnataka sent a wave of celebration in the Congress camp where party leaders danced outside Sadaqat Ashram, the state party headquarters, and shared sweets and 'gulal' with each other for being able to be in a position to form the government with the JD-S as its ally.

Bihar Pradesh Congress Committee President Kaukab Qadri, who, along with other party leaders, had burnt effigies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP national President Amit Shah on Wednesday and had also walked with the RJD leaders to the Raj Bhawan to demand a re-do of the last Assembly elections, said that the events in Karnataka was a win for democracy and a victory of truth. He also said the way the BJP acted in Karnataka was a wakeup call for the people of India about the nefarious designs of the Modi-Shah duo.
The former owner of a Harrisburg-based dental and vision claims processing business has pleaded guilty to defrauding a trust fund out of nearly $1.5 million, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office.

Micheal Timothy Buchanan, 68, pleaded guilty to health care fraud, which carries a maximum prison sentence of ten years. Authorities said Buchanan is now a resident of Indiana. He was released after pleading guilty in a Harrisburg courtroom and will be sentenced later.

The fraud involved claims submitted to the Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Faculties over a ten-year period ending in 2017, the attorneys office said.
Its time to celebrate Greek culture and heritage.

One of central Pennsylvanias favorite ethnic festivals, the Capital Region Greek Festival, returns for the 47th year.

At the heart of the festival is food, from honey-drenched baklava and stuffed gyros to thick pieces of pastitsio and moussaka casseroles.

Church members invest months preparing the food and for good reason. More than 30,000 visitors are expected to visit over the three day event.

We just want to make sure everyone who comes has a good time and enjoys their time, said Dimitri Zozos, one of the organizers.

Were pretty sure you wont leave hungry. To help you navigate the 2019 festival, heres a handy guide.

Church members spend months preparing for the Capital Region Greek Festival at the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Wormleysburg. PennLive file photo by Dan Gleiter | dgleiter@pennlive.com HAR

When is the festival?

The 47th annual festival will be held May 17-19 at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral at 1000 Yverdon Drive in Wormleysburg. It is one of the largest ethnic festivals in the state.

It will run from 11 a.m.-8 p.m. May 17-18 and 11 a.m.-4 p.m. May 19.

What about traffic?

If you plan to visit the festival on Saturday or Sunday, a portion of Efrord Road and the Camp Hill Bypass will be closed this weekend for repairs and reconstruction.

Starting at 9 p.m. Friday weather permitting, a contractor will close the westbound Camp Hill Bypass Ramp to Erford Road and the Erford Road ramp toward Camp Hill. The closures will be in effect from 9 p.m. Friday through 6 a.m. Monday, according to a news release from PennDOT. During the closure, a detour using 2nd Street in Wormleysburg, Routes 11/15, 21st Street, and Poplar Church Road will be in place. Two-way traffic will be maintained on Erford Road during the closure.

Greek Festival organizers will place signs around the area to direct traffic to the festival.

Where can I park?

If you arrive early, plenty of spots should be available in the churchs main parking lot. Parking officials will help guide you to a spot. They are hoping to implement a new one-way traffic pattern to enter and exit the church grounds.

Otherwise, park along the streets near the church and walk over to the festival. Organizers ask visitors to be mindful of neighbors and not block driveways, and adhere to stop signs, no parking signs and the 25 m.p.h. speed limit.

Best times to go?

To avoid the crowds, go mid-day Friday or early Saturday morning. Sunday is another option but its best to avoid 11 a.m. when church lets out.

The 46th annual Capital Region Greek Festival takes place through May 20 at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Wormleysburg. May 18, 2018. Dan Gleiter | dgleiter@pennlive.com HARHAR

Where can I eat?

You can sit down and eat indoors or outdoors. Feel free to sit inside the social hall where entrees such as pastitsio and mousakka, as well as pastries are sold. Several large tents will be erected outside where youll also find stands selling flaming saganaki cheese, gyros and baklava sundaes. Theres also a Gourmet Greek Grocery section where you can buy items such as frozen unbaked pastitsio, moussaka, spanakopita and tiropita. Bring cash. Prices range from $13-$16 for dinners and $4 and up for a la carte items such as gyros. Prepackaged boxed assorted pastries are priced at $15.

Argoladi Extra Virgin Olive Oil will sell at the Capital Region Greek Festival.

Whats new?

For the first time they will sell olive oil. Argoladi, organic extra virgin olive oil imported from Greece, will sell at the Gourmet Greek Grocery for about $18.

This is as green as can be. Wed love to have it in a bottle but its photosensitive, said David Phelps, vice president of Argoladi and professor at Penn State University College of Medicine.

The early harvest olives are picked when they are green and while the yield is lower, the olives are higher in antioxidants, he said.

You get that green color and it has that amazing aroma, Phelps added.

The oil is produced in Kranidi, Greece and imported by a Flores-Phelps, LLC, a company Phelps and his wife, Joanna Flores, also a professor with the College of Medicine, founded. The olives are harvested by hand from more than 2,000 trees.

What pastries do they sell?

Traditional Greek pastries are one of the big draws. Volunteers spend weeks making the pastries. Here is a guide to help you select your favorites:

Baklava: Layers of phyllo and walnuts topped with a sweet honey syrup.

Finikia: Moist cookies flavored with cinnamon and dipped in honey syrup and topped with walnuts.

Galaktobouriko: Custard filling wrapped in phyllo, baked and topped with syrup.

Karidopita: Rich walnut spice cake.

Kataifi Rolls: Shredded phyllo filled with walnuts, almonds and topped with syrup.

Kataifi me Crema: Kataifi pastry served custard style.

Koulourakia: Butter cookies made with a twist & great with coffee.

Kourambiedes: Sweet butter and almond cookies topped with powdered sugar.

They also sell Loukoumades, honey puffs topped with honey syrup and dusted with cinnamon and walnuts.

When can I see the dancers?

The Olympic Flames are a dance troupe that performs authentic Greek dances. Be sure to catch the dancers for the complete Greek Festival experience. They dance 5:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Friday as well as every hour on Saturday starting at noon with the final dance at 6:30 p.m. On Sunday, one continuous show starts at 1 p.m.

The Capital Region Greek Festival attracts thousands of visitors to the Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Wormleysburg. File photo by Dan Gleiter | dgleiter@pennlive.com HAR

What else is there to do?

There are guided church tours available, and you also can take a self-guided tour. In addition, vendors sell authentic Greek items, jewelry and handcrafted items in the church basement as well as outdoors in one of the tents.
Theres no better place to spend Fourth of July than Philadelphia. The City of Brotherly Love traditionally goes all out for the holiday and this year is no different.

The main attraction is Wawa Welcome America, which kicks off June 29 with six days of family-friendly fun, including more than 50 free events that range from free museum days to outdoor film screenings. Wawa Welcome America will also include three firework shows and a concert headlined by Meghan Trainor and Jennifer Hudson..

The festival announced its lineup of events at a press conference on May 16.

New events this year include a free admission day at the Museum of the American Revolution on July 1, a screening of Invincible at Franklin Field (where it was partially filmed) on July 1, a Inaugural Day of Service Park Cleanup at Hunting Park on July 2, Kimmel Centers Great American Party on the Plaza on July 2 and an expanded July 4th parade.

The most notable change is the adding of a firework show. The first firework display will be on June 29 after the United States Army Band Pershings Own Concert on Penns Landing (the show starts at 8 p.m.).

The second firework display will be on July 1 after the United States Army Field Band performs its multimedia concert Let Freedom Ring, which includes an appearance by the U.S. Armys official aerial parachute team, who will parachute in to the staging area at Penns Landing. That performance begins at 8 p.m.

The third and final firework showcase will be held immediately after the July 4th Concert featuring Jennifer Hudson, the Philly POPS and Meghan Trainor. The show begins at 7 p.m. on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway and fireworks are expected to commence at 9:30 p.m. by the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

Many of the festivities are veteran events for Wawa Welcome America, including a screening of Rocky on the Philadelphia Museum of Arts steps on June 30, Philadelphias Historic District Block Party on June 30 and the Philly POPS orchestra performance in front of Independence Hall on July 3.

You can see a complete list of events at welcomeamerica.com.

NBC10 and Telemundo62 President Ric Harris (far left), Welcome America, Inc. President Michael DelBene (fourth from left), Wawa President Chris Gheysens (fifth from right), Philadelphia City Representative Sheila Hess (third from right) and Independence Visitor Center Corporation President James J.. Cuorato (far right) celebrate the announcement of the 2019 Wawa Welcome America events at a press conference on May 16. Julia Hatmaker | jhatmaker@pennlive.com

Julia Hatmaker may be reached at jhatmaker@pennlive.com. Follow her on Twitter @JuliaHatmaker. Start your day in the know by signing up for our newsletter, Good Morning, Pennsylvania.
It has been years in the making but, Fulton Bank recently announced it has completed an expansion at its headquarters in Lancaster.

Fulton Financial Corporation completed an expansion of its corporate headquarters with the addition of a new building at 23 E. King St. in Lancaster.

The three-story office building contains approximately 60,000 square feet of space, including 1,500 square feet of street-front retail space for a Subway restaurant. The new building is currently occupied by 200 employees, and has space for 400 employees to account for projected new hires, based on Fulton Financial Corporations 10-year growth plan, the company said in a press release.

This new building symbolizes the growth of our company and the vibrancy of our local economy," E. Philip Wenger, chairman and CEO of Fulton Financial Corporation said in the press release.

Fulton announced in 2010 that it had purchased the property with the intent to expand its corporate offices at Penn Square. In 2013, the company stopped the construction project to evaluate its needs and current buildings on Penn Square and in East Petersburg. It has since reworked areas of its existing Penn Square headquarters and completed a major remodel of the East Petersburg Operations Center, adding 425 new workspaces between the two locations.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held on April 29. Employees began moving into the building in March which is connected by a bridge to the existing Penn Square headquarters.

Fulton Financial Corporation operates approximately 230 offices in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey and Virginia through four subsidiary banks.

--Business Buzz

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Harrisburg International Airport in Lower Swatara Township has been awarded $20 million in grant money by the Federal Aviation Administration.

The grant was announced on Wednesday by U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Elaine L. Chao as part of the Federal Aviation Administrations intent to award $779 million in supplemental funding for infrastructure grants to 127 airports in all 50 states and Puerto Rico.

The grants include a $20 million award to HIA to improve the drainage at the airport by rehabilitating the flood dike. The Department of Transportation says that the project will preserve the levee system to protect the airports single runway and approach light system.

The project will improve drainage by rehabilitating 13,025 feet of the airports levee system. The levee was constructed in 1958. The two-year project will clear vegetation, fill animal burrows, restore cross-section, reconstruct the levee toe and install an articulating concrete block mat system to protect the levee face from future erosion, the airport said in a press release.

This second and final increment of supplemental funding was funded through the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2018. The Act provided an additional $1 billion in funding above the $3.31 billion awarded in the regular Airport Improvement Program funding during fiscal year 2018.

This supplemental funding allows us to invest in important infrastructure needs at the nations airports, especially those serving smaller and rural communities, Chao said in the press release.

When people fly to and from HIA, where do they go most often?
Subscribe to get this free newsletter, Good Morning, Pennsylvania, delivered to your email inbox at 6 a.m. weekdays. This is the May 16, 2019, edition.

Weather

High: 74, low: 54. Party sunny

Photo of the Day

Alexis Singleton-Robinson of Harrisburg's SciTech Campus, one of the 2019 Best and Brightest high school seniors in central Pa. Photo by Sean Simmers, PennLive.com. PENNLIVE.COM

Crime news

Unsolved: The January death of a retired Susquehanna Twp. police officer has been ruled a homicide. The officer was shot in 1981, which led to his death decades later, specialists say. Read more.

Unacceptable: Children and Youth Services received at least six reports about a 2-year-old in the 17 months before he died. Only one led to services. Read more.

Unafraid: Alfred Pops Quigley, 79, was in his Harrisburg tavern when a customer punched and robbed him. He says hes keeping the place open but might get some security upgrades. Read more.

Alfred Quigley, owner of Quigley's Tavern in Harrisburg, was injured during a robbery May 3 in the bar along South Cameron Street in Harrisburg.

Food & drink

Nostalgic eats: There are still some old-school drive-in restaurants where you can pull in for fries, floats and burgers in Pa. this summer. Read more.

Closing: After 12 years, Sakana Japanese Steakhouse & Sushi Bar in Lower Paxton Twp. is closing. The owner wants to focus on family. Read more.

Politics

Children can marry?!: There is no minimum age to get married in Pennsylvania. State lawmakers are looking to change it to 18. Read more.

PennLive endorsement: A On May 21, voters will choose five Harrisburg School District directors in the decisive Democratic primary. Heres what we think.

Maximum Security, the horse disqualified from the Kentucky Derby horse race. Owner Gary West confirmed that Maximum Security won't run in the upcoming Preakness, saying there's no need without a chance to compete for the Triple Crown. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez, file)AP

Horse racing

Wanna bet?: Improbable and War of Will opened as favorites after post positions were drawn yesterday for the Preakness Stakes. Itll be run Saturday. Read more.

Delicate animals: Theres a hard reality the public normally doesnt think about: Horses commonly break down during racing or training and are put to death. At Pa. tracks last year, 87 horses died. Read more.

Wawa topped Sheetz in Pennsylvania in a survey on the best gas station restrooms.

In brief

Where to stop when you have to go | new attraction at Hersheys Chocolate World |Penn State footballs schedule | live chickens released in school prank | jail time tossed for PSU students over hazing | judge fined for sexual misconduct | guide to the Greek festival | Powerball numbers | todays obituaries
Know Bio, LLC, a Durham, NC-based RTP based conglomerate of biotechnology and MedTech companies, completed a $30m equity financing.

Reedy Creek Investments provided the funds.

The company intends to use the funds for research & development and general operations.

Led by Neal Hunter, CEO and Chairman of the Board of Managers, Know Bio is a life science company focused on using its extensive intellectual property developed internally as well as licensed patents and applications in the field of nitric oxide across a vast majority of therapeutic applications to redefine the standard of care in a number of diseases and conditions.

Vast Therapeutics and PhotonMD are two companies that have emerged from the KNOW Bio platform.

Corporate strategy involves forming subsidiaries to focus on specific diseases and conditions, assemble teams of experienced personnel in each and incentivize them to succeed by granting them equity in their respective subsidiary, with KNOW Bio retaining controlling ownership of each unless and until an appropriate opportunity for a subsidiary sale, IPO or other financing makes sense.

The company is expanding its team in selected high impact areas by initiating searches for a Vice President of Drug Development, Chief Medical Officer, Clinical Operations Specialist, B2C Sales Director for Medical Devices and a Controller for the combined group.

FinSMEs

16/05/2019
One man is dead and another in surgery after an early-morning shooting in Harrisburg, according to police.

Officers were dispatched at 1:03 a.m. Thursday to the 1500 block of State Street for a report of two people who had been shot. Officers arrived to find two men with gunshot wounds - one was lying in the middle of State Street, and the other was on the sidewalk, police said.

EMS arrived and transported both men to local hospitals.

One man, who police say is in his 30s, was pronounced dead shortly after arriving at the hospital, according to police. The second man was immediately taken into surgery, and his condition is not currently known.

The identities of the men have not yet been released.

LIVE: Overnight shooting in Harrisburg leaves 1 dead, 1 injured. Posted by PennLive.com on Thursday, May 16, 2019

Captain Olivera gave us an update on this morning's shooting in Harrisburg that has left one person dead and another in grave condition: https://t.co/DjStYm3LXs pic.twitter.com/aK1CgeG6Z4  WPMT FOX43 (@fox43) May 16, 2019

Neighbors in the area say they heard a couple of loud booms early in the morning. They also said the neighborhood is generally a quiet and calm area.

An area of North 16th Street between State and Liberty streets remained closed into Thursday morning as police continued to investigate.

Anyone who may have seen what happened is asked to contact the Harrisburg Bureau of Police at 717-558-6900, or submit a tip through CrimeWatch.

2019 CENTRAL PA. HOMICIDE MAP: Click to see the homicides that have happened in central Pennsylvania in 2019.


TOWANDA  A former Bradford County district judge has been fined $5,000 for improper sexual conduct by the Court Judicial Discipline.

Michael G. Shaw, who chose not to seek re-election in 2017 after spending 24 years on the bench, was given six months to pay the fine and he will be under supervision until he does.

The court found his ethical violations did not amount to criminal acts but that they brought disrepute to the judiciary.

Shaw acknowledged it was improper for him to engage in a romantic relationship with the girlfriend of a defendant he was supervising in treatment court.

The court found, as stated in the majority opinion:

 Shaws conduct, which occurred outside the courtroom, was repeated and done apparently with little, if any, thought about its potential consequences.

 He exploited his position for personal reasons and gratification.

 His contrition was genuine, he is unlikely to offend again and there is no evidence of prior complaints against him.

Judge John H. Foradora in a separate opinion concurred with the others but favored a much greater fine.

He found although Shaw admitted to county President Judge Maureen T. Beirne he exchanged sexually explicit texts with the woman, he lied to her when he denied he was having an affair.

Shaw, a former police officer, had argued in seeking dismissal of the complaint against him that his admitted sexual activity did not violate judicial conduct standards.

Shaw was presiding judge of the Bradford County DUI and drug treatment court between February 2006 and March 2011 and June 2012 and into mid-2014.

Beirne removed him after he admitted to her the explicit texting.
Harrisburg Police have identified the man killed during an early morning shooting as 38-year-old Corey Crishon.

Police said Crishon was killed in the 1500 block of State Street, with officers dispatched to the scene around 1:03 a.m. Thursday.

A second man was shot, and police said he had surgery and is recovering in a local hospital. Police have not identified the second man. Police did not say where the men were from.

Neighbors told PennLive that they heard a couple large booms early in the morning, but that the neighborhood was usually quiet.

Harrisburg police said up to $2000 is being offered as a reward for information that leads to the identity of a suspect and an arrest in the case. Anyone with information can call 717-558-6900 or submit a tip through CrimeWatch.

2019 CENTRAL PA. HOMICIDE MAP: Click to see the homicides that have happened in central Pennsylvania in 2019.


Supporters of a proposed charter school in Harrisburg havent given up on their goal of opening a school, despite the Harrisburg School Boards rejection of its plans.

The latest turn in the battle involves math, to a degree, as charter school supporters aim to show they have enough signatures to lodge an appeal.

The backers of the planned Pennsylvania STEAM Academy are aiming to open a science-oriented school in midtown Harrisburg in September. They want the states Charter School Appeal Board to consider their case. Academy supporters say they have gathered 1,844 signatures to file a petition with the appeals board, well above the 1,000 signatures necessary to lodge an appeal.

But the Harrisburg School Districts attorney told Dauphin County Court Wednesday more time is needed to review the signatures to ensure they are all valid.

Carolyn Dumaresq, president of the proposed Pennsylvania STEAM Academy and a former Pennsylvania Education Secretary, expressed frustration with the situation.

"We needed 1,000 signatures from District residents, 18 and older, to request permission from the court to have our application reviewed by the Charter School Appeals Board, Dumaresq said. The District has requested the court delay that permission while it reviews all 1,844 to find at least 845 signatures that are not valid.

Dumaresq said she anticipated the Harrisburg School District would challenge the signatures to find invalid ones.

That wont happen, Dumaresq said. "So, the legal fees keep accumulating, while the families and children who have expressed a desire to attend the PA STEAM Academy wait.

Harrisburg school board directors denied the Pennsylvania STEAM Academy charter application in February. No specific explanation was given.

But the Harrisburg School District maintains that the charter is not the right fit for its students.

"The District is in the process of reviewing the signatures to determine if they meet the legal requirements of the law, according to James Ellison, solicitor for the Harrisburg School District. "The District expects that the Court will be scheduling a hearing as required under the Charter School Law.

Dumaresq said she wanted a fair appeals process, so she chose to appeal to the state instead of making a second pitch for the charter school with the city school district.

The science, technology, engineering, art and math charter would open at 1500 N. 3rd Street, where Harrisburg Area Community College is located. HACCs lease is set to expire, and it wasnt renewed.

Dumaresq said she has spent two-and-a-half years searching for the best programs for the charters curriculum. A few of the members on her teams roster working on the academys development include, former Pennsylvania Secretary of Education Ron Tomalis, Jenny Gallagher-Blom of the Salvation Army, Kirk Hallett of the Joshua Tree, and Doug Neidich of Greenworks Development.

If the charter application is approved at the end of the appeals process, Harrisburg School District students in kindergarten, first and second grades would be considered first for enrollment. A lottery system would be used to determine who attends the charter.

If the 120 seats arent filled by Harrisburg students, then the lottery system would be used again to fill any remaining seats by interested students enrolled in nearby districts.
A judge last month sentenced three former Penn State fraternity brothers to jail time in connection with the 2017 hazing death of a pledge after a party, but the judge has now amended all three sentences to house arrest.

Magisterial District Judge Brian K. Marshall, in Centre County, on Wednesday amended the sentence of Luke Visser from two months to six months in jail to 45 days of home confinement.

Marshall previously amended his sentences for two other defendants who originally got jail time. He sentenced Michael Bonatucci to 30 days of house arrest instead of 30 days to six months in jail and Joshua Kurczewski to 90 days of house arrest instead of three to nine months in jail.

They originally were supposed to start their jail sentences this month.

The convictions were for third-degree misdemeanors of hazing, and conspiracy to commit hazing. Dozens of other charges were dropped in exchange for the guilty pleas.

The amended sentences mean none of the former fraternity brothers of Timothy Piazza have been sentenced to jail so far for their roles in the alcohol-chugging obstacle course and party that resulted in Piazza, 19, being served 18 drinks in 82 minutes.

Piazza, who was seeking to join the fraternity, did not retrieve any of those drinks himself, according to prosecutors. The teen later fell down the basement stairs of the Beta Theta Pi house, where he was knocked unconscious, and no medical help was called for nearly 12 hours.

Jail time would have conveyed a sense of seriousness about what happened, according to attorneys previously interviewed by PennLive. But at least one anti-hazing advocate said shortly after the sentencing that he was worried the jail sentences would get reversed.

Defense attorneys for the former fraternity brothers, however, argued that jail sentences were inappropriate for their clients.

The third-degree misdemeanor convictions to which each defendant pleaded guilty come with sentencing guidelines that call for probation for first-time offenders but also include a range for aggravating circumstances that can tack on three months of incarceration.

Some attorneys thought Piazzas death could be considered an aggravating factor.

Theodore Simon, attorney for Visser, said in court last month that the situation has rocked (Visser) to his core, according to the Centre Daily Times.

That has led to depression, atrial fibrillation, moral guilt and education efforts at his former high school, Simon said.

The judge noted last month that he had not seen a former fraternity brother show as much remorse as Visser had, according to the Centre Daily Times.

Today, the Hon. Brian K. Marshall after a searching inquiry into the facts of this case and the person of Luke Visser ruled in favor of Mr. Vissers motion to modify sentence, Simon said in a statement released after the hearing. The court vacated the previous ruling and imposed a non-incarceration sentence of 45 days home confinement. We are appreciative of the courts willingness to consider our arguments and thankful to the court for its demonstration of judicial independence."

Twenty-three former fraternity brothers have pleaded guilty in the case so far to misdemeanors such as hazing and furnishing alcohol to minors. There are three defendants left who may go to trial: the former fraternity president, Brendan Young; the former pledge master, Daniel Casey; and the former house manager, Braxton Becker.

Piazzas death spurred his parents, Jim and Evelyn, into becoming anti-hazing activists who deliver their message across the nation. They successfully pushed for a change in Pa. law that now defines hazing as a felony in cases of serious injury and death.

Prosecutors initially tried to file felony charges in the Piazza case under the laws that existed in 2017 but district judges repeatedly tossed the more serious charges, saying there was not enough evidence to support charges like involuntary manslaughter.
The constant churn of presidential departures and arrivals at the 14 state universities appears to have reached an end  at least until the next president announces plans to leave.

Wednesdays appointment of Guiyou Huang, chancellor for Louisiana State University of Alexandria, to the presidency of Edinboro University fills the last of the State System of Higher Educations presidential openings.

Ten of the 14 presidents who serve the state universities have come on board within the past three years. The two longest serving presidents, both of whom have been in their positions for seven years, are Indiana University of Pennsylvania President Michael Driscoll and East Stroudsburg University President Marcia Welsh.

According to a 2017 survey by the American Council on Education, the average tenure for college leaders was 6.5 years in 2016, which is down two years from a decade before.

Huang will take over the helm of the 4,800-student university in Erie County on July 1. He will be paid a $252,450 salary, making him the 10th highest paid presidents in the system. The systems presidential salaries range from $232,000 up through $390,235.

Huang has some Pennsylvania ties. He began his teaching career at Lehigh University before joining the faculty at Kutztown University, one of the State System schools, in 1995 and working his way up to English department chairman before leaving in 2004. He then went on to work at universities in Michigan, Florida, Vermont before taking the chancellors job at the 3,200-student Louisiana State-Alexandria in 2017.

He replaces Michael Hannan who has been serving as interim president at the university since April 2018. Hannan will return to his previous post there as provost and vice president of academic affairs upon Huangs arrival.

System board chairwoman Cynthia Shapira said the national search turned up a lot of quality candidates but the board settled on Huang. She said his breadth of experience and impressive accomplishments made him the right choice for Edinboro.

Im very humbled to be offered this opportunity, Huang said, following the systems vote.

Jan Murphy may be reached at jmurphy@pennlive.com. Follow her on Twitter at @JanMurphy.

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House Republican leaders say they got frustrated over inaction by their Democratic counterparts to reprimand Philadelphia Democratic Rep. Brian Sims for his behavior toward anti-abortion rights protesters so they issued their own stern rebuke.

In a statement issued on Wednesday the GOP leaders called Sims berating of a protesters outside a Planned Parenthood facility in Philadelphia that drew national media attention, the worst in how people should behave and treat one another in a civil society.

Sims, who did not respond to a request for comment on Thursday, has expressed sincere regret for his actions which were recorded and posted on social media, said House Democratic spokesman Bill Patton. Sims posted a two-minute video on Twitter pledging to do better for the women of Pennsylvania. Access to his personal Twitter account is now restricted to confirmed followers.

Last week and this week, Sims discussed his behavior at length with leadership of the House in both parties," Patton said on Thursday. "Democratic leaders addressed the matter with Sims privately and are satisfied it will not be repeated. Republican leaders are aware of this.

Maybe so, but apparently that isnt enough to suit the GOP leaders or the people who have complained to them about what they call egregious and unacceptable behavior.

House GOP spokesman Mike Straub said on Thursday, After no action was taken in a timely manner, our leadership felt compelled to express their frustrations on behalf of the Pennsylvanians disappointed by the lack of response from our Democratic colleagues.

In the nearly eight-minute video of the woman protesting outside the Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania that is posted on anti-abortion rights website Life Site, Sims can be heard criticizing her for shaming people for doing what they have a constitutional right to do and calling her an old white lady several times as the camera remained trained on her.

In another video that surfaced and also is posted on that site, Sims approaches a woman demonstrating outside the same facility accompanied by three teen-age girls and calling them pseudo Christian. He offered $100 for any online viewer who could identify the three girls and he would donate to Planned Parenthood.

A Pro-Life Rally Against Bullying drew a large crowd outside the Planned Parenthood facility last week in response to Sims haranguing of the anti-abortion rights protesters. They called on his to resign.

In the Republican leaders statement about Sims behavior, they say, "The actions of one member are a reflection on all of us, regardless of party affiliation, and the pledge we all take to serve the people of our commonwealth. The victims of Rep. Sims actions deserve a sincere apology as do the members of the House.

It goes on to say: Our caucus has given Rep. Sims time to take responsibility for his behavior and show he is willing to treat people who have opinions different from his own with the respect befitting a member of the House of Representatives. We expect House Democratic Leadership to address this. We are extremely disappointed that Rep. Sims actions have caused harm to his victims and to our chamber.

This statement comes on the heels of last weeks lecture on the House floor to all members on the need to act in a respectful manner and as House GOP Leader Bryan Cutler of Lancaster County said people expect better from us.

Jan Murphy may be reached at jmurphy@pennlive.com. Follow her on Twitter at @JanMurphy.
State Department of Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine led discussion with the medical marijuana advisory board around adding anxiety and Tourette Syndrome to the list of conditions to be treated with medical cannabis.

Board members also discussed training for police who may encounter people with medical marijuana and voted down a petition to remove opioid use disorder from the list of approved conditions.

Heres more from the May 15 medical marijuana advisory board meeting.

Decision this summer for anxiety, Tourettes

Levine said she will decide this summer whether to approve anxiety and Tourette Syndrome as approved conditions to be treated with medical marijuana.

In February, the medical marijuana advisory board approved the two conditions to be added to the list. However, Levine has not signed off on it. Currently, people can get medical marijuana permits for 21 medical conditions, such as chronic pain, multiple sclerosis and cancer.

Levine said she needs more time to learn how cannabis might treat anxiety and Tourettes.

Theres a lot of literature to look at, in its different forms, Levine said. I also like to talk sometimes with experts throughout the country to get their view. I have not completed that, but I will complete it this summer.

Training for police

Board member John Adams faults the Department of Health for providing only one bulletin, and no training, on how police can identify packaging and products produced legally.

Adams, who is the Berks County district attorney, said police cant tell whether a product is legal medical marijuana or something that has been bought on the black market.

Dr. Rachel Levine, Pennsylvania's secretary of health, speaks at an event at the Pennsylvania Capitol in March, 2019.

Law enforcement needs some training, but we need the assistance of the Department of Health, he said.

Levine said shell work with law enforcement to provide more training.

Department of Health spokeswoman April Hutcheson noted that people who legally use medical marijuana have identification cards, and information listed on medical marijuana packages includes the patients name.

We do tell patients that they need to make sure that if they are transporting their medication that theyre keeping it in the original container, Hutcheson said. If they take it out of the original container, then essentially they could be subject to law enforcement issues with diversion.

Opioid use disorder under scrutiny

A petition sought to remove opioid use disorder from the list of 21 approved conditions for medical cannabis treatment.

The board voted down the petition 6-4.

Adams was among those who voted to see opioid use disorder removed from the list. He said he was concerned about people substituting one drug for another and also using physicians who may not be experts in how the two interact.

Levine pointed out that medical marijuana is only permitted for opioid use disorder in cases where conventional therapeutic interventions dont work, as well as where cannabis supplements other treatment.
Pennsylvania travelers find the best place to go when you gotta go is Wawa, according to a study ranking gas-station restrooms.

Two companies flushed the rest of the competition, according to GasBuddy, and claimed the top spot in six states apiece: Pennsylvania-based Wawa and Utah-based Maverik, which has no stores in Pa.

Sheetz was also on a roll, finishing No. 1 in Ohio and West Virginia, two of Pennsylvanias neighbors.

If youre headed westward, make sure you check out the facilities in Nebraska. It had the highest gas station restroom ratings overall, GasBuddy said.

Texas-based Buc-ees has the highest-rated gas station restrooms in the nation. (None of those are in Pennsylvania, either.)

GasBuddy says 40% of summer travelers worry about being unable to find a clean restroom when its time to go.

GasBuddy ranked the best places to use the restroom in gas stations across the U.S.

Heres the list of top restrooms by state:

A sign for a Maverik store in Cheyenne, Wyo. (AP Photo/Ben Neary, 2011)AP

The Sinclair dinosaur looks over fuel pumps in Lincoln, Neb., Friday, Dec. 11, 2015. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik)AP

The Tompkinsville, N.Y. Mobil gas station. (Staten Island Advance)Staff-Shot

Read more
On May 6 we three stood in the visitors gallery of the PA House of Representatives and held a banner saying SOME ARE GUILTY, ALL ARE RESPONSIBLE. PASS A GIFT BAN.

We showered $500 in one dollar bills, some labeled BRIBE in bright red, onto the House floor. And we chanted Money Out, People In over and over, all in order to finally get the attention of the lawmakers, many of whom would rather look away.

We are part of a non-partisan, volunteer-driven, statewide group called March On Harrisburg, which is focused on ending corruption and taking democracy to where it has never been. Our group engages the three-pronged approach of lobbying, marching, and direct action protest. This is in order to break through the notorious entrenchment in the Harrisburg legislature and the resultant failure to perform its primary job of serving the public interest rather than special interests who, because it is allowed, also shower them with dollar bills in the form of gifts of all sorts.

PA has been rated the fifth most corrupt state in the U.S. according to the Electoral Integrity Project.

MOHs anti-corruption focus these last five months has been on Square One-getting the legislature to pass a Gift Ban Bill

Governor Wolf, of course, already set a complete gift ban for the Executive Branch. Forty two states already have gift bans; PA is not one of them. Multiple attempts over the years to get one through have failed. Presently PA lawmakers have no restrictions on gifts (which are bribes whether believed to be or not) - from dinners to Beyonce tickets. As an example, the Natural Gas Industry alone employs 203 lobbyists and has spent $68 million over the last 7 years on our lawmakers in the state capitol. Maybe thats why PA has failed to ban fracking (unlike MD and NY) even as PA presently produces 1 percet of the worlds greenhouse gases.

The lax limitations on the type and amount of gifts special interests can lavish on those who are elected to serve the people have created a perception of pervasive corruption in Pennsylvania, Rep. Tina Davis said recently in announcing the introduction of House Bill 1291, a Gift Ban Bill, now assigned to the House State Government committee.

Several legislators from both parties have already signed on to co-sponsor this bill. Locally, Mike Jones (R-93rd District) is one. Other local lawmakers have expressed interest in and sometimes a willingness to co-sponsor as well but havent yet, and they need to hear from more of us to encourage them to do so. This bill needs to be passed in order to begin repairing the rampant loss of trust we have in our legislature to serve us ordinary Pennsylvanians.

It was not pleasant to be arrested for protesting in the State House. Make no mistake. We would have rather been doing anything else but as MLK said, Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.

If it takes this -lobbying, marching and direct action to remind lawmakers of their primary duty which is to serve us and get them to act on that, then so be it.

To quote Robert Reich,  Our central obligation as citizens is to preserve, fortify and protect our democratic form of government.

Please, go to www.giftban.org to join in this effort.

Dr. Mary Barnes

Carol Stowell

Pastor Tim Seitz-Brown
Navan Technologies, Inc., a San Francisco, CA-based biotechnology company, closed a seed funding round of undisclosed amount.

Backers included Amgen Ventures, High-Tech Grunderfonds (HTGF), Hemi Ventures, and other institutional and private investors.

Led by Michael J. Nowak, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer, Navan Technologies enables the development of next generation cell and gene therapies through its novel, non-viral NanoStraw platform. Based on technology exclusively licensed from Stanford University, The company is also supported by a National Science Foundation STTR Phase II award and is a resident company at JLABS @ SSF located at Oyster Point in South San Francisco, CA.

The company intends to use the funds to further develop the NanoStraw platform development, scale-up production capabilities, and facilitate strategic collaborations and partnerships to accelerate the development of therapeutics programs.

FinSMEs

16/05/2019
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP)  Pennsylvanias 2020 campaign trail is seeing more traffic.

Vice President Mike Pence will headline a June 6 fundraiser in Hershey for the state Republican Party as national party officials press it to step up its field and fundraising operation.

Before that, President Donald Trump is heading to Montoursville in northern Pennsylvania on Monday for a campaign rally the day before voters there pick a new congressman.

On the Democratic side, former Vice President Joe Biden is holding a campaign rally this Saturday at Philadelphia's Eakins Oval, his second major public event in Pennsylvania in the month since he announced he's running for president.

According to Philly.com, Biden is expected to announce Thursday that he will make Philadelphia his campaign headquarters.

Meanwhile, New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker is hosting a fundraiser in Philadelphia on Thursday to benefit his presidential campaign.
Bruno Henrique Caetano is about half way through his yearlong student exchange program in Petersburg, and he said that he has made plenty of new friends and new memories.

Caetano, 16, first arrived in Petersburg from Unai, Brazil in January of this year as part of theyouth exchange program through the Petersburg Rotary Club. Each year, the Alaska District Rotary Club sends about 25 students to 20 different countries, while receiving 25 students, according to coordinator Dave Berg. There is a long term program that lasts about 10 to 11 months and a short term summer program. The program re...
Petersburg Medical Center CEO Phil Hofstetter speaks about how the state's budget affects PMC during Thursday's Community Cafe.

The Petersburg Medical Center held its third Community Cafe on Thursday in the assembly chambers to discuss changes in funding for healthcare at the state level.

Each Community Cafe typically follows a theme, with the first Cafe revolving around trends affecting healthcare in rural Alaska and the second forum demonstrating PMC's telehealth capabilities.

Jeanie Monk, with the Alaska State Hospital & Nursing Home Association, gave an overview of how Gov. Mike Dunleavy's proposed 2020 fiscal year budget is affecting healthcare in Alaska, and PMC CEO Phil Hofstetter localized that informat...
Gaylord native believes Northern Michigan can excel in space economy

Besides Altas, Carey believes that Northern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula can lure more space related companies and the jobs they create.
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Jon Corzine, former governor of New Jersey, speaks during a press conference at the Governor James J. Florio Center For Public Service in Camden Thursday, May 16, 2019. Florio also spoke. Read more

One by one, they came up to the podium: A former New Jersey governor. A CEO of a company that built its new headquarters on the Camden waterfront. A longtime city resident who turned his life around after being incarcerated and has risen up the ranks of a company that recently won a state tax credit to expand.

The visuals and the stories of a fallen city, now rising, conveyed a strong show of support for a state tax break program that has directed $1.6 billion to companies expanding in Camden, and that has come under investigation.

And then came the last speaker, another former governor  James Florio  who said, Its important for us to address the controversy and get beyond it.

If somebody did something illegal, they should be pursued under the law, Florio said, inside a Camden government building named for him. What we cant be having is defamation by anecdote.

The hour-long press event, packed with public officials past and present, came two weeks after a public hearing, where an investigative task force, appointed by Gov. Phil Murphy, questioned claims in four tax credit applications, collectively worth $285 million. All four applicants have ties to South Jersey power broker George Norcross III  who, through his firms lawyers and in a lengthy media interview, has lambasted the investigation and the governor, and claimed the hearing violated the companies rights.

Camden elected officials, for their part, have proffered a steady stream of statements, casting the investigation as an attack on efforts to revitalize one of the states poorest cities. They have cited the citys reduced crime rate and its ability to attract big-name businesses as signs of progress. And they call the investigation a proxy war.

Community activists, however, including the Camden County NAACP president, have continued to raise concerns about hiring efforts by companies that received the credits from the New Jerseys Economic Development Authority (EDA), and have asked to see jobs data.

Outside of Thursdays event, protesters on the sidewalk chanted calls for justice and carried signs that read Where are the jobs?! and We are your boss NOT Norcross. One man carried faux money emblazoned with a portrait of Norcross, the executive chairman of insurance brokerage Conner Strong & Buckelew (which was approved for $86 million in tax credits) and chairman of Cooper Health System (which won approval for $40 million in tax credits).

Inside, Camden Mayor Frank Moran said the 30-plus companies that have been approved for tax credits in Camden are creating a platform to build a sustainable city. More than 850 city residents have obtained jobs so far, he said.

That figure comes from preliminary data collected from companies by Coopers Ferry Partnership, a nonprofit redevelopment group. The jobs figure corresponds only to tax credit recipients that have opened in Camden so far, and equates to about 15 percent of total employees. Coopers Ferry continues to gather data, according to CEO Kris Kolluri.

This is a good starting point and not the end objective," said New Jersey state NAACP president Richard Smith, referring to the 15 percent statistic. Camden hiring needs to focus on workers such as high school graduates who arent ready to start college, on displaced workers, and those with criminal records, he said.

The NAACP launched a national One Million Jobs campaign last month, to bring formerly incarcerated people into the workforce. Theres no better to kick off the New Jersey leg than in Camden, Smith said, adding that Norcross agreed.

He and I sat and shared our vision for a better tomorrow, Smith told the news conference, "and I was inspired, when I asked him about this million jobs campaign that he said: Im in. Lets get to work and make it happen.

Former Gov. Jon Corzine commended the remarkable change in Camden since the days when the city was placed under state control. This is a work in progress, he said, but its one that people can be very proud of.

Murphy appointed the task force after a state audit found numerous significant deficiencies with EDA oversight, including the agencys ability to verify whether companies created jobs in exchange for the tax breaks.

In an interview Thursday at Philadelphias Independence Seaport Museum, Murphy said that the question is, not just in Camden  in every community  did these benefits go to the broad community or to a select few?

The task force, chaired by Rutgers Law professor Ronald Chen, has focused on who may have influenced tax credit legislation behind the scenes, as well as the veracity of claims by companies that said they were considering moving to another state.
Deion Murray has been stocking shelves at a Walmart in South Philadelphia for a year and a half.

It was OK to start, but you see the same thing every day, the 20-year-old Southwest Philadelphia resident said. I need something different.

Thats what brought Murray to a job fair Thursday sponsored by Temple Universitys Lenfest North Philadelphia Workforce Initiative. Training opportunities with the Opportunities Industrialization Center (a solar panel installer) and with American Medical Response (an emergency medical technician) looked promising to Murray, who said he would like to have a trade and relished the opportunity for training.

With Philadelphias unemployment rate at 4.6 percent in March  as low as its been since 1990, when the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics started publishing the number  people looking for a better job or relocating to Philadelphia were easier to find at the job fair than people trying to end a period of unemployment.

Among about 1,300 candidates who attended the job fair with with 145 employers was Gailyn Gabriel, 23, who stood in line for a chance to speak with Comcast representatives about a position as a data analyst. She wants to move to Philadelphia from Baltimore, where she works remotely for a social media start-up.

With three years of experience as a direct care worker for people with mental illness or intellectual disabilities, Gabrielle Starks, 25, wants to move from Berks County to Philadelphia, where shell work full time in direct care while pursing a degree in social work at Temple.

Mayor Jim Kenney, who spoke at the job fair, put out a news release Thursday, less than a week before the primary election, touting the citys strong economic growth. The release said the number of unemployed Philadelphians had fallen to 33,409 in March from a peak during current national economic cycle of 84,946 in July 2012.

Despite the positive trend, Philadelphias average unemployment rate last year of 5.5 percent was the highest among the nations 15 largest cities, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The second-highest rate, 4.7 percent, was found in Los Angeles. San Francisco had the lowest rate, 2.4 percent, among the largest cities.

That official national unemployment rate fell to 3.6 percent last month, the lowest since 1969, but economists caution that the real unemployment rate is much higher if you include people who have given up looking for a job, work part time because they cant find a full-time position, and who are otherwise underemployed. That rate nationally in April was 7.3 percent.

Thursdays job fair at the Aramark Student Training and Recreation Complex, which listed 145 employers on a guide, also attracted people who are further into their careers, including Hank Owens, 54, who just finished his masters degree in social work while working in early intervention for a addiction recovery nonprofit.

Im double-dipping here, looking for potential jobs and for resources to help the community," he said.
E. Philip Wenger, charman and CEO of Fulton Financial Corp,, and Evelyn F. Smalls, president and CEO of United Bank, mark Fulton's $675,000 investment in United in 2017. Read more

The City of Philadelphia and the Philadelphia Industrial Development Corp. have committed a total of $5 million in public funds they say will boost lending to minority, immigrant and female small-business owners.

The total includes a $2.5 million grant from PIDCs Economic Stimulus Program to United Bank of Philadelphia, a small, Center City-based lender that has lost money in nine of the last 10 years, and is operating under a state Banking Department order to improve its unsafe and unsound financial condition.

No other bank besides United was considered for the $2.5 milllion grant, said Commerce Department spokesman Kevin Lessard.

(Added May 20:) Uniteds chief executive, Evelyn F. Smalls, is a member of the PIDC Board of Directors, and the only banker on the board, which also includes real estate and non-bank financial executives, corporate and university representatives. She also chairs the board of the Philadelphia Authority for Industrial Development, which issues bonds to fund PIDC projects. PIDC spokesman Jessica Calter said the United grant didnt need the boards approval, so Smalls didnt vote on it.

Another $1 million from PIDC, plus $1 million in city funds, will "support investments in existing businesses owned by people of color, women, and immigrants through a new loan fund, and an additional $500,000 from PIDC will pay for expanded services to support the growth of these businesses including workshops, peer mentoring, and one-on-one support, the city and PIDC said Wednesday.

PIDCs Calter said Thursday that her agency had not yet decided who will manage the additional $2 million in business investment funds, but will put out a Request for Proposals later this year.

It was PIDC staff members idea to grant the $2.5 million to United, Lessard said. City commerce director Harold Epps, finance director Rob DuBow and Mayor Kenneys chief of staff Jim Engler reviewed and approved PIDCs decision.

Epps agency is supportive of PIDCs choice to provide this grant opportunity to United Bank because its Philadelphias only African-American commercial bank, and the money will help the bank provide a full range of financial services to its customers who are often prevented from receiving these services elsewhere," Lessard said.

Its not the first time that Philadelphia has invested public funds in United Bank. City officials invested $800,000 from the citys underfunded pension system with United in 1991. The pension board later wrote off the investment as worthless.

The bank can apply the PIDC grants to its depleted capital base, but it is still trying to raise $1 million to $2.5 million more to meet bank regulatory requirements and reverse its declining loan volume, said chief executive Smalls There is still work to do, she said. If the bank can start making money it can build its own capital, she added.

Smalls said her bank got the money because city officials were aware we were in the market looking for capital.

United lost about $600,000 last year and $300,000 in 2017, according to Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. data.

The bank had less than $2.6 million in total capital backing $36 million in loans at Dec. 31, after posting losses in nine of the last 10 years and breaking even in 2016.

The state banking departments order, in April 2018, gave United 60 to 90 days to improve its management and lending practices and improve its financial situation. Since then, the state has neither extended nor cancelled the order, and state spokesman Trevor J. Monk said the banking department had no further comment beyond the order, posted on its website.

United, which makes business loans through the taxpayer-guaranteed federal Small Business Administration, among other programs, was ordered to raise more capital in April 2018, despite recent capital infusions totaling nearly $1 million by Fulton Bank and Bryn Mawr Trust Co. State regulators told the bank to cut costs and improve its lending practices.

United is one of the last ethnically based banks organized in the city, which was home to clusters of black, Irish, Jewish, Italian and Polish lenders in the early and mid-1900s, when the dominant Pennsylvania banks redlined poor neighborhoods and declined to write mortgages there. Most such banks were sold to mainstream institutions, after federal laws began requiring mainstream lenders to extend credit in poor and minority neighborhoods, and the growth of government bank regulation made it more expensive to operate small banks.

Citizens & Southern, the citys leading black-owned bank from the 1920s to the 1950s, was sold in 1957. Berean Federal Savings of West Philadelphia sold its lone office to Baltimore-based Advance Bank, which closed it in 2011, citing low traffic. (Corrected, thanks to L. Griffin)

United founder Emma Chappell was removed from the bank by her board in the early 2000s after federal examiners warned that United was spending too much on executive offices and other non-banking expenses, and wasnt attracting enough loans or deposits. Gov. Tom Wolf, a Democrat, later appointed Chappelle to his transition team as a financial expert with diverse experience.

United has a headquarters and branch office in the Graham Building near City Hall, and a single remaining branch at Progress Plaza near Temple University since closing its Germantown branch last year and other neighborhood offices in previous years. Smalls said both offices are busy and no further closings are planned.

Big banks including Wells Fargo, Citizens and PNC have also closed Philadelphia branches as customers moved online, though their typical neighborhood branch deposits are more than double Uniteds total deposits of $48 million. JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Republic Bank have bucked the trend by opening new branches in the city in recent years.

Smalls concluded that the PIDC money moves us in the right direction. In this market there is great opportunity for small businesses, which increase jobs.

She said United sought to participate in loans negotiated by larger banks through lender-service agreements. Smalls and senior lender Coston Cobbs also approve loans, she added.
The Polestar 2, the first electric car to go straight up against Teslas Model 3, is due to go on sale in the U.S. by summer 2020. But will it?

If the trade war between China and the U.S. gets much worse, the car  which will be made at a factory in Luqiao, China  might not be sold in the U.S. at all, said Thomas Ingenlath, Polestars chief executive.

Polestar is a new electric car brand from Volvo, which in turn is owned by China automotive giant Zhejiang Geely Holding Group, known as Geely for short.

The Polestar 2 is a sporty electric sedan with 275 miles of range, priced between $45,000 and $65,000 before federal and state incentives, which can reduce that by as much as $10,000 for many California buyers.

The company plans to build 50,000 of the cars in its first year of production. Up to about 40% will be sold in China, Ingenlath said. Norway, which offers heavy incentives for electric cars, will be its No. 2 market.

Right now Polestar plans to sell about 30% or so of the first years run on the U.S. West Coast and Canada. We would embrace free trade as in the interests of the consumer, Ingenlath said. While all international companies must operate in a world where trade barriers are common, and Volvos U.S. plans have been made with existing tariffs factored in, Polestar wont export cars to countries where rising tariffs make a products price ridiculous, he said, but will scale up or scale down U.S. plans depending on tariff levels. Tariffs on China-made cars sent to the U.S. are currently set at 25% by the Trump administration.

Ingenlath was in the Bay Area last week for the big Google I/O developers conference. Polestar (and Volvo) plan to use the Android Automotive Operating System as the base for their infotainment systems.

Relaxing with a cappuccino at Four Barrel Coffee in San Franciscos hip Mission District, the former Volvo head designer said that Androids open development platform, where third-party software writers that meet Polestars requirement can add applications, is one way to differentiate the Polestar 2 from the Tesla Model 3.

There are other big differences, he said. One is the design, which he insists pushes the borders more than the Model 3. Customer opinions on car design are mostly subjective, and Ingenlath damned the Model 3 looks with faint praise: The Model 3 feels very fresh. It has a prototype quality to it, its very primitive in some form.

Quality will set the Polestar apart from the Tesla, he said. Well aware that the Model 3 currently faces serious issues with misaligned body panels, infotainment screens that go black, and batteries that dont work, Ingenlath said, Well be much more professional in doing a complete product. More professional knowledge about processes, materials, long-term quality. Tesla declined to comment.

And he insists the Polestar 2 will handle better. It wont reach the breakneck 3.2 seconds zero-to-60 time of a performance-version Model 3  Polestar will come in under 5 seconds, he said  but added: Tesla is so focused on acceleration. Performance [for most consumers] is not about the racetrack. The big question is, when you approach the next corner, how will you go around it?

Whether any of this matters, at least in the U.S., remains to be seen. Its unclear whether most Tesla buyers are fans of electric cars, or just fans of Tesla and its CEO, Elon Musk. The Model 3 is outselling all other electric cars by a wide margin. But sales of all Tesla models fell 40% in the first three months of this year. If momentum fades, it could be bad news not just for Tesla but for electric cars in general, which in 2018 still represented just 2% of the U.S. auto market, though 7.8% of new cars sold in California.

Tesla and Polestar will face an onslaught of competition over the next few years. In the luxury and near-luxury segments, Jaguar and Audi already have electric cars available. Porsche will follow later this year with its first all-electric, the Taycan. Mercedes-Benz will follow. BMW has plans to add bigger models to the subcompact i3 all-electric it has been selling for years. Volkswagen, in the wake of its diesel cheating scandal, is going all out on EVs.

Ingenlath is confident that EV sales growth is set to take off around the world, especially in places such as China and Norway, with laws and financial incentives juicing customer interest. The company will soon begin selling its Polestar 1, a limited edition and expensive ($155,000) plug-in hybrid, and plans to follow up the Polestar 2 with an SUV and other vehicles at more earthbound prices.

He credits Musk with jump-starting the electric-car phenomenon. People five years ago were dismissive of a car that made no sound, Ingenlath said. Thats one of the biggest contributions Tesla made to the car industry, to tear down these kind of borders.

Polestar wont be following Teslas push for full self-driving cars and robo-taxis, however. Musk recently said Teslas will be ready by the end of the year to drive themselves and announced plans to start a robo-taxi driverless ride-hailing service in 2020. Safety experts and some players in the driverless car industry said that timeline is too aggressive.

I dont see that in the near future, Ingenlath said of fully driverless cars. You might technically be able to do it. But to integrate it with everyday traffic in a safe way? Thats a big obstacle. Polestar cars will be equipped with the latest in driver-assistance technologies, he said.

The robo-taxi service Musk promised is part of Teslas story, Ingenlath said. Musk can say something like that and get away with it. I couldnt get away with claims about these kind of things.
On Dec. 23, 1991, in Texas, three young girls died as a result of a fire in their home, an event so gruesome and senseless that sense needed to be made of it.

The basic human desire to assign meaning to something that is otherwise meaningless is a strong impulse in society and always has been. The guy in the cave, when the boy gets killed by a saber tooth tiger, has to come up with a story to explain it. It cant be random, said director Ed Zwick, whose latest movie, Trial by Fire, tells the story of events surrounding the deaths of those girls and the prosecution and execution of Cameron Todd Willingham, the girls father, who was found guilty of their murder.

But his is not the only narrative in play. The first was advanced by the Texas prosecutor John Jackson, presenting purported evidence of arson that pointed to Willingham , played by Jack OConnell..

Then came a second narrative  a New Yorker article by David Grann about a woman named Elizabeth Gilbert (Laura Dern), who volunteered to be Willinghams pen pal and who became so interested in his declarations of innocence that she reinvestigated the case, finding countervailing forensic evidence and undermining the credibility of a jailhouse informant. (The Texas Bar Association took Jackson to trial on ethics charges, but he was acquitted last year.)

The article so captivated Zwick that he optioned it for the movie  framing the conviction as a rush to judgment and positioning Willingham as a convenient villain in a story that needed one. He had a record, he was poor, poorly educated, violent. The movie makes the point that in our justice system, such defendants are convictable even if they are not necessarily guilty.

Inevitably, there is reductionism and compression and inevitable changes that one has to do in a story. On the other hand, I feel a responsibility because  for better or for worse  these moves are going to become, in some cases, a disproportionate part of the permanent record, he said. So I feel an obligation to have the facts right. Which is to say not amplify them or change their order. That said, it is the dramatists instinct and obligation to supply that subtextual or inner motivational stuff and relationship stuff that is not part of reporting. Its speculative, it psychobiography.

In Trial by Fire, that psychobiography plays out in the unusual relationship between Gilbert and Willingham. As played by Dern, Gilbert is a woman with a good heart but also with a good BS detector  shes aware of Willinghams reputation as a charmer, and shes willing to consider that shes being played. But she also wants to know whether hes on the level, so she conducts her own investigation  reinterviewing the jailhouse informant, the defense attorney, finding her own defense experts (with the help of the Innocence Project), and raising serious questions about Willinghams conviction.

Zwick said Derns willingness to make the movie for no money is one of the main reasons it exists at all. Zwick had a hard time finding funding for the project in Hollywood. In fact, he didnt find the money in Hollywood. It came from Alex Soros  son of George whos funded various criminal justice reform initiatives, and who saw Trial by Fire as a means of advancing the cause.

Zwick said Soros saw this as a way of making storytelling part of his mission. I asked Zwick whether movies like this can really make a difference, or whether our culture has developed into an arena for competing stories  narrative versus counternarrative in an endless Pyrrhic tug-of-war for attention, hearts, and minds.

Thats a good question. I personally think that many people who say they dont believe in climate change actually do believe in climate change and theyre terrified of it. So theyre eager to accept a story that tells them its not happening because its safer and more comforting to believe that than to confront the abyss, he said.

Zwick, a 30-year veteran of Hollywood (he and producing partner Marshall Herksovitz, a Lower Merion native, produced the Philadelphia-set thirtysomething) said that based on his long view, the right story at the right time can make a difference.

People say the arc of history bends towards justice. But they forget the part about the arc of history being long. Its looooong. But I would submit that these stories matter. These podcasts youre seeing, like Serial and [Netflixs] Making a Murderer, theyve found their way into the conversation, and changed it. So its not just Law and Order, and that model. I think theyre really changing peoples whole notion of the concept of innocence. People have a new sensitivity toward all kinds of socioeconomic factors that go into punishment, he said.

Paradigms do shift. Without television, for instance, I would maintain that same-sex marriage would not have entered the culture as it has, or when it has. Its hard to pinpoint the tipping point in these things, but those points exist, he said.

Speaking of television, thats where Zwick and Herskovitz are focused next  developing a new show. When and how is anybodys guess.

Every time a I finish a project, I turn around and look at the industry and see that its completely changed. I have to find a completely new way to do it.
The demand for new doctors is high. So is pay  and debt. Read more

The job market is red-hot for young doctors, a new report finds.

A survey of medical residents in their final year of training conducted by Merritt Hawkins, a national physician search firm, found that some residents were overwhelmed with job solicitations and more than half were expecting starting pay of $226,000 or more.

Travis Singleton, an executive vice president with Merritt Hawkins, said the demand for new doctors encompasses both primary care doctors and specialists. To his surprise, some institutions are beginning recruitment in the first year of residency. Many are offering $1,000 to $5,000 a month stipends to residents wholl promise a year or two with the organization when they finish training, a perk once reserved for the biggest surgical stars. Young doctors are feeling so sure theyll get hired that theyre turning the stipends down to preserve their options. Loan forgiveness and signing bonuses are common, especially in rural areas, which have long struggled to attract doctors.

Its just a ubiquitous feeding frenzy, Singleton said. To say they have job security is the understatement of the year.

The new graduates strongly preferred to work in at least mid-size cities, with 66 percent seeking communities with 250,000 residents or more. Only 1 percent wanted to work in towns with fewer than 10,000 people.

The U.S. is facing a shortage of 90,000 to 120,000 physicians by 2035 or so, Singleton said. A key factor crippling response to rising demand is that residency slots, a crucial step toward practicing medicine in this country, have been capped since 1997, he said. The United States has about 800,000 licensed doctors, he said, but its hard to tell how many see patients full-time.

>> READ MORE: Should nurse-practitioners be allowed to do more?

Gregory Kane, chair of the department of medicine at Kimmel Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University, said the market for new doctors has been strong for several years. Jobs are plentiful, he said. There are few geographic limitations.

He means that doctors can find work almost anywhere, although couples are likely to have better luck in bigger cities. He said that he had not heard of stipend offers in Philadelphia and that loan forgiveness is spotty. Salaries, he said, are often tied to productivity measures based on the complexity of care doctors are providing.

The good job market means Jefferson has to work to keep its grads. We have to compete with health care systems across the country to retain the best and brightest, he said.

One caveat about the Merritt Hawkins survey: Only 391 of the 20,000 residents and fellows who received the survey by email actually answered the questions, a response rate of 2 percent. That rate reflects the fact that physicians are over-surveyed, Singleton said. Plus, companies like Merritt Hawkins are competing with drug companies that will pay residents $100 to answer their questions. The margin of error on the Merritt survey is 4.9 percent, low enough to support fairly strong assertions about the young doctors, the company said.

Findings from the survey include:

Forty-five percent of the residents said they had gotten 100 or more job solicitations. Sixty-four percent said theyd heard from recruiters too many times. The recruitment offers were high for both primary care and specialist physicians. Graduates of U.S. schools were recruited more often than those who had gone to foreign medical schools.

Ninety-one percent of the young physicians said they would rather be employed by a hospital, medical group, or other facility than join an independent private practice. The percentage whod like to be a hospital employee has grown steadily from 22 percent in 2009 to 45 percent this year. Only 1 percent would like to work in an urgent care center.

Forty-two percent owed $200,000 or more in student loans.

Nineteen percent said theyd choose something other than medicine if they had it to do over again, but in 2011, 29 percent of residents in their last year wished they had chosen something other than medicine. This year, surgeons and diagnostic medicine doctors like radiologists and pathologists were more likely to regret their choices than primary care doctors. Singleton said this dissatisfaction likely stems from disruption in the industry. Doctors are often happier with their choice once they start practicing.

The residents salary expectations are actually too low. According to a different 2018 Merritt Hawkins report, average starting pay for primary care doctors ranged from $230,000 for pediatricians to $261,000 for internal medicine doctors. In the specialties, starting pay was $533,000 for an orthopedic surgeon, $405,000 for an otolaryngologist and $386,000 for a urologist.

When choosing a job, the residents priorities were location, the financial package, having adequate personal time, and lifestyle factors.

The U.S. has about 128,000 residents and fellows. Prospective doctors enter residency programs after completing college and four years of medical school. They typically devote three to seven years to residency and fellowship training.
Incessant crying is one hallmark of drug withdrawal in infants. Read more

Newborns whose mothers took opioids while pregnant experience pain more acutely than other babies and may require even more special care than previously thought, according to a new Penn State study.

Researchers with Penn States College of Medicine found that as soon as 24 to 48 hours after birth, infants who were exposed to opioids prenatally reacted more strongly to pain and scored higher on a stress-detecting skin conductance test.

The findings, published in the Journal of Maternal-Fetal and Neonatal Medicine earlier this year, suggest that these opioid-exposed babies need more early help than is generally offered, said lead author Christiana Oji-Mmuo.

These babies are responding to pain differently than babies who were not exposed, so maybe we should be paying attention to pain management earlier, said Oji-Mmuo, an assistant professor of pediatrics.

The study included 37 newborns  22 with prenatal opioid exposure and 15 without. The babies reaction to pain was recorded on video while undergoing a heel stick to obtain blood for testing, a common procedure for newborns.

In addition, electrodes were applied to one foot of each of the babies to measure electrical conductance in the skin.

Conductance will show a change when the naturally-occurring hormone norepinephrine boosts sweat production, according to the researchers. Norepinephrine, released by the body during times of stress, tends to spike when an infant exposed prenatally to opioids is born. Many opioid-exposed babies exhibit withdrawal symptoms such as inconsolable crying and seizures -- a condition known as neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS), but they usually are not apparent right after birth.

But the jump in norepinephrine is an earlier indicator of distress. And the excess hormone itself also can lead to irritability, fever, seizures and poor appetite.

The researchers found the babies who had been exposed to opioids before birth had higher skin conductance and also reacted more strongly to pain during the heel stick procedure.

If we have to do a painful procedure like a heel lance, we may have to provide extra comforting measures, both during the procedure and after if they continue to be stressed, Oji-Mmuo said.

Moreover, the opioid-exposed babies continued to appear stressed even after the procedure was over and they were swaddled and tucked in, steps that normally comfort babies.

To best take care of these babies, its important that we recognize babies who are going through withdrawal very early, said Oji-Mmuo.

The researchers found that through skin conductance measuring and visual monitoring of facial reaction to pain, they could predict the likelihood of drug-exposed newborns experiencing serious withdrawal symptoms, the author said.

The ongoing opioid epidemic has seen the numbers of babies with neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS), or drug withdrawal, as well as other drug-exposed births, soar in recent years.

According to the Pennsylvania state health departments latest figures, the number of newborns who suffered NAS from early 2018 to May 4 hit 2,655.

The Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council, an independent state-funded agency, expects to have its newest counts of drug-exposed births in the next few weeks. According to executive director Joe Martin, its still too early to say that the crisis has stabilized for its youngest victims.

We may be at a tipping point where the numbers start to steadily decline, or they could spike again. Its too soon to tell, Martin said. Not much has changed over the past year or so, which is good if you expected the numbers to keep climbing, but disappointed if you were hoping for a trend downwards. Given the volatile nature of this problem, wait and see is the responsible approach.
This year, in the first Temple Health Writing Contest, 14 doctors and medical students from Temple University Hospital, Fox Chase Cancer Center, and the Lewis Katz School of Medicine submitted entries on this theme: Moments That Stay With You. Entries were all reviewed and ranked by Larry R. Kaiser, dean; Douglas R. Reifler, associate dean for student affairs and medical humanities; Naomi Rosenberg, emergency medicine physician; William Greenfield, Board of Visitors member; Dianne Butera, student affairs director; Michael Vitez, narrative medicine director; and Charlotte Sutton, Inquirer health and science editor. Here are the first, second, and third-place essays.

Room 201

This year is my 10th year at Temple Hospital, where Im now a pulmonary and critical-care physician. I know every hidden passageway, where to find everything you never knew youd need, and the code to almost every lock. Ive spent more time here than Ive spent in any building in my life. My memories are overlaid upon the curtained patient beds, hushed meeting rooms, and darkened stairwells of every floor.

Much has stayed with me over my time here, the pull of some events still palpable as I walk past the site. Shadows of patients inhabit empty beds, shades only visible to me. Room 620, ICU Room 227, ED Room 11, Procedure Suite 1; these places have ghosts. I remember many of them now only in images that flash by for a few seconds; some sad, some joyous, others terrifying, distracting me for a moment from the task at hand. ICU Room 201 though, is haunted so thoroughly that I often remark to residents as I pass by on rounds, I remember a patient who died there. Of course they just stare at me blankly.

>> READ MORE: Temple medical students chronicle 24 hours in Philadelphias opioid epidemic at Episcopal Hospital

Eight years ago, when I was a recent graduate of medical school and overconfident in my skills, Room 201 contained a man who looked too well to need intensive care. He was in his early 40s, muscular, and well-groomed. His daughter knocked on his door at home and heard silence behind it, her 911 call saved his life. First responders found him fully dressed and lying on the floor of his kitchen, the remnants of breakfast still on the countertop.

I was tempted by hubris to crack my knuckles as I began the workup of his case. Most ICU patients are older and burdened by serious chronic illness, but this man was young and well, and his diagnosis was simple: pneumonia causing septic shock. The ICU was designed for this: a man who could receive advanced care, recover fully, and walk out the door to go on with a life otherwise cut short. I went to work deploying my skills. To his daughter I expressed my confidence, I promise youll be taking your dad home soon.

Three days later I rang the bell to the only part of the hospital with a lock for which I dont know a code, the morgue. My back and shoulders were sore from the day prior, when the man in room 201, for whom I harbored so much confidence, died despite 45 minutes of CPR and every heroic measure available. I needed to know why and I needed to see it for myself. I needed to know what Id missed, how I had failed this man for whom all seemed assured. Twenty minutes later, the soreness of my muscles was forgotten for the weakness of my knees as his autopsy began.

The pathology team, used to this space, was efficient and upbeat. They joked with me, happy to have a visitor from upstairs. To them, he was a corpse. To me, he was a person, a family man whose hand Id held and whose fever Id calmed. The images were hard to process. I rooted myself to the floor. What would they find? What had I missed? As the procedure went on, my mind turned over the elements of his care yet again, searching for an answer, a flaw, a mistake. I held back my emotions as they churned upward, threatening tears.

Goodness. The pathologists comment drew me out of myself and back into the room. I watched as a pair of bright steel forceps withdrew an eight-inch blob of black, coagulated clot from the arteries between the patients heart and lungs. A big pulmonary embolism, I think we found your problem, he said, with the same tone as a mechanic removing a charred spark plug from under the hood of a car.

I walked in a daze to the patients chart, preserved there next to the autopsy table, terrified of what I might find  a record not of what I did, but of what I failed to do. I flipped through the reams of paper, anxiously, but there it was: a clear record of the administration of medication to prevent clots, medicine Id ordered.

I shambled back to the ICU. I hadnt failed medically. Id failed as a doctor. I was guilty of hubris. I believed in my skills, the technology, the team. I believed that I possessed a power no doctor ever has.

Room 201 and its lesson are now tattooed upon my psyche and upon my empathic heart  no weight of prevention undoes uncertainty. I cant make promises. To this day I feel no relief after this bitter lesson. It weighs on me as I walk by again and again. I remember a patient who died in 201, I murmur. I feel the unmoored nausea of this memory, and move on.

Erin Narewski, DO, FCCP, is an assistant professor of pulmonary and critical care medicine at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University. Her essay won first prize.



Last words

I could not shake the feeling that I had stolen Joes last words.

I became a zombie to survive my ICU rotation, donning a suit of numb armor to endure and ignore the suffering all around. If I let in just a fraction of that suffering, surely my heart would shatter.

I shuddered to see bodies violated, minds scrambled. These were the necessary indignities we wrought to sustain life in the most critically ill patients. But I also raged at the indignity to me, the junior resident. I had signed up to minister to the sick. I had not understood I would inflict pain on my patients, battling death in room after room. Physically strong unlike my patients, the survival of my psyche felt uncertain.

Joe was not one of the frail, seemingly hopeless patients languishing in our ICU. Earlier that very day, he had been walking to work when he realized something was catastrophically wrong. His detour to the hospital landed him in the ICU in septic shock. Joes Achilles heel: his gigantic, grotesque legs the size of tree trunks. Verrucous elephantiasis covered every inch of those legs with tiny wart-like projections, providing a nearly infinite surface area, each and every wart a hiding place, a portal of entry for bacteria.

As we worked on Joe, he stared at me with frightened, gentle eyes. Jolted alive with purpose, I was determined to fight for Joes life. We sent more tests to find the culprit, added more medicines to support his blood pressure, and more antibiotics to kill the swarming bacteria. All in the hopes he would soon turn the corner. Turn the corner, Joe. I had seen scraps of bodies bounce back from worse. Bodies riddled with cancer, made of nothing but grit, bone, a beating heart, slivers of soul.

It had only been a few short hours since Joe left his house, but the sepsis was ravaging his body, and we needed to decide whether to intubate. I explained to Joe that we could lessen his work of breathing to support his body. Doc," he asked me, "Do you think this is for the best? Yes, I said, hesitating. Then he turned to the nurse, Alison, is this what I need now? I think so, she replied. He turned to the respiratory therapist, Dean, is this the right thing? This is what you need now, Joe.

This is how we steal Joes last words.

The next minutes were a whirlwind. The nurse and respiratory therapist hurriedly gathered equipment while the anesthesiologists waltzed in. I urged Joe to call his sister to discuss this critical decision with someone who had known him more than a few hours. These may be the last words she hears you utter. He called to say his doc thought he needed the tube and hung up quickly, such a brief conversation. Isnt there more you want to say, Joe? Goodbye? I love you?

As the anesthesiologists leaned Joe back for intubation, he and I locked eyes. I held his gaze as I tried to calm him. Somewhere buried in those moments were Joes last words. Was it a murmur of assent to the anesthesiologist? Was it a prayer to God?

The ventilator loud, Joe was quiet now. Marinating in multiple antibiotics and medicines to support his blood pressure, there was nothing to do but wait. I kept hoping he was about to swing one of those giant tree legs around the corner, but I knew he was slipping away.

Then it was time for me to leave. Staying past my shift, biting my metaphorical nails wouldnt save Joe. I trudged home, flooded by the thought of losing this battle, yet aware that my capacity to care had not been extinguished.

When I returned to the ICU in the morning and learned Joe had died, I felt devastated, but not surprised. We cheated him out of some sacred last moment. I fantasized a return to the start of that fateful shift, when I could say plainly, Joe, youre dying. Would you like us to call your family so you can spend these last moments with them? Joe, do you have any last words?

That was eight years and four institutions ago. I now work in palliative care to create opportunities for my patients to say their own last words. I gently nudge, to help others see that time is short and precious. I deeply respect the fear that facing our mortality can engender. Now I hope for a quiet held hand, whispers of love rather than sacred speeches in final moments. I am in awe every day at the human capacity for growth, strife, love, pain, reflection, suffering, grace, and connection at the end. Death dwells with me now, a welcome guest. It distills this, this life.

Molly Collins, M.D., is a palliative care physician at Fox Chase Cancer Center, part of Temple Health. She is the program director of the Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship, training the next generation of palliative care specialists and leaders. She aims to integrate palliative care broadly in medicine. Her essay won second place.



My people

To say her prenatal care was spotty would be generous. She had been seen once or twice during the pregnancy and was here in labor, with twins, somewhere in the ballpark of 35 weeks. The readings on the monitor were non-reassuring. One of the babies heart rate was dropping and it was clear that Mom needed an emergent cesarean section.

I was a third-year medical student in Tennessee and had been working closely with an upper-level ob/gyn resident that week. She was the one who pushed Moms stretcher to the operating room; calmly explaining the circumstances and preparing her for what was about to happen. A big part of my life as a medical student was watching how residents and attendings acted and figuring out who I wanted to be like when I would later practice on my own. This resident was one worth emulating.

Once in the operating room, it didnt take her but a couple minutes to cut the first baby out. She worked calmly but quickly. Baby B, the first one out, looked healthy and responded well for the NICU team working in the corner of the operating room. Baby A didnt fare as well. As he came out, his chest looked a little off  almost a tad concave if you looked from the right angle. And he was not breathing. The neonatologist quickly left Baby B to focus his attention on Baby A. The resident, well-aware of the fight for life taking place a few steps behind her, continued with the task at hand. She would calmly ask for updates on Baby A without taking her eyes off of Mom. But it wasnt long before the writing was on the wall.

Baby A wasnt going to make it. Mom wasnt conscious since this was an emergency surgery so Dad was left to absorb the news first. The resident finished closing Moms abdomen and I watched her, always stoic, calmly take off her surgical attire and exit the operating room. I watched through a window in the door as she dropped to a knee and broke down in tears. This moment was tough to watch but it was special. It was messy and sad but it was so real. I was watching a doctors heart break for the injustice, for the unknowable potential, and most of all, for a fellow mom who just lost a child. Then I watched through that little window as the attending lifted up the resident, physically and emotionally, and within a minute or two she regained her composure and the shift went on. She had family to update, notes to write, other patients to see, and worst of all, to tell Mom what happened whenever she woke up from the anesthesia.

Unfortunately, that moment wasnt entirely unfamiliar to me. I have been there before. Four years earlier my twin boys were born but neither of them made it. When I watched that dad in the operating room receive the news, I stumbled back in time. I knew what he felt in that moment and, maybe worse, I knew what lay ahead for him and his wife. Thankfully we had people step up and walk beside us through our mourning. I dont know why it matters when others cry with us when were broken; I just know that it does. So when I see a doctor mourn the loss of their patient it means a lot to me. Those moments make me feel proud of my profession and thankful for my calling. Everyone wants to celebrate the miracle cases and they should. But I dont think you deserve to if youre not willing to hold a hand in the heartbreaks. And, in my experience, holding the hand is more important anyway.

Shane Coughlin is an emergency medicine resident physician at Temple University Hospital. His essay won third place.
The Rev. Armand Garcia is charged with raping a teenage altar girl at his former parish in Roxborough and filming their sex act in 2014. ( MICHAEL BRYANT / Staff Photographer ; Inset: Philadelphia Police Department ) Read more

As a teenager committed to her Roman Catholic faith, she thought she was doing everything right.

She volunteered as an altar server at her Roxborough parish. She sang in the choir and worked nights and weekends as a fill-in secretary at the church office.

And even when, at 16, she gave in to the sexual advances of her priest  the Rev. Armand Garcia  she said she believed him when he told her that God had put him in her life to take care of her.

Then came the time she refused.

He came up from behind me and pushed me up against a wall. He held my arms down and spread my legs apart, the now-21-year-old testified in a Philadelphia courtroom Thursday. I was wearing my school uniform. I didnt know what to do.

That alleged 2014 assault in the rectory of Immaculate Heart of Mary parish now forms the basis of one of the first criminal prosecutions of an area priest since the Archdiocese of Philadelphia recommitted to cracking down on sexual offenses after a scathing 2011 grand jury investigation that led to charges against six clerics.

The testimony of the woman  offered publicly for the first time Thursday  serves as the backbone of the governments case. The Inquirer is withholding her name because she is an alleged victim of sexual assault.

Her composed and self-assured account persuaded Municipal Court Judge Wendy L. Pew to hold Garcia for trial on charges including rape, sexual assault, and corruption of a minor.

Prosecutors also have charged the 50-year-old priest with filming a sex act involving a child  counts tied to cell-phone video his accuser said he shot of their encounters on at least two occasions.

He said he wanted to have something to remember it by, the woman recalled. I could only watch a few minutes. I was very uncomfortable.

Garcia, who spent much of Thursdays hearing with his head bowed and hands clenched in his lap, has denied the charges.

But unlike many of the cases of sexual misconduct involving priests that have begun a new wave of the global clergy abuse crisis in the last year, Garcias alleged assault was preceded by what his lawyer, William J. Brennan, described Thursday as a long-standing consensual sexual relationship with his accuser.

In court, Brennan questioned why  after his client had taken pains to limit their liaisons to closed parish offices, secluded church basements, and even his personal home in Brookhaven, Delaware County  the priest would run the risk of raping her in a location where he might be easily caught.

Youre saying he threw you up against a wall in the main living space, where any of the other priests could walk through at any time and see him assaulting you? he asked the accuser in cross-examination.

But the woman stuck to her story and challenged the notion that her relationship with Garcia  a man nearly three decades her senior  could have been consensual.

Hed known me since the eighth grade, she said. He knew my father very well.

Pennsylvanias age of consent is 16. When they began their liaisons in 2014, Garcias accuser said, she was a high school sophomore and struggling emotionally with an incident in which she blacked out at a party and feared she might have been sexually assaulted.

She shared those concerns with Garcia, on whom she had formed a schoolgirl crush soon after he was transferred to Immaculate Heart of Mary in 2011. He helped her to tell her parents and offered to help her work through her feelings.

Those counseling sessions quickly developed into sexual liaisons as frequent as twice weekly over the next several months, she told the court. He often offered her alcohol or marijuana, she said, and she always refused.

Over time, though, Garcia became more controlling. When she started dating a boy closer to her age in her junior year, she said, he demanded to know whether they were sexually active. Even after the alleged rape, she said, she continued her relationship with the priest.

I felt very alone, she said. I felt isolated. I couldnt talk to anyone about anything.

It wasnt until she left for college in 2016, she said, that she worked up the courage to break off their relationship and then, a year later, contact police.

Archbishop Charles J. Chaput suspended Garcia in 2018 after learning of the investigation and notified parishioners at his most recent assignment at St. Martin of Tours parish in the citys Summerdale section.

Since then, his ministry has been restricted and the archdiocese is not contributing to his legal bills.

Garcia remains free on $250,000 bond and is scheduled to be arraigned on the charges on May 30.
Employees walk out of Wood-Mode in Kreamer on Monday, May 13, 2019, after employees were informed the custom-cabinet maker is closing permanently. Read more

A few months after Michele Sanders graduated high school, she took a job a few miles away, and like many in Pennsylvanias rural Snyder County, that job became a steady life.

Sanders, 40, started working as a laborer for Wood-Mode, a custom, high-end cabinet manufacturer in Kreamer, in 1996, and as of 3 p.m. Monday, she was making about $40,000 a year with overtime. But right about that time, Snyder Countys largest employer informed its 938 workers that it was all over. Employees had minutes to collect their stuff.

We never expected it, Sanders said. A lot of us dont have anything else to put on our resume but Wood-Mode.

Wood-Modes owners did not return requests for comment but said in a statement issued to WKOK-1070 News Radio that worsening financial problems and a potential buyer that backed out prompted the closure. The owners, the statement read, truly regret the impact of this action to our employees, the community, and our loyal customers and suppliers.

According to a report published in the Sunbury Daily Item, Wood-Mode was exempted from issuing a 60-day notice on its impending closing because it was seeking new capital or business to stay open and filing the notice might have ruined the companys opportunities, a spokeswoman from the state Department of Labor and Industry was quoted as saying.

The shuttering of such a large employer, at the companys only manufacturing facility, leaves a big hole in Snyder County, about 150 miles northwest of Philadelphia. The county, unlike anthracite coal regions just east of the Susquehanna River, has never had a large manufacturing base.

Weve always traditionally been a farming area, said Lee Knepp, a county commissioner.

Knepp said there had been rumblings of financial troubles within Wood-Mode, which opened in 1942, but he said the company never approached the county about its troubles or plans to close. In January 2018, Gov. Tom Wolf toured Wood-Modes plant to highlight the companys participation in job-training programs. This week, in light of the closure, Wolf said his office was working to find out more details of this sudden announcement.

I know from visiting there that Wood-Mode was more than an employer, it was part of the community, Wolf said in a statement.

Wolf said the states Department of Labor and Industry would be mobilized to help former employees deal with employment insurance, and health and pension benefits. Local lawyers have offered help, and on a Facebook group for Snyder County, dozens of posts are trying to direct people to local jobs and fairs. Many have vented their despair in the comments.

The unemployment rate in Snyder County, as of last month, was 3.7 percent, slightly lower than the state average of 3.9. Knepp said Snyder County, population 40,500, is not getting one of the states mini-casinos and is not home to any medical marijuana facilities. Top employers in the county, aside from Wood-Mode, included Susquehanna University, local government and school districts, and Walmart. A new greenhouse facility is expected to bring 50 new jobs there, but the Wood-Mode losses may also result in families moving elsewhere for decent pay.

Its going to be a huge impact on this county, Knepp said. Its very traumatic.

For Sanders, the choices are limited and difficult. Her roots in Snyder County are deep. Come September, her daughter will start high school and she said she could have an hour commute to get a decent-paying job at a Walmart processing facility.

For this area, what I made was a good salary, she said. Most jobs around here are going to pay less than $15 an hour and thats about a $10,000 to $12,000 pay cut.

In her haste to leave Monday, Sanders left behind photos of her children at her workstation, where she sanded expensive cabinetry. She said Wood-Mode was the Cadillac of the the cabinet business. She said some of the cabinets they built were worth more than some of the homes we live in.

Sanders said some couples worked at Wood-Mode. Parents worked alongside their children. She had uncles and cousins who worked there, too.

Were a tight-knit group of people, she said. We were a family.
A Delaware man who confessed to drunkenly snapping a finger off an ancient Chinese terra-cotta warrior statue at the Franklin Institute in 2017 is not out from under the governments thumb just yet.

Federal prosecutors told a judge Thursday that they intend to retry Michael Rohana, 25, on charges of theft and concealment of an object of cultural heritage. Their decision comes a month after a jury failed to reach a unanimous verdict after a weeklong trial, stymied by questions of whether he had been appropriately charged.

U.S. District Judge Petrese B. Tucker has not set a retrial date for the case that set off an international incident with China, exposed Pennsylvanias most popular museum to questions over its security protocols, and grabbed headlines around the world.

Rohanas lawyers  federal public defenders Catherine C. Henry and Nancy MacEoin  panned the governments insistence on a second trial as a waste of the courts resources.

For a U.S. Attorneys Office who routinely holds press conferences touting their commitment to fight violent crime and serious immigration cases, the prosecution of Mr. Rohanas petty act of vandalism seems contrary to that, Henry said.

At trial, they argued that their client had been inappropriately charged under a law designed to prosecute intricately planned museum heists, not what they described as a case of youthful, possibly criminal, mischief.

Still, U.S. Attorney William M. McSwain said Thursday he never questioned after last months mistrial whether his office again would seek a conviction.

The kind of brazen theft of priceless antiquities alleged here violated the public trust and will never be tolerated, McSwain said in a statement. To have an ancient relic survive intact for more than two millennia, only to be stolen and defaced here in Philadelphia, is an embarrassment to our city.

For his part, Rohana, a department store shoe salesman who lives with his parents in Bear, Del., described his decision as a stupid, drunken mistake.

I dont know why I broke it, he testified during his trial. It didnt just happen, but there was never a thought of, I should break this.

Grainy museum security footage showed Rohana sneaking into a closed exhibit during a 2017 after-hours Ugly Sweater Christmas party, clowning around with warrior statues and eventually breaking the thumb off one of the most prized relics of the collection  an intricately carved, life-size terra-cotta figure known as The Cavalryman.

Insured at $4.5 million, it is one of the few fully restored statues from the thousands recovered in fragments from the ancient tomb of Chinas first emperor, Qin Shi Huang.

The Chinese government strictly regulates research and restoration of the statues and has prohibited their purchase or sale. The Franklin Institute was one of two U.S. museums chosen by Chinese officials to host a 2017 traveling exhibit of relics recovered from the emperors tomb.

Museum staff did not notice the damage to the statue until about two weeks after the party. Chinese officials, many of whom testified at trial, were horrified and demanded swift reprisals.

Once the FBIs Art Crime Team identified Rohana as the suspect and tracked him to his parents house, he confessed and handed over the missing finger, which he had stashed in a desk drawer in his bedroom.

Although the thumb and the statue have been returned to China, officials there say that the digit has not been reattached.

Jurors in Rohanas trial blamed their inability to reach a verdict in part on difficulty in determining the value of the thumb. The law with which he was charged required that the stolen object be worth more than $5,000, and competing experts offered wildly varying figures for how much the terra-cotta digit was worth when separated from the warrior.

In the end, jurors described a 7-5 split to acquit.

Henry, the defense lawyer, said shes convinced she can secure a more conclusive outcome this time. We are confident that a second jury will also agree that Michael Rohana should be found not guilty of the charges, she said.
Joe Biden (second from left) greets people at Gianni's Pizza with his sister Valerie Biden Owens (far right) in Wilmington, Del., last month. Read more

WASHINGTON  Joe Biden will base his presidential campaign in Philadelphia, setting up in a city where he has deep ties and in a state that is central to his strategy.

A formal announcement is expected Thursday, just ahead of Bidens Saturday rally at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

Were proud to anchor our campaign in the birthplace of American democracy, said a statement to The Inquirer from Greg Schultz, Bidens campaign manager. Philadelphia is a thriving city and a testament to the American spirit, built by the ingenuity and tenacity of ordinary people who did extraordinary things. Its storied history and celebrated diversity will serve as an inspiration for Team Biden, and is the ideal setting to continue our fight for the soul of this nation.

The national headquarters, which will be in Center City, will have around 50 staffers to start, a number that could grow as the campaign goes on, and especially if Biden wins the Democratic nomination. The site will become the day-to-day nerve center for Bidens strategic planning, media team, and others.

>>READ MORE: Poll: In Pennsylvania, Joe Biden has a big lead on Democrats  and on Trump

The former vice president has made Pennsylvania a prime focus of his early campaign, with rallies in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia bookending trips to early voting states. For months, he had been said to be eyeing Philadelphia as a potential base of operations, and held a fund-raiser in the city on the first day of his campaign.

Biden, though, is likely to spend much of the primary traveling as Democrats compete in contests that span the country.

>>READ MORE: Joe Biden is running for president, launches his 2020 campaign

Democrats and Republicans both view Pennsylvania as one of the most critical battlegrounds in the 2020 race, and the Scranton-born Biden has staked much of his pitch on being able to win back the state that narrowly supported President Donald Trump in 2016.

Biden, the early leader in polls of the Democratic primary field, was sometimes dubbed Pennsylvanias third senator when he represented Delaware and, after his term as vice president, established the Penn Biden Center for Diplomacy and Global Engagement at the University of Pennsylvania.

His wife, Jill, grew up in Willow Grove.

Pennsylvania has also been a major focus for Trump, a Penn graduate who has held dozens of rallies in the state and is scheduled to return Monday for an event near Williamsport, two days after Biden appears in Philadelphia.

Presidential candidates often base their campaigns in places that have both personal meaning and that speak to their political appeals. Trump ran his 2016 campaign from his Trump Tower skyscraper in Manhattan, while Hillary Clinton put her HQ in Brooklyn. Former President Barack Obamas campaign was based in Chicago, where he began his career as a community organizer, and his 2012 challenger Mitt Romney centered his campaign in Boston, where he had once served as governor of Massachusetts.
Joe Biden, then vice president, sitting at the controls inside Amtrak's "Cities Sprinter" locomotive February 6, 2014. Now that his campaign has announced its headquarters will be in Philadelphia, could he become SEPTA's newest commuter? Read more

The Market-Frankford Line is about to get Joe Bidend.

Well, maybe. On Thursday morning, Philadelphia learned it will soon be home to the 2020 presidential campaign headquarters of the former vice president whos seen as the clear front-runner in the Democratic field (which grows wider by the day). The campaign says the office will be somewhere in Center City.

Hes gotta get there somehow, right?

Biden is notorious for his love of train travel. For years, he commuted to and from Wilmington, Del. via Amtrak, which of course also drops off passengers at 30th Street Station. And sure, he could probably ride from the station  or the Penn Biden Center in University City  on a campaign bus or in a line of black Escalades.

Or he could do what the rest of us do: Take the El.

Here are some tips for Biden before he boards this citys most-used public transit line:

1. No speaking before 9 a.m.

Look, we get it. Youre a chatty guy, and youre trying to win over every last Pennsylvanian you can. But when youre on the El, its important to avoid speaking during the morning commute. The last thing your fellow commuters in a claustrophobic zombie state want to hear about is your prescription drug plan. Best blend in with the other subway business-folk and save the performances for the afternoons or the evening rush. Better yet, do it inside 30th Street Station.

Should awkward eye contact happen with someone on the El and its before 9 a.m., even if you know them, do what the rest of us Philadelphians do: Nod.

Dont point. Nod.

2. Get your to-go ice cream in a dish.

Besides making gaffes, your most common meme is your well-documented affinity for ice cream cones. While we do recommend you, at some point, take the El right past Center City and get off at Second Street for a cone from Franklin Fountain, we have another recommendation: Avoid the cone on public transit. No one wants to ruin their pants and/or shoes because of your sticky drips. May we recommend a tiny dish?

3. If youre standing on the train, grab a pole, not someones shoulders.

Self-explanatory.

4. Allot extra time to reload your SEPTA Key card.

Within the last couple years, Philadelphia entered the 21st century and the transit authority unveiled SEPTA Key, a digital payment system that allowed us to do away with tokens once and for all. Hooray! Problem is, like SEPTA, the Key system is... getting there.

It takes way longer than you would expect to reload your card at one of those kiosks, in which time you will likely watch at least one train go by while you frustratingly bang on the side of the machine screaming, WHY ARE YOU STILL PROCESSING MY CREDIT CARD? We recommend giving yourself time at the station to load that card -- a half hour should do it.

Or just reload it online beforehand.

5. Let the people off before you get on.

This rule is probably the most broken in all of Philadelphia, besides perhaps that youre not supposed to park in the middle of South Broad Street. When youre standing on the platform, give people a bit of space and time to get off before you board. I promise there will be enough time.

If for some reason its a close one, you can do the thing many of us do: Hulk out right as the doors are closing and pry them open. This power move may actually win you some votes.

6. Take the empty seat if youre standing right in front of it.

Or make sure to move and let someone else sit. As Philadelphia native/extremely online person Mikey Ilagan recently pointed out:

If the Els crowded, please take a seat so others can fill your standing space.

7. Do not manspread.

When you plop down on one of those plastic seats, be cognizant of those (women) around you and keep your legs within the confines of a single seat. You see, manspreading is an epidemic here in Philadelphia. Be a part of the solution, not the problem. Shut 'em.

8. No canoodling.

No one wants to see couples necking while were all in close proximity. This includes extended bro hugs.

9. Take the El. All the time.

If youre trying to get from 30th Street or West Philly to wherever your headquarters will be in Center City (inside the Comcast building?), the Els really the best way to do it. Its one of the main arteries of our city, and it carries Philadelphians from every walk of life.

So well let you in on a little secret, Joe: Like Sheetz, it isnt actually as bad as Philadelphians say it is.
Service Employees International Union field representative Marcus Garland, right, and other members of SEIU Local 32BJ protest in support of parking attendants outside the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Center City Philadelphia on Saturday, Feb. 9, 2019. City Council just passed two bills that aim to protect the low-wage workers' jobs and improve working conditions. Read more

Philadelphia just got a lot closer to becoming the first U.S. city to enact a worker protection bill on the cutting edge of labor-oriented anti-poverty laws being considered around the country.

Its the latest in a series of bills to protect low-wage workers that Philadelphia City Council and the Kenney administration have championed.

The just-cause bill, focused on the parking industry and approved by Council on Thursday would require employers to provide an appropriate reason for firing an employee. A similar bill, focused on fast-food workers, is being considered in New York.

The union organizing parking lot workers in Philadelphia, SEIU 32BJ, pushed for the bill as well as one focused on minimum staffing levels, because of what workers described as arbitrary and unfair firings. (Its the same union behind the New York bill.) Seven parking workers from two companies, for example, said they were fired in the last 10 months after speaking out about working conditions and low pay.

The bill would cover about 1,000 parking workers, according to an estimate by the Keystone Research Center.

The bill was fiercely opposed by the parking industry, which said it was already under tremendous stress from the citys parking tax and other business taxes. Not unlike the workers, parking lot operators organized through the Philadelphia Parking Association to rail against the tax last fall.

>> READ MORE: Is Phillys parking tax too high? Garage owners blame it for rising cost of parking

Critics also said the just-cause bill was a gateway to turning Philadelphia into a just-cause city.

Right now, its the parking industry, said Marjorie McMahon Obod, an employer-side labor lawyer at Dilworth Paxson. Next time it could be hospitals. ... It could be all industries that service Philadelphia.

At-will" employment, where workers can be fired for any reason or no reason, is the standard in every state in the country except Montana. (Federal law and many state and city laws, however, protect workers from being fired for reasons related to their identity, including age, gender, and race.)

On the other hand, virtually all union contracts include just-cause language.

The vote for the just-cause bill was 12-4, with Democratic Councilman Henon, Republican Councilmen Brian ONeill, David Oh, and Al Taubenberger voting against. The vote for minimum staffing was 13-3, with ONeill, Oh, and Taubenberger voting against. Councilman Allan Domb abstained from both votes.

Councilwoman Cherelle L. Parker, who has received $4,000 in campaign contributions from 32BJ since January 2018, introduced both bills at the end of April. Since 2018, shes also received campaign contributions from the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce ($4,500) and Joseph Zuritsky, chairman of parking operator Parkway Corp. ($3,000). Both are opposed to the bill. She vowed at a hearing earlier this month to also help the parking industry with its tax woes.

>> READ MORE: 7 groups chased Council members around City Hall to make a plea for more labor enforcement funding

Mayor Jim Kenney still has to sign the bills. In his testimony at a Council hearing earlier this month, Kenneys deputy mayor for labor, Rich Lazer, said the mayor supported the intent of the just-cause bill.

To be clear, [this bill] does not protect problem employees, and it does not stop employers from rightsizing a workplace, if thats what the economics dictate, Lazer said. "It provides workers who may be aggrieved with an opportunity to let their voice be heard.

All of this aligns with Philadelphias long-term goals around inclusive growth, Lazer said.

Another major concern, if Kenney signs the just-cause bill, is enforcement: The citys small enforcement unit, housed in the Mayors Office of Labor, has a big task ahead of it, as it will begin implementing the citys new Fair Workweek scheduling law next year. Labor activists and groups are currently pushing for the office to get more funding.

Philadelphia Media Network is one of 21 news organizations producing Broke in Philly, a collaborative reporting project on solutions to poverty and the citys push toward economic justice. See all of our reporting at brokeinphilly.org.
Hair she goes again

On May 3, WMMR on-air personality Kathy Romano hosted her twelfth annual Kathys Cuts at TruBeauty Concepts Beauty Center in Southampton, where long-haired adults, teens, and kids donated their tresses to Wigs For Kids  a nonprofit that creates wigs for children experiencing hair loss. Over the last twelve years, 1,100 ponytails have been donated via Kathys Cuts.

Big bro makes her proud

A belated salute to Fox Chase native Nelson Rosen, a grad of Phillys High School of Engineering and Science who was promoted on April 6 to brigadier general in the U.S. Army Medical Reserves. His sister, Lauren Ragland, reached out to The UpSide to brag on her big brother after reading our recent story about Lynn Ray, a Girls High grad who was just promoted to colonel in the U.S. Army. Rosen, who has been deployed three times, is a colorectal pediatric surgeon at Cincinnati Childrens Hospital. And, adds his sister, hes also an Eagles Scout.

The prom was a ball

Every other year, The Merakey Foundation  a nonprofit that serves individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities  hosts a prom so nice they hold it twice. This year, more than 600 of Merakeys clients attended the 2019 IDD Prom  themed Somewhere Over the Rainbow"  which was held on April 23 at Presidential Caterers in East Norriton and on May 8 at the Philadelphia Ballroom. Guests were welcomed by Merakey staffers, dressed as characters from The Wizard of Oz, and walked a yellow brick road  instead of a red carpet  into the festivities. Staff and clients worked together to organize the prom, which celebrates those whove never had the opportunity to attend a prom or gala.

Merci, merci

On April 29, the Vincentian Priests and Brothers and the Central Association of the Miraculous Medal held a Mass and prayer service in solidarity with first responders and Catholics in Paris in the aftermath of the fire that devastated Notre Dame. During the service at the Shrine of the Miraculous Medal in Germantown it was announced that the French flag shown here will be displayed at Marys Altar at the church until Notre Dame is fully rebuilt.
Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey signs a bill that virtually outlaws abortion in the state on Wednesday, May 15, 2019. Read more

Alabama could become home to whats being called the nations most restrictive abortion ban.

On Wednesday, Republican Gov. Kay Ivey signed the Alabama Human Life Protection Act, which comes close to a total ban on abortions.

The southern state is not alone in the effort to limit abortions. But the fights wont end within their Capitols.

Heres a look at whats happened and what may come.

What happened in Alabama?

The law, which is intended to take effect in six months, comes close to banning abortion.

Abortion and attempted abortion will be considered felonies, except when necessary to prevent a serious health risk to the mother, according to the bill. There is no exception for women who become pregnant as a result of rape or incest.

While the woman receiving the abortion would not be prosecuted, doctors performing the procedure could face up to 99 years in prison, according to the New York Times.

Ivey said the measure stands as a powerful testament to Alabamians deeply held belief that every life is precious and that every life is a sacred gift from God. The governor suggested the bill would result in a welcome legal challenge of Roe v. Wade, the landmark Supreme Court decision recognizing a constitutional right to abortion.

Many Americans, myself included, disagreed when Roe v. Wade was handed down in 1973, Ivey wrote in a statement. The sponsors of this bill believe that it is time, once again, for the U.S. Supreme Court to revisit this important matter, and they believe this act may bring about the best opportunity for this to occur.

What else is happening?

While it may be the strictest, Alabamas efforts join a slew of other states that have passed or are considering strict anti-abortion measures. Earlier this month, Georgias Republican Gov. Brian Kemp signed a law banning abortions at about six weeks, when the fetus has a detectable heartbeat  similar to recent bills in Mississippi and Ohio.

On Thursday, the Missouri Senate joined the list, sending a bill that would restrict abortion at eight weeks to its Republican governor, who has shown support for it.

Other states, including New York and Virginia, are seeking to enact abortion protections, according to Axios. Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf said he would veto a similar bill should one ever reach his desk.

 READ MORE: 4 things to know about Pa.s bill banning abortions based on a Down syndrome diagnosis

Why now?

Its no coincidence that the measures are making their way through state governments following Justice Brett Kavanaughs appointment to the Supreme Court, filling anti-abortion activists with hope that their 40-year effort to overturn Roe entirely might finally succeed, the Times wrote.

There are many states that believe that the time is now for the Supreme Court to reconsider the blanket prohibition that Roe v. Wade expressed, Steven Arden, general counsel of anti-abortion group Americans United for Life, told the Times.

It was certainly the intention of Alabama State Rep. Terri Collins, co-sponsor of Alabamas bill.

This bill is about challenging Roe v. Wade and protecting the lives of the unborn because an unborn baby is a person who deserves love and protection, Collins said, according to the Washington Post. This is the way we get where we want to get eventually.

Whats next?

Legal challenges. Planned Parenthood and the American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio have filed a lawsuit challenging Ohios ban, which is expected to take effect in July.

At six weeks, most people dont even know theyre pregnant, Kersha Deibel, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Southwest Ohio Region, said in a statement. Were challenging this law because it would take away a persons right to make their own medical decisions before they even know they have a decision to make."

Alabamas efforts are expected to be challenged, too  the ACLU wrote on Twitter that it would "sue to stop this law from ever taking effect.

"In the coming days, we will be mounting the fight of our lives  we will take this to court and ensure abortion remains safe and legal, said Staci Fox, the president of Planned Parenthood Southeast Advocates, according to the Times.

 READ MORE: Reflections on `Roe v. Wade': Two Philly women on why abortion was the right choice for them | Opinion
This photograph released by the state shows Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey signing a bill that virtually outlaws abortion in the state on Wednesday, May 15, 2019, in Montgomery, Ala. Republicans who support the measure hope challenges to the law will be used by conservative justices on the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn the Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion nationwide. (Hal Yeager / Alabama Governor's Office via AP) Read more

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP)  Alabama's Republican governor signed the most stringent abortion legislation in the nation Wednesday, making performing an abortion a felony in nearly all cases.

"To the bill's many supporters, this legislation stands as a powerful testament to Alabamians' deeply held belief that every life is precious and that every life is a sacred gift from God," Gov. Kay Ivey said in a statement.

The bill's sponsors want to give conservatives on the U.S. Supreme Court a chance to gut abortion rights nationwide, but Democrats and abortion rights advocates criticized the bill as a slap in the face to women voters.

"It just completely disregards women and the value of women and their voice. We have once again silenced women on a very personal issue," said Sen. Linda Coleman-Madison, a Birmingham Democrat.

Coleman-Madison said she hopes the measure awakens a "sleeping giant" of women voters in the state.

But Republican pollster Chris Kratzer noted that there is no congressional district and likely no legislative district with enough swing voters to put Republicans at serious risk in the state.

"The people who are outraged about this are not the people who are electing these guys, generally speaking, especially when we're talking about the primary," he said.

Further, Kratzer argued, there aren't enough potential swing voters and disenchanted Republicans to make the issue any kind of advantage for the lone Democrat elected to statewide office, U.S. Sen. Doug Jones, who scored a surprise win in a 2017 special election.

Jones upset Republican Roy Moore in part on the strength of GOP-leaning college graduates abandoning the controversial Moore. But Kratzer said that was more about Moore's long history of flouting federal courts as chief justice of the Alabama Supreme Court and accusations that Moore sexually harassed teens when he was in his 30s  not Moore's hard-line stance on abortion.

The legislation Alabama senators passed Tuesday would make performing an abortion at any stage of pregnancy a felony punishable by 10 to 99 years or life in prison for the provider. The only exception would be when the woman's health is at serious risk. Women seeking or undergoing abortions wouldn't be punished.

Rep. Terri Collins, the bill's sponsor, said she believes the measure reflects the beliefs of the majority of the state electorate.

"I've heard from lots of women in the state who are extremely pro-life, and they're very supportive," Collins said.

Ivey acknowledged Wednesday that the measure may be unenforceable in the short term. The law is set to go into effect six months after being signed, but supporters expect it to be blocked by lower courts as they fight toward the Supreme Court.

"The sponsors of this bill believe that it is time, once again, for the U.S. Supreme Court to revisit this important matter, and they believe this act may bring about the best opportunity for this to occur," Ivey said.

Kentucky, Mississippi, Ohio, and Georgia recently have approved bans on abortion once a fetal heartbeat is detected, which can occur in about the sixth week of pregnancy. The Alabama bill goes further by seeking to ban abortion outright.

Abortion rights advocates vowed swift legal action.

"We vowed to fight this dangerous abortion ban every step of the way and we meant what we said. We haven't lost a case in Alabama yet and we don't plan to start now. We will see Governor Ivey in court," said Staci Fox, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Southeast.

Evangelist Pat Robertson on his television show Wednesday said the Alabama law is "extreme" and opined it may not be the best one to bring to the U.S. Supreme Court "because I think this one will lose."

"God bless them they are trying to do something but I don't think that's the case that I'd want to bring to the Supreme Court," Robertson said.

One mile from the Alabama Statehouse  down the street from the Governors Mansion  sits Montgomerys only abortion clinic, one of three performing abortions in the state. Because of its location, the clinic sees a stream of patients from Mississippi and the Florida Panhandle because other clinics have closed.

Clinic staff on Wednesday fielded calls from patients, and potential patients, wrongly worried that abortion was now illegal in the state. They were assured abortion remained legal in the state.

"It's been a lot of fear. A lot of people who are afraid they can't get their procedure," said Kari Crowe, a clinic employee and escort.

"Abortion is OK!" read a banner paid for by abortion rights advocates that a plane carried as it circled the Alabama Capitol and Statehouse on Wednesday.

Associated Press writer Bill Barrow contributed to this article.
FILE - This July 16, 2013, file photo shows a sign at Facebook headquarters in Menlo Park, Calif. Facebook said Thursday, May 16, 2019, that it has banned Archimedes, an Israeli company that ran an influence campaign aimed at disrupting elections in various countries, and has canceled dozens of accounts engaged in spreading disinformation. Nathaniel Gleicher, Facebooks head of cybersecurity policy, told reporters that the tech giant had purged 65 Israeli accounts, 161 pages, dozens of groups, and four Instagram accounts. Read more

JERUSALEM  Facebook said Thursday it banned an Israeli company that ran an influence campaign aimed at disrupting elections in various countries and has canceled dozens of accounts engaged in spreading disinformation.

Nathaniel Gleicher, Facebooks head of cybersecurity policy, told reporters that the tech giant had purged 65 Israeli accounts, 161 pages, dozens of groups, and four Instagram accounts.

Although Facebook said the individuals behind the network attempted to conceal their identities, it discovered that many were linked to the Archimedes Group, a Tel Aviv-based political consulting and lobbying firm that publicly boasts of its social media skills and ability to "change reality."

"It's a real communications firm making money through the dissemination of fake news," said Graham Brookie, director of the Digital Forensic Research Lab at the Atlantic Council, a think tank collaborating with Facebook to expose and explain disinformation campaigns.

He called Archimedes commercialization of tactics more commonly tied to governments, like Russia, an emerging  and worrying  trend in the global spread of social media disinformation. These efforts go well beyond what is acceptable in free and democratic societies, Brookie said.

Gleicher described the pages as conducting coordinated inauthentic behavior, with accounts posting on behalf of certain political candidates, smearing their opponents, and presenting as legitimate local news organizations peddling supposedly leaked information.

"Our team assessed that because this group is primarily organized to conduct deceptive behavior, we are removing them from the platform and blocking them from coming back," he added.

The activity appeared focused on sub-Saharan African countries but was also scattered in parts of Southeast Asia and Latin America, what Brookie called a staggering diversity of regions that pointed to the groups sophistication.

The fake pages, pushing a steady stream of political news, racked up 2.8 million followers. Thousands of people expressed interest in attending at least one of the nine events organized by those behind the pages. Facebook could not confirm whether any of the events actually occurred. Some 5,000 accounts joined one or more of the fake groups.

Gleicher said the misleading accounts primarily aimed to influence people in Nigeria, Senegal, Togo, Angola, Niger, and Tunisia.

The most significant audience engagement was generated in Malaysia, which has a vast media market and held a general election last year, according to Brookie and his team at the Atlantic Council.

Facebook investigations revealed that Archimedes had spent some $800,000 on fake ads, paid for in Brazilian reals, Israeli shekels and U.S. dollars. Gleicher said the deceptive ads dated back to 2012, with the most recent activity occurring last month.

Facebook shared a few examples of the fake content, including one post mocking 2018 Congolese presidential candidate Martin Fayulu for crying foul play in the elections that vaulted Felix Tshisekedi to victory. Many governments and watchdog groups condemned the elections as rigged and declared Fayulu the rightful winner.

Given the geographical variety of Archimedes' operations, "it's impossible to determine a single ideological thread," said Brookie. "They weren't pushing exclusively far-right or anti-globalist content. It appears to be a clear-cut case of spreading disinformation through economic incentive."

He added that Archimedes-linked pages pulled from the playbook of Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, with widely amplified yet tailored messages targeting potential voters and "creating a specter of leaked information." Most impostor accounts shared a key tactic: posing as a campaigner for a particular candidate and then sharing opinions that actual supporters would find offensive.

Facebook has come under pressure to more robustly and transparently tackle misinformation aimed at sowing division and confusion around elections, since the revelation that the company was slow to detect and respond to Russian election meddling.

Thursday's disclosure, which Facebook pointed to as proof of its accelerating "progress rooting out abuse," underscored the extent to which private actors are leveraging the platform to meddle in elections and more broadly tap the "growing market for disinformation," said Brookie.

But the company's efforts to fight fake accounts are "often made in great haste," said Jonathan Klinger from the Israeli Digital Rights Movement, and if Archimedes does have legitimate links to political parties and candidates, Facebook can expect a legal battle.

On its website, Archimedes, which presents itself as a consulting firm involved in campaigns for presidential elections, does not hide its efforts to manipulate public opinion. Rather, the company advertises it.

The site, featuring a montage of stock photos from Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, boasts of its "own unique field within the social media realm" and its efforts to "take every advantage available in order to change reality according to our client's wishes."

Little information is available beyond its slogan, which is "winning campaigns worldwide," and a vague blurb about the group's "mass social media management" software, which it said enabled the operation of an "unlimited" number of online accounts.

A message seeking comment from the company was not immediately returned.

Archimedes' chief executive is Elinadav Heymann, according to Swiss negotiations consultancy Negotiations.CH, where he is listed as one of the group's consultants.

A biography posted to the company's website describes Heymann as the former director of the Brussels-based European Friends of Israel lobbying group, a former political adviser in Israel's parliament and an ex-intelligence agent for the Israeli air force.

Heymann did not return messages left with Daniel Hardegger, Negotiations.CHs managing director. Shortly after the Associated Press got in touch, Hardegger said that Heymann requested that his biography be removed from the site.
This undated poster released by the FBI includes five Russian fugitives that have been charged in connection with malicious software attacks that infected tens of thousands of computers worldwide and caused more than $100 million in financial losses. (FBI Pittsburgh Field Office via AP) Read more

WASHINGTON  Ten people, including five Russian fugitives, have been charged in connection with malicious software attacks that infected tens of thousands of computers worldwide and sought to steal $100 million from victims, U.S. and European authorities announced Thursday.

The malware enabled criminals from Eastern Europe to take remote control of infected computers and siphon funds from victims bank accounts, and targeted companies and institutions across all sectors of American life. A Pennsylvania asphalt and paving business was one victim; others included a Washington law firm, a church in Texas, a furniture business in California, and a casino in Mississippi.

Several defendants are awaiting prosecution in Europe, and five are Russians who remain fugitives in that country. An 11th participant in the conspiracy was extradited to the United States from Bulgaria in 2016 and pleaded guilty last month in a related case in federal court in Pittsburgh, where Thursday's indictment was brought.

Though the Justice Department has pursued multiple malware prosecutions in recent years against foreign hackers, this case stands out as a novel model of international collaboration , said Scott Brady, the U.S. attorney in Pittsburgh.

Instead of seeking the immediate extradition of all 10 defendants  an often cumbersome process that can take years of negotiations, even in countries that have treaties with the U.S.  American authorities shared evidence with their European counterparts to allow officials in Ukraine, Moldova, and Georgia to initiate prosecutions in the nations where the defendants reside.

It represents a paradigm change in how we prosecute cybercrime, Brady said in an interview with the Associated Press before a news conference in the Hague with a coalition of a half-dozen countries.

Cybercrime networks "are increasingly targetable" when investigators work together, Robert Jones, the FBI special agent in charge of the Pittsburgh office, said at the news conference. "International cooperation is no longer a nicety, it's a requirement," he said.

Other law enforcement officials also said the strategy represents the new face of combating high-tech crime.

Cybercrime has no borders, and criminals have taken advantage of the legal complexities of trying to fight it, said Steven Wilson, head of the European CyberCrime Centre at Europol. "Only through international cooperation can we hope to tackle it," he said, adding the charges "provide for a safer internet for all of us."

The charges in the indictment include conspiracy to commit computer fraud, conspiracy to commit wire and bank fraud, and conspiracy to commit money laundering.

The investigation was an outgrowth of the Justice Department's dismantling in 2016 of a network of computer servers, known as Avalanche, which hosted more than 20 different types of malware. GozNym, the malware cited in Thursday's case, was among the ones hosted on the network and was designed to automate the theft of sensitive personal and financial information.

Law enforcement officials say it was formed by the defendants as they advertised their technical skills in underground, Russian-language online criminal forums. The defendants had different roles within the conspiracy, including developing the malware, encrypting it so it could avoid detection by antivirus software, mass distributing the spam emails, and sneaking in to the victims bank accounts.

The leader of the network, authorities say, was from Tbilisi, Georgia, and leased access to the malware from a developer, who in turn worked with coders to create GozNym.

"For the past three years, we have been unpeeling an onion as it were that is very challenging to investigate and identify," Brady said.

GozNym controlled more than 41,000 computers, officials said. The malware relied on spam emails, disguised as legitimate messages, that once opened enabled the malware to be downloaded onto the machines. From there, the hackers were able to record keystrokes from the victims computers, steal banking log-in credentials, and then launder the stolen money into foreign bank accounts they controlled.

Brady said prosecutors always look to recover stolen funds, but that is especially challenging in international cybercrime cases.

"Proceeds were converted to bitcoin and without the private key, it is really hard to identify and access, let alone seize, those accounts," Brady told the AP.

Associated Press writer Kristen de Groot contributed to this article.
Ami Vora, VP Product Management at WhatsApp in Facebook F8 developer conference 2019. Image: Facebook

WhatsApp, the popular messaging platform with a global base of 1.5 bn users, has been affected with a vulnerability which lets hackers gain access to your phone.

What is the latest WhatsApp security breach?

The latest security loophole on WhatsApp , discovered earlier this month, lets hackers use a vulnerability in the app to install surveillance software on your phones. The WhatsApp voice calling feature is being used to call the target's device and even if the target doesn't pick up the call, the deed is done.

WhatsApp

that a buffer overflow vulnerability in the "WhatsApp VOIP stack" allowed for remote code execution "via a specially crafted series of SRTCP packets sent to a target phone number." Put simply, the attacker would make a WhatsApp call on your number and the vulnerability in the WhatsApp VOIP stack would let malware be installed on your device, whether or not you received the call. The call won't even show under missed calls as the hacker has the ability to remove it from call logs.

The affected versions include WhatsApp for Android prior to v2.19.134, WhatsApp Business for Android prior to v2.19.44, WhatsApp for iOS prior to v2.19.51, WhatsApp Business for iOS prior to v2.19.51, WhatsApp for Windows Phone prior to v2.18.348 and WhatsApp for Tizen prior to v2.18.15.

Who has been affected by the WhatsApp security breach?

There is no clarity on who exactly has been affected by this breach. According to WhatsApp, it is too early to say, but it has shared this information with human rights groups such as Citizen Lab and Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) and select security vendors, in addition to the US Department of Justice.

According to a

in

The New York Times

, one of the persons targeted was a London-based lawyer who is helping a Saudi dissident in Canada, a Qatari citizen and a group of Mexican journalists and activists fight a case against the Israel-based NSO Group, which is being accused of being behind this attack. WhatsApp engineers have claimed that the digital footprint of this attack was similar to other tools used by the NSO Group. The lawyer said that his suspicions started growing after he started missing WhatsApp video calls from Swedish telephone numbers at odd hours.

Amnesty International has said that there is mounting evidence that these tools by NSO Group are being used by regimes to keep anti-establishment activist voices under control.

How to protect yourself from this vulnerability

WhatsApp has released an update to fix the vulnerability.

You will need to ensure that the Android variant of WhatsApp is version 2.19.134 or higher and for iOS devices, ensure that the app version is 2.19.51 or higher.

WhatsApp's response

WhatsApp has sent out an update which apparently fixed the flaw.

"WhatsApp encourages people to upgrade to the latest version of our app, as well as keep their mobile operating system up to date, to protect against potential targeted exploits designed to compromise information stored on mobile devices," a spokesperson said in a statement to

AFP

.

WhatsApp hasn't revealed how many users have been affected with this exploit as well as who had targetted them. The matter has been reported to US authorities as well as the Data Protection Commission (DPC) in Ireland.

Who is the NSO Group?

NSO Group is an Israeli tech firm which specialises in making cyber-surveillance tools and is notoriously called a 'cyber-arms dealer'. It has been accused of developing spyware for governments intent on snooping on activists and journalists. In 2016, researchers had found that the NSO Group

to spy on an activist.





Journalists are often the victims of targeted attacks, with as many as 11 identified in our research into NSO Group's Pegasus spyware pic.twitter.com/EooPoRLBtt



- Citizen Lab (@citizenlab) May 3, 2019

NSO Group is the brains behind the product Pegasus, which can reportedly switch on a target's camera and microphone as well as access data on the device. The software is able to infect a user's phone after a single click on a link in a fake text message grants it complete user access of the victim's phone to NSO's clients.

NSO Group claims that it makes software only for governments to help them fight crime and terror. According to a

in

CNN

, around 45 countries use NSO's Pegasus technology. NSO Group also claims that it has the power to disconnect its products from use if they are used beyond the purposes of crime and terror detection - something that's been dismissed by cyber-security experts.

According to cybersecurity experts, regular WhatsApp users are most likely unaffected by this attack, but it's always a good idea to update your WhatsApp app to the latest version, just to be on the safe side.

WhatsApp has encouraged all its users to update to the latest version of the app and has claimed that this breach has been fixed.Original Source:
Arnulfo Ochoa, the father of Marlen Ochoa-Lopez, is surrounded by family members and supporters, as he walks into the Cook County medical examiner's office to identify his daughter's body, Thursday, May 16, 2019 in Chicago. (Ashlee Rezin / Chicago Sun-Times via AP) Read more

CHICAGO (AP)  A pregnant woman who had gone to a Chicago home in response to a Facebook offer of free baby clothes was strangled and her baby cut from her womb, police and family members said.

The newborn was in grave condition and not expected to survive, and three people were taken into custody, including a woman who pretended the baby was hers, police said. Charges including murder were expected to be filed Thursday afternoon, police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said.

The body of 19-year-old Marlen Ochoa-Lopez was found early Wednesday behind the house, more than three weeks after she disappeared. The nine-months-pregnant woman was last seen leaving her high school on April 23, the same day paramedics were called to the home several miles away on the Southwest Side about a newborn with problems breathing.

"We believe that she was murdered, and we believe that the baby was forcibly removed following that murder," Guglielmi said, calling it an "unspeakable act of violence."

Chicago Fire Department spokesman Larry Merritt said a 46-year-old woman called 911 reporting that her newborn baby was in distress. When paramedics arrived "the baby wasn't breathing, the baby was blue," said Merritt. Paramedics tried to resuscitate the baby on the way to the hospital, he said.

The family of Ochoa-Lopez, a married mother of a 3-year-old son, said a woman on Facebook had lured her to the home by offering a stroller and baby clothes.

"She was giving clothes away, supposedly under the pretense that her daughters had been given clothes and they had all these extra boy clothes," said Cecelia Garcia, a spokeswoman for the family.

Ochoa-Lopezs family has been looking for her since her disappearance, organizing search parties, holding press conferences, and pushing police for updates on the investigation.

A break in the investigation came after the woman who said she had given birth to the baby set up an online fund-raising campaign, another spokeswoman for Ochoa-Lopezs family said. The GoFundMe campaign said that the baby was about to die and money was needed for a funeral, Sara Walker said.

Police then conducted DNA tests to determine that Ochoa-Lopez and her husband, Yiovanni Lopez, were actually his parents, Walker said.

"Even though we found her without a life, at least we're grateful that we found her. And we want justice  that's what we want," Ochoa-Lopez's father, Arnulfo Ochoa, said Thursday as he stood with other relatives outside the county's medical examiner's office, where his daughter's body was taken.

Lopez told reporters that he understood his son was likely to die soon, but that he still wasn't giving up hope.

"We plead to God that he gives us our child because that is a blessing that my wife left for us," he said in Spanish through an interpreter.

Associated Press video journalist Noreen Nasir contributed to this article.
Deptford police Sgt. Kevin A. Clements, 42, retired in April on an "accidental disability retirement." He joined the force in 1999. Read more

The Deptford police sergeant who shot and killed a suspected shoplifter, who authorities say tried to run him over while fleeing the parking lot of a strip mall, has quietly left the department and applied for accidental disability retirement, records show.

Sgt. Kevin Clements never returned to active duty after the June 2018 incident, the first police-involved fatal shooting in the history of the department. Clements and another officer were dispatched to the scene after a report of three suspects shoplifting at a Marshalls store. He is the third officer to leave the force since the shooting. A captain who was present when the shooting occurred retired Jan. 1, and the police chief retired March 1.

Clements, 42, of Wenonah, shot LaShanda Anderson, 36, of Philadelphia, during a June 9 encounter at the Deptford Crossing Shopping Center. Anderson and two others were trying to get away from police after shoplifting at the Marshalls store, authorities say.

Anderson was struck in the head and an arm. A third bullet missed. She was pronounced dead at the scene. Her alleged accomplices, Chanel Barnes, 38, and Raoul Gadson, 43, both of Philadelphia, were eventually taken into custody. Barnes is awaiting trial on a shoplifting charge and Gadson on robbery and assault charges.

Clements, a 19-year veteran, was placed on paid administrative leave for six months pending a review of the shooting by Gloucester County Prosecutor Charles Fiore. In November, Fiore announced that a grand jury did not recommend any charges against the officer.

On March 31, Clements retired and applied for accidental disability retirement benefits, according to township records obtained by The Inquirer under the Open Public Records Act. He was paid $111,292 in 2018 and $30,080 in 2019, records show.

According to state pension guidelines, accidental disability retirement benefits may be granted to public employees considered permanently and totally disabled who can prove that they are physically or mentally incapacitated and unable to perform their normal jobs as a direct result of a traumatic event."

William Skaggs, a spokesperson for the state Treasury Department, said a review board had not made a decision on Clements retirement application. The nature of his disability was not disclosed.

"Its still pending, Skaggs said this week. A decision could take up to eight months.

If granted accidental disability retirement, Clements would be eligible to receive 72.7 percent of his annual base salary, about $80,000, according to state guidelines. An ordinary disability retirement would pay him 43.6 percent of his final salary, or nearly $49,000 annually.

Clements does not have an attorney and could not be reached for comment. Chief Kevin Pancoast and Township Solicitor Doug Long did not respond to numerous inquires.

Stanley King, a civil rights lawyer who represents Andersons family, said he was not surprised by Clements retirement. I have no doubt that that is a traumatic event. Something went terribly wrong that day, said King. This [the retirement] may still be part of the fallout from that incident.

Capt. William Bittner, a second officer who was dispatched to the store in response to the shoplifting incident, retired Dec. 31. He receives a monthly pension of $7,364, according to state records.

Police Chief William Hanstein retired in March, ending a 32-year career. He had been chief since August 2013 and was paid $143,476 in 2018. His pension records have not yet been posted on the states online system.

Federal authorities are reviewing the shooting for possible civil rights violations and investigating the use of deadly force by Clements. Prosecutors have declined comment.

Authorities have said Clements feared for his life when he fired at Andersons leased Nissan Armada after she accelerated toward him and ignored his commands to stop. Barnes, the lone passenger, was arrested at the scene. Gadson was taken into custody several days later.

Police say the trio stole $3,400 worth of merchandise from Marshalls. All three had extensive criminal records, mostly for shoplifting. Andersons record dated back to 2000. She had been arrested more than 15 times for shoplifting but also for more serious charges, including robbery, conspiracy to commit aggravated assault, and unlawful possession of a firearm.

Andersons family and two eyewitnesses who were not called to testify before the grand jury have raised questions about the shooting. Terence Jones, a private investigator who conducted a review of the case for the Gloucester County chapter of the NAACP, contends that Clement placed himself in imminent danger by suddenly appearing in front of the fleeing SUV driven by Anderson.

I believe that he willfully put himself in danger. He had time to get out of the way," Jones said.

Clements and Bittner were dispatched to the strip mall in response to a report that a man and two women were shoplifting. The dispatcher told the officers that one of the suspects was wanted in a homicide, which was incorrect.

In a statement to Jones, Barnes said she and Anderson fled the store empty-handed and jumped into the Armada, which was facing away from the police officers. The SUV accelerated in the opposite direction of the officers, Barnes said, and Bittner threw a metal baton at the back window, shattering the glass.

When Anderson made a right turn in the parking lot, Clements appeared in front of the SUV and fired a shot without warning into the windshield on the drivers side, Barnes said in the statement. Anderson, who was struck in the head by a bullet, lost control of the vehicle, which eventually came to rest at an access road, she said.

Barnes account is at odds with that of law enforcement officials. The prosecutor said Bittner pointed his handgun at Anderson and ordered her out of the vehicle. He said Bittner then approached the open drivers side door, and Anderson sped off, striking the officer in the shoulder.

Clements was standing 12 to 25 feet in front of the vehicle with his weapon drawn when he ordered Anderson to stop, according to Fiore. Clements then fired three shots, striking Anderson twice, he said.

According to the state attorney generals guidelines on the use of deadly force, discharging a firearm at a moving vehicle entails an even greater risk of death or serious injury to innocent persons. The weapon should be fired only if there are no other available means to avert the danger, the guidelines say.

Andersons niece Traisha Way of Philadelphia, who has maintained that the use of deadly force was not justified, said the family remains encouraged by the review by federal authorities into the shooting.

We are continuing to fight for justice and advocating for LaShandas voice to be heard, even in death, Way said Thursday. We cannot give up.
John Blocker, 43, of Philadelphia, has been found guilty of murder in the death of Juan Cuevas Sr. Read more

A Philadelphia man has been convicted of murder in the 2006 slaying of Juan Cuevas Sr., who was beaten to death during a robbery at his Washington Township home while three of his children were terrorized, authorities said Thursday.

A Gloucester County jury found John Blocker, 46, guilty of murder, aggravated manslaughter, robbery, burglary, and three counts of kidnapping in a case that shocked even veteran police officials.

Cuevas, 36, a Philadelphia native who moved his children to the presumably safer South Jersey suburbs, was attacked after returning home from his auto parts business in Northeast Philadelphia.

Blocker and three other masked men arrived at the home on Saddlebrook Way about 1 p.m. and found Cuevas 17-year-old son in the driveway, police said. He was bound and locked in a bathroom inside the house.

The assailants later bound and held his 19-year-old daughter and 14-year-old son. Throughout the afternoon, they terrorized the children, demanding to know where cash was kept in the house.

When Cuevas returned from work about 5 p.m., the men again demanded money they believed was in the house. When Cuevas failed to give them money, he was tortured and beaten to death.

For years, the police investigation stalled, but authorities never stopped looking for the assailants. They canvassed neighborhoods in Washington Township and Northeast Philadelphia, looking for evidence.

Gloucester County Prosecutor Charles Fiore said in a statement Thursday that multiple law enforcement agencies in Pennsylvania and New Jersey were relentless during the long investigation.

In 2015, nine years after the death, Blocker was arrested at his girlfriends home in Philadelphia. On Tuesday, the jury found Blocker guilty of charges likely to keep him in prison for life.

Thomas R. Gilbert, chief of detectives for the Gloucester County Prosecutors Office, said officials felt fortunate to have gathered enough evidence to prosecute Blocker. He said he is hopeful that there may be enough evidence to charge others in the future, adding, We dont consider this case to be closed.
HARRISBURG  House Republican leaders this week asked their Democratic counterparts to address a controversy involving State Rep. Brian Sims of Philadelphia, whose posts of himself berating antiabortion protesters caused a social media firestorm.

Rep. Brian Sims actions reflect the worst in how people should behave and treat one another in a civil society, the Republican leaders said in a statement issued late Wednesday. We expect him to accept full responsibility for his egregious and unacceptable behavior and to pledge that he will meet the high standards that the people of Pennsylvania have for their elected officials.

The statement did not specify what they would like Democratic leaders to do regarding Sims, a Democrat who represents Center City. Sims drew national attention after he posted videos of himself berating protesters outside a Planned Parenthood clinic in his district, at one point calling a womans conduct disgusting, racist, and grotesque.

Shortly after the post went viral, one Republican leader called for a criminal investigation and another called for an investigation by the House Ethics Committee.

Sims could not immediately be reached. He previously acknowledged that his behavior was aggressive and promised to do better.

Bill Patton, a spokesman for House Democrats, said Thursday that Sims discussed his behavior at length with House leaders from both parties.

Democratic leaders addressed the matter with Sims privately and are satisfied it will not be repeated, Patton said in a statement. Republican leaders are aware of this."
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy on Thursday said there was no question that Camden is on the rise, but questioned whether tax incentives awarded to companies that moved there under his predecessor had benefited the broad community or just a select few.

Youve got some fairly troubling data thats come out, evidence thats come out" regarding the states incentives programs, Murphy, a Democrat, said in an interview at Philadelphias Independence Seaport Museum. He met with Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf and Delaware Gov. John Carney there earlier Thursday for an environmental event.

His remarks came as a task force appointed by Murphy, led by a Rutgers University professor and a former federal prosecutor, investigates tax incentive programs signed into law by then-Gov. Chris Christie in 2013.

The task force has been examining potential abuses in the program, including whether New Jersey companies that moved jobs to Camden lied about threats to move out of state in order to win tax credits.

Some of the companies under scrutiny are affiliated with South Jersey Democratic power broker George E. Norcross III, a Murphy foe who has denounced the task forces investigation as a political hit job.

Norcross is executive chairman of the insurance brokerage Conner Strong & Buckelew and unpaid board chairman of Cooper Health System, each of which was awarded tens of millions of dollars in tax credits over 10 years to invest in Camden and move jobs there.

In Camden on Thursday, local officials, business leaders, and former governors spoke of the citys progress over the past decade and defended the tax credits that helped lure companies.

Murphy said any suggestion that his administration was attacking Camden was misguided. No administration has done more for Camden in the history of the state than this one, he said, pointing to state funding for the city.

Murphy appointed the task force shortly after the state comptroller issued a report in January that found the Economic Development Authority had failed to hold companies accountable for jobs and investment they had promised in exchange for tax credits.

READ MORE: N.J. corporate tax-break program that helped Camden lacks oversight, audit finds

In the interview, Murphy said that he had a responsibility to taxpayers to investigate further. The task force has operated independently, he said, and he noted that it had uncovered potential abuses by companies in other parts of the state such as Jersey City, not just Camden.

Murphy wants to change the states approach to economic development by partnering with venture capital funds to invest in startups, awarding credits to businesses that create jobs in high-growth industries, and setting caps on the incentives, among other provisions.

Asked whether he thought the 2013 law Christie signed had helped Camden, Murphy said he couldnt trace the citys progress to that year but said, Its off the mat, theres no question.

Murphy said he would not extend the existing programs after they expire July 1. We need to turn the page, he said.

The task force is expected to provide recommendations before then, though it does not face a deadline to complete its investigation, Murphy said.

Debate over millionaires tax

Negotiations with the Democratic-controlled Legislature over the incentives are likely to be intertwined with debate over the state budget. The new spending plan must be signed into law by the end of June.

In his March budget address, Murphy called for extending the states top income tax rate of 10.75 percent to income above $1 million. The so-called millionaires tax would increase the rate from 8.97 percent.

The top rate currently applies to income exceeding $5 million.

Senate President Steohen Sweeney (D., Gloucester), a Norcross ally, has said he opposes the idea.

Sweeney says his focus is to reduce the cost of government, and on Thursday he introduced legislation that would create a hybrid pension plan for new public workers and those with fewer than five years of service. Sweeney also proposed a measure he says would reduce the governments share of health-care costs for public employees.

Murphy said he would not be enthusiastic about either of those things.

Public sector employees, we cant think of them as abstract, he said. They are the backbone of the middle class in our state.

He attributed New Jerseys pension crisis to the states years-long failure to meet its obligations.

He also noted his proposed budget included $1.1 billion in savings, largely driven by cuts to public workers health-care costs.

Why recreational marijuana legislation failed

Murphy spoke a day after Sweeney declared that legislation to legalize recreational marijuana had died. Sweeney said he intends to put the issue on the ballot in 2020 as a referendum.

This is a hard vote, particularly for somebody of an older generation, Murphy said Thursday when asked to explain why the legislation failed.

The governor said that for now, he would take action to expand the states medical marijuana program.
Federal prosecutors announced Thursday that eight men have been charged in the kidnapping and murder last year of a North Philadelphia businessman whose body was found in Maryland.

The victim, Luis Alejandro Chueder Ramon, 27, a landlord and bar owner who had been reported kidnapped by Philadelphia police, was abducted in June from a residence on the 2000 block of North Orkney Street in North Philadelphia. His remains were found in late August in Port Deposit, Cecil County, Md.

The eight men  identified as Salvatore Sanchez Guerrero, 47, Robert Favors, 39, and John Perkins, 31, all of Philadelphia; Jose Delgado, 40, of Warminster; Fermin Perez Mejia, 35, of Norristown; Jose Bernal, 30, of Newark, Del.; Ivan Rangel Prieto, 34, of Asheboro, N.C.; and Jose Castillo, 44, of Albuquerque, N.M.  were charged with conspiracy to commit kidnapping, the U.S. Attorneys Office said Thursday. All but Mejia also were charged with the actual kidnapping.

According to the indictment, which was unsealed Wednesday:

The eight conspired to kidnap Ramon and hold him for ransom. As part of the kidnapping ruse, Prieto and Castillo met in early June 2018 with Ramon and a friend of his at a Doylestown fast-food restaurant to discuss Ramons ability to provide a property to be used in connection with drug-trafficking activity.

On June 19 the defendants allegedly went to the Orkney Street residence and met up with Ramon, who was physically assaulted and forced into a vehicle that was driven to a Chester County residential garage. Ramon was restrained with duct tape, handcuffs, and zip ties.

Prieto, Castillo, Bernal, Delgado, or Guerrero allegedly shot Ramon at least once in his head, killing him, either in Pennsylvania or Maryland, where he was taken on or about June 19. The five also are charged with possessing or using a firearm in a crime of violence.

After Ramon was kidnapped, the defendants called his wife with demands for ransom in the amount of hundreds of thousands of dollars, and a ransom call was also made to an associate of Ramons, the indictment says. Philadelphia police previously said that the victims wife told them she had met on June 21 with a man in South Philadelphia and paid a ransom, but did not disclose the amount.

These ruthless individuals are a serious threat to the safety of our neighborhoods  not just in Philadelphia, but the entire mid-Atlantic region and beyond, U.S. Attorney William M. McSwain said in a statement.

No attorneys were listed on the court docket for Prieto, Castillo, and Bernal. Luther Weaver III, Favors attorney, and William J. Brennan, Mejias attorney, declined to comment Thursday. Attorneys for the other defendants did not immediately respond to a call or email.

If convicted, Prieto, Castillo, Bernal, Delgado, Guerrero, Favors, and Perkins face a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment. The kidnapping charge also carries the possibility of the death penalty, prosecutors said. The maximum sentence for Mejia would be life imprisonment.
Services will be held Thursday, May 16, for Lillian Mildred Edmunds McCray, 73, of West Philadelphia, an office manager and receptionist who died Friday, April 26, of pancreatic cancer at her home.

Ms. McCray worked in the trust administration department of the former First Pennsylvania Bank for 28 years, handling savings accounts and then employee benefits. Shortly after CoreStates Financial Corp. acquired First Pennsylvania in 1989, Ms. McCray was laid off.

She then became a supervisor for the U.S. Census Bureau, a secretary for Vine Memorial Baptist Church, a receptionist for Pacifico Ford, and an administrative assistant for the Mantua Community Improvement Committee. Until retiring last November, she was office manager and receptionist for Casmir Care Services, a provider of help for the intellectually and developmentally disabled.

All of her jobs gave her great enjoyment, as she loved working with people and giving everyone exceptional personal care, said her daughter, Lisa Kidd. She seemed to never tire and always said, I have to keep busy.

Known as Miss Lil to friends and colleagues, she was the fourth of eight children born in Philadelphia to Gerald Ransome Edmunds Sr. and Fannie Mae Edmunds.

She graduated from West Philadelphia High School in 1963 and attended Peirce College and the American School of Banking in the late 1960s.

In 1963, she married her childhood sweetheart, Donald Roy McCray. The couple settled in the Mill Creek section of the city to raise four children.

Ms. McCray was a kind, gentle helper of others. She loved to cook for her family. Her specialty was potato salad. City Councilwoman Jannie L. Blackwell was a big fan of the dish, her family said.

We believe she mixed it by hand, her daughter Lisa Kidd said of her mothers secret for potato salad. When we tried to do it with the same ingredients but without hand mixing, it never tasted the same. If anybody ate it, they loved it.

Ms. McCray was baptized at an early age at Vine Memorial Baptist Church and rebaptized as an adult at Greater Faith Baptist Church, where she became a member.

In the 1990s, she returned to Vine Memorial. In 2013, Ms. McCray joined the Church of Christian Compassion.

She was a loving member of the Church of Christian Compassion, and we will miss her, the church receptionist said.

In addition to her daughter, she is survived by daughter Dionne McCray Wilson; son Donald R. McCray II; stepdaughter Pamela Ester; four grandchildren; three great-granddaughters, two great-grandsons; three brothers, a sister; and nieces and nephews. Her husband died in 1993. A daughter, Donna Renee McElroy, and a granddaughter also died earlier.

A visitation starting at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, May 16, will be followed by a memorial service from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Vine Memorial Baptist Church, 5600 W. Girard Ave. Burial is private.

Donations may be made to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network via http://support.pancan.org/site/TR/DIY/DIYTeamraisers?px=2680010&pg=personal&fr_id=1081.
State Rep. Brian Sims, seen here in a September 2014 file photo, is drawing criticism for recording himself berating a female demonstrator at length outside an abortion clinic in Philadelphia, calling her an "old white lady" and her protest "grotesque." (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File) Read more

Pennsylvania state Rep. Brian Sims, the avenging woke angel of Center City, has tried to make the sidewalks near Planned Parenthood at 12th and Locust Streets safe from rosary-reciting older women and praying teenagers with their moms. He has received almost no public support for his self-videoed actions, but he has also received no discipline for his actions.

The thing that seems to puzzle people about his attacks on pro-life people are his references to their race. He called his first target an old, white lady. He refers to her as extremely racist. He proclaims, If youre a white person like I am, we have a lot of catching up to do. We have a lot to apologize for. Im going to start by apologizing for this woman.

His second target was a group of three teenage girls with their moms. As Sims approached them, he announced, Look, a bunch of white people standing outside of Planned Parenthood. He then proceeded to offer $100 to anyone who could identify the girls, to continue the attacks on them. One of the girls who was darker-skinned did reply to Sims: Im pretty far from white.

I interviewed Ashley Garecht, the mom of two of the girls, and she found it strange that Sims referenced race in his attacks. My view is that Sims reflects the view of some progressives that calling out a person for being white is a way to diminish their point of view. Sims is also white, so this tactic seems irrational, but rationality has nothing to do with a virtue signaler such as Sims when he launches his attacks.

In a deeper sense, I wonder what Sims thinks about the writings and statements of Margaret Sanger, a white woman who founded Planned Parenthood. Daniel J. Flynn, in the American Spectator, wrote that Sanger spoke at a Ku Klux Klan rally in 1926. She called the aboriginal Australian the lowest species of the human family, just a step higher than the chimpanzee in brain development. Her Plan for World Peace outlined a stern and rigid policy of sterilization and segregation to that grade of population whose progeny is already tainted, or whose inheritance is such that objectionable traits may be transmitted to offspring.

Sanger clearly was a eugenicist, and people such as Sen. Ted Cruz and Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson have tied Sanger to movements that tried to limit the birthrates of African Americans.

In a city that recently saw the Flyers tear down a statue of Kate Smith over racist lyrics she sang in two songs from the 1930s and a city poised to remove a statue of Frank Rizzo over racial tensions during his tenure as mayor and police commissioner, maybe its time to examine the vision of Margaret Sanger.

Sims has not yet received any discipline for his actions. Some legal experts have suggested he may be guilty of harassment for his actions toward the older woman and the girls. I dont think thats the best avenue to go.

I think the Pennsylvania House of Representatives should hold hearings to determine whether Sims committed any ethical violations. Republicans have been weak in this regard. Several sources have told me they are reluctant to pursue this because Democrats would go after Republicans who organized a pro-gun rights rally in Harrisburg, where Republican Rep. Stephanie Borowicz posed for a selfie with a man wearing a T-shirt from a group allegedly linked to white supremacists. She had already made waves for her invocation ahead of the swearing-in of the Houses first female Muslim member.

I think Borowicz should also have a hearing, but the Sims matter is a clear public outrage that must be dealt with. I talked to state Rep. Wendi Thomas about all this, and she told me that citizens can file ethics complaints. Call her office at 215-364-3414 and they will talk you through the process.

The silver lining in all this is that Ashley and Garecht, the mom of the girls Sims verbally attacked, and her husband Joe have raised over $100,000 on their GoFundMe account for pro-life causes because of Sims actions.
This photograph released by the state shows Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey signing a bill that virtually outlaws abortion in the state on Wednesday, May 15, 2019, in Montgomery, Ala. Republicans who support the measure hope challenges to the law will be used by conservative justices on the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn the Roe v. Wade decision which legalized abortion nationwide. Read more

There is no middle ground on abortion.

The pro-life and pro-choice camps are as likely to reach compromise as Games of Thrones Daenerys Targaryen and Cersei Lannister were likely to join forces in the Great War.

I have an opinion. I am pro-life. Ive stood outside abortion clinics and prayed (and will again). Ive attended pro-life rallies. Ive been a keynote speaker in Harrisburg. Ive given lectures to pro-life medical students and high school seniors. And Ive been very in your face about my politics, more of a John Brown storming the armory at Harpers Ferry than a Martin Luther King Jr. channeling the poetry of angels on the Mall.

You can imagine, then, my relief at recent developments.

Earlier this month, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp signed into law a so-called heartbeat bill, banning abortion as early as six weeks into pregnancy.

Thats in addition to the recent news in Philadelphia when State Representative Brian Sims posted videos on social media of his aggression toward pro-life protesters  an older white woman and three teenage girls  at a Planned Parenthood in Center City. This triggered one of the largest local pro-life rallies in recent history.

Plus, on Tuesday, the Pennsylvania House passed the Down Syndrome Protection Act, a bill that bars abortions if the sole reason for having one stems from that diagnosis. A similar bill passed the House last session and languished in the Senate, where this version now heads. The original bill was opposed vehemently by Democrats, including State Representative Sara Innamorato, who tweeted that #HB321 is an unconstitutional and unenforceable ban on abortions after a Down syndrome diagnosis. The bill is not supported by any disability rights organizations, medical providers, or support networks.

Innamorato misses the point: Passing the bill is designed to test its constitutionality, under Roe v. Wade. Of course, some in the pro-choice camp argue that Governor Wolf will veto the bill if it becomes law. But pro-lifers believe that its better to vote your conscience than to throw up your hands and say, We wouldnt have been successful so why bother?

And that brings me to Wednesday when the Alabama legislature passed their own abortion ban which makes no exception for rape or incest.

Alabama State Senator Clyde Chambliss, who sponsored the bill, characterized the legislation as a necessary government intervention to protect human rights. When God creates the miracle of life inside a womans womb, it is not our place as human beings to extinguish that life, Chambliss said.

New York Times columnist Bari Weiss shot back, Said the Republican about rape or incest.

Clearly, there are a lot of nervous pro-choice people out there. They fear the unraveling of their favorite precedent, which is indeed hanging by a fragile constitutional thread. Thats not paranoia, by the way. Roe is really in the cross hairs of the states passing these controversial laws.

So Im here to dispense with the niceties of cant we all get along?

No, we cant. The fight for the right to life is a war. If you believe that abortion is murder, you will fight to end it. That doesnt mean we shouldnt also fight equally hard to provide support for women who bring those precious lives to term.

The pro-life movement cant just be pro-birth.

But the mandate of life is nonnegotiable and Im heartened to see that America is on the right track.
By now, most of us in the Philly area following the dialogue around reproductive justice  abortion access specifically  have probably read about the most recent incident downtown. State Rep. Brian Sims recorded a video of himself speaking to protesters outside a Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania on Holy Thursday, recorded another video in early May, and later took to Twitter.

Push back against Planned Parenthood protesters, PLEASE! They prey on young women, they use white privilege & shame. Theyre racist, classist, bigots who NEED & DESERVE our righteous opposition. Push back, please!" the state rep tweeted.

Years ago, when I was a clinic escort in Knoxville, Tenn., I learned that engaging with pro-life protesters is not encouraged by most clinic staff. Interaction can escalate tension. Protesters carry gruesome images portraying inaccurate depictions of abortion. Patients walking from the car or bus to the clinic have to navigate through this crowd of people shouting hateful comments. Many in these crowds identify as Christian. My job as an escort was to put my body between the people seeking health care and those attempting to prevent them from doing so.

Sims was not an escort in his video, and he has since acknowledged his wrongful behavior on Twitter, pledging to do better. But something Sims said particularly sparked my interest both as an abortion doula  someone who supports pregnant people before, during, and after the decision and process to terminate a pregnancy  and as a candidate for ordination in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

He asked one protester about her faith. Why was she in front of Planned Parenthood and not praying at home? Why was she not somewhere feeding children who were hungry?

In the midst of such a heated national conversation about reproductive justice, Sims questions have me wondering where the other people of faith might be. Those who support abortion access in my faith community and in other faith communities need to become more involved.

Our bodies are rarely needed outside abortion clinics. Protesters already make patients anxious enough. People want to receive their health care in private, especially those seeking reproductive health care. So I understand why pro-choice faith leaders often choose to help by showing up at clinics and praying silently for the people  both patients and employees  entering those sacred spaces where deep and personal decisions are made.

But what are other ways people of faith can show up in support of those seeking reproductive justice?

When I met the authors of The Doulas: Radical Care for Pregnant People, I told them I was a doula who planned to attend seminary very soon. One of them said: Wow, this is necessary work. People frequently ask for chaplains during surgical abortions.

People of faith, this is how we show up. We are called to be in community with those on the margins, including those seeking abortions. Connect with your local clinic to volunteer. Learn the differences among types of abortions and the out-of-pocket costs for each. Help patients raise money to fund their abortion where Medicaid does not pay for this procedure. Call people in your faith community to babysit the children of those who are going to the clinic for the second time because they had to wait 24 hours to get their medication or have their procedure. Offer to drive someone to their appointment and sit in the waiting room, because often times partners, spouses, or other support people cannot take off work for multiple appointments.

Most importantly, faith leaders must open dialogue in their communities. We have to network with other people of faith who are already doing this work, and we have to educate our communities together. Its time to not only teach compassion but also model it.

Anna Hurley is a single mother of two beautiful children and a queer seminarian attending United Lutheran Seminary in Philadelphia and Gettysburg. She is a member of Proclaim, a program of Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries, and a candidate seeking ordination to Word and Sacrament in the ELCA with a focus on mission development.
(CNN)  Alabama sent the most restrictive abortion bill in the country to the governor's desk Tuesday night, with the state's Senate passing legislation that could punish doctors who perform abortions with life in prison.

The state's Republican backers have pushed the legislation, which amounts to a near-total ban on abortion in the state, forward with the express goal of overturning Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court case legalizing abortion. Alabama lawmakers join legislators in several other states in putting forth legislation to restrict abortion, such as Georgia's recent fetal heartbeat bill.

After more than four hours of debate, the Republican-led Senate voted 25-6 to pass HB 314, which would slap doctors with up to 99 years in prison for performing an abortion. The Alabama House passed the bill earlier this month.

The law only allows exceptions "to avoid a serious health risk to the unborn child's mother," for ectopic pregnancy and if the "unborn child has a lethal anomaly." Democrats re-introduced an amendment to exempt rape and incest victims, but the motion failed on an 11-21 vote.

Republican Gov. Kay Ivey will have six days to sign the legislation, though the bill would not take effect until six months after becoming law. Ivey has not publicly taken a stance on the bill but has previously aligned herself as anti-abortion, lamenting the courts striking down another Alabama abortion law last year(https://governor.alabama.gov/statements/governor-ivey-releases-statement-on-11th-circuit-abortion-case-ruling/).

"As this legislation is still making its way through the legislative process, the governor intends to withhold comment until it makes its way to her desk for signature," Ivey spokeswoman Lori Jhons said in a statement.

American Civil Rights Union of Alabama Executive Director Randall Marshall said that his organization would join with the national ACLU, Planned Parenthood, and Planned Parenthood of Southeast to challenge the bill in court within "a few weeks" should it become law.

The bill's consideration Tuesday made frequent reference to the chamber's dramatic vote last week to drop an amendment that would have made exemptions to abortions performed for instances of rape or incest.

Republican State Sen. Clyde Chambliss, who ushered the bill through the chamber, emphasized in his introduction that the bill impacts women who are "known to be pregnant" and would provide "every female that's pregnant or thinks they're pregnant, and the male who was involved, it gives them that window of time -- this bill does not change that window of time."

In a news release, Chambliss touted that his bill outlaws surgical abortions as soon as a pregnancy can be medically determined. Speaking on the Senate floor, Chambliss repeatedly referred to a "window" of time between conception and when a woman knows for certain that she's pregnant. The state senator said he believed that time was between about seven and 10 days.

"She has to take a pregnancy test, she has to do something to know whether she's pregnant or not," he said.

"You can't know that immediately, it takes some time for all those chromosomes and all that."

Many women don't yet know for certain that they're pregnant even at six weeks into a pregnancy  the earliest a fetal heartbeat can be detected.

When Democratic state Sen. Rodger Smitherman asked what would happen under the bill to a young girl who was a victim of incest and found out she was pregnant, Chambliss said that he hoped that the bill would result in young women learning to seek physical and mental help quickly if they are abused.

"What I hope is, if we pass this bill, that all young ladies would be educated by their parents, their guardians that should a situation like this occur, you need to go get help  you need to do it immediately," Chambliss said.

"Then also they can get justice in the situation," he added. "If they wait, justice delayed is justice denied."

Democratic state Sen. Vivian Figures told Chambliss that a rape victim's trauma "is not your business."

"You don't have to raise that child, you don't have to carry that child, you don't have to provide for that child, you don't have to do anything for that child," she told Chambliss. "But yet you want to make that decision for that woman, that that's what she has to do."

Figures proposed amendments to have legislators who backed the bill pay for the anticipated legal fees accrued by subsequent legal challenges, to expand Medicaid in anticipation of the bill's impact on low-income women, and to make having a vasectomy a class A felony, as the bill would designate performing an abortion. All three motions failed.

Eric Johnston, head of the Alabama Pro-life Coalition and the drafter of the initial legislation, told CNN that while the amendment to exempt rape and incest victims is "sympathetic" and "deals with very difficult issues," it would upend the law's legal standing.

"Regardless of how the conception takes place, the product is a child, and so we're saying that that unborn child is a person entitled to protection of law," he added. "So if, be it a rape or inecst conception, then it would be impossible to ask a judge which of these is protected by law and which is not."

Staci Fox, president of Planned Parenthood Southeast, told CNN before the chamber's vote that "even the authors of this bill know that it is blatantly unconstitutional and wouldn't stand up in court."

"We've seen the continual chipping away year after year in Alabama and efforts get bolder and bolder each year," Fox said. "I think with the President and now Kavanaugh on the court, the politics in Alabama just feel emboldened to take this egregious swipe at women's health care."

But in the larger legal landscape, Marshall cast doubt on whether this bill would ever take on Roe, citing how the case would take several years to get to the Supreme Court while several other states have already passed so-called heartbeat bills effectively banning abortion.

"There are already 14 cases nationwide in the pipeline, two of which are currently at the Supreme Court of the United States," he said. "The notion that somehow this is going to be the vehicle for the Supreme Court to reconsider Roe v. Wade is really misplaced."

This story was first published on CNN.com, "Alabama Senate passes near-total abortion ban."
Newly-released inmate George Ballentine holds his prescription Suboxone, containing buprenorphine, outside a pharmacy in Greenfield, Mass on July 23, 2018. While serving his sentence at the Franklin County Jail, Ballentine received a daily dose of Suboxone to control his heroin and opioid cravings. Read more

U.S. lawmakers introduced a bill earlier this month pushing to expand a lifesaving treatment for opioid addiction, buprenorphine. For almost 20 years, doctors like myself have been required to undergo special training and licensing to prescribe buprenorphine for people struggling with opioid addiction. Yet from our earliest days of training, we could prescribe medications such as oxycodone and fentanyl, two culprits at the heart of the opioid epidemic. In the midst of a national crisis, it is beyond overdue that policymakers remove this burdensome regulation and expand critical access to buprenorphine to treat opioid addiction.

Passed by Congress in 2000, this regulation originates from the Drug Addiction Treatment Act, which intended to expand treatment beyond specialized methadone treatment programs and into primary care clinics. However, the legislation also introduced new training and license requirements, known as the X waiver, that largely stymied these efforts. To prescribe buprenorphine, doctors must undergo eight hours of training (24 hours for nurse practitioners and physician assistants) and complete a waiver application. Then the waiver caps the number of patients who can be treated and subjects clinicians to extra documentation requirements and random office inspections.

Nineteen years later, we stand in the depths of a national opioid emergency. In 2017, over 70,000 Americans died of drug overdose, nearly 48,000 of which were from opioids. That surpassed the peak annual death tolls of the AIDS epidemic and gun violence in the last 50 years. The federal government estimated the economic cost of the epidemic to be $504 billion in 2015, nearly 3% of U.S. gross domestic product.

Pennsylvania is no exception, claiming the highest number of drug overdose deaths and third highest overdose death rate in the U.S.

Unfortunately, the epidemic is far from over. A recent study predicted that at the current trajectory, another 700,000 Americans will die from opioid overdose by 2025, a sum greater than the combined total U.S. combat deaths from every war since the American Revolution. Among the solutions needed to reverse the epidemic, expanding access to a medication that we know can save lives is critical.

Addiction treatment access, for buprenorphine especially, is poor. According to the surgeon general, only 12% of individuals with opioid addiction receive treatment. Owing largely to licensing hurdles to prescribe buprenorphine, only 7% of U.S. clinicians hold an X waiver. Geographically, 42% of all U.S. counties have no approved buprenorphine prescriber. Coverage is even worse in rural counties.

Buprenorphine is among the most effective medications to treat opioid addiction. Most importantly, it reduces risk of death for people addicted to opioids. France, facing increasing heroin use in the 1990s, deregulated buprenorphine, permitting doctors to prescribe it without extra training or licensing. The policy change reaped immediate benefits. Ten times more patients received addiction treatment, and within four years, opioid overdose deaths decreased by nearly 80%. Even if the U.S. could only partially replicate this success, we could save thousands of lives.

Critics have charged that expanding buprenorphine prescribing could lead to increased overdoses and diversions to someone beyond the original prescribe patient. However, buprenorphine has a better safety record than other regularly prescribed opioids. From 2002 to 2013, only 464 deaths involving buprenorphine were reported to the federal government. Research also suggests that when buprenorphine is diverted, it is most often used to self-treat addiction and withdrawal. Others argue it replaces one drug with another, a damaging mischaracterization. Analogous to treating chronic diseases like diabetes or hypertension, addiction is a chronic brain disorder requiring long-term treatment with medications like buprenorphine.

Deregulating buprenorphine alone will not fix the opioid epidemic. A comprehensive strategy should include expanding access to addiction medications and psychosocial supports; harm-reduction measures, including needle-exchange programs and naloxone distribution; safer alternatives for chronic pain; robust drug-monitoring programs; and reducing the stigma of addiction, which requires recognizing addiction as the chronic medical condition it is rather than a moral failing.

Our national opioid emergency demands nothing less than urgent action. My patients and millions of others do not have time to wait. Buprenorphine saves lives, and we must expand access to this lifesaving medication. It is time to X the X waiver.

Robert Bonacci, M.D., MPH received his M.D. from the University of Pennsylvania and is a resident physician in Global Health Equity and Internal Medicine at Brigham and Womens Hospital in Boston. @RobertBonacci
Parking workers and 32BJ SEIU members rallied at the Ritz Carlton after the City Council hearing on two bills to regulate the parking industry. Read more

The citys longstanding position as the poorest big city in the nations remains the most intractable problem facing Philadelphia. The poverty rate is connected to nearly every aspect of life in our city from education, to health care, to the criminal justice system. And of course, to race. Poverty disproportionately affects the citys black population, creating barriers to progress that prove daunting to overcome.

All these issues become concentrated at the workplace. Hundreds of thousands of hardworking Philadelphians work low-wage jobs that keep them stuck in poverty. If a worker does not make enough money to pay their bills, and can be fired on a whim, they will not be able to break the cycle. For many black workers, the lack of access to good schools, housing, and credit makes the ground even shakier.

The parking industry, which is taking center stage in Council this week, provides a perfect example of this trap. Nine out of ten parking workers are African American, or African immigrants, and are over the age of 24.

These workers exemplify the disconnect seen at many jobs between a lucrative industry  in this case, an industry worth around $440 million  and an impoverished and mistreated workforce. Parking workers are surviving on the margins, their livelihoods often left to the whim of their boss mood on a given day. Not only do they face job insecurity with their schedules, hours and employment, they endure a true lack of security on the job. The race to automate parking lots leaves lots and garages unstaffed and understaffed, hurting workers and customers alike.

Good jobs are the clearest, simplest answer to our poverty problem. The city is prohibited by state law from unilaterally raising the minimum wage. However, its exploring other ways to improve the lives of thousands of low-wage workers. The city is making progress for workers and has furthered some of the most progressive labor laws in the country including paid sick days, Fair Work Week, the 21st Century Wage Standard, and the Prevailing Wage for Service Sector workers. And this Thursday, Council will vote on two bills introduced by Councilwoman Cherelle Parker to help workers in the parking industry: Just Cause and Minimum Staffing.

The Just Cause bill would instill more fairness in a parking industry where employers can reduce workers hours or fire workers for totally arbitrary reasons, or no reason at all. They can be fired or have their hours reduced without warning, forcing workers and their families to live in constant uncertainty and fear. Currently workers have no legal recourse if they are fired without just cause. Many of these workers count on every single paycheck to support themselves and their families, and a sudden loss of any income could mean the difference between having a home and not.

The Minimum Staffing bill would ensure that the citys parking lots and garages are adequately staffed so that workers and customers are safe. These commonsense bills will help an estimated 1,000 mostly black workers in the parking industry. The bills do not require a dime from taxpayers and could make a difference in the lives of hardworking Philadelphians. Parking workers park cars at some of the citys most expensive commercial buildings and luxury hotels. Yet they go home, after working 12-hour shifts to some of the most impoverished neighborhoods in the city. Meanwhile, parking companies make multimillion-dollar deals to develop the space above their lots, requiring zoning variances from the city and tax breaks for the buildings.

City Council has an opportunity to vote for parking justice bills that will make a dent in black poverty in our city by moderating the parking industrys callous instability. A vote for the parking justice bills is a vote for directly addressing the core problem that has long troubled our city.

Minister Rodney Muhammad is president of the Philadelphia NAACP.
The hand of a woman putting a ballot in the ballot box. Close-up image of ballot and the ballot box. Read more

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. To help voters make up their minds, The Inquirer asked eight locals to share why theyre voting yes or no on these ballot questions.

 Read what the Inquirer Editorial Board recommends on ballot questions

 Read the Inquirers Voters Guide for the 2019 Philadelphia primary

YES: Making the Charter gender neutral will bring it into the 21st Century

By Stu Bykofsky, Inquirer columnist

Hi, boys and girls, Im the Friendly Grammarian (not the angry guy who occasionally appears here).

It seems some bureaucrat with too much jawn on their hands read the 1951 Philadelphia Home Rule Charter and found some of it is out of date.

First, heres a bit of trickery. In the sentence above I pulled a grammatical shuffle by using the plural their to refer to the singular bureaucrat because I didnt want to tie myself in linguistic knots by saying too much jawn on his or her hands. That brings me back to the charter, which uses terms such as Councilman and Councilmanic, which seem sexist, and gawd forbid, not inclusive.

A historical oddity: The charter was adopted in 1951, the same year Constance Dallas was elected as Councils first female member. She insisted on being called councilman because councilwoman did not appear in the charter.

Since that time, actresses have become actors, stewardesses have transformed into flight attendants, and waiters and waitresses now are servers.

Ballot Question 1 breaks no new ground.

Ditching councilmen and councilwomen wont hurt a bit. What term of art would replace them? Councilperson? Ugh. How about Councilor?

Making the charter gender-neutral will bring it into the 21st century. It will cost us nothing, unlike some of the other ballot questions (which the editor asked me to steer away from). Vote yes on Ballot Question 1.

NO: Dont vote to manipulate words for political correctness

By Christine Flowers, Inquirer columnist

When Neil Armstrong descended onto the moons surface 50 years ago this summer, he did not say, One small step for man  or woman. One giant leap for man  or womankind. If he had, Buzz Aldrin would have laughed himself silly and climbed back into the lunar module without taking his own moonwalk. There was a time when language was presumed to include both genders without having to have the minutiae spelled out.

That was then.

Now weve entered the age of political correctness, where identity has become a straitjacket, mandating codes and customs that are both unnecessary and ridiculous. Ballot Question 1 proposes changes to the Philadelphia Home Rule Charter that will remove gender-specific terms like Councilman and replace them with words like Councilmember. The Inquirer Editorial Board supports this measure, writing that there is no reason for gender to be a part of the way we describe leadership in our city. I totally agree with that sentiment, and for that reason, would vote no on the proposed charter change.

When I look at Jannie Blackwell or Helen Gym, I know that I am looking at a woman. The fact that they have the word Councilman before their names does not confuse me, offend me, or lead me to believe that they occupy any lesser legal or institutional status. This sense that if we dont use gender-neutral terms we are being disrespectful is based upon the fallacy that titles are more important than substance.

Manipulating or weaponizing words to advance politically correct agendas is not something we should worry about  or be voting on. Only the most hypersensitive Philadelphians would be worried about the use of the word Councilman when applied to a woman. To paraphrase a great man, its about the content of our character, not the spelling of our titles. Vote no on Ballot Question 1.



YES: Building bridges to immigrant community makes Philly stronger

By Blanca Pacheco, New Sanctuary Movement of Philadelphia

Philadelphias government must be accessible. Elected officials must listen and work to make sure peoples needs are addressed. The Office of Immigrant Affairs (OIA) is a part of the mayors office that does that. However, this office exists only by executive order of the mayor, which means that if a new mayor takes power and wants to end it, they could do that. On May 21, we have an opportunity to make OIA a permanent part of Philadelphia.

OIAs work with immigrants has both alleviated some of the racist and violent daily attacks by the president and has opened the door to create positive change to make Philadelphia more welcoming. Working with grassroots organizations is their biggest strength right now. They worked hand in hand to help end ICEs access to the Police Departments Preliminary Arraignment Reporting System. They conducted a thoughtful community engagement process and research to launch municipal IDs in Philly. And they helped build community relations with law enforcement to open the possibility to report police abuses and harassment both in the streets and at courts.

OIA employees are bridge-builders and early on understood the importance of building trust with immigrant communities, grassroots organizations, and businesses in order to address real challenges immigrants face. OIA understands and values all the contributions the immigrant community adds to the progress of Philadelphia. Immigrants bring rich culture, entrepreneurship, and humanism and have a lot to teach the city about how we can all live collectively, loving and supporting one another from a place of abundance.

OIA benefits the immigrant community and all residents. Vote yes on Ballot Question 2 to make it a permanent office so we can continue working collaboratively to bring more positive changes to our city, a place thousands of immigrants call home.

NO: Local government has no purview on immigration law or policy

By Albert Eisenberg, political consultant

To borrow a term from the financial guru Suze Orman, the pertinent question for voters when deciding on any expansion of government is Can I afford it?

In Philadelphia, a city that is among the most overtaxed and the most impoverished in the nation, the answer is probably not.

As to the specific question of the creation of a permanent Office of Immigrant Affairs, on its merits the proposal makes no sense; local government has absolutely no purview as to immigration law or policy. At most, the proposed office would be a board composed of volunteers to represent the immigrant community (many would happily serve for free)  it should not become yet another holding place for taxpayer-funded bureaucrats for the mayor to stock with cronies or do-nothings.

Mayor Kenney, & Co. want nothing more than the creation of a Philadelphia Office of Immigrant Affairs because it gives them an excuse to do what they like best: bloviate on national issues to distract from their complete mismanagement and lack of ideas when it comes to the actual business of running our city, home of third-rate schools and a looming pensions crisis that could make Philadelphia the next Detroit and bankrupt a generation of retirees in so doing. According to them, the creation of such an office would be its own accomplishment  funded, of course, by the people of Philadelphia.

One final point for voters considering Ballot Question 2: You can support immigrants and still oppose a taxpayer-funded office at a local level with no mandate.

Voters incensed by national issues or ignorant to the concept of federalism will be tempted to vote yes on the creation of a Philadelphia Office of Immigrant Affairs. Nonetheless, they should avoid temptation and vote no on Ballot Question 2.



YES: Many working people earn wages so low that they live in poverty

By Kati Sipp, labor organizer

In 2008, the minimum wage in Pennsylvania was $7.25 an hour, the same place it stands today.

At 40 hours per week, working 52 weeks per year, a person who is paid the minimum wage can expect to earn just $15,080 a year. About 25 percent of Philadelphia households earned that much or less, in 2017, the last year for which data are available.

In 2019, Philadelphia is one of the poorest big cities in America. Many factors contribute to the citys poverty rate, and not everyone who is poor is able to work. (Nor should they  do you really want your 80-year-old grandmother in the workforce after she spent her life of working low-wage jobs?) Nevertheless, the fact is many working people earn wages so low that they live in poverty. With a minimum wage thats been stuck at $7.25 per hour for more than 10 years, thousands of working people struggle to keep a roof over their heads and food in the refrigerator.

In 2006, when the legislature raised the minimum wage to its current level, it also removed the citys power to raise wages. That decision (known as preemption) needs to be overturned, so the City Council can insist that employers improve low wages.

Send a message to Harrisburg, to the Chamber of Commerce, and to Council itself that Philadelphians support their neighbors, their families, and themselves, and are committed to moving every neighborhood forward  not just Center City. Vote yes on Ballot Question 3.

NO: Government-mandated wage increases lead to job loss

By Gene Barr, Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry

Helping lift families out of poverty should be a universal priority. Unfortunately some lawmakers and advocates myopically pursue government-mandated wage increases that result in unintended consequences that negatively impact the very people these policies aim to help.

Countless nonpartisan studies have shown these policies lead to negative impacts on employment, including job loss. The Pennsylvania Independent Fiscal Office found that increasing the minimum wage to $12 an hour would lead to the loss of 34,000 jobs throughout the commonwealth. Meanwhile, the Congressional Budget Office predicted 500,000 lost jobs nationwide if the minimum wage was increased to $10.10, possibly up to one million. Entry-level workers and small businesses bear the brunt of these well-intended but misguided efforts.

After the last minimum-wage increase, an Inquirer article stated: With the minimum wage increase making it difficult for businesses to hire, an estimated 1,100 young people would not be able to find summer jobs. We all should be concerned at the prospect of fewer employment opportunities for young Pennsylvanians, for whom these part-time jobs are often where lifelong workplace and employability skills are acquired.

No one disputes that some individuals benefit from mandated wage increases; but the fact is, others end up being hurt.

We encourage lawmakers at all levels of government to pursue targeted policies that effectively assist low-income families without risking job loss. For example, numerous states have implemented a state Earned Income Tax Credit to supplement the federal program, which targets support to lower-income working parents. Even bringing more awareness to the federal program would be constructive. According to the Philadelphia Department of Revenue, in previous years over 50,000 EITC-eligible Philadelphians never applied leaving over $131 million on the table. Minimum-wage advocates have expended tremendous time and resources that perhaps could have been better utilized helping Pennsylvanians benefit from existing programs. Vote no on Ballot Question 3.



YES: Public safety officers will enhance Philadelphians quality of life

By Darrell L. Clarke, City Council president*

Philadelphia faces two main public safety challenges: Persistent violent crime enabled by the under-regulated flow of firearms in our region, and an increase in traffic congestion and collisions spurred in part by population and economic growth.

On May 21, Philadelphians will have a chance to authorize a new class of protectors, Public Safety Enforcement Officers, by voting yes on Ballot Question 4.

Authorizing Public Safety Enforcement Officers to serve in coordination with the Philadelphia Police Department (PPD) promises to enhance all our quality of life. Safety officers would support the PPD and help with traffic control, enforce laws and regulations in our neighborhoods, and allow PPD supervisors to more strategically deploy police and resources to deter and address serious and violent crime.

Public Safety Enforcement Officers will not have the power to arrest or carry firearms. If the measure is approved by voters, Council will work with the administration and PPD to ensure this new workforce reflects the diversity of our population and undergoes antibias training.

Ballot Question 4 is supported by a broad coalition that includes Police Commissioner Richard Ross, Mayor Jim Kenney, the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia, the Center City District, and the Pennsylvania AARP.

Reckless driving, runaway construction, the addiction crisis, and gun violence harm Philadelphians every day. After reviewing similar initiatives in cities like New York and Washington, I have concluded that here at home, the nations most historically significant city can better thrive through the growth we are experiencing if we take decisive action now.

Everyone deserves a reasonable expectation of safety, no matter where they live. Vote yes on Ballot Question 4.

* It is the Inquirer Editorial Boards policy to avoid publishing opinion pieces from candidates within 30 days of the election in which they are running. Because Councilman Clarke is running unopposed in the 5th District in this primary, we allowed this exception.

NO: Creating a new class of officer without the proper training endangers police

By State Rep. Martina White

The concept of adding more officers to the streets of Philadelphia is a good one, and so are the goals of Vision Zero, the citys safe streets initiative.

Vision Zero wants to radically reduce the number and severity of traffic crashes that occur in Philadelphia each year with the goal of reaching zero traffic deaths. To get there, supporters of Vision Zero hope that adding unarmed Public Safety Enforcement Officers to the streets will free up rank-and-file officers to pursue more serious offenses.

The idea is a noble one  but it is untested and fraught with danger.

One of the most dangerous situations any officers can find themselves in is during a traffic stop. You never know who is behind the wheel or in the passenger seat. Officers have no way of knowing if the motorist is armed, on narcotics, or on the run from a crime scene.

These new officers would likely find themselves in perilous situations with no way to defend themselves, while the suspect would see only a police officer, armed or not.

While we need more officers on the street, we want them fully trained, armed to protect themselves or civilians, and able to make arrests.

Creating a new class of officer without the proper training in handling weapons or making arrests will place these officers in harms way.

Yes, we need more police. But lets make them officers fully trained to protect us against whatever danger they may encounter. Vote no on Ballot Question 4.
We have called for both the Sheriffs Office and the Office of City Commissioners to be abolished as elected row offices, and their responsibilities absorbed into other city departments. But that is not going to happen in the next few months, and voters will have to choose a sheriff and commissioners.

Sheriff: Malika Rahman has the experience to lead

Sheriff Jewell Williams needs to go. He has been accused of sexual harassment by multiple women  one allegation has been substantiated in an internal investigation and settled by the city for $127,000, the second settled by the state. (Williams said he opposed the settlements, preferring to battle in court.) Another case is currently making its way through the courts.

The sheriffs office has been troubled for years. In April, former Sheriff John Green pleaded guilty to felony conspiracy charges after presiding over years of mismanagement and shoddy financial oversight. While Williams seems to have righted some corners of the ship, under his tenure, the offices budget doubled for unclear reasons, and it still somehow exceeded its allotted funding for overtime  by 134 percent in fiscal year 2018.

The best option for sheriff is Malika Rahman  a former deputy sheriff who understand how the office works and can lead efforts to clean up its work. In her time at the sheriffs office, Rahman, 32, worked as a Community Relations Officer, giving her unique insight into the needs of the community into what Philadelphians actually need from the sheriff.

Rochelle Bilal, a former Philadelphia police officer and the president of the Guardian Civic League, is running as a progressive who can bring fresh eyes to look at the problems in the office. Rahman has the needed background and expertise to move the office forward.

Commissioners: Kahlil Williams and Jen Devor

The office of City Commissioners governs Philadelphias elections, and that in itself poses concerns of conflict of interest. Two Democrats and one Republican run the office; Republican Al Schmidt is running unopposed. Of the two Democrats, only Lisa Deeley is seeking reelection against 12 opponents. The office is entering this election in the midst of a controversy over the process used to purchase new voting machines. Earlier this month, The Inquirer reported that Deeley, who seems committed to public service, lost her notary license for improperly notarizing a document for a friend; she initially lied about those circumstances to The Inquirer.

Of the 13 Democrats in the race, Kahlil Williams, an attorney, has a passion for election law. Prior to law school, Williams worked both in the NAACP Legal Defense Fund and the Brennan Center for Justice, where he focused on voter disenfranchisement. Williams has the combination of knowledge, passion, and experience to improve voting in Philadelphia.

Jen Devor, has been working on increasing voter turnout in the city for the last few years. She believes that the commissioners office could be used to conduct research, share data, and lobby the state for reform, specifically to focus on a constitutional amendment that would allow no-excuse absentee ballots and changing the deadlines for absentee ballots in the election code.
Italian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Matteo Salvini, left, and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban shake hands during a joint press conference in the prime minister's office in Budapest, Hungary, Thursday, May 2, 2019. Read more

VERONA, Italy  Politics in Italy is often likened to theater.

So Verona, the legendary setting for Romeo and Juliet, seemed the perfect place to catch up with Italys most powerful, far-right politician, Matteo Salvini, a master of the theatrical gesture.

Leader of the Lega (League) party and interior minister, with aspirations to become prime minister, Salvini has come to symbolize the rise of Europes new populist nationalist leaders and the threat they pose to democratic systems.

He promotes a mantra of Italy First and loves to be pictured holding a large gun. He recently spoke from the same balcony in the northern town of Forli where Benito Mussolini addressed fascists. Moreover, he built his support by denouncing the migrant menace from Africa and forbidding boats with refugees from landing.

And he has created a new alliance of far-right leaders from across Europe, including Frances Marine Le Pen, which he hopes will win enough seats in next weeks European Parliament elections to weaken the European Union.

So how dangerous is Salvini? Certainly, it is unnerving to see a populist nationalist at the helm of one of Europes key countries, another sign of how growing economic inequality has turned voters against traditional Western political parties. Bearded, media savvy, always jovial, a fan of President Trump and Vladimir Putin, he is a master at self-promotion on YouTube and his website.

But heres the good news for those of us who care about the state of democracy within our European allies: Salvini appears more of an opportunist than an ideologue, chipping away at democratic norms but unable to pull the entire democratic system down.

I came to watch him as he was campaigning this week in Verona.

This gorgeous citys history is both dramatic and harsh. Hordes of tourists cram the tiny old square in front of the 14th-century stone Casa di Giulietta (the home of Shakespeares fictional Juliet), but the city was home to fratricidal tyrants in past centuries. Around the corner from Juliets house is the historic ghetto site where Jews were transferred to camps during the Holocaust.

These days, Verona is a prosperous, very conservative town filled with successful small and medium-sized businesses. It is key turf for Salvini, who originally built his party as a regional vehicle that sought autonomy for the wealthy northern region of the country.

But his northern base is less concerned right now with immigration than with the dismal state of Italys stagnant economy, where debt is soaring, growth is flat, and unemployment is over 10 percent. Especially since the influx of African immigrants has dropped precipitously  due to policies begun by the previous Italian government to pay the Libyan coast guard to prevent smugglers from sending migrants by sea to Italy.

So when Salvini whirled into the elegant Palazzo Giusti  a 16th-century palace turned modern-day bank, with a great hall originally designed for theatrical performances  he was on the defensive. Wearing a suit (rather than his usual grungies), he faced an audience demanding to know why he hadnt delivered on promises to lower taxes.

He didnt look like a would-be Mussolini.

My priorities are to end immigration and jobs, jobs, jobs, Salvini told me in a short interview. Pay attention to Trump: If the workers have work, then they spend. You have to be able to give the people work.

But if Salvini cant deliver jobs, he will never rise to become prime minister, let alone leader of a new pan-European right-wing movement. (And the prospective members of that movement appear to have more differences between them than ideological solidarity.)

Moreover, Salvini has been compelled to drop his demand for Italy to quit the European Union. His northern businessmen supporters no longer want to go that route after watching Britains disastrous efforts to Brexit.

Instead, Salvini said, We have to change all the rules of the European Union that have impoverished the Italians. Translation: He hopes he can persuade the EU to bend its austerity rules and let Italy add to its enormous debt to fund infrastructure and tax cuts. This will only compound Italys economic crisis.

The long and short: Salvini can do damage and provoke internal strife in Italy. He can and does dog whistles to far-right, violent activist groups such as CasaPound Italia. And he plays on a yearning among fearful Italians for a return to traditional values.

But Italians tell me he spoke from Mussolinis balcony mainly to woo voters who are still nostalgic for the dictator.

In other words, Salvini is a pol, not an ideologue, who is trying to outflank parties further to his right. Unlike his pal, Hungarys president Viktor Orban, he is still operating within, and seriously contained, by the democratic system.

Bottom line: Think of Salvini as an Italian Trump, dangerously destructive of democratic norms, but not a Mussolini-in-waiting. Given Italys history of quickly turning against once popular leaders, he may not even be around that long.

This column has been updated to correct the spelling and geography of Forli.
Win or lose on Tuesday, Philadelphia City Council candidates Deja Lynn Alvarez, Adrian Rivera-Reyes, and Lauren Vidas already have made history.

The three Democrats are among the first openly LGBTQ Council hopefuls on a major-party primary ballot in the city. The Alvarez candidacy is a milestone for Phillys transgender community, as is that of Henry Sias; he and fellow Democrat Tiffany Palmer are seeking seats on Philadelphias Court of Common Pleas as openly LGBTQ candidates.

Together, the candidates are an unprecedented rainbow wave that has veteran activists like Tyrone Smith and Kathy Hogan feeling proud.

It brings me joy in so many ways, said Smith, a Southwest Philly resident who came out as a teenager, helped lead the campaign against AIDS in communities of color, and, at 76, is still fighting on behalf of LGBTQ youth.

Philadelphia has lots of LGBTQ firsts, such as the demonstrations that began at Independence Hall in 1965," said Hogan, 65, a pioneering lesbian street activist in Philly and the first out deputy mayor of Haddon Township, N.J. Having these Council candidates isnt a national first. But its great."

It certainly is  particularly as our community celebrates the 50th anniversary of Stonewall, the New York City tavern uprising widely considered a spark for the modern gay-rights movement. The fact that Mayor Pete Buttigieg, an out gay man from Americas heartland, is making a credible run for the Democratic presidential nomination adds to the sense of 2019 as an LGBTQ moment.

We wouldnt have gotten to this point without the bravery and hard work of people like Smith, Hogan, and thousands of other activists and advocates of many colors and varieties of gender expression. At a time when it was risky to do so, they came out publicly and organized a grassroots movement to open hearts and minds and establish legal precedents and protections.

Hogan pointed out that the Philadelphia Gay News and other print publications  as well as books and bookstores like the citys iconic Giovannis Room  helped document and nurture the rise of LGBTQ culture. And as Smith noted, the AIDS epidemic has been a tragedy but also stands as a testament to the solidarity and caring of LGBTQ people and our straight allies, fighting shoulder-to-shoulder to save lives.

As national LGBTQ rights luminary Barbara Gittings, a Philadelphian, once told an interviewer, a key goal of the early movement was to get as much publicity as possible. Only after straight people understood that some of their family members, friends, neighbors, and coworkers were gay could we hope to overcome the official hostility and homophobic, often misplaced faith-based propaganda that had enforced our silence.

The movement, the epidemic, the legal and electoral victories, and, most important of all, the coming-out decisions of generations of LGBTQ people have surely put an end to that invisibility. But AIDS has hardly gone away, fervent opposition to the existence of unrepentant LGBTQ people remains an article of faith in some quarters, and our community continues wrestling with issues of representation, inequality, and privilege. We must still fight against racism and sexism, said Smith.

The potential rollback of reproductive and other rights by a Trump-impacted U.S. Supreme Court underscores the fact that elections have consequences. On Tuesday, city Democrats will select from an enormous field of quality candidates that includes five openly LGBTQ people. That in itself is a victory. But the battle continues.
Pinch hitting for Phillies' pitcher Nick Pivetta, Aaron Altherr celebrates his two run home against the Braves with Scott Kingery who he brought in during the 7th inning at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, Monday, May 21, 2018. Phillies shutout the Braves 3-0. STEVEN M. FALK / Staff Photographer Read more

Scott Kingerys visit Wednesday to Citizens Bank Park was just a respite from his rehab schedule, but it should not be long before he is at the ballpark to join the Phillies.

Kingery played seven innings with single-A Lakewood on Tuesday night and will play Thursday and Friday with double-A Reading. He has been out since April 20 with a strained right hamstring.

The next stop for Kingery will likely be additional rehab games in triple A.

The Phillies do not have everyday at-bats waiting for Kingery, so they could keep him in the minors for a few extra days to pick up additional at-bats before activating him.

Manager Gabe Kapler said its probably a stretch for Kingery to join the team this weekend. The team then goes on a seven-game road trip, which would seem to be an ideal time to activate him.

Im not going to rule it out completely, Kapler said of the weekend. It could be. Were just not sure.

Kingerys night in Lakewood proved enough of a test for his right hamstring. He charged a few balls at shortstop and sprinted to beat out an infield single. Everything felt fine, Kingery said.

Kingerys injury -- which occurred while he was running to first base -- came at an inopportune time. He had had 10 hits in 24 at-bats before being placed on the injured list.

Im just going to go day by day and see how it feels, Kingery said. Yesterday went well, so well see.

Kingery is slated to play nine innings at second base Thursday before spending time Friday at both third base and center field, which provides an idea of how the Phillies plan to use Kingery when he returns.

Kapler said Kingery will be an option to start for them at all three outfield positions, second base, third base, and shortstop.

The majority of those starts will likely have to come away from second base, because Cesar Hernandez is hitting well enough to keep himself in the lineup. Hernandez entered Wednesday with a .928 OPS over his last 88 plate appearances, more than .200 points higher than it was through his first 79 trips to the plate.

I think its noticeable how his body has changed from the beginning of spring training, Kapler said. Theres this sweet spot for Cesar and hes starting to get into it.

"When he got to spring training, he was a little bit big and muscular. At the end of last season, he was pretty light and really, really lean.

"Theres this middle ground. Hes in that middle ground right now. Hes at the right playing weight. Hes at the right physical condition. And its our job to keep him in that frame of mind, which is prepare, prepare, prepare, and stay in that peak physical condition.

Extra bases

Hollywood star Bruce Willis, who grew up in Carneys Point, N.J., took batting practice with the Phillies and threw out a first pitch. ... Zach Eflin will start the series finale Thursday afternoon against Zach Davies. ... Cole Irvin, Aaron Nola, and Jerad Eickhoff will start this weekend against the Rockies, who will start righthanders Jon Gray and Antonio Senzatela and lefthander Kyle Freeland.
The bill was hailed as "the salvation of Philadelphia" at a time when the city and rest of the nation were in the depths of the Great Depression, and revenue was as scarce as jobs.

Today, the state law enacted in 1932, known as the Sterling Act, is a linchpin of the city treasury, and has a lot to do with why Pennsylvania's local-taxation system is so different from New Jersey's.

Named for Rep. Philip Sterling, the Republican state representative from Philadelphia who sponsored the Depression-era bill, the Sterling Act allowed the city to earn revenue by passing special taxes  as long as it did not pass levies on anything the state already taxed.

The law took center stage before the Pennsylvania Supreme Court recently, as the justices heard oral arguments on the city's tax on soda and other sweetened beverages. Opponents of the tax argued that it violated the Sterling Act because ultimately the costs are borne by consumers, who already pay the state sales tax. The city argued that the tax is levied on beverage distribution, not sales.

But the controversial beverage tax is just the latest in a long list of Sterling-related levies. The law enabled a host of taxes, including those on wages, parking, valet parking, amusement, and use-and-occupancy. Before 1932, the city depended on real estate taxes. Today, the city has a Sterling dependency.

Residents cannot thank  or credit  the Sterling Act for every penny they pay the city. Because they duplicated state taxes, the city had to receive permission for lawmakers in Harrisburg to add its own 2 percent sales tax and to impose a $2-per-pack charge on cigarettes in 2014 to fund schools, for example. The city's liquor-by-the-drink tax was also authorized by state legislation.

However, the Sterling Act forever changed the local tax landscape. Fifteen years later, all Pennsylvania municipalities received similar taxing powers. The 1947 "Tax Anything Act" somewhat leveled the playing field by allowing other cities, boroughs, townships, and school districts the authority to pass levies beyond the property tax. By contrast, New Jersey pays a far larger share of its local bills with property taxes.

But the taxing benefits conferred to other Pennsylvania communities in 1947 have not had the same heft as those reaped by Philadelphia under the Sterling Act. It has become "one of the major blocks upon which the current tax structure rests," the Pennsylvania Economy League wrote in a 1999 report.

"It had been backed by councilmanic and Republican organization leaders in Philadelphia as one of the principal means of securing much-needed revenue for the municipality, without further burdening real estate," the Inquirer reported in a front-page article in the July 19, 1932, issue of the Inquirer. " Its passage by the House tonight, by vote of 195 to 0, was hailed by the Philadelphia political chieftains present here as one of the main accomplishments of this special session."

Within a few weeks, the Inquirer wrote, the City Council was considering several new taxes  from levies on amusement tickets to hot dog stands.

The amusement tax alone, was projected to bring in $7 million per year for the city  $17.5 million in 2018 dollars. Today, the amusement tax still accounts for 0.6 percent of revenue in the city's general fund and will raise an estimated $21.3 million this fiscal year, according to city budget documents.

So what stops Philadelphia from taxing everything, and where does it draw the line on raising money and adding new taxes?

"The line is going to be politics," Mark Aronchick, a lawyer representing the city in its defense of the beverage tax, told Supreme Court justices. "Politicians don't get up every morning saying, 'Hey, what can I tax?' "

But the Sterling Act should not be used to mask a double tax, argued attorney Marc Sonnenfeld on behalf the group of businesses, consumers, and trade associations. "The city has to ask the General Assembly to impose duplicative taxes like this," he said.

Of all taxes created under the Sterling Act, the wage tax is the most significant. It brings in nearly half the city's revenue, and city officials estimate that it will raise $1.5 billion in the current fiscal year. Without it, Philadelphia's property taxes would have to be significantly higher.

It also is a source of frustration for municipalities outside of Philadelphia. Their wage tax levies are capped at 1 percent in most towns, and they cannot levy wage taxes on nonresidents. If you live in Abington and work in Horsham, for example, Horsham sends your income tax back to Abington. But Philadelphia keeps all the 3.5 percent wage tax imposed on nonresidents.

Municipalities have fought back against that measure, and state lawmakers have introduced legislation that would allow municipalities to recoup tax money paid by their residents who work in Philadelphia. The city has argued against such a change; in 2016 Mayor Kenney's office estimated that it would lose $179 million in wage-tax revenues.

Meanwhile, a different attack on the city's beverage tax is under consideration in Harrisburg. Taking aim at the tax on soda, lawmakers have proposed a law banning any municipality from taxing food and beverages. If passed, it would essentially repeal a chunk of the Sterling Act.

"While there is no question that the goals of funding pre-K and rebuilding city assets in Philadelphia are laudable and should be pursued, it is my belief that the beverage tax levy has proven to be an extreme burden on retailers, especially grocery and convenience stores in the city," Rep. Mark Mustio of Allegheny County, the bill's primary sponsor, wrote in a memo seeking cosponsors.

A House committee voted this month to send the bill to the House floor. Not surprisingly, Kenney's office opposes it.

Said city spokesman Mike Dunn: "We have grave concerns about this attempt to preempt local governments from taking actions they deem necessary to effectively respond to the needs of their constituents."

Evidently, the city is still bullish on the Sterling Act.
NEWARK, N.J.  The U.S. solicitor generals office has recommended that the U.S. Supreme Court not hear the appeal of two convicted defendants in the Bridgegate case, nudging the four-year legal saga of New Jerseys most famous traffic jam toward a conclusion.

"Further review is not warranted," the brief filed late Wednesday said. The Supreme Court is expected to decide whether to hear the case by the end of its term next month.

Bridget Kelly and Bill Baroni want the court to hear the appeal of their 2016 convictions for causing gridlock near the George Washington Bridge to punish a mayor for not endorsing their boss, former Republican Gov. Chris Christie.

Christie wasn't charged, but the revelations from the scandal and conflicting accounts of when he knew about the plot combined to sabotage his 2016 presidential aspirations.

Kelly, Christie's former deputy chief of staff at the time of the 2013 lane realignments in the town of Fort Lee, and Baroni, deputy executive director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, had their sentences reduced this spring after a federal appeals court tossed some convictions last fall. Kelly petitioned the Supreme Court to consider the rest of the convictions, and Baroni joined in the appeal.

They argued that while their actions may have been ethically questionable, they weren't illegal because neither derived personal benefit, and the Port Authority, which operated the bridge, wasn't deprived of tangible benefits as a result of the scheme.

They also argued that Baroni had the authority to realign the lanes himself in his position, to which Christie had appointed him.

In a brief filed late Wednesday, the solicitor general's office argued that Kelly, Baroni and co-conspirator David Wildstein duped Port Authority employees into committing time and resources to the scheme by telling them it was a traffic study. Eleven toll workers assigned extra shifts were paid thousands of dollars in overtime they wouldn't otherwise have earned, the brief contended.

Baroni, Kelly and Wildstein needed to concoct the story about the traffic study precisely because Baroni didn't have the sole authority to realign the lanes, it continued.

Whether Kelly and Baroni "were motivated by political animus toward the mayor of Fort Lee or by a desire for personal gain, their criminal liability would be unchanged, because their conduct constituted a 'scheme or artifice to defraud, or for obtaining money or property by means of false or fraudulent pretenses,'" the brief concluded.

Baroni began serving his 18-month federal prison term this spring. Kelly is scheduled to report this month to serve a 13-month sentence, but her attorneys are seeking to delay that until July.

Wildstein, a former high school classmate of Christies who reported to Baroni at the Port Authority, pleaded guilty. He testified against Baroni and Kelly, was given probation and currently writes a blog focusing on New Jersey politics.
Living room of Bella Vista home available to rent by the room through real estate startup Bungalow Read more

Bungalow, a real estate start-up, has arrived in Philadelphia with a business model that could have been cribbed from MTVs The Real World, casting young strangers as housemates one city at a time.

The San Francisco-based company, which officially began its Philadelphia operations Thursday, leases private homes from their owners for years at a time so it can rent those dwellings out by the room.

Bungalow chief executive Andrew Collins said the company offers a homier, less costly alternative to the co-living projects that are popping up in desirable neighborhoods in Philadelphia and beyond to house those who cant  or dont want to  afford a full-blown home of their own.

He compared his approach to that of co-working operators such as WeWork, which manage space that they rent from commercial landlords for sublease to shorter-term office users.

Folks are fed up at having to put half of their paychecks toward rent, Collins said this week. We can really offer a great service where you dont need to sacrifice to live in amazing neighborhoods.

Susan Wachter, a real estate professor at the University of Pennsylvanias Wharton School, said she sees Bungalows approach as a modern version of the rental-agent businesses that have long matched tenants with homes.

But by putting large numbers of properties under its direct management and using an online portal to fill each home to capacity, it can operate more efficiently and profitably than a traditional broker, Wachter said.

Its different because its linking to the internet and the shared economy," she said. Its Wall Street taking single-family homes and renting them out as multifamily."

Bungalow started about two years ago and has concentrated largely on markets where high housing costs make home-sharing especially attractive, such as the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, Boston, New York and Washington, D.C.

Its beginning in Philadelphia with a portfolio of 13 three-bedroom properties, mostly rowhouses, in Center City and surrounding neighborhoods including Northern Liberties, Bella Vista, and Point Breeze. It plans to more than triple its leases with city homeowners by years end.

Rooms in the city range from $650 a month in Point Breeze to $970 a month near Washington Square, according to its website.

Bungalow performs background checks on prospective tenants and outfits homes that it manages with furniture, internet connections, big TVs and other appliances. It also holds citywide gatherings for residents of its properties.

Tenants typically must commit to leases of at least four months but are permitted to transfer into other homes under the companys management, including ones in other cities, without penalty.

Collins said Bungalow pitches itself to the same base of transient young professionals targeted by operators of co-living apartments, such as those recently announcing projects in Fishtown and Northern Liberties.

But it can house that population more cost effectively, because its approach doesnt require expensive new construction, he said. As a result, the company has been able to draw conservatively from the $14 million in venture capital it raised last year, fueling its expansion largely with funds from its operations, Collins said.

Bungalow started out renting properties from homeowners with more space than they needed, such as empty-nesters who have downsized into smaller apartments, but now works with a growing contingent of investors who buy houses specifically for his company to lease and manage, he said.

You have multiple bedrooms that are just sitting there empty, and so its underutilized space, Collins said. Were really able to better utilize that space.

Kevin Gillen, senior research fellow at Drexel Universitys Lindy Institute for Urban Innovation, said its unclear how the company will fare in Philadelphia, where housing costs are low compared with cities where Bungalow already operates.

Although it could gain a foothold in Center City, where rents really are high, or in such neighborhoods as Fishtown, Northern Liberties and Kensington, which appeal to young singles who might prefer the company of housemates, Gillen said hes "skeptical that it could succeed on a citywide basis.

If housing is affordable, you dont need to share a unit, he said. "And, if youre married, with kids, or just older, then chances are you dont want to share a dwelling with a bunch of strangers.

Bungalow also may be limited by Philadelphias zoning code, which generally prohibits homes from being shared by more than three occupants who are not related, said Peter Kelsen, a lawyer specializing in land-use law at Blank Rome LP.

While its listings in other cities offer space in houses with as many as nine bedrooms, all of the properties it has under lease in Philadelphia so far are three-bedroom homes.

Bungalow may "have figured out that this number issue could be a problem, " Kelsen said.
Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf, Delaware Governor John Carney and New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy meet for a Delaware River Governorsa Leadership Summit at the Independence Seaport Museum Thursday May 16, 2019 Read more

For the first time in two decades, the governors of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware gathered in one room to commit to keeping the Delaware River clean.

Gov. Phil Murphy quipped that he has a wonderful view of the Delaware River from his Trenton office  but the view is of Pennsylvania. The joke drew a smile from Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf.

For his part, Delaware Gov. John Carney reminded the other governors that his state is at the bottom of whatever happens upriver.

Their jokes at the Independence Seaport Museum made the point: The states are connected economically, environmentally, and recreationally by the river.

The governors signed a proclamation Thursday to reaffirm a commitment to work together to make the river fishable and swimmable, ensure high drinking-water quality standards, and keep the tidal shorelines and waters of the river accessible to the public. About 13.3 million people from Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, and New York get their drinking water from the Delaware River.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo of New York, where the river starts, was not present at the meeting. Organizers of the event cited a scheduling issue.

The governors of the four river-bordering states first came together in 1961 to sign the interstate compact that created the Delaware River Basin Commission. The federal agencys mission was to protect a river so polluted, fish no longer could inhabit it. The governors met again in the 1980s and 1990s regarding the river.

Though much cleaner now, the river still faces a range of threats from overdevelopment to concerns about chemicals such as PFAS, the remnants of industry.

On Thursday, the three governors agreed to work as partners to protect what organizers of the event referred to as Americas founding waterway. The governors said they wanted to make the Delaware River Basin a national model for sustainable economic development, drinkable clean water, healthy fish and wildlife populations, outdoor recreation, and nature-based climate resilience, according to the proclamation.

The Delaware River flows 330 miles from the Catskills to the Atlantic Ocean. It is the longest undammed river east of the Mississippi and has 2,000 tributaries, which create its 13,539-square-mile watershed.

The governors hoped to build on momentum from the Delaware River Basin Restoration Program, which received federal funding the last two years. The program received $6 million for fiscal year 2019, up $1 million from the previous year. The funding goes into grants to address environmental issues within the watershed.

The governors cited a number of programs in their states to address the problems, but said more help is needed from their congressional delegations to pay for the restoration program.

The three also shared support for a ban on hydraulic fracturing, known as fracking, within the basin. The Delaware River Basin Commission proposed last year to prohibit the process, used to extract natural gas. The commission is also proposing to change how wastewater from fracking is stored, treated, or disposed of within the basin. Environmental groups are asking for a full ban on any wastewater.

The commission is still reviewing thousands of comments from the public. The three governors, as well as Cuomo, are all members of the commission.

The Delaware River is a great resource for recreation, an economic engine for the eastern part of our state, and a vital drinking water source for millions of Pennsylvanians, said Wolf. Were proud of the work weve done to clean up our waterways and look forward to working with our neighboring states to continue our progress.
PHILADELPHIA  The last smidgen of hope for the Giants to entertain their fans this season is gone. In a last-ditch attempt to jump-start the offense, the Giants gave former Georgia star Jake Fromm his first NFL start. They had a chance to sweep the Eagles for the first time since 2007 and win at []
Members of the Donald Eisenhauer American Legion Post 60 carrying all the service branches of the military flags for parade, honoring each branch.

Among the many military holidays celebrated each year is Armed Forces Day. Celebrated the third Saturday in May, Armed Forces Day falls during Military Appreciation Month and joins Memorial Day, Military Spouse Appreciation Day, and Victory in Europe Day (V-E Day) as another May military-themed holiday.

The History of Armed Forces Day: On Aug. 31, 1949, Defense Secretary Louis Johnson announced the creation of an Armed Forces Day to replace separate Army, Navy and Air Force Days. The single-day celebration stemmed from the unification of the armed forces under one agency -- the Department o...
Monday, May 13th Burns junior high and high school band and choir hosted their final performance. Burns teacher Anne Scatz directed the students who were accompanied by Becky Maress. A variety of selections were featured with several students displaying amazing talents with solo projects. The senior choir closed out the concert with their arrangement of an Irish folk song called "The Parting Glass" featuring LaKamree Burton on the flute, and Elijah Damey as vocal soloist. An award were presented Marybeth Hale.

...
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By Daniel Trotta

NEW YORK (Reuters)  A recent clash with the National Rifle Association (NRA) has shown some doctors who treat gunshot victims a way to heal their own trauma: through activism against gun violence.

With rates of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) on par with that of Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans, trauma surgeons have found that speaking out helps them cope with the hopelessness and anger that come from seeing gunshot victims repeatedly wheeled into the trauma bay.

Working in advocacy is a way to deal with burnout, said Dr. Jessica Beard, a trauma surgeon at Temple University Hospital in Philadelphia.

The doctors clash with the NRA began in November after the American College of Physicians published a paper about reducing firearm injuries and deaths in the United States. The NRA answered with a tweet admonishing self-important anti-gun doctors to stay in their lane.

That set off a viral response. Trauma surgeons around the country posted pictures of their blood-soaked scrubs and operating rooms after treating gunshot victims, punctuated with a defiant #ThisIsOurLane hashtag.

The movement has spread. In Pennsylvania, a group of doctors formed a coalition to urge policy changes to state legislators. North of the border, the Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns staged demonstrations in April, shortly after forming.

Experts have likened the doctors uproar to that of high school students from Parkland, Florida, who led nationwide protests after surviving a mass shooting that killed 17 people on campus in February 2018.

What you saw in the postings from #ThisIsOurLane directly showed the impact of gun violence on trauma surgeons. That was our way to demonstrate the trauma that we experience in dealing with the victims of gun violence, Beard said.

For many it was a call to action, to work scientifically or politically to fight gun violence.

Beard chose research, treating gun violence as a public health issue to reduce death and suffering. Her study published in April found Philadelphias three trauma hospitals receive the equivalent of a mass shooting every 2-1/2 months, when defined as four or more gunshot victims arriving in clusters.

Other doctors are more overtly political.

The American College of Physicians supported measures including appropriate regulation of the purchase of legal firearms, such as requiring background checks for gun buyers and greater checks on domestic abusers.

Dr. Zoe Maher, another Temple trauma surgeon, helped form the Coalition of Trauma Centers for Firearm Injury Prevention, which urges changes in public policy to Pennsylvania state legislators.

The coalitions first campaign was to support a red flag bill that would enable authorities to take away guns from people legally deemed dangerous.

Maher said she was motivated because so many of the nearly 40,000 U.S. gun deaths each year were preventable.

The empowerment that I am gleaning as an individual in trying to actually combat this preventable public health crisis is something that definitely helps to protect me from burnout, Maher said.

The NRA has opposed research that it says is intended to restrict the right to keep and bear arms as guaranteed by the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. It did not respond to requests for comment for this article.

MORAL INJURY

Medicine has long been affected by burnout, or what some doctors prefer to call moral injury. This is defined by feelings of being disconnected from oneself, emotional exhaustion and reduced personal accomplishment.

Other afflictions include vicarious trauma and compassion fatigue, which can affect any medical professional exposed to trauma, including nurses, other operating room personnel and first responders.

Some 40 percent of trauma surgeons showed symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and 15 percent met the criteria for a PTSD diagnosis, according to a 2014 survey by the Journal of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery.

A similar 15.7 percent of Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans screen positive for PTSD, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

Medical journals report that some 400 physicians of all types die by suicide each year, the equivalent of an entire medical school class.

While soldiers, journalists and other medical professionals have dealt more openly in recent years with the mental health effects of witnessing horrible events, trauma surgeons have lagged behind.

Theyre going to be one of the last people to say, I cant handle this, Im in emotional distress,' said Nancy Beckerman, professor at Yeshiva Universitys Wurzweiler School of Social Work in New York.

Dr. Stephanie Bonne, an activist and trauma surgeon at Rutgers University Hospital in Newark, New Jersey, said trauma in the operating room adds to other daily stresses such as seeing the latest shootings on the news while the pager sounds, indicating another gunshot victim is arriving.

There is a feeling of helplessness like youre trying and trying, youre trying to push against the system, Bonne said. And yet the patients just keep coming and coming.

(Reporting by Daniel Trotta; Editing by Dina Kyriakidou Contini and Jonathan Oatis)

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Sen. Kamala Harris is a presidential candidate in her own right and is tired of people asking her about running as Joe Bidens running mate.

Kamala Harris keeps being asked about being Bidens running mate

Politico reported:

But inside her campaign and among allies, such talk is not a laughing matter. Theyre rankled by the suggestion, privately venting that its demeaning to a woman of color and perpetuates an unfair critique that shes somehow not prepared for the job shes actually seeking.

Its infuriating, a Harris confidant fumed several days before the idea began taking hold in the media.

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Harris had already been working to dispel the narrative that shes less electable than other 2020 contenders as Democrats try to win back white, working-class voters who backed Donald Trump. The focus on her as vice presidential material is seen by some allies as sexist given the general lack of discussion about whether male presidential hopefuls are viable.

Video of Harris:

Senator and 2020 hopeful @KamalaHarris just flipped the "running mate" question and it's pretty entertaining to watch.pic.twitter.com/ERthuE0xvE  Brooke Thomas (@BrookeOnAir) May 15, 2019

Sexism and the rush to a 2020 nominee

There is a belief whether they express it out loud or not among some Democrats and the pundit class that since Hillary Clinton lost to Trump in 2016, the 2020 nominee has to be a man. This is textbook sexism. There are roughly somewhere between 20 and 1 billion Democratic presidential candidates so no one would fault primary voters who are eager and focused on beating Trump if they wanted to rush to the primary and get to the general election, but all of the Democrats should be judged on their own merits.

Kamala Harris and every other female candidate running deserve an even playing field and equal opportunity to make their case to the voters.

People shouldnt be asking Sen. Harris about being Bidens running mate. A single vote has yet to be cast, so lets let the voters decide before we start relegating candidates to the vice presidency.

For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group.

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Rachel Maddow showed how Alabamas abortion ban bill goes back to Mitch McConnells blocking of Obama Supreme Court nominee Merrick Garland.

Rachel Maddow Connects Alabamas Abortion Ban To Mitch McConnell

Maddow said:

Theyre not moving anymore to limit abortion. Theyre moving to ban it altogether, full stop. Its happening all at once in a new radical Republican Party wide draconian effort that we have never seen before. And that sounds unconstitutional, right? Because youre not supposed to be able to been abortion that would be against the law. Thats, of course, the entire point here, though.

With Republicans being very pleased with their position on the Supreme Court right now with the Merrick Garland nomination from President Obama having been denied as improper by Mitch McConnell as the Republican leader in the Senate and Mitch McConnell calling that one of his proudest moments in the Senate since the current president put Brett Kavanaugh on the Supreme Court, for the first time conservatives think theyve got a solid right-wing majority on the high court that will overturn Roe v. Wade as long as they get the chance. They have to get a law up to the Supreme Court that they believe will provoke the Supreme Court fight that will go to those five conservative justices in the way they want to receive that fight so they can overturn Roe and declare that abortion can be overturned in states where wants to do it across the country.

Video:

Rachel Maddow showed how Alabama's abortion ban bill goes back to Mitch McConnell's blocking of Obama Supreme Court nominee Merrick Garland. https://t.co/YcnGIJTzKy #Maddow #womensrightsarehumanrights #alabamaabortionbill pic.twitter.com/Ifm9WdekuV  PoliticusUSA (@politicususa) May 16, 2019

Rachel Maddow gave America another reason to hate Mitch McConnell

Rachel Maddow was right. If Merrick Garland was confirmed to the Supreme Court, Republicans wouldnt be conducting a full out assault on womens rights and freedom. Republicans are putting women in jeopardy because Mitch McConnell blocked Garland, and Donald Trump ended up nominating Brett Kavanaugh. There are a lot of twisty turny what if games that can be played, but if McConnell doesnt block Garland, none of this is happening right now.

If you want to blame somebody for the fact that women are having to fight for a fundamental human right, blame Mitch McConnell.

For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group.

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Rep. Jamie Raskin described the White Houses legal theory of Trumps power is that he is a king who is above the courts and Congress.

Trump thinks that he is a king

Rep. Raskin said on MSNBCs All In with Chris Hayes, The theory is that the president is essentially a constitutional monarch and he stands above Congress and he stands above the courts. Thats a complete inversion of the constitutional design. Under our constitution, Congress is in Article One. We are the lawmaking power and receive the sovereign power from the people. We can impeach the president. We can impeach executive officers. He cannot impeach us. He has it backwards. Congress is in the process of reasserting our constitutional preeminence. We are not just a coequal branch We are the first among equals, and we have a president who thinks he is a king and acting in a lawless manner.

Video:

The White House sent a 12-page letter to House Judiciary Committee chairman Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY) explaining why Congress doesnt have the power to investigate Trump:

Trumps theory of executive power is intentionally and conveniently designed to place him above all investigations. The Trump administration has gone beyond the opinion that a sitting president cant be indicted, and turned it into a president cant be investigated for anything that he does. It is Nixons old claim that if a president does it, its legal taken to an absurd level.

The White House is promoting this theory as a shield and delay tactic to stall the many congressional investigations of this president.

Trump isnt a king. He is not above the law, and his theory of executive power will face a sudden and quick downfall in court.

For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group.

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Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) said that the Trump administration is refusing to provide a briefing to Senators on their Iran intelligence.

Trump wont brief the Senate on Iran intelligence

Sen. Duckworth said, Only Congress has the ability to declare war. Let me stress that. If such intelligence exists, they need to brief the members of Congress. I got a top secret clearance and Im happy to listen to the estimates. I know the president is not keen on listening to intelligence briefings, but I am. I take my job very seriously come on. Give me the briefing. In a bipartisan way, the members in the Senate have called for such a briefing and we still have not received one.

Video:

US allies have said that it is the Trump administration, not Iran, who is behaving in an aggressive way. The administration has admitted that they are trying to provoke an armed conflict with Iran. John Bolton is up to his old tricks again and trying to go to war in the name of regime change in the Middle East. The difference is that America isnt gripped by post 9/11 fear and will not be manipulated into a new war in the Middle East.

Sen. Duckworth was right. If Trump and Bolton have intelligence, they need to show it to the Senate. The fact that they wont is an indicator to every American that this White House is trying to lie the country into a new war.

For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group.

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Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis was forced to sign an NDA and not disclose to the public information about the Russian hacking of his states voter databases.

The Florida Russian Election Hacking Is Being Covered Up

Politico reported:

But as Florida governor, not only has DeSantis toned down the FBI bashing, hes even doing the bureaus bidding. The governor signed a non-disclosure agreement with the bureau in exchange for a briefing Friday on Russian hacking into voter systems in two Florida counties  a decision one fellow Republican described as complicity in a cover-up.

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I share the frustration of your question. But my situation is if I didnt sign that, I wouldnt have gotten any briefing. And I would have gotten even less, DeSantis said. When he learned from special counsel Robert Muellers report that Florida counties had been hacked, his administration asked for more information but was stonewalled.

The governor would not have been given any information if he did not sign the NDA, which smells like a cover-up as the Trump administration does not want the public to know which counties in Florida had their voter databases hacked by the Russians.

It is absurd that a governor who had his state hacked by a hostile foreign government cant tell the public where the hack occurred. It is impossible to prevent future attacks if the governor cant direct his administration to fix the problem.

Trump wants future election attacks

The inescapable point behind the federal governments behavior is that Trump is encouraging more Russian election attacks on states for 2020. A Republican governor couldnt get a full briefing from the FBI about his state being attacked without an NDA. The Trump administration is hiding information from the public, and their secrecy only serves to reinforce the belief that Donald Trump is not a legitimate president.

For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group.

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Rep. Dan Crenshaw tried to attack Sen. Elizabeth Warren by claiming that half of Americans watch Fox, which is not true.

Rep. Crenshaw (R-TX) tweeted at Warren:

Why do you have such contempt for half of America? Labeling and insulting the other side as full of racism and hate is a cheap attempt to undermine ideas so that you dont have to actually confront them. It is an intellectually void strategy. https://t.co/3Lubg4dEH4  Dan Crenshaw (@DanCrenshawTX) May 15, 2019

How Many Americans Watch Fox News?

The truth is that Fox Newss viewership is tiny. As Politico noted, Foxs minimal influence is easily explained. While its the most popular cable news network, it still draws only a niche audience. Socolow provides the numbers: On an average night, about 2.4 million prime-time viewers tune in, which is about 0.7 percent of the total U.S. population.

As Fox has become more amplified by Trump, their already outsized media influence has only grown bigger. For the sake of comparison, Twitter usage, at roughly 2% of Americans, is nearly three times more people than the Fox News audience.

Rep. Crenshaw assumed that every single Trump voter in the country watches Fox News, which is the kind of false belief that has led the Republican Party to cater to a small niche audience instead of appealing to the rest of the country.

Sen. Warren was correct to turn down Fox and blister them in the process.

As Republicans cater to the fringe Fox audience, they lose the rest of the country, as 99% of America is not watching Fox News.

For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group.

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The conspiracy theory that Trump and Giuliani hoped would bring down Joe Biden has crashed and burned in Ukraine.

Bloomberg reported:

Ukraines prosecutor general said in an interview that he had no evidence of wrongdoing by U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden or his son, despite a swirl of allegations by President Donald Trumps lawyer.

The controversy stems from diplomatic actions by Biden while his son, Hunter Biden, sat on the board of Burisma Group, one of the countrys biggest private gas companies. As vice president, Biden pursued an anti-corruption policy in Ukraine in 2016 that included a call for the resignation of the countrys top prosecutor who had previously investigated Burisma.

Trumps quest for foreign dirt on Joe Biden has flopped

Trump believes that he can run the same campaign against Joe Biden that he ran against Hillary Clinton in 2016. The problem is that Joe Biden is not Hillary Clinton. Biden has been in public life for decades. If there is any dirt on Joe Biden, it is already out there. Rudy Giuliani proudly took credit for the Ukraine conspiracy during a recent interview on Fox News, and he only canceled his trip to Ukraine after Sen. Chris Murphy threatened to launch an investigation into Giulianis activities.

Trump and Giuliani thought that they were going to launch their conspiracy theory and smear Joe Biden with it for a year and a half. The Ukrainians wouldnt play along, and the result is total humiliation for Trump and his TV lawyer.

For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group.

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The Attorney General of the United States told reporters that prosecuting criminals in the Trump administration is not hisreal work.

Barr doesnt think that prosecuting crimes against America is his job

The Wall Street Journal reported:

Attorney General William Barr denied he is standing in the way of special counsel Robert Muellers testimony before Congress, after the chairman of the House panel seeking his appearance accused the Justice Department of being unwilling to set a date.

Its Bobs call whether he wants to testify, Mr. Barr told The Wall Street Journal Wednesday, en route to El Salvador, a trip focused on increasing international cooperation against the violent street gang MS-13, which has roots in both Central America and the U.S.

Im trying to break away from Washington and do the real work of the attorney general, he said.

The top prosecutor in the entire country shrugged off crimes by the executive branch of the government as not his problem. According to Barr, Russian attacks on elections are just Washington, and the real work of his job is fighting street gangs in El Salvador.

There is zero hope that William Barr will be anything other than a Trump lackey who is out to destroy the ability of the DOJ to do their job and hold Russian and potentially the administration of Trump accountable.

William Barr has given Congress even more evidence to impeach him.

For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group.

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David Slade is a senior Post and Courier reporter. His work has been honored nationally by Society of Professional Journalists, American Society of Newspaper Editors, Scripps foundation and others. Reach him at 843-937-5552 or dslade@postandcourier.com
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Andy Shain runs The Post and Courier's newsrooms based in Columbia and Myrtle Beach. He was editor of Free Times and has been a reporter and editor for newspapers in Charlotte, Columbia and Myrtle Beach.
Then-president candidate Donald Trump and South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster appear alongside each other in 2016 at a Trump campaign stop in Gilbert. McMaster will speak this weekend at the South Carolina Republican Convention, where party members are slated to vote on four resolutions. File/Rainier Ehrhardt/AP
DES MOINES, Iowa  An Iowa egg farm that killed millions of chickens because of a 2015 bird flu outbreak is suing companies hired by the federal government to disinfect barns.

Sunrise Farms says the chlorine dioxide gas and heat treatments used to kill the virus destroyed barn equipment, electrical wiring, production equipment and water lines. The company also says the structural integrity of its barns was diminished.

Max Barnett, the CEO of Sunrise Farms parent company, South Dakota-based Sonstegard Foods, said he couldnt comment on a pending court case.

The farm is near the northwest Iowa town of Harris, about 25 miles west of Spirit Lake. It includes a feed mill, 25 layer barns, two manure barns and a processing plant. The barns housed 4 million egg-laying hens, and two other buildings had 500,000 young hens being raised to become layers.

The farm confirmed on April 19, 2015, that its birds had the deadly strain of H5N2 bird flu. Officials from the USDAs Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service division arrived within days and took over the cleanup and disinfection process, hiring several companies to complete euthanizing birds and disinfecting barns to prevent the spread of the virus.

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In the 2015 U.S. bird flu outbreak, more than 50 million chickens and turkeys died or were destroyed. That comprises about 12 percent of hens that produce eggs people eat and 8 percent of the inventory of turkeys grown for meat, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

About 87 percent of bird losses occurred in Iowa, the nations leading egg producer, and Minnesota, the top turkey grower. Other cases were reported in Nebraska, Wisconsin and South Dakota.

The heat treatment used at some of Sunrise Farms barns was designed to raise the temperature to 120 degrees for a period of seven days. In other barns the government officials ordered the use of chlorine dioxide, a chemical known to kill the flu virus.

The barns were declared free of virus and eligible for restocking on Sept. 16, 2015, but court documents say the treatments destroyed equipment, electrical wiring and water lines, and left the barns structural integrity diminished. Sunrise Farms claims its property damage required extensive repairs.

The company filed the lawsuit in March 2018 in federal court in Iowa, seeking to be repaid for the cost of repairs, interest, late charges and the cost of the lawsuit.

It claims negligence for causing significant property damage and breach of contract, saying the contracted companies "failed to adequately perform the contract obligations."

The lawsuit names Clean Harbors Environmental Services of Norwell, Mass., and other companies based in Georgia and New York.

In court documents, Clean Harbors, which applied the chlorine dioxide gas treatment, denied responsibility for the damage and asked that the lawsuit be dismissed. The company said Sunrise Farms "failed to adequately and properly mitigate its damages."

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Clean Harbors is suing six other companies that were contracted to assist in the operation. One of those companies is suing seven other companies with which it had contracted.

A lawyer representing Clean Harbors didnt respond to a message.

The lawsuit is set for trial on Jan. 27, 2020, in Sioux City.

Another major egg producer with barns in Iowa and other states also used the heat treatment for disinfection after the bird flu and said he saw some damage but determined the equipment was older and needed to be replaced anyway.

Marcus Rust, CEO of Rose Acre Farms, the nations second-largest egg producer, said his company was satisfied with its outcome.

Rust said hed heard about the problems at Sunrise Farms and was uneasy but determined that the effectiveness of the gas treatment was better than any other alternative.

"Did we have zero problems? No. But has it been acceptable? Yes. We were apprehensive and maybe we watched it a lot closer because of all the warnings," he said.
PLAINVIEW, Minn.  It was a historic year and state convention for the Plainview-Elgin-Millville FFA chapter, said Paul Aarsvold, who teaches agriculture at PEM and co-advises the program with Steve Hinrichs.

The chapters dairy cattle evaluation team won first place and will be heading to nationals for the first time in school history, and Isaac Rott finished second individually in the same category.

PEM also had a creed speaking finalist  Julia Aarsvold, Pauls daughter  for the first time in school history. It also was recognized for its Models of Innovation and finished as a top-10 chapter in its National Chapter application.

If that werent enough, it was all topped off by senior Lafe Aarsvold  Pauls son  being named the states president.

"Plainview-Elgin-Millville has a rich history with FFA and it seems like this was one of our biggest years," said Lafe Aarsvold. "So its awesome to just be a part of this history."

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Lafe is the middle child in a family with its own rich history in FFA.

Paul Aarsvold said he and his wife, Val, executive director of the Minnesota FFA Foundation, never pushed any of their kids to join FFA, but they were always around it.

"FFA is just part of our lives," said Paul Aarsvold.

Lafe said he wasnt really excited about FFA until he attended a camp in middle school, and started to understand what FFA was really about.

"I saw and understood quickly that there was a home for everybody in the blue jacket," he said. "FFA really changes people, in a good way."

Going into his freshman year of high school, Lafe said his older brother, PJ, was the state president. He wrote down in his journal at that time that he wanted to be the president one day, too.

"So its really cool to finally be able to achieve this, and mark it off the list," he said.

The road to becoming an FFA state officer begins with about a three-page application. From there, 16 finalists are chosen to take part in interviews at the state convention, which Lafe said is the most grueling part of the whole process.

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"(The interview process) is extensive, its strenuous and its just crazy," he said.

There are several rounds of interviews with a nomination committee, beginning early in the morning and going until late at night. The interviews start off as one-on-ones, then candidates give short presentations, then they have mock conversations with FFA stakeholders, answer personal career questions and so on.

Paul Aarsvold said his son did everything in his power to make himself ready for the state team interviews. Lafe attended a statewide training day and even setup his own training night for other members and himself. At that training night were Maddie Smith of Fillmore Central and Elaine Dorn of Randolph, who were named as treasurer and secretary at the state convention.

Paul Aarsvold said his son began the preparation to be a state officer back in his middle school years.

"Going to all the different camps and conferences, and taking advantage of every opportunity that FFA gave him really prepared him for all of this," said Paul.

The ceremony naming the new state leadership team is a high-impact production. On the last day of the convention, Lafe said all 16 candidates lined up on stage and the Chicago Bulls theme song booms over the speakers.

"Everyones adrenaline is running and hearts are pumping," he said. The six names of the new leadership team are announced to cheers, tears and high fives. "It gets very emotional."

Now in his final year of high school, Lafe said hes able to reflect on how FFA has helped him develop as a person and give him professional skills hell use in his career.

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He said he went from a "squirrely" eighth-grader to a senior sitting in intense professional interviews, and doing well in them.

Now hes looking forward to influencing and helping younger students as they get their FFA and high school careers off the ground.

"You just want to give those (younger) members the same opportunities that you got, and they are the reason that we ran for state office," he said. "Its just really cool to give back."

Lafe definitely has a way with people, said his dad.

"Hes just so sincere when he talks to people," Paul Aarsvold said of his son. "When hes talking to you, youre the most important thing happening then. He has that knack about him, to make people feel good and be included."

Lafe will be attending the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities next fall, where he plans to double-major in ag education and communications and ag marketing. He wants to be a high school agriculture teacher, like his dad.
A n April report on Iowas water quality is alarming for farmers and residents.

The report ought to serve as a clarion call for action because it concludes that inadequate funding and commitment to protecting the resource has caused the state to backslide.

The publication, authored by the Iowa Policy Project, finds that bacteria and nitrogen levels in private wells have increased for a decade. Iowa, with an estimated 480 impaired streams and lakes, is aware something must be done.

Iowa lawmakers and Gov. Terry Branstad took an initial step to protect water quality through the states Nutrient Reduction Strategy in 2013.

Its not as though Iowa hasnt spent money protecting its water. The state committed $43 million to the effort in 2018 and the federal and state commitment to environmental protection reached $512 million in the fiscal year. Most of the federal contribution was committed to the Conservation Reserve Program, which is perhaps the nations most popular environmental effort.

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"When you compare that to what the state is spending you really see how little commitment we really have, Iowa Policy Project co-founder David Osterberg told the Associated Press.

Osterberg has an obvious bone to pick, but he isnt entirely wrong. Iowa does need to be more aggressive in its approach.

The same could be said for other states, including Minnesota, that have impaired waters.

Minnesota, under the direction of former Gov. Mark Dayton, established its buffer law in 2017. The law requires perennial vegetation buffers of up to 50 feet along lakes, rivers and streams and 16.5-foot buffers along ditches. The vegetation may filter out most of the phosphorus, nitrogen and sediment that harm lakes and streams.

Iowa can start to do more by testing more private wells in the state. The Environmental Working Group and the Iowa Environmental Council issued a report that found that there are 290,000 private wells in the state and only 55,000 have been tested for nitrates. Nearly 50 percent of those tested had detectible levels of nitrates and 43 percent had coliform bacteria.

Iowa lawmakers  who as a group have been branded do-nothings for their approach to water quality initiatives  must go beyond the voluntary nutrition strategy that it established in Branstads administration.

Iowa contributes far too much to the total nitrates found in the Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico. More aggressive approaches to protecting water resources are needed.

The April reports alarm should reach lawmakers ears. Iowa citizens have overwhelmingly and repeatedly voted to support water quality initiatives. The time for action is now. Iowas future depends on a comprehensive effort to protect its streams, lakes and private water wells.
Art On The Avenue, run by a 501 C3 arts organization in the Slatterly Park neighborhood, is celebrating its 10th go-round with more live art, music, and food than ever.

Here are 10 things to know about this years celebration, courtesy of organizer Wayne Flock  one for each year.

1. Keep an eye out for pro artists. A Rochester Area Foundation grant allowed Art On The Ave to bring in Pedal to the Metal, a "mobile metal foundry" run on pedal power, where you can pick up a trinket to take home.

2. Another grant from the SE MN Arts Council funded street artist Kathleen Roling, wholl spend the day working on a chalk mural based on this years theme, "Sound and Color." Stop by, check out her work throughout the day, and watch where you step!

3. As in every year, AOTA will unveil a sculpture for Slatterly Park (by Craig Snyder, a Twin Cities artist) at the event, so look for that at 11 a.m. This one was 100 percent paid for by previous AOTA events. Over the years, the organization has installed 15 permanent public sculptures around Slatterly Park Neighborhood. They also send two kids to art camp at the Rochester Art Center every summer, using funds from the event. "That engagement in art really gives (young people) a sense of community," Flock says.

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4. The attendance at Art On The Avenue has increased more than tenfold. Flock, whos been involved with the fest since its first days, remembers seeing between 200 and 250 guests at the first one a decade ago. This year, hes expecting between 3,500 and 4,000 people to come through the festival. Theyve also gone from about 25 vendors and musicians involved that first year to upwards of 50 for 2019!

5. Theres a giveaway! As you scope out Rolings chalk art, look for a drawing for professional art supplies  and enter it!

6. About that theme  it was chosen by this years hosts, Adam and Vanessa Carroll, to call attention to how music and the arts bring people together.

7. Look for AOTA regulars Loud Mouth Brass, Fernando Ufret, and Sterling and the Silver Lining in this years music lineup, as well as a few new faces.

8. You can certainly spend your time at AOTA shopping around in various artists booths, but take a moment to check out the Neighborhood Associations table as well  they have a free arts and crafts activity for kids.

9. As should be the case in any good summer arts festival, there will be face-painting at Art on the Avenue. Get pumped for that.

10. You can catch all of the music, art, and crafts between 9:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. June 1 on 6th Ave. SE ( the same block as Redeemer Church). Admission is free!

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9:30 a.m. Lion Sight

10:45 a.m. Fernando Ufret

11:00 a.m. Sculpture unveiling

Noon Loud Mouth Brass

1:45 p.m. Sterling and

The Silver Lining

3:00 p.m. My Grandmas Cardigan

Food and drinks will be available for purchase from Grand Rounds Brewing Company & Restaurant, Fiddlehead Coffee Co., and Peoples Food Co-op; Art on the Avenue requests no carry-ins, please.

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What

Art On The Avenue

When

9:30 a.m.4:30 p.m. Saturday, May18

Where

6th Ave. SE, Rochester

Cost

Free

EVENT RESCHEDULED

As of 6 p.m. Thursday, May 17, this Art on the Ave. has been rescheduled for June 1.
RED WING  "Sometimes the instrument speaks to you," said Chris Silver.

Silver, a guitar player by night and high school principal by day, was one of three guitar players who put a series of instruments through their paces Wednesday during the Student Guitar Show at Minnesota State College Southeast in Red Wing.

"Theres some stellar students that have come out of here," Silver said.

For example, he still recalls a particular mandocello  a large mandolin  made a few years ago that sticks out as one of the best instruments hes played from the show. "It was a world-class instrument."

For example, that mandocello, for most people, might have inspired the playing of some Irish music. "It inspired me to play some jazz-funk tune."

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Mike Cramer, who works as a software developer by day but plays guitar at night, played alongside Silver during the show. The show, an annual event at MSC-SE allows the students who are part of the luthier program to hear their guitars played by professional pickers. When Cramer picks up a guitar, he strums it to hear its tone. It helps him decide what music will suit it best.

"Ive already got a good idea what I want it to sound like," Cramer said. "The good ones are the ones that help me achieve that. Theres been guitars, I dont want to give them back."

Playing for the students, letting them hear what their instruments can do, is what Cramer said he loves most about coming to the show and performing, something hes done now a handful of times. "This is a milestone for these folks going through the program," he said.

One of those students, Giju Chang, came a long way to learn to fix and build guitars. A native of South Korea, Chang said there are no luthier programs in his country. So, when he wanted to learn the craft, he got on the internet and searched. There, he found three good programs in the United States, but the program at MSC-SE and living in Red Wing sold him on coming to Minnesota.

When he returns to South Korea next week, Chang said, "Im going to set up my own shop."

He also said he was grateful for the feedback from the musicians to help him build better instruments. All three guitarists who came to the show played instruments made by Chang.

Guitarist Phil Heywood said his favorite instrument this year was one made by Chang, but several of the guitars produced a "dynamic" sound.

While both Silver and Cramer said they have felt like buying guitars right from the show, Heywood said he already owns one guitar that feels like it was made just for him. That, he said, is what these guitars can be for other guitarists.

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For Silver, the program is keeping alive a lost art at a time when some of the best guitars are being made. As for his part, he loves bringing joy to those students as they hear their instruments played.

"I love the expressions on their faces," Silver said. "The fun part about this program is that student who goes the extra mile."
FARGO, ND  Forum Communications announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire the Rochester Post Bulletin from Small Newspaper Group. The sale does not include the downtown office and plant facility. A closing of the transaction is expected in the second quarter of this year. No terms of the transaction were announced.

Dirks, Van Essen & Murray, a media merger-and-acquisition firm based in Santa Fe, N.M., represented Small Newspaper Group in the transaction.

The Rochester Post Bulletin is the largest daily newspaper in southeastern Minnesota, serving 60 communities in nine counties. The Post Bulletin is published five days in the afternoon and weekend mornings. It has been owned by the Small family since 1977.

Forum Communications, based in Fargo, N.D., owns 36 newspapers in North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota and Wisconsin, including the Forum of Fargo-Moorhead. The family-owned company also has television and radio holdings, a commercial printing division, Internet businesses and websites at each of its operations.

Bill Marcil, Jr., President of Forum Communications, said: "Forum Communications has been in the business of producing quality journalism for over 100 years. We look forward to building on the legacy of a similar family-owned news operation, working alongside the award-winning Post Bulletin staff to expand the footprint of our quality local news content."

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Post Bulletin President Len R. Small told the employees the new owners were "worthy custodians" of the company.
The Rochester Police are investigating a robbery that took place during the sale of a video gaming system.

Police were called at 8:15 a.m. Saturday to the McDonalds on Second Street Southwest for a report of a robbery, Capt. Casey Moilanen said.

A 29-year-old Rochester man reported that he went there that morning to buy a Playstation gaming console from someone he found online.

The seller arrived, showed the Rochester man the console and then punched him in the face before taking $150 in cash.
CANNON FALLS  Few occupations require more patience than farming, but a more than yearlong trade dispute between the United States and China has more soybean farmers losing theirs.

"Theres a lot of frustration in rural Minnesota right now, from not having that market availability," said Brad Hovel, who grows corn and soybeans and raises hogs and cattle with his family in Cannon Falls. "Its taken a few dollars off the price of beans, and its been a real challenge trying to lock-in any type of profitable margin."

On Monday, China announced higher tariffs on $60 billion of American exports. The tariffs were made in retaliation to President Trumps latest decision to raise tariffs on $200 billion in Chinese imports from 10% to 25%.

American soybean farmers had been hopeful for months that the export market to China would eventually reopen to them, but the latest tariffs caused soybean prices to plunge to a 10-year low.

The Minnesota Soybean Growers Association saw the latest tariffs as another step backwards.

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"MSGA is very disappointed by the breakdowns in negotiations with China on a bilateral trade deal," said Joseph Smentek, executive director of MSGA. "Soybean farmers and their checkoff have built the markets in China with their own dollars and sweat."

Smentek is referring to the federally mandated checkoff program that soybean farmers have paid into for more than a decade.

According to MSGAs website, every time a Minnesota soybean farmer sells soybeans, the farmer contributes one-half of 1 percent of the market price of each bushel.

"Weve worked on building a good trade relationship with China," said Hovel of the checkoff program. "Theres a lot of guys involved in the (checkoff) program whove spent a lot of their lives working on establishing the market in China."

The Minnesota Soybean Research & Promotion Council uses checkoff funds to improve the profitability of the states soybean farmers by supporting public research, growing the international market and developing new uses for soybeans.

Before the trade dispute began last year, farmers relied heavily on the revenue they made from exports to China. According to numbers from the USDA, farm exports from the U.S. to China reached $26 billion in 2012 and 2013, and equaled $19.5 billion in 2017.

Smentek said the toll taken on farmers from the trade dispute is "too large to measure." He said low price points have resulted in extra pressure from banks giving loans, which has ramped up the stress level for farmers.

"This trade war is extremely detrimental to Minnesotas soybean farmers," said Smentek. "If something is not done  and done soon, to help address these pressures, there will be many farmers that will not be farming next year."

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The loss of business to China has resulted in American farmers stockpiling nearly 1 billion bushels of soybeans, a record, according to Todd Hultman, an Omaha-based grain market analyst with agriculture market data provider DTN.

Hovel said that time is running out for the farmers storing soybeans, holding out for a better price.

"We need to move the crop and market it, in order to pay the bills," said Hovel.

Trump told reporters on Monday that a program to relieve U.S. farmers pain is being devised and predicted that they will be "very happy" with it. The administration gave $11 billion to farmers last year to make up for low profits from trade conflicts.

Hovel said the trade relief funds that farmers received through the $11 billion package were basically flow-through funds.

"They came in and went right back out as either property taxes or health insurance  some of the fixed costs associated with working in agriculture," said Hovel of the trade relief payments. "Farm families need help with paying for some of those things, and then it flows back into the rural economy."

Despite the back-and-forth steps taken by the U.S. and China, Hovel still believes there is a chance that the two countries will resolve the issue.

"We still have the highest quality soybeans in the world," said Hovel.

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But time is running out as farmers enter a second growing season with the farm economy falling.

"We need to have workable margins in order for us to feed our families and make a living," said Hovel. "No trade deal is going to be perfect, and theres always going to be someone that needs to sacrifice a little bit. It just seems like agriculture has been the sacrifice for a while now."

Some of the information in this story was contributed by Associated Press writers Dave Kolpack in Fargo, N.D., Doug Glass in Minneapolis and David Pitt of Des Moines, Iowa.

The American Soybean Association released this statement early this week about the continuing tariffs: "The sentiment out in farm country is getting grimmer by the day," said John Heisdorffer, chairman of the ASA and soybean farmer in Keota, Iowa. "Our patience is waning, our finances are suffering and the stress from months of living with the consequences of these tariffs is mounting."
Edward Ridgway Harris, 90, of Rochester, died peacefully Tuesday, May, 14 at Mayo Clinic Charter House in Rochester, from complications of Multiple Myeloma.

Jed, as he was known by friends and family, was born on Nov. 10, 1928, in Rochester, N.Y., where he was also raised. He spent many of his childhood summers at Canandaigua Lake, in the Finger Lakes region of upstate New York. After graduating from Millbrook School in 1948, he enrolled at Trinity College in Hartford, Conn., and later tried his vocation as a monastic novice at the Society of St. John the Evangelist in Cambridge, Mass. In 1951, he enlisted in the Navy as a radar controller on carrier-based airplanes during the Korean War. After his service in the Navy, he returned to college, enrolling at Columbia University, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1956.

He then moved to Cuba, where he lived and worked for a company growing kenaf  a plant he joked "looked like marijuana but was far less profitable." In 1959, Castro assumed power in Cuba and conditions there worsened. Two years later, Jed fled Cuba, attempting to move the farming operations to both Haiti and Guatemala. By 1962, he had returned to the United States to live in Savannah, Ga., and begin his career at IBM as a systems engineer.

In 1964, Jed married Emily Van Voorhis, also of Rochester, N.Y., who over the next several years gave birth to their four children, Gina, Tal, Stephen and Jonathan. In 1969, Jed and Emily moved their young family to Rochester, Minn., where they raised their children and Jed continued his career at IBM as a computer programmer in research and development. Jed and Emily enjoyed music, theater, travel, and hosting their friends and family at their home. The celebrated their 55th wedding anniversary last March, and are very thankful for their six grandchildren.

Shortly after moving to Rochester, Jed and Emily joined Calvary Episcopal Church, where they have been active ever since. Jed became an advocate for the revival of the diaconate in the Diocese of Minnesota and on Jan. 17, 1977, Jed was ordained an Episcopal deacon. Both Jed and Emily were active in the Episcopal Cursillo spiritual renewal movement.

In 1987, Jed retired from IBM and went on to volunteer as a hospice and prison chaplain. He was also active as an actor at the Rochester Repertory Theater. Jed was well read and had ongoing lifelong interests in ethics, psychology, arts, biology, religion, and technology. He chose to donate his brain to Mayo Clinic Alzheimers research. He had an eye for beauty in nature and had much affection for the Boundary Waters of northern Minnesota. He loved three-dimensional puzzles and amused many with his quick wit.

The family wishes to thank the 4th floor Supportive Living Center of Charter House for their love and care of Jed during his last years.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial gifts to Mayo Clinic Alzheimers research or Calvary Episcopal Church.

A funeral service will be held at 4 p.m. Sunday, May 19, at Calvary Episcopal Church, Rochester, with the Rev. Beth Royalty officiating.

Online condolences are welcome at www.mackenfuneralhome.com.
Since 2008, a legal question over whether the government could or should license some 1,200 electronic gaming devices has been weighed. Read more
Family members on Guam and in the Philippines are heartbroken after they learned 61-year-old Danilo Cabrera was the driver behind the wheel in Wednesday afternoon's crash in Tamuning.

Cabrera, who was a driver with Miki Taxi for six years, lost control of his car before he collided into a concrete utility pole along Gov. Carlos Camacho Road around 1:45 p.m., police said.

"We were all in shock after it happened," said Marion Marlouie, Cabrera's nephew who is in the Philippines. "Especially since Uncle Danny is close to everyone in our clan. He was a very good uncle."

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He said Cabrera is from Palauig, in the Philippine province of Zambales.

"He is staying mostly in Guam but always taking time for vacation here in Philippines with his siblings. He is my favorite uncle, a brother of my mother," he said. "We would always talk until our batteries got low about all topics under the sun."

A good driver

A manager at Miki Taxi said Cabrera was one of the drivers stationed at the company's Onward Beach Resort unit.

"He's been a good driver," Catherine Bansil, Miki Taxi manager, said. "He always followed the rules and regulations."

The tragedy has been tough for Cabrera's fellow taxi drivers, Bansil said.

"We cannot believe that happened," she said. "We were shocked. Most of our drivers called us when they saw the accident."

No customer was inside Cabrera's car at the time of the crash.

Police also said debris from the crash struck two pedestrians who were treated for their injuries at the Guam Regional Medical City.

GPD Highway Patrol investigators continue to look into whether speed, alcohol or drugs were factors in the crash. Police have yet to confirm when an autopsy would be performed to determine Cabrera's cause of death.

His death marks the 11th traffic-related fatality this year.
The June trial date for three defendants facing federal charges related to Medicare fraud has yet to be rescheduled as the defense continues to wait for documents from the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

A status hearing was held Thursday in the District Court of Guam for Clifford Shoemake, Kimberly "Casey" Conner and Nicholas Shoemake.

The three were indicted in January 2016 on charges of conspiring to defraud Medicare and TriCare by submitting more than $32 million in fraudulent claims filed by Guam Medical Transport for ambulance transportation services.

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Earlier this month, Chief Judge Frances Tydingco-Gatewood delayed the trial date to allow parties to sort out evidence issues.

Attorney Louie Yanza told the court it could take weeks for CMS to provide the subpoenaed documents.

Another status hearing has been scheduled for next week.

Request to travel

A fourth co-defendant, Thelma Joiner, who has since pleaded guilty to her part in the case, asked the court permission to travel.

Joiner, a medical billing employee, pleaded guilty in March and agreed to fully cooperate with federal authorities. She acknowledged she failed to let authorities know when she knew of the alleged fraud at Guam Medical Transport.

According to the motion filed in federal court, Joiner requested to travel from May 27 to June 6 to attend the graduation ceremony of a lifelong friend's child in Montana. The motion states the defendant is not a flight risk.

The court has not ruled on her request.

A pretrial conference and a hearing on pending motions are set for June 11.
COLEBROOKDALE  With a 5-4 vote, the Boyertown Area School Board has kicked off the process for closing Pine Forge Elementary School.

Members voting in favor of the closure at the May 14 meeting were David Lewis, Donna Usavage, Jill Dennin, Rodney Boyer and board President Steve Elsier.

Voting in opposition were Ruth Dierolf, Clay Breece, board Vice President Brandon Foose and Christine Neiman.

As Solicitor Jeff Sultanik explained in some detail, the vote is not a final decision, but only begins the process for gathering more information for a full public hearing required by the state; as well as approvals by the Berks County Planning Commission and Douglass (Berks) Township Planning Commission.

But at least four speakers Tuesday night did not need a formal public hearing to explain their thoughts on the subject.

Closing Pine forge will create student overcrowding which will become a districtwide issue, not just an isolated issue in one or two schools, said Jen Irey.

She said it will lead to larger class sizes, which will lead to less individualized attention for the students.

What is disheartening to me, is that after sitting through all these meetings, I still have not heard any of the long-term plans laid out, said Krista Gross, a parent of three children in the district.

I would like to know what the district plans to do if their assumptions are wrong; what their backup plan is if the district grows faster than they anticipate said Gross. Will our children end up in modular classrooms again?

Ellen Martignetti said some of the Pine Forge staff is already moving on to other jobs, instead of waiting to be re-assigned by the district. Came you blame them? Isnt that what all of you would do?

Imagine what that looks like to a child. It looks frightening. Martignetti said. Imagine a building full of unfamiliar faces.

I dont know if everyone realizes how dire our financial situation is. Its really bad, said Jon Emeigh. And we have only a choice of bad decisions.

If we vote to keep Pine Forge open, its going to cost about $8 million, spread out, Emeigh said. Over the course of 30 years, it will cost about $16 million.

So the trade-off for you keeping your school, is probably not being able to spend more on counselors; potentially not upgrading other schools and potentially threatening programs.

Nevertheless, he said, he would not support closing the school without more details on what would happen next.

But Boyertown Superintendent Dana Bedden said that if the administration went to the extra step of putting together those plans, the public would argue that the boards mind was already made up before the vote.

Tonights decision is not a closing decision, said Sultanik, noting state law requires a public hearing with full details a full three months before the final vote is taken.

In fact, two of the yes votes, Boyer and Dennin, said they voted yes in part to move the process forward so that those very questions can be answered.

If the data changes, Im willing to change my mind, said Dennin.

But Neiman doubted that. Once we start having hearings, its going to be a done deal, she said.

She said Pine Forge students will most likely be sent to Earl, Boyertown and Colebrookdale elementary schools and will be on the bus for an hour.

Dierolf agreed that the school district is in financial crisis, but were building a new stadium.

Lewis said closing the school will save the district $4 to $5 million, but Dierolf said she does not see those savings being realized.

Closing a school to close a budget shortfall is wrong, said Breece. This will not raise academic outcomes for our kids, said Breece.

He also predicted that in a few years, it will be decided that a new elementary school is needed five or six miles to the east.

He was perhaps referring to the fact that enrollment growth driving re-districting is coming primarily from the Montgomery County side of the 100-square-mile district, in Douglass (Mont.) and New Hanover townships, where hundreds of new housing units are planned or already approved.

But Bedden insisted the one thing not on the table is a new elementary school. That will cost as much as $26 million, and that is money we dont have, he said.

According to the district study, last year it costs $2.7 million to operate Pine Forge Elementary. It would cost between $1.8 to $4 million to upgrade the building to be compatible with the other elementary schools.

Pine Forge has about 17 teachers and 18 other staff. The administration does not call for any lay-offs as a result of closing the school. Personnel savings would come from attrition, retirements and resignations.

Donna Usavage said the studies have shown there is enough room in the other school buildings and closing Pine Forge is in the best interests of the entire school district.

But the question of whether there is enough room in Boyertowns school buildings is exactly what is driving the re-districting plan which was adopted unanimously prior to the Pine Forge vote.

In the first vote, the board voted unanimously to begin the process of re-districting, which will change which school hundreds of students attend among Boyertowns seven elementary schools and two middle schools.

After the meeting Elsier explained that the re-districitng plan, or rightsizing as Bedden has labeled it, can be found on the district website and affects all school buildings but the high school.

According to that information, last updated on May 5, Boyertowns school buildings have the following capacities and enrollments as of December:

Boyertown Elementary: Capacity of 700 with 445 students, or 64 percent of capacity.

Capacity of 700 with 445 students, or 64 percent of capacity. Colebrookdale Elementary: Capacity of 350 with 291 students, or 83 percent of capacity.

Capacity of 350 with 291 students, or 83 percent of capacity. Earl Elementary: Capacity of 350 with 246 students, or 70 percent capacity.

Capacity of 350 with 246 students, or 70 percent capacity. Gilbertsville Elementary: Capacity of 700 with 689 students, or 98 percent of capacity.

Capacity of 700 with 689 students, or 98 percent of capacity. New Hanover/Upper Frederick Elementary: Capacity of 700 with 675 students, or 96 percent of capacity.

Capacity of 700 with 675 students, or 96 percent of capacity. Pine Forge Elementary: Capacity of 350 with 242 students, or 69 percent of capacity.

Capacity of 350 with 242 students, or 69 percent of capacity. Washington Elementary: Capacity of 700 with 483 students, or 69 percent of capacity.

Capacity of 700 with 483 students, or 69 percent of capacity. Middle School East: Capacity of 1,050 with 895 students, or 85 percent of capacity.

Capacity of 1,050 with 895 students, or 85 percent of capacity. Middle School West: Capacity of 860 with 782 students, or 91 percent of capacity.

Elsier conceded that should the board ultimately vote to close Pine Forge Elementary, that the plan will have to be adjusted to put those 242 students in other buildings.

In other news, after coming out of an hour-long executive session, from which the public was excluded, the school board voted 7-2 to adopt a $121 million preliminary budget that, if unchanged by June, will raise taxes by 3.6 percent.

This article first appeared as a post in The Digital Notebook blog.
By David Himbara

Ugandas President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has mostly kept silent on the closure of Rwanda/Uganda border by his Rwandan counterpart, Paul Kagame. After calling the border closure a mere hiccup that Uganda has overcome by finding other markets, Museveni added the following:

Africans will rally behind a cause that caters to their needs such as trade of goods and services, and governments that choose to curtail this basic tenet are practicing self defeating ideology.

Museveni did not mention any names. But of course the elephant in the room is Kagame. No other ruler in Africa has performed such a primitive act reminiscent of medieval times.
POTTSTOWN  The borough has instituted a new parking regime for the downtown section of High Street that makes use of a mobile phone app.

In fact, the only way to pay for parking on the stretch of High Street from Manatawny to Madison streets now is either through the ParkMobile app, or, for those without the app, by dialing 877-727-5714 and paying with a credit card.

The ParkMobile app can be downloaded for free on an Android or iPhone smart phone.

When you set up the app, you will be asked for your email, license plate number and a method of payment, such as a credit card or PayPal account to pay for your parking whenever the app is used.

Users can also register on the web at parkmobile.io.

A video of how to download and use the app is posted on the borough website at www.pottstown.org.

High Street parking is 50 cents per hour, although an additional transaction fee of 35 cents is also applied each time you use ParkMobile.

The first hour of parking on High Street, which has a three-hour limit, is free, but you must still register for the free hour with ParkMobile. The 35-cent transaction fee does not apply for the first free hour.

Paying for parking in any of the boroughs six downtown lots can still be done at the kiosks and honor boxes there.

The good thing about ParkMobile is it will tell you when you are running out of time so you can refresh your time, Borough Manager Justin Keller said during a presentation on the new system at the May 8 council meeting.

We do have a three-hour limit, we always have had a three-hour limit and we have maintained that, said Keller.

However, based on some initial feedback we got from our residents who wanted to attend a show and dinner, we felt that wasnt quite enough time in the evenings, he said. So we have lifted that three-hour limit from 5 p.m. on everyday, so you can now park on High Street from 5 p.m. on and keep feeding the meter (through ParkMobile) for the extent of your stay.

Paid parking will not be implemented along the King Street corridor at this time, according to information about the new program posted on the borough website.

Keller also said were going to continue to evaluate this and were going to schedule another meeting with the parking committee, I believe, at the beginning of June.

But some feedback has already been provided.

At the May 13 borough council meeting, resident Jim Derr questioned the wisdom of allowing parking payments only through through smart phones.

It will not make it easier for people to visit our downtown, Derr said.

The system was put into place as the result of a discussion that has been going on for more than 18 months in borough hall.

The increase in hourly fee from 35 cents to 50 cents marks a 43 percent increase.

The parking rate has not been changed since 2013 and a comprehensive look at downtown parking had not been undertaken since 2002.

Were thrilled to expand our network to Pottstown, Jon Ziglar, CEO of ParkMobile, said in the announcement posted by the borough. We are proud to provide drivers across Pennsylvania with a smarter parking experience as they travel between destinations.
POTTSTOWN  Replacement of corroded steel beams will delay the traditional Memorial Day weekend opening for the spray park in Memorial Park.

Parks and Recreation Director Michael Lenhart said he hopes the spray park will open by June 10, which is still before school lets out.

He said two steel I-beams over a 2,000-gallon circulation tank are showing signs of corrosion due to constant exposure to moisture and chlorine.

They were expected to last about 10 years and weve been keeping an eye on them, so this is not unexpected, Lenhart said.

The beams, which support an open steel grate holding up the sand filter, softener tank and chlorine tank, are holding up about 2.5 tons of equipment.

Lenhart said they will be replaced by nautical steel beams, which are designed to withstand exposure to moisture and chlorine and should last 20-plus years.

The cost of the replacement is about $2,600.

Lenhart said the borough will post a notice of the spray parks opening date once the repairs are nearing completion.
Sen. Marco Rubio is the U.S. Senator best attuned to and most focused on the problem China poses to the U.S. and the world at-large. At least thats what I infer from his public pronouncements on the subject.

In an interview with the Washington Post, Rubio maintained that a significant part of our problem with China stems from shortsighted American corporate CEOs. He stated:

If you go to China, they promise you X percent of their overall market share. You make money, and you look good in front of your shareholders, but youre also turning over your intellectual property and eventually theyre going to replace you. But who cares? You wont be CEO in 10 years when that happens.

Rubio has hit the nail on the head.

At the risk of sounding like James Comey, one might say that China is eating corporate Americas soul:

[The Chinese] have traditionally been able to unleash the American corporate class to march up to D.C. and pressure their policymakers to back down [from taking tough measures to counter Chinas unfair practices] because so many of these companies have established a market presence in China that in the short-term is very beneficial but in the long-term is probably suicide for those companies.

Rubio recognizes that Donald Trump is the first American president willing to stand up to China and to pressure on its behalf from corporate America. This is the first administration that has not backed down, he said.

The problem is that Chinas leaders are unaccustomed to a president who is willing to go to the mat with them. Therefore, says Rubio, they have underestimated this presidents resolve.

China probably isnt underestimating it any longer. However, its leaders know that theres a presidential election coming up. They also have good reason to believe that Joe Biden, if he becomes president, will restore the tradition of accommodating China  and then some.

Rubios discussion of CEO complicity with China was part of a broader critique of corporate America. The Senator is releasing a report on the decline of business investment in America over the past few decades. It shows that non-financial corporations for the first time now spend more on acquiring financial assets than they do on capital development.

Again, this approach may maximize short-term return but it comes at the expense of investment that leads to growth.

Rubios critique of corporate America, as distilled by the Posts James Hohmann, is worth reading in full.
As per a recent report Launched by TRENDS MARKET RESEARCH the Airway Clearance Systems Market to Register Stable Expansion During 2018-2025.

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The requirement for airway cleaners is rising with the betterment in the reimbursement structure as well as the rising worries on a sound living. So as to conform to the developing necessity, the companies functioning in the market have made an effort to improve work. The airway clearances are hence arising to be the vital choice since they change liquid medication into mist or aerosol. In addition, the increase in per capita earnings in determining individuals to expend more on health care therefore worries about healthcare is growing with rising standards of living. The other aspects which are profiting the North America market for airway clearance systems are the enlargement of third-party payer reporting by producers, expansion of institutional and home care market, a higher occurrence rate of chronic ailments, usage of the Affordable Care Act as well as the bringing down price of the therapy settings. On the other hand, it is nevertheless to be determined that whether the rigid regulation scenario acts the same as a difficulty or not.Get More Information About Airway Clearance Systems Market : https://www.trendsmarketresearch.com/report/sample/3547 Market players in the overall market are majorly centering on increasing in other regions, establishing advanced airway clearance technology fitting into the consumers requirement with the purpose of gaining a comparatively bigger market share. The global market for airway cleaner systems is likely to record a XXCAGR for the duration of 2017 to 2025. Increasing from an evaluation of US$ XX Million during 2016, the market is projected to account for an evaluation of US$ XX Million before the finish of 2025.Region-wise, North America market is likely to take over the worldwide market because of growing disposable income together with expanding elderly populace all through the years to come. On the contrary, Europe market is likely to anticipate an upright expansion over the years to come. The price structure of institutional services or hospitals and home care in Europe alters substantially because of the value of services extended by respiratory care service manufacturers or providers that constitute another type of hospitality and monitoring services.Request For Table of Contents: https://www.trendsmarketresearch.com/report/requesttoc/3547 Based on the device type, the global market includes mechanical cough assist, intrapulmonary percussive ventilation, high-frequency chest wall compression, OPEP (oscillatory positive expiratory pressure) and PEP (positive expiratory pressure). Based on the application type, the overall market includes immotile cilia syndrome, bronchiectasis, chronic bronchitis, cystic fibrosis, and others. Based on the end user, the overall market includes home care settings, ambulatory surgical centers, hospitals and clinics, and others.Conventional participants have determined a value and brand image throughout the years that have made market infiltration very composite for novel players. The foremost companies operating in the global market are Monaghan Medical Corporation, Vortran Medical Technology, General Physiotherapy, Inc., Electromed Inc., Thayer Medical, Aptalis Pharma US, Inc., Philips Respironics (Koninklijke Philips N.V.,), Hill-Rom Holdings, Inc. and others.Report Discription: https://www.trendsmarketresearch.com/report/airway-clearance-systems-market Viwe more : AUTOMOTIVE & TRANSPORTATIONAbout Us:Trends Market Research is one of the leading digital services provider and a result-oriented company based in U.K.. We are a team of enthusiastic-driven individuals with top notch skills in SEO , Market research. Trends Market Research is a one stop shop to all your business needs. We help you thrive and succeed. We provide research solution.Our digital and enterprise research assurance solutions are ideal for Automotive & Transportation, Electronics & Semiconductor, Chemicals & Materials, Healthcare, Pharmaceuticals & Medical Devices, Food & Beverage and Industrial Automation as well as all type of other leading industries verticals . We offer a vast line of in-depth study of industry trends including customized & client oriented specific requirement.Contact Us:One Vincent SquareWestminster, London SW1P 2PNUnited KingdomPhone: +442033221521Email: sales@ trendsmarketresearch.com Website: https://www.trendsmarketresearch.com
As per a recent report Launched by TRENDS MARKET RESEARCH the Automotive Brake System Market to Register Stable Expansion During 2018-2026.

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The global automotive brake system market is anticipated to witnessing a substantial growth due to fresh prospects of the automotive industry in emerging along with developing economies and increased safety concerns by the government. It was stated in the report that the overall growth of the market is expected to reach a market value of above US$ XX Billion through 2026, exhibiting a strong XXof CAGR throughout 2017-2026.In modern cars mostly two kinds of brakes are used which are drum brakes and disc brakes. Every new car has disc brakes on the front wheels, whereas the rear wheels may possibly use whichever drum or disc brakes. Of these, the disc brakes category has a comparatively bigger share in the overall market during 2017 and will account for a market evaluation of US$ XX Billion for the duration of the forecast 2018 to 2026. On the other hand, the expansion rate for the drum brakes segment will be on the climb in the approaching years.Get More Information About Automotive Brake System Market : https://www.trendsmarketresearch.com/report/sample/3550 In terms of the sales channel, the worldwide market is categorized into aftermarket and OEM. The OEM category reflects a revenue share of about fourth-fifth and will foresee a remarkable XX CAGR for the duration of the assessment, 2017-2025. The aftermarket category is relatively a lot smaller and consists the share of residual revenue in the worldwide market for the duration of the assessment. By, vehicle type, the worldwide market is categorized into premium passenger cars, heavy commercial vehicles, light commercial vehicles, luxury passenger cars, compact passenger cars, and mid-sized passenger cars. Of these, the compact cars will have the benefit of being trouble-free to maneuver together with being undemanding on the wallet at the fuel pump. Therefore, it isnt astounding to acknowledge that compact cars will expand market share for the duration of the assessment. The mid-size car category abides by compact cars on the basis of popularity, however, are yet probable to lose market share. The advanced technologies used in the modern cars are electronic stability control (ESC), anti-lock braking system (ABS), electronic brake-force distribution (EBD) and traction control system (TCS).Request For Table of Contents: https://www.trendsmarketresearch.com/report/requesttoc/3550 Europe to foresee a lucrative market with the highest contribution and the companies in the market are proposed to centralize their efforts on this region with lucrative prospects for a good ROI. With the market in Europe, the companies are trying to center on APEJ or North America, since both the regions will have worldwide market evaluations valuing billions of dollars for the duration of the assessment.The foremost market players active in the worldwide market are Continental AG, Robert Bosch GmbH, Wabco Holdings, Inc., ZF Friedrichshafen AG, Aisin Seiki Co, Ltd., Knorr-Bremse AG, Akebono Brake Industry Co. Ltd., TRW Automotive Holdings Corp., Halla Mando Corp., Brembo S.P.A. and others.Report Discription: https://www.trendsmarketresearch.com/report/automotive-brake-system-market Viwe more : AUTOMOTIVE & TRANSPORTATIONAbout Us:Trends Market Research is one of the leading digital services provider and a result-oriented company based in U.K.. We are a team of enthusiastic-driven individuals with top notch skills in SEO , Market research. Trends Market Research is a one stop shop to all your business needs. We help you thrive and succeed. We provide research solution.Our digital and enterprise research assurance solutions are ideal for Automotive & Transportation, Electronics & Semiconductor, Chemicals & Materials, Healthcare, Pharmaceuticals & Medical Devices, Food & Beverage and Industrial Automation as well as all type of other leading industries verticals . We offer a vast line of in-depth study of industry trends including customized & client oriented specific requirement.Contact Us:One Vincent SquareWestminster, London SW1P 2PNUnited KingdomPhone: +442033221521Email: sales@ trendsmarketresearch.com Website: https://www.trendsmarketresearch.com
Greetings, No doubt, there is a lot to be concerned about this year; however, 2020 has also been quite a year for recorded music. Let u...
This report provides prediction and investigation of the lemon oil market. It offers antique statistics along with global forecast data by the end of 2022.

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FactMR has actively published a new research study titled Global Lemon Oil Market Poised to Garner Maximum Revenues During 2017 to 2022 | Key Players are Fischer S/A, Askuvital, Aromaaz International, Biolandes, etc. to its broad online database. This assessment works to discourse the major trends, opportunities and drivers motivating the lemon oil market during the period from 2017-2022. The insights structured for presenting the target market are procured from both primary research and secondary research, and are utilized for validation that is valuable to investors, manufacturers and new entrants. As per research findings, the global lemon oil market is expected to showcase impressive growth in CAGR during the period until 2022.Request for Sample of this Global Market Research Report Here  https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=S&rep_id=99 The lemon tree is native to Asia and is widely cultivated for its citrus fruit that is used across the world in both culinary and non-culinary ways. Initially grown purely for an aesthetic and ornamental purpose, the health-benefits of all aspects of the lemon tree have been exhaustively documented, particularly that of lemon oil. Lemon oil is considered an essential oil and is extremely popular for its refreshing, citrusy aroma that seems to reinvigorate people.Lemon oil has astringent, antifungal, disinfectant, antiseptic, and detoxifying properties and it can be deployed in a variety of ways. Some examples include house cleaning, laundry, and air freshening. Lemon oil also blends extremely well with other essential oils such as tea tree oil, geranium oil, peppermint oil, sandalwood oil, rose oil, and lavender oil, making it a good choice for herbalists who rely on aromatherapy. All of this is anticipated to boost the overall lemon oil market which is predicted to cross US$ 410 million by the year 2022.It is a two-horse race in the lemon oil market between the natural segment and the organic one with the scales tilted decisively in favor of the former. A revenue share exceeding two third of the lemon oil market by source type makes the natural segment extremely lucrative and a projected market size of almost US$ 300 million by the end of the forecast period attests the segment's dominance. Europe accounts for approx. 2/5th of the natural segment which can largely be attributed to the awareness and desire of customers in this region to opt for natural products whenever they are available. The organic segment is much smaller and is only a third of the lemon oil market in terms of revenue share. Europe dominates the organic segment as the region contributes almost as much to the lemon oil market as North America and APEJ combined.Request Lemon Oil Market Report with TOC Here - https://www.factmr.com/report/99/lemon-oil-market Together, the absolute and concentrate segment are more than half of the lemon oil market revenue by form type and key stakeholders are advised to take this into consideration while devising their business strategies. The only two regions poised to have a market value in excess of US$ 40 million in the absolute segment of the lemon oil market are Europe and North America, with the former recording an impressive CAGR. The concentrate segment represents slightly over a quarter revenue share and it is predicted to remain steady during the course of the forecast period.Competition Dashboard in the Lemon Oil MarketKey companies in the lemon oil market, which are expected to remain active in the market through 2022, are Citromax Flavors, American Vegetable Oils, Grief Inc., Fischer S/A, Citrus and Allied Essences, Askuvital, Aromaaz International, Biolandes, DoTERRA International, and Lionel Hitchen Essential Oils.Table of Content:Global Lemon Oil Market - Executive SummaryGlobal Lemon Oil Market Overview2.1. Introduction2.1.1. Global Lemon Oil Market Taxonomy2.1.2. Global Lemon Oil Market Definition2.2. Global Lemon Oil Market Size (US$ Mn) and Forecast, 2012-20222.2.1. Global Lemon Oil Market Y-o-Y Growth2.3. Global Lemon Oil Market Dynamics2.3.1. DriversContinued..For Any Query or Concern, Access this Link - https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=AE&rep_id=99 About FactMRFactMR is a fast-growing market research firm that offers the most comprehensive suite of syndicated and customized market research reports. We believe transformative intelligence can educate and inspire businesses to make smarter decisions. We know the limitations of the one-size-fits-all approach; that's why we publish multi-industry global, regional, and country-specific research reports.Contact UsFactMR11140 Rockville PikeSuite 400, Rockville, MD 20852United StatesEmail: sales@ factmr.com Web: https://www.factmr.com/
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DENTON, TX / ACCESSWIRE / May 16, 2019 / Kieffer | Starlite in Denton, Texas, has announced that they will be sending three team members to an upcoming event in Las Vegas, Nevada. The company states that they are pleased to announce that members of their team will be attending the event, which will be held beginning on Sunday, May 19th, 2019 and running through Wednesday, May 22, 2019.Kelly David, a spokesperson for the company says, "We are thrilled to be taking part in this massive event that is being held in Las Vegas. We urge those who would like to learn more about us or the event to visit the Kieffer | Starlite company website.David states that the upcoming event allows attendees to learn more about innovations that are being introduced to the retail real estate industry. Kieffer | Starlite is a sign manufacturing and consulting company that provides signage to several retail establishments around the nation. The RECon event is the largest of its kind in the world and includes a gathering of retail real estate professionals, developers, brokers, and owners."It's a great opportunity to meet with new people and to make new contacts, for anyone who attends," says David. "We won't be exhibiting, but will be on hand to help those who are in the retail real estate business to better understand how important their signage is to their business." David says that the event will enable professionals in the industry to conduct an entire year's worth of business during the four-day event. She adds that the event will include keynote speakers that will be sharing valuable information regarding the latest trends in today's retail real estate world and how those in the industry can grow their businesses.RECon Las Vegas provides the largest show floor in the retail real estate industry, with hundreds of exhibitors offering insights and product information. David states that it is a good place for those in the industry to make deals and connect with those in the industry who can help to further their careers and grow their businesses. RECon 2019 will provide additional locations, with Las Vegas being the first of five destinations. The organization states that a Professional Development Day will be available for those who wish to advance their skills.David states that it is a good opportunity for anyone in the industry, and adds that the team looks forward to attending and connecting with those in the industry. Kieffer | Starlite has years of experience in offering rebranding programs to new site locations and ongoing maintenance. The company has an impressive portfolio of companies that have trusted them over the years with their signage needs, including a number of very well-known retailers throughout the nation.David states that their success comes from their team understanding the challenges that businesses face with regards to their signage. She states that their entire team works to ensure that clients are completely satisfied with their final result and that businesses have the best possible chance to showcase and bring attention to their brand.Those who would like to learn more about the company and their upcoming event can visit the Kieffer | Starlite Facebook page. David states that the company's Facebook page is regularly updated with more information about the company and all of their upcoming events. She adds that those who would like more information on RECon 2019 can visit the official website for the ICSC. The organization provides a number of internships, scholarships, partnerships and other collaborations that are designed to help students to better define the future of the retail real estate industry. The organization uses their RECon fundraising events to provide benefactors with these collaborations. This year their fundraising is set to benefit the Talent Incubator Project, which is a series of initiatives that are designed to help develop new and upcoming talent in the retail real estate industry.For more information about Kieffer | Starlite, contact the company here:Kieffer | StarliteKelly David214-418-6565kdavid@ kiefferstarlite.com Kieffer | Starlite7923 E McKinney St.Denton, TX 76208Email: Marketing@ kiefferstarlite.com SOURCE: Kieffer | Starlite
PR-Inside.com: 2019-05-16 08:07:02

Novadip Biosciences to present at 20th annual Bioquity Europe Conference

Belgium, 16 May 2019: Novadip Biosciences (Novadip), a regenerative medicine company and pioneer in the development of three-dimensional tissue products derived from adipose stem cells for critical hard and soft tissue reconstruction, announces that Jeff Abbey, Chief Executive Officer, will present at the 20th Bioquity Europe conference on 20  21 May 2019 in Barcelona, Spain. The presentation will take place at 15:45 CEST on Monday 20 May and will provide an update on the companys clinical and preclinical development programs.

Bioquity Europe has been running for 20 years, showcasing more than 800 leading European companies to thousands of investment and pharma business development professionals. Organized by BioCentury and EBD Group, the event brings together the leading investors dedicated to the European biopharmaceutical industry.

If you would like to meet with Jeff Abbey from Novadip Biosciences at the conference, please contact Jeff.abbey@novadip.com.

- Ends -

Notes to editors

Novadip Biosciences

Novadip Biosciences is a regenerative medicine spin-off company from Universite Catholique de Louvain (UCL) and Cliniques Universitaires St-Luc founded in 2013 based on the research of Dr. Denis Dufrane. The creation of Novadip was supported by the Louvain Technology Transfer Office (LTTO), Sopartec and VIVES II. A Series A Round of EUR 27.7 million was raised in 2015 with New Science Ventures, Fund+, SRIW, Integrale, Epimede, VIVES II, Nivelinvest and private investors. Novadip is developing 3-dimensional tissue products derived from adipose stem cells for critical hard and soft tissue reconstruction.

For further information, please contact:

Novadip Biosciences

Jeff Abbey

Chief Executive Officer

+32 (10) 779 220

info@novadip.com

For media enquiries:

Consilium Strategic Communications

Chris Gardner, Matthew Neal, Jessica Hodgson, Angela Gray

+44 (0) 20 3709 5700

novadip@consilium-comms.com
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VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / May 16, 2019 / PowerBand Solutions Inc. (TSX-V: PBX) (OTCQB: PWWBF) (Frankfurt: 1ZVA) ("PowerBand," "PBX" or the "Company"), a leading online automotive auction, remarketing and sales platform in North America, is pleased to announce the appointment of Jing Peng as Chief Financial Officer, replacing the outgoing Chief Financial Officer, Gordon Cummings.Mr. Peng is a Canadian Chartered Professional Accountant. He has worked in public accounting for the past fourteen years. Since December 2010, Mr. Peng has been the senior financial analyst at Marrelli Support Services Inc., a well-respected supplier of accounting and reporting services. Prior thereto, Mr. Peng was a senior accountant at MSCM LLP from June 2009 through December 2010 and at KPMG LLP from January 2007 through June 2009. Mr. Peng holds a Master's degree in Management and Professional Accounting from Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto.Mike Moen, President and COO of PowerBand, commented: "As PowerBand expands our online auction platform into the U.S. with the launch of D2D Auto Auctions, and as we begin to implement our strategy of acquiring Canadian used vehicles and exporting them to the U.S., we are excited that Jing Peng has joined the Company. We look forward to his assistance with our U.S. expansion plans. The Company would like to thank Gordon Cummings for his work and contribution to the business and wishes him the best in his future endeavors." About PowerBand Solutions Inc.PowerBand Solutions Inc. is a technology provider listed on the TSX Venture Exchange that is developing solutions for automotive and other industries that drive efficiency and transparency in the marketplace. PowerBand has developed and commercialized a leading-edge online auction platform that increases revenues and profit margins for its automotive dealership, Original Equipment Manufacturer, commercial fleet and rental company customers. PowerBand's remarketing platform, the PowerBand Exchange, incorporates the industry's latest auction technologies, inventory management, market intelligence, and appraisal processes.For further information, please contact:Richard Goldman, VP Corporate DevelopmentP: 1-866-768-7653rgoldman@ powerbandsolutions.com FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTSThis news release contains forward-looking statements relating to the Company and other statements that are not historical facts. Forward-looking statements are often identified by terms such as 'will', 'may', 'should', 'anticipate', 'expects' and similar expressions. All statements other than statements of historical fact, included in this release, including, without limitation, statements regarding future plans and objectives of the Company, are forward looking statements that involve 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 reader is cautioned that assumptions used in the preparation of any forward-looking information may prove to be incorrect. Events or circumstances may cause actual results to differ materially from those predicted, as a result of numerous known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of the Company. As a result, we cannot guarantee that any forward-looking statement will materialize and the reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking information. Such information, although considered reasonable by management at the time of preparation, may prove to be incorrect and actual results may differ materially from those anticipated.Forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as at the date of this news release, and the Company does not undertake any obligation to update publicly or to revise any of the included forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as expressly required by Canadian securities law.Neither the TSXV nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.SOURCE: PowerBand Solutions Inc.
The Nigerian Stock Exchange on Thursday announced the listing by introduction of 20.35 billion ordinary shares of MTN Nigeria Communications Plc.

Details of the listing showed that the shares were introduced at N90 per share on the Nigerian bourses Premium Board Thursday.

MTN Nigeria, a part of the MTN Group, Africas leading cellular telecommunications company, is the first telecommunications network provider to be listed on the NSE Premium Board, a listing segment for the elite group of issuers that meet the Exchanges most stringent corporate governance and listing standards.

Commenting on the development, National Council President, NSE, Abimbola Ogunbanjo, said the bourse is particularly pleased that MTN Nigeria has joined the prestigious club of companies listed on our Premium Board with what he described as a landmark transaction, which will differentiate it as a professionally run telecommunications company with high standards, having met The NSEs listing criteria.

He said: A Premium Board listing is a sign of commitment to strong corporate governance, excellence, professionalism, efficiency in service delivery and providing increased returns to shareholders.

It is our expectation that the MTN Nigeria listing, which is the NSEs 2nd largest, will encourage other telecommunication companies to list their shares on The Exchange, thereby opening the sector up to cheaper, long term capital that will boost innovation and development.

On his part, the Chief Executive Officer, NSE, Oscar Onyema, said, We are delighted to welcome MTN Nigeria to the Exchange. Todays listing is a promising development in the countrys telecommunications sector and we encourage other players in the sector to explore the different opportunities in the capital markets for raising long term capital.

As a listing platform of choice, todays listing will add to our bouquet of diverse investment offerings to the public. Having MTN Nigeria listed in our market is a testament of the Exchanges commitment to building a dynamic and inclusive market and creating channels for sustainable investment.

This listing will promote liquidity for MTN Nigeria, enhance its value and increase transparency, as our platform remains one of the best avenues for raising capital and enabling sustainable growth for national development.

A statement by the NSE said it will continue to retool itself in many ways to remain an attractive destination for issuers, building a more responsive market, by deploying cutting edge technology for trading and reducing market infractions through improved market monitoring and surveillance.

The NSE also said that it has developed a market structure that has resulted in upscale securities listing such as SAHCOL Plc, the most recent company under the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) privatisation programme to successfully finalise an initial public offering and list its shares on The Exchange.

Apart from MTN, the NSE Premium Board features other companies like Dangote Cement Plc, FBN Holdings Plc, Zenith International Bank Plc, Access Bank Plc, Lafarge Africa Plc, Seplat Petroleum Development Company Plc and United Bank for Africa Plc.
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on Thursday said 10 countries have agreed to take practical steps to eliminate extremist content online so as to stop Christchurch terrorist attacks from happening again.

Ms Ardern, who co-chaired the Christchurch Call summit with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris, said in a statement released by the New Zealand government that the March 15 attack was shocking in its use of social media as a tool in the act of terror.

For the first time, governments and tech companies have jointly agreed to a set of commitments and ongoing collaboration to make the Internet safer.

The Christchurch Call acknowledges that government regulation alone will not solve the problem, she said.

Ms Ardern called for harnessing the tech companies creativity and technical know-how to find solutions while ensuring Internet freedoms are maintained and the Internet is protected as a force for good.

The New Zealand Prime Minister and Mr Macron led a group of world leaders, tech companies and organisations to adopt a pledge that seeks to eliminate terrorist and violent extremist content online to stop the internet being used as a tool for terrorists.

The Christchurch Call, named for the New Zealand city in which 51 members of its Muslim community were murdered in a live-streamed terrorist attack on March 15, took place in Paris.

Ms Ardern saw leaders from 10 countries and major tech companies, including Facebook, Google, Microsoft, Twitter, and YouTube, commit to a set of collective actions that aim to eliminate terrorism and violent extremist content online.

The Christchurch call is an action plan that commits government and tech companies to a range of measures, including developing tools to prevent the upload of terrorist and violent extremist content.

It also counters the roots of violent extremism, increases transparency around the removal and detection of content and reviews how companies algorithms direct users to violent extremist content.

(Xinhua/NAN)
The Oba of Lagos, Rilwan Akiolu, on Wednesday said Nigerias former vice president, Atiku Abubakar, will not succeed in his quest to overthrow President Muhammadu Buhari through the election tribunal.

Mr Akiolu advised Mr Atiku to drop his case against Mr Buharis re-election, saying he strongly believed the president had the mandate of Nigerians and would finish his second term in office.

The traditional ruler also launched an attack on former president Olusegun Obasanjo. He said his self-acclaimed powers had been demystified by Mr Buharis re-election.

The Lagos monarch spoke when participants of the Senior Executive Course 41 of the National Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru, visited him in his palace.

The NIPPS delegation is in the state for a study tour of its health sector. The visit is coordinated by NIPSS in collaboration with the Development Research and Project Centre (DRPC) through PACFAH@Scale.

If anyone of you here is close to Atiku, tell him he can never succeed in what he is doing now.

Buhari will complete his term in office, but Buhari too has to listen to the people, pray to God and be honest in what he is doing, the Oba said.

Background

Mr Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), was the main challenger to President Buhari at the February 23 elections.

On February 27, the electoral umpire declared Mr Buhari winner of the elections, and issued him a certificate of return for a second four-year term starting May 29.

Mr Abubakar and his party challenged the results at the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal two months ago, saying he won the election and was in possession of evidence that would upturn the declared outcome.

Mr Abubakars legal team submitted a different result to the tribunal, which showed the former vice-president as the winner of the election.

His lawyers said the results were released by an INEC whistle-blower who had access to the commissions internal server and other tools throughout the election.

In its initial response to Mr Abubakars petition, INEC strongly denied operating a server during the election, accusing Mr Abubakar of circulating fake results for the purpose of his petition.

Mr Buhari and his ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) also sided with INEC and alleged criminal interception of a public institutions communication by Mr Abubakar and the PDP.

Obasanjo not left out

The Oba also seized the opportunity to mock Mr Obasanjo who had supported Mr Atiku in the election.

Mr Akiolu said Mr Obasanjo had always arrogated to himself the divine power to determine the countrys leaders, but Buharis victory in the last election had demystified him.

Former President Obasanjo is considered one of the most influential politicians in Nigeria. Since the return of democracy in 1999, he has been having his say in who becomes the president, until the 2019 general election.

PREMIUM TIMES analysed how Mr Obasanjo was humbled with the victory of Mr Buhari in this years election.

Mr Akiolu said he had always believed Mr Buhari would win the election and that he was glad that the former president had been proved wrong at the end of the day.

I had said that Buhari would win even before the election. Unfortunately, the number one person creating problems in this country is former president Obasanjo.

He arrogated to himself the powers of the Almighty Allah by saying it was the support he gave to Buhari that made him win the first term.

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Obasanjo said Buhari would not win the second term, but did Buhari not win? Did I not say Obasanjo will be disappointed by the time the results were announced?

The presidents victory clearly shows power belongs to God only and no man can decide who leads the country, he noted.

Mr Akiolu said the problems of insecurity, unemployment and other challenges of the country would be better tackled if citizens joined hands with government to address them.

The monarch urged politicians to put the issues of the last elections behind them and work together for the progress of the country.

NIPSS Visit

The monarch expressed optimism that Lagos would benefit from the study tour of the NIPSS delegation.

The Oba said he was delighted that the focus of the tour was to understand the challenges affecting healthcare delivery system in the state, with a view to providing solutions.

Nasirudeen Usman, leader of the NIPSS delegation presenting honorary award to Rilwan Akiolu, the Oba of Lagos. Nasirudeen Usman, leader of the NIPSS delegation presenting honorary award to Rilwan Akiolu, the Oba of Lagos.

Mr Akiolu said qualitative healthcare system was key to improved life expectancy.

He urged the government to improve budgetary allocation to the health sector in line with World Health Organisation standard. He noted that there was a link between quality health care and economic development.

Mr Akiolu also described the NIPSS as a good initiative that had helped shaped policy formulation in the country.

Nasirudeen Usman, the leader of the NIPSS delegation thanked the Oba for a warm reception. He said the visit was to pay respect to the monarch as it was the norm for participants to visit distinguished personalities anywhere they go.

Mr Usman presented an honorary award to the traditional ruler.
The Senate has confirmed Godwin Emefiele as governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria for another term.

The confirmation follows his nomination by President Muhammadu Buhari last week.

Mr Buhari had written to the Senate on May 9 to inform them of his decision to reappoint Mr Emefiele.

The president, in the letter, said Mr Emefieles first term will expire on June 2 and sought confirmation of his reappointment, pursuant to the provisions of Section 81(2) of the CBN Act 2007.

He said the CBN governors reappointment will be for a second and final tenure of five years.

Mr Emefiele was appointed the governor of the apex bank in 2014.

The Senate thereafter referred the screening of Mr Emefiele to its committee on Banking, Finance, and other Financial Institutions.

The governor and senators in the committee were all smiles and threw banters in the screening that held on Wednesday.

Presenting the report on Thursday, chairman of the committee, Rafiu Ibrahim (Kwara-PDP), said the committee was impressed with Mr Emefieles more than 32 years experience with outstanding performance.

The committee recommended confirmation of Mr Emefiele based on his performance in the first tenure.

That the nominee understands the diverse economy of the country and has displayed profound knowledge of the continuous existence of our economy stability.

That the nominee has performed credibly in his first tenure which resulted to the exit of the nation out of economic recession, Mr Ibrahim said.

His confirmation was put to a voice vote and received a unanimous ayes from the senators.
States yet to collect their balance of the Paris Club debts refunds would soon be paid, the Supervising Minister of Finance, Zainab Ahmed, said on Thursday.

The Minister who disclosed this in Abuja during her quarterly briefing with journalists on the activities of the Finance Ministry, said about N649.434 billion has been released for that purpose.

For the final phase of the Paris Club debts refunds, the total sum of N649.434 billion was verified by the Ministry as the outstanding balance to be paid to the State Governments, the Minister said.

The amount to be paid is lower than about N691.560 billion the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) paid as at March 2019 partly as a result of the exchange rate differential at the point of payment.

She assured that States with outstanding balances of the refund would be paid in due course.

Exit from recession

According to the Minister, the implementation of policies under the Economic Recovery & Growth Plan (ERGP) led the economy to exit recession and currently on a path of sustainable, inclusive and diversified growth.

She, however, lamented the countrys unsatisfactory revenue performance, particularly in the non-oil sector, saying this has negatively impacted financing of critical sectors such as health, education, and infrastructure.

The Minister said the significant improvement in the countrys external reserves from $28.3 billion in 2015 to $44.69 billion as at May 13, 2019 has helped stabilise the currency exchange rates and economy.

On the role of domestic revenue mobilisation for continued economic success and inclusive growth in the country, Mrs Ahmed said time to act to accelerate all revenue initiatives is now.

She said she has accepted President Muhammadu Buharis call to action, by prioritising revenue generation, and strategic revenue growth initiatives and cost-cutting interventions aimed at boosting revenue performance.

On the progress recorded in the economy, the Minister said the country achieved seven consecutive quarters of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth since exiting recession in the second quarter of 2017.

As at Q4 2018, the economy grew by 2.38 per cent in real terms (year-on-year), representing an increase of 0.27 per cent compared to Q4 2017 and, a rise of 0.55 per cent, compared with the growth rate in Q3 2018.

Overall, GDP grew at an annual rate of 1.93 per cent in 2018 compared with 0.82 per cen in 2017, representing an overall increase of 1.11 per cent year on year, she said.

In 2018, she said the countrys budgeted revenue was about N7.2 trillion, against the realised figure of N3.96 trillion, signifying a negative variance of 45 per cent.

Despite the shortfall, she said the government was able to fully pay workers salaries and service its debts 100 per cent.

On capital releases, the Minister said, as at May 14, 2019, seven months overhead was released for 2018, two months for 2019, and N2.079 trillion capital expenditure.

Strategies

We have adopted a prudent debt management strategy which ensures we invest what we borrow in capital projects. Although our debt by international standards, at 19.09 per cent Nigerias debt to GDP ratio, is well below the threshold of 56 per centfor countries similar to Nigeria. The government is addressing the issue of reducing the debt service to revenue through a combination of debt substitution strategies.

On ongoing reforms by her Ministry at the Federal Inland Revenue Services (FIRS) and the Joint Tax Board (JTB), she said the countrys taxpayer database has been expanded to 35 million from nine million in the four years of the Buhari-led administration.

She said this figure is expected to grow to 45 million individual and corporate payers when the ongoing integration of different biometric databases is completed.

Through reforms at the Federal Inland Revenue Services (FIRS) and the Joint Tax Board (JTB), we have been able to harmonise the Tax Identity Number (TIN) database to cover Federal, States and Local Governments to establish a unified identity number system for uniquely identifying tax payers, she said.
The Nigerian Senate On Wednesday re-visited and passed the Nigerian Council for Social Work Bill.

First passed in December 2017, President Muhammadu Buhari refused to assent the bill in February 2018.

In separate letters to the Senate and House or Representatives, Mr Buhari rejected the bill due to lack of clarity over the scope of the profession of social work that the bill prohibits all persons who are not members of the institute from practicing.

In reconsidering the bill on Wednesday, the lawmakers rescinded seven clauses of the bill.

The clauses include; 3, 10, 11, 16(2), 18, 21(3) & (4) and 28.

If assented to, the new law will recognise the establishment of the Nigerian Council for Social Work.

The bill seeks to establish the council to regulate practice of professional social work in Nigeria.

According to the bill, the councils activities will be regulated by a governing council.

The council, among other things, shall promote professional practice and uphold social work ethics and values, determine what standards of knowledge and skills are to be attained by persons seeking to become member of the profession of social work and review those standards from time to time, as circumstances may require.

The council shall also promote research and ensure high standard and quality of training of social workers.
(CNN)  U.S. President Donald Trump has become irritated at an emerging impression his hawkish national security advisers are marching him closer to war with Iran despite his isolationist tendencies, according to people familiar with the matter.

Instead, Trump is signaling his intent to speak with the Iranians as tensions rise in the Persian Gulf, and his national security team has taken steps they hope could facilitate a new diplomatic opening.

The likelihood of such an opening appears slim. But Trump has raised concern with the heightened rhetoric, believing a large-scale military intervention with Iran would be devastating to him politically, people familiar with the situation said. The President has told members of his team that starting a new conflict would amount to breaking his campaign promise to wind down foreign entanglements. And he's chafed at suggestions his aides, led by national security adviser John Bolton, are somehow leading him to war.

As recently as last week, Trump was calling outside advisers to complain about Bolton, people familiar with the conversations said. Trump is frustrated that Bolton has allowed the Iran situation to reach a point where it seems like armed conflict is a real possibility, but his frustrations with his national security adviser actually began earlier this spring over Venezuela, when a similar dynamic  Bolton and other aides openly hinting at military options  caused Trump to warn his team to tamp down the rhetoric.

As tensions with Iran have escalated over the past week, National Security Council officials close to Bolton were initially dismissive of the need to draw up deescalation options, including during a meeting late last week with State and Pentagon officials.

But in a follow-up session on Wednesday with the same group, those NSC officials were singing a different tune, according to an administration official. Instead, the officials asked the Pentagon to draw up additional deterrence and deescalation options for the President to review, according to an administration official.

Trump denied on Wednesday there was any "infighting" over his Middle East policy. But he reiterated his desire to open talks with Iran, a wish he's been advocating heavily in meetings over the past week.

"Different opinions are expressed and I make a decisive and final decision - it is a very simple process. All sides, views, and policies are covered," he tweeted. "I'm sure that Iran will want to talk soon."

'He will make the decision'

Sarah Sanders, the White House press secretary, denied Thursday there were any divisions inside the administration over Iran. But she made clear that Trump's views would prevail.

"The President is the ultimate decision maker and he's going to take all of the information and intelligence that is given to him and he will make the decision that he thinks is best to keep Americans safe. It's that simple," she told reporters. "There's only one person that was elected to make those decisions and that was the President. He'll be the one that decides."

Even as Trump indicates he wants to cool tensions with Iran, it was his desire to withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal and ramp up sanctions on Iran  against the advice of his earlier national security advisers  that has brought Trump closer to the precipice of conflict with Iran.

Trump has directed aides in recent months to tighten the vises on Iran's economy, believing that he could pressure Iran's leaders to negotiate a better nuclear deal with him. But while that pressure strategy has done damage to Iran's economy, it has done more to back Iran into a corner and caused it to lash out  rather than draw it back to the negotiating table.

Now, Trump is taking more active steps to open diplomatic channels. On Thursday, Trump will meet with the president of the Swiss government in order to try to establish a channel with which he can speak to Iranians as tensions between the country and the U.S. heighten, according to a person familiar with ongoing discussions inside the White House.

Trump will meet with Ueli Maurer, the Swiss government president, at the White House to discuss the nations' relationship and "matters such as Switzerland's role in facilitating diplomatic relations and other international issues," the White House said in a statement.

The U.S. and Iran do not have an official diplomatic relationship, but Switzerland serves as the protecting power for the U.S. in the country. That means they represent U.S. interests in Iran, performing services for U.S. citizens in the country like visa processing. They also serve as a channel for diplomacy between the two nations though there are other mechanisms for the two nations to communicate.

Last week, after Trump publicly appealed to Iran to call him amid heightened tensions with Tehran, the White House contacted the Swiss to share a phone number the Iranians could call the President on, according to a diplomatic source familiar with the move.

The source said the Swiss likely won't hand over the number unless the Iranians specifically ask for it and it's thought they are highly unlikely to do so. White House officials say Trump's overtures are sincere.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, even though he is an Iran hawk, has also pressed to open up diplomatic channels with Iran. The top Trump administration hostage negotiator sent a letter to Iran earlier this year saying that the U.S. would enter into negotiations on prisoners if Iran released the ailing 82-year-old Baquer Namazi. The Iranians rejected the offer, saying they would not meet with any preconditions. Since then, the more muscular militaristic approach has been adopted.

The Iranians have thus far shown no public willingness to speak to Trump, and Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said this week that negotiations with the U.S. would be akin to "poison."

Trump has been advocating heavily for some type of diplomatic contact behind the scenes, even as his national security team scales up its rhetoric on Iran and weighs military options.

Latest developments

Last week, the Pentagon positioned an aircraft carrier strike group and B-52 bombers in the region, and the White House has updated war plans to include the deployment of more than 100,000 U.S. troops to the Middle East in the event that Iran strikes American forces in the region or speeds up its development of nuclear weapons.

On Wednesday, the U.S. announced it was ordering a partial evacuation of the U.S. embassy in Baghdad and the U.S. consulate in Erbil, Iraq, based on new threats in the region.

A number of U.S. allies have questioned the response to the new intelligence, however, and have not ordered similar evacuations of their diplomatic compounds. Even within the U.S. administration, officials describe an increasing level of concern in recent months among career staffers at the direction of the Trump administration's Iran policy.

Bolton and his coterie of Iran hawks at the NSC have been pushing for "action for action's sake," one administration official involved in the discussions said, without a clear strategy or set of goals. The concern is that there is simply a desire to scale up the pressure on Iran, escalating tensions with no clear off-ramp. Before re-entering government as Trump's national security adviser, Bolton openly advocated for regime change in Iran.

Now, there is serious wariness emerging over Bolton among Trump's circle of outside advisers, who enjoys open-door access to the President and spends hours with him each day.

"We need to be careful of his judgment," one of Trump's outside advisers said of the national security adviser.

Another adviser said Trump has "no interest in doing that at all" when it comes to getting into a military conflict with Iran.

Trump campaigned heavily in 2015 and 2016 against becoming involved in foreign wars, and lambasted President George W. Bush's decision to invade Iraq, later determined to be based on faulty intelligence about weapons of mass destruction. Bolton was serving as Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security at the time.

Bolton's penchant for ratcheting up tensions has at times caused anxiety in other areas of the administration, according to people familiar with the matter. The former Fox News pundit enjoys an open-door policy with the President and spends more time with him than any other member of the national security team, those sources said.

Trump was initially hesitant to put Bolton in his national security realm in an official capacity. Instead, the man with the distinguishable mustache was often seen walking past the cameras on the White House driveway and into the West Wing for routine foreign policy meetings with the President. When Trump finally did hire Bolton, Trump directed aides to tell people Bolton promised him he wouldn't start any wars. Trump regularly jokes to world leaders, ambassadors and military officers that Bolton wants to invade countries and start wars.

Those hawkish tendencies and easy access to Trump have sometimes left other members of Trump's foreign policy circle scrambling. Last year, Bolton's request for military options for Iran caused concern among some Pentagon officials, sources tell CNN.

The dynamic wasn't as pronounced when key administration posts were filled with officials viewed as steadying  according to the people familiar with the matter. But with those officials gone, Bolton has appeared to have a freer hand  leaving some officials at the State Department and the Pentagon mindful of taking steps that would keep him in check.

Pompeo and Bolton have a strained relationship, people familiar with it say, even though they are largely alined on policy. Both are hawkish, but Pompeo believes he is more deft and diplomatic in his approach, according to the sources. The secretary of state often rolls his eyes when he is asked about Bolton.

Trump, meanwhile, has long chafed at any suggestion his decisions or actions are being manipulated or orchestrated by someone other than himself. Asked last week about Bolton in light of recent turmoil in Venezuela,  all places where the U.S. has taken a strong stand without much progress  Trump said his national security adviser has "strong views" but that "I actually temper John."

This story was first published on CNN.com "Trump's irritation with top aides grows over Iran strategy"
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.
The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) says Nigerian carriers need to partner with other airlines both within and outside the country to sustain and enhance their operations.

Sam Adurogboye, General Manager, Public Relations, NCAA, gave the advice on Thursday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.

Mr Adurogboye noted that partnership was vital to the aviation business, adding that most of the big players in the industry had strategic alliances with other airlines.

He also demystified the claim that Nigerian airlines were paying one of the highest aviation charges in the world.

That is not true. Even in Benin Republic here, the charges that are there, we dont have half of it. The operators should be sincere because there is no place where they are not paying charges.

There is no airline anywhere in the world that is not facing challenges. It is the economic challenges that are forcing airlines all over the world to form alliances.

The British Airways, the Air France, Lufthansa, Delta, and other mega airlines all belong to one alliance or the other because they have discovered that the operating environment is tough.

So they form alliances and rely on each other. You dont have to fly to all the routes, but you hand over your passengers to your partners to carry them to their destinations, Mr Adurogboye said.

According to him, Nigerian airlines have not been able to key into these partnerships despite the encouragement being given to them by the NCAA.

It was the NCAA that paid N10 million to the International Air Transport Association (IATA) some years back to conduct a gap analysis for five Nigerian carriers so that they will begin to audit them in the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA).

The NCAA used its own resources to make that payment to encourage the airlines to have IOSA Certificates so that they can belong to the IATA Clearing House.

This will make the foreign airlines to have confidence in their safety and capacity, but there are some other things that they need to do.

He maintained that Nigerian airlines must work on their passenger customer care and route integrity.

No British Airways, No Air France nor Lufthansa is going to enter into an alliance with an airline that will leave their passengers stranded in Lagos or in Abuja.

The airlines must learn to adhere to their fixed schedules because these foreign operators are monitoring and will not want anything that will embarrass passengers holding their tickets.

Mr Adurogboye noted that some Nigerian airlines who ventured into international operations failed to adhere to the prerequisite business standards which led to their predicaments.

According to him, some accumulated huge debts to fuel vendors, airport operators and other service providers which cannot be blamed on lack of support from the NCAA and the Nigerian government.

Before embarking on international operations, the airline ought to carry out comprehensive feasibility studies to guide them, but unfortunately, some even start before realising that they are supposed to pay their workers international salary.

So, they cannot blame the NCAA or the government for their inability to sustain their operations, because they failed to adhere to the business principle, he stressed.

Mr Adurogboye said the duty of the NCAA was to ensure that aircraft used for operations by airlines were airworthy to ensure the safety of the Nigerian airspace, noting that the regulatory agency had been carrying out this duty diligently.

(NAN)
President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday departed the presidential wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, for Saudi Arabia.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the presidential aircraft conveying the president and members of his entourage took-off from the airport at about 11.00 a.m.

Those at the airport to bid the president farewell included his Chief of Staff, Abba Kyari; Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mohammed Bello; acting Inspector General of Police, Muhammed Adamu, and other government officials.

NAN reports that the presidents trip to the Holy Land followed the invitation by King Salman Bin Abdulaziz, the king of Saudi Arabia and Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques.

A statement earlier issued by the Presidents Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, in Abuja on Wednesday confirmed that President Buhari would perform the Umrah (lesser pilgrimage) while in the Kingdom.

President Buhari last performed the Umrah in Saudi Arabia in February 2016.

Umrah is an optional but recommended pilgrimage to Makkah that can be made at any time of the year.

(NAN)
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has postponed Kogi and Bayelsa State governorship elections.

The commission in a statement signed by Festus Okoye, Head of Voters Education, said the two states elections, scheduled to hold on November 2, have been moved to Saturday, November 16, 2019.

INEC said the shift became necessary having received: several appeals from the government, state assembly, elders, religious leaders, traditional rulers and other critical stakeholders in Bayelsa State, that the election date coincides with the states annual Thanksgiving day which is backed by the Bayelsa State Thanksgiving Day Law 2012.

After a careful consideration of the appeals, the Commission at its regular weekly meeting held today, Thursday, 16th May decided to shift the governorship elections in Kogi and Bayelsa states to Saturday, 16th November 2019

INEC said the timelines for all other activities leading to the election have also been adjusted to align with the new date.

Breaking News#INEC Shifts Kogi, Bayelsa Governorship Elections pic.twitter.com/TZHIBRkjnB  INEC Nigeria (@inecnigeria) May 16, 2019
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on Thursday raised alarm over the activities of a group it described as online fraudsters, who are currently running an online investment scheme tagged Loom Money Nigeria.

The Acting Director-General of the SEC, Mary Uduk, told journalists in Abuja that Loom Money Nigeria has since taken over social media by targeting young people to participate in an illegal Ponzi pyramid scheme.

Ms Uduk spoke through the Acting Executive Commissioner (Operations) of the SEC, Isyaku Tilde. She said the fraudsters use social media platforms like Facebook and WhatsApp to lure unsuspecting victims.

According to the SEC DG, the group lures young Nigerians into investing as low as N1,000 and N13,000, with a promise of getting as much as eight times return for value of investment within 48 hours.

Ms Uduk, who described Loom Money Nigeria as a Ponzi scheme and a looming danger to Nigerians, said the venture has no tangible business model, as returns are expected to be paid from other peoples invested funds.

We are aware of the activities of an online investment scheme tagged Loom Money Nigeria. The platform has embarked on an aggressive online media campaign on Facebook and WhatsApp to lure the investing public to participate by joining various Loom WhatsApp groups to invest as much as N1000 and N13,000 and get as much as eight times the value of the investment in 48 hours.

Unlike MMM that had a website and the promoter known, promoters of Loom Money Nigeria are not yet known.

This pyramid scheme operates through closed groups, mainly on Facebook and WhatsApp. If it were a local Ponzi scheme with known offices, it would be very easy for the Commission to seal their offices and freeze their accounts.

We, therefore, wish to notify the investing public that the operation of this investment scheme has no tangible business model, hence its a Ponzi scheme, where returns are paid from other peoples invested sums. Also, its operation is not registered by the Commission, she said.

Appeal

The official advised the general public to distance themselves from the scheme, warning that anyone who subscribes to this illegal scheme does so at his/her own risk.

She also assured that an inter-agency committee, Financial Services Regulation Coordinating Committee (FSRCC) is collaborating with security agencies to track the group and shut it down.

A Ponzi scheme is an investment fraud involving the promise of payment of attractive returns to existing investors from funds contributed by new investors.

The Loom Pyramid Scheme is not new to the world. Last month, Daily Mail UK reported that the scheme resurfaced online all over the world.

The scheme comes in the guise of different names such as Loom Circle, Fractal Mandala and Blessing loom.

In Nigeria, its central name is Loom Money Nigeria, with individuals creating their own WhatsApp groups such as Jack Loom, Catherine Loom, among others.

The collapse of MMM, another Ponzi scheme in Nigeria a few years ago led to a national outcry by some Nigerians who lost their investments.
Federal government agencies including the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST), and the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS) Plc have denied withholding stamp duty revenues to the tune of about N20 trillion.

At a House of Representatives hearing on Wednesday, the agencies  all involved in the collection of the duties  only provided details of the revenues gotten from 2016, which they said were collected when the charges on electronic transaction began.

Stamp duty is the tax placed on legal documents, usually in the transfer of assets or property.

While the CBN said the total stamp duty revenue since January 2016 stands at N35.2 billion, the NIBSS said it had recorded a total of N30 billion as the revenue since January 2017 when it was involved in the collection process.

Backstory

Leaks.ng, a collation of media houses, had reported that the agencies refused to disclose details of the stamp duty revenue whose status has been shrouded in secrecy over the years.

Following the report, the lower legislative chamber set up an ad hoc committee on the remittance of trillions of naira stamp duties to the federation account.

During the committees investigative hearing in Abuja, Abubakar Kure, CBN acting director of banking services, said the revenue which he tagged at N35, 240, 916, 338.54 has not been remitted to the federation account.

Mr Kure said the apex bank still has the stamp duty revenue in its custody pending the decision of the Supreme Court on the legality of the collection.

He, however, admitted that the apex bank could not confirm if there are outstanding funds from the stamp duties yet to be remitted by commercial banks.

What we are saying is, the matter is at the Supreme Court, and it will go either way. So if you share the money among the tiers of government and the court says return the money, what will now be done? he asked.

We have not remitted one single kobo to the federation account. The bank statement shows the account designated for the stamp duties was first credited on February 3, 2016.

What is being charged

Mr Kure said CBN had issued circulars to banks indicating the framework for the stamp duty collection.

It specified N50 per eligible transaction, and total deposit for such charge should be up to N1, 000, he said, adding that there are exceptions including payments between accounts of the same customer.

The CBN director also explained that while the fund is domiciled with the apex bank, NIPOST is the principal agency responsible for the management in terms of accounting for inflows.

NIBSS: No stamp duties on electronic charges before 2016

Oladele Agboola, NIBSS company secretary and legal adviser, said there were no stamp duties on electronic transactions before 2016.

He said: Before 2016, no bank collected stamp duty on electronic transaction from any of their customer. This is because there was no legal basis to do so. NIBSS commenced collation and remittance in January 2017. All previous ones were done directly to CBN.

He added that NIBSS role is to collate process and remit all duty charges collected by the banks every week and to also remit all monies collected to NIPOST stamp duties collection account in CBN.

He gave a breakdown of the N30, 040, 615, 632.71, which according to him has so far been collected, as N12.76 billion from January to December 2017; N12.32 billion from January to December 2018, and N4.94 from January to May 2019.

Mr Agboola could not provide records of all electronic bank transactions because apart from our platform, the banks have a direct platform to the CBN.

He also said that from January to February 2017, banks held money they collected from their customers and did not remit at the time.

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NIPOST: Some banks refusing to remit revenue

Meanwhile, Bisi Adegbuyi, NIPOST postmaster general and chief executive officer, said some banks have refused to remit the stamp duties.

There are issues of litigations; some banks refuse to pay because the court had ruled before that NIPOST does not have powers to collect the duties before the act was amended. We would find a solution to some of these, he said.

Usman Shabba, NIPOST director of finance, said the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) once investigated the stamp duty revenue.

If there are trillions, only EFCC can confirm regarding the claim of SBH, he said. We only have records of what has been remitted into that account in 2016. We dont have records of the trillions of naira before then.

Abubakar Ahmad, chairman of the committee, called for action against banks who have failed to remit the stamp duties.

So even with the money quoted by CBN, there are other monies elsewhere. The banks are always deducting, and some of them are not remitting. So the banks have been indicted.

SBH fails to substantiate claim of missing N20 trillion

The School of Banking Honours (SBH) which claimed to have been appointed as sole recovery agent of government for the stamp duties was, however, unable to confirm that the total stamp duty revenue said to be unaccounted for stands at about N20 trillion.

The SBH representative, who gave his name as Olu Bolu, however, insisted the stamp duties were being collected since the time of Sanusi Lamido Sanusi as CBN governor.

The committee adjourned to Friday for further hearing.
Two months after a social media strategist was outed as an alleged cocaine trafficker who absconded from trial in a federal court in Lagos, the security agencies are yet to act.

Olufunke Phillips, who worked as a digital manager for the Lagos State governor-elect, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, was arrested and charged in 2007 for alleged possession of 3.14 kilogrammes of cocaine.

She was among 26 others who were arraigned before various judges for illegal possession of banned narcotics between 2007 and 2009.

After they were granted bail during the trial, they all absconded and were declared wanted by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

Last March, a Nigerian journalist, Ruona Meyer, exposed Ms Phillips (real names: Philip Esther Olufunke) as one of the fugitives charged with cocaine possession.

Ms Meyer, who holds dual Nigerian-German citizenship, was accusing Ms Phillips of intellectual property theft after they parted ways as business partners.

In the run-up to the governorship election in Lagos State, Ms Phillips, who has maintained an active social media presence for years, campaigned vigorously for Mr Sanwo-Olu. At the time, her social media handles described her as Digital Strategist/Social & Political Commentator|Social/Digital Manager, Babajide Sanwo-Olu Campaign.

But after she was exposed as a fugitive, she removed all traces of a connection with the governor-elect. And, afterwards, disappeared from social media.

She re-surfaced weeks later and continued her usual activities.

Bala Elkana, the Lagos State police spokesperson, did not respond to phone calls or text message enquiries since Tuesday.

But Jonah Achema, the NDLEA spokesperson, asked for a written request for information, addressed to the chairman, on why the agency had failed to act on Ms Phillips.

Olufunke Phillips, the digital manager of Lagos State Governor-elect, Babajide Sanwo-Olu

While responding to a Freedom of Information request by PREMIUM TIMES in April, the NDLEA admitted that Ms Phillips was among the suspects who were granted bail and subsequently absconded from their criminal trial.

The NDLEA added that although it had successfully re-arrested, prosecuted and convicted some of the fugitives, Ms Phillips was not among those that have been tracked as at this date.

The agency declined to provide further information, stating that the FOI Act exempts the disclosure of information or records required for law enforcement and investigation activities.
The Senate has passed the Public Holiday (Amendment) Act 2019.

The bill seeks to declare June 12 as Democracy Day in Nigeria. It also seeks to bring the Act in tandem with the current realities and exigencies of modern times.

The House of Representatives had in December 2018 passed and transmitted the bill to the Senate for concurrence.

Both chambers approved the amendments to three clauses in the Act and the clause carrying May 29 as Democracy Day was amended to June 12.

President Muhammadu Buhari had, in June 2018, directed that the nations Democracy Day would, henceforth, hold on June 12 of every year as against the current arrangement where the ceremony holds on May 29.

He also posthumously awarded the winner of the annulled June 12, 1993, presidential election, Moshood Abiola, with the highest national honour of the Grand Commander of the Federal Republic (GCFR). The honour is exclusively conferred on presidents and former presidents.

The president further honoured Mr Abiolas running mate in the election, Babagana Kingibe, with the second highest honour of the Grand Commander of the Niger (GCON).

One of the lawmakers who sponsored the bill at the House of Representatives, Edward Pwajok, said the pronouncement of June 12 as a public holiday would become effective as soon as the Public Holidays Act has been amended.

He also said May 29 would be celebrated every fourth year when there is an inauguration of a new president.
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo is currently presiding over an extraordinary meeting of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The meeting is holding hours after President Muhammadu Buhari departed Nigeria for Saudi Arabia to perform lesser Hajj.

Todays meeting is coming a day after the federal cabinet met. The meeting was chaired by Mr Buhari.

Todays meeting began at about 4 p.m.
Nigerian state governors have pledged to implement financial autonomy for state legislature and judiciary to ensure transparency and openness in governance.

They made the pledge through the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) at the opening session of a two-day conference on the implementation of the initiative held on Thursday at Transcorp Hotel, Abuja.

President Muhammadu Buhari last year assented to the constitutional amendments granting autonomy to the two arms of government at the sub-national levels.

The Chairman of the NGF, Abdulaziz Yari, who is the governor of Zamfara, said the governors will work with the federal government to implement the law.

Mr Yari was represented at the event by Bauchi State Governor, Mohammed Abubakar. He said the autonomy of the legislature and the judiciary is critical to sustainable development.

I totally aligned with the motion that the legislature and judiciary autonomy is a necessary precondition for an enduring democracy. This enhances efficiency, transparency and accountability in government.

May I also assure you that the state governors are collectively committed to the enthronement of a strong and virile democracy in Nigeria and would work with the federal government to achieve the National implementation strategy and ultimately ensure full autonomy of the legislature and judiciary at sub-national levels.

The governor said the NGF fully supports President Muhammadu Buharis reform agenda and shares his passion for transparency and zero tolerance for corruption.

Speaking at the event, the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, said local governments need to be strengthened and urged state assemblies to act fast.

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters (Senate), Ita Enang said the report and recommendations of the retreat will be submitted to the president.

He said the states will immediately begin to implement the resolutions of the retreat.

We are impressed by the attendance. Out of 36 states, 34 of the chief judges of the federation are here, and 31 speakers are also here in person while the rest of them are presented at this conference.

Speaking on what the implementation portends for governance at the state level, Mr Enang said the judiciary will be able to deliver justice without fear or favour.

Mr Enang, who is also the secretary of the panel, said the legislature will be able to legislate without fear of the government withholding their allocation.

Money due to the judiciary will go to the account of the judiciary directly and money due to the legislature will go to the account of the legislature directly.

Finally, it is intended to ensure that money for the judiciary is not spent on the judiciary or on the judiciary but it is spent by the judiciary for the judiciary and on the judiciary and the same goes for the legislature, he said.

State governors speak

Benue State governor, Samuel Ortom, said the autonomy of the legislature and judiciary will strengthen democracy.

He said Nigerians must learn to respect their constitution.

Once laws are in place, we have no choice but to comply because that is the only thing that will lead us to a greater height. If we refuse to obey our laws, then we are calling for chaos and anarchy and when anarchy comes nobody will be safe. So I welcome this retreat because at the end of the day, all of us will take something home.

Bauchi State Governor, Mr Abubakar, described the amendment of the constitution to confer autonomy on the states legislature and the judiciary as a milestone.

He said the state judiciary had good experience under his administration because I happen to come from the same constituency..

Growing up in the service of Bauchi State, I was at one-time legal draftsman of the Bauchi State House of Assembly during the Second Republic. So, I have had experience in all the three arms of government, he said.

Experts speak

In his remarks, the executive director, Policy and Legal Advocacy Center (PLAC), Clement Nwankwo, said it is dangerous a situation to cripple the legislature and make it unable to function.

A situation where the legislature, which actually makes the distinction between democracy and dictatorship, is crippled and made unable to function worsens the reality that democracy represents.

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Unfortunately only a few clauses of what the National Assembly passed were assented to by Mr President, but this is very critical in terms of strengthening our democracy, that our legislature is able to function as an independent arm of government, able to moderate the excesses of the executive, particularly at the state level where the development and the transparency of government are very limited.

He said Nigerians had been worried about the effectiveness of the judiciary and its ability to be independent.

A democracy without an independent judiciary that is able to obliterate the conflict in government and the injustices that people suffer is a danger and a lot of concern for those of us working in the human rights sphere,he said.

He urged governors to work with this committee to ensure that fruits and benefits of these amendments by the National Assembly come to happen.

Background

Premium Times had reported how President Buhari signed a bill which allows state judiciary to directly access funds to their credit, and no longer through the state governors last year.

Mr Buhari also constituted the Presidential Implementation Committee on Autonomy of State Legislature and State Judiciary in accordance with the 4th Alteration to the 1999 Constitution on December 9, 2018.

Three months after, Mr Buhari on March 22 inaugurated a presidential implementation committee.

The 16-member panel is chaired by the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, while the presidential adviser on National Assembly (Senate), Mr Enang, is the secretary.

Mr Buhari gave the panel three months to complete the assignment.
The Police on Thursday said they had arrested 93 suspected kidnappers in different parts of North Central, North East and North West Zones of the country.

Force spokesperson and Deputy Commissioner of Police, Frank MBA, said in a statement in Abuja that the suspects were arrested by operatives attached to the Operation Puff Adder.

According to Mr Mba, one rocket launcher, 35 AK47 rifles,10 locally-made AK47 rifles and 500 live ammunition, eight locally-made revolver pistols, 10 pairs of military camouflage uniform, two operational vehicles and other incriminating items were recovered from the suspects.

He said the operations leading to the arrest of the suspects was carried out by joint team of police operatives attached to Operation Puff Adder, North-Central sector.

The team consists of detectives from the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), Force Intelligence Unit, Intelligence Response Team (IRT) and the Special Tactical Squad (STS).

Other operatives in the Joint Mission include personnel from the Police Mobile Force (PMF) the Counter Terrorism Unit (CTU), Special Protection Unit (SPU) and the Special Forces.,  he said.

He said police investigators had commenced comprehensive investigation of all the suspects.

The spokesperson said the investigations among other things, were aimed at tracking, uncovering and disrupting the sources of arms supply to the criminal groups.

He said it was also to identify their collaborators and bring all involved in these heinous crimes to justice.

Mr Mba said the achievements recorded by the police within the last few days were in line with the objectives and core mandates of Operation Puff Adder.

The achievements are also indicative of the fact that the security agents are now winning the war against the criminal elements,he said.

He said the acting Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mohammed Adamu, had reiterated the commitment of the police to restoring sanity on the countrys highways and cities.

The IGP, while commending operatives for their sacrifice and resilience, also expressed gratitude to the general public for providing credible intelligence that had helped the police in achieving the successes recorded so far.

(NAN)
The Ekiti State government has nullified the employment of over 2,000 workers employed a few weeks to the end of the administration of Ayodele Fayose as governor.

Mr Fayose had engaged about 2,000 workers in the states civil service after the July 14, 2018 governorship election won by Kayode Fayemi.

The Commissioner for Information, Muyiwa Olumilua, who spoke in Ado Ekiti on Thursday after the weekly State executive meeting, said the All Progressives Congress, while in opposition, had warned against illegal recruitment and had urged job seekers to shun the last minute moves made by Mr Fayose to employ people into the states civil service.

He said the decision to review the employment was arrived at after perusing the reports of a panel set up to review the employments into the state civil service in the last four years.

Governor Fayemi has directed the Head of Service to collate all available vacancies in the Civil Service, with the overhead implications, to enable the State Government prepare to recruit suitable and qualified Ekiti Citizens into the Public Service, irrespective of the party affiliations, Mr Olumilua said.

The officers reinstated into the Local Government Service Commission between October 16th 2014 and October 15th 2018, are to be reabsorbed by the relevant Personnel Boards, and migrated to biometric payroll with immediate effect.

All 272 officers employed by the Governor Fayose Administration, who are still on manual payroll, shall be considered for absorption into the Civil Service but on case-by-case basis. Absorption will be conditional on availability of vacancies.

The 169 officers recruited in 2014 but had their appointments terminated by the Governor Fayose Administration, shall be considered for reabsorption by the Ekiti State House of Assembly Service Commission, but on a case-by-case basis. Reabsorption will be conditional on availability of vacancies in their previous offices of appointment.

Officers dismissed between October 16th, 2014 and October 15th 2018 in the following Ministries should go to the Office of Establishment to ascertain their current status.

All appointments made after the Gubernatorial Election of July 2018, an exercise found to have violated due process, are hereby cancelled and declared null and void.

All affected persons are advised to participate in the next recruitment exercise to be announced in due course.

Mr Fayose has reacted to the development, describing the action as the height of wickedness and political vendetta promoted to the peak.

In a statement on Thursday, signed by his spokesman, Lere Olayinka, Mr Fayose said his successor in office had succeeded in writing his name in the history books of Ekiti as one who inflicted pains and sorrow on the people.

Fayemi has only demonstrated the wickedness in his heart by sacking Ekiti sons and daughters who were duly employed by the state government, he said.

It will be on record that the PDP government of Ayodele Fayose gave jobs to over 2,000 unemployed youths in Ekiti while the APC government of Kayode Fayemi sacked them.

The chairman of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Sola Adigun, has however, appealed to the state government not to use the error and mistake of the past government to mete out punishment to innocent workers.

This is not a right, but a plea to the government to allow them to remain in the system. We are going to see Governor Fayemi and Head of Service, Ayodeji Ajayi to please stop this recurrent issue of government sacking those employed by their predecessors, the union leader said.

The State Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, has also condemned the action of the government, saying that the sack of the workers wws not only an anti-people policy, but an irresponsible politics of an rudderless government.
The Akwa Ibom government has suspended the Chairman of the Local Government Service Commission in the state, Valentine Attah.

Mr Attahs suspension, announced Wednesday through a press statement from the Secretary to the Akwa Ibom State Government (SSG), Emmanuel Ekuwem, came few hours after the state governor, Udom Emmanuel, sacked the commissioner for agriculture and food sufficiency, Uduak Udo-Inyang.

The SSG, Mr Ekuwem, said the governor suspended Mr Attah for unauthorised recruitment of persons into the state civil service.

Mr Attah would remain suspended, pending an audit into the recruitment exercise, the SSG said.

To this end, the appointments of those who benefited from the said recruitment are hereby declared null and void, the SSG added.

Mr Attah, hitherto seen as a respectable technocrat within the public service in Akwa Ibom, has served before as the chairman of the hospital management board in the state.

Considered to be a political leader in Uyo Local Government Area, Mr Attah was among those who worked for the re-election of Governor Emmanuel in the just concluded general election.

Ahead of the inauguration of Mr Emmanuels second term administration on May 29, there are fears within political circles in the state that cabinet appointments and other appointments may be a departure from the tradition where political connection is considered a big advantage.

I can tell you this, the governor is going to clean up a lot of mess in this state and put the state back on the path of rebirth. Its not going to be business as usual; appointments will be given strictly on merit, a senior government official told PREMIUM TIMES, a few days before the suspension of Mr Attah and the sacking of the commissioner.
The police in Edo State on Thursday said they had arrested four suspected members of Boko Haram who escaped into the state after perpetrating heinous crimes in neighbouring Kogi.

The Commissioner of Police in the state, Mohammed DanMallam, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Benin.

Mr DanMallam said the suspects were nabbed on a tip-off in their hide-out in Afuze, Edo North Senatorial District.

He said on interrogation, one of the suspects confessed to having killed 40 of his victims, while another confessed to having escaped from Koton Karfi Prison in 2014, and also participated in an armed robbery in Ekiti in 2013.

He, however, said that the suspects would be handed over to the Police in Kogi for further interrogation as their crimes were perpetrated in that state.

Mr DanMallam also told NAN that since the inauguration of Operation Puff Adder in the state on May 2, the command had recorded some achievements in the fight against crime and criminality.

He said 34 suspects had been arrested in connection with armed robbery, and four others apprehended in connection with kidnapping.

He added that 32 suspected cultists had been arrested since the operation began and that 10 different arms and 215 ammunitions were recovered.

The police chief disclosed that nine victims were rescued from suspected kidnappers, while 11 vehicles were also recovered.

He said the fight against crime was continuous and that the command was committed to reducing the cases in the state to the barest minimum.

Mr DanMallam said that it was untrue that any life was lost in the clash by cult groups in Benin on Monday.

According to him, nobody died during the cult clash around Murtala Mohammed Way, but there was an attempt by some cultists to cause trouble, but we got credible information and the police team repelled them.

We arrested two of them who are still with us and under investigation because they are from rival groups.

(NAN)
The Edo State governor, Godwin Obaseki, has hit hard on some politicians in the state who he said were trying to blackmail him because of his refusal to share public fund to them.

Mr Obaseki will be seeking re-election next year under his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Edo money is meant for the development of the state, and not for a handful of greedy individuals, a statement from the Government House, Benin City, quoted Mr Obaseki as saying on Wednesday at a training programme in Bennin City for teachers in the state.

We do not have all the money in Edo but whatever we have  no matter how little  we will prioritise education and healthcare.

What is important to us are things that affect ordinary Edo people. Those are the things the APC and I stand for, Mr Obaseki.

Mr Obaseki promised to set up laboratories and other facilities in the College of Education, Abudu, for the training of primary school teachers.

The college in Igueben will train secondary school and technical education teachers, while the one in Afuze will train teachers for physical education and children with special needs, the governor told the teachers.

He added that the digital teaching and learning process deployed in public primary schools would be replicated in private primary schools across the state to ensure that no child is left behind.

Mr Obaseki asked the people of the state to ignore politicians who take to social media to attack him and his administration.

I want to assure you that my party is solidly behind me. I am not standing on my own. So, ignore and forget what you are reading in a section of the media.

Those are people who want me to give them the money I should be using to train our teachers, provide for our children and develop the state. I will never give our peoples money them, the governor said.

The teachers were trained for 27 days on digital teaching and learning process.

They were presented with certificates, smartphones, and tablets to improve learning outcomes in primary schools.

Governor Obaseki commended the teachers for participating in the training.

He said the digital teaching and learning process deployed in public primary schools would be replicated in private primary schools across the state to ensure that no child is left behind.
Five oil workers were on Tuesday kidnapped by gunmen within the Oil Mining Lease (OML) -55 operated by an indigenous oil company, Belemaoil Producing Limited in Akuku-Toru Local Government Area of Rivers.

Confirming the development, the Rivers State Police Command said all hands were on deck to ensure the unconditional release of the workers.

The Police Public Relations Officer, Nnamdi Omoni, a deputy superintendent of police, said gunboats had been deployed to trail the abductors, while assuring that the victims would be released unhurt.

Yes, I can confirm that five seismic workers were kidnapped two days ago. We have intensified efforts to ensure their release and gunboats have been deployed.

We are working with other sister agencies, especially the Nigerian Navy and Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, to ensure they are released within record time, the police said.

The oil workers are personnel of Integrated Data Services Limited, IDSL and BGP, a subsidiary of China National Petroleum Corporation.

The workers were on the site of an ongoing seismic operations by Belemaoil when they abducted.

(NAN)
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has decried the recent arrest of sex workers and closure of brothels in Umuahia, the Abia capital, on the orders of the state government.

Uche Nwokocha, the Coordinator of NHRC in Abia, described the action as the criminalisation of poverty by the government and its agencies.

Ms Nwokocha said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Umuahia on Wednesday.

NAN reports that the state government had ordered the immediate shutdown of some brothels in the state capital, alleging that they had become hideouts for criminals.

It also directed security agencies to rid the brothels of suspected hoodlums, a situation which led to the arrest of the sex workers by the police.

However, the NHRC boss described the action as an abuse of the right of the sex workers, adding that the arrested ladies were being punished because they were poor.

She said: There are other women elsewhere doing similar things and they are not being arrested.

If you are looking for criminals go to their families. These are just poor women they are preying on.

The only difference is that these people are poor and they dont have the opportunity others have.

And because of that, they are being punished. How many of them are being prosecuted, it is wrong, she said.

Ms Nwokocha, who is a legal practitioner, however, advised the state government to find out why there was a large number of women going into prostitution rather than clamping down on them.

If the government of Abia has discovered that there is still a high influx of prostitutes into the state, I think the government should ask why.

If some of them are into prostitution because of the situation they found themselves in, the government can assist them by giving them some packages that can help them settle down.

But if there are still some, who still want to do prostitution, they should be allowed to do whatever they want, Ms Nwokocha said.

(NAN)
The Deputy Speaker, Imo House of Assembly, Ugonna Ozurigbo, representing Nwangele Constituency on the platform of the Action Alliance (AA), on Thursday, resigned his position in the house.

This came on the heels of the purported impeachment served on the Speaker, Iheanacho Ihim (AA-Okigwe) on Wednesday.

In a letter dated May 15 and addressed to the speaker, Mr Ozurigbo said that his resignation was to enable him to function well as a member-elect of the House of Representatives.

He stated: As you already know, I have been sent to another four years mission by my federal constituency, nay Imo, at the House of Representatives, Abuja.

This new task has come with its own challenges and expectations. I need to play key roles in the formation of the National Assembly leadership.

This is the time to strategically position and pursue the greater interests of Imo, South East and Nigeria at the federal legislature.

Currently, all these will make my availability in Imo irregular.

Hence, I seek your understanding as I either save the office of Imo State Deputy Speaker by resigning or allow my new engagements to suffer the office by holding same tenaciously.

Mr Ozurigbo added that his action became necessary to ensure the efficiency in the assembly and for the good of Imo people.

I hereby resign as the Rt. Hon. Deputy Speaker of Imo State House of Assembly (8th House) effective from the date written above, his stated.

Meanwhile, the speaker, in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Marcel Ekwezuo, has denied that a notice of impeachment was served on him.

Mr Ihim said what transpired outside the chambers of the house after it had adjourned was the usual tingling of love common between peaceful, happy and united brothers and sisters.

According to him, the said impeachment notice was especially so, because business of the house of assembly is strictly conducted inside the main chambers of the assembly. (NAN)
Lagos State is planning to fully roll out its state-run health insurance scheme in June.

Ahead of the launch, the government of the state said it adopted a technology based application to capture and ensure ease of access to the scheme by residents.

Jide Idris, the states commissioner for health, said technology will be vital to the success of the scheme.

He said this on Tuesday at a meeting with some Senior Executive Course participants of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, (NIPSS) in Lagos.

The NIPPS delegation is in the state for a study tour of its health sector. The visit is coordinated by NIPSS in collaboration with the Development Research and Project Centre (DRPC) through PACFAH@Scale.

Mr Idris, a former permanent secretary of the state, said the scheme was made mandatory for all residents and the government is currently creating awareness and capturing people into the scheme.

With this technology, many people will be easily captured and they can easily access the scheme through the mobile application, he noted.

He said the technology will also help in collection of data of those enrolled.

According to the official, about 120,000 residents have been enrolled into the scheme.

All other funding schemes in the state will collapse into the state health insurance once its launched, he noted.

Carepay

THISDAY newspaper reported last December that the commissioner had in a statement, said the technology, CarePay ICT platform was a mobile solution for the scheme administration.

It serves as a digital health exchange that would connect the three important stakeholders in healthcare scheme: payers, healthcare providers and the beneficiaries.

According to Mr Idris, the CarePay platform will guarantee ownership of all data generated and ensure that these data can be used to make informed decisions.

He said the technology will demonstrate how digital mobile solutions can be utilised to improve decision-making and transparency, reduce transaction costs, and increase access especially for poor households.

Poor Awareness?

The Lagos State health insurance is an initiative targeted to reduce out-of-pocket spending for health by residents, especially the indigent.

According to Anthonia Ogbera, the provost, Lagos State College of Medicine (LASCOM), the scheme covers treatment of common adult and childhood ailments, maternal and child services, preventive healthcare services, selected non-communicable diseases and surgeries.

Despite the promising features of the technology reeled out by the health commissioner, Mrs Ogbera said there was still poor knowledge of the scheme among residents of the state.

Mrs Ogbera, who also spoke to the NIPSS delegation on Tuesday, said raising more awareness is the only way to make many people buy into the scheme.

Role of HMOs in creating awareness

Just like Lagos, many other states have begun implementation of their State Health Insurance Scheme (SHIS).

Many states are proposing to disengage Health Management Organisations (HMOs) in establishing the scheme.

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Anthonia Ogbera, the provost, Lagos State College of Medicine (LASCOM) addressing NIPSS delegation. Jide Idris, Lagos state commissioner for health addressing the NIPSS delegation during a meeting on Tuesday.

The Lagos State Government, however, said it would retain HMOs.

Adetokumbo Fabamwo, the Chief Medical Director, Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, in his presentation to the NIPSS delegation on Monday, said about 10 HMOs will be engaged.

He explained the role HMOs will play in creating awareness and capturing residents into the scheme.

Registration is state-wide and that is why we decided to allocate HMOs to certain areas for ease of capture. If an HMO is said to cover Mushin for example, they will go out there and capture all the citizens of the area into the scheme because the higher the enrollees, the higher their capitation fee.

If you tell people in Mushin to look for any HMO and join, enrolment will be slow. For the formal sector, we gave them a choice of HMOs to choose but for informal sector you allocate HMOs to them so as to achieve 100 per cent coverage.

Many have linked poor coverage and service delivery of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) to the operations of the HMOs.

HMOs serve as the link between the scheme and the service providers.

The scheme disburses cash to HMOs, every three months, who in turn pay service providers monthly for health services of participants.

However, HMOs have allegedly not kept to that arrangement as service providers are unable to deliver adequate care.

Since inception, HMOs have received over N350 billion from the health insurance scheme.

The proposed bill to repeal the NHIS Act has passed third reading in the Senate and awaits presidential assent.

While the bill, which comprises of nine parts and 80 sections, makes health insurance mandatory for all Nigeria, it also makes the engagement of HMOs optional.

Meanwhile, PREMIUM TIMES reported how health experts agreed that health insurance should be made compulsory for Nigeria to achieve Universal Health Coverage (UHC) during the first phase of the NIPSS study tour in Abuja.
An 82-year-old man, Godwin Akinola, on Thursday prayed an Agege Customary Court to dissolve his 30-year-old marriage to his wife, Anthonia, over alleged violence and threat to life.

The petitioner, who resides on Oluwatope Street, Oke-ira, Ogba, Lagos, also prayed for divorce, on grounds of long separation, assault, and irreconcilable differences.

My wife is a violent person. She has exhibited this on me, he added.

He, however, urged the court to give him a long adjourned date in order to give his family and wifes family an opportunity to resolve the issues.

Since I have already brought the matter this court, I pray for a long adjourned to enable us explore a peaceful resolution.

Her family have begged me to think about resolution instead dissolution considering our ages ., he said

We have a 35-year-old man as son. I want the court to stop my wife from beating me pending the time the matter is settled. he pleaded.

The president of the Court, Patricia Adeyanju, advised the couple to be law abiding and maintain the peace.

At the instance of the petitioner for a long adjourned date, l hereby adjourn the case until Aug. 22 for further hearing, she said. (NAN)
The University of Lagos (UNILAG), Akoka, has won 840,000 euros (about N338million) as an infrastructural grant for its Institute of African and Diaspora Studies.

Under a project sponsored by the University of Bayreuth, Germany, UNILAG was on Thursday announced as one of the four African universities to host an African Cluster Centre of Excellence.

Following the announcement, the universitys beneficiary institute is expected to carry out research activities on the thematic areas of mobility, otherwise regarded as migration, and core issues of traditional knowledge.

The project, which will run for seven years, will allow the universitys institute to draw 120,000 euros (about N48million) annually for the next seven years. The fund, according to the university, is only meant for the procurement of required facilities such as video-conferencing laboratory, human resources, among others.

This is coming less than 72 hours after the conflict between the Oluwatoyin Ogundipe-led university management and its governing council chairman, Wale Babalakin, was amicably resolved at a two-day meeting.

The council chairman and the vice-chancellor had, among other issues, disagreed over allegations of financial misappropriation and abuse of rule of law and procedures.

The announcement by the German university was contained in a letter dated May 16 and addressed to the universitys Director of Research and Innovation, Wellington Oyibo.

The letter, which was exclusively obtained by PREMIUM TIMES, was signed by the dean of the German universitys Africa multiple centre of excellence, Rudiger Seesemann, and the deputy dean in charge of internationalisation and public engagement, Ute Fendler.

The letter also commended UNILAG for standing out among more than 40 universities that applied for the opportunity.

The letter read in part; We are delighted to inform you that the clusters Academic Committee, based on the recommendations of the external selection committee, enthusiastically voted to select your institution as one of the four African Cluster Centres (ACCs).

The other institutions that will join the cluster as ACCs are Universite Ouaga I Joseph Ki-Zerbo, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso; Moi University, Eldoret, Kenya, and Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa. We would like to convey our congratulations on this achievement and express our readiness to embark on our joint endeavour of reconfiguring African Studies, building networks, and working together on shared research questions.

According to our universitys statutes, we will now have to draft an official cooperation agreement that spells out the terms and conditions of our collaboration, including the management of funds. Here, we will involve the International Office at the University of Bayreuth. Please indicate to us the responsible parties at your institution so that we can start this process as soon as possible.

Mr Oyibo said the university was excited by the news, describing it as a confirmation of the institutions drive for excellence.

He said the beneficiary institute, which has the dean of the faculty of art, Muyiwa Falaiye, a professor of Philosophy, as its director, will work alongside colleagues such as Taiwo Akinyele, a professor of History, on the project.

As a background to this success, UNILAG management considered research grants as a strategy to attract funding to support government efforts. And as the director of research and innovation office at the university, the university management led by Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, has given us the mandate to pursue this agenda.

It was in fulfilment of this mandate that through our institute, we responded to the call from the German university to competitively establish African Cluster Centre of Excellence that will look at several dimensions on issues around African studies. The Bayreuth University, which is funded by European Union, provided this multimillion-euro-grants for Africas benefit.

He said the major funding for researches in the field will be won through fresh proposals to be submitted by the institute on the thematic areas already chosen.

He added that the purpose was to establish a knowledge centre that will connect Bayreuth University with African cluster centres.

There were more than 40 institutions across Africa that expressed interest, and UNILAG was one of the 10 shortlisted. The shortlisting meant that a full proposal would have to be developed. Then, there was an on-site visit by an external team which visited us on February 11 for a real-time assessment of our human, structural and infrastructural capacities.

The main goal of establishing this knowledge centre that will be based in Germany working with the four clusters is to work on different areas. What we have chosen to do in UNILAG is to work on the areas of mobility- migration and core issues of our traditional knowledge.

The universitys vice-chancellor told PREMIUM TIMES he thanked God that UNILAG was found worthy of the opportunity. He said it is just one of the many research grants won by the university within the 16 months of his administration.
Radiology practice in Cologne affected : Dangerous bacteria alarm experts

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Cologne The bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa was discovered in the body of a dead pensioner. Further patients of a Cologne practice could also carry the same bacterium. According to doctors, it could be one of the most serious incidents with the pathogen.

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Hygiene and infection experts consider the assumed spread of a dangerous bacterium in a radiology practice in Cologne to be dramatic. Should it be confirmed that at least 28 patients in the practice have been infected with Pseudomonas aeruginosa, it would "to my knowledge be one of the most serious incidents with this pathogen in an outpatient facility in Germany, if not even in Europe," said infectiologist Peter Walger. He is spokesperson for the board of the German Society for Hospital Hygiene.

The Cologne public prosecutor's office is currently investigating whether the death of an 84-year-old and the illnesses of other patients in the practice are due to an infection with the bacterium.

Infections with the germ in practices or clinics are common in Europe, said microbiologist Alexander Friedrich of the University of Groningen in the Netherlands. "In most cases a single patient is affected, in most published cases less than ten patients," he said. Only rarely are there more.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa can cause pneumonia as well as urinary tract and wound infections. For infection, the pathogen usually requires an entry site into the human body  such as a wound or a catheter. The "Kolner Stadt-Anzeiger" reports that the patients affected in the current case are said to have received injections in their backs.

There is much to be said for the fact that "a hygiene problem has occurred in the practice concerned within the framework of the medical measures applied", said the President of the German Society for Infectiology, Gerd Fatkenheuer.

It does not matter that the pathogen occurred in an outpatient facility and not in a clinic, "because the same hygienic requirements apply to medical interventions both here and there," added Fatkenheuer, who works at the University Hospital of Cologne.

Senior public prosecutor Ulrich Bremer said that the pensioner had been treated in the practice at the beginning of the year because of back problems. After he received an injection, complications occurred repeatedly. After an operation, he died mid-April of multi-organ failure. According to the public prosecutor's office, the germ was found during the autopsy.

The health department was immediately involved after the case became known, said Gerhard Wiesmuller, head of the department of infection and environmental hygiene of the office. It quickly became apparent that several patients in the practice also carried the pathogen. On Tuesday, the medical director of the radiology practice concerned referred to the ongoing investigations and would not comment on the case.
Wale Azeez, a personal assistant to a former member of the House of Representatives, Temitope Olatoye, is dead.

Mr Olatoye, popularly called Sugar, represented Akinyele/Lagelu Federal Constituency of Oyo State until he was shot dead in Lalupon area of Ibadan on March 9 during the governorship election.

His remains were buried in Ibadan on May 3.

Our correspondent, however, gathered that his aide since 2011, Mr Azeez, was hit by a bullion van a week after Mr Olatoyes burial.

The driver of the bullion van was allegedly driving against traffic on a one way road in Iwo Road area of Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, Wednesday last week when his vehicle knocked Mr Azeez down.

The victim was said to have been rushed to the University College Hospital, UCH, Ibadan.

The driver was later detained at the Testing Ground Police Station, Iwo Road, Ibadan.

Mr Azeez, however, died on Monday, six days after the accident.

The 47-year old started working for Mr Olatoye as a legislative aide in 2011 when the slain politician was elected to represent Lagelu State Constituency in the Oyo State House of Assembly.

Police spokesperson in the state, Olugbenga Fadeyi, said he was not aware of the incident.

I am not aware. I will find out. I am very busy now, he said when asked to speak on the incident.
This trip was one of the best experiences thus far in my six-year career, said Tinsley. I wasnt sure if wed be ready this school year for a big competition and the students absolutely lived up to the challenge and exceeded my expectations. They take every challenge I throw at them and shine under pressure all while maintaining good grades and having a whole lot of fun.

I take pride in being able to do these trips and give students the opportunity that may not come again for a lot of them. Winning was just the icing on the cake, being able to take the students across the country and grow as a program and family is what made them winners to me.

I cant wait for what the future holds with these students and the program, he said

The Choraliers have had a busy calendar year. Since April 2018, The Choraliers have won gold in Williamsburg, Virginia, numerous superior rankings in Music in the Parks, performed with Barry Manilow and Foreigner, staged three concerts, sang in numerous festivals and struck gold in California.
NORTHFIELD  Making great music takes time and dedication, and 31 seventh- and eighth-grade students were recognized for their hard work by being inducted into the Northfield Community School Tri M Music Honor Society. It was the seventh annual induction ceremony and the largest in school history.

To be considered for Tri M, students have to demonstrate a level of mastery of their instrument and must also have tried out for the All South Jersey Band. That effort alone requires the young musicians to put in many hours outside of their normal class and practice sessions.

During the induction ceremony, parents and grandparents filled the cafeteria. Superintendent Pete Bretones and Principal Kevin Morrison congratulated the students, and the superintendent remarked that the arts are alive and well in Northfield.

Music teachers MaryBeth McGrath and Brian Cook described the history of Tri M and the criteria for induction. Nationwide since 1955, Tri M Music Honor Society has been the organization that young musicians aspire to. Mainland Regional High School has a chapter of the Tri M Music Honor Society and these newly inducted Northfield Community School musicians are already hitting the right notes.

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MAYS LANDING  Seven years after the murder of local veterans advocate April Kauffman, the last defendant charged in a case connected to her murder and a related opioid drug ring was sentenced Thursday morning.

John Egyptian Kachbalian, 56, a retired Pagans motorcycle gang leader, was sentenced to four years probation, followed by 364 days of jail time, with 44 days of credit for time already served.

It was the last court hearing currently on the books tied to the murder of Kauffman, who was fatally shot in her Linwood home in 2012.

Prosecutors successfully argued during a September trial that Aprils husband, James Kauffman, plotted to kill her after she threatened to expose an opioid ring he ran with Ferdinand Freddy Augello, a retired member of the Pagans, out of James Kauffmans medical practice. James Kauffman, 68, was found hanged in his Hudson County jail cell weeks after being charged.

Kachbalian, of Egg Harbor Township, pleaded guilty last month to witness tampering in the case after being charged with invasion of privacy and cyberharassment. Posts on his Facebook account have called co-defendants in the Kauffman case who took a plea agreement rats.
ATLANTIC CITY  The resorts new community policing initiative is scheduled to begin Tuesday morning, starting with a news conference at City Hall.

The Neighborhood Coordinating Officers Program, which will place two officers in each of the wards and four in the Tourism District, aims to improve police and community relations in the city, something the department, city and state officials want.

The officers will engage with the community to help with quality-of-life issues and with navigating city government, police Chief Henry White has said.

The news conference is slated for 11 a.m. in City Council chambers, according to a news release from the city, the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority and the state Department of Community Affairs, which has fiscal oversight of the city.

The need for better community and police relations is one of the points stressed in special counsel Jim Johnsons 2018 report, which outlines recommendations for the city to move toward regaining local control of its finances and operations.
MAURICE RIVER TOWNSHIP  The more than 160-year-old East Point Lighthouse, threatened by rising sea levels and erosion, has been named among the most threatened historic places in New Jersey.

The nonprofit Preservation New Jersey released its 2019 ranking of the 10 most endangered historic sites in the state on the steps of the Statehouse in Trenton on Thursday.

NJ's 10 Most Endangered Historic Sites for 2019 Lee Brothers Park Pavillion in Morris CountyPort Colden Manor in Warren CountyThe Park Theat

The mouth of the Maurice River and the adjacent bayshore is rapidly eroding, and tidal waters are now threatening the lighthouse, according to the list.

East Point Lighthouse stands out on the list as one of the only places under threat from natural forces. The majority face demolition from developers and government entities.

Over the past few years, theres been a push from local, state and federal stakeholders to protect the mid-1800s structure from rising waters. But no long-term plan has been put in place.

Two pump stations were installed in the lighthouses basement in 2017 to push out flood waters as part of a $650,000 restoration project headed by the federal government and state Historic Trust Fund.
Electric companies have begun collecting an extra $0.004 per kilowatt hour, which will be passed onto PSEG at a later time. It will cost the average residential customer about $31 to $41 per year, said ratepayer advocate Stefanie Brand.

Brand said the board could have awarded a smaller subsidy.

Im glad were going to get this in front of a court, Brand said.

During its April meeting, the board voted 4-1 to award the subsidies, but not before expressing resentment over the situation.

Commissioner Upendra Chivukula was the lone no vote, calling it highway robbery. Commissioner Bob Gordon, who voted for the subsidy, still voiced his concern over the bailout.

BPU doesnt gamble with state subsidy for nuclear plants In the end, the state Board of Public Utilities decided not to take the chance that New Jers

The board is being directed to pay ransom, and the hostages are the citizens of New Jersey, Gordon said at the BPUs April meeting to a packed room in Trenton.

We do not make this decision lightly. ... Weve concluded that now is not a time to move forward in a way that will remove nuclear from our energy mix, BPU President Joseph L. Fiordaliso said in a statement after the meeting.

Brand said she hopes the appellate court makes a decision by July 2020, before the first $300 million subsidy would be given to PSEG.
Before the ceremony emptied out, family members of the fallen officers were invited to place carnations on the monument.

Theres so much we can read about history and tragedy. We can see it on television, but I think its good for the human spirit to be able to pay reverence and appreciation of people that died in the name of the spirit of what our country is all about, Burke said.

Gupton said shes grateful for ceremonies like these even though, for her, they are usually bittersweet.

It brings all of your emotions to the surface, but I want to keep his memory alive and I want to honor him always, she said. But its sad.

It was also announced at the ceremony that the names and pictures of all the officers would be projected on the Boardwalk television screens for the day.

When that announcement was made, Gupton turned to look at the nearest screen. The first picture she saw appear was of Wilkins.

We still grieve, and its still sad, Gupton said. But to know that their death wasnt in vain and that theyll be honored and forever remembered, thats comforting.
ATLANTIC CITY  Portions of the citys Chelsea neighborhoods are having water service restored after a water main was ruptured due to a pile driving operation under the Albany Avenue bridge Wednesday afternoon, officials said.

Steve Schapiro, spokesman for the New Jersey Department of Transportation, said Thursday vibrations from workers driving piles for new bridge fenders ruptured a decades-old repair to an unmarked water main. The Atlantic City Municipal Utilities Authority rerouted water to an alternate main.

The pile-driving operation is suspended until the ACMUA gives the green light for work to continue, Schapiro said.

Though there was a temporary drop in water pressure, Schapiro said, water service was maintained at all times.

Councilman Jesse Kurtz said the 6th Ward, including the Lower Chelsea and Chelsea Heights neighborhoods, had water service restored earlier Thursday morning, with residents seeing varying degrees of water pressure.

Some areas of Chelsea Heights are having select instances of low water pressure or sediment in water, said Kurtz. Some of that can be cleared by running the tap for 10 to 15 minutes.
LOWER TOWNSHIP  Just before officials broke ceremonial ground at the Cape May Airport for the first of three buildings that will make up an innovation hub for tech businesses, Cape May County Freeholder Will Morey got on his phone and said the men were one shovel shy.

Materializing from the horizon, a six-propeller drone towing a gold shovel flew to the men across a field that will, in the next few years, house the next two buildings of the tech village.

For UAS (unmanned aircraft systems) integration into the national airspace system, this is an ideal place to develop, test and also have close proximity, said Morey, citing dense air traffic in the northeast air corridor and the uncluttered air space directly above Cape May.

Atlantic County receives $100,000 for its planned aviation maintenance academy Atlantic County was awarded a $100,000 state grant to help create its planned aviation and t
Legislative leaders introduced a 27-bill package Thursday to institute reforms called for by Senate President Steve Sweeneys Path to Progress initiative, according to Senate Democrats.

Sweeney said the bills are designed to fix New Jerseys fiscal crisis, restore the stability of the pension system and save tens of billions of dollars for taxpayers.

The Path to Progress is the path to real, sustainable tax relief in a state with the highest property taxes, the second-largest unfunded pension liability, the second-worst credit rating and the fifth-highest overall tax burden in the nation, Sweeney, D-Salem, Gloucester, Cumberland, said in a statement.

New Jersey Business and Industry Association President and CEO Michele N. Siekerka said the proposed reforms would help New Jersey in the short- and long-term.

New Jersey, more than ever, needs to act with a reform agenda that comprehensively addresses underfunded pensions and the rightsizing of health benefit costs, said Siekerka. If were to ever make this great state more affordable and competitive, and not address our growing deficits with increased taxes, the time is now.
One is that Gilmore has cut his ties to the law firm, and as SJTA board member Sonny McCullough said, he didnt generally handle SJTA work anyway. Authority board members should also consider whether an abrupt termination of the contract would cost more or adversely affect current legal affairs.

Another is that Gilmores chance of prevailing upon appeal may be significant. He was found not guilty of filing false tax returns, and on perhaps the most serious charge he faced  evading income taxes from 2013-2015  the jury couldnt reach a verdict. Federal prosecutors had publically alleged that Gilmore failed to pay more than $1 million in taxes, which sounds like a conviction should have been easy if it were true.

Public officials should resign their positions promptly upon conviction, of course, especially if their crime involved violating the public trust. Continuing to use the services of a convicted officials former private firm is a gray area that requires a dispassionate analysis and a decision.
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.




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Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/887871/Platinum_Engineering.jpg

SOURCE Platinum Engineering
LOS ANGELES, May 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Saturday, May 25, 2019, in preparation for Memorial Day, the Western Los Angeles County Council, Boy Scouts of America with support of local community members will honor our nation's fallen heroes with the Annual Flag Placement ceremony at Los Angeles National Cemetery in West Los Angeles. Beginning at 8:00 am, more than 6,000 Scouts and adult leaders will participate in this event paying tribute to veterans and their spouses by placing 88,000 American Flags on graves throughout the cemetery. The event is open to the public and registration begins at 7:30 am.

To register or for more info, visit http://bsa-la.org/flag-placement/

The day's program will be produced and presented by youth from the Western Los Angeles County Council, Boy Scouts of America and will highlight the significance of this important Memorial Day activity. Scouts will honor each veteran as a flag is placed in front of each grave marker.

The media is encouraged to take part in recognizing this patriotic community service. The best photo opportunities can be found between the hours of 8:00 am and 9:00 am. Media must arrive no later than 7:30 am in order to access the property.

Additionally, another flag placement ceremony will take place simultaneously at Eternal Valley Memorial Park in Santa Clarita. For information on the Santa Clarita service please contact Jerry Rhodes: [email protected] or 661-803-0869.

Beginning Tuesday, May 28th  Thursday, May 30th Scouts will be retrieving the 88,000 flags planted on May 25th. Retrieval takes place from 5:00 pm to 8:30 pm each evening until all flags have been collected.

To arrange interviews in English or Spanish, please contact event chairman Ryan Peterson at 310-853-3542 or Joshua Bryan at 818-714-0681 or via email [email protected]

Previous Media Coverage:

CBS: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5QRYFxXwo24

FOX: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04htigks2ns

About Boy Scouts of America, Western Los Angeles County Council

WLACC serves more than 9,500 youth throughout Western Los Angeles County spanning roughly from LAX to Edwards Airforce Base. The Council operates three Camps: Camp Josepho in the Pacific Palisades, Camp Whitsett located in the Sequoia National Forest, and Camp Emerald Bay on Catalina Island. For more information on programs offered, please visit: http://bsa-la.org/

Handle:

@BSAwestLA @theboyscoutsofamerica

Tags:

#BSAwestLA #MemorialDay #BoyScouts

SOURCE Western Los Angeles County Council, Boy Scouts of America

Related Links

http://bsa-la.org


SAN ANTONIO, May 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Military working dog (MWD) Kkeaton, who bravely served as a patrol explosive detector dog protecting our troops, retired from service and was reunited Tuesday in San Antonio with his former handler, U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Aaron Stice. Kkeaton, a seven-year-old Belgian Malinois, and Cpl. Stice last saw each other in October 2018 after serving together for nearly three years.

American Humane, the country's first national humane organization, sent one of its top veterinarians to pick up and escort MWD Kkeaton from California's Camp Pendleton to San Antonio. Support was provided by American Humane's Lois Pope LIFE Center for Military Affairs, Hallmark Channel and Compassion-First Pet Hospitals. The emotional reunification took place at Cavender Toyota in San Antonio.

American Humane has been working to support the U.S. military, veterans, and military animals for more than 100 years. One of its many efforts is reuniting military working dogs retiring from service with the people who care most about them  their former handlers.

"American Humane is proud of our history of supporting the nation's veterans, including four-legged military K-9s who play a critical role in keeping our troops safe," said Robin Ganzert, PhD, American Humane president and CEO. "We were thrilled to help reunite K-9 Kkeaton and Cpl. Stice and wish them the very best."

"Escorting K-9 Kkeaton on his cross-country journey back into the arms of his former handler and best friend was an incredible honor I'll never forget," said Lesa Staubus, DVM, American Humane veterinarian. "He deserves all the happiness in the world, and I'm excited for him to experience a comfortable retirement with the Stice family."

Retired MWDs often have medical issues stemming from their physical jobs. American Humane works on reunifications and helps provide free specialty and preventative medical care to make retired MWDs as healthy and comfortable as possible during retirement. Many dogs also suffer from post-traumatic stress.

About American Humane

Founded in 1877, American Humane is the country's first national humane organization. For more information, visit www.AmericanHumane.org.

SOURCE American Humane

Related Links

http://www.americanhumane.org


WASHINGTON, May 8, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- America's SBDC is excited to announce that the Ohio SBDC at Youngstown State University and five SBDC clients from around the country were acknowledged as national winners or finalists at this year's National Small Business Week award ceremonies on May 5th & 6th in Washington, D.C. National Small Business Week honors America's 28 million small businesses and their entrepreneurial, innovative and resilient spirit that serves as the backbone of the American economy. The Small Business Administration (SBA) acknowledges 2019 National Small Business Week awardees for 17 different categories ranging from research and development, exporting, outreach, contracting, lending, disaster recovery to manufacturing and construction.

In making the announcement, SBA Administrator Linda McMahon said: "I am delighted to recognize the 53 winners from across the country as they gather in our nation's capital," McMahon said. "Entrepreneurs are the innovators who take risks on ideas, invest in their communities, and create jobs. Their skills and creativity not only support their own families, but they also make our neighborhoods and cities vibrant places to live and work, fueling our overall economic strength. These small business owners best represent the nation's 30 million small businesses and I look forward to welcoming the winners to Washington, D.C. in May when they are officially honored for their accomplishments."

"We are incredibly proud to be part of the SBDCs and their client's stories. The work that the SBDCs do for America's small businesses truly shines during National Small Business Week. Their expertise and dedication to their clients is unparalleled. Congratulations to all the winners you earned it," said Charles "Tee" Rowe, America's SBDC President & CEO.

NATIONAL WINNERS & FINALISTS

2019 National SBDC Excellence and Innovation Award

Ohio SBDC at Youngstown State University

2019 Small Business Persons of the Year

Jeffery Lee and Jennifer Lynn Herbert, Owners, Superstition Meadery, LLC

(America's SBDC Arizona Network, Yavapai College SBDC)

2019 Small Business Persons of the Year  National Finalists - 1st Runner-Up

Brad Barber (CEO) and Angie Barber (COO), Cabin Coffee

(Iowa SBDC Network)

2019 8(a) Graduate of the Year

Paul A. Smiley, Founder & President, Sonoran Technology and Professional Services

(America's SBDC Arizona Network)

2019 Phoenix Award for Outstanding Small Business Disaster Recovery

Stephanie Vitori, President, Cheeseburger Baby

(Florida SBDC at Florida International University)

2019 Small Business Exporter of the Year

Jamie Stillman (Founder) and Julie Robbins (CEO), EarthQuaker Devices

(Ohio SBDC at Cleveland State University, Export Assistance)

We would like to congratulate all the SBDC State, Regional and District National Small Business Week Winners. To learn more about them visit our website; AmericasSBDC.org/NSBW

About America's SBDC: America's SBDC represents the Nation's 63 Small Business Development Centers, a national network of partnerships uniting higher education, state and local nonprofit economic development organizations, private enterprise and government. It is the Small Business Administration's largest partnership program, providing management and technical assistance to help Americans start, run and grow their own businesses. Learn more at www.AmericasSBDC.org.

April Youngblut | (703)764-9850

SOURCE America's SBDC

Related Links

https://americassbdc.org/


DENVER, May 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The Ardent Mills culinary team showcased top flour-and-grain trends at the recent International Pizza Expo 2019, where pizza-making experts and enthusiasts from across the restaurant industry gathered to gain new insights into America's number-one favorite food1.

"Pizza is a comfort food that always stands the test of time, and although thin and thick pizza crusts continue to be favorites, 2019 is shaping up to be a huge year in pizza innovation," said Laurie Scanlin, R&D Culinary Manager with the R&D culinary team at Ardent Mills. "Consumer preferences are changing, and new flour choices, as well as heirloom and ancient grains, are bringing new textures to crust and meeting the growing demand for plant-forward pizza."

Ardent Mills served up a variety of brick-oven style pizzas featuring ancient and heirloom grains and individually quick-frozen (IQF) grains at the Pizza Expo, now in its 35th consecutive year of operation at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Here are the five pizza trends and Ardent Mills menu innovations that rose to the top:

The Real Deal  Authenticity is increasingly important to pizza eaters; 49 percent desire authentic pizza offerings 2 , and it doesn't get more authentic than traditional Neapolitan-style pizza. Authentic Neapolitan-style pizzas use imported "00" flour from Italy , which is quite costly. Ardent Mills' Primo Mulino Neapolitan-Style Pizza Flour uses wheat grown and milled in North America , providing the same crispy yet soft and subtle dough as traditional "00" flour without the imported cost.

 Authenticity is increasingly important to pizza eaters; 49 percent desire authentic pizza offerings , and it doesn't get more authentic than traditional Neapolitan-style pizza. Authentic Neapolitan-style pizzas use imported "00" flour from , which is quite costly. Ardent Mills' Primo Mulino Neapolitan-Style Pizza Flour uses wheat grown and milled in , providing the same crispy yet soft and subtle dough as traditional "00" flour without the imported cost. Menu Idea: Authentic Margarita PizzaA classic Neapolitan-style crust made with Ardent Mills Primo Mulino Neapolitan-Style Pizza Flour, topped with San Marzano tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella and fresh basil.

Simple Stand-Out Ingredients  Transparency in nutrition is a growing trend that resonates with pizza consumers. Simple recipes featuring healthier ingredients are attractive, and the more rustic, the better. The quality of pizza can also be elevated with artisan ingredients.

 Transparency in nutrition is a growing trend that resonates with pizza consumers. Simple recipes featuring healthier ingredients are attractive, and the more rustic, the better. The quality of pizza can also be elevated with artisan ingredients. Menu Idea: Ardent Mills presented a Farm Stand Pizza built with Ultragrain Whole Wheat Flour and Red Quinoa, providing a hearty yet healthy crust with fresh roasted vegetables, goat cheese, pesto and extra virgin olive oil.

Celebration Pies  Seasonality and food holidays offer more ways to create festive eating occasions like "National Donut Day" or "Fall Harvest Fest." Themed pizzas can capture some of this celebratory spirit and serve well as limited-time offers.

 Seasonality and food holidays offer more ways to create festive eating occasions like "National Donut Day" or "Fall Harvest Fest." Themed pizzas can capture some of this celebratory spirit and serve well as limited-time offers. Menu Idea: Mardi Gras PizzaNew Orleans favorites are a big hit in a new format with Cajun chicken, andouille sausage, Creole sauce, mozzarella, onions, peppers and parsley toppings with Ardent Mills Kyrol premium high-gluten crust.

Toppings with Texture  Eighty percent of consumers wish their local pizzerias would offer more premium, innovative toppings 3 . Consider adding both visual and crave-worthy flavor appeal with unique toppings that create texture. Ardent Mills IQF grains as a gremolata topping allow operators to dial up the "wow factor" by adding meaty texture to a plant-based pizza. Operationally, the IQF format reduces back-of-the house labor and allows for more consistent cook times.

 Eighty percent of consumers wish their local pizzerias would offer more premium, innovative toppings . Consider adding both visual and crave-worthy flavor appeal with unique toppings that create texture. Ardent Mills IQF grains as a gremolata topping allow operators to dial up the "wow factor" by adding meaty texture to a plant-based pizza. Operationally, the IQF format reduces back-of-the house labor and allows for more consistent cook times. Menu Idea: Mediterranean PizzaArdent Mills White Sonora whole grain flour crust topped with an IQF Barley, Quinoa and Spelt gremolata, grilled chicken, roasted peppers, a four-cheese blend, fresh arugula, cracked black pepper and shaved parmesan.

Mini Mania  As the snacking category continues to expand, consumers are looking for bite-sized options to satisfy their snack cravings. Operators can leverage in-house ingredients to deliver on this demand by using existing pizza dough to create pizza bites, a fun appetizer or a bar menu addition.

 As the snacking category continues to expand, consumers are looking for bite-sized options to satisfy their snack cravings. Operators can leverage in-house ingredients to deliver on this demand by using existing pizza dough to create pizza bites, a fun appetizer or a bar menu addition. Menu idea: Savory Garlic Parmesan or indulgent Cinnamon Sugar pizza bites both made with Ardent Mills Classic Pizza Mix are sure to be crowd-pleasers.

For more information on the ingredients used at the International Pizza Expo 2019, contact the Ardent Mills culinary team at 800-851-9618 or email [email protected].

About Ardent Mills

Ardent Mills is the premier flour-milling and ingredient company whose vision is to be the trusted partner in nurturing its customers, consumers and communities through innovative and nutritious grain-based solutions. Ardent Mills' operations and services are supported by more than 40 flour mills and bakery-mix facilities along with a specialty bakery, the Ardent Mills Innovation Center and Mobile Innovation Center, all located in the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico. Deeply rooted in communities throughout North America, Ardent Mills is headquartered in Denver, Colorado, and employs more than 100 certified millers, supporting thousands of local jobs and contributing billions of dollars to local economies. To learn more about Ardent Mills, visit ardentmills.com.

1 Datassential's Foodbytes: Pizza Keynote Report 2018

2 Technomic's 2018 Pizza Consumer Trend Report

3 Datassential's Foodbytes: Pizza Keynote Report 2018

SOURCE Ardent Mills
NUR-SULTAN, Kazakhstan, May 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, on May 16th, the XII Astana Economic Forum (AEF) under the theme "Inspiring growth: people, cities, economies" has begun.

At the plenary meeting of the AEF-2019, the First President of the Republic of Kazakhstan - Elbasy Nursultan Nazarbayev announced that digital transformation is changing the face of our familiar economy, and mobile creative human capital is becoming the main driver of growth. "By 2030, about 375 million people around the world will need to undergo training and change their profession," said Nazarbayev.

He also shared the forecast that by 2050, 7 out of 10 people will be urban citizens residing in cities. "Therefore, investments now no longer address countries, but cities," explained Nazarbayev.

The Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund, Christine Lagarde, expressed that "Although we expect a reduction in global tensions in the next six months, we cannot be certain. We hope that the voltages that exist at the moment will be relaxed for certain reasons. And your mediation, perhaps, Mr. President Nursultan Nazarbayev, will help with this. "

Regarding technology, "We are developing an artificial intelligence that will completely change our life," said President of the Republic of Armenia Armen Sarkissian.

"The innovations are about the expansion of human capital. To achieve success in this matter we must strengthen educational platforms and train qualified professionals," noted Vice-premier of State Council of People's Republic of China Han Zheng.

"Every nation can benefit from global economic growth," said Nobel Prize economics (2018), World Bank chief economist (20162018) Paul Romer.

Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Board of Sberbank, Herman Gref, ensures that "If you did not start yesterday, then today you are already late."

This year's AEF is unprecedented. In two days more than 50 sessions and events will take place - these are record numbers for the 12-year history of the AEF. Furthermore, for the first time, students and youth have the opportunity to take part in AEF Talks and meet Nobel laureates and politicians. Also for the first time, a round table was held with the participation of the International Monetary Fund for Ministers of Finance and governors of the central banks of the countries and the first Kazakhstan forum on the UN sustainable development goals.

Tomorrow, the Forum continues.

http://astanaeconomicforum.org

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/888411/Astana_Economic_Forum_Logo.jpg

SOURCE Astana Economic Forum

Related Links

http://astanaeconomicforum.org


CAMDEN, S.C., May 15, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Camden Military Academy, the official military academy of South Carolina has two graduating seniors attending service academies in the Fall. Many high schools are fortunate to have one service academy appointee in a graduating class, but CMA has two appointees in the same year.

Jonathan Niles Leach of Tonasket, Washington will be attending the United States Air Force Academy and Nicolo Pucciarelli of Lakeland, Tennessee will be attending the United States Military Academy at West Point. Both cadets received Congressional appointments and passed rigorous interview, physical fitness and academic requirements.

Cadet Leach says, "CMA really helped me prepare for the Air Force Academy by increasing my physical fitness and forcing me to become more independent." Cadet Pucciarelli states, "CMA has increased my self-confidence which allowed me to receive my appointment."

Some think that because CMA is a military high school that enrolling in the military is expected of cadets; however, that is incorrect. Camden Military prides itself on over 95% of its graduates continuing their education at a college or university. The Headmaster, Col. Eric Boland, says, "we may have one service academy appointee each year or every other year, but we are very proud to have two outstanding young men receive appointments this year."

About Camden Military Academy

Camden Military Academy, South Carolina's Official Military Academy, is an all-male, college preparatory boarding school with grades 7-12 and PG. The small size of the cadet corps, 302, pays huge dividends in the classroom with 12-15 students per class. Our tenured faculty, coupled with advanced technology, allows Camden cadets to reach their full potential academically. The military structure offered at Camden gives a young man the opportunity to develop leadership skills and integrity that cannot be found in any public/ private day school setting. In addition to emphasizing academics, young men at Camden learn responsibility, honor, and character.

SOURCE Camden Military Academy

Related Links

www.camdenmilitary.com


WINDSOR, ON, May 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ - On May 15, 2019, CEN Biotech, Inc. (CEN) entered into a Non-Binding Term Sheet (the "Term Sheet") with Caduceus Software Systems Corp., a Wyoming corporation ("CSOC"), which was reviewed and approved by the Board of Directors of CEN on May 15, 2019. Pursuant to the Term Sheet, CEN and CSOC agreed to undertake a merger transaction to combine the two companies' operations and negotiate and enter into a definite agreement to affect the transaction.

According to Joseph Byrne, CEO of CEN Biotech Inc., "It is planned that CEN and CSOC will engage in a merger transaction whereby CSOC will create a new wholly owned subsidiary and CEN will become a wholly owned subsidiary of CSOC. We are very pleased with the direction of this transaction and we believe that it will create value for both CEN and CSOC shareholders." According to the planned merger, it is contemplated, that CEN shareholders will be issued a number of shares of common stock, par value $0.001 per share, of CSOC (OTC PINK: US) such that CEN shareholders shall own not less than 98% of the issued and outstanding shares of CSOC common stock immediately after the closing of the merger. It is planned that the shares of CSOC Common Stock to be issued in the merger shall be registered on a Form S-4 to be filed by CSOC with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") prior to the expected closing of August 30, 2019.

However, there can be no assurance that CEN and CSOC will enter into a definitive agreement, or that the transaction can be completed as planned, or at all.

About CEN Biotech, Inc.

CEN Biotech, Inc. is a global holding companydedicated to identifying and developing alternative approaches to business opportunities in diversified, yet related industries. With core operations focused on North America, Eastern Europe and China, CEN Biotech is continually looking to develop its dynamic and unique businesses, by seeking to leverage exclusive relationships with governments and private enterprises, around the world. In addition to CEN's focus on improving the health and wellness of people, CEN also has proprietary technologies, which it believes has widespread commercial application in the Industrial, Automotive, and Agriculture sectors.

About Caduceus Software Systems Corp.

Caduceus Software Systems Corp. (OTC PINK: CSOC) designs and develops healthcare software. CSOC provides software for patient management, appointment scheduling, physician memorandum recording, medical symptoms monitoring, and ailment and digital image. Caduceus Software Systems serves patients in the United States.

Forward-looking Statements

This press release contains "forward-looking" statements. In particular, the words "believe," "may," "could," "should," "expect," "anticipate," "estimate," "project," "propose," "plan," "intend," and similar conditional words and expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Any statements made in this press release about an action, event or development, are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are only predictions and are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions, many of which may be beyond control of CEN, that could cause actual results to differ from those in the forward-looking statements. Accordingly, you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Although CEN believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that its forward-looking statements will prove to be correct. Potential risks include such factors as the inability to enter into agreements with parties with whom we are in discussions, factors that cannot be predicted with certainty, as well as additional risks and uncertainties that are identified and described in CEN's reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"). Investors are cautioned that any forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected. Actual results may differ materially from the forward-looking statements in this press release. Statements made herein are as of the date of this press release and should not be relied upon as of any subsequent date. CEN does not undertake, and it specifically disclaims, any obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect occurrences, developments, events or circumstances after the date of such statement. You can also obtain additional information regarding CEN in CEN's filings with the SEC.

SOURCE CEN BIOTECH INC.

Related Links

https://cenbiotechinc.com


HAUPPAUGE, N.Y., May 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The digital age is home to new and exciting technology permeating every industry in the world. From retail to service, every corner of the economy has been impacted by technology, the healthcare industry included. So what's one of the latest developments in healthcare? The virtual clinical trial. Clinical Trial advertising company, Clinical Trial Media, discusses the uprise of virtual clinical trials below, along with its effects on the clinical trial as we know it. Read on for more information.

What exactly is a virtual clinical trial? Sometimes also called a "site less" clinical trial, a virtual clinical trial has patients and trial coordinators connect through online video calls and transmit data through specialized wearable data collection devices. There is no physical trial site, as all clinical trial communication takes place through digital platforms. They are, essentially, a clinical study traversed entirely or partially through virtual means, most often through video calls, data-trackers, and other online platforms.

What are the benefits of a virtual clinical trial? If there is virtually no need for patient and clinical trial conductors to physically meet, the pool of potential trial patients opens up significantly, expanding into previously unattainable geographic regions and reaching underprivileged or differently abled populations who would traditionally be unable to travel to a clinical trial site. These factors increase the size and diversity of the potential patient pool, allowing for faster recruitment efforts to take place and more accurate data to be gathered during the clinical trial.

How can I begin implementing virtual clinical trials? Before jumping straight into a fully virtual clinical trial run, it's best to experiment with adding virtual aspects to traditional clinical studies first to grasp the kinds of tools and software needed to conduct a successful virtual clinical trial. Clinical trial researchers need to become comfortable with video conferencing tools and behavior, learn how to utilize and manage data storage software, and understand how to navigate any technical troubles they may encounter. Once clinical trial workers are up to speed on these virtual tools, they can start being implemented into studies, and then transition into fully virtual clinical trials once their efficiency has been maximized.

When can I use a hybrid clinical trial? Depending on the clinical trial, some research may not be fit for fully virtual implementation. If this is the case, using a hybrid approach can be a great compromise for clinical researchers who want to take advantage of virtual technologies while still performing some traditional factors of clinical trials. These are called hybrid clinical trials, incorporating virtual aspects into traditional trials for the best and most efficient results. These are especially useful in trials that require some sort of physical meeting between researchers and patients, but the meeting may not be required regularly.

There are many benefits that come out of virtual clinical trials. See what incorporating them into your research can do for you today.

ABOUT CTM

CTM, a Clinical Trial Recruitment Agency, is a global patient recruitment and retention firm that provides customized product and service offerings to maximize your study's enrollment potential. With our flexible solutions, superior customer service and vast clinical trial experience around the world, Clinical Trial Media is your global enrollment connection.

SOURCE Clinical Trial Media

Related Links

https://clinicaltrialmedia.com


RAMSEY, N.J., May 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Cloud computing has transformed virtually every industry imaginable, with cloud adoption reaching an impressive 96 percent among modern enterprises in 2018. Healthcare, in particular, is seeing huge changes due to cloud-based solutions. Cloud computing providers bring greater efficiency, mobility, and security to the healthcare sector. These and other benefits are explored in greater detail below:

Speed. The cloud provides healthcare workers prompt access to essential documents and information. No longer do doctors, nurses, and specialists need to juggle huge piles of paperwork. From onboarding to diagnosis and even treatment plans, every aspect of the patient experience can be streamlined to ensure that visits are as productive as possible.

Storage. Cloud storage, particularly object storage is making archiving for PACS and other images easier. Healthcare companies are seeing benefits to using technologies like Scality Ring Object Storage to both save costs on archiving and provide easier access to data without excessive costs.

Mobility. Healthcare employees are constantly on the move. Cloud computing allows them to make the most of their highly mobile work. Equipped with tablets and intuitively-designed apps, they can move freely from one location to another, factoring in both scheduling and the urgency of the situation as they determine where to visit next. Professionals enjoy greater mobility not only within facilities, but also as they move between locations. This is increasingly important in rural settings, where one doctor may serve patients at several clinics.

Security. Security concerns are nothing new in the modern digital age of healthcare, but the cloud may actually ease some of the concerns that arose years ago with the advent of electronic health records. Providers desperate to maintain compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) can look to cloud solutions to ensure that patients' rights are protected.

The Department of Health and Human Services Office of Civil Rights regards cloud service providers as business associates under HIPAA. By entering into Service Level Agreements (SLAs) with these associates, healthcare providers can address concerns related to disaster recovery, disclosure limitations, and system availability.

Collaboration. Today's patients rarely stick to one healthcare system for long. Shifting jobs means shifting insurance providers  and as patients move in and out of networks, they may need to switch physicians or specialists. The cloud can ease such transitions by allowing various healthcare facilities or organizations to collaborate with one another. This can cut back considerably on patient paperwork while also ensuring that treatment plans remain consistent  and that procedures aren't unnecessarily repeated. For example, clinics can pass children's immunization records on as clients seek new providers, thereby reducing the potential for excessive vaccinations.

Cloud technology can dramatically reduce overhead costs while improving standards of care in the healthcare sector. From mobility to security, cloud computing's benefits are creating new efficiencies in the healthcare industry. As practices continue to adopt cloud solutions, they will see better patient outcomes and, hopefully, ideally improved HCAHPS scores.

ABOUT COMPORT

Since 1982, award-winning IT services partner Comport has helped to improve enterprise digital architectures for healthcare companies across the world. Our customers include leading enterprises in Hospitals and Healthcare, Financial Services, Manufacturing, Media, Retail, Law Firms, and Universities. Comport has established ComportSecure as its cutting edge cloud-based solution for cloud managed services. Solutions provided through ComportSecure Cloud Managed Services include Advanced IT Datacenters, Mobility Security, and Networking.

SOURCE Comport
SAN DIEGO, May 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Confirm BioSciences, the leading developer of high-quality diagnostic testing and health and wellness solutions, has been named one of Inc. magazine's Best Workplaces for 2019. This is the second year in a row Inc. recognized Confirm BioSciences as a best place to work in the fast-growing private company sector.

Inc. magazine's list is the result of a wide-ranging and comprehensive measurement of private American companies that have created exceptional workplaces through vibrant cultures, deep employee engagement and stellar benefits. Collecting data on nearly 2,000 submissions, Inc. singled out Confirm BioSciences as one of its 346 finalists.

Each nominated company, including Confirm BioSciences, took part in an employee survey conducted by Omaha's Quantum Workplace on topics such as trust, management effectiveness, perks and confidence in the future. Inc. then gathered, analyzed, and audited the data, ranking employers using a composite score of survey results. The strongest engagement scores came from companies that prioritize the most human elements of work and are leading the way in employee recognition, performance management, and diversity.

Confirm BioSciences stood out for its commitment to personal and professional growth, as well as its efforts in empowering and inspiring its team on all levels. For example, the company offers personal and career development programs, continued learning and mentoring, monthly fitness challenges and work/personal balance through flex time for kids, company-wide family events, quarterly rewards and recognition for great performance.

"It's such an honor to be recognized by Inc. as a 'Best Place to Work' in 2019," said Zeynep Ilgaz, President and CEO of Confirm Biosciences. "Since founding the company in 2008, we've grown over 2,000 percent and generate a yearly growth rate of over 30 percent  all made possible by our incredible, passionate team. We believe in investing in our people and fostering a culture that follows three guiding principles: passion, so employees come to work with the mission to make positive change; trust in leadership, the team, our customers and partners; and teamwork so we all work together to achieve something great."

To be considered for Inc.'s list, companies must have a minimum of 10 employees and be U.S.-based, privately held and independentthat is, not subsidiaries or divisions of other companies.

While researching the finalists, Inc. and Quantum saw distinct themes across the winners:

99 percent provide health insuranceand some cover the cost. 49 percent allow employees to bring pets to work. 65 percent take employees to offsite retreats to relax and recharge. 16 percent offer paid sabbaticals to reward length of service.

"With today's tight labor market, building a great corporate culture is more important than ever," says Inc. magazine editor-in-chief James Ledbetter. "The companies on Inc.'s Best Workplaces list are setting an example that the whole country can learn from."

About Confirm BioSciences

Confirm BioSciences is a pioneer in high-quality diagnostic testing and health & wellness solutions for both the corporate community and individual consumers. Our product portfolio ranges from instant and lab-based testing solutions for drugs of abuse, including HairConfirm (hair-based) and DrugConfirm (urine-based), to HealthConfirm, a line of testing solutions for health & wellness hormones and neurotransmitters, with all results delivered in user-friendly reports. As experts in the drug testing and health & wellness markets, Confirm BioSciences prides ourselves in supporting various organizations and projects that help families create a drug-free home. Confirm BioSciences is headquartered in San Diego, California. For company information, visit http://www.confirmbiosciences.com.

About Inc. Media

Founded in 1979 and acquired in 2005 by Mansueto Ventures, Inc. is the only major brand dedicated exclusively to owners and managers of growing private companies, with the aim to deliver real solutions for today's innovative company builders. Winner of Advertising Age's "A-List" in January 2015, and a National Magazine Award for General Excellence in both 2014 and 2012, Inc.has a monthly audience reach that's grown from two million in 2010 to more than 20 million today. For more information, visit Inc.com.

About Quantum

Quantum Workplace is an HR technology company that serves organizations through employee engagement surveys, action-planning tools, exit surveys, peer-to-peer recognition, performance evaluations, goal tracking, and leadership assessment. For more information,visit QuantumWorkplace.com.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Sarah Petitt

SSPR

872-588-8201

[email protected]

SOURCE Confirm BioSciences

Related Links

http://www.confirmbiosciences.com


CHICAGO, May 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- According to market research report "Europe Cloud CRM Market by Vertical (Nonprofit and Higher Education), Nonprofit (Education, Research and Innovation, Social Affairs, Children and Youth, Art & Culture, and Others), and country (UK, Germany, France, and Switzerland) - Global Forecast to 2024", published by MarketsandMarkets, the Europe Cloud Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Market size is expected to grow from USD 9.0 billion in 2019 to USD 12.0 billion by 2024, at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 5.86% during the forecast period.

The adoption rate of Europe cloud CRM solutions is expected to grow significantly, especially in the nonprofit vertical, due to the rising adoption of digital payment systems and mobile fundraising apps to raise their funds.

Browse in-depth TOC on "Europe Cloud CRM Market"

9  Tables

12  Figures

131  Pages

Ask for PDF Brochure:

https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=85515652

Among verticals, the nonprofit vertical to grow rapidly during the forecast period

Increased digitization and government compliances for nonprofit organizations are increasing the demand for CRM in the nonprofit vertical. The majority of non-profit organizations in France are using social media and have a positive opinion about the adoption of digital technology. Nonprofit Organizations (NPOs) in Germany are adopting digital payment systems and mobile fundraising apps to raise their funds. The transformation of the fundraising process may have a positive impact on the adoption of new technologies by NPOs to raise funds more effectively. NPOs in Switzerland are obliged to the government policy for establishing trust among people and raising investments across the globe while working with a limited budget and using effective training programs. CRM adoption would help NPOs in improving their training procedure under a limited budget. In Switzerland, NPOs are mandated to evaluate and publish their activities in annual reports and conduct related research to serve society effectively. The requirements of effective monitoring, research and precise evaluation of activities can be achieved with the use of a cloud CRM solution. The adoption of CRM solutions would enable NPOs to collaborate effectively with donors and beneficiaries and better manage and maintain meaningful data and insights.

Among nonprofit sub-verticals, the children and youth sub-vertical to grow at highest CAGR during the forecast period

The children and youth sub-vertical is expected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period. Several NPOs that are focused on welfare of children and youth are expected to grow in the future. The youth population in various countries is more accustomed to the digital communication media as compared to the earlier generation, hence NPOs working for children and youth are expected to go for the CRM software to manage customer relationships.

Speak to our Expert Analyst:

https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/speaktoanalystNew.asp?id=85515652

Among countries in Europe, the UK to account for the largest market size during the forecast period

The UK is expected to be the main revenue contributor to the Europe Cloud CRM Market. The growth of the CRM market in the UK is expected to grow, as GDPR compliance in the UK would present huge demand for cloud CRM software. The GDPR compliance is expected to boost the demand for CRM software in the UK. The GDPR compliance requires certain precautions to be taken, some of the modern CRM software come with features that help organizations adhere to the GDPR compliances. Strict GDPR compliance in the UK is expected to boost the demand for the CRM software during the forecast period.

In the Europe Cloud CRM Market, the key market players and innovators include Microsoft (US), Oracle (US), ELCA (Switzerland), 1CRM (Canada), Cirrus Shield (France), Zoho (Chennai), SAP (Germany), Hubspot (US) Unit4 (Netherlands), Cocomore (Switzerland), Curexus GmbH (Germany), ALISTON Consulting (France), Absys Cyborg (France), SugarCRM Inc. (US), Vtiger (India), Bexio (Switzerland), Bpm'Online (US), TYPO3 (Germany), and eWay CRM (US).

Browse Adjacent Markets: Software and Services Market Research Reports & Consulting

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Through 78 objects, including paintings, drawings, film, and sculptures drawn primarily from the collections of The Baltimore Museum of Art and The Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, Monsters & Myths highlights the brilliance and fertility of this period, which arose in response to Hitler's rise to power, the Spanish Civil War, and World War IIevents that profoundly challenged the revolutionary hopes that had guided most Surrealist artists in the 1920s. "In this exhibition, Surrealists' portrayals of monsters, fragmented bodies, and other depictions of the grotesque are explored as metaphors for the threat of violence and fears and fantasies of unbridled power," says Frist Art Museum chief curator Mark Scala.

Since 1924, artists and writers associated with the Surrealist movement had aimed to deconstruct the social order, particularly through targeting oppressive traditions by embracing the irrational and the marvelous in pursuit of psychic liberation. "Seeking access to hidden truths, the artists in this show used their darkest imaginings to confront trauma," says Scala. "They employed the language of dreams, free association, and Freudian psychoanalytic theory to help transform both themselves and a society that seemed inescapably bound for fascism and war."

Through each artist, the psychological power of monstrosities appears in different guises in the exhibition. The first section, titled "The Emergence of Monsters," focuses on the symbolism of deformation, fragmentation, and hybridity to reflect the inhumanity of war as well as individual psychological torment. In this section, Picasso reintroduces the myth of the Minotaur, a symbol of the repressed forces of the unconscious. Hans Bellmer and Andre Masson merge violence and malevolent sexuality in images of dismemberment and mutilation. Headless bodies in works by Alberto Giacometti and Magritte symbolize the loss of reason.

The exhibition continues with the section titled "The Spanish Civil War," which includes paintings and prints by Dali, Miro, and Picasso, among others, capturing their despair at the brutality of the fascists in their war with the republican government. Immediately following "The Spanish Civil War," the section "World War II" features works that portend the coming disasters and capture the emotional upheavals experienced by artists during the early years of the war. While these responses are marked by anxiety and distress, a surprising beauty can be seen in even the most horrific works, such as Wolfgang Paalen's painting of colorful bird-like demons in The Battle of Saturnian Princes III (1939).

The section "Dislocation and Survival" features extraordinary paintings by Surrealists, including Dali, Ernst, Masson, and Roberto Matta who fled the war, mostly for the United States. Ernst's painting Europe After the Rain II (194042) spans the mutating structures and human wraiths of a post-apocalyptic Europe with the crystalline outcroppings of a desert landscape, inspired by Ernst's experience as an exile visiting Arizona. Like the other works in this section, Europe After the Rain II underscores transitions between past and present, reality and dream, and reason and irrationality that were acutely felt by these expatriate artists.

The exhibition concludes with "Surrealism in the Americas," showing the influence of exiled European artists like Masson and Ernst on Americans such as Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko, and Tanning. Highlights include Tanning's phantasmagorical painting The Temptation of Saint Anthony. Also included in the exhibition is the film Un Chien Andalou (1929) by Bunuel and Dali, which contains a network of narratives relating to anticlericalism, unfulfilled desire, memory, and death.

Exhibition Credit

This exhibition was organized by The Baltimore Museum of Art and The Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art.

This exhibition and related programs have been made possible in part by a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Sponsor Acknowledgment

The Frist Art Museum gratefully acknowledges the generosity of our Picasso Circle members.

The Frist Art Museum is supported in part by the Metro Nashville Arts Commission, the Tennessee Arts Commission, and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Connect with us #FristSurrealism

About the Frist Art Museum

Accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, the Frist Art Museum is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit art exhibition center dedicated to presenting and originating high-quality exhibitions with related educational programs and community outreach activities. Located at 919 Broadway in downtown Nashville, Tenn., the Frist Art Museum offers the finest visual art from local, regional, national, and international sources in exhibitions that inspire people through art to look at their world in new ways. For additional information, call 615.244.3340 or visit FristArtMuseum.org.

SOURCE Frist Art Museum

Related Links

http://www.fristcenter.org


LifeBiome features a unique new probiotic formula, Gut Restore, delivering billions of live organisms in one small, delayed-release capsule per day. While typical probiotic supplements contain bacteria, most ignore the critical role of soil-based organisms (SBOs) and other ingredients for digestive health. Gut Restore provides a carefully selected blend of 11 hardy soil-based, yeast-based and lactic acid-based strains as well as a unique blend of fermented botanicalsorganic turmeric, organic ginger, and chlorellato complement the actions of the probiotics.

Other LifeBiome products include Gut Restore Advanced (maximum support), Gut Enzymes to help break down difficult foods, and Gut Soother to ease digestive discomfort and soothe the intestinal lining. All LifeBiome products feature clinically validated, plant-based ingredients designed to alleviate digestive distress and restore balance, following strict "Clean and Green" formulation guidelines. They are Gluten-Free, vegetarian and have no artificial preservatives, colors, sweeteners, flavors, or HFCS.

Dr. Drew Sinatra, a naturopathic physician practicing integrative medicine at The Clear Center of Health in California, is passionate about educating the public and his patients on treating the gut to achieve optimal wellness.

"I've always told my patients that their gut is at the core of almost every health issue they may be struggling through," said Dr. Drew Sinatra. "And the key to a healthy gut is a healthy microbiome. But today's lifestyleheavy on processed foods and 24-hour-a-day stresswreaks havoc on the microbiome, and traditional probiotics just aren't enough. My new products offer the broad-spectrum coverage your gut microbiome needs. I am thrilled to be working with Healthy Directions to provide these products to the public, as they share my commitment to quality and testing, research-based formulas with effective ingredients, and honesty in marketing."

After many months of research and development, Dr. Drew Sinatra and Healthy Directions have created modern-day solutions for supporting a truly healthy gut microbiome.

"Bringing these products to life with such a well-respected Naturopathic Physician like Drew has been an honor," said Ben Teicher, President of Healthy Directions. "His values and dedication to his patients closely align with our relationship with our customers. We have no doubt that LifeBiome will change the lives of so many people on the journey to better digestive health."

LifeBiome products will be available exclusively through the Healthy Directions catalog and website; HealthyDirections.com, as well as on Amazon.

About Healthy Directions: Healthy Directions LLC, a subsidiary of Adaptive Health, is a leading health publisher and direct-to-consumer retailer of doctor-formulated nutritional supplements and skincare products, dedicated to providing people with a better path to better health. Healthy Directions provides expert guidance and advanced nutritional supplements from some of America's most knowledgeable and highly respected integrative- and alternative-health doctors including Julian Whitaker, MD; Dr. David Williams; Stephen Sinatra, MD; Aaron Tabor, MD; Drew Sinatra, ND; Richard Wurtman, MD; and Joseph Pergolizzi, Jr., MD. For more information, please visit HealthyDirections.com/About-Us

About Adaptive Health: Adaptive Health, formerly known as Direct Digital, LLC, is a leader in science-based product development with a full portfolio of scientifically formulated nutritional health brands, including Instaflex, Nugenix, Peptiva and Lumiday.

The company rebranded as Adaptive Health after its acquisition of Healthy Directions, LLC in December 2017. With Healthy Directions' vast product line and extensive board of medical advisors and doctors, it contributes to the company's longstanding commitment to science and innovation. Adaptive Health has since acquired Biovation Labs  an NSF certified manufacturing and fulfillment operation  in December 2018.

Adaptive Health has over 250 employees across offices in Charlotte, NC, Boston, MA, Salt Lake City, UT and Bethesda, MD. Its products are sold in many major retailers across North America and internationally, as well as via its innovative direct-to-consumer ecommerce platform. For more information, please visit AdaptiveHealth.com.

SOURCE Healthy Directions

Related Links

http://www.healthydirections.com


BRONX, N.Y., May 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Navigating unfamiliar territory can always be a little stressful, but this feeling is only amplified when in a healthcare setting. Daunting medical campuses and confusing healthcare buildings can puzzle visitors and patients alike as they find their way around. Now, imagine your hospital's patients and visitors were provided with a personalized navigation system specially tailored to your building layout, confidently finding their way to family and friends' inpatient rooms with ease; this is the kind of future that wayfinding technology can bring to a hospital setting.

Hospital construction company, Simone Development, discusses the advantages that come with implementing wayfinding technology in hospitals and medical centers. Keep reading below to learn more about the benefits of recent wayfinding technologies.

Hospital visitors can easily get lost , even when using architectural clues such as colors, physical signage, and paintings or murals to remember where in the hospital they are. Having the ability to pinpoint their location, visualize the pathway, and be guided by other technological checkpoints reduces the need to remember confusing navigation points. Wayfinding tools can aid any visitors who may have lost their way, providing a comprehensive directional guide to navigating the medical center.

, even when using architectural clues such as colors, physical signage, and paintings or murals to remember where in the hospital they are. Having the ability to pinpoint their location, visualize the pathway, and be guided by other technological checkpoints reduces the need to remember confusing navigation points. Wayfinding tools can aid any visitors who may have lost their way, providing a comprehensive directional guide to navigating the medical center. Distraught or distracted visitors can quickly forget directions given to them by hospital personnel, causing frustration and less time they can spend visiting loved ones. A hospital setting has lots of potential for stressful or dire situations, so it's best for both the busy medical staff and hospital visitors to have various reference points throughout the building for urgent navigation in times of need.

given to them by hospital personnel, causing frustration and less time they can spend visiting loved ones. A hospital setting has lots of potential for stressful or dire situations, so it's best for both the busy medical staff and hospital visitors to have various reference points throughout the building for urgent navigation in times of need. The technology is available. Recent wayfinding trends in healthcare environments include implementing mobile apps, digital adaptive signage, and interactive kiosks equipped with touchscreens. All of these developments incorporate smart wayfinding technology in a professional medical setting with ease and accessibility. It's not up and coming technology with expensive, unrealistic applications; the software and hardware have both been heavily tested, developed, and utilized in many other industries, and healthcare navigation is the next step forward.

Recent wayfinding trends in healthcare environments include implementing mobile apps, digital adaptive signage, and interactive kiosks equipped with touchscreens. All of these developments incorporate smart wayfinding technology in a professional medical setting with ease and accessibility. It's not up and coming technology with expensive, unrealistic applications; the software and hardware have both been heavily tested, developed, and utilized in many other industries, and healthcare navigation is the next step forward. Provide peace of mind to visitors by utilizing these forms of technology. Being able to easily find their way using these wayfinding systems very well may ease visitors' anxiety by allowing them to focus on the patient they came to see rather than worrying about navigating unfamiliar territory. Plus, having visitors and patients alike being able to easily find their way around increases their satisfaction with hospital service and their medical experience in the end.

Wayfinding technology has many clear advantages for visitors navigating a hospital, but it truly benefits the healthcare building in the end as well, increasing customer satisfaction and ease of operations without lost patients and visitors wandering about or becoming distressed when they cannot find their way. Giving your medical center's visitors the technological tools to successfully navigate your space not only empowers and eases the mind of those finding their way around, but also brings your healthcare building one step closer to the 21st-century smart hospital.

About Simone Health Development Companies:

Simone Health Development Companies is a full-service real estate investment company specializing in the acquisition and development of office, retail, industrial and healthcare properties in the New York tristate area. Headquartered in the Bronx, the privately held company owns and manages more than 5 million square feet of property in the Bronx, Westchester County, Queens, Long Island, Connecticut, and New Jersey. The company's portfolio includes more than 100 properties and ranges from multi-building office parks to retail and industrial space. The largest and most successful development from Simone Health is the 42-acre Hutchinson Metro Center office complex located directly off the Hutchinson River Parkway in the Pelham Bay section of the Bronx. The first two phases of the complex, which comprise nearly 750,000 square feet of Class A office and medical space, are fully leased. Two additional phases totaling 650,000 square feet (370,000-square-foot Metro Center Atrium and 280,000-square-foot Tower Two), are completed and fully leased.

SOURCE Simone Health Development Companies

Related Links

http://www.simonehealth.com


BENGALURU, India, May 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Infosys (NYSE: INFY), a global leader in next-generation digital services and consulting, today announced that its board of directors has approved the Infosys Expanded Stock Ownership Program 2019 that links long term employee incentives with shareholder value creation. Subject to shareholder approval, this unique plan proposes to allocate 50 mn shares (or 5 crore shares) equating 1.15% of the company's equity shares to a broad base of employees, which will vest on challenging performance criteria.

This program builds on the strong legacy of meritocracy that was established by the founders, and strengthens the company's efforts towards wealth creation for employees, enhanced shareholder returns and delight for customers. The company has been a pioneer in India, rewarding its employees through stock ownership programs starting in 1994, including the 2015 Incentive Compensation Plan.

The Infosys Expanded Stock Ownership Program 2019, under which grants will vest based on performance, aims to align employee interest with shareholder value creation, incentivize, attract and retain key talent, and reward employee performance with ownership. The grants allocated to employees over a period of seven years will vest based on challenging performance criteria of a) relative Total Shareholder Return (TSR) against an industry peer group, b) relative TSR against domestic and global indices and c) operating lead performance metrics such as total revenue and digital revenue growth, and operating margins.

Salil Parekh, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, Infosys, said, "Infosys has been a pioneer for many firsts in India, and this program is a key milestone as it sets another benchmark in the industry. Our employees are our biggest asset, and through this program we aim to recognize and reward individuals who are committed to driving value creation for all stakeholders through their continued and consistent performance. By making employees owners, they get an opportunity to be beneficiaries in the long term success of the company and realize the results of their work and dedication."

About Infosys

Infosys is a global leader in next-generation digital services and consulting. We enable clients in 45 countries to navigate their digital transformation. With over three decades of experience in managing the systems and workings of global enterprises, we expertly steer our clients through their digital journey. We do it by enabling the enterprise with an AI-powered core that helps prioritize the execution of change. We also empower the business with agile digital at scale to deliver unprecedented levels of performance and customer delight. Our always-on learning agenda drives their continuous improvement through building and transferring digital skills, expertise, and ideas from our innovation ecosystem.

Visit www.infosys.com to see how Infosys (NYSE: INFY) can help your enterprise navigate your next.

Safe Harbor

Certain statements mentioned in this release concerning our future growth prospects and our future business expectations are forward-looking statements intended to qualify for the 'safe harbor' under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in such forward-looking statements. The risks and uncertainties relating to these statements include, but are not limited to, risks and uncertainties regarding fluctuations in earnings, fluctuations in foreign exchange rates, our ability to manage growth, intense competition in IT services including those factors which may affect our cost advantage, wage increases in India, our ability to attract and retain highly skilled professionals, time and cost overruns on fixed-price, fixed-time frame contracts, client concentration, restrictions on immigration, industry segment concentration, our ability to manage our international operations, reduced demand for technology in our key focus areas, disruptions in telecommunication networks or system failures, our ability to successfully complete and integrate potential acquisitions, liability for damages on our service contracts, the success of the companies in which Infosys has made strategic investments, withdrawal or expiration of governmental fiscal incentives, political instability and regional conflicts, legal restrictions on raising capital or acquiring companies outside India, and unauthorized use of our intellectual property and general economic conditions affecting our industry. Additional risks that could affect our future operating results are more fully described in our United States Securities and Exchange Commission filings including our Annual Report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2018. These filings are available at www.sec.gov. Infosys may, from time to time, make additional written and oral forward-looking statements, including statements contained in the company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission and our reports to shareholders. The company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements that may be made from time to time by or on behalf of the company unless it is required by law.

SOURCE Infosys
IDAHO FALLS, Idaho, May 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- International Isotopes Inc. (OTCQB: INIS) (the "Company") announces its financial results for the three months ended March 31, 2019.

Total revenue for the Company for the three months ended March 31, 2019 was $2,527,852 as compared to $2,801,026 for the same period in 2018. The decrease is largely the result of a revenue decrease in the Company's Radiological Services segment and this was only due to the timing field service contract work in the first quarter of 2019 compared to 2018. Revenue for radiological services work for the balance of the year is expected to be on par with 2018.

Gross profit for the three months ended March 31, 2019 increased approximately 6% compared with the same period in 2018. Operating expense increased approximately 7% for the three months ended March 31, 2019, primarily due to an increase in labor costs and in general and administrative costs for the period.

The Company's reported net loss for the three months ended March 31, 2019, was $51,958, compared to net income of $34,404, for the same period in 2018. This small decrease in net income is primarily the result of the timing of revenue in the Radiological Services segment, as mentioned above. Further detail on the performance of each of the Company's business segments is provided below.

Revenue from the sale of Cobalt Products for the three months ended March 31, 2019 was $376,089, compared to $327,778, for the same period in 2018. This represents an increase of approximately 15%. The Company has been working to resume cobalt sales by producing cobalt in the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) under a ten-year agreement with the DOE and expects to begin receiving this cobalt material in late 2019 and early 2020. The increase of revenue in 2019 is the result of cobalt sales resulting from cobalt purchased from another source.

Revenue from Nuclear Medicine Products for the three months ended March 31, 2019 increased approximately 10% compared to the same period in 2018. The increase in revenue for the period is primarily due to the consolidation of RadQual LLC and TI Services, due to the Company's management control of RadQual, and the overall increase in sales by all three companies.

Revenue from Radiological Services for the three months ended March 31, 2019 decreased approximately 34% compared to the same period in 2018. The majority of the Company's revenue in this segment is generated by the contract work performed for the DOE and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). As discussed above, the decrease in revenue was due to the timing of these contracts where revenue may fluctuate quarter to quarter based on when the contracts are completed.

Revenue from the sale of Radiochemical Products for the three months ended March 31, 2019 decreased by approximately 21% compared to the same period in 2018. The decrease is primarily the result of supply interruptions caused by production issues from our primary radiochemical supplier. However, the supplier has taken steps to correct those production shortcomings, and we expect higher production capability and enhanced reliability from this supplier going forward.

Steve Laflin, President and CEO of the Company, said, "While there was a small decrease in Company net profit for the first quarter this was due almost totally to the difference in period to period comparisons of the Radiological Services segment. The Company expects revenue in this segment for the remainder of the year to be on par with 2018. We expect improved revenue performance for the reminder of the year as result of our new contract manufacturing agreement with Progenics and the likelihood of the resumption of cobalt sales from the DOE reactor later this year. The Company is also expecting a response from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on our abbreviated New Drug Application for Sodium Iodide I-131 over the next several months."





International Isotopes Inc.



Three Months Ended March 31 ,



2019 2018 Sales of Product $2,527,852 $2,801,026 Gross Profit $1,439,423 $1,358,618 Total Operating Expenses $1,296,866 $1,209,013 Operating Income $142,557 $149,605 Total Other Income (Expense) ($86,023) ($51,365) Net income (Loss) ($51,958) $34,404 Net income (Loss) Per Common Share $0.00 $0.00 basic and diluted



Weighted Av. Shares Outstanding - basic 413,906,700 407,423,051 Weighted Av. Shares Outstanding - diluted 413,906,700 526,418,051

About International Isotopes Inc.

International Isotopes Inc. manufactures a full range of nuclear medicine calibration and reference standards, a variety of Cobalt-60 products, and provides a wide selection of radioisotopes and radiochemicals for medical applications, calibration, and clinical research. The Company also provides radiological services including source installation/removal, and decommissioning of various radiation units on a contract basis to clients.

International Isotopes Inc. Safe Harbor Statement

Certain statements in this press release are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, including statements with respect to the timing of the resumption of cobalt production, future opportunities for field service contracts, and future performance of the Company's business segments. Information contained in such forward-looking statements is based on current expectations and is subject to change. These statements involve a number of risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results, performance or achievements of International Isotopes Inc. to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements of the Company expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Other factors, which could materially affect such forward-looking statements, can be found in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange

Commission at www.sec.gov, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018. Investors, potential investors, and other readers are urged to consider these factors carefully in evaluating the forward-looking statements and are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements made herein are only made as of the date of this press release and International Isotopes, Inc. and the Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update such forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:

David Drewitz

Creative Options Communications

Investor and Public Relations

[email protected]

www.creativeoptionsmaketing.com

Phone: 972-814-5723

SOURCE International Isotopes Inc.

Related Links

http://www.intisoid.com


NEWPORT BEACH, Calif., May 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Glidewell Dental, an industry-leading provider of dental laboratory services and clinical products, technologies and education, has released Vol. 14, Issue 2 of Chairside magazine, featuring a Q&A interview with Dr. Philip Gordon, general dentist and host of the popular podcast "Dental Implant Practices." Learn how Dr. Gordon has "cut through the weeds" to help dentists understand the value of placing implants in the general practice, identify which companies have reliable products and connect with the resources needed to expand their implant services.

Chairside? Magazine V14I2

Also not to be missed is a compelling case report with Dr. Justin Chi, wherein he presents an esthetic smile makeover with immensely gratifying results. Dr. Christopher Pescatore also delivers a comprehensive look into the anatomy of a natural smile, outlining six basic principles of smile design.

Dr. Keith Thornton offers his unique and provocative view of today's dental treatments for sleep-disordered breathing. Learn more about his perspective on the standard workflow when screening for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and how his TAP line of oral appliances offers a simple means of improving the lives of patients. Dr. Randolph Resnik shares part two of his series on extraction and socket grafting, aptly entitled "Extraction Site Healing." Readers won't want to miss part three in this series, which will appear in Chairside's next issue, including a comprehensive description of the step-by-step socket-grafting protocol.

Digital treatment planning is highlighted in two articles. First, learn about efficient and predictable implant placement via guided surgery with Dr. Paresh Patel, who illustrates the value of this surgical approach in the general practice. Second is a comprehensive piece which offers step-by-step guidelines to obtain a surgical plan and guide from the DTP team at Glidewell Laboratories, utilizing the company's vast experience restoring implant cases to assist doctors in executing a treatment plan that is both safe and prosthetically driven.

In addition to the articles showcased above, readers won't want to miss the announcement of Glidewell Dental's recently launched Guiding Leaders program, a leadership development initiative which provides business training from top industry leaders to practicing women dentists across the nation. See who has been chosen for this inaugural journey.

Included in this issue is a compelling piece featuring Dr. Scott Methven, whose practice in Wasilla, Alaska, attracts patients throughout the state who wish to take advantage of same-day restorative dentistry with the glidewell.io In-Office Solution.

And finally, the magazine highlights the latest information regarding the 2019 Glidewell Dental Symposium, which will take place in Orlando, Florida, on Nov. 8-9, 2019. This event will provide practical clinical and business education, with a first day of fast-paced main podium presentations and a second day of in-depth lectures and hands-on programs crafted specifically to help doctors overcome the challenges faced in everyday dentistry.

Chairside magazine is also available in a digital format which offers readers exclusive content, including in-depth videos, clinical case photos, CE credits and more. It can be accessed anytime, anywhere, from a desktop, tablet or mobile device. Print editions of the quarterly magazine are distributed to dental offices nationwide.

About Glidewell Dental

Glidewell Dental is among the world's largest providers of custom restorative services and is recognized as an industry-leading material and device manufacturer. Established in 1970 in Orange County, California, Glidewell Dental continues to build on its storied history of technological innovation and continuing education, committed to making comprehensive, high-quality treatment more accessible to patients in the U.S. and internationally. For more information, please visit glidewelldental.com.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Eldon Thompson, Sr. Director of Marketing

Glidewell Dental

[email protected]

Related Images

chairside-magazine-v14i2.jpg

Chairside Magazine V14I2

Chairside Magazine V14I2

SOURCE Glidewell Dental

Related Links

http://glidewelldental.com


PARK CITY, Utah, May 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Lexicon Travel Technologies recently announced an upgraded integration with Barefoot, one of the vacation rental industry's top property management software applications.

Recently recognized as Booking.com's "Best Performing Vacation Rental Connectivity Partner" in North America for 2018, Lexicon now offers Barefoot users enhanced channel marketing strategies to drive conversion on Booking.com's and Expedia's global networks of online travel booking brands.

According to Joel Inman, Founder and CEO at Lexicon Travel Technologies, "Barefoot is a leader and an important partner in the online booking eco-system, and we're excited to offer new channel marketing capabilities for property managers using Barefoot and online travel agencies."

Barefoot fully supports the expanded functionality of their new integration with Lexicon. Ed Ulmer, Barefoot's President and CEO, said, "We're really pleased with the additional abilities Lexicon gives our customers, particularly their ability to list inventory as a unit-type on hotel-style OTAs. As the industry evolves to include more resort and condo-style long-term/short-term hybrid models, Lexicon's value proposition is directly in the sweet spot."

Among the technology advances Barefoot users can expect via Lexicon's upgraded integration are:

Faster availability updates via better data translation

Cancellations that automatically update in Barefoot

New clustered-inventory capabilities, including distributing bookings randomly across representative units

Enhanced credit card details including CVC and cardholder address

Ancillary booking details like pricing breakdown and promotion name passed to Barefoot's "Comments" field

Minimum length of stay restriction now available

Booking Source and Merchant of Record accountability improvements

To learn more about Lexicon's upgraded integration with Barefoot and how they can help you book more online:

Call them at 541-527-2399

Visit them online at https://www.lexicontravel.com

About LEXICON

Lexicon Travel Technologies connects Vacation Rental Property Managers with the millions of guests who book via online travel agencies. We translate the complexities of vacation rental inventory into high-performing listings that drive bookings across channels.

Unlike traditional channel managers, our powerful technology and expert staff drive revenue by creating fully optimized listings, identifying dynamic pricing opportunities and ensuring reservation compliance across platforms.

Based in Park City, Utah, Lexicon provides Property Managers with a new level of fluency in managing the revenue their inventory produces - a fluency that speaks the language of transparency, accountability and partnership.

To learn more visit https://www.lexicontravel.com

Unless indicated otherwise, all trademarks and service marks herein are trademarks of Lexicon Travel Technologies or an affiliate thereof.

Media Contact:

Lexicon Travel Technologies

Michelle Marquis

(541) 527-2399

[email protected]

SOURCE Lexicon Travel Technologies

Related Links

https://www.lexicontravel.com


LAS VEGAS, May 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- As developers court real estate private equity investors for projects inside Qualified Opportunity Zones, they can gain an edge by coming to the table with maximum transparency and powerful marketing materials, said Mike Harris, Managing Director of CREModels , during a panel discussion at the 2019 Opportunity Zone Expo.

"What we're hearing from private-equity fund managers is that too many prospective partners are approaching them with attractive projects in Opportunity Zones, but inadequate clarity on critical fronts," Harris told attendees.

Mike Harris, Managing Director of CREModels (l.), with Scott Turner, Executive Director of the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council, at the Opportunity Zone Expo in Las Vegas

Billed as the largest conference focused on the much-discussed federal tax incentives for low-income areas, the Opportunity Zone Expo was held May 9-10 at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino. Harris joined a May 10 panel titled "Market Your Potential: How to Highlight the Promise of a Fund, Project or Opportunity Zone."

At the well-attended conference, a sense of optimism was palpable as hundreds of professionals such as investors, developers, attorneys, CPAs and municipal officials flocked to sessions on regulations, capital deployment, fund structures and more, Harris said. "Last month, the Treasury Department and IRS clarified their intentions for the Opportunity Zone program by issuing a second installment of proposed regulations ," he noted. "Now you can really feel the excitement. There's a sense that, finally, this is moving forward."

Harris' CREModels frequently works with real estate developers who are raising capital for Opportunity Zone projects . The St. Petersburg, Fla.-based real estate tech and services firm is known for its flagship real estate acquisitions and development platform, The CRE Suite, which includes pre-built Opportunity Zone development models and Opportunity Fund management tools as well as marketing package templates that streamline the fundraising process. CREModels' website also offers a Qualified Opportunity Zones Resource Center to keep stakeholders up-to-date as the program evolves.

During the panel discussion, Harris emphasized the need for long-term partners on Opportunity Zone projects to make sure their strategic interests are fully aligned.

"On a typical real estate project, investors and developers can partner up, get the deal done and move on," he said. "But with Opportunity Zones, the parties need to maintain a high degree of cooperation, respect and mutual agreement for the duration of the 10-year hold. For developers, that means it's important to put your best foot forward from the outset."

Qualified Opportunity Fund managers are seeking development partners on programmatic, multiple-project platforms, Harris noted. However, they are understandably cautious about entering into such joint ventures. "At CREModels, our clients are succeeding in getting their deals fully funded by leveraging transparency and clear communications," he said. "They're coming to the table with professional marketing packages that include comprehensive development pro-forma models and convey strong understanding of the private equity capital structures in play. It makes all the difference."

Under the proposed regulations, investors pay no capital gains on the increased value of Opportunity Zone investments so long as those investments are held for at least 10 years. Given that would-be partners will need to work together over the long term, they should be sure their interests, priorities and even company cultures are a good fit prior to embarking on Opportunity Zone projects, Harris said.

"With the surging demand from capital partners, developers are often taking on projects that are not only much larger, but that are also outside their typical property type expertise," he said. "They often need to court an entirely different set of investors with whom they are completely unfamiliar."

Clarity and transparency, again, are critical to making those inroads, according to Harris. "Otherwise, you run the risk of chasing down investors who ultimately spurn the proposal," he said, "and that sends you back to previous prospects with your hat in hand."

About CREModels

CREModels provides transactional, managed and enterprise services for commercial and multifamily real estate fund managers, investors and developers. The St. Petersburg, Fla.-based firm's Transactional Services division performs full-service real estate due diligence , lease abstraction, acquisition underwriting and deep-dive reviews of books and records. The Managed Services division handles CAM reconciliation , asset management and portfolio review. The Enterprise Solutions division creates custom technology and big-data integrated solutions. CREModels' flagship software platform, The CRE Suite , serves as the backbone on top of which all services are provided. The CRE Suite optimizes the workflow of acquisitions teams, fund managers and developers from pursuit through acquisition and all the way through disposition. For more information, visit CREModels.com .

Press Contacts: At Parness & Associates Public Relations, Bill Parness, (732) 290-0121, or Lisa Kreda, [email protected]

SOURCE CREModels

Related Links

http://www.CREModels.com


ALEXANDRIA, Va., May 15, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- NATSO, the national association representing the truckstop and travel plaza industry, today brought more than 65 truckstop and travel plaza owners and operators from across the country to Capitol Hill as part of its annual advocacy event. Participants traveling to Washington, D.C., represent locations that span 49 states and nearly every community in America. Collectively, they will hold more than 125 meetings with Members of Congress and their staff to advocate for the policy needs of the truckstop and travel plaza industry.

"Truckstops and travel centers are the bedrock of many communities across the United States," said NATSO Chairman Bob Wollenman, Managing Partner of Deluxe Truck Stop in St. Joseph, MO. "It's important that our elected officials understand the vital role that our industry plays as an employer and a taxpayer in communities throughout the country."

This year, NATSO members are urging Congress to seek long-term, sustainable solutions to infrastructure funding and reject funding proposals that would harm off-highway businesses, communities and the traveling public.

Specifically, NATSO supports increasing the motor fuels taxes, which haven't been increased in more than 25 years, as a means of increasing critical infrastructure revenues. NATSO opposes short-sighted proposals such as tolling existing interstates and commercializing rest areas.

"If Congress fails to act in the coming months, yet another year  possibly longer  will pass without our nation's lawmakers addressing our real and present infrastructure funding problems," said Ernie Brame, Chairman of NATSO's Government Affairs Committee and General Manager of Kenly 95 Truckstop in Kenly, N.C. "Advancing infrastructure policy in 2019 is imperative."

Beyond sustainable, long-term infrastructure funding, advocates are asking their elected officials to extend the biodiesel tax credit, which expired at the end of 2016. The $1 per gallon biodiesel blenders' tax credit has helped fuel retailers sell biodiesel at a price that is cost-competitive with diesel since 2005, thereby incentivizing consumer consumption. Furthermore, biodiesel helps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Every gallon of biodiesel that displaces a gallon of petroleum-based diesel represents at least a 50 percent reduction in lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions.

In addition to the Capitol Hill visits, participants will be joined by Congressman Tom Cole (R-Okla.), who is scheduled to deliver a breakfast address to the assembled group.

Coinciding with NATSO's annual Day on Capitol Hill, truckstop and travel plaza participants also heard on May 14 from several speakers including Representative Darin LaHood (R-Ill.).

NATSO will conclude its Day on Capitol Hill with its annual Pie Reception for Members of Congress and their staff in the Rayburn House Office Foyer, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Elected officials and their staff will enjoy nearly 200 made-from-scratch pies, donated by TravelCenters of America and DAS Companies. Sponsors also included S&D Coffee, Federated Insurance and Midwest Electronics Gaming.

NATSO is the trade association of America's travel plaza and truckstop industry. Founded in 1960, NATSO represents the industry on legislative and regulatory matters; serves as the official source of information on the diverse travel plaza and truckstop industry; provides education to its members; conducts an annual convention and trade show; and supports efforts to generally improve the business climate in which its members operate.

Contact: Tiffany Wlazlowski Neuman

703-739-8578

SOURCE NATSO, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.natso.com


Billed as the region's largest Oil & Gas show, the highly anticipated OGA 2019 will involve 2,000 participating companies from 60 countries/regions and 11 international pavilions. Over 23,000 trade and professional visitors are expected to converge at the event for deliberations on the industry's challenges and opportunities.

In his support message for OGA 2019, Tun Dr Mahathir bin Mohamad, Prime Minister of Malaysia, said the Oil & Gas industry remains volatile despite an anticipated recovery in crude oil prices with expected increase in both upstream and downstream activities.

"It is therefore crucial that Malaysia continues to highlight its potential in the Oil, Gas and Energy (OGE) sector while keeping up-to-date with the latest innovation and technology to strengthen its position. This will not only strengthen Malaysia's position as a strong oil and gas nation, but also a competent OGE leader, especially in the Asian region."

"In these testing times when the Oil & Gas industry is on a rebound, OGA is a timely and effective platform to highlight the nation's and region's potential in oil and gas. It should also help in positioning Malaysia as the regional hub for O&G innovation," said Tun Dr Mahathir bin Mohamad.

Towards this end, the inaugural OGA Innovation Award 2019 (OIA 2019) will be launched during OGA 2019 to recognize and honour local companies and individuals at the forefront of homegrown innovation. Its objective is to promote innovation within the Oil & Gas Service Providers and related industries and academia as well as spotlight SMEs and recognize Malaysian homegrown innovation.

Established in 1987, the OGA series has chalked up more attendees and exhibiting companies than any other Oil & Gas show in the region. Between 2011 and 2015, the number of exhibitors and attendees increased by 44% and 48% respectively. OGA 2017 covered a total of 20,000 sq metres and featured 11 international group pavilions and 1,641 companies. It boasted a total of 21,800 visitors from 60 countries/nations.

OGA 2019 is endorsed by the Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE). It is supported by the Prime Minister's Department, the Ministry of International Trade & Industry (MITI), Ministry of Tourism, Arts & Culture Malaysia (MOTAC), Malaysian Convention & Exhibition Bureau (MYCEB), Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA), Malaysian Oil & Gas Services Council (MOGSC), Institution of Engineers Malaysia (IEM), Malaysian Petroleum Resources Corporation (MPRC), Malaysian Offshore Contractors Association (MOCA) and the Malaysia OSV Owners' Association (MOSVA).

OGA 2019 is open to professionals, trade and business visitors from 10.00 am to 6.00 pm on 18 & 19 June 2019 and from 10.00 am to 5.00 pm on 20 June 2019. For more information and to register, visit www.oilandgas-asia.com. Alternatively visitors may register on site during the event. OGA 2019 is also available on Facebook, and Twitter.

SOURCE OGA 2019

Related Links

http://www.oilandgas-asia.com


PRINCETON, N.J., May 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- For three weeks this spring, Hun freshmen, sophomores, and juniors will participate in a ground-breaking immersion learning experience designed to offer a deep exploration of real-world topics. Beginning May 15th, 400 students will take a three-week mini-course designed to take them out of the classroom and into the origin of an event, problem, or theory (in places like Arizona, Montana, Washington, D.C., Memphis, France, and Ghana.)

Ninth graders at The Hun School prepare to embark on their NextTerm course, a ground-breaking immersion learning experience designed to offer a deep exploration of real-world topics.

"Real-world, immersion learning is the secret to igniting passion. Kids, like adults, want their work to be relevant. And, we know they learn best when they are encouraged and inspired to explore. NextTerm (https://nextterm.hunschool.org/) is designed to do just that," explains Hun School Headmaster Jonathan Brougham.

Education experts like Daniel Pink tell us that students are intrinsically motivated by three things: autonomy, mastery, and purpose. How many times has a student asked, "When will I use this?" Great teachers can deftly answer that question, but hypothetical applications can be limited. What if instead of studying food insecurity from a book, students met with urban farmers, government agencies, and families struggling to make ends meet? What if they were then encouraged to help and had the opportunity to voice their ideas to a relevant audience?

Teachers and administrators at Hun think it will be a game-changer. So much so, that they have made it a mandatory for all students in grades 9  11.

"NextTerm is immersive like a semester abroad program, but it is also practical and focused, like an internship," explains Bill Esher, program co-director. "Consider a hands-on internship where the intern is promoted to project leader immediately after orientation! We gave ourselves permission to imagine the best possible way to learn and then we created it."

Different than traditional travel programs that focus primarily on culture, NextTerm courses (and NextMetro, the parallel freshman civics experience) explore a specific topic or issue, in the environment from which that topic spawned. Each of the 19 courses are led by teacher-teams and incorporate interdisciplinary skill and content investigation, i.e., economics and history, as well as collaborative problem solving and communication. Students will travel, work with experts in the field, and collaborate on projects. They will immerse themselves in their chosen topic all day, every day, for three weeks.

For example, students will study sustainability in the National Parks; women and politics in Washington, D.C.; Native American life in Montana; immigration in Arizona; civil rights ideas and action in Memphis; the psychology and physics of thrill rides at various theme parks; and food insecurity in Trenton, New Jersey.

Otis Douce, director of cultural competence and diversity at Hun is teaching a NextTerm course called Castles Made of Sand: Exploring Ghana, which focuses on the historical significance of the transatlantic slave trade as it relates to both West Africa and America  in Ghana.

Before leaving for Ghana, students will explore their own social identities and conduct background research on the region. They will attend a class at Princeton University; work with a Ghanaian national; and visit a Ghanaian restaurant in New Jersey.

"Through our course, students will come to understand how the desire for resources has impacted the development of Ghana across generations, but they will also develop a deeper understanding of their own personal identity," said Mr. Douce.

Hun students will receive academic credit for NextTerm courses and they will appear on their transcripts. Like traditional courses, each has a culminating assessment. Rather than a test, however; student teams will produce projects, intended to have real-world application. Each team will then present their project to a panel of topical experts during an Expo in June.

For example, Hun students travelling to Arizona and Mexico to study immigration will work with people on both sides of the debate  border patrol agents, ranchers, local officials, and immigrants  to learn about the complexity of the issue. They will then work in teams to create education materials and present their ideas to experts in the field for real-time evaluation.

"We think the experience will be transformative, both for our students and for our school," said Mr. Esher.

Read more about The Hun School of Princeton here.

Contact: Maureen E. Leming (609)921  7600, extension 2299 Director of Strategic Marketing and Communications [email protected] The Hun School of Princeton www.hunschool.org

www.nextterm.hunschool.org

SOURCE The Hun School of Princeton

Related Links

www.hunschool.org


AUSTIN, Texas, May 15, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Reliant Plumbing ( reliantplumbing.com ) has announced that the planned use of their recent office expansion will be to provide hands-on training for employees in an effort to perfect existing skillsets and practice new techniques within the aging plumbing industry.

Owner Max Hicks and superintendent Stephen Warren, both Master Plumbers, have created a training program designed to educate journeymen and technicians so they can provide the best possible service to clients in the Austin area. With the average plumber's age hovering around 58 years and piping that only breaks down further with time, Hicks determined that guiding the future of the ever-present industry was of utmost importance for the legitimacy of his trade.

On top of honing skills, the training program is inspired by the need to attract young talent to carry the torch. "If you are thinking about the plumbing field as your career you will find it hard to locate a school that will be able to teach you all the ins and outs. As with most trade jobs, the best way to learn is being hands on and working in the field," Hicks notes. With a focus on increasing knowledge, professionalism, and respect for the craft, the training program looks to raise a new generation of experts that can be relied on to fix some of the most common yet potentially hazardous plumbing issues.

Hicks believes that plumbing isn't just unclogging toilets and clearing out drains  it's protecting the health of the nation. "A plumber controls all the water, both clean and wastewater, that goes in and (hopefully) out of your house and around the city. You may not think about it as much as we do, but I bet you are grateful for safe drinking water and properly disposed wastewater."

Reliant Plumbing has more than 5 decades worth of plumbing experience in the Austin area, also servicing residential and commercial customers with leak detection, water heater, and drain issues. Through their educational initiative, Hicks and Warren look to provide many more decades of expertise that customers can rely on.

ReliantPlumbing.com

(512) 662-7410

[email protected]

SOURCE Reliant Plumbing

Related Links

https://www.reliantplumbing.com


EVANSVILLE, Ind., May 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The Board of Directors of Accuride Corporation  a leading supplier of wheels and wheel end systems to the global commercial vehicle industry  today announced that it has appointed Robin Kendrick to serve as President and Chief Executive Officer, effective June 1, 2019.

Mr. Kendrick joined the Accuride Board of Directors in March 2018 as an independent director and will continue to serve as a member of the board as part of his new role.

Prior to joining Accuride, Mr. Kendrick served as President and General Manager of BorgWarner's Turbo Systems business and prior to that as President and General Manager of BorgWarner's Transmission Systems business. Before joining BorgWarner in 2011, Mr. Kendrick was President and Chief Executive Officer of RGF-AG, a spin-off of Acument Global Technologies. He joined Acument in 2008 following a 10-year tenure with American Axle and Manufacturing, where he advanced in a range of operations, sales and engineering leadership roles.

Mr. Kendrick stated, "It is an exciting time to be a part of the Accuride story as we continue to grow the company into a global leader in wheel and wheel-end solutions to better serve the needs of our diverse customer base. I have been privileged to work with the Accuride team for the past year as a member of the Board of Directors and look forward to working more closely with this talented team in the coming years."

Jason Luo has served as a member of the Accuride Board of Directors since August 2018 and as Interim President and Chief Executive Officer since January 2019. Mr. Luo will continue in that capacity until the transition to Mr. Kendrick is completed. Mr. Luo, who also serves as a Senior Advisor to Crestview Partners, the majority owner of Accuride, will step down as Interim CEO and take on the role of Chairman of the Board of Directors, replacing Crestview Co-Founder Thomas S. Murphy, Jr. in that role who will remain a member of the Board of Directors.

Mr. Luo stated, "Robin has brought extensive global experience and leadership to the board since he joined. We are thrilled that he will now serve as Accuride's CEO and I am excited to continue to support him as he leads the talented Accuride team to execute on our long-term vision for the company. I would also like to thank Tom Murphy for his time as Chairman and I look forward to continuing to work with Tom and the rest of the Accuride and Crestview teams."

About Accuride Corporation

With world headquarters in Evansville, Ind., USA, Accuride Corporation is a leading supplier of wheel end systems to the global commercial vehicle industry. The company's products include steel and aluminum commercial vehicle wheels and wheel-end components and assemblies; and steel wheels for the European automotive and global agricultural, construction and industrial equipment markets. The company's products are marketed under its brand names, which include Accuride, Accuride Wheel End Solutions, Gunite, KIC, Kronprinz and Sudrad. Accuride is a portfolio company of Crestview Partners. For more information: www.AccurideCorp.com.

MEDIA RELATIONS CONTACTS

Jeffrey Taufield / Daniel Yunger

Kekst CNC

212-521-4800

[email protected] / [email protected]

SOURCE Accuride Corporation

Related Links

https://www.accuridecorp.com


NEW YORK, May 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Translations.com, the technology division of TransPerfect, the world's largest provider of language and technology solutions for global business, today announced that it has been selected by SAS to support the launch of their website, SAS.com, in Thai.

A global leader in analytics and software services, SAS is taking significant steps to expand its presence in the Asia-Pacific region, specifically Thailand. It sought a partner who could ensure the messaging and tonality of the SAS brand remained clear and consistent throughout the translated site. By deploying Translations.com's proprietary website localization platform, GlobalLink, SAS was able to achieve its goal.

GlobalLink is a modular set of tools specifically designed to manage the complex demands of creating, deploying, and maintaining multilingual content. It drastically reduces the time, effort, and money required throughout the localization process. Over 1,000 of the world's leading organizations currently use GlobalLink solutions to enable them to reach audiences in multiple languages and drive maximum return-on-investment in markets abroad.

Sam Chiu, APAC Marketing Director at SAS, commented, "Translations.com delivers high-quality translations, consistently conveys our global messages, and proactively goes above and beyond in delivering their services."

Translations.com President and CEO Phil Shawe said, "SAS solutions make it easy for businesses around the world to improve strategies and decision-making using powerful analytics. We are pleased to have been chosen to support the expansion of their multilingual content strategy in the APAC region."

About SAS

SAS is the leader in analytics. Through innovative software and services, SAS empowers and inspires customers around the world to transform data into intelligence. SAS gives you THE POWER TO KNOW.

About Translations.com

Translations.com is the world's largest provider of enterprise localization services and technology solutions. From offices in over 90 cities on six continents, Translations.com offers a full range of services in 170+ languages to clients worldwide. More than 5,000 global organizations employ Translations.com's GlobalLink Product Suite to simplify the management of multilingual content. Translations.com is part of the TransPerfect family of companies, with global headquarters in New York and regional headquarters in London and Hong Kong. For more information, please visit www.translations.com.

About TransPerfect

TransPerfect is the world's largest provider of language and technology solutions for global business. From offices in over 90 cities on six continents, TransPerfect offers a full range of services in 170+ languages to clients worldwide. More than 5,000 global organizations employ TransPerfect's GlobalLink Product Suite to simplify management of multilingual content. With an unparalleled commitment to quality and client service, TransPerfect is fully ISO 9001 and ISO 17100 certified. TransPerfect has global headquarters in New York, with regional headquarters in London and Hong Kong. For more information, please visit our website at www.transperfect.com.

SOURCE Translations.com

Related Links

http://www.translations.com


COLUMBIA, Mo., May 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Scouts from all over the USA will get a chance to exercise their creativity with a variety of tools and technologies at the first-ever Invention Jamboree, presented by the Great Rivers Council from Friday, September 13 through Sunday, September 15 at the Lake of the Ozarks Scout Reservation in Gravois Mills, MO.

Two Scouts work on a project at the Lake of the Ozarks Scout Reservation's Sinquefield Invention Lab.

Taking advantage of the Reservation's unique features. Scouts attending the event will have the opportunity to get hands-on experience with everything from 3-D printers and aerial drones to welding and woodworking equipment at the Jamboree's participatory Invention Stations. Attendees also will get to meet working inventors; see invention-related exhibits; and take part in an optional invention competition.

The main activity of the Jamboree will be the Invention Stations, which will be grouped into three "paths" named after famous Missouri inventors George Washington Carver, Edwin Hubble, and James Fergason.

Each path has its own theme and will include four stations, letting Scouts participate in activities including robotics, welding, blacksmithing, woodworking, graphic design, shooting, climbing, flying radio-controlled drones, conducting search-and-rescue operations using geospatial mapping, and more.

All groups also will spend time in the reservation's Sinquefield Invention Lab, which serves as the center of the council's Invention Campus and Invention Scout program and offers access to equipment including 3-D printers, computer-controlled C&C machines, laser engravers, and more.

The optional Invention Competition will provide an opportunity for Scouts and adult leaders to showcase their own inventions, with separate divisions for each, and prizes and plaques for the top three places.

Participants will have the opportunity to explain, demonstrate and get feedback on their work from a panel of judges including professional inventor Steve Goldstein and Dr. Rob Duncan, former vice chancellor of research at the University of Missouri and currently professor and distinguished chair in physics at Texas Tech.

Located on the Osage Arm of Lake of the Ozarks near Laurie, Missouri, the Lake of the Ozarks Scout Reservation (http://www.lakeoftheozarksscoutreservation.org/) includes 450 acres and a mile and one-half of shoreline. The premier Scout camp in the Midwest, the reservation encompasses 13 scenic campsites for year-round use; a state-of-the-art swimming pool; facilities for climbing, shooting sports, and more; and the Sinquefield Invention Lab, the only facility of its kind at any Scout camp in the nation.

With headquarters in Columbia, MO, the Great Rivers Council of Scouts BSA (http://www.bsa-grc.org/) serves youth and adults in 33 counties in central and northeast Missouri. The Council's Invention Scouts program (http://www.inventionscouts.org/) is made possible by generous support from the Sinquefield Charitable Foundation (http://sinquefieldcharitablefoundation.com/).

The Invention Jamboree is presented by the Great Rivers Council and is co-sponsored by the Missouri Innovation Center and the Buttonwood Business Center. The Jamboree is open to members of Scouts BSA, Venture Scouts and Explorers from all Councils. The cost is $40 per scout or adult leader, discounted to $35 if registered by August 1, which includes all program activities, lunch and dinner on Saturday, and an Invention Jamboree patch.

For more information or to register, please visit http://www.bsa-grc.org/.

Media Contact:

Thomas Yang

573.449.561 ext. 210

[email protected]

SOURCE Great Rivers Council of Scouts BSA
Bonoff is a former business executive and elected official from Minnesota. She served as a Minnesota State Senator from 2005-2016. As Chair of the Minnesota Senate Higher Education and Workforce Development Committee, she championed legislation to create the Minnesota PIPELINE Project, which expands dual training and apprenticeship programs in Minnesota in emerging and high-demand occupations by partnering employers and students.

Prior to her time in the Minnesota Senate, Bonoff had a successful career in the private sector. She began her business career working at Jackson Graves, a women's retail specialty chain, before moving to Tonka Toys as Manager of Promotional Services. She then served as Vice President & General Manager for the computer products division of Navarre Corporation, the division growing ten-fold during her tenure. She was the 2016 recipient of the Jewish Community Relations Council Sam Shiner award for her work on behalf of the Jewish community and securing substantial state funding for the Parent Child Home Program at the Minneapolis JFCS.

"Terri's combined business acumen and political experience and her success in building transformative social services programs make her an excellent choice to lead our agency," said Jeff Alperin, President of the Board at JF&CS. "She shares our passion for making a difference in the lives of others."

Bonoff moved to Atlanta after her husband joined Delta Air Lines. Shortly after, she joined the Georgia Tech Center for Education Integrating Science, Mathematics & Computing (CEISMC), to launch an Atlanta-based PIPELINE Project. This pilot program partnered Purpose Built Schools, an Atlanta-based non-profit committed to breaking the cycle of poverty through high performing schools, with leading companies in the Atlanta area to facilitate internships and apprenticeships for high school students.

With Bonoff's hiring, Interim CEO Faye Dresner will resume her role as JF&CS Chief Program Officer, a position she has held since 2015. Bonoff will assume the CEO role on June 3, 2019.

About JF&CS

Jewish Family & Career Services Atlanta is dedicated to making hope and opportunity happen for the metro Atlanta community. Established in 1891, Jewish Family & Career Services (JF&CS) offers programs and resources to help improve the quality of life and build self-sufficiency for individuals and families in greater Atlanta. Our vision is a community of empowered lives; our mission, making hope and opportunity happen. JF&CS serves thousands of individuals annually regardless of age, race, religion, national origin or ability to pay. For more information about our entire array of services, please call 770.677.9300 or visit JFCSatl.org. The main office is located at 4549 Chamblee Dunwoody Road in Atlanta.

SOURCE Jewish Family & Career Services Atlanta
GOSSELIES, Belgium, May 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Tools4Patient, S.A., developer of tools to optimize and accelerate drug development programs, today announced it raised 4 million ($4.5 million) in an oversubscribed Series B equity financing round. New institutional investors include Innovation Fund and Sambrinvest. Existing investors also participated in the financing, including private investors Jean-Pierre Delwart, former CEO of Eurogentec, and Jean Stephenne, former president of GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals, and undisclosed individuals.

Proceeds from the financing will be used to advance commercialization of Placebell, Tools4Patient's product that limits the effect of the placebo response on clinical trials, and to expand the company's product portfolio. Placebell has been validated in peripheral neuropathic pain, and the company and its pharmaceutical customers are utilizing the technology in clinical trials in inflammation, osteoarthritis, CNS disease and other chronic pain conditions. Based on Placebell's versatility and the significance of high placebo response across therapeutic areas, Tools4Patient intends to expand its product portfolio to applications in neurology, psychiatry, dermatology, ophthalmology and women's health.

"We are grateful to our expanded roster of investors for their financial commitment as we gain significant commercial interest for Placebell and continue to diversify our product portfolio," said Dominique Demolle, Ph.D., chief executive officer of Tools4Patient. "Our team of drug development veterans identified placebo response as one of the most common and often confounding issues in clinical development. With an ingenious vision, we've unpacked the issue and designed a technology that can be applied to clinical trials for a broad range of therapeutic areas, and potentially bring needed therapies to patients faster."

"Tools4Patient addresses critical problems in clinical research, a major cost burden for the pharmaceutical sector and ultimately to society. The strong management team and board at Tools4Patient have extensive expertise in biopharmaceutical development and a unique mix of science, mathematics, engineering and business acumen. Innovation Fund is very confident in the future of the company," said Francois Cornelis, chairman of Innovation Fund.

"Sambrinvest has followed Tools4Patient from its debut and is pleased to invest in this promising young company that's thriving in the Biopark in Gosselies and extending its reach to the rest of Europe and the U.S.," added Anne Prignon, managing director of Sambrinvest.

The Placebell approach is the result of decades of observations and scientific research pertaining to the placebo response. Placebell is available to biotechnology, pharmaceutical, generic drug and device companies to improve evaluation of therapeutic efficacy by controlling for placebo response in randomized clinical trials. Use of this approach can translate to increased clinical trial power, reduced risk, decreased time and cost of drug development. Placebell integrates each clinical trial participant's detailed personality traits, disease characteristics and demographics into a model powered by an artificial intelligence-based algorithm. The model calculates the Placebell Covariate  a single value that describes each patient's placebo response. The Covariate can then be utilized in regulatory-compliant statistical analyses. Tools4Patient's validation studies in peripheral neuropathic pain demonstrate that Placebell can effectively distinguish between placebo responders and placebo non-responders. It reduced statistical variance by 30% in that patient population.

About Tools4Patient

Tools4Patient is a privately held innovator of analytical tools to optimize and accelerate the clinical development of new medicines. The company is commercializing Placebell, a solution that improves test sensitivity by characterizing and managing the individual placebo response in a variety of disease states where the placebo effect masks the true efficacy of potentially important therapies. Tools4Patient provides Placebell to pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies to assist them in bringing effective therapies to market earlier by increasing the robustness of clinical trial data. For more information, visit www.tools4patient.com.

SOURCE Tools4Patient

Related Links

http://www.tools4patient.com


NEW YORK, May 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The Vanadium sector continues to see rising demand for new projects, indicating a steady demand for the metal despite rise and fall in price over the last 18 months. According to a recently published report from Acumen Research and Consulting, the overall vanadium market size is still expected to be worth approximately US$ 56 billion by 2026. The long view of the sector has driven developments continue to flow from multiple vanadium companies including Delrey Metals Corp (OTC:DLRYF) (CSE:DLRY), Largo Resources (OTC:LGORF) (TSX:LGO), First Vanadium Corp. (TSX.V:FVAN) (OTC:FVANF), Bushveld Minerals Limited (OTC:BSHVF), and Alba Minerals Ltd. (TSX.V:AA)(OTC:AXVEF).

While there have been impressive upgrades happening on operations in places like Brazil, and South Africa, many of the newest vanadium projects seem to be arising in North Americasuch as the jumbo-sized Four Corners project in Newfoundland dubbed to be "one of the largest and most accessible vanadium projects in North America."

As it develops Four Corners, vanadium miners Delrey Metals Corp (OTC:DLRYF) (CSE:DLRY) have also been working on a series of important vanadium projects on the other side of Canada, on the British Columbian coast. Most recently, Delrey announced results from its Phase II prospecting program on its wholly-owned Star, Porcher and Blackie properties located along tide-water near the city of Prince Rupertreturning assays as high as 0.513 of Vanadium Pentoxide.

Four Corners, Star, Porcher, and Blackie are just a few of the multiple promising vanadium projects coming from North America. Other prominent plays in development are the Carlin Vanadium Deposit from First Vanadium Corp. in Nevada; and the Journey Exploration uranium-vanadium properties in Colorado and Utah from Alba Minerals Ltd.

Much of the international attention for vanadium projects of late has been given to Largo Resources Maracas Menchen Mine, in Bahia State, Brazil, and to Bushveld Minerals Limited which recently made a splash by acquiring a series of vanadium assets in South Africa.

Given the anticipated rising value of the vanadium market, it's understandable that new projects are underway. With its friendly mining jurisdictions and prolific amounts of potential vanadium deposits, Canada and the United States could become the next big vanadium markets.

Multi-Faceted Vanadium Approach

Recent results from Delrey Metals Corp (DLRYF)(DLRY) on the company's BC properties have shown an example of the potential of Canadian vanadium. On its Phase II work program, Delrey has been very encouraged by the consistency of Vanadium Pentoxide, titanium and iron enrichment identified by the work on all three properties.

With the encouragement, Delrey is working to establish up to 20 drill sites on the Blackie, Porcher, and Star properties. The work follows up on the strongest magnetic anomalies that were mapped during the Phase I airborne magnetic surveys reported on back on April 15, 2019.

"The Delrey team is very pleased with our Phase II results as the assays not only show excellent continuity with the previous Phase I geophysical anomalies, but include some impressive vanadium, iron and titanium grades," said Morgan Good, Delrey President, and CEO stated. "A systematic approach to exploration at Blackie, Porcher and Star has allowed us to put the second piece of the puzzle into place on our BC assets. We're optimistic we will be in a position to initiate our Phase III work program consisting of diamond drilling this summer at our Blackie, Porcher and Star properties, further enhancing the value of Delrey for its shareholders."

On the other side of the country, Delrey is finalizing negotiations on the Definitive Agreements for the option to earn 80% of the very large Four Corners Project in Newfoundland and Labrador. With the addition of the project, Delrey has a clear cut flagship project, based on the enormous 5,157 hectares of property space, with potentially billions of tonnes targeted.

One of the Largest, Most Accessible Vanadium Projects in North America

Back in 2012, global firm SRK Consulting (US) Inc. performed work on what is the Four Corners project. The firm's initial metallurgical results yielded an impressive >90% Vanadium Pentoxide and >80% Titanium dioxide recovery. What's perhaps more impressive is how historic work estimated the property to contain up to 2.37 billion tonnes of vanadium-bearing titaniferous magnetitewhich must be noted is a number still yet to be brought into modern NI43-101 compliance.

The blue-sky potential of this magnitude is rare for companies of Delrey's size (market cap of less than US$5 million).

With a 2012 report's speculative tonnage of potentially billions of tonnes of mineralized rock, Delrey's website can state that the project "conservatively represents a potential target of over 2 billion tonnes.

It's now up to Delrey Metals Corp (OTC:DLRYF) (CSE:DLRY) to continue working on the property with modern methods, to bring the property into complianceand ultimately allow them to add billions to the company's official resource tally.

Preliminary surface sampling across the mineralized zone assayed >40% Iron, 5% Titanium, and 0.30% Vanadium Pentoxide with individual assays returning as high as 56.92% Iron, 15.13% Titanium, and 0.39% Vanadium Pentoxide.

"This latest acquisition provides further exposure for Delrey and its shareholders within the battery metals sector, which is driving the global change in energy storage," said Delrey's President and CEO, Morgan Good in the latest press release. "We're excited to be in a strong position with the Four Corners Project acquisition in a favorable jurisdiction like Newfoundland and Labrador, as the potential size and scale of this asset are remarkable."

Additional Vanadium Developments

Outside of Canada, there have been multiple other North American vanadium developments, in the United States. Alba Minerals Ltd. (TSX-V:AA) (OTCPK:AXVEF) recently entered into an agreement to acquire Journey Exploration and its 100% interest in five prospective vanadium and uranium properties in Colorado and Utah. Alba believes the projects are in and adjacent to the Uravan Mineral Belt, which has had significant work done since 1881.

In the prolific mining jurisdiction of Nevada, First Vanadium Corp. (TSX-V:FVAN) (OTCQX:FVANF) is working on its Carlin Vanadium Deposit. The company recently announced it had acquired historical data on the property which extends the strike length of the deposit a further 300 meters to the south on the property. Two drill holes and two trenches by Union Carbide in 1968 which reported strong vanadium grades. The extension amounted to a 15% gain in strike length, which according to the company remains open to the south on the property.

Outside of North America, Largo Resources (OTCQX:LGORF) (TSX:LGO) is already producing at record levels. Production at its Maracas Menchen Mine in Brazil has been consistently rising, as Largo continues to focus its efforts completely on the production of vanadium flake, high-purity vanadium flake, and high-purity vanadium powder. In 2018, the mine's CAD$521.4 million in revenue was a record breaker, putting forth an impressive 211% year over year increase.

Perhaps the next big vanadium player could be Bushveld Minerals Limited (OTC:BSHVF) which recently doubled down to significantly increase its vanadium production. Through a series of acquisitions in South Africa, the low-cost integrated miner added to its portfolio the Vametco vanadium mine and processing plant which is currently in phase 2. These additions compliment Bushveld's own energy storage subsidiary as part of a strategy to establish itself as a fully integrated vanadium business.

For a FREE research report on Delrey Metals Corp (OTCPK:DLRYF) (CSE:DLRY), visit www.microsmallcap.com

Disclaimer: Microsmallcap.com (MSC) is the source of the Article and content set forth above. References to any issuer other than the profiled issuer are intended solely to identify industry participants and do not constitute an endorsement of any issuer and do not constitute a comparison to the profiled issuer. FN Media Group (FNM) is a third-party publisher and news dissemination service provider, which disseminates electronic information through multiple online media channels. FNM is NOT affiliated with MSC or any company mentioned herein. The commentary, views and opinions expressed in this release by MSC are solely those of MSC and are not shared by and do not reflect in any manner the views or opinions of FNM. Readers of this Article and content agree that they cannot and will not seek to hold liable MSC and FNM for any investment decisions by their readers or subscribers. MSC and FNM and their respective affiliated companies are a news dissemination and financial marketing solutions provider and are NOT registered broker-dealers/analysts/investment advisers, hold no investment licenses and may NOT sell, offer to sell or offer to buy any security.

The Article and content related to the profiled company represent the personal and subjective views of the Author (MSC), and are subject to change at any time without notice. The information provided in the Article and the content has been obtained from sources which the Author believes to be reliable. However, the Author (MSC) has not independently verified or otherwise investigated all such information. None of the Author, MSC, FNM, or any of their respective affiliates, guarantee the accuracy or completeness of any such information. This Article and content are not, and should not be regarded as investment advice or as a recommendation regarding any particular security or course of action; readers are strongly urged to speak with their own investment advisor and review all of the profiled issuer's filings made with the Securities and Exchange Commission before making any investment decisions and should understand the risks associated with an investment in the profiled issuer's securities, including, but not limited to, the complete loss of your investment. FNM was not compensated by any public company mentioned herein to disseminate this press release but was compensated twenty five hundred dollars by MSC, a non-affiliated third party to distribute this release on behalf of Delrey Metals Corp

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This release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended and such forward-looking statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. "Forward-looking statements" describe future expectations, plans, results, or strategies and are generally preceded by words such as "may", "future", "plan" or "planned", "will" or "should", "expected," "anticipates", "draft", "eventually" or "projected". You are cautioned that such statements are subject to a multitude of risks and uncertainties that could cause future circumstances, events, or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements, including the risks that actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, and other risks identified in a company's annual report on Form 10-K or 10-KSB and other filings made by such company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. You should consider these factors in evaluating the forward-looking statements included herein, and not place undue reliance on such statements. The forward-looking statements in this release are made as of the date hereof and MSC and FNM undertake no obligation to update such statements.

Media Contact:

FN Media Group, LLC

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SOURCE Microsmallcap.com
The online survey of approximately 250 military families inquired about family, financial, and lifestyle issues. The results were surprising, improving in some areas and falling in others compared to one year ago.

Highlights include:

75% of respondents said lack of long-term savings is their biggest concern

Nearly 8 out of 10 are spending the same or more than last year

72% are worried about future deployments (an 18% increase over 2018)

1 in 3 % do not expect their spouse to still be serving in two years (30% say this is a result of changes in retirement/benefits)

33% say mental/emotional stress is their biggest relationship strain

20% have more credit card debt than 12 months ago. 1 in 5 have more than $10,000 in credit card debt

Survey results and findings, along with a results Infographic and a Blog, are all available on Pioneer's website at MAM19.info. Findings from the 2019 Military Family/Spouse Survey are being shared with military leaders, policymakers, and military advocacy organizations to generate greater awareness for military families and the issues they face.

Pioneer Services works every day to show their appreciation to the military families, as they have for nearly 30 years while assisting more than 1.4 million military families. For more information on the company, visit PioneerServices.com.

Contact:

Scott Cahill, Corporate Communications

Pioneer Services, a Division of MidCountry Bank

[email protected]

ph: 816-756-2020

SOURCE Pioneer Services, a Division of MidCountry Bank

Related Links

https://www.pioneermilitaryloans.com/pioneer-services


Winners Will Be Honored At Gala Event By The U.N. Secretary-General H.E. Antonio Guterres Friday, December 6th, 2019 At Cipriani Wall Street, New York.

NEW YORK, May 16, 2019 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ -- The United Nations Correspondents Association (UNCA) invites media worldwide to submit entries for its 24th annual UNCA Awards for the best print, broadcast (TV & Radio) and online, web-based media coverage of the United Nations, U.N. agencies and field operations.

Deadline for submissions is September 15, 2019

The awards are open to all journalists anywhere in the world. The Awards are:

The Elizabeth Neuffer Memorial Prize, sponsored by the Alexander Bodini Foundation, for written media (including online media). The prize is for print and online coverage of the U.N. and U.N. agencies, named in honor of Elizabeth Neuffer , The Boston Globe bureau chief at the U.N., who died while on an assignment in Baghdad in 2003. The Ricardo Ortega Memorial Prize, sponsored by the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations, for broadcast (TV & Radio) media. The prize is for broadcast coverage of the U.N. and U.N. agencies, named in honor of Ricardo Ortega , formerly the New York correspondent for Antena 3 TV of Spain , who died while on an assignment in Haiti in 2004. The Prince Albert II of Monaco and UNCA Global Prize for Climate Change. The prize is for print (including online media) and broadcast media (TV & Radio) for coverage of climate change, biodiversity, and water.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR APPLICANTS:

Coverage of the U.N. and U.N. agencies is specified in each category; the committee welcomes coverage of all issues particularly on the Sustainable Development Goals for 2030, peacekeeping operations and nonproliferation, including the elimination of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons.

Work in print, broadcast (TV & Radio) and online coverage must be published between September 2018 and August 2019.

The judges will look for entries with impact, insight and originality, and will consider the courage and investigative and reporting skills of the journalists. Special attention will be given to the originality of daily coverage and breaking news from U.N. Headquarters. Entries from the developing world media are particularly welcome.

Entries can be submitted in any of the official U.N. languages (English, French, Arabic, Chinese, Spanish, and Russian), however a written transcript in English or French is necessary to facilitate the judging process.

Each candidate can submit to no more than two (2) prize categories, with a maximum of three (3) stories in each. Joint entries are accepted.

Electronic files and web links uploaded to the online Entry Form are required .

HOW TO SUBMIT YOUR ENTRY:

Entries are submitted online by completing the UNCA Awards Entry Form.

On the first page, please complete your personal information and upload your photo.

The following page is where you will submit your work electronically by uploading web links and/or files directly to the Entry Form.

** Electronic entries are mandatory **

All entries must be received by September 15th, 2019

For Questions regarding UNCA Awards & entries please contact:

The UNCA Office, 1-212-963-7137.

Or send an email to [email protected]

CLICK ON THE ENTRY FORM BELOW TO GET STARTED:



ENTRY FORM

http://unca.com/unca-awards-call-for-submissions-form/

UNCA Awards Committee : Valeria Robecco (UNCA President), Giampaolo Pioli (Awards Chairman), ), Jianguo Ma (UNCA Second Vice President), Luke Vargas (UNCA Third Vice President), Seana Magee (UNCA Secretary), Tuyet Nguyen (Awards Selections Coordinator), Sherwin Bryce-Pease (UNCA Executive Member), Maria Khrenova (UNCA Executive Member), Betul Yuruk (UNCA Executive Member).

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/888713/unca_blue_Logo.jpg

SOURCE United Nations Correspondents Association

Related Links

http://unca.com


LEEDS, England, May 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- 4D pharma plc (AIM: DDDD), a pharmaceutical company focusing on the development of Live Biotherapeutics, today announced that data from the completed Phase Ib clinical study of Thetanix for the treatment of Crohn's disease will be presented on 18 May in a poster session at the 2019 Digestive Disease Week meeting in San Diego. The poster was nominated as a "Poster of Distinction" within the top 10% of posters submitted to the congress. The Company has previously announced the top-line results from this study.

The randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study was conducted in two parts, with a single-dose phase and a multiple-dose phase and treated a total of 18 adolescent patients with Crohn's disease. In the single-dose phase, eight subjects were given a single dose of either Thetanix or placebo. In the multiple-dose phase, 10 subjects were given either Thetanix or placebo twice daily for seven consecutive days.

This study met its primary objective, demonstrating that Thetanix was well tolerated with a good safety profile.

The Lead Investigator Richard Hansen, Consultant Paediatric Gastroenterologist, Royal Hospital for Children, Glasgow will also give an oral presentation on this data at the 52nd Annual Meeting of the European Society for Paediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (ESPGHAN) in Glasgow, UK, on 7 June 2019.



The poster and presentation from these meetings will be made available on the 4D website in due course.

About 4D

Founded in February 2014, 4D is a world leader in the development of Live Biotherapeutics, a novel and emerging class of drugs, defined by the FDA as biological products that contain a live organism, such as a bacterium, that is applicable to the prevention, treatment or cure of a disease. 4D has developed a proprietary platform, MicroRx, that rationally identifies novel bacteria based on a deep understanding of function and mechanism. 4D's Live Biotherapeutic products are orally delivered single strains of bacteria that are naturally found in the healthy human gut. 4D has three clinical studies in progress, namely a Phase II clinical study of Blautix in Irritable Bowel Syndrome, a Phase I/II study of MRx0518 in combination with Keytruda in solid tumours and a Phase I study of MRx0518 in a neoadjuvant setting for patients with solid tumours. Other focus programmes include disease areas such as asthma and CNS disease.

About Crohn's Disease

Crohn's disease is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease which can occur in any part of the gastro-intestinal tract, but primarily affects the small intestine. Patients suffer from diarrhoea, rectal bleeding and abdominal pain. Many often require long-term medical therapy, are repeatedly hospitalised and may even require surgical intervention. Crohn's disease remains an area of significant unmet medical need. In the mild-to-moderate population, patients are typically treated with long-term immunosuppressants, which are not effective in all individuals and often lead to the development of severe side effects. Safe and effective novel drugs are needed to provide improved treatment options for patients, particularly in the maintenance therapy setting. The global market for Crohn's disease was worth $10.4 billion in 2017 and is expected to grow to approximately $11.5 billion by 2024.

Paediatric CD is a severe condition with additional health impacts such as impaired development and growth retardation. The frequency of extensive disease with more severe lower bowel involvement is much more common in the paediatric population than in adults. Immunomodulators, biologics and steroids, whilst used widely to treat the adult population are often considered too aggressive for use in children and there is a clear unmet need for safe and effective long-term alternatives to these products.

About Thetanix

Thetanix is a single-strain Live Biotherapeutic candidate in development for the treatment of Crohn's disease. It acts upstream of many biologics that are approved for Crohn's disease and inhibits NF-B activation which has been found to be overactive in many inflammatory diseases. A pirin-like protein (PLP) produced by the bacteria has been identified as a candidate effector molecule. In addition to showing efficacy in multiple preclinical models of Inflammatory Bowel Disease, the Phase Ib study demonstrated safety and tolerability and a Phase II study is being planned. Thetanix has orphan drug designation for paediatric Crohn's disease.

For further information please contact 4D:

Duncan Peyton

Chief Executive Officer

+44 (0)113-895-0130

Fay Weston

Head of Investor Relations

+44 (0)7990-381713

SOURCE 4D pharma plc
WASHINGTON, May 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- In recent years, Asian Americans' lawsuit against Harvard University has brought national attention to the issue of anti-Asian discrimination in college admissions and the fate of race-based college admissions. These eminent topics of the time are related to much broader issues in our nation's education system: the prevalence of failing public schools in especially minority communities and politicians' attempts to expand racial balancing into K-12 education at various levels, to name a few.

Our nation calls for meaningful and sustainable solutions to address:

Anti-Asian discrimination in college admissions and beyond. The root causes of the achievement gap in education among different racial groups; Pitfalls of race-based admissions in the aspect of giving true help to disadvantaged families; Better ways to achieve racial diversity in our colleges; The proper roles of the Federal Government and the media in a national dialogue on equal education rights.

To examine these important topics, Asian American Coalition for Education (AACE) will host The First National Conference on Equal Education Rights on Monday, May 20th, 2019, 8:30 AM -4:30 PM EST at the National Press Club in Washington, DC ( 529 14th Street NW., Washington, DC, 20045 ). Taking an in-depth look into broad issues related to equal education rights, this historic conference will feature presentations and speeches by leading scholars, community leaders and government officials from all racial backgrounds.

Ms. Holly Ham, Executive Director of White House Initiative on AAPIs, will be delivering the keynote speech at this important conference. As another highlight of the event, Mr. Kenneth Marcus, U.S. Assistant Secretary of Education, will address equal protection of the laws for all American children. Other distinguished speakers include: Mr. Edward Blum, Mr. Ward Connerly, Mr. Lee Cheng, Dr. Richard Sander, Mr. Ron Lessard, Dr. Neal McCluskey, Ms. Wai Wah Chin, Mr. Hans A. von Spakovsky, Mr. Mike Gonzalez, Mr. Scott Jaschik, Ms. Swan Lee and Mr. Yukong Zhao.

In this spirit, AACE cordially invites education policy makers, researchers, educators, Asian-American community leaders and interested citizens to attend our upcoming event. We also welcome all journalists and members of the press to cover this conference.

To find out more about this historical conference and to register, please visit: http://asianamericanforeducation.org/en/conf_registration/

Asian American Coalition for Education

www.asianamericanforeducation.org

SOURCE Asian American Coalition for Education

Related Links

http://www.asianamericanforeducation.org


Saroufim is a Graphic Designer and Illustrator, who graduated in 2018 as a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design from the American University of Beirut. Her minimalist and thought - provoking style is carried throughout her designs and her winning artwork is no different.

Saroufim was carefully selected by a jury panel consisting of some of the world's leading creative voices, including New York based artist, Mickalene Thomas, founding director of the London based Delaphina Institute, Aaron Cezar, and Indian based, artist and curator, Bose Krishnamachari.

Creating a design showcasing her vision of a better tomorrow, Sarah has expressed her own personal design to carry a message of a more open, equal and inclusive world with her winning artwork to express her statement.

She states: The more we talk about mental illness, the closer we get to overcoming it. I expressed this idea using the pun 'Don't keep things bottled up' and an overflow of expression symbolised by speech bubbles.

Sarah Saroufim said "I'm so honoured to have won Absolut's Creative Competition. This message is so important to me as I'm not the easiest nut to crack. I don't open up so easily but when I do, it makes it so much easier to manage the every day. I hope everyone will learn from this message and see the power of expressing themselves."

Over the last four decades, Absolut has worked with over 550 of the world's boldest artists, resulting in over 800 art pieces being created. Now selected among local winners from 18 other countries around the globe, Sarah Saroufim will be following in the footsteps of iconic artists that Absolut has previously collaborated with, including Keith Karing, Romero Britto, Arman Armand and Maurizio Cattelan.

Artist and jury member, Mickalene Thomas, said "We're pleased to announce the final winner, Sarah Saroufim from Lebanon, as Absolut's new creative collaboration. This is an incredible achievement to be selected from so many entrants and to be chosen amongst 18 other country winners. Sarah's artwork really stood out and the whole jury panel felt that her design reflected and brought to life the beliefs and values that channel Absolut through her artwork.

We're excited to see what the next chapter holds for Sarah and we will see her piece take pride of place in an iconic OOH location to share with people around the world."

Artist and jury member, Aaron Cezar, said: "Sarah's award-winning entry to the Absolut Creative Competition speaks to the urgencies of this time. In an era of post-truth, Saroufim reminds us of the power of having a voice to not only to express but to expose. In Sarah's statement, she expresses her need to overcome mental illness but her work transcends this and demonstrates its strength visually.

While the text 'Don't Keep Things Bottled Up' can be seen as a warning - or be taken as good advice - it can also be read as a playful invitation to let loose and relieve stress and to enjoy sharing the company of others. This involves another kind of opening up, one of friendship, which is the only way in which we can overcome the complex realities, by remembering of Absolut's brand beliefs: No matter where we come from, We are all human."

Artist and jury member, Bose Krishnamachari, said: "Saroufim's work reminds me of one of my curatorial projects in China. The bottled up liquid and liberated bubbles forms the present, for now. We may fill up the bubble with our imagination, a participatory space created by Sarah and, ultimately liberated to Absolut freedom. Her work of simplicity, pressure and pleasure of human imagination, 'For an Image, Faster than light'.

Congratulations to all 19 national winners and the absolute, Absolut achiever for greater works and an inspirational world!"

With the aim to celebrate creativity and harness the power artists have to envision and create a better tomorrow, Absolut launched the global Creative Competition in November 2018 with the mission to find the next bold creative voice of the brand. Saroufim's artwork will be displayed on a globally iconic OOH site and she will receive a 20,000 cash prize.

SOURCE The Absolut Company
Called " A Celebration of Aerospace Growth in South Carolina ," this ribbon-cutting event highlights the global growth of ACL Airshop . The company has doubled in the past three years. Its fleet of Unit Load Devices such as air cargo pallets and containers ("ULD's") has doubled through aggressive internal investment from under 25,000 units to over 50,000 and steadily increasing. Its supply chain for manufacturing resources stretches from Germany to China and Taiwan, and is now anchored by the large South Carolina production center. The company has doubled its service footprint to more than half of the world's Top 100 air cargo hub airports.

The new factory is located at 500 Park Commerce Road, Greenville SC 29611. Government officials and business leaders from the region will attend the celebration, plus employees and families, suppliers, and industry partners. The developer, general contractor team, architect, realty project managers, and others who created this landmark facility will be present.

Steve Townes, CEO of ACL Airshop and founder of Ranger Aerospace, said: "We could have outsourced this entire expansion to lower cost overseas locations, but instead we made a deliberate decision to build and grow right here at home. All around the world, we are continuously improving ACL Airshop with better capacity, upgraded facilities, new technology and logistics systems offerings, and other enhancements for our many scores of airlines customers."

South Carolina is one of the fastest growing states in the USA's aerospace industry, and the Southeast USA is one of the fastest growing regional concentrations of aerospace and aviation-related enterprises in the world.

ACL Airshop recently won the 2019 "Top Workplaces" award as a strong employer. With service presence on six continents, ACL Airshop manufactures, sells, leases, repairs, and logistically manages ULD fleets for airlines clients. The company is especially adept at short-term leasing solutions when customers need spares at times of peak or unexpected loads. ACL Airshop also offers long-term multiyear ULD fleet management programs coupled with its sophisticated ULD Control logistics services and even Bluetooth real-time tracking and tracing.

ACL Airshop continues expanding geographically to keep pace with rising industry trends, and investing for growth in each of its lines of business. The company's strategic mantra is "Grow the Network," developing scale and efficiency as its worldwide services system expands. Over the past 35 years, ACL Airshop has become a leading worldwide one-stop shop for leasing, sales, repairs, logistics control of Unit Load Devices, and cargo control manufacturing.

ACL Airshop LLC is a wholly owned subsidiary of Ranger Airshop Holdings, Inc., the latest aerospace consolidation platform created by Ranger Aerospace and its 4 large institutional investment partners. Ranger Aerospace, founded in Greenville SC in early 1997, has a long track record of buying and building-up aviation services companies to considerable scale, in partnership with large institutional co-investors. Past successes have included "ASIG," Keystone Helicopter, and Ranger International Services Group.

For more information: www.aclairshop.com and www.rangeraerospace.com.

Forward Looking Statements: The Companies mentioned in this News Release from time to time may discuss forward-looking information. Except for factual historical information, all forward looking statements are estimates by the Companies' management and are subject to various risks and uncertainties that are beyond the Companies' control and may cause actual results to differ materially from management's expectations.

SOURCE Ranger Aerospace

Related Links

http://www.aclairshop.com


Frutarom former CEO and shareholder, Ori Yehudai, is joining a new venture in the cannabis world. After selling the successful company last year for $7.1 billion, he is now investing as partner and assuming as an active chairman, leading the Sade Group to triumph. He is joined in the company of multi-billionaire, international businessman, Yakir Gabay, a German real estate tycoon whom is a major shareholder and partner in the Sade Group. Also joined by businessman, Ran Nussbaum, co-founder and managing partner of The Pontifax Group, a capital firm investing in pharmaceutical and life sciences companies. With joint efforts, the company is currently raising funds to expand into new acquisitions. Sources close to the company expect that it will soon raise more significant funds, which will enable it to implement plans to expand the business to markets throughout Europe and other markets.

Sade Group is a full-vertical company that covers from seed to cannabis-based pharmaceutical products. The company is geared to be one of the most advanced, quality-driven medicinal cannabis companies today. Their knowledge of the cannabis plant - from its genetics to the final product - enable them to bring superior products to market and advance patient care. The Sade Group expanded on its knowledge of growing for research purposes  and up-scaled it to global and commercial growing. Now planning to develop unique strains based on clinical research, and the transition to industrial production will ultimately allow the company to build highly recognized brands. The company plans to operate channels in the fields of medicine, food and cosmetics.

Ori Yehudai added: "After deep examination of this very young industry, I have finally found a company with a mature strategy and a skilled multidisciplinary team that will make Sade the de-facto leader in this space. In the next six months, we will complete the company's foundation, so that it can become one of the world's leading companies, we will need substantial funding and we will mobilize it."

For further info:

Tel #305-933-4646 / E-mail: [email protected]

SOURCE Sade Group
OWINGS MILLS, Md., May 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Awakenings Recovery Center, located in Hagerstown, Maryland, is the newest center that has been added to the Amatus Health family. Awakenings is a 51 bed residential treatment center and will be working with Maryland residents with medicaid.

Awakenings Recovery Centers' grand opening was held on May 9th from 11 A.M to 3 P.M. Tom Riford, Assistant Secretary of Commerce, was the Master of Ceremonies. Awakenings Recovery Center received citations and special recognition and appreciation from The Mayor and City Council of Hagerstown, Maryland General Assembly, the Governor of the State of Maryland, Chris Van Hollen United States Senator, Washington County local Addiction Authority and Congressional Recognition.

These citations applauded Awakenings Recovery Center for their commitment to providing high quality residential treatment for substance abuse and co-occurring mental health disorders.

"We are proud to have this opportunity to be a part of the solution in Hagerstown. We are excited to watch this community recover by helping those who are suffering with the disease of addiction. I can't wait to see this program transform lives and grow," said Dawn Jennings, CSC-AD, Awakenings Executive Director.

Awakenings Recovery Center is the third Amatus Health facility in the state of Maryland, and first Amatus Health residential program servicing those with medicaid in the state.

"This is our third facility in Maryland, and the impact that we have seen already is tremendous. We always want to bring our services to areas that need us the most, and we are proud of the job we are doing. Accepting Medicaid will allow the center to respond to people seeking treatment and allow our recovery network to be more inclusive," said Michael Silberman, Chief Operating Officer of Amatus Health.

CONTACT:

Chief Operating Officer Michael Silberman

[email protected]

SOURCE Amatus Health
WASHINGTON, May 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the American College of Surgeons (ACS) announced its opposition to the legislation introduced by Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA) titled "Stop Surprise Medical Bills." Unfortunately, the legislation is written in a manner that provides unbalanced power to the health insurance industry.

In setting payment rates for out-of-network physicians, the legislation uses insurer-dictated median in-network rates as the amount the plan pays the physician. This approach will likely have two major consequences:

For those physicians who want to be part of the health plans network, the ability to negotiate a payment rate with the health plan will be unfairly biased towards the plan.

For those physicians who are currently in-network and paid above the median in-network rate, the health plan will have the unfettered power to lower the rate paid to those physicians with no realistic alternative for the physician.

While the American College of Surgeons supports an arbitration process, this legislation allows the health plans to include the costs of arbitration as part of "medical care costs" in their medical loss ratio. This legislation once again gives the health plans a generous gift as they work to manipulate health care costs to their advantage.

Further, the bill allows the arbitrator to use insurance-controlled data rather than an independent database for benchmarking purposes. The ACS believes that an independent database, such as FAIR Health, which is used successfully in New York, is essential to maintaining the integrity of the arbitration process.

The American College of Surgeons is committed to working with Congress to develop legislation that would address the important issue of surprise medical billing. Such a solution should strike a balance between hospitals, insurers and physicians, while keeping patients out of the middle. The ACS believes that this legislation needs to be developed in a holistic manner, whereby all the root causes of this problem are appropriately addressed. Unfortunately, the proposal released today does not accomplish this goal.

About the American College of Surgeons

The American College of Surgeons is a scientific and educational organization of surgeons that was founded in 1913 to raise the standards of surgical practice and improve the quality of care for surgical patients. The College is dedicated to the ethical and competent practice of surgery. Its achievements have significantly influenced the course of scientific surgery in America and have established it as an important advocate for all surgical patients. The College has more than 82,000 members and is the largest organization of surgeons in the world. For more information, visit www.facs.org.

SOURCE American College of Surgeons

Related Links

http://www.facs.org


ARLINGTON, Va., May 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, American Trucking Associations launched its search to recognize boosters of the trucking industry's image with this year's Mike Russell Trucking Image Award.

"One of ATA's core convictions is to showcase and constantly improve the trucking industry's reputation as a vital conduit of economic activity full of highly-trained professionals who prioritize safety in all that they do," said ATA President and CEO Chris Spear. "The Mike Russell Trucking Image Award honors the men and women behind innovative efforts to spread our industry's messages of safety, essentiality and professionalism."

Sponsored by HireRight for the fifth consecutive year, the award is given to an individual, motor carrier, trucking organization and industry supplier who demonstrate excellence in illustrating the industry's essentiality, safety-first approach to doing business, and professionalism.

Last year, ATA recognized the Tennessee Trucking Association Foundation, Werner Enterprises, Pilot Flying J and America's Road Team Captain Don Logan for their contributions to the industry's image. Examples of their efforts include support for local non-profits, the adoption of image-improving trailer wrap graphics, participation in veterans hiring programs and other innovative programs aimed at brandishing trucking's positive image.

"By telling our industry's story, Mike Russell Trucking Image Award winners and nominees do a tremendous service to our industry," said ATA Executive Vice President of Industry Affairs Elisabeth Barna. "Data confirms that the more members of the general motoring public who meet a trucking professional, the more likely they are to have a positive view of our industry. When people have positive views about our industry, they become grassroots advocates for trucking's priorities like workforce development and improved infrastructure."

Image and outreach efforts, like Trucking Moves America Forward, help the trucking industry counter anti-truck messages played out in local and national media outlets. Without the support of past Mike Russell Trucking Image Award recipients and nominees, the benefits of an improved image of the trucking industry would not be possible.

"When we look at ways to create a larger labor market for trucking, one of the solutions is enhancing the image of the trucking perception through outreach to the general public, creative advertising campaigns or incentivizing professionalism throughout the work day," said Todd Simo, MD, vice president of business development for transportation and chief medical officer, HireRight. "The Mike Russell Trucking Image Awards are important because they recognize the leading contributors to those efforts  people and organizations who work hard to make our industry more attractive to the job seekers, the media, and members of the motoring public."

Mike Russell Trucking Image submissions are evaluated by an expert, impartial panel of judges based on creativity, frequency, impact, and execution. Visit the official nomination page to find out more about the award and how to submit a nomination.

Completed applications should be submitted by August 2 to ATA's Industry Affairs Department. The winners of the Mike Russell Trucking Image Award will be announced October 5-9 during the American Trucking Associations' Management Conference and Exhibition in San Diego, California.

American Trucking Associations is the largest national trade association for the trucking industry. Through a federation of 50 affiliated state trucking associations and industry-related conferences and councils, ATA is the voice of the industry America depends on most to move our nation's freight. Follow ATA on Twitter or on Facebook. Trucking Moves America Forward.

SOURCE American Trucking Associations

Related Links

http://www.trucking.org


BOSTON, May 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Beacon Hill Staffing Group recently opened its 53rd location, laying down roots in Glenview, Illinois. The new office opens with Beacon Hill Associates, Beacon Hill's administrative staffing division. With this addition, the Associates division now operates in 13 Beacon Hill locations including Alpharetta, Atlanta, Austin, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Cleveland, Dallas, New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Washington, D.C., and now Glenview, IL.

Leading Beacon Hill Associates in Glenview is Division Manager, Lindsey Liefer. Prior to joining Beacon Hill, Ms. Liefer was a top national producer and Division Director for an international and local staffing firm. Ms. Liefer led business development and recruiting activities and managed teams of consultants. She brings a decade of extensive staffing, business development, and management experience. From large scale projects for Fortune 500 companies to individualized assignments for small businesses, Ms. Liefer has earned a reputation for her passionate understanding of client needs and for providing top notch service while delivering valuable talent solutions.

"I am so fortunate to be part of such an incredible company and am truly honored to open a new Beacon Hill office right in my hometown of Glenview," said Ms. Liefer. "Our team is fired up with the endless amount of opportunity in the Chicago suburbs and laser focused on delivering the absolute best service and talent to our clients. Go Team Glenview!"

"Lindsey Liefer joined Beacon Hill in 2018 with a great reputation in the industry for personal, quality service and an ability to operate at a very high level. In just her first year with Beacon Hill, she demonstrated that and more. Lindsey's infectious spirit, outstanding work ethic, and interest in building a new community of talent and clients in Chicago's northern suburbs made her just the right person to launch Beacon Hill Associates' second office in the Chicagoland area," notes Elizabeth Pirrie, Regional Director of Beacon Hill Associates Chicago. "Alongside Meghan Ledden, Senior Staffing Consultant, Lindsey will be partnering with hiring managers from businesses large and small to tackle their staffing challenges with temporary, temp to hire, and permanent solutions in this continuously tight labor market. The relationships they already fostered make them a formidable competitor, even as a start-up, and their laser focus on delivering quality results for their clients and candidates will quickly make them a household name in Glenview and surrounding suburbs. I am so happy to see them flourish and for Beacon Hill Associates Glenview to become the area's premier administrative staffing provider."

SOURCE Beacon Hill Staffing Group

Related Links

http://www.beaconhillstaffing.com


LOS ANGELES, May 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Today Beyorch (beyork) launches a three-tier program for businesses looking to raise capital without forgoing any business equity.

"The three-tier Beyorch Professional Services plan allows business owners to retain their equity and instead pay a flat fee in an effort to raise capital to grow their businesses, while experiencing the effects of a stock exchange without having to go public," said Andre Villeroy, CEO of Beyorch. "This plan is something long overdue in the Fintech space."

Businesses looking to raise capital can choose from one of three plans: https://beyorch.com/pioneering-markets/

The Business Tier is for businesses looking to raise $60 million over three years.

The Enterprise Tier is for businesses looking to raise $150 million over three years.

The Fortune 1 Tier is for businesses looking to raise $500 million over three years.

To become a Beyorch Professional Services client, companies need to maintain an average daily balance of $1 million or more.

"If your total balance doesn't meet our requirements, we may work with you to determine an alternative Beyorch product," Villeroy said.

Business owners will have the opportunity to work with a Beyorch corporate manager, a Beyorch specialist and a professional service advisor as they navigate the money-raising process.

"We make customer service a top priority at Beyorch," Villeroy added. "We want your experience to be top notch."

Some of the ways Beyorch is different is that they allow everyday investors the opportunity to invest in the Beyorch Exchange with as little as $1,000. Traditionally, when it comes to private equity investing, investors have had to invest as much as $200,000 to participate.

"We wanted to offer something for the middle class," Villeroy added. "We see this as a way to level the playing field by allowing for monthly dividends from 8 to 20 percent that don't coincide with exhausting fees."

For subscription information please visit https://beyorch.com/beyorch-exchange-reimagined/

Beyorch is located in the financial district of downtown Los Angeles. To contact a Beyorch representative click the following link: https://go.beyorch.com/connect.html

SOURCE Beyorch

Related Links

http://beyorch.com


NEW YORK, May 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Blood tests that track the amount of tumor DNA can  after only one month of drug therapy  detect how well treatment is working in patients with skin cancer, a new study finds.

Led by researchers from NYU School of Medicine and Perlmutter Cancer Center, the study takes advantage of the nature of cancer cells, which die and are replaced by new cells continuously as part of aggressive cancer growth. Tumor cells burst as they die, spilling their DNA into the bloodstream, where it can be measured by tests, enabling improved diagnosis and better targeting of treatment based on each individual tumor's DNA.

For the new study, researchers traced circulating tumor DNA or ctDNA for the cancer gene BRAF, a gene that plays a key role in many melanomas, the most deadly form of skin cancer. In the United States, more than 7,200 individuals are expected to die from metastatic melanoma in 2019, with BRAF mutations playing a role in nearly half of such diagnoses, according to the Skin Cancer Foundation.

"Our study offers firm evidence that tracking this genetic information may be helpful in identifying patients whose cancers shrink and who survive longer as a result of a particular drug regimen," says senior study investigator David Polsky, MD, PhD, the Alfred W. Kopf, MD, Professor of Dermatologic Oncology at NYU Langone Health.

For the study, being presented at the 2019 American Society of Clinical Oncology annual meeting on June 1 in Chicago, researchers analyzed blood samples from 345 male and female patients with stage III or IV melanoma, which had already spread from the skin to other organs, and who had BRAF mutations.

These patients could not be treated surgically and were part of a larger group of patients participating in a clinical trial of the drugs dabrafenib and trametinib, designed to target BRAF-mutated cancers.

Among the study's key findings was that the tumor's BRAF mutation could be detected by the new blood test in 93 percent of the patients before treatment started. In addition, the research team found that BRAF ctDNA levels were no longer detectable after one month of therapy in the 40 percent of patients who had a positive clinical outcome after targeted therapy (as measured by an average survival time of 28 months). By contrast, the 60 percent of patients who did not respond as well still had detectable ctDNA levels, and survived for an average of just 14 months.

Polsky and his colleagues say this test appears to be more revealing than the current standard test, which measures lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), an enzyme often elevated by melanoma, because fluctuations in LDH often do not accurately predict treatment success or failure.

The typical method of identifying disease progression for these melanoma patients is through CT scans every three months, but Polsky says the blood test in the current study, noted as the largest BRAF detection rate in patients' blood to date, suggests it may be helpful to doctors because these tests can be done more frequently and efficiently, and results could be available within a few days.

"If further testing proves successful, monitoring blood samples for BRAF could give us an early indication of whether or not we need to adjust a patient's treatment plan," says Polsky, dermatologist and director of the pigmented lesion service at NYU Langone.

Researchers next plan to test the efficacy of monitoring patient blood samples over longer periods of time, such as several months. They also hope to open a clinical trial to determine whether treatment decisions based on these test results improves patient survival.

Novartis Pharmaceuticals of East Hanover, New Jersey, funded the clinical trial of their drugs, and provided the blood samples and clinical data used in the study, which they also funded. The ctDNA test was developed by Bio-Rad Laboratories in Hercules, California.

Besides Polsky, other NYU Langone researchers include Mahrukh M. Syeda, MS; Jennifer M. Wiggins, PhD; and Broderick Corless, BS. Additional investigators include Georgina V. Long, MD, PhD, at Melanoma Institute Australia, The University of Sydney, and Royal North Shore and Mater Hospitals in Australia; Keith Flaherty, MD, at Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Massachusetts; Dirk Schadendorf, MD, at University Hospital Essen and the German Cancer Consortium in Germany; Paul D. Nathan, MD, at Mount Vernon Cancer Centre in the United Kingdom; Caroline Robert, MD, PhD, at Institut Gustave Roussy and Paris-Sud University in France; Antoni Ribas, MD, PhD, at University of California, Los Angeles; Michael A. Davies, MD, PhD, at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Texas; Jean-Jacques Grob, MD, PhD, at AIX-Marseille University in France; and Eduard Gasal, Matthew Squires, Mahtab Marker, and Jan C. Brase at Novartis based in Switzerland.

Media Inquiries:

Jamie Liptack

212-404-4279

[email protected]

SOURCE NYU Langone Health

Related Links

http://www.med.nyu.edu


TSX Venture Exchange: BSK

Frankfurt Stock Exchange: MAL2

OTCQB Venture Market (OTC): BKUCF

VANCOUVER, May 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ - Blue Sky Uranium Corp. (TSX-V: BSK, FSE: MAL2; OTC: BKUCF), "Blue Sky" or the "Company") is pleased to provide an update on current exploration and planned follow-up programs for the Company's wholly-owned Amarillo Grande Uranium-Vanadium Project in Rio Negro, Argentina ("AGP"). The AGP covers a 145 km prospective trend, including the Ivana deposit which demonstrated strong economic potential in a recent NI 43101 Preliminary Economic Assessment ("PEA"; see News Release dated February 27, 2019).

Work to date has identified three high-priority target areas with significant anomalies of uranium and vanadium. The exploration program for the next six months, including RC drilling, is designed to systematically identify and delineate mineralization potentially extending the Ivana deposit to the west (Ivana West target). The program will also test targets in two other key areas, Ivana Central and Ivana North, within 25 kilometres of the deposit (see Figure 1).

The program includes:

Auger drilling and down-hole radiometric measurements (currently in progress)

6km-long Induced Polarization (" IP ") geophysical survey (planned)

") geophysical survey (planned) Up to 4,500 metres of reverse circulation ("RC") drilling (planned)

"Following on the heels of our successful PEA for the Ivana deposit, we are continuing exploration with confidence in the potential for discovery of additional deposits that will build value," stated Nikolaos Cacos, Blue Sky President & CEO. "Our team has made considerable advancements in exploration targeting and all of our results to date confirm significant uranium and vanadium anomalies to the west and north of the Ivana deposit, with additional prospects along the 145km-long exploration trend covered by the Amarillo Grande Project."

Program Details

On February 27th, 2019 the Company announced a PEA for the Ivana deposit, including an updated inferred mineral resource estimate of 22.7 million pounds of U 3 0 8 and 11.5 million pounds of V 2 O 5 (23.9 million tonnes averaging 0.037% U 3 O 8 & 0.019% V 2 O 5 at a 100 ppm uranium cut-off). The PEA concludes that the current mineral resources support 13 years of uranium and vanadium production from a surficial mining operation, with robust economics after modest capital outlay, but noted that there was still considerable potential to identify new resources to the west and north. The Company is therefore continuing exploration with a particular focus on shallow "blind" targets not exposed at surface.

Target Development

Pit sampling work completed to date, as well as past wide-spaced diamond drilling and ground radiometrics, has aided in the identification of shallow mineralized targets in the Ivana West, Ivana Central and Ivana North areas. Results from Ivana West, adjacent to the main deposit area, returned high grades of uranium and vanadium from pit sampling as reported in the Company's news releases dated November 15, 2018 and April 29, 2019. Pit sampling at the Ivana Central and North areas was completed as part of a 2011 exploration program which also returned high values of uranium (report by C.G. Verley, filed on www.sedar.com dated May 29th, 2012).

In 2013, Blue Sky's joint venture partner at the time, Areva S.A., drilled 11 core holes in the Ivana Central and North target areas totaling 2023.5 metres with depths ranging from 110 to 280 metres. Since the middle of 2018, Blue Sky's exploration team has been relogging, resampling and re-interpreting those holes and applying the in-house geological and exploration models that have been developed and refined as the Ivana deposit has been advanced. This work has identified two suites of pathfinder elements that the Company plans to employ as geochemical indicators to vector towards blind uranium deposits during the upcoming exploration program.

Auger Program

A program comprising 321 new auger holes is ongoing and designed to refine targets for RC drilling (see Figure 1). A total of 152 auger holes have been completed since the beginning of 2018 (133 at the Ivana deposit/West and 19 at Ivana Central) totalling 644 metres with an average depth of 4.3 metres. This method is being applied in areas with weak or no superficial radiometric anomalies that have potential for blind uranium deposits and where the basement rock is considered too deep for pit-sampling. The auger holes are drilled to approximately 10 metres in depth, after which the open hole is surveyed with a down-hole radiometric probe; areas with elevated radiometrics are being prioritized for RC drill testing. Prior to the start of the current auger program, the Company conducted augering in a number of areas on the Ivana property, including the Ivana deposit area, Ivana Central and Ivana North (Figure 1). Radiometric probe results from auger holes were partially responsible for the discovery of the Ivana deposit and in some cases have delineated strong near-surface anomalies requiring follow-up RC drilling (see report by C.G. Verley, filed on www.sedar.com dated May 29th, 2012 for discussion of pre-2017 auger drilling).

Planned Geophysics Program

To further refine drill targets with the potential for blind uranium deposits the exploration team has planned a 6-km long IP geophysical survey over the Ivana Central and North targets. Disseminated pyrite associated with uranium-vanadium mineralization was initially detected by an IP survey at the Ivana deposit, and confirmed with the following RC drill program. Therefore, chargeability anomalies related to disseminated pyrite may be a useful indirect indicator to identify additional zones of buried uranium-vanadium mineralization.

Planned RC Program

The planned RC drilling program will be executed in two stages totalling approximately 4,500 metres. Stage 1 will be focussed on the Ivana West target, comprising the potential western extension of the Ivana deposit, as well as testing surficial uranium-vanadium anomalies, open to depth auger-detected anomalies and airborne/surface survey radiometric anomalies at the Ivana North and Central targets. The focus of Stage 2 drilling will be defined based on results from Stage 1 and will prioritize areas with the most potential for delineation of additional mineral resources.

The entire geophysics and RC drilling programs are expected to take approximately six months; both are contingent on the Company raising additional funds.

Qualified Persons

The results of the Company's exploration program were reviewed, verified (including sampling, analytical and test data) and compiled by the Company's geological staff under the supervision of David Terry, Ph.D., P.Geo. Dr. Terry is a Director of the Company and a Qualified Person as defined in National Instrument 43-101. The contents of this news release have been reviewed and approved by Dr. Terry.

About the Amarillo Grande Project

The Company's 100% owned Amarillo Grande Uranium-Vanadium Project in Rio Negro Province, Argentina is a new uranium district controlled by Blue Sky. The Ivana deposit is the cornerstone of the Project and the first part of the district for which both a Mineral Resource Estimate and a Preliminary Economic Assessment have been completed. Mineralization at the Ivana deposit has characteristics of sandstone-type and surficial-type uranium-vanadium deposits. The sandstone-type mineralization is related to a braided fluvial system and indicates the potential for a district-size system. In the surficial-type deposits, mineralization coats loosely consolidated pebbles, and is amenable to leaching and simple upgrading. The PEA demonstrates robust economics for a surficial mining operation of the Ivana deposit, with 13 years of uranium and vanadium production.

The Project includes several other target areas over a regional trend, at or near surface. The area is flat-lying, semi-arid and accessible year-round, with nearby rail, power and port access. The Company's strategy includes delineating resources at multiple areas for which a central processing facility could consolidate production.

For additional details on the project and properties, please see the Company's website.

About Blue Sky Uranium Corp.

Blue Sky Uranium Corp. is a leader in uranium discovery in Argentina. The Company's objective is to deliver exceptional returns to shareholders by rapidly advancing a portfolio of surficial uranium deposits into low-cost producers. Blue Sky has the exclusive right to properties in two provinces in Argentina. The Company's flagship Amarillo Grande Project was an in-house discovery of a new district that has the potential to be both a leading domestic supplier of uranium to the growing Argentine market and a new international market supplier. The Company is a member of the Grosso Group, a resource management group that has pioneered exploration in Argentina since 1993.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

"Nikolaos Cacos"

______________________________________

Nikolaos Cacos, President, CEO and Director

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.

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. Readers are encouraged to refer to the Company's public disclosure documents for a more detailed discussion of factors that may impact expected future results. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements. We advise U.S. investors that the SEC's mining guidelines strictly prohibit information of this type in documents filed with the SEC. U.S. investors are cautioned that mineral deposits on adjacent properties are not indicative of mineral deposits on our properties.

SOURCE Blue Sky Uranium Corp.

Related Links

www.blueskyuranium.com


Canopy Growth, the first cannabis producing company in North America to be listed on the TSX and NYSE, is a world-leading diversified cannabis and hemp company, offering distinct brands and curated cannabis varieties. Driven by a passion for industry leadership and a commitment to building a world-class cannabis and hemp company, Canopy Growth has set the standard for product innovation. With operations in over 15 countries across five continents, Canopy Growth is committed to educating healthcare practitioners, conducting robust clinical research, and furthering the public's understanding of cannabis and hemp. Mr. Linton's experience as Founder, co-CEO and board member has directly influenced the success of Canopy Growth, which to date has achieved market support for capital raises of over $6 billion, including a $4 billion investment by Fortune 500's Constellation Brands. In the past 5 years and under the guidance and vision of Bruce Linton, Canopy Growth's market cap has grown from under $100 million to over $15 billion and is increasing at a steady pace.

Mr. Linton's focus has been driving the Company's overall strategy, including its Canadian and international expansion efforts as well as laying the groundwork for the Company's move into consumer products, including cannabis-based medicines and beverages. At CWCBExpo NY, Mr. Linton will share his views on the growth potential for the industry, Canopy Growth's accelerating expansion in the United States hemp market, and plans to work with American farmers to develop a wide range of products.

This year, CWCBExpo NY will have an expanded Hemp Pavilion on the show floor, with dedicated hemp educational programming that includes workshops and sessions such as "Hemp: The Dawning of a New Day in the USA," "Running a Hemp Business," "Crop Insurance Program for Industrial Hemp," "Hemp Processing: From Start to Finish," and "Hemp: Today and Into the Future."

The "In Conversation with Bruce Linton" is sponsored by Anewsha, a privately held U.S. global corporation based in in New York City, NY, and incorporated in Wilmington, Delaware. Anewsha has business units focused on health and wellness, agroscience, and biotechnology and through its affiliates has production and R&D facilities in Michigan, California, and Poland.

For more information on Cannabis Week, and to register for CWCBExpo NY, please visit: https://www.cwcbexpo.com/attend-registration-nyc/

For more information on sponsoring or exhibiting at the coast-to-coast CWCBExpo events, please contact: [email protected] or call 201-580-2050.

About Cannabis World Congress & Business Expositions (CWCBExpo)

CWCBExpo are the premier business-to-business events for the legalized cannabis industry and are held 3 times per year in the largest business, financial, and media marketsNew York, Los Angeles and Boston. Being launched around these market leading events will be Cannabis Week. Connect on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn: @cwcbexpo.

CWCBExpo Contacts: Fred Polsinelli, fred[email protected], 646-306-7413;

Annie Scully, [email protected], 201-310-9252

SOURCE Cannabis World Congress & Business Expositions
The opening ceremony of the CPAFF was held at the Chengdu Museum on the morning of May 16, with the attendance of master chefs of Michelin-starred and Black Pearl restaurants, representatives from the UNESCO cities of gastronomy in Asia and Slow Food Chefs Alliance, as well as famous chefs of different cuisines in China.

The 8-day grand gastronomic Festival consists of a variety of international and cultural events and activities for mass participation, including forums, food experiences, cuisine culture-themed exhibitions and meetings for exchange among chefs, as well as days of different countries and regions in Asia.

The Asian Hot Pot Festival, one of the important sub-events during the CPAFF, features an exhibition of hot pot ingredients and cooking supplies, a summit forum on the hot pot industry, an award ceremony for the Jinhuo Award, and a creative hot pot-themed fair.

The Asian Food Tasting Spree will be held jointly by thousands of catering businesses in the city. Local residents and tourists can participate in games to win discounts and special offers provided by the restaurants.

In addition, more than 100 restaurants specializing in Japanese, Korean or Thai food, as well as other Asian delicacies, will offer their signature dishes during the Festival.

Aimed to further the mutual understanding and friendly exchanges between Chengdu and Asian countries and regions, during the "TASTE OF ASIA" Food, Culture and Tourism Themed Day, a theme event is held every day between May 15 and 21, with its daily focus on different food, culture and tourist resources of the Asian countries and regions.

According to a survey organized by the China Cuisine Association, Sichuan food is one of the most popular Chinese cuisines overseas. At present, Chengdu is stepping up its efforts to build itself into an important city of culture in the world, and an international city of gastronomy. The city aims to be an international center for traditional and innovative cuisines as well as chef training by 2020.



Chengdu's annual revenue from the food and beverage service sector is projected to reach 110 billion yuan ($16.04 billion) by the year. Currently, it is home to more than 100,000 restaurants.

For more details, please log on the official website of the Festival, foodfestival.gochengdu.cn, which is produced and operated by gochengdu.cn.

For more details, please visit https://foodfestival.gochengdu.cn/



Image Attachments Links:

http://asianetnews.net/view-attachment?attach-id=336243

http://asianetnews.net/view-attachment?attach-id=336249

SOURCE gochengdu.cn

Related Links

https://foodfestival.gochengdu.cn/


Former Perion & Dailyhunt Exec Vishal Anand Joins as Chief Product Officer while co-founder Anand Jain officially takes Chief Strategy Officer role

SUNNYVALE, Calif., May 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Customer lifecycle management technology provider CleverTap today announced strategic additions to its senior leadership team in support of the company's aggressive product development and market expansion plans. Co-founder Anand Jain is officially assuming the role of chief strategy officer. Additionally, product development and management expert Vishal Anand is joining the company as chief product officer to accelerate growth in the US.

Anand Jain, former CTO and co-founder of Burrp! has over two decades of experience in full life-cycle software development, and co-founded CleverTap in 2013. In his new role, Jain will lead CleverTap's medium and long term strategic initiatives, and develop plans for global expansion and growth. He'll also be in charge of developing key partnerships and new initiatives.

"We are growing at a blazing pace, and in this role I will be tasked with ensuring all moving parts at CleverTap work seamlessly and execute on point," said Anand Jain. "Our geographic expansion plans are aggressive and I'm excited to take CleverTap in to this new phase of growth as it's Chief Strategy Officer."

Vishal joins CleverTap from ad tech company Perion Networks, where he served as VP of Product Management. Prior to that, he was Chief Product Officer at news and content discovery application Dailyhunt. With his extensive experience incubating, building, launching and scaling an array of B2B and B2C products and technologies, he is well-positioned to grow CleverTap's client base across new industries in the US.

"I am excited to be joining CleverTap during such a transformative time in the mobile marketing industry," said Vishal Anand. "With fierce competition to attract new customers and retain their attention, marketers, and businesses are looking for new solutions to effectively engage them. I look forward to working with the team to scale the US market."

"Vishal's stellar product experience will be key to our growth strategy as we continue to accelerate in 2019," says Sunil Thomas, co-founder and CEO, CleverTap. "He has seen CleverTap evolve throughout the years and I'm excited to welcome him on to the leadership team to see what this next stage will bring. I'm convinced that he will add a solid layer of success to all our efforts."

About CleverTap

CleverTap is a customer lifecycle management platform that helps brands deliver delightful customer experiences at scale. Over 8,000 companies around the world, including Vodafone, Star, Sony, Domino's Pizza, GO-JEK, Cleartrip and BookMyShow trust CleverTap to deliver personalized experiences and improve the impact of omnichannel marketing across the entire customer lifecycle. CleverTap is backed by leading venture capital firms including Sequoia India, Tiger Global Management, Accel and Recruit Holdings, and operates out of San Francisco, London, Singapore, Mumbai, and Bengaluru. For more information, visit clevertap.com or follow on LinkedIn and Twitter .

Press Contact

Ketan Pandit

PR for CleverTap

[email protected]

SOURCE CleverTap

Related Links

http://www.clevertap.com


Award winners are selected from a shortlist of candidates nominated by Telecom Asia readers, judges and editors. This year's shortlist features 28 categories from 3 big groups (Service Providers, Innovation and Leadership) and more than 100 nominated companies across 14 Asia-Pacific markets. Final selection in each category will be scored on the basis of innovation, financial performance, technology, market leadership, corporate governance and customer care.

CMC Telecom is the only candidate from Vietnam nominated as "Best Data Center Service Provider" alongside with other industry giants from China, Indonesia, Malaysia including China Unicom Global, Celcom Axiata, Telin. To be the finalist in Best Service Provider category, CMC Telecom had to demonstrate the highest operating and technology standards. CMC Telecom has 3 neutral Data Centers in Vietnam with Tier 3 TIA942 standards, ISO 9001:2001, ISO 27001 certificate. In Vietnam, CMC Telecom Data Center is the first and only Data Center to own PCI DSS security certification (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard). PCI DSS is the worldwide information security standard set by the Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council to help control and minimize points of risk to fraud or compromise of sensitive information.

The Telecom Asia Awards is the region's longest-running and most prestigious industry award specifically set up for the telecoms industry. With theme of "Redefining the connectivity standards of the digital economy", the 22nd annual Telecom Asia Awards brings focus to the achievements of players -- old and new -- honoring those who transform their business model putting the customer the be all and end all of their existence.

To learn more about CMC Telecom: https://cmctelecom.vn/en/

Full list of Telecom Asia Awards 2019's nominees: https://event.telecomasia.net/telecom-asia-awards/2019/

SOURCE CMC Telecom

Related Links

https://cmctelecom.vn/en/


DENVER, May 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The Citizens Broadband Radio Service spectrum sharing will create new opportunities for rural telecom operators to offer carrier-grade fixed wireless service that will improve broadband coverage in rural America, according to a new report from CoBank's Knowledge Exchange Division.

The availability of the unlicensed mid-band spectrum suitable for rural use, scheduled to go live this summer, is expected to reduce the barriers to entry for new wireless internet service providers, rural local exchange carriers and electric distributor cooperatives to deploy carrier-grade fixed wireless without having to invest in licensed spectrum. According to the report, widespread adoption of the band by tier one wireless operators will create a robust ecosystem of hardware and software, which will help operators reduce deployment costs while creating a better, faster experience for consumers in their coverage areas.

"The shared nature of the CBRS band and the amount of data capacity it can support offer some intriguing business models and a platform to expand fixed wireless coverage in rural America," said Jeff Johnston, lead economist with CoBank's Knowledge Exchange Division. "Rural operators should deploy the technology where it's not economically feasible to deploy fiber, and in doing so will help bridge the digital divide by expanding their footprint."

A video synopsis and the full report, "Spectrum Sharing Shows Promise for Broadband Access in Rural America," are available at cobank.com.

About CoBank

CoBank is a $138 billion cooperative bank serving vital industries across rural America. The bank provides commercial loans, leases, export financing and other financial services to agribusinesses and rural power, water and communications providers in all 50 states. The bank also provides wholesale loans and other financial services to affiliated Farm Credit associations serving more than 70,000 farmers, ranchers and other rural borrowers in 23 states around the country.

CoBank is a member of the Farm Credit System, a nationwide network of banks and retail lending associations chartered to support the borrowing needs of U.S. agriculture, rural infrastructure and rural communities. Headquartered outside Denver, Colorado, CoBank serves customers from regional banking centers across the U.S. and also maintains an international representative office in Singapore.

For more information about CoBank, visit the bank's website at cobank.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain of the statements contained in this news release that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Our actual future business may differ materially and adversely from our expectations expressed in any forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by words such as "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "intend," "estimate," "plan," "project," "target," "may," "will," "should," "would," "could," or similar expressions. Although we believe that the information expressed or implied in such forward-looking statements is reasonable, we can give no assurance that such projections and expectations will be realized or the extent to which a particular plan, projection or expectation may be realized. These forward-looking statements are based on current knowledge and subject to risks and uncertainties. We encourage you to read our Annual Report and Quarterly Reports located on the bank's website at www.cobank.com. We undertake no obligation to revise or publicly update our forward-looking statements for any reason.

SOURCE CoBank

Related Links

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MINNEAPOLIS, May 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Elicit, an award-winning consultancy that helps companies drive business value through analytics and technology, is named one of Inc. magazine's Best Workplaces for 2019, Inc.'s fourth annual ranking in the fast-growing private company sector. The list is the result of a comprehensive measurement of private American companies that have created exceptional workplaces through vibrant cultures, deep employee engagement, and stellar benefits. Collecting data on nearly 2,000 submissions, Inc. singled out 346 finalists.

Elicit's innovative work culture truly characterizes the company  especially notable with a 100 percent distributed workforce  and paves the way for attracting and retaining the industry's very best talent. Elicit fosters connection among its far-flung yet tight-knit team by investing in an annual week-long, all-employee forum to develop thought leadership. Elicit also encourages frequent collaboration and "office hours"  meetups held around the country that offer counsel and mentorship from the most senior team members. Elicit demonstrates concern for its employees' personal and professional well-being through policies like flexible travel schedules to reduce burnout, an all-too-common byproduct of the consulting profession, and Voice of the Employee surveys, a feedback mechanism that has resulted in meaningful changes at the firm.

Each company nominated for Inc.'s Best Workplace recognition took part in an employee survey on topics including trust, management effectiveness, perks, and confidence in the future. Inc. gathered, analyzed, and audited the data, then ranked the employers. The strongest engagement scores came from companies that prioritize the most human elements of work, leading the way in employee recognition, performance management, and diversity  a different playbook from a decade ago, when too many firms used the same template: free food, open work environments, and artifacts of "fun."

"When we started Elicit, we always had a goal of creating a company that we would personally want to work for and fostering a culture that would retain top talent indefinitely," said Mason Thelen, Elicit's CEO. "The success we've had has come from adapting to the evolving definition of what it means to be a best workplace."

All companies had to have a minimum of 10 employees and be U.S.-based, privately held, and independentthat is, not subsidiaries or divisions of other companies.

"With today's tight labor market, building a great corporate culture is more important than ever," says Inc. magazine editor in chief James Ledbetter. "The companies on Inc.'s Best Workplaces list are setting an example that the whole country can learn from."

About Elicit

Elicit is an award-winning consultancy that helps clients transform the way they use customer and employee insight in service of improving the customer experience. Fortune 500 clients include Southwest Airlines, Neiman Marcus, Intel, Nestle, HomeAway (Expedia), Fossil, GameStop, Hospital Corporation of America (HCA), Sephora, and Pier 1 Imports. Elicit's team of technologists, data scientists, and strategists work together to architect business strategies that result in stronger customer engagement and increased profits. For more information, visit: www.elicitinsights.com

Media contact:

Jackie Jusko

[email protected]

216-374-0945

SOURCE Elicit

Related Links

http://www.elicitinsights.com


"It is fantastic to welcome Sierra Nevada College to the Cuesta College SLO Campus," says Dr. Jill Stearns, Cuesta College President. "Our partnership with Sierra Nevada College launches tremendous opportunity for Cuesta College graduates, and local associate degree holders, who are ready to take the next step on their educational journey."

Cuesta College joins SNC extension programs in Truckee Meadows Community College in Reno, Nevada, and Lake Tahoe Community College in South Lake Tahoe, California. Sierra Nevada College brings its commitment to instruction delivered by professor-practitioners, small class sizes, and flexible schedules into the extension center model. The extension center provides a pathway to higher education for those who might otherwise be held back by strong ties to work, family, and community.

"Partnering with community colleges to create new pathways to 4-year degrees is good public policy," says SNC President, Dr. Alan Walker. "It helps students, it helps employers, and helps the communities where students live and work."

As pointed out in 2016 by NPR, economic changes in this country have created a surge of "non-traditional" students. Almost half of those enrolled in higher education in 2016 were such students. Many students today have intricate ties to their communities, making a transfer to another institution difficult if not out of reach entirely. Adding to this is the impacted state of the California State University and University of California systems. The extension center model addresses this shortage, without asking students to leave the community where they already live.

Interested students may apply to the program on the Sierra Nevada College admissions webpage. For more information on the Sierra Nevada College Extension Center, please email [email protected]. Degrees and site approvals pending with the NWCCU and CA Bureau of Postsecondary Education.

SOURCE Sierra Nevada College
ALEXANDRIA, Va., May 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The Commercial Vehicle Training Association (CVTA) is releasing a three-part guidance publication, "Entry-Level Driver Training: Compliance Guide" to provide member schools the knowledge and support they need to comply with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's (FMCSA) Entry-Level Driver Training (ELDT) regulation. The program captures the lessons learned from CVTA's ELDT Pilot Program Committee, which has been testing ELDT since September 2018. To aid schools in navigating the regulation, the compliance guide contains best practices developed by the committee, comprehensive forms to assist with mandatory documentation, and an expansive overview of the new curriculum and reporting requirements.

"CVTA has been a leader in working across the industry and with key government stakeholders to build robust training requirements that support safety and develop high quality commercial truck drivers," said CVTA President Don Lefeve. "This compliance guide ensures our schools will have the tools to implement the new regulation and set up their students for future success."

As a result of the new regulation, which takes effect on February 7, 2020, anyone that provides training to new commercial drivers must adhere to federal theory and behind-the-wheel curriculum requirements intended to increase highway safety and driver proficiency. The new rule was designed to ensure all entry-level drivers are properly trained prior to sitting for their CDL skills exam.

The compliance guide is complimentary for CVTA members and CVTA leaders will work with member schools to effectively implement the new regulation.

Further ensuring CVTA member organizations remain at the forefront of the training industry, the association will begin a voluntary ELDT compliance program for its members beginning on July 1, 2019. This program will offer members the ability to assemble and submit requisite documentation in order to prepare for ELDT's implementation date. "Our voluntary compliance program will give members the opportunity to identify and modify any gaps in their curriculum, work through any administrative issues, and ensure they are well prepared in advance of the real compliance date," said Lefeve.

Finally, CVTA will require its members to submit certain behind-the-wheel and other documentation once members apply for the Training Provider Registry.

About CVTA

The Commercial Vehicle Training Association (CVTA) is the largest association representing commercial truck driver training programs in the United States. CVTA members represent over 200 training locations in 42 states, who collectively train over 50,000 commercial drivers annually. Advancing the interests of trucking's workforce providers and employers, CVTA advocates for policies that enhance safety through commercial driver training, enabling students to secure employment within the trucking and bus industries, thus further advancing driver professionalism. For more visit www.cvta.org.

Contact:

Cindy Atwood

703-642-9444

SOURCE Commercial Vehicle Training Association

Related Links

http://www.cvta.org


Late Breaking Clinical Trial Presentation and concurrent JACC publication highlight FARAPULSE technology's potential to achieve new standard of care in treating Atrial Fibrillation

MENLO PARK, CA, May 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ - FARAPULSE Inc. ("FARAPULSE" or "the Company") today provided highlights from Heart Rhythm 2019, the Heart Rhythm Society's 40th Annual Heart Rhythm Scientific Sessions, which took place in San Francisco, California May 8  11, 2019. The Company and its non-thermal, tissue-selective Pulsed Field Ablation (PFA) technology featured centrally in the scientific sessions and a satellite symposium. Posters and presentations about FARAPULSE PFA included:

Eli S. Gang Most Innovative Abstract - Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation Ablation Using Pulsed Electric Fields: Acute Effect and MRI (Jais, MD et al; Sessions S-IA01-001, S-AB08-01) Emerging Therapeutics Summit  The Future of Electroporation Ablation (P. Jais, MD; Session S-ET04) EP Lab 2049: How Today's Scientific Innovations Will Transform Tomorrow's Arrhythmia Treatments  Ultra-Rapid, Tissue-Selective Ablation with Pulsed Electric Fields (V. Reddy, MD; Session S-038) Durability of PV Isolation with Pulse Electric Field Ablation: A Pre-clinical Comparison of Monophasic and Biphasic Waveforms (Koruth, MD et al; Session S-PO03-129) Catheter Ablation of Ventricular Tachycardia  Initial Report of Pathological Findings of Endocardial Pulse Field Ablation in Swine ( Kuroki , MD et al; Sessions S-IA01-023, S-AB25-04) Ablation Technologies of the Future  Pulsed Electrical Field Ablation (P. Jais, MD; Session S-091) CME Symposium - Cardiac Pulsed Field Ablation: State-of-the-Art (Co-chaired by: P. Jais, MD, V. Reddy, MD) Late Breaking Clinical Trials Session III - Pulsed Field Ablation for Pulmonary Vein Isolation: Lesion Durability and Chronic Safety (Reddy, MD et al; Session S-LBCT03)

The CME-accredited, standing-room only symposium hosted more than 270 attendees. Multiple keynote addresses, opened by Dr. Pierre Jais, and a robust question-and-answer interaction covered a wide breadth of topics concerning PFA, including pre-clinical learnings, insights from multiple PFA efforts and clinical results from studies conducted with FARAPULSE proprietary devices.

"For the first time in the field of catheter ablation, we can use extra power to ensure perfectly durable PVI without compromising safety," said Dr. Jais. "PFA will likely redefine persistent AF ablation as we will be able to really assess and compare ablation strategies without the caveat of incomplete lesions."

Late Breaking Clinical Trial Results

The most comprehensive clinical data regarding FARAPULSE PFA was presented by Dr. Vivek Reddy in Friday's Late Breaking Clinical Trials session. Dr. Reddy discussed results from 81 patients treated with the FARAPULSE endocardial system. Thorough analysis found no evidence of complications commonly associated with AF ablation, including phrenic nerve damage, esophageal damage and pulmonary vein stenosis. Importantly, FARAPULSE PFA demonstrated 100% lesion durability assessed by prospective recatheterization procedures in a recent cohort of 18 patients. Prior studies with commercial systems were shown by Dr. Reddy to have achieved lower than 80% durability on a per-patient basis.

"Historically, all ablation forms to treat AF have employed thermal energy to produce the desired lesion sets that alleviate the symptomatic burdens of the disorder. Thermal energy, though, by its fundamental nature of tissue destruction, creates an inverse relationship between safety and efficacy. That is, higher efficacy is only achieved with lower safety," said Dr. Vivek Reddy of Mount Sinai Hospital (NY). "PFA, albeit early days, appears to shatter this paradigm. My experience, now across dozens of cases, leads me to believe we are entering a new era of cardiac ablation that will be defined by combining high safety with durable, chronic efficacy, all with one elegant energy source in one device."

A manuscript was simultaneously published by the Journal of the American College of Cardiology describing the trial results in detail, available through the FARAPULSE website or at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacc.2019.04.021.

About HRS

The Heart Rhythm Society's 40th Annual Heart Rhythm Scientific Sessions convened the finest clinicians, scientists, researchers, and innovators in the field of cardiac pacing and electrophysiology. More than 700 of the world's most notable experts in cardiac rhythm management serve as faculty for over 250 educational sessions while more than 150 exhibitors showcased innovative products and services.

About FARAPULSE

Today, all forms of cardiac ablation to treat arrhythmias are thermal. And while both radiofrequency and cryo-ablation have evolved, they nonetheless carry an inherent risk of indiscriminate thermal damage. Tissue-selective FARAPULSE PFA has emerged to be one of the most promising energy sources for cardiac ablation, including pulmonary vein isolation. Combining speed with safety, FARAPULSE PFA makes durable lesions in micro-seconds while sparing non-target tissue. FARAPULSE is advancing its PFA tissue-selective therapy on catheter-based and surgical platforms for both endocardial and epicardial approaches.

CAUTION-Investigational device. Limited by Federal (or United States) law to investigational use. Not Available for Sale.

SOURCE FARAPULSE Inc.
EAST HANOVER, N.J., May 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Novartis today announced that five nonprofit organizations will receive a total of nearly $250,000 in funding through the company's STEP (Solutions to Empower Patients) Program. Now in its second year, the STEP Program supports nonprofit organizations by funding innovative programs that empower patients with significant unmet needs to navigate a path to better care. This year's focus is on addressing some of the most pressing issues in the sickle cell disease (SCD) community.

"People with sickle cell disease continue to face significant gaps in care which can be detrimental to their physical health and overall well-being," said Ameet Mallik, Executive Vice President and Head, US, Novartis Oncology. "Through the STEP Program, we aim to help make a difference in these patients' lives by supporting innovative programs developed by organizations in the best position to tackle these challenges."

This year's funding recipients will work to address these difficulties by encouraging self-advocacy, providing resources to help SCD patients better navigate the healthcare system, and supporting patients as they transition from pediatric to adult care. The diverse group of recipient organizations includes patient advocacy groups and research institutions, representing the broad impact of this disease.

The organizations and innovative SCD initiatives include:

All One Blood's commercial campaign series, which will reveal powerful stories and conversations with those living with SCD.

commercial campaign series, which will reveal powerful stories and conversations with those living with SCD. Children's Research Institute's INSERTT (ImproviNg SicklE TRansition Through Telemedicine) study, which will evaluate the impact of telemedicine on improving health outcomes for SCD patients as they transition to adult care.

INSERTT (ImproviNg SicklE TRansition Through Telemedicine) study, which will evaluate the impact of telemedicine on improving health outcomes for SCD patients as they transition to adult care. Sickle Cell 101's FACTSS (FAcilitating Communication BeTween PatientS and ProviderS) program, which will provide patients with a digital toolkit containing customized communications strategies.

FACTSS (FAcilitating Communication BeTween PatientS and ProviderS) program, which will provide patients with a digital toolkit containing customized communications strategies. The Sickle Cell Foundation of Georgia , Inc., which will host interactive workshops to provide adolescents with tools to successfully transition from pediatric to adult health care.

which will host interactive workshops to provide adolescents with tools to successfully transition from pediatric to adult health care. The Georgia Health Policy Center at Georgia State University , which will create educational videos to help patients and caregivers understand the benefits and potential complications of therapeutic blood transfusions.

Proposals were evaluated by an external review committee made up of experts in the fields of advocacy, psycho-social support and multi-cultural health, as well as an SCD practitioner and patient.

"The volume, breadth and quality of the proposals we received this year speaks to the deep need within this community to remove the hurdles people with sickle cell disease face every day," said Charles Jonassaint, PhD, MHS, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Social Work, and Clinical & Translational Sciences at University of Pittsburgh and a member of the STEP Program external review committee. "It was inspiring to see the passion of so many organizations dedicated to improving the lives of those impacted by the disease, and on behalf of the entire review committee, we congratulate the five recipients. We look forward to seeing the impact their initiatives have on the lives of patients and their families."

SCD is a genetic blood disorder that causes ongoing damage to blood vessels and organs1. It is a lifelong illness that places a physical and emotional burden on patients and their families as they manage issues dealing with work, school and family.

About Novartis

Novartis is reimagining medicine to improve and extend people's lives. As a leading global medicines company, we use innovative science and digital technologies to create transformative treatments in areas of great medical need. In our quest to find new medicines, we consistently rank among the world's top companies investing in research and development. Novartis products reach more than 750 million people globally and we are finding innovative ways to expand access to our latest treatments. About 105,000 people of nearly 140 nationalities work at Novartis around the world. Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation, a US affiliate of Novartis, is located in East Hanover, NJ. Find out more at www.novartis.com.

Novartis is on Twitter. Sign up to follow @Novartis at http://twitter.com/novartis

For Novartis multimedia content, please visit www.novartis.com/news/media-library

For questions about the site or required registration, please contact [email protected]

References

Roseff SD. Sickle cell disease: a review. Immunohematology: Journal of Blood Group Serology and Education. 2009(25):2:67-74.

Novartis Media Relations

Central media line: +41 61 324 2200

E-mail: [email protected]

Eric Althoff Kristen Klasey

Novartis US External Communications Novartis US Communications

+1 646 438 4335 (direct) +1 862 778 4763 (direct)

[email protected] +1 862 754 1732 (mobile)

[email protected]



Novartis Investor Relations

Central investor relations line: +41 61 324 7944

E-mail: [email protected]

Central North America

Samir Shah +41 61 324 7944 Richard Pulik +1 212 830 2448

Pierre-Michel Bringer +41 61 324 1065 Cory Twining +1 212 830 2417

Thomas Hungerbuehler +41 61 324 8425

Isabella Zinck +41 61 324 7188

SOURCE Novartis

Related Links

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SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., May 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- GENIFER M (www.geniferm.com), the nation's first line of luxury cannabis-inspired jewelry, announced it is now available at Las Vegas Releaf dispensary.

GENIFER M Jewelry is America's leading brand of luxury cannabis-inspired jewelry. The collection has been embraced by a wide range of people from both inside and outside of the cannabis industry, and was recently featured at the Academy Awards.

Las Vegas Releaf features the world's first tasting bar inside a dispensary. The store provides a wide range of products, from edibles to waxes, beer to bud. The store is conveniently located one block off the strip on Paradise Road at Sahara Avenue.

Genifer Murray, Co-Founder of GENIFER M Jewelry, said she is proud to have her line included at Las Vegas Releaf.

"We are very selective about our retailing partners," she commented. "We want to make sure that every store that carries our line is as beautiful as our jewelry," she added. "Las Vegas Releaf is one of the premier stores, not only in Nevada, but in the entire nation, and we are proud to offer our jewelry to the countless local residents and tourists that visit the store everyday."

GENIFER M Jewelry recently enhanced its wholesale program to make it easier for retailers to add the collection to their stores. The product line has been shown to increase store traffic, generate significant new revenues, and enhance customer loyalty.

Learn more about GENIFER M by calling 480-629-4951, or visit: www.GeniferM.com.

Visit Las Vegas Releaf at: 2244 Paradise Road, or go online at: lasvegasreleaf.com

ABOUT GENIFER M:

GENIFER M is the first high-quality, artisan designed, cannabis-inspired jewelry company. Co-founded by the father/daughter duo of Glenn and Genifer Murray, the jewelry is handcrafted in the Sonoran Desert of Arizona, where inspiration abounds.

The collection has been featured on Vice TV's The Most Expensivest, hosted by Def Jam record producer and artist, 2 Chainz, as well as in ELLE Magazine, Sway, CannaNews, INC, Insight News, Forbes, and other prominent media outlets. Genifer Murray has been named "Cannabis Woman of the Year" and "Top 100 People in the Cannabis Industry."

CONNECT:

Facebook: facebook.com/GeniferMJewelry

Instagram: instagram.com/geniferm_cannabisjewelry

MEDIA:

Innovation Agency

[email protected]

SOURCE GENIFER M Jewelry

Related Links

http://www.geniferm.com


DENVER, May 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Geospiza (https://www.geospiza.us), a startup that enables emergency managers, first responders, and program managers to quickly make data-driven decisions that improve results, ROI, and save lives, is announcing the closing of $1 million in funding which includes investments from Techstars, GAN Ventures, Next Wave Ventures, Chloe Capital, Alumni Ventures Group, Kokopelli Ventures, among others.

The funds will enable more robust mapping and data modeling, as well as facilitate sales and customer success team growth. Andy Boyd, an experienced disaster recovery industry leader, will represent the shareholders on the board.

"It's hard not to root for Sarah and her team. They recognize that the most vulnerable people are disproportionately affected by disaster and they are building a business that harnesses big data, applies machine learning, predictive modeling, and deep industry expertise to help solve this problem. I am proud to support their growth as an investor and board member," says Andy Boyd, investor and board member.

The financing builds on an exceptional year for Geospiza, which recently won a Phase I National Science Foundation Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant to better understand the utility of live data to support public safety decision-making in disasters.

Geospiza also won the coveted 2019 Enterprise and Smart Data Track of the SXSW Startup Pitch Event in Austin. Another noteworthy accomplishment for Geospiza includes being selected to represent the United States at the Global Entrepreneurship Summit 2019 in The Hague in June 2019.

"It's been an incredible year for Geospiza, we are capturing the interest and support from the public safety industry, and most importantly, we're having a real impact on how data-driven decisions positively impact results," says CEO Sarah Tuneberg. "We want to empower all communities with our decision-support tools, regardless of size or financial resources to reduce risk and enhance resilience."

Contact Geospiza:

Sarah Tuneberg

[email protected]

646-275-2726

Anke Corbin

[email protected]

760-707-8202

About Geospiza

Geospiza is an intuitive software platform that empowers emergency managers, first responders, and program managers with the data needed to improve results, ROI, to reduce risk, and enhance resilience in communities of all sizes. Founded in 2017, Geospiza is headquartered in Denver, Colorado and is a 2018 Techstars Accelerator graduate.

SOURCE Geospiza

Related Links

https://www.geospiza.us


DUBLIN, May 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Corrugated Boxes Market: Global Industry Trends, Share, Size, Growth, Opportunity and Forecast 2019-2024" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The global corrugated boxes market reached a value of US$ 176.1 Billion in 2018, growing at a CAGR of 4.7% during 2011-2018.



Growing e-commerce industry is one of the primary factors driving the global corrugated boxes market. As product safety is crucial for online retailers, they prefer corrugated boxes which have proved to be an effective transit packaging material. Another factor catalyzing the market growth is the surge in the demand for packaged food products due to rising disposable incomes and lifestyle changes.



This has, in turn, led to the penetration of corrugated boxes in the food and beverage industry. The growth of the other end-use industries such as, chemicals, electronics and textiles has further escalated the global demand for corrugated boxes. Moreover, manufacturers are also coming up with different shapes, sizes and designs, in order to increase their consumer-base.



The report has segmented the global corrugated boxes market on the basis of end-use. The food products and beverage sector dominates the market, accounting for nearly a half of the total global market. Other end-use sectors include electrical and electronic goods, personal and household care goods, glassware and ceramics, paper product, chemicals and textile goods. Based on the material used, recycled corrugates exhibit a clear dominance in the market, followed by virgin corrugates.



The market is also segmented on a regional basis, covering North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East and Africa. Amongst these, Asia-Pacific represents the largest market, followed by Europe. An analysis of the competitive landscape provides the details of the key players operative in the market.



Some of the major players are International Paper, Nine Dragons Paper, West Rock, Smurfit Kappa Group, and Lee & Man Group.



Key Questions Answered in This Report:

How has the global corrugated boxes market performed so far and how will it perform in the coming years?

What are the key regional markets in the global corrugated boxes industry?

What are the key end-use segments in the global corrugated boxes industry?

What are the key materials used in the global corrugated boxes industry?

What are the price trends of corrugated boxes?

What are the various stages in the value chain of the global corrugated boxes industry?

What are the key driving factors and challenges in the global corrugated boxes industry?

What is the structure of the global corrugated boxes industry and who are the key players?

What is the degree of competition in the global corrugated boxes industry?

What are the profit margins in the global corrugated boxes industry?

What are the key requirements for setting up a corrugated box manufacturing plant?

How are corrugated boxes manufactured?

What are the various unit operations involved in a corrugated box manufacturing plant?

What is the total size of land required for setting up a corrugated box manufacturing plant?

What are the machinery requirements for setting up a corrugated box manufacturing plant?

What are the raw material requirements for setting up a corrugated box manufacturing plant?

What are the packaging requirements for corrugated boxes?

What are the transportation requirements for corrugated boxes?

What are the utility requirements for setting up a corrugated box manufacturing plant?

What are the manpower requirements for setting up a corrugated box manufacturing plant?

What are the infrastructure costs for setting up a corrugated box manufacturing plant?

What are the capital costs for setting up a corrugated box manufacturing plant?

What are the operating costs for setting up a corrugated box manufacturing plant?

What will be the income and expenditures for a corrugated box manufacturing plant?

What is the time required to break-even?

Key Topics Covered:



1 Preface



2 Scope and Methodology

2.1 Objective of the Study

2.2 Stakeholders

2.3 Data Sources

2.4 Market Estimation

2.5 Scope and Assumptions



3 Executive Summary



4 Introduction

4.1 Overview

4.2 Key Industry Trends



5 Global Corrugated Boxes Industry

5.1 Market Overview

5.2 Market Performance

5.2.1 Volume Trends

5.2.2 Value Trends

5.3 Price Trends

5.3.1 Key Price Indicators

5.3.2 Price Structure

5.3.3 Price Trends

5.4 Market Breakup by Region

5.5 Market Breakup by Material Used

5.6 Market Breakup by End-Use

5.7 Market Forecast

5.8 SWOT Analysis

5.9 Value Chain Analysis

5.9.1 Overview

5.9.2 Forest Growers

5.9.3 Pulp Mills

5.9.4 Paper Manufacturers

5.9.5 Corrugated Box Manufacturers

5.9.6 Distributors

5.9.7 End Use Industries

5.9.8 Retailers

5.9.9 Waste Management Companies

5.10 Porters Five Forces Analysis

5.11 Key Market Drivers and Success Factors



6 Performance of Key Regions

6.1 Asia Pacific

6.2 Europe

6.3 North America

6.4 Latin America

6.5 Middle East and Africa



7 Performance by Material Used

7.1 Recycled Corrugates

7.2 Virgin Corrugates



8 Performance by End-Use

8.1 Food Products and Beverages

8.2 Paper Products

8.3 Electrical and Electronic Goods

8.4 Personal and Household Care Goods

8.5 Chemicals

8.6 Glassware and Ceramics

8.7 Textile Goods

8.8 Others



9 Competitive Landscape

9.1 Competitive Structure

9.2 Market Breakup by Key Players



10 Corrugated Box Manufacturing Process

10.1 Product Overview

10.2 Detailed Process Flow

10.3 Various Types of Unit Operations Involved

10.4 Mass Balance and Raw Material Requirements



11 Project Details, Requirements and Costs Involved

11.1 Land, Location and Site Development

11.2 Construction Requirements and Expenditures

11.3 Plant Machinery

11.4 Machinery Pictures

11.5 Raw Materials Requirements and Expenditures

11.6 Raw Material and Final Product Pictures

11.7 Packaging Requirements and Expenditures

11.8 Transportation Requirements and Expenditures

11.9 Utilities Requirements and Expenditures

11.10 Manpower Requirements and Expenditures

11.11 Other Capital Investments



12 Loans and Financial Assistance



13 Project Economics

13.1 Capital Cost of the Project

13.2 Techno-Economic Parameters

13.3 Product Pricing and Margins Across Various Levels of the Supply Chain

13.4 Taxation and Depreciation

13.5 Income Projections

13.6 Expenditure Projections

13.7 Financial Analysis

13.8 Profit Analysis



14 Key Players Profiles



International Paper Company

Nine Dragons Paper

West Rock

Smurfit Kappa Group

Lee and Mann Group

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/huq1ls

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

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U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907

Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716

SOURCE Research and Markets

Related Links

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TULSA, Okla., May 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- As the everyday demands of life become more challenging and precious time is lost, one Oklahoma produce company is working to simplify meal preparation. Founded in 2017, GoFresh sister company Lloyd's Cuts has become the most trusted provider of pre-cut vegetables and fruits in the Midwest for schools, businesses in the food service industry, retail and beyond. Now in an effort to give back to the state, Lloyd's Cuts has joined the Made In Oklahoma Coalition.

By providing products that are cut fresh locally and available for next-day shipping, Lloyd's Cuts has quickly made a name for itself across the state of Oklahoma. With both custom cut and on-demand options, the company provides a wide variety of fruits and vegetables that may be sliced, diced, chopped or cubed according to the specifications needed. As a member of MIO, Lloyd's Cuts will work with over 60 other members to promote brand awareness and consumer loyalty for Oklahoma food and agricultural products.

Since it's formation in March 2000, the Made in Oklahoma Coalition has worked as a team to match public dollars with private funds to create marketing materials that enhance awareness across Oklahoma. Through this partnership, Lloyd's Cuts will have the unique ability to work in conjunction with other MIO members to enhance the quality of food products in Oklahoma. This ultimately will provide access to fresher products and more revenue for both the state and businesses that operate in it.

Lloyd's Fresh Cuts was created to fulfill the growing demand for convenient, value-added fresh-cut produce. We specialize in custom cut and on-demand fresh-cut fruits and vegetables. To learn more, please visit Lloyd's Cuts website or call GoFresh at (800) 725-1511 to learn more.

Media Contact:

Matthew Maennche

800-725-1151

[email protected]

SOURCE GoFresh
MEXICO CITY, May 15, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Grupo Aeromexico informs that its subsidiary PLM Premier, S.A.P.I. de C.V. ("PLM Premier"), decided to remove its CEO, and has appointed an interim CEO as a result thereof.

PLM Premier is the joint venture that manages our loyalty program "Club Premier", whose shareholders are Grupo Aeromexico and AIMIA Inc., a Canadian company based in Montreal, Quebec, dedicated to the administration of loyalty programs.

Grupo Aeromexico asserts to its customers, investors and to the general public that PLM Premier, as a Grupo Aeromexico subsidiary, maintains a solid commitment to providing outstanding customer service.

About Grupo Aeromexico

Grupo Aeromexico, S.A.B. de C.V. is a holding company whose subsidiaries are engaged in commercial aviation in Mexico and the promotion of passenger loyalty programs. Aeromexico, Mexicos global airline, operates more than 600 daily flights and its main hub is in Terminal 2 at the Mexico City International Airport. Its destinations network features more than 90 cities on three continents, including 43 destinations in Mexico, 18 in the United States, 20 in Latin America, 4 in Canada, 5 in Europe, and 3 in Asia.

The Group's operating fleet of 127 aircraft is comprised of Boeing 787 and 737 jet airliners and next generation Embraer 170 and 190 models. In 2012, the airline announced the most significant investment strategy in aviation history in Mexico, to purchase up to 100 Boeing aircraft including 90 MAX B737 jet airliners and 10 B787-9 Dreamliner's.

As a founding member of the SkyTeam airline alliance, Aeromexico offers customers more than 1,000 destinations in 179 countries served by the 20 SkyTeam airline partners rewarding passengers with benefits including access to 636 premium airport lounges around the world. Aeromexico also offers travel on its codeshare partner flights with Delta Air Lines, Air France-KLM, Avianca, Copa Airlines and WestJet, with extensive connectivity in countries like the United States, Brazil, Canada, Colombia and Peru.

www.aeromexico.com

www.skyteam.com

http://disfrutaam.tumblr.com/

SOURCE Grupo Aeromexico, S.A.B. de C.V.

Related Links

http://www.aeromexico.com


HANGZHOU, China, May 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The integrated circuit (IC) projects of Hangzhou, capital of east China's Zhejiang province, has attracted 163 million yuan of investments in the first quarter of this year, up 24.1 percent year-on-year, according to data released recently by the Hangzhou Investment Promotion Bureau.

IC sector has become a pillar of Hangzhou's electronic information industry, earning 19.1 billion yuan of revenue in 2018.

As one of China's IC design hubs, Hangzhou is home to 122 IC enterprises, including many market leaders.

For example, Hangzhou C-SKY Microsystems Co., Ltd., the sole provider of China's home-grown 32-bit embedded CPU, started its business in Hangzhou in 2001 and its products received representative achievements of the national project concerning electronic devices, chips and basic software products.

The city has gathered IC design enterprises such as Hangzhou Silan Microelectronics, a leading integrated device manufacturer (IDM) in China, Sage Microelectronics whose Bridge series rank third globally in terms of shipment, and Hangzhou ZhongKe Microelectronics whose chips provide support for the Beidou Navigation Satellite System.

Meanwhile, Hangzhou has been increasingly attractive to scientific and technological talents. Data showed that the city's net inflow rate of such talents in 2018 stood at 12.6 percent, higher than the 2.07 percent of Shanghai and 0.24 percent of Beijing.

These accomplishments could be attributed to measures adopted by the city to foster an innovative and friendly environment for IC industry growth.

In January 2018, Hangzhou announced the establishment of the Qingshan Lake Micro-Nano Smart Manufacturing Town, which focuses on intelligent sensors and chips' design, R&D, testing and packaging and application integration of intelligent sensors. The town has attracted investments of 7.92 billion yuan in 26 micro-nano projects as of today.

To give full play to the role of IC industry in information economy, Hangzhou rolled out special policies in July 2018 for promoting related projects and arranging special funds for IC enterprises.

Hangzhou's IC industry covers design, manufacturing, packaging and test, materials, devices and other areas in the whole industrial chain. It tops Chinese cities in terms of design for embedded CPU, microwave and millimeter-wave IC, digital audio and video, said an official of the Hangzhou Investment Promotion Bureau, adding that the bureau will continue propelling the development of the IC industry in partnership with relevant institutions and enterprises.

SOURCE Hangzhou Investment Promotion Bureau
MADISON, Wis., May 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Tara Hardin, DDS, has been named an Accredited Fellow in the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (AACD). The purpose of Fellowship is to provide the highest level of achievement for members in accordance with the AACD's mission of education and excellence.

AACD

Dr. Hardin has been a member of the AACD since 2002 and achieved Accredited Member status in 2014. She graduated from Furman University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in 1996, then attended The Ohio State University where she received her DDS in 2000. Dr. Hardin is a Fellow of The Academy of General Dentistry, a member of the American Dental Association, Ohio Dental Association, Cincinnati Dental Society and several sleep organizations. She devotes countless hours of continuing education on facial esthetics, cosmetic dentistry, smile design, TMJ therapy and sleep apnea.

"Dr. Hardin's commitment to responsible esthetics and cosmetic dentistry is undeniable with his most recent achievement as an AACD Accredited Fellow," said AACD Fellowship Chair Bradley J. Olson, DDS, FAACD. "Our Accredited Fellow members must complete one of the most rigorous, yet life-changing journeys of their career  and of their lives."

Hardin was honored for this achievement at the 35th Annual AACD Scientific Session in San Diego on April 27, 2019.

About the AACD

The AACD is the world's largest non-profit member organization dedicated to advancing excellence in comprehensive oral care that combines art and science to optimally improve dental health, esthetics and function. Comprised of more than 5,000 cosmetic dental professionals in 80 countries worldwide, the AACD fulfills its mission by offering superior educational opportunities, promoting and supporting a respected Accreditation credential, serving as a user-friendly and inviting forum for the creative exchange of knowledge and ideas, and providing accurate and useful information to the public and the profession.

Media Contact:

Sarah Dopf

(608) 237-8825

[email protected]

Related Images

image1.jpg

SOURCE AACD
BOSTON, May 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- On June 1, Her Campus Media will extend its award-winning Her Conference series to the west coast for the first time as it hosts Her Conference : Inspire in Los Angeles. Focused on media, marketing, influencers, entrepreneurship, social impact and leadership, Her Conference is the ultimate career development and women's empowerment event for college women, influencers and recent grads. Her Conference in New York City is now in its eighth year and will take place on June 22.

Presented by sponsors including XOXO, Mary Kay, Deutsche Bank, GoDaddy, Honest Beauty, Extra Refreshers, High Sierra and more, Her Conference: Inspire is a full day of speakers, gifting and brand experiences built for women to launch their careers. Attendees will hear from a knockout keynote lineup, including Actress, Advocate and Founder of The Honest Company and Honest Beauty Jessica Alba; Fashion Influencer, Clothing Designer and Co-Founder of Premme Gabi Gregg; YouTube Star and Entrepreneur Bethany Mota; and Author, Podcast Host and Reality TV Star Stassi Schroeder.

The event will also feature speakers hailing from top brands including Bliss, FabFitFun, Tinder and more to share proven advice on how to land coveted dream jobs at these industry-leading companies, as well as notable influencers and content creators sharing insights on their success with the next generation of social media stars. Additionally, the winners of the InfluenceHer Collective 's--Her Campus's community of 4,000+ Gen & millennial content creators--inaugural InfluenceHer Awards will be honored.

"We could not be more excited to take our award-winning Her Conference series to LA this year, with a distinct, west coast, influencer-centric feel to the event," said Her Campus Media Co-Founder, CEO & Editor-in-Chief Stephanie Kaplan Lewis. "Every year, Her Conference represents an unbelievable opportunity for the next generation of top talent to learn from the best in the industry while engaging with their favorite brands, and we can't wait to bring our message of female empowerment and ambition to LA."

Register for Her Conference: Inspire Los Angeles at herconference.com and download the Her Campus Events app available in the app store to schedule your day and interact with other attendees.

ABOUT HER CAMPUS

Her Campus Media is the #1 new media brand for the empowered college woman and 360-degree college marketing agency, reaching over 26 million users monthly. Major platforms include flagship site HerCampus.com, on-campus network of 380+ campus chapters, InfluenceHer Collective of 4,000+ millennial & Gen Z female influencers, annual proprietary tentpole programs College Fashion Week and Her Conference, bestselling book The Her Campus Guide to College Life, and more.

Leveraging its digital, social, experiential, influencer and on-campus reach, Her Campus Media provides award-winning integrated marketing programs for leading brands. Her Campus has been featured in The New York Times, Forbes, PR Week, CNN Money, & more, and has been named to Entrepreneur magazine's Best Entrepreneurial Companies in America, Forbes 100 Best Websites for Women and 10 Best Websites for Millennial Women among other accolades.

Press Contact:

Elaina Featherstone

Director, Marketing and PR

[email protected]

617-783-3800

SOURCE Her Campus Media

Related Links

http://www.hercampusmedia.com


DETROIT, May 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) Heritage Region announced additions to its speaker lineup for the 2019 IABC Heritage Region Communication Conference at the Greektown Casino-Hotel in Detroit on Sept. 22-24. Those additional speakers include:

How Toyota Transitioned from Recalls to Recovery: Curt McAllister , 2018 IABC Detroit Communicator of the Year and manager, Midwest Public Relations, Toyota North America

2018 IABC Detroit Communicator of the Year and manager, Midwest Public Relations, Toyota North America Ensuring that "Transformation" Isn't a Crisis: Courtney Boone , vice president, Global Communications, Westinghouse Electric Co.

vice president, Global Communications, Westinghouse Electric Co. Culture 911: Does Yours Need Resuscitation? Mark Schumann , accredited business communicator (ABC), IABC and IABC fellow; vice president, Culture, Sabre Corp.

accredited business communicator (ABC), IABC and IABC fellow; vice president, Culture, Sabre Corp. Attorneys as Allies: Balancing Stakeholder Needs with Legal Concerns in a Crisis, Deb Hileman , strategic communications management professional (SCMP); member, IABC Executive Board; and president and CEO, Institute for Crisis Management

strategic communications management professional (SCMP); member, IABC Executive Board; and president and CEO, Institute for Crisis Management The Five Critical Components that Drive Social Media Success: Cyrus Mavalwala , master communicator (MC), (ABC), founding partner, Advantis Communications

master communicator (MC), (ABC), founding partner, Advantis Communications Presenting Data Effectively: Communicating Your Findings for Maximum Impact: Stephanie Evergreen PhD, Evergreen Data

"Senior communicators and those new to the industry can improve their knowledge and skills at this year's conference," said Joy Lovejoy, chair, conference speaker committee. "Each of these national and regional communication leaders and the keynote speakers will share ideas to help communication professionals develop effective strategies and tactics for issues we face today and tomorrow."

Communicators, marketers or strategic partners can network and grow their skills at breakout, keynote and extended sessions as well as panel discussions  while also savoring the sights, sounds and tastes of Detroit, the nation's top rising urban hot spot.

For the list of conference speakers, visit the conference website. The official hashtag for the conference is #IABCHeritage19.

The "Drive the Future" Communication Conference will be held at the Greektown Casino-Hotel in Detroit. Early-bird full conference registration is $699 for members and $799 for non-members for payments made by July 30, 2019. Registration after July 30 is $799 for members and $899 for non-members. Student rates, as well as one-day and keynote only rates, are also available. To be eligible for special conference hotel room pricing, reservations must be made using this link or by calling 313-223-2999 and requesting the IABC Conference rates.

IABC Detroit and the Heritage Region thank the following sponsors for their generous support: Davis & Company, Toyota, DTE Energy, Internal Comms Pro, Barton Malow, Oakland Community College, Dragonfly Editorial, Igloo Software and Linx Consulting, LLC. Conference sponsorship packages are still available. Contact Pat Frey, ABC, at [email protected] or Deb Salem at [email protected] for more information on becoming a sponsor of the 2019 IABC Heritage Region Communication Conference.

About IABC's Heritage Region

With one of the largest International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) membership totals, the Heritage Region serves members in 17 states including Connecticut, Delaware, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, and West Virginia, as well as Washington, D.C.

SOURCE IABC Detroit

Related Links

http://www.iabcdetroit.com


SUZHOU, China, May 15, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Innovent Biologics, Inc. (Innovent) (HKEX: 01801), a world-class biopharmaceutical company that develops and commercializes high quality medicines, today announced that the research data on the treatment of relapsed or refractory extranodal NK/T cell lymphoma (ORIENT-4) with sintilimab, co-developed with Eli Lilly and Company ("Lilly") and key data from six other clinical studies will be presented at the 55th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) by oral presentation and posters.

The results of ORIENT-4 will be presented during an oral session at the 55th Annual Meeting of the ASCO in Chicago on June 4, 2019 [Abstract #7504; Tuesday, June 4, 10:57 AM -11:09 AM CDT].

ORIENT-4, the multicenter, single-arm, Phase 2 clinical trial for relapsed/refractory (r/r) extranodal NK/T cell lymphoma (ENKTL) in China, evaluates the efficacy and safety of sintilimab as monotherapy in the treatment in patient with r/r ENKTL. This trial includes 28 patients with r/r ENKTL who had treatment progression despite receiving an average of 3 conventional treatments. The primary end point of the trial is the objective response rate (ORR). According to pre-defined response criteria 19 patients achieved objective response resulting in a 68% ORR and 85.7% disease control rate (DCR). (The data was cut-off on February 2, 2019, when 19 patients were still on treatment.)

"ENKTL is a rare tumor with a proclivity for East Asians. Recurrent or refractory patients who are not cured by standard of care therapy are in urgent need for new drugs with better efficacy and safety. EB virus infection is common in ENKTL and often results in immuno-hot tumor phenotype. The ORR of sintilimab in this trial of r/r ENKTL patients is 68% and most patients have enjoyed disease control. We are looking forward to studying sintilimab in other hematological tumors," said Professor Jianyong Li from Department of Haematology, Jiangsu Province Hospital.

"We are announcing key findings from several clinical studies at ASCO that demonstrate the significant progress we have made in the field of tumor immunotherapy. In particular, the results of the ORIENT-4 study give us hope that sintilimab has the requisite efficacy, tolerance and safety to become an important player in the treatment of r/r ENKTL. It could provide a new treatment option to patients," said Michael Yu, Founder, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of Innovent. "Innovent strives 'to develop and commercialize high quality biopharmaceuticals that are affordable to ordinary people.' We hope our efforts contribute new cancer therapeutics by progressing clinical oncology research in China. "

During the same conference, Innovent will also publish key findings from the six other clinical studies in posters and other sessions at the ASCO 2019 Annual Meeting including:

Efficacy and Safety of Sintilimab in Combination with CAPOX in First-line Gastric or Gastroesophageal Junction Carcinoma (GC/GEJC) in Phase 1b Study [Abstract #4042; Monday, June 3 , 8:00 AM -11:00 AM CDT ]. Sintilimab is shown to have favorable efficacy and safety profiles. A randomized, Phase 3 study of sintilimab in combination with CAPOX in first line gastric cancer is ongoing (NCT03745170).

Study [Abstract #4042; , ]. Sintilimab is shown to have favorable efficacy and safety profiles. A randomized, Phase 3 study of sintilimab in combination with CAPOX in first line gastric cancer is ongoing (NCT03745170). Efficacy and Safety of Neoadjuvant PD-1 Blockade with Sintilimab in Resectable Squamous Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (sqNSCLC) [Abstract #8531; Sunday, June 2 , 8:00 AM -11:00 AM CDT ]. The trial shows that neoadjuvant sintilimab for sqNSCLC patients is tolerable and the major pathologic response (MPR) rate is encouraging.

, ]. The trial shows that neoadjuvant sintilimab for sqNSCLC patients is tolerable and the major pathologic response (MPR) rate is encouraging. Sintilimab for relapsed/refractory classical Hodgkin's lymphoma: Extended follow-up on the multicenter, single-arm Phase II ORIENT-1 study [Abstract #7533; Monday, June 3 , 8:00 AM -11:00 AM CDT ]. The trial is the largest clinical trial of classical Hodgkin's lymphoma patients treated with PD-1 in China . In addition to high objective response and complete response rates, sintilimab also shows sustained efficacy and acceptable long-term safety during follow-up.

, ]. The trial is the largest clinical trial of classical Hodgkin's lymphoma patients treated with PD-1 in . In addition to high objective response and complete response rates, sintilimab also shows sustained efficacy and acceptable long-term safety during follow-up. Efficacy and safety of IBI305 compared with bevacizumab in advanced non-squamous NSCLC patients as first-line treatment in a randomized, double-blind, phase 3 study [Abstract #9095; Sunday, June 2 , 8:00 AM -11:00 AM CDT ]. The trial demonstrates the therapeutic similarities between IBI305 (the biosimilar drug candidate of bevacizumab) and bevacizumab. The controlled trial has achieved the predefined primary end points and meets the prespecified clinical similarity measures for ORR. There are no significant difference in safety profile and immunogenicity between the two experimental arms.

, ]. The trial demonstrates the therapeutic similarities between IBI305 (the biosimilar drug candidate of bevacizumab) and bevacizumab. The controlled trial has achieved the predefined primary end points and meets the prespecified clinical similarity measures for ORR. There are no significant difference in safety profile and immunogenicity between the two experimental arms. Circulating Tumor DNA Predicts Response and Resistance by anti-PD-1 Therapy in Chinese Relapsed/Refractory Classic Hodgkin Lymphoma [Abstract #7534; Monday, June 3 , 8:00 AM -11:00 AM CDT ]. The study demonstrated that ctDNA could serve as valuable biomarker for prediction of response or resistance to anti-PD1 immunotherapy.

, ]. The study demonstrated that ctDNA could serve as valuable biomarker for prediction of response or resistance to anti-PD1 immunotherapy. Phase Ib Study of Sintilimab in Combination with Chemotherapy for 1L Advanced or Metastatic Non-small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC). The combination of sintilimab and chemotherapy shows an acceptable efficacy and safety profile in 1L nsq- and sq-NSCLC (Reference # e20546). Two Phase 3 trials are ongoing to evaluate the combination in 1L nsq- (NCT03607539) and sq-NSCLC (NCT03629925) respectively.

About ORIENT-4

ORIENT-4 is a multicenter, single-arm, Phase 2 trial which evaluates the efficacy and safety of sintilimab monotherapy in subjects with relapse/refractory extranodal NK/T cell lymphoma (nasal type) in China. Patients will receive 200 mg sintilimab every 3 weeks until disease progression. The study enrolled 28 patients. The primary endpoint is objective response rate per LUGANO2014 criteria.

About Relapsed/Refractory (r/r) Extranodal NK/T Cell Lymphoma (ENKTL)

Extranodal NK/T cell lymphoma is an aggressive malignancy and accounts for more than 20% of the peripheral T-cell lymphoma in Asia. Patients with relapse or refractory disease have few treatment options and poor prognosis. According to historical data, the overall survival is about 6 months, reflecting huge unmet medical needs.

About Tyvyt (sintilimab injection)

Tyvyt (sintilimab injection) is an innovative drug jointly developed in China by Innovent and Eli Lilly and Company. Innovent is also conducting clinical studies of sintilimab injection in the United States. Tyvyt (sintilimab injection) is a type of immunoglobulin G4 monoclonal antibody, which binds to PD-1 molecules on the surface of T-cells, blocks the PD-1/ PD-1 Ligand-1 (PD-L1) pathway and reactivates T-cells to kill cancer cells. Tyvyt (sintilimab injection) is the only PD-1 antibody in China branded by both a local biopharmaceutical company and a global pharmaceutical company. Tyvyt (sintilimab injection) has been granted marketing approval by the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) for relapsed or refractory classical Hodgkin's lymphoma (r/r cHL) and has been included in the 2019 Guidelines of Chinese Society of Clinical Oncology (CSCO) for Lymphoid Malignancies. There are currently more than twenty clinical studies using sintilimab injection, including eight registration studies that evaluate the efficacy of sintilimab injection in other solid tumors.

About IBI305 (bevacizumab biosimilar)

IBI305 is a biosimilar product candidate of bevacizumab and a recombinant humanized anti-VEGF monoclonal antibody for injection. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is an important factor in angiogenesis that is highly expressed by the endothelial cells in most human tumors. An anti-VEGF antibody binds VEGF selectively with high affinity and blocks its binding to VEGF receptors on the surface of vascular endothelial cells, thereby inhibiting signaling pathways such as PI3K-Akt/PKB and Ras-Raf-MEK-ERK. Bevacizumab produces anti-tumor effects by inhibiting the growth, proliferation and migration of vascular endothelial cells, blocking angiogenesis, reducing vascular permeability, blocking blood supply to tumor tissues, inhibiting the proliferation and metastasis of tumor cells and inducing apoptosis in tumor cells. The new drug application (NDA) of IBI305 was accepted by the NMPA on January 29, 2019 and has been granted with priority review status.

About Innovent

Inspired by the spirit of "Start with Integrity, Succeed through Action," Innovent's mission is to develop and commercialize high quality biopharmaceutical products that are affordable to ordinary people. Established in 2011, Innovent is committed to developing, manufacturing and commercializing high quality innovative medicines for the treatment of oncology, autoimmunity and other major diseases. On October 31, 2018, Innovent was listed on the Main Board of the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited with the stock code: 01801.HK.

Since it was founded, Innovent has developed a fully-integrated platform which includes R&D, CMC (Chemistry, Manufacturing, and Controls), clinical development and commercialization capabilities. Leveraging the platform, the company has built up a robust pipeline of 20 innovative assets in the fields of oncology, ophthalmology, autoimmunity, and cardiovascular diseases. Fourteen assets have entered into clinical development, four have entered Phase 3 clinical trials, two monoclonal antibodies have their New Drug Application (NDA) under review and have been granted with priority review status, and one, Tyvyt (sintilimab injection), is now approved for relapsed or refractory classical Hodgkin's lymphoma (r/r cHL).

Innovent has built an international team of advanced talents in high-end biological drug development and commercialization, including many overseas experts. The company has also entered into strategic collaborations with Eli Lilly and Company, Adimab, Incyte, Hanmi and other international pharmaceutical companies. Innovent strives to work with all relevant parties to help advance China's biopharmaceutical industry, improve drug availability to ordinary people and enhance the quality of the patients' lives. For more information, please visit: www.innoventbio.com.

About Eli Lilly and Company

Lilly is a global healthcare leader that unites caring with discovery to 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.

About Innovent Biologics' strategic collaboration with Eli Lilly and Company

Eli Lilly and Company (Lilly) and Innovent Biologics (Innovent) in March 2015 announced one of the largest biotech drug development collaborations in China to date between a multi-national and domestic company. Under the terms of the agreement, Lilly and Innovent will collaborate on the development and potential commercialization of at least three cancer treatments over the next decade. In October 2015, they announced an expansion of their drug development collaboration. The Innovent and Lilly partnership is one of the most comprehensive strategic collaborations between a Chinese company and a multinational partner in terms of the scope and breadth ranging from discovery to commercialization and involving up to six therapeutic antibodies for cancers.

SOURCE Innovent Biologics, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.innoventbio.com


LONDON, May 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Established in 2016, Only The Blind is a London, UK based luxury streetwear label producing a varied collection of gender neutral clothing and accessories with a core brand value of producing products to the finest quality of fabric, fit and manufacture.

Bold colours, luxury embroidery and perfected fits are consistent throughout the collections and the brand has received a lot of praise on the quality from customers and influencers.

The Black Socrates Sweatshirt from Only The Blind's Archaic Collection The cotton Neon Waterfall T-shirt from Only The Blind's Archaic Collection

For the sixth collection, the brand draws inspiration from ancient Greek philosophers and the quotes they left behind. Featuring statues of Socrates, Plato and Aristotle as seen on the graphic prints. These iconic figures and their messages are timeless and inspired the collection to make a statement.

Contrasting these historic the Archaic collection a thought-provoking interpretation of streetwear today.

The brands signature statement 'Blessed are those who have not seen, yet still believe' is a key message that is continuously placed on particular products. This message strongly represents the brands ethos of pursuing what you love no matter what. It is because of this ethos that the brand has built such a strong global customer base and social media following. This message resonates with numerous people, especially those within the creative industries.

The brand has had support from a variety of people including celebrities, musicians, athletes and influencers in various industries which has led them to wear and feature Only The Blind on a range of platforms such as social media and music videos and the brand is looking to push the message behind the brand even more this year to the public.

Only The Blind has significant global demand from the USA, UK and Europe. It has now partnered with a USA & Canada distributor and is looking to partner with agents/distributors and key stores in the UK and Europe this year. The brand is currently taking wholesale orders for Collection 6 with immediate delivery and for its 7th Collection for A/W 2019.

If you would like more information about this launch or the brand, please visit www.onlytheblind.com or send an email to [email protected].

You can check out the brands social media at @onlytheblind

Media contact:

Igor Ivanenko

[email protected]

+44 207 998 9909

SOURCE Only The Blind

Related Links

http://www.onlytheblind.com


SAN FRANCISCO, May 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The global in-vitro diagnostics infectious diseases market size is likely to reach USD 31.45 billion by 2026, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc., experiencing a CAGR of 6.7% during the forecast period. Increasing geriatric population and rising consumer awareness regarding the merits of IVD tests are expected to drive the IVD infectious diseases market.

Key suggestions from the report:

Introduction of technologies such as qPCR and ELISA has enhanced usage rates of IVD products for infectious disease testing

High unmet consumer needs, supported by rising disposable income and awareness levels in emerging markets, is a key growth stimulant

Immunochemistry assays, such as ELISA and chemiluminescence immunoassays, are projected to be widely used over the forecast period

Molecular diagnostics is poised to witness strong growth, driven by wide adoption and improved accuracy levels

Key players in the market include Becton Dickinson ; bioMerieux; Abbott Laboratories; Quidel Corporation; Alere Inc.; Orasure Technologies, Inc.; Hologic Inc.; Cepheid; Qiagen N.V.; Roche Diagnostics; Siemens Healthcare; and Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc.

Read 78 page research report with TOC on "IVD Infectious Diseases Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Test Location, By Product, By Application, By Technology (Immunochemistry, Molecular Diagnostics), And Segment Forecast, 2019 - 2026" at: https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/ivd-infectious-disease-market

Growing prevalence of target diseases, health awareness, and high demand for self-care medical devices are estimated to accentuate market growth over the forecast period. Moreover, introduction of technologically advanced products with improved sensitivity, speed, and user-friendliness are anticipated to increase the adoption of in-vitro diagnostics for infectious diseases in the next few years.

Key IVD techniques include immunochemistry assays, such as Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) and Immuno-agglutination. These are widely used in clinical laboratories and diagnostic centers for detecting infectious microorganisms such as bacteria and virus in patient samples.

North America dominated the market, supported by presence of sophisticated healthcare infrastructure, government initiatives pertaining to research & development activities, and high awareness levels of patients and practitioners. The Asia Pacific IVD infectious diseases market is projected to witness the fastest growth over the forecast period.

Grand View Research has segmented the global IVD infectious diseases market based on product, technology, application, end use, and region:

Product Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2014 - 2026)

Instruments



Reagents



Software

Technology Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2014 - 2026)

Immunochemistry



Molecular Diagnostics



Microbiology



Others

Application Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2014 - 2026)

MRSA



Streptococcus



Clostridium difficile



VRE



CRE



Respiratory Virus



Candida



TB and Drug-resistant TB



Gastro-intestinal Panel Testing



Chlamydia



Gonorrhea



HPV



HIV



Hepatitis C



Hepatitis B



Others

End-use Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2014 - 2026)

Point of Care



Central Laboratories

Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2014 - 2026)

North America



U.S.





Canada



Europe



U.K.





Germany





Spain





France





Italy



Asia Pacific



Japan





China





India





South Korea





Australia



Latin America



Brazil





Mexico





Argentina



Middle East & Africa



South Africa





Saudi Arabia





U.A.E.

Find more research reports on Clinical Diagnostics Industry, by Grand View Research:

Ophthalmology Diagnostics and Surgical Devices Market  Increasing demand for efficient treatment methodologies, rapid technological advancements and rising incidence rate of ocular disorders such as corneal abrasion, cataract, dry eyes are some major drivers of the ophthalmology diagnostics and surgical devices market.

Increasing demand for efficient treatment methodologies, rapid technological advancements and rising incidence rate of ocular disorders such as corneal abrasion, cataract, dry eyes are some major drivers of the ophthalmology diagnostics and surgical devices market. Carbon Dioxide Incubators Market  The global carbon dioxide incubator market is expected to witness a lucrative growth during the forecast period owing to increasing number of applications of carbon dioxide incubators such as cancer research, embryonic cell research, stem cell research, neuroscience, tissue engineering and cultivation of mammalian cells.

The global carbon dioxide incubator market is expected to witness a lucrative growth during the forecast period owing to increasing number of applications of carbon dioxide incubators such as cancer research, embryonic cell research, stem cell research, neuroscience, tissue engineering and cultivation of mammalian cells. Renal Disease Treatment Devices Market  Global renal disease treatment devices market is expected to grow at rapid pace due to rising incidences of chronic kidney disorders (CKD) and end stage renal disease (ESRD).

Gain access to Grand View Compass, our BI enabled intuitive market research database of 10,000+ reports

About Grand View Research

Grand View Research, U.S.-based market research and consulting company, provides syndicated as well as customized research reports and consulting services. Registered in California and headquartered in San Francisco, the company comprises over 425 analysts and consultants, adding more than 1200 market research reports to its vast database each year. These reports offer in-depth analysis on 46 industries across 25 major countries worldwide. With the help of an interactive market intelligence platform, Grand View Research helps Fortune 500 companies and renowned academic institutes understand the global and regional business environment and gauge the opportunities that lie ahead.

Contact:

Sherry James

Corporate Sales Specialist, USA

Grand View Research, Inc.

Phone: 1-415-349-0058

Toll Free: 1-888-202-9519

Email: [email protected]

Web: https://www.grandviewresearch.com

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SOURCE Grand View Research, Inc.
WAKEFIELD, Mass., May 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Vestmark congratulates Chief Executive Officer John Lunny on being named FinTech Person of the Year in the 2019 FTF News Technology Innovation Awards. The annual awards, presented by the Financial Technology Forum and FTF News, spotlight professionals, financial technology vendors, service providers, industry organizations, and regulators who have made noteworthy achievements during 2018, as chosen by industry peers.

"I am honored to receive this recognition from my peers in the industry," said Mr. Lunny. "This accolade is a tribute to the entire Vestmark team. We are all committed to streamlining the delivery of advice; our team will continue to work together to innovate technology and service solutions that enable our wealth management clients to grow their businesses and improve client outcomes."

Mr. Lunny and the other winners will be honored at the FTF News awards gala dinner at The Loeb Boathouse at Central Park in New York City on June 27, 2019. For more information, please visit https://www.ftfnews.com/awards/the-ftf-news-technology-innovation-awards-2019.

Today, under his direction, Vestmark underpins the success of some of the largest financial institutions, powering managed account platforms at 6 of the 10 largest sponsors, as ranked by Cerulli. Under his leadership and lasting vision, Vestmark has also grown to serve over 4 million investor accounts with more than $1.3 trillion in assets on the platform. Vestmark also recently completed the acquisition of Adhesion Wealth, enabling the firm to immediately become competitive in the rapidly growing RIA marketplace.

About Vestmark:

Vestmark enables financial institutions and advisors to efficiently manage and trade their clients' portfolios through an innovative software as a service (SaaS) platform, VestmarkONE. Financial institutions and advisors use Vestmark's dynamic suite of portfolio and practice management tools and services to build customized solutions that meet their business needs and help to improve outcomes for clients.

Founded in 2001 and headquartered outside of Boston, Vestmark is a trusted partner to some of the largest and most respected players across the wealth management industry. More than $1.3 trillion in assets and 4 million accounts are currently managed on the VestmarkONE platform. For more information about Vestmark's solutions, call (781) 224-3640, email [email protected], or visit www.vestmark.com.

Media Inquiries:

JConnelly for Vestmark

Laura Simpson

(973) 850-7319

[email protected]

SOURCE Vestmark

Related Links

http://www.vestmark.com


The announcement comes on the heels of a recent relaunch of Karma's Innovation and Customization Center (KICC), a $100M facility that will house production of the company's new 2020 Revero GT luxury electric vehicle and one that will provide the ultimate in customization, craftsmanship and technology integration. Karma's new Customer Experience Center, which represents further investment in the company's Moreno Valley-based facility, is expected to start hosting new owners when the company launches the 2020 Revero GT luxury electric vehicle later this year, according to Louise Bristow, Karma's Director of Customer Experience and VVIP Programs.

"Karma's passion for our discerning luxury customers is what drives us to provide them with an ownership experience that's both personal and special," Bristow explains. "Our KICC Customer Experience Center will offer every owner the opportunity to make a personal connection with the people behind our brand, showcasing our exclusive design and craftsmanship capabilities, intuitive technology, personalized customization and VVIP customer treatment."

An indoor lounge, inspired by Karma's California roots, provides a place to relax, configure Karma vehicles and learn about the company's approach to technology and customization. While static displays will play a role in educating and inspiring owners, the addition of a dynamic test track experience - located alongside the new experience center - will allow proud new Revero GT drivers the opportunity to put their new vehicle through its paces without constraints.

"Key components from Karma's electric powertrain, chassis and infotainment system will be showcased in an art-gallery setting providing customers a deeper understanding of what makes our cars so capable and technologically advanced," Bristow added. "Individual craftsmanship studios will showcase Karma's commitment to the art of the bespoke, and those who own a new Karma will find themselves in a special reveal room where their car will be hand-delivered by the team that carefully crafted it largely by hand."

In addition to the new Customer Experience Center, Karma creates unique ownership experiences through its VVIP California Experience. New owners who have taken delivery of their Revero within the last year are invited to join a three-day curated program designed to express the brand's gratitude for being part of its journey. Visiting owners are housed at one of Orange County's top luxury hotels and tour Karma's Southern California facilities where they gain deep insight into how its vehicles are designed and created.

KICC, along with its new Customer Experience Center is expected to play a key role in advancing the company's growing presence in the luxury electric vehicle niche. Technological innovation and personalized customization are among the key elements of Karma's business and product plan that spans the next decade and includes a new, full BEV, multi-product platform from 2021.

Karma's investment in Southern California underscores its commitment to remain and do business in a state it draws so much inspiration from. Production of the new 2020 Revero GT commences later this year.

Meet Karma Automotive and Karma Revero

Karma Automotive designs, engineers, and markets luxury electric vehicles, all from its Southern California base of operations. Founded in 2014 and employing nearly 1,000 people worldwide, Karma Automotive is committed to elevating and growing the luxury mobility experience for its customers and draws on global relationships and technology partners to achieve this. The Revero is a luxury electric vehicle powered by dual electric motors that embodies Karma's goals of offering leading automotive design, technology, customization and an outstanding customer experience. Every Revero is created with great individual care and world-class craftsmanship at the Karma Innovation and Customization Center in Moreno Valley, Calif.

Learn more about Karma Automotive at www.karmaautomotive.com or visit the password-free Karma Newsroom at www.karmanewsroom.com for the latest press releases, videos and images.

SOURCE Karma Automotive

Related Links

https://www.karmaautomotive.com/


STRATHAM, N.H., May 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Visible Assets, Inc. (Visible) Stratham, NH announced today that Visible and Lewis Machine & Tool (LMT) have been selected to supply the Estonian Defense Forces (EDF) with an initial 16,000 automatic weapons between 2019 and 2021. These weapons all have integrated RuBee wireless Weapon Shot Counter (WSC) tags. The contract also includes Visible handheld Javelin readers plus "Allegro 20/20" analytics and weapon maintenance software. Optional "Armory 20/20" software provides automatic wireless weapon audits by reading the WSC tags. An additional optional 9,000 weapons with integrated WSC tags may be supplied over 2021 and 2026 for a total of 25,000 units. The combination of the LMT automatic firearm and RuBee wireless Weapon Shot Counter tags offer many unique advantages over other WSC weapon systems:

Allegro 20/20: Visible Assets' Weapon Shot Counter (WSC) and software systems use secure RuBee wireless for data capture. The WSC is based on a full custom waveform analysis chip, that detects the width and peaks of the impulse response function in real time. Data are captured on a RuBee handheld reader with some software interval analysis. Data are also uploaded to the Allegro 20/20 application server where weapon status and history is archived, with full prognostic health management, advanced analytics, and weapon diagnostics stored and shared with all stakeholders. Armory 20/20: Visible Assets Weapon Shot Counter tag provides wireless human-assisted audits with a handheld reader. With the addition of RuBee Smart Racks, Armory 20/20 performs automated audits with no human assistance. The audits can be programmed to take place many times each day. Armory 20/20 includes integrated Issuance Stations and DoorGuard exit/entry detection with 99.9% covert detectability. Armory 20/20 has proven 100% automated read accuracy without human assistance and provides optional geolocation (+- 1 foot) of weapons within the armory.

The patented Visible, custom waveform analyzer chip achieves 98% to 100% shot counting accuracy. This is based on hundreds of thousands of rounds fired by independent testers. Interval statistics and shot counting analytics provided by the Allegro 20/20 software and the WSC tag automatically notify the user, and/or the manufacture of critical weapon maintenance required in advance of any failure. RuBee uses magnetic fields and unlike RF-based systems, provides high battlefield security with no tempest, target, or eavesdropping risk; has no explosive risks (HERO safe); and no risks on and near tactile or strategic fused ordnance (HERO safe). RuBee Shot Counting tags provide a wireless weapon UID. With low-cost upgrades and Armory 20/20 software, armories can be fully automated, with daily audits, rapid automatic issuance, and enhanced perimeter security. Since RuBee is not blocked by steel or humans, daily automated armory audits have proven to be 100% accurate and do not require human assistance. The Armory 20/20 software can optionally geolocate weapons within the armory to +- a foot. RuBee armories provide enhanced security with sensitive weapon perimeter exit/entry detection. Independent tests show 100% to 99.9% covert exit detection, compared to 0%-50% covert exit/entry detection for competing RFID systems. Finally, because the tags have an optional 20-year field proven battery life, RuBee wireless tags on each weapon serve as a UID reference, create accurate maintenance, ownership, pedigree, and chain of possession records for the life of the weapon.

"Estonia is known as one of the most digitally advanced countries in the world, and we are thrilled that RuBee wireless technology has been selected as a countrywide WSC and wireless UID tag solution on the LMT weapon. We have many Armory and WSC government customers who have set a high bar for weapon maintenance and weapon security and determined that RF-based systems are simply not acceptable." said John Stevens CEO. of Visible "RuBee wireless magnetics has consistently met the most critical customer requirement of 100% accurate audit read rates, 99.9% exit-entry detection, even in high steel content environments and high EMI noise environments where RFID based systems have challenges. Visible strives to deliver, maximum functionality, reliability, and value for our defense customers at the best possible price. It was gratifying to learn that not only did we win this tender based on performance and our unique features, but also when combined with the high-quality LMT weapon we were the lowest priced bidder."

The tender was issued in June 2017. Fourteen firearms manufacturers submitted proposals, nine prequalified for the procurement and five were rejected. By the January 2018 deadline, four manufacturers were invited to make firm fixed final bids. LMT was initially notified it won the tender in December 2018. Over the next four months, three unsuccessful award challenges were attempted by a competitor and the final LMT award was revalidated on May 13, 2019 by the Tallinn Administrative Court.

"This was a highly competitive tender, with a very sophisticated technical buyer and advanced bidding score system." Said Karl Lewis CEO of LMT. "In the review of the proposals, the outcome of a shooting test made up 10% of the overall score, the guaranteed number of shots throughout the weapon's life cycle 20%, length of the useful life of the weapon 30%, and the price 40%. With the Visible WSC and live-fire performance of our weapon and aggressive pricing, we had an overall performance score of 99.3. We are excited to be selected as the supplier of the EDF service weapon, we are committed to making high-quality weapons for our NATO partners and worldwide customers."

About LMT Defense and the MARS Platform

These weapons utilize the LMT Defense monolithic upper on the MARS rifle system. The MARS was developed in 2014 and was initially delivered under contract to New Zealand Defence Force. The MARS weapons platform is a completely ambidextrous rifle system including ambidextrous bolt catch, bolt release, safety selector, magazine release and charging handle. Lewis Machine & Tool manufactures and supplies firearms primarily to the US military and other armed structures, including SAS special forces unit of the British army and the army of New Zealand.

About Visible Assets, Inc.

Visible Assets, Inc. is a privately held US technology company based in Stratham, New Hampshire. Visible Assets designs manufacture and support RuBee wireless real-time asset visibility solutions and networks based on the IEEE 1902.1 standard. Visible Assets provides integrated visibility solutions for a variety of markets though RuBee application partners such as Husky Injection Molding

Systems Ltd, and Lockheed Martin. RuBee Visibility Networks are installed and working in over 1,800 commercial and government sites. Visible Assets, Inc. has an active RuBee licensing program.

Visible Contacts:

Tim Pierce, Vice President

Visible Assets, Inc.

https://www.rubee.com

[email protected]

920-207-9555

John Stevens, CEO

Visible Assets, Inc.

[email protected]

617-395-7601

Lewis Machine & Tool Contact:

Jim Jestel, CPA, COO

LMT Defense

Phone: 309.787.7151

https://lmtdefense.com

[email protected]

High-resolution images available at https://rubee.io/pri

Allegro 20/20: Visible Assets' Weapon Shot Counter (WSC) and software systems use secure RuBee wireless for data capture. The WSC is based on a full custom waveform analysis chip, that detects the width and peaks of the impulse response function in real time. Data are captured on a RuBee handheld reader with some software interval analysis. Data are also uploaded to the Allegro 20/20 application server where weapon status and history is archived, with full prognostic health management, advanced analytics, and weapon diagnostics stored and shared with all stakeholders.

Armory 20/20: Visible Assets Weapon Shot Counter tag provides wireless human-assisted audits with a handheld reader. With the addition of RuBee Smart Racks, Armory 20/20 performs automated audits with no human assistance. The audits can be programmed to take place many times each day. Armory 20/20 includes integrated Issuance Stations and DoorGuard exit/entry detection with 99.9% covert detectability. Armory 20/20 has proven 100% automated read accuracy without human assistance and provides optional geolocation (+- 1 foot) of weapons within the armory.

SOURCE Visible Assets, Inc.
CEDAR KNOLLS, N.J., May 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Assemblywoman Nancy Munoz and Assemblyman Anthony Bucco have sponsored Senate Bill 515 / Assembly Bill 4060, which reduces taxes on metal manufacturers, eliminating the tax on sand, binders, washes and other material used in the manufacturing process. Governor Phil Murphy signed the bill into Law on May 10, 2019.

"Manufacturing is essential for a thriving economy and a robust job market," Munoz, R-21st District, said. "This bill makes our state more affordable and more attractive to industry. Most states don't charge this tax, and this new law makes us more competitive."

"New Jersey has a proud manufacturing history," said Bucco, R-25th District. "We are seeing a significant resurgence of manufacturing jobs in the country. This bill will help secure our share of these high-paying career opportunities."

Munoz and Bucco's Bill was Sponsored by Senator Thomas Kean, Senator Paul Sarlo, Assemblyman Gordon Johnson, Assemblyman Parker Space, and Assemblyman Harold Wirths. The Bill has also been supported by the New Jersey Bipartisan Legislative Manufacturing Caucus (Caucus), which has been on the Caucus's list. Assemblyman Bucco is a member of the said Caucus.

The Caucus, which is chaired by Senator Greenstein, has been working vigorously to strengthen New Jersey manufacturing in all aspects. From putting New Jerseyans back to work to gaining a deeper understanding of what manufacturers need in order to improve productivity, enhance capacity, increase their competitiveness, and collaboration between government officials and businesses.

"I'm pleased the Legislature passed this bipartisan Bill to help boost manufacturing in New Jersey," said John W. Kennedy, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer, NJMEP. "Supporting innovation and manufacturing in New Jersey will help us continue to compete in a global economy. I look forward to building on this success with the Caucus and working with other Legislators to pass policies that encourage more economic opportunity and jump-start good-paying jobs for workers in New Jersey and nationwide," added Kennedy.

The Caucus continues to work closely with the New Jersey Manufacturing Extension Program (NJMEP) as this organization plays a critical role in helping the Caucus achieve success.

About NJMEP: NJMEP is a private, notfor-profit organization that improves the profitability and competitiveness of New Jersey's manufacturers. Backed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), NJMEP enables organizations to enhance their productivity and efficiencies, reduce costs, and improve employee performance. For more than 20 years, NJMEP has used its extensive network of connections and proven track record of success to help manufacturers adapt to the latest innovative technologies and best practices to realize more than $3.8 billion in value. Our services are categorized into the following three areas: Operational Excellence, Innovation and Growth Strategies, and Workforce Development. NJMEP also has a signature philanthropic program, Manufacturing Cares, which is designed to provide a platform for manufacturers to give back to the community by pooling efforts to increase our impact.

SOURCE New Jersey Manufacturing Extension Program

Related Links

njmep.org


MINNEAPOLIS, May 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Meda (Metropolitan Economic Development Association) has opened up applications for its second year of the Million Dollar Challenge for Minority Entrepreneurs. The Million Dollar Challenge is the largest minority entrepreneurial competition in the country, awarding $1 million in funding to minority businesses from across the nation.

The "Shark Tank" style pitch competition includes a speed-pitching event, Meda's Boot Camp for Successful Pitches, and a final live pitch and awards ceremony. All for-profit minority owned businesses in the United States are encouraged to apply. Find the application form here: http://meda.net/challenge.

Applications open on May 15, 2019 and close on June 13, 2019. Semifinals will take place in July and the Final pitch event will coincide with Twin Cities Startup Week in October.

Meda is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping minority businesses succeed. The inaugural Million Dollar Challenge resulted in nine minority businesses from four states receiving financial awards, totaling nearly $1.5 million.

"Meda's Million Dollar Challenge brings so much to the table for entrepreneurs of color: highlighting their innovation and creativity, attracting more equity and capital investments, and accelerating business growth," said Gary Cunningham, President and CEO of Meda. "The impact of uplifting minority entrepreneurs goes far beyond the bounds of the individual and is a proven strategy for creating jobs and boosting economic development. When we support minority entrepreneurs, we support all - and we are proud to bring the Million Dollar Challenge back for a second year to continue that impact on a national level."

Minority business owners often lack access to capital to start and grow their businesses. A 2017 study from the National Bureau of Economic Research found that from 1990- 2016, minority entrepreneurs only represented approximately 20% of entrepreneurs funded by venture capital. Plus, according to a 2017 report by the Minority Business Development Agency, loan denial rates were three times higher for minority firms with gross receipts under $500,000 and about twice as high for minority firms with greater revenues.

Meda services include business consulting, financing solutions and corporate and government opportunities, such as contracts and funding opportunities. Since its inception in 1971, Meda has assisted over 20,500 minority entrepreneurs and helped start over 500 minority-owned, small businesses.

About the Metropolitan Economic Development Agency (Meda): Meda provides business consulting, access to capital, and market opportunities for minority entrepreneurs. Meda also operates a business development center under cooperative agreement with the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) of the U.S. Department of Commerce. The Minneapolis MBDA Business Center connects Minnesota Minority Business Enterprises (MBEs) with business opportunities and has been recognized as the top performing center in the country the last three years in a row.

SOURCE Meda (Metropolitan Economic Development Association)
NASHVILLE, Tenn., May 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Music City Food + Wine Festival, is pleased to announce the line-up of chefs, restaurants, wine & spirits and musicians scheduled to participate in the seventh annual event, September 20-22, 2019. Tickets go on sale today, May 16, 2019, 10:00 a.m. CT, at http://www.musiccityfoodandwinefestival.com/tickets

Music City Food + Wine Festival brings together the stars of Nashville's culinary scene with acclaimed chefs and beverage experts from around the South and across the country at-large. Located in the heart of downtown Nashville, Festival programming includes the return of the Friday Night Throwdown, featuring celebrity sous chefs from the Nashville Predators and the Tennessee Titans; the star-studded Harvest Night; intimate tastings with renowned wine experts and sommeliers Helen Johannesen of Los Angeles' Helen's and Jon & Vinny's and author, speaker and showman Mark Oldman; Sunday's Gospel Brunch; engaging cooking demonstrations; tastes from local chefs and restaurants; dynamic wine, beer & cocktail tastings; live music; book signings; and more.

"Participating in MCFW gives us the opportunity to get out of the restaurant and spend time with our fellow restaurant professionals, see our customers in a different environment, and to make connections with the community," says chef Margot McCormack. "We enjoy showcasing what we do here at Margot Cafe & Bar, as well as celebrating the diverse and thriving food scene we have in Nashville to locals and visitors alike."

"Music lovers tend to be wine lovers, and vice versa," says wine expert Mark Oldman. "They both appreciate subtlety and resonance and stimuli that is short-lived for sense. It is therefore a natural fit to celebrate wine in the music capital of the world. You might say I take a Nashville-like approach to presenting wine. I focus on the best and do it with great passion. I strive to give audiences a performance that they won't soon forget  but never take myself too seriously in the process."

Friday Night Throwdown

Back by popular demand, the Friday Night Throwdown returns to Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park on September 20. Join chefs Carla Hall (chef, author, TV personality) and Tim Love (Lonesome Dove Western Bistro, Woodshed Smokehouse, Queenie's Steakhouse, Love Shack, White Elephant Saloon, Gemelle) for the ultimate culinary throwdown as they go head-to-head in a spirited cooking demo, captaining teams featuring celebrity sous chefs from the Nashville Predators and Tennessee Titans. Each team will be challenged to create a meal from a surprise ingredient box, with a celebrity panel of judges determining the winning pair.

Eat + Drink

The Festival, held at Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park on Friday, September 20, from 6:00  10:00 p.m., and Saturday, September 21, from 11:00 a.m.  4:00 p.m., will offer immersive cooking demonstrations, a dynamic roster of chefs and artisans serving signature dishes and drinks at Chef Showcase, intimate Meet the Maker and Tasting Sessions, Book Signings and activations that will be announced summer 2019.

Throughout the weekend, attendees will have the opportunity to get up close and personal as chefs lead interactive and fun Cooking Demonstrations, including James Beard Foundation Award winner Rick Bayless (Frontera Grill, Topolobampo, Xoco, Lena Brava, Cruz Blanca, Frontera Cocina, Bar Sotano); Sarah Grueneberg (Monteverde); Masaharu Morimoto (Morimoto Restaurants, Morimoto Asia Restaurants; Momosan Ramen & Sake); and Aaron Sanchez (Johnny Sanchez).

Featuring a dynamic roster of chefs and restaurants on Friday, September 20, and Saturday, September 21, the Chef Showcase will enable festivalgoers to meet some of the region's top chefs, while sampling dishes from a diverse line-up of restaurants. The chef restaurant showcase is scheduled to feature some of Nashville's most beloved personalities and destinations, including: Lokelani Alabanza (Hattie Jane's); Hrant Arakelian (Lyra); Carey Bringle (Peg Leg Porker); Derek Brooks (Capitol Grille); Casey Carstens (Americano); Gerard Craft (Pastaria); Crystal De Luna-Bogan (The Grilled Cheeserie Melt Shop + Food Trucks); Luke Fabian (Lonesome Dove Western Bistro Knoxville); Matt Farley (TomKats); Tony Fraske (Makeready Libations & Liberation @ Noelle); Daniel Gorman (Henley); Mike Haggerty (Sea Salt); Hal M. Holden-Bache (Lockeland Table); Vui Hunt (Vui's Kitchen); Michael Kopfman (Stateside Kitchen @ Dream Nashville); Kevin Korman (Whitebird @ The Edwin, Chattanooga); Daniel Lindley (5th & Taylor, Alleia); Bron Lindsey (Adele's); Michael Lishchynsky (Bourbon Steak); B.J. Lofback (Funk Seoul Brother); Mike Morales (Sunda); Deb Paquette & Jess Lambert (Etch); Nick Pellegrino (Mangia Nashville); Giovanni Pinato (Giovanni Ristorante); Jess Rice (My Poor Tired Liver); David Rule (Church & Charles, Knoxville); Shawney Severns (Pemrose); Joshua Simpson (Proper Bagel); Nina Singto (Thai Esane); John Stephenson & Joey Molteni (Hathorne); Trevor Stockton (RT Lodge, Maryville); David Tieman (Five Points Pizza); Murphy Vaughn & Chris Bowater (SILO); Eric Zizka (Saltine); and more to be announced.

Learn from a star-studded collection of sommeliers, wine, beer & spirits experts during a series of intimate Tasting Sessions and Meet the Makers experiences, including Helen Johannesen (partner, Helen's and Jon & Vinny's) and Mark Oldman (wine expert, author and speaker).

Harvest Night

On Saturday, September 21, Walk of Fame Park will be home to Harvest Night, with an all-star line-up of chefs and live music under the Nashville skyline. Chefs will serve signature dishes with a live musical performance by Chicago Plays The Stones, two generations of Chicago Blues stars paying homage to The Rolling Stones, whose own sound was inspired by the great bluesmen of all time.

Harvest Night chefs include: Rick Bayless; Jessica Benefield & Trey Burnette (Two Ten Jack, The Green Pheasant); Matt Bolus (The 404 Kitchen); pastry chef and James Beard Foundation Award-winning writer Lisa Donovan; James Beard Foundation Award winner Sarah Grueneberg; Carla Hall; Matt Hyland (EMILY, EMMY Squared, VIOLET); James Beard Foundation Award winner JJ Johnson (Fieldtrip, Henry at Life Hotel, NYC); Cheetie Kumar (Garland, Raleigh-Durham, NC); Tim Love; Margot McCormack (Margot Cafe & Bar, Marche); Rob Newton (Gray & Dudley); Deb Paquette (Etch, etc); Aaron Sanchez; James Beard Foundation Award winner Jonathan Waxman (Barbuto, Jams, Brezza Cucina); and James Beard Foundation Award winner Tandy Wilson (City House).

Sunday Gospel Brunch

On Sunday, September 22, join an acclaimed group of chefs and restaurants as they serve brunch favorites set to a spirited live gospel performance at Music City Food + Wine's Gospel Brunch at Walk of Fame Park. Experience brunch staples some of Tennessee's most beloved chefs served alongside eye-opening cocktails, wines and coffee, including: Katie Coss (Husk); Pat Martin (Hugh Baby's); Claire Meneely (Dozen Bakery); Rob Newton; Donna Piatko (The Old School Nashville); Jonathan Searle (Proof on Main, Louisville); and more chefs and restaurants to be announced.

Tickets & More Information

Music City Food + Wine Festival ticket options include an All-In Ticket, as well as Friday Evening Ticket, Saturday Ticket, Harvest Night Ticket, and Gospel Brunch Ticket. All attendees must be 21 years of age or older. Ticket prices are inclusive of all food and drink.

The All-In Ticket ($525 per person) enables guests to experience the full weekend of Music City Food + Wine Festival programming, including Friday and Saturday festival access; the Friday Night Throwdown; interactive cooking demos & book signings; hands-on beer, wine and cocktail tasting sessions; tastes from Nashville's best chefs & restaurants; access to Saturday's Harvest Night and Sunday's Gospel Brunch.

The Friday Evening Ticket ($165 per person) includes single-day access to Friday, September 20 Festival programming at Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park, including interactive cooking demos & book signings; Friday Night Throwdown; hands-on beer, wine and cocktail tasting sessions; tastes from over Nashville's best chefs & restaurants; and more.

The Saturday Ticket ($165 per person) includes single-day access to Saturday, September 21 festival programming at Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park, including interactive cooking demos & book signings; hands-on beer, wine and cocktail tasting sessions; tastes from Nashville's best chefs & restaurants; and more.

Harvest Night Ticket ($275 per person) is available as a stand-alone ticket option for Saturday evening, September 21. Harvest Night brings together signature dishes from world-renowned chefs from Nashville and across the country with a live musical performance.

Gospel Brunch ($85 per person) is available as a stand-alone ticket for Sunday, September 22, at Walk of Fame Park. Gospel Brunch features a dynamic roster of restaurants and chefs serving creative brunch favorites. Get a jump-start on the day with eye-opening cocktails, wine, coffee, and a spirited live gospel brunch performance.

For more information, please visit http://www.musiccityfoodandwinefestival.com or follow us on Twitter (twitter.com/musiccityfw) and Facebook (Facebook.com/musiccityfw) #MCFW.

For media credentials, please fill out the online application here: http://www.musiccityfoodandwinefestival.com/press/

Music City Food + Wine is generously sponsored by: Nashville Convention + Visitors Bureau, Toyota and FOOD & WINE.

CONTACT: BALTZ & COMPANY

SARAH ABELL, 917.584.8567

[email protected]

SUZANNAH MAY, 704.998.7695

[email protected]

SOURCE Music City Food + Wine Festival

Related Links

http://foodandwine.com


WASHINGTON, May 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- NASA has selected 11 companies to conduct studies and produce prototypes of human landers for its Artemis lunar exploration program. This effort will help put American astronauts  the first woman and next man  on the Moon's south pole by 2024 and establish sustainable missions by 2028.

"To accelerate our return to the Moon, we are challenging our traditional ways of doing business. We will streamline everything from procurement to partnerships to hardware development and even operations," said Marshall Smith, director for human lunar exploration programs at NASA Headquarters. "Our team is excited to get back to the Moon quickly as possible, and our public/private partnerships to study human landing systems are an important step in that process."

Through Next Space Technologies for Exploration Partnerships (NextSTEP) Appendix E contracts, the selected companies will study and/or develop prototypes during the next six months that reduce schedule risk for the descent, transfer, and refueling elements of a potential human landing system.

NASA's proposed plan is to transport astronauts in a human landing system that includes a transfer element for the journey from the lunar Gateway to low-lunar orbit, a descent element to carry them to the surface, and an ascent element to return to them to the Gateway. The agency also is looking at refueling capabilities to make these systems reusable.

The total award amount for all companies is $45.5 million. As NextSTEP is a public/private partnership program, companies are required to contribute at least 20% of the total project cost. This partnership will reduce costs to taxpayers and encourage early private investments in the lunar economy.

The awardees, from eight states across the country, are:

Aerojet Rocketdyne  Canoga Park, California

One transfer vehicle study

Blue Origin  Kent, Washington

One descent element study, one transfer vehicle study, and one transfer vehicle prototype

Boeing  Houston

One descent element study, two descent element prototypes, one transfer vehicle study, one transfer vehicle prototype, one refueling element study, and one refueling element prototype

Dynetics  Huntsville, Alabama

One descent element study and five descent element prototypes

Lockheed Martin  Littleton, Colorado

One descent element study, four descent element prototypes, one transfer vehicle study, and one refueling element study

Masten Space Systems  Mojave, California

One descent element prototype

Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems  Dulles, Virginia

One descent element study, four descent element prototypes, one refueling element study, and one refueling element prototype

OrbitBeyond  Edison, New Jersey

Two refueling element prototypes

Sierra Nevada Corporation, Louisville, Colorado , and Madison, Wisconsin

, and One descent element study, one descent element prototype, one transfer vehicle study, one transfer vehicle prototype, and one refueling element study

SpaceX  Hawthorne, California

One descent element study

SSL  Palo Alto, California

One refueling element study and one refueling element prototype

To expedite the work, NASA is invoking undefinitized contract actions, which allow the agency to authorize partners to start a portion of the work, while negotiations toward contract award continue in parallel.

"We're taking major steps to begin development as quickly as possible, including invoking a NextSTEP option that allows our partners to begin work while we're still negotiating," said Greg Chavers, human landing system formulation manager at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. "We're keen to collect early industry feedback about our human landing system requirements, and the undefinitized contract action will help us do that."

NASA gave industry its first heads up in April, with the issuance of a pre-solicitation, of its intention to partner with American companies on the development of an integrated lander. The formal solicitation, to be issued this summer, will provide the requirements for a 2024 human landing, and leave it to U.S. industry to propose innovative concepts, hardware development and integration.

"This new approach doesn't prescribe a specific design or number of elements for the human landing system," Chavers said. "NASA needs the system to get our astronauts on the surface and return them home safely, and we're leaving a lot of the specifics to our commercial partners."

NASA is sending astronauts to the Moon and then on to Mars, in a measured and sustainable way. The direction from Space Policy Directive-1 builds on the hard work NASA is doing on its Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft, agency efforts to enable commercial partners, its work with international partners, and what NASA learns from its current robotic missions at the Moon and Mars. Learn more at:

https://www.nasa.gov/moontomars

SOURCE NASA

Related Links

http://www.nasa.gov


OSLO, Norway, May 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ --NEXT Biometrics (Oslo Bors: NEXT), a global leader in fingerprint sensor technology, announces that it has entered into a supply agreement with Fujian Newland Payment Technology Co., Ltd. (Newland).

Newland is the market-leading Point-of-Sale (POS) terminal manufacturer in China and ranks number two in the global POS sector according to The Nilson Report. The agreement provides for the integration of different types of NEXT Biometrics' high-quality, large-area fingerprint sensors into a range of Newland`s POS terminals for sales on a global scale.

The parties have agreed not to disclose volume and revenue details of the supply agreement at this point in time. Volume supply of NEXT fingerprint sensors to Newland is scheduled to start in Q3-2019 and will take full effect in 2020.

"Teaming up with the global number two POS vendor is the perfect basis to further grow our Government ID business on a global level within the next few years," said Alain Faburel, NEXT Biometrics Chief Sales and Marketing Officer. "As announced at the beginning of 2019, we aim to grow our position in access control and Government ID as near-term revenue targets while taking all necessary steps for the mid-term smart card payment market hypergrowth to set in."

"With millions of terminals deployed globally, highest quality, reliability and mass production capability are decisive factors," said Mr. Shen, CTO of Newland. "We have evaluated several options and NEXT Biometrics' excellent sensor technology and performance have won us over."

NEXT Media contact:

Tanja Moehler

[email protected]

NEXT Investor contact:

Knut Stalen

[email protected]

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

https://news.cision.com/next-biometrics/r/next-biometrics-and-newland-enter-into-partnership-agreement-to-deliver-biometric-pos,c2815215

SOURCE NEXT Biometrics
EAST HANOVER, N.J., May 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Novartis will present data from across its oncology portfolio at the upcoming 55th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), taking place May 31-June 4 in Chicago; and the 24th Annual Congress of the European Hematology Association (EHA), scheduled for June 13-16 in Amsterdam. The more than 100 abstracts to be presented underscore Novartis' relentless commitment to addressing unmet needs in cancer and hematology through innovation and research. Data will focus on a range of disease areas, including breast cancer, lung cancer, melanoma and sickle cell disease, as well as leukemias, other hematologic disorders and solid tumors.

"We are excited to share the latest information about our transformative therapies in cancer and serious blood disorders at ASCO and EHA this year," said Susanne Schaffert, CEO, Novartis Oncology. "New data will showcase our scientific and patient-focused prowess across a range of the most difficult-to-treat diseases in the world."

Novartis data at the 2019 ASCO Annual Congress will highlight the following:

Kisqali overall survival results, and additional data on treatment sequencing and patient reported outcomes in HR+/HER2- advanced breast cancer:

Phase III MONALEESA-7 trial of premenopausal patients with HR+/HER2- advanced breast cancer (ABC) treated with endocrine therapy  ribociclib: Overall survival (OS) results [Abstract # LBA1008; Oral presentation: Tuesday, June 4 , 11:57 AM CDT ]

, ] Interim results in the full population from CompLEEment-1, a phase 3b study of ribociclib and letrozole as first-line therapy for advanced breast cancer in an expanded population [Abstract #1041; Sunday, June 2 , 8:00 AM CDT ]

study of ribociclib and letrozole as first-line therapy for advanced breast cancer in an expanded population [Abstract #1041; , ] Alpelisib (ALP) + endocrine therapy (ET) in patients with PIK3CA-mutated hormone-receptor positive (HR+), human epidermal growth factor-2-negative (HER2-) advanced breast cancer (ABC): First interim BYLieve results [Abstract #1040; Sunday, June 2 , 8:00 AM CDT ]

, ] Patient-reported outcomes (PROs) in patients with PIK3CA-mutated hormone receptor-positive (HR+), human epidermal growth factor receptor-2-negative (HER2-) advanced breast cancer (ABC) from SOLAR-1 [Abstract #1039; Sunday, June 2 , 8:00 AM CDT ]

, ] Alpelisib (ALP) + fulvestrant (FUL) in patients with PIK3CA-mutated hormone receptor-positive (HR+), human epidermal growth factor receptor-2-negative (HER2-) advanced breast cancer (ABC): SOLAR-1 results by therapy line and endocrine therapy resistance (ETR) [Abstract #1038; Sunday, June 2 , 8:00 AM CDT ]

, ] NATALEE: Phase 3 study of ribociclib (RIBO) + endocrine therapy (ET) as adjuvant treatment in hormone receptor-positive (HR+), human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative (HER2-) early breast cancer (EBC) [Abstract #TPS597; Sunday, June 2 , 8:00 AM CDT ]

, ] First-line ribociclib plus letrozole for postmenopausal women with hormone receptor-positive (HR+), HER2-negative (HER2-) advanced breast cancer (ABC): MONALEESA-2 long-term safety results [Abstract #1078; Sunday, June 2 , 8:00 AM CDT ]

, ] Continuous dosing ribociclib, everolimus, exemestane in HR+ and HER2- advanced breast cancer post-progression on a CDK4/6 inhibitor [Abstract #1016; Sunday, June 2 , 8:00 AM CDT , Poster discussion: 11:15 AM CDT ]

, , Poster discussion: ] In-depth gene expression analysis of premenopausal patients with HR+/HER2- advanced breast cancer (ABC) treated with ribociclib containing therapy in the Phase III MONALEESA-7 trial [Abstract #1018; Sunday, June 2 , 11:15 AM CDT , Poster discussion: 11:30 AM CDT ]

Long-term and new analyses of the Tafinlar+Mekinist COMBI trials in melanoma:

Five-year analysis of dabrafenib plus trametinib (D+T) in patients with BRAF V600-mutant unresectable or metastatic melanoma confirms long-term benefit [Abstract #9507; Oral presentation: Tuesday, June 4 , 11:57 AM CDT ]

V600-mutant unresectable or metastatic melanoma confirms long-term benefit [Abstract #9507; Oral presentation: , ] The antiPD-1 antibody spartalizumab (S) in combination with dabrafenib (D) and trametinib (T) in previously untreated patients with advanced BRAF V600-mutant melanoma: updated efficacy and safety from parts 1 and 2 of COMBI-i [Abstract #9531; Monday, June 3 , 1:15 PM CDT ]

V600-mutant melanoma: updated efficacy and safety from parts 1 and 2 of COMBI-i [Abstract #9531; , ] Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) kinetics to predict survival in patients with unresectable or metastatic melanoma treated with dabrafenib (D) or D + trametinib (T) [Abstract #9510; Oral presentation: Saturday, June 1 , 3:24 PM CDT ]

, ] Tumor microenvironment (TME), longitudinal biomarker changes, and clinical outcome in patients with advanced BRAF V600-mutant melanoma treated with 1st-line spartalizumab (S) + dabrafenib (D) + trametinib (T) [Abstract #9515; Monday, June 3 , 1:15 PM CDT ; Poster discussion: 4:30 PM CDT ]

V600-mutant melanoma treated with 1st-line spartalizumab (S) + dabrafenib (D) + trametinib (T) [Abstract #9515; , ; Poster discussion: ] Association between baseline disease characteristics and relapse-free survival (RFS) in patients with BRAF V600-mutant resected stage III melanoma treated with adjuvant dabrafenib (D) + trametinib (T) or placebo (PBO) [Abstract #9582; Monday, June 3 , 1:15 PM CDT ]

Results from GEOMETRY study investigating capmatinib (INC280) in NSCLC:

Capmatinib (INC280) in METex14-mutated advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC): Efficacy data from the phase II GEOMETRY mono-1 study [Abstract #9004; Oral presentation: Monday, June 3 , 9:12 AM CDT ]

Analyses on treatment of advanced solid tumors and hematologic malignancies with spartalizumab (PDR001) in combination with other agents:

Phase Ib study of MIW815 (ADU-S100) in combination with spartalizumab (PDR001) in patients with advanced/metastatic solid tumors or lymphoma [Abstract #2507; Oral presentation: Sunday, June 2 , 10:12 AM CDT ]

, ] Phase II, open-label study of spartalizumab (PDR001) and LAG525 for patients with advanced solid tumors and hematologic malignancies [Abstract #2553; Saturday, June 1 , 8:00 AM CDT ]

A study evaluating Kymriah (tisagenlecleucel)*** in follicular lymphoma:

ELARA: A Phase 2, single-arm, multicenter, open-label trial investigating the efficacy and safety of tisagenlecleucel in adult patients with refractory/relapsed follicular lymphoma (r/r FL) [Abstract #TPS7573; Monday, June 3 , 8:00 AM CDT ]

Long-term treatment-free remission (TFR) data, after Tasigna treatment discontinuation, in patients with CML:

ENESTop 192-week results: treatment-free remission (TFR) in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia in chronic phase (CML-CP) after stopping second-line (2L) nilotinib (NIL) [Abstract #7005; Oral presentation: Saturday, June 1 , 4:24 PM CDT ]

, ] Treatment-free remission (TFR) following frontline (1L) nilotinib (NIL) in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia in chronic phase (CML-CP): 192-week data from the ENESTfreedom study [Abstract #7013; Monday, June 3 , 1:15 PM CDT , Poster discussion: 4:30 PM CDT ]

Additional data presented at ASCO include:

The CANOPY Program: Canakinumab in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) [Abstract #TPS9124; Sunday, June 2 , 8:00 AM CDT ]

, ] CANOPY-A: A Phase 3 study of canakinumab as adjuvant therapy in patients with surgically resected non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) [Abstract #7013; Sunday, June 2 , 8:00 AM CDT ]

Advanced Accelerator Applications, a Novartis company and leader in nuclear medicine theragnostics, will present additional analyses from the NETTER-1 study evaluating Lutathera (lutetium Lu 177 dotatate)**** in patients with progressive midgut neuroendocrine tumors:

Analyses of patient diaries in the NETTER-1 study of 177Lu-DOTATATE versus high-dose octreotide in progressive midgut neuroendocrine tumors [Abstract #4111; Monday, June 3 , 8:00 AM CDT ]

Sandoz, a Novartis division, the pioneer and global leader in biosimilars, will present data for the company's biosimilar pegfilgrastim:

Cost-minimization analysis for biosimilar pegfilgrastim in the prophylaxis of chemotherapy induced (febrile) neutropenia and expanded access based on budget neutral basis [Abstract #6645; Saturday, June 1 , 1:15 PM CDT ]

Additional data from Sandoz to be featured online by ASCO include:

A large multi-center, randomized, double-blind, crossover study in healthy volunteers, comparing pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of Sandoz proposed biosimilar pegfilgrastim with EU and US reference pegfilgrastim [online only]

Novartis data at the 2019 EHA Annual Congress will highlight the following:

Retrospective data for investigational compound crizanlizumab (SEG101):

SUCCESSOR: A multicenter retrospective non-interventional follow-up study in patients with sickle cell pain crises who previously participated in the SUSTAIN trial in the United States SUCCESSOR study [Abstract #S853; Oral presentation: Saturday, June 15 , 11:45 AM CET ]

Expert consensus paper on tapering and discontinuation of TPO-RAs and additional results of worldwide ITP impact survey:

Tapering and discontinuation of thrombopoietin receptor agonists in ITP: Expert consensus opinions [Abstract #PF709; Friday, June 14 , 5:30 PM CET ]

, ] Physicians' perceptions on causes of primary and secondary ITP and leading causes of misdiagnosis: Results from the ITP World Impact Survey (I-WISh) [Abstract #PF712; Friday, June 14 , 5:30 PM CET ]

, ] Patient perceptions on splenectomy outcomes: Results from the ITP World Impact Survey (I-WISh) [Abstract #PF714; Friday, June 14 , 5:30 PM CET ]

, ] Differences on perceptions on treatment approaches between physicians and ITP patients: Results from the ITP World Impact Survey (I-WISh) [Abstract #PF711; Friday, June 14 , 5:30 PM CET ]

Data on the investigational compound asciminib (ABL001) in combination with other tyrosine kinase inhibitors in previously treated CML patients:

Combination therapy using asciminib plus imatinib (IMA) in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML): Results from a Phase 1 study [Abstract #S883; Oral presentation: Saturday, June 15 , 4:30 PM CET ]

, ] Combination of asciminib plus nilotinib (NIL) or dasatinib (DAS) in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia: Results from a Phase 1 study [Abstract #S884; Oral presentation: June 15 , 4:30 PM CET ]

Data analyses with a 3.7-year follow-up for Tasigna TFR in CML:

Durability and impact on quality of life of treatment-free remission (TFR) in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia after stopping frontline (1L) nilotinib: [Abstract #PF409; Friday, June 14 , 5:30 PM CET ]

, ] ENESTop 192-week results: Durability and impact on quality of life of TFR second-line (2L) nilotinib [Abstract #PF411; Friday, June 14 , 5:30 PM CET ]

Abstracts analyzing the safety and efficacy of Kymriah in acute lymphoblastic leukemia, and on regrading of adverse events in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma:

Tisagenlecleucel appears effective and safe in pediatric and young adult patients with relapsed/refractory acute lymphoblastic leukemia with high-risk cytogenetic abnormalities [Abstract #S1618; Oral presentation: Sunday, June 16 , 8:15 AM CET ]

, ] Analyses of cytokine release syndrome and neurotoxicity by age and lymphodepleting chemotherapy use in adults with relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma treated with tisagenlecleucel [Abstract #PF305; Friday, June 14 , 5:30 PM CET ]

Safety and efficacy of Jakavi (ruxolitinib)***** in myelofibrosis (MF) and anemia, and additional results from a large-scale survey on the impact of myeloproliferative neoplasms:

Safety and efficacy of ruxolitinib (RUX) in patients with myelofibrosis (MF) and anemia (HB <10 g/dl): Results at week 24 of the REALISE trial [Abstract #PS1465; Saturday, June 15 , 5:30 PM CET ]

, ] Impact of myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) and perceptions of treatment goals amongst physicians and patients in 6 countries: An expansion of the MPN Landmark Survey [Abstract #PF681; Friday, June 14 , 5:30 PM CET ]

New and updated data evaluating the efficacy and safety of Rydapt (midostaurin) in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and different genetic mutational status:

RATIFY post-hoc analyses:

Prognostic and predictive impact of NPM1 / FLT3 -ITD genotypes as defined by 2017 European LeukemiaNet (ELN) risk categorization from randomized patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) treated within the international RATIFY Study (ALLIANCE 10603) [Abstract #PF260; Friday, June 14 , 5:30 PM CET ]

/ -ITD genotypes as defined by 2017 European LeukemiaNet (ELN) risk categorization from randomized patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) treated within the international RATIFY Study (ALLIANCE 10603) [Abstract #PF260; , ]

Genetic landscape of FLT3 -mutated acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients treated within the RATIFY Trial: CALGB 10603 (ALLIANCE) [Abstract #PS968; Saturday, June 15 , 5:30 PM CET ]

-mutated acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients treated within the RATIFY Trial: CALGB 10603 (ALLIANCE) [Abstract #PS968; , ]

RATIFY: Prognostic impact of FLT3 tyrosine kinase domain (TKD) and NPM1 mutation status in patients with newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia (AML) treated with midostaurin + standard chemotherapy [Abstract #PF256; Friday, June 14 , 5:30 PM CET ]

Throughout the 2019 ASCO Annual Meeting and EHA Annual Meeting, Novartis will host dedicated content on Twitter , Facebook , and LinkedIn , featuring leader and patient insights and perspectives on the emerging trends in cancer care and research.

Product Information

Approved indications for products vary by country and not all indications are available in every country. The product safety and efficacy profiles have not yet been established outside the approved indications. Because of the uncertainty of clinical trials, there is no guarantee that compounds will become commercially available with additional indications.

For full prescribing information, including approved indications and important safety information about marketed products, please visit https://www.novartisoncology.com/news/product-portfolio.

Disclaimer

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements can generally be identified by words such as "potential," "can," "will," "plan," "expect," "anticipate," "look forward," "believe," "committed," "investigational," "pipeline," "launch," or similar terms, or by express or implied discussions regarding potential marketing approvals, new indications or labeling for the investigational or approved products described in this press release, or regarding potential future revenues from such products. You should not place undue reliance on these statements. Such forward-looking statements are based on our current beliefs and expectations regarding future events, and are subject to significant known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements. There can be no guarantee that the investigational or approved products described in this press release will be submitted or approved for sale or for any additional indications or labeling in any market, or at any particular time. Nor can there be any guarantee that such products will be commercially successful in the future. In particular, our expectations regarding such products could be affected by, among other things, the uncertainties inherent in research and development, including clinical trial results and additional analysis of existing clinical data; regulatory actions or delays or government regulation generally; global trends toward health care cost containment, including government, payor and general public pricing and reimbursement pressures and requirements for increased pricing transparency; our ability to obtain or maintain proprietary intellectual property protection; the particular prescribing preferences of physicians and patients; general political and economic conditions; safety, quality or manufacturing issues; potential or actual data security and data privacy breaches, or disruptions of our information technology systems, and other risks and factors referred to in Novartis AG's current Form 20-F on file with the US Securities and Exchange Commission. Novartis is providing the information in this press release as of this date and does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this press release as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

About Novartis

Novartis is reimagining medicine to improve and extend people's lives. As a leading global medicines company, we use innovative science and digital technologies to create transformative treatments in areas of great medical need. In our quest to find new medicines, we consistently rank among the world's top companies investing in research and development. Novartis products reach more than 750 million people globally and we are finding innovative ways to expand access to our latest treatments. About 105 000 people of nearly 140 nationalities work at Novartis around the world. Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation, a US affiliate of Novartis, is located in East Hanover, NJ. Find out more at www.novartis.com.

Novartis is on Twitter. Sign up to follow @Novartis at http://twitter.com/novartis

For Novartis multimedia content, please visit www.novartis.com/news/media-library

For questions about the site or required registration, please contact [email protected]

* Kisqali was developed by the Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research (NIBR) under a research collaboration with Astex Pharmaceuticals.

** Capmatinib (INC280) is an investigational, oral and selective MET inhibitor licensed to Novartis by Incyte Corporation in 2009. Under the Agreement, Incyte granted Novartis worldwide exclusive development and commercialization rights to capmatinib and certain back-up compounds in all indications.

*** Novartis and the University of Pennsylvania's Perelman School of Medicine (Penn) have a global collaboration to research, develop and commercialize chimeric antigen receptor T cell (CAR-T) therapies, including Kymriah, for the investigational treatment of cancers.

**** Lutathera is a registered trademark of Advanced Accelerator Applications, a Novartis company.

***** Jakavi is a registered trademark of Novartis AG in countries outside the United States. Jakafi is a registered trademark of Incyte Corporation. Novartis licensed ruxolitinib from Incyte Corporation for development and commercialization outside the United States.

Novartis Media Relations



Central media line: +41 61 324 2200



E-mail: [email protected]









Eric Althoff

Julie Masow Novartis US External Communications

Novartis Oncology Media Relations +1 646 438 4335 (direct)

+1 862 778 7220 (direct) [email protected]

[email protected]





Novartis Investor Relations



Central investor relations line: +41 61 324 7944

E-mail: [email protected]









Central



North America

Samir Shah +41 61 324 7944

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SOURCE Novartis
In addition, ONT received six Awards of Distinction  for Fast Facts and its This is ONT video.

The multiple awards, presented by the Academy of Interactive and Visual Arts (AIVA) and announced last week in New York City, further elevate ONT's status as an industry leader and innovator. More than 6,000 entries were received for this year's Communicator Awards, the leading international creative awards program honoring the best in advertising, corporate communications, public relations and identity work for print, video, interactive and audio.

"This class of entries we received this season embody the ever-evolving marketing and communications industry," said Derek Howard, director of the AIVA. "On behalf of the Academy, I'd like to applaud the entrants this season for their dedication to producing outstanding content as they continue to push the envelope of creativity."

"We're proud of our marketing team, and the work they've done to help position ONT as Southern California's newest aviation gateway and the country's fastest-growing airport," said Atif Elkadi, Deputy Executive Officer of the Ontario International Airport Authority. "We've got a great story to tell, and with the creative team we have in place, we're excited to share our success with the world."

ONT's Communicator Awards, by category:

AWARDS OF EXCELLENCE

Online video

(Fast Facts) Individual animation

(Fast Facts) Use of graphics

Commercials

(Fast Facts) Use of graphics

(Fast Facts) Use of animation

AWARDS OF DISTINCTION

Commercials

(Fast Facts) General Travel & Tourism

(This is ONT) General Travel & Tourism

Online Video

(Fast Facts) Individual Travel Video

(Fast Facts) Individual Social Video

(This is ONT) Individual Travel Video

(This is ONT) Individual Social Video

About Ontario International Airport

Ontario International Airport (ONT) is the fastest growing airport in the United States, according to Global Traveler, a leading publication for frequent fliers. Located in the Inland Empire, ONT is approximately 35 miles east of downtown Los Angeles in the center of Southern California. It is a full-service airport with nonstop commercial jet service to 19 major airports in the U.S., Mexico and Taiwan, and connecting service to many domestic and international destinations. There is an average of 67 daily departures offered by nine air carriers. More information is available at www.flyOntario.com.

Follow @flyONT on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram

About the Ontario International Airport Authority (OIAA)

The OIAA was formed in August 2012 by a Joint Powers Agreement between the City of Ontario and the County of San Bernardino to provide overall direction for the management, operations, development and marketing of ONT for the benefit of the Southern California economy and the residents of the airport's four-county catchment area. OIAA Commissioners are Ontario City Council Member Alan D. Wapner (President), Retired Riverside Mayor Ronald O. Loveridge (Vice President), Ontario City Council Member Jim W. Bowman (Secretary), San Bernardino County Supervisor Curt Hagman (Commissioner) and retired business executive Julia Gouw (Commissioner).

News Media Contacts:

Atif Elkadi, Deputy Executive Director, (858) 361-9319 [email protected]

Steve Lambert, (909) 841-7527 [email protected]

SOURCE Ontario International Airport

Related Links

https://www.flyontario.com/


CINCINNATI and NEW YORK, May 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- PM360, the premier information resource for marketing decision makers in the pharmaceutical, biotech, diagnostics and medical device sectors, has named PatientPoint Chief Product Officer David Guthrie to its annual ELITE 100 list of the most influential people in the healthcare industry. Guthrie is being honored with an ELITE (Exceptional  Leaders  Innovators  Transformers  Entrepreneurs) award in the Tech-Know Geek category.

Throughout his 30-year career, Guthrie has designed, implemented and honed solutions that have reshaped entire industries. As Chief Product Officer, Guthrie is charged with directing the PatientPoint product roadmap, overseeing both new product development and current product enhancements. Over the last 18 months, Guthrie has been hard at work pursuing opportunities to showcase point of care's expansive potential and further integrate PatientPoint digital products into clinical workflows.

"David strongly believes that point of care is everywhere, and he is constantly innovating around the premise that healthcare takes place anywhere a doctor and patient can communicate," said PatientPoint Founder and CEO Mike Collette. "We are exceptionally fortunate to have David leading the way as we introduce and iterate technology that connects patients to trusted point-of-care education and treatment information."

The PM360 ELITE Awards were established in 2015 to recognize individuals who have made a significant impact to the healthcare industry throughout their careers. More than 500 submissions were received and nominees were evaluated and selected by the PM360 editorial staff based on their accomplishments; testimonials from their supervisors, clients and colleagues; and supporting evidence that reflects the impact of their efforts. A total of 100 winners were selected across 17 categories, including Creative Directors, Data Miners, Digital Crusaders, Disrupters, Entrepreneurs, Launch Experts, Leaders of the Future, Marketing Teams, Master Educators, Mentors, Patient Advocates, PR Gurus, Sales MVPs, Strategists, Talent Acquisition Leaders, Tech-know Geeks and Transformational Leaders.

"The 100 individuals and teams we selected this year are truly worthy of being called ELITE," says Anna Stashower, CEO and Publisher of PM360. "Each of them is at the forefront of their respective fields and are leading this industry in exciting and new directions. We are beyond excited to celebrate their achievements and provide the industry the chance to get to know them a little better."

The winners were profiled in PM360's May 2019 issue. Read the profiles online at https://www.pm360online.com/the-2019-pm360-elite-100.

Guthrie and the rest of the winners will be honored at a celebratory event on July 16 in New York City at the rooftop bar 230 FIFTH. Tickets are available for purchase at www.pm360online.com/elitetickets.

About PatientPoint

PatientPoint is a patient engagement solutions company passionately committed to making every doctor-patient engagement better. By harnessing the power of technology, our omnichannel platform more effectively educates and empowers patients, caregivers and staff to deliver improved health outcomes and an enhanced patient experience. For 30 years, hospitals, health systems, physician offices and sponsoring brands have trusted PatientPoint and its more than 450 team members to provide a uniquely integrated experience across care settings. Learn more at patientpoint.com.

About PM360

PM360 is the premier, must-read magazine for marketing decision makers in the pharmaceutical, biotech, diagnostics, and medical device industries. Published monthly, PM360 is the only journal that focuses on delivering the full spectrum of practical information necessary for product managers and pharmaceutical marketing professionals to succeed in the complex and highly regulated healthcare environment.

The journal's targeted and insightful editorial focuses on issues that directly impact critical decision making, including: Planning and implementation of cutting edge strategies, trends, the latest technological advances, branding/marketing, advertising/promotion, patient/professional education, sales, market research, PR, and leadership. Additionally, the "360" in the title signifies the span of this critical, how-to info with personal and career insights for an enjoyable and thought-provoking read.

By providing the full circle of enriching content, PM360 is truly an indispensable tool for busy and productive marketing professionals to stay at the top of their game.

SOURCE PatientPoint

Related Links

http://www.patientpoint.com


Those are the findings in the 2019 Community Benefit Report issued today by the New Jersey Hospital Association. The report is based on data provided by the state's hospitals, in accordance with standard industry definitions of programs considered "community benefit." Criteria for programs to be called a community benefit include generating a low or negative margin, responding to the needs of New Jersey's diverse populations, responding to public health needs and education or research that improves overall community health.

"Healthcare used to be centered in the hospital; now it's centered in our communities," said NJHA President and CEO Cathy Bennett. "That's part of a sea change in healthcare today, and it's reflected in the billions of dollars invested by New Jersey's hospitals and health systems to promote good health for their neighbors and their communities."

Highlights from New Jersey's report include:

$1.9 billion in free and discounted care for the uninsured, underinsured and others without the means to pay

in free and discounted care for the uninsured, underinsured and others without the means to pay $60 million in community health improvement services including programs and partnerships for patients, consumers and community members targeting issues such as nutrition, safety, exercise and other local health needs

in community health improvement services including programs and partnerships for patients, consumers and community members targeting issues such as nutrition, safety, exercise and other local health needs $247 million in health professions education to prepare the next generation of physicians, nurses and other healthcare professionals, and

in health professions education to prepare the next generation of physicians, nurses and other healthcare professionals, and $621 million in other community health programs, which includes donations and subsidized health services, defined as programs that a hospital or health system provides to meet a community need, despite financial losses.

The full report is available at www.njha.com/community-benefit-2019.

NJHA and its Health Research and Educational Trust produce the report annually. Today's release coincides with consideration of a bill in the New Jersey Legislature that would formalize a standard community contribution for nonprofit hospitals to provide additional support to their municipalities in recognition of the public services hospitals receive, while reaffirming the hospitals' property tax-exempt status.

The legislation would not alter the type of local support captured in the Community Benefit Report, but it provides further opportunity for hospitals and their host municipalities to work collaboratively to support the well-being of residents. The measure is being considered today by the Assembly State and Local Government Committee.

"We believe that this legislation is an extension of the very important relationship that exists between a hospital and its host municipality," said NJHA's Neil Eicher, vice president of legislation and policy. "New Jersey's nonprofit hospitals have stepped forward to endorse this bill to voluntarily add more financial support for their municipalities." (Click here for the full testimony.)

The measure would address a long-unresolved issue in New Jersey stemming from a 2015 tax court decision that questioned the tax-exempt status of one hospital, Morristown Memorial. That single ruling has led to years of uncertainty for hospitals across the state and a number of lawsuits pitting municipalities against their local hospitals. The compromise bill aims to provide a statewide solution that solidifies support for communities.

"Hospitals have a responsibility not only for the patients in their care, but also for the health of the broader community. That's what population health is all about," said Bennett. "This Community Benefit report reflects the depth of that commitment, along with a pledge to work collaboratively with other stakeholders on the broader societal challenges that have a tremendous influence on our health."

NJHA is a not-for-profit trade association committed to helping its members provide quality, affordable, accessible healthcare to their communities.

SOURCE New Jersey Hospital Association (NJHA)
DENVER, May 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The RIA Endovascular Clinic has opened the first office-based Interventional Suite in metro Denver, located inside the Clinic at 8200 East Belleview Avenue, Greenwood Village, in Suite 600E.

"We are excited to offer the Colorado community another choice for healthcare with the RIA Interventional Suite," said Peter G. Stratil, MD, MBA, and Medical Director of RIA Endovascular Clinic. "We recognize that our patients are seeking access to lower cost procedures, faster treatment scheduling, and easy-to-use locations. The RIA Interventional Suite will offer all of that, while giving our physician team the tools to maintain the highest standards of patient care."

As a national leader in the field of IR, the team of physicians at RIA Endovascular Clinic will offer treatments ranging from simple to complex in a more convenient outpatient setting. All IR procedures in the RIA Interventional Suite will utilize leading-edge minimally-invasive techniques, which reduce impact to the body and post-procedure discomfort and complications.

The RIA Interventional Suite will offer diagnostic and therapeutic angiography/venography, vertebral augmentation, embolization procedures, vascular access and catheter maintenance, and many other procedures. "We will maintain our ongoing service of patient consultations at the RIA Endovascular Clinic and outpatient procedures at our partner hospitals for more complex IR cases. But, we believe that the new RIA Interventional Suite has the potential to bring minimally-invasive solutions to many more people throughout Colorado and improve their health and general quality of life as a result," Stratil added.

To learn more about the RIA Endovascular Clinic and Interventional Suite, contact Dr. Peter Stratil at 720-493-3406 or [email protected], or visit www.riaendovascular.com

About RIA Endovascular Clinic

RIA Endovascular Clinic is the premier interventional radiology practice of the Denver front range, providing both inpatient and outpatient care in multiple locations. Services include the full spectrum of minimally invasive interventional procedures. All RIA interventional radiologists are certified by the American Board of Radiology, are members of the American College of Radiology, and have received sub-specialty fellowship training in interventional radiology.

The RIA Endovascular Clinic was the first interventional radiology clinic in Denver, established in 2005. The IR physicians perform state of the art venous procedures and are available for direct consultation. For more information about RIA Endovascular Clinic, visit www.riaendovascular.com

About Radiology Imaging Associates, PC (RIA)

RIA is a leading provider of diagnostic and interventional radiology services in the Mountain West. Founded in the 1960s, RIA is the recognized leader in imaging quality with sub-specialized radiologists providing services for all major non-university hospital systems in Colorado. The team also provides 24-hour coverage for neuroradiology, body imaging and general radiology, with availability of pediatric imaging; and sponsors RIA clinical research trials. For more information, visit www.riaco.com

RIA is one of two founding members of Covalent Radiology, formed in 2018 to provide private radiology practices with an independent, physician-governed option to publicly-traded and private equity-funded organizations. For more information about Covalent Radiology, visit www.covalentradiology.com

SOURCE RIA Endovascular Clinic

Related Links

http://www.riaendovascular.com


RONKONKOMA, N.Y., May 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- RTX Wheels, a division of THIBERT and Canada's leading manufacturer and distributor of automotive wheels, has selected automotive and B2B agency Ripley PR to promote awareness among distributors, retailers and consumers as it expands into the U.S. market.

"Ripley PR is an ideal fit as we introduce and grow the RTX Wheels brand in the U.S.," said Patrick O'Hara, RTX Wheels' vice president of business development, public relations and marketing for North America. "We have an ambitious growth plan, and we know Ripley PR's experienced agency team can help us achieve it, because they understand our business and we've seen their demonstrated record of success within the automotive industry."

Ripley PR specializes in automotive and B2B public relations. The global public relations agency offers strategic communications services for its clients, including crisis management, media relations and social media strategies. The agency's unique combination of strategic business accounting and creative public relations help clients build brand awareness, establish positive reputations and drive increased leads and sales.

"RTX is poised to be a major player in the U.S. auto market in the next few years," said Ripley PR CEO Heather Ripley. "The company has become the number one distributor in Canada because they provide wheels for every automotive category and their affordable products match the performance and look of high-end brands. That kind of value and reliability is something U.S. customers are really going to respond to."

The family-owned RTX Wheels was established in 2003 and initially sold only three different models of wheels. The company now offers more than 120 different affordable wheel options for every car and truck category through a network of more than 8,000 retailers. The growing RTX line of products currently includes heavy-duty wheels, OEM, classic styles, modern designs and a growing selection of rims.

For more information about RTX Wheels, visit www.rtxwheels.com or contact your local retailer. For more information about Ripley PR, visit www.ripleypr.com.

About RTX Wheels

Founded in 2003, RTX Wheels, a division of THIBERT, is the leading manufacturer and distributor of automotive wheels in Canada and now offers its full line of more than 150 different models in the United States. Offering a wide selection, RTX Wheels covers all car and truck categories and delivers premium performance and reliability at affordable prices with a great warranty.

THIBERT has been Canada's leader in vehicle accessories distribution since 1976, with an extensive inventory of car and truck accessories, electronics, tools, alloy and steel wheels, recreational vehicle parts and accessories as well as hitches and trailer parts.

For more information, visit www.rthibert.com or www.rtxwheels.com .

About Ripley PR

Ripley PR, Inc. is an elite, global B2B public relations agency specializing in construction, franchising, technology, home services and manufacturing. Offering a full range of strategic communication services, including crisis management, media relations and social media strategies, Ripley PR uses a blend of strategic business accounting and creative public relations branding to tell compelling stories and deliver measurable results. Ripley PR is a partner in IPREX, the $350 million network of communication agencies, with 1,800 staff and 115 offices worldwide. For more information, visit www.ripleypr.com or call 865-977-1973.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Heather Ripley

Ripley PR

865-977-1973

[email protected]

SOURCE Ripley PR
BOSTON, May 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Santander Bank today announced that it has received a silver level U.S. President's Volunteer Service Award from Junior Achievement USA (JA) for providing at least 10,000 volunteer hours to local Junior Achievement offices during the 2017-18 school year. The U.S. President's Volunteer Service Award was presented to Santander and 43 other organizations at an awards ceremony and celebration event at the New York Stock Exchange during the JA Volunteer Summit, supported by American Express, earlier this spring in New York.

In 2003, President George W. Bush established the President's Council on Service and Civic Participation (the Council) to recognize the valuable contributions volunteers make in communities and encourage more people to serve. The Council created the President's Volunteer Service Award program as a way to thank and honor individuals who, by their demonstrated commitment and example, inspire others to engage in volunteer service. In 2006 Junior Achievement became an official certifying organization for this award, which recognizes corporations with a U.S. presence that provide volunteers to teach JA programs anywhere in the world.

"Helping young people understand how to responsibly manage money and set a smart path to saving is important to us at Santander, and our relationship with Junior Achievement helps us bring financial literacy fundamentals to students in our communities," said Seth Goodall, Santander's Executive Director of Corporate Social Responsibility. "Throughout the year, and especially during Financial Literacy Month, which we celebrate each April, we hope to show more students how to manage their money, succeed in the workforce, or start a business that creates jobs and grows the economy."

"Junior Achievement volunteers help build communities by empowering the next generation's success," said JA area board member, Brian Diepold, Santander's Executive Director of Customer Experience and CRM for Consumer and Business Banking. "JA could not exist without the dedication of its volunteers. We are grateful for this opportunity to recognize their invaluable support."

Santander's volunteer program with JA is part of the Bank's Inclusive Communities Plan  an $11 billion, five-year commitment to its communities through 2021, during which time Santander plans to increase its CRA activity by 50 percent and triple its charitable grants. Santander has set a goal of $9.1 billion in lending to underserved communities, including $1.9 billion in community development investments, $55 million in charitable contributions, 10 new retail branches in low- to moderate-income and communities of color, and 60,000 community development volunteer hours in underserved communities.

Santander Bank, N.A. is one of the country's largest retail and commercial banks with $74.2 billion in assets. With its corporate offices in Boston, the Bank's approximately 9,600 employees, over 600 branches, more than 2,000 ATMs and 2.1 million customers are principally located in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware. The Bank is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Madrid-based Banco Santander, S.A. (NYSE: SAN) - one of the most respected banking groups in the world with more than 125 million customers in the U.S., Europe, and Latin America. It is overseen by Santander Holdings USA, Inc., Banco Santander's intermediate holding company in the U.S. For more information on Santander Bank, please visit www.santanderbank.com.

Media Contacts:

Laurie Kight

214-801-6455

[email protected]

Nancy Orlando

617-757-5765

[email protected]

SOURCE Santander Bank

Related Links

http://www.santanderbank.com


ROCKVILLE, Maryland, May 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Fact.MR has recently published a fresh research report that carefully inspects the ENT surgical devices market for the period between 2018 and 2028. The study titled "ENT Surgical Devices Market Forecast, Trend Analysis & Competition Tracking - Global Market Insights 2018 to 2028", serves as an informative data source that includes knowledge associated to market dynamics, market value (US$ Mn), Y-o-Y growth comparison and a lot more. Overall, the concerned assessment unravels the actual scenario prevailing in the global ENT surgical devices market influenced by technological innovations and medical trends.

According to research findings, the global market for ENT surgical devices is likely to surpass US$ 2,500 million in 2019. Furthermore, the ENT surgical devices market is projected to grow at 6.4% CAGR by the end of 2028. This outstanding growth can be credited to certain motivating aspects such as technological advancements augmenting ENT procedure outcome and reimbursement policies favoring ENT surgeries.

Request For Sample Report- https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=S&rep_id=2454

Ongoing Implementation of Advanced Technology Supporting Market Growth

At present, ENT surgical devices marketplace focuses on a broad collection of surgical instruments and equipment. It is encouraged by evolving demand trends as well as amplified focus on health-based delivery model. Furthermore, the expansion of minimally invasive surgical instruments is on a roll, thereby, inspiring ENT surgical devices manufacturers to integrate multiple technology innovations for the creation of devices possessing enhanced capabilities. Some of the trending innovations observed in the ENT surgical devices market include 3D-guided surgery, microscopy advances, improved imaging and digital interpretations.

Hospitals Segment Acquire Major Revenue Share in the Global Market

According to this Fact.MR valuation, the ENT surgical devices market reached US$ 2,345 million in 2018; this growth trend is likely to sustain in 2019. Interestingly, hospitals continued to manage greater market share in the ENT surgical devices market during the previous year. This development can be attributed to improved hospital infrastructure merged with well-equipped ENT instruments that previously delivered over half the global revenue share focused at the hospitals segment.

Browse Full Report on ENT Surgical Devices Market with In-depth TOC- https://www.factmr.com/report/2454/ent-surgical-devices-market

North America to Showcase Dominant Status

Considering the regional segmentation, North America rules the ENT surgical devices market and is likely to account for more than one forth revenue share by 2019-end. The overall market development in North America is supported by advantageous healthcare reimbursement coverage. Moreover, the availability of industry leaders in the regions helps to contribute to the higher market revenues.

On the other hand, Europe is chasing North America as it holds the second largest revenue share. Surprisingly, Europe and APEJ jointly held more than half the revenues in 2018. Currently, Europe showcases an established market that is steered by improved healthcare infrastructure.

Request Methodology of this Report- https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=RM&rep_id=2454

The final section of the report furnishes imperative data linked to the competitive scenario active in the global ENT surgical devices market. Some of the major market leaders mentioned in the report include Olympus Corporation, Medtronic PLC, Carl Zeiss Meditec AG, Shanghai Fosun Pharmaceuticals Ltd. (AC. Alma Lasers), Danaher Corporation (Leica Microsystems), Happersberger Otopront GmbH, Acclarent, Inc., Accurate Surgical & Scientific Instruments Corporation and Smith and Nephew PLC. Each of these players are examined in terms of key financials and region wise share.

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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
WASHINGTON, May 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Below is a statement by U.S. Conference of Mayors President, Columbia (SC) Mayor Steve Benjamin on the Trump Administration's immigration proposal:

"The nation's mayors have long called on Congress and the Administration to fix our broken immigration system. While we are pleased the President is offering a plan and starting a discussion, we have serious concerns with the provisions of that plan.

"Based on our adopted policy, the U.S. Conference of Mayors believes that immigration reform must be family-based and must include: the Dream Act; strengthened border security, including funding for more CBP officers and more immigration judges; a streamlined visa system that provides access to the agricultural, lower-skilled and high-skilled workers we need; and an earned pathway to citizenship for the more than 11 million undocumented immigrants in the country.

"As mayors, we see every day the great contributions our immigrant communities make to the diversity, ingenuity and cultural richness of our cities. We look forward to working with Congress and the Administration on immigration reform legislation in a bipartisan way that is consistent with our principles and will fix our broken system."

About The United States Conference of Mayors -- The U.S. Conference of Mayors is the official nonpartisan organization of cities with populations of 30,000 or more. There are nearly 1,400 such cities in the country today, and each city is represented in the Conference by its chief elected official, the mayor. Like us on Facebook at facebook.com/usmayors, or follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/usmayors.

SOURCE U.S. Conference of Mayors

Related Links

www.usmayors.org


BEIJING, May 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Sunlands Technology Group (NYSE: STG) ("Sunlands" or the "Company"), a leader in China's online post-secondary and professional education, today announced that it will report its first quarter 2019 unaudited financial results on Tuesday, May 28, 2019, before the open of U.S. markets.

Sunlands' management team will host a conference call at 7:30 a.m. U.S. Eastern Time, (7:30 p.m. Beijing/Hong Kong time) on May 28, 2019, following the quarterly results announcement.

Dial-in details for the earnings conference call are as follows:

International: 1-412-902-4272 US toll free: 1-888-346-8982 Canada toll free: 1-855-669-9657 Mainland China toll free: 400-120-1203 Hong Kong local-toll: 852-3018-4992 Hong Kong toll free: 800-905-945

Please dial in 10 minutes before the call is scheduled to begin. When prompted, ask to be connected to the call for "Sunlands Technology Group". Participants will be required to state their name and company upon entering the call.

A live webcast and archive of the conference call will be available on the Investor Relations section of Sunlands' website at http://www.sunlands.investorroom.com/.

A replay of the conference call will be accessible approximately one hour after the conclusion of the live call until June 4, 2019, by dialing the following telephone numbers:

International: 1-412-317-0088 US toll free: 1-877-344-7529 Canada toll free: 855-669-9658 Replay access code: 10131785

About Sunlands

Sunlands Technology Group (NYSE: STG) ("Sunlands" or the "Company"), formerly known as Sunlands Online Education Group, is the leader in China's online post-secondary and professional education. With a one to many, live streaming platform, Sunlands offers various degree and diploma-oriented post-secondary courses as well as online professional courses and educational content, to help students prepare for professional certification exams and attain professional skills. Students can access its services either through PC or mobile applications. The Company's online platform cultivates a personalized, interactive learning environment by featuring a virtual learning community and a vast library of educational content offerings that adapt to the learning habits of its students. Sunlands offers a unique approach to education research and development that organizes subject content into Learning Outcome Trees, the Company's proprietary knowledge management system. Sunlands has a deep understanding of the educational needs of its prospective students and offers solutions that help them achieve their goals.

For investor and media inquiries, please contact:

Sunlands Technology Group

Yingying Liu

IR Director

Tel: +86 182 5691 2232

Email: [email protected]



The Piacente Group, Inc.

Brandi Piacente

Phone: +1 (212) 481-2050

Email: [email protected]

Ross Warner

Phone: +86 (10) 5730-6200

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE Sunlands Technology Group
SAN DIEGO, May 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- SunPower by Stellar Solar, a San Diego-based solar installer founded in 1998 and SunPower Master Dealer, has hired Robert Hairfield as a Senior Energy Consultant to keep pace with their growing demand for residential and commercial solar installations.

SunPower by Stellar Solar Senior Energy Consultant Robert Hairfield SunPower by Stellar Solar - Voted Best Solar Company in the San Diego Union Tribune Readers Poll

Hairfield brings over five years of solar industry experience with 400 + satisfied residential and commercial customers and over 8,000 solar panels installed. He has a degree in Business and Communications from Washington State University. He comes to SunPower by Stellar Solar from Solar City where he was a top performer and managed retail channel partnerships with Home Depot and Best Buy, managing a team of 15+ lead generators.

Robert described his decision to join SunPower by Stellar Solar this way. "During my time at Solar City, I consistently came up against them in the field and was impressed by their longevity, educational approach to selling solar, and attention to detail on every installation. Being consistently voted San Diego's Best Solar Company in the Union Tribune Readers Poll and dedication to customer service were big factors as well." He added, "Through the highs and lows of the solar business in San Diego, SunPower by Stellar Solar's brand and reputation has continued to shine through in the quality of their team, workmanship, and integrity. Given their current explosion in both residential and commercial solar, they needed someone who could hit the ground running so the timing made perfect sense for me to join their team. The combination of the local legacy brand Stellar Solar with the global solar powerhouse SunPower, as a SunPower Master Dealer creates the perfect situation for someone like me looking to take my career to the next level."

SunPower by Stellar Solar CEO Kent Harle had this to say about the new hire. "Robert could have chosen any solar installer in San Diego and we are thrilled he picked us. His track record speaks for itself and given the increase in our residential solar business with the decrease in the federal tax credit and proposed electric rate increases from SDG&E we are lucky he can produce results immediately."

For more information on SunPower by Stellar Solar, call 866-787-6527 or visit www.stellarsolar.net.

About SunPower by Stellar Solar

SunPower by Stellar Solar is a leading California residential and commercial PV solar design and installation company, based in San Diego. Since 1998 they have installed over 8,000 systems throughout Southern California including notable commercial installations on The Salk Institute, US Foods, Cedars Sinai Hospital and more. Readers of the Union Tribune have voted them best solar panel company again in 2018 marking the second year in a row and sixth time in 8 years winning the award. Their 5 Star Reviews on Yelp, A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau and high customer ratings on Angie's list are further testament to their standing as the leading solar provider to homes, businesses, nonprofits and faith based organizations in San Diego County. Learn more at www.stellarsolar.net

Media Contact:

David Boylan

858.395.6905

[email protected]

SOURCE SunPower by Stellar Solar
LONDON, May 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Critical Communications World (CCW), the leading conference and exhibition dedicated to connecting critical communications professionals, will take place from 18th - 20th June in Kuala Lumpur, hosted by Malaysia's Sapura Group. Registration for the event is now open.

Produced by TCCA , CCW is the leading event for all stakeholders in mission-critical and business-critical communications looking for unparalleled access to authoritative content, up-to-the-minute policy, insight and intelligence alongside real-world case studies and best practice advice; combined with the latest technological innovations.

This year's show will take place at the Malaysia International Trade & Exhibition Centre (MITEC) for the first time. The three day event will feature a series of keynote speaker sessions, masterclasses and panel discussions by industry experts, along with a showcase theatre highlighting the latest and greatest technology.

CCW will also host the International Critical Communications Awards (ICCAs) presentation ceremony, the culmination of a programme designed to recognise and celebrate innovation, excellence and execution in mission-critical communications. The ICCAs highlight products, services, organisations and individuals who are pushing the boundaries of technological capabilities.

Programme highlights include:

Keynote Session: Critical communications standards supporting a multi-vendor and interoperable environment by Adrian Scrase , CTO, ETSI & Head of MCC, 3GPP

by , CTO, ETSI & Head of MCC, 3GPP Keynote Session: Experience with new services in Ndnett, the nationwide TETRA network in Norway by Nina Myren , Head of Section, Department for Public Safety Communications, Norwegian Directorate for Civil Protection (DSB)

by , Head of Section, Department for Public Safety Communications, Norwegian Directorate for Civil Protection (DSB) Keynote Session: Networks of the future: "We are the network!" by Andreas Gegenfurtner , President, Federal Agency for Public Safety Digital Radio (BDBOS)

by , President, Federal Agency for Public Safety Digital Radio (BDBOS) Masterclass: Insights into Malaysian and APAC critical communications, chaired by Kevin Graham , Director, Australasian Critical Communications Forum. Masterclass: The global flavours of critical broadband, chaired by Tero Pesonen , Chair, Critical Communications Broadband Group (CCBG), TCCA. Panel Discussion: Advances in AI technologies and applications for critical communications, chaired by Barbara Held , Head of Directorate, Strategy and Central Management, BDBOS, with a variety of panellists.

Please see the full masterclasses and sessions timetable here .

Tony Gray, TCCA Chief Executive, said: "Following the success of our 20th anniversary event in Berlin, we are looking forward to presenting CCW 2019 in Malaysia and providing the platform for mission-critical and business-critical organisations to share knowledge and ideas that catalyse and drive innovation across all critical communications sectors."

Registration for the event is open. Please click the link to sign up.

Media contact:

Hazel-Jasmine Pace / Abshir Hersi

[email protected]

+44-(0)20-7751-4444

SOURCE Critical Communications World (CCW)

Related Links

https://www.critical-communications-world.com


Since many policy makers are looking to New York State's surprise billing law as a successful model, FAIR Health's brief is especially important in clarifying the independent dispute resolution (IDR) provision in that law. New York's IDR system for determining the amount a payor is to pay a provider for a surprise out-of-network service often is referred to as "baseball arbitration." However, descriptions of the New York law often fail to explain how the dispute resolution entity is expressly mandated to consider specific relevant factors before making its decision in favor of one party or the other. For example, this reissued brief explains (on page 17) how the arbitrator is required to take into account, among other key factors, the "Usual and Customary Cost" for the service, determined by law and regulation to be a designated percentile for the specific service in the geographic area where the service was rendered, as reported by an independent database "unaffiliated with any insurer."

In addition to discussing IDR, with or without articulated guidelines for reimbursement, the brief discusses the option of mandating a value for reimbursement based on a clear benchmark, and details the four types of benchmark generally proposed:

A percentile value based on the range of providers' charges (nondiscounted fees) for a service in the relevant market;

A formulation based on allowed amounts, which are the in-network fees paid under a plan to a provider for a service;

A "hybrid" blend of benchmarks for billed charges and allowed amounts; or

Medicare fee schedule rates or a multiple thereof.

The brief also considers the value of making reference to an independent, objective database in designing legislative solutions. Data visualizations in the brief illustrate the differing cost implications of the varying approaches under consideration by federal and state policy makers. The visualizations compare different types of value, such as median charges and median allowed as well as Medicare fees, for different medical procedure codes in different states and local areas.

FAIR Health President Robin Gelburd stated: "Already a pressing issue in many states, surprise billing is becoming increasingly prominent in legislation at the federal level. FAIR Health takes no position on the specifics of proposed solutions, but aims to clarify the implications of those solutions."

For the full brief, click here.

Follow us on Twitter @FAIRHealth

About FAIR Health

FAIR Health is a national, independent, nonprofit organization dedicated to bringing transparency to healthcare costs and health insurance information through data products, consumer resources and health systems research support. FAIR Health possesses the nation's largest collection of private healthcare claims data, which includes over 28 billion claim records contributed by payors and administrators who insure or process claims for private insurance plans covering more than 150 million individuals. FAIR Health licenses its privately billed data and data productsincluding benchmark modules, data visualizations, custom analytics, episodes of care analytics and market indicesto commercial insurers and self-insurers, employers, providers, hospitals and healthcare systems, government agencies, researchers and others. Certified by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) as a national Qualified Entity, FAIR Health also receives data representing the experience of all individuals enrolled in traditional Medicare Parts A, B and D; FAIR Health houses data on Medicare Advantage enrollees in its private claims data repository. FAIR Health can produce insightful analytic reports and data products based on combined Medicare and commercial claims data for government, providers, payors and other authorized users. FAIR Health's systems for processing and storing protected health information have earned HITRUST CSF certification and achieved AICPA SOC 2 compliance by meeting the rigorous data security requirements of these standards. As a testament to the reliability and objectivity of FAIR Health data, the data have been incorporated in statutes and regulations around the country and designated as the official, neutral data source for a variety of state health programs, including workers' compensation and personal injury protection (PIP) programs. FAIR Health data serve as an official reference point in support of certain state balance billing laws that protect consumers against bills for surprise out-of-network and emergency services. FAIR Health also uses its database to power a free consumer website available in English and Spanish and an English/Spanish mobile app, which enable consumers to estimate and plan for their healthcare expenditures and offer a rich educational platform on health insurance. The website has been honored by the White House Summit on Smart Disclosure, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), URAC, the eHealthcare Leadership Awards, appPicker, Employee Benefit News and Kiplinger's Personal Finance. FAIR Health also is named a top resource for patients in Elisabeth Rosenthal's book, An American Sickness: How Healthcare Became Big Business and How You Can Take It Back. For more information on FAIR Health, visit fairhealth.org.

Contact:

Dean Sicoli

Executive Director of Communications and Government Relations

FAIR Health

646-664-1645

[email protected]

SOURCE FAIR Health

Related Links

http://www.fairhealth.org


WALTHAM, Mass., May 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (NYSE: TMO), the world leader in serving science, announced today that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire a drug substance manufacturing site in Cork, Ireland, from GlaxoSmithKline plc (NYSE: GSK) for approximately 90 million in cash. The Cork site will expand capacity to meet customer demand for the development and commercial manufacturing of complex active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs).

With more than 400 employees, the site produces highly specialized APIs for treating diseases including childhood cancer, depression and Parkinson's. Thermo Fisher will continue to produce APIs for GSK under a multi-year supply agreement and plans to expand use of the site to develop and produce complex APIs for other customers as well. The site contains 270 cubic meters of reactor capacity, 10 production buildings, an R&D pilot plant and lab infrastructure to support process development, scale-up and physical characterization of APIs.

"The GSK Cork site will enhance our API offering by expanding our development and commercial capabilities to provide much-needed capacity for APIs currently in development," said Michel Lagarde, senior vice president and president of Pharma Services for Thermo Fisher Scientific. "This transaction is another great example of our strategy to build on our strong foundation by adding capacity and capabilities to our pharma services offering through a combination of capital investments and M&A."

This announcement follows the recently completed acquisition of Brammer Bio, a leader in viral vector manufacturing for gene and cell therapies. Thermo Fisher is also investing $150 million to expand its sterile fill-finish sites in Monza and Ferentino, Italy, and Greenville, North Carolina, and plans to complete the previously announced $50 million expansion of its St. Louis, Missouri, biologics facility later this year.

The GSK transaction, which is expected to be completed by the end of 2019, is subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals. Upon completion, the site will become part of Thermo Fisher's Pharma Services business within its Laboratory Products and Services Segment.

About Thermo Fisher Scientific

Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. is the world leader in serving science, with revenues of more than $24 billion and approximately 70,000 employees globally. Our mission is to enable our customers to make the world healthier, cleaner and safer. We help our customers accelerate life sciences research, solve complex analytical challenges, improve patient diagnostics, deliver medicines to market and increase laboratory productivity. Through our premier brands  Thermo Scientific, Applied Biosystems, Invitrogen, Fisher Scientific and Unity Lab Services  we offer an unmatched combination of innovative technologies, purchasing convenience and comprehensive services. For more information, please visit www.thermofisher.com.

Media Contact Information:

Ron O'Brien

Phone: 781-622-1306

E-mail: [email protected]

Investor Contact Information:

Ken Apicerno

Phone: 781-622-1294

E-mail: [email protected]

Website: www.thermofisher.com

SOURCE Thermo Fisher Scientific

Related Links

http://www.thermofisher.com


WASHINGTON, May 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF) Board Chairman Charles Merinoff announced today, the appointment of four new corporate executives from Boston Consulting Group, Deere & Company, GCM Grosvenor, and Microsoft, to the TMCF Board of Directors.

"I am proud to see our TMCF Board continue to attract some of the most impressive corporate executives who are committed to diversity, higher education and creating meaningful opportunities for the students we proudly represent in our 47 member-school network," said Charles Merinoff, TMCF Board Chairman and Co-Chairman, Breakthru Beverage Group.

The four new distinguished corporate leaders on the TMCF Board of Directors are:

Sandra Hurse

GCM Grosvenor, Managing Director and Chief Human Resources Officer

Sandra Hurse serves as the firm's Chief Human Resources Officer. Prior to joining GCM Grosvenor, Ms. Hurse held various positions at Bank of America, most recently serving as Global Head of Human Resources for Corporate and Investment Banking. Previously, Ms. Hurse also held leadership roles in Talent Management and Talent Acquisition at Goldman Sachs and JP Morgan Chase. She received her Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance from Bernard M. Baruch College and her Master of Business Administration in Marketing from the University of Michigan.

Collis R. Jones

Deere & Company, Vice President, U.S Public Affairs Policy & Strategy

Collis R. Jones brings over 20 years of governmental strategic, tactical and policy development experience to this role and is one of Deere's key contributors in delivering client-focused business initiatives within the organization. He is charged with leading the team responsible for managing U.S. federal and state government relations activities on behalf of Deere. Jones holds a bachelor's degree in political science from Augustana College in Rock Island, IL.

Lane McBride

Boston Consulting Group, Partner & Managing Director

Lane McBride is a member of The Boston Consulting Group's Public Sector and People & Organization practices as well as a member of the firm's education leadership team in the U.S. Since joining BCG in 2003, Lane has focused primarily on the education sector, spanning topics such as strategy, organization design and transformation, change management, cost efficiency, performance management, and consumer insight. McBride is a graduate of the University of Virginia earning a BA in government with distinction.

Toni Townes-Whitley

Microsoft, President, U.S. Regulated Industries

Toni Townes-Whitley is one of the leading women at Microsoft, and in the technology industry, with a strong track record for accelerating profitable business performance and building high-performance teams. She leads the U.S. sales strategy for driving digital transformation across customers and partners within the public sector and regulated industries. Townes-Whitley also represents Microsoft at the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD). She is a graduate of Princeton University's Woodrow Wilson School and has received certifications from Wharton Executive Education, New York University (NYU), and the Performance Management Institute.

"The addition of these four executives to our Board of Directors adds even more gravitas to an already stellar group of committed business, and higher education leaders passionate about empowering the nearly 300,000 students we proudly represent, and advocate for at TMCF," said Harry L. Williams, TMCF president & CEO.

ABOUT THE THURGOOD MARSHALL COLLEGE FUND (TMCF)

Established in 1987, the Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF) is the nation's largest organization exclusively representing the Black College Community. TMCF member-schools include the publicly-supported Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Predominantly Black Institutions, enrolling nearly 80% of all students attending black colleges and universities. Through scholarships, capacity building and research initiatives, innovative programs and strategic partnerships, TMCF is a vital resource in the K-12 and higher education space. The organization is also the source of top employers seeking top talent for competitive internships and good jobs.

TMCF is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt, charitable organization. For more information about TMCF, visit: www.tmcf.org .

SOURCE Thurgood Marshall College Fund

Related Links

https://www.tmcf.org


PALO ALTO, Calif., May 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Varian (NYSE: VAR) today announced preliminary estimates of the incremental gross impact of new tariffs.

Over the past week, the US increased tariffs on certain goods (US List 3), and imposed new tariffs on certain other goods (US List 4), imported from China. Subsequently, China implemented a retaliatory increase in tariffs on certain goods imported from the US (responding to the US List 3 action). Management has preliminarily estimated the gross impact of these new tariffs to be in the range of $3M to $5M.

Management will update the market with more details, including any impact to FY19 guidance, during the third quarter earnings call.

About Varian

Varian is a leader in developing and delivering cancer care solutions and is focused on creating a world without fear of cancer. Headquartered in Palo Alto, California, Varian employs approximately 7,000 people around the world. For more information, visit http://www.varian.com and follow @VarianMedSys on Twitter.

Forward-Looking Statements

Except for historical information, this news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Statements concerning industry or market outlook, including growth drivers; the company's future orders, revenues, operating expenses, tax rate, cash flows, earnings growth or other financial results; and any statements using the terms "could," "believe," "expect," "promising," "outlook," "should," "well-positioned," "will" or similar statements are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties that could cause the company's actual results to differ materially from those anticipated. Such risks and uncertainties include our ability to achieve expected synergies from acquisitions; global economic conditions and changes to trends for cancer treatment regionally; currency exchange rates and tax rates; the impact of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act; the impact of the Affordable Health Care for America Act (including excise taxes on medical devices) and any further healthcare reforms (including changes to Medicare and Medicaid), and/or changes in third-party reimbursement levels; recent and potential future tariffs or a global trade war; demand for and delays in delivery of the company's products; the company's ability to develop, commercialize and deploy new products; the company's ability to meet Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and other regulatory requirements, regulations or procedures; changes in regulatory environments; the company's assessment of the goodwill associated with its proton solutions business, risks associated with the company providing financing for the construction and start-up operations of particle therapy centers, challenges associated with commercializing the company's proton solutions business; challenges to public tender awards and the loss of such awards or other orders; the effect of adverse publicity; the company's reliance on sole or limited-source suppliers; the company's ability to maintain or increase margins; the impact of competitive products and pricing; the company's assessment of the goodwill associated with its proton solutions business; the potential loss of key distributors or key personnel; and the other risks listed from time to time in the company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which by this reference are incorporated herein. The company assumes no obligation to update or revise the forward-looking statements in this release because of new information, future events, or otherwise.

Press Contact

Mark Plungy

Director, Public Relations

+1 (650) 424-5630

[email protected]

Investor Relations Contact

J. Michael Bruff

Senior Vice President, Investor Relations

+1 (650) 424-5163

[email protected]

SOURCE Varian

Related Links

http://www.varian.com


FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., May 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- For the ninth consecutive year, Victory Living Programs invites members of the community to enjoy an exciting, gourmet drinking and dining experience to support individuals with developmental disabilities. All are invited to experience the one-of-a-kind Black & Blue Dine Around Event on Sunday, June 2, 2019, at 5:30 p.m. at Blue Martini and The Capital Grille located at The Galleria at Fort Lauderdale (2432 E. Sunrise Blvd, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304).

Hosted by Steve and Debbie Day, guests can expect to spend the evening enjoying hand-crafted martinis, mouthwatering food, wine, and dancing! Beginning at Blue Martini, guests will enjoy handcrafted cocktails and hors d'oeuvres, and then head over to The Capital Grille for dinner, dessert, and wine sponsored by Breakthru Beverage. To conclude the night, guests will enjoy after-dinner drinks and dancing back at Blue Martini. All proceeds will benefit Victory Living's wide variety of programs, which work to help individuals with disabilities in Broward County live, work and play more independently.

"For nearly a decade now this event has grown and evolved into a special evening enjoyed by all who attend," said Bobbi Wigand, Executive Director of Victory Living Programs. "We couldn't do it without the generous support of the Blue Martini, The Capital Grille, Breakthru Beverage, and the AngeLs for Victory - thanks for all you do to make this event a smashing success each and every year."

The menu at The Capital Grille will include a starter of field greens and tomatoes with fresh herbs, and a main course option of filet mignon, seared citrus glazed salmon, or all-natural grilled chicken. To accompany the main course, side dishes will include Sam's mashed potatoes and fresh creamed spinach. To top off dinner, The Capital Grille will provide their delicious dessert platters to satisfy your sweet tooth.

Tickets for the Black & Blue Dine Around Event are $150 per person. To purchase tickets, visit http://bit.ly/BlacknBlue19, call (954) 616-1074, or email [email protected] if you are interested in sponsoring this event.

To learn more about Victory Living Programs visit www.victoryliving.org. Like what Victory Living Programs is doing? Show it by clicking here.

About Victory Living Programs

For the past four decades, Victory Living Programs has created supportive environments for thousands of people with disabilities. Based in warm and beautiful Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Victory Living Programs offers a premier supported living program that places clients in their own individual, luxurious apartments. In addition, Victory Living Programs offers an extensive array of programming to assist clients with securing and maintaining employment, learning new skills, volunteering in the community, and socializing with their peers  all of which make it possible to infuse independence in and transform the lives of people with disabilities. To learn more, visit www.victoryliving.org.

Contact : Aimee Adler, (954) 732-0754 (or)

[email protected]

SOURCE Victory Living Programs

Related Links

https://victoryliving.org


Total revenues of approximately $9.4 million for the first quarter of 2019 compared to $6.8 million for the first quarter of 2018.





Net income of $6.6 million, or $0.51 per share, and non-GAAP Adjusted net income of $7.4 million, or $0.57 per share for the first quarter of 2019.





Closed two financings deploying $11.2 million. Post quarter close deployed $5.0 million with potential additional add-on funding of $7.5 million to existing portfolio companies.





Book value of $16.98 per share as of March 31, 2019 vs. $16.47 per share as of December 31, 2018.

DALLAS, May 15, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- SWK Holdings Corporation (SWKH.OB) (SWK or the Company), a life science focused specialty finance company, announced its first quarter 2019 financial results.

First Quarter 2019 Highlights:

Reported total revenues of approximately $9.4 million for the quarter, compared to $6.8 million for the first quarter of 2018.





Reported adjusted net income of approximately $7.4 million, or $0.57 per diluted share, for the quarter, as compared to $4.4 million, or $0.34 per diluted share, for the first quarter of 2018.





Total income producing assets (defined as finance receivables and corporate debt securities) were approximately $154.9 million as of March 31, 2019, compared to $167.1 million as of December 31, 2018.





Repurchased 77,300 shares during the quarter at an average cost of $9.63 per share. Since November 2018 SWK has repurchased 222,366 shares at an average cost of $9.68 per share.

We are pleased with the strong first quarter results highlighted by the closing of two new transactions, as well as, advancing additional capital to current partners subsequent to quarter close. stated Winston Black, Chief Executive Officer of SWK. We are also pleased to support the pending acquisition of Solsys Medical LLC by Misonix Inc. via an upsized facility. We anticipate closing additional deals during the balance of the year and remain highly focused on increasing shareholder value."

Note:

All references to growth rate percentages and shares compare the results of the period to those of the prior year comparable period.





The Company reports its financial results in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles in the U.S. (GAAP). However, management believes that certain non-GAAP financial measures provide users with additional meaningful financial information that should be considered when assessing the Companys ongoing performance. Non-GAAP financial measures should be viewed in addition to, and not as an alternative for, the Companys reported results prepared in accordance with GAAP. The Companys non-GAAP financial information does not represent a comprehensive basis of accounting. Management also uses these non-GAAP financial measures in making financial, operating and planning decisions and in evaluating the Company's performance.





Non-GAAP Adjusted net income and its components and Non-GAAP Adjusted basic and diluted EPS are not, and should not be viewed as, substitutes for GAAP net income and its components and basic and diluted EPS. Despite the importance of these measures to management in goal setting and performance measurement, we stress that these are Non-GAAP financial measures that have no standardized meaning prescribed by GAAP and, therefore, have limits in their usefulness to investors. Because of the non-standardized definitions, Non-GAAP Adjusted net income and its components (unlike GAAP net income and its components) may not be comparable to the calculation of similar measures of other companies.



Portfolio Overview

As of March 31, 2019, the Company's total income producing assets were approximately $154.9 million as compared to $167.1 million as of December 31, 2018.

(in thousands) March 31, December 31, 2019 2018 Finance receivables $ 154,410 $ 166,610 Corporate debt securities 511 532 Less non-controlling interest   Total income producing assets $ 154,921 $ 167,142 Warrant Assets 3,057 2,777 Total Portfolio Balance $ 157,978 $ 169,919

During the quarter, the Company deployed $10.0 million via a new term loan to Cheetah Medical, Inc. and $1.2 million through the participation in a term loan to Aimmune Therapeutics, Inc., for a total of $11.2 million. These deployments were offset by a $20.0 million repayment of the EyePoint Pharmaceuticals term loan.

Post quarter close, SWK supported BIOLASE, Inc.s capital needs through an additional $2.5 million of funding. The Company also helped facilitate the merger of Solsys Medical, LLC (Solsys) and Misonix, Inc. (Misonix) by advancing Solsys an incremental $2.5 million, with an additional $2.5 million if certain conditions are achieved; SWK also committed to advance Misonix an additional $5.0 million post consummation of the merger, if closed.

As of May 15, 2019, the Company and its partners have executed transactions with 34 different parties under its specialty finance strategy, funding an aggregate $499 million since 2012 in various financial products across the life science sector. At the end of the third quarter, the weighted average projected effective yield of the finance receivables portfolio was 15.0%. The projected effective yield is the rate at which income is expected to be recognized pursuant to the Companys revenue recognition policies, if all payments are received pursuant to the terms of the finance receivables.

Total portfolio investment activity as of and for the three months ended March 31, 2019 was as follows (in thousands):

Three Months Ended

March 31, 2019 2018 Beginning portfolio $ 169,919 $ 154,838 Impairment expense and provision for loan credit losses (609 ) (1,179 ) Interest paid-in-kind 406 47 Investment in finance receivables 11,186 29,250 Loan discount amortization and fee accretion 681 649 Net unrealized gain (loss) on marketable investments and derivatives 280 151 Principal payments received on investments (20,906 ) (716 ) Royalty paydowns (2,979 ) (14,222 ) Warrant investments, net of cancellations  258 Ending portfolio $ 157,979 $ 169,334

Update on Share Repurchase Program

On December 21, 2018, SWK implemented the $3.5 million share repurchase program, or approximately 312,491 common shares, that its Board of Directors authorized to be executed in accordance with all applicable securities laws and regulations, including Rule 10b-18 of the Securities Exchange Act. The purchase period is December 21, 2018 through May 31, 2019.

As of May 14, 2019, the Company has repurchased 222,366 shares of its outstanding shares of common stock. Of the total 222,366 shares, 137,800 were repurchased under the share repurchase program at a total cost of $1.3 million, or $9.58 per share. As of March 31, 2019, the maximum number of shares that may yet be purchased under the plan is 174,691 shares.

Results of Operations

Revenues

We generated revenues of $9.4 million and $6.8 million for the three months ended March 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively, which consisted of interest and fees earned on our finance receivables. The increase in revenue is primarily due to a $2.5 million increase in interest and fees earned on new and existing finance receivables and $3.4 million in exit and prepayment fees from a loan payoff. The increase in revenue was offset by a $2.6 million decrease in interest and fees earned on finance receivables that were paid off or paid down in 2018.

Provision for Credit Losses and Impairment Expense

During the three months ended March 31, 2019, we recognized credit loss provision expense of $0.6 million related to the Besivance royalty, which was due to increases in sales chargebacks and various rebates (gross sales to net sales deductions) and lower sales volumes. We recognized an allowance for credit losses on a royalty of $1.2 million during the three months ended March 31, 2018. Please refer to Part I. Financial Information, Item 1. Financial Statements, Note 3 of the Notes to the Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements for further information on the provision for credit losses recognized during the three months ended March 31, 2019.

General and Administrative

General and administrative expenses consist primarily of compensation, stock-based compensation and related costs for management, staff, Board of Directors, legal and audit expenses, and corporate governance. General and administrative expenses increased to $1.3 million for the three months ended March 31, 2019 from $1.2 million for the three months ended March 31, 2018, which was primarily due to an increase in the performance-based bonus accrual.

Other Income (Expense), Net

Other income for the three months ended March 31, 2019 reflected a net fair market value gain of $0.3 million on our warrant derivatives. Other income for the three months ended March 31, 2018, reflected a net fair market value gain of $0.3 million on our warrant derivatives and a net fair market value loss of $0.1 million on our equity securities.

Income Tax (Benefit) Expense

We recognized deferred income tax expense of $1.1 million and $1.0 million during the three months ended March 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively. The increase in deferred income tax expense was primarily due to an increase in net income.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

As of March 31, 2019, we had $39.2 million in cash and cash equivalents, compared to $20.2 million in cash and cash equivalents as of December 31, 2018. The primary driver of the net increase in our cash balance was $23.3 million related to the payoff of one finance receivable, offset by new and add-on investment funding of $11.2 million.

As of March 31, 2019, we had $5.8 million of unfunded commitments outstanding. Subsequent to quarter close a $2.0 million unfunded commitment to Veru was eliminated while a $2.5 million unfunded commitment to Solsys Medical was signed.

Adjusted Net Income

Net income in accordance with GAAP for the three month period ended March 31, 2019, was $6.6 million, or $0.51 per diluted share. The table below eliminates provisions for income taxes, non-cash mark-to-market changes on warrant assets and SWK's warrant liability.

The following tables provide a reconciliation of SWKs reported (GAAP) consolidated net income to SWKs adjusted net income attributable to SWK Holdings Corporation Stockholders (Non-GAAP) for the three ended March 31, 2019 and March 31, 2018:

(in thousands, except per share data) Three Months Ended

March 31, 2019 2018 Consolidated net income $ 6,559 $ 3,644 Plus: income tax (benefit) expense 1,111 954 Plus: loss on fair market value of equity securities  124 Subtract: gain on fair market value of warrant assets (258 ) (300 ) Plus: gain on realized value of warrants   Adjusted income before provision for income tax



7,412 4,422 Adjusted provision for income tax   Non-GAAP consolidated net income 7,412 4,422 Non-GAAP adjusted net income attributable to non-controlling interest  0 Non-GAAP adjusted net income attributable to SWK Holdings Corporation Stockholders $ 7,412 $ 4,422 Non-GAAP adjusted basic income per share $ 0.57 $ 0.34 Non-GAAP adjusted diluted income per share $ 0.57 $ 0.34 Weighted average shares - Basic 12,906 13,053 Weighted average shares - Diluted 12,909 13,057

In the presentation above, management has deducted the following non-cash items: (i) fair-market value of warrants as mark to market changes are non-cash, and (ii) income taxes as the Company has substantial net operating losses to offset against future income.

About SWK Holdings Corporation

SWK Holdings Corporation is a specialized finance company with a focus on the global healthcare sector. SWK partners with ethical product marketers and royalty holders to provide flexible financing solutions at an attractive cost of capital to create long-term value for both SWKs business partners and its investors. SWK believes its financing structures achieve an optimal partnership for companies, institutions and inventors seeking capital for expansion or capital and estate planning by allowing its partners to monetize future cash flow with minimal dilution to their equity stakes. Additional information on the life science finance market is available on the Companys website at www.swkhold.com.

Safe Harbor Statement

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Statements including words such as believes, expects, anticipates, intends, estimates, plan, will, may, look forward, intend, guidance, future or similar expressions are forward-looking statements. Because these statements reflect SWKs current views, expectations and beliefs concerning future events, these forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties. Investors should note that many factors, as more fully described under the caption Risk Factors in SWKs Form 10-K, Form 10-Q and Form 8-K filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission and as otherwise enumerated herein or therein, could affect the Companys future financial results and could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in such forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements in this press release are qualified by these risk factors. These are factors that, individually or in the aggregate, could cause the Companys actual results to differ materially from expected and historical results. You should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they are made. We assume no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise.





SWK HOLDINGS CORPORATION

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

(in thousands, except par value and share data)

Derived from unaudited financial statements March 31,

2019 December 31,

2018 ASSETS Cash and cash equivalents $ 39,183 $ 20,227 Interest receivable 1,930 2,195 Finance receivables, net 154,410 166,610 Corporate debt securities 511 532 Deferred tax asset 21,573 22,684 Warrant assets 3,057 2,777 Other assets 645 637 Total assets $ 221,309 $ 215,662 LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS EQUITY Accounts payable and accrued liabilities $ 2,301 $ 2,592 Warrant liability 35 13 Total liabilities 2,336 2,605 Stockholders equity: Preferred stock, $0.001 par value; 5,000,000 shares authorized; no shares issued

and outstanding as of March 31, 2019 and December 31, 2018, respectively   Common stock, $0.001 par value; 250,000,000 shares authorized; 12,898,599

and 12,933,674 shares issued and outstanding as of March 31, 2019 and

December 31, 2018, respectively 13 13 Additional paid-in capital 4,431,856 4,432,499 Accumulated deficit (4,212,896 ) (4,219,455 ) Total stockholders equity 218,973 213,057 Total liabilities and stockholders equity $ 221,309 $ 215,662





SWK HOLDINGS CORPORATION

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME

(in thousands, except per share data)

Derived from unaudited financial statements Three Months Ended

March 31, 2019 2018 Revenues: Finance receivable interest income, including fees $ 9,391 $ 6,817 Other 1 5 Total revenues 9,392 6,822 Costs and expenses: Provision for credit losses 609 1,179 Interest Expense 102  General and administrative 1,269 1,221 Total costs and expenses 1,980 2,400 Other income (expense), net Unrealized net gain on warrants 258 300 Unrealized net loss on equity securities  (124 ) Income before provision for income taxes 7,670 4,598 Provision for income taxes 1,111 954 Consolidated net income 6,559 3,644 Net income per share Basic $ 0.51 $ 0.28 Diluted $ 0.51 $ 0.28 Weighted Average Shares Basic 12,906 13,053 Diluted 12,909 13,057




MINNEAPOLIS, May 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Vireo Health International, Inc. ("Vireo Health" or the "Company") (CSE: VREO), a leading science-focused, multi-state cannabis company, today announced the addition of four new Directors to the Company's Board and the formation of three committees to provide oversight and guidance on Audit, Compensation, and other Corporate Governance matters.

"Vireo Health is pleased to have added several highly-regarded industry leaders with deep retail, manufacturing and financial expertise to help guide the Company as we continue to execute upon our ambitious growth plans," said Chief Executive Officer Kyle Kingsley, M.D. "Together with our extremely talented leadership team and dedicated workforce, I am confident we have the necessary talent to create shareholder value and build the cannabis company of the future."

"I am honored to join the Vireo Health Board of Directors and offer my consumer branding expertise to a leader in the rapidly growing cannabis industry," said Chelsea A. Grayson, Vireo Health Director and CEO of True Religion Brand Jeans. "Diversity and equality are extremely important to me and I am delighted to serve alongside two other extraordinarily talented women on the board."

In addition to Grayson, the four new members of the Board include Chad Martinson, Chief Executive Officer of ACOVA Integrated Health; Amy Langer, co-founder of Salo, LLC and a Director of HealthPartners, a leading non-profit health insurance provider; and Judd Norquist, CPA, a Partner at Abdo, Eick & Meyers, a leading regional accounting firm. The new Board members join Dr. Kingsley, who continues to serve as Chairman, Chief Financial Officer Amber Shimpa, and Chief Operating Officer Ari Hoffnung.

Chelsea A. Grayson, J.D., is the first ever female CEO of True Religion and sits on the True Religion board of directors. Previously, Ms. Grayson was the CEO and a board member of American Apparel, where she significantly improved the Company's operations before it was sold to Gildan Activewear. Prior to joining American Apparel, Ms. Grayson was an M&A and corporate governance partner with Jones Day. Ms. Grayson is also an advisory board member for Marca Global, a leading online reputation management company and a Board Leadership and Corporate Governance Fellow with the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD).

Amy L. Langer, CPA, is the Co-founder of Salo LLC. At Salo, Ms. Langer drives growth and brand affinity through analysis of market gaps, architecting and leading innovative strategy, and establishing sustainable and scalable infrastructure. Ms. Langer and Salo have been recognized locally and nationally with a wide range of awards including Ernst & Young, Entrepreneur Magazine, and the Inc500. Her expertise encompasses human resources, finance, and accounting. She began her career as a CPA auditor for KPMG followed by time at one of largest staffing agencies as their National Business Development Director. Ms. Langer also serves on the board of directors for HealthPartners and GreaterMSP.

Chad Martinson MBA, CPA, CMA, is currently the Chief Executive Officer of ACOVA Integrated Health. Previously, he served as Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer of ACOVA Integrated Health, and as CFO and Executive Vice President of Operations at Upsher-Smith Laboratories, acquired by Sawai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. He also previously served as VP of Finance and Business Development at Medtronic in the company's neuro division, and spent eight years at KPMG in the audit practice.

Judd Nordquist, CPA, is a Partner at Abdo, Eick & Meyers, LLP, serving on their leadership team and leading the firm's Manufacturing segment. Judd works with business owners solving challenges and creating better bottom line results through tax planning, cash flow management, pricing, budgeting/forecasting, overhead allocation calculations and ultimately assisting owners with their transition planning.

Kyle Kingsley, M.D., is the Founder and CEO of Vireo Health, a board-certified emergency medicine physician, serial entrepreneur, and inventor. His mission is to build the cannabis company of the future by bringing the best of medicine, engineering, and science to the cannabis industry. Under Dr. Kingsley's leadership, Vireo has experienced exponential growth and is now one of the country's leading multi-state operators, with licenses in ten states.

Amber Shimpa serves as the Chief Financial Officer for Vireo Health and has held this position since Vireo's inception in 2015. She is responsible for all aspects of the company's finance, accounting, treasury, investor relations and administrative functions. She has 14 years of experience as a financial services professional with various commercial and investment banking organizations. Prior to joining Vireo Health, Ms. Shimpa spent nine years as Vice President of a commercial bank focused on nationwide lending.

Ari Hoffnung serves as the Chief Operating Officer of Vireo Health. Mr. Hoffnung previously served as New York City's Deputy Comptroller for Budget & Public Affairs, where he oversaw the City's $70 billion budget, managed a staff of more than 100 employees, and served as the chief liaison to all levels of governments and to various labor unions. Prior to his public service, Mr. Hoffnung was a Managing Director at Bear Stearns, where he worked for more than a decade.

About Vireo Health International, Inc.

Vireo Health International, Inc.'s mission is to build the cannabis company of the future by bringing the best of medicine, engineering and science to the cannabis industry. Vireo Health's physician-led team of more than 300 employees provides best-in-class cannabis products and customer experience. Vireo cultivates cannabis in environmentally-friendly greenhouses, manufactures pharmaceutical-grade cannabis extracts, and sells its products at both company-owned and third-party dispensaries. The Company currently is licensed in ten states including Arizona, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island. For more information about the company, please visit www.vireohealth.com .

Contact Information

Investor Inquiries

Sam Gibbons

Vice President, Investor Relations

[email protected]

(612) 314-8995

Media Inquiries

Albe Zakes

Vice President, Corporate Communications

[email protected]h.com

(267) 221-4800

SOURCE Vireo Health, Inc.

Related Links

https://vireohealth.com/


NEW YORK, May 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) today issued a request for proposals to purchase ultra-low-carbon renewable natural gas (RNG) to fuel some 800 New York City buses currently running on compressed natural gas (CNG). It represents the first step any heavy duty vehicle fleet in New York City has taken towards adopting RNG.

"This fuel shift will make the MTA a clear national leader in use of the cleanest, lowest-carbon fuel available today," said Matt Tomich, president of the NGO Energy Vision.

According to the California Air Resources Board, RNG is the lowest carbon vehicle fuel available, and when made in anaerobic digesters from food wastes or manures and used as a transportation fuel, it is net carbon-negative over its lifecycle. RNG production prevents methane biogases emitted as organic materials decay from escaping into the atmosphere and having a powerful climate-warming impact.

MTA plans to replace the equivalent of 12 to 14 million gallons of CNG a year with RNG. That will put over 650,000 tons of organic waste to beneficial use: reducing lifecycle carbon emissions of MTA's CNG buses by some 40,000 tons a year, and helping New York State meet its goal of reducing GHG emissions 40% by 2030. Switching to RNG requires no conversion of buses, engines or fueling infrastructure, so it will not increase the fleet's costs and may save it money.

"If we're going to meet the Paris climate goal of cutting greenhouse gases 80% by 2050, RNG must be part of the solution," said Joanna Underwood, Energy Vision's founder. "For MTA and any bus or truck fleets that adopt it, RNG enables them to meet or exceed the Paris goal not by 2050, but today."

"Transportation is the number one source of emissions in the state, and decreasing pollution from buses is one of our top priorities," said Julie Tighe, president of the New York League of Conservation Voters. "Transitioning to ultra-low-carbon renewable natural gas is a cost-effective solution that can be implemented immediately."

"This move by MTA and every move toward cleaner fuels by the city's buses and trucks is critical for the health of New Yorkers, especially in neighborhoods that bear the disproportionate burden of high rates of asthma and are on the front line of the climate crisis," said Cecil Corbin-Mark, Deputy Director of the environmental justice group WE ACT.

Contact: Stephen Kent [email protected] 914-589-5988

SOURCE Energy Vision

Related Links

https://energy-vision.org


NEW YORK, May 15, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Woodstock 50 issued the following statements today after Judge Barry Ostrager of the Supreme Court of New York ruled that financial partner, Dentsu Aegis, had no right to cancel the Festival, as it attempted to do on April 29. Woodstock 50 filed a request with the court for a temporary restraining order May 9 to stop Dentsu from sabotaging the Festival.

From Marc Kasowitz, partner, Kasowitz Benson Torres LLP:

"We are gratified that Justice Ostrager has ruled unequivocally that Dentsu did not have the right to cancel the Festival, and is immediately enjoined from cancelling the Festival. Today's order is an important victory that means the show will go on for the fans, the talent, and the world, which was and remains Woodstock 50's mission."

From Gregory Peck, principal, Woodstock 50:

"Woodstock 50 is on! Now that the court has confirmed that the Festival was never validly cancelled and is going forward, Woodstock 50 can focus on finalizing the necessary funding arrangements. We can't wait to bring this important event to the public this summer. We have one of the greatest lineups of talent of any music festival, and we are grateful to all of the talent for their loyalty and support."

From Michael Lang, producer, Woodstock 50:

"We have always relied on the truth and have never lost faith that the Festival would take place. I would like to thank all of the talent and their representatives for their patience and support. Woodstock 50 will be an amazing and inspiring festival experience."

SOURCE Woodstock 50
Srinagar, May 16 : A 23-year-old youth, injured in clashes with the security forces in Jammu and Kashmir's Baramulla district earlier this week, died at a hospital here on Thursday.

Doctors at the super specialty Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) in Srinagar said Arshad Ahmad Dar, 23, who was admitted for treatment succumbed to his injuries on Thursday.

Dar was injured in clashes with the security forces in Pattan area of Baramulla district on Monday when scores of protesters blocked the Srinagar-Baramulla highway.

The clashes broke out during the ongoing valley-wide protests against the rape of a three-year-old girl in Bandipora district on May 8.

Authorities have imposed curfew like restrictions in Pattan and some other areas of Baramulla and Bandipora districts on Thursday to maintain law and order in the wake of the youth's death.
Srinagar, May 16 : A militant was killed and two soldiers were injured on Thursday in a gunfight in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district, police said.

Based on a tip-off, security forces including Rashtriya Rifles (RR), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and the Special Operations Group (SOG) of the state police started a cordon and search operation in Dalipora village.

"The militants fired at the security forces which triggered the ongoing gunfight," the police said.

The slain militant is yet to be identified.

As a precautionary measure, authorities have suspended mobile Internet services in Pulwama.

Mobile internet speed has also been brought down in Srinagar city to prevent uploading of inflammatory pictures and posts.
Washington, May 16 : Alabama Governor Kay Ivey has signed into law the most restrictive abortion bill in the US, which passes a near total ban on pregnancy terminations, even in cases of rape, and could punish doctors who perform them with life imprisonment.

"Today, I signed into law the Alabama Human Life Protection Act, a bill that was approved by overwhelming majorities in both chambers of the Legislature," CNN quoted Ivey, a Republican, as saying in a statement on Wednesday.

"To the bill's many supporters, this legislation stands as a powerful testament to Alabamians' deeply held belief that every life is precious and that every life is a sacred gift from God."

The Alabama Senate passed the bill 25-6 late Tuesday night. The law only allows exceptions "to avoid a serious health risk to the unborn child's mother", for ectopic pregnancy and if the "unborn child has a lethal anomaly".

Democrats re-introduced an amendment to exempt rape and incest victims, but the motion failed on an 11-21 vote.

Ivey noted in her Wednesday night statement that the new law may be unenforceable due to the Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade decision that legalised abortion in all 50 states. But, the new law was passed with the aim of challenging that decision, she added.

"Many Americans, myself included, disagreed when Roe v. Wade was handed down in 1973. The sponsors of this bill believe that it is time, once again, for the US Supreme Court to revisit this important matter, and they believe this act may bring about the best opportunity for this to occur."

Besides Alabama, anti-abortion campaigners have successfully enacted a ban on all or most abortions in six Republican-led states: Arkansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Dakota, Ohio and Georgia.

Yashica Robinson, an obstetrician at the Alabama Women's Center for Reproductive Alternatives who provides abortion services, told CNN on Wednesday the law would have a "devastating impact" on patients.

She said that she was unclear under what circumstances the law would allow an abortion based on "reasonable medical judgment" and health of the mother.

The bill has elicited a wave of protest from Democrats, including 2020 hopefuls.

Washington Governor Jay Inslee, Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders and former Texas Representative Beto O'Rourke slammed the legislation as unconstitutional.

New Jersey Senator Cory Booker, California Representative Eric Swalwell, former Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper, and Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren vowed to protect the Roe order.

Former Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton called the bill an example of "appalling attacks on women's lives and fundamental freedoms".
Washington, May 16 : The US Department of Homeland Security has announced the "immediate suspension" of commercial passenger and cargo flights between the US and Venezuela.

"Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Kevin K McAleenan determined that conditions in Venezuela threaten the safety and security of passengers, aircraft, and crew," Efe news quoted the department as saying on Wednesday.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo assented to the suspension of flights based on McAleenan's finding, while implementation of the measure is in the hands of the Department of Transportation.

"This determination is based on the ongoing political instability and increased tensions in Venezuela and asXinhua) -- U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaks during a press briefing in Washington D.C., the United States, April 22, 2019. U.S. President Donald Trump has decided not to reissue the sanctions waivers allowing major importers to continue buying Iran's oil when they expire in early May, the White House said Monday. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told reporters later in the day that the U.S. sanctions will be reimposed on all countries that import oil from' />

Washington, May 16 (IANS) The US Department of Homeland Security has announced the "immediate suspension" of commercial passenger and cargo flights between the US and Venezuela.

"Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Kevin K McAleenan determined that conditions in Venezuela threaten the safety and security of passengers, aircraft, and crew," Efe news quoted the department as saying on Wednesday.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo assented to the suspension of flights based on McAleenan's finding, while implementation of the measure is in the hands of the Department of Transportation.

"This determination is based on the ongoing political instability and increased tensions in Venezuela and associated inadvertent risk to flight operations," according to the statement from Homeland Security.

The suspension will remain in effect until US officials deem that conditions in Venezuela have changed sufficiently to accommodate the resumption of flights, Homeland Security said.

American Airlines, the last major US carrier providing scheduled service to and from Venezuela, suspended flights indefinitely on March 28.

Texas-based American Airlines had operated routes from Miami to Caracas and Maracaibo.

United and Delta halted service to Venezuela in 2017.

Venezuela broke diplomatic relations with the US in January, after Washington recognized Juan Guaido, speaker of the opposition-controlled National Assembly, as interim president of the oil-rich country.

The Venezuelan opposition, backed by the US and some Latin American governments, says that the May 2018 re-election of leftist President Nicolas Maduro was illegitimate.

The US imposed sanctions on Venezuela in 2015, when Barack Obama was President, but Donald Trump sharply escalated the measures after taking office in January 2017.

More than 50 other countries have joined the US in recognizing Guaido, who was known to fewer than 20 percent of Venezuelans before he proclaimed himself acting head of state.

Russia, China, India and Japan are among the upwards of 120 nations that continue to acknowledge Maduro as Venezuela's president.

Guaido has repeatedly called on the Venezuelan armed forces to rise up against Maduro, most recently on April 30, when the opposition leader went to a Caracas airbase with several dozen military defectors.

The uprising fizzled within hours.

Last weekend, Guaido said he had instructed his envoy in Washington to formally ask the US military for "cooperation" in ousting Maduro.

The Trump administration says that "all options are on the table" in the standoff with the Maduro government.
Jaipur, May 16 : Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Thursday met the Alwar gang-rape victim, and assured her and the family of justice.

Speaking to the media after the meeting in Thanagaazi, Gandhi said that this was an emotional issue for him and not a political one.

"The victim will definitely get justice. Strict action will be taken against the accused. I have come here to meet the family and not to play any kind of politics. I will take action on whatever I have said here," he said.

"We can't tolerate such things. As soon as I heard about the case, I called (Chief Minister Ashok) Gehlot. We want to give a strong message not only to the people of Rajasthan but to the entire nation so that such heinous incidents are not repeated anywhere."

Gandhi was accompanied by Gehlot, Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot, party state incharge Avinash Pandey and Alwar Congress candidate, Jitendra Bhanwar Singh.

Gandhi was slated to visit Alwar on Wednesday but the trip was cancelled due to bad weather.

Before Gandhi's visit, the family said that they would raise a demand for a job for the couple so that the victim and her husband can be sent to a place where no one identifies them.
Lucknow, May 16 : BSP President Mayawati on Thursday alleged that the Election Commission's decision to curtail campaigning in West Bengal was taken under pressure from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"The Election Commission has banned the election campaign in West Bengal from 10 p.m. today (Thursday). But the Prime Minister is holding two rallies (before the ban comes into force). This shows that the Commission is working under the pressure of the BJP," Mayawati told the media.

"Why did they put the ban from 10 p.m. and not since the morning? This proves that the Election Commission is working under the pressure of the BJP. It is unfair. The BJP has targeted Mamata Banerjee. There are attempts to defame the Bengal government," she said.

The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo, a former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, accused Modi and BJP President Amit Shah of targeting Banerjee. "This is a very dangerous and unjust trend."
Kolkata, May 16 : While the opposition leaders expressed their solidarity with West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's displeasure over the Election Commission's (EC) unprecedented decision to curtail poll campaign in the state by 20 hours, BJP MP Babul Supriyo on Thursday called the opposition Grand Alliance 'Mahathagbandhan' (alliance of crooks).

"The 'Mahathagbandhan' will never be voted 'in' by the people of India because they will always keep politics above them," Supriyo tweeted.

The EC's decision came in the wake of repeated instances of violence in the state during the Lok Sabha polls, which reached a tipping point on Tuesday when the bust of Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar was smashed at the college named after the social reformer following violent clashes during BJP President Amit Shah's roadshow in Kolkata.

Stating that the EC didn't act timely, Supriyo tweeted: "For six phases they kept stoic silence while democracy and human beings got murdered by Mamata and her #TMchhi. Now, they have all found their voices. #Shame."

On Wednesday, Banerjee had claimed that the EC's decision was taken at the "behest of the BJP, (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi and Shah".

"EC's biased actions under the directions of the BJP are a direct attack on democracy. People will give a befitting reply," she said.

Expressing solidarity with Banerjee, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati on Thursday told reporters: "The Election Commission has banned poll campaign in West Bengal from 10 p.m. today (Thursday). But the Prime Minister is holding two rallies (before the ban comes into force). This shows that the Commission is working under the pressure of the BJP."

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Pune, India, May 16, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Market Research Future (MRFR)s study projects that the global home security camera market is expected to grow leaps and bounds over the forecast period 2017 to 2023. The report further reveals that the global market is set to scale a valuation of USD 1,306.3 Mn towards the end of 2023. Increasing crime rates in developing nations have been prognosticated to accelerate revenue creation for the market participants.

Home security cameras assure security and enable controlling as well as monitoring through smartphones. The strong value maintained by the developments in connected devices is projected to influence the growth of the home security cameras market positively through the assessment period.

Easy installation and durability are the key areas of focus for the industry leaders for capitalizing on the developmental opportunities in the home security camera market. Emphasis is placed on the development of products in different sizes and resolutions. Also, the integration of advanced features such as remote views on mobile devices, motion detection, SMS alerts, etc. are projected to boost the growth pattern of the market. Furthermore, the market is poised to witness massive inflow of investments in conjunction with the introduction of innovative products. Case to the point is, Soliom has introduced solar-powered wireless home security camera, Soliom Bird S60, to its product portfolio.

Get a Free Sample Copy @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/3787

Although security cameras have been in demand over the past few years in commercial spaces, proliferating residential applications is likely to augment the market in the forthcoming years. Price erosion is one of the crucial factors likely to generate demand over the next couple of years. Additionally, the market is presumed to benefit from the advancements in wireless technologies.

Key Players:

The noted players operating in the global home security camera market are Hangzhou Hikvision Digital Technology Co. Ltd (China), Shenzhen Leshi Video Tech. Co., Ltd (China), Godrej Security Solutions (India), Motorola Home (U.S.), Netgear, Inc. (U.S.), FrontPoint Security Solutions, LLC (U.S.), ADT Security Services (U.S.), SimpliSafe (U.S.), Vivint, Inc. (U.S.), Panasonic Corporation (Japan), and Nest Cam (U.S.),

Market Segmentation:

This MRFR report presents a detailed segmental assessment of the global home security camera market based on product, type, resolution, and services. By product, the market is segmented into dome security camera, bullet security camera, IP security camera, thermal security camera, PTZ security camera, and others. Among these, the dome security camera segment held the dominant share of the market in 2017. It is also expected to exhibit a relatively higher CAGR over the forecast period.

By type, the Home Security Camera Market is segmented into indoor security camera and outdoor security camera. The outdoor security cameras segment accounted for the maximum market share in 2017 and is poised to emerge as the fastest growing segment towards the close of 2023.

The home security camera market, by resolution, has been segmented into non-HD, and HD. The HD segment signifies tremendous growth potential and is poised to strike a higher CAGR during the assessment period. Also, it accounted for the lions share of the market in 2017.

Based on services, the market is segmented into professional services and managed services. Among these, the professional services segment has gained quick mileage and held the pole position in the marketplace in 2017. In addition, the segment is anticipated to keep gaining momentum and scale a comparatively higher CAGR across the review period.

North America set to retain its dominance over the global market

The geographical analysis of the global home security camera market spans across Asia Pacific, North America, Europe, and the Rest of the world (RoW). North America holds the largest market share and was valued at USD 261.3 Mn in 2017. The growth of the regional market can be ascribed to the skyrocketing adoption of security cameras. In addition, the market is highly lucrative and is anticipated to observe an influx of new entrants. This, in turn, has been projected to catapult the home security camera market in North America on an upward trajectory. Meanwhile, Asia Pacific is forecasted to exhibit massive developments at a higher CAGR over the assessment period.

Browse Report @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/home-security-camera-market-3787

Latest Industry News:

Xioami Corporation, a Chinese electronics company, has launched its Mi home security camera in India.

Arlo, Americas first internet connected camera brand, has unveiled its smart-home security camera at CES in Las Vegas.

D-Link Corporation, Taiwanese multinational networking equipment manufacturing corporation, has introduced DCS-2802KT, mydlink Pro Wire-Free camera kit, which is its first wire-free camera product.

Amazon-owned Ring has introduced a peephole front door security camera at CES 2019.

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CCTV Market [By Camera Type (IP, Analogue) By Technology (CMOS, CCD) By End User (Hospital, Hotel, Real Estate, IT Sector) By Channel (Distribution, Retail) By Country (India, China, USA, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Spain)]- Global Forecast to 2020.

https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/cctv-market-677

Security Cameras Market Research Report, by Type (Infrared (IR) Bullet, Dome, Box), Application (Indoor, Camera), Professional Service (Consulting, Installation, Support), End-User, Resolution (Full HD & HD, Non HD), by RegionForecast till 2024.

https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/security-cameras-market-7744

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.
Mumbai, May 16 : Veteran actor Anupam Kher on Thursday praised his "Judwaa 2" co-star Varun Dhawan, saying he has grown into a "big hardworking star".

Varun recently paid a visit to Anupam at his acting school here. Sharing a glimpse of the meeting, Anupam took to Instagram and wrote a post for him along with a video.

"I have seen my friend David Dhawan's son Varun since he was a small child. So to see him grow into this big hardworking star/actor is such a wonderful feeling.

"He has shown a great graph from his first film to now. It was gracious of him to drop in at our school. In fact, his own school," Anupam wrote.

In the video, Varun, an Actor Prepares alumnus, is also seen praising Anupam. He called him his "family member".

"I have not seen him for sometime but he came and had breakfast with me when I needed the inspiration... more than anything, I needed a family and a family member and he was there. Thank you so much," said Varun, who has also worked with Anupam in "Main Tera Hero".
Los Angeles, May 16 : DJ Khaled will be donating 100 per cent of the proceeds from "Higher", his song with Nipsey Hussle to the children of the late rapper.

Khaled, 43, took to Twitter on Wednesday to announce that he will release a single with Hussle called "Higher" and will donate all proceeds to Hussle's children -- Emani, 10, and Kross, his two-year-old son with actress Lauren London, reports people.com.

"Recently, I embarked on a soul-searching journey down a road I never thought I would travel in a million years. It began when a tragedy robbed the world of an enlightened soul, a brother, a father, a partner and my friend Nipsey Hussle," Khaled said.

Khaled went on to reveal that just days before Nipsey was gunned down in front of his Los Angeles clothing store on March 31, "he shared his energy and positivity with me on a video set for a song called, 'Higher'".

He added: "After much prayer and reflection and with the full blessing of the Asghedom family, I am sharing that with the world.

"The very title of the song reminds us that vibrating on a 'Higher' level was the essence of Nipsey's soul. It is in this spirit, of moving forward, of preserving his mission that I, my co-writers, producers and label partners are donating 100 per cent of all of our proceeds from 'Higher' to Nipsey's children, Emani and Kross."

Along with the tweet, Khaled wrote: "A gift from my brother Nipsey we want to share with the world. We miss you and we will forever keep your legacy going."
Mau : , May 16 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Thursday that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee did not recognize him as her Prime Minister. Instead she treats the Pakistan Prime Minister as her Prime Minister.

Addressing a rally in Mau in Uttar Pradesh, Modi said: "Those who are singing the tune of 'Modi hatao' are now becoming desperate. The expletives used against me by the opposition are increasing by the day.

"The West Bengal Chief Minister does not acknowledge me as Prime Minister - she believes that Pakistan Prime Minister is her Prime Minister. I am going to West Bengal today and will tell the nation about the kind of anarchy that has been spread there."

Modi said that if Didi (Mamata) had her way, she would not even allow his helicopter to land or his rally to take place. Her party workers disrupted the roadshow of BJP President Amit Shah and vandalized the statue of Ishwar Chand Vidyasagar, he stated.

Lashing out at the SP-BSP alliance, the Prime Minister said, "This is an opportunistic alliance which was forged in an air-conditioned room in Lucknow. These leaders are cut off from ground realities and have forgotten their party workers."

He said the nation knew that the 'Modi hatao' slogan was just an excuse and the real purpose was to hide their corruption.

"Those with 8 seats, 10 seats and 30 seats are now aspiring to become the Prime Minister but they do not know that the country has decided "Phir ek baar, Modi sarkaar", he added.
New Delhi: A BJP delegation led by Union Ministers Prakash Javadekar, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and Vijay Goel comes out after meeting Election Commissioner in New Delhi on May 16, 2019. (Photo: IANS) Image Source: IANS News

New Delhi: A BJP delegation led by Union Ministers Prakash Javadekar, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and Vijay Goel comes out after meeting Election Commissioner in New Delhi on May 16, 2019. (Photo: IANS) Image Source: IANS News

New Delhi, May 16 : A BJP delegation on Thursday met Election Commission (EC) officials seeking action against West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for calling Prime Minister Narendra Modi and party President Amit Shah "awwal darje ke goonde" (goons of the highest order).

"We met the election officials and urged them to act against Mamata Banerjee. She has called the Prime Minister and our party President 'do goonde' (two goons). This is violation of social decency as well of the model code of conduct (MCC). We have demanded immediate action against her," Union Minister Prakash Javadekar told the media here.

The delegation, led by Javadekar, comprised Union Ministers Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, Vijay Goel and BJP Rajya Sabha MP Anil Baluni.

"Do goonde hai, ek Modi aur ek Amit Shah. Dono awwal darje ke goonde hai. (There are two goons. One is Modi and the other is Amit Shah. Both are goons of the highest order)," Banerjee had reportedly said on Tuesday after visiting the Vidyasagar College where a bust of social reformer Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar was vandalised following violent clashes during Amit Shah's roadshow in Kolkata.

The BJP leaders also demanded detention of history-sheeters ahead of the seventh and final phase of Lok Sabha elections in the state on Sunday.

"Until they (history-sheeters) are arrested, polling can not be held peacefully. The Election Commission needs to take appropriate action," Javadekar said.
Kathmandu, May 16 : Two Indian climbers died on Mount Kanchenjunga while descending from the summit of the world's third highest mountain, the expedition company said on Thursday.

Pasang Sherpa, Director at the Peak Promotion Nepal, the company, told Xinhua news agency that the Indian climbers collapsed at an altitude of 8,400 meters.

"Indian national Biplab Baidya and Kuntal Karna died of altitude sickness while descending from the summit," Sherpa said.

Their bodies will be airlifted to Kathmandu probably on Friday, he said. A total of 23 people were in the expedition team when they left for the summit on April 6.

Meanwhile, a national from Chile, Rodrigo Vivanco, has gone missing in Mount Kanchenjunga since Wednesday evening.

"We have mobilized a team to rescue Rodrigo who has gone missing above Camp IV on the descent after he reportedly made it to the summit," he said.

Hundreds of foreign climbers attempt to scale high Himalayan peaks during the popular spring climbing season in the Himalayan country that begins in March and ends in May.
Chennai, May 16 : The two major trader associations in Tamil Nadu have again announced a war against multinational company (MNC)-made colas like Coke and Pepsi by deciding not to stock these and other such products of MNCs, a top association official said on Thursday.

"This time around, I hope it will not become like the proverbial 'prasava vairagyam', or resolution taken by a woman during labour not to allow her husband to share her bed," A.M. Vikramaraja, the head of the Tamil Nadu Vanikar Sangankalin Peramaippu, told IANS.

While deciding not to stock Coke, Pepsi and other similar MNC products, the associations are trying to follow the same methods adopted by the MNCs, to beat them in their own game.

"We have asked the domestic cola companies to get ready about 10,000 visi-coolers, to start with. These visi-coolers will be provided to the shopkeepers in Tamil Nadu. The shopkeepers will remove the visi-coolers provided by the two MNCs," Vikramaraja said.

According to him, the MNCs supply visi-coolers free of cost to the shops to stock their products. The shopkeepers also stock milk, butter and other perishables in these coolers.

"If the MNC visi-coolers are out of the shops, then their products also will be out. A visi-cooler will cost about Rs 10,000 and it is a big sum for small shopkeepers," he added.

According to Raja, domestic cola companies have agreed to increase their supplies so as to meet the increased demand.

"Members of our association will be meeting soon, and there we will announce the date when the visi-coolers of the domestic cola companies will be supplied," Vikramaraja said.

Meanwhile, the Federation of Tamil Nadu Traders' Association has given a boycott call of Coca-Cola and Pepsi drinks from August 15 onwards.

"This will be another `swadeshi movement' to protect our livelihood. Earlier too, in 2017, we had given a call to boycott the colas made by foreign companies on health grounds and scarcity of water.

"Now the boycott call is to protect our livelihood as foreign direct investments (FDI) in retail online stores are affecting our business," Federation of Tamil Nadu Traders' Association President T.Vellaiyan told IANS.

During the protests for allowing the tradional bull taming sport of Jallikattu in Tamil Nadu, the traders' associations had announced their decision to boycott sales of Coca-Cola and Pepsi.

"Given the mood of the people at that time, sales of the two foreign cola brands dropped. However, the companies lured the shopkeepers to stock their products by giving two crates of colas free for every crate of cola bought," Vellaiyan said.

According to Vellaiyan, online sales have impacted the business of major retailers in a big way during festivals like Diwali, Christmas and New Year.

"We have decided to take on the foreign cola companies so that the other MNCs wanting to enter India will be hesitant about their India plans," he added.

Both associations' leaders are of the view that the Central government is not giving a hearing to the grievances of small domestic retailers.

Vellaiyan said his association will speak to trader associations in other states for a nationwide boycott foreign colas.

Indian beverages player Kali Aerated Water Works is of the view that the presence of MNC brands may not be eliminated totally but the boycott call will surely help the company increase its market share.

"During the Jallikattu boycott call sales of our Bovonto soft drink increased by five per cent and we are continuing to maintain that," Kali Aerated Joint Managing Director J. Ramesh told IANS.

According to him, the per day the sales of cold drinks in Tamil Nadu will be anywhere between 5-10 lakh crates (each crate contains 24 bottles).

Ramesh said the company has been supplying visi-coolers to shops based on their level of business.

"In Tamil Nadu we have distributed about 300-500 visi-coolers to various outlets. We will increase the number to 500-750 this year," Ramesh said.

According to Ramesh, supplying visi-coolers gives about 10-15 percent advantage to the brand.

"Nearly 75 per cent of the Tamil Nadu's cola market is dominated by Coca-Cola and Pepsi. Our market share is about 19-24 per cent," he added.
Hyderabad, May 16 : Vice President of India M. Venkaiah Naidu said on Thursday that nuclear electricity as a reliable and safe energy option can significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions and that it has the potential to meet the ever-increasing energy demand in the country.

Addressing the scientists and staff of the Atomic Minerals Directorate for Exploration and Research (AMD) here on the occasion of 70 years of exploration and research by the organisation, Naidu underlined the importance of nuclear energy in the context of climate change, which was one of the foremost environmental concerns.

Naidu stressed on the need to make modern technologies safer and reliable. Noting that India had a commendable record of operating its nuclear fleet for over 40 years without any serious incident, he exuded confidence that more safety features would be added with constant technological advancements.

The Vice President said India's abiding interest in nuclear energy grew out of a deep conviction that the power of atom could be harnessed to help the country to achieve human and societal development.

He said that India consciously made a strategic choice to pursue a low-carbon growth model in the coming decades and added that reducing pollution was a major challenge.

Appreciating the efforts of the AMD in adopting state-of-the-art exploration techniques in search of different strategic minerals, he said it was heartening to know about the availability of more than 3 lakh tonnes of uranium oxide reserves and around 1,200 million tonnes of beach sand mineral resources in our country.

"More significantly, the quantum leap in uranium resource augmentation by the AMD from around 1 lakh tonnes during the first 60 years of activities and a subsequent addition of around 2 lakh tonnes in the next 10 years is really commendable," he said.

Naidu also expressed confidence that AMD's exploration efforts in different parts of the country, including the Cuddapah basin in Andhra Pradesh, would lead to more uranium mines.

With several favourable geological domains spread across the length and breadth of the country which can host potential uranium, rare metals and Rare Earth Elements (REE) deposits, the Vice President said it would be possible to achieve self-sufficiency in atomic mineral resources for sustainable growth of the country's nuclear power programme.

Considering the steep demand for power in the country, the role of nuclear energy in future would be quite significant. "We need to develop new and more efficient technologies to utilise our resources to the maximum," he added.

Those present on the occasion included AMD Director M.B. Verma and other senior scientists and officials.
Islamabad, May 16 : At least 20 people were injured in an explosion at a bank in Pakistan Punjab province's Sadiqabad city on Thursday, officials said.

The explosion took place when around two dozen people, including staff and customers, were inside the private bank located at the KLP road of Rahim Yar Khan district.

The bank building was completely destroyed in the explosion. The nature of the blast was not known yet, Geo News reported.

The police and rescue teams rushed to the site and shifted the injured to hospital. Five of them were reportedly in critical condition.

The police cordoned off the area and launched an investigation.
New Delhi, May 16 : Peak power demand in Delhi this summer is expected to breach the 7,400 MW-mark. Besides making adequate power arrangements, the two BSES distribution companies (discoms) have also ramped-up network capacity by deploying both conventional and innovative solutions.

To strengthen the distribution network, the BSES discoms have made Rs 800 crore capex during the last financial year (FY19) and have ramped up the network capacity by around 750 MVA (mega volt amperes).

"The BSES discoms have also installed (new) and augmented around 600 distribution transformers and laid over 650 km of cable to strengthen the network," the BSES said in a statement on Thursday.

"The BSES is also working in tandem with generation and transmission companies to ensure that the entire generation, transmission and distribution system is aligned to meet the summer load," read the statement.

In the south and west Delhi areas, under jurisdiction of the BSES Rajdhani Power Ltd (BRPL), the peak power demand is expected to cross 3,200 MW this summer, while the demand may reach 1,640 MW in east and central Delhi, which come under the BSES Yamuna Power Ltd (BYPL), it said.

Apart from preventive maintenance, the discoms also do extensive predictive checks to identify "hot spots" or to pre-determine potential faults and take remedial measures. "Thermo scanning of distribution transformers and feeders is an important tool," it said.

Other important steps taken were strengthening of the call centre, load balancing at sub- stations and deployment of additional manpower, mobile transformers and quick reaction teams (QRTs) to tackle exigencies, it added.

The discom identified unplanned digging of raods for repair or to lay cables and pipelines as a major cause of outages across Delhi.

Pointing out the serious safety threat posed by unplanned digging, the BSES advised the civic agencies and their contractors to inform the discom before starting excavation or digging on any corridor.

"This will help discoms take necessary measures in preventing damage to electricity cables and disruption in power supply. The BSES has launched 'Dial n Dig' dedicated 24x7 helplines. For BRPL (south and west Delhi), the number is 180030009707 and for BYPL (central and east Delhi) - 39997376," it said.
New Delhi, May 16 : The "frightening and scary" scenario that the opposition promises will be responsible for its rout in the Lok Sabha elections, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said on Thursday.

In a blog post, the senior BJP leader said as the seventh and final phase of the election approaches to closure, the groundswell in favour of Prime Minister Modi is becoming stronger.

"The not so positive reason for the Prime Minister's high acceptability levels is the absence of any cogent or coherent alternative. Conventionally, it used to be referred to as the 'TINA' factor. This effectively means that 'There is no alternative'. If the opposition is giving vague assurances of an alternative, the same is either too scary or absolutely frightening," he said.

He said the positive reasons for the Prime Minister's acceptability has been his decisiveness, integrity and performance, his delivery of resources to the poor and his security doctrine which has been a game changer.

"The NDA's strength has been a complete absence of any confusion about leadership or programme. There is an absolute consensus," he said.

Jaitley said the opposition could not forge an alliance in several key states and it did not call a meeting of different like minded parties for the obvious fear that many will not attend the meeting.

"The common thread which brings them together is negativism - to get rid of one person. They have no agreement on either a leader or programme. They are a completely fractured opposition which could not come together before or during the election.

"Who will believe their assurance that they can come together after the election? They are institution wreckers. They do not allow Parliament to function. They attack and intimidate Judges. Now Election Commission is their next target. The attack on the EVMs and the Election Commission is an advance alibi for defeat on May 23," he said.

Slamming the opposition, he said their leaders represent temperamental mavericks, some highly corrupt and many a governance disaster.

"The electorate wonders, if they can ever provide a cogent alternative. Past history belies the longevity of such opportunistic and fragile combinations," he said.

Jaitley said he has long argued that aspirational societies look for a better tomorrow and they are averse to suicidal choices.

"The frightening and scary scenario that the opposition promises will be responsible for its rout. This consolidates the groundswell in favour of Modi. Except in the last few days, not one political analyst had foreseen the velocity of this groundswell even in a state like Bengal. The largest size of the Prime Minister's public rallies have been in Bengal," he said.

Latest updates on Howdy Modi Houston
NEW ORLEANS, May 15, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC (KSF) and KSF partner, former Attorney General of Louisiana, Charles C. Foti, Jr., alert investors to an expanded investigation of The Boeing Company (NYSE: BA), now including potential shareholder losses from January 8, 2019 to May 8, 2019, inclusive.



What You May Do

If you purchased Boeing securities from January 8, 2019 to May 8, 2019, and would like to discuss your legal rights and how this case might affect your right to recover for your loss, you may, without obligation or cost to you, contact KSF Managing Partner Lewis Kahn toll-free at 1-877-515-1850 or via email (lewis.kahn@ksfcounsel.com), or visit https://www.ksfcounsel.com/cases/nyse-ba/ to learn more. If you wish to serve as a lead plaintiff in this class action, you must petition the Court by June 10, 2019 .

About the Lawsuit

Boeing and certain of its executives are charged with making materially misleading statements from January 8, 2019 through May 8, 2019, inclusive, in violation of the federal securities laws.

On October 29, 2018, a Boeing 737 MAX 8 jet operated by an Indonesian airline crashed after takeoff killing all onboard, followed by another MAX 8 crash by an Ethiopian airline on March 10, 2019. Subsequently, MAX 8 jets were grounded worldwide and a series of negative news reports were issued highlighting Boeings possible failure to take adequate safety measures relating to the crashes. This caused the value of the Companys securities to decline materially.

The initial filed case is Seeks v. The Boeing Company, No. 19-cv-02394 (N.D. Ill.) alleging a Class Period of January 8, 2019 to March 21, 2019, inclusive.

About Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC

KSF, whose partners include former Louisiana Attorney General Charles C. Foti, Jr., is a law firm focused on securities, antitrust and consumer class actions, along with merger & acquisition and breach of fiduciary litigation against publicly traded companies on behalf of shareholders. The firm has offices in New York, California and Louisiana.

To learn more about KSF, you may visit www.ksfcounsel.com .

Contact:

Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC
Chandigarh, May 16 : Caste politics may take centre stage in most north Indian states, but in agrarian Punjab where Scheduled Castes and Backward Classes make up 55 per cent of state's population, it doesn't play any decisive role, say political experts.

The reason: neither section, whose concentration is highest in the Doaba region (the area between the Beas and the Satluj), have no loyalty to any particular political party.

Though Dalits, both among Sikhs and Hindus, are seen as the Congress' traditional supporters, while the Akalis bank on the Jat Sikhs (comprising 25 per cent of the population), the present Congress ministry led by Captain Amarinder Singh is dominated by Jat Sikhs - eight cabinet ministers (including the CM) out of 18, against three Dalit ministers and none from Backward Classes.

For the Mayawati-led Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), a victory in Punjab is still a distant dream, despite the state being the home turf of party founder Kanshi Ram and having a Dalit population of 31.9 per cent - the highest among Indian states.

In the 2017 assembly polls, the BSP's performance was abysmal, which was not strange given its largely unimpressive showing in the Lok Sabha elections in the previous two decades.

Chandigarh-based Institute of Development and Communication's Chairman Pramod Kumar said: "BSP's ideology does not find space in Punjab due to the dominance of Sikhism and the Arya Samaj."

According to him, before the BSP entered into state's political scene in 1992, the SCs and the Backward Classes supported either the Congress or the Left parties -- the Communist Party of India and the Communist Party of India-Marxist.

While the CPI-M's former state Secretary Mangat Ram Pasla maintains the BSP got a foothold in the state as "mainstream Left parties hobnobbed with the Congress in their lust of power and forgot the issues of the Dalits", Mayawati's party has been on a downward trend since it got a 16 per cent vote share in the 1992 Assembly election.

In 1996, the BSP forged an alliance with the Akali Dal-Badal in the parliamentary elections, and they won three of the four seats.

However, by 2017, the party's share reduced to dismal 1.5 per cent, mainly due to emergence of the AAP.

Veteran journalist Sham Singh told IANS the six-party coalition - the Punjab Democratic Alliance - which comprises BSP and AAP rebels, could have made the contest three-cornered on some seats by the decisive caste arithmetic if it had been launched much ahead the election announcement.

He cited the "leadership crisis" for caste politics for not coming up in the state.

"With the death of Kanshi Ram, the BSP's focus mainly shifted on strengthening its roots in Uttar Pradesh. Since then there is a vacuum of leadership in Punjab," he added.

Interestingly, a BSP candidate - Vikram Singh Sodhi, contesting from Anandpur Sahab - leads the pack of super-rich candidates with assets worth Rs 140.83 crore. Running a business in Europe and owning a huge tract of agricultural land, he is also an international polo player.

Out of the 13 Lok Sabha seats in Punjab, the Akali Dal-BJP combine currently holds five (four Akali Dal; one of BJP), while the Congress has four seats and AAP another four.

Punjab will vote on May 19 in the last phase of the multi-stage Lok Sabha elections.

(Vishal Gulati can be reached at vishal.g@ians.in)
Mumbai, May 16 : Vicky Kaushal, who has a successful streak in Bollywood, turned 31 on Friday. While the actor is in New York to spend his special day, the film fraternity wished him good luck for the journey ahead.

Veteran actress Neetu Kapoor, who recently met Vicky for the first time in New York, was all praise for the "humble, well brought up boy", who she said has "goodness written all over him".

Happy Birthday, @vickykaushal09! May you continue to give heart-winning & power-packed performances! Looking forward to working with you in #TAKHT soon!Have a great year ahead! Lots of love! pic.twitter.com/yBbdJJzxFO  Anil Kapoor (@AnilKapoor) May 16, 2019

Actor Anil Kapoor said he could not wait to work with Vicky in Karan Johar's "Takht". "Happy Birthday Vicky. May you continue to give heart-winning and power-packed performances. Looking forward to working with you in 'Takht' soon. Have a great year ahead! Lots of love," said Anil Kapoor.

Vicky's "Raazi" co-star Alia Bhatt called him a "lovely human" and wished him a "super day".

Image Source: Cine Photos Alia Bhatt and Vicky Kaushal during media interactions for Raazi at Sun n Sand juhu

Actor Abhishek Bachchan tweeted: "To the brother...Happy birthday. Live it large"

To the brother.

Happy birthday @vickykaushal09 live it large!

  Abhishek Bachchan (@juniorbachchan) May 16, 2019

Actress Taapsee Pannu, who shared screen space with Vicky in "Manmarziyaan", wrote: "Happy birthday... Cheers to growing older."

Image Source: Cine Photos Tapaasee Pannu, Vicky Kaushal at Filmalaya

Actress Yami Gautam, who co-starred with Vicky in "Uri: The Surgical Strike", said he is the only actor who makes her look tall. "Stay this awesomesttt munda that you are Vicky," she said.

Image Source: IANS Mumbai: Actors Vicky Kaushal and Yami Gautam during the screening of film "Uri", in Mumbai on Jan 9, 2019.

After working as an assistant on Anurag Kashyap's film "Gangs of Wasseypur", Vicky made his Bollywood debut with "Luv Shuv Tey Chicken Khurana" in 2012. But it was 2015 film "Masaan" that brought the actor in the spotlight.

Later, Vicky received phenomenal success with his roles in "Raazi", "Sanju" and "Manmarziyaan" and "Uri: The Surgical Strike", which made it to the Rs 100 crore club.

Vicky will next be seen in Shoojit Sircar's "Udham Singh" and in a horror comedy opposite Bhumi Pednekar. He also is reportedly a part of a movie being directed by Aditya Dhar.

-- With inputs from IANS
Naypyitaw, May 16 : Twitter account of Myanmar Army chief Min Aung Hlaing, accused of masterminding genocide against the Muslim Rohingya population, has been suspended following complaints about him using the social media platform for hate speech.

Hlaing had his @sgminaunghlaing account taken offline this week. His Facebook account was taken off in August 2018 after the UN called for Myanmar military leaders' prosecution for genocide.

The latest move against the Myanmar Army chief, who claims the Army did not use "excessive force" when about 700,000 Rohingya fled Myanmar in 2017, was hailed by prominent Rohingya activist Tun Kinh as a "massive victory" for members of the ethnic group.

Hlaing had used social media to refer to Rohingya people as "Bengali", implying they were immigrants rather than Myanmar citizens.

On Facebook, he denied Army atrocities and claimed the military was targeting militants rather than committing genocide.

The suspension came after Tun Khin, President of the Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK, met Twitter executives in Silicon Valley last week and asked them why Hlaing's account remained live.

His Twitter account had not been used in about a year, but the suspension was still hailed as a significant gesture.

Tun Kinh said, "The fact that Twitter has joined Facebook in deleting his account, which he used to sow hatred and spew his defensive propaganda, is a massive victory for the Rohingya people."

"Hliang was the mastermind of the Rohingya genocide. It is crucial that Twitter now follows through in deleting other accounts used by the regime for the same purpose," he said.
New Delhi, May 16 : Two men who were involved in stealing 100 new cars over the past two decades in Delhi and adjoining states have been finally arrested, a police officer said on Thursday.

Kunal, 40, a resident of Amar Colony here, and Shahid, 35, who hails from Uttar Pradesh's Muzaffarnagar, were caught on Wednesday night near the Hedgewar Hospital in Shahdara when they had come to steal a new Maruti Suzuki Brezza car.

Four new stolen Brezza cars were recovered from them.

"Working on a tip off, a trap was laid by the police," Deputy Commissioner of Police Meghna Yadav said.

"Our men asked them to surrender but they did not. Instead, Kunal and Shahid reversed their stolen car and hit the police vehicle. They also sped past three policemen. They showed a toy gun and tried to escape but were apprehended," Yadav said.

During interrogation, Kunal disclosed that he had stolen 100 new cars. Police said he was an expert in stealing a car within eight to 10 minutes.

He would sell the car to his contacts for Rs 50-60,000.

While stealing cars, Kunal always put on a mask so that he was not recognized in CCTV footage and wore gloves to avoid leaving fingerprints, the officer added.
New Delhi, May 16 : As part of its assistance to Afghanistan, India on Thursday handed over two Mi-24 attack helicopters to Kabul to battle terrorism.

The two helicopter gunships will replace the four supplied in 2015, giving more fire power to the Afghan armed forces.

Indian ambassador to Afghanistan Vinay Kumar, acting Minister of Defense Asadullah Khalid, Air Force Commander Gen. Abdul Rahim Ramin and others attended the handing over ceremony at Kabul air base.

India started supplying offensive military platforms to Afghanistan in recent years.

The gunships are being refurbished for Afghanistan by Belarus with financial support from India though Indian Air Force (IAF) is phasing out its own Russian-origin stack helicopters replacing them with Apaches.
Bengaluru, May 16 : British Airways on Thursday announced flying its Airbus-350 plane soon to Bengaluru from London.

"Bengaluru is the first city in India and fourth destination on our worldwide network to operate the A-350 aircraft," said the airline in a statement here.

The other three cities where the airline is operating the 275-seater A-350 are Cape Town in South Africa and Phoenix in Arizona state and Las Vegas in Nevada state in the US.

The airline operates daily a mix of Boeing 777 and Boeing 737 for its direct service on the Bengaluru-London route and other West-bound cities from Heathrow airport.

"We plan to operate A-350 on the Bengaluru-London route from winter schedule, which begins at the year-end," an airline spokesperson told IANS.

As part of the Airbus family of jets, the twin-engine A-350 is flown by many airlines the world over for fuel efficiency, greater comfort and faster flight duration.

With 300-aircraft fleet, British Airways flies daily to about 200 destinations in 80 countries.
New Delhi, May 16 : Delhi-based Jaina goup that owns Karbonn Mobile has tied up with Japanese consumer giants Sansui and Nakamichi for distributing a range of products including Smart LED televisions, home audio systems, refrigerators, washing machines, split air-conditioners and small kitchen appliances.

The products will also be available across leading online marketplaces.

Started as a distribution house, the Delhi firm represents a number of global brands such as HTC, Motorola, Samsung, Siemens, Panasonic and Philips (LCD devices) in the country.

"Jaina Group with its 23 years of excellence in digital revolution will be a strong point for these brands in the country. With these acquisitions, we are optimistic about rebuilding and amplifying the niche brands' affinity in the Indian market," said Jaina group Managing Director Pardeep Jain.

The Group in a press statement said that it will strengthen the channel base further to ensure easy availability and better after sales service network across the country.
Patna, May 16 : Chandan Rai, a middle-aged construction worker and resident of Bikram town near Patna, has decided to vote for the Rashtriya Janata Dal in the Lok Sabha polls to support and strengthen the hands of his caste's big leader -- jailed RJD supremo and former Bihar Chief Minister Lalu Prasad.

"I have decided to vote for the RJD as people from other castes too support and vote for their caste leaders. It has been a practice here for years," Rai said. In chaste Hindi he says, "Sabhi yahan jati pe vote karte hai, hum bhi wahi karte hai" (Everyone here votes on the basis of caste, I also do the same).

Rai's village comes under the Patliputra Lok Sabha constituency, where Lalu's elder daughter Misa Bharti is the RJD candidate. Rai said he was not backing Bharatiya Janata Party candidate and Union Minister Ram Kirpal Yadav for the simple reason that the BJP was seen as a party of the upper caste.

Rai appears right. Suraj Sharma, a resident of Amhara village in Bihta, 30 kms from here, is vocal about supporting Ram Kirpal Yadav. "We are supporting him as he is the BJP candidate," Sharma said.

Rai and Sharma are divided on caste lines, which is common in Bihar. The caste factor plays a big role in the electoral battle in the state.

In Patliputra, one of the eight constituencies -- including Buxar, Patna Sahib, Arrah, Sasaram, Jehanabad, Nalanda and Karakat -- going to the polls on May 19 in the seventh and last phase of elections in the state, the fight is between two Yaduvanshis (Yadav versus Yadav) Misa and Ram Kirpal. But it's the caste equation that will decide the polls outcome.

"The caste factor is a reality. It's more important and powerful than any thing. Leaders of all parties play double standards in caste matters," politics watcher Satyanarayan Madan said.

The RJD-led Grand Alliance (Mahagathbandhan) is confident of keeping its traditional social support base of the Muslim-Yadav combination intact and is hopeful of getting support of other castes, like Kushwaha, Manjhi (Dalit) and Mallah (EBC), on the basis of their loyalty to its allies -- the Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RLSP) of former Union Minister Upendra Kushwaha, the Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) of former Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi and the Vikassheel Insan Party (VIP) of Mukesh Sahni.

The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is banking on its traditional support base of upper castes and is also counting on rising support from extremely backward castes (EBCs) and non-Yadav Other Backward Castes (OBCs) due to its new ally, the Janata Dal (United), its rival in the 2014 polls.

According to poll watchers, if the RJD-led Grand Alliance's traditional social support base of Muslims and Yadavs gains support from Kushwahas, an agrarian caste, Mallahs and Dalits, it would give the NDA a tough time.

Similarly, the JD-U and the BJP's support among EBCs, non-Yadav OBCs and Dalits would play an important role. Besides, the BJP is confident of the overwhelming support of upper castes.

Sensing that caste equations will play a dominant role, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah played the backward caste card during the campaign. To woo voters, Modi also projected himself as hailing from a backward caste and a poor background.

Modi addressed election meetings at Paliganj (Patliputra seat), Buxar and Sasaram constituencies and Shah held meetings in Arrah and a road show in the Patna Sahib Lok Sabha seat.

The situation is more or less similar in the Arrah seat where the BJP is taking on the CPI(ML), which has minimised the chances of split in either pro-BJP or anti-BJP votes.

The BJP's Arrah candidate is Union Minister R K Singh, an upper caste Rajput; and CPI (ML) candidate Raju Yadav, a Yadav, is backed by the RJD this time. Polarisation is pretty sharp among BJP supporters in upper castes, and CPI(ML) supporters among backwards, Dalits and Muslims.

In Karakat seat, former Union minister Kushwaha is relying on a new caste arithmetic in his favour. In 2014, he won the seat for the NDA. Now with the RJD on his side, Kushwaha is banking on Muslims, Yadavs, his own castemen Koeris, along with Dalits and Mallahs.

In Buxar, BJP candidate Ashwani Choubey, a Union minister, is banking on support of his Brahmin caste people who dominate the seat, along with other traditional social support base of parties and allies.

He won the seat in 2014, thanks to overwhelming support of his caste people. He is pitted against the RJD's Jagdanand Singh, a Rajput, who is hopeful of getting support from his party's traditional vote base along with his own castemen.

Choubey, known to be a vocal supporter of Modi and a champion of Hindutva politics, is trying hard to retain the seat. While he is confident of support of Brahmins, other upper castes, especially the Rajputs, are not in his favour.

In Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's home district of Nalanda, JD-U candidate Kausalendra Kumar, a Kurmi, is a sitting MP. Nitish, a Kurmi, is not worried. He is confident about the support of his caste people and combined with the BJP's upper caste base, of victory in Nalanda.
Guwahati, May 16 : The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Assam Police has seized over 21,500 illegal Burmese cigarettes valued at Rs 4.3 lakh from Guwahati, exposing the spike in smuggling of contraband goods between Myanmar and India's northeastern region.

"We received a tip-off about the consignment and raided a house in Panjabari area on Wednesday. We have recovered 43 cartons of Myanmar-made cigarettes. We have also arrested one Md. Abdul Wahid of Manipur for his involvement in the smuggling," said Additional Director General of Police (CID) L.R. Bishnoi on Thursday.

Bishnoi said that cross-border smuggling of drugs has become a matter of concern for the police.

"The CID alone has registered over 450 cases under Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act in 2018. This is just the tip of the iceberg as so many agencies are working," he said adding that over 3 million psychotropic tablets, 1.25 lakh bottles of cough syrup, seven kgs of heroin and over 10,000 kgs of cannabis were seized by the CID in Assam last year.

He said the smugglers normally bring these drugs by road from Myanmar. "They first take these consignments to Mizoram from Myanmar and then to Dimapur from where these are routed to Assam and other places. Our location is very close to the golden triangle and hence the menace is more here," said Bishnoi.

"The profit margin is very high in this illegal trade and hence people take it up. Md. Abdul Wahid confessed that his cut for the consignment of cigarettes was Rs 90,000. The cost of one kg of heroin is Rs 1 crore. So one can well imagine the money involved in the illegal drugs trade," Bishnoi added.
Dum Dum : , May 16 (IANS) Slamming West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for questioning the role of the Election Commission, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said she would not have been the CM if the poll panel had not ensured free and fair elections by deploying Central forces.

"Didi, now you are using abusive words for Election Commission, election process and the Central forces. But why are you forgetting that the Left Front (government) had also made you to face a similar situation?

"Country's constitutional bodies had only ensured fair elections in Bengal. Had these constitutional bodies not been there, and enough central forces had not been deployed, today you would not have been the Chief Minister of Bengal," Modi said at his last public meeting in Bengal ahead of the last phase of Lok Sabha polls to be held on May 19.

Banerjee on Wednesday had alleged the Election Commission's decisions to curtail election campaigning and remove two senior officers were taken on the direction of the BJP, its President Amit Shah and Prime Minister Modi.

She had also claimed that RSS-backed functionaries had been inducted into the Election Commission.

However, a crowd at the Dum Dum Central Jail ground where former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had also addressed public, welcomed Modi by waving their lit mobile torches, huge rounds of applauds and great cheer.

There was no phase of the ongoing general election or any other election which has been completed without violence in West Bengal, Modi said, adding that this Lok Sabha polls would be remembered for Didi's attitude towards the Constitution and democracy.

During the elections and run-up to the polls, many BJP workers candidates were attacked, and their houses burnt down.

"There is no place for such behaviour in a democracy. But Didi is bent on destroying all aspects of democracy. This is the result of Didi's arrogance. She is making a mistake of considering the state her personal property," Modi said.

He also said, "Friends, even in Jammu and Kashmir, where the danger of terrorism looms day and night, the local panchayat election and general election have been completed peacefully (in the northern state)."
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KBC Group: First-quarter result of 430 million euros



KBC Group - overview (consolidated, IFRS) 1Q2019 4Q2018 1Q2018 Net result (in millions of EUR) 430 621 556 Basic earnings per share (in EUR) 0.98 1.44 1.30 Breakdown of the net result by business unit (in millions of EUR) Belgium 176 361 243 Czech Republic 177 170 171 International Markets 70 93 137 Group Centre 7 -3 5 Parent shareholders equity per share (in EUR, end of period) 43.1 41.4 40.9

We generated a net profit of 430 million euros in the first quarter of 2019. This is a good result, considering that we  as usual  recorded the bulk of the bank taxes for the full year in the first quarter (382 million euros in the first quarter of 2019). Excluding the bank taxes, the net result even surpassed the previous quarters net result by 9%, thanks to a slight increase in total income and lower costs (excluding bank taxes), despite somewhat higher loan loss impairment charges. Adjusted for the sale of a legacy portfolio in Ireland last year, lending to customers increased by 5% year-on-year, and deposits including debt certificates rose by 6%. Sales of non-life and life insurance products also went up year-on-year by 9% and 4%, respectively. Our solvency position, which does not include the profit of the first quarter of 2019, remained strong too, with a common equity ratio of 15.7%. Our dividend policy (payout ratio of at least 50%) remains unchanged.

As regards sustainability, we are in continuous dialogue with our customers and stakeholders, aiming to fully live up to societys expectations. In March, for instance, we tightened up our policy towards tobacco and decided not only to exclude the tobacco industry from our lending, insurance and SRI activities, but also start the process to eliminate it from our conventional investment funds and proprietary investment portfolio. Besides that, we signed up to the United Nations charter for tobacco-free financing, which fits in perfectly with the two key focus areas of Health and Population Ageing in our sustainability strategy.

In line with our general strategy, we continued to focus on our core activities and markets. In the weeks following the quarter-end, for instance, we reached an agreement for the sale of our Irish subsidiarys legacy performing corporate loan portfolio of roughly 260 million euros. The transaction is expected to close in the course of 2019, and further solidifies KBC Bank Irelands core business focus on retail and micro SME clients. A few days later, our Czech subsidiary CSOB reached an agreement to acquire the remaining 45% stake in the Czech building savings bank CMSS for 240 million euros. The transaction will have an impact of approximately -0.3 percentage points on KBC Groups common equity ratio. Furthermore, the revaluation of our already existing 55% stake in CMSS will lead to a one-off gain of roughly 80 million euros on the closing date. As a result of this transaction, CSOB will hold 100% of CMSS and consolidates its position as the largest provider of financial solutions for housing purposes in the Czech Republic. The agreement is expected to close before the end of the second quarter of 2019.

Ultimately, our success is based on the trust that our clients continue to place in us. Id like to explicitly thank each and every one of them for their long-standing confidence and to assure them that were more focused than ever in our efforts to become the reference in bank-insurance in all our core countries.

Johan Thijs

Chief Executive Officer

Full press release attached.

* This news item contains information that is subject to the transparency regulations for listed companies

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Jammu, May 16 : Authorities imposed curfew and called out the Army on Thursday after suspected cow vigilantes killed a civilian in Jammu and Kashmir's Bhaderwah town in Doda district, triggering group clashes.

Nayeem Shah was reportedly transporting bovine animals in his vehicle when a group of cow vigilantes allegedly attacked and killed him early on Thursday morning. Shah's body was recovered by the police in the Nalthi Pul area.

The Army was called out to assist the civil administration maintain calm in the town. Officials said the curfew will remain in force till further orders. Police are investigating the matter while the authorities have appealed to the people to maintain communal harmony.

Meanwhile, Ghulam Nabi Azad, senior Congress leader and leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, said that a magisterial probe should be initiated to probe the incident.

Azad, who belongs to Bhaderwah, said that he has spoken to the concerned District Magistrate (DM) and has asked him to have the civilian's murder probed by a magistrate.

Azad also appealed to the two communities in Bhaderwah not to fall prey to the designs of the miscreants who want to stoke communal trouble in the town.

Giving details of the incident, a local who was accompanying Shah when they were attacked, said the assailants fired at them when they were moving in the wee hours of Thursday morning with their livestock.

The man said that Shah was hit in the head and died on the spot, while he and another local accompanying him ran to save their lives.
New Delhi, May 16 : On a day when CBI said it will continue its probe in Bofors kickbacks case, advocate Ajay Aggarwal, who once spearheaded the case, claimed the "BJP does not want the investigations to conclude on Bofors; instead they want to delay it as much as possible for political and electoral gains."

For many years, Aggarwal was the legal face of the BJP, who pursued Bofors at every level of judiciary in the country. He had contested the Lok Sabha elections in 2014 from Rai Bareli against then Congress President Sonia Gandhi. According to him, Rs 4.77 crore has already been spent on the investigation of Bofors case.

Aggarwal, as a private petitioner, told a CBI special court that he wanted to withdraw his plea seeking further probe in the Bofors case. He thinks Bofors is already a deadwood in the wake of several delays in its investigation.

Of late he has also emerged as a leading dissenter in the party, disagreeing with its functioning and polices, especially the centralization of power in the hands of a few people. Although, he is yet to make a formal exit from the party, if given a chance, he minces no words in hitting out at the party for its "failure" on Bofors case.

Though, he has not been considered for the poll fray in this election; he denies it as a reason for his bitterness for the BJP.

Speaking to IANS, Aggarwal said: "The CBI is acting under political pressure. In October 2017, they got a lead from the television interview of one private Swedish investigator who alleged that Rajiv Gandhi government stalled the investigations. They sat on the complaint for six months. In February 2018, they moved the CBI court to continue investigations, so far they have not done anything; it's already been nearly two years."

On December 4, 2018, the court had questioned the CBI why it needed its permission to continue with the probe in the Bofors case.

In February 2018, the CBI filed an appeal in the Supreme Court against the May 31, 2005 verdict of the Delhi high Court discharging all the accused in the case.

In November 2018, the CBI failed to convince the apex court to re-open the case. It sought condonation of the 13-year delay in filing the appeal against the high court judgment.

However, one of the appeals still survives in the Supreme Court, wherein CBI is one of the respondents.

Aggarwal had filed the appeal against the high court verdict, as CBI failed to file the appeal within the manadatory 90-days period.

Aggarwal said: "The BJP has lost the conviction to allow any probe to come to an end in this case. For BJP, Bofors is an election pitch, and an issue that can be kept alive to draw people's attention especially during elections. The CBI is acting like a caged parrot for this particular case."

On March 24, 1986, India and Swedish arms manufacturer AB Bofors entered into a deal of Rs 1,437-crore for the supply of 400 155mm howitzer guns for the Indian Army. In 1987, Swedish Radio claimed that the company had paid bribes to top Indian politicians and defence personnel to grab the deal.

The CBI on January 22, 1990 registered an FIR for alleged offences of criminal conspiracy, cheating and forgery under the India Penal Code and other sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act against Martin Ardbo, the then president of AB Bofors, alleged middleman Win Chadha and the billionaire Hinduja brothers.

(Sumit Saxena can be contacted at sumit.s@ians.in)
Bhopal/New Delhi, May 16 : BJP's Lok Sabha candidate from Bhopal Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur on Thursday kicked up a major row by describing Mahatma Gandhi's assassin Nathuram Godse as a "deshbhakt" (patriot), a comment which her party immediately condemned and asked her to apologise for her remark.

In response, Thakur only said: "Apne sangathan BJP mein nishtha rakhti hun, uski karyakarta hum aur party ki line meri line hai (I have faith in my organisation BJP, am its worker and the party's line is my line."

The comment by Thakur, an accused in the Malegaon blast case, provided fodder to the Opposition Congress to target the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

"Nathuram Godse was a 'deshbhakt', is a 'deshbhakt' and will remain a 'deshbhakt'. People calling him a terrorist should instead look within. Such people will be given a befitting reply in these elections," Thakur has told reporters in Bhopal.

Bhopal: People queue up outside polling stations to cast their votes, Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur casts her vote

She was commenting on the recent remarks of actor and Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) President Kamal Haasan who called Godse the first Hindu terrorist of Independent India. "The first terrorist post-Independence was Nathuram Godse, a Hindu. It started from there. He killed Mahatma Gandhi," Haasan had said.

Unhappy over Thakur's controversial comment, the BJP immediately condemned it.

"We completely disagree with the statement she has made with regard to Mahatma Gandhi and we strongly condemn it. The BJP will ask her why she made such a statement. It would be proper for her to tender a public apology for this objectionable statement," BJP spokesperson G.V.L. Narsimha Rao told reporters at the party headquarters in Delhi.

BJP media cell in-charge for Madhya Pradesh Lokendra Parashar said: "The BJP does not agree with her statement. The party will find out about the circumstances in which she made this statement. One who killed Mahatma Gandhi can't be a patriot."

Slamming the BJP for Thakur's comment, Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala called it an "insult to the country" and said "India's soul is under attack from the successors of Nathuram Godse, the BJP ruling dispensation."

He said the "BJP leaders are describing the murderer of the Father of the Nation as a true nationalist. This is an insult to the country and an attack on Gandhi's ideology."

Senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh, who is pitted against Thakur in Bhopal, termed her comment as "sedition" and demanded an apology from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP President Amit Shah.

Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, in a tweet, asked: "If the killer of the father of the nation is a patriot does that make Gandhi an anti-national?"

It is not the first controversy that Thakur has been embroiled in. She had earlier said that Maharashtra ATS officer Hemant Karkare, who had interrogated her in the Malegaon case and was later killed during the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, had died due to her "curse."

Thakur had also said that she was happy for her role in the demolition of the Babri Masjid. Her comments had earned her a 72-hour-long ban on campaigning ahead of polling for the Bhopal Lok Sabha seat on May 12.

Following this, the BJP had to keep restraining her and insulate her from direct media interactions.

-- With inputs from IANS
Kannur : , May 16 (IANS) Twelve years after the brutal murder of a CPI(M) activist, a court near here sentenced seven BJP/RSS workers for life.

P. Pavithran, a CPI-M activist, who worked as a labourer, was attacked on November 6, 2007, when he was going out to buy milk early in the morning.

The incident occurred near his house at Ponniam near here and the deceased's son Vipin was a witness to the crime. While trying to escape from the attackers, a group of men stabbed Pavithran to death.

He died four days after he was admitted to a hospital.

The Thalassery Additional District Sessions Court judge P.N. Vinod on Wednesday, besides handing over a life term for the seven accused, also slapped a fine of Rs one lakh each on all the accused.

The accused include A. Prashanth, A.P. Vineesh, Lyju, Muthu, Anilkumar, Vijilesh and Mahesh.
Kharar : , May 16 (IANS) Upping the ante against the Akalis led by Sukhbir Badal two days before polling, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Thursday said the SAD President's remarks that the families of the perpetrators of the sacrilege cases would be destroyed would turn on the Badal family.

"They were the ones behind the desecrations and Sukhbir's own family would suffer the consequences," he said towards the culmination of his high-pitch campaign for the Lok Sabha elections.

"If the Akalis had not been involved, why did they go to Sri Darbar Sahib to apologise and do 'kar seva'?" he asked.

He was addressing a public rally in favour of his wife and Congress candidate from Patiala, Preneet Kaur, after campaigning for the party's Anandpur Sahib candidate Manish Tewari in Kharar.

Lashing out at the Badals for their attempts to divide the people on communal lines and for misusing and insulting the Akal Takht, the highest temporal seat of the Sikhs, to further their political interests, Amarinder Singh said the Bargari and other incidents of sacrilege were among the long list of their "sins", and that they would have to pay for it.

The Chief Minister also hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for playing the divisive card in a desperate bid to stay on in power at the cost of the nation's secular character. "What Modi is preaching is not nationalism", he said, asserting that nationalism "is all about security for all all, including the minorities".

"Who is Modi to teach nationalism to us, Punjabis? Punjab has sacrificed the most for the country's freedom, and thereafter," said Amarinder Singh, citing the martyrdom of Shaheed Bhagat Singh, Shaheed Udham Singh, Sukhdev and and the tens of thousands of other soldiers who died anonymously, many of them in Kala Paani, where they were thrown by the British.

"Had Modi focused on industrialisation and employment generation, instead of divisiveness, the national economy would not have been in such a pathetic state today", said the Chief Minister, asserting that only the Congress could defeat Modi and his divisive agenda. The future of India and its people was at stake, he warned.
Mumbai, May 16 : The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has detained four people from Jammu and Kashmir in the state's Latur town for suspected links with militant organisations in Jammu and Kashmir, official sources said here on Thursday.

Following a tip-off, an ATS team from adjoining Nanded district rushed to Latur on Wednesday and detained the four men who were reported to be moving around in a suspicious manner.

However, on interrogation, two of them claimed that they collecting religious donations.

The ATS has identified them as Abdul Razaq, Shabbir Ahmed (both aged 25), Salil Ahmed, and Iftiaz Ahmed, 35 - who arrived in Nanded from Jammu and Kashmir by train a couple of days back.

Hailing from Poonch, they proceeded by road from Nanded to Latur which has a sizeable number of Muslims, who are currently observing Ramadan, the holy month of fasting.

The ATS sleuths have seized their mobile phones and examining their call records to ascertain if they harbour any links with any known militant organisations in their home state.
Rome, May 16 : Italian Premier Giuseppe Conte had a lengthy meeting with Libya's eastern warlord Khalifa Haftar on Thursday and told him of Italy's "concern" at the "extremely critical" situation in war-wracked Tripoli.

"We had a long meeting during the course of which I asked for an update and conveyed Italy's concern at the highly critical situation (in Libya).

"We urge a ceasefire and are confident that we can find the path to a political solution (of the conflict)," Conte told reporters after the meeting.

The fighting in Tripoli began when Haftar's militia began an assault on April 5 and met with resistance from forces loyal to the beleaguered UN-backed government. The warfare has killed at least 454 people, injured at least 2,154 and displaced some 60,000, the UN said in its most recent update six days ago.
Rome, May 16 : The Italian upper house of parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee chair on Thursday deplored an unauthorised police raid on the Venezuelan embassy in Washington DC and the arrest of four pro-government activists.

"I learn with great bitterness of the raid by the US police at the Venezuelan embassy in Washington," Vito Petrocelli, from the ruling populist 5 Star Movement, said in a statement.

"This is a serious breach of the Vienna Convention and an act that hampers the path of dialogue and peace to which the Italian government is committed," he added.

The deep crisis gripping Venezuela can only be resolved through respect for international law and the United Nations charter if the Latin American country is to avoid the fate of Libya and Syria, Petrocelli said in the statement.

"We need dialogue and mediation, not displays of force that are in clear violation of international law."

Venezuela had not authorized US authorities to enter the embassy building, Vice-Minister for North American Relations, Carlos Ron, wrote on Twitter. Under the 1961 Vienna Convention, embassies are considered sovereign territory of the government they represent, making the action a violation of international law.

US police used a battering ram to get into the embassy, media reports said.

The alleged raid occurred the same day that high-level talks between Venezuela's socialist government and the opposition took place in Norway, Jorge Valero, Venezuela's Ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva said.
Alwar, May 16 : Congress President Rahul Gandhi, here on Thursday, said he would not meet a six-year-old rape victim, in a village near here, as it was "not part of his programme".

Gandhi was at Thanagaazi in Alwar to meet the victim of last month's gangrape. After meeting the victim, he spoke about providing justice to her. He also called a press conference away from the victim's residence.

On being asked if he would also be visiting the six-year-old rape victim in a nearby village, Gandhi said, "It doesn't come under my programme. I would have gone, but, unfortunately, have a meeting in Bihar and I can't delay that."

Earlier, Gandhi had said it was not a political but an emotional issue for him.

Alwar hit the headlines last week with three rape cases were reported within 72 hours.
Mumbai, May 16 : Essar Steel creditors on Thursday informed the NCLAT that the Rs 2,500 crore of the Rs 42,000 crore coming from the resolution plan of Arcelor Mittal has been marked as working capital of the debt-laden company.

Earlier in an argument on behalf of the Standard Chartered Bank, senior advocate Kapil Sibal had challenged the acceptance of Rs 39,500 crore bid amount by the Committee of Creditors (CoC) of bankrupt Essar Steel.

The amount was contrary to the ArcelorMittal undertaking given to Supreme Court of Rs 42,000 crore for buying Essar Steel, he added.

Advocate Gopal Subramanium, representing the CoC, however, informed the appellate tribunal that the actual upfront amount is Rs 39,500 crore and the rest Rs 2,500 crore has been committed as working capital for Essar Steel.
LONDON, May 16, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Auth0 , a global leader in Identity-as-a-Service (IDaaS), today announced that one of its valued customers, The Economist Group, has won the 2019 European Identity & Cloud Award in the inaugural Best Identity Platform Project category.

The prestigious award from global analyst firm KuppingerCole Analysts AG recognises outstanding identity management and cloud computing projects. The Economist was selected by KuppingerCole analysts for their deployment of Auth0 to provide secure, one-click login across their online platforms, and better understand the relationship between their users and the publication.



Andrew Williams, chief digital officer at The Economist said, It is an enormous honour to have been given this award. Identity management is a major step on our journey to ensure that our digital solutions match the excellence of our journalism, hence to have our achievements recognised in this way is a great validation that we are on the correct course.



The Economist have traditionally hand-crafted and built all their digital services themselves. Upon recognising the need to outsource identity management and focus on innovation, they choose Auth0. Using Auth0s Universal Identity Platform, The Economist supports up to two million active consumers, and will soon extend the same, seamless access to universities, corporations, and nonprofits that offer subscriptions to the publication as part of their benefits packages.



The Economist took a leap of faith in asking Auth0 for help, at a time when media companies were under immense pressure to do things differently. That risk has paid off, said Steven Rees-Pullman, GM of EMEA at Auth0. The Economist is not only surviving in the digital world, but has leapfrogged the competition. We are proud to support them in making the transition from print to digital easier for their readers worldwide and congratulate them on this honour.



Winners were celebrated at an award ceremony on Wednesday, May 15, 2019 during the European Identity & Cloud Conference (EIC) in Munich, Germany. See the full list of winners here .



About The Economist Group

The Economist Group is built on high-quality, independent analysis which runs through all of its businesses. Based in London and serving a global readership and client base, the group publishes print and digital products, produces global events, and offers a range of subscription and other services for clients and readers. Its flagship businesses include The Economist newspaper, and research and analysis division The Economist Intelligence Unit.



About Auth0

Auth0, a global leader in Identity-as-a-Service (IDaaS), provides thousands of enterprise customers with a Universal Identity Platform for their web, mobile, IoT, and internal applications. Its extensible platform seamlessly authenticates and secures more than 2.5B logins per month, making it loved by developers and trusted by global enterprises. The company's U.S. headquarters in Bellevue, WA, and additional offices in Buenos Aires, London, Tokyo, and Sydney, support its customers that are located in 70+ countries.



For more information, visit https://auth0.com or follow @auth0 on Twitter .

Media Contacts:

Mark Fowler

Racepoint Global for Auth0, EMEA

auth0@racepointglobal.com

+44 (0) 77 1124 4113

Lauren Hackett

The Economist Group

laurenhackett@economist.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/1d97bd56-a786-4e33-a1b2-ec180136184a
New York, May 16 : Superstar Shah Rukh Khan on Thursday paid a visit to veteran actor Rishi Kapoor, who is undergoing medical treatment here since last year.

Rishi's wife and actresss Neetu Kapoor took to Instagram to share a photograph of the couple's meeting with the "Zero" actor.

"To make people feel good about themselves is a rare quality. Shah Rukh is all of that his love care is so genuine. Besides his work, I admire him as a good and a real human being," Neetu wrote along with the image in which SRK is seen posing with the Kapoors.

As Rishi has been in New York for several months for the treatment, Shah Rukh, along with his wife Gauri and daughter Suhana, met Rishi in November last year too.

Shah Rukh is currently in the city to make his appearance on David Letterman's popular talk show "My Next Guest Needs No Introduction".
Rome, May 16 : There must be a ceasefire in the deadly battle for Tripoli and a return to dialogue to prevent a "humanitarian crisis" in Libya and to safeguard its people, Italy's Premier Giuseppe Conte said in a statement on Thursday after meeting eastern Libyan warlord Khalifa Haftar here.

In his talks with Haftar, Conte "reiterated the need to reach a truce as soon as possible to prevent a humanitarian crisis in Libya and to protect its people who face difficult conditions," said the statement.

Conte told Haftar that "Libya can only achieve stability through an inclusive political process," it underlined.

Conte has also had "numerous" meetings with other Libyan players, with its main parters and with the United Nations as part of diplomatic efforts to stop "the worrying deterioration" of the situation in Libya, the statement said.

A military escalation in Tripoli began when Haftar's self-styled Libyan National Army launched an assault on the capital on April 5 that met with resistance from forces loyal to the beleaguered UN-backed government.

The warfare, including airstrikes and shelling, has killed at least 454 people, injured at least 2,154 and displaced some 60,000, the UN said in its most recent update six days ago.

Some 3,000 migrants are trapped in dire conditions in detention centres in Tripoli, close to the fighting, according to the UN.
Dum Dum : , May 17 (IANS) Slamming West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for questioning the role of the Election Commission, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said she would not have been the CM if the poll panel had not ensured free and fair elections by deploying Central forces.

"Didi, now you are using abusive words for Election Commission, election process and the Central forces. But why are you forgetting that the Left Front (government) had also made you to face a similar situation?

"Country's constitutional bodies had only ensured fair elections in Bengal. Had these constitutional bodies not been there, and enough central forces had not been deployed, today you would not have been the Chief Minister of Bengal," Modi said at his last public meeting in Bengal ahead of the last phase of Lok Sabha polls to be held on May 19.

Banerjee on Wednesday had alleged the Election Commission's decisions to curtail election campaigning and remove two senior officers were taken on the direction of the BJP, its President Amit Shah and Prime Minister Modi.

She had also claimed that RSS-backed functionaries had been inducted into the Election Commission.

The crowd at the Dum Dum Central Jail ground where former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had also addressed a public meeting over 20 years back, welcomed Modi by turning on their mobile flashlights and waving their phones, besides giving a huge rounds of applause.

Defying the hot and sultry weather, men, women of various age groups gathered at the ground to get a glimpse of the Prime Minister.

People from adjacent parliamentary constituencies travelled in buses and four-wheelers to reach the venue and hear Modi's last speech in West Bengal in this election.

"We are here for over three-four hours as this is our chowkidar's last speech here. We want change in the state," said a woman wearing a Modi-mask.

Women present along with their children in their arms and the paraphernalia like Modi masks, flags and banners made the gathering a riot of colours.

There was "no phase of the ongoing general election or any other election which has been completed without violence in West Bengal", Modi said, adding that this Lok Sabha polls would be remembered for Didi's attitude towards the Constitution and democracy.

During the elections and run-up to the polls, many BJP workers and candidates were attacked, and their houses burnt down, he said.

"There is no place for such behaviour in a democracy. But Didi is bent on destroying all aspects of democracy. This is the result of Didi's arrogance. She is making a mistake of considering the state her personal property," Modi said.

He also said, "Friends, even in Jammu and Kashmir, where the danger of terrorism looms day and night, the local panchayat election and general election have been completed peacefully."

In a veiled attack on Banerjee, Modi said the dignity of the country is "higher" than "didi's arrogance".

"Everyone has the responsibility to save our democracy. You are aware of the fact that you are going to lose your power. Didi, you admit this truth and leave the path of violence."

Drawing a huge round of applause, Modi said, "Didi is not the supreme, but the people of Bengal are. You have the freedom to dream for the Prime Minister's seat. Didi'd abusive words against the Army, security forces and constitutional bodies have put a question mark on her trustworthiness. The country will not tolerate arrogance."

"If you open the blindfold of pride and vote bank from your eyes, you will also see a prosperous India."

Modi assured he would pay back the "love" received from Bengal despite all the hindrances, with "interest by undertaking development works" across districts in the eastern state.

He asked saffron supporters to "stop proxy voting" and reply to "didi's bullet" by casting "your own votes".
Mathurapur : , May 17 (IANS) Two days after the statue of Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar in Kolkata was vandalised during BJP President Amit Shah's roadshow in the city, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday accused the Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal government of destroying evidence of the incident.

"Trinamool miscreants vandalised eminent scholar Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar's statue that was locked inside a room (in the college named after the social reformer). There are CCTV cameras in that college. The way, the (state) government had destroyed evidence of the Narada and Saradha (scams), they are busy erasing the evidence in this case," Modi said while addressing a rally here.

Demanding a thorough probe into the vandalism incident, he said: "Friends, Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar ji was the son of the entire nation, not just Bengal. The people who have desecrated his bust have committed a grave sin. All the desecrators must be given severe punishment."

Beginning with Swami Vivekananda to Shyama Prasad Mukherjee, Bengal's culture has made "immense contribution in framing BJP's thought process," Modi said, adding that "safeguarding the state's pride is our party's priority."

"Today, wherever Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar ji is, he might be seeing which party is fighting to safeguard Bengal's pride and which party is fighting for the infiltrators."

Modi said people would educate Mamata Banerjee about democracy while showering their blessings on the BJP.

He expressed joy as he was greeted by "thrice the number of people present on the ground" while coming to the venue from his helipad in Mathurapur.

"So many people were waiting on both sides of the road, I had come out of the car and did a roadshow for them. I express heartfelt gratitude for all the love," he said at the rally.

"Thank you Mathurapur for the immense love and affection. These scenes clearly show the bond of Bengal with BJP," Modi posted on Twitter.

Spectators were seen waiving party flags and shouting "Bharat mata ki jai".

Modi had to stop his speeches twice and urge the crowd to stay calm.

Stopping in between his speech he alerted the public saying, "this place is very small, please don't rush. You have given me immense love. Any of your loss is my loss."

He alleged that "Didi", as Banerjee is also known, is considering "West Bengal as her and her nephew's property."

"These facts are known to the entire nation," he said.

"This time the people of Bengal are going to fulfil an important responsibility, which will enable their 'sevak' (servant) to form a strong government. They are determined to help BJP in attaining the mark of 300 seats," he added.
Mathurapur : , May 17 (IANS) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's election rally in Bengal's Mathurapur constituency was held at a ground which belongs to the owner of an illegal microfinance company.

Taking a swipe at Modi for repeatedly accusing her and her party leaders of being involved in Saradha and Rose Valley chit fund scam, the Trinamool Congress supremo urged the police to immediately start a case against that "chit fund owner".

"The ground where PM Modi is holding his rally today belongs to Kapil Mondal, the owner of a microfinance company without license. Go and check. And he (Modi) talks about chit fund scams?" Banerjee said during her meeting at the same parliamentary constituency.

"I have got all the documents. It has come to our knowledge just yesterday (Wednesday) that the person has collected crores of rupees from people in the name of his company and illegally bought lands here. I will hand over all the documents to the local police here so that a case could be immediately started against the chit fund owner," she said.

She also wondered whether the BJP is getting a share of the money collected by the microfinance company owner.

"Is he giving a share of the money to BJP? Maybe they are. Where is Narendra Modi? You talk about Narada (sting footage case), Saradha. But this is how you people start such scams," she said with a hint of sarcasm in her voice.

The owner of the land, however, refuted Banerjee's allegations and said his company has been given a clean chit by central regulatory authorities like the Reserve Bank of India and the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI).

"The SEBI and RBI has checked everything here and given me a clean chit. Maybe she is claiming it to be illegal because she could not hold the rally on this ground. Had I permitted her to hold a meeting here, everything would have become legal," Mondal said.
London, May 17 : Gucci is facing backlash for selling several pricey designer turbans, with people accusing the luxury fashion brand of cultural appropriation.

One turban in particular, a $790 royal blue piece from the brand's Fall 2018 collection called 'Indy Full Turban', has caught the attention of Twitter users both for its high price and the fact that it even exists at all.

On Thursday morning, Nordstrom announced that it was pulling the turban from its website and stores, and apologised to those who were offended, reports dailymail.co.uk.

The turban in question -- and several other versions of it in different colours -- actually debuted on the runway in February 2018. They certainly earned some negative attention at the time, but it doesn't seem to have made an impact on the design house's production decisions.

But now members of the Sikh community have zeroed in once again on the turbans after Twitter users posted screenshots of its available on Nordstrom's website.

"The turban is not just an accessory to monetise; it's a religious article of faith that millions of Sikhs view as sacred," wrote the Sikh Coalition, adding "Many find this cultural appropriation inappropriate, since those wearing the turban just for fashion will not appreciate its deep religious significance".

"I would be into this if it was a way to encourage diversity and access non-western clothing (I know guys who wear pre-wrapped turbans so this would be cool for them) but the marketing around this shows otherwise. This is a cash grab, and it's gross," wrote another.

Sikh restaurateur, influencer and philanthropist Harjinder Singh Kukreja, who boasts more than 1.5 million followers on Twitter, explained why he and others were so upset by the item.

"Dear Gucci, the Sikh Turban is not a hot new accessory for white models but an article of faith for practising Sikhs. Your models have used Turbans as 'hats' whereas practising Sikhs tie them neatly fold-by-fold. Using fake Sikhs/Turbans is worse than selling fake Gucci products."

"This is beyond aggravating," said another.

"Did someone at Gucci even bother to figure out what a dastaar (turban) means to Sikhs? Did it cross your minds to consider the history behind our identity? My people are discriminated against, even killed, for wearing a turban," one wrote.

"Seriously Nordstrom, Gucci?" asked yet another. "The turban is one of the most important and symbolic articles of faith for Sikhs, and you're selling it as a fashion accessory to make money? This isn't the first time you've come under fire for cultural appropriation. Do better."

While Gucci has yet to comment on the controversy, Nordstrom tweeted an apology and announcing that it would no longer sell the turban.

"We have decided to stop carrying this product and have removed it from the site. It was never our intent to disrespect this religious and cultural symbol. We sincerely apologise to anyone who may have been offended by this," they wrote.
Four Australian capital cities rank in the top 23 cities around the world for luxury residential price growth, according to the latest global research from Knight Frank.

The Knight Frank Prime Global Cities Index  Q1 2019, revealed Brisbane was ranked 14 for luxury price growth, followed by Sydney (18), Melbourne (22) and Perth (23).

Overall the index increased by 1.3% in the year to Q1 2019, its lowest average annual rate of growth since Q4 2009, and down from 1.8% in the previous quarter.

Knight Franks Head of Residential Research Australia Michelle Ciesielski said although it was still rising, prime global residential price growth had continued to moderate due to political and economic headwinds, the rising cost of finance and more property market regulations around the world.

The Australian luxury market continues to perform well, with Sydney, Melbourne, Perth and Brisbane all recording growth in luxury residential prices higher than the overall average of 1.3% in the 12 months leading up to the end of March this year."

Despite a recent cooling of the market in Sydney and Melbourne, these markets recorded yearly price growth of 2.4% and 1.8% respectively, while Brisbane recorded year-on-year growth of 3.2% and Perth recorded growth of 1.8%.

Ms Ciesielski added, Australias luxury residential markets were expected to continue to perform well going forward, particularly Sydney and Melbourne, where the number of high-net-worth individuals  those with a net worth of more than US$1 million, excluding their primary residence  was expected to grow by 21% from 2018 to 2023 to reach a total of 116,049 in Sydney and 68,888 in Melbourne.

Over the past five years four millionaires were created every day in Sydney, she said. This is expected to rise to 11 millionaires per day over the next five years."

In Melbourne, we saw three millionaires created per day over the same period, with projections it will rise to seven millionaires a day over the next five years."

Perths millionaire numbers are expected to double from two per day over the past five years to four per day over the next five years, while for Brisbane the figures will triple from one to three millionaires being created every day over the same timeframe," Ms Ciesielski concluded.

Knight Frank Partner & Head of Residential Australia Sarah Harding said, Not only will there be more people with more money to buy luxury residential property in Australia, but we have found the majority of buyers in the prestige market across the country are not under the same pressures experienced by those in the mainstream market of minimal wage growth and restrictions on finance from the banks.

Sydney is continuing to see positive growth in the prestige market, with limited luxury properties suitable for high-end buyers."

Theyre looking not only for superb quality finishes, but smart technology and high levels of privacy within their luxury residences."

With competition for limited stock, we expect to see positive price growth for luxury homes, albeit at a more sustainable pace than in previous years, Ms Harding concluded.

European cities accounted for seven of the top 10 rankings for annual growth.

Berlin was the top ranked city, with 14.1% annual growth, while Moscow placed second with 12% growth.
Gavin Rubinstein is whispered to be heading to Woollahra where he will still operate under the Ray White network.

He is destined for Queen Street, Woollahra, the upmarket district where Randall Kemp has fronted the national brand from Moncur Street.

Kemp and Rubinstein are suppose to work collaboratively, as Rubinstein seeks listings in Bellevue Hill, Rose Bay, Vaucluse, Dover Heights, Double Bay and Bondi.

Rubinstein, along with his current five members of The Rubinstein Group, has been with Ray White Double Bay for more than a decade.

His only recent social media tweet has been: Dont follow the path. Blaze the trail.

It is understood he will own the agency business.

There have been recently denied suggestions that the White family Ray White head office was "mortified" at the prospect of losing Rubinstein from the group where he has been the top seller for the past six years.

Gavin Rubinstein's departure from Ray White Double Bay was announced by Ray White Double Bays managing director, Elliott Placks late last month.

We have enjoyed watching Gavin and his team grow and develop over the years. Our business is like family, and sometimes you have to let them go to grow, Mr Placks said. Rubinstein, 31, celebrated 10 years in the real estate industry in 2017, and was just nine months short of 10 years with Ray White Double Bay. Rubinstein ranked as the number one residential salesperson in all of Australia for Ray White in the past six years. Placks described the departure as simply a parting of ways having briefly initially been reported as describing it as a divorce.
With all April's interruptions, Ray White offices recorded $3.2 billion in sales, some 14% down on April 2018.

It was a bigger drop than March when there were $3.75 billion in sales  down 11% on the prior March.

NSW was down from around $960 million in April last year to $806 million this April.

But the bigger drop was in Victoria from around $587 million to $406 million last month.

In NZ, total sales fell around $30 million to $758 million.

Tasmania was up slightly to $13 million.

With $664 million sales, Queensland was off only marginally, just 2% on last year which helped cushion the larger declines in other states, Ray White board director Dan White noted.

"Looking back on April, it was a tough month and we are actually glad its now behind us given all the public holidays, school holidays and the federal election campaign getting underway," White said.

White noted the Queensland CEO Tony Warland detecting from far north Queensland to the southern border that "there was a definite sign of a stronger real estate economy".

He said everyone in Townsville had a very positive belief of recovery after the floods, and life is returning to normality there.

"The Central Coast is steady and enjoying the prospects of improvement, while the Sunshine Coast is actually going gangbusters with our Kawana office recording three PBs in a row," White said.

"The whole Sunshine Coast has the lifestyle that the market is looking for while the Gold Coast is enjoying a strong economy in real estate transactions compared to the rest of the country.

"In Brisbane, many of our vendors are putting up high quality properties for high quality returns.

"So while theres a lot of stock in many other markets, theres no reports of stock in abundance in Brisbane but days on market are still being tested.

White also noted the group had a solid month across the group with some 1200 auctions conducted, with almost 40,000 people attending auctions across Australia and New Zealand.

Average bidders slipped back to 2.5 people per auction.

In May last year Ray White sold more than $4.1 billion of property across Australasia, which was 6% shy of May 2017.
2019 CX Innovation Award winners Stuart Gilcrest (center left) from Hertz and Chelsea Lee (center right) from SnackNation display the awards presented in Salt Lake City, May 15. Innovation is at the core of what we do as CX professionals and these awards provide a few select examples of how innovation advances our profession, - Bob Azman, CCXP, CXPA Board Chair.

The Customer Experience Professionals Association (CXPA) announced Hertz, ICW Group Insurance Companies, SnackNation, Telefonica Brasil and Vizolution as 2019 CX Innovation Award winners to over 300 customer experience professionals during a special ceremony at the annual Insight Exchange conference, May 15.

In its eighth year this award recognizes new and innovative practices that improve customer experience, result in strong business impact and advance the field of customer experience for other organizations.

Innovation is at the core of what we do as CX professionals and these awards provide a few select examples of how innovation advances our profession, said Bob Azman, CCXP, CXPA Board Chair.

This years CX Innovation Award finalists are:



Dialog Axiata PLC: Rule-based Model for Automating Front-line FCR Logs

Dorel Juvenile: Keeping Our Future Safe in the Now Generation

Flipkart Internet Private Limited: Data-driven Proactive and Predictive Customer Care

Hertz: Hertz Fast Lane Powered By CLEAR (winner)

Hughes Network Systems: CXnow! - A customer experience employee idea program

ICW Group Insurance Companies: Gaining Competitive Advantage with New Service Offering (winner)

Kronos Incorporated: Kronos Community

Prologis: Staying Ahead of What's Next by Turning Customer Insights into Action

Reliant: Hey Google, Ask Reliant!

SnackNation: SnackNation RetEngineering (Customer Retention Engineering) (winner)

Telefonica Brasil: Bots Training Center (winner)

Turkiye Is Bankas A.S.: The Interrelation Between Customer and Employee Experience

USA TODAY NETWORK | Gannett: Driving Customer Engagement and Retention through USA TODAY NETWORKs Lifecycle Communications Program

Vizolution: Launching the UK's first ever mortgage application journey (winner)

VMware, Inc.: Maverick - aligning technology roadmaps with needs to drive higher customer satisfaction

Customer experience professionals from around the world gathered together in Salt Lake City for the CXPAs unique Insight Exchange event planned and run by members for members. The event features small group learning and networking with best practices and tools shared by over 100 attendees.

The conversations at this years Insight Exchange are amazing, demonstrating how CX professionals are driving success and growth for their organizations through client-centric practices, said Greg Melia, CAE, CXPA Chief Executive Officer. Congratulations to all of the Innovation Awards winners who exemplify CX excellence.

About the CXPA

The Customer Experience Professionals Association is a global non-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of customer experience professionals and organizational best practices. It provides customer experience professionals with educational and networking opportunities to help them succeed and facilitates the industry-wide advancement of the discipline of customer experience through the globally recognized Certified Customer Experience Professional (CCXP). The CXPA is sponsored by the following organizations: Gold Global Sponsor - Confirmit; Silver Global Sponsors - Concentrix, InMoment, Medallia, and Quadient; Bronze Global Sponsors - Bond Brand Loyalty, CallMiner, Centriam, Cyara, Ipsos, Kantar, and Verint. For more information, visit http://www.cxpa.org.

Customer Experience Professionals Association, CXPA, and the CXPA logo are trademarks of the Customer Experience Professionals Association.

All other company names mentioned may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.
HOUSTON, May 16, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Orion Group Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: ORN) (the "Company") a leading specialty construction company, today announced a contract award of approximately $13 million.



The Companys concrete segment, TAS Commercial Concrete Construction (TAS), was recently awarded a contract for a 745,000 square foot residential tower in Houston, Texas. TAS is performing the concrete foundation work and topping slabs as well as providing cast-in-place concrete for the multi-level building, which recently commenced construction and is due to be completed in the first quarter of 2020.

This project represents another significant structural opportunity for TAS and further establishes us as the leader in delivery of all types of concrete construction in the Texas market, said Mark Stauffer, Orions President and Chief Executive Officer.

About Orion Group Holdings

Orion Group Holdings, Inc., a leading specialty construction company, provides services in the Infrastructure, Industrial, and Building sectors through its marine construction segment and its concrete construction in the continental United States, Alaska, Canada and the Caribbean Basin. The Companys marine construction segment services includes marine transportation facility construction, marine pipeline construction, marine environmental structures, dredging of waterways, channels and ports, environmental dredging, design, and specialty services. Its commercial concrete segment provides turnkey concrete construction services including pour and finish, dirt work, layout, forming, rebar, and mesh across the light commercial, structural and other associated business areas. The Company is headquartered in Houston, Texas with regional offices throughout its operating areas.

Forward-Looking Statements

The matters discussed in this press release may constitute or include projections or other forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, the provisions of which the Company is availing itself. Certain forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology, such as 'believes', 'expects', 'may', 'will', 'could', 'should', 'seeks', 'approximately', 'intends', 'plans', 'estimates', or 'anticipates', or the negative thereof or other comparable terminology, or by discussions of strategy, plans, objectives, intentions, estimates, forecasts, outlook, assumptions, or goals. In particular, statements regarding future operations or results, including those set forth in this press release and any other statement, express or implied, concerning future operating results or the future generation of or ability to generate revenues, income, net income, profit, EBITDA, EBITDA margin, or cash flow, including to service debt, and including any estimates, forecasts or assumptions regarding future revenues or revenue growth, are forward-looking statements. Forward looking statements also include estimated project start date, anticipated revenues, and contract options which may or may not be awarded in the future. Forward looking statements involve risks, including those associated with the Company's fixed price contracts that impacts profits, unforeseen productivity delays that may alter the final profitability of the contract, cancellation of the contract by the customer for unforeseen reasons, delays or decreases in funding by the customer, levels and predictability of government funding or other governmental budgetary constraints and any potential contract options which may or may not be awarded in the future, and are the sole discretion of award by the customer. Past performance is not necessarily an indicator of future results. In light of these and other uncertainties, the inclusion of forward-looking statements in this press release should not be regarded as a representation by the Company that the Company's plans, estimates, forecasts, goals, intentions, or objectives will be achieved or realized. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. The Company assumes no obligation to update information contained in this press release whether as a result of new developments or otherwise.

Please refer to the Companys Annual Report on Form 10-K, filed on March 27, 2019, which is available on its website at www.oriongroupholdingsinc.com or at the SECs website at www.sec.gov , for additional and more detailed discussion of risk factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from our current expectations, estimates or forecasts.

Orion Group Holdings Inc.

Shane Martin, Investor Relations Manager (972) 850-2001
Actuate Therapeutics, Inc., a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company, today announced it has raised $21.7 Million in a Series B financing round. The Series B is led by Kairos Ventures, with DEFTA Partners, Tech Coast Angels, and existing investors, Bios Partners, participating.

Actuate will use the proceeds of the financing to expand the companys ongoing Phase 1 / 2 clinical trial and fund development programs. We are quickly advancing the 1801 clinical trial of 9-ING-41 in adult cancer patients in the US. The financing allows us to expand the 1801 clinical trial out to our world-leading oncology research institution network in the US and Europe; to initiate Investigator Initiated Trials being developed with our physician/scientist collaborators; and to advance our pediatric neuroblastoma program said Daniel Schmitt, President & CEO of Actuate.

Earlier this year at Brown University/Rhode Island Hospital, the first patient was treated in the Actuate 1801: Phase 1/2 Study of 9-ING-41, a Glycogen Synthase Kinase-3 Beta (GSK-3) Inhibitor, as a Single Agent and Combined with Chemotherapy, in Patients with Refractory Hematologic Malignancies or Solid Tumors (https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/study/NCT03678883).

The 1801 study is now actively recruiting patients at the following institutions:



Brown University Rhode Island Hospital - Providence, RI

UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center - San Francisco, CA

Miami Cancer Institute - Miami, FL

Mayo Clinic - Rochester, MN

Sanford Research - Sioux Falls, SD

We continue to have a dynamic and productive collaboration on the 1801 study with global leaders in the oncology field, said Dr. Frank Giles, Actuates Chief Medical Officer. Their appreciation of, and involvement in, the very meticulous design of the study, based on the safest conduct that will facilitate the generation of clear data on 9-ING-41, is reflected in the robust study patient accrual we have experienced to date. Our collaborations with expert colleagues on the development of Investigator Initiated Trials will rapidly expand our knowledge beyond that derived from the 1801 study, and these studies are a high priority for us. We are also focused on using the initial 1801 study data to inform the design of 9-ING-41 regimens for children and adolescents with refractory tumors, with an initial focus on neuroblastoma, where 9-ING-41s pre-clinical activity is noteworthy.

About Kairos Ventures

Kairos Ventures invests early, often during the formative stages of a company, and works closely with the worlds leading scientists to commercialize their technologies. Depending on the stage of development and the capital requirements of each venture, they make investments between $150,000 and $20 Million. While Kairos Ventures is hands-on they also recognize that it is the entrepreneurs sweat, hard work and perseverance that will drive the growth of their companies. They strive to ensure that the founding team, who make the early sacrifices in pursuit of their venture, retain the majority of the ownership in their companies. In addition to providing early-stage capital, Kairos Ventures leverages their expertise and extensive network of professionals specializing in all disciplines required to build a successful company, including legal, finance, marketing, operations, business development and HR. They provide these services to early stage companies in their portfolio to allow the entrepreneurs to focus their energy on continuing to innovate and pushing the envelope in their respective fields.

About Bios Partners

Bios Partners is a venture capital firm focused on investing in early-stage biopharmaceutical and medical device companies. Founded in 2014 and based in Fort Worth, TX, the firm utilizes an experienced team of industry professionals to actively collaborate with its investment portfolio companies and enhance stakeholder value. For more information, please visit http://www.biospartners.com.

About DEFTA Partners

DEFTA Partners is a global venture capital firm founded in 1985, which is headquartered in San Francisco and Tokyo. It invests in early stage, high potential companies that have the capacity to transform the IT and health technologies sectors. Over the past thirty years DEFTA has supported the growth of more than a hundred early stage companies throughout the US, Japan, Israel, the UK, and in emerging countries, with many successful exits. For more information, visit: http://www.deftapartners.com.

About Tech Coast Angels

Tech Coast Angels is the largest angel investor group in the United States. Its members provide funding and guidance to more early-stage, high-growth companies in Southern California than any other investment group. TCA members invest in companies in a wide range of industries, including the life sciences, biotech, IT, services, retail, Internet, financial, software, media, consumer products and tech startups. TCA members give companies more than just capital; they also provide counsel, mentoring and access to an extensive network of potential investors, customers, strategic partners and management talent. TCA has more than 400 members, including its venture capital affiliates, in five networks in Los Angeles, Orange County, San Diego, Central Coast and the Inland Empire. More information on investment with Tech Coast Angels can be found at http://www.techcoastangels.com , http://www.facebook.com/techcoastangels or http://www.twitter.com/techcoastangels.

About Actuate Therapeutics, Inc.

Actuate is a clinical stage pharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of novel therapeutic agents for patients with cancer or inflammatory diseases. For additional information, please visit the Companys website at http://www.actuatetherapeutics.com
AdventHealth We have a proven record of consistently delivering on our promise to have the best health care possible, said Mike Schultz, President and CEO, AdventHealth West Florida Division.

AdventHealth West Florida Division announced today it has earned the highest marks possible for patient safety and quality in Tampa Bay. Today, the prestigious Leapfrog Group, a national nonprofit health care ratings organization, announced its safety ratings for over 2,600 hospitals across the country. Only about a third of those hospitals received an A grade, including seven in AdventHealth West Florida Division. The Safety Grade assigns letter grades of A, B, C, D and F based on how well hospitals protect patients from errors, injuries, accidents and infections.

AdventHealth is committed to elevating the quality of health care in our communities and keeping patients safe when they are in our care, said Mike Schultz, President and CEO, AdventHealth West Florida Division. We have a proven record of consistently delivering on our promise to have the best health care possible.

According to the Leapfrog Safety Group, patients who do not go to A graded hospitals have a greater risk of avoidable death; 35% greater at B hospitals, 88% greater at C hospitals and 92% greater at D and F hospitals.

The 2019 Leapfrog scores for AdventHealth West Florida Division* are:



AdventHealth Carrollwood - 9th consecutive A

AdventHealth Lake Placid - 10th consecutive A

AdventHealth North Pinellas - 12th consecutive A

AdventHealth Sebring  3rd consecutive A

AdventHealth Tampa - 3rd consecutive A

AdventHealth Wesley Chapel - 9th consecutive A

AdventHealth Zephyrhills - 3rd consecutive A

We love caring for our communities and how we do it makes a difference, said Dr. Robin McGuinness, Senior Executive Officer of Patient Outcomes, AdventHealth West Florida Division. Our teams have implemented strategies to improve medical administration safety, reduce infections and enhance our commitment to a culture of safety to make sure we are providing the best care possible to every patient, every time. It wouldnt be possible to achieve this without our leaders, our physicians and our staff who are committed to creating a safe environment for our patients.

Leapfrog Safety grades are announced twice a year. Each year, the group also announces its Top General Hospital awards. In 2018, AdventHealth Carrollwood, AdventHealth Sebring, AdventHealth Wesley Chapel and AdventHealth Zephyrhills were awarded Top General Hospital. Additionally, AdventHealth Wauchula was awarded Top Rural Hospital, and was the only rural hospital in Florida to receive that designation.

AdventHealth voluntarily participates in the Leapfrog assessment and provides full transparency to our hospitals and our data to patient safety experts for review. To see a full list of safety grades, https://www.hospitalsafetygrade.org/your-hospitals-safety-grade/LivesLost.

AdventHealth acquired AdventHealth Dade City on April 1, 2018, and the hospital has not yet participated in the Leapfrog safety assessment. AdventHealth acquired Munroe Regional Medical Center, now AdventHealth Ocala on August 1, 2018, and the hospital received a D in patient safety. AdventHealth has set the standard for high quality care and is committed to elevating health care in the Ocala community.

About AdventHealth West Florida Division (Formerly Florida Hospital)

The West Florida Division of AdventHealth has some of the nations brightest medical minds making lifesaving breakthroughs with surgical pioneers, scientists and researchers using leading edge technology and innovation to deliver our brand of whole-person care. Our network of care includes AdventHealth Carrollwood, AdventHealth Connerton, AdventHealth Dade City, AdventHealth Lake Placid, AdventHealth North Pinellas, AdventHealth Ocala, AdventHealth Sebring, AdventHealth Tampa, AdventHealth Wauchula, AdventHealth Wesley Chapel and AdventHealth Zephyrhills, as well as three freestanding offsite Emergency Rooms including AdventHealth Central Pasco ER, AdventHealth Palm Harbor ER and AdventHealth TimberRidge ER. We are more than hospitals, as we have a robust system of care including specialty acute care, over 200 primary care and specialty employed physicians, Express Care at Walgreens clinics, urgent care centers, wound care, physical therapy and home health care. AdventHealth is a faith-based not-for-profit health care system with a mission of Extending the Healing Ministry of Christ. AdventHealth has hundreds of care sites and nearly 50 hospitals across the United States. For more information about AdventHealth, visit http://www.AdventHealth.com, or Facebook.com/AdventHealth, and for West Florida Division, click here.

About The Leapfrog Group

Founded in 2000 by large employers and other purchasers, The Leapfrog Group is a national nonprofit organization driving a movement for giant leaps forward in the quality and safety of American health care.

The flagship Leapfrog Hospital Survey collects and transparently reports hospital performance, empowering purchasers to find the highest-value care and giving consumers the lifesaving information they need to make informed decisions. The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade, Leapfrogs other main initiative, assigns letter grades to hospitals based on their record of patient safety, helping consumers protect themselves and their families from errors, injuries, accidents, and infections.
Engineering the art of the possible, Ascendum is a global information technology (IT) solutions company that delivers innovative technology-inspired solutions to business-driven challenges. Disruption is the new normal and innovation that works is the norm, said Ascendum VP of Sales Uday Kumar. At Ascendum, we work with clients to push the boundaries of execution and rapidly validate the riskiest assumptions to improve business operations and customer experiences."

Ascendum Solutions, a cutting-edge global digital transformation firm, is a presenting sponsor of the Digital Transformation and Technology Innovation Seminar at the Blackwell Inn and Conference Center in Columbus, Ohio on May 17, 2019. Ascendum Solutions representatives will spotlight the firms leading-edge digital software and data science solutions and discuss new ways enterprise leaders can accelerate disruptive technology innovations at their organizations.

Digital technologies are changing the relationships between businesses and their customers. These new technologies are dramatically improving the economics of business through business process automations (BPAs), while providing exceptional customer service through the power of real-time information and personalized experiences.

The 2019 Digital Transformation and Technology Innovation Seminar will explore how area CIOs and senior technology, digital and innovation executives are driving the change to the digital enterprise and a culture of innovation at their organizations. Summit discussion topics include:



The new IT delivery model

The building blocks that need to be in place to allow for growth and scale

How area companies are launching and growing their innovation programs

Ways to evolve to a more agile, DevOps environment to drive innovation

Aligning data strategies to drive digital transformations

Disruption is the new normal and innovation that works is the norm, said Ascendum VP of Sales Uday Kumar. At Ascendum, we work with clients to push the boundaries of execution and rapidly validate the riskiest assumptions to improve business operations and customer experiences. Digital is the next big wave of value being unlocked and we are at the cutting edge, thanks to our clients.

About Ascendum Solutions

Engineering the art of the possible, Ascendum is a global information technology (IT) solutions company that delivers innovative technology-inspired solutions to business-driven challenges. Ascendum Digitals hands-on team ideates, creates, develops, implements and evolves our clients customer and employee experiences. The firm employs experiential design and design thinking to deliver end-to-end digital solutions, custom built for current infrastructures, and expanding on continuing digitization and transformation possibilities. Ascendums talented team of technology strategists, designers, developers and data engineers accelerate enterprise digital innovations to align brands with stakeholder needs to exceed business goals.

Ascendum is MBE certified, ranked the 4th largest IT Consulting Firm 2018 in Cincinnati by the Business Courier, and part of the Vora Ventures portfolio of companies. Ascendum is experiencing rapid growth and hiring numerous developer and data engineering rolesvisit Ascendums LinkedIn Careers Page for current job openings and descriptions. For more company information, visit http://www.Ascendum.com.
Establishing a standard for counting therapeutic adult tissue stem cells will help stem cell medicine work better.

In a FDA-contracted Standard Coordinating Body Workshop held at the National Institute of Standards and Technology in Rockville, Maryland, March 18-19 of this year, Asymmetrex founder and director James L. Sherley, M.D., Ph.D. predicted a sea change in thinking on the feasibility of standards for counting therapeutic adult tissue stem cells. Many of the gathered participants dismissed this idea. Few argued against the importance of having a standard for quantifying the number of stem cells in stem cell treatments, stem cell manufacturing, and drug development. However, many were of the view that establishing a standard was out of the question, because adult tissue stem cell science was not sufficiently mature to support a method for counting its essential principals.

Sherley, one of a few adult tissue stem cell experts in the workshop, argued passionately to the contrary, based on the merits of his companys AlphaSTEM Test, the first reported technology for achieving specific and accurate counting of therapeutic adult tissue stem cells in complex tissue cell preparations. Asymmetrexs participation in the March SCB Workshop led to an invitation from ASTM International staff for the company to present a proposal for an interlaboratory evaluation of its new test at a future ASTM Committee meeting.

The American Society for Testing and Materials International is a 121 year-old organization that was founded and exists to improve and assure the quality of a vast landscape of industrial manufactured products. ASTM accomplishes this service to humanity by developing worldwide consensus standards for industrial testing and industrial materials. Though founded on standards for factory operations and building materials, its purview now extends well beyond to medical procedures and human tissue cell quality.

Interlaboratory evaluations are an important step on the path to standard certification by ASTM. Asymmetrex gave an initial presentation of its tissue stem cell counting standard concept at an ASTM International Committee Meeting in Washington, D.C. in November 2018. An interlaboratory evaluation was recommended at that time. In todays proposal presentation, the company will present test property data from its three current cell culture contractor sites, Toxikon Corporation in Massachusetts, Drik in Oklahoma, and the MTECH-BAF in Maryland. The contractor data establish the general high quality of the AlphaSTEM Test for determinations of several different therapeutic human adult tissue stem cell types. The proposed interlaboratory study will go further to evaluate similar test properties across five to ten different academic and industrial labs all testing the same source of human tissue stem cells.

Based on the excellent intrinsic test properties observed for Asymmetrexs individual contractors, Sherley is optimistic that the interlaboratory study will be similarly supportive for moving on to the final stages of ASTM standard certification. We want for stem cell medicine what ASTM wants for all industries that serve humanity: Helping our world work better. Establishing a standard for counting therapeutic adult tissue stem cells will help stem cell medicine work better.

About Asymmetrex

Asymmetrex, LLC is a Massachusetts life sciences company with a focus on developing technologies to advance stem cell medicine. Asymmetrexs founder and director, James L. Sherley, M.D., Ph.D. is an internationally recognized expert on the unique properties of adult tissue stem cells. The companys patent portfolio contains biotechnologies that solve the two main technical problems  production and quantification  that have stood in the way of successful commercialization of human adult tissue stem cells for regenerative medicine and drug development. In addition, the portfolio includes novel technologies for isolating cancer stem cells and producing induced pluripotent stem cells for disease research purposes. Asymmetrex markets the first technology for determination of the dose and quality of tissue stem cell preparations (the AlphaSTEM Test) for use in stem cell transplantation therapies and pre-clinical drug evaluations.
Santiago A. Alpizar Esq. Never presume your case will be easier to establish. You must prove with concrete evidence and especially with credible testimony that your life is at risk if theres a possibility of being returned to your country of origin.

The United States admits refugees from more than 60 countries around the world, whether it be people seeking political asylum or those fleeing dangerous environments. However, in 2017, the U.S. resettled fewer refugees than the rest of the world. Furthermore, arriving to America to ingress without a visa has become a national security matter.

United States law does not allow free and/or uninspected admission into the country, said Alpizar. People at the border must expect a zero tolerance policy in law enforcement.

For people seeking refuge in the United States, whether it be from harm or unlawful prosecution in their country of origin or any other reason, Alpizar, who escaped Cuba on a raft in 1994 and came to America, shares the following three tips.

No. 1: Do not try or enter into U.S territory without inspection. Seek legal counsel and representation immediately. People who unlawfully enter may be expressly deported or detained without bond up to the conclusion of his or her case, noted Alpizar. People seeking U.S. protection as a refugee can hire a lawyer or have legal assistance for his or her case.

No. 2: Identify credible fear. Refugees can be interviewed to determine credible fear on whether or not one is returned to their country of origin. According to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, if an individual is in expedited removal proceedings and found to have a credible fear of persecution or torture, they may seek asylum before an immigration judge. To help determine this, bring with you all supporting evidence, stressed Alpizar. This includes your identification card, civil statistic documents and all relevant information of your case for credible fear to return.

No. 3: Be effective and precise in details concerning your particular case. Do not presume U.S. Border Patrol agents know the situation of your country, specifically if you are coming from countries with known totalitarian or undemocratic regimes, concluded Alpizar. Never presume your case will be easier to establish. You must prove with concrete evidence and especially with credible testimony that your life is at risk if theres a possibility of being returned to your country of origin.

About Santiago A. Alpizar, P.A.

In addition to immigration law, Santiago A. Alpizar P.A. focuses on criminal defense, insurance claims and real estate and corporate law. He has been a member of the Florida Bar since 2004 and is also a civil law notary and a public notary. Alpizar is a civic activist and a defender of fundamental rights in his native Cuba. For more information, please call the office at (305) 856-2494, cell phone at (305) 401-9560, or visit https://www.alpizarlawfirm.com/. The law office is located at 2250 SW 3rd Ave., Suite 202, Miami, FL 33129.

For media inquiries, please call the NALA at 805.650.6121, ext. 361.


Ellevates robust variety of resources will provide significant opportunities to our women attorneys at all levels for networking, skills development and thought leadership, and I look forward to our participation in this great organization.

BakerHostetler is pleased to announce an extended partnership with Ellevate Network, the leading womens community focused on advancing women in the workplace and helping companies succeed. Through this partnership, the law firm will extend membership to all women associates and a pilot group of counsel and partners.

Access as an Ellevate Corporate Champion allows BakerHostetlers female attorneys at all levels to build and cultivate strong networks with other ambitious professional women and gain access to Ellevates tools and resources, including webinars, articles and podcasts. The new members can also participate in Ellevates virtual leadership development program, Squads, and build and hone the valuable skills that help support career advancement.

We are thrilled to partner with Ellevate and join its professional community of high-achieving women around the world, said the chair of BakerHostetlers Womens Committee, partner Emily Crosby. Ellevates robust variety of resources will provide significant opportunities to our women attorneys at all levels for networking, skills development and thought leadership, and I look forward to our participation in this great organization.

We are so pleased to establish a partnership with BakerHostetler, said Kristy Wallace, CEO of Ellevate Network. Their ongoing commitment to developing the professional women within the firm is a strong example of a workplace that understands the value of inclusion and advancement of women and the key role that firms can play in boosting womens careers. Were excited to provide BakerHostetlers employees the support of a community of professional women to lean on and learn from.

About Ellevate Network

Ellevate Network is a community of women at work committed to elevating each other through education, inspiration and opportunity. We believe that when ambitious women get more opportunity  to have a voice in important conversations, to have a seat at the table where decisions are made, to steer our collective economic power toward that which we care about  it ultimately benefits everyone and leads to a more equal world. We do this by providing these women with a community to lean on and learn from. Ellevate Network also works with companies committed to gender diversity and has a proven track record of changing business culture from the inside out.

About BakerHostetler

Recognized as one of the top firms for client service, BakerHostetler is a leading national law firm that helps clients around the world address their most complex and critical business and regulatory issues. With five core national practice groups  Business, Labor and Employment, Intellectual Property, Litigation, and Tax  the firm has more than 970 lawyers located in 14 offices coast to coast. BakerHostetler is widely regarded as having one of the countrys top 10 tax practices, a nationally recognized litigation practice, an award-winning data privacy practice and an industry-leading business practice. The firm is also recognized internationally for its groundbreaking work recovering more than $13 billion in the Madoff Recovery Initiative by representing the SIPA Trustee for the liquidation of Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities LLC. Visit bakerlaw.com.
We firmly believe that when we know better, we do better, and this release allows us to provide customers with access to the information that can be used to improve outcomes for the firm

Bellefield Systems, the providers of the fastest path to revenue through its time entry and compliance solutions, rolls out new versions of both iTimekeep and OCG Live. The new releases include features to help firms make better decisions, take action and improve behaviors and habits in order to preserve the health and sustainability of the firm.

This release adds new reporting capabilities to iTimekeep and OCG Live. iTimekeeps Attorney Time Reporting enables timekeepers to export, deliver (via PDF or Excel) and review all of the timecards that they, or their assistants, have entered on any given day, week or month in one, easy-to-read view without the inefficient and time-consuming process of reviewing individual timecards. OCG Live provides Executive and Financial Reporting for law firm executives with weekly and monthly reports on the status of the firms compliance with billing guidelines, including the ability to identify the clients and timekeepers with the most revenue at risk, so that action can be taken before it results in revenue loss.

One of the aspects of Bellefields culture that were most proud of is our commitment to data driven decision making. Its a core part of who we are and how we operate, and now were proud to bring more of that capability to our customer base, said Gabriela Isturiz, Co-Founder and President of Bellefield Systems. We firmly believe that when we know better, we do better, and this release allows us to provide customers with access to the information that can be used to improve outcomes for the firm, Isturiz continued.

The spring 2019 release also includes enhancements to enrich the experience when working with timers and support for Single Sign On (SSO).

Bellefield continues its aggressive growth and commitment to innovation by providing its clients with a new release full of value for all users. This release is now available to all clients and is included in the subscription at no additional cost or burden to the firm.

For more information on this release and the features included, please visit http://www.bellefield.com/new.

About Bellefield Systems & iTimekeep

Bellefield provides the fastest path to revenue by removing barriers to time entry for attorneys and law firms. Through the iTimekeep platform, Bellefield brings better timekeeping to any law firm or professional services firm by increasing attorney engagement, providing real-time compliance with outside counsel guidelines and enabling firms to manage their time entry policies. In an area that was long disregarded and accepted as a cost of doing business, Bellefields innovations are bringing about efficiencies that allow firms to achieve the best timecard inventory, leading to less rejections, increased compliance and maximum client satisfaction.

Bellefield was founded with one simple (yet powerful) purpose: create better timekeepers. iTimekeep ranks #1 as the most adopted Mobile (and anywhere) Time Entry solution for attorneys for six consecutive years. Bellefields founding members include the former founders of eBillingHub (now Thomson Reuters), Gabriela Isturiz and Daniel Garcia and software veteran, John Kuntz. Bellefield Systems is an independent, privately held company headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. To learn more, visit http://www.bellefield.com.
Bihler of Americas new multi-use operations building adjacent to its two existing manufacturing plants. Located in Phillipsburg, New Jersey. The new facility clearly demonstrates an ongoing commitment to support and grow our 4 Slide-NC product line. -Max Linder, Director of Sales and Marketing for Bihler of America

Located in Phillipsburg, New Jersey on a seven-acre corporate campus, Bihler of Americas new multi-use operations building is located adjacent to its two existing manufacturing plants. The construction of the new building began in April 2018 and became fully operational in the first quarter of 2019. At present, all three buildings have a combined total of 350,000 square feet.

Driving the Bihler of America expansion was an increased demand in contract manufacturing and automation projects. Before construction began, the company already had several high-volume manufacturing and assembly projects scheduled that require advanced servo-controlled high-speed Bihler automated machines. The multi-functional facility built in partnership with IronHill Construction Management, part of the J.G. Petrucci Network, is now fully operational and setup for the production of the Bihler.

4 Slide-NC, machine service, customer service, spare parts and tooling. It is also the primary manufacturing facility for the BihlerMED line of illumination-based medical devices and high volume disposable battery packs for medical device applications. Max Linder, Director of Sales and Marketing for Bihler of America, commented, The new building has more than half of its total output capacity committed to already, with plenty of space for the expanded manufacturing needs of our customers.

The new facility houses dedicated assembly areas for Bihler 4 Slide-NC machines, expanding Bihlers ability to deliver these highly efficient machines on time for their customers. Since its initial debut in 2017, Bihler of Americas new next-generation servo machines deliver across-the-board advantages in speed, accuracy and versatility. Linder added, The new facility clearly demonstrates an ongoing commitment to support and grow our 4 Slide-NC product line.

As part of the expansion, Bihler of America has begun to add more than fifty people to manage and operate the new facility, in addition to the many roles the company previously added to its existing operations through 2017 and 2018. Linder added, Were constantly searching for outstanding, talented people, especially experienced machine operators and electricians, as well as people with hands-on manufacturing experience.

The new building is designed with LED lighting throughout for energy efficiency, with the sustainable energy support of Bihlers existing solar power field. Currently, Bihler of America has three solar installations on its campus, including two rooftop panel arrays and a ground-mounted solar array in an adjacent field.

The layout of the new facility has been designed with optimum flexibility for future growth. The re-shoring trend that began several years ago remains strong, and general economic indicators predict this ongoing rise in manufacturing will continue, Linder noted. Bihlers capabilities for advanced manufacturing, services and equipment have been significantly expanded to accommodate this continuing demand for U.S.-based manufacturing.

# # # #

ABOUT BIHLER OF AMERICA

For more than 40 years, Bihler of America has been dedicated to innovative automation solutions for the manufacturing and assembly segments for a diverse range of industries. The Bihler 4 Slide-NC technology represents the next generation of four slide manufacturing by combining demonstrated reliability with more intuitive, advanced controls and greater production capabilities for a wide range of applications. For more information, please visit http://www.bihler.com.

For additional information on Bihler of America, please contact:

Max Linder

Director Sales & Marketing

85 Industrial Drive

Phillipsburg, NJ 08865

T: 908-213-9001

F: 908-329-9111

E: mlinder(at)bihler.com

For additional press information, please contact:

Ed Delia, Delia Associates

E: edelia(at)delianet.com

T: 908-534-9044
Bonomi carbon steel 600LL and stainless steel 700L full-port ball valves with bracket mounted NEMA 4, 4X limit switches New industrial ball valve and limit switch packages from Bonomi improve safety in industrial systems.

New industrial ball valve and limit switch packages from Bonomi improve safety in industrial systems, allowing critical manual valve applications to be monitored remotely. Limit switch feedback from the new manual valve packages provides control systems the ability to prevent automated valves or pumps from turning on or off if the manual valve is in the wrong position.

The carbon steel 600LL-LS2 and stainless steel 700LL-LS2 are full-port ball valves with a bracket-mounted NEMA 4, 4X limit switch containing two single-pole, double-throw mechanical switches (5A 125-250, 3A 24VDC). The valve and switch components together offer remote open or closed position indication.

The standard Bonomi LS2 limit switch features a die-cast aluminum housing protected from the elements by dichromate conversion and polyester powder coating and sealed with a BUNA-N O-ring. It is IP67 rated. NEMA 7 enclosure is optional. The LS2 comes standard with two  NPT cable entries and a NAMUR shaft ISO bracket.

The 600/700LL Series valves are available in sizes -inch to 2 inches featuring an investment cast 2-piece WCB or CF8M body, blow-out proof stem design, self-adjusting stem packing and a thermal relief hole in the stem slot. A latch-lock handle is standard equipment.

Pressure rating for -inch to 1-inch models is 2000 psi, while 1-1/4-inch to 2-inch models are rated 1000 psi or 150 psi steam. The operating temperature range is -4 degrees F to 450 degrees F.

For more information on Bonomi 600/700LL Series valve packages or other Bonomi products, contact Bonomi North America at (704) 412-9031 or visit online at http://www.bonominorthamerica.com.

About Bonomi

Bonomi North America has served the U.S. and Canada since 2003 and is part of the Bonomi Group of Lumezzane, Italy. Bonomi Group brands include Rubinetterie Bresciane Bonomi (RB) brass ball valves and check valves; Valpres carbon and stainless steel ball valves; and Valbia pneumatic and electric industrial actuators. Bonomi North America maintains an extensive distribution network for these products from its headquarters in Charlotte, N.C. and a facility in Oakville, Ontario, Canada.

[end]
Companies that provide technology powered products are in a constant state of reaction to their customers challenges and for good reason  it is an increasingly complex and connected physical environment.

Boomtown reduces the complexity of selling, activating and supporting business technology products used in real life. Today the Company announces a $12 million investment led by Telstra Ventures with participation from Capital One Growth Ventures and returning investors Nyca Partners, Commerce Ventures, Spider Capital and NHN Ventures. This Series B financing will further accelerate the companys continued growth as well as its ongoing investment in its Relay Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) platform.

Relay helps companies who sell, activate and support business technologies orchestrate and automate effortless product support experiences. Partners who have adopted Relay have seen reductions in product activation times of up to 88%, improvements in customer service handle times of 45% and Net Promoter Score increases of more than 20 points.

Customer technology lifecycles are now defined by journeys that span interdependent products and services across teams and organizations. Traditional CRM and support systems focus on the customer record as the central organizing structure. Relay from Boomtown leverages the worlds first (patent pending) business technology index and machine learning to generate powerful insights on how customers are using connected technology products from multiple providers across business types, use cases, physical locations and through time. Relay provides organizations with the real-time product intelligence and context they need to sell more effectively, help customers get productive on the solutions they have sold them and solve recurring issues fast. It enables organizations to share knowledge and collaborate with teams across their partner ecosystem to deliver better end-to-end customer experiences.

Companies that provide technology powered products are in a constant state of reaction to their customers challenges and for good reason  it is an increasingly complex and connected physical environment. said Alfred Chip Kahn IV, Founder & CEO. This capital accelerates our ability to transform partner customer journeys from being reactive to proactive and predictive.

The number of digital devices in distributed environments, such as retail stores, has been exploding. For instance, CPU growth in small businesses has skyrocketed in the last decade from 2 connected CPUs to over 25 on average. said Mark Sherman, Managing Director at Telstra Ventures. This ongoing transformation represents a massive challenge that Boomtown has unique capabilities to solve. Given there are over 60 million retail store locations worldwide, the market opportunities for Boomtown are significant.

Boomtown is also pleased to announce the appointment of Robert HB Baldwin, Jr. to its Board of Directors. Mr. Baldwin, who also serves on the Board of Global Payments Inc., brings a wealth of experience in finance and operations together with key industry relationships. He joined Heartland Payment Systems in 2000 as its CFO and helped manage its ensuing growth through its IPO in 2005 and the eventual $4.3 billion sale to Global Payments in 2016. Before joining Heartland, he served as a Managing Director in Smith Barneys Financial Institutions advisory business.

About Boomtown

Boomtowns mission is to help organizations that sell, activate and support business technology products to simplify the complexity of delivering insightful and effortless customer experiences at scale. Using Boomtowns Relay platform, technology solution providers can communicate with their customers in efficient and engaging ways, collaborate across organizations to answer questions, and resolve issues fast. Relay also has an expert network where teams can seamlessly access programmable remote and field services to augment their existing operations. Through over 175 technology partners, over 350,000 business locations are served via Relay which has over 2,500 unique products and services indexed. Learn more about Boomtown Relay at http://www.goboomtown.com.

About Telstra Ventures

Telstra Ventures is a strategic venture capital firm that is focused on providing synergy revenues to its portfolio companies and financial returns to its limited partners. Telstra Ventures invests in market leading, high growth technology companies with exceptional products and leaders. Telstra Ventures is backed by two strategic LPs: Telstra, one of the 20 largest telecommunications providers globally, and HarbourVest, one of the worlds largest private equity funds. With offices in San Francisco, Sydney, Melbourne and Shanghai, Telstra Ventures has invested in over 50 companies since its inception in 2011. Visit http://www.telstraventures.com to learn more.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, May 16, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Riverside Resources Inc. (Riverside or the Company) (TSX-V: RRI) (OTCQB: RVSDF) (FSE: R99), is pleased to announce the signing of a two-year, US$2,000,000 Exploration Financing Agreement with BHP Exploration Chile SpA (BHP) for the funding of generative exploration in the copper producing belt of Mexico (the Program). The Program will focus on identifying and developing exploration opportunities leading to the discovery of new large copper deposits within an Area of Interest (AOI) using Riversides technical knowledge base of copper systems and strong generative exploration team strategically based in Hermosillo, Sonora. BHP and Riverside will pool their data, including decades of historical work into an integrated database. Riverside can now leverage geophysical, geochemical and geological technical platforms into a new targeting synthesis to complete tenure acquisitions.



BHP will fund US$1,000,000 on an annual basis for a minimum of two (2) years for generative grass-roots exploration within northeastern Sonora in the region of many copper deposits and some very large copper operations (Figure 1). The exploration area being explored is in the central part of the Laramide Copper Belt that continues northward into Arizona and New Mexico, hosting numerous large, Tier 1 copper deposits. For example, the third largest copper mine in the world, the Buenavista del Cobre Operations in Cananea, is located within the AOI.

Properties that are identified and deemed to be of interest will become Defined Projects (DPs), which will move to a second phase of the Program whereby BHP would fund up to an additional US$5,000,000 of exploration work and make success fee payments to Riverside on a per project basis (see Exploration Funding Agreement below).

Riversides President and CEO, John-Mark Staude, stated: We are delighted to combine the financing support of a major world copper leader with our in-country Mexico expertise to pursue exploration activities and advance promising projects. The two-year Program helps Riverside expand our copper exposure, while still conserving capital for our other self-funded initiatives.

http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/b3d9a77d-b16a-4394-a060-59a125d8a7f6

Figure 1: Region of Copper Belt of Mexico and Riverside-BHP Generative Program

Exploration Funding Agreement

Overview:

The two-year, US$2,000,000 Exploration Financing Agreement was signed on May 15, 2019. The Program will target projects containing primarily copper, with the objective of advancing quality copper prospects through three (3) distinct stages: Project Generation Phase, Project Operation Phase and Joint Venture Stage.

Project Generation Phase (I):

During the Project Generation Phase, Riverside will act as the operator and earn a monthly fee plus 10% on internal activities and 5% on third party external contractor work with an estimated ~US$85,000/month for generative work. Riversides technical team will carry out generative exploration and work up targets with the aim of moving prospects toward the Project Operation Phase (II).

Project Operation Phase (II):

A prospect that is advanced to the Project Operation Phase will become a DP and will trigger a success fee of US$200,000 payable to Riverside for each prospect so advanced. Riverside can earn a bonus of an extra US$200,000 if at least three projects are progressed to DP making a total of US$800,000 in DP success fees. BHP will fund up to US$5,000,000 for drilling and further exploration on each DP, having the option to become the operator of such DP. Riverside has the option to contribute between 10% and 20% of the exploration expenditures (Riversides Contribution to Expenses) during this phase, with BHP funding the balance (80-90%) should Riverside elect to participate. BHP may discontinue funding with respect to a specific DP at any time in which case Riverside would be entitled to 100% interest in the project and depending on the funds expended to date, BHP may retain a net smelter returns royalty interest.

Joint Venture Stage (III):

BHP may elect to advance a DP to the Joint Venture Stage, at which time title to the project would be transferred to a joint venture company and the parties would enter into a formal joint venture partners agreement. If Riversides cash contribution reaches a minimum of 10% in Phase (II), the Companys deemed initial interest in the joint venture company will be 20%. If Riversides Contribution to Expenses to a DP is less than 10%, Riverside will have no interest in the Joint Venture. For each DP that is advanced to the Joint Venture Stage, Riverside will be entitled to a success fee of US$1,500,000 if Riversides Contribution to Expenses to a DP is at least 10% and US$300,000 if it is less than 10%. At the point of Joint Venture formation, with respect to a DP in which Riverside has at least a 10% interest, (a) Riverside may sell its interest earned as a result of its Contribution to Expenses to BHP at the rate of US$100,000 for each 1% interest sold; and (b) BHP may purchase the difference between 20% and Riversides actual Contribution to Expenses at the rate of US$300,000 for each 1% interest purchased.

Operational Details:

A Technical Committee (TC) will be formed to approve Work Programs and Budgets during Phase (I) and (II). The TC will have two representatives from each of BHP and Riverside with equal voting powers for both groups for DPs operated by Riverside. For DPs operated by BHP, BHP will have the casting vote on the TC.

About Riverside Resources Inc.:

Riverside is a well-funded exploration company driven by value generation and discovery. The company has no debt and fewer than 63M shares outstanding with a strong portfolio of gold-silver and copper assets in North America. Riverside has extensive experience and knowledge operating in Mexico and leverages its large database to generate a portfolio of prospective mineral properties. In addition to Riversides own exploration spending, the Company also strives to diversify risk by securing joint-venture and spin-out partnerships to advance multiple assets simultaneously and create more chances for discovery. Riverside has additional properties available for option, with more information available on the Companys website at www.rivres.com .

ON BEHALF OF RIVERSIDE RESOURCES INC.



"John-Mark Staude"



Dr. John-Mark Staude, President & CEO

For additional information contact:

John-Mark Staude

President, CEO

Riverside Resources Inc.

info@rivres.com

Phone: (778) 327-6671

Fax: (778) 327-6675

Web: www.rivres.com Raffi Elmajian

Corporate Communications

Riverside Resources Inc.

relmajian@rivres.com

Phone: (778) 327-6671

TF: (877) RIV-RES1

Web: www.rivres.com

Certain statements in this press release may be considered forward-looking information. These statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology (e.g., "expect, estimates", "intends", "anticipates", "believes", "plans"). Such information involves known and unknown risks -- including the availability of funds, the results of financing and exploration activities, the interpretation of exploration results and other geological data, or unanticipated costs and expenses and other risks identified by Riverside in its public securities filings that may cause actual events to differ materially from current expectations. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release.

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.
Russell Stephen, a teacher at the C2 Education Center in Nanuet, NY receives the 2019 National Teacher of the Year Award from C2 Education Co-Founder Jim Narangajavana

C2 Education (C2), the nations premier network of subject tutoring, SAT , ACT, and PSAT test prep and college admissions consulting centers recently presented the 2019 Teacher of the Year Awards at C2s annual National Education Leadership Conference in Atlanta. This years awards honor teachers who have had an especially life changing impact on C2 students that they work with at their local C2 Center. One finalist was selected from each of four regions in the country, and the four finalists were presented with their honors at the C2 Awards Dinner at the conference. One of the awardees was also named the National Winner.

The 2019 Teacher of the Year Award Winners:

Regional Winner, Southwest Region - Craig Conroy, La Crescenta, California

Craig has become the most highly requested tutor at his center and beside high level tutoring he works with high school seniors on their college essays.

Regional Winner, Northwest Region - Sean Llewellyn, Lynwood, Washington

Sean has worked at C2 for 10 years and has helped students not only in academics but in life. With Seans guidance, one of his recent students college essay was featured in Harvards 50 Successful Application Essays.

Regional Winner, Southeast Region - Elizabeth Lowman, Olney, Maryland

Elizabeth has changed the life of every student she has worked with and has a vast knowledge and expertise in all school subjects.

National Winner and Regional Winner, Northeast Region- Russell Stephen - Nanuet, New York

Russell has been a major positive influence to more than 300 students since he began working at C2 in 2006. He is considered by his peers to be the C2 Encyclopedia.

About C2 Education

C2 Education (http://www.C2education.com) was founded in 1997 by David Kim and Jim Narangajavana, two Harvard students offering private tutoring programs from their dorm room. Now one of the nations leading Tutoring, Test Prep, and College Admissions Counseling organizations, the company has grown to over 180 centers nationwide serving over 13,000 students and their families. C2 utilizes a unique approach that combines individualized instruction, customized curriculum, and dedicated education experts that helps students on the path to their dream college. C2 Education is headquartered in Johns Creek, Georgia. Follow the company on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/c2education .

Media Contact:

Kenny Fried

Email: kfried(at)aboutbwf(dot)com

Phone: 202-468-8200
Communication Service for the Deaf (CSD), the worlds largest deaf-led social impact organization, announced its support of legislation that, if passed, would expand opportunities for deaf and hard of hearing Americans to enlist and serve in the United States military.

Deaf and hard of hearing people currently are barred from enlisting in the military because they do not pass the physical requirement of being able to hear beyond a certain threshold. Since 2011, several bills have been introduced to open military service to deaf individuals, but all failed to become law. The last bill  H.R. 5831  which was originally introduced in the United States House of Representatives by U.S. Rep. Mark Takano of California in 2018, brought renewed attention to the effort to give deaf Americans the opportunity to pursue military service.

Named the Keith Nolan Air Force Deaf Demonstration Act, recognizing Keith Nolan for his efforts to serve in the military as a deaf person, this bill is intended to create a demonstration program with the United States Air Force to explore the benefits of having deaf individuals serve in the military. Information collected from the programs participants would be analyzed to determine how qualified deaf Americans would be able to effectively participate and serve in the military.

Keith Nolan spent a decade applying for the Army Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) program before being allowed to train with a newly-formed battalion at California State University at Northridge. He earned the German Armed Forces Proficiency Badge, an award recognized by the U.S. Army and approved for wear on uniforms, and achieved a top 15 percent ranking in his battalion. Despite his accomplishment of completing the first two levels of the ROTC program with high marks, he was not permitted to advance to the third level of ROTC because he was not able to pass the programs hearing requirement. Since then, he has spearheaded advocacy and legislative attempts to include deaf people in the military, including starting up a cadet program at the Maryland School for the Deaf, where he now works.

In an April 2011 TED Talk entitled Deaf in the Military, Nolan described his experience and stated his case for why deaf people should be able to serve. He also provided examples of military careers deaf people could excel in, including working in intelligence, cybersecurity, logistics, maintenance and repairs.

According to Nolan, examples of deaf people serving in the U.S. military date back to the Texas War of Independence, the Civil War and as late as World War II. Also, Israel's defense forces actively recruit deaf individuals for military service in numerous military positions and specialties, he added.

CSD commends Keith Nolan for his tireless work in advocating for deaf people to become eligible for military service, said Christopher Soukup, CEO of CSD. There are many positions in the Armed Forces that do not require ones ability to hear as a qualification for excellence. More importantly, the deaf community is extraordinarily talented and capable. Deaf people are more than ready to serve their country and in the military in a variety of ways. It is long time for these outdated and unnecessary restrictions to be lifted.

Inspired by Keith Nolan, this proposed bill would establish a small Air Force pilot program that would give deaf and hard-of-hearing people the opportunity to become officers and there are plenty of ways in which deaf and hard-of-hearing people can contribute to our national defense as service members, said Rep. Takano, who is the Chairman of the House Committee on Veterans Affairs. As someone who represents the California School for the Deaf in Riverside, I believe we should do this and I continue to push for it. I am very hopeful that this time we will succeed in getting my proposed bill included in this years National Defense Authorization Act.

In 2018, the demonstration program language was added to the 2019 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) bill. It was adopted by the House of Representatives but later removed during the Conference Committee with the Senate in July 2018 in the final draft of the NDAA 2019.

This year, Nolan and Rep. Takano have been working on reintroducing the demonstration program to be included in both the Senate and the House versions of NDAA 2020. The Personnel Subcommittee markup for the Senate version of NDAA 2020 is scheduled for May 21, 2019, with the final full Senate Armed Services Committee markup on May 22. The House version markup is set for June 4. The Conference Committee review of the NDAA 2020 final draft is expected this July.

CSDs support of legislation to open service in the military to deaf people is part of the organizations national campaign, Let Us Work. Let Us Work advocates for the removal of outdated hearing requirements that needlessly prevent deaf people from working in different industries. This campaign highlights other occupations where deaf people are not permitted to work, such as being commercial air pilots, Transportation Security Administration agents and driving certain commercial trucks and buses, among others.

For more information please visit CSD and Let Us Work.

Media Contacts:

The Durkin Agency

johnfrew@msn.com

alanacowan5@gmail.com

karen.durkin@thedurkinagency.com
Crimson Cup staff, coffee house owners, managers and baristas visit a Honduran coffee farm Being directly connected with a farmer who has a product on the shelf of our coffee shop is truly special to me. It puts a face and a soul behind the product. I feel a new responsibility and passion to serve their coffee and share their story with customers.

Crimson Cup Coffee & Tea recently flew owners and staff from six independently owned coffee houses to the Siguatepeque region of Honduras. There, they followed the coffees journey from seed to cup while learning about the roles of the coffee farmers, workers and processors who prepare coffee served in their shops.

Our goal was to strengthen the relationship between coffee growers, Crimson Cup and our customers, said Crimson Cup Coffee Buyer Dave Eldridge, who led the trip. Crimson Cup Roast Master Dave Rochus and Coffee House Manager Jennifer Kerchner joined the group to gain expertise in direct-trade coffee sourcing and to forge relationships with coffee growers.

Seeing the hard work that goes into growing the coffee you serve is a life-altering experience! Kerchner said.

Participants included Krispin DeCamp, manager of Court Street Coffee in Athens, Ohio; Julie A. Driesbach, owner of Scioto Valley Coffee House in Circleville, Ohio; Kat and Pat Bissell, owners of The Coffee Attic & Book Cellar in Iowa Falls, Iowa; Lauren McCurdy and Ashley Garrison, baristas at 5 Bean Coffee House in Reynoldsburg, Ohio; and Jacob Hill, manager of the Crimson Cup Coffee House in Clintonville, Ohio.

The group began their three-day tour by meeting with farmers to discuss their needs and challenges. This was a unique and wonderful opportunity for us to learn about coffee production and the people that are most impacted by it, said Kat Bissell.

The second day started with a visit to a primary school in El Socorro, where the group learned about Crimson Cups involvement in providing new computer desks, funding a second teacher for a year, building new bathrooms and other contributions.

Next, they visited coffee processing facilities operated by local farmer David Lopez. They learned about wet milling and coffee drying processes and inspected a raised drying bed supported by Crimson Cup. The day concluded with a tour of Lopezs farm, Finca Los Amigos, where they held a coffee picking competition to understand the hard work that goes into harvesting each crop.

Connecting with David Lopez and some of the other local farmers opened our eyes to the struggles that they face, said Pat Bissell. It also opened our eyes to some of the opportunities that we have to make a difference.

The final day included a tour of the dry mill at The Cooperativa Cafetalera Siguatepeque Limitada (COHORSIL) followed by a cupping of David Lopezs coffee. Finally, they visited Aqua Salada, Honduras, where they built two latrines for families in need and visited with a family that has received a water filter bucket through Crimson Cups 10 Cents of Change program.

At the end of the trip, participants agreed it had altered the way they see coffee and the people who produce it.

Most humbling, rewarding experience of my lifecant wait to go back! Driesbach said. Really makes you think about and reevaluate all the things we take for granted.

Some pledged to incorporate lessons learned on the trip into the way they buy and serve coffee. We will definitely think about the coffee that we buy and what difference it is making in a community, Kat Bissell said.

Being directly connected with a farmer who has a product on the shelf of our coffee shop is truly special to me. It puts a face and a soul behind the product, McCurdy said. I feel a new responsibility and passion to serve their coffee and share their story with customers in a way that honors the livelihoods represented by each cup.

Crimson Cup has been working with smallholder coffee farmers in the Siguatepeque region since 2011. Through its Friend2Farmer program, the roaster purchases coffee directly from farmers at an above-market premium, assists with coffee quality improvement and donates to educational and health programs in the community.

About Crimson Cup Coffee & Tea

Columbus, Ohio coffee roaster Crimson Cup Coffee & Tea is Roast magazines 2016 Macro Roaster of the Year. Since 1991, Crimson Cup has roasted sustainably sourced craft coffee in small batches, sold directly to consumers and as wholesale coffee beans. Through its 7 Steps to Success coffee franchise alternative program, the company also teaches entrepreneurs to run successful coffee houses. By developing a coffee shop business plan, prospective entrepreneurs gain insight into how much it costs to open a coffee shop. Crimson Cup coffee is available through more than 350 independent coffee houses, grocers, college and universities, restaurants and food service operations across 37 states, Guam and Bangladesh, as well as the companys own Crimson Cup Coffee Houses. To learn more, visit crimsoncup.com.
Cruise America We continuously look for ways to provide our customers with experiences that will last a lifetime and both the Baton Rouge and Brentwood locations will allow us to do just that, said Cruise America national dealer manager, Sean Dickason.

Cruise America, the nations largest RV rental firm, has announced the addition of two affiliate dealers located in the heart of the southern United States  Phil and Nicks Service Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and AutoPro of Nashville Brentwood, Tennessee. Both locations offer rental options near world-famous destinations, including Music City U.S.A. and the Big Easy.

We continuously look for ways to provide our customers with experiences that will last a lifetime and both the Baton Rouge and Brentwood locations will allow us to do just that, said Cruise America national dealer manager, Sean Dickason. We truly believe there is no better way to explore some of our nations most iconic cities than in an RV with your closest friends and family.

Phil and Nicks Service Center is a family owned business spanning three generations and specializes in car and truck rentals. Located in the heart of Louisiana, this Baton Rouge rental location offers customers the opportunity to explore the states capital before hitting the road to visit its most popular city, New Orleans, just over an hour away.

AutoPro of Nashville is a full-service auto dealership in Brentwood offering a wide variety of pre-owned vehicles and mechanical services by its ASE certified technicians. Located under 30 minutes from Nashville, customers can explore highlights like the Grand Ole Opry and the Country Music Hall of Fame. For those looking to explore further, Alabama and Kentucky are just a day away. AutoPro of Nashvilles close proximity to the Nashville International Airport  less than a 30-minute drive  also makes it a convenient location for out-of-town travelers.

An internationally recognized brand, Cruise America maintains a fleet of 4,500 motorhomes and employs more than 300 people across the U.S. and Canada. For more information about Cruise America, visit CruiseAmerica.com or call 800-671-8042. To learn more about rental options at the newest locations, visit https://www.cruiseamerica.com/rv-rental-locations/louisiana/baton-rouge for availability in Baton Rouge and https://www.cruiseamerica.com/rv-rental-locations/tennessee/nashville-(brentwood) for opportunities in Brentwood.

About Cruise America

Founded in 1972, Cruise America RV Rentals & Sales has been delivering RV vacations to families and individuals for more than 45 years. Through the creation of an Employee Stock Ownership Plan in 2014, Cruise America gave the wheel to its extended family and is now proud to be 100% employee-owned. Today the Cruise America brand is one of the most recognized brands in the U.S. and with its subsidiary, Cruise Canada, operates 132 locations across North America. The recognized leader in RV vacation rentals, Cruise America attracts vacationers from around the world and over the years Cruise America vacationers have enjoyed millions of camping nights and billions of miles behind the wheel. For more information about Cruise America, visit http://www.CruiseAmerica.com or call 800-671-8042.

# # #

Media Contact | Amber Liptai | aliptai(at)bigyam.com | 480-410-6076
Nefertiti's Secret, by Dr. Stanley Jacobs, is currently available on Amazon. The book's official launch date is May 30. 'Nefertiti' means beauty has come, and each time someone uses the serum, the past and present intersect.

Though Nefertitis Secreta book by nationally renowned San Francisco Bay Area-based plastic surgeon Dr. Stanley Jacobshas been available via Amazon since April 2019, the author is officially celebrating its publication with a launch party scheduled for May 30 at his Healdsburg office. The catered event is invite-only from 5 to 6:30 p.m., then opens to the public at 7 p.m.

Dr. Jacobs book, which he co-authored with NorthBay biz magazine editor Karen Hart, details his almost-decade-long journey that started with his discovery of a mysterious line on an ancient papyrus and culminated in a patent, a successful line of skin care products, and the revelation of a beauty secret almost 6,000 years in the making.

Readers will learn about the 3,600-year-old Edwin Smith Papyrus, thought to be the oldest surviving document covering the topic of surgery. Many scholars have studied this scroll over the years, but Dr. Jacobs exploration of it sparked his curiosity regarding one particular ingredient mentioned in a recipe for turning an old man into a youth: hemayet.

Determining what, exactly, hemayet is occupied Dr. Jacobs for years to follow, as he recruited more researchers and others to help solve the mystery. Anyone seeking effective facial rejuvenation treatments today should know that their efforts were successfulmost notably in the creation of the Stanley Jacobs MD Skin Care line.

Nefertitis Secret has broad appeal, covering the ancient world, modern medicine, and a large slice of life between. The book blends fascinating science with exotic elements of travel and a glimpse into the past.

The book launch will include catered food, local sparkling wines, and a presentation by Dr. Jacobs highlighting the sights and treasures he and his family saw when they were in Egypt. His travel agent is also sending a video from Cairo to share more about the destination.

To buy a copy of Nefertitis Secret, visit the books page on Amazon.

The May 30 book launch event is at The Jacobs Center for Cosmetic Surgery: 145 Foss Creek Cir, Healdsburg, CA, 95448.

For more information about Dr. Jacobs and his practice, where he offers nonsurgical treatments and cosmetic surgical procedures along with Dr. Eric Culbertson, send a message online or call.

CONTACT

Healdsburg: 707-473-0220

San Francisco: 415-433-0303
To celebrate Memorial Day, Brooklyn Mitsubishi is offering special deals on its vehicles all month long.

The month of May is a popular time to buy a car because drivers are eager to explore new places during the upcoming summer season. Whether they are planning to hit the beaches on Long Island, do a weekend getaway in the Finger Lakes or trek across the country to explore the western national parks, having a reliable vehicle is a must.

To help drivers save on their next vehicle, Brooklyn Mitsubishi is hosting a Memorial Day sales event that is going on all month long.

During the Brooklyn Mitsubishi Memorial Day Sale, drivers can find special deals on the vehicles in the Mitsubishi model lineup. These vehicles include the Mirage, Mirage G4, Outlander, Outlander Sport, Outlander PHEV and Eclipse Cross.

Deals available for these vehicles include cashback offers with amounts that vary by model, along with low APR rates when drivers choose traditional financing. Special military discounts are also available for eligible personnel.

Besides traditional financing, Brooklyn Mitsubishi offers affordable lease deals on new Mitsubishi vehicles. A large inventory of used vehicles from a variety of brands is also available.

Drivers interested in shopping with Brooklyn Mitsubishi during its Memorial Day sales event are encouraged to reach out to the dealership by phone at 718-345-1600 or through its website at http://www.brooklynmitsubishi.com. To accommodate New York Citys Spanish-speaking population, a Spanish-language version of the dealerships website can be found at http://www.brooklynmitsubishiespanol.com. Brooklyn Mitsubishi is located at 5910 Church Avenue in Brooklyn.
Travelers are invited to discover the best of El Salvador's charming surf culture from its top beaches to the best places to eat, play, and stay.

Situated in Central America on the Pacific Ocean, El Salvador continually attracts surfers from around the world to its 186 miles of coastline. The country offers more than 50 beaches, temperate water temperature year-round, and right-hand surf breaks that create perfect waves for experienced and novice surfers alike. As El Salvador enters its peak surf season which lasts through November, travelers are invited to discover the best of the countrys charming surf culture from its top beaches to the best places to eat, play, and stay.

Where to surf

La Libertad is El Salvadors most popular area for surfers. All of La Libertads beaches can be accessed within an hours drive from El Salvador International Airport (SAL). The beaches of El Tunco and El Sunzal are among the most sought after across all skill levels, while El Zonte often serves as the host location for national and international surfing contests. Visitors can take beginner classes or perfect their skills at Escencia Nativa, Punta El Zonte, Horizonte Surf Camp, Palo Verde and Puro Surf. All of these are managed by professional surfers and instructors.

Where to eat

This surfing paradise is also a favorite among seafood connoisseurs who feast on the daily catch at top eateries such as Beto's Restaurante and Cafe Sunzal where specialties include a selection of ceviche, octopus, fresh fish, and shrimp. A visit to La Libertad Pier allows travelers to see up close how the fishing industry thrives in the area. Additional not-to-be-missed dining experiences can be found at Acantilados, La Bocana at Tunco, and many others.

Where to drink

El Salvadors beaches pair perfectly with craft brews and sunset views. At Cadejo Brewing Co., beer lovers can watch a tranquil sunset over a craft beer tasting and dine on traditional fish tacos, ceviche, burgers, and more. The party continues into the evening on the main street of El Tunco, where trendy bars like Monkey Lala Bar serve up live music and good vibes.

Where to stay

After a day out on the water and an evening celebrating with friends old and new, visitors can retreat to Palo Verde Hotel located in the heart of El Zonte. Palo Verde has 10 rooms and an onsite restaurant offering unparalleled views of the Pacific Ocean and El Zontes right-hand point break. A new loft apartment is now available for bookings as well. Perfect for family and group travelers, Boca Olas Resort Villas is a beach hotel in El Tunco featuring six modern villas. Budget travelers can also find value-forward rates at Eco del Mar.

For additional information on travel to El Salvador, please visit elsalvador.travel.

About El Salvador

Renowned for its Pacific Ocean beaches, surfing, lush landscapes, and pristine natural habitats, El Salvador is an eco-travelers paradise that is also known as the Land of Volcanoes for having 25 visible volcanoes. El Salvador is the smallest country in Central America, located on the Pacific coast with shared borders with Guatemala and Honduras. Its centrally situated capital, San Salvador, is a diverse city known for business and emerging art scene. The countrys other nine tourist routes incorporate artisan workshops with indigo dye and copinol seeds, the Pompeii of the Americas World Heritage Site and Maya history, signature coffee farms, volcano hikes and surfing with fantastic swells.

Travel to El Salvador is easily accessible via San Oscar Arnulfo Romero International Airport (SAL), which is located 30 miles from the city center of San Salvador. Non-stop daily flights are available from major markets across the United States.

For more information, please visit http://www.elsalvador.travel.
EverythingBenefits implementation of artificial intelligence is a clear example of our companys philosophy that technology should make life simpler, more rewarding, and more enjoyable, said Rachel Lyubovitzky, EverythingBenefits CEO.

Leading provider of next-generation automated benefits technology, EverythingBenefits, today announces its partnership with Picwell, the provider of advanced predictive decision support solutions for consumer and employee benefits plan selection information. This marks a new chapter in the companys commitment to delivering next generation, end-to-end benefit technology solutions and services to employers, employees, benefits carriers, and insurance brokers.

The partnership provides a powerful artificial intelligence (AI) driven interface that presents personalized recommendations tailored to best fit the needs of each user. The solution correlates the demographics of employees and dependents against over 900,000 critical determinant factors representing decisions and outcomes by millions across the country that share similar characteristics. As individuals continue to become more educated about their benefits and make better decisions with the help of technology, advice and corresponding outcomes will improve as well.

EverythingBenefits implementation of artificial intelligence is a clear example of our companys philosophy that technology should make life simpler, more rewarding, and more enjoyable, said Rachel Lyubovitzky, EverythingBenefits CEO. Weve taken on the challenges of the industry and its a rewarding experience to deliver solutions that address complex benefits needs with the most advanced technology.

We are excited to partner with EverythingBenefits and push this manual industry into an era of automation through the use of technology, said Matthew Sydney, CEO of Picwell. Our AI integration will empower individuals to make informed decisions on the benefits they need and should have access to - further simplifying and streamlining the user experience in the benefits industry.

EverythingBenefits remains committed to its goal of expanding its world-class technology suite to provide better analytics, more predictability, control and engagement from users. It not only meets the standards for benefits, but changes the entire experience for the better ultimately giving employers and employees a better understanding of their choices and providing insight for carriers to build comprehensive products.

About EverythingBenefits

EverythingBenefits is a leading provider of next-generation, end-to-end benefit technology solutions and services that help businesses of all sizes and their employees experience benefits in more meaningful ways. By leveraging an open business model, EverythingBenefits partners with benefit brokers, independent agents, insurers, payroll or human capital management companies, and other providers. The companys philosophy is that technology should make life simpler, more rewarding, and more enjoyable. For more information, please visit our web site at http://www.everythingbenefits.com or connect with us via LinkedIn, Twitter, or Facebook.

About Picwell

Picwell is a Philadelphia-based software company that uses proprietary analytics to distill a complex array of benefit information down to simple, independent and objective plan scores that consumers can easily understand, thereby allowing them to choose their annual insurance coverage with confidence. Picwell delivers an individual's plan score and prioritization data directly via API to enrollment experiences of some of the nations largest employers and brokers. Picwell has delivered more than 1.5 million recommendations since 2015 to consumers seeking individual, group and Medicare coverage.
Emulsification is one of Citri-Fis many functional benefits that is unique to this natural fibers composition

Emulsifiers are the magic bullet when creating uniform oil and water mixtures. As a result, food and beverage products rely on these ingredients to create stable quality food that can withstand shelf-life conditions. However, today, consumers demand more natural sounding label declarations. This paradigm shift triggers food formulators to seek out alternatives for starches, gums and chemical emulsifiers. Yet, the marketplace offers few natural options. And, those available solutions tend to have limited stability over time which negatively affects the food quality. On the other hand, Citri-Fi, a natural functional fiber, provides clean label emulsification to a variety of food and beverages while maintaining stability and quality over shelf life.

Citri-Fi citrus fiber is produced from byproduct of the citrus juicing process. The clean patented process opens up the fiber to provide high surface area. As a result, this is one of several mechanisms enabling emulsification to occur. Due to a recent research study, scientists mapped out Citri-Fis natural emulsification mechanisms.

We are excited to provide our global Customer base with a detailed road map in how to create high quality foods requiring a clean label emulsifier, says John Haen, President and CEO. Emulsification is one of Citri-Fis many functional benefits that is unique to this natural fibers composition.

This in-depth multi-factorial study involved testing different oils, concentrations and ratios to name a few criteria. As a result, this research demonstrated that Citri-Fi is a low-energy emulsifier. In other words, this clean label fiber emulsifies using very little shear unlike other emulsifiers in the marketplace.

For instance, food developers working on clean label emulsified sauces save significant development time using predictive tools developed from this study. The recommended use level will depend on several compositional aspects which affect emulsification and stability. The study's factors include the amount of oil or fat used, the type of oil used and the desired thickness.

Here, Citri-Fi creates a homogeneous emulsion under room temperature, freeze/thaw or at elevated temperature conditions. Citri-Fi works with a wide variety of oils. As a result, developers optimize their formulations according to the melting point of the oil to reach a homogeneous emulsion. These emulsions are very stable for at least 6 months or even longer. Moreover, when the oil ratio changes from 60% to 70%, the emulsion phase inverts from oil-in-water to water-in-oil, which increases the variety of applicable food products.

Citri-Fi is non-GMO, non-allergenic and gluten-free. This natural fiber has no E-number. And Citri-Fi can be labeled as citrus fiber, dried citrus pulp or citrus flour which resonate well in the clean label and natural food markets.

Fiberstar continues to be the leader in utilizing citrus fiber science to improve food and beverages globally, says Mr. Haen. We recently launched a series of product application videos on our website including one on the emulsification properties which further demonstrates our dedication to Customers.

For more information about the clean label emulsification research, please contact Dr. Brock Lundberg, Ph.D. at +1 (651) 271-0328.

About Fiberstar, Inc.

Fiberstar, Inc. http://www.FiberstarIngredients.com is a privately held innovative biotechnology Company focused on enhancing food performance by manufacturing and marketing value-added, plant-based food ingredients. Its largest brand, Citri-Fi, is a natural, highly functional fiber produced sustainably from citrus fruit. The physical patented process creates the high water holding and clean label emulsification properties. Citri-Fi is GRAS, non-allergenic, non-GMO and has no E-number. This functional fiber line benefits meat, dairy, bakery, gluten-free, dressings, sauces, frozen food, beverages and pet food through textural improvements, nutritional enhancements and/or cost savings. Headquartered in River Falls, Wisconsin with manufacturing in Florida and Wisconsin, Fiberstar sells products globally in over 65 countries.
Brian Boitano The kitchen is the nucleus of the house. So when we started the overall house redesign, we focused our attention on the kitchen first. Everything was centered on entertainingfrom small and unplugged, to large and elegant.

BlueStar, manufacturer of handcrafted, high-performance appliances for the home, is proud to announce that Olympic Gold Medalist, Brian Boitano, has joined its illustrious group of All-Star Chefs, including top chefs Michael Symon and Marc Vetri, among others, who are passionate about achieving restaurant-quality results at home.

Boitano expanded his interests into an array of fields. He turned his love of cooking into a television show and a cookbook. Boitanos adventures skating abroad influenced his style of cooking, as did his Italian heritage. In Boitanos world great food always has been a key part of any gathering, and many of his dishes are inspired by memorable family recipes. He demonstrates this passion by putting his own spin on irresistible, accessible dishes like White Bean/Onion/Artichoke Bruschetta and Chocolate Almond Panna Cotta, many of which he compiled in his best-selling cookbook, "What Would Brian Boitano Make?

For Brians Seared Scallops with Creamless Creamed Corn and Bacon Lardons recipe, click https://bit.ly/2VzlKIG.

A San Francisco resident for over 30 years, Boitano purchased his home in the mid 1990s, after falling in love with its peerless views of Alcatraz and the Golden Gate Bridge. While he did an initial facelift when he first moved in, Boitano is now completing a major renovation of the entire home, with the kitchen being one of the most exciting new spaces.

The kitchen is the nucleus of the house. So when we started the overall house redesign, we focused our attention on the kitchen first. Everything was centered on entertainingfrom small and unplugged, to large and elegant, said Boitano.

The kitchen design was inspired by the Italian countryside and has the air of an ageless, rustic Tuscan village; it is highlighted by the range hood wall that is covered in handmade lacquered Fireclay wall tiles. I wanted an open floor plan with the option to close off the space for charity functions and events. I eventually found huge pocket doors to separate the dining room from the kitchen, said Boitano.

Boitano sought out appliances that would replicate the power and performance of restaurant equipment so he could entertain like a pro at home and, at the same time, fit his personal design aesthetic. His new kitchen is outfitted with BlueStar appliances, including a range, salamander broiler, ventilation hood and a refrigerator that he custom designed to suit his performance and design needs.

The BlueStar honey yellow 48 Platinum range offers unsurpassed power and performance featuring industry-leading 25,000 BTU open burners, an innovative interchangeable griddle/charbroiler and a true European Convection PowR Oven. Boitano loves the powerful cooktop with even, open burners, and, he said, I really love the industrial lines, the black grates and the contrasting beautiful yellow color. Its like a piece of art.

He particularly is excited about the Salamander Broiler so he can get a crisp exterior on steaks. The Salamander adds a special layer of commercial quality with a four-position, adjustable grilling rack and two independently controlled 11,000 BTU infrared ceramic burners which deliver perfect results, from Boitanos crispy chicken to delicately broiled crab cakes.

Boitanos kitchen suite is completed by the 36 Built-in Refrigerator in Agate Grey to match perfectly with his cabinets. Boitano opted to match his cabinets to the refrigerator color selected for a seamless look. Boitano had a deep palette from which to select: BlueStar is the only pro-style appliance brand to offer virtually unlimited options for personalization, including more than 750 colors and trims, as well custom colors. While mixing colors on appliances previously did not enter into the design plans, BlueStars unique ability to precisely match any color was an unexpected, yet perfect solution and allowed Boitano to design a truly bespoke kitchen. Its a great combination of grey with this extraordinary yellow. The appliances are definitely my favorite elements of the kitchen.

The BlueStar Built-In Refrigerator features a dual compressor system  one for the fridge and another for the freezer  for optimum food preservation and advanced odor control. It is perfectly designed to fit extra-large pans prepped with pastries or hors d'oeuvres that can go straight from the refrigerator or freezer into an oversized BlueStar oven, another brand hallmark. When special occasions come around, the shelves are fully flexible to handle large food trays or oversized cakes.

I never had the space to store over-sized pans before. For instance, I could not stockpile polenta bites and cool them to cut and now I can. It all boils down to sheet pans and baking dishes for me. So whether entertaining or preparing things ahead of time, I now have ample storage, from cooling to freezing, he said.

Proper ventilation is also important, said Boitano. Boitanos kitchen features a custom BlueStar Hood Liner with a remote blower. My prior kitchen had no vent hood. It would get smoky in the kitchen, and we would have to open all the windows. I wanted a hood that would literally suck the smoke out of the kitchen, and the BlueStar liner, with its powerful 600 CFM blower, does just that.

Designed and built in Pennsylvania since 1880, BlueStar cooking, refrigeration and ventilation products are handcrafted for discerning home chefs who demand restaurant-quality results in their own kitchens. The award-winning line includes high-performance gas ranges, cooktops, electric and gas wall ovens, complementary kitchen ventilation hoods, induction cooktops and premium refrigeration. For more information, please visit http://www.bluestarcooking.com.
English French

 Construction pace is adapted to ensure optimal use of current resources

 55% of detailed engineering completed in Shawinigan as of April 30, 2019

 Quality hydroxide products steadily produced out of the Phase 1 plant

QUEBEC CITY, May 16, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Nemaska Lithium Inc. (the Corporation) (TSX: NMX) (OTCQX: NMKEF) (Frankfurt: N0T) today provides an update on the overall Whabouchi project and discloses its quarterly financials.

We have made good overall progress during the past months on both the construction at the Whabouchi mine and the detailed engineering at the Shawinigan plant. While we are carefully managing cash at our disposal, we are also reviewing financing opportunities and strategic alternatives with the help of our financial advisors. We are diligently proceeding one step at a time towards achieving our ultimate goals within the best possible timeframe in the best interest of all our stakeholders, said Guy Bourassa, President and CEO of Nemaska Lithium.

As at March 31, 2019, the Corporation had on hand CAD $262.3M in unrestricted cash and cash equivalents and the equivalent in CAD $522M of restricted cash and in-trust deposits (mainly bond proceeds). As at March 31, 2019, CAD $190.1M has been incurred for the Whabouchi mine, and CAD $111.4M for the Shawinigan electrochemical plant.

Construction Execution Plan Underway

At Whabouchi, the foundations for the primary, secondary and tertiary crushers are completed and structural steel installation is well advanced. Furthermore, concrete pouring and backfilling are nearing completion, electric distribution is completed, and the construction camp, its cafeteria and training facilities are fully functional. About 50% of the crushing, ore sorting and concentrator equipment has been received, and most of it has been installed.

In Shawinigan, detailed engineering work for the electrochemical plant continues. The progress achieved over the past few months will be reflected in the updated 43-101 Technical Report  Feasability Study expected to be completed in June. As at April 30, 2019, the detailed engineering progress was estimated at approximately 55% complete, which will add considerable knowledge to the project that could translate into cost savings in the subsequent bidding and procurement process set to resume upon completion of the project financing.

As previously mentioned, the construction pace at both the Whabouchi mine and the Shawinigan plant has been adapted to ensure an optimal and efficient use of current resources. In addition, the majority of BBAs recommendations received at the end of April have been implemented.

Financing alternatives under review

The dual-track financing action plan and review process of all available alternatives is underway as the Corporation is, with the assistance of Clarksons Platou Securities and National Bank Financial, in touch with different parties and analyzing potential available options. The reception of the BBA report at the end of April 2019 was a key element in advancing these discussions as it provided validation of the cost-to-complete estimate and the operational strategy.

Constant Deliveries Out of the Phase 1 Plant

Activities out of the Phase 1 plant continue at a steady pace. High purity lithium hydroxide monohydrate commercial samples are delivered every week to current and potential clients internationally.

Conference Call

Nemaska Lithium will host a conference call on May 16, 2019 at 10:30 am EST. The Corporations President and CEO, Mr. Guy Bourassa, will discuss this mornings announcement. The call can be accessed at the following:

Online:

https://edge.media-server.com/m6/p/8ygntgrn

Dial information:

US/CANADA Participant Toll-Free Dial-In Number: (866) 353-6129

US/CANADA Participant International Dial-In Number: +1 (409) 217-8084

Conference ID: 6769469

About Nemaska Lithium

Nemaska Lithium Inc. is a developing chemical company whose activities will be vertically integrated, from spodumene mining to the commercialization of high-purity lithium hydroxide and lithium carbonate. These lithium salts are mainly destined for the fast-growing lithium-ion battery market, which is driven by the increasing demand for electric vehicles and energy storage worldwide. With its products and processes, the Corporation intends to facilitate access to green energy, for the benefit of humanity.

The Corporation will be operating the Whabouchi mine in Quebec, Canada, one of the richest lithium spodumene deposits in the world, both in volume and grade. The spodumene concentrate produced at the Whabouchi mine will be processed at the Shawinigan plant using a unique membrane electrolysis process for which the Corporation holds several patents.

The Corporation is a member of the S&P/TSX SmallCap Index, S&P/TSX Global Mining Index, S&P/TSX Global Base Metals Index, S&P/TSX Equal Weight Global Base Metals Index, and the MSCI Canada Small Cap Index. For more information, visit www.nemaskalithium.com or twitter.com/Nemaska Lithium.

Cautionary Statement on Forward-Looking Information

All statements, other than statements of historical fact, contained in this press release including, but not limited to, those relating to preserving cash on hand, obtaining the additional capital required to enable the Corporation to complete construction, the careful management fo the Corporations resources, including cash, the ability to meet funding and other conditions under the streaming agreement and the senior secured bonds, the expected unfolding of construction and commissioning as well as the anticipated start of production at the Whabouchi mine and Shawinigan plant sites on a timely basis, constitute forward-looking information and forward-looking statements within the meaning of certain securities laws and are based on expectations and projections as of the date of this press release. Certain important assumptions by the Corporation in making forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the obtaining of the additional capital required to fulfill the conditions precedent to receive the remaining proceeds from the project financing being the second tranche payment under the Streaming facility and the Bonds offering proceeds.

Forward-looking statements contained in this press release include, without limitation, those related to (i) the review of financing opportunities and strategic alternatives to complete the project financing, (ii) the addition of considerable knowledge depth as a result of detailed engineering progress, (iii) the cost savings in subsequent bidding and procurement process set to resume after financing, (iv) the optimal and efficient use of current resources until financing is completed, (v) the existence of potential financing opportunities to carry the project through commercial production, (vi) the completion of an updated NI 43-101 Technical Report  Feasibility Study, and (vii) generally, the above About Nemaska Lithium paragraph which essentially describes the Corporations outlook. Forward-looking statements are based on expectations, estimates and projections as of the time of this press release. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by the Corporation as of the time of such statements, are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies. These estimates and assumptions may prove to be incorrect.

Many of these uncertainties and contingencies can directly or indirectly affect, and could cause, actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in any forward-looking statements. There can be no assurance that additional funding or any other strategic alternatives can be available, that the Corporation will meet conditions under the streaming facility and the bonds and that the Whabouchi mine and/or the electrochemical plant in Shawinigan will be commissioned and will begin production, as future events could differ materially what is currently anticipated by the Corporation.

By their very nature, forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties, both general and specific, and risks exist that estimates, forecasts, projections and other forward-looking statements will not be achieved or that assumptions do not reflect future experience. Forward-looking statements are provided for the purpose of providing information about managements expectations and plans relating to the future. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements as a number of important risk factors and future events could cause the actual outcomes to differ materially from the beliefs, plans, objectives, expectations, anticipations, estimates, assumptions and intentions expressed in such forward-looking statements. All of the forward-looking statements made in this press release are qualified by these cautionary statements and those made in our other filings with the securities regulators of Canada including, but not limited to, the cautionary statements made in the Risk Factors section of the Corporations Annual Information Form dated October 10, 2018, and the Risk Exposure and Management section of the Corporations quarterly Management Discussion & Analysis. The Corporation cautions that the foregoing list of factors that may affect future results is not exhaustive, and new, unforeseeable risks may arise from time to time. The Corporation disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements or to explain any material difference between subsequent actual events and such forward-looking statements, except to the extent required by applicable law.

Further information regarding Nemaska Lithium is available in the SEDAR database (www.sedar.com) and on the Corporations website at: www.nemaskalithium.com .

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:

Victor Cantore

Investor Relations

514 831-3809

victor.cantore@nemaskalithium.com Wanda Cutler

Investor Relations

416 303-6460

wanda.cutler@nemaskalithium.com



Gabrielle Tellier

Media Relations

514 348-0466

gabrielle.tellier@nemaskalithium.com

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at:

http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/66723b06-221c-4aec-9b4b-0244f78cfaf8

http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/21aa212a-0b28-4643-9fc7-eaa0484ad5ad

http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/606c53af-f921-4539-9809-d57ab7d4e5cc

http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/a0a73d55-a9df-4a3a-9749-134f2a9d4198
George Tannous, Director of Marketing for Europe, Middle East, Turkey and Africa Genetec, Inc. Genetec is continuing its rapid expansion in the region and is looking to further add to its global team of 1,300 talented employees

Genetec Inc. (Genetec), a leading technology provider of unified security, public safety, operations, and business intelligence solutions today announced a number of strategic hires in Europe to support the companys sustained growth in both Europe and the Middle East.

Francesco Serra, has taken on the role of Vice President of Sales for Europe, based in the Genetec European headquarters in Paris. Having held senior roles with Siemens, Avaya and Polycom, Francesco brings over 25 years of management experience in the technology industry. His extensive background in sales and sales management will be an asset to the Genetec leadership team as the company continues to accelerate its growth in this region. In his new role, Francesco will be responsible for driving the Genetec European sales and channel operations to deliver on the company's ambitious growth plans.

"We are excited to welcome Francesco to the Genetec team. His industry experience and sales acumen will help us to continue to propel our business forward in Europe by building on our existing successes and opening up new market opportunities under his leadership, added Michel Chalouhi, Vice-President of Global Sales at Genetec.

With over 15 years of experience in global partner management, and an MBA from Western University's Ivey school of business, Georges Tannous has taken on the new position of Director of Marketing for Europe, Middle East, Turkey and Africa. Also based in Paris, Georges will lead the companys EMEA marketing teams and guide the continued growth of the Genetec brand in the region while continuing to oversee the companys global portfolio of strategic technology alliance partners. A key player in the global Genetec Marketing Leadership program, Georges will work closely with the sales organization to build powerful demand generation, channel engagement, and end user awareness programs.

Francesco and Georges are experienced leaders with impressive track records of driving high-performance sales and marketing teams. They bring considerable experience to our European sales and marketing organization, as we continue to accelerate our growth and expand into new regions such as East Central Europe, said Guy Chenard, Chief Commercial Officer at Genetec.

Continuing the sales and marketing expansion in Europe, security industry veteran, Jakub Kozak, has joined Genetec to become the companys new Regional Sales Manager for East Central Europe. Having held senior sales position in the region with Axis communications, and L3 Technologies, Jakub will be responsible for expanding the companys footprint in Eastern Europe.

With ever-increasing increasing market demands for powerful, enterprise-class IP video surveillance, access control, license plate recognition, and business intelligence solutions, Genetec has enjoyed a compound annual revenue growth rate (CAGR) of 30 percent for the last 10 years. With flagship European customers that include Paris, Rome, and Schiphol airports, The Danish Police, Twickenham Stadium and The University of Hull, the company is continuing its rapid expansion in the region and is looking to further add to its global team of 1,300 talented employees. For more information on how to join our team, please visit: https://www.genetec.com/about-us/careers/why-us

About Genetec

Genetec Inc. is an innovative technology company with a broad solutions portfolio that encompasses security, intelligence, and operations. The companys flagship product, Security Center, is an open-architecture platform that unifies IP-based video surveillance, access control, automatic license plate recognition (ANPR), communications, and analytics. Genetec also develops cloud-based solutions and services designed to improve security, and contribute new levels of operational intelligence for governments, enterprises, transport, and the communities in which we live. Founded in 1997, and headquartered in Montreal, Canada, Genetec serves its global customers via an extensive network of resellers, integrators, certified channel partners, and consultants in over 80 countries.

For more information about Genetec, visit: http://www.genetec.com

 Genetec Inc., 2019. Genetec, Genetec Clearance, and the Genetec logo are trademarks of Genetec Inc. and may be registered or pending registration in several jurisdictions. Other trademarks used in this document may be trademarks of the manufacturers or vendors of the respective product.
Susan L. Heller and Gretchen A. Ramos of global law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLP have been named among the Top Women Lawyers for 2019 by the Daily Journal. The prestigious annual award honors women attorneys who demonstrate excellence and make a difference to their clients, firm, and the legal profession.

We congratulate Susan and Gretchen on this well-deserved honor, said Matthew B. Gorson, Greenberg Traurigs senior chairman. They consistently distinguish themselves within the firm and legal community through their integrity, leadership, and professional accomplishments on behalf of their clients.

The Daily Journals Top Women Lawyers in California are chosen from among hundreds of nominees, using a rigorous selection process to identify women attorneys who distinguish themselves in both their area of practice and the legal field.

Heller, co-managing shareholder of Greenberg Traurigs Orange County office, chair of the Global Trademark & Brand Management Group, and co-chair of the global Greenberg Traurig Womens Initiative, is consistently recognized as having one of the preeminent international trademark practices in the country and for being a game-changer in the field. When the stakes are high and critical brands are at risk, Fortune 500 companies, world champion athletes, high-net-worth individuals, A-list celebrities, and highly visible pre-IPO companies turn to Heller for her strategic thought leadership and counsel, honed by three decades of experience. At the forefront of global strategic management and monetization of big name brands on a worldwide level, she is known for developing cutting-edge branding strategies, most notably in "bet-the-brand," high stakes trademark cases. Heller works directly with CEOs and senior executives, in and out of corporate boardrooms. Her practice has spanned over 30 years across virtually every industry and in most jurisdictions throughout the world.

As co-chair of Greenberg Traurigs Womens Initiative, Heller is dedicated to promoting the inclusion and advancement of women in the legal profession through unique programming and resources designed to benefit the firms attorneys, clients, and the local communities in which the Greenberg Traurig family lives and works. In addition to her involvement with this global Womens Initiative, Heller has been a strong voice supporting womens empowerment for decades: she was a member of the steering Committee of the San Francisco Mayors Summit for Women; is a board member of Orange Countys Human Options, an organization focused on breaking the cycle of domestic violence; and is a former chair of the Womens Business Forum. She also serves on the Deans Advisory Board of the UCI Merage School of Business, Executive Committee of the USC IP Institute, and Cornell Universitys President's Council of Cornell Women. The National Diversity Council named Heller one of the Top 50 Women Lawyers in the US; Euromoney named her the winner of its Americas Women in Business Law Awards, Best in Trademark, for two consecutive years; Best Lawyers in America twice named her Lawyer of the Year in Trademark Law for Los Angeles; and Marquis Whos Who recognized her with the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award.

Ramos is co-chair of the Data, Privacy & Cybersecurity Practice and a member of the firms San Francisco office. She works closely with her clients to manage data and leverage its value in ways to meet compliance obligations as well as deliver value to the business and instill consumer trust. Clients appreciate not only her legal skills, but also her direct, no-nonsense approach to client service and her creativity in identifying possible solutions, and the risks associated with each option, to their most complicated privacy issues so in-house counsel is able to quickly determine the best course for their organization.

Ramos is a go-to counsel for data protection compliance. She provides clients with practical business advice on compliance with various state data protection laws, including the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), federal laws such as HIPAA, CAN-SPAM, and the GLBA, global laws, such as the EUs General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), and counsels them how to structure global data protection programs. Her clients come from diverse industries, including technology (SaaS), health care and life sciences, fintech, blockchain, consumer products, retail, and manufacturing. Her experience working with various industries allows her to quickly assess options and risks, and guide clients, including numerous genomic data companies, in resolving complicated privacy issues.

Ramos regularly works with clients on the data protection issues that keep GCs up at night, and advises companies on how to incorporate privacy-by-design into their products, apps, and operations. She drafts and negotiates contracts concerning data-related vendors and licensing issues, assists clients in assessing privacy risks in M&A transactions, and conducts privacy and security assessments. She has managed dozens of data breaches, and works with her clients to ensure they are prepared to immediately respond to security incidents and breaches. Earlier this year, Ramos was one of 17 attorneys honored as a Top Cyber Lawyer by the Daily Journal.

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.
Harri, the leading workplace management solution for restaurants and hotels, today announced new innovations that elevate the capabilities of its core labor management platform, Workforce OS, which helps hospitality business build, manage, and engage their teams. Harri Live, the most effective mobile app offered to frontline managers, headlines these new expansions amongst next-generation enhancements to Harris suite of products including Scheduling, Learning Management, Analytics & Reporting and Integrations.

After announcing the introduction of the Workforce OS nearly a year ago, weve taken monumental strides to deliver on our core mission; to build the deepest, richest and smartest technology platform available to strategically manage our industrys greatest asset, said Luke Fryer, Founder and CEO of Harri. The days of building, managing, and engaging teams through fragmented, one-off technologies are no longer an option given todays operating environment. Were immensely proud to announce these amazing milestones and are invigorated by the continuous innovation thats deeply rooted in our customer-centric values.

According to Harris Data Intelligence team, sub-90 day turnover represents nearly $70 billion of wasted labor costs a year to the restaurant industry. When considering the impact of those turnover events to guest experience and sales, the net losses are even greater. The opportunity to help restaurants regain the employee retention initiative starts with recognizing that 65% of employees leave in the first 90 days due to scheduling dissatisfaction. Given such a compelling trend, Harri has released the first in a series of powerful new scheduling and employee development tools to address the industry's greatest economic opportunity.

Designed to support restaurant partners, Harris most recent innovations include:



Harri Live: The most powerful mobile application on the market granting frontline managers the ability to access live sales and labor data, full scheduling management, employee requests, communications, live compliance alerts and team data in one place, on the go.

Smart Scheduling System: This next generation scheduling technology saves managers time in building and optimizing schedules by combining seamless demand forecasting, activity based manning matrices and streamlined schedule distribution. An optimized sales forecast and schedule for a 50 employee full-service operation can now be created and published in a handful of minutes instead of hours.

Learning Management System: To be progressively introduced over 2019, this LMS will be the first in market to intelligently respond to both an employees stage in the employment lifecycle as well as their individual employment needs. The first module - Workplace Harassment & Discrimination Training - directly addresses training needs specific to sexual harassment and related local regulation.

The aforementioned products work in conjunction with Harris existing Workforce OS platform, connecting over 250 top hospitality brands with the talent, technology, and insights needed to help build, manage and engage talent. With more than 30 modules, Workforce OS provides solutions for talent acquisition, employer branding, applicant tracking, scheduling, communications, compliance, analytics, and more.

About Harri

Harri offers a next-generation software technology platform that helps hospitality business build, manage, and engage their teams. With more than 30 modules, the platform provides solutions for talent acquisition, employer branding, applicant tracking, scheduling, time & attendance, communications, compliance, and analytics. With 1.4m job seekers and 10,000 employers, Harri is a best in class solution that helps solve for the labor-related challenges that plague the hospitality industry. Based in New York City, Harri works with top hospitality brands including Radisson Hotel Group, CAVA, Snooze A.M. Eatery, Burger King, ThinkFoodGroup and more. For more information visit http://www.harri.com

Media Contact

harri@icrinc.com
Burford Perry LLP, a Houston business litigation law firm, has announced that it will offer a $1,000 scholarship to help those diagnosed with Autism pursue a higher education. The scholarship will provide tuition assistance to the winning applicant at a university, junior college, or trade school.

Autism or Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a developmental disorder that impairs an individuals ability to communicate and interact socially. Autism or ASD includes many other types of developmental and communicative disorders, such as Asperger Syndrome, which is probably most well known for an individuals uncontrollable use of language. Asperger Syndrome and all types of Autism make it difficult for individuals to make eye contact, express their feelings, and handle social situations. Additionally, Autism can cause individuals to engage in repetitive behaviors, obsessive interests, or struggle to keep a conversation going. The entire legal team at Burford Perry LLP hopes that by offering this scholarship, the firm can help students with Autism overcome challenges and pursue a higher education.

Any U.S. citizen who has been diagnosed with Autism is eligible to apply for the scholarship. Applicants do not need to be attending school at the time of the application, but the scholarship must be utilized within one year of the award.

Anyone interested in applying for the scholarship can visit the firms website, where all important information and the application for the scholarship can be found. Applications must be submitted no later than February 10, 2020 and the winner will be notified no later than June 22, 2020.

Questions or concerns regarding the application or the process should be directed to the address below. Individuals are urged to submit questions via email or through the contact form on the website.

Burford Perry LLP

2 Houston Center

909 Fannin, Suite 2630

Houston, TX 77010

mparks(at)burfordperry.com

https://burfordperry.com/
We like to do things a lot different. We literally build each others business, as we make more money, we give back to the community.

Nolen Davis, holder of Guinness Book of World Records, founder and host of UP Social Live, together with members build businesses and the community. UP Social Network is a Houston business networking group that helps build members businesses. As these businesses grow, each or collectively find a way to give back to the community.

In a recent move to help the disadvantaged in Houston, Mr. Davis and his business network gave 10,000 pounds of food (5,000 pounds of beans and 5,000 pounds of rice) to a food drive with Jammin Jimmy Olson that helps stock the Houston Food Bank.

Many people go hungry in Houston, so giving to the Food Bank helps, but many families do not have disposable income to pay for fun stuff. Mr. Davis and his network know this, so to keep them happy, he took 55 young kids with disabilities from low income neighborhoods to the IFly of The Woodlands were these kids experienced indoor skydiving.

When asked how UP Social is different from another business networking groups, Mr. Nolen respond by saying, We like to do things a lot different. We literally build each others business, as we make more money, we give back to the community.

UP Social is a group to reckon with. If the group is not giving to the community, it is setting out to be different; to shattering records. In 2016, Mr. Davis broke the Guinness Book of World Records for most TV interviews within a 24 hours period. To achieve this feat, Mr. Davis interviewed 173 business owners in 24 hours during this UP Social event. The record before that was 70 interviews in 24 hours, so Mr. Davis and his UP Social network beat the record by 103 interviews.

When asked how he would compare UP Social with any other business networking group in Houston.

Mr. Davis retorted, How many networking groups can you join and say they broke the Guinness Book of World Record?

There really is none. UP Social is in its own class with livestreaming and digital networking. It is the business network to join  that is if an entrepreneur wants to grow his business and make a difference in his community. To join UP Social Network, go to its Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/upsociallive.

About UP Social Network

UP Social is a weekly networking group for business owners with many locations throughout Houston. Each session of the networking is livestreamed over Youtube, Facebook and other social media. During this livestream, members can promote businesses, learn from each other or from free workshops. Members and none-members who cannot attend live events, watch and network from their computers or phones.

About Vids Inc.

Vids Inc. offers personalized, full-service video production and marketing solutions. The company has been helping businesses to increase sales through video for over ten years. They offer a personalized level of full-service video production that few companies can match. Employee expertise, customer service and commitment shine through in every Vids Inc video. For more information, go to https://www.vidsinc.com/ or call 281-968-8437.

Contact Information:

Vids Inc & UpSocial

Mr. Nolen Davis, CEO

Tel: 281-968-8437

@upsociallive

https://www.facebook.com/upsociallive

Nolen Davis on Fox26 Houston. See video here:

https://www.fox26houston.com/isiah-factor-uncensored/403527379-video

This press release is distributed through EmailWire.com: http://www.emailwire.com.
Bringing talent and forward thinking together, IDGC will leverage the funding expertise of Liberty Capital and its own vision of the future of smart cities and the Internet of Things, noted Harry Orfanos, IDGC CEO. He continued, In this way, IDGC can cement their place as a leading innovator in t

Dear Shareholder:

As previously announced on or about Apr 7, 2019, small business funding specialist, Liberty Capital Group, Inc. is in the process of completing the acquisition of a controlling interest from Sebastien DuFort. In that regard, ID Global is pleased to announce a new corporation direction and management changes moving forward.

Effective Apr 1, 2019 Global will add two principals of Liberty Capital Group officers and members of the Board of Directors. Harry Orfanos joined ID Global as CEO and Chairman of the Board of Directors and Adrian Dalsey joined ID Global as President and a member of the Board of Directors. Sebastien Dufort will remain a Board member.

Management is currently developing a new corporate focus and vision, which it intends to announce when completed.

Liberty Capital Group anticipates completing the acquisition of a controlling interest sometime in May 2019. Sebastien DuFort effectively controlled ID Global, its business activities and reporting activities prior to that date. ID Globals annual report for 2018 is under attorney review. Upon completion of that review, ID Global intends to seek approval of OTC Markets to remove the yield sign. Management intends to provide regular communication to ID Globals shareholders on our efforts.

Initially, our main corporate vision is expected to focus on the fragmented Internet of Things market, including possibly acquiring companies operating in that industry. Of course, completely acquisitions is dependent on external factors, including raising needed acquisition and working capital. ID Global will look to support innovation and provide management expertise to any businesses so acquired. Management is presently looking for investment opportunities with a focus on operating companies that bring new ideas to IoT development and other areas of technological advancement.

ID Globals acquisition strategy will focus on operating companies in which management desire to remain in such capacities post-acquisition. ID Global intends to support any acquisitions and to augment management expertise in an effort to consolidate technology integration procedures and resources. ID Globals goal, with the support of Liberty Capital Group, is to provide acquisition targets, from early stage to profitability to spin-off strategy, access to capital.

With its new management in place and changed business strategy, the Liberty Capital Groups acquisition promises to strengthen ID Globals position and adjust to the changing demands of IoT industry. In this way, management believes that ID Global is now well-placed to exploit opportunities across the Internet of Things eco-system and other technology driven markets.

We look to actively develop our smart grid eco-system platform through strategic acquisitions and partnerships. IDGC, as a platform consolidator and operator, would like to be at the forefront of Industry 4.0 and whats now a fragmented IoT Industry with numerous growth opportunities.

We appreciate your patience and blessings!

About ID Global Corp:

ID GLOBAL CORP is a publicly traded (OTC: IDGC) diversified holding company, which seeks to acquire and consolidate the Smart City (IoT) 4.0 industry.

We look to consolidate and roll up a highly fragmented new Internet of Things (IoT) applications and 4.0 industries which enable Smart City development. Our products and services are anticipated to provide the ability to remotely monitor, manage and control devices, and to create new insights and actionable information from real-time data. With the use of sensors and data analysis we look to connect intelligence, efficiency and a better, smarter way of life.

Contact Information:

IDGlobal Corporation

Investor Relations

Website: http://www.IDGC.io

Email: IR(at)idgc.io

Phone: 888-233-7448

About Liberty Capital Group, Inc.

Liberty Capital Group, Inc. is headquartered in San Diego, California USA, Americas Finest City. As a stakeholder in the American Dream, Liberty Capital Group is a minority and woman-owned privately-held company. Both founders, Jules A. Dalsey, CEO with a long-time business partner and co-founder, Duyen B. Dalsey as the COO are rooted with inspiration. As a California Licensed Lender and Broker, Liberty Capital Group provides full spectrum of business funding from unsecured working capital, short-term loans and advances as well as equipment lease and factoring.

Contact Information:

Liberty Capital Group, Inc.

Contact: Adrian Dalsey, CEO

http://www.libertycapitalgroup.com

Email: managers(at)libertycapitalgroup.com

Toll-Free: 888-789-4365

Headquarter:

1011 Camino Del Rio S, #440A

San Diego, CA 92108
Impact21_logo "We knew we had expertise and insight that could help the industries we worked in. Since starting out, the depth of trust our clients have given us over and over is such an honor." Lesley Saitta, Impact 21 Chief Executive Officer

Impact 21, a global retail consulting, analytics, and services company, announced its 21st year in business. Impact 21 was established in 1998 as a privately held business, owned and operated in Lexington, KY. Founders Lesley Saitta and Lisa Stewart will share industry insights over the coming weeks on the Impact 21 blog.

Lesley Saitta, Impact 21s Chief Executive Officer, said, I cant believe it has been twenty-one years already. When Lisa and I started the company, we werent entirely sure how it would go. We knew we had expertise and insight that could help the industries we worked in. Since starting out, the depth of trust our clients have given us over and over is such an honor. We are so grateful to our clients, our team and industry supporters for helping us reach this milestone; and, we cant wait to see what the next twenty-one years hold.

The company has grown significantly over the past two decades. Lesley and Lisa started the company with the goal to positively impact the convenience retail industry. Over the years, Impact 21 has helped many of its clients grow and become more successful by offering consultation and guidance that is truly unique. Since its inception, the company has broadened its expertise and expanded its offerings to other channels. Some of the industries currently served by Impact 21 include:



Convenience/Fuel Retailing

Oil Companies & Independent Refiners

Truck Stops and Travel Plazas

Foodservice

Specialty Retail

Small Format Retail

CPG

Solution Providers

The company now includes close to 40 consultants with expertise in project management, customer engagement and loyalty, business strategy, operations, and IT analysis, serving clients from around the world. In 2017, Impact 21 broadened its impact through a strategic alliance with Hanifin Loyalty, which delivers consulting, analytics, and marketing related services in the areas of loyalty marketing, payment systems, and marketing technology.

Lisa Stewart, Impact 21s President, added We have grown so much since Lesley and I first started the company. We are very thankful to our talented team who helped bring our vision to life. We are proud that our team has stayed so active in the industry. This has been pivotal to evolving Impact 21 and bringing new business strategies to our clients.

Over the next several months, both Saitta and Stewart will share insider stories as well as best practices for c-stores and retailers on a variety of topics. These stories will be shared on Impact Insights, the company blog, and through social media channels.

Impact 21 looks forward to serving its clients and the industry for decades to come. The company extends its deep appreciation to all who have partnered with them over the years to help make this vision of bringing positive change a reality.

For further information regarding Impact 21, please visit http://www.impact21.com or call (859) 219-3040. Connect with them on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn for insightful industry trends and best practices.

About Impact 21

Impact 21 was founded in 1998 by industry experts and former retailers, Lesley Saitta and Lisa Stewart. The company is headquartered in Lexington, KY.

By offering a proven business model for integration of business and technology strategies, as well as a world class collaboration, project, and content management solutions, we position companies to drive profitability and enhance its customers experience.

Our experienced team of industry experts bring real-world solutions to manage and execute initiatives of all sizes and impact. We have a passion for driving business alignment for our clients and bringing thought leadership to all the industries and clients we serve.

For more information please visit http://www.impact21.com or call (859) 219-3040.

About Hanifin Loyalty

Hanifin Loyalty is a strategic marketing firm specializing in improving profitability among customer and employee groups through development and execution of data-driven customer marketing strategies. Since 2006, the company has served notable brands throughout North America & Latin American markets as well as in the EU and Asia Pacific regions.

Bill Hanifin, CEO Hanifin Loyalty is also the publisher of LoyaltyTruth.com and Co-founder of the Customer Strategy Network, a global alliance of independent CRM and loyalty marketing practitioners with membership covering 14 markets throughout the world. Bill is also a Director of the Wise Marketer Group, which publishes TheWiseMarketer.com, known as the singular unbiased global source of news and research for customer loyalty and marketing professionals.

For more information please visit https://impact21.com/our-services/customer-engagement-loyalty/ or call (954) 531-9277.
inLighten CEO Dan Snyder Donates $100,000 for Brothers of Mercy Campus Expansion inLighten looks for ways to contribute to our shared community, so that its a place where our employees enjoy living and working, and which offers valuable resources for their families.

Dan Snyder, President and CEO of inLighten, a Clarence-based media and digital signage company that services thousands of organizations worldwide, today announced through the company that he has personally donated $100,000 toward the construction of the Brothers of Mercys expanded assisted living/enhanced assisted living and memory care community at Bergtold and Ransom Roads in Clarence.

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 its 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 theyve 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. Im 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. inLightens headquarters and operations are located in Clarence, New York.
iteachU.S. and Easton Peak are partnering to bring the best of eastern and western culture together to benefit Chinese students. Through an innovative relationship, Chinese educators will have the opportunity to complete online educator preparation coursework based on American pedagogy to blend the strengths of both Chinese and American education systems.

iteach is a U.S. based education company that has certified more than 13,000 teachers through the combination and convenience of online learning with proven and applicable teaching strategies. Andrew Rozell, Director of Business Development at iteachU.S is excited about the new partnership and expansion of the iteachU.S. model, the world has become much smaller and incredibly interconnected. Rozell adds, With the new Easton Peak partnership, we are equipping teachers and subsequently, the leaders of tomorrow, with a more global and culturally diverse perspective.

Easton Peak Education Group is a global educational organization focusing on introducing Chinese students to western culture. EP's priority and key principles embody broadening the scope of international education and enriching a global society by fostering modern learning programs to benefit schools, institutions, industries and individuals. We are thrilled to collaborate with iTeach and bring the best attributes of both Chinese and American cultures to the educational forefront, remarks Mary Ho, Chief Learning Officer of Easton Peak.

Through this integrative partnership, iteachU.S. and Easton Peak aim to expand cultural learning into the Chinese classroom by providing Chinese teachers a proven, US-accredited, teacher training model. The result would be an introduction and exposure to a variety of western philosophies at the grade-school level.

About iteachU.S.

Founded in 2003, iteach helps talented people become teachers. Through rigorous, research-based training, iteach combines the convenience of online learning with the support of face-to-face mentorship while removing the barriers of high costs and time commitments of traditional teacher preparation programs. Having initially certified over 13,000 K-12 educators, iteach is working to solve the teacher shortage and enhance student achievement throughout the United States. Visit http://www.iteach.net for more information.

About Easton Peak

Easton Peak is an international education company focusing on introducing Chinese students to western culture. Easton Peak supports this mission by partnering with high-quality American partners to train Chinese teachers to implement western-based classroom pedagogy. Additionally, Easton Peak provides assistance for American teachers to find placements in Chinese schools and by operating an international exchange program for Elementary, Middle School and High School students.
New graduates recite the Osteopathic Oath As you graduate today, you will join more than nine thousand physicians and scientists from this University practicing all across the U.S"

Kansas City University (KCU) held the Commencement Ceremony for 362 osteopathic physicians and scientists on Saturday, May11, 2019, at Kansas Citys Municipal Auditorium. The Class of 2019 represents the largest class in the Universitys 103-year history.

KCU conferred the degree of Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine upon 235 graduates, several of whom concurrently earned dual- or triple- degrees that included a masters degree from KCUs College of Biosciences (COB) and Rockhurst University Helzberg School of Management.

Additionally, the University conferred upon 127 graduates the degree of Master of Science in biomedical sciences.

Marc B. Hahn, DO, President and CEO of KCU congratulated the graduates on their many years of hard work and dedication and noted the outstanding company they will keep as alumni of KCU.

As you graduate today, you will join more than nine thousand physicians and scientists from this University practicing all across the U.S. You will become part of an alumni base that has a national economic impact of more than $33 billion a year, and supports more than 180,000 jobs, Hahn said.

William Mayo, DO, president of the American Osteopathic Association and alumnus of KCU, delivered the keynote speech. Mayo noted the growth of the osteopathic medical profession and the success achieved by KCU graduates during the matching process for acceptance into graduate medical education residency programs across the country.

Today one in four medical school graduates comes from an osteopathic college. This year 99.57 percent of you matched into a residency program. Clearly, your distinctive education and philosophy is recognized and valued, Mayo said. The number of DOs has tripled in the past 30 years. There are now nearly 145,000 DOs and osteopathic medical students. We now represent more than 11% of the physicians in the U.S. and more than 20% of family physicians.

In the days leading up to the ceremony, the University recognized several outstanding students for their exemplary performance throughout their four years as KCU students.



Gregory John Starsiak, Jr., Presidents Award

Makenzie Hamilton, Deans Award

Nicholas Sullivan, Student DO of the Year

Chase Thomas Hobbs, Silver Stethoscope Award

Gregory Scott Brittenham, Jr. and Elizabeth Jayne York, Gold Stethoscope Award

Logan Joseph Brau, Sir William Osler Outstanding Student Award for Bioethics,

Aaron Keith Bartoe, COB Student of the Year Award

Chole Nagasawa, Research Track Student of the Year Award.

About Kansas City University

Kansas City University, founded in 1916, is a fully accredited, private health sciences university, with a College of Biosciences and a College of Osteopathic Medicine. The College of Osteopathic Medicine is the oldest medical school in Kansas City, Missouri, and the largest in the state. It is the leading provider of physicians within the state of Missouri and the second-leading provider of physicians in the state of Kansas.

KCU opened a second medical school in Joplin, Missouri, in 2017 to help address the growing need for primary care physicians in the regions rural communities.

The university also added a doctoral program in clinical psychology in 2017 to meet the growing demand for behavioral health providers in the region.
DALLAS, May 16, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- According to a new market report published by Lucintel, the future of the global pharmaceutical label market looks promising with opportunities in the bottles, blister packs, parenteral containers, pre-fillable syringes, pre-fillable inhalers, and pouches. The global pharmaceutical label market is expected to reach an estimated $6.5 billion by 2024 with a CAGR of 5.7% from 2018 to 2024. The major drivers for this market are growth in the pharmaceutical industry along with growing healthcare expenditures in developing economies.



Browse 95 market data tables and 125 figures spread through 195 pages and in-depth TOC on Global Pharmaceutical Label Market"

Free customization on reports https://www.lucintel.com/pharmaceutical-label-market.aspx

In this market, different types of pharmaceutical label such as pressure sensitive label, glue applied label, sleeve label, in mold label, and others are used as label. On the basis of comprehensive research, Lucintel forecasts that the pressure sensitive labels will remain the largest segment over the forecast period because these labels are versatile, convenient to use, and available in different designs and patterns.

Download Free PDF Brochure @ https://www.lucintel.com/pharmaceutical-label-market.aspx#/

North America is expected to remain the largest region due to recent technological advancements in pharmaceutical labels. APAC is expected to witness the highest growth rate over the forecast period due to its growing pharmaceutical industry and stronger prevention of counterfeit pharmaceutical products.

Pre-Purchase Query @ https://www.lucintel.com/pharmaceutical-label-market.aspx#/

Emerging trends, which have a direct impact on the dynamics of the pharmaceutical label industry, include increasing use of recyclable and biodegradable label products and adoption of expanded content label design. CCL Industries, 3M Company, Essentra, Avery Dennison Corporation, MCC Label, SATO Holding Corporation, and Consolidated Label and others are among the major pharmaceutical label manufacturers.

Lucintel, a leading global strategic consulting and market research firm, has analyzed and forecasted for the global pharmaceutical label market by label type, material, application, end use, and region and has come up with a comprehensive research report entitled  Growth Opportunities in the Global Pharmaceutical Label Market 2019-2024: Trends, Forecast, and Opportunity Analysis . The Lucintel report serves as a catalyst for growth strategy as it provides a comprehensive data and analysis on trends, key drivers, and directions.

For a detailed table of contents, contact Lucintel at +1-972-636-5056 or mail at helpdesk@lucintel.com




It is because of my loyal clients that I am able to do what I love every day and I am eternally grateful for them, and the trust they have in me.

Local real estate veteran Kevin Mihm was honored recently as the top Real Estate Agent in the 2019 Best of Wexford Awards, presented by Wexford Award Program. This is the second year in a row that Mihm was recognized for his professional leadership in real estate.

Mihm, an agent in the Adams Township/Seven Fields office of Howard Hanna Real Estate Services, has more than 30 years experience working with buyers and sellers in the North Pittsburgh market. During his extensive career, he has helped to close more than 2500 real estate transactions, making him one of the regions most successful and sought-after agents.

I am truly honored to receive this award for the second time, Mihm commented. It is because of my loyal clients that I am able to do what I love every day and I am eternally grateful for them, and the trust they have in me.

Mihms loyalty to his clients and community is proven in his long-time commitment to and in-depth knowledge of the northern Pittsburgh market. He is consistently committed to providing outstanding service through a hands-on approach which brings his clients back time and again when they need to buy or sell.

While Mihm has been recognized throughout his career with local, regional and national real estate awards, he says the greatest reward is the ability to work with amazing clients in a thriving market like Pittsburgh, and interact with the many other great agents in the real estate community.

About Wexford Award Program

The Wexford Award Program is an annual awards program honoring the achievements and accomplishments of local businesses throughout the Wexford area. Recognition is given to those companies that have shown the ability to use their best practices and implemented programs to generate competitive advantages and long-term value.

The Wexford Award Program was established to recognize the best of local businesses in our community. Our organization works exclusively with local business owners, trade groups, professional associations and other business advertising and marketing groups. Our mission is to recognize the small business community's contributions to the U.S. economy.

About Howard Hanna

Howard Hanna Real Estate Services is the 3rd largest real estate company in the United States, the #1 privately owned broker in the nation, and the largest home seller in Pennsylvania, Ohio and New York. The family-owned and operated real estate company specializes in residential and commercial brokerage service, mortgages, closing and title insurance, land development, appraisal services, property and casualty, corporate relocation, and property management. With 279 offices across PA, OH, NY, VA, MI, WV, NC, and MD, more than 9,200 sales associates and staff are guided by a spirit of integrity in all aspects of the real estate process. For more information, visit http://www.howardhanna.com, or http://www.facebook.com/howardhanna
Nissan Summer of SUVs Event for Limited Time at Krenzen.

Shoppers who are in the market for a new SUV are encouraged to check out the Nissan Summer of SUVs sales event that is going on now at Krenzen. This summer deal is for a limited time and only for select models at Krenzen.

Nissan vehicles that are included in this sale are the Nissan Rogue and Nissan Murano. Customers who choose to go with the 2019 Nissan Rogue can receive 0.9% APR for up to 60 months plus $500 NMAC (Nissan Motors Acceptance Corporation) Bonus Cash and $1,000 Nissan Bonus Cash. With the 2019 Nissan Murano, customers could also receive 0.9% APR for up to 60 months plus $1,750 NMAC Bonus Cash, $1,250 Nissan Holiday Cash and $750 Nissan Bonus Cash.

In order to qualify for these savings, customers must have their credit approved through NMAC. The Nissan Summer of SUVs sales cannot be combined with any other offers.

Along with the current Nissan Summer of SUVs sales event, Krenzen also offers a variety of other savings deals for customers. Ask a member of the Krenzen team for more information.

Customers who are interested in learning more about the Nissan Summer of SUVs sales event can visit the Krenzen website at http://www.krenzen.com and click on the New Car Specials link. Krenzen offers a variety of vehicles from Honda, Lincoln and Nissan. To learn more about these vehicles and other information about the Krenzen dealership customers can call 218-727-2905. The dealership is located at 2500 Mall Drive in Duluth, Minn.
We understand what a DUI/Drunk Driving conviction can mean to a persons life.

The Burnett Firm, Atlanta DUI lawyers representing clients throughout metro Atlanta, has launched a new user friendly website for easier client access. The Burnett Firm has over 30 years of experience in serving clients that have been arrested and charged with a DUI in municipal court or in any of the metro Atlanta counties, including Cobb, Dekalb, Fulton, Gwinnett, Clayton, Henry, Douglas, Fayette, Barrow, Clarke, Jackson, and Hall. Their new website provides easy and quick access to the firms expertise as well as a thorough FAQ section for drivers who have been charged with a DUI or drunk driving.

Founded by Russell Burnett in 1989, The Burnett Firm is dedicated to defending clients charged with a DUI. In Georgia, this charge can result in serious consequences, and The Burnett Firm believes it is important for a client to understand what happens when they are charged with a DUI. Upon contacting the firm, a team will outline the procedures and then diligently investigate the factual background of the case, keeping the client informed of their options, and will candidly discuss the potential for success among the possible courses of action.

According to Mr. Burnett, We understand what a DUI/Drunk Driving conviction can mean to a persons life. We know that they are dealing with emotional as well as legal issues. They dont have to face this alone. We will guide them through every aspect of their DUI charges and fight for the best possible outcome for their case. With over 30 years of experience as one of Atlantas top affordable DUI lawyers, The Burnett Firm understands that there are many ways to win a DUI case and supports their clients throughout the entire process. They offer free consultations and various financing options as well.

In addition to representing clients as Atlantas DUI attorneys, The Burnett Firm is highly experienced in criminal defense, personal injury, marijuana defense, civil rights violations, and employment discrimination. A specialty of The Burnett Firm in the Atlanta area is shoplifting defense. Since 1989, their team has been dedicated to protecting the rights of their clients who have unjustly been charged with shoplifting.

With offices in Atlanta, Kennesaw and Duluth, Mr. Burnett and his team of experienced Atlanta DUI lawyers serve clients throughout metro Atlanta, including Fulton County, Alpharetta, Roswell, Dunwoody, Sandy Springs, Doraville, and Johns Creek. They have earned their reputation by tirelessly advocating for their clients and treating all parties with respect and dignity. Their new user friendly and fact-filled website enhances their consideration and care for their clients.

To learn more about The Burnett Firm, visit http://www.duilawyersatl.com.


Expanded lowRISC Board of Directors Google believes that open source is good for everyone. To further our commitment, we are investing both capital and engineering resources to create a sustainable open source hardware ecosystem.

lowRISC C.I.C., the open source system on a chip (SoC) organisation, today announced that Prof. Luca Benini (ETH Zurich), Dominic Rizzo (Google) and Ron Minnich (Google) have joined its board of directors. The announcement coincides with a new phase of hiring by lowRISC with the goal of significantly increasing the size of its Cambridge-based engineering team during 2019.

lowRISC is a not-for-profit, community-driven organisation working to provide a high quality, security-enabling, open SoC base for derivative designs. The organisation is lowering the barrier to producing custom silicon, enabling research and FPGA experimentation, and establishing a vibrant ecosystem around open silicon designs. lowRISC supports a core engineering team who collaborate with industry partners, academic groups, and the wider community to drive the open source silicon ecosystem.

"We are very pleased to welcome new board members from Google and ETH Zurich who share our excitement about the future of open-source hardware. Their commitment will accelerate our roadmap for delivering high-quality open-source system-on-chip designs, said Alex Bradbury, CTO and co-founder of lowRISC CIC.

lowRISC also revealed that Google are providing support and funding to further their mission and that Prof. Benini's group at ETH Zurich are contributing their Zero-riscy processor core. lowRISC, in collaboration with Prof. Beninis PULP team and Google, will continue development of the core as Ibex.

Im delighted to join the lowRISC board. lowRISC plays a key role in the open-source hardware ecosystem, providing engineering resources while maintaining a clear community-focused vision and not-for-profit status. We are excited that they will be able to contribute to the continued development of Zero-riscy and also provide the necessary ongoing support, said Prof. Benini.

Google engineers Ron Minnich and Dominic Rizzo are long term supporters of open-source. Ron is a well known figure in the High Performance Computing field and inventor of LinuxBIOS, now known as coreboot, the firmware used in all Chromebooks. Dominic leads efforts in open source silicon and security fobs at Google.

"Google believes that open source is good for everyone. To further our commitment, we are investing both capital and engineering resources to create a sustainable open source hardware ecosystem. In addition to engineering resources, lowRISC provides the community stewardship that is vital to this vision, said Royal Hansen, vice president of Security, Google.

Please visit our jobs page for more information on how lowRISC is expanding our engineering organization.

About lowRISC

lowRISC C.I.C. is a not-for-profit company that aims to demonstrate, promote and support the use of open-source hardware - bringing the benefits of open-source to the hardware world. We are producing high-quality, security-focused, open, and flexible IP. Our expertise includes the LLVM Compiler, novel hardware security extensions and RISC-V tools, hardware and processor design.

For more information, please contact:

Media Contact

Andrew Back

lowRISC

press(at)lowrisc.org
Xtalks Life Science Webinars An analysis of the tumor morphology and of the immune contexture may hold important pathological information, which could allow for better risk stratification of patients with MIBC than current clinical guidelines based on TNM staging.

Join Dr. Nicolas Brieu, Principal Research Scientist at Definiens and Dr. Peter D. Caie, Senior Research Fellow at St. Andrew University, UK in a live webinar on Wednesday, June 5, 2019 at 9am EDT (2pm BST/UK) to learn about a deep learning based image analysis solution capable of automatically quantifying cell populations across multiplex immunofluorescence (IF) labelled tissue slides from muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) patients.

Muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) is a highly aggressive disease whose clinical reporting is based on TNM staging. Despite recent research into novel treatment and surgical strategies the mortality rates and prognoses of MIBC patients have remained immutable over the past 30 years. In addition to inter- and intra-reporter variability, TNM staging may not adequately encompass the complex and dynamic behavior of the disease.

An analysis of the tumor morphology and of the immune contexture may hold important pathological information, which could allow for better risk stratification of patients with MIBC than current clinical guidelines based on TNM staging.

In this free webinar, participants will learn about:



How survival decision trees enable the generation of easy-to-interpret models to stratify patients based on immune-related and morphological features and on censored survival data.

How these models result in the identification of sub-groups of patients with prognostic value

Combined use of machine learning (visual context random forest) for cell detection and of deep learning (convolutional neural networks) for epithelium region segmentation

For more information or to register for this event, visit Machine Learning for Automated Immune Profiling and Tumor Morphology Analysis on IF Images.

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/
The likelihood of experiencing a severe pregnancy complication and dying from it are rising, with black women suffering life-threatening complications twice as often as white women, and dying four times as often.

The NGO Committee on the Status of Women/NY (NGO CSW/NY) is hosting a public forum to discuss Americas rate of maternal mortality, during and after pregnancy, which currently ranks as worst of all nations in the developed world. The forum will take place at the Church Center at the United Nations, Second Floor, 777 United Nations Plaza, New York, NY, on Thursday, May 16, from 1:45 to 3:15 pm. Admission is free, no RSVP or UN ground pass is required, however, seating is limited.

A panel of experts, moderated by NGO CSW/NYs Yvonne ONeal, will discuss a wide range of contributing and often tragic factors that impact the health and safety of women, especially women of color, leading up to, during and after childbirth.

Maternal mortality and morbidity, especially among Black women, is a public health crisis in New York City -- and its an acute symptom of a far broader problem, reflecting the underlying sexism and racism in our society," says New York City Council Member Helen Rosenthal, Chair of the Committee on Women & Gender Equity.

"Im proud to have sponsored two new local laws which will give our mothers more support and better track maternal health outcomes, but so much more is needed. The NGO Commission on the Status of Women/NYs public forum this week is an incredibly important opportunity to build awareness and develop comprehensive, long-lasting solutions for our maternal health crisis, Rosenthal continues.

The CDC and other prominent health organizations confirm that the incidence of poor maternal health is worsening in the U.S. The likelihood of experiencing a severe pregnancy complication and dying from it are rising, with black women suffering life-threatening complications twice as often as white women, and dying four times as often  even as the U.S. spends more per capita on maternal health than any other nation. Research suggests that as many as half of these deaths may be preventable.

The May 16th forum will bring together a panel of speakers and advocates who will examine the intersectionality of health, law, human rights, gender equality, racial discrimination, structural racism and other issues that are underlying contributors to global maternal mortality and morbidity.

The panelists include Ms. Jamarah Amani, Community Midwife and Director of the Southern Birth Justice Network (southernbirthjustice.org) and public speaker (goldlearning.com), Ms. Sevonna Brown, Assistant Executive Director of Black Womens Blueprint (blackwomensblueprint.org); Ms. Pilar Herrero, Senior Staff Attorney, Center for Reproductive Rights (reproductiverights.org); and Ms. Anneka Knutsson, Chief, Sexual and Reproductive Health Branch, UNFPA (unfpa.org).

The forum is aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) of the United Nations Development Programme (undp.org). The SDGs are a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity. According to Yvonne ONeal, a representative of the NGO CSW/NY, One of the SDG targets is to reduce, by 2030, the global maternal mortality ratio to less than 70 per 100,000 live births. Statistics from the World Health Organization (WHO) support this target. It cites the disparity in maternal mortality ratios in developing countries, which in 2015 were 239 per 100,000 live births, versus just 12 per 100,000 live births in developing countries.

The CDC reports an average of 700 maternal deaths annually in the U.S. The causes of death range from severe bleeding, infection, and high blood pressure during pregnancy (pre-eclampsia and eclampsia), to complications from delivery and unsafe abortions. With improved pre-natal care and awareness during pregnancy and better quality medical attention during birth, more mothers lives can be saved, adds Ms. ONeal. Thats why this public forum is so important.

About NGO CSW/NY

The NGO Committee on the Status of Women, NY (NGO CSW/NY), supports the work of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women and UN Women. NGO CSW/NY is an untiring advocate with Member States for gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls across the globe in support of the work of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women and UN Women. NGO CSW/NY supports the implementation of the 1995 Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, UN Security Resolution 1325, the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the Convention to Eliminate All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

NGO CSW/NY represents more than 100 member organizations and individuals concerned about the status of women and girls. Events at the UN headquarters in New York are monitored on a daily basis with daily participation.

To learn more, visit http://www.ngocsw.org
mc chris is a rapper from Libertyville, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. He was one of the first rappers to focus solely on nerd life, rapping about Star Wars, Harry Potter, ninjas and unrequited love. His music is perfect for attendees of ShowMeCon, a technical, information security and hacking event of which mc chris lyrics are those many relate to via the nerdcore genre.



ShowMeCon is geared toward IT and security professionals who fight the war against hackers daily. Through presentations and demonstrations attendees will better understand the minds and motives of hackers so they can effectively defend against attacks. In addition to witnessing real-world hacks, attendees will discover the latest vulnerabilities, most powerful exploits and current security threats. Additionally, event-goers can participate in ShowMeCons capture the flag contest and lock pick village.



Plus, In order to beat a hacker, you have to think like one, these are the words upon which ShowMeCon is built. By bringing the only hacking and InfoSec conference to St. Louis, ShowMeCon will amaze, frighten and educate event-goers as they get an up-close look into the minds of hackers. Hosted by Parameter Security, this fascinating two-day conference will run from June 13th through June 14th.



We are excited to have mc chris perform at our party this year. Hes been on our list of sought-after acts and this year we have the pleasure of him being a part of our event which will be a good time for all, said Renee Chronister, CEO ShowMeCon.



mc chris will take the stage at 7pm sharp June 14th. ShowMeCon will be held at Ameristar Casino in St. Charles, Missouri. For more information on the conference, sponsorships and tickets, please visit http://www.ShowMeCon.com. Ticket registration ends May 27th.

About ShowMeCon

This highly technical forum showcases eye-opening presentations from world-renown ethical hackers and security experts that will leave you amazed and frightened at the same time. By giving you access into the mind of a hacker, you will better understand how to protect your networks and critical data. ShowMeCon pulls back the curtain and exposes how hackers are winning the war on physical and information security. Whether youre a large corporation or a small business, you should attend this mind-blowing event as you witness the cream of the crop unveil the latest attacks, techniques, tactics and practices of todays hackers. Plus, gain insight and understanding into ways to effectively protect yourself and your business. Twitter: @ShowMeConSTL



About mc chris

mc has released 18 albums and has crossed America countless times, touring as a headliner as well as opening for bands like Pinback, Reggie and the Full Effect and Ninja Sex Party. He's collaborated with Talib Kweli, Andrew WK, Cee-Lo and Childish Gambino. He's performed at SXSW, PAX, Fun Fun Fest, Bamboozle, Warped Tour, GwarBQ, The Gathering, Comicon, Dragoncon and countless other conventions. His music has been featured in Kevin Smith's "Zak and Miri Make a Porno," "Jay and Silent Bob's Super Groovy Cartoon Movie" and he has composed several themes for Smith's Smodcast podcast network. mc's song "Hoodie Ninja" was featured in both a national Honda commercial and America's Funniest Home Videos. Other songs have been featured in Comedy Central's "Broad City" and Fox's "So You Think You Can Dance?" His last album, "mc chris is good music" charted on Billboard, debuting at #2 in the comedy genre. A Marvel Album is expected in 2019 followed by a Middle Earth themed album in 2020.
Morrison & Foerster, a leading global law firm, is pleased to announce that it has elected private funds lawyer Zeeshan Ahmedani to the firms partnership, effective May 1, 2019. Mr. Ahmedani, who is based out of Morrison & Foersters Los Angeles office, is a partner in the firms Private Funds Group. He brings to the partnership extensive global experience in the private funds space, having also practiced in Asia, the Middle East, and Europe.

Mr. Ahmedani maintains an international practice focused on the organization and establishment of private investment funds in both onshore and offshore jurisdictions, including private equity funds, real estate funds, venture capital funds, hedge funds, distressed debt funds, hybrid funds, and Shariah-compliant funds in the Middle East. He works largely with clients on matters related to close-ended funds and serves as strategic counsel to managers, sponsors, institutional investors, limited partners, and sovereign wealth funds around the world. On the investment side, he advises both domestic and foreign clients on inbound and outbound investment and distribution strategies.

Mr. Ahmedani is a key part of cross-border teams at Morrison & Foerster that work on high-profile funds matters, such as the recently announced establishment of GLP Pte. Ltd.s US$2 billion fund in China with Singapore sovereign wealth fund GIC.

Zee is an integral member of our Private Funds Group, said Stephanie Thomas, co-chair of the firms Private Funds Group. Zees international background, diverse experience, and robust practice in Los Angeles greatly benefit our clients, especially those looking to invest in the U.S. from abroad. This further consolidates our global private funds capabilities and also highlights the firms commitment to enhancing its offerings in Los Angeles.

Morrison & Foersters global Private Funds Group is widely recognized, by both fund sponsors and institutional investors, as leading counsel in the field. The group advises clients throughout the U.S., Asia, and Europe. In recent years, the group has welcomed a number of lateral partners, including Serena Tan in Hong Kong, Jason Nelms in Singapore, and Rob Mailer and Oliver Rochman in London.

Morrison & Foerster is an exceptional firm with the global platform to support the growth of my practice, said Mr. Ahmedani. Im looking forward to working with my colleagues in the Private Funds Group to continue to help clients succeed in the formation and operation of their biggest funds.

Mr. Ahmedani is part of a team of more than 75 lawyers in Los Angeles. The firms Los Angeles office provides full-service counsel and premier representation in both market-leading transactional matters and high-stakes litigation.

Los Angeles is an important market for the firm, said Eric McCrath, co-chair of the firms Corporate Department. Adding Zee to the partnership underscores our commitment to providing our corporate clients with superior counsel from the countrys largest business hubs.

ABOUT MOFO

We are Morrison & Foerster  a global firm of exceptional credentials. Our clients include some of the largest financial institutions, investment banks, and Fortune 100, technology, and life sciences companies. The Financial Times has named the firm to its list of most innovative law firms in North America every year that it has published its Innovative Lawyers Reports in the region. In the past few years, Chambers USA has honored MoFos Privacy and Data Security, Bankruptcy, and IP teams with Firm of the Year awards, the Corporate/M&A team with a client service award, and the firm as a whole as Global USA Firm of the Year. Our lawyers are committed to achieving innovative and business-minded results for our clients, while preserving the differences that make us stronger. The firm also has a long history of commitment to the community through providing pro bono legal services, including litigating for civil rights and civil liberties, improving public education for poor children, advocating for veterans, promoting international human rights, winning asylum for the persecuted, and safeguarding the environment.
We helped Katie and Sasse, female German Shepherds, move from Florida to Bangkok, Thailand in April. "Weve found that corporate transferees who choose Air animal are focused on their new jobs and challenges because they are confident their precious pets moves will go smoothly. -- Walter Woolf, VMD, CEO, Air Animal Pet Movers

Corporate Relo Landscape

ECAs 2018 Permanent Transfer Survey finds that nearly 40 percent of international transfers lasting more than one year are permanent. That means there is no commitment for employees to return to their home countries.

The 2018 Mobility Outlook Survey by AIRINC concludes that 54 percent of companies anticipate increased demand for cross-border mobility.

Reviewing the corporate relocation policy landscape for Mobility Magazine (Sept. 2018), Susan Krupka McCune, CRP, GMS, director of global account management at SIRVA Worldwide Relocation & Moving, and Ish Bajwa, VP human resources-global mobility, Capital Group concluded that existing policies are being replaced. The new programs retain baseline consistency while allowing flexibility based on employee situations and preferences. Technology will make these programs a reality, they said.

Permitting employees to choose pet relocation as part of their flexible benefit can close the deal. According to Pam Buchanan, GMS, Lexicon Relocation, about 50 percent of companies offer pet relocation benefits. Some companies cap the benefit but more and more are moving to lump-sum or managed-cap programs.

Ivana Gibson, GMS described the programs this way:



Lump-sum programs offer employees a specific amount of money upfront to cover move costs. Employees manage the moves themselves or may choose to work with a recommended relocation company.

Managed-cap programs limit the amount that can be spent per relocation and may set caps for specific expenses such as temporary housing. These programs are usually managed by a relocation company which coordinates the move and recommends suppliers.

Adding Pets to the Move Mix

Air Animal has assisted over 50,000 families move their 100,000 furry, feathered and scaly pets all over the world. Fully 60 percent are corporate relocations.

We work with employees and employers offering full-service moves, lump-sum, managed-cap moves, and military permanent change of station moves every day, said Walter M. Woolf, VMD, founder and CEO of Air Animal.

Woolf said more companies offer flexible plans that allow employees to choose an experienced pet mover that knows and will handle the rules and regulations from origin to destination.

Pets are members of the family. Theyre important to an employees happiness and state of mind, he adds.

As proof, Woolf points to the increase in pet super stores, online pet stores, and pet service businesses. Making pet parents and their owners happy is now a billion-dollar business in the United States. Its growing around the world as well.

Air Animal works with the major relocation firms which represent international corporations. We work hard to earn their trust and referrals. Those relationships assure transferees that our services have been thoroughly vetted. Weve found that corporate transferees who choose Air Animal are focused on their new jobs and challenges because they are confident their precious pets moves will go smoothly, Woolf explained.

Air Animal is an appointed and endorsed International Air Transport Association air cargo sales agency working with all airlines that move animals. Air Animal is an Indirect Air Carrier cleared for pickup and delivery of live animals by the U.S. Transportation Security Administration. Recent relocations included dogs, cats, a quarter horse, a turtle and several guinea pigs.

Air Animal offers three service levels to meet every corporate transferee budget. VIP door-to-door is the most popular level for busy corporate employees managing a move and a new assignment. Costs for U.S. VIP pet moves for dogs and cats under 20 pounds start at $1995 and VIP international moves begin at $2895. This service includes residential pickup and delivery, airport terminal services, commercial airline cargo charges, and domestic health certificate review or international health certificate preparation.

Pet relocation and shipping costs vary depending upon the species, breed, number of pets, the pet's physical weight, the flight kennel in which the pet flies, the origin, the destination, pre-flight requirements, air transport charges, and in-transit care charges. For international pet relocation, estimated costs also include customs entry procedures, veterinary inspections, in-transit care, boarding or quarantine if required, and the specific requirements of the destination country. In some countries destination air cargo firms may charge additional fees for animal handling that are not included in Air Animals estimates.

Air Animals new mobile and desktop app also de-stresses corporate relocations exclusively for Air Animal clients. The app puts the pet move in the palm of their hands:



Microchip info

Vaccination records

Veterinarian info

Health certificate copies

Pet move itinerary

Flight tracking

Pet photo ID

Pet Moving Made Easy is our passion, our focus and our promise to companies and their corporate transferees, Woolf said.
NCCVEH issues call for nominations for the 2019 Bonnie Strickland Champion for Childrens Vision Award ...the Bonnie Strickland Champion for Childrens Vision Award provides us with the opportunity to recognize the tremendous efforts of those dedicated to protecting vision and keeping eyes healthy for our kids, said Jeff Todd, president and CEO of Prevent Blindness.

The National Center for Childrens Vision and Eye Health at Prevent Blindness (NCCVEH) has issued the call for nominations for the fifth annual Bonnie Strickland Champion for Childrens Vision Award. The Award recognizes significant efforts by an individual or group of individuals to improve public health approaches for childrens vision and eye health at the state or national level. The deadline for submission is July 10, 2019.

The award was established by the NCCVEH Advisory Committee to commemorate Bonnie Strickland and her groundbreaking work to establish a comprehensive system for childrens vision in the United States. Strickland served as Director of the Division of Services for Children with Special Health Needs, Maternal and Child Health Bureau prior to her retirement in 2014. An all-volunteer committee for the Bonnie Strickland Champion for Childrens Vision Award review all nominations and select the award winner.

Nominees for the Award may include individuals or a group comprised of diverse stakeholders, including family/caregiver and community leaders, who are implementing changes to improve childrens vision in the United States. Nominees should demonstrate an impact in one or more areas of a public health system supporting childrens vision including:



Key Stakeholder Engagement or Collaboration, including representation from families and diverse racial/ethnic/geographic and socio-economic levels target populations

Training and Education

Public Awareness

Provision of Resources and/or Services

Surveillance and Accountability

Reduction of Health Disparities

Infrastructure Development-Local, State, or National Level

Making the connection between vision and overall health, early childhood development and learning

The Award will be presented at the NCCVEH annual meeting, Sept. 14, 2019, in Baltimore, MD. The Award consists of a commemorative plaque, recognition and opportunity to present at the Annual Meeting, and roundtrip transportation for one to Baltimore, MD, along with one night of lodging. The award recipient will be featured on the website for the National Center for Childrens Vision and Eye Health with an overview of their program.

Past recipients of the Bonnie Strickland Champion for Childrens Vision Award include the Vision in Preschoolers (VIP) Study Group, Richard Bunner, retired from the Ohio Department of Health, Sean P. Donahue, MD, Ph.D., Professor of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences at Vanderbilt University, the Illinois Eye Institute (IEI) at Princeton Vision Clinic, and the Pediatric Physicians Organization at Childrens (PPOC).

Prevent Blindness is an organization founded on saving sight in children, and the Bonnie Strickland Champion for Childrens Vision Award provides us with the opportunity to recognize the tremendous efforts of those dedicated to protecting vision and keeping eyes healthy for our kids, said Jeff Todd, President and CEO of Prevent Blindness.

For more information or to submit a nomination for the 2019 Bonnie Strickland Champion for Childrens Vision Award, please visit http://nationalcenter.preventblindness.org/content/bonnie-strickland-champion-childrens-vision-award, or contact Donna Fishman at (800) 331-2020 or dfishman@preventblindness.org.

About the National Center for Childrens Vision and Eye Health at Prevent Blindness

Founded in 1908, Prevent Blindness is the nation's leading volunteer eye health and safety organization dedicated to fighting blindness and saving sight. Focused on promoting a continuum of vision care, Prevent Blindness touches the lives of millions of people each year through public and professional education, advocacy, certified vision screening and training, community and patient service programs and research. In 2009, Prevent Blindness established the National Center for Childrens Vision and Eye Health, with support from the federal Health Resources and Services Administrations Maternal and Child Health Bureau. Serving as a national resource for the establishment of a public health infrastructure, the National Center advances and promotes childrens vision and eye care, providing leadership and training to public entities throughout the United States. The National Center is advised by a committee of national experts and leaders from the fields of ophthalmology, optometry, pediatrics, nursing, family advocates and public health to guide the work and recommendations of the Center. For more information, or to make a contribution to the sight-saving fund, call 1-800-331-2020. Or, visit us on the Web at http://nationalcenter.preventblindness.org or http://www.facebook.com/preventblindness.
Pune, India, May 16, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Furniture Market is Poised to touch USD 654.60 Billion by 2025 at an Impressive 2.64% CAGR during the forecast period (2018-2025), reveals the latest report by Market Research Future (MRFR).

Market Analysis

The market can grow due to rapid urbanization and migration of denizens to cities. Changing consumer tastes in indoor furniture and the boom in the real estate sector are other drivers of the market. The market was highly unorganized until the launch of online furniture stores which gave it the much-needed boost. Online retailers such as IKEA, Urban Ladder, and others have enticed customers with a variety of options and numerous designs. Preference of close-to-home outlets by consumers have led to furniture manufacturers in opening up brick-and-mortar stores in tier-II and tier-III cities.

Key Players and Industry Buzz

Topline players in the global Furniture Market are The Godrej and Boyce Mfg. Co. Ltd, Sauder Woodworking Company, Cymax Group Inc., Herman Miller, Inc., HNI Corporation, Dorel Industries Inc., Inter IKEA Systems B.V., Dunns Furniture, Kimball International, Inc., and Venture Horizon Corporation.

Companies are focused on launching new products with attractive designs in response to consumer demands. But they are shifting to development of sustainable furniture which would reduce the reliance on wood as the primary source of raw material. For instance, Feather, a U.S. furniture retail and rental service, has raised close to USD 12 million in funding. The membership business model is enticing to millennials who change apartments within the city.

Sustainable furniture has been the focus of furniture manufacturers with rising awareness of consumers regarding eco-friendly items. Brands are increasingly using sustainable or recyclable materials to launch it under a new name. This is evident by the new Ergo collection of Natuzzi which has designed furniture in fluid shapes.

Another startup, Yardbird, has resorted to using ocean plastic as one of the components in the manufacture of furniture. Customer feedback and word-of-mouth managed to influence their sales. The company has decided to expand their reach in order to create awareness.

Get Free Sample @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/7625

Segmentation:

By type, the Furniture Market is divided into ready-to-assemble (RTA) and non-RTA. The non-RTA segment stood at a value of USD 432.28 billion in 2018. This segment can display 3.83% CAGR despite facing stiff competition from RTA furniture makers. On the other hand, the RTA segment can exhibit 3.80% CAGR over the forecast period. This can be attributed to brand such as IKEA which offer home delivery services coupled with attractive designs.

Types of materials discussed in the Furniture Market report include wood, melamine, glass, steel, wrapped panels, finished foils, lacquered panels, and laminates. Among these, wood held a value of USD 149.74 billion in 2018 due to its long shelf life. While the lacquered panels segment can register a CAGR close to 3% during the forecast timespan. The melamine segment can exhibit 3.10% CAGR during the review period owing to being used in decorative furniture. Its durability, uniform shape, and resistance towards wear & tear

Types of Furniture Market include cabinets, tables, sofas, chairs, beds, and others. Sofas held close to 23.8% market share in 2018. The comfort, shape, and elegance of sofas are prime factors driving the segment growth. Cabinets, on the other hand, are expected to exhibit 3% CAGR over the forecast period.

End-uses of the Furniture Market include commercial and household. The household segment accounted for large market share with a value estimated to be USD 416.64 billion in 2018. On the other hand, the commercial segment can display a CAGR above 3.56% during the assessment period.

Browse the market data and Information spread across 366 pages with 398 data tables and 21 figures of the report Furniture Market Report - Forecast 2018-2025 in-depth alongside table of content (TOC) at: https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/furniture-market-7625

Regional Analysis:

Asia Pacific accounted for the largest Furniture Market share in 2018 due to heavy investments by major furniture brands in the region. The arrival of IKEA in India has shaken up the market. Many online furniture rental stores have decided to seek investments in order to build retail outlets to expand their reach. Partnerships with malls and commercial centers is likely to influence sales. The region can exhibit 2.78% CAGR during the forecast period due to rising income levels of the middle class. It is estimated to touch a valuation of USD 223.22 billion by 2025

North America accounted for 31.38% share in 2018. The shift to recyclable materials by furniture manufacturers in the region is likely to culminate in massive growth. The expansion of the product portfolio by manufacturer will bolster market demand considerably.

The Europe Furniture Market was valued at USD 133.46 billion in 2018. It can generate significant earnings due to being one of the top regions responsible for importing high-end furniture. In addition, the number of patents registered for new designs and large workforce are other drivers of the market.

Browse Related Reports:

Luxury Furniture Market Information by Raw Material (Wood, Metal, Plastic and others), Retails Formats (Furniture retailers, Departmental stores, Online retailing, and others), End-use (Residential and Commercial) and Region - Forecast to 2021

https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/luxury-furniture-market-1305

Folding Furniture Market Information Report by Product (Chairs, Tables, Sofas, Beds and other Furniture), Application (Residential and Non-residential) and Region - Forecast to 2023

https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/folding-furniture-market-4822

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), & Consulting Services.

MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by products, services, technologies, applications, end users, and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions.

In order to stay updated with technology and work process of the industry, MRFR often plans & conducts meet with the industry experts and industrial visits for its research analyst members.
"Giving credit for change leaders extraordinary accomplishments is important in marketing the need for womens invaluable technical contributions," said NCWIT CEO and Co-founder Lucy Sanders.

The National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT) is holding its annual NCWIT Summit on Women and IT: Where Conversations Lead to Change May 14-16, 2019, in Nashville, Tennessee. At this three-day event (ncwit.org/summit), more than 700 change leaders from the NCWIT community of educators, entrepreneurs, corporate executives, and social scientists convene to focus on improving inclusion and diversity in computing.

Giving credit for change leaders extraordinary accomplishments is important in marketing the need for womens invaluable technical contributions, said NCWIT CEO and Co-founder Lucy Sanders. By utilizing the Summit stage, were broadcasting their value and worth to a diverse community of influencers who work to make computing inclusive for all.

A summary of honorees is as follows, and full commendations are available in the printed program (PDF):



The 2019 NCWIT Academic Alliance (AA) Seed Fund honorees are Surging Enrollment Recipients Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Georgia State University, Lord Fairfax Community College, Southern New Hampshire University, and the University of Michigan; Microsoft Research Faculty Summit Recipients Duke University and the University of Texas at Arlington; and General Recipients California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo, Central New Mexico Community College, Knox College, and Michigan State University. The AA Seed Fund, sponsored by Microsoft Research and other generous supporters, awards AA members with startup funds to develop and implement initiatives for recruiting or retaining women in computing. (ncwit.org/Spring19SeedFundRecipients)

The 2019 NCWIT Aspirations in Computing (AiC) National Educator Award winner is Helena High School Computing Instructor Buffy Smith. The National Educator Award, sponsored by AT&T, honors educators who have demonstrated an exceptionally strong, consistent, and positive involvement in supporting female students in computer science. (aspirations.org/19NationalEdAward)

The 2019 NCWIT Collegiate Award winners are Isabel Gallegos, Sharon Lin, Tayebeh Bareini, Annika Muehlbradt, Katherine Spoon, and Courtney Thurston; honorable mentions are Samsara Counts, Anna Dodson, Amel Hassan, Amber Johnson, Veenadhari Kollipara, Ashlie Martinez, Vilina Mehta, Taylor Miller-Ensminger, Samhita Pendyal, Swetha Prabakaran, Abby Stylianou, and Angelique Taylor. The Collegiate Award, sponsored by Qualcomm, with additional support from Palo Alto Networks, honors the outstanding computing accomplishments of undergraduate and graduate women. Conferred annually, the award recognizes technical contributions to projects that demonstrate a high level of innovation and potential impact. (aspirations.org/19CollegiateRecipients)

The 2019 NCWIT Harrold and Notkin Research and Graduate Mentoring Award recipient is Dr. Richard Ladner. The Harrold and Notkin Award, sponsored by the NCWIT Board of Directors, is given in memory of Mary Jean Harrold and David Notkin, in honor of their outstanding research, graduate mentoring, and diversity contributions. (ncwit.org/19HarroldNotkin)

The 2019 NCWIT Extension Services Transformation (NEXT) Award honorees are Grand Prize Recipient Colorado School of Mines and Second Place Recipient University of California, Berkeley, Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences (CS), Letters & Science CS Major. The NCWIT NEXT Awards celebrate past and present NCWIT Extension Services clients for excellence in recruiting and retaining women in computing education. The awards reflect and reward practices that NCWIT recognizes as having the most significant impact on the long-term goal of increasing the number of women in information technology and other computing-related fields. Departments receiving a NEXT Award show significant positive outcomes in womens enrollment and graduation rates, and have excellent potential for building on these gains. (ncwit.org/2019NEXTrecipients)

The 2019 NCWIT Pioneer in Tech Award recipient is Lynn Conway. Pioneer in Tech Award recipients are role models whose legacies continue to inspire generations of young women to pursue computing and make history in their own right. (ncwit.org/pioneeraward)

The 2019 NCWIT Undergraduate Research Mentoring Award recipients are Dr. Anna Ritz, Dr. Tzu-Yi Chen, Dr. Natalia Villanueva Rosales, and Dr. Katie Siek. This award, sponsored by AT&T, recognizes faculty for their outstanding mentorship, high-quality research opportunities, recruitment of women and minority students, and efforts to encourage and advance undergraduates in computing-related fields. (ncwit.org/19URMawardRecipients)

View the full 2019 Summit agenda (ncwit.org/summit/agenda) for more event highlights.

About the NCWIT Summit

The NCWIT Summit is the worlds largest annual convening of change leaders focused on significantly improving diversity and inclusion in computing. Educators, entrepreneurs, corporate executives, and social scientists (both men and women) from across industries and disciplines participate in this one-of-a-kind opportunity.

We are especially appreciative of our 2019 NCWIT Summit Community Reception Sponsor Amazon. We would like to give a huge thanks to our 2019 NCWIT Summit Media Partner Facebook. We are also incredibly grateful for 2019 NCWIT Summit Sponsors Anchor Point Foundation, Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), Chevron, FedEx, PNC, and Royal Bank of Canada Capital Markets.

The National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT) is a non-profit community of more than 1,100 universities, companies, non-profits, and government organizations nationwide working to increase girls and womens meaningful participation in computing. NCWIT equips change leaders with resources for taking action in recruiting, retaining, and advancing women from K-12 and higher education through industry and entrepreneurial careers. Find out more at http://www.ncwit.org.
New Cumberland Federal Credit Union (NCFCU), a $160 million financial institution in Pennsylvania, recently introduced brand new platforms across digital account opening, mobile banking and online banking. All of these improvements were made possible by Narmi  a FinTech company specializing in digital banking platforms for forward-thinking financial institutions.

"NCFCU is proud to partner with Narmi on a new digital platform which provides a completely seamless experience to our membership base across account opening, mobile banking and online banking. Just as important, it provides us the flexibility to add new products and services in the future to remain a forward-thinking institution," said Don Varner, CEO of New Cumberland Federal Credit Union.

As a part of the upgrade, NCFCU members now enjoy:



Ability to open new accounts in less than 2.5 minutes

Consistent user experience across mobile and online banking

Integrate debit and credit card controls

Enhanced security metrics such as biometrics and two-factor authentication

Text-like support functionality within mobile banking

Real-time availability of mobile check deposits and external financial institution transfers

Ability to submit monthly bills for negotiation

Lower insurance premiums on property

Beyond the robust feature set Narmi delivered to NCFCU, Narmi also leveraged its deep integration with Symitar Episys. This integration allows NCFCU to be more efficient internally and take full advantage of its core banking system.

Narmi is proud to be NCFCUs partner in its digital platform. Being able to deliver one consistent experience from account opening to mobile and online banking is a characteristic of a financial institution who understands the future, said Chris Griffin, Co-Founder of Narmi.

Narmis product offerings  which span mobile banking, online banking, digital account opening and banking APIs  help financial institutions offer beautiful, feature-rich and forward-thinking banking experiences to their end-users.

About Narmi

There are over 11,000+ regional and community financial institutions in the United States today. Through Narmis mobile banking, online banking, digital account opening and banking APIs, these institutions better compete with Mega-Banks, Challenger Banks and FinTech companies to create a more diverse and engaging financial ecosystem. Today, Narmis platform powers financial institutions with billions of dollars of assets and helps move millions of dollars between financial institutions on a daily basis.
Rich Boals Rich Boals, retired President and CEO of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Arizona, was conferred an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters degree by Northern Arizona University (NAU) at the colleges spring 2019 commencement ceremony

Recognized for his commitment and contributions he has made to healthcare and the community through his leadership, Rich Boals, retired President and CEO of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Arizona, was conferred an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters degree by Northern Arizona University (NAU) at the colleges spring 2019 commencement ceremony on Friday, May 10, 2019, in the universitys J. Lawrence Walkup Skydome. Alongside three additional honorees, the prestigious degree was presented to Rich amidst a graduating class of bachelors, masters and doctorate students within the College Arts and Letters and the College of Health and Human Services Rich delivered a keynote speech highlighting pivotal decision points in his life to the room of nearly 1,000 students.

Boals served as Chief Executive Officer at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Arizona, Inc. from April 2003 to July 2017. Mr. Boals joined Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona in 1971 and served in a variety of capacities, seeing it through numerous years of stability and success. Mr. Boals also served as Chief Operating Officer of Blue Cross Blue Shield

Growing up in blue-collar Ohio I would never have thought Id be standing here today, much less conferred such a prestigious honor, told the crowd of 10,000 students, faculty, parents, and guests.

Boals has received numerous awards related to his business and community leadership, including the American Jewish Committee's National Human Relations and Centennial Leadership Awards, the Anti-Defamation League's Torch of Liberty Award, ASU Alumni Leadership Award, the Greater Phoenix Urban League's Whitney M. Young, Jr. Individual Award, and the Maricopa County Community College Foundation's Heroes of Education Award.

About Northern Arizona University

Northern Arizona University is a high-research university with a statewide enrollment of 31,000 students. More than 22,000 students attend the Flagstaff campus, with more than 8,000 students enrolled online and at community campuses throughout the state. Research in genetics, forestry and ecology has drawn international recognition to the university, which also is highly regarded for its education, business and engineering programs. NAUs student population represents 127 tribal nations and is on its way to becoming the nations leading university serving Native American/Alaskan and Hawaiian Native cultures. NAU launched competency-based Personalized Learning in 2013, the first self-paced, online education program that cuts the cost and time to an undergraduate degree. For more information, visit http://www.nau.edu. Follow NAU on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and Twitter.
The OilComm Conference & Exposition, held October 2-3, 2019 at the Houston Marriott Westchase in Houston, TX, announced today that a live hack of a mobile drilling platform will take place during a luncheon keynote session on Thursday, October 3rd.

This industry-first Live Hack of a Mobile Drilling Platform keynote session will be conducted by Ken Munro, Partner for Pen Test Partners. During this innovative presentation, Munro will carry out a live hacking demonstration that will showcase how poor security practices can expose user systems and lead to significant consequences for the operating company.

As the oil & gas industry increases its efficiency with automation, digitization, and IIoT, operating companies are significantly increasing their cyber-attack surface. Whether its due to human error, misconfiguration, or an insider threat, one weak link in the system can lead to major damage. Munros keynote will outline the current threatscape, as well as provide best practices and share innovative solutions so attendees can better protect their companys drilling assets.

Munro is a security entrepreneur and industry maverick that has worked in information security for over 15 years. Hes hacked everything from hotel keycards, to keyless cars and a range of Internet of Things (IoT) devices, from wearable tech to childrens toys and smart home control systems. This has gained him notoriety among national press, leading to regular appearances on BBC TV, and hes also a regular contributor to industry magazines, penning articles for the legal, security, insurance, oil and gas, and manufacturing press.

OilComm is at the forefront of covering the digital revolution thats transforming the industry, Michael Conti, show director of OilComm said. Mr. Munros demonstration is a real-life scenario designed to showcase the current threats our community faces, and Im excited for attendees to walk away with solutions on how to improve their companys digital security.

Space is limited for this keynote luncheon; only the first 200 registrants to OilComm will obtain access to this industry-first keynote. For 2019, professionals who work for E&P companies, EPCs, drilling contractors, and rig owners, will be able to attend the OilComm Conference & Exposition for no cost.

OilComms two-day conference will be led by technology leaders with expertise on the digital revolution thats transforming the industry, so companies are better prepared to handle future market demands. Program sessions will cover IT/OT convergence, immersive technologies, SD WAN, defining LTE, and more.

To register for OilComm, visit bit.ly/OCPRLH

To apply for press credentials, visit http://www.oilcomm.com/press-center

Follow OilComm 2019

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/OilComm

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/OilComm

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/OilComm (#OilComm)

About OilComm 2019

OilComm fosters a forward-thinking community to innovate the oil & gas industry, bringing together 1000+ energy professionals who lead teams within digital technology departments and are responsible for automation, communications, cyber-security, operations, optimization, IT/OT, data, digitalization, edge-computing, cloud services, VR/AR, and machine-to-machine learning. This is the event where oil & gas technology experts come to explore innovative technology and services on the show floor, network at multiple receptions, and learn the latest on the digital revolution thats transforming the industry. For more information and to register, visit http://www.OilComm.com.
From L to R, Joseph Garcia (2nd Place, Chico State University), Hayley Weik (3rd Place, Chico State University), Eric Weiss (1st Place, Oregon State University) Pacific Office Automation employees participated as fictional buyers of office equipment and services, giving a preview of what working in sales would feel like for the students.

Pacific Office Automation proudly sponsored the inaugural Pacific Northwest Sales Competition in Portland in late April. This competition, hosted by the Oregon State University Sales Academy, welcomed college students from across the region to showcase their skill to a judging panel and vie for a cash prize.

For the competition, students exercised their selling skills in real-world scenarios. Pacific Office Automation employees participated as fictional buyers of office equipment and services, giving a preview of what working in sales would feel like for the students.

Judges named Eric Weiss of the Oregon State University College of Business as the first-place winner. Second and third place were awarded to two students from Chico State University.

Pacific Office Automation looks forward to welcoming a new class of sales representatives to its teams this coming summer, especially recent college graduates. If you or someone you know is searching for entry-level jobs, explore the career opportunities available at Pacific Office Automation.

About Pacific Office Automation

Pacific Office Automation (https://www.pacificoffice.com) is a leader in managed printing solutions and document management software. Since 1976, POA has grown to become the industrys largest independent dealership with 30 locations throughout Washington, Oregon, California, Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, Idaho and Colorado. The company is also one of the largest independent distributors, carrying brands such as Sharp, Konica Minolta, Ricoh, Lexmark, Xerox, Muratec, Canon and HP copiers, printers, faxes and multifunctional devices. POA believes in providing custom print solutions that are fast, efficient and secure so customers can confidently say, Problem Solved.
We covered a lot of ground in just two days at Cypress University. It was an excellent way to recap trends were seeing with employee benefits now and introduce solutions that can effectively produce plan savings.

Returning to Las Vegas for the 8th consecutive year, Cypress University wrapped up yesterday after two days of educational sessions that focused on forward-thinking solutions and strategies for self-funded plans.

Cypress Benefit Administrators, a Lucent Health company, presented the event to more than 300 attendees at Caesars Palace with all seats filled to capacity. As with years past, cost containment was a highlight of the conference as the third party administrator (TPA) featured case study examples  and a more in-depth account  of how its employer-clients are saving money through customizable plan programs. A stop loss panel of experts was also back by popular demand, giving the audience a chance to ask questions about coverage, contracts and more.

Other session topics and speakers in the Cypress University line-up included:



Sound bites vs. substance in health plans  Ron Peck, The Phia Group

Lowering diagnostic imaging costs  Ray Tamborini, One Call Health Solutions

Getting control over health plan data  Jana Fuelberth, Analytic.Li

The true benefit of care and disease management  Michael Burcham, Narus Health

Specialty drugs and manufacturer assistance programs  Nathan Dee, Magellan Rx

Encouraging employee use of best-in-class surgery centers  Mark Davenport, PriceMDs

Success with concierge medicine  Shauna Thomas, Hostcare Resources

International medical options and travel benefits  Tom Garner, SkyMedicus

Group captives and small group success in self-funding  Andrew Clayton, Pareto Captive Services

Reference-based pricing (RBP)/value-based payment update  Ryan Day, HST

Saving with direct primary care  Dan Thompson, Clinical Wellness Network

We covered a lot of ground in just two days at Cypress University, explained Tom Doney, president of Cypress. It was an excellent way to recap trends were seeing with employee benefits now and introduce solutions that can effectively produce plan savings.

Along with all of the presentations and panels in the line-up, attendees had several opportunities to network at Cypress University and meet with best-in-class presenters, partners and members of the Cypress team.

About Cypress Benefit Administrators

Cypress Benefit Administrators, a Lucent Health company, has been pioneering the way toward cost containment in self-funded health benefits since 2000. Privately held and headquartered in Appleton, Wis., the third party administrator (TPA) is the countrys first to bring claims administration, consumer driven health plans and proven cost control measures together into one package for companies ranging from 50 employees to thousands of employees. It serves employer-clients across the U.S. with additional locations in Portland, Ore., Omaha, Neb. and Denver, Col. For more information on Cypress and its customized employee benefits, visit http://www.cypressbenefit.com.
This is definitely a revolution in smart access control systems for businesses and homes

We live in an age where security systems are essential for any type of property, whether we are talking about commercial or residential units. Break-ins and similar security threats have become way too common these days.

In such a world, failing to set up a functioning security system is guaranteed to result in negative consequences for you, your family or your business. Stick around to learn how you can revolutionize the security of your property by implementing the latest technology created by one of the best manufacturers in the industry of electronic security.

As an industry-leading and trustworthy locksmith company in Miami, we make it our mission to deliver and install the highest quality security products to those who need them. Known as Quickly Locksmith Miami, our company takes pride in providing the most professional locksmith services in the area of Miami, Florida. Besides a physical location, you can find us across the state in mobile units, assisting clients with various security services.

Our services extend from upgrading existing security systems to installing new ones and repairing damaged ones. On top of that, we offer quick, emergency locksmith services to our clients at any place and any time. As such a reputable company, it is our job to provide our clients with the finest quality equipment that meets the highest standards of security. Our professionals are certified locksmith installers of various security products from the worlds top security brands. We are most proud to present our partners at the SALTO Systems company, who have created the best access control system in Europe.

An overall huge leap forward in term of managing properties, maximum control and convenience  SALTO is not your simple smart lock / your online managing app or your restricted entrance guard; its your key to a brighter future where you sit back and mange. Let our tech take care of the rest. Amongst our wide varied clientele you could find:

Massive and Boutique hotels:

What could be more comfortable then offer your guest a simple entrance based on their own smart phone? No lost keys, no worries about guests passing their cards on to the next person they meet or even worse- key cards get stolen, no need to worry about the maid (or any other worker for that matter) forgetting to lock up. Working with us you can manage all suppliers / workers online with no hassle while offering your guests advanced comfort before even saying hello.

Condominiums / Apartment Buildings / Residential properties / property managers:

One tenant would like to rent out a space in your property for a month, while ten others would just like a daily use for a professional conference and you have other properties in other cities; with SALTO you hold all the cards, doesnt matter where you are- once youve defined a user capacity he (or she) would have to go through you to change and adapt so when their rent is done their entrance is restricted, when theyre gone they can simply pass the key and host their heart out, if you scheduled a daily usage you could even restrict entrance at any hour of the day. SALTO could easily adapt according to each and every tenant lease terms, making you not only adaptable to any change a tenant might request but also in complete control of any violations under your roof.

Hospitals, government / facilities:

A gym, an office, a hospital, a government official institute  what they all have in common? Want a minute to guess it or ok well tell you- places that needs to fit the capacity of a huge number of daily visitors (who should only have access to certain places, and shouldnt access restricted areas) alongside staff who needs different access, and of course its ever changing thats why wireless adaptability is key for proper management. We wouldnt even toy with the idea of a patient wondering around the hospital doors.

Businesses / shops:

Needless to say  your employees shouldnt have the same accesses as your clients, and no wondering eyes should find an easy way to access the offices / storage etc.

SALTO supply real-time restrictions and control; the minute you decide to let a worker go, hes immediately deleted and theres no room for hassles.

If you are looking for a way to get your hands on one of the SALTO Systems latest security solutions, make sure to contact us at Quickly Locksmith, since we are the companys official partners and certified installers in Miami, FL. Our highly experienced professional locksmiths are ready to assist you at any time, as well as discuss how different security products and solutions can suit your requirements.

Contact us through our website and we will get in touch with you quickly in order to help you make the right move towards revolutionized security. The technology is moving fast these days and we must not allow ourselves to fall behind. Therefore, take the matter into your hands and make sure your property meets the highest security standards of our age, using SALTO Systems technology.
Xtalks Life Science Webinars As new integrated systems of record suites emerge, participants will learn about the need for a far-reaching, re-definition of RIM and how this new RIM paradigm needs to embrace user experience, master data, digital and automation technologies, and be focused on processes rather than capabilities.

Join John Cogan, Head of Innovation & CTO at Kinapse, a Syneos Health company and David Berglund, Global Head Regulatory Operations at AstraZeneca in a live webinar on Wednesday, May 29, 2019 at 10am EDT (3pm BST/UK) to learn how new technologies can modernize Regulatory Information Management (RIM) systems.

As Regulatory Operating models have evolved to embrace global working and the use of strategic delivery partners, and the focus on throughput, KPIs, metrics and efficiency have intensified, the traditional RIM systems have struggled to cope. The single biggest challenge in RIM today is the lack of an end-to-end process view of Regulatory. The traditional system of record view of RIM is largely missing the opportunities for process optimization and user experience improvement offered by digital and automation technology.

In this webinar, speakers will explore the current state of regulatory technology and the need for it to evolve to address the challenges of regulatory lifecycle management and new regulatory operating models. As new integrated systems of record suites emerge, participants will learn about the need for a far-reaching, re-definition of RIM and how this new RIM paradigm needs to embrace user experience, master data, digital and automation technologies, and be focused on processes rather than capabilities. The speakers will also share real-life examples of a RIM transformation journey.

For more information or to register for this event, visit Redefining RIM: Why We Need to Think Differently About Regulatory Information Management.

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/
From left: Michael Greenblatt - Partner, Creative; Marina Ammirato - Partner, Growth; Ivan Kayser - Managing Partner

Redscout has elevated three company veterans to lead the strategy and design consultancy. The announcement comes as the company prepares for its twentieth anniversary and the next decade of unlocking potential in brands and businesses.

Ivan Kayser, Marina Ammirato, and Michael Greenblatt have been named as Partners and will oversee Redscouts bicoastal offices in New York and Los Angeles. After modernizing the firms offerings and driving impressive growth in the first quarter, the team will now share responsibility for managing client relationships, day-to-day operations, talent, culture and growth.

This is an incredible moment for Redscout, because we sit in the sweet spot of what modern brand leaders are looking for  a team of creative, unbiased partners that can help them define the future, said Kayser. Redscout was wired to thrive in this exact moment, and its because we believe the most valuable modern skill is the ability to see potential; to see things - organizations, people, ideas - not for what they are but for what they could become.

The three new partners are being promoted following notable new business momentum in the first quarter, and a reframing of the business to show up in moments when clarity is needed and to inspire organizations to see their potential. In addition to working with a notable list of clients that includes American Eagle Outfitters, Best Buy, Casper, Herman Miller and Vice Media, Redscout recently partnered with Neiman Marcus to redefine the codes of luxury for the opening of the retailers iconic first New York City store opening in Hudson Yards.

Prior to becoming Managing Partner, Kayser served as Redscouts Chief Strategy Officer. In 4+ years at Redscout, he has amassed deep experience with technology, media and consumer brands, and has led global innovation projects across clients like Google, ADP, Disney, and Peloton.

Ammirato becomes Partner, Growth after more than 13 years at Redscout, which includes working across both the strategy and client services teams and leading high-touch client relationships such as Kate Spade New York, PepsiCo and Uber. Most recently, she served as Head of Growth.

At Redscout, we talk about collaboration as trenching together, so it was very natural for us to come together as partners to chart the next phase of our growth, said Ammirato. In doing so weve found renewed inspiration from each other, the amazing Scouts we work with, and our expansive client family.

Greenblatt has been named Partner, Creative and will continue to oversee creative, design and prototyping. Greenblatt joined Redscout more than two years ago as Head of Design. Late last year, Greenblatts team partnered with Milk Bar to harness and focus the brands legacy and equity as celebrated pastry chef Christina Tosi charts the next chapter of expansion for her dessert empire.

We all come from a rich legacy of work and talent at Redscout, and that is what fuels how we think about the future impact we will create, said Greenblatt.

Redscout is a strategy and design consultancy. The firm prides itself on its Scouts, employees trained with a unique balance of empathy and conviction. Since 2000, Redscout has worked with visionary leaders to ask existential questions of organizations and push categories forward. Redscout is part of Yes and Company, an MDC Partners specialist network. Their client roster includes Airbnb, Best Buy, Casper, Kate Spade New York, Milk Bar, Neiman Marcus, Peloton, Uber, Vice Media. For more information, visit: http://www.redscout.com.
Rentokil Steritech, North America's premier pest management company serving commercial customers, is proud to announce the launch of its new Dual Autogate Connect system. Dual Autogate was created as an expansion of the companys PestConnect portfolio to provide businesses with new innovative technology that allows active monitoring of exterior rodent activity all day, every day.

In 2018, Rentokil Steritech debuted its Multi Rodent Trap Connect, the first product of its type on the market and the world's premier connected pest control technology system. Multi Rodent Trap Connect utilizes infrared sensors on rodent traps to monitor interior mouse activity on premises 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. With the launch of Dual Autogate, the technology now expands to exterior rodent bait stations.

Rentokil Steritechs Dual Autogate system is a unique electronic bait station designed to enhance clients exterior rodent protection program. Dual Autogate's smart gate mechanism can differentiate between target and non-target species and opens when rodent activity is detected. When the sensor is triggered three times based on activity, the motorized door will open allowing the rodents access. This level of control prevents non-target animals and unauthorized personnel from entering the station.

The addition of Dual Autogate Connect system in our suite of PestConnect solutions will enable us to provide our customers advanced pest management services that leverage the power of technology, says John Myers, CEO of Rentokil Steritech. "Dual Autogate Connect allows for rapid exterior rodent protection which will help customers monitor and control infestations quickly, safely and discreetly. It is a great complement to any pest control program, providing an around-the-clock pest management solution for facilities facing strict sanitation and public health regulations.

Dual Autogate and all PestConnect portfolio devices integrate seamlessly with PestNetOnline, Rentokil Steritech's data management system. It is accessible 24/7 and businesses can receive real-time information, allowing them to identify risks, as well as recommendations and trends across their operations.

For additional information on Rentokil Steritech and their full integrated pest management services in the United States, please visit http://www.rentokil-steritech.com.

About Rentokil Steritech:

Rentokil Steritech is part of Rentokil North America. The company, which also owns regional pest control brands J.C. Ehrlich Pest Control, Western Exterminator, and Presto-X Pest Control, provides commercial and residential pest control to customers in the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico through its expertly trained team of specialist technicians. Rentokil Steritechs approach focuses on a specialist/customer partnership to ensure the highest quality pest control service. This includes comprehensive pest management solutions that encompass general pest control; mosquito, termite and bed bug inspections and service; vegetation management; bird management; fumigations; and lake management services. Rentokil North America is a division of Rentokil Initial plc, a leading business services company, operating globally in over 70 countries. For more information, visit http://www.rentokil-steritech.com.
Dublin, May 16, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "India Water Soluble Fertilizers Market By Fertilizer Type (15.5-0-0-18.8, 19-19-19, 13-0-45 & Others), By Application (Fertigation & Foliar), By Crop Type (Horticulture, Ornamental, Field Crop & Others), Competition, Forecast & Opportunities, FY2028" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.



The Indian water soluble fertilizers market stood at $ 12.7 billion in 2018 and is projected to reach $ 20.6 billion by 2028



Anticipated growth in the market can be attributed to increasing urbanization which is resulting in rising construction activities due to which arable land for cultivation is decreasing. Moreover, deficiency of essential micronutrients in soil coupled with consequent increase in the demand for micronutrients such as Zn, Fe, etc., to support plant growth is positively influencing the demand for water soluble fertilizers in the country.



Furthermore, farmers are preferring drip irrigation as it reduces cost of crop cultivation by almost 30% besides increasing the average productivity of fruits and vegetables by almost 40%. This factor is further likely to push the demand for water soluble fertilizers in the coming years.



Rapidly rising population of India is resulting in growing need for better yield of crops with lesser available land for cultivation. Moreover, the excess use of inorganic fertilizers results in accumulation of these chemicals in the crops which have harmful health effects. Use of water soluble fertilizers minimize the amount of fertilizers used. Government of India is trying to promote micro-irrigation and has announced schemes and incentives for the farmers on its adoption.



The Government has proposed to bring 1.6 million hectares under micro-irrigation in co-ordination with National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) to provide loans at 5%, fund of $ 700 million has been allocated for the same. These factors are anticipated to boost sales of water soluble fertilizers in India during forecast period.



Years Considered for this Report:



Historical Years: 2014-2017

Base Year: 2018

Estimated Year: 2019

Forecast Period: 2020-2028

Key Topics Covered:



1. Product Overview



2. Research Methodology



3. Analyst View



4. Voice of Customer

4.1. Brand Awareness Level

4.2. Factors Influencing Purchase Decisions



5. India Fertilizers Market Outlook



6. Global Water Soluble Fertilizers Market Outlook



7. India Water Soluble Fertilizers Market Demand-Supply Analysis



8. India Water Soluble Fertilizers Market Overview

8.1. Market Size & Forecast

8.1.1. By Value

8.1.2. By Volume

8.2. Market Share & Forecast

8.2.1. By Fertilizer Type (Calcium Nitrate, Potassium Nitrate, Potassium Sulphate, Mono-Potassium Phosphate, etc.)

8.2.2. By Application (Fertigation and Foliar)

8.2.3. By Crop Type (Horticulture, Ornamental, Field Crop and Others)

8.2.4. By Region

8.2.5. By State



9. India Calcium Nitrate (15.5-0-0-18.8) Water Soluble Fertilizers Market Outlook



10. India NPK (19-19-19) Water Soluble Fertilizers Market Outlook



11. India Potassium Nitrate (13-0-45) Water Soluble Fertilizers Market Outlook



12. India Potassium Sulphate (0-0-50) Water Soluble Fertilizers Market Outlook



13. India Mono-Ammonium Phosphate (12-61-0) Water Soluble Fertilizers Market Outlook



14. India Mono-Potassium Phosphate (0-52-34) Water Soluble Fertilizers Market Outlook



15. India NPK (13-40-13) Water Soluble Fertilizers Market Outlook



16. India NPK (20-20-20) Water Soluble Fertilizers Market Outlook



17. India NPK (18-18-18) Water Soluble Fertilizers Market Outlook



18. India Urea Phosphate (17-44-0) Water Soluble Fertilizers Market Outlook



19. Market Dynamics

19.1. Drivers

19.2. Challenges

19.3. Impact Analysis



20. SWOT Analysis



21. Pricing Analysis



22. Trade Dynamics

22.1. Import

22.2. Export



23. Value Chain Analysis



24. Market Trends & Developments



25. Policy & Regulatory Landscape



26. List of Major Channel Partners



27. India Economic Profile



28. Competitive Landscape



Coromandel International Limited

DCM Shriram Farm Solutions

Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative Limited (IFFCO)

Nagarjuna Fertilizers & Chemicals Ltd.

Gujarat State Fertilizers & Chemicals Ltd.

Zuari Agro Chemicals Ltd.

Aries Agro Limited

Rashtriya Chemicals and Fertilizers Limited

Yara Fertilisers India Pvt Ltd

Deepak Fertilisers & Petrochemicals Corporation Ltd.

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/dkt4de





Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research.
This research shows how mans best friend continues to safeguard humans as a sentinel to alert humans where they are at greatest risk for Lyme disease.

New research from the Companion Animal Parasite Council (CAPC) gives people and their health care providers a way to assess their risk for Lyme disease, thanks to mans best friend. The study confirms dogs are sentinels to assess human risk for tick-borne Lyme disease. Results from the study  Quantifying the relationship between human Lyme disease and Borrelia burgdorferi exposure in domestic dogs  were published this week in the prestigious, peer-reviewed Geospatial Health.

This research shows how mans best friend continues to safeguard humans as a sentinel to alert humans where they are at greatest risk for Lyme disease, said Christopher Carpenter, DVM and executive director of CAPC. The model established in this research breaks new ground to give residents, travelers and health care providers a county-level map to help them identify areas of risk across the country.

The study quantifies the association between canine seroprevalence for the disease-causing bacterium, Borrelia burgdorferi, and human incidence of Lyme disease, the most prevalent tick-borne disease in the U.S. Seroprevalence is calculated as the proportion of dogs that test positive among all tested dogs within a county. The overall association shows that human incidence increases as dog seroprevalence increases.

With dogs being tested annually for exposure to the pathogen that causes Lyme, we were able to study over seven years of nationwide canine diagnostic data, representing more than 400 million data points  something difficult to achieve when studying ticks and the environment directly. And unlike the challenges with access to human data, privacy concerns dont exist for veterinary data, said Dr. Michael Yabsley, professor in the Department of Population Health, College of Veterinary Medicine and Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources at the University of Georgia.

The Canine Advantage

While other valid methods of estimating risk exist (field collection of ticks or human case reports), the study highlights advantages of basing human pretest probabilities for Lyme disease on canine seroprevalence data:



Diagnosis of Lyme in humans can be challenging for a variety of reasons, one being the difficulty in determining a persons epidemiologic risk when tick exposure is unknown. Dogs share an environment (e.g. yard, parks) with humans, thereby providing evidence of peridomestic exposure risk.

Canine seroprevalence data are reported monthly, at the county level, and on a national scale. Obtaining widespread and contemporary Lyme disease data in humans is expensive and logistically challenging.

In contrast to passive human Lyme disease surveillance, canine seroprevalence monitoring is active, with testing recommended for all dogs during annual wellness visits.

Canine seroprevalence data provides a surveillance tool that is more robust against testing and reporting biases than are seen in human medicine. Canine data are less likely to exhibit reporting biases since test results are captured automatically and routinely.

With an understanding of the association between human incidence and canine seroprevalence, people and their health care providers can reference CAPC Lyme prevalence maps on a monthly basis to identify the epidemiologic risk and pretest probability of infection.

By combining sophisticated statistical modeling with this invaluable canine data, were enabling veterinary medicine to benefit human medicine, said Dr. Robert Lund, professor in the department of Mathematical Sciences at Clemson University, specializing in statistical climatology and veterinary disease mapping. This research represents the first step on the long road to developing a forecast for human Lyme disease.

Human risk for Lyme disease is not limited to the Northeast

The research showed that human risk for exposure to Borrelia burgdorferi extends beyond Northeastern United States where Lyme disease has been traditionally associated:



States that contain mostly high-incidence areas (10 cases or more per 100,000 humans) are: Minnesota, Wisconsin, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, and Virginia.

Bordering states that contain some areas of high-incidence include the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, Iowa, Illinois, West Virginia, and North Carolina, while North Dakota and Ohio have the leading edge of high-incidence on their eastern borders.

Areas with slightly increased incidence are seen on the leading edges of the endemic regions: the Northwestern and Southwestern corners of Indiana and Michigan, respectively, and along the eastern Lake Michigan shore, most of North Carolina and along the Atlantic coast into South Carolina, Northern California and Southern Oregon.

Because we know Lyme disease doesn't stop at state borders, the canine data makes it possible to map Lyme disease risk at the county level to show transitional zones where were seeing a growing risk, such as the Appalachian Region, West Virginia and North Carolina, Yabsley said.

The number of cases that were seeing and the data we have available to us demonstrates its not just random happenstance that were seeing positive cases in areas where Lyme disease has been previously thought to be nonexistent for humans, said Christopher McMahan, associate professor in the department of Mathematical Sciences at Clemson University. CAPC Lyme prevalence maps gives monthly updates to show residents, travelers and health care providers whats happening in every county, including areas where ten years ago there may not have been a risk.

CAPC makes access to the monthly canine data available in its prevalence maps, a resource available free online (http://www.petsandparasites.org) to help people and their physicians assess their risk for exposure. With more than 27 million canine Borrelia burgdorferi antibody test results collected between 2012 and 2018 in dogs, these maps allow veterinarians, physicians, pet owners and travelers to assess the risk of exposure across the United States and Canada.

Unlike human medicine, veterinarians are fortunate to have the advances and commonality of annual testing and vaccination for Lyme disease in dogs, said Dr. Karen Fling, president of East Lake Veterinary Hospital in Dallas, Texas. Because tick-borne diseases like Lyme are ever-changing, the CAPC Lyme prevalence map is an invaluable tool to protect both pets and people with monthly updates to show the risk for Lyme in their area.

Fling said knowing high-risk areas is key to Lyme disease prevention, especially as we become a more mobile society and the spread of Lyme disease continues to move out of traditional areas.

Because I have lived mostly in Texas and California, I didnt think I was at risk, said Kim Hartson, a patient suffering from chronic Lyme disease. With the CAPC maps, now people have a better way to understand their risk for exposure and can take steps to protect themselves and their pets. I wish that I would have had this information and could have avoided this devastating disease which can be very difficult to diagnose.

This study continues CAPCs leadership to better understand parasitic diseases that threaten the health of pets and people. Over six years ago, we formed a cross-functional team of parasitologists and statistical modelers from institutions including Clemson University and the University of Georgia. Im grateful to this expert team that has worked closely with CAPC board members to help us provide the most updated information to help protect pets and their owners, said Dr. Carpenter. I believe our best work is still yet to come.

The Companion Animal Parasite Council (http://www.capcvet.org) is an independent not-for-profit foundation comprised of parasitologists, veterinarians, medical, public health and other professionals that provides information for the optimal control of internal and external parasites that threaten the health of pets and people. Formed in 2002, CAPC works to help veterinary professionals and pet owners develop the best practices in parasite management that protect pets from parasitic infections and reduce the risk of zoonotic parasite transmission.
The Sandhills Motoring Festival Concours in the Village to welcome over 125 classic and collector cars with featured marques Porsche and Mercedes-Benz competing in various categories, at the second annual event on Sunday, May 26.

Building on last years success and increased interest, the Sandhills Motoring Festival will transform the historic Village of Pinehurst and Tufts Memorial Park into an automotive showcase of classic cars for spectators and enthusiasts, much like the Concours on the Avenue in Carmel by the Sea that starts the Pebble Beach Concours week.

Marvin Waters, president of the Sandhills Motoring Festival, says the event is completely sold-out in terms of the entries. He credits the villages tie-in as big reason for that success. We encourage folks to come out and see all of these great cars. The Village of Pinehurst provides a wonderful backdrop for these classic automobiles to be enjoyed by spectators of all ages. Waters said.

The Concours on the Village will run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, May 26, with the best in class winners being announced at 2 p.m. The judged competition features eight classes for Mercedes-Benz and six for Porsches. The Concours in the Village is free to spectators.

In addition to the cars in the concours competition itself, a number of special vehicles will be on display. Those include a 1952 Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith long wheelbase seven-passenger limousine owned by John Kennard of Southern Pines. It won an award in the Rolls-Royce/Bentley Post-War class at the Amelia Island (Fla.) Concours dElegance in March.

I was very pleased to be invited the Amelia Island Concours dElegance earlier this year and ecstatic to be an award winner at Amelia in the tough Rolls Royce class. Kennard said. I am very happy to be able to show the Rolls Royce in my own backyard at the Sandhills Motoring Festival.

There will also be a 1967 Ferrari P3/4 race car owned by the Wilson Collection in Jupiter, Fla. making a rare public appearance along with two newly restored Mercedes 190 SL models that are being brought in from Florida. The owners will see them for the first time when they are unveiled at the festival.

The Sandhills Motoring Festival will donate all of its proceeds to the Sandhills Community College Foundation to fund scholarships for students in automotive technologies program. Last year, the festival donated $5,000.

Waters said the festival is extremely fortunate to have RM Sothebys and Hagerty as its presenting partners. We have tremendous support from our presenting sponsors and that has accelerated the our growth this year. Waters said.

For more information visit http://www.sandhillsmotoringfestival.com
Stanford Libraries has added the work of David Bacon, a Bay Area-based photographer, author, political activist and union organizer, to its photography collection. Bacon has been documenting the lives of farm workers since 1988, and his archive joins a robust and growing collection of photography archives at Stanford.

David Bacons career as a photojournalist and author represents working class history and social justice movements that transformed political landscapes internationally, said Ignacio Ornelas Rodriguez, Ph.D., a library specialist at Stanford who worked closely with Bacon on the acquisition of his archive. Davids work highlights communities that are often ignored by mainstream media and brings them from the margins of society to the forefront.

Bacon has dedicated most of his career to documenting labor history. His work captures critically important aspects of the civil rights movements and consists of film negatives, gelatin silver prints, digital images, digital prints, and audio recordings and files.

Bacon was a factory worker and union organizer for two decades with the United Farm Workers and the International Ladies Garment Workers. Davids photographs document the changing conditions in the workforce, the impact of the global economy, war and migration, and the struggle for human rights, said Roberto Trujillo, associate university librarian and director of Stanford Libraries Special Collections.

Bacons images complement the contents of the Bob Fitch Archive that contain iconic images from the civil rights movements of the mid to late 20thcentury. According to Trujillo, the Bacon and Fitch archives will provide scholars and students access to nearly 400,000 images spanning the history of labor movements in the United States.

In addition to his photography, Bacon has written several books and numerous articles about migration, including: The Children of NAFTA (University of California Press, 2004); Communities Without Borders (ILR/Cornell University Press, 2006); Illegal People  How Globalization Creates Migration and Criminalizes Immigrants (Beacon Press, 2008); and The Right to Stay Home (Beacon Press, 2013). His most recent book of photographs and oral histories, In the Fields of the North/En Los Campos del Norte, was published by the University of California Press and the Colegio de la Frontera Norte (Tijuana), 2017.

Bacons photography has been exhibited widely in the United States, Mexico, and in Europe, including at the Oakland Museum of California; the University of California at Berkeley, Los Angeles, and Merced; the National Civil Rights Museum; DeSaisset Museum, Irene Carlson Gallery of Photography; Queens College; the Church Center of the United Nations; the Museum of Mexico City; the National Autonomous University of Mexico; the Autonomous University of Mexico City; IG Metall Galerie in Frankfurt; Galerie Unterhaus in Passau; and the Kulture AXE in Vienna.

Last month, Stanford Libraries launched a Photography Initiative, which is dedicated to creating a strong photographic collection that represents the archives of photographers across a broad range of photographic practices including fine arts, documentary, and photojournalism, among others.

The David Bacon archive is a wonderfully rich teaching and research collection, said Trujillo. Davids approach to become part of the communities he documents not only gives students a unique first-hand account of the human stories comprising these larger movements, but allows for those stories to continue to be shared and studied.

Dolores Huerta, American labor leader and civil rights activist who, with Cesar Chavez, is a co-founder of the United Farm Workers, noted the significance of Bacons archive finding a home at Stanford.

The preservation of Davids work is critical to our history, said Huerta who is also president and founder of the Dolores Huerta Foundation.

I applaud Stanfords continued commitment to archive the history of Mexican and Mexican Americans in the United States. David Bacons archive acquired by Stanford will assure that our history is not lost.

The David Bacon Archive is not yet processed. Researchers interested in accessing the collection should contact the Department of Special Collections. Once the collection is processed, Stanford Libraries intends to build an online exhibition of Bacon's Archive, which will be accessible to all with an internet connection.
Stringr, the premium video marketplace for custom, high-quality, video content, has announced its launch into the United Kingdom. Through this expansion, U.K. based broadcasters, publishers and brands can now source, edit and publish custom footage from 80,000+ videographers across the globe.

Since launching in the U.K. market, Stringr has already recruited 3,000 local videographers across major cities and remote areas, exemplifying the companys ability to enable media companies to source video in time sensitive and geographically challenged situations. Later this year, Stringr plans to launch similar recruitment efforts across the continent.

Stringr helps the largest media organizations in the U.S. source custom video, said Lindsay Stewart, CEO and Co Founder of Stringr. Offering the same service of getting video fast and at a scalable price point to companies in the U.K. is a natural extension of what we already do, and a part of our larger plan to roll out to the rest of Europe over the next year.

By utilizing the Stringr platform, customers are able to address various industry challenges, including reduced newsroom budgets, geographical hurdles, as well as the challenges that come with a 24/7 news cycle. Professional and amateur videographers contributing to Stringrs content library ensure that media organizations are able to quickly access premium content, and ultimately report on news that is most relevant for their audiences. Additionally, Stringr recently announced the availability of its livestreaming function, giving customers the ability to request live video content from anywhere.

About Stringr

Stringr (http://www.stringr.com) is a comprehensive video marketplace that enables media organizations to source custom footage, edit and publish  under very tight deadlines. The company leverages the only nationwide network of more than 80k highly responsive videographers who provide broadcast-quality video in every major US market. Stringr is based in NYC and was founded in 2014 by Lindsay Stewart and Brian McNeill, who met at The Wharton School.
PTO Exchange Announces PTO Education Employers are finally in the position to help people address the national crisis of mounting student loan debt, now at an all-time high of $1.5 trillion.

The worlds only comprehensive and patented flexible benefits platform, PTO Exchange, today announced the launch of its latest solution, PTO Education. PTO Education empowers companies to give their employees the flexibility to apply the monetary value of their unused paid time off to pay down their student loan debt.

Employers are in a distinct position to help people address the national crisis of mounting student loan debt, now at an all-time high of $1.5 trillion and continuing to rise as higher education costs increase, said Rob Whalen, CEO & co-founder, PTO Exchange. Our goal from day 1 is to allow employees to tap into the cash value of their unused paid time off in whatever ways are most beneficial to them -- from travel to charity. As the student loan crisis in this country reaches a boiling point, the time to act is now, and its incumbent upon employers to help their employees tap into an existing asset pool that sits dormant -- the over $62.2 billion dollars left unused by employees in their paid time off benefit.

PTO Education features allow companies to:



Leverage the PTO Exchanges patented platform to integrate into various student loan repayment or refinancing merchants, such as Tuition.io, Gradifi, Fidelity and Peanut Butter.

Match a portion of the payments employees make through the platform if they want to help accelerate their payments or invest in education.

Give employees the ability to use some of their paid time off value to help pay into 529 plans as well as offset the cost of taking continuing education classes if the employee wants to build their skills.

Stay compliant, as PTO Exchange is the only platform that is compliant in all fifty states.

We launched conversations with companies such as Tuition.io years ago about the possibilities of leveraging the PTO Exchange platform to accelerate student loan payments, but it's just recently that companies are starting to get it, continued Whalen. In our conversations with some of the largest employers in the country, we identified yet another need -- that of employees needing funds for rainy days -- that can be addressed using existing unused paid time off.

Thats why the company today also announced the launch of another solution, PTO E-Cash, which allows employees to access their paid time off in times of an emergency. Employees can now stop prematurely diluting their 401(k) retirement funds or become trapped in fruitless pay-day loan cycles to meet their immediate cash needs when lifes emergencies arise, especially for the majority of American workers who live paycheck to paycheck. The financial stability this solution provides can lead to enhanced employee reliability and productivity, as well, while reducing employee stress and stress-related health issues.

The new PTO Education and PTO E-Cash solutions join previous solutions from PTO Exchange that allow employees of customer companies to exchange the value of their unused PTO time for donations, for colleagues needing more time off or for travel via PTO Exchange partner, Priceline.com.

About PTO Exchange

PTO Exchange empowers employees to personalize their workplace benefits. For the first time ever, employees can convert unused paid time off into tangible goods and services, including vacations, retirement funding, student loans and charitable donations. For more information, visit https://www.ptoexchange.com.
The International World Wide Web Conference Committee (IW3C2) announced today that the 2019 Seoul Test of Time Award will be presented to the authors of the paper The EigenTrust Algorithm for Reputation Management in P2P Networks; Sepandar D. Kamvar (Founder, Mosaic Building Group Inc and Celo), Mario Schlosser (CEO and co-founder, OSCAR) and Hector Garcia-Molina (Professor, Stanford University). The award will be presented during the opening ceremony of the 28th International conference in The Web Conference series on May 15, in San Francisco.

The paper was first presented at the 12th International World Wide Web Conference in Budapest, Hungary in May 2003. It has gone on to have more than 4,685 citations to date and has become foundational research on a wide range of issues that are defining the evolution of the Web  from trust in social networks, to crypto networks.

This paper introduces a reputation system called EigenTrust to determine how trustworthy a peer is in a distributed system. It was originally proposed as an algorithm to decrease the number of downloads of inauthentic files in a peer-to-peer file-sharing network by assigning each peer a unique global trust value. The relevance of the EigenTrust algorithm, however, extends to many other types of distributed systems as well, such as todays social media networks, where peers contribute content that may be malicious or fake in nature. The algorithm computes global trust values for each peer that reflect the experiences of all peers in the network with the given peer. All peers in the network participate in computing these values in a distributed and node-symmetric manner. Through EigenTrust, the network effectively identifies malicious peers and isolates them from other peers.

Dame Wendy Hall, Chair of the International World Wide Web Conference Committee (IW3C2), said: Since 2003 when this paper was first published, the growth of social media usage worldwide, together with the Fake News phenomenon, has reinforced the importance of this paper in todays society, and will no doubt continue to exert its influence in years to come.

The EigenTrust Algorithm is the perfect example of the overarching theme of this years Web Conference: a Web for Good. The conference, which takes place May 13-17 will provide a forum for more than 1,500 industry professionals, researchers, policy makers, developers, and other practitioners to reflect on, discuss and debate the evolution of the Web, and its impact on society and culture while identifying future opportunities and research directions that can help us create a Web that is open, safe, inclusive, and balanced.

About the Seoul Test of Time Award

Inaugurated in 2014, the Seoul Test of Time Award is made possible by the generous contribution of the organisers of WWW2014 held in Seoul, South Korea, in May 2014. It is awarded annually to the author or authors of a paper presented at a previous World Wide Web conference that has, as the name suggests, stood the test of time. The first Award, presented at WWW2015 in Florence, was made to Google founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page, for their world-changing paper The Anatomy of a Large-Scale Hypertextual Web Search Engine, presented at the World Wide Web Conference in Brisbane in 1998.

About the IW3C2

The International World-Wide Web Conference Committee is the Association that organises global academic conferences on Web technology: http://www.iw3c2.org/conferences. For further information contact: contact@iw3c2.org

About The Web Conference

Since its first event, in 1994 at CERN, the Web Conference (formerly the WWW Conference) has provided scientists, researchers, policy makers, activists and technology industry leaders with the forum to discuss the evolution of Web and its impact on business, culture and society. The conference is organized each year by a local team of volunteers in different parts of the world in collaboration with the International World Wide Web Conference Committee (IW3C2). This years conference is organized by Web4Good, a non-profit organization with 501(c)(3) status and sponsored by Microsoft (Diamond); Amazon, Bloomberg and Google (Gold); Criteo AI Lab, Cisco, NTENT, Spotify, Yahoo Research and Wikimedia Foundation (Silver); and Baidu, DiDi, eBay, Facebook, LinkedIn, Megagon Labs, Mix, Mozilla, Netflix Research, Northeastern University, Pinterest, Quora, Visa Research and Walmart Labs (Bronze). For more information on The Web Conference 2019, visit https://www2019.thewebconf.org/. For updates on future events, visit: https://www.iw3c2.org/
Because of NMSDCs work, minority business is no longer synonymous with small business. -- Adrienne Trimble, NMSDC President and Chief Executive Officer.

The nations most prolific matchmaker for minority-owned business enterprises (MBEs) and major corporations, is celebrating seven of its premier leaders in advancing supplier diversity tonight. The 2019 National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC) Leadership Awards Gala begins at 6:30 p.m. at the New York Hilton Midtown. The galas theme is, The State of Minority Business: The Business and Economic Impact. National Director of the U.S. Department of Commerces Minority Business Development Agency, Henry Childs, II, the keynote speaker, will address this topic. And NMSDC President and CEO Adrienne Trimble will announce the launch of an NMSDC Impact Study throughout the U.S. and Puerto Rico.

NMSDC is committed to growing and developing Asian, Black, Hispanic, and Native- American-owned businesses. With a nationwide network of more than 12,000 certified MBEs and 1,450 corporate members (large public and privately-owned companies, healthcare systems, colleges, universities, and government agencies), NMSDC diversifies Americas corporate supply chain with procurement ready, talented, and exceptional businesses.

Because of NMSDCs work, minority business is no longer synonymous with small business, says Trimble. Our awards tonight recognize hard work, earnest efforts, and tangible results. In 2018, the mutually beneficial relationships that we facilitated between certified MBEs and our corporate members resulted in $400 billion of economic output and 2.2 million jobs.

The NMSDC Leadership Awards are being presented to individuals and companies that are pivotal to NMSDC achieving its mission. Actor and comedian Mo Amer, a pioneer in Arab-American stand-up comedy and longtime friend and protege of legendary Dave Chapelle, is the emcee for the evening.



These honorees represent the best NMSDC success stories to date, says Trimble. However, we know we can reach an even higher level of excellence as we strive to make the national diversity supply chain more robust. Our NMSDC Impact Study will more accurately quantify and qualify our concerted MBE and corporate efforts throughout the U.S. and Puerto Rico, demonstrating the power we have within Americas economic engine.

About NMSDC

The NMSDC advances business opportunities for certified minority business enterprises (MBEs) and connects them to corporate members. One of the countrys leading corporate membership organizations, NMSDC was chartered in 1972 to provide increased procurement and business opportunities for MBEs of all sizes. The NMSDC network includes a National Office in New York and 23 regional affiliate councils nationwide. The network also includes five international partner organizations located in the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, China, and South Africa. For more information, visit http://www.NMSDC.org.

NOTE: Visit http://www.eimpactconsulting.com/nmsdc for high-resolution images of the honorees and accompanying backgrounder for honoree bios, photos, and company descriptions. Photos will be loaded during the evening's activities.

Award recipients will be available for interviews.
Our amazing team consists of hospitality veterans who understand how the industry operates, are solution-oriented and collaborate like a family, and I am very proud of that. Theres a reason that we have an employee retention rate of 99.9%.

Tripleseat, the leading web-based sales and event management platform for restaurants, hotels, and unique venues, has been named one of Inc. magazines Best Workplaces for 2019, in the fast-growing private company sector.

Inc magazines Best Workplaces list is the result of a wide-ranging and comprehensive measurement of private American companies that have created exceptional workplaces through vibrant cultures, deep employee engagement, and stellar benefits. Collecting data on nearly 2,000 submissions, Inc. singled out 346 finalists.

Each nominated company took part in an employee survey, conducted by Omahas Quantum Workplace, on topics including trust, management effectiveness, perks, and confidence in the future. Inc. gathered, analyzed, and audited the data. Then we ranked all the employers using a composite score of survey results. This year, 74.2 percent of surveyed employees were engaged by their workbesting last years 72.1 percent.

The strongest engagement scores came from companies that prioritize the most human elements of work. These companies are leading the way in employee recognition, performance management, and diversity. Its a different playbook from a decade ago, when too many firms used the same template: free food, open work environments, and artifacts of fun.

CEO Jonathan Morse states, Its a great honor to be recognized by Inc. magazine as one of the best workplaces for 2019! This reinforces that we continue to do the right things to make a positive impact on our employees and the environment in which they work. Our amazing team consists of hospitality veterans who understand how the industry operates, are solution-oriented and collaborate like a family, and I am very proud of that. Theres a reason that we have an employee retention rate of 99.9%.

According to the Best Places to Work survey, results showed that 97.06% of Tripleseat employees were highly engaged, despite the age group, indicating that the company fosters a culture that works for all. 88% of men and 97% of women saw professional growth and career development opportunities for themselves at Tripleseat. In addition, senior leaders of the organization value people as their most important resource.

"With today's tight labor market, building a great corporate culture is more important than ever, says Inc. magazine editor in chief James Ledbetter. The companies on Inc.'s Best Workplaces list are setting an example that the whole country can learn from."

To learn more about Tripleseat, please visit http://www.tripleseat.com.

About Tripleseat

Tripleseat is a sales and event management platform that helps restaurants, hotels, and unique venues streamline the planning process and increase event sales. Tripleseat was founded in 2008 by Jonathan Morse and Kevin Zink. To date, the Tripleseat platform has helped venues book over 6.5 million events and captured $10 billion in event leads. More than 55,000 event managers use Tripleseat every day to book and plan the perfect event for their customers.
...Kabbages real-time lending platform allows Mission Street Capital to effectively serve any small business in any location to access the funding they need to grow.

Azlo, a U.S. online banking platform, and Kabbage, Inc., a cash-flow technology and small business lending platform, announce the launch of Mission Street Capital, a new program that provides small businesses banking with Azlo access to loans through Kabbage up to $250,000.

Azlo focuses on simplifying banking services for businesses and has no physical branches, which allows it to serve small businesses regardless of location, including those in remote and underserved communities. In partnership with Kabbage, Mission Street Capital will provide Azlo customers, including businesses with thin credit files, gig-economy business owners and fast-growing small businesses, a fully digital solution that enables access to working capital whenever and wherever it is needed.

Azlo is proud to be serving todays small businesses, said Azlo Chief Operating Officer Bryan Crumpler. Our mission is enabling small businesses to succeed in their mission and partnering with Kabbage is a huge step forward in being able to accomplish that.

Small businesses with an Azlo account can now apply with Mission Street Capital to access funding through Kabbage in minutes. Mission Street Capital leverages Kabbages proprietary data platform that analyzes customers real-time banking data and other business performance dataincluding bookkeeping software, payment processor data and website analyticsto provide a fully automated funding decision.

Azlo is helping fill a crucial gap in our financial system to serve underbanked small businesses, said Kabbage Chief Revenue Officer Laura Goldberg. Kabbages real-time lending platform allows Mission Street Capital to effectively serve any small business in any location to access the funding they need to grow.

With a Kabbage loan, there are no fees to apply or maintain access to funding, and small businesses are not obligated to withdraw funds once qualified. Its a hassle-free lending solution with the flexibility to fit the cash flow needs of any small business, from investment opportunities to daily expenditures. To date, more than 175,000 small businesses have accessed over $6.5 billion through Kabbage.

About Azlo

Azlo believes that digital platforms can be a powerful democratizing force that can offer opportunity to anyone, anywhere. To fulfill that promise, the right digital platforms have to be created and shared with everyone. Azlo is working to help entrepreneurs everywhere access the information, financial tools, and support they need to succeed by offering access to instant digital business banking services, with no fees or minimums. Banking services available through Azlo are provided by BBVA Compass. BBVA Compass is a trade name of Compass Bank, Member FDIC. To read more about Azlo, go to http://www.azlo.com.

About Kabbage

Kabbage, Inc., headquartered in Atlanta, has pioneered a financial services data and cash flow technology platform to provide access to automated funding to small businesses in minutes. Kabbage leverages data generated through business activity such as accounting data, online sales, shipping and dozens of other sources to understand performance and deliver fast, flexible funding in real time. Kabbage is funded and backed by leading investors, including the SoftBank Vision Fund, BlueRun Ventures, Mohr Davidow Ventures and others. All Kabbage U.S.-based loans are issued by Celtic Bank, a Utah-Chartered Industrial Bank, Member FDIC. For more information, please visit http://www.kabbage.com.
The key to our success is the in-person, daily academic and living support we provide to each one of our students

University Bridge, a college pathway program that helps international students transfer to top universities in the United States, announced that this years transferring class, along with other recent alumni, has been admitted to elite universities such as UCLA, University of California Berkeley, and the University of Virginia. In addition, 100% of its students successfully transferred into one of their top choice universities. University Bridge (UBridge) students attend one of three two-year college partner campuses where they receive highly personalized, on-the-ground academic advising with a student-to-counselor ratio that never exceeds 20-to-1. Jonathan Whitehouse, a 20-year education industry veteran who has worked both in academia and on the business side, has joined UBridge as Vice President of Global Recruiting to lead the programs expansion.

University Bridge aims to set itself apart from the crowded university pathways space through its ability to offer individualized advising from graduates of top universities and the fact that its students take courses with American students from day one. This has led University Bridge to boast campus-wide average GPAs as high as 3.7/4.0 while providing entry requirements as low as 56+ on the TOEFL exam. For several years, University Bridge has been successful in assisting a global student base achieve their U.S. post-secondary dreams.

We have created a simple, turnkey solution for international students to let them focus on their studies instead of being distracted by the noise associated with a new life in a foreign country. The key to our success is the in-person, daily academic and living support we provide to each one of our students. Since founding the program, we have seen the overwhelmingly positive impact that this has had on our students, both academically and for their health and well-being, said Andrew Ullman, co-founder of University Bridge. He adds, while the concept of a transfer guarantee is an easy one to grasp, we have found that the reality of navigating the complex requirements of the agreements is exceedingly difficult for teenagers who are new to the U.S. to fully process. UBridge fills that gap.

Jonathan Whitehouse joins University Bridge after holding managerial roles at INTO University Partnerships, the Cambridge Education Group, and the Alpha Plus Group. Jonathan has a masters degree from the University of Oxford and a Certificate of English Language Teaching to Adults (CELTA) from International House London. He will work to grow UBridge enrollment from countries around the world so that even more students can get the quality education they deserve.

University Bridges key aim is to help its students prepare to be upperclassmen at a school that is the best fit for them. Co-founder Hayward Majors adds, We saw a clear need in the marketplace to help students from all backgrounds through their first two years in the U.S. higher education system. Rather than provide a foundation year with a strict path to a pre-determined university, our two-year college partnerships have allowed our students an opportunity to transfer to any school in the countrythereby offering them time to decide on their best match school along with unlimited upside transfer potential.

University Bridge standardized the community college pathway model to help make guaranteed admissions agreements into top U.S. universities achievable for a broader range of international students. Housing, transportation, social and cultural events, and other activities are included in the programs offering at University Bridges three locations in the San Francisco Bay Area and Charlottesville, Virginia.

As a newer entrant into the pathway space, UBridge aims to expand its presence further through wider outreach of its student-first approach to advising. With student-to-counselor ratios approaching 1,000:1 on some U.S. campuses, UBridge believes international student success is highly correlated with the time advisors have to guide them.

University Bridge was founded due to the overwhelming demand for international students to be admitted into colleges and universities in the United States and the poor student outcomes for many international students coming directly from high school. The programs founders set out to create an environment where they could work alongside community college partners to improve both the educational experience and transfer success for all stakeholders.

About University Bridge

University Bridge is a U.S.-based pathway provider with a unique and proven approach to helping international students get in to their best match U.S. university. Students attend one of our partner two-year colleges and receive extensive wrap-around support in all areas of their academic and social lives. After meeting certain criteria, they are guaranteed admissions into 180+ U.S. universities, including 5 of the top 40: University of Virginia, College of William and Mary, UC Santa Barbara, UC Irvine, UC Davis.

We proudly share in our students success, with our UBridge participants gaining admissions to institutions such as University of Southern California (USC), UCLA, Berkeley, University of Virginia, University of Michigan, University of California, Irvine, University of California, San Diego, University of California, Davis, Virginia Tech School of Engineering, and many more.

With our comprehensive CollegeCare support program we pride ourselves on the quality of care we provide students, ensuring they have the guidance they need to transfer to one of the top universities in the world. Further details can be found by vising our website  http://www.ubridge.org

For media inquiries, please contact at media@ubridge.org.
Electromagnetic Geoservices ASA (EMGS or the Company) has entered into an agreement for a fully pre-funded multi-client 3D CSEM survey in the Norwegian Barents Sea.



The contract has a value of USD 1.25 million. The survey is expected to be executed in the second quarter of 2019.



The Company will mobilise the vessel Atlantic Guardian for the survey.



Contact

Hege Veiseth, CFO, +47 992 16 743



About EMGS

EMGS, the marine EM market leader, uses its proprietary electromagnetic (EM) technology to support oil and gas companies in their search for offshore hydrocarbons. EMGS supports each stage in the workflow, from survey design and data acquisition to processing and interpretation. The Company's services enable the integration of EM data with seismic and other geophysical and geological information to give explorationists a clearer and more complete understanding of the subsurface. This improves exploration efficiency and reduces risks and the finding costs per barrel.



EMGS operates on a worldwide basis with offices in Trondheim, Oslo, Houston, Mexico City, Rio de Janeiro and Kuala Lumpur.



For more information, visit www.emgs.com

This information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to Section 5-12 the Norwegian Securities Trading Act
U.S. Vinyl industry leaders take to Capitol Hill This years vinyl industry fly-in helped advance common sense legislation on issues affecting our industry and employees including water infrastructure and trade.

This week more than 50 vinyl business leaders took to Capitol Hill to highlight key industry issues and ask members of Congress and their staffs for legislative support. In the course of over 70 meetings with Congressional offices, they asked for support of water infrastructure and passage of the USMCA, along with a request for lawmakers to press the EPA to abandon their use of non-consensus based eco-standards. The day on Capitol Hill was the culmination of Vinyl Institutes annual Vinyl Industry Congressional Fly-in.

It is critically important that members of Congress hear directly from the vinyl industry, before they vote on legislation like infrastructure, trade and open competition. Our meetings in DC made a difference in growing more support for the industry, said Dick Heinle, chairman of the VI and Vice President and General Manager of the Vinyl Division of Formosa Plastics Corporation, USA.

This years vinyl industry fly-in helped advance common sense legislation. We had more than 50 vinyl business leaders educating lawmakers and staff about issues affecting our industry and employees including water infrastructure and trade, said Ned Monroe, President and CEO of the Vinyl Institute. We helped recruit additional co-sponsors of the Water Quality Protection and Job Creation Act, which supports vitally needed funding to repair our nations crumbling water infrastructure.

Vinyl advocates asked elected officials to increase funding for water infrastructure programs and require open competition in designing and bidding on piping systems in order to stretch taxpayers dollars and lower local ratepayers costs. In particular, vinyl advocates asked lawmakers to co-sponsor the Water Quality Protection and Job Creation Act (HR 1497), which authorizes $22.5 billion in new federal funding for clean water infrastructure over the next five years.

In addition, Vinyl advocates encouraged lawmakers to support passage of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). They also urged their elected officials to continue to support NAFTA until the USMCA is implemented. Vinyl advocates also asked member of congress to send a letter to EPA Administrator Wheeler instructing him to end or substantially change their Environmentally Preferred Purchasing (EPP) program which discriminates against PVC. They pointed out the EPP was put into put into place January 19th 2017 without industry input and in the midnight hour of the previous administration.

Vinyl advocates also repeatedly stressed that international trade is essential for a vibrant vinyl industry as well as a more sustainable U.S. global economy.

Key Washington insiders provide their insights.

The day before going to Capitol Hill, vinyl industry participants received updates and insights on housing, transportation, and other topics from a series of Washington insiders. Speakers at the event included EPA Assistant Administrator Alexandra Dunn, National Association of Home Builders CEO and President, Gerald Howard, Surface Transportation Board Co-Chair, Patrick Fuchs, Editor and Publisher of the Cook Report, Charlie Cook and FOX News Contributor Matt Schlapp. In addition, the organization honored Representative John Katko (NY-24) as the inaugural Vinyl Congressional Champion for his tireless efforts to support funding for water infrastructure.

About the Vinyl Institute

The Vinyl Institute, founded in 1982, is a U.S. trade organization representing the leading manufacturers of vinyl, vinyl chloride monomer, and vinyl additives and modifiers. The Vinyl Institute serves as the voice for the vinyl industry, engaging industry stakeholders in shaping the future of the vinyl industry. The U.S. vinyl industry includes nearly 3,000 vinyl manufacturing facilities, more than 350,000 employees and an overall economic value of $54B.


In reviewing several options, eCampus stood out as the only solution that met all of our needs. We look forward to being able to offer our students an easy, efficient and cost effective solution. - Dr. Tuesday Stanley, President, Westmoreland County Community College

After a competitive RFP process to identify a partner to meet their textbook needs, Westmoreland selected eCampus.com Virtual Bookstores to further its commitment to help students obtain course materials at a significantly reduced cost, while also providing a streamlined and convenient ordering process. With the new eCampus.com solution, Westmoreland is addressing the rising costs of higher education by providing students from all campuses the ability to save up to 70% off publisher list prices, including a price match guarantee, aligning with the colleges goal of providing an exceptional education at an affordable price. Beyond cost savings, students can take advantage of every purchasing option, including new, used, rental, eTextbook, and an expansive network of third-party marketplace sellers.

Transitioning from a traditional brick and mortar bookstore, Westmoreland will repurpose the physical space, creating an On-Campus Service Center for their new virtual bookstore solution. With the help of eCampus.com, the service center will provide a convenient location for on-campus pickup of student course material purchases. Additional benefits include dedicated in-person customer support to assist with ordering and delivery questions, digital content inquiries, and year-round buybacks. By reinventing the physical campus bookstore space, Westmoreland maintains an on-campus support presence, ensuring that the new bookstore solution is a valuable extension of the Westmoreland student experience.

eCampus.com will offer a seamless integration with Westmorelands Student Information System, creating a customized ordering process utilizing Single Sign-On (SSO). With this cohesive strategy, students from all campus locations, including the main Youngwood campus and education centers in Murrysville, Mt. Pleasant, Smithton, Latrobe, New Kensington, Indiana County and Fayette County will enjoy the convenience of registration integration, offering streamlined course material ordering at the same time they register for classes. Through these robust system integrations, Westmoreland students gain an optimal student experience that meets their online buying expectations and ultimately drives academic outcomes. Students will also have the flexibility of using financial aid for their course material purchases.

In addition to student benefits, the eCampus.com Virtual Bookstore will also serve Westmoreland faculty with a smooth adoption process. With a dedicated eCampus.com Management Team, faculty can receive desk copies to review and confirm best-fit content from a network of over 10,000 publisher partners.

"The college needed a book solution for students that allowed them to choose how they received their books, offered competitive prices and still met the needs of students on financial aid, said Dr. Tuesday Stanley, President of Westmoreland County Community College. In reviewing several options, eCampus stood out as the only solution that met all of our needs. We look forward to being able to offer our students an easy, efficient and cost effective solution.

We are thrilled to partner with Westmoreland County Community College to further their mission of seeking an affordable course materials solution for their students, said Matt Montgomery, President and CEO of eCampus.com. We look forward to providing a new online bookstore standard for their institution that ensures academic success through improved access to the right materials at the right time.

Westmoreland students will have full access to their eCampus.com Virtual Bookstore in Fall 2019. More information on eCampus.com Virtual Bookstores can be found at ecampuscms.com.

About eCampus.com

eCampus.com is a premier online retailer of textbooks and digital course materials. Consistently exceeding industry standards, eCampus.coms mission is to provide the easiest, fastest, and most affordable way for K-12 and higher education students to buy, rent, or sell textbooks and digital content. The company launched on July 2, 1999, the birthday of original investor Dave Thomas of Wendys. From the beginning, their driving force has been meeting the needs of the customers they serve. Remaining an innovative leader in the course materials industry, eCampus.com serves over 250 colleges and universities through an innovative course material solutions suite, including full-service Virtual Bookstores and the eCampus.com ALL Access program. eCampus.com's mission enables institutions to increase course material affordability, serving millions of students to date. Through products that simplify the adoption, management and procurement of course materials, eCampus.com propels student success by delivering the right course materials, at the right time, at the right price. Learn more at ecampus.com.

About Westmoreland County Community College

Westmoreland County Community College has been helping students experience success for nearly 50 years. Ranked #1 in online programs among two-year colleges in Pennsylvania for the second straight year, Westmoreland, with its main campus located in Youngwood, Pennsylvania, offers almost 100 programs of study. Beyond the main campus, Westmoreland encompasses education centers in Murrysville, Mt. Pleasant, Smithton, Latrobe, New Kensington, Indiana County and Fayette County. The most popular programs on campus include health professions, general transfer studies and manufacturing technology. In addition, the culinary arts program is ranked #1 in Pennsylvania and 40th in the nation. With a mission to improve the quality of life for everyone they serve through education, training and cultural enrichment, Westmoreland offers a high quality, affordable and convenient education that prepares graduates to enter the workforce and obtain family-sustaining jobs, or continue their education by transferring to four-year institutions. Learn more at westmoreland.edu.


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Lerner Publishing Group marks its 60th anniversary this year, a milestone that the companys Minneapolis hometown commemorated this week by officially proclaiming May Lerner Publishing Group Month.

LPG boasts an impressive growth trajectory since 1959, when Harry Lerner launched the company with four titles published for children to read at doctors offices to teach and comfort them about common childhood illnesses. Six decades later, LPG has more than 7,000 titles in print and releases 700-plus new titles annually for both the trade and school and library markets. The group now encompasses 14 imprints, among them Carolrhoda Books, Carolrhoda Lab, Millbrook Press, Twenty-First Century Books, Graphic Universe, Kar-Ben Publishing, Zest Books, and First Avenue Editions.

This is not only a momentous occasion for me and my family, but for all of the employees, authors, and illustrators who have made our award-winning company what it is today, said Harry Lerner, now chairman of the board of LPG. We are proud to remain an independent and family-owned company and have enjoyed supporting librarians and teachers in educating children for 60 years.

To celebrate this landmark year, and to thank the teachers, librarians, and booksellers who have contributed to LPGs success, the company is hosting anniversary giveaways at trade shows throughout 2019, including BookExpo later this month in New York City. The company is also featuring 60 Throwback Thursdays, posting covers and stories pulled from its archives on the Lerner blog, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

Adam Lerner, who is Harrys son and is publisher and CEO of LPG, noted that the 60th anniversary is an occasion to celebrate its best-in-class school and library publishing programs, as well as acclaimed trade output. Award-winning LPG titles released in recent years include a Coretta Scott King Author Award book (Bad News for Outlaws: The Remarkable Life of Bass Reeves, Deputy U.S. Marshal by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson, illustrated by R. Gregory Christie, from Carolrhoda Books); two Michael L. Printz Award Honors (Out of Darkness by Ashley Hope Perez and I, Claudia by Mary McCoy, both from Carolrhoda Lab); and a National Book Award finalist (What Girls Are Made Of by Elana K. Arnold, also from Carolrhoda Lab).

A sampling of LPGs lead fall titles reveals the wide array of genres and topics represented on the imprints lists. Due from Graphic Universe is Stage Dreams by Melanie Gillman, a queer Western adventure starring a Latinx outlaw and a trans runaway. New from Carolrhoda Books are Carlyn Beccias Monstrous: The Lore, Gore, and Science Behind Your Favorite Monsters, examining eight legendary creatures; and Ella McKeen, Kickball Queen by Beth Mills, in which first grader Ellas reign is threatened when a new kid shows up. And The American Dream? A Journey on Route 66 Discovering Dinosaur Statues, Muffler Men, and the Perfect Breakfast Burrito by Shing Yin Khor, a graphic travelogue about the authors pilgrimage in search of an ever-shifting definition of America, is due from Zest Books.

Gratified by his companys past and present accomplishments, Adam Lerner emphasized that LPG is also looking forward to the future, adding, Through strong partnerships, innovative new digital products, and acquisitions such as Zest Books, we plan to make an even bigger impact in the marketplace and on bookshelves across the country in the years to come.
In December 2017, the Worlds Only Curious George store, which is located in Harvard Square in Cambridge, Mass., got a reprieve to stay in the Square despite renovations that the Abbot Building in which it is located will undergo this summer. Other tenants in the building have already moved out.

Now the Curious George store is about to undergo some major changes of its own. Employees were notified last weekend that owners Adam and Jamie Hirsch, who in 2012 reopened a store dedicated to Curious George at the site of an earlier Curious George store opened by the now defunct WordsWorth Books, had sold it to Astra Titus, a consultant who has been working with the store on a partnership with the literacy non-profit Reach Out and Read.

Titus plans to move the store about a mile or so away to nearby Central Square, and expand its operations to function as both a bookstore and a community literacy space, including build-your-own book stations for children and interactive areas for parents to use curricula to help their kids with literacy skills. The developing partnership with Reach Out and Read will be a significant component of the stores expansion.

While the store will remain a for-profit business, it is a shift, the new owner says, from being solely revenue-driven to being vision- and mission-driven. My store vision is that retail and community-building are one and the same, Titus told PW. Theyre inextricably woven together. I really want the store to be an anchor in the community, and in being an anchor, to help find ways that we can deliberately input tools that will create belonging.

After meeting with representatives from Regency Centers, owners of the building where the store currently resides, Titus said she became convinced that she could not achieve her vision for the store in Harvard Square.

When I was negotiating with [Regency] around what they were going to say or do, I felt no warmth. That is the antithesis of community building and creating connection, Titus said. The stores last day in its current location will be June 30.

Titus plans to expand the stores collection of Curious George related merchandise. As for the books, she freely admits that while she has experience with youth literacy, she does not have a background in bookselling. For support, she has formed an advisory board that includes author and illustrator Peter Reynolds, owner of The Blue Bunny Books & Toys in Dedham, Mass.; and Jim James, owner of Park Street Books & Toys in Medfield, Mass.

In addition to Reynolds and James, Reynolds daughter Sarahwho manages The Blue Bunnyhas volunteered to work with Titus and her staff on training and leadership development in the coming months. Adam Hirsch has also made himself available as Titus establishes herself in the new location, which she has under verbal agreement.

Titus is originally from Philadelphia, and she and her husband spent a stint in the Boston area, where he served with the U.S. Coast Guard. They have lived in Key West, Fla. and now live near Watkins Glen in upstate New York. Titus plans to run the Curious George store remotely, making frequent trips to get operations off the ground.

Im just chomping at the bit, Titus said. I want peopleliterally as soon as they walk in the door, even though they may not recognize or understand what theyre feelingto know they belong in this place; to say, This is my hangout. This is my Saturday morning place. This is my go-to. 
Books had escaped the early rounds of tariffs imposed on imports from China by the Trump administration in its growing trade war with that country, but they did not escape the most recent round that slaps tariffs on almost all goods printed in China. According to a notice issued earlier this week by the office of the U.S. Trade Representative, books are among the $300 billion worth of Chinese imports that face a potential 25% tariff following the failure of the U.S. and China to reach a new trade agreement.

In the new notice from the USTR, a range of books and other printed material are subject to the tariff. They include: printed books, brochures, leaflets, and similar printed matter in single sheets, whether or not folded; printed dictionaries and encyclopedias; printed books, brochures, leaflets, and similar printed matter, other than in single sheets; children's picture, drawing, or coloring books; and maps and hydrographic or similar charts of all kinds, including atlases and topographical plans, printed in book form.

Publishers first heard rumors that books would be part of the new tariffs last week, and those reports became fact late Tuesday when the USTR issued its new notice. Publishers were reluctant to discuss the potential imposition of tariffs, although one publisher termed the possibility of 25% tariff on books from China a frightening prospect. Although a small amount of book printing has returned to the U.S., China remains an important source for book manufacturing, particularly for illustrated titles.

At this point there is no guarantee the new tariffs will be imposed. In its notice, the USTR issued upcoming dates for a public hearing on the proposal. June 10 is the due date for any party to file a request to appear at the hearing and to file a summary of its expected testimony. Written comments are due June 17 and at 9:30 that day the hearing will be held in Washington. Post-hearing rebuttal comments are due seven days after the last day of the hearing, likely during the week of Monday, according to the USTR.

It is not clear how long after the hearing the tariffs might by imposed. The U.S. and China have both said they are open to more trade negotiations, and there is hope that if a deal is not reached before the G20 Summit set for June 28 to 29, President Trump and Chinas leader Xi Jinping may discuss a deal that could cancel or at least delay the imposition of the new tariffs.
On Thursday, May 30, 3:304:30 p.m. join the Penguin Random House Adult Library Marketing team in the Librarians Lounge (booth 557) along with a host of great authors. Pick up some signed copies, refreshments, and enter to win a Sweet Summer Reads tote bag, filled with a selection of Penguin Random Houses hottest new titles. Authors set to appear include:

Benjamin Dreyer, author of the New York Times bestselling Dreyers English: An Utterly Correct Guide to Clarity and Style. As Random Houses veteran copy chief, Dreyer has written more than a useful guide for any writerhis book has become a cultural touchstone. Come and debate the use of the series comma with Dreyer (if you dare).

Liz Moore, the author of the acclaimed novels Heft and The Unseen World, will be on hand to sign ARCs of her forthcoming novel, Long Bright River, set for January, 2020. The book is already earning praise, including from fellow writers like Dennis Lehane, Megan Abbott, and Paula Hawkins, who calls Long Bright River More than "a gripping mystery, but a thoughtful, powerful novel by a writer who displays enormous compassion for her characters.

Marcy Dermansky, the critically acclaimed author of The Red Car, Bad Marie, and Twins, will be signing copies of her forthcoming novel, Very Nice, billed as a brilliantly funny novel of money, sex, race, and bad behavior in the post-Obama era, featuring a wealthy Connecticut divorcee, her college-age daughter, and the famous novelist who is seduced by them both.

Jasmine Guillory, the New York Times bestselling author of The Wedding Date and The Proposal, will be signing copies of The Wedding Party, her exhilarating romance out this summer in paperback, and a pick of Reese Witherspoons Hello Sunshine Book Club.

Regina Porter, will be signing copies of her highly anticipated debut novel, The Travelers, described as a novel in short stories. The book made a major splash at the 2017 Frankfurt Book Fair, and it has gone on to earn acclaim from reviewers, including PW, who called the book expansive and ambitious.

Thursday, May 30, 3:30 to 4:30 p.m., at the Publishers Weekly BookExpo Librarians Lounge (Booth 557).
ODON, Ind.  The first Battery Innovation Center Commercialization Forum was hosted by Purdue@Westgate on May 7 at WestGate Academy.

The BIC Forum brings together economic development officials, startup founders, engineers and tech leaders in the battery industry from across the nation to collaborate toward accelerating commercialization of leading-edge battery technology.

We want to learn more about our clients to understand what hurdles startups and companies are facing in their different phases and which resources would best help them move forward, Ashley Gordon, advanced battery manufacturing team manager at BIC said in her opening remarks.

During the session, attendees identified and discussed the top challenges facing battery startups, including talent pipeline, investment resources, intellectual property delineation, grant translation and networking and marketing support.

Attendees also took advantage of their diverse perspectives and expertise to discuss their approaches, concerns and interests in further growing and developing the battery technology industry.

BIC and other tech hubs have resources and connections that early-stage startups are constantly seeking. We need to better use networking events to connect with other startups, to identify opportunities for synergies, and to harness the collective problem-solving skills that startups can best bring to bear, said Ted Seo, director of research and development at Volexion.

Ben Wrightsman, president and CEO of the Battery Innovation Center, addressed the potential benefits available to startups joining the BIC-WestGate community in Southern Indiana.

"The BIC team has been working with startups and battery companies to make connections and relationships with end users. There are over a hundred global firms working with us today and one of BICs main focuses is to expand our network and provide collaboration opportunity," Wrightsman said.

The mission of BIC is to promote advanced learning and education in the energy sector as well as to promote the rapid development, testing, and commercialization of safe, reliable and lightweight energy storage systems for commercial and defense organizations.

WestGate is home to a potentially powerful combination of assets, including the BIC, Purdue Foundry, Indiana University IP Law Clinic, etc. Plus, we bus startups to Purdue to work with researchers and laboratories, said Jason Salstrom, director of Purdue@WestGate. By innovating together, we will help these companies move faster.

For more information about programs and events at Purdue@WestGate, visit WestGate Technology Hub.

About the Battery Innovation Center

The Battery Innovation Center is a unique public-private partnership and not-for-profit organization that incorporates leadership from commercial enterprises, government organizations, and world-class universities to focus on rapid development, testing, and commercialization of safe, reliable, and lightweight energy storage systems for commercial and defense organizations. Located near NSWC Crane, the BIC provides both a virtual collaborative network of capabilities needed for development of next generation energy storage solutions as well as a state-of-the-art $15.6 million energy research lab and testing facility. The BIC is also home to Underwriters Laboratories (UL) Battery Energy Storage Technology test facility (UL BEST).

About Purdue@WestGate

Purdue@WestGate is an innovation and technology hub connecting communities, universities, organizations and local government entities to support workforce, entrepreneurship and innovation initiatives. Formed through the partnership of WestGate Authority, Naval Surface Warfare Center Crane Division (NSWC Crane), Purdue University and Purdue Research Foundation, the initiative combines institutional strengths to advance educational, research and development and technology commercialization across Indiana and beyond. For more information about the resources available to businesses, visit WestGate website.

Writer: Sodam Kim, 812-863-2754, sdkim@prf.org

Sources: Jason Salstrom, JDSalstrom@prf.org

Ashley Gordon, Ashley.Gordon@bicindiana.com
TORONTO, May 16, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- World Class Extractions Inc. (CSE: PUMP) (FRA: WCF) (the Company or World Class) is pleased to announce it has entered into a Service Agreement with Deveron UAS Corp. (CSE:DVR) (Deveron) whereby Deveron will provide drone data and soil sampling services to World Class and its affiliate farmers focused on hemp production in the United States and Canada, providing an opportunity to increase yields and reduce costs.



Deveron has worked with leading agricultural companies to bring data acquisition and analytics to broad acre farmland. The company is integrated with leading farm platforms, like Bayer Crop Sciences Climate FieldView and John Deeres MyJohnDeere data management systems. The expansion into hemp data analytics is a natural extension to the current data insights it provides to leading farmers in North America that grow corn, soybean, wheat and canola.

Deveron is an industry leading agriculture technology company focused on data acquisition and analytics that drive increased yields and reduced costs. The two companies will be bringing best-in class data acquisition tools for hemp growers that include drone data and soil data. On top of data acquisition, the company will be working with World Class and its farmer partners to deliver digital records and analytics that will help with benchmarking the hemp production process, traceability and other best management practices.

Farming hemp requires proper planning, preparation and execution and we want to make sure our partner farmers have access to the best technology to assist them. The high value of hemp crops today makes the data Deveron collects even more valuable than for traditional row crops and will help our farming partners make better informed decisions on the field, said Michael McCombie, CEO of World Class. Deveron has a large network of agronomists and drone pilots throughout Canada and the United States, leveraging their technology and personnel spanning such large service areas will provide great value to our farmers as we build our network of processing facilities.

We are extremely excited to be expanding our digital product solution to the customers of World Class, said David MacMilllan, President and CEO of Deveron. On the data acquisition side, we see considerable scale and opportunities in supporting higher margin crop. Additionally, given our leading data insights algorithms with large growers in Canada and the United States, we believe we are uniquely positioned to provide the most informative data insights available to farmers thinking about changing their production from traditional row crops to hemp.

About World Class

World Class is a Canadian based developer of an innovative, large scale extraction process for both the hemp and cannabis industry. The Company intends to provide single step continuous flow extraction services to the hemp and cannabis industry. Using patent pending technology, World Class results produce higher yields and better quality full spectrum crude hemp oil at faster rates. The technology allows the extraction of CBD Oil and other related extracts from wet or dried natural plants. World Class can save its clients floor space, utility drying costs, equipment and processing labour costs.

For more information, visit: www.wcextractions.com .

On behalf of the Board of Directors of

WORLD CLASS EXTRACTIONS INC.

Michael McCombie

Chief Executive Officer

mike@wcextractions.com

Neither the CSE nor its Market Regulator (as that term is defined in the policies of the CSE) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements: Certain disclosures in this release constitute forward-looking statements. In making the forward-looking statements in this release, the parties have applied certain factors and assumptions that are based on the parties' current beliefs as well as assumptions made by and information currently available to the parties. Although the parties consider these assumptions to be reasonable based on information currently available to them, they may prove to be incorrect, and the forward-looking statements in this release are subject to numerous risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause future results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in such forward-looking statements. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The parties do not intend, 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 required by law.
Abellio UK said on May 9 it was pleased and proud to be confirmed today as the new operator of the East Midlands rail franchise by the Department for Transport, following the conclusion of the extended standstill period. Managing Director Dominic Booth said were looking forward to working with the ...
Detroits WMYD TV station, owned by The EW Scripps Co, plans to launch ATSC 3.0 broadcast TV technology in a collaborative effort that will also involve Graham Media Group and other local broadcasters.





Having a Next-Gen TV broadcaster in Detroit provides a unique opportunity for the automotive industry to have an in-market test bed for the IP-based broadcast platform, which can deliver data to millions of receivers at once, without worrying about bottlenecks from online traffic.Scripps is a strong supporter of the development of ATSC 3.0 technology as a way to continue to improve the broadcast industrys offerings for both consumers and advertisers, said Brian Lawlor, president of Local Media for Scripps . After our positive experience with KNXV as part of the test and learn initiatives in Phoenix, we are eager to launch this technology with WMYD in Detroit and help move the industry forward.Scripps KNXV participated in the launch of Arizonas Phoenix Model Market for Next-Gen TV, a project managed by the Pearl TV business group of television broadcasters.At NAB 2019, TV broadcasters in the Top 40 TV markets committed to launching Next-Gen TV services by the end of 2020.
Univision Deportes saw record-breaking ratings in the US for its telecast of the UEFA Champions League (UCL) semi-final round, according to data from Nielsen.





The four matches, simulcast on Univision Network and Univision Deportes Network (UDN) , delivered an average of 705,000 Total Viewers 2+, attracting the largest audience ever for a UCL semifinal round, regardless of television network or language. The performance marked the first time Spanish-language telecasts of the semifinals out-performed the English-language telecasts among Total Viewers 2+ (+18%) since 2013.The semis were highlighted by the thrilling FC Barcelona-Liverpool FC matchup, which delivered the top two most-watched UCL semifinal contests of all-time in Total Viewers 2+.Airing Tuesday, 7 May, the second and decisive leg was the most-watched UCL semifinal contest in US television history - on any network and in any language - averaging 797,000 Total Viewers 2+ on Univision and UDN.The delivery bested TNTs broadcast of the match by +12% among Total Viewers 2+. Meanwhile, Liverpool-Barcelonas semifinal match on Wednesday, May 1 averaged 789,000 Total Viewers 2+ on Univision and UDN, +16% over TNTs telecast.Liverpool and Tottenham will face off in the UEFA Champions League final on 1 June.
The latest Buying Trends Report from IABM has found that new competitive pressures are ratcheting up the drive for efficiency and multi-platform delivery among media firms.





The report analyses the financial performance of media companies for the six months to December 2018 and qualitative analysis based on pre-NAB Show 2019 buying trends survey data. It found that revenue growth has improved from 5.3% to 9.3% while profit growth remains negative at -2.4% - slightly up from -2.6% reported for the first half of 2018.IABM discovered that the traditional advertising and subscriptions-based business models continue to be under competitive pressure from new media and its wide range of direct-to-consumer (DTC) offerings. The research also noted that while profits are declining across all organisation types, the advertising model is under more pressure than that of pay-TV.Yet despite everything, confidence remained strong among media companies with 78% of respondents saying that they were positive about the business environment despite the enormous changes affecting the industry. That said this was 5 percentage points lower than in the previous report. In addition 25% reported that their companies still derive more than 80% of their revenues from traditional broadcast operations, although most expect this to reduce over the coming years.The survey results also showed that technology users are focusing on solutions that make them more efficient, agile and interoperable. In order to do that, they are spending more money on generic IT technology and increasingly investing in in-house development to suit their specific needs. Efficiency remained the most important driver of product purchase, followed by interoperability and agility. Changing priorities have translated into a shift in technology spending that prioritises Opex over Capex.While IP and cloud adoption are already strong, promising technologies such as AI remain emerging trends, according to the data. Blockchain adoption remained at a very early stage with an adoption rate of only 3% and investment in virtual reality stayed subdued and gave no indication of increasing significantly over the next six months.By contrast, multi-platform content delivery was the most important priority for technology users, followed by 4K/Ultra HD. The rise of the latter to the second most important priority was consistent with a general upward trend in 4K/UHD adoption recognised by IABM and spending in the market and the increased investment in premium content by new media operators. These results show that the demand side of the industry continues to go through a radical shift, with changing revenue models influencing the trends in media technology investment, said IABM head of insight and analysis Lorenzo Zanni. Although technology investment has shifted to new priorities, technology has never been so key to driving business success in the multi-platform world. Buyers continued adoption of new technologies requires suppliers to move to new business models centred on the flexible provision of software. With change, the future is bright as greater investment is poured into content.
Initiated at MIPTV in April, the multi-platform factual content, deals have been sealed with DR Denmark, SVT Sweden, VRT Belgium, KRO-NCRV Netherlands, Ceska Televize Czech Republic.DR has acquired a package of documentaries including Trevor McDonald and the Killer Nurse; Wildman to Ironman; and three titles from award-winning UK producer True Vision: Born on the Breadline, Behind Closed Doors: Through the Eyes of a Child and Stacey Dooley: The Young and Homeless.In the 50-minute documentary Trevor McDonald and the Killer Nurse, (pictured) produced by ITN Productions for ITV, the respected journalist and newsreader investigates the chilling case of Beverly Allitt, one of the UKs worst serial killers who murdered and abused several children in her care as a nurse. Also commissioned by the BBC, 52-minute film Wildman to Ironman by One Tribe follows Matt Pritchards journey turning the Welsh border and coastline into one enormous triathlon route.Stacey Dooley: The Young and Homeless is a sensitive observational film that follows three young people as they navigate their way through teenage life without the security of a home. The 59-minute film for BBC One, presented by the leading UK TV celebrity and campaigner has also been acquired by VRT Belgium and SVT Sweden.KRO-NCRV has acquired Dirty Vegan for NPO3, made by One Tribe and commissioned by the BBC , the series looks to prove that Vegan food can make you fitter, stronger and healthier as well as taste great. Ceska TV has taken a trio of documentaries, including Living with My Supersized Pets, a 60-minute film from Barcroft Productions for Channel 4 which explores why some people choose to own pets that could feasibly (and easily) kill them. On the other end of the animal spectrum isMeet the Hedgehogs (3 x 60 mins), an Athena Films production for Channel 5. Set in the Amazing Grace Rescue Centre founded by Dr Brian May of rock band Queen fame, the series introduces viewers to the amazing world of the humble hedgehog. Also headed for Ceska is English National Operas interpretation of Berliozs first opera, Benvenuto Cellini.Commenting on the deals, Karen Young, founder and CEO of Orange Smarty said: [We are] all about being different from the rest and these latest sales underline just how effective difference can be when it comes to factual content. People dont want the same old, same old. They want to be surprised and intrigued and challenged. Thats what the docs on our slate deliver  and this response from buyers across Europe shows that were not the only ones who believe in the power of different.
DENVER, May 16, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Red Lion Hotel Corporation (NYSE: RLH), a growing hospitality company doing business as RLH Corporation that franchises upscale, midscale and economy hotels, received a letter on March 14, 2019 addressed to the board of directors from Scott R. Grossman, Managing Partner of Vindico Capital LLC.



RLH welcomes open communication with shareholders and values constructive dialogue on a wide range of matters. We have engaged in several discussions with Vindico Capital in recent months to discuss its perspectives. The RLH Board of Directors takes its fiduciary duties seriously and together with the management team remain confident in the Companys strategic plan to grow its core franchise business by capitalizing on attractive growth opportunities through our brands and technology platforms. In doing so, we will continue to consider the input of shareholders toward our common goal of enhancing value over the long-term.

About RLH Corporation

Red Lion Hotels Corporation is an innovative hotel company doing business as RLH Corporation and focusing on the franchising, management and ownership of upscale, midscale and economy hotels. The Company strives to maximize return on invested capital for hotel owners across North America through relevant brands, industry-leading technology and forward-thinking services. For more information, please visit the companys website at www.rlhco.com .

Investor Relations Contact:

Evelyn Infurna

Investor Relations

203-682-8265

investorrelations@rlhco.com

Media Contact:

Dan Schacter

Senior Director, Social Engagement and Public Relations

509-777-6222

dan.schacter@rlhco.com
Palestinians will reject the deal of the century if it does not meet their demands, Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki warned last week. To prepare for the rejection, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has been consolidating power for more than a year at the expense of his rivals. Though centralizing power may look like an effective strategy from within, it will not likely shield the Palestinian Authority from the consequences of rejecting the White Houses forthcoming peace plan.

Abbas met U.S. President Donald Trump four times between March and September 2017, while U.S. and Palestinian delegates met more than 30 times. After Trumps decision to move the American embassy in Israel to Jerusalem last year, Abbas severed political ties with the White House. Abbas then set in motion a series of moves designed to consolidate his political power and prepare his political allies to face the aftermath of dismissing the American peace proposal.

The Fatah party that Abbas leads is the dominant grouping under the Palestine Liberation Organization umbrella, which is the Palestinians official international negotiating body. The PLO established the Palestinian Authority as an interim government pursuant to the Oslo Accords. Abbas sits at the helm of all three bodies.

In May 2018, just as the United States moved its embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv, Abbas convened the 787-strong Palestinian National Council, the PLOs legislative body, for the first time in 22 years. The National Council elected a new 124-member Palestinian Central Council and reportedly transferred significant power to it. The smaller body is easier to manage in a political crisis.

Abbas convened the newly inducted Palestinian Central Council in October 2018. The Council released a statement that began with a declaration of its opposition to the Trump administrations deal of the century, even though specifics of the plan have yet to be released. By holding both of these meetings in Ramallah, a city inaccessible to Palestinian expatriates and to many supporters of his PLO rivals, Abbas helped further solidify his base.

In December 2018, Abbas then moved to dissolve the Palestinian Legislative Council, the Palestinian Authoritys representative body. The Legislative Council had not met since being convened shortly after Hamas won the 2006 legislative elections. As part of its dissolution, Abbas promised to hold elections within six months -- the first Palestinian elections in 13 years. That deadline is fast approaching. With a new Legislative Council reshaped in Abbas image, the Palestinian leader will have additional political backing to resist American or even Gulf Arab pressure to accept the peace plan.

In January of this year, Abbas chaired a meeting of Fatahs Central Committee, during which he recommended the dissolution of the government led by Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah. Hamdallah, a low-profile technocrat who had served for six years, promptly resigned. In March, Abbas appointed Mohammad Shtayyeh as the new prime minister. Shtayyeh is known within Palestinian circles as a much more capable figure, closely aligned with President Abbas.

While consolidating power and eliminating rivals is nothing new for Abbas, undertaking all of these moves, especially with institutions that had been dormant or unchanged for years, indicates that the Palestinian president is preparing for something major.

With a consolidated Palestinian bureaucracy in place, Abbas is now bracing for the Trump peace plan, which Palestinians believe will not go far enough in recognizing their national aspirations. Nobody knows when the plan will be unveiled. There were suggestions it would be revealed in early June, after Israels coalition is formed and Ramadan is over. From all indications, Abbas is preparing to reject it.

Not surprisingly, Abbas rejectionism has soured ties with the White House. The Trump administration has taken active steps to convince the Palestinians that they are better off engaging. During a time of intransigent Palestinian policy, Washington has moved its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem; closed the Palestinian embassy in Washington; halted funding for the UN Palestinian refugee agency, UNRWA; cut aid money to the Palestinians, and recognized Israeli sovereignty in the Golan Heights. It is unclear whether engagement could have prevented any of this, but the Palestinians did not even try.

A recently leaked document allegedly containing details of the White House plan promises dire consequences if the Palestinians reject the deal. Abbas political consolidation may have weakened internal enemies such as Hamas, but it is unlikely to shield his people from the consequences of rejecting yet another peace plan.

David May is a research analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, a Washington-based nonpartisan research institute focusing on national security and foreign policy. Follow David on Twitter @DavidSamuelMay. Follow FDD on Twitter @FDD. The views expressed are the author's own.
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TORONTO, May 16, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Biome Grow Inc. (Biome) is pleased to announce the appointment of Rita Theil as an independent member of its Board of Directors effective immediately. Ms. Theil has extensive governance experience at the board level of both public and private companies, with a particular focus on enterprises operating in highly regulated industries. She is currently President and Chief Executive Officer of JacKryn Holdings Inc., which is a leading corporate finance advisory firm specializing in capital markets, strategy development and execution, M&A and merger integration. In 2003, Ms. Theil also established the Womens Mentor Initiative.



Her current and former independent board assignments include Allstate Insurance Company of Canada, NewGen Asset Management, WATERTAP Ontario, Global Water Resources Inc., and Scottish Water plc.

Ms. Theil has a professional background as a corporate lawyer, as well as extensive and varied experience as an investment banker. At CITIBANK - Schroder Salomon Smith Barney, she served as Director, European Utilities, Water, and Infrastructure. During her tenure at CITIBANK, she also founded CITI WOMEN, an organization formed to be a leader in attracting, developing, advancing, and retaining female talent at all levels. Prior to CITIBANK, she was an Assistant Director at Dresdner Kleinwort Benson where she worked on the privatization of the UK electricity industry and built the power advisory investment banking business for the United States and Canada.

Biome is excited to have Rita join our board of directors. As with our current members of the Biome Board, she will bring considerable strategic value to the operations of the company beyond her duties as a board member. In particular, her extensive international mergers and acquisitions experience, risk matrix development, and advisory work with governments will play a key role as Biome looks to expand on its international cannabis footprint said Khurram Malik, President and Chief Executive Officer of Biome. In addition, her leadership in diversity and mentoring initiatives aligns well with our Conscious Cannabis mantra as we continue to promote a culture of corporate social responsibility.

I am honoured to join Biomes Board of Directors and share my international capital markets experience and my corporate governance and regulatory perspectives in support of Biomes continued growth across Canada and foreign markets, said Rita Theil. Biome is a fast-growing player in the Canadian medical cannabis sector and I am looking forward to bringing my experiences and insights to the table to help broaden its scope.

Ms. Theil holds a Master of Business Administration degree (International Strategy and Management) from the University of Ottawa, as well as an LLB and a Bachelor of Social Science from the same institution. She is a chartered director and the recipient of numerous awards and honours.

For further information, please contact:



Scott Cuthbertson

VP Investor Relations

scuthbertson@biomegrow.com

647-462-8797

www.biomegrow.com

About Biome

Biome wholly owns five subsidiaries, including: The Back Home Medical Cannabis Corporation, a company incorporated under the laws of the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador and in the late stages of applying for a license under the Cannabis Act; Great Lakes Cannabis, a company incorporated under the laws of the Province of Ontario and in the late stages of applying for a license under the Cannabis Act; Highland Grow Inc., a licensed producer in Nova Scotia under the Cannabis Act; Red Sands Craft Cannabis Co., a company incorporated under the laws of the Province of Prince Edward Island; and Weed Virtual Retail Inc., a company incorporated under the laws of the Province of Ontario in the business of operating a new virtual reality technology platform focused exclusively on the medical and recreational cannabis markets. Biome is a Canadian-based company with national and international business interests.
The BJP immediately got into damage control and distanced itself from Thakur's statement and asked her to tender a public apology, which she did.

Bharatiya Janata Party's Bhopal Lok Sabha candidate and Malegaon blast accused Pragya Singh Thakur on Thursday lauded Mahatma Gandhi's assassin Nathuram Godse as a "patriot", sparking an outrage from the Opposition with the Congress alleging that "insulting martyrs is in the DNA" of BJP, which also condemned her remarks.

"Nathuram Godse was a deshbhakt (patriot), he is and will remain a deshbhakt. Those calling him a terrorist should instead look at themselves. They will be given a befitting reply in this election," the controversial leader said in Agar Malwa in Madhya Pradesh while attending a roadshow.

She was replying to a question over actor-politician Kamal Haasan's remark that independent India's first "extremist was a Hindu", a reference to Godse.

Her remarks created a major row with the opposition parties attacking her and the BJP with the Nationalist Congress Party saying people can now see the "real face" of the Amit Shah-led party and the Congress demanding an apology from Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The BJP immediately got into damage control and distanced itself from Thakur's statement and asked her to tender a public apology, which she did.

"My intention was not to hurt anyone. If it has hurt someone, I apologise," Thakur said.

Earlier, condemning her comments, BJP spokesperson G V L Narasimha Rao in a statement said,"We completely disagree with her statement with regard to Mahatma Gandhi. We strongly condemn this statement. The party will seek clarification from her as to why she gave this. It would be proper for her to seek and tender a public apology for her objectionable statement."

Attacking the BJP and Thakur, Congress' chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said,"it is clear, the BJP people are the descendants of Godse. BJP people say Godse was a patriot and martyr Hemant Karkare was a traitor. Culture of violence and insulting martyrs is the DNA of the BJP."

"Modi-Amit Shah ji's favourite BJP leader, Pragya Thakur once again insulted the whole nation by calling Gandhi's killer, Nathuram Godse 'a true patriot'," he said in a statement.

Maharashtra NCP chief Jayant Patil tweeted that Godse, who has murdered Mahatma Gandhi, is being defended by Thakur and is being called a patriot.

People can now see BJP's real face through Sadhvi Pragya, he further said.

National Conference leader Omar Abdullah attacked Thakur and tweeted, "If the killer of the father of the nation is a patriot does that make Mahatma Gandhi anti-national?" though he did not name Thakur.

BJP leader Hitesh Bajpai, speaking on her behalf, had earlier said that "Pragyaji has apologised for her statement."

When asked whether she has apologised to the state BJP chief, he said, "That is not an issue, but she has apologised and took back her statement."

Meanwhile, the election commission has asked the state chief electoral officer to submit a "factual report" by tomorrow about Thakur's remarks.

This is the second time in a month that Thakur has apologised for a controversial statement made by her.

Last month, she had stoked a controversy when she said that IPS officer Hemant Karkare had died during the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks as she had "cursed" him for torturing her. Later, she apologised and took back her controversial remark.

Thakur was also temporarily banned from campaigning for her hate remarks.

Condemning her statement, senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh said in Ujjain that praising Godse was not patriotism, but an "anti-national" act.

"Narendra Modi ji, Amit Shah ji and BJP leaders from Madhya Pradesh should apologise to the country. I condemn the words used against the Father of the Nation. Nathuram Godse was a killer and eulogising him is not patriotism, but an

anti-national act," the former Madhya Pradesh chief minister told reporters in Ujjain.

PDP president and former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti said, "Gandhi ji certainly didn't die to let history repeat itself. The BJP should be ashamed for endorsing a candidate who praised Bapu's assassin. He (Godse) was a terrorist and those who admire him are nothing else but Nathuram Godse 2.0 in the making."

Mehbooba said she took pride in being called an "anti-national" when Godse is hailed as a nationalist.

"I take pride in being called an anti-national when a Hindu fanatic who gunned down Gandhi ji is hailed as a nationalist. Aisi nationalism aur desh bhakti humaray bas ki naheen. Yeh aapko mubarak ( I am not capable of such nationalism. You. May keep it), " she added.

Both the Communist Party of India and CPI-M also criticised Thakur for her controversial.

"It's a fact that Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated and the incident was a well-planned one to spread hatred, create fear and to send out a message. This assassination was carried out by Nathuram Godse. If BJP thinks Godse was patriot then what was Mahatma Gandhi?" CPI leader D Raja said.

Kamal Haasan, while addressing an election campaign rally at Aravakurichi (Tamil Nadu) on May 12, had said, "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."
The Special Protection Group, the National Security Guard, the Central Reserve Police Force, the Central Industrial Security Force and the Indo-Tibetan Border Police are ensuring a watertight VIP security cover everyday to politicians campaigning across the country.

IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is protected by the elite Special Protection Group. Photograph: PTI Photo

Over 2,000 agile commandos on ground, 120 young supervisory officers, thousands of bullet rounds, first-aid kits and volumes of intelligence data sheets.

This is what it takes for the central forces to ensure a watertight VIP security cover everyday to politicians campaigning across the country during the ongoing polls.

While Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress president Rahul Gandhi are protected by the elite Special Protection Group, other prominent politicians are guarded by central forces like the National Security Guard, the Central Reserve Police Force, the Central Industrial Security Force and the Indo-Tibetan Border Police, as they travel thousands of kilometres each day canvassing for their parties.

"In all, about 2,000 commandos are on ground and are rotated in shifts, apart from 120 young officers as party of the central security cover to the politicians. A huge amount of paraphernalia of logistics, weapons and intelligence and operational dossiers are put at their disposal everyday when the teams head out with their VIPs for campaigning in the country," a senior official in the VIP security establishment said.

The CRPF has been entrusted with the responsibility to guard 78 VIPs, including Bharatiya Janata Party chief Amit Shah who is under their top category 'Z+' security cover.

Shah, the only one for whom an advance security liaison is done on the lines of SPG protectees, on Wednesday said that it would have been difficult for him to survive an attack on his convoy during his road show in Kolkata had it not been for the CRPF cover.

Sources said the force has mobilised a team of officers in the ranks of assistant commandants and deputy commandants to carry out advance recce of the venues to be covered across the country by Shah, who faces serious security threats.

Over 54 such officers have been deployed in various parts of the country to keep a track of prominent protectees under the cover of the CRPF. They are assisted by ground units from 28 various bases of the force activated for the special task, they said.

These commandos of the country's largest paramilitary force also provide proximate security cover to Union ministers Nitin Gadkari, Ravi Shankar Prasad among others and are armed with sophisticated AK series and MP5 assault rifles, loaded magazines, pistols, mobile body armour and even ropes and sticks for crowd control and special circumstances.

IMAGE: Like PM Modi, Congress chief Rahul Gandhi is also protected by the SPG. Photograph: PTI Photo

A 24X7 control room at a CRPF base in Noida remains in constant touch with a similar operational centre at the ministry of home affairs in North Block that coordinates every move that these teams undertake and is in regular touch with them over the wireless and mobilephone.

"VIP security is a game of sharp reflexes and nerves of steel. One has to be very very meticulous while rendering the VIP security task as there are virtually no second chances," the official said.

Commandos hailing from the local area are also deputed with these VIPs at times so that they are able to catch every murmur or voice that emerges from the crowd, he said.

They also carry first-aid kits to help the VIP in case of an injury, motion sickness or tiredness, the official said.

The CISF, that has been entrusted with the security of 93 VIPs, has a tough job at hand as it has been recently asked to protect over a dozen new people in West Bengal, most of whom are trying their luck at the hustings.

About 40 officials have been deployed in supervisory roles to keep a track of the various protection teams that are out on field.

They camp in the local area and ensure the preparedness, logistics, food and other requirements of the commandos on move, the official said.

The prominent VIPs under the CISF cover are Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat (Z+), Madhya Pradesh chief minister Kamal Nath (Z), ministers of state in the Modi cabinet Mahesh Sharma and Manoj Sinha, former IPS officer and BJP candidate Bharti Ghosh and a host of other Lok Sabha candidates of the saffron party in the state ruled by the TMC.

The CISF VIP security unit has specially-trained personnel and they are called Special Security Group.

IMAGE: Shah, the only one for whom an advance security liaison is done on the lines of SPG protectees, said that it would have been difficult for him to survive an attack on his convoy during his road show in Kolkata had it not been for the CRPF cover. Photograph: Ashok Bhaumik/PTI Photo

The NSG has an all-time low of 13 VIPs under its cover but the task to guard them is very enduring as they include Union home minister Rajnath Singh, former chief ministers like Akhilesh Yadav and Mayawati and serving CMs like Yogi Adityanath and N Chandrababu Naidu, among others.

The NSG has fine-tuned its security drills before Lok Sabha elections were declared and the 'black cats' are now armed with smart communication gadgets, body armour shields. They also conduct an advance recce of the venue for some VIPs like the home minister and others, the official said.

"The commando teams are pre-positioned when the VIP takes a flight or helicopter to travel from one place to the other. When one team securely leaves the VIP at point A, the other receives him when he lands at point B," the official explained.

A good number of VIP security trained drivers have been deployed with these teams on ground as they are a very vital cog of the unit as they can swiftly manoeuvre and rush out the protectee in case of an attack, ambush or bombing incident, he said.

The Indo-Tibetan Police Force guards about 16 VIPs like senior BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi (Z+), former Jammu and Kashmir CMs Omar Abdullah, Mehbooba Mufti among others.

The seven-phase elections will end with the last polling day on May 19 and the counting of votes is scheduled for May 23.

--- INDIA VOTES
With 'Bengali pride' firmly pitchforked into electoral discourse, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee on Thursday accused each other's "goons" of vandalising the bust of Bengal Renaissance pioneer Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar's bust at a Kolkata college.

IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses during an election rally. Photograph: Ashok Bhaumik/PTI Photo

Days after the social reformer-polymath's statue was smashed to pieces, the echo was felt in faraway Mau in Uttar Pradesh where Modi declared his government's commitment to the "vision" of Vidyasagar and promised his grand statue will be installed at the very place where it was vandalised.

He said Trinamool Congress "goons" had committed a "sin" by wrecking the statue and alleged that the Banerjee government was trying to destroy evidence to save them.

Addressing rallies in Mandir Bazaar and Diamond Harbour in West Bengal, Banerjee rejected Modi's offer for installing a new bust of Vidyasagar and said 'Bengali pride' was hurt by the incident.

"He should do squats holding his ears (as a mark of repentance) for destroying the cultural heritage of the state. Media has shown how Vidyasagar's bust was broken. Bengali pride is hurt and people will not spare the BJP. It will not get a single vote in Bengal," the West Bengal chief minister said.

The two leaders attacked each other with vengeance as they made a last gasp push to shore up the prospects of their candidates for the nine Lok Sabha seats before the truncated deadline for electioneering ends at 10 p.m. tonight.

Stakes are too high for Banerjee in the last phase of polling schedule for May 19 as the TMC had won all these nine seats.

Modi addressed two rallies on Thursday, while Banerjee also held public meetings and a roadshow with thousands of party supporters and workers, many carrying framed photographs of Bengali icons like Rabindranath Tagore, Swami Vivekananda, Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay and Sri Aurobindo.

"Dedicated as we are to the vision of Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, our government will install a panchdhatu (an alloy of five metals) statue at the very spot and give a befitting reply to TMC goondas," Modi declared in Mau.

In West Bengal, Banerjee went for Modi's jugular, saying she does not want "alms" from the BJP.

"Bengal does not seek alms from BJP. We have the money for a new bust of Vidyasagar, who was part of Bengal Renaissance. Don't you feel ashamed for saying that Bengal has been reduced to a pauper state?"

Banerjee was referring to a comment by BJP president Amit Shah at a poll rally earlier this week where he had said that under Banerjee "sonar (made of gold) Bangla has become kangal (pauper) Bangla".

Addressing a rally at Mathurapur in West Bengal later in the day, Modi said Banerjee had "lost her cool in the face of imminent defeat".

"TMC goons are spreading violence, they vandalised the statue of Vidyasagar. CCTV cameras were installed in the college. The way the state government erased evidence of Narada and Saradha scam, it is trying to remove evidence here too," he alleged and demanded the most stringent of punishments to the perpetrators "for the unpardonable sin".

IMAGE: West Bengal chief minister and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee during an election rally. Photograph: Swapan Mahapatra/PTI Photo

Kolkata witnessed widespread violence during Shah's massive roadshow on Tuesday after his convoy was pelted with stones during which the bust of the 19th century Bengali social reformer was smashed to smithreens at a college named after him.

"Didi has lost her cool in the face of imminent defeat and has become frustrated. She is now threatening me to put behind bars," he said.

Modi also targeted Banerjee's nephew Abhishek, who is seeking re-election from the Diamond Harbour seat, claiming the 'bua-bhatija' duo was running a "Tolabaji syndicate" (extortion racket) in the state.

The BJP, he asserted, will win a majority of the state's 42 Lok Sabha seats and more than 300 in the entire country.

"Democracy has been tarnished by TMC's goondaism. The TMC has problem with people celebrating Durga Puja, Saraswati Puja and even chanting Jai Shree Ram. It is a crime in Bengal," Modi said.

He also referred to Banerjee's remark at a poll rally on Wednesday that if she wants she can capture the BJP's head office in New Delhi "in a trice".

"You and your party are known for grabbing land. Because of this habit, people have lost confidence in you and have made up their mind to defeat you," he said.

Calling Banerjee "sticker didi", the prime minister accused her of claiming credit for central schemes.
IMAGE: Congress president Rahul Gandhi with Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and party's MP Sushmita Dev at Alwar district of Rajasthan, on Thursday. Photograph: PTI Photo

Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Thursday met a Dalit woman who was allegedly gang-raped in front of her husband in Rajasthan's Alwar district, party sources said.

Gandhi was accompanied by Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, deputy CM Sachin Pilot and Congress national general secretary Avinash Pandey, they said.

"Such things will not be tolerated. The victim will get justice. The moment I got to know about the incident, I called Gehlot ji and told him that I want to come. This is not a political issue for me but an emotional issue," Gandhi told reporters in Jaipur.

He said, a message should go across the country, not just in Rajasthan that 'this will not be tolerated'.

Responding to a question about his conversation with the victim's family, Gandhi said, "They spoke about justice. They will get justice and action will be taken against the people involved in the crime."

On charges levelled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi that state government was negligent in the case, he said, "I am not here to do politics over the issue but to meet the family. The family will get 'Nyay' (justice)."

He was earlier scheduled to arrive in Jaipur on Wednesday.

On April 26, six miscreants 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.

A first information report was lodged on May 2 and the accused circulated a video clip of the crime on May 4.

Subsequently, five accused, who allegedly raped the woman, and the one who shot and circulated the video clip, have been arrested.

The incident triggered widespread protests in Alwar, Jaipur, Dausa and nearby areas and a protest march led by BJP's Rajya Sabha MP Kirori Lal Meena had turned violent in Dausa on Tuesday, leaving over half-a-dozen people injured.

Prime Minister Modi, Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati and other leaders have condemned the incident.

Hitting out at PM Modi, Chief Minister Gehlot said, "Entire country knows he (Modi) is doing politics. He speaks lie, which is unfortunate. The entire BJP is holding protest, it shows who is indulging in politics."

Clarifying on government action in the gang-rape case, the CM said, "The FIR in the case was lodged on May 2. Charge sheet in the case will be filed in next seven days. For the victim a job will be managed."

Gehlot announced to divide Alwar into two districts for policing.

"Alwar is a critical district. We have done a study. Crime in the district is more than any other district. Looking into which we have decided to divide the district in two parts for policing," he said.

The accused will get punishment and effective monitoring of the case will be done, he added.

Gehlot said after the incident the state government has decided that a victim woman can lodge a complaint at the SP office if she faces problem at police station.

In addition, the government is going to appoint a woman nodal officer of deputy SP rank at the district level on the lines of nodal officer to deal with the cases related to atrocities on SC/STs.
South Africa: Plans to curb GBV at varsity

Government is forging ahead with its plans to eradicate Gender Based Violence (GBV) in the countrys post-school education institutions.

Under the Policy Framework to Address GBV in the Post-school Education and Training System (PSET), which came out for public comment this week, government aims to conceptualise GBV and define its manifestation in terms of existing laws and policies.

The framework details the international and national regulatory framework for institutional and departmental responses to GBV. It provides guidance around the structures, mechanisms and processes that institutions must put in place to address GBV.

This will be done by mandating institutions to develop a comprehensive, overarching policy to address GBV, which includes harassment and discrimination more broadly, staff grievance and disciplinary proceedings, as well as student and staff codes of conduct aligned and integrated within the total policy environment of the institution.

They will have to put support and assistance mechanisms in place that can immediately offer support to victims of GBV in institutions, as well as establishing effective reporting, monitoring and evaluation mechanisms.

Furthermore, they will also institute a charter on ethics that will be signed by all staff and student leadership in institutions. The charter should clearly specify ethical conduct that pertains to the eradication of sexual harassment and GBV.

The latest statistics of the World Health Organisation reflect that 35% of women worldwide experienced either physical or sexual intimate partner violence (IPV) or non-partner sexual violence.

In South Africa, the problem is even more severe. According to the South African Police Service (SAPS) Crime Statistics report of 2018, a total of 50 108 cases of sexual offenses were reported in 2017/8 - a 0.9% increase from the previous year. Femicide increased by 11% over the last two years.

Statistics South Africa (Stats SA), in the Crime against Women in South Africa (2018) report, estimates that 138 per 100 000 women were raped in 2016/17, the highest rate in the world.

GBV has also been linked to other societal problems such as drug and alcohol abuse, abuse of people with disabilities, safety of students and staff on campuses and in student residences, and mental health problems such as depression on the part of victims and their families.

These social problems have plagued the post schooling institutions, with more cases of rape and murder of women students being reported.

Most of these crimes against women were perpetrated by men who were well known to the victims, such as partners, former partners or fellow students.

Despite this, crimes affecting women remain underreported, resulting in students protesting against unsafe environments and demanding gender transformation in institutions.

These protests have negatively affected the academic calendar of institutions and in some instances, interfered with their academic progress.

With this in mind, the Policy Frameworks goals are to put supportive, efficient and reparative assistance procedures to complainants/victims in place.

This includes plans to establish just and specialised procedures for the reporting, investigation and resolution of complaints; and provide comprehensive, specialised support and other assistance to victims and where possible, perpetrators of GBV.

Government, for its part, will conceptualise and run a national GBV campaign at post-schooling institutions, and standardise institutional mechanisms tasked with dealing with sexual violence.

Government is also investigating the possibility of publishing a register of offenders that will be used in the recruitment of council members, staff and support personnel, as well as investigate a whistle-blowing mechanism to report GBV in institutions.

The implementation date will be stated in the Government Gazette. - SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2019-05-16. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
TORONTO, May 16, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- dynaCERT Inc. (TSX VENTURE: DYA) (OTCQB: DYFSF) (FRA: DMJ) ("dynaCERT" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that the Company hosted notable Ministers and Members of the Provincial Parliament of Ontarios Government yesterday at its welcoming Head Office and Plant tour of its Toronto facilities.



Ontario Transportation Minister, Honourable Jeff Yurek and Ontarios Environment, Conservation and Parks Minister, Honourable Rod Phillips, local Ontario Member of Provincial Parliament Kinga Surma, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Transportation and other distinguished guests expressed their pleasure to participate and learn about dynaCERTs accomplishments at the media-covered event and learn about the Companys advanced technology.

dynaCERT displayed to the Ontario government its unique technology that reduces Greenhouse Gases and how it meets the governments objective of private-sector enterprise participating in the fight against pollution and climate change, all while saving money for the trucking industry and consumers in Ontario and world-wide. dynaCERTs COO, Robert Maier, explained to individual members of the Ontario government how the technology actually functions on a long-haul transport truck parked at dynaCERT for the event featuring its installed HydraGEN Technology.

Ontario government officials spoke about the importance of companies like dynaCERT that have achieved objectives consistent with the transportation and environmental policies of Ontario.

Our government welcomes innovative solutions that will help improve our air quality by reducing emissions from all sources of pollution, including vehicles, said The Honourable Jeff Yurek, Minister of Transportation. dynaCERTs contributions to reducing emissions from diesel trucks will help take Ontarios transportation sector into the future.

The Ontario government called on the private sector to fight greenhouse gas emissions; we have been answering that call, said dynaCERTs CEO, Jim Payne. No one else in the world has been able to do what were doing with the Companys HydraGEN Technology. Thats why this is so exciting for Ontario and the international community. There are 60 million diesel-powered trucks, trailers and equipment in North America alone and one billion diesel engines operating worldwide on all types of diesel equipment. Imagine what we can do with our revolutionary technology. We can be a part of saving the world of one of the most dangerous types of pollution.

The size of a carry-on suitcase, the HydraGEN Technology costs about $8,500. Most long-haul truck operators are expected to make back that investment on fuel savings alone in the first year.

Our Made-In-Ontario Environment Plan is focused on reducing output from the heaviest on-road emitters, said The Honourable Rod Phillips, Minister of the Environment. Through the innovation and efforts of companies like dynaCERT, we can work with industry to achieve our objectives, balancing a healthy environment with a healthy economy.

About dynaCERT Inc.

dynaCERT Inc. manufactures, distributes, and installs Carbon Emission Reduction Technology for use with internal combustion engines. As part of the growing global hydrogen economy, our patent-pending technology creates hydrogen and oxygen on-demand through electrolysis and supplies these through the air intake to enhance combustion, resulting in lower carbon emissions and greater fuel efficiency. Our technology is designed for use with all types and sizes of diesel engines used in on-road vehicles, reefer trailers, off-road construction, power generation, mining and forestry equipment, marine vessels and railroad locomotives. Website: www. dynaCERT .com

READER ADVISORY

Except for statements of historical fact, this news release contains certain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities law. Forward-looking information is frequently characterized by words such as "plan", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur. In particular, forward-looking information in this press release includes, but is not limited to the potential expansion into new markets, industries and segments, such as diesel- powered use of any the dynaCERT products and sales. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking information are reasonable, there can be no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. We cannot guarantee future results, performance of achievements. Consequently, there is no representation that the actual results achieved will be the same, in whole or in part, as those set out in the forward-looking information.

Forward-looking information is based on the opinions and estimates of management at the date the statements are made, and are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those anticipated in the forward- looking information. Some of the risks and other factors that could cause the results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking information include, but are not limited to: uncertainty as to whether our strategies and business plans will yield the expected benefits; availability and cost of capital; the ability to identify and develop and achieve commercial success for new products and technologies; the level of expenditures necessary to maintain and improve the quality of products and services; changes in technology and changes in laws and regulations; the uncertainty of the emerging hydrogen economy; including the hydrogen economy moving at a pace not anticipated; our ability to secure and maintain strategic relationships and distribution agreements; and the other risk factors disclosed under our profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com . Readers are cautioned that this list of risk factors should not be construed as exhaustive.

The forward-looking information contained in this news release is expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. We undertake no duty to update any of the forward-looking information to conform such information to actual results or to changes in our expectations except as otherwise required by applicable securities legislation. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information.

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 the release.

On Behalf of the Board

Murray James Payne, CEO

For more information, please contact:

Jim Payne, CEO & President

dynaCERT Inc.

#101  501 Alliance Avenue

Toronto, Ontario M6N 2J1

(416) 766-9691 x 2

jpayne@ dynaCERT .com
HARTFORD  Gov. Ned Lamont acknowledged the tough spot into which he put members of his own party by asking them to vote in favor of installing electronic tolls on four highways in Connecticut.

Lamont, who asked to address the House Democratic caucus and invited the news media to tag along, said he put some members in a pickle because he ran for office saying he thought they could do this with truck-only tolls.

Shortly after taking office, Lamont switched his position.

I just dont want us to nickel and dime this any longer, Lamont said.

He said theres going to be a tendency to want to study this a little longer, but our time is now.

I know that I put you in a tough vote, Lamont said. Its the most important vote youre gonna take and Im gonna be standing there with each and every one of you.

Lamont said he will have the business community raising money for the caucus and supporting them in their re-election campaigns.

I took the battle right to them, Lamont said, referring to his decision to stop Tuesday at an anti-toll forum at Greenwich Town Hall.

He said their plan is to do nothing, the same thing weve done for the last 30 years, or go with the Republican plan and put it all on the credit card so you and your kids can pay 100 percent plus interest over the next 40 years.

Its not an easy vote, but its the right vote, Lamont said. And I really need you all to stand up.

The Finance, Revenue, and Bonding Committee approved a bill Wednesday that will be the vehicle for the toll proposal, however, there were few if any details available.

Rep. Roland Lemar, D-New Haven, who co-chairs the Transportation Committee, said there will be 50 or fewer gantries, discounts for Connecticut residents, and no more than 4.4 cents a mile during peak travel periods.

Under questioning from Republicans, Lemar said he couldnt give any more details because it was all still subject to negotiations.

Rep. Laura Devlin, R-Fairfield, said it seems like Democrats are throwing anything they can against the wall to get approval, including the latest proposal to lower CT Transit fares from $1.75 to $1.

Lemar said they were trying to put together the best transportation system into the future, which includes the best discount and value for Connecticut residents. He acknowledged that its taking time to come up with that plan.

Lemar told them they werent putting together a toll system based on a revenue number.

He said its estimated to bring in anywhere between $700 and $800 million a year, not the $1.2 billion or the $920 million estimated by previous studies. He said they were not backing into a number and would be guided by building a system that serves Connecticut.
NORTH CANAAN  Residents in North Canaan successfully passed an amendment to the towns zoning regulations earlier this week to keep asphalt plants out of town. But the standoff between Bernard Metcalfs existing business, which includes processing asphalt, and the residents who call themselves Stop the Asphalt Plant, isnt over yet.

Mondays Planning and Zoning Commission meeting drew hundreds to Town Hall to hear the amendment application, filed by resident Dolores Perrotti, a member of STAP. The amendment says North Canaan will not allow production, treatment or proceessing of asphalt, most commonly used to pave and patch roadways. The impact of such a use, residents say, is destroying roads and property values and is smelly and noisy.

The point of the amendment, Perrotti said, is to prevent any more asphalt treatment businesses in town. Metcalfs business, B. Metcalf Asphalt Paving, located at 15 Allyndale Road, previously asked for a special permit to process hot asphalt on another one of his properties at 235 East Canaan Road.

On Monday, the PZC approved the amendment 3-1, with members Frank Montagna, Dan Adam and Peter Brown voting in favor, Michael OConnor voting against it, and chairman Steve Allyn abstaining. The amendment says that the manufacturing, production and storage of asphalt is not allowed in any zone in North Canaan.

According to Zoning Enforcement Officer Richelle Hodza, an appeals period for the amendment is two weeks from the date of the approval vote. Once that appeals period runs out, and if there is no appeal, I will insert the amendment into the Zoning Regulations, Hodza wrote in an email.

The commissions discussion after the hearing can be seen here.

Before the vote, OConnor asked whether the Town Council had reviewed the application and wondered whether there would be any ramifications.

Chairman Steve Allyn said the commission didnt need to have it reviewed. Weve done this before, he said. Its nothing new.

Its very simplistic, Allyn said. Weve done this for trucking companies. ... This is nothing more than a simple text amendment.

Allyn had drafted a motion to approve the amendment, but had not provided one to deny it. Hodza questioned this, saying that both should be provided. She also asked if Allyn had spoken to the town attorney. Allyn said he had not.

The hearing

At Mondays hearing, residents including Perrotti, Sally Green and others including homeowners and businesses spoke in favor of the amendment, saying asphalt processing would lower their property values. Others cited health concerns caused by asphalt and its fumes and the chemicals used to treat it.

The hearing was recorded on video and can be seen here.

I spoke about property values, and why you wouldnt want to move here if theres an asphalt plant around you, Perrotti said. Sally Green talked about health concerns. She asked people if they wanted it in town, and everyone but (Metcalf) said no.

Another person showed her house in a square-mile area, and she had looked up what the assessments of the houses in that square mile are, and how much tax they paid to the town, Perrotti said. People come here because its beautiful.

Other speakers included members of Trout Unlimited and a local fishing club, who said that since the asphalt plant moved in, the constant noise has ruined the area for fishing. Trout Unilimited does outreach programs with children and local groups, to protect rivers and streams, Perrotti said.

While each person who spoke was limited to 3 minutes, Metcalfs attorney, Mark Shipman, wanted more time to have his say and question Perrotti. The commission, Perrotti said, refused his request. After 3 minutes, Shipman refused to stop talking, resulting in the crowd shouting at him to be quiet and sit down, Perrotti said.

He left, then Metcalf left, and they took action on our request and approved the amendment, Perrotti said. The PZC made the use not permitted in any zone in North Canaan, and Im sure Metcalf will sue us. It was a very vocal, emotional meeting.

A hollow victory

In spite of her application being approved, Perrotti was discouraged by the process she had to follow.

The thing is, we have lives, and we dont have the time or the money to fight these kinds of things, she said. It just seems so unfair. If you want to apply for something, youd better bring your lawyer with you, otherwise you cant do it. But the town should decide what we want here, not the courts. Its wrong that if he sues us, hell get away with it.

The commission tried to protect us, she said. Their mission is to protect the citizens of North Canaan, and theyre proably going to get in trouble for it.

The pending lawsuit

Last year, Metcalf applied for a site modification permit to process asphalt on another of his properties at 235 East Canaan Road with a former zoning enforcement officer who is no longer working for the town.

The commission received the permit application in April 2018, and according to state statute, had 65 days from the date of filing to decide. Instead of voting on the permit, the PZC returned the application to Metcalf and refused to consider it because that particular use is not recognized in their zoning regulations, said North Canaans town attorney, Randy DiBella of Cramer & Anderson in New Milford.

DiBella appeared in Torrington Superior Court Tuesday to defend the town, along with Metcalfs attorney, Mark Shipman of Shipman, Shaiken & Schwefel LLC in Hartford. The case thats pending is that Metcalf application, DiBella said. Attorney Shipman argued that the provision of the statute doesnt allow the commission to ignore or return an application; they need to deny, modify or approve it; to judge it by its merits.

Mr. Shipman also argued that if a commission doesnt meet the 65-day deadline, by statute, its automatically approved, DiBella said. I argued that if the application contained a permitted activity the commission has to act on it, but if its not a permitted use in their regulations, then the PZC can lawfully say its within their rights to return it without a decision. So even though they missed that 65-day deadline, its because they werent considering the application at all.

I also argued that if the activity is not recognized and a judge thinks it should be approved, that means the court is acting as an entity for the town, a permittee, and thats not its job, DiBella said. Judge Dan Shaben attended to every detail and asked a lot of questions. He exhibited a depth of understanding, showing he had read everything in the case file.

Shaben has 120 days to make a decision on Metcalfs suit against the commission, DiBella said.
DENVER, May 16, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Cloud Elements , a pioneer in API integration, today announced the latest version of its platform with powerful new features that virtualize API integration, making it easier for software and service teams to proactively build, manage and scale digital ecosystems that accelerate product adoption and improve customer experience.



The new platform addresses two big challenges for todays development teams: 1) Reducing the pain, cost, and complexity of integration, which sucks up developer time and distracts from product innovation; and 2) Increasing market opportunity by enabling customers to quickly adopt new software that works with their existing applications, while enabling collaboration across their extended ecosystem of customers, prospects, partners and supply chains.

Our new platform is a true innovation accelerator for software businesses, said Mark Geene, CEO and co-founder, Cloud Elements. By unifying APIs and virtualizing data models, we eliminate the drudgery of point-to-point integration, so software teams are ready to capitalize on whatever comes next. We give them the power to create a digital ecosystem  so they can sell more software faster and enable customer success with plug-and-play applications.

Changing the Economics of Integration

Cloud Elements 3.0 changes the economics of integration, allowing APIs to work in uniform ways across hundreds of applications while sharing common data models. Instead of requiring developers to build point-to-point connections using inconsistent APIs, Cloud Elements starts by unifying APIs with enhanced capabilities for authentication, discovery, search, error handling and API maintenance. These Elements can then be combined into workflows (aka Formulas) that automate business processes across applications. Elements and Formulas can be easily modified, shared and re-used, significantly improving developer productivity. Elements also shield developers from underlying API changes, significantly reducing maintenance costs.

Cloud Elements 3.0 adds a powerful new capability called Virtual Data Hubs, which puts a companys data model at the center of their ecosystem. Virtual Data Hubs provide a normalized view of data objects, like accounts or orders or payments, allowing companies to manage data they care about in the structure that is optimized for their application or business. This provides software teams with more control over user experience, eliminating the need for point-to-point mapping of data to each and every new application. For example, developers can use or modify templates for leads that work seamlessly across multiple CRM systems, rather than having to create a new connection for each individual platform.

Cloud Elements 3.0 also includes a new visual integration feature, called Conductor, that allows customer success and professional services teams to build and manage workflow without code. These  ad hoc integrators  can now easily customize integrations and build workflows that meet specific customer needs. Conductor features an intuitive visual interface for all skill levels, without sacrificing on power and capability.

API integration is becoming increasingly critical to business strategy, as evidenced by our latest survey of API enthusiasts, said Ross Garrett, vice president of product at Cloud Elements. With Cloud Elements 3.0, were providing more tools to more people, so they can get the job done faster. Were doing the heavy lifting of API integration, so development teams can focus on innovating and creating great experiences for their customers.

Build, Manage and Scale Digital Ecosystems

Enterprise IT leaders have identified integration as a critical barrier to digital transformation  stalling progress for 84 percent of organizations, according to MuleSofts latest survey . Other reports show the average enterprise uses more than 1,500 cloud applications and services, many of which are operating in silos. Meanwhile, software vendors increasingly realize the importance of building integrations with partner companies , and venture capitalists advocate that software companies should shift their thinking from products to platforms.

To address these needs, Cloud Elements believes enterprises and software providers need to move beyond point-to-point application integration, which cant effectively scale to address the challenge. Instead, they should build dynamic digital ecosystems where data and processes flow seamlessly across dozens to hundreds of applications. This requires unified APIs and data models, a one-to-many technology architecture, and shared focus on integration by software providers and enterprise IT departments. Cloud Elements 3.0 delivers the technology to realize this vision.

London-based Akkroo is one provider that has used Cloud Elements to proactively build its digital ecosystem. Akkroos event lead capture tool allows B2B sales and marketing teams to turn conversations into qualified leads. We knew that our ideal customer is already investing in marketing automation and CRM systems, said Andy Higgs, co-founder and chief product officer. By using Cloud Elements, we have been able to spin up integrations within very short periods, which has been huge for us.  Because we were able to implement five integrations quickly, we now cover 90 percent of the market of systems that our customers use.

Colorado-based TwentyEighty likewise uses Cloud Elements to integrate applications across its portfolio of learning, development and performance businesses, which generate hundreds of millions in revenue. The Cloud Elements platform allows us to focus on our custom business logic while not worrying about third-party vendors, says Michael Casullo, chief information officer at TwentyEighty. With Cloud Elements integration between our CRM and ERP applications, weve seen nearly a 60 percent cost reduction when compared to previous manual business processes spend. Because weve integrated from lead to opportunity to invoice, were able to recognize revenue much sooner in the cycle.

Western Union uses Cloud Elements to deliver more seamless experiences across its fintech ecosystem. What was exciting was the one-to-many experience, being able to integrate into the Cloud Elements platform and that gave us connectivity to a number of accounting systems. We didn't want to have to go and build those systems point by point, said Scott Johnson, head of product at Western Union Business Solutions.

Cloud Elements customer base includes large software platform companies like SAP, IBM and Axway; independent software vendors like DoubleDutch, FinancialForce, Microstrategy and Sage; financial technology providers such as Danske Bank, FIS, PaySimple and Western Union; and digital business units of large enterprises like Dun & Bradstreet and Xerox.

Pre-Built Integrations for 200+ Applications

Cloud Elements 3.0 includes more than 200 pre-built integrations for a broad array of cloud applications and services, including ERP, CRM, human capital, finance, e-commerce, field service, payments, marketing, messaging, database, storage, and social applications. The latest platform includes new Elements for popular cloud-based ERP (Workday, Oracle, Microsoft Dynamics) and HCM applications (Workday, Oracle, Ultimate Software, Kronos, ADP Payroll).

Cloud Elements Developer Community

Cloud Elements also launched a developer community that allows developers to share Elements and Formulas via a public GitHub repository . Elements are pre-built integrations with normalized capabilities for authentication, discovery, search, workflows, error handling and API maintenance. Formulas are workflow templates that automate processes across multiple applications, e.g. hire to retire, order to cash and specialized workflows in fintech, healthcare, martech, and other ecosystems.
JERSEY, Channel Islands, May 16, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Serinus Energy plc (Serinus, SEN or the Company) (AIM:SENX, WSE:SEN) is pleased to report that at the Annual General Meeting of shareholders (AGM) held on 16 May 2019, all resolutions were duly passed. The voting results for the Ordinary Resolutions and Special Resolution presented to shareholders in the Proxy Statement and Notice of Meeting dated 23 April 2019 were as follows:



Voting Results

Ordinary Resolution Votes For Votes Against Votes

Withheld Number Percent

(%) Number Percent

(%) 1. Financial Statements 121,710,574 99.99 7,000 0.01 0 2. Re-appoint L Redziniak 121,710,574 100.00 0 0.00 7,000 3. Re-appoint J Auld 121,717,574 100.00 0 0.00 0 4. Re-appoint E Barker 121,710,574 99.99 7,000 0.01 0 5. Re-appoint J Causgrove 121,710,574 99.99 7,000 0.01 0 6. Re-appoint D Jakubowicz 121,717,574 100.00 0 0.00 0 7. Re-appoint T Heck 121,717,574 100.00 0 0.00 0 8. Re-appoint BDO 121,717,574 100.00 0 0.00 0 9. Agree the Remuneration 121,710,574 99.99 7,000 0.01 0 10.Allot Relevant Securities 121,717,529 100.00 45 0.00 0 Special Resolution Votes For

Votes Against

Votes

Withheld Number Percent (%) Number Percent

(%) 11. Article 12 of Articles 121,717,529 100.00 45 0.00 0

Note: A vote "Withheld" is not a vote in law and is not counted in the calculation of the proportion of the votes "For" and "Against" shown.



About Serinus

Serinus is an international upstream oil and gas exploration and production company that owns and operates projects in Tunisia and Romania.

For further information, please refer to the Serinus website ( www.serinusenergy.com ) or contact the following:

Serinus Energy plc +1-403-264-8877 Jeffrey Auld, Chief Executive Officer Calvin Brackman, Vice President, External Relations & Strategy Numis Securities Limited +44 (0) 20 7260 1000 (Nominated Adviser and Joint Broker) John Prior Paul Gillam Emily Morris GMP FirstEnergy +44 (0) 20 7448 0200 (Joint Broker) Hugh Sanderson Jonathan Wright Camarco +44 (0) 20 3781 8334 (Financial PR - London) Billy Clegg Owen Roberts TBT i Wspolnicy +48 22 487 53 02 (Financial PR - Warsaw) Piotr Talarek

Translation : This news release has been translated into Polish from the English original.


Authorities in Cambodias Battambang province Thursday questioned six activists connected with the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), alleging they violated a 2017 Supreme Court order that dissolved the opposition party.

The six are part of a group of 35 CNRP activists summoned recently by the Battambang Provincial Court, including five that were questioned last week.

The CNRP director for Battambang province, Chea Chiv, told RFAs Khmer Service in an interview that the prosecutor questioned him and the other five activists for about an hour, because they were seen in public eating together and because they had in social media posts expressed support for party leaders Sam Rainsy, who lives in self-imposed exile in France, and Kem Sokha, who is under de-facto house arrest.

The court violated [my rights as] a citizen, said Chea Chiv.

I quit politics already and I was just expressing my political views. I dont have any faith in the judicial system here in Cambodia because this institution is under the influence of the government, he said.

While the six were being questioned, hundreds of citizens rallied in their support outside Battambang Provincial Courthouse. Many had traveled from neighboring Banteay Meanchy and Pursat provinces.

Chhnang Baraing, a supporter from Banteay Meanchy, said that there were 20 in his group and they spent their own money to rent a truck to support the CNRP activists. He said he does not like the way the government is treating the opposition party right now, and believes they should have the right to exist.

I came here because I dont want [the CNRP activists] to feel that they are alone. I want to encourage them, he said.

Yat Phyrum, also from Banteay Meachey, said that the questioning was an injustice because the activists were robbed of their commune positions and now they have to face the court.

As [I am] a youth, I like justice. I dont think it is right to dissolve the CNRP, he said.

Several road blocks were set up to prevent the supporters from gaining access to the courthouse.

Ying Mengly, a provincial coordinator for the rights group Cambodian Human Rights and Development Association (ADHOC), said he was disappointed that the police prevented supporters from entering the courthouse to show their support. He said the authorities are afraid that the supporters might explode with anger during questioning.

The coordinator said he was concerned that the prosecution will try to present the case so that it will lead to the detention for the six activists.

The prosecutor wants to find who the mastermind of their meetings is, he said.

He said the courts case against the six and the other CNRP activists was an interruption of their lives.

Similar legal motions against CNRP activists are taking place in other provinces. In Kampong Thom province another 35 were summoned for questioning regarding their show of support for the return of Sam Rainsy to Cambodia and social media comments supporting the CNRP and its leaders.

Reported by RFAs Khmer Service. Translated by Samean Yun. Written in English by Eugene Whong.
Authorities in the eastern Chinese province of Jiangsu have redetained an activist released at the end of his prison sentence in a move likely linked to the 30th anniversary of the Tiananmen massacre on.



Wang Mo was among four mainland Chinese activists jailed for their public support of the 2014 Occupy Central movement for fully democratic elections in Hong Kong in .



Wang and co-defendant Xie Wenfei were handed four-and-a-half-year prison sentences by the Intermediate People's Court in Guangdong's provincial capital, Guangzhou, after being found guilty of "incitement to subvert state power."



Zhang Shengyu was jailed for four years, while Liang Qinhui, also known by his online nickname "Sharp Knife," was handed an 18-month prison sentence on the same charges.



All four men had expressed public support for the Occupy Central movement, and were detained amid a nationwide roundup of at least 100 mainland Chinese supporters of the Hong Kong protests.



Xie, who has also been released, said Wang's family had yet to receive any notification of his redetention.





Politically sensitive dates

He said Wang was likely detained after he tried to travel to Beijing during a time of heightened security ahead of a string of politically sensitive dates.



"Right now, there is the broader context of the 30th anniversary [of the 1989 democracy movement and subsequent massacre], as well as the so-called 70th anniversary of the found of the People's Republic of China," Xie told RFA.



"The people watching him were from the state security police, as well as the local police station and police department, liaising with each other," he said.



"When the state security police had a talk with him on , they said ... it was to do with his fund-raising, but I think this has a lot to do with the climate of fear in the run-up to the 30th anniversary of , [1989]," he said.



Xie said Wang was last heard from in his home city of Huai'an. Calls to the municipal police department rang unanswered during office hours on .



"His family is reluctant to disclose too much information [and] they haven't told us which detention center he is being held in," he said. "I think the charge in his case is pretty random."



He said Wang's son would likely be the person to hire a lawyer, as the rest of the family had close ties to the ruling Chinese Communist Party.



Support for Hong Kong democracy

Xie also said Wang is highly unlikely to go along with official requests for cooperation.



"Wang is the last person who is going to play ball," he said. "Based on his personality, I'm not very optimistic."



Guangxi-based rights lawyer Tan Yongpei said he had met with Wang since his release, to discuss democracy and constitutional government.



"We're looking for a lawyer to go visit him near Jiangsu," Tan told RFA. "We may manage to get this in place by ."



He said Wang's redetention could be linked to the recent detention of prominent human rights lawyer Chen Jiahong.



Authorities in Guangxi recently detained Chen after spoke out about curbs to China's legal profession and the abolition of presidential term limits by President Xi Jinping.



Chen is currently under criminal detention at Guangxi's Yulin Detention Center, on suspicion of "incitement to subvert state power," RFA has learned.



His detention came after he posted a video to social media in which he calls for "an assassination commando," and to be "rid of this evil bureaucracy," in an apparent reference to the ruling Chinese Communist Party.



Chen also called for a democratic process to work towards constitutional government in China, Tan said.



Xie, who is also known as Xie Fengxia, was detained in after wearing a black T-shirt and holding a banner on a Guangzhou street in support of the 79-day Hong Kong pro-democracy movement.



He entered the courtroom for the sentencing hearing on shouting "Build a democratic China!" and "Down with the Communist Party!"



The Occupy Central, or Umbrella Movement campaigned for Beijing to withdraw an Aug, 31, 2014 electoral reform plan, which it rejected as "fake universal suffrage," and to allow publicly nominated candidates to run for chief executive in 2017.



The plan, which offered a one-person, one-vote in 2017 elections for chief executive, but required candidates to be vetted by Beijing, was voted down on , 2015 by 28 votes to eight in Hong Kong's Legislative Council, leaving the city with its existing voting arrangements still in place.



Reported by Wong Lok-to for RFA's Cantonese Service, and by Jia Ao for the Mandarin Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie.
China on announced the formal arrest of Canadians Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor, who have been held on suspicion of "spying" since Canada arrested a top executive at Chinese telecoms giant Huawei on Dec. 1, pending a U.S. extradition request.



Kovrig, a former diplomat, faces charges of "collecting state secrets and intelligence," while Spavor, who owns a tourism company, was arrested on charges of "stealing and illegally offering state secrets abroad," foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang told a regular news briefing in Beijing.



Lu said the men were formally arrested "recently." Both are being held at an unknown location under "residential surveillance at a designated location," although their formal arrest means they could be transferred elsewhere. Neither has been allowed access to a lawyer; only monthly visits from consular staff.



Lu said: "Chinese judicial authorities are handling the cases according to law ... [Their] legitimate rights and interests are fully guaranteed."



The change in Kovrig and Spavor's status means that state prosecutors have approved their continued detention on the charges listed, but have yet to issue an indictment, which would set in motion the processes leading to a trial.



The Canadian foreign ministry hit out at the announcement, and called for Kovrig and Spavor's immediate release.



"Canada strongly condemns their arbitrary arrest as we condemned their arbitrary detention on ," the ministry said in a statement. "We reiterate our demand that China immediately release Mr. Kovrig and Mr. Spavor."



The announcement came just hours after U.S. President Trump announced an executive ban on the purchase of equipment from foreign providers deemed a national security risk, a move that is widely seen as targeting Chinese tech companies including Huawei.



Authorities in the democratic island of Taiwan said they would follow suit.



"Huawei forms part of the red supply chain, and it's the only [Chinese] supplier of core network infrastructure," Taiwan economics minister Shen Jong-chin told reporters on . "Taiwan-based factories supplying Ericsson, Alcatel and Nokia will reap the benefits."



Doing party's bidding

At the heart of the ban is growing international concern that Huawei cannot refuse to act on behalf of the Chinese state, which is in turn fully controlled by the Communist Party of China, analysts said.



"Huawei has made significant verbal assurances, such as saying that it is a staff-owned private company, that it will reject any Chinese Government demand to spy on or disrupt the network of its clients, and that it will sign a no-spying agreement," Steve Tsang, director of the SOAS China Institute, wrote in a recent blog post. "But such assurances need to be tested on the basis of their credibility against what is known of the Chinese political system."



According to Tsang, Huawei's claims that it is employee-owned do not hold water, given the fact that the staff union is itself controlled by the Communist Party.



"It is hard for any independent China Studies person to agree that Huaweis ownership will make it not susceptible to the will of the Party," Tsang said. "Some may see such a structure to imply Huawei is more tightly controlled by the Party than the regular state owned enterprises."



Tsang also cited current Chinese legislation requiring all Chinese companies to cooperate with state intelligence agencies when requested to do so.



The arrest of Huawei chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou at Vancouver airport on Dec. 1, 2018 at the request of federal investigators in the U.S. sparked a diplomatic row between Ottawa and Beijing, which has tried to frame her arrest as politically motivated.



China detained Canadian nationals Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor on Dec. 10, and has accused them of working together. Their detentions came hard on the heels of an announcement allowing the extradition process for Meng to proceed.



The U.S. wants to extradite her to face charges of bank fraud linked to the breach of sanctions against Iran. Meng has also filed a lawsuit against the Canadian government, alleging procedural errors by officers who arrested her.



Reported by Hwang Chun-mei for RFA's Mandarin Service, and by Wong Lok-to for the Cantonese Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie.
Hong Kong activist Joshua Wong was sent back to prison by a Hong Kong court on Thursday to finish serving a sentence for his role in the 2014 Occupy Central protests.



The city's Court of Appeal also reduced his sentence to two months from three.



Wong, in the dock, shouted to the visitors' gallery on hearing the court's judgment: "Go, everybody! We'll need you all to oppose the China renditions law!"



His supporters responded with cheers, some of them in tears. Outside the court, supporters shouted: "Citizens resist! Have no fear!"



Earlier, Wong told reporters that he was more concerned about planned changes to Hong Kong's extradition laws than about his own sentence.



"I may be facing another spell in a Hong Kong prison at this appeal hearing today, but once the China renditions law, the Fugitive Offenders Ordinance [amendments] pass into law, then Hong Kong people could in future be looking at appeals in the People's Courts [of mainland China], not just the Hong Kong Court of Appeal," he said.



"The events of the next few months will decide whether or not this happens, and on the actions taken by the people of Hong Kong to bring down this evil China renditions law," Wong said.



Last month, thousands of people took to the streets in protest at the law, which will allow the Hong Kong government to grant extradition requests on a case-by-case basis with no meaningful judicial oversight, to countries with which it lacks an extradition treaty.



The most likely jurisdiction to use the proposed provision is mainland China, which currently has no extradition treaty with Hong Kong.



Democratic Party founder Martin Lee, who is currently in the U.S. to raise concern over the erosion of Hong Kong's rights and freedoms under Chinese rule, said the changes to the law could affect anyone who lives in or travels to Hong Kong.



"All it needs is an affidavit from somebody in China to say that whoever it is they want to punish has committed a criminal offense many years ago ... and then that person can be transferred," Lee told a hearing of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC) in Washington on Wednesday.



Contempt of court



Wong, now 22, had earlier begun serving a six-month jail term for his part in the storming of police barriers outside government headquarters on Sept. 26, 2014 at the start of the Occupy Central democracy movement.



He was acquitted alongside fellow defendants Nathan Law and Alex Chow by Hong Kong's Court of Final Appeal in February 2018.



But he was also handed a three-month sentence for "contempt of court," for trying to block the police clearance of an Occupy protest site in Mong Kok at the tail-end of the Umbrella Movement, which gained its nickname from the use of umbrellas by peaceful protesters to ward off pepper spray and tear-gas attacks by riot police.



He was released on bail in January, but his passport was confiscated and the High Court denied his request to ease his bail conditions, subjecting him to an effective travel ban.



Wong's lawyer argued that there was scant evidence to show Wong had encouraged others to defy a court injunction ordering protesters to leave.



However, the prosecution said Wong had escalated tensions between police and protesters on the day the street was cleared by police.



The Court of Appeal judges found that Wong's actions were a direct challenge to the court and must be met with a deterrent sentence, and rejected any defense based on the goals of his activism.



However, they took his youth into accounthe was just 18 years old at the time of the protestsand reduced his sentence by one month.



'Draconian law'



Demosisto, the political party Wong co-founded with fellow student leaders after the end of the Occupy movement, criticized the ruling as disappointing, but called for supporters to focus on proposed legal changes that will allow the rendition of alleged criminal suspects to mainland China from Hong Kong, with no due legal process.



"Joshua's team says there is no need for supporters to go to the Lai Chi Kok prison tonight," the party said on its Facebook page."Instead, he asks that everyone do their best to help him and other prisoners by opposing that draconian law."



"Members of Demosisto will be visiting Joshua tomorrow, and they will keep everyone updated on the situation, so please don't worry," it said.



Agnes Chow, a Demosisto founding member who was barred from running in elections to Hong Kong's Legislative Council (LegCo), said Wong had made mental preparation for his return to prison, although she was disappointed by the judgment.



"We believe that any citizen who takes part in a nonviolent civil disobedience campaign shouldn't be prosecuted," Chow told reporters.



She said the administration of chief executive Carrie Lam should do a better job of handling the demands of the ruling Chinese Communist Party, which called on Wednesday for the rendition law to be passed by LegCo as a matter of "urgency."



"The Hong Kong government has a responsibility to fix the political tensions behind the scenes, rather than trying to fix the young people and activists calling for social change," Chow said.



Demosisto was founded in April 2016 by three former leaders of the 2014 Occupy Central movement for fully democratic elections: Wong, Chow, and ousted lawmaker Nathan Law.



Reported by Lee Wang-yam for RFA's Cantonese Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie.
Three temporary buildings in Myanmars Yangon region officially sanctioned for use by Muslims to pray during the holy Islamic month of Ramadan have been shuttered amid threats from Buddhist nationalists, according to sources, who questioned why authorities have failed to hold anyone accountable.



Local officials had granted permission to use the residential buildings in South Dagon townships Wards 26, 106 and 64 as places of worship from May 6 to June 7, but mobs of more than 200 Buddhist nationalists led by activist Michael Kyaw Myint surrounded them on Tuesday and Wednesday, and demanded that local Islamic leaders sign pledges to end religious services.



Yan Aung, the caretaker at the building in Ward 106, said the Muslim community had ensured that permission was granted by the Yangon regional government before using the three spaces for prayer.



These groups of people showed up in front of the building and began inspecting our facilities before demanding that we go to the township administration office, Yan Aung told RFAs Myanmar Service.



I went with two other senior community members to the office [on Wednesday night], where we were forced to sign a pledge to stop using the house as a prayer hall and remove the temporary infrastructure built for prayer services, he said.



But this was not a decree from the township administration office, and the police force wasnt involved in the decision either. This was a one-sided demand by these nationalist activists.



An RFA reporter who was present at the administration office on Wednesday evening said that authorities looked on helplessly as the mob obliged the Islamic leaders to sign the pledge.



The Irrawaddy online journal quoted Michael Kyaw Myint as saying that Islamic prayer at the buildings was unacceptable, and questioning who had the authority to grant permission to the Muslim community.



They may accept this but we dont, he told the journal, adding that his group plans to find more in this township and stop them.



The Irrawaddy also cited Ward 106 administration officer Than Htike as saying the incident marked the first time a group that included Buddhist monks had pressured his office, and that the incident proves there is no rule of law.



Meanwhile, residents have questioned why local authorities have failed to hold anyone accountable for the mob action.



Commander Soe Win of the South Dagon township police station confirmed to RFA that there have been no arrests made, but stressed that the situation in the township is stable.



We want the people to know there is nothing to be concerned about, he said.



The Myanmar police force is taking care of the security in the area.



A local imam told RFA that police had given permission on Thursday to reopen the sites and pledged to provide protection.



Condolences extended



San Tint, a Buddhist resident of Ward 106, expressed sorrow that the more than 1,000 Muslim members of his community were targeted during Ramadan.



They had just started prayer services recently, and I felt horrible watching them be forced to shut down last night, he said.



I earn my living as a vendor and I have lived alongside these people for a long time. I watched many of these kids grow up. They helped us during funeral services for two of my family members  I cant imagine how I would feel if the same thing happened at the place where I pray.



Myat Thu, a young Buddhist resident of South Dagon, also extended condolences to the Muslims of the three wards.



I would like to send my humble apologies to all of our Muslim friends in the neighborhood, he said.



I want all of them to know that not all [majority] Bamar people or Buddhists are like these people. The most important thing is to live in peace and harmony and respect each others religious beliefs.



Tensions between Buddhists and Muslims, who constitute a minority in Myanmar, have been growing in the country since a major outbreak of communal violence in 2012 during which 200 people were killed and tens of thousands of Rohingya Muslims in western Myanmars Rakhine state were displaced.



In April 2017, two madrassas, or Islamic schools, were closed in Yangons Thaketa township after Buddhist nationalists accused Muslim residents of illegally using them for prayer services.



Reported by Kyaw Zaw Win and Htet Arkar. Translated by Ye Kaung Myint Maung. Written in English by Joshua Lipes.
Myanmar State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi (L) presides over a meeting in Naypyidaw with military chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing (R) commemorating the third anniversary of the signing of Myanmar's nationwide cease-fire agreement, Oct. 15, 2018.

Myanmars top military leader, seen by rights groups as the architect of a bloody ethnic cleansing campaign that drove more than 700,000 Muslim Rohingya into Bangladesh in 2017, had had his Twitter account suspended, RFA has learned.

Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, accused by the United Nations of, among other things, genocide for the Rohingya campaign, had his @sgminaunghlaing account taken offline this week, nine months after his Facebook account was shuttered for hate speech against the ethnic minority.

The move came after Tun Khin, president of the Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK, raised complaints about hate speech from military accounts with Twitter executives in California.

The fact that Twitter has joined Facebook in deleting his account  which he used to sow hatred and spew out his defensive propaganda  is a massive victory for the Rohingya people, The Guardian newspaper quoted Tun Khin as saying.

Min Aung Hlaing was the mastermind of the Rohingya genocide  it is crucial that Twitter now follows through in deleting other accounts used by the regime for the same purpose, he added.

Contacted by RFAs Burmese Service, a Twitter spokesman said We dont comment on individual accounts for privacy and security reasons.

The removal of 18 Facebook accounts, one Instagram account and 52 pages linked to the Myanmar military in August 2018 came after a fact-finding mission of the U.N.-backed Human Rights Council said Min Aung Hlaing and other Myanmar military leaders should be referred to the International Criminal Court in the Hague for the army campaign that killed thousands and drove some 700,000 of Muslim Rohingya minority into Bangladesh in 2017.

Many of these violations undoubtedly amount to the gravest crimes under international law, said the report to the UN by the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Myanmar, which cataloged abuses in Rakhine, home to the Rohingya, as well as Kachin and Shan States in the north where the army has waged war against ethnic armies for decades.

They are shocking for the level of denial, normalcy and impunity that is attached to them, said the 2018 report.

Last week the same U.N. fact-finding mission said Myanmar had made no progress on resolving the Rohingya crisis and recommended that the international community cease all economic dealings with the powerful military.

The army, which has dominated the country once known as Burma since a 1962 coup and still controls the nation from behind the scenes despite the election in 2015 of Aung San Suu Kyi, has denied it used excessive force.

The online Myanmar news outlet The Irrawaddy quoted military spokesman Brigadier-General Zaw Min Tun as denying the commander-in-chief had ever officially used the social media platform.

The news website, however, reported that Min Aung Hlaing had a verified account and had been tweeting in both English and Burmese for several years.

Reported by RFAs Myanmar Service. Written in English by Paul Eckert.
The human rights situation in Tibet took a sharp downward turn last year with tightened restrictions on travel by Tibetans and the introduction by China of a campaign against organized crime targeting Tibetan civil society and cultural practices, an India-based rights group said in an annual report released on Thursday.



Calling 2018 a pivotal year for human rights in the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) and other Tibetan areas of China, the Dharamsala-based Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy said that new policies and regulations have led to an increased restriction on human rights and lives of the Tibetan people.



A nationwide campaign against crime and black and evil forces introduced at the beginning of the year resulted in the detention, arrest, and torture of human rights and environmental activists and of ordinary Tibetans promoting the use of the Tibetan language, the rights group said in its report.



Peaceful dissent of any kind and degree was met with harsh penalties, TCHRD said.



The right to freedom of movement was similarly restricted during the year, with Tibetans coming from outside the TAR required to obtain temporary passes when visiting the regional capital Lhasa, and others forced to surrender their passports to prevent travel to India and Nepal on pilgrimage, the rights group said.



Religious rights restricted



Tibetan schoolchildren and government workers were meanwhile banned from taking part in public religious observances and from paying visits to monasteries during the year, and young monks were removed from their religious communities and forcibly enrolled in Chinese government schools.



Over 200 novice monks were forced in this way from their monasteries in July in Sershul county in Sichuans Kardze (in Chinese, Ganzi) Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, TCHRD said, adding Many of the evicted monks were students of Buddhist logic and philosophy, and some were exceptional students.



Tibetan religious institutions were also targeted for their role in promoting Tibetan language education, TCHRD said, citing local directives forbidding monasteries from conducting language workshops for Tibetan students during their holidays from school.



Arbitrary arrests, detentions



Meanwhile, the arbitrary arrest and detention of peaceful Tibetan protesters and other human rights activists continued unabated, TCHRD said, adding that restrictions by China on the peaceful assembly of Tibetans remained severe.



Especially targeted for harsh suppression were protests, by individuals or by groups, calling for the return from exile of Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama, TCHRD said.



In December, two young Tibetans set themselves ablaze in Ngaba (in Chinese, Aba) county in Sichuan province in opposition to Chinas rule, as well as political and religious repression in the TAR and other Tibetan areas.



They raised to 157 the number of self-immolations by Tibetans since the wave of fiery protests against nearly 70 years of Chinese rule of their homeland began in 2009.



China maintains that it peacefully liberated Tibet from feudal rule, and that Tibetans enjoy the economic development it has brought to the region.
Chinas government is using a policy of linguistic imperialism to marginalize the Uyghur language in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) as part of a bid to eradicate the ethnic identity of the Uyghur people, according to a new report by a Uyghur rights group.



In their attack on Uyghur culture and identity, Chinese officials have portrayed the Uyghur language as incompatible with modernity and are removing its relevance from the education system and public life, Washington-based Uyghur Human Rights Project (UHRP) said Thursday in a statement accompanying the release of its report Resisting Chinese Linguistic Imperialism.



Following a pattern of broader development policy that has promoted the adoption of [majority] Han [Chinese] civilization as central to modernization, China has moved to diminish the status of the Uyghur language in society, UHRP said.



In the face of such an attack, UHRP said it is imperative for Uyghur families to ensure a future for spoken and written Uyghur by passing the language and culture from parent to child at home.



When a heritage language is maligned as having low status and value, or stigmatized through association with criminality, the family domain would appear to be the final safe space for intergenerational transmission, the group said.



UHRPs report also includes a section on the struggles of Uyghur scholar and linguist Abduweli Ayup to protect the Uyghur language through grassroots initiatives.



Ayup, who had sought to set up mother tongue-based schools to promote the Uyghur language, was ordered jailed 18 months for illegal fundraising in August 2014 by the Tengritagh (in Chinese, Tianshan) district court in the XUAR capital Urumqi after being detained for a year, but was released three months later when his partners appealed their cases.



Uyghurs in exile say that the charges against Ayup and his partners were politically motivated, after the U.S.-educated linguists essays and lectures on maintaining the Uyghur language in schools drew widespread support in Chinas Uyghur community.



Ayup said in Thursdays statement that the UHRP report demonstrated how the CCPs [Chinese Communist Party] campaign to achieve Mandarin language assimilation includes a shift from tolerance to the prohibition of minority languages indigenous to East Turkestan, using a name preferred by many Uyghurs to refer to their historic homeland.



Although scholars support this mode of education, which builds upon the linguistic repertoire and cultural knowledge of students, the CCP terminated my schools because they conflicted with the Chinese governments imperative to eradicate markers of ethnic minority identity.



Ayup urged ethnic minority communities in the XUAR to form a strong family language policy so that Uyghur and non-Mandarin indigenous languages are maintained.



The CCP is making every effort to erase our culture, he said.



This report serves as documentation of this effort and provides guidance on resisting the Chinese government's attempt at linguicide.



Language as identity



Dolkun Isa, president of the Munich-based World Uyghur Congress, told RFAs Uyghur Service that China has aggressively assaulted the Uyghur language because language is the most important component of ones ethnic identity.



China is doing everything in its power to erase the Uyghur languagebeginning in kindergartenfrom every aspect of life, which is in violation of the Regional Ethnic Autonomy Law, the constitution and the countrys international obligations, Isa said.



The Uyghur language is one of the most ancient Turkic languages and has been used to make significant contributions to human civilization, he added.



If the Uyghur language is erased, an inalienable part of human civilization will be lost. Therefore, it is not only the duty of Uyghurs to save and preserve the Uyghur language, but also the duty of the international community.



Reported by RFAs Uyghur Service. Translated by Alim Seytoff. Written in English by Joshua Lipes.
Atlanta, May 16, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Acuity Brands, Inc. (NYSE: AYI) announced today that attendees at LIGHTFAIR International 2019 will be able to view select luminaires using the Acuity Brands Virtual Experience available at Acuitys booth, #1201. While wearing a virtual reality (VR) headset, attendees will experience the new Peerless Venue indoor luminaire or RADEAN outdoor luminaire from Lithonia Lighting in a simulated finished installation. This immersion allows viewers to gain key product insights and inspiration beyond what they could obtain from viewing traditional media formats.

Showing customers a luminaire using the Acuity Brands Virtual Experience provides them a comprehensive view that greatly enhances their ability to evaluate a luminaire as compared with a traditional mock-up or display, said Acuity Brands Lighting Senior Vice President, Sarah Golish. The VR headset immerses viewers in a simulated environment where they can see and assess a luminaire within an architectural setting as they move throughout the entire space.

Also, the company plans to launch an Acuity Brands Augmented Experience application using augmented reality (AR) technology to provide users with the ability to view luminaires from Acuity Brands in their live space using the camera on their Apple mobile device. This AR technology allows a customer to visualize the luminaire in the space they want to install it before making the commitment to purchase.

LIGHTFAIR International will be held May 21-23, at the Pennsylvania Convention Center. Visit us at the Acuity Brands booth #1201 to experience VR technology.

About Acuity Brands

Acuity Brands, Inc. (NYSE: AYI) is the North American market leader and one of the worlds leading providers of lighting and building management solutions. With fiscal year 2018 net sales of $3.7 billion, Acuity Brands currently employs approximately 12,000 associates and is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia with operations throughout North America, and in Europe and Asia. The Companys products and solutions are sold under various brands, including Lithonia Lighting, Holophane, Aculux, American Electric Lighting, Antique Street Lamps, Atrius, DGLogik, Distech Controls, DTL, eldoLED, Gotham, Healthcare Lighting, Hydrel, Indy, IOTA, Juno, Lucid, Mark Architectural Lighting, nLight, Peerless, RELOC Wiring, ROAM, Sensor Switch, Sunoptics and Winona Lighting. Visit us at www.acuitybrands.com



# # # # #
Afghan officials say at least six government troops have been killed in Taliban attacks on two military checkpoints in the country's south.



Gul Islam Seyal, a spokesman for the governor of Zabul Province, said six other soldiers were wounded in the attacks in the Shamulzayi district on May 16.

In response, the Afghan Air Force attacked several Taliban hideouts in the south of the country, killing 37 militants, the Afghan Defense Ministry said.

The barren, sparsely-populated province is a Taliban stronghold in Afghanistan, where the militants have been waging a 17-year insurgency.



The government's control barely goes beyond the provincial capital, Qalat, with the Taliban contesting or controlling most of Zabul, which shares a border with Pakistan.



The Taliban has continued attacks against Afghan and foreign troops despite holding several rounds of peace talks with the United States in Qatar.



The sides have made progress but have not reached a final agreement on ending the war.

With reporting by dpa
European and U.S. police have dismantled an international crime gang that used malware to steal $100 million from tens of thousands of victims, Europe's police agency says.



Europol said on May 16 that the operation involved investigations in the United States and five European countries -- Bulgaria, Germany, Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine.



It said the gang used GozNym malware to infect the computers and capture online banking details of more than 41,000 victims, primarily "businesses and their financial institutions."



The network laundered the funds it stole through accounts held by its members in the United States and elsewhere, according to Europol.



Ten gang members are facing charges in the United States, including stealing money and laundering those funds.



Five Russians charged by U.S. authorities remain on the run.

Based on reporting by AFP, Reuters, and the BBC
Ukrainian lawmakers have set May 20 as the day of inauguration of incoming President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.

A total of 315 lawmakers on May 16 voted in favor of the date, while two voted against it.

Earlier in the day, the Verkhovna Rada rejected proposals to hold the inauguration on May 19, the date Zelenskiy has pushed forward.

Zelenskiy defeated President Petro Poroshenko in an April 21 runoff election with more than 73 percent of votes. His opponent received less than 25 percent.

The president-elect, who has suggested he might dissolve parliament and call snap elections, has accused lawmakers of deliberately postponing the swearing-in ceremony.

Under Ukraine's constitution, Zelenskiy would have seven days after his inauguration to dissolve the legislature, whose term is set to end in November.

The 41-year-old has vowed to eradicate Ukraine's widespread corruption and end the war with Russia-backed separatists in the country's east that has killed some 13,000 people since April 2014.

A comedian with no political experience, Zelenskiy will also need to deal with Moscow's takeover of Ukraine's Crimea Peninsula in March 2014.

In Moscow, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on May 16 that he is not aware of "any plans on possible contacts" between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Zelenskiy after his inauguration.

Putin has not congratulated Zelenskiy on his election victory.

With reporting by Gordon, Reuters, dpa, and UNIAN
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif says there is "no possibility" of talks with the United States to reduce spiraling tensions.



Zarif's remarks on May 16 came a day after U.S. President Donald Trump said he was confident that Tehran will "soon" seek to negotiate with Washington.



Trump's remarks follow comments he made on May 9 when he said he did not rule out a military confrontation with Iran.



Tensions have risen since Trump in May 2018 pulled the United States out of a landmark 2015 nuclear deal that Iran signed with six world powers and unilaterally reintroduced sanctions.

The accord provided Tehran with relief from sanctions in return for curbs on its nuclear program.



Trump has ordered a beefing-up of U.S. military assets in the Middle East and Persian Gulf, citing possible threats from Iran, and the State Department also ordered the evacuation of all nonessential personnel from the U.S. Embassy in neighboring Iraq.



On May 16, two major pro-Iran armed groups in Iraq rejected suggestions that U.S. Embassy personnel in the country were at risk.



No, there is no possibility for negotiations," Zarif told reporters in Tokyo, where he held talks with Japanese officials on May 16. "I don't know why President Trump is confident, but it's totally wrong."



In pulling out of the nuclear deal, Trump said the terms were not tough enough to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons and did not address Iran's missile program or Tehran's alleged support for militants in the region.



Iran denies it supports insurgent activity and has said its nuclear program is strictly for civilian energy purposes.



Zarif said on May 16 that Tehran was showing "maximum restraint" despite the U.S. withdrawal from deal and accused Washington of an "unacceptable" escalation of the crisis.



British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said on May 16 that he shared Washington's "assessment of the heightened threat posed by Iran."



According to Iranian state media, Zarif is set to visit China on May 17 for talks on "regional and international issues" including the 2015 nuclear deal with world powers.

With reporting by AFP and AP
NUR-SULTAN -- Dozens of women have rallied outside the venue of an international economic forum in Kazakhstan's capital to call for increased social benefits.

The protesters gathered in the center of Nur-Sultan on May 16 to urge the government to meet its promise of financially supporting families with many children and lower incomes, and of providing them with proper housing.

Labor and Social Protection Minister Berdybek Saparbaev and Nur-Sultan Mayor Bakhyt Sultanov met with the demonstrators and promised to meet their demands.

Protests across the country about living conditions for Kazakhs have been held for months after five children from one family died when their home in the capital burned down in early February.

The tragedy occurred while both parents were working overnight shifts to make ends meet.

The latest demonstration comes as the country is getting ready for early presidential election scheduled for June 9, after 78-year-old former President Nursultan Nazarbaev resigned in March following almost 30 years in power.

Nazarbaev and interim President Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev, who is widely expected to win the upcoming election, are key speakers at the May 16 Astana Economic Forum in Nur-Sultan.

The annual event has been held since 2008 and hosts some 5,000 people from 100 countries.

Opponents, critics, and rights groups say Nazarbaev, who tolerated little dissent, denied many citizens basic rights, and prolonged his power in the energy-rich country of 18.7 million by manipulating the democratic process.

No vote held in Kazakhstan since 1991 has been deemed free and democratic by international observers.

Nazarbaev's surprise resignation caught many observers off-guard. However, the fact he continues to lead the ruling party and will also keep his lifetime post as chairman of the influential Security Council, has led many experts to conclude that the resignation was a legal sleight-of-hand aimed at staying in power further.
BISHKEK -- Kyrgyz President Sooronbai Jeenbekov has signed into law legislation under which former heads of states can be prosecuted.



Jeenbekov ratified the legislation on May 16, according to the presidential website, amid calls by some politicians for an investigation into decisions made by his predecessor, Almazbek Atambaev, while he was in office.



The new law preserves immunity from prosecution for former presidents, but also states that prosecution could be possible if they lose their ex-president status.



Parliament can strip a former president of that status if they are suspected of "especially serious crimes" by the Prosecutor-General's Office, according to the text, which was given final approval by lawmakers in April.



It is not clear what the law defines as an "especially serious crime."



The discussions of the issue of annulling former presidents' immunity from prosecution have been under consideration amid a standoff between Jeenbekov and Atambaev.



Limited to a single six-year term by the constitution, Atambaev tapped Jeenbekov, his former prime minister, as his favored successor in the October 2017 presidential election.



But the two have had a public falling out and have criticized each other for more than a year.

Several associates of Atambaev have been arrested on corruption charges.
Pakistani security forces have killed nine Islamic State militants during an hours-long operation near the city of Quetta in the southwestern Balochistan Province where repeated militant attacks occurred this month, officials said on May 16.



Four troops were wounded in the operation in a mountainous area called Qabu Koh-e-Mehran in the Mastung district, 47 kilometers from Quetta.



"Nine bodies (of Islamic State militants) have been brought to hospital from Mastung," said Waseem Baig, a spokesman for a Quetta hospital.

The operation was launched following a sudden surge in militant attacks across Pakistan during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Five police officers were killed in the latest attack, on May 13 in Quetta, which was claimed by Islamic State.



Various militant groups as well as separatists fighting the central government are active in mineral-rich Balochistan, where attacks on gas and transport infrastructure and security posts occur frequently.

With reporting by Reuters
Saudi Arabia has accused Iran of ordering recent drone attacks on the country's oil facilities that were claimed by Yemen's Shi'ite Huthi rebels.

Saudi Deputy Defense Minister Khalid bin Salman tweeted on May 16 that the attacks were "ordered by the regime in Tehran," which he accused of using the Huthis as "a tool...to implement its expansionist agenda in the region."

Meanwhile, Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir tweeted that the Huthi rebels were "sacrificing the need of the Yemeni people for the benefit of Iran."

There were no immediate comments from Iran, which has denied backing the Huthis.

Earlier in the day, a Saudi-led military coalition confirmed it had carried out air strikes on the Yemeni capital, Sanaa, saying the move aimed at "neutralizing the ability of the Huthi militia to carry out acts of aggression," according to Saudi-owned broadcaster Al-Arabiya.

Reports said that the air strikes targeted military sites in and around rebel-held Saana, and left a number of people dead.

The Saudi-led coalition intervened in Yemen in March 2015 to push back an advance by the Huthis and to restore the internationally recognized government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansur Hadi.

The conflict, which has killed tens of thousands of people, many of them civilians, is seen as a proxy war between Saudi Arabia and regional rival Iran.

The rebels said their May 14 drone attacks that damaged a Saudi oil pipeline were a response to "crimes" committed by Riyadh in Yemen.

The latest violence comes amid escalating tensions between Iran and the United States.

Washington has ramped up pressure on Tehran in recent days, bolstering the U.S. military presence in the region to counter what U.S. officials called "imminent" threats from Iran against the interests of the United States or its allies.

Iran has dismissed the allegations and accused the United States of an "unacceptable" escalation of tensions.

With reporting by Reuters, AP, and AFP
U.S. President Donald Trump says he is sure Tehran will "soon" seek to negotiate with Washington, and he dismissed media reports suggesting there was disagreement within the administration of his policy toward Iran.



"I'm sure that Iran will want to talk soon," Trump wrote on Twitter on May 15 without elaborating.

Trump's remarks follow comments he made on May 9 when he said he did not rule out a military confrontation with Iran. But he added, "What I would like to see with Iran, I would like to see them call me."



Iranian leaders responded by rejecting any talks with Washington.



Tensions have risen since Trump in May 2018 pulled the United States out of the 2015 nuclear deal that Iran signed with six world powers. The accord provided Tehran with relief from sanctions in return for curbs on its nuclear program.



In pulling out of the agreement, Trump said the terms were not tough enough to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons and did not address Iran's missile program or Tehran's alleged support for militants in the region.



Iran denies it supports insurgent activity and has said its nuclear program is strictly for civilian energy purposes.



Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said during a visit to Tokyo on May 16 that Tehran was showing "maximum restraint" despite the U.S. withdrawal from the nuclear accord and he accused Washington of an "unacceptable" escalation of the crisis.

"We exercise maximum restraint...in spite of the fact that the United States withdrew from JCPOA last May," he added, referring to the nuclear deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.

Zarif said Tehran remained "committed" to the deal, noting that international inspectors have said Iran is in compliance with the agreement.

He expressed hope that Japan and other U.S. allies will take "practical measures in order to maintain this valuable international agreement."

Trump has ordered a beefing up of U.S. military assets in the Middle East and Persian Gulf, citing possible threats from Iran. The State Department also ordered the evacuation of all nonessential personnel from the U.S. Embassy in Iraq, citing tensions with neighboring Iran.



Meanwhile, Trump blasted media reports that of discord in the White House over the presidents policies toward Iran.



"The Fake News Washington Post, and even more Fake News New York Times, are writing stories that there is infighting with respect to my strong policy in the Middle East," he wrote on Twitter.



"There is no infighting whatsoever."



"Different opinions are expressed and I make a decisive and final decision -- it is a very simple process," he added.

With reporting by AFP, Politico, and dpa
WASHINGTON -- U.S. officials have imposed new financial sanctions on a Chechen law enforcement agency linked to a recent "gay purge" that has resulted in dozens of gay and bisexual men being imprisoned, and in some cases, tortured in the North Caucasus region.



The Treasury Department also said in a statement on May 16 that it was sanctioning a top-ranking Chechen for his alleged links to the 2015 assassination of Russian opposition leader Boris Nemtsov.



The individuals targeted were sanctioned under the 2012 Magnitsky Act. That law, and a wider one passed four years later, gives U.S. officials the authority to sanction people and entities for human rights abuses in Russia and around the world.



The Russian Embassy in Washington said that the U.S. sanctions would be met with "reciprocal measures," according to the state-run TASS news agency.



"Washington's new anti-Russian steps are associated with the so-called Magnitsky Act," the embassy said.



"They represent an attempt to force unilateral measures of coercion that go against international law and cannot be considered as a civilized way of communication between countries," it added.



Sigal Mandelker, the U.S. undersecretary of the Treasury for terrorism and financial intelligence, said in a statement that the sanctions targeted an agency called the Terek Special Rapid Response Team.



The Terek unit and its commander Abuzayed Vismuradov have been allegedly linked to the roundup of gay men in Chechnya.

Russian and international activists first warned of what came to be known as the "gay purge" in Chechnya in early 2017.



A second wave of detentions was reported to have occurred in late 2018 and early 2019.



Another Chechen official, Ruslan Geremeyev, was also sanctioned for his alleged role in plotting the killing of Nemtsov, who was gunned down just meters from the Kremlin walls in February 2015.

Geremeyev is a former commander of a notorious Chechen military unit known as Sever, and a close confidant of Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, who has himself been sanctioned under the Magnitsky Act.



We are focused on holding accountable those responsible for atrocious acts within Russia, including the extrajudicial killing of Boris Nemtsov and the pervasive abuse of LGBTI [lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex] persons in Chechnya, Mandelker said in the statement.



One of Nemtsovs closest deputies, Vladimir Kara-Murza, called the measure imposed on Geremeyev "groundbreaking."

There was no immediate reaction to the announcement by the Kremlin, but Kadyrov, who has mocked the United States in the past for sanctioning him, responded with a sarcastic post to his channel on Telegram.



"I officially inform the authors of these scribblings that you all are now on our lists!" he wrote.

"And to those who artificially make enemies of us, I will suggest that if you have one ounce of manliness in your blood, then you will come visit and we will draw you a Magnitsky List that you will remember for your entire life, and tell your grandchildren about!"

Three other people hit with sanctions on May 16 were the head of a prison colony in the northern Russian region of Karelia, and a man and a woman implicated in the 2009 death of Sergei Magnitsky, after whom the U.S. law is named.



Magnitsky was a Russian accountant who helped uncover a massive tax fraud that stole $230 million from the Russian Treasury.



He was later jailed by Russian officials, accused of perpetrating the fraud himself, and he died in a Moscow jail after suffering medical problems and mistreatment that rights activists said amounted to torture.



After his death, he was put on trial and convicted of the tax fraud.

The man who originally employed Magnitsky, British-American investor William Browder was sentenced in absentia to nine years in prison in December 2017.
BERKELEY HEIGHTS, N.J., May 16, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CorMedix Inc. (NYSE American: CRMD), a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing therapeutic products for the prevention and treatment of infectious and inflammatory disease, today announced that management will present a corporate overview at the 20th Annual B. Riley FBR Institutional Investor Conference, being held May 22-23 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California.



20 th Annual B. Riley FBR Institutional Investor Conference

Date: Wednesday, May 22nd Time: 2:00pm Eastern/11:00am Pacific Time Webcast: http://www.wsw.com/webcast/brileyfbr3/crmd/

About CorMedix

CorMedix Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing therapeutic products for the prevention and treatment of infectious and inflammatory diseases. The Company is focused on developing its lead product Neutrolin, a novel, non-antibiotic antimicrobial solution designed to prevent costly and dangerous bloodstream infections associated with the use of central venous catheters, currently in Phase 3 development for patients undergoing chronic hemodialysis. Such infections have significant treatment costs and lead to increased morbidity and mortality. Neutrolin has FDA Fast Track status and is designated as a Qualified Infectious Disease Product, which provide the potential for priority review of a marketing application by FDA and allow for a total of ten years of market exclusivity in the event of U.S. approval. Neutrolin is already marketed as a CE Marked product in Europe and other territories. In parallel, CorMedix is leveraging its taurolidine technology to develop a pipeline of antimicrobial medical devices, with active programs in surgical sutures and meshes, and topical hydrogels. The company is also working with top-tier researchers to develop taurolidine-based therapies for rare pediatric cancers. For more information, visit: www.cormedix.com.
The United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.) has vowed to show restraint after attacks on oil tankers off its coast amid complaints that it is being "bullied by Iran."

Foreign Minister Anwar Gargash on May 15 said he would not speculate on who was responsible for the attack on four ships off the coast of the U.A.E., including two Saudi oil tankers.

However, he said that "Iranian behavior" was at the center of problems in the Persian Gulf region, mentioning concern about Iran's missiles and regional policies.

"We have been bullied by Iran. We have seen aggressive Iranian action in the region," he said.

But he added that "we need to emphasize caution and good judgment. It is easy to throw accusations, but it is a difficult situation."

Saudi Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih said the May 12 did not cause any casualties or an oil spill but led to significant damage to the structures of the two vessels.

The U.A.E. Foreign Ministry said the four vessels had been targeted by "sabotage operations" off the port city of Fujairah, but it did not directly blame any party.

The incident came amid heightened regional between the United States and Iran, with Washington saying it has received intelligence indicating a possible Iranian attack in the region.

Iran has denied it was involved in the attack on the vessels.

Sunni Muslim Saudi Arabia and the U.A.E. are strong allies of the United States in the geopolitical battle against Shi'ite-led Iran in the region.

Based on reporting by Reuters, AFP, and AP
2 The annual Immortal Regiment march is held in Russian towns and cities, as well as in Russian-controlled Crimea, to honor those who died in World War II. Critics say the Kremlin hijacked the event after it began as a grassroots movement in 2012.
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The incredible story of a 95-year-old resident of Crimea whose entire life has been dominated by the cause of Ukrainian independence. Teodozia Kobylyanska spent nine years in Soviet gulag prison camps and says she still fears arrest.
DNIPRO, Ukraine -- Ukrainian tycoon Ihor Kolomoyskiy has returned to the country after spending almost two years in self-exile.

Skhemy (Schemes), a joint project by RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service and Ukraine's UA:Pershy television channel, quoted sources at the international airport in the eastern city of Dnipro as saying that Kolomoyskiy had landed there early on May 16.

Kolomoyskiy, one of Ukraine's richest men and a former regional governor, was on board a private plane coming from Tel Aviv, the sources said.

Kolomoyskiy has been at odds with outgoing President Petro Poroshenko for years.

His return to his home country comes weeks after Volodymyr Zelenskiy defeated Poroshenko in an April 21 presidential runoff election.

The Babel online newspaper quoted Kolomoyskiy as saying after landing in Dnipro that he didn't know about his plans yet.

The billionaire had said he was not afraid to come back to Ukraine, saying he expected what he called political pressure on courts to stop under Zelenskiy's presidency. Zelenskiy is set to be inaugurated on May 20.

Zelenskiy is linked to Kolomoyskiy through the oligarch's ownership of TV station 1+1, which hosts Zelenskiy's comedy programs.



Reporters have also found other links between the two, including shared security details and vehicles, as well as possible meetings abroad in the run-up to Zelenskiy's candidacy.

One of Zelenskiy's top campaign advisers was Kolomoyskiys personal lawyer, prompting Poroshenko to claim that the billionaire supported Zelenskiy's campaign financially in order "to take revenge against the state" for the nationalization of PrivatBank.

Kolomoyskiy, who has faced investigations and government pressure in Ukraine, left the country in June 2017 and later split his time between Israel and Switzerland.

Poroshenko has claimed that Kolomoyskiy supported Zelenskiy's election campaign financially in order "to take revenge against the state" for the nationalization of PrivatBank.

The nationalization occurred in December 2016 with the backing of the International Monetary Fund after risky lending practices left it with a capital shortfall of billions of dollars.

Kolomoyskiy, one of the bank's former main shareholders, opposed the move, and a Ukrainian court ruled on April 18 that the nationalization was illegal. Ukraine's central bank is appealing the ruling.

Kolomoyskiy served briefly as governor of the Dnipropetrovsk region before Poroshenko dismissed him in 2015, accusing him of setting up a private militia and trying to take over a state-affiliated oil company.

Kolomoyskiy had been credited with preventing the spread of separatist sentiment in Dnipropetrovsk following Russia's seizure of the Crimean Peninsula in March 2014 and backing of armed separatists further east in the Donbas.

The region he governed borders the Donetsk region, one of the two regions held in part by Russia-backed separatists whose conflict with Kyiv's forces has killed some 13,000 people since April 2014.

With reporting by Babel
A bipartisan group of senior U.S. lawmakers has called on Turkey to cancel its planned purchase of Russia's S-400 missile-defense system, which Western powers say is incompatible with NATO systems and poses a threat to U.S.-made warplanes.



Eliot Engel, the Democratic chairman of the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee, and ranking Republican member Michael McCaul said in a statement on May 15 that Congress was "troubled by the direction that President [Recep Tayyip] Erdogan is taking our important NATO ally."



"Cozying up to Vladimir Putin is unacceptable. The U.S. Congress will not stand idly by if Erdogan pursues the Russian S-400 air and missile-defense system. This legislation sends a clear message to Erdogan -- if you continue down this path, you'll face serious consequences," McCaul said.



Democrat Jerrold Nadler, chair of the House Judiciary Committee, said that "Turkey cannot persist on this dangerous path toward aligning with Vladimir Putin and suppressing the rights of its own people."



The United States has demanded that Ankara call off the deal to purchase the Russian missile system, and NATO allies have also expressed concerns about the potential threat to U.S.-made F-35 fighter jets.



In early May, the U.S. defense chief warned that Turkey's participation in F-35 production work would be one of the consequences of Ankara's actions.



Turkey, as a NATO member, is participating in the production of the fighter jet for use by alliance militaries and has plans itself to purchase 100 of the jets.



Several Turkish manufacturers are making parts and equipment for the F-35.



"The message to Turkey is clear: There is broad, bipartisan consensus that if Turkey goes forward and acquires S-400s, it should not get F-35s," said Kevin McCarthy, the Republican House minority leader.



"There are simply too many grave consequences to the national security interests of the United States."





The resolution, which is nonbinding, calls on the U.S. government to invoke the Countering Americas Adversaries Through Sanctions Act and impose financial penalties should Turkey go ahead with the buy.



The House Appropriations panel on May 13 introduced a spending bill that would block the U.S. government from spending money to "transfer or deliver, or to facilitate the transfer or deliver" the F-35 warplanes if Ankara proceeds.



Erdogan has repeatedly said his country will not withdraw from the S-400 deal which, according to Russian media, involved four S-400 units for a price of $2.5 billion.



Turkey has said it could take delivery of the missile system as early as this summer.



Despite their criticism, the U.S. lawmakers also called Turkey a "long-standing ally" and said they were "sending a message of strong support for the U.S.-Turkish alliance within the framework of NATO."
YEKATERINBURG, Russia -- The mayor of Russias fourth largest city says construction work on a proposed new church, which sparked three days of protests, has been temporarily halted, hours after President Vladimir Putin said residents should be consulted in an opinion poll.



The announcement by Yekaterinburg Mayor Aleksandr Vysokinsky was the latest development in a protest campaign that has rocked the Urals city and drawn support from across Russia.



Thousands have protested against city plans to build a replica of a cathedral demolished by Soviet authorities in a popular central park, with 100 people arrested over the past three days.

Activists complain that the park is one of the few green spaces remaining the city, and have called for the development to be sited elsewhere.

Riot police and members of the National Guard cleared the park of protesters late on May 15.

On May 16, they erected extensive barriers and fencing to prevent a new protest.

Earlier May 16, Putin weighed in publicly on the controversy for the first time, saying he supported holding a public survey of city residents.



"If people are against it, that opinion must be respected," he said at a forum in the Black Sea city of Sochi. There should be "a survey, and the minority should concede to the majority. That is what democracy is about."



Churches "must unite, not divide people," he said.



Hours later, Vysokinsky appeared in Yekaterinburg before a crowd that had gathered again in the park. He told protesters that he too supported holding a poll.



"As of today, we have stopped the construction," Vysokinsky said.



"The construction will wait until a decision is made [based] on public opinion. The next thing is that we have to come to an agreement on the remaining parks and gardens regardless of what takes place in this one," he said.

'Serious Civic Pressure'



Many protesters were skeptical.



"Whoever carries out the survey will get the result they want," 33-year-old engineer Aleksei Chopa, who has attended the demonstrations every night since May 13, told RFE/RL.



Yevgeny Roizman, who was a widely popular mayor until he resigned last year in protest at electoral changes, also appeared among the crowd on May 16. He said he didn't support holding an opinion poll.



"Dont even doubt that [the poll] will be dishonest, Roizman told the crowd. But we can influence the situation. The fact that so many people have turned out already is putting serious civic pressure on the situation.



After the third night of protests on May 15, police blocked off the entire park with barriers, and makeshift metal detectors were installed to control access.



The regional police department said that 96 people have been detained since May 13. A local court said some of those were sentenced to several days in jail for taking part in an unsanctioned protest.



Human rights monitors said many of the detained individuals reported being beaten, some severely. At least one person was hospitalized after being beaten by police.



In Moscow, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on May 16 denied reports suggesting that the church would be part of a major complex including high-rise apartments and businesses to be unveiled in 2023.

"The information about the church being a part of a bigger construction plan and that other buildings and centers are scheduled to be raised there is not true," Peskov told reporters.



Meanwhile, more than 74,000 people have signed a Change.org petition against the construction of the church, which activists say would deprive them of another public recreation space in a city that already has few.



In recent months, there have been  number of national protests that have focused on issues like Kremlin-backed reforms to the pension system, and legislation to increase state control over the Internet.



But there have also been public protests that have focused on localized issues.



Residents of a Moscow region town last year had a series of violent clashes with police over a proposed new landfill to house trash and garbage from Moscow itself.

A similar protest was staged near the northern city of Arkhangelsk in February, where residents fought another proposal to have Moscow garbage transported to a local landfill.



The North Caucasus region of Ingushetia has also seen a series of angry demonstrations over a proposed land swap with neighboring Chechnya.

With reporting by TASS, Interfax, MKhD Media, and RFE/RL's Russian Service
RENO, Nev., May 16, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Nevada Exploration Inc. (NGE or the Company) (TSX-V: NGE; OTCQB: NVDEF) is pleased to present the results from its recently-completed 4,000-metre core drilling program at its South Grass Valley Project (the Project), where, as previously announced, the Company has discovered a large mineralized Carlin-type hydrothermal system, successfully achieving the objective of the Phase 1 drilling program.



By integrating the geologic logging and assay results from the eight, wide-spaced, Phase 1 core holes with the Companys other geophysical and geochemical datasets, NGE has: (1) confirmed the presence of the critical components required to host a Carlin-type gold deposit (CTGD); (2) confirmed that the scale of the geologic system is consistent with that required to host a significant deposit; (3) built a geologic model to guide continued exploration at this otherwise blind, covered target; and (4) designed a program for the next stage of exploration at what NGE considers to be one of the most important projects in Nevada in terms of its potential to host a major new CTGD.

Wade Hodges, NGEs CEO, discusses the results of the program: If we look at the major Carlin-type systems in Nevada  company-making assets such as Goldstrike, Turquoise Ridge, and Cortez Hills  these deposits are the product of critical geologic components, or building blocks, coming together at the same place at the same time, namely: the right bedrock needs to have been in contact with the right faults and structures that have been used to transport the right hydrothermal fluids that have contained the right concentrations of gold - which in these Carlin-type systems is also found along with a characteristic suite of pathfinder elements.

Based on this known architecture, if there is a large CTGD at South Grass Valley, we would expect massive volumes of characteristic lower-plate limestone bedrock, within a structurally complex setting, showing evidence of intense hydrothermal alteration, and containing enriched concentrations of gold and associated pathfinders. Establishing that these critical components are present together at South Grass Valley, and importantly that each exists at a scale consistent with those same features responsible for Nevadas major CTGDs, was the specific objective of the program; and as weve announced, this is exactly what weve found.

We have literally uncovered a brand-new, potential Carlin-type district, and as the first exploration company to enter this search space, we believe we have the best opportunity of making a significant discovery here. Having successfully achieved our objective for our Phase 1 program, our job now turns to domaining the Project into smaller, discrete targets and identifying which of these targets provides the best geologic architecture to support higher-grade gold mineralization. Driven by the logging and analyses of the more than 2,500 core samples collected during Phase 1 drilling, we have decoded the bedrock layer cake at the Project, and have integrated this new information with the geophysics, mapping, groundwater, and soil sampling to build a geologic model for the Project including, importantly, structural geology, to drive our next phase of exploration.

With the clear and specific goal of giving us the best information to ultimately select the best targets for follow-up infill drilling, our plan for the coming months is to improve and expand our data coverage at what are now the edges of our geologic model, beyond the limits of the Phase 1 drill holes, by collecting additional step-out core drilling, Scorpion drilling, and soil samples. We believe our progress to date is a good example of how to systematically and responsibly de-risk a covered exploration project, and we look forward to continuing to advance one of Nevadas largest new Carlin-type projects.

PROJECT LOCATION AND HISTORY

NGEs South Grass Valley Project is a covered (blind) gold exploration project located approximately 50 kilometres south-southwest of the Cortez complex operated by Nevada Gold Mines (Barrick Gold Corp. and Newmont Mining Corp. JV), within the specific region of north-central Nevada known to host world-class CTGDs. NGE originally identified and staked the Project based on elevated concentrations of gold and CTGD pathfinder elements in groundwater that the Company discovered during a generative basin-scale hydrogeochemistry-supported exploration program. Since acquiring the Project, NGE has completed: an in-fill borehole groundwater sampling program, detailed air magnetic and gravity geophysics surveys, a soil geochemistry sampling program, and most recently, a Phase 1 core drilling program.

PHASE 1 DRILLING OBJECTIVE

The Companys objective for its Phase 1 core drilling program was to confirm whether the enriched gold and CTGD pathfinders in groundwater at the Project are associated with a mineralized hydrothermal system of a size comparable to those responsible for 5 to 10 million-ounce CTGDs in Nevada. Specifically, the Phase 1 program was designed to test for the presence of significant volumes of hydrothermally-altered lower-plate bedrock containing enriched CTGD pathfinder element concentrations above the thresholds used to define the geochemical footprints in bedrock (halos) surrounding large known CTGDs, such as Cortez Hills at the north end of the valley, based on the latest research from the Mineral Deposit Research Unit (MDRU) at the University of British Columbia.

SCOPE OF PROGRAM

To accomplish this objective NGE completed eight wide-spaced core holes, with an average depth of 500 metres, clustered in three fences spaced approximately 1,200 metres apart, together covering an area of the Project measuring approximately 3,000 metres N-S by 800 metres E-W. This wide hole spacing was selected based on the size of the CTGD pathfinder element footprints surrounding the gold mineralization at the CTGDs studied by MDRU. With a total of 4,000 metres of drilling, resulting in 2,500 core samples, the Phase 1 drilling has provided suitable data coverage to test the area drilled for the presence of a large CTGD footprint, as well as provided important geologic information about the Project as a whole.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/ee1b7d25-b2df-4ad4-9e41-f90eca2c4ec9

RESULTS

To accompany the discussion below, complete down-hole strip logs, including: lithology, structure, alteration, and assay results for gold plus the CTGD pathfinders, as well as core photos, for the eight Phase 1 drill holes are available in the Project datafile available at: www.nevadaexploration.com/_resources/May_16_2019_South_Grass_Valley_Data_Package.pdf .

(a) Lithology

One of the characteristic traits of CTGDs is that they are hosted within a sequence of carbonate bedrock units, referred to as lower plate, that are well suited to react with Carlin-type hydrothermal fluids.

With the exception of the first hole, all of the drill holes encountered a sequence of predominantly limestone and mudstone beneath 94m to 219m of gravel cover, which continued to the bottoms of the holes (248m to 647m). These drill holes provided a representative sample of bedrock to establish the major lithologic units at the Project. Through detailed logging of the drill samples and an extensive review of their geochemistry, combined with conodont-derived age dates and geologic mapping of nearby bedrock exposures, NGE has constructed a stratigraphic section, which places the bedrock at the Project into the regional context of lower-plate units that host the gold mineralization at Nevadas major CTGDs.

In detail, the lithologic units encountered by the Phase 1 drilling represent a transitional zone of alternating beds of mudstone and limestone of varying thickness (e.g. whispy calcareous mudstone and silty limestone) that began (closest to the top of holes) in the lower units of the Silurian-aged (420Mya) Roberts Mountain formation, and continued down through Ordovician- and Cambrian-aged (up to 540Mya) Hanson Creek, Antelope Valley, Goodwin, Hales, and Tybo formations. At the southwestern edge of the Phase 1 drill holes, a granitic stock of presumed Jurassic age (168-158Mya) intrudes the Paleozoic stratigraphy, which is considered favorable for CTGD exploration as the contrasting rock properties between similar Jurassic to Cretaceous granitic intrusions at major CTGDs, such as Getchell and Cortez Hills, provided important structural contrasts (relative to the adjacent lower-plate rocks) that are inferred to have enhanced the mineralization. The drilling also intersected younger volcanic units, likely representing Eocene through Oligocene (40-25Mya) volcanism, that covered areas of the Paleozoic bedrock, and which provide helpful markers to establish the relative timing of reactivated and post-mineral structures.

In all, the Phase 1 drill holes have confirmed that the Project contains a thick sequence of favourable lower-plate bedrock across a wide area, which based on the combined interpretation of the drilling and geophysics, likely continues well beyond this initial area of investigation, as well as at depth.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/499e0e27-4301-4edd-9eed-e183b7d782a7

(b) Structure

For large CTGDs to form within favourable lower-plate host rocks, these bedrock units need to be proximal to major structural features (e.g. faults and thrusts) that can act as primary conduits (a plumbing system) to allow mineralized hydrothermal fluids to rise from depth to where they can exploit zones of secondary permeability, which can be enhanced by processes such as structural damage and chemical alteration.

Based on the detailed stratigraphic section discussed above, the relationship of bedrock units between drill holes shows major stratigraphic offsets marking high-angle faults, as well as overlapping and repeating stratigraphic sequences suggestive of folding and major thrust faulting. When combined with the air magnetic geophysics, gravity geophysics, and range-front mapping, these now-confirmed major structures improve and build confidence in the Companys structural geologic interpretations and projections. The results highlight a dominant series of parallel, NNW-SSE, high-angle structures that break the bedrock up into discrete blocks that have been vertically shuffled, potentially preserving prospective bedrock units higher in the stratigraphy, which also highlight pre-existing structures often important for hydrothermal fluid flow. The NNW-SSE structural fabric is cross-cut by a later series of parallel SW-NE structures that dip steeply to the NW and appear to drop consecutive blocks down towards the northwest, which further segment the bedrock into smaller blocks. Both the NNW-SSE and SW-NE structures are associated with significant damage zones in the surrounding bedrock and deep oxidation.

These major fault, thrust, and damage-zone features highlight a structural complexity that is typical of CTGDs, and that is well suited to having provided the necessary primary fluid pathways and secondary permeability to transport potentially mineralized hydrothermal fluids into thick sections of favourable lower-plate bedrock at the Project.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/020fb6cd-3591-4d7f-aff1-bc45a7755954

(c) Alteration



When fluid pathways and bedrock units have been subject to hydrothermal fluid flow (i.e. when the plumbing has been turned on), this process alters the surrounding bedrock, with different types and temperatures of hydrothermal fluids generating different styles of alteration.

The Phase 1 drilling shows widespread, intense alteration in the form of decalcification, argilization, and silicification across all of the seven drill holes that encountered lower-plate bedrock. The variability in the intensity of alteration suggests two separate zones of more focused fluid flow, an upper and a lower zone, with the lower zone exhibiting notable increases in both silicification and secondary pyrite. The drilling also encountered broad zones of syn-cataclastic dissolution breccias, which also represent favourable host units for CTGD mineralization.

The extensive and intense alteration seen across the Project confirms that massive volumes of favourable bedrock at the Project were subject to significant and long-lived hydrothermal fluid flow, consistent with the scale of alteration associated with Nevadas large CTGDs.

(d) Geochemistry

The overarching discriminator for whether or not a hydrothermal system has the potential to create a CTGD when presented with the right geologic setting is whether or not the fluids carry a sufficient mineral budget that can then be concentrated. In addition to gold, the mineralization at large CTGDs in Nevada is also closely associated with a characteristic suite of pathfinder elements: As, Hg, Sb, and Tl, each of which generally continue to travel further than the gold into the surrounding bedrock, effectively increasing the size of the mineralized footprint of the deposit.

Of the seven drill holes that intersected lower-plate bedrock, the hydrothermal alteration in all seven holes was associated with thick (in most holes >200 metre) intervals of anomalous and highly-anomalous CTGD pathfinder elements, including more focused enrichment associated with local structures and fractures. Specifically, the concentrations of As, Hg, Sb, and Tl within the massive zones of alteration encountered in these seven drill holes exceed the MDRU exploration thresholds for defining CTGD footprints, and are coincident with thick intervals of low-level gold, which should be expected if these wide-spaced drill holes have intersected the footprint of a large deposit.

The absolute concentrations, as well as the total budgets, of CTGD pathfinder elements throughout significant volumes of hydrothermally-altered lower-plate bedrock confirm the fluids that were active at the Project contained the characteristic mineral budget associated with large CTGDs.

DISCUSSION

The Company believes the Phase 1 results suggest the drill holes hit the margins of a large new Carlin-type hydrothermal systems with significant potential to host CTGD mineralization. As is typical at CTGDs, the dominant controls for mineralization at the Project appear to be structural features. The alteration, pathfinder geochemistry, and gold concentrations are most intense within damage zones localized along the primary NNW-SSE structures and potential thrust features. Modelling these alteration and geochemistry contrasts provides evidence for the timing of the different structures relative to the mineralizing event(s), and helps prioritize which structures are most important in guiding the next phases of exploration.

By integrating the improved structural interpretation with the detailed stratigraphic section, the Projects geologic model is resolving into smaller geologic domains, or blocks of bedrock, defined by similar structural and geologic conditions. By normalizing the geology within the domains, NGE is examining the geochemistry and alteration features within each domain as potential vectors towards mineralization. At this time, while the drill hole coverage at the Project remains limited and wide spaced, the results suggest two centres of mineralization, one to the north close to Goodwin Butte, and another further to the south, closer to the southern fence of Phase 1 drill holes. Within these two centres, where nearby drill holes have intersected similar lithological and structural domains, the alteration and geochemistry also suggest a potential source direction for the hydrothermal fluids in these areas of the Project as coming from the east, at depth.

Having confirmed that the large area covered by the Phase 1 drill holes contains the required geologic features to host a significant CTGD, NGE looks forward to collecting additional drill samples to improve the data density, and to using its updated geologic model to continue to vector towards structural zones associated with the highest concentrations of CTGD pathfinders and gold, and towards places where these mineralized structures intersect especially-favourable host units. These features will define which domains provide the best targets to test for higher-grade mineralization with infill drilling.

In addition to advancing the targets identified within the Phase 1 drilling area, the Company also believes there is significant potential to identify additional high-priority targets by stepping out and extending its data coverage across the district-scale Project. The characteristic CTGD geologic setting (host rocks, structures, alteration, and geochemistry) remains open in almost all directions, including at depth, which parallels the results of NGEs hydrogeochemistry program, which shows the plume of enriched gold and CTGD pathfinders in groundwater at the Project extends beyond the limits of Phase 1 drill holes.

In light of the variability in gold-in-groundwater concentrations related to differences in sampling depths versus bedrock depths (particularly in areas where shallow groundwater samples were collected over deeper bedrock), the Company has added a second medium of geochemical data to compliment the hydrogeochemistry: mercury soil sampling. As the most volatile of the CTGD pathfinders, mercury is the most easily transported vertically (in vapour phase); and because of its vertical mobility, testing for mercury in soils is a logical tool to help guide CTGD exploration at covered targets. As described in the Companys news release dated January 30, 2019, the results of NGEs initial soil mercury program show a distinct zone of anomalous mercury in soils that extends NNW from the area evaluated by the Phase 1 drilling. This mercury-in-soil anomaly is coincident with the projected extension of the structurally-complex package of hydrothermally-altered lower-plate host rocks based on the results of the Phase 1 drilling, which in addition to the hydrogeochemistry data, provides a third, separate line of evidence to support the potential NNW extension of the mineralized Carlin-type system.

SUMMER 2019 FIELD PROGRAM

As described above, using the stratigraphic section and updated structural geology based on the Phase 1 drilling, NGE has built a geologic model to drive the next phases of exploration at the Project. This model domains the Project into smaller target areas, and also suggests significant potential to identify additional targets beyond the area of the Phase 1 drill holes. Building on these results to date, NGEs objectives for its 2019 field program at South Grass Valley are to: (1) complete a number of additional core holes to add stratigraphic and geologic information beyond the limits of the Phase 1 drill holes; and (2) acquire additional Scorpion drilling and soil geochemistry samples across the Project to select and prioritize targets for later, detailed in-fill core drilling.

To provide a representative sample of the bedrock units beneath the coincident gold-in-groundwater and mercury-in-soil anomaly located along the projected NNW extension of the features seen in the Phase 1 drilling, NGE plans to complete one or more relatively deep orientation core holes about 600 metres north of the northern-most Phase 1 drill holes. Specifically, NGE will use this information to test whether or not the massive volumes of hydrothermally-altered lower-plate bedrock containing CTGD pathfinders exceeding the MDRU exploration thresholds seen in the Phase 1 drilling extend this far to the north.

Subject to updates to the geologic model based on new information, NGE expects to also complete another one or more relatively deep orientation core holes to the east of the Phase 1 drill holes to test for increasing CTGD pathfinder concentrations, which would be expected if one of the sources of hydrothermal fluid flow at the Project is indeed from the east at depth, as the results from the Phase 1 drilling suggest.

To provide more-detailed 3D geochemistry data across the Project, NGE plans to complete a series of Scorpion drill holes both within and beyond the area of the Phase 1 drilling. In addition to being important controls for mineralization, structural features also provide pathways for gold and CTGD pathfinders to migrate upwards into the nearby cover material. By using the Scorpion drill rig to sample the groundwater and cover material above and proximal to major structural features, NGE expects to test for increases in gold and CTDG pathfinders to select and prioritize targets for infill core drilling. When NGEs Scorpion drill rig moved to South Grass Valley it was challenged by the specific drilling conditions and depths at the Project. During the past year, NGE has worked with industry experts to complete modifications to the Scorpion drill rig to improve its capabilities. The Company looks forward to field-testing the latest modifications with the goal of adding relatively low-cost geochemistry information to maximize the value of significantly-more-expensive core drill holes.

Continuing on the success of the Companys initial soil mercury program in complementing its hydrogeochemistry data to domain and focus exploration based directly on concentrations of gold and CTGD pathfinders, NGE plans to significantly increase its soil mercury sample coverage. NGE has begun a follow-up sampling program to: (1) infill the existing sample lines by reducing line spacings from 400 metres to 200 metres  consistent with the sampling strategy used to define the soil-mercury anomaly over Cortez Hills; and (2) expand sample coverage to the north and south, along the projected extension of the favourable geologic features seen in the Phase 1 drilling in order to add geochemistry data in places where the depth to bedrock is so deep that NGEs shallow groundwater samples may not provide as-representative information about the underlying bedrock, as well as in places where NGE has limited groundwater sample coverage due to deeper groundwater depths.

In terms of timing: NGEs drilling contractor expects to mobilize a core drill rig to the Project and begin drilling within the next two weeks; the soil mercury sampling program is now in progress; and NGE is aiming to begin the first Scorpion drill shift in June.

As NGE continues to advance the Project, per NI 43-101, 2.3(2), the Company must remind its stakeholders that the Project remains an exploration target for which the potential quantity and grade of any mineral resource is still conceptual in nature. There has been insufficient exploration to define a mineral resource, and it is uncertain if further exploration will result in the target being delineated as a mineral resource.

About Nevada Exploration Inc.

NGE is an exploration company advancing a portfolio of new district-scale gold exploration projects along Nevadas Battle Mountain-Eureka (Cortez) Trend. NGE is led by an experienced management team that has been involved in several significant discoveries in Nevada, including the discovery of Lone Tree and Rabbit Creek (part of the Twin Creeks Mine). NGEs team has spent the last decade integrating the use of hydrogeochemistry with conventional exploration tools to develop a Nevada-specific regional-scale geochemistry exploration program.

With new proprietary technology, NGE has completed the worlds largest groundwater sampling program for gold exploration, collecting approximately 6,000 samples to evaluate Nevadas covered basins for new gold exploration targets. To advance follow-up targets, NGE has overcome the high drilling costs that have previously prohibited the wide-spread use of drilling as a prospecting tool by developing its Scorpion drill rig, a small-footprint, truck-mounted, small-diameter RC drill rig specifically tailored to the drilling conditions in Nevadas basins (analogous to RAB drilling in other parts of the world).

By integrating hydrogeochemistry and early-stage low-cost drilling with conventional exploration methods, NGE is overcoming the challenges and radically reducing the costs of exploring in Nevadas covered basins, and is taking significant steps to open this important new search space up for district-scale exploration.

For further information, please contact:

Nevada Exploration Inc.

Email: info@nevadaexploration.com

Telephone: +1 (604) 601 2006

Website: www.nevadaexploration.com

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Wade A. Hodges, CEO & Director, Nevada Exploration Inc., is the Qualified Person, as defined in National Instrument 43-101, and has prepared the technical and scientific information contained in this News Release.

Cautionary Statement on Forward-Looking Information:

This news release contains forward-looking information and forward-looking statements (collectively, forward-looking information) within the meaning of applicable securities laws, including, without limitation, expectations, beliefs, plans, and objectives regarding projects, potential transactions, and ventures discussed in this release.

In connection with the forward-looking information contained in this news release, the Company has made numerous assumptions, regarding, among other things, the assumption the Company will continue as a going concern and will continue to be able to access the capital required to advance its projects and continue operations. While the Company considers these assumptions to be reasonable, these assumptions are inherently subject to significant uncertainties and contingencies.

In addition, there are known and unknown risk factors which could cause the Companys 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. Among the important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements are the risks inherent in mineral exploration, the need to obtain additional financing, environmental permits, the availability of needed personnel and equipment for exploration and development, fluctuations in the price of minerals, and general economic conditions.

A more complete discussion of the risks and uncertainties facing the Company is disclosed in the Companys continuous disclosure filings with Canadian securities regulatory authorities at www.sedar.com. 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.
UPDATE: Watch Chesterfield's Shayy Winn sing with her "idol" Andra Day on the "American Idol" finale which aired Sunday, May 19 on ABC.

Laine Hardy was crowned the winner over fan and judge favorite Alejandro Aranda in a surprise upset.

Winn was elimination earlier this season. Watch her performance with Andra Day here:

Original story from May 16, 2019:

Shayy Winn of Chesterfield County is set to return to American Idol for the finale Sunday.

The 18-year-old senior in the performing arts program at Thomas Dale High School made it to the top 40 contestants on American Idol, but was eliminated in an episode that aired March 31.

Winn suddenly lost her sight in 2017. She discussed that during her audition for the show, when her performance moved celebrity judge Lionel Richie to tears.

She was eliminated after singing a version of Adeles All I Ask at Disneys Aulani resort in Hawaii that failed to impress the judges.
Patients at hospitals with D and F ratings face a 92 percent greater risk of avoidable death compared with A-rated hospitals, according to an assessment by the Johns Hopkins Armstrong Institute for Patient Safety and Quality for The Leapfrog Group.

Patients at C-rated hospitals, like VCU Health System, Southside Regional Medical Center and 12 other Virginia hospitals, faced an 88 percent greater risk of avoidable death, and patients at B-rated hospitals faced a 35 percent greater risk.

VCU Health System said in a statement that The Leapfrog Group Safety Grades use some subjective and unendorsed data in its ratings and that the grades to do not accurately reflect the hospital systems overall quality and safety. It also said that VCU was named the top hospital in Richmond by U.S. News & World Report in 2018, holds more active Beacon designations from the American Academy of Critical Care Nurses than any other health system in the country and has been named on Beckers Hospital Reviews 2019 list of 100 Great Hospitals in America.
Chesterfield County police are searching for a 39-year-old county resident who did not return home from work Tuesday.

Timothy V. Kitt, who lives in the 2600 block of Mangowood Drive, was reported missing by relatives on Wednesday.

Police described Kitt as a black male who is about 5 feet 3 inches tall and weighs about 220 pounds. He has black hair and brown eyes.

He might be driving a 2001 Nissan SUV that is cream-colored and has Virginia license plates, UVH-5404.

Anyone with information about Kitt's whereabouts should call Chesterfield police at (804) 748-1251 or Crime Solvers at (804) 748-0660.

You can also contact Crime Solvers by going to www.crimesolvers.net or using the P3 Tips app for smartphones.
HILLSBORO, Ore.  When workers at an Ace Hardware here reported that a woman had walked out of the store with an $11.99 tank of welding gas that she hadnt paid for in her tote bag, an elaborate high-tech crime-fighting operation sprang into action.

A Washington County sheriffs detective, working with the agencys Special Investigations Unit, ran the stores surveillance footage through an internal facial-recognition program built by Amazon, revealing a possible match.

That womans license plate was flagged and, three months later, a narcotics officer in an unmarked SUV saw it and radioed other patrol deputies to stop her. A deputy clapped a pair of handcuffs around her wrists, an arrest report states. She said shed needed the gas to fix her car.

Deputies in this corner of western Oregon outside ultraliberal Portland used to track down criminals the old-fashioned way, faxing caught-on-camera images of a suspect around the office in hope that someone might recognize the face.

Then, in late 2017, the Washington County Sheriffs Office became the first law enforcement agency in the country known to use Amazons artificial-intelligence tool Rekognition, transforming this thicket of forests and suburbs into a public testing ground for a new wave of experimental police surveillance techniques.

Almost overnight, deputies saw their investigative powers supercharged, allowing them to scan for matches of a suspects face across more than 300,000 mug shots taken at the county jail since 2001. A grainy picture of someones face  captured by a security camera, a social media account or a deputys smartphone  can quickly become a link to their identity, including their name, family and address. More than 1,000 facial-recognition searches were logged last year, said deputies, who sometimes used the results to find a suspects Facebook page or visit their home.

But Washington County also became ground zero for a high-stakes battle over the unregulated growth of policing by algorithm. Defense attorneys, artificial-intelligence researchers and civil rights experts argue that the technology could lead to the wrongful arrest of innocent people who bear only a resemblance to a video image. Rekognitions accuracy is also hotly disputed, and some experts worry that a case of mistaken identity by armed deputies could have dangerous implications, threatening privacy and peoples lives.

Some police agencies have in recent years run facial-recognition searches against state or FBI databases using systems built by contractors such as Cognitec, IDEMIA and NEC. But the rollout by Amazon has marked perhaps the biggest step in making the controversial face-scanning technology mainstream. Rekognition is easy to activate, requires no major technical infrastructure and is offered to virtually anyone at bargain-barrel prices. Washington County spent about $700 to upload its first big haul of photos, and now, for all its searches, it pays about $7 a month.

Its impossible to tell, though, just how accurate or effective the technology has been during its first 18 months of real-world tests. Deputies dont have to note in arrest reports when a facial-recognition search was used, and the exact number of times it has resulted in an arrest is unclear. Sheriffs officials said the software has led to dozens of arrests for theft, violence or other crimes, but a public-records request turned up nine case reports in which facial recognition was mentioned.

Just like any of our investigative techniques, we dont tell people how we catch them, said Robert Rookhuyzen, a detective on the agencys major crimes team who said he has run several dozen searches and found it helpful about 75% of the time. We want them to keep guessing.

Sheriffs officials say face scans dont always mark the end of the investigation: Deputies must still establish probable cause or find evidence before charging a suspect with a crime. But the Sheriffs Office sets its own rules for facial-recognition use and allows deputies to use the tool to identify bodies, unconscious suspects and people who refused to give their name.

The search tools imperfect results raise the risk of an innocent person being flagged and arrested, especially in cases of the scanned images being blurred, low-quality or partially concealed. Deputies are also allowed to run artist sketches through the search, an unusual use that AI experts said could more often lead to a false match.

Amazons guidelines for law enforcement say officials should use Rekognitions results only when the system is 99% confident in a match. But deputies here are not shown that search-confidence measurement when they use the tool. Instead, they are given five possible matches for every search, even if the systems certainty in a match is far lower.

After fielding questions from The Washington Post, Amazon added language to those guidelines, stating that officers should manually review all matches before detaining a suspect and that the search shouldnt be used as the sole determinant for taking action.

The relationship between Amazon and Oregons third-largest law enforcement agency is mutually beneficial: The Sheriffs Office is helping to refine the system, which Amazon hopes to sell across the country. But Amazons push into law-enforcement sales has alarmed some legal advocates who say the system poses too many risks to civil liberties. (Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos owns The Post.)

The government is incredibly powerful, and they bring a lot to bear against an individual citizen in a case, said Mary Bruington, the director of the Washington County Public Defenders Office, which represents defendants who cant afford an attorney. You couple that with Amazon? Thats a powerful partnership.

Matt Wood, the general manager of artificial intelligence for the companys cloud-computing division, Amazon Web Services, said in a statement that Rekognition is just another input among many other leads for a 100 percent human-driven investigation.

Still, the company faces criticism on many fronts: Top AI researchers, members of Congress and civil rights groups  as well as some of Amazons own investors and employees  have urged the company to stop providing the technology to law enforcement, pointing to studies that have found that the system is less accurate with dark-skinned faces. Amazon has disputed that research.

Some of Amazons rivals have spurned similar contracts. Microsoft President Brad Smith said in April that the company had recently declined to provide its facial-recognition software to a California law enforcement agency that wanted to run a face scan anytime its officers pulled someone over, but that it had approved a deal putting the technology in a U.S. prison. Microsoft declined to provide details.

Amazon investors will vote in May on a proposal, backed by a group of activist shareholders, that would prevent the company from selling Rekognition to government agencies unless the companys board determines that it doesnt pose a risk to human rights.

The Sheriffs Office allowed Post journalists to spend two days in March in its squad cars, detectives offices and county jail, observing how deputies have folded the technology into their daily caseload. Most of those interviewed said the software had saved them time, boosted their arrest numbers and helped them process the growing glut of visual evidence. To date, no legal challenge has been made to an arrest on the grounds that the photo match was mistaken, both deputies and public defenders said.

But lawyers in Oregon said the technology should not be, as many see it, an imminent step forward for the future of policing, and they frame the system not as a technical milestone but a moral one: Is it OK to nab more bad guys if more good guys might get arrested, too?

People love to always say, Hey, if its catching bad people, great, who cares,  said Joshua Crowther, a chief deputy defender in Oregon, until theyre on the other end.

* * *

Indistinguishable from magic

When Amazon revealed Rekognition in 2016, the company called it a breakthrough for a potent style of deep-learning artificial intelligence that showed results indistinguishable from magic. In a blog post illustrated with a photo of an executives dog, the company offered some general ideas for how people could begin using it, including for security checkpoints or billboards wired to gather data from a viewers face.

The unveiling caught the eye of Chris Adzima, a former eBay programmer who had been hired at the Washington County Sheriffs Office to work on an iPhone app that deputies use to track inmates behavior. His agency had hundreds of thousands of facial photos already online and no real way to analyze them. Using Amazons AI, he got a system up and running in less than three weeks.

They didnt really have a firm idea of any type of use cases in the real world, but they knew that they had a powerful tool that they created, said Adzima, a senior information systems analyst who works in a small cubicle at the sheriffs headquarters. So, you know, I just started using it.

Deputies immediately began folding facial searches into their daily beat policing, and Adzima built a bare-bones internal website that let them search from their patrol cars. He dropped the search-confidence percentages and designed the system to return five results, every time: When the system returned zero results, he said, deputies wondered whether theyd messed something up. To spice it up, he also added an unnecessary purple scanning animation whenever a deputy uploaded a photo  a touch he said was inspired by cop shows like CSI.

As he started flooding Amazons servers with image data, account executives there took notice, he said, and some voiced their surprise and excitement that he was using it for police work. In one 2017 email first revealed last year as part of an American Civil Liberties Union public-records request, an Amazon account executive asked to introduce Adzima to an executive at a police-body-camera company who wanted to understand how he overcame stakeholder resistance. Youre AWS-famous now, the executive wrote, with an emoji of a smiley face.

Deputies here say the system is a huge hit. Chris Lee, who has used the search in five cases of burglary and theft, said many of his colleagues have become prolific users, eager to find a simple resolution to an otherwise-difficult hunt. Youre always like: Is it going to show us something? he said.

For training, deputies are emailed only a printout of the offices facial-recognition policy and a short PowerPoint presentation cautioning them to be careful with the results. One slide shows how the system responded to an uploaded mug shot of O.J. Simpson: by returning a photo of a white man with a beard. As you can see, the slide reads, the system still requires human interpretation.

The agencys four-page policy requires staffers to use the system only in cases of a criminal nexus and prohibits its use in mass surveillance or to monitor people based on their religion, political activities or race. But it also offers several exceptions, including allowing facial searches in cases of significant threat to life or when deputies believe a felony suspect will be at a certain place at a specific time.

The search has helped deputies devise unconventional techniques. In one case, an inmate was talking to his girlfriend on a jailhouse phone when she said there was a warrant out for her arrest. Deputies went to the inmates Facebook page, found an old video with her singing and ran a facial-recognition search to get her name; she was arrested within days.

Deputies can also run black-and-white police sketches through the system looking for results; in one test case, they said, it pointed to a man theyd already flagged as their suspect. Amazon said that running sketches through Rekognition does not violate its rules but that it expects human reviewers to pay close attention to the confidence of any matches produced this way.

Bruington, from the county public defenders office, said Rekognitions low price and ease of use could tempt police agencies into experimenting with a system they may not fully understand. She also worried that the systems dependence on mug shots meant that anyone previously brought in by police would be that much more likely to resurface in a criminal search.

Innocent people go through the criminal justice system every day, she said.

* * *

Look at the bird

Facial-recognition technology had for decades been a police agencys dream: a simple, stealthy way to identify anyone from afar, without their knowledge or consent. But only in recent years  thanks to improvements in imaging and computer power, and plunging data-storage costs  has the technology become affordable and widespread, used in tagging Facebook photos and unlocking iPhones.

Todays systems break down peoples facial photos into long strands of code, called feature vectors or faceprints, that can be rapidly compared with other portraits across a vast database. But while computer-vision algorithms are adept at pattern recognition, they match pixels, not clues, and can miss inconsistencies that would seem staggeringly obvious to the human eye.

Still, the promise of cheap and easy identification has proved too compelling for many companies to ignore. The federal agency that assesses facial-recognition algorithms, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, recently said it had tested 127 systems from 44 companies on their scalability to large populations and accuracy in identifying noncooperative subjects photographed in the wild. The top-ranking algorithms, from Microsoft and the Chinese start-up Yitu Technology, could match a face photo across a database of millions of images with 99% accuracy.

Amazon has previously declined to submit Rekognition for this assessment, saying the test, which studies an isolated version of the core search algorithm, wouldnt work on its complicated cloud-based search. But an NIST official said that fact has not impeded other companies with similar searches. An Amazon official said the company had launched a substantive effort to redesign critical components of the system so it could participate.

The FBI said it ran more than 52,000 facial-recognition searches in the past fiscal year, and in 2016, researchers from the Georgetown University law school found at least 52 state or local agencies that had at some point relied on a facial-search system built by federal contractors or surveillance firms. But Amazon has made it simple for any new police force to get started, charging a cut-rate fee based partially on the number of faces stored.

No federal laws govern the use of facial recognition. But a bipartisan bill introduced in the U.S. Senate in March and a proposed bill in Amazons home state of Washington could impose new rules that would, for instance, require companies to notify passersby that their faces are being scanned. San Francisco leaders are expected to vote next week on a proposal, opposed by police, that would make the tech capital the first city in America to ban local agencies from using facial-recognition software.

Amazon executives say they support national facial-recognition legislation, but they have also argued that new technology should not be banned or condemned because of its potential misuse. FBI agents and Orlando, Florida, police say they have tested the system, and Amazon has pitched it to government agencies, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Lawyers in Washington County, Oregon, said theyre just starting to see the technique show up in arrest reports, and some are preparing for the day when they may have to litigate the systems admissibility in court. Marc Brown, a chief deputy defender working with Oregons Office of Public Defense Services, said he worried the systems hidden decision-making could improperly tilt the balance of power: Human eyewitnesses can be questioned in court, but not this magic black box, and we as defense attorneys cannot question, you know, how did this process work.

The systems results, Brown added, could pose a huge confirmation-bias problem by steering how deputies react. Youve already been told that this is the one, so when you investigate, thats going to be in your mind, he said. The question is no longer who committed the crime, but wheres the evidence to support the computers analysis?

Amazons software is rapidly becoming more advanced. The company last month announced a Rekognition update that would, among other things, improve the accuracy of the systems emotion detection feature, which automatically speculates on how someone is feeling based on how they look on camera. It includes 7 supported emotions: Happy, Sad, Angry, Surprised, Disgusted, Calm and Confused. 

Amazon also owns Ring, the maker of a popular doorbell camera, which applied last year for a facial-recognition patent that could flag suspicious people at a users doorstep. A Ring spokeswoman said the companys patent applications are intended to explore the full possibilities of new technology.

The Washington County Sheriffs Offices face database, meanwhile, is always growing, by roughly 19,000 jail bookings a year. When people are arrested, theyre brought to a bustling intake room where they get their picture taken by a webcam topped with a red Beanie Babies cardinal. Look at the bird, theyre told.

Those photos become the inmates identities throughout the countys penal system, and an internal jail website and iPhone app displays the images in a large grid so deputies can quickly track their food intake, behavior and suicide risk.

Rekognition isnt used once an inmate is in lockup, but it has nevertheless left a subtle impact behind bars. Standing in the guardhouse nerve center of Pod 3, the maximum-security wing that inmates call the hole, deputy Brian van Kleef put it this way: This is where we gather our database.
The law firm that employs Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax earlier this year announced that it had retained outside counsel to investigate sexual assault allegations against him, but the firm now refuses to comment on the status of that investigation.

Fairfax is an attorney at Morrison & Foerster, which announced in September that he would be a partner in the firms commercial litigation, trials and investigations, and white-collar defense groups.

The firm put Fairfax on paid leave after two allegations of sexual assault against him were made public in February. His duties as lieutenant governor are part time.

The firm has retained outside counsel to conduct an investigation. During the investigation, Justin Fairfax has taken a leave of absence from Morrison & Foerster, Larren Nashelsky, the firms chair, said in a statement in February. Justin has agreed to cooperate with the firms investigation.
I would like it, as part of the record, stated that Heather was killed primarily because Mr. Fields was aiming to kill someone who he thought was black, Bro testified. He drove into a crowd to kill people [who were there] in support of Black Lives Matter.

In her prepared testimony, Bro said it was imperative that Congress address underreporting of hate crime through legislation and that doing so would be a unifying first step.

What I would ask of the FBI is, why? she asked. What is your reason for what has been termed a lackadaisical attitude? Why are you not fulfilling that dream of being that gold standard? Why are you allowing your edges to become tattered?

Bro also frequently stressed that the focus of anti-racism efforts should not focus on her or her daughter.
BISHOP, Phillip Michael, 38, of Chesterfield County, went to be with the Lord Saturday, May 11, 2019. A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, May 18, at Affinity Funeral Service, 2720 Enterprise Pkwy., Richmond, Va. 23294. The family will receive friends one hour prior to the service. Online guestbook available at affinityfuneralservice.com.
TORONTO, May 16, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Clear Blue Technologies International Inc. (the "Company") (TSX VENTURE: CBLU) is providing an update on the status of the filing of its annual financial statements, accompanying management's discussion and analysis and related CEO and CFO certifications for the financial year ended December 31, 2018 (collectively, the "Annual Filings"). The Company is continuing to work diligently and expeditiously with its auditors to complete and file the Annual Filings as soon as possible. In the interim, the Company has been granted a Management Cease Trade Order by the British Columbia Securities Commission.



The Company intends to follow the provisions of the Alternative Information Guidelines set out in sections 9 and 10 of National Policy 12-203  Management Cease Trade Orders so long as the Annual Filings are outstanding, including the issuance of bi-weekly default status reports in the form of news releases similar to this release.

The Company confirms as of the date of this news release that there has been no material change in the information contained in the default announcement issued on May 1, 2019 and there is no other material information concerning the affairs of the Company that has not been generally disclosed.

About Clear Blue Technologies International

Clear Blue Technologies International, the Smart Off-Grid company, was founded on a vision of delivering clean, managed, wireless power to meet the global need for reliable, low-cost, solar and hybrid power for lighting, telecom, security, Internet of Things devices, and other mission-critical systems. Today, Clear Blue has thousands of systems under management across 35 countries, including the U.S. and Canada. Clear Blue is publicly traded on the Toronto Venture Exchange under the symbol CBLU.

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.

Media Contact:

Becky Nye

Senior Associate

Montieth & Company

155 E 44th St., New York, NY 10017

bnye@montiethco.com

+1 646.864.3517

Investor Relations:

Miriam Tuerk

Co-Founder and CEO

+1 (855) 733-0119 x200

investors@clearbluetechnologies.com

http://www.clearbluetechnologies.com/en/investors

Forward-Looking Information and Statements

This press release contains certain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation and may also contain statements that may constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking information and forward-looking statements are not representative of historical facts or information or current condition, but instead represent only the Company's beliefs regarding future events, plans or objectives, many of which, by their nature, are inherently uncertain and outside of the Company's control. Generally, such forward-looking information or forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or may contain statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "will continue", "will occur" or "will be achieved". The forward-looking information contained herein may include, but is not limited to, information concerning the filing of the Annual Filings.

By identifying such information and statements in this manner, the Company is alerting the reader that such information and statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such information and statements.

An investment in securities of the Company is speculative and subject to several risks including, without limitation, the risks discussed under the heading "Risk Factors" in the Company's listing application dated July 12, 2018. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking information and forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended.

In connection with the forward-looking information and forward-looking statements contained in this press release, the Company has made certain assumptions. Although the Company believes that the assumptions and factors used in preparing, and the expectations contained in, the forward-looking information and statements are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on such information and statements, and no assurance or guarantee can be given that such forward-looking information and statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such information and statements. The forward-looking information and forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date of this press release, and the Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking information and/or forward-looking statements that are contained or referenced herein, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. All subsequent written and oral forward-looking information and statements attributable to the Company or persons acting on its behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by this notice.
State security takeover for Solidaridad temporary

Playa del Carmen, Q.R.  After the states announcement to take over security of the municipality of Solidaridad, the mayor of Playa del Carmen says she will wait for the outcome of the president who, when he learned of the takeover, said he would investigate.

However, after the Centralized Police Command was implemented in the municipality, an agreement signed by the Governor of Quintana Roo says that it will be temporary and the command will be recovered again by municipal president Laura Beristain no later than September 10 of the current year.

This agreement indicates that the command will last as long as necessary, until public order is restored and the safety of the persons and their assets can be guaranteed, but it cannot be maintained beyond the date of September 10.

The agreement also stipulates that the head of the Secretaria de Seguridad Publica (SSP) will serve as a delegate of the command and that the members of the Municipal Secretariat of Public Security and Solidarity Transit must obey.

On the evening of May 14, state governor Carlos Joaquin Gonzalez made a three-minute public address, announcing the takeover of security for the municipality of Solidaridad.
Timothy Lee Barnharts first brush with the law was a big one  the 64-year-old was sentenced Thursday to seven years in prison for collecting a stash of child pornography on the computer in his Roanoke County home.

U.S. District Court Judge Michael Urbanski also fined Barnhart $30,000 and ordered him to pay $3,000 each to 14 known victims, citing the sheer scope and magnitude of this offense.

Federal and state authorities found thousands of explicit images of young children, some of them engaged in sex acts with adults, during a November 2016 search of Barnharts home on Bent Mountain Road.

Urbanski declined the governments attempt to introduce the photographs, even under seal.

Why do we need to put these photos in the record? he asked.

Testimony during the sentencing hearing portrayed Barnhart as someone who worked 70 hours a week as an engineer and then went home to his computer, where he had methodically organized his collection of pornography over the past 10 years.

These images are all crime-scene photographs, Assistant U.S. Attorney Nancy Healey said of the graphic nature of the online photos, some of them of toddlers.

But Barnhart denied the governments assertions that he distributed the pornography. There was no evidence that he physically assaulted a juvenile or used email or other forms of communication to market his collection.

He said his online searches began with curiosity when he went online to research the actresses he had seen on television movies, then began to follow the pop-up promotions that appeared on his screen.

I should have stopped this, but I just clicked the mouse and continued, he said.

Defense attorney Patrick Kenney asked for no more than the mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison, noting that Barnhart didnt even have a speeding ticket as he worked long hours as a senior general foreman for Norfolk Southern Corp.

When forced to give up his job of more than 38 years after his arrest, Barnhart had nearly 100 weeks of unused vacation. Divorced since his 30s, he hadnt allowed anyone in his cluttered home for more than a decade, according to testimony.

His only other activity seemed to be caring for his 98-year-old mother.

He goes to work. He comes home. Thats it, Dr. Evan Nelson, a forensic psychologist who examined Barnhart for the defense, testified.

But in asking for a long prison sentence, prosecutors pointed to the continued effect on the victims, some of them now adults, each time someone like Barnhart clicked on their image.

It can never be in the past for them, Healey said, reading from the statement of the mother of two young girls identified in the photographs. It is always in the present, and it keeps on happening.

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Today we have a good news story thats happening as you read this. It involves 69 Roanoke and Blacksburg-area churches, 56 pastors and a retired trucking executive. It also involves solar power, some ingenuity and an island east of Puerto Rico thats still recovering from devastation wrought by Hurricane Maria more than 18 months later.

The churches are associated with the United Methodist Churchs Roanoke District. The pastors are preachers in those churches  some of which are too small to have their own pastor, so they share one. The island is Vieques, where some Puerto Ricans still lack electricity, which was knocked out by the deadly and destructive September 2017 storm.

The nexus for all the above is Raleigh Court United Methodist Church on Grandin Road, and a service mission nine of its members embarked on last year to Puerto Rico. Its pastor, Rev. Seungsoo RJ Jun, told me the heartwarming story of their ongoing efforts to assist Puerto Ricans.

The church members spent a week in Puerto Rico last June. They slept in makeshift bunkrooms fashioned from Sunday school classrooms at a host church, Iglesia Metodista de Puerto Rico. Together, they toiled to help restore a three-bedroom house in Toa Baja, a suburb about 30 minutes outside San Juan.

The need is so overwhelming, from what we saw when we were there, said Rich McGimsey, who along with his wife, Ellen, and their college-age daughter, Caroline, were among the Roanoke missionaries.

During a service the Roanoke group attended at Iglesia Metodista, they met a woman frustrated by the slow progress in restoring electric power to the devastated island. That frustration prompted her to build her own solar-powered generator out of hardware she cobbled together. She had a poster that showed how she did it.

She was talking about what she had done at her house, with these solar panels [and some batteries] and how she had rigged them to run her refrigerator and a fan, McGimsey recalled. That story inspired him and the other Roanokers.

We left the island wanting to do more, McGimsey told me. It really grabbed RJ. He came back and got the [United Methodist] district involved.

Raleigh Court United Methodist, and other Methodist congregations in the region, are now endeavoring to raise $50,000 to buy materials for 50 solar generators for Puerto Rican homes, over the 50-day Easter-to-Pentecost season.

Last October, Jun persuaded the churchs Roanoke district to get involved. It designated the solar kits project as its 2019 district-wide mission. The fundraising began the first week in March, at a weekend Methodist youth retreat that drew 120 to 130 youngsters.

After the kids watched a video about the project, they pulled $586 in donations out of their pockets, Jun said. The United Methodist District added another $500. And on Easter, Raleigh Court United Methodist, which on a typical Sunday has about 190 congregants, held a special solar-kits collection.

The congregation ponied up $10,000, Jun said.

I thought it would be two, three or $5,000, he told me. I have to say I was blown away when it went to $10,000.

Another member of Raleigh Court United Methodist who was inspired was Denny Dennison. Though Dennison didnt go on the Puerto Rico trip last year, he has a close friend  Jim Stokes  who knows a few things about the solar-power industry.

Stokes is a former vice president of Thermo King of Roanoke, which manufactures truck refrigeration units. After he retired last year, he started a company, Transport Energy Solutions, which retrofits big rigs with solar-power generators. Counting trucks and trailers, the company has installed about 100 solar trucking kits in the past year.

Im a Baptist, but we help each other out, Stokes told me, chuckling. Im just helping them find the best system for the least amount of money that fits their budget.

He estimated itll cost $1,000 to $1,500 for each kit, which includes solar panels, batteries, an inverter and other hardware. Its something that can power a refrigerator, charge a cellphone and maybe run a light or two, Stokes said.

Jun said theyve found a manufacturer whos agreed to ship the materials to Puerto Rico at no cost to the church, which will help keep expenses down. That stuff will be received by Iglesia Metodista, which has agreed to raise 25 percent of the projects cost.

REHACE, a Puerto Rican disaster-relief organization (Jun said thats Spanish for rebuild), will find homeowners in need of the solar generators. Jun said those will likely be residents of Vieques, a 52-square-mile island about 8 miles east of Puerto Rico.

Until Hurricane Maria, its 8,000-some inhabitants got electricity via an undersea cable from Puerto Rico. But power on the smaller island has not yet been restored.

Jun said the Roanoke district of the United Methodist Church is hoping to have $50,000 or so in hand by early in June.

They expect to have the solar panels and other equipment in Puerto Rico by the end of August.

Were hoping we can send a team down there to help with the installation of those 50 solar generators in September, Jun said. And thatll bring the project full circle.

The world is loaded with problems and people in need. The church on Grandin Road will never be able to solve all of those. Instead, theyre tackling a handful  50, to be exact.

Thats how you do it.

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This week town leaders took another step towards the dream of restoring passenger rail to the New River Valley.

Council voted unanimously on Tuesday to buy 6.82 acres near the Aquatic Center for a proposed Amtrak station. The town will pay $200,000 to the nonprofit Community Housing Partners for the land located between the existing Norfolk Southern rail line and the 100 block of Mill Lane. Since 2016, council has purchased an adjacent 1.2 acres for $160,000 for a future station.

Amtrak expanded passenger service to Lynchburg in 2009. Roanoke got it in 2017 and last year carried 206,252 passengers between Roanoke and Washington, D.C., an increase of 8.7 percent over its first year.

Business, education and government leaders have for several years campaigned to expand service to the NRV to boost economic development and provide long-distance transportation for about 40,000 students enrolled at Virginia Tech and Radford University. Christiansburg was chosen as a good location for a passenger station after an assessment by the New River Valley Metropolitan Planning Organization.

The Amtrak plans, however, face a few hurdles, and it remains unclear exactly when a Christiansburg-based station could come to fruition. Delays have beset a $350,000 study looking at what rail line improvements are needed to allow passenger service.

Still, Christiansburg officials are optimistic and moving forward with their end of the project.

The rail thing is coming, Mayor Mike Barber said. We set a goal for 2020, so we have something to shoot at."

Even though the station is unlikely to arrive by 2020, Barber said "I think [the land is] a good investment for us. For now, it makes a nice parking lot for the often-crowded Aquatic Center, he added.

Rail service in the New River Valley began in Radford in 1856, and by World War II, there were a dozen passenger trains passing through Radford and Christiansburg daily, according to a study conducted by New River Valley Rail 2020, a coalition of government and business interests supportive of the Christiansburg station.

By the late 1960s, passenger service had declined rapidly and ended in 1979.

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PULASKI COUNTY  The entrance to New Dublin Presbyterian Church is easy to miss if you arent looking for it, but a new highway historical marker may bring more attention to one of Southwest Virginias oldest Christian congregations.

The designation from the Virginia Department of Historic Resources comes on the churchs 250th anniversary and a little less than 15 years after it was added to the Virginia Landmarks Register and National Register of Historic Places.

The marker  one of about 40 that will be given out this year, according to VDHR spokesman Randy Jones  will note the significance of the congregation. New Dublin was established in 1769 by 45 families on land donated by Revolutionary War officer Col. Joseph Cloyd. By the 1800s, whites and enslaved African Americans worshiped there, and the church building was used as a Confederate military hospital during the Civil War.

Mary Catherine Stout, a member of the committee that applied for the distinction, said she takes pride in the recognition.

It means a great deal to me because I have been a member of this church since 1953. I have also lived in both of the Joseph Cloyd homes, Stout said. What it means to me is that we can share it.

Moe Millar, who was also on the committee, said the quiet, tranquil feel of the property is something that members and visitors alike notice. The cemetery and church are surrounded by trees, some nearly as old as the church.

Its a wonderful place to come worship, Millar said. We have people come back years later with fond memories of this place.

Historical markers can also bring more visitors to a historic landmark.

The highway historical marker program in Virginia has some history of its own. Started in 1927 by the Conservation and Economic Development Commission, Jones said the commonwealths marker program was the first of its kind in the United States.

Today there are more than 2,500 such markers erected across the state. At least 10 others are located in Pulaski alone, according to the VDHR website, including one just up the road from the church documenting the Battle of Cloyds Mountain. A reenactment of that Union victory was held May 9 on the 155th anniversary of the battle.

To qualify for a marker, applicants must meet certain deadlines and provide historical documentation or verification of the proposed text. Additionally, buildings or other inanimate objects must be at least 50 years old to qualify, and people may only be honored posthumously.

Applicants must pay about $1,700 for each marker, Jones said. They are installed by the Virginia Department of Transportation.

Stout said she doubts New Dublins marker will be erected before the churchs homecoming celebration set for July. But receiving the distinction at the 250th anniversary is still very special for the congregation.

For her, New Dublin is more than just a church; its an oasis in a turbulent world.

The moment I come down the road and pass under the first oak tree, a sense of peace comes over me  no matter what the days are like, or what is on my mind, Stout said. All these beautiful trees and this wonderful church, it just gives me peace.

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Minneapolis, MN, May 16, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Cambria, the leading producer of America-made natural quartz surfaces, announced today that the U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) has issued its final antidumping and countervailing duty rates for its investigations of Quartz Surface Products from China.

The final antidumping rates for imports of quartz slabs from China range from 265.81% to 336.69%. In addition, the final countervailing duty rates for imports of quartz slabs from China range from 45.32% to 190.99%. Together, these duties amount to at least 311.13%, and up to over 500%, for all imports of quartz surface products from China. The U.S. International Trade Commissions final determination on injury will be announced on June 11, 2019.

Additionally, Commerce announced that the scope of the imports from China subject to the final duties include products allegedly made from glass.

These announcements by the U.S. Department of Commerce confirm once again that imported quartz products from China are illegally and unfairly traded. They are dumped into our free market economy as the result of specific tactical subsidies provided by the government of China, stated Marty Davis, President and CEO of Cambria. We thank the Commerce Department for its diligent work on these cases and for taking swift action to stop the illegal and unethical evasion tactics we saw in the market shortly after Commerce announced preliminary duties on quartz surface products from China. Cambria, along with its competitors who trade fairly, will continue to work to ensure our free and fair market is protected from unfairly traded imports.

Given that Indian and Turkish producers swiftly took advantage of quartz importer/resellers desire for cheaply priced quartz after preliminary duties were imposed on unfairly traded imports from China last week, Cambria also petitioned the Commerce and the U.S. International Trade Commission to investigate unfairly traded products from India and Turkey. Those petitions demonstrate that Indian and Turkish producers have used dumping and foreign government subsidies to gain an unfair advantage in the U.S. market. They allege dumping margins that average 344.11% for India and 89.38% for Turkey, revealing that prices are far below the fair value of quartz surface products. If both agencies make affirmative determinations, preliminary relief from Indian and Turkish imports could be imposed in October 2019, with final duties imposed in June 2020.

# # #

About Cambria:

Cambria Company LLC, headquartered in Le Sueur, MN, is the leading domestic producer of quartz surface products. It is a family-owned, American-made company that employs more than 2,000 people across North America.
ARLINGTON  Almost 100 years after Confederate sympathizers named a major Virginia road after the president of their lost cause, Arlington County won approval from a state transportation board to rename Jefferson Davis Highway.

The Commonwealth Transportation Board voted unanimously Wednesday morning to allow Arlington to change the name of the road  commonly known as Route 1  to Richmond Highway by Oct. 1, after lobbying by the county, legislators, business and residential groups and Gov. Ralph Northam.

What we just heard, through the unanimous vote and the words of the governor, is its past time, said Christian Dorsey, a Democrat and chair of the County Board. He added later that the street signs would be changed no later than Oct. 1.

The county has tried for years to change the roads name, but has been stymied by the General Assembly, which held the power to block requests made by counties, officials believed. But Del. Mark Levine, D-Alexandria, found an exception that allowed the statewide transportation board to act, if requested by the county. Attorney General Mark Herring agreed in an informal opinion in March, and one month later Arlington made the formal request.

Business owners told the board Wednesday that having addresses on Jefferson Davis Highway cost them customers, including the loss of a convention at the hotel where the meeting was held. Other potential tenants have refused to rent space in buildings with a Jefferson Davis address, a Chamber of Commerce executive said. In addition, Google Maps and other online navigational sites, have already started calling the road Richmond Highway.

JBG Smith, the major landlord and developer of Crystal City, and the Crystal City Civic Association also strongly supported the name change. The road runs right through the neighborhood where Amazon plans to settle over the next 10 years, although there was no public statement about the name change from the Seattle-based company. (Amazon founder Jeff Bezos owns The Washington Post.)

Stacey Stewart, president of the March of Dimes, which relocated to Arlington late last year, said the highways name is divisive and a daily reminder of our nations dark and shameful history ... a painful and oppressive past. She, like others, said the Confederate presidents name does not reflect the regions values.

The road was named in 1922, part of an effort by the Daughters of the Confederacy as a direct and antagonistic response to the establishment of Lincoln Highway across the northern states, Dorsey said. Davis, a Mississippi congressman before the Southern states seceded in 1861, had no known connection to Northern Virginia. He was accused of treason after the Civil War and was imprisoned but was released without trial.

The name was established to terrorize African Americans, Levine said. Lets not forget that Virginia was the birthplace of slavery, he added.

The city of Alexandria renamed its portion of the road in 2018, choosing the moniker Richmond Highway because thats what it is called to the south, in Fairfax County. The Arlington portion of U.S. 1 and Virginia 110 will bear the new name, the transportation board decided.

The motion sailed through with only a hint of opposition, when board member Bert Dodson of Lynchburg asked whether the board would be overrun with name change requests.

Secretary of Transportation Shannon Valentine, chairwoman of the board, said that will be dealt with later.
LEXINGTON  The Rockbridge area social services board has hired its acting director to lead the department permanently.

Dinah Clark has worked for the department since 2010, starting as a human services assistant and most recently as assistant director. Before that she worked for the Valley Community Services Board in Staunton for 18 years. Clark is from Augusta County and still lives there.

She officially starts as director June 1 at a salary of $80,000.

The director position has been vacant since Suzanne Adcock left in February 2018 after 14 months on the job. She accepted a position as the director of finance in Alleghany County.

Her announcement came amid a Virginia Department of Social Services investigation into the local board, which was the third investigation into the Rockbridge area department in three years.

The agency first came under scrutiny after a quality management report in 2015 found major problems with the departments handling of reports of child abuse and neglect. Employees reported a hostile work environment and said a supervisor from the Child Protective Services unit shredded reports before they could be entered into the departments database.

Then-director Meredith Downey announced her decision to retire during the regional offices review in early 2016. Adcock succeeded the departments interim director William Burleson in November 2016.

After Adcock left, the local board appointed Kay Wrenn to be the interim director and she worked part time.

Clark said in her role as assistant director, she filled in as director when Wrenn wasnt able to be there. The board appointed Clark as acting director April 1 before hiring her as the permanent director earlier this month.

Social services has had some bad times in years past and she isnt getting that information secondhand, she lived it, board Chairman John Butler said. So she knows where were coming from and the direction we want to take.

The board offered the position to two other people in the past year. The first was a former social services administrator from Georgia, but searches into his past showed a previous criminal conviction, bankruptcies and problems in previous departments he led. The board rescinded its offer.

Later, the board offered the job to another man, but he already had accepted another position elsewhere.

Butler said they interviewed at least six people from the pool of candidates sent to them by the state department, which filters applications before sending qualified people to local boards.

Butler said the board asked Clark if she would be interested in the position and at first she thought she needed more experience. As they talked with her more, he said they realized she had enough to lead the department.

Clark and the board were hesitant about her accepting the position because she does not have a bachelors degree. Both Butler and Clark said a college degree is not required for agency directors in Virginia.

Butler said her experience spoke for itself.

She has a good rapport with the employees, he said. They seem to respect her and think shell step in and do a great job.

Clark said she hopes to continue regaining the trust of the community and effectively lead the department as it moves to a new office location in Magnolia Square in Rockbridge County just across the Maury River from Lexington.

The office has been in its downtown Lexington location since 1970, and safety concerns have prompted the department to look elsewhere. The department and its attorney are currently in negotiations over a lease for the building, which will also require some renovations, Clark said.

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By James Cosby

Cosby is a retired federal trial attorney living in Roanoke

Grandmother Annie Simms Cosby was born in Richmond in 1860 and lived there throughout the Civil War. She later lived with us in the Raleigh Court section of Roanoke until I was about 15 years old. She told us grandchildren many stories about the early days. She remembered the latter days of the war including when the Yankees burned Richmond [it was the Confederates who set the fire burning supplies and munitions along the James River]. She also told about General Grants victorious march up Broad Street and life after the war which was difficult for both whites and blacks.

Great Grandfather Adam Shank (on my mothers side) was born in Smithsburg, Maryland in 1826. Despite being over 35 years old and having eight children, he volunteered as a Union soldier during the war. He was grievously wounded in the Battle of the Wilderness (near Fredericksburg). He laid on the battlefield all night and in the morning was subjected to further injuries by cavalry horses. Discharged as an invalid, he died two years later. His wife Anna lost not only her husband but also her brother Charles McGuire, a Confederate soldier who was killed defending a bridge in Petersburg.

My father was born in the 19th century. A staunch believer of separation of the races, he still required us white children to be respectful of blacks. He also taught me how to stand up to bullies, be a Cub Scout, treat girls with respect and hunt with his 12-gauge shotgun. I loved him as a father and still revere his memory.

As a child, I never understood why N.W. Pugh, Heironimus and Miller & Rhodes department stores downtown had four restrooms and two separate water fountains to accommodate colored and white. Nor why Mother could drive us to our black maid Marys house in Northwest to spend the day with her children, but they could not play with us in Raleigh Court.

In my teen years, my father and I discussed our divergent views around the dinner table many evenings. Mother was the silent referee, cutting off debate if it got too vigorous. Finally, Dad and I realized neither of us would change the opinion of the other and learned to discuss other things. My father died on my second day of law school, and I lost my best male friend.

I married Noel in 1963. She was a Democrat proud to support John Kennedy on the national level. I was a Republican proud to support Linwood Holton as governor on the state level. He did more to break the back of Jim Crow and Massive Resistance than any other single person. I am still proud of that vote and of Gov. Holton. More lately I have become a great admirer of Oliver Hill and Spottswood Robinson, African-American attorneys who dismantled Jim Crow in the courts.

In 1993, I became friends with Larry Hamlar, co-owner of Hamlar-Curtis Funeral Home, the pre-eminent funeral home for African-American residents in Roanoke. We were working on a project to gain support for higher education in the Roanoke Valley. While I was new to this endeavor, I learned that Larry had been working on it for 20 years. I also learned that Larry was one of the Committee of Twelve who peacefully guided Roanoke through the integration of public services in the 1960s.

I described that in an Op-Ed tribute to Larry after he died in 2004:

This ad hoc Committee of six black and six white citizens formed to promote the peaceful immigration of public facilities in Roanoke. As Larry described it to me, the owners were quite willing to integrate, they just did not want to go first. With all agreeing to the same schedule, public facilities in Roanoke were integrated quietly and without violence. Credit that to Larry Hamlar and 11 other apostles of peace and justice.

My life has been one of complexities. Grandmother Annie lived through the Civil War and described it to us children. Great-grandfather Adam was a Union soldier grievously wounded in the same war. Great-great uncle Charles McGuire lost his life defending the Lost Cause.

I am one of very few people alive who lived with a person who had lived in a war zone throughout the Civil War and told stories about it. Thats a stretch of 155+ years in two generations. By that measure of time, slavery and the Civil War are recent history.

Our challenge today is similar to that faced by Larry Hamlar and the Committee of 12. In racial relations, its to be apostles of peace and justice.
The rationale for moving towards having impeachment hearings and a vote is simple. The Republicans must be on record that the actions of the president, his campaign and his administration were perfectly fine and in keeping with his oath of office to Faithfully execute the laws  So that when the Democrats nominee:

- is informed that the North Korean leadership has information on Trump and they do not call the FBI but instead take a meeting saying that would be great, if it is what I think it is, that is OK.

- asks North Korea to find Trumps taxes, is what any campaign would do.

- when North Korea through a third party releases the tax returns and the Democrats nominee uses this information to attack the president, that is ok.

- when a former campaign chairman briefs people close to the leadership of North Korea that Florida is key to the election. Then North Korea hacks the Florida voter database and targets people on that list with a disinformation campaign  that is OK.

- That after Elizabeth Warren is elected President, as an example, she fires the FBI director for investigating the North Korean connection, instructs her staff to give false statements to the press or Congress. Drafts false statements herself on Air Force One for release to the press. Attacks the FBI and the intelligence community of a deep state conspiracy against her and never admits that North Korea was trying to help her, that is ok.

- When President Warren lifts sanctions against North Korea and states that it is not related to her campaign claiming "Fake News", that is OK.

- When President Warren has private meetings with the leader of North Korea without anyone else present and personally destroys any notes, that is fine and in keeping with the authority of the president.

- When President Warren appoints Jamie Gorelick, former Deputy Attorney General in the Clinton administration to oversee the investigation, who then finds no chargeable crimes were committed. Well that ends it and obviously impeachment is an overreach.

That is what the Republicans will be on record clearly stating. I am hoping that get they chance to state it on the record.

NEAL NIDA

DALEVILLE
The Department of Homeland Security said it decided to immediately suspend all commercial and cargo flights between the United States and Venezuela. The countrys political crisis is feared threatening the safety of passengers, aircraft and crew. This occurred when many millions of Venezuelans who rely on donations or remittances from relatives were using airline courier services from Miami to obtain scarce medication, spare parts and food. This will be a catastrophe for a lot of people, said Feliciano Reyna, head of the health nonprofit Accion Solidaria, which receives medical donations from the United States.



Caracas Airport

Previously, the United States has banned oil trade with Venezuela, which wiped out the bulk of goods exchange between the two countries. United Airlines and Delta Air Lines already stopped flying to the country in 2017, and American Airlines suspended its daily flights from Caracas to Miami in March. The big carriers were replaced by Venezuelan airlines and small charter companies but all direct flights from Caracas to Miami were canceled Wednesday. The flights will remain halted indefinitely.
Rahul Gandhi

Nabha, : Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Wednesday hit out at the Modi government for fostering tensions with Pakistan and China, leading to serious problems for the border state of Punjab and posting a grave threat to Indias safety and security.

Addressing a public rally here in support of his wife and Patiala candidate Preneet Kaur, the Chief Minister said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) were on an agenda to escalate tensions at the borders to divert the attention of the people from their failure to implement a single promise in the past five years.

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With Wagah border closed for trade, Punjabs businessmen were the worst sufferers. Goods were not going through Wagah but were being routed through Kandla Port into Karachi, he pointed out, adding that Punjabis were suffering huge losses due to this.The rally saw Preneets campaign get a major boost with Nabha MLA Kaka Randeep Singh Nabha coming out in unequivocal support of her, negating all rumours of differences in the party in the Patiala constituency.

Underlining the importance of Nabha to the progress of Patiala and the state, Captain Amarinder said despite his tight schedule he had made it a point to visit the city, with which his family always had close relations and which came up at around the same time as Patiala. The Chief Minister said both cities had grown majorly in recent years, requiring a lot of development initiatives, which only the Congress could give.

The Modi government was busy dividing the country on religious and caste lines to destroy its strength of secularism and diveristy, while the people wanted schools, hospitals etc, he pointed out, urging the people to decide what type of government they wanted. You have to decide who can protect the country and the future of its children, he told the people.

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Captain Amarinder flayed the prime minister for ruining the economy with demonetization and GST and pushing the poor to greater suffering at the cost of filling the pockets of rich industrialists like Ambani and Adani. Flaying the Badals for bringing the state to the bringing the state to the brink of ruin, he said Harsimrat, despite being a union minister in the Modi cabinet, had not done anything for Punjab, and not even bothered to raise her voice for any of its issues.

The Akali Dal has lost all moral right to seek votes, he said, adding that the party itself was struggling to retain its existence, having split down the line. Even AAP has disintegrated, and had no credentials left to ask the people for a chance to be in power, he added. Addressing the rally, Preneet sought the support of the people to free the nation of the Modi government, which had brought nothing but devastation on the people. Only the Congress could do NYAY, she added.

Later, talking informally with mediapersons, the Chief Minister assured of a detailed inquiry into the 1986 Nakodar killings, saying his government would bring to book all those responsible for victimization of innocent people in any way. It may be recalled that the Nakodar killings of four youth, during a protest march, had shaken Punjab, which was then ruled by the Akalis.

To a question on the 1984 riots, Captain Amarinder said the Akalis raise the issue in every election to score political mileage.

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He had always maintained that the names of RSS leaders were also mentioned in the FIR in the case and they also needed to be booked and punished, along with the few Congress leaders whose names had cropped up in connection with the violence.
Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh

Patiala/Dera Bassi : Pitching for a BJP-mukt Bharat to protect the countrys unity and future, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Thursday expressed the confidence that UPA-3 would take over the nations reins to prevent its secular fabric from being destroy and to bring it back on the path of development. The Chief Minister was addressing the Patiala District Bar Association in the Patiala judicial complex, followed by a public rally in Dera Bassi, while interacting informally with mediapersons in various places.

The Bar Association extended its full support of the Congress partys Patiala candidate, Preneet Kaur, while thanking the Chief Minister for the development of the judicial complex with its new chambers and providing facilities to the legal fraternity. Association president Jatinderpal Singh Ghuman, along with VP Shivam Sharma, said Captain Amarinder and Preneet were like family, who had done a lot for the Bar as well as other people of Patiala, which had been completely ignored under the previous regime.

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Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh

Addressing the Bar, and later at the public rally, Captain Amarinder accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of tinkering with Indias secularism, which was its strength and was now under threat from the BJP. The country today was passing through grave times and needed change in the interest of its future, and that of its people, who need development, not divisiveness, he added.

Captain Amarinder also lashed out at the Akalis for playing politics of religion to polarize the people for their vested political interests, and blamed them for ruining Punjab in the 10 years of their rule, just as the BJP had ruined the country in the last five years. The spate of sacrilege cases clearly showed the extent of politicization of religion under the SAD-BJP government, he added, lashing out at the Akalis for attempting to divide communities with Bargari and other sacrilege incidents.

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Later, talking informally with journalists, he said people do not favour Modis thinking of breaking the country by communalizing it, he said, adding that it was time for a BJP-free India. BJP had reached the peak of its political success and was now headed for a downfall, he added. Ups and downs were part of a democratic polity, and the Congress had been down for some time but was now on a rise, said the Chief Minister, asserting that UPA-3 will emerge in response to the mood of the country for change.

Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh

Asked about the contest in Gurdaspur, Captain Amarinder said it was not Sunil Jakhar but Sunny Deol who was on a sticky wicket there. The BJP could not find a suitable local candidate, hence decided to field Sunny out of sheer desperation, he added. To another question, he said Chandigarh was and would remain Punjabs capital and Haryana could build its own separate capital city with its own money.

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The Chief Minister strongly condemned the politicization of the defence forces, which had always been non-partisan and secular in character. Earlier, in Dera Bassi, the Chief Minister said no prime minister had ever taken credit for fighting the enemy on the borders, unlike Modi, who only spoke of `I. I and I. Punjab was proud of the achievements of the Army and Air Force but did not want war as, being a border state, it would be worst sufferer in case of outbreak of hostilities, he added.

At both, the Patiala Bar and Dera Bassi, the Chief Minister said he was fully cognizant of the problems of the peoples problems but was constrained from announcing any relief measure in view of the election code of conduct. He assured the Bar, as well as the people of Dera Bassi, that all their problems would be looked into.

Pitching for UPA 3, Captain calls for BJP Mukt Bharat

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Citing the mismanagement of the previous regime in Punjab, the Chief Minister said his government was facing a fiscal crisis, even as the people of the state were suffering. Emphasising on industrialization as the only solution to unemployment and economic problems, the Chief Minister said his government would make Patiala an industrial hub and would generate 1 lakh jobs for the youth of Patiala.

The Chief Minister promised development to ensure that the states youth do not leave for better opportunities abroad. Expressing concern over the farmer suicides, which his government was addressing through its debt waiver scheme, Captain Amarinder the Congress manifesto for the Lok Sabha elections promised full implementation of the Swaminathan Committee report, which was the only long-term solution to the problem.

The Chief Minister flayed the Modi government for destroying the nations economy with demonetization and GST, which was still causing immense problems to Punjab, forcing his government to delay salaries at times.Describing these polls as decisive for the countrys future, Preneet also underlined the secular strength of India and said the people did not want a government that divides them.

Modi was asking for votes not on the basis of his work but in the name of the martyred soldiers, she pointed out, urging the people to vote from the heart, in their own interest and that of the country.She assured the people of Dera Bassi that all pending development works in the region would be completed in the next three years. Preneet spoke about the various promises of the Congress led by Rahul Gandhi and assured the people that each one of them would be fulfilled.
HOUSTON, May 16, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Recruiter.com Group, Inc . (Recruiter or the Company) (OTCQB: RCRT), formerly Truli Technologies, a leading platform connecting recruiters and employers, today announced that the Company has signed an agreement with Sellers Choice , a provider of e-commerce digital marketing solutions, to engage in a performance based digital marketing campaign and partnership. Sellers Choice will be providing a number of services, including marketing automation, social media promotion and strategic and highly-targeted media buying.



Our partnership with Sellers Choice will provide new avenues to further connect our network of independent recruiters within our incredibly robust job market software platform, said Miles Jennings, CEO of Recruiter. We continue to examine and execute upon opportunities that drive connections between job seekers and employers.

We are thrilled to be working with Recruiter to expand the businesss reach, using our strategic performance based digital marketing techniques to drive more meaningful connections with the businesss platform, said Jay Goldberg, Founder and CEO of Sellers Choice. We are confident that our unique tools will fuel the already-dramatic growth that Recruiter has experienced thus far.

About Seller's Choice

Seller's Choice is a provider of uniquely personalized marketing and managed services for digital marketplace sellers, e-commerce merchants, and brand builders worldwide. Our services are crafted for online businesses that are seeking to enhance their foundation while deploying proven and cutting-edge conversion methodologies. We target accelerated sell-through, brand and product differentiation, and adherence to the highest compliance standards. Through this strategic focus our sellers realize profitable and sustainable growth while maximizing customer engagement and retention.

For more information, visit https://sellerschoice.digital/ .

About Recruiter.com Group, Inc.

Recruiter.com Group, Inc., formerly Truli Technologies, Inc. is a leading platform connecting recruiters and employers. We pair enterprises with the most extensive network of recruiters to drive the hiring of top talent faster and smarter. We offer recruiters SHRM certified recruitment training and independent earning opportunity. Recruiter was voted Top Tech Company to Watch by the CT Tech Council, cited as one of the Top 35 Most Influential Career Sites by Forbes, and listed by Inc. as one of the 9 Best Websites for Finding Top Talent. We power placements. Visit https://www.recruiter.com .

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements.

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements relating to the Companys expectations regarding increased future liquidity of its common stock and broadening of its shareholder base, and the Companys ability to meet the listing requirements of a national securities exchange. The words "believe," "may," "estimate," "continue," "anticipate," "intend," "should," "plan," "could," "target," "potential," "is likely," "will," "expect" and similar expressions, as they relate to us, are intended to identify forward-looking statements. We have based these forward-looking statements largely on our current expectations and projections about the future events and financial trends that we believe may affect our financial condition, results of operations, business strategy and financial needs. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ from those in the forward-looking statements include continued demand for professional hiring, the condition of the equity markets in general and for microcap companies in particular, the Companys ability to complete a financing to meet the required shareholder equity threshold, a lack of growth in the U.S. market for technology-enabled recruitment services and the Companys inability to successfully integrate Recruiter.com and the assets acquired from Genesys into the Company and the Risk Factors contained within our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission including our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended March 31, 2018. Any forward-looking statement made by us herein speaks only as of the date on which it is made. Factors or events that could cause our actual results to differ may emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for us to predict all of them. We undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as may be required by law.

Company Contact:

Recruiter.com Group, Inc.

Phone: (866) 862-2979
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The investor event will be held at the Sheraton Hotel in Stockholm. Corline will present at 08:40 in the morning of June 3rd. For more information on the event and how to follow Corline's presentaiton, please refer to: https://www.aktiespararna.se/smabolagsdagen.
The Trump administrations revocation of International Criminal Court prosecutor Fatou Bensoudas U.S. visa didnt hinder her from coming to the United Nations on Wednesday to address the Security Council.

Bensouda did not mention the visa ban in her briefing to the council on Libya but she told several reporters afterward that she was given a visa to travel to the U.N. for work, as required under the host country agreement between the U.S. and the U.N.

They said the visa on file was revoked, but the visa for purposes of doing my work at the U.N. wasnt, Bensouda said. I can stay in New York anywhere  nowhere else.

In March, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo ordered the revocation or denial of visas to ICC staff seeking to investigate allegations of war crimes and other abuses by U.S. forces in Afghanistan or elsewhere.

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Bensoudas U.S. visa was revoked before last months decision by ICC judges rejecting her request to open an investigation into war crimes and crimes against humanity in Afghanistan as well as alleged crimes by U.S. forces linked to the conflict.

The judges said an investigation would not serve the interests of justice because an investigation and prosecution were unlikely to be successful, as those targeted, including the United States, Afghan authorities and the Taliban, were not expected to cooperate. Human Rights Watch sharply criticized the ruling, calling it a devastating blow for victims who have suffered grave crimes without redress.

Pompeo said he may also revoke visas of those who seek action against Israel. ICC prosecutors have been conducting a preliminary inquiry since 2015 in the Palestinian territories, including Israels settlement policy, crimes allegedly committed by both sides in the 2014 Gaza conflict and Hamas rocket attacks aimed at Israeli civilians.

Bensouda said Wednesday that her U.S. visa was revoked because of her ICC and U.N. work.

Its all because of my work, which I will continue to do ... undeterred, she said.

Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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 (9.5-kilometer) 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.

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Applications to hike The Wave have drastically increased over the past five years as the trails 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% 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 Waves 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.

Beckie Lambert, a medical assistant from Colorado, was denied a permit to hike The Wave in January. Shes excited about the plan to increase accessibility for avid hikers like her, but is concerned that more hikers could be risky, she said.

Its 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, Herder said. He said agency officials have already discussed adding additional restrooms, parking and other resources outside of the trailhead to accommodate more people.

Its said to be one of the most photographed spots in North America, but The Wave isnt 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.

Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
The Trump administration transformed its threats against the California bullet train project into a sour reality Thursday, terminating a $929-million grant for construction in the Central Valley.

While loss of the money poses a potentially devastating hit to the project, state officials said, no immediate construction changes are planned because the federal governments action could be reversed in future legal action.



For the record: A previous version of this article referred once to the states loss of $929 billion. As stated elsewhere in the article, the grant terminated by the Trump administration was $929 million.

Termination of the 2010 grant was based on the states multiple failures to forecast accurate schedules, report key milestones and show that it can meet deadlines to complete work by 2022, the Federal Railroad Administration said in a 25-page letter announcing its decision.

The California High-Speed Rail Authority is chronically behind in project construction activities and has not been able to correct or mitigate its deficiencies, said Ronald Batory, chief of the federal agency.

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The railroad administrations letter notes that the agency rejected every quarterly budget that the state authority submitted since late 2016, repeatedly admonishing the state for deficiencies and errors in its documents. The letter alleges the state made ineligible expenditures from the grants, including giving a bonus to consultants for meeting the terms of the grant and paying for expenses related to a consultants name change.

Even more troubling for the project is a warning, reiterated Thursday, that federal officials are looking into recapturing $2.5 billion in another grant that the state already has spent. U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao has said the government has a right to get repayment of that money, based on reductions in the original scope of the rail system. Chao previously called the cutbacks a classic bait and switch.

In a statement, the Federal Railroad Administration said it was still weighing all options on asking California to reimburse the $2.5 billion. The Transportation Department theoretically could withhold highway or transit funds from other programs to recoup the money, putting the state in the difficult position of having to cover those cutbacks.

The Federal Railroad Administration cut off communications with the state rail authority in February, a sign that relations were worsening between the two partners, leading to Thursdays effective announcement of a divorce.

FULL COVERAGE: Californias troubled high-speed rail project 

High-speed rail supporters condemned the federal action. Robbie Hunter, president of the State Building and Construction Trades Council, termed it a blow to working families. State Sen. Jim Beall (D-San Jose) called it an irrational decision.

But Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Bakersfield), House Republican leader, said the termination ensures that we move on from the failed boondoggle.

When the federal government initially notified the state in March that it intended to terminate the $929-million grant, it cited Gov. Gavin Newsoms statements that California lacked a plan and funds to complete the statewide system. In his State of the State address, Newsom appeared to provide an opening to Trump officials. The governor vowed to scale back the $79-billion mega-project but later reversed course and said there would be no cutbacks.

California has abandoned its original vision of a high-speed passenger rail service connecting San Francisco and Los Angeles, which was essential to its applications for FRA grant funding, the Federal Railroad Administration said in a statement issued Thursday along with the letter.

In the 32nd footnote of the letter, the railroad administration said it may solicit new applications for the grant funds from other rail projects, implying the money could go to other states.

Newsom reacted strongly, vowing a legal battle.

The Trump administrations action is illegal and a direct assault on California, our green infrastructure, and the thousands of Central Valley workers who are building this project, the governor said in a statement.

Just as we have seen from the Trump administrations attacks on our clean air standards, our immigrant communities and in countless other areas, the Trump administration is trying to exact political retribution on our state. This is Californias money, appropriated by Congress, and we will vigorously defend it in court.

The loss of the $929 million and the possible loss of the additional $2.5 billion would clearly jeopardize Newsoms plan for a partial operating system that runs from Bakersfield to Merced. The plan was outlined May 1 in a project update, which projected that by 2029 the state could be operating electrically powered high-speed trains. The plan would cost $20.4 billion.

To pay for that, the California High-Speed Rail Authority is counting on funding of $20.4 billion to $23.4 billion by 2030, depending on how much money it gets from the states cap-and-trade auction system for greenhouse gas emission allowances. Without the $929 million, the state could fall short of money needed to build the partial system at the low end of expected funding.

Russell Fong, the state agencys chief financial officer for the last six years, said in an interview that California did not plan to tap the $929 million until 2021 and that there is a good possibility that the state would get more than the minimum estimated funds from the greenhouse gas auctions.

It is still a big hit to the project, Fong said. It is devastating. But if cap and trade comes in a little above the low end, we will have adequate funds.

But if the state runs out of financing, it would probably see the Central Valley partial operating system cut back further, possibly not reaching the final construction section to Bakersfield. If so, it would unravel the ridership plans, reducing revenues and leaving the state with the problem of subsidizing the system.

Ten years after voters approved it, the full-scale plan for a Los Angeles-to-San Francisco system is at least $46 billion over budget and at least a decade behind schedule. A state audit in November blamed flawed decision making, organizational faults and poor contract management by the California High-Speed Rail Authority. Many dont believe the train can complete the trip from Los Angeles to San Francisco in the 2 hours and 40 minutes mandated in the bond measure.

The rail authoritys most recent business report projected that costs for current construction in the Central Valley have jumped an additional $1.8 billion, to $12.4 billion, for a segment that was originally supposed to cost about $6 billion. The partial operating system would start running in 2028, which just two years ago was the deadline for the entire Los Angeles-to-San Francisco line.

Newsom has sought more direct state control of the project, which has been managed largely by outside consultants. In April, The Times revealed how excess reliance on these consultants has added to the projects mismanagement. Less than a week later, Newsom announced he would scale back use of these consultants but push ahead with the project.
Pacific Gas & Electric Corp. power lines sparked a Northern California blaze that killed 85 people last year, making it the deadliest U.S. wildfire in a century, state fire officials said Wednesday.

Cal Fire said transmission lines owned and operated by the San Francisco-based utility started the Nov. 8 fire that nearly destroyed the town of Paradise in the Sierra Nevada foothills.

The fire wiped out nearly 15,000 homes. Many of those killed were elderly or disabled. The oldest was 99.

Investigators determined there were violations of law, Cal Fire deputy director Mike Mohler said. He said he hadnt read the report and didnt know the nature of the violations.

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Cal Fire did not release its full investigative report, saying it had been forwarded to the Butte County district attorneys office, which is considering criminal charges against the utility.

The investigation also identified a second nearby ignition site involving PG&Es electrical distribution lines that had come into contact with vegetation. The second fire was quickly consumed by the initial fire.

The disclosures came on the same day the utilitys new chief executive was testifying before a legislative committee in Sacramento. Bill Johnson told the state Assembly Utilities and Energy Committee he had expected the utility would be blamed for the fire.

I have made the assumption when I got here that PG&E equipment caused the fire, he said, noting the utility had said that was probable in recent filings. Its a disappointment that this happened. Lets not do it again.

Butte County District Attorney Mike Ramsey said in a statement that he is still weighing possible criminal charges against the utility, a decision that could take months. He called Cal Fires decision to forward its report to Butte County strictly symbolic. because it has been long known that PG&Es equipment caused the fire.

State fire investigators have determined that PG&E caused 18 wildfires in 2017. They referred 12 for possible criminal prosecution.

Attorney Mike Danko, who represents 2,000 victims of the fire, said he was encouraged by the fact that Cal Fire sent its latest report to the district attorney, which could mean it has evidence that the utility was negligent on safety issues.

We know from our work that PG&E knew its towers in the area were corroded and were at risk of failing, Danko said.

The utility, which filed for bankruptcy protection in January, said in February it was probable that one of its transmission lines sparked the blaze. PG&E has estimated its total liability from the Paradise fire and 2017 wildfires could top $30 billion.

The Paradise fire spread rapidly, burning into the communities of Concow and Magalia and the outskirts of Chico. Authorities said it was like no fire they had seen before. Strong wind gusts blew hot embers a mile or more, creating multiple fires.

The tinder dry vegetation and red flag conditions consisting of strong winds, low humidity and warm temperatures promoted this fire and caused extreme rates of spread, Cal fire said in its release.

The utility previously acknowledged that the Caribou-Palermo transmission line lost power right before the fire and was later found to be damaged.

Paradise Mayor Jody Jones said she was not surprised to hear Pacific Gas & Electric power lines sparked the blaze that decimated her town and she hopes the findings help the citys legal case against the utility.

Its nice to have a definite answer, Jones said.

Paradise sued PG&E in January seeking damages for the loss of infrastructure, land, property, trees, public and natural resources, and lost taxpayer resources.

The suit alleges the blaze started when electrical infrastructure owned, operated and maintained by PG&E failed, causing a spark that ignited the blaze.

The suit also alleges that PG&E had planned to de-energize power lines as a precaution against starting a fire but canceled those plans despite windy conditions.

PG&E has proposed a dramatic expansion of planned electrical outages as part of a wildfire mitigation plan submitted to the California Public Utilities Commission in February. It has also proposed to cover overhead wiring, install more fire-resistant power poles and put some power lines underground.

The findings Wednesday certainly brings even greater urgency to our need to inspect, repair, have a power safety shut off plan, Johnson told reporters outside the legislative hearing.

PG&Es bankruptcy reorganization plan is due by the end of May, but it has requested an extension until November.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a Wednesday filing that PG&E shouldnt get an extra six months to reorganize. He said the utilitys request continues to show it lacks an urgent focus on improving safety.

Newsom and lawmakers are working on proposals related to utility liability for wildfires that could affect the bankruptcy.

___

Associated Press writers Adam Beam and Kathleen Ronayne in Sacramento, and Paul Elias and Olga R. Rodriguez in San Francisco contributed to this story.

Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Policarpia Gaspar, a Guatemalan civil war exile who co-founded a Florida organization mentoring Indian refugee children and connecting pregnant women to doctors has died, her family said Wednesday. She was 53.

Her son, Glenn Mendez, said his mother had been battling leukemia for more than three years and died last week. She was buried Wednesday.

Gaspar gained a prominent role in helping many Guatemalan families adapt to a new life in Florida during and after their countrys brutal armed conflict. She continued to speak her native Maya language and dress in traditional indigenous garb.

She was all about helping Guatemalans transition properly into the U.S. culture and helping their kids to advance, said Mendez. But she wanted them to still maintain their heritage.

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Born to peasant farmers on Dec. 3, 1965, in the village of San Miguel Acatan, Gaspar and her family fled their countrys hostilities in 1980, when the Guatemalan government was systematically destroying villages seeking to root out leftist guerrillas.

According to the United Nations, about 200,000 people were killed during Guatemalas 36-year conflict, which ended in 1996. The conflict forced thousands of Guatemalans to escape, and many exiles settled in Florida.

Gaspar attended high school in California, where her family originally arrived, before moving to Florida. She then graduated with an associates degree from Palm Beach Community College, now known as Palm Beach State College.

Gaspar and a Catholic priest who ran the diocese immigration and refugee office in West Palm Beach founded the Guatemalan Maya-Center in nearby Lake Worth in 1992. Father Frank OLoughlin had already worked with the petite Guatemalan woman assisting other refugees with immigration procedures in Indiantown, where many Guatemalans worked in the farm fields.

Growing up speaking the ancient language of Kanjobal, Gaspar would help translate information between immigrants and lawyers. She also drove pregnant women to doctors visits, so they wound understand the medical orders.

The nonprofit has grown since its creation and now serves 1,000 families monthly. There are some 80,000 Guatemalans living in Florida, many of them are concentrated in Palm Beach County, home to Lake Worth.

Known as Polly, Gaspar and her husband Juan Mendez also began a Saturday mentoring program to help refugee children with little schooling and limited English.

Gaspar was known for wearing traditional long and loose tunics designed with vivid patterns of birds, flowers or geometrical shapes, known as huipiles.

She was unapologetic. She was taken out of her country, but the country wasnt taken out of her, said her daughter Mallyn Mendez.

Gaspar is survived by her two parents, her husband, eight siblings and three children.

Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
The Supreme Court justices will meet behind closed doors Thursday morning and are expected to debate and discuss  for the 14th time  Indianas appeal of court rulings that have blocked a law to prohibit certain abortions.

The high courts action  or so far, nonaction  in Indianas case gives one clue as to how the courts conservative majority will decide the fate of abortion bans recently passed by lawmakers in Alabama and Georgia. Republican Gov. Kay Ivey of Alabama signed her states ban into law on Wednesday.

Lawmakers in those states have said they approved the bans in an effort to force the high court to reconsider Roe vs. Wade, the 1973 decision that legalized abortion nationwide.

The justices have many ways to avoid such a sweeping ruling, however. And Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr., in his 14 years on the high court, has typically resisted moving quickly to decide major controversies or to announce abrupt, far-reaching changes in the law.

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Roberts history, along with the courts handling of abortion cases in recent years, suggests he will not move to overturn the right to abortion soon, or all at once, and is particularly unlikely to do so in the next year or two with a presidential election pending.

Notre Dame Law professor Richard Garnett, a critic of the Roe decision and a former court clerk, said the Alabama lawmakers may be moving too fast.

It is not clear that the current justices who have expressed doubts about the correctness of decisions like Roe  will want to take up a case that squarely presents the question of whether these decisions should be overruled, he said. Instead, they might prefer to first consider less sweeping abortion regulations.

Roberts is a staunch conservative who has moved the law to the right on a range of issues. He prefers, however, to do so in a step-by-step approach.

Under his leadership, for example, the courts conservative majority struck down laws that limited campaign spending, including by corporations. But they did so only after several small-scale rulings had chipped away at these laws.

The boldness of the Citizens United decision surprised many, but not those who were closely following the courts decisions in this area.

The chief justice took the same two-step approach in striking down a key part of the Voting Rights Act and the state laws that allowed mandatory union fees for public employees. In each instance, long-standing precedents were first eroded, then overturned.

In February, the chief justice cast a key vote with the courts four liberals to keep on hold a Louisiana law that strictly regulates abortion clinics. His vote put off the courts consideration of the case, June Medical Services vs. Gee, until the fall.

The Louisiana case sets the stage for an election-year ruling on abortion, but only on the question of whether the state may enforce a rule that requires doctors to have admitting privileges at a nearby hospital. Abortion rights supporters say the law would force the closure of most, if not all, abortion clinics in the state.

That case is unlikely to result in overturning Roe, but it could be a stepping stone toward eventually eliminating nationwide abortion rights.

At least three of the justices have indicated a readiness to move more directly to overturn Roe vs. Wade. Justice Clarence Thomas voted to do so shortly after he joined the court in 1992, and Justices Samuel A. Alito Jr. and Neil M. Gorsuch would probably join him. Both are longtime skeptics of the Roe decision.

While the chief justice and Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh would surely agree to limit abortion rights, based on their past statements, neither of them may be inclined now to directly confront the right to abortion.

That could account for the courts hesitancy to move on the Indiana measure, which was signed into law in 2016 by then-Gov. Mike Pence, now the vice president. It would prohibit abortions for certain reasons, including if a fetus is diagnosed with Down syndrome or any other disability.

The law has not gone into effect because it was struck down by a federal judge in Indiana and by a divided U.S. appeals court in Chicago.

The lower-court judges said the Indiana law clearly conflicted with Roe vs. Wade because it would allow the state, not a woman, to decide which abortions were permitted.

In October, a week after Kavanaugh was sworn in, Indianas lawyers asked the high court to hear the case and uphold the law, which it described as designed to put an end to eugenics abortions. A second provision of the law would require abortion facilities to treat fetal remains with respect and to either bury or cremate them.

Normally, the justices consider such an appeal for a week or two. If at least four of them vote to hear the appeal, the case is granted a full review. If not, it is denied in a one-line order.

Since Jan. 4, however, the court has repeatedly relisted the case of Box vs. Planned Parenthood for reconsideration.

Recently passed abortion laws in Ohio, Georgia and Alabama, all of which go considerably further than the Indiana law, will be challenged in court, and federal judges, who are bound to follow existing Supreme Court rulings, are almost certain to block them from taking effect.

That will begin a legal process that would send the appeals heading to the high court. But the justices could decide to put those appeals on hold indefinitely while they consider a more limited abortion case, like the one from Louisiana.

If an appeals court strikes down one of the state bans, the justices could also simply decline to consider the appeal, which would not prevent them from revisiting the issue in the future.

In either case, the justices could fairly easily put off a decision on Roe vs. Wade until after the national election in November of 2020.

More stories from David G. Savage 
Pune, India, May 16, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The market for in-vehicle surveillance is expected to obtain the approximate valuation of USD 5.6 billion by 2023, says the report found on Wise Guy Reports (WGR). The report also states that the market will be surging at a staggering CAGR of 26% during the forecast period (2017-2023).

Boost in the Popularity of Dashcams to Enhance Market Growth

The popularity of in-vehicle video surveillance has surged at an exponential rate across various economies, backed by the emergence of dashcam video cameras in vehicles for filming the path either behind or in front of the vehicle. This dashcam can be used as an evidence in case of an accident or rash driving. At present, a number of automotive companies are focusing on the development of driverless cars wherein the drivers are striving to enhance their vehicles and also improve the in-vehicle experience. Among the vehicle drivers across the globe, a trend has gained momentum, in the form of the rising adoption of in-vehicle video surveillance, particularly the on-board cameras in the vehicles. Developments in the video surveillance technology has been a significant booster in terms of the adoption of in-vehicle video surveillance systems, paving way for on-board cameras to record road trips, and also merge and reduce the blind spots, along with the prevention of parking mishaps. Other than this, in-vehicle video surveillance systems are progressively being used in school buses for monitoring the drivers, students, as well as the employees.

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Grave Issue of Public Safety to Elevate Market Demand

In light of rising concerns regarding public safety, a number of government organizations around the world are adopting in-vehicle video surveillance systems in combat vehicles, tactical vehicles, and reconnaissance vehicles. Various government bodies across several regions have already started implementing the use of in-vehicle video surveillance systems in metro trains for making sure the passengers and the drivers are safe, by offering real-time video recording when the train is running. At present, a number of passenger transit buses are integrated with digital bus cameras that are expert witnesses in an unwanted situation, further securing the safety of the civilians.

Increasing Use in the Healthcare Industry to Profit the Global Market

The healthcare and the medical industries are deploying in-vehicle video surveillance at a consistent rate in emergency medical service (EMS) vehicles for monitoring the condition of the patient inside the ambulance. This will prove to be highly instrumental in the growth of the in-vehicle video surveillance market, as a result of the availability of a variety of hardware, software and services. In addition, the growth of the Internet of things (IoT) devices has given way to the increase in the demand for security as well as the connectivity of the drivers and passengers in vehicles including trucks, trains, and cars. This factor is set to augment the adoption rate of in-vehicle video surveillance systems, positively influencing the growth of the market in the forthcoming years.

Data Privacy Issues to Restrict the Market Growth

Issues associated with data privacy of in-vehicle surveillance systems could have a debilitating effect on the growth of the market in the near future. On the upside, the market will have a relentless growth trajectory in the coming years on account of the increase in crime rates and vandalism around the world, which is expected to raise the demand for the product at a substantial rate.

Demand for the Parking Assist System to Upsurge in the Coming Years

Depending on the solution, the market has been considered for parking assist system, blind spot detection system, lane departure warning system, global positioning system, and head up display device. The parking assist system is considered to be an essential application which is an integral part of the car active collision avoidance system and is used in urban complex and low-speed environments. As a result, the demand for parking assist system is slated to grow at an exponential rate in recent years.

Commercial Vehicles to Make Massive Demand for In-Vehicle Surveillance Systems

The types of vehicles that make use of in-vehicle surveillance systems include passenger and commercial. The in-vehicle surveillance systems are a huge asset for commercial use including the business owners, government, and school systems among others.

The Law Enforcement Application to Expand at a Significant Rate

In-vehicle surveillance systems find widespread application in longstop object detection, traffic congestion, law enforcement among others. A number of law enforcement agencies across the globe, in a bid to protect the police officers, are progressively adopting in vehicle video surveillance for their vehicles. Thus, the law enforcement segment, among all the applications, will be expanding at a substantial rate during the review time frame.

Based on the global scenario, the in-vehicle surveillance market is split into the key regions of Europe, Asia Pacific, North America, the Middle East and Africa and Latin America.

View Detailed Report at https://www.wiseguyreports.com/reports/3717778-global-in-vehicle-surveillance-market-by-solution-blind

North America to Maintain its Supremacy over other Regions in the Global Market

North America is in the vanguard of technological advancements, based on which the regional market holds the maximum share of the global market. Besides, the growing application of in-vehicle video surveillance systems owing to the government regulations for enhanced safety and security of the civilians has been beneficial for the growth of the market in the region. On top of that, the region experiences massive demand for in-vehicle surveillance solutions for public transit vehicles, first responder vehicles, military vehicles as well as school buses so that the illegal and criminal activities are reduced. Countries like the United States (US), Canada, and Mexico are spearheading the growth of the regional market.

The Europe Market Thrives as Deployment of In-Vehicle Surveillance Systems Surges

The European market is thriving with several nations in the region deploying in-vehicle surveillance systems in subways, buses, ferries as well as various other mass transit vehicles. This has been the case as a result of the continuously increasing terror attacks, a factor that has led to the strong growth of the market in Europe.

Increasing Number of Advanced Cars to Uplift the Position of Asia Pacific Market

The counties in the Asia Pacific like India and China offer phenomenal growth opportunities for the in-vehicle surveillance market owing to the rising penetration of advanced cars installed with safety features, in addition to driver monitoring systems and automotive night vision systems. In addition, Australia, Japan, and Singapore are witnessing a boom in the automotive sector, which provide sophisticated safety systems in vehicles. Moreover, the growth in the initiatives undertaken by the government for the adopting of high end in-vehicle surveillance systems to be used in public transit vehicles has given substantial push to the market in the region.

Leading Vendors

The vendors currently leading the worldwide in-vehicle surveillance market include Delphi Automotive PLC (U.K.), FLIR System Inc. (U.S.), Nexcom International Co. Ltd. (Taiwan), Bosch Group (Germany), Advantech Co. Ltd. (Taiwan), Hangzhou Hikvision Digital Technology Co. Ltd. (China), Zhejiang Dahua Technology Co. Ltd. (China), Amplicon Liveline Ltd. (UK), Seon (Canada), among others.

Industry Update

September 2018

Iveda, a manufacturer of cloud-based video surveillance and data management, has recently launched its latest product offering, IvedaAI. The product has been made available to the service vendors, including telecoms, alarm, security integrators, and monitoring companies to be resold to their customers.

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Washington, DC, May 16, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --



Today, the Bob Woodruff Foundation (BWF) announced that it will host a live stream partnership update featuring Bob Woodruff, Co-Founder of BWF and His Excellency Sheikh Meshal bin Hamad Al-Thani, Ambassador of the State of Qatar to the US. The livestream will be hosted on the Bob Woodruff Foundation Facebook page at 5:15 PM EDT on Thursday, May 16, 2019.

The Bob Woodruff Foundation and the State of Qatar established a $6 million, two-year partnership to support veterans and their families who have been impacted by Hurricane Harvey. Funding was provided by the State of Qatar through its Qatar Harvey Fund, a $30 million fund established in 2017 for the long-term recovery of southeast Texas communities impacted by Hurricane Harvey. The Bob Woodruff Foundation is making grants to those best-in-class veteran nonprofits that can provide direct, positive impact to veterans in the 41 storm-impacted counties in southeast Texas. The livestream will announce the first two grantees funded through the partnership  The St. Bernard Project and Lone Star Legal Aid  and include representatives from both organizations.

Our partners in the State of Qatar host over 10,000 U.S. service men and women on a daily basis at Al Udeid Air Base and they continue to extend their generosity to the US. We are leading together to help address the ongoing needs of veterans in the storm-impacted areas of Texas through a series of grants, and this week we are proud to announce the first of those programs, said Anne Marie Dougherty, Chief Executive Officer of the Bob Woodruff Foundation.

Houston and southeast Texas has shown extraordinary resilience in their response to Hurricane Harveys devastation, said Sheikh Meshal bin Hamad Al-Thani, Ambassador of the State of Qatar to the U.S. But true recovery is a challenging and complicated process, especially for veterans whose lives were upended in the storm. The Qatar Harvey Fund was created to reach families and communities that might otherwise slip through the cracks on the long road back to normalcy and we are are honored to partner with the Bob Woodruff Foundation in supporting these valuable projects.

Lone Star Legal Aid (LSLA) and The St. Bernard Project (SBP) are two of the many organizations that are working in and around Houston to ensure that veterans have the support they need to rebuild, recover, and thrive.

Lower-income veterans face a tough road in the recovery process from Hurricane Harvey. Theyve lost homes, cars, food supplies, their sense of community, and a lifetimes worth of personal belongings. In many cases, they have also lost their employment because of storm damage suffered by small businesses. These veterans have few resources to address their losses. Lone Star Legal Aid covers twenty-five of the forty-one federally declared Harvey disaster counties in Texas. Since the storm, they have been supporting veterans with legal issues to include those related to rebuilding such as filing insurance and FEMA appeals, title clearing issues, evictions, and fallout from repair scams; as well as persisting or exacerbated issues impacting family security such as mounting debt, unemployment claims, title loan problems, home foreclosures, access to healthcare and education, and family law concerns. This grant will expand LSLAs outreach to veterans in underserved communities, particularly along the rural gulf coast, identify veteran clients who require legal support, and serve 250 clients with a total of 400 legal issues.

SBP is a nationally-recognized disaster resilience and recovery organization that has been working in storm-impacted communities since Katrina. In August 2017, Hurricane Harvey caused widespread wind damage and historic flooding throughout the Texas Gulf Coast region, damaged or destroyed hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses and caused an estimated $75 billion in losses. The recovery in rural communities is especially challenging, given limited recovery resources. Veterans often fail to self-advocate and thus experience an even larger disadvantage than their rural neighbors. This grant will ensure 10 veterans living in rural communities affected by Harvey and requiring home repair/rebuild services have access to resources and support.

Please join the Bob Woodruff Foundation and Ambassador Al-Thani at 5:15 PM on May 16 to learn more about this partnership and the upcoming initiatives in Texas.

Additional Bob Woodruff Foundation grants made possible by the Qatar Harvey Fund are expected to be announced in late 2019, as well as into 2020. To learn more about qualifying for a Bob Woodruff Foundation grant, please visit https://bobwoodrufffoundation.org/grants/.

--

ABOUT THE BOB WOODRUFF FOUNDATION

The Bob Woodruff Foundation (BWF) was founded in 2006 after reporter Bob Woodruff was hit by a roadside bomb while covering the war in Iraq. Since then, the Bob Woodruff Foundation has led an enduring call to action for people to stand up for heroes and meet the emerging and long-term needs of todays veterans. To date, BWF has invested more than $65 million to find, fund and shape programs that have empowered impacted veterans and service members, and their families, across the nation. For more information, please visit https://bobwoodrufffoundation.org or follow us on Twitter at @Stand4Heroes.

ABOUT THE QATAR HARVEY FUND AND THE STATE OF QATAR

Following the devastation of Hurricane Harvey in August 2017, the State of Qatar announced a gift of $30 million for the long-term recovery of the storms victims in Texas. The Qatar Harvey Fund was created to administer the gift. Qatar is an independent state in the southern Arabian Gulf. It has a population of approximately 2.7 million people, the majority of whom live in and around Doha, the capital. Diplomatic relations with the United States were established in 1972; in the same year, Qatars first diplomatic mission in Washington, D.C. opened. The relationship between the two countries has always been friendly, highly productive, and reciprocal. Qatar is home to many Americans, and the United States is both Qatars largest foreign investor and its largest source of imports. Qatar-U.S. relations are growing continuously in multiple areas: economic, political, military, educational, and cultural. Qatar is a close ally of the United States and a strong advocate of building a peaceful, prosperous, and stable Middle East. Qatar has provided significant humanitarian and development assistance to countries around the world, including the United States.
BALLSTON, N.Y.  Ballston Town Supervisor Timothy Szczepaniak and Town Councilman William Goslin are both running for re-election to the Town of Ballston Town Board in November.

As well as both having been members of the council, they met originally as backyard neighbors ten years ago.

Although Szczepaniak has relocated a short distance down the road, he and Goslin have maintained a collaborative ease in working together on the Town of Ballston Town Board for several years.

Szczepaniak is in his twelfth year on the Town Board, including two four-year terms as a town councilman and four years as town supervisor. Goslin has represented Town of Ballston residents since 2011 and would like to continue that service for an additional and final term. Both are Republican.

Other than political office, Szczepaniak served as a police officer in Bennington, Vermont, for 7 years and has been employed for a combined total of 31 years at both Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory in Niskayuna and currently at Navy Nuclear Laboratory (NNL) in Niskayuna as Principal Project Analyst.

Goslin has 30 years in telecommunications and worked at the expert level. He has earned an AAS in Electrical Technology from Hudson Valley Community College. He was the 2010 recipient of the National Jefferson Award for volunteer service. He has volunteered as a fireman, served with Hands On New Orleans, and for Pyramid Life Center.

As the Republican primary on June 25 draws closer and the election for the Town of Ballston Town Supervisor and two seats for town board looms on the horizon in November, the following conversation with Szczepaniak and Goslin reflects on each candidates background, their accomplishments in office, and both of their positions on what they consider the important issues the Town faces.

_______________________________________________________

Szczepaniak: Before I was elected supervisor, I was a Town Councilman for two four-year terms, and this is my fourth year as town supervisor. Every other year a supervisor has to campaign again, so overall I am the endorsed, experienced candidate for town supervisor.

I work in the best interests of the residents  providing all the services required and desired by town residents. We have a long list of accomplishments. Some of the main things are no town tax, and no highway tax. Were one of 21 towns within the county, the others being Wilton and Clifton Park, without those taxes. Were proud of that record.

Under my watch, Im not interested in creating either one of those taxes. The other thing is I straightened out the books. The finances needed a lot of work from the previous supervisor, Patty Southworth. I hired a financial administrator, Jeanette Borthwick, who assisted in getting the town finances in really good fiscal shape. We have the top municipal rating.

Were proud of a healthy fund balance of 2.5 million  not every township can say that.

We purchased two town parks without taxpayer funds. We have a 250-acre park that was donated to the Town. The former Hawkwood property, located at the corner of Route 50 and Middleline Road is now a passive recreational park called Anchor Diamond Park, that features trail systems, scout projects enhanced the bridges, and theres a kiosk now.

Goslin: Its on the site of an old mansion built around the time of those in Saratoga Springs. Its since burned down, but its very historic in that respect in that the mansion is still there. It has beautiful streams running through the property, great trails and is right in the center of town at Route 50 and Middleline Road.

The other park we worked hard to acquire is Firemans Grove. The town recently purchased Firemans Grove in Ballston Lake for a town park. Its a 12-acre parcel that we worked closely with the Ballston Lake Fire Department on. When we tried a few years back, they werent interested.

They came back and said Theres enough support. Why dont we talk? This is across the street from Carneys Tavern on Rt. 146. We paid $145,000 without one dime of taxpayers money spent. The funds came from the Parks and Recreation account.

Anytime a developer gets a Certificate of Occupancy granted by the Building Department, a thousand dollars goes into that account. So we have a healthy balance in the Parks and Recreation fund.

We wrote a check and signed it. The town replaced the old pavilion with a new one built by the Amish for $31,000.

We had a contractor come in and put a concrete floor to create a great venue for peoples picnics, and community events.

Goslin: Theres a lot of tradition there. Our community needs those gathering spaces to continue those traditions and to build new ones. At a recent meeting, I said how great it will be when the new Hannaford goes in. Isnt it nice to meet your neighbor when youre shopping, for example? Now everyone goes in different directions. Im really excited about it.

Please tell the readers about those beige apartments along Route 50 set back going north before Brookline Road.

Goslin: Thats state subsidized housing that theyre putting in our town. I want to be correct here. People want low-income housing within our town. Its not driven by the Town Board, but there are people who want that kind of housing. The key is making it work.

We are very, very, very concerned about the opioid crisis and the things that are happening in communities across the country. We want to make sure were providing an environment where people can grow up and be successful. This is a problem presenting itself nationally, and were addressing it.

Were excited that the Saratoga County Sheriff has hired new deputies that we hope will be locating in town. We want residents to feel safe.

Please, clarify-to put what in Town?

Goslin: The Burnt Hills Fire Department built a new firehouse across from Town Hall but their old firehouse on the corner of Charlton Road and Scotchbush Road might be repurposed for a sheriffs substation.

Its important to understand Tims commitment to public safety. Hes on the Public Safety Committee for the county, and its important as the Town Board and government to provide that kind of protection. Tim is very big in the volunteer community  the ambulance and the fire companies. You need to support those because in the end, the residents are looking for basic services from the town which are that their kids and families are safe, the roads are plowed, they want an ambulance and fire truck to come. Ours are volunteer and you know they struggle.

You need to support them. Thats why were happy we have a firehouse, Charlton has a firehouse, and the Burnt Hills firehouse will have their grand opening in the spring.

Szczepaniak: Lets go back to Firemans Grove and what we envision there. Im really big on farmers markets. The Farmland Protection Committee has been struggling to implement that. So I have all the information to start up a farmers market. Its going to take a bit of coordination, but I envision 10-15 farmers like we had at the old Burnt Hills Plaza where Grand Union used to be. That business owner has offered to have a farmers market right there.

That has been on and off for years, hasnt it?

Szczepaniak: Its been a struggle

Goslin: A little bit of politics, who will run it, finding a permanent home. It has to be independent. The town doesnt have the resources to run a farmers market. Its been a core group of people who can succeed at that. Theres been turnover among the people who run the farmers market.

Szczepaniak: I envision getting that farmers market into Firemans Grove on Thursdays, Fridays, or Saturdays similar to what former Mayor Romano had at Wiswall Park in the Village of Ballston on Thursday nights.

The Flag Day Parade has become a big event.

Szczepaniak: Everybody comes out for it.

Goslin: Were seeing a strong return of the generations to Burnt Hills. Almost all the families coming in are here for the culture of parents, the school and the community all working together. Its amazing. The school is doing phenomenal things with those kids.

Things like saving, handling money, interpersonal relationships, now active shooter defense training are taught as Life Skills.

Szczepaniak: I went to Southern Vermont College; criminal justice is near and dear to my heart.

Goslin: Putting a trained SRO in the school to protect and deter an active shooter is as important as creating a relationship with the students and faculty. The town is not involved with that. Its a shared cost arrangement between the county and the school district.

Goslin: On over-development, were working hard to stop it in our town and to preserve our rural character. Weve proposed new zoning that eliminates planned unit developments except for business districts, eliminates three-story buildings in Burnt Hills and creates a new rural business zone on Route 50.

This year we would like to permanently ban the large ugly apartment buildings being built in our town. We dont need any more apartments. Our theme has been Theres more work to do on curbing over-development.

Why arent apartments needed?

Goslin: There have been about 1,500 units built in the last two or three years. We dont have the infrastructure, and its ruining the rural character. The charm of Burnt Hills is being able to go to a 250-acre park. We need a balance.

Szczepaniak: Im sure our opposition talked about sewers. I want to give the Readers Digest version of whats happening there. Bills (Goslin) been on the Sewer Committee leading the charge. Ill give you the high-level view.

For the first time ever, we have the largest project to protect our gem, Ballston Lake. The Department of Environmental Conservation declared it an impaired body of water. A referendum was put out to protect our lake, and it passed unanimously to get sewers around the lake.

While we were doing the engineering piece of the sewer project, our consultant Nan Solsenberg recommended to the Town Board that the Hamlet could use a sewer system, so while youre looking at the Lake loop, why dont you take a close look at the Hamlet to see if you could tie into the Lake loop? It made sense; its a one time opportunity.

Goslin: From Carneys, up Kingsley Road to Route 50.

Szczepaniak: The Town Board did our due diligence. We could have said, Were going to implement this sewer project and the taxpayers can suffer the consequences. Thats not what were about. Were about democracy and listening to the voice of the people. Bill and his team has several workshops, even at the high school on it and worked diligently to be transparent.

Personally, I slept well at night for doing that. It was the right thing to do. They voted it down 4-1. The residents have spoken, so now were continuing on the Lake project itself.

Goslin: Its value versus cost. Do you value the sewers enough to pay for them? The people around the lake voted in favor of it. We put it out to the people and well do what they want. We have been proactive in dealing with the Lake. If you dont, the DEC will come in with a court order and youre mandated to do it in a certain time frame.

They tell you what to do, not how. We have to hire engineers, mitigate and figure it out.

If there are people who find the cost of sewers burdensome, we would find ways to raise money to support those people.

Do the residents know that?

Goslin: Yes. There are people who have raised $20-$30,000 for breast cancer events; many are affluent and would help their neighbor.

Szczepaniak: We renegotiated the seven-year contract with Glenville for water eliminated the $180,000 check annually to them. We maintain good relations to our neighboring towns.

Goslin: We share services.

Szczepaniak: It makes total sense.
The legalization of recreational marijuana is associated with an increase in its abuse, injury due to overdoses, and car accidents, but does not significantly change health care use overall, according to a study by researchers at UC San Francisco.

In a review of more than 28 million hospital records from the two years before and after cannabis was legalized in Colorado, UCSF researchers found that Colorado hospital admissions for cannabis abuse increased after legalization, in comparison to other states. But taking the totality of all hospital admissions and time spent in hospitals into account, there was not an appreciable increase after recreational cannabis was legalized.

The study, appearing online May 15, 2019, in BMJ Open, also found fewer diagnoses of chronic pain after legalization, consistent with a 2017 National Academy of Sciences report that concluded substantial evidence exists that cannabis can reduce chronic pain.

"We need to think carefully about the potential health effects of substantially enhancing the accessibility of cannabis, as has been done now in the majority of states," said senior author Gregory Marcus, MD, MAS, a UCSF Health cardiologist and associate chief of cardiology for research in the UCSF Division of Cardiology.

"This unique transition to legalization provides an extraordinary opportunity to investigate hospitalizations among millions of individuals in the presence of enhanced access," Marcus continued. "Our findings demonstrate several potential harmful effects that are relevant for physicians and policymakers, as well as for individuals considering cannabis use."

According to the 2014 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, more than 117 million Americans, or 44.2 percent of all Americans, have used cannabis in their lifetime, and more than 22 million Americans report having used it within the past 30 days. While its use is a federal crime as a controlled substance, 28 states and the District of Columbia now allow it for treating medical conditions. Nine of those states have legalized it for recreational use.

To understand the potential shifts in health care use resulting from widespread policy changes, Marcus and his colleagues reviewed the records of more than 28 million individuals in Colorado, New York and Oklahoma from the 2010-2014 Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project, which included 16 million hospitalizations. They compared the rates of health care utilization and diagnoses in Colorado two years before and two years after recreational marijuana was legalized in December 2012 to New York, as a geographically distant and urban state, and to Oklahoma, as a geographically close and mainly rural state.

The researchers found that after legalization, Colorado experienced a 10 percent increase in motor vehicle accidents, as well as a 5 percent increase in alcohol abuse and overdoses that resulted in injury or death. At the same time, the state saw a 5 percent decrease in hospital admissions for chronic pain, Marcus said.

"There has been a dearth of rigorous research regarding the actual health effects of cannabis consumption, particularly on the level of public health," said Marcus, holder of the Endowed Professorship of Atrial Fibrillation Research in the UCSF School of Medicine. "These data demonstrate the need to caution strongly against driving while under the influence of any mind-altering substance, such as cannabis, and may suggest that efforts to combat addiction and abuse of other recreational drugs become even more important once cannabis has been legalized."

The study findings may be beneficial in guiding future decisions regarding cannabis policy, the researchers said.

"While it's convenient and often most compelling to simplistically conclude a particular public policy is 'good' or 'bad,' an honest assessment of actual effects is much more complex," Marcus said. "Those effects are very likely variable, depending on each individual's idiosyncratic needs, propensities and circumstances. Using the revenues from recreational cannabis to support this sort of research likely would be a wise investment, both financially and for overall public health."

The researchers could not explain why overall health care utilization remained essentially neutral, but said the harmful effects simply may have been diluted among the much larger number of total hospitalizations. They said it also may be that some beneficial effects, either at the individual or societal level, such as violent crime, counterbalanced the negatives.
With more targeted therapies being approved each year for cancer, the development of drug resistance to these agents is a growing concern. It has often been assumed that drug resistance is due to the presence or development of additional genetic alterations; however, it is now clear that resistance mechanisms are more complicated. Researchers from Moffitt Cancer Center and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute have discovered a mechanism of drug resistance to Venetoclax, also known as ABT-199, a BCL-2 targeting drug commonly used to treat chronic lymphocytic leukemia and acute myeloid leukemia. Their findings, published in the journal Cancer Cell, also suggest a possible co-treatment strategy to overcome this resistance.

BCL-2 is a protein that promotes cell survival and is highly deregulated in numerous malignancies. This deregulation can be overcome by treatment with Venetoclax. However, many patients who initially respond to the drug eventually develop resistance and tumor recurrence. The team of researchers led by Jianguo Tao, M.D., Ph.D and Jun Qi, Ph.D., wanted to determine how the BCL2 inhibitor resistance develops in B-cell lymphomas, such as mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) and double-hit lymphoma (DHL), in order to find strategies to overcome and prevent its occurrence.

They created model cell lines that were resistant to Venetoclax and compared these cells to the parental cell lines that maintained drug sensitivity. The scientists found that ABT-199 resistance was dependent on both genetic mutations and non-mutational changes. Many patients with hematologic malignancies have an amplification of part of chromosome 18. The researchers discovered that during ABT-199 treatment, rare subpopulations of cells lose this genetic amplification and can survive from drug treatment. Interestingly, this region of chromosome 18 contains the BCL-2 gene, which is the target of ABT-199. This loss of the ABT-199 target and other cell death regulators on chromosome 18 contribute to the survival of these cell populations, which eventually can develop into drug resistance cells.

The researchers also demonstrated that the resistant cells developed non-mutational changes involving transcriptional reprogramming. "Certain regions of the DNA called super-enhancers became activated or deactivated in the resistant cells, leading to either a downstream loss or gain in protein expression, which ultimately contributed to cell survival. The study, for the first time, unified genetic alteration and non-genetic adaptive response as a driving force for drug resistance evolution to therapy," said Tao, senior member of the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Hematopathology at Moffitt Cancer Center.

The transcriptional reprogramming was dependent on a protein called CDK7. These observations suggested that targeting CDK7 may be an effective strategy to prevent Venetoclax resistance. The researchers conducted a chemical screening of a set of small molecule inhibitors further confirmed this hypothesis by showing that combination treatment with ABT-199 and the CDK7-targeting inhibitor THZ1 prevented the emergence and maintenance of ABT-199 resistance in models of MCL and DHL. The patient samples assessment further proved the clinical relevance of this study, which can unveil the drug resistance mechanism in patient care in the future.

"Disabling CDK7 in combination with ABT-199 is an attractive means to provoke tumor regression of otherwise refractory lymphoma, and such a combination strategy could be applied across a broad spectrum of hematological malignancies," said Qi, assistant professor in medicine at the Department of Cancer Biology Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School.
A new father's views on his changing relationship with his wife or partner may depend in part on how much support he feels from her when he is caring for their baby, a new study suggests.

Researchers found that a first-time father tended to feel closer to the mother both as a co-parent and as a romantic partner when he believed he had her confidence when he was involved in child care.

"Fathers are more involved than they have ever been in parenting, but moms are still seen in our society as the expert caregivers," said Anna Olsavsky, lead author of the study and a doctoral student in human sciences at The Ohio State University.

"So how mothers react to their partners' parenting matters a lot. It affects how new dads feel about their whole family situation, including his relationship with his wife or partner."

The study -- done with relatively affluent, highly educated dual-earner couples -- was published recently online in the journal Family Process and will appear in a future print edition.

This study is one of few to focus on the transition to parenthood from the perspective of fathers, said Sarah Schoppe-Sullivan, study co-author and professor of psychology at Ohio State.

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"It's still rare to examine the father's view on family processes," Schoppe-Sullivan said.

The researchers used data from the New Parents Project, a long-term study co-led by Schoppe-Sullivan that is investigating how dual-earner couples adjust to becoming parents for the first time. In all, 182 couples, most of whom were married, participated in this study.

The parents were assessed four times: when the mother was in her third trimester of pregnancy and when the baby was 3, 6 and 9 months old.

When the baby was 3 months old, fathers answered questions about what researchers call "maternal gatekeeping," or how much the mother inhibits or welcomes the father's involvement in child care.

Fathers reported how much they felt their partner "opened" or "closed" the gate on them when it came to interacting with the baby.

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For example, each dad reported on gate-closing behaviors, such as how often his partner took over baby-related tasks because the mom thought he wasn't doing them properly or how often she gave him irritated looks about his parenting.

Examples of gate opening include encouraging the father to help bathe the baby or mom letting him know she appreciates his contributions to parenting.

When the baby was 6 months old, the fathers were asked about their co-parenting closeness with their partner. For example, they rated how much they felt they were "growing and maturing together through experiences as parents."

Finally, when the baby was 9 months old, the fathers rated how good they felt about their romantic relationship with their partner.

Results showed that whether the mother "opened" or "closed" the gate on the father had a significant impact on how he felt about their relationship as a couple.

"If mothers are critical and less supportive of their partners' parenting, it could have ramifications for the whole family dynamic," Schoppe-Sullivan said.

"Fathers may not only do less child care, they may have more negative views on their relationship with their wife or partner."

But the flip side was also true: Gate opening had a positive effect on how the new dad viewed the couple's relationship.

"There has been some work suggesting that gate opening may be viewed by fathers negatively as demands for them to be more involved in child rearing, but that's not what we found," Olsavsky said.

"Gate opening was perceived positively by fathers. They felt it improved their relationship as a couple."

The researchers emphasized that it is important for both new parents to support each other. But, because of societal norms, fathers may need extra support.

"There is this underlying assumption that mothers are the experts when it comes to parenting. And they have more sources of support in society when it comes to how to be a good parent," Olsavsky said.

"But fathers don't generally get that support from society. The only support they often get as parents is from their partner. That's why it is so important."

The researchers noted that this study was done with couples who were primarily married, white, and middle-class or affluent. All were dual-earner couples. Results may be different in couples with other situations.

This research was funded by the National Science Foundation and the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.
More than 20 million babies were born with a low birthweight (less than 2500g; 5.5 pounds) in 2015 -- around one in seven of all births worldwide. Almost three-quarters of these babies were born in Southern Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, where data are most limited.

However, the problem also remains substantial in high-income countries in Europe, North America, and Australia and New Zealand, where there has been virtually no progress in reducing low birthweight rates since 2000, according to a new analysis undertaken by researchers from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, UNICEF, and the World Health Organization (WHO), involving 148 countries and 281 million births, published in The Lancet Global Health journal.

In 2012, all 195 member states of the WHO committed to a 30% reduction in low birthweight prevalence by 2025, compared with 2012 rates. The estimates, which are the first of their kind, found that worldwide low birthweight prevalence fell slightly from 17.5% in 2000 (22.9 million low birthweight livebirths) to 14.6% in 2015 (20.5 million).

However, the study indicates that at the current rate of progress -- with a 1.2% yearly decline in low birthweight rates between 2000 and 2015 -- the world will fall well short of the annual reduction rate of 2.7% required to meet the WHO target of a 30% reduction in prevalence between 2012 and 2025.

These findings highlight the urgent need for more investment and action to accelerate progress, through understanding and tackling key drivers of low birthweight throughout life -- including extremes of maternal age, multiple pregnancy, obstetric complications, chronic maternal conditions (eg, hypertensive disorders of pregnancy), infections (eg, malaria), and nutritional status, as well as exposure to environmental factors such as indoor air pollution, and tobacco and drug use. In low-income countries, poor growth in the womb is a major cause of low birthweight. In more developed regions, low birthweight is often associated with prematurity (a baby born earlier than 37 weeks gestation).

"Despite clear commitments, our estimates indicate that national governments are doing too little to reduce low birthweight. We have seen very little change over 15 years, even in high-income settings where low birthweight is often due to prematurity as a result of high maternal age, smoking, caesarean sections not medically indicated and fertility treatments that increase the risk of multiple births. These are the underlying issues that governments in high-income countries should be tackling," says lead author Dr Hannah Blencowe from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, UK. "To meet the global nutrition target of a 30% reduction in low birthweight by 2025 will require more than doubling the pace of progress."

The study authors call for international action to ensure that all babies are weighed at birth, to improve clinical care, and to promote public health action on the causes of low birthweight to reduce death and disability.

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"Every newborn must be weighed, yet worldwide, we don't have a record for the birthweight of nearly one third of all newborns," says co-author Julia Krasevec, Statistics & Monitoring Specialist from UNICEF. "We cannot help babies born with low birthweight without improving the coverage and accuracy of the data we collect. With better weighing devices and stronger data systems, we can capture the true birthweight of every baby, including those born at home, and provide better quality of care to these newborns and their mothers."

More than 80% of the world's 2.5 million newborns who die every year are low birthweight because they are either born preterm and/or small for gestational age. Low birthweight babies who survive have a greater risk of stunting, and developmental and physical ill health later in life, including chronic conditions such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

In this study, the researchers performed a comprehensive search of the available data from national government databases and national surveys to estimate prevalence and track trends on low birthweight for livebirths in 148 countries from 2000 to 2015. In total, data were collated from over 281 million births. However, the authors note that 47 countries (including 40 low- and middle-income countries that account for almost quarter of all births worldwide) had insufficient data available.

One of the lowest rates of low birthweight in 2015 was estimated in Sweden (2.4%). This compares to around 7% in some high-income countries including the USA (8%), the UK (7%), Australia (6.5%), and New Zealand (5.7%).

The regions making the fastest progress are those with the highest numbers of low birthweight babies, Southern Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa, with a yearly decline in low birthweight prevalence of 1.4% and 1.1%, respectively, between 2000 and 2015.

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Nevertheless, the overall number of low birthweight livebirths has actually increased in sub-Saharan Africa from 4.4 million to 5 million babies, largely due to demographic trends (such as fertility and migration). Similarly, Southern Asia still has almost half of the world's low birthweight livebirths, with an estimated 9.8 million in 2015.

High-income countries in North America, Europe, and Australia and New Zealand are some of the slowest progressing countries with an average reduction in prevalence of 0.01% per year and a consistent rate of low birthweight of 7% per year between 2000 and 2015.

Within these regions, Czechia (yearly increase 2%), Ireland (1.3%), Portugal (1.2%), and Spain (1.1%) are making the slowest progress, with an upward trend in low birthweight prevalence since 2000. Overall, the UK has experienced a downward trend in prevalence (yearly decline 0.3%) since 2000, with total numbers fluctuating due to changes in livebirths each year (50,741 low birthweight livebirths in 2000 to 56,001 in 2015).

"Low birthweight is a complex clinical entity composed of intrauterine growth restriction and preterm birth," says co-author Dr Mercedes de Onis from WHO, Switzerland. "This is why reducing low birthweight requires understanding of the underlying causes in a given country. For example, in Southern Asia a large proportion of low birthweight babies are born at term but with intrauterine growth restriction, which is associated with maternal undernutrition including maternal stunting. Conversely, preterm birth is the major contributor to low birthweight in settings with many adolescent pregnancies, high prevalence of infection, or where pregnancy is associated with high levels of fertility treatment and caesarean sections (like in USA and Brazil). Understanding and tackling these underlying causes in high-burden countries should be a priority."

The researchers note that whilst the study provides the only systematic data on low birthweight in all countries, it relies on modelling estimates that may be affected by a lack of data in low- and middle-income countries. Nearly half (48%) of all data points came from high-income countries compared to just 13% from sub-Saharan Africa and Asia, the regions with the highest prevalence rates and that accounted for three-quarters of all low birthweight babies born in 2015.

The authors note several other limitations, including that the estimated trends are driven by changes in associated factors such as neonatal mortality and childhood undernutrition, which might not accurately reflect true changes in prevalence. Therefore, the gap to achieve the WHO target could be even wider. Whilst the authors adjusted survey data for heaping and missing data, they note that the low birthweight data available from low- and middle-income countries are predominantly from household surveys that are susceptible to bias owing to missing and misreported birthweights -- which could underestimate low birthweight prevalence.

Commenting on the implications of the findings, Professor Tanya Doherty from the South African Medical Research Council, South Africa, says: "The authors present an urgent and practical call to action to greatly improve the coverage of weighing at birth, including the need to count and weigh all babies (livebirths and stillbirths), strengthen existing data and health systems, and innovate better weighing devices. Yet achieving this practically, especially in emergency settings or weak health systems, remains a challenge."

Nevertheless, she adds: "These new low birthweight estimates provide an opportunity to advance the agenda and call upon all stakeholders to take concerted action in the effort to ensure that every newborn is weighed at birth, and that the information is collated and used for local action and accountability at the household, community, district, national and global levels. At the same time, we must improve care for the 20.5 million low birthweight infants and their families each year."
Changes to alpine streams fed by glaciers and snowfields due to a warming climate threaten to dramatically alter the types of bacteria and other microbes in those streams, according to a research team that included a University of Wyoming scientist.

But streams that are fed by underground ice insulated by rock -- called "icy seeps" -- offer some hope that the impact of climate change will be less severe in some areas, say the researchers, who include Lusha Tronstad, research scientist with UW's Wyoming Natural Diversity Database (WYNDD).

"Our results show that patterns of microbial diversity support an ominous trend for alpine stream biodiversity...," the researchers wrote in the journal Global Change Biology. "Icy seeps, however, represent a source of optimism for the future of biodiversity in these imperiled ecosystems."

Tronstad is an expert on the alpine streams in Grand Teton National Park, where her 2015 discovery of a rare insect called the western glacier stonefly provided information to assist in deciding whether the species should be protected under the federal Endangered Species Act. In the latest research, she joined scientists from the University of Kentucky, Washington State University, Rutgers University, Kansas State University, Missouri State University, the University of Montana and the U.S. Geological Survey to study much smaller organisms in those Grand Teton streams and others in Montana's Glacier National Park.

In those high-mountain streams -- some fed by glaciers, some by snowfields, some by underground ice and some by groundwater -- a wide variety of bacteria and other microbes exist. They provide the foundation for larger organisms such as insects in alpine waters and fish downstream.

In Wyoming, North America's Rocky Mountains and mountain ranges worldwide, glaciers and perennial snowfields are shrinking and, in some cases, disappearing as the climate warms. While previous research detailed expected impacts on insects and other larger species, Tronstad's research team examined the organisms that can't be seen with the naked eye in six alpine streams in Grand Teton and seven in Glacier National Park.

The scientists found that colder streams fed by glaciers and underground ice have less microbial diversity than those fed by snowmelt and groundwater, but the colder streams are home to some bacteria that don't exist in the warmer streams. As warmer temperatures and reduced snowfields and glaciers increase water temperatures and change the flow and variability of the streams, microbial diversity will decline across the alpine waters, the researchers say. That likely will result in broader environmental impacts -- though the scientists acknowledge that "the degree to which environmental shifts will translate to altered ecosystem functioning remains largely unknown."

While the new research expands understanding of microbial diversity across the range of alpine streams, the scientists say the most significant new insights relate specifically to icy seeps, which are fed by rock glaciers -- masses of underground ice surrounded by rocky debris. It's estimated there are more than 10,000 of these rock glaciers across the United States -- about double the number of surface glaciers and perennial snowfields. Icy seeps are closest in temperature to streams fed by surface glaciers, with less seasonal flow variability. One such underground-ice-fed stream that was part of the study originates from Wind Cave in the Targhee National Forest.

Because they're insulated by thick layers of rock, icy seeps may be more buffered against warming atmospheric conditions than glaciers and perennial snowfields, making them less susceptible to climate change.

"Consequently, there is strong potential for icy seeps to serve as (a refuge) for cold-adapted mountain stream species and unique ecological functions on a global scale," the researchers wrote, adding that icy seeps "may represent the last stronghold of meltwater-associated (life forms) in a landscape without glaciers and perennial snowfields."
As many as 90 percent of individuals who have a parent with Huntington's disease (HD) choose not to take a gene test that reveals if they will also develop the fatal disorder -- and a new study details the reasons why.

Understanding the "why" matters as new clinical trials testing therapies for people who haven't yet developed symptoms of Huntington disease requires participants to be tested for the HD gene to be included in the trials.

The study, published today in Clinical Genetics, also suggests that individuals who have chosen not to be tested can benefit from supportive counseling, which is not usually offered.

"Health care providers really need to help individuals at risk for Huntington's disease think through their decision whether or not to participate in a clinical trial that requires testing," says the study's lead investigator, Karen E. Anderson, MD, an associate professor of psychiatry & neurology at Georgetown University Medical Center. "For someone who has not wanted genetic testing for many years, we may be leading people to do a test that has not been and still may not be in their personal interest."

She says, "For those who want testing and are ready to cope with the result, either positive or negative, it is our duty to help them get this information so they can make decisions about future care, financial planning and, possibly, study participation. For those who are not ready to be tested, or never want testing, we need also to support their choices," says Anderson, who is also director of Huntington's Disease Care, Education & Research Center, a joint program of Georgetown University and MedStar Georgetown Hospital.

Huntington's disease is caused by an inherited defect in a single gene. Inheritance is autosomal dominant: only one copy of a mutated HD gene is needed to pass on the disorder, thus the chance of inheritance is 50 percent. (A person inherits two copies of every gene, one from each parent. A parent with a defective gene can pass on either a mutant or healthy HD gene.)

The disease produces progressive degeneration of nerve cells in the brain, which affects the ability to move and think, and often results in depression and other psychiatric disorders due to functional changes in the brain.

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To date, there is no cure for the disease and no way to prevent its onset. It is always fatal. People who have the HD genetic mutation expansion will develop HD (unless they die of other causes before it develops). Anderson says there are effective treatments for the symptoms, and a "pipeline" of drugs that may alter the course of the disease are now in clinical testing. Among them are gene silencing techniques that may lower the level of abnormal protein that is produced by the HD gene.

The age at which a person with the HD genetic mutation develops the disorder depends on the number of times a coding mistake in the gene is repeated. Symptoms in adults can begin as early as age 20, or, more likely, in mid-life, (ages 30-50). Onset after age 80 has been reported. Once they begin, symptoms worsen over 10-25 years until death.

The HD gene that causes the disease was isolated in 1993 and a predictive gene test quickly followed. Studies have been conducted on why people choose to take the gene test, but only one large study has been done on why people don't -- the subject of the Clinical Genetics publication.

This study included 1001 potential HD mutation carriers who had chosen not to learn their HD status. These individuals agreed to participate in the Prospective Huntington At-Risk Observational Study (PHAROS), carried out between 1999 and 2008. Data from a subset of 733 of these subjects were used in the current report by Anderson and others.

The two primary reasons why participants did not want to know their risk was because they felt no effective cure or treatment exists and their inability to undo the knowledge they learned from the test.

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"Our subjects were optimistic that a treatment to improve symptoms or postpone treatment would be developed with the next ten years, but they had less certainty about the prospect of preventing the disease," Anderson says.

"Back in 1993, when the genetic mutation causing HD was discovered, we anticipated that many people at risk would want to be tested, just to deal with the uncertainty, but that is not the case. Only about 10-15 percent of people who know they are at risk for HD have been tested since the test became available, and that percentage really hasn't changed much over time. This study shows there are important, relevant reasons why people don't want to be tested," she says.

As part of the PHAROS study, participants gave permission for gene analysis with the understanding that they would not be told the results.

Helping to understand why people chose not to test makes it easier for physicians and genetic counselors to broach the subject with individuals at risk, especially if they are considering a clinical trial, she says.

"We already know that clinicians have fewer conversations with people at risk for Huntington's who chose not to test, compared with people who do seek a test, who receive evaluation and supportive counseling prior to testing. Now we know factors people cite for why they don't want to know their status," says Anderson.

"This study shows us that, as new treatments develop that will require genetic testing for clinical trial participation, we should reassess attitudes about how people at risk for disease approach this life-altering choice. It tells us that we should understand, and respect, decisions not to have that testing," she says.

Currently there are about 30,000 Americans who are symptomatic, and more than 200,000 who are at risk of developing the disease, according to the Huntington's Disease Society of America.
A study led by researchers at the Donana Biological Station of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), in collaboration with institutions in Europe, America and Asia, has identified the main introduction routes of the red swamp crayfish, Procambarus clarkii, during its global-scale invasion. This North American species is the most widely spread freshwater crayfish worldwide, and is one of the worst invasive species due to its impact on the structure and functioning of freshwater ecosystems.

The researchers have reconstructed the invasion routes followed by the red swamp crayfish during its human-driven expansion based on the analysis of a mitochondrial gene (COI), which was sequenced from 1,412 crayfishes from 122 populations across the Northern Hemisphere.

Invasion routes

The article describes how different invasion scenarios have produced different genetic patterns among invasive populations. "For example, in the US there are two main invasion routes: westward and eastward from the native area. The invasive populations in the west are genetically more diverse, because they have received more introductions, which probably involved more specimens of crayfish, starting in the 1920s," explains Francisco J. Oficialdegui, CSIC researcher at the Donana Biological Station.

The genetic results show that western US (California), itself an invaded area, was the source of the crayfish populations established in Hawaii and a probable source of the crayfish introduced to Japan, and from there to China, in the late 1920s. The low genetic diversity of all red swamp crayfish populations studied in Asia supports documentary evidence that a small group of some 20 individuals may have been the origin of the Japanese and Chinese red swamp crayfish populations which now number into the millions.

Red swamp crayfish in Spain and Europe

The red swamp crayfish was introduced twice from Louisiana to south-western Spain in 1973 (near the city of Badajoz) and 1974 (in the marshes of the Guadalquivir River). These introductions were promoted by the aristocrat Andres Salvador de Habsburgo-Lorena. Until now, it has been assumed that these introductions were the sole origin of all red swamp crayfish populations established across Europe, but the new study finds evidence of a separate later introduction.

"The large number of individuals involved in the two introduction events (around 500 in Badajoz and 6,000 in the Guadalquivir marshes) has led to the high genetic diversity levels we observed in Iberian populations, although diversity values tend to be lower as populations are further away from the introduction foci. However, in our study we also unexpectedly detected a genetic profile in central-western Europe that is not present in the Iberian Peninsula, a finding that suggests that additional unrecorded introductions of the red swamp crayfish into Europe may have occurred, either from the US or from other invaded territories," adds Oficialdegui.
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MONTREAL, May 16, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Cogeco Communications Inc. (TSX: CCA) announced today that it will be participating in the TD Securities Annual Telecom & Media Forum to be held in Toronto, Ontario, May 23, 2019. As part of this forum, Philippe Jette, President and Chief Executive Officer, will participate in an interactive discussion at 1:15 p.m.



A live audio webcast of the discussion will be available via Cogeco Communications Inc.s website at http://corpo.cogeco.com/cca/en/investors/investor-relations/ .

ABOUT COGECO COMMUNICATIONS INC.

Cogeco Communications Inc. is a communications corporation. It is the 8th largest cable operator in North America, operating in Canada under the Cogeco Connexion name in Quebec and Ontario, and along the East Coast of the United States under the Atlantic Broadband brand (in 11 states from Maine to Florida). The Corporation provides residential and business customers with Internet, video and telephony services through its two-way broadband fibre networks. Cogeco Communications Inc.s subordinate voting shares are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: CCA).

INFORMATION:

Nancy Bouffard

Senior Director, Corporate Communications

Cogeco Communications Inc.

(514) 764-4613

nancy.bouffard@cogeco.com
Transformational leadership is considered one of the most effective ways to motivate and inspire employees. However, new research finds cultural values significantly limit its effectiveness.

Marcus Crede, an associate professor of psychology at Iowa State University, says the leadership model earned a reputation as the gold standard because it provides clear guidelines for managers to follow, and studies have shown it improves employee performance. The four core components of transformational leadership (see below) are widely studied and taught in business schools and featured in management textbooks.

Because of its widespread acceptance and implementation, Crede and co-authors Jaehee Jong, Northern Illinois University; and Peter Harms, University of Alabama, reviewed nearly 200 studies of more than 57,000 employees from 34 countries to determine if culture plays a role. Their meta-analysis, published in the Journal of Managerial Psychology, found it does. Transformational leadership was not as effective in cultures:

High on gender egalitarianism and humane orientation. Individuals feel men and women should be treated equally, and they encourage humane behavior such as generosity, fairness and kindness.

Low on future orientation. Individuals are less likely to delay gratification, plan and invest in the future.

Low on uncertainty avoidance. Individuals are more comfortable with uncertainty and change, and do not rely heavily on rules or policies to reduce the uncertainty of future events.

"In most western countries, transformational leadership simply doesn't have a strong relationship with how employees behave and function," Crede said. "This includes the U.S., but especially Western and Northern Europe. There the relationship is almost zero."

Distorted view

Transformational leadership is not ineffective across all cultures. In fact, the meta-analysis found a strong relationship in developing countries. Crede says up to this point, much of our understanding of transformational leadership has been based on studies focusing solely on employee feedback and measured only a single point in time, providing an incomplete picture of its effectiveness.

"We may have gotten a distorted sense of how much this leadership style matters, simply because a lot of the work took a shortcut approach to doing the research," Crede said. "As a result, it overestimated the importance of transformational leadership."

In the paper, Crede and his colleagues outlined other factors that may explain the cultural differences. For example, if most leaders generally follow the principles of transformational leadership, any one leader will not stand out and have little impact on employees as a result. Just the opposite may be true in some developing countries -- the effects may be magnified because such leadership is so rare.

"It's also possible that organizations in American and Western European countries are so effective at all the things that produce high functioning employees -- training, selection, performance management -- that being an effective leader doesn't add much to making employees highly effective," Crede said.

Four components of transformational leadership
Tungiasis is a neglected tropical disease caused by penetrated sand fleas which burrow into the skin of the feet. Public health policies such as sealing house and classroom floors and daily feet washing with soap could cut the number of tungiasis cases in school-aged children, researchers now report in PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases.

Tungiasis affects millions of people in South America, the Caribbean and sub-Saharan Africa. The sand fleas responsible for tungiasis rapidly grow once in a human host, causing immense itching, inflammation, pain and debilitation. There are currently no good treatment methods available in affected areas, and people often use non-sterile methods to attempt to remove the fleas themselves, causing more damage. Awareness of tungiasis has been growing in East Africa in recent years, but data on epidemiological characteristics are scarce.

In the new work, a group of scientists from KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Kenya, the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe), Charite University of Medicine, Berlin and Dabaso Tujengane Kenya, examined the feet of 1,829 students of all age groups from 5 schools in coastal Kenya. In one subset of participants, observations were repeated after a school holiday. Structured interviews were conducted with 707 students to get data on household infrastructure, behavior and socio-economic status.

The overall prevalence of tungiasis was 48%, with boys between the ages of 10 and 14 years most at risk and factors related to socio-economic status positively associated with disease risk. Children returned from their school holiday with higher rates of infection. The data suggested that mild to moderate tungiasis could be reduced by a third, and severe tungiasis by more than half, if homes had sealed floors, while roughly a seventh of the cases could be prevented by sealing classroom floors and another fifth by using soap for daily feet washing.

"Observations from our study suggest that up to 70% of tungiasis cases may be prevented through simple prevention methods," Dr. Lynne Elson the lead author says, "There is a clear role for public health workers to expand the WASH policy to include washing of feet with soap in school-aged children to fight tungiasis and to raise awareness of the importance of sealed floors."
An app that allows parents and doctors to monitor a child's asthma has a big impact on managing the disease. When families monitored symptoms with eAsthma Tracker and adjusted care accordingly, children had better asthma control and made fewer visits to the emergency department. Using the app also meant that children missed fewer days of school and parents took fewer days off work, improving quality of life. Results of the study were published online in the journal Pediatrics.

"It's exciting to see that using an effective app can not only help improve the lives of children with asthma and their parents, but also allow their providers to give optimal care," says the study's lead author and University of Utah Health professor of pediatrics Flory Nkoy, MD, MS, MPH. He and his team created the app and carried out the research along with collaborators at Intermountain Healthcare and Parent Partners in Salt Lake City.

Despite effective treatments, keeping asthma in check can be particularly tricky. An attack can come seemingly without warning and up to 40 percent of children hospitalized with asthma wind up back in the hospital within a year. A major contributing factor is that signs that precede an attack often go unnoticed.

Scientists and physicians at U of U Health designed eAsthma Tracker as a way to continually monitor a child's disease. Asthma care is typically reactive, focusing on treating recurrent attacks, says the study's senior author and U of U Health hospitalist Bryan Stone, MD, MS. While most children with asthma show signs days to weeks before an attack, parents can easily miss these changes. eAsthma Tracker allows for monitoring at home, opening an opportunity to observe worsening signs and intervene in time to prevent a flare-up.

A unique feature of the app is that it sends parents and doctors data in real-time, and triggers an automated alert when a child's asthma is acting up. When that happens, the app prompts parents to make an appointment with the child's doctor. A doctor receiving an alert may decide to proactively call parents to determine how to address the issue.

"Parents love the idea that they can see how their child is doing and that their doctor is on the other end of the app and working with them," says Stone.

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Families who use eAsthma Tracker fill out a brief weekly online survey based on a standard assessment called the Asthma Control Test. The app assigns a score reflecting whether asthma is impeding the child's daily activities and how often they're using medication to control symptoms. It then issues recommendations dependent on being categorized as severe (red zone), under control (green zone) or approaching severe (yellow zone).

More than 300 children and parents at 11 clinics throughout Utah enrolled in the study designed to determine whether the app improved patient outcomes. Researchers found that children who used the app:

improved their asthma control

made significantly fewer visits to the emergency department and hospital

significantly reduced oral steroid use (a surrogate measure for asthma attacks),

missed 60% fewer days of school, and

had an improved quality of life. In addition, their parents missed 70% fewer days of work.

Children and parents showed improvements in all measurements 3 months after starting to use the app, and the benefits persisted 12 months later.

The investigators also compared outcomes from children who used eAsthma Tracker with outcomes from children who did not use the app. Results from this part of the study showed that children who used the app:

made 60% fewer visits to the emergency department and hospital, and

had a 35% reduced use of oral steroids.

The main limitation of the study was the lack of a control group pulled from the same clinics that study participants were recruited from. Although design of this part of the research was not optimal, the reasoning behind the omission was intentional. Based on promising results from a pilot investigation, the parent and community stakeholders that helped design the research recommended against withholding the app from willing participants.

Nkoy and Stone are now working with the university's Center for Technology & Venture Commercialization to conduct market validation and develop a commercialization strategy to expand to other hospital systems.

"We are optimistic that spread of eAsthma Tracker can significantly improve asthma care and reduce asthma related healthcare costs," says Nkoy.

Nkoy and Stone carried out the research with Bernhard Fassl, Victoria Wilkins, Eun Hae Unsicker, Heather Oldroyd, Tom Greene, Xiaming Sheng, and Derek Uchida from University of Utah Health, Joseph Johnson, a private practice pediatrician, Kamella Koopmeiners from Intermountain Healthcare, parent partners Andrea Jensen, Michelle Frazier, Jordan Gaddis, Lis Malmgren, and Stacy Williams, and Christopher Maloney from Children's Hospital and Medical Center, Omaha.

The research was published as "Improved Ambulatory Management of Childhood Asthma Using a Novel Self-management Application" in Pediatrics and was funded by the Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI).
FLORENCE, S.C.  Cooks for Christ will sponsor a chicken bog benefit for Shannon Bennett of Bishopville on May 23 at the West Florence Fire Station on Pine Needles Road in Florence.

Bennett, 46, is a single mother of two children who was born with a heart defect known as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

This condition causes her heart muscle to become abnormally thick, blocking blood flow from leaving the aorta and greatly decreasing her cardiac output. Because of episodes of fainting and other problems, it was determined that she could no longer work, and she was forced to go on long-term disability. This caused a drastic reduction in income and eventually the loss of her job and benefits.

Bennett had surgery in September at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio. The surgery was somewhat successful, even though she will never be cured. Since the surgery, however, she has had several complications, requiring travel back to Ohio.

She is facing another open-heart surgery to correct some problems she is still experiencing. She is still not able to work and does not receive any assistance financially.

Cooks for Christ is raising money to help with medical bills, medications and travel expenses.
Which is to say, the state is reneging on an important commitment it made.

Thats a shame. Regardless of ones position on the gas tax law, we all now have a stake in ensuring the money is spent on fixing roads as promised. Thats why my office launched a Gas Tax Transparency webpage  to allow for greater oversight and, Id hoped, reduce the chance that this money would be siphoned off for other uses.

Most folks dont yet know about these changes, and it remains to be seen how much this all matters to the public. But its sure to matter a great deal if we look back years from now, billions of dollars and thousands of potholes later, and wonder why our serious needs for basic repairs remain unmet  a real possibility given our states track record.

Its bad government. Its sure to erode public trust. And there could be repercussions the next time the politicians need to whip up support for a similar initiative.

Which could be soon, as the hunt for transportation dollars continues. Some state officials recently ramped up a push for toll booths on I-95, which they say would bring in billions for interstate improvements.
Dublin, May 16, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Global Medical Tourism Market - Drivers, Restraints, Opportunities, Trends, and Forecast up to 2025" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.



Global Medical Tourism Market will grow at a CAGR of 16.1% during the forecast period 2019-2025

The global medical tourism market witnessed flat growth in the past few years but sustained due to the high cost of medical treatment in developed countries such as US and UK in fact, most of the outbound medical tourists are from North America and Europe.



The industry-specific parameters that are driving the global medical tourism market are primarily the increasing healthcare related costs in the patient's country of origin, lack of insurance and healthcare coverage, lower cost of medical treatment in destination countries, availability of highly trained, skilled, and qualified specialists in the countries providing services, and increasing costs of long-term care in developed countries.



With respect to mega trends or macro factors fueling the growth of the global medical tourism market are the population growth, urbanization, and easy access to popular medical tourism destinations.



The certified and accredited infrastructure to provide the products and services related to the medical tourism industry is increasing rapidly in the regions (such as LATAM and Asia Pacific) providing services to the medical tourists.



Though more support from government agencies and organizations and strategic marketing initiatives are needed to grow medical tourism in the developing countries. Industry partnerships with global medical travel agents, logistic suppliers, hotels, and hospitals have facilitated in offering packaged facilities. For example, Apollo has collaborated with American International Medical University (AIMU) for emerging medical tourism plans in the regions like the Bahamas and St Lucia.



While looking for a favourable medical destination most of the medical tourists virtually visit several JCI-accredited hospitals providing amenities and exceptional atmosphere for treatment and healing period after a lengthy period of enduring surgical procedures. The growth of the elderly population is also one of the major factors driving the medical tourism market because of the need for high-quality long-term care. The growing lifestyle-related disorders and incidence of cancers are increasing rapidly globally, with high treatment costs cancer treatment is also driving the growth of medical tourism globally.



Telemedicine is also increasingly used in facilitating medical tourism. As the various technology barricades have wrecked down, patients and medical staff can discuss data and apprehensions previously and subsequently after surgery.



By Therapeutic Class:

Dentistry

Cosmetic

Cardiovascular

Orthopaedic

In vitro Fertilization

Oncology

Others

The cosmetic segment occupied the largest share in 2018. Over 21 million cosmetic surgeries are being performed every year across the world. Breast augmentation followed by liposuction are the two major cosmetic surgeries performed across the globe.



By Region:

North America

Europe

APAC

RoW

Asia Pacific is dominant in the global medical tourism market in 2018. The significant share of the Asia Pacific region comes from India, Thailand, Singapore, and Malaysia due to the availability of quality healthcare facilities at a comparatively less cost.



Medical Tourism Market Research Competitive Analysis



Countries like India, Thailand, and Singapore in the APAC region are at the forefront of the market. Not to be left behind other nations of Asia such as Malaysia and Philippines, the South American and Eastern European countries are also emerging as favourable medical tourism destinations particularly for near shore countries and base locations with shorter journey time. Another substantial reason for medical tourism is the accessibility to the most recent and technologically radical procedures of treatment.



For example, the method of Cyberknife robotic surgery used for diagnosis and the treatment of various cancer types. Tomotherapy, the newest radiotherapy apparatus which is currently present in very few state-of-the-art facilities hospitals in South Korea, which is an evolving centre for medical tourism.



Key Vendors:

Apollo Hospitals Enterprise Limited

Asian Heart Institute

Fortis Healthcare Limited

KPJ Healthcare Berhad

Bumrungrad International Hospital

Key Competitive Facts

Bumrungrad International Hospital in Thailand and Apollo Hospitals Enterprise Ltd. in India are the top hospitals

Focus is on the swift implementation and distribution of technical innovation which is helping the countries to provide better care

In 2017 around 2.4 million individuals visited Thailand to seek medical care due to the low cost and decent quality of the medical facilities

Market Characteristics



Evolution



Market Dynamics



Drivers



High cost of medical treatment in developed countries

Insurance business

Long waiting list in countries like US and UK

Restraints



Complications epidemic outbreak

Medical record transfer issues and post-procedure complications

Opportunities



Support from government agencies and organizations

Strategic marketing

Vendors Profiles



Apollo Hospitals Enterprise Limited

Fortis Healthcare Limited

Asian Heart Institute

KPJ Healthcare Berhad

Bumrungrad Hospital Public Company Limited

Companies to Watch for



Prince Court Medical Centre

Seoul National University Hospital

Clemenceau Medical Center (CMC)

Samitivej PLC

Bangkok Chain Hospital PLC

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/7xzs1j

Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research.
San Diego, May 16, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The DIII-D National Fusion Program has completed a series of important enhancements to its fusion facility, providing researchers with several first-of-a-kind tools for controlling and understanding the function of fusion plasmas. These upgrades will further strength DIII-Ds standing as one of the most flexible and capable magnetic fusion research facilities in the world.





The new technologies installed during the 11-month upgrade will play a key role in developing the scientific basis for fusion as a reliable and nearly limitless energy source. When experiments restart in early June, researchers will converge on San Diego to use these tools to optimize the performance of fusion plasmas and help bring practical fusion energy closer to realization.

According to DIII-D Director David Hill, the new systems will enable unprecedented flexibility in developing solutions for future fusion reactors.

These upgrades will provide researchers with several new capabilities, enabling them to explore physics phenomena that are important to making fusion viable, Hill said. Furthermore, the knowledge gained with these upgrades will inform experimental plans for the ITER project currently under construction in France, as well as the next steps for the U.S. fusion program.

Operated by General Atomics (GA) in San Diego, DIII-D is a U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science user facility and a world-class fusion laboratory where 650 researchers from the U.S. and across the globe explore a wide range of topics from fundamental plasma science to fusion power plant operations.

At the heart of the facility is the DIII-D tokamak, a toroidal (doughnut-shaped) chamber surrounded by powerful electromagnets that confine plasmas  a state of matter with large quantities of ionized particles  at temperatures exceeding 10 times those of the Sun. At these high temperatures, hydrogen isotopes fuse together and release energy.

The facility has been offline since May 2018 as a team of more than 100 engineers and technicians from GA and collaborating institutions worked to install new capabilities for driving current in the tokamak. Controlling how this current is distributed is a key tool for optimizing performance in fusion plasmas.

The largest upgrade project was the installation of a new steerable neutral beam system. Weighing more than 50 tons, it will allow researchers to vary the angle at which high-energy atoms are injected into the plasma for heating and control, enabling researchers to produce, study and exploit advanced physics important in making fusion reactors economical in the future.

The team also installed an innovative system that researchers expect will significantly reduce the amount of power required to drive electrical current in the plasma. This system is predicted to double the current-drive efficiency by injecting microwaves from the top of the tokamak, rather than from the side. Significant progress was also made toward installing a new, advanced antenna to launch ultra-high frequency helicon radio waves, which are more efficient and work over a wider range of plasma densities than earlier radio wave systems. Final installation of the helicon antenna is planned during the next opening of the tokamak this fall.

In other work, the team used a new 3-D laser scanning system to precisely align the upper divertor, which allows heat to dissipate prior to contacting the internal surfaces of the tokamak. This upgrade, in combination with newly installed measurement systems, will allow researchers to assess how the immense heat generated during plasma operation is best vented out of the tokamak.

The DIII-D Program has been the recipient of numerous scientific awards for pioneering research. For the upcoming experimental campaign, the program received over 500 proposals for experimental time, with many researchers planning to exploit the recently-installed upgrades.

"The new upgrades continue DIII-Ds rich history of providing innovative solutions to key issues in fusion development, said Mickey Wade, deputy director for Magnetic Fusion Energy at GA. It is my expectation that these upgrades will place DIII-D experimental time in high demand in the coming years, as researchers seek to capitalize on these new capabilities.

About General Atomics: General Atomics pioneers technologies with the potential to change the world. Since the dawn of the atomic age, GAs innovations have advanced the state of the art across the full spectrum of science and technology  from nuclear energy and defense to medicine and high-performance computing. Behind a talented global team of scientists, engineers, and professionals, GA delivers safe, sustainable, and economical solutions to meet growing global demands.

Attachment
NEW YORK, May 16, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pomerantz LLP is investigating claims on behalf of investors of Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited (Takeda or the Company) (NYSE: TAK). Such investors are advised to contact Robert S. Willoughby at rswilloughby@pomlaw.com or 888-476-6529, ext. 9980.



The investigation concerns whether Takeda and certain of its officers and/or directors have engaged in securities fraud or other unlawful business practices.

On May 14, 2019, Takeda forecast an unexpected operating loss for the current year, citing costs associated with the Companys $59 billion purchase of Shire Plc.

On this news, Takedas American depositary receipt price fell $1.57 per share, or 8.06%, to close at $17.92 on May 14, 2019.

The Pomerantz Firm, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Paris, is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, the Pomerantz Firm pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 80 years later, the Pomerantz Firm continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomerantzlaw.com.

CONTACT:

Robert S. Willoughby

Pomerantz LLP

rswilloughby@pomlaw.com
English French

NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWS WIRE SERVICES OR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES



MONTREAL, May 16, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Further to the announcement by Laurentian Bank of Canada (TSX: LB) (the Bank) on May 7, 2019, the Bank today announced the applicable dividend rates for its Non-Cumulative Class A Preferred Shares, Series 13 (the Preferred Shares Series 13) and Non-Cumulative Class A Preferred Shares, Series 14 (the Preferred Shares Series 14).

With respect to any Preferred Shares Series 13 that remain outstanding after June 17, 2019, being the first business day following the conversion date of June 15, 2019, identified in the prospectus supplement dated March 27, 2014 relating to the issuance of the Preferred Shares Series 13, which falls on a Saturday, holders thereof will be entitled to receive fixed rate non-cumulative preferential cash dividends on a quarterly basis, as and when declared by the Board of Directors of the Bank and subject to the provisions of the Bank Act (Canada). The dividend rate for the five-year period commencing on June 15, 2019, and ending on June 14, 2024, will be 4.123% per annum, being equal to the sum of the five-year Government of Canada bond yield as at May 16, 2019, plus 2.55%, as determined in accordance with the terms of the Preferred Shares Series 13.

With respect to any Preferred Shares Series 14 that may be issued on June 17, 2019, holders thereof will be entitled to receive floating rate non-cumulative preferential cash dividends on a quarterly basis, calculated on the basis of the actual number of days elapsed in each quarterly floating rate period divided by 365, as and when declared by the Board of Directors of the Bank and subject to the provisions of the Bank Act (Canada). The dividend rate for the three-month period commencing on June 15, 2019, and ending on September 14, 2019, will be 4.226% on an annualized basis, being equal to the sum of the three-month Government of Canada Treasury bill yield as at May 16, 2019, plus 2.55%, as determined in accordance with the terms of the Preferred Shares Series 14.

Beneficial owners of Preferred Shares Series 13 who wish to exercise their right of conversion should instruct their broker or other nominee to exercise such right before 5:00 p.m. (Montreal time) on May 31, 2019. Conversion inquiries should be directed to the Banks Registrar and Transfer Agent, Computershare Investor Services Inc., at 1-800-564-6253.

The Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) has conditionally approved the listing of the Preferred Shares Series 14 effective upon conversion. Listing of the Preferred Shares Series 14 subject to the Bank fulfilling all the listing requirements of the TSX and, upon approval, the Preferred Shares Series 14 will be listed on the TSX under the trading symbol LB.PR.I.

The Preferred Shares Series 13 and the Preferred Shares Series 14 have not been and will not be registered in the United States under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the Securities Act), or the securities laws of any state of the United States and may not be offered, sold or delivered, directly or indirectly in the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of, a U.S. person (as defined in Regulation S under the Securities Act) absent registration or an applicable exemption from such registration requirements. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation to buy securities in the United States and any public offering of the securities in the United States must be made by means of a prospectus.

About Laurentian Bank Financial Group

Founded in 1846, Laurentian Bank Financial Group is a diversified financial services provider whose mission is to help its customers improve their financial health. The Laurentian Bank of Canada and its entities are collectively referred as Laurentian Bank Financial Group (the Group or the "Bank").

With more than 3,500 employees guided by the values of proximity, simplicity and honesty, the Group provides a broad range of advice-based solutions and services to its retail, business and institutional customers. With pan-Canadian activities and a presence in the U.S., the Group is an important player in numerous market segments.

The Group has $45 billion in balance sheet assets and $29 billion in assets under administration.



Information:

Helene Soulard

Assistant Vice-President, Communications

514 284-4500, ext. 40015

Cel.: 514 926-3295

helene.soulard@lbcfg.ca
TORONTO, May 16, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CCL Industries Inc. (the Company) (TSX:CCL.A) (TSX:CCL.B), a world leader in specialty label, security and packaging solutions for global corporations, government institutions, small businesses and consumers, announced voting results from its 2019 Annual Meeting of Shareholders held May 15, 2019 (the Meeting). A total of 11,243,077 Class A voting shares representing 94.99% of the Companys issued and outstanding Class A voting shares were voted in connection with the Meeting. All matters put forth at the Meeting, including the election of ten (10) directors, the appointment of auditors and authorization of the directors to fix the remuneration of such auditors, were approved as detailed in the Companys filing on www.sedar.com .



Each of the director nominees proposed by the Company in its Management Proxy Circular dated March 22, 2019, was elected as a director of CCL Industries Inc. as follows:

Nominee Votes For Votes Withheld Vincent J. Galifi 11,241,947 1,005 Alan D. Horn 11,241,947 1,005 Kathleen L. Keller-Hobson 11,242,047 905 Donald G. Lang 11,240,582 2,370 Erin M. Lang 11,241,847 1,105 Stuart W. Lang 11,241,847 1,105 Geoffrey T. Martin 11,242,022 930 Douglas W. Muzyka 11,241,947 1,005 Thomas C. Peddie 11,241,947 1,005 Mandy Shapansky 11,242,817 135

Business Description

CCL Industries Inc. employs approximately 21,000 people operating 170 production facilities in 40 countries with corporate offices in Toronto, Canada, and Framingham, Massachusetts. CCL is the worlds largest converter of pressure sensitive and specialty extruded film materials for a wide range of decorative, instructional, functional and security applications for government institutions and large global customers in the consumer packaging, healthcare & chemicals, consumer electronic device and automotive markets. Extruded & laminated plastic tubes, aluminum aerosols & specialty bottles, folded instructional leaflets, precision decorated & die cut components, electronic displays, polymer banknote substrate and other complementary products and services are sold in parallel to specific end-use markets. Avery is the worlds largest supplier of labels, specialty converted media and software solutions for short-run digital printing applications for businesses and consumers available alongside complementary products sold through distributors, mass market stores and e-commerce retailers. Checkpoint is a leading developer of RF and RFID based technology systems for loss prevention and inventory management applications, including labeling and tagging solutions, for the retail and apparel industries worldwide. Innovia is a leading global producer of specialty, high performance, multi-layer, surface engineered films for label, packaging and security applications. The Company is partly backward integrated into materials science with capabilities in polymer extrusion, adhesive development, coating & lamination, surface engineering and metallurgy; deployed as needed across the four business segments.

For more information on CCL, visit our website - www.cclind.com or contact:

Sean Washchuk Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer 416-756-8526




English French

MONTREAL, May 16, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In past weeks, two of Velans subsidiaries, Velan ABV Srl and Velan Sas, have secured contracts with a total value of US$63 million. The first, the extension of a previous order with MODEC and, the second, a contract with ITER for their tokamak cooling water system.



Velan ABV wins another significant contract with MODEC

In addition to lasts years contracts, Velan Inc.'s wholly owned subsidiary located in Lucca, Italy, has been awarded another contract for the supply of actuated and manual valves to MODEC Offshore Production Systems (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.

These new orders are scheduled for delivery by mid to late 2019 (Q2 to Q4 FY20).

Velan ABV signed contracts with MODEC for the supply of riser and topside actuated valves as well as compact manual ball valves for their new Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) MV31 Guanabara vessel. The FPSO will be deployed at the Mero (former Libra) field operated by Petroleo Brasileiro S.A. (Petrobras). The scope of supply consists of high and ultra-high pressure forged valves. Their compact design, much lighter compared to the standard, will significantly contribute to customers effort of reducing the total weight of the vessel.

Paolo Ranieri, Managing Director and CEO of Velan ABV stated: "These contracts reward our continuous effort to serve our customers with something more than a quality product at the right price. We work with them to identify smart solutions, so they can be successful on the market and reduce the total cost of ownership. Innovation, expertise and agility are the foundation of Velans values and this continues to play a key role in satisfying customers needs.

Velan Sas secures contract with ITER for nuclear fusion reactor

ITER ("The Way" in Latin) is one of the most ambitious energy projects in the world today. In southern France, 35 nations are collaborating to build the world's largest tokamak, a magnetic fusion device that has been designed to prove the feasibility of fusion as a large-scale and carbon-free source of energy based on the same principle that powers our Sun and stars.

The ITER Tokamak and plant auxiliary systems will produce an average of 500 MW of heat during a typical plasma pulse cycle, with a peak of more than 1100 MW during the plasma burn phase; all of this heat needs to be dissipated to the environment. This is accomplished by the evaporation of HRS water as it passes through the induced-draft cooling towers. The high rate of evaporation concentrates minerals in the HRS water; as a result, part of the water is continuously discharged from the system and replaced by water from the Canal de Provence. The discharged water (blowdown) passes through a series of control basins where the water is tested for various parameters such as temperature (maximum 30C), pH, and the presence of hydrocarbons, chlorides, sulphates and tritium.

During plasma operations, the combined flow rate of all water in circulation in the cooling water system loops is approximately 33 m/s, flowing through pipes with nominal diameters of up to 1.6 meters.1

Raphael Couturier, Sales Director for Velan Sas, says this project confirms our partnership with ITER Organization in the field of specific valve solutions that are important for safety. It also demonstrates our ability to develop and qualify new products for the next generation of nuclear reactors, and our intention to be a global player in this market not only for new facilities but also for operating and modernizing the worlds global fleet of nuclear reactors.

Velan Sas, located in Lyon, France, will be providing over 2,000 valves for this project including ball, butterfly check and globe. These valves are scheduled for delivery between 2021 and 2023.

These two recent contracts demonstrate the strength of Velan and our capacity to take on large scale projects on a global scale states Yves Leduc, President and CEO of Velan Inc. We have the product portfolio, expertise and hunger for innovation that allows us to undertake such unique and diverse projects.

About Velan: Founded in Montreal in 1950, Velan Inc. (www.velan.com) is one of the worlds leading manufacturers of industrial valves, with sales of US$338 million in its last reported fiscal year. The Company employs over 1,800 people and has manufacturing plants in 9 countries. Velan Inc. is a public company with its shares listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol VLN.

This press release may contain information and statements of a forward-looking nature concerning the future performance of Velan Inc. and its subsidiaries. These statements are based on suppositions and uncertainties as well as on management's best possible evaluation of future events. As a result, readers are advised that actual results may differ from expected results.

For further information please contact:

Yves Leduc, President & Chief Executive Officer

or

John D. Ball, Chief Financial Officer

Tel: (514) 748-7743

Fax: (514) 908-0180

www.velan.com

1 https://www.iter.org/proj/inafewlines




While visiting Iceland earlier this year, I became slightly obsessed with hjonabandssla, a jammy fruit bar that seemed to turn up in every coffee shop I popped into. Perhaps owing to that casual cafe setting, the versions I encountered were very low-key affairs, much like a bar cookie or coffee cake, although fancier versions abound if you search online.

As my encounters with this pastry have been so limited and fleeting (a half dozen samples over the course of a week), my interest in this Nordic treat has less to do with authenticity than finding a culinary touchstonea bite of something sweet to remind me of a lovely trip. And besides, what does an American pastry chef living in Kentucky have to say about true Icelandic cuisine?

Which is to say, while these fruit bars are inspired by my experience with hjonabandssla, they're rooted in my own understanding of American streusel bars, crumb cakes, and bar cookies. I take something of an impressionist approach to flavor, rather than anything even approaching hyperrealism. So for me, copycat recipes (whether a homemade Oreo or a Levain-style chocolate chip cookie) avoid literal replication of an existing formula and focus on re-creating an experience.

These bar cookies are no exception, although you don't have to have fond memories of Icelandic dessert to appreciate them. They're rich and hearty, loaded with butter and oatmeal, but tempered by the zip of fresh fruit or jam and a pinch of spice. The hjonabandssla I tasted were, without exception, blueberry, but I've been reliably informed that rhubarb jam is by far the more common filling.

Happily, these bar cookies are easy to customize with whatever fresh fruit or jam you like!

The recipe starts with a wonderfully easy and versatile dough that serves as both the crust and streusel topping for the barsa mixture of rolled oats, all-purpose flour, light brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon, along with unsalted butter and an egg. Plus fruit, of course, whether something fresh from the farmers market or a grocery store, or in the form of jam, marmalade, or jelly (more on that in a bit).

The first step is to thoroughly homogenize all of the dry ingredients, a mix that can be bagged and held in the pantry if you're looking for a make-ahead step. Next, add the cold, cubed butter and work it into the dough. I start by tossing the cubes in the flour, then smashing each one into a flat sheet. From there, I keep smashing and rubbing until the butter almost disappears into the dry mix, with a few big flakes visible here and there. The final step is to crack in an egg, and stir to moisten the dough.

Transfer 16 ounces (455g), or about two-thirds of the dough, to a parchment-lined 8-inch square anodized aluminum pan *, and gently press into an even layer. This step is a bit of a balancing act; if the dough isn't pressed into a cohesive sheet, the finished bars won't have much structure and may crumble apart (no problem, just grab a fork), but if the dough is excessively compressed, the bottom layer will be thin and dense. Ultimately, the idea is to be firm but gentle, avoiding both aggressive smashing and timid patting.

*If you don't have a pan this size, the most elegant solution would be to make a double batch in a 9- by 13-inch aluminum pan instead. This new size will preserve the proportions of the original bars, keeping them nice and thick. This recipe can be adjusted to fit whatever pan you have, see our guide to scaling cakes, but all but whole number increments will result in fractions of an egg, which many bakers find troublesome.

Finally, scatter a layer of fresh fruit over the bottom layer. There's a lot of wiggle room for using different types of fruit, but do stick to those that are relatively soft and juicy, such as pitted cherries, peeled and diced peaches, or whole raspberries, rather than comparatively firm or dry fruits such as apple or banana.

Season the fruit with a squeeze of lemon and a pinch of salt; this will bring out the best in the fruit's own flavor, and temper its natural sweetness. Some fruits may require more or less than others, depending on how sweet or mild they may be, but in virtually all instances a bit of lemon and salt will improve the fruit flavor considerably.

Finally, crumble the remaining dough over the fruit and bake at 350F (176C) until firm to the touch and golden brown. The timing of this step can vary considerably, depending on the exact distribution of dough and streusel, as well as the variable moisture content and exposed surface area of the fruit, whether whole blackberries or sliced strawberries.

The fresh fruit filling can also be replaced with jam, jelly, or marmalade instead, then topped with streusel and baked the same way. It may seem like the jam layer is quite thin, but because it's cooked down with sugar, this scant amount will pack quite a punch! As with the fresh fruit layer, season the jam with a bit of lemon juice and salt before topping with streusel.

No matter if you're using fresh fruit or jam, do give the bars plenty of time to cool before portioning them out, as the hot fruit or jam will make the bars quite squishy and soft. The bars will only develop structure after cooling to room temperature, so be patient!

Lining the pan with parchment will not only make clean-up a lot easier by keeping jammy residue off the pan, it will make the bar cookies easy to lift out and transfer to a cutting board. This will allow for cleaner cuts, and will protect the bottom of your pan from the nicks and scratches that result from trying to cut bar cookies in the pan.

I don't particularly consider these fruit bars to be a proper dessert, although they certainly could be if served a la mode or with a dollop of whipped cream (I've done so before on my Instagram). Rather, I think of them as a teacake or coffee cake, something I can make a day in advance to serve as a midafternoon snack with friends or family.

That said, my favorite way to serve them is for breakfast, with a steaming mug of coffee to offset their fruity sweetness. Something about the combination of rolled oats and fruit just gives me major brunch vibes, and they're certainly no richer or sweeter than a muffin or a cinnamon bun, so why not?

Whether you've got a beautiful haul of seasonal fruit from the farmers market, a jar of store-bought jam, or a pint of homemade jelly from last season, these bar cookies are a fun and easy way to make the most of what you have on handeven if that doesn't include a drop of Nordic nostalgia.
EDMONTON, Alberta, May 16, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Alcanna Inc. (the Company or Alcanna) (TSX: CLIQ) today announced that it has developed and launched an express delivery service for liquor in Edmonton, Calgary, and Greater Vancouver. Developed internally by Alcannas Business Technology team, the Express Delivery App will allow Alcanna to deliver up to 700 different spirits, beer and wine to legal-age customers usually in less than one hour.



By simply downloading the free Liquor Depot app on iTunes, Google Play or by visiting LiquorDepot.ca, customers will find a shopping experience that is informative, customized and easy. The express delivery service compliments our already successful Click & Pick and next day home delivery services which provide customers a selection of up to 7,000 different products.

Alcanna sees our digital and ecommerce strategy as critical to the future development of our business, said James Burns, Vice Chair and CEO. Customers expectations of convenience and full service no longer exists within the four walls of our retail stores. Reliable and inexpensive home delivery is a great differentiator for Liquor Depot and Wine and Beyond in these 3 major cities. The Express Delivery App is the latest addition and more innovations in which the digitalization of retail will be integrated in our operations will follow in the coming months.

ABOUT ALCANNA INC.

Alcanna is one of the largest private sector retailers of alcohol in North America and the largest in Canada by number of stores  operating 236 locations in Alberta, British Columbia and Alaska. The Company also operates six cannabis retail stores under the Nova Cannabis brand, with five locations in the Province of Alberta and one the Province of Ontario. With revenues in excess of $600 million per year, Alcanna processes over 18 million individual retail transactions of beverage alcohol and cannabis.

Alcanna's common shares and convertible subordinated debentures trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbols "CLIQ" and "CLIQ.DB", respectively.

Additional information about Alcanna Inc. is available at www.sedar.com and the Companys website at www.alcanna.com .

For Further Information
The Dental Board of California is investigating the death of a 4-year-old boy last month following a procedure at a childrens dentistry office in Oakland, officials said.

Dung Ly went in for a dental procedure at Youthful Tooth in Oakland on April 24, according to a GoFundMe page and Facebook posts by friends and family. He was given two doses of anesthesia and stopped breathing during the procedure, the family said.

Dung had a history of breathing problems, so oxygen couldnt get to the rest of his body, resulting in liver malfunction, the boys cousin, Lyllian Le, wrote on the GoFundMe page. Blood came out of his mouth and nose  a sight that deeply scared our whole family.

Ly was rushed to Childrens Hospital in Oakland, where he died the following day, Le said.

The Dental Board of California confirmed Wednesday it is investigating whether a violation of the Dental Practice Act occurred, but the agency declined to give specifics on the case or any other complaints filed.

Two licensed dentists are registered at Youthful Tooths Oakland location, and one dentist holds an active certification for oral conscious sedation, according to the Department of Consumer Affairs.

Matt Woodcheke, a spokesman for the agency, confirmed an investigation is underway.

If a violation is found, (the Dental Board of California) contacts the attorney generals office and pursues license discipline, he said.

Youthful Tooth declined to comment.

Its confidential and we cant make any comment at this time, said Deanna Cervantes, a corporate manager for Youthful Tooth.

Families walking in and out of the pediatric dentistry on Thursday morning shielded their heads from fat raindrops outside the squat blue-and-cream building near Oakland International Airport.

Deandre Brown, of Oakland, said he hadnt heard about the incident after taking his twin daughters, Aaliyah and Olivia, in for their regular check-up.

While signing off on paperwork before their appointment, Brown said, he noticed staff double-checking the form on medical care and allergies.

They were overprotective about the way I signed the paperwork, he said.

Both girls have asthma, he said, so he did not consent to anesthesia on the documents presented to him.

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.

I felt suspicious, Brown said.

California began requiring written informed consent for anesthesia for minors in 2016 after the death of Caleb Sears, a 6-year-old boy who stopped breathing during a dental procedure in Albany.

The Sears family lobbied state legislators to require dentists to report patient deaths and injuries related to anesthesia.

Over a 21-month period in 2017 and 2018, sedation was involved in two deaths and 23 hospitalizations of patients under 21, according to the Dental Board of California.

Lys family emigrated from Vietnam to the United States in March 2017 and planned to visit their home country next month, Le said.

A GoFundMe page for the boys memorial services had raised almost $8,000 as of Thursday, well over the $3,000 goal.

He was too young and didnt deserve to leave this world so early, Le said.

Gwendolyn Wu is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: gwendolyn.wu@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @gwendolynawu
Good morning, Bay Area. Its Thursday, May 16, and PG&E has officially been found at fault for the deadly Camp Fire, a big project is taking shape in Santa Clara and we ask people whats keeping them in the Bay Area. Heres what you need to know to start your day.

Cal Fire makes it official

The deadliest wildfire in California history, which killed 85 people and wiped out almost an entire town of 27,000, was caused by PG&E power equipment, state officials have announced. PG&E admitted months ago this was a likely outcome, but the announcement by state fire investigators removes any doubt.

Heres what happens now:

 The finding smooths the path for lawsuits that have piled up against the utility, including individual claims from Camp Fire victims.

 Cal Fire did not release the full report on its probe into the blaze, because the case remains under criminal investigation by Butte County authorities. Butte County District Attorney Mike Ramsey said charges could include recklessly causing a fire or manslaughter. However, the investigation is still ongoing and Ramsey estimated it would be weeks to months before prosecutors decide if they have enough evidence to bring charges.

 Earlier on Wednesday, Gov. Gavin Newsoms office objected to PG&Es request for six more months to reorganize its business. Letting PG&E linger in bankruptcy protection would unfairly cast doubt and uncertainty over wildfire victims ability to resolve their claims, Newsoms office said.

 In a separate hearing, new PG&E CEO Bill Johnson admitted the utility was not well prepared last year for shutting down power when needed  and said he plans to stay at the firm for the long haul with the goal of no more of these big events.

More: In Paradise, reporter Lizzie Johnson talks to survivors about what Cal Fires finding means to them.

Police chief responds

Courtesy Bryan Carmody

San Francisco Police Chief Bill Scott is standing by the decision to raid a journalists home as part of an investigation into a leaked report from his department on the death of Public Defender Jeff Adachi. The move has gained national attention for what First Amendment groups called a potential violation of a California law that protects journalists from being forced to identify confidential sources.

We have to do our jobs and make sure reports are not released when they are not supposed to be released, Scott said during the weekly meeting of the city police commission. If theres criminal activity thats proven, we want to get to the bottom of that.

Scott avoided or refused to answer questions about the particulars of the investigation and the decision for the raid, reporter Evan Sernoffsky writes, but said police went through the appropriate legal process for a criminal investigation.

More: Context on Californias shield law

Stadium neighbor

Related

After surviving dueling lawsuits from two South Bay cities, one of the largest development projects in the Bay Area, Related Santa Clara, is expected to start construction next year  and open its first phase by 2023 on 240 acres next to Levis Stadium.

The plan calls for 9 million square feet of offices, housing, hotels and retail, reporter Roland Li writes.

Im gonna be here the rest of my life

Jessica Christian / The Chronicle

The Bay Area in 2019 is often described as a playground for the wealthy. In a new, occasional 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.

In the first edition, Emma Silvers interviews Brontez Purnell, a writer and dancer whose novel Since I Laid My Burden Down won a 2018 Whiting Award for fiction and who has lived in the area since 2002.

People tell me, Well, if you moved to L.A. or New York, your career could be more serious,  he says. Who said I wanted a more serious career? I like my career as it is.

Does your love for the Bay Area outweigh the struggle? Email style@sfchronicle.com

Around the bay

 Pre-paid: California is already getting a jump in income taxes thanks to recent IPOs, even though employees of the companies going public cant sell their stock yet.

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.

 OT: The San Jose Sharks beat the St. Louis Blues in overtime  and now lead the series 2-1 .

 Humans of the Bay Area: See The Chronicles best photos from April.

 See them in court: Under threat of two community lawsuits and faculty ire, the University of California regents signaled Wednesday they will green-light a pair of new buildings at UC Berkeley meant to house professors and add classroom space.

 Haight and history: A house and business at the citys most iconic corner has been named a national treasure.

 Just asking: Are the Warriors better without Kevin Durant, Connor Letourneau wonders.

 Reservation and the check: American Express is buying Resy. Can it catch OpenTable?

Assignment Editor

Richard Drew / Associated Press

Bay Briefing readers, we want to hear from you  how should we cover Bay Area IPOs?

Lyft, Pinterest and Uber have gone public this year, and more Bay Area companies are set for initial public offerings. The wealth these offerings bring could have a big impact on the region  many are worried that the region's inequality problems will worsen.

Vote in our single-question poll to help us select what aspects of the IPO boom we should focus on next.

Bay Briefing is written by Taylor Kate Brown and sent to readers email in-boxes on weekday mornings. Sign up for the newsletter here, and contact Brown at taylor.brown@sfchronicle.com
PARADISE (Butte County)  Everyone in town already knew.

They had read reports from Pacific Gas & Electric Co. admitting it was likely responsible for the Camp Fire. They had cried with their neighbors and listened to newscasts about the blaze. They had kept their televisions on overnight when it happened, the drone of news making them feel more in control, even when events had decimated their hometown.

They already knew. So in Paradise, life had to limp on.

At Paradise Town Hall, a squat green building off the main street of Skyway, it was a normal Wednesday  or as normal as Wednesdays get since the deadliest, most destructive wildfire in modern state history. Residents waited at the Development Services office to ask questions or file paperwork. They wanted to install a trailer on their burned-out lot, or apply for a permit to rebuild, or just talk with someone who understood their experience.

Didnt we already know that? one town employee asked when the news came that PG&E equipment had sparked the Camp Fire. Whats different now?

An AT&T technician moved from office to office checking phones, which crackled and popped with static. He couldnt figure out why. The floor creaked as he walked past still-contaminated drinking fountains taped with red hazard signs, past the line of people snaking by the Development Services office.

Outside, it poured.

An American flag, hanging at half-staff in front of Town Hall, wilted. Water pooled in the parking lot and glazed the new leaves sprouting on oak trees. It sprayed from passing semi-trucks carrying entire lives reduced to ash and rubble in the landfill.

The small amount of light, with PG&E being found at fault, is that it will open up a financial door for people to possibly get some money to try to get them back to a place close to where they were, said Town Council member Michael Zuccolillo. Its not going to change that people died. Its not going to change the emotional strain and trauma people went through. It may help them in restarting their lives. Thats the only silver lining.

Paradise was lost to flames  18,804 structures destroyed, 85 dead  last Nov. 8. Its been lost again and again since, more of the town disappearing each passing week.

The Adventist Feather River Hospital laid off its 1,331 employees. The principal of Paradise High School announced his resignation. He and his seven children were relocating to Hughson in Stanislaus County. The keeper of Paradise Lake, on the job for 36 years, was moving to Oregon. The Paradise fire chief retired.

Most people here have vanished, in fact  relocated to bigger towns like Chico or Oroville. In the past six months, these and other nearby cities have swelled with fire refugees. Prescriptions filled at the Chico Walgreens have doubled. So has the number of licenses issued by the Chico Department of Motor Vehicles.

Some people moved farther away, to places like Hawaii and Florida, where no one knew their trauma. Some have left permanently; others plan to rebuild.

Those still here, living in travel trailers and unburned homes in leveled neighborhoods, werent surprised, or much moved, by Wednesdays news. The town theyd known, the lives theyd had, were gone, in more ways than they could even articulate. That PG&E was the official cause of their suffering didnt change much.

The whole event is tragic and unfortunate, said Paradise Police Chief Eric Reinbold. Theres a lot of firsts in the history of the state that this incident has created  deadliest and largest, most expansive search-and-rescue recovery operation. The magnitude of the incident is still hard for a lot of people to process and accept.

Linda Stratton, whose grandfather had opened the Stratton Market, also lost in the fire, said the news came as a relief. It might help us rebuild our town and our lives and try to get things back to pre-fire. Everyone I know is affected. It affects every aspect of your life  doctor, school, work, veterinarian. Everything you can think of in your life is changed.

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.

Susan Doyle was angry. Weve all known it was PG&E from the beginning. Its just official now. It doesnt make me feel better at all, she said.

Im pissed off. I worked my whole life for my home. Its not just the stuff in it. Its my community. Im bitter about this whole fire. It took my life. How can I come back to this?

Paradise still doesnt have clean water; the pipes were contaminated with benzene. It could take up to two years to repair. Entire blocks remain filled with rusted cars, mangled homes, melted childrens play sets.

But late Wednesday afternoon, the Northern California Ballet practiced for the opening weekend of Sleeping Beauty. Police had received four 911 calls and given out two citations. Roofers patched the VFW Hall, where plans are for bingo nights to start up every Wednesday soon.

On Skyway, cars splashed past billboards: #ParadiseStrong! Sue PG&E! and Need Help with Insurance? Dinnertime beckoned. And for a moment, sunshine pierced the clouds.

Lizzie Johnson is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: ljohnson@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @LizzieJohnsonnn
Gov. Gavin Newsom officially waded into Pacific Gas and Electric Co.s bankruptcy case on Wednesday, pushing the utility to craft a reorganization plan faster than it wants to and accusing it of failing to act with enough urgency about its wildfire problems.

The filing came on the same day that the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection found that PG&Es equipment caused Novembers deadly Camp Fire.

Lawyers for Newsom objected to a request PG&E filed with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of California seeking six more months to develop a plan to reorganize its business. The requested delay reflects no sense of urgency in addressing the serious problems and issues PG&E faces and is particularly concerning because it encompasses the entirety of the 2019 wildfire season, the governors office said, according to the draft of the filing they plan to submit.

PG&E had asked U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Dennis Montali to extend the time that the utilitys exclusive right to file a reorganization plan expires from May 29 to Nov. 29. The plan will be a crucial step to PG&Es emergence from bankruptcy protection, which the utility and its parent company PG&E Corp. entered in January citing some $30 billion in wildfire liabilities.

PG&E has argued that it needs more time to develop a plan because of the incontrovertible scope and complexity of its bankruptcy cases, as well as other issues that have to be addressed, the legislative and regulatory issues involved, and the number of interested parties.

But Newsoms office said a six-month extension would send PG&E and all of its stakeholders the wrong message and encourage Wall Street investors to use the bankruptcy proceedings to benefit themselves and to the detriment of existing and future wildfire victims. Newsom asked Montali to instead grant a more limited delay by pushing the deadline to Aug. 15.

Montali is scheduled to consider the issue at a hearing next Wednesday in San Francisco.

The governors office also cited PG&Es history of mismanagement, misconduct and failed efforts to improve a woeful safety culture, noting that the company entered bankruptcy as a felon because of six convictions arising from the 2010 San Bruno pipeline explosion.

Letting PG&E linger in bankruptcy protection without accountability would unfairly cast doubt and uncertainty over wildfire victims ability to resolve their claims against the utility, Newsoms filing said. The governors lawyers also reiterated criticism of PG&Es board of directors, which it described as populated by hedge fund financiers, out-of-state executives and other individuals with little or no experience in utility operations, regulation and safety.

Air Quality Tracker Check levels down to the neighborhood Ratings for the Bay Area and California, updated every 10 minutes

PG&E has done little to instill confidence that it appreciates the urgency of resolving wildfire claims or that it is developing with due dispatch a viable business plan that will allow PG&E to provide safe, reliable, and affordable power to the people of Northern California, Newsoms draft filing said.

Newsoms lawyers called it incredulous that PG&E has not shown it has its priorities in the proper order, noting the companys recent request to state regulators for approval of higher rates.

Wednesdays filing is Newsoms first official objection in the PG&E bankruptcy case, according to his office. But he has been involved before: About three months ago, he sent a letter to the federal trustee involved in the case asking that the proceedings allow for formal participation from wildfire victims, employees and customers.

J.D. Morris is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jd.morris@sfchronicle.com, Twitter: @thejdmorris
Juul wants San Francisco voters to decide how e-cigarette sales should be regulated in the city.

The vaping company filed a notice Tuesday with the San Francisco Department of Elections indicating that it intends to collect signatures for a ballot initiative that aims to impose additional restrictions on online and brick-and-mortar e-cigarette retailers.

It might seems strange that an e-cigarette maker would seek restrictions on the use of its product. But tobacco policy experts say it would render other existing or planned city restrictions on tobacco  like the flavored-tobacco ban and the pending legislation to ban the sale of e-cigarettes  unenforceable.

If the initiative gets on the ballot and is approved by voters, it could trump pending legislation by City Attorney Dennis Herrera and Supervisor Shamann Walton that seeks to ban the sale of e-cigarettes in San Francisco altogether. Herrera and Walton are pushing the bill to combat the rise in teen vaping, which public health experts say puts kids at risk of nicotine addiction. Juul says its product helps adults stop smoking.

In California, the legal age to buy cigarettes and e-cigarettes, which are both considered tobacco products, is 21.

Juuls initiative would limit purchases to two devices and five nicotine cartridges at a time, require online sellers that ship to San Francisco to get an additional permit, and require e-cigarettes in stores to be behind the counter or in a locked box.

It's kind of a wolf in sheep's clothing, said Stanton Glantz, director of the Center for Tobacco Control Research and Education.

A Juul spokesman declined to comment.

It is unclear which election the Juul-backed initiative would be slated for. The deadline to submit initiative petitions for this Novembers election is July 8. The deadline for the March 2020 election is Nov. 4.

It would need at least 9,485 signatures to qualify for the ballot  a number determined by taking 5% of the total votes cast in the most recent general municipal election for mayor.

Juul titled the initiative An Act to Prevent Youth Use of Vapor Products.

Air Quality Tracker Check levels down to the neighborhood Ratings for the Bay Area and California, updated every 10 minutes

This measure takes important steps to keep vapor products out of the hands of persons under 21, while allowing adult smokers choice and access to vapor products to transition them from the use of combustible cigarettes, Juul executive Jennifer Hochstatter wrote in the notice.

A spokesman for Herrera said the office does not take positions on ballot measures.

Walton hit back hard on Juuls tactics.

I knew that a company like Juul would try and come up with a maneuver to continue to harm our young people and people in general, Walton said. The fact that they would go to the ballot to continue to harm communities is not surprising. This is not about harm reduction; this is purely about profits and risking the health of young people, and pushing a lifetime of addiction in order to earn as much money as possible.

The notice was reported earlier by the San Francisco Examiner.

Catherine Ho is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: cho@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @Cat_Ho
Moments after PG&E Corp.s new chief executive began speaking publicly to lawmakers in his second week on the job, California officials announced that his company was responsible for the deadliest and most destructive wildfire in state history.

Bill Johnson didnt blink. In fact, he told an Assembly committee in Sacramento that he assumed when he started as CEO on May 2 that PG&E power lines had sparked the monstrous Camp Fire in Butte County last year.

After all, PG&E had admitted months earlier that its power lines were likely responsible for the fire that killed 85 people and destroyed more than 18,800 structures.

PG&E Corp. and its subsidiary, Pacific Gas and Electric Co., filed for bankruptcy protection in January in anticipation of Camp Fire liability.

Johnson also hinted at the next huge challenge facing PG&E: Can the utility, the largest in the state, prevent its equipment from starting another disaster when the next wildfire season is about to begin?

Its a disappointment that this happened, Johnson told legislators. Lets not do it again.

The wildfire challenge is urgent for PG&E, particularly given the impacts California is facing due to climate change.

Also, PG&E power lines were previously found responsible for a series of devastating Northern California wildfires in October 2017  though not the worst one from that year, the Tubbs Fire that ravaged parts of Santa Rosa.

The 2017 wildfires prompted a wave of lawsuits and other challenges for PG&E, though the company stayed afloat as its leaders tried to steady the course. Then came the Camp Fire. PG&Es stock price and credit ratings soon tanked, Johnsons predecessor left, and the parent company and subsidiary filed for bankruptcy.

PG&E knows it needs to stop its power lines from sparking more devastating wildfires. But its a tall task for the company, which has a 70,000-square-mile service area stretching from Eureka to Bakersfield, encompassing Sierra Nevada communities, coastal ranges and big cities like San Francisco.

Since the Camp Fire, PG&E has scrambled to bolster its power-line inspections, make its infrastructure more fire-resilient, and install weather stations and wildfire-watching cameras.

The company also dramatically expanded its program to shut off the electricity when dry and windy weather makes dangerous wildfires more likely. Now any of PG&Es electric customers could lose power, even those far from fire-prone areas. Thats because the company will, if necessary, shut off its high-voltage transmission lines  like the one at the Camp Fires origin point.

Frank Pitre, a Bay Area lawyer who represents wildfire victims in suits against PG&E, said that if the company commits to a robust shutoff program  as San Diego Gas & Electric has done for years  it will go a long way toward preventing more fires.

Also important will be robust oversight from the federal monitor originally appointed to PG&E because of the utilitys multiple felony convictions arising from the 2010 San Bruno pipeline explosion, Pitre said.

The key here is monitoring, because PG&E has a history of not living up to its promises, he said.

In Sacramento, Johnson said he had a somber, sobering, gut-wrenching experience while visiting Paradise, the town nearly completely destroyed by the Camp Fire. He admitted that PG&E was not well prepared last year in regard to shutting down power ahead of high-risk weather.

Though power shutoffs are a thorny issue, Johnson promised PG&E will do better this year. He said he plans to stay at the company for the long haul with the end goal of having no more of these big events.

Air Quality Tracker Check levels down to the neighborhood Ratings for the Bay Area and California, updated every 10 minutes

PG&Es woes are drawing condemnation from state legislators like Assemblyman Jim Wood, D-Santa Rosa, a forensic dentist who has helped identify bodies from the San Bruno blast to recent Northern California wildfires.

Wood sat on the committee Johnson addressed on Wednesday, when he criticized PG&E for not making its whole system safer after San Bruno.

Are we looking at everything? he asked.

I think when San Bruno happened, everyone was focused on that, and they fixed the symptom, but didnt fix the disease, Johnson said. The disease was the lack of knowledge and understanding of the condition of assets.

After the hearing, Johnson said PG&E is striving to be safer.

What I want people to know is were doing everything we can at this point to minimize the risk, Johnson told reporters. Can we eliminate the risk? I dont think anybody can eliminate the wildfire risk. ... But are we doing everything we can to mitigate it? Yes, we are.

San Francisco Chronicle staff writers Matthias Gafni and Dustin Gardiner contributed to this report.

J.D. Morris is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jd.morris@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @thejdmorris
The deadliest and most destructive wildfire in California history, which killed 85 people and wiped out almost an entire town of 27,000, was caused by PG&E power equipment, state officials announced Wednesday.

Pacific Gas & Electric Co. had admitted months ago that one of its transmission lines probably sparked the Camp Fire in rural Butte County. But the announcement by state fire investigators removes any doubt.

It also smooths the path for lawsuits that have piled up against the utility and opens the door for possible criminal prosecution. The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire, forwarded its report to Butte County District Attorney Mike Ramsey, who said Wednesday that charges could include recklessly causing a fire or manslaughter.

The decision by Cal Fire doesnt change the arc or the scope of the ongoing investigation, said Ramsey, who estimated it would be weeks to months before prosecutors decide whether there is sufficient evidence to pursue criminal charges against PG&E.

The legal wheels are also turning on the civil side of the aisle.

The booming industry up here in Butte County is the lawyers signing people up to sue PG&E, said Scott Lotter, a former Paradise town councilman, who lost his home in the fire and all the customers who used to frequent his family-owned movie theater.

Knowing who is responsible, he said, maybe gives some people a glimmer of hope.

Though it has filed for bankruptcy protection, PG&E is viewed as more likely to be able to compensate victims than an individual or smaller entity could.

Cal Fire said that after a very meticulous and thorough investigation, it pinned the cause of the fire on electrical transmission lines owned and operated by PG&E near the town of Pulga, about 10 miles northeast of Paradise. A PG&E transmission tower at the fires origin point has long been the leading suspected culprit for the Camp Fire.

Cal Fire also said a second ignition point of the wildfire, near Concow Road and Rim Road, several miles west of Pulga, was caused by vegetation making contact with PG&E distribution lines. That wildfire was consumed by the original fire, the agency said.

PG&Es new CEO, Bill Johnson, said he was prepared for Cal Fires finding.

When I came, out of an abundance of caution, I assumed that was going to be the finding, Johnson said Wednesday after testifying before an Assembly committee. It was not a surprise. I dont think it will affect the course of the bankruptcy. It certainly brings even greater urgency to our need to inspect, repair, have a power safety shut-off plan, to do all these things were doing and do them in a hurry so that we dont have another event like that.

Johnsons predecessor, Geisha Williams, left the company in January  just before it announced it would seek bankruptcy protection, in large part because of the Camp Fire.

PG&E said in a statement Wednesday that the Pulga finding was consistent with the companys previous statements, but that it has not been able to form a conclusion similar to the one Cal Fire made about the second fire.

The utility is nevertheless fully cooperating with all ongoing investigations concerning the Camp Fire and is committed to working together with state agencies and local communities to make our customers and California safer, according to the statement.

Cal Fire did not release the full report on its probe into the blaze, because the case remains under investigation by Butte County authorities.

The Camp Fire began on the morning of Nov. 8 near Pulga, about 25 miles east of Chico in the heavily wooded Sierra Nevada. Strong gusts known to locals as Jarbo winds pushed the blaze out of the remote Feather River Canyon and into more populated areas to the west.

Before firefighters could mount a stand against the rapidly spreading inferno and before many in the foothill region could get out, the blaze rushed through the community of Concow and parts of Magalia into the more developed town of Paradise.

Max Whittaker / New York Times

Once known as a quiet mountain getaway popular with retirees, Paradise saw thousands of homes and businesses quickly ignite. Roads in and out of town proved insufficient for the crush of fleeing residents and, on top of an inadequate emergency alert system, helped drive the extraordinary loss of lives. The total of 85 dead was nearly double the number of victims in the 2017 Wine Country firestorm.

In all, the Camp Fire burned 153,000 acres and destroyed nearly 19,000 buildings. It posted damages in excess of $16 billion. The blaze went down as the worlds costliest natural disaster in 2018 and has the unfortunate distinction of being the most destructive wildfire in state history.

The cause of the fire wasnt exactly a surprise to the locals, many of whom questioned the decision by PG&E not to shut off power during high winds.

For me its not surprising. I just always assumed they were responsible, said Bob Schofield, a middle and high school music teacher in Paradise who lost his home and has now resettled in the nearby town of Biggs. We were ready for the power to be off, and then they didnt shut it off and it was really, really windy that day. They had a chance to prevent it, and they chose not to do that.

Jody Jones, the mayor of Paradise, said nobody is surprised given that PG&E admitted as much a month ago.

Its nice to have some finality and know for sure what the investigation yielded, Jones said. Having the results of the report may be helpful in the negotiations over the losses and the bankruptcy. That is the only thing it could make a difference in.

Evan Vucci/Associated Press

Air Quality Tracker Check levels down to the neighborhood Ratings for the Bay Area and California, updated every 10 minutes

Lotter, who had served as mayor of Paradise, said the burned-out residents are suffering physically, financially and emotionally.

Were six months in and were still dealing every day with insurance companies that are making it as difficult as possible, dealing with banks that cant understand why we dont have a permanent address, Lotter said. People are struggling. People have lost jobs. Marriages have broken up over this. People have been pushed to their limits.

The calamity is also the most sobering testament yet to the increasing wildfire risk across the West.

The episode has accelerated calls to address the threat of global warming, which is blamed for drying out the nations fire-prone wildlands, and reignited a push to clear Californias forests of flammable, overgrown vegetation.

President Trump blasted California for its forest-management policies but visited the disaster site shortly after the burn. His push for more timber harvests exacerbated the already seething debate over loggings role in fire prevention.

Gov. Gavin Newsom has since declared a statewide emergency, suspending environmental regulations in Californias forests in an effort to fast-track fuel-reduction programs, including tree removal.

PG&E acknowledged its equipment probably started the Camp Fire in an earnings report in February. The privately held company said its power lines were a probable source of ignition as it laid out its potential liabilities for investors.

Utility officials said they set aside $10.5 billion to cover claims from the Camp Fire.

Before filing for bankruptcy, PG&E said its total liability from wildfires in 2017 and 2018 could exceed $30 billion. But Cal Fire subsequently cleared it of blame in the 2017 Tubbs Fire, the most destructive Wine Country blaze, leaving the companys financial exposure from wildfires uncertain.

PG&E officials have pledged to begin taking steps to reduce the fire hazard of the states electrical grid.

San Francisco Chronicle staff writers Matthias Gafni, Dustin Gardiner and Lizzie Johnson contributed to this report.

J.D. Morris, Kurtis Alexander and Peter Fimrite are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: jd.morris@sfchronicle.com, kalexander@sfchronicle.com, pfimrite@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @thejdmorris @kurtisalexander @pfimrite
BEIJING  The Trump administration has filed criminal charges against Huawei for stealing technology. It has all but snuffed out the Chinese tech giants sales in the United States, calling the firm an espionage threat. And it has tried to convince other governments to do similarly.

But Washington had not taken a straight shot at Huaweis ability to do business anywhere in the world until late Wednesday, when the Commerce Department announced limits on the companys access to U.S. technology.

U.S. companies including Qualcomm, Intel and Broadcom sell Huawei microchips and other specialized parts that go into its smartphones and telecom equipment. Googles Android software powers its phones. Of the $70 billion that Huawei spent on components and other supplies last year, $11 billion went to U.S. companies, Huawei spokesman Joe Kelly said.

If Huawei is cut off from these suppliers, the effect could be catastrophic for the millions who use Huawei smartphones  and for the mobile networks, across a wide swath of the planet, that run on Huawei gear.

It would be the trade equivalent of a nuclear bomb, said Kevin Wolf, a partner at the law firm Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld and a former assistant secretary of commerce under President Barack Obama.

Much remains unclea about the scope of the Commerce Departments move. The department says it is putting Huawei on its entity list of firms that need special permission to buy U.S. components and technology. How it decides to grant such permission will determine how badly Huaweis business is disrupted.

Given the spiraling tensions between China and the U.S. on tariffs, the move against Huawei may be short-lived. Talks to resolve the trade fight have stalled. The pressure is on to find common ground ahead of a potential meeting next month between President Trump and Chinas top leader, Xi Jinping, in Japan. Washingtons campaign against Huawei could become a bargaining chip.

In every other administration, the entity listing was purely a tool of law enforcement and national security, Wolf said. The thing to watch is whether this will become a tool of trade policy and used as leverage in the negotiations.

Huawei said Thursday that the Commerce Departments move was in no ones interest.

It will do significant economic harm to the American companies with which Huawei does business, the company said, and affect tens of thousands of American jobs.

Air Quality Tracker Check levels down to the neighborhood Ratings for the Bay Area and California, updated every 10 minutes

Chinas Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Commerce condemned Washingtons decision in regularly scheduled news briefings Thursday.

We urge the United States to stop these wrongful practices and to create favorable conditions for normal cooperation between the two nations companies, said Gao Feng, a spokesman for Chinas Commerce Ministry.

Tensions between the Trump administration and Huawei escalated after U.S. officials arranged the arrest of Meng Wanzhou, the companys chief financial officer and a daughter of its founder, in Canada late last year. The company and Meng face criminal charges in the United States in connection with alleged theft of industrial secrets and violations of sanctions against Iran. Meng remains in Canada while officials there decide whether she will be extradited.

Raymond Zhong is a New York Times writer.
California saw a jump in personal income tax revenues last month thanks in part to initial public offerings by Lyft and Pinterest. Ubers sale of shares to the public last week will swell Mays coffers.

But employees generally cant sell stock they got as part of their pay until six months after their company goes public. So the states tax windfall comes well ahead of any cash they might see from their employers stock-market debuts.

The state collected $5.72 billion in withholding tax in April, up 19% from the same period last year, according to the Employment Development Department. In January, February and March, withholdings were only 1%, 7% and 0.2% ahead of the same months last year.

Some of the April bump undoubtedly came from Lyft, which started trading March 29, and Pinterest, which debuted April 18.

The California Department of Finance warns against reading too much into one months worth of data, which can vary depending on how many paydays there are in each month and other factors. However, the department in May added $500 million to its 2019 revenue forecast for wage compensation related to IPOs. In January, it was forecasting only $200 million, which is about what it gets in a normal IPO year. Now its expecting $700 million.

That could understate the total revenue impact from the offerings because it includes only taxes that are withheld from paychecks at the time of the share sale. It excludes additional revenues that might come in later, for example when employees exercise stock options or sell stock.

The revenue forecast primarily covers tax on restricted stock units that comes due at the IPO. These units convert to regular stock when they vest, or become the employees property. Most companies pay out the stock on the same day it vests, but some pay it out later.

Employees pay nothing for this stock. When its paid out, its value on that date is taxed as wages. Typically, companies withhold a number of shares to cover the employees estimated federal and state tax liability, based on statutory withholding rates. This amount could be greater or less than what an employee actually owes.

At Lyft, restricted stock units awarded under its 2008 equity incentive plan have a two-part vesting requirement. For individual employees, a percentage of each stock grant vests gradually over four years. The second requirement is that the company must have a liquidity event, such as an acquisition or IPO.

After its IPO, Lyft paid out to employees the number of shares they had vested, minus the number required to cover taxes. According to its publicly filed 2008 plan, the shares technically would be paid out in five installments in the five trading days immediately following the IPO, said Barbara Baksa, executive director for the National Association for Stock Plan Professionals.

In its prospectus, Lyft said it would withhold the number of shares necessary to satisfy the tax withholding obligations, based on the fair value of its common stock on the date of the IPO. Lyft is required to forward that amount to tax authorities. Based on an assumed IPO price of $71, it estimated that these withholding obligations would total $442.2 million, based on an average rate of 42% for federal and state taxes combined.

Lyft actually went public at $72 per share but its stock quickly sunk. It closed Wednesday at $54.04.

Employees cant sell their stock until a six-month lockup period expires. When they do sell, if they get less than the amount theyve paid taxes on, they will have a capital loss, which they can write off against other income. If its higher, theyll have a capital gain.

Lyft implemented a new equity incentive plan in 2018. Under that plan, restricted stock units vest at the IPO, but arent paid out (or taxed) until the lockup period expires. But I expect that the bulk of the awards that vested upon their IPO were issued under the 2008 plan, Baksa said.

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At Pinterest, restricted units vest on the IPO date but dont pay out until seven months after the IPO or March 15 of the following year, whichever is earlier, according to its stock plan. However, Baksa said she thinks the company paid out the stock on the IPO date, according to language in its prospectus.

It said that based on an assumed IPO price of $16 and an average combined withholding rate of 48%, our tax withholding and remittance obligation would be approximately $275.1 million in the aggregate. It borrowed money to cover that obligation. Pinterest went public at $19 and closed Wednesday at $28.63.

The state finance department estimated the Lyft and Pinterest IPOs together generated about $200 million in withholding tax to date. That assumes about one fourth of their tax withholdings went to California. It estimated that Uber could contribute an additional $300 million in tax on restricted stock units, based on numbers in its prospectus.

Zoom Video Technologies of San Jose, which started trading April 18, did not have a significant RSU vesting event at the IPO, the department wrote. Zoom demonstrates that companies can structure their employee compensation in different ways, and a large IPO doesnt always mean there is an immediate significant impact on Californias tax revenues.

Baksa said Zooms public filings indicate that most of its pre-IPO equity awards were stock options, which are taxed differently than restricted stock. With nonqualified stock options, no tax is due until the employee exercises the option and buys stock. The employee decides when to do that.

The $500 million one-time gain is intended to capture the IPO activity, particularly the taxable withholding events related to those IPOs, in 2019 that is above a normal level of IPO-related withholding activity, the finance department said. The forecast does not include any additional capital gains related to IPOs in 2019 because there is not sufficient data to inform a reasonably accurate estimate. However, there is a potential upside risk to revenues of a few hundred million dollars related to additional capital gains related to 2019 IPOs.

Kathleen Pender is a San Francisco Chronicle columnist. Email: kpender@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @kathpender
A man who allegedly shot and killed three people, including two of his relatives, last month was charged with murder Thursday in Alameda County court.

Stefon Jefferson, the 43-year-old suspect in fatal shootings in Oakland, San Francisco and Berkeley, is charged with three counts of murder, one count of possession of a firearm by a felon, one count of possession of ammunition by a felon and one count of criminal threats.

Police officials said Jefferson fatally shot one of his relatives, 43-year-old Marcus Jackson, at 10:14 a.m. on April 26 in the driveway of 4111 Market St. in Oakland following an argument with another person. Jefferson threatened to kill the second person before fleeing in Jacksons car, according to court documents.

Three hours later, he drove into San Franciscos Bayview neighborhood and allegedly shot 49-year-old Laron Davis, another family member.

Jefferson crossed the bay again an hour later and shot 43-year-old Calvin Kelly in Berkeleys Peoples Park before fleeing the region, authorities said. He was arrested that evening near South Lake Tahoe in Nevada near the California border after a shootout with police.

A Douglas County sheriffs deputy was shot in the hand during the altercation, while Jefferson was hit by a ricocheting bullet, according to the sheriffs office.

He confessed to killing all three, and witnesses identified Jefferson as the shooter, court documents say.

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Prosecutors in Nevada have charged him with attempted murder with an enhancement for trying to kill a police officer, being a felon in possession of a firearm, stealing a car and attempting to evade police.

Jefferson, who has prior convictions for assault with a deadly weapon and larceny, will face charges in California once the criminal proceedings in Nevada wrap up, said Teresa Drenick, an Alameda County district attorneys office spokeswoman.

Gwendolyn Wu is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: gwendolyn.wu@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @gwendolynawu
LOS ANGELES, May 16, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- On May 15, 2019, Senate Bill 1884  relating to the protection of animal and crop facilities; creating a criminal offense  passed the House Agriculture & Livestock Committee. The freedom-crushing bill is now headed to the Calendars Committee to determine whether or not the bill should be heard on the House floor.



Your help is needed now more than ever to defeat this dangerous bill. If signed into law, SB 1884 would make it illegal to expose animal cruelty and neglect on factory farms.

Help ensure SB 1884 does not pass the House Calendars Committee! If your representative sits on the committee, please contact him/her today and voice your opposition to SB 1884. See below for the committee members email addresses and phone numbers. You can use the following script for calls or emails: My name is _______. As your constituent, I am [calling][emailing] to respectfully urge you to vote no on Sen. Kolkhorsts freedom-crushing ag-gag bill, SB 1884. This pro-cruelty bill would make it illegal to expose situations of animal abuse and neglect on factory farms. Please help ensure Texas protects the animals, not the animal abusers. Thank you.

Rep. Four Price, Chair

four.price@house.texas.gov | (512) 463-0470

Rep. Joe Moody, Vice Chair

joe.moody@house.texas.gov | (512) 463-0728

Rep. Joseph Joe Deshotel

joe.deshotel@house.texas.gov | (512) 463-0662

Rep. John Frullo

john.frullo@house.texas.gov | (512) 463-0676

Rep. Craig Goldman

craig.goldman@house.texas.gov | (512) 463-0608

Rep. Oscar Longoria

oscar.longoria@house.texas.gov | (512) 463-0645

Rep. Will Metcalf

will.metcalf@house.texas.gov | (512) 463-0726

Rep. Tom Oliverson

tom.oliverson@house.texas.gov | (512) 463-0661

Rep. Eddie Rodriguez

eddie.rodriguez@house.texas.gov | (512) 463-0674

Rep. Toni Rose

toni.rose@house.texas.gov | (512) 463-0664

Rep. John Wray

john.wray@house.texas.gov | (512) 463-0516
A jury found an Oakland man guilty Tuesday of raping two sex workers in San Franciscos Mission District in 2014, district attorney officials said Wednesday.

After 4 days of deliberation, a San Francisco jury determined that Edwin Rodriguez, 39, was guilty of raping two sex workers. He lured them into a white Cadillac Escalade under the guise of planning to pay for consensual sexual encounters on two occasions in March and May 2014, according to the San Francisco district attorneys office.

He was found guilty of 11 felonies and one misdemeanor, including multiple counts of rape, aggravated kidnapping, assault and making criminal threats.

This case underscores the importance of San Franciscos safety-for-sex-worker policies, said District Attorney George Gascon. If we fail to prioritize this populations health and safety, they will not come forward and work with law enforcement as witnesses and victims of violence. Ultimately, unreported crimes and criminals pose a threat to everyones public safety.

Rodriguezs public defender declined to comment.

The first victim told investigators that she had been waiting for potential customers near 20th and Capp streets in the Mission District when Rodriguez pulled up in an Escalade at about 10 p.m. on March 16, 2014. The pair negotiated terms and she climbed into the SUV, officials said.

He drove to an unknown location, where she said Rodriguez refused to pay for her services, prompting her to try to get out of the car. He pushed her back into the seat and threatened her with a gun, striking her any time she pleaded for help while assaulting her, district attorney officials said.

After he dropped her back off in the Mission District, officials said she ran to a nearby laundromat, and her friend took her to the hospital, where she reported the attack to police, officials said.

DNA found on condoms recovered during a sexual assault examination of the victim was later matched to Rodriguezs DNA, district attorney officials said.

The second victim told police that she had also been working in the Mission District when Rodriguez pulled up in an Escalade near Shotwell and 19th streets at 6:15 a.m. on May 4, 2014.

After they agreed on terms, he drove less than a mile away to 17th Street and San Bruno Avenue, where the victim said he pulled out a large kitchen knife, held it to her neck and sexually assaulted her.

She told police that Rodriguez claimed to have a gun, warned her dont try nothing stupid, and threatened to kill her if she didnt comply with his orders.

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When Rodriguez started to drive the Escalade toward another location in order to continue the assault, with the kitchen knife in hand, the victim told police she opened a door and jumped out. Despite breaking her ankle, she tried to run away, officials said.

Surveillance footage from a nearby church captured her escape and subsequent rescue by a passerby, officials said. Police responded to the scene and she was taken to the hospital with the broken ankle. She underwent two surgeries and several months of rehabilitation, officials said.

Just two days after the second attack in May 2014, district attorney officials said, San Francisco police Officer David Sands and Sgt. Josh Hinds  who had been briefed on the two rape cases  recognized a white Cadillac driving in the Mission District as the suspects vehicle, pulled it over and detained Rodriguez.

Both officers noted there was a pink-and-brown toddler seat strapped into the rear of the Cadillac  a detail both victims reported to police. The first victim identified Rodriguez as her attacker in a photo lineup, and the second victim identified the tattoo etched onto Rodriguezs bald head.

Lauren Hernandez is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: lauren.hernandez@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @LaurenPorFavor
San Francisco Police Chief Bill Scott on Wednesday stood by the decision to raid a journalists home last week as part of an investigation into who in his department leaked a report on the death of Public Defender Jeff Adachi.

At the weekly meeting of the city Police Commission, Scott addressed Fridays search of freelance videographer Bryan Carmodys home and office, an action that has become a national controversy and drawn rebuke from First Amendment groups.

We have to do our jobs and make sure reports are not released when they are not supposed to be released, Scott said. If theres criminal activity thats proven, we want to get to the bottom of that.

But by executing a no-knock warrant at Carmodys home and office and seizing his property, First Amendment groups said police may have violated Californias shield law that protects journalists from being compelled to identify confidential sources. The shield law, attorneys and advocates said, applies to freelancers.

Carmody, 48, said he has a press pass issued by the San Francisco Police Department.

Scott avoided or refused to answer many questions about the particulars of the investigation and the decision for the raid, but said, We went through the legal process and the appropriate legal process for a criminal investigation.

Carmody obtained the police report from an unnamed source and said he sold it to three television stations, which he said is how he makes a living. The report was written by an officer from Central Station the day after Adachis death on Feb. 22, and included a two page summary of the incident along with 22 photos.

Television and print news stories revealed many of the details shortly after Adachi died, including that he collapsed at a Telegraph Hill apartment with a woman who was not his wife. The Chronicle also obtained a copy of the report, but did not get it from Carmody or pay for it.

Adachi died from a mix of cocaine and alcohol along with heart disease, according to a public report from the city medical examiners office, released two months after his death.

The leak drew outrage from some city officials, who considered its release an attempt to smear the late public defender  who had a history of battling police misconduct. San Francisco Supervisor Sandra Lee Fewer called a special hearing in April, demanding an investigation.

We are committed to maintaining the publics trust, Scott said Wednesday. This leak was a breach of the public trust and I understand that and were investigating that leak fully, including allegations of misconduct, potentially by members of the San Francisco Police Department.

He declined to answer a question about whether he thought raiding a journalists home may damage public trust. Many questions remain about why police chose to search Carmodys property and seize more than 60 items  including computers, phones and hard drives  as part of an internal investigation into its own department. Police did not consult the district attorneys office when applying for the warrant, Scott said.

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

To obtain a search warrant, police must be investigating the target of the search for a crime, according to legal experts. Scott on Wednesday said: The search warrant represents a step in the process of investigating a criminal case of a criminal incident and the illegal distribution of a confidential leaked report.

Two judges signed off on the warrants and Scott said he is confident we took the appropriate legal matters to get the search authorized.

Police, though, filed the warrants under seal, so it is not clear how they described Carmodys job or if they disclosed that he is a journalist in statements of probable cause. The judges, Victor Hwang and Gail Dekreon, have not commented.

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Earlier this month two inspectors with the Police Departments Internal Affairs Bureau showed up at Carmodys home asking him to reveal his source, he said. When he declined, they returned Friday morning with a sledgehammer and smashed the front gate of his home.

As the case has drawn national attention amid a larger discussion over freedom of the press, many in San Francisco appear caught between their feelings over Adachi and typically progressive values like press freedom.

Fewer appeared to support the raid earlier this week, calling Carmodys actions illegal before admitting she is not a legal expert. Obtaining leaked documents is common practice for journalists and is not illegal.

The public defenders office on Friday released a statement saying it was pleased that Chief Scott and others are keeping their word and working to get to the bottom of it. On Monday, the office walked the comment back before posting a longer statement Wednesday.

The Office of the Public Defender does not condone or support excessive police actions ever, the statement said. We regularly see the fear, trauma and lasting damage to our indigent clients  largely black and brown people  when the police execute warrants by breaking down doors, flashing guns, and handcuffing occupants. To the extent Mr. Carmody experienced such treatment, we support his efforts to seek redress.

Evan Sernoffsky is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: esernoffsky@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @EvanSernoffsky
A federal appeals court on Wednesday upheld the murder conviction and life sentence of Raymond Shrimp Boy Chow, found guilty of running a community organization in San Franciscos Chinatown as a racketeering enterprise and ordering the killing of its previous leader.

Chow was prosecuted after a five-year undercover FBI investigation of the Ghee Kung Tong, a century-old organization he had led since its former leader, Allen Leung, was shot to death in 2006 by a still-unidentified gunman.

The investigation also snared former state Sen. Leland Yee, D-San Francisco, and former San Francisco school board President Keith Jackson, one of Yees fundraisers and also an associate of Chows. Both men pleaded guilty in 2015 to racketeering and admitted that Yee, with Jacksons help, had accepted bribes from agents posing as campaign contributors in exchange for promises of political favors and an agreement to import firearms.

A federal court jury in San Francisco convicted Chow in 2016 of conspiring to operate the Ghee Kung Tong as a racketeering enterprise, ordering Leungs murder and conspiring unsuccessfully to murder another rival. A former co-defendant testified he had heard Chow order Leungs killing.

Jurors also convicted Chow of dealing in stolen liquor and cigarettes and of money laundering.

At his sentencing hearing in August 2016, Chow said he was the innocent victim of dishonest prosecutors, a biased judge and incompetent defense lawyers.

You got the wrong man, he told U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer.

On Wednesday, the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld Breyers decision to shield the identities of two undercover FBI agents who testified against Chow. The court said it had reviewed confidential evidence from the prosecution strongly suggesting that disclosure of the agents identities would threaten their safety. The men testified in a courtroom that was closed to the media and the public.

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The court also said prosecutors were entitled to introduce evidence of Chows statements in a previous trial admitting his involvement in several killings. Prosecutors had promised not to use the evidence as long as Chow testified truthfully, the court said, but instead he chose to take the stand and testify falsely that he had never participated in the murders.

While upholding the convictions, the three-judge panel told Breyer to reconsider his order that Chow forfeit $225,000 in property obtained as part of the overall racketeering conspiracy. A recent Supreme Court ruling might limit the forfeiture to the amount Chow actually obtained, the court said.

Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @BobEgelko
I was trapped in my living room unsure of how to handle the situation. Three minutes earlier, when I went to take out the garbage, I discovered three teenage girls smoking a joint on my doorstep. One of them casually offered a hand with the trash but otherwise, these ladies showed zero interest in taking their hangout elsewhere.

I dont know about you, but teenage girls are the one demographic I find most terrifying. Movies are made about them  Mean Girls, Heathers, Carrie  and when I was a teenage girl, other teenage girls made my life hell. I remain generally afraid that they will make fun of every part of me. Now three of them were doing drugs on my stoop.

Sitting in my living room eavesdropping on three children, who were technically trespassing, made me very nervous. I figured I would just hide in the back of the house until they moved on, but soon overruled that wimpy decision. I dug around my house for the ancient pack of cigarettes I keep hidden for emergencies and slid a wrinkled one from the box. I grabbed a lighter, took a deep breath and opened the front door.

I figured if you were going to smoke on my doorstep, I would join you, I announced, a 41-year-old woman trying to disguise her nerdy nervousness.

The girls laughed and made room for me on the stoop. We sat there, the four of us at dusk in the Mission District, and I lit my cigarette. I hadnt smoked one in years. No one spoke.

How old are you guys? I finally asked. Two were 16. The young one looked nervous. She was playing with glitter slime and glanced toward her friends. Its OK, said the super confident one. You can tell her.

Im 10, she responded.

Dear God.

This sweet, shy 10-year-old was not smoking weed. The other two wont allow it, apparently. She needs to wait until shes 15, as that is their rule. Not that I had any say in this, but it seemed appropriate to me. The girls said they live a few blocks away. I suspect they just needed a chill spot to smoke their joint, and my Harry Potter-style stoop under the neighbors stairs works nicely.

The confident one asked if I have kids and I revealed that my baby was sleeping inside. His name, I told them, is Leonardo. They seemed surprised at this. What are you? one asked. I guessed correctly that she was referencing race.

My husband is Hispanic, I explained. She prefaced the next question with, not to be rude or anything and asked where I was from. I said I was born in San Francisco. So was my husband. Ive lived in this house for 18 years, since before they were born.

I sensed that our mutual assumptions about one another had suddenly shifted into focus. These girls figured I was new to San Francisco, new to their neighborhood. I assumed they were out to challenge authority and make fun of my thighs. In reality, we were simply four San Francisco women  some young, one old  sitting on a doorstep getting to know each other.

But lets be honest. I did move into their neighborhood. It may have been before they were born and my husband might be from nearby, but thats a coincidence. My hometown is Mill Valley. Im a long-term Mission gentrifier.

You want some? the quiet one offered me the joint. I revealed that Im a recovering alcoholic. I dont do drugs or drink alcohol, I said.

This personal news was met with respect, for which I was grateful. I like to think they got the idea that maybe smoking weed on my front stoop, while harmless, might be a little rude considering my past. Honestly, it doesnt bother me. I was more worried that my husband would show up and wed all be in trouble: the girls for getting high on our property and me for allowing it while smoking a cigarette. My husband is not afraid of teenage girls. He is not from Mill Valley and hes never seen Heathers.

Now sick from half a cigarette, I got up to leave. I think we were all relieved. They thanked me and said goodbye. As I walked inside and closed the door, I heard all three erupt into fits of giggles. I smiled. How can you not love teenage girls?

Beth Spotswoods column appears Thursdays in Datebook. Email: datebook@sfchronicle.com
WASHINGTON - The CEO of Gilead Sciences, the nation's leading manufacturer of HIV drugs, defended the high cost of a key drug that prevents the potentially lethal infection, telling a House committee Thursday that its hefty profits pay for continued research.

"We have taken the disease from a death sentence to a manageable clinical condition, but we're not done yet," Gilead CEO Daniel O'Day told committee members. "We have to be sure that Americans get our medicines at a price that allows us to invest in research.''

He said Gilead has spent $6 billion on HIV/AIDS research since 2000.

Gilead's HIV drug, Truvada, costs between $1,600 and $2,000 a month in the United States, compared with just a few dollars a month in some foreign countries, a disparity that has attracted widespread criticism of the San Francisco company and stoked claims of price-gouging.

Democrats on the committee zeroed in on tens of millions of dollars in government grants, as well as direct research conducted by government scientists at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, that proved Truvada could be used to prevent HIV.

They said that Gilead's high prices are preventing broader use of Truvada. About 20% of the 1.1 million people who should be taking it for prevention are on the drug. That means preventable infections are occurring every day, lawmakers said.

"This treatment was developed as a result of investment made by the American taxpayers," said House Oversight Committee Chairman Elijah Cummings, D-Md. "The problem is that Gilead, the company that now sells the drug, charges astronomical prices."

Gilead charged $800 a month for the drug when it was introduced in 2004. The drug now costs nearly $2,000 a month - or $70 per daily pill, Cummings said. "How can Gilead do this?" he asked. "How can our system allow a company to take a drug treatment that was developed with taxpayer funds and abuse its monopoly to charge such astronomical prices?"

The fight over Truvada's price took on new urgency after The Washington Post reported in March that the government had opted not to file an infringement suit to enforce a 2015 patent on Truvada from the CDC. The ability of the drug to prevent HIV infection was discovered in federal primate labs in Atlanta, according to the government.

O'Day repeated Gilead's assertion that the government patent is invalid. In prepared testimony submitted to the committee, he cited a number of examples in which scientists had researched use of the drug for PrEP, as the prevention use is known, before the CDC filed its patent application in 2006.

"We have chosen not to challenge those (CDC) patents because we value our collaborative relationship with the agency," he told the panel.

Since The Post report appeared, members of Congress have written letters to the Department of Health and Human Services demanding to know why the patent has not been enforced. The Justice Department has opened a review of the patent, which would be an initial step toward more aggressive enforcement.

HIV/AIDS activists who have been reviewing Gilead's patents for Truvada unearthed the CDC patent last year. But the Oversight Committee did not invite any government officials to its hearing Thursday.

Cummings credited Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., for pushing the issue and calling for a hearing to question Gilead executives. Cummings and Ocasio-Cortez wrote to HHS Secretary Alex Azar on Thursday asking for records that would show what the administration has done to enforce the government patent.

Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, the ranking Republican on the committee, accused the Democratic majority of "demonizing" Gilead and applauded the company for its innovative work. Republicans repeatedly accused Democrats of impugning Gilead's profit motives. "Folks are alive today because of the work you've done, and we're going to beat you up," he told O'Day sarcastically.

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That drew a heated response from Cummings, who described a young man he knew whose life was claimed by AIDS.

"Nobody is coming here to beat you up," Cummings snapped. "But there is nothing like holding the hand of someone who is dying from AIDS."

The hearing's planners sat O'Day at the witness table immediately next to an HIV/AIDS activist, Aaron Lord, co-founder of the PrEP4All Collaboration.

"Mr. O'Day, we are suffocating under the weight of your company's pricing," Lord said, reading from his prepared remarks. "Mr. O'Day, you have given the American people a very bad deal for our money."

O'Day, in his prepared testimony released Thursday morning by the committee, cited Gilead's recent agreement with the HHS to distribute enough free Truvada to treat 200,000 people a year. That is the equivalent of 2.4 million bottles of pills.

Truvada has earned Gilead about $3 billion a year and $36 billion since the drug was approved in 2004, but it is about to lose its exclusive patent protection. The first generic will be available beginning in 2020, with more likely to follow in 2021.

Meanwhile, Gilead has a newer brand-name drug for treatment, Descovy, which has fewer side effects than Truvada and is expected to get Food and Drug Administration approval for HIV prevention. It has asked for a patent extension to 2025 for HIV prevention for Descovy, according to Gilead's annual report. Patients in the free drug giveaway will get the new drug, O'Day said.
Patterson, CA (95363)

Today

Cloudy skies. High around 50F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Rain showers early will evolve into a more steady rain overnight. Low 43F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 80%.
The city leaderships tacit acquiescence in a heavy-handed and likely illegal police raid on a freelance journalist is highly disturbing.

Perhaps Mayor London Breed and most of the supervisors believe the end justifies the means, First Amendment be damned. Perhaps they feel a bit guilty, even complicit, in pressuring Police Chief Bill Scott to get to the bottom of the leak of a police report containing sordid details surrounding the Feb. 22 death of Public Defender Jeff Adachi.

Or perhaps theyre simply clueless about the concept of a free press and the right of journalists to protect their sources.

Perhaps they should read Californias Shield Law, which makes plain that law enforcement seeking a journalists unpublished information should do so through a subpoena  giving the journalist a chance to challenge a request  rather than a search warrant.

After the raid, the mayor should have hauled the chief into her office and ordered him to immediately return the computers, notes and other items to freelancer Bryan Carmody. Instead she defended the raid.

At least two supervisors, Aaron Peskin and Hillary Ronen, have been willing to take stands for press freedom.

Im horrified by this whole incident, Peskin said Wednesday. It is mind-boggling. There are sacrosanct rules in our society and freedom of the press is one of them. ... That this happened in San Francisco is unfathomable to me.

Peskin said he has been blown away by the way some people have rationalized the raid because the leakage of the report in question was such an obvious attempt to smear Adachi. The states only elected public defenders fearlessness, effectiveness  and willingness to call out police misconduct  made him a legion of enemies in law enforcement. Peskin also scoffed at the apologists absurd argument that Carmody was not a journalist simply because he did not write stories.

Its apparent that someone in Scotts ranks should be fired if not prosecuted. But that does not absolve his responsibility to pursue the leak the right way, the legal way.

And San Francisco politicians outrage over the mistreatment of their late friend and colleague does not forgive their unwillingness to defend the First Amendment in their city.

This commentary is from The Chronicles editorial board. We invite you to express your views in a letter to the editor. Please submit your letter via our online form: SFChronicle.com/letters.
How dare the San Francisco Police Department attack the free press. The story of San Francisco police storming journalist Bryan Carmodys home and confiscating his computers, cells phones and cameras is despicable! All in the name of investigating a police leak of Public Defender Jeff Adachis death circumstances.

Are we living in Russia, China, Myanmar, Saudi Arabia or any number of authoritarian governments that suppress free speech and imprison journalists, not to mention outright killing them? Mayor London Breeds police officials and the judges who signed the warrant should be investigated, fired and removed from office for such an egregious, flagrant totalitarian breach of our countrys First Amendment and Californias journalistic protective code.

President Trumps war on the free press, which he consistently names as The Enemy of the People, is determined to thwart our sacrosanct and inviolable right to a free press, which has the mandate to uncover and expose governmental malfeasance.

A free democracy demands this right as an informative bulwark against authoritarianism. The demise of our free press would be the demise of our democracy as we know it. History is our witness.

Ron Denicola, San Francisco

Disregarded actions

While the editorial SFPD assaults First Amendment (Editorial, May 14) is quick to characterize the police raid on freelance journalist Bryan Carmodys home as reckless and potentially unlawful, why isnt there any criticism of the fact that Carmody  who sold sensitive and sensationalistic information about former Public Defender Jeff Adachis autopsy for a few thousand bucks  completely disregarded how his actions might affect Adachis grieving family?

Californias shield law does protect journalists from having to disclose their sources, but it doesnt excuse this tawdry episode of tabloid journalism.

Ezra Patterson, San Francisco

No. 1 goal for some

If the Alabama law making abortion a felony is signed, it makes clear that the No. 1 goal for every evangelical Christian is for a government mandate that every fetus shall be carried to term; no exceptions.

Alabama is only the beginning. If you are an evangelical Christian and disagree with this statement, your silence betrays your true feelings, intent and hypocrisy.

Earl Frick, San Francisco

Controlled by internet

Regarding Tech innovation relies on grasp of humanities (May 12): Alissa Quarts article struck home with me. More and more, I feel that I have lost my humanity and any control of my own life.

My life seems completely controlled by the internets artificial intelligence and disembodied voices. Interruptions happen all day long through electronic devices.

When I try to make a simple transaction, I am caught up in endless minutiae to make something happen on the internet. Getting through I am not a robot is like trying to pass an intelligence test.

Years ago one went to college to become a well-rounded person. Now it is only to obtain a well-paid job.

Dick Hewetson, Mountain View

Use surplus dollars

My reaction to Extra cleanup fee for Dolores Park neighbors? (Page 1, May 14), which would create a Green Benefit District where local residents pay extra taxes for additional cleaning services beyond what the city provides, can be summed up with this message to City Hall bureaucrats: Use surplus  not resident  dollars to clean up this mess!

Dorothy Van Horne, San Francisco

Blurred lines

City-funded attempts to set up Green Benefit Districts (GBDs) only serve to blur lines of responsibility and will make the city of San Francisco even less responsive and less accountable than it is now. All the activities proposed to be performed by GBDs (street and sidewalk cleaning, park maintenance, homeless outreach and so forth) are basic services that we citizens already pay for through our taxes. We do not need another layer of bureaucracy; we need to demand that government carries out its core functions.

John Hooper, San Francisco

Safe site misconception

Thank you for publishing Wrong message to addicts (Letters, May 15) because it gives me the opportunity to correct a common misconception about safe sites for drug injection: that these sites encourage drug use. Unlike treatment or fellowship programs designed for those who are ready and able to stop using drugs, safe injection sites are designed for people who may not be seeking to curb their use.

These sites keep drug users safe and alive and can connect them to detox and treatment once they ask for it.

Lauren Kahn, San Francisco

Fix the potholes

I would be happier about the millions of dollars being spent on bike lanes and dog parks if there werent so many potholes in the roads.

Michael Miller, Muir Beach
UCSF has a well-earned reputation as a high-quality medical center providing a full range of reproductive health services. Thats why I reject the idea that UCSF might enter into an institutional affiliation with Dignity Health, a system that follows religious doctrine prohibiting comprehensive reproductive health care, limiting care for transgender individuals and opposing assisted suicide, which is now legal in California.

There couldnt be a worse time for UCSF to consider an expanded partnership with a Catholic health system. The Trump administration has just issued a rule that will make it easier for health providers to refuse to provide any medical care to which they have religious or moral objections. San Francisco is suing to overturn this rule  a clear indication that the communitys values and Catholic hospital values are not the same.

Moreover, the Trump administration is expected to release shortly a proposed rule that would undermine enforcement of the Affordable Care Acts nondiscrimination provisions, especially bans on discrimination related to gender identity, sex stereotyping and termination of pregnancy. Catholic health systems have been among the organizations pushing the administration to issue this rule.

It is simply too risky, and a violation of UCSFs mission as a public hospital that delivers comprehensive reproductive health care, to enter into an institutional affiliation with a Catholic health system. As a medical sociologist, I have researched the impact of Catholic health restrictions and can say unequivocally that patients have been harmed and physicians have felt their ability to deliver quality medical care has been compromised.

Catholic hospitals in the United States adhere to directives that prohibit contraception, abortion, tubal-sterilization and in-vitro fertilization services. These directives also do not allow the standard of care for gender-confirming surgeries and miscarriage management. Some Dignity hospitals, such as Saint Francis Memorial, operate under an ethical system that allows certain of these services, but not all. The California Department of Justice, in allowing Dignitys recent merger with the Catholic Health Initiatives system, required that any reproductive health services now allowed at some of its hospitals be maintained for five years, but after that they can be eliminated.

Proponents of this affiliation assert that patients can be transferred to UCSF if they are denied care at Dignity facilities but the most recent version of the directives states there may be no referrals elsewhere for services prohibited at Catholic facilities. In any case, UCSF already can provide Dignity patients with care they cannot obtain at a Dignity hospital. This proposed affiliation isnt required for that.

Perhaps to draw attention away from Dignitys religious health restrictions, proponents of the UCSF-Dignity partnership like to note that the Dignity system is the largest provider of Medi-Cal services. This is true, but only because Dignity has the most hospitals in its system. According to Medicare cost reports filed with the federal government, UCSF/Zuckerberg San Francisco General together make almost 83% of Medi-Cal expenditures in San Francisco. There is such a cliff between UCSF/Zuckerberg San Francisco General and all of the other hospitals in our city that one cant make a meaningful comparison. The next largest provider is all Sutter/CPMC hospitals at 13%. Ultimately, the two Dignity hospitals in San Francisco make up less than 4% of Medi-Cal expenditures.

What about the argument that UCSF hospitals are full and must routinely turn away patients? UCSFs capacity problem seems to be limited to a few types of services, including labor and delivery. But there are available licensed beds for labor and delivery at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital, CPMC | California West and CPMC | Mission Bernal. Moreover, the data show that the number of births in San Francisco has been declining for the past few years. Why should UCSF partner with Dignity to create a new obstetrics unit when capacity already exists?

It is true that UCSF has some programs partnering with three Dignity hospitals. Whats new here is that UCSF will share governance and branding with four Dignity hospitals, creating a much larger, institutional affiliation. If approved by the University of California Regents, then this Dignity partnership could be expanded to include other UC medical centers throughout the state. This deal would grant a reputational boost and income to Dignity, in exchange for market share and inexpensive space for UCSF.

As a faculty member at UCSF, I understand that we are under tremendous pressure to have an economic strategy to outpace our competitors and support our academic mission, but at what cost? Values such as patient autonomy, equity and inclusion are more important. They merit seeking alternatives to this plan.

Lori Freedman is a medical sociologist and an associate professor in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences at the University of California, San Francisco.
Musee Mecanique: The Louvre of Bay Area arcades, this delightful spot hosts a collection of mechanical games from the Playland-at-the-Beach/Sutro Baths era (through the 1960s-early 70s), and newer arcade games. Originally in the basement of the Cliff House and now at Fishermans Wharf. Pier 45 Shed A, San Francisco; www.museemecaniquesf.com

High Scores Arcade: Opened in 2013 on Alamedas main drag, it replicates the 1980s arcade experience, with a steady rotation of more than 40 classic games in good working order. Its cleaner than the arcade you remember, but otherwise this is the video game experience of your youth. 1414 Park St., Alameda; www.highscoresarcade.com
SACRAMENTO  State lawmakers dealt a sharp setback Thursday to a San Francisco senators efforts to spur denser housing around public transit and in residential neighborhoods, shelving until 2020 a high-profile bill that would curtail local governments ability to block certain apartment and condominium projects.

State Sen. Scott Wiener promised to press on with his bill, SB50, after the Senate Appropriations Committee declared it would hold the measure for the rest of the year. The delay could give the Democrat more time to build support or make further changes to the deeply divisive legislation.

It was the time to take a breath. We took a breath, said state Sen. Anthony Portantino, a Democrat from La Canada Flintridge (Los Angeles County), who chairs the committee. It doesnt mean were not going to focus on solving the housing crisis in California. It just means that this isnt the right fix at this time to do that.

Wiener crafted SB50 to try to satisfy critics who killed his previous attempt to override local development controls before it got out of its first committee last year. He said he was disappointed that the Appropriations Committee had held the bill after it received nearly unanimous support in two previous panels, and that Portantino had not offered any amendments that might have allowed the bill to advance.

But Wiener also said he was not done fighting and would look for a way to revive SB50 this year, suggesting the Senate had opportunities to reverse course.

Theres momentum behind this bill, he said. Its not over.

SB50 would override some local zoning by requiring cities to allow buildings at least four or five stories tall within a half-mile of major transit stops, such as BART or Caltrain stations. It could also remake suburban California by removing density limits in wealthy communities with good schools and access to jobs. That raised the possibility of apartments and condominiums in what have historically been single-family neighborhoods.

While labor and business groups backed Wieners bill, it faced enormous resistance from local governments, which worried about losing control over how their cities grow. The San Francisco Board of Supervisors formally opposed SB50, as did many communities on the Peninsula and in the East Bay suburbs. Advocates for affordable housing also raised concerns about the potential for gentrification pushing more low-income Californians out of their homes.

An earlier deal that Wiener reached to exempt counties with fewer than 600,000 people from several of the measures provisions had allowed SB50 to pass a tough committee vote last month. But critics still panned the bill as a one-size-fits-all approach.

Portantino said he would prefer legislation that provides financial incentives to cities to build more. He disagreed with how SB50 would supersede local governments decision making and its expansive definition of public transit, which includes bus lines that run frequently. He questioned whether that would undermine the bills environmental goals of getting more people out of their cars.

Were trying to expand light rail. We have to be cognizant of not creating a disincentive, Portantino said. If youre a community out there and youre considering light rail, do you say the price of light rail is losing local land-use authority? That could be a steep price for some small cities.

While local governments contend that market forces beyond their control have caused Californias housing shortage, Wiener blames overly restrictive zoning as the biggest impediment to more construction. He chided Portantino for standing behind a system of almost pure local control.

The system that hes advocating for has failed, Wiener said, noting that the states net housing growth last year was down by nearly 10% from 2017. The proof is in the pudding.

He could get a boost from Gov. Gavin Newsom, who lightly scolded opponents of SB50 at an event in San Francisco.

The governor did not endorse the bill  and has declined to do so in the past  but said California must get serious about increasing supply of housing.

This is serious stuff, and I admire and applaud Sen. Wiener for his doggedness and leadership, Newsom said. Those who oppose it, I appreciate, but what are they promoting as an alternative to address this issue with the kind of certainty and aggressiveness that is required at this moment?

Chronicle staff writer Trisha Thadani contributed to this report.

Alexei Koseff is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: alexei.koseff@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @akoseff
The Senate confirmed President Trumps nomination of attorney Kenneth Lee to the federal appeals court based in San Francisco on a party-line vote Wednesday, over Democratic objections to Lees college writings that disparaged minorities and women.

The 52-45 vote makes Lee the fifth Trump appointee on the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, which the president has regularly vilified as hostile and biased for its rulings against him on issues such as immigration and birth control and his ban on travel from a group of mostly Muslim nations. The Ninth Circuit now has 16 judges appointed by Democratic presidents, 10 by Republicans and three vacancies.

By increasing the likelihood of conservative voices on the three-judge panels that decide most of the courts cases, I think (Trumps appointments) will begin to make a difference, said Carl Tobias, a University of Richmond law professor who tracks judicial selections.

Lee, 43, immigrated from South Korea to the United States as a child and graduated from Cornell University and Harvard Law School. He worked in the White House counsels office under President George W. Bush and most recently litigated business cases with a Los Angeles law firm, where he also represented prisoners and some low-income clients.

It was his quarter century-old student writings that prompted opposition from Democrats, including California Sens. Dianne Feinstein and Kamala Harris.

As editor-in-chief of the Cornell Review, a conservative student biweekly, Lee wrote in 1994 that whenever minorities do not succeed, they cry racism.

In another article the same year, he said that one reason for the AIDS epidemic was that homosexuals are generally more promiscuous than heterosexuals.

Lee wrote in 1993 that cries of racism often stem from isolated incidents or from unreliable studies based on statistical chicanery and that charges of sexism often amount to nothing but irrelevant pouting. Because men and women are biologically different, he said, some tasks are better suited for men, and others for women. That is not sexism; it is reality.

At a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on his nomination, Lee said he was embarrassed by some of his college writings and that he had been young and immature. That was enough to win support from Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., who helped sink Trumps Ninth Circuit nomination of Ryan Bounds, a federal prosecutor in Oregon, because of articles Bounds had written for a conservative publication at Stanford.

During the same hearing, Lee refused to say whether he agreed with the Supreme Courts 1954 ruling in Brown v. Board of Education that outlawed school segregation  one of 27 Trump judicial nominees who have declined to endorse the ruling, according to the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, which opposed his nomination.

Nan Aron, president of the Alliance for Justice, another civil rights group, said after Wednesdays vote, Nothing in Lees record reassures us he can be a fair-minded jurist.

Feinstein, the senior Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, said Republican leaders had departed from long-standing tradition by allowing Lees nomination to proceed over the objections of both home-state senators. The Ninth Circuit oversees federal courts in California, eight other Western states and U.S. territories in the Pacific.

Feinstein also said Lee had shown little sign of changing his views. She quoted his 2005 article that said Bush, by proposing to allow undocumented immigrants to hold jobs, blurs the distinction between illegals and those who came to America following the rules.

Conservatives have defended Lees record.

Liberals are smearing Ken Lee, hoping he will be judged solely on the basis of immature college writings, Carrie Severino, policy director of the Judicial Crisis Network, told the online publication Politico. But as a professional, Ken has earned praise and admiration from across the political spectrum because he is a brilliant lawyer with a commitment to public service.

Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @BobEgelko
Palestinian cuisine seems to be having a moment in the United States, with significant and forward-looking chefs like Reem Assil, Lamees Dahbour and Mona Leena Michael leading the way here; elsewhere, Sameh Wadi and Amanny Ahmad are holding it down in Minneapolis-St. Paul and New York City, respectively. The past two years also saw the release of several books on the subject: Yasmin Khans Zaitoun, Joudie Kallas Baladi and Reem Kassis The Palestinian Table.

This class of chefs is exciting, grappling with the politically complicated task of carving out space for their cuisine in a time when even mentioning Palestine as a homeland or country of origin is fraught and rarely even permitted by the style guides of mainstream media.

So when I saw that Beit Rima, a quick-service restaurant in the Castro, was being conceived as a tribute to the owners Palestinian-Jordanian roots, I was intrigued to see where he would take this ongoing conversation.

This much is certain: Now feels like the perfect moment for such a restaurant to open. Spiritually speaking, Beit Rima is everyones kid brother, a youthful and energetic glimpse into Arab American life that can capitalize on the dining publics more-than-passing familiarity with labneh and orange blossom water in a stylized version of an Arab hipsters living room.

Stephen Lam / Special to The Chronicle

It took a year for Samir Mogannam to convince his father, Paul, to let him turn the Church Street BurgerMeister into an Arab restaurant. The elder Mogannam had been a local entrepreneur since the 1970s but had owned the BurgerMeister chain for the past 20 years, although by the time his son came of age, the number had dwindled to three locations. Rima, Samir Mogannams mother, was enthusiastically supportive, but his father wasnt so sure. He was hesitant to hand over the keys to his son until he knew he was ready.

So for a year, the younger Mogannam bided his time, picking up shifts at Theorita and refining the concept that would eventually become Beit Rima, which means Rimas house in Arabic.

I really wanted to rep Arab food, Mogannam told me over the phone while prepping for a weekday lunch service. For him, so much of Beit Rimas appeal rested in the opportunity to sketch out what the identity means in a society that doesnt see much positive representation of it. Thus, Beit Rima is all about Arab comfort food  he refused to use a less politically charged category like Mediterranean to describe the restaurant. (And please, Mogannam doesnt want you to call his food Arabian: Its a horse, a peninsula, a fictional Disneyland idea, he says.)

His father built a career on the all-American burger and fries. Mogannam wanted to swap those for Gaza-style braised lamb shank, muhammara and batata harra. It was risky; but in the end, the elder Mogannam relented and loaned him the money to open. The timing was finally right, too, when Lebanese, Palestinian, Moroccan, Yemeni and Israeli restaurants have such a strong foothold in the Bay Area. Indeed, Mogannam cites his experiences working at Aziza, Dyafa and the departed Tawla as major influences.

So Mogannam and an army of friends leaped into action, transforming the Castro space in a span of three months. The original BurgerMeister tables are still there, now accompanied by Ethan Allen chairs that Mogannam and interior designer Fadi Alnumaani picked up off Craigslist. A Saudi artist named Nasser, found via Instagram, provided pop art prints for the walls: technicolor collages of Albert Einstein in a Saudi shemagh and a Bedouin woman juxtaposed with classic song lyrics in Arabic. Winter squashes, overflow stock from the kitchens storage, are scattered around like conversation pieces above the banquette that lines one of the walls. The decor is youthful and fresh; Mogannams laser focus on building a showcase of contemporary Arab culture is readily apparent.

Was the neighborhood, let alone Mogannam himself, ready for an Arab restaurant?

It seems so, from the crowds that pack the restaurant every time Ive visited. Like every other quick-service restaurant, the structure of Beit Rima is reassuringly familiar: Order at the register, take a number and wait. Seating can be tough to find at peak hours, so youll have to get comfortable with haunting the dining room and peeking at other parties plates to see which table might be opening up next. Sip some tea and lose your marbles watching someone else hover over a tablespoon of hummus for 15 minutes.

Stephen Lam / Special to The Chronicle

When it comes to the menu, Mogannam says hes not trying, in his words, to be creative. That is, he doesnt plan to invent anything new or blow anyones minds with deconstructed this-or-that. The menu features dishes from his childhood, recipes from his Jordanian and Palestinian heritage that any native of those places would recognize, all streamlined for high-volume output from a cramped kitchen space.

Next time you go to Beit Rima, peek over the kitchen partition while youre waiting in line to really appreciate the tiny workhorse grill that produces all of those kebabs. While he doesnt go as far as using pre-made canned products like many places that serve mezze-style dishes and dips, the ful ($8) eschews fresh fava beans for canned to save on labor and keep prices down. (The difference, in my experience, is negligible unless you plan to serve the whole beans as a garnish.)

And I agree  the food is not all that creative. Scan the menu and youll find crowd-pleasers like hummus ($9), kebab plates ($16) and shakshuka ($10) presented with expertise but without much adornment, although Mogannams enthusiasm leaks out through the liberal use of exclamation points: One section is titled Things to dip with! which certainly revs one up to get dipping. There is beauty to be found here in the mundane, in the way a six-minute egg splits open, its yolk mingling with bright red chile powder and minced green jalapeno, and in the exhalation of steam that escapes from the hand-kneaded flat bread ($5) thats topped with zaatar and baked to order.

Stephen Lam/Special to The Chronicle

I found the fattoush ($8) utterly delicious  a smattering of charred dates added depth to the salad that fans of Tawla will find familiar. Other highlights include the hummus malehma ($12) with cumin-spiced beef crumbled on top; beautiful morsels of falafel (79 cents each) made from dried chickpeas and crusted with sesame seeds; and a complex muhammara ($8), a mixture of roasted red peppers, nuts and pomegranate flavor thats like Spanish romesco sauce with the bass turned way up.

Beit Rima is most effective when it channels the sensory pleasures of home; you feel like youre reading a memoir that includes a scratch-and-sniff feature. This is comfort food, after all.

Food Guide Top 25 Restaurants Where to eat in the Bay Area. Find spots near you, create a dining wishlist, and more.

There are more explicit ties, too: Seedos shay ($2), a chamomile-anise tea, is named for his grandfather because it was his favorite blend. Both the hummus and ful come topped with Rimas relish, a bright and welcome mixture of garlic and jalapeno macerated in lemon juice, and the kebab plates feature moms rice, made slightly rich from olive oil. On my visits, the latter ping-ponged between overdone and not quite done enough, which felt like a greater trespass because its moms, after all.

Mogannam said he plans to expand the dessert menu soon, which now includes just one option: muhalabia ($6), a milk pudding scented with orange blossom water and topped with pistachio and chewy drops of mastic. Dessert was my favorite part of my meals there, so that was good to hear.

Stephen Lam / Special to The Chronicle

The difficult part of the experience for me was the discord between the pace of the restaurant and the menu. With its big mezze portions and Things to dip with!, the menu made me want to take up space and laze around. The restaurant is popular  so popular that table space is precious enough for waiting parties to approach you to call dibs on your spot if they see your plates near-emptied. I wonder if the concept, now proven a crowd favorite, would work just as well with a reservation system, at least during peak hours.

Beit Rima 138 Church St., San Francisco, (415) 710-2397 or http://beitrimasf.com Hours: 11 a.m.-3 p.m. and 5-10 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. Accessibility: No steps. Decent access to tables. Gender-neutral restroom. Noise level: Loud; conversation difficult at peak hours. Meal for two, sans drinks: $30-$55. What to order: mezze sampler ($16), ful with an egg ($9), fattoush, falafel, chicken shish tawook plate ($16), Gazan braised lamb shank ($26/$48), Samir's hand-kneaded bread, muhalabia Plant-based options: Plentiful, especially if you're into mezze. No vegetarian entrees for now. Drinks: Beer, wine and tea. Transportation: Good street parking during the day. On the 22-Fillmore, 37-Corbett and N-Judah Muni lines. Next to Metro Church Station. Best practices: No reservations, but take full advantage of Yelp's waiting list feature here. See More Collapse

I found the execution of service uneven as well, mainly in the realm of mistaken orders being delivered and then, when revealed, both the runner and I were puzzled about what to do about it. On one visit, my party was told we could order kebabs a la carte, but we received a whole plate instead. From a few overheard conversations from tables nearby, I got the sense that we werent alone in this.

Hopefully expansion will solve that first problem: Mogannam told me hes already eyeing the remaining BurgerMeister locations in Cole Valley and Daly City now that hes close to paying back his fathers loan, hoping to turn them into Beit Rimas as well.

To watch that slow transition is to catch an intimate glimpse into how the American palate can shift over time, opening up new spaces for work that delves with greater depth into the diversity of the human condition. Samir Mogannams father, the businessman, did what he felt he had to do to survive here, and the work he did paved the way for his son to share, with full honesty and little compromise, the flavors he grew up savoring.

And even before that, Samirs paternal and maternal grandparents made their living as convenience-store owners here (coincidentally both called Richmond Market). The narrative arc of his family reminds me of advice I heard back in college from a philosophy professor: Your grandparents were farmers, so that your parents could be doctors and businesspeople, so that you could be an artist.

At Beit Rima, you can see the artist standing on the shoulders of his ancestors, and its a dazzling sight to see.
Description

GIS - 16 May, 2019: The Citizen Support Unit (CSU), at its two years of existence, is being geared to become more innovative with a harmonised interface system that will henceforth enable local authorities to deal with complaints and suggestions of citizens in a more effective and efficient way.

The Prime Minister, Minister of Home Affairs, External Communications and National Development Unit and Minister of Finance and Economic Development, Mr Pravind Kumar Jugnauth made this statement, yesterday, at the launching of an interface system with local authorities on the occasion of the second anniversary of the CSU at the District Council of Moka, Quartier Militaire. Several ministers, members of the National Assembly and eminent personalities were present.

The Prime Minister emphasised that the CSU since its launch, has brought Government service delivery up to the next level by improving the quality of life of citizens as well as empowering Governmental institutions by leveraging on innovative technologies through the Citizen Support Portal (CSP). The CSU, he said, has registered around 83 000 cases with 66 000 cases solved, representing 80%.

Prime Minister Jugnauth commended the dedicated work of the CSU in providing solutions to the daily struggles of citizens and the Citizen Advice Bureau for assisting the population since its creation in 1989. With regard to the task force committee that he has put in place to oversee problems of the population, he highlighted that more than 150 meetings have been conducted for close monitoring of cases.

As for the achievements of the CSU, the Prime Minister stated the Unit has received the Silver Award for the Public Service Excellence Award 2017 and it was bestowed with a bronze award by the African Association for Public Administration and Management for creating the CSP which addresses complaints and queries of the citizens of the country.

Speaking on the combat against crime, the Prime Minister reiterated his firm determination to fight against all forms of criminality from drug trafficking to thefts. On this score, he stated that t he Safe City project will help to reduce the occurrence of crime, fight drug proliferation and promote effective traffic and road safety management. The Metro Express project, geared to become the backbone of Smart Mauritius and transform the public transport system, was also highlighted by the Prime Minister.

Prime Minister Jugnauth further spoke of major upcoming events for this year which are namely, the Indian Ocean Island Games 2019 (IOIG) to be held in July 2019 and the visit of the Pope to Mauritius on 09 September 2019. He appealed to the population to show patriotism and support to the Mauritian team during the IOIG 2019.

For his part, the Chief Executive Officer of Mauritius Telecom (MT), Mr Sherry Singh, stated that that the portal www.csu.mu is a modern as well as a disability-friendly tool which enables any citizen to register a complaint or suggestion via a tablet, a mobile phone or a computer device on a database managed by the CSU. He spoke of MTs continuous commitment towards the CSP and added that the institution is engaged to working for the economic growth of the country.

On that occasion, a clip entitled Dan linite, nou fierte was launched to celebrate the second anniversary of the CSU.

Citizen Support Portal

The CSP, which is under the responsibility of the CSU of the Prime Ministers Office, was developed by the MT and launched in April 2017. It has as set objectives to promote transparency and confidence for a citizen to track the status of his/her complaint at any point in time and render Ministries and other stakeholders more responsive and accountable.

Once the complaint or suggestion is filed, it is channeled to the respective Government body where officers diligently address the issue. Throughout the process, the citizen is fully kept informed through automated acknowledgement responses as well as updated information at all times.

Citizens with no access to computer or the Internet can go to the nearest Citizen's Advice Bureau where a CAB officer registers their requests on the portal. The CSU services are also extended to 95 Mauritius Post Offices whereby citizens can go and file their request on the CSP with the assistance of an officer.

There are 300 Ministries, Departments, parastatal bodies and local authorities that handle, in complete confidentiality, requests and complaints made by citizens on the portal.

With the CSP, citizens are empowered through a paperless and time-saving method to register complaints on a 24/7 basis using internet; and enable Government to take or review policy decisions based on analysis of the complaints where no solutions are found.
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On July 2, 1929, a fire lookout on Mount Tamalpais spotted smoke rising from the railroad grade on the eastern slope. A wildfire, cause unknown to this day, had sparked on the mountain, flames blowing downhill toward Mill Valley below. Though the Great Mill Valley Fire covered a relatively small footprint, it was disproportionately destructive, burning for three days and incinerating more than 100 homes.

Sixteen years later, in September 1945, another major fire stormed through the Mount Tamalpais watershed. Dry weather and strong winds converted a pair of small brush fires into an inferno that burned more than 20,000 acres, from Lagunitas to the Bolinas Lagoon. While there hasnt been a major fire on Mount Tam in the 74 years since, between 1881 and 1945 the area burned five times.

Everyone thinks about that, says Shaun Horne, Natural Resources Program Manager for the Marin Municipal Water District. Without a significant fire in decades, he says, and with the encroachment of invasive plant species, Theres more potential fuel. Its a high-hazard environment for wildfire.

Indeed, Cal Fire rates the risk of fire in the watershed as high or very high.

Protecting the Mount Tam watershed from the type of catastrophic wildfires that have decimated prime outdoor destinations around California is the job of Horne and the Marin Municipal Water District. The district controls about 18,900 acres of watershed on and around the mountain, from Mill Valley in the south past Kent Lake in the north. Along with being an important water resource, Mount Tam is a beloved destination for outdoor recreation, from hiking and biking to trail running and camping. The watershed also borders on Marin communities; about 45,000 people live within two miles.

In March, the water district released the Biodiversity, Fire and Fuels Integrated Plan, a 220-page document years in the making that details the four main threats to the landscape  fire, invasive species/weeds, forest disease and climate change  the strategies for addressing them, and an action plan to minimize the risk of wildfire on Mount Tam.

After public comment on the plan closes June 19, the plan will be presented to the Marin water districts board of directors for adoption. Horne expects them to decide before the end of the year.

Its really a monumental moment, he says. Theres no one treatment that needs to be done. Its really a holistic approach.

The documents primary strategies include constructing and maintaining fuel breaks, creating defensible space around key infrastructure, restoring ecosystem through prescribed burns and removal of problem species, mitigating the effects of the tree disease known as sudden oak death, and rapid response to invasive plants that alter the mountains fuel mix.

Were increasing our overall investment in vegetation management in the watershed, says Horne. The 2019 budget for vegetation and wildlife management and watershed maintenance comes in at about $3.6 million. The proposed budget for 2020 calls for an almost $1 million increase that would go to contractors doing fuel reduction and other implementation of forest management practices.

If the integrated plan is adopted as written, its stepped up interventions would increase the annual operating budget for vegetation management by about 200%.

Tom Stienstra/Tom Stienstra / The Chronicle

Already, the water district has made significant strides. Over the last decade, Horne says, the district has constructed and maintained over 900 acres of fuel break to prevent the spread of wildfires. Often they take the form of the fire roads and paved routes that visitors use to access Mount Tam, fire-mitigation infrastructure that blends into the landscape.

Vegetation management efforts include thinning Douglas fir forest to restore grassland and oak woodland habitat, reducing the spread of broom and other non-native species and working with the One Tam collaborative organization to detect new invasive species before they rise to the level of serious problems.

The district is also addressing the impact of sudden oak death, which has spread across more than 10,000 acres of Mount Tam, killing tanoak trees, degrading the forest and creating a cycle of fire fuel on the landscape. Horne says theyre fighting that cycle by clearing out and mulching up dead material, and working with the U.S. Forest Service, UC Davis and California Polytechnic University to test new management approaches that would reduce the fire risk caused by the disease, reestablish trees, improve the soil and support native species.

Its pretty cutting-edge stuff. Not a lot of agencies are finding treatment methods, Horne says of managing the diseases impact and restoring the forests health.

But the biggest challenge to protecting the Mount Tam watershed isnt the spread of Douglas fir, pervasive broom plants or sudden oak death. Horne says the top obstacle is money. Its a universal issue that land management agencies have. Theres more work to be done than theres funding for.

The district does have help. Together with One Tam, the Marin water district is trying to secure state funding for their efforts, and in December, the Marin County Fire Department installed new 24-hour cameras that help detect small fires. Volunteers staff the East Peak fire lookout inside Mount Tamalpais State Park, and on red-flag days, when the fire risk ratchets up to severe on the dial, Marin Municipal Water District coordinates with nearby parks and the Fire Department to close sections of the mountain to vehicle traffic.

Were trying to mitigate accidental ignition by visitors, Horne says. Car accidents, people smoking, people coming out and using camping stoves and things like that.

The water district uses social media and local community efforts to communicate with visitors about wildfire risk. With One Tam, the district welcomes volunteers almost every weekend to pull broom, survey rare plant species or count butterflies. A roving ranger gives out information on the stewardship and ecology of the region.

Which includes wildfire.

Fire on the landscape is a natural part of our California ecology, Horne says. Provided it doesnt move into the canopy and become uncontrollable, fire on the mountain is not necessarily a bad thing.

Sarah Feldberg is the San Francisco Chronicle assistant travel editor. Email: sarah.feldberg@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @sarahfeldberg
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To get to Tomales Bay from San Francisco, you borrow the nearest available convertible and then motor north across the Golden Gate Bridge for about an hour, winding up, down and around the most dramatic stretch of Highway 1 switchbacks this side of Big Sur.

When you hit Point Reyes, the road splits. Picture a tuning fork. The western prong is wild parkland: a cypress-tree tunnel, an elk reserve, a lighthouse. The eastern prong is more civilized, characterized by surprisingly good shopping and outrageously good eating. In between, protected on both sides, is the bay itself  a Pacific inlet 15 miles long and narrow enough to see across.

The area remains wonderfully, stubbornly agricultural  dotted with so many dairy farms that milk practically runs from the taps. And it feels a thousand miles away, even though its close enough that you can stay all the way through suppertime and still be home for SNL.

Morning

For a day this full, youll need fuel. Start at the northern end of the bay with a coffee and a Chocolate Devil (a sweet, snail shell-shaped pastry blanketed in powdered sugar) at the indoor-outdoor Tomales Bakery.

Then pull on your swim trunks. Anyone can spend a day tooling around Tomales Bay. Youre getting in it. Because the most rewarding way to experience the bay is via kayak.

On the western flank of the bay in Inverness, laid-back outfitter Blue Waters will hook you up with a boat, give you a quick paddling lesson, and then either accompany you on a guided tour or shove you off in the direction of cliff-hugging homes perched vertiginously above the shoreline. To take advantage of a tailwind on the return trip, you start heading north, paddling at your own pace for two or four hours, in either a single or double sit-on-top kayak. Pause to watch jet-black cormorant water birds dive for their breakfast, admire the landscape and the real estate, and if you spy a secluded cove, feel free to pull right up: Presto, private beach.

Blue Waters opens at 9 and the earlier you go, the better. Later hours bring stiff winds. Plus, as the tide washes out, the launch area becomes nothing but mud.

Midday

Youve worked your upper body, now stretch your legs with a hike. Two nice jaunts in particular start a short drive away, just up Sir Francis Drake Boulevard. The closer one leads you down a flat, pebbled path to the sand dunes of Abbotts Lagoon. Its only a mile of easy walking from the parking lot to the ocean, framed on both sides by waving seagrass in 50 shades of green. Slow down and look for the California red-legged frog or Myrtles silverspot butterfly, which despite its name is as orange as a tangerine. Youre also apt to spot quail along the trail.

If youre hoping to see bigger game, drive to the end of the road and tackle the Tomales Point Trail at Pierce Point Ranch, a former dairy operation built in the 1850s. This hike is longer (4.7 miles each way) and steeper (with angry waves crashing on the rocks down below), but the payoff comes in the form of tule elk  great herds of them, dozens in your sightline at once. Dont make any sudden movements, and theyll let you watch them graze.

Afternoon

By now youve worked up a formidable appetite. Hook all the way around to the east side of the bay and reward yourself with as many oysters as you can afford at The Marshall Store, a waterfront smokehouse with gourmet ambitions. Youll pay San Francisco prices (almost $4 apiece!) for these babies, but theres simply nothing better than sitting outside with a plate of barbecued bivalves, watching the sailboats bob.

Garrick Ramirez

Grab a sleeve of brown-sugared beef jerky for the road and then head 15 minutes south into Point Reyes Station, the hamlet that anchors Tomales with its charming downtown. Your first stop is Point Reyes Books, the platonic ideal of a modern indie bookstore, a smartly curated and wholeheartedly welcoming shop with an emphasis on the natural world.

Now pop across the street: Youre going to the grocery store.

Palace Market is a supermarket with a surprise. At the very back, just behind the deli case, youll find a machine that dispenses luscious soft-serve ice cream made with buffalo milk from Double 8 dairy in Petaluma. Dont miss the velvety vanilla.

Finish your trip to town with a visit to Captain Oko, a womenswear and design boutique founded by a former photo stylist with cosmopolitan taste. Heres where youll buy that ombre-striped Peruvian parka you didnt know you needed.

Evening

After your snacky afternoon, you may not want a huge dinner  just a drink and a bite. Head back to Inverness and snag a seat at the sophisticated (but unpretentious) Saltwater Oyster Depot. Order a Scrimshaw pilsner and the chicken liver pate, complete with jalapeno jam on charred toast.

Finish the day at Nicks Cove, on the northern edge of Tomales Bay, an eatery with hunting-lodge vibes and a menu straight out of the Carter administration. Head to the bar. Call for a cocktail. And walk it to the shanty at the end of the dock  thats the Boat Shack, an unstaffed clubhouse where guests can unwind with their nightcaps and pound an upright piano until closing time.
If you've grabbed a wrap at Souvla on Hayes Street, downed a pint at Biergarten, or browsed the racks at Azalea in Hayes Valley anytime recently, you're probably familiar with the sight of SQUARED, Charles Gadeken's 50-foot LED light sculpture.

The sculpture  a "post-nature tree" made of 786 white cubes  has lived in Patricia's Green, the park on Octavia Street between Hayes and Fell, since last summer (before that, it appeared at Burning Man, among other places).

ALSO: Store owners are fed up with shoplifting in Hayes Valley

The sculpture's forms "represent the evolution of organic matter and its amalgamation with digital technology," according to Gadeken.

But SQUARED won't be there for much longer. It's getting replaced by another meditation on technology that has previously appeared at Burning Man: "Tara Mechani," a 17-foot "ancient female Buddha" that doubles as a robot inspired by Maria from the 1927 German Expressionist silent film Metropolis.

"Tara Mechani" will occupy Patricia's Green from June 4, 2019 to June 2020, according to the San Francisco Arts Commission. The installations are a collaboration between the Arts Commission and the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department, and are funded by developer impact fees in Hayes Valley.

THEN AND NOW: See how Hayes Valley has transformed over a decade

"Playing with the contemporary fascination with technology, the artwork infuses the mechanical with the compassion and empathy associated with the ancient deity. Tara Mechani challenges us to embrace the future without losing sight of past beauty and ancient wisdom," writes the artist, Dana Albany.

Eighty percent of the materials that make up the sculpture are recycled, including machine parts and hardware "collected from local San Francisco businesses," according to the Arts Commission.

Inside the sculpture, a candelabra has been bent into the shape of a ribcage. The light fixture lets off a glow meant to represent the shining of the statue's "heart and soul," according to the artist.

Recreation and Park Department General Manager Phil Ginsburg calls the installation "a conversation starter."

There's a goodbye party for the current installation on May 18.

Filipa Ioannou is an SFGATE staff writer. Email her at filipa.ioannou@sfgate.com and follow her on Twitter

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The trial of Elizabeth Holmes, the former Theranos chief executive, and Ramesh Balwani, its chief operating officer, is setting up to be the most extensive corporate prosecutions since executives at Enron were tried in 2006.

And if the case gets to trial, one intriguing question is how Holmes and Balwani will defend themselves.

A recent filing by Holmes, which was joined by Balwani, who goes by Sunny, outlines a possible defense: put the government on trial by claiming that regulators improperly brought actions against the company for its blood analysis technology.

Holmes lawyers in the filing demanded records from the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services related to their interactions with John Carreyrou, a reporter for The Wall Street Journal who broke the story about problems with Theranos technology. He later wrote a devastating portrayal of the company, Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup, that paints a picture of questionable practices in the companys operations.

The defense claimed Carreyrous interactions with the federal agencies, including efforts to urge others to report problems at Theranos to regulators, is exculpatory information that must be turned over to the defendants.

In evaluating the governments case, the jury should be aware that an outside actor, eager to break a story (and portray the story as a work of investigative journalism), was exerting influence on the regulatory process in a way that appears to have warped the agencies focus on the company and possibly biased the agencies findings against it, the filing states.

The demand for the communications is based on what is known as the Brady doctrine, named for the Supreme Courts 1963 decision in Brady v. Maryland. In that case, the court held that prosecutors must turn over any evidence to a defendant that is both material and exculpatory. In the Brady case, prosecutors failed to disclose evidence that the defendant did not kill the victim but that a co-defendant committed the crime. That would have supported an argument for a reduced punishment.

In demanding the communications with Carreyrou, Holmes defense appears to be creating a picture that government regulators overreacted when a reporter from The Wall Street Journal pushed them to investigate and misunderstood what was going on at Theranos.

But will putting the government on trial succeed? There is at least a possibility it could. The prosecution bears the burden of proving conspiracy and fraud beyond a reasonable doubt. One way the defense could undermine the governments case would be to raise questions about possible bias and create enough doubt among the jurors that they vote to acquit.

Not only is such a defense difficult to mount, but it is also a high-risk, high-reward tactic. It will depend on showing that the regulators were flawed in their analysis of the technology Theranos was using.

Prosecutors may combat any claim of government misconduct by focusing on the patients who used Theranos blood tests at Walgreens pharmacies in Arizona and were misled about their efficacy. The patients are likely to be much more sympathetic to a jury than wealthy investors claiming Theranos deceived them.

Holmes is also seeking documents from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services about Theranos compliance with laboratory requirements. The defense appears to want to show that Holmes did not make any false statements about how it operated its laboratory and that the agency was motivated in part by contacts with Carreyrou. In the filing, Holmes lawyers claim that the documents would demonstrate the degree to which the agency let improper considerations or external pressure cloud its regulatory decisions and bias its findings.

Making Carreyrou the centerpiece of the defense carries some risk. Regulators often respond to reports in the media and doing so does not necessarily make their investigation biased or improper. It is unclear whether the defense might even try to call Carreyrou as a witness, but that too would be a risky strategy. Carreyrou has an extensive background in the companys operations and could end up hurting the defense.

Focusing the case on the regulators also means Holmes and Balwani would be unlikely to testify, but by shifting the focus away from the two defendants and onto the government, there is at least the potential for an acquittal.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times
For years, Google and Amazon stuck to their strengths. Googles search monopoly and universe of online services seemed to present little overlap with Amazons web commerce empire.

But as the ambitions of each have expanded, it is becoming unavoidably, inescapably, clear that the technology giants are heading for a collision.

This week, at its annual Google Marketing Live conference, Google unveiled a list of new offerings designed to help it become a destination for shoppers and for marketers hoping to reach consumers considering spending decisions.

Googles latest move into Amazons core business is playing out as the retail giant makes gains in what has traditionally been the search companys home turf: digital advertising.

As online commerce has become synonymous with Amazon, shoppers are starting more of their product searches at the companys website instead of Googles  the traditional on-ramp to all things internet  and marketers are spending advertising money there.

In 2015, about 54% of product searches started on Google, and 46% started on Amazon. By 2018, the numbers had flipped, according to the marketing analytics firm Jumpstart.

Google may be synonymous with many things  search, ads, email, even artificial intelligence  but online shopping is not one of them. That is not to say the company does not try.

The companys shopping site, Google Express, looks similar to Amazons familiar online marketplace. Whether someone buys an item from, say, 99 Ranch Market or 1-800-Flowers, products are displayed in the same way and the payments are handled through Google Pay, the companys digital payment system. Customers must meet certain spending minimums to get free delivery, which is limited to the United States.

Googles financial reports do not break out how much the company makes on e-commerce, nor will the company say how many people use Google Express, but analysts assume it is a sliver of Googles $116 billion in annual ad sales.

Amazon, on the other hand, sold $277 billion in goods online last year, which analysts estimate is between a third and a half of all e-commerce sales. Amazons other business segment, which it says is primarily ads, brought in $10.8 billion in the past 12 months, a tiny sum compared with the ad businesses of Google and Facebook, but growing.

Both of these companies are arriving at the same conclusion from different points, said Juozas Kaziukenas, founder of Marketplace Pulse, a research company. For Amazon, it makes sense because why wouldnt they? They have all this traffic, and all this interest from brands.

Amazon did not respond to a request for comment on Googles new shopping plans.

The two companies, which competed only on the fringes of their businesses for years, now have a range of overlapping interests.

Google Cloud is challenging Amazon Web Services in cloud computing. Amazons Twitch is becoming a popular alternative to Googles YouTube for online video content. The Google Home and Amazon Echo are smart speaker vessels for competing intelligent assistants from the companies.

Google said Tuesday that it planned to beef up its e-commerce with a shopping feature that would allow people to make purchases directly from searches, images and YouTube videos. By clicking ads in those settings, a shopper would buy products through Google.

For users whose credit card and shipping information is stored with Google, which declined to say how many that is, the company would fill out that information to speed up checking out. Google said it wants to make shoppers more comfortable buying from retailers that they may not be familiar with by serving as a middleman that guarantees a consistent return policy and customer service.

Google also said it plans to introduce Discovery ads in YouTube, its Discover news feed, which appears beneath the search field in the Google app and mobile website, and Gmail later this year. The goal is to target audiences across different Google properties using what Google knows about users based on their online searches, the videos they watch on YouTube, the websites they browse and the apps they download.

Were making more of Google shoppable, said Brad Bender, vice president of product management for the companys ads division.

Google has made other efforts to slow Amazon in e-commerce, with little success. It started a shopping service in 2013, initially offering free same-day delivery before scrapping it. It also tried grocery delivery but gave up on that, too.

More recently, Google spent several years building its Google Express, featuring more than 1,000 retailers, including Best Buy, Costco and Target. As part of its new shopping push, Google said it will create a shopping home page that is personalized for users.

Google is adding new advertising and shopping services as it tries to quell concerns that its revenue growth has started to slow.

Last month, Googles parent company, Alphabet, announced quarterly results that fell short of Wall Street expectations, dragging down its share price. One concern raised by analysts was that ads on sites like Google and YouTube had grown 39%, below the increases of 50% to 60% in recent quarters.

Even as Amazon has become a giant in online sales, only recently has it had an advertising awakening. Many analysts see advertising as a rising third pillar of the business, along with the companys retail sales and cloud computing services. In an analysis released Tuesday, Morgan Stanley estimated that Amazons ad business would be valued at $85 billion on Wall Street.

The company has been building more tools for brands to place ads on and off its website, and it has added more space for ads when people search for products.

People may turn to Google to research their interests, but Amazon is about buying actual goods, said Brian Wieser, who analyzes media for GroupM, which directs more than $48 billion in ads each year on behalf of clients. You are actually doing, not just intending to do, which is why its viewed as being so much more useful.

The core of Amazons ad offerings are sponsored product listings, which direct shoppers to specific items based on their searches. The top of most search pages also now have a rectangular banner ad that points shoppers to a companys page or to particular items.

Googles latest move lets the company sell ads and services that are more closely tied to actual transactions, which they can charge more for.

Kaziukenas said that for now, Googles plans are not a risk at all for Amazon. The reason, he said, is that Amazon has a large advantage over other retailers after more than a decade of building the infrastructure to ship items quickly and reliably, while Google is depending on merchants to fulfill orders on their own.

Google historically has tried to not do things in the physical world, Kaziukenas said. Obviously for them that has been very profitable.

Daisuke Wakabayashi and Karen Weise are New York Times writers.
Description

GIS - 16 May, 2019: The Mauritius National Leather Value Chain Strategy for 2019-2023, an integral part of the reform for the leather sector, was presented today to key stakeholders in presence of the Minister of Business, Enterprise and Cooperatives, Mr Soomilduth Bholah, the Chief Executive Officer of the SME Mauritius Ltd, Mr Rabin Rampersad, and the consultants from the Africa Leather and Leather Products Institute (ALLPI), during a validation workshop at the Voila Hotel Bagatelle.

In his address, Minister Bholah highlighted that the National Strategy will serve as a guide for designing policy instruments and activities to support different players in the leather supply chain. He recalled that in April 2018, the first draft of the National Strategy for Leather Value Chain was formulated and circulated to relevant stakeholders for their views and comments following which the report was finalised.

This initiative, he said, was undertaken due to signs of contractions in the number of enterprises and employment rates in the leather sector in Mauritius. According to Statistics Mauritius, he said, Mauritius imported a total value of 377 million and 407 million of leather products for year 2016 and 2017 respectively which he qualified as great loss of economic opportunities for local entrepreneurs.

Minister Bholah stated the leather industry being a lucrative one has enormous potentials to bring considerable gains for the country and needed a new thrust for survival on the global market. It is time to revamp the leather sector so as to undertake the quantum leap to enter targeted niche markets and to explore potentials in high-end finished line leather products through modern technologies, he added.

To this end, the support and guidance of the ALLPI was sought in the commissioning of the National Strategy Paper. He highlighted that Africa can be a good source of raw materials and an exporter of finished goods adding that the ALLPI has highly contributed in identifying challenges and formulating appropriate support mechanisms to allow Mauritius to seize global market opportunities and achieve its full potentials in the leather sector.

For his part, Mr Rabin Rampersad underscored that SME Mauritius Ltd as a key stakeholder is at the forefront of several initiatives being taken in different sectors namely in handicraft, aquaponics and leather. The organisation, he emphasised, is engaged in the dissemination of technical knowledge and expertise as well as providing financial support to entrepreneurs especially those who are commercialising their businesses.

He enumerated several measures taken by SME Mauritius to upscale the business and enterprise sector in Mauritius. They are: creation of a technology hub and clustering system in Coromandel; setting up of the 3D printing centre; construction of a designed laboratory for leather products; and revamping the whole approach to incubations.
"Aaaaa-caaaawww!" a cartoon toucan named Tuca bellows. "That's the alarm that sounds when no women have spoken out loud for three minutes." The men at the table  a pecking order of roosters and pigeons  blink at her, incredulously. Tuca's best friend and co-worker, Bertie, was just interrupted by one of them after proposing an idea during a meeting. She hides behind her notepad in embarrassment  but she's secretly relieved by her outspoken counterpart.

In Bay Area cartoonist Lisa Hanawalt's new animated Netflix original series "Tuca & Bertie," birds of a feather wing it together. They're also inspired by two sides of Hanawalt's personality  her anxious introspection and blunt confidence.
Description

GIS  16 May, 2019: The Non Resident High Commissioner of Singapore to Mauritius, Mr Rangareddy Jayachandran, made a courtesy call today on the Prime Minister, Minister of Home Affairs, External Communications and National Development Unit, Minister of Finance and Economic Development, Mr Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, at the New Treasury Building in Port Louis.

In a statement to the press, Mr Jayachandran said that discussions with the Prime Minister were very productive and fruitful and that the two countries will further strengthen their bilateral cooperation in several important areas. Speaking on the Metro Express project, he stated that Singapore plays a role in the designing and the monitoring of progress of this specific project, which is on track and will most likely be launched in September 2019.

The Non Resident High Commissioner of Singapore to Mauritius added that his several visits to Mauritius aim at reaffirming the bilateral cooperation that exists between the two countries and at strongly emphasising going forward in areas where both countries can work together, such as in the fields of security and infrastructure.
Five tiny kittens reportedly took part in a very long and unexpected adventure late last month when construction workers moved a 60-foot steel column containing the felines from Hayward to San Diego  nearly 500 miles away.

As the San Diego Humane Society details in a Facebook video, construction workers who were working on new medical offices heard meows coming from a column they were preparing to install on April 24.

RELATED: Sac FD: Kitten survives ride from Salinas to Sacramento inside Ford engine compartment

They tilted the column, and the kittens  who were just a week old at the time  slid out. It's unclear whether the stowaways came aboard in Hayward or somewhere along the route.

"Sixty feet tall, 14,000 pounds, and they were in there in a dark little hole," said Evan McColl, a construction worker who helped rescue the kittens.

The cats are now in foster care and will be ready for adoption in another couple of months. There are already two interested parties: a couple of the construction workers who helped save them.

RELATED: Scientists help produce 2 litters of endangered ocelot kittens

And as the Humane Society adds, they've been given appropriate construction names: Crowbar, Rebar, Chisel, Jackhammer and Piper.

"No matter how big and burly you are," McColl said, "we have these iron workers out here who became like little kids holding these kittens and wanting to look after them."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Alyssa Pereira is an SFGATE staff writer. Email her at apereira@sfchronicle.com or find her on Twitter at @alyspereira.


NEW YORK  New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Thursday that he will seek the Democratic nomination for president, adding his name to an already long list of candidates itching for a chance to take on Donald Trump.

The mayor announced his run with a video released by his campaign, then headed to the Statue of Liberty, where he said the country is in an identity crisis around immigration, which he called the founding and unifying element of the American experience.

We are figuring out who we are, he said. There are American values we need to return to and fight for in order to achieve our greatest potential.

On his campaigns first day, he dove into an insult match with Trump.

During an appearance on Good Morning America, de Blasio borrowed one of Trumps tactics by giving the president a disparaging nickname: Con Don.

Hes a con artist. I know his tricks. I know his playbook, the mayor said.

Trump tweeted that de Blasio was considered the worst mayor in the U.S.

The president said, He is a JOKE, but if you like high taxes & crime, hes your man. NYC HATES HIM!

In announcing his candidacy, de Blasio, 58, seeks to claim a role on the national stage that has eluded him as mayor of the biggest U.S. city.

When he took office in 2014, de Blasio seemed briefly poised to become a leading voice for an emerging left wing of the Democratic Party. His central message then and now is fighting income inequality, a theme he hit in the video announcing his candidacy.

Theres plenty of money in this world. Theres plenty of money in this country. Its just in the wrong hands, he said.

Liberal enthusiasm faded during his first term, partly because of political missteps at home and the emergence of bigger names elsewhere. He could face obstacles trying to distinguish himself in a crowded field.

After his appearance at the Statue of Liberty, for a ceremony opening a new museum, de Blasio planned to travel to Iowa to campaign Friday, then fly to South Carolina for events Saturday and early Sunday.

De Blasio has drawn small audiences so far in visits to early primary states including New Hampshire, where just six attendees showed up for a mental health discussion.

A recent Quinnipiac University poll found 76% of New York City voters say they believe he shouldnt run.

De Blasio for President? Nah, read one recent New York Times headline.

Karen Matthews is an Associated Press writer.
The new Paris Cafe is run by chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten. Photo: Scott Heins

One of New York Citys most iconic buildings is open again. As promised during years of teasing and hype, the TWA Hotel is officially welcoming guests into its handsome, mid-century doors. But does that mean that you  presumably a busy New Yorker who doesnt love the idea of sitting on the A train for an hour-plus out to Queens  should actually check it out? Read on to see what we think.

Seriously, whats the deal with this place?

After 18 years languishing in plain sight, John F. Kennedy International Airports iconic TWA Flight Center  the retro-spacey building sitting just outside the airports Terminal 5 that was designed by Eero Saarinen and originally completed in 1962  reopens this week as the TWA Hotel, one of the most bonkers, meticulous restoration projects in recent memory.

Now, the developer, MCR  which is said to have outbid Ian Schrager and Donald Trump for the contract  has reopened the building, flanked by two new wings, as a 512-room hotel. And, as with any big-money real-estate project, there are bars and restaurants designed to entice people to visit.

Are you really telling me to go to the airport to eat dinner?

Not exactly. Architecture fans will want to check out the restored terminal building, which certainly looks like it was brought back to life with a painstaking eye for period details. (The team also bought many pieces  including Mies van der Rohe armchairs  from the 2016 Four Seasons auction.) As Tyler Morse, the CEO of MCR said earlier this week, Weve restored everything to exactly as it was in 1962. Heres an example: Through one arched side door is an unassuming round banquette designed by Charles Eames. It used to be called the Popes chair, because Paul VI and John Paul II, both TWA fans, would receive their final guests here while waiting to depart for Rome. Morses group restored the space to its original splendor, so guests who find it can sip coffee and act pontifical.

That said, anyone rushing out specifically to eat and drink should save themselves the hour-long Lyft ride for now.

So  its bad?

Its not bad, but its all incredibly ambitious and, at least in the early going, everyone is very clearly getting up to speed. To put it less charitably: During the hotels first full day in business, the place was a mess. The main restaurant refused to seat anyone without a reservation, and the bar wasnt able to actually serve many people  including some unlucky souls who arrived to learn their rooms also were not yet ready.

Tell me more about this bar. How could it not be ready?

Its a big deal. The bar, henceforth known as the Sunken Lounge, which is run by the Gerber Group (the same people who recently revamped the Campbell in Grand Central Terminal). It resembles, as the name indicates, a giant conversation pit, decked out with chili-pepper-red carpet, a black Solari di Udine flight board, and red-upholstered Saarinen tulip stools. The simplicity, Scott Gerber boasts, is what makes it so spectacular.

The drinks are all airport-themed  the Come Fly With Me involves vodka, St. Germain, prosecco, and lime; a $20, vodka-based Sunken Lounge Martini comes with flight wings  but Grub Streets calls for a proper Aviation were met only with apologies from a bartender who said the bar was not yet stocking any creme de violette, a crucial ingredient. (The bars food is similarly straightforward: a pretzel, some hummus, or a charcuterie plate.)

Theres no denying that the lounge is an extremely handsome place to drink, but you wont find anything here that you cant also get at any decent cocktail bar in Manhattan.

Classy cocktails and retro stylings.. Photos: Scott Heins. Classy cocktails and retro stylings.. Photos: Scott Heins.

Doesnt Jean-Georges have a restaurant, too?

He does, and it is very pink. Jean-Georges Vongerichtens 200-seat redo of the Paris Cafe is being touted as his first hotel restaurant  which isnt technically true, since, for example, his flagship Jean-Georges is in the Trump International Hotel  but its definitely his first airport restaurant, and, as you might expect, hes nostalgic for the days of luxury air travel: Smoking was okay, there were massages, pedicures, manicures, the chef says. You could fly to L.A., and arrive as a new person! Well-fed, too!

Thats fun! I love caviar and chicken Kiev!

We do, too, but hold on, because the early menu for the Paris Cafe is very much rooted in 2019 crowd-pleaser mode: burrata, fish tacos, and black-truffle pizza are all accounted for, and the restaurant is being called  you guessed it  an all-day cafe. You can have an omelet in the afternoon, a burger for breakfast, or a steak with Cafe de Paris butter at 10 p.m., Vongerichten explains.

A period-appropriate menu design at the Paris Cafe. Photo: Scott Heins

It still sounds better than a Sbarro.

Thats true, but if youre looking for a full-on return to mid-century luxury dining, youll want to stick to the Grill or maybe Thomas Kellers new TAK Room in Manhattan. Much like the Sunken Lounge, the Paris Cafe (and its sibling, the Lisbon Lounge) are decked-out in mid-century vibes, but are, for better or worse, designed to appeal to actual airline travelers of the 21st century.

So thats it? One restaurant and one bar?

Hardly. There are wheeled coffee carts serving Intelligentsia, a food hall in the south wing called the Departures Dining Hall that features sandwiches, empanadas, etc., a rooftop lounge  also run by the Gerber Group  with an infinity pool overlooking the airports runways (!!!), and, oh yeah, another bar inside an actual plane.

What?

On the tarmac outside, youll find a refurbished L-1649A Starliner. Connie, as the 1958 Lockheed Constellation has been nicknamed, comfortably seats 30 guests.* A conveyor belt now ferries booze and ice to the bar, the cockpit was left intact for maximum Instagrammability, and the seats are originally from 1958. You can reserve tables for two or four up to 60 days in advance, and do not be surprised if this becomes a popular spot for private parties.

Look, I have to go to Orlando for work next week so Ill be at the airport anyway  should I get there early to see this or not?

Yes! Sure! Probably! It really is like Mad Men brought to life. But even if it looks like 1962, it very much is still an airport hotel in 2019, so you may want to eat something before you get there.

* This post has been updated. The original information provided about seating capacity inside Connie was incorrect.
In honor of National Police Week, Houston-based police officer, pastor, and national gospel recording artist Marcus Jordan will sing the National Anthem for the HISD Police Appreciation and Awards Breakfast Ceremony this Friday, May 17, 2019. The event will take place at High School for Law and Justice located at 3505 Coyle Street. This event is open to the public.

National Police Week often slips under the radar, much as speeding drivers wish they could. For law-enforcement officers, however, this is a time to honor their fallen comrades, and, under the right circumstances, also an occasion to be recognized for the perilous duty they perform.

Jordan recently was a presenter at the 34th Annual Stellar Gospel Music Awards Pre-Telecast in Las Vegas this past March and also just recently celebrated his 33rd birthday (May 8) and released his new radio single, "Give God The Glory" on all digital platforms on May 3. The song, which is written by Marcus and produced along with Samuel Fisher is a song of acknowledgement to the Father!

Tags : marcus jordan marcus jordan news HISD Police Appreciation and Awards Breakfast Ceremony national police week
I.M. Pei, the Chinese-born American architect who began his long career working for a New York real-estate developer and ended it as one of the most revered architects in the world, has died. He was 102.

His son Chien Chung Pei said on Thursday that his father had died overnight.

Pei was probably best known for designing the East Building of the National Gallery of Art in Washington and the glass pyramid that serves as an entry for the Louvre in Paris.

He was hired by William Zeckendorf in 1948, shortly after he received his graduate degree in architecture from Harvard, to oversee the design of buildings produced by Zeckendorfs firm, Webb & Knapp.

At a time when most of his Harvard classmates considered themselves fortunate to get to design a single-family house or two, Pei quickly found himself engaged in the design of high-rise buildings, and he used that experience as a springboard to establish his own firm, I.M. Pei & Associates, which he set up in 1955 with Henry Cobb and Eason Leonard, the team he had assembled at Webb & Knapp.

Also One of the last living Pearl Harbor veterans dies in San Antonio at 100

In its early years, I.M. Pei & Associates mainly executed projects for Zeckendorf, including Kips Bay Plaza in New York, finished in 1963; Society Hill Towers in Philadelphia (1964); and Silver Towers in New York (1967). All were notable for their gridded concrete facades.

The firm became fully independent from Webb & Knapp in 1960, by which time Pei, a cultivated man whose quiet, understated manner and easy charm masked an intense, competitive ambition, was winning commissions for major projects that had nothing to do with Zeckendorf. Among these were the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado, completed in 1967, and the Everson Museum of Art in Syracuse, New York and the Des Moines Art Center in Iowa, both finished in 1968.

They were the first in a series of museums designed by Pei that would come to include the East Building (1978) and the Louvre pyramid (1989) as well as the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland, for which he designed what amounted to a huge glass tent in 1995. It was perhaps his most surprising commission.

Pei, not a rock n roll fan, initially turned down that job. After he changed his mind, he prepared for the challenge of expressing the spirit of the music by traveling to rock concerts with Jann Wenner, the publisher of Rolling Stone.

The Cleveland project would not be Peis last unlikely museum commission: His museum oeuvre would culminate in the call to design the Museum of Islamic Art, in Doha, Qatar, of 2008, a challenge that Pei, a longtime collector of Western abstract expressionist art who admitted to knowing little about Islamic art, accepted with relish. As with the Rock & Roll museum, he saw it as an opportunity to learn about a part of culture he did not claim to understand. He began his research by reading a biography of the Prophet Muhammad, and then commenced a tour of great Islamic architecture around the world.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times
The SAT, the college entrance test taken by about 2 million students a year, is adding an adversity score to the test results that is intended to help admissions officers account for factors like educational or socioeconomic disadvantage that may depress students scores, the College Board, the company that administers the test, said Thursday.

Colleges have long been concerned with scoring patterns on the SAT that seem unfavorable to certain racial and economic groups  higher scores have been found to correlate with the student coming from a higher-income family, having better-educated parents, and being white or Asian rather than black or Hispanic.

David Coleman, chief executive of the College Board, has described a trial version of the tool, which has been field-tested by 50 colleges, in recent interviews. The plan to roll it out officially, to 150 schools this year and more broadly in 2020, was first reported by The Wall Street Journal.

More for you What it takes to get into California's top universities

The adversity score would be a number between 1 and 100, with an average student receiving a 50. It would be calculated using 15 factors, like the relative quality of the students high school and the crime rate and poverty level of the students home neighborhood. The score would not be reported to the student, only to college officials.

Admissions officers have struggled for years to find ways of gauging the hardships that students have had to overcome, and to predict which students will do well in college despite lower test scores.

Weve got to admit the truth, that wealth inequality has progressed to such a degree that it isnt fair to look at test scores alone, Coleman recently told The Associated Press. You must look at them in context of the adversity students face.

The new tool could potentially give colleges a way of doing that. But at the same time, it could invite a backlash from more affluent, white and Asian families and from students who do well on the test and worry that their adversity score will put them at a disadvantage.

The plan comes at a time when universities like Harvard, Yale, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the University of Texas at Austin face challenges to their affirmative action policies, either in the courts or through federal investigations. Many admissions officers are preparing for the possibility that a newly conservative Supreme Court could take a hard line on the use of race in admissions decisions. The College Board says race is not factored into adversity scores.

To address concerns about the fairness of standardized tests, a growing number of colleges have made it optional rather than mandatory for applicants to submit scores from the SAT or the other main standardized entrance test, the ACT.

The reputation of the SAT test has been tarnished recently by the college admissions cheating scandal, which led to criminal charges against more than 50 people, including actresses Felicity Huffman and Lori Loughlin. Prosecutors said the defendants took part in a fraudulent scheme to get children into coveted universities like the University of Southern California, Yale and Stanford.

Federal prosecutors said the scheme, led by a charismatic admissions consultant, included tactics like obtaining phony certifications of disability so that students could take the SAT alone with extra time, paying off a test proctor to change test answers afterward, and in some cases paying a ringer to take the whole test for a student.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times
WASHINGTON  President Trump has told his acting defense secretary, Patrick Shanahan, that he does not want to go to war with Iran, according to several administration officials, in a message to his hawkish aides that an intensifying U.S. pressure campaign against the clerical-led government in Tehran must not escalate into open conflict.

Trumps statement, during a Wednesday morning meeting in the Situation Room, came during a briefing on the rising tensions with Iran. U.S. intelligence has indicated that Iran has placed missiles on small boats in the Persian Gulf, prompting fears that Tehran may strike at U.S. troops and assets or those of its allies.

No new information was presented to the president at the meeting that argued for further engagement with Iran, according to a person in the room. But Trump was firm in saying he did not want a military clash with the Iranians, several officials said.

On Thursday, Trump was asked during a visit by the Swiss president, Ueli Maurer, whether the United States was going to war with Iran.

I hope not, he replied.

The president has sought to tamp down reports that two of his most hawkish aides  the national security adviser, John Bolton, and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo  are spoiling for a fight with Iran.

There is no infighting whatsoever, Trump said in a tweet Wednesday.

But Trump added he was confident Iran will want to talk soon, signaling an openness to diplomacy that officials said is not shared by Bolton or Pompeo.

The presidents professed hopes for a dialogue with Iran seem unlikely to produce a breakthrough any time soon. In Tokyo, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif of Iran said there was no possibility of discussions with the administration to ease the tensions, Agence France-Presse reported.

Pompeo has outlined 12 steps Iran must take to satisfy the United States  measures some in the Pentagon view as unrealistic and could back Iranian leaders into a corner.

Trump is less frustrated with Bolton over his handling of Iran  he favors the tougher measures as a warning to Tehran  than over the evolving narrative that his national security adviser is leading the administrations policy in the Middle East, according to three officials.

Eric Schmitt, Maggie Haberman and Mark Landler are New York Times writers.
SAN FRANCISCO (BCN)



Federal prosecutors in San Francisco announced Wednesday that 13 people have been indicted on charges of operating an East Bay drug ring that allegedly sold cocaine, heroin, fentanyl and methamphetamine.



Nine defendants are charged in the grand jury indictment with conspiring to sell the four drugs. Seven of those defendants and six others face additional charges of possessing or distributing drugs and/or conspiring to distribute methamphetamine.



Prosecutors said in court documents that the investigation began in 2017 when undercover agents allegedly bought cocaine and heroin from defendant Jeffrey McCoy, 46, of Pittsburg, at locations including Pittsburg and Antioch. Court-approved wiretaps then allegedly led to defendant Lorenzo Lee, 66, of Antioch, an alleged supplier, and to others accused of selling the drugs.



Prosecutors said five of the defendants were arrested on April 30 in connection with an earlier criminal complaint in the case.





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SAN FRANCISCO (BCN)



A 65-year-old man was punched and robbed at a bus stop in San Francisco's Mission District early Thursday morning, police said.



The robbery occurred around 5 a.m. at the intersection of 16th and Mission streets.



The victim was sitting at the bus stop when three suspects approached and demanded money from him, according to police.



The suspects then began attacking and punching the man, then took his wallet and cash before fleeing, police said.



The trio, believed to be two men in their 30s and a third who is in his 20s, remain at large. The victim suffered injuries in the attack but they are not life-threatening, police said.





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SAN FRANCISCO (BCN)



A federal appeals court in San Francisco on Wednesday upheld the conviction of former Chinatown tong leader Raymond "Shrimp Boy" Chow for the murder of his predecessor as tong chief, racketeering conspiracy and other crimes.



Chow, 59, also known as Kwok Chow, was convicted in 2016 of 162 organized-crime counts and was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer of San Francisco to life in prison.



A unanimous three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected his appeal claim that he should have been given the identities of two undercover FBI agents who testified against him in his two-month trial.



The judges said prosecutors had shown them confidential evidence "strongly suggesting that disclosure of the agents' identities would threaten their safety."



The court also upheld Breyer's decision to close the courtroom when the agents testified, while allowing the public to view a live video in another courtroom that showed the testimony with the agents' faces hidden.



The panel additionally turned down Chow's claim that prosecutors should not have been allowed to give the jury evidence that in a 2000 plea agreement in a previous case, he admitted participating in ordering several murders.



The court said the federal prosecutors brought up Chow's previous admission only after he falsely testified from the stand in Breyer's court that he was not involved in any previous murders.



"We refuse to adopt an interpretation of Chow's plea agreement that would allow him to testify falsely at his criminal trial without fear of impeachment," the court said.



Chow was convicted of murder in aid of racketeering, which carries a mandatory life sentence, for ordering the slaying of Chee Kung Tong leader Allen Leung, who was fatally shot by a masked gunman in his Chinatown business office in San Francisco in February 2006.



Six months later, Chow became the leader or "dragonhead' of the tong. Prosecutors claimed he then led a criminal faction of the fraternal group in an organized crime enterprise.



Chow was also convicted of racketeering conspiracy, conspiring to murder another rival, five counts of conspiring to receive and transport stolen liquor and cigarettes across state lines, and 154 counts of money laundering.





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Butte County District Attorney Michael Ramsey said Wednesday he is continuing an investigation into whether "PG&E or any of its personnel have any criminal liability" in the deadly 2018 Camp Fire.



The statement came in the wake of Cal Fire's announcement that it has determined the fire was caused by PG&E electrical transmission lines in the Sierra foothills in eastern Butte County.



The state agency said the fire was promoted by tinder-dry vegetation, strong winds and hot and dry weather. The fire swept southwest through the county and killed 85 people, burned 153,336 acres, destroyed 18,804 structures and leveled most of the city of Paradise.



Cal Fire said it is referring its report to the Butte County district attorney.



Ramsey said in his statement that his office and the California attorney general's office have already been investigating the fire since November.



The district attorney said the investigation could take weeks or months longer and said he won't comment further until it is completed. The full Cal Fire report will be confidential until a final decision is made on whether to file criminal charges, he said.



PG&E Co. said in a statement that it accepts Cal Fire's conclusion on the cause of the fire and said it is "fully cooperating with all ongoing investigations."



The utility is currently in a Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceeding, which enables it to suspend its debts and potential lawsuit liability while it develops a financial reorganization plan.



The Butte County district attorney previously conducted a misdemeanor criminal probe of the smaller 2017 Honey Fire in that county, which burned 150 acres. No one was injured. PG&E reached a $1.5 million settlement with the district attorney in that case.



But U.S. District Judge William Alsup of San Francisco concluded in January that the utility violated its probation in a federal criminal pipeline safety case by failing to tell its probation officer about the settlement.



On Monday, Alsup signed an order requiring the PG&E board of directors and senior managers to visit Paradise by July 15 as the utility's sentence for the probation violation.



He also ordered the utility leaders to visit San Bruno, the site of a fatal PG&E natural gas pipeline explosion in 2010, and to establish a board committee to monitor wildfire prevention efforts.





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The U.S. Department of Transportation has awarded a $10 million grant for the expansion of the Charles M. Schulz-Sonoma County Airport.



The Department of Transportation awarded $779 million in supplemental funding in infrastructure grants to 127 airports in all 50 states and Puerto Rico.



The grants announced Wednesday are intended to increase safety, capacity and security at the airports.



The Sonoma County Department of Transportation and Public Works is planning a 30,000-square-feet, $25 million expansion at the airport.



It includes improvements to the gate area of the terminal, two-lane passenger screening, seating for 350, new restrooms and concessions, outside seating, in-terminal rental car counters and an enhanced luggage carousel. Construction is scheduled to start in 2020.



The county intends to apply for an additional $10 million federal grant for the expansion. The county would provide $2 million to match the $20 million in federal funding and also contribute the remaining $3 million for improvements and expansion not covered by the federal grants.



The airport north of Santa Rosa was listed as the sixth-fastest growing airport in the country, with 210,000 passengers in 2018, according to airport manager Jon Stout.



Four airlines currently provide service from the airport to Seattle, Portland, Los Angeles, Orange County, San Diego, San Francisco, Dallas/Fort Worth, Phoenix, Las Vegas, Minneapolis and Denver.





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Hundreds of teachers will strike next week following a breakdown in contract talks with a Union City school district Wednesday, teachers announced.



Officials with the New Haven Teachers Association said around 8:30 p.m. that 585 of their teachers in the New Haven Unified School District will take to the picket lines Monday to demand professional pay to retain teachers.





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SAN FRANCISCO (BCN)



A San Francisco jury on Wednesday found a man guilty of several felonies in connection with the sexual assault of two female sex workers more than five years ago in the city's Mission District, prosecutors said.



The jury found Oakland resident Edwin Rodriguez, 39, guilty of multiple counts of forcible rape as well as aggravated kidnapping, assault and criminal threats. Rodriguez now faces multiple life sentences, prosecutors said.



The first incident happened on March 16, 2014.



The victim was soliciting herself near 20th and Capp streets when a man driving a Cadillac Escalade pulled up and, after negotiations, she got inside. When the driver took her to a different location, he said he didn't intend on paying her.



The woman tried to escape, but the suspect pushed her into the seat and told her he had a gun.



The suspect then sexually assaulted her, as she cried and pleaded for her life. The suspect also hit her multiple times, prosecutors said.



The suspect then drove the victim back to the area where he initially picked her up. The victim was able to go to a hospital and also reported the assault to police, according to prosecutors.



At the hospital, during a sexual assault examination, medical experts were able to retrieve two condoms from the woman's body and they were submitted for DNA testing.



Weeks later, on May 4, 2014, the same suspect in the Escalade pulled up to a woman soliciting herself near Shotwell and 19th streets.



After negotiating a price, the woman entered the Escalade and the man drove her to the corner of 17th Street and San Bruno Avenue where they got in the back seat, prosecutors said.



When the woman asked for the driver to pay her, he pulled out a large kitchen knife and forced her to perform sex acts, according to prosecutors.



Afterward, the man said he didn't feel comfortable and wanted to move to another location. Prosecutors said he then demanded that the victim get back in the vehicle's front seat and told her, "don't try anything stupid," threatening to shoot and kill her if she didn't comply.



As the suspect drove, the victim opened her door and jumped out of the Escalade, landing on her ankle.



Although she tried to run away, she broke her ankle in the process and stumbled. A good Samaritan, however, saw her and helped her call 911.



Once at the hospital, officers assured the victim she wouldn't be prosecuted for soliciting herself and she was able to provide officers with a description of the suspect.



The victim was able to recall that the suspect had several distinct tattoos on his arm, neck and head. She was also able to provide several details about the suspect's vehicle.



Investigators were able to obtain video surveillance from the intersection where the second victim escaped the suspect. Video footage showed the incident as well as the suspect's distinguishable white Escalade SUV.



Two days later, an officer driving near Shotwell and 24th streets noticed an SUV matching that of the suspect's Escalade.



Officers were able to detain the driver and identified him as Rodriguez. They also noticed he matched the description of the suspect provided by both victims.



Investigators included a mugshot of Rodriguez in a photo lineup of suspects and showed them separately to the victims.



Both victims identified Rodriguez as a suspect.



Additionally, the city's crime lab determined the DNA on the two condoms retrieved from the first victim matched that of Rodriguez, according to prosecutors.



"This case underscores the importance of San Francisco's safety for sex worker policies," District Attorney George Gascon said in a statement. "If we fail to prioritize this population's health and safety they will not come forward and work with law enforcement as witnesses and victims of violence. Ultimately, unreported crimes and criminals pose a threat to everyone's public safety."



According to Gascon's office, because many sex workers don't report crimes out of fear of being arrested, the California legislature is currently considering Senate Bill 233, which calls for a sex worker safety policy similar to San Francisco's, prohibiting the arrest of a sex worker reporting certain crimes like sexual assault, human trafficking, stalking, robbery, assault, kidnapping, threats, blackmail, extortion, burglary.





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A 74-year-old Hayward man in custody in Santa Clara County since November for a 1973 murder was arrested Thursday in connection with a separate murder the next year in San Mateo County.



San Mateo County sheriff's officials served John Arthur Getreu with an arrest warrant for the murder of Janet Taylor, a woman found strangled to death along Sand Hill Road west of Interstate Highway 280 on March 25, 1974.



Getreu had been arrested on Nov. 20 for the murder of 21-year-old Leslie Perlov on Feb. 13, 1973. In both cases, the victims were seen leaving the Stanford University campus area before being killed, according to the sheriff's office.



San Mateo County sheriff's cold case investigators in 2017 re-initiated the investigation into Taylor's death in conjunction with their counterparts in Santa Clara County.



Both agencies submitted evidence to their respective crime labs for DNA analysis and while the San Mateo County case did not initially reveal any DNA evidence, Santa Clara County's located a DNA link to Getreu that helped them make the arrest in Perlov's death.



The arrest prompted San Mateo County investigators to look through more evidence in Taylor's case and submitted additional items to the crime lab, which determined DNA evidence on clothing worn by her was consistent with that of Getreu's, sheriff's officials said.



Investigators also learned that Getreu was connected to the Palo Alto area during the time of both murders, and had also in 1964 been put on trial for rape resulting in the death of a 16-year-old girl in Germany when Getreu was 18 years old. He also had a conviction for raping a woman in Santa Clara County.



Sheriff's officials presented the case to the county district attorney's office last Friday and eventually obtained the arrest warrant for Getreu.



He was transferred to San Mateo County Jail and is set for arraignment Thursday, then will return to Santa Clara County to first face the pending charges related to Perlov's death.



Taylor's family issued a statement about the arrest of her accused killer.



"Janet's future was bright. It would have been wonderful to see what she would have done. We can't ever know all that we missed, but whatever she pursued, Janet would have served others with passion and kindness," the family said.



"We're grateful today for the diligent, meticulous work of the law enforcement officers whose efforts have resulted in today's announcement," the family said. "They've done this difficult work with integrity and excellence, and with compassion for our family."



Anyone with information about the case or Getreu is asked to call the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office's anonymous tip line at (800) 547-2700.





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OAKLAND (BCN)



Every middle school student in Oakland will soon have the chance to get out into the woods as part of a three-year program designed to teach kids about the natural environment, the Oakland Unified School District announced Thursday.



The Oakland Goes Outdoors initiative is a $1 million, district-wide plan to get all of the city's roughly 7,000 middle schoolers out of their classrooms and into the wild, according to district officials and their partners at Bay Area Wilderness Training.



The money, a grant from the San Francisco Foundation, will help provide training to teachers and after-school staff who will lead students on at least one overnight camping trip per year.



Participants are also able to borrow camping and hiking equipment like sleeping bags, tents and boots at no cost.



"We're talking about enhancing the educational experience for our kids," OUSD spokesman John Sasaki said. "And giving them a much deeper understanding that they are part of the earth and part of the environment."



The initiative was launched last year as part of a pilot program involving a few teachers and their students. This school year organizers did a "soft launch" in October.



Currently there are 13 middle schools planning outdoor trips around the region, said Liza Dadiomov, program director of Bay Area Wilderness Training.



Many of the trips are close to home, with campers heading out to areas within the East Bay Regional Parks District like the Anthony Chabot Regional Park and Tilden Regional Park, Dadiomov said.



Kids are also experiencing what it's like to sleep overnight at places like the Presidio in San Francisco, Fort Ross State Park on the Sonoma County coast and Big Basin Redwoods State Park in the Santa Cruz Mountains.



"It's totally up to the teachers what they want to do on their trips," Dadiomov said.



Students on one recent trip learned about the "leave no trace ethic," which encourages wilderness-goers to minimize their impact on the land by packing out everything they bring in and trying to leave the land in better shape than when they arrived, Dadiomov said.



Other teachers use the trips to give kids social and emotional learning experiences though team building and other exercise, and some teachers focus on science and ecology lessons.



This year, 1,300 middle school students are expected to participate in the overnight trips and next year that number is expected to double. By the third year of the program, the goal is to include every student on at least one trip, Dadiomov said.



"We're hoping to be able to continue this and to be able to expand it (in the following years)," said Dadiomov, whose organization has been training teachers to lead wilderness trips for the past 20 years.



Organizers hope that the wilderness experience will stick with the students far beyond their middle school lives.



Many Oakland students have never been camping and many have never been out of an urban environment, and have never visited the ocean or the mountains, Sasaki said.



"They get to see that it isn't just cars and buildings and streets and all that," Sasaki said. "That our world is far more than what you see on the streets of Oakland. (The experience) helps them to become better students and better people and it certainly helps them become better stewards of our earth."









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The Alameda County District Attorney's Office on Thursday charged a 43-year-old ex-felon with three counts of murder for allegedly killing three people in Oakland, San Francisco and Berkeley in a period of less than five hours last month.



Prosecutors also charged Stefon Jefferson with the special circumstance of committing multiple murders.



Witnesses place Jefferson at the scene of all three homicides and he has confessed to killing all three victims, Oakland police Officer Kris McClain wrote in a probable cause statement.



The first alleged victim was 57-year-old Marcus Jackson of Oakland, who police said was fatally shot in the 4100 block of Market Street in Oakland at about 10:15 a.m. on April 26.



A spokesman for Berkeley Mayor Jesse Arreguin said Jackson worked for the Berkeley Public Works Department.



The second alleged victim was 49-year-old Laron Davis of San Francisco, who police said was shot in the 1100 block of Donner Avenue in San Francisco at 1:27 p.m.



The third alleged victim was identified as 43-year-old Calvin Kelly of Berkeley, who police say was shot at People's Park in Berkeley at about 2:40 p.m.



Authorities say that after the three homicides, Jefferson went to the South Lake Tahoe area in Nevada, where he allegedly shot and wounded a Douglas County sheriff's deputy before being taken into custody.



According to the Douglas County Sheriff's Office, Jefferson faces 13 felony counts, including attempted murder of a peace officer, assault with a deadly weapon, being an ex-felon in possession of a firearm, eluding a peace officer and numerous additional traffic-related offenses.



Jackson remains in custody in Nevada in lieu of $1 million bail.



Douglas County District Attorney Mark Jackson previously said that his county will prosecute Jefferson first because he's already in custody there.



Authorities have not revealed Jefferson's possible motives or how exactly he was connected to the victims.



According to court documents, Jefferson has a prior assault with a deadly weapon conviction in San Francisco in 2001 and a 1998 conviction in San Francisco for receiving stolen property.





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BERKELEY (BCN)



A 20-year-old University of California at Berkeley student has been arrested on suspicion of committing a sexual assault in 2017 and then another this March, Berkeley police said Thursday.

RELATED: Oakland man found guilty of raping 2 sex workers in Mission District in 2014



Finn Wolff, a Berkeley resident and member of the school's Greek fraternity system, was arrested Tuesday in connection with the assaults, which did not occur on the UC Berkeley campus, according to police.



In the assaults, he allegedly punched, grabbed or bit the victims. Police said there may also be additional victims who have not come forward to law enforcement.
Workers at the University of California's five medical centers will stage a one-day strike Thursday to protest what they say is the university's move to outsource union jobs to private sector companies.



Many of the roughly 25,000 members of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 3299 are expected to walk off the job and onto picket lines Thursday over what union leaders call UC's "radical privatization plans."



"The University of California has bypassed its workers at every turn, refusing to meet and confer about plans to outsource middle-class jobs in California to poverty wage contractors," AFSCME Local 3299 President Kathryn Lybarger said.



The union filed three unfair labor practices complaints with the California Public Employment Relations Board earlier this year, alleging that UC's failure to deal with the union over the issues is a violation of state law.



In one complaint, the union claims that the university failed to bargain with workers at the UC Davis Medical Center over its planned joint venture with Kindred Healthcare, a non-union company tapped to take over operations at a new adult rehabilitation center.



Another complaint alleges that the university failed to notify or talk to the union about its plan to contract with Aya Healthcare to provide non-union workers to at least three of its medical centers at a cost of up to $150 million annually.



"The scope of this enterprise is unprecedented and its effects will be far reaching," the complaint says. "Given the vast scale of the project and the ease with which this system facilitates contracting out, UC medical centers can virtually instantaneously turn any middle-class union-represented job -- ones with health and retirement benefits, paid time off and prospects for career advancement -- into underpaid contingent positions with no benefits, and no security."



The third complaint claims that the university issued a request for proposals asking third-party vendors to provide staff for "a virtually limitless number of positions," mostly involving service workers, across the entire UC system.



"What is important here is that together theses three charges outline in detail ... a radical privatization scheme the university is moving forward with that will fundamentally alter its relationship with its workers," AFSCME spokesman John de los Angeles said.



This will be the fifth systemwide strike organized by unions representing UC workers over roughly the past year focused on wages, benefits and alleged violations of state law by the university.



A university spokeswoman called the union's claims "a red herring."



"AFSCME's real reason for continual strike activity is to gain leverage in negotiations, at which they have failed time and again," UC spokeswoman Claire Doan said. "In fact, UC's agreements with AFSCME bar the university from contracting out solely to save on wages and benefits. Furthermore, UC cannot terminate an employee due to a sub-contracting decision."



The university has met with union leadership 30 times in the past two years, offered all patient care and service workers a 3 percent raise for the next four years and a one-time $2,000 payment to "all eligible employees," Doan said.



UC officials also criticize the union leaders for refusing to bring the university's offers to their membership for a vote.



"Five disruptive strikes since last May -- including three in the past several months -- come at a cost to patients, students and UC communities, while doing nothing to advance negotiations," Doan said. "The way to a deal is at the bargaining table, not on the picket lines."



The last statewide UC strike was organized by members of the University Professional and Technical Employees CWA 9119 in late March over wages and outsourcing.



"Sadly, the university continues to deny the legitimacy of these issues, but we are experiencing wider support from the public," AFSCME's spokesman de los Angeles said, noting that presidential hopeful Julian Castro is expected to join workers on the picket line at the UCSF strike Thursday.



Picket lines are also expected at UC Davis, UC Irvine, UCLA and UCSD. Union members are also expected to show up in force at Thursday's UC Board of Regents meeting at UCSF Mission Bay.



AFSCME represents several different types of UC workers, including security guards, groundskeepers, cooks, custodians, truck drivers, nurse aids, respiratory therapists and radiology techs, among others.





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OAKLAND (BCN)



An Oakland fire battalion chief whose crew was the first to arrive at the scene of the fire at the Ghost Ship warehouse in 2016 that claimed 36 lives tearfully said on Wednesday that she and her crew did the best they could under difficult circumstances.



When attorneys for Ghost Ship warehouse master tenant Derick Almena, 49, and Ghost Ship creative director Max Harris, 29, accused her of not caring about the victims and leaving them to die, Heather Mozdean said, "I cannot think how we could have done anything any better."



Mozdean said, "There's not a single thing we could have done to change the outcome. That's so hard."



She said. "I've gone over and over this in my head and I'm not sure there would have been a different outcome."



Almena and Harris face 36 counts of involuntary manslaughter for the fire during a music party at the warehouse at 1309 31st Ave. late on the night of Dec. 2, 2016, one count for each of the 36 people who were killed in the blaze.



Prosecutors allege 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.



Prosecutors also say Almena and Harris violated the terms of the warehouse's lease by turning it into a living space where up to 25 people stayed and hosting underground music parties there.



But defense attorneys for Almena and Harris allege that the fire was an act of arson that Harris and Almena couldn't have prevented.



Mozdean, who was a captain at the time, was based at Fire Station 13 at 1225 Derby Ave., which is only about a block away from the warehouse.



Mozdean said she and her crew were sleeping at the time the fire was reported but had their fire clothes nearby and were able to get their fire engine out the door in about 30 seconds and got to the fire while a dispatcher was still notifying other crews about the blaze.



She said as soon as her crew arrived at the scene, "There was enough smoke and volume and velocity to know that I had a significant fire," explaining, "The greater the velocity the angrier and bigger the fire is."



Mozdean said the smoke was so thick, "I did think 'this is bad' and it made the hair on the back of my neck stand up."



Mozdean said she and her crew advanced about 40 to 50 feet inside the warehouse but had to turn around and leave the building after about 40 minutes because their air supply got low.



She said, "It was pretty quiet when we entered the building" and "unfortunately" she didn't hear anyone inside.



Mozdean also said the building was completely dark except for lights from crew members' helmets.



Other witnesses in the trial have testified that the electricity went out after the fire started.



Mozdean said she didn't hear any smoke alarms or see any illuminated exit signs or water sprinklers and said sprinklers would have been helpful "because they can hold a fire in check."



Mozdean said, "None of us want to leave a building that's on fire, we never want to give up, but I thought we don't have a chance here."



She said when she got back outside the warehouse she called her battalion chief and told him, "We're not getting anywhere and we should consider a change in strategy."



Almena's lawyer Tony Serra told Mozdean she should have found out if people were inside the warehouse before she and her crew entered the building.



But Mozdean said it wouldn't have changed anything if she knew people were inside because, "The quickest way is to get inside and look for victims and put the fire out."



When Harris' lawyer Curtis Briggs said, "You never bothered going to the second floor," where the party was going on and where most of the victims died, Mozdean said, "I'm not sure I would have expected 36 people to be at a party" at the warehouse.



She also said it was so dark that she never saw the stairs that led to the second floor.





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.
Cal Fire announced Wednesday that it has determined the disastrous Camp Fire in Butte County in November was caused by PG&E electrical transmission lines in the area of Pulga in the Sierra foothills in eastern Butte County.



The deadliest and most destructive fire in California history quickly spread southwest through Butte County in dry and windy conditions, killing 85 people and burning 153,336 acres. Nearly the entire city of Paradise was destroyed and smoke from the blaze covered the Bay Area and spread elsewhere in Northern California.



PG&E said in February that it expected that an equipment failure on a high-voltage transmission tower near Pulga would be found to be the probable cause.



Cal Fire said its investigation determined there was a second ignition site near the intersection of Concow and Rim roads. The fire at that site was consumed by the original fire, the agency said.



Later Wednesday, PG&E officials released a statement that said the company accepts Cal Fire's determination.



Company officials also said, "Our hearts go out to those who have lost so much, and we remain focused on supporting them through the recovery and rebuilding process."



The officials thanked emergency personnel who responded to the fire.



Company officials said they have not read Cal Fire's report but the determination is consistent with previous PG&E statements. The PG&E officials said they have not been able to conclude whether company equipment started a second fire as Cal Fire officials said in their report.





Copyright  2019 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited.
The proposal was presented to the tax policy task force formed by the five parties involved in the coalition formation process on Tuesday by Ilkka Kaukoranta, the chief economist at SAK.

THE CENTRAL ORGANISATION of Finnish Trade Unions (SAK) has struck fears into the hearts of business owners with its proposal to collect almost a billion euros in additional tax revenue, reports Talouselama.

SAK is proposing that the corporate tax on unlisted businesses be raised to create 288 million euros, that the exemptions to ease the transfer of family businesses from one generation to another be removed to create 141 million euros, and that the deductions for entrepreneurs be abolished to create 130 million euros in additional tax revenue.

Its list of measures also includes introducing a comprehensive wealth tax and permanent solidarity tax, as well as restoring the gift and inheritance tax brackets of 2016.

The proposals are a concern for Marjukka Siren, the managing director of Autosalpa, a family-owned chain of car dealerships based in Kouvola, Southern Finland.

Sounds scary, she summarised to the business-oriented newspaper. Im a second-generation family business owner. The parts about the inheritance tax and complicating change of generation sound especially incomprehensible. Who exactly will benefit if you make it so that the next generation is in trouble?

Siren warned that there is a risk that owners have no choice but to sell their businesses if the tax burden associated with a change of generation becomes too heavy.

Toni Hukkanen, the deputy managing director of Kalaneuvos, told Talouselama that the tax policy proposals would be a step in the wrong direction. The Sastamala-based, family-owned fish products company reported an annual revenue of 77 million euros in 2018.

Lets put it diplomatically and say wed be heading very badly in the wrong direction, phrased Hukkanen.

He also estimated that this is recognised by the management of SAK.

Our central and municipal administrations and bureaucratic systems are bloated. Complicating the activities of businesses and business owners is not a solution to this problem, because business activity is what creates benefits for the society. I think SAKs management knows this, but maybe its membership doesnt. The management does as membership tells, he speculated.

Aleksi Teivainen  HT

Source: Uusi Suomi
Taru Tujunen, the chief executive at Ellun Kanat and former party secretary at the National Coalition, views that a statutory lobbyist register would be beneficial for both decision makers and all organisations engaged in advocacy.

LOBBYISTS have been lobbying for a register for lobby transparency for years in Finland.

Weve been of the opinion for a long time that the register project is welcome. Many different organisations have called for a register for transparency, she revealed on Wednesday.

Tujunen expressed her satisfaction that the role of lobbyists has caught the attention of the public in recent weeks, given that lobbying is part of contemporary democratic decision-making.

Lobbying is part of democratic decision-making, but if its not transparent and raises questions then its not a good thing. All measures that make it more transparent are very welcome, she commented.

The debate kindled by the presence of lobbyists and trade unions in the ongoing coalition formation negotiations also indicates that there is a consensus among the coalition-bound parties, opposition-bound parties and lobbyists alike that establishing a register for lobby transparency would be a step in the right direction.

Why is there no register, then?

Thats a good question, replied Tujunen. I dont know why no one promoted the issue during the previous electoral term. Lobbyists did try to make the proposal already at the time.

Stefan Wallin, the newly appointed chief executive of Miltton Networks, estimated that the recent debate will accelerate the founding of the register for lobby transparency.

The Parliament had a parliamentary task force mull over the issue towards the end of the last electoral term. I believe its conclusions will lead to the creation of the register. I think the process to create the register wouldve started anyways at the start of the electoral term, but the debate weve had will maybe speed up the preparatory work slightly, he gauged.

Wallin, an ex-minister and Member of Parliament for the Swedish Peoples Party, also stated that the register would have no impact on the activities of Miltton Networks.

Im certain it wont have any impact. Openness and transparency are extremely important values at Miltton. We have nothing against the transparency register and new practices  on the contrary, wed welcome the register with joy.

Aleksi Teivainen  HT

Source: Uusi Suomi
The Central Organisation of Finnish Trade Unions (SAK) on Tuesday presented its tax policy proposals to the five parties involved in the coalition formation negotiations, raising questions about its influence on the next government programme.

ANTTI RINNE , the chairperson of the Social Democratic Party, has assured that the party has its very own ambitions in regards to tax policy.

Ive yet to familiarise myself with SAK's proposal, Rinne stated in the House of the Estates in Helsinki on Wednesday. Were negotiating over a common tax policy programme in this building, looking for a common approach to taxation for the government.

The Social Democratic Party, he added, is seeking to expand the tax base in a way that supports businesses and economic growth.

Ilta-Sanomat's Olli Waris reminded Rinne that SAK has a representative in the task force focusing on economic issues at the House of the Estates. The Left Alliance is represented in the task force by Jussi Saramo, a first-term Member of the Parliament from Uusimaa, and Patrizio Laina, an economist at SAK.

SAK, as far as I understand, doesnt have a single negotiator in this building, insisted Rinne.

The Social Democrats has named Antti Lindtman, the chairperson of the Social Democratic Parliamentary Group, and Saana Siekkinen, the chairperson of the supervisory board at SAK, as its representatives in a task force focusing on developing working life in Finland. The Left Alliance, in turn, is represented in the task force by Anu Tuija-Lehto, a legal advisor at SAK.

Elina Lepomaki (NCP), a third-term Member of the Parliament, criticised the tax policy proposals of SAK on Wednesday, expressing her bafflement at why the central organisation has drafted a tax programme despite not running in the elections.

Well, it looks like it was, she added on Facebook.

Aleksi Teivainen  HT

Source: Uusi Suomi
Where once there were five Chow restaurants in the Bay Area, now there are none. The last outpost of Tony Gulisano's Chow empire, in Lafayette's La Fiesta Square, closed Monday after 15 years in service, a manager confirmed Thursday.

ALSO: Are 'classic' San Francisco restaurants going extinct?

But there's some good news for Bay Area residents hankering for heaping scrambles and giant salads: The Lafayette Restaurant Group purchased the Lafayette Chow location and reopened it Tuesday under a new name, said restaurant manager Kai Gulisano, Tony's nephew.

ALSO: Two major taprooms and a resurrected SF beer brand to debut in the Bay

Most everything about the restaurant is unchanged from its predecessor, including the food menu, decor and staff, Kai Gulisano said. The only differences? The joint's been renamed Tutu's Food and Drink, and beer and wine has temporarily been removed from the menu as the restaurant awaits approval of a liquor license  including hard alcohol. Gulisano said some minor decor changes have been made as well.

The other Chow locations  in Oakland, Danville and San Francisco  closed over the past two years, including Gulisano's original outpost, at 215 Church St. in San Francisco, which shuttered in March after 22 years.

Read Michelle Robertson's latest stories and send her news tips at michelle.robertson@sfgate.com.

Start receiving breaking news emails on wildfires, civil emergencies, riots, national breaking news, Amber Alerts, weather emergencies, and other critical events with the SFGATE breaking news email. Click here to make sure you get the news.
Deane Little / Special to The Chronicle

This story originally appeared on KCRA.

There are plenty of spots in Northern California for waterfall-lovers to stumble upon.

Whether it's a 2-mile hike or a quick drive, anyone can enjoy the beauty of cascading water from the Sierra.

Waterfall photographer Leon Turnbull gave his suggestions for the most easily accessible waterfalls in Northern California.

1. AMERICAN CANYON CREEK FALLS

Nestled within a very narrow valley along the American Canyon Creek, a 15-foot waterfall offers visitors a very scenic and unique experience.

"It is one of the coolest little waterfalls in the greater Sacramento area," Turnbull said.

It's a nearly 2-mile hike to get a view of the American Canyon Creek Falls.

2. BLACK HOLE OF CALCUTTA FALLS

In Placer County, hikers can easily walk to the 40-foot Black Hole of Calcutta Falls.

Turnbull suggests hikers follow the scenic path along the Western States Trail from the Auburn Confluence.

"Start on the south side of the river, crossing over the historic No Hands Bridge, and continue on the north side up to the waterfall," Turnbull said.

It is a 2-mile round-trip hike.

3. BRIDAL VEIL FALLS

Along Highway 50, waterfall-lovers can stumble upon Bridal Veil Falls.

Esmeralda Creek flows into the falls in El Dorado County.

4. CODFISH FALLS

"The trail to Codfish Creek Falls is a beautiful and very easy hike along the North Fork of the American River," Turnbull said.

Hikers can follow the trail for about 1.4 miles then reach Codfish Creek, where the trail turns upstream a short distance to the waterfall.

"The waterfall is a pretty cascade," Turnbull said about the 68-foot-high waterfall. "Codfish Creek drops almost vertically for 40 feet., then cascades for another 28 feet. In the spring, it is a beauty."

There is a fee to park at the trailhead.

5. DEVIL FALLS

If you are looking for an easy way to see waterfalls in Northern California, Devil Falls is the one for you.

"It's certainly not the biggest or best, but if you want to see a pretty waterfall without getting out of your car, within a one-hour drive from the big city, then this is your ticket," Turnbull said.

Devil Falls is 45 feet tall.

6. LAKE CLEMENTINE FALLS

"Lake Clementine Falls is not a natural waterfall, obviously. But it is such an interesting waterfall, and Lake Clementine is a neat place to visit," Turnbull said.

The Lake Clementine waterfall is formed from the North Fork Dam. Water flows off the dam for a 122-foot drop into the river below.

"It is an amazing sight to see," Turnbull said.

There is a fee to see the waterfall.

7. LOVES FALLS

Located at the bridge over the North Yuba River along the Pacific Crest Trail, the Loves Falls offers hikers two easy ways to see the waterfall.

First, Turnbull said hikers can take a short, easy hike along the Pacific Crest Trail from Highway 49. However, if you have the time, Turnbull suggests hikers take the longer route from Wild Plum Campground.

"It is a fairly easy hike and has some nice views of the Sierra Buttes. The hike begins on the west side of Haypress Creek bridge," Turnbull said. Hikers then need to follow the Wild Plum Loop until it meets up with Pacific Crest Trail, then turn left for Loves Falls.

"The waterfall is quite a nice, little, cute one," Turnbull said. "Hopefully, you can find a good spot on the rocks below the falls to eat lunch."

8. NORTH FORK FALLS

The North Fork Falls, or the Emigrant Gap Falls, is a small waterfall along the North Fork American River.

It's a short walk from the campground, near Emigrant Gap.

"It is a very popular swimming hole in the summer," Turnbull said.

9. PAULEY FALLS

"Although only 15 feet high, it is an incredibly pretty little waterfall," Turnbull said. "It cascades down Pauley Creek in many interesting little slices. In the spring, the flow can be very impressive."

The land is owned by Downieville Water Co., but the public is allowed to access the waterfall.

"Don't go chasing waterfalls," at least not in Northern California, but sure do go see them.
TravelSkills on SFGate is brought to you by Visa

The latest partnership between a ride-sharing company and a major travel supplier is a new deal between Lyft and Hilton that lets Honors members earn program points for every ride they take.

Hilton said that loyalty members who link their Honors and Lyft accounts will earn three points per dollar spent on Lyft rides in the U.S. and Canada (not counting taxes, fees, tolls or tips). That applies for Lyft, Lyft XL, Lyft Black XL, Lux and Lux Black rides; Lyft Shared rides earn two points per dollar spent. Participants who link accounts can earn points on up to $10,000 of Lyft spending per calendar year.

The Hilton/Lyft deal is just the latest in a growing and changing collection of ways that ride-sharing customers can accumulate credit or gain benefits in other kinds of loyalty or credit card programs. For example, the American Express Platinum Card offers cardholders up to $200 a year in Uber credits. A link between the Uber app and the Visa Local Offers program lets riders earn Uber credits when they use Visa cards at local restaurants and businesses.

Lyft also has point partnerships with Delta's SkyMiles, offering one Delta mile per dollar spent (two miles on airport rides), and with JetBlue, paying 30 TrueBlue points per airport ride. Lyft has confirmed that these various point-earning options can be "stacked"  i.e., a rider who links accounts can earn credit in all three simultaneously, according to points and miles bloggers.

While the points/miles earned from a single Lyft transaction can seem insignificant, they can add up over time  especially when the benefit can apply to several partnerships at once.

Don't miss a shred of important travel news! Sign up for our FREE bi-weekly email alerts

Uber used to have a partnership with the Starwood Preferred Guest program  subsequently folded into Marriott Bonvoy  but that was terminated a year and a half ago.

Meanwhile, both Lyft and Uber last year introduced their own "frequent rider" loyalty programs for customers  Lyft Rewards and Uber Rewards. And Uber now has its own Uber Visa Card, providing rebates of one to four percent for various kinds of purchases, redeemable as Uber credits, cash back or gift cards.

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.
San Francisco's Bay to Breakers foot race starts at 8 a.m. Sunday and the National Weather Service says there's about a 50 percent chance some sprinkles will speckle sidewalks and keep runners cool that morning. Earlier in the week, the NWS forecast a 30 percent chance of rain.

The rain is likely to be showery and light, and probably more pleasant for runners than hindering.

"It's not going to be beautiful weather like we often get," says Drew Peterson, a forecaster with the NWS office in Monterey. "It will feel like running in a heavy drizzle. It's still going to rain but not a lot."

A storm system is expected to arrive in the Bay Area Saturday afternoon and deliver moderate widespread rain until about midnight. Scattered showers are likely to linger into Sunday morning, especially in the South Bay.

"The heaviest rain will be overnight," said Steve Anderson a NWS forecaster. "The streets will be nice and clean for the runners."

By Sunday afternoon, the storm will have fully exited and moved east.

ALSO: Bridges, basketballers and bubbly: The wackiest Bay Area-themed Bay to Breakers costumes

Bay to Breakers spokesperson Jake Hirsch said while officials are keeping an eye on the forecast, they don't expect weather to impact the event. Approximately 40,000 runners are registered for the race.

"If it rains, the run still goes on," he said. "It doesn't look like there's any weather in the forecast that could put anyone in danger."

Hirsch says in the six years that Wasserman Media Group has owned the race, it has never rained. A dive into SFGATE's photo archives reveals races marked by rain in 2002, 2006 and 2011. See images from those events in the gallery above.
BEIJING  Two Canadian men detained in China since December have been formally arrested on espionage charges, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said Thursday, in a move likely to ratchet up tensions between China and Canada that broke out with the arrest of a Chinese executive in Vancouver.

Michael Kovrig, a former diplomat who was detained while visiting Beijing, was charged with gathering state secrets and intelligence for abroad, while Michael Spavor, a business consultant who was detained in northeast China, was accused of stealing and providing state secrets for abroad, Lu Kang, a spokesman for the foreign ministry, said at a regularly scheduled news briefing.
BOKRIJK, Belgium  They are strikingly young, but emphatic that they should not be considered newcomers. Rather, they are claiming the mantle of Old Europe at its most traditional.

Several of this years far-right candidates in Europe are well under 30  as are some of their most ardent supporters. In Belgium, the telegenic Dries Van Langenhove, among the top picks on the list for the far-right party Vlaams Belang, is 26. In France, the head of the National Rally slate for the upcoming European elections is 23 and has been a card-carrying party member since the age of 16. In Denmark, the lead candidate from the Danish Peoples Party is a 29-year-old who is already a veteran campaigner. And in Spain, the chief spokesman for the Vox party is 27 and was elected to parliament last month.
PENITAS, Panama  Venise Felizor lay on a mattress in a warehouse-turned-shelter on a hot, sticky afternoon with her 20-month-old son, Wesly, in her arms, the boy coughing and wailing after suffering from diarrhea for days.

Originally from Haiti, they recently appeared in this tiny Panamanian village after a six-day hike through the jungle along the Colombian border, where armed robbers stole her husbands backpack containing the $1,000 that he had saved from two years working in Chile. The thieves raped three women in their group.

The way was very dangerous, said Felizor, 26. I thought my son was going to be lost. I saw scenes of death.

Panamanian authorities are struggling to contend with a spike in the number of migrants passing through what is known as the Darien Gap, a roadless, lawless region of tropical isthmus that is one of the most dangerous stretches for people heading north from South America, usually toward the United States or Canada.

Its the biggest migratory crisis Panama has faced since 2015-16, when about 60,000 people crossed the Darien Gap, an exodus that prompted governments to temporarily close borders in Panama, Costa Rica and Nicaragua. According to the National Border Service of Panama, 7,316 migrants came through the Gap this year as of April 18. Such traffic tends to fall off during the imminent rainy season, but the numbers are still on pace to well exceed the 9,678 who made the passage last year and potentially rival 2015-16.

In interviews, the migrants say they are fleeing poverty, misery, discrimination, political conflicts, war and extremist violence.

I think what is happening at the Colombian-Panamanian border is a reflection of what is happening on an international level. ... It is a search for hope, for opportunities, for well-being, for a vital minimum that is not being provided by the state where they come from, said Johanna Fernanda Navas, a researcher on migration and human rights at the Catholic University of Colombia.

Most in the surge in Panama are migrants from Haiti or Cuba, with smaller numbers coming from African nations such as Cameroon and Congo, plus the South Asian countries of India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

At Penitas, officials vaccinate migrants for measles, tetanus and rubella and are doing background checks as a security measure before transporting them west.

Juan Zamorano is an Associated Press writer.
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The Colorado General Assembly passed legislation to strengthen the state's pay equity requirements, prohibit employers from seeking salary history from job applicants, and require employers to post internal job openings and list salary ranges on all postings. The governor is expected to sign SB 19-085, the Equal Pay for Equal Work Act, into law this month.

When enacted, Colorado will become the latest state to prohibit employers from seeking salary history from job applicants. If the employer learns of an applicant's prior salary, the employer cannot rely on that information to determine current pay.



Explaining Pay Disparities

The bill prohibits Colorado employers from discriminating on the basis of sex (or sex in combination with another protected status) by paying employees of different sexes differently for substantially similar workregardless of job titlebased on a composite of skill, effort (which may include consideration of shift work) and responsibility.

However, pay differences are permitted if an employer can demonstrate that the entire differential is based on a seniority system; a merit system; a system that measures earnings by quantity or quality of production; the geographic location where the work is performed; education, training or experience to the extent they are reasonably related to the work in question; or travel, if the travel is a regular and necessary condition of the work performed.

The law does not define the terms "seniority system" or "merit system." Moreover, the employer must be able to demonstrate that it did not rely on prior salary history to justify a disparity in current pay.



No Administrative Prerequisite

An applicant or employee who believes an employer has violated any of these provisions of the bill may file a lawsuit within two years of an alleged violation with no requirement to go through an administrative process as a prerequisite to bringing suit.

However, an aggrieved individual may choose to file a charge with the Colorado Civil Rights Division, and the Colorado Department of Labor may create and administer a process to accept and mediate complaints and provide legal resources.

The legislation specifies that each time an employee receives a paycheck with a discriminatory wage rate, a new violation occurs for purposes of the two-year statute of limitations. However, an aggrieved employee may obtain relief for a back-pay period not to exceed three years.

Liquidated Damages

Employers that violate the law's provisions may be liable for the differential between what the employee was paid and what the employee would have been paid if there was no violation, plus an equal amount as liquidated damages.

However, an employer can avoid liquidated damages by demonstrating good faith and reasonable grounds for believing it did not commit a violation. In addition, in determining whether the employer's violation was in good faith, consideration may be given to whether the employer, within two years prior to the lawsuit being filed, completed a thorough and comprehensive pay audit of its workforce, with the specific goal of identifying and remedying unlawful pay disparities.



Job Postings

Employers must announce internal openings and include salary range in all job postings. Part two of the legislation, entitled "Transparency in Pay and Opportunities for Promotion and Advancement," will require significant changes to Colorado employers' internal and external application processes.

For both internal and external job postings, Colorado employers will be required to list the salary range for the position and a general description of the benefits and other compensation for the position. For internal openings, employers must make reasonable efforts to tell all employees about the opening on the same day and prior to making a promotion decision.

Enhanced Record Retention Requirements

Although Colorado employers have no current obligation to prepare or use job descriptions, the bill will require employers to keep records of job descriptions and the wage rate history of each employee for the duration of employment plus two years after the end of employment in order for the Colorado Department of Labor to be able to determine if there is a pattern of wage discrepancy.

Employer Penalties



For the job-posting portion of the bill, aggrieved employees may file a written complaint with the director of the Colorado Department of Labor within one year of learning of the violation. If the director determines, after investigation, that that a violation occurred, the employer may be fined between $500 and $10,000 per violation.

In addition, if an employee who sues under the first part of the statute demonstrates a violation of the posting requirements in part two, the court may order appropriate relief, including a rebuttable presumption that any records the employer was required but failed to keep contained information favorable to employee's claim and a jury instruction that failure to keep records can be considered evidence that the violation was not made in good faith.

Prepare Now

Once signed, the legislation will be effective Jan. 1, 2021, unless a referendum petition is filed by Aug. 10, in which case Colorado voters will decide in the November 2020 general election whether the bill will become law.

Colorado employers are now on notice of what factors mayand may notbe used to explain salary differences in their workforce for employees of different sexes performing substantially similar work.

The year and a half before the bill will take effect provides valuable opportunity for employers to conduct proactive pay equity audits of their workforces and correct any unexplained discrepancies. In addition, employers will need to start preparing job descriptions, salary ranges for each position, and internal processes for publicizing promotional opportunities across the workforce.

Jennifer Harpole is an attorney with Littler in Denver.  2019 Littler. All rights reserved. Reposted with permission.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Broome + Greene -- a furniture, lighting and decor brand terminated its lease with Empire Outlets prior to the center opening on Thursday, due to project delays, the Advance has learned.

We have had detailed discussions with BFC [partners, Empire Outlets developer] and their representatives, to no avail," said Richard Eib, CEO of Broome + Greene. BFC has stalled multiple times in recent months as to the opening of Empire Outlets ....

Seven years in the making, Empire Outlets hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony that was attended by 11,300 people on Wednesday night, according to Empire Outlets.

MULTIPLE ISSUES

Eib said there were multiple issues that led the company to terminate its lease.

First, it was issues with a bathroom being provisioned in our space, then it was fire certification," said Eib. "Granted, we supported a late delivery of our space, but as of today, it seems the promises that the developer should have delivered are still unfulfilled, as in, we have 4,000 square feet of unfinished retail space that the landlord was meant to have started building out for us.

A spokesman for Empire Outlets declined comment about Broome + Greenes lease termination.

Eib added: "We recognize that problems happen when you are building on public land, but we do not appreciate being lied to. ... We do not have a finished retail space that is available to us. We do not have appropriately signed frontage, but more importantly, we are unable to plan our opening because no one knows when we will actually be handed the space.

I wish Empire Outlets well. In my 25 years of retail openings, this has been unique and I am hopeful that the team at BFC will deliver a development that realizes their investors expectations, and more importantly, their retailers expectations, but we shall see, he added.

Einb said he hopes to open a Broome + Greene store on Staten Island in the future.

We always keep our options open and look forward to negotiating a deal with an established landlord in the coming weeks to deliver a store on Staten Island, he said.

NOT THE FIRST TO TERMINATE LEASE

Artichoke Basilles, a renowned pizzeria with a dozen locations and Staten Island roots, signed up to be part of Empire Outlets in 2018. But recently a spokesman for the company told the Advance the restaurant would not be opening there.

Artichoke Basille is the second pizzeria to pull out of a lease agreement with Empire Outlets. That pizzeria was to take a space initially leased to Two Boots Pizza, which also severed its lease to open there, the Advance previously reported.

However, Applebees was the first restaurant to sever ties with Empire Outlets.

In 2016, owners of an Applebees franchise told the Advance the deal was axed to open in Empire Outlets due to difficult lease negotiations.

SERIES OF DELAYS

Initially set to open in 2016, the projects launch was pushed back to Black Friday 2017. In early 2017, the opening date was pushed to March 2018, and then to this fall, and later to April 2019.

Most recently, the projects developer, BFC Partners, said more time was needed to allow additional retailers to open at the same time at New York Citys first outlet mall.

PHASED OPENING

BFC Partners announced earlier this year that the outlets would open in phases between now and the summer, with Nordstrom Rack -- one of the shopping centers major anchors -- launching the first week of July.

Stores that were open for the sneak peek included:

Banana Republic Factory Store, Brooks Brothers Factory Store, Columbia Factory Store, Old Navy, Gap Factory Store; H&M, Jockey, Nike Factory Store, Starbucks, U.S. Polo Assn, and Cotton On, Wetzels Pretzels, Samsonite and Francescas.

MORE STORIES ABOUT EMPIRE OUTLETS OPENING

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STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The parking garage for those visiting Empire Outlets was originally scheduled to open Thursday, but as of the morning rush hour, it remains closed.

Thursday marks the first full day that New York Citys first outlet mall, located on the St. George waterfront, is open to shoppers.

A spokesman for the retail site told the Advance the garage is expected to open to the public at some point over the next few days.

The garage features 1,250 spaces, and is located underneath the shopping center. Empire Outlets had previously told the Advance that 780 of the 1,250 parking spaces will be reserved for commuters, though its still unclear how the outlets will differentiate spot from spot.

The lot, which can be accessed from Richmond Terrace via the ramp between Empire Outlets and Richmond County Bank Ballpark, will offer valet parking at an increased rate, or allow shoppers to park themselves.

In the meantime, St. George features numerous other nearby paid lots for shoppers who dont mind a short walk.

St. George ferry terminal

Hourly parking rate: $1.50

Daily parking rate: $12.00

St. George Courthouse

First hour: $1.75

Additional hours: $2.00 per hour

Max to closing: $8.00

Special event rate: $7.00

New York Wheel

Day rate: $8

Special event rate: $7

Monthly rate: $135

St. George Theatre

Up to 3 hours: $10

Up to 12 hours: $15

Up to 24 hours: $17

Theatre Events: $17

Monthly: $180

Wall Street

Daily rate: $10

MORE STORIES ABOUT EMPIRE OUTLETS OPENING
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Empire Outlets -- New York Citys first outlet mall on the St. George waterfront -- hosted a grand opening sneak peek celebration for Staten Islanders on Wednesday evening.

As a Staten Island resident, this project has been particularly exciting for me. And Empire Outlets will be an exciting tourist destination. The next year is going to be extremely exciting....I really look forward to seeing the millions of visitors get off the ferry and come to Empire Outlets, said Joseph Ferrara, principal of BFC Partners, the projects developer.

The event, featuring live music and street performers, was attended by 11,300 people, according to Empire Outlets.

The retail center officially opens for shoppers on Thursday.

BFC Partners, announced earlier this year that the outlets would open in phases between now and the summer. When finished, the 340,000-square-foot shopping venue will feature more than 100 designer outlet retailers.

For a look inside Empire Outlets and Wednesdays festivities, view the video above.

MORE STORIES ABOUT EMPIRE OUTLETS OPENING
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Three years after BFC Partners broke ground on New York Citys first outlet mall, Empire Outlets has come to fruition -- opening its doors on Thursday.

BFC Partners announced earlier this year that the outlets would open in phases between now and the summer, with Nordstrom Rack -- one of the shopping centers major anchors -- launching the first week of July.

While the project has been touted to have more than 100 designer retailers across 340,000 square feet, most of the retailers will open between now and the summer.

The stores that are open include: Banana Republic Factory Store, Guess Factory Store, Samsonite, Lids, Walgreens, Brooks Brothers Factory Store, Columbia Factory Store, Old Navy, Gap Factory Store; H&M, Jockey, Nike Factory Store, Starbucks, Wetzels Pretzels, and Cotton On.

OPENING OVER THE SUMMER

Additional retailers will open their stores throughout the spring and summer.

Other stores set to open sometime before the end of the summer include:

Levis, True Religion, Converse, Dennis Bass, iOptics, U.S. Polo Assn, Royal Jewelers, Crocs, American Eagle Outfitters, Aerie, Broome & Greene, Samsonite, True Religion, Lucky Brand, Parfum Europa, Verizon Wireless and GNC.

Eateries slated to open in Empire Outlets include: Shake Shack, Mamouns Falafel, Haagen-Dazs, Rice and Wasbi.

In addition, a 40,000-square-foot food and beverage deck with panoramic views of Manhattan will open, with several food concepts including MRKTPL, Staten Islands first- artisanal food hall will open later this summer.

PROJECT HISTORY

After breaking ground in April 2015, Empire Outlets had its share of construction delays.

Initially set to open in 2016, the projects launch was pushed back to Black Friday 2017. In early 2017, the opening date was pushed to March 2018, and then to this fall, and later to April 2019.

Most recently, the projects developer, BFC Partners, said more time was needed to allow additional retailers to open at the same time at New York Citys first outlet mall.

Unlike the privately-funded NY Wheel project, which met its demise last year when its developers ran out of money, Empire Outlets has received $66 million in state subsidies. The Advance previously reported the cost of the project has been estimated at $304 million.

MORE STORIES ABOUT EMPIRE OUTLETS OPENING

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STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Police are asking the publics assistance identifying two men wanted for questioning in connection with a pair of bank robberies that occurred just minutes apart on the North Shore.

According to law enforcement sources, investigators are trying to determine whether the two incidents, and the two men sought for questioning, are related.

Police released a photo of a man sought for questioning in connection with a robbery at Santander Bank in Castleton Corners.

SANTANDER HOLDUP

Police initially responded at about 12:15 p.m. Wednesday to Santander Bank, at 1850 Victory Blvd. in Castleton Corners, after a man reportedly entered the bank and passed a note to a teller demanding cash, according to an NYPD spokesman.

The unidentified individual is described by police as a white male in his 40s, standing about 5 feet, 7 inches tall with a slim build. At the time of the incident, he was clad in a red, white and blue bandana, sunglasses and a hooded gray sweatshirt, police said.

No weapons were used during the incident, police said. The individual sought in the robbery fled on foot along Victory Boulevard in the direction of Jewett Avenue with $600.

Authorities are canvassing the North Shore Wednesday following reports of two bank robberies within a half-hour of each other, including Santander Bank in Castleton Corners. (Staten Island Advance/Kyle Lawson)

NORTHFIELD BANK ROBBERY

Less than a half-hour later and only about three miles away, officers responded to Northfield Bank at 385 Bay St. in Stapleton for a second robbery, police said.

Police said an unidentified man passed a note to a bank teller before fleeing northbound on Bay Street with $2,000.

The 120th Precinct posted a still taken from surveillance footage on its Twitter account of a man sought in connection with the second robbery.

120th Precinct is seeking Information for this individual wanted for a bank robbery that occurred on Bay Street. Any information contact 120th Precinct Detective Squad at 718-981-2583 #800577tips #YourCityYourCall pic.twitter.com/lbW91MZDLx  NYPD 120th Precinct (@NYPD120Pct) May 15, 2019

Anyone with information in regards to either incident is asked to call the NYPDs Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), or 1-888-57-PISTA (74782) for Spanish.

Tips also can be submitted online at www.nypdcrimestoppers.com or via Twitter at @NYPDTips.

Police say all calls will be kept confidential.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- A convicted felon from Annadale caught the attention of officers by driving a Mercedes-Benz in a reckless manner, including running multiple red lights and speeding, police said.

But when they pulled over 50-year-old Frank Rosado in Charleston, police discovered an antique dagger with a blade more than four inches long under the drivers seat, a switch blade in the center console and an unspecified amount of marijuana in the front passenger seat, authorities said.

Rosado, of Woehrle Avenue, was alone behind the wheel of a grey 2004 Mercedes-Benz when he was stopped by officers at the corner of Bloomingdale Road and Arthur Kill Road at about 3:30 a.m. Saturday, according to the criminal complaint and police.

He was charged with criminal possession of a weapon, unlawful possession of marijuana and unlawful possession of a knife, according to the complaint.

Bond was set at $5,000; Rosado is due back in Criminal Court on Thursday.

The suspects attorney declined to comment.

Rosado was previously sentenced in Manhattan Supreme Court in 2013 to three to six years in prison after being convicted of burglary.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- A detective from Bay Terrace fired three years ago amid an NYPD bribery-scandal probe contends in a lawsuit he did nothing wrong and was made the fall guy to spare higher-ups and more-favored cops.

Michael Milici, 49, was sacked on May 18, 2016, without any concrete evidence of wrongdoing  becoming the first sacrificial lamb of a public-relations scheme cooked up by then-Police Commissioner William Bratton and Lawrence Byrne, deputy commissioner of NYPD Legal Matters, to preserve Brattons legacy, alleges a civil complaint.

Milici further contends he received harsher treatment than five higher-ranking NYPD officials or White Shirts -- four former deputy chiefs and an ex-inspector -- who were allowed to gracefully resign.

His firing prevented Milici from obtaining a vital good-guy letter, which permits a former cop to carry a gun and paves the way to lucrative security jobs, alleges the complaint.

However, the five brass members received good-guy letters upon their retirement, the complaint contends.

For almost three years I stood silent as the NYPD and media slandered my good name when they wrongfully terminated me, Milici said in a statement released by his lawyer, Abe George, of Manhattan. I filed this lawsuit  to clear my name and to publicly announce I never did anything wrong."

Milici, a 26-year NYPD veteran who spent most of his career assigned to the 66th Precinct in Brooklyns Borough Park section, seeks unspecified monetary damages in the suit, filed in Brooklyn federal court.

Besides Bratton and Byrne, the suit names the city as a defendant.

In response to the suit, a Police Department spokesperson said, In connection with a then-joint investigation by the NYPDs Internal Affairs Bureau, the FBI and the U.S. attorneys office, then-Detective Michael Milici was terminated from the NYPD on May 18, 2016.

A city Law Department spokeswoman said the city "will review the complaint and respond accordingly.

Milicis termination, the complaint alleges, stemmed from probe into a bribery scheme linked to Jona Rechnitz and Jeremy Reichberg, donors to Mayor Bill de Blasios campaign.

Milici knew Reichberg from Borough Park, the Daily News reported.

The investigation touched numerous officers, including members of the NYPDs upper brass, the complaint alleges.

A trial revealed Rechnitz and Reichberg provided cops with meals, gifts and vacations in exchange for official favors.

Reichberg was sentenced Monday in Manhattan federal court to four years behind bars. Rechnitz, who has not yet been sentenced, previously reached an agreement with prosecutors and pleaded guilty to wire fraud conspiracy.

Media accounts show Milici was mentioned in court testimony, but his complaint alleges there was never any concrete evidence of wrongdoing on his part.

The complaint alleges the wheels for Milicis sacking were set in motion on March 31, 2016.

Thats when he received a grand jury subpoena from Manhattan federal prosecutors to testify in the bribery probe, said the complaint.

The subpoena didnt identify Milici as a target, and on his counsels advice, he invoked his Fifth Amendment right against testifying, said the complaint.

About a month later, Milici submitted his 30-day retirement notice, fearing hed be made a scapegoat for any corruption uncovered, the complaint said.

Afterward, Milici also declined to appear and testify at an internal NYPD hearing, because any statements he made could be used in the ongoing federal criminal probe, said the complaint.

Byrne and Bratton then filed trumped up internal charges and specifications against Milici, and he was fired, the complaint alleges.

Commissioner Bratton and Deputy Commissioner Byrne could not let [Milici] retire gracefully because they needed to fire Milici to show that the NYPD was weeding out corruption, contends his complaint. Numerous slanderous articles were leaked to the media about [Milici], suggesting [Milici] had accepted bribes and even sex acts as gratuities.

However, Michael Milici was never convicted of any crime, never accepted any bribes and never engaged in any illicit acts with prostitutes, said the complaint. Milicis only crime was being a low-level detective without any connections to the upper brass of the NYPD.

Meanwhile, five members of the brass who also exercised their Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination after receiving grand jury subpoenas, never faced internal disciplinary proceedings and were allowed to retire, the complaint alleges.

The NYPD has had a longstanding practice of White Shirt Immunity, said George, Micilis lawyer. Through this civil rights action, we are not only seeking to address the injustices faced by Detective Milici but we are hoping to ensure that all 36,000 NYPD officers are forever treated equally as is their right guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution.

White Shirt Immunity [is] the so-called term for allowing more lenient discipline on higher-ranked police officers versus lower-ranking members for the similar misconduct, alleges the complaint.

Milicis suit is the third one filed this week against Bratton, Byrne and the city arising from the corruption probe.

On Monday, former Deputy Chief Eric Rodriguez, a Staten Islander, along with ex-Deputy Chiefs Andrew Capul and David Colon, and former Inspector Peter DeBlasio, alleged the NYPD made them retire in 2016 after they were linked to the bribery scandal.

Filed in Manhattan federal court, the suit seeks the four mens reinstatement and damages to be determined at trial. The plaintiffs allege they were forced out in a bid to protect to higher-ups by creating the appearance the department was addressing corruption.

The four men were mentioned in court testimony, but never formally charged in relation to the bribery scandal linked to Rechnitz and Reichberg,

The plaintiffs allege they retired under duress, to avoid demotion and termination.

The lawsuit cites the acquittal in January of Reichbergs co-defendant James Grant, a former NYPD deputy inspector from Staten Island, who had been charged in the case.

Grant filed a separate lawsuit Monday in Manhattan federal court.
CITY HALL -- New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Thursday that he will seek the Democratic nomination for president, adding his name to an already long list of candidates itching for a chance to take on Donald Trump.

The mayor announced his run in a video released by his campaign.

"There's plenty of money in this world. There's plenty of money in this country. It's just in the wrong hands," de Blasio says at the beginning of the video.

He concludes: "I'm running for president because it's time we put working people first."

In announcing his candidacy, de Blasio seeks to claim a role on the national stage that has eluded him as mayor of the biggest U.S. city.

When he took office in 2014, de Blasio seemed briefly poised to become a leading voice for an emerging left wing of the Democratic Party.

But liberal enthusiasm faded over his first term, partly because of political missteps at home and the emergence of bigger names elsewhere. He could face obstacles trying to distinguish himself in a crowded field.

TRUMP REPSONDS

After releasing his campaign video early Thursday, the mayor appeared on Good Morning America alongside his wife to talk more about why he is running.

He was asked what he would bring to the crowded field of Democrats and why he thought he had a shot given his low approval ratings in the polls.

Working Americans deserve better, I know we can do it because Ive done it here in the largest toughest city in this country, he said on the talk show. Were putting money back in the hands of working people and I say it very bluntly there is plenty of money in this world, plenty of money in this country, its just in he wrong hands. We have to do things for working people we have to put people first thats the difference here.

He also billed himself as the candidate with a proven track record to take on President Donald Trump.

I got elected mayor by 73 percent of the vote originally re-elected with 67 percent of the vote, I think youd agree that the poll that actually matters is the election, he continued. So New Yorkers have twice said they wanted me to lead them. And I think about polling in general its not where you start its where you end, so in the course of this campaign were going to talk about what working people want and how their government should be on their side, he continued. Right now, the federal government is not on their side and thats because Donald Trump is playing a big con on America.

As the mayor announced his 2020 White House bid, Trump criticized the mayors move, calling him a beauty and a joke on Twitter.

The Dems are getting another beauty to join their group. Bill de Blasio of NYC, considered the worst mayor in the U.S., will supposedly be making an announcement for president today. He is a JOKE, but if you like high taxes & crime, hes your man. NYC HATES HIM! Trump said on Twitter.

MAYOR ON TOUR

Later on Thursday, de Blasio will fly to Iowa and South Carolina for the rest of the week and through the weekend.

The First Lady will join the mayor in Iowa Friday and then go back to New York City on Saturday for the annual Weekend of Faith, an event that raises awareness around mental health.

The mayors announcement puts him in a crowded field of more than 20 other Democratic hopefuls vying for the White House in 2020. The list includes candidates like former Vice President Joe Biden and Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand and Bernie Sanders.

De Blasios announcement comes as he has been mulling a presidential run for months. He has visited states like New Hampshire, Nevada, Iowa and South Carolina -- travel which is being bankrolled by the mayors federal political action committee Fairness PAC.

But de Blasio is likely to have a difficult time winning over Staten Islanders and other voters around the city.

Though he won citywide during both of his mayoral runs,de Blasio lost on Staten Island each time.

In 2013, Republican candidate Joe Lhota beat de Blasio by 9 percent of the vote and in 2017, Island Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis (R-East Shore/South Brooklyn) also beat the mayor by more than 45 percent of the vote.

Meanwhile, a recent poll found de Blasio had the worst net favorability score among any Democrat in the 2020 presidential race at the time.

When he will be away campaigning, the mayors second in command First Deputy Mayor Dean Fuleihan is likely to assume the bulk of responsibility overseeing the city.

The public advocate or comptroller in that order, then take over if the mayor is absent for more than nine days straight, according to the City Charter.

(Associated Press material was used in this report.)
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The measles outbreak continues to steadily increase in the United States, with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reporting that 839 individual cases of measles have been confirmed in 23 states.

The total is an increase of 75 cases from the previous-high reported by the Advance on May 6.

The CDC said the total ranges from Jan. 1 to May 10, 2019, and is the highest since 2014, when 667 cases were reported through the same span.

New York contains two districts where at least three cases of the measles were reported, according to the CDC, and joins California as the only states with more than one district with at least three confirmed measles cases.

All Americans would be safer and healthier if we received measles vaccines on the recommended schedule, said Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar, in a press release in April. We have the ability to safely protect our children and our communities. Vaccines are a safe, highly effective public health solution that can prevent this disease."

The outbreaks in these areas are linked to travelers who returned from other countries, such as Israel, Ukraine and the Philippines, with measles, according to the CDC.

Earlier this year, the New York State Department of Health warned people in New York City that an Australian tourist who visited several attractions and venues from Feb. 16 to Feb. 21 was confirmed to have measles, the Advance previously reported.

Soon after, the Advance reported that there was a measles exposure at Newark Airport, according to the New Jersey Department of Health.

Eighty-two people brought measles to the U.S. from other countries in 2018, the CDC said, which is the greatest number of imported cases since 2000.

Measles can be prevented with the MMR vaccine, which protects against three diseases: measles, mumps and rubella, according to the CDC.

The CDC recommends children get two doses of MMR vaccine, starting with the first dose at 12 through 15 months of age and the second dose at 4 through 6 years of age. Teens and adults should also be up to date on their MMR vaccination, according to the CDC website.

The MMR vaccine, which is considered extremely safe, is approximately 97 percent effective at preventing measles after two doses, according to the CDC.
I graduated from Staten Island Tech in 2004, and although I attended before admittance was determined by the Stuy test, I couldnt help but respond to Mr. Leddys recent column concerning the citys recent efforts to diversify our specialized high schools.

Putting aside Mr. Leddys curious and unsupported 14th Amendment jurisprudence, there is at least one aspect of his column that is clearly right: Seeking to ensure that black and Hispanic students have access to an excellent public school education is, in fact, a mockery of something America has stood for since its founding. Exclusion of non-whites from educational opportunities was formal government policy from the constitutional convention through (and beyond) the day Mr. Leddy was sworn in to the New York bar in 1966. Things have improved since then, to be sure.

But, we also need to confront the reality that in many important respects we have simply replaced formal segregation with the myth of the meritocracy, allowing well-meaning folks to rest assured that the reason blacks and Hispanics arent allowed into Tech is that they dont deserve to be, rather than the pernicious and now outdated policy of formal exclusion.

At bottom, we need to consider why only one black student was admitted to Staten Island Tech, and not take as self-evident that of the thousands of black students in our community, only one had the right stuff to be enrolled. Unless Mr. Leddy subscribes to some theory of racial variance he does not care to say aloud, what he ought to be focusing on is identifying the failures in our society that all but ensured that black students would not have the opportunity to get the education so many of us wish for our children.

What is happening between birth and eighth grade to those students? And what steps can we take to improve the education they get before theyre taking the test in the first place? This is not a question, as Mr. Leddy may contend, of ensuring equality of outcome. To the contrary, it goes to the heart of ensuring that every person born in Staten Island has the same shot at getting the great education that I did.

Unless and until we can be confident that every child born in our community has the same opportunity to learn, mature and potentially attend Staten Island Tech, the school will continue to compound our societys prior failures and ensure that the centuries of advantage our country has bestowed on certain parts of society persist into the future.

(Christopher B. Greene is a Brooklyn Heights resident.)
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- A pedestrian suffered minor injuries Thursday morning during an incident with an MTA bus in Midland Beach, according to sources at the scene and the FDNY.

According to MTA sources, a woman walked into the back side of a bus while it was moving.

A SIM6 MTA express bus was seen parked with its front door open on Midland Avenue near Baden Place on Thursday morning. Several police cars had responded to the scene.

One person was transported to Staten Island University Hospital in Ocean Breeze following the incident, which occurred at 7:08 a.m., according to a spokesman for the FDNY/EMS.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The nations leading e-hail company is ramping up its bicyclist safety efforts in honor of National Bike Month.

Uber has announced that it is currently piloting a new, in-app safety feature that uses publicly-available mapping information to determine the location of bike lanes and shared roads throughout the cities in which they operate.

The Bike Lane Alert feature will send riders a push notification alerting them to the fact that their upcoming drop-off spot is near a bike lane, and reminding them to look carefully for bicyclists before opening the door.

Bike Lane Alert is currently piloting in four North American cities, including New York City, San Francisco, Washington, D.C., and Toronto.

As the experts say, increasing awareness of safe behavior increases safety. Along with the in-app notifications to riders, we will also remind drivers its illegal to stop in a bike lane in most cities and encourage them to safely coordinate pick-ups and drop-offs away from bike lanes," said Kristin Smith, Ubers road safety product marketing manager.

Uber also released an educational video on the Dutch Reach, a universal technique, pioneered in the Netherlands, that makes exiting vehicles safer for bicyclists.

As a daily bike commuter and bike safety advocate, I know firsthand the challenges of urban bike commuting. Leveraging the power of our app, and partnerships with PeopleForBikes and local bicycle advocacy groups, we are launching a campaign to educate our riders and drivers on how to prevent doorings', said Smith.

The video encourages riders to reach across their body with the hand farthest from the door, turning their body and looking over their shoulder to ensure that no bicyclists are coming.
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Australia's biggest natural skincare company, BWX, has announced a new chief executive at the same time as it again slashed its profit guidance in the wake of a tumultuous year.

BWX on Thursday told investors it had recruited Blackmores former Australasian chief David Fenlon as chief executive to replace the departing Myles Anceschi who was appointed only in September last year.

New BWX chief executive, and former Blackmores executive, David Fenlon.

The company also again cut its profit forecast to between $21 million and $23 million before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) for the current financial year.

It was the company's third downgrade in seven months. In October 2018, its projected earnings dropped to $40.3 million, before being slashed in December to between $27 and $32 million.
Iconic Australian bootmaker R.M. Williams has been put up for sale, with its owners, including Hollywood actor Hugh Jackman, looking to offload the company for as much as $500 million.

A sale at that price could deliver the star of The X-Men and The Greatest Showman $25 million for his minority stake.

R.M. Williams' owners are looking to sell the bootmaker. Credit:James Brickwood

Adelaide-based R.M. Williams is majority-owned by Singapore-based L Catterton Asia, a private equity firm backed by the owners of Louis Vuitton. The firm has brought in investment bank Goldman Sachs to look for buyers and run an auction later this year, sources confirmed.

R.M. Williams  best known for its elastic-sided horseriding boots  has been a mainstay of rural fashion since its foundation in 1932, and in recent years has been positioning itself as a luxury shoe brand for "townies" both in Australia and abroad.
The "Flash Boys" have suffered another setback.

Flash Boys was the tag given to high-frequency traders by journalist and author Michael Lewis (of Liars Poker, The Big Short and The Blind Side fame). His book of that title described US markets as rigged by exchanges and investment banks in favour of those traders.

Overnight, the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) decided not to block a proposal from an Atlanta-based derivatives exchange, the Intercontinental Exchange (ICE), to introduce a three-millisecond "speed bump" into trading in its gold and silver futures contracts.

While trading in those contracts on ICE is limited, there was a major campaign by high-frequency traders and hedge funds against the proposal, and division within the commission itself because of its precedent-setting nature and the potential for other, larger exchanges to emulate it.
Joanne Jarvis has a vision. The director of the NSW Department of Educations School Leadership Institute is developing a world-class, innovative, future-focused organisation to support future and current school leaders at all stages of their careers. Always interested in leading the learning of colleagues, Jarvis was asked to establish the institute in January 2018. Its a big job, and one the former principal relishes. The initial focus is a course for aspiring principals, in conjunction with the University of Wollongong. Other programs are in the pipeline. "It is utter joy to know that I have the opportunity to influence the learning of teachers and leaders," says Joanne Jervis. Credit: Research has shown how excellence in school leadership is ... a powerful in-school influence on student achievement, Jarvis says. Im responsible for the development of high-level leadership skills to ensure that future leaders are well-positioned to make the difference.

Jarvis will head to Harvard Kennedy School in the US in November to learn advanced collaborative practices for advancing this vision. A scholarship from the NSW Public Education Foundation will make it possible. Participants from around the world attend and learn together, picking up knowledge and skills that are transferable to any high-level leadership role. Jarvis says she is looking forward to expanding her capacity in a range of areas including communication, persuasion and negotiation strategies, ethics, and leveraging internet technologies. While I miss the direct contact with students and the wider community, it is utter joy to know that I have the opportunity to influence the learning of teachers and leaders across the NSW public education system  one of the largest in the world  so that they will have a positive impact on student outcomes, she says. Since beginning her career as a history teacher more than 30 years ago, Jarvis has seized on opportunities to step up as a leader. Just four years into a classroom teaching role she was seconded to what is now known as NESA, where she led the state-wide implementation of a new standards-based assessment system and worked closely with HSC assessment committees. That experience led to other roles, including supervisor of HSC marking for modern history, people and events, a role she undertook in addition to her day-to-day position as head teacher at Lucas Heights Community School. Principal appointments followed.
How can we have a civilised discussion about hell, sin and religion when we disagree with, or are even offended by, the views of others?

The discussion of religion on the campaign trail this week doesn't provide a very good guide.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison cried foul this week after Opposition leader Bill Shorten questioned whether he believes gay people would go to hell, labelling it as a cheap shot at his religious beliefs.

Scott Morrison sings during an Easter Sunday service at his Sydney church. Credit:AAP

On Friday Wallabies player Israel Folau will learn if his career is over, when an independent panel will deliver its verdict about his fitness to play rugby professionally after he posted on Instagram his sincerely held belief that eternal hellfire awaits drunks, adulterers, liars, thieves and, yes, homosexuals if they did not repent.
Labor has kept its lead in the federal election campaign but has lost ground to the Coalition in a late shift that could tighten the result on Saturday night.

Labor is ahead by 51 to 49 per cent in two-party terms compared to a lead of 52 to 48 per cent against the Coalition at the mid-point of the campaign in early May.

An exclusive Ipsos poll for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age shows a significant gain in the Coalitions primary vote, which has risen from 36 to 39 per cent in a result that is outside the margin of error.

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten had made another significant improvement in his personal approval ratings but continues to trail Prime Minister Scott Morrison when voters are asked to name their preferred leader.
Who could hold it? Ali France, the candidate for Labor, is a former journalist and disability advocate who lost her leg in a 2011 car accident. The doctor who performed the groundbreaking surgery on her leg was a refugee who came to Australia by boat - Ms France is campaigning against offshore detention. Why the swing? Conservative Mr Dutton came under fire after leading the leadership spill against Malcolm Turnbull - successfully ousting the then-prime minister, but failing to install himself as leader. Left-leaning lobby group GetUp is also spending big to unseat him.

Pay attention because ... Mr Dutton is one of a number of high-profile ministers under threat - he got off to a rocky start after accusing Ms France of "using her disability as an excuse" for not living in the electorate. Ms France lives three kilometres away and says she hasn't found a suitable house. He later apologised. 2. Warringah The Sydney seat includes the northern beaches suburbs of Manly, Mosman and Neutral Bay.

Who holds it? Loading Former prime minister Tony Abbott has been the member since 1994, and holds the seat on what should be a comfortable 11.1 per cent margin, but has faced a groundswell of climate change activism. Who could hold it? Independent candidate Zali Steggall, a barrister and former Olympic skier, has positioned herself as an economically conservative alternative to Mr Abbott, however, she is also campaigning for action on climate change, putting her in stark contrast with the former PM who axed the carbon tax while he held office in 2013.

Why the swing? Loading Ms Steggall was inspired to run for the seat by a local "Vote Tony Out" movement, and GetUp are also campaigning hard to remove Mr Abbott. A poll commissioned by GetUp in February showed Steggall leading Abbott 54 per cent to 46 per cent. Pay attention because ... Warringah is the wealthiest electorate in the country with a median weekly household income of $2,384. It has never elected a Labor candidate, meaning an independent like Ms Steggall has the best chance to oust Mr Abbott.

3. Wentworth The Sydney seat includes the eastern suburbs seats of Double Bay, Vaucluse, Bondi and Paddington. Many believe Dave Sharma can deliver Wentworth back to the Liberals after Malcolm Turnbull's ousting. Credit:Nick Moir Who holds it? Independent Kerryn Phelps won the seat last year in a byelection on a 1.2 per cent margin after Malcolm Turnbull - who held the seat since 2004 - was ousted from the prime ministership by his party and retired from Parliament. Dr Phelps is a local GP and former president of the Australian Medical Association. In her short time in office, she was instrumental in joining other crossbenchers to pass the 'medevac' bill.

Who could hold it? Loading Liberal candidate Dave Sharma, the party's replacement for Malcolm Turnbull and former ambassador to Israel. Mr Sharma had to fight for his preselection after Scott Morrison tried to install a female candidate for the byelection. He is contesting again. Why the swing? Wentworth was a safe Liberal seat until Mr Turnbull was overthrown by conservatives in the party, sparking a local revolt against the Coalition. Dr Phelps scraped in, marking the first time a non-Liberal candidate has ever won the seat.

Pay attention because ... We'll see whether Dr Phelps' election was merely a protest vote to express the electorate's unhappiness with Mr Turnbull's treatment, or if the electorate is generally unhappy with the direction of the Coalition. 4. Flinders The Victorian seat covers most of the Mornington Peninsula, including Sorrento, Rosebud, Dromana, Hastings, Somerville and Mornington. It has only been held by Labor for three terms since Federation. Liberal Greg Hunt and independent Julia Banks are going head-to-head in Flinders. Credit:Simon Schluter/Joe Armao

Who holds it? Loading Health Minister Greg Hunt holds the seat on a 7 per cent margin and has been the member since 2001, but he lost popularity among moderate Liberal supporters when he backed Peter Dutton over Malcolm Turnbull in last year's leadership spill. Who could hold it? Julia Banks was the Liberal candidate for Chisholm in Melbourne's east, but she quit the party last year over its treatment of women and sat as an independent. She is vacating the seat of Chisholm to run against Mr Hunt in Flinders, where she now lives.

Labor candidate Josh Sinclair is also a contender in what is shaping up to be a three-way tussle. GetUp is recommending voters give first preference to either him, the Greens candidate Nathan Lesslie or Ms Banks, who will direct her preferences to Labor ahead of the Liberals. Why the swing? There was a ferocious swing against the Liberals in the Victorian state election in November, which may be repeated at a federal level. Ms Banks goes to the election promising economic responsibility while being socially progressive and supporting action on climate change. Pay attention because ... The seat is a test of voters in the middle of the political spectrum, the level of Ms Banks' support will reveal how many "moderate" members of the Liberal Party are turning against it. If she wins, or comes close, the Liberals will have to rethink who their "base" is and how they keep it.

5. Kooyong The division of Kooyong is among the most affluent and highly-educated electorates in the country. It spans Melbourne's inner eastern suburbs including Camberwell, Canterbury, Hawthorn and Balwyn. Treasurer Josh Frydenberg. Credit:Dominic Lorrimer Who holds it? Treasurer Josh Frydenberg has held the seat since 2010, and has it on a seemingly-safe 12.8 per cent margin. The seat has always been held by members on the conservative side of politics. Mr Frydenberg is known as one of the hardest workers - and networkers - within the government, and a capable future leader.

Who could hold it? Oliver Yates, the former boss of the Clean Energy Finance Corporation, resigned as a Liberal member and is running as an independent. He has targeted voters worried about the environment. Mr Yates has also been a sharp critic of the Liberal Party's approach to climate change. Oliver Yates (Independent) and Julian Burnside (Greens) are challenging Josh Frydenberg in Kooyong. Credit:Eddie Jim/AAP The Greens are running veteran barrister and longstanding advocate for human rights and asylum seekers Julian Burnside QC. In an electorate with a high level of concern about the environment, Mr Burnside will have an army of Greens volunteers as an advantage over Mr Yates. Why the swing?

Mr Frydenberg holds the seat on what should be an insurmountable margin of 12.8 per cent. But the Victorian election last November saw surprising swings against the Liberal Party and three of the four Victorian state seats within Kooyong are now held by Labor. Pay attention because ... The Treasurer has warned his Coalition colleagues that there are no more safe seats, and his campaign material has been the target of grubby vandalism. Billboards of the Treasurer - whose mother escaped the holocaust - were defaced to depict him as a Nazi. 6. Gilmore The seat covers an area along the NSW coast, from Kiama in the north to Nowra, Ulladulla, Batemans Bay, and Tuross Head in the south. The electorate has an average income of between $45,000 and $50,000, and the second largest community of aged pensioners.

Who holds it? Liberal MP Ann Sudmalis won the seat in 2013, but is quitting politics, blaming branch stacking and unethical behaviour by Liberal colleagues within the NSW state division. She holds the seat on a 0.7 per cent margin. Who could hold it? Four-way contest: Grant Schultz, Katrina Hodgkinson, Warren Mundine and Fiona Phillips. Credit:Louise Kennerley Prime Minister Scott Morrison installed former Labor Party president Warren Mundine as the Liberal candidate, ousting Grant Schultz who had already been preselected by local members.

Mr Schultz, the son of former state and federal Liberal MP Alby Schultz, who was ousted as the Liberal candidate before the local members' vote had been rubber-stamped, quit the party to run as an independent. Loading Nationals vice president Katrina Hodgkinson is a former NSW minister for primary industries and small business but resigned from NSW Parliament in 2017. Ms Hodgkinson received the endorsement of departing MP Ann Sudmalis. But, having been campaigning for two years prior to endorsement, it's Labor candidate Fiona Phillips who is heavily tipped to win the seat. The former TAFE teacher and business operations manager came to politics with a successful campaign to save the Nowra pool. Why the swing?

The Liberal Party has held the seat since 1996, but Ms Sudmalis saw swings of 2.7 per cent, then 3 per cent against her in the last two elections and, amid Liberal Party disunity, Labor is favoured to win. Pay attention because ... Gilmore is one of the messiest contests of the election. When we profiled the electorate, more than one local described the seat as "a shitfight". Eyes will be on how well Labor-turned-Liberal Warren Mundine fares after being parachuted in from Sydney's north shore, where he lives, although he has ancestral ties to the Shoalhaven area and family living in Gilmore. 7. Pearce The seat of Pearce covers regional areas to the north and east of Perth in Western Australia.

Who holds it? The seat was only created in 1990, and has always been represented by the Liberal Party. It was held by Judi Moylan for 20 years until her retirement in 2013, when Attorney-General Christian Porter was elected. The Liberals are pumping significant resources into Attorney-General Christian Porter's seat of Pearce. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen Who could hold it? Labor candidate Kim Travers, who has been a police officer for 28 years, beat out three others for preselection in the seat which Labor believes it has a strong chance of taking.

Greens candidate Eugene Marshall will also be important for Labor's chances in a seat where the Greens received 11 per cent of the primary vote last election. Mr Mashall is a teacher, business owner and migrant - not unusual in an electorate where more than a third of residents were born overseas. Why the swing? Pearce is a reasonably marginal Liberal seat, following an 8.1 per cent swing to Labor in 2016. Pay attention because ... The Liberals are putting a lot of resources into the seat, making ten spending promises for the electorate worth more than $63 million, including a $25 million swimming pool and $350,000 for a local skate park.

Other important seats to watch Corangamite (Victoria) Liberal Sarah Henderson holds the marginal seat around Geelong by just 0.03 per cent and the Liberal Party is desperate to retain it. Voters there have been the target of perhaps the biggest pork-barrelling campaign in modern electoral history. Cowper (NSW)

Independent Rob Oakeshott, the former member for Lyne who famously supported the Gillard Labor government after the 2010 federal election, is trying to make his political comeback in a seat held by the Nationals. MP Luke Hartsuyker is retiring, leaving Patrick Conaghan to contest the seat against Oakeshott. Nationals party polling has the seat marked "line ball". Reid (NSW) Following the retirement of Liberal Craig Laundy, the Labor Party believes their candidate Sam Crosby can take the inner western Sydney seat against newcomer Fiona Martin. Lindsay (NSW) The western Sydney electorate is one of the few Labor-held seats the Coalition is considered a strong chance to reclaim. After the retirement of Emma Husar, who held it with a 1.1 per cent margin, Liberal Melissa McIntosh is up against Labor's Diane Beamer

Herbert (Queensland) The northern Queensland seat of Herbert is the most marginal seat in the country, held by Labor's Cathy O'Toole on just 0.02 per cent, but hotly contested by Phillip Thompson of the Liberal National Party. Boothby (South Australia) The Adelaide seat of Boothby is the main game for Labor in South Australia, where Liberal MP Nicolle Flint has a margin of just 2.7 per cent. She's being challenged by Labor's Nadia Clancy. Tasmania: Bass/Braddon/Lyons
Designer Justin Cassin wanted to fuse fashion with music for his third show at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week. But the spectacle has left many in the industry accusing the LA-based Australian of being tone deaf after a series of gaffes at the event.

After a day with several highlights, including Lee Mathews' 20th-anniversary show, Double Rainbouu's presentation at the iconic Chinese Garden of Friendship at Darling Harbour and Michael Azzolini's high-energy, high-camp boardshort debut, the Justin Cassin show had promised to be bigger than Ben Hur.

Some show-goers were offended by the dancing performance before the parade. Credit:AAP

But influencers, media and buyers were left angry, frustrated and outraged.

There were dancing girls dressed in tight and revealing outfits, leading many to comment that such a performance was "not very 2019", while the seating plan meant most media and VIPs were so far away from the runway-cum-stage they could not see the clothes.
The mother of a teenager who was fatally crushed by her horse at an event in 2016 has told an inquest a "very, very nervous" on-site medic was "struggling" and "kept fiddling with his equipment" while her daughter had a faint pulse, and it took about 20 minutes for a doctor to arrive at the scene.

Olivia Inglis, 17, died on March 6, 2016 after her horse Coriolanus (also known as Toga) hit a jump at the Scone Horse Trials in the Hunter Valley and fell on top of her, causing serious chest injuries. She did not regain consciousness and died at the scene.

The parents of Olivia Inglis, Charlotte and Arthur Inglis, arrive at the inquest on Monday. Credit:AAP

A two-week inquest at the NSW Coroner's Court is examining the deaths of Olivia and another young rider, 19-year-old Caitlyn Fischer, who died about seven weeks later at a separate riding competition in Sydney.

On Thursday, Olivia's mother Charlotte Inglis told the inquest she was watching from near the start of the course because she had concerns about a series of jumps and wanted to make sure her daughter cleared them. She had told Olivia that if there was an issue, she shouldn't worry about finishing the course.
Two of the state's most reviled killers, Adrian Ernest Bayley and Steven James Hunter, have exchanged blows in Victoria's maximum-security Barwon Prison.

The pair is understood to have broken out into a fight on Friday last week, briefly landing Hunter in hospital.

Adrian Bayley is behind bars for the rape and murder of Jill Meagher.

It's believed the 53-year-old  who is behind the stabbing murders of two young women  was treated for a minor head injury but was returned to his prison cell near Geelong the same day.

Bayley, 47, was treated for minor injuries.
The state government must make dealing with violence in hospitals its number one priority and sit down with frontline staff to find a solution, unions have demanded.

The unions representing enrolled nurses and hospital security staff say an emergency summit with staff who were encountering violence on a daily basis was desperately needed.

The union representing nurses in WA has called for the state government to act in the wake of recent assaults on hospital staff. Credit:ninevms

They called on Health Minister Roger Cook and Premier Mark McGowan to convene the summit and take action to protect nurses, hospital security staff and others.

United Voice WA secretary Carolyn Smith said violence against nurses and other staff in hospitals was at crisis point.
The Morrison government's plan to rely on surplus "credits" to meet more than half the Paris climate goal is a "huge gamble" that could leave a funding gap if other nations formally rule out their use, according to a former Australian climate negotiator.

Richie Merzian, director of The Australia Institute's climate and energy program, said the Coalition's intention to count the expected surplus of 367 million tonnes of so-called "carryover credits" generated by beating the Kyoto Protocol climate target to 2020 may be ruled unacceptable by other nations.

The Coalition's climate policy relies heavily on an accounting "surplus" that could leave a large, costly hole if the rules for Paris block it, The Australia Institute says. Credit:Andrew Meares

Mr Merzian noted the Paris climate accord signed in 2015 for 2021-30 specifically "encourages parties to promote the voluntary cancellation" of credits during the Kyoto's first and second period. Other nations, such as Germany, New Zealand, Sweden and the United Kingdom, had all cancelled anticipated surpluses.

"There is a question as to whether Australia will even be able to carry over all of its surplus," Mr Merzian said in an analysis of the credits.
Criminals convicted of bestiality, kidnapping a child or murder will be automatically banned from working with young people, under a bill passed in the Queensland Parliament.

Attorney-General Yvette D'Ath said several crimes would be listed as disqualifying offences under Queensland's blue card scheme, including bestiality, kidnapping of a child, kidnapping for ransom of a child, child stealing and abduction of a child under 16.

Attorney-General Yvette D'Ath said the changes to the blue card system would help protect children. Credit:AAP Image/ Dan Peled

The abduction, child stealing and kidnapping offences will only be treated as disqualifying if they do not involve a family situation.

Child torture, attempted rape, cruelty to children under 16, trafficking children, choking in a domestic setting, murder and rape will also become disqualifying offences, while manslaughter will become a serious offence.
Brasilia: Tens of thousands of protesters have gathered in 200 cities across Brazil to rally against education spending cuts in the biggest demonstrations yet against far-right President Jair Bolsonaro, who called marchers "useful idiots and imbeciles."

Brazil's National Student Union called for protests after the Education Ministry said it was freezing nearly a quarter of discretionary spending due to the government's precarious fiscal situation.

Demonstrators, many displaying the red colour of the opposition Labour Party, gather on Paulista Avenue in Sao Paulo to protest a massive cut in the education budget imposed by President Jair Bolsonaro. Credit:AP

Federal education officials this month announced budget cuts of $US1.8 billion ($2.6 billion) for public education, part of a wider government effort to slash spending.

The marches in more than 200 cities, according to a count by the Globo TV network, mark the first national protests against the administration of Bolsonaro, whose poll numbers are falling as he struggles with a weak economy, rising unemployment, an unruly coalition in Congress and infighting within his cabinet.
GREAT BAY (DCOMM):--- Last Sunday, May 12 marked International Nurses Day which was celebrated around the world representing the anniversary of Florence Nightingales birth.



Nursing staff in the Americas Region represent the largest health workforce, accounting for more than 50 percent of health workers.



According to the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), in many parts of the world, nursing professionals are the first, and sometimes only, human resource in contact with patients and claims that investing in nursing enables advancing towards access and universal health coverage, which will have a profound effect on global health and well-being.



PAHO has launched the Strategic Directions for Nursing in the Region of the Americas, calling on countries to invest in nurses to improve their availability, distribution, and roles in order to advance towards universal health.



The Collective Prevention Services (CPS), a department of the Ministry of Public Health, Social Development and Labour, said on Wednesday that a number of nurses work in the field of public health providing various services such as health promotion activities within the community; intervention where necessary to manage the spread of infectious diseases, and these services may also include advising/recommending to the community about medication adherence/compliance, thereby resulting in nurses playing an important role in the public health sector.



CPS encourages young people to seek a career in nursing that would benefit overall the health care system of Sint Maarten.



The World Health Organization (WHO) says nurses have many roles: they provide and manage personal care and treatment, work with families and communities, and play a central part in public health and controlling disease and infection.



Nurses are often the first and sometimes the only health professional that people see and the quality of their initial assessment, care and treatment is vital.



They are also part of their local community  sharing its culture, strengths and vulnerabilities  and can shape and deliver effective interventions to meet the needs of patients, families and communities, WHO says.



Nurses and midwives account for nearly 50% of the global health workforce.



There is a global shortage of health workers, in particular nurses and midwives, who represent more than 50% of the current shortage in health workers.



The largest needs-based shortages of nurses and midwives are in South East Asia and Africa.



For all countries to reach Sustainable Development Goal 3 on health and well-being, WHO estimates that the world will need an additional nine million nurses and midwives by the year 2030.



Nurses play a critical role in health promotion, disease prevention and delivering primary and community care. They provide care in emergency settings and will be key to the achievement of universal health coverage.



Investing in nurses and midwives is good value for money. The report of the United Nations High Level Commission on Health Employment and Economic Growth concluded that investments in education and job creation in the health and social sectors result in a triple return of improved health outcomes, global health security, and inclusive economic growth.



Globally, 70% of the health and social workforce are women compared to 41% in all employment sectors. Nursing and midwifery occupations represent a significant share of the female workforce.
Delrey announces positive Phase II results from ITS Blackie, Star and Porcher properties

Posted by Publisher Internet

DELREY METALS CORP. (CSE:DLRY, FSE:1OZ, OTC:DLRYF) (?Delrey? or the ?Company?  https://www.commodity-tv.net/c/search_adv/?v=298860 ) is pleased to announce results from a Phase II prospecting program recently completed on its wholly-owned Star, Porcher and Blackie properties located along tide-water near Prince Rupert, British Columbia. A total of 125 rock samples were collected by Delrey Metals Corp. personnel from the three properties (Porcher  61, Star  43, Blackie  21) with assays returning as high as 0.513% V205 (49.3% Fe, 4.01% Ti). Prospecting focused on the strongest magnetic anomalies that were mapped during the Phase I airborne magnetic surveys (see news release dated April 15, 2019), and in all cases ground truthing confirmed that these anomalies are caused by variably mineralized vanadium-rich titaniferous magnetite. The Company is very encouraged by the consistency of V205, titanium and iron enrichment identified by the Phase II work program on all three properties and has submitted five-year area-based permit applications which will allow Delrey to establish up to 40 drill sites on the Blackie, Porcher and Star properties.

Blackie Highlights:

Selective outcrop sample results up to 0.513% V2O5, with 5 of the 21 samples returning >0.30% V2O5, and 21 of the 22 samples returning >0.10% V2O5 (Fig. 1).1

Strong V2O5 enrichment was mapped over an approximately 800m x 300m area centered on the magnetic anomaly identified by the Phase I survey.

Porcher Highlights:

Selective outcrop sample results up to 0.422% V2O5, with 11 of 61 rock samples returning >0.20% V2O5 along a strike length of 1 km (Fig 2).1

An approximately 2.8km x 1.8km strong magnetic anomaly remains to be ground truthed in the southern portion of the property (see news release dated April 15, 2019).

Star Highlights:

Assay results are highlighted by 11 of the 43 selective outcrop samples returning >47% Fe (up to 61.2%) from exposed northwest-southeast oriented semi-massive to massive magnetite outcrops along a strike length of approximately 4.7km.1

V2O5 enrichment in massive magnetite samples returned as high as 0.10% V2O5.

Strong V-in-stream sediment results ranging from a low of 447 ppm up to 637 ppm V2O5, suggest higher V2O5 concentrations in bedrock may occur elsewhere on the property below forest cover.

1Grab samples are selective in nature and not necessarily representative of the mineralization hosted on the property.

Morgan Good, Delrey President and CEO stated, ?The Delrey team is very pleased with our Phase II results as the assays not only show excellent continuity with the previous Phase I geophysical anomalies, but include some impressive vanadium, iron and titanium grades. A systematic approach to exploration at Blackie, Porcher and Star has allowed us to put the second piece of the puzzle into place on our BC assets. We?re optimistic we will be in a position to initiate our Phase III work program consisting of diamond drilling this summer at our Blackie, Porcher and Star properties, further enhancing the value of Delrey for its shareholders.?

Update on LOI with Triple Nine Resources/Four Corners Project

The Company is also pleased to report it has been working diligently to finalize negotiations on the definitive option and joint venture agreements with Triple Nine Resources for the option to earn 80% of The Four Corners Project in Newfoundland and Labrador. Delrey?s CEO Morgan Good, Director Mike Blady, and Qualified Person Scott Dorion P.Geo., visited the Triple Nine team, as well as the project site among other strategic locations last week and the Company expects to be in a position to sign such agreements in the near future.

QA/QC Procedures

All rock samples were placed in polybags and locations marked in the field with labelled pink flagging tape by Delrey Metals Corp. personnel. Sample notes for each sample were recorded using field-ready smartphones and GPS locations were recorded using handheld Garmin devices. Prior to shipment to ALS Global?s sample preparation facility in Kamloops, British Columbia, blanks and pulp duplicates were inserted at a ratio of approximately 1 in every 10 rock samples. Delrey is currently working with several laboratories to develop a suitable vanadium standard which will allow the Company to test for calibration errors on future projects. Limiting the chain of custody, the samples were dropped off at the Kamloops preparation facility by the Delrey Metals Corp. field staff. Samples were prepared in Kamloops by crushing the entire sample to 70% passing -2mm, riffle splitting off 1kg and pulverizing the split to better than 85% passing 75 microns.?After preparation in Kamloops, the prepared pulps were shipped to ALS Global?s analytical laboratory in North Vancouver, British Columbia. The vanadium assays are determined by ME-MS85 lithium borate fusion and reported in parts per million (ppm) and converted by the lab into V2O5 (%). The remaining analytes were determined using ME-ICP61 four acid ICP-AES. The analytical results are verified with the application of industry standard Quality Control and Quality Assurance (QA-QC) procedures.

About Delrey

Delrey is a mineral exploration company focused on the acquisition, exploration and development of mineral resource properties, specifically in the strategic energy minerals space. The Company recently announced a letter of intent to acquire an 80% interest in the Four Corners Project located in Newfoundland and Labrador. The Four Corners Project is an advance stage exploration project with positive historic drilling, metallurgy, and development economics. The Company also recently purchased the Star, Porcher, Peneece and Blackie Fe-Ti-V properties located along tidewater in western British Columbia. Delrey will continue to review and acquire projects showing potential for materials used in the energy storage and electric vehicle markets. The Company is based in Vancouver, British Columbia, and is listed on the CSE under the symbol ?DLRY?.

Qualified person

Scott Dorion, P.Geo., is the designated Qualified Person of the Company as defined by NI 43-101 and has reviewed and approved the technical information contained in this release.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF

DELREY METALS CORP.

?Morgan Good?

Morgan Good

President and Chief Executive Officer

For more information regarding this news release, please contact:

Morgan Good, CEO and Director

T: 604-620-8904

E: info@delreymetals.com

W: www.delreymetals.com

In Europe:

Swiss Resource Capital AG

Jochen Staiger

info@resource-capital.ch

www.resource-capital.ch

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements contained in this news release, constitute ?forward-looking information? as such term is used in applicable Canadian securities laws. Forward-looking statements in this news release include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the prospective establishment of 20 drill sites on the Company?s Blackie, Porcher and Star properties, the initiation of the Company?s Phase III work program on its Blackie, Porcher and Star properties and any enhanced value thereof, the anticipated signing of the definitive option and joint venture agreements with Triple Nine Resources, and the continued pursuit by the Company to review and acquire projects showing potential for materials used in the energy storage and electrical vehicle markets. Forward-looking information is based on plans, expectations and estimates of management at the date the information is provided and is subject to certain factors and assumptions, including, but are not limited to, general business and economic uncertainties. Forward-looking information is subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause plans, estimates and actual results to vary materially from those projected in such forward-looking information. Factors that could cause the forward-looking information in this news release to change or to be inaccurate include, but are not limited to, the risk that any of the assumptions referred to prove not to be valid or reliable, which could result in delays, or cessation in planned work, that the Company?s financial condition and development plans change, delays in regulatory approval, risks associated with the interpretation of data, the geology, grade and continuity of mineral deposits, the possibility that results will not be consistent with the Company?s expectations, the Company?s inability to execute the option and joint venture agreements with Triple Nine Resources, as well as the other risks and uncertainties applicable to mineral exploration and development activities and to the Company as set forth in the Company?s Management?s Discussion and Analysis reports filed under the Company?s profile at www.sedar.com. There can be no assurance that any forward-looking information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, the reader should not place any undue reliance on forward-looking information or statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking information or statements, other than as required by applicable law.

Neither the 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.
GIBT 2019 - Asias premier platform for the electrical engineering, building and home automation markets

To highlight development trends for smart cities, energy saving and building efficient technology, the 16th edition of Guangzhou Electrical Building Technology will cover the sectors of power supply and energy management systems, electrical engineering, building and home automation as well as smart homes.

GEBT 2019 continues receiving the strong supports from renowned industry associations globally, holding a series of the customised concurrent seminars and networking events, exploring the development trend of the fast-growing Chinas building technology market, and expanding more business opportunities for industry players.

Positioned by industry professionals as Asias premier platform for the electrical engineering, building and home automation markets, GEBT welcomed 220 exhibitors and 165,998 visitors from 129 countries and regions from all over the world.
Brexit Party Leader Nigel Farage 'We Want Fundamental Political Change'

Nigel Farage's Brexit Party is leading in the British polls ahead of the European Parliament elections. In an interview, the former UKIP front man talks about upending the UK political system and how he plans to do it.




16.23 - " Lost Time

Written by Frank Cardea & Scott Williams

Directed by Diana Valentine

Reviewed by KathM

What a great 40-something minutes of television! We really need to see more of Dr. Grace; I think Id like her to have a chat with Bishop. The only way it would have been better would be if all of the Gibbs/Grace and Grace/Sloane stuff took place, but the other story would have been the team in Interrogation Lite talking about how they feel about the whole Pedro situation. The story we got isnt bad, especially the ending. I just think mine might have been more interesting.

The episode opens with two veterans living in a tent under a freeway. As they wake up and get ready for a day of panhandling (so sad, yet such a reality), a body falls from above and lands on one of the fence posts. Its Gunnery Sgt. Richard Wilson, whose team, known as the Zakir Five, captured terrorist Nazar Zakir along with $30 million dollars several years ago. Except Zakir always said there was $33 million. See where this is going?

Members of the team are being killed off: first Wilson then McCarthy, another member of the team. The only other living member of the Five is John Calfa, who denies killing his two brothers despite the fact that Wilsons widow, Lori, heard them arguing. Lori arrived home from the airport after visiting her mother in Florida to find her house trashed and her husband missing, then tries to attack Team Gibbs when they arrive on the scene to give Mrs. Wilson the death notification. Oh, and Bishop? NOT the time to snidely get Torres to give the notification when he says hes no good at it. Its a DEATH notification, Ellie. To SOMEONES FAMILY. A big deal that needs gentle handling. She just irked me throughout the whole episode.

Lori kind of attaches herself to the investigation, watching Calfa in Interrogation and hanging out in Interrogation Lite until Team Gibbs either catch the murderer or remember that they have safe houses.

Torres seems to be strangely interested in her; not in a romantic way, but attentive. Lori also seems to be working on him in a very subtle way, which might say something about her relationship with her husband. But it turns out that there is no husband! At least, not for this woman. Redheaded Lori is actually former Russian agent turned con artist Inga Petrov, who posed as McCarthys girlfriend and was trying to get her hands on the $3 million that the Zakir Five did, in fact, steal. This is actually a pretty clever reveal; Im impressed at the depth of the end of this storyline. Torres drops FauxLori off at her house, then sees a car pulling into the Wilson driveway. Turns out that its none other than RealLoriWilson, who has in fact just gotten back from Florida. She wants to know what happened to her house and her husband. When Torres asks if the Wilson had mentioned any kind of savings Lori checks the family safe and tells Torres that a very valuable brooch is missing. Kasie finds out that the thing FauxLori was wearing that I thought was a hideous bedazzled daisy is actually a brooch worth $2.8 million. It was given to Queen Victoria by the king of Spain, which means whenever he visited she had to wear it. Ick. Again, I find this way of hiding the money the Five stole original and smart. It hasnt been stolen, so they can easily sell it again without arousing suspicion. A BOLO on Inga/FauxLori is on her way to Costa Rica with the brooch, but Torres stops her. She invites him to go with her, but he declines. And that is the end of that.

But where has Gibbs gone? He drove away from the scene of McCarthys murder and hasnt been seen since. It rattles the team because Gibbs never just wanders off. They check his house, the cabin, even put out BOLOs. Not that anyone else is really at their best right now, even Gibbs. Pedro is with them, a murderous elephant in the room, and nobody knows how to talk to Gibbs about it or even one another. They say theyre okay, but they arent.

Now that the team knows Gibbss secret, 2/3 of them still have issues about it. Or not. Since nobody wants to talk to anyone about it, we cant be sure. But Torres is all Team Gibbs on this one. He understands and accepts what Gibbs did and, he tells Tim and Bishop, any one of them would do it for the same reason. Bishop disagrees; you might say that youd do it, but you wouldnt actually do it. You can tell shes going to be the potential burr in the side of this issue. She and McGee havent been sleeping for worrying about what they should do about what Gibbs has told them. They arent good at talking about it, and neither is Gibbs. Im disappointed in McGee. He and Gibbs have worked together for 15 years and endured so much during that time youd think hed be able to come over to Gibbss house and talk it out with him.

Gibbs is also worried about what his team thinks. One of the things hes trained his agents to do is to take responsibility for their actions. But here he is, 30 years later and he never did take responsibility for Pedros murder. So, surprisingly, Gibbs decides to talk about whats going on with him. With an actual person. Someone who is the right kind of person to talk to when you toss away the one Rule that had been holding you up. Im talking about Laura San Giacomo as Dr. Grace Confalone, one of the few people who has even gotten Gibbs to talk about anything. He gives her directions to a dive bar not too far from a police station where hes considering turning himself in for Pedros murder.

I was really proud of Gibbs for calling her to talk about what was going on (as much as he could). Old Gibbs would never have done that. Old Gibbs would be in the basement sanding something, drinking whiskey out of a jam jar. Grace had a client but rushed over when she realized who needed her, and she and Gibbs proceed to have a several-hour therapy session where a lot of things weve been mulling about all season are examined. He broke Rule 4, he burned Rule 10 because of Bishop. He doesnt want to face his team; he isnt sure what they think of him and he isnt sure of what he thinks of himself. He trained them to be responsible for their actions, then they learn he hasnt done the same thing. Thirty years ago he killed a man literally to watch him die.

Grace has all of The Rules written down in a little book, which is totally what Id need to keep up. She manages to maintain and refute Gibbss worries until he tells her about Pedro, then she orders a drink. Cant blame her, though. It is way worse than stealing your neighbors cable. But she recovers and gets back to the place where shes able to help Gibbs see that he isnt as bad as every single criminal hes ever put away, and to talk about the firewall that used to separate Gibbs from his emotions. Now that the wall has come down, everything that hes ever felt about himself doubt-wise since his family died as well as all of the cases hes been involved in rains down on him. As I said before, his life is a series of compartments, and now there's just big chunks of broken walls and feelings. I think thats why he was so angry when he saw the notebooks Ziva had in her office; she was able to take each case and process her emotions about them. Gibbs just pushed everything down until it burst.

Ive thought about the idea of Gibbs retiring, but never really saw what that would look like. I agree that right now he needs the structure and the job to help center him. Like the rules of the Corps provided the structure and reiterated the values that helped carry him this far. I think that now Gibbs has to work on feelings and the future and what that might look like, and Im sure that right now it looks like a whole lot of scary.

Back at the Navy Yard we find that the client Grace left to go and see Gibbs is Sloane, who you knew wasnt going anywhere near the dentist. Instead of going out for a drink (Sloanes suggestion that is quickly shot down by Grace), they curl up on Sloanes sofa and talk about her frustration with being unable to see her daughter and general birth mom things. Then she mentions that she likes someone, but she isnt sure if they like her back. Grace is interested in who is it and Sloane goes all shy and gives a small smile of possible hope. Maybe if she passes a note to the person in question theyll let her know if they like her back.

Gibbs has returned to the office! The team looks at him in surprise when he tells them that he took some lost time and wants to know if they caught the guy (the story discussed earlier). Yeah, they caught her. So Gibbs tells them to go home. Unless theres something they want to talk about. No, not really. I hope that the way Torres looks Gibbs right in the eye convinces that one of his team has no issues with what he did. Then again, Nick still has a lot to learn about compartmentalization.

On his way out Leon shouts at Gibbs, asking where hes been. No matter, he has to get to the hospital immediately. Its Fornell.

See you next week!




Ukraine's prosecutor general said in an interview that he had no evidence of wrongdoing by U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden or his son, despite a swirl of allegations by President Donald Trump's lawyer.

The controversy stems from diplomatic actions by Biden while his son Hunter Biden sat on the board of Burisma Group, one of the country's biggest private gas companies. As vice president, Biden pursued an anti-corruption policy in Ukraine in 2016 that included a call for the resignation of the country's top prosecutor, who had previously investigated Burisma.

Yuriy Lutsenko, the current prosecutor general, said neither Hunter Biden nor Burisma were now the focus of an investigation. He added, however, that he was planning to offer details to U.S. Attorney General William Barr about Burisma board payments so American authorities could check whether Hunter Biden paid U.S. taxes on the income.

"I do not want Ukraine to again be the subject of U.S. presidential elections," Lutsenko said in an interview Tuesday in his office in Kiev. "Hunter Biden did not violate any Ukrainian laws - at least as of now, we do not see any wrongdoing. A company can pay however much it wants to its board." He said if there is a tax problem, it's not in Ukraine.

The prosecutor laid out a more detailed explanation about what was under investigation by his office after a flurry of diverging reports. While the prosecutor's office hasn't reopened a case against Burisma, it is pursuing information about the company's owner in connection with a long-running criminal investigation of another mogul who fled the country five years ago. That matter concerns a transaction unrelated to Hunter Biden, he said.

In recent weeks, Rudy Giuliani, the president's personal lawyer, has said Joe Biden had a conflict of interest when he pressed Ukraine's officials to crack down on corruption. Giuliani said that Biden could have been trying to help his son's business dealings and that Ukraine needs to investigate.

Those comments have brought fresh scrutiny of Ukraine's prosecutors and whether they are now investigating matters related to Burisma or taking other steps to curry favor with the U.S. administration.

In March 2016, Biden threatened to withhold $1 billion in loan guarantees if Ukraine didn't address corruption and remove its prosecutor general, Viktor Shokin, who left office soon afterward amid widespread calls for his dismissal. Though Shokin had begun a probe into Burisma, it was dormant when he departed, according to a former prosecutor.

"At the end of the day, Shokin submitted his own resignation," Lutsenko said.

Giuliani scrapped a planned trip to Ukraine this month to discuss the Biden allegations and other matters with Lutsenko and Ukrainian politicians after a report in The New York Times spurred criticism that he was seeking to harm a Democratic opponent. Critics said he appeared to be enlisting a foreign government to investigate Trump's possible challenger in the 2020 U.S. presidential election. Giuliani told Fox News that he believed the people around President-elect Volodymyr Zelenskiy were "enemies" of Trump.

Addressing the controversy this week, Biden called it a "personal attack" by Giuliani. "I can't remember any lawyer representing the president, conferring with the president, deciding to go overseas where a government that relies on U.S. largess to try to get them to do something that everyone knows never happened," Biden said in an interview in New Hampshire, posted Monday on Twitter.

The Bidens declined to comment for this article. Giuliani didn't respond to a request for comment.

From his office in Kiev, Lutsenko said Giuliani had extended an invitation to meet in New York late last year. When the two met in January, they spoke over two days about the Ukrainian political situation and the fight against corruption, he said. Giuliani asked him about investigations into the owner of Burisma, Mykola Zlochevsky, as well as whether the U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, Marie Yovanovitch, was "not loyal to President Trump." The men met again in February in Poland, where Giuliani gave a speech at an anti-Tehran rally on the sidelines of a U.S. summit on Iran.

The ambassador to Ukraine, Yovanovitch, has been subject to political attacks as anti-Trump, including a tweet by Donald Trump Jr. who called her a "joker." She is leaving Kiev within days, ahead of her planned departure this summer. Lutsenko said he told Giuliani that his relationship with the ambassador wasn't friendly enough for her to confide her opinions on Trump.

Lutsenko said his prosecutors are now looking at Zlochevsky and dozens of other Ukrainians as part of one of the country's biggest criminal investigations, which began in 2014. That inquiry focuses on the activities of Serhiy Kurchenko, who owned a group of gas companies and was a close associate of former President Viktor Yanukovych. Ukraine's prosecutor general has accused Kurchenko of money laundering, tax evasion and theft of state assets.

After the Maidan revolution toppled Yanukovych in February 2014, Kurchenko fled Ukraine, reportedly to Russia. The U.S. and the European Union imposed sanctions on Kurchenko, and his assets were frozen. A lawyer for Kurchenko didn't immediately comment.

As part of the 5-year-old inquiry, the prosecutor general's office has been looking at whether Kurchenko's purchase of an oil storage terminal in southern Ukraine from Zlochevksy in November 2013 helped Kurchenko launder money. Lutsenko said the transaction under scrutiny came months before Hunter Biden joined the Burisma board.

"Biden was definitely not involved," Lutsenko said. "We do not have any grounds to think that there was any wrongdoing starting from 2014."

There is no additional investigation of Zlochevsky and Burisma, the prosecutor general said. A separate case focusing on Zlochevsky's sale of the oil storage company should be opened in the next month, he said, calling it a "small episode" in the bigger investigation.

"As soon as a case will be separated against Zlochevsky, investigators will follow the procedure," Lutsenko said. "As far as I know, he is outside Ukraine, so he will be first put on a wanted list, then he will be put on an international wanted list. But for the time being, there is nothing in that regard."

Prosecutors sent Zlochevsky a "notice of suspicion" and requested he appear for questioning as part of the Kurchenko case, but he never showed up, Lutsenko said. Zlochevsky didn't respond to requests for comment sent via Burisma, and his lawyer declined to comment.

The current probe "in no way" concerns Burisma, the prosecutor general emphasized.

Before he became prosecutor general in 2016, Lutsenko said, a probe into whether Burisma misappropriated gas licenses was transferred to Ukraine's National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and then closed. "I don't understand why NABU closed the cases," he said.

This year, at the request of Ukrainian MPs, NABU reopened the gas license case. The matter concerns licenses granted to Burisma when Zlochevsky was Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources and predates Hunter Biden's time on the board.

Zlochevsky's sale of the oil storage business to Kurchenko was part of a probe by the U.K.'s Serious Fraud Office started in 2014, only to be dropped after Ukrainian prosecutors failed to provide information to support the case and closed their own investigation into the matter. Another probe into unpaid taxes by Burisma was settled in 2016.

"All cases against Burisma were closed," Lutsenko said. "I do not see any wrongdoings of any foreigners who worked for Burisma in Ukraine."

Lutsenko's future as prosecutor general - a job he says he'd like to keep - is uncertain. Zelenskiy, Ukraine's new president, is due to be sworn in Wednesday and has vowed to name a new prosecutor general.
The Trump administration is still in the "throes" of assembling the president's promised agriculture aid package for an industry hurt in the trade war with China, but it will probably include direct payments to farmers similar to those in last year's trade assistance.

Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue suggested Wednesday that the aid package might grow beyond the $15 billion President Donald Trump announced Friday as he escalated the trade war by increasing tariffs on $200 billion in Chinese products and threatening additional tariffs.

Asked to estimate the economic damage to farmers and potential scale of the aid package, Perdue said "our calculations initially probably range between $15 and $20 billion," though the department is still making assessments. He said his department is "expediting" preparation of the aid plan, and he declined to be give a more specific timeline.

Trump said on Friday that the U.S. would bolster its purchases of domestic farm products for humanitarian aid in an effort to offset lost demand from China, though some farm groups and experts said that was unrealistic.

Rural Americans were among the most enthusiastic supporters of Trump in the 2016 election, but the worsening impact of the trade war on agricultural exports is sparking criticism from farm groups.

Perdue told reporters in a conference call that the package would probably include aid to farmers, based on their crop production.

"We are assuming it will contain direct payments for commodities," Perdue said. "We are in the throes of constructing it."

The payment levels in last year's aid package have sparked complaints from some producers that their crops were treated unfairly.

The National Corn Growers Association sent a call to action earlier Wednesday, urging farmers to tell Trump that the 1-cent-per-bushel payment that growers received under the previous market facilitation payments wasn't enough.

Perdue said the administration is "trying to listen to all the stakeholder comments from last year," but "overall we were very, very pleased with how the program went."

He spoke from Seoul after completing trade talks with Japan and South Korea, which he called "productive."
STAMFORD  A doctors decision over what killed a Stamford woman last November may not result in more charges being filed against her husband or mother-in-law, who were slapped with misdemeanor cruelty charges for waiting too long to call an ambulance.

This week the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner ruled that Olga Iris Lopez, 36, who died about 12 hours after she was found unconscious in her mother-in-laws Southwood Square apartment last November, was killed due to blunt force injury to her head, chronic alcoholism and cirrhosis. The manner of death, which could determine if the injury was an accident or not, has not yet been decided.

The prosecutor in the case, Supervisory Assistant States Attorney Paul Ferencek, would not say if the determination would lead to more charges being filed. Ferencek said the investigation is ongoing and it would be inappropriate to comment on the case at this time.

Stamford Criminal Defense attorney Lindy Urso, who represents Lopezs mother-in-law, Mercedes Martinez, 60, said there was nothing much of importance to the medical examiners decision on what killed Lopez. The reasons behind Lopezs death were well documented in the police reports on the incident that were released last November, he said.

The cause of death appears consistent with my clients limited knowledge of what happened to Mrs. Lopez, Urso said, adding that he did not think the medical examiners description of the cause of Lopezs death will lead to more charges against his client.

Attorney Kevin Black, who is representing Lopezs husband Hector Lopez, declined comment on the case.

According to police reports, on Nov. 26, 2018 at 5:49 p.m. police officers were dispatched to the Southwood Square apartment on a report of an intoxicated and unresponsive woman lying on the hardwood floor in the living room.

Martinez, who called the ambulance for her daughter-in-law, said Lopez had been drinking heavily for the past three days. Martinez said she woke up that morning between 4 and 5 a.m. and saw Lopez vomiting in the bathroom.

Before she left for work that morning at about 9 a.m., Martinez said she heard Lopez take a fall in the bathroom, went to her and saw Lopez full of bruises and frothing at the mouth, a police report said. Martinez said she was unable to wake the victim up and asked her son what happened to her.

She then told police that she suggested to her son that he call an ambulance, but he refused because Lopez said he was concerned that if medics came they would think he inflicted the bruises on his wife, a police report said.

Hector Lopez has an extensive history with Stamford police, having been arrested for assaults, interfering with police, violating probation, stalking and violating protective orders put on him by Stamford judges. He is also known to be someone with an extensive history as a domestic violence perpetrator, the report said.

When Martinez returned home from work at about 5:45 p.m., she saw Lopez lying in an unconscious state and called an ambulance for her.

Martinez said to the officers that Lopez had a tendency to trip and fall all over the place.

Once at Stamford Hospital, things continued to spiral for Lopez. A little after 8 p.m., police were told by hospital staff that Lopezs conditions were severely declining and that she had suffered a massive brain bleed due to blunt force trauma to the right side of her head, according to the police report.

As well as the brain bleed, hospital staff also identified 30 to 40 fresh and old bruises on Lopezs body.

As a result of the investigation, both Lopez and Martinez were charged with negligent cruelty to persons and the charges are still pending. No hearing dates are scheduled in the matter.

jnickerson@stamfordadvocate.com
Israel Shares Intel on Iranian Threats with US

Stand for Israel | May 16, 2019 USS Gerald R. Ford

As tensions continue to rise in the Middle East, Israeli intelligence shared with the U.S. a credible threat from Iran. In response, the U.S. launched one of its warships into the Persian Gulf to aid U.S. troops on the ground.

This week marked the one-year anniversary of the U.S. moving its embassy to Jerusalem  the fulfillment of a 1995 law that also recognized Jerusalem as the undivided capital of Israel.

In a Wall Street Journal op-ed, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman argued that the Trump administrations recognition of the Golan Heights as Israeli territory fulfilled a U.N. Security Council resolution.

An elderly woman from the Jewish community of Helsingborg, Sweden, was critically injured Tuesday when a man armed with a knife attacked her from behind. Israeli President Reuven Rivlin linked the assault to anti-Semitism.

Hackers posted a two-minute video message posing as the Israel Defense Forces during the 2019 Eurovision Song Contest that warned viewers of an imminent missile attack on Tel Aviv.

This weeks Israel in the News Perspective features Fellowship President Yael Eckstein on the new reality for the Jewish people.
GUATEMALA CITY, Guatemala - A Guatemalan court on Wednesday ruled that anti-corruption crusader Thelma Aldana is ineligible to run in next month's presidential election, Guatemalan media reported, in what analysts called a blow to the decade-long effort to clean up the country's graft-ridden politics.

Four years ago, Aldana, then the attorney general, led an investigation of official graft that ousted the president. But now, Aldana is the one facing corruption charges.

Aldana's supporters - including U.S. and Guatemala civil society groups - say the charges against her are trumped up. The 63-year-old lawyer, they say, was part of a remarkable, U.S.-backed effort in recent years to tackle corruption in this poor nation. But her attempted run for president in the June 16 general elections prompted a fierce backlash by politicians and others who benefited from the old system.

"Thelma Aldana represented the possibility of continuing to affect political actors and structures that had previously been untouchable," said Stephanie Lopez, a political analyst at the Central American Institute of Political Studies.

The Constitutional Court ruling barring Aldana's candidacy is a victory for an alliance of corrupt politicians, parties and institutions, said Lopez. A document filed by Aldana to register as a candidate for the Semilla party was no longer valid in light of the more recent criminal allegations, the court ruled.

After the 6-to-1 decision by the court, Aldana issued a statement, saying, "I assure the people of Guatemala that I will continue in the struggle to transform the country."

The decision marks a turning point in an election campaign that has been wild, even by Central American standards. A quarter of the 24 initial presidential hopefuls face allegations of wrongdoing, and before Wednesday's ruling, four had been excluded from the race. One was accused by U.S. authorities of seeking millions of dollars in campaign funds from the Sinaloa drug cartel and help in assassinating political rivals. (The candidate, Mario Estrada, who was arrested on a visit to Miami, has pleaded not guilty.)

While Guatemala is small - its population is just 17 million - its elections matter well beyond its borders. The Central American country is the No. 1 source of irregular migration to the United States; more than 165,000 Guatemalans have been apprehended on the border in the U.S. Southwest this fiscal year. And it is an important transshipment point for Colombian cocaine being trafficked to the United States.

The fight over Aldana's candidacy took place as clean-government advocates warned of major setbacks for the anti-corruption movement here.

President Jimmy Morales' government has announced it will shut down the U.N.-backed International Commission Against Impunity in Guatemala, known as CICIG, for its initials in Spanish, when its mandate expires in September. The commission has worked closely with Guatemalan prosecutors in groundbreaking investigations and has sought to investigate Morales. The president has accused the commission of becoming politically motivated and overstepping its bounds - allegations it rejects.

Aldana had pledged to revive CICIG if she became president. She was among the leading presidential contenders when a judge issued an arrest warrant for her in March. Prosecutors say her office paid for workshops that allegedly never took place. She denies any wrongdoing.

Aldana has since been in self-exile in El Salvador. As a candidate, she would have had immunity from prosecution and detention. In light of the court ruling, she continues to face arrest upon return to Guatemala.

The judge in the case is now under investigation for allegedly receiving bribes in exchange for issuing the warrant. He had previously closed proceedings to the public.

"We believe it is another mechanism that has been used to prevent the spurious and unfounded nature of the case from being known," said Rootman Perez, Aldana's lawyer and campaign manager.

The Semilla party - the name is Spanish for "seed" - grew out of mass protests against corruption in 2015, as prosecutors unveiled a network of graft reaching the office of then-President Otto Perez Molina.

That case won Aldana praise in Guatemala and abroad. The U.S. State Department honored her three years ago with an International Women of Courage award.

Stephen McFarland, a former U.S. ambassador to Guatemala, noted that Aldana prosecuted many corruption cases against politicians and businesspeople, working closely with CICIG with the support of the United States.

"These people, it would appear, are pushing back," he said.

Jose Carlos Sanabria, a political analyst at the Association for Research and Social Studies, said that there are smaller opposition parties that share Aldana's strong stance against corruption.

"They do not have the same presence or position, but they could benefit," now that Aldana is out of the running, he said.

Aldana can continue to be a public figure for Semilla to help push for as many anti-corruption legislators in Guatemala's Congress as possible, said Lopez.

The Constitutional Court is also scheduled to address in the coming days whether to strip presidential candidate Sandra Torres of her immunity from prosecution. Torres, a longtime politician and former first lady, is leading in the polls but has been implicated in a case of illegal campaign financing related to the 2015 election, which Morales won. She says she's innocent.

The court on Monday disqualified right-wing presidential candidate Zury Rios. The former congresswoman has been in second place in recent polls.

The constitution bars leaders who took power by force from running for president, and the ban extends to relatives. Rios is the daughter of Efrain Rios Montt, who became Guatemala's leader by military coup in the 1980s. He was on trial on charges of genocide when he died last year.

No candidate is expected to win an outright majority in the election on June 16. A runoff vote is scheduled for Aug. 11.

The new president is to take office in January 2020.

- - -

Sheridan reported from Mexico City.
A womans newborn baby has been identified and remained in intensive care as of Wednesday afternoon at a Chicago hospital, according to reports.

Marlen Ochoa-Uriostegui's body was identified Wednesday, who was nine months pregnant when she went missing last month. Her death is being investigated as a homicide, WGN-TV reported.

Ochoa-Uriostegui was last seen alive on April 23, when the 19-year-old left her high school to meet with someone who she talked to on Facebook offering free items for her baby, including clothing and a stroller, The Chicago Sun-Times reported.

That same day, someone called 911 to report that a 46-year-old woman had given birth on the same block where Ochoa went, according to reports.

The baby boy was not breathing and was taken to an area hospital, WBBM-TV reported.

Police grew suspicious of the situation when the woman raised $9,000 on a now taken down GoFundMe page claiming she was raising money for her babys funeral because he was about to die, the TV station reported.

BABY BUST: America's birth rate reaches record low

Neighbors told WGN-TV they were surprised to hear of a birth since they were not aware that anyone who lived at the home was pregnant.

DNA tests confirmed Tuesday that the infant is Ochoa-Uriosteguis, the police told the family, according to reports.

The baby, named Yadiel, is on a ventilator and has brain damage.

It just seems surreal. You see this stuff on the movies. You never get to know someone, people actually are this evil, Cecilia Garcia, a family spokesperson, told WBBM-TV. Obviously, that lady is not right in her head. So its just really bizarre.

Four people of interest have been questioned by police, including the 46-year-old woman, her boyfriend and her daughter, according to WGN-TV.
When great minds work towards a noble cause, such as the global eradication of smallpox in the 20th century, we can achieve great things. Today it seems too many of the brightest minds are working on social media platforms or viral apps. In an economy that so heavily prioritizes monetary profit over all other considerations, its become easy to lose sight of the obvious: our companies, tools and gadgets are only as good as the human flourishing they support.

Nearly a decade ago, Peter Thiel and Bruce Gibney penned a manifesto called What happened to the future? with the poignant subtitle We wanted flying cars, instead we got 140 characters (a reference to Twitter).

Since then Twitter, Facebook and Instagram have only grown bigger, more powerful, but their support for human flourishing is questionable. Theyve built teams of designers, data scientists and psychologists to develop addictive feeds that keep us scrolling and liking for hours every day. God only knows what its doing to our childrens brains, said Facebook investor Sean Parker.

Dr. Jonathan Haidt, author of The Coddling of the American Mind explains how social media has fundamentally changed a generation of children for the worse citing numerous data of worsening anxiety and depression. The financial success of these platforms has led an entire generation of Silicon Valley entrepreneurs to create the next viral application to capture time and attention of users.

We have bigger problems to solve.

Related: Social Media's Dark Side: Learning to Set Boundaries

Lets Contribute to Human Wellbeing

Humans have fantastic potential. With the right motivations and incentives, we can steward the planet we call home, reduce suffering amongst our species, and create a utopian world for the creatures that cohabitate with us. We can also catalyze global collapse and the end of life as we know it. The choice is ours.

In the words of Jordan Hall, ...humanity is in the midst of a world historical transition which will likely kill all of us (see Mad Max) but just might end in a truly amazing future (see Star Trek)...

Entrepreneurs must be a major force pushing humanity towards that amazing future.

Ancestral Technologies: The Low Hanging Fruit

If futuristic technologies like virtual reality and artificial intelligence seem overwhelming, newer is not always better. Numerous entrepreneurs are maximizing human flourishing through ancestral technologies. These technologies have long lineages, histories, and come with far lower barriers to entry for entrepreneurs.

Psychedelics are a perfect example. Ayahuasca, a brew used for thousands of years in central and south America, is becoming more widely available for healing and self-actualization. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has designated psilocybin mushrooms as a breakthrough therapy that may make it legal to prescribe by 2021. Both have a long history of use and support wellbeing when used responsibly. Entrepreneurs, such as Synthesis in the Netherlands, are seizing upon this new data and traditional wisdom.

Another example is regenerative agriculture (RA), a system of farming practices that increase biodiversity and enhances ecosystems. In contrast to most other forms of agriculture, RA can sequester carbon dioxide and help to reverse climate change, which is a major goal of mine. Agriculture that supports the land in a sustainable way is an old phenomenon, but it is making a resurgence for all of our benefit. The duo who sold Epic Bar to General Mills founded Roam Ranch afterwards and implemented RA.

There are ancestral birthing technologies that support pregnant mothers, decreasing stress and reducing the chance of trauma. The most valuable technology is one we so often neglect in the internet age: people. My partner is a doula who painstakingly supports mothers and infants during the first moments of life. Whereas communities of trusted individuals used to be the norm for bringing life into the world, today we have adopted sterile hospital environments to our detriment.

To maximize human flourishing, we must first look to our ancestral wisdom and roots. Then we can build technologies upon that foundation.

Related: 4 Reasons Why Social Media Has Become So Toxic and What to Look for Next

Looking to a New Future

In Austin, Texas, an annual conference called Future Frontiers brings together 600 entrepreneurs and thought leaders to share and discuss up-and-coming technologies that maximize human flourishing, a phrase that inspired this post.

This year includes as speakers John Mackey (Whole Foods founder) and Ken Wilber (Integral Theory), a discussion of ancestral tech like psychedelic medicine and consciousness exploration, the biggest new trends like crypto and virtual reality, and cutting edge ideas like space colonization that you may have thought only existed in a sci-fi novel.

One previous talk by the eccentric Dr. James Hardt combined the traditional Zen meditation practices of Tibetan monks with brain neurofeedback devices that accelerated the process. This technology provided many of the same brain-related changes of 40 years of meditation within only seven days. It is this combination of ancestral practices and modern technology that represents a small, but growing industry that supports human flourishing rather than maximizing profit. It is a trend that entrepreneurs can use to grow wealth and support our species.

We have the financial and intellectual capital to solve enormous problems. We must remember what is important, not only whats profitable.

Related:

Tesla Responds to Model S Fires With Battery Software Update

More Than Ever Entrepreneurs Must Maximize Human Flourishing

Tech Industry Leads the Market Higher on Great Day for Google, Facebook and Amazon Stocks



Copyright 2019 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved
NEW HAVEN  It was low key, but the main contenders managed to get in some serious points while the long shots provided the humor and a new style of campaigning.

Welcome to the Westville-West Hills forum, the unofficial kickoff of the 2019 mayoral contest.

Organized by the Democratic leadership in Wards 25, 26, 27 and 30  two of them among the highest voting districts in the city  it is an area that all contenders need to pay attention to.

Mayor Toni Harp, who is seeking a fourth term, is being challenged by Justin Elicker, whom she ran against in a three-way primary and then again in the general election in 2013; philanthropist Wendy Hamilton and housing advocate Urn Pendragon.

The mayor introduced herself as the child of a teenage mother, who was adopted and raised by her grandparents. She said she experienced bouts of poverty in her childhood and can sympathize with residents here who find themselves facing similar struggles.

The value of trying to make sure that those people get what they need, that this city works for them, is the value that I stand behind, Harp said to an audience at the Mauro-Sheridan Middle School where about 200 people gathered to listen.

She spoke of the increasing high school graduation rates here and job programs she supports. We have made huge progress in New Haven. It is a vital town. I urge you to support my candidacy, Harp said in her opening remarks.

Elicker declared his love for the city, but said there are two New Havens.

There is the New Haven you see downtown and the prosperity of so many buildings going up, the wealth of Yale University, and then there is the other New Haven ... the New Haven that is struggling to get by, Elicker said.

He said the city is not now a place where everyone thrives. He said New Haven currently is only addressing some communities and not others. It is time we turned that around and invested in the neighborhoods, he said.

Hamilton offered probably the most poetic opening remarks.

She referred to the 11 percent boost in the tax rate last year in New Haven when state funding dropped and she criticized the raises for the mayors staff in the last fiscal year.

I felt like I had taken enough punishment as a taxpayer. Lately it is like Saddam and the oil wells. Boom here. Boom there. An explosion here. An explosion there. Everyday another bit of bad news. The cops, the teachers, the real estate deals and concessions. All of it on our dime.... We need radical change and new management. You have a bulldog landlord, but you need a pit bull mayor, Hamilton told them.

I wont cut ribbons. I will cut red tape, she said to cheers.

Pendragon said issues of inequality have risen to be the singular greatest problem, while the lack of affordable housing and the rash of recent police shootings are increasing threats to the working class. She said without stable housing the city will fall apart. She declared that New Haven has the money to address these problems, but the will to do so is lacking.

She said she will work for inclusionary zoning, reducing city debt, supporting workers rights and backing LBGTQ rights. Pendragon told the crowd she is a proud transgendered woman.

The candidates promised to be responsive to public concerns. Elicker said the city also needs department heads who are responsive. He said we need to prioritize the community and not just people that have political connections or donate to campaigns.

On safety, Hamilton said if people want to feel safe. Move to Scandinavia. Less of an income gap and better schools. She said everyone could be a crime victim, but the big crime here, is behind Phelps Gate. 55 Whitney Ave. is greed headquarters. (Referring to Yale University) Meanwhile, more cops is not the answer. Better paid and managed cops will help. A strong Civilian Review Board with teeth will help. Schools with after school programs will help.

Harp explained her clean and sweep program where she and her department heads have systematically walked the neighborhoods looking for blight and safety problems and getting them fixed. We have improved the lives of people in those neighborhoods, Harp said by having police, fire, the building and health departments, as well as the Livable City Initiative working collaboratively. She said department heads who dont respond to citizen requests, answer to her.

Asked about their three top fiscal priorities, given limited resources, all the candidates named a balanced budget. Harp had a stable tax rate on her list and told the crowd the city will end up in the black this fiscal year. She said they are looking for additional ways to save and have brought in Yale New Haven Hospital to help the city reduce its health care costs.

Pendragon said she doesnt want to see cuts in public safety and wants more personnel in economic development and more inspectors. She wants to see investments in clean renewable energy.

Elicker had a much more perilous view of the citys finances.

We are on the Titanic and the leadership of the city is acting as if nothing is going wrong, he said. The candidate said the city cannot live beyond its means. He told the audience that New Haven has to eliminate fraud and misuse of government funds by not spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on lawsuits to nowhere, as well as $50,000 on a trip to China.

He wants to see the city get rid of the potholes and make the schools places were people feel like every school is for their child. Elicker said the most challenging priority is to make sure Yale University and Yale New Haven Hospital pay their fair share. He also wants the state to enact additional sources of revenue, such as a hotel tax, a hospital bed tax, a beverage tax. Elicker said the unions have to be treated with respect and the city should work with them, but not over promise.

Hamiltons top three budget priorities are fire, police and schools .

They were asked what they would do to provide the best educational experience for New Haven children.

Hamilton would add teachers, as well as ancillary staff, a new Board of Education and a new superintendent. She also favors putting children in neighborhood schools; she would drop the lottery system.

The mayor said the best experience would be to ensure that all children at third grade can read at that level. Statistics on children who dont achieve this are used to predict the future prison population.

We have not been able to achieve that in the New Haven Public Schools, she said. Her second wish is for a 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. wraparound school day that was supported with special state funds that are no longer available. She said it responded to the needs of the family and children at Lincoln Bassett School, who were brought up to the average reading level.

Harp would also work for a smoother transition for students going from the eighth grade to ninth grade. If they dont do well in the ninth grade, we know they are not going to graduate from high school, she said. The mayor said what is needed are the resources to boost all the citys struggling schools. She said they have also added a track at Hillhouse for students not ready to go to college.

Pendragon said more funding is needed for education or we will become an isolated country.

Elicker said graduating students at a third grade reading level does a disservice to the community. He said he and his wife are sending their older daughter to the Columbus School next year to broaden the families she will interact with. He said the city needs to be spending money on guidance counselors, librarians and teachers and not on consultants. He said the system should not be so obsessed with high stakes testing. Elicker said the schools should prioritize the arts, as well as math and reading and recess. We need to be teaching to the whole child, he said.

The four were also asked if the city can afford to give every child a quality education that meets their needs?

Harp said no. The rest said yes. On another quick survey, they all said they favored a hybrid board of education - part appointed and part elected.

They were asked, if they were forced to regionalize one service, what would it be? Harp said the 911 emergency system; Elicker said the schools.

The contenders were asked to describe their management styles: Harp said collaborative; Elicker said humble and Hamilton said supportive.

Elicker used a question on the most pressing safety issue in Westville to talk generally about the police. We are setting the table for problems to come because we have a police department that has been without a contract for three years and morale is at a low, he said.

The candidate said the police should be paid more and a restructuring should take place to make sure they stay in New Haven. He said the district managers seem to be moved every year which also makes it hard for the neighborhood to get to know him or her.

Elicker said the reaction to the recent police shooting by a Hamden officer and a Yale University officer after they crossed over into New Haven, shows a deep distrust between the police and the community.

I think Hamden has had so many problems with inappropriate police conduct that they should not be coming into our city, Elicker said. We are experiencing a crisis in our police department and while there are many problems today, I worry that we will have many more ...

On jobs, Elicker said the city should again have a agency to train residents in the building trades. He said the program at Hillhouse High School is good, but it is only 30 students. He said Yale should follow up on its commitment to hire 1,000 workers and the last element to a stable city is more affordable housing. Like the other candidates, he favors inclusionary zoning to guarantee more affordable units.

The mayor listed the things her administration is doing on skill development in the trades with programs at Eli Whitney Regional Technical High School, as well as at adult education. She also mentioned a free apprenticeship program through the unions. She said high school students can take courses at Gateway Community College for trade and academic subjects.

The Southern Connecticut State University Bio-ladder programs teaches students skills in bioscience and there are programs that teach children to code. Through Emerge, formerly incarcerated persons are taught to install bioswales. She said her administration absolutely saved that program. The latest project is an Evergreen program that is based on one in Cleveland where a partnership is developed with a hospital to create an industrial laundry that is eventually co-owned by the workers.

The sharpest comments from Harp came in her closing statement. She said for the past six years she has enjoyed seeing empty lots being turned into housing; more students graduating from high school and the unemployment numbers go down by more than half.

But there is one thing that I dont enjoy however and that is when people distort the good things that we have done in New Haven that have been happening. Everything that my opponents have talked about doing, I have already done. The difference between being a candidate and being the mayor is that I cant afford to deal with fantasies. I cant say that we can extort Yale for tens of millions of dollars each year and I cant simply believe that there is somewhere a money fairy that is going to magically balance our budgets. So, as your mayor, I have worked very hard to get the job done, Harp said.

I have worked with community leaders, I have worked with parents, I have worked with students. I have worked with people throughout our city and we have made a difference. There is not a city in Connecticut that is as vibrant as our city is. There isnt a city in Connecticut that can boost the things that we have done. We have worked community by community trying to fix things that are decades old problems. We have done that and we have made progress. So I would urge that you support my candidacy for mayor, she said.

Elicker said being a good mayor is about being accessible, being transparent and listening.

But being a good mayor of a city is also about vision. It is about thinking of what we could do and what we can accomplish, thinking big. ... We need to expect more, have more confidence as a city that we are capable of more. Instead of looking at muddling along like everything is going just fine. We need to chart a new course, he said.

He said he wants to provide every opportunity for his two children to succeed in life.

And there are so many families in this city that cant do that, that they dont have the economic means to do that. It is time that we have leadership that thinks big and thinks creatively and works hard and works together with the community to make sure that we are serving everyone in the city and that New Haven is a city where every single resident has the opportunity to strive and I will be that mayor, he said.

mary.oleary@hearstmediact.com;203-641-2577
When it comes to foreign affairs, President Donald Trump is not cursed with the burden of knowledge. This was always pretty clear, but the point has come into sharper focus in the past week. As his trade war with China escalates, Trump continues to display a fundamental lack of comprehension about how the policies he's put in place work. He has repeatedly insisted that China pays for U.S. tariffs, even though every economist - including his own adviser Larry Kudlow - acknowledges this to be false. According to Axios, Trump's staffers are convinced he really believes it; one former staffer says it's "like theology."

A similar dynamic is playing out in the Middle East. In Iran, the Trump administration is increasing pressure; administration spokesmen and spokeswomen have brandished military threats and plans. Based on Trump's own comments, however, it is not clear he is aware of the implications of his foreign policy. When news broke about a Defense Department plan to deploy 120,000 troops to the Middle East if Iran were to escalate existing tensions, Trump simultaneously denied it but also suggested that "if we did that, we would send a hell of a lot more troops."

Despite our nation's superpower status, such threats from Trump keep leading to more conflict, rather than less. Perhaps, in some cases, more patience is required.

Or maybe, just maybe, the president simply does not know what he is doing.

Iran and China are not easy portfolios for any commander in chief. Nonetheless, the standoffs with both countries - either of which can easily worsen - were entirely avoidable. Both situations show just how wrong things can go when the ultimate decision-maker for the government of the most powerful nation on Earth doesn't understand that he's boxed himself in. Trump declared during the 2016 campaign that "I alone can fix" the problems facing the country. What we're seeing now is the unfortunate counterpoint: He alone gets us into these new messes.

Unlike any of his predecessors, Trump possessed zero experience in any branch or level of government when he arrived at the White House. His only previous contact with the legal system had been suing others and being sued, which did not prep him for the finer points of law. Trump repeatedly has commanded his staffers and Cabinet secretaries to do things that, as president, he has no legal authority to do. And in return, they have repeatedly mocked his knowledge deficits. Reince Priebus, John Kelly, Rex Tillerson, Steven Mnuchin and H.R. McMaster all reportedly called him some variation of "idiot" during their service in his administration. After leaving office, Tillerson explained: "What was challenging for me coming from the disciplined, highly process-oriented ExxonMobil corporation, to go to work for a man who is pretty undisciplined, doesn't like to read, doesn't read briefing reports, doesn't like to get into the details of a lot of things, but rather just kind of says, 'This is what I believe.' "

If Trump is the president with the least experience in government in American history, he is also the one most hostile to expert advice. Like a small child who thinks that no one is wise to his bluff, Trump has consistently claimed expertise on subjects that he clearly knows nothing about. During the 2016 campaign, Trump claimed that on foreign policy, "my primary consultant is myself and I have a good instinct for this stuff." Despite Trump's rather limited tech savviness, he has claimed expertise about wind energy, the aeronautics of Boeing planes, and self-driving cars. He has repeatedly rejected the assessments provided to him from the U.S. intelligence community on security matters. He has spurned his economic advisers on foreign economic policy. The reason for the high turnover on his foreign policy team has been his refusal to listen to their counsel.

Trump's defenders might argue that the president's dealmaking abilities compensate for his lack of knowledge, that expert advisers can compensate for what the chief executive doesn't know on his own. These arguments do not hold up and mask considerable risks. Trump's lack of knowledge erodes his ability to lead. Indeed, his ignorance enables his subordinates to pursue policies that might be at variance with Trump's wishes. The president did not comprehend the veiled insults contained in outgoing defense secretary Jim Mattis's resignation letter because he did not read it until it was covered in the news media. In just the past few weeks, Trump has publicly reversed his own administration's actions on North Korea and the Special Olympics, unaware of policy initiatives until they were already in motion. As political scientist Elizabeth Saunders has demonstrated, inexperienced leaders are less able to constrain their subordinates from engaging in bureaucratic conflicts or pursuing risky actions. Their lack of experience and knowledge makes it more difficult for them to effectively monitor their subordinates, particularly when those subordinates have their own agenda. Saunders concludes that "a base of substantive, domain-specific knowledge is important, and is distinct from procedural experience and acumen (such as good organizational or bargaining skills)."

We see this at work in all the conflicts brewing this week. On Iran and Venezuela, Trump appears to be at the mercy of his hawkish national security adviser, John Bolton, who is running point on both policies. Bolton has made some extraordinary threats, including calling out individual allies of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro by name on Twitter. None of this has caused the Maduro regime to collapse, surprising Trump repeatedly. Bolton's bellicosity on Iran is based on intelligence that has failed to persuade U.S. allies of any escalation in the Iranian threat. One U.S. official told the New York Times that, "the ultimate goal of the year-long economic sanctions campaign by the Trump administration was to draw Iran into an armed conflict with the United States" - a goal decidedly at odds with Trump's desire to extract the United States from wars in the Middle East. In his economic war with China, Trump's advisers are bound and determined to force U.S. allies into a binary choice between Washington and Beijing - and Trump is blissfully unaware how that choice intersects with his other trade wars.

The real reason Trump likes to threaten is that he likes cheap victories. A successful threat can compel other countries into making concessions without incurring costs. Trump, like every other president, wants as many wins as possible. Unlike other presidents, however, Trump has no grasp of the need for threats to be credible. As some of us cautioned back in 2016, the president's bellicose rhetoric inevitably starts to wear thin after a while.

It is possible that the Trump administration will still manage to pressure some recalcitrant actors into submission. American power can be a great thing. It is not likely, however. Trump's demands on China, Iran and Venezuela are much greater than what earlier administrations have asked, which decreases the likelihood of any settlement. Some would argue that this merely reflects Trump's right sizing of U.S. priorities. The problem is that it is hard to square the notion of enduring great power conflict with a president who possesses large knowledge deficits and a limited attention span.

Unburdened by any knowledge of history, Trump can serenely gamble on economic and military brinkmanship, convinced that his escalation dominance on Twitter translates into success on the global stage. Those of us who have studied these matters, however, see too many brush fires that can escalate into an uncontrollable blaze.

_ _ _

Drezner is a professor of international politics at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University.
Apparently "Death to America" should be taken seriously but not literally. At least that's the implication of the quote that Iran's supreme leader gave to state media on Tuesday: "There won't be any war," said Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. "We don't seek a war."

In light of recent events, this seems a bit weird. Last week, the U.S. announced the early deployment of an aircraft carrier and bomber task force to the Persian Gulf to deter what Acting Defense Secretary Pat Shanahan called a "credible threat by Iranian forces." Over the weekend, the United Arab Emirates reported that four vessels in its territorial waters, including two Saudi tankers, were attacked by sabotage. So far, the Emiratis have not said the culprit was Iran. On Tuesday, Yemeni Houthi forces (who are aligned with Iran) launched a drone attack on two Saudi oil facilities.

So is the 79-year-old Khamenei finally succumbing to senility? Perhaps. But if these attacks are in fact connected to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, then it's worth noting what is missing so far from the target list: Americans. Indeed, the deputy commander of the mission against the Islamic State said Tuesday that he had seen "no increased threat" from Iran against U.S. and coalition troops in Syria and Iraq. (The spokesman for U.S. Central Command later issued a statement saying U.S. forces are on "a high level of alert.)

If the deputy commander is right, it makes sense. Iran may be sinister, but it is not stupid. Khamenei knows that Iran will lose a military confrontation with the U.S. - as it did in 1988, when the U.S. launched an air and sea assault against Iran's navy. The result of that battle was that the Mullahs lost their navy.

The question for Khamenei now is which Donald Trump to believe. As usual, that's hard to know. On the one hand, the U.S. president has made it clear that he wants the U.S. military out of Syria. He has derided America's involvement in both Iraq and Afghanistan. And he has limited his actions against Iran to diplomatic and economic war.

On the other hand, unlike his predecessors, Trump has made it clear that his policy toward Iran will not be constrained by Europe or the United Nations. He is neither ruling in nor ruling out a military option. On Tuesday, he dismissed as "fake news" reports of a plan to send 120,000 troops to a war in Iran - then added that if he was going to attack Iran, he would send "a hell of a lot more troops than that."

While the U.S. has been clear that it will respond with force to an Iranian attack on U.S. forces or facilities, it has been ambiguous about what it would do if Iran escalates attacks against American allies. Shanahan, for example, tweeted only that the U.S. "will hold the Iranian regime accountable" for any such attacks. Given Iran's bellicose mood, this ambiguity could be seen as an invitation.

This presents an opportunity for Congress. There's no need for a war resolution against Iran, and Trump would be a fool to launch an invasion. For one, Americans would not support it, and for another, the Iranian people should be the authors of their own liberation. Also, the U.S. has military options short of a full-scale invasion to respond to an attack from Iran or its proxies.

But there is ample evidence that Iran responds to pressure and threats. So a non-binding congressional resolution warning Khamenei not to escalate against U.S. forces or allies in the region might serve as a useful deterrent. Signaling America's seriousness of purpose would go a long way toward persuading Khamenei's henchmen that they, too, should want to avoid a war with the U.S.

---

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.
V odafone used to be one of our great companies, one of the global leaders, present in most of the worlds major markets. Its sponsorship of sporting events made it a household name. In 2000 its shares topped 400p at a time when it was bidding for and subsequently acquired Mannesmann. That was 19 years ago.

After Tuesdays results its shares were around 130p, just a third of what they were.

Particularly from about 2013, when it did its deal to sell its American subsidiary to Verizon for an astonishing $130 billion (101 billion), it has stood still or gone backwards: locked in its time warp, not innovating, not designing, not really doing anything when compared with how it used to be.

Then this week it slashed its dividend by 40% and even had the gall to say that, with this cut, its dividend yield was still above the average.

On that basis it should engineer to halve the share price again. The dividend would then rise pro rata and justify another cut!

Mind you, while the PR spinners stripped out the M&A and other nasty stuff so the group could say it was more or less on target, the reality was that it lost 7.6 billion (6.6 billion), so it may not be so fanciful.

Everyone has a mobile phone, if not two, but calls and texts are not where its at these days. It has not been so for a while. People use their phones to get access to WhatsApp, and Instagram, Twitter and Facebook; they look at emails; they surf the net; they play games; they might even still Skype.

But that does not really help Vodafone. Its revenue was down a few points, and it said increased competition from lower-cost rivals was part of the problem. That sounds like BT  it too is a legacy business struggling to grow.

Vodafone missed out on social media when, had it been more astute, it might have been part of it, not just providing the network.

Or it could have become a payments provider  it had the customers, a lot of the technology, billing, and payment systems. Instead it left it to Google, Apple and the Chinese. Or it could even have done 5G rather than leaving that to Huawei, the Chinese company which barely existed 20 years ago.

Huawei now apparently has mobile operators eating out of its hands, presumably because it innovated  albeit Donald Trump is not one of its fans. Why didnt Vodafone stay in the race? Instead it will shortly be rolling out a 5g spectrum, which it says will be wonderful provided Huawei is its supplier. If it is not, then chief executive Nick Read says it will be two years before Vodafone can source someone else.

The point is not that it could do all these things, but perhaps it should have tried at least one. Instead it shuffled the pack, bought some operators and sold others, with last years must have acquisition this years unwanted disposal.

It has for example effectively given up on India, having put billions in it. That is one of the reasons for this years vast loss.

Some say it is the fault of Vittorio Colao, who vacated the chief executives job last autumn. Colao seemed to be good at his job though; he certainly talked a good story, and the board seemed happy to shower him with options, Ltips or whatever other remuneration package they thought of. But in the event he mostly did costly acquisitions, including part of the present one where John Malone has agreed to sell to Vodafone Liberty Globals German and east European cable business for an eye-watering 18.4 billion.

Malone has a habit of selling right at the top  no one ever seems to get the better of him  but in the meantime the Vodafone board cannot pay its dividend.

It is a terrible indictment, made worse by the so-called savings which are supposed to come through to help justify the price paid. What savings? Better not bank them just yet.

It is sad but so many British boards just cant hack it. We go on about corporate governance, board evaluation and having the right skills for directors, but so often it is just words.

Did anyone really challenge the executives? Did anyone resign because of the mergers and disposals? Did anyone really understand technology? Did anyone realise the company was getting more and more in the mire? Did the board think about the dividend and what a cut would mean to shareholders?
T he Serious Fraud Office has frozen more than 12 million worth of property belonging to people linked to the collapse of London Capital & Finance.

The so-called restraint orders prevent the men or their families from selling the assets, and were made under Section 41 of the Proceeds of Crime Act.

While it is not known on what basis the SFO obtained the orders, this can apply to people under criminal investigation where there is reasonable cause to believe they profited from their criminal actions.

Land Registry records show LCF chief executive Andy Thomson, Spencer Golding, patron of the stables business which received millions of pounds of LCF loans, Simon Hume-Kendall, who ran LCF in its previous guise and whose businesses also received LCF money, and Elten Barker, another director of many LCF-backed companies, all have restraint orders on properties belonging to them or their spouses.

Several are luxury homes worth more than 2 million, in keeping with the millionaire lifestyles the men enjoyed.

The Standard has located five properties belonging to Golding or his wife in East Sussex, which all have restraint orders on them. While the prices paid for them total more than 6 million, the current value is far more as some have undergone significant building work.

One stud farm was bought for 2.4 million. Another, the Home Farm Equestrian Centre, was bought for 900,000 with a mortgage to Hume-Kendall and his wife Helen.

Most of Goldings properties, such as 1.2 million of land at Home Farm, do not have any mortgages on them.

Three of Hume-Kendalls family properties are in his wifes name or that of her business. One, a 2.5 million flat in Belgravias salubrious Eaton Place, has an SFO restraint order on it but the other two do not.

LCF chief Thomson hit the headlines recently after paying a reported 2 million for a luxury house weeks before the financial watchdog ordered the lender to cease its marketing. Deeds for that property are not yet available but his other large country house has a restraint order on it.

An Elten Barker property in Crowborough, East Sussex also has a restraint order on it.

The four men were named in the administrators report into LCF over suspicions multi-million pounds of LCF bondholders money went into their personal possession or control.

Mike Stubbs of Mishcon de Reya, adviser to the administrators, denied there was a possibility any funds obtained by the SFO may be kept away from bondholders.

He said: The administrators are not in competition with the SFO. We are confident of the administrators ability to realise assets for the benefit of our bondholders.
C hina-US trade talks are again catching the eye of the British media. There are concerns over an escalated trade war harming the world economy as well as claims that China is backtracking and breaking promises. So what is really happening with China-US trade talks and where are they heading?

First, there has been no change of position as far as China is concerned. China addresses differences through dialogue and consultation, because this is in the interests of not only China and the US but also the international community. In the face of US threats to raise tariffs, China still sent a high-level delegation to the US for talks as agreed, out of consideration for the bigger picture and showing sincerity and goodwill.

At the same time, China takes a firm stance on safeguarding its legitimate interests. As differences emerge in any negotiations, twists and turns are inevitable, but the two sides should respect each other, treat each other as equals and strive for a mutually beneficial deal. It is obvious that some promises are broken, not by China but by those brandishing the baton of tariffs against China. China does not want a trade war but it is not afraid of one and would fight one if necessary. China is always open for talks but it would fight to the end should a trade war break out. The recent announcement on countermeasures is proof that China is fully prepared.

Secondly, China has always believed in responsibility and co-operation as a way to resolve differences in negotiations. Raising tariffs and taking unilateral measures only harms the interests of the people and businesses of the two countries. A sound and stable economic partnership between the US and China is important for not only the two countries but also the world economy. Therefore, what a responsible big country should do is to stop thinking about us first at the expense of others. China will continue working with the US to ensure the steady and sound development of their economic partnership.

Thirdly, protectionism is the common enemy of the world. The trade friction between China and the US is a question of openness and connectivity versus exclusion and protectionism. China has followed the ideals of the former. At last months second Belt and Road Forum for international co-operation, China announced five key measures that will not pose a challenge or a threat but create more opportunities for the world.

The real troublemakers in the global economy are those who rely on their superior power and frequently resort to the threat of raising tariffs, and who trigger trade wars at will, even against their allies, without hesitation.

As a British saying goes, The darkest hour is nearest the dawn. It is important that the international community stand firm and stand together at this darkest hour of protectionism so as to avert a looming trade war and embrace the dawn of world economy and trade.
S ometimes youve just got to laugh. I worked in Parliament for a while when I was in my mid-twenties, and one day I heard that a prominent MP was setting up a working group on social mobility with the idea of developing policies to help more people do well in life, whatever their family background.

I went along to the first meeting, and when it was my turn to speak I blathered on about how important the first few years after a childs birth are, and brought up some academic research showing that children from poorer families are more likely to be falling behind by the time they start school, and this attainment gap gets wider from there. So  I suggested  the working group should probably look at how early-years education could be improved, especially for the most disadvantaged.

The politician in charge shook his head. I didnt learn to read until I was seven years old, he said with a smile, And I turned out fine, didnt I? And then he called for the next person to speak  my slot was over.

I wanted to yell out that the point about the academic study is that it looked at the average outcomes for thousands of kids, not just the lucky few, like this know-nothing MP. But I bottled it, and didnt say a word  I just didnt go back to another of those working group sessions again.

Looking back on it today, I think its all pretty comical  that an issue as important as social mobility could be led by an MP who didnt give a damn about what the data actually showed. But at the time, I didnt find it funny. I was just upset that this group was so clearly going to achieve nothing.

Rohan Silva

Maybe I was being wide-eyed  and maybe Id been watching too many West Wing episodes at the time  but I genuinely did think that the point of politics was to make a difference. And what could be bigger than trying to open up more opportunities for people to succeed?

It was also a matter of background. My mum never had money when we were growing up  she worked multiple jobs, and my brother and I qualified for free meals at school. But I was lucky enough to get a scholarship to a good local school, and my brother got an assisted place, meaning the government paid his tuition fees  and a couple of decades later weve ended up better off than we started out.

Sadly, in Britain today this kind of journey is getting harder.

Just last week, the Social Mobility Commission, which was set up by the Coalition government in 2010, released a damning report showing that social mobility has stagnated over the last four years at virtually all life stages.

According to the report, people from better-off backgrounds are now almost 80 per cent more likely to be in a professional job than those born to poorer families  and even working-class kids who do manage to enter professional occupations end up earning 17 per cent less on average than their more privileged colleagues.

Damning stuff  particularly as Theresa May promised to put social mobility front and centre in her agenda as Prime Minister. On her very first day in Downing Street, she promised: Well do everything we can to help anybody, whatever your background, to go as far as your talents will take you.

Sadly, the Prime Minister has done little to make that pledge a reality  which is why the last chair of the Social Mobility Commission quit in 2017 (along with his entire team), having concluded that Mays Government had failed to give due priority to the social mobility challenge facing our nation.

"People from better-off families are 80% more likely to be in a professional job than those from poorer ones"

But if May is incapable of taking action, that doesnt mean we have to stand around doing nothing. Whats fascinating is how quickly things could change for the better here in London, if politicians and businesses pull together.

As David Johnston of the Social Mobility Foundation (a wonderful charity Ive known for many years) points out, employers are already changing the way they recruit staff, and starting to take into account candidates backgrounds as well as redesign aptitude tests to look beyond academic results to spot hidden talent and potential.

Theres no reason this cant become the norm in our city  all it requires is a push.

Meanwhile, top educational institutions like Westminster School are also getting stuck in. Its impressive headmaster, Patrick Derham, has built a close partnership with a sixth-form just around the corner, Harris Westminster, where more than a third of the intake have parents earning less than 16,000 a year. Thanks to this support, the academy school is now one of the best performing in the country, racking up 37 Oxbridge offers this year alone.

And Derham has an ambitious plan to make Westminster School completely needs blind  meaning that any child bright enough to pass the entrance exam would be able to get in, whether or not their parents could afford the fees.

Thats exactly the kind of initiative that deserves support from the business community and beyond, along with all the other ways that opportunities could be opened up, from new apprenticeship places through to better access to childcare.

While social mobility might not be a priority for Mays beleaguered premiership, its never been more important for London. If were going to remain globally competitive, we cant afford to let talent go untapped.
A-list stars are calling for greater female representation at the Cannes Film Festival.

Tilda Swinton, who appeared at Cannes to promote Jim Jarmusch movie The Dead Dont Die, told a press conference that more needed to be done to support female filmmakers.

Women have been making films for 11 decades now, she said. There are countless films out there. Why dont we necessarily know about them? We have women filmmakers. Some are working bars, some are still in school, some cant get into school. But thats where we need to start. We need to look at the canon, appreciate it, stream it. Then it will exist amongst us. Its not some other thing that we have to somehow find. It all exists  we just have to pay attention to it and bring it up.

Last year, 82 female actors and filmmakers came together on the steps of Cannes' red carpet to protest the gender equality shortcomings of the industry and Cannes. Kristen Stewart, Ava Duvernay, Patty Jenkins and more stood in solidarity as jury member Cate Blanchett said, "We are 82 women, representing the number of female directors who have climbed these stairs since the first edition of the Cannes film festival in 1946."

She continued, "In the same period, 1,688 male directors have climbed these very same stairs. The prestigious Palme d'Or has been bestowed upon 71 male directors, too numerous to mention by name, but only two female directors."

This year, 47 films will be screened at Cannes this year and just twelve of them have come from female directors. Only four of the twelve will compete for the Palm d'Or.

Meeting press on Monday, Cannes chief Thierry Fremaux - who in 2018 signed a 5050x2020 gender pledge to improve parity at the festival - defended the Cannes record on female filmmakers. "No one has asked me to have 50% films made by men and women apart from the press. It would show a lack of respect to select a film just because it's made by a woman," he said.

Fremaux also responded to criticism over the decision to award French actor Alain Delon, who has been accused by activists of sexism and homophobia, with an honorary Palme dOr on Sunday. We are not going to give Alain Delon the Nobel Peace Prize. Were giving him a Palme dOr for his career as an actor, he said.

Julianne Moore weighed in the gender quota debate, saying at a Cannes talk on Wednesday that she believed they were necessary to level the playing field.
Kylie Jenners beauty empire seems to know no bounds, as the Kardashian is set to launch a brand new venture: Kylie Skin. The skincare brand, which will be available from May 22, has started to unveil their products online. However, one of their powder pink products is drawing a lot of ire: the Walnut Face Scrub.

Jenner, who was recently declared by Forbes as the youngest self-made billionaire, shared a number of videos on her official YouTube channel where she revealed the brands six products. In her video detailing the walnut scrub, she claimed it was her secret to a fresh face and that it was really gentle.

In accompanying tweets, the Kylie Skin account also detailed a selection of ingredients in the scrub which include ginseng extract, sodium hyaluronate and a blend of fruit extracts and fine walnut powder - to help gently exfoliate. Jenner claimed in the video that the product was gentle enough to use every day and that she personally used it two to three times a week.

Jenner continued, Some walnut face scrubs are kind of harsh on the skin, this isnt too abrasive. It really leaves my skin feeling super baby soft.

The product was controversially received on Twitter as various commenters criticised Jenner for the scrub.

One warned fellow users, do NOT pay this billionaire your hard earned money so you can tear up your precious faces with tiny bits of walnut. DO NOT.

Another said, One of the largest beauty companies in the entire world and she puts out a damn st Ives walnut scrub??? That is KNOWN to damage the moisture barrier and create micro tears?? Im tired.

"The LEAPS AND BOUNDS in chemical exfoliants at the cutting edge of skincare and you and your team give us St Ives Apricot 2.0?? The nerve," one commented.

For many, the fine walnut powder was the biggest concern. We spoke to various skincare experts about the controversial product.

Skin specialist Amanda Von Hagen of Glo Skin Beauty UK said, Even if the walnuts are crushed down to powder form, they can damage your skin and after time can break down your skin barriers and cause micro-tears in the skin. Walnut scrubs, or any scrubs with nuts in, are too abrasive and can have dire effects on your skin such as making acne worse and pitting and scarring of the skin.

Von Hagen also criticised the fact that Jenner had claimed the scrub was appropriate for daily use, saying, Suggesting the use [of the scrub] daily is dangerous, as this can strip your face of natural oils and moisture which leads to skin becoming dehydrated, flaky and prone to mass irritation. On top of that, your skin will age faster due to increased exposure to daily aggressors.

Dr Dennis Gross of Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare didn't outright warn against facial scrubs, however, he did recommend using them in moderation. He said, "It is important that you do not overuse mechanical exfoliation, limiting their use to 30 seconds every three days. Mechanical exfoliation involves using scrubs that scratch the skin surface with hard grainy substances like oatmeal, nut shells or microbeads."

All scrubs use friction to remove dead skin cells versus acids that detach dull lifeless skin by gently dissolving the dead skin, he continued, it may remove dead skin, but its essentially like taking sandpaper to a wood surface. If you look closely, you can see scratches.

Skincare specialist Irene Forte noted that it was hard for her to comment on Kylie's scrub as the full ingredients list has yet to be released, but seeing as her skincare brand has an Almond Face scrub she was in a unique position to provide insight. She explained, "I use almond and hazelnut granules in my Almond Face scrub. This is a fantastic natural alternative to plastic microbeads and definitely a safe, non-harsh natural scrub."

"In terms of exfoliating safely, it really depends on the scrub. Mine is very creamy and light and replenishes the skin with a number of other active ingredients. It also depends on someones skin type. If someone has very sensitive and reactive skin, I would not recommend a scrub more than once per week...It is down to every individual to see how their skin reacts to a scrub," she said.

Dr. Gross, whose skincare line sells chemical exfoliants, actually claimed there were better chemical-based alternatives on the market as skincare industry had made "advancements in formulations". In fact, he even claimed that there are now products available that would allow us to exfoliate daily without stripping or irritating the skin.

QMS Medicosmetics head facialist Rowan Hall-Farisse also recommended moving away from facial scrubs entirely, saying, Weve moved away from using scrubs because they tend to scratch at live skin cells, turning these into dead skin cells and exacerbating a vicious cycle which sees little progression in skin quality. Scrubs also disrupt the lower levels of the skin and over-stimulate the sebaceous glands, which are responsible for producing oil and sebum. Acids can exfoliate and refine the skin without these drawbacks.

She continued, My ethos when working is to never give the skin any abrasion. Acids provide all the same benefits of using a scrub, but without damaging the skin...Think of acids as an exfoliator, and an upgrade from a scrub.

For those looking for a new exfoliant, weve put together a list of physical and chemical exfoliants below. For those who choose to purchase a physical exfoliant, it's worth bearing in mind that some may not be eco-friendly as the UK government has actually banned products including microbeads which they deemed "lethal to sea creatures" after they wash out into the ocean.

Irene Forte Almond Face Scrub

This scrub uses natural exfoliating granules made from almond and hazelnuts to help smooth skin, with additional ingredients such as aloe vera, olive oil and shea butter to deeply hydrate the skin.

69 | Irene Forte | Buy it now

Dr Roebucks Byron 2-in-1 Mask + Scrub

This eco-friendly Australian brand uses biodegradable jojoba beads to help exfoliate your skin. As both a mask and exfoliant, the jojoba beads and an Australian clay called kaolin do away with dead skin while antioxidant-rich white tea helps boost your skin's natural elasticity.

25 | Cult Beauty | Buy it now

Kate Somerville ExfoliKate Intensive Exfoliating Treatment

There's a reason why celebrity facialist Kate Somerville is a favourite with people like Olivia Wilde, Demi Moore and Jessica Alba. Available in two sizes, this product has been named "the Hollywood 2-minute facial" and has both physical and chemical exfoliants in it. Imbued with papaya, pineapple and pumpkin enzymes, it also includes aloe vera, honey and vitamin E.

21/72 | Cult Beauty | Buy it now

The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution

Don't let the long and complex name confuse you, this product is one of best (and most affordable) options around if you're new to chemical exfoliation. Combining both AHAs and BHAs, it aims to give you a brighter and more even complexion.

6.30 | Cult Beauty | Buy it now

QMS Medicosmetics Exfoliant Fluid

This is one of QMS Medicosmetics' signature products and is made from a blend of fruit acids and enzymes, which are designed to deeply penetrate your skin to eradicate dead skin cells without damaging it in the process.

67 | Liberty London | Buy it now

Dr Dennis Gross Professional Grade Resurfacing Liquid Peel

This two-step product is a powerful chemical exfoliant, which includes six AHAs ranging from glycolic- to lactic-acid ready to remove dead skin cells for radiant skin. This professional-grade product is ideal for those already experienced with introducing acids into their skincare routine and is designed to give your skin a smoother texture, diminishing pores and wrinkles.
S exual violence is hardly new but inevitably it has acquired a new resonance in the light of #MeToo, which might explain why this debut, by a 26-year-old Cambridge graduate and former literary agents assistant, was so eagerly fought over in a five-way auction before Harvill Secker snapped it up.

The story takes place over several years, starting at university where Kate Quaile befriends fellow undergraduate Max Rippon. Shes from a modest background, hes an aristocrat, and its not long before shes swept up into his glamorous, posh life, which includes a crumbling stately home in Gloucestershire and a cast of screwed-up relatives. Theres a semi-absent surgeon father, a French-Moroccan film director mother, an imperiously chilly grandmother, an alcoholic uncle and a boorish cousin called Lewis.

A quarter of the way into the story, at a party at the Rippons Notting Hill home, a drunken Lewis rapes Kate in the bedroom. From this point on the story becomes one of Kates survival. Unable to confide in anyone, she struggles to come to terms with what has happened to her. She has nightmares and panic attacks, develops a visceral distrust of any remotely predatory male and starts cutting herself on her thighs.

Then she meets Andrew, an attractive cameraman on the film set where she is working. The prospect of a much longed-for intimate relationship forces her to confront her demons and she seeks professional help, with support from Maxs mother, who turns out to be another victim of sexual abuse.

It comes as no surprise to read that Price herself was raped, since its the main premise of the novel and the part that rings true. In particular, her descriptions of the fine line between sexual arousal and self-disgust, between pain and pleasure during the act of intercourse, and how quickly one can turn into the other are especially well done. Kates feelings of constant helplessness and shame are vividly evoked too.

But since this is so obviously Prices story, might she not have been better off telling it as just that, rather than constructing a flimsy narrative with cliched characters, many of whom are toxic simply by virtue of being upper-class? The trouble is that these days, subject matter and identity are what publishers seem to mind about most.
I f you watched Versailles, the big-budget, three-series bonkfest, you might think that you know Anna Brewster pretty intimately.

Like the two million others who watched her play Madame de Montespan, Louis XIVs smart and witty lover with an outrageous sex drive, youll have seen Brewster in the nude  a lot. Youll know that she looks hot in a pubic wig and that shes pretty bendy in the bedroom. But what you might not know is that Anna Brewster is actually terribly shy.

Or so she tells me, when we meet after todays photo shoot in a studio near Primrose Hill on one of Aprils freak heatwave days. Its boiling in here, but Brewster looks cold. The 33-year-old is sitting awkwardly on her slender legs; her shoulders hunched up to her ears as if the temperature in the room isnt sweltering. When she speaks she looks at me, half hiding, through loose strands of brown bobbed hair. Were talking about how she has recently moved back to London after four years living in Paris. I can understand French but I dont speak it, Brewster says, fiddling with her hands. Im too shy, I can never pluck up the courage to try it.

Vintage diamond necklace, at Sothebys, Victoria Beckahm blazer, 1,285 (victoriabeckham.com). Eres bra, 255 (eresparis.com)

How does someone who is too timid to order a croissant in French wind up naked as a baby in a 21 million television show with a crew count of around 250 in the Palace of Versailles? Being an actor allows you to be someone else in a way, she says, not entirely convincingly. If you are shy and quiet, acting is like an outlet  it almost enables you not to be that person.

If you are shy and quiet, acting is like an outlet  it almost enables you not to be that person

True to her word, on set Brewster is a different being. When she stands in front of the photographers lens this morning, I observe her relax entirely. Shes not the first actor to come out as shy. The shy actors club is an odd one, whose paid-up members reportedly include Johnny Depp, Jim Carrey, Tom Cruise, Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson. And while Brewster enthusiastically asks me questions about which restaurants I like and talks at pace about the toxicity of social media, on some topics  the name of her favourite pub, for example  she is intensely tight-lipped.

Left hand, ring by Mappin & Web; right hand, ring by Charles de Temple; vintage watch, all at Sothebys. Emporio Armani dress, 1,100 (armani.com)

Shell happily talk about sex on camera, however. Quite liberating is how she describes being filmed seducing King Louis (played by George Blagden) with full frontal nudity for Versailles. There was something about living in Paris and being immersed in French culture that I was like, You know what. F*** it. Having a French boyfriend at the time helped. He made me feel comfortable and accepting of my body. Inherently as an English person Im quite a prude.

Versailles was Brewsters first major part in a TV series. It was a challenge and responsibility in so many ways. But I thought if other people believe in me, I should probably believe in myself and get on with it. Her next role is her first lead in a film, a Netflix production airing this autumn of comic noir The Last Days of American Crime, in which she plays femme fatale Shelby Dupree.

Right hand, diamond cuff; left hand, diamond bracelet, by Cartier, both at Sothebys. Fendi dress, 2,900 (fendi.com)

Despite the upward trajectory, Brewster didnt shoot to fame overnight. She laughs when she works out that she has been in the business for 17 years. Born in Birmingham to teacher parents (her accent now is more plummy than Brummie), she got her first gig in the British film Anita and Me, based on the book by Meera Syal and released when she was 16 years old. My teachers were like, Anna, really? At school my name would always be called first in the register and Id always get such anxiety to say yes.

Soon after that she was scouted as a model, and, after sitting her A-levels, Brewster moved to London, where she enrolled on, then dropped out of, a degree in styling and photography at London College of Fashion as modelling jobs for Hermes, Vogue and Dazed & Confused flooded in. I never really wanted to do it [modelling], she says. It just happened. It was an era of supermodels, super-photographers and super-lax photo shoots. Did she ever feel vulnerable? Ive definitely been booked for jobs where there was an element of nudity involved that Ive not been comfortable with. But I felt like I couldnt say no because I was on the job and I couldnt stand up and say, Im not happy with this. I think that everyone who worked in fashion at that time knew a photographer who was in the wrong.

I think that everyone who worked in fashion at that time knew a photographer who was in the wrong

Though Brewster regularly sits front row at Saint Laurent and Chanel shows, shes keen to point out that she doesnt model for a living any more. The model-to-actor jump is historically a career-killer for women (note that Brad Pitt and Depp did alright). Does she feel like shes made it? Ive earned my stripes in both fields and I have nothing to be ashamed of, she says with conviction, though she also mentions she doesnt feel like a proper actor actor. Im too silly for that.

Shes happy to be back home in London. She lives in Angel with her Versailles co-star Alex Vlahos (when I raise an eyebrow she buries her head in her arm and moans, no) and spends time watching The Great British Sewing Bee on telly, going to pubs that shall not be named, and eating at Jolene in Stoke Newington. Her shyness gets the better of her when shes recognised in the street. Ground, swallow me up, she laughs. The social aspect is something that I am tackling, but being shy is part of my nature. I dont ever want to lose that because it makes me who I am.

All jewellery from Sothebys London Fine Jewels sale from 10am on 5 June. Price estimates range from 1,000 to 250,000. More information at sothebys.com/jewellery
I ts hard to believe now, but I remember when Stratford station had no fare gates. This was pre-Oyster, pre-Overground and pre-Olympics, at a time when chronic underinvestment in the area made Stratford seem like an afterthought for even  especially?  its own residents. Now, whenever I visit the new, sleek and modern Stratford station and see the distinctive blue and red DLR cars swishing by,

I think of what was the most important train line of my youth: the North London line.

The North London line was, in a word, raggedy. It was either freezing or boiling, and it was always rammed at the weekends. Back then, before the Overground took over it, the North London line was useful to my family for one thing only: as a catapult from our home in Stratford to Ridley Road Market in Dalston. Ridley Road was a huge part of my childhood, and in a way takes centre stage in my new play, Hoard, at the Arcola Theatre (which, pleasingly, is also in Dalston). In the opening scene, Rafi, Ami, Bili and Wura  aka the Bakare family  are about to meet Bilis new American boyfriend, whose presence is the catalyst for the opening of old wounds. And this meeting takes place over a dinner made with ingredients bought at the same market I spent so many of my Saturday mornings travelling to.

Ridley Road Market, Dalston / Alamy Stock Photo

I remember my mum pushing us on to a packed carriage before squeezing in behind us. Wed trundle through landscapes that seemed forlorn, before being spat out at Dalston Kingsland station, where our world opened up dramatically. In the market (mum merged the market with the district; it was all just Dalston to us) wed follow my mother as she visited stalls she knew like the back of her hand, greeting the fruit and veg men with the familiarity of old acquaintances. Sometimes, theyd throw in some free seedless grapes when they spotted my younger brother.

We would return home, carrying with us Nigerian bounty: okra, tubers of puna yam that would make up part of many a weekend breakfast, greens for my mums efo riro stew, red peppers I knew more commonly as tatashe, tricolour Scotch bonnets we called rodo at home and, almost always, plantains. My east London market experience is rich. Besides Ridley Road, we frequented Roman Road Market in Bow, or got on the bus and bought the meat I still love to eat now  liver, tripe, gizzards  from the halal butcher inside Queens Market in Upton Park. These corners of east London are as familiar to me as the rooms of my childhood home.

People walking around food stalls and sound systems during the Hackney Carnival / Alamy Stock Photo

I live in New York now, and thats where I wrote the play. Conjuring up that specific feeling of east London while in Brooklyn was its own task  Ive found no direct equivalent of Dalston yet  but there was so much pleasure in remembering. Setting the play in east London was an attempt to give a little shine to my Nigerian life there; to celebrate my corner of London on stage, specifically at a theatre on the same bus route as the characters flat. The Bakares are Nigerian-Brits, and they are East Enders. Their comedy and conflict couldnt have happened anywhere else.
A teenage boy has been rushed to hospital after being stabbed in a fight in south-east London.

Police and paramedics were scrambled to the scene in Croydon Road, Penge, on Wednesday evening.

The teenager, 14, was found suffering a stab wound to his arm and was rushed to hospital.

His condition was not believed to be life-threatening, Scotland Yard said.

Police said they were called to reports of youths fighting at Croydon Roads junction with Weighton Road.

They were appealing for witnesses.
A nurse who was stabbed as she tried to save a man during the London Bridge terror attack said she looked into the eyes of one of the evil extremists and asked him: Whats wrong with you?"

Helen Kennett rushed to the aid of French waiter Alexandre Pigeard, 36, moments after his throat had been cut by one of the attackers outside the Boro Bistro restaurant.

The inquest heard how she initially believed he had just been injured in a car accident.

As she reached out to help Mr Pigeard, he desperately told her with his dying words to flee,

But Ms Kennett was then herself stabbed in the neck.

She told the inquest hearing: I looked at him and thought 'thats not a car accident, thats something more'.

I put my arm out to him and I said let me help you, Im a nurse. He shook his head.

He was frightened and Im sure he told me to run.

Ms Kennett, who described his injuries as unsurvivable, said in her written statement to the inquest she believed his exact words were no, just run.

She then turned to the knife-wielding attacker who was stood behind Mr Pigeard, saying to him: Whats wrong with you?.

He immediately just looked at me and said no, whats wrong with you. Then before I could process what I was seeing and happening to the man and my exchange with him, he stabbed me in the beck on the left side.

Ms Kennett described the stabbing as feeling like hot water pouring down her body. She told the inquest: I was pretty sure Im going to die as well.

She had been out that evening at Boro Bistro in London Bridge celebrating her birthday when the attack took place.

After being stabbed she walked away to find her mother and sister.

I didnt want to die there, I wanted to die around the corner with my family," she said.

Asked to describe the attacker, Ms Kennett said: I remember his eyes, they were completely soulless, evil, empty.

The inquest also heard from one of the restaurant customers, Andzelika Abokaityte, who said she saw Mr Pigeard being stabbed in the stomach from behind by one of the attackers.

She had been at Boro Bistro for a friends birthday celebrations, and heard the terrorists van crash into railings above, which caused debris to fall into the courtyard they were in.

I was sitting with my friend, I was asking if he was OK, and then we heard people screaming from all around," she told the hearing.

Shortly afterwards, I was looking around and I could see a man holding our waiter.

He looked evil and he was smiling.

He was holding the waiter and he was stabbing him from behind a couple of times.

Dimitri Gabriel, another waiter at the restaurant, said he saw Mr Pigeard heading up towards the bridge after they heard the initial sound of the van crashing.

The last words he said to me were lets go up and see whats happening. Maybe theres an accident on the bridge, he said.

Mr Gabriel said he turned back to help colleagues, but Mr Pigeard continued up to an archway where he is first believed to have been stabbed in the neck.

Eyewitnesses have told the inquest they saw the Frenchman walked around holding his neck before he was stabbed again in front of Ms Abokaityte.

She told the inquest she saw one of the terrorists attacking a second person by slicing his neck, and she and a friend then turned to flee.

As he was stabbing, the attacker was looking around as if to find the next person to stab, she said. I remember thinking I was going to die.

She described to the inquest how she fled with a friend through the restaurants emergency exit, and running past a woman who appeared to be lying dead on the ground.

Extremists Khuram Butt, 27, Rachid Redouane, 30, and Youssef Zaghba, 22, killed eight people and left 48 injured in the attack on June 3, 2017.

They ran over pedestrians at random with a rented white van on London, then went on the rampage with knives tethered to their wrists.

Xavier Thomas, 45, Chrissy Archibald, 30, Sara Zelenak, 21, James McMullan, 32, Kirsty Boden, 28, Sebastien Belanger, 36, and Ignacio Echeverria, 39, all died alongside Mr Pigeard.

The attack ended when the terrorists were shot dead by police.
A father who lost his son to a rare genetic disorder has won his campaign to have the NHS fund a wonder drug for his baby daughter who also has the condition.

Shakil Maljis nine-month-old daughter Maryam has type 1 spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), which affects eating, drinking and breathing. When she was diagnosed with the deadly muscle-wasting condition in December, doctors told her parents she could have less than a year to live.

The family, from Newham, were devastated to learn an access programme to the new drug Spinraza, the only approved medication for the disorder, had been stopped just weeks before Maryams diagnosis and the NHS drug approval body Nice was not recommending the treatment due to its extremely high cost.

Mr Malji set up a petition, which received more than 350,000 signatures, to get the drug funded, and led rallies outside Nices offices in London and Manchester with other campaigners, including religious leaders and MPs.

NHS England will now provide the treatment after negotiating a deal with US manufacturer Biogen. It will initially fund treatment for a limited time, allowing more data to be collected on its long-term effectiveness.

Mr Malji said: Im still in shock. It is such a relief. Maryam and all the other children who have this condition now have a chance at life. We have so many people to thank  locally, nationally and internationally  who helped with this campaign. When the news came I cannot describe how happy everyone was.

Maryams brother Abdullah also had SMA1 and was one of the first children to receive Spinraza on a medical trial. He died aged one in December 2015 from an infection, but the overall trial was successful and led to the treatment being funded by governments in 24 European countries, including Scotland.

An access programme mainly paid for by Biogen was rolled out at Great Ormond Street Hospital in 2016 and showed extremely promising results. But it ended in October last year, leaving dozens of babies in England with the condition unable to receive the drug. At the time Spinraza cost 75,000 per dose. It is administered by four injections into the cerebral spinal fluid, with a top-up injection every four months.

West Ham MP Lyn Brown, who helped the familys battle, said: Months of campaigning by parents, councillors, imams, bishops and my fellow MPs has finally paid off  Im overjoyed this decision has finally been taken.
O ne of central London's busiest stations was closed after a person was found dead on the tracks, police said.

Emergency services raced to Victoria station after receiving reports of a casualty on tracks on Thursday.

British Transport Police said a person was pronounced dead at the scene, after they were called at 3.45pm to the busy London hub.

Commuters were warned of severe delays on the Victoria line between Brixton and Warren Street following the incident.

The District and Circle lines were also affected, with services not stopping at Victoria.

A spokeswoman for British Transport Police said: "We were called at 3.45pm to reports of a casualty on the tracks.

"Paramedics attended and someone has been pronounced dead at the scene.
C hange UK says it is taking sniper fire from a cartel of parties in the run-up to the European elections, following the defection of the partys lead MEP candidate in Scotland, David Macdonald and rumours of internal chaos.

A source close to Chris Leslie says the party needs to be thick-skinned about people doing a number on the nascent political outfit.

Nicola Murphy, Leslies wife, has come under fire this week following reports that she was running the office but not working across party lines.

Nicola does some of the political strategy side of it, the source says, but points out shes there in her own right.

Another source had told The Londoner that internal tensions [are] developing in Change UK, made up of former Labour and Conservative MPs. But a Change UK source points out theres a centre-Left tradition collaborating with One Nation Tories...there will be points of difference. They believe Labour mischief is behind the disparaging rumours about Murphy. They point to Labours involvement in the Peterborough candidate selection, where Remain parties had agreed on anti-Brexit campaigner Femi Oluwole as a joint candidate, as another example. Two or three hours before the close of polls some of the Labour lot in the Peoples Vote campaign did it in and twisted his arm, they claimed.

Even the herbivorous Lib-Dems have got in on the act, putting out a press release saying a Change UK candidate in the South West was defecting to the Lib-Dems. She was never a Change UK candidate, they say, and sigh theres all sorts of funny business going on. One insider said Change UK was like running a start-up  That was Leslie, they said of the partys first logo (rejected by the Electoral Commission). He had 24 hours to register us  and added: If people want authentic, its going to be a bit rough and ready.

Lifeboat scramble

No 10 is gripped by impending doom. Further to our reports this year about an exodus (head of political press Kirsty Buchanan was the latest to leave, three weeks ago), special advisers now include personal contact details on some emails  anticipating sudden change  and at least two have approached other leadership campaigns claiming long support of the candidate.

Paul Harrison, the No 10 press secretary, talks to Jeremy Hunt regularly, we are told, while others are dusting off CVs. The iceberg is hoving into view but, says a source. Unlike 1912, they are manning the lifeboats in advance.

--

Jeremy Hunt spoke at a Wall Street Journal event in Holborn yesterday. An attendee tells us that he was impressed with the Foreign Secretarys hair, which seems to be getting darker. His hair?! a source close to Hunt responded. This leadership contest is going to be brutal.

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Alastair Campbell has fond memories of May 16. Eighteen years ago today I got a call from John Prescott, Campbell says. Hiya ... Ive just thumped a bloke. I said, What sort of bloke? Just a bloke. Why did you hit him? He was a prat. John, if we punched everyone we thought was a prat.. I know, I know. Anyway, Im not resigning.

George sees the Catch-22 in 2019

"Absurd time": George Clooney (Dave Benett/Getty Images) / Dave Benett/Getty Images for Cha

George Clooney tells us his adaptation of Joseph Hellers Catch-22, which he part-directed and in which he also stars as the sociopathic Lieutenant General Scheisskopf, is timeless. Fighting against the system and the system usually winning is something we can all relate to. For instance, [This] is the most absurd time, he says. Youve got Brexit here; weve got Donald Trump. We cant make fun of anybody. Were not allowed to make jokes any more. We used to laugh at Berlusconi [but] now were here. On a positive note, Clooney adds, he hopes things will work out. Us too, George.

SW1A

Steve Baker asks really, who does this? about the parody Twitter account New Yorker Steve Baker Profiles, which, he says, is leaving his own staff rolling with laughter. The parody mashes up literary New Yorker intros with descriptions of the ERG deputy chair. The Londoner knows whos behind it. They tell us inspiration came while watching Baker tear up during a Brexit documentary. I thought, mate, youre not Hamlet, youre Steve Baker, Conservative MP for Wycombe.

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Mark Francois MPs favourite film is Love Actually and his favourite scene is the press conference where Hugh Grant as PM attacks Americas domineering diplomacy style. We may be a small nation, but were a great one too. His second is Andrew Lincoln telling Keira Knightley he loves her.

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Stella Creasy MP needs an office manager in Walthamstow. She specifies: This is not a job for anyone who thinks of themselves as a cast member of The West Wing.

Love-struck Brooklyn quote of the day is the man about town on a sunny night in the capital

Love birds: Brooklyn Beckham and Hana Cross / Dave Benett/Getty Images

The sun was shining and the capital was buzzing last night. At White City House, Amal Clooney joined her husband on the red carpet for the premiere of his new television series Catch-22.

Also in attendance was the make-up artist Charlotte Tilbury and actor Christopher Abbott, who plays John Yossarian.

Meanwhile, young lovers Brooklyn Beckham and Hana Cross dropped in to the launch of new magazine Man About Town at Novikov in Mayfair.

South of the river, Robin Gill opened his latest restaurant, Darbys at Embassy Gardens, a stones throw from the US embassy in Nine Elms.

Guests including TV presenter Laura Whitmore and make-up artist Olivia Newman-Young ate oysters and drank vermouth cocktails.

Also last night, Sir David Attenborough and Baroness Martha Lane Fox attended the Open Universitys 50th anniversary party at Gibson Hall in Bishopsgate.

Quote of the Day

Like Louis XIV smoked crystal meth and decorated the apartment
T he logo for the Brexit Party is a "very clever piece of graphic design" that will guide people towards it on a ballot paper, an award-winning graphic designer has claimed.

The Brexit Party will next week be represented on ballot papers across the UK with a forward-pointing arrow on a bold background with the party name written inside it.

Ahead of the European elections, designer Ben Terrett called the logo "very clever" as he explained the distinct arrow will be pointing to the box Brexit Party voters need to cross.

"That's going to get a lot of Xs," the designer said on Instagram.

Voters will head to the polls for the EU election on May 23.

The logo, which has been subject to complaints over its striking design, was deemed "not likely to mislead a voter" by the Electoral Commission.

A spokeswoman said this conclusion was "consistent with other decisions made about party emblems".

Commenting on the Brexit Party's symbol Mr Terrett, who won a British designer of the year award in 2013, said: "I hate Brexit. I hate Farage even more.

"I just voted in the Euro elections (postal) and here's a thing: It's a massive arrow pointing at the box where you mark your X with the word BREXIT written in big font.

"Thats going to get a lot of Xs. A helluva lot of Xs. They are a single issue, probably single election party, and this is a very clever piece of graphic design."

Mr Terrett compared it to Change UKs logo, which features four horizontal bars with the partys name beside it.

Nigel Farage hold Brexit Party rally in Essex nightclub

The designer and chief executive at Public Digital said the design was "confused".

Others on social media agreed with the designer's comments about the Brexit Party logo.

One commented that the dark block reversed out text shows how weak all the other party marks are as well, while another added: "This is terrifyingly effective." 

Jamie Hobson tweeted: Brexit Party know how to use design.

"Logo made from an E and an X creating an arrow pointing to the tick box of EU ballot paper. Nothing in Change UK logo. Some really clever thinking. Thats what were up against."

"You don't have to like the Brexit Party to give them their due in terms of organisation. Having an arrow as a logo that points directly at the box in which people vote for them is a stroke of genius. Hadn't cottoned onto that until I saw it in situ, Edwin Hayward added.

Clinical psychologist Richard Bentall said he had complained to the Electoral Commission about the logo, calling it an obvious cue to vote for the party and an unfair advantage.

Others pointed out that another arrow could be seen between the E and X of the font.

Mark Wallace wrote: "I've only just realised the white arrow in the Brexit Party's logo is the space between a blue capital E and X of BREXIT."

The Electoral Commission said: "After our robust and thorough assessment process, we came to the opinion that this emblem was not likely to mislead a voter.

"This is consistent with other decisions we have made about party emblems. Part of our consideration was that, if at all, the emblem directs voters to the correct place to cast their vote for the party and does not encourage or discourage voters from casting their vote for other parties, or in any other way not to cast their vote correctly."

With the UK's Brexit impasse still unresolved, the UK will take part in elections on May 23.

Between then and May 26 all EU nations will vote for their representatives with more than 700 people being elected in total, 73 of which will be from the UK.

Members are voted in for five year terms, with those involved in this years election set to be in place until 2024.
F our Welsh Assembly members, including former Ukip MP Mark Reckless, have joined the Brexit Party.

Nigel Farage met with Mr Reckless, David Rowlands, Mandy Jones and Caroline Jones on a visit to the Senedd on Wednesday.

The politicians were all originally elected as Ukip AMs, although only Mr Rowlands was still in the party.

All four wrote to Elin Jones, presiding officer of the Welsh Assembly, asking to be formally recognised as a group.

A Brexit Party spokesman said the move followed a meeting last month between the four and Mr Farage at a rally in Newport.

"We are delighted that the group has come together to prosecute the result of the referendum in which the people of Wales made clear they wished to leave the EU," he said.

Mr Reckless, who will lead the new group, was previously a Tory MP who defected to Ukip in 2014.

He was elected to the Welsh Assembly, where he represents South Wales East, in 2016.

He tweeted: "I have decided to leave the Conservative Group in the Welsh Assembly as the UK Conservative government has broken its promise to deliver Brexit".

Mr Farage visited the Welsh town of Merthyr Tydfil on Wednesday afternoon, ahead of a rally in the car park of Trago Mills.

He spoke to traders in a vape shop and a beauty parlour on the high street.

When asked what would happen to European investment in the town after Brexit, Mr Farage answered: "Whose money?"

"Their money - does it grow on trees? We are massive net payers into this thing."

During the walkabout, one man shouted "shame" at Mr Farage, while another told him "You're not welcome in Merthyr".

In a statement, presiding officer Elin Jones said: "I wish to inform the Assembly that I have received a letter from four Members informing me of their wish to form a group in accordance with Standing Order 1.3.

"I am considering the matter in accordance with my duties under Standing Orders. I shall notify the Assembly of my conclusions in due course."

Plaid Cymru said the Brexit Party had "no democratic mandate" and it hoped the presiding officer would "allow democracy to prevail".

A spokesman said: "The Brexit Party did not stand and were not elected in the 2016 elections.

"They have no democratic mandate and they should not be permitted to form a group nor given access to public resources and funding in the Senedd.

"To permit them to form a group would make a mockery of our democratic system in Wales."

Welsh Labour said the group had "no interest in Wales".
T heresa May will set out the timetable for the election of a new Conservative Party leader in June, the 1922 committee has announced.

Her imminent departure has seen a number of high-profile figures throw their hat into the ring for the leadership battle.

On Thursday, Boris Johnson added his name to the growing list of candidates vying to take over as next Tory party leader.

Below, the Standard look at some of those who have confirmed they are standing, and others who are likely to join the contest.

Boris Johnson

Boris Johnson has confirmed he will run / REUTERS

Prominent Brexiteer and former foreign secretary Boris Johnson has announced a bid to take over as Tory leader.

On Thursday the BBC reported he had told The British Insurance Brokers' Association: "Of course I'm going to go for it."

He resigned from the cabinet in July in protest at her handling of the Brexit negotiations.

TODO: define component type apester

The Old Etonian was one of the key players in the 2017 Leave campaign and resigned from the Cabinet following the Chequers summit in July.

He set out his pitch to the membership in a speech at the party's annual conference in October, where some members queued for hours to get a seat, and called on the party to return to its traditional values of low tax and strong policing.

He is the bookmakers' favourite to succeed Mrs May.

Esther McVey

Former work and pensions secretary Esther McVey / REUTERS

The pro-Brexit former television presenter resigned as work and pensions minister in November in protest at Mrs May's handling of Brexit.

The Eurosceptic previously announced she plans to run in the leadership contest.

She told Talkradio: "I have always said quite clearly that if I got enough support from my colleagues, yes I would (run).

"Now people have come forward and I have got that support, so I will be going forward."

Andrea Leadsom

Commons leader Andrea Leadsom / EPA

A pro-Brexit campaigner and leader of the House of Commons, Andrea Leadsom made it to the last two in the 2016 contest to replace David Cameron.

However, she withdrew after a backlash to an interview in which she said being a mother gave her more of a stake in the future of the country than her rival Mrs May.

She recently told ITV she was "seriously considering standing" to replace Mrs May.

Rory Stewart

Rory Stewart has previously said he would like to be leader / PA

Rory Stewart has been open about the fact he would like to be Tory leader, but has said he opposes Mrs May resigning.

A former diplomat who once walked 6,000 miles across Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India and Nepal, Mr Stewart was promoted to International Development Secretary after holding several junior ministerial positions.

TODO: define component type apester

Educated at the exclusive Eton College, he was first elected to parliament in 2010 and backed remaining in the EU in the 2016 referendum.

He opposes a 'no deal' Brexit and has been a vocal advocate of the PM's deal with Brussels.

"I do want to bring this country together ... I accept Brexit, I am a Brexiteer, but I want to reach out to 'Remain' voters as well," he told the BBC.

Michael Gove

Environment Secretary Michael Gove / REUTERS

Michael Gove, one of the highest-profile Brexit campaigners during the 2016 referendum, has had to rebuild his cabinet career after falling early to Mrs May in the last leadership contest.

Seen as one of the most effective members of cabinet in bringing forward new policies, the high-energy environment minister has become a surprise ally to the PM and has backed her Brexit strategy.

He teamed up with Boris Johnson during the 2016 Brexit campaign only to pull his support for Mr Johnson's subsequent leadership bid at the last moment and run himself.

However, he has not yet said whether he plans to run in the next race.

David Lidington

Mrs May's de facto deputy David Lidington / EPA

Mrs May's de facto deputy is seen by some as the natural caretaker prime minister.

However, he has been clear he does not want the job.

"One thing that working closely with the Prime Minister does is cure you completely of any lingering shred of ambition to want to do that task," he said on Sunday.

William Hill are offering odds of 6-1 for the 62-year-old MP to be the next PM.

Jeremy Hunt

Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt / EPA

Jeremy Hunt has not announced a leadership bid but, when asked at a lunch with journalists in parliament if he planned to do so, he said: "Wait and see."

Mr Hunt replaced Boris Johnson as foreign minister in July and has urged the Conservative membership to set aside their differences over Brexit.

He voted to remain in the EU in the referendum and previously served six years as Britain's health minister.

Dominic Raab

Former Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab / REUTERS

The former Brexit minister quit that high profile role last year in protest at her draft Brexit agreement.

He said it did not match the promises the Conservative Party made in the 2017 election and left having served only five months as head of the Brexit department.

When previously asked if he would like to be prime minister, he said: "Never say never."

Sajid Javid

Home Secretary Sajid Javid / Getty Images

Sajid Javid has not said whether he plans to run but is considered to have been setting out his stall through speeches and media interviews.

A former banker and a champion of free markets, he has served a number of cabinet roles and scores consistently well in polls of party members.

He voted Remain in the 2016 referendum but was previously considered to be eurosceptic.

David Davis

David Davis leaves number 10 / Getty Images

David Davis previously told a magazine he would probably be Conservative Party leader if standing for the role were like applying for a job as chief executive.

"But ... that isn't the way the decision is done," he said.

A leading eurosceptic, was appointed Brexit minister to lead negotiations with the EU in July 2016.

However, he resigned two years later in protest at May's plans for a long-term relationship with the bloc.

He previously ran for the party's leadership in 2005 but lost to David Cameron.

He has not confirmed a run this time out.

Penny Mordaunt

Defence secretary Amber Rudd / Daniel Leal-Olivas/AFP/Getty Images

Penny Mordaunt is one of the last remaining pro-Brexit members of Mrs May's cabinet and became Britain's first female defence secretary this month.

A Royal Navy reservist, she was previously international development minister though many expected her to join the wave of resignations that followed the publication of Mrs May's draft withdrawal deal.

She is being touted to run but has not announced an intention to do so.

Amber Rudd

Former interior minister Amber Rudd (Reuters ) / Reuters

Amber Rudd is another name in the mix for the leadership.

She resigned as interior minister last year, after facing outrage over her department's treatment of some long-term Caribbean residents wrongly labelled illegal immigrants.

She backed remain in 2016 and has opposed a 'no deal' Brexit, meaning she could win support from pro-EU Conservative lawmakers.

However, she struggled to retain her seat at the 2017 election and has one of the smallest majorities in parliament.

Matt Hancock

Health minister Matt Hancock / Bloomberg via Getty Images

Remainer and health minister Mr Hancock, a former economist at the Bank of England is rumoured to consider running.

He supported 'Remain' in 2016 and was first elected to parliament in 2010, holding several ministerial roles since.

Justine Greening

Former education secretary Justine Greening / EPA

The former education minister told ITV she would consider running.

A supporter of a second Brexit referendum, many thought she might join several of her colleagues in quitting the party to form a pro-EU group in parliament earlier this year.

Liz Truss

Liz Truss, chief secretary to the Treasury / Getty Images

Chief secretary to the Treasury, Liz Truss is another potential candidate having held several roles in government including environment minister and justice minister.

She backed Remain in 2016 but has said she has since changed her mind on Brexit.

Graham Brady

Sir Graham Brady, Chairman of the 1922 Committee / PA

Graham Brady is chair of the 1922 Committee of Conservative lawmakers and has been in discussions with Mrs May over when she will leave.

He has been linked to a bid but said it would be something he would need urging to do.

"It would take an awful lot of people to persuade me. I'm not sure many people are straining at the leash to take on what is an extraordinarily difficult situation," he told BBC Radio.

Gavin Williamson

Williamson, who was recently sacked as defence secretary, has spoken of his leadership ambitions in the past.

He strenuously denied allegations that he was behind the leak of top secret talks about Chinese tech giant Huawei.

However, his stock has fallen significantly given the furore around it.
M ilitant group Hamas has saluted Jeremy Corbyn for a message of support for Palestinians.

The group issued a statement thanking the Labour leader for his stance and said it had received his message with "great respect and appreciation".

The move was in response to a message Mr Corbyn sent to a march in support of Palestinians in London on Saturday.

The Hamas statement said: "We have received with great respect and appreciation the solidarity message sent by the British Labor Party Leader, Jeremy Corbyn, to the participants in the mass rally."

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn. / Sky News

The statement added: "We also salute Mr Jeremy Corbyn for his principled position in rejecting the so-called Trump Plan for the Middle East or the 'Deal of the Century' if it was based on erasing Palestinian rights, primarily the right to an independent state.

"On this occasion we emphasize that no peace plan can succeed at the expense of the rights of the Palestinian people, that the Palestinians will not allow this deal to pass, and that it will be doomed to failure.

"We also call on the current British government to stop supporting the Israeli occupation state and to listen to the voice of wisdom and reason and adopt policies in support of the Palestinian legitimate rights that will lead to stability in this vitally important and highly turbulent region."

Mr Corbyn's statement in support of the rally said: "We cannot stand by or stay silent at the continuing denial of rights and justice to the Palestinian people.

"The Labour Party is united in condemning the ongoing human rights abuses by Israeli forces, including the shooting of hundreds of unarmed Palestinian demonstrators in Gaza - most of them refugees or families of refugees - demanding their rights."
T heresa May faces a resignation date showdown after she was served a deadline of 24 hours to clarify when she will leave office amid a Tory rebel plot to oust her.

Members of the 1922 Committee will today meet with the Prime Minister and urge her to set out a timetable for her departure from Number 10.

Ahead of the talks, the committees treasurer said it would be preferable if Mrs May moved to quit rather than face being forced out by a rebellion of MPs and activists.

Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown said: It would be infinitely preferable if she set a date rather than us force her out.

"It's better that she does it than we have a vote of confidence.

"What I would like to see is her set out a timetable to trigger a leadership contest."

The Prime Minister will hold talks over a potential resignation date later / EPA

After the talks with the PM, the 1922 Committee executive will hold a private meeting where changes to Tory leadership contest rules could be discussed, according to sources.

At present, Mrs May cannot be challenged again as leader until December.

Tory MP Andrew Bridgen said: "I would like to see the 22 give her a timetable to stand down.

"And, if she does not accept that timetable, tell her we will have another vote of confidence after the European elections."

Prominent Brexiteer Mark Francois said that a predicted poor Tory showing in next week's European Parliament elections would heap pressure on Mrs May to go

He said: "As the polls increasingly suggest, we are going to have an extremely difficult night in the European elections.

"And, because they are announced on a council by council basis, every MP will be able to reverse engineer the result in their own constituency.

"At that point, I believe, my colleagues will finally wake up and smell the coffee if they have not, indeed, done so already."

TODO: define component type apester

The meeting with the Tory grandees comes after Mrs May announced the Withdrawal Agreement Bill (WAB) will be brought to the Commons in early June.

The legislation writes the Brexit agreement into law and represents a fresh attempt to secure Parliament's support for a deal which has already been rejected three times by MPs, including the heaviest defeat ever suffered by a Government.

The Prime Minister said: "What this Bill does is delivers on Brexit.

"When MPs come to look at this Bill, when they come to vote on this legislation, I'm sure that they will be thinking of the duty that we have to ensure that we deliver on the vote of the British people."

Amid speculation that Labour could abstain on the WAB vote, Labour's shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry told ITV's Peston: "We are going to oppose it."

And Chief Secretary to the Treasury Liz Truss said she would prefer a no-deal exit from the EU to revoking Brexit.

Ms Truss told BBC2's Newsnight: "If we face a straight choice between revoking Brexit and no dealing, we have to no deal.

"It's a matter of trust.

"The people expect us to have already left the EU.

"And if we haven't done that by October 31 I fear there will be real consequences and not just for our politics, but also, for for our economy."
T heresa May has agreed to set a timetable for the election of her successor as Tory leader, the chairman of the backbench 1922 Committee has said.

The Prime Minister has not formally set a date for her departure, despite growing calls, but has agreed to discuss a leadership election timetable in June.

Mrs May will meet Sir Graham Brady, chairman of the 1922 Committee of backbench Tory MPs, to set out a timetable for her departure after the second reading of the Withdrawal Agreement Bill in the week beginning June 3, he said today.

Following a meeting between the Prime Minister and the 1922 executive at Westminster on Thursday, Sir Graham said he would meet her again in early June to agree the details.

In a statement, Sir Graham said: "The Prime Minister is determined to secure our departure from the European Union and is devoting her efforts to securing the 2nd Reading of the Withdrawal Agreement Bill in the week commencing 3rd June 2019 and the passage of that Bill and the consequent departure of the United Kingdom from the European Union by the summer.

Mrs May met the 1922 executive at Westminster / AFP/Getty Images

"We have agreed that she and I will meet following the 2nd Reading of the Bill to agree a timetable for the election of a new leader of the Conservative and Unionist Party."

The statement means that, yet again, Mrs May has resisted calls for her to name the date of her departure from No 10.

Mrs May leaving Downing Street this morning / EPA

Sir Graham said the discussion with the Prime Minister was "frank", and confirmed the next meeting with her would take place regardless of whether the Withdrawal Agreement Bill passes a second reading next month.

Sir Graham Brady, Chairman of the 1922 Committee / PA

He told reporters: "We have agreed to meet to decide the timetable for the election of a new leader of the Conservative Party as soon as the second reading has occurred and that will take place regardless of what the vote is on the second reading - whether it passes or whether it fails."

Sir Graham added: "It was a very frank discussion, I tried to make sure that all the views represented on the executive were expressed and we had a very frank exchange with the Prime Minister."

Reacting to the outcome of the meeting, Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage said: "Gutted, useless and exactly what I expected. Really, really pathetic."

The news comes as former foreign secretary Boris Johnson revealed he will be standing as a candidate to replace Mrs May when she does exit the role of Conservative leader.

Speaking at a business event in Manchester, Mr Johnson said: "Of course I'm going to go for it."

Several senior Tories are expected to enter the contest following Mrs May's resignation.
I n a tech world previously dominated by Apple and Samsung, few would have guessed that Huawei would go on to become the largest telecommunications equipment vendor in the world.

In 2018, the Chinese-owned company beat Apples figures by selling more than 54 million units in the space of three months.

But Huaweis success has been overshadowed by the allegations against it, the starkest of which is that their devices are being manipulated for use as spy software in Beijing.

In the UK, Theresa May approved the companys bid to help build Britains 5G network amid growing controversy over security.

Meanwhile, in the US, President Trump has declared a national emergency to prevent US firms using telecom equipment from sources the administration deems as national security threats.

No one company was named in the executive order, but it is thought that Huawei is the main target.

Heres what you need to know about Huawei and why the tech company is so controversial.

What is Huawei? Why is it so popular?

Huawei sold more than 200 million phones in 2018 / Getty

Huawei is the Chinese telecoms giant which describes itself as a private company fully owned by its employees.

Its devices have become hugely popular in the UK and elsewhere, with the company ending last year with 200 million phones sold and sales worth more than 40 billion.

As well as making stand-out devices such as the Mate 20 Pro, Huawei also have a range of cheaper smartphones such as the P20 Lite and the P20 Smart, which has helped boost the firms market position.

In addition to making smartphone devices and laptops, the firm also makes telecommunication networks.

Why is the company so controversial?

Acting U.S. Attorney General Matthew Whitaker announced new criminal charges against Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei in January / Getty

Huawei has come under fire for its alleged close ties to the Chinese state, which has a history of surveillance and censorship.

In February, US intelligence chiefs expressed concerns during a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing that Huawei posed national security risks to the US and warned American companies about doing business with them.

The controversy has been fuelled by the USs current trade war with China, leading President Trump to ban technology from foreign adversaries.

Government will co-operate with any police inquiry into Huawei leak

Almost a month ago, the UKs National Security Centre echoed US concerns over the company, saying it posed a threat to national security.

In a statement released earlier this week, Huawei board chairman Dr Liang Hua said the company would agree to sign a no-spy agreement with countries to dispute suggestions that it could be used by the Chinese state as a means to spy on the West.

We are willing to sign no-spy agreements with governments, including the UK government, to commit our equipment to meeting the no-spy, no back-door standards, he said.

How is it linked to 5G?

Huawei has plans to help build the UK's 5G network, the latest high-speed generation of cellular mobile communications / Getty

Earlier this year, Huawei was granted permission by Theresa May to use their equipment to help build the UKs 5G network.

5G is expected to be introduced this year and will offer mobile internet speeds likely to be at least several times that of 4G, it is claimed.

Hours after the US imposed an effective ban on the company, a former British spy chief has urged the UK government to reconsider allowing Huawei access to the countrys 5G network.

Richard Dearlove, who led MI6 between 1999 and 2004, said: I very much hope there is time for the UK governmentto reconsider the Huawei decision.

No part of the Communist Chinese state is ultimately able to operate free of the control exercised by its Communist Party leadership. Therefore, we must conclude the engagement of Huawei presents a potential security risk to the UK.

What is the UK saying?

Former defence secretary Gavin Williamson said he had nothing to do with the UK National Security Council leak / AFP/Getty Images

The government is yet to make a decision over whether to permit Huaweis involvement with their 5G infrastructure.

This is despite details of a decision made by the UK National Security Council being leaked, which agreed to permit Huawei to supply 5G technology after a meeting in which five cabinet members raised concerns.
T ommy Robinson is being sued for 100,000 over comments he made about a Syrian refugee who was filmed being attacked at school.

Jamal Hijazi's lawyer said the 16-year-old is seeking libel action against the English Defence League (EDL) founder for allegedly peddling false and defamatory lies in a series of Facebook posts.

A video of the teenage refugee being pushed to the ground and waterboarded at Almondbury School in Huddersfield sparked public outrage when it was shared on social media in December.

Robinson, 36, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, commented on the case in a series of Facebook posts.

Mr Hijazis lawyer Tasmine Akunjee confirmed his client had lodged a defamation claim against the far-right activist at the High Court on Wednesday.

"He [Robinson] made some comments about Jamal being involved with attacks against young white girls at the school, which are untrue, Mr Akunjee told reporters.

"Jamal suffered harm because of that, to his reputation, so he's suing Yaxley-Lennon for that."

They are requesting 100,000 in damages and Robinson has 28 days to file a defence, the lawyer added.

Tommy Robinson banned from Facebook for breaking rules on "organised hate"

On Tuesday, High Court judges ruled the former EDL leader will face a fresh court hearing over claims he put the trial of a child sex abuse ring at risk.

He is accused of aggressively confronting defendants outside Leeds crown court while broadcasting over Facebook Live video.

Robinson was jailed over the incident last May but then freed on appeal after judges ruled the original contempt of court proceedings had been botched.

Attorney General Geoffrey Cox QC was given permission to bring new proceedings against Robinson, despite the controversial campaigners insistence the case was a waste of money and politically motivated.
T he BBC's flagship political debate programme Question Time returns to TV screens tonight.

Host Fiona Bruce will present Thursday's show from Elgin, Scotland.

The line-up promises another heated show with Tory MP Bim Afolami set to go head-to-head with Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard and Scottish deputy first minister John Swinney.

Scottish Lib Dem Christine Jardine will also appear along with vice-chair of Amnesty UK Eilidh Douglas.

Here is everything you need to know about tonight's Question Time panel.

Bim Afolami

Bim Afolami is Tory MP for Hitchin and Harpenden

The Conservative MP for Hitchin and Harpenden is an ex-corporate layer for city firms and later worked for HSBC.

Dubbed a "rising Tory star" by the Standard four years ago, Mr Afolami was just last year named as one of London's most influential people in the Progress 1000 list.

Voted Remain in 2016, but says he is "fully committed to delivering the result of the EU referendum". Consistently voted for Theresa May's deal, but against the prospect of a no-deal.

Richard Leonard

Mr Leonard is a pro-Corbyn MSP / PA

The MSP for central Scotland has been leader of the Scottish Labour Party since defeating Kesia Dugdale in 2017.

Elected to the Scottish Parliament in 2016, Mr Leonard is pro-Corbyn and was popular among the partys left-wing despite being a relative newbie, but has recently come under criticism over his perceived lack of leadership.

A Remainer who is against a second referendum, Mr Leonard is also against the idea of another Scottish independence referendum.

John Swinney

John Swinney joined the SNP 40 years ago / Getty Images

An MSP for Perthshire North, John Swinney has been a long-running member of the SNP, a party which he joined 40 years ago as a 15-year-old.

Deputy First Minister of Scotland since 2014, Mr Swinney also holds the post of Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills.

The 55-year-old is both against leaving the EU and against a no deal and has previously been critical of Westminster's approach to Brexit, especially in Scotland. Has called for an independent Scotland to join the EU.

Christine Jardine

Ms Jardine has been MP for Edinburgh West since 2017 / PA

The Scottish Liberal Democrat politician has been MP for Edinburgh West since 2017 and has consistently voted with her party.

Against Mr's May's Brexit deal and against Brexit, she has called for a People's Vote to break the Brexit deadlock currently paralysing parliament.

An ex-journalist, Ms Jardine is also her party's spokesperson on work and pensions, and sits on the Scottish Affairs Committee at Westminster.

Eilidh Douglas

Ms Douglas is a passionate Brexiteer

A vice-chair of Amnesty UK, the Tory Eilidh Douglas is a staunch Brexiteer in favour of a no deal along with Scottish independence.

She combines her role at Amnesty with that of being a solicitor at international law firm CMS, specialising in dispute resolution - so may be useful in tonight's programme.
A labama's Republican governor has signed the most stringent abortion legislation in the nation, making abortions illegal in almost all cases.

The law includes a ban on abortion in cases of rape and incest.

Supporters of the bill have said they expect it to be block in court but hope that an appeal process will bring it before the Supreme Court.

"To the bill's many supporters, this legislation stands as a powerful testament to Alabamians' deeply held belief that every life is precious and that every life is a sacred gift from God," Governor Kay Ivey said in a statement.

Pro-choice supporters protest in front of the Alabama State House as the Senate vote on the abortion bill / REUTERS

The most restrictive anti-abortion measure in the US will leave doctors facing 10 years behind bars for attempting the procedure and up to 99 years in prison for actually terminating a pregnancy.

Alabama Senate voted 25 to 6 in favour of the bill before it was signed by Ivey.

The move comes amid a wave of bills in Republican states across the US.

Emboldened by the Trump administration, the goal is to challenge the landmark 1973 Roe v Wade Supreme Court ruling that legalised abortion in America.

Alabama Senate passes ban on most abortions

Under the Alabama bill, the only exception would be when the mothers life is at serious risk, for an ectopic pregnancy and if the unborn child has a lethal anomaly.

The bill's sponsors want to give conservatives on the US Supreme Court a chance to gut abortion rights nationwide, but Democrats and abortion rights advocates criticised the bill as a slap in the face to women voters.

"It just completely disregards women and the value of women and their voice. We have once again silenced women on a very personal issue," said Democrat senator Linda Coleman-Madison.

Coleman-Madison said she hopes the measure awakens a "sleeping giant" of women voters in the state.

Abortion rights advocates vowed swift legal action.
C hina branded US President Donald Trump a troublemaker today as the trade war between the two superpowers escalated.

Writing in the Evening Standard, the Chinese ambassador to London Liu Xiaoming ratcheted up Beijings diplomatic offensive by firing off stinging criticisms of the Trump administration.

Woody Johnson, Americas ambassador to Britain, told the Standard that Mr Trump was seeking to protect US jobs and firms rather than hurt China.

Tensions worsened this morning when Washington launched fresh moves against Chinese telecoms giant Huawei.

Just days ago, President Trump raised tariffs on $200 billion (156 billion) of products from China  from 10 per cent to 25 per cent  in an effort to force it to reshape its trading relationship with America.

Washington has launched fresh moves on Huawei / REUTERS

Washington has also imposed smaller-scale tariffs against the EU, including Britain, and other allies on steel and aluminium.

Mr Trump prides himself on being a deal maker, but Mr Liu condemned protectionism as the common enemy of the world.

The real troublemakers in the global economy are those who rely on their superior power and frequently resort to the threat of raising tariffs and trigger trade wars at will around the world, even against their allies without hesitation, he wrote.

He emphasised that a sound and stable economic partnership between the US and China was of global importance.

In an apparent swipe at Mr Trumps America First approach, he added: Therefore, what a responsible big country should do is to stop thinking about us first at the expense of others.

While China did not want a trade war, he explained, it was fully prepared and not afraid of one.

It would fight to the end should a trade war break out, Mr Liu added.

However, Beijing has faced criticism over its own trade policy, including maintaining barriers to foreign firms from doing business in parts of its economy, industrial espionage, as well as its controversial Belt and Road global infrastructure project.

Mr Johnson explained that Washington was seeking to rebalance the trading relationship.

The US objective is not to hurt Chinas economic growth or to contain Chinas development, but to find an enforceable solution to Chinas market-distorting policies and practices that harm the US economy and victimise American workers, farmers, ranchers, and businesses, as well as the economies of Britain and Europe, he said.

Its in Britains interests to urge China to respect the rule of law, property rights and intellectual property of British innovators. The US and Britain share these goals.

Beijing has responded to Mr Trumps actions with tit-for-tat tariffs on $110 billion (86 billion) of US goods, accusing America of starting the largest trade war in economic history.

But the US president stepped up pressure last week on China with the higher tariffs and also started the process of imposing levies on virtually all remaining imports from China, which are valued at some $300 billion (234 billion).

Mr Trump stressed: We are now working on a new trade deal with China. But it must include real, structural change to end unfair trade practices, reduce our chronic trade deficit and protect American jobs.

Britain is reluctant to get caught up in the fight between the two superpowers, but strongly defends free trade.

Downing Street warned that nobody benefits from trade wars, with the Prime Ministers official spokeswoman, adding: We hope that they will find a resolution to avoid any further escalation.

The US Commerce Department said it was putting Huawei Technologies Co Ltd and 70 affiliates on its entity list, which bans the company from acquiring components and technology from US firms without government approval.

It came just as US treasury secretary Steven Mnuchin announced he would visit China soon for further talks.

Earlier, Mr Trump signed an executive order barring US companies from using telecommunications equipment made by firms deemed to pose a national security risk.

Britain is at odds with America over Huawei, with spy chiefs in the UK believing any espionage threat from the use of its equipment in 5G can be minimised by banning it from being involved in the core of new networks.
D onald Trump has granted a full pardon to former media mogul Conrad Black, who was imprisoned for three years for defrauding investors.

Lord Black of Crossharbour, 74, is the former proprietor of the Daily Telegraph and a number of other world newspapers. He was released from prison in the United States in 2012.

Black last year published a book praising the US leader titled "Donald J. Trump: A President Like No Other".

The White House said Black is entirely deserving of the pardon and said he had made "tremendous contributions to business at it made the announcement.

Conrad Black arrives at the federal building in Chicago in 2011. Donald Trump has now granted him a full pardon. / AP

Black was found guilty in the US in 2007 of scheming to siphon off millions of dollars from the sale of newspapers owned by Hollinger Inc, where he was chief executive and chairman.

Two of his three fraud convictions were later voided, and his sentence was shortened. He was released from a Florida prison in May 2012 and deported from the US.

In 2013, the US Securities and Exchange Commission banned Black from acting as a director of a U.S. company and ordered him to pay $4.1 million in restitution.

Canada's Ontario Securities Commission ruled in 2015 that Black could no longer hold executive positions at listed companies or investment funds.

Black said Mr Trump "could not have been more gracious" as he rang to offer the pardon.

Writing in Canadian newspaper the National Post, he said: "My long ordeal with the US justice system was never anything but a confluence of unlucky events, the belligerence of several corporate governance charlatans, and grandstanding local and American judges, all fanned by an unusually frenzied international media showing exceptional interest in the case because I was a media owner."
F ormer Australian Prime Minister Bob Hawke has died at the age of 89.

His wife Blanche d'Alpuget said Mr Hawke, who led the country from 1983 to 1991, died peacefully in his sleep.

A statement from her read: "Today we lost Bob Hawke, a great Australian - many would say the greatest Australian of the post-war era.

"He died peacefully at home at the age of 89 years."

Former Australian Prime Minister Bob Hawke (L) and Blanche d'Alpuget during the launch of d'Alpuget's biography "Hawke: The Prime Minister" in 2010 / Getty Images

She said the family will hold a private funeral service and a memorial will be held in Sydney "in coming weeks".

"With his passing, the labour movement salutes our greatest son... and Australians everywhere remember and honour a man who gave so much to the country and people he cared for so deeply," Labor leader Bill Shorten said in a statement.

"The Australian people loved Bob Hawke because they knew Bob loved them, this was true to the very end."

Australian Labor, the party he represented throughout his time as a politician, tweeted: "We will remember him. In solidarity, forever. May he rest in peace."

Mr Hawke is the longest serving Labor PM in the country ever.

Bob Hawke smiles at the launch of Hawke's Lager at The Clock Hotel on April 6, 2017 in Sydney, Australia / Getty Images

His time in government saw him initiate Medicare and Landcare, while he also floated the Australian dollar.

Mr Hawke earned a reputation as a "larrikin", in part due to his setting a world record for drinking a "yard", or 1.4 litres, of beer in 11 seconds while at Oxford University.

Tributes have swiftly been paid to the charismatic former leader.

Bob Hawke was Australia's longest serving Labor Prime Minister / Getty Images

Actor Russell Crowe, who was born in New Zealand but has lived in Australia for most of his life, wrote on Twitter: "Bob Hawke has died.

"A great man who made this country confident. A great man who never lost his humility."

A statement from Queensland Labor said: "A giant of the Labor Party, and a man who shaped Australia into the modern nation it is today, with humility and fairness at the heart of all that he did. Thank you."

Labor Senator for New South Wales Doug Cameron described Mr Hawke as an "Australian giant".
F rasier star Kelsey Grammer has praised Donald Trump for disrupting the fabric in Washington.

The Emmy-winning actor, who is a Republican, said the US President was a welcome change from other politicians, who he described as a "bunch of clowns".

Asked for his thoughts on whether the Trump administration was disrupting the fabric, Grammer told PBS: I think the fabric being disrupted is a good thing.

I do not think Washington has done us any favours for the last 50, 60 years."

Kelsey Gramer has praised US President Donald Trump / Getty Images

He added: "I think theyve all been sort of the same party, the same bunch of clowns, the same bunch of unpleasant people.

I dont think theyve been helping anybody but themselves.

US President Donald Trump / AP

Grammer, who is starring in Man of La Mancha in Londons West End, added: "Certainly passions run high and certainly he has touched on an extraordinarily passionate response.

"I dont know if its as serious or as horrible as everyone wants it to be.

He also said that American citizens will be just fine while Mr Trump is president, adding: Weve been through a lot worse.
G ucci, Saint Laurent and Alexander McQueen are among the fashion brands which have pledged to stop using models who are under the age of 18.

The French luxury fashion group Kering, which owns the brands, announced they would stop hiring under-18 models to represent adults for both catwalk shows and advertising campaigns.

We are conscious of the influence exerted on younger generations in particular by the images produced by our houses, Kerings chairman and chief executive Francois-Henri Pinault said in a statement.

We believe that we have a responsibility to put forward the best possible practices in the luxury sector and hope to create a movement that will encourage others to follow.

Kaia Gerber, daughter of supermodel Cindy Crawford, won Model of the Year at the annual Fashion Awards 2018 when she was just 17  making her the youngest model to ever be honoured with the accolade. (Getty Images ) / Getty Images

The policy will come into effect early next year, in time for the 2020-2021 autumn/winter collections.

The physiological and psychological maturity of models aged over 18 seems more appropriate to the rhythm and demands involved in this profession, added the groups chief sustainability officer Marie-Claire Daveu.

Conde Nast, which publishes Vogue magazine, made a similar declaration in September last year. It vowed to stop using under-18 models in editorial shoots unless they were the subject of an article.

"Vogue, along with a number of other publications, has played a role in making it routine for children - since thats what they are - to be dressed and marketed as glamorous adults, it announced in an editorial

"No more: Its not right for us, its not right for our readers, and its not right for the young models competing to appear in these pages. While we cant rewrite the past, we can commit to a better future.

"Promising teens will continue to be signed, no doubt, but agencies will need to invest more time and resources in their models development, particularly as they adapt to the demands of video and social media."

A 14-year-old Brooke Shields notoriously appeared on the cover of the magazines February 1980 issue, and again the following year, when she was 15.

Founder of the campaign group Model Alliance, Sara Ziff, described Kerings decision as "a positive step towards eliminating the intense pressure models currently face to maintain an adolescent physique and to go to extremes to lose weight".

However, speaking to BBC News, she also warned that that it lacks a "mechanism for actual enforcement" and that she fears the pledge could "amount to little more than lip service to critical issues that have plagued the industry for far too long".
C orals found thriving in warmer temperatures and more acidic waters have given researchers "hope" for future conservation amid climate change.

The so-called "super corals" were found in Hawaii's Kaneohe Bay despite the warmer, more acidic conditions found there.

The reefs had been "devastated" by pollution from the 1930s to the 1970s, researchers said.

However they have somewhat recovered despite acidity and temperatures being higher than other reefs in Hawaii.

The coral was found in Hawaii's Kaneohe Bay / AFP/Getty Images

"Despite catastrophic loss in coral cover owing to human disturbance, these reefs recovered under low pH and high temperature within 20 years after sewage input was diverted," the researches wrote in a Royal Society journal.

They collected samples of the reef and compared them with others taken from one around 11 miles away.

In doing so they found they weathered the adverse conditions better and also grew at faster rates.

This finding gives hope over the "resilience" of coral reefs, experts said, and shows they are not beyond saving.

Coral reefs suppot 25 per cent of all ocean life (file photo/@seefromthesky/Unsplash) / @seefromthesky/Unsplash

"We wont save every coral or every reef  many are already gone  but neither is it inevitable that we are going to lose all of them, Christopher Jury, a marine biologist at the University of Hawaii who led the new research, told Discovery Magazine.

If we seriously reduce the rate of climate change and the intensity of local stressors, we can still give the survivors a chance."

However, they believe even tough strains of coral could suffer if climate change is not averted, according to Discovery Magazine.

In an abstract of their research, scientists concluded: "These results indicate that reducing human stressors offers hope for reef resilience and effective conservation over coming decades."

According to the World Wildlife Federation, coral reefs occupy around 0.1 per cent of the ocean but support 25 per cent of all marine species.
T exas senator Ted Cruz has said funding for US President Donald Trumps proposed Space Force is needed in order to prevent possible space pirates.

Mr Trump has proposed creating a space military branch in the Air Force in a similar format to how the Marine Corps operates in the US Navy.

The president has already signed off the creation of the US Space Command but only Congress can formally create a new branch of the military.

Mr Cruz warned of the threat of space pirates as he appealed for funding for the Space Force.

President Trump signed off the set up of a US Space Command / AP

The Trump administrations current plans to create the Space Force would cost more than $2 billion to get off the ground, according to a report from the Congressional Budget office.

Mr Cruz, a Republican senator for Texas, warned that space could see a similar threat as pirates who have historically roamed earths seas.

Since the ancient Greeks first put to sea. Nations have recognised the necessity of naval forces and maintaining a superior capability to protect waterborne travel and commerce from bad actors, Cruz said at an aviation and space subcommittee hearing on Tuesday.

Pirates threaten the open seas, and the same is possible in space.

Ted Cruz compared traditional pirates to the possibility of space pirates. / EPA

In this same way, I believe we too must now recognise the necessity of a Space Force to defend the nation and to protect space commerce and civil space exploration."

Research has found that a Space Force military branch would need 5,400 to 7,800 in new personnel for overhead and management, adding more than $1 billion to the Pentagon's annual costs.

The Pentagon rejected Mr Trumps suggestion of a special Air Force branch, arguing that Space Force should exists as its own branch of the military because its necessity is inevitable as China and Russia sharpen their focus on space.

A defence spending bill which will be put before congress would provide $15 million to research the logistics of building a Space Force.

However, none of the money will go towards creating Space Force as a branch of the military yet.
T he heiress of a German biscuit empire has apologised for saying the family business did nothing wrong in its use of forced labour under Nazi rule.

Verena Bahlsen, whose father owns the Bahlsen company that makes the Choco Leibniz biscuits, was accused of being "oblivious to history" over the remarks.

During World War Two, Hanover-based Bahlsen employed around 200 forced labourers, most of whom were women from Nazi-occupied Ukraine.

The 25-year-old told Bild newspapers that the company had nothing to feel guilty about, adding: This was before my time and we paid the forced labourers exactly as much as German workers and we treated them well."

The Bahlsen empire makes some of Germanys most famous biscuits, including Choco Leibniz / Getty Images

She has now apologised for her "thoughtless response".

She said: "It was a mistake to amplify this debate with thoughtless responses. I apologise for that. Nothing could be further from my mind than to downplay national socialism or its consequences.

As the next generation, we have responsibility for our history. I expressly apologise to all whose feelings I have hurt."

The firm had distanced itself from her remarks after a backlash from politicians and social media users, who called for a boycott of Bahlsen biscuits.

The Nazi Forced Labour Documentation Centre in Berlin tweeted: "The issue of Nazi forced labour is often still a blind spot in the collective memory."

The Social Democratic Party's general secretary Lars Klingbeil told Bild: If you inherit such a large estate you also inherit responsibility and should not come across as aloof.

Ms Bahlsen has also been criticised for boasting about her wealth.

She told a marketing conference earlier this month: "I'm a capitalist. I own a quarter of Bahlsen, that's great. I want to buy a sailing yacht and stuff like that."

The Bahlsen company donated 1.5 million deutschmarks (around 655,000) between 2000 and 2001 to a foundation set up by German firms to compensate 20 million forced labourers used by the Nazis.
L ady Gaga has joined the list of celebrities condemning Alabama's strict abortion law which bans the procedure in almost all cases, including rape and incest.

The pop star branded the US states decision, which was authorised on Wednesday, a travesty and said women and young girls would suffer at the hands of the new system.

Alabama's law sparked a fierce and immediate backlash from opponents, with many famous faces speaking out against it including Courteney Cox and Reese Witherspoon.

Joining with words of condemnation, Gaga wrote on Twitter: It is an outrage to ban abortion in Alabama, period, and all the more heinous that it excludes those who have been raped or are experiencing incest, non-consensual or not.

"So there's a higher penalty for doctors who perform these operations than for most rapists? This is a travesty, and I pray for all these women and young girls who suffer at the hands of this system."

Amid furious opposition from women's rights advocates, the US state's Senate voted 25-6 for the bill before it was signed off by Republican governor Kay Ivey.

The bill, set to come into effect in six months, will block abortions in the event of rape and incest, with the only exception being when a woman's health is at serious risk.

Doctors who defy the law could face 99 years in prison, the maximum sentence for a Class A felony.

Alabama Senate passes ban on most abortions

Friends star Cox was born in the Alabama state capital, Birmingham, and said she was "appalled" by the law. She said: "I love Alabama and I am proud to call it my home. But today I am appalled and scared. We CANNOT go backwards!"

Cox also urged fans to donate to an Alabama-based pro-abortion charity.

Oscar-winning actress Reese Witherspoon tweeted her dismay, while also condemning similar laws in other states. She said: "I'm beyond upset about the passing of new abortion bans in Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi, Georgia, and Ohio. This is Unconstitutional and Abhorrent. We cannot tolerate this attack on women's fundamental rights.

Earlier, British actress Jameela Jamil blasted the law as "truly disgusting". She had earlier revealed she once underwent an abortion and described it as the "best decision" she ever made.

Other celebrities speaking out included Captain America star Chris Evans, filmmaker Ava DuVernay and actress Alyssa Milano.
Y ouTube star Logan Paul has waded into the James Charles and Tati Westbrook row, telling fans that they should go easy on his fellow vlogger.

19-year-old Charles has seen his follower count drop more than two million after his former friend Westbrook shared a video claiming that he had manipulat[ed] peoples sexuality by attempting to turn straight men gay.

The social media star responded with an apologetic video and denied the claims that he had ever pressured anyone into a romantic relationship.

Charles post has since become the ninth most disliked video on YouTube and has been unfollowed by a slew of celebrities including Kylie Jenner, Katy Perry, Kim Kardashian and Shawn Mendes.

Speaking out: Logan Paul is the latest YouTuber to wade into the row / David Livingston/Getty Images

Discussing the row on his podcast ImPaulsive, Paul admitted that he doesnt like Charles but claimed that the crime does not fit the punishment.

Im not defending James Charles, Im saying, [go] easy when you puff your chest out, put your chin up and call him a sexual predator, he said.

Really think about what youre saying, and really think about what a true sexual predator is the kid is 19. Cut him some slack, please.

Charles has an estimated net worth of $12 million (9 million) and was announced as the first ever male spokesperson for US beauty brand CoverGirl in 2016.
F ormer Love Island stars Jessica Shears and Dom Lever have confirmed that they are expecting their first child.

The couple, who met on the ITV dating show in 2017, announced the happy news with matching Instagram posts.

Both reality stars shared a photo collage featuring an ultrasound scan placed underneath Polaroid photos of the parents-to-be, showing Shears clutching her baby bump and Lever grinning as he recreates her pose.

Shears captioned her post with The best is yet to come, while Lever wrote that he is living the dream.

The pairs former Love Island co-stars rushed to congratulate them on their impending arrival, with Camilla Thurlow writing: Congratulations to you both, such lovely news!

Gabby Allen added OMG CONGRATULATIONS, while her ex-boyfriend Marcel Somerville commented: Congratulations bro & @jessica_rose_uk massive news.

Love Islands Alexandra Cane and Charlie Brake, who appeared on the show last year, also sent congratulatory messages to the couple, while former TOWIE fixture Mario Falcone said: Congratulations mate. Best thing in the world. Here if you need dad help.

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Shears and Lever got engaged three months after meeting on Love Island, and were married in a televised ceremony overseen by Jeremy Kyle on Good Morning Britain in February last year.

They went on to tie the knot for real on the Greek island of Mykonos in October.

People said we wouldnt last but now were husband and wife. Were proof that when you meet the right person, theres no need to hang around, Lever told OK! magazine after the ceremony.

Shears said that she had known that she and Lever would be together forever from very early on and said that she was so excited to spend the rest of [her] life waking up next to Dom.

We really wanted an intimate wedding and we knew we couldnt have had that in the UK, she said of the couples decision not to invite former Love Island stars to the ceremony.
C ould there be anything more thrilling as a Doctor Who fan than the ability to step inside the famous TARDIS?

Well now you can. The BBC is releasing a virtual reality (VR) special today, Doctor Who: The Runaway, that lets you accompany Jodie Whittaker as the Thirteenth Doctor on a magical animated adventure.

The story goes that you wake up in the TARDIS after colliding with a strange ball of energy named Volta. According to the Doctor, which stars Jodie Whittaker in animated form, Volta needs to return to his home planet before he explodes, but a squad of galactic busybodies have other plans.

Zillah Watson, head of BBC VR Hub, said: This is the most ambitious project yet from our team in the BBC VR Hub, and the result is a magical adventure that Doctor Who fans everywhere will simply love. It also shows the enormous potential that virtual reality has for creating new kinds of experiences that appeal to mainstream audiences.

Join Jodie Whitaker as the Thirteenth Doctor on a mission to return Volta to his home planet safely / BBC

Doctor Who: The Runaway is available to watch in the BBC VR app, available to download from the Oculus Store and Vive Port.

Its worth noting that the VR headset you use will affect which version of the VR film youll be able to watch. If you own a gaming VR headset, like Oculus Rift or HTC Vive, then you will be able to try out the interactive version, which will allow you to assist the Doctor directly in ensuring Volta gets home to his parents.

Youll also get to actually fly the TARDIS in this version too.

On the other hand, if you own an Oculus Go or a Samsung GearVR headset, youll only be able to watch the film in full 360-degree VR, but unfortunately, not be able to assist.
J ustin McLeod has had an emotional morning: hes just met his first Hinge baby.

That was a wild experience, to look into this kids eyes and think: I made you, laughs the founder of the dating app, which is to thank for his wifes best friend meeting her husband. Not directly, but indirectly I am responsible for your existence.

The New York entrepreneur founded the friends-of-friends matchmaking programme after graduating from Harvard in 2011 and rebranded it three years ago, after a 14-year love story culminated in him winning back his now-wife, Kate.

Thanks to some subtle but crucial rewiring, Hinge has since become the UKs fastest growing dating app. Now, a date is arranged between users every four seconds. The magic recipe? Vulnerability, McLeod insists. The app invites users to fill in a series of prompts, from qualities Im looking for in a plus-one wedding date to lets debate this topic. Its these (theoretically) honest answers that help foster deeper connections.

The people who put themselves out there a bit more and put a lot of effort into their prompts, making themselves a bit vulnerable  these are the people who are going to find more success on Hinge, says McLeod. The key is recognising the difference between what he calls validation and connection.

Validation is like the junk food, he says, sipping a cup of hot water with lemon in Sohos Dean Street Townhouse. It feels good and its easy and you want a lot of it, but ultimately it leaves you feeling sort of lonely.

Something designed around connection is less about being cool and putting on the veneer to get the validation, and much more about showing the cracks and admitting your weaknesses or dorky things about you. Thats the kind of stuff that really allows people to relate and connect.

Hinge encourages users to start conversations with questions and prompts / Hinge

For him, its all about data  and the devil is in the detail. Users are invited to like parts of others profiles, rather than the profile as a whole, which allows Hinge to zero in on their tastes. Currently, in London, the prompt I know the best spot in town for... leads to the most dates, and answers mentioning Brexit get 70 per cent fewer likes.

McLeod wants Hinge to be the dinner party of dating apps. Instead of lining up 1,000 potential matches to mindlessly swipe through, it is thoughtful about who is shown to whom. A feature called Most Compatible uses a combination of AI and a Noble Prize-winning algorithm called Gale-Shapley (aka the stable marriage algorithm) to send users daily match suggestions. The idea isnt that youre shown the person you most want in the world but someone you like whos also going to like you back, McLeod explains.

Again, it comes back to data  a We Met feature, which follows up after the initial match to see if users went on a date and if so, how it went. So far, results have proven the new algorithm is eight times more likely to lead to a date than other apps, So its working, he says.

His ultimate goal is figuring out what helps people connect over the long term ... obviously were not good as human beings  the divorce rate is near 50 per cent. Its kind of crazy that a decision which is probably the most important of your life is made relatively blind of any science. We put so much effort into which taco place were going to but when it comes to relationships, were just like, Oh, this person feels nice.

The slogan behind Hinge 2.0 is designed to be deleted  a clever marketing line, but McLeod insists its what drives him. He doesnt want to get users addicted  thats not why people come to us  he wants to get them off their phones as quickly as possible. The app avoids swiping and this week Hinge announced the hiring of a healthy tech adviser  author of How to Break Up With Your Phone, Catherine Price  to help users to connect in real life.

McLeod has broken up with his phone already. He doesnt use Facebook or Instagram and has deleted emails from his smartphone. Instead, his crazy morning routine involves getting up at 5am and writing a journal as a form of meditation  thats when he comes up with his big ideas. Has he spotted any trends in successful relationships? I find some people very growth-orientated and some people very stability-orientated. Some always want to change, grow, learn new stuff; some are very content  theres nothing wrong with this  with routine, safety and security. In his experience, relationships work well when both partners are the same.

Which side do he and Kate fall on? Extreme growth, he smiles. They dated in college and reconnected eight years later when Kate was engaged to someone else. Wed both changed a tonne. Id done yoga-teacher training and was sober and running a company. Kate had gone to cooking school in Italy, art school in London, moved to Zurich.
T ech giant Huawei have unveiled its new 5G-ready smartphone in London, despite increasing security concerns of the Chinese firms communications equipment.

A number of senior figures from around the world, led by US officials, have warned that Huawei's telecoms infrastructure could be used by the Chinese state to spy on or sabotage foreign networks.

American president Donald Trump has also signed an executive order effectively banning the company from US communications networks.

A former head of MI6 also warned on Thursday that allowing the Chinese tech giant to have a role in building the UK's 5G network posed an unnecessary risk to national security.

Despite the ongoing debate, the company said it would release the Mate 20 X 5G device in the UK in June, costing 1,000.

A Huawei logo is seen at an exhibition during the World Intelligence Congress in Tianjin / REUTERS

At the companys launch in London on Thursday, it refused to discuss the ongoing security concerns.

But speaking on a panel on 5G technology at the event, industry analyst Ben Wood from CCS Insight suggested the US decision may not completely hinder the company.

"As far as I am concerned, not much has changed between last night (when the executive order was signed) and this morning," he said.

"Because until we get clarity on this it's tough - we're talking about phones. These guys (Huawei), in the first quarter of 2019 sold more phones than they've ever sold, while everyone else is going backwards. So, it can't all be bad."

Security specialist Brian Higgins from Comparitech.com added that the "very broad" US executive order was likely to face a number of legal challenges.

EPA

"The issue for the UK is that we sit within the supply chain of the United States in every sector," he said.

"After the Target attack a couple of years ago - when one of the largest stateside retailers had consumer data stolen by a cybercrime organisation who accessed their network via the online connection to the contractors who installed and maintained their air conditioning - the US is rightfully cautious of such vulnerabilities.

"The impact can be reasonably dealt with by a common sense approach to necessity and proportionality. If you are GCHQ and need to share sensitive intelligence, then you will undoubtedly have to purge your network of any devices deemed threatening.

"If, however you make the odd Skype call to your NY office, you might just need a new tablet.

"It's easy to panic when these events initially unfold. The more sensible approach is to make sure your own cyber-hygiene is contemporarily sound and then ask your US partners and customers what reasonable adjustments would be appropriate to continue doing business."

In a report by the Henry Jackson Society (HJS), former MI6 chief Sir Richard Dearlove said using Huawei to help build the UK's 5G networks would place the Chinese government in a "potentially advantageous exploitative position".

But Huawei dismissed the report as "long on politically motivated insinuation but short on fact", saying there had been no significant cyber security issues with its equipment in 32 years.

A spokesman added: "We are an independent, employee-owned company which does not take instructions from the Chinese government.

"We hope and expect that any decision on Huawei's participation in Britain's build-out of 5G networks will be based on solid evidence, rather than on unfounded speculation and groundless accusations."

The firm's smartphones are not the focus of the current scrutiny, and Huawei has risen to become the second largest smartphone maker in the world, behind only Samsung.

Samsung and fellow Chinese phone maker OnePlus have also confirmed the upcoming release of 5G devices this week.

Huawei also used their event to confirm that their first foldable smartphone, the Mate X, will be released in the UK in the third quarter of this year - sometime between July and September.
In 2016, the town spent $3.6 million to establish the wells on the Caruso site and another near Rockwater Park on the south side, increasing its monthly drinking water capacity by more than 11 million gallons per month.

County Attorney Alexis, in her open statement before the Commission on Local Government, pointed out major county concerns with the rezoning request, namely the Caruso propertys proximity to a narrow railroad bridge on Nalles Mill Road. Residents of the planned development will inevitably want to walk to the nearby shopping centers using the bridge, which has little room for two cars to pass, let alone pedestrians, she said.

Building a pedestrian bridge across the railroad tracks would cost an estimated $1 million, Alexis said, a project not supported by the developer. Its up to the county to decide when and where it will annex its boundaries, per the 2012 agreement with the town that was reached after decades of fighting between the two governments, she pointed out.

Alexis called the annexation petition hostile and said Caruso Homes did not follow the proper channels in pursuing the rezoning. This is too premature, she said. This is too drastic.
Warner introduced the bill in the Senate. It would address $1.1 billion in deferred maintenance at national park sites in Virginia. Bishop and Kilmer introduced companion legislation in the House of Representatives.

Even in a dysfunctional Washington, this should be a no-brainer, Warner said of the Restore Our Parks Act. ... Weve got broad bipartisan support in the Senate. Weve got the support of the administration.

This backlog is sacrificing our history and our legacy, and is a direct hit on jobs, he added.

The Virginia Democrat noted that a few weeks back, a sinkhole threatened motorists commuting on the George Washington Memorial Parkway, a road relied on by many Washington-area travelers.

The national capital area and America deserve better than a sinkhole on one of Americas premier roads, the senator said.

If enacted, the Restore Our Parks Act would generate an estimated 10,000 jobs, Warner noted. Over five years, it would provide about $6.5 billion for park repairs.
With brisk questioning led by Spanberger and Reps. Doug LaMalfa (R-Calif.), Collin Peterson (D-Minn.), Marcia Fudge (D-Ohio), and Chellie Pingree (D-Maine), subcommittee members explored new authorities afforded by the 2018 Farm Bill and their prospects to accelerate conservation work.

LaMalfa, the ranking Republican member, asked how the USDA can help prevent Californias forest fires and, after such a disaster, what the agency can do to remove burned timber, replant trees and reduce soil erosion.

In an interview afterward, Spanberger said the days topics took a step forward in acknowledging the good work that farmers are doing and the value of these federal programs, which are vital not just to the livelihood of farmers but, in fact, to our larger efforts to address conservation challenges and global climate change. I think it was a good first hearing in how it addressed those issues.

Private landowners manage more than 70 percent of the land in the United States, so their decisions deeply affect Americans on and off the farm, she said during the hearing.
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In order to do what the FAA suggests, it would cost $15 million to cut the runway and narrow it. The lights, navigational aids and approaches would also need to be redone. To keep it the way it is and resurface it would cost $8 million. An NDOT pavement inspection was set to occur this week and Aguallo hopes they will see that 5-23 is in need of the repair Aguallo has asked for.

If the FAA forced the changes, larger planes would not be able to divert here, eliminating a revenue stream that continues to grow.

On April 26, Aguallo sat down with Congressman Adrian Smith to discuss his concerns about what the FAA is proposing.

Adrian was responsive, Aguallo said. He is flying in and out of here a lot and understands the importance of the cross way.

Aguallo also had a telephone conversation with U.S. Sen. Deb Fischers office.

We expressed our concerns about runway 5-23, Aguallo said. Both are going to knock on the FAA door.

After Smith spoke with the FAA and asked questions, a day or two later, the Nebraska Department of Transportation received a call about the bids to see what the problem is, Aguallo said.
Thomas said he has not seen much in terms of emergence, but said to give it time.

You get this warm weather, and it will start popping pretty quickly, he said. If you plant corn or beets and its really cold and wet, that seed will sit in the ground for a long time and not come up until things start to get warm.

Soil temperatures also factor heavily into the emergence equation. Thomas said that soil temperatures for the previous week were up 46 to 47 degrees at an inch-depth, and the 80 degree temperatures this week will only increase soil temperatures.

Dry edible beans planting will start around the end of May, but farmers who have not planted corn by that time will likely be delayed on planting beans.

If youre late planting corn, there are varieties that have a shorter season to reach maturity, Thomas said. If guys get really late, theyll move to some of those shorter season varieties.

Thomas said that short season varieties might yield somewhat less at harvest, but not by much.

Theyve been able to get some of those shorter season varieties to yield fairly well, he said.
Scotts Bluff County Court

March 20

Roy R. Briones, 21, was sentenced to 30 days jail, six months license revocation and fined $627 on a charge of driving under the influence and no operators license.

Katie Poor Bear, 30, was fined $1,702.02 on a charge of obstructing a peace officer and second-degree trespassing.

Deyanira Marrufo, 25, was fined $150 on a charge of driving under suspension.

March 21

Josha D. Bordeaux, 29, was sentenced to five days jail and fined $77 on a charge of driving under suspension and disobeying stop lights.

David E. Lopez, 36, was sentenced to three days in jail and fined $250 on a charge of possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Luis C. Baca, 34, was sentenced to 10 days jail and fined $150 on a charge of driving under suspension.

Jana L. Brown, 51, was sentenced to 2 days jail and fined $50 on a charge of disturbing the peace.
A man who farms near Pender, Nebraska, went to extraordinary lengths to save his life after his left leg became trapped in a machine on his farm.

In the early afternoon of April 19, Kurt Kaser, a lifelong corn, soybean and hog farmer, was transferring grain from one bin to another when he stepped into a grain auger. The machine ate away at his left leg and sucked the 63-year-old toward the machine.

I didnt know what to do, he said Tuesday. I was afraid it was going to suck me in more. I about gave up and let it do what it was going to do.

Kaser was alone on the farm that day. His cellphone either fell into the machine or fell out someplace else. On the 1,500-acre farm, yelling would do no good.

So he pulled out his 3-inch pocket knife and hacked away at his leg.

I have had other incidences. I try to hold my cool or figure out how to make the situation better at the time, he said. Its hard to describe. You want to survive and you do what you need to do to survive, I guess.
Some mornings it might feel like you cant get enough of it, but a new study suggests too much coffee can be harmful.

Studies have found that coffee consumption may help prevent several chronic diseases, including Type 2 diabetes mellitus, Parkinsons disease and liver disease. There is little evidence that drinking moderate amounts of coffee  three to four cups a day  poses any health risk. The key words here are moderate amounts.

A new study from the University of South Australia suggests there is a point where drinking coffee becomes a health risk.

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 Elina Hypponen, one of the studys researchers, said in a press release.

Researchers at the university analyzed the health records and the self-reported coffee consumption of 347,077 people between the ages of 37 and 73 in the UK Biobank. The Biobank is a national and international health resource with unparalleled research opportunities, open to all bona fide health researchers.
As a compromise, Barr invited congressional leaders to look at an even more unredacted version. Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.), chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, refused to even look at the report, saying a 99.9 percent redaction-free report wasnt good enough. The notion that a few sentences of blacked out information are the real smoking gun is absurd.

Instead of praising Barr for releasing to the public what amounts to an off-the-shelf roadmap for impeachment, Barr is not only being charged with contempt, but Democrats are cavalierly talking about throwing Barr in jail.

The Democrats are on much better legal footing in their pursuit of the presidents tax returns, but even here the effort amounts to responding to one violation of norms with another.

Trump should have abided by custom and released his returns, as past presidents have done and as he said he would. But the law says Congress can demand to see them. The law is a bad one prone to abuse, but the Trump administration will still have to comply. But in listening to Democrats explain why they want the returns, you can see how corrupting the desire to get Trump has become.
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There are still 397 outbreaks of African swine fever spread in 84 localities in 16 counties, with 10 outbreaks logged in commercial farms, the National Sanitary Veterinary and Food Safety Authority (ANSVSA) said in a release on Thursday.

In another five counties the disease has only been reported in wild boars. A total of 365,595 diseased pigs have been destroyed; as many as 1,329 cases of illness in boars have been reported.

Up until now 853 outbreaks have been put out nationwide.

As many as 8,643 owners had been offered a total of 251.8 million lei in compensations by May 16.

The presence of the ASF virus in Romania was first reported on July 31, 2017 in the county of Satu-Mare.

The evolution of the disease is permanently monitored through clinical and laboratory exams, and the current situation is being analyzed on a daily basis, and appropriate measures and actions are taken on a case-by-case basis, ANSVSA said.
European Commissioner Corina Cretu said on Thursday that here was no vote in the College of Commissioners to send a letter on behalf of the European Commission to warn Romania about the changes to the laws of justice, stressing that the statements of Chairman of the ruling Social Democratic Party (PSD) Liviu Dragnea about her "are based on misinformation".

"A clarification is required following the recent attacks against me which come from Mr Liviu Dragnea and other of his people: I am a member of the College of Commissioners, not of the Council of Ministers - where the ministers of the national governments (including the Government of Romania ) meet. There was vote to send this letter in the College of Commissioners. I am sorry to see that these attacks are escalating and I hope that the last week of campaign does not polarize the society even more, especially since the narrative against me is based on misinformation!" Corina Cretu wrote on her Facebook page.

Her reaction came after Social Democrat leader Liviu Dragnea said that "Ms. Corina Cretu voted against Romania." Asked on Thursday to comment on the decision made in the College of Commissioners on April 30, in connection with the letter warning Romania, Dragnea replied: "If things are as the European Commission spokesperson says, I see that Mrs. Corina Cretu, who is running in the elections for the European Parliament on the list of a political formation made of former Securitate members, has voted against Romania. When there's an unanimous vote to send a letter to sanction Romania, with no grounds at all, while at the same time you are campaigning for a party that is against the governing party, when you claim you support your country but vote against your country, you cannot be but a liar."

At the end of last week, First Vice-President Frans Timmermans sent a new letter to the Romanian authorities expressing concern about developments in the rule of law in Romania. The letter was 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.
Chairman of the Social Democratic Party (PSD, major at rule, ed.n.) Liviu Dragnea said on Thursday that Klaus Iohannis' reasons for rejecting the three ministerial proposals are a "mockery".

"Bad arguments, mockery. A president who does not even know the questions addressed to the Romanian people called to referendum cannot be suspected of very much intelligence when inventing some reasons to turn down some ministers, Dragnea said referring to the reasons why the head of state rejected the appointment of Eugen Nicolicea as Justice minister; Liviu-Tit Brailoiu as minister for Romanians Abroad and Oana Florea as European Funds minister.

Dragnea mentioned that official data show that Romania has an economic growth of 5pct.

"Official internal data and Eurostat data show that Romania recorded a 5pct, 5.1pct growth, the second-largest in the EU. Of course they are angry. Remember how they said that Romania would not grow. The Fiscal Council estimated an increase of less than 4pct, the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, rating agencies - 3 pct, the European Commission - 3.3 pct but the reality and the results of our programme show that Romania is thriving," Dragnea mentioned on a visit to Dolj County.

President Klaus Iohannis on Wednesday sent Prime Minister Viorica Dancila the letters on PM's picks for justice minister, minister for Romanians abroad and minister of European funds - Eugen Nicolicea, Liviu-Tit Brailoiu and Oana Florea, respectively - indicating that the three do not have the expertise required to manage these areas.
The procedure for the construction of the South Motorway will start next week, Social Democratic Party (PSD, major at rule, ed.n.) chairman Liviu Dragnea announced on Thursday.

"I have some really good news, because I, too, am very upset that it has been delayed, so I think on Monday or at the latest on Tuesday, the Prognosis Commission has completed the whole procedure, all the documentation and it starts the selection procedure, fortunately there are many companies that are interested. (...) This motorway is very important, it connects Bucharest, through the south, with Craiova and it goes to Timisoara, However, it is also very important that we talk to the President of Serbia because we want to go with the project carried out by Yugoslavia in the old days, before 1990, Romania and other states, which makes a much shorter connection between Constanta, Bucharest Southwestern Romania, Serbia, Northern Italy, Austria, Switzerland, France, without getting around through the traditional routes Hungary - Austria - Germany and so on. The South Motorway starts next week as a procedure," Dragnea said, on a visit to Dolj county, alongside Minister of Agriculture Petre Daea.

He also argued that "the analysis of the bids for the Ploiesti-Brasov motorway has been finalized" and the winner of the tender is to be decided for the execution to actually kick off.

"The second good news, which will be given next week, I think, is that the analysis of the bids for Ploiesti-Brasov has been finalized and that the winner will be decided in a very short time, and the work, the execution of the motorway will actually start. As far as I know, work starts at Craiova - Pitesti next week," the PSD leader said.
The European Central Bank (ECB) has recently sent Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies Liviu Dragnea a letter cautioning that the national authorities are required to consult the ECB on the legislative proposals that fall under its scope of competence, regulations on national central banks included.

The letter signed by Yves Mersch, member of the ECB Executive Board, and published on the institution's website, refers to the fact that on April 24, 2019 the Parliament of Romania, pursuant to an emergency procedure, has adopted the Law on the amendment of Article 30 of the Law on the statutes of the National Bank of Romania (BNR). The new regulatory act introduces amendments to certain provisions related to the gold reserves managed by BNR.

According to the ECB, in accordance with Articles 127(4) and 282(5) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union and the third indent of Article 2(1) of Council Decision 98/415/EC, the national authorities are required to consult the ECB on draft legislative provisions concerning matters that fall within its competence, legislative provisions concerning national central banks included.

"The ECB would appreciate the Romanian authorities giving due consideration to the above observations by honoring their obligation to consult the ECB in future, in particular in the event of further legislative work in relation to the Law on the statutes of the National Bank of Romania," reads the ECB document.

On April 24 the Chamber of Deputies adopted the bill initiated by Social Democrats Liviu Dragnea and Serban Nicolae on the statutes of the National Bank of Romania, which provides for the capping of the country's foreign gold reserves at 5 percent.

According to the bill, "the National Bank of Romania, in compliance with the general rules on liquidity and risk specific to foreign assets, establishes and maintains international reserves in such a way that it can periodically determine their exact size; the reserves are set up cumulatively or selectively of several elements, including gold kept in the country's treasury."

The initiative stipulates that "from the established reserve, the National Bank of Romania may deposit gold abroad exclusively for the purpose of obtaining income through trading and other specific operations."

"The gold deposits set up by the National Bank of Romania abroad shall not exceed 5 percent of the total amount of gold kept as reserve," the act also states.
Euro-parliamentary elections do not have, generally, very high political stakes in the countries of the European Union, but the political picture in Romania is different. Here, they can greatly influence the internal power play, so the stakes is the demonstration of an electoral majority. If the PSD-ALDE alliance would get more votes than PNL, USR and PMP, then the power structure would not change. But if the opposition gets more votes, then the situation in the national Parliament would become really explosive, even more so since PNL and USR intend to file a no confidence motion immediately after the election.

Social Democratic Party (PSD) suspended member of the S&D European Group;

National Liberal Party (PNL), member of EPP

An alliance between Save Romania Union (USR), which announced the intention of joining a new liberal group in the European Parliament and PLUS, which is likely to join the same group.

ALDE Romania, member of the ALDE group, has not announced an intention to join the a liberal group after the dissolution of ALDE Europe.

Pro Romania Party, of the former prime-minister Victor Ponta (ex-PSD).

PMP, member of EPP, party of former president Traian Basescu.

UDMR, party of the Hungarian minority.

STIRIPESURSE.RO makes an analysis of each parliamentary party and shows you to the optimistic / pessimistic scenario for each of the political actors.List of political actors analyzed:







PSD - the psychological threshold is at 30%

Optimistic scenario: For PSD, the stake in these elections is to obtain more than 30% and to put enough distance between them and PNL. With over 30%, Liviu Dragnea can seriously pursue a presidential bid, because he is the locomotive of the elections, and the PSD electorate will have given a vote of confidence to him and the party. At the same time, if the PSD gets above 30%, the chances that the referendum initiated by Klaus Iohannis is validated would become extremely low, given that the PSD leaders have signaled a boycott.



Pessimistic scenario: In this scenario, the PSD gets less than 30% in elections, so PNL would be breathing down their neck. A nearly 20% drop in voters' preferences, spread among two and a half years of government, would give food for hought to many MPs who would then seek their salvation elsewhere. At less than 30%, it would be clear that PSD is a party that has entered a downward slope; a presidential victory would become utopia, and parliamentary and local elections in 2020 would prove extremely complicated. Such a score could lead to serious movements of troops in Parliament and even to the change of the parliamentary majority,and, implicitly, the fall of the Government. At the same time, a score below 30% for PSD would increase the chances for the referendum initiated by Klaus Iohannis to be validated.





PNL - psychological threshold is at 25% would

Optimistic scenario: For PNL, the stake of these elections is a huge one. With a score of 25% or more, the Liberals would show that they are growing and there is a chance for the referendum initiated by Klaus Iohannis to be validated. With this score, the Liberals would be very close to PSD and would be able to make demands for the change of the parliamentary majority. Moreover, the score would make it easier for Klaus Iohannis to obtain the second term in office.



Pessimistic scenario: A score close to 20% would be a disaster for PNL. That would mean that the PSD is a long way in front, and the USR-PLUS alliance has come too close, with the possibility that they (USR-PLUS) become the main opposition force. It would also be very difficult to validate the referendum initiated by Klaus Iohannis. At the same time, such a score would give rise to internal convulsions, which could lead to the overthrow of Ludovic Orban from the leadership of PNL.





USR-PLUS: trying to be as close as possible to PNL

Optimistic scenario: For the USR-PLUS alliance, the optimistic scenario is the one in which it obtains 16-18%, which would validate it as a feasible alliance and open up the possibility merging into one party. The Alliance would be very close to PNL and would show that they have a strong growth with high chances to have a good result in the upcoming local and parliamentary elections in 2020. In this context, the USR-PLUS alliance could support a presidential candidate who would pose a serious challenge to Klaus Iohannis.



Pessimistic scenario: For USR-PLUS, the pessimistic scenario is a 10-12% score, which would mean that they are far from PNL and PSD. It is very likely that such a score would lead to the break-up of the alliance and, in the run-up to the presidential election, they would have no choice but to rally around Klaus Iohannis.





ALDE - above or below 10%?

Optimistic scenario: For ALDE, the stake is to get a two-digit score and, paradoxically, it would most probably be helped help by a bad score of its ally, PSD. Under these circumstances, ALDE would go on to play an increasingly important role in the ruling coalition and would have a serious input in future negotiations with the PSD. With the downward trend of PSD and with ALDE on the upward trend, Tariceanu would have the legitimacy to demand to be the only candidate of the alliance in the presidential election.



Pessimistic scenario: For ALDE any score below 10% does not help the party. Their voice in the coalition would remain weak, and, for Tariceanu, the dream to run for the presidential election would be ruined. It is possible that such a score would trigger a departure of militants from ALDE to PNL, because more and more current MPs would understand that they cannot not get a mandate next to Tariceanu.





Pro Romania - stake is a 10%

Optimistic scenario: Pro Romania, Victor Ponta's party, would participate for the first time in the election test. The big stake is to get a 10% score, which would seriously eat off from the PSD voters. If Pro Romania gets this score and the PSD is under 30%, many PSD MPs would remember Victor Ponta and start negotiations with him.



The pessimistic scenario: A pessimistic scenario for Pro Romania is not to pass the electoral threshold or to get 5-7%. In that context, it would prove that the PSD electorate did not leave for Victor Ponta and the people around him. The PSD break-up tendencies would be seriously hampered.





PMP - the swan song of Traian Basescu

Optimistic scenario: The optimistic scenario for PMP would be to make the electoral threshold. A score of over 5% ensures the continuity of the party and a breath of fresh air before the eventual withdrawal of Traian Basescu,



The pessimistic scenario: For PMP, the pessimistic scenario would be not to make the electoral threshold, which would amount to the withdrawal of Traian Basescu from political life and very likely the dissolution of the party. It is possible in this scenario for PMP to be approached by the PNL, without too much gain for the current party leaders. At the same time this would be the first major defeat in Traian Basescu's political career.





UDMR - the middle way

Optimistic scenario: For UDMR optimistic scenario would be to get 5%, which sends them to the European Parliament.



Pessimistic scenario: For UDMR, the pessimistic scenario would be not to make the electoral threshold. That would be a disaster, and would force the party to rethink their whole strategy.
Minister of Public Finance Eugen Teodorovici is set to pay a two-day visit to Brussels, where he will preside on Friday the works of the Economic and Financial Affairs Council (ECOFIN), informs a press release of the Ministry sent to AGERPRES on Thursday.

On Thursday, the Minister participates in the Eurogroup meeting, and he will have a working dinner with the theme "Workforce mobility and its impact on economic growth." The ministers will make an exchange of opinions related to the problems facing the country that "export" workforce.

On Friday, May 17, Teodorovici is going to preside the meeting of the Economic and Financial Affairs Council (ECOFIN). The agenda includes topics such as the Directive on the harmonization of the structures of excise duties on alcohol and alcoholic beverages, the Directive regarding the general regime of excises, the taxation of digital services, the revision of the EU list regarding the uncooperative jurisdictions, the European Semester.

The Romanian Minister will participate on Friday in an working breakfast alongside the finances ministers of the EU, with the topics for discussions to be the architecture of the Economic and Monetary Union, from the perspective of the new Reform Support Programme and the effects of workforce mobility inside the EU.

Again on Friday, he will participate in the works of the Economic and Financial Dialogue between the EU and Western Balkans and Turkey.
Florian Coldea, former first deputy to the head of the Romanian Intelligence Service (SRI), on Thursday went to the headquarters of the Section for investigating crimes in justice (SIIJ), where he had a hearing in the case file related to the return to Romania of the former National Investment Fund (FNI) head Nicolae Popa.

In this case, the ex chief of the DNA (National Anti-corruption Directorate), Laura Codruta Kovesi, is investigated for abuse of office, taking bribery and false testimony.

The case was open in December 2018, following a notification sent by the former Deputy Sebastian Ghita. He ran to hide in Serbia, after being sent to trial in several corruption cases. Ghita claims that, in 2011, Kovesi asked him to pay 200,000 euros to bring back to Romania, from Indonesia, by plane, Nicolae Popa, as the latter's name appeared on an international arrest warrant.

The SIIJ prosecutors claim that Laura Codruta Kovesi asked for and received in 2011 the amount of 268,689 lei from Sebastian Ghita for the extradition of the former head of FNI.
Former Defence Minister Gabriel Oprea arrived on Thursday at the headquarters of the Sections for investigating crimes in justice (SIIJ), in order to be heard in the case regarding the return to Romania of the former head of the National Investment Fund (FNI) Nicolae Popa.

Upon entering the SIIJ headquarters, Gabriel Oprea stated that he was subpoenaed as witness, but he didn't want to mention in which case.

Moreover, Gabriel Oprea was heard again in this case in March.

Former first deputy to the head of the Romanian Intelligence Service (SRI) Florian Coldea was also called in to give statements in the same case.

In this case, former head of the National Anti-corruption Directorate (DNA) Laura Codruta Kovesi is investigated for abuse of office, taking bribery and false testimony.

The case was open in December 2018, following a notification sent by the former Deputy Sebastian Ghita. He ran to hide in Serbia, after being sent to trial in several corruption cases. Ghita claims that, in 2011, Kovesi asked him to pay 200,000 euro to bring back to Romania, from Indonesia, by plane, Nicolae Popa, as the latter's name appeared on an international arrest warrant.

The SIIJ prosecutors claim that Laura Codruta Kovesi asked for and received in 2011 the amount of 268,689 lei from Sebastian Ghita for the extradition of the former head of FNI.
Former first deputy director of the Romanian Intelligence Service (SRI) Florian Coldea said on Thursday in connection with the case of former anti-corruption head Laura Codruta Kovesi that he had never learned about any activity that could have been a crime.

"In brief, just one observation with regard to Mrs. Laura Codruta Kovesi. Personally, under no circumstance have I learned about any activity that could have been a crime, nor have I obtained at the level of the institution any information regarding possible crimes, or possible data in this respect," Coldea said after being heard at the headquarters of the Magistrates' Investigation Section (SIIJ), where he had been summoned in the case of the repatriation of former FNI director Nicolae Popa.

In this case, former chief prosecutor of the National Anti-Corruption Directorate Laura Codruta Kovesi is being prosecuted for abuse of office, bribery and false testimony. According to the prosecutors of the Magistrates' Investigation Section, Kovesi claimed and received in 2011 the amount of 268,689 lei from Sebastian Ghita in connection with the extradition of former FNI director Nicolae Popa.
The informal meeting of directors general for consular affairs of the EU member states was held in Bucharest on Wednesday and Thursday in the context of Romania's presidency of the Council of the European Union.

According to a press release issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAE) to AGERPRES, the debates of the meeting held at the Romanian National Bank were opened by Laura Elena Chiorean, Secretary General in the MAE, and by the Director General of the Consular Department.

Both officials have highlighted the usefulness of the member states' consular cooperation, especially in risk areas.

The main topic of the meeting was the management of consular crisis situations and cooperation between member states for the purpose of consular assistance for European Union citizens in third countries, namely burden-sharing mechanisms designed to facilitate their access to consular assistance and protection, including in areas in which their countries are not represented at diplomatic and consular level, but also the possibilities of mutual support with states that have similar visions, especially in hard-to-reach geographical areas, the MAE points out.

In fact, the discussion topics are constantly present on the debate agenda of the Council of the European Union's Working Party on Consular Affairs (COCON).

Another central theme of the talks, the quoted source informs, was to level the tools and work platforms to ensure extensive cooperation at consular level in the management of consular crisis situations between the member states.

Also attending along the delegations of the member states were representatives of the European Commission and the European External Action Service, as well as officials from the United States of America and Canada.
Bosnia and Herzegovina's success in the European accession process contributes to the stability and prosperity of the Western Balkans and the European Union as a whole, Prime Minister Viorica Dancila said on Thursday at a meeting she had with the Prime Minister of this country, Denis Zvizdic.

Discussions focused on the current status of the bilateral relations, the chances for Bosnia and Herzegovina to gain the status of a candidate state for European Union membership this year, regional policy.

"The continuation of the EU enlargement process with our partners in the Western Balkans represents a priority of the Romanian presidency of the Council of EU, because we are certain this successful policy of the Union is the only one that can guarantee the edification of a safe and prosperous region, which will contribute to the development and strengthening of the European project. We want the entire region to make progresses on their own merit and to meet the accession criteria. Our approach is to see the objectives established through the conclusions of the Council of June 2018, when the EU reaffirmed its commitment in what concerns its enlargement policy, materialize," said Viorica Dancila, at the press conference she held jointly with Denis Zvizdic.

She reiterated Romania's determination, while holding the rotating presidency of the Council of the EU, to further support a positive decision in what concerns Bosnia and Herzegovina's objective to gain the status of a candidate for EU membership.

The Romanian head of the Executive also reiterated to her counterpart that the Bucharest authorities remain committed to offering any necessary political and technical assistance in strengthening dialogue with the European institutions.

"I assured my colleague of Bosnia and Herzegovina that my country's success contributes, in our view, to the stability and prosperity of the Western Balkans, and also of the European Union as a whole," said Dancila.

The two sides also noticed a "significant" improvement in bilateral trade exchanges in the past couple of year, and also that there is still enough potential for strengthening economic relations between the two states further on.

"We agreed on the need to better promote the opportunities offered by our economies to the business milieu in the two countries. We agreed especially on strengthening bilateral collaboration in the energy field, domestic affairs, social security, environment protection, tourism, education and culture. We discuss in this context about energy security in our region, which is of a capital importance for the stability and prosperity of South-East Europe. We have analyzed together the bilateral legal framework and agreements facing different stages of negotiation, while voicing hope that there will be signed as soon as possible at ministerial level and I am confident that their conclusion will support our common goal of further strengthening bilateral cooperation," said the Romanian official.

Viorica Dancila specified that discussions also focused on educational, cultural and scientific cooperation.

"We invited the civil servants from Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as the students, to take full advantage of the training opportunities offered by our institutions and universities, with several initiative and programmes of the EU existing in these fields," she said.

The agenda of the meeting between the two high officials also included regional policy. "We agreed that the EU member states, European institutions and strategic allies should be fully aware that stability in the Western Balkans region is a priority and a common goal and the threats to the security of the countries in Western Balkans need combined efforts. Romania participates that directly to the security and stability of Bosnia and Herzegovina, through the presence of Romanian troops in the EUFOR Althea operation, with positive results for the increased safety of our country and training the troops of Bosnia and Herzegovina," Dancila also stated.
Prime Minister Viorica Dancila declared on Thursday in Targu Mures that the government reshuffle must take place and that decisions in this regard will be taken in a meeting of the Social Democratic Party (PSD) Executive Committee.

"We will have a meeting of the Executive Committee and we will decide on reshuffle. It has to take place, as we have three interim ministers," Dancila said when asked about when the government reshuffle would take place, given that PSD chairman Liviu Dragnea had previously stated that for him the topic is closed for the time being, until after the European Parliament elections.

Prime Minister Viorica Dancila, accompanied by Health Minister Sorina Pintea, is on a visit to Mures County on Thursday to meet with county officials and medical doctors, at the County Emergency Clinical Hospital in Targu Mures.
Prime Minister Viorica Dancila declared on Thursday in Targu Mures that politicians must show greater responsibility and come up with projects for Romania and that she called on the representatives of all parties to pay close attention to what they state in the political debates, because "there is life beyond the electoral campaign".

The prime minister referred to the statements of National Liberal Party (PNL) candidate to the European Parliament elections Rares Bogdan, according to whom the US press reports on the construction of Cernavoda reactors 3 and 4 would indicate the Romanian government as playing "China's games" to the detriment of US companies.

"Sometimes such statements are not worth commenting on. It is obvious that they are only thinking in terms of the electoral campaign, and that such statements can do harm to Romania. I have asked everyone from all the political parties to be very careful about what they state because there is life beyond the campaign and Romania's image and Romanians are the important ones. Of course, this is not the case, of course we have a very good relationship with the United States and I think these statements are just in relation to the campaign. I think we have to show more responsibility and come up with projects for this country if we really want to have a constructive approach, not with statements that actually raise questions about the country's image," said Viorica Dancila.

The premier has stated that Romania's path is one in favour of the North Atlantic Alliance and in favour of the European Union and that our country has demonstrated this.

"It is clear that our path is pro-Atlantic, pro-European, and through everything we have done, we have demonstrated this, either through the way we are valued in NATO or through the way that all member states and not only appreciate the Rotating Presidency of the Council of the European Union," said Viorica Dancila.

Premier Viorica Dancila was in Targu Mures on Thursday alongside Health Minister Sorina Pintea on a working visit to the County Emergency Clinical Hospital where she had a series of meetings with county officials and medical doctors.
European integration and NATO membership are very important to the future of Bosnia and Herzegovina; they are two main foreign policy goals and an important pillar for stability in the Balkans for the economic development of the region, the Bosnian Prime Minister Denis Zvizdic said in Bucharest on Thursday.

"From the very beginning, I want to thank Mrs Prime Minister (...) for support. Support for integration with the European Union is very important to Bosnia and Herzegovina... We in the Western Balkans use the notion of integration, instead of enlargement of the Western Balkans, because geographically speaking we are also part of Europe, and hence our use of the word. We discussed some important priorities to our co-operation, and also to the Western Balkans and our European perspective. We emphasis preserving freedom and stability in Bosnia and Herzegovina as a region of the Western Balkans is a step forward towards the democratisation of our society. The fight against crime and extremism is also important; economic growth is important, the Berlin process is important to us, which is an important goal. We talked about infrastructure connection, because it is very important to economic development, the development of the region, to the connectivity of the young people, and I mentioned that these are important steps forward in the integration of the Western Balkans with the European Union," Zvizdic said on Thursday at a joint news conference with Romanian Prime Minister Viorica Dancila.

He added that during the talks he presented to Dancila the progress made by Bosnia and Herzegovina over the last four years with European integration.

"We were a credible partner to the EU in all our planned activities, culminating with the submission of our answers to the European Commission questionnaire containing 450 questions; our answer was 25,000-page large. What is most important is that Bosnia and Herzegovina over the last 4 years has done a very good job, just like the Western Balkan countries when they were granted the EU candidate country status. We respect all the procedures, we look forward to receiving a positive opinion from the European Commission and we hope that Bosnia and Herzegovina will be given the status of a candidate country. (...) We are pleased with the progress made by our neighbours; I am convinced that both Albania and [North] Macedonia have to start negotiations, but we are convinced that Bosnia and Herzegovina should receive this candidate country status. European integration and NATO membership are very important to our future, are two main purposes when it comes to foreign policy; they are an important pillar for stability in the Balkans, for economic development (...) to stop the departure of young people from the Western Balkans and the region. That is why we want to have a dialogue that will contribute to the development of stability in the region and we are convinced that we will continue to respect the internationally recognised borders in the Western Balkans. We will also respect the agreements signed with our neighbours, Croatia and Serbia," Zvizdic said.

The Bosnian Prime Minister said that as far as bilateral economic co-operation go, discussions indicated that there is a wide area for co-operation in various fields, such as energy, metallurgy, automotive, agriculture, IT, innovation, research, education and tourism.

About tourism, Zvizdic pointed out that there is a rapid development of the sector, with the prospect of flights between Bucharest and Sarajevo.

"Co-operation at this moment does not reflect the potential that exists (...). We agreed to develop this co-operation, to hold forums to include the chambers of commerce of our countries," said Zvizdic.
President Klaus Iohannis is calling on Romanians to vote in the May 26 referendum on justice.

"Dear Romanians, we all want to live in a country where the thieves and the corrupt are in jail, not at the helm of the state. On May 26 let us clearly say 'Yes' for European Romania, 'Yes' for the Romania we love, the country of honest and upright people, where no one is above the law. Vote 'Yes' in the referendum and don't let others decide for you! Romanians vote because Romanians matter," the head of state said in a video message posted on his Facebook page.

The message is illustrated with pictures from the Sibiu Summit, rallies of the National Liberal Party, but also from anti-government protests.
Chairman of the ruling Social Democratic Party (PSD) Liviu Dragnea said on Thursday that if the College of Commissioners has unanimously voted on the letter whereby the European Commission warns Romania about the changes to the laws of justice, then European Commissioner Corina Cretu has voted against her country.

Asked to comment on the decision taken in the College of Commissioners on April 30, on a warning letter to Romania, Dragnea said: "If things are as the European Commission spokesperson says, I see that Mrs. Corina Cretu, who is running in the elections for the European Parliament on the list of a political formation made of former Securitate members, has voted against Romania. When there's an unanimous vote to send a letter to sanction Romania, with no grounds at all, while at the same time you are campaigning for a party that is against the governing party, when you claim you support your country but vote against your country, you cannot be but a liar."

Liviu Dragnea was on a visit to Dolj County together with Agriculture Minister Petre Daea.

The European Commission confirmed on Monday that First Vice President Frans Timmermans on Friday sent the Romanian authorities another letter expressing concern about the developments in Romania's rule of law.

The letter is addressed to President Klaus Iohannis, Senate President Calin Popescu-Tariceanu, Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies Liviu Dragnea, and Prime Minister Viorica Dancila, as EC spokesman Margaritis Schinas told the daily news briefing.

"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. Possible legislation to allow extraordinary appeals would further aggravate the rule of law situation. If the necessary improvements are not made, or if further negative steps are taken, such as the promulgation of the amendments to the Criminal Code, the Commission will trigger the Rule of Law framework without delay, and will suspend the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism. In addition, the Commission reserves its powers as guardian of the Treaties and will not hesitate to swiftly open proceedings under Article 258 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) against any related infringement of Union law it may identify. The objective of the Commission remains to help the Romanian authorities to find solutions to the rule of law issues that have emerged and to resume progress under the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism, as Romania has committed to doing. (...) As always, the Commission stands ready to engage in an active and constructive dialogue with the Romanian authorities and working together for a stronger Romania in the European Union," Schinas said.
Romania's Foreign Minister Teodor Melescanu will be attending, May 16-17, a meeting of the Council of Europe (CoE) Committee of Ministers in Helsinki under the chairmanship of the Presidency of Finland.

The Helsinki meeting will also mark the transfer of the chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers to France, according to a press statement released by Romania's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAE).

The main topic of the meeting is the need of a shared responsibility for ensuring democratic security in Europe, as well as discussing the latest report by the current secretary general of the Council of Europe called "Ready for future challenges - Reinforcing the Council of Europe."

Discussions will focus on the solutions proposed by Thorbjorn Jagland, secretary-general of the Council, at the end of the Finnish tenure, such as the need to develop a sustained dialogue between the Committee of Ministers and the CoE Parliamentary Assembly (PACE), in order to build a joint trusting space to redefine the legal bases of the organisation and reconfigure existing mechanisms to meet the new challenges facing the Council of Europe.

The agenda also includes the importance of guaranteeing the effectiveness of the European Convention on Human Rights, strengthening the Council of Europe's dialogue with neighbouring regions and co-operation with the European Union.

The Committee of Ministers consists of one representative each of the 47 CoE member states. The chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers is held for six months by each member state of the Council of Europe in alphabetical order.

Since 2004, ministerial sessions take place only once a year.
Chairman of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats (ALDE, junior coalition partner) Calin Popescu Tariceanu told a press conference held Thursday in Satu Mare that interest in the elections to the European Parliament is not at the level he would like it to be at, and the public debate is monopolized by internal topics.

"There will be important stakes in the future European Parliament, important decisions will be made and will have consequences for Romania and the lives of citizens. I think interest for the European Parliament is not one at the level we would like it to be at, because unfortunately, the public debate is still monopolized by internal topics, not to say permanent internal scandals, and obviously the referendum also comes in to ruin this debate which seemed to me more necessary on important topics," Tariceanu said.

He went on to explain that the important stakes are getting more funds for Romanian farmers, given that the Union's agriculture budget will be reduced, eliminating the gaps between countries with respect to the double standard.

At the same time, ALDE Secretary General Daniel Chitoiu pointed out that opposition parties are debating other topics, such as corruption.

"The opposition parties, both PNL [National Liberal Party, ed.n.] and USR - PLUS [ Save Romania Union - Party of Liberty, Unity, and Solidarity, ed.n.] have brought into debate other topics than the European ones, namely the topic of corruption and the referendum on corruption. We know very well that these topics have only been introduced with a view to grabbing extra votes at these elections. Instead of debating what each political group in Romania will be doing in the European Parliament, how it will position itself in relation to the great themes, those in the Opposition have only one slogan and do not come up with solutions either for Europe or for Romania," Daniel Chitoiu also said.
Chairman of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats (ALDE, junior coalition partner) Calin Popescu-Tariceanu told a press conference on Thursday in Satu Mare that European Commission First Vice-President Frans Timmermans "is now campaigning as an individual" and that "he should have resigned".

"Mr Timmermans is also campaigning. Normally Mr Timmermans should have resigned from being a member of the Commission, the first vice-president, in order to campaign, because there is also an ethical commitment by the members of the Commission that they do not do politics. So if he wants to do politics, he should resign and campaign. It is his right, but not as a European commissioner. The letter from the Commission proves lack of objectivity, lack of information and unacceptable interference, violating the principle of the separation of powers, because one of the recommendations is not to promulgate the Criminal Code and the Code of Criminal Procedure adopted by Parliament. I believe that if any politician in his home country were to make such statements, he would be sanctioned immediately and very drastically," said Tariceanu.

He maintains that Timmermans is campaigning by slamming Romania.

"He is now campaigning as individual, as the first Vice-President of the Commission, slamming Romania and a series of legislative measures that have been taken and which are not under the scope of the European legislation, but under the scope of national legislation and tasks," said Tariceanu.

The European Commission confirmed on Monday that First Vice-President Frans Timmermans sent a new letter to the Romanian authorities on Friday expressing concern about the developments regarding 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 spokesperson Margaritis Schinas told the daily press conference of the EC.
A flying taxi that you can order through an app? This German company plans to make that a reality in the next six years.

Munich-based startup Lilium unveiled its five-seater electric air taxi prototype on Thursday. The Lilium Jet, which conducted its first flight earlier this month, is part of an app-based flying taxi service that the company expects will be "fully-operational in various cities around the world by 2025."

The battery-powered jet is capable of traveling 300 kilometers (186 miles) in 60 minutes on a single charge, and will connect cities through a network of landing pads. Commuters will be able to book rides from their nearest landing pad through a smartphone app.

Lilium did not reveal how much its service will cost, but claims that it will be "comparable in price" with regular taxis. Remo Gerber, the company's chief commercial officer, told CNN Business that it is aimed at ordinary people and not just well-heeled business travelers.

"Today we are taking another huge step towards making urban air mobility a reality," Lilium co-founder and CEO Daniel Wiegand said in a statement. "We dream of a world where anyone can fly wherever they want, whenever they want."
Opioids, including prescription painkillers and heroin, played a role in a record 47,600 U.S. overdose deaths in 2017, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said.

State and local governments have filed hundreds of lawsuits accusing drugmakers such as Purdue Pharma of deceptive marketing, and distributors such as AmerisourceBergen Corp., Cardinal Health Inc. and McKesson Corp. of ignoring how opioids were being used illegally.

Oklahoma reached a $270 million settlement with Purdue Pharma and the Sacklers on March 26.

The prospect that Purdue Pharma might eventually seek bankruptcy protection is a reason that Sackler family members have been named as defendants in some lawsuits.

On the conference call, Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh said the family has left a trail of addiction and death.

In the North Dakota case, Bismarck-based Judge James Hill rejected the states argument that Purdue Pharmas conduct created a public nuisance.
A pair of solid performances anchor the fact-based film Trial by Fire: Jack OConnell (Unbroken) plays Cameron Todd Willingham, who in 1992 received a death sentence for the murder of his three young daughters, by arson. And Laura Dern (Twin Peaks) is Elizabeth Gilbert, a Houston playwright who befriended him, based on little more than a random pen-pal connection, and later grew to become the chief advocate for his release, on the grounds that shoddy forensic evidence, among other things, may have corrupted his trial.

OConnell doesnt shy away from his characters unpleasant side. Todd, as everyone calls him, is at best a jerk: bellicose, a drinker and, during his trial, prone to outbursts of defensiveness that undercut his protestations of innocence. Dern, for her part, brings a deceptive naivete to Elizabeth, whose tenderheartedness shifts to righteous anger after she begins poking around in trial transcripts, talking to witnesses and educating herself about advancements in the science of arson investigation.
She is referring to the Adam and Eve story, which Lane illustrates with lots of kitschy instructional films. (Her research and collage skills are unrivaled.) Hail Satan? also includes illuminating talking-head interviews with such scholars as Kevin Kruse, who puts even the most sophomoric and silly antics of Temple followers into serious political context, crediting them for waging front-line battles on behalf of free expression and the separation of church and state.

Yes, these are outliers and freaks, people who arent afraid to dress and behave in strange, disrespectful and sometimes offensive ways. But their core tenets  which include compassion, empathy, rectification of harm and respect for scientific understanding  coexist happily with the most humanistic impulses of traditional religions. Whats more, as one Temple leader points out, the Catholic hierarchy that calls for a counterprotest to a nonviolent black mass held in Boston is the same institution that covered up sexual abuse within its ranks for decades. And were evil? he says.
ST. LOUIS  A federal jury on Thursday found a former St. Louis podiatrist guilty of defrauding Medicare, the U.S. Attorney's Office said.

Dr. Dawn Rhodes, 43, of Atlanta, was found guilty of eight counts of engaging in a scheme to defraud Medicare and submitting false claims to Medicare.

Rhodes billed Medicare for $1.4 million between 2013 and 2017 by falsely claiming that she provided routine nail care to patients in nursing homes and residential care facilities, when she either didn't or the patients didn't have a medical condition, such as circulatory problems, that required the care, prosecutors said.

Her case is one of series of Medicare fraud prosecutions in recent years.

During part of the time, she worked for Aggeus Healthcare, whose CEO was sentenced to a year in prison in 2017, along with a former company officer. Aggeus Owner Yev Gray got 7 years in prison and was ordered to repay $6.97 million.
Alabama legislators have given final approval to a ban on nearly all abortions, and if the Republican governor signs the measure, the state will have the strictest abortion law in the country.

The legislation would make performing an abortion a felony at any stage of pregnancy with almost no exceptions. The passage Tuesday by a wide margin in the GOP-led Senate shifts the spotlight to Gov. Kay Ivey, a fixture in Alabama politics who's long identified as anti-abortion.

Ivey has not said whether she'll sign the bill. Sponsor Rep. Terri Collins says she expects the governor to support the ban. And the lopsided vote suggests a veto could be easily overcome. But an Ivey spokeswoman said before Tuesday's vote that "the governor intends to withhold comment until she has had a chance to thoroughly review the final version of the bill that passed."

In Alabama and other conservative states, anti-abortion politicians and activists emboldened by the addition of conservative justices to the U.S. Supreme Court hope to ignite legal fights and eventually overturn the landmark 1973 decision Roe v. Wade, putting an end to the constitutional right to abortion.
International worries that the Trump administration is sliding toward war with Iran flared into the open amid skepticism about its claims that the Islamic Republic poses a growing threat to the U.S. and its allies in the Persian Gulf and beyond .

The U.S. military on Tuesday rebutted doubts expressed by a British general about such a threat. President Donald Trump denied a report that the administration has updated plans to send more than 100,000 troops to counter Iran if necessary. But Trump then stirred the controversy further by saying: "Would I do that? Absolutely."

Underscoring what the U.S. says is heightened risk to U.S. personnel, the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad on Wednesday ordered all non-essential, non-emergency government staff to leave Iraq immediately.

Still, the general's remarks exposed international skepticism over the American military buildup in the Middle East, a legacy of the 2003 invasion of Iraq that was predicated on false intelligence. U.S. officials have not publicly provided any evidence to back up claims of an increased Iranian threat amid other signs of allied unease.
Several of Wines' "associates" were riding in the car, Rea said, and that vehicle led Shaw to the intersection of Miami and Iowa streets, where Wines and Johnzell M. Moorehead Jr. shot him, Rea said.

Shaw was able to drive himself to safety, prosecutors said.

After the hearing, Shaw declined to comment, other than to say, "Glad to be alive."

Moorehead, of the 3600 block of Gravois Avenue, has pleaded not guilty to federal charges of assaulting an officer, discharge of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, being a felon in possession of a firearm, being a felon in possession of ammunition and intimidating a witness.

Prosecutors say that in addition to the Shaw shooting, he tried to intimidate a witness in a series of letters from jail.

"A case such as this provides an important reminder of the threats awaiting dedicated members of law enforcement every day. FBI Special Federal Officer Shaw is the paramount example of a courageous officer dedicated to his work and, more importantly, this community. This was an ambush, plain and simple. It was unconscionable, and this type of conduct will never go unchecked by the Department of Justice," said Rea in a prepared statement.

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EAST ST. LOUIS  Police say a man wanted in connection with a fatal shooting at an East St. Louis housing complex was jailed Thursday in an unrelated case.

The victim is identified as Eric R. Roby, 30. He was shot about 10:30 p .m. Tuesday at the Samuel Gompers housing complex in the 400 block of North Sixth Street. Roby died later at a hospital.

East St. Louis police asked the Illinois State Police to handle the homicide investigation. Investigators arrested a man on warrants for an unrelated crime, and he was being held Thursday in the St. Clair County Jail.

Illinois State Police say the man has not been charged with any crime related to the Roby homicide, according to Lt. Mark Doiron of the Illinois State Police.

Anyone with information is asked to call Illinois State Police Trooper Dan Leitschuh at 618-570-4985, the East St. Louis Police Department at 618-482-6767 or St. Louis Regional CrimeStoppers at 866-371-8477.

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ST. CLAIR COUNTY  A motorcyclist from St. Charles died after crashing on a ramp leading to the Poplar Street Bridge early Thursday morning.

The body of the 32-year-old man was found on pavement below the ramp from northbound Illinois Route 3 to the Poplar Street Bridge.

The victim's name has not been released.

The crash happened just before 4 a.m. Thursday.

Trooper Joshua Korando of the Illinois State Police said the man was on a 2006 Honda motorcycle heading from the northbound Route 3 ramp to westbound Poplar Street Bridge.

The man lost control of the motorcycle and hit a concrete median wall on the right, Korando said.

The motorcyclist was hit by passing vehicles on the ramp, and he was pronounced dead at the scene, Korando said.

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Just a few minutes later and less than a mile away, the convertible broadsided a gray 2013 Chevrolet Equinox at the intersection of Natural Bridge and Fair avenues before crashing into a light post. Powell was driving the Equinox.

Smith took off running after the crash, but officers using a helicopter and a dog soon found him on Maffitt Avenue, authorities said.

The passengers in Smith's convertible were a 24-year-old woman, an 18-year-old man and a 7-month-old boy. The boy had been strapped into a car seat. All three were taken to a hospital with injuries, police said. They were in serious but stable condition.

Crime-scene investigators and an accident-reconstruction team were at the scene and had blocked off several blocks of Natural Bridge Avenue.

Neighbors who gathered outside the police tape Thursday afternoon said that stretch of the road is notorious for fatal crashes.
ST. LOUIS  A man charged last month in St. Louis County with the statutory rape of a girl younger than 14 is now facing similar charges in St. Louis.

Jared T. Bullock, 29, of the 5900 block of Park Lane in North Pointe neighborhood, was charged Wednesday in St. Louis Circuit Court with two counts of statutory rape/attempted rape, two counts statutory sodomy/attempted sodomy and two counts of child molestation.

The latest alleged sexual assaults of a then-13-year-old girl were at Bullock's home on July 3 and 4. He was previously charged in St. Louis County Circuit Court with assaulting a girl younger than 14 in Bel-Nor in May and December. The victim's initials in both cases are the same, court records say.
Alderman Carol Howard, D-14th Ward, recently reintroduced her proposed city charter amendment to eliminate the residency rule for all city workers except directors of city agencies. If endorsed by aldermen, the measure would go before voters.

Edwards at the meeting also said while the city has some crime problems, it is not as dangerous as portrayed in some national rankings.

He said about half of the citys crime has something to do with drugs, 15% to 20% involves domestic issues and 15% to 20% involves people who know and disrespect each other.

So if you dont fall into one of those three categories, then youre going to be relatively safe in the city of St. Louis, he said. Crime is not rampant.

Edwards also pushed back against calls for the city to begin a program based on the Operation Ceasefire initiative started in Boston in the 1990s. Aldermanic President Lewis Reed last year endorsed the program, which uses a network of law enforcement and social service providers to try to reduce crime.
ST. LOUIS  Three people from the Los Angeles area have been sentenced to prison for a prepaid rental car scam that cost Enterprise Holdings of Clayton more than $600,000.

On Wednesday, Dan Wang, 28, and Yi Ronnie Liu, 29, were sentenced to 366 days in prison and ordered to repay $678,796.

Meng Shao, 27, was sentenced to 17 months in prison in April.

All three pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to a charge of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

Liu set up a fake car rental website that offered prepaid car rentals for Enterprise, Alamo and National car rental companies to Chinese tourists coming to the U.S. The website claimed the company purchased the prepaid rentals in bulk, prosecutors have said.

Wang and Shao took orders from tourists and Liu used stolen credit card numbers to buy credit card vouchers for clients.

Enterprise has a prepaid rental car program for European travelers to the U.S., and was alerted to the scam by a large number of credit card charge-backs.

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A 42-year-old Rock Hill man was charged in St. Louis County Circuit Court with possession of child pornography and promoting child pornography on Tuesday, according to court records.

George Sessen, 42, of the 400 block of Hazelgreen Drive, is currently in custody at the St. Louis County Jail in lieu of $200,000 cash-only bail.

Charges said Sessen "engaged in conversations with an undercover police officer online" and "transferred several images depicting prepubescent children engaging in sex acts to the undercover officer."

Sessen went to a hotel room to have sex while watching child porn, charges said. Police found more than 20 images of child porn images on Sessen's cellphone and computer. Court documents say Sessen admitted to having and sending the images.

According to Sessen's LinkedIn page, Sessen was working as a web developer for Washington University. Several Washington University web pages referencing Sessen appear to have been taken down.

"Last evening, through the St. Louis County Police Department, we learned of George Sessens arrest," a statement issued by Washington University on Wednesday says. "We are taking this matter seriously and are cooperating fully. Mr. Sessen has been suspended pending further information. He will not be permitted to be on campus during this time."

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The suit filed Wednesday says that Brian McGowan, who became a Montgomery County deputy in early 2015, came into contact with the woman on Feb. 28, 2015, because she was threatening to kill herself. He told her family that he was aware of her mental disability and aware of the Marty Rainey situation, the suit says.

The suit says McGowan got the womans contact information, and sent hundreds of texts and Facebook messages to her, including explicit messages and requests for pictures of her breasts.

He repeatedly reminded her that he was in law enforcement and she should comply, the suit says.

While on duty, he repeatedly asked the womans sister to send him naked pictures and told the sister to give him oral sex, the suit says.

He tried to pressure the woman into a threesome, told her to meet up with him to have sex and sexually assaulted her on the Katy Trail in March 2018, the suit says.

McGowan could not be reached for comment.
A cafeteria worker in Canaan, N.H., was fired after a supervisor caught her violating her employers policy. Her offense? Giving food worth $8 to a student with no money in his account.

Bonnie Kimball had worked for five years serving lunch to the teens at Mascoma Valley Regional High, who she called another family, the Valley News reported.

The contract to provide lunch to the schools 326 students was expiring. A competitor was touring the facilities on March 28, and Kimballs employer had extra managers on hand.

Kimball saw that a students account was empty and let him keep his food, the New Hampshire Union Leader reported. She also asked him to have his mother add money to the account. The next day, he paid his lunch bill. But later that day, Kimball was called in by a manager who had witnessed her act of leniency and fired, she told the paper.

It was my life for five years. I went and I took care of another family, she told the Valley News. You dont just lose a family member, be OK and move on.
LADUE  A state audit is planned for St. Louis County and its economic development agency in the fallout from former County Executive Steve Stengers federal guilty plea on corruption charges.

Democratic Missouri State Auditor Nicole Galloway said at a news conference Wednesday that she accepted a request from the County Council seeking the independent review.

Galloways Public Corruption and Fraud Division also will examine the St. Louis Economic Development Partnership and the associated development agencies it staffs, such as the St. Louis County Port Authority. The groups former chief, Stenger appointee Sheila Sweeney, pleaded guilty to a federal charge related to Stengers scheme.

In a statement, Partnership Chairman Karlos Ramirez said the organization has already made changes to improve transparency and that with our new leadership, we welcome the opportunity to work with State Auditor Nicole Galloway.

Stenger, a Democrat, was indicted April 29 on three counts for directing county contracts to campaign donors. He resigned that day and pleaded guilty four days later. He faces sentencing in August.
Krewson said, This is a whole lot of money we could use to do other things. She added that most folks when they get a search warrant, they believe they have to comply with it.

That was a reference to the multiple challenges filed by Gardners lawyers to a search warrant for an office computer.

Reed suggested giving Gardner half the amount sought, but Green objected. Krewson wanted to hold off deciding until a later meeting but said she wasnt opposed to Reeds idea.

The mayor, meanwhile, said the board this year already had transferred $357,000 into Gardners legal services fund and about $426,000 into her professional services fund. She said Gardner hadnt used about $180,000 in those transfers.

In the end, the board at Greens request voted 3-0 to remove the issue from its agenda.

After the meeting, Green said she had authority as the citys chief fiscal officer to shift the money without the boards approval.

A city ordinance requires most budget shifts to go before the board. But in this instance, Green said, generally accepted accounting principles require her to set aside the money.
People submitting comments would be required to disclose whether anyone funded their submission, and who cut the check.

Auditor Nicole Galloway, the only Democrat holding statewide office, is in charge of the demographer application process. She will submit the names of at least three candidates to the Senate majority and minority leaders.

The state's current system of once-every-decade redistricting involves bipartisan commissions of political appointees who carve up the state's legislative districts.

Republicans have sought to weaken a separate part of Clean Missouri that subjects lawmakers to the Sunshine Law. They also have attempted to undo the redistricting changes.

But, those efforts have stalled in the waning days of the spring session.

The legislation is Senate Bill 213.

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"We have a very broad cross-section of supporters who contribute," said John Hancock, chairman of Uniting Missouri. "The governor really is not very involved in the fundraising and solicitations at all."

Hancock said the identities of all donors are disclosed.

"My job with the PAC is to raise money," he said. "We are raising money and every nickel we raise is disclosed."

Missouri voters legalized medical marijuana in November, starting a stampede of business owners looking to capitalize on the new market.

By 2025, sales of the various forms of the product are expected to top $100 million.

Under the new law, the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services is required to grant at least 24 dispensary licenses in each of Missouris eight congressional districts, for a total of 192.

The law also calls for the state to license 60 growers and 86 processing facilities.

The complete list of applicants is not known because the state will not release their names. The Post-Dispatch has filed a lawsuit alleging the state is violating the Sunshine Law.
Earning a living wage doesnt mean living extravagantly. It simply captures the amount needed to live independently without facing the stressful trade-offs that come when you can afford either quality child care or decent housing in a safe environment, but not both. Hardworking parents in our state should not face such wrenching decisions when it comes to the well-being of their children. As the report makes clear, thousands do.

For working parents, one particularly expensive necessity is adequate child care, an expense that in Missouri averages nearly $10,000 per year for an infant and nearly $7,000 for a toddler. For a family raising two young kids, thats $17,000 just for childcare alone  roughly equivalent to the annual earnings of someone working full time at the states current minimum wage.

That leaves little left over for rent, food or emergencies, and provides stark proof that Missouris current minimum is nowhere near enough for families to make ends meet. While it is scheduled to increase in the coming years, it will still remain far below the living wage threshold outlined in Make Work Work.
Special counsel Robert Muellers investigation would ultimately establish that just hours later, Russian hackers made their first attempt to break into Clinton campaign emails.

Contrary to the relentless spin from Trump and his allies, Muellers report didnt exonerate Trumps campaign of collusion with Russia; it merely failed to establish indictment-worthy evidence of it amid what are still suspicious circumstances. What the report does establish is that Russian meddling was real, that its goal was to aid Trump, and that it likely did.

Giuliani  apparently hoping history would repeat itself  made the remarkable announcement last week that he would travel to Kiev, Ukraines capital, to press Ukrainian officials to investigate Biden and his son, Hunter. It involves diplomatic activities of the elder Biden when he was vice president that appeared to aid a Ukrainian energy company with financial ties to the younger Biden.
Washington University Chancellor Mark Wrighton was recently quoted expressing the need to educate the public on the regions shortcomings and the need for reform. (Better Together looks to mend ways, restart, collaborate, May 8). Individuals who dont agree with his perspective on a potential city and county merger are uninformed and must be educated to see it his way. Thats the problem when you exist in an echo chamber and are exposed to beliefs and opinions that coincide with your own.

Despite the whispers of corruption for some time, Better Together decided to foist upon us the one county politician they knew could be bought. The stink of former County Executive Steve Stengers antics has been covered for some time. No wonder Stenger supported the plan  he would have been the co-mayor of the newly formed metropolitan city.
I am a lifelong Missouri resident who has attended college and graduate school in the state. I cannot use the education I have been fortunate enough to receive here in Missouri. I am forced out. I must travel to Illinois every day to work. Many of the patients I see are forced out of state as well. My profession is to help patients access safe, legal abortion and provide them with support and resources. I help people navigate their pregnancy options. I cannot do my job in Missouri because of nonsensical restrictions and unethical, medically inaccurate, state-mandated counseling.

I see the impact of the already draconian bans Missouri has in place, such as parental consent, a 72-hour waiting period, and a whole host of other restrictions that delay care.
TICKERS: PGE; PGEZF; 5D32

Source: Maurice Jackson for Streetwise Reports (5/15/19)

Michael Rowley, president and CEO of Group Ten Metals, speaks with Maurice Jackson of Proven and Probable about the results of recent drilling at the Stillwater West project that delivered Platreef-grade mineralization.



Maurice Jackson: Joining us today is Michael Rowley, president and CEO of Group Ten Metals Inc. (PGE:TSX.V; PGEZF:OTCQB; 5D32:FSE), which is known for platinum, palladium, nickel, copper and cobalt in the Stillwater district in Montana.

Reader should note, Group Ten Metals is on hot streak as far as quantity and quality news flow! The company continues to deliver exciting results and information from the target areas identified at the 25-km flagship Stillwater West Project. And what we are seeing is not just mineralization, but rather, high-grade mineralization. The team must be eagerly anticipating the upcoming exploration season. We just featured Group Ten Metals on our program on the 20th of April and we invite you visit that discussion on our website provenandprobable.com.

Mr. Rowley, sorry if I stole some of your thunder, but I'm quite impressed with the progress your team has and continues to make on the behalf of shareholders. The company released a press release on May 7 regarding high-grade mineralization results from the Iron Mountain target. Before you take us there, for first time listeners please introduce us to the Stillwater West Project and the opportunity it presents for shareholders.

Michael Rowley: Thank you, Maurice, glad to be back. The enthusiasm is appreciated, and we share it. We are indeed on a hot streak, and Stillwater West is driving that.

Group Ten is the one of two companies that are active in the Stillwater Complex in Montana. The other one is Sibanye-Stillwater, a company that was created when South African gold miner Sibanye bought Stillwater Mining in 2017 for $2.2 billion. That company operates three mines on one depositcalled the Johns-Manville or J-M Reef depositand it is the highest-grade PGE deposit in the world, and one of the largest, hosting 80 million ounces of platinum and palladium at over 16 grams per tonne grade. If you think about that for a minute, we get excited when gold deposits have 10 million ounces at a couple of grams per tonne. The J-M Reef deposit is eight times that size and also eight times that grade. And it is open for expansion. It is a truly fantastic deposit, and it speaks to the amount of metal that is in the layered magmatic system at Stillwater.

Group Ten has a very large land position that adjoins Sibanye-Stillwater across about 25 kilometers and covers the lower portion of the Stillwater Complex, and we also have claims above there in the layered geology.

In addition to the land position, we have also compiled a terrific database including about 12,000 meters of physical core, plus geochemical and geophysical surveys, and have attracted a world-class team that is familiar with new geologic models developed at the Platreef in South Africa, which is a similar layered magmatic complex.

We have now completed the initial phase of data compilation and modeling work on the priority target areas and have issued a series of news releases on those results. Everything we have done to date, including our compilation and modeling work and our 2018 programs on the ground, confirms the potential for multiple large and very large polymetallic platinum, palladium, nickel, copper and cobalt deposits at Stillwater. We are calling these " Platreef-style" deposits based on the similarities we see with the Platreef District in South Africa, which has become a world leader in the supply of low-cost platinum, palladium, nickel and copper supply since the 1990s with the development of Anglo American's Mogalakwena PGE-Ni-Cu Mine, and Ivanhoe's Platreef PGE-Ni-Cu Mine that is now under construction. These are truly massive mines, and they occur in the lower part of layered magmatic systems.

That same portion of the Stillwater Complex has never been systematically tested for deposits of this type, even though the geological parallels are well known, the setting is correct, and every indication is there in the database, including drill results. That exploration process was basically interrupted at Stillwater.

We took a big step forward in 2018 when Dr David Broughton, a key member of the discovery team at Ivanhoe's Platreef project, joined our team and confirmed that potential at Stillwater West.

Maurice Jackson: Mr. Rowley, before we delve into the press release, can share the successes that Group Ten Metals has delivered thus far from the 2018 drill targets?

Michael Rowley: The whole project has been a success from day 1 in the summer of 2017. It just keeps unfolding and offering more and more. At this point we are in the middle of a series of news releases to reveal what we have found to date and lay out our priority targets and plans for 2019. This is a massive project with a large database, so we started on the west and have been working to the east, focusing on eight large target areas that have the potential to host "Platreef-style" deposits in the lower Stillwater Complex.

Maurice Jackson: You and I had an offline discussion prior to the interview and you referenced that Group Ten Metals has the 3 G's. What are the 3 G's and does Group Metals have the 3 G's?

Michael Rowley: Geologists get excited when the "3 G's"geophysics, geochemistry, and geologycorrelate, and that is basically how we developed those eight target areas. In each target we see kilometer-scale geophysical anomalies (i.e., areas of highly conductive rocks) that correlate with large areas of high levels of metals in soils. And, where we have data, we see rock and drill data confirming that the conductive anomalies are indeed targeting copper and nickel sulphide mineralization.

Three of the eight target areas have a substantial amount of past drilling and are priorities for follow-up work in 2019: the Chrome Mountain, Camp Zone and Iron Mountain target areas. We'll discuss Iron Mountain and the current news release in a minute, but the successes at Chrome Mountain and Camp Zone center on known mineralized zones that are open for expansion in terms of both grade and size based on our data compilation and targeting work. We see the potential to quickly advance known mineralization to resource delineation stage at both areas.

Maurice Jackson: Michael, take us now to the Iron Mountain Target, which just released some exciting high-grade polymetallic results. I want to begin with some historical context. What did we know about the target area prior to drilling?

Michael Rowley: Well, we knew that the Iron Mountain target area was the most advanced at Stillwater West. We knew it was mined historically for high-grade nickel, copper and other commodities, like other parts of the Stillwater West project. And we knew it had excellent coverage by soil geochemistry studies. Our early compilation work showed a 2.9-kilometer-wide conductive high anomaly in geophysical survey results, which is the correct size of footprint for a Platreef-style deposit. It also has the biggest drill database, which provides a great deal of valuable information to guide our drill programs.

Maurice Jackson: Fast forward to last week's press release, please share with us what Group Ten Metals discovered.

Michael Rowley: This was a pivotal press release for us because it reports Platreef grades for all of our target metals over long intervals in drill holes that are over 100 meters apart. In addition we begin to discuss our plans to drill at Stillwater, including the potential we see to advance some of the more advanced areas quickly to resource delineation stage.

The results of our compilation work, combined with our 2018 work program, surprised us. We knew the area had good grades in drill results, but the proximity and orientation of these hits in relation to each other, and to the geophysical and soil anomalies, was an eye-opener. The HGR target in particular delivered true, Platreef-grade mineralization over long intervals, in multiple holes within an area of 750m x 400m that is open for expansion towards an untested conductive high to the east and along a magmatic layer with known very high-grade samples to the west.

We have a number of holes drilled in the 1970s by AMAX that targeted nickel and copper sulphides in the basal zone. These holes were often about 250 meters long but were not systematically assayed for PGEs or other minerals. And then we have holes drilled in the 2000s that were shallow, often less than 100 meters, but include complete assay data for all elements. We are the first to model these results from different eras together, and bring geophysics and geochemistry into the same systematic targeting process.

One of the best holes is IM2002-07, which returned 8 meters of 3.65 g/t Pt+Pd+Au starting at surface, plus 0.16% combined nickel and copper, and significant cobalt. That grade is directly comparable to grades now being mined in South Africa.

Then consider the fact that that drill hole was drilled about 60 meters away from a 1970s hole, 355-62, that returned 221 meters of similar, actually slightly higher combined nickel and copper grade at 0.19%, but with no PGE data.

And there are two more excellent holes from the 1970s about 150 meters away that also show potentially minable nickel and copper grades, again without PGE data: 33.5 meters of 0.77% Ni and 0.65% Cu in hole 355-59, and then in 355-64 we have 26.8 meters at 0.98% Ni and 0.45% Cu within a broader interval that returned a whopping 259.1 meters grading 0.25% Ni and 0.20% Cu starting at 15.2 meters depth, and ending in mineralization.

That second hole, number 355-64, is particularly interesting because we have some limited palladium data that reports 2.7g /t in that higher-grade interval. This could easily be 4 g/t total PGE, based on ratio of platinum to palladium that we see elsewhere in the area.

These results tell us that there is a lot of metal in this system, and that the conductive high anomalies are successfully targeting nickel and copper sulphide mineralization that is enriched in PGEs and cobalt. At HGR, the past results are potentially minable "as is," even before testing the conductive high to the east, or the area of a grab sample which returned 3 opt of PGE to the west.

These are priority targets for drilling, and we are now working up our plans in that regard. Did the results meet or exceed the company's expectations?

These results exceeded our expectation, and set the stage for very exciting exploration programs in 2019 as we work to bring known grades together with the size potential that we see in these results.

Maurice Jackson: Sir, what is the next unanswered question for Group Ten Metals, when should expect results, and what determines success?

Michael Rowley: Results of continued work on other target areas will be ongoing, but perhaps more importantly we are now finalizing our priority targets and planning drill programs, and will be releasing details on those in the coming weeks. These are big targets, and we have a terrific base to build upon. I think it will be an exciting year.

Maurice Jackson: Switching gears, Mr. Rowley, what would you like to say to current and prospective shareholders regarding the value proposition of Group Ten Metals juxtaposed to the current share price?

Michael Rowley: I have a three-part answer to that question.

First, junior mining stocks present a great value opportunity these days because we are really undervalued relative to our target commodities and a number of other metrics. Group Ten's market cap is about $8 million at present, and yet we have great assets in three truly world-class districts. That is most apparent at Stillwater where we are sharing very rare geology and a famously metal-rich district with an asset that is valued at nearly $3 billion.

Another important consideration concerning Group Ten's value is the fact that we are focused on an American asset at a time when the U.S. is recognizing a need to secure supplies of strategic and critical metals within its borders. We saw this in the past week regarding energy metals and in the past year with a broader list that included PGEs. The Stillwater district has some of the absolute best geology in the world for a number of the commodities listed, including nickel, cobalt, platinum, and palladium, and we are right there beside three active mines.

And the last consideration is that we have some assets that we aren't getting much value for in the market, and we have been clear that we are working to monetize those in order to focus on advancing Stillwater West. For example, we recently announced the signing of an LOI towards the sale of one of our Yukon assets, the Ultra project, where we receive cash, shares and exploration work. We have interest in our other non-core assets as well, and are following up on that. And, projects aside, we have about $2.5 million in warrants that are in the money. These are callable, and we have seen a number of exercises recently, which provides us with cash to keep the pre-season machine turning.

Maurice Jackson: Last question, sir, what did I forget to ask?

Michael Rowley: Well, let's touch on The Metallic Group for a minute, as Group Ten is one of three growth-stage exploration companies that share an office and follow the same philosophy. All three companies consolidated high-quality projects in high-grade brownfields districts through the bear market cycle and are now applying bigger and more modern geologic models to those assets. Metallic Minerals sees potential for billion-ounce silver deposits by applying Couer d'Elene thinking to the Yukon's iconic Keno Silver District. And our newest company, Granite Creek Copper, has consolidated the Stu copper-gold property in the Yukon to apply models developed at the neighboring projects.

All three companies have been strategically founded around great assets by experienced teams, and are very well positioned to add real value this exploration season and beyond.

Maurice Jackson: For information on The Metallic Group of Companies, please visit its website (here).

For readers who want to get more information on Group Ten Metals, the website address is www.grouptenmetals.com. And as a reminder Group Ten Metals trades on the TSX-V: PGE and on the OTCQB: PGEZF. For direct inquiries please contact Chris Ackerman at 604-357-4790 ext. 1 and he may also be reached at [email protected].

As a reminder, Group Ten Metals is a sponsor and we are proud shareholders for the virtues conveyed in to today's interview.

Finally, please visit our website provenandprobable.com, where we provide mining insights and bullion sales, you may reach at [email protected]

Michael Rowley of Group Ten Metals, thank you for joining us today on Proven and Probable.

Maurice Jackson is the founder of Proven and Probable, a site that aims to enrich its subscribers through education in precious metals and junior mining companies that will enrich the world.

[NLINSERT]

Disclosure:

1) Maurice Jackson: I, or members of my immediate household or family, own shares of the following companies mentioned in this article: Group Ten Metals. I personally am, or members of my immediate household or family are, paid by the following companies mentioned in this article: None. My company has a financial relationship with the following companies mentioned in this article: Group Ten Metals is a sponsor of Proven and Probable. Proven and Probable disclosures are listed below.

2) The following companies mentioned in this article are billboard sponsors of Streetwise Reports: Group Ten Metals, Metallic Minerals and Granite Creek Copper. Click here for important disclosures about sponsor fees. As of the date of this article, an affiliate of Streetwise Reports has a consulting relationship with Group Ten Metals. Please click here for more information.

3) Statements and opinions expressed are the opinions of the author and not of Streetwise Reports or its officers. The author is wholly responsible for the validity of the statements. The author was not paid by Streetwise Reports for this article. Streetwise Reports was not paid by the author to publish or syndicate this article. The information provided above is for informational purposes only and is not a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Streetwise Reports requires contributing authors to disclose any shareholdings in, or economic relationships with, companies that they write about. Streetwise Reports relies upon the authors to accurately provide this information and Streetwise Reports has no means of verifying its accuracy.

4) This article does not constitute investment advice. Each reader is encouraged to consult with his or her individual financial professional and any action a reader takes as a result of information presented here is his or her own responsibility. By opening this page, each reader accepts and agrees to Streetwise Reports' terms of use and full legal disclaimer. This article is not a solicitation for investment. Streetwise Reports does not render general or specific investment advice and the information on Streetwise Reports should not be considered a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Streetwise Reports does not endorse or recommend the business, products, services or securities of any company mentioned on Streetwise Reports.

5) From time to time, Streetwise Reports LLC and its directors, officers, employees or members of their families, as well as persons interviewed for articles and interviews on the site, may have a long or short position in securities mentioned. Directors, officers, employees or members of their immediate families are prohibited from making purchases and/or sales of those securities in the open market or otherwise from the time of the interview or the decision to write an article until three business days after the publication of the interview or article. The foregoing prohibition does not apply to articles that in substance only restate previously published company releases. As of the date of this article, officers and/or employees of Streetwise Reports LLC (including members of their household) own shares of Group Ten Metals, Metallic Minerals and Granite Creek Copper, companies mentioned in this article.

Proven and Probable LLC receives financial compensation from its sponsors. The compensation is used is to fund both sponsor-specific activities and general report activities, website, and general and administrative costs. Sponsor-specific activities may include aggregating content and publishing that content on the Proven and Probable website, creating and maintaining company landing pages, interviewing key management, posting a banner/billboard, and/or issuing press releases. The fees also cover the costs for Proven and Probable to publish sector-specific information on our site, and also to create content by interviewing experts in the sector. Monthly sponsorship fees range from $1,000 to $4,000 per month. Proven and Probable LLC does accept stock for payment of sponsorship fees. Sponsor pages may be considered advertising for the purposes of 18 U.S.C. 1734.

The Information presented in Proven and Probable is provided for educational and informational purposes only, without any express or implied warranty of any kind, including warranties of accuracy, completeness, or fitness for any particular purpose. The Information contained in or provided from or through this forum is not intended to be and does not constitute financial advice, investment advice, trading advice or any other advice. The Information on this forum and provided from or through this forum is general in nature and is not specific to you the User or anyone else. You should not make any decision, financial, investments, trading or otherwise, based on any of the information presented on this forum without undertaking independent due diligence and consultation with a professional broker or competent financial advisor. You understand that you are using any and all Information available on or through this forum at your own risk.

Images provided by the author.
Ta-Nehisi Coates was just getting to the good stuff May 8 at Butler University when the moderator cut off a Q&A session with the audience. It was a powerful place to end, Tamara Winfrey-Harris told the crowd, which moaned collectively for a second and then turned to clapping out of appreciation for a man who spent most of his hour on stage sparking inspiration and intrigue.

Coates was talking about gentrification, and anyone who closed their eyes wouldve said he was preaching about gentrification. Winfrey-Harris, vice president of community leadership and effective philanthropy at Central Indiana Community Foundation, was right about that being a powerful place to end their conversation, but it felt like Coates  a best-selling author and MacArthur Fellow  was just getting warmed up.

Gentrification is a cute word for theft, he said. The solution is pretty easy: Stop stealing. Thats one. And return what you stole. Thats two.

Coates was speaking at the 42nd Annual Marian McFadden Memorial Lecture, hosted by Indianapolis Public Library and Indianapolis Public Library Foundation. The question came from a young woman who said gentrification isnt happening at the same pace in Indianapolis as in larger cities such as Boston and New York City  the audience groaned in disagreement  and asked what people being displaced should do.

Coates said it goes back to his famous 2014 essay in The Atlantic, The Case for Reparations, and that gentrification is not happening randomly or by accident. Its part of a system that produced two centuries of slavery, followed by Jim Crow, followed by mass incarceration. Its easy to keep stealing from people who have already been stolen from, he said.

Coates said something on this scale will take radical change to address, though he didnt get into what exactly that would look like, and that wishful thinking just wont be enough.

We want to feel like we can will our way to things, you know what I mean? he said. And we have. We can. But not that.  Its not just that Black people have an infinitesimal amount of wealth compared to white people. Its that because of segregation, Black people only live around other people who have an infinitesimal amount of wealth. Their entire network is other people whove been stolen from.

For much of his writing career, which became national in 2008 when he started writing for The Atlantic, Coates has been widely branded as a political and social pessimist. Its something almost completely out of his control now, Coates said, since hes become more popular and less in control of his own image. (He said hes got champagne problems now.)

One of the difficult parts of being a public figure, Coates said, is evolving. People hang on his every word, and the longer he goes, the more articles and columns and tweets  he quit Twitter in 2017 after a feud with Cornell West  there are to dig up in contradiction to something he may be taking a new stance on.

The first thing Winfrey-Harris asked Coates in Clowes Hall was about what hes learned about race since writing his first book, The Beautiful Struggle, in 2009.

Thats an easy one, said Coates, whose new novel, The Water Dancer, comes out in September. I didnt understand how fundamental the Black experience was to the American experience.

He understood the basics, that African Americans contributed a great deal to America and slavery was bad, but he didnt understand how deeply rooted racism has been in Americas history and what slavery meant to America. He compared not knowing the full history of African Americans in this country to taking the eggs out of a cake recipe, and its not a cake anymore.

I didnt understand that you couldnt have an America without Black people, Coates said.

When Winfrey-Harris asked how Americans can get past this not knowing phase Coates described, he said, to the surprise of those who may have wanted more of a gut-punch response about ignorance and racism, the country is doing a reasonably decent job getting past the system that doesnt want people to know about slavery, sharecropping, discrimination, segregation and so on. He cited the removal of Confederate statues as an example.

Doing reasonably decent at something is rarely taken as an endorsement, and it wasnt necessarily that when Coates said it, but its different from him telling Stephen Colbert in 2017 that hes not the person you should go to for hope.

But in front of a capacity crowd, including high school students who got free copies of Coates 2015 National Book Award winner, Between the World and Me, Winfrey-Harris couldnt help but notice:

You sound like an optimist, she said.

I never understood the pessimist thing, Coates responded. I thought I was a pretty fun guy.

Contact staff writer Tyler Fenwick at 317-762-7853. Follow him on Twitter @Ty_Fenwick.

This story has been updated to include Coates was speaking at the 42nd Annual Marian McFadden Memorial Lecture.

Ta-Nehisi Coates (left) and moderator Tamara Winfrey-Harris (right). (Photo/Brent Smith)

Brent Smith
Notable institutions within the Bay of Plenty are getting involved in Pink Shirt Day on Friday, May 17.

Pink Shirt Day encourages New Zealanders to wear a pink shirt or to purchase an official pink t-shirt from Cotton On to raise awareness around bullying and to encourage spreading aroha and kindness.

For Pink Shirt Day, Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology students are all wearing their favourite pink t-shirts to join the movement to stop bullying and spread kindness among all staff, students and the community.

All Toi Ohomai campuses are taking part, which are based in Rotorua, Taupo, Tokoroa, Whakatane and Tauranga.

The Bay of Plenty Rugby Union is also getting involved in Pink Shirt Day.

BOP Rugby marketing manager Shannon Gray says tenants in the University of Waikato Centre for High Performance building are coming together for a morning tea.

We are all going to be sporting our pink shirts.

The Bay of Plenty Rugby Union have partnered with our major partners Good Buzz Kombucha who will be present on the day as well.

We are hoping to have some players around for the morning tea.

For more information on Pink Shirt Day, click here to visit the website.
The man accused of treating two foreign workers as sex slaves at his Bay of Plenty retreat has been found guilty of rape.

Former Maraehako Bay Retreat director Pihi Hei had been on trial at the Tauranga District Court on 26 sex charges, including five of sexual violation by rape, and one charge of stupefaction.

On Thursday, the jury returned guilty verdicts to 25 of those sex charges, plus the charge of stupefaction.

He was found not guilty of one charge of indecent assault.

In their closing, the Crown says Hei preyed on particular type of woman and used their vulnerability, dependency and reluctance to report offences to take sex from them at his isolated retreat.

Both complainants were young, petite Asian woman whom Hei had limited interaction with when he offered them the position of being an exchange worker at his resort.

The Japanese victim travelled to Maraehako Bay Retreat after responding to an advertisement asking for "nice Japanese people to help clean paradise".

"He said it was paradise," she says through tears at Tauranga District Court.

"Maybe paradise for him but for me it is just a hell."

The woman was picked up from the airport from Hei, forced to kiss him and then driven to a Hamilton motel were he booked them into a single room.

She says she felt obligated to comply because he was her employer.

It was at the hotel she was raped for the first time by Hei.

"I try to push him away but he was too heavy... I was too weak."

She then tried to get Hei to stop by telling him she was menstruating.

Hei then forced her to give him oral sex grabbing her head with his hands.

She considered running, but had nowhere to go and didn't know who to speak to as she had just arrived in the country.

A sense of shame, confusion and honour made her travel with Hei to the Maraehako Bay Retreat, between Te Kaha and Waihau Bay, the next day.

In the days following she described being raped daily and treated like a sex slave.

"I keep asking him to stop," she says. "I was begging him don't."

After she became ill after being forced to drink 10 glasses of alcohol, and thinking she had been drugged, she finally managed to convince Hei she needed to go to the hospital or she might die.

After making to Auckland she reported the rape to police who started making enquiries which led them to locate another victim of Chinese-descent who had also been raped by Hei.

That victim says Hei raped her in 2013 when she worked at the retreat and he became increasingly more physical as days went on.

"After a week sometime when cooking he would tell jokes and he would touch my waist," she says.

"I don't like it. I feel he don't respect me."

She says this behaviour continued leading up to a night she says she was raped in late 2013 after Hei had demanded a foot massage from her.

Afterwards she was dragged into nearby bedroom and raped by Hei. Her pleas for him to stop ignored.

After the alleged rape she says she waited for Hei to fall asleep before having a shower and returning to her room.

The next morning she says she awoke to find Hei sleeping beside her and she says she was raped again.

"I remember saying how could you do this to me?" she says.

Hei gave off the impression he was in a relationship with the victim to keep the offending under wraps.

-Stuff.co.nz/Matt_Shand
For the last five years, the National African American Tobacco Prevention Network (NAATPN) has urged Black faith leaders to educate their congregations about the dangers of tobacco use during No Menthol Sunday, which this year is May 19. At least one church in Indianapolis will observe No Menthol Sunday, which the NAATPN said will include vaping, e-cigarettes and menthol-flavored e-juices this year.

Edward Rogers, tobacco prevention and cessation program coordinator at Indiana Black Expo, will get a 10-minute window to speak to the congregation at Purpose of Life Ministries, 3705 Kessler Blvd. North Drive, after Rev. David Greenes message May 19.

Rogers said hes going to bring the focus on menthol and a call to action to help the congregation understand that [tobacco companies are] out to kill us. It may be a slow death, but theyre out to kill us.

The Food and Drug Administration has proposed a ban on menthol combustible tobacco products (cigars, for example), although the ban doesnt include menthol-flavored e-juices.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 90% of African American smokers age 12 and older prefer menthol cigarettes. Menthol, which is found in mint plants, gives a cooling sensation and makes it easier to inhale cigarette smoke, which leads to harmful chemicals being absorbed more easily in the body. Some research suggests menthol cigarettes may be more addictive than non-menthol cigarettes.

There is a troubling history of tobacco companies targeting advertising for menthol cigarettes toward African Americans. The National Cancer Institute noted in a 2008 report that in the final decades of the 20th century, before cigarette billboards were banned, there were higher rates of cigarette advertisements on billboards in predominantly African American areas. In a 1988 speech, a senior marketing official at R.J. Reynolds, a tobacco company founded in 1875 that still exists today, said since 70% of Black smokers at the time chose menthol, special advertising and promotions for Salem cigarettes make a lot of sense in Black media and Black communities.

An American Tobacco Company advertisement for Bull Durham tobacco in the early 1900s showed racist caricatures of Black children and a woman smoking on a rocking chair. My! the caption read. It shure am Sweet Tastan.

We need to stand together and continue to bring awareness about the ill effects of tobacco use and the disparities that have caused a burden to the African American community, Rogers said.

Staying in line with NAATPNs One Step Ahead theme, Rogers said hell reference Micah 6:8, which in part says to walk humbly with your God.

Greene said its important to bring this message to the church because theres already a built-in audience. African American churches have long been battlegrounds and community spaces, especially in the past for the civil rights movement.

As a more contemporary example of the churchs role in African American culture  and advertisers understanding of this  a former Wells Fargo loan banker told The New York Times in 2009 the company targeted Black churches for subprime mortgages because it figured church leaders had a lot of influence and could convince congregants to take out subprime loans.

The influence of African American churches means pastors have many issues they could prioritize and share with large swaths of people at Sunday service or any community event at the church. But when it comes to the dangers of tobacco, menthol, e-cigarettes and other harmful habits, are pastors doing enough for their congregations?

All of us can do more, Greene said. Its a case of being the church, not just inside the four walls but outside the four walls, and being a resource for a lot of great programs that people dont know about.

Greene hasnt done anything with his church for No Menthol Sunday before but said he wanted to get involved this year because he sees the impact smoking has had on his congregation and understands smoking can be the basis for many health concerns, including lung cancer and stroke. Greene said he knows of some people in his congregation who are trying to quit.

Contact staff writer Tyler Fenwick at 317-762-7853. Follow him on Twitter @Ty_Fenwick.

GET INVOLVED

To get involved with No Menthol Sunday in the future, contact Edward Rogers, erogers@indianablackexpo.com, or the National African American Tobacco Prevention Network, thenetwork@naatpn.org.
Three-piece trio The Lady Killers are set to perform in Tauranga later this month, which is a show you dont want to miss.

The Lady Killers are made up of Jackie Clarke, Tina Cross and Suzanne Lynch, who will be making their way to the Holy Trinity Church in Tauranga for a charity concert of Waipuna Hospice.

The concert that will take place on May 24, and Jackie says they are bring a fabulous band with them.

Its just a concert of fabulous songs sung by fabulous women.

Weve got a new Beach Boys song we are going to unveil, we are doing a version of God only knows, which I think is the most beautiful love songs ever written and we have whipped up a new version of Dont dream its over by Crowed House, especially for the occasion.

We are also going to have a go at Bathe in the River. We have just worked out an arrangement of that, which we are going to unveil, says Jackie.

We will also do our old classics, Bohemian Rhapsody will get a dust off.

Jackie says as a group, they like supporting good causes like Waipuna Hospice.

I think the relationship between music and getting through times that are emotionally difficult is a strong one.

Music is often part of softening those big changes when you lose somebody or the way you remember somebody, and the way you commemorate somebody.

It just feels nice to be able to sing in this situation for that cause and its a good way for everybody coming together.

One of the best things about being a singer and a musician is that you can offer your services for things like that and create a platform for people to let some love out and express their appreciation for a really good cause, so its a no brainer really for us, says Jackie.

She says she is looking forward to performing at the Holy Trinity Church as she hasnt performed there in a while.

This time we are bringing our full band, the last time we did a show in Tauranga it was at Mills Reef and we just had a little cut down acoustic show that we were doing, so its great to be able to bring the full noise and let everybody hear the full unleashed Lady Killers.

The Lady Killers will be performing on Friday May 24 at the Holy Trinity Church.

Tickets are on sale for $65 per person, will all proceeds going directly towards raising essential funds for Waipuna Hospice.
The proposed rates-funded kerbside recycling, food scraps and rubbish collection is moving to the next stage after being unanimously approved by Tauranga City Council.

The service will now go through a tender process, where the council will work with service providers to determine what the service could look like while considering how to best serve the community.



The service is needed to address Taurangas waste problem, caused by low recycling rates and a growing population.

Currently, nearly 70 per cent of all household waste that goes to landfill could be recycled or composted. That's about the equivalent of throwing 360 tonnes (or an Airbus A380) of waste unnecessarily into landfill each week.



We know that Tauranga has a very poor recycling record and that we need to minimise waste to landfill. This is the next step in that journey, says Deputy Mayor Kelvin Clout.



The proposed service is expected to reduce residential waste to landfill by up to 30 per cent (up to 8000 tonnes each year) and double the amount of residential recycling.



A food scraps collection is proposed as a large part of household waste is food (32 per cent). Food waste placed in landfill doesnt break down in the same way it would in a compost bin, as it is cut off from oxygen.

Instead, methane is produced which is harmful to the environment and expensive to manage. Putting food waste down the sink also ends up in landfill after it has been extracted from the waste water system.



As part of the Long Term Plan 2018/2028, council resolved to provide a council managed kerbside service after a large majority of community submissions was in favour of doing so.



Tauranga is one of the last cities in New Zealand to introduce a council-led kerbside collection. Other cities in New Zealand that have a similar service have seen a reduction in the amount of residential waste sent to landfill.



Its essential council takes responsibility for the residential kerbside collection, so we can have a direct impact on the amount of residential waste that is sent to landfill, says Martin Parkes, Acting General Manager Infrastructure.

Reducing waste sent to landfill will benefit future generations and the environment, its simply the right thing to do for our community.



The service presented to the Committee is a proposed service. The final service will be confirmed after the tender process is complete in 2020. The kerbside service is expected to start in July 2021.
Oxfam Trailwalker will return in 2020 for what will be its fifth and final year in Whakatane, Oxfam has announced, following which the charitys flagship event will be moving to a new location.

The events new host region is to be announced later this year.

Oxfam New Zealands Fundraising Events Manager Lizzie Quill says while it's a tough decision, the opportunity was taken to offer a new route and location to participants and to ensure the events continued growth.

Whakatane will always be a home to the event, and we are confident it is not a permanent goodbye. It has been a fantastic few years in the Bay of Plenty, thanks in large part to the strong relationships established with the local council, community groups, iwi and volunteers.

"We move on with the hope that Oxfam New Zealand returns to the district in the future, whether that is three, six, or nine years from now.

This will be the start of another chapter in Oxfam Trailwalkers story, and one we expect will bring many new and exciting opportunities.

Oxfam New Zealand wishes to thank the Whakatane District Council and the local communities for opening up their region to Oxfam Trailwalker for the last four years.

"Since moving to Whakatane, over $3.2 million has been raised through the event for Oxfams work. This has made an exceptional difference to fighting injustice and poverty around the world.

Oxfam Trailwalker has made a lasting impact in the lives of people struggling in the Pacific. Communities are able to build clean water supplies, families can grow more food, women are protected from violence, young people out of school gain skills for employment and children are given a chance at an education.

The 2019 event, held in in Whakatane in March this year, raised almost a million dollars thanks to fundraising efforts from over a thousand participants.

Whakatane Mayor Tony Bonne says while disappointed that the 2020 Oxfam Trailwalker will be the last the district hosts for some years, it's been an absolute pleasure working with the Oxfam New Zealand team on an event that has delivered huge benefits.

Oxfams kaupapa of fighting poverty in the Pacific region is something we all support and its wonderful to have been part of that story.

Were proud to have helped raise more than $3 million to date and well be doing everything we can to ensure that the 2020 event is the best yet.

He added that hosting this prestigious charity event has been a classic win-win situation, with the Whakatane District benefiting from boosted tourism spending and an enhanced visitor profile.

Although Oxfam Trailwalker will farewell the Bay of Plenty for now, participants have one more chance to experience this picturesque region, and to support people in poverty, by taking part in next years event.

Registrations are now open for Oxfam Trailwalker 2020, which will be held over March 21-22 in scenic Whakatane.

You can take part in this incredible team challenge by registering at www.oxfamtrailwalker.org.nz.
Alan Charles Keith Harper lies in a grave in the Cassino War Cemetery, his headstone no different to the other 463 New Zealand headstones here.

What sets him apart is that he was the only serving New Zealand chaplain to be killed in action in the Second World War.

Among the New Zealand Defence Force contingent in Italy to mark 75 years since the Battles of Cassino is Chaplain Class 1 Group Captain Anthony Hawes, head of the NZDFs 27-strong chaplaincy service. He laid a poppy on his counterparts headstone and said a prayer for the man of peace.

When I saw that grave, the realisation of a minister, a person of peace, killed in a violent way while serving his people, it hit me, says Group Captain.

It feels quite poignant and powerful, and it feels good to pay my respects to him.

Major Harper had just buried a soldier when he was hit by a shell but Group Captain Hawes does not believe he would have been a target.

On the battlefield artillery fire can be very random and doesnt differentiate between combatants and non-combatants.

Chaplains accompany New Zealand troops to all big deployments, and Group Captain Hawes has served six months in Afghanistan, as well as attending a number of battle commemorations internationally.

Cassino is special to him not because he had a family member fight there but because of the impact it had on his father, Jim Hawes, who was a teenager during the Second World War.

He would often talk about the effect of it on his growing up years, says Group Captain Hawes.

The Battles of Cassino were the ones he remembered having an impact on the people of New Zealand, for some reason. It left a real impression.

So for me, Im not visiting a family grave but Ill be thinking of my father. Im kind of sorry because he would love to have known I was going.

The headstone of Alan Charles Keith Harper, the only serving New Zealand chaplain to be killed in action in the Second World War, in the Cassino War Cemetery.

Group Captain Hawes, who grew up in Hamilton and now lives in Wellington, trained as an electrician when he left school, before becoming a Pentecostal minister. He joined the Royal New Zealand Air Force as a chaplain 15 years ago.

All NZDF chaplains have to be a church minister before joining, because they are expected to provide the required skills from day one.

Those skills include being a confidante and supporter for the men and women of the NZDF and their families, providing advice to senior personnel and conducting divine services.

Thats chapel on a Sunday, a wedding, a funeral, a baptism, a house blessing  they all come under the heading of divine services, he says.

Not a lot of people turn up at chapel on Sunday, and a large part of that is just reflecting the modern-day trend of people not being strong church attenders.

However, spirituality was on the rise, especially around tikanga Maori, he says.

Ten years ago you wouldnt have had one-fifth of the karakia, the talk of spirituality, the prayers, the grace before meals  it just didnt happen.

People now are a lot more open and respectful and willing to give room and take an interest in spiritual matters.

Group Captain Hawes time with the NZDF is coming to an end, and hell retire from the service at the end of this year.

He and wife Jenny, a nurse, will return to their Waikato roots, and its possible hell dust off his electrical tools.

Its time for someone else to come through the chaplaincy ranks, he says.
Lakota Sioux teacher Steve Tamayo works with students preparing designs for their rawhide container project. The work was part of a week-long program showing students ways of the Lakota.

Fourth grade students at North Elementary have been learning about other cultures this week, part of a program sponsored by the Nebraska and High Plains Arts Councils.

Steve Tamayo, a Lakota Sioux who serves the Omaha Public School system as a cultural consultant, spent the week teaching students about indigenous ways that have been passed down for many years. Tamayo said as part of the lesson, he opened with teaching students how the Sioux lived at Blue Water Creek (Ash Hollow) 150 years ago.

Building from there, he has shared the stories and lessons of his people the same way he learned....
The Nebraska Department of Transportation is planning a significant project, the 17J Link State Project.

When completed, it will have new road from the soil up. The question City of Sidney staff and council members have been grappling with is how to finance the Citys portion of the cost.

The overall project is estimated to cost $9.3 million. The Citys share of the cost, 20 percent, comes to about $1.8 million, according to discussion at Tuesdays city council meeting.

Doug Hoevet, representing the Nebraska Department of Transportation, met with the Sidney City Council Tuesday...
Jimmy Novak is walking from the state of Washington to Florida to bring attention to veterans suffering with PTSD and the veteran suicide rate. He is expecting to stop tonight in Ogallala.

Jimmy Novak is making his way through a variety of environments, geographically and personally. He is on a journey that is obviously physical, moving nearly half of his body weight in a backpack and a jogging stroller.

He is walking from Dupont, Wash., to Disney World in Florida. His goal is to bring awareness to veterans with PTSD and suicide issues.

"I've been out walking since March 22, and plan to finish Aug. 22," Novak said Tuesday afternoon.

He stopped in Sidney Tuesday after arriving from Potter. He said 22 is relevant in his walk because it is the accepted statistic for the number...
The all-new Rapid E took to the small principalitys world-famous streets for it first public demonstration ahead of Saturdays Formula E Monaco ePrix.

Taking part in two dedicated on-track sessions throughout the day, the British luxury marques revolutionary new model was put to the test by Aston Martin works driver and three-time 24 Hours of Le Mans winner Darren Turner.

Billed as the most powerful Rapide model ever, the cars twin rear-mounted electric motors deliver a combined target output of 612PS and a colossal 950Nm torque.

Rapide E is powered by an 800V electrical architecture battery  encased in a carbon fibre and Kevlar casing  with a 65kWh installed capacity using over 5600 lithium-ion 18650 format cylindrical cells.

This bespoke battery pack lies where the original 6.0-litre V12, gearbox and fuel tank were located, with the 800V system allowing for more efficient charging and greatly improved thermal characteristics over existing electrical architectures.

Speaking after the drive, Darren Turner said, Ive had the privilege to join the Aston Martin engineering team at various stages of the cars development and the performance thats on offer in Rapide E really is incredible.

The car has the kind of torque and punch that youd expect from an EV, but theyve really worked hard to retain the dynamic characteristics of what makes an Aston Martin special.

Today feels like a real milestone in this companys history and for me to be the first person to drive an all-electric Aston Martin publicly is an absolute honour, particularly here in Monaco.

Dr Andy Palmer, President and Group CEO of Aston Martin Lagonda, added, Rapide E is a defining product in Aston Martin Lagondas history.

We have set out a bold strategy for the electrification and hybridisation across the Group and this product demonstrates that we have the capability to deliver an EV of exceptional performance, while still delivering the qualities demanded of not just Aston Martin customers, but the wider luxury market. 

Commercial production of the Aston Martin Rapide E will commence towards the end of 2019 at Aston Martin Lagondas new production facility in St Athan, Wales. The model will be strictly limited to 155 units worldwide.
LEBANON, Va.Authorities have identified a body located in April in the Lewis Creek area of Russell County as a Honaker man missing since Jan. 1.

Russell County Sheriff Steve Dye and Buchanan County Sheriff Ray Foster said the body was identified as Jason Matthew Shortt, 35, of Honaker.

The investigation began when the Buchanan County Sheriffs Office received a missing persons report in January. Shortts vehicle was found in the Lewis Creek area and extensive search efforts were made, Dye and Foster said in a joint news release on Wednesday.

On April 27, Russell County received a call that a body had been located. The mans body was taken to the Chief Medical Examiners Office in Roanoke, where the identity was confirmed. Although the complete autopsy has not been completed, Dye and Foster said there is no evidence of foul play.
Rob and Whitney Maddox said after friend Kevin Dodson passed away seven years ago, they wanted to do something to remember him, and it wasnt long before they took it to the next level to raise money for worthy causes.

Through their fundraisers, the couple, who has a passion for animals, has successfully sponsored four Saint Francis Service Dogs teams. Now they are turning their attention to the Floyd County Humane Society (FCHS) to help raise money for the construction of a new facility and kennels. They explained that the FCHS has no kennels of its own and is currently renting limited space. In order for the Humane Society to qualify for government grants and financial assistance, they need to own a kennel that will suit their needs. The couple said the Humane Society continues to look for property to locate a new facility and wants land in a central location near town. The Maddoxes, who have a Golden Retriever of their own, are now fostering their second dog, a Boxer, from the FCHS. They recently found a home for the first foster, John Wayne, a red Pit Bull mix.
Bill Grennell, the chapters executive director, explained that the annual celebration helps recognize people from all walks of life for doing great things to help make our communities a little bit nicer, a little safer and in general a better place for all of us to live -- whether its saving a life, providing comfort to those less fortunate, helping our children have a better education or just making our work a little bit lighter and brighter. There are many everyday heroes among us This is just an opportunity to shed some light on them and help inspire others to do better in their own lives.
Syracuse, N.Y. -- Deys Plaza took a big hit in 2017 when the downtown Syracuse buildings biggest tenant moved out, leaving a third of propertys space empty.

Less than two years later, the buildings owners have gone to court to get the propertys tax assessment cut by 37%.

Owners Robert Doucette and Rich deVito, through their company Deys Plaza LLC, filed the assessment challenge against the city in state Supreme Court on April 22.

The lawsuit seeks a reduction in the buildings assessment from $8.69 million, where it has been since 2012, to $5.5 million. If approved, the reduction would cut the propertys annual tax bill from $360,752 to approximately $227,000.

Attorney Sid Devorsetz, who is representing the owners, said the buildings market value shrank after it lost Bank of New York Mellon in late 2017.

Were looking for a reduction precipitated by the bank vacating 75,000 square feet, he said.

The bank was by far the buildings biggest tenant, occupying approximately a third of the building, he said.

Doucette and deVito told the city last year that they have been unable to find commercial tenants to fill the space vacated by the bank. They announced plans to convert much of the empty space into 23 apartments.

They asked for and eventually got $266,250 in tax breaks from the Syracuse Industrial Development Agency for the conversion of the empty space.

The breaks consisted of a $240,000 exemption from sales taxes on construction materials and a $26,250 exemption from the state mortgage recording tax. They did not include property tax exemptions.

Asked whether the conversion of the empty space to apartments would raise the future value of the building, Devorsetz said the tax challenge only pertains to the buildings 2019 assessment.

Developers says demand for apartments is strong downtown but that demand for office space remains weak. As a result, they are converting many of the upper floors of downtown buildings into apartments.

Though the Deys Plaza lawsuit seeks a 37% reduction in the buildings assessment, Devorsetz said he hopes to negotiate a mutually acceptable resolution with the city and has already begun discussions with city officials.

Im optimistic were going to be able to achieve a reasonable reduction, he said.

The six-story building was built on the southeast corner of South Salina and East Jefferson streets in 1893 for Dey Brothers Department Store. The store operated for 100 years until closing in 1993 (when it was named Addis & Deys).

The city acquired the building in 1994 and converted some of it into office space. However, much of the building remained vacant, creating a financial drain on the city.

Doucette and deVito took the property off the citys hands for $6.7 million in 2009. They initially built 45 apartments in the buildings vacant space and added 16 more apartments in 2014. Retail tenants, including Cafe Kubal, occupy its ground floor.

Bank of New York Mellon employed more than 300 people at an operations center in the building until closed the center in 2017 and transferred the work to its operations center in DeWitt.

Rick Moriarty covers business news and consumer issues. Contact him anytime: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 315-470-3148
SENECA FALLS, N.Y. -- A 16-year-old boy told New York State Police that his former gym teacher at Waterloo High School sent him nude photos on SnapChat before making a plan and meeting up for sex, according to records filed in Seneca Falls Town Court.

Lindsey M. Halstead, 29, of East Bloomfield, was charged Tuesday with two counts of sexual misconduct and one count of endangering the welfare of a child, both misdemeanors, troopers said.

Halstead was a physical education teacher in the Waterloo Central School District for about four years from September 2014 to February 2018. After leaving Waterloo, Halstead worked as a long-term substitute teacher for Midlakes Schools until she was fired, troopers said.

The teen was interviewed by state police on May 6 about the alleged incident that happened in November 2018. The teen told troopers that Halstead was his gym teacher during the 2017-18 school year.

Halstead reached out to the teen on SnapChat in September 2018 while she was working in the Midlakes Schools, the teen told police. After talking for a few weeks, the teen said Halstead started sending him nude photos, according to his statement to police filed with the court.

The two made plans to meet up, the teen told police. Halstead picked him up from the library in Waterloo and they parked behind the Hampton Inn in Seneca Falls where the two had sex in Halsteads vehicle, he told police.

Afterwards, the teen said Halstead kept contacting him, so he blocked her on SnapChat and Instagram.

At this point I was like this is weird, why is she still texting me, he told police.

Halstead was charged with one count of sexual misconduct for engaging in oral sex with teen and one count of sexual misconduct for having sexual intercourse with the teen, according to court records.

A state police spokesman Tuesday contacted by Syracuse.com | The Post-Standard said police think there may be more victims. Police released her mug shot in case other victims would recognize her.

The investigation is continuing, troopers said in a news release, and additional charges are pending.

Troopers asked anyone with information about the case to call (315)-539-3530.
Update: Girlfriend beaten by Syracuse cop speaks out: My suffering soon became his safety

Cicero, NY -- A former Syracuse police officer will go home to North Carolina a free man after avoiding jail for separate attacks on his ex-girlfriend.

Ahmad Mims, 35, was sentenced to probation Thursday morning in Lake George for an attack that left his girlfriends blood spattered on a car window. And Thursday evening, Mims was sentenced to probation again in Cicero for an incident that included drunkenly holding a gun to his girlfriends head.

Cicero Justice Douglas DeMarche lambasted Mims as someone held in the public trust who disgraced the badge you carried.

The girlfriend could be heard crying as the justice lectured Mims on his transgressions.

DeMarche ordered Mims to refrain from having any firearms while on probation (Mims had surrendered the guns he had after arrest) and said he hoped Mims never held a law enforcement job again.

Mims was not currently working in law enforcement in North Carolina, the judge noted. A prosecutor said later he believed Mims was working in construction.

Prosecutor Jarrett Woodfork told Syracuse.com | The Post-Standard after court that the probationary sentence was OKed by the victim. The victim said she wasnt happy that Mims could build a new life down south, but said she understood how the case was resolved.

Mims had also faced a felony for violating an order of protection by physically restraining her in December 2018, months after the Cicero and Lake George incidents.

But if Mims had been convicted of a felony, any probation would have been served locally and Mims would not have been allowed to leave the state, the victim said, and Woodfork confirmed. The victim said she was better off having Mims leave town.

So today, Mims took his misdemeanor punishment and will have probation transferred to North Carolina.

Former police officer Ahmad Mims leaves Cicero town court.

His Cicero crime stemmed from a 3 a.m. argument July 6 at the girlfriends residence, police said.

The following account was contained in court papers:

While the two argued, one of the girlfriends male friends pulled up to the house. She had invited the friend over for support after she and Mims fought earlier in the night, she told police. The friend and girlfriend said Mims began yelling at the man and approached the car. He pulled a black handgun from his waistband, pulled the slide to put a round in the chamber and told the man to get the **** out of here.

Mims -- who the girlfriend said was drunk -- then forced his girlfriend into his SUV and began driving around Cicero while shouting at her and waving his handgun. She said she begged him to let her go. As they drove on South Bay Road over Interstate 81, he put the gun to the left side of her head. He swore at her and hit her at least once in the head.

The girlfriend fled the vehicle as they pulled into the parking lot of the Kinney Drugs store on Thompson Road. Mims chased her down, put her in a headlock and dragged her back into the car, she said.

The girlfriend reported the abuse in September 2018. Mims was suspended, with pay, later that month and resigned from the police after pleading guilty in January.

Earlier Thursday, Mims was sentenced in Lake George for an August 2018 incident involving the same girlfriend. In that one, he struck the girlfriend hard enough to send her blood spattering against a car window.

Mims was sentenced to three years probation for both cases. He surrendered his guns early in the court case and spent time in mental health treatment, his lawyer, Eric Jeschke, has said.

Today, Mims apologized to "my friends, family, police department and most importantly, the victim.

He then left court a free man.
A Syracuse contractor is facing six months in jail for repeatedly failing to follow a court order after he was penalized for shoddy work and unfinished jobs.

Roger Gregory, who was found guilty in 2016 of civil and criminal contempt for failing to comply with a court order for restitution, was back in court again this week for the same reason, according to a press release from the New York State Attorney General Letitia James.

This is his last chance to avoid going to jail, the AGs press release said.

If Gregory can manage to pay $125 a week until all of his debts are paid, he will be spared jail time, according to the press release. If he misses a payment, hell be sent to jail on weekends until the payments are made; If he fails to show up to jail as required, or misses multiple payments, hell be forced to serve the full six-month sentence, officials said.

The states attorney general first took Gregory to court in 2011 after receiving complaints from customers of shoddy workmanship and that he failed to finish jobs he was hired to do, the press release said.

Gregorys first court order was put in place in 2012. It barred Gregory from doing any home improvement contract work until he paid a $35,000 bond and more than $12,000 in restitution and other legal fees.

The AG later learned Gregory continued to work as a home improvement contractor without paying the bond or monthly restitution payments.

In 2016, Gregory entered into a consent order promising he would take the necessary steps to pay his bond and victims. At that time, he was ordered to pay an additional $10,000 to his victims, in monthly installments of $500.

Once again, Gregory failed to comply with the order, officials said.

He stopped making the $500 payments and returned to work as a contractor, the AGs office said. He still hadnt paid the required $35,000 bond, officials said.

Thats when the AG sought a jail sentence for Gregory.

The AGs office said anyone who believes they were a victim of Gregory can still apply for restitution by calling 315-448-4848 or by submitting a complaint online by July 6. Anyone who entered into a contract with him after November 22, 2016 is eligible, officials said.

In the press release, the AGs office offered guidance for hiring a home improvement contractor. The AG recommended consumers:

Get at least three estimates from reputable contractors before selecting one.

Never agree to have work done on the spot, especially by contractors who market themselves door-to-door.

Ask for references and contact them for feedback on the contractor.

Insist on a written, detailed contract which includes the price and description of work.

Never pay unreasonable advances or the full price up front; Instead, negotiate a payment schedule.

Remember you can cancel, in writing, for up to three days after signing a home improvement contract.

Public Affairs Reporter Julie McMahon covers courts, government, education and other issues affecting taxpayers. She can be reached anytime: Email | Twitter | 315-412-1992
Update: This story has been updated May 20 with comment from the taxi company.

Syracuse, NY -- A 22-year-old woman, forced by a cabbie to touch his groin, is suing Yellow Taxi Company for hiring the driver just weeks after he was fired from Uber for a prior sexually motivated incident.

The driver, Ibrahim Aden, 36, was eventually convicted of misdemeanor forcible touching and unlawful imprisonment, covering the separate Uber and taxi incidents, according to court records.

The woman, who Syracuse.com | The Post-Standard is not identifying because she is the victim of a sex crime, told police Aden picked her up on West Fayette Street about 1:30 a.m. Oct. 29, 2017 and offered her a free ride. Sitting in the front seat, he then grabbed her hand and pushed it into his lap while his pants were unzipped, she told police.

She demanded the car stop, then ran home and called police, according to a news release from the police department at the time.

The incident happened a month after Aden was removed as an Uber driver for grabbing a college students thigh and leg while giving her a ride.

That 18-year-old student said Aden picked her up around 2:30 a.m. on Sept. 17, 2017 and took her to a secluded parking lot.

There, Aden reached back and grabbed the student while making lewd comments to her.

Uber called the incident deeply upsetting and revoked Adens driving privileges from the ride-sharing app.

The lawsuit accuses the taxi company of hiring Aden without vetting his past.

...defendant had a duty to ensure that the drivers they hired or leased taxi cabs to were not dangerous predators, the lawsuit states.

Yellow Taxi did not respond to a request for comment when contacted May 15. After this story was published, taxi manager Frank Manzi said in an email May 20 that he didnt know of Adens past with Uber when Aden was hired.

Manzi correctly pointed out that initial news reports of the Uber incident did not include Adens name. Manzi said he did not know of the connection until police investigated the taxi incident.

The lawsuit seeks money for emotional distress, as well as pain and suffering. No dollar figure was listed.
Syracuse NY - In celebration of the national release of his debut album, pianist Andrew Carroll will present a jazz trio concert with special guests on Friday May 24, at 8 p.m. in the Jazz Central theater. Admission is $20 and includes an album CD or download card.

Titled "Alliterations," Carroll's maiden effort has been featured in Jazz Times magazine and other highly acclaimed publications. Joining Carroll's trio will be Greg Evans on drums and Danny Ziemann on bass. Other surprise special guests will perform.

Although he is an acclaimed musician now, both locally and on the New York City scene, we cant forget that he is one of our most distinguished talents, a product of many of our training programs, said Larry Luttinger, executive director of CNY Jazz. And, not only is he a former piano student of Rick Montalbano and the great Shelly Berg, but he is a great jazz composer and arranger. It will be a treat hearing him, along with another CNY Jazz alumnus-made-good Greg Evans, now teaching at Ithaca College. Were rolling the red carpet out for Andrew and urge the musical community to come support his new national release.

Carroll, a 2005 Manlius Pebble Hill School graduate, has already amassed a long list of credits to date that belies his youth. He has shared stages with many of the greats in the music industry, including Burt Bacharach, Steve Miller, for whom he has performed and arranged, Jane Monheit, Elliot Mason, and Peter Eldridge. He appeared on the David Letterman Show with the GRAMMY Jazz Ensemble. He has received the 2005 Downbeat Student Music Award for Instrumental Soloist, the Outstanding Piano Soloist Award from the Essentially Ellington Competition, two IAJE Outstanding Musician Awards and Scholarships, and an Honorable Mention and Merit Award in Jazz Keyboard from the ARTs Recognition and Talent Search (ARTS), a program of NFAA. He is a Thornton School of Music Burt Bacharach Scholar.

Advance sale admission may be purchased now at http://andrewcarroll.brownpapertickets.com/ to guarantee seating in the intimate, 63-seat venue.

Who: Andrew Carroll

What: Album Release Party

Where: Jazz Central, 441 E. Washington St. Syracuse

When: 8 p.m. Friday May 24

Admission: $20 includes CD or download card http://andrewcarroll.brownpapertickets.com/
SYRACUSE, NY -- Crouse Hospital is launching Central New Yorks first clinic to treat the potentially deadly mental health complications of having a baby.

The clinic opening later this month will address perinatal mood and anxiety disorders  PMADs for short, a new term that encompasses postpartum depression, psychosis, post traumatic stress disorder and other mental health problems women experience during pregnancy and the 12 months after delivery.

PMADs affect one in five expectant or new moms, according to Christine Kowaleski, a psychiatric nurse practitioner at Crouse. Crouse delivers about 4,000 babies a year, more than any other Syracuse hospital.

Up to 50 percent of women with symptoms do not seek treatment, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Until recently, the illness did not get much attention.

PMADs that go unnoticed or untreated can lead to suicide, overdoses and risky behavior.

Many moms feel stigma and shame around admitting this isnt the happiest time in their life, Kowaleski said.

Joe and Debi Ferrara of Auburn have been raising awareness about the issue since their 35-year-old daughter, Valerie Bolognone, ended her life 10 weeks after having her second child at Crouse three years ago.

We dont want another family to go through what weve gone through with the loss of our daughter, Joe Ferrara said.

Bolognone, who lived in Syracuse, suffered anxiety and depression before she delivered. She had problems during her pregnancy and was told she might miscarry. Shortly after birth the baby was hospitalized with viral meningitis, adding to her stress. When the baby came home Bolognone couldnt sleep and was put on medication that did not work well. In early September she put the baby in day care and went back to work around the same time her 5-year-old was starting kindergarten.

On Sept. 16, 2016 she left work early, went home and took her life. Something snapped, Ferrara said.

Ferrara said he and his wife did not realize the severity of their daughters postpartum depression. After she died, several of her friends related stories about her that in retrospect should have set off alarm bells, Ferrara said.

One friend, for example, called Bolognone and said she wanted to stop by to drop off a baby gift. Bolognone told her friend to leave it at the door because she didnt feel like seeing anyone. That was not like her at all, Ferrara said.

He and his wife believe their daughter may have suffered from postpartum psychosis, a severe condition in which a woman experiences a break from reality.

Its important for people to know when its going beyond whats normal, he said.

Childbirth-related mental health issues got little attention until 2016 when the US Prevention Services Task Force, a government panel, recommended screening for women during pregnancy and after birth. That same year Congress passed the Bringing Postpartum Depression Out of the Shadows Act, which provides money to states for screening and treatment programs.

PMADs are more serious than the Baby Blues, a mild form of depression experienced by many new moms after giving birth.

Hormonal changes during pregnancy, sleep deprivation, a family history of depression and the stress of new motherhood are some of the factors that can cause PMADs, according to the Postpartum Resource Center of New York.

The Crouse clinic evolved out of a support group the hospital started four years ago for moms suffering from PMADs. The group has served about 500 families, some of whom come from as far away as Watertown, Binghamton and Utica.

Many of the women in the support group have careers and waited until they were in their 30s to have kids, according to Kowaleski. Some have relocated to Central New York and do not have extended family support here. They feel very isolated which just adds to the problem, she said.

PMADs often affect the entire family. Research shows about 10 percent of dads experience depression and anxiety after moms deliver.

Crouse decided to start the clinic because some women in the support group needed more intensive services, Kowaleski said.

The clinic will provide psychiatric evaluations, psychiatric medication management and counseling. It also will offer massage, Reiki, yoga, acupuncture and referrals to breastfeeding consultants and other services. The clinic, in Suite 340 of the CNY Medical Center at 739 Irving Ave., will be open to all families regardless of where they delivered their baby.

Expectant moms should be screened for PMADs during their first prenatal doctors visit, Kowaleski said. About one-half of women with PMADs have symptoms during pregnancy.

Since Jan. 15 Crouse has been screening all women who deliver in the hospital. Baby blues only last 10 to 14 days, according to Kowaleski. If they are still feeling sad and moody at 3 weeks, thats not the baby blues, she said.
Onondaga Countys Republican elections commissioner on Thursday rejected a push by Democratic state lawmakers to open more early voting sites in the county, calling the demand politically motivated.

Michele Sardo, the GOP commissioner of elections, made her comments in response to a letter from three Democratic state Assembly members from the Syracuse area.

Assembly members Pam Hunter, Bill Magnarelli and Al Stirpe sent a letter Thursday to Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon, asking him to support opening two more early voting locations.

Our county is entitled to eight locations, the Democratic lawmakers wrote. Inexplicably, the county indicated it will choose only six sites, eliminating the opportunity for thousands of citizens to take advantage of early and convenient voting access. What could be the possible reason?

Sardo said theres no reason to believe additional sites are necessary this year, when only local elections will be on the ballot. There are no state or federal races.

This is just politics, Sardo told Syracuse.com | The Post-Standard. We have complied with the law. We dont think theres a need for additional sites.

Sardo said she believes Democratic lawmakers are pushing to open an early voting location at Onondaga Community College because students at the school tend to vote for Democrats.

The Assembly members also asked for an additional early voting location to be opened at Cicero Town Hall, where there are about the same number of registered Democrats and Republicans.

The state law passed this year required counties to open at least one early voting site per 50,000 registered voters. The decision on the number of sites to open rests with Board of Elections commissioners in each county, who are supposed to consult with elected leaders. Onondaga County has one Democratic and one Republican commissioner.

Sardo said the six polling sites she and Democratic elections commissioner Dustin Czarny agreed to open will be able to handle the roughly 290,000 registered voters in the county.

Czarny told Syracuse.com | The Post-Standard that he favors opening the two additional sites at OCC and Cicero Town Hall since the state will cover most of the costs.

The state will provide $30,000 per election site, with no limit on the number of sites, he said.

Czarny said its important for the county to decide soon whether it will add the two sites because the state has set a May 29 deadline for funding requests.

In an email to Sardo on Thursday, Czarny said the push to open the OCC location is not politically motivated.

I reject the notion that convenience for students is a partisan position, especially with the makeup of the students at OCC and (those) who attend events there, Czarny wrote. Residents of every age attend OCC and that demographic is not the same as a traditional college like SU or Le Moyne.

Sardo said its likely that Syracuse University and Le Moyne College would demand sites for early voting if the county agreed to open one at OCC.

The two elections commissioners agreed earlier this month to open six early-voting sites spread strategically across Onondaga County.

Two polling locations will be opened in the city of Syracuse, and four others at public buildings in the towns of Clay, DeWitt, LaFayette and Van Buren.

For the first time, New York voters this year will be allowed to cast ballots up to 10 days before Novembers election as part of the states new early-voting law.

Registered voters will be allowed to vote at any of six polling stations in Onondaga County beginning Saturday, Oct. 26 and continuing daily (including weekends) through Nov. 3.

Contact Mark Weiner: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 571-970-3751
Its official: New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio is running for president in 2020.

De Blasio appeared on ABCs Good Morning America Thursday to announce his White House bid, hours before visiting Iowa for events in the early voting state Friday and in South Carolina on Saturday.

He is the 23rd Democrat to enter the race for the partys nomination to challenge President Donald Trump in next years election. Other prominent candidates include South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Sen. Cory Booker, and former Vice President Joe Biden.

BREAKING: New York Mayor @BilldeBlasio announces he will be running for president in 2020. He and his wife @Chirlane will join us live in Times Square. https://t.co/QE9pGFbxvG pic.twitter.com/XLGtZvCSF6  Good Morning America (@GMA) May 16, 2019

According to the Associated Press, de Blasios candidacy has generated little enthusiasm from hometown constituents amid months of rumors. A recent Quinnipiac University poll found 76% of NYC voters said they believed de Blasio shouldnt run.

Newspapers have poked fun at de Blasio's presidential ambitions, noting that while he won two mayoral elections by large margins and can cite real achievements, including expanding free public prekindergarten citywide, he's also developed a reputation for political bumbling.

De Blasio has remained undaunted by the obstacles and said he believes he has a message that can resonate with Americans.

The Washington Post reports he held a news conference in the lobby of Trump Tower in Manhattan to discuss an initiative to lower greenhouse gas emissions produced by the citys buildings. De Blasio threatened Trump with millions in fines if he does not improve his buildings as required by new city laws.

Heres a message for President Trump: Dont mess with your hometown, de Blasio said. Fix your buildings, and while you are at it, fix your policies.

De Blasio later exchanged insults on Twitter with the presidents son Eric Trump, who called the news conference childish.

By joining the race, de Blasio could hope to claim a role on the national stage that has eluded him as mayor.

When he took office in 2014, de Blasio seemed briefly poised to become a leading voice for an emerging left wing of the Democratic Party.

But liberal enthusiasm faded over his first term, partly because of political missteps at home and the emergence of bigger names elsewhere. He could face obstacles trying to distinguish himself in a crowded field.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
CAAS, UCD and Teagasc sign an agreement to form China-Ireland Sustainable Dairy Development Centre

Pictured following the signing of an agreement to form the China-Ireland Sustainable Dairy Development Centre in Beijing on 14th May are from left to right: Professor Gerry Boyle, Director, Teagasc; Professor Alexander Evans, Dean Agriculture, UCD; Mr Michael Creed, Minister for Agriculture Food and Marine, Ireland; Mr Han Changfu, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, China; Prof Qin Yuchang, Director General, Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences; Ms Ma Ying, Secretary General and Deputy Director, Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences and Professor Frank O'Mara, Director of Research, Teagasc.

On Tuesday 14 May, UCD, Teagasc and the Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS) signed an agreement in Beijing to form the China-Ireland Sustainable Dairy Development Centre (The Centre). The purpose of the Centre is to foster institutional links between the parties, to support research that will generate new knowledge, to engage in education at a number of levels, and to improve technology exchange to promote sustainable dairy farming systems in China and Ireland. This Centre is built on 5 years of collaboration between the parties.



The Centre will focus on three key areas:

1. Technology Extension

2. Research and Exchange

3. Training, Education and Talent Development

1. Technology Extension

The technology extension will relate to all aspects of dairy production in Ireland and China from the environmental impact of dairy production, animal production, and feed quality, through to processed dairy products. CAAS, UCD and Teagasc will engage in knowledge transfer and technology extension activities, and work with relevant industry partner companies, with the aim of imparting strategic benefit and sustainability principles, and facilitating trade opportunities to both Chinese and Irish Dairy sectors.



2. Research and Exchange

Applied research based on international cooperation between China and Ireland will be pursued through the Centre. The goal is to maximise the research interactions between CAAS, UCD and Teagasc and to use those interactions to leverage national and international funding, to scale existing research activities and to deliver research excellence with impact.

The Centre will:

1. Identify and foster new areas of research between the Parties that could be of benefit to China and Ireland, and globally.

2. Use relevant national and international research funding mechanisms to support the development of programmes of research and innovation between the Parties.

3. Effectively communicate the value of research and innovation findings to each other and the wider community.

4. Encourage visiting experts from both countries to develop links with academics and institutions to further the goals and scope of the Centre.

3. Training, Education and Talent Development

The Centre will draw on the expertise of CAAS, UCD and Teagasc to deliver high-level training to experts in Sustainable Dairy Science and Technology and basic education for farmers and primary operators. The Centre will attach high importance to ensure that training complements efforts of technology extension and transfer.

Following the signing of the agreement the parties were congratulated by the Ministers of Agriculture from both China and Ireland.
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A new method for hiding the true location of a website from users of the mobile Chrome Web browser has come to light.

Phishers can trick users into revealing their credentials for a legitimate website to operators of a malicious one, security researcher James Fisher reported in a post on his personal blog Saturday.

Scammers can exploit mobile Chromes feature that hides the address bar when users are scrolling on a Web page by inserting an address bar that allows a fake site to pose as a legitimate one, such as that of a bank, Fisher explained.

Making matters worse, scammers can create a scroll jail that prevents users from seeing the true URL for the page even when they scroll to the top.

The user thinks theyre scrolling up in the page, Fisher wrote, but in fact theyre only scrolling up in the scroll jail! Like a dream in Inception, the user believes theyre in their own browser, but theyre actually in a browser within their browser.

Minor Issue

Although Fishers discovery isnt good news for consumers, it seems to be a minor issue, because a Web pages true URL will appear in the address bar initially, noted Thomas Reed, director of Mac & Mobile at Malwarebytes, a cybersecurity software maker based in Santa Clara, California.

It would require a very specific set of user behaviors to make this useful, he told TechNewsWorld. I can see some people exhibiting those behaviors, though, so its definitely an issue.

However, I wouldnt consider this a serious threat, because users would just need to pay attention to the URL bar when they first visit the site, Reed said. Honestly, I dont foresee this getting used much, if at all.

Its far easier for someone phishing for personal information to use a homograph attack, he pointed out. In that type of attack, a scammer takes a domain name and substitutes characters that at first glance look like the original characters. A zero might be substituted for the letter O, for example, or a one for the letter l.

The attack Fisher described is a proof-of-concept demonstration, not something found in a hackers toolkit, said Cameron Palan, a senior threat research analyst at Webroot, an Internet security company in Broomfield, Colorado.

This isnt an attack discovered in the wild and may never affect users if Chrome is updated quickly, he told TechNewsWorld.

A D V E R T I S E M E N T

Google, which owns Chrome, did not respond to our request to comment for this story.

Low ROI for Hackers

Its not likely that this phishing ploy poses a major threat to consumers, said Jonathan Tanner, a senior security researcher with Barracuda Networks, based in Campbell, California.

The amount of technical ability and time required to successfully implement this will make it unlikely to be seen much in the wild, and Google  and possibly other browser makers  will undoubtedly patch this faster than the speed at which it could become a common sight for phishing pages, he told TechNewsWorld.

I doubt the returns on implementing this method would be worth the work, he said. Its unlikely that this technique alone would result in a significant increase in follow-through on the part of users being phished.

Unlike some browser attacks, this one isnt based on a vulnerability, observed Mounir Hahad, head of the threat lab for Juniper Networks, a network security and performance company based in Sunnyvale, California.

This is trickery, he told TechNewsWorld.

There is no way to force the download of malicious content, trigger a remote code execution or any malicious activity, Hahad said.

This is just a visual trick that may make some people believe they are on a different website than the one they actually surfed to, he continued.

This type of trickery need not be limited to mobile Chrome, Hahad pointed out. Other browsers and other operating systems have different implementations that may allow for a less sophisticated version of this trick.

Consumer Protect Thyself

While the fake address bar attack is designed to be stealthy, an alert consumer can identify it.

A D V E R T I S E M E N T

Consumers can recognize this type of attack when the website in the address bar changes unexpectedly after scrolling down the Web page and doesnt seem to respond to interaction as expected, Hahad explained.

Tap the bar to test it, Webroots Palan added. The fake one is nonfunctional. Also, the number of current tabs displayed on the fake bar will not likely match your own.

Once a user starts scrolling down the page, distinguishing the fake browser from the real browser can be very difficult, noted Paul Bischoff, a privacy advocate for Comparitech, a reviews, advice and information website for consumer security products based in Maidstone, Kent, UK.

The best way to spot the fake is to take note of the real page URL before scrolling down, he told TechNewsWorld.

Consumers should be wary of links that lead to login screens, Barracudas Tanner advised.

Better yet, manually type in the full and correct URL for any site that a you want to login to. That should be sufficient for users to protect themselves, he recommended.

While novel, this attack is not particularly significant and wont likely be used much in the wild so general security measures are sufficient, Tanner added.

Growing Problem

If faking an address bar the way Fisher described were to catch on in phishing circles, it would be a bit of an anomaly.

Most phishing campaigns are platform-agnostic, Bischoff said. It doesnt matter whether you encounter them on mobile or desktop.

Phishing attacks are very widespread on mobile devices, Malwarebytes Reed noted.

However, one advantage mobile device users have is the availability of apps for most sites that attackers would want to mimic, he said.

For example, if you are a Bank of America customer, youd be more likely to use the Bank of America app than the Bank of America website on your mobile device, Reed pointed out.

Still, if an attacker can get a mobile user to tap a link, they can still snare plenty of victims, he said.

Phishing attacks on mobile devices likely are on the rise due to the rapid growth in the sector, explained Jonathan Olivera, a threat analyst with Centripetal Networks, a cybersecurity solutions provider in Herdon, Virginia.

The bad actors will always follow the areas that have the most users, he told TechNewsWorld.

The mobile platforms and application developers have an incentive to produce as many products as feasible to satisfy their user base, Olivera said, which results in security vulnerabilities in many of them.
In context: Google Translate may have started as a fairly rudimentary translation tool that you only used when absolutely necessary, but it's come a long way since those early days. Now, courtesy of Google Translate's built-in AI features, the tool is invaluable for translating everything from a few sentences to entire web pages; usually with a high degree of accuracy and readability.

A new post published on Google's AI Blog shows that the search giant isn't interested in leaving well-enough alone. Instead of focusing on traditional speech-to-text, text-to-text, or text-to-speech translation, the company is jumping leaping into the future with a speech-to-speech translation system that can preserve a speaker's unique voice characteristics, such as tone, inflection, and cadence.

Google is accomplishing this feat through "Translatotron," a tool that utilizes a "sequence-to-sequence network" to convert source spectrograms (a visual representation of frequencies, as Engadget explains) into translated spectrograms in a given target language.

To preserve a speaker's tone as mentioned before, Google relies on an optional "speaker encoder" step that can "maintain the character of the source speakers voice in the synthesized translated speech."

The full explanation of how Translatotron works is fairly technical in nature, but from a practical perspective, you should be able to say something like "My name is John, how are you?" in English to someone who only speaks Spanish and have the tool convey your message more quickly and accurately than ever before.

You can read all of the details behind Translatotron's functionality and listen to a few before-and-after voice samples right here. Unfortunately, as interesting as the tool sounds, Translatotron does not appear to be available for the general public just yet, and there's no word on when it might launch -- perhaps it will quietly be added to Google Translate itself in the future.
In brief: Despite being a prolific user of Twitter, Donald Trump has long accused the site and other social media platforms of censoring conservative voices. Now, the White House has launched an online survey for people to report instances where they were censored due to political bias.

The questionnaire was created using online form/survey builder Typeform. It asks participants for their names, contact information, social media links, and screenshots of anything they posted on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, or elsewhere that was censored. Only US citizens and permanent residents are invited to complete the 16 questions.

The Trump Administration is fighting for free speech online.



No matter your views, if you suspect political bias has caused you to be censored or silenced online, we want to hear about it! https://t.co/9lc0cqUhuf pic.twitter.com/J8ICbx42dz  The White House (@WhiteHouse) May 15, 2019

SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS should advance FREEDOM OF SPEECH. Yet too many Americans have seen their accounts suspended, banned, or fraudulently reported for unclear violations of user policies, reads the landing page. No matter your views, if you suspect political bias caused such an action to be taken against you, share your story with President Trump.

The questionnaire also asks if users want to sign up to the White Houses email newsletter, allowing them to be updated on Trumps fight for free speech without relying on social media platforms.

The final question, which will supposedly root out any bots, asks what year the declaration of independence was signed. Its also noted that the White House cannot guarantee a response to submissions.

Last month saw the president meet with Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey to discuss his grievances against the platform and talk about social media in general. Before the meeting took place, Trump accused the site of political games, and in October he said it removed many of his followers.

Twitter has removed many people from my account and, more importantly, they have seemingly done something that makes it much harder to join - they have stifled growth to a point where it is obvious to all. A few weeks ago it was a Rocket Ship, now it is a Blimp! Total Bias?  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 26, 2018
In brief: China, already infamous for its strict internet censorship laws, has banned Wikipedia in every language in the run-up to the 30th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square protests.

China already blocks thousands of websites, including Gmail, Google, YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter. And while the Chinese-language version of Wikipedia has been blocked since 2015, versions in other languages had been available until now.

The Open Observatory of Network Interference (OONI) reports that the original ban was expanded to cover all languages last month. The Wikipedia Foundation told the BBC that it had received no notice of the move.

In late April, the Wikimedia Foundation determined that Wikipedia was no longer accessible in China. After closely analyzing our internal traffic reports, we can confirm that Wikipedia is currently blocked across all language versions, the organization said, in a statement.

As noted by Engadget, Wikipedias switch to HTTPS back in 2015 made it much more difficult for Chinas government to monitor which pages its citizens were looking at. Banning Wikipedia in all languages means people now cant use online translators to read the site's content.

No reason has been given as to why China expanded the ban, but it has been known to block websites as anniversaries of political events draw near. June 4 marks thirty years since thousands of pro-democracy student protesters were killed by authorities at Tiananmen Square.

China has been clamping down hard on its citizens internet freedoms over the last few years, demanding that the countrys biggest carriers block personal VPNs to stop people circumventing its Great Firewall. Additionally, we recently heard how the nations Twitter users face detention, interrogation, and threats for posting on the platform.

Image credit: Ivan Marc via Shutterstock
In brief: The United States Marine Corps is looking for volunteers to staff its new Cyber Auxiliary. Applicants will not have to wear a uniform, get a buzzcut, or go to bootcamp. They will have to be highly skilled in the use of computers including how to penetrate systems.

Back in April, the Marine Corps announced it would be creating a new computer task force. The cyber security unit would be made up of volunteer civilians and veterans and would not be subject to strict USMC decorum.

If anybody wants to join, you can sign up. You can have purple hair, too, but no EGA, Commandant General Robert Neller told Military referring to Marines famous eagle, globe and anchor insignia.

This week the USMC announces that the Cyber Auxiliary (Cyber Aux) has been established and is recruiting. The unit consists of experts from the private sector who will train, educate, advise, and mentor Marines on cybersecurity and other computer-related matters. The group will assist in simulations and with training, but will not participate in hands-on activities. In other words, they will not take part in actual USMC cyber missions.

"Today, we face the modern version of hidden attackers, who seek to undermine our security and economy; now they just use malware instead of torpedoes."

The Cyber Aux is part of the larger Marine Corps effort to better posture forces to conduct Operations in the Information Environment, said the USMC's press release.

The new task force is headed up by the Deputy Commandant for Information, Lt. Gen. Lori E. Reynolds.

Volunteers must be US citizens and need to have advanced experience in information systems. Qualifying individuals will be assigned to units or projects that complement their particular skills. No further information such as specific experience they are looking for was released.

Although, judging by General Nellers purple hair comment, black or white hat hacking experience is welcome as long as they can qualify for a security clearance. So a clean record is undoubtedly required.

Even though it is a volunteer position, that does not necessarily mean there will be no compensation. However, no further information was available in that regard. The USMC will have further announcements as the program develops.
In brief: Security researchers report that the hacker group BlackTech has been deploying the Plead malware using router-level MitM attacks in Taiwan. The group is apparently using a weakness in Asus WebStorage software to upload the malware bypassing authentication.

According to security researchers with Eset, hackers have been exploiting Asus WebStorage software to install backdoors on victims computers. The malware used is called Plead and is primarily deployed by the hacker group known as BlackTech, which mainly targets Asian governments and firms with cyber-espionage attacks. Eset detected the illicit activity in Taiwan where the malware is most active.

Usually, the malicious software is distributed via phishing attacks. However, this time, researchers noticed a process called AsusWSPanel.exe was activating the Plead backdoor. The program is a legitimate part of Asus cloud-storage client WebStorage.

The researchers believe hackers are using a router-level man-in-the-middle attack.

The ASUS WebStorage software is vulnerable to this type of attack, says Esets Anton Cherepanov. Namely, the software update is requested and transferred using HTTP. Once an update is downloaded and ready to execute, the software doesnt validate its authenticity before execution. Thus, if the update process is intercepted by attackers, they are able to push a malicious update.

Plead will use compromised routers as command and control servers for the malware. Most of the organizations that have been attacked use the same brand of routers with admin settings accessible via the internet.

Thus, we believe that a MitM attack at the router level is the most probable scenario, says Cherepanov.

"In response to this attack, ASUS Cloud has revamped the host architecture of the update server and has implemented security measures aimed at strengthening data protection."

Eset says that another possibility is that the bad actors are using a supply-chain attack. This type of breach occurs within the manufacturers supply chain, where security measures may be lax. However, the researchers say that while this vector is possible, it is far less likely.

Cherepanov offers this advice: It is very important for software developers to not only thoroughly monitor their environment for possible intrusions but also to implement proper update mechanisms in their products that are resistant to MitM attacks.

TechSpot has reached out to Asus regarding its awareness of the situation. The company issued the following statement:

"ASUS Cloud first learned of an incident in late April 2019, when we were contacted by a customer with a security concern. Upon learning of the incident, ASUS Cloud took immediate action to mitigate the attack by shutting down the ASUS WebStorage update server and halting the issuance of all ASUS WebStorage update notifications, thereby effectively stopping the attack. "In response to this attack, ASUS Cloud has revamped the host architecture of the update server and has implemented security measures aimed at strengthening data protection. This will prevent similar attacks in the future. Nevertheless, ASUS Cloud strongly recommends that users of ASUS WebStorage services immediately run a complete virus scan to ensure the integrity of your personal data."
Cybersecurity threats are pervasive, with the potential to upend business operations, undermine credibility, and substantially impact profitability.

The age-old analogy of a chain only being as strong as its weakest link certainly holds merit in this paradigm. Employee vigilance is sacrosanct in the ongoing efforts to secure online communications. Top-tier network security and innovative IT systems must work in concert to ensure organizational stability.

A full complement of technical and non-technical measures combined with effective security policies and efficient payroll processing practices is necessary to avoid the types of cybersecurity breaches that recently occurred in Tallahassee, Florida. This unconventional attack resulted in the theft of an estimated $500,000 from the city's human resource department. After the dust settled and bewildered officials tallied up the losses, the security breach netted $498,000.

E-mail indications confirm the breach took place overseas. A third-party vendor ostensibly hacked into the city's payroll services, causing the direct deposit paychecks to be rerouted elsewhere. This theft has served as a wake-up call to city officials. With the help of law enforcement authorities, the city has recovered an estimated $125,000 of the stolen funds and detectives are working to pursue the cybercriminals.

How Did The Security Breach Take Place?

Nefarious activity often emanates from hacking into the account of an official whose email addresses can be accessed and intercepted. It is being reported that a Dropbox link was used in a phishing scam from the e-mail account of Reese Goad, the city manager of Tallahassee. The link contained a virus that allowed the hackers to infiltrate the payroll network and unleash havoc.

Security breaches such as these are designed to trick recipients into revealing usernames and password combinations to hackers on a database. Such breach taking place from outside the United States is indication enough that the payroll network infrastructure was severely flawed.

Eynat Guez, CEO of global payroll provider Papaya Global, remarks that "...too many companies and public sector bodies have insecure payroll processes, using email to transmit sensitive data." This was clearly one of the weak links in the security network.

Security infiltrations are often difficult to identify. IT professionals routinely stress that telltale signs of such events are difficult if not impossible to pinpoint. A security breach could be indicated by a hanging webpage, a slow browser, an odd e-mail, a delay in a PDF file or word file opening, and so forth. As soon as the breach has occurred, malware, adware, viruses, keyloggers, Trojans, and ransomware can infect the entire infrastructure. Unfortunately, government departments are not immune to these invasions.

Security Breaches Plugged With Automated Global Payroll Systems

Back in March 2019, a Thomasville school was targeted in a payroll attack. The hackers attempted to get away with $2 million. Many similar incidents have occurred, several of which have been foiled, but not without substantial reorganization and disruption.

Payroll management and security have come under the spotlight in recent times, particularly companies that conduct business operations in multiple locations, presenting opportunities to hackers to infiltrate the gaps in the payroll process. Traditional models of processing payroll have proven inefficient, ineffective, costly, and laden with security challenges.

Companies are turning to transformative solutions which manage their entire global payroll process automatically. Given that payroll systems necessarily deal with sensitive details, it certainly pays to adopt watertight payroll systems to prevent future cyber breaches.

Clearly, transmitting sensitive data via e-mail and excel is a no-no. It's crucial to be able to efficiently monitor and track all payroll activity to ensure maximum compliance. Automated systems have the flexibility to meet the needs of a large, global workforce, whilst maximum privacy controls, full transparency, and automation are necessary to maintain the integrity of a company's payroll management department. Anything less is simply inviting security breaches.

The internet is awash with instances of payroll processor data breaches. In 2009, a Minneapolis payroll processor suffered a security breach where the personal data of some 27,000 customers were leaked. In 2018 alone, an estimated 1,700 hacking instances were reported across the United States, compromising over 170 million records.

Payroll breaches are particularly important since they often result in identity theft, massive debt, and lawsuits against companies. While employees are often the main culprits when it comes to security breaches, automated payroll systems can certainly plug the holes.
Vietnam has slaughtered more than 1.2 million pigs infected with African swine fever, a deadly disease that is rapidly spreading across the country.

The government confirmed the move on Monday, May 13, as a way to prevent the virus from spreading even wider.

"The risk of the virus spreading further is very high and the evolution of the outbreak is complicated," the government said in a statement.

African Swine Fever In Vietnam

Swine fever was first detected in Vietnam in February. It has since spread to 29 provinces, including Dong Nai which supplies nearly half of the pork consumed in the country's business and financial hub Ho Chi Minh.

The government stated that many provinces failed to detect the disease before it was too late because of lack of funding. Infected pigs were also not culled immediately because there was not enough space to bury the culled animals.

Pork accounts for three-quarters of the total meat consumption in Vietnam. Majority of the 30 million pigs raised in the Southeast Asian country is consumed locally.

In March, the United Nations Food and Agriculture urged the country to declare a national emergency due to the African swine fever outbreak.

African Swine Fever Spreads In China

The virus has also been detected and rapidly spreading in China. According to reports, African swine fever has also been found in the southern Hainan island, about 2,000 miles or around 3,219 kilometers away from the province of Liaoning where the first case of the deadly disease was recorded.

The government has ordered widespread culling to control the outbreak. China's National Bureau of Statistics recently released a data showing that the number of pigs in the country dropped to 375.3 million, about 40 million lower than last year.

"I have been very surprised about how fasy ASF has spread in China," said Linda Dixon, a researcher at the Pirbright Institute, to Time.

The consumption of infected pork is a major contributor to the rapid spread of the virus in China. African swine fever can survive for months in pork products such as sausages.

Although the government has tried to put a stop to swill feeding, many small farmers feed their pigs with household garbage.

There is neither a vaccine nor a cure for African swine fever. It is highly contagious and deadly to pigs, but it is harmless to humans.

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Humans have a long-standing tradition of chewing gum, which may not sound impressive, but is proving invaluable to modern archaeologists.

Ancient DNA has been pulled from gum dated to 10,000 years ago, allowing researchers access to the first ever humans to settle in the Scandinavian region.

Scientists Discover DNA In Gum

Chewing gum in the ancient past is made from birch bark pitch  a far cry from what's available in present time. It was often used as glue by ancient people, but it was also typically chewed on like gum, providing scientists now with DNA that can shed light on the early populations of Scandinavia.

Thus, these ancient lumps are becoming a valuable tool in archaeogenetic studies as an alternative source of human DNA.

In a new study conducted by a team from Stockholm University, researchers analyzed masticated lumps from Huseby-Klev, which is a hunter-fisher site during the early Mesolithic period located on the west coast of Sweden.

Few bones from this period have been located in these area, much less bones that have DNA well-preserved enough to study. The newly recovered DNA from gum is the oldest human DNA to be sequenced from Scandinavia.

It was actually excavated in the early 1990's, but technology at the time wasn't sufficient for the analysis of ancient human DNA.

"It took some work before the results overwhelmed us, as we understood that we stumbled into this almost 'forensic research,' sequencing DNA from these mastic lumps, which were spat out at the site some 10,000 years ago!" said study author Natalija Kashuba who was affiliated with The Museum of Cultural History in Oslo during the research period. Kashuba is currently a Ph.D. student at Uppsala University.

What The DNA Say About The Scandinavian People

Findings published in the journal Communications Biology revealed that the DNA  belonging to two females and one male  are genetically close to other hunter gatherers in Sweden and early Mesolithic populations from Ice Age Europe. Meanwhile, the tools that were found at the site with the chewing gum consisted of lithic technology that were brought to the region from the East European Plain.

It paints a picture of a culture and genetic influx into Scandinavia from two routes, which has been suggested in previous studies.

"Demography analysis suggests that the genetic composition of Huseby Klev individuals show more similarity to western hunter-gatherer populations than eastern hunter-gatherers" explained Emrah Kirdok of the Stockholm University, who conducted the computational analysis of the DNA.

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Guest assitant LaKisha Chatman, left, builds to-go lunches for customer Holly Annison, right, and Becky Caire at the Piccadilly To Go location at 216 Lee Drive, near Highland Road. The location is second one of its kind for the chain. It has no inside seating, so customers place orders in the lobby or drive-through or pick up meals they've already ordered online. Much of the chain's recent growth has come from takeout orders.
Brandon Boyd, who was 17 when he fired randomly into a crowd on La Margie Avenue in 2014 and killed a man, will claim in an appeal to the state Supreme Court that the life without parole term he received after his conviction is excessive for a first-time offender of such a young age.

A state appellate court in Baton Rouge, which previously affirmed Boyd's 2016 second-degree murder conviction, recently let stand his sentence and dealt out some harsh words in the process.

First Circuit Court of Appeal Chief Judge Vanessa Whipple, who authored the court's May 9 decision, said the fact that Boyd was a first-time offender "does little to mitigate the atrocity of the crime."

Whipple noted that Boyd, now 23, fired a gun several times into a crowd of people involved in a fight in which he was not involved. East Baton Rouge Parish prosecutors, she said, argued to the jury that Boyd "brought a gun to a fist fight."

Emanuelle Myles, 24, of Baton Rouge, was shot in the back of the head and died.

Baton Rouge teen convicted of second-degree murder in a 2014 fatal shooting on La Margie Avenue A Baton Rouge man accused of firing randomly into a large crowd on La Margie Avenue two years ago, killing a 24-year-old man, was found guilty

State District Judge Beau Higginbotham, who presided over Boyd's jury trial and sentenced him, found Boyd to be "the worst of the worst type of person."

Boyd, from Baton Rouge, claims there was no showing that he was the "worst case" or the "worst offender." The the U.S. Supreme Court has said life without parole sentences should be reserved for those types of cases and offenders when dealing with juvenile killers.

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Circuit Judge Mike McDonald took issue with Boyd's contention.

"The hypocrisy of this argument is not lost on me," McDonald wrote. "The facts indicate he shot several times into a crowd where a fist fight was taking place in which he had no involvement. He injured one person and killed another who was 24 years old at the time. He could have killed or injured anyone or more people."

McDonald said Higginbotham correctly found Boyd to be "the worst of the worst type of person."

"He is a threat to society and earned this sentence," McDonald said.

Boyd's attorney, Michael Fiser, said Thursday he will ask the Louisiana Supreme Court to review the case.

Boyd and Myles were among those who had gathered in a parking lot to watch four people fight, police said. At some point during the fight, Boyd  who knew two of those involved in the fight  pulled out a gun and fired multiple shots.

BR teen indicted on murder count in March 18 shooting on La Margie Avenue A Baton Rouge teenager accused of firing randomly into a large crowd on La Margie Avenue, killing one person and wounding another, was indicte

A 19-year-old man also was shot in the arm.
Louisiana state prisons have over-relied on solitary confinement and have been employing troubling and inconsistent practices in recent years, an outcome of the corrections department's vague disciplinary policy that is often disregarded, as well as unfit facilities and a population with rising mental health needs, according to a new report from the Vera Institute for Justice.

The Safe Alternatives to Segregation report released Thursday found that, in 2016, Louisiana confined prisoners in solitary confinement cells at rates almost four times the national average; however, researchers noted that since then, prison officials have taken considerable strides to reducing solitary housing and are committed to building on that progress.

Though current numbers were not immediately available, Department of Corrections Secretary Jimmy LeBlanc said they have reduced the number of prisoners in such restrictive housing units  which he will not call solitary confinement  by almost 1,000 since 2016, about a 40 percent decrease.

That dip, however, would still leave Louisiana at a rate about double the national average of state prisoners in solitary housing. In 2016, about 17 percent of inmates in Louisiana's state prisons were in solitary confinement; today, it's about 10 percent. The national average is about 4.5 percent, experts say.

"We are making a sincere attempt at improving the prison system ," LeBlanc said Wednesday. "We're proud of what we accomplished  (but) we have a long way to go here and we know that."

LeBlanc also noted that Louisiana, unlike other states, houses about half of its state inmate population in local jails, which were not analyzed for this report. Because of that setup, he said, the most challenging and needy state prisoners are housed in state prisons, driving up their rate of segregated housing. LeBlanc also emphasized that his department made reducing restrictive housing a goal even before their partnership with the Vera Institute of Justice, a criminal justice nonprofit.

The new report is the product of that partnership, and is based on data, observations and focus group interviews from 2015 and 2016. LeBlanc said his team is still reviewing the more than 100-page report, but plans to make changes based on some of the findings and will continue to review the recommendations.

Louisiana should adopt policies to significantly shorten the amount of time people are held in segregation, with the ultimate goal of ensuring that no person is placed in segregation for longer than 15 days in alignment with international standards ," the report says. Living conditions in these units are characterized by social isolation, idleness, boredom, and sensory deprivation, often for prolonged and indeterminate periods of time."

Research has shown that living in such conditions exacerbate mental health issues as well as contribute to social withdrawal, anger issues, cognitive deficits and lasting psychological trauma, the report says.

In their review of solitary confinement  which Vera researchers defined as any solo housing unit where prisoners were confined for an average of 22 hours a day and provided limited programming  they found segregation was often used as discipline for nonviolent or minor offenses. The report found that in most cases, there was little to no programming for prisoners while in segregated housing, or upon their reentry to the general prison population dormitory, or, in too many cases, for people being released straight into the community from isolation.

+11 'A growth process': New program at Elayn Hunt works to transform inmates' lives, the prison In less than six months, one of the most dangerous and dreaded dormitories at Elayn Hunt Correctional Center in St. Gabriel has become one of 

Because of data constraints, researchers noted they were not able to analyze solitary confinement in local jails housing state inmates, or any stays in segregation units that lasted more than two years  which they know occurs but could not say how frequently.

The report, however, also praises Louisiana for the strides made toward addressing some of these issues, most notably the closure of Angola's Camp J, a notorious unit of solitary confinement that was one of the state's largest such units. Corrections officials were also lauded for their transition programs at Elayn Hunt Correctional Center in St. Gabriel and the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola that help prisoners readjust to life outside of a cell, and help them be successful in general population. Elayn Hunt has piloted a thus-far successful mentor-based program.

On death row, officials recently began allowing some congregate time for such inmates, including recreation or certain classes. And the state has started testing a new disciplinary policy to reduce the reliance on restrictive housing and make all prisons more consistent in their enforcement and implementation.

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Department of Corrections Chief of Operations Seth Smith said they have also increased programming opportunities for those housed in segregation cells, with inmates even receiving the equivalent of a high school degree while in segregation, something he said had never happened before.

But the report also reveals some troubling practices surrounding restrictive housing in Louisiana's prisons. At seven state prisons, hundreds of prisoners were placed in segregation after an alleged rule violation and stayed there for weeks or even months after they were found not guilty of the infraction, the report found. At David Wade Correctional Center near Homer, inmates found not guilty of their alleged violation remained in segregation, or extended lockdown, for 115 days on average, by far the worst.

The report also details two concerning practices employed only at David Wade that have been used to further discipline inmates already in solitary housing. Disciplinary detention/isolation (DD/I), which the report calls "segregation within segregation" and "among the most restrictive and isolating forms of segregation in Louisiana," takes away inmates' bed sheets and mattresses during daytime hours and keeps them isolated for more than 23 hours a day.

"People are prohibited from lying down on their concrete beds during working hours and must sit up," the report says."This form of punishment is excessively severe and likely exacerbates psychological states and behaviors that it was created to deter, such as verbal combativeness, spitting and throwing bodily fluids or feces at staff."

Researchers could not determine how often DD/I was used because they did not track it in their data system; however, they noted the mattresses outside cells during visits, indicating the punishment was going on.

The other form of this harsh practice, called "strip-cell status," takes away a prisoner's clothes and any personal property besides a paper gown, toilet paper and a mattress, though the report notes the mattress could be taken away as a further sanction.

The Department of Corrections and David Wade Correctional Center officials are currently facing a federal class-action lawsuit from inmates in the prison's lockdown units, which further details problematic conditions in the segregated housing wings, calling them unconstitutional and particularly detrimental prisoners' mental health.

Smith said their administration is looking into these practices; he was unsure if they are still going on.

+17 'Temporary has become permanent' for displaced inmates of flooded Louisiana women's prison At first, the roughly 1,000 women held at Louisiana's prison for women in St. Gabriel when it flooded in 2016 were told they'd be temporarily 

And while LeBlanc hopes they can continue to make changes, he said finances remain an issue for the corrections department.

Its not necessarily within our power to do it if we dont have additional resources," LeBlanc said, explaining that many of these changes require more staff, more training and facility updates.

But David Cloud, one of the lead researchers from Vera on the study, said he believes the Department of Corrections can continue to move forward, with the right approach.

This is a big problem that is rooted in Louisianas larger framework of mass incarceration and it's going to take a lot of tenacity and commitment and candor to fix," Cloud said. He said their findings show there needs to be a "shift in what were trying to accomplish here: foster healing and humanity rather than deprivation or retribution."

Editors note: This story has been updated to include a reference to the pending federal lawsuit over conditions at David Wade Correctional Center.
After two years of no change, health insurance premiums for East Baton Rouge Parish school employees may soon rise again.

The East Baton Rouge Parish School Board is expected Thursday to approve a 6.4 percent hike in monthly premiums for employees, both active and retired, who use insurance provided by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana. The increase would take effect in January.

The last premium increase, 7.7 percent, went into effect in 2017.

After weeks of delay, East Baton Rouge School Board approves 7.7 premium hike for employees The East Baton Rouge Parish School Board voted Thursday to increase health insurance premiums for all active and some retired employees by an 

On May 2, the board, voting 7-0, gave preliminary approval to a package of changes to employee medical coverage, including a new premium increase. Board member Dawn Collins was absent and Dadrius Lanus left the meeting early.

If the school system does nothing, Mercer, the human resources firm acting as the school systems health care consultant, predicts employee medical expenses in 2020 will increase by almost 11 percent. Thats about $6.8 million more than that coverage costs now.

The proposed monthly premium increases would fill nearly $4 million of that $6.8 million gap.

The 6.4 percent increase for those on Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana plans would be applied to both the school systems portion of the premiums as well as those of individual employees.

Not everyone would see an increase. Retired employees who have purchased Medicare Advantage plans through Humana would see no change in their premiums.

Here are the higher monthly premiums broken down by the type of employee and Blue Cross plan:

Active employee: $87.10, or $5.24 more a month, on the Core plan; $190.24, or $11.44 more a month, on the more-generous Buy Up plan.

Active employee with spouse and children: $602.81, or $36.26 more a month, on the Core plan; $841.18, or $50.60 more a month, for those same employees on the Buy Up plan.

Retired employee not eligible for Medicare: $253.13, or $15.17 more a month, on the Core plan; $417.15, or $25.09 more a month, on the Buy Up plan.

Retired employee not eligible for Medicare with spouse and children: $768.97, or $46.25 more a month, on the Core plan; $1,133.42, or $68.18 more a month, on the Buy Up plan.

Retired employee eligible for Medicare: $341.10, or $20.52 more a month, on the Core plan; $430.96, or $25.92 more a month, on the Buy Up plan.

Retired employee eligible for Medicare with spouse and children: $799.05, or $48.06 more a month, on the Core plan; $1,005.21, or $60.46 more a month, on the Buy Up plan.

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Another $2.8 million in proposed health insurance savings would come from other changes.

A big one is the launching of a third Blue Cross insurance plan called Community Blue Narrow Network. The Narrow plan, priced between the Core and Buy Up plans, would give participants substantial savings but only if they use doctors and facilities in the Blue Cross network.

Another change would increase deductibles.

For those getting care in the Blue Cross network, the new deductibles would be $600 a year in Core and $1,000 a year for Buy Up. Thats $200 and $400 more than they are now. Out-of-network deductibles would jump to $1,000 in Core and $1,800 in Buy Up. Thats $600 and $1,200 more than they are now.

The Narrow plan would start with a $500 deductible in network and $1,500 out of network.

Annual out-of-pocket maximums are set to shoot up as well. For Core members, theyd increase 68 percent, while theyd almost double for Buy Up members.

Employees on Buy Up plans would have the greatest impact. Currently their out-of-pocket maximum ranges from as low of $2,900 for in-network care to a high of $17,400 for out-of-network care. That would increase to a low of $5,850 for in-network care to a high of $35,100 for out-of-network care.

Valencia Johnson, a third-grade teacher at Sharon Hills Elementary in Baton Rouge, spoke out on May 2 against the out-of-pocket maximum increase, saying those higher levels are too much for employees to handle.

If you have a critical illness, that is going to make your expenses skyrocket, she said.

The School Board meeting is scheduled for 5 p.m at the School Board Office, 1050 S. Foster Drive.
WASHINGTON  Amid a raging national debate over the future of abortion in the country, U.S. Sen. John Kennedy said during a Fox News appearance on Thursday that it would make sense for the U.S. Supreme Court to reconsider the landmark Roe v. Wade decision that has limited restrictions on abortion access.

Louisiana case could provide insight into how new Supreme Court will handle abortion WASHINGTON  Abortion rights advocates asked the U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday to set aside a Louisiana law that could possibly shutter the 

Let me tell you something, whether you agree with the result of Roe v Wade or you dont, I taught constitutional law in another life for 15 years, and anybody who knows a law book from a J. Crew catalog knows that Roe v. Wade is one of the most poorly reasoned decisions in the history of the United States Supreme Court. It is totally illogical. The analysis makes no sense, Kennedy, a Madisonville Republican who is a former LSU law professor and currently on the powerful Judiciary Committee, said of the 1973 ruling. So, if the Supreme Court wants to revisit it, its not going to bother me one bit.

You can watch the video of the exchange here. Kennedy's remarks about abortion begin at the 10-minute mark.

Kennedy was a Democrat for years but switched to the Republican Party in 2007. He was elected to the Senate in 2016.

He was asked about Alabama's controversial anti-abortion law signed this week that has made national headlines. If enacted, doctors who perform abortions in Alabama could be punished with life in prison.

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Im not going to tell the people of Alabama what to do. Thats their business, Kennedy said. If a bill similar to the bill of Alabama came before me up here, Id vote for it.

I believe all life is sacred, he added.

Louisiana, which tends to be among states with the toughest restrictions on abortion, has three abortion clinics  one each in Baton Rouge, New Orleans and Shreveport. There were five when the Louisiana Legislature in 2014 passed a law requiring abortion providers to have admitting privileges at a nearby hospital. That law is on hold while it's being challenged to the U.S. Supreme Court possibly the first major test of how conservative justices appointed by President Donald Trump address reproductive issues.

+4 Louisiana pushing anti-abortion agenda 'just as strongly' as other states with these proposed laws As lawmakers across the South and Midwest go on an anti-abortion legislating spree  led by an Alabama law that would represent a near-total b

Louisiana state lawmakers this session continue advancing bills that would further regulate abortion, including a high-profile ban on abortions after a heartbeat is detected, usually at around six weeks of pregnancy  a point when many women remain unaware they are pregnant.

Louisiana currently prohibits abortion after 20 weeks. A 15-week ban was adopted last year, but it will only go into effect if a similar law in Mississippi is upheld.
WASHINGTON  Wendy Vitter, the Louisiana native who set aside an ambitious legal career to stand by her husband through a scandal and an unsuccessful run for governor, is now a federal judge for life.

The U.S. Senate voted 52-45 on Thursday to confirm Vitter's appointment to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana based in New Orleans. President Donald Trump had nominated Vitter twice in the past 16 months.

I am honored and truly humbled by this confirmation," Vitter said in a statement. "I look forward to working hard at the job and serving with fairness, compassion, and integrity.

No Democrats backed Vitter, and one Republican, Sen. Susan Collins, of Maine, also voted against her. Democrats had criticized her anti-abortion views and reluctance to judge the U.S. Supreme Courts landmark segregation-busting Brown v. Board of Education decision during a committee hearing.

Louisiana's U.S. senators, Bill Cassidy and John Kennedy, championed her nomination. Vitter's husband, David, had previously served as a U.S. senator and lost a bid to become Louisiana governor in 2015.

She is immensely qualified to serve, and I wish her success in upholding the Constitution on behalf of the good people of the Eastern District," said Cassidy, R-Baton Rouge.

He had said before the vote that it was "a shame the liberal left is using fabricated political smears to suppress the voice of a strong conservative woman." Cassidy said David and Wendy Vitter aided him "from the very beginning" in his successful effort to defeat incumbent Democratic Sen. Mary Landrieu in 2014.

Kennedy, a Republican from Madisonville, replaced David Vitter in the Senate.

Wendy is whip smart and articulate. She understands and appreciates the rule of law, Kennedy said.

David Vitter is now a lobbyist with Mercury LLC.

Wendy Vitter's nomination to federal bench will get U.S. Senate vote this week WASHINGTON  Its taken nearly a year and a half, but Wendy Vitter should know by the end of Thursday whether she has a lifetime seat on the f

The American Bar Association, which grades all potential appointees to lifetime federal judicial appointments, rated Wendy Vitter as "qualified" but noted the 15-member panel wasn't unanimous.

Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pennsylvania, said before Thursday's vote Vitter has virtually no federal trial court experience.

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Vitter, nee Baldwin, graduated from the now-defunct Mercy Academy in New Orleans and holds a bachelors degree from Sam Houston State University in Texas. She earned her law degree from Tulane in 1986 and formerly worked as an Orleans Parish assistant district attorney and at a private firm. She has been general counsel to the Archdiocese of New Orleans since 2012.

Democrats this week renewed complaints about Vitter's long history of anti-abortion activism, including remarks she made at a 2013 protest at the site of a proposed Planned Parenthood clinic in Uptown New Orleans accusing the group of killing "over 150,000 females a year," and her participation in spreading false claims of links between birth control and cancer. U.S. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-New York, warned that she and other Trump nominees will damage the country for generations.

We understand the president and Republicans will want conservatives, but hard-right, narrow ideologues who show no understanding or sympathy for people who don't look like them or pray like them or marry like them? Schumer asked. It's not hard. If you need the benefit of hindsight to understand that Brown v. Board of Education, which brought an end to school segregation and led to the end of American apartheid, was correctly decided, you shouldn't be a federal judge.

+4 Wendy Vitter, Donald Washington and James David Cain all clear Senate committee WASHINGTON  Three Louisianans tapped by President Donald Trump for federal judicial posts cleared a key U.S. Senate committee on Thursday, le

Carl Tobias, a University of Richmond law professor who follows the federal judiciary, said Vitter's positions slowed the confirmation process.

It did take a long time, partly because she was considered to be relatively controversial, he said.

Louisiana residents would know Wendy Vitter as a tough-talking political spouse who proclaimed to reporters in 2000  commenting about President Bill Clintons affair scandal while her husband was a congressman  that she would be a lot more like Lorena Bobbitt than Hillary, referring to the Virginia woman who severed her husbands penis in 1993.

Seven years later, Wendy Vitter would herself end up dragged into a salacious politically tinged extra-marital embarrassment when David Vitter was linked via phone records to the infamous D.C. Madam. His troubles prompted a defiant, highly publicized stand by your man moment for Wendy Vitter, who by that time had already settled into life as a stay-at-home mom and part-time campaign surrogate for her husband.

"I stand before you to tell you very proudly, I am proud to be Wendy Vitter, she told reporters in 2007, her husband at her side. She subsequently appeared in an advertisement touting her husband's political bona fides. Wendy Vitter asked for her family's privacy without directly mentioning the prostitution allegations. The couple has not publicly addressed the episode in the years since, aside from a campaign ad in which David Vitter said he had failed (his) family  but found forgiveness and love.

The Vitters have four children: Sophie, twins Lise and Airey, and Jack.

+3 Wendy Vitter gets Senate committee sign-off for federal judgeship despite strong objections WASHINGTON  Wendy Vitters nomination for a New Orleans federal court judgeship cleared a Senate committee Thursday, overcoming vociferous De

During the 2007 spotlight, Wendy Vitter waved off comparisons between herself and Hillary Clinton, another lawyer who aided an ambitious husbands political career, suffered through a public infidelity scandal and would eventually go on to seek her own political fortunes.

The Times-Picayune reported at the time that observers quickly dismissed the comparisons, noting that Wendy Vitter did not have her own political ambitions in mind when she chose, as she put it, to recommit to the marriage.
Gov. John Bel Edwards said Thursday he would be inclined to sign legislation to finance a major road project in West Baton Rouge Parish if it wins final approval.

Edwards also said prospects appear bright in the push to employ innovative financing for building the Louisiana Highway 415 connector nearly half a century after it was conceived.

Nearly half a century later, key vote coming on 3-mile flyover with 4 lanes in West Baton Rouge A Baton Rouge area road project faces a crucial vote Wednesday in the Louisiana House, nearly half a century after it went on the drawing boards.

The proposal would revamp spending plans using the financial settlement from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon Gulf oil spill.

"As best I can tell there is little to no opposition to redirecting those monies," he said.

The work would erect a 3-mile flyover between the La. 415/Lobdell exit and La. Hwy. 1 between Port Allen and Plaquemine.

The governor made his comments one day after the state House gave lopsided approval to the measure after a lengthy debate. The vote was 97-4 and followed several failed attempts to to re-divvy the money.

La. 415 connector project gets House approval to use Deepwater Horizon settlement funds After a lengthy debate, the state House on Wednesday approved a bill that would use some proceeds from the 2010 Gulf oil spill to build the Lo

The legislation, House Bill 578, next faces action in the state Senate with less than three weeks left in the 2019 session.

That debate, like the House discussion, is sure to spark efforts by senators to garner funds for projects in their own areas.

But the governor's comments could give the bill a boost, especially after the administration earlier exercised a wait-and-see approach to the bill.

Sen. Rick Ward III, R-Port Allen, is expected to handle the measure.

Louisiana is set to get about $700 million in the next 13 years under the settlement.

The money is scheduled to arrive in $53 million yearly increments.

Under a 2014 state law, 45% of the money goes to Louisiana's rainy day fund, 45% to the Medicaid Trust Fund and 10% to the Health Trust Fund.

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Edwards said the settlement is to reimburse the state for expenses, not to address damages caused along the coast.

The bill would re-allocate $25 million per year for five years for the La. 415 connector and $25 million annually for five years to build an 8-mile stretch of elevated highway between Golden Meadow and Leeville.

After that, the roughly $400 million or so remainder would be used for bridges, maintenance, safety projects and new construction.

Backers contend the La. 415 project would ease daily traffic problems on La. 1, on and near the "new" Mississippi River bridge and the heavily-traveled Intracoastal Bridge.

They also say that, with the state facing a $14 billion backlog of road and bridge needs, prospects are dim for any other funding source.

"The position is we are looking for money for infrastructure projects," Edwards told reporters.

He said that, while the money was first earmarked for the rainy day fund and other sources, lawmakers have a legitimate right to now say there are pressing infrastructure needs.

The governor said the state is using federal bonds, called GARVEE, to finance the widening of Interstate 10 in Baton Rouge between the bridge and the split and other projects as well as public-private partnerships.

"We are looking for these opportunities," he said.

"I am happy to keep working with the Legislature on this particular instrument," Edwards said of the bill.

He said that, depending on what happens to the legislation, "my inclination would certainly be to sign it."

The La. 415 connector would cost about $145 million.

The La. 1 upgrade would cost $343 million.

If the legislation wins final approval those funds would be used to draw federal aid to complete both projects.
Of the six lawmakers who have been charged by the Ethics Board or entered into consent opinions since the reforms championed by former Gov. Bobby Jindal, former state Sen. Robert Marionneaux Jr.s case has gone on the longest.

+16 Why the 'most egregious' ethics case in Louisiana remains open nine years later Its been nine years since the Louisiana Ethics Board first took up what its former chairman called the most egregious case to ever come bef

The Ethics Board charged Marionneaux, a Democrat from Maringouin, in 2010 for failing to disclose his role in a lawsuit between Bernhard Mechanical Contractors and Louisiana State University. Marionneauxs case has yet to be resolved, and his attorney has said he did nothing wrong.

Among the other cases, two legislators were accused of failing to file proper paperwork, the most mundane of sins.

Former state Rep. Michael L. Jackson, D-Baton Rouge, signed consent opinions with the Ethics Board in 2009 and 2011 over his failure to file campaign finance reports and his business with a public entity. But then he sued the board  even though those who sign consent opinions forfeit their right to sue. A district court in 2012 upheld the Ethics Boards arguments and ordered him to pay $5,000. In 2014, he was hit with another campaign finance charge for failing to file a campaign finance report, which he later filed.

Former state Sen. Julie Quinn, R-Metairie, also entered a consent opinion in 2010 and agreed to pay $5,000 for failing to file accurate campaign finance reports. She said at the time that any inaccuracies were unknown and unintentional.

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The other cases captured more attention.

Soon after the 2008 special session on ethics, the Ethics Board charged former state Sen. Derrick Shepherd, D-Marrero, while the former senator was awaiting trial on federal charges of conspiracy to commit money laundering. Shepherd resigned his seat, pleaded guilty to one charge and served more than a year in federal prison. The Ethics Board cleared him of wrongdoing in 2009, and dismissed its charges against him.

Grambling State University President and former state Sen. Rick Gallot, a floor leader for Jindal during the ethics reforms, was charged in 2009 because his law firm represented a nonprofit in business dealings with Grambling and the University of Louisiana System board. Gallots mother sat on the board. But an Ethics Adjudicatory Board dismissed the charges later that year, saying the Ethics Board took too long to prosecute them  the shorter timeline was a change under the new ethics system that the Gallot had helped shepherd.

The most recent ethics case against a legislator came in 2017, when state Rep. Jerome Dee Richard, an independent from Thibodaux, signed a consent opinion in which he acknowledged using $37,000 in campaign funds to feed a gambling addiction. Richard apologized, said his anti-Parkinsons disease medication spurred a gambling addiction and agreed to pay back the money.
It's a fundamental part of representative government: Politicians are elected to advocate for their constituents, and not their own interests.

But in many states, laws and ethics rules allow representatives to advance bills that would benefit their own financial interests, as well.

Take Louisiana, where lawmakers only have to recuse themselves if a proposed bill benefits them specifically and no one else, as The Advocate and ProPublica have detailed this week. So, for example, if the owner of a group of nursing homes votes for a bill that would increase profits for his business, but not for other nursing home owners, that would be a conflict of interest. But if the bill increases profit for the entire industry, then its acceptable.

+7 Louisiana lawmakers are pushing bills that benefit their own businesses. And its perfectly legal. Louisiana state Rep. Lance Harris, one of the Legislature's most powerful Republicans, has cast himself as a purist when it comes to conflicts

Similar language exists in the majority of states, regardless of whether they have full-time, part-time or citizen legislatures. In part-time and citizen legislatures, in which lawmakers are not paid a full salary and often rely on other employment, this means people connected to certain industries or fields are not automatically barred from voting on legislation that might affect them financially.

The increasing complexity of public policy at all levels, with intervention into private affairs, makes conflicts of interest almost inevitable for every part-time public official and particularly for a member who must vote on measures affecting the life of every citizen or resident of the state, the Legislative Manual of North Dakota states.

This can mean situations that look like conflicts of interest often technically arent, according to the letter of the law. In Alabama, State Sen. William Beasley proposed legislation last year that would exempt prescription medicine from business license taxes, potentially saving pharmacies money. When he is not making laws, Beasley is president of the company that owns Clayton Drug Company and operates a chain of pharmacies.

Beasley stands to personally benefit from the legislation, but so do all the other pharmacy owners in Alabama. I'm sponsoring the bill for all retail pharmacists in the state of Alabama," Beasley told al.com, I'm just one little person. I'm one little spoke in the wheel."

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Louisianas rules are less stringent than those in some other states. In California, for example, a lawmaker has a conflict of interest when a bill might benefit his or her immediate family, or any business or property where he or she has over a $2,000 investment. In such cases, California lawmakers must recuse themselves, meaning they cannot discuss or vote on the matter. Marylands Ethics Guide specifies that a lawmaker cannot benefit from a close economic association with someone, like a lobbyist, who has an interest in a particular piece of legislation passing.

Even when a lawmaker doesnt have a conflict of interest according to ethics rules, some states try to prevent even the appearance of a conflict. For example, in Maryland, lawmakers are encouraged to file a disclaimer of conflict to the State Ethics Commission related to their particular occupation. The commission then decides whether the lawmaker should recuse himself or herself. In Colorado, lawmakers are asked to recuse themselves from voting on issues in which their participation would create the appearance of impropriety.

In 2015, the Center for Public Integrity and The Post and Courier reported on how South Carolinas ethics laws allowed lawmakers to use campaign accounts, reimbursements from state governments and gifts from interested parties as a personal ATM. The Legislature passed changes to the states ethics laws the following year requiring lawmakers to file financial disclosures and establishing an independent body to oversee compliance.

But even before the reforms passed, critics were saying they didnt go far enough. The State newspaper reported that South Caroline state Rep. Jim Merrill was earning money through his public relations company but did not have to disclose who was paying him. In December 2016, a grand jury investigation into corruption in the statehouse indicted Merrill on 30 charges of ethics violations. Merrill was accused of using his company to accept more than $1 million from groups with interests in state legislation. In 2017, he agreed to cooperate with prosecutors as they continued their investigation, pleading guilty to one charge of misconduct in office. By May 2017, four South Carolina lawmakers had been indicted as part of the probe.

Decca Muldowney is a research fellow at ProPublica, a nonprofit news organization in New York. The Advocate is a member of ProPublicas Local Reporting Network.
Setting up a clash with the state House, the Louisiana Senate approved a $39 million increase for public schools Wednesday in a plan that also includes $1,000 teacher pay raises.

The vote was 37-1.

The measure, Senate Concurrent Resolution 3, moves to the state House, where the same plan was rejected by the House Education Committee.

House leaders have questioned whether the state would have enough money to finance the public school teacher pay raises if the $39 million increase is included.

House and Senate leaders will try to hammer out a compromise before adjournment on June 6.

The legislation spells out how to spend $3.85 billion for the 2019-20 school year, including $500 increases for cafeteria workers and other support personnel.

It is backed by Gov. John Bel Edwards, who has made teacher pay raises his top priority for the session, and the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education.

"We need to make a public, positive statement to public education, to those teachers who work day and night to educate our children, that we value what they do," said state Sen. Gerald Long, R-Winnfield.

Louisiana public school aid battle sparking new rift between Gov. John Bel Edwards, Senate vs. House In a repeat of budget battles, Gov. John Bel Edwards and the state Senate are lining up against the Louisiana House on whether public schools 

The resolution spells out how to allocate money through the Minimum Foundation Program, or MFP.

Backers say it is crucial for the boost in state aid and the teacher and support personnel pay raises to be included in that formula to ensure recurring funding.

The House-passed budget  House Bill 105  includes funds for $1,200 teacher pay raises and $600 increases for support workers.

House committee approves revamped plan that'd give teachers $1,200 raises, not $1,000 In a new twist, public school teachers would get pay raises of $1,200 this year, rather than $1,000, and pay for support workers would rise by

Those increases would not be in the MFP and, critics say, amount to one-year stipends.

The House-passed budget does not include new dollars for public schools districts, which have had only once such increase in the past decade.

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The Senate-passed resolution, which was sent to the Legislature by BESE, can be approved or rejected but cannot be changed.

The lone "no" vote was cast by state Sen. Conrad Appel, R-Metairie.

Appel said that, while he does not oppose a pay boost for teachers, he opposed the measure because of the lack of any major funding increase for early childhood education.

The Republican said $8.8 million in new aid for early childhood education is in the budget while backers have requested $86 million.

"My vote is because I want to see substantial funding for early childhood education and I want to start it this year," Appel said.

Senate Education Committee Chairman Dan "Blade" Morrish, R-Jennings, sponsor of the resolution, agreed that early childhood education is a worthy cause.

"However, it is not part of the MFP," Morrish said.

Edwards praised the Senate vote in a statement.

"Thanks to the overwhelming support of the Louisiana Senate, teachers are one step closer to getting a well-deserved and long overdue pay raise this year, and schools are closer to getting their needs addressed through a boost in the MFP," he said.

Louisiana teachers are paid an average of $50,000 per year.

Edwards has said the $1,000 raises would be the first of three years aimed at reaching the Southern regional average.

State Sen. JP Morrell, D-New Orleans, said his wife is a former school teacher.

Without an increase for public schools, Morrell said, teachers will be forced to use their own money to pay for school supplies.

"There is a reason why BESE is asking for $39 million," he said.

The plan backed by the Senate, BESE and the governor would cost $101 million for the teacher and support personnel pay raises.
It would clearly be unfair not to refund $6 million in fees unlawfully extracted from the people of Orleans Parish.

It would just as clearly be unfair to retrieve those fees from the bail bondsmen who collected, but did not retain, them. They were led to believe they could pass them on to their customers.

The money was forwarded to Criminal District Court in New Orleans, which was not responsible for dreaming up what turned out to be an illegal funding scheme. The blame for that rests squarely with legislators, who in 2005 added one percentage point to the licensing fee paid by New Orleans bail bondsmen.

But in ordering New Orleans bondsmen to impose the extra charge for the benefit of the court, legislators did not amend a law that sets the statewide rate at 12% of a bond's face value. It would have been easy enough to add an exemption to the earlier statute and raise the New Orleans rate to 13%; eight years earlier legislators had added on half a percentage point in Jefferson Parish to pay for court commissioners.

But nobody made such an adjustment this time. Thus, although legislators evidently intended for the fees to be merely a pass-through, the law isn't written that way. It can only be read to require that the bondsmen eat the extra point.

Maybe the state Insurance Department, which regulates bail bondsmen, can be blamed for failing to pick up on that, but the illicit surcharges went unnoticed until the Southern Poverty Law Center raised the alarm in 2017. There is no chance that sleepy officials will be held responsible for their mistakes. Either the fees will not be repaid, or the bail bondsmen will repay them. Only the innocent can suffer in the end.

+2 James Gill: Why Louisiana's school voucher experiment was a big Bobby Jindal flop Three years after Bobby Jindal left the governor's mansion, his legacy is coming into clearer focus, and he sure was no one-trick pony.

As to which unjust option is preferable, it will not be the bail bondsmen tugging at the heartstrings of most people. According to the SPLC, the $6 million came from 50,000 bail bonds written in Orleans Parish.

People who must borrow money to get loved ones out of Orleans Parish prison are overwhelmingly poor and black, but the bondsmen's legislative friends have managed to misconstrue any mention of this salient and indisputable fact as playing the race card.

Sympathies in the Legislature seem to be largely with the bondsmen. A bill blocking Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon's order that the bondsmen repay the fees has sailed through the Senate and a House committee. Bail bondsmen make campaign contributions and their customers generally don't, a consideration that could weigh heavily.

When Donelon ordered the bondsmen to repay the fees, he was saddling them with a most time-consuming and therefore expensive chore, given the difficulty of tracing such a large number of people each owed a relatively modest sum. But if bondsmen did not make the necessary effort, they would be held liable under a law that defines failure to refund bond overcharges as theft, Donelon explained. That meant heavy fines or the revocation or suspension of licenses. The bondsmen claimed lots of them would be driven into bankruptcy, which could cause major social disruption. Mass bankruptcies, if they did materialize, might also be a blow for those who need their services.

In any case, that prospect so distressed legislators that they filed a bill that would not only nullify Donelon's order but make a 13% surcharge permanent in Orleans Parish. This was such a gratuitous scheme to soak the poor  Criminal Court has alternative funding sources these days  that legislators were shamed into eliminating the prospective fee increase. They had to be content with letting bail bondsmen off the hook for the $6 million already collected.

Several members of the 2005 legislature averred that they intended for the fee increase to be passed through to the bond companies' customers. Among them was Cedric Richmond, who now represents New Orleans in Congress.

But in the end, it may not matter which side the current Legislature takes, for this is a dispute that seems bound to end up in court, where it should be swiftly settled. Legislative intent is a consideration only when a statute is ambiguous. The one at issue here is crystal clear and does not permit the bondsmen to charge their customers more than 12%.

Email James Gill at Gill1407@bellsouth.net.
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The trade war with Canada and Mexico was on, and then it was off. The trade war with the European Union was on, and now maybe it is off.
The Rolling Stones will try -- once again -- to roll into New Orleans.

Barring any further complications, Mick Jagger and company will return to the city for the first time in 25 years this summer.

The band announced Thursday the addition of a New Orleans stop to the rescheduled No Filter North American tour.

The Stones are now slated to play the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on July 14, a make-up date for the band's canceled show at the 2019 New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival.

The festival offered full refunds for all tickets purchased to see the Stones at Jazz Fest; those tickets, which were general admission, are not valid for the newly announced, reserved-seat show at the Superdome.

Tickets for the Superdome show go on sale May 31 at 10 a.m.

Information on ticket prices has not been released. Tickets for an upcoming Rolling Stones concert in Jacksonville, Florida, start at about $100.

Tom Jones ruled on a not entirely Rolling Stones-free Thursday at 2019 New Orleans Jazz Fest A Rolling Stone, but not the Rolling Stones, made it to the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival on Thursday.

The band announced in late March that it would miss its highly anticipated Jazz Fest date and postpone the rest of the No Filter Tour so that Jagger could have heart surgery.

The tour was originally slated to start April 20 in Miami. It will now launch in June in Chicago and end in Miami in late August.

The Rolling Stones have not performed in New Orleans since an Oct. 10, 1994 date at the Superdome during their Voodoo Lounge tour.

They've made three other stops at the Dome. On July 14, 1978, they topped a bill that included Van Halen and the Doobie Brothers.

A Dec. 5, 1981 show with the Neville Brothers and George Thorogood crammed more than 87,000 people into the Superdome, setting a record for the largest indoor concert crowd that stood for decades.

The Stones' Steel Wheels tour stopped at the Superdome on Nov. 13, 1989, with Living Colour opening.

Given the relative rarity of Rolling Stones performances in New Orleans, booking the band as the centerpiece of the 50th anniversary Jazz Fest was, in festival producer Quint Davis estimation, a biblical prophecy come true. The Stones were set to headline the second Thursday, May 2.

Can't see video below? Click here.

To cover the Stones multimillion-dollar fee, the festival priced tickets for that day at $185  more than double Jazz Fests regular at-the-gate price. In a first for the modern-day history of Jazz Fest, only a limited number of tickets were to be sold. The rest of the stages at the Fair Grounds that day were to have gone dark when the Stones started up.

Thousands of fans lined up at the Superdome, with many camping out overnight, when tickets for "Rolling Stones Thursday" went on sale to Louisiana residents in January.

After the Stones withdrew from Jazz Fest, Fleetwood Mac was recruited as the stand-in. When it canceled days later, Georgia jam band Widespread Panic, a veteran of 10 previous Jazz Fest appearances, stepped in as the last-minute replacement.

Rolling Stones references abounded at the Fair Grounds on May 2 for what turned out to be an otherwise normal "Locals Thursday," from flags and T-shirts to at least two artists who painted elaborate renderings of the Stones. Several bands also covered Rolling Stones songs. Karl Denson, the Stones' touring saxophonist, sat in with Ivan Neville's Dumpstaphunk on a cover of the Stones' "Can't You Hear Me Knocking."

During her April 28 performance, Irma Thomas made clear that she released her version of "Time Is On My Side" in 1964 several months before the Rolling Stones scored a hit with their version.

Many of those same Stones fans who camped out at the Superdome back in January will likely queue up once again when tickets go on sale for the rescheduled date.

And in yet another twist to the saga, Widespread Panic, the band that ultimately replaced the Rolling Stones at Jazz Fest, announced this week a series of three Halloween weekend concerts at the UNO Lakefront Arena. Panic has over the years often staged Halloween weekend residencies in New Orleans. This fall's dates are Oct. 31 and Nov. 1-2.

+2 Keith Spera: Rolling Stones cancellation is the most devastating in Jazz Fest history As big as the build-up was for the Rolling Stones' appearance at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, the disappointment over the band

The Rolling Stones' 2019 No Filter Tour dates

June 21 Chicago, IL Soldier Field

June 25 Chicago, IL Soldier Field

June 29 Ontario, Canada Burls Creek

July 3 Washington, DC FedExField

July 7 Foxboro, MA Gillette Stadium

July 14 New Orleans, Mercedes-Benz Superdome

July 19 Jacksonville, FL TIAA Bank Field

July 23 Philadelphia, PA Lincoln Financial Field

July 27 Houston, TX NRG Stadium

August 1 East Rutherford, NJ MetLife Stadium

August 5 East Rutherford, NJ MetLife Stadium

August 10 Denver, CO Broncos Stadium at Mile High

August 14 Seattle, WA CenturyLink Field

August 18 Santa Clara, CA Levis Stadium

August 22 Pasadena, CA The Rose Bowl

August 26 Glendale, AZ State Farm Stadium

August 31 Miami, FL Hard Rock Stadium
A powerful Chinese Communist Party-owned developer is financially backing a consortium behind a controversial $30 billion high-tech city proposed for Melbournes western suburbs.

The deal comes at a time of heightened tensions with China after Australia banned telco giant Huawei from its 5G phone network and introduced new anti-foreign influence laws.

Chengdu Xingcheng Investment Group is Chinese Communist Party owned. This is from a tab on its website. Credit:Chengdu Xingcheng Investment Group website

Australian Education City, the little-known group majority-owned and led by Scientologists Bill Dongbiao Zheng and Ross Martiensen, was awarded preferred bidder status by former Victorian finance minister Robin Scott in 2015 to develop a massive block of crown land in Werribee.

AEC outbid three of Australias largest property development companies for the rights to build a 1.5 million-square-metre city on the site.
A collaboration between technology giants including Facebook and Google to thwart livestreaming of terrorist acts has been criticised by academics and think-tanks for being light on detail, despite hopes it will usher in a "new era" of regulation.

In response to the Christchurch massacre in February, the group of multibillion dollar internet titans, which also includes Amazon, Twitter and Microsoft, have jointly agreed to consider more restrictions on livestreaming and to share some technology and data.

The global tech giants' push to collaborate could bring in a "new era" of regulation. Credit:AP

Fergus Hanson, the head of the International Cyber Policy Centre for independent think-tank Australian Strategic Policy Institute, said the alignment between the US-based behemoths comes as global authorities try to crackdown on the platforms in different ways.

"This kind of response is really interesting because theres a balkanisation of regulations around the world and its a nightmare for these types of companies," Mr Hanson said.
The man set to be Indigenous affairs minister if Labor is elected, Patrick Dodson, says the party hopes to transform the relationship between Indigenous Australians and government, enacting rapid and long-term changes that give people a greater say over their lives.

Senator Dodson, a Yawuru man dubbed the "Father of Reconciliation" for his work in Indigenous affairs, would be the first Aboriginal man to hold the portfolio in a federal government. He has conceded he is daunted by the challenge, saying he does not have "magic wand" and would consult widely to address structural problems.

Patrick Dodson, left, has promised a new relationship between the federal government and Indigenous Australians. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

In an interview with The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, Senator Dodson said a Labor government would immediately set about establishing regional assemblies for Indigenous communities to have a say over government services in their area, with the longer term work of constitutional change occurring simultaneously.

He said the assemblies were about people "wanting a greater say over their own affairs and the strategies and policies that affect their lives" and their introduction would bring about changes that were visible to communities.
The NSW Police counter-terrorism unit is investigating a string of racist, homophobic and anti-semitic emails targeting Wentworth federal MP Kerryn Phelps.

The fixated persons unit is also involved after Dr Phelps made a complaint to NSW Police following the distribution of the latest email which said "LGBT are no better than pigs or dogs".

Wentworth MP Kerryn Phelps says she has been the target of a malicious email campaign. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

Dr Phelps' wife, Jacqui, has also provided police with a statement after she said she was followed by an unknown person in Double Bay and Bondi Junction earlier this week.

Ten similar emails targeting Dr Phelps have been sent to business and personal addresses across the country since just before the October byelection.
Bill Shorten has used many secret weapons in his bid to win government. There's been a reference from elder statesman Bob Hawke, a happy families photo call with former prime ministers Julia Gillard and Kevin Rudd, and multiple appearances with his wife, Chloe. But as his six-year push for The Lodge enters its final phase, Shorten has reached for the granddaddy of them all: Gough.

With TV and radio advertising now banned for the remainder of the campaign and pre-polling expected to reach a crescendo on Friday, Shorten brought Labor back to Blacktown.

Opposition leader Bill Shorten urged supporters to "vote for change" during a rally on Thursday. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

Inviting obvious comparisons between Gough Whitlam's history-making election win in 1972 and Shorten's chances on Saturday, the Labor leader delivered his last major speech of the campaign at Bowman Hall.

The venue, in Sydney's west, is the very place where Whitlam launched his "It's time" campaign that saw him defeat the Coalition for the first time in 23 years.
Millions of voters have sent a message at this election that they have heard enough from the nations politicians. The fact that more than four million Australians will have cast their ballots before polling day proves they do not need another word from any political leader to make up their minds.

And that is no bad thing. The political parties may agonise over the soaring rate of early voting as if it is a threat to future elections, but the only threat is to their old ways of doing business. Voters have no reason to care about that.

Illustration: Simon Letch Credit:

So the election campaign ends with a jaded electorate telling Scott Morrison and Bill Shorten they have been steadily losing their audience for weeks. The empirical evidence can be measured by the boxload when all those ballot papers are taken out of storage and counted on Saturday night.

The complaints about early voting are already under way and an inquiry is certain after the election, no matter who wins. There will be pressure on the Australian Electoral Commission to cut the early voting period from three weeks to two.
Eighteen months since the dawn of a movement demanding an end to women being viewed as prey, prominent women's safety advocates say measures to protect Australian women online remain "woeful", and cyberstalking, trolling and harassment remain rampant.

#MeToo may have made men in prominent roles more wary of crossing real world boundaries, but according to advocates Ginger Gorman  author of the 2019 book Troll Hunting: Inside the world of online hate and its fallout  cyber-harassment researcher, Dr Emma Jane and Stop Stalking Now Foundation's Rachel Cassidy, women are still being targeted at "their weakest point".

Ginger Gorman has been the subject of vicious trolling, and has written a book on it. She says #MeToo has not yet achieved a safer online world for women. Credit:Dion Georgopoulos

Ginger Gorman believes social media companies have been woefully slow to enforce protections for women, and police are also lagging in their response to allegations of online crimes against women, including serious online harassment.

"In terms of policing, it's like domestic violence was 30 years ago  they think it's a private matter. They dont understand the real-life harm it does, the relative legislation or how to investigate crimes like this. They dont have the training or resources to deal with it," says Canberra-based writer, Gorman.
The saga of the controversial Mount Coot-tha Zipline project has concluded after Brisbane City Council reached a confidential settlement with proponents Zipline Australia.

The Brisbane-based company had entered an agreement with the council to operate the planned zipline and tourism facility on the mountain west of the city, but the project was scrapped by lord mayor Adrian Schrinner due to strong community backlash.

The Mt Coot-tha zipline would have also included a "skywalk". Credit:Brisbane City Council

At Tuesday's council meeting, Cr Schrinner confirmed the council had spent $902,879.79 on its own development application for the project.

That cost, he said, was largely due to the multiple technical and expert reports for the complex and unpopular project, which would have seen large ziplines of more than a kilometre in length descending from the mountain.
And that's it from us today.

The West Gate is still struggling due to a broken-down truck and the Hurstbridge/Mernda lines are experiencing delays due to train/equipment faults and ill passengers. Stay calm, and stay safe out there.

Keep abreast of the latest tributes to Bob Hawke and final-day campaign shenanigans in our political blog today.

Don't forget to get out in the sunshine, grab a democracy snag and enjoy casting your vote. Here's what the parties are promising and why.

And once your political duties are done, you can throw your support behind Kate Miller-Heidke at Eurovision.

Have a lovely weekend!
Senior police are among the worst offenders for harassing and menacing LGBTI officers, with slurs such as "faggot" common in police stations, and officers receiving threats of violence from their colleagues.

A scathing report into Victoria Police's culture found the force still tolerates a "culture of hypermasculinity" that fuels aggressive remarks and sexual harassment.

The Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission report, commissioned by Victoria Police and to be released on Friday, revealed incidents reported by LGBTI officers that show a pattern of overt homophobia.

One LGBTI police officer said a fellow officer told him, "All gays should be gassed in the chamber like the Nazis," and another said, "they should be taken out the back of the station and shot in the head".

A gay senior constable said a high-ranking sergeant pulled him aside on a night shift to tell him he could not work with a "poofter", while another officer said they were "ridiculed, harassed and mocked every shift".
You can hear the emotion in Mat Bowtells voice when he tries to describe how it feels to see a child using one of his 3D printed prosthetic limbs for the first time.

"Its really hard to describe actually."

His voice cracks and he pauses, looking up at a wall in his vast warehouse on Phillip Island, where he has pinned hundreds of photographs of children wearing the 3D printed limbs he has sent to them for free. They include hands and fingers, as well as devices that allow children to use a skipping rope, serve a tennis ball and play the piano.

"Its pretty emotional to be honest. It gives me so much energy to want to continue," says the 38-year-old engineer and founder of Free 3D Hands, where he volunteers his time creating prosthetic limbs for as little as $1, making them accessible to almost anyone, anywhere in the world.
A third of Australians surveyed in a huge global drug study said they used prescription opioids in the past year, the highest number of all countries surveyed.

Globally, half of people using prescription opioids said they took them to get high.

About three Australians a day die from drug overdoses involving opioids. It's a grim number that far outstrips the lives taken by heroin.

Most opioids are given to people over 65. But the new survey data suggests many younger people are using them as well.

The data comes from 123,814 people who responded to the Global Drug Survey, released on Thursday. The survey is done online and anyone can submit answers. About 8000 Australians responded, versus 35,030 Germans. Because of this, it cannot be used to estimate drug use in a population.
Former prime minister Bob Hawke faced the end of his life with a "sense of calm," Julia Gillard has said, while remembering him as "Australia's greatest peacetime leader". Other current and former Australian leaders have hailed Mr Hawke as a "political legend," who radically reshaped Australian politics.

Ms Gillard, who was a Labor prime minister between 2010 and 2013, described Mr Hawke as both an inspiration and a friend. She said he was peaceful as he approached the end of his life.

"When I last saw Bob, he was facing his own mortality with a sense of calm. He was ready and taking great comfort looking back on a life lived so well," she said.

Labor leader Bill Shorten paused his election campaign on Thursday night to pay tribute to the party's longest-serving prime minister. Speaking from Sydney, Mr Shorten said: "The nation and Labor are in mourning. We have lost a favourite son. Bob Hawke loved Australia and Australia loved Bob Hawke."
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has clawed back political ground in the dramatic final days of the federal election campaign, with the Coalition trailing Labor by 49 to 51 per cent in a new sign of a tight result on Saturday.

Labor has kept its lead over the Coalition but the gap has narrowed and both major parties are facing pressure on their core support, forcing them to rely on preferences and injecting more uncertainty into the final outcome.

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten had made another significant gain in his personal approval ratings to deliver his best result since last September, but trails Mr Morrison when voters are asked to name their preferred prime minister.

The exclusive Ipsos poll also reveals early voters are favouring the Coalition, with 30 per cent of all respondents saying they intended to vote before election day.
Beijing: China has formally arrested two Canadian citizens it is believed to be holding to pressure Canada into releasing a Chinese telecoms executive, bringing the two men closer to trial on vaguely defined state security charges.

Detained in China: Canadian nationals Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor. Credit:AP

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang said on Thursday that Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor have been arrested for allegedly stealing state secrets.

"We always act in accordance with the law, and we hope that Canada will not make irresponsible remarks on China's legal construction and judicial handling," Lu said at a regularly scheduled news conference.

Lu gave no other details. Kovrig is a former Canadian diplomat and expert at the International Crisis Group, and Spavor is a businessman with lengthy experience in North Korea.
Jakarta: The US Navy's operations chief would like Australian and Indonesian maritime forces to have a greater presence in the disputed South China Sea, including by sailing controversial freedom of navigation operations.

US Chief of Naval Operations Admiral John Richardson said on Thursday that each nation in south-east Asia had to determine its own response to China's moves to militarise disputed islands in the South China Sea.

But asked by The Age and Sydney Morning Herald whether Australia, Indonesia and other states in the region should conduct freedom of navigation operations to challenge China's claim of sovereignty, he said navies are "meant to get underway".

US marines patrol the USS Blue Ridge as it anchors off Manila, Philippines. America has vowed to "sail, fly and operate wherever the law allows us to" amid China's objections in the South China Sea. Credit:AP

"I think every nation is going to have to assess the situation and their own approach. But at some point navies are meant to get under way and be present and provide options to their [countries'] leadership," he said.
London: Shortly before she died, an ancient relative of mine turned her misty blue eyes on me and asked: "Have you ever had an abortion?"

The question came out of the blue - we were halfway through our cucumber sandwiches - and my nerve failed me.

"No," I lied.

"I've had lots," she said contentedly. "I've never felt guilty about it. Though sometimes I wonder what those children would have looked like."

I keep thinking about her blunt confession this week. In Alabama, 25 male senators have just passed a near-total ban on abortion. Pro-choice campaigners on both sides of the Atlantic are, rightly, aghast.
Washington: Members of the US Congress are seeking answers from the Trump administration on plans to respond to escalating tensions with Iran, demanding more information about fast-moving developments in the Middle East.

US officials are due to meet with congressional leaders from both parties in both chambers, including heads of both intelligence committees, on Thursday to discuss the Middle East, according to a person familiar with the plans. There will be a larger briefing for all House members next week, which will include Secretary of State Michael Pompeo, according to another person.

Iranian worshippers burn a US flag during a rally after Friday prayer in Tehran. Credit:AP

Bob Menendez, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, rejected this timeline for information and warned that uninformed decisions could lead to conflict like the US's military involvement in Iraq in the last decade, which was justified with faulty intelligence.

"Things are happening at warp speed here," Menendez said. "We don't need another Iraq weapons of mass destruction moment, that we're led into things on false information, unverifiable, untested. So I am alarmed that we cannot even get the basic briefings in a timely manner."
Researchers from the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology and their colleagues from Germany and the Netherlands have achieved material magnetization switching on the shortest timescales, at a minimal energy cost. They have thus developed a prototype of energy-efficient data storage devices. The paper was published in the journal Nature.

The rapid development of information technology calls for data storage devices controlled by quantum mechanisms without energy losses. Maintaining data centers consumes over 3% of the power generated worldwide, and this figure is growing. While writing and reading information is a bottleneck for IT development, the fundamental laws of nature actually do not prohibit the existence of fast and energy-efficient data storage.

The most reliable way of storing data is to encode it as binary zeros and ones, which correspond to the orientations of the microscopic magnets, known as spins, in magnetic materials. This is how a computer hard drive stores information. To switch a bit between its two basic states, it is remagnetized via a magnetic field pulse. However, this operation requires much time and energy.

Back in 2016, Sebastian Baierl from the University of Regensburg in Germany, Anatoly Zvezdin from MIPT in Russia, Alexey Kimel from Radboud University Nijmegen in the Netherlands and Russian Technological University MIREA, along with other colleagues, proposed a way for rapid spin switching in thulium orthoferrite via T-rays. Their technique for remagnetizing memory bits proved faster and more efficient than using magnetic field pulses. This effect stems from a special connection between spin states and the electrical component of a T-ray pulse.

"The idea was to use the previously discovered spin switching mechanism as an instrument for efficiently driving spins out of equilibrium and studying the fundamental limitations on the speed and energy cost of writing information. Our research focused on the so-called fingerprints of the mechanism with the maximum possible speed and minimum energy dissipation," commented study co-author Professor Alexey Kimel of Radboud University Nijmegen and MIREA.

In this study, we exposed spin states to specially tuned T-pulses. Their characteristic photon energies are on the order of the energy barrier between the spin states. The pulses last picoseconds, which corresponds to one light oscillation cycle. The team used a specially developed structure comprised by micrometer-sized gold antennas deposited on a thulium orthoferrite sample.

As a result, the researchers spotted the characteristic spectral signatures indicating successful spin switching with only the minimal energy losses imposed by the fundamental laws of thermodynamics. For the first time, a spin switch was complete in a mere 3 picoseconds and with almost no energy dissipation. This shows the enormous potential of magnetism for addressing the crucial problems in information technology. According to the researchers, their experimental findings agree with theoretical model predictions.

"The rare earth materials, which provided the basis for this discovery, are currently experiencing a sort of a renaissance," said Professor Anatoly Zvezdin, who heads the Magnetic Heterostructures and Spintronics Lab at MIPT. "Their fundamental properties were studied half a century ago, with major contributions by Russian physicists, MSU and MIPT alumni. This is an excellent example of how fundamental research finds its way into practice decades after it was completed."

The joint work of several research teams has led to the creation of a structure that is a promising prototype of future data storage devices. Such devices would be compact and capable of transferring data within picoseconds. Fitting this storage with antennas will make it compatible with on-chip T-ray sources."
2019 Lexus UX Earns IIHS Top Safety Pick Award

Arlington VA May 10, 2019; The 2019 Lexus UX, a new small SUV, earns the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's TOP SAFETY PICK award when equipped with specific headlights.

To qualify for the 2019 TOP SAFETY PICK award, 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 UX earns good ratings in all six crashworthiness evaluations.

The new SUV comes with a standard superior-rated front crash prevention system. The UX avoided collisions in IIHS track tests at 12 mph and 25 mph and has a forward collision warning component that meets criteria set by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The UX is available with two headlight options. Its available curve-adaptive headlights earn an acceptable rating in IIHS evaluations. Its base headlights earn a poor rating, largely due to excessive glare from the low beams. Both headlight systems have high-beam assist, a system that automatically switches between high beams and low beams, depending on the presence of other vehicles.

The UX is the second model from Toyota's luxury brand to earn a 2019 safety award, joining the ES, which earns the higher-tier TOP SAFETY PICK+ award. The UX would have qualified for the "plus" award if it were available with good-rated headlights.
DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The "Global Diesel Engine Technology Roadmap for Heavy-Duty Trucks" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

Greenhouse gas/fuel efficiency regulations in TRIAD countries and increasingly stringent tailpipe emission standards in developing countries will shape the powertrain strategies of OEMs over the next decade. This study provides an overview of key future fuel efficiency and tailpipe emission regulations across different regions for heavy-duty commercial vehicles.

North America is adopting GHG regulations and will next focus on ultra NOx regulations (medium-term). Europe has developed a tool for CO2 monitoring and will soon implement GHG regulations. India will shift from BS IV to BS VI (equivalent to the Euro VI) by 2020; it will have a fuel efficiency regulation in place from 2018. China will shift to China VI in 2 phases - 2020 and 2023; Phase 3 fuel efficiency regulations will be implemented in 2023.

These regulations will augment the penetration of advanced diesel engine technologies such as advanced turbochargers, automated manual transmission, advanced after treatment systems, and electrification. In addition, novel engine architecture such as opposed-piston engines, split-cycle engines, double compression expansion engines, and the Miller cycle will be explored to improve the brake thermal efficiency of diesel engines.

Falling battery prices, broader incentive policies, and charging infrastructure developments will boost the trend of electrification. Battery pack prices are expected to fall below $100 per kWh by 2023, with high battery production capacities of 250+ GWh globally. With growing battery availability and technology-readiness, fully electric vehicles will gain prominence and will be largely used across all regions by 2025. OEMs have also announced plans to manufacture electric trucks and range-extended powertrain. Fuel cell technology will gain prominence after 2022 due to the advantages of reduced component weight and packaging size.

North American OEMs have commercialized most technological advancements from the SuperTruck I program, and a strong push for electrification across major OEMs and EV start-ups is being observed. European OEMs are shifting to vertically integrated engines and transmission with proprietary turbochargers, and these facilitate precise control over vehicle drivetrain. As part of powertrain diversification, OEMs are focusing on proprietary natural gas engines and EV platforms.

Chinese OEMs are leveraging technology partnerships with European OEMs and engine research institutes to upgrade diesel engines to meet upcoming regulations. Further, government incentives are driving rapid progress in electrification across different Chinese OEMs. Indian OEMs are adopting a two-pronged approach by improving in-house engine platforms and sourcing advanced diesel engine technologies from tier 1 engine suppliers, Japanese OEMs, and European engine research institutes.

Research Highlights

Provide a strategic overview of the regional regulations that control emission and help to improve fuel efficiency and quality in North America, Europe, China, and India

Discuss the technology penetration of advanced powertrain technologies across rigid and tractor vehicles

Provide a technology outlook of the advanced diesel engine technologies used in HD vehicles

Furnish a strategic overview of electrification uptake across HD vehicles

Discuss powertrain outlook, penetration, and technology deep dive of global HD OEMs

Provide strategic recommendations and conclusions for OEMs in the HD truck market

Key Issues Addressed

What are the key tailpipe emission and fuel efficiency and economy regulations shaping the dynamics of the powertrain strategies of global OEMs?

What is the technology penetration of advanced power train technologies across rigid and tractor vehicles in North America, Europe, China, and India?

What is the technology outlook of advanced diesel engine technologies?

What are the key developments in terms of the electrification of global HD trucks?

What are the key powertrain strategies of global HD truck OEMs?

Companies Mentioned

Ashok Leyland

Cummins Inc.

Daimler AG

Hino Motors Ltd.

Isuzu Motors Limited

Iveco

Navistar Inc.

Paccar Inc.

Tata Motors

Volvo

VW Group (ManSE)

VW Group (Scania)

Topics Covered

1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Key Takeaways

Diesel Engine Powertrain Trends for 2025 and Beyond

HD Vehicle Emission Regulations Outlook

GHG/Fuel Economy Regulations Outlook

HD Truck Powertrain Overview

Diesel versus Electric Long-Haul Truck TCO Comparison

Global Powertrain Mix - Unit Shipment Snapshot

Technology Penetration versus Region-Tractor Segment

Key OEM Diesel Powertrain Strategies

Regulatory Environment and OEM Compliance Strategy

2. RESEARCH SCOPE, OBJECTIVES, BACKGROUND AND METHODOLOGY

Research Scope

Research Aims and Objectives

Key Questions this Study will Answer

Research Background

Research Methodology

3. DEFINITIONS

Definitions of Key Technologies

4. GLOBAL EMISSION AND FUEL ECONOMY AND QUALITY REGULATORY ENVIRONMENT

Global Regulations - Tailpipe and Fuel Economy and Quality

Global Tractor Truck Standards for CO2 Reduction

Global Emission Regulation Limits

Powertrain Technologies for Fuel Efficiency Improvements

Technology Fuel Consumption Reduction Potential - Class 8 Line-Haul Tractor

Technology Fuel Consumption Reduction Potential: Class 8 Line-Haul Tractor-Engine Technology

Technology Penetration versus Region - Tractor and Rigid

5. ADVANCED DIESEL ENGINE TECHNOLOGY OVERVIEW

Engine Technology Packages and Effective Fuel Consumption Reduction

Technology Outlook - Waste Heat Recovery

Technology Outlook - Miller Cycle in Engines: Scania

Technology Outlook - Split Cycle Engine: Ricardo

Technology Outlook - Double Compression Expansion Engine: Volvo

Technology Outlook - Opposed Piston Engine: Achates Power

Technology Outlook - Multi-functional SCR - DPF After treatment Systems

Technology Outlook - 48V System Design

6. POWERTRAIN REGULATORY AND TECHNOLOGY OUTLOOK - NORTH AMERICA

Regulatory Environment - North America

GHG and Fuel Economy Standards - North America

CARB Ultra-Low NOx Regulations - Impact on Powertrain

North American Powertrain Mix - Unit Shipment Snapshot

Ultra-Low Nox - Enabling Technologies

Technology Penetration - Rigid Trucks: North America

Technology Penetration - Tractor Trucks: North America

OEM Powertrain Technology Adoption Drivers - North America

7. POWERTRAIN REGULATORY AND TECHNOLOGY OUTLOOK - EUROPE

Regulatory Environment - Europe

HD Vehicle CO2 Standards - Europe

European Powertrain Mix - Unit Shipment Snapshot

Technology Penetration - Rigid Trucks: Europe

Technology Penetration - Tractor Trucks: Europe

OEM Powertrain Technology Adoption Drivers - Europe

8. POWERTRAIN REGULATORY AND TECHNOLOGY OUTLOOK - CHINA

Regulatory Environment - China

China's Fuel Efficiency Standards

Chinese Powertrain Mix - Unit Shipment Snapshot

Technology Penetration - Rigid Trucks: China

Technology Penetration - Tractor Trucks: China

OEM Powertrain Technology Adoption Drivers - China

9. POWERTRAIN REGULATORY AND TECHNOLOGY OUTLOOK - INDIA

Regulatory Environment - India

Fuel Consumption Standards - India

Indian Powertrain Mix - Unit Shipment Snapshot

Technology Penetration - Rigid Trucks: India

Technology Penetration - Tractor Trucks: India

OEM Powertrain Technology Adoption Drivers - India

10. PROGRESSION OF ELECTRIFICATION TECHNOLOGY

Electric HD Market Outlook of Key Regions - 2025

Global Plug-in Hybrid Vehicle (PHEV) Adoption Perspective

Global Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) Adoption Perspective

Global Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle (FCEV) Adoption Perspective

OEM New Dedicated Platforms - Powertrain Flexibility Comparison

11. GLOBAL OEM POWERTRAIN STRATEGIES - POWERTRAIN STRATEGY - AB VOLVO

Powertrain Outlook and Key Highlights - Volvo

Technology Deep Dive - Volvo

12. POWERTRAIN STRATEGY - NAVISTAR INC.

13. POWERTRAIN STRATEGY - VW GROUP (MAN SE)

14. POWERTRAIN STRATEGY - VW GROUP (SCANIA)

15. POWERTRAIN STRATEGY - PACCAR INC.

16. POWERTRAIN STRATEGY - DAIMLER AG

17. POWERTRAIN STRATEGY - CUMMINS INC

18. POWERTRAIN STRATEGY - IVECO

19. POWERTRAIN STRATEGYASHOK LEYLAND

20. POWERTRAIN STRATEGY - TATA MOTORS

21. POWERTRAIN STRATEGY - ISUZU MOTORS LIMITED

22. POWERTRAIN STRATEGY - HINO MOTORS LTD.

23. GROWTH OPPORTUNITIES AND COMPANIES TO ACTION

Growth Opportunity - Breakthrough Trends and Companies

Strategic Imperatives for Success and Growth

24. CONCLUSIONS AND FUTURE OUTLOOK

Key Conclusions and Future Outlook

The Last Word - 3 Big Predictions

25. APPENDIX

Partial List of Abbreviations/Expansions Used

List of Exhibits

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/9g59yi

Contacts

ResearchAndMarkets.com

Laura Wood, Senior Press Manager

press@researchandmarkets.com

For E.S.T Office Hours Call 1-917-300-0470

For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call 1-800-526-8630

For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900

Related Topics: Engines and Engine Parts
AUTO LAB RADIO LIVE FROM NYC, Saturday May 18, 2019; WNYM Radio AM 970 7-9 AM





Auto Lab Talk Radio on New York City's WNYM Radio AM 970 Is Streamed Worldwide On TheAutoChannel.Com

Car Question or Concern? Automotive Career Opportunity, Call Toll Free 888-692-7234 To Speak With An Auto Lab Expert











Auto Lab is also about the automotive industry, its history, and its culture, presenting the ideas and advice of leading college faculty, authors, and automotive practitioners in a relaxed, conversational interactive format.

Listeners can find audio recordings of the past 20 years of archived Auto Lab shows as simulcast on The Auto Channel; The Auto Lab Index Page includes; Audio-on-Demand Archives, Community College Auto Program Database, Guests Pictures

This Weeks Show: May 18, 2019

In Studio Expert Automotive Panel

Harold Bendell - Major Auto

Tim Cacace- Master Medchanix

David Goldsmith-Urban Classics

Jerry Pastore- D & J Diagnostics

Johanna Pastore- D & J Diagnostics

Joanne Porcelli, Esq.

Michael Porcelli - Bronx Community College, City University of New York

Nicholas Prague - MTA

Interviews

Robert Erskine, Senior European Correspondent & BBC

"CITROEN - THE FUTURE OF LONG DISTANCE TRAVEL"

John Russell, Sharon Sudol, Senior Correspondents

"TOYOTA PRIUS C"

Russ Rader, Senior Vice President Insurance Institute for Highway Safety

"2019 LEXUS UX CRASH RESULTS"

Robert Sinclair AAA Northeast

"RECORD NUMBER OF ROAD TRIPS FOR MEMORIAL DAY HOLIDAY"
Nissan donates "Ultimate Parks TITAN" to Grand Canyon Service Conservancy

The custom TITAN XD Gas is specially designed for the needs of the Grand Canyon Conservancy

Along with a high-utility custom service body truck bed, the Ultimate Parks TITAN includes a custom off-road support trailer

Ultimate Parks TITAN will be on display at annual Overland Expo West in Flagstaff, Ariz. May 1719

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz.  In the Grand Canyon's 100th year anniversary as a national park, there is another cause for celebration. Nissan today revealed the Ultimate Parks TITAN, a purpose-built park support vehicle that will be donated to the Grand Canyon Conservancy through Nissan TITAN's partnership with the National Park Foundation.

The Ultimate Parks TITAN will be used to assist the organization's Canyon Field School, a partnership between Grand Canyon Conservancy and the National Park Service that offers unique opportunities for youth to experience the great outdoors in the heights and depths of Grand Canyon National Park. Also through Nissan TITAN's support, the Arizona Conservation Corps becomes a grantee of the National Park Foundation and will work to repair trails and park infrastructure at Grand Canyon National Park this summer.

"Nissan is proud to support the outstanding work being performed, trail-by-trail, campsite-by-campsite, by partners like the National Park Foundation, Grand Canyon Conservancy and Arizona Conservation Corps," said Tiago Castro, director, Light Commercial Vehicles, Nissan North America, Inc. "This custom-built TITAN XD 4x4 and trailer should help make their important work in remote areas of the park a little easier, safer and hopefully even a little more comfortable."

The Ultimate Parks TITAN is the final modified TITAN donated to national nonprofit partners as part of the Calling All TITANs campaign. The others include the Ultimate Service TITAN for the American Red Cross and the Ultimate Work TITAN created for Habitat for Humanity.

The Ultimate Parks TITAN build, like the previous two projects, started with an understanding of the specific tasks at hand. For use in the Grand Canyon National Park, which is known for areas often reached only by pack mules, sure-footed traction and efficient load carrying were priorities. The Ultimate Parks TITAN is built off of a 2019 Nissan TITAN XD Gas PRO-4X Crew Cab and is designed to transport five people and a host of park equipment deep into the Grand Canyon National Park's remote areas.

As in all 2019 Nissan TITAN XD Gas PRO-4X Crew Cab trucks, the Ultimate Parks TITAN is powered by Nissan's 5.6-liter Endurance V8 engine, rated at 390 horsepower and 394 lb-ft of torque. All-terrain traction is provided by an advanced four-wheel drive system featuring a transfer case designed to ensure maximum power distribution in every gear. It distributes torque to both ends and provides four-wheel drive when added traction is needed. Like all TITAN XD PRO-4X models, the Ultimate Parks TITAN includes an advanced electronic locking rear differential that helps boost traction.

Durable off-road performance features include Hill Descent Control, Hill Start Assist and Brake Limited-Slip Differential (BLSD). An off-road gauge uses accelerometer data to calculate the vehicle's pitch and roll angles  an important addition for terrain that is seldom flat.

Adding extra clearance for traversing over rocks, boulders or other obstructions is an ICON 3-inch suspension lift kit and Hellwig Air Suspension. To help enter and exit the now higher cabin, AMP BedSteps were added. The Ultimate Parks TITAN also rides on new, high-traction 35-inch Nitto Trail Grappler tires mounted on Method 701 Trail Series wheels.

Next, the rugged TITAN XD's heavy-duty fully boxed steel frame was extended to fit the CM Truck Beds custom service body. Tucked behind the roomy 5-person TITAN XD Crew Cab body is a series of locking compartments, storage bins, equipment racks and tie-downs, including a Rhino Rack Pioneer Tray and EGR fender flares. The extended frame also accommodates a 55-gallon fuel tank and RotopaX fuel cell  since refueling opportunities are few and far between deep inside the park.

"The Ultimate Parks TITAN is a physical manifestation of the support Nissan is providing to parks and park champions coast to coast," said Will Shafroth, president of the National Park Foundation. "From the Grand Canyon, to the Great Smokies, to Glacier Bay in Alaska, Nissan's support bolsters the critical work of local partners connecting youth to parks and service corps helping to restore these treasured places."

Housed inside the service bed are a range of special repair tools and equipment, including a Miller EnPak welder, air compressor and generator. Completing the equipment list are a WARN Industries ZEON Platinum 12-S Winch for getting the vehicle out of tight or low traction spots. Also included are custom Baja Designs worksite lighting and Addictive Desert Designs HoneyBadger front bumper.

In the tradition of packing it in and packing it out, the Black Series Camper off-road trailer provides additional cargo capacity. Other helpful features of the specially outfitted trailer include a CargoGlide bedslide, Leitner Designs bed rack, Rhino Rack Batwing awning and CVT hard shell tent.

The Ultimate Parks TITAN's maximum payload is rated at 2,990 pounds with a maximum towing rating2 of 11,680 pounds  so taking a trailer full of equipment and supplies is no problem. Among the list of TITAN XD's available towing aids are an Integrated Trailer Brake Controller, Trailer Sway Control (TSC), Tow/Haul Mode with Downhill Speed Control and a Trailer Light Check system that allows one-person hook-up operation  checking turn signals, brake lights and running/clearance lights from inside the TITAN cab or with the key fob.

Literally wrapping up the Ultimate Parks TITAN build is a custom full body and trailer wrap. The unique design features topographical lines from the north rim of the Grand Canyon set against a National Park Foundation signature blue background.

"The Ultimate Parks TITAN is as impressive a vehicle as the work provided by the Grand Canyon Conservancy in one of the most amazing national parks in the country," added Castro. "We can't wait for it to be put to work by the exceptional men and women improving our national parks every day."

The Ultimate Parks TITAN will be on display during the 2019 Overland Expo West, May 17 through 19, at Ft. Tuthill County Park in Flagstaff, Ariz.

For more information on the Calling All TITANs campaign, the 2019 TITAN, TITAN XD and the complete Nissan vehicle lineup, please visit NissanNews.com.

About Nissan North America

In North America, Nissan's operations include automotive styling, engineering, consumer and corporate financing, sales and marketing, distribution and manufacturing. Nissan is dedicated to improving the environment under the Nissan Green Program and has been recognized annually by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as an ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year since 2010. More information on Nissan in North America and the complete line of Nissan and INFINITI vehicles can be found online at www.nissanusa.com and www.infinitiusa.com, or visit the U.S. media sites nissannews.com and infinitinews.com.

About National Park Foundation

The National Park Foundation is the official charity of America's national parks and nonprofit partner to the National Park Service. Chartered by Congress in 1967, the National Park Foundation raises private funds to help protect more than 84 million acres of national parks through critical conservation and preservation efforts and connect all Americans with their incomparable natural landscapes, vibrant culture, and rich history. Find out more and become a part of the national park community at nationalparks.org.

About Grand Canyon Conservancy

Grand Canyon Conservancy is the official nonprofit partner of Grand Canyon National Park, raising private funds, operating retail shops within the park, and providing premier guided educational programs about the natural and cultural history of the region. Our supporters fund projects including trails and historic building preservation, educational programs for the public, and the protection of wildlife and their natural habitat. Grand Canyon Conservancy inspires people to protect and enhance Grand Canyon National Park for present and future generations. For more information, visit grandcanyon.org.

1. Ultimate Parks TITAN is a project vehicle not available for purchase. Includes non-Nissan accessories that are not warranted by Nissan. Cargo and load capacity limited by weight and distribution. Always secure cargo. Heavy loading of the vehicle with cargo, especially on the roof, will affect the handling and stability of the vehicle.

2. 11,680 lbs. maximum towing capacity when properly equipped. Towing capacity varies by configuration. See Nissan Towing Guide and Owner's Manual for additional information.
Ritchot mayor Chris Ewen says better communication with St Pierre RCMP and fewer crime-related complaints from residents have prompted him to put consideration of a municipal police force on the backburner.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 16/5/2019 (955 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Ritchot mayor Chris Ewen says better communication with St Pierre RCMP and fewer crime-related complaints from residents have prompted him to put consideration of a municipal police force on the backburner.

"I believe its totally improved," Ewen told The Carillon.

Last week, Ritchot council was visited by St Pierre Staff Sgt. Marc Samson. Samson stepped into the detachments top role on April 8 after his predecessor, Rheal Gravel, retired.

"The residents are already a lot happier with the service," Ewen said, referring to a period early last year when the detachment was temporarily without a staff sergeant while Gravel was away on an unspecified leave.

Ewen said he was impressed by how Samson quickly followed up on resident concerns relayed by council.

"Literally as soon as we told him that, he went and talked to those residents."

According to Ewen, Samson said staffing levels in St Pierre will be back to full strength shortly. The detachment currently has 15 officers, Samson confirmed Tuesday.

Going forward, rural areas in Ritchot will receive renewed attention from law enforcement thanks to a Manitoba Public Insurance program that will see officers patrolling trails on ATVs.

A one-page statistical summary Samson shared with Ritchot council shows crime trends in the municipality vary by community. For instance, motor vehicle accidents in rural areas declined by 35 percent between the 2017 and 2018 reporting periods, but more accidents occurred last year in Ste Agathe and St Adolphe.

Provincial traffic offences nearly doubled in St Adolphe, to 37 from 20, but declined to five from 11 in Ile des Chenes.

Confirmed instances of mischief tripled in Ste Agathe, but fell sharply in Ile des Chenes.

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St Adolphe, Ste Agathe, and Ile des Chenes all saw fewer break and enters, while Grande Pointe experienced more.

Ewen said he wasnt surprised by the variations.

"Crime travels, and it comes in cycles."

But the mayor said hes noticed more police presence during weekly walks through Ritchot communities.

Ewens more supportive stance on policing represents a change from February 2018 when, frustrated by near-silence from the RCMP and a steady stream of property crime complaints from residents, he had openly entertained the idea of a municipal police force.

Ewen said he will not rule out that alternative entirely, but is content for now to monitor crime trends in Ritchot and neighbouring Niverville, where a "hybrid" policing model announced in February will see provincial community safety officers (CSOs) assist St Pierre RCMP.
In a recent interview with The Eagle, Aynes said that she hopes students see  in part through her own story  that there are many roads to musical growth and development outside of private lessons.

Growing up, I didnt have a lot of money or resources to take private lessons or get that individual help a lot of other students were able to get, she said. I put in the time and work myself because I had to and I wanted to. Through that work I pushed myself to do, I made all-state my senior year. Being able to achieve something like that without private lessons helped me understand what to do as a teacher to help my kids more.

All it takes is that personal drive, and you can do it.

One of Aynes students at Rudder High School is 14-year-old Sydney Ocon, who, like Aynes, plays clarinet. Ocon, a ninth grade student who first played under Aynes as an eighth grader, described her as a determined and comforting teacher.

I appreciate her determination for us to succeed, Ocon said of Aynes. She also knows how to have fun when its needed, and shes very comforting. She understands, so if you ever need someone to talk to, shes always there.
A police car in front of a building where the bodies of two women were found in Wittingen, Germany, on May 13, 2019. (Christophe Gateau/DPA via AP)

5 People Who Died From Crossbow Wounds Believed to Be Part of a Medieval Folklore Cult

Five people who mysteriously died after crossbow bolts pierced their bodies in southern Germany could be part of a medieval folklore cult, police have suggested.

Two women and a man were discovered with crossbow bolts stuck in them at a Bavarian bed and breakfast in Passau on May 11. Another two dead bodies were found just two days later at one of the womens apartments in Wittingen, just over 400 miles northwest of Passau.

German authorities now suspect they may have died as part of a murder-suicide agreement promoted by a cult-like group devoted to medieval folklore.

Man in German crossbow deaths led medieval cult: media.https://t.co/HYpTfH7v6p pic.twitter.com/z4PckRiY0x  Yahoo Singapore (@YahooSG) May 16, 2019

Passau Police are investigating the deaths as a case of killing on demand or group suicide.

We have five dead, that much is clear. Everything else is in doubt, Passau prosecutor Walter Feiler told RTL.

The mysterious case revolves around two of the deceased from May 11, Torsten Weiss, 53, and Farina Caspari, 30.

Police believe Caspari was the last to die when she turned the crossbow on herself and fired a bolt through her own neck. She had already fired several bolts at Weiss and partner Kerstin Enders, 33, who were found holding hands inside the hotel room.

Casparis body was found lying next to the bed.

The two other victims were Casparis girlfriend, a 35-year-old teacher, and a 19-year-old woman inside the couples apartment in Wittingen. Their causes of death are still unclear since the victims had been dead for several days and there were no crossbow bolts found.

Weiss is suspected of being the leader of the group and operated a medieval-themed store in Hachenburg selling weapons, Knights Templar flags, and that had a mannequin covered in flake blood on the counter. Local media reports describe his personality as dominating and that he enjoyed treating women like slaves through physical force and psychological manipulation.

Investigators suspect they were all members of a kind of sex circle with a focus on the Middle Ages. Torsten W. may have been the guru of the group, RTL reported.

Caspari, who worked as a sales manager in a bakery, is believed to have met Weiss and Enders through a jousting club run by Weisss store. It is also believed they stopped at the Passau hotel on the way back from a jousting tournament in Austria.

Three people found dead from crossbow wounds in a hotel room near the southern German city of Passau, authorities say. https://t.co/2whDMgve5T pic.twitter.com/9jrfMWUEB8  ABC News (@ABC) May 14, 2019

German police investigating the deaths of three people killed by crossbow have found two more bodies in a flat occupied by one of the deceased https://t.co/gEAG3Fi2FU  CNN International (@cnni) May 14, 2019

A couple interviewed by local media feared the 19-year-old found inside the Wittingen apartment may have been their daughter, Carina, who had fallen under Weisss spell years ago and ceased all contact with them.

The mother said that before her daughter cut them off she was raving about Torsten, Torsten, Torsten.

Landlord Alexander Kruger, who rented a farmhouse to Weiss, Caspari, her girlfriend, and the teenager, described Weiss as a bully who would order women about.

His tone with them was strange, they were almost submissive. I had the impression that they are hardly allowed to talk to me, Kruger told Bild newspaper. His tone was so harsh, strikingly harsh, not the way you talk to anyone. It was in short, imperative sentences. Their reaction, the body language was submissive, holding their heads down. If I did not know better, Id say they were really scared of him. He was the great master, he gave orders.

There is not much information available on Enders and how she first met with Weiss. Documents obtained by local media show they lived together at the time they died and had already prepared wills, according to the Daily Mail.

Five medieval-obsessed enthusiasts dead in mystery German crossbow killings https://t.co/hEI9NrpdrV  Daily Mail Online (@MailOnline) May 15, 2019

The investigation continues.
65-Year-Old Groom Poses With Child Bride in New York, but Then a Lady Grabs Her Away

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Thousands of Falun Gong practitioners walk through streets of Manhattan, New York on May 16, 2019, to celebrate World Falun Dafa Day and call for the end of the persecution of the practice in China. (Edward Dye/The Epoch Times)

Nearly 10,000-Strong Parade in New York City Highlights Persecution in China

Practitioners of spiritual practice Falun Dafa call for end to nearly 20 years of suppression

NEW YORKStriking traditional costumes, colorful banners bearing messages of hope, and resonant melodies performed by a 500-strong marching bandthese were the highlights of a parade held in Manhattan on May 16 to commemorate World Falun Dafa Day.

Falun Dafa, also known as Falun Gong, is a spiritual practice introduced to the public in 1992, consisting of meditative exercises and a set of moral teachings centered around the principles of truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance.

While it is freely practiced in more than 80 countries, the discipline is suppressed in China as a result of a brutal persecution launched by the Chinese communist regime almost two decades ago.

Nearly 10,000 Falun Dafa practitioners from dozens of countries marched across Manhattan, from the United Nations Plaza at 47th Street and Second Avenue, through Times Square, and finally ending near the Chinese consulate on 12th Avenue.

The parade was both a celebration of the peaceful practice and a remembrance of those suffering under the persecution in China.

We want to show the positive energy of Falun Dafa practitioners, said Sofia Drevemo, a 3-D graphic designer from Sweden.

Even though the parade aims to raise awareness about the brutal persecution, Drevemo said practitioners wished to do this from a positive starting point.

Thats why we are all so colorful and in good spirits, because to be able to [help others] understand the most difficult thing, we need to do it in a positive manner, she said.

The mood among the thousands of practitioners seemed to match their vibrantly colored clothing, which glowed under the soft spring sunlight. The sound of beating drums played by a Chinese waist-drum troupe, and tunes performed by the Tian Guo Marching Band, composed of practitioners from more than a half dozen countries, further charged the atmosphere.

Lives Changed

Drevemo, wearing a yellow shirt emblazoned with the words Falun Dafa Is Good, said practicing Falun Gong helped her develop something she had always yearned for.

Ever since I was very young, I  always wished that I would have a self-confidence that would make me unbreakable in any situation, she said.

I gradually understood that this [practice] is what will  get [me] there.

Francisco La Russa, a video editor from Buenos Aires, said his health improved after starting the practice in 2012. He used to experience back pain, but all that disappeared within a month after learning the exercises.

After reading the main text of Falun Dafa, Zhuan Falun, La Russa realized the practice was more than just physical exercises, he said.

This [practice] has very pure, very profound principles that I want to follow, he said.

La Russa said he tries to apply the principles of truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance in his daily life to improve his character. For instance, before La Russa started practicing, he was very arrogant and argumentative, but the teachings of Falun Dafa, he said, gave him a new perspective.

It [provided] a way for me to really be a better person, he said.

Peder Giertsen, a retired management consultant from Norway who took up the practice in 1999, said Falun Dafa taught him to be kind and think of others, even when it seems difficult to do so.

I dont have any enemies anymore, he said. And I used to have quite a bit because I was rough, and I was tough, and I was direct.

Olivier Grenier-Leboeuf, a university student majoring in mathematics and computer science at McGill University in Canada, said that after he started learning Falun Dafa two years ago, he stopped wasting his time on video games and surfing the internet.

Ive changed my life when it comes to my outlook, he said. I used to waste a lot of my time and have all sorts of bad thoughts. Ive noticed a strong purification of my mind after practicing.

Grenier-Leboeuf also plays trombone in the Tian Guo Marching Band. He hopes that the bands performances can spread the message that Falun Dafa is good.

I think music can really touch peoples souls. Its a different way of communication, he said.

Ending the Persecution

Prior to the parade, a rally was held at the Dag Hammarskjold Plaza near U.N. headquarters, where speakers highlighted that the Chinese regimes suppression continues until this day.

Organ harvesting atrocities are still going on in China, which is very severe, Teresa Chu, an attorney from Taiwan and spokesperson for the Taiwan Falun Gong Attorney Group, told The Epoch Times. The legal advocacy nonprofit brings lawsuits against Chinese officials responsible for the persecution when they travel abroad to countries in Asia, and advocates for parliaments to pass legislation on Falun Gong issues, including organ harvesting.

In 2006, reports emerged that the Chinese regime was extracting organs from living prisoners of conscience, mainly Falun Dafa practitioners, for use in the countrys organ transplant system.

An in-depth report by transplant ethics group International Coalition to End Transplant Abuse in China, released in 2016, found a huge discrepancy between Chinas official transplantation figures and the number of transplants performed at hospitals.

By analyzing the public records of 712 Chinese hospitals that carry out liver and kidney transplants, the report showed that roughly 60,000 to 100,000 transplants are conducted each year, far outstripping the official number of 10,000 to 20,000 per year. The shortfall, the report concluded, was largely made up of organs extracted from Falun Dafa practitioners held inside Chinas detention facilities.

In December 2018, an international independent peoples tribunal held hearings in the United Kingdom and issued an interim judgment that forced organ harvesting from prisoners of conscience has taken place in China on a substantial scale. The final judgment is expected in June this year.

Wang Zhiyuan, spokesperson for U.S.-based nonprofit World Organization to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong (WOIPFG), also drew attention to the ongoing atrocities in China.

[The persecution] has continued for 20 years.  Organ harvesting, an unprecedented crime in the world, is still happening, Wang told The Epoch Times.

We, WOIPFG, will continue investigating any crimes of persecution against Falun Gong and the related institutions or individuals. No matter where it is or how long it takes, we will go after them, until the end.

For Li Mingxi, who was dressed as a lotus flower fairy in the parade, the persecution has exacted a heavy personal toll.

Lis grandfather was sent to prison in the northeastern province of Hebei for practicing Falun Dafa in 2010. After three days, he was released, but he could no longer speak or move his body. He was confined to his bed, only able to open and close his eyes. He died a few days later.

Li was taking part in a high school summer program when she heard the news. She rushed to her grandfathers home to see him during his final moments.

I was terrified. Such a person who strives to be good would be arrested by the policeI felt that the whole world had become a place of darkness, and it was scary, Li said.

Li started practicing Falun Dafa in 2016 after she resettled in New York. Within half a year, her health problems that had developed after childbirth, such as high blood pressure, leg pains, and blurry eyesight, were all gone. She also no longer had to take medicine or use herbal remedies.

Im really happy to be in the land of the free and to show everyone the amazing benefits that the belief has brought me, she said.
As Rosenstein Departs, the Battlefield Is Now Ready

The Department of Justice on May 9 held a going-away ceremony for Rod Rosenstein, who is leaving after having served probably the most crucial role in the Trump administration for the past two years.

As Rosenstein makes his long-anticipated departure as deputy attorney general, the final pieces are moving into position on the battlefield that President Donald Trump has been carefully preparing for more than two years.
A barista prepares an order at Klatch Coffee in San Francisco, on May 15, 2019. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

California Cafe Touts Its $75 Coffee as the Worlds Priciest

SAN FRANCISCOA California cafe is brewing up what it calls the worlds most expensive coffeeat $75 a cup.

Klatch Coffee is serving the exclusive brew, the Elida Natural Geisha 803, at its branches in Southern California and San Francisco.

The 803 in the coffees name refers to the record-breaking $803 per pound the organic beans sold for at a recent auction after winning the Best of Panama coffee competition, said Bo Thiara, co-owner of the Klatch branch in San Francisco. He calls the annual competition the coffee worlds equivalent of the Oscars.

Only 100 pounds of the beans were available for purchase, and most went to Japan, China, and Taiwan, Thiara said. Klatch secured 10 pounds and is the only chain in North America to have it.

The coffees high quality and limited supply set off a bidding war that determined its astronomical price, topping last years winning beans that sold for $601 per pound, Thiara said.

Klatch describes the coffee as a rare variety of Arabica from Panama that has a floral, tea-like flavor with hints of jasmine and berries. The 10 pounds of beans will produce about 80 cups of coffee, Thiara said.

A few lucky coffee lovers got to try free samples Wednesday at the San Francisco branch, where promotional signs are on display advertising, Worlds Most Expensive Coffee.

One of them was San Francisco resident Lauren Svensson, who said it was very different from any coffee shed ever tasted.

My mind was a little blown about the fact that a $75 cup of coffee even exists, she said, but it was shockingly good.

Her friend, Charlie Sinhaseni, also gave his free sample a positive review.

When I first looked at it, I thought it would be hyper-pretentious, and I would think of all the different notes for the coffee, but I was too busy enjoying it, he said.
Canada Should Remain Vigilant About the Idea of a Free Trade Agreement with China

Free trade is one of the political and economic principles that comes closest to having unanimity for Canadians. Yet we also cannot ignore the fact that not everyone is a good faith subscriber to the rules and behaviours that underpin the ideal of free trade. I am thinking in particular of China.

China looms large in any discussion of free trade both because of its sheer size and because of Canadas vulnerability in its free trade relationship with the United States, as demonstrated by U.S. President Donald Trumps anti-NAFTA rhetoric and the depth of our dependence on the U.S. market.

Indeed, the prime ministers desperation to show at least progress toward a free trade agreement with China culminated in his trade trip to China in December 2017, where his progressive trade agendaincluding such issues as environment, labour, and genderfailed to make any headway with Beijing.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus enthusiasm appears at least to have waned in recent months, owing to Chinas aggressive response to our arrest of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou in late 2018. Yet, once this diplomatic crisis eventually ends, we need to remain vigilant against the idea of a free trade agreement (FTA) with China.

At its root, an FTA is intended to reduce conflict between trading partners by agreeing on the removal of barriers to trade, mutually agreeable rules of engagement, and a dispute settlement mechanism. This entails reciprocity when it comes to making compromises among partners for a specified degree of non-intervention in trade, to let consumers rather than bureaucrats rule.

Yet reciprocity depends to a surprising degree on institutional compatibility between FTA partners. If we dont do things in reasonably similar ways, the reciprocity needed cannot be achieved. This is the real challenge to free trade between Canada and China.

Canada has a free-market system and rather high ranking of openness, with Canadian state-owned enterprises (SOEs) only representing a tiny portion of Canadas GDP (at 3.4 percent). In contrast, China is a command economy dominated by state-owned enterprisesone that has consistently refused to notify the WTO regarding most of its considerable market-distorting state interventions. China has been a consistent breaker of WTO rules and remains one of the [worlds] most closed markets, according to the World Economic Forum.

We should also recognize the China model relies on the systemic theft of technology, including through such tactics as forced technology transfer, direct theft through espionage, and the use of targeted investment, including Chinas state-backed investment in foreign start-ups and its substantial funding of joint research projects with foreign universities, which have opened the door to theft of research results by Chinese participants.

According to Munk Senior Fellow Richard Owens, an expert on intellectual property protection and policy, Chinese theft of IP is evaluated at some $600 billion and represents the largest involuntary transfer of wealth in the history of the world.

Like many of our allies, Canada too has been the victim of Chinese cyber hacking. Given Chinas increasing reliance on investment to facilitate IP theft, we also should be particularly concerned that Chinese companies like Huawei have invested billions of dollars in forging partnerships with universities in Canada and elsewhere to develop 5G technology.

Chinas FTAs with other partners have also been lopsided and frequently abused by China. Beijing managed to get very one-sided tariff reductions through these FTAs, giving it lopsided gains in market share at the expense of both wealthy (Switzerland) and poor (Pakistan) countries. It also gained wider openings of service sectors in its FTA partners territories while keeping its protection for domestic services untouched.

Other examples are equally worrisome. New Zealand unwittingly allowed free entry for Chinese SOEs, which began gobbling up arable land, threatening to make New Zealanders, according to one commentator, tenants in their own land. Australias FTA with China entailed an unreciprocated, one-sided open-door policy to Chinese investors that caused numerous losses of critical Australian infrastructure assets. Australias ban on Huaweis participation in the 5G network in Australia is in part a direct reaction to this heightened vulnerability.

We might hope an FTA would allow us to avoid Chinas use of its economic levers to intimidate and pressure Canada into bending to Chinas will, such as its move to ban Canadian canola imports on flimsy health and safety grounds as part of a pressure campaign to force us to drop extradition proceedings against Meng Wenzhou.

Yet Canadians should remember that an FTA did little to stop China, for example, from economically coercing South Korea simply because of the latters decision to install a missile defence system.

Beijing has made it clear that its focus in any trade negotiation with Canada would be to remove Harper-era barriers to takeovers of Canadian firms by Chinese SOEs. That is very much inline with how it approaches FTAs with other countries. Simply put, all China wants in any FTA with any country is free entry for its SOEs into that country. This is part and parcel of Chinas ambition to globalize its SOE-dominance.

Canada should not rush headlong into FTA negotiations with China. If Ottawa cannot be dissuaded from pursuing an FTA with China once the Meng Wenzhou affair blows over, the best response would be to take one very careful step at a time.

Dont start with a comprehensive FTA. Negotiating an FTA only on merchandise trade, for example, would test whether its possible for Canadians to get a fair deal by tearing down Chinas tariff wall and ending economic coercive tactics like the canola ban.

China has a fine nose for weakness and exploits it unapologetically. By begging China to rescue us from an awkward reliance on the U.S. market, China understands us to be weak and therefore susceptible to bullying. An uncritical embrace of free trade with China will bring Canada nothing good, and store up much heartache for the future.

The far better option is to remember that Asia is full of large countries with robust and rapidly growing economies and that we should concentrate our attention on those with whom we share values of open trade, freedom of navigation, a rules-based multilateral system, and the rule of law. India anyone?

Brian Lee Crowley is managing director of the Macdonald-Laurier Institute. This article is based on his talk at Civitas on April 27, 2019. He would like to credit Munk Senior Fellow Duanjie Chen for supplying some of the arguments used here from her recent MLI paper.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
People cross a street in Beijing on May 10, 2019. Western pundits have been promoting a so-called "Chinese Century," which may never happen. (Fred Dufour/AFP/Getty Images)

Chinese People Express Concern as Beijing Uses Propaganda to Garner Public Support in Winning the Trade War

After the U.S.-China trade talks concluded on May 10 with no agreement, Chinese state media responded aggressively, repeatedly claiming that China is not afraid to fight and will fight to the end. Many Chinese netizens fear that the seemingly optimistic propaganda will victimize Chinese civilians as the Chinese regime attempts to rally them into their cause of fighting the United States and winning the trade war.

The U.S. administration imposed a tariff increase on $200 billion worth of Chinese imports on May 10, raising duties to 25 percent from 10 percent.

In retaliation, Beijing announced on May 13 that it would boost tariffs, ranging from 5 percent to 25 percent, on $60 billion worth of U.S. goods.

Immediately after the trade talks concluded on May 10, the Chinese regimes official mouthpieces kept silent. But two days later, various state-run mediasuch as the CCTV, the Peoples Daily and Xinhua News Agencysimultaneously began a propaganda war to criticize the United States for failing to reach an agreement in the trade talks, portraying the United States as an international bully with a hegemonic mindset. They declared that China is not afraid to fight with the United States, and the trade war is going to be a peoples war, and China is willing to make all kinds of sacrifices to fight this war to the end.

Chinese Netizens: We Will Be Sacrificed

Many Chinese netizens posted comments on Weibo and WeChatChinese social media platforms that are similar to Twitter and Facebookcriticizing the familiar phrase make all kinds of sacrifices used in propaganda to boost public morale. Some say the phrase has scared them because it means that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) will sacrifice the interests of its own people to achieve its goals.

Obviously we will be sacrificed and will have to suffer, one netizen wrote.

We, who are about to be sacrificed, feel scared, another netizen wrote, and several others echoed him.

Many people expressed similar views:

(Chinese authorities) try to transfer the sacrifice to the public.

It is you (the authorities) who are willing to make all kinds of sacrifices. But, I am sorry, dont pull me into this. I dont want to get involved.

Of course the authorities are not afraid to fight, because it is the 1.4 billion people who will be sent to the frontline.

We will be ripped off.

A netizen mocked Chinas Central Television (CCTV) and wrote: What use is it to make these boastful statements in front of Chinese people? Do you dare to make the same announcement in English and broadcast it in your international channels?

I cannot understand your logic that you have to fight constantly, a netizen wrote, criticizing the CCPs philosophy of struggle. Go ahead with your fight. Its none of our business.

There were also complaints about Chinas rich and powerful elite. One netizen wrote: Of course they are not afraid. The officials enjoy privilegesthey eat well; they get free medical care; their wives, mistresses and children live in foreign countries, and all of them are billionaires. Whats there to be afraid of? They will plunder the wealth of 1.4 billion Chinese people to fight this war. Thats what they mean by sacrifice.

Many of these posts have been removed by internet police.

Chinese people living in America and Canada also chimed in the discussion on overseas Chinese-language forums.

A Weibo user from Vancouver commented that Chinas propaganda is meant to lead the Chinese people to extreme nationalism and anti-U.S. sentiment, which would make it easy for the CCP to maintain its control over society.

A Weibo user living in the United States said he has studied the details of the proposed trade agreements. Chinese delegates tried to trick the U.S. delegates, in a way that China can act like a scoundrel to violate the terms in the agreement, with the excuse that China has its own laws. The U.S. delegates rejected firmly and demanded to stick to the original enforceable version. President Trump is truly awesome! he wrote.

Another Chinese American, who is a member of a WeChat group called Chinese working or studying in the U.S., looked into the details of the terms proposed by the U.S. delegates. He said these terms are actually good for Chinas economic development and for China to become a respected member in the international society. Beijing doesnt like it because these terms will threaten the CCPs rule, he wrote.

Chinas Propaganda Targets the US as the Scapegoat

U.S.-based China expert Heng He told the Epoch Times on May 14 that the Chinese regime is to blame for failing to reach an agreement during the latest round of trade talks, because the CCP refuses to make structural changes for the sake of maintaining its power.

However, the CCP will never admit its mistakes, they will always find a scapegoat. For instance, the CCPs Great Leap Forward movement led to the Great Famine from 1959 to 1961, but CCP made up two excusesnatural disasters and the Soviet Union pressed China for payment of debts. As a matter of fact, these two excuses are sheer lies.

According to Heng, the trade war will land another blow to Chinas already declining economy. The CCP must find an excuse again this time, so naturally Chinas propaganda targets the United States as the scapegoat.
Verena Bahlsen, heiress of the Bahlsen biscuit empire, in Berlin on March 26, 2019. (Monika Skolimowska/AFP/Getty Images)

Choco Leibniz Biscuit Heiress Apologizes Over Nazi-Era Slave Labor Remarks

The 25-year-old heiress to the German biscuit empire behind Choco Leibniz biscuits has apologized for saying the family business did nothing wrong in its use of forced labor under Nazi rule.

Verena Bahlsen, whose father owns Bahlsen, the company behind Germanys most famous biscuits, has been accused of attempting to downplay the hardship of the 200 forced laborers the business employed during the Second World War.

Most of the forced laborers employed by the Hanover-based firm between 1943 and 1945 were women from Nazi-occupied Ukraine.

This was before my time and we paid the forced laborers exactly as much as German workers, said Bahlsen.

The heiresss comments have been met with intense criticism after she told Bild newspaper that the forced workers were treated well by her company.

There is an official statement from Bahlsen regarding current media coverage and discussions in the social networks on Bahlsen  https://t.co/iZRmDLEQOl  Bahlsen Biscuits UK (@BahlsenBiscuits) May 15, 2019

Bahlsen, who is set to inherit 25 percent of the family business, has since apologized for her thoughtless response.

It was a mistake to amplify this debate with thoughtless responses. I apologize for that. Nothing could be further from my mind than to downplay National Socialism or its consequences, she said.

She added that she recognizes the importance of learning more about the businesss history. As the next generation, we have responsibility for our history. I expressly apologize to all whose feelings I have hurt.

Her controversial comments came after she told delegates at a marketing conference last week that she is a capitalist who wants to make money and buy yachts with my dividends.

German politicians hit out at her remarks, while social media users called for a boycott of Bahlsen biscuits, the Guardian reported.

If you want to buy #Bahlsen products & support the lifestyle aspirations of a #Nazi apologist heiress, go ahead.

Me, Ill never buy one of their products again.https://t.co/zDAQgXKXbE  Jon Bowen (@Jon_Bowen) May 15, 2019

If you inherit such a large estate you also inherit responsibility and should not come across as aloof, Lars Klingbeil, the Social Democratic Partys general secretary, told Bild.

Meanwhile the Nazi Forced Labor Documentation Center in Berlin pointed out Bahlsens insensitivity to the firms previous exploitation of forced workers.

Wir laden ubrigens jeden gern zu uns in die Ausstellungen ein. Nicht nur bei Familienmitgliedern der Familie #Bahlsen gibt es erhebliche Wissenslucken. Das Thema NS-Zwangsarbeit ist oft noch immer ein weier Fleck im kollektiven Gedachtnis. https://t.co/6Rc1zVa79q  Doku NS-Zwangsarbeit (@dznsza) May 13, 2019

It tweeted on May 13, The issue of Nazi forced labor is often still a blind spot in the collective memory.

There was a great knowledge gap for family members of the Bahlsen family, it added.

Felix Bohr, a writer and historian, argued in Der Spiegel magazine that Bahlsen must face up to its [Bahlsens] historical responsibility, although she could not change the firms past. He also hit out at her obliviousness to history.

Guy Stern, a 97-year-old scientist whose family was killed in the Holocaust, told reporters that Bahlsen was speaking about the forced workers from the high viewpoint of an heiress.

Choco Leibniz biscuit heiress apologies over Nazi-era labour comments https://t.co/iRdfjEyICY pic.twitter.com/cabRqWmxGk  GoCurrent (@current_go) May 15, 2019

Prof. Michael Wolfssohn of the German Military University in Munich condemned her comments as pub corner talk that are morally repugnant and unworthy of a German company, the Telegraph reported.

The forced laborers for the the Hanover-based firm were taken forcibly from their homes in Kyiv, often leaving their children behind, according to the Telegraph.

Between 2000 and 2001, the Bahlsen company voluntarily paid 1.5 million Deutschmarks (about $856,000) into a fund managed by German companies to compensate 20 million forced laborers used under the Nazi regime, the Guardian reported.

The Bahlsen company said in a statement it is aware of the great suffering and injustice suffered by the forced laborers and many other people, and recognizes its historical and moral responsibility, according to the Telegraph.
Devon Erickson appears in court at the Douglas County Courthouse , in Castle Rock, Colo., on May 15, 2019. (Joe Amon/The Denver Post via AP, Pool)

Colorado School Shooting Suspects Appear in Court to Face Murder, Other Charges

CASTLE ROCK, Colo.Two students suspected of shooting nine classmates, one fatally, in their Colorado charter school appeared in court Wednesday, May 15, to face dozens of criminal charges that included murder and attempted murder.

The parents of the teen who was killed in the attack looked on before attending to their sons memorial service. Senior Kendrick Castillo was just days from graduating when he was slain while trying to stop one of the gunmen during the May 7 attack at the STEM School Highlands Ranch, not far from the scene of the 1999 Columbine massacre.

Investigators say the accused assailants, 18-year-old Devon Erickson and 16-year-old Alec McKinney, opened fire with handguns. They were arrested at the school.

While court documents are sealed, the charges against the teenagers listed in electronic court records also included theft and arson. Prosecutors said both will be tried as adults. McKinneys attorney, Ara Ohanian, said she would seek to move McKinneys case back to juvenile court.

Judge Theresa Slade denied the prosecutions request to make some of the documents public but said she would address the issue at the next hearing on June 7.

Erickson appeared more involved in Wednesdays proceedings compared with his initial court appearance last week. His face was visible, and he looked forward toward the judge while attorneys discussed the case.

He wore a jail uniform and was kept shackled at his wrists and ankles after the judge denied a request to remove them.

McKinney appeared in court after Erickson. He glanced back several times during the hearing toward the bench where his mother was sitting.

Castillos parents also attended the hearing. His father stared at both defendants.

It would have been easy for them to say, Im not going to make it to court today because in less than two hours were going to have a memorial service for our son, District Attorney George Brauchler said of Castillos parents. But from the word go they have made it clear that our intention is to be here for every single hearing.

Brauchler also revealed that he has asked an outside prosecutor to investigate whether charges should be filed against a private security guard who has been credited with apprehending one of the suspects in a school hallway.

Brauchler did not explain why the security guard would face charges. A law enforcement official told The Associated Press last week that the guard, a former Marine who has not been named, fired his weapon during the shooting.

Two news organizations citing anonymous sources reported that authorities are investigating whether the guard mistakenly fired at a responding sheriffs deputy and may have wounded a student.

Brauchler did not directly address those reports.

This is a witness in the case, and I felt like in the abundance of caution that a decision about the facts related to the security guard needed to be addressed by a separate prosecutor, Brachler said.

The security guards attorney, Robert Burk, said last week that his client acted to protect the children at the school. Burk did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment on Wednesday.

A line of Jeeps and trucks stretched along a Highlands Ranch roadway ahead of the service to honor Castillo, who was a Jeep and off-road vehicle enthusiast. The motorcade was led by the Douglas County Sheriffs Office.

Castillo and classmates Brendan Bialy and Joshua Jones were 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 attackers weapon.

Jones, 18, said Tuesday that he is recovering quickly from his wounds, but said emotionally hes still in a bit of a funk.

He told reporters during a news conference that he was in the middle of helping to pin down the shooter when he called his mom.

It was really just something like, Hey, Mom. Theres been a school shooting. Ive been involved. The authorities are on the way. Theyre going to get an ambulance, and Im going to go to the hospital. Thats all I got right now for you, he said.

All of the wounded students have been released from hospitals.

The shooting happened nearly three weeks after the neighboring town of Littleton marked the 20th anniversary of the Columbine High School attack that killed 13 people. The two schools are separated by about 7 miles (11 kilometers) south of Denver.

By Kathleen Foody
L: House Speaker Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) holds a press conference in the Capitol building, Washington, on March 7, 2019. (Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times) R: U.S. Attorney General William Barr testifies before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, on May 1, 2019. (Nicholas Kamm/AFP/Getty Images)

Did You Bring Your Handcuffs? Barr Jokes With Pelosi

Attorney General William Barr uttered a few words that made headlines on Wednesday; he jokingly asked Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) whether she had brought her handcuffs, alluding to the Democrats calls for his arrest.

Barr approached Pelosi at the 38th Annual National Peace Officers Memorial Service on the West Front of the Capitol on Wednesday morning, May 15.

The two were in attendance, waiting for President Donald Trump, who was running about 45 minutes late, The Hill reported.

According to multiple reports, Barr shook Pelosis hand and said loudly, Madam Speaker, did you bring your handcuffs?

Pelosi smiled and told Barr that the House sergeant-at-arms was on site if an arrest was needed. Barr chuckled and walked away.

Today at a law enforcement ceremony at Capitol: AG Barr approached Pelosi, shook her hand: Madam Speaker, did you bring your handcuffs? Pelosi smiled and, per a bystander, told Barr the House Sergeant at Arms was there should an arrest be needed. Barr laughed; walked away  Nicholas Fandos (@npfandos) May 15, 2019

The casual exchange comes after the Democrat-led House Judiciary Committee decided on May 8 for the full House of Representatives to vote on holding Barr in contempt of Congress.

Democrats accuse Barr of failing to comply with a subpoena for the release of the full, non-redacted report by special counsel Robert Mueller. But Republicans say the subpoena forces Barr into a legal Catch-22, since the attorney general would break federal law by disclosing grand jury material.

Barr had also made a joke about the contempt vote on May 9 at a farewell ceremony for former Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein. Barr said, smiling: This must be a record of [an] attorney general being proposed for contempt within 100 days of taking office, according to ABC News.

Redacted Mueller Report

Over the course of 22 months and at an estimated cost of more than $25 million, special counsel Robert Mueller investigated allegations of collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia to influence the 2016 presidential election. The Justice Department, led by Barr, released Muellers report, with redactions, to Congress and the public on April 18.

Mueller concluded that there had been no evidence of collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia to influence the 2016 presidential election, and declined to make a decision on whether the president had obstructed the Russia probe, leaving Barr and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein to conclude after reviewing Muellers arguments that there is not enough evidence to bring an obstruction case.

This resulted in the Democrats demanding to see beneath all redactions. Barr had outlined with the release of the report that the existing redactions were limited to four categories: grand jury material shielded from disclosure by federal law, intelligence sources and methods which if disclosed could be harmful to national security, the identities of people who were not ultimately charged with a crime, and the interests of peripheral third parties who were not ultimately prosecuted.

Barr responded to the Democrat request by offering select lawmakers to view a minimally-redacted version of the document, which withheld only the parts related to ongoing grand jury investigations. But House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.) argued that the rules for viewing the document were too strict. He issued a subpoena for the full unredacted report on April 19.

#HouseJudiciaryCommittee voted to hold #AttorneyGeneral Barr in #Contempt for his failure to release the #MuellerReport unredacted. With the pendulum swinging the other way, Democrats are on a mission to try to destroy him. Commentary by @AdrianNormanDC https://t.co/CLnYeq04cn  The Epoch Times (@EpochTimes) May 10, 2019

In the hours leading up to the committees contempt vote, the White House asserted executive privilege over the full Mueller report. Presidents hold the authority to assert executive privilege to withhold information concerning internal executive branch deliberations. The Justice Department is part of the executive branch.

Statement on Executive Privilege pic.twitter.com/6ujCZDnMC0  Sarah Sanders (@PressSec) May 8, 2019

Faced with Chairman Nadlers blatant abuse of power, and at the Attorney Generals request, the President has no other option than to make a protective assertion of executive privilege, the White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said in a statement on May 8.

From NTD.com
Daniel Elwell, acting administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration, testifies during a House Transportation Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, on May 15, 2019, on the status of the Boeing 737 MAX aircraft. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

FAA Chief Defends Handling of Boeing Max Safety Approval

WASHINGTONThe acting chief of the Federal Aviation Administration defended his agencys safety certification of the Boeing 737 Max jetliner, the plane involved in two deadly crashes, and the FAAs decision not to ground the jet until other regulators around the world had already done so.

During a congressional hearing Wednesday, the FAA official, Daniel Elwell, also stood by the agencys decades-old policy of using employees of aircraft manufacturers like Boeing to conduct inspections on their own companies work.

Boeing is updating an automated flight-control system that has been implicated in the two crashes involving the 737 Max. Elwell said he expects Boeing to complete its work in the next week or so, after which the FAA will analyze the software changes and conduct test flights.

In the U.S., the 737 Max will return to service only when the FAAs analysis of the facts and technical data indicate that it is safe to do so, Elwell said.

Meanwhile, the Senate Commerce Committee held a short hearing for President Donald Trumps choice to take over the FAA: Stephen Dickson, a former Delta Air Lines pilot and executive.

During the two-hour questioning of Elwell by the House aviation subcommittee, lawmakers pressed him on the FAAs reliance on designated Boeing employees during the planes certification process.

Rep. Dina Titus (D-Nev.) told Elwell that the public believes you were in bed with those you were supposed to be regulating, and thats why it took so long to ground the planes.

The FAA has a credibility problem, declared the subcommittee chairman, Rick Larsen (D-Wash.)

The 737 Max is Boeings best-selling plane and it is built in his home state of Washington. Larsen said Congress must help make the public feel safe about flying because if they dont fly, airlines dont need to buy airplanes, and then there will be no jobs in aircraft manufacturing.

Other lawmakers defended the FAA and Boeing and suggested that the Oct. 29 crash of a Lion Air jet off Indonesia and the March 10 crash of an Ethiopian Airlines Max were due at least partly to pilot error. A total of 346 people were killed in the crashes.

It bothers me that we continue to tear down our system based on what has happened in two other countries, said Rep. Sam Graves (R-Mo.)

Boeing is already the subject of a criminal investigation by the Justice Department. Boeing customers Southwest Airlines and American Airlines and their pilot unions have received subpoenas related to that investigation; United Airlines, which also flew the Max until it was grounded in March, declined to comment, although its pilot union confirmed that it too has received a subpoena.

Congressional investigations into the FAAs relationship with Boeing are in the early stages. Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.) who heads the full Transportation Committee, said he and Larsen have been frustrated after seeking information from Boeing.

Boeing has yet to provide a single document, he said. Weve got to get to the bottom of this.

Elwell defended FAAs practice of designating employees of Boeing and other aerospace manufacturers to do some inspection work, saying it takes advantage of industry expertise, and when done right, is indispensable to the health and safety of our system.

At a Senate hearing in March, Elwell said it would cost $1.8 billion a year if FAA did all the work done by designees at companies regulated by the agency.

On Wednesday, the acting chief defended the FAAs 2017 approval of the Max including its new automated flight-control system that can push the nose of the plane down if a single sensor detects that the plane could be nearing an aerodynamic stall.

That system, called MCAS, was triggered on both fatal flights by faulty sensor readings, and pilots were not able to regain control of the planes as they plunged to Earth. Airlines and pilots were not told about MCAS until after the October crash.

When I first heard of this, (I) thought that the MCAS should have been more adequately explained in the ops manual and the flight manual, Elwell said.

Boeing is changing MCAS to make it less powerful, and to link the system to two sensors instead of one. And it will include more explanation of the system, Elwell said, to make pilots more aware and respond better to an anomaly.

American Airlines pilots pressed Boeing in Novembershortly after the first Max crashto fix the software quickly.

We dont want to rush and do a crappy job of fixing things, a Boeing official responded, according to a recording of the meeting. We also dont want to fix the wrong things.

The Boeing representative called the Lion Air crash a tragedy, adding, an even worse thing would be another one. He promised a software update in six weeks.

The update was still not done when the Ethiopian crash occurred more than three months later.

Boeing did not treat the 737 Max 8 situation like the emergency it was, said Daniel Carey, president of the American Airlines pilots union, which has filed public records related to the matter. Carey said his pilots are seeking proper oversight of Boeing, the FAA, and airlines including their own.

Boeing representatives were not invited to Wednesdays hearing.

Nadia Milleron, whose daughter, Samya Stumo, was on the Ethiopian Airlines plane, was in the audience. She said FAA seems to be rushing to approve Boeings fixes to the Max even before the accident investigations are finishedsomething that could take many months.

It is possible that these planes should never go back in the air, she said.

Milleron, whose family is suing Boeing and Ethiopian Airlines, said travelers hold the final power to ground the plane.

The only thing that is going to stop this is the public, Milleron said in an interview. If the public is concerned and if the Boeing 737 Max 8  becomes toxic  thats going to make a change.

Across Capitol Hill, the Senate Commerce Committee held a relatively placid hearing for Dickson, the nominee to replace Elwell, FAAs acting administrator since January 2018.

Dickson promised that if he is confirmed by the full Senate, he would not hesitate to take enforcement action against companies and FAA would not be captive to the industry it regulates.

U.S. aviation has an enviable safety record over the past decade, Dickson said, but the industry is only as good as the last takeoff or landing.

By David Koenig, Marcy Gordon And Tom Krisher
FAA Expects Boeing to Submit 737 MAX Fix Soon for Approval

WASHINGTONFederal Aviation Administration acting chief Dan Elwell told lawmakers on May 15 he expects Boeing Co. to submit a software fix for the grounded 737 MAX involved in two fatal crashes for approval soon and said he was concerned by the planemakers lengthy delay in disclosing a software anomaly.

At a congressional hearing, the chairman of the U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee told the FAA it must get it right in deciding when to allow the Boeing 737 MAX to fly again.

The world is watching and the FAA and Boeing must get it right, Democratic Representative Peter DeFazio said, adding the incidents have raised concerns about how the FAA certifies aircraft.

The Boeing 737 MAX plane was grounded worldwide in mid-March after two crashes in October and March killed 346 people.

Elwell said the agency expects to get the software upgrade and training update from Boeing in the next week or so. He said the FAA will only allow the plane to resume flights when it is absolutely safe to do so  Its important we get this right, Elwell said.

Elwell said Boeing should not have waited 13 months to tell the FAA that it inadvertently made an alarm alerting pilots to a mismatch of flight data optional on the 737 MAX, instead of standard as on earlier 737s.

Elwell said he was concerned by the delay. Were going to look into that, Elwell said. Thirteen months is too long.

The FAA is planning a May 23 meeting in Fort Worth, Texas, with air regulators from around the world to update them on the reviews. U.S. airlines have canceled flights as a result of the 737 MAX grounding into August.

Elwell said he hopes the international aviation community will work together. My hope is that they have the confidence in our work and our analysis to make their ungrounding decisions if thats where the discussion is as close to our decision as possible, he said.

Democratic Representative Rick Larsen, who chairs the aviation subcommittee that held the May 15 hearing, said the FAA has a credibility problem. The FAA needs to fix its credibility problem.

Boeing has said its software upgrade and associated pilot training will add layers of protection to prevent erroneous data from triggering the system called MCAS.

The system activated in the Ethiopian Airlines crash in March and also during a separate Lion Air crash in Indonesia in October. Elwell said Boeing should have included more details on MCAS in its own manuals on the Boeing 737 MAX.

Committee leaders said they still expect to call Boeing to testify at a future hearing but expressed some frustration they have not yet received any documents from Boeing as they probe what went wrong with the 737 MAX.

The U.S. planemaker has been trying for weeks to dispel suggestions it made airlines pay for safety features after it emerged that an alert designed to show discrepancies in Angle of Attack readings from two sensors was optional on the 737 MAX.

Erroneous data from a sensor responsible for measuring the angle at which the wing slices through the airknown as the Angle of Attackis suspected of triggering a flawed piece of software that pushed the plane downward in two recent crashes.

Boeing said last week it only discovered once deliveries of the 737 MAX had begun in 2017 that the so-called AOA Disagree alert was optional instead of standard as it had intended but added that was not critical safety data.

Boeing said a Safety Review Board, convened after a fatal Lion Air crash in Indonesia last October, corroborated its prior conclusion that the alert was not necessary for the safe operation of commercial aircraft and could safely be tackled in a future system update.

Federal prosecutors, the Transportation Departments inspector general, and lawmakers are investigating the FAAs certification of the 737 MAX 8 aircraft.

By David Shepardson
Li Wenzu and her son present their letters to Wang Quanzhang to express their support to Wang. (Courtesy Li Wenzu)

Imprisoned Chinese Rights Lawyers Family Hears From Him for First Time in 4 Years

Almost four years since his family and friends last heard from him, human rights lawyer Wang Quanzhang recently successfully sent a letter to his wife Li Wenzu.

Wang was arrested by Chinese authorities in July 2015 during a nationwide crackdown of rights activists and lawyers, known as the 709 Incident; hundreds were rounded up and detained.

Wang, 43, has defended vulnerable Chinese citizens in court: farmers whose land were confiscated by authorities; practitioners of Falun Gong, a spiritual discipline severely persecuted by the Chinese regime; and house Christians persecuted for their faith.

For his work, he has previously been detained and tortured several times.

For roughly four years, Wangs whereabouts were unknown. Family and friends, at one point, found out that he was being detained at the Tianjin City Detention Center, but werent allowed to visit him. They couldnt even confirm whether he was dead or alive.

His family members and friends never received a phone call or note from him, likely because authorities refused to grant him the right.

On Dec. 26, 2018, after Wang had been detained for 1,266 days, the Tianjin Second Intermediate Peoples Court held a secret trial on Wangs case. The detention center refused to allow the hired lawyer to visit Wang. On Jan. 28, the court sentenced Wang to four and a half years in prison on charges of subversion of state power.

Over the past four years, the U.S. administration, other Western governments, and human rights organizations have called on the Chinese regime to immediately release Wang.

But abruptly on May 10, Li received the very first letter from her husband since he was taken away by authorities.

On May 12, Li posted onto Twitter a letter she wrote in response to her husband: I wont let my hair grow long until you come back home.

In December 2018, Li and the wives of three other detained Chinese human rights lawyers shaved their heads in a symbolic protest over the Chinese regimes treatment of their husbands. Their protest is based on the fact that the Chinese character for hair and law are near-homonymswithout hair thus sounds similar to lawlessness.

First Letter

Wang said in his letter that hed been transferred to Linyi Prison on April 29. He has relatively more free space now, eats better, and is allowed to walk around in the yard, as well as do some exercises.

I couldnt get any information from Quanzhang for almost four years. I wrote him letters, but didnt receive any response. When I received his letter [on May 10], I was very emotional, Li told the Chinese-language Epoch Times on May 11.

Wang didnt directly write about his physical status, but said: The nurse measures my blood pressure every day. He also wrote: My bodys functions are recovering quickly.

A Chinese lawyer close to Wang, who wished to remain anonymous, told the Chinese-language Epoch Times on May 11: I am sure this means his body has problems. But how bad the situation is, we have to wait until his release from prison. I have heard from many lawyers that they were tortured brutally in prison.

Cryptically, Wang also wrote in his letter: Without enough knowledge of history and politics, I misjudged the situation and missed a series of opportunities. I feel guilty because I have brought enormous trouble and pain to my family.

Li said those words didnt seem like what Wang would usually say.

The letter was written in familiar handwriting, but the content is so strange, she said. His words expressing regret sound like they came from a person who has been brainwashed by the Chinese Communist Party for four years, Li told the Chinese-language Epoch Times.

Wang thanked the lawyers wives who supported Li, expressed his appreciation to other lawyers who helped him, and begged for his parents and sisters forgiveness. He also asked about how his young son was doing.

Wang added that people arent allowed to visit him now because the prison is renovating its visiting room, which will be finished by June 20.

Chinese rights lawyer Liu Xiaoyuan commented on Twitter: Chinese law grants relatives the right to visit [prisoners]. The prison not allowing visitation rights with the excuse of room renovation is illegal and violates the relatives rights.

While Wang seems to have expressed regret for his past actions, he talked about his future plans optimistically, saying that he still hopes to make a living using his legal training.
Huawei is a Risk so Britain Must Change Course on 5G, Ex-MI6 Spymaster Says

LONDONChinas Huawei poses such a grave security risk to the United Kingdom that the government must not allow it to have even a limited role in building 5G networks, a former head of Britains foreign spy service said on May 16.

The Trump administration, which hit Huawei with sanctions on Wednesday, has told allies not to use its technology because of fears it could be a vehicle for Chinese spying.

But British ministers have discussed allowing Huawei a restricted role in building parts of its 5G network. The final decision has not yet been published.

I very much hope there is time for the UK government, and the probability as I write of a new prime minister, to reconsider the Huawei decision, said Richard Dearlove, who was chief of the Secret Intelligence Service from 1996 to 2004.

The ability to control communications and the data that flows through its channels will be the route to exercise power over societies and other nations, Dearlove wrote in the foreword to a report on Huawei by the Henry Jackson Society.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told Britain on a visit this month that it needed to change its attitude toward China and Huawei, casting the worlds second largest economy as a threat to the West similar to that once posed by the Soviet Union.

Asked whether the government would reconsider its stance on Huawei, Prime Minister Theresa Mays spokesman said: As you know, in relation to Huawei, we are reviewing the right policy approach for 5G and when an announcement is ready the culture secretary will update parliament.

Dearlove, who spent 38 years in British intelligence, said it was deeply worrying that the British government appears to have decided to place the development of some its most sensitive critical infrastructure in the hands of a Chinese company.

No part of the Communist Chinese state is ultimately able to operate free of the control exercised by its Communist Party leadership, said Dearlove.

We should also not be influenced by the threat of the economic cost of either delaying 5G or having to settle for a less capable and more expensive provider, he said.

Huawei was founded in 1987 by Ren Zhengfei, a former engineer in Chinas Peoples Liberation Army.

In January, U.S. prosecutors charged two Huawei units in Washington state saying they conspired to steal T-Mobile trade secrets, and also charged Huawei and its chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou with bank and wire fraud on allegations that the company violated sanctions against Iran.

By Guy Faulconbridge
Husband of Real Housewives Star Makes Last Ditch Effort to Avoid Deportation

Joe Giudice, husband of Real Housewives of New Jersey star Teresa Giudice, has amassed influential support as he mounts one last attempt to fight deportation to Italy.

Twenty-seven former immigration judges are now defending Giudice, filing a motion with the Board of Immigration Appeals on why the reality television star should not be deported. The motion could prove pivotal in persuading the court to grant his final appeal and allow him to remain in the United States.

The judges support marks the latest episode in the father-of-fours fight against deportation.

Giudice was released from prison in March after serving a 41-month sentence. Both him and his wife pleaded guilty in 2014 to multiple charges of fraud for a scheme that involved attempting to illegally obtain mortgages and other loans. Giudice also admitted to not paying roughly $200,000 in income taxes.

Teresa, who served her prison time first, was given a 15-month sentence and was released in December 2015. When Giudice finished his sentence, however, a new ordeal began.

The 46-year-old moved to the United States with his parents from Italy when he was an infant. While he remained in the country legally for years on a green card, he never attained U.S. citizenship. He has previously claimed that he didnt even know he was not an American citizen.

While in prison, an immigration judge ruled in October 2018 that Giudice must be deported upon completion of his sentence. After his release in March of this year, he was sent to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility.

Mr. Giudice has finished serving his federal prison sentence and was transferred early this morning from the Bureau of Prisons to a facility in western Pennsylvania which houses immigration detainees, read a statement from his familys lawyer at the time. His lawyers and his family are hopeful that justice will prevail and Mr. Guidice will return home to his wife and four daughters who love him and miss him.

Unfortunately for Giudice, his first attempt to appeal the deportation decision was denied. He is now fighting in federal court as he launches one final appeal.

Giudices family has made a personal appeal to President Donald Trump, launching an online petition that asks him for a pardon. The White House, however, has reportedly not given the case any consideration.

Teresa, who is a supporter of Trump, made clear that she would divorce her husband if hes booted back to Italy.

We do the long distance thing, its not going to work, the actress said in March during the Real Housewives season 9 reunion. Id be like, Bye bye.

By Jason Hopkins

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From The Daily Caller News Foundation

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Japanese Companies Move Production From China as US Tariffs Hit

Several Japanese companies are moving some of their production lines out of China, in a move to avoid paying for current U.S. tariffs on Chinese-manufactured goods, as well as possible future tariffsas there is no sign of an imminent trade deal between Beijing and Washington.

Southeast Asian countries such as Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam have already become alternative production sites for many tech manufacturers since U.S. tariffs were first announced in March 2018, in an ongoing trade dispute with China about its alleged intellectual property theft and unfair trade practices.

India is also becoming a popular alternative to China.

Japanese electronics company Ricoh is planning to shift production of its printers that are shipped to the U.S. market from China to existing facilities in Thailand, according to a May 16 report by Japanese media Nikkei.

Currently, Ricoh makes these U.S.-bound printers in both the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen and Rayong, a province in southern Thailand. According to Nikkei, the shift in production will take place as early as this summer. Once the shift is complete, the Thailand production site will produce all its printers that are destined for the U.S. market.

On May 10, U.S. President Donald Trump announced that $200 billion worth of Chinese-manufactured goods would be subject to a tariff increase to 25 percent from 10 percent. U.S. officials revealed that China had reneged on commitments made during previous rounds of negotiations.

Trump has ordered U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Robert Lighthizer to begin the formal process of raising tariffs on the remaining categories of imports from China, worth roughly $300 billion. The USTR has already drafted the new list of 3,805 product categories for raised tariffs.

According to Reuters, Lighthizers office has set a public hearing for June 17 and a public-comment period that ends on June 24meaning the new round of U.S. tariffs would be imposed after that date.

Printers, printer components, and accessories are included on the list. The anticipated tariffs are what has driven Ricoh to shift production to Thailand, according to Nikkei.

Nikkei pointed out that Ricohs production site in Shenzhen will continue to make printers for the European, Asian, and Japanese markets.

According to Nikkei, the U.S. market is Ricohs second-largest market behind Japan, accounting for about 30 percent of the roughly $10 billion in printer sales for the year ending in March.

Other Japanese printer makers Fuji Xerox and Canon are also closely monitoring developments in U.S.-China trade negotiations, to best determine the future course of action, according to Nikkei.

Several Japanese manufacturers of machinery had also made plans to shift production away from China, long before the May 10 tariff hike.

Sumitomo Heavy Industries, a machinery and equipment maker, has shifted manufacturing of components for its motor reducers from China back to Japan this year, according to a May 11 report by Japanese media agency Kyodo News.

Mitsubishi Electric, Komatsu, and Toshiba Machine also completed some production shifts away from China in 2018, according to Kyodo News. Kobe Steel is considering the possibility of moving production of U.S.-bound components for hydraulic excavators from China to Japan, Thailand, and the United States.

India

Smartphones are another category of products on the USTR proposed tariff list. As a result, some smartphone makers and suppliers have chosen India as their new production sites.

Wistron, a Taiwanese-based company that assembles Apples iPhones, received approval from Indias information technology ministry in March for a $710 million investment to expand its production facility in India for assembling the latest iPhone models, according to Indian English-language newspaper The Economic Times, citing comments made by IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad.

Wistron was among a group of seven Taiwanese companies that supply to Apple that expressed interest in November 2018 to shift some of their production away from China due to the Sino-U.S. trade war.

Another Apple assembler, Foxconn, is also diverting production away from China. In March, the companys chairman, Terry Gou, announced plans to move production in the Chinese city of Tianjin back to Taiwan. The following month, Gou told Bloomberg that iPhones will go into mass production in India this year.

The Economic Times, in another article published on May 2, reported that Samsung was investing about $356 million to establish two new component manufacturing entities in India to produce displays and batteries for mobile phones.

We expect the significant shift of manufacturing out of China to be a multi-year trend and a potential golden opportunity for India, wrote Gautam Chhaochharia, the head of Indian research at investment bank UBS, in an opinion article published by The Economic Times on May 10.

He explained that the trend of moving away from China would continue even if a trade deal is to be signed, citing Indias attractiveness as a manufacturing destination, such as the ease of doing business.

Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping are slated to meet for talks during the G-20 summit held in Japan in June.
Jeremy Kyle poses at the British Soap Awards 2008 at BBC Television Centre in London on May 3, 2008. (Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images)

Jeremy Kyle Utterly Devastated After Shows Cancellation Following Guest Death: Report

Following ITVs decision to cancel The Jeremy Kyle Show permanently, its host has said he is utterly devastated.

Jeremy Kyle said in a statement to the The Sun, Myself and the production team I have worked with for the last 14 years are all utterly devastated by the recent events.

The show has been taken off the air for good after a guest on the show, 63-year-old Steve Dymond, died of apparent suicide.

Kyle continued in the statement, Our thoughts and sympathies are with Steves family and friends at this incredibly sad time.

British television station ITVs chief executive Carolyn McCall was cited by the BBC as saying the decision was a result of the gravity of recent events.

ITV initially suspended the show indefinitely. Now, according to ITVs announcement, that suspension is permanent.

The station issued the following statement, as cited by the BBC:

Given the gravity of recent events we have decided to end production of The Jeremy Kyle Show. The Jeremy Kyle Show has had a loyal audience and has been made by a dedicated production team for 14 years, but now is the right time for the show to end. Everyone at ITVs thoughts and sympathies are with the family and friends of Steve Dymond. The previously announced review of the episode of the show is under way and will continue. ITV will continue to work with Jeremy Kyle on other projects.

Death of Steve Dymond

Following his appearance on Kyles show, Dymond died in a suspected suicide, according to the Daily Mail, citing the deceased mans landlady.

Dymond died following a lie detector test that he took on the show, which the Daily Mail reported had left the man humiliated and traumatized.

The lie detector test suggested Dymond had been unfaithful to his fiancee, Jane Callaghan, who later broke up with him.

According to The Sun, Dymond died of a drug overdose.

Tomorrows front page: Jeremy Kyle Show guest died of a drug overdose after failing lie detector test that exposed cheating https://t.co/q7LYbsRBrP pic.twitter.com/32GFTXKVGK  The Sun (@TheSun) May 13, 2019

Callaghan told The Sun: I know we split up a week ago but we were together for two years. He was still my fiance. I still loved him.

We got engaged Christmas Day 2017. He was crying, the love was real. He was the most generous and loving person. He was quietly struggling, and we didnt know at the time. He cheated on me, I know he did. I cant forgive but I just want him to be alive.

Callaghan told The Sun that Dymond had been struggling with depression.

Before his death, Dymond texted Callaghan to say he could not face life without her, according to The Sun, writing: I cant live without you. I just wanted to come and see you. I just wanted to say sorry before I go. My life is not worth living without you.

The BBC reported Hampshire Police confirmed Dymonds death on May 9 following a recording of the show.

His landlady, identified only by her first name Shelley, found his body.

He was traumatized, Shelley told the Daily Mail. Steve said it got quite nasty on the show. Four days later he was dead. I really believe it was the show that tipped him over the edge.

Shelley added, He was just a mess and he was just humiliated.

Initial Suspension

Following news of Dymonds death, ITV initially indefinitely suspended The Jeremy Kyle Show, according to a statement.

The British broadcaster also stated it would not air the episode in which Dymond took part.

Everyone at ITV and The Jeremy Kyle Show is shocked and saddened at the news of the death of a participant in the show a week after the recording of the episode they featured in and our thoughts are with their family and friends, a spokesperson said in the statement.

ITV will not screen the episode in which they featured, the spokesperson added.

The show has aired on ITV since 2005 and is known for its heated discussions between guests who often insult each other about personal and family conflicts in front of studio audiences.

The Jeremy Kyle Show taken off air and suspended indefinitely after death of guest who appeared on the show https://t.co/hofO0LFNuM pic.twitter.com/raaAC3r5uX  ITV News (@itvnews) May 13, 2019

According to the BBC, The Jeremy Kyle Show is the most popular show on ITVs daytime schedule, with an average of one million viewers and a 22 percent audience share.

NTD reporter Tiffany Meier contributed to this article.
A logo of ThyssenKrupp AG is pictured outside the ThyssenKrupp headquarters in Essen, November 23, 2017. REUTERS/Thilo Schmuelgen

Kone Looks at Options for Potential Thyssenkrupp Elevator Deal: Sources

FRANKFURT/DUESSELDORFFinlands Kone is assessing the viability of a bid for Thyssenkrupps 14 billion euro ($15.7 billion) elevators division even as the German conglomerate pursues plans to list it, four people familiar with the matter said.

Thyssenkrupp last week ditched a plan to spin off its capital goods business after months of shareholder criticism and opted instead to list elevators, its most profitable division, to raise badly needed cash.

The sources said it was not clear if Kone could fund an all-cash bid and whether or not the deal would face significant anti-trust hurdles similar to Thyssenkrupps failed steel joint venture with Tata Steel.

This is why Thyssenkrupps management prefers the option of an initial public offering, the sources added.

What the company needs is guaranteed proceeds. The IPO is a safe option. Other options are subject to execution risk, a person familiar with the matter said.

Analysts at Barclays said although the merger would be likely to face opposition from Thyssenkrupps labor representatives, a deal with Kone would result in 3-4 billion euros of synergies attributable to the German firm.

Why give away half the synergies which could be extracted from a potential elevator merger with an IPO of 50% of ET? the bank said in a note.

Thyssenkrupp has also said that it is open to partnerships in its other businesses. People close to the matter said that previous talks with gases group Linde over a merger of engineering activities could be revived.

Thyssenkrupp boss Guido Kerkhoff, who is under pressure to deliver after the botched overhaul, hopes an IPO of a minority stake in the elevators business would repair the groups stretched balance sheet.

But Kone, whose top investor Antti Herlin approached Thyssenkrupp in 2016 over an elevator merger, is willing to do a deal and is working with Bank of America to explore options, three people familiar with the matter said.

Its only natural that Kone is looking at its possibilities now that Thyssenkrupp has signaled a willingness to pull out partly, one of the people said.

The people said a Kone bid was doable if it was shares and cash.

Weve been saying for years that consolidation would make sense in our industry and our thinking hasnt changed, a spokeswoman for Kone said, declining to comment further.

Thyssenkrupp has not given a timeframe for the listing, only saying it wants to be market-ready in the next financial year which starts in October. One source said a flotation in the second quarter of 2020 was not unrealistic.

The sources also said that Switzerlands Schindler, controlled by the Schindler and Bonnard families, is expected to review its own options regarding the elevators business.

Schindler, which does not have a big M&A track record, may face larger antitrust hurdles in a potential deal, one of the people said, citing greater geographic overlap with Thyssenkrupp than Kone.

Possible deals for other Thyssenkrupp activities include tie-ups for the steering business in its automotive division or a merger of Industrial Solutions, which builds plants and industrial sites, with Linde, the sources said.

Thyssen and Linde held talks on a combination of their engineering businesses about two years ago, but those did not reap any results, one of the people said, adding that talks may be revived at a later stage.

The people said that because Linde is also seen as a seller this might allow both groups to deconsolidate the business, possibly by bringing in a private equity investor.

A spokesman for Thyssenkrupp referred to comments by CEO Kerkhoff who said that the IPO was aimed at strengthening the groups balance sheet. He declined to comment on Linde.

Schindler, Linde, and Bank of America declined to comment.

In the second quarter, sales at the elevators business rose by 6.6 percent to 1.87 billion euros, but its adjusted operating margin fell by a percentage point to 10.6 percent, hurt by higher material prices.

By Christoph Steitz, Arno Schuetze & Tom Kackenhoff
Mans Ex-wife and Girlfriend Fight on Bus

Footage from a security camera on a bus shows two women in a brawl and a man trying to break up the fight, which lasted for over 10 minutes. It turns out that the man was caught in the middle of a conflict between his ex-wife and new girlfriend, according to the Chinese news outlet The Beijing News.

The incident, which occurred on May 8 in Qingdao City, Shangdong Province in China, was triggered by the mans ex-wife. The report said that the ex-wife kicked the girlfriend as she was walking down the aisle toward the back seats.

The fight was put to an end only after the driver stopped the bus and called the police, according to the report.

Police later arrived at the scene to resolve the conflict.

The names of the individuals involved in the incident were not given in the report.

The Bus Fight

Blurry security camera footage reveals the man and his girlfriend getting on the bus and proceeding to the back.

The mans ex-wife was also on the bus. She was sitting next to the windows, wearing a black windbreaker and a cloth surgical mask over her face, a common item worn in China. The pair did not notice her.

The ex-wife sits still as the man passes by, but right as the girlfriend walks past her, she extends her right leg and kicks the girlfriend just below her right knee.

Shocked, the girlfriend immediately turns to her and kicks her back. The man proceeds to the back of the bus, apparently turning to look at the fight that erupted between the two women.

Kicks and slaps are thrown back and forth between the two, then they eventually grab each other and wrestle back and forth through the bus, yelling in a local dialect at each other.

The ex-wife grabs the girlfriend by the hair and shoves her back to a set of unoccupied chairs, while the girlfriend shouts, I was walking by and she kicked me!according to the video reported by The Beijing News.

After watching the conflict develop for about 20 seconds, the man begins walking toward the front of the bus. Call the police, one man can be heard saying on the security camera footage. Then the bus comes to a complete stop.

The conflict seems to resolve for the moment, and the man separates the two. But after three minutes, the peace does not last and the two women are at arms again.

As the fight continues, the other passengers seem to disembark as the last images of the fight are taking place on an empty bus.

Though the man stands between the two, the yelling and slapping does not cease. Why are you hitting her again?! the man yells after his ex-wife reaches around his shoulder, slapping the girlfriend.

You two cant leave, the driver repeats twice, according to the footage reported by The Beijing News. I called the police.

Police then arrive at the scene to settle the dispute, but no details were given about any resolution.
Missouri Governor Mike Parson speaks in support of Republican U.S. Senate candidate Josh Hawley during a campaign rally in St. Louis, Missouri, on Nov. 5, 2018. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)

Missouri Senate Passes Bill Banning Abortions of Pre-Born Children at 8 Weeks

The Missouri state Senate approved a bill on May 16 prohibiting the abortion of pre-born children at eight weeks after conception.

State Senate Republicans approved the measure 2410, only hours before the state legislatures cutoff to pass bills. The states Republican-led House will have to approve the legislation before it is sent to the desk of Republican Gov. Mike Parson.

Parson expressed support for the bill on May 15. The state Senate vote came hours after Alabamas Republican Gov. Kay Ivey signed a bill banning abortion at any stage during a pregnancy. The Alabama bill recognizes a human life beginning at conception, challenging the key holding of Roe v. Wade, a 1973 Supreme Court ruling that established a womans right to an abortion.

With Parsons signature, Missouri will become the sixth state to pass an abortion ban this year. Kentucky, Mississippi, Ohio, and Georgia enacted so-called heartbeat bills, which prohibit abortions after a pre-born childs heartbeat can be detected, typically around the sixth week of pregnancy. The bills are part of a pro-life movement to challenge Roe v. Wade and two subsequent Supreme Court rulings. Only Alabamas bill is specifically designed to challenge Roe v. Wade.

None of the bills passed this year would punish the mother. Only abortionists would face criminal charges. Missouris bill would punish doctors who abort pre-born children after eight weeks, with prison sentences from 5 to 15 years.

The Missouri bill includes exceptions for cases in which the life of the mother is in danger, but makes no exception cases in which a child was conceived as a result of rape or incest.

Pro-life advocates across the United States pursued new abortion bans hoping that new conservative majority on the Supreme Court could move to overturn Roe v. Wade. President Donald Trump appointed Justice Neil Gorsuch and Justice Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court.

If courts dont allow Missouris proposed eight-week ban to take effect, it includes a ladder of less-restrictive time limits ranging from 14 to 20 weeks. Roe v. Wade legalized abortion up until viability, usually at 22 to 24 weeks.

This is not a piece of legislation that is designed for a challenge, Missouris Republican House Speaker Elijah Haahr said. This is the type of legislation that is designed to withstand a challenge and to actually save lives in our state.

The Missouri bill also bans abortions motivated by the childs race or in cases in which a child is diagnosed with Down syndrome. The bill also requires the consent of both parents for a minor to obtain an abortion. Current law requires consent from only one parent.

Louisiana is the next state on track to pass a similar abortion ban. The states House Health and Welfare Committee approved a heartbeat bill on May 15. Louisianas Senate has already supported the bill, which was introduced by state Sen. John Milkovich. Once passed, the legislation would head to Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards, who has indicated that he will sign the bill.

We believe children are a gift from God, said Milkovich, a Democrat from Keithville. He said his proposal provides that once a heartbeat is detected, the baby cant be killed.

Parson said on May 15 that advancements in science and technology have enabled doctors to detect heartbeats and movements in pre-born children earlier than what was possible when the Supreme Court ruled in Roe v. Wade.

Thanks to decades of conservative, pro-life leadership, Missouri recently hit an all-time low for the number of abortions. Weve gone from a high of more than 20,000 in our state to now below 3,000, which is still too many, Parson said during a press conference on May 15.

At the federal level, lawmakers are split on abortion along party lines, with few exceptions. Earlier this year, Senate Democrats blocked a bill that would require doctors to care for children who survive abortion in the same way they would for babies born naturally. Republicans introduced the bill following national outrage over Democratic Virginia Gov. Ralph Northams comments defending infanticide.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio speaks at the 2019 National Action Network National Convention in New York on April 3, 2019. (Shannon Stapleton/Reuters)

New York City Mayor de Blasio to Join Crowded Democratic Presidential Field

NEW YORKNew York City Mayor Bill de Blasio has announced that he will enter the 2020 presidential race, according to a source close to the mayor.

A liberal Democrat, the 57-year-old de Blasio is serving his second four-year term as mayor of the countrys biggest city and will be prevented by term limits from running again in 2021. He is scheduled to appear on ABCs Good Morning America on Thursday after launching his campaign with a video, said the source, who requested anonymity to discuss the rollout ahead of time.

De Blasios entry will swell the ranks of Democratic hopefuls to two dozen, all aiming to take on President Donald Trump, who is expected to be the Republican nominee next year.

Even after six years overseeing a city of more than 8 million people, de Blasio faces an uphill battle to stand out among the Democratic contenders, who include former Vice President Joe Biden, and Senators Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts.

During his first run for mayor, de Blasio campaigned on reducing income inequality while providing more services for working-class families, themes that have become mainstays for national Democratic figures.

His signature policy accomplishment was establishing universal pre-kindergarten in the largest school system in the country. De Blasios administration has also implemented police reforms, paid sick leave, increases in the minimum wage and new identification cards that allow illegal immigrants to access city services.

But the mayor has grappled with setbacks. A federal criminal investigation did not result in charges against de Blasio but nevertheless found the mayor or his associates accepted contributions from donors seeking official favors and then made inquiries to city agencies on their behalf.

The city is also confronting a persistent housing crisis, including a growing homeless population, despite de Blasios push to finance tens of thousands of affordable housing units.

De Blasio, who has been described by The New York Times as a young leftist in his earlier days, recently launched his own version of the controversial Green New Deal that recently was presented to Congress. His progressive plan aims to cut emissions from the citys high rises and ban the classic glass and steel skyscrapers that make up the Big Apples skyline.

In March, the mayor of the Big Apple implemented a Meatless Monday school program that would provide students in the citys 1,800 public schools an all-vegetarian breakfast and lunch menus every Monday, which he said would improve New Yorkers health and reduce their environmental impact on the planet.

In January, he announced a health care plan to cover an estimated 600,000 residents, including illegal immigrants. The mayor touted the program as a step toward universal health care.

De Blasio, in his 2019 State of the City speech, also touted the redistribution of wealth.

Brothers and sisters, theres plenty of money in the world. Theres plenty of money in this city. Its just in the wrong hands, he said. You deserve a city that gives you the share of prosperity that you have earned.

De Blasios constituents have not appeared excited about the prospect of their mayor running for president. A Quinnipiac University poll in April found that more than three-quarters of New Yorkers said he should not make a White House bid.

De Blasio has teased a presidential run for months, holding fundraisers and traveling to key early voting states like New Hampshire and Iowa to meet with activists and voters.

He will hold several events in Iowa on Friday before traveling to another early voting state, South Carolina, for the weekend.

Epoch Times reporter Bowen Xiao contributed to this report.
A firefighter calls for water as most of the homes in the Oakridge mobile home park. (David McNew/Getty Images)

Officials: PG&E Equipment Sparked Deadly California Wildfire

SAN FRANCISCOPacific Gas & Electric Corp. power lines sparked a Northern California blaze that killed 85 people last year, making it the deadliest U.S. wildfire in a century, state fire officials said Wednesday.

Cal Fire said transmission lines owned and operated by the San Francisco-based utility started the Nov. 8 fire that nearly destroyed the town of Paradise in the Sierra Nevada foothills.

The fire wiped out nearly 15,000 homes. Many of those killed were elderly or disabled. The oldest was 99.

Investigators determined there were violations of law, Cal Fire deputy director Mike Mohler said. He said he hadnt read the report and didnt know the nature of the violations.

Cal Fire did not release its full investigative report, saying it had been forwarded to the Butte County district attorneys office, which is considering criminal charges against the utility.

The investigation also identified a second nearby ignition site involving PG&Es electrical distribution lines that had come into contact with vegetation. The second fire was quickly consumed by the initial fire.

The disclosures came on the same day the utilitys new chief executive was testifying before a legislative committee in Sacramento. Bill Johnson told the state Assembly Utilities and Energy Committee he had expected the utility would be blamed for the fire.

I have made the assumption when I got here that PG&E equipment caused the fire, he said, noting the utility had said that was probable in recent filings. Its a disappointment that this happened. Lets not do it again.

Butte County District Attorney Mike Ramsey said in a statement that he is still weighing possible criminal charges against the utility, a decision that could take months. He called Cal Fires decision to forward its report to Butte County strictly symbolic. because it has been long known that PG&Es equipment caused the fire.

State fire investigators have determined that PG&E caused 18 wildfires in 2017. They referred 12 for possible criminal prosecution.

Attorney Mike Danko, who represents 2,000 victims of the fire, said he was encouraged by the fact that Cal Fire sent its latest report to the district attorney, which could mean it has evidence that the utility was negligent on safety issues.

We know from our work that PG&E knew its towers in the area were corroded and were at risk of failing, Danko said.

The utility, which filed for bankruptcy protection in January, said in February it was probable that one of its transmission lines sparked the blaze. PG&E has estimated its total liability from the Paradise fire and 2017 wildfires could top $30 billion.

The Paradise fire spread rapidly, burning into the communities of Concow and Magalia and the outskirts of Chico. Authorities said it was like no fire they had seen before. Strong wind gusts blew hot embers a mile or more, creating multiple fires.

The tinder dry vegetation and red flag conditions consisting of strong winds, low humidity and warm temperatures promoted this fire and caused extreme rates of spread, Cal fire said in its release.

The utility previously acknowledged that the Caribou-Palermo transmission line lost power right before the fire and was later found to be damaged.

Paradise Mayor Jody Jones said she was not surprised to hear Pacific Gas & Electric power lines sparked the blaze that decimated her town and she hopes the findings help the citys legal case against the utility.

Its nice to have a definite answer, Jones said.

Paradise sued PG&E in January seeking damages for the loss of infrastructure, land, property, trees, public and natural resources, and lost taxpayer resources.

The suit alleges the blaze started when electrical infrastructure owned, operated and maintained by PG&E failed, causing a spark that ignited the blaze.

The suit also alleges that PG&E had planned to de-energize power lines as a precaution against starting a fire but canceled those plans despite windy conditions.

PG&E has proposed a dramatic expansion of planned electrical outages as part of a wildfire mitigation plan submitted to the California Public Utilities Commission in February. It has also proposed to cover overhead wiring, install more fire-resistant power poles and put some power lines underground.

The findings Wednesday certainly brings even greater urgency to our need to inspect, repair, have a power safety shut off plan, Johnson told reporters outside the legislative hearing.

PG&Es bankruptcy reorganization plan is due by the end of May, but it has requested an extension until November.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a Wednesday filing that PG&E shouldnt get an extra six months to reorganize. He said the utilitys request continues to show it lacks an urgent focus on improving safety.

Newsom and lawmakers are working on proposals related to utility liability for wildfires that could affect the bankruptcy.
Ohio Public School Tests Positive for Radioactive Contamination Prompting Early Shut Down

Authorities are investigating how a public school in the nations midwest tested positive for radioactive material and had to close early for the end of the academic year on May 13.

BREAKING: Enriched uranium and neptunium 237, a known carcinogen, detected at Ohio middle school https://t.co/ExCoGcGXpE  News Breaking LIVE (@NewsBreaking) May 13, 2019

The Scioto Valley Local Board of Education makes no apologies for closing Zahns Corner Middle School a week earlier than planned after enriched uranium was detected inside the school building and Neptunium 237 found in a U.S. Department of Energy air monitor adjacent to the school, which is about 65 miles south of Columbus.

The top priority of the Scioto Valley Local School District Board of Education is to ensure the safety and heath of our students and staff  it is the position of the board that any level of contamination on or near our school is unacceptable, Board President Brandon Wooldridge said in an open letter. The Scioto Valley Local School District Board of Education has made the decision to close the Zahns Corner Middle School until the source, extent, level of contamination, and potential impacts to public health and the environment can be determined.

#Ohio: An Ohio school is closing its doors for the rest of the year after officials found uranium in the building. https://t.co/7wR2BEgOnj  WTRF 7News (@WTRF7News) May 15, 2019

Monday was the last day of school for Zahns Corner Middle School in Piketon, Ohio because of health concerns after enriched uranium was detected inside the building.https://t.co/jiuxwkyDXY  Eyewitness News (@wchs8fox11) May 14, 2019

An independent study by the Northern Arizona University also found enriched uranium inside the building, as well as plutonium, uranium, and neptunium in both water and dust samples from the nearby area.

Theres just not a playbook in how we deal with this, the districts superintendent, Todd Burkitt, told WLWT. Were kind of writing the script as we go.

Trace amounts of enriched uranium were found on the campus of Zahns Corner Middle School in Ohio, near Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant, which the federal Dept. of Energy says is in the process of decommissioning. https://t.co/StsjPzmDTb  NBC News (@NBCNews) May 15, 2019

Energy department officials confirmed the radiation levels detected are well below established thresholds of concern for public health and will obtain independent soil and air quality samples in the surrounding area and take all appropriate actions to address community concerns.

The Ohio Department of Health is reviewing existing research and sample results, and the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency will also evaluate the data.

While the amount reported is far below the risk level, we have asked the Department of Energy to investigate it further, agency deputy director Heidi Griesmer told the Associated Press.

The board believes the contamination could originate from Department of Energys Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant, which stopped producing enriched uranium for nuclear plants and the U.S. nuclear weapons program back in 2001.

A nuclear waste disposal cell is being built by the department at the 3,000-acre facility to store the radioactive debris that will come from the demolition of sections of the plant.

We agree with the Pike County Health Department that the U.S. Department of Energy must take appropriate actions to ensure radiological contaminants are not being released from the site, Wooldridge said. We believe that closing Zahns Corner Middle School for the remainder of this school year is in the best interest of our students and staff at this time.

The Scioto Valley Local School District will work with the Pike County Health Department to develop a plan to ensure students, staff, and members of the community are safe.

The Ohio Department of Education will not expect the schools 300-plus students to make up for the missed days since they have already completed their academic requirements for the year.

Were not going to take any chances on someones child, we just wont do that, Scioto Valley Local School District Superintendent Todd Burkitt told WLWT5.

An Ohio middle school was closed Monday because enriched uranium was detected inside the school and neptunium-237 was detected by an air monitor next to it https://t.co/yIusfWWqgt  CNN (@CNN) May 14, 2019

Associated Press contributed to this report.
Canadians Michael Spavor (L) and Michael Kovrig have been detained in China since shortly after Canada arrested Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou in Vancouver in December 2018. (AP Photo)

Two Canadians Detained in China Formally Arrested, Charged With Spying

Chinese authorities have formally arrested two Canadians after detaining them for five months without access to lawyers, a move that will likely exacerbate tensions between Ottawa and Beijing.

Global Affairs Canada confirmed early Thursday morning that Chinese authorities had formally placed Canadians Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor under arrest.

According to news reports, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson told a press conference on Thursday that Spavor is charged with stealing state secrets and providing them to overseas forces, while Kovrig is charged with gathering state secrets.

Canada condemned the arrest of the men and called for their release.

Canada strongly condemns their arbitrary arrest as we condemned their arbitrary detention, Brittany Fletcher, a spokesperson for Global Affairs Canada, said in a statement.

We reiterate our demand that China immediately release Mr. Kovrig and Mr. Spavor.

Kovrig is a former Canadian diplomat who now works for the International Crisis Group, a think tank that, according to its website, focuses on preventing and resolving deadly conflict.

Spavor is a businessman who has worked extensively in North Korea.

Both Canadians were separately detained in China on Dec. 10, 2018. Canadian consular officials in China have been able to visit Kovrig and Spavor seven times each, the most recent visits taking place earlier this week. However, neither of the men have been allowed access to lawyers or family while detained.

According to the Globe and Mail, the men had been held in what essentially amounted to solitary confinement and were interrogated up to eight hours a day and held in rooms with 24-hour lighting. The two have reportedly now been moved to a formal detention centre.

Their detention last December is widely seen as retaliation by the Chinese regime for the arrest of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou in Vancouver by Canadian officials on behalf of the United States on Dec. 1, 2018.

U.S. authorities want Meng extradited to the United States to face charges of fraud, alleging that she and Huawei attempted to circumvent U.S. sanctions on Iran in their business dealings with U.S. banks, with Meng herself is accused of making misleading statements to banks. Both Huawei and Meng deny the allegations.

Mengs extradition proceedings are an ongoing process, with her next court appearance scheduled for September.

Unlike Kovrig and Spavor, who have not had access to lawyers or family, Meng has been out on $10-million bail for the past five months, living in one of her Vancouver homes and free to travel in the city during the day. Last week, she was granted permission to move to one of her homes in a more upscale area of the city.

In the months since her arrest, Ottawa and Beijing have been at increasing odds with one another.

After the arrest of Kovrig and Spavor, another Canadian detained in China, Robert Schellenberg, was recently sentenced to death for his involvement in a drug case, an escalation of his previous 15-year jail term. He is appealing his case.

The Chinese regime has also blocked imports from two major Canadian canola exporters, while other Canadian commodities are reportedly facing obstacles or delays in trade with China.
Filipino environmental activists wear a mock container vans filled with garbage to symbolize the 50 containers of waste that were shipped from Canada to the Philippines two years ago, at the Canadian embassy in Makati, south of Manila, Philippines, on May 7, 2015. (Aaron Favila/The Associated Press)

Philippines Recalls Diplomats as Canadas Deadline to Take Back Its Trash Expires

MANILA, PhilippinesThe Philippines is recalling its ambassador and consuls in Canada over Ottawas failure to comply with a deadline to take back truckloads of garbage that Filipino officials say were illegally shipped to the Philippines years ago, officials said Thursday.

Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. tweeted that the Philippines shall maintain a diminished diplomatic presence in Canada until its garbage is ship bound there. The move comes a week after Canada agreed to pay the full cost of shipping back its 69 shipping containers of garbage that have been sitting in two ports in the Philippines for nearly six years.

At midnight last night, letters for the recall of our ambassador and consuls to Canada went out. They are expected here in a day or so. Canada missed the May 15 deadline. And we shall maintain a diminished diplomatic presence in Canada until its garbage is ship bound there.  Teddy Locsin Jr. (@teddyboylocsin) May 15, 2019

Duterte threatened last month to forcibly ship the containers of garbage back to Canada and dump some at its embassy in Manila if Canadian officials dont take back the waste. Officials later set the May 15 deadline for Canada to comply.

Locsin said in his tweet that letters for the recall of the Philippine ambassador and consuls in Canada have been sent and that they were expected back in Manila after about a day.

That recall shows that we are very serious in asking them to get back their garbage otherwise were gonna severe relations with them, presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo told a regular news conference.

At least 103 containers of household trash, including plastic bottles and bags, newspapers and diapers, were shipped in batches from Canada to the Philippines from 2013 to 2014. Most of the shipping containers remain in two ports in Manila and northern Subic freeport, sparking protests from environmental activists. Philippine officials say they were falsely declared by a private firm as recyclable plastic scraps and have asked Canada to take back the garbage.

I am having problems with fellow officials hungry emigrate to Canada so want to keep friendly relations at the expense of defying Duterte and keeping Canadian garbage here. If our officials had done something about it, Canadian garbage would have been long returned to sender. https://t.co/CZmOnOHjmP  Teddy Locsin Jr. (@teddyboylocsin) May 16, 2019

Duterte raised the garbage issue in a speech last month while officials from both countries were already discussing a resolution to the issue. The volatile president said he was ready to declare war against Canada over the issue.

I want a boat prepared. Ill give a warning to Canada maybe next week that they better pull that thing out or I will set sail to Canada and pour their garbage there, Duterte said, adding he would ask Canadian officials to prepare a grand reception.

Celebrate because your garbage is coming home, he said. Eat it if you want to.

The Canadian government said through its embassy in Manila that it is strongly committed to collaborating with the government of the Philippines to resolve this issue. It said it was aware of a Philippine court ruling that ordered a private importer to ship the waste back to Canada.

A group of officials from both sides is examining the full spectrum of issues related to the removal of the waste with a view to a timely resolution, the embassy said in a statement.

A Manila court ordered the private importers in 2016 to ship the waste back to Canada. Of 103 shipping containers that entered the Philippines, the waste from 34 has been disposed of locally.

Philippine Customs Commissioner Rey Leonardo Guerrerro has said  bureaucratic red tape in Canada slowed the return of the rest.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in 2017 that regulations preventing the return of the garbage had been resolved.
Posters in Chinatown supporting using "Chinatown" as the name of the subway station. (Courtesy of CANARP)

San Francisco Supervisor Who Criticized Rose Pak Now Proposes Naming Subway Station After Her

SAN FRANCISCOControversy is escalating over a proposal to name the new San Francisco Chinatown subway station after the late Rose Pak, a political power broker.

Aaron Peskin, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors member who proposed the name, has previously criticized Pak, identifying her as an agent of China.

Rose Pak has been able to work with people to get undue influence in gaining city contracts and in gaining land use approval to build new buildings in San Francisco, Peskin said in an interview with New Tang Dynasty (NTD) Television during the 2011 San Francisco mayoral election.

It is really about the political influence and how political influence works, and that even includes working with and representing the interests of outside governments from San Francisco. I am happy to name those names, and those names include the Peoples Republic of China.

The major reason for the controversy over naming the station after Pak is concern about her close ties with Beijings communist regime and her involvement in corruption in local politics.

On May 14, a group of people who opposed naming the station after Pak spoke during the public comment section of the Board of Supervisors weekly meeting. One of the speakers played an audio recording of Peskins 2011 NTD Television interview at the meeting.

The stance Peskin expressed in the 2011 interview was in line with the concerns of people today who are opposing the naming proposal.

Peskin, who was at the meeting, responded to the public comments by saying that his relationship with Pak was complicated, and Pak was a complicated person. He described his relationship with Pak as at times the best of friends, and at times the worst of enemies.

He did not try to deny all the public comments and the evidence presented against Pak, but he said he still wanted to recognize Paks work.

Peskin previously served as a member of the Board of Supervisors representing District 3 between 2001 and 2009, and he left his post in 2009 upon reaching his term limit. District 3 includes Chinatown.

In 2015, Peskin was reelected to the Board to represent the same district. He also served as the chairman of the citys Democratic Party from 2008 to 2012.

In an interview with The New York Times in 2011, Peskin revealed how he was approached and courted by Pak.

It was very seductive, Peskin told The New York Times.

He told the newspaper that Pak gave gifts and invited him, his wife, and other officials and business leaders to meet senior officials in China.

What I didnt realize at the time was that I was being lobbied, Peskin told The New York Times.

Peskin also told the newspaper that on the last night of his trip to China, he and Pak were joined in Hong Kong by one of San Franciscos largest contractors, who had flown there to have dinner with them.

As the $1.6 billion Central Subway project approaches its completion, three different names have been proposed for the station in Chinatown: Chinatown Station, Sun Yat-Sen (Chinatown) Station, and Rose Pak Chinatown Station.

Sun Yat-Sen was the founding father of the Republic of China (also known as Taiwan). Sun built the first democratic republic nation in Asia, drawing his ideas from Abraham Lincoln and Confucius.

Few people have voiced opposition to the first two choices. Naming the station after Pak is the only one that has been sharply criticized.

On May 6, a crowd of residents representing several different groups rallied in front of City Hall to protest the use of Paks name for the station.

Those who disagree with using Paks name mainly belong to three different groups: people who are concerned that Paks special ties with communist China could bring bad implications to Chinatown; Chinatown residents who have years of experience with Paks ruthless behavior; and people who believe Pak is not qualified to represent Chinatowns long history and culture.

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 at the May 6 rally in front of City Hall.

Some protesters at the rally also said that Pak had used some Chinatown gangsters to retaliate against people she didnt like.

At the May 14 Board of Supervisors meeting, several adherents of the spiritual discipline Falun Gong spoke about the hate crimes committed against Falun Gong in Chinatown.

Pak was infamous for defending communist Chinas human rights record, including the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre and the communist regimes violent persecution of Falun Gong. Pak often helped the communist regime oppress Falun Gong in San Francisco.

Falun Gong adherents presented a video showing how Pak led a deceptive effort to collect signatures against Falun Gong in Chinatown. People on the streets were asked to enter a prize drawing by signing their names, and they did not realize they were actually signing their names on an anti-Falun Gong petition.

Speakers at the May 14 meeting also presented an FBI report showing that Pak purchased two real estate properties within nine months in 1991, and then she purchased an affordable housing condo unit in 2002 with the BMR (below market rate), which could only be offered to low-income buyers.

Quoting the FBI report, a press release from the Coalition Against Naming After Rose Pak (CANARP) stated that Rose Pak obtained a brand-new condo with government assistance through her relationship with the mayors office and the real estate developer.

The FBI report also stated that Pak was not entitled to obtain the unit, since she purported to be a single person, whereas the unit had two bedrooms and two bathrooms and was intended for a family.

Guang Zhongwen, a resident of Chinatown, said at the May 14 meeting that Pak was not qualified to represent the culture and history of Chinatown.

San Francisco has the largest Chinatown outside of Asia and the oldest Chinatown in North America.

Wan Rei, another speaker at the meeting, presented hundreds of signatures she collected from small businesses in Chinatown against naming the station after Pak. She also showed pictures of businesses in Chinatown posting signs reading Support only Chinatown Station.

One of the reasons for Peskins proposal was to recognize Paks work in helping build San Franciscos Chinese hospital, which has also become controversial. According to a report by the San Francisco Chronicle, only one year after its opening, the hospital already suffered heavy financial losses, and it has been placed under investigation for corruption at the top management level.
The search continues for Sarah Jean Galloway, who has been missing since March 21, 2019. (Pima County Sheriffs Department)

Search Continues for Missing Arizona Woman with Down Syndrome

Authorities continue to search for a 38-year-old Arizona woman with Down syndrome after she vanished from her desert-area home eight weeks ago.

Shes a vulnerable adult and were doing everything we can to locate her, said Pima County Sheriffs Department spokesman Daniel Jelineo, PEOPLE reported. Were looking to the public to supply any tips they have.

Sarah Galloway was last seen at her home in a small community northwest of Tucson at around 7:30 a.m. on March 21, according to KOLD News 13.

Sarah has Down syndrome and functions at about the level of an 8-year-old, according to the report.

The vulnerable womans mother, 66-year-old Sherry Galloway, told PEOPLE her daughter is super-friendly.

No one is a stranger to her. But she needs supervision to care for herself. She cannot operate a cellphone, she added.

Galloway described the moment she realized it had been some time since she last heard her daughters voice and became alarmed.

My first thought was that shed just walked further than she was allowed, Galloway told PEOPLE. I got in the car and drove down the road. No Sarah. I was freaking out.  Within about 10 minutes, wed called 911.

An extensive search was launched, scouring the nearby desert.

A representative with the Pima County Sheriffs Department, James Allerton, told ABC15 News at the time that resources from multiple agencies had joined the search, including tracking dogs and helicopters.

The Department of Public Safety has sent air assets out here to assist us, Allerton said, adding, the US Border Patrol has sent their search and rescue, their BORSTAR units as well as K-9s.

But the search has turned up empty-handed.

The missing womans mother said, Every morning, 7:308 oclock, I sit out here and watch cars and Im just like, Did you take her? Did you take her? Did you take her?

Tad and Kandance Jaconski, Galloways brother-in-law and sister, told the news outlet they were puzzled by her sudden disappearance.

Ive never seen her walk off by herself or even talk back or bad to anybody or argue with her mom in any bad way  and very kind but always accept anything from anybody, so thats what worries me, they told ABC15.

I feel like Im experiencing grief, like when someone passes away, Kandace Jaconski told KOLD News 13.

Unusual Behavior Before Disappearance

The missing womans mother told PEOPLE that Sarahs behavior had become increasingly unpredictable leading up to her disappearance.

It was really weird, Galloway told the publication. She was fantasizing about someonean acquaintancebeing her husband, telling me that this guy was going to do bad things to me. We didnt know where that was coming from or what to think.

KOLD News 13 reported that Galloway said her daughter had been particularly agitated the night before she went missing and talked about wanting to be with her husband.

Family members cited by the outlet said Sarah also suffered from delusions of being wanted by the law.

Local resident Donald Wadley coordinated volunteer search efforts among members of the tight-knit community.

A lot of prayers, its keeping our hopes alive, keeping our spirits up, Wadley told KOLD News 13. Its what keeps us going.

He said he was hopeful for a breakthrough.

Theres got to be a clue. Nobody just vanishes out of nowhere, Wadley said.

Sheriffs Office Continues Investigation

The Pima County Sheriffs Office wrote in an update on its Facebook page that an extensive search had been conducted and every available resource had been used in an attempt to locate the missing woman.

The post concludes with the note that the agency continues to actively investigate Sarah Galloways disappearance.

Galloway is described as 4-foot-11, weighing 170 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes. She was last seen wearing a gray sweater, dark pants, and rainbow unicorn shoes.

Authorities are asking anyone with information to call 911.
Search for Maleah Davis Leads to Area That Suspect Allegedly Described as a Good Place to Hide a Body

Crowds gathered on the night of May 15, in Sugar Land, Texas, to honor Maleah Davis as the search for the missing 4-year-old girl expanded to an area that the man suspected in her disappearance allegedly described as a good place to hide a body.

Well-wishers released pink and white balloons into the dusk sky following a series of emotional speeches at Oyster Creek Park.

Days earlier, volunteers gathered in the same park to pass out fliers seeking information in Maleahs disappearance. Since then, the search for the young girl has expanded to Rosharon, an unincorporated community in neighboring Brazoria County.

Houston Police are working with the search and rescue organization Texas EquuSearch to locate Maleah, police spokesperson Jodi Silva said.

On Wednesday, searchers focused on a rural area of Rosharon where Derion Vence, the suspect in her disappearance, once had a mail route, EquuSearch Founder and Director Tim Miller said.

He actually told his mother-in-law a year ago, If I ever murder someone I can dump a body in Rosharon, that will never be found,' Miller said.

EquuSearch confirmed the claim with Maleahs mother, Brittany Bowens, Miller said.

Its not a rumor, he said.

No Child Deserves to Lose Their Life

Participants in Wednesdays vigil wore blue shirts with Maleahs picture. One of those people was the father of Jazmine Barnes, a little girl from the Houston area who was killed in a drive-by shooting in December.

Christopher Cevilla said he wanted to show love and support for Maleahs family, just as the community mourned the loss of his princess.

Cevilla said it was hard to see Maleah in news reports and social media and not think of his daughter.

It brings back flashbacks, he said. Its very hard not to see my baby, looking at the pictures.

Although the cases share little in common, the investigation of Maleahs disappearance has gone through twists and turns, just as Jazmines case did.

In early May, Vence told authorities that a trio of Hispanic men knocked him unconscious and abducted Maleah while they were driving to the airport to pick up Maleahs mother. Within days, authorities say his story began to unravel.

Court documents suggest that blood from the apartment Vence shares with Maleahs mother is consistent with DNA taken from Maleahs toothbrush, and surveillance footage shows that Maleah never left the apartment.

Vence was arrested Saturday and booked into Harris County jail on suspicion of tampering with a human corpse, according to police, who have not said if Maleah is believed to be alive. Court documents indicate a substantial likelihood Vence will be charged with murder.

Speakers at Wednesday nights vigil urged the crowd to focus on Maleah and not the investigation. Yet, traces of everyones worst fears about Maleahs fate echoed throughout the vigil.

No child deserves to lose their life, said one woman who identified herself as a member of Maleahs family.

Another speaker urged the crowd to honor Maleahs memory by building loving homes and families.

Hold your babies tonight and show them how much you love them.
(L-R) FBI Director James Comey, Director of National Intelligence James Clapper and Central Intelligence Agency Director John Brennan wait to testify before the Senate Intelligence Committee on Jan. 10, 2017. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

The Origins of Spygate: 10 Questions

Commentary

News that Attorney General William Barr appointed U.S. Attorney John Durham to examine the origins of the TrumpRussia collusion investigations has sent shockwaves across Washington.

Simultaneously, it was reported that Barr is working with the directors of the CIA, the FBI, and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) to review the intelligence-gathering techniques used to investigate President Donald Trumps 2016 campaign.

The announcements are significant given the amount of information already known, much of which points to irregularities in the investigations and a severe bias.

Take, for example, text messages sent between FBI agent Peter Strzok and FBI lawyer Lisa Pageboth of whom were working on the counterintelligence investigation into the Trump campaignin which Page asked Strzok: Hes not ever going to become president, right? Right?!

No. No he wont. Well stop it, Strzok responded.

Here are 10 key questions that remain to be answered in the scandal that has become known as Spygate:

1. What were the roles of the CIA and Brennans Interagency Task Force?

Former CIA Director John Brennan has admitted in testimony before Congress and in media interviews that he passed intelligence received from the UK on the Trump campaign to the FBI with the intention of having the bureau investigate it.

I made sure that anything that was involving U.S. persons, including anything involving the individuals involved in the Trump campaign, was shared with the [FBI], Brennan said during a May 23, 2017, congressional testimony.

It served as the basis for the FBI investigation to determine whether such collusion [or] cooperation occurred.

Notably, Brennan met with Robert Hannigan, the head of UK spy agency GCHQ, in Washington in the summer of 2016. The meeting was unusual, since Hannigans equivalent in the United States would have been National Security Agency (NSA) Director Adm. Mike Rogers.

We know from statements by Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) that there was no official intelligence product that served as the basis of the Trump investigation, meaning all the intelligence-sharing consisted of unofficial intelligence products.

Also in the summer of 2016, Brennan set up a joint task force that included, according to reporting by the BBC, six agencies or government departments: the CIA, the FBI, the Treasury Department, the Justice Department (DOJ), the ODNI, and the NSA.

2. How exactly did the FBI use the Steele dossier?

The dossier produced by former British MI6 official Christopher Steele played a key role in the FBIs investigation of the Trump campaign, as well as the creation of the public perception that Trump colluded with Russia. None of the key 103 allegations contained in the Steele dossier were confirmed in the investigation by special counsel Robert Mueller.

Steele had been hired by Fusion GPS, which, in turn, had been hired by the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and the Clinton campaignthrough their law firm Perkins Coieto produce the dossier on Trump.

Fusion GPS co-founder Glenn Simpson, alongside Steele, actively pushed the false allegations contained in the dossier through the FBI, the DOJ, the State Department, and the media.

An investigation by the House Intelligence Committee showed that the FBI relied heavily on the Steele dossier in its application for a FISA (Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act) warrant to spy on former Trump campaign adviser Carter Page. We also know that the FISC (Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court) wasnt informed that the dossier was a political opposition research project funded by an opposing political campaign.

The FBI had used Steele as a paid official source until it severed relations with him over his unauthorized contact with the media.

How exactly did the FBI use the Steele dossier in its counterintelligence investigation, and at what point did the bureau know that the information contained in it was false?

3. What was Obamas role in the Trump investigations?

Its unclear how much former President Barack Obama was involved in the investigations of the Trump campaign. Given the involvement of the directors of the CIA and FBI in the highly sensitive investigations of a presidential candidate, its unlikely he wasnt aware.

In a Jan. 20, 2017, email written by Obamas national security adviser Susan Rice to herselfmarked TOP SECRETshe memorialized a meeting that took place in the Oval Office earlier that month. In the now partially declassified email, Rice wrote that those present included Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, FBI Director Comey, and Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates. During the meeting, Obama allegedly told the attendees that when it came to the Russia investigation, he was committed to ensuring this issue [was] handled by the Intelligence and law enforcement communities by the book.'

We also know that in January 2017, Obama received a briefing by Brennan, Comey, and DNI James Clapper in which he was given a summary of the Steele dossier, which was attached to an intelligence report.

Trump recently hinted in an interview with Fox News Sean Hannity that Obama was aware:

It is inconceivable when it goes to Clapper, Brennan, Comey, these people, I would imagine that some other people, maybe a little bit higher up also knew about it, and maybe a lot higher up, Trump said.

4. What happened with the information obtained through spying on the Trump campaign?

We know that the Trump campaign was spied on in at least five different ways.

FISA Warrant: FBI officials obtained a FISA warrant on former Trump campaign adviser Carter Page. The warrant was extended three times, well into Trumps presidency. Other FISA warrants may have been obtained, as well.

Unmasking: Under Obama, national security adviser Susan Rice, former U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Samantha Power, and CIA Director John Brennan made hundreds of so-called unmasking requests for the identities of members of the Trump campaign in intelligence reports. Identities of Americans are, by default, redacted in foreign communications intercepted by the NSA.

Undercover Informants: We know that the FBI used at least two undercover informants to spy on the Trump campaign. One of the informants was Stefan Halper, who contacted Trump campaign associates Carter Page and George Papadopoulos. The other is known as Azra Turk (her real name remains unknown), who, according to reporting by The New York Times, was sent to London in September 2016 to try to get information from Papadopoulos.

National Security Letters: These documents, which allow the FBI to secretly subpoena records, were used to target the Trump campaign, according to reporting by The New York Times.

Foreign Intelligence: British intelligence agency GCHQ provided officials within the CIA with information on the Trump campaign as early as late 2015, according to reporting by The Guardian.

The question remains, what was the surveillance information used for, and with whom was it shared? Was any of the information shared for political purposes? And was any of it shared with Hillary Clintons campaign or the DNC?

5. Did Obama officials and the DNC collude with Ukraine?

Obama administration officials from the National Security Council, the FBI, the DOJ, and the State Department met with Ukrainian corruption prosecutors in Washington in January 2016.

During the meeting, the officials, according to reporting by The Hill, asked the Ukrainians to reopen a closed investigation into payments made to U.S. figures by Ukraines Russia-backed Party of Regions.

Seven months later, Ukrainian Member of Parliament Serhiy Leshchenko would publicly reveal alleged payments contained in a Party of Regions ledger to Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort, leading him to be removed from the campaign.

According to Politico, Ukrainian-American Alexandra Chalupa told a senior DNC official in January 2016 that we can expect Paul Manafort to be involved in this election. This was prior to Manafort even reaching out to the Trump campaign through a mutual acquaintance, on Feb. 29, 2016.

Chalupa, who worked as a consultant for the DNC, was working closely with the Ukrainian Embassy to obtain information on Trump, according to former embassy staffer Andrii Telizhenko.

Why was a DNC consultant trying to get help from a foreign government to obtain dirt on the Trump campaign? And why were Obama officials pushing Ukrainian prosecutors to reopen an investigation into Manafort?

6. Was the FBIs team to investigate Trump hand-picked, and why?

Several of the key investigators of the FBIs counterintelligence investigation into Trump were the same as those investigating Hillary Clintons use of a private email server to send classified information.

Notably, FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, FBI agent Peter Strzok, and FBI lawyer Lisa Page (who at the time was a special counsel to McCabe) were involved in both investigations.

McCabe had been promoted on July 30, 2015, to the No. 3 position within the FBI, as associate deputy director, and was moved to FBI headquarters from the Washington Field Office.

Around two months after the FBIs investigation of Clinton was opened, Strzok was one of several hand-picked agents sent over from the Washington Field Office and moved to headquarters to help with the investigation.

Strzoks direct supervisor during the Trump investigation, then-Assistant Director of the FBIs Counterintelligence Division Bill Priestap, acknowledged to congressional investigators in closed-door testimony in June 2018 that it was Strzok and FBI analyst Jonathan Moffa who were driving the train.

Priestap was unaware of the meeting Strzok had with McCabe and Page that was described in the insurance policy text message.

This raises the question of whether the agents who worked on the Trump campaign investigation were hand-picked for the job, and why the regular lines of reporting were broken during the investigation.

7. What was Comeys role in the investigation of the Trump campaign?

Former FBI Director James Comey, since leaving the bureau, has made multiple public statements about his involvement in the investigation of the Trump campaign. In a recent CNN town hall interview, he said that he was briefed on it on a regular basis and that they kept me closely informed.

Significant questions remain, however, about how the investigation into the Trump campaign was opened, as well as about Comeys interactions with Brennan, and whether the spying and infiltration efforts approved by Comey were done so on a legitimate basis.

8. What was Lynchs involvement?

Very little is known about former Attorney General Loretta Lynchs involvement in the investigation of the Trump campaign. As FBI director, Comey reported directly to Lynch.

The DOJ under Lynch defended the Carter Page FISA application before the FISA court, on behalf of the FBI.

9. Did reporters receive payments from Fusion GPS?

Fusion GPS has made payments to journalists who reported on topics related to alleged Russian interference in the elections, court documents show. Documents filed in the District of Columbia in 2017 by Scott Glabe, who was then the deputy general counsel for the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, showed that at least three journalists received payments from the company.

The journalists in question have reported or written on matters within the scope of the committees investigation, the court documents show.

Fusion GPS has denied that the company paid journalists for their reporting.

They are not permitted to publish any articles based on that work, nor do we pay journalists to write stories, Fusion GPSs counsel, Joshua Levy, told The Epoch Times in a statement in November 2017.

Instead, Levy said, the company sometimes works with contractors that have specialized skills seeking public records under open-records laws.

10. What changes will be brought to the FBI?

As investigations into the conduct of officials conclude, a prudent question will remain: What reforms are needed at the FBI, and other agencies, to ensure that a politicized investigation of a political candidate and his or her campaign never happens again?
Teen Killed, Her Baby Cut From Womb; Husband Asks, Why Did These Bad People Do This?

The husband of Marlen Ochoa-Lopez spoke out after the woman was found dead in a Chicago home several weeks after she went missing. Her baby was forcibly removed from her body, said police.

She was nine months pregnant when she went missing on April 23, and her body was found this week, according to the Cook County, Illinois, medical examiners office, CNN reported. Her cause of death was strangulation.

Why did these people, why did these bad people do this? She did nothing to them, said Yovani Lopez, her husband, reported the Chicago Tribune. She was a good person.

He added that his family is to have justice with those responsible.

Were going to go hard after them. We wont let it go, Lopez said.

Police said they are questioning four people, including a 46-year-old woman who messaged Ochoa-Lopez via a Facebook group for mothers, the Tribune reported. Meanwhile, The Associated Press reported that three people were taken into custody.

Police said the baby is in serious condition, and according to AP, the baby isnt expected to survive. Her family named the child Yadiel, ABC News reported.

Surrounded by family members and supporters, the father of Marlen Ochoa-Lopez nearly collapsed this morning as he walked into the Cook County medical examiners office to identify his daughters body.https://t.co/eqv5sZ3KJc pic.twitter.com/q3tPTKPigO  Ashlee Rezin (@Ashlee_Rezin) May 16, 2019

Police have not provided the names of any suspects.

We believe that she was murdered, and we believe that the baby was forcibly removed following that murder, said Anthony Guglielmi, a Chicago police spokesman, to CNN.

The day that Ochoa-Lopez disappeared, the Chicago Fire Department got a call about a newborn at the same address where she was found. The baby was taken to the hospital along with a mother who claimed to be the mother.

The mother of Marlen Ochoa-Lopez outside the Medical Examiners Office  Her friends spoke with us  stunned, heartbroken, trying to make sense of an incomprehensible crime. pic.twitter.com/WjaYf8tc3x  Lexi Sutter (@LexiSutterTV) May 16, 2019

Its to my knowledge that she is not the mother, and thats all I have for you, Larry Langford, a fire department spokesman, told CNN.

According to AP, Ochoa-Lopezs body was discovered on May 15.

Later, Ochoa-Lopezs family got confirmation that the baby belongs to her, said Jacobita Cortes, a pastor at Adalberto Memorial United Methodist Church in Chicago, according to CNN.

#RT @WausauPilot: The family of Ochoa-Lopez, a married mother of a 3-year-old son, said a woman on Facebook had lured her to the home by offering a stroller and baby clothes. https://t.co/2PNnvTGAdW pic.twitter.com/3NXg1uM2JK  Shereen Siewert (@ShereenSiewert) May 16, 2019

She was seen three weeks ago after leaving Latino Youth High School and was supposed to pick up her 3-year-old son from day care. She never showed up, officials said.

The Tribune reported that she communicated with a woman via the Facebook group. A 46-year-old woman told her my girl has all brand new boy clothes her son never wore, according to a screenshot provided by her family.

Yes girl thats fine thank you so much, Ochoa-Lopez said.

No problem girl, the woman told her. I know how it is she was lucky to have two baby showers so she just loves to spread the wealth Im fine with the help inbox me for more info ok.
Border Patrol agent Carlos Ruiz apprehends 35 illegal aliens who have just crossed the Rio Grande from Mexico near McAllen, Texas, on April 18, 2019. (Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times)

The Billion-Dollar Business of Human and Drug Smuggling

WASHINGTONHuge amounts of money are flowing straight to the coffers of the Mexican cartels and smuggling organizations off the backs of illegal immigrants. And as the numbers reach new heights every month, the profits continue to roll in.

Border Patrol has apprehended 460,294 illegal aliens during the first seven months of the 2019 fiscal year.

The lower estimate of what illegal immigrants pay to smugglers is $1,500 per head, which would indicate a total of $690,440,000. Meanwhile, illegal immigrants from some countries, such as China, pay up to $15,000 per head.

On top of that, the $690 million figure doesnt include those who evade capture.

In Texass Rio Grande Valley alone, 25,000 illegal aliens avoided being apprehended in the first five months of fiscal 2019, while 103,000 were captured.

Applying the ratiofor every 103 captured aliens, 25 get awaysuggests a total southwest border estimate of 88,500 got-aways during the first seven months. If each of them paid the basic fee of $1,500, thats an additional $132,750,000.

The conservative estimate is now at $823 million for the first seven months of fiscal 2019.

Former Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen estimated that 1 million illegal immigrants will be apprehended this fiscal year. That puts the low estimate at $1.8 billion, including got-aways.

Add the Drugs

The profits that cartels are reaping from drug trafficking are likely also on the rise. While up to 40 percent of Border Patrol resources are tied up with large groups, cartels are getting a free pass around them.

Human smugglers choose the timing and location for these large group crossings strategically, in order to disrupt border security efforts, create a diversion for smuggling of narcotics, and allow single adults seeking to evade capture to attempt to sneak in, said former CBP Commissioner Kevin McAleenan at a Senate hearing on March 6. Even worse, these smugglers visit horrible violence, sexual assault, and extortion on some of the most vulnerable people in our hemisphere.

The Rio Grande City Border Patrol station, one of nine stations within the Rio Grande Valley Sector in southeast Texas, is the busiest station for narcotics seizures and second-busiest for illegal alien apprehensions.

But, despite the station seizing 42,000 pounds of narcotics in the first five months of this fiscal year, were not even probably catching about 10 percent of it, said Raul Ortiz, former deputy chief Border Patrol agent for the Rio Grande Valley sector.

That would mean 378,000 pounds of drugs have made it across into the Rio Grande City area between the ports of entry.

The cartels are starting to push alien traffic out here [where] theres nothing [but] a little, bitty village, Ortiz said. And why are they doing that? Not because its a close proximity to a community. No, because the cartels are using that as a diversion so they can tie up our hands, so our agents cant get to the narcotics or to smuggled alien traffic.

#CBP officers at the Port of Nogales in AZ seized nearly $96K in unreported currency and almost $406K worth of heroin, fentanyl and meth in 2 separate incidents over the weekend. Details: https://t.co/nU9Ojz8V3g pic.twitter.com/gNm4ros4OI  CBP (@CBP) May 16, 2019

Border Patrol Chief for Yuma, Arizona, Anthony Porvaznik said his sector is so overwhelmed with large groups from Central America, that he estimates 50 to 60 percent of his manpower is unable to focus on border security and national security-related issues.

If you look at how many people enter the country and how many people we arrest, were very effective, Porvaznik said. But its the people that are getting away that are the problem.

He estimates at least 20 percent of those who try to evade Border Patrol, that we know of, are successful.

And with more than half of his manpower dedicated to the family units, all three of the highway checkpoints he runs are closed.

We dont know what is getting through, he said. Last year  we had just under 1,800 pounds of methamphetamine seized at our checkpoints. This year, were far below that because we dont have our checkpoints open all the time. So, thats hundreds and hundreds of pounds of methamphetamine, dangerous drugs getting into the communities all across America, because it doesnt stay in Yuma. It goes all across America.

#BorderPatrol agents assigned to San Diego Sector seized over 95lbs of meth and heroin hidden inside the false floor of a truck bed. Agents discovered the drugs at a checkpoint following a K9 alert. Details: https://t.co/bmb44TpUkN pic.twitter.com/c5jiy5rWME  CBP (@CBP) May 6, 2019

Pima County, Arizona, shares the longest international border with Mexico, much of it unsecured.

Were seeing huge amounts of methamphetamine. Some of thats coming through the ports of entry. Some of its coming across the desert areas. Fentanyl, heroin, cocaine are all coming in huge unimaginable quantities, Pima County Sheriff Mark Napier said on April 17.

Just last week, my deputies interdicted 58 pounds of methamphetamine. It used to be if you got two or three ounces of methamphetamine, that was considered a big deal. Now, were doing 58 pounds. A month ago, they did 13,000 fentanyl pills. Now, imagine the amount of overdoses, the trips to an emergency room, the addiction associated with 13,000 fentanyl pills.

And the profits going to the cartels.
A full-scale mock-up of a high-speed train, displayed at the Capitol in Sacramento, Calif., on Feb. 26, 2015. (Rich Pedroncelli/AP Photo)

Trump Administration Cancels $929 Million in California High-Speed Rail Funds After Appeal Rejected

WASHINGTONThe Trump administration said on Thursday, May 16, it was formally canceling $929 million in previously awarded funding for Californias high-speed rail program after rejecting an appeal by the state.

The U.S. railway regulator, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), said on Thursday it had canceled the funding awarded in a 2010 agreement after it said the state had repeatedly failed to comply and failed to make reasonable progress on the project.

In a statement, the FRA said it was still considering all options on seeking the return of $2.5 billion in federal funds the state has already received.

The decision is the latest salvo in an ongoing battle between the administration of President Donald Trump and California over a series of issues including immigration, vehicle emissions standards, and internet policy.

California has repeatedly sued the Trump administration and officials expect the state will sue over the rescinding of rail funding.

The Trump administration moved to end funding after California Governor Gavin Newsom said in February the state would scale back the planned $77.3 billion high-speed rail project after cost hikes, delays, and management concerns, but would finish a smaller section.

In a statement on Thursday, Newsom vowed to go to court to protect Californias money, appropriated by Congress.

The traffic-choked state had planned to build a 520-mile system in the first phase that would allow trains to travel at up to 220 mph from Los Angeles to San Francisco and begin full operations by 2033.

Newsom said in February the state would instead complete a 119-mile high-speed link between Merced and Bakersfield in the states Central Valley.

Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, who overseas FRA, in February said Californias drastically scaled back rail project is a classic example of bait and switch We have a right to ask for that $2.5 billion back as well.

The Obama administration awarded California $3.5 billion in 2010 and California voters in 2008 approved nearly $10 billion in bond proceeds.

In March 2018, the state forecast project costs had jumped $13 billion to $77 billion and warned costs could be as much as $98.1 billion.

By David Shepardson
President Donald Trump arrives at the 38th Annual National Peace Officers Memorial Service at the west front of the Capitol in Washington on May 15, 2019. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Trump Says People Convicted of Killing Police Officers Should Get the Death Penalty

President Donald Trump said in remarks he delivered on May 15 that he believes people convicted of killing police officers should get the death penalty.

Trump spoke at the 38th annual National Peace Officers Memorial Service in Washington.

The ambushes and attacks on our police must end, and they must end right now. We believe that criminals who murder police officers should immediately, with trial, get the death penaltybut quickly. The trial should go fast. Its got to be fair, but its got to go fast, Trump said.

The president first called for the death penalty during his campaign.

In a rally in New Hampshire, according to the Hill, he said: One of the first things Id do in terms of executive order, if I win, will be to sign a strong, strong statement that would go out to the country, out to the world, anybody killing a policeman, a policewoman, a police officer, anybody killing a police officer, the death penalty is going to happen.

On Wednesday, the president noted that the number of officers killed in ambushes has decreased since he took office and seemed to connect it to the money hes sent police departments for upgraded gear.

Im very proud to have sent to all of the police departments all over the country hundreds of millionsand even billionsof dollars worth of military equipment that wasnt being used. Beautiful, wonderful, safe, great equipment that wasnt being used. And other administrations didnt want to send it. Someday, youll explain that one to me, Trump said.

But its been sent and its been used, and Ive had so many people tell me how happy they were and how many lives it saved. Well never back down when it comes to protecting out police, ever. Ever.

Trump then condemned people who use hateful anti-police rhetoric and said that another dangerous trend in recent years is prosecutors in some cities, such as Philadelphia and Chicago, deciding not to prosecute criminals who break the law.

Last year, in Philadelphia, a robber shot and gravely injured a deli owner. He was a good man. Hell never be the same. But he may servethis criminala sentence that is very short. In fact, theyre looking at about three years, if you can believe this. Three years, Trump said.

He then appeared to make a reference to Empire actor Jussie Smollett, who Chicago prosecutors inexplicably dropped 16 felony counts against after he allegedly faked a hate crime with the help of friends.

Dangerous criminals must be punished to the fullest extent of the law. Thats the only language they understand. And those who file false police reports should face full legal consequences, he said.

Trump highlighted the story of Ronil Singh, a police officer in California who police said was slaughtered by an illegal immigrant hed pulled over.

Corporal Singh headed out on dutywhich he lovedto protect and to serve. You all know the story. Because hours later, he was gunned down and killed during a simple traffic stop. He was a vicious killer, this man that crossed into our country from the border just a little while before. A vicious killer that couldve been kept out with border security, with the wall, with whatever the hell it takes, Trump said.

Couldve been kept out. But were getting it there. Were building the wall. Were beefing up like you wouldnt believe. The military has come into action. People are trying to come into our country illegally because our country is doing well. They cant come in illegally. They have to come in through the legal system. They have to come in through merit. They cant come in like this killer came injust rode across the border, went through every sign he could go through.

Trump invited Singhs wife and brother up on stage, and Reggie Singh, the brother, expressed his support for the president.

This man over here, the Singh family supports him. Whatever he is doing for the law enforcement, we support him, he said, referring to Trump. His team at the White House has reached out to us multiple times. Multiple times. I dont think that ever happened before. Ever. This man is amazing, and my family supports him. Thank you.

Anamika Singh, Ronil Singhs widow, also spoke, thanking Trump for reaching out to the family.

I actually want to thank you personally foryoure the only one that actually reached out and said, gave your condolence to the family. And it actually means a lot to all of our law enforcement families that are here. For the sacrifice my husband and his brothers in blue, in blue, have given. So I want to thank you for that, she said.

And we allevery family sitting out here wants justice for what happened to their loved ones. And thats what I want for my husband.

From NTD News
Riley Howell (R) in a Sept. 1, 2017 file photo. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Kerr Putney said Howells actions likely saved the lives of other students. (Matthew Westmoreland via AP)

UNC Charlotte Shooting Victim Riley Howell Receives Posthumous Award for Heroism

Riley Howell, the student at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte who was killed as he tackled the gunman accused of opening fire on campus, has been awarded posthumously on May 15 for his heroic efforts.

Howells parents and girlfriend picked up the Citizen Medal of Valor award on his behalf to a standing ovation during an awards ceremony for Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officers, reported WCNC-TV.

He was awarded for his brave actions during the deadly shootings on April 30 which killed both Howell, 21, and 19-year-old Ellis Reed Parlier. Four other students were wounded in the attack, three critically.

JUST IN: Ellis Parliers family has just shared this photo with us. They said they are still in shock and grieving. Ellis was killed in last nights #UNCC shooting. pic.twitter.com/gUk2ZMCvoA  NBC Charlotte (@wcnc) May 1, 2019

A Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officer said during the presentation, What Riley did in the class was extraordinary.

As a police department, as a community, as a city and as a nation, we wanted to recognize this act, he added.

The alleged gunman, former UNC Charlotte student Trystan Andrew Terrell, killed Howell when he threw himself in front of him in a classroom of 30, saving the lives of many of his fellow students.

In a desperate bid to stop Terrell, 22, who had a handgun, Howell barged into him, knocking him to the floor and helping in his capture. His family said he was shot at least three times, reported The New York Times.

Howells aunt, Morgan Howell Moylan, told CNN he was shot point blank. The environmental studies student has been hailed as a hero for sacrificing his life for the sake of the others in the classroom.

He did such a heroic thing. He was everybodys protector. You felt safe when you were with Riley, Moylan added.

His mother, Natalie Henry-Howell, told NBC News she and the family are just beyond proud of what he was able to do.

While kids were running one way, our son turned and ran toward the shooter, she said.

His sacrifice saved lives | Riley Howell killed by UNCC gunman as he was trying to stop himhttps://t.co/4uspblbHUw pic.twitter.com/sGfdeoLpWs  NBC Charlotte (@wcnc) May 1, 2019

Earlier this month, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Kerr Putney said Howells heroic actions helped lead to the attackers capture.

But for his work, the assailant may not have been disarmed, Putney told a news conference on May 1.

He took the fight to the assailant. Unfortunately, he had to give his life to do so, but he saved lives doing so, he added.

Terrell is charged with murder, attempted murder, and assault.

Following his death, a petition was set up for Howellwho was a military cadetto receive a full military honors funeral for his heroic actions.

Family of Riley Howell just received the Citizen Medal of Valor Award from CMPD. Howell, a UNCC student was killed while taking down a gunman during a school shooting. Howells parents, siblings and girlfriend accepted the award. @wcnc pic.twitter.com/dtMnxJo0EB  Billie Jean Shaw (@BillieJeanTV) May 15, 2019

The first year UNC student was remembered at a memorial service with military honors on May 5. More than 1,500 people attended the service held at Lake Junaluska near Waynseville.

Howells family have also said they are setting up the Riley Howell Foundation, which aims to support families who have been affected by senseless acts of violence.

Chief Putney says Riley Howell tackled the suspect. Officers were then able to take the suspect into custody. Absolutely, Riley saved lives. #UNCC @wsoctv pic.twitter.com/dkG0qTgD4K  Joe Bruno (@JoeBrunoWSOC9) May 1, 2019

His obituary read: Riley died the way he lived, putting others first. Our hope is that his example resonates with everyone. We hope others will, if ever the need arises, answer the call to be selfless and do the right thing without hesitation.

The four wounded students were identified as Drew Pescaro, 19, of Apex, North Carolina; Sean DeHart, 20; Emily Houpt, 23, of Charlotte; and Rami Alramadhan, 20, of Saihat, Saudi Arabia.
USChina Trade War: Trump Is Not Going to Back Down, This Is a War of Values: Curtis Ellis

Why exactly did progress toward a U.S.China trade deal apparently slow down, and President Donald Trump finally enact his promised 25 percent tariff on $200 billion in Chinese goods? What will the effects of this be on the U.S.China trade war, and can the Chinese Communist Party be trusted to live up to any deal at all?

Epoch Times senior editor Jan Jakielek recently sat down with Curtis Ellis, who was a special adviser to the secretary of labor in the TrumpPence administration and is now a senior policy adviser with America First Policies. We discuss the rationale behind Trumps tariffs on China, the longer-term implications of the U.S.China trade warand U.S.China relations overall.

Jan Jekielek: Yesterday, there were a lot of headlines around these new tariffs that are coming into effect: 25 percent on some $200 billion worth of Chinese goods. In retaliation to the Chinese Communist Party renegotiating the deal, or trying to renegotiate so many points. What do you make of all this?

Curtis Ellis: Well, we have to remember the history of all this. The immediate history is, these 25 percent tariffs were supposed to go into effect Jan. 1. Its long been scheduled. Last year, President Trump placed 10 percent tariffs on a range of Chinese goods, which we had found were being illegally subsidized, dumped in the United States at below market valuebelow the cost of productionin order to deliberately drive out the competition. Undersell the competition, drive them into bankruptcy, grab market share, [like] John D. Rockefeller did with the Standard Oil Trust at the turn of the last century. The Chinese are trying to do it across a range of industries.

So the Commerce Department determined after a lengthy investigation that this is exactly whats been going on. And we would put a 10 percent tariff on these illegally subsidized dumped products. That 10 percent tariff was supposed to increase to 25 percent on Jan. 1.

But President Xi Jinping said, Well, lets negotiate about this. So we sat down and started talking with the Chinese, and we postponed that 25 percent increase until March 1.

March 1 talks are making good progress. We postponed that increase previously scheduled, postponed it again. Well, as of this past week, we learn that [despite] all that good progress, the Chinese have reverted to formI should say, the Chinese Communist Party has reverted to formmaking promises and then backtracking, making commitments and then reneging on the commitments they made. Which, again, you look at the historythey made a number of commitments when they were admitted into the World Trade Organization 20 years ago [in] 2000. They never lived up to any of those commitments.

So after 20 years of reneged commitments and broken promises, and after three to four months of the latest installment of broken promises, President Trump said enough is enough, and we will now have the 10 percent tariffs increase to 25 percent. And he said were going to look at another $325 billion worth of goods imported from China that currently have no tariffs on them, and maybe well put 25 percent tariffs on those, too.

You have to remember that its only after we put tariffs on these Chinese goods that China even sat down and started talking about anything. Previous administrations would have high-level dialogue and commitments and take the Chinese Communist Party leaders at their word that they were going to do something, and they never did.

Mr. Jekielek: So one of these items that theyre reneging on is lifting these forced technology transfer requirements. Can you speak to that a little bit?

Mr. Ellis: The Chinese Communist Party is engaged in wholesale economic aggression against the United States. This is something thats often lost in a lot of the discussion you see in the corporate media. They think this is some type of commercial dispute. Theres a bigger picture, which we will get to.

But there are at least seven forms of direct aggression that these tariffs are in place to address. You have the cyberespionage [by] the Peoples Liberation Army of the Peoples Republic of China. Its been systematically hacking into government computers, industrial computersour industry, our companiesand our military computers, grabbing personal information on millions of Americans, trade secrets, and military secrets. [For] what they cant steal, they put a metaphorical gun to the head of American businesses and say: As the price of doing business in China, you have to hand over your blueprints and your trade secrets. Youll form a joint venture with the majority Chinese ownera partner, majority owned by the Chinese partnerand you will give this joint venture all of your blueprints and plans and technology. And American businessmen naively think this is a good idea.

Mr. Jekielek: It sounds utterly insane. Why would people ever do this?

Mr. Ellis: I know. They say, Oh, theres a billion-and-a-half Chinese consumers, and they see dollar signs in their eyes. They get blinded by the gold.

Mr. Jekielek: So its more, basically, that theyre afraid that someone else will get in there and do the deal

Mr. Ellis: Right

Mr. Jekielek: if they dont do the deal.

Mr. Ellis: Thats right. Again, I mean, this is short-term thinking versus long-term thinking. Short term, I want to get that money right now. What happens in the long term is the Chinese partner takes those blueprints, takes those trade secrets, and sets up an outside company, which then goes in direct competition using that technology, and drives this partnership and drives the foreign business out of business because theres now a Chinese competitor wholly owned by the Chinese. Thats a second form of economic aggression.

So whether its the forced technology transfer or the cyber hacking, you have widespread intellectual property theft. Remember, communism negates private property.

The Chinese Communist Partyand their ideologyreally doesnt recognize private intellectual property, any more than it recognizes private real property. So your patents, your ideas, your copyrightsmeaningless. And they feel completely at ease stealing them, counterfeiting them, ripping them off. This is costing American companies hundreds of billions of dollars a year. Thats the third form of economic aggression  that weve asked China to do something about, to fix, which theyre not doing.

They are also engaged in currency manipulation, where they rig the exchange rates, so they deliberately lowered the value of their currency. That gives their companies an advantage in the world marketplace. It makes it appear cheaper than foreign competitors. The state-owned enterprises  the government of China owns and subsidizes companies. They own companies, and they provide these producers, these companies with direct subsidies in the form of free money, free energy, lower no-interest loans, landbecause as I said earlier, they dont recognize private property, so theyll just take somebodys land and give it to a company and build a factory and say, OK, now operate the factory there. These are not market free-market principles.

But these state-owned enterprises are now in competition with companiesAmerican companies, foreign companies that do operate on free-market principles. Obviously, [Chinese companies] have an advantage.

And these state-owned enterprises are producing goods that have been dumped at below-market value inside the United States and on the world market. And they are driving private enterprise out of business. Theyre driving companies that operate according to free-market value, free-market principles out of business, because theyve got all these heavy subsidies and advantages. So thats another form of economic regression and another issue that we ask China to address in these trade talks.

And thenthis one is out of the economic realm, but another form of aggressionChina is the source and the worlds major producer of fentanyl, an opiate, a powerful synthetic heroin that is chemically concocted in laboratoriesno poppies, no poppy fields involved. This comes directly out of factories in China, and its shipped here. And its so potent, and so strong, and so concentrated that an envelope would contain enough to kill a trainload of people.

Mr. Jekielek: Right.

Mr. Ellis: This is being shipped into the United States.

Mr. Jekielek: Its very easy to smuggle, basically.

Mr. Ellis: Very easy to smuggle. China has this total surveillance technology. They track facial recognition, they know where everybodys going. They track everything on the internet. They know whos buying what, whos selling what. But, for some reason, they cant seem to locate these factories that are producing this poison which is killing tens of thousands of Americans.

Mr. Jekielek: [And] a big part of this opioid crisis that America is facing right now.

Mr. Ellis: The opioid crisis happens to be centered in the very states that used to have industries and jobs and factories that are now in China.

Mr. Jekielek: Terrible irony. Yes, sir.

Mr. Ellis: This is the new opium war, as Ive called it. And, look, China was subjected to this more than 100 years ago. It was disgusting, it was horrible. The British crown created the opium trade to subjugate China. And theyve learned their history well. And the Chinese Communist Party is now turning the tables and using this form of  really, its a form of chemical warfare against the American body politic to dispirit and humiliate and discourage and depress the American population.

Mr. Jekielek: So, you know, this sounds outrageous. Weve heard about some of these things. But when you say it that way, its almost like, is a deal even possible with a nation that is basically using these kinds of methods? Are they going to play fair, given the fact that they havent played fair up to now?

Mr. Ellis: I think there are millions, probably tens of millions, hundreds of millions of people in China who would like to play fairwho are moral, decent people. And, unfortunately, theyre being repressed by the Chinese Communist Party. These are people of faith that are seeing their conscience violated, seeing their churches and places of worship bulldozed, their traditions stomped on and repressed in the name of this atheistic MarxistLeninist philosophy.

Chinese people are hard-working, entrepreneurial everywhere on earth. You find Chinese people doing business and prospering. And they dont need to steal to do that. So the Communist Party of China is another story. Its such a huge country that by giving out favors and favoring their cronies and their friends and their children and the people they can bribe and people they can extort money from, youre able to create a class of hundreds of millions of people that are doing quite well.

But if you were to take away these subsidies, take away all of these violations of international rules, the Chinese people can still prosper. I have a feeling theyd prosper even more if they werent subjected to the MarxistLeninist, Xi Jinping thought or something. Look, as I said, the Chinese people are very  theyre smart, theyre geniuses. In America, some of the best top research scientists in every field, you find Asian-Americans, you find Chinese-Americans, you find Chinese nationals here. So they dont need to be doing this. The only reason they do it is so that the cadres of the Chinese Communist Party can extract extra power and extra wealth.

Mr. Jekielek: So there is perhaps some way  the president, after the short meetings that were happening  with the Chinese trade representativehe was saying that he believes theres  I believe the term is candid and constructive dialogue that had happened. So he still believes that some sort of a deal is possible with, obviously, the Chinese Communist Party were talking about here. How can we trust the Chinese Communist Party to make good on its side of the deal? I guess thats my question.

Mr. Ellis: If the cost of not making a deal is too high, then it becomes in their interest to make a deal. Its that simple. Deal, no deal. Whats better for you? If they feel its better for them to have no deal, therell be no deal. Whats happened in the past is, they thought they could get away with their cheating. They thought they could get away with happy talk and empty promises, [with] the Americans in this cloud of self-importance, thinking: Oh, we will always be on top. Everybody wants to be just like us, and the Chinese Communist Party shares our values. So well just let this go along, and over time itll all work out.

They could get away with it, but we have a different customer in the White House now and hes not buying that. He understands exactly the nature of the problem, the nature of the threat and the challenge we face. And thats the bigger question that I think we need to look at which is missed in a lot of the commentary on this so-called trade war. Its not just a trade war. This is a war of values, a conflict of ideologies.

Whats at stake here is not simply cheaper TVs or cheaper T-shirts or everyday low prices at the department store. What were witnessing is a contest over who will own the future and over the continued existence of American idealswhat wed call Western ideals: freedom of speech, freedom of thought, freedom of conscience, freedom of religion, private property, individual rights. The Chinese Communist Party does not believe in individual rights. They believe in collective wisdom or collective leadership or obedience and authority. They dont believe in private property, [and] freedom of speech extends only if you speak what we deem to be proper speech.

Mr. Jekielek: Politically correct speech.

Mr. Ellis: Politically correct speech. Yes. Thank you. Freedom of religionno such thing. Ask the Uyghurs. Ask the Christians. Ask the Tibetans. Ask the Buddhists. Askits not a religionthe Falun Gong if youre allowed to follow your conscience. Chinese communismsocialism with a Chinese characteristicis still an atheistic philosophy, a materialistic philosophy. They dont believe in any higher spiritual dimension; we do here in the West and in the United States. Will America continue to exist? Will all of these ideals that I just went through continue to exist?

A world [in which] the supreme power, the top power, is the Chinese Communist Party will be a very different world than the world we live in. Censorship will be the norm. Directioneverything will be directed by a central authority. Its already starting to happen where you see  CBS. CBS is censoring its content according to the wishes of the Chinese Communist Party so as not to offend the Chinese. Marriott Corporation fires people who offend the Chinese because they want to do business in China. And Chinas  the communist commissars say, Well, you cant talk about this, you cant do that. And anyone who does must be fired, so they fire them.

We cant allow that to happen. And thats exactly whats at stake here.

And I tell people that if America were to be subordinated to the Forbidden City of Beijing, your children and grandchildren applying for a better-paying job at a company owned by the Chinese or that wishes to do business in China, your kids and grandkids, would have to get in line behind how many millions of the children of the Chinese Communist Party and would have to toe the line.

Because we see this social credit score where everything you say and read and write and post, and have you taken [and passed] the quiz on Xi Jinping thought? Did you get a high enough score on it? That determines what jobs youre allowed to have. That determines what apartments youre allowed to have, what schools youre allowed to go to. Thats the future that they have in mind for the entire world. And thats whats at stake here. Its not about cheaper T-shirts or a cheap television set.

Mr. Jekielek: It sounds terrifying when you put it that way. And were talking about a trade war here. But, really, youre saying that this trade war is just a subset of a broader Cold War? Would it be fair to say that it?

Mr. Ellis: Its the subset of a broader war, of a broader contest. Because the classic Chinese military strategy says the best general defeats the enemy without firing a shot. Kinetic warfare, actual bombs, and missiles and guns, thats the last stage. If you can undermine your opponents will to fight, if you can use deception and spies and whatnot to steal your opponents plans so that they dont fight, so that you counter them before they even step on the battlefield, thats a win. Thats a victory.

The Chinese Communist Party sees this economic contest as part of the broader war. The goal is for China to be the supreme power in the world, to be the global hegemon, to control key industries, key technologies of the 21st century from agriculture to biotechnology to robotics, artificial intelligence, computing automotives, smart automotivesself-directed cars, autonomous vehicles, things like that, electric vehicles. And to lock up through contracts and whatnot, lock up the resources for producing these, whether its the rare earths, the cobalt in Africa, whether its oil, petroleum reserves. And to also lock up the strategic choke points in the world through the Belt and Road initiative to have military bases, port facilities, and the South China Sea, Straits of Malacca, Straits or Formosa, the Cape of Good Hope, around the Indo-Pacific region, and in the Mediterranean.

Thats their goal. Notice, theyve yet to fire a shot. All of these things Ive talked aboutacquiring the resources, acquiring the bases, gaining the technologytheyre moving toward global supremacy without having deployed any troops on the field.

Mr. Jekielek: So, in a sense, these tariffs on the economic sphere are just an attempt to kind of level the playing field in a way? Would you say that?

Mr. Ellis: Yeah. Theres two things going on with the tariffs. One is, its cutting off Chinese access to the American consumer market, or limiting it, because they need the hard cash. Theyre buying basing rights around the world, theyre entering into these deals around the world, acquiring companies and whatnot, using Western cash. Theyre getting that cash from aisle 6 of Walmart by selling goods there.

But the other thing to keep in mind, as I said before, these tariffs came about after a lengthy investigation by the U.S. Commerce Department, which determined that these goods being produced in China are being subsidized. So the tariffs are basically making up for that subsidy. If a piece of product X is risky being priced 25 percent below the cost of production, by putting a 25 percent tariff on it, youre leveling it up. And this is, in the jargon  countervailing duty.

And its long recognizedevery country does it. Its internationally recognized as a legal, legitimate thing to do. If a country is offering export subsidies to its industries in order to give its companies an advantage in export markets, the importing country is allowed under international law and internationally accepted rules to make up the difference with this leveling tariff, with this countervailing duty. So thats what these are.

Now, you have to remember that Adam Smith, the father of free-trade theory, who said reallyeverybody always quotes Adam Smithyou know, tariffs are bad and free trade good. In his book The Wealth of Nations, he laid out when tariffs are absolutely necessary.

Not just good but necessary. One of the exemptions or exceptions to his blanket theory of free trade good, tariffs bad [was] that tariffs are good to preserve an industry that you need for your national defense.

He said the British, and back when [Smith] wrote this book, the British had tariffs to protect and preserve their shipbuilding industry and their shipping industries. The British Navy was, of course, the instrument of national defense and what they used to build an empire. And he said these tariffs and protection of the shipbuilding industry is probably the wisest of all commercial regulations, because defense is superior to opulence.

So, yes, we want opulence. We want cheap TVs, for example. We want lots of consumer goods. But more important than that is defense.

Mr. Jekielek: We dont want it at the cost of the country or identity.

Mr. Ellis: Exactly. Thats Adam Smith talking.

So defending the industries necessary to defend the country is more important than luxury goods or having nice things. Another example he says is when another country imposes tariffs, duties on your imports, you should impose an equal tariff on theirs in order to incentivize them to drop their tariffs or to equalize.

Mr. Jekielek: So thats this leveling the playing field part.

Mr. Ellis: Exactly. And thats reciprocal trade. There is a bill before Congress now, the Reciprocal Trade Act, where the president would be able to impose equal duties on a country that it imposes on us.

Mr. Jekielek: Doesnt sound like rocket science.

Mr. Ellis: Textbook Adam Smith. Another example he says is when  the producers in your country are subjected to a tax and another countrys producers are not subjected to that tax it makes sense to impose that tax. A duty, a tariff to equalize it so as your producers, your industries are not at a competitive disadvantage. Now, here you could say that our labor standardswe have minimum wage laws, we have Social Security taxes and Medicare taxes that are imposed on payrolls. We have property taxes, of course, the income tax and what not, corporate taxes imposed on every company doing business in America. It would make sense that we would impose an equalizing tariff so that the goods coming into the country are paying that same tax, because right now theyre entering the country tax-free. Theyre not paying a tax. Theyre not paying Social Security tax on the workers in Guatemala or Mexico or China.

Mr. Jekielek: Right.

Mr. Ellis: So, we would want to  according to Adam Smiths basic theory, we should be imposing a tariff and equalizing tax on all of those goods.

Mr. Jekielek: This is absolutely fascinating. Again, when you put it this way it just feels  stop and start.

So it seems like theres been a lot of back and forth here and these negotiations and were hopinga lot of Americans are hopingfor a deal, but it doesnt look like one is coming immediately.

With these trade negotiations, a lot of Americans and, I think, politicians were hoping for a deal sometime soon. It looks like there may be yet several more rounds to go, perhaps, a longer protracted fight of sorts. What do you think?

Mr. Ellis: I think youre right there. I think this is going to take time. Its taken us 30, 40 years to get into this mess, and its going to take a while to get out of it. All of the critics of President Trumps tariffsthey say tariffs are bad, this, that, the next thing. Theyve yet to offerI dont hear anyany alternative. Theyre not offering any ideas as to what they would do to stop all of those violations, those egregious assaults on our economy and on our country. Saying tariffs are bad because they learned this [in] Econ 101 when they went to school somewhere. They read it in a book somewhere.

But theyre not telling us what they would do to stop China and stop the Chinese Communist Party from continuing its ongoing assault against our industries, our country, and our values. So thats one interesting thing.

The other thing they miss is the bigger picture as I said before. This is not about the price of T-shirts, [its] not about getting cheap TVs, filling up your storage unit, you know, with so much junk  at a cheap price [that] you cant even keep in your house anymore, so you now have to get a storage unit to store it all. This is about the future. Will we have a country? Will the American ideals continue? And its even bigger than that.

For so long, weve behaved and wemeaning the commentariat, the intellectual classhas framed the debate over the economy as ultimate efficiency. Look, our goal  the governments policyour government economic policy and its overall policyis not efficiency. It should be raising the quality of life of its citizens, all its citizens.

Our goal here is not simply the cheapest T-shirt and the maximum economic efficiency as measured on some spreadsheet. Its the best quality of life for people, which then gets almost into a  philosophical or almost spiritual dimension of what is the best quality of life. Will cheaper consumer goods  is that the sole measure of a better quality of lifeof happiness? Will that bring you happiness? Because remember whats in the founding documents of this country: the pursuit of happiness.

Were starting to enter into a really interesting discussion which cannot be explained simply in economic terms. And this is where you go back to individual rights: freedom of conscience, freedom of speech, these freedoms and liberty. There is something here, which not going too far into this, but theres another dimension here at work. And as I say, keeping it simple, we cant define quality of life  I dont think anyone watching this, and Im sure that the overwhelming majority of Americans would never think that you can explain or reduce happiness and quality of life to simply the greater a mass amassing and consumption of material goods.

Look into your childs eyes and tell me that. Look into your mothers eyes and tell me that happiness is simply about things and stuff. No. People know better than that. Actually, Ambassador Robert Lighthizer, who is a very hard-nosed, brass-tacks kind of guy, a tough negotiator as well, said: We have come so far in defining the economic policy in the debate and the discussion, that we no longer think efficiency is the goal here. And its not about cheap T-shirts. Its about raising the quality of life, maximizing the quality of life for the American citizens.

Mr. Jekielek: And what about the  there are specific groups of people in America, of course, that are actually even being targeted on the Chinese side. Soybean farmers [are] one example. How can those folks that are, of course, suffering economically potentially because of this, how can they get through this?

Mr. Ellis: President Trump has said that revenues that come in from tariffs can be used to purchase commodities from the farmers to buy soybeans, buy the crops. Lets be clear here that the price of soybeans has fallen over a period of years, not simply as a result of the tariffs and from the Chinese curtailing their purchases. Part of the problem is that Chinese hogs have been dying from a swine flu, so they dont have the demand for soybeans.

Mr. Jekielek: So to that specific issue, theres a combination of factors.

Mr. Ellis: Yeah, theres a combination of factors. And the other thing to keep in mind is, look, farmers are a hardy lot. They have faced uncertainties. Every year, they face uncertainties. They put seeds in the ground. They dont know if theres going to be a drought or a flood, or if theyll be able to get a crop out of the ground six months later. Theyre gamblers. Theyre dealing with the most capricious of elementsits called nature, and there aint no predicting what nature is going to do. They have good years, they have bad years. They dont want to be at the mercy of a monopolistic processor. Right?

Mr. Jekielek: Which the CCP certainly is.

Mr. Ellis: And thats CCPs goalto monopolize, to be the food processor, to have more than market influence over agricultural commodities on a global scale. The farmers in this country have a hard enough time when Tyson is the monopoly processor or Cargill. They have enough of a beef with that. When the processor is now in Beijing, they know that its not going to be any better; in fact, it will be far worse. There are a lot of things we can do to make sure the farmers and the ranchers and the growers are not inordinately taking the brunt of this. And you have to remember, again, its funny when you get back to the discussion they always act like its President Trumps fault that the farmers are hurting.

Its the Chinese that are imposing these tariffs. Its the Chinese that are curtailing their purchases of soybeans in a deliberate attempt to target political constituencies. We imposed our tariffs after a lengthy investigation, which found out their industries, their products, were illegally and unfairly subsidized and being dumped here at below the cost of production. They retaliated with tariffs not based on: Oh, well, we determined that soybeans are being unfairly subsidized. No, its like, Were going to put a tariff on soybeans because those farmers are in swing states that President Trump needs for re-election. Theyre using tariffs like economic sanctions, not in accordance with any internationally accepted norms and rules.

Mr. Jekielek: So, given all of this, where do you expect things to go? We just had this meeting, presumably constructive. Where are things going to go in coming weeks, in your view?

Mr. Ellis: I think theres going to be some protracted negotiations that are going to stretch out over weeks. I know that President Trump is not going to back down. Thats one thing you can take to the bank. He understands exactly whats at stake here. And were now finally  [the] long overdue conversation has begun and an awareness that what is being negotiated, what is being contested is the future of our country and the continued existence of a private enterprise, free enterprise system, and the valuesAmerican values. Because should the Chinesethe Chinese Communist Partyprevail in their efforts to undermine American industry and the American economy and the American country, everything that we know and value and cherish will become an artifact of history.

President Trump understandsand the Washington establishment is beginning to understand, theyve woken up to the factthat China, the Chinese communist regime is not like any other economic competitor in the world, and the American people understand it, too.

So this is going to go on for a while. This is going to go on for quite a while.

This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.

American Thought Leaders is an Epoch Times show available on Facebook and YouTube.
National security adviser John Bolton (L) listens as President Donald Trump speaks to members of the military during a trip to Al Asad Air Base in Iraq, on Dec. 26, 2018. (Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images)

US Partly Evacuates Iraq Embassy After Accusing Iran of Escalating Tensions

The Trump administration ordered the withdrawal of all non-emergency personnel from the U.S. diplomatic mission to Iraq after the administration announced Iran or its proxies in the region were an escalating threat.

Helicopters took off throughout the day from the vast embassy compound near the Tigris River, carrying staff out, according to an Iraqi source and a diplomatic source inside Baghdads fortified Green Zone. The Iraqi source said U.S. staff were headed for a military base at Baghdad airport.

An alert on the website of the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad said all nonessential, non-emergency U.S. government staff were told to leave Iraq immediately under State Department orders. That includes those working at the U.S. Consulate in Erbil, the capital of the semi-autonomous Kurdistan region. The U.S. Consulate in Basra has been closed since September following a rocket attack blamed on Iranian-backed militias.

Ensuring the safety of U.S. government personnel and citizens is our highest priority  and we want to reduce the risk of harm, a State Department spokesman said.

Unclear Reasons

The administration declined to specify what specifically prompted the staff withdrawal, but defense and security officials have warned in recent weeks there were escalatory indications and warnings and a credible threat posed by Iran.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told media on May 6 that it is absolutely the case that weve seen escalatory action from the Iranians, but he also said he couldnt be more explicit.

The U.S. announced May 5 that it was sending a bomber group and a carrier strike group to the region, although the strike group already was scheduled to pass through the region at some point anyway.

On May 14, Yemens Iran-aligned Houthi rebels launched a coordinated drone attack on a critical oil pipeline in Saudi Arabia, Tehrans biggest rival in the region.

Anwar Gargash, the minister of foreign affairs for the United Arab Emirates, told reporters in Dubai that the Saudi-led coalition will retaliate hard for attacks on civilian targets, without elaborating.

Saudi Aramco, the government-controlled oil company, said it temporarily shut the pipeline and contained a fire, which caused minor damage to one pumping station. It added that its oil and gas supplies were unaffected.

Four tankerstwo Saudi, one Emirati, and one Norwegianwere attacked on May 12 near the Strait of Hormuz by unidentified saboteurs. Unnamed U.S. officials told Reuters that Iran encouraged the Houthis or Iraq-based Shiite militias to carry out the attacks.

One source said the United States believes Irans role has been one of actively encouraging militants to undertake such actions and went beyond simply dropping hints. However, the source indicated the United States does not currently have evidence that Iranian personnel played any direct operational role.

Iran denied involvement, though it has repeatedly threatened to block the strait, through which streams about a fifth of worlds oil shipments, if the United States tries to stop Iran from exporting oil.

The Trump administration recently declined to renew waivers from U.S. sanctions to major importers of Iranian oil as part of an effort to force Teheran to negotiate on ceasing a range of activities, including its nuclear and ballistic missile programs as well as supporting terrorists and militants across the region.

Im sure that Iran will want to talk soon, President Donald Trump wrote on Twitter on May 15.

Trump quit the Iran nuclear deal in May 2018 and gradually reimposed sanctions on the country.

In April, Trump announced that he would designate Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a foreign terrorist organizationthe first time the United States has marked a branch of a foreign countrys military as such.

On the Cusp

Both the United States and Iran stated they dont want war, but the IRGC commander said on May 15 that it was on the cusp of a full-scale confrontation with the enemy, the Iranian Fars news agency reported.

This moment in history, because the enemy has stepped into the field of confrontation with us with all the possible capacity, is the most decisive moment of the Islamic revolution, said Major General Hossein Salami.

The IRGC is directly controlled by the Islamic regimes Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and Salami was named its head last month.

Last week, Iran notified non-U.S. signatories of the nuclear dealChina, France, Germany, Russia, and the UKof its decision to halt some commitments under the nuclear deal.

Under the deal, Tehran was allowed to produce low-enriched uranium within about a 660-pound limit, and produce heavy water with a stock capped at around 130 tons. Tehran could ship the excess amounts out of the country for storage or sale.

Iran no longer recognizes the limit for production of enriched uranium and heavy water, an informed official in the countrys atomic energy body told the ISNA news agency on May 15.

Irans initial moves do not appear to violate the nuclear deal yet. But Iran has threatened that unless the world powers protect Irans economy from U.S. sanctions within 60 days, Iran would start enriching uranium at a higher level.

The European Union and the foreign ministers of Germany, France, and Britain said they were still committed to the deal but would not accept ultimatums from Tehran.

US in Iraq

Iraq is one of the only countries that has close relations with both the United States and Iran. It has said it will keep strong ties with Iran, and also with both the United States and regional Arab neighbors, some of whom, like Saudi Arabia, consider Tehran an archrival.

The United States keeps about 5,000 soldiers in Iraq, who have been helping Iraqi security forces fight ISIS terrorists. While ISIS has been stripped of all its territory in Iraq, it still controls thousands of fighters and conducts terrorist attacks.

Four Iraqi federal police officers were killed on May 15 in an armed attack on their military vehicle some 25 miles southwest of the disputed oil city, Kirkuk, according to a local security source.

The United States invaded Iraq in 2003 to topple dictator Saddam Hussein, occupying the country until 2011, and then sending troops back in 2014 to help fight ISIS, which was quickly spreading its self-proclaimed caliphate over large parts of Iraq and Syria. Iran has close ties to powerful Iraqi political parties and supports powerful Shiite militia groups.

Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Warners Tough China Stance Points to Bidens Weakness

WASHINGTONSen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) recently said that we have to wake this country up to what China is doing and confront the Asian giants increasing cyber, economic, and military espionage.

Thats not the China former Vice President Joe Biden sees.

China is going to eat our lunch? Come on, man, Biden said during a May 1 campaign speech in Iowa. I mean, you know, theyre not bad folks, folks. But guess what? Theyre not competition for us.

Just how much distance there is between the highest-ranking Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee and the former Democratic vice president became clear in a May 8 speech by Warner at the Brookings Institution.

Until a few years ago, my views of China were pretty similar to a lot of people in the business world, Warner told the Brookings audience. I looked at Chinaa rapidly modernizing country of 1.3 billion people with rising incomes and expectationsand saw mostly opportunity.

Warner said he expected Chinas rising prosperity to move it inevitably away from its Communist past to a less authoritarian, more open direction and to become a U.S. competitor and partner on the world stage.

But a few years, and many, many classified briefings later, a lot has happened to fundamentally shift my viewpoint, he said.

Warner now believes that under President Xi Jinping, a newly assertive China is pursuing a sophisticated whole-of-society strategy that exploits all elements of state power to strengthen its position in the world and diminish U.S. power and influence.

To that ambitious end, Warner said China uses all of the traditional tools of the state to exert influence: an expanded military presence, and the aggressive deployment of espionage to steal military and industrial secrets, particularly from U.S. government and business.

All of this has the stage for China to aggressively deploy every lever of power in service to the stateand, at the same time, exploit the openness of our society to gain geopolitical and economic advantage.

And, Warner noted, the national security challenges posed by a rising China are immense.

Censorship Infrastructure

Warner didnt explicitly mention Biden, but he may have had him in mind when he observed that for years, optimists in the U.S. were convinced Chinese efforts to regulate the internet would collapse, because they would stifle the freedom and innovation needed for economic growth, and because the task of censoring one billion-plus users seemed insurmountable.

The Virginia Democrat reminded his listeners that it was President Bill Clinton who said regulating the internet would be like trying to nail jello to the wall.

But Clinton, like many others, was wrong, Warner said, and the reality is that China has successfully and scalably built a censorship infrastructure that is the envy of authoritarian regimes around the world.

China is now aggressively selling the digital equipment required to build and operate a successful censorship infrastructure to Venezuela, Ethiopia, Ecuador, and Pakistan, he said.

Bidens perspective quickly drew fire from rival Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), who wrote on Twitter that its wrong to pretend that China isnt one of our major economic competitors. When we are in the White House, we will win that competition by fixing our trade policies.

Out of Step

Democratic strategists interviewed on May 16 by The Epoch Times were also unconvinced by Bidens point of view on China.

The fact is that the vice presidents comments were out of step with most Democrats in Congress, strategist Jim Manley said. Manley was formerly communications director for then-Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.).

Letting them into the World Trade Organization (WTO) will go down in the history books as a major, major mistake, Manley said, referring to the November 2001 agreement that allowed China to join the global trade group, which happened with bipartisan support in the United States.

Even so, Manley doubts the issue will affect Democratic primary voters.

If you read the coverage from the early primary states, this issue is barely, if at all, mentioned, and I doubt that will change anytime soon, he said.

Opportunities

Another Democratic strategist doesnt see a serious rupture in the party, but there are problems and opportunities for the party in the WarnerBiden divergence.

We havent hit an ideological split yet, because Warner and Biden both have strong enough foreign policy credentials to make compelling arguments on how we should view China, said Max Burns.

Burns is a strategic communications specialist for Democratic Party organizations and candidates and for the Glover Park Group, a Washington-based Democratic communications firm, as well as for Facebook and Change.org.

Few voters are likely to know the positions of either Warner or Biden, he said. That doesnt mean, however, that Biden need not worry about whether hes in tune with Democratic voters.

But as Democratic presidential contenders lean on President Trumps trade war with China, and we see China assume a bigger part of the campaign messaging, Bidens rosy picture of U.S.China relations will become increasingly difficult to defend, Burns said.

Burns acknowledged that the China issue could become a central one in the 2020 Democratic presidential primary contests, but he noted that there is political danger for Trump if it does.

Chinas economic threat has the makings of a top-tier campaign issue. And Democrats can use the Trump administrations own economic data to make a strong case that Trumps trade war is making middle- and working-class America poorer, Burns told The Epoch Times.

Its a gift to Democrats, who have the opportunity to put forward fresh new approaches for managing American interests against a rising China, he said.

Strategist Jimmy Williams told The Epoch Times that splits in foreign policy amongst senators isnt unusual. What is unusual is assuming China sees us as some sort of supreme ally. Theyre not.

They engage in subterfuge, steal our technology and intellectual property, and coddle murderous dictators across the planet. To think otherwise isnt reality.

But the irony, according to Williams, a former senior economics adviser to Sen. Richard Durbin (D-Ill.), is they cant live without us and vice versa.
STAMFORD  Five states announced Thursday that they were suing OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma and co-owner and former CEO and President Richard Sackler, piling more pressure on a company already faced with more than 1,000 similar lawsuits for allegedly fueling the opioid crisis with deceptive marketing of its pain drugs.

The attorneys general of Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, West Virginia and Wisconsin are separately filing their complaints, which accuse the company of deliberately misrepresenting the risks and benefits of OxyContin, its top seller. More than 40 states, including Connecticut, have sued the firm, which prosecutors argue shares much of the blame for exacerbating an epidemic of opioid abuse that has seen some 218,000 Americans die from overdoses related to prescription opioids since 1999.

Purdue Pharma is responsible for a public health crisis that has profoundly affected patients, their families, our communities and our health care system, Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller said in a statement. The company and its executives were recklessly indifferent to the impact of their actions, despite ever-mounting evidence that their deceptions were resulting in an epidemic of addiction and death.

In a statement, Purdue denied the allegations.

These complaints are part of a continuing effort to try these cases in the court of public opinion rather than the justice system, the statement said. The states cannot link the conduct alleged to the harm described, and so they have invented stunningly overbroad legal theories, which if adopted by courts, will undermine the bedrock legal principle of causation.

A message left for a spokesperson of Richard Sackler was not immediately returned.

For West Virginia, the lawsuit follows a $10 million settlement, in 2004, of a lawsuit with similar allegations.

Ongoing litigation

The past two weeks have marked one of the busiest periods in the past couple of years for Purdue-related litigation.

On Tuesday, Pennsylvania filed a similar lawsuit.

Including the Keystone State, eight of the 10 most populous states have sued Purdue for alleged marketing fraud.

Illinois and Georgia sued earlier this year. New York originally sued last August and filed an expanded complaint in March. Florida, Texas and North Carolina sued last year. Ohio submitted its lawsuit in 2017.

California, the most populous state, has not filed a complaint.

Last Friday, a District Court judge in North Dakota dismissed that states lawsuit, which was filed last year.

Purdue cannot control how doctors prescribe its products, and it certainly cannot control how individual patients use and respond to its products, regardless of any warning or instruction Purdue may give, Judge James Hill wrote in his decision.

The state plans to appeal the decision, said North Dakota Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem.

Focus on Richard Sackler

Richard Sackler, one of eight Sackler family members named in Connecticuts lawsuit, has emerged as a particularly controversial figure in the litigation.

Connecticut Attorney General William Tong last week released an unredacted version of the complaint, which he said showed shocking and offensive emails, from 2001 that Richard Sackler exchanged with an unnamed acquaintance. At the time, he was about halfway through a four-year stint as Purdues CEO and president.

In one correspondence, the acquaintance said that abusers die; well, that is the choice they made. I doubt a single one didnt know of the risks.

Richard Sackler responded that abusers arent victims; they are the victimizers.

Representatives of Richard Sackler argue that those messages do not reflect his current views on the opioid crisis.

He elaborated on the 2001 emails  saying that he probably was quite emotional when he wrote them  according to excerpts from a court deposition he gave in March.

Ive gotten a lot more information about addiction, in general ... or opioid addiction, in particular, and, of course, my views have evolved and changed, Richard Sackler said in the deposition. At that time, I was very concerned that the balance that had been struck by the FDA between the benefits and risks of strong opioids might be upset, perhaps with terrible consequence for patients and for doctors, who wanted to treat them.

Richard Sackler gave the deposition for a group of Multidistrict Litigation cases, consolidated in a federal court in Cleveland, involving about 1,700 cities and counties across the country that have sued Purdue and other opioid makers.

None of the pending cases has gone to trial yet, leaving open the possibility of more individual or multistate settlements.

In its largest settlement of the past 10 years, Purdue agreed in March to a $270 million settlement of Oklahomas lawsuit. About $200 million  including $75 million donated by the Sacklers  would help establish the National Center for Addiction Studies and Treatment at Oklahoma State Universitys campus in Tulsa.

An attorney for the four of the Sackler defendants said in a recent interview that they want to reach a global settlement with the plaintiffs.

Tong has said in the past couple of weeks that he still plans to take Connecticuts case to trial.

pschott@stamfordadvocate.com; 203-964-2236; twitter: @paulschott
If you want to start a business but don't know where to start, don't worry -- you're not alone. In fact, given the new economic reality of our time, more people than ever have found the "job" they thought was waiting for them doesn't exist. Others have come to the conclusion that they would rather create work they love, constructed to fit with their own life goals. No matter what the motivation is to be your own boss, you can start today.

Here are eight tips to get you started:

1. Take a stand for yourself.

If you are dissatisfied with your current circumstances, admit that no one can fix them except for you. It doesn't do any good to blame the economy, your boss, your spouse or your family. Change can only occur when you make a conscious decision to make it happen.

2. Identify the right business for you.

Give yourself permission to explore. Be willing to look at different facets of yourself (your personality, social styles, age) and listen to your intuition. We tend to ignore intuition even though deep down we often know the truth. Ask yourself "What gives me energy even when I'm tired?"

How do you know what business is "right" for you? There are three common approaches to entrepreneurship:

Do what you know: Have you been laid off or want a change? Look at work you have done for others in the past and think about how you could package those skills and offer them as your own services or products.

Do what others do: Learn about other businesses that interest you. Once you have identified a business you like, emulate it.

Solve a common problem: Is there a gap in the market? Is there a service or product you would like to bring to market? (Note: This is the highest-risk of the three approaches.) If you choose to do this, make sure that you become a student and gain knowledge first before you spend any money.

3. Business planning improves your chances for success.

Most people don't plan, but it will help you get to market faster. A business plan will help you gain clarity, focus and confidence. A plan does not need to be more than one page. As you write down your goals, strategies and action steps, your business becomes real.

Ask yourself the following questions:

What am I building?

Who will I serve?

What is the promise I am making to my customers/clients and to myself?

What are my objectives, strategies and action plans (steps) to achieve my goals?

4. Know your target audience before you spend a penny.

Before you spend money, find out if people will actually buy your products or services. This may be the most important thing you do. You can do this by validating your market. In other words, who, exactly, will buy your products or services other than your family or friends? (And don't say. "Everyone in America will want my product." Trust me -- they won't.) What is the size of your target market? Who are your customers? Is your product or service relevant to their everyday life? Why do they need it?

There is industry research available that you can uncover for free. Read industry articles with data (Google the relevant industry associations) and read Census data to learn more. However, the most important way to get this information is to ask your target market/customers directly and then listen.

5. Understand your personal finances and choose the right kind of money you need for your business.

As an entrepreneur, your personal life and business life are interconnected. You are likely to be your first -- and possibly only -- investor. Therefore, having a detailed understanding of your personal finances, and the ability to track them, is an essential first step before seeking outside funding for your business. This is why I recommend setting up your personal accounts in a money management system such as Mint.com to simplify this process.

As you are creating your business plan, you will need to consider what type of business you are building -- a lifestyle business (smaller amount of startup funds), a franchise (moderate investment depending on the franchise) or a high-tech business (will require significant capital investment). Depending on where you fall on the continuum, you will need a different amount of money to launch and grow your business, and it does matter what kind of money you accept.

6. Build a support network.

You've made the internal commitment to your business. Now you need to cultivate a network of supporters, advisors, partners, allies and vendors. If you believe in your business, others will too.

Network locally, nationally and via social networks. Join networks such as your local chamber of commerce or other relevant business groups. Here are some networking basics:

When attending networking events, ask others what they do and think about how you can help them. The key is to listen more than tout yourself.

No matter what group you join, be generous, help others and make introductions without charging them.

By becoming a generous leader, you will be the first person that comes to mind when someone you've helped needs your service or hears of someone else who needs your service.

7. Sell by creating value.

Even though we purchase products and services every day, people don't want to be "sold." Focus on serving others. The more people you serve, the more money you will make. When considering your customers or clients, ask yourself:

What can I give them?

How can I make them successful in their own pursuits?

This approach can help lead you to new ways to hone your product or service and deliver more value, which your customers will appreciate.

8. Get the word out.

Be willing to say who you are and what you do with conviction and without apology. Embrace and use the most effective online tools (Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn) available to broadcast your news. Use social networks as "pointer" sites; i.e., to point to anything you think will be of interest to your fans and followers.

Even though social networks are essential today (you must use them!), don't underestimate the power of other methods to get the word out: word-of-mouth marketing, website and internet marketing tools, public relations, blog posts, columns and articles, speeches, email, newsletters and the old-fashioned but still essential telephone.

If you take these steps, you'll be well on your way to becoming your own boss. It's important to remember that you are not alone. If you want to "be your own boss" but still feel stuck, reach out and connect with other entrepreneurs in a variety of ways. You may be surprised by the invaluable contacts that are right at your fingertips.

Related:

3 Hints for Launching a More Successful Startup

How Frost Popsicles Has Gone From Startup To Successful Retail Brand

Understanding Entrepreneurial Burnout (And How To Deal With It)



Copyright 2019 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved
NORWALK  Lisa Brinton, who is running as an independent candidate for mayor, announced this week that she had completed her masters degree in public administration and policy.

Brinton officially graduated from American University on Saturday, May 11. She said she was inspired to go back to school after her oldest son enrolled at George Washington University.

This masters degree will complement my decade-long service in Norwalk, which to date has been primarily focused on the interdependent relationship between public education expenses and land use revenues, she said.

Brinton said that her studies, along with her past career of over three decades in corporate life, will help her as a candidate and potentially the next mayor.

My diverse private and public sector background uniquely positions me to tackle inefficiencies at City Hall, as well as pave a new way for Norwalk, based on national best practices of cities looking to attract small business and balanced growth, directed at increasing median household income and property values, she said.

Brinton is running against Mayor Harry Rilling, a Democrat.

Rilling highlighted the team of professionals he put together as a part of the citys reorganization earlier this month and said he believed his work over the past five years showed his dedication to making Norwalk the best city to live, work and play.

I think weve done a really good job in the city over the past five plus years, he said. Im proud of these achievements and Im proud of the team weve assembled.

Darnell Crosland, a former Democrat, changed his party affliation in April to Republican and said he was planning to run for mayor. As of Wednesday afternoon, Crosland had not yet filed his paperwork to run with the Town Clerk.

kelly.kultys@hearstmediact.com
Norwalks Memorial Ceremony on Wednesday morning honored officers from Norwalk and surrounding towns who gave their lives serving their communities, as well as retired officers who were lost during the past year.

In 1962, President John F. Kennedy signed a proclamation designating May 15 as Peace Officers Memorial Day and the week surrounding May 15 as Police Week. More than 50,000 law enforcement officers from around the world converge on Washington, D.C., to participate in a number of events which honor those that have paid the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty.
HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN: Its something Dame Sue Grafton talked about all the timehow themost neglected character in mystery novels isthe victim.And the wonderful Dick Belsky , a reporter and editor of infinite renown who has now taken on fiction as a second brilliantly successful careerhas been thinking the same thing.

But sometimes a journalists human instincts take over

I think this is a valuable concept for us to follow

I learned this lesson a long time ago

I can still remember actually sitting there next to him while he would call up the cops and ask questions like:

But do we sometimes focus too much

Do you notice that? What do you think about that? What do you think about why?

Do you still read the paper paper?

Everybody matters, or nobody matters.Thats the famous credo of Harry Bosch, Michael Connellys wonderful and long-running LAPD homicide detective - and it really is a noble and laudable concept.Sadly though, its not always true.Not in real life police murder investigations.Not in the media, where I worked for many years covering murders at the New York Post, New York Daily News and NBC News.And not even in mystery fiction, where I write a series these days about a TV journalist named Clare Carlson.My new book BELOW THE FOLD takes a hard look at the issue of how the media covers different murders in different ways. Sure, every human life is important. But the ones we hear about on the news are often decided by a set of rules sometimes cynically referred to as the White Blonde Female Syndrome.Sex sells. Sex, money and power. That translates into big ratings numbers, which translates into more advertising dollars. Those are the only kinds of murders worth covering, Clare - a TV news director in New York City - explains at the beginning of the book.and he or she ignore those rules to do what they believe is the right thing, the moral thing - instead of just going for the obvious sensationalistic news appeal.Thats what happens in BELOW THE FOLD (a newspaper term for a story not considered big enough to make the front page headlines) when Clare begins investigating the murder of a homeless woman on the streets of New York City named Dora Gayle. Dora Gayle isnt sexy, rich or powerful. Shes really just a nobody the people in the newsroom tell Clare, who question why she even cares about this seemingly un-newsworthy murder.But Clare discovers that the homeless woman was once a beautiful, brilliant college student who dreamed of writing poetry and great literature.She finds a haunting picture of the woman as a 22-year-old where she looks happy and full of life and still dreaming of the wonderful things she had to look forward to in the life ahead of her.And Clare eventually finds herself identifying with Dora Gayle - not just as a news story, but as a person.Oh, and Dora Gayle does turn out to be helluva story too.in writing mystery fiction, as well as in real life media and police coverage of murders.Not too many mystery novels are about homeless people or people living in rundown housing projects or even ordinary people living ordinary lives which dont seem that interesting on the face of it.But - like Dora Gayle - everyone has a story, when you dig down deep enough to find out the facts about them.And, to paraphrase Connelly,everyone can matter.when I was a young journalist at the New York Post, where we had a veteran police reporter who would check out EVERY murder that moved on the police wire, no matter how unimportant it appeared.I use a fictional version of this in my book, butTell me about the body of that kid you found in the Harlem pool room - was he a MENSA candidate or what? Or, The woman you found dead in the alley behind the housing project - any chance she might be Julia Roberts or a member of the British Royal Family?I once asked him why he even bothered since these murders were never going to be anything worth covering in the newspaper.Hey, you never know, he said.as I have Clare Carlson check out the homeless womans murder, which turns out to be linked to long-buried secrets involving rich and powerful figures - and it surprisingly explodes into a sensational headline story for Clare and the TV station.Of course, not every murder can be covered equally in the media.Or in mystery fiction either.on the sensational, high-profile crimes - and ignore the lost lives around us that might be just as important?Its a question that every reporter has to struggle with in the fast-faced media world we live in today.HANK: Its so fascinatingwhich victims get press attention versus the ones who dont.And do you realize--it may be that "below the fold" becomes a baffling anachronism?I sure do!
This appeared in Thursday's Washington Post.

- - -

Sudan has taken a hopeful step forward. The military is negotiating with protest leaders about the structure of a new civilian government to replace Omar Hassan al-Bashir, the dictator ousted in April after three decades of despotic rule. No doubt there will be setbacks, such as the shooting incident Monday in which four people were killedand dozens wounded. But the announcement of a basic agreement on a three-year transition should be welcomed after so many years of despair and misrule.

When the military decided to dump Bashir in the face of mass demonstrations, there was serious concern that the generals would hold on to the levers of power, an ambition encouraged by a generous $500 million infusion from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. If the Transitional Military Council in Khartoum, a coterie of military and security forces left over from the Bashir era, fails to relinquish control, it would be the worst possible outcome of the mass protests that have roiled the country since December.

The protests broke out over rising prices for bread and other necessities and spread into the new year. Bashir tried to bottle them up with a state of emergency, but demonstrators camped out in front of military headquarters and would not be silenced. On April 11, Bashir was removed from power and later held in a high-security prison, and on Monday,he was charged with incitement and involvement in the killing of demonstrators. We hope Sudan will have the courage to prosecute Bashir for crimes against humanity in the genocidal campaign against the people of Darfur or will hand him over to the International Criminal Court, which long ago indicted him.

With good reason, protest leaders have demanded that a new civilian government with democratic principles take over. The gritty determination of the demonstrators has forced the military into talks that seem to be bearing fruit, including the promising agreement on a three-year transition. The generals have also tentatively agreed to give the opposition alliance two-thirds of the seats on a 300-seat transitional legislative council, and the remaining seats would go to other opposition parties. What's not yet clear is the composition of an 11-member sovereign council, which would be the highest authority in the land. The demonstrators and the military have each insisted on having a majority. The civilians should hold fast for control of this council to ensure that real change and, eventually, democracy are able to flower.

The hopes for freedom kindled in the Arab Spring of 2011 remain largely unfulfilled. In places, such as Egypt and Saudi Arabia, tyranny is worse than ever. Sudan's protest movement has been inchoate and forged by necessity, and it embarks on a new era with precious little experience in governing after 30 years of the Bashir dictatorship. But if Sudan can break with that legacy, it will prove immensely valuable for its people and the Arab world around it - especially those suffering under the regimes that have been trying to save Sudan for dictatorship.
The following people are wanted on warrants:

The Hall County Sheriffs Office is posting older warrants where there have been no leads in hopes someone in the public may recognize the person named in the warrants and provide new information.

 Edwin A. Argueta, 39, Hispanic male, 5 feet 5 inches, 140 pounds, brown eyes, black hair. He has a scar on his right arm, a scar on his right biceps and a scar on his forehead. He was born in El Salvador.

Argueta is wanted for first-degree sexual assault of a minor. Prosecution of Argueta was requested and a warrant was issued. Argueta appears to have fled the jurisdiction and there has been no contact with him since. Argueta has been a fugitive since April 2008.

 Martin Gollas-Galvin, 56, Hispanic male, 5 feet 7 inches, 175 pounds, brown eyes, dark brown hair. He was born in Morilla, Mexico.

Gollas-Galvin was arrested in February of 2006 and later released from jail. Gollas-Galvin did not return for court.
One Knickrehm Elementary fifth-grader hopes to educate people on the importance of calling 811 prior to digging through his award-winning poster.

Fifth-grader Leonidas Lopez placed first in the Nebraska 811: Call Before You Dig statewide poster campaign. On his poster, he drew the 811 logo, a person digging, a pirate and a cellphone calling 811.

Leonidas said it took him a few weeks to complete his poster.

I went in in the mornings to work on it and I took it home, too, he said. I did a lot of research on Nebraska 811 and I was able to find some more ideas.

Jill Geyer, damage prevention liaison with Nebraska 811, presented a plaque, bench and a tree to Knickrehm in recognition of the fifth-graders winning poster. His class will also receive a cookie party. Mayor Roger Steele attended Wednesdays award presentation and thanked him for making Grand Island safer through his poster efforts.
When youre starting to put your life together after a natural disaster, dont be surprised if theres a knock on the door from a crooked contractor.

Traveling contractors with criminal intentions are the first people to turn up in a disaster-torn neighborhood.

They get there before the relief organizations do, said Margo Riekes of the Better Business Bureau.

Dishonest contractors often introduce themselves by saying, Were here to help, Riekes said.

People accept those offers at a time when theyre vulnerable. For a homeowner, theres probably nothing more traumatic than having your house swept away by a flood or tornado, or getting buried under snow or hail, she said.

With your home a mess, its no surprise that people accept offers from shady contractors. Youll take any help you can get, right? Riekes said.

She and three other people presented a program Wednesday morning meant to provide advice to seniors. AARP Nebraska and the Better Business Bureau used the program to discuss both scams and preparing for a disaster. About 30 people attended the gathering at Bosselman Enterprises corporate headquarters.
As she goes from daughter to daughter, she thinks about church last Sunday, just five days ago. The girls were playing with their friends after Mass and Margaret, one of the neighbor girls, was coughing and sneezing.

Margaret died yesterday.

Now, looking back, she is certain that is why her girls were sick now. They had sore throats and bad coughs and, worst of all, when she looks in their throats theyre covered with this fuzzy, thick gray-black membrane. Its very difficult to swallow or to breathe.

She feels so frustrated  no matter what she does, they only get worse. She hasnt slept for three nights, up nursing the girls, and tonight, as they doze, she falls across her bed, exhausted.

As she drops off to sleep Eva remembers when she and Paul had first come to Nebraska. They came from LaSalle, Ill., in a covered wagon. They got to Sherman County in 1880, just thirteen years ago. They had both been 26 years old and both full of hopes and dreams.

Eva was also full of child, and little Frank had been born Feb. 1, 1880.
This week the Nebraska Legislature will debate LB110, a bill that would establish a medicinal marijuana industry in Nebraska. Although there is no difference between marijuana used medicinally and that used recreationally, the idea of marijuana as medicine has gained popularity.

Funded by the tobacco industry and amplified through unsubstantiated media posts, the mythology of marijuana has been elevated to the status of a panacea for any number of medical conditions.

Fortunately for Nebraska, the reckless adoption of marijuana by other states has demonstrated the devastating consequences of legalization. In response to the commercial demand for marijuana, todays highly bioengineered marijuana is industrially grown to maximize the level of THC, the psychoactive compound found in the plant.

Compared to less than 2% in pre-1990s plants, 2019 varieties with names like Girl-Scout Cookie contain 212% more THC in their flowers. These engineered strains are then processed into edibles, beverages, and concentrates with greater than 95% THC. Many of these products are designed and packaged to appeal to children.
 In many cases, the need to improve and maintain aging facilities  some of which are more than a century old  has contributed to increased spending.

 Curricular changes and the increased use of technology are decisions local districts made that have a financial impact.

 Teacher experience and continuing education cause costs to go up. Some of those who responded also noted that unfunded mandates from both the federal and state levels have an impact on expenditures over which school districts have little or no control. Furthermore, comparability requirements in teacher negotiations have an impact on what school districts have to spend, as well.

What became clear in the survey is that school spending has grown to meet important needs. Furthermore, as many of the survey respondents noted, the increased expenditures were approved by their boards of education, which are elected bodies that often have significant representation from our agricultural communities. Put another way, those who have been most impacted by Nebraskas growing reliance on property taxes  our states farmers and ranchers  also have, in many cases, approved increased school spending because they understand the money is being used to meet important community needs.

Lawmakers have an important task this session in helping reduce the property taxes that have strained Nebraskans, and particularly those in our agricultural community. Looking to cut taxes by reducing school spending, however, would be counterproductive and harmful to an already stretched educational system that is working hard to address real and growing needs.

Jack D. Moles is executive director of the Nebraska Rural Community Schools Association in Lincoln.
EDWARDSVILLE  Multiple charges were filed Thursday against a Granite City man in connection to a March carjacking and burglary starting in Glen Carbon that left one suspect dead and an Illinois State Police officer wounded.

Tony J. Turner, 59, of Granite City, was charged with aggravated vehicular hijacking, a Class X felony; two counts of aggravated vehicular hijacking, Class 1 and Class 2 felonies, respectively; burglary, a Class 3 felony; and conspiracy to commit burglary, a Class 3 felony.

Turner was arrested at his home May 14, and his bail has been set at $750,000. If convicted he faces six to 30 years for the Class X felony, with a possible 15-year enhancement for the use of a firearm.

Lt. Wayne White of the Glen Carbon Police Department said it was video of Turners vehicle that led them to him.

We were able to identify him because we had shots of him leaving the store in his own car, White said. Plus, we had stills and video of him leaving the store.

White said officers ran Turners license plate to learn his address and subsequently apprehend him.

A second suspect, Billy L. Walker Jr., 53, of Hillsboro, Missouri, was shot and killed in Staunton following a pursuit by a state trooper who suffered a gunshot wound in the hand. The troopers name has not been released.

According to information from the Madison County States Attorneys Office, on March 16 Turner and Walker tried to break into a jewelry counter at the Sams Club store in Glen Carbon. An alarm sounded and the two suspects fled. Walker reportedly fled on foot and fired a gun at a witness who was chasing him before hijacking a vehicle at gunpoint in the PetSmart parking lot.

The trooper responded and pursued the vehicle northbound on Interstate 55, attempting to stop it.

While being pursued by state police and Staunton Police, Walker ran off the road and got stuck in a median at the intersection of Staunton Road and I-55. He then reportedly fled the vehicle, brandishing a handgun and firing at the trooper. The trooper returned fire, striking and killing Walker.

At the time of his death, Walker had outstanding felony warrants for probation violations resulting from weapons offenses and was considered armed and dangerous.

Turner allegedly tried unsuccessfully to carjack two vehicles before departing in his own car. Using video and witness statements, Glen Carbon police were able to identify Turner, leading to his apprehension.

Police tracked Turner from observing a car that appeared on video at Sams Club. They showed a picture of a red Chevrolet Impala to a woman who is familiar with Turner. She told officers she had seen the Impala at a home in Madison. Police then spotted the Impala at the address in Madison. The car was registered to Turner.

At the time the incident occurred, our officers and investigators who responded to the scene were able to immediately obtain video from Sams Club and other, nearby businesses, White said.

The videos were disseminated to other law enforcement agencies in the area and another agency, one in Missouri, also identified Turner, White said.

After Turner gave permission to search the car, officers located a bill in Turners name at the address in Madison and found clothing believed to match the clothing Turner was wearing during the alleged Sams Club burglary. They also found seven empty buttons, described as capsules, containing a white powder residue.

Among the clothing taken as evidence is a black T-shirt with pink letters, stating, you may not like me, but Jesus thinks Im to die for.

Turner has a record dating to 1976, when he was convicted of burglary in St. Louis. He also has convictions for stealing, two additional counts of burglary, attempted burglary, aggravated battery, robbery, and resisting arrest.
EDWARDSVILLE  After a two-week trial period, the Edwardsville Police Department wants to make no parking on the final 40 feet of the north side of East Park Street permanent.

The citys Public Safety Committee met Monday to approve the idea and draft an ordinance.

At the previous meeting on April 30, police chief Jay Keeven and fire chief Rick Welle were concerned about vehicle-pedestrian and vehicle-bicycle collisions in the block between the Edwardsville Public Library and the Madison Mutual Building.

The ordinance will be on the agenda at the next public safety meeting.

Stemming from a residents request is another no parking ordinance, this one is on Ramey Street between South Myrtle and Olive streets. The resident complained that drivers parked on Ramey before Madison County Criminal Justice court sessions, even though there is a large sign along the street indicating an available parking lot at the southeast corner of Ramey and Olive.

Next, the ordinance went to the Public Services Committee Tuesday, where it unanimously approved. It will now go to the Administrative and Community Services Committee today.

City officials believe the request for public works to paint yellow the northern-most 20 feet of curb on the east side of North Myrtle Street is still in process, which will improve lines of sight and traffic flow.

Other items from the April 30 meeting are still on hold, such as the no parking request on Second Avenue next to the Smoothie King and BJs Printables, while city and police officials continue to gather information. Another no parking request is similarly in abeyance, the one on the south side of H Street. Alderman Chris Farrar was absent and he was going to contact Eden Church officials and gather their input before making any changes.

The request to make Fountain Avenue one-way westbound from West Union Street is also on hold for more discussion due to Farrars absence; he was going to contact Republic Services to get its input before any changes are made.

Keeven said he has received no further problems about delivery trucks blocking the alley between South Main and Monroe but he reminded residents to use the departments non-emergency number, 656-2131, to report such issues.

Under informational items, Welle provided updates on the new emergency warning sirens and the purchase of a rescue-pumper truck.

The emergency warning siren should be ready for installation by the end of this month, Welle said. The county was to have formally approved an intergovernmental agreement Monday to allow us to locate it on the rear parking lot of the jail (near the county storage garage). I have not heard yet if that committee had a quorum for formal approval.

As far as the rescue-pumper, Welle said the chassis for the truck should be delivered to Minnesota by the end of this month. He said the city will pay for the chassis in full ($327,675) upon delivery to avoid carrying charges. The check for the chassis was already cut from the FY 2017-18 budget and ready for delivery. The finished rescue-pumper wont be ready for delivery until late this calendar year.

In other action, the committee approved these two items for the fire department:

 A resolution authorizing a single-source purchase of software maintenance services through Image Trend, Inc. for $6,534.52

 Another resolution authorizing a single-source agreement with Lewis & Clark Community College/Workforce Education, Solutions and Safety Training to provide instructors for a confined space rescue seminar that costs $7,440.

As public information, city officials said a former house at 326 M St. that burned last July was demolished this week.

Reach Charles Bolinger at (618) 656-4700, ext. 31
GLEN CARBON  Soft-shell tacos were the primary menu item as St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Glen Carbon held its first taco dinner from 4-7 p.m. on Wednesday. Chicken or ground beef tacos sold for $1.75 each and included one side, a soft drink and brownies for dessert. The event, which also included a craft sale, was a fundraiser for the ECW (Episcopal Church Women) Outreach Programs. Potential uses for the money include building a bridge for a village in the Phillippines where children have to walk in water on their way to school.
ST. LOUIS  Businesses that move or handle commodities on the Illinois River waterway are being encouraged to start making alternative plans due to the scheduled closure of locks.

A two-week closure on the Illinois River is planned by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers as early as August, with closures of 90 to 120 days expected in the summers of 2020 and 2023. Shippers will need to find alternate routes for the millions of tons of commodities that typically move along the Illinois River during those times or concentrate on avoiding the shipping closure windows.

One alternative route would be the Mississippi River through the St. Louis metropolitan region. That could increase the commodities moving through its world-class freight network which includes the nations most efficient inland waterway port, minimal rail congestion and quick truck-turns.

Six of the eight locks on the Illinois Waterway are scheduled to undergo major infrastructure repairs to sustain a navigable connection between Lake Michigan and the Mississippi River just north of St. Louis. The corps has developed plans for the simultaneous closure of multiple locks to provide time for much needed critical repairs and maintenance, while reducing impacts to navigation.

Nearly 30 million tons of commodities a year move through the southernmost and busiest lock on the Illinois River  the LaGrange Lock and Dam at Versailles. That also is the federal facility in most urgent need for major rehabilitation and repair, as well as the primary driver for the coordinated closure of the entire waterway over all six locks for 90 to 120 days July-October 2020.

During the closures, no vessels will be able to pass through the affected locks. An exception may be made at LaGrange and Peoria locks if water levels are high enough to allow the wicket portions of the dams to be lowered for open-pass without using the lock.

Summer may offer insights

While the bulk of the work will not start until 2020, shippers will get a taste this summer of what to expect in 2020 and 2023 as the Starved Rock Lock & Dam in Ottawa and the Marseilles Lock and Dam in Marseilles have partial closures in June and July, as well as full closures Aug. 16-30.

Its vital that industry members are aware of the plans, the timing and any steps they need to take in advance of the closures to help minimize the disruption to their operations or, to potentially be a part of the solution, said Mary Lamie, executive director of the St. Louis Regional Freightway.

Shippers already route freight to the St. Louis region where the exceptional freight network means they benefit from lower distribution and logistics expenses and shorter travel times, she said. We should have the capacity to take on more and be a part of the solution for those who will be impacted, if the planning starts early.

Mike Toohey, president and CEO of Waterways Council Inc., said what actually happens to commodity movements during the closure is the great unknown.

Plan, be flexible, and be ready, he said.

Businesses and farmers who need to move raw materials and freight during this period should make arrangements now, officials said, because the rest of the freight industry may need to adapt. A standard barge tow carries the equivalent of 1,070 truckloads or 216 railcars, prompting questions of where the trucks and the drivers will come from, and whether there will there be enough railcars.

Alternatively, there is a fear that nothing will move during the shutdown periods by any mode. The economics of shifting cargo flows to alternative modes may not enable goods to be transported at a competitive cost. Transfer and storage capabilities could be challenged to provide the market needs in both the geographies of supply and demand.

Accellerated timetables expected

Marty Hettel, vice president of government affairs at American Commercial Barge Lines and chairman of the Inland Waterway User Board through May 27, said 90- to 120-day maintenance closures are common on other waterways in the winter, so the industry is used to them and works around them. The challenge, he said, is that such closures on the Illinois Waterway are unprecedented and the potential workarounds unknown.

Each year, more than 10 million tons of corn and soybeans transit through the LaGrange Lock bound for export. Other non-agriculture products moved through the Illinois Waterway system locks include chemicals, petroleum products, ethanol, cement, styrene and raw materials for steel mills.

Hettel said he believes some shippers will accelerate shipment timetables to move commodities by barge before the closure or wait until after the closure. But those timing shifts will require planning. The industry will need enough barges on hand to store and load in advance so they can be staged above the closure to carry them through and meet demand.

Finished product can be loaded on emptied barges and take advantage of floating storage until it can be moved. Some critical commodities, such as ethanol, will have to move by truck or rail to points outside the locks since it cant be stored or put in a pipeline.

Hettel said some agriculture product may go on trains to St. Louis to ship down the Mississippi River for export, or go to terminals below the LaGrange Lock. Much will depend on the price for agriculture commodities, he said.

Liquid chemical shippers may be most impacted, as those products cannot sit as long in a barge. Hettel said some firms may schedule their own plant maintenance during the same time frame. He anticipates that, in advance of the closure, there will be an increase in production at Missouri cement companies that ship to Chicago.

Certainly, we have the capacity on the river. Im not as familiar with rail, said Hettel. The key message is its better to plan for a closure than to deal with an unexpected outage. It gives flexibility to the folks in the St. Louis area to possibly take tonnage that would have moved by barge and accept it at their facilities and potentially ship it by rail instead.

Soybean farmers weighing options

Scott Sigman, transport and export infrastructure lead for the Illinois Soybean Association, says an average of 16 million tons of soybeans move though the locks annually. Nineteen of the 64 terminals in Illinois that handle soybeans are on the Illinois River, but there are potential alternative routings. There are 40 shuttle rail facilities in Illinois moving west, east and south toward New Orleans.

He also points out the containerization option that currently moves about 10 percent of the soybeans by rail to coastal ports, noting it is a great alternative for accessing international markets which do not want to buy as much in bulk.

Leveraging the flexibility of different directions and the wide range of modes available, soybean farmers have some options, he said. Some have storage. Some can store everything for a year. But many will have to take their commodities somewhere.

The facilities south of LaGrange and in the St. Louis region will be busier than a one-armed paper hanger, he said. They will be a priority destination. But theyll be able to manage that through the pricing mechanism.

Because of the sheer volume, Sigman anticipates a surge in advance of the closure, likely backfilling elevators slowly and using them as storage with another smaller surge after the system is reopened. He said he believes the 15-day closure this summer will be a key learning experience to see how the freight system and the industry responds.

Questions about the planned lock closures on the Illinois Waterway may be directed to 309-794-5729 or CEMVR-CC@usace.army.mil.
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Linkedin Editorial Board (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, May 16, 2019 08:57 956 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa873829228 1 Editorial #Editorial,surabaya,Surabaya-bombings,surabaya-church-bombings,church-attack,terrorism,terror-attack Free

Monday was the first anniversary of the Surabaya bombings. The perpetrators had engaged their wives and children in the shocking terror attacks that killed 25 and injured many others on May 13, 2018.

Yet Mondays commemoration was not only about the grief of the survivors and victims families  it served as a reminder that Surabaya, Indonesias second-largest city, is one diverse community that cannot be changed by terrorists. The Saint Mary Immaculate (SMTB) Catholic Church held a breaking-of-the-fast event with neighboring Muslims at the church. It stands near the other churches targeted in last years attacks, the Surabaya Pantecostal Church (GPPS) and the Diponegoro Indonesian Protestant Church (GKI).

Addressing the audience at SMTB Catholic Church, priest Agustinus Wibowo said, Wed like to thank everyone who came today, for your presence reminds us that we have lots of friends who love us. Weve learned together to accept Gods will, and with the presence of the interfaith community here, we all realize that we cant be divided for having different beliefs.

In fact, 100 days after the carnage, the church and other interfaith groups declared May 13 True Fraternity Day.

Apparently, the citys harmony drove the terrorists to patiently blend in with their middle-class neighbors, while indoctrinating the children  leading to disbelief among neighbors, teachers and the childrens schoolmates in the aftermath of the attacks. Mayor Tri Rismaharini led volunteers and psychologists in reportedly continuous attempts to heal the trauma of the survivors, including the parents of brothers Vincencius Evan, 11, and Nathanael, 8.

The collective feeling seems to be that only the community itself can heal such deep trauma. Neighbors have said they would accept the surviving children of the bombers; the social affairs agency and the Womens Empowerment and Child Protection Ministry have reportedly taken care of seven children, aged 7 to 14, for a year. The children are now more communicative, an official has said, also thanks to an Islamic expert who has had to explain to youngsters where they were misled to accept violence and murder as the right way of jihad. However, authorities have expressed wariness about the level of family acceptance of the children.

Surabaya and all other communities affected by terrorism cannot wait for the government and experts who are still seeking effective ways to curb extremism. The New Zealand shootings at two Christchurch mosques on March 15, which killed 50 worshippers, reminded us of terrorists similarities: They target the innocent in their sick conviction of a heroic mission.

Neither can communities wait for the right deradicalization programs for surviving terrorists and their children. Years ago, conflict expert Sidney Jones reminded authorities of their apparent neglect of terrorists children and their potential to continue their parents mission.

The authorities and experts taking care of the Surabaya orphans may have done all they could. The stated acceptance of part of their extended families and neighbors is the first step in healing the young souls, while the community strengthens Surabayas character as a vibrant city of various faiths.
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Linkedin Satrio Adi Wicaksono and Nanda Noor (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, May 16, 2019 15:33 955 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa8738f1066 3 Opinion Airlines,climate-change,environment,carbon-emission,Transportation Free

The Indonesian aviation industry is thriving. In 2017, the number of air passengers in Indonesia was estimated at 110 million, with a US$1.3 billion market size. Despite concerns about safety issues and high airfares, the aviation industry will likely expand rapidly. The International Air Transport Association has predicted Indonesian airlines will carry 355 million domestic passengers in 2036.

As with most other means of transportation, flying necessitates the burning of fossil fuel. Most forms of aviation release not only carbon dioxide, but other greenhouse gases such as water vapor and nitrogen oxide, contributing to global warming. With more Indonesians flying than ever, what can be done nationally to limit the environmental impact of the aviation industry?

For many of us who fly regularly, airline travel is one of the largest contributors to our individual carbon footprint. WRI Indonesia recently calculated that air travel accounted for an average of 80 percent to our annual individual carbon emission from work-related mobility.

Consider the following: with only a round-trip economy ticket from Jakarta to Manokwari in West Papua, 0.7 tons of carbon dioxide is emitted. This is more than one-third of the average annual carbon footprint of an Indonesian, which only amounts to 2.03 tons of carbon dioxide.

If you fly business, your carbon footprint is significantly higher because business class seats take up more space, thus increasing the amount of fuel used per passenger. According to a 2013 World Bank study, flying business class and first class increase your carbon footprint by three-times and nine-times compared to flying economy.

Studies suggest travelers can reduce their carbon footprint by consciously choosing more carbon-efficient flying options. Flying direct, for example, is more carbon-efficient than taking connecting flights, partly because aircraft burn the most fuel during takeoff.

Additionally, travelers may also choose to fly on new generation aircraft, such as 787-9s A350-900s, and A319s, with sharklets that are more carbon-efficient and cost-optimized.

Of course, we can always consider not to fly for out-of-town meetings when virtual communication methods would suffice or when other transportation means that are more carbon-efficient are available.

Travelers should also consider carbon offsetting, such as supporting tree-planting and clean energy projects to make up for putting carbon into the atmosphere.

WRI Indonesia recently calculated our own annual carbon emission from various sources, ranging from office electricity to employees short and long-distance mobility. Unsurprisingly, our carbon footprint only from airline travel stood at 245 tons in 2018. To offset this, we would need to plant at least 550 mango trees, as each can absorb 0.4 tons of carbon dioxide per year once it reaches maturity.

Individuals or organizations may also choose to offset by paying credible offset companies. The offset schemes offered by these companies vary widely in terms of the cost, although a typical fee would be around $2.30 for each ton of carbon dioxide offset.

Critics often argue carbon offsetting only makes travelers feel good and may serve as disincentives from working to reduce emissions in the long run. However, its better than doing nothing.

The entire aviation industry is getting greener, albeit slowly. Under an international agreement developed by the International Civil Aviation Organization, by 2021 airlines that fly internationally will have to offset any extra emissions under the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation.

Airlines can do so much more to reduce their carbon footprint besides rejuvenating their fleet. In its environmental performance report, Garuda Indonesia outlines its strategy to achieve efficient on-the-ground and airborne aircraft operations to conserve fuel and reduce emissions.

Meanwhile, AirAsia discusses ways to minimize aircraft load so as to reduce fuel consumption in its annual report, for example by replacing the heavy manuals and flight documents with tablets and using thinner paint for its liveries.

Indonesian fliers and airlines, along with the governments provision of incentives and safety nets for innovation, have a shared responsibility to make the aviation sector a little bit greener. After all, collectively, each of our personal decision matters.

***

The writers are both researchers at World Resources Institute (WRI) Indonesia.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official stance of The Jakarta Post.
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Linkedin Haikal Satria (The Jakarta Post) Yogyakarta  Thu, May 16, 2019 09:39 955 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa873830c6f 3 Opinion Indonesia,palm-oil,Paris-Agreement,European-Union,environment,environmental-issues Free

Angry comments have greeted the announcement of the European Union that Indonesias palm oil would be banned as the industry had aggravated deforestation, thus it was not renewable energy. Palm oil is the only commodity dropped out of EUs list of renewable energy source due to its correlation to deforestation. Indonesian President Joko Jokowi Widodo and Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad have reacted by sending an official joint letter to the bloc earlier this month.

Coordinating Maritime Affairs Minister Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan retorted Indonesia could pull out of the Paris Agreement, following in the steps of the United States and lately Brazil. Although there have been no clear signs in this direction, it's worth weighing the costs of leaving the international agreement.

In 2015, 196 nations gathering in Paris signed a historic pact, committing the signatories to the global goal to reduce the world's temperature increase to 2 degrees Celcius above pre-industrial levels.

Yet despite overwhelming enthusiasm, the Paris Agreement is still far from achieving its goals. According to Climate Action Tracker, a website run by three environmental research organizations, the global temperature is expected to rise by 3.3 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels with current environmental policies. Even with optimistic policies, temperature increases are still expected to reach 3 degrees Celsius, meaning nations still need to work hard to reduce the global temperature by a full degree if they wish to achieve their initial goals.

Following the announcement of US President Donald Trump in 2017 that stated the US would withdraw from the Paris Agreement, his administration cited high economic costs as the main reason. However Trumps campaign built on pro-coal mining rhetoric while proposing anti-climate change policies have doubts that high economic costs were truly the main factor.

Brazil's announcement of their withdrawal plans was more of a surprise, especially considering their efforts to reduce deforestation of the Amazon. However, nations are now worried that new leader Jair Bolsonaro will fulfill his early campaign promises and drop out of the Paris Agreement.

Luhuts comments were likely spontaneous without looking at previous research or considering the costs of the threat. Thankfully, after the US's withdrawal from the agreement, many researchers have looked into the costs of leaving the agreement, as well as the benefits of staying.

Research on the economic impacts of the Paris Agreement was conducted by the World Bank in 2018, using international trade data to comprehensively estimate the impacts of the implementation of the Paris Agreement towards domestic gross domestic product. The results were positive, albeit negligible -- assuming that the Paris Agreement would be able to reduce the price of renewable energy by 25 percent, Indonesia would be expected to see an uptick in GDP by 0.22 percent and increase in investment by 0.47 percent. A small benefit, but still proof that there is no significant loss incurred by Indonesia by staying within the Paris Agreement.

But what are the costs of leaving? Stanford researchers studied the US withdrawal from the Paris Agreement, correlating changes in global temperature with economic performance, with the correlation results being used to predict the impact of rising temperatures on future economic outcomes. The results? Trillions of dollars lost in the global economy, with US$6 trillion losses in the US alone. Of course, expected outcomes for the US cannot be generalized, and it would be fair to say Indonesia would not experience similar losses. But the research still projects that failure to meet the agreement's goals would reduce at least 25 percent of the global GDP by the end of the century -- a hefty cost that can be avoided with the right policies.

Additionally, as Indonesia is dependent on agriculture, the nation has experienced first- hand the high cost of unbridled climate change. Many papers have pointed out how climate change causes unpredictable weather fluctuations, which in turn affects the agricultural sector, causing negative impacts to rural households in Indonesia which mostly rely on agricultural work. Furthermore, research from the Australian National University studying data from 140 countries showed that Indonesia could expect climate change to reduce domestic GDP by 13.267 percent in the long run.

The conclusion of the studies are simple: leaving the Paris Agreement is a rash decision for Indonesia, especially considering the potential benefits from staying, such as cheaper renewable energy, increased productivity in agriculture and a higher GDP, to name a few. Therefore in defending the palm oil industry and exports, a more reasonable response would be to conduct negotiations through diplomatic channels, such as President Jokowis recent letter to the EU, asking them to reconsider their stance on palm oil.

Indonesia should still stay in the Paris Agreement for the good of the world as a whole. As the worlds tenth largest greenhouse gas emitter, while also housing the third largest tropical forest area in the world, Indonesias commitment to reduce emissions and protect the environment is crucial to the welfare not only of their domestic population, but to the world. Leaving the Paris Agreement and cutting back on policies to protect the environment could lead to catastrophic environmental outcomes -- if not within the next five years, then by the end of this century.

So before Indonesia rushes to join the company of Brazil and the US, its important that Indonesia take time to fully research the impacts of leaving the monumental agreement. Disputes over palm oil can be resolved with peaceful negotiations and diplomatic roundtables, but damages to the environment cannot be as easily resolved.

***

Haikal Satria is an economics student at Gadjah Mada University who often writes about the cinema and the arts. You can read more of his thoughts on his Twitter and Instagram, @haikalstr.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official stance of The Jakarta Post.
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Linkedin Darmansjah Djumala (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, May 16, 2019

Suicide bombings shook Sri Lanka on April 21, just over a month after white supremacy terrorist Brenton Tarrant opened fire on Muslims who were performing Friday prayers at two mosques in Christchurch on March 15.



The Sri Lankan government accused the local radical Islamic group National Thowheeth Jamaath (National Tauhid Jamaah/NTJ) of perpetrating the bombings, but later Islamic State (IS) claimed responsibility for the terror.



At first glance, the carnage in Sri Lanka and New Zealand appears to be simply violent acts of hatred between two parties. It turns out not to be that simple. The cruel and barbaric terrorist attack in New Zealand, which was then avenged by no-less-brutal acts of terror in Sri Lanka, has unfurled a new challenge to the discourse on global terrorism.



There had been a stereotype that acts of terror were associated only with radical Islam, but the Christchurch case demonstrated that terrorism is also connected with antimigrant and anti-Islam white supremacist/ultraright movements.



How serious is the threat of terror by the white supremacist/ultraright movement? According to the 2018 Global Terrorism Index, Measuring the Impact of Terrorism, between 2013 and 2017, 127 attacks were carried out by individuals and/or groups with white supremacy/ultraright ideologies and claimed 66 lives.



The data showed an increasing number of attacks and victims of ultraright terror. From 2013 to 2017, annual ultraright terror attacks rose from 9 to 10, 26, 23 and 59 respectively. The number of victims also increased from one person in 2013 to 11, 26, 11 and 17 respectively.



Terrorism observer Bjorn Ihler in his article The Global Threat of White Terror in Project Syndicate confirmed the trend of rising terror by the ultraright movement.



Interestingly, he mentioned that the number of terrorist acts by the ultraright movement in the United States far exceeded the number of terrorist acts by radical Muslims.



At this point, the question arises: how to interpret the phenomenon of the ultra-right terrorism? How should the international community deal with the phenomenon of white supremacist/ultraright terror in the context of the new landscape of global terrorism?



The guidelines for the international community on efforts to eradicate terrorism are summarized in the United Nations Global Counterterrorism Strategy (UNGCTS) that was agreed upon in 2006. The UN document, evaluated every two years, contains guidelines for counterterrorism efforts at the national, regional and global levels.



Even though they are not engaged in law enforcement, the guidelines provide direction for capacity building policies for member countries in counterterrorism.



There are interesting dynamics in the evaluation of the guideline document, namely changes in the list of perpetrators of terrorism. If in 2001 the threat of terrorism only referred to al-Qaeda, the Taliban and radical groups affiliated with them, the 2014 evaluation also referred to IS.



In 2015, foreign terrorist fighters (FTFs) were added to the list of terrorist actors and in 2017 FTF returnees and relocators (foreign terrorists who returned to their countries and moved to other countries) were also added.



From the evaluation of the strategy of global counterterrorism at the UN, it is clear that there was a change in the list of global terrorist actors, but not in the perception of the threat of terrorism itself.



Terrorism, at least in the deliberations of UNGCTS and the UN Security Council, has only referred to acts of violence committed by radical Islamic groups.



Acts of violence by antimigrant and anti-Islamic white supremacist/ultraright groups were not even discussed in the two important UN forums above, let alone categorized as acts of terrorism.



The issue of acts of violence by the white supremacist/ultra-right groups is only discussed in the UNs Third Committee, which deals with social, humanitarian and human rights issues.



In other words, the acts of terror by the white supremacist/ultraright groups are only considered social and humanitarian issues, not an issue of global security threat.



There are nuances of injustice and imbalance here. The pattern of the development of white supremacist radicalism shares similarities with radical Islam: radical ideas spreading through social media followed by acts of terror carried out by global actors and supported by global funding.



What matters the most is the fact that both took the lives of innocent people. Therefore, it would be understandable if there was the view that acts of violence by white supremacist groups should be treated the same as those committed by radical Islam: both should be categorized as acts of global terrorism.



Terrorist acts in Sri Lanka and in New Zealand have posed a new challenge to the global fight against terrorism. Now it becomes clear that the two types of acts of violence are interrelated, at least by mutual hatred and revenge.



Now is the right time for the international community to begin discussing the two types of acts of violence in a fair and balanced manner, to acknowledge that both are acts of terrorism that not only destroy humanity but also, if not addressed early, threaten global security.

***

The author is a diplomat serving in Vienna and postgraduate lecturer at the International Relations Department, School of Social Sciences, Padjadjaran University, Bandung.

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Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official stance of The Jakarta Post.
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Linkedin Rina Chandran (Reuters) Doi Tung, Thailand  Thu, May 16, 2019 09:05 956 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa873829340 2 Art & Culture Thailand,farmer,opium,coffee Free

Somchai Sophonsookpaiboon does not remember much about his younger years, except that they were spent in an opium haze.

Its how all the men in his mountain village on the Thai-Myanmar border spent their time. Stateless, with little access to education, jobs or healthcare, their only options were trading opium or walking to the nearest town for odd jobs.

Somchais life turned around after the late Princess Srinagarindra, grandmother of Thailands current king, set up a development project in 1988 in Doi Tung in Chiang Rai, once part of Southeast Asias Golden Triangle notorious for trafficking of drugs, people and arms.

The Doi Tung Development Project ended opium cultivation in the area and set up a drug rehabilitation center and social enterprises to generate jobs. It trained residents to reforest vast swathes of the hillside and grow coffee and macadamia.

It also gave residents 30-year land-use titles for small plots on which they could live and farm.

If the project had not started, I would not be alive today, said Somchai, 62, a member of the Lahu ethnic tribe, who now grows strawberries, cabbage and lettuce on an organic farm as part of the project.

We had nothing, and no hope. With the project, I got rid of my opium addiction, got citizenship, got land and work, and ensured that my children had better lives than me, he said.

The Doi Tung Development Project, run by the Mae Fah Luang Foundation under Thai royal patronage, is held up by the United Nations as a model for ending narcotic drug cultivation and improving the lives of indigenous communities.

Yet in other parts of the country, indigenous people continue to live in poverty and face challenges in accessing land, livelihoods and citizenship, according to tribal rights groups.

Of an estimated 1 million highland indigenous people in Thailand, about a tenth are stateless, according to advocacy group Minority Rights Group International, and thousands have been evicted - or face eviction - from forests that have been declared national parks and protected areas.

Read also: Getting high in Laos' opium-riddled mountains

Secure land rights for indigenous people is still the best option to secure their livelihoods, yet there is no law that guarantees that in Thailand, said Kittisak Rattanakrajangsri, chairman of advocacy group Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact.

The Doi Tung project has benefited many indigenous people, but a temporary lease on land they have always lived on is not a permanent solution, he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

Security

Globally, indigenous and local communities own more than half of all land under customary rights. Yet they only have secure legal rights to 10%, according to the Washington-based advocacy group Rights and Resources Initiative.

When the military government took charge in Thailand in 2014, it vowed to take back the forest and increase forest cover to 40% of the total surface area from about a third.

This has resulted in hundreds of land reclamations from farmers and forest dwellers, according to research organization Mekong Region Land Governance.

The Doi Tung Development Project covers an area of 15,000 acres (20 sq miles) of reserve forest, where thousands of Akha, Lahu, Karen and other ethnic tribes grow arabica coffee, macadamia nuts and fruit trees.

The land-use titles they received in 1989 do not allow them to sell or transfer the land, but they can pass them on to their children.

They are not ownership documents, but they are recognized by the authorities, and give the title holders an identity and a sense of security, said Visit-orn Rajatanarvin, director of the Mae Fah Luang Foundations knowledge center.

The project is working with the forest department to renew the titles this year, she said, without giving further details.

Successful model

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has recognized the Doi Tung Development Project as an effective model to battle illicit opium cultivation and deforestation.

UNODCs endorsement appears on all Doi Tung products - including apparel, home linens and ceramics - which are sold in high-end department stores in Thailand and to global brands such as Ikea and Muji.

The project became self-sustaining in 2000 and generates about 500 million baht ($15 million) in annual revenue, Visit-orn said.

Read also: Myanmar's opium farmers cling on to lucrative crop

Per capita income in the area had risen to about 106,000 baht in 2017 compared to 3,700 baht in 1988, she added, while the forest cover had increased to nearly 90% from about a quarter over the same period.

In addition to the coffee and the ceramics, tourism is another growing revenue stream in Doi Tung, with thousands of visitors thronging the towns main street on weekends and holidays.

Yet the projects benefits are limited, according to Nicole Girard, Asia program coordinator at the U.K.-based Minority Rights Group International.

The land-lease agreement does not give residents permanent rights, and tourism can have an intrusive impact on indigenous culture, she said.

Under international law, indigenous people have the right to self-determination and rights to their traditional lands, territories and resources, Girard said.

The Doi Tung model allows land leases in lieu of these rights. Perhaps this is better than forest evictions, but it is not an adequate protection of their rights.

Visit-orn, at the Mae Fah Luang Foundation, said the project has taken care to preserve indigenous culture and tradition, and involve the communities in the process.

But for some, the income and stability that the Doi Tung project brings come with a new set of worries.

Today, our forest, our water are under threat from too much development, and our children have less appreciation for our culture and tradition, said Jariya Visetpermporn, an Akha from Chalor village on the Thai-Myanmar border.

We need to figure out how we can develop without giving up our identity, she said.

Topics : Thailand farmer opium coffee
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Linkedin (Agence France-Presse) Cannes, France  Thu, May 16, 2019 07:04 956 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa87382655d 2 Entertainment France,united-states,Woody-Allen,Cannes-Film-Festival,A-Rainy-Day-in-New-York,Timothee-Chalamet,Elle-Fanning,Selena-Gomez,jude-law Free

Woody Allen's latest film, which has been put on ice in the US over decades-old sex abuse allegations against the director, will be released in France this year, a distributor said Tuesday.

A Rainy Day in New York starring Timothee Chalamet, Elle Fanning, Selena Gomez and Jude Law will hit French cinemas on September 18, Mars Films said ahead of the opening of the Cannes film festival.

"The 50th feature film by Woody Allen... is a romantic comedy set in present-day New York City," the company's CEO Stephane Celerier said on Twitter.

In February, Allen filed a $68 million (60 million euros) suit against Amazon for breach of contract, accusing the streaming giant of cancelling the film because of a "baseless" accusation that he sexually abused his daughter.

Allen has said Amazon sought to terminate the deal in June 2018, and has since refused to pay him $9 million in financing for A Rainy Day in New York.

The film has been completed but not released.

Read also: Woody Allen to film in Spain this summer: Producer

Earlier this month, Variety magazine reported it would be released in Italy in October.

The movie was one of several to be produced with the Oscar-winning director under a series of agreements reached after Allen made the Crisis in Six Scenes program for Amazon.

Allen has been accused of molesting Dylan Farrow, his adopted daughter, when she was seven years old in the early 1990s.

He was cleared of the charges, first leveled by his then-partner Mia Farrow, after two separate months-long investigations, and has steadfastly denied the abuse. But Dylan, now an adult, maintains she was molested.

Her brother Ronan Farrow revived the allegations on the day the Cannes film festival opened in 2016 with Allen's Cafe Society, lashing out at the media for failing to ask hard questions about the director.

Amazon's relationship with Allen began with Cafe Society (2016), to which the studio had purchased the rights, before producing and distributing Wonder Wheel (2017), then committing to four additional films.
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Linkedin Jessicha Valentina (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, May 16, 2019 11:51 955 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa873833e4b 1 Entertainment john-wick,John-Wick-Chapter-3,Yayan-Ruhian,Cecep-Arif-Rahman,keanu-reeves,movie-review,film-review Free

Keanu Reeves reprises his role as the legendary hitman in John Wick: Chapter 3  Parabellum. Directed by Chad Stahelski, the third John Wick movie uses a similar formula to its predecessors in the franchise, but this time with a dash of Indonesian culture.

Spoiler alert to those who have yet to watch the first two movies, John Wick follows a retired assassin who returns to the battleground after a thug named Iosef Tarasov (Alfie Allen) steals his car and kills his puppy. John takes the incident personally, as the puppy was a present from his late wife Helen.

John Wick: Chapter 2 leads the audience deeper into the underworld as Italian crime lord Santino D'Antonio (Riccardo Scamarcio), a member of High Table, a council of high-level crime lords, asks John to kill his sister Gianna (Claudia Gerini). Long story short, John ends up killing Santino in The Continental Hotel in New York, breaking the underworld's rule of no blood on Continental grounds.

John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum picks right up from there. John is seen running around New York City accompanied by his new dog, trying to find sanctuary. There is only an hour left until the announcement of John's Excommunicado status, which terminates his access and privileges to the underworld resources. Other criminals cannot wait to kill him, as there's a US$14 million bounty on his head.

The American neo-noir thriller is packed with action, complementing the flimsy plot. The action runs fast, but the well-choreographed fighting scenes keep the film gruesome and entertaining at the same time.

Read also: Trailer unleashed for John Wick: Chapter 3  Parabellum'

The movie also features Anjelica Huston and Halle Berry. Huston plays a character known as The Director. It's oddly pleasing to watch Huston's part, which showcases a combination of cruelness and ballet.

Meanwhile, Berry portrays Sofia, John's ally. With two dogs beside her, she loads the guns and fires the enemies. Unfortunately, these interesting characters go unexplored, making the plot feeling rushed.

Actors Yayan Ruhian and Cecep Arif Rahman answer questions at a press conference for the movie 'John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum' at the Plaza Indonesia mall in Central Jakarta on Tuesday. (JP/Jessicha Valentina)

Among all the top-class Hollywood actors, the appearance of local actors Yayan Ruhian and Cecep Arif Rahman is like a breath of fresh air in the film. During a press screening on Tuesday, the local journalists could not contain their excitement upon seeing Yayan on screen.

Showing local martial arts, the duo tries to defeat Reeves, who is way taller than them. Their conversation in Indonesian adds to the excitement.

Yayan and Cecep said at a press conference that the director had not initially planned to include Indonesian, but had changed his mind upon seeing the two martial arts experts talk in their native language during a break.

With regard to Reeves' line, Cecep said the Hollywood actor was the one who asked them to translate his dialogue to Indonesian. "We told him and he memorized it," said Cecep.

Yayan expressed his happiness over his involvement in the movie. "Our involvement in a few Hollywood movies shows that Indonesians have [abilities similar to those of foreign actors]," said Yayan, adding that they had not been required to go through a casting process for the movies.

All in all, John Wick: Chapter 3  Parabellum delivers the expected excellent fighting scenes. It's a must-watch movie for those who love action or want to support local actors. (kes)
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Linkedin Apriadi Gunawan (The Jakarta Post) South Tapanuli, North Sumatra  Thu, May 16, 2019

South Tapanuli regency in North Sumatra is ready to mark its place on the map by developing its ecotourism while boosting the economy and locals living standards.

Amazing, Marta Garrido Ventura said, describing in one word how she was mesmerized by the serenity of the Batangtoru ecosystem in Sipirok districts Bulu Mario village in South Tapanuli regency, North Sumatra.

Ventura, an ecotourism agent from Spain, recently visited the village along with her colleague Nora Arriazu for two days. They said during their visit that the nature and culture of Batangtoru was highly appealing and labeled Sipirok district a potential ecotourist destination, especially for Spanish tourists.
While acknowledging that some reports of street crimes that have recently gone viral on social media are genuine, the Jakarta Police has warned netizens not to uncritically accept every piece of information circulating on social media as many may be misleading.

Photos and videos of brawls between alleged members of motorcycle gangs have recently caused concern among Jakarta residents and commuters.

Amid the concern over possible misinformation, Jakarta Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Argo Yuwono reassured the public, saying that many photos and videos circulating on social media were of crimes that actually took place several months ago, and several incidents took place in regions outside Java, he said.

Many photos and videos that recently went viral on social media are re-uploads of incidents that occurred years ago. Those who regularly commute to and from Jakarta dont need to worry, Argo told the press on Tuesday, adding that the police already arrested a number of gang members last year.

However, the police also confirmed that several crimes reported on social media did actually take place across Greater Jakarta earlier this month.

A brawl broke out between two groups of youths in Berlan, Matraman, East Jakarta, in the early hours of May 13. No casualties were reported in the incident.

Matraman subdistrict head Bambang Eko Prabowo told kompas.com the brawl was caused by an Instagram video posted by a group of youths in Matraman who wanted to take revenge against a gang from Tanjung Priok, North Jakarta, who reportedly instigated a brawl in Matraman the previous week.

Furthermore, in the early hours of May 9, members of an alleged motorcycle gang attacked five teenagers using sharp weapons in Kampung Lio, Depok in West Java.

Pancoran Mas Police head Comr. Roni Wowor said the five young men were immediately taken to Citama Hospital in Bogor for treatment.

A violent altercation also took place between teenagers carrying bladed weapons in Kwitang, Central Jakarta, on May 5. One died during the conflict and suspects have since been arrested, Argo said.

In Cakung, East Jakarta, a group of men on motorcycles brandished sharp weapons on the night of May 5, as reported by kompas.com.

East Jakarta Police head Sr. Comr. Ady Wibowo said the group had initially wanted to fight with local residents.

The suspects received a broadcast message through WhatsApp to brawl. Fortunately, none of the residents were provoked by their actions, so the brawl never took place, Ady said.

In addition to brawls between gangs, netizens have also been concerned about a possible spate of street robberies.

Instagram user @rezamotovlog recently posted a video depicting two men who allegedly attempted to rob him while he was driving his motorcycle in Gandaria, South Jakarta.

Please be careful when youre driving late at night. I just evaded a robbery attempt around Gandaria City at 1 a.m., he wrote in his post.

Argo of the Jakarta Police said the police were collaborating with the Indonesian Military (TNI) to intensify patrols around the city to ensure safety in the capital.

Be skeptical of all information you receive on social media. It may be misleading. Jakarta is safe; the police are here to ensure security across the city, he said.

Separately, the Communications and Information Ministrys director general for information applications, Samuel Abrijani Pangarepan said he had yet to be informed about the viral violent videos and pictures, but said they would block such media content on social media as soon as possible.

However, [media content] on WhatsApp is difficult to detect, but, it doesnt mean that we cant. It just needs extra effort, he told the Post. (rfa/das)
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, May 16, 2019 10:48 955 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa873832ed4 1 City dog,Burning,death,Central-Jakarta,police,report,ojek-driver Free

After a dog named Lucky was found critically injured and later died of allegedly being burned alive by a neighbor in Menteng, Central Jakarta, both the owner and the suspect are in a legal battle as both have reported their versions of the incident to the police.

Sarana Metta Indonesia Foundation representative Christian Joshua Pale said Luckys owner Melly and the foundation had reported the case to the police after they collected enough evidence and eyewitnesses of the burning incident, after the dog reportedly clawed the neighbor named Maulady, who had urinated near Luckys cage.

Its true that we have collected several pieces of evidence. That was a suggestion from the Menteng Police which asked us to file a report and to collect evidence and eyewitnesses to strengthen our case, Christian said on Wednesday, kompas.com reported. Christian immediately attempted to save the mixed dalmatian before it died due to severe injuries on Friday.

Menteng Police criminal investigation unit head Comr. Gozali Luhulima said the police would soon follow up the case.

However, the suspect, who is a ride-hailing ojek (motorcycle taxi) driver, planned to report Melly, saying that he had been injured by scratches and bites from the dog, Gozali said.

We will summon the suspect [for questioning] but the suspect who burned the dog also wanted to file a report because [he claimed] his legs were bitten by the dog, the police said.

Gozali said the suspect would file a report after a medical examination as proof of the bite.

After the plaintiff filed a report yesterday, the suspect had already undergone a medical examination at Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital, he said.

Meanwhile, Go-Jek corporate affairs vice president Michael Reza Say said the company would investigate which one of their drivers had burned the dog alive.

He said that Go-jek had received a report from the dogs owner on Sunday.

Regarding the information on social media that the suspect was a Go-Jek driver, we can say we are currently processing the incoming reports. We are continuing to investigate this further internally, Michael said on Monday.

He said the company regretted the incident and opposed any kind of animal cruelty.

He added that Go-Jek would reprimand the suspect if proven guilty after their internal investigation.

Violence like this cannot be justified and we are not afraid to reprimand the driver who turned out to be the suspect, Michael said.

The suspect 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.

He said the neighbor became mad at the dog and demanded that the owner move it elsewhere while threatening to burn the dog.

However, as the owner Melly was at a mosque for tarawih prayer that evening, Lucky was never moved.

When the owner arrived home, she was shocked to find that Lucky had sustained injuries in the form of critical burns, Christian said. (ami)
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, May 16, 2019 16:01 955 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa873846483 1 City Istiqlal-Mosque,renovation,ramadan Free

The government is set to completely renovate the countrys iconic Istiqlal Mosque in Pasar Baru, Central Jakarta and its outdoor area.

Public Works and Housing Minister Basuki Hadimuljono said the ministry had allocated Rp 465.3 billion (US$32 million) for the project. The ministry will oversee the renovation of the mosque that was built by noted architect Friedrich Silaban 41 years ago.

The architect of the renovation is Munichy Bachron Edrees, the great-grandson of Muslim organization Muhammadiyah founder Ahmad Dahlan, kompas.com reported.

The minister added that President Joko Jokowi Widodo asked him in May last year to renovate the mosque after the President had a meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Jokowi at that time took Modi to several places, including Istiqlal Mosque, which was built between 1961 and 1978.

When he [President Jokowi] was showing Modi around the ground floor of the mosque, Pak Jokowi was surprised. He became aware that the mosque really needed renovation, Basuki told the press after the contract signing ceremony at his office in South Jakarta.

The minister said the renovation of the mosque that had a capacity of 200,000 people was expected to be completed before Ramadan next year. The renovation would not modify the building's structure or characteristics.

The project will be carried out by state-owned construction company PT Waskita Karya. (das)
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, May 16, 2019 14:34 955 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa873841aeb 4 Business Sri-Mulyani-Indrawati,trade-deficit,April-2019 Free

The government has acquiesced to the tough challenge the current economic condition poses, after Statistics Indonesia (BPS) on Tuesday announced an April trade deficit of Rp 2.5 billion, the worst since 2013.

It is not an easy challenge for us, Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati said in Jakarta as quoted by kontan.co.id, adding that both exports and imports had contracted deeply because of the continuing trade war between the United States and China.

In citing BPS data, Sri Mulyani said that imports had declined 6.58 percent, while exports declined more deeply with 13.10 percent.

Under such conditions, It is unlikely to rely on exports as engine of growth, she stressed.

Sri Mulyani was also particularly concerned about the year-on-year decline in exports of both raw materials (6.28 percent) and capital goods (8.68 percent), as they indicated a slowdown in the manufacturing industry.

Meanwhile, Bank Indonesia spokesman Onny Widjanarko attributed the widening trade deficit to the global economic situation. He concurred that it was triggered by the prolonged US-China trade war.

BPS data shows a non-oil and gas trade deficit of US$1.01 billion in April, following the $1.05 billion surplus it posted in March. Meanwhile, oil and gas recorded a trade deficit of $1.49 billion in April, following a $380,000 billion deficit in March.

In the future, Bank Indonesia and the government will coordinate to look closely at developments to the global and national economies so as to anticipate external instabilities, Onny said. (bbn)
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, May 16, 2019 13:52 955 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa873840696 1 City Tanah-Abang,Jakarta-administration,agencies,office Free

The city administration has announced plans to move the offices of several agencies and city-owned companies to an area in Tanah Abang, Central Jakarta, to address problems in the district that is home to Southeast Asias biggest textile market.

The building is to be used by the Jakarta Transportation Agency, the Public Order Agency (Satpol PP), city-owned developer PD Sarana Jaya and city-owned market operator PD Pasar Jaya.

The city also plans to invite commuter line operator PT Kereta Commuter Indonesia (KCI) to join the project for the new office building in Jatibaru, Tanah Abang.

Should there be any problems that require the attention of all parties, the integration allows us to sit together and discuss it, Jakarta Transportation Agency acting head Sigit Widjatmoko said on Wednesday, wartakota.tribunnews.com reported.

The integrated office building, Sigit added, would be developed on a plot of land belonging to railway company PT Kereta Api Indonesia (KAI).

The idea is to manage the Tanah Abang area comprehensively, he said.

The crowded market district has long been notorious for complex problems.

Tanah Abang already houses one integrated office complex of several city agencies in Jatibaru. (vla)
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Depok  Thu, May 16, 2019

Neighbors suspected something was wrong after they had not seen Sri Murniati and her younger sister Ani for 10 days or so. They only kept seeing Aladdin Situmorang, Sris husband.



They knew Sri, 61, was ailing with diabetes, while Ani, 60, and Aladdin, 66, were both mentally disturbed. Sri was a retiree of the Agriculture Ministry and Aladdin is a pensioner of the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK). He does not have any children.



Despite their poor health, they lived without caregivers at the Griya Lembah Residence in Sukmajaya subdistrict, Depok, West Java, about 10 kilometers south of Jakarta.



On Monday morning, Depok Police and community leaders acting on a request by Aladdins nephew Robinson, who visited the senior citizens house with the intention of taking Ani and Aladdin to the Marzoeki Mahdi Mental Hospital in Bogor.



The authorities sensed a stench upon arriving at the house. After breaking into the locked bedroom, they found the badly decomposed body of Sri. Doctors believe she had died about 10 days before.



In another locked room next to the kitchen, they found Ani, who was naked and weak, and they suspected she may not have eaten anything for days.



Aladdin was found on the terrace, smoking, apparently unaware of what was going on. As officers persuaded him to go with them to the hospital, he told them he was perfectly sane and would not go.



He stood up and said, Im OK. Ive just fallen victim to santet [black magic], Denny Supratman of the local social affairs office quoted Aladdin as saying.



Later Aladdin reportedly changed his story, saying he had known that his wife was dead but had not dared to report it, because a demon had threatened to kill him if he did so and dared to bury her remains.



He locked her up in the room, as the demon had told him to, [hoping that] doing that would bring her back to life, neighborhood chief Yudha Nugraha said.



Aladdins abrasive mannerism has held back his neighbors from making contact with him. A close neighbor, Azizah, said Aladdin would go ballistic every time she asked about the health of his wife and Ani.

He would say his wife and her sister had already returned to their hometown of Surakarta [Central Java]," she said on Tuesday.

Officers gave him sedatives to calm him down and took him to the mental hospital, along with his sister-in-law.



Doctors determined that Sri had died from her chronic diabetes. Her relatives were resigned to her passing and pleaded that the authorities not perform an autopsy on her remains, since they suspected no violence or crime.



Police and the Depok Social Affairs Agency accepted the familys request, and the police said they would not press for an investigation.



We grant the relatives plea, Depok Police spokesman Adj. Comr. Firdaus told the Post. (das)

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Linkedin James Pomfret (Reuters) Hong Kong, China  Thu, May 16, 2019 15:23 955 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa8738437fd 2 World #HongKong,#FreedomOfExpression,democracy,leader,Joshua-Wong,jailed Free

One of the young leaders of Hong Kong's 2014 "Umbrella" pro-democracy street protests was sent back to jail on Thursday after losing an appeal against a prison term for contempt of court.

Joshua Wong, 22, was sentenced to three months in jail in January last year for disobeying a court order and not leaving a protest zone during the rallies that blocked major roads in the Chinese-ruled city for nearly three months.

The Court of Appeal upheld the conviction but reduced his jail sentence to two months, citing his young age as a reason. He had earlier served six days before being released pending the appeal.

Wong, then just 17, was at the forefront of the broad civil disobedience movement that presented Chinas Communist Party rulers in Beijing with one of their biggest political challenges in decades.

"It is an affront to the court and must be met with a deterrent sentence," the three judges said in a written summary.

"Any suggestion that he is punished because of his status or notoriety as a committed social activist or any other reason, whatever it might be, is entirely baseless and misconceived."

As guards led Wong away, he shouted: "Everyone keep going!" Dozens of supporters in the public gallery cheered back in response.

Dozens more had gathered outside the court building, some waving yellow umbrellas - the symbol of the 2014 protests.

Both Wong and his supporters also called for the scrapping of Hong Kong government proposals to remove long-standing blocks on extraditing wanted suspects from Hong Kong to countries with which the city has no extradition agreements - including mainland China.

"Even though they can lock up our bodies, they can't lock up our minds," Wong said as he entered court to hear the verdict.

Britain returned Hong Kong to Chinese rule in 1997 with a guarantee of wide-ranging freedoms, including an independent judiciary and freedom of speech, but critics accuse Beijing of increasing pressure on the freewheeling global financial hub.

Wong's sentence comes as concerns widen over the extradition amendments, uniting some opposition, business and legal groups as well as Western governments.

More street protests are expected in coming weeks, with some seeing the extradition plans as the latest sign of Beijing's interference. China's main representative "Liaison Office" in Hong Kong said in a statement on Wednesday that the extradition law was urgently needed and had a sound legal foundation.

In a related case in February last year, Hong Kongs highest court freed Wong and two other leaders in a stark reversal of an earlier jail sentence, but warned against future acts of dissent.
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, May 16, 2019 18:41 955 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa87384c4bf 1 City eviction,Basuki-Hadimuljono,Public-Works-and-Public-Housing-Ministry,Bekasi,House Free

Like others who have allowed their houses to be demolished for infrastructure projects, Public Works and Housing Minister Basuki Hadimuljono has given up his private house on Jl. Rawa Semut, East Bekasi, West Java, to make way for the construction of the Bekasi-Cawang-Kampung Melayu (Becakayu) toll road.

The head of the Indonesia Toll Road Authority (BPJT), Danang Parikesit, said Basukis eviction from his house for the 23.67 kilometers toll road was proof that no one was given special privileges, including government officials, in the construction of public facilities.

Im sure this is also his [Basukis] expectation, Danang said as quoted by kompas.com on Wednesday.

Basuki, the man behind the countrys infrastructure projects, revealed the eviction plan in December 2018.

"This is the first time in history that a minister has been evicted [for an infrastructure project]. I told them not to reroute the road. Therefore, I will wait for the compensation," Basuki said.

The ministrys spokesperson, Endra S Atmawidjaya, said Basukis house was located near the Jakarta-Cikampek toll road, and the construction sites of the Jakarta-Cikampek elevated toll road, the LRT project, and the Jakarta-Bandung fast train project.

Endra said Basuki had lived in the house since he returned to the country after his doctoral studies at the University of Colorado, United States, in 1992. After becoming a minister in the Joko Jokowi Widodo-Jusuf Kalla Cabinet, Basuki moved to an official residence at Widya Chandra ministry housing complex in Kebayoran Baru, South Jakarta.

He added that even though Basuki was a minister, he was still subject to Law No. 2/2012 regarding land procurement for public facilities development.

Former Constitutional Court chief justice Mahfud MD made news of Basukis eviction go viral.

He tweeted on his personal Twitter account @mohmahfudmd that Basuki would be evicted even though he was leading the countrys infrastructure projects.

Mahfud compared Basuki to another state official who had asked for an infrastructure project to be rerouted so that their house would not be demolished. (ggq)
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Linkedin Panca Nugraha (The Jakarta Post) Mataram  Thu, May 16, 2019 16:43 955 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa873848209 1 National Lombok-international-airport,monkeypox,Singapore Free

The management of Lombok International Airport (LIA) in West Nusa Tenggara with the port health office (KKP) has heightened the monitoring of passengers arriving from Singapore after the city-state reported its first human case of the rare monkeypox virus.

Singapore reported over the weekend that it had identified a case of monkeypox brought in by a Nigerian man. The country has isolated the patient and 23 other people who have been in contact with the patient to prevent the virus from spreading, Indonesian Health Ministry disease control and prevention director general Anung Sugihantono said in a statement on Wednesday.

LIA general manager Nugroho Jati told The Jakarta Post on Thursday that the KKP was monitoring closely the passengers of SilkAir, which operates a direct flight from Singapore to Lombok four times a week.

Passengers arriving from Singapore are required to go through thermal scanners, which were installed at the arrival gate of the airport on May 13, he added.

The KKP would take necessary measures if passengers were suspected of carrying the virus. Monkeypox symptoms in humans include lesions, fever, muscle aches and chills.

The airport's management has also prepared a special track for suspected patients to prevent contamination, Nugroho said.

"We are also monitoring the cabin of the carrier arriving from Singapore at the LIA while following updates regarding the status of monkeypox in Singapore," he added.

He said there has not been a human case reported among passengers at the LIA.

Monkeypox is a rare viral disease that emerged in remote parts of Central and West Africa in the 1970s.

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.
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Linkedin Thomas Urbain (Agence France-Presse) New York, United States  Thu, May 16, 2019 14:20 955 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa8738418d9 2 World New-York-Times,cartoon,anti-Semitism,Israel,BenjaminNetanyahu,trump Free

The New York Times is taking steps to deal with the fallout over its publication last week of an anti-Semitic cartoon, including new training for journalists and tighter editorial guidelines.

The prestigious daily apologized over the weekend amid criticism over the cartoon in its international edition depicting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a guide dog wearing a Star of David collar and leading a blind Donald Trump wearing a yarmulke.

On Tuesday, a Times editorial also took issue with the cartoon, noting that "anti-Semitic imagery is particularly dangerous now."

One person was killed and three injured in a shooting at a synagogue in California over the weekend, an attack which came exactly six months after a shooting at a synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, which left 11 people dead.

The Times blamed a "faulty" oversight process, and on Wednesday, publisher AG Sulzberger outlined steps to avert a recurrence.

Sulzberger said the newspaper had stopped running all syndicated cartoons, which are created by outside parties, and had canceled its contract with CartoonArts International, the group that provided the controversial image.

He said "disciplinary steps" would be taken for the production editor who selected the cartoon and additional oversight would be required in the future.

"We are updating our unconscious bias training to ensure it includes a direct focus on anti-Semitism," Sulzberger said in the memo, which was published in the newspaper.

"This episode is a reminder that all of us are custodians of our trust and credibility with readers... Though I've been assured there was no malice involved in this mistake, we fell far short of our standards and values in this case."

Simmering outrage

The weekend apology from the Times failed to quell criticism of the editorial lapse and prompted a demonstration by a few dozen protesters outside the newspaper's headquarters on Monday.

"Someone drew it, someone approved it. They should be fired," tweeted the Simon Wiesenthal Center, the organization which researches anti-Semitism and the Holocaust.

French Nazi hunter Serge Klarsfeld told AFP this week the cartoon was "insulting."

"It is an anti-Semitic cartoon, that is to say that Jews are guiding the world and that corresponds to a stereotype very common among the far right, which one also finds on the far left," he said.

Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of the Anti-Defamation League, said the cartoon was "anti-Semitic propaganda of the most vile sort," but welcomed the moves by the Times.

"This type of content normalizes anti-Semitism by reinforcing tropes of Jewish control, and does so at a time when anti-Semitism is surging," Greenblatt said. "We've been saying that the New York Times owes the Jewish community more than an apology. That's why we're glad to see the paper's leadership is taking action and following the recommendations we've made to them."

The cartoon prompted outrage from Israel's UN ambassador, who demanded that the Times hold accountable those responsible for publishing it.

Ambassador Danny Danon said the cartoon "could have been taken from the pages of Der Sturmer, the Nazi propaganda paper, and yet these actions have gone unpunished."

On the pages of the newspaper, contributing columnist Brett Stephens also lashed out at the decision to publish the cartoon.

"The Times has a longstanding Jewish problem, dating back to World War II, when it mostly buried news about the Holocaust, and continuing into the present day in the form of intensely adversarial coverage of Israel," Stephens wrote.

"The problem with the cartoon isn't that its publication was a willful act of anti-Semitism. It wasn't. The problem is that its publication was an astonishing act of ignorance of anti-Semitism."
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, May 16, 2019 07:59 956 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa873827824 4 Business BPJS-Kesehatan,IDX,cooperation,membership,expansion Free

The Health Care and Social Security Agency (BPJS Kesehatan) has revealed that 83.94 percent of the population, or 221 million people, are registered under the National Health Insurance and Healthy Indonesia Card (JKN-KIS) program.

The state-owned agency's customer service and expansion director, Andayani Budi Lestari, explained that about 32 million people were registered as employees of private companies.

There are 265,455 companies that have taken part in the JKN-KIS program, she said as quoted by tempo.co at the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX) after signing a cooperation agreement with the IDX on adding new members to BPJS Kesehatan.

Under the agreement, BPJS Kesehatan will provide the IDX with data about prospective investors and companies at the bourse, while the IDX will provide BPJS Kesehatan with data on potential members of its health insurance program.

The cooperation aims to encourage companies and their employees to take part in the JKN-KIS program, as required by law, Andayani said.

She said the cooperation agreement would also help BPJS Kesehatan to disseminate program information to companies listed on the IDX, including those expecting initial public offerings (IPOs).

Our target is all companies already listed on the IDX and those wanting to join the bourse, Andayani added. (bbn)
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Linkedin Ismail Bellaouali and Hamza Mekouar (Reuters) Sale, Morocco  Thu, May 16, 2019 20:48 955 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa873850c72 2 World #Morocco,#MurderCase,suspects,trial,Scandinavian,hikers,jihadists Free

Two dozen jihadist suspects charged over the brutal murder of two Scandinavian women hiking in Morocco appeared in court Thursday with the main accused facing possible death sentences.

Danish student Louisa Vesterager Jespersen, 24, and 28-year-old Norwegian Maren Ueland had their throats slit while camping in an isolated area of the High Atlas mountains in December.

The main suspects, who allegedly pledged allegiance to the Islamic State (IS) group, are all from the Marrakesh region near the site of the killings, which shocked the North African country.

Abdessamad Ejjoud, a 25-year-old street vendor, is the alleged leader of the group. He had been jailed for trying to join IS in Syria but was released in 2015.

Younes Ouaziyad, a 27-year-old carpenter, and 33-year-old street vendor Rachid Afatti have also been named as key suspects.

The defendants were taken from prison to an anti-terrorism court in Sale, near Rabat, in vans escorted by police on motorcycles for the resumption of their trial, an AFP reporter said.

They face charges including promoting terrorism, forming a terrorist cell and premeditated murder.

The families of the accused did not attend the court session.

The main suspects "spontaneously admitted their crime during the investigation, and today they regret what they did," their lawyer Hafida Mekessaoui told AFP.

An opening hearing was held on May 2 but immediately postponed for two weeks after defence lawyers requested more time to prepare their case.

A Spanish-Swiss convert to Islam is among the suspects on trial, accused of teaching the main accused how to use encrypted communications and how to fire a gun.

Nature lovers Jespersen and Ueland shared an apartment and went to Norway's Bo University where they were studying to be guides.

They had travelled together to Morocco for their Christmas holidays.

Their lives were cut short in the foothills of Toubkal, the highest summit in North Africa, some 80 kilometres (50 miles) from the city of Marrakesh, a tourist magnet.

'Enemies of Allah'

According to the charge sheet, the assailants travelled to the High Atlas mountains on December 12 on a mission to kill tourists.

Several potential targets were passed over because the foreigners were accompanied by guides or local residents.

It was four days before they selected their targets. Two of them carried out the killings while the third filmed them on a telephone, according to the prosecution.

After the bodies were discovered, the Moroccan authorities were initially cautious, referring to a "criminal act" and wounds to the victims' necks.

But that all changed when the video surfaced showing a victim being beheaded, while one of the killers refers to "enemies of Allah" says the attacks were in revenge for the killings of jihadists in Syria.

A separate video in the initial aftermath of the murders showed the alleged killers pledging allegiance to IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

Investigators said the "cell" was inspired by IS ideology, but Morocco's anti-terror chief insisted the accused had no contact with the jihadist group in conflict zones.

IS has never claimed responsibility for the double-murder.

Police quickly arrested a first suspect in the suburbs of Marrakesh, and three others were caught a few days later when they tried to leave the city by bus.

The suspects had recently embraced Salafism, an ultra-conservative branch of Sunni Islam, according to friends, neighbours and some family members.

A lawyer for one of the victim's families told AFP he would seek the death penalty for the murders.

A de facto suspension on executions has been in place in Morocco since 1993.

A second Swiss citizen arrested after the double-murder was tried separately and jailed in mid-April for 10 years on charges including "forming a terrorist group".

The main trial is expected to run for months before it reaches a verdict.
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Linkedin Rizal Harahap and Fadli (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta/Pekanbaru/Batam  Thu, May 16, 2019 12:23 955 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa873838314 1 National Singapore-monkeypox-case,monkeypox,human-case,Pekanbaru,Batam Free

The monitoring of people arriving by air and sea from Singapore has been heightened in Pekanbaru, Riau, and in Batam, Riau Islands, after the city-state reported its first human case of the rare monkeypox virus.

Singapore reported over the weekend that it had identified a case of monkeypox brought in by a Nigerian man. The man has been hospitalized in an isolation ward to prevent the virus from spreading. Twenty-two other people he had been in contact are also being kept in isolation.

State-owned airport operator PT Angkasa Pura II (AP II), which oversees airports in western Indonesia, said it was cooperating with the port health office (KKP) to heighten monitoring at its 13 international airports.

"One of the ways is by installing thermal scanners at airports. If they identify suspected patients, necessary measures will be taken," AP II vice president for corporate communication Yado Yarismano told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday.

One of AP II's international airports is Sultan Syarif Kasim (SSK) II International Airport in Pekanbaru. KKP Pekanbaru installed a thermal scanner at the arrival gate of the airport on Sunday to detect any cases of monkeypox.

KKP Pekanbaru head Syarifuddin Saragih said the thermal scanner had been installed to check the 50 to 100 people that arrived daily on direct flights from Singapore.

"Travelers from Singapore can potentially be infected by the monkeypox and spread it here," he said.

Syarifuddin added that so far no passengers had been found to be carrying the virus.

Although the Health Ministry has given no instructions to tighten monitoring, Syarifuddin said his office would continue scanning passengers from Singapore until the situation was declared safe.

State-owned operator PT Angkasa Pura I (AP I), which oversees airports in central and eastern Indonesia, will also coordinate closely with the KKP and the Health Ministry to prevent the spread of the virus, including by setting up thermal scanners at its international airports, spokesperson Awaluddin said.

Monkeypox is a rare viral disease that emerged in remote parts of central and west Africa in the 1970s. Symptoms in humans include lesions, fever, muscle aches and chills. Although considered milder than smallpox, the disease can also cause death.

Before Singapore, human cases had been found only in United States in 2003 and the United Kingdom and Israel last year.

Indonesian Health Ministry's Disease Control and Prevention Director General Anung Sugihantono said the virus spread through direct contact with infected blood or other bodily fluids or with infected animals. Human cases are very rare.

There has been no human cases reported in Indonesia, he said.

The Batam city administration also set up thermal scanners on Saturday at five international seaports, namely Batam Centre, Citra Tritunas, Sekupang, Marina and Nongsa Point Marina, which directly connect the city and Singapore. According to the Batam Immigration Office, 3.3 million people arrived at the five ports last year, including 1 million Singaporeans and 700,000 people of other nationalities.

If passengers are found to have the symptoms, KKP officers will refer them to the Batam Free Trade Zone Hospital and Embung Fatimah Public Hospital, which the administration has assigned as the main providers of treatment for suspected monkeypox patients.

Batam Health Agency head Tjeptjep Yudiana said the monitoring of passengers from Singapore would continue until the 22 people in isolation in Singapore were declared free of monkeypox.

"The incubation period is 21 days, which will be at the end of this month, so we will wait until then to decide our next step," Tjeptjep told the Post.

He said that so far, the KKP had not detected any people with monkeypox at the ports. The agency has not issued a travel warning following the report, he added. (ars)
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Linkedin (Agence France-Presse) Washington, United States  Thu, May 16, 2019 09:39 955 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa8738312e7 2 World #USA,#politics,Donald-Trump,pardons,media-mogul,Conrad-Black Free

President Donald Trump on Wednesday pardoned disgraced media mogul Conrad Black, who served more than three years in prison in the US for fraud and obstruction of justice.

"In 2007, prosecutors alleged that Lord Black had committed several acts of mail fraud and obstruction. The Supreme Court of the United States, however, largely disagreed and overturned almost all charges in his case," the White House said in a statement announcing the pardon.

The statement described Black -- who wrote a book entitled "Donald J. Trump: A President Like No Other" -- as an "entrepreneur and scholar" who "has made tremendous contributions to business, as well as to political and historical thought."

In this file photo taken on June 24, 2011 former press magnate Conrad Black arrives at federal court for a resentencing hearing in Chicago, Illinois. President Donald Trump on May 15, 2019 pardoned disgraced media mogul Conrad Black, who served more than three years in prison in the US for fraud and obstruction of justice. (AFP/Brian Kersey/Getty Images). Usage: 0 (AFP/Brian Kersey/Getty Images)

His legal battles began in 2004 when he was accused of siphoning off tens of millions of dollars from the sale of newspapers owned by Hollinger International, his holding company.

Black, a prolific writer and historian in his own right, vehemently maintained his innocence and launched a series of libel lawsuits in Canada to strike back at the detractors he blames for destroying his once vast empire.

But years of legal battles -- which went all the way up to the US Supreme Court -- failed to fully clear his name, although he did manage to greatly reduce his prison time by clearing himself of many of the charges.

Montreal-born Black renounced his Canadian citizenship in 2001 after a spat with then prime minister Jean Chretien, who protested the media owner's peerage to Britain's House of Lords.

At its peak, Black's newspaper group was one of the largest media empires in the world, with revenues in the billions of dollars and global daily circulation in the millions.

As well as The Daily Telegraph in London, the group included the Chicago Sun-Times, Canada's National Post, and the Jerusalem Post.
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Linkedin News Desk (Agence France-Presse) Los Angeles, United States  Thu, May 16, 2019 08:48 956 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa873828643 2 World #USA,#ShootingRampage,teens,charged,murder,Colorado Free

Two teenagers accused of opening fire at a school in the US state of Colorado this month, killing one student and wounding eight, were charged Wednesday with murder.

Devon Erickson, 18, faces 48 allegations including murder and attempted murder as well as charges related to providing the second suspect Maya McKinney with a gun.

McKinney -- who in the eyes of the court is female but considers herself a male and goes by the name "Alec" -- is also charged with murder, and prosecutors say they intend to try the 16-year-old as an adult, opening the door to harsher sentencing.

A television broadcast of Wednesday's court proceedings showed Erickson, his bushy hair dyed a shade of purple, sitting silently as charges were read out against him.

Erickson and McKinney are accused of attacking the Highlands Ranch STEM school, which has some 1,800 students and offers classes from kindergarten through high school.

Witnesses say 18-year-old Kendrick Ray Castillo was killed after he stepped between the gunmen and his classmates.

Several hundred people were expected to attend a ceremony in his memory on Wednesday.

Though police arrived minutes after the shooting began, an armed security guard "neutralized" one of the suspects, which the local sheriff said averted a much higher death toll.

School shootings have become frequent in the US, fueling controversy over the availability of guns in the country.

One study put the number of firearms at 393 million, more than the country's population.

The Highlands Ranch STEM school is just seven miles (11 kilometers) from Columbine High School, site of one of the deadliest school shootings in the US that left 13 people dead in 1999.
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Bali  Thu, May 16, 2019 14:02 955 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa873841300 1 National domestic-abuse,domestic-worker,domestic-violence,bali,police Free

A domestic worker in Gianyar, Bali, reported her employer to the police on Wednesday for allegedly dousing her with hot water last week.

According to the police report, Desak Made Wiratningsih threatened to douse Febriyanti with hot water if she failed to find her missing scissors. She reportedly made the threat in the presence of her son, Kadek Erik Diantara, and another maid, Santi Yuni Astuti.

"Febriyanti tried locating the scissors, but to no avail. Her employer then told Santi Tunu Astuti to boil two pots of water," Bali Police spokesperson Sr. Comr. Hengky Widjaja said on Thursday as quoted by kompas.com.

Hengky said that upon learning that Febriyanti had not found the scissors, Wiratningsih allegedly scooped hot water up in a glass mug and poured it over her slowly, letting the water trickle down from Febriyanti's head to her toes.

She allegedly told her son and Santi to take turns to pour the rest of the hot water over Febriyanti, he added.

"The victim called out 'It's hot, it's hot', but they didn't care," Hengky said.

Wiratningsih reportedly insisted the day after the alleged incident that Febriyanti find the missing scissors.

Febriyanti fled from Wiratningsih's house by climbing over a fence while her employer was asleep on Wednesday last week.

She reported the case to the police on Wednesday. The police said they were questioning Wiratningsih following the report.

The lack of protection for domestic workers leaves them vulnerable to abuse.

Manpower Minister M. Hanif Dhakiri issued Manpower Ministerial Regulation No.2/2015 on the protection of domestic workers in 2015, while the House of Representatives has not passed a bill on the protection of domestic workers, which was drafted a decade ago. (ars/iwa)
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Linkedin Asip Hasani (The Jakarta Post) Blitar  Fri, May 17 2019

Andri Supriyatno, a 32-year-old man from Blitar, East Java, was arrested recently for allegedly stealing a motorcycle last April in Tegalrejo village.

However, the arrest was only his latest brush with the law as he had been handed down prison sentences in various theft cases since he was 12 years old.

Blitar Polices crime unit division head, Adj. Comr. Sodik Efendi, said Andri was a repeat offender who had been jailed 12 times for prior thefts.

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Fast Retailing is accelerating with Uniqlo in Spain. Japanese distributions giant, the third worlds best in volume of business, has scheduled to launch his first store in Madrid, as informed by modaes.es. This opening accelerates the progress of Uniqlo within the European market, where is currently operating with an uprising network of stores.

The new store in Madrid is located in El Jardin del Serrano commercial place. The shop has a surface of 1,590 square meters, distributed within two levels. The arrival to Madrid is an important landmark inside the European expansion plan of Uniqlo, general director of Uniqlo in Europe.

Thus, Uniqlo is reinforcing its presence in Spain, where it already has two stores. In detail, the Japanese company has two premises in Barcelona. Besides, the corporation is planning to open another point of sale in the city, apart from Madrids opening.

Those decisions are part of Uniqlos strategy in Europe. The corporation already has stores in United Kingdom, France, Russia, Belgium, Germany, Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark, and Spain. In addition, the company is planning to land in Italy the following autumn.

Fast Retailing, owner of Uniqlo, ended the exercises first semester with a rise of 9.6% in its net profit, until 114,029 yens (911.1 million euros). Groups sales, on its behalf, grew a 6.8% within the period, arriving to 1,267,697 million yens (10,129.8 million euros).
WCMU Public Television has been nominated for three regional Emmy awards.

The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, Michigan Chapter, announced the nominations on Wednesday, according to a news release sent out by WCMU that same day.

WCMU program Destination Michigan, was nominated in the Magazine Show category. The show is a series highlighting notable places and people in the state of Michigan. The show is produced in part by staff members Stefanie Mills, Adam Miedema, Chris Ogozaly, Matthew Ozanich and Steven Smith.

The nominated episode includes stories on the S.S. Badger in Ludington, the Inland Waterway, Little Bay Boards of Petoskey, the Bay De Noc Lure Company in Gladstone and the Mermaid Megafest in South Haven, according to the release.

The popularity of Destination Michigan has grown exponentially over the years as it introduces viewers to the vibrancy of the people, places and events in the Great Lakes State, Jim Rademaker, interim general manager of WCMU Public Media, said. We want to thank the viewers of Destination Michigan and the hundreds of people whose stories we have shared with our WCMU viewers during the last ten years for making the show so popular.

The awards ceremony will be held on June 15 in Detroit, according to the release.
British man stabbed, girlfriend disappear as police hunt for suspect stalls

PHUKET: Police have yet to make any progress in arresting a foreign man for stabbing a British national in Phuket earlier this month  with the victim and his girlfriend both not answering police calls or assisting the police in any other way, The Phuket News has been told.

violencecrimepolice

By The Phuket News

Thursday 16 May 2019, 06:06PM

British national Neil Goodwin spoke to police at the hospital, but then disappeared, Col Nikorn said today (May 16). Photo: Chalong Municipality

Neil Goodwin, a 35-year-old expat resident of Rawai, was stabbed in the car park at the We Cafe restaurnat on Chao Fa West Rd on the evening of May 1 after arriving at the venue with his girlfriend, Sudarat Harnma.

Mr Goodwin was rushed to hospital before police arrived. He had been stabbed twice: once in the left shoulder and once in the left side of the body.

Ms Sudarat accompanied him to hospital, where the pair were questioned by Capt Chatree Chuvichian of the Wichit Police.

At last report Wichit Police Chief Col Nikorn Somsuk on May 3 said, He remains at the hospital until doctors decide he is ready to be discharged. (See story here.)

However, that was the last time police heard from Mr Goodwin or Ms Sudarat, Col Nikorn told The Phuket News today (May 16).

We have a problem. The British victim has not answered any calls by police for the past 15 days, Col Nikorn said.

He and his girlfriend are still avoiding police contact since they spoke with police at the hospital, as if they dont want to talk to investigators, he added.

It is our job to find the man who hurt Mr Goodwin, but we need better information," Col Nikorn said.

Due to the nature of the crime, police must investigate the incident and do their best to bring the attacker to justice, Col Nikorn added.

Col Nikorn confirmed that police have a description of the suspect and even have CCTV footage of the suspect from the venue.

But the footage is not clear, we are unable to determine anything about the suspects features from the images, he said.

He added that Wichit Police do know the mans name and nationality, though he declined to reveal that information publicly.

Also, despite having that information, Col Nikorn confirmed that his officers have not requested any assistance from Phuket Immigration about locating Mr Goodwin.

We have not. We are doing our own investigation, he said.

My team is checking whether Mr Goodwin has a criminal record in Thailand because his behavior is weird, Col Nikorn said.

He was stabbed but he does not explain more information to us, he added.

Col Nikorn declined to reveal any other information about the case, but assured his officers were continuing their investigation.
Crystal Palace deny takeover talks with Thaksin

LONDON: Crystal Palace are not in talks with former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra for a possible takeover of the English Premier League club, according to the Evening Standard.

Thursday 16 May 2019, 09:41AM

Former Prime Minister, Thaksin Shinawatra. Photo: Bangkok Post

However, Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish is open to new outside investment, the London newspaper reported on Tuesday (May 14).

The paper, which did not name any source, said: Standard Sport understands Parish, who is not looking to sell Palace, would listen to offers to help finance his ambitious plans. But despite reports, they have had no contact with Shinawatra.

On Monday, Miti Tiyapairat, ex-president of Thai League 1 club Chiangrai United, told Thailands ONE31 channel, Currently, there are negotiations about price, management, and some other details, which should be ironed out soon. The deal is about 150 million.

According to reports, Miti, who is close to Thaksin, could become an executive at the Eagles if a takeover bid succeeds.

Im up for the task, he said.

Thaksin, whose government was ousted in a coup in 2006, bought Manchester City in 2007 but sold the club to Sheikh Mansour in 2008.

City have gone from strength to strength since then and won their fourth league title under Sheikh Mansour on Sunday.

Before he took over Manchester City, Thaksin had attempted to purchase Fulham and Liverpool.

According to the Evening Standard, Parish would be willing to enter negotiations with the right people as he looks to raise finance to boost Palaces 100 million redevelopment of Selhurst Park and plans to revamp their academy, as well as support manager Roy Hodgson with transfer funds.

The Financial Times and Bloomberg have reported that American owners Josh Harris and David Blitzer, who have owned 18% of Palace since December 2015, are considering selling their stakes.

Read original story here.
Mandatory health insurance for retirement visas to start July

PHUKET: The mandatory health insurance for applicants of Non-Immigrant O-A retirement visas approved by the Cabinet last month is likely to be introduced in July, reports The Nation.

immigration

By The Phuket News

Thursday 16 May 2019, 09:35AM

A foreign expat files an application at the Phuket Immigration Office in Phuket Town. Photo: The Phuket News / file

Under the new regulation, foreigners applying Non-Immigrant O-A visas and one-year permits-to-stay will have to have health insurance providing B40,000 coverage for outpatient treatment and B400,000 for inpatient. (See story here.)

We will ask the Immigration Bureau, the Foreign Ministry and the Insurance Department for additional details and implementation guidelines next week, Saowapa Jongkittipong, who leads the Health Service Support Departments International Health Division, said yesterday (May 15), reported The Nation. (See story here.)

Current holders of this visa will have to produce proof of their health insurance for visa renewal, she said.

Dr Natthawut Prasertsiripong, Chief of the MoPH Department of Health Service Support, in announcing the new regulation last Wednesday (May 8) explained that the requirement was being introduced because foreigners in their elder years staying on retirement visas have more health issues than other foreigners staying on other types of visas

More than that, this is to protect the Ministry of Public Health, which is forced to pay for medical care for foreigners who do not have the funds to pay for their hospital bills, Dr Natthawut added.

Ms Saowapa yesterday said that last year foreigners incurred B305 million in unpaid medical bills, while foreigners in 2017 left B346mn in unpaid medical bills, The Nation reported.

If categorised by the number of medical visits, statistics show about one-fifth of foreign patients did not pay their bills, said the report.

For instance, foreigners made 3.42 million medical visits last year, and did not pay for 680,000 of them, while in 2017, foreigners made 3.3 million medical visits and did not pay for 565,000 of them, the report added.

However, the report did not differentiate whether these figures included unpaid medical bills incurred by short-stay tourists injured while on holiday in Thailand, or by elderly expats staying on retirement visas, or both.

Ms Saowapa said further discussions among relevant agencies would help establish which diseases would be covered under the mandatory health insurance, noted the report.

The ministries of Interior and Foreign Affairs have been instructed to inform all foreigners of these new requirements. Currently, citizens of only 14 countries require health insurance when seeking Thai visas for five years and above, the report added.
Phuket man, 21, arrested in Bangkok over Thalang Riot

PHUKET: A 21-year-old Phuket man studying in Bangkok has been arrested on an outstanding warrant for a slew of charges for his alleged role in the Thalang Riot four years ago.

crimedrugsviolencepolice

By Waranya Prompinpiras

Thursday 16 May 2019, 02:03PM

Half a dozen police officers were treated for injuries and a total of 21 vehicles were vandalized in the Thalang Riot, which resulted in an estimated B6.7 million in damage to government property. Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub / file

The Thalang Riot in Oct 2015 saw hundreds of protesters lay siege to Thalang Police Station. Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub / file

The Thalang Riot in Oct 2015 saw hundreds of protesters lay siege to Thalang Police Station. Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub / file

During the riot, which lasted through the night of Oct 11, 2015, hundreds of protesters torched cars and hurled bricks at Thalang Police Station in retaliation for two local teenagers dying in a motorbike chase by police allegedly pursuing the teens to arrest them for drugs.

Several police officers were injured in the melee. (See story here.)

Thalang Police Chief Col Teerawat Liamsuwan confirmed to The Phuket News today (May 16) that Phuket native Setthawut Tangjit, a first-year engineering student at Southeast Asia University in Bangkok, was arrested by Crime Suppression Division, with Thalang Police officers present, in the capital yesterday.

Thalang Police officers travelled to Bangkok to take into custody Setthawut Tangjit, 21 years old. He was taken to the Crime Suppression Division in Bangkok yesterday afternoon. He will arrive at Thalang Police Station this evening, Col Teerawat said.

"The charges against him will be investigated fully. I will not hold a press conference because the warrant of arrest issued by the Phuket Provincial Court has been in effect since 2015, he added.

Under arrest warrant No. 844/2558 issued by the Phuket Provincial Court on Nov 18, 2015, Mr Setthawut stands accused of:

Uniting with 10 or more people to engage in violence and threatening to use violence

Taking action that causes chaos in the country

Burning of public property and chattels

Uniting with others to cause property damage

Uniting with others to assault officials who are acting in accordance with their duties

Uniting with others to invade government buildings

Uniting with others to obstruct traffic on a public road

Col Teerawat confirmed that he was aware that Mr Setthawut has denied the charges and told police in Bangkok that he was not even in Phuket at the time of the riot. Instead, Mr Setthawut said he was on holiday in Nakhon Sri Thammarat at the time.

Mr Setthawut has the right to deny or confess to the charges, but he must say that in court, Col Teerwat said.

However, Col Teerawat did not confirm whether or not Mr Setthawut would be charged as a juvenile, as he was still a teenager at the time of his alleged role in the riot.

Meanwhile, the search continues for 10 other suspects wanted for their roles in the Thalang Riot, Col Teerwat added.

Mr Setthawut is 74th of 84 suspects in total wanted for their involvement in the riot, Col Teerawat explained.

Half a dozen police officers were treated for injuries and a total of 21 vehicles were vandalized in the riots, which resulted in an estimated B6.7 million baht in damage to government property. (See story here.)

The four police officers involved in the botched drugs arrest that resulted in the deaths of Pathomwat Panarak, 22, and Thanaporn Kantakien, 17  and consequently sparked the riot  remained on active duty.

The four officers  Lt Suchart Luecha, Snr Sgt Maj Prasai Phuengphol, L/Cpl Kanthaphol Khongnukate and L/Cpl Phanuwit Kaewsang  were quickly transferred from Thalang Police Station and the deaths of Mr Pathomwat and Mr Thanaporn were promptly ruled as an accident. (See story here.)
Siriraj Hospital to expose secrets of man eater

BANGKOK: The management of Siriraj Hospital promised to soon reveal more information about executed man eater Si Quey, whose body has long been preserved and displayed at its museum, despite an online campaign intended to protect his dignity.

violencemurder

By Bangkok Post

Thursday 16 May 2019, 09:54AM

This file photo shows preserved human bodies at a museum at Siriraj Hospital, with the body of cannibal Si Quey in the right showcase. Photo: Patarachai Preechapanit

Dr Naris Kitnarong, deputy dean of the Faculty of Medicine at Siriraj Hospital, said on Wednesday (May 15) that hospital staff were collecting information about Si Quey, including detailed court rulings on his crime and the autopsy of his body done at the hospital in 1959.

We are going to share the result of the autopsy. We have never ever before released such information to the public, Dr Naris said.

The deputy dean was responding to a campaign on change.org calling on the hospital to remove a sign on the showcase of Si Queys preserved body that describes him as a man eater. The online campaign, which also calls for a religious ceremony for his preserved body to be conducted, had on Wednesday received support from more than 11,000 people, with most doubting he was really a cannibal.

Earlier reports said that Si Quey was a man of ethnic Chinese origin born in Shantou. He migrated to Thailand about 70 years ago, and worked as a labourer in several provinces, starting in Prachuap Khiri Khan.

Si Quey was accused of murdering seven children, removing their internal organs, boiling them and then eating them. The murders took place in Prachuap Khiri Khan, Bangkok, Nakhon Pathom and Rayong.

In 1958 he was arrested in Rayong province, reportedly in possession of the body of a boy, together with the extracted heart and liver. He confessed to only the murder in Rayong and denied he was planning to eat the internal organs or had a taste for human body parts, according to earlier reports.

He was executed by a firing squad the same year. The case quickly became the stuff of folklore, with many parents invoking the name of Si Quey to warn their children to behave.

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Human Service Agency provides critical services to Watertown area

The staff at Human Service Agency provides an incredible level of service considering the resource restraints that the agency operates under here in Watertown.
A man presses on the glass window near a logo for Huawei in Beijing on Thursday, May 16, 2019. In a fateful swipe at telecommunications giant Huawei, the Trump administration issued an executive order Wednesday apparently aimed at banning its equipment from U.S. networks and said it was subjecting the Chinese company to strict export controls. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)
Air Canada said its in exclusive talks to buy one of the countrys largest travel tour operators, Transat, for about $520 million amid a wave of consolidation in the Canadian airline industry.

The countrys largest airline said in a statement it was prepared to pay $13 a share for the Montreal-based company, a 23 per cent premium to Transats closing share price Wednesday. The offer is more than double Transats price on April 30 when it announced it was in talks with at least one potential buyer.

The move comes just three days after Air Canadas rival WestJet Airlines agreed to be acquired by Canadian private equity firm Onex for $3.5 billion in cash. The offer from Toronto-based Onex was at a 67 per cent premium to WestJets stock price.

A combination with Transat represents a great opportunity for stakeholders of both companies, said Calin Rovinescu, Air Canadas chief executive officer, in the statement. The acquisition presents a unique opportunity to compete with the very best in the world when it comes to leisure travel. It will also allow us to further grow our hub at Montreal-Trudeau Airport.

Transat jumped 14 per cent to $12.11 at 1:41 p.m. in Toronto. Air Canada rose for a fifth day, adding 4.8 per cent to a record high of $40.69.

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Hotel question

The decision by Air Canada to pursue Transat was unexpected but not overly surprising, said Walter Spracklin, an analyst with RBC Capital Markets in Toronto. He said the tie-up would allow for increased scale, create better discipline and improve fundamentals in the Canadian travel-tour sector. It would also allow Air Canada access to Transats fleet of Airbus A321 aircraft when airline capacity is in limbo due to the Boeing 737 MAX grounding.

Air Canadas management has not come to a decision on the hotel operations at Transat, and Transat has agreed to limit any undertakings or expenses related to its hotel strategy during the exclusivity period, Spracklin said in a note to clients. The tie-up would likely require an antitrust review by regulators, he added.

Competition will be examined given the overlapping areas of operation. Notable however is that we believe the Quebec social issues are addressed given ACs headquarters in Montreal, he said, using Air Canadas stock ticker.

Breakup fee

Transat said last month it planned to launch a strategic review, including a potential sale, after being approached by several interested buyers. It said Wednesday that during the 30-day exclusivity period it planned to continue its operations as normal.

Any finalized deal would be subject to a $15 million breakup fee, and Transat would be able to withdraw from the exclusivity period if it received an unsolicited proposal at least $1 a share higher than the Air Canada bid and wasnt matched by the Montreal-based airline, it said. Air Canada is also subject to a $40 million reverse break fee if the deal if the agreement is terminated if regulatory or government approvals are not obtained.

Transat is unlikely to get a rival bid from WestJet. Ed Sims, WestJet chief executive officer, said in an interview Monday he wouldnt be pursuing the travel tour operator as his own company seeks growth overseas and through its ultralow cost carrier, Swoop.

We dont want the distraction. We have a lot on our plate at the moment. Were delivering those initiatives very successfully, and we want to enhance the value for our guests and enhance the value for our shareholders, Sims said. Its simply not on our agenda.

Transat employs about 5,000 people and offers travel packages to 60 destinations in 25 countries in Europe and the Americas, according to its website. The company has annual revenue of almost $3 billion.

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When OPEC and its allies gather in the Saudi Arabian city of Jeddah this weekend, their conversation will be dominated by a member of the group that isnt there: Iran.

As U.S. President Donald Trump squeezes oil exports from the Islamic Republic with sanctions, the discussions among other producers such as Saudi Arabia and Russia will likely focus on whether they need to fill a resulting supply gap. Their talks take place amid flaring political tensions in the Middle East, where Riyadh says its oil tankers and pipeline network were attacked this week.

Its a critical issue, said Ed Morse, head of commodities research at Citigroup in New York. This is a very tight physical market which is confronting significant losses of supply, and seeing signs of potential disruption in the Persian Gulf.

Oil prices, holding near $72 a barrel in London, could easily climb this summer as global supplies are strained by Trumps crackdown on Iran and simmering geopolitical tensions from Venezuela to Libya. But as opening the taps too soon could instead send prices crashing, Riyadh and Moscow face a dilemma over their next move.

They should keep supply on a leash for now, said Derek Brower, a director at consultant RS Energy Group Inc. The market wants OPEC to recognize that balances will weaken later this year, and also next year.

The two oil giants are spearheading a coalition known as OPEC+, made up of producers from the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and beyond, which has been restraining output this year to keep world markets balanced. A committee including all major members except Iran will review market conditions on Sunday before the full group meets next month.

As the White House tightens its crackdown on Irans oil sales, Saudi Arabia is under pressure to compensate by raising its crude production. Trump tweeted on April 26 that hed secured the kingdoms pledge of co-operation.

Irans oil output has tumbled more than 30 per cent since last May, data complied by Bloomberg show, when Trump abandoned an agreement on the countrys nuclear program and announced that financial sanctions would be reimposed. Production could plunge further this month, to the lowest since the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s, the International Energy Agency predicts.

Nonetheless, a decision by the Saudis and Russia to shift from restraining supply to boosting it isnt straightforward.

Theres still no clarity on whether Irans biggest customer, China, will flout the U.S. ban and thus how far output will ultimately fall. Saudi Arabia is reluctant to repeat its experience of last year, according to Citigroups Morse, when it ramped up production in anticipation of a shortage that never arrived.

Riyadh bolstered output to record levels last autumn as U.S. officials promised to completely choke off Iranian supplies, only to see prices crash 35 per cent in the fourth quarter as the Trump administration allowed some flows to continue. Saudi Arabian Energy Minister Khalid Al-Falih said late last month that while the kingdom will ultimately accommodate Irans customers, its not going to rush.

The Saudis have been very conservative when it comes to adding barrels to the market, said Mohammad Darwazah, a director at Medley Global Advisers in New York. Saudi policy-makers will certainly have a difficult needle to thread as they balance U.S. pressure to replace Iranian barrels with their own fiscal needs.

A Saudi move to increase production substantially, and in the process take away Irans customers, could also be a severe test of OPECs unity.

OPEC+ nations are currently bound by limits on their output which run until the end of June, when the agreement could either expire or be renewed. Saudi Arabia is entitled to raise production by about 500,000 barrels day from last months levels, or about 5 per cent, and still remain within its agreed restrictions.

But losses in Iran stand to be much larger, potentially spiralling to 900,000 barrels a day according to Goldman Sachs Group Inc., and could require a bigger and more contentious surge from the kingdom.

Such a move is unlikely to be formally ratified when OPEC+ convenes in late June, as the groups agreements require unanimous approval and Iran would withhold its support.

Saudi Arabia, Russia and others with idle production capacity could proceed regardless, but risk straining already tense relations in the group to breaking point. Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh warned on May 2 that OPEC is headed for a collapse.

It is pretty clear that Iran will not sign on for any OPEC output increase beyond current quotas, said Helima Croft, chief commodities strategist at RBC Capital Markets. In the current context, Saudi plans to backfill the Iranian barrels may be viewed as acts of economic warfare.

If this weekends deliberations could be difficult, OPECs ministerial meeting next month, when Iran will be present, is set to be much tougher.

While the cartel has weathered a range of internal conflicts over its six-decade history, recent tensions have been particularly acute. Friction between Riyadh and Tehran pushed talks at two meetings to near-breakdown last year, and in December Qatar quit the organization after 57 years of membership amid a dispute with the Saudis.

I can imagine the June meeting being postponed or not having a consensus vote  not even having a consensus trying to be reached, said Citigroups Morse.

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TORONTO - The Supreme Cannabis Company Inc. has signed a deal to acquire Blissco Cannabis Corp. in an all-stock deal it valued at $48 million.

Under the agreement, each Blissco Share will be exchanged for 0.24 of a common share of Supreme Cannabis.

Based in Langley, B.C., Blissco operates a 18,000-square-foot production facility and has been producing cannabis oils since receiving its production license in August 2018.

Blissco CEO Damian Kettlewell will continue to lead Blissco and has committed to remaining employed at Supreme Cannabis as well as retaining at least 75 per cent of his shares for a minimum of two years.

Supreme Cannabis holds a portfolio of cannabis companies, products and brands.

Its shares were up three cents at $1.89 on the Toronto Stock Exchange.

Companies in this story: (TSX:FIRE)
QUEBECThe Quebec government is telling members of the legislature they cannot use their discretionary budgets to support events that promote federalism or sovereignty.

Premier Francois Legault said today it should be up to the federal government rather than the province to support events that promote Canada.

It is still unclear what kind of events will become ineligible for financial aid. Legault said legislature members could still fund Canada Day celebrations in their communities.

Legislature members have discretionary budgets they can use to financially support local and volunteer-led activities and initiatives.

Junior Education Minister Isabelle Charest is in charge of the program and says the premier wanted to clarify the rules in order to ensure taxpayer dollars are used in a neutral way.

She says Fete nationale celebrations would not be affected by the new rules because the June 24 event, also known as St-Jean-Baptiste Day, promotes Quebec and not sovereignty.

Legault said, what we dont want to get into is promotion of federalism or sovereignty of Quebec. We dont want to get into this fight.

He said he is asking legislature members to use their judgment in deciding whether an event is promoting federalism of sovereignty.

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ST. JOHNS, N.L.The stage is set for a tight race Thursday between the Liberals and Tories in Newfoundland and Labrador, as incumbent Liberal Premier Dwight Ball battles to overcome a disenchanted electorate and a blue conservative wave that has been spreading across the country.

Voters will have their say in an election that party leaders have repeatedly defined as being about the need for strong leadership. But recent opinion surveys reflect a lack of enthusiasm for any party leader and a high number of undecided voters in a province facing down a bleak future.

On the last day of campaigning, the two front-runners flashed smiles from quick campaign stops across the island as wearied voters continued to weigh their options.

Ball was in central Newfoundland Wednesday, starting his day posing for photos with sheep at a farm in Bishops Falls before making a series of stops with Liberal candidates and supporters.

Progressive Conservative Leader Ches Crosbie had a packed itinerary for Wednesday, meeting with fisheries workers and seniors en route to St. Johns. Crosbie posted tweets taking jabs at the premiers record.

Five provincial elections over the last year have seen Liberal or NDP provinces swing to the right, and its been an uphill battle for Ball since the former pharmacist and businessman took power in 2015.

Voters booted the long-ruling Tories four years ago, but Ball has faced a tough situation since then, with the province dealing with a rapidly aging population, poor health outcomes, outmigration and mounting debt.

Also on voters minds is the threat of hefty power rate increases to pay off the over-budget Muskrat Falls hydro project. The megaproject is currently the subject of a public inquiry into cost and schedule overruns, painting decision-makers of the previous PC government in an unfavourable light.

Since the election writ dropped last month, Ball has presented himself as a tried and true leader, touting his various natural resource extraction plans and his good working relationship with the federal Liberals.

Balls chief rival, Progressive Conservative Leader Ches Crosbie, has described himself as a new broom offering the Progressive Conservative party a fresh start. Hes arguing that Ball hasnt fixed the province since being elected in November 2015, leaving Crosbie as the only responsible alternative.

Retired Memorial University political science professor Stephen Tomblin says its hard to predict the outcome in an election he assesses as by-design boring.

He says the two major parties have largely avoided serious conversations about how to solve the provinces various political crises, instead opting for photos snapped in coffee shops and in front of colourful campaign buses.

Its been a very boring campaign. Its been almost a non-campaign, Tomblin said by phone Wednesday.

The snap election certainly got off to a slow start. The first election platform from the Liberals was released two weeks after the writ was dropped, and both the PCs and Liberals were criticized for lack of fresh material in their proposals.

Tomblin says this lack of concrete policy discussions makes it hard to gauge how Crosbie is playing with voters. He hasnt come across as particularly dynamic, Tomblin says.

Ball had some momentum in the opening stretch, riding the good news story of the renewed Atlantic Accord, a crucial federal-provincial agreement on offshore oil revenues. The deal promised $2.5 billion to the province over 38 years from Ottawas share in the Hibernia offshore oil field, but Tomblin says playing up the relationship with Trudeau may be a misstep by Ball if voters sense theyre being manipulated.

Soon after the accord was announced, and one day after the Liberals tabled an optimistic 2019 budget free of tax hikes, Ball called the election.

The tight turnaround meant the budget document was never voted on, though the Liberals have said that if elected their budget would remain the same.

The move garnered criticism from opponents who also criticized the snap election call for hampering their efforts to run a full slate of candidates. Only the governing Liberals have candidates running in all 40 electoral districts, with the PCs close behind at 39.

The provincial NDP under leader Alison Coffin is running just 14 candidates, and neither of the partys two representatives from the last legislative sitting are in the running this time around.

The NL Alliance party, new on the ballot this year under the leadership of former provincial PC party president Graydon Pelley, is running nine candidates. The party is selling itself as an alternative to confrontational party politics.

There are also nine candidates running as independents in this election as resistance to old-style party politics spreads across the province.

Tomblin says this wave of independents and the high number of undecided voters points to frustration with the provinces institutions.

I think the challenge or problem is that political parties have not been effective catalysts in terms of policy and decision making. They have, for the most part, been too political, he says.

Because theyve been too political people have lost faith in them very quickly.

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MONTREALQuebecs secularism bill is a frontal attack on womens rights and primarily targets Muslims, the head of a major feminist organization said Thursday during the final day of legislative hearings into the proposed law.

The legislation would put barriers in front of Muslim women by denying them the right to hold certain jobs if they wear a hijab, Gabrielle Bouchard of Federation des femmes du Quebec told the committee studying the bill.

Its a bill that is fundamentally sexist, Bouchard said. It is sexist because the fundamental point of feminism is my body, my choice. And this bill is a direct attack on womens choice and their bodies.

Quebecs Bill 21 would prohibit public servants in positions of authority  including primary and secondary school teachers, police officers, Crown prosecutors and prison guards  from wearing religious symbols on the job.

In response to Bouchards testimony, Immigration Minister Simon Jolin-Barrette said the bill doesnt target one particular religious group but puts all religions on an equal plane.

Following Thursdays hearings, the bill will be debated in the legislature and then head back to the committee for study. Jolin-Barrette has said he wanted the proposed law passed before the legislatures mid-June summer break.

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The Coalition Avenir Quebec government has the votes to make that happen.

Bill 21 invokes a clause in the Constitution that blocks citizens ability to challenge the legislation in court. Jolin-Barrette said the government needed to include the Constitutions notwithstanding clause to ensure the will of the Quebecois majority was respected.

Bouchard admitted her federation once supported legislation prohibiting public sector workers such as police officers and judges from wearing religious symbols at work. But she says the feminist federation changed its position after recognizing the harm such a law would do to Muslim women.

Weve seen Muslim women face the backlash of this conversation over secularism for the last 10 years, she said. Every time a government tries to introduce legislation, she said, Muslim women have to live with the consequences.

The Federation des femmes du Quebec reflects the progressive strain of feminism in the province and stands in direct contrast to another womens group that appeared in front of the committee last week.

The feminist group Pour les droits des femmes du Quebec told the committee the legislation should go further and apply to daycare workers.

Following Bouchards testimony, Taran Singh, with a coalition of citizens who mobilized against Bill 21, told the committee the legislation would likely inspire the private sector to discriminate against religious people.

If a private company decided to fire an employee who wore a religious symbol, the government would have little moral authority to do anything about it, he said. How can you prevent discrimination in private companies? Singh asked. What moral authority would you have?

Earlier on Thursday, Montreal archbishop Christian Lepine issued a statement stating the governments bill violates individual freedoms.

How can one not see that the prohibition against wearing religious symbols is both an obstacle to upholding freedom of conscience and religion, as well as an attack on human dignity, Lepine said.

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VANCOUVERA longtime lifeguard in Penticton, B.C. has been charged with 10 counts of child sexual assault and pornography, the RCMP announced Thursday.

Penticton RCMP received a tip last November that sparked an investigation into Edward Casavant, 54, an employee at a recreational facility in Summerland.

Police believe Casavant, also known as Eddie Spaghetti, and used his position as a lifeguard for more than 30 years to gain access to school-aged children.

Casavant has been charged with 10 counts of child sexual assault and pornography involving alleged offences between 2008 and 2014.

Investigators have identified two victims but strongly believe there are more victims out there, said Cpl. Chris Manseau, BC RCMP media relations officer, in a release Thursday.

RCMP are asking anyone who had contact with Casavant to call their local police or Penticton RCMP at 1-250-276-2177.

The charges against Casavant come a week after Athletics Canada delivered lifetime bans to two track coaches after sexual abuse allegations.

Last month, the Vancouver Whitecaps came under fire for not being transparent in its handling of more than a dozen decade-old allegations of abuse. Those allegations have not been proven and the coach has not been criminally charged.

Read more:

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Young Canadian athletes deserve better protection from sex abuse, say advocates in wake of report

The guilt still lingers: Following sex abuse allegations, two longtime Canadian track coaches get lifetime ban from Athletics Canada

With files from The Canadian Press

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OTTAWAThe Liberal MP who chairs a parliamentary friendship group between Canada and the Philippines says the ongoing garbage war between the two countries is both embarrassing and unlikely to end soon.

Kevin Lamoureux, a Winnipeg MP whose riding has one of the largest Filipino populations in Canada, tells The Canadian Press that Canada told the Philippines clearly that it could not meet the May 15 deadline to repatriate 69 containers of Canadian trash. He said it is a sore point for some of his constituents, many of whom have family in the Philippines and are embarrassed by Canadas inaction.

Im disappointed that we were not able to try to get this thing resolved before the May 15 deadline but it just wasnt possible, Lamoureux said.

The trash has been in two ports in the Philippines for nearly six years, arriving there in 2013 and 2014 improperly labelled as plastics for recycling.

The Philippines recalled its ambassador and consuls general Thursday, after President Rodrigo Dutertes deadline came and went without any movement of the garbage.

That recall shows that we are very serious in asking them to get back their garbage otherwise were gonna sever relations with them, presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo told a regular news conference.

Lamoureux said its really sad that its gotten to this point.

In a statement, Global Affairs Canada said it was disappointed by Dutertes decision to recall the top diplomats, and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Thursday the Canadian government will continue to work on getting the garbage out of the Philippines.

We very much hope to get to a resolution shortly, Trudeau said in Paris.

Lamoureux said he met with the ambassador from the Philippines in Ottawa Monday about the issue and Petronila Garcia warned him that her government was serious about forcing an end to the dispute and that if the May 15 deadline wasnt met, action would be taken.

Duterte set the deadline last month, after he threatened to declare war on Canada over the garbage. He said if Canada wasnt going to take the garbage back, he would put it on a ship and send it over himself, dumping some of it outside the Canadian Embassy in Manila to underscore the point.

Celebrate because your garbage is coming home, he said on April 23. Eat it if you want to.

Had he not made the statement that he made, I suspect through the bureaucracy they would continue to be moving at a snail pace, Lamoureux said. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind because of the presidents actions the government of Canada has come to the table, and we are expediting it.

Lamoureuxs assessment was seconded by Philippine Foreign Secretary Teddy Locsin, whose harsh tweets on the dispute have been one of the main sources of public information about the status of the dispute. Locsin also blamed officials in the Philippines for allowing the matter to drag on for so long, saying nobody in the Philippines did anything about it until Duterte laid down the law.

Canada tried to either convince the Philippines to dispose of the trash locally or find another nearby country in Asia willing to take it, rather than have it shipped all the way back to Vancouver. Neither option was a success.

Trudeau was asked about the garbage on trips to the Philippines in both 2015 and 2017. In 2018, the two countries formed a working group to negotiate a solution. The main sticking point was who would pay for the shipments.

Two weeks after Duterte issued his threats, Canada agreed to cover the costs. The Philippines moved quickly to issue export permits and have the containers inspected for seaworthiness and Philippine officials blame red tape in Canada for delaying the movement.

Lamoureux said Canadian laws mean the garbage simply couldnt just be moved overnight. He said Canada issued a public tender Monday seeking a company willing and able to bring the garbage back. He said Canada put a national interest tag on it to reduce the deadline for filing bids to just seven days, so it closes next week.

Lamoureux said he is hoping there will be a decision within two weeks and that the garbage will be Canada-bound before the end of June.

Sixty-nine of the original 103 containers remain in the ports, after the contents of the rest were handled locally at various points over the last six years. Environment groups in the Philippines and in Canada have staged protests, arguing Canada is violating international law by shipping garbage to another country without its permission.
MONTREALFresh allegations involving Quebecs anti-corruption unit, once held up as the police force that would rekindle citizens trust in their institutions, are roiling the provinces political class.

The anti-corruption squad, known as UPAC, has been suffering from low morale, recruiting difficulties and a series of embarrassing leaks to the media.

The latest leak came Thursday in the Journal de Montreal, which reported the Crown prosecutors office was in possession of hours of testimony from the units former head of operations, Andre Boulanger.

He reportedly told prosecutors under oath in 2018 that certain open investigations could fall apart because officers had fabricated evidence.

Quebec Premier Francois Legault called the report worrying. But he had little else to say on the topic Thursday.

Well let the prosecutors do their job. But its worrying, he told reporters.

Quebec Solidaire co-spokesman Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois gave a big sigh when asked to comment on the allegations.

Read more:

Investigation of leaks about Quebec corruption case proving complex

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There are mornings in politics when we try and find the right qualifiers to describe a situation, he said. Im still trying to figure out how to describe it.

UPAC  the Unite permanente anticorruption  was created in 2011 by Jean Charests Liberal government following blockbuster revelations of corruption in the provinces construction industry.

For many Quebecers, UPAC has become a field of ruins, Nadeau-Dubois said. UPAC was the institution that was supposed to give us trust in our institutions. And now weve lost trust in them.

On Wednesday, the government adopted a bill that changes how the anti-corruption squads commissioner is chosen. Instead of being named directly by the premier, the new head of UPAC will need to be confirmed by two-thirds of the legislature.

Robert Lafreniere was UPACs first and only commissioner. He was named to the job by Charest and confirmed for a second mandate by former premier Philippe Couillard. Lafreniere resigned without explanation last Oct. 1  Quebec election day.

Christine St-Pierre, official opposition critic for public security, said the latest report on UPAC is very troubling, very shocking. We are talking about fabricating evidence. We need all the light to be shone on this.

She said Lafreniere should be called to testify at the legislature about his time as UPAC commissioner.

UPAC is far from the only police force in Quebec to be going through turmoil.

In March, provincial police chief Martin Prudhomme was suspended pending the results of an investigation into an allegation he committed criminal offences.

He had just returned to the Surete du Quebec after spending a year as interim chief of the Montreal police, dispatched to set things straight following the suspension of chief Philippe Pichet.

Pichets suspension followed reports the forces internal investigations unit had exaggerated or fabricated evidence against officers and helped created a climate of vengeance and mistrust.

Several Quebec media have reported Prudhommes suspension was connected to an investigation into leaks to journalists in 2017 about a highly sensitive UPAC probe of the Quebec Liberals and Charest.

The investigation into Prudhomme is being conducted by Quebecs police watchdog, the Bureau des enquetes independantes. That bureau was also given a mandate in October 2018 by the provincial government to investigate the UPAC leaks.

Jean Pascal Boucher, spokesman for Quebecs prosecutors office, said the Crown cannot confirm nor deny the report in the Journal.

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OTTAWAB.C.s former child representative Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond says the heinous treatment of an Indigenous teenager during a 2012 interrogation by an RCMP officer reflects a pattern she has seen over and over.

In recent days, politicians have expressed outrage after APTN published a video of a male officer asking pointed questions of a young woman describing a sexual assault she said she experienced in the B.C. foster-care system.

Were you at all turned on during this at all, even a little bit? the officer can be heard saying in the video.

No, the young woman replies.

Physically, you werent at all responsive to his advances, even, maybe, subconsciously? the officer says.

Maybe subconsciously, but no  I was really scared, she says.

Upon the videos release, as a result of a current lawsuit, politicians were quick to convey outrage, including on the floor of the House of Commons.

During question period, Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale said Wednesday that its contents were absolutely abhorrent after he was asked about it by Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer.

The apparent attitudes and techniques that were on display in 2012 are profoundly outdated, offensive and wrong, said Goodale, the minister responsible for the RCMP, to applause from MPs on both sides of the House.

B.C.s Minister of Children and Family Development Katrine Conroy said Thursday the video is sickening and horrible.

Women, especially Indigenous women and girls, face many barriers in reporting sexual violence, she said in a statement. We must do everything possible to reduce those barriers and protect survivors of sexual violence.

While the video may have generated shock, it is far from an isolated case, Turpel-Lafond told The Canadian Press, adding that provincial and federal politicians know well there has been major difficulty with this issue for some time.

The heinous way in which this young person was treated, being alone in an interrogation room, being treated as though she was a criminal, not a victim, and also the poor training, the suggestion that somehow a victim of sexualized violence is enjoying the sexualized violence, this is so fundamentally offensive but is a pattern Ive seen again and again and that we need to address, Turpel-Lafond, now a law professor at the University of British Columbia, said in an interview.

In 2016, she produced a report showing at least 109 girls were the victims of sexualized violence while in government foster care and that 74 of them were Indigenous. The case of the teen in the 2012 recording was among them.

My experience has indicated to me that this has been an issue for some time and it should be known to be an issue, Turpel-Lafond said. There was a comprehensive reporting.

Young women who face sexualized violence and then get inappropriate responses by police are less likely to get support and more likely to be preyed upon, she said, adding an effective complaints process for such treatment is sorely lacking.

Turpel-Lafond said young people being abused in foster care often cant find a way to bring it to official attention.

We dont have an easy process for young people in care or Indigenous girls and women to bring their issues forward, to be taken seriously, to be dealt with in a rapid way, she said. It takes years and years and lawsuits.

Policing is expected to be a major theme highlighted in the forthcoming report on missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls, set to be released publicly on June 3 in Gatineau, Que.

Racism, sexism and victim-blaming were raised during pre-inquiry gatherings before the commission began its work, Crown-Indigenous Affairs Minister Carolyn Bennett said Thursday.

There has been an acknowledgment of these issues particularly by the RCMP, Bennett said, noting a 2017 report produced by the force to help strengthen police training and awareness.

We also hope that all other police forces will be very intentional about this and take this all very seriously, not only in recruiting but in training and consequences at any incident, she said.

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WINNIPEGThe Manitoba government has backed off part of its plan to cut emergency room services in Winnipeg.

Health Minister Cameron Friesen says the emergency room at the Concordia Hospital will be replaced with a 24-hour urgent-care centre instead of the walk-in clinic originally planned.

Urgent-care centres are open around the clock but dont deal with life-threatening issues.

Nurses and doctors have said the ER closure would hurt patient care and leave fewer medical backup services for surgeries at Concordia.

Friesen says the government is willing to listen to people and alter its plans when needed.

Concordia is one of three Winnipeg hospitals having their emergency room closed or converted to another level of service under a plan announced by the Progressive Conservatives shortly after their 2016 election victory.

The other closures, at the Victoria General and Seven Oaks hospitals, are proceeding as planned.

Its challenging work to run health care  its more challenging still to change the way we work within the health-care system, Friesen said Thursday.

Were there gaps? Were there mistakes made? Absolutely. But what were doing today is announcing that this is a government that listens. This is a government that is willing to make its plan adaptable.

The opposition parties said the Tories are caving to immense public pressure in the face of a possible election. Premier Brian Pallister has said he may call a vote this year instead of the scheduled date of Oct. 6, 2020.

Right before an expected election call, the governments pulling a pretty significant turnaround  and it seems like theyre just trying to defuse and do damage control, said NDP Opposition Leader Wab Kinew.

Friesen said his change of heart was prompted by recent data that shows services in the Concordia area are needed, including an aging population and a jump in the need for hospital care.

What the data shows us is that, even in the year and a half to two years in which weve been on this journey  weve seen a 12 per cent increase in ambulance volumes at Winnipeg hospitals. Weve seen an 11 per cent increase in patients presenting requiring hospitalization.

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HALIFAXThe Nova Scotia Court of Appeal has rejected the provinces attempt to invoke solicitor-client privilege in the case of a former Crown lawyer who plans to sue it for constructive dismissal and abuse of public office.

In a written decision released Thursday, a three-member panel upheld a lower court ruling in Alex Camerons favour that waived the governments privilege as it attempted to keep private internal government communications related to his case.

Cameron was removed as government counsel in an Indigenous rights case in December 2016 after suggesting in a legal brief the Mikmaq were a conquered people who were owed no duty of consultation.

The brief was part of the governments defence when the Sipeknekatik Band sought to overturn provincial approval of a plan by Alton Gas to store natural gas in salt caverns near the Shubenacadie River.

Amid an outcry from the Mikmaq and others, the government withdrew the brief and disowned the argument.

The province has 30 days to appeal the latest ruling to the Supreme Court of Canada, although Premier Stephen McNeil told reporters Thursday no decision on an appeal has been made.

Read more:

A victory for former Crown lawyer behind contentious unconquered people brief

Nova Scotia premier says he will apologize to Mikmaq for conquered people brief

Premier says legal brief calling Nova Scotia band a conquered people went too far

The court said its decision was based on fairness.

It would be manifestly unfair to allow the province to hide behind solicitor-client privilege while at the same time impugning the conduct of its solicitor, Justice David Farrar wrote in the appeal ruling.

Cameron, who had a 26-year career with the province, retired on April 30, 2017 and served legal notice on the government two days later.

In his affidavit, Cameron said the premier and then-justice minister Diana Whalen suggested he acted without instructions, or even contrary to instructions, in making the conquered peoples argument.

He said the arguments were in accordance with the instructions he was given.

On Thursday McNeil said his position has never changed regarding what happened.

At no time did I have any indication that was the argument, he said. Its my understanding no one instructed him to do that.

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POWERVIEW, MAN.Murder charges have been laid against two more people following a double-shooting two years ago in a small community northeast of Winnipeg.

Shezna Cynthia Guimond and Jason Andrew Bruyere, both in their 20s, have been charged with two counts of first-degree murder and being an accessory to murder after the fact.

Guimond is the daughter of Claude Francis Guimond, 54, a former high school principal who was charged last December with two counts of first-degree murder, RCMP Cpl. Laura Ledrew said Thursday.

All three accused remain in custody.

Ledrew would not comment on a possible motive for the shooting, but said drugs were part of the lengthy investigation.

That avenue was definitely investigated and part of the initial investigation, she said.

Its a very large undertaking of an investigation involving numerous officers  dozens and dozens.

RCMP say they answered a call in late February 2017 about a shooting at a home in St. Georges, about 120 kilometres northeast of Winnipeg.

Officers found the bodies of two men  Jody Brown and Steven Chevrefils.

Claude Francis Guimond was principal of Sagkeeng Anicinabe High School in early 2017, and went on leave later that year to care for an ill family member.

In April 2017, Guimond commented in media reports on the beating death of a local teenager, Serena McKay. He told The Canadian Press at the time gangs and drugs were encroaching on Sagkeeng, a First Nation community.

Over the last 10 years, what Ive noticed is that more and more of the gang influence is filtering on to the reserve from Winnipeg, Guimond said at the time.

With gang activity comes drug trafficking and stuff like that, and thats whats killing our youth here.

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OTTAWAFlood-ravaged provinces are asking the federal government to provide almost $138 million to move or buy out homeowners affected by previous years inundations, according to new data that gives a glimpse into the national costs of helping residents leave floodplains.

Calculations based on previous experience suggest that the total cost of giving up on 100,000 of the most endangered structures could run into the billions.

Only four times in the past decade have provinces turned to the federal treasury for help to move homes  twice in New Brunswick, and once each in Quebec and Yukon.

In New Brunswicks case, the federal government picked up more than 80 per cent of the $1.8 million spent to buy out a combined 36 properties after flooding in 2008 and 2010.

Public Safety Canada says provinces and territories have asked for $137.9 million in federal money to help cover costs related to 10 floods, but the dollar figure is only an estimate and doesnt include this years.

The department says it expects to get more requests for financial help to relocate homes as the frequency of extreme flooding increases and wants to know how much provinces and territories have spent on it without federal help.

All that data will feed into a debate governments are having about whether its better to move people off floodplains rather than repeatedly pay for repairs.

Federal help for disaster relief kicks in once costs surpass what lower levels of government could reasonably be expected to cover on their own.

Within the program, called the Disaster Financial Assistance Arrangements, is a provision that allows provinces to claim the cost of relocating residents to areas less prone to floods or other disasters. Federal funding can also be used to buy out affected homeowners and dismantle damaged buildings.

How much gets doled out depends on the design of the buyout program, which has become a point in discussions between Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale and his provincial and territorial counterparts.

A program could provide money up to a pre-set maximum, which is what Quebecs government is offering this year  up to $200,000 to anyone with severe damage to their homes. Or it could pay the full estimated value of a home before it was flooded, as Alberta did after flooding there in 2013.

In that case, about one-third of homeowners who were offered buyouts took them within a year of the offer, costing the province $81 million in 2014. Alberta covered the bill itself, without federal assistance.

Based on the data available, the federal government has paid, on average, about $41,000 for each property owner who accepted previous buyouts in New Brunswick.

This year, New Brunswick is offering up to $160,000 for each home where damage exceeds 80 per cent of its pre-flood value. Owners can sell their buildings and have them demolished and levelled but retain their land. They can also sell out entirely, or take up to $160,000 to use on repairs  in exchange for giving up any future disaster aid.

The Insurance Bureau of Canada estimates about 100,000 homes  out of the 14 million dwellings Statistics Canada counted in the 2016 census  are at the highest risk of repeat flood damage. A buyout program for those properties could cost the federal treasury hundreds of millions of dollars based on the limited information available about previous federal disaster help, in addition to what provincial governments put up.

No government bailout program or insurance program is going to be able to deal with those repeated cases where youre going to have repeated claims in a short period of time. Thats where you may focus buyouts, said Craig Stewart, vice-president of federal affairs with the Insurance Bureau of Canada.

In our view, the calculation is buy out a few and then protect and insure the rest.

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WINNIPEGOne of five women involved with a man accused of killing one of them testified that the death came after days of the victim being abused.

He was beating her up with cords, a hammer, knives, Jessica Reid, 36, told jurors Thursday at Perez Clevelands first-degree murder trial.

Cleveland, 46, has pleaded not guilty to killing 42-year-old Jennifer Barrett, whose body was found in a barrel behind their Winnipeg home in December 2016.

Court heard earlier this week that Cleveland shared the house with his adult daughter and five women whom Reid described as sister wives.

Barrett was kept in the basement of the home that summer, Reid testified, because Cleveland claimed she had been flirting with other men. After a couple days of physical abuse, Barrett left the home for a few hours. Things got worse when she returned, Reid said.

Reid testified she saw Barrett stumble out of the basements laundry room and fall to the floor.

Read more: Accused in death of Winnipeg woman found in barrel had control over five women, Crown alleges

Cleveland used a Taser on Barretts leg to try to get her moving, Reid said. The woman jolted but no other movement followed.

I knew something was wrong. I freaked out, Reid said.

Cleveland moved Barretts body into a plastic storage bin in the garage, Reid said. He told her and another woman in the house to deal with the problem. He then left to go stay at a hotel.

The stench was awful, Reid testified, and she and the other woman came up with a plan to put Barretts body in a sealed barrel in the backyard.

Reid is charged with being an accessory after the fact, but her case has not yet gone to trial.

The defence suggested there was jealously between the sister wives and it was Reid who was violent towards Barrett.

Jurors have been told that some of the women had been in a romantic relationship with Cleveland for many years when Barrett moved in with them in 2012. However, Barrett had known Cleveland the longest, the jury heard, and they had a child who was not living at the house.

Reid testified she met Cleveland in 2015 when she was buying methamphetamine and their relationship soon turned romantic. When Reid was evicted from her apartment, she moved in with Cleveland and the others.

She said she didnt leave Cleveland because she was dependent on him for a place to live, for drugs and for money. She was also scared.

I knew what he would do if he found me.

The women had roles in the house to cook or clean and were punished when they didnt follow the rules, Reid said. There were also surveillance cameras throughout the home.

One night, she woke up to see Cleveland pointing a gun at her, she told court. She was also locked in the laundry room and tortured for days to teach the other women a lesson, she said.

Reid described beatings with hammers, golf clubs and extension cords. Cleveland also used a blowtorch to heat up vise-grip pliers and burned her body.

The abuse worsened after Barretts death as Cleveland got increasingly paranoid about the killing being discovered, Reid said. One morning Cleveland came at her with a crazed look in his eye, she said.

Im not going to do this anymore. I cant do this, she recalled yelling at him before she ran to a neighbours home and called police.

Defence lawyer Steve Brennan asked Reid whether she knew Barrett and Cleveland were in a dominant-submissive relationship and used bondage. He also asked if she actually saw how Barretts injuries were caused.

Reid said she had seen prior abuse but not the violence that killed her.

There was screaming, she said, and she saw blood everywhere in the laundry room.

Brennan asked Reid why she helped clean up the crime.

I was scared that he would send someone after me, she said.

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Shenandoah, IA (51601)

Today

Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 31F. SSE winds shifting to WNW at 10 to 20 mph..

Tonight

Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 31F. SSE winds shifting to WNW at 10 to 20 mph.
OTTAWAAs Prime Minister Justin Trudeau decries American states for backsliding on abortion rights, the Liberal party is using abortion to galvanize its base and help fill its war chest for the upcoming federal election.

The Liberals issued a fundraising email blast Thursday, raising alarm about 12 Conservative MPs who went to an anti-abortion rally on Parliament Hill last week. The email directed supporters to websites for the 12 Liberal riding associations working to unseat the Conservative MPs, whom the party accuses of trying to reopen the abortion debate in Canada.

While these Conservative MPs have been busy working to roll back womens rights, Justin Trudeau and the Liberal team are focused on making real progress for women and all Canadians, the fundraising email says. Chip in now to support Justin Trudeau and our the Liberal team to help earn another mandate this fall.

Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer has repeatedly pledged not to reopen the abortion debate in Canada  most recently at the partys policy convention in Halifax last year, where party members narrowly defeated a resolution that proposed to remove any reference to regulating abortion from the partys official policy. In power under Prime Minister Stephen Harper, the Conservatives did nothing to restrict abortion, despite some efforts by backbenchers to get them to.

The debate about abortion rights has abruptly flared south of the border, thanks to several U.S. states moves to restrict womens access to abortion services.

Read more:

Louisiana heartbeat abortion ban nearing final passage

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Doug Ford says abortion issue wont be reopened

Opinion | Judith Timson: Womens reproductive rights are always going to be challenged and we will always have to push back

On Thursday, Missouri became the latest in a string of Republican-led state governments to pass new abortion restrictions, outlawing abortions after eight weeks of pregnancy.

On Wednesday, Alabama passed an almost total ban, making virtually all abortions illegal even in cases of rape or incest. Mississippi, Georgia, Kentucky and Ohio have also passed so-called heartbeat bills, which effectively ban abortions after six weeks of pregnancy. The laws are likely bound eventually for the U.S. Supreme Court, where a new conservative majority might be inclined to overturn or drastically diminish the courts landmark abortion-rights precedent set in the Roe v. Wade case in 1973.

Trudeau told reporters in France Thursday he is deeply disappointed in these U.S. developments, which he characterized as backsliding on womens rights.

We very much regret what is happening, particularly in the United States, where they are moving backwards in terms of defending a womens right to choose, he said.

As a government, as Canadians, we will always be unequivocal about defending a womans right to choose, defending womens rights in general.

Trudeau then quickly pivoted, aiming his fire at his domestic Conservative rivals, accusing them of ramping up their efforts at taking away rights that have been hard-fought over many, many years by generations of women and male allies.

The Liberals have been making a concerted effort over the last week to make political hay over their stance on reproductive rights and how Liberals differ from Conservatives on the issue. The party clearly views this as a motivator for its base, with Trudeau as chief ally and defender, as he stated in his own comments to media Thursday.

The Liberal party has launched a social-media campaign, asking people to share an image with the slogan Proudly pro-choice and asking supporters to enter their names and contact information as a way to help Liberals take a stand for womens rights regardless of what the Conservatives think or say.

The partys fundraising email also contains whole sections of text also in a letter sent by Gender Equality Minister Maryam Monsef on Wednesday evening to the 12 Conservative MPs who attended the anti-abortion rally in Ottawa last week.

In the letter, Monsef calls on Scheer to defend Canadian womens access to reproductive health services and to work with the Liberal government to protect legal abortion in Canada and across the world.

Canadians  and Canadian women in particular  deserve to know whether or not the Conservative Party of Canada would take us backwards by restricting or undermining a womans right to choose, Monsef says in her letter.

Scheers press secretary Brock Harrison said Thursday Monsefs letter to Conservatives is a show of desperation as the election gets closer.

As they know, Mr. Scheer will not reopen this debate as prime minister and will instead focus on issues that unite Canadians.

Advocates on the front lines who have been fighting for womens reproductive rights in Canada have mixed reactions to the use of abortion access as a political strategy.

Joyce Arthur, executive director of the Abortion Rights Coalition of Canada applauded Trudeau and the Liberals for taking a strong stand against politicians who support movements that seek to erode reproductive rights for women in Canada.

I think its fantastic. I dont think its ever happened before  Ive never seen that kind of strategy before and Im just so glad to see it, because its so inappropriate for these anti-choice MPs to be going to these marches, and often many of them are speaking at them as well, she said.

Its just so wrong and theyve been doing this for many years ... the leaders of the Conservative party should be limiting that activity and Im glad to see the Liberals are also trying to call them out for it.

But Ottawa-based womens-rights advocate Julie Lalonde says she would rather see the Liberals create better, more equitable access to reproductive justice for Canadian women than use abortion as an issue to score political points.

This is the same government that didnt hold New Brunswick or P.E.I. to account over their lack of (abortion) access and is now saying, How dare Andrew Scheer allow his MPs to attend a march?  Lalonde said.

Its a bad look to go to an anti-choice rally, absolutely. But its also a bad look to call yourself a pro-choice government and not fill these gaps that are really easy to fix and are having a huge impact on peoples lives by not being addressed.

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LONDON, ONT.Police in London, Ont., say a woman who was allegedly assaulted in a motel room over the weekend has died.

City police were called to the motel on Sunday in response to a reported disturbance.

They say the woman, who was found with serious injuries, was rushed to hospital in critical condition but died on Wednesday.

The cause of her death has not been released.

At the time, police arrested a 41-year-old man they said had been in a long-term relationship with the woman and charged him with one count of aggravated assault.

Police have not announced any new charges since her death.
Toronto police have issued Canada-wide warrants for three GTA men wanted over a shooting death in Rexdale earlier this month.

Officers found 26-year-old Blain Gerrado Grindley suffering from obvious signs of gunshot wounds at a townhouse near John Garland Blvd. and Humber College Blvd. shortly after 1 p.m. on May 1. He died at the scene.

At a Wednesday news conference, Toronto police homicide det. Steve Henkel said officers conducted extensive video canvasing and witness interviews within Toronto and the GTA following the shooting.

The investigation is continuing. It is far from over, he said.

On Wednesday, Toronto police issued warrants for Andrae Douse, 21, and Dayne Sitladeen, 27, both from Mississauga, and Michael Smith, 29, from Brampton.

The three men are wanted for first-degree murder and are considered armed and dangerous, Henkel said.

He said police are continuing to appeal for witnesses and called on anyone with information to come forward.

For now, police have no intention of releasing video evidence of the shooting, Henkel said.

Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 416-808-7400, Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-TIPS (8477).

Grindleys death was the 22nd of 24 homicides in the city so far this year.

Including him, 18 men and six women have been killed in Toronto in 2019. They are:

Ian Dyer, 36, who was stabbed to death in a Toronto Community Housing building near Danforth and Midland Aves. on Jan. 6. Leigh Min, 34, was arrested two days later and charged with first-degree murder.

Lorraine Kerubo Ogoti, 30, who was stabbed to death in an eighth-floor unit of a Scarborough apartment building on Jan. 8. Her boyfriend, Mowlid Hassan, 40, was found dead outside the building. Police have concluded Ogotis death was a murder-suicide.

Aseel Yehya, 18, who was shot dead on Elmhurst Dr. near Redwater Dr. in Etobicoke on Jan. 9 after police said a dark-coloured vehicle approached him.

Lingathasan Suntharamoorthy, 36, who was shot dead in an apartment building near Dundalk Dr. and Antrim Cres. on Jan. 12.

Hanh (Hana) Nguyen, 41, who was stabbed to death at her home near Jane St. and St. Clair Ave. W., on Jan. 24. Austin Le, 40, was found at the scene and charged with second-degree murder.

Veronika Mrhova, 24, who was shot while sitting in a Mercedes-Benz near Lake Shore Blvd. and Silver Moon Dr. early on Feb. 10. She died in hospital five days later.

Dean Howlett, 25, who was shot dead in an apartment building on Lawrence Ave. E. west of Kingston Rd. in Scarborough on Feb. 12. Naod Tsegazab, 22, of Toronto, was later charged with second-degree murder.

Nicklus McKain, 18, who was shot near 18 John Garland Blvd., near Kipling Ave. and Albion Rd., in Rexdale on Feb. 24. He died in hospital.

Jason Otis Lewis, 47, who was found dead at an apartment on Broadway Ave., near Yonge St. and Eglinton Ave. E. on March 4. An autopsy found he died of blunt-force trauma. Quentin Luke Lewis, 42, was arrested two days later and charged with second-degree murder.

Nashwan Yonan, 32, who was shot at a gas station at Eglinton Ave. E. and Avenue Rd. shortly after midnight on March 8. He died in hospital nearly two weeks later on March 21. Police are looking for a suspect.

Martin Anthony Johnson, 51, who was shot dead at a North York apartment complex near Keele St. and Sheppard Ave. W. on March 11.

Jennyfer Lachappelle, 41, who was found dead on at an apartment near Davenport Rd. and Symington Ave. on March 13. Andrew Gerber, 38, has been charged with second-degree murder. Friends said Gerber and Lachappelle were in a relationship and may have been engaged.

Helen Fronczak, 79, who was found dead at an apartment near Kipling Ave. and Eglinton Ave. W. on March 19. Larry Fronczak, 80, has been charged with second-degree murder.

Jerome Belle, 22, who was shot near Dundas West subway station in the Junction on March 20. He died in hospital. Police are searching for at least one male suspect.

Rae Cara Carrington, 51, who was stabbed to death in the PATH system near King St. W and Bay St. on April 10. Her son, Duncan ONeil Sinclair, 19, of Toronto, was arrested two days later and charged with first-degree murder.

Wilfred Kent Truman, 77, who was killed in his home near Eglinton Ave. W. and Black Creek Dr. on April 15. Kyle Truman, 49, of Toronto, has been charged with first-degree murder.

Jermaine Gerard Skeete, 34, who was shot at 571 Vaughan Rd. near Oakwood Ave. on April 21. He later died in hospital.

Lawrence Taylor Gannon, 28, who was shot on Ivy Green Cres., near Brimorton Dr. and Orton Park Rd., in Scarborough on April 28. He died in hospital two days later. Police are looking for a suspect.

Premachchandran Sundaralingam, 53, who was found injured inside a home near Renforth Dr. and Rathburn Rd. on April 28. Police later determined he had been injured in an altercation. He died in hospital the next day. Richard Turner, 48, of Toronto, was arrested on May 2 and has been charged with manslaughter, aggravated assault and threatening death.

Blain Gerrado Grindley.

Justin Kyle Ezeard, 23, who was shot dead at a commercial establishment near Steeles Ave. W. and Islington Ave. on May 3.

Brendon Bowler, 17, who was stabbed to death near Sir Wilfrid Laurier Collegiate Institute near Guildwood Pkwy. and Livingston Rd. on May 6. Emmett Carew, 18, and Cheddi Itwaroo, 20, both of Toronto, were each charged with second-degree murder.

In 2018, Toronto broke its record for homicides in a single year, with 96 in total.
A man has been arrested in North Toronto for allegedly luring a 14-year-old girl over social media following a search that found sexually explicit material, Toronto police said in a news release Thursday.

Police said officers from the Child Exploitation Section executed a search warrant in the area of Eglinton Ave. W. and Avenue Rd. on Wednesday after allegations that a man with the handle jaytopsir allegedly lured a 14-year-old girl on social media.

Jared Battieste, 30, of Toronto, was arrested and has been charged with two counts of underage sexual exploitation charges.

Police said Battieste was scheduled to appear in court on Wednesday, adding investigators are concerned there may be other victims.

Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 4168088500 or anonymously through Crime Stoppers at 416222TIPS (8477).
After a January trip to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, Laura Cappell knew she wanted to move there, but she also knew if she gave up her rented midtown Toronto apartment she might not be able to come back.

I felt like I was being held hostage by the city of Toronto, said Cappell, who pays $1,694 a month for a 1-bedroom unit near Yonge and Davisville, where shes been living for the last year. Similar sized units in her building are now renting for $1,855 monthly, according to the buildings website.

I knew that I just could not financially walk away from a lease in Toronto.

Knowing she was protected from major rent increases as an existing tenant, Cappell, 32, decided to sublet her apartment for a year to a new tenant despite not knowing exactly when shell she come back.

With Torontos heated rental market and lack of affordable housing, tenants increasingly fear being priced out of their neighbourhoods. People who are compelled to leave the city are increasingly hanging onto their apartments, subletting in order to remain locked into the price theyre paying.

Dania Majid, a staff lawyer for Advocacy Centre for Tenants Ontario (ACTO), told the Star that sublets have always been common but in the past were done primarily by students to avoid the hassle of moving ahead of each new school year.

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Now, the tenants who are subletting are those afraid of being priced out of the market when they come back.

Cappell, who works in communications with the option to work remotely, says shes ditching the city for a place she described as everything Toronto wasnt.

I realized that the quality of life was better there. The cost of living was lower, said Cappell, who is moving out of her apartment this week, in a phone interview with the Star.

She contacted her landlord who agreed to let her sublet.

In Toronto, a tenant can sublet with written approval from their landlord. Landlords cant unreasonably refuse a request for a sublet or lease reassignment, according to the Residential Tenancies Act.

Legally, Cappell cant make any additional income off of her sublease, and after an exhaustive search for a subtenant she found someone to cover her lease and utilities for the next year. She says she had contact with roughly 25 people, showing the apartment several times over a month-long period before finding someone she felt she could entrust with her furniture and space.

If it wasnt for subletting, I would be (in Toronto) and I would be screwed and I would be miserable, she says, noting she has too many ties to the city to walk away completely  she grew up in Toronto, and its where her family lives. I feel like Im being priced out of and driven out of my home.

Majid said the problem is largely vacancy decontrol, wherein landlords arent obligated to keep the cost of rent the same after a previous tenant vacates a unit.

In 2019, Ontario tenants will only see a rent increase of 1.8 per cent on units theyre occupying. But once a tenant leaves theres no limit on the price a landlord can set for the next person.

Theres been this pressure to get tenants out and increase the rent by a significant amount, Majid said. Thats whats been driving the price of the cost of rent so high, is that ability to do that between tenants.

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As a result, renters are doing what they can, theyre willing to undergo the inconvenience of finding a subletter or (a lease) assignor, Majid said. Vacancy control, where rent is linked to a unit rather than a tenant, was removed by the Mike Harris government in 1997.

If we want to control the rent then we really need to bring back a vacancy control, as well as increase the purpose-built rental stock for low- and moderate-income people in Ontario.

Geordie Dent, executive director of the Federation of Metro Tenants Associations, said rents started to rise dramatically in 2012 and are now in hyperdrive.

People are just holding onto their apartment for dear life, he said. Were seeing (sublets) more and more often, its a consequence of the rental housing crisis.

But subletting isnt always a given. Though they have the right to sublease under the RTA, tenants have to get a landlords approval. Theres no way under Gods green earth that landlords want to consent to that, Dent said, given the new rent price they could charge an incoming tenant.

A tenant can take a landlord to court for refusing, but Dent noted this can be a very lengthy process  one a tenant, if moving for work for school, likely doesnt have time for.

You might have the technical ability to take this to court, but if youre working in Alberta or Nova Scotia when the court case is happening, youre going to lose, Dent said.

Correction  May 16, 2019: This article was edited from a previous version that mistakenly said the Mike Harris government removed vacancy rent control in 1991. In fact, this was done in 1997.
A dog stolen in the citys East Danforth neighbourhood Tuesday has been found after he was missing for almost two days, the owner says.

Toronto police had issued a news release alerting the public of the theft, and a social media campaign was launched to find Charlie, a 10-year-old Siberian husky.

Charlies owner, Carol Bouley, said her husband had left their pet tied up in front of the Value Village on the Danforth, near Woodbine Ave., at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday when police said three people walked away with the dog.

We were devastated, Bouley said.

Sophia Cottrell isnt from the neighbourhood, but comes to Woodbine Beach to stroll along the boardwalk. She had been following the social media campaign started by Lauren Amdur and Nancy Miller to find the stolen dog.

I came down on a mission, Cottrell said. Ive been keeping my eyes open.

Cottrells diligence paid off when she spotted the husky Thursday morning, near the water just past Donald D. Summerville Olympic Pool on Lake Shore Blvd. E.

She said Charlie was sitting on a rock with two men.

I saw this big dog sitting there and I thought hes a big boy, she said.

The dog looked familiar to Cottrell, who had saved the owners phone number in her phone  just in case.

I came over, touched him by the collar and said Charlie? And he put his head up, Cottrell said.

I saw these two fellas sitting there and they kind of fit the description. I said is this your dog? One kind of mumbled something, so I said again is this your dog? And they got up and left.

Cottrell then phoned Bouley shortly after 11 a.m., and texted a photo of the dog to her and soon got a response: Thats Charlie!

Bouley, who has had Charlie for nine years, said the dog was happy to see her and gave her big kisses.

Hes going to get a big steak when we get home!, Bouley said, adding that shes grateful to everybody who looked for Charlie.

Cottrell said one of the men matched the description released by Toronto police in their public alert.

Charlie was tied outside the store at Amroth and Danforth Aves. when two men and a woman untied him around 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, police said in a news release.

Police released security camera images of the suspects leaving the area on foot towards a Green P parking lot.

One suspect is described as white, with tanned skin and in his 30s. He is believed to be five-foot-10 with light buggy eyes and long hair in a ponytail. He was seen wearing narrow track pants and had missing teeth.

A second suspect is described as about 30 years old, a heavy set white man with a round face, pale skin and short, brown hair. He was seen wearing heavy-rimmed glasses.

The third suspect is white, in her 30s with a short build, brown hair in a ponytail. She was seen pulling a metal shopping cart with floral print on the inside.

With files from Temur Durrani

Raneem Alozzi is a breaking news reporter, working out of the Star's radio room in Toronto. Follow her on Twitter: @r_alozzi
A woman was struck and killed Thursday morning by a freight train at Old Weston Rd. and Davenport Rd., Toronto police say.

At around 7 a.m., police went to the scene where the woman died, spokesperson Allyson Douglas-Cook told the Star.

The intersection was closed and train service in the area was suspended for nearly four hours but both reopened by 11 a.m.

Before it reopened, GO Trains on the Barrie line werent able to move past the Downsview stop, the second-last stop before Union Station, said Anne Marie Aikins, media spokesperson for Metrolinx.

Aikins said there were delays as GO Trains were offloading thousands of customers to the TTCs Downsview Park Station.

Police are investigating.

Raneem Alozzi is a breaking news reporter, working out of the Stars radio room in Toronto. Follow her on Twitter: @r_alozzi

Temur Durrani is a breaking news reporter, working out of the Stars radio room in Toronto. Follow him on Twitter: @temurdur

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President Donald Trump has signed a full pardon for former media mogul Conrad Black, convicted in 2007 of fraud and obstruction of justice.

Black, 74, was found guilty in the United States in 2007 of scheming to siphon off millions of dollars from the sale of newspapers owned by Hollinger Inc. Black served nearly 42 months in prison after he was convicted.

Lord Blacks case has attracted broad support from many high-profile individuals who have vigorously vouched for his exceptional character, the White House said Wednesday in a statement announcing the pardon.

Black said in a statement that Trump called him last week.

He could not have been more gracious and quickly got to his point, that he was granting me a full pardon, that would expunge the bad rap you got, Black said. He had followed the case closely and offered to come to give evidence at my trial in Chicago in 2007 on one of the counts that was later an acquittal.

Black said Trump told him thered be some controversy but you can handle that better than anyone.

He said Trump checked with his lawyer to see if he could say that reversing an unjust verdict was his motive behind the pardon.

Weve known each other a long time, but that wasnt any part of the reason, Trump is said to have told Black. Nor has any of the supportive things youve said and written about me.

In 2007, Black was convicted of three counts of fraud and one of obstruction of justice in a Chicago court and sentenced to six and a half years in jail  more than twice the sentence handed to David Radler, his longtime partner who agreed to testify for the prosecution.

Two of the criminal fraud charges were dropped on appeal. But a conviction for felony fraud and obstruction of justice were upheld in 2010 and he was re-sentenced to 42 months in prison and fined $125,000.

When he was released he was deported back to Canada. He is still a British citizen.

He remains banned by the Ontario Securities Commission from acting as a corporate director or officer of a public company in Ontario. He was also removed from the Order of Canada.

Born in Montreal, Black gave up his Canadian citizenship in 2001 after a dispute with then-prime minister Jean Chretien over his nomination to Britains House of Lords.

Black has written biographies of several American presidents, as well as a history of Canada.

Press secretary Sarah Sanders said Black has made tremendous contributions to business, and to political and historical thought.

Blacks media empire once included the Postmedia chain of newspapers in Canada and he was the founding publisher of the National Post. He also owned prominent titles such as the Chicago Sun-Times, The Daily Telegraph of London and The Jerusalem Post.

My long ordeal with the U.S. justice system was never anything but a confluence of unlucky events, the belligerence of several corporate governance charlatans, and grandstanding local and American judges, all fanned by an unusually frenzied international media showing exceptional interest in the case because I was a media owner, Black said.

In 2018 he published Donald J. Trump: A President Like No Other, a flattering political biography of the president.

In it, he said Americans will likely and rightly judge (Trump) a success, despite his lapses of suavity  he is a man of his times, and his time has come.

Trump has also pardoned Patrick Nolan, a former Republican leader of the California State Assembly. Nolan has been a vocal advocate for criminal justice reform since he spent more than two years in federal prison during the 1990s.

With files from The Canadian Press

Read more on Conrad Black from the Star archives:

Opinion | Jennifer Wells: Conrad noir

Opinion | Rosie DiManno: Conrad Black, a life

Bungles that helped topple Black

Blacks' lavish lifestyle not a factor, juror says

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SALE, Morocco - Twenty-four people went on trial Thursday in Morocco on terrorism charges for the brutal slaying of two Scandinavian women hikers that was then shared on social networks.

The 24 were brought to the court in the coast city of Sale in armoured vehicles and did not speak at the hearing, which focused on pleas from lawyers. They include the four men accused of the killing itself and others suspected of links to the attack or the attackers.

The trial of the killing of 24-year-old Louisa Vesterager Jespersen of Denmark and 28-year-old Maren Ueland of Norway is expected to run for months, according to Hafida Makssaoui, the government-appointed lawyer representing the four chief suspects.

She told The Associated Press that her clients, aged 25-30, have pleaded guilty and regret their actions. However she expects they will get a death sentence over the December attack

The suspected attackers leader, Abdessamad Ejjoud, was arrested when preparing to join so-called Islamic State in Syria, Iraq and Libya. His lawyer said he also had links to extremist group Boko Haram in West Africa and was trying to recruit Sub-Saharan migrants in Morocco.

Khalid El Fataoui, the lawyer representing the family of the Danish victim, says the family intends to seek material compensation from the Moroccan state because the suspects do not have the means to pay damages.

The court decided to include the Moroccan government as a civil party to the case.
RIO DE JANEIRO - Brazils federal prosecutors office said Wednesday that it has filed a lawsuit seeking the immediate suspension of a decree by President Jair Bolsonaro loosening regulations on guns and ammunition.

The lawsuit argues that the president infringed on legislative territory, saying the decree conflicts with current laws and also jeopardizes the public safety of all Brazilians.

Co-signed by five federal prosecutors, the suit says the increase in sales of firearms to be expected under the decree would have a lasting impact on the amount of weapons circulating in the country.

The measure has an immediate impact on the criminal sphere, read the suit that was filed Tuesday with a federal court in Brasilia, the capital.

Bolsonaro ordered the reversal of limitations on who can acquire a firearm and of strict supervision procedures. Under the decree, shooting instructors, gun collectors, hunters, tax collectors, bus and truck drivers, elected officials, lawyers, rural residents, private security guards and even journalists on assignment with police can acquire guns without authorization from the federal police.

The decree also increases the amount of ammunition gun owners can buy, from 50 rounds a year to between 1,000 and 5,000 rounds, depending on their licenses.

Prosecutors specifically criticized the loosening of regulations for people living in rural areas. According to the Brazilian think-tank Igarape, some 18.6 million rural residents could acquire firearms more easily.

Bolsonaro has close ties with the rural caucus. The president, a far-right former army captain, ran a tough-on-crime presidential campaign last year, vowing to allow Brazilians to protect themselves against criminals in the nation that leads the world in total annual homicides. The life of a good citizen has no price, Bolsonaro said at the recent opening of a public security intelligence centre in the state of Parana.

The decree issued last week has drawn criticism from prosecutors and some politicians.

On May 8, the Sustainability Network party filed a petition with the Supreme Federal Tribunal, arguing that the decree is unconstitutional because it makes changes in law that require approval by Congress. Supreme court Justice Rosa Weber asked Bolsonaro and Brazils justice minister to provide more information on the decree before she could rule on the case.

Talking on TV channel Globo Wednesday night, Justice Minister Sergio Moro said that if there was any invalidity with the decree, it was up to the supreme court or Congress to review it.
RIO DE JANEIRO - The prosecutors office for Brazils Minas Gerais state is warning that a dam holding back mining waste could collapse in the next few days.

In a recommendation sent Thursday, prosecutors said the mining company Vale reported unusual movement near the site that could lead to the dam rupturing as soon as Sunday. Prosecutors gave Vale six hours to inform nearby residents.

The company said the dam in the city of Barao de Cocais was already at the maximum risk level and people living nearby were evacuated as a precaution in February.

In March, Vale warned that dams at four of its mines in Brazil could collapse at any moment.

A Vale-operated dam in Minas Gerais failed Jan. 25, unleashing a wave of mud that killed over 200 people.
RIO DE JANEIRO - President Jair Bolsonaro on Thursday accused Brazilian prosecutors and the media of targeting his son in a corruption probe as an attempt to damage his administration, challenging critics to come at me.

Bolsonaro, who took office Jan. 1, made the comments while on a visit to Dallas, Texas, to receive a person of the year award from the Brazilian-American Chamber of Commerce.

Several Brazilian news outlets have reported that Rio de Janeiro prosecutors believe Flavio Bolsonaro, now a federal senator, bought and sold real estate to launder millions of dollars while he was a state legislator. Flavio Bolsonaro denies any wrongdoing. The Associated Press could not confirm the accusations independently as prosecutors have publicly remained mum on the news reports.

Do they want to hit me? Come at me, Bolsonaro said. They will not get me. Wings of the media, which you are a part of, are not happy with my administration, an administration of austerity, responsibility with public money.

Bolsonaro, a frequent critic of the media, insulted a reporter when she asked about big demonstrations held Wednesday across Brazil to protest his proposed cuts in education funding.

First of all, you work for Folha de S.Paulo, Bolsonaro said, referring to a Brazilian newspaper that he frequently criticizes. You need to go to a proper college again and do good journalism. That is what Folha needs to do and not hire anyone to be their journalist, sowing disagreements and asking silliness, publishing disgusting things.

Bolsonaro was originally scheduled to receive the award in New York, but it was moved to Texas after difficulties in finding a venue and sponsors dropping out. New York Mayor Bill de Blasio openly campaigned for Bolsonaro not to be welcomed in the city, calling him a dangerous man.

In Dallas, Mayor Mike Rawlings did not take part in any of the events for Bolsonaro on Wednesday or Thursday. Several city council members openly criticized Bolsonaro upon his arrival.

On Wednesday, Bolsonaro paid a visit to former U.S. President George W. Bush, a critic of U.S. President Donald Trump, someone Bolsonaro openly admires.

Bolsonaro won Brazils presidency last year with an anti-corruption and pro-gun message. The former army captain was one of the few candidates not caught up in the Car Wash probe into a mammoth scheme of companies receiving inflated government contracts into for kickbacks. The investigation has roiled many top politicians and businessmen in Latin Americas largest nation and beyond in the region since beginning in 2014.

Bolsonaro drew widespread criticism, both in Brazil and abroad, for a long history of insulting comments about indigenous peoples, blacks, gays, intellectuals and artists.

So far, his presidency has been mired in internal fights. Swelling allegations against his son, Flavio, have raised questions about whether Bolsonaro will have zero tolerance for corruption, as he campaigned, when it comes to a family member and key adviser.

Since taking office, Bolsonaros approval ratings have dropped significantly, the Brazilian real has lost ground against the U.S. dollar and many groups opposing him have shown organizing strength.

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Associated Press writer Peter Prengaman reported this story in Rio de Janeiro and AP writer Mauricio Savarese reported from Madrid.
GUATEMALA CITY - A high court ruling barring a crusading former prosecutors candidacy has turned Guatemalas presidential election on its ear less than a month before the vote, and raised concerns about what will happen to years of efforts to fight endemic corruption.

The rejection of Thelma Aldanas appeal means at least two of the top three candidates according to polls will not appear on the June 16 ballot, and analysts said Thursday the Aldana decision in particular appeared to spring from fears over her zealous prosecutions of corruption in politics and business.

I think that the deeply entrenched, established powers that be in Guatemala are absolutely terrified of a candidate like Thelma, said Christine Wade, a political scientist at Washington College in Maryland. She has a proven record as attorney general of jailing former presidents and vice-presidents. ... And its really difficult to see this constitutional court decision as anything other than politically motivated.

Aldanas candidacy was denied Wednesday night on the grounds that she lacked a document accrediting that she didnt have any outstanding accounts after having been responsible for public funds from her time in office.

Zury Rios Sosa, the daughter of former dictator Efrain Rios Montt, had already been ruled ineligible due to a constitutional clause on relatives of former leaders running for president. Mauricio Radford was barred for having an ongoing corruption case against him. And a third candidate, Mario Estrada, is out after he was arrested in the United States and accused of drug trafficking charges.

Polls have shown Rios Sosa and Aldana alternating in second and third place after former first lady Sandra Torres  who is also awaiting a constitutional Court ruling on whether she will be able to run after allegations of illicit party financing dating to a previous presidential bid in 2015.

In the eyes of constitutional lawyer Alejandro Balsells, the rulings go against electoral principles and are a clear attempt to deter certain people from participating.

The courts ... are disassociating from previously held positions, Balsells said. They are divided decisions that when there are doubts, the best option is to vote for freedoms and not restrict them. The presumption of innocence is violated.

If it is in good faith, it demonstrates terrible ignorance. If it is in bad faith, it demonstrates a really messed up cooptation, Balsells continued.

The June election will pick a successor to President Jimmy Morales, who is constitutionally prohibited from seeking a second term. Morales ran on the slogan neither corrupt, nor a thief, but in office he has been dogged by graft probes targeting him, his family and inner circle. He has not been charged  lawmakers have repeatedly declined to lift the immunity he enjoys as sitting president  and denies wrongdoing.

Those investigations were initially pushed by Aldana, who had already made a name for herself by jailing former President Otto Perez Molina, his vice-president and Cabinet members, perhaps the most high-profile of dozens of probes.

Morales has also moved to kick out a U.N.-sponsored anti-graft investigative commission known as CICIG that worked closely with Aldana to shine light onto the infiltration of drug money, illicit campaign financing and bribery into politics. Morales gave CICIG until September to wrap its work up and leave the country  four months before the next president swears in in January.

With Aldana out of office and CICIG on its way out, many fear that hard-won gains on fighting graft are at risk, and that has been on many voters minds.

This was a very important moment for Guatemala because what was at stake was the continuity of the effort to really tackle impunity and corruption in the country, and how do you bring about structural reforms, said Adriana Beltran, an analyst at the Washington Office on Latin America, which advocates for human rights in the region.

Beltran noted that polls show around 70% of Guatemalans support CICIGs work, but said corrupt and powerful interests had viewed a possible Aldana presidency as a threat to the continuation of the status quo and to the ability to ensure impunity.

I think it was evident that the corrupt sectors in Guatemala came together to prevent (Aldanas) participation at all costs, Beltran said, while adding the ruling of the constitutional Court should be respected to prevent any further breakdown of the rule of law in the country.

Cesar Siguenza, a lawyer who works in parliamentary analysis, predicted Guatemalans would turn out to vote in June less out of enthusiasm or confidence than out of hope for something to change.

And with all the shake-up on the ballot, its unclear what the prospects are for the outcome.

In general, we are on the verge of elections where it is very difficult to venture to say who will be the one to benefit from the votes that are up in the air, Siguenza said.

Wade said Washington has shown little interest in supporting CICIG or its work.

I think theres not much interest in addressing corruption in the region even though its clearly been shown to be a root cause of migration, particularly out of Honduras and Guatemala, Wade said.

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Associated Press writer Peter Orsi contributed to this report from Mexico City.
PENITAS, Panama - Venise Felizor lay on a mattress in a warehouse-turned-shelter on a hot, sticky afternoon with her 20-month-old son, Wesly, in her arms, the boy coughing and wailing after suffering from diarrhea for days.

Originally from Haiti, they recently appeared in this tiny Panamanian village after a six-day hike through the jungle along the Colombian border, where armed robbers stole her husbands backpack containing the $1,000 that he had saved from two years working in Chile. The thieves raped three women in their group.

The way was very dangerous, said Felizor, 26. I thought my son was going to be lost. I saw scenes of death.

Panamanian authorities are struggling to contend with a spike in the number of migrants passing through what is known as the Darien Gap, a roadless, lawless region of tropical isthmus that is one of the most dangerous stretches for people heading north from South America, usually toward the United States or Canada.

Its the biggest migratory crisis Panama has faced since 2015-2016, when about 60,000 people crossed the Darien Gap, an exodus that prompted governments to temporarily close borders in Panama, Costa Rica and Nicaragua. According to the National Border Service of Panama, or Senafront, 7,316 migrants came through the Gap this year as of April 18. Such traffic tends to fall off during the imminent rainy season, but the numbers are still on pace to well exceed the 9,678 who made the passage last year and potentially rival 2015-2016.

In interviews, the migrants say they are fleeing poverty, misery, discrimination, political conflicts, war and extremist violence.

I think what is happening at the Colombian-Panamanian border is a reflection of what is happening on an international level. ... It is a search for hope, for opportunities, for well-being, for a vital minimum that is not being provided by the state where they come from, said Johanna Fernanda Navas, a researcher on migration and human rights at the Catholic University of Colombia.

Most in the surge in Panama are migrants from Haiti or Cuba, with smaller numbers coming from African nations such as Cameroon and Congo, plus the South Asian countries of India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

Cubans have for years flown to Ecuador to begin their journey, though recently many have begun to opt for abbreviated routes beginning in Panama or Nicaragua. Haitians came to South America years ago following their countrys disastrous 2010 earthquake, more recently deciding to move on when work dried up.

African and Asian migrants tend to arrive by boat or air in Brazil, crossing the Amazon to Peru and turning north through Ecuador to Colombia, where they hire smugglers to shepherd them through the Gap.

Our jungle is a bad jungle. ... That journey is very dangerous (with) unscrupulous people, coyotes, who guide them through the jungle and abandon them to fate, said Jose Samaniego, eastern brigade chief for Senafront in the town of Meteti, one of the last outposts along the Pan-American Highway before it ends on this side of the Darien Gap.

The Gaps perils are numerous. Tales are common of robberies and sexual assault by marauding bands of armed Colombians and Panamanians, and encounters with the drug trafficking mules who walk the same paths as the migrants.

The jungle aspect of it was so terrible because it was the survival of the fittest, you understand? said Afolabi Ojo, who fled his home in northern Nigeria after the extremist group Boko Haram killed his entire family. The environment was so deadly. You can imagine somebody coming from the bush, from the forest.

Dariens rivers can rise suddenly and furiously, and in recent weeks at least 10 migrants were reportedly swept to their deaths. Samaniego said the toll could be higher, but there is no way of knowing given the remote and unforgiving nature of the area.

A Congolese man who gave his name as just Kerlo said a person travelling in his small party drowned.

We could not even bury him because the current took him away, the man said through tears, pointing at the river.

The International Organization for Migrations Panama branch says migrants who traverse the Darien jungle often arrive in very bad shape. Senafront says the most common maladies are diarrhea, vomiting, skin inflammation, foot mould and dehydration.

Emerging from the Gap, most migrants pass through the hamlets of Bajo Chiquito or Canaan Membrillo before making their way by foot or by boat along the Chucunaque River to Penitas.

In normal times, Penitas is an indigenous village with fewer than 200 inhabitants who ply the river in narrow wooden skiffs. They have no running water, cellphone coverage, medical clinic or regular transportation.

These days Penitas is overwhelmed by migrants, who sleep on bunk beds and floor mats in the warehouse or outside in tents. They wash clothes in the muddy waters of the Chucunaque, hang things to dry on clothes lines and chain link fencing and relieve themselves in blue portable toilets set up outside the shelter.

Samaniego estimated on a recent day that there were more than 1,500 migrants at the Penitas camp, which was planned to hold only 100 to 200 and just a few months ago was housing around 80 or 90 on a given day.

Nearly 1,200 more were back in Bajo Chiquito, he said, plus about 1,000 who had been bused to a temporary shelter in Chiriqui, near Panamas western border with Costa Rica. The International Organization for Migrants said Costa Rica is allowing 50 to 100 of the migrants to enter each day.

Samaniego acknowledged that this years surge took authorities by surprise. After the migration flows of 2015-2016 fell drastically, Panama closed several camps and left only Penitas in operation. Now officials are scrambling to rehabilitate another shelter at Lajas Blancas where migrants would be in better conditions.

At Penitas, officials vaccinate migrants for measles, tetanus and rubella and are doing background checks as a security measure before transporting them west. The International Organization for Migrants said it is working with immigration authorities and border police to better manage the camp, and with the help of others such as the United Nations to provide beds, mattresses and mosquito nets.

The U.N. Refugee Agencys Panama office said it visited the camp in early May to counsel migrants about applying for asylum and mechanisms for people in need of international protection.

Although most of the immigrants hope to get to North America, some said they were applying for refuge in Panama.

One of them was Lisandra Perez Molina, a 24-year-old from Santa Clara, Cuba. She gave birth April 14 in an indigenous village before arriving in Penitas and a month later was tired of waiting at the crowded shelter.

What I want is for them to get me out of here, Perez said angrily as the boy slept in diapers inside a tent next to his brother Yusnel, 1.

My boy has rights here, and we as parents have them, too, Perez said.

She held up the birth certificate inscribed with her Panama-born sons name: Darien.
CARACAS, Venezuela - The Latest on the crisis in Venezuela (all times local):

4:45 p.m.

Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez and Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland have met in Havana to discuss issues including the crisis in Venezuela.

Rodriguez confirmed the Thursday meeting on his Twitter account then wrote that Cuba ratifies its willingness to contribute to initiatives that promote respectful dialogue with the government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.

Cubas foreign minister said talks on Venezuela should be based on the sovereign equality of states, international law and the will of Latin America to be a Zone of Peace.

Freeland had announced her trip to Havana the day before.

Her trip came as diplomatic efforts aimed at resolving Venezuelas crisis accelerated with its government and opposition sending envoys to talks in Norway. The Norwegian attempt to mediate comes amid tensions that exploded in street violence when the opposition called in vain for a military uprising.

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1:35 p.m.

Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido is confirming efforts in Norway to mediate between the opposition and the government of President Nicolas Maduro.

Guaido referred to the Norwegian initiative in remarks on Thursday, but said the opposition wont enter into any false negotiation.

The Venezuelan opposition has said that Maduro used past negotiations to play for time and was not sincere about making concessions. Maduro says he is open to dialogue and that the opposition had been trying to seize power by force.

Guaido says any diplomatic process aimed at resolving the Venezuelan crisis must lead to the end of Maduros government, its replacement by a transitional administration and free and fair elections.

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1:30 p.m.

The United Nations says Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is very much supportive of the talks in Norway between Venezuelas government and opposition on ways of ending the South American countrys crisis.

U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric was asked Thursday at U.N. headquarters in New York about possible U.N. participation in the process.

He responded that he didnt want to predict what can happen in what we know is a complicated situation, but what is clear is that the secretary-generals good offices, the United Nations good offices, remain very much available.

It comes amid reports that the International Contact Group and the Lima Group, which both support opposition leader Juan Guaido, may meet.

Dujarric said the U.N. is very supportive of such initiatives.

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11:10 a.m.

Canadas foreign minister is meeting Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez in Havana.

Chrystia Freelands office says the purpose of the visit is to discuss the deteriorating situation in Cubas ally Venezuela, as well as tightened U.S. sanctions on Cuba.

The Canadian statement says: It is of critical importance that our two countries meet to discuss the economic, political and humanitarian crisis in Venezuela and the work we can undertake together to address it.

Meanwhile, Cubas first vice minister of foreign relations was in Norway Tuesday and Wednesday as part of what his office called a tour of Scandinavian countries.

Venezuelan opposition figures said Tuesday that government and opposition figures are holding talks in Norway on a possible way to end the countrys power struggle.

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9:00 a.m.

The Venezuelan government and opposition have sent envoys to Norway to attend talks on ways of ending the South American countrys crisis, though their mutual mistrust and differences on key issues are likely to slow chances of progress.

The development reported by officials Wednesday appears to reflect a recognition that neither side has been able to prevail in the struggle for power. Thats left Venezuela in a state of paralysis after years of hyperinflation and shortages of food and medicine.

Its also a policy reversal for the opposition, which has accused President Nicolas Maduro of using previous negotiations to play for time.

Members of Venezuelas opposition-controlled congress say senior members of both sides will be involved in the exploratory discussions in Oslo.
RATODERO, Pakistan - Nothing seemed unusual to Rehmana Bibi, the mother of 10-year-old Ali Raza, when the boy came down with a fever at their home in the dusty, largely neglected district of Larkana in southern Pakistan.

Bibi took her son to a local doctor, who prescribed paracetamol syrup for Raza and told her there was no need to worry. But she panicked after being alerted that several children who initially came down with a fever had tested positive for HIV in nearby villages.

Alarmed, Bibi took Raza to a hospital where medical tests confirmed the boy was among about 500 people, mostly children, who authorities say tested positive for the virus, which can lead to AIDS. A local physician who has AIDS has since been arrested and is being investigated for possibly intentionally infecting patients.

We were in great pain the day we heard about our son testing HIV positive, she told The Associated Press on Thursday.

Bibi said it was heartbreaking to learn that her child contracted HIV at such a young age. She said all her family members have been tested for the virus that attacks the immune system, but Raza was found to be the only victim.

Bibi said she has had sleepless nights from worrying and has been looking after her son since early this month when he was confirmed HIV-positive. She said she wants to see her son healthy and fully recovered as soon as possible.

Sikandar Memon, head of the AIDS Control Program in Sindh province, said officials have screened 13,800 people from Larkana and 410 children and 100 adults tested positive for HIV.

Nationwide, Pakistans Health Ministry has registered over 23,000 HIV cases. Pakistani health officials have said HIV is usually spread in the country by using unsterilized syringes.

Authorities say the HIV outbreak in Larkana was apparently started when local physician Muzaffar Ghangharo, who has AIDS, infected patients in early April. Ghangharo was arrested earlier this month after Raza and others tested positive for the virus. Police are still trying to determine whether Ghangharo knowingly spread the disease to others.

Larkana is the home district of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, who was killed in a bomb and gun attack in the garrison city of Rawalpindi in 2007. Her father, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, also served as prime minister in the 1970s. He was hanged by military dictator Gen. Ziaul Haq.
BEIJING - China has formally arrested two Canadian citizens it is believed to be holding to pressure Canada into releasing a Chinese telecoms executive, bringing the two men closer to trial on vaguely defined state security charges.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang said Thursday that Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor have been arrested for allegedly stealing state secrets.

We always act in accordance with the law, and we hope that Canada will not make irresponsible remarks on Chinas legal construction and judicial handling, Lu said at a regularly scheduled news conference.

Lu gave no other details. Kovrig is a former Canadian diplomat and expert at the International Crisis Group, and Spavor is a businessman with lengthy experience in North Korea.

China had earlier accused the two of conspiring together to steal Chinese state secrets.

Canada condemned the arbitrary action taken by the Chinese.

We will continue to demand the appropriate treatment, said Canadian Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale. In the case of the two Michaels they should be released. We believe that very strongly. There is no evidence that has been produced that would indicate any validity to the allegations made against them.

Both were detained on Dec. 10 after Meng Wanzhou, a senior executive with telecoms giant Huawei, was arrested in Vancouver, Canada, on Dec. 1 at the request of U.S. authorities who want her extradited to face fraud charges.

Meng, the daughter of Huaweis founder, is accused of lying to banks about the companys dealings with Iran in violation of U.S. trade sanctions. Her attorney has argued that comments by U.S. President Donald Trump suggest the case against her is politically motivated.

Meng is free on bail and a judge this month granted her request to move into a larger Vancouver multimillion-dollar home that recently underwent renovation. The judge also ruled that she will hear arguments on evidence disclosure in late September and October. A decision on whether Meng is extradited to the U.S. could take years.

Kovrig and Spavor are being held in detention facilities and have yet to be granted access to lawyers.

The U.S. has pressured other countries to limit their use of Huaweis technology, warning they could be opening themselves up to surveillance and theft of information.

China and the U.S. are currently embroiled in a trade dispute that has beleaguered global financial markets. Many of the U.S. complaints revolve around Chinas drive to acquire advanced intellectual property and dominate fields such as latest-generation 5G cellphone technology that Huawei has pursued.

Another Canadian held in China, Robert Schellenberg, was re-sentenced to death in a drug case following Mengs detention. His case is currently under appeal.
NEW DELHIWith just days remaining in Indias mammoth national elections, the political debate has veered into an unlikely and inflammatory topic: the assassination of beloved independence leader Mahatma Gandhi.

Gandhi, who led a nonviolent struggle to free India from British colonial rule, was fatally shot in 1948. His assassin was Nathuram Godse, a Hindu extremist who believed Gandhi had betrayed Hindus in the negotiations over Indian independence and the creation of Pakistan.

On Thursday, Pragya Singh Thakur, a parliamentary candidate from Indias ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, or BJP, said in response to a question from a reporter that Godse was, is and will remain a patriot.

Thakurs statement sparked a chorus of condemnation, but it accurately reflects the views of right-wing Hindu extremists. One fringe group celebrated the anniversary of Gandhis death earlier this year.

Thakur is perhaps the most controversial candidate contesting the elections. She is out on bail as she faces trial on terrorism charges related to a blast in 2008 that killed six people and injured more than 100. She has denied the charges.

Despite the charges, the BJP chose Thakur to run for a seat in Bhopal, the capital of the state of Madhya Pradesh. Senior party leaders have attended her campaign events and endorsed her run for office, which appears to be the first time a major party in India has fielded a candidate accused of involvement in a terrorist conspiracy.

On Thursday, a spokesman for the party distanced the BJP from Thakurs lionization of Gandhis assassin. We strongly condemn this particular statement, G.V.L Narasimha Rao told reporters. Thakur, he said, should offer a public apology.

Randeep Surjewala, a spokesman for the opposition Congress party, said in a statement that Thakurs comment crossed all limits and called upon her to withdraw from the race. Indias soul is again under attack, he said.

Godse, Gandhis assassin, was a member of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, or RSS, a strident Hindu nationalist organization that is widely regarded as the parent of the BJP. After Gandhi was killed, the group was briefly outlawed. In recent decades, it has moved from the fringes of public debate in India to the mainstream. Prime Minister Narendra Modi spent most of his career as an RSS organizer.

During the campaign, Modi has criticized members of the opposition for using the term Hindu terror to describe alleged acts of violence by Hindu extremists, saying there was not a single such incident in thousands of years of history. On Sunday, Kamal Haasan, an opposition politician in the southern state of Tamil Nadu, retorted that independent Indias first extremist was a Hindu: Nathuram Godse.

Godse was sentenced to death and executed in 1949.

Correction - May 17, 2019: This article was edited from a previous version that misstated the year in which Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated.

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JAKARTA, Indonesia - Hundreds of police and soldiers have retaken control of a prison in western Indonesia following a riot on Thursday, officials said.

Angry inmates set fire to Langkat prison in North Sumatra province, which is designed to house 900 people but now has more than 1,600, said Rika Apriyanti, a spokeswoman for the Correctional Directorate at the Justice and Human Rights Ministry. Most prisoners were convicted of drug offensives.

She said the cause of anger is still being investigated. Local media reports said the riot began when inmates protested against improper treatment by a guard of an inmate who was caught taking crystal methamphetamine into his cell. Other inmates joined the protest and it turned violent.

Television video showed hundreds of prisoners gathered in an open field in the prison compound while black smoke billowed from a building. Burned cars and motorbikes were scattered around the prison.

National police spokesman Dedi Prasetyo said a guard and an inmate were injured in the riot, and 16 cars and motorbikes were burned.

Eight fire trucks were mobilized to extinguish the fire and nearly 500 police and soldiers were deployed around the prison to prevent inmates from escaping.

Prasetyo said at least 92 prisoners had been recaptured and about eight remained at large. Police set up roadblocks as they searched for the inmates.

Jailbreaks are common in Indonesia, where overcrowding has become a problem in prisons that are struggling with poor funding and large numbers of people arrested in a war on drugs.
SRINAGAR, India - A Muslim man was fatally shot and another was injured by Hindu vigilantes in Indian-controlled Kashmir on Thursday over allegations of cow smuggling.

A group of Hindu men intercepted the two Muslims in the outskirts of southeastern Bhaderwah town before dawn and shot at them after an altercation, police said. A 50-year-old man died and another man was injured. Residents say the attack was carried out by so-called cow vigilantes.

The injured man, Yasin Hussain, told reporters the two were taking three horses, not cows, with them. He said at least eight men intercepted them, hurled abuses and without checking the animals fired shots at them.

Nayeem Ahmed Shah was hit in the head and died on the spot, Hussain said, adding that the attackers fled.

After the incident, the victims families and their neighbours took to the streets demanding the arrest of the attackers. As more people assembled, the protesters attacked a police station with stones and damaged vehicles. Police fired tear gas and bullets in the air to quell the protests.

Authorities later imposed a curfew in Bhaderwah to prevent violence between Hindus and Muslims.

Police officer Shabir Ahmed Malik said police registered a murder case and detained at least seven people for questioning.

Hindus consider cows sacred, and slaughtering them or eating beef is illegal or restricted across much of India. Mob attacks on minority groups, especially Muslims, have been on the rise since the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party came to power in 2014.

Victims of cow vigilantes have been accused of smuggling cows for slaughter or possessing beef. At least 20 people have been killed by groups mostly believed to be tied to Prime Minister Narendra Modis party. Modi is running for a second term in Indias ongoing general election that ends on Sunday, with results due on May 23.

In Kashmir, where anti-India sentiment runs deep among the mostly Muslim residents, dozens of shops selling beef openly operate in the main city of Srinagar and other Muslim-majority areas despite a ban on cow slaughter.
SRINAGAR, India - Five rebels, two army soldiers and two civilians were killed Thursday during two gunbattles in disputed Kashmir that triggered anti-India protests and clashes, officials and residents said.

The first gunbattle broke out in a neighbourhood in southern Pulwama town as police and soldiers scoured the area looking for militants, said Col. Rajesh Kalia, an Indian army spokesman. He said as troops began conducting searches, they came under heavy gunfire, leading to a clash that killed three militants and a soldier.

A civilian was also killed and his brother was wounded during the fighting, police said. Two soldiers were also injured.

Local residents said troops damaged one civilian home with explosives.

The fighting sparked protests and clashes as hundreds of residents tried to march to the site of the battle in solidarity with the rebels despite the security lockdown in the area.

Government forces fired shotgun pellets and tear gas at protesters, who threw stones at them. No one was immediately reported injured in the street clashes.

In the second gunbattle, also in southern Kashmir, government forces launched a search operation in a village near Shopian town following a tip that militants were hiding there, police said. As the troops surrounded a civilian house, militants reportedly came out while firing at them and tried to take refuge in a nearby apple orchard.

In the ensuing exchange of gunfire, two rebels, a civilian and a soldier were killed, police and residents said. Earlier, police had said three militants were killed. However, one of the slain people turned out to be a local resident, residents said. Police maintained that he was an active associate of the militants but acknowledged he was not an underground militant.

Meanwhile, the Joint Resistance Leadership, composed of three top separatist leaders who challenge Indias sovereignty over Kashmir, called for a protest strike on Friday, saying there has been no letup in the bloodshed even in the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan as civilians, armed youth or even Indian forces are getting killed.

In one manner or the other, Kashmiris continue to pay the price of the unresolved Kashmir issue, they said in a statement. Use of force against them continues unabated.

India and Pakistan each claim the divided Himalayan territory of Kashmir in its entirety. Rebels have been fighting Indian control since 1989.

Most Kashmiris support the rebels demand that the territory be united either under Pakistani rule or as an independent country, while also participating in civilian street protests against Indian control.

About 70,000 people have been killed in the uprising and the ensuing Indian crackdown.
LONDON - Is Brexit a tragedy, a comedy  or is it too soon to tell?

A new play running in London tries to grapple with the unfolding Brexit drama, and wring laughs from it at the same time. The Last Temptation of Boris Johnson centres on a key figure in the saga: Britains rumpled, Latin-spouting former foreign secretary.

The blond Conservative with the popular touch played a major role in persuading voters to back Brexit  and could be Britains next prime minister. Johnson confirmed Thursday that of course Im going to go for it in a contest to replace Prime Minister Theresa May thats expected within months.

Playwright Jonathan Maitland says Johnson was the one who made the difference between the 48 and the 52  the percentages for remaining and leaving respectively in the June 2016 referendum on EU membership.

Actor Will Barton, who plays Johnson, says its easy to see his appeal: People see what they think is authenticity in Johnsons gaffes and bumbling demeanour. Whether it really is authenticity or skilled artifice is beside the point.

Hes always entertaining, said Barton, who with bleached and tousled hair makes a spookily convincing Johnson. You always know if youre going to watch Boris, its going to be worth watching, even if you dont agree with him. Hes a colorful character. People dont like grey politicians.

Maitlands play, running at Londons Park Theatre until June 8, contrasts Johnsons buffoonish exterior with the intensely ambitious politician underneath. It opens with a 2016 dinner party attended by senior politicians and a media mogul at which the wavering Johnson decided to support the leave side in the referendum.

In the play, hes helped to make up his mind by visits from the spirits of former prime ministers Winston Churchill, Margaret Thatcher and Tony Blair, who bicker about Britains place in Europe, and taunt Johnson with glimpses of the thrill of political power and the pain of its loss.

The second act flashes forward to 2029 to show what happened to Johnson, and Britain, after the countrys eventual exit from the EU. As it opens, Johnson has done a reverse-Donald Trump: He has left politics and become host of the British version of The Apprentice.

A lot has happened in real life since Maitland began working on the play last year. In July, Johnson quit as foreign secretary to Mays plan for Brexit. He has since become favourite to replace her when she leaves office  likely within months.

One big thing has not happened. Maitland, like everyone else, thought Britain would have left the EU before this weeks opening night. But with Britains politicians deadlocked over exit terms, the EU has set a new Brexit deadline of Oct. 31.

That sense of events in flux may be one reason Brexit has produced a relatively small crop of artistic responses in Britain. This years TV drama Brexit: The Uncivil War, starring Benedict Cumberbatch, looked at the contentious social media campaigning by the victorious leave campaign.

Ali Smiths novel Autumn, published in late 2016, caught the mood of a divided post-referendum Britain: All across the country, people felt it was the wrong thing. All across the country, people felt it was the right thing. All across the country, people felt theyd really lost. All across the country, people felt theyd really won.

Smith followed it with two more state-of-the-nation novels, Winter and Spring; Summer is on the way.

One of the few other stage treatments of Brexit is John Godbers play Scary Bikers, which imagines a leave supporter and a remainer on a European cycling holiday.

I dont know why there arent more plays approaching it head-on, Maitland said.

The character of this country has changed so much in three years. If you want to write plays about whats happening now you cannot ignore that.

Like most people working in the arts in Britain, Maitland voted to remain in the EU, but now thinks the most important principle is to abide by the result of the referendum.

He shrugs off the flak he has received for giving Johnson even more attention, arguing that his play amounts to forensic publicity.

I dont know whether Boris Johnson will go down in history as a great man, but hes already had an extraordinary effect on history. Thats worth a play, said Maitland, whose previous plays looked at the fall of Thatcher and the crimes of late pedophile BBC star Jimmy Savile.

He hopes the play will appeal to  and annoy  people on both sides of the Brexit argument.

Id love people to come out really offended and really angry, he said. As long as theyre not bored.
BOKRIJK, Belgium - They are strikingly young, but emphatic that they should not be considered newcomers. Rather, they are claiming the mantle of Old Europe at its most traditional.

Several of this years far-right candidates in Europe are well under the age of 30  just like some of their most ardent supporters. In Belgium, the telegenic Dries Van Langenhove, who is among the top picks on the list for the far-right party Vlaams Belang, is 26. In France, the head of the far-right National Rally slate for the upcoming European Parliament elections is 23 and has been a card-carrying party member since the age of 16. In Denmark, the lead candidate from the Danish Peoples Party is a 29-year-old who is already a veteran campaigner. And in Spain, the chief spokesman for the Vox party is 27 and was elected to parliament last month.

These candidates are part of a growing attempt by Europes far-right parties to gear their anti-migration, euroskeptic message to the young, with everything from beer nights for adults and bouncy castles for kids to an outsized presence on social media, the Associated Press has found. Young European voters are responding with a rightward shift sometimes faster and farther than their elders  as illustrated by voting results or party rolls from Italy, France, Spain and Austria.

The trend could have major implications for this months elections , which decide the makeup of the European Parliament as well as some national governments, as in Belgium.

The far right has made a very explicit effort to pander to younger audiences. Theyve essentially rebranded themselves, said Julia Ebner, a researcher with the Institute for Strategic Dialogue , a left-leaning think-tank . Far-right political parties have been most active in engaging with social media users.

The far right has also succeeded at picking up on existing grievances and fears among young people and at using their language and cultural reference points, she said.

Its a significant change from where the far right found itself in Europes postwar era: identified with the Nazis and a Holocaust that killed 6 million Jews, marginalized by governments and eclipsed by a unifying Europe.

Opponents say todays far-right candidates have given new window-dressing to old racist beliefs and an implicit call for violence, pushing a pro-Christian, anti-Islam ideology that Belgiums security services describe as extreme right in a white collar. Only now theyre appealing to a demographic with no memories of where extremist beliefs once led the continent: to a world war that left almost all of Europe in rubble.

Every country defines and measures its young voters slightly differently. But the trend is unmistakable.

Across Europe, the right has gained ground with the electorate in general, but its strength among young voters, who traditionally lean left, has come as a surprise, according to poll estimates. In Italy, 17% of voters aged 18 to 34 voted for the League party in 2018, compared to just 5% in 2013. In Austria , 30% of the youngest voters chose the Freedom Party in 2017, up from 22% in 2013, making it the most popular party among those ages 16 to 29. And in Germany , the AfDs gains were notable while support from the youngest voters for the Green Party barely changed. Frances vote showed similar trends.

Belgiums Van Langenhove has 31,000 Instagram followers and a strong presence on social media. Until recently isolated as racist by the rest of the political spectrum, the Flemish independence party Vlaams Belang whose slate he leads in Flemish Brabant has a handful of seats in the parliament and a plan to more than double that.

Van Langenhove is also the leader of Schild en Vrienden, a Flemish nationalist movement known for anti-immigration stunts and named in Belgiums annual report last year on extremist groups that are national security concerns. The report did not accuse the group of violence but noted the movement deserves our attention.

On a recent spring holiday in a historic park, Van Langenhoves larger-than-life photo was plastered across the Vlaams Belang campaign vans. They were parked alongside the cars of thousands of party supporters and their children, who split their time between anti-immigration speeches inside and an outside festival that included face-painting, bouncy castles and a stand for the book The Kidnapping of Europe.

Louis Beernaert, 27, has been coming to Vlaams Belang meetings with his father and sister since he was a child. Now his sisters husband and their toddler have joined also. They were all in favour of the partys new faces, which include its 32-year-old president, Tom Van Grieken.

It needed to get younger, Beernaert said. Their ideas are the same, but they say them in a less radical way.

Van Langenhove, who holds his torso like a boxer, posed for selfies and chatted with party leaders sometimes decades his senior without a flicker of deference.

He avoids direct discussion of race in favour of what he calls identity. But he routinely posts on social media about replacement, a term used by white supremacists in the U.S. and Europe for the idea that European populations are being culturally and ethnically replaced by minorities. Our People First is the Vlaams Belang slogan.

Even though migration to Europe has slowed to a trickle, the continent is still grappling with the after-effects of the hundreds of thousands who arrived in the past few years alone. Belgiums foreign-born population went from just under 12% to nearly 17% between 2006 and 2017, not including people who slipped in illegally. In France, asylum requests last year topped out at 123,625  an increase of 23% from 2017, when they had already risen 17%.

In repeated surveys of young Europeans, including one released this month by the TUI Foundation, migration and asylum are described as Europes most pressing issue. The environment comes in a distant second.

Vlaams Belangs decision to name Van Langenhove came after the Belgian network VRT linked him to racist and sexist messages in closed chat rooms. He dismissed the show as a smear, but it prompted protests at the Ghent campus where he was studying law and got him banned briefly. Later, he was suspended from Facebook for content that violated the social networks terms of service. He is now more circumspect online and in front of the camera.

Everything is on the table right now, its an all-in game. And thats why more young people are taking the risk of associating themselves with right wing nationalist groups and organizations, he told the AP. Young people are right in the middle of the problems. Older people, they move to the countryside, they move to areas where theres not a lot of foreigners. But young people have to move to the cities for their jobs, for their education.

Jobs are a sore point, with youth unemployment at around 15% in Belgium, just above the European Union average, and 20% in France. Vlaams Belang is hoping its message of economic protectionism will help the party, which has forged links in France with Marine Le Pens far-right National Rally party as well as the loose far-right alliance that includes Italys League, Austrias Freedom Party, Britains UKIP, the German far-right AfD and the Danish Peoples Party.

Opponents, exemplified by centrist French President Emmanuel Macron, say the nationalists offer nothing in return for all they reject.

In an open letter to Europe in March, Macron called nationalism the trap that threatens the whole of Europe: the anger-mongers, backed by fake news, promise anything and everything.

That month, young far-right leaders from all those parties and more gathered in Rome, where a 23-year-old raised by a single mother in a suburban Paris housing project was one of the stars. Jordan Bardellas brief speech to a young audience hit many of the same notes as Jean-Marie Le Pens from decades ago.

Another challenge of our generation will be immigration. Confronted with the demographic bomb that is Africa, it is the survival of our peoples, our civilizations, our Christian roots that is at stake today, the National Rally candidate tweeted on March 29 .

Marine Le Pen re-branded her fathers National Front party as the National Rally after losing the French presidency to Macron in 2017. Despite the loss, she made important inroads among young French voters, easily outstripping all the traditional parties in polling among the young as well as the far-left candidate. She clearly took something away from the experience. The head of her party list this year is Bardella, who joined the National Front at age 16 and swiftly rose to lead its youth movement and that of its successor.

Bardella is nearly as explicit as Van Langenhove about the young leading the way against waves of alleged mass migration and rules from the EU in Brussels.

While Van Langenhove used a medieval Flemish castle in an elaborate stunt against pro-migrant activists, Bardella uses Old France as his backdrop  casks of Cognac, golden fields, even the classic French comic book characters Asterix and Obelix . He is growing increasingly confident about campaigning on his own, especially with recent stumbles by Macrons party.

The generation that is committed to nationalist political movements today is the generation that tomorrow will be called upon to lead Europe, Bardella told the AP.

That is exactly what Pawel Zerka fears. A researcher with the left-leaning European Council on Foreign Relations, he said the mainstream parties have barely made an effort to appeal to younger voters, seeing them as a lost cause because so few actually turn out to vote.

So many young voters across Europe dont believe the future will be better than today and they believe the past was better than today, he said, citing repeated surveys. The current European Union or the (mainstream) parties dont offer a credible or attractive vision for the future for the young.

So the far right is stepping in. In Denmark, Peter Kofod, 29, has risen steadily since his first election in 2014 to city council. The following year, he became chairman of the youth wing of the anti-immigrant, populist Danish Peoples Party, which drew votes from a fifth of young voters.

In Spain, Voxs gains have come at the expense of traditional conservatives, who were slow to counter the upstart far-right partys rise among the young. Its events include popular Pints for Spain evenings at bars, nightclubs and cafes, where no one over 25 is allowed in.

Under Manuel Mariscal, the 27-year-old Vox spokesman and a newly elected lawmaker, the partys main Instagram channel has more than 300,000 followers, more than half of them younger than 34. A lot of its outreach happens on WhatsApp, where Voxs Madrid youth operation has nearly 1,750 active members.

A young kid who is highly motivated is capable of convincing many others. He talks to friends, he debates constantly with others, with family, that enthusiasm is contagious, said Luis Felipe Ulecia, the 24-year-old vice secretary for youth. A bracelet with the Spanish flag around his left wrist, he spoke to AP at a working-class bar in Madrid about the partys efforts to recruit the young.

We are not looking for high-and-mighty young leaders ... they need to be street-smart. They need to know about Spains countryside. And they need to have been to the poligonos, he said, in reference to factory hubs outside the cities.

He later led a small outing of well-dressed young supporters in unfriendly territory in Barcelona, handing out pamphlets and at one point carefully confronting leftist activists.

Although the party has a small footprint in Spain  elections in April made it the No. 5 political party in the parliaments lower house  its already influencing political debates on migration and the countrys territorial unity. Still, Voxs vote total was far lower than its social media following would indicate.

This shows a possible ceiling for the ability of far-right groups to translate likes into votes, according to Manuel Mostaza Barrios, an analyst at the Madrid-based Atrevia consulting group.

As he put it: The candidates most followed on social media arent necessarily those that get the most votes.

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Aritz Parra contributed from Madrid, along with Elaine Ganley in Paris, Jan M. Olsen in Copenhagen, David Rising and Frank Jordans in Berlin, and Raf Casert in Brussels.

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HELSINKI - Over 30 European foreign ministers have gathered in the Finnish capital to mark the 70th anniversary of the continents key human rights body, the Council of Europe.

The festivities were dampened somewhat by Russias continued threat to pull out of the organization due to a long-running dispute over Crimea.

The two-day meeting started Thursday in Helsinkis historic Finlandia Hall, where the 1975 Helsinki Accords, meant to ease East-West Cold War tensions, were signed.

Russia, a member since 1996, has frozen funding to the Council of Europe, based in Strasbourg, France, after the body suspended Moscows voting rights following the annexation of the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine in 2014.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin would not attend the meeting, the countrys foreign ministry told The Associated Press, but host country Finland said Kyiv would still send representatives to the gathering.

Finnish Foreign Minister Timo Soini said his country had tried to find a solution during its chairmanship to help relieve tensions with Russia but said the origin of the crisis was due to Russias actions.

It was the illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014, Soini said. And that cannot be forgotten.

Speeches were given, among others, by Thorbjoern Jagland, the councils secretary general, and Finnish President Sauli Niinisto, whose country currently holds the bodys rotating six-month presidency.

The 47-member Council of Europe was founded in 1949 by Belgium, Britain, Denmark, France, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden as an upholder of democracy, human rights and rule of law. Its latest member is the Balkan nation of Montenegro, which joined in 2007.

The Councils probably best-known unit is the European Court of Human Rights, which enforces the European Convention on Human Rights.

The organization is entirely separate from the European Union, though it works in close co-operation with the 28-member bloc.

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David Keyton in Helsinki and Nataliya Vasilyeva in Moscow contributed to this report.
SALLANCHES, France - A longtime chief of the Basque militant separatist group ETA was arrested Thursday in a French Alps town after being on the run for 17 years, Spanish authorities said, proudly announcing the capture of a man accused of crimes against humanity.

Jose Antonio Urruticoetxea Bengoetxea, known by the alias Josu Ternera, has been the most wanted ETA member since 2002. Interpol, the global police body, had issued a red alert against him. Spanish authorities also accuse him of multiple killings and belonging to a terrorist organization.

ETA, whose initials stand for Basque Homeland and Freedom in the Basque language, killed more than 850 people during its decades-long violent campaign to create an independent state in northern Spain and southern France. The militant group gave up its arms in 2017 and disbanded last year after being weakened by a sustained police effort to dismantle its operations and arrest its leaders.

Spains Interior Ministry said Terneras arrest took place early Thursday in Sallanches, a town of 16,000 in the French Alps, with both French intelligence services and Spanish Civil Guard agents taking part. Spanish authorities said Ternera, 69, had been living near Saint-Gervais-les-Bains, a French winter sports haven close to the borders of France, Switzerland and Italy.

The Paris prosecutors office said Ternera was arrested by Frances domestic intelligence service DGSI, based on a 2017 French conviction in absentia for involvement in a terrorist group. That verdict carried a sentence of eight years in prison and barred him from French territory.

Police took Ternera to the courthouse in nearby Bonneville, where he appeared before a French judge who approved having him remain in custody. Police then marched out Ternera  with a hood covering his head  into an unmarked police car to go to the Bonneville prison.

Prosecutors said he will be brought before the Paris prosecutors office on Friday. Since he was convicted in absentia, Ternera has the right to request a new trial. Bonneville prosecutor Patrice Guigon said Ternera had a lawyer in Paris, but did not identify the attorney.

Guigon said Ternera had been in the region for at least several days. He said he was seen Thursday by a doctor for an unspecified medical problem but the condition was not so severe as to keep him out of prison.

Spain will ask France to extradite Ternera to stand trial for his alleged crimes before he completes his prison sentence there, according to Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska.

The arrest of Josu Ternera has been a maximum priority, Grande-Marlaska said. The collaboration and co-operation with French police and courts has been a decisive element in this victory of the rule of law over the ETA terrorist organization.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said the end of the ETA showed that our commitment against terrorism and for a peaceful coexistence of all people is eternal.

Carmen Ladron de Guevara, a lawyer representing an association of ETAs victims, told The Associated Press in Madrid that Ternera was a macabre symbol.

He is one of the most symbolic members of ETA, Ladron de Guevara said. I started to receive calls from the victims early this morning and one of them told me: Finally.

Terneras voice was identified as one of the two ETA members who read a statement announcing the groups dismantling on audio recordings released on May 3, 2018, capping decades of the militants involvement in bombings, slayings and attacks.

Investigators have tracked Terneras links to ETA since its violent activities shot it to international prominence in the 1970s. Ternera was one of the negotiators who sat down with Spanish government envoys for talks to try to end the groups activities in the mid-2000s.

He went on to become a lawmaker in the Basque regional parliament but went into hiding in late 2002 after Spains Supreme Court summoned him for his alleged involvement in a bomb attack on the barracks of the Civil Guard in Zaragoza that killed 11 people, including six minors. In homage to those victims, investigators dubbed the mission to arrest Ternera Operation Stolen Childhood.

Spanish courts are seeking him for his alleged part in that massacre, as well as for allegedly being involved in the killing of businessman Luis Maria Hergueta Guinea in 1980.

In response to Thursdays arrest, the elected leader of the Basque Country region in northern Spain, Inigo Urkullu, said Basque society had moved past its painful past.

Basque society is moving toward the future ... but with a critical view toward its past and a commitment in the present and future to respect human rights and pluralism, Urkullu said.

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Parra reported from Madrid. Alicia Leon in Madrid, Joseph Wilson in Barcelona, Spain, and Angela Charlton in Paris contributed.
LONDON - Prince Harry settled privacy and data protection claims Thursday against a news agency that hovered over his home in a helicopter and took photos directly into his living room and bedroom.

Harry accepted substantial damages and an apology from Splash News and Picture Agency. The figure was not disclosed.

In a statement read at High Court in London on Harrys behalf, his attorney Gerrard Tyrrell said the rural retreat in Oxfordshire, southern England was chosen because of the high level of privacy it afforded, but that now he and his wife Meghan feel they are no longer able to live at the property.

It said that in January, Splash chartered a helicopter that flew over the home at a low altitude, and photos it took were published by several media outlets.

The agency pledged to cease and desist from selling, issuing, publishing or making available the photographs. Splash also promised not repeat its conduct by using any aerial means to take photographs or film footage of the dukes private home.

Splash says it recognized that this situation represents an error of judgment and promised it would not happen again.

The royals have in the past sought to defend their privacy rights in the courts. Harrys brother William and his wife Kate sued a French gossip magazine, for example, in a case of topless photos of the Duchess of Cambridge.

The couple filed a complaint after the photos were published in the magazine Closer and a regional newspaper in 2012, the year after their wedding.

Harry has complained in the past about intrusive press coverage. He and Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, recently moved from central London to a more secluded home, Frogmore Cottage, near Windsor Castle some 25 miles (40 kilometres) west of London.
LONDON - British Prime Minister Theresa May fended off pressure Thursday from Conservative Party lawmakers demanding that she set a date for her resignation, buying herself a few more weeks to try to unblock Britains Brexit impasse.

But she agreed to give a timetable next month for her departure, raising the prospect that Britain will get a new prime minister before it leaves the European Union  currently scheduled for Oct. 31.

Leaders of a powerful committee that oversees Conservative leadership contests met May to express growing frustration in party ranks at her refusal to name an exit date following her failure to take Britain out of the EU by the original Brexit date of March 29.

Members of the body, known as the 1922 Committee, have threatened May with a leadership challenge if she does not step down.

Committee chairman Graham Brady said after the frank meeting that May wanted to defer naming her departure date until Parliament votes on her Brexit bill in the week of June 3.

Following that ... she and I will meet to agree a timetable for the election of a new leader of the Conservative Party, Brady said.

Mays 10 Downing St. office said Brady spoke with the prime ministers agreement, and insisted May remained focused on securing our departure from the EU by getting backing for her EU divorce deal.

Mays successor will be chosen by a party leadership contest in which any Conservative lawmaker can run. The winner will become party leader and prime minister without the need for a general election.

May survived a no-confidence vote among party colleagues in December, and under Conservative rules she cant face another challenge until a year has passed. Some lawmakers have been pressing for a change to those rules to allow a new vote on Mays leadership as soon as June.

Pro-Brexit Conservatives are furious that Britain has not yet left the EU, almost three years after voters backed Brexit in a referendum. Many blame May for the impasse and want her replaced with a more staunchly pro-Brexit leader such as the former foreign secretary, Boris Johnson.

Johnson told a business event Thursday that of course Im going to go for it when the contest to replace May as Conservative leader is formally launched. Several members of Mays Cabinet have also started unofficial leadership campaigns.

May points out that she struck a divorce deal with the EU, but it has been rejected by Parliament three times, even by many of the same lawmakers who backed Brexit in the referendum.

May has said she will resign once a Brexit deal is approved and make way for a new leader to guide the U.K. through the next stage in the process, which will determine the countrys future relationship with the EU.

The U.K.s departure from the EU, long set for March 29, has been delayed until Oct. 31 while British politicians try to break the deadlock.

May plans to make a fourth attempt to get lawmakers backing for Brexit terms by putting a withdrawal agreement bill to a vote in early June. She says that if it passes, Britain could leave the EU in July, well before the October deadline set by the bloc.

But its unclear how the government plans to persuade a majority of lawmakers to back Mays EU divorce terms, since few legislators on either side of the Brexit divide seem prepared to change their positions.

Weeks of talks between the government and the opposition Labour Party have failed to produce a compromise agreement.

Id have thought it was patently clear that if the prime ministers deal is put for a fourth time, if its allowed, it will fail just as it has failed three times already, said Labour Brexit spokesman Keir Starmer.

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Follow APs full coverage of Brexit at: https://www.apnews.com/Brexit
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates - A Yemen rebel drone strike this week on a critical Saudi oil pipeline shows that the otherwise-peaceful sandy reaches of the Arabian Peninsula now are at risk of similar assault, including an under-construction nuclear power plant and Dubai International Airport, among the worlds busiest.

U.N. investigators said the Houthis new UAV-X drone, found in recent months during the Saudi-led coalitions war in Yemen, likely has a range of up to 1,500 kilometres (930 miles).

That puts the far reaches of both Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, the two main opponents of the Iranian-allied Houthi rebels in Yemen, within reach of drones difficult to detect and track. Their relatively simple design, coupled with readily available information online, makes targeting even easier, analysts say.

These installations are easily findable like on Google Earth, said Tim Michetti, an expert on illicit weapons technology with experience in Yemen. Once you get in the vicinity, that alone has that kind of effect of showing that the reach is there.

The drone attacks come amid heightened tensions between Iran and the U.S., a year after President Donald Trump pulled America out of Tehrans nuclear deal with world powers. The White House has ordered an aircraft carrier and bombers into the region over a still-unexplained threat from Iran, while nonessential employees at U.S. diplomatic posts in Iraq have been ordered to leave the country.

On Sunday, the United Arab Emirates alleged four oil tankers off its eastern coast were targeted by sabotage. On Tuesday, the Houthis say they launched seven drones to target Saudi Arabia. The drones stuck pumping stations along the kingdoms crucial East-West Pipeline, causing minor damage, Saudi officials say.

A satellite photo obtained by The Associated Press of one of the pumping stations showed two black marks near where the pipeline passes that werent there the day before.

In the months after the March 2015 start of the war in Yemen, Houthi rebels began using drones in combat. The first appeared to be off-the-shelf, hobby-kit-style drones. Later, versions nearly identical to Iranian models turned up. Iran denies supplying the Houthis with weapons, although the U.N., the West and Gulf Arab nations say Tehran does.

The rebels have flown drones into the radar arrays of Saudi Arabias Patriot missile batteries, according to Conflict Armament Research, disabling them and allowing the Houthis to fire ballistic missiles into the kingdom unchallenged.

Some have been used for surveillance purposes, while others have been loaded with explosives and ball bearings to deadly effect. In January, a bomb-laden Houthi drone detonated at a military parade near Aden, killing at least six people, including the commander of military intelligence for Yemens internationally recognized government.

Saudi officials havent offered any photographs of the sites attacked, nor given any explanation of what kind of drone the Houthis used Tuesday. However, the UAV-X is a likely culprit.

The drone, with a wingspan of 4.5 metres (14.7 feet), has a V-shaped tail fin. Its powered by a rear-mounted engine and has been found with what appears to be extra fuel tanks welded it to, a U.N. panel of experts found. It carries a 18-kilogram (40-pound) warhead.

The drone is likely programmed to strike a specific latitude and longitude and cannot be controlled once out of radio range, Michetti said. In the case of Tuesdays attack, the latitude and longitude of the pumping stations could be easily found online.

The U.N. put the drones maximum range at 1,500 kilometres.

It would give credence to the claims by the Houthis that they have the capability to hit targets such as Riyadh, Abu Dhabi and Dubai, the U.N. panel said.

For Saudi Arabia, that range puts the oil fields of its Eastern Province in range. Saudi Aramco declined to comment when reached by the AP.

In the neighbouring UAE, an immediate target is the under-construction Barakah nuclear power plant, which is deep in its western desert. The $20 billion, four-reactor plant being built with help from South Korea, has been considered a target by the Houthis since December 2017, when they claimed without offering evidence to have fired a cruise missile at it, something immediately denied by the UAE.

Asked about the possible drone threat, the UAEs Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation said it had in place regulations to ensure the protection of the nuclear power plant from all kinds of threats, including physical or cyberattacks, without elaborating.

Also within reach is the skyscraper-studded city of Dubai, a crucial link in worldwide global travel. Dubai International Airport bills itself as the worlds busiest for international travel.

Officials at the airport declined to comment, referring the AP to the UAEs General Civil Aviation Authority. The authority did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Houthis have claimed without evidence to have targeted both airports in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, something denied by authorities.

Speaking to journalists Wednesday night, a top Emirati diplomat sought to play down the danger faced by the federation of seven sheikhdoms, while still acknowledging the threats to regional stability.

We live in a region where we cant come and be happy because we are the only house in the neighbourhood that has not been arsoned or burgled, said Anwar Gargash, the UAEs minister of state for foreign affairs.

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Follow Jon Gambrell on Twitter at www.twitter.com/jongambrellAP .
BAGHDAD - A hospital and local authorities in the southern Iraqi city of Najaf say four people were killed in unrest that erupted as a mall burned down during a demonstration there.

The Najaf provinces security command said security forces arrested five mall guards who had fired at the demonstrators, killing and wounding several.

The citys Hakim Hospital said on Thursday morning that 17 people were also wounded in the unrest overnight.

The fire at the Bashir Mall erupted after the guards opened fire at supporters of populist Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr who were rallying against his former aide, Kazm al-Issawi, outside the mall.

Al-Sadr had earlier condemned corruption in the country and fired al-Issawi over graft. His political office says the demonstrators were protesting against corrupt officials.
BKIRKI, Lebanon - Lebanon on Thursday laid to rest the former patriarch of Lebanons Maronite Christian church, a key political figure in the countrys troubled modern history, following a state funeral attended by top political and spiritual leaders and more than a thousand people.

Also attending the funeral of Cardinal Nasrallah Butros Sfeir was French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, representing President Emmanuel Macron, and other foreign dignitaries and representatives from Arab countries and the Vatican.

Sfeir, who served as spiritual leader of Lebanons largest Christian community through some of the worst days of the countrys 1975-1990 civil war, died Sunday at the age of 98.

A mass was held Thursday in Bkirki, north of Beirut, the seat of the Maronite church. Clergymen carried Sfeirs wooden coffin, made from Lebanese olive and cedar wood. Earlier in the day, visiting Acting Assistant Secretary of State David Satterfield visited Bkirki and paid his condolences.

The Lebanese government had declared two days of mourning starting Wednesday, during which flags were being flown at half-staff. Thursday was a day off.

Sfeir was one of the most prominent and high-ranking Christian leaders in the mostly Muslim Middle East. An outspoken critic of Syria, he played a key role in shaping the countrys post-war politics.

He is remembered mostly for spearheading an opposition movement calling for the withdrawal of thousands of Syrian forces from Lebanon in the 1990s, as well as for brokering a historic reconciliation in the Chouf mountains between Lebanons Maronites and members of the Druze sect in August 2001.

He then famously visited the Chouf mountains, scene of some of the worst sectarian massacres of the civil war, after brokering the reconciliation.

He is the patriarch of national reconciliation, the current patriarch, Bechara Rai, said.

Lebanon has the largest percentage of Christians in the Middle East, a third of its 4 million people, with Maronite Catholics being the largest sect. Lebanon is the only Arab country with a Christian head of state.
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates - The Latest on developments in the Persian Gulf region and elsewhere in the Mideast amid heightened tensions between the U.S. and Iran (all times local):

10:45 p.m.

Pakistans Foreign Ministry has urged the United States and Iran to exercise restraint and resolve their all issues through talks to avoid conflict.

Mohammad Faisal, ministry spokesman, told a news conference Thursday that recent developments in the Persian Gulf region were disturbing and that Washingtons move to deploy aircraft carrier and bombers has added to the tensions and the existing precarious security situation in Middle East.

He said Islamabad expects all sides to show restraint as a miscalculated move can transmute into a large-scale conflict.

Pakistan has been a key ally of the United States in its war on terror since 2001 and it also enjoys good relations with neighbouring Iran.

Pakistan also has close ties with Saudi Arabia and it maintains a balancing act between Riyadh and Tehran.

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4:55 p.m.

Sky News is reporting that the U.K. has raised the threat level for British personnel in Iraq because of a heightened risk from Iran.

Sky also said on Thursday that British forces and diplomats in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Qatar have also been placed on an increased state of alert.

The Ministry of Defence declined to comment. But it said Wednesday that it recognizes threats in the region to British, American and coalition forces and acts accordingly.

The ministry says it keeps the security of our deployed personnel and assets under constant review and that it has a very robust range of force protection measures.

It says that Britain has long been clear about our concerns over Irans destabilizing behaviour in the region.

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4:35 p.m.

A state-aligned Saudi newspaper is calling for surgical U.S. strikes in retaliation against alleged threats from Iran.

The Arab News published an editorial in English on Thursday, arguing that after incidents this week against Saudi energy targets, the next logical step should be surgical strikes.

The editorial says U.S. airstrikes in Syria, when the government there was suspected of using chemical weapons against civilians, set a precedent.

It added that its clear that (U.S.) sanctions are not sending the right message and that they must be hit hard, in reference to Iran, without elaborating on what specific targets should be struck.

The newspapers publisher is the Saudi Research and Marketing Group, a company that had long been chaired by various sons of King Salman until 2014 and is regarded as reflecting official position.

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3:30 p.m.

Irans ambassador to the United Nations says the Islamic Republic is not interested in escalating regional tensions but has the right to defend ourselves.

Majid Takht-e Ravanchi made the comments in an interview Thursday on NPRs Morning Edition.

Ravanchi said: We are not interested in the escalation of tensions in our region. If something goes wrong, everyone loses.

However, he added: It is our right to be prepared. It is our right to defend ourselves. He accused the U.S. and regional nations of airing false allegations about Iran.

In recent days, the United Arab Emirates has alleged four oil tankers off its east coast were targeted in sabotage attacks, while Iranian-allied rebels in Yemen launched a co-ordinated drone attack on Saudi Arabia.

The U.S. has sent an aircraft carrier and bombers into the Mideast to counter a still-unexplained threat it perceives from Tehran.

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2:30 p.m.

Iran says it has successfully tested a firewall to prevent cyberattacks on industrial facilities.

Telecommunications Minister Mohammad Javad Azari Jahromi said in a post on his Instagram page that the firewall was designed by Iranian students, without providing further details.

Iran blamed Israel for a cyberattack on its communications infrastructure in November.

The Islamic Republic moved to boost its cyber capabilities in 2011 after the Stuxnet computer virus destroyed thousands of centrifuges involved in its contested nuclear program. Stuxnet is widely believed to be an American and Israeli creation.

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1:15 p.m.

Yemens Health Ministry has raised the death toll from early morning airstrikes by the Saudi-led coalition, saying six people were killed, including four children.

The ministry says 41 people were also wounded, including two women of Russian nationality.

Thursdays airstrikes came after Yemens Iran-backed Houthi rebels, who control the capital, launched a drone attack Tuesday on a critical oil pipeline in Saudi Arabia, Tehrans biggest rival in the region.

Meanwhile, Saudi Deputy Defence Minister Khalid bin Salman wrote on Twitter on Thursday that Tehran had ordered the terrorist acts carried out by the Houthis against the oil pipeline.

He said the attack proves the Houthis are merely a tool that Irans regime uses to implement its expansionist agenda in the region.

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11:50 a.m.

A Yemeni medic and residents of the countrys capital, Sanaa, say at least three people, including a child, were killed in Saudi-led airstrikes on the city earlier in the morning.

Thursdays airstrikes came two days after Yemens Iran-backed Houthi rebels, who control the capital, launched a drone attack on a critical oil pipeline in Saudi Arabia, Tehrans biggest rival in the region.

In Sanaa, people scrambled to pull 14 wounded from the rubble of a building hit by one of the airstrikes in the al-Raqas neighbourhood.

A medic at the al-Manar city hospital said bodies of three civilians killed in the strikes were brought to the hospital morgue. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasnt authorized to speak to the media.

Fawaz Ahmed, a middle-aged broker, told The Associated Press he saw the three bodies being retrieved from the rubble  a father, his child and his wife, all buried together.

Ahmed Al-Haj in Sanaa, Yemen;

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10:30 a.m.

Residents in the Yemeni capital of Sanaa are saying there has been a wave of airstrikes that have hit targets in the city this morning, including a residential house. They say there are casualties, including civilians.

The residents say the airstrikes started early on Thursday, with coalition jets bombing military sites belonging to the rebel Houthis who have been at war with the coalition since 2015.

They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media.

On Wednesday, Iran-aligned Houthi rebels launched a co-ordinated drone attack on a critical oil pipeline in Saudi Arabia, Tehrans biggest rival in the region. It was the latest incident to shake global energy markets.

Ahmed Al-Haj in Sanaa, Yemen;

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9:40 a.m.

The Qatar-funded satellite news broadcaster Al-Jazeera says that Doha is trying to defuse escalating tensions across the Persian Gulf.

Al-Jazeera cited an anonymous official on Wednesday night as saying that Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani had travelled to Tehran in recent days to speak with his Iranian counterpart, Mohammad Javad Zarif.

Al-Jazeera said the U.S. was aware of the trip in advance, but did not elaborate further. FlightRadar24.com, a flight-tracking website, showed a Qatari government airplane landed in Tehran on Saturday.

Qatar hosts the forward headquarters of the U.S. militarys Central Command at its vast Al-Udeid Air Base. Several of the B-52 bombers ordered by the White House to the region amid the latest escalation between Washington and Tehran are stationed there.

Qatar has grown closer to Iran diplomatically amid it begin boycotted by four Arab nations over a political dispute.

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9:30 a.m.

Irans foreign minister says his country is committed to an international nuclear deal but that the escalating U.S. sanctions are unacceptable.

The remarks come amid rising tensions in the Mideast, with allegations of sabotage targeting oil tankers near the Persian Gulf, a drone attack by Yemens Iranian-allied rebels and the dispatch of U.S. warships and bombers to the region.

Foreign Minister Mohammad Zarif told Japanese officials on Thursday in Tokyo that his countrys response to the U.S. actions is within the frameworks of the current nuclear deal and Irans rights.

Iran recently threatened to resume higher enrichment in 60 days if no new nuclear deal is in place, beyond the level permitted by the current one between Tehran and world powers. The U.S. pulled out of the deal last year.
ANKARA, Turkey - Turkeys justice minister says imprisoned Kurdish rebel leader Abdullah Ocalan will be allowed regular visits by his lawyers to his island prison.

Abdulhamit Gul announced the decision Thursday amid a hunger strike by hundreds of prisoners across Turkey who are demanding improved conditions for Ocalan, including permission for family members and lawyers to visit.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is preparing to court Kurdish votes ahead of a repeat mayoral election in Istanbul on June 23.

Lawyers visited Ocalan on Imrali island, off Istanbul, on May 2, and relayed a message asking that the hunger strikes end. It was the first time lawyers were able to see him since 2011.

Ocalan, the leader of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party, has been serving a life prison term since 1999.
SAN DIEGO - Attorneys for a Navy officer who supervised a SEAL accused of killing an Islamic State prisoner demanded prosecutors stop monitoring defence lawyer emails and put the case on hold, according to court documents obtained Wednesday by The Associated Press.

Lawyers for Lt. Jacob Portier also asked a judge to hold a public hearing into the intrusion and the extent of its impact  or dismiss the case.

A Navy prosecutor acknowledged the tracking as part of an effort to find the source of document leaks after being confronted last week, defence lawyers said.

Leaks have plagued the case of Special Operations Chief Edward Gallagher, who has pleaded not guilty to murder in the fatal stabbing of an injured teenage militant in 2017 in Iraq. Portier, Gallaghers platoon commander, is fighting charges of conduct unbecoming an officer for allegedly conducting Gallaghers re-enlistment ceremony next to the corpse.

The case has become politically charged with GOP congress members calling for prosecutors to drop the case and President Donald Trump tweeting in advance of Gallagher being transferred from the brig to a naval hospital that the move was to honour his past service to our country.

Defence lawyers want to know who approved the unusual snooping tactic and who is being targeted. If one of Portiers lawyers is under investigation, it could create a conflict to represent him and violate the sacrosanct confidentiality of the attorney-client relationship, wrote Air Force Lt. Col. Nicholas McCue, one of Portiers defence lawyers.

Gallaghers attorney, Tim Parlatore, said he will seek dismissal of the case because of the intrusion or seek to have the prosecutors and judge removed from the case.

A Navy spokesman declined to comment.

The emails were sent to 13 members of the defence teams and to Carl Prine, a reporter and editor with the Navy Times newspaper who has broken several stories on the case based on leaked documents. None of the documents was classified, he said.

Parlatore noticed a suspicious logo of an American flag with a bald eagle perched on the scales of justice beneath the signature of Cmdr. Christopher Czaplak, the lead prosecutor.

During a closed-door court meeting Friday in San Diego, defence lawyers complained about the emails and learned that the judge in Gallaghers case, Cmdr. Aaron Rugh, had held three private meetings with prosecutors and was aware of the investigation and software, attorney Jeremiah J. Sullivan III said in court documents.

Lawyers were told to contact Assistant U.S. Attorney Fred Sheppard, a prosecutor in the federal court system, which is separate from military courts.

Sheppard did not return an email or voicemail seeking comment from AP. Kelly Thornton, a spokesman for the U.S. attorney in San Diego, said in a statement that her office is not handling the ongoing court martial proceedings involving Edward Gallagher and is not involved in the production or dissemination of discovery in that case.

It is not clear what role federal prosecutors might play in the investigation, but having another arm of the government looking into the leaks might not raise serious legal or constitutional questions, said David Glazier, a professor at Loyola Law School and Navy veteran. A separate investigation would provide a firewall to prevent information gleaned from the defence from being shared with prosecutors.

However, in this case, the emails came from the military prosecutor, which compromises the integrity of the effort, he said.

The fact that they used the vehicle from the military prosecutor to get into the computers of the defence team makes this case unique and, to my mind, does taint it, Glazier said. How can the defence now trust any communications they would get from the prosecution again and how do they trust that their computers dont now have some Trojan horse that could now be sharing privileged communications with the government?

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Melley contributed from Los Angeles.
TAMARAC, Fla. - Authorities say a Florida deputy fatally shot a man suspected of killing his ex-girlfriend.

A Broward Sheriffs Office news release says a veteran sergeant shot 43-year-old Ronny Santana Rodriguez, who was armed with a knife Wednesday at a Tamarac home.

The release says the ex-boyfriend killed 44-year-old Rosa Hilda Martinez and injured her new boyfriend. The new boyfriend was able to get three children and their grandmother out of the home to wait for deputies.

When deputies confronted the ex-boyfriend in the home, they first used a stun gun before using deadly force, according to authorities. The ex-boyfriend was taken to a hospital, where he died.

No deputies were injured.

Sheriffs Office detectives are investigating the womans death. State law enforcement officials are investigating the deputy-involved shooting.
WASHINGTON - Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue said Wednesday his agency is still in the throes of constructing an aid package for farmers hurt by retaliatory tariffs, but he is not prepared to say when it will be ready.

Perdue said the Agriculture Department is reviewing feedback from producers about the strengths and weaknesses of last years relief package, valued at up to $12 billion. This years package could range between $15 billion and $20 billion, Perdue projected.

He also predicted that the relief amount will be enough to offset losses that farmers are facing as a result of lower prices due in part to retaliatory tariffs.

President Donald Trump tasked Perdue with putting together another aid package for farmers after talks with China deteriorated in recent weeks. The Trump administration responded by more than doubling tariffs on $200 billion in Chinese imports and spelled out plans to target the $300 billion worth that arent already facing 25% taxes.

China retaliated with tariffs on $60 billion in U.S. imports. China and other countries hit by U.S. tariffs have largely targeted American agriculture in response to Trumps tariffs.

Perdue, speaking to reporters by telephone from South Korea, said Trump has asked that the relief package for farmers be expedited. He said it would likely include features from last year, including direct payments to farmers based on their production.

Some commodities fared better than others and are lobbying for changes. The National Corn Growers Association said last years program gave corn farmers 1 cent per bushel. A penny didnt cut it then and wont cut it now, the group said Wednesday.

Perdue expressed hope that a trade deal with China will still be worked out and predicted that farmers will not be harmed in the long term.

He said the department is still reviewing responses to a program he believed worked well last year.

Well try to learn from it and improve from it, Perdue said.
FAIRBANKS, Alaska - A man was arrested after a surveillance camera showed him raping a woman inside an Alaska police station, authorities said.

An emergency dispatcher alerted officers after security cameras caught the assault in the station vestibule, the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner reported Tuesday. An officer pulled the man off the unconscious woman, who then woke up and was taken to Fairbanks Memorial Hospital, police say.

Devan Thomas Gage, 25, was arrested Monday at the station and told officers he thought it would be adventurous to rape an incapacitated woman in a police station, authorities said.

Gage told officers he acted really just out of boredom and said it was a mistake, according to a criminal complaint filed Tuesday in Fairbanks court.

The video footage shows Gage and the woman entering the vestibule around 4 a.m. and appearing to fall asleep on a bench before Gage got up and forced himself on the woman while she was unconscious, authorities said.

The woman fell to the floor after an officer pulled Gage off of her and slowly regained consciousness. The woman appeared confused and became emotional, telling an officer she never consented to have sex with Gage, the complaint said.

Gage said he was sober, did not have any mental or medical problems and had been with the woman all night, according to police, who found an empty bottle of vodka in his pocket.

Alaska law prohibits operation of a motor vehicle by anyone with a blood alcohol concentration of .08% or more. A breath test showed the woman registered 0.3%. Gage registered 0%, police said.

Gage is represented by the public defenders agency, which did not immediately return a call from The Associated Press seeking comment.
LOS ANGELES - The Latest on a fatal industrial accident at the Port of Los Angeles (all times local):

5 p.m.:

Officials have identified a dockworker killed in an industrial accident at the Port of Los Angeles.

Hes 58-year-old Jose Santoyo.

A port spokesman says Santoyo and an unidentified worker were repairing the tire of a container-handling top loader Wednesday morning when there was an explosion.

Preliminary reports indicated the tire, which was several feet tall, may have exploded.

The other worker was taken to a hospital. Theres no immediate word on his injuries or condition.

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12:01 p.m.:

A dockworker has been killed and another seriously injured in an accident at a Port of Los Angeles container terminal.

A port statement says the accident occurred at 7:25 a.m. Wednesday at Fenix Marine Services and involved container handling equipment.

The unidentified injured worker was taken to Harbor UCLA Medical Center.

The dead worker was only identified as a member of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union.

Port Executive Director Gene Seroka says its particularly tragic that the accident occurred on the day of the unions annual First Blood commemoration. The event remembers workers killed in a melee during a 1934 strike and others killed on the job.

The accident is being investigated by port police, state occupational safety officials and the Coast Guard.

The container terminal remains closed.
WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump on Wednesday granted a full pardon to Conrad Black, a former newspaper publisher who has written a flattering political biography of Trump.

Blacks media empire once included the Chicago Sun-Times and The Daily Telegraph of London. He was convicted of fraud in 2007 and spent three and a half years in prison. An appeals court reversed two convictions, but left two others in place.

White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said Black has made tremendous contributions to business, and to political and historical thought.

In 2018, Black published Donald J. Trump: A President Like No Other. He wrote a column Wednesday in Canadas National Post describing how Trump called him and revealed the pardon.

He could not have been more gracious and quickly got to his point: he was granting me a full pardon, wrote Black, who used much of the rest of the column to explain the case. He called it a long ordeal that was never anything but a confluence of unlucky events, the belligerence of several corporate governance charlatans, and grandstanding local and American judges, all fanned by an unusually frenzied international media showing exceptional interest in the case because I was a media owner.

In 2015, Black wrote a National Review essay titled Trump Is the Good Guy. Trump tweeted it was an honour to read the piece, adding, As one of the truly great intellects & my friend, I wont forget!

The former media mogul was convicted of defrauding investors. A former member of the British House of Lords, he was sentenced to more than six years in prison after his 2007 conviction in Chicago, but was released on bail two years later to pursue an appeal that was partially successful. A judge reduced his sentence to three years.

Sanders said Black is the author of several notable biographies, including volumes on Presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt and Richard Nixon, but she did not mention his book about Trump.

She said Blacks case attracted broad support from many high-profile individuals  including former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, Elton John and Rush Limbaugh  who have vigorously vouched for his exceptional character.

Trump on Wednesday also pardoned Patrick Nolan, a former Republican leader of the California State Assembly. Nolan has been a vocal advocate for criminal justice reform since he spent more than two years in federal prison during the 1990s.

Sanders said Nolan wrote a guide for churches and community groups to help prisoners return to their communities. While incarcerated, he also helped organize religious-study groups and he is uniformly described as a man of principle and integrity, she said.

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Associated Press writer Rob Gillies contributed to this report from Toronto.
NEW YORK - The Woodstock 50 festival is back on after a court on Wednesday rebuffed an ex-investors effort to cancel the anniversary extravaganza  but organizers will have to do without some $18 million, at least for now.

Manhattan judge Barry Ostrager ruled the festivals former chief backer, Amplifi Live, couldnt singlehandedly call off the August show but also doesnt have to put the $18 million back into it. The money dispute and other issues are poised for arbitration.

Organizers celebrated the ruling, which came after dueling claims about whether the festival was on or off.

We have always relied on the truth and have never lost faith that the festival would take place, said Michael Lang, one of Woodstock 50s organizers and a promoter of the original 1969 Woodstock concert.

Amplifi, meanwhile, said it felt vindicated by the judges ruling on the $18 million.

The court did not rule that Amplifi Lives assumption of control over the festival was improper, the company noted in a statement, adding that it doesnt plan to invest further in Woodstock 50 because of issues including the compressed timeframe and multiple health and safety concerns.

The event is planned for Aug. 16-18 in Watkins Glen, New York, and is billed as a once-in-a-lifetime tribute to the 1969 concert that became a defining moment in pop music and a cultural touchstone.

Saying organizers had made a mess of planning, Amplifi cited safety concerns and announced April 29 that it was cancelling the three-day concert.

The organizers group, Woodstock 50 LLC, retorted that Amplifi was undermining the show  which was still a go  and had snatched $18 million from the festivals bank account. Amplifi, an arm of Japan-based marketing firm Dentsu, said it just reclaimed its own money.

After a hearing this week, the judge said Wednesday that Amplifi presented convincing testimony that it was trying to stem its losses from a festival that was facing significant hurdles with just three months to go.

While over 80 acts have been booked, production company Superfly dropped out this month after tangling with organizers over how many people the Watkins Glen International racetrack could accommodate; organizers envisioned 150,000, but Superfly said 65,000 was the safe and appropriate capacity.

Ticket sales have been delayed, permits are still in the works and major venue improvements  including roads and a temporary water system  need to be made, according to court documents and testimony.

Youre basically creating a city for three to five days, Peter Office, a music festival planner who works with Amplifi Live, testified at the hearing.

The judge said arbitration might ultimately determine that Amplifi was within its rights to take control of the festival, but ruled the investor does not have the right to unilaterally cancel the festival under its contract with Woodstock 50 LLC.

The organizers have said theyre working to line up a new production company and source of financing.

With Jay-Z, Dead & Company and the Killers as headliners, the lineup includes some original Woodstock veterans, such as Santana and John Fogerty. But the show will also feature artists from newer generations, like the Raconteurs, Chance the Rapper and Miley Cyrus.

A separate anniversary show is planned on the same dates at the site of the original Woodstock concert, now run by The Bethel Woods Center for the Arts in Bethel, New York. Performers expected there include Ringo Starr and Santana.
NEWBURYPORT, Mass. - A 71-year-old man, inspired by his work last year at a park where veterans were camping because they were homeless and struggling with addiction, embarked on a 3,600-mile (5,793-kilometre), coast-to-coast walk this week to draw attention to their plight.

William Shuttleworth, toting a 25-pound (11-kilogram) backpack and singing America the Beautiful, departed his hometown of Newburyport, of Massachusetts, on Wednesday for what he estimates will be a 7 1/2-month trek to Vandenberg Air Force Base in Lompoc, California.

He plans to talk to veterans along the way and raise public awareness about the health care, housing and economic issues that many face, he told The Daily News of Newburyport .

Im particularly concerned about the number of homeless veterans that have mental health issues and the number of veterans that every day struggle with opioid and alcohol issues, Shuttleworth told WFXT-TV .

He has been walking about 20 miles (32 kilometres) a day for months to train and said hes lucky to be healthy enough for such an endeavour.

The Air Force veteran, who also had a 35-year career as an educator, has mapped his route and plans to walk about 25 miles (40 kilometres) per day. He intends to camp out because he hasnt reserved overnight accommodations.

He estimates hell go through six or seven pairs of walking shoes.

Supporters can follow his progress on his website, https://vetsdontforgetvets.com .

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Information from: The Daily News of Newburyport (Mass.), http://www.newburyportnews.com
BISMARCK, N.D. - Attorneys for oil pipeline opponents are fighting a South Dakota sheriffs attempt to be dismissed as a defendant in a lawsuit challenging new state laws that aim to prevent disruptive demonstrations against the Keystone XL pipeline.

Pennington County Sheriff Kevin Thom should remain a defendant in the suit spearheaded by the American Civil Liberties Union because he will be enforcing law that amounts to an unconstitutional infringement on free speech, an attorney for the plaintiffs argued in a Tuesday court filing.

The Republican-backed legislation passed in March allows officials to pursue criminal or civil penalties from demonstrators who engage in riot boosting, which is defined in part as encouraging violence during a riot.

Supporters of the legislation sought to head off protests of the Keystone XL like those mounted against the Dakota Access oil pipeline in North Dakota in 2016 and 2017. North Dakota spent $38 million on policing those protests, which resulted in 761 arrests over a six-month span.

The ACLU is suing South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg and Thom in federal court on behalf of activists. An attorney for Thom last month asked that the sheriff be dismissed from the lawsuit, saying he must enforce state laws but isnt responsible for defending them. Attorney Rebeca L. Mann also argued that Pennington County shouldnt have to defend state laws that it doesnt have the power to change.

Plaintiffs attorney Brendan Johnson countered in Tuesdays court filing that each time Thom makes a choice about the laws meaning, as the highest official in the county for that action, he is doing so as a policymaker for Pennington County.

Johnson also argued that Thom must use his own discretion when enforcing the law, making him an appropriate defendant.

Pennington County is one of eight South Dakota counties along the route of TC Energys planned Keystone XL pipeline to move Canadian crude through Montana and South Dakota to Nebraska, where it would connect with lines to Gulf Coast refineries. The $8 billion project has the backing of President Donald Trump but is being fought in the courts by opponents.

The ACLU of South Dakota, North Dakota and Wyoming said it named Thom as a defendant in the lawsuit because hes sheriff in the county in which the activists are working. Plaintiffs include the Rapid City-based NDN Collective non-profit, which advocates for indigenous peoples and climate change awareness.

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Follow Blake Nicholson on Twitter: https://twitter.com/NicholsonBlake
MONTGOMERY, Ala. - Democratic U.S. Sen. Doug Jones condemned Alabamas new abortion ban as extreme and irresponsible Thursday, a day after the states Republican governor signed the most restrictive abortion measure in the country into law.

I think this bill, frankly, is shameful. It is callous, Jones told reporters. This bill uses rape victims and victims of incest at all ages, even minors, as political pawns.

The legislation signed by Gov. Kay Ivey on Wednesday would make performing an abortion a felony in nearly all cases and contains no exceptions for cases of rape or incest. Supporters hope to launch a challenge to Roe v. Wade, the 1973 Supreme Court decision that made the procedure legal.

To the bills many supporters, this legislation stands as a powerful testament to Alabamians deeply held belief that every life is precious and that every life is a sacred gift from God, Ivey said in a statement after signing the bill.

Jones, the lone Democrat to hold statewide office in Alabama, said he thought the debate was focused on the most extreme voices on both sides.

I just dont think that it is representative of what most people in Alabama think or what they want from the government, he said.

But the laws sponsor, Rep. Terri Collins, said she believes a majority of Alabamians support it: 59% of state voters in November agreed to write anti-abortion language in the Alabama Constitution, saying the state recognizes the rights of the unborn.

Its to address the issue that Roe. v. Wade was decided on: Is that baby in the womb a person? Collins said.

The Alabama abortion ban is the most far-reaching measure as some conservative states push new abortion restrictions in the hopes of getting a case before the conservative Supreme Court majority.

The abortion ban would go into effect in six months if it isnt blocked by legal challenges, which Jones anticipates costing millions of dollars.

This bill is unconstitutional as it stands right now and, I believe, irresponsible, he said.

Abortion rights advocates have vowed swift legal action.

We havent lost a case in Alabama yet and we dont plan to start now. We will see Governor Ivey in court, said Staci Fox, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Southeast.

The legislation Alabama senators passed Tuesday would make performing an abortion at any stage of pregnancy a felony punishable by 10 to 99 years or life in prison for the provider. The only exception would be when the womans health is at serious risk. Women seeking or undergoing abortions wouldnt be punished.

It just completely disregards women and the value of women and their voice. We have once again silenced women on a very personal issue, said Sen. Linda Coleman-Madison, a Birmingham Democrat.

Kentucky , Mississippi , Ohio and Georgia recently approved bans on abortion once a fetal heartbeat is detected, which can occur in about the sixth week of pregnancy. Missouris Republican-led Senate voted early Thursday to ban abortions at eight weeks, with no rape or incest exceptions. Louisiana lawmakers have been speeding toward passing a six-week ban.

Dr. Yashica Robinson, who provides abortions in Huntsville, said her clinic fielded calls from frightened patients Wednesday.

This is a really sad day for women in Alabama and all across the nation, she said. Its like we have just taken three steps backwards as far as womens rights and being able to make decisions that are best for them and best for their families.

But Robinson said the bill is also having an energizing effect. With phone lines jammed, she said messages came streaming across their fax machine.

We had letters coming across the fax just asking what they can do to help and telling us they are sending us their love and support our way, Robinson said.
WASHINGTON - Unveiling a new immigration plan, President Donald Trump said he wanted to provide a sharp contrast with Democrats, and he did  aiming to upend decades of family-based immigration policy with a new approach that favours younger, totally brilliant, high-skilled workers he says wont compete for American jobs.

Trumps sweeping immigration plan is more a campaign document than anything else. Its a White House attempt to stretch beyond the build-the-wall rhetoric that swept the president to office but may not be enough to deliver him a second term. As Trump heads into reelection season, his campaign sees the plan as a way to help him look more reasonable on a signature issue than he often seems  and to cast Democrats as blocking him.

Trumps Rose Garden address was tempered. By Friday morning, while he requested Democratic support, Trump fired off tweets about bad hombres moving into the United States and how they will be removed.

Border Patrol is apprehending record numbers of people at the Southern Border. The bad hombres, of which there are many, are being detained & will be sent home, Trump tweeted.

All people that are illegally coming into the United States now will be removed from our Country at a later date as we build up our removal forces and as the laws are changed. ... Please do not make yourselves too comfortable, you will be leaving soon!

Trump said Thursday that his new system, with points given for those with advanced degrees, job offers and other attributes, will make it exactly clear what standards we ask you to achieve.

Nowadays, we discriminate against genius, he said, using a softer tone than his usual fiery campaign rallies. We discriminate against brilliance. We wont anymore once we get this passed.

Even before the speech, Democrats, whose votes would be needed for any bill to be approved by the divided Congress, panned the effort and questioned the Republican Partys commitment to families.

Are they saying family is without merit? asked House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Are they saying most of the people whove come to the United States in the history of our country are without merit because they dont have an engineering degree?

Pelosi continued: Certainly we want to attract the best to our country. But she said merit is a condescending word that means merit in the eyes of Donald Trump.

Trumps new plan has been months in the making, a project of his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, who has been meeting privately with business groups, religious leaders and conservatives to find common ground among Republicans on an issue that has long divided the party.

Kushner has long complained that many advocates on the immigration issue are very clear about what theyre against, but have much more trouble articulating what theyre for. Kushner set out to create a proposal that Republicans might be able to rally around, his mission to give the president and his party a clear platform heading into the 2020 elections.

Trump didnt mention his son-in-laws work during the address but noted that the proposal wasnt written by politicians. Instead, the president said it had input from law enforcement personnel. It also had echoes of White House senior adviser Stephen Miller, who wants to push down the countrys immigration levels and has driven much of the administrations policy.

As part of the plan, officials want to shore up ports of entry to ensure all vehicles and people are screened and to create a self-sustaining fund, paid for with increased fees, to modernize ports of entry.

The plan also calls for building border wall in targeted locations and continues to push for an overhaul to the U.S. asylum system, with the goal of processing fewer applications and more quickly removing people who dont qualify.

In addition, the plan includes a proposal to allow public donations to pay for the presidents long-promised border wall.

The plan does not address what to do about the millions of immigrants already living in the country illegally, including hundreds of thousands of young Dreamers brought to the U.S. as children  a top priority for Democrats. Nor does it reduce overall rates of immigration, as Miller and many conservative Republicans would like.

Republicans in Congress who were briefed on the plan by Kushner and Miller earlier this week welcomed, but did not fully embrace, the approach. Some of those up for reelection, including Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, objected to its failure to account for the young Dreamers.

At its core, the proposal would fundamentally overhaul how the country for decades has approached immigration. The country has long placed a preference on providing green cards to family members of immigrants.

Under the Trump plan, the country would award the same number of green card as it now does, about 1 million annually. But far more would go to exceptional students, professionals and people with high-level and vocational degrees. Factors such as age, English language ability and employment offers would also be considered.

Far fewer green cards would be given to people with relatives already in the U.S. They would be reserved just for immediate family members  Trump mentioned spouses and children  rather than parents and adult siblings. Fifty-seven per cent would be awarded on merit as opposed to the current 12%.

Our plan is pro-American, pro-immigrant and pro-worker, Trump said, saying it contrasts with what he called Democrats support of chaos.

Lisa Koop, director of legal services at the National Immigrant Justice Center, called Trumps plan a political stunt intended to posture rather than problem-solve.

Mark Krikorian, executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies, which advocates for lower immigration rates, welcomed a very positive effort that was undermined by the embrace of the current very high level of immigration.

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Associated Press writers Kevin Freking and Colleen Long in Washington and Nicholas Riccardi in Denver contributed to this report.

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Follow Colvin, Miller and Mascaro on Twitter at https://twitter.com/colvinj and https://twitter.com/zekejmiller and twitter.com/lisamascaro
NEW ORLEANS - The Coast Guard says a newly installed containment system is collecting oil at the site of a 14-year-old oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico.

A Coast Guard statement Thursday describes the installation of the subsea containment system as a major milestone in long-running efforts by the federal government to contain the leak.

Taylor Energy Co. ultimately is responsible for ending the leak at the site off Louisianas coast where one of its oil platforms toppled during a 2004 hurricane.

In December, the New Orleans-based company sued to challenge a Coast Guard officials order to design and install a new system to capture and remove the crude before it forms slicks that often stretch for miles.

Coast Guard Capt. Kristi Luttrell says the chronic sheen has become barely visible.
WASHINGTON - President Donald Trumps high-profile trade offensives have grabbed headlines and rattled financial markets around the world. Hes battling China over the industries of the future, strong-arming Canada and Mexico into reshaping North American trade and threatening to tax cars from Europe and Japan.

But his trade warriors are fighting dozens of more obscure battles, too  over laminated woven sacks from Vietnam, dried tart cherries from Turkey, rubber bands from Thailand and many others.

Under the radar, the Trump administration has launched 162 investigations into allegations that U.S. trading partners dump products at cut-rate prices or unfairly subsidize their exporters  a 224% jump from the number of cases the Obama administration pursued in the same time in office.
LOS ANGELES - DJ Khaled is releasing a single with Nipsey Hussle that was filmed days before Hussle was shot to death in Los Angeles.

Khaled announced on Twitter on Wednesday that all proceeds from Higher will be donated to Hussles children, 10-year-old Emani and 2-year-old Kross.

Khaled says he decided to share the single after much prayer and with the full blessing of Hussles family. He says the title of the song reminds us that vibrating on a Higher level was the essence of Nipseys soul.

The song also features John Legend.

Hussle was shot to death in what police said was a personal dispute outside his South Los Angeles clothing store on March 31.

The man charged in the shooting has pleaded not guilty.
NEW ORLEANS - The years widespread flooding has made it likely that a big, oxygen-starved dead zone off Louisianas coast will form this summer, the head of the National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science said Thursday.

Preliminary computer model runs indicate a large to very large year, for the area where theres too little oxygen to support marine life, Steven Thur told the Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Hypoxia Task Force during a meeting livestreamed from Baton Rouge. Thurs agency is part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

The task force co-ordinates work to cut the amount of nitrogen and phosphorus flowing into the Gulf. The nutrients feed algae and plankton which die and fall to the bottom. Their decomposition uses up oxygen from the bottom up, resulting in low oxygen levels, called hypoxia. Fish and shrimp can swim away, but starfish and other bottom-dwellers die.

A detailed forecast of the worlds second-largest human-caused dead zone usually comes out in June.

The spring floods are likely to mean significant amounts of the widely used fertilizers have run from farmland into waterways in the 31 states that feed the Mississippi River. Sewage treatment plants, manure, and other sources also contribute to the rivers nutrient load from 41% of the U.S. mainland.

Last years dead zone covered about 2,720 square miles (7,040 square kilometres), about 40% the average size that had been predicted, and was one of the smallest recorded since Louisiana researcher Nancy Rabalais began mapping them in 1985.

It was smaller than usual only because winds stirred up the Gulf just before the annual mapping cruise, mixing oxygen into the water, Thur said.

In recent years, Thur noted, mapping cruises overseen by Rabalais have run out of money and had to end before the entire area was covered.

He said money is allocated for mapping cruises this year and next, and the government is looking into whether underwater robots could map a wider area and get more information about the total volume of the dead zone. The technology has advanced greatly in the four years since the last attempt, he said.

The nutrients carried by the river and the size of the dead zone have changed little since the task force released its first action plan in 2001, Matt Rota, senior policy director for the non-profit Healthy Gulf, said during a public comment period.

Regretfully, nutrient loadings in the Gulf have increased  nitrogen by a little, phosphorus quite significantly, according to U.S. Geological Survey data. 2017 also gave us the largest dead zone ever measured, and last years (smaller area) was an anomaly, Rota said.

He said one study has estimated that it would take about $1 billion a year to prompt enough voluntary action to reduce the dead zone.

If this task force is going to dedicate themselves to promotion of voluntary mechanisms, we need to figure out a way to get a lot more money, he said.
WASHINGTON - A GOP political consultant and one of President Donald Trumps harshest Republican critics has backed out of a six-figure agreement to lobby against potential U.S. sanctions on Russias nuclear energy industry.

John Weaver said in comments on his Twitter page Thursday that his decision to work for the U.S. subsidiary of a Russian uranium services company was a mistake because it could distract him from playing any role to ensure Trump serves only one term.

Weaver is a strategist for John Kasich, Ohios former Republican governor. Kasich has contemplated a primary challenge against Trump.

I must reject this agreement, Weaver wrote. No funds were transferred, no actions taken. Now, Ive got to get back to the barricades. Apologies for the momentary distraction.

A foreign agent registration statement posted Wednesday on the Justice Departments website showed Weaver was to be paid $350,000 through October to represent the Tenam Corporation on a range of issues that may include any restrictions on nuclear energy trade with Russia.

Tenams parent company is Tenex, which in turn is owned by Russias state-controlled nuclear energy agency Rosatom.

The Commerce Department has been investigating the impact of uranium imports on U.S. national security. American mining companies have argued that the U.S. uranium industry has been decimated by imports from Russia, China and other countries.

Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said last year that the United States produces just 5 per cent of the uranium it needs for the U.S. military and for electricity generation, down from nearly half in 1987.
ATLANTA - Georgias insurance commissioner says he will voluntarily suspend himself from office two days after being indicted on federal charges of wire fraud, mail fraud and money laundering.

A 38-count indictment accuses Jim Beck of orchestrating an elaborate invoicing scheme to steal more than $2 million from his former employer before being elected in November.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that Beck says he sent a letter to fellow Republican Gov. Brian Kemp on Thursday voluntarily suspending himself. Kemp had called for Beck to resign.

Under his self-imposed suspension, Beck will continue to receive his $120,000 salary.

Beck has maintained his innocence and pleaded not guilty Wednesday.

At the same hearing a judge imposed a $25,000 bond and banned Beck from conducting business with his former employer, the Georgia Underwriters Association.

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Information from: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, http://www.ajc.com
HOUSTON - A Houston-area police officer knew his neighbour suffered from mental illness and should have offered assistance when that was apparent, but instead he fatally shot the 44-year-old woman, a lawyer for the victims family said Thursday.

Pamela Turner had struggled with paranoid schizophrenia since her diagnosis in 2005, and may have been in crisis the night she was killed, attorney Ben Crump said during a press conference.

Turner was shot by a Baytown police officer Monday night in the parking lot of her apartment complex following a struggle that a bystander captured on video. The citys police have said the Hispanic officer shot the African American woman during an attempted arrest after she shocked him with his Taser.

Late Thursday afternoon, police identified the officer as Juan Delacruz. The 11-year veteran is on paid administrative leave.

A spokesman for the police department in Baytown, a city of more than 75,000 people, did not answer phone calls or respond to emailed questions Thursday.

Turners family portrayed Delacruz as the aggressor, saying Thursday that he approached her as she headed to her home in the same apartment complex where the officer lived.

She was a lady who had mental health issues. What she needed was a helping hand from the police officer. Instead she got five bullets, Crump said.

Antoinette Dorsey-James, Turners cousin, told The Associated Press in an interview Thursday that Delacruz had harassed Turner more than 10 times in the four months that she had lived in the apartment complex. Turner knew Delacruz by name, she said.

Every time she had an encounter in the apartment complex with the manager, some kind of way this officer would be the one that shows up and she would call (her family) and say he was harassing her, they were harassing her, said Dorsey-James, who described herself as a second mother to Turner.

Dorsey-James said she and other relatives were trying to find new place for Turner to live when she was killed.

The complexs management didnt immediately return a call seeking comment Thursday.

Chelsie Rubin, Turners daughter, said she asked a Baytown police officer after the shooting if the department was aware of her mothers illness and was told they were. Turner was not a weirdo because of her illness and most of the time she was just like everybody else, her daughter said.

My mom is not a horrible person. Shes so loving. Shes so caring. She did anything she could for us, said Rubin, who gave birth to her second child days before her mother was shot.

In the video of the shooting, which was posted on social media, Turner is heard saying Youre actually harassing me and Im actually walking to my house to the officer as he tries to arrest her. The pair can be seen struggling and Turner falls to the ground. They continue to scuffle and she says, Why? Why? and then Im pregnant.

Moments later, something flashes as Turner reaches her arm out toward the officer. Suddenly, he pulls away from her, steps back and fires five gunshots.

Police have said that autopsy results show Turner was not pregnant, but the autopsy report has not been released.

Crump said the family is having its own autopsy done to determine the truth. He also suggested that Turner might have claimed to be pregnant to due to confusion brought on by her mental illness and her daughters recent delivery. Or, he said, she might have said it because she was afraid for her life.

They keep saying . that she got what she deserved because (the officer) felt in fear for his life, said Crump. Well, why cant we use the same reasoning to apply to her? Its not a far stretch here in Texas for an unarmed black woman to believe that the police officer will kill you.

Police Lt. Steve Dorris previously said the officer tried to arrest Turner because he knew there were outstanding warrants against her and that he immediately attempted to help her after the shooting.

Harris County court records show there were three outstanding misdemeanour warrants against Turner.

She was accused of criminal mischief and assault on April 25 after a physical confrontation with a manager at her apartment complex over an eviction notice, and she was accused of criminal mischief for damaging a womans car on May 2 and ordered to undergo a mental health evaluation. The order cites credible information that Turner suffered from mental illness.

The Harris County Medical Examiners office ruled Turners death a homicide Wednesday, and Baytown Police Chief Keith Dougherty announced he had called in the Texas Rangers to handle the criminal investigation along with the district attorneys office.

The Harris County District Attorneys office sent civil rights investigators to the scene of Turners shooting Monday and will present all the evidence to a grand jury, spokesman Dane Schiller said.

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Bleiberg reported from Dallas.

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Associated Press writer Juan A. Lozano contributed reporting from Houston.
CONCORD, N.H. - A New Hampshire school cafeteria workers kindness may have got her fired.

Bonnie Kimball tells the Valley News she was terminated March 28 by her employer, a vendor that supplies food to the Mascoma Valley Regional High School in Canaan. It came a day after she gave a student lunch, even though he couldnt pay for it.

Kimball says that when the students account showed no funds, she quietly told him tell (your) mom you need money, and provided a lunch. She claims a manager just asked what was on the boys plate and walked away.

It was my life for five years. I went and I took care of another family, Kimball told the newspaper. You dont just lose a family member, be OK and move on.

A spokeswoman for Manchester-based Cafe Services said in a statement Thursday it would never authorize an employee to not feed a student or staff member a meal. The spokeswoman would only say an employee would not be let go because they provided this lunch to a student.

Although we are not at liberty to discuss the confidential details regarding an employees employment or termination from employment, we can share that the company has policies and procedures in place that are shared with and acknowledged by team members, Jaime Matheson, the director of human resources, said in a statement. When established policies and procedures are not followed corrective action is put in place up to and including termination.

The incident comes as schools across the country are struggling to deal with how to address students who cant pay for their lunch . A 2011 survey found that a majority of district had unpaid lunch charges and that most dealt with it by offering students alternatives meals.

But even that approach has been controversial. After a flurry of angry Facebook posts, one Rhode Island district was forced to abandon plans to deny a hot meal to students who couldnt pay. Last month, federal lawmakers also introduced anti-lunch shaming legislation to protect students with unpaid lunch bills. The USDA also discourages practices that stigmatize students, but allows districts to set their own policies.

The Valley News reports that the alleged firing has angered Kimballs co-workers, some of whom quit in protest. Parents at the school also said they were upset by Kimballs sudden departure and demanded she be rehired.

These guys really took care of our kids. They put our kids first and their focus was really our kids, said Christina Moodie, whose son attends the high school. I know Bonnie went above and beyond for the kids.

The Mascoma Regional School Board voted Tuesday to continue using the company for another year, despite the controversy involving Kimball.

The people working in the school lunch program are employees of Cafe Services, and Cafe Services is responsible for employment decisions regarding those employees, the district said in a statement. School district policy is to make healthy nutritious school meals available to every child whether or not the child has sufficient funds to cover the cost of the meal.
PARAMUS, N.J. - A man caught on video calling another man a terrorist and waving a box cutter at him aboard a bus in New Jersey has been charged with bias intimidation.

Paramus police say Victor Colon also faces counts of making terroristic threats and aggravated assault with a weapon.

Colon was arrested Wednesday night, hours after authorities released video and audio of the May 2 encounter on a Spanish Enterprise Transportation bus travelling on a Paramus highway.

Colon allegedly asked the man if he was Indian, then said his family had killed Colons father and that the victim was a terrorist and responsible for 9-11. Police say Colons father was not killed in the attacks.

Colon was being held pending a bail hearing. It wasnt known Thursday if the 51-year-old Hackensack man has retained an attorney.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - A career employee with the National Park Service has been named interim director of the New Mexico History Museum and Palace of the Governors.

State officials announced Billy Garretts appointment Wednesday.

Garrett worked for the park service for 26 years, focusing on management of cultural resources, environmental design and community planning. His work involved Civil War battlefields, the Grand Canyon and other locations.

After retiring, he returned to New Mexico and served two terms as a Dona Ana County commissioner.

As interim director, hell oversee the museums daily operations along with development of exhibitions and public programs. The museum campus in Santa Fe also includes a historic press, photo archives and the Native American Artisans program.

The museums board of regents will conduct a national search for a permanent director.
NEW YORK - A New Yorker was convicted Thursday of providing material support to Hezbollah by seeking targets in New York City for terrorist attacks.

A jury returned its verdict against Ali Kourani in Manhattan federal court after a weeklong trial.

Kourani, 34, could face life in prison at a sentencing scheduled for Sept. 27.

His lawyer, Alexei Schacht, said hell appeal the verdict on the grounds that statements his client made to the FBI were made involuntarily in response to false promises of confidentiality.

Given the fact the judge allowed in the statements, we were not surprised at the verdict, he said.

The Bronx man has been held without bail since his June 2017 arrest on charges he sought to support Hezbollahs Islamic Jihad organization.

U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said Kourani surveilled terrorism targets in New York City, including Kennedy International Airport and law enforcement facilities including the building housing the FBI.

Ali Kourani was recruited, trained, and deployed by Hezbollahs Islamic Jihad Organization to plan and execute acts of terrorism in the United States. Kouranis chilling mission was to help procure weapons and gather intelligence about potential targets in the U.S. for future Hezbollah terrorist attacks, Berman said in a release.

Authorities said the Lebanon-born Kourani received sophisticated military training overseas at least twice, including in 2000 at age 16. They said he was trained in the use of a rocket propelled grenade.

Authorities said he came to the U.S. legally in 2003, eventually earning a bachelors degree in biomedical engineering in 2009 and a masters degree in business administration in 2013.

Prosecutors said Kourani was recruited by the terrorist organization after a residence belonging to his family was destroyed during the summer 2006 conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.

Kourani was convicted of providing material support to Hezbollah, which has been designated by the U.S. government as a foreign terrorist organization. He also was convicted of other terrorism, sanctions, and immigration offences.
NEW YORK - The New York Police Department used a photo of Woody Harrelson in its facial recognition program in an attempt to identify a beer thief who looked like the actor, according to a report published Thursday.

Georgetown Universitys Center on Privacy and Technology highlighted the April 2017 episode in Garbage In, Garbage Out, a report on what it says are flawed practices in law enforcements use of facial recognition.

The report says security footage of the thief was too pixelated and produced no matches while high-quality images of Harrelson, a three-time Oscar nominee, returned several possible matches and led to one arrest.

The NYPD also used a photo of a New York Knicks player to search its database for a man wanted for a Brooklyn assault, the report said.

The stakes are too high in criminal investigations to rely on unreliable  or wrong  inputs, Georgetown researcher Clare Garvie wrote.

It is one thing for a company to build a face recognition system designed to help individuals find their celebrity doppelganger or painting lookalike for entertainment purposes. Its quite another to use these techniques to identify criminal suspects, who may be deprived of their liberty and ultimately prosecuted based on the match.

The NYPD said it has been deliberate and responsible in its use of facial recognition and that the technology is merely a means of producing leads, including in homicide, rape and robbery cases.

No one has ever been arrested on the basis of a facial recognition match alone, Sgt. Jessica McRorie said in a statement. As with any lead, further investigation is always needed to develop probable cause to arrest.

A message was left with a representative for Harrelson.

The Georgetown report says facial recognition has helped the NYPD crack about 2,900 cases in more than five years of using the technology.

McRorie says the department is constantly reassessing its procedures and is in the process of reviewing its existing facial recognition protocols.

We compare images from crime scenes to arrest photos in law enforcement records, McRorie said. We do not engage in mass or random collection of facial records from NYPD camera systems, the internet, or social media.
JACKSON, Miss. - A University of Mississippi sociology professor criticized for encouraging acts of aggression against Republican politicians was granted tenure by a divided College Board on Thursday.

Trustees approved the promotion of Professor James Michael Thomas after pulling only his name from a list of 76 routine tenure approvals and debating his case in a two-hour closed session.

Higher Education Commissioner Al Rankins confirmed to The Associated Press that a majority of trustees voted for tenure. Rankins said that a denial could have imperiled the accreditation of our campuses.

A later statement from the board, which oversees Mississippis eight public universities, said Thomas was approved with dissent.

Thomas expressed relief at achieving tenure, a key career milestone for most academics, but questioned the propriety of being singled out.

Extramural activity, especially political speech, has no place in tenure decisions, he said in a phone interview Thursday with the AP. He cited academic freedom guidelines saying professors shouldnt face workplace consequences for unpopular statements.

Thomas appeared to be in good shape for tenure last fall, publishing prolifically and winning multiple awards. But as Brett Kavanaugh was confirmed to the U.S. Supreme Court on Oct. 6, Thomas tweeted a reply to MSNBC host Joe Scarborough.

Scarborough had tweeted that people should not yell at senators, shout at people in restaurants or rage about past votes. Thomas disagreed.

Dont just interrupt a senators meal, yall, Thomas wrote. Put your whole damn fingers in their salads. Take their apps and distribute them to the other diners. Bring boxes and take their food home with you on the way out. They dont deserve your civility.

The tweet got slammed at the national level, where Republicans criticize what they see as liberal indoctrination at public universities, and at the state level, where Ole Miss administrators face continuing resistance to the schools decades-long dismantling of Confederate symbols.

Then-chancellor Jeffrey Vitter criticized Thomas , although not by name, writing on Facebook that the post did not reflect the values articulated by the university, such as respect for the dignity of each individual and civility and fairness.

Republican Gov. Phil Bryant piled in, tweeting: This is troubling and disappointing to see from one of our university professors. There is no place in a civilized society, and particularly on a college campus, for urging individuals to harass anyone.

For his part, Thomas said he doesnt retract the statement. I dont regret a damn thing, he said Thursday.

Vitter no longer leads Ole Miss. Interim Chancellor Larry Sparks declined comment Thursday when he emerged from behind closed doors with trustees.

Thomas said supporters had contacted trustees, warning that a denial could lead to national embarrassment or accreditation sanctions for Ole Miss and Mississippis other public universities. Rankins said the board on Wednesday received a letter from the American Association of University Professors voicing concerns about Thomas case. That faculty group can censure universities, but doesnt control accreditation.

There have been a lot of phone calls to them and other ... board members about how catastrophic this would be for the universities, Thomas said.

Academic tenure grants permanent posts to professors. Typically, they can only be fired for misconduct or if a university has financial troubles. Its meant in part to guarantee freedom of speech and research.

Mississippis university system has a long history of struggles over academic freedom. The 12-member College Board was enshrined in the state Constitution in 1942 , with the amendment saying trustees should be uninfluenced by any political considerations. The move came after Gov. Theodore Bilbo in 1928 fired the heads of three institutions and a number of faculty member. The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools revoked the schools accreditation for several years, devaluing the degrees they granted.

The board, though, has rarely been free from politics. Trustees worked with politicians to prevent the enrolment of James Meredith at Ole Miss in 1962. The board also banned many speakers from college campuses for much of the 1960s, trying to prevent pro-civil rights speeches.

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Follow Jeff Amy at http://twitter.com/jeffamy .
NORFOLK, Va. - A U.S. Navy SEAL was sentenced to one year in military prison on Thursday for his role in the 2017 hazing-related death of a U.S. Army Green Beret in Africa.

Adam Matthews is the first of four U.S. service members to face military court proceedings as well as punishment for the strangulation death of Army Staff Sgt. Logan Melgar, a Texas native.

Matthews was sentenced by a military judge at a Navy base in Norfolk, Virginia, following a plea agreement he made the same day. Prosecutors dropped a murder charge in exchange for his testimony against another Navy SEAL and two Marines.

Ive carried the weight of Staff Sgt. Melgars death every minute of every day since that night in Mali, Matthews said.

The emotionally charged, daylong court proceedings provided a window into the lives of some of the countrys most elite service members. Family, friends and colleagues of both Melgar and Matthews took stock of the contributions of each man and the fallout from that night.

Matthews also offered the first detailed public account of Melgars death, which he described as a botched attempt to embarrass him over slights perceived by the other men.

Matthews said he joined the group in Malis capital of Bamako only 36 hours before the incident in June 2017. He said colleagues quickly filled him in on their concerns about Melgar.

Among the perceived slights was an incident in which Melgar was driving his motorcycle to a party at a diplomatic embassy in the capital city. Two Marines were following in another vehicle before Melgar drove off, Matthews said.

Matthews suggested that the Marines felt Melgar had abandoned them in an unsafe city thats been the target of terrorist activity.

Sometime later, Matthews said that he and the others broke down Melgars bedroom door with a sledgehammer for dramatic effect. Then they bound his wrists and ankles with duct tape.

They planned to record the incident on video to embarrass Melgar in what Matthews described as a known remediation, or hazing ritual, within the special forces community.

At some point, Matthews said, the other Navy SEAL applied a chokehold to Melgar, who became unresponsive and was unable to be resuscitated.

I am truly sorry, Matthews told the court.

Matthews, 33, pleaded guilty to hazing and assault charges as well as attempts to cover up the crime.

During the sentencing phase, friends and family described Matthews as that 100-pound kid who wanted to be a Navy SEAL that nobody thought could be.

Matthews displayed a picture of the Twin Towers at his home and suffered injuries in Afghanistan, earning a Purple Heart, among other medals.

Melgar was fearless and unflappable under enemy fire, his colleagues said. He was meticulous when it came to his job, which included finding explosives in Afghanistan at night while bullets struck the trees above him.

His wife, Michelle Melgar, testified that her husband told her about the immature SEALs that he was having trouble with. She also thanked Matthews for coming forward with the truth.

Melgars mother, Nitza Melgar, was less forgiving. She told Matthews: You are a disgrace to your Purple Heart.

Matthews still faces the possibility of receiving a military discharge for bad conduct, which could lead to a loss in veterans benefits.

Judge Capt. Michael Luken said the type of discharge will be left up to an admiral. It will also be contingent on Matthews continued co-operation and input from the Melgar family, the judge said.
A cafeteria worker in Canaan, N.H., was fired after a supervisor caught her violating her employers policy.

Her offense? Giving food worth $8 to a student with no money in his account.

Bonnie Kimball had worked for five years serving lunch to the teens at Mascoma Valley Regional High, who she called another family, the Valley News reported.

The contract to provide lunch to the schools 326 students was expiring. A competitor was touring the facilities on March 28, and Kimballs employer had extra managers on hand.

Kimball saw that a students account was empty and let him keep his food, the New Hampshire Union Leader reported. She also asked him to have his mother add money to the account. The next day, he paid his lunch bill. But later that day, Kimball was called in by a manager who had witnessed her act of leniency and fired, she told the paper.

It was my life for five years. I went and I took care of another family, she told the Valley News. You dont just lose a family member, be OK and move on.

Kimball said that she was following specific orders from her employer, Manchester, N.H.-based Cafe Services. In February, she told the Union Leader, her direct supervisor had instructed her to let students take food, even if they couldnt pay, and discreetly tell them to refill their accounts.

In an email to The Washington Post, the school districts superintendent, Amanda Isabelle, declined to comment on the employment decisions of Cafe Services, but wrote that district policy is to make healthy nutritious school meals available to every child whether or not the child has sufficient funds to cover the cost of the meal.

The chair of the Mascoma Valley Regional School Board, Cookie Hebert, told the Union Leader that it was her understanding that students who cant pay should be given the lunch of the day and not a la carte items, which Kimball gave the boy March 28.

Earlier this week, the school board voted to renew Cafe Servicess contract, the Union Leader reported.

Community members have rallied behind Kimball, with the Valley News reporting that two of her co-workers have resigned in protest.

In a letter to the editor of the Valley News, Donlon Wade, a student counsellor for the Mascoma Valley Regional School District, hailed Kimball and her fellow kitchen ladies as quiet heroes (who) have performed the daily ritual of cheerfully preparing and serving good meals to children in a poor district of great need.

In a written statement, Cafe Services told The Post that the information as reported is untrue, but did not specify what previous reports had gotten wrong.

The contractor declined to comment on Kimballs firing, citing confidentiality concerns, but wrote, As an organization we are acutely aware of the prevalence of food insecurity and take pride in being able to provide meals for those in need.

Christina Moodie, whose son attends the high school, told the Valley News she thinks Kimball should get her job back.

These guys really took care of our kids. They put our kids first and their focus was really our kids, Moodie told the Valley News. I know Bonnie went above and beyond for the kids.
NORTH SIOUX CITY, S.D. - A South Dakota police officer accused of shooting stray cats is facing criminal charges.

A criminal complaint filed in Union County charges North Sioux City Officer Derek McIntosh with a misdemeanour. Police began investigating McIntosh on May 9 after other officers reported that he had picked up stray cats and shot them in the cemetery instead of taking them to the humane society.

North Sioux City administrator Ted Cherry tells the Argus Leader that McIntosh is no longer employed by the city, but he didnt say whether he resigned or was fired. Cherry says McIntosh has admitted to shooting a cat.

South Dakota law gives police officers leeway in deciding how to deal with rabid or injured animals.

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Information from: Argus Leader, http://www.argusleader.com
MAMMOTH LAKES, Calif. - The Latest on a late-season storm bringing rain and snow to California (all times local):

4 p.m.

A late spring storm has soaked parts of Southern California with record rainfall.

The National Weather Service says Thursday that downtown Los Angeles got .48 inches of rain, a record for the date. A half-dozen other records were set, including Santa Barbara, which got nearly an inch of rain.

The storm also dumped fresh snow in the Sierra Nevada, where the seasonal snowpack and rainfall totals already are well above normal.

Authorities rescued four hikers caught in the weather on the far norths Redwood Coast and two people trapped on a tiny island in the suddenly fast-flowing Los Angeles River.

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10:17 a.m.

Firefighters have rescued two people who became stranded on a tiny island in the fast-flowing Los Angeles River as a late-season storm brings rain and snow to California.

A swift-water rescue team deployed a boat Thursday morning and reached the pair clinging to vegetation.

A rescuer pulled them into the boat and other firefighters pulled the craft back to a riverbank.

There was no immediate information on the rescued people.

Rescues from the Los Angeles River are common because homeless people often stake out places to live on the riverbed, which often has little water flow until storms arrive.

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7:16 a.m.

Its late spring but theres fresh powder in the Sierra Nevada as a winter-like storm moves through California.

The Mammoth Mountain resort reports a foot (30.5 centimetres) of new snow on its summit Thursday morning.

The National Weather Service says more snow is expected and winter storm warnings will remain in effect until early Friday morning for the southern Sierra from Yosemite south to Kern County.

The unusually potent late-season storm moved into Northern California on Wednesday and spread rain widely.

Some locations on the Central Coast received more than 1.5 inches (3.8 centimetres) of rain as the storm moves south.

Rain arrived in Los Angeles in time to make the morning commute slippery, adding to a seasonal accumulation thats already above normal.
By Kim Bo-eun





Kakao Chairman Kim Beom-su

A local court's decision to acquit Kakao's chief on charges of violating fair trade regulations has raised the likelihood of the IT company getting the green light in becoming a major shareholder of Kakao Bank.



The Seoul Central District Court on Tuesday acquitted Kakao Chairman Kim Beom-su on the charges raised against him for failing to report on five Kakao subsidiaries in 2016. The court determined the omission had not been intentional.



Kakao needs to be clear of the charges to be eligible to become a majority shareholder of Kakao Bank.



It has requested the Financial Services Commission (FSC) review its eligibility, after related regulations were revised last year to allow non-financial entities to become major shareholders of internet banks owning stakes up to 34 percent.



"With Kakao Chairman Kim Beom-su's acquittal, grounds have been established for positive views of [Korea Investment Holdings'] transfer of Kakao Bank's shares," said Lim Hee-yeon, an analyst at Shinhan Investment.



Korea Investment Holdings currently holds 50 percent of Kakao Bank's shares, while Kakao holds 10 percent.



Yet the prosecution may appeal against the ruling.



However, even if the court were to rule against Kim and if Kakao were to be fined, financial authorities could still approve Kakao as the internet bank's majority shareholder.



This is because even if the entity filing to become a major shareholder has a record of violating regulations, this can be overlooked if the violations are deemed minor.



The FSC has requested the Ministry of Government Legislation review whether a fine for violating fair trade regulations can be considered minor.



A spokeswoman of the ministry said it usually takes about three months for the ministry to reach a conclusion on a request for legislative review.



This signals that it will take at least a few months before financial authorities reach a conclusion on Kakao's eligibility to increase its stake in Kakao Bank.




RENO, Nev. - The Latest on a resentencing hearing for a Nevada murderer who has been on death row for 34 years (all times local):

3:10 p.m.

A Nevada jury has reordered the execution of a three-time murderer who has been on death row for 34 years.

The jury in Reno deliberated about three hours after a weeklong resentencing hearing before rejecting a bid by 67-year-old Tracy Petrocelli (Peht-roh-SELL-ee) to be allowed to serve life without parole.

Petrocelli stood from his wheelchair but showed no reaction to the unanimous verdict in support of his execution.

A federal appeals court two years ago upheld Petrocellis conviction but ordered a new sentencing hearing because his rights were violated during the penalty phase of his trial in 1982.

He was convicted of murdering the owner of a Reno car dealership, his girlfriend in Seattle and a man in California, all in the span of a year.

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12:20 p.m.

A Nevada jury has begun deliberating whether to reorder the execution of a three-time murderer whos been on death row for 34 years.

Public defenders told jurors Thursday 67-year-old Tracy Petrocelli (Peht-roh-SELL-ee) should spend the rest of his life in prison without the possibility of parole after a U.S. appeals court ordered resentencing based on violations of his rights during the penalty phase of his original trial.

They say hes changed in the three decades since he was convicted of murdering the owner of a Reno car dealership in 1982 just months after killing his girlfriend in Seattle.

A prosecutor says Petrocelli is the same evil man who also murdered a Californian in 1981. He says death is the only appropriate punishment for the most heinous crimes.

The case went to the jury in Reno shortly before noon.

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11:45 a.m.

A prosecutor says death is the only appropriate punishment for a Nevada man who has been on death row for 34 years for convictions in three murders in three states.

A jury in Reno is expected to begin deliberating Thursday after a week of testimony about 67-year-old Tracy Petrocellis sentence.

Prosecutor Luke Prengaman told jurors during closing arguments that Petrocelli may be older now, but hes the same evil man who executed three people decades ago.

A federal appeals court two years ago upheld Petrocellis conviction but ruled his rights were violated during the penalty phase of his trial.

A jury found Petrocelli guilty in 1982 of killing a Reno car salesman, months after Petrocelli killed his girlfriend in Seattle.

Petrocelli also was convicted of murdering a man whose body was found in 1981 near Barstow, California.

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7:30 a.m.

A weeklong resentencing hearing is almost over for a three-time convicted murderer who has been on Nevadas death row for 34 years.

Closing arguments were scheduled in state court in Reno Thursday. The jury that will decide the fate of 67-year-old Tracy Petrocelli could begin deliberations before the end of the day.

A federal appeals court upheld Petrocellis conviction in the 1982 murder of the owner of a Reno car dealership but overturned his death sentenced two years ago.

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court ruled his rights were violated when a psychiatrist who testified for the prosecution failed to read him his Miranda rights.

Petrocellis public defenders are urging the jury to resentence him to life in prison without parole. They say hes a frail, old man who has behaved well in prison and does not deserve to be executed.
HOUSTON - The Latest on the police shooting of a Houston-area woman (all times local):

5:25 p.m.

Texas police have released the name of the officer who shot and killed a 44-year-old woman Monday night outside her Houston-area apartment complex.

Baytown police say Juan Delacruz shot Pamela Turner, an African American woman whose family says was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia. Police say the Hispanic officer shot Turner after she shocked him with his own Taser during a struggle.

A bystander captured the shooting on video, but police did not identify Delacruz by name until Thursday.

An attorney for Turners family said Thursday that Delacruz lived in the same apartment complex as the woman and was aware of her mental illness.

Police say Delacruz is an 11-year veteran of the Baytown department, and is on paid administrative leave.

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4:40 p.m.

A woman says a police officer harassed her cousin more than 10 times at their Houston-area apartment complex before he finally shot and killed her.

Antoinette Dorsey-James, a first cousin of Pamela Turner, told The Associated Press in an interview Thursday that Turner told relatives that every time she had an encounter with the manager of the complex, the officer would show up at her apartment and bother her.

Turners family says Turner and the officer lived at the same complex and that Turner knew him by name.

Harris County court records show Turner was accused of criminal mischief and assault on April 24 after a physical confrontation with the apartment complex manager over an eviction notice.

The complexs management hasnt returned a call seeking comment Thursday.

Baytown police have said an officer shot Turner Monday during an attempted arrest.

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1:05 p.m.

A lawyer for the family of a woman who was fatally shot by a Houston-area police officer says the officer lived in the same apartment complex as her and knew she suffered from mental illness.

Attorney Ben Crump says Pamela Turner had struggled with paranoid schizophrenia since her diagnosis in 2005, and may have been in crisis the night she was killed.

Baytown police have said an officer shot the 44-year-old African American woman Monday during an attempted arrest, and that she shocked him with his Taser during a struggle.

At a Thursday press conference, Crump and Turners family portrayed the officer as the aggressor.

Turners daughter, Chelsie Rubin, said she asked a Baytown police officer if the department was aware of her mothers illness and he confirmed they were.
NASHVILLE - Prosecutors are seeking life without parole for a man accused of fatally shooting a woman and wounding seven people at a Nashville church.

Local news outlets report that 27-year-old Emanuel Kidega Samsons trial will start Monday. A jury is being selected this week.

Samson faces a 43-count indictment, including a first-degree murder charge, in the September 2017 shooting at Burnette Chapel Church of Christ.

An arrest affidavit says Samson waived his rights and told police he arrived armed and fired at the church.

A psychiatrist has diagnosed Samson with schizoaffective disorder bipolar type and post-traumatic stress disorder after an abusive, violent upbringing.

Samson is black and the victims are white. Authorities havent definitively said whether they believe he targeted them based on race.
Three months after Congress refused to fully fund President Donald Trumps border wall, the administrations plan to find the money itself, including by declaring a national emergency, faces its first courtroom test on Friday.

U.S. District Judge Haywood Gilliam in Oakland, California, will hear arguments on motions by separate groups of plaintiffs to temporarily block any wall construction on the grounds that Trumps financing methods  transferring funds from Pentagon and Treasury Department programs never meant for such a barrier  are both unconstitutional and illegal.

The hearing is the first of what are expected to be many tests of one of the most controversial decisions made by a U.S. president in modern times: to bypass the normal appropriations process in a quest for $5.7 billion (U.S.) in wall construction money. Trump acted after Congress explicitly rejected his demand and appropriated only $1.375 billion, a decision that led to a 35-day government shutdown in December and January.

The plaintiffs in the Northern District of California include the state of California and 18 other states, among them Maryland and Virginia, along with the Sierra Club and the Southern Border Communities Coalition, which is represented by the American Civil Liberties Union.

To justify a temporary injunction, Gilliam will have to be convinced that the plaintiffs are likely to prevail on the merits after further proceedings and that allowing construction to go forward in the meantime will cause imminent harm.

Read more:

White House wants $4.5 billion in emergency border funding

Democrats using veterans bill to try to block border wall

Whatever Gilliam, who was appointed by President Barack Obama, decides will not end the controversy.

Trumps actions have led to at least seven lawsuits in three different federal courts. One of the cases was brought by the House of Representatives in Washington. In that case, a Trump appointee, U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden, has scheduled his own hearing on an injunction for May 23.

Whichever side loses is likely to appeal.

The cases are part of a much broader multi-front struggle underway since Trump took office, involving some of the same litigants challenging virtually his entire immigration agenda as well as his efforts to eliminate or delay hundreds of environmental regulations. Theyve had considerable success in both categories.

In the border-wall case set for Friday, each side has framed the issues and the events leading to them in starkly different terms.

In pre-hearing briefs, the plaintiffs allege, in part, a violation by Trump of Congresss constitutional power of the purse  accomplished, they said, by misusing a host of laws to shift to wall construction money that was intended for other purposes.

Congress unequivocally rejected the presidents requested appropriation for a border wall, only for the president to then order the diversion of federal funds from other sources toward the very project that Congress rejected, the states say.

The states focus heavily on the tumult of February and as proof that Trump made an end-run around Congress, cite his statement that, if we dont get a fair deal from Congress ... I will use the powers afforded me to finance the wall.

In his own public statements, says the brief of California and other states, Trump made clear that his emergency declaration was triggered by his inability to secure funding for the border wall from Congress rather than an actual emergency at the border.

Department of Justice lawyers play down the process leading up to Trumps actions and focus on his official proclamations about the crisis at the border rather than on his off-the-cuff comments.

The history of negotiations between the President and Congress ... is irrelevant, the government argues. The administration has invoked valid statutes to accomplish the presidents ends, the governments brief says, declaring that there is no constitutional issue.

Had Congress wanted to foreclose on any further spending on the wall, it could have said so explicitly through a rider, such as the Hyde amendment, which bars federal spending on abortion, the government argues.

In the absence of such a prohibition, the government says, Congresss refusal to include all the money Trump demanded for the wall in the Department of Homeland Security appropriation in February still leaves room for the administration to dip into other pots of appropriated funds, notably at the Pentagon, to close the gap.

The Justice Department describes these transfers as military decisions in which the courts should play no role.

Preventing the construction of border barriers by the court would harm the Governments weighty interest in border security and enforcement of the immigration laws, the Justice Department says.

All of the funding sources specified by the administration permit repurposing for certain needs, like unforeseen military necessities. Whether wall-building qualifies as one of those needs is the big statutory question in all the cases.

The litigation over the wall has long been billed as a test of the presidents dramatic national emergency claim, which has been attacked by critics as manufactured by Trump. But three months after his declaration, the administration has not used the Department of Defense emergency construction authority available for military construction projects that require the use of the armed forces and are necessary to support such use.

The Justice Department is arguing that its not at issue, at least for the moment. The Sierra Club and the ACLU are nonetheless challenging the legitimacy of the emergency declaration because the administration has identified it as a likely means of obtaining money for the wall. The plaintiffs argue that there is no emergency and no legitimate use of the armed forces for the wall.

The case is complicated further by uncertainty about which money is going where. As late as Monday, the Defense Department was still filing declarations with the court seeking to explain.

The Pentagon hassaid in documents it will shift some $1.5 billion from programs including a nuclear intercontinental ballistic missile system and a plane that provides surveillance and communications to fighter jets while they are airborne. Thats on top of the reprogramming of about $1 billion in Army personnel money and $3.6 billion in military construction projects the Pentagon intends to delay.

But Gilliam has asked for more clarity on the status of funds the government plans to use.

Environmental groups are also arguing that wall construction in certain areas will significantly affect the surrounding environment, disrupting the natural habitats of wildlife and threatening their survival. For those reasons, the government must prepare an environmental-impact statement before commencing construction, they said.

But the government argues that a 1996 law gives it the authority to build border barriers and to waive all legal requirements necessary to get the job done.

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WASHINGTON - It started with a surprise statement on a Sunday night that the U.S. was rushing military forces to counter alleged Iranian threats. What followed were two weeks of bombastic rhetoric and swells of fear and confusion over whether Washington and Tehran were lurching toward open conflict. And thats how President Donald Trump says he likes it.

With all of the Fake and Made Up News out there, Trump wrote Friday on Twitter, Iran can have no idea what is actually going on.

Later, in a speech to real estate agents, Trump made no effort to clarify, saying, Its probably a good thing because theyre saying, Man, I dont know where these people are coming from, right?

Its the latest manifestation of Trumps unpredictable foreign policy, which has made a virtue of keeping foes guessing and frequently leaves allies rattled and members of Congress frustrated.

Given the degree to which the president has mischaracterized prior intelligence on other matters, or disputed the work product of the agencies when it contradicted his preferred narrative, his actions have generated understandable doubt on what we really know of Iranian plans and intentions, said Rep. Adam Schiff, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee.

Schiff, D-Calif., said Iran poses a real threat to the West and endorsed the administrations warning to Iran that any attack on U.S. forces would be disastrous for Iran.

Armed conflict seemed unlikely in the short term, with no further U.S. buildup in the works and no fresh Iranian provocations. But neither did the administration appear closer to its stated goal of applying enough diplomatic, economic and military pressure on Tehran to compel it to end support for extremist groups and other disruptive policies.

The USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier and its battle group, whose accelerated deployment triggered the concern in some quarters about a drift toward conflict with Iran, by Friday had reached the waters of the Arabian Sea without incident, U.S. defence officials said. It typically would proceed farther into the Persian Gulf and thus closer to Iran during such a deployment, though as a matter of policy the Navy does not disclose ship movements in advance.

The carrier is on an around-the-world deployment and was sailing in the Mediterranean Sea when John Bolton, Trumps national security adviser, announced on May 5 that it had been ordered to the Middle East, along with an aircraft bomber group, in response to troubling and escalatory indications and warnings. The unusual Sunday night announcement raised questions  many still unanswered  about exactly what new threats Iran had posed.

Other officials later said Iran had loaded fully assembled ballistic missiles aboard small boats in Iranian territorial waters. This suggested the possibility of an Iranian intent to threaten Western military or commercial ships, though that threat seems not to have materialized. Last weekend, four non-U.S. commercial vessels were damaged in the Gulf, and while details are unclear, U.S. officials said it appeared likely that Iran had a hand in the apparent sabotage.

Some analysts see the administrations military moves as a deliberate effort to put Irans leaders on edge, perhaps with the broader goal of encouraging them to take Trump up on his offer of direct talks.

I think it was a well-co-ordinated psyops campaign, said Mark Dubowitz, the chief executive of the Foundation for the Defence of Democracies. Psyops is a reference to psychological operations aimed at influencing or intimidating an adversary.

If that is the case, the administrations moves also managed to unnerve and confound many in Congress as well as some American allies, who openly expressed worry that Washington could be drifting toward armed conflict with Iran.

Concerns escalated further with the State Departments announcement this week that it was pulling all nonessential employees out of Iraq. Officials later said this was a precaution and not a sign of impending military action.

Top leaders in Congress received a classified briefing on Iran on Thursday, but many other lawmakers from both parties have criticized the White House for not keeping them informed. Acting Defence Secretary Patrick Shanahan and other top officials are expected to brief members of the Senate behind closed doors on Tuesday. The House also has requested a briefing.

Trump complained on Friday about news coverage of Iran developments, particularly those reports suggesting that he was at odds with Bolton and others in his administration who have most vocally advocated confrontation with Iran.

They put out so many false messages that Iran is totally confused, Trump said in his speech to the real estate agents. I dont know, that might be a good thing.

Trump said on Thursday he hoped the U.S. was not on a path to war with Iran, and a day earlier he expressed a desire for dialogue, tweeting, Im sure that Iran will want to talk soon. But Tehran has showed no outward sign of preparing to talk.

Trumps recent tone contrasted with a series of moves by the U.S. and Iran that have sharply escalated tensions in the Middle East in recent days.

On Friday, an official with Irans powerful Revolutionary Guard warned that Iranian missiles can easily reach warships in the Persian Gulf and elsewhere in the Middle East. The semi-official Fars news agency quoted Mohammad Saleh Jokar as saying that Irans missiles have a range of 2,000 kilometres  about 1,250 miles and can attack any target in the region.

Iran poses a particular challenge for Trump. While he talks tough against foreign adversaries to the delight of his supporters, a military confrontation with Iran could make him appear to be backtracking on a campaign pledge to keep America out of foreign entanglements.

Tensions started to spiral last year when Trump pulled out of a deal the U.S. and other world powers had signed with Iran during the Obama administration. The deal lifted economic sanctions on Iran in exchange for curbing of its nuclear program.

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Associated Press writers Matthew Lee and Deb Riechmann contributed to this report.
WASHINGTON - Former White House national security adviser Michael Flynn told the special counsels office that people connected to the Trump administration and Congress sought to influence his co-operation with the Russia investigation, and he provided a voicemail recording of one such communication, prosecutors said in a court filing made public Thursday.

Meanwhile, the judge in the case ordered that portions of special counsel Robert Muellers report that relate to Flynn be unredacted and made public by the end of the month.

Thursdays order from U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan is the first time a judge is known to have directed the Justice Department to make public any portion of the report that the agency had kept secret. It could set up a conflict with Attorney General William Barr, whose team spent weeks blacking out from the report grand jury information, details of ongoing investigations and other sensitive information.

Prosecutors revealed details about Flynns communications in a court filing aimed at showing the extent of his co-operation with Muellers investigation into ties between the Trump campaign and Russia. Flynn, a vital witness in the probe, is awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty to lying to the FBI about his contacts during the presidential transition period in 2016 with the-then Russian ambassador to the United States.

Prosecutors did not identify the people with whom Flynn was in touch nor did they describe the exact conversations.

But they said Flynn recounted multiple instances in which he or his attorneys received communications from persons connected to the Administration or Congress that could have affected both his willingness to co-operate and the completeness of that co-operation. Prosecutors say they were unaware of some of those instances, which took place before and after his guilty plea, until Flynn told them about them.

Muellers report did not reach a conclusion on whether Trump illegally obstructed justice, but he did examine nearly a dozen episodes for potential obstruction, including efforts by the president to discourage co-operation.

The report reveals that after Flynn began co-operating with the government, an unidentified Trump lawyer left a message with Flynns attorneys reminding them that the president still had warm feelings for Flynn and asking for a heads-up if Flynn knew damaging information about the president.

Sullivan ordered prosecutors Thursday to give him a copy of the audio recording they reference in the court filing, and to make public a transcript of that call. He also directed them to file publicly transcripts of any calls with Russian officials such as the ambassador, Sergey Kislyak.

Flynn was supposed to have been sentenced in December, with prosecutors saying he was so co-operative and helpful in their investigation that he was entitled to avoid prison. But after a judge sharply criticized Flynn during his sentencing hearing, Flynn asked for it to be postponed so that he could continue co-operating with prosecutors and reduce the likelihood of being sent to prison.

The document also details how Flynn assisted investigators as they looked into whether the Trump campaign conspired with the Kremlin to sway the outcome of the 2016 election.

Flynn described to investigators statements from senior campaign officials in 2016 about WikiLeaks  which received and published Democratic emails that were hacked by Russian intelligence officers to which only a select few people were privy, prosecutors said. That includes conversations with senior campaign officials during which the prospect of reaching out to WikiLeaks was discussed.

A redacted version of Muellers report released last month said that the evidence did not establish a criminal conspiracy between Russia and the campaign.

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Follow Eric Tucker on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/etuckerAP
WASHINGTON - Elizabeth Warren is releasing a new proposal to overhaul ethics rules at the Pentagon that would impose a four-year timeout before top Department of Defence officials could join the contracting industry.

Warrens new plan comes ahead of a Thursday campaign appearance in Virginia. The Democratic presidential candidate cited Patrick Shanahan, the onetime Boeing executive tapped by President Donald Trump to be the next Pentagon chief, as an example of the obvious potential conflicts of interest her proposal is designed to prevent.

Warren wrote Thursday that the existing regulations are far too weak to limit the undue influence of giant military contractors at the Pentagon. Her plan would also limit former national security officials ability to work for foreign governments.
Its easy to pick apart the Christchurch Call to Action, the agreement by New Zealand, France, Canada and a dozen other countries to push back against violent extremism online.

Its voluntary, it doesnt include ways to enforce its goals, and it doesnt even include a definition of what its trying to limit. Nor is it supported by the United States.

But in this case the glass is definitely half-full. If nothing else, it ratchets up the pressure on the social-media giants to get serious about putting their own houses in order and stop pretending they have no responsibility about whats being spread on their platforms.

The agreement has been promoted by New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern in the weeks following the attack on two mosques in Christchurch, where 51 people died as the shooter streamed it live on Facebook. On Wednesday, French President Emmanuel Macron signed on, as did Justin Trudeau for Canada.

The Christchurch Call makes clear that fighting extremism online, including the white supremacist ideology behind the New Zealand massacre, must be an international effort. No one country, especially smaller ones like Canada, can do it alone.

And while it is just one step, the accord is another clear sign of the world-wide backlash against what the big tech companies have unleashed on democratic societies.

No wonder then that on the eve of the signing in Paris, Facebook, Google, Amazon, Twitter and Microsoft issued a joint statement committing to a nine-point plan to control terrorist and other extremist content. It includes developing artificial intelligence technology to detect and remove such content, introducing checks on the use of livestreaming, and encouraging the reporting of online hate.

Its clearly in the interests of the tech giants to bring in effective controls themselves rather than having them imposed from the outside. But if they fail to rein in violent extremism, governments must not hesitate to get tougher.

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If one is an example, two is a coincidence and three is a trend, Canadas campaign finance and spending laws are in trouble.

Serious loopholes in the rules that govern how money can be raised and spent have been exposed at the municipal, provincial and federal levels. And all within the past month.

Scarborough city councillor Jim Karygiannis used a weakness in Torontos campaign rules to spend $190,000  more than three times his $61,000 spending limit  by doling out the bulk of the money after he won his seat in last Octobers election, rather than during the campaign.

He managed to pay 21 people $81,000, two to three months after Torontonians cast their ballots. What for? We have no idea because the rules dont require councillors to disclose details about expenses not subject to spending limits when they publicly file their campaign expenses.

Premier Doug Ford exposed a vulnerability in Ontarios laws by using his long-finished and debt-free leadership campaign to continue to raise money.

Asking well-heeled donors to donate the legal maximum to both the Ontario Progressive Conservative party and Fords leadership campaign essentially doubles individual contribution limits. By law those leadership campaign funds have to be transferred to the party, so that little trick has boosted the partys coffers by more than half a million dollars.

Ford has also exposed the inadequacies of federal campaign advertising laws with his anti-carbon tax TV commercials.

Those ads target Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and benefit federal Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer. And yet, no matter how long they run and how many millions are spent, they will not reduce Scheers ad-spending limits for the upcoming federal election.

That move is actually exploiting two terrible loopholes in one since it also takes advantage of the failure of Ontarios laws to stop a premier from using the governments money  taxpayers dollars  for such a blatantly partisan purpose.

The Canada Elections Act does have rules for third-party advertising but they dont apply to provincial governments. In writing those laws, legislators didnt include provinces, probably because they didnt imagine that a premier would abuse provincial taxpayer dollars in the way Ford is doing.

Just as provincial legislators didnt include a rule to ban debt-free leadership campaigns from fundraising because they didnt anticipate that anyone would skirt the rules the way Fords PCs have.

And municipal leaders, no doubt, did not foresee a situation where a councillor would see cause to pay people more to pick up election signs than to drop them off when it matters most, you know, during the campaign, and whatever else might have been covered off by honoraria of up to $10,000 that Karygiannis paid for undisclosed activities.

In this, Karygiannis is clear that he did nothing wrong because his campaign followed the rules. Ford also says hes doing nothing but following the rules.

That doesnt make it okay and they should really know that. These rule-skirting, self-serving moves do nothing but contribute to voter cynicism about politics and politicians.

Limits on campaign spending, individual contributions and advertising are all designed to help ensure fair elections and level the playing field for candidates.

Now that these loopholes have been well and truly exposed by unscrupulous politicians they cant be closed too soon.

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Donald Trump came to power two years ago on a promise to avoid ruinous foreign wars.

While vowing to make America great again, the newly elected president was harshly critical of his predecessors for entangling the U.S. in seemingly endless conflicts in Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya and Syria.

Since then, he has been willing to use the threat of military action as a bargaining tool  as he did when he famously threatened fire and fury against North Korea unless it abandoned its nuclear weapons program.

But unlike Barack Obama, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton and George Herbert Walker Bush, he has refrained from involving America in new wars.

Until now.

Now the Trump administration appears to be setting the table for a particularly ruinous war with Iran.

Read more:

Congressional leaders get classified briefing on Iran

Trumps Iran moves trigger warnings, demands from Congress

Tensions over Iran show cracks in a time-tested alliance

All of the usual lead-ups to war are in play. First, Trump withdrew the U.S. from a multinational deal designed to limit Irans nuclear ambitions. Then he imposed punitive economic sanctions on both Iran and any country that dared to trade with it.

Then came reports from the administration that Iran was threatening military action against America and its allies. The reports were contradicted by some of the allies themselves. But the U.S. responded all the same, dispatching an aircraft carrier group and long-range bombers to the region.

This was followed by reports of alleged Iranian provocations: the sabotage of four oil tankers in the Persian Gulf; a missile attack by Iranian-backed Yemeni rebels against Saudi Arabia.

Throughout, National Security Advisor John Bolton has been beating the drums against Tehran.

To skeptics, all of this is reminiscent of the Tonkin Gulf incident, the non-existent attack on a U.S, naval ship in 1964 that Washington used to justify sending thousands of GIs to fight and die in Vietnam.

Others recall Americas claim that Iraq under Saddam Hussein possessed weapons of mass destruction, an allegation (later proven false) that was used to justify the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of that country.

Why would Trump want to provoke a war with Iran? It is possible that, like Bolton and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, he believes the very existence of the current Iranian regime poses a threat to America.

Or it is possible that he has been persuaded by Saudi Arabia and Israel that Iran is an irredeemably malign force in the region.

But its more likely that hes just being Trump and that he believes his bluster is an effective bargaining tool.

Indeed, Trumps animosity toward Iran does not seem to be based on anything other than his belief that it bested America in the nuclear talks.

If Trump could force Iran to negotiate what he believes to be a better deal, he probably wouldnt care who ran the country.

He has offered to talk to Irans leadership. He might well declare supreme leader Ali Khamenei his best friend.

Under this scenario, Trump might think it useful to have a mad warmonger like Bolton on leash  if for no other reason than to scare Tehran.

I actually temper John, the president said recently.

Still, CNN reports, there are signs that Trump is finding Bolton too uppity. The president has never liked his advisers moustache. More to the point, Trump is said to be irked that Bolton, with his non-stop war talk against Venezuela and Iran, is stealing the limelight from his boss.

In the Trump administration, this is a mortal sin.

Whatever Trumps views about Boltons moustache and whatever the reason for Washingtons campaign against Iran, the president is playing a dangerous game. History shows that it is easy for the U.S. to be pulled into foreign wars. The difficult part  as Trump should know  is getting out.

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